Sorry. This chapter took a little longer to put up…I've been busy.

Rating: PG 13

Summary: Connor's back from Quar'toth.

Pairings: Angel/Cordy, Faith/Wood, Fred/Wesley, Gunn/OC (Andrea Schow)

Song: "Drifting" by Sarah McLachlan.

Fast Forward

By: Sensue

Chapter 9: Welcome Home

You've been gone so long all that you know
has been shuffled aside as you bask in the glow
of the beautiful strangers who whisper your name
do they fill up the emptiness?

Cordy had seen Angel drop his sword. At first she'd thought the demon had some sort of mind control ability because Angel would never just drop his sword, especially since they were all in danger. She took a second glance at her husband's face. His mouth was open slightly, his eyes opened wide: he looked as if he was in shock. She wondered why, it was a strange looking demon, sure, but they'd seen scarier. Hell, she'd felt more scared in one of her visions. They all had weapons; Faith, the slayer, a weapon on her own accord. Spike was backing them all up. Whatever this demon was, there was no way it could overpower all of them.

The demon was extremely furry. Its entire body was covered in hair. Its eyes a disgusting puke yellow. It had claws, but not on its "hands," instead it seemed to be around its neck. It also seemed to be holding some kind of a weapon. It looked like the stake throwers that Angel and Wesley constructed for the team.  It also seemed to be large, bulky at the very least. One good push could topple it over. At least, that's what everyone thought before the fur fell off to reveal a boy, a teenaged boy.

The first words out of his mouth were, "Hello. Dad, Mommy."

The others stood paralyzed for a moment; Did he just say what they thought he said?

Cordy stared at the boy closely. His face was dirty and had short stubble. Looking deeper, she noticed his eyes, brown similar to others she'd seen before. Others she knew better than anyone else. His hair was a dirty brown color that could stand to be shampooed. But what caused alarm bells to sound in her head was the boy's forehead, specifically his brow. It was the same broody brow that she used to smooth over every night before she went to sleep. The same brow that she kissed every morning on the way to school. "God, Connor," she heard Angel gasp.

There he was, their son, standing in front of them. All she wanted to do was to run to take him into her arms and hold him forever. The only problem was that she couldn't move. It was as if her legs were glued to the ground. So instead she stood there staring at the boy, at Connor. It took several more seconds to command her body to move. Finally, after what seemed

like an eternity, her legs unglued and she moved towards him. "Connor," she gasped, "My little Angel."

Larger than life is your fiction
In a universe made up of one
You have been drifting for so long
I know you don't want to come down
Somewhere below you, there's people who love you
And they're ready for you to come home
Please come home

The boy turned to look at her, staring intently at first, but it was her voice, her scent which he remembered. The way she called him a little angel. Lost in thought, he was surprised to find her standing right in front of him. Her hands, as ever gentle as he remembered, reached out to touch his face. She ran her hand from his cheek to his forehead, her hand lingered there, fingers resting against his temple. She could fell the rapid thumping of his pulse there. Then, she moved her hands down to his neck, cupping him and pulling him against her shoulder, holding him in a tight embrace.

He closed his eyes, soaking in the warmth. Another body soon pressed against his and his mother's. He opened his eyes slightly to look at the man, also scenting him. He didn't know why, but he always could smell the distinctive scents of everyone he'd ever met, demons, animals, and now, it seemed humans, as well. It certainly helped him in Quar'toth. He always used his nose to hunt for food. He used his speed to capture them, and his strength to overcome the animal's ferociousness.

It was nice, to be around humans, people like him. For a moment, he relaxed, subconsciously knowing that he could trust these people, the mommy and dad, to protect him. The moment of peace only lasted for a couple of minutes. The others in the room kept looking at him. He pulled back from the mommy and dad. The mommy started crying.

You walk in a room and the world stops to stare
Mesmerize all who are caught in the glare
Of the spotlight that follows wherever you go
Does it light up the emptiness?

The sound made Connor back away. Yet, things were still quiescent, the air literally charged with excitement and fear.

Yet as it was with all particles of charge, any traveling electron could disrupt the field and cause an instantaneous discharge of energy, Fred thought scientifically about Connor's reaction later on that night.

Since the hotel lobby had quieted and no one was yelling, Lorne had decided it was probably safe to come out from under the desk. Cathy and Nicky popped their heads out too.

Unfortunately, Connor had taken one look at him, obviously not remembering his Uncle Lorne, and pulled out the dagger in his "coat" to kill the demon.  He howled before he lifted his dagger above his head. At that moment, he looked less like a boy and more like a homicidal maniac in one of those bloody teenager slasher movies.

The kids had screamed at the sight of a stranger coming near them with a weapon. Angel had been very precise about what to do if they were attacked. First, run! Don't try to fight if you can run away and escape. Second, if they held you down, play "dead" and then attack when the other is not expecting it. And always, always yell, scream, make any kind of noise possible to alert anyone in the vicinity for help.  In this instance, running was the first, and right, impulse. They quickly ran to their mothers to be scooped up and held closely until the danger had passed.

Lorne had also screamed at the sight of his once lost nephew coming at him with what looked like a very sharp knife. Before he could even think of what to say to get him to stop, the dagger came down across his neck, severing his head from his body. They both fell to the ground, unmoving and seemingly dead.

Of course, since Lorne was Plyean, his people could not be killed that easily. His head being severed from body was only the first step. In order to truly kill him though, his body had to be mutilated Connor didn't know that important fact so Lorne had thanked his lucky stars. Lorne's eyes were going to stay closed; there was no way he was going to be chopped up into little bits by his friends' son.  No matter how much like his father he looked.  He's a little crumb cake, Lorne thought, his father's the Angel Cake.

Faith and Spike, who were still at the ready to attack, even though they knew the Portal Jumper was Connor.  They tried to stop Connor from beheading Lorne but were waved aside by Angel. Angel knew that Lorne wasn't in any real danger. His head could always be put back on his body without a problem. The main problem was to get his son to calm down and understand that Lorne was not an "evil" demon, but his uncle in all but blood.  He slowly walked up to his wayward son. He was panting for air, as if he had run a marathon. He looked around as if monsters were everywhere. His eyes blinking rapidly and dancing from one side of the room to the other. Once he'd noticed Angel coming closer, he crouched down, looking like a cat ready to pounce. Angel stopped. He held out his hands, palms out in what he hoped was the universal sign of surrender.

"It's okay, Connor. No one is going to hurt you." He looked around to the others and glanced upstairs. The others understood and left the room, giving Connor some space. Only Cordy remained, refusing to leave her son, now that he was back for even a second. "Lorne, that's the green demon that you beheaded, he's a friend. He's not bad or evil. It's okay."

Cordy, as slow as her husband, walked over to Lorne and kneeled at his side. She picked up his head and put in back on his body. This time making sure it faced the right way. Lorne had made sure to never let her forget the time in Plyea in which she accidentally put his head on backwards. They had to re-chop off his head and put in back in the right direction. She whispered in Lorne's ear, "It's okay. Just play dead until he calms down; then you can get up, very slowly though. I'll tell you when, okay? Well, I assume that you understand."

Once that task was complete she walked over to her son. She held out both of her hands, waiting until he mimicked her and put his hands out to her as well before taking them gently. "Sweetheart, I know that you don't understand. This is a strange place compared to Quar'toth. It's full of very different kinds of people and demons." She pulled him over to the couch in the center of the room and pulled him down next to her as she sat. Her favorite robe littered the back of it. She took the warm robe and put it in her lap. Then she reached over and held Connor's hand, motioning for him to scoot closer to her. Once he was situated close, she pulled the robe over his lap and shifted his head to lie on her shoulder.

She took a deep breath, there was so much that needed to be said. So much that they had missed of his life. Cordy, for once, didn't know what to say to make it all better. There was no band-aid big enough to close the wound created by his kidnapping. There was no song or story that could be told to relate.  No amount of hugging that would give them back the time that they missed. She didn't even know HOW he got back. She didn't think that she wanted to know.  Her son was back and she couldn't care less of the details of his return. She just wanted to make it easier on him. To help him understand what the new world that he landed on was all about. There were more dangers and fears in this world that any Hell dimension, Angel had once told her. In a Hell Dimension, animals that attacked you had reason or at least you could stand to predict their actions. Humans, he said, were the only species that he'd ever met that could lie, straight out, act innocent, and then destroy you while you weren't looking. Betrayal, greed, jealously, and disloyalty were the true dangers. That's why humans killed each other daily. That's why no one was truly safe in this world.

Angel decided to give his wife and son some alone time. To allow her to "work her magic touch." That woman was the most kind hearted person that he'd ever known. She was bound to get through to Connor. He had faith in his wife's 'mommy' ability to make everything alright again. He went upstairs and waited; giving them the impression that they were alone.

Larger than life is your fiction
In a universe made up of one
You have been drifting for so long
I know you don't want to come down
Somewhere below you, there's people who love you
And they're ready for you to come home
Please come home

Connor sat still. He'd never been held like this before, by anything in Quar'toth, it felt warm and cozy. The mommy as he called her, spoke softly as she stroked his hair, "Alright. I'm going to start at the beginning. I don't know what you remember, so I'm just going to tell you everything. I'm not going to lie to you. First of all, your name is Connor Angel. You were born on Nov. 19, 2001. Um, I'm not your birth mother. Her name was Darla. She gave birth to you. She gave up her life so that you could live. Your father's name is Angel. He is a vampire. So was your mother. I married your father a few months after you were born. My name is Cordelia Chase-Angel. You have a little sister named Cathy Lucy…" the story continued, explaining everything to him. She tried to talk slowly and she looked directly into his eyes. She wanted to know if he understood.

The last thing she told him lead to an unexpected reaction. "Now, about demons. Connor, all demons are not evil. Some are forces of good. Like your father and Uncle Will or Spike, whatever you'd like to call him. They have souls so they can work to help people. Like Uncle Lorne, who can get off of the floor now, but only if you promise you won't try to hurt him." Connor nodded in agreement. "And like me. I'm part demon."

The second those words were uttered that wild look came over him again. He looked out of control. The knife tucked in his pants was pulled out and he tried to stab her.

She blocked his attack and used her powers against him. Against her son. The room glowed in white light. Purifying the evil that penetrated his soul. The fear of the unknown, his hatred of all things demon; all of this was purged from his system. Leaving him breathless and sobbing against her. Crying that he was sorry. That he didn't mean to hurt her. That he needed help and wanted her to love him.

Angel had jumped down from the top of the stairs after hearing the yell. He was ready to pull his son off of his mother when Cordy used her glowy power. The room lit with the bright energy that Cordy emanated. He had seen her do this many times. Using her abilities to destroy evil creatures that they were unable to fight. When the room darkened to its original intensity, he looked over to see the passing of the storm. His son was crying, sobbing against his mother. Angel, unable to watch his son's pain any longer joined his family on the couch. He slid in next to his wife and pulled his teenaged son across his lap. He put his arms around Cordy and Connor, pulling them in so they both were resting against his chest. He kissed his son on the forehead, whispering comforting nothings. The sobs slowed down to light tears, but the emotional upheaval had left the boy short of breath. He then put his head against Cordy's, the first time in over a month that he'd been able to rest quietly with his wife.

Angel spoke softly as to not ruin the moment, "It's going to take some time, I know. But I just wanted to tell you that we both love you. We all do, in fact. We welcome you back home and hope that, in time, you can feel comfortable. You'll be alright. Everything will be alright now. You're home. That's all that matters. Now, your sister and cousin are upstairs and, if they don't get to see you, will probably spontaneously combust from excitement. Do you want to meet them? And your aunts and uncles?"

"Sure. I'll meet them. I promise that I won't try to hurt anyone else. What's spon'taous'ly combust?"

Angel laughed. Actually laughed. The happiness was all over his face. He reached out and cuffed his son on the head, "I'll tell you later. I promise. Just ask me anything. Except about the birds and the bees, 'cause your mom promised me that she'd tell you."

"Huh?" Connor looked at his father, not quite understanding what birds and bees were.

"Don't worry about it Connor, you dad was just joking. Because he's supposed to tell you." Cordy smiled wickedly at her husband, "I believe that was the agreement."

"No it wasn't…"

"Yes, it was…"

Lorne had let the couple have their fun, but by the twentieth time they'd said, "Yes, I was and No, it wasn't," he was getting bored. He got off the floor and said, "Welcome to the family kid. You're probably going to turn out to be the only normal one in the family. Oh, and don't worry about the taking my head off thing, I completely understand. I was raised in Plyea, and trust me, you don't want to meet my parents."

Lorne walked over to where Connor now stood. He looked uncomfortable and nervous. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't remember you. I, sort of can, now. Mommy helped me to remember my childhood with you all. I can remember how safe and love I felt. I'm sorry again."

"Don't worry about it, Crumb cake. It's forgotten. And you know what? You've come at a wonderfully fun time of the year. Next week is Halloween and after that is your birthday. Although I guess you're not eight years old anymore.  How old are you, anyway?"

"I've lived on Quar'toth for ten years." Connor explained.

"So that makes you eighteen. Well, how about that. Color me happy. Or green. Either or." Lorne was obviously excited over the fact that he was no longer trying to kill him that he was starting to act silly in order to make the boy laugh.

Soon the others stomped down the stairs, the children running up to him and hugging their REALLY BIG brother's knees and telling him how much they missed him. His Aunt Fred had given him a peck on the check, then started giggling happily. Uncle Wesley and Uncle Gunn had thrown their arms around his shoulders and given his a quick hug. "A manly hug," explained Gunn, "you can't be hugging too long, or a brotha's gonna get a rep."

Uncle Spike, as he chose to call him, had glared at Gunn, then purposely hugged his nephew longer than the both of them combined. After which, he turned and, by way of his flashing eyes, dared them to say anything.

Most of them ignored Spike in favor of focusing on Connor.

Faith and Robin introduced themselves and also hugged him. Faith went as far as to stick her tongue out at Gunn to make a point. And to make Connor laugh.

And he did laugh. A smile escaping from his broody face…he was starting to come around. All he needed was time and love. All of which they were going to give him. For he was finally where he belonged.

With his family.

The END.

(With Fast Forward anyway. I'm continuing writing about the Angel family, but I'm going to start it with another title. I'm currently writing a seasonal one that will take you into every holiday in the Angel household. Every holiday will be a different chapter, exploring Connor's new life with his family and the adjustment period.) ---Please don't steal my idea. I really am writing it. I'm calling it "This Year." I called it first, so you can't do it. There, that was my temporary regression into grade school.

I hope you enjoyed this story. I certainly did writing it. Please read and review. (Or at least, sign my guestbook) I want to know what you thought of it. Also don't forget to check out my website. , check out Cordelia's Family Photo Album. It has the pictures that correspond with my fanfiction stories.