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.
"What do you do anyway Cordelia?" Wes asked a couple of hours later as they sat in the lobby eating pizza.
Cordelia was about to reply but was beaten to it.
"Mom tells people how to have sex." Ash interrupted, a gleam in her eye that Angel could already recognise as one that Cordelia used to have.
Wes almost choked on his slice of pizza.
Cordelia blushed. "I do not!"
"Then explain to them what you do. I had to when I was in tenth grade and my teacher asked me what my mom did."
Cordelia ignored her daughter. "I'm a sex therapist; I help people with their relationship issues."
Faith raised an eyebrow. "Interesting choice of vocation Cor."
She smiled at the way her old nickname had just slipped off Faith's tongue.
"Excuse me." Cordelia told everyone and went in the direction of the bathroom. Instead she slipped outside and went to sit in the courtyard. It was a warm, balmy night and she slipped off her cardigan now she wasn't in the coolness of the hotel.
She took a few deep breaths, calming her emotions. Being around them again was so familiar and yet so difficult.
She heard the door open behind her and sensed him before she saw him.
"After all these years I still know when it's you when I can't see you." She told him, turning her head slightly towards him. "How do you do that?"
"I don't know." He sat down next to her.
"Sometimes I thought I could sense you when I was sat in my apartment but I knew I had to be wrong, now I can feel that feeling again I know that I just wanted to be sensing you, I wasn't actually sensing you."
"I guess that makes sense. Some times I thought I could see you or smell you when you weren't there."
She smiled. "At least it wasn't just me."
He reached out and gently took her hand in his, relaxing when she let him.
"She looks just like you." Angel told her, meaning Ash.
"That's what Buffy told me. I don't see it."
He looked at her in amazement. "She's the mirror image of you. The way she acts, the way she looks, the things she says. She's you but younger. Absolutely perfect."
"I wish you could have seen her growing up."
"Was she good for you? I mean, was she any trouble?" He felt a little awkward, as he should know these things, as her father.
Cordelia shook her head. "No, she was good. I can remember one Christmas, I broke my arm, and I couldn't wrap her presents properly. She caught me at it and helped me without looking at what I'd bought her. She was such a cute kid."
"I wish I could have been there." He sighed.
She squeezed his hand. "I wish you could have been too."
"Did she ever have, you know, a father figure?"
She shook her head. "No, there's never been anyone else, only you."
He nodded. "In a way that makes me sad but also damn happy."
She reached under her shirt and pulled out a chain. On it hung her engagement and wedding ring. "I always kept these next to my heart and I was always faithful to you. I couldn't not be. Ash always bugged me to go out with men but I always brushed her off. I never told her why. She thought you weren't interested in us."
"Where did she get that idea?" He asked her.
"I told her that." She explained sheepishly. "I didn't want her to go running off and finding you, not until I was ready, or I suppose never. When I first told her that she was very young and she never asked again. In a way I wish she had wanted to run off and find you, that way we could have met again before now."
"It doesn't matter, you're here now." He told her.
"Fifteen years later." She mused. "Here I am, thirty six years old, and there you are still looking twenty eight. Can you say Mrs Robinson?"
He smiled, for once understanding her modern reference. "If it makes it any easier, you look the same as you did fifteen years ago."
She rested her head on his shoulder. "You're a charmer."
"Always have been." He gently brushed his lips with her hair.
She sighed.
"What?"
"If I told you it would sound stupid."
"Try me."
"That's right, I always could tell you anything." She mused. "I was thinking that if I close my eyes I could be back fifteen years in seconds. This feels just the way it did all those years ago."
"I get that. Sometimes I can see our wedding night so clearly that I think it will kill me because I can't have you and then sometimes it's so blurry that I think it will kill me because I want to treasure the memories so much and I'm scared I'll forget."
"Maybe you should forget." A voice threatened from behind them.
They looked at each other for a millisecond and then turned together to see Connor stood there with a crossbow pointed at his father's heart.
"Connor." Cordelia warned and stood up slowly, finding the crossbow aimed at her own heart. "You don't want to do this."
"Don't tell me what I do and don't want to do!" He shouted, but they could see his arm was shaking.
"Mom?" Ash poked her head around the door and then saw Connor and the crossbow.
"What's going on?" She looked terrified.
"Go back inside honey." Cordelia told her.
"Mom?" Connor asked. "You have a daughter?"
Cordelia nodded. "That's your sister, Ashleigh."
He shook his head. "I don't have a sister."
"Yes you do." Angel told him.
He shook his head again. "Stop lying to me!"
"He's not lying!" Ash interrupted, still not moving.
"Ash, go!" Cordelia shouted.
"I was born a year after you. I'm sixteen now, nearly seventeen, so you must be eighteen. I've seen a photo of you today; you were a really cute baby." She told her, shrugging. "But then again, I was too."
Connor had a confused look on his face.
"Here, take a look." She offered him the photo that she'd kept and put in her pocket.
"Ash!" Cordelia warned again.
She ignored Cordelia and moved towards Connor, reaching out a hand to give him the photograph.
She stood next to him, making both Angel and Cordelia nervous, while he looked at it.
"That's me?" He asked, pointing to one of the babies. He was in Cordelia's arms.
"And that's me." Ash pointed. "The cute one."
He smiled slightly. "I guess."
"Connor, do you want to come inside?" Angel offered.
He shook his head and tightened his grip on the crossbow. "Maybe you were my father, but she can't be my mother!"
"Why not?" Ash asked, seemingly relaxed in the situation.
"She didn't give birth to me."
"Well, technically she didn't give birth to me either, she was in an accident and I was cut out."
Cordelia closed her eyes and shook her head slightly at the way her daughter was acting.
Angel smirked slightly and realised Cordelia still had hold of his hand.
"Just because you don't give birth to someone doesn't mean you can't be their mother." Angel pointed out.
Connor raised the crossbow again, aiming at Angel's throat.
"Hey!" Ash complained. "Don't aim that at my father!"
She knocked the crossbow downwards. Startled, Connor pulled the trigger, sending an arrow shooting into Cordelia's forearm.
"Sorry!" Ash exclaimed.
Cordelia gasped in pain. "Thanks sweetie."
"Are you okay?" Connor asked tentatively as light began to pour out of the wound around the arrow.
"What's happening?" Angel asked her.
She shook her head. "I have no idea!"
She began to look panicked until the light finished flowing and formed a ball above her head. It suddenly shot into Connor's open mouth.
Seeing the light outside the gang came running outside. They stopped at the doorway, bewildered by what was happening.
"Connor?" Ash tried.
His eyes had turned white.
Angel stepped forwards and dragged Ash back behind them.
Cordelia pulled the arrow out of her arm with a cry of pain. Angel quickly bandaged it with the bottom of his shirt all the while keeping an eye on Connor.
With a scream, the light left Connor and exploded into dust in the air.
"What happened?" Cordelia asked him.
He fell to his knees. "Mom?"
Cordelia's eyes widened and she stepped forwards to him. She knelt down next to him.
"What did you see?" She asked quietly.
He raised his eyes to look at her. "You and Dad and Ash. You loved us, I could see it. And feel it. Daniel lied to me, you are my mother."
The words brought tears to Cordelia's eyes and Connor fell into her arms crying. Cordelia took a few deep breaths, feeling tears escape her eyes. Slowly she raised her arms around her son's back and hugged him to her.
"I love you so much." She whispered. "I always loved you so much."
He nodded. "I know that now."
Still he did not let go of her.
Angel stepped forwards, aching to be included.
Ash sensed it and went to wrap her arms around his waist.
Everyone discretely left the doorway and left them alone.
Connor eventually stopped crying.
"Feel better?" Cordelia asked him, smoothing back his hair from his forehead.
He nodded, still clinging to her.
"Do you want to go inside? I can introduce everyone to you." Ash offered.
"Listen to you." Cordelia pointed out. "You only just met them tonight!"
She shrugged. "I learn fast."
She took Connor's arm and led him into the hotel.
Angel stopped her from going inside. "Will you stay with me tonight?"
She understood he hidden meaning of the question. "Yes."
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.
"What do you do anyway Cordelia?" Wes asked a couple of hours later as they sat in the lobby eating pizza.
Cordelia was about to reply but was beaten to it.
"Mom tells people how to have sex." Ash interrupted, a gleam in her eye that Angel could already recognise as one that Cordelia used to have.
Wes almost choked on his slice of pizza.
Cordelia blushed. "I do not!"
"Then explain to them what you do. I had to when I was in tenth grade and my teacher asked me what my mom did."
Cordelia ignored her daughter. "I'm a sex therapist; I help people with their relationship issues."
Faith raised an eyebrow. "Interesting choice of vocation Cor."
She smiled at the way her old nickname had just slipped off Faith's tongue.
"Excuse me." Cordelia told everyone and went in the direction of the bathroom. Instead she slipped outside and went to sit in the courtyard. It was a warm, balmy night and she slipped off her cardigan now she wasn't in the coolness of the hotel.
She took a few deep breaths, calming her emotions. Being around them again was so familiar and yet so difficult.
She heard the door open behind her and sensed him before she saw him.
"After all these years I still know when it's you when I can't see you." She told him, turning her head slightly towards him. "How do you do that?"
"I don't know." He sat down next to her.
"Sometimes I thought I could sense you when I was sat in my apartment but I knew I had to be wrong, now I can feel that feeling again I know that I just wanted to be sensing you, I wasn't actually sensing you."
"I guess that makes sense. Some times I thought I could see you or smell you when you weren't there."
She smiled. "At least it wasn't just me."
He reached out and gently took her hand in his, relaxing when she let him.
"She looks just like you." Angel told her, meaning Ash.
"That's what Buffy told me. I don't see it."
He looked at her in amazement. "She's the mirror image of you. The way she acts, the way she looks, the things she says. She's you but younger. Absolutely perfect."
"I wish you could have seen her growing up."
"Was she good for you? I mean, was she any trouble?" He felt a little awkward, as he should know these things, as her father.
Cordelia shook her head. "No, she was good. I can remember one Christmas, I broke my arm, and I couldn't wrap her presents properly. She caught me at it and helped me without looking at what I'd bought her. She was such a cute kid."
"I wish I could have been there." He sighed.
She squeezed his hand. "I wish you could have been too."
"Did she ever have, you know, a father figure?"
She shook her head. "No, there's never been anyone else, only you."
He nodded. "In a way that makes me sad but also damn happy."
She reached under her shirt and pulled out a chain. On it hung her engagement and wedding ring. "I always kept these next to my heart and I was always faithful to you. I couldn't not be. Ash always bugged me to go out with men but I always brushed her off. I never told her why. She thought you weren't interested in us."
"Where did she get that idea?" He asked her.
"I told her that." She explained sheepishly. "I didn't want her to go running off and finding you, not until I was ready, or I suppose never. When I first told her that she was very young and she never asked again. In a way I wish she had wanted to run off and find you, that way we could have met again before now."
"It doesn't matter, you're here now." He told her.
"Fifteen years later." She mused. "Here I am, thirty six years old, and there you are still looking twenty eight. Can you say Mrs Robinson?"
He smiled, for once understanding her modern reference. "If it makes it any easier, you look the same as you did fifteen years ago."
She rested her head on his shoulder. "You're a charmer."
"Always have been." He gently brushed his lips with her hair.
She sighed.
"What?"
"If I told you it would sound stupid."
"Try me."
"That's right, I always could tell you anything." She mused. "I was thinking that if I close my eyes I could be back fifteen years in seconds. This feels just the way it did all those years ago."
"I get that. Sometimes I can see our wedding night so clearly that I think it will kill me because I can't have you and then sometimes it's so blurry that I think it will kill me because I want to treasure the memories so much and I'm scared I'll forget."
"Maybe you should forget." A voice threatened from behind them.
They looked at each other for a millisecond and then turned together to see Connor stood there with a crossbow pointed at his father's heart.
"Connor." Cordelia warned and stood up slowly, finding the crossbow aimed at her own heart. "You don't want to do this."
"Don't tell me what I do and don't want to do!" He shouted, but they could see his arm was shaking.
"Mom?" Ash poked her head around the door and then saw Connor and the crossbow.
"What's going on?" She looked terrified.
"Go back inside honey." Cordelia told her.
"Mom?" Connor asked. "You have a daughter?"
Cordelia nodded. "That's your sister, Ashleigh."
He shook his head. "I don't have a sister."
"Yes you do." Angel told him.
He shook his head again. "Stop lying to me!"
"He's not lying!" Ash interrupted, still not moving.
"Ash, go!" Cordelia shouted.
"I was born a year after you. I'm sixteen now, nearly seventeen, so you must be eighteen. I've seen a photo of you today; you were a really cute baby." She told her, shrugging. "But then again, I was too."
Connor had a confused look on his face.
"Here, take a look." She offered him the photo that she'd kept and put in her pocket.
"Ash!" Cordelia warned again.
She ignored Cordelia and moved towards Connor, reaching out a hand to give him the photograph.
She stood next to him, making both Angel and Cordelia nervous, while he looked at it.
"That's me?" He asked, pointing to one of the babies. He was in Cordelia's arms.
"And that's me." Ash pointed. "The cute one."
He smiled slightly. "I guess."
"Connor, do you want to come inside?" Angel offered.
He shook his head and tightened his grip on the crossbow. "Maybe you were my father, but she can't be my mother!"
"Why not?" Ash asked, seemingly relaxed in the situation.
"She didn't give birth to me."
"Well, technically she didn't give birth to me either, she was in an accident and I was cut out."
Cordelia closed her eyes and shook her head slightly at the way her daughter was acting.
Angel smirked slightly and realised Cordelia still had hold of his hand.
"Just because you don't give birth to someone doesn't mean you can't be their mother." Angel pointed out.
Connor raised the crossbow again, aiming at Angel's throat.
"Hey!" Ash complained. "Don't aim that at my father!"
She knocked the crossbow downwards. Startled, Connor pulled the trigger, sending an arrow shooting into Cordelia's forearm.
"Sorry!" Ash exclaimed.
Cordelia gasped in pain. "Thanks sweetie."
"Are you okay?" Connor asked tentatively as light began to pour out of the wound around the arrow.
"What's happening?" Angel asked her.
She shook her head. "I have no idea!"
She began to look panicked until the light finished flowing and formed a ball above her head. It suddenly shot into Connor's open mouth.
Seeing the light outside the gang came running outside. They stopped at the doorway, bewildered by what was happening.
"Connor?" Ash tried.
His eyes had turned white.
Angel stepped forwards and dragged Ash back behind them.
Cordelia pulled the arrow out of her arm with a cry of pain. Angel quickly bandaged it with the bottom of his shirt all the while keeping an eye on Connor.
With a scream, the light left Connor and exploded into dust in the air.
"What happened?" Cordelia asked him.
He fell to his knees. "Mom?"
Cordelia's eyes widened and she stepped forwards to him. She knelt down next to him.
"What did you see?" She asked quietly.
He raised his eyes to look at her. "You and Dad and Ash. You loved us, I could see it. And feel it. Daniel lied to me, you are my mother."
The words brought tears to Cordelia's eyes and Connor fell into her arms crying. Cordelia took a few deep breaths, feeling tears escape her eyes. Slowly she raised her arms around her son's back and hugged him to her.
"I love you so much." She whispered. "I always loved you so much."
He nodded. "I know that now."
Still he did not let go of her.
Angel stepped forwards, aching to be included.
Ash sensed it and went to wrap her arms around his waist.
Everyone discretely left the doorway and left them alone.
Connor eventually stopped crying.
"Feel better?" Cordelia asked him, smoothing back his hair from his forehead.
He nodded, still clinging to her.
"Do you want to go inside? I can introduce everyone to you." Ash offered.
"Listen to you." Cordelia pointed out. "You only just met them tonight!"
She shrugged. "I learn fast."
She took Connor's arm and led him into the hotel.
Angel stopped her from going inside. "Will you stay with me tonight?"
She understood he hidden meaning of the question. "Yes."
