I don't own BTVS or AtS, but if I did I would put out more than one episode
per week. (Says the girl who can, no longer get more than one chapter out a
week.) I don't own the characters in this story, but if I did I would make
them all make out, constantly. (Preferably with me, of course.) Okay, Joss
Whedon is a genius and I am an intergalactic scum monkey... Don't ask.
Anyway, I suppose I should be getting...
On with the show.
::Stuff and Nonsense- Nobody's Child::
"Stop it." Lorne scrunched up his nose, in half sleep, and batted at whatever was tickling his face. The thing hit back, and Lorne jumped up, with a start. "What the..." Lorne looked down at his feet and sighed, with relief. "What are you doing here, booger bear?"
"Okay, that nickname is slightly disturbing." Doyle said, with a chuckle. He has just walked into the rook, from the kitchen. He had a small snack cake in hand, which he stuffed in his mouth and devoured instantly. "Is that Skittles?" He asked around a mouthful of crumbs.
Lorne nodded and picked the kitten up, cradling it against his chest. "Well, how did you find your way here?" Lorne gave Doyle a look that told him that he was the one being questioned.
The half demon smirked and shrugged, while wiping the remains of his snack off of his chin. "You were asleep and Fred was reading a book, in the kitchen. I didn't want to disturb either one of you. Cordelia is taking a bath, and I was threatened within an inch of my manhood, not to disturb her." Doyle waved his hand at the squirmy kitten. "I figured I should make a peace offering. You know, since Angel isn't going to find Connor at the club." Doyle collapsed in the chair that was sitting directly behind him.
Lorne hugged the kitten tighter and took a seat on the couch. "Why wouldn't he find Connor at the club? I thought you said that that was where he was."
Doyle nodded. "That is where he was... but it is also where he isn't." Doyle sighed and slumped further in his seat. "I think The Powers are giving me a mental goose chase. It's almost as if I now see the things as they happen." Doyle shook his head and grunted. "I'm getting PMS."
Lorne's jaw dropped open, before he gasped and coughed. "What?!" Lorne spluttered.
Doyle smirked and shrugged. "I used to get premonitions. Now, I get 'postmonitions'. I'm calling it 'Postmonition syndrome'... PMS."
Lorne laughed and shook his head.
Doyle sighed heavily and slumped, until his head almost hit the seat of the chair.
Lorne could tell that even though Doyle was joking about his problems, they were really bothering him. Lorne was inclined to feel sorry for the half demon. "I'm sure your 'sight' is just trying to get back to normal. Try giving it some time."
Doyle shook his head. "It's not like getting your ability to walk back, after being in an air cast for three months. I should be able to 'see' just the same as I always did."
Lorne shrugged. "Maybe it's not your ability."
Doyle gave Lorne a look that hinted at his thoughts of committing the demon. "What do you mean?"
Lorne scooted toward Doyle, until their knees were almost touching. "I just thought that maybe since you gave your power to Cordelia, somebody else's powers were given to you. I mean, you aren't getting mind numbing headaches. You aren't seeing things like you used to, either, from the sound of it."
Doyle looked thoughtful and then shrugged. "Maybe."
"Why don't..." Lorne stopped and thought out what he was going to say, while petting the kitten, idly. "Seeing as nobody else is in here right now... Why don't you tell me why you are here?"
"Right now?" Doyle looked as if he were in pain and shook his head. "I really think I should take that up with Angel."
Lorne nodded and sighed. "Then, you should take it up with him, as soon as possible." Lorne deposited Skittles in Doyle's lap and the kitten curled up in a ball. Lorne smirked and nodded. "Animals can usually tell who the good ones are."
Doyle looked down at the kitten and smiled, ruefully. "Nice to know." Doyle dropped his hand down and ruffled the cat's fur, until it stretched out on its back and smacked at Doyle's hand with his paw. Doyle laughed and swatted back at the animal.
Lorne sighed and leaned back on the couch, propping his feet up on the armrest. "Since you aren't willing to tell me why you are here, why don't you clue me in on the how, of the matter?"
Doyle groaned, as he picked up the kitten and dropped him off on the ground. "Yes, well..." Doyle paused and sighed. "It was all based on a choice that I happened to make."
Lorne waited patiently for Doyle to continue with his explanation. The half demon was rubbing his temples and groaning quietly, so Lorne knew this had to be hard to discuss.
Doyle tipped his head back in his chair and sighed. "I made the subconscious decision to pass on my powers to Cordelia, as I was dying." Doyle put a hand up and looked over at Lorne. "You know that I would not have hurt her purposefully, for all of the power in this world, or any other for that matter."
"Of course." Lorne muttered, under his breath. He really hadn't had a clue, but he figured it was a nice thing to know.
Doyle nodded and let his eyes slip closed. "I made another decision while I was in..." Doyle paused again and thought out what he was going to say, before continuing. "...while I was dead." Doyle sighed again, this time quietly. "Angel needed a message, but it seemed that his mailbox, of my making, was not receiving posts." Doyle opened his eyes and looked over at Lorne. "How long has she been like this?"
Lorne thought a moment and then shook his head. "Months." He closed his eyes and rubbed them. "She was in a coma and then... She woke up. It was unbelievable."
Doyle nodded and sniffed. "That's around the time of *when* it happened. The idea came into play." Doyle sunk in his chair. "What if Angel weren't the only one. The other soul was already in play." Doyle looked at Lorne and frowned. "They just wanted to play with the soul. Spike is a new creature." He paused and let the idea sink in. "Spike is not like Angel. Angelus fought his soul, until it split him in two. On side was Angelus: the soulless demon. The other side was Angel: the souled, conscience-ridden hero. Well, not really. It was Angel: the tortured scab of a man/vamp."
Lorne watched the play of emotions that ran across Doyle's features. The man looked as if he would faint.
"Spike wanted his soul. He embraced it. He didn't want redemption, though. He was a paradox. He was a new toy to play with. The Powers loved it." He grunted. "Spike was a the new love/hate interest, in their little soap opera down here on earth." Doyle let his hand fall down beside his chair and chuckled when he felt a little furred paw swat him. "So, they decided to open the playing field. It seems that Spike has saved the world, just as many times as Angel. Plus, he hasn't tried to end it, at any time. So, the odds were thrown."
Lorne looked confused. Hell... Lorne *was* confused. "But what about the prophecy?"
Doyle shook his head. "Sometimes prophets are dead on, you know... with all of that heavenly insight. While others... many others... are just kind of right. It's like two men looking at a blackboard that spells out the future. Only one of the men needs to clean his glasses."
Lorne nodded, disappointment etched across his face. "So, the shanshu is a blurry prophecy?"
Doyle looked at the green demon and smirked. "I wasn't going to tell you so much, but for some reason I couldn't help myself." Doyle took a breath. "I asked to come back and help. I was sent as a messenger instead. I wasn't handed any special powers..."
"What about the visions?" Lorne reminded Doyle. "You know, like we were talking about..."
Doyle shrugged. "They don't seem special, since I always had them before." Doyle leaned forward in his chair and sighed. "I'm so confused."
"Well, you just came back from the dead. I suppose you can still be a little addled." Lorne chuckled and shook his head.
Doyle smirked at the demon. "Addled? You been hanging out with old people?"
Lorne shrugged. "Only Angel."
Doyle laughed. "What about Spike?"
"Spike is the youngest vampire, over 200, that I know." Lorne stated, with a matter-of-fact nod.
Doyle sat back in his chair again and sighed heavily. "So, I've seen."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Spike didn't question the smug faced look that Angel had been sporting, since they had left the club. He didn't question the fact that the man named Theo had not followed Angel back out front, to lay claim to his territory once more. Spike didn't even question the fact that Angel smelled like blood and pheromones... Okay, he did question that a little, but not out loud. Spike wasn't ready to have his head separated from his body, just yet.
Angel looked over at his childe and rolled his eyes. "What?" Spike had been brooding, ever since they had left the club. It was really starting to wear on his nerves.
Spike pretended not to hear Angel and just kept walking, at a quicker pace.
After they had run Gunn out to the car and laid him in the back seat, Wesley had taken the liberty in toughing out his sore foot and driving over to Cordelia's apartment. Spike and Angel had decided to try to find out where Connor could be, but first they figured they should run by the Hyperion and check out whatever was taking on Connor's shape.
"Spike?" Angel sped up his pace and tried to get his childe to answer him. "What's wrong?"
"I dunno, Angel. What is wrong with this picture?" Spike turned toward his sire and stopped in his tracks. Angel almost ran him over, but he stood his ground. "You smell like you killed someone. Did you?"
Angel arched a brow and smirked. "Is that why you are acting so weird? You think I killed that guy?"
Spike crossed his arms across his chest and stared into the deep brown eyes, of his sire. "Well?"
Angel shook his head. He almost looked hurt. "I thought you would have started to trust me, by now."
Spike sighed and dropped his head back, until he was staring at the pre- dawn sky. "We have forty minutes to get inside before turning to dust and you question my trust for you?"
Angel watched his childe, in interest. Spike had been insightful lately. He was almost starting to show the wisdom that was supposed to come along with his age. Angel really didn't know what to think about it, so he decided to start making tabs on how often it happened.
Spike pulled his head back to an upright position and stared Angel in the eyes. "You. Are. An. Ass."
Angel's jaw dropped minutely. He wasn't sure how to score that.
Spike sighed. "I trust you with my life, *Angelus*. I always have. If you wanted me dead, I would be dead, yeah?"
Angel nodded. It was true. As many times as he and Spike had 'fought to the death', nobody had actually ended up any deader. So, it stood to reason that they really never wanted to kill the each other, at least not as much as they had claimed.
"So, did you kill that man?" Spike asked with as much seriousness as he could muster.
Angel shook his head, with a sigh. "I didn't kill him. The gods know I wanted to... but I didn't."
Spike let out an unneeded breath and shook his head. "You really had me worried for a moment. If you aren't all self-controlling, how should you expect me to be able to keep from following my urges?"
Angel arched and eyebrow. "You've been feeling the tug?"
"Of course." Spike turned away from Angel and started down the sidewalk again. "You feel it." Spike turned and unsure look toward his sire. "Don't you?"
Angel nodded and gave Spike a knowing look. "Not as much as I did, when I wasn't feeding well."
Spike crossed his arms across his chest and then realized he was making a defensive position and stopped. He settled on clenching and unclenching his fists, at his sides. "I've been feeding."
"Daily?" Angel inquired. He knew the answer, of course.
Spike averted the query and changed the subject. "What do you think Doyle was sent here for?"
Angel shrugged. "I guess The Powers realized he deserved to be given back what he lost so needlessly."
Spike chuckled. "You're full of crap, you know that?"
Angel nodded. "It was a nice thought, though."
Spike caught the thoughtful look on Angel's face. He shook his head and sighed. "I thought I was supposed to be the dreamer."
Angel grinned, as he looked at the sky. "It should be light, soon."
Spike nodded, in agreement. "Well, I guess we had better hurry, if we want to save little brother from certain doom and all that." Spike sped up to a jog and left Angel in his wake.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Connor sat in the darkness and tried to remember what it was to have power over his movement. He couldn't tell if he was breathing. It was an odd feeling. He knew he wasn't awake, though. After a lot of contemplation he had come to the conclusion that he was asleep. He had to be. If he had been awake, he would be able to open his eyes. He would be able to feel, hear, discern one thought from another...
Connor decided that if he had to choose, this was probably the worst feeling he had ever had. Even when he had been living in a hell dimension, trapping and killing beasts of unknown origins, he had never felt so helpless. In those situations he had power over himself, and now he was helpless.
Connor tried to think of good things. His father's ability to find him, no matter what, Spike's amazing ability to make anyone laugh about anything, Skittles' cuteness, Cordelia's legs and hair, Fred's sweetness... Connor tried to keep these thoughts at the front of his mind, but other thoughts were pushed toward the front with a ferocity that he had never witnessed.
He figured these thoughts had to be put in his mind. There was no other explanation. Why else would he be thinking of the different ways to kill his father?
TBC
-Okay, this is crap, but I have had a long week. Anyway, love you guys. Please review.-
--The subtitle for this was Nobody's Child, which is a song by ELO. (Electric Light Orchestra) They rock the Kasbah, baby...--
On with the show.
::Stuff and Nonsense- Nobody's Child::
"Stop it." Lorne scrunched up his nose, in half sleep, and batted at whatever was tickling his face. The thing hit back, and Lorne jumped up, with a start. "What the..." Lorne looked down at his feet and sighed, with relief. "What are you doing here, booger bear?"
"Okay, that nickname is slightly disturbing." Doyle said, with a chuckle. He has just walked into the rook, from the kitchen. He had a small snack cake in hand, which he stuffed in his mouth and devoured instantly. "Is that Skittles?" He asked around a mouthful of crumbs.
Lorne nodded and picked the kitten up, cradling it against his chest. "Well, how did you find your way here?" Lorne gave Doyle a look that told him that he was the one being questioned.
The half demon smirked and shrugged, while wiping the remains of his snack off of his chin. "You were asleep and Fred was reading a book, in the kitchen. I didn't want to disturb either one of you. Cordelia is taking a bath, and I was threatened within an inch of my manhood, not to disturb her." Doyle waved his hand at the squirmy kitten. "I figured I should make a peace offering. You know, since Angel isn't going to find Connor at the club." Doyle collapsed in the chair that was sitting directly behind him.
Lorne hugged the kitten tighter and took a seat on the couch. "Why wouldn't he find Connor at the club? I thought you said that that was where he was."
Doyle nodded. "That is where he was... but it is also where he isn't." Doyle sighed and slumped further in his seat. "I think The Powers are giving me a mental goose chase. It's almost as if I now see the things as they happen." Doyle shook his head and grunted. "I'm getting PMS."
Lorne's jaw dropped open, before he gasped and coughed. "What?!" Lorne spluttered.
Doyle smirked and shrugged. "I used to get premonitions. Now, I get 'postmonitions'. I'm calling it 'Postmonition syndrome'... PMS."
Lorne laughed and shook his head.
Doyle sighed heavily and slumped, until his head almost hit the seat of the chair.
Lorne could tell that even though Doyle was joking about his problems, they were really bothering him. Lorne was inclined to feel sorry for the half demon. "I'm sure your 'sight' is just trying to get back to normal. Try giving it some time."
Doyle shook his head. "It's not like getting your ability to walk back, after being in an air cast for three months. I should be able to 'see' just the same as I always did."
Lorne shrugged. "Maybe it's not your ability."
Doyle gave Lorne a look that hinted at his thoughts of committing the demon. "What do you mean?"
Lorne scooted toward Doyle, until their knees were almost touching. "I just thought that maybe since you gave your power to Cordelia, somebody else's powers were given to you. I mean, you aren't getting mind numbing headaches. You aren't seeing things like you used to, either, from the sound of it."
Doyle looked thoughtful and then shrugged. "Maybe."
"Why don't..." Lorne stopped and thought out what he was going to say, while petting the kitten, idly. "Seeing as nobody else is in here right now... Why don't you tell me why you are here?"
"Right now?" Doyle looked as if he were in pain and shook his head. "I really think I should take that up with Angel."
Lorne nodded and sighed. "Then, you should take it up with him, as soon as possible." Lorne deposited Skittles in Doyle's lap and the kitten curled up in a ball. Lorne smirked and nodded. "Animals can usually tell who the good ones are."
Doyle looked down at the kitten and smiled, ruefully. "Nice to know." Doyle dropped his hand down and ruffled the cat's fur, until it stretched out on its back and smacked at Doyle's hand with his paw. Doyle laughed and swatted back at the animal.
Lorne sighed and leaned back on the couch, propping his feet up on the armrest. "Since you aren't willing to tell me why you are here, why don't you clue me in on the how, of the matter?"
Doyle groaned, as he picked up the kitten and dropped him off on the ground. "Yes, well..." Doyle paused and sighed. "It was all based on a choice that I happened to make."
Lorne waited patiently for Doyle to continue with his explanation. The half demon was rubbing his temples and groaning quietly, so Lorne knew this had to be hard to discuss.
Doyle tipped his head back in his chair and sighed. "I made the subconscious decision to pass on my powers to Cordelia, as I was dying." Doyle put a hand up and looked over at Lorne. "You know that I would not have hurt her purposefully, for all of the power in this world, or any other for that matter."
"Of course." Lorne muttered, under his breath. He really hadn't had a clue, but he figured it was a nice thing to know.
Doyle nodded and let his eyes slip closed. "I made another decision while I was in..." Doyle paused again and thought out what he was going to say, before continuing. "...while I was dead." Doyle sighed again, this time quietly. "Angel needed a message, but it seemed that his mailbox, of my making, was not receiving posts." Doyle opened his eyes and looked over at Lorne. "How long has she been like this?"
Lorne thought a moment and then shook his head. "Months." He closed his eyes and rubbed them. "She was in a coma and then... She woke up. It was unbelievable."
Doyle nodded and sniffed. "That's around the time of *when* it happened. The idea came into play." Doyle sunk in his chair. "What if Angel weren't the only one. The other soul was already in play." Doyle looked at Lorne and frowned. "They just wanted to play with the soul. Spike is a new creature." He paused and let the idea sink in. "Spike is not like Angel. Angelus fought his soul, until it split him in two. On side was Angelus: the soulless demon. The other side was Angel: the souled, conscience-ridden hero. Well, not really. It was Angel: the tortured scab of a man/vamp."
Lorne watched the play of emotions that ran across Doyle's features. The man looked as if he would faint.
"Spike wanted his soul. He embraced it. He didn't want redemption, though. He was a paradox. He was a new toy to play with. The Powers loved it." He grunted. "Spike was a the new love/hate interest, in their little soap opera down here on earth." Doyle let his hand fall down beside his chair and chuckled when he felt a little furred paw swat him. "So, they decided to open the playing field. It seems that Spike has saved the world, just as many times as Angel. Plus, he hasn't tried to end it, at any time. So, the odds were thrown."
Lorne looked confused. Hell... Lorne *was* confused. "But what about the prophecy?"
Doyle shook his head. "Sometimes prophets are dead on, you know... with all of that heavenly insight. While others... many others... are just kind of right. It's like two men looking at a blackboard that spells out the future. Only one of the men needs to clean his glasses."
Lorne nodded, disappointment etched across his face. "So, the shanshu is a blurry prophecy?"
Doyle looked at the green demon and smirked. "I wasn't going to tell you so much, but for some reason I couldn't help myself." Doyle took a breath. "I asked to come back and help. I was sent as a messenger instead. I wasn't handed any special powers..."
"What about the visions?" Lorne reminded Doyle. "You know, like we were talking about..."
Doyle shrugged. "They don't seem special, since I always had them before." Doyle leaned forward in his chair and sighed. "I'm so confused."
"Well, you just came back from the dead. I suppose you can still be a little addled." Lorne chuckled and shook his head.
Doyle smirked at the demon. "Addled? You been hanging out with old people?"
Lorne shrugged. "Only Angel."
Doyle laughed. "What about Spike?"
"Spike is the youngest vampire, over 200, that I know." Lorne stated, with a matter-of-fact nod.
Doyle sat back in his chair again and sighed heavily. "So, I've seen."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Spike didn't question the smug faced look that Angel had been sporting, since they had left the club. He didn't question the fact that the man named Theo had not followed Angel back out front, to lay claim to his territory once more. Spike didn't even question the fact that Angel smelled like blood and pheromones... Okay, he did question that a little, but not out loud. Spike wasn't ready to have his head separated from his body, just yet.
Angel looked over at his childe and rolled his eyes. "What?" Spike had been brooding, ever since they had left the club. It was really starting to wear on his nerves.
Spike pretended not to hear Angel and just kept walking, at a quicker pace.
After they had run Gunn out to the car and laid him in the back seat, Wesley had taken the liberty in toughing out his sore foot and driving over to Cordelia's apartment. Spike and Angel had decided to try to find out where Connor could be, but first they figured they should run by the Hyperion and check out whatever was taking on Connor's shape.
"Spike?" Angel sped up his pace and tried to get his childe to answer him. "What's wrong?"
"I dunno, Angel. What is wrong with this picture?" Spike turned toward his sire and stopped in his tracks. Angel almost ran him over, but he stood his ground. "You smell like you killed someone. Did you?"
Angel arched a brow and smirked. "Is that why you are acting so weird? You think I killed that guy?"
Spike crossed his arms across his chest and stared into the deep brown eyes, of his sire. "Well?"
Angel shook his head. He almost looked hurt. "I thought you would have started to trust me, by now."
Spike sighed and dropped his head back, until he was staring at the pre- dawn sky. "We have forty minutes to get inside before turning to dust and you question my trust for you?"
Angel watched his childe, in interest. Spike had been insightful lately. He was almost starting to show the wisdom that was supposed to come along with his age. Angel really didn't know what to think about it, so he decided to start making tabs on how often it happened.
Spike pulled his head back to an upright position and stared Angel in the eyes. "You. Are. An. Ass."
Angel's jaw dropped minutely. He wasn't sure how to score that.
Spike sighed. "I trust you with my life, *Angelus*. I always have. If you wanted me dead, I would be dead, yeah?"
Angel nodded. It was true. As many times as he and Spike had 'fought to the death', nobody had actually ended up any deader. So, it stood to reason that they really never wanted to kill the each other, at least not as much as they had claimed.
"So, did you kill that man?" Spike asked with as much seriousness as he could muster.
Angel shook his head, with a sigh. "I didn't kill him. The gods know I wanted to... but I didn't."
Spike let out an unneeded breath and shook his head. "You really had me worried for a moment. If you aren't all self-controlling, how should you expect me to be able to keep from following my urges?"
Angel arched and eyebrow. "You've been feeling the tug?"
"Of course." Spike turned away from Angel and started down the sidewalk again. "You feel it." Spike turned and unsure look toward his sire. "Don't you?"
Angel nodded and gave Spike a knowing look. "Not as much as I did, when I wasn't feeding well."
Spike crossed his arms across his chest and then realized he was making a defensive position and stopped. He settled on clenching and unclenching his fists, at his sides. "I've been feeding."
"Daily?" Angel inquired. He knew the answer, of course.
Spike averted the query and changed the subject. "What do you think Doyle was sent here for?"
Angel shrugged. "I guess The Powers realized he deserved to be given back what he lost so needlessly."
Spike chuckled. "You're full of crap, you know that?"
Angel nodded. "It was a nice thought, though."
Spike caught the thoughtful look on Angel's face. He shook his head and sighed. "I thought I was supposed to be the dreamer."
Angel grinned, as he looked at the sky. "It should be light, soon."
Spike nodded, in agreement. "Well, I guess we had better hurry, if we want to save little brother from certain doom and all that." Spike sped up to a jog and left Angel in his wake.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Connor sat in the darkness and tried to remember what it was to have power over his movement. He couldn't tell if he was breathing. It was an odd feeling. He knew he wasn't awake, though. After a lot of contemplation he had come to the conclusion that he was asleep. He had to be. If he had been awake, he would be able to open his eyes. He would be able to feel, hear, discern one thought from another...
Connor decided that if he had to choose, this was probably the worst feeling he had ever had. Even when he had been living in a hell dimension, trapping and killing beasts of unknown origins, he had never felt so helpless. In those situations he had power over himself, and now he was helpless.
Connor tried to think of good things. His father's ability to find him, no matter what, Spike's amazing ability to make anyone laugh about anything, Skittles' cuteness, Cordelia's legs and hair, Fred's sweetness... Connor tried to keep these thoughts at the front of his mind, but other thoughts were pushed toward the front with a ferocity that he had never witnessed.
He figured these thoughts had to be put in his mind. There was no other explanation. Why else would he be thinking of the different ways to kill his father?
TBC
-Okay, this is crap, but I have had a long week. Anyway, love you guys. Please review.-
--The subtitle for this was Nobody's Child, which is a song by ELO. (Electric Light Orchestra) They rock the Kasbah, baby...--