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 9:



Connor walked back inside with his head down and his hands in his pockets. To his surprise everyone was running, getting ready for something.


"What's going on?" he asked.


Gunn headed towards him, two shovels in one hand, a sword in the other. He held up the shovels. "We got some digging to do," he said with a grin.


+ + +




"Are you sure this is the right spot?" Connor asked as they dug a large hole.


"Well, the landmarks look like what Cordy described in her vision," Gunn said shrugging.


"Never fought a soul-eater before," Connor mused pushing aside another pile of dirt.


"Hmph," Gunn grunted. "And I'm not planning to. Cordy says this thing was buried by the Chumash a couple hundred years ago. Don't expect it to put up too much of a fight."


"So, what if we can't find it?"


"Then we're screwed. The skull of the soul-eater is the main piece of the spell Cordy saw. Without that—," Gunn stopped as his shovel hit something metal. "Clear it off. Ooh, thank you, Powers that Be! About damn time."

Connor clears it off to reveal a box. Gunn moves to unlock it.


"Want me to do that?" Connor asked.

"Uh, I got it," Gunn said as he opened it. A hand reaches up out of the box and grabbed Gunn's throat. "Oh!"

Connor stabbed the hand with his sword quickly. The thing shrieked and withdrew it's hand. Gunn and Connor quickly scrambled out of the hole.


"You OK?" Connor asked him.

"Oh, I so don't need that kind of crap," Gunn said painting. "Let's just chop its head off and get—," they look into the whole and see it is no longer there. "OK, this thing is really starting to piss me off."

Suddenly the Soul Eater appeared behind Gunn. Gunn punched it and Connor started to attack but it only knocked him down. Then it was suddenly gone. Connor frowned as he got up. He turned and there it was. He punched, but it vanished before he made contact.

Connor waited a moment. Then feeling a presence he turned and kicked at the same time. He finally got it once, and the Soul Eater punched him. Connor started to fight when the Soul Eater put a hand on his chest. Connor tried to move but he couldn't. His limbs were immobile, and he just hung suspended from it's hand. It's hand started to glow and Connor felt a burning sensation. It grew more intense and he screamed.

Gunn ran up to them and cut off the Soul Eater's arm with his sword. Connor Was released and stumbled to the ground. Gunn cut off the Soul Eater's head. Connor realized the arm was laying across his body and threw it away in disgust. To their surprise the head started withering a twitching until Gunn hit it several more times with his sword.


"Nice," Connor said appreciatively as he stood.


"Yeah, sometimes you just gotta keep whacking," Gunn joked picking up the head.


"You think it'll work?" Connor asked.


"It better. If there's really something badder than the Beast, we've got to get Angel back before it comes."

+ + +

After returning, and de-meating the skull, the gang was down in the basement, preparing the ritual. There was a circle of twigs with the skull in the center. Connor began lighting candles and notices something green on his hand. He shook it off absently, looking toward what was now his father.


"Have you all lost your mind?" Angelus asked them. "You're going to use black magic to restore my soul? People, this never goes well. Am I the only one paying attention?"


"Ten-to-one, the entire hotel gets sucked into a hell dimension," Lilah bet from where she was standing, watching.


"You, two—," Gunn said motioning to them. "With the shutting up."


"Talk about eleventh-hour desperation," Angelus said with a sigh. "Face it, you're grasping. No jar, no soul."


"You sound pretty desperate yourself," Connor told him lighting the last candle.


"Do you have the vial?" Cordelia asked Wesley and he handed it to her.


"Let's be realistic. Even if your precious champion makes another guest appearance, you can't stop the apocalypse. Bottom line is you're going to lose. The last thing you smell will be each other's blood," Angelus sneered at them as Cordelia poured the contents of the vial over the skull.


"That's you're opinion," Fred said.


"You tell him, honey," Lilah said with false support.


"You, shut your fat mouth," Fred snapped at her.


"Look at you—," Angelus said with a chuckle. "Heroes. So tangled up in your own crap, you can't even find the world to save it."


"Does everyone have their talismans?" Cordelia asked and the group nodded.


"Hell, even Angel knew you never stood a chance. You want to know why he really let me out? Because he finally gave up. He knew you were all too weak and selfish to stop what's coming. He gave up his soul because he gave up on you," Angelus said grasping at straws to get them to stop.


"You're right. Buh-bye," Cordelia said gesturing with her hand and sending Angelus flying into the back wall.


"In degera...," Wesley began chanting.


"Don't kid yourselves..." Angelus was struggling to stand.


"Fortis murus..." Wesley chanted on and the candles' flames suddenly grew larger and brighter.


"I'll still be around long after your corpses rot."


"Kesta sartuum...," the building began to shake and Connor looked around. "Mundi ethericon..." White smoke raised from the skull and wafted in Angelus's direction.


"I promise you," Angelus growled. "This isn't..."


"Chimera nihilo," Wesley finished the chant.


"The end."

The smoke surrounded Angelus's's body, lifting him off the ground. He winced and screamed in pain. The skull in the magical circle exploded. The smoke disappeared and Angel fell to the ground. Everyone stopped a moment, waiting.


"Angel?" Cordelia finally asked.


"I'm so sorry," he said his voice full of emotion.


"It worked," Lorne said with a smile.


"Did it?" Connor asked frowning.


"Fred," Angel said as he sat up.


"What?" Fred asked.


"You came down the stairs. You had blood, and I grabbed you."


"I'm fine," she assured him.


"The spell, it worked. I feel it," Cordelia said looking at Connor. Connor shrugged and looked away. He didn't know what to feel at the moment. Happy, or angry at all the things Angelus had said to him.


"We have to be sure," Wesley was saying.


"Get Lorne to read him." Gunn suggested.


"Angel, are you aware of what's happened?"


"I'm back," Angel said standing. "There's, uh, something else. Something worse..."

Connor looked away wondering about Lexia. She's been gone a while. Was she alright? What would she think of this? Where...


"...Raindrops keep falling on my head...do do do do... Just...," Angel was now singing.

"Oh yes," Lorne smiled. "Yes! Sweet fancy B.J. Thomas, it's him. It's Angel."


"You sure?" Gunn asked.


"Yes, yes! The aura has totally changed, and the vibe screams soul! Ha ha! Oh, bless you and your beautiful land line to the PTB, honey!" Lorne cried hugging Cordy. "Mwa!"


"He's back," Connor said feeling doubtful.


"Then we can let him out," Fred said.


"No," Angel said shaking his head. "I'm staying in here. I'm doing what's best for the group."


"Since when is locking up the leader what's best for the group?" Cordelia asked hand on her hip.


"Since when does your vision come with a guarantee? For all we know, this spell is only temporary, and God forbid...," Angel shook his head. "I can give orders from down in here. And the new ones are: no more back-biting, fist-fighting, fraternizing, or vengeance. From now on, you focus on one thing: making it out alive. 'Cause I'm only going to say this once: what Angelus told you was a lie. I haven't and will never give up on you. We'll get through this thing. Together."


"I can't believe we didn't crush you people years ago," Lilah said sounding amused.


"Wes, you and Fred get back to Lilah's books. We need any new information we can on this new player. Lilah, make some coffee. Earn your keep around here," he ordered and they trooped upstairs. "Lorne, I want you out working low-pro real estate. If this thing is bigger than the Beast, it's gonna be laying down roots. And it'll need square footage."


"Good to have you back, boss," Lorne told him and headed upstairs too.


"In the mean time, Connor, Gunn, work damage control. Sweep the surrounding blocks for civilians. Save who you can," Angel noticed the look Connor was giving him. "Connor, it's me."


"I know," Connor said looking away and following Gunn upstairs. Angel was back. He was giving orders and getting right back into the swing of things. This sucks, Connor thought.

+ + +

Lexia slammed the vamp into a trash can, then flipped him backward so he landed inside it. Another came up behind her and she kicked him, then punched it across the jaw. As it spun around she whipped out a stake from her belt and staked it, then let her arms swing around to stake the one who had crawled out of the dumpster. The two vamps dusted together and Lexia let the dust settle behind her. She came up to the girl she'd been trying to save.

"Go home. They can't get you there," Lexia told her and walked off. She couldn't understand how people could still be stupid enough to run around this town, knowing what was going on.

She headed back to the hotel, deciding she'd been out long enough. She wasn't making much head way anyway, the demons just kept coming. 'Sides, she thought. This isn't my job. Not the slayer. Or even a "Champion".

It was one of the only things Lexia was good at though. Sure she was smart enough, gone to school and all that. But nothing seemed to interest her. She didn't have the money for college, and she wasn't going to follow in her father's footsteps and lead the colony of holier than tho demons. So she was stuck.

Connor had been the one thing to make sense to her, but now even he was gone. Lexia sighed and shook her head. Whatever is out there starting the apocalypse, she thought. Better now mess with me tonight.

+ + +

There was a crash and Connor looked over. Lilah was standing amongst all the broken coffee mugs that she had just dropped. Wesley was frowning at her.


"It's my inner megalomaniac. I, uh, rebel at serving coffee," Lilah said.


"Angel," Wesley called noticing him near the door. "I thought you were confined—."


"Change in plans," he said edging to the door. "Cordy actually talked me out of staying down there. Now, I've got my own mission."


"Which is...?" Connor prompted.


"Too dangerous, son. I'm afraid you can't go with me. I have to go save the world," he said over dramatically, paused, then left.


"So, has anyone seen Cordy?" Fred asked emerging from the office.

Connor frowned and looked at the monitor. Cordelia was shown, lying in floor, locked in the cage. Connor looked back up at the door.

"He lied."

+ + +

Lexia walked toward the garden entrance of the hotel, hands in her jacket pockets. She heard a scream to her left and looked over that way. Seeing nothing close by she started to walk on, only to find herself nose-to-chest with... Angelus. Lexia looked up in surprise.

"Hey hot stuff," Angelus said grinning.

Lexia turned and ran the opposite way. She heard him laugh behind her, but didn't look back. She was about to cross the road when he was in front of her again, hands on her shoulders.

"Ah, c'mon Lex," he conjoled. "You don't have to run. I'm not gonna drain ya. Not big on demon blood, but I am gonna kill you. After we have some fun."

Lexia kneed him in the groin, then punched him in the nose. Angelus growled and punched her with the palm of his hand in her chest, making her stagger back.

"Why do all you super-bitches like to do that?" he demanded.

"You want a change of pace?" Lexia asked and jumped in the air to kick him in the face. She swung with her right arm to hit him, but her caught her arm and pulled her against him.

"I knew this was gonna be fun," he sneered at her.

Lexia head butted him. She went to sweep his legs out from under him, but he jumped, grabbed her leg and knocked her down. She landed on her back and he jumped on her, landing in between her legs.

"I was gonna ask Connor who was the better ride," he told her as they struggled. "You or Cordelia. But maybe I'll just find out on my own."

Lexia felt anger rise up in her. Clenching her teeth she bucked upward so he flipped over her and she followed. She grabbed his throat, and now she was on top straddling him.

"Let's go for a ride then, bitch," she told him. Then she stood quickly, still grasping his throat, and flung him so he went flying away from her, and landed against a nearby brick wall. He slid down and Lexia ran and grabbed his arm flinging him, face first into the wall again. Angelus growled and grabbed her by the hair. Then he rammed her head into the wall.

Lexia saw red spill into her eyes, and groaned. She fell to the ground and Angelus laughed at her. He pulled her up by her jacket and punched her across the jaw. Then he pulled her up to her feet. He steadied her so she was looking at him.

"Aww... what happened Lex?" he asked. "I thought we were gonna go for a ride?"

Lexia tried to punch him, but he ducked, laughing. She spun kicked, but he grabbed her leg and pushed so she landed on her butt. Angelus laughed again.

Lexia tried to stand, but couldn't get her legs under her. Angelus was about to advance on her again when they both heard, Touch her and die...

"What the..." Angelus wondered and looked around.

Lexia's father appeared in front of her. For once Lexia was glad to see him. Angelus looked up at the 6 foot 6 demon and took a step back.

"Hey, man," he said holding up his hands. "No trouble here. We was just playin'."

"Go now vampire before I make you sorry," he father spit at Angelus.

Lexia stood up and looked around her father. Angelus glared at her. "This isn't over," he told her. Lexia stuck her tongue out at him. He turned and walked away. Lexia sighed and felt her head, she was gonna have a bump.

Her father turned to look down at her. Lexia smirked at him and withdrew her hand from her hair. There was blood. She sighed and began to feel shaky. "Thanks," she murmured as things began to go dark. She felt herself fall, and her father catch her. That was all she remembered before everything went black.

+ + +

Later, after not having found Angelus, but finding Cordelia wounded, and Lilah dead Connor and the others watched as Wesley wrapped Lilah's body in plastic. Connor was so mad he felt like chopping someone's head off. He looked out the window, hoping to see Lexia coming along. She's been gone for a day. If Angelus...

He banged his hand on the window sill and everyone looked at him. "What are we waiting for? Why aren't we going after him?"


"No need. He'll be back," Wesley said looking at Lilah.


"How do you know?" Fred asked.


"We're the ones he wants to hurt," Cordelia informed her. "The people closest to Angel."


"I say we dust him before he gets the chance," Connor told her.


"That's just the kind of reckless thinking that allowed Angelus to double back on us, giving him the chance to—," Wesley trailed off as he looked at Lilah. "From now on, we all stay close."

Connor got lost in thought again as he looked out the window. He was gonna kill Angelus. No matter what Wesley, who now thought he was in charge, said. He hurt Cordelia, and possibly Lexia. He was going to kill him.


"The birth of a notion, kids," Lorne said breaking through his thoughts. "We use the sanctuary spell. That anti-demon-violence charm I used down at Caritas. It won't keep Angelus from making a house call, but it should keep carnage down to a minimum."


"That takes some doing, doesn't it?" Gunn asked.


"Well, I could put a call into the Furies. Maybe they could tech-support me through a quickie version."


"Magick again,"Connor sneered. "You people rely way too much on that junk."


"We use whatever tools we have," Wesley told him.


"Yeah, only it never really works the way it's supposed to. It's why we're here, isn't it? Why he's loose?"


"Cordy, why didn't it work?" Fred asked her. "The spell to bring Angel's soul back. Did we do something wrong?"


Cordelia shrugged. "I don't know."


"Yeah, and how did you get so fooled, Lorne? Reading Angelus wrong like that. You were so sure he was Angel." Gunn pointed out.

Connor...

Connor looked up. Who just said his name? He looked out the window for Lexia. It sounded like her but he wasn't sure. Connor heard the other's arguing and he looked to Lilah.


"We have to destroy her," he said.


"What?" Wesley asked in surprise.


"The body. She could have been turned."


"Sired, you mean?" Gunn cut in. "No, there wasn't enough time."


"You don't know that."


"The hell I don't. It happened to—."


"No, he's right," Wesley interrupted Gunn. "We can't take any chances. I'll take care of it."

Connor... he heard again.

+ + +

"Connor," Lexia whispered. She wanted him near her. Wanted to feel his arms around her. Feel his comfort. Where was he?

"C'mon kido," she heard. "You're alright. Time to wake up."

She felt someone put a cool cloth to her head. "Davis?" she asked trying to open her eyes. There were soft sheets covering her body.

"Hey, sweetie," he said as she opened her eyes. "Long time no see."

"What am I doing here?" she asked.

"You're father brought you. He said you'd been fighting and got knocked out." Davis frowned and dipped the cloth in a nearby bowl. "You really should stop doing that Lexia. One of these days you're going to get hurt."

Lexia pushed his hand away as he tried to wipe he head again. She sat up, the events from before coming back to her. Angelus had gotten out. But how? What was wrong now?

She pushed the sheet off her and noticed she was wearing some frock type thing that most of the women in the colony here wore. She rolled her eyes and ran a hand through her now curly hair. Someone had washed it. At least the bump was gone. Davis began to fuss as she climbed from the bed.

"No, Lexia. Wait-," Lexia began searching about for her clothes. "You shouldn't leave. You've been through a lot."

"He healed me right?"

"Well, of course."

"Then I'm fine. But I have to be elsewhere now," she headed for the doorway to find her father and her clothes, only to have him be there before she could step through. Lexia stepped back startled. "Don't do that!"

"You wish to leave already?" her father asked her.

"Well, duh," she said hand on her hip.

"Fine," he said handing her the clothes. He turned and left before she could say anything else. Lexia shrugged and sat her clothes on the bed. She looked at Davis prompting him to leave. He only crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her.

"What?" she asked tiredly.

"Whether you want to admit it or not you are too much like that man," Davis told her, putting his hands inside the sleeves of his blue robe.

"Unc, look," Lexia used the nickname she had for him. "The world is about to end. We all know it. There's only a few people I know of who have any idea how to stop it, and I wanna help them. If I stay here what good am I to anybody?"

Davis only looked at her sadly. He came forward and hugged her, then kissed her on the head softly and left her alone. Lexia looked at the door. She felt bad. Really, she did. But she knew this wasn't where she belonged. She may not know exactly where she did belong, but she was sure it wasn't here.

+ + +

Connor watched Fred and Gunn bring several spices in to Lorne who was talking on the phone. They were going to do that damn security spell no matter what he said about it. Connor sighed and leaned against the counter. He hated that nobody listened to him around here. They acted as if he had no idea what he was talking about. He was the Destroyer for crying out loud!


"Uh, 86 on the bloodroot, ladies. Anything else we can— Well, yeah, I have, uh," Lorne was saying reading the label of the spices. "Paprika, ginger, allspice, clove— Cloves? That'll work? Oh, got it. Beautiful. Hey, soon as FTD's delivering in the city again, expect a big "Thanks a Bunch" bouquet from me, girls. Ciao! Ha ha ha!"


"Looks like we got our home security spell," Cordelia told him.


"Right you are, missy," Lorne told her. "As soon as we sprinkle burnt clove dust around the perimeter, light a few candles, incant a few choice phrases, we'll be—."


"Hurry up and do it," Connor said pacing. "The sooner we quit playing with magic tricks, the sooner we find and kill Angelus."


"Wesley says we shouldn't go after him," Fred reminded him.


"I don't give a flying fuck what Wesley says. He's not my boss. Where the hell is he, anyway? How long does it take to chop off Lilah's head?"


Gunn frowned at him. "Boss or no, he's right when he says we stay together 'til we know what we have to do."


"I know what we have to do. Angel told me. Something goes wrong, I kill him."


"Oh ho ho," Lorne said pretending to be impressed. "Now you listen to him?"


"Aren't you forgetting something?" Fred asked. "Angel's soul is still out there somewhere. That means there's still a chance we could bring him back."


"How many people have to die before we give up on that plan?" Connor asked exasperated.


"I don't know, Connor. How many people have to die without Angel around to save them?" Cordelia asked him putting a hand on his shoulder. Connor softened.


"It's way too late for that. I've seen his true face. And he's tasted blood. There's no going back now. He has to be destroyed. And I'm the Destroyer," Connor turned to walk out the front door.


"Connor, don't do this," Cordelia pleaded with him. "It's too dangerous. Come back! You can't—." Connor turned in time to see Cordelia fall to the floor, in a faint.


"Cordy!" Fred cried running to her aid. Connor hurried back down the steps.


"Get her to the couch," Gunn said and he starting moving her.


"What happened?" Cordelia asked coming to.


"You fainted," Fred told her.


"Oh. You mean like this?" Cordelia asked as she fainted again.


"All right. Let's get her upstairs," Gunn said as the front door opened. Lexia walked through the door, her hair curled, and looking healthier than she had when she left. Connor frowned. She's been gone for about 30 some hours and comes in looking fine?


"I'll do it," Connor said picking Cordelia up and heading to the stairs. Fred followed.

"Hello to you too," he heard Lexia grumble.

Connor gritted his teeth and continued up the stairs. Lexia was fine, Cordelia wasn't. And if Lexia didn't care about him anymore he should focus his time on someone who did.


+ + +


Lexia walked out of her room after changing her clothes to some that were clean. She had to admit her father's healing made her feel better than she had in a while. But she looked so healthy from it Gunn and Lorne had trouble believing she'd fought with Angelus. As she was coming down the stairs Lexia saw Lorne sneak up behind Connor and try to hit him with a candlestick, but a force field stopped him and sent him a few feet backward. Connor looked up in surprise.


"See? It works sometimes. Oh. It also smarts like the dickens," Lorne said leaning against the front desk in pain.


"Sanctuary spell's working?" Wesley asked coming in from the basement.


"Yeah, like a charm," Lorne said sourly. "Literally."

"What's a Sanctuary spell?" she asked as she joined the gang in the lobby.


"Keeps demons from hurting mortals," Wesley said looking surprised to see her. "Good. It'll make this easier."


"Make what easier?" Gunn sounded wary


"Where's Cordelia?" he asked ignoring Gunn.


"Upstairs asleep. She still feels weak," Fred said.


"Make what easier?" Gunn prompted.


"We're going to bring Angelus in alive," Wesley said putting his coat on.


"No, we're not," Connor said standing.


"I thought you said capturing him wasn't an option," Gunn said.

"I'm so out of the loop," Lexia said holding up a hand.


"Changed my mind," Wesley said simply.


"Change it back," Connor demanded.


"We get rid of Angelus, then what?" Wesley wanted to know. "We still have a beast we don't know how to kill. We know it's working for something much worse, but we don't know what it is. We're caught in the middle of a maelstrom, and we can't get out without our champion. We're gonna save Angel, and I know who we need to help us do it."

"Well it better be superman, coz that guy is mean," Lexia said rubbing her head that didn't hurt any more. Wesley frowned at her and walked out the door. "I was just sayin'," Lexia defended herself holding up her hands.