Disclaimer: I don't own anything and you know it! I will make claims to Lexia, she's mine. Don't take her from me, or I'll cyber-kick your ass! Thank you come again!
Title: A True End
Summary: Sequel to Friendly Reflection. Lexia and Connor fight to stay together against the apocalypse. As if Connor had never hooked up with Cordy in Rain of Fire.
Rating: I'ma make it R for fun!
Chapter 7:
After all that had happened Connor went back to his place. Cordelia tried to get him to go back to the hotel but he really didn't want to be alone with her. He was trying to figure out what happened, but everything in his head was muddled. He was talking with Cordelia, then Lexia was there, then she wasn't... It was all just so confusing.
He laid down on his bed and covered his head. None of that mattered. Lexia saw it all and now she hated him. The one person he had grown to trust, to love, hated him. Connor's sore jaw was prove of that.
Then there was a knock on the door. Sighing he went to answer it. Opening the door, the Beast stood there.
"Hello, Connor," he said.
Connor ran away from the Beast toward a beam, which he ran up, gaining momentum to
use against the Beast when he turned his body and kicked it in the face. Connor landed on
his feet in front of the Beast. The Beast growled at him but Connor leaped in the air to kick
him again. The Beast grabbed his ankle and flung him back and forth against the ground.
Then the Beast dropped him, reached down to grab his chest, and threw him across the
room and out the window.
Connor fell out of his window, landing on the street. He groaned in pain as a black car pulled
up. It was Angel's with Gunn driving, and Angel riding shotgun. Cordelia, Wes, Gwen, and
Fred were in the back seat. Everyone jumped out when the car stopped.
"Oh, my God! Connor!" Cordelia cries running to his side. She held his bleeding head in her
hands.
Connor saw that Angel tried to see if he was alright, but it was now daylight and Gunn was rushing him to the shade.
"Angel!" Gunn warned.
"What happened?" Angel asked him.
"The Beast. It's upstairs," Connor said.
"Maybe it need to do the ritual—," Wesley began.
"In the place where Connor lives," Gunn finished.
"We'll figure that out later," Angel said. "Everybody gear up. Wes, you got everything you
need?"
"Ready."
"Gwen, go for the orb, the wings, whatever you can get your hands on," Angel told her.
"Can't let him finish the spell. Gunn, you and I'll keep the Beast busy long enough for Fred
and Wesley to work the portal mojo. Cordy—keep him safe."
"Dad...," Connor tried. There were so many things Connor wanted to say, but he hardly had
the energy.
"It's OK, Connor. I'm here now," Angel assured his son. "Let's go."
They all headed in and Connor let his head fall back in Cordelia's lap. She smiled down at him, but looked just as worried as he felt. Connor suddenly realized they had said something about the Beast doing a ritual.
"What's he trying to do?" Connor asked her.
"Trying to blot out the sun," Cordelia said pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and wiping blood off his face. "That's what the totems were for. They had all gone back to the hotel, coz somehow Miss. Superslut let the Beast get past her. The last totem is dead."
Connor looked up at the sky. If the Beast succeeded it would soon be black. And Lexia wouldn't even...
"Did you tell Lexia before you left?"
"She wasn't at the hotel," Cordelia said.
+ + +
Lexia wiped the tears away from her face and laid back on the couch. She had come home instead of to the hotel. She didn't want to be around Connor or Cordelia. It would be too much. Nor could she sleep in the bed her and Connor had shared.
I should have known, she thought. Why would he be different from any other guy? Because he was. Connor had treated her better than anyone else. They had shared so much...
Lexia sat up. No, she thought. I'm not gonna get all mopey about this. He ruined things not me.
Suddenly her head hurt. Lexia touched her temple lightly, and looked out the window. She found herself looking toward's Connor's apartment, even though she knew he wasn't there.
+ + +
Connor now stood leaning against Angel's car. He was holding his sore ribs and looking up at the window he'd been thrown out of. This isn't right, he thought.
"I should be up there. I can fight it," Connor told Cordelia who was also looking up at the window.
"Don't worry, Connor. I'm sure they're doing OK."
Connor walked around the car toward her leaning on it for support. His rib, well, they hurt like hell, and he felt kinda woozy.
"What's it like when you pass out?" he asked.
"What?" Cordelia asked distracted.
"Things get dimmer, right?"
"I guess. Wh—?" Cordelia trailed off as they sky grew dim. They look up at the sun as it is
being blocked out by blackness.
+ + +
"They can just go off and have all the gross, icky, sex they want," Lexia said as she walked out of her kitchen carrying a bow of chocolate ice-cream. "I don' even care."
As she sat down on the couch the sky grew dim. Lexia looked out the window in surprise. As she watched blackness swirled around the sun until it was completely covered. The sky that was once bright blue, now turned black. Lexia felt dread well up inside her.
"Oh, no," she murmured.
+ + +
Connor and Cordelia were waiting anxiously outside still. Finally the gang came out, all looking rather defeated. Cordelia ran up to Angel.
"Angel, we have to talk," she said but Angel just brushed past her.
"I can't believe we lost the sun," Fred said looking skyward.
"Angel, I think I figured it out," Cordelia persisted.
"So have I. The Beast knows me," Angel said still ignoring her.
"No, it doesn't. It knows Angelus," Angel finally looked at her. "Am I right? While you were
upstairs, it came to me. I wasn't having a vision of the demon, I was having a memory of
it."
"How's that again?" Gwen asked confused. Join the club, Connor thought.
"I told you, when I was a higher being, I'd experienced everything you'd ever done as
Angelus. But since I've been back, my memory's been fading until the Powers decided to jog
it, I guess. Angel, I saw you, long ago, standing in a field of bodies with the Beast."
"You knew this thing, and you didn't tell us?" Connor asked shocked.
"No, I couldn't come up against something like that and not remember," Angel defended
himself.
"The answer is among you," Gunn said realizing. "It's what the little girl meant, isn't it? This
was never about Connor, it's about—."
"Angelus," Fred finished.
"I'm telling ya. I don't know this beast. I'd remember," Angel insisted.
"This means you're a suspect for Manny's death," Wesley said. "If Cordelia's right, we should
admit the possibility that this Beast may have some sort of power over you to make you do
things, to make you forget."
"And he has a plan. The rain of fire, taking down Wolfram and Hart, even blotting out the
sun. I think now, those were only the first steps to something bigger," Cordelia said.
"I don't know what to tell any of you, 'cause I don't know what the plan is," Angel said.
"No, but Angelus might," Wesley said. "There's only one way we're gonna defeat this Beast.
We need Angelus."
Connor looked at Wesley in surprise. The man couldn't be serious. But he could tell by the look on his face he was. The Connor looked at Angel. He looked just as shocked. Connor swallowed. Did they really need Angelus right now?
+ + +
About a day later -or Lexia was pretty sure it was a day it was hard to tell since there was no sun- Lexia walked over to the hotel. She hated to admit but she needed to be there. Whatever was going down now was big, and though she was mad at Connor, Angel might need the help.
Lexia looked around as she walked. People were still freaked out, screaming, crying, and just standing and staring at the sky. You would think they would be smart enough to lock themselves up in their houses. Lexia was prepared though. She had hidden weapons on most of her body, but she was sure the mail carrier who looked as if he hadn't been home at all didn't.
Finally she came up to the Hyperion and went inside. Connor, Cordelia, Fred, and Gunn all turned to stare at her. They looked as if they had been having a heated discussion before.
"Hey," Gunn greeted her. "We thought you punked out like Wes, and Lightening lady."
"Me?" Lexia asked putting a hand to her chest. "Never."
"Lexia," Connor said rushing up the steps. "I-."
Lexia pointed a finger at him. "I'm still not talking to you," she said leaving him on the steps. She passed Cordelia who crossed her arms and looked at her defiantly. Lexia ignored her and sat on the couch. She looked up at Gunn and Fred who looked very uncomfortable.
"So what happened?" she asked.
"The Beast killed all the totems," Gunn said. "He used something from each of them as like a big light switch."
"Ah. Figures," Lexia muttered looking to the office where Angel was gettin' down. "Is he singing?"
"Lorne's reading him," Fred informed. "See, it was Angel and not Connor who was connected to the Beast. But Angel doesn't know how."
Lexia looked at Connor. He shuffled his feet and looked away. It didn't surprise her that Connor wasn't involved with the Beast. It did surprise her about Angel though. She knew he was all vampiric, but she thought he was a good one. As non-existent as they were.
"Why Angel?"
"Not actually Angel," Cordelia said. "His alter-ego if you will, Angelus. I met him once when we were in Sunnydale."
"Oh, that's why the Beast called him that."
"When was that?" Fred asked.
"When we were saving those two," Lexia said feeling her voice falter. I will not break down, she told herself.
Then Angel and Lorne came out of his office. Angel noticed Lexia and raised an eyebrow. Lorne did as well and went over to the couch and put a hand on Lexia's arm.
"Hey, peaches," he greeted her. "How ya doin?"
"He told you?" Lexia asked of Angel.
"No, but I got this sensory thing," Lorne explained. "I could tell."
"Ah."
"Did Lorne help you remember?" Cordelia asked Angel.
"No."
"Anything at all?"
"Nothing," Angel told her annoyed. Then he looked to Fred. "So what have we got?"
"A puzzle with missing pieces and some cryptic gibberish," Fred said looking through some
papers. Then she gestured to some silver winged tool. "Angel, whatever power this device
had got swallowed up by the Beast. It won't bring back the sun. Without the orb, it's as
useless as—."
"Us," Gunn interrupted. "Face it man, we're losing ground. Pretty much the only victory we
can claim is that we're not dead yet."
"OK, look," Angel said noticing the worried looks on their faces. "I know things haven't been going our way lately, but... things change. And we're not down for the count yet. But the Beast is not our only concern right now. 'Til we figure out how to end eternal darkness, it's a devil's playground out there."
"Just the way you like it, huh?" Connor said under his breath.
"Something to say, Connor? You got a problem?" Angel asked him.
"You," Connor said facing him.
Lexia smirked. She thought to say something, but thought if Connor said enough he might get his ass kicked. She felt he deserved it.
"Hey, Connor," Cordelia said.
"Acting like the big leader, like we don't already know what we know," Connor spit at him.
"And what do you know?" Angel asked crossing his arms over his chest.
"Everybody thought it was me. Maybe even I was starting to, but it was you all along. You're
the one who's working with the Beast."
"I'm not."
"Well, then, you're a puppet. Either way, everything's going to hell because of you. You're
the reason that the sun is gone, that I don't have a home to go back to. You're the reason
that she—," Connor looked over at Lexia and shook his head. "It's you. You're the reason my
life sucks."
"Get over it," Angel told him.
"Uh, not to be a buttinsky," Lorne piped up. "But could we get back to the pep talky thing?"
He laughed nervously.
"Yeah, seriously tired of the family drama-rama," Lexia said glancing at Connor.
"I'm not one to turn down a little pep, but I'd much prefer we had a plan," Fred said.
"Here's one," Wesley said walking in through the front door. A man his with him clad in red
from head to toe. "Him."
"Who's he?" Angel asked.
"Wo-Pang. He can deliver Angelus to us," Wesley informed.
"I thought you said—," Gunn began.
"Me too," Cordelia interrupted.
"Angelus?" Lexia asked feeling totally out of the loop.
"Fred, would you mind brewing some tea for our guest?" Wesley asked Fred.
"Oh, um, sure. Right this way, Mr. Pang," leading him to the office. "Any special tea you..."
"How about Orange Zinger?" Wo-Pang asked.
"Ah. OK."
"That's the bad Angel right?" Lexia asked Lorne.
+ + +
Later Connor walked up the stairs wondering what Angel would do. He was in the garden now, brooding, after talking to Wesley. Wesley wanted the shaman to remove Angel's soul so Angelus could help them find the Beast. Angel felt none of them could handle Angelus, because he was supposedly such a mastermind. Yeah, right.
Connor started to go to his room-since he had no apartment to go to- when he heard humming. The door to a room next to Angel's was open slightly and someone was humming. As he drew closer he could smell the perfume Lexia liked to wear. He went up to the door and peaked in. Lexia was taking clothes out of the bag that had been in his room and putting them into drawers. Connor pushed the door farther open and she looked up.
"Hey," he said.
"Hello," she said coldly, throwing the last shirt down and shoving the drawer closed.
"Lexia we need to talk," Connor said coming into the room and closing the door.
"No," she pointed to the door. "Get out."
"You're being childish."
"Well, that's just a percent of how I would really like to act."
"I know I hurt you-."
"Hurt is an understatement."
"But I don't know what happened!" Connor said stepping closer to her. "All I remember is we were locked up, we were both scared, and then I just felt different. I was all woozy, and I needed to lie down. Then I thought you were there."
"Oh, please," Lexia snorted crossing her arms over her chest.
"I did," Connor protested. "I could hear you, and smell you. Then Cordelia-."
"Stop!" Lexia cried grabbing his arm. "Just stop. I don't want to hear it."
"Lexia," Connor tried to take her in his arms but she shoved him away.
"No, Connor. I can't even look at you, let alone touch you," she shook even as she was speaking, tears falling down her cheeks. "We haven't even been dating that long and you sleep with someone else! I trusted you Connor. I- I loved you."
"I love you too."
"But you ruined it all," Lexia told him. "We had something, so great, and beautiful. And you tear it apart in a moment of high emotions. Because you were scared."
Connor was taken aback. For some reason those words wounded him worse than anything the Beast could do to him. He looked at Lexia. Saw the tears streaming down her face, the pain in her eyes, and realized he was the one who put it there. Remembering his vow to let no one hurt her just a few nights ago, Connor hated himself. He had lost his soul mate.
Connor couldn't have said something if he tried. He just nodded slightly and left the room. He wanted to kill himself after the door closed and he heard Lexia fall onto the bed, sobbing.
+ + +
About and hour later, Lexia walked down the stairs and saw Fred rushing around, helping Wo-Pang. Everyone else seemed to be gone. Lexia frowned as she came to the first floor landing.
"What's up?" she asked as Fred went by.
"Getting ready to do the spell," Fred said sounding hurried.
"The spell?" Lexia asked. "The spell to bring back Angelus?"
"That would be the one," Cordelia said coming out of the office.
Lexia ignored her and went to the mini fridge to grab a bottle of water. Cordelia watched her for a moment and Lexia quirked and eyebrow at her.
"What?" she demanded.
Cordelia just shook her head and went to sit on the couch. Lexia rolled her eyes and took a sip. Bitch, she thought. Then Lorne comes in from the basement. He stops and looks between Cordelia and Lexia. Must be picking up on the vibes, Lexia thought.
"Is there a chill in here, or is it just me?" he asked Fred. "Anyways ladies, Angel cakes has asked that we more feminine types stay up here. All good with you?"
"Uh-huh," Lexia said and at the same time Cordelia said, "No way."
"Huh?" Lorne asked confused.
"I'm the only one who know's Angelus, they'll need me."
"Super powers. They'll need me," They said at the same time again. The two glared at each other.
"Well, you can talk to Angel about that. All this I-am-she-man-hear-me-purr is not my area of expertise." He walked away leaving the two glaring at each other. Cordelia smirked and whipped around, saunter toward the basement. Lexia snorted and followed, imitating Cordelia's exaggerated hip swaying.
+ + +
Connor looked up as both Cordelia and Lexia came down into the basement. Cordelia headed straight over to Gunn and Wesley, while Lexia stood back as if to watch. Angel looked at both of them from where he was being strapped down in the cage.
"Cordy, I don't want you here," Angel told her.
"Yeah, tough," Cordelia said to him.
The shaman went inside the cage with Angel, shutting the door behind him. They gang all looked on.
"It would be wise for your safety to add the second lock to the door," Wo-Pang advised.
"Do as he says," Wesley said to Gunn who locked on the second one.
"Angel..." Cordelia said walking up to the cage. "You don't have to do this."
"Now she tells me," Angel said looking up at the ceiling.
"Close your eyes and don't speak," Wo-Pang ordered putting his hands on Angel's head. "Wo
qing qui wu xin zi li. Kun, zhen, xun, kan, li. Ci wo tong ling. Ji fao muo li. "Wo hao zhao jue
xin ze. Wan cheng ta de zi yuan."
As they watched the jar sitting on a table near by filled with white, swirling smoke. Lexia stepped closer, beside Connor. He looked over at her and she looked to him worried. He took her hand, knowing it wasn't his to take anymore, and gave it a squeeze. Connor was surprised when she squeezed back.
When the shaman stopped chanting Angel looked over at the group. No one said anything for a few moments. Then he smiled.
"Angelus..." Connor heard Cordelia whisper.
Then Angelus began to laugh manically.
~I made this chapter long to make up for not updating in a while. It may be hard for me to since school's started. Sorry!~