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 10:


Connor was upstairs practicing sword-fighting on the balcony. He looked down to see Lexia sharpening an axe and Gunn loading his crossbow. Lexia hadn't said much to him since she's been back. He only knew that she had supposedly fought Angelus. Then why did she look as if she's just been to a spa?


"Oh, relax, boys- and er, girl. The spell's working. And I still got the slight migraine to prove it," Lorne said waving a hand.


"Yeah, maybe so, but if Angelus shows up, I wanna be ready," Gunn told him.


"We are..." Wesley said walking into the lobby with a woman with longish brown hair. "Now."


"Suh-weet crib," she said looking around the hotel.


"Everyone, this is Faith, the vampire slayer," Wesley introduced her.


"Hello, Faith, I'm—," Fred said stepping forward.


"Fred," Faith interrupted. "Yeah, Wes kinda gave me the skinny on you."


"Oh," Fred said looking down.


"Faith?" Cordelia asked walking down the stairs into the lobby. "What the hell is she doing here?"


"Nice to see you too, Cor," Faith said with a wave.

"At least I'm not the only one she doesn't like," Connor heard Lexia mutter.


"She's here to help," Wesley said.


"Oh, gee, that's great," Cordelia said sarcastically. "Oh, wait a sec. Wasn't she convicted of murder and sent to a state correctional facility for like a gazillion years?"


Faith smirked. "Murder 2, 25 to life, for the record."


"So now you brought psycho slayer out of retirement to kill Angelus?" Cordelia asked Wesley.


"Cordelia, you have every right to feel that way about me," Faith said walking up to her. "You have no reason to trust me, but I don't have loads of time, so why don't we save it until after this is over. Cool?" Faith clapped her hands and looked away. "OK, let's get down to it. We're gonna keep this hunting party tight. Gunn, right?"


"Yeah."


"Love the name," Faith said appreciatively. "I hear you're a good fighter."


"I hold my own," he said with a shrug.


"That's a shame. You're with me, Wes, and the kid."


"The kid has a name," Connor jumped in defensively.


Faith turned to him. "Connor. Arm yourself how you like, but I want you to carry the tranq gun. If I can't take him down, I want you to be ready to take the shot, yeah? In case anyone has any other ideas, this is a salvage mission, not search and destroy, OK?"


"No. Not OK," Connor jumped in. "You think you can just breeze in here, telling everyone what to do? You're not a part of this. If you think I'm not gonna kill Angelus if he comes at me, then—."


"Listen up, junior," Faith said getting up in his face. "When I need a blood hound, I'll call you. If Angelus needs putting down, I'll be the one to do it, not you. So... is there anything else you're not OK with? Good. Show me the weapons." Faith walked away from Connor.

Connor looked after her in surprise. Lexia then walked up to him her arms crossed. Connor raised an eyebrow at her.

"One of these days, you're gonna say the wrong thing to someone and they're gonna whip your ass," she told him. "So my suggestion is keep acting the way you are. Coz I think you need it and I'm sure she-," Lexia pointed to faith. "-wouldn't mind doing it."

Lexia smirked and walked away. Well, I'm glad she finds this so funny, Connor thought sourly. Then he looked over at Cordelia who was watching Faith. Then tension with these 3 were almost too much for Connor. Woman were complicated.

+ + +

Connor walked side by side with Faith as they searched for Angelus. Connor could smell the trail, which is mostly why Faith had wanted him to go along. Connor didn't care though because this gave him a chance to get Angelus. Despite what Faith and Wesley said about saving him. Connor looked over at her.


"So, vampire slayers. I was told about them. How come you're always girls?"


"I dunno. Better at it, I guess," she mused.


"You haven't seen what I can do," he told her.


"Let's not."


"He was here," Connor said as they came up to a chain link fence. " Just."

Connor went through the opening and the others followed.

"Eyes and ears peeled," Faith advised. "Watch the periph. Hey, nobody make a move until I—."

A vampire jumped out in front of them. Connor quickly swung his sword and cut off it's head. As it dusted Faith pushed him into a dumpster angrily


"You deficient?" she asked. "What did I just say?"


"He was attacking!" Connor said defensively.


"You thought it was Angelus," Faith said letting him go. "You can't listen, you're no good to me." she looked to Gunn and Wesley. "Get him out of here. Someone take him back to the hotel."


"What?" Connor asked in surprise.


"Yeah, easier said," Gunn said. "The kid's got a history of not doing what he's told."


Faith nodded and glared at Connor. "He'll do what I tell him."


"Yeah, sure I will," Connor said sarcastically and started to walk off.

Faith grabbed him and pushed him against the dumpster again. Connor pushed her hands away and tried to go past her but she did it again.

"I get it. You're a super-being," she said.

Connor pushed Faith and she slapped his hand away and pushed him again. Connor swung at her and she blocked and slapped his other hand away. The she pushed him again and pointed the crossbow at his neck.


"Are you a murderer? 'Cause I am," she spit at him. "If it comes down to you or Angelus, you haven't shown me a thing to make me want to take your side."

Realizing she had him beat Connor raised his hands and backed away. He picked up his sword and walked away. He hated to admit it, but Lexia was right.

+ + +

Lexia sat outside in the garden with the axe she had sharpened earlier. She looked up to the sky and saw the ring of light where the sun should be. Then she looked around at all the plants and saw that there were a few that had begun to wither. Even the jasmine would die if the sun didn't warm it in the day. Lexia hoped Faith was as good as Wesley mad her out to be.


She heard the door open and knew it was Lorne coming outside. Lexia looked up at the sky again. "Do you think she'll do it?" she asked.


"Well, the girls got the motivation," Lorne mused coming to sit beside her. "She wants to do what she can to save Angel."


"He's done a lot for her," Lexia said, more for confirmation that just stating.


"Oh I'll say," Lorne said. "Had a little tumble with his blondie love for her. Hid her from the police and all kinds of things."


"Gee, what a good guy," Lexia joked.


"He is really. I know you're apprehensive of old Angel-face now coz of the rough n' tumble with Angelus-."


"It wasn't him," Lexia said quickly. "I know that. Angel's done a lot for me too, so I'm not all on the bandwagon to kill him or anything."


"You're also hoping things will go back to normal if Angel's back. Like, Connor hopefully won't be Cordy's lil love pup anymore."


"I was-," Lexia started defensively.


"Oh, honey please," Lorne interrupted. "My more perceptive powers may be on the cablowie but I know hope and love when I see it. You still love that boy. And he loves you. But you're both so damn proud you can't get over insulting each other for 5 minutes to kiss and make up."


"Oh well I'm sure he could just go kiss somebody else," Lexia said crossing her arms.


"What happened with him and Cordy was out of desperation. They thought they were going to die. Sometimes people just need the feel of another for comfort," Lorne said patting her arm. "I'm sure Connor had really wanted to be with you."


"Then why didn't he know I was coming to save him?" Lexia demanded, emotion rising in her voice. "Why couldn't he wait for me?"


"I don't know honey. Only he knows that."


Lexia looked at the green demon in surprise. He was right. Lexia had never given Connor a chance to explain himself. She would never know how Connor truly felt until she did. Lexia felt tears come into her eyes as she looked at the sky again. To her surprise she saw a stream of yellow light in the sky.


"Oh my god," she breathed standing.


Lorne looked up as well. The light hit the darkened sun, clearing the blackness that obstructed it light. Soon it was gone, and they sun shined over the city.


"She did it," Lorne said standing as well. "The Best is gone."


+ + +



Connor looked up at sky and smiled. The sun was now streaming down, warming his face. Faith had done it. She killed the Beast.


Gunn and Connor headed into the garden of the hotel. Lorne, Fred, and Lexia were there looking up at the sky. Connor noticed tears on Lexia face, despite the look of happiness.


"Ooh-oo," Gunn said as they neared. "Check it out. We got sun."


"Well, ding dong, the Beast is dead," Lorne said.


"I've never seen anything so beautiful in all my life," Fred breathed. "Where are the others?"


"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Lorne said to Gunn. "Let's hear the war stories. How'd you bring that monster down?"


"Well, it wasn't us," Gunn said. "Not Connor and me, anyway. We—."

"It was Faith," Lexia cut in.


"She must've fought it," Connor said. "The Beast must've attacked her, and she must— It's gotta be. Hey, where's Cordy? Does she know?"


"She's up in her room," Fred told him.

Connor ran up the steps past Lorne and Lexia. He saw Lexia turn like she was going to say something to him but he walked on. He didn't want to hear her snide comments right now. He ran up the stairs and into Cordelia's room. She was looking out the window, her arms crossed.


"Hey!" Connor said closing the door behind him. "Isn't it incredible?"


"It's...wonderful," Cordelia said sounding preoccupied.


"She did it," Connor said still feeling amazed. "Faith. She's... amazing."


"Connor—," Cordelia began.


"I mean, I had no idea what a slayer could do..." Connor thought out loud. Actually it reminded him a lot of Lexia...


"A weakness for slayers? You're definitely his son," Cordelia turned and walked up to him. Connor, we need— There's something you need to, um—," Cordelia sat on the bed and he sat beside her. "I don't know how— Well, I know how, but, uh..."


"What? What is it?" Connor asked worried.


"We're having a baby," Cordelia said smiling.

Connor knew he must looked shocked. He felt shocked. His heart began to pound and he couldn't make himself say anything. Oh, god. What will Lexia say?, he wondered.

Cordelia lifted her shirt to reveal her swollen stomach. "Touch it," she said picking up his hand and drawing it to her belly.


"This— it's impossible. I— How could—?" Connor wondered.


"All I know is there's a life growing inside of me, and it's ours. We're connected now," Cordelia touched his face and kissed him gently. "You and me. Forever."

Cordelia kissed him again, more passionately. Connor didn't know whether to be happy, or cry, or even scream. When Cordelia pulled him back onto the bed he let her, not knowing how else to handle things, wishing the girl telling him all this was Lexia. It wasn't thought. Never would be. And now he had someone else.

+ + +

Lexia walked upstairs to her room. Everyone was already getting busy with the looking for Angelus, and Lexia felt she needed a rest. She walked past Cordelia's room and heard a noise. A kind of moan. Frowning Lexia took a step closer, and smelled a familiar smell. The same smell she smelt the night she and Angel found Cordelia and Connor together. The smell of them having sex.

Lexia bit her lip and walked on. Now she felt like she wanted to hurl. Maybe she would do just that. Right on something nice and pretty of that whore's... She went into her room and looked at the wall. Feeling the anger and pain of the past few days well up she punched the wall so hard the plaster and dry wall caved in and left a whole where her fist had been.

"That didn't help," Lexia complained and went to lay on her bed.

+ + +

Later that night Connor laid behind Cordelia on her bed, and stroked her hair. Wesley had called and told them what happened with Faith. She was pretty badly beaten but she would be fine. The strange thing was Angelus had killed the Beast. Not Faith.


"You sure Faith's all right?" Cordelia asked him.


"Yeah, when Wesley called, he said she was hurt pretty bad, but she's a slayer. They're really strong, right?"


"For a human. God, I can't believe Angelus killed the Beast," Cordelia said confused.


"He fought dirty," Connor told her.


"Maybe this means we did the right thing, bringing Angelus back."


"Right," Connor said sitting up. "He's a real hero."


Cordelia sat up as well and looked into his eyes. "Connor, Angelus cannot fight his true nature. It's who he is. But by killing the Beast, he's made the world a little safer...for our family. You didn't have that the first time around, but now you will."


"I won't ever let anything hurt you—either of you," Connor promised. He would not let anything happen to his family.


"I know you won't," Cordelia said touching his face. "But just remember, this is ours. Nobody else needs to know how lucky we are."


"Are you ashamed of me?"


"What? No."


"Then why don't you want to tell 'em?" Connor asked feeling defensive.


"Because they wouldn't understand. Our baby is growing so fast, it would scare them. And that fear might make them want to kill it, like they wanted to kill you. But trust me, Connor. It won't be too long. They're all gonna know what's growing inside of me," Cordelia promised rubbing her stomach.

Connor smiled at her. He felt truly happy now. Despite the fact that Angelus was out there somewhere, he had a family. It may not have been what he wanted in the beginning, but he was given a gift. And he would never let it go.

+ + +

Lexia was downstairs as Gunn handed Fred, Lorn, and her tanq guns. They now would all have weapons since Angelus was on the loose. Even though there was the sanctuary spell, they still had to get Angelus alive.


"Meet your new best friend," Gunn was saying. "If super-bad shows up, the sanctuary spell should keep us safe, but—."


"But?" Fred interrupted. "There's always a "but." When this is over, can we have a big "but" moratorium?"


Lorne frowned at his tranq gun. "Did I mention that the only shots I'm good at involve Tequila?"

"Well get a little salt and maybe it'll taste the same," Lexia said sliding the last dart into her catriage.


"You don't think Angelus is planning a repeat performance, do you? I—I mean, he's gotta know we'd be prepared," Fred said.


"Doesn't mean we drop our guard," Gunn told her. "If he pops a fang in here, thwack him where it hurts."


"Yeah, good night not-so-sweet prince," Lorne agreed.


"I'm gonna recheck downstairs," Gunn said heading that way. "Make sure he can't creep in through any of the sewer tunnels."


"Yeah, if Lilah managed to break and enter—," suddenly Fred let out a little yelp and spun around to draw her gun on Connor.


"Thought you were more of a Taser girl," Connor joked as Lexia looked up. Her teeth clenched and she looked away. She really didn't want him to be here right now.


"Sorry, I..." Fred was saying.


"How's Cordy?" Gunn asked.


"You know," Connor shrugged. "Tired, I guess."

"Maybe I should stop up and che—," Fred started toward the stairs.


"No," Connor hurriedly stopped Fred. "She doesn't want to see anyone yet. She just wanted some... soup. Really hot soup."

"Well, yeah. Why would she need anyone else checking on her when she's got you to run and do all her bidding," Lexia grumbled as Connor headed to the kitchen. If he heard her he pretended no to.


"Odd bird. And getting birdier," Lorne commented.


"You don't think he and Cordy are still..." Fred wondered aloud.

"I would guarantee it," Lexia said and headed to the garden entrance. "I'm going to check the perimeter."

Lexia got outside and gulped for air. Just being in the same room with Connor was hard for her to bare. How could she put up with much more of this?

+ + +

Connor came out of the kitchen empty handed. After hearing what Lexia had said Connor totally forgot what kind of soup Cordelia had wanted. He was going to go back and ask when he heard Fred talking to someone in the office. Someone that sounded like Angelus.

"I'll take these," he was saying. "And this. Thanks for nothing."


"I do know one thing," Fred said." You're out of your league. What you're up against—he'll make you its bitch just like the Beast. So, if you're gonna kill me, get it over with...Made in China?"

Connor saw Fred smash a glass pitcher over Angelus's head, then grab her tranq gun. She shoot at Angelus, but he ducked and the dart went into the wall behind him. He rolled on the floor toward the door and ran out of the office, Fred chasing after. Neither of them noticed Connor. Angelus ran past Lorne, and jumped up to the balcony. Connor ran up the other staircase to meet him at the top.


"Lorne!" Fred cried.

Looking Connor saw she had tried to shoot Angelus but got Lorne instead. Fred shot at Angelus again but he blocked it with the book he'd taken from her.


"Can't beat a good book," Angelus said pulling the dart out. Fred pulled the trigger again but the gun just clicked. "Too bad. I was just starting to have fun."


"Why stop now?" Connor asked now right next to Angelus. He lunged at Angelus but a force field stopped him. The force pushed him back, right over the balcony rail.

"Connor!" Fred yelled going over to where he landed on the lobby floor.

"Well, isn't that interesting," Angelus said smirking down at Connor.