Title: Family: Heartache in LA

Author: victoriamartynne

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Spoilers: None, I think!

Summary: Sequel to Family: Back to Sunnydale, Family: Forward to LA, Family: Return to Sunnydale, Family: On to LA and Family: Wedding in LA. In the aftermath of Cordelia and Angel's wedding, their happiness is ruined by one man from Angel's past determined to ruin their lives forever.

Cordelia made Connor a bed up on the couch and went to kiss Ash's head before taking her coat off and getting into bed. She opened the cupboard next to her bed and pulled out the photograph of Angel and Connor she kept there. The tears began to fall. It was him, she knew it was. It had to be. Her baby boy was back.

Angel was distraught at having missed her. And Connor. He insisted on going through every single book before he even considered going to sleep.

"What about a spell to reveal one's history?" Wes suggested, having volunteered to spend the night searching with him.

"It could work." Angel supposed and put down his book.

"The only thing is is that it reveals it to the person in question. That could be painful for him."

"But it's the only thing we've got." Angel argued.

Wes went to call Cordelia as soon as dawn broke while Angel informed everyone else of what they'd found.

As soon as Cordelia had got off the phone she woke Connor and they went back to the Hyperion. She left a note telling Ash that she'd be back before lunch; it was a Saturday so she doubted Ash would be up before she got home anyway.

Cordelia felt nerves tighten in her stomach as soon as she saw Angel, he was exactly the same as she had remembered and the feeling she got when he stood close to her was the same one she'd felt all those years ago. Despite the urge she felt to be near him she kept her distance, there would be time for recriminations later.

"Are you sure about this Connor?" Wes asked.

He nodded. "I need to know."

"Very well then, sit down in the middle of the circle, it shouldn't take long." He indicated to the circle of sand that had been drawn on the lobby floor.

"At least it's not blood this time." Angel told Cordelia.

She smiled slightly, her heart fluttering. "That was murder to get off."

They turned to watch as Wes began to chant.

Gradually Connor's eyes began to close and his head drifted down to his chest.

Wes stopped chanting and dropped a vial of potion onto the floor at Connor's feet, causing a cloud of purple smoke to rise and enter Connor's mouth.

"He'll now be shown his life through a series of visions. Perhaps like the ones you used to experience." He told Cordelia.

"Will they be painful?" Faith asked.

He shook his head. "No, he'll not feel a thing. Perhaps we should leave before he wakes up, I'm sure you'll want to be alone with him."

"No, I want you here." Cordelia told them. "That is, if you don't mind."

They all shook their heads and stayed where they were.

Connor came out of the spell and his head came back up from his chest.

His eyes rested on Cordelia and Angel.

"You told me you were my mother." He told Cordelia.

Cordelia looked like she'd been slapped. "I am your mother."

"You looked after me, you weren't my mother!" He spat. "I should have remembered, my father always told me about you two! You aren't my mother. You let me get kidnapped, my father saved me! Your stupid spell lied to me! Darla was my mother and Daniel was my father! They were the ones that loved me."

Cordelia stepped forwards. "We didn't lie to you honey, Darla was your biological mother but I was the one who loved you and looked after you until Holtz, Daniel, kidnapped you and took you to the hell dimension. You were our baby, mine and Angel's."

"I was never yours and I never will be yours. My family is dead!" He shouted. "You're nobody to me!"

He ran out of the hotel into the sunlight. Angel made to follow him but Faith and Gunn stopped him.

Cordelia was rapidly losing control, tears trickling down her face. Buffy made her way to her.

"He's confused, that's all." Buffy insisted, grabbing her arms. "Once he figures everything out he'll be fine."

Angel came to stand close to Cordelia, wishing he could touch her. Needing to touch her.

Impulsively she turned and flung her arms around him, crying out as the familiarity washed over her.

"I'm his mother!" She sobbed, clutching his shoulders.

"I know you are." He soothed. "He'll realise it when he's less confused."

"I missed him all these years and now he comes back and he doesn't want to know me. I loved him so much and he doesn't even remember. He never had the chance to remember. I let him get taken and I guess this is my punishment."

He pulled back so he could look at her. "I never for one moment blamed you for what happened. I always wanted to tell you that but I could never find you."

Everyone sensed the conversation was about to get personal so they discretely left.

"I searched for you for years but I could never find you. I always wanted to hold you in my arms and tell you that I loved you and didn't blame you but I couldn't find you." His voice was trembling. "I lost everything the day you walked out of the door. And I know it was my fault. But when I saw you standing in the doorway yesterday I was so happy and then you told me about Connor and I was in heaven. He'll come around but there's one thing I need you to do for me."

She raised her head. "Anything."

He smiled at her. "Bring Ashleigh to see me."

Cordelia gulped. "I'll try, but she doesn't know about you, or Connor. I'll tell her and then see if she wants to see you. Is that okay?"

"There's nothing more you can do."

She smiled and wiped her face with the backs of her hands. "I'll go tell her then."

He nodded. "Be quick, I'm dying to see her."

Cordelia entered the apartment and called out to her daughter.

"Ash, baby, I need to talk to you."

"I'm in the kitchen." Came the response.

Cordelia hung her jacket on the coat hanger and went into the kitchen. "What are you doing? You're normally still in bed at this time. You do know it's only ten am?"

"I'm cooking." She replied, stirring something in a bowl. "And yes, I know what time it is."

"Wonders will never cease." She replied, rolling her eyes at the mess her daughter was making. "Can you come into the living room for a minute; I need to talk to you. It's important."

Reluctantly she put down the bowl and swung her hair over the shoulder. She was instantly contrite. "Have you been crying?"

Cordelia brushed it off and put an arm around Ash. "It was nothing, now sit down." Ash sat.

"It's about your father." Cordelia began. "He never abandoned me, in a way I abandoned him. Your brother, Connor, was kidnapped by someone very bad."

"A demon?" Ash asked.

Cordelia's eyes widened. "How do you know about.? Never mind. He wasn't a demon but he was kidnapped into a demon dimension. You were one at the time, he was nearly two. This was about fifteen and a half years ago. Losing him nearly killed me, probably both of us. I don't know, I didn't stay. There was a lot of shouting and I left. With you."

She paused to see how it was sinking in. As of yet she seemed okay with it.

"Then the other day you found that boy, he's your brother. He's Connor. He's back from the hell dimension. I don't know how he got out but he's back and that's all that matters. I always believed that he was dead when he was taken, but obviously he survived. I took him to see your father and our friends. I hadn't seen any of them since I walked out with you all those years ago. Your father, he wants to see you."

"Okay." She instantly replied.

"You don't have to make the decision now and it's okay if you don't want to, nobody is going to force you."

"Did you love him?" She asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Wait here." Cordelia told her and went to get the box of photographs she kept under her bed.

She sat back down and handed her the bunch of her and Angel.

"Wow, he's really handsome." Ash commented.

"There's another thing about your dad that I need to tell you but it doesn't seem as hard as I first thought now you seem to know about demons."

"He's a demon?"

"A vampire. But don't worry, he's not evil, he has a soul. The only vampire in the world to be given his soul back." She neglected to tell her why he got his soul back, that could wait. "He's a very good and caring man."

Ash out the photos down. "I want to meet him. And Connor."

Cordelia smiled and kissed her forehead. "Connor might not be ready but your dad is dying to see you. Are you sure?"

She nodded and they both stood up.

"Let's go." Ash urged eagerly.

Cordelia couldn't stop Ash from pushing in front and entering the hotel first.

Cordelia let the door close behind her and stood resting against it as she saw Ash run across the lobby to hug her father. Angel's face was one of pure joy as his daughter hurtled herself into his arms. Cordelia put a hand over her mouth to block the sob of happiness from leaving her throat. Tears had already escaped her eyes and were making their way down her cheeks.

She could see Faith, Wes, Gunn, Lorne, Fred and Buffy all stood transfixed behind him.

Angel was speechless at the force of his daughter's affection; she was wrapped around his neck like a limpet.

"God Ashleigh, I missed you so much." He murmured. "And look at the size of you, you were so small the last time I saw you!"

"I grew daddy." She told him, not realising what she had called him.

It was too much for Cordelia and sobs escaped her, overwhelming her. She sank to the floor with her head in her hands.

Lorne came across to her. "It's good to see you muffin."

He put his arm around her and let her cry into his jacket.

"Mom?" Ash pulled herself out of Angel's embrace to ask. "Are you sad?"

She shook her head, still not showing her face.

Ash came across to her. "Then you're happy?"

She lifted her tear streaked face. "I will be."

She stroked Ash's face with her fingertips.

"Who are those people?" Ash whispered causing a laugh from Cordelia.

"Come on, I'll introduce you." She stood up and pulled her daughter with her.

Only then did everyone realise how alike the two women were.

Cordelia turned to Lorne. "This is Uncle Lorne, he is a friendly demon and he helped look after you when you were born."

"She knows about demons?" Angel asked, from the other side of the lobby.

"Apparently." Cordelia replied. "She dropped that one on me about an hour ago."

"That's what colour I wanted my bedroom last year." Ash told her mom, pointing at Lorne's face causing the gang to smirk at the Cordy-ness of the statement.

She turned and walked across the lobby, Ash following her.

"This is Uncle Wes and Aunt Faith." Cordelia smiled. "Very good friends of mine. By the way, did you two ever..?"

Faith caught on before Wes did and waved her left hand in the air, showing off a thin silver band.

"I guess I missed that." Cordelia replied, almost sadly.

"Pleased to meet you." Ash stuck her hand out to Faith and then winced when she shook it. "Wow, strong."

"You might want to avoid Aunt Buffy then." Cordelia told her and pointed out Buffy, who waved. "And these two are Aunt Fred and Uncle Gunn."

"Cool name." Ash commented. "Is it a nickname?"

"Nah." Good replied boyishly, blushing slightly under Ash's gaze. "Just my second name."

"His first name's Charles." Fred supplied helpfully.

"Ouch!" She replied, pulling a face.

"Hey!" Gunn objected at Ash's retreating back as she went to sit down next to her father.

"Can I see your vampire face?" She asked.

"No." Angel told her immediately.

Cordelia went to sit awkwardly on the round couch in the middle of the lobby. Buffy came to sit with her.

"Anything else I missed out on?" Cordelia asked with a sigh.

"Well," Buffy began. "Spike was given his soul back. Dawn is married to a lawyer and she's in London. Fred and Gunn are married too; they shared the ceremony with Wes and Faith, a double wedding. Willow's still with Tara, they adopted a baby boy four years ago. Will's working for NASA, we're all proud of our astronaut. Xander and Anya split up but they're still good friends, they're both single right now so who knows?"

"And Angel?" Cordelia prompted.

"He lived like a hermit for the first ten or so years. He tried to find you so much but he never could. If you're asking if there was ever anyone else then there wasn't. There were only you. There only ever will be. His room upstairs is a shrine to you."

Cordelia had a look of relief but also remorse on her face.

"He understands why you did it, you know." Buffy told her. "He knows you couldn't bear to be here without Connor. He knows he hurt you by the things he said and the way he acted after it happened."

"I needed my space." Cordelia added. "By the time I realised I had too much space I was too scared to come back."

Buffy squeezed Cordelia's hand gently. "It's okay, you're back now."

Cordelia turned back to Ashleigh.

"She's beautiful, she looks just like you." Buffy commented.

"Everyone says that but I don't see it, I can see Angel in her."

"Mom, can I?" Ashe's voice startled her out of her conversation.

"Can you what?"

"Stop here tonight." Ash repeated. "Dad says you can too, if you want."

Angel's face broke out in a smile as he heard her call him dad.

"I don't know, that might not be such a."

"Please mom!" Ash begged. "We can order pizza and get to know each other and it will be so much fun!"

Seeing the eager look on Ash's face Cordelia relented. "Okay, but remember you've got school in the morning."

Ash pulled a face and got involved in her conversation with Angel again.