Lania slowly climbed the stairs, her eyelids drooping, but still alert. Now more than ever, she was aware of every sudden movement, every shadow.
She pushed open the door to her old bedroom with her left hand, her right hand curled into a tight fist. Slowly brushing her fringe back, she realised the room was empty, except for Connor, who was sitting at the window seat, looking out into the dark night.
"I missed you." He said quietly, as if thinking out loud.
"I missed you too Connor." She replied, sitting beside him and taking his hand in hers. He looked up at her with those piercing blue eyes, and managed a smile. He reached out and touched her hair, to make sure it was really her, that she was really back.
"Where did you go?" He asked, settling himself beside her, his head in her lap, his eyes on the ceiling as she stroked his hair.
"Lots of places. I went to Japan and Australia, I went to Venice and Paris. Just everywhere."
"Why did you go to so many places?"
"I was looking for my parents." She answered simply, and Connor understood, after all, he battered his way through dimensions looking for his.
"Did you find them?"
"No." She murmured, her head bowed. He tilted his head back, and looked at her, feeling her pain.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be Connor, this wasn't your fault. I just wish…I wish they were here with me, cuz I'm so scared and I don't know what to do. I'm terrified that I'm gonna lose you." She whispered, tears trickling down her cheeks.
"Lania, don't cry." He sat up, and wiped at her tears. "I'm always gonna be here, you're not gonna lose me." He promised, and to assure her, he kissed her lips gently, and wrapped his arms around her. She kissed him back, and below them, in the dark, Lilah smiled.
The morning dawned bright and sunny. Lania and Connor didn't get up till after 12 o'clock, having talked till the early hours of the morning. Angel was already asleep, Fred and Gunn were out doing investigator things, which left the young couple with Cordelia, who did not approve of them and their relationship at all.
When the phone rang that afternoon, Cordelia hurried over to it, answering it in a hushed whisper.
"Yes I told you, it's all ready to go. They'll be back about 12 tonight. Yes, it'll work. Ok, bye." she hung up, smiling wickedly to herself.
That night, Angel, Gunn, Fred and Lania went patrolling. Connor was to lie low for a while, and was left behind with Cordelia.
"Connor, did you hear that?" Cordelia asked in her most concerned voice. Connor stood slowly.
"No. What did you hear?"
"A noise, from upstairs." She answered, making her voice shake. Connor crossed the room to the weapons cabinet, and picked out his sword. He held it like a pro, glancing around.
"Cordelia, stay here." He ordered, and made his way to the bottom of the staircase. Holding the cloroform soaked rag behind her, Cordelia followed him, and just as he embarked on the first stair, she clamped it fiercly over his nose and mouth, forcing him to breathe in the chemical. After a couple of seconds, he became limp in her arms, and she dragged him upstairs, dumping him in a closet and locking it behind her. Then she went back downstairs, and waited for the others to return.
Just after midnight, Angel, Lania, Fred and Gunn came strolling in, obviously pleased and reliving the night's slaying.
Lania was the first to notice Connor wasn't there. She glanced quickly around, before turning on Cordelia.
"Cordy, where's Connor?"
"I don't know, one minute he was here, the next he wasn't. I assumed he went for a walk." She shrugged carelessly, watching as Lania's eyes widened with panic.
"Did he say where he was going?" She asked, her voice cracking.
"Nope."
Lania opened the weapons cabinet, and noticed that Connor's sword was missing. She touched the space where it usually hung, and turned to Angel.
"He's gone slaying." She muttered, but Angel heard.
"But Wolfram and Hart are after him." Angel replied, fear evident in his voice too. Gunn nodded.
"Maybe he has itchy feet. Angel, I know the feelin." He told them.
"I'm going after him." Lania said, her voice hard and steady as she slipped a silver dagger into her boot, and loaded the crossbow. She slung her sword round her waist, fastening the leather belt into place.
"Lania, you can't, not alone." Fred reasoned.
"Connor is out there, I'm going to bring him back." She repeated, her resolve hardening like concrete.
"You could be walking into a trap." Angel said, panicking himself.
"Connor could be dead."
"Lania, you're jumping to conclusions…"Fred began, but Lania interrupted her with an impatient wave of her hand.
"Maybe I am, but I'm not about to sit around and find out." Lania walked to the door, but Angel spoke.
"I'm coming with you." He ordered. She shook her head.
"No, he might come back. Or Wolfram and Hart might be waiting for me to leave so they can attack the hotel. Stay here."
Across the room, their eyes and wills met in a battle of strength. After a minute of stony silence, Angel spoke.
"He's my son."
"He's my lover." Lania replied. Angel's eyes slid to the floor, and Lania opened the door.
"Be careful." Angel called out after her, but only to the whispering night, as she was already gone.
Lania stalked silently in the shadows, the hilt of her sword a comforting weight in her able hands. She pulled her hood up over her head, throwing her face into shadow, hiding her face form anyone who may recognise her.
Down an alley that stunk of death, she stopped, gripping her sword tighter, and straining her ears. She heard footsteps, and guessed that about twenty people had arrived. She flung her hood back, and counted ten in front of her, and she spun, seeing ten behind her.
"Oh, party." She muttered to herself, drawing her sword from her sheath, and holding it like a pro in the moonlight. "Who's up for a party game?" She asked, grinning.
"If any of us die, he dies." A menacing voice replied, without humour, warmth, or mercy.
"He dies, I murder all of you. I like those conditions better." She growled.
"We have him back at HQ."
"And I'm sure he's having a great time." She answered sarcastically.
"We can take you to him."
"Now why would you want to do that? What's the whole point of having a prisoner if you're just gonna let him go?"
"The boss says he's useless. We just want you. If we don't deliver you within the hour, he will die."
"You're not gonna take me alive." Lania told them, her voice strong. She didn't see the cloaked figure produce a crossbow, but she did fell the bolt as it struck her in the stomach.
Upstairs, in the utility closet of the Hyperion, Connor woke up with a very bad headache, and cramp in his legs. He tried to stretch, but it was useless, so he began hammering on the door.
Minutes later, he heard people rushing up the stairs, and the door was unlocked and opened. Angel, Fred and Gunn stood there, looking shocked and immensely worried.
"Connor what are you doing in the closet?" Angel asked.
"Cordelia attacked me downstairs, and I woke up in here. Where's Lania?"
"Come on, let's get you downstairs." Fred suggested, tugging on his sleeve.
"I don't wanna go downstairs. Where is she?" He demanded.
"We don't know." Gunn answered.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Connor snapped, not out of anger, but out of fear.
"Cordelia told us that you had went out for a walk, and Lania panicked and went after you." Fred said quietly.
"She's out there?" Connor yelled, pointing out the open window at the end of the corridor.
"Connor, come on. She'll be ok, she's a Slayer." Angel told him soothingly. Connor nodded, not totally convinced, but a little calmer. He let Angel and Fred lead him down the stairs, and they sat him down.
"We need to find Cordy. She can tell us what's really goin on." Gunn reached over the counter for the phone, and dialled Cordelia's number. After a minute, he hung up. "Nobody's home." He told them.
"Let's take a big leap and say she's working for Wolfram and Hart. They needed someone on the inside, and they could have given Cordy anything she wanted." Angel explained, pacing in front of Connor.
"But what did Wolfram and Hart want? Connor's still here." Fred pointed out.
"They musta wanted Lania. Think bout it guys, Cordy tells us that Connor's went out when we know there are people afta him. Lania's obvious reaction is to go afta him right?" Gunn leaned back against the counter as he spoke, obviously thinking hard.
"Well yeah, that makes sense." Angel nodded.
"And she went alone." Fred added.
"So Wolfram and Hart have her?" Connor asked, getting shakily to his feet, gripping the side of the chair for support.
"I think so." Angel said softly. Connor paled at his words, and brushed his fringe from his eyes.
"Well what are we waiting for? We have to go help her!" Connor said, his voice cracking.
"Connor we can't just go marching into Wolfram and Hart." Angel reasoned.
"Why not? She's in there, I gotta help her."
"I understand Connor but…" Angel started to speak, but Connor stopped him.
"How can you possibly understand? You threw her out when you knew how much she meant to me! You don't know nothing about love or passion so you can't preach to me!"
"Connor, I know you're scared…" Angel reached out to touch him, but Connor pulled away.
"Scared? I could lose the one thing that I live for, so scared pretty much doesn't cover it."
"I've lost things too." Angel murmured defensively.
"No, you've walked away from things. There's a difference." Connor spat. Angel hit him then, across the face, and Connor went reeling. But he recovered quickly, and hit Angel back, sending him sprawling across the counter.
Using the distraction to his advantage, Connor wiped the blood from his lip, and ran to the weapons cabinet, where he picked up the most deadly looking blade there. Holding it tightly, and with one last look at Angel, he ran out into the night.