An: Was almost tempted to make spoilers up to Lineage, I can think of a way to fit it in, but that episode is about 100% DarkWes, while he's temporarily reverting to early season three Wesley. Special thanks go to Imzadi, for being my only reviewer. Please, anyone, review!
"You will let me do the talking, right?" Gwen asked as they walked up to the monastery.
"Sure I will. As long as you don't mess it up. We're on a schedule."
Connor knocked on the door. After a moment it was opened, and a monk in a brown robe looked out.
"Hello. Do you speak English?" Gwen enunciated precisely. The monk held up his hand and disappeared back into the building. A short while later another, older monk came to the door. He looked intently at them for a moment, then blurted "abominations" in Czechoslovakian and slammed shut the door. They were left standing in bemusement as a babble of voices erupted on the other side.
"What did he say?" Connor asked.
"How should I know?" she snapped. Connor listened for a moment, then remarked,
"I think they're barricading the door."
"Seems a little extreme. Are you going to break it down?" He shrugged.
"I guess."
He punched one fist through the wood, grabbed the wooden bar reinforcing it and lifted it out of the support, throwing down to the floor. Then he slammed his shoulder into the door and it burst open. They stared at him fearfully, and the senior monk stepped forward.
"You are not welcome here," he said haltingly, gesturing at both of them. "You do not belong. You are…wrong." Gwen ripped off her gloves and Connor stepped close to him, smiling.
"You think I'm wrong?" His hand shot out and grabbed him by the front of his robe, dragging him close. "I'm not wrong. I'm a miracle. Now I think you know what I want."
"You cannot have it. It is a holy thing. You will not touch it."
"A holy thing," Connor said mockingly. "I'm a holy thing too. I brought forth the light of the world. Now where is it!?" Connor shook his head violently. "Please. It'll be easier if you tell me."
The monk shook his head slightly and Connor grinned suddenly.
"All right then. Have it your way." He laughed and threw him against the wall, striding on without a glance backwards. The rest of the monks hurried out of his way, trying not to stare at the wall. Gwen looked at where he had struck his head, a splash of blood staining the stone, before following him.
Connor tore through the monastery, slamming open doors until he suddenly stopped. He looked over at her and said,
"Open the door." She cautiously opened it and walked down the pathway to an iron, rune-covered box.
"Open it. Just for a moment," he demanded.
"I'm not sure," she began.
"Do it!" he screamed at her, and the look on his face frightened her more than anything that could be in the box. She opened the lid and Connor cried out, flying through the air into the wall and clutching at his chest with his left hand, which seemed to have something writhing beneath the skin. She slammed the lid down and rushed over to him. He regarded his hand intently before he looked up smiling.
"It works."
In Wolfram and Hart, Fred hurtled down the hall, narrowly avoiding slamming into the mail cart, and skidded to a halt before a high-security door. She punched in the code hurried and the door slid open. She said,
"Spike's been-," before realising someone was missing. "Where's Angel?"
Wesley looked up from the arsenal they had been selecting from.
"He just said he had something to take care of. What's wrong?"
"Someone just attacked Spike."
"That even possible?" Gunn asked.
"Well, she walked right through a wall after him. Spike called her, uh, Da. He didn't really get to finish."
"Da," Wesley said slowly. "What did she look like?"
"I didn't get much of a look at her. Female, blond, pale, kinda short."
"And you're sure Spike knew her?"
"I think so. Do you know who she is?"
"I might," Wesley conceded. "But it shouldn't be possible. We should check the archives, make sure it was her you saw."
"Do we have time?" Fred asked.
"Honey, we've got as long as it takes for Angelcakes to brood. Plenty of time," Lorne said.
"Ah, finally you're here sir," the man said. Angel looked over at him sharply.
"You were expecting me?"
"Well, of course," he replied. "We called your secretary hours ago."
"Oh. Was my secretary male?"
"Hm? Uh, yes."
"Right. Where are the memory writers?"
"They're behind the door sir." Angel nodded resignedly and opened it. Inside were three black-skinned demons, with long clawed fingers and antlered horns running down from the top of their heads to their shoulders. They were also quite dead.
"They've been shot," Angel said in confusion, while the flunky turned very pale and covered his mouth discreetly.
"Yes sir. That was why we called so urgently. We thought that if there was someone with a machine-gun on the loose you should be the first to know."
"Thanks." He turned and walked away.
The plane door opened and Connor stepped out, carrying the small box, followed by Gwen. They walked over to where Lindsey, Lilah and Darla were waiting for them. Connor tossed the box to Lindsey and asked,
"Did you get him off?"
"We have one slightly grateful sorcerer at our disposal," he replied. Connor nodded and said,
"Good," before walking off without acknowledging Darla's presence. She and Lindsey looked at each other, and Lindsey mouthed "Soon," to her. Gwen stared at them.
"You do know you're talking to empty space, right?"
"She can't see you?" Lindsey asked.
"Not outside Wolfram and Hart. Some kind of magic there makes me visible unless I try not to be, but I can't appear to most people outside," Darla replied. Gwen looked slightly aghast, and Lilah smiled in mock sympathy.
"Don't worry. I can't see her either. Did everything go smoothly?" Gwen snapped her attention away from the obviously insane man.
"He murdered a monk."
"Oh. He's following in Daddy's footsteps. Wonderful."
"That is kind of your fault, Lilah."
"You were the one who messed up the spell. Anyway, maybe he's just learning from your example. Never knew you were such good shot."
"You try being on the run from Wolfram and Hart for two years. Let's get on with this. Come on."
"I'm not going anywhere with you people," Gwen stated. "I didn't sign up to spend time with lunatics and murderers."
"Gwen," Lilah said soothingly, "we're almost done here. Just a couple more things to take care of, and you'll have some of the finest paranormal scientists in the world working on your condition. You know we're not lying about that. And it wasn't your fault he died. If you hadn't been there he might have had even more trouble getting them to co-operate. Just stay a little longer."
"Is this her?" Wesley asked as a portrait formed on the page. Fred nodded.
"Yeah. Who is she?"
"Darla. Angel's sire. She was with him until he regained his soul, and Angel killed her seven years ago in Sunnydale. Wolfram and Hart brought her back to life to drive him insane. She was quite successful."
"Threw us all out of the hotel and went kamikazi," Gunn put in.
"He tried to reach the Senior Partners. When he failed, he went to Darla. He staked her. If she's back they have a very powerful weapon against him," Wesley said before shaking his head. "But that doesn't make sense. If he's going to die then they won't need her."
"Who's going to die?" Eve asked, appearing in the doorway.
"None of your business," Gunn stated dismissively and moved towards the door. Eve spread her hands innocently.
"Hey I'm only here because someone checked the Blade of Traksin out of the armoury without filing a return date," she said defensively before giving Wesley a knowing look, who coughed and fiddled with the handle of an excessively ornate sword.
"So," Eve continued, "who's dying? And why is everyone weaponed up?" When no-one answered she smiled. "Angel? It's Angel isn't it? Oh my."
"You're blocking the door," Angel's voice sounded behind her. She stepped into the room quickly.
"Why is everyone here?" Angel asked. Wesley answered,
"Fred just saw Darla."
"Darla?" Eve blurted in astonishment, then tried to bolt past them out of the room. Angel caught her by the shoulder and threw her into the desk.
"Everyone else get out," Angel ordered. Eve raised an eyebrow as they left the room.
"What do you know?" he demanded.
"You think I know anything? I was just surprised about Darla. Though I guess I shouldn't be. After all, most vampires that kill themselves seem to come back, don't they?"
"Eve. I'm dying. I don't really have that much to lose. So if you don't tell me what you know about Connor, I will kill you." Eve judged that he was serious, and spoke.
"I knew he'd be back. I wasn't expecting Darla to be with him."
"The memory writers were killed by someone with a machine-gun. Connor wouldn't know where to get one, and probably doesn't know how to use one anyway. Who killed them, Eve? Lilah?"
"I was going to look at our security tapes to check. But in case you hadn't noticed, machine-gunning people isn't Lilah's style."
"You don't sound surprised that she was here. Was she part of the plan?" Eve nodded.
"She was in charge of the project. I don't know what she thinks she's doing."
"Maybe, say, betraying you?" Eve looked insulted.
"She wouldn't dare. We offered to change her contract. She wouldn't jeopardize that." She paused. "Unless she's playing for higher stakes."
"Let's say she is. Didn't you mean for him to kill me?"
"Yeah, we based our entire plan on him beating you. What did he do to you? You're looking pretty well for a dying vamp."
"You don't get it. This isn't an exchange of information. You just tell me what I want to know, or I kill you. What was the plan?" A siren sounded. "And what was that?"
"Security breach. I don't know what's caused it. But maybe, you'd better go see what it is." Angel grabbed her by the arm and pulled her with him, protesting.
Connor, Gwen, Lindsey, Lilah, Darla, and another man seeming about in his mid-seventies were standing in the middle of the lobby, waiting. The door was pushed open and AI walked in, fully armed. The effect was slightly marred by the presence of Eve, who would clearly rather have been anywhere else. Angel stared.
"Lindsey. I might've known."
"Angel."
"Gwen?"
"We have to stop coincidentally running into each other," she replied. Connor chuckled.
"Angel."
"Wait a second. You two know each other?" Gwen asked. Connor's answer was clearly to Angel instead of Gwen.
"No. He just likes to think that he does. Lilah, go."
"You're meant to come. We know you're infected, there's not just a very remote possibility," Lilah protested.
"I'll follow. Gwen, make sure she gets there all right." Lilah shrugged and walked up the stairs, Gwen following after a moment's hesitation.
"Good," Connor said cheerfully, "Now we can really talk. Y'know Dad-"
"What did he just call you?" exclaimed Lorne.
" Connor," Angel said urgently, "I know you're having trouble understanding, and of course, you poisoned me, but…"
"What is it?" Connor asked gently.
"I just want you to know that… I love you. And I forgive you."
Connor let out a mock scream.
"Look out! He's going to do something terrible!" Everyone in the room stared at him. He glared back.
"What? Angel always says "I love you", "I forgive you", or "I'm sorry" before ruining your life. Or is it just me he does that to?"
"He told me he was sorry while beating me into unconsciousness before he wrecked my van," Lindsey said.
"Exactly. Now, we're family and we should we tell each other how we feel. Except we're not really, are we? You made that pretty clear.
"Connor-"
"I'm not even a person, to you. I'm just… your son. Yours. And if I'm not what you want, you don't me there. You don't know anything about me, of course. Nothing about me that isn't really about you. And you don't want to either. Because to you, the things in my life that you weren't there to see? They don't exist. "Your life is just starting". Ever heard of a Freudian slip?"
"You've heard of a Freudian slip?"
"No of course not. But your son has. You know your son, right? The one you created? The one you destroyed me to create? He's in here, see. Eighteen and eighteen and thirty-four. Too many years, they fill my head and flow out. But they'll be gone soon. And this will all be mine."
"Don't know who the Hell you think you are, but you'll have to kill us all before you get one cent out of this place," Gunn challenged.
"You dare defy me?!" he screamed. Spike, who had moved up next to Darla while Connor was talking, raised an eyebrow.
"This is the guy you're doing this for?"
"What about it, Spike?"
"You sure you've got a soul?"
"Excuse me?" Fred said. "Who do you think you are?" Connor laughed maniacally.
"Tell me! I kill the gods, what does that make me?"
"Well if we're going by that, like Angel." Connor smiled and leaned forward conspiratorially, despite being thirty feet away.
"He didn't. That's just what he wants you to think." His voice filled with scorn.
"He didn't stake Darla, he screwed her, and the result was me!"
"The father will kill the son," muttered Wesley hollowly.
"He didn't kill Jasmine, I did!" Connor continued. "For more than two years, he's been lying to you! The noble Angel, who wouldn't ever alter reality to suit him."
He laughed again. "I kill the gods, and I'm the son of one who would aspire to Godhood. What am I? I died, I was destroyed utterly, and now I live again! Or I will do."
He leaped to the stairs and ran up as the sorcerer disappeared in a shimmer of light. Darla smashed her fist into Spike's face, he brought his foot up into hers and punched her in the shoulder hard enough to send her spinning to the floor, She landed on her hands and kicked back, sending him through the wall, and rejoicing at no longer having to fight pregnant. Eve considered the situation, and then ran out of the building. Lindsey stood in front of them, holding the iron box in his hands.
"Stop there. Someone could get hurt."
"Oh, trust me Lindsey," Angel said, "Someone's going to." He lunged forward and Lindsey opened the box to reveal a golden Dagon Sphere. A wave of energy sent them hurtling across the room.
What's going on? Why is Connor totally insane? Why thirty-four? Is a slayer going to show up? Why would a Dagon Sphere do that? Possibly, what's a Dagon Sphere? Why does my spell checker think Dagon is a real word? For answers to this (though not the last one) and other questions, REVIEW!!! Even just to tell me where I'm going horribly wrong