Chapter 4
Historical Note: By now, the story takes place in the end of the fifth season of Buffy, and the fourth season of Angel.
Author's Note: Ok, in advance, It may be a little longer posting new parts. It's true, a few chapters on this one have been pre-written as well, but I still have to go through and edit, and sometimes make a few changes. Plus, Mid-terms are coming up, so I may be kinda busy, but I'll try my best!! Please come back every few days and see if I've posted more tho! I just got another opinion, thanks soo much! But that only brings me up to 2 opinions about the Cordy/Connor thing. One says yes cause it'd be interesting, one says no cause it was gross to see the first time around. I need people's advice here. I'm begging you, I mean, on my knees! Lol. PLEASE e-mail me and met me know!
Author's Note/Historical Note: This part takes place three months after where the second one left off. Angel is still missing, leaving Buffy to deal with the Hyperion Hotel, and to raise Connor. Cordelia has also gone missing, and the crew is searching for her as well. Also, Joyce gets terminally ill, forcing Buffy to go back to Sunnydale and take care of things for awhile not knowing she'd end up doing it permanently.
Connor; now fully awake, watched Wesley leave while the others walked over to Angel and he worked on breaking free. Now I wish I'd kept my knife in my pocket; it would have come in handy right about now for these ropes, Connor thought to himself as he continued to carefully tug at the ropes. He looked over at the group and noticed the stun gun Buffy had used on him was still in her back pocket. Connor somehow got loose from the chair, and while everyone was preoccupied with seeing Angel, he quickly crept over to her and grabbed Buffy's stun gun out of her back pocket. Instantly, Buffy whipped around.
"Connor, give me the gun," Buffy said as she slowly stood up. Connor held out in front of him.
"No," he said angrily as he pointed it at them. Gunn stood up and walked over to the side of Connor.
"Come on man. Give me the gun," Gunn said trying to get it from him. Connor turned to face him and then thrust it towards him.
"Get back!" he yelled. All of a sudden, someone from behind him grabbed Connor's shoulder and whipped him around. Connor was about to lunge towards Angel, when he grabbed the stun gun out from his hand. Angel had managed to sneak up behind Connor while he was threatening Gunn.
"I'll be taking that," he said as he continued to hold Connor's shoulder with his other hand. "Let me clue you in about being trapped under the ocean for three months," Angel said between clenched teeth. "It's funny what lack of food can do to you. You begin to hallucinate things, and the blood thirst is unbearable after three months of not having any," he explained.
"I know why you did it. You blame me for Holtz's death, but let me tell you something Connor; I didn't kill him. I don't know how many times I have to tell you," he continued. "You're little accomplice Justine filled Wesley and I in about how she killed him. Holtz told her to do it so that you'd be able to move on and start you life here with us. Justine was the one that framed me for his death," he told him.
Connor looked around at every one's face and realized he was in big trouble, and wouldn't be able to lie out of any of this. He finally broke free of Angel's grasp and ran towards the door, but Angel ran after and caught him before he reached the door. With all his strength, Angel threw Connor into the wall in the lobby. Buffy watched from behind. Her heart told her to yell to Angel to stop, but her mind reminded her of Connor's betrayal.
"Wes filled me in on the past three months; are you also behind Cordy's disappearance?" he asked as he walked over to Connor and pulled him to his feet by his shirt.
"I have no reason to take Cordy," he told him. Angel could tell by Connor's face that he was telling the truth. He looked at his son for a minute.
"I want you to get your stuff, and get out," he said to Connor as he released his grip on him.
"Fine," Connor said before walking out the door angrily. Angel watched his son walk out the door. It hurt Angel to have to kick his son out. He still loved him after what he did, but he didn't want Connor there, for the time being at least. As soon as Connor walked out the door, Angel collapsed onto the floor.
"Angel!" Buffy exclaimed as she ran over to him and tried to help him up.
"I'm ok," Angel tried to tell her.
"No you're not. Come on, let's get you up to bed," she told him as she helped him up the stairs.
"Well, that's one of us back," Gunn said as he and Fred watched Buffy help Angel up the stairs.
"Let's just hope we can find Cordy," she said in a hopeful voice.
"Yeah, that'd be nice," he agreed knowing in reality, it probably wouldn't be that easy.
* * *
Upstairs, Buffy slowly helped Angel into their bed. She couldn't explain how good she felt that Angel was back. As she looked up at him and smiled, she couldn't help but notice how weak he looked. It reminded her of when he had come back from hell, back in Sunnydale, and she had to nurse him back to health.
"Are you comfortable? 'Cause I can get more blankets, or-" she asked worriedly. Angel smiled.
"I missed you," he told her. Buffy smiled at him and sat down on the bed.
"I missed you too," she said as she inched closer to him. Angel instinctively moved his arm behind her and pulled her closer.
"You know what I really missed? I really missed lying next to you. Lying awake and listening to you sleep," he told her. Buffy looked up at him and smiled.
"Sleep. I'll be right here," she promised.
"Alright," he said as Buffy lay next to him. Before he dozed off, he wished that things with Connor would get better, and that then they can finally be a family, but Angel wasn't sure that would ever be an option for them.