Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that you recognize in this
fiction. If you don't recognize them then they are mine. ^_^.
Distribution: Just ask. Shadows_After_Dark@hotmail.com
Summary: Connor must confront the past and try to make his own destiny.
A.N.: Sorry it took so long but I wont make excuses, I'll just try and write the chapters faster.
A.N.: Just so you're wondering or will be wondering after you read, the language mentioned is real that papyrus actually exists only it has more to do with the names of mummies in ancient Egypt than an ancient prophesy about (go figure. ^_^.). Also onch is the actual Coptic word for life I just put something in front of it because that's the only I know in that language.
A.N.: Also in case you happen to do more wondering Ekphantos is pronounced Ek-fan-thoss.
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Chapter 5: The Epiphany Comes. . . Eventually.
It was 1 in the afternoon and Angel walked into Wesley's office to see if he had progress with the papyrus.
"How's it coming?"
"As far as I can tell it's authentic."
"How much have you translated it?"
"Nearly all. It's about 3,500 years old. It's in a language called Coptic. It has the same alphabet as Greek except it has 7 extra characters, so I'm using extra references."
"So, what does it say?"
"From what I gather it speaks of a warrior who is call the Bah-onch. It means protector of life. He performs a miracle and that miracle replaces the warrior. It also speaks of the warrior having a darker side and something will bring it out and the warrior will kill the miracle. Leaving mankind to fight evil for by them selves. If this happens, man will fail."
Angel sighed. Then remembered "Connor said something about a potion."
"Oh, right. I haven't finished translating that part yet" he looks at the papyrus again. "Mmhh, it says that swords and other forged weapons can kill the miracle but the potion. . . makes it defenseless, makes it human."
"Doesn't sound half bad."
"It is if he has to protect the world, Connor will need his strength."
"What?"
"It's obvious that this prophecy is about you and Connor."
"No its not. I wouldn't kill him."
"What if you lose your soul?"
"That wont happen."
"How do you know? It doesn't explain why it happens it could happen at any time."
"No it can't." Angel had just gotten his son back he wasn't about to lose him again.
"Angel -"
"That prophesy said a warrior, it-it could be any body." Angel interrupted.
"In Coptic warrior is the same word as champion and when they mean the dark side they are not talking about the force, you have to take this seriously, your son's life is in danger."
Angel took in the words of his friend "Where is this potion, maybe it can be destroyed."
"I don't know."
"Is there an antidote?"
Wesley opened another book "No it has to pass through his system. Some of it gets into his blood stream it could take weeks before he becomes normal again."
"And by then he'll be dead."
"Don't be, I won't kill Connor and I don't think Angelus would either, but I don't even want to think about what he would do. We'll just keep an eye out. Call Lorne see if he can find anything out from his contacts."
"Right."
* * *
Undisclosed location
"You disobeyed me Ekphantos!" A demon wearing dark red robes. He was large and looked almost human but with spikes coming out of his knuckles and what looked like porcupine needles as hair.
"I apologize, master, but the Bah-onch would not have made it. He would have lost his soul." Replied the priest.
"Then he should lose it! If it was destiny then young one is meant to die!"
"I must disagree!"
"Hold you tongue!!!"
"I apologize master."
"Very well, you may go."
"Thank you master."
* * *
At the Hyperion
Angel went to his son's room but stopped outside the door. He just wanted to check on him. Its 2 o' clock in the afternoon and he was still sleeping. He was so glad that Connor was home, but he thought of that prophesy. It seemed ironic that his son lost his child hood because of a fake prophesy and now there was a real one saying just about the same except for the destruction of mankind and instead of his childhood it would be his future. He didn't want this for Connor. He wanted his son to have a normal life. It wasn't fair to ask Connor to take on this responsibility, to save the world. He didn't choose this. I guess we all have to do things we don't want to.
'Connor wont die.'
Angel dept repeating it in his mind. He wont let it happen. He'll train Connor until he's strong enough to protect himself. But first he would have to wake up. He looked so calm. So oblivious to the fact that his life could be over.
'Connor wont die'.
He saw his son breathing, his chest moving up and down. He looked so peaceful, like he hadn't slept in days then finally a moment to rest. Maybe he hadn't slept in days, Angel felt like he had wasted another month away from his son. When everyone had gone home and Connor thought that he was asleep he had raided the fridge leaving nothing but tomatoes. He didn't like them. Every normal action for Connor was a discovery for Angel, a learning experience. Absorbing every simple movement. How he sat down, how he ate a sandwich, how he read a book. All things that you learn about a person in a lifetime. Angel was trying to learn as fast as he could.
'Connor wont die'
It had been two days since Connor came. It hadn't been easy. There was obvious tension especially when they went to the mall. But Angel didn't think it was him that was bothering Connor. Angle never liked malls or crowded areas in general. They were loud. Normal people carrying normal conversations only they were mashed together. It just sounded like noise. He could see Connor felt the same way. Cordelia was getting so frustrated because neither of them would pay attention. You had to block out all that noise. When we went to the drive-in things were a lot more clam considering it was an action movie. Its like nothing could make a kid happier than seeing things blow up. Angel was glad to take on the responsibility of explaining things to him
"That's a nuclear weapon. It can lots of people if they're ever used." Which kinda led to current events.
"Do they really exist?"
"Yeah, the government has them."
"So the government can kill us?" he whispered back worriedly.
"They wont."
"How do you know?"
"Because it'll probably start a war and maybe destroyed the government along with the people."
"Oh, what's the government?"
There was so much for him to learn and Angel would teach him. That's why he cant die. Because he had so much to learn. Not to mention the future of the human race depends on him living and after all these years of saving people Angel wasn't going to be responsible for the death of the very people the spent so much time helping.
Connor was beginning to stir but not as if he was waking up, more like if he was having a nightmare.
"Stop it." Connor said between gasps and tossing and turning. "Don't." Angel stood there stunned. He should wake him up but he just looked at him. Almost expecting him to reveal something about himself. "Don't kill me." Connor sat up quickly, eyes wide open, and he immediately put his head in his hands. He was crying. He hadn't seen Angel, he was outside the door and it was open just a little. Angel couldn't bring himself to go inside and comfort his son. He knew Connor didn't trust him and who knows how he would react. He would ask him about it when he felt better, so he left the door and went down to the lobby. He found Cordelia talking on the phone.
"We'll get right on it." Cordelia said after a while.
"What is it?" Angel approached the front desk trying to forget the image he had just seen.
"A woman thinks she found a vampire nest. I told her not to go anywhere near it so you can wait till night fall cause you're starting to smell funny going in all the sewers."
"I don't smell funny."
"You should take Connor with you."
"I don't think he wants to go."
"Why?"
Connor at that moment started walking down the stairs. His eyes no longer red.
"Let's find out."
"Sure. I can use the violence."
"Great. Soon as it gets dark, we'll go."
"Great." Connor said unenthusiastically going down to the kitchen to get something to eat but just ended up pouring himself a glass of orange juice. Angel followed him into the kitchen. Connor sat down almost ignoring his father's uncomfortable silence. Angel broke it.
"Hi, how are you doing?"
"Fine."
"Nothing you want to tell me?"
"Should I have something to tell you?"
He said it without feeling, like there was nothing inside but a vast darkness. It cut right through Angel.
"Uh, no, just wondering. . . "
"Why don't you just tell me? I know you enough to know when something is bothering you. Is it because I slept so long because I was just tired." He said standing up.
"It's not that you slept. Its how you woke up."
"What?"
"You were having a bad dream- "
"You were spying on me?"
"No, I wasn-"
"Don't you trust me?"
"Yes I was just checking on you to see if you were all right, but don't change the subject. You wanted me to tell you what's bothering me and I expect you to do the same."
"Fine. You want me to tell you about the dream?" Connor said reluctantly.
"Don't you mean nightmare."
"They're all the same to me."
"Why don't you start from the beginning."
Connor sighed "I really don't want to talk about it, I just need to kill something and I'll be fine." In any normal conversation Angel would have run but this wasn't normal. Neither of them was normal. They never will be no matter how human they looked. They would always stand out. He felt his son's pain but he continued.
"Connor, please. I just want to help."
"You cant. I know you want to but you cant. I have to get over it by myself."
Angel put his hand on Connor's shoulders. "I trust you, you can trust me."
Connor looked down "I'm in a room with two coffins in it. One of them opens, the one on the right." He clears his throat. "And, uh, Holtz climbs out. Then I wake up."
"Why did you say don't kill me? Does he want to hurt you?"
"I didn't realize I talked in my sleep."
"I think it only happens in the worst of dreams."
"He's a vampire when he comes out. Then the one on the left opens and you come out. . . laughing. . . Satisfied."
"No, I'm not. Do you still think I killed Holtz?"
Connor looked down. "I smelled you on his the collar of his shirt, and it makes it easier."
"Why?"
"Because. . . when its real quiet I can hear my axe going through his neck and the smell of his burning flesh." Connor's eyes welled up. "And Justine betrayed me. . ." Connor snapped his head up to look his father in the eyes. "Why did he hate you more than he cared about me!! It's not fair!!!"
Connor let the tears roll down his cheek he leaned down back against the wall and slid down until he sat resting his head on his knees still crying, Angel's heart broke. He felt sympathy, regret, but most of all guilt. If only he had protected him more.
Angel dropped down next to his son and took his son's head against his chest. The only thing he could do was promise a better life for him now. Maybe even a family. He would be a good father. The people upstairs would be his big brothers and sisters, his aunts and uncles. Family didn't need to be blood as long as there was love between them there was a possibility for family.
Connor now wetting the shirt of his father with his tears, he could even taste the salt on his lips, but he didn't feel uncomfortable. He had only cried like this a few time. When he was little, it gotten him a punishment. 'Real men don't cry' Holtz kept repeating through the entire process. But he didn't feel like he was going to be punished by Angel. The other time was when Holtz died, and when Cordelia glowed. When she did he felt the years that he had spent in Quor-toth for a brief moment disappear, then rush back in, but afterwards it seemed easier to take in. Like he didn't have to feel like he was always being hunted although there were instances when it came back and he didn't recognize where he was. All he could see was the red sky and feel the danger. He always kept an eye and an ear open but they were now to gather information more than look out for the endless sea of demons heading his way.
While crying Connor realized something. He didn't have an epiphany. The thought was too simply for that. He realized this was the first time he felt completely free of fear. His father was cold yet comforting as he felt him stroke his back. Whispering encouraging words. 'Its alright, its going to be okay, it'll get easier.' But at the last thing he said Connor winced. 'I'm sorry'. He felt angered by that word 'sorry'. It had no meaning to Connor, though Angel hoped with all of his unbeating heart that his son would accept his apology. But Connor wasn't sure if he could. Imagining the red sky, the dangerous predators, the cold damp caves, and Holtz, constantly telling him of God and Angelus until he knew all the stories by heart. How Angelus had killed his family, how he had to dust his daughter, he even drew pictures on the walls of the caves with the blood of dinner. How could he forget that? How could Angel ask him to forgive and forget, then the epiphany came. He looked up at his father, who gave him full attention as soon as he moved his head up.
"I wont"
"What?"
"Forgive you." Angel felt like his heart dropped and his emotion was painted all over his face, but Connor went on.
"It doesn't matter if people are forgiven or not , as long as they make up for it. The simplest acts count, even if there's nothing bigger out there to aim for."
Angel smiled 'like father, like son, I guess' thought Angel. He was relieved and he hugged his son slightly tighter.
"I'm glad you think that." Angel said feeling happier than he had in a while. This was the closest they had been since Connor was a baby. Connor wiped his tears suddenly feeling better about his father's reaction. It would get better from here, it had to. They were finally father and son.
----------------------------------------- ------------------------ --------- ----------------------------
AWWWWW!!! Such a happy ending but no worries, there will be more chapters ( have to make a baddie after all.) PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE review. Come on people I wanna make the big numbers or I'll think you're not reading or don't like it. Then I'll have to write the next chapter ending with the biggest cliffhanger of the century!! So please review. ^_^.
Distribution: Just ask. Shadows_After_Dark@hotmail.com
Summary: Connor must confront the past and try to make his own destiny.
A.N.: Sorry it took so long but I wont make excuses, I'll just try and write the chapters faster.
A.N.: Just so you're wondering or will be wondering after you read, the language mentioned is real that papyrus actually exists only it has more to do with the names of mummies in ancient Egypt than an ancient prophesy about (go figure. ^_^.). Also onch is the actual Coptic word for life I just put something in front of it because that's the only I know in that language.
A.N.: Also in case you happen to do more wondering Ekphantos is pronounced Ek-fan-thoss.
------- -------------------------- ----------------------------------------- ----------------------------
Chapter 5: The Epiphany Comes. . . Eventually.
It was 1 in the afternoon and Angel walked into Wesley's office to see if he had progress with the papyrus.
"How's it coming?"
"As far as I can tell it's authentic."
"How much have you translated it?"
"Nearly all. It's about 3,500 years old. It's in a language called Coptic. It has the same alphabet as Greek except it has 7 extra characters, so I'm using extra references."
"So, what does it say?"
"From what I gather it speaks of a warrior who is call the Bah-onch. It means protector of life. He performs a miracle and that miracle replaces the warrior. It also speaks of the warrior having a darker side and something will bring it out and the warrior will kill the miracle. Leaving mankind to fight evil for by them selves. If this happens, man will fail."
Angel sighed. Then remembered "Connor said something about a potion."
"Oh, right. I haven't finished translating that part yet" he looks at the papyrus again. "Mmhh, it says that swords and other forged weapons can kill the miracle but the potion. . . makes it defenseless, makes it human."
"Doesn't sound half bad."
"It is if he has to protect the world, Connor will need his strength."
"What?"
"It's obvious that this prophecy is about you and Connor."
"No its not. I wouldn't kill him."
"What if you lose your soul?"
"That wont happen."
"How do you know? It doesn't explain why it happens it could happen at any time."
"No it can't." Angel had just gotten his son back he wasn't about to lose him again.
"Angel -"
"That prophesy said a warrior, it-it could be any body." Angel interrupted.
"In Coptic warrior is the same word as champion and when they mean the dark side they are not talking about the force, you have to take this seriously, your son's life is in danger."
Angel took in the words of his friend "Where is this potion, maybe it can be destroyed."
"I don't know."
"Is there an antidote?"
Wesley opened another book "No it has to pass through his system. Some of it gets into his blood stream it could take weeks before he becomes normal again."
"And by then he'll be dead."
"Don't be, I won't kill Connor and I don't think Angelus would either, but I don't even want to think about what he would do. We'll just keep an eye out. Call Lorne see if he can find anything out from his contacts."
"Right."
* * *
Undisclosed location
"You disobeyed me Ekphantos!" A demon wearing dark red robes. He was large and looked almost human but with spikes coming out of his knuckles and what looked like porcupine needles as hair.
"I apologize, master, but the Bah-onch would not have made it. He would have lost his soul." Replied the priest.
"Then he should lose it! If it was destiny then young one is meant to die!"
"I must disagree!"
"Hold you tongue!!!"
"I apologize master."
"Very well, you may go."
"Thank you master."
* * *
At the Hyperion
Angel went to his son's room but stopped outside the door. He just wanted to check on him. Its 2 o' clock in the afternoon and he was still sleeping. He was so glad that Connor was home, but he thought of that prophesy. It seemed ironic that his son lost his child hood because of a fake prophesy and now there was a real one saying just about the same except for the destruction of mankind and instead of his childhood it would be his future. He didn't want this for Connor. He wanted his son to have a normal life. It wasn't fair to ask Connor to take on this responsibility, to save the world. He didn't choose this. I guess we all have to do things we don't want to.
'Connor wont die.'
Angel dept repeating it in his mind. He wont let it happen. He'll train Connor until he's strong enough to protect himself. But first he would have to wake up. He looked so calm. So oblivious to the fact that his life could be over.
'Connor wont die'.
He saw his son breathing, his chest moving up and down. He looked so peaceful, like he hadn't slept in days then finally a moment to rest. Maybe he hadn't slept in days, Angel felt like he had wasted another month away from his son. When everyone had gone home and Connor thought that he was asleep he had raided the fridge leaving nothing but tomatoes. He didn't like them. Every normal action for Connor was a discovery for Angel, a learning experience. Absorbing every simple movement. How he sat down, how he ate a sandwich, how he read a book. All things that you learn about a person in a lifetime. Angel was trying to learn as fast as he could.
'Connor wont die'
It had been two days since Connor came. It hadn't been easy. There was obvious tension especially when they went to the mall. But Angel didn't think it was him that was bothering Connor. Angle never liked malls or crowded areas in general. They were loud. Normal people carrying normal conversations only they were mashed together. It just sounded like noise. He could see Connor felt the same way. Cordelia was getting so frustrated because neither of them would pay attention. You had to block out all that noise. When we went to the drive-in things were a lot more clam considering it was an action movie. Its like nothing could make a kid happier than seeing things blow up. Angel was glad to take on the responsibility of explaining things to him
"That's a nuclear weapon. It can lots of people if they're ever used." Which kinda led to current events.
"Do they really exist?"
"Yeah, the government has them."
"So the government can kill us?" he whispered back worriedly.
"They wont."
"How do you know?"
"Because it'll probably start a war and maybe destroyed the government along with the people."
"Oh, what's the government?"
There was so much for him to learn and Angel would teach him. That's why he cant die. Because he had so much to learn. Not to mention the future of the human race depends on him living and after all these years of saving people Angel wasn't going to be responsible for the death of the very people the spent so much time helping.
Connor was beginning to stir but not as if he was waking up, more like if he was having a nightmare.
"Stop it." Connor said between gasps and tossing and turning. "Don't." Angel stood there stunned. He should wake him up but he just looked at him. Almost expecting him to reveal something about himself. "Don't kill me." Connor sat up quickly, eyes wide open, and he immediately put his head in his hands. He was crying. He hadn't seen Angel, he was outside the door and it was open just a little. Angel couldn't bring himself to go inside and comfort his son. He knew Connor didn't trust him and who knows how he would react. He would ask him about it when he felt better, so he left the door and went down to the lobby. He found Cordelia talking on the phone.
"We'll get right on it." Cordelia said after a while.
"What is it?" Angel approached the front desk trying to forget the image he had just seen.
"A woman thinks she found a vampire nest. I told her not to go anywhere near it so you can wait till night fall cause you're starting to smell funny going in all the sewers."
"I don't smell funny."
"You should take Connor with you."
"I don't think he wants to go."
"Why?"
Connor at that moment started walking down the stairs. His eyes no longer red.
"Let's find out."
"Sure. I can use the violence."
"Great. Soon as it gets dark, we'll go."
"Great." Connor said unenthusiastically going down to the kitchen to get something to eat but just ended up pouring himself a glass of orange juice. Angel followed him into the kitchen. Connor sat down almost ignoring his father's uncomfortable silence. Angel broke it.
"Hi, how are you doing?"
"Fine."
"Nothing you want to tell me?"
"Should I have something to tell you?"
He said it without feeling, like there was nothing inside but a vast darkness. It cut right through Angel.
"Uh, no, just wondering. . . "
"Why don't you just tell me? I know you enough to know when something is bothering you. Is it because I slept so long because I was just tired." He said standing up.
"It's not that you slept. Its how you woke up."
"What?"
"You were having a bad dream- "
"You were spying on me?"
"No, I wasn-"
"Don't you trust me?"
"Yes I was just checking on you to see if you were all right, but don't change the subject. You wanted me to tell you what's bothering me and I expect you to do the same."
"Fine. You want me to tell you about the dream?" Connor said reluctantly.
"Don't you mean nightmare."
"They're all the same to me."
"Why don't you start from the beginning."
Connor sighed "I really don't want to talk about it, I just need to kill something and I'll be fine." In any normal conversation Angel would have run but this wasn't normal. Neither of them was normal. They never will be no matter how human they looked. They would always stand out. He felt his son's pain but he continued.
"Connor, please. I just want to help."
"You cant. I know you want to but you cant. I have to get over it by myself."
Angel put his hand on Connor's shoulders. "I trust you, you can trust me."
Connor looked down "I'm in a room with two coffins in it. One of them opens, the one on the right." He clears his throat. "And, uh, Holtz climbs out. Then I wake up."
"Why did you say don't kill me? Does he want to hurt you?"
"I didn't realize I talked in my sleep."
"I think it only happens in the worst of dreams."
"He's a vampire when he comes out. Then the one on the left opens and you come out. . . laughing. . . Satisfied."
"No, I'm not. Do you still think I killed Holtz?"
Connor looked down. "I smelled you on his the collar of his shirt, and it makes it easier."
"Why?"
"Because. . . when its real quiet I can hear my axe going through his neck and the smell of his burning flesh." Connor's eyes welled up. "And Justine betrayed me. . ." Connor snapped his head up to look his father in the eyes. "Why did he hate you more than he cared about me!! It's not fair!!!"
Connor let the tears roll down his cheek he leaned down back against the wall and slid down until he sat resting his head on his knees still crying, Angel's heart broke. He felt sympathy, regret, but most of all guilt. If only he had protected him more.
Angel dropped down next to his son and took his son's head against his chest. The only thing he could do was promise a better life for him now. Maybe even a family. He would be a good father. The people upstairs would be his big brothers and sisters, his aunts and uncles. Family didn't need to be blood as long as there was love between them there was a possibility for family.
Connor now wetting the shirt of his father with his tears, he could even taste the salt on his lips, but he didn't feel uncomfortable. He had only cried like this a few time. When he was little, it gotten him a punishment. 'Real men don't cry' Holtz kept repeating through the entire process. But he didn't feel like he was going to be punished by Angel. The other time was when Holtz died, and when Cordelia glowed. When she did he felt the years that he had spent in Quor-toth for a brief moment disappear, then rush back in, but afterwards it seemed easier to take in. Like he didn't have to feel like he was always being hunted although there were instances when it came back and he didn't recognize where he was. All he could see was the red sky and feel the danger. He always kept an eye and an ear open but they were now to gather information more than look out for the endless sea of demons heading his way.
While crying Connor realized something. He didn't have an epiphany. The thought was too simply for that. He realized this was the first time he felt completely free of fear. His father was cold yet comforting as he felt him stroke his back. Whispering encouraging words. 'Its alright, its going to be okay, it'll get easier.' But at the last thing he said Connor winced. 'I'm sorry'. He felt angered by that word 'sorry'. It had no meaning to Connor, though Angel hoped with all of his unbeating heart that his son would accept his apology. But Connor wasn't sure if he could. Imagining the red sky, the dangerous predators, the cold damp caves, and Holtz, constantly telling him of God and Angelus until he knew all the stories by heart. How Angelus had killed his family, how he had to dust his daughter, he even drew pictures on the walls of the caves with the blood of dinner. How could he forget that? How could Angel ask him to forgive and forget, then the epiphany came. He looked up at his father, who gave him full attention as soon as he moved his head up.
"I wont"
"What?"
"Forgive you." Angel felt like his heart dropped and his emotion was painted all over his face, but Connor went on.
"It doesn't matter if people are forgiven or not , as long as they make up for it. The simplest acts count, even if there's nothing bigger out there to aim for."
Angel smiled 'like father, like son, I guess' thought Angel. He was relieved and he hugged his son slightly tighter.
"I'm glad you think that." Angel said feeling happier than he had in a while. This was the closest they had been since Connor was a baby. Connor wiped his tears suddenly feeling better about his father's reaction. It would get better from here, it had to. They were finally father and son.
----------------------------------------- ------------------------ --------- ----------------------------
AWWWWW!!! Such a happy ending but no worries, there will be more chapters ( have to make a baddie after all.) PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE review. Come on people I wanna make the big numbers or I'll think you're not reading or don't like it. Then I'll have to write the next chapter ending with the biggest cliffhanger of the century!! So please review. ^_^.
