CHAPTER FOURTEEN: FAMILY
Wesley set up the ritual, which was the magical equivalent of a paternity test. Ten minutes later, Buffy was having problems trying to breathe. She knew more than enough about magic to know that mistakes could often happen, but after Wesley performed the test once more, she was certain that the ritual had been right. She was Connor's mother.
"Oh god," she whispered.
Angel held her to his chest tightly, gently stroking her chair as she went through the panic that came with extremely shocking news. When she'd finished hyperventilating, she looked up at Angel.
"I'm a mom!"
Angel smiled and kissed her gently, loving the happiness that had won out over the fear in the play of emotions running across her face.
"This is gonna be majorly weird," Buffy murmured into Angle's shirt. "My son's like four years younger than me!"
Angel chuckled and Wesley couldn't help but smirk. Watching the Vampire and Slayer now that he understood what family and friendship truly meant, he could finally appreciate how powerful the connection between Buffy and Angel truly was. When he'd first seen the two of them together, he'd thought it to be the strangest thing he'd ever heard of. He couldn't understand how Giles had allowed it to happen, but seeing them as they were now, he could see what he'd never been able to see before. They truly were kindred.
"Do you want to tell him now?" Angel whispered.
Buffy pulled back, her eyes going wide once more. "Oh god…I don't know. What if…what if he hates me? What if he doesn't believe us? What if-"
Her rambling was cut off as Angel pressed his lips against hers. The tenseness in Buffy's shoulders melted and Buffy sunk into him, sighing happily. They pulled apart and she took a deep breath.
"Do you think he'll be okay with it?" she asked seriously. "I mean, he only just met me. He's been raised his entire life thinking that Darla was his mother. He might not appreciate being told otherwise."
"He has a right to know," Angel said softly. "Just as you did."
Buffy sighed, but finally nodded her agreement. Angel pressed a kiss to her forehead and pulled away from her, exiting the office and walking to where Connor and Gunn were talking excitedly about weapons and different fighting moves. Obviously destroying the Beast had been something of a bonding moment for the two men as they'd never really been all that close before.
Angel asked Connor to come into the office, and he willingly followed, grinning at Buffy as he took a seat beside her.
"What's wrong?" Connor asked. "You're not about to tell me that the Beast isn't really dead, right?"
"No, nothing like that," Angel assured him. "It's…well, about your mother."
Connor's eyes darkened. "Darla." He'd heard the tale of his birth many times over. Angel had explained to him about why Angel and Darla had slept together, and Connor had always had it in the back of his mind that, whilst he may have been a miracle child, he'd been conceived through grief, despair and hatred. It wasn't the most comforting thought.
"She's not your mother," Angel said.
Connor looked genuinely surprised by the admittance. "But…you told me that…"
"I know what we told you," Angel said. "And we all thought it to be true. And, yes, she was the person who physically gave birth to you, but…you aren't hers."
"Your blood, your soul and half of your strength came from another," Wesley continued. "That is why it's possible for you to have a human soul."
Connor looked to Buffy who was staring at him in the strangest of ways. As their eyes met, it all clicked for Connor. This was what the connected feeling between them meant. This was why he'd been able to sense her, why he'd been drawn to watch her while she'd been asleep several days before. This was why she'd been able to make him smile and why he felt so comfortable with her.
His lips curled into a smile and he reached over to take her hand. Angel smiled, unable to help himself from feeling happy that the two most important people in the world to him truly were connected.
"You're my mother," Connor whispered.
Buffy nodded, and before anyone really knew what had happened, they were both on their feet, hugging each other tightly. Connor felt tears roll down his cheeks and a feeling of contentment filled his stomach. He breathed in deeply, savouring the feeling, unable to believe something this good had finally happened to him.
"How is this possible?" Connor asked, not bothering to pull out of the hug as he looked over his shoulder at Angel.
"As best as we can tell, it began the first time Buffy and made love. We pretty much proved that we were soulmates, and then it continued when I uh…fed on Buffy. That was in May of 1999. Then, six months later, I was turned human. I erased the day, but we think that Buffy might have conceived."
"But, me being the Slayer, I couldn't have given birth anyway," Buffy added bitterly. "One of the many perks of being the Chosen One."
Connor hugged her even tighter and felt a responding pressure.
"Then, in March of 2001, I slept with Darla. The next morning, I realised that I was an idiot-"
"I could have told you that without you sleeping with her," Buffy interjected with a grin.
Angel mock-glared at her, but couldn't help smiling back.
"And then I heard that Buffy's mom had died, so I went to Sunnydale. We, uh…realised we were still in love with each other but that it wasn't the right time for me to be in Sunnydale. I came back to LA, and then…two months later, and exactly two years to the day after I bit Buffy, she died."
Connor finally pulled back in shock. Buffy grinned at him sheepishly.
"What?!"
"I died. It was a choice between my sister and me, and…I couldn't let her die. My friends brought me back, using magic."
"That's what Cordelia was talking about," Connor said, the words finally registering with him. "The resurrection spell."
Buffy nodded.
"Anyway, my soul left this plane, but it was still here in parts, with Angel and with Dawn, and quite possibly already with you, but not as strong. Enough for you to be alive, and enough of a conscience for Darla to feed off, and have actual human emotions, but not an entire soul. Then, I came back in October, and you were born a month later. At that point in time, you got the full quarter of my soul that I could give you," she explained.
"But why Darla?" Connor asked.
Angel and Buffy both looked stumped by the question. It was Wesley who stepped forward with a possible answer.
"In theory, any woman that Angel slept with would have conceived during that evening," Wesley replied. "Your birth was prophesied, so, no matter what happened, you were to be born. In fact, I'm fairly certain that even if Angel hadn't have turned back the day he was human, Buffy would have given birth."
Angel and Buffy turned to look at him in shock and dismay. Hearing that they could have been the ones to see Connor through his birth was excruciating. Angel was feeling even guiltier about turning back the day than before. No a day went by that he didn't still have doubts about whether or not he'd done the right thing.
"Of course, Buffy wouldn't have survived the birthing process," Wesley continued, not having noticed the identical looks of horror. Angel and Buffy both sighed, realising that perhaps it had been for the best. Whilst it wasn't easy to hear that someone else had had to sacrifice their life to let Connor live, it was easier to swallow knowing that Darla had over 400 year of experience to her name, and that she had been a soulless creature.
"Wow," Connor finally said. "This is…a lot."
Buffy took a hold of his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, believed when Connor squeezed back and didn't let go of her. "We know this is a bit of a shock for you, Con," Buffy said.
He nodded but managed to smile at her. "I think I've made you the youngest mother alive," Connor said with a grin. "Four years age difference…that's gotta be a record."
Buffy grinned and Angel couldn't help but laugh as well. It was nice to see that his son did have a sense of humour after all. This was what they'd been missing all along. He'd known that he should have called Buffy the second Connor was born, but he'd been too stubborn, and too worried that she would decide that she hated both himself and Connor because of Darla.
"Seriously though," Connor continued, sobering up, "I think it's good. Knowing that Buffy's really my mom…well, it means that I was…well, wanted. I was made through love. I wasn't an accident."
Buffy felt her heart break for him, and she pulled him into another hug. Angel couldn't resist either, never having realised how badly his son hurt over his parentage. He'd always thought that Connor just hated having vampiric parents. Obviously it went a lot deeper than that. He stepped forward and engulfed both Connor and Buffy in a tight hug. He knew in that moment of perfect contentment that Buffy's idea of having his soul attached permanently had definitely been good thinking. Holding his mate and son in his arms was more than perfect happiness. It was bliss. To him, this was heaven.
Connor pulled away slightly from his father, and Angel gave him a hurt look.
"What the hell is in your jacket pocket?" Connor asked, rubbing his chest softly. "It's damned sharp."
"Don't swear," Buffy said absently, looking at Angel, now curious about what was in his pocket.
Angel smiled, and Connor couldn't help but fling an arm around Buffy's shoulders, knowing that she was definitely going to be a good mother to him. Not even half a hour in and she was already chastising him about his language. Angel reached into his breast pocket of his duster and pulled out a small box and handed it to his son.
"This is actually for you Connor. I was going to discuss it with Buffy first, but seeing as you let the cat out of the bag, I guess now's a good a time as any," Angel replied.
He handed it to his son, who took it from him hesitantly. Without a word spoken between them, Connor lifted the lid and pulled out two silver Claddagh rings, one large and one small, built for a man and a woman.
"Passing on traditions dad?" Connor asked.
Buffy smiled, appreciating the gesture of what Angel had just given their son.
"You could say that," Angel said, a smile playing on his lips. "When you pass that on, make sure you give it to the woman that you love. Someone that makes your heart beat faster, your whole world brighter. Someone who makes the sun shine for you even when it's nighttime. Someone who you would gladly lay your life down for."
Connor looked down at the rings and smiled. He nodded, knowing how important this tradition was for Buffy and Angel. He'd seen the matching rings on their fingers, but hadn't pointed it out, knowing that they were essentially very private people, and wouldn't want it announced to the whole world until they were ready.
"Thanks dad," Connor said softly, once more embracing his father tightly. Buffy smiled, watching two of the most important people in her life in the beginning stages of finally coming to terms with their relationship together.
And of course, perfect moments always need to be ruined. Buffy's cell phone rang and she pulled away reluctantly.
"Yeah?" she answered, more than slightly annoyed.
"Buffy? It's Giles. I think you should be heading back about now," he said.
"Why?" she asked, beginning to panic, envisioning images of her friends, her sister, the Potentials lying bloodied in her home. "Did something happen? Is everyone okay?"
"We're all fine, but…we need you back here," he s explained. Buffy could hear the apologetic tone of his voice and knew that her Watcher would gladly have let her stay if they hadn't been in the middle of an apocalypse. "Another five Potentials just arrived. It would be best if you were here."
"Alright. I'll be there in about two hours."
"I'm sorry Buffy," Giles said quietly.
"I know."
She hung up the phone and looked to her two men. They were both looking at her with identical looks of sorrow on their faces. She was pulled back into the hug, and tears welled in her eyes.
"I have to go," she whispered miserably.
Angel pulled back and allowed his son a moment with Buffy. Connor gave her a shaky smile and kissed her forehead, marvelling at her petite stature.
"Be safe," he whispered.
She nodded and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. "You too. Behave," she said with a grin.
He just nodded and gave her another hug. He pulled away and pushed Buffy towards Angel, watching with interest as the two lovers embraced fiercely, kissing passionately and wanting to never let go.
"You'll be careful, right?" Angel asked.
Buffy nodded and kissed him once more with great gentleness. "I'll be fine. Take care of yourself okay?"
He nodded and hugged her tightly, pain gripping in his chest. He couldn't believe that he had to watch her walk away again after they'd only just found each other again. It was far too painful.
"After this apocalypse, what would you say to getting a new member for AI?" she asked.
He grinned at her, his eyebrows raised, eyes dancing with delight. "You'd want to move to LA?"
She rolled her eyes and hit his chest. "No, I was thinking Xander might be interested in joining you," she said sarcastically. "Yes I want to move here. After everything that's happened, what did you expect? I don't want to let either you out of my sight!"
He smiled happily and kissed her once more. "I think we could definitely use a Slayer on the team. Connor would probably love to have you around a lot more. I think I could be convinced that your presence here would be a good thing."
She chuckled despite herself, loving the newer, more playful Angel.
"Good. Make sure you don't fill my position before I can get away from Sunnydale," she said.
He smiled sweetly at her and stroked her hair. "I don't think anyone would ever be able to fill your position."
Connor smiled, unable to believe the difference in his father. He'd never seen this side of his dad, ever, and it was a nice change. It was strange how one person could affect their lives so much when she'd only been in LA for three days.
It was with great reluctance that Buffy finally pulled away, and quickly packed her bags. After a long farewell to the other members of AI, except Cordelia who had barely waved goodbye, Buffy was finally on her way back to Sunnydale.
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This chapter re-uploaded to add in the bit about Angel giving Connor the set of Claddagh rings. Many thanks for feedback as always!
Toodles.