CHAPTER SEVEN

"Giles, I'll send someone was soon as I can to check on Andr-ooow! Kate!" Angel looked over his shoulder as the former cop dressed the wound from his impaling. Spike, sprawled on a chair in Gunn's office, snickered at his discomfort. "Sorry, Giles, Kate's fixing up me and Spike...he got shot. I got impaled...yes, the thieves are determined....do you know where Andrew was staying. He didn't tell us. He doesn't think we need to be cooperating. He should have brought the damn thing back here instead of haring off with it." Angel nodded as Giles gave him Andrew's address. "Sorry, it took so long for you to get through to us. It's crazy here. We've had shoot outs and three people fell out of the window including Andrew. Are you sure that's what Andrew said, Connor was breaking down the door? Okay, I'll send Kate and Wes to check it out. The sun's still up here. Okay, Giles. We'll let you know as soon as we know something."

"What happened?" Kate asked as she finished the bandaging.

"Andrew called Giles to tell him that he had the Alatyr. In the middle of the conversation Giles heard someone kicking in the door and Andrew said it was Connor. The phone went dead. Andrew's supposed to be working with Wes so it would be good to take him with and make sure Andrew's okay," Angel replied.

"I'll go get Wes," she said. "But why didn't he just bring the Alatyr back in here?"

"He wants to play the hero," Spike offered. "He always has. He needs to prove himself. I hope the bloody prat hasn't gotten himself killed."

"He probably wouldn't have survived the fall if the thieves intended to kill him," Kate said. "He should be okay unless he really tried to play the hero and forced their hand."

"That's what I'm thinking but go in prepared for anything," Angel said.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Kate said and headed out the door.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this." Spike got up slowly.

"Because you haven't forgotten about Ethan and the Jesked demon," Angel said. "I'm going to lay down for a while. I don't feel so good."

"Tell me about it," Spike groaned. "Let me sack out on the couch in your place."

"No."

"Come on, it's not like I snore. I don't want to go back to my place and get a call five minutes after I get there to saddle up and ride out," Spike moaned.

Angel figured it was just easier to give in. "Fine."

They rode up to the suite together.

"That was pretty intense," Spike said. "If he didn't survive the whole sunlight thing, I'd swear the scrawny runt was a vampire. Bet you're sorry you didn't keep that kid around now."

"You have no idea." Angel didn't want to talk about it and hoped Spike would just shut up. He got his wish. Spike eased his bullet-riddled body down onto the couch.

Angel flopped on the bed. Having only caught snatches of sleep since the whole thing began, Angel was out almost instantly. He knew he hadn't been asleep long when the phone rang but at least it was sun down. "Yeah," he muttered then sat up. "Damn, Spike and I will be...no, Spike will join you and Wes. I'll go to Malibu with Gunn and see if we can catch them at home."

Angel rang off and went to wake Spike. The vampire's blue eyes were trained on him, obviously having been awakened by the phone.

"He's dead, isn't he?" Spike sounded honestly regretful.

Angel nodded. "His skull was crushed."

"Damn, I don't get that." Spike stamped on the floor. "Wes said they went through the effort of getting a good hold on Andrew and kept him from dying. Why kill him now? Andrew wasn't a physical threat to them."

Angel shook his head. "I'm not convinced it was them. Kate wants you to join her and Wes."

"Okay. I heard you tell her you're going to Malibu."

Angel ran a hand through his messy hair. "The Alatyr is missing. You can tell better than Kate and Wes if Ethan and his partner were there. Gunn and I will make sure it wasn't Gwen and Connor."

"I'll call you if we find anything. Want me to call Rupert?" Spike offered.

"Why don't you." Angel was relieved to not to have to tell Giles the young man had been murdered. "I'll go get Gunn. Tell Giles that I'll call if I find out anything else he needs to know."

"Will do."

"Wish the ladies would just call us," Connor grumped as Gwen put a fresh bag of ice on his ankle. Wearing nothing but a pair of khaki shorts, he stretched out on the modular couch in the game room. The leather couch in the living room was poorly suited to wound tending. One of his favorite movies, Star Wars, was playing on the big screen tv. There wasn't a part of his body that didn't hurt but his ankle was the worst. It looked like a balloon with Angel's fingerprints on the tanned skin in long black bruises. "Come on, babe, sit. You have a concussion. I can get my own damn ice if I need it."

Gwen sat with him and peeled the gauze off his gun shot wound. "You've already taken care of my head and back. It's your turn. This doesn't look too bad." She squirted a blob of neosporin on his wound and covered it with fresh gauze. She got up and went to the bar and washed her hands. "The ladies will call when they get the tracking spell."

"I'm more concerned about them giving us a spell to revoke the vampires' invite," Connor said, casting a wary eye at the sliding glass doors a few feet behind the couch which led to the pool area. "At least the buyer is going to give us another chance to get the Alatyr."

"That's a good thing." Gwen looked up from the bar as she took a bag of popcorn out of the microwave and emptied it into a bowl. She took two rootbeers out of the bar fridge and four doggie treats out of a jar labeled Hominis Lupus. She had to dodge the four Wolfhounds who had been miraculously awakened by the ding of the microwave. She nestled up with her husband, tossing each dog a treat to get their minds off the popcorn. "How many times can you watch this?"

"Han is cool," he said. "Want me to put in Pirates of the Carribean?"

"You like Keira better in King Arthur or should I say you like her costume better." Gwen grinned.

He kissed her shoulder. "What I liked best was you wearing that leather costume for Halloween."

Gwen laughed. "Yes, I know. You made me wear it how many times after that?"

"When we heal up maybe you can wear it again." He smiled hopefully.

"It's not very comfortable." She played with the line of fuzz on his belly. "Maybe you should wear it."

"Now that's a scary image." Connor shuddered and Gwen shoved some popcorn in his mouth.

They settled in for a while then sat up in unison looking over the back of the couch, hearing the sliding glass door opening. Belatedly, the dogs started barking but by then Angel and Gunn were inside. Gunn had a pistol out.

"Guess we should have set the alarm," Connor muttered.

"Making sure you weren't bleeding to death was a bigger concern," Gwen said, neither of them looking too worried that a gun was being pointed at them.

"See, the three nut jobs really needed to get us that revoke the vampire invite spell fast," Connor said, then turned his attention back to the intruders. "What do you two want?"

"Are you trying to be funny? You really have balls asking us that after what you two have done to Wolfram and Hart lately," Gunn said. "Why don't you call off your dogs?"

"Why don't you get the hell out of my house," Connor replied.

"And the funny keeps going," Angel muttered, looking at the dogs who were still standing between their owners and the intruders.

"You're not going to shoot us, Gunn," Gwen said, getting up. "Would you like something to drink?"

Gunn's jaw dropped. "Do you think this is a social call, Gwen?"

"No, generally our friends don't come calling with guns. They usually bring expensive wines and or top notch take out," she replied. "Soda? Mixed drink? Beer?"

"I don't believe this." Gunn's gun arm wavered a bit, as he glanced over to Angel as if the vampire had a clue as to why the pair of thieves weren't more impressed.

"Just put the gun away. It's not like you're going to use it." Connor got up gingerly.

"You look like hell," Angel said, looking more upset than Connor would have expected from an enemy.

"Well, I've been shot, run over, had to jump out of that building twice and you tried to pull off my foot," Connor said, heading their way. "So, do you want to get the hell out now or have a drink and tell us why you're here guns drawn? You got the Alatyr back."

"No, we don't," Gunn said, holstering the gun, obviously figuring it was having no effect.

Connor's brow winkled. "Yes, you do or wasn't the little idiot who nearly got us all killed going out the window working with you?"

"He wasn't and he doesn't have the Alatyr any more," Angel said and Connor sensed he was keeping something back.

"Well, we don't have it. So, the gun's away, do you want that drink now?" Connor gestured at the bar.

Angel's shoulder's hunched. " No, I saw how the bar railing got messed up. I don't want anything from there."

"Oh, that's the place where..." Gunn's eyes widened. "That story just got a little less exciting."

Gwen scowled. "I think they want to leave now, Connor."

"Yeah. Those dogs don't get to weigh over a hundred pounds eating dog chow. They'll eat you on my say so." Connor pointed at his dogs, which looked far more likely to lick someone to death.

Angel gave him a critical look. "Those dogs weigh more than you, don't they?"

Connor crossed his arms defensively over his bare chest. "No."

"Uh-huh, look skinny ass, we aren't here for no drinks. We want what's ours," Gunn said, taking a few steps forward.

"I don't have the damn Alatyr," Connor snapped. "And I'm wiry."

Gunn snorted. "We're not leaving without it."

"Better have that drink then since you'll be here a while," Gwen replied, coming over to her husband. "You can check if it makes you feel better."

"Like you'd show us." Gunn's fingers inched back toward his gun as Connor got in his face, moving a dog to do it.

"If you want your stone, go talk the guy who took it." Connor shoved Gunn so hard he tumbled back out the sliding glass door.

Angel lunged for him but Connor went out the door. Gwen caught Angel's arm.

"Don't make me shock you, Angel. I know it won't kill you but I also know it doesn't feel good. Why don't you just go out and see that Connor didn't break your friend's ribs by accident. He forgets his own strength."

"Is that what happened today?" Angel asked, going out to help Gunn to his feet.

Connor flipped on the backyard lights, illuminating the infinity pool, spa, outside bar, pool house and the path to the beach. In spite of himself, Gunn whistled. "What are you talking about? I did everything I could not to hurt the living today. You were the ones with my wife tied up, letting her bleed all over."

"Andrew, the one who took the Alatyr, did you forget your strength with him after he got away with the omphalos," Angel said.

Connor shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Someone crushed his skull in and took the stone," Gunn said. "He was on the phone with someone and told him you were breaking down the door. Why did you have to kill him?"

Connor took a few steps back, closer to the pool. "I didn't kill anyone."

"Know anyone else who can put a fist through someone's skull?" Gunn asked.

"Your buddy there for one." Connor nodded at Angel. "Or any of the other vampires Wolfram and Hart has on staff."

"It wasn't me."

"Well, it wasn't Connor," Gwen said. "We took a cab to the mall, stole a car there and came home. Connor dropped me a mile from home. I got our car and picked him up from where he ditched the car. Check the police reports, you'll probably see the stolen car report. We didn't have time to go anywhere and kill anyone. We're still waiting for a way to track the Alatyr."

"You want the clothes I had on? The only blood evidence on them would be from me and Gwen." Connor said.

Gunn looked over at Angel. "Don't think he'd offer that if he did it."

Angel wagged his head. "I told you from the get go I didn't think they had."

"So you busted into my house at gun point for nothing?" Connor growled.

"We had to be sure." Angel shrugged.

"I wish I didn't have a concussion. I could use a beer at this point," Gwen groaned.

"Screw it, I'm getting one," Connor said. "And you two can get the fuck off my property. I don't have your damn stone."

"You're still planning on stealing it back," Gunn said. "We can't have that."

"Not if it has a body attached to it. Our buyer can find someone else," Connor said as a cell phone jangled.

Angel fished it out of his pocket. "Yeah, Kate? Spike thinks it was the demon? Okay, I'm pretty convinced it wasn't Gwen or Connor. Have Wes see if he can track the Alatyr...what do you mean he went back to the firm? What spell? He found files in Lilah's old archives about Connor? Damn it, Kate what did he find?"

"They have files on me?" Connor asked, intrigued by the panic in the vampire's voice. "Damn, my parents only took me there once years ago."

"Kate, there is no need for Wes to break any spells centered on Connor," Angel said frantically. "I don't give a damn that it'll put Connor back to normal. It's not what Wes thinks. Connor's abilities don't come from a spell. Casting a spell he got from Lilah's files to undo magic around Connor isn't going to make him less dangerous to Wolfram and Hart. It might make it worse. Go stop him, Kate." Angel rang off and placed a call himself.

"What the hell is going on? I'm not under a spell," Connor said, staring at Angel angrily.

"Come on, Wes, pick up. No, damn it, not voice mail." Angel's voice was tight. "Wes, if you get this, do not cast that spell. Call me first."

"You'd better start explaining," Connor said. "My parents took me to Wolfram and Hart because someone ran me down with a van and the van lost. I'm not under a spell. I want to know what kind of files you..." Connor broke off, his mouth gaping open as he slammed a palm against his forehead as if in severe pain. A thin, papery wail trickled out of him as his body stiffened. Gunn groaned, dropping to his knees, holding his head.

"Angel, what's happening?" Gwen ran for her lover.

"Wes cast the spell," Angel said, defeated.

"Connor, baby, what's wrong? Angel, what did you do to him?" Gwen reached for Connor who was thrashing now, mouth open but no sound issuing out any more.

He stumbled backwards and toppled into the pool. Gwen and Angel ran to the lip. Connor sank to the bottom with no signs of trying to save himself. Angel jumped in, sinking like a stone. He grabbed Connor and fought to bring him to the surface. When they broke back into air, Connor sputtered and coughed. Finally he pushed away from Angel and caught the lip of the pool, heaving himself onto land. He lay there shaking. Gwen fell at his side, stroking his back.

"Connor, sweetie, talk to me."

"It's all a lie," Connor rasped out. "Oh god, it's all a lie."

"Angel, what did you do?" Gunn asked, getting to his feet. "What did you do?"

"What I had to." Angel knelt beside Connor, reaching for him. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to do it but it was...how can I explain it? What do you remember?"

"Everything." Connor quailed away from Angel's questing hand. "Don't touch me."

"Someone please start explaining," Gwen said, pushing Angel's hand away from Connor.

"Angel, he was your son. What did you do to him?" Gunn asked.

"Your what?" Gwen fell back onto her butt. "I...I remember now you talking about having one but I never saw him. I...how can this be true?"

"I didn't mean to mess with your mind, Gunn." Angel looked up at him. "There was no other way. You remember Jasmine."

"Hell Goddess, you kicked her ass." Gunn said then his face screwed up. "That isn't right. I remembered it all wrong."

"Exactly. Connor killed her because he had to but you couldn't handle that, son. Do you remember?"

Connor nodded, his whole body trembling.

"Connor's mind went, Gunn. He was going to kill Cordelia and a mall full of people if I didn't kill him first. It was what he wanted. Instead, I had Wolfram and Hart remove him from everyone's memory and give him a good life, with normal parents who loved him instead of being raised in hell by a fanatic and given back to a father who's a monster." Angel caught his breath, wiping his cheeks, tears or pool water no one knew. "I know it's a lie, Connor. I know you told me you can't save anyone with a lie but I tried anyhow. And I thought it worked."

"Hell yeah it worked, he's living in a mansion in Malibu," Gunn muttered.

"This isn't what I had in mind," Angel snapped. "That's why I turned away your parents that time. I was afraid if they investigated they'd find out you weren't theirs, that the truth would come out and it would drive you insane again."

Connor sat up. "I can't...I can't...I need to get inside." He struggled to his feet.

Angel stood, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Let me go with you and explain."

"No, no chlorine water on the floor," Connor said.

"Connor, it hardly matters," Gwen said.

"No." Connor headed for the pool house, struggling out of his wet shorts.

"I think he's in shock," Gwen said, heading inside. She came back with some clothing and took them to the pool house where Connor was showering. Gunn and Angel waited outside. Connor came out naked except for his towel. He took his clothing from his wife.

"I don't have any clothes to change into," Angel said. "I can't go inside like this and I would like to come inside if you want me to. Do you have something I could borrow and we could still talk this out."

"I'd like to see you get into my pants," Connor said then shuddered. "Should have phrased that better. Inside the pool house, there's a set of clothes. Our friend, Ron left them the last time he was here. They'll fit. Shower. It'll give me time..." Connor wandered off, heading for the house.

"I'll go with him," Gwen said and Gunn followed them.

Connor flopped on the couch and absently started eating the forgotten popcorn. No one said anything for a few moments

"I'm sorry, kid, I didn't know," Gunn said.

Connor shook his head but didn't speak.

Angel came in quickly. "I left my clothes in the pool house but this..." He gestured at his clothing.

Gunn started laughing. "Sorry, man. I....." He broke down into a laughing jag.

Connor made a sound that could have been a laugh or a sob that dissolved into pure laughter.

Angel looked at his clothing, a shirt in rainbow 60's mod swirling circles and black shorts with tropical orchids, cocktails and drink recipes on it. "I could die."

"I'm sorry." Connor wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I've never seen anything so funny. God, I didn't need this on top of the mind trip."

"You were never meant to find out, Connor. You were supposed to have a good life and never have to see me again. I should have known fate would find a way to screw us over," Angel said crossing the room and sat on part of the modular couch.

"I remember wanting to die." Connor bit his bottom lip. "I'm glad I didn't. I don't know how to feel about all this. I'm kinda numb."

"I'm sure. I don't expect...Connor, I don't expect things to change. You have your life now. I'm not a part of that. I'm not going to try and get back into it, even if I'm not particularly happy with you being a thief," Angel said.

"What if he wants you to be a part of it?" Gwen asked, draping a protective arm around Connor.

"That would be different," Angel said. "You two really are married? That wasn't just a bluff?"

"No bluff," Gwen assured him.

"The spell ending doesn't change how I feel about her." Connor looked into her eyes, hoping she knew he meant that. "I don't know what I want, you in my life or gone. I'm not even sure if I'm angry at you for this or grateful. Tell me, what about Cordelia? Did she ever come out of the coma?"

"You knew Cordelia?" Gwen asked a hint of distaste in her voice.

"She meant something to me once," Connor said, studying his wife's face, seeing something there that said there would be a need for explanations later. "It's a long story and it might not be one you'd like any more than I want to know about you, Gunn and Lisa."

Gwen nodded. "Understood."

"I'm sorry, son. Cordelia...her spirit saved my life a few months after she went into the coma. She said goodbye to me, for me to tell the others." Angel's voice broke.

"She died?" Connor's lips trembled and Gwen squeezed his hand comfortingly.

"I'm sorry."

"What about Fred? I didn't see her any of the times we broke into Wolfram and Hart," Connor said.

Gunn's eyes saddened. "She's gone, too, killed by a demon who took over her body. It's another long story."

Connor gnawed his lip again. "I'm sorry. She was nice to me mostly. I wasn't easy to be nice too."

"Glad you know that now," Gunn said. "Guess you've grown up."

"Yeah, and we still have a problem, someone murdered your friend and stole the Alatyr," Connor said. "We can deal with the rest of this later when we've had time to think...feel..." He leaned against Gwen.

"The Alatyr is our problem," Angel said. "And Andrew wasn't exactly our friend, more of a friend of a friend. He originally came to take the Alatyr away, too. But the thing is, we need it back. It belongs under the world tree."

"Yeah, on Booyan Island...so that's real. I was afraid of that," Connor said, a stricken look in his blue eyes.

"He's been moaning about it ever since we took the job," Gwen said.

"The world is only going to get sicker unless we take the Alatyr back," Angel said.

"Let us help you," Connor said. "If we play it right, we can get it back and throw a few people off the trail and get it back where it belongs. I know you aren't going to trust me and Gwen but we can help."

"I think that can be arranged. We'd better get back to Wolfram and Hart, though. Wes is going to have questions about this whole spell thing," Gunn said.

"We can work on a plan there...and if Spike says one thing about this outfit, I'm going to stake him," Angel said.

Gunn's eyes lit up."Promise?"