Note: I know, lots of talkie, talkie. I just felt that Wes and Connor needed to have a chat. I never understood on the show why they weren't closer. You'd think that Holtz would have played it up about Wes. I promise, we will get back to the action soon. There's just not as much in the sequel. Thanks and on with the show.
Chapter Ten -- Connor
"Connor?" Early the next morning, Wesley knocked on a door two down from he and Faith's. They had assigned the teenager a room yesterday after being released from the infirmary. Dawn's was at the other end of the hallway. Must have been Giles' choice. She'd probably spend all of her time in Connor's anyway.
"Hey," Dawn said as she opened the door.
"How are you?"
"Leg's still sore. I'll limp for a while. I got lots of sympathy from Xander."
Wesley bristled at the man's name. The events of yesterday were a great, big blur. "I'm sorry I haven't been here for you."
"Stop right there. Faith's right. You apologize way too much. It's OK, you know." Dawn invited him in. He heard the shower running behind the bathroom door. "He just got back from a run. A fifteen-mile run."
Since it was a little after eight, Connor must have gotten up quite early to accomplish that.
"He went with some of those military guys. Riley's friends. I think he needed it."
"Yes, I imagine he did. Has he spoken to you, about what I said yesterday?"
"Not much. Just been handholding. I know what it's like to lose a parent."
"Your mother?"
"Yeah. Buffy found her one day. She'd died from an aneurysm."
"I'm sorry. Must have been tough."
Dawn took one of his hands in hers. "Not as tough as having your father abandon you. My dad went to a conference and didn't come back to get me. That's why Buffy had to come."
"She's alive. The spell wouldn't have started otherwise."
"I know she is." Dawn sighed wearily. Buffy had done a great job with the girl. Now they needed to find her to tell her that.
Connor walked out of the bathroom wrapped only in a towel.
"Oh, hi Connor. Oh, I'll just be in my room if you need me," Dawn told him, flustered from Connor's lack of clothing.
"Hold on a sec. Let me throw something on." He headed back to the bathroom.
Dawn kissed Wesley on the cheek and waved goodbye. Connor came back out with a long-sleeve tee and jeans on. "Dawn left."
"Yes. She said she'd be in her room."
The two stood, awkward in each other's presence. Wesley didn't know what to tell the boy, other than the truth. Heartache didn't even begin to cover what the boy must be feeling.
"I wanted to apologize for yesterday. That was not how I wanted you to find out the particulars on your father's death."
Connor sat down on his unmade bed. He twisted his hands together to give them something to do. "I knew that he died, Wes. It came out the way it came out. Everybody heard. That's OK."
"Do you want to know what happened after you left?"
"He must have hated me in the end."
How did he tell the son that the father loved him more than life itself? That Angel would have given up everything for Connor to be happy.
"Connor, he loved you very much. No matter what you did."
"Did he care, after I left I mean?"
Wesley sat down in a chair next to the bed, to be on the same level as the boy. And he really was just a boy. Holtz hadn't taught him much other than to hunt and how to get revenge.
"We tried to find you. There were no leads, you see. It was like you had disappeared off the face of the planet."
"Kind of felt like that for a while. Had lots of time to think. Be by myself. So many people always telling me what to do. Holtz, Justine, Jasmine, Cordy, the evil one, even my dad to a certain extent. I realized I just wanted someone I could rely on, to not betray me. Someone I could trust."
The boy probably thought he couldn't trust Wesley. He had betrayed his only friends for the greater good, saving an innocent child. But as Faith told him less than 24 hours ago, he needed to get past that.
"I know that I'm not the best person for you to trust, but you can."
"The stories that my father, I mean Holtz used to tell about you. How you defied Angel and took me, giving me to him for safekeeping. He painted you like some mythical figure."
"Which you know isn't true."
"Yeah, the first time I saw you with that lawyer lady, I knew he'd been a tad over the top. But you did save me."
"From a false prophecy. It wasn't going to happen. They all made me believe it would happen." He should have known Angel would never kill his own son. Holtz and the others had led him along, knowing he'd believe.
"What were you going to do with me?"
Something that no one had ever asked him. They all had assumed first that he was handing the baby over to Holtz. Once his friends had figured out that wasn't the intent, no one had put the question to him.
"Hide out until I could figure out if the prophecy was indeed true or I could break it. I was going to take you to England. Had the false passport all ready. Before I could leave though, Justine caught up with me as I was leaving my apartment. She asked for my help, saying that Holtz had beaten her. I believed her, therefore putting you in danger. You were in my arms when she sliced my throat."
"She never told me any of that. Neither did Holtz."
"He wanted so desperately to punish Angel, it didn't matter who he took down in the process. But I should have trusted Angel. I should have gone to him with my translation of the prophecy. I never really apologized to him."
Connor shook his head no. "I'm not sure why you should have in the first place. The things that Angelus did."
"Your father was not that monster, Connor."
"I know. Took me a while to figure that out. Did he love Cordy?"
Wesley knew that he did. It wasn't the same as Buffy. But Cordelia was Angel's best friend. She knew him like the back of her hand. That's why when Cordy had rejected Wes for taking Connor, he had dropped into that pit of despair. She knew Wesley like the back of her hand too. And had known exactly why he had done it. But the not telling anyone part is what made her the angriest with him.
"Yes. I believe he did. She was his best friend, Connor. You'll remember that."
"I already figured that. Listen, I don't really want to hear any more specifics right now. He died trying to save her, and that's enough for me."
"Yes. He did. Because he would have had a hard time going on without her."
Just like he'd have a hard time going on without Faith now. Were they friends? He'd like to think they were. Did he know her that well like he knew Cordelia? It would take time.
"So, what do we do now?"
"I'm not going to speak for you."
"You're going back, aren't you? Since you're attached at the hip to Faith, it would be kind of hard not to. Figured out what's up with that yet?"
"No. And don't mention it to anyone. Warn Dawn about it."
"Don't worry. And Wes?" Wesley got up to leave. The boy didn't hate him. That was a good thing. "Thanks for saving my life."
"Need I remind you about Dawn. Both Xander and Giles see her as family."
Connor opened the door to let Wesley out.
"I can take Xander and the old man. Dawn and I care for each other."
"You should really finish those conversations in private. Someone might hear," Xander said as he stood in the hallway. "What are your intentions, boy?"
"I'll let you two work it out. I have enough challenges." Wesley started to walk away.
"I'm holding you responsible for anything this boy does to Dawnie," Xander called to Wesley.
"She's not a child, Xander," Wesley told him.
"She is to me. I'm her family."
"As I am Connor's." Wesley looked at Connor to see if the declaration was acceptable.
"I am not a child, Xander." Dawn had entered the hallway too. "I turned eighteen last week or have you forgotten."
The girl had turned eighteen and no one knew. Now Wesley felt bad. "Congratulations Dawn."
"It's OK. Considering I almost blew you up that day, it was good to forget."
Wesley's eighteenth birthday consisted of a card from his mother and a full load of classes at University. Dawn had been with people who cared about her.
"So, I'm holding you all to a party after this is through. Got it?"
All three men shook their heads because they knew Dawn meant what she said.
"Not every day a girl turns eighteen. Congrats, brat." Faith had come out of her room, ready for a fight to break out. "And I just wanted to make sure no one got hurt."
"We have an understanding, Faith. It's cool," Xander informed her.
"Just as long as it doesn't involve violence," Faith answered back to the three. Connor snickered. "And I believe I missed something. Remember one thing, guys."
"What?" the three answered in unison.
"I will take each of you down piece by piece if you're lying to me."
Both Connor and Xander looked at her and shook their heads yes. Wesley just laughed.
"Hey, you laugh now, watcher."
"Time to plan an invasion," Wesley told them.
"A very sneaky one. I am so not up to riding in a car with the three of you again." Dawn looked to each of them.
"And who said you were going?" Faith said.
"Faith, very funny. Let's go." Dawn waved for them to follow her.
"Should we call her the General now?" Xander shivered at the thought.
"What? That's what I call her," Connor added.
"I heard that." Connor rushed ahead to catch up with her.
"She's not going guys. I'm putting my foot down." Xander stomped his foot for effect.
"I'm not her guardian. Talk to Giles."
"Good punt Wes. Whom'd you learn that from?"
"Angel of course. He was so good at getting me to do the dirty work."
"Which was?"
"Every time Cordelia became mad at him. Which was quite often."
Xander chuckled. "Oh God, could I tell you some stories."
TBC
