Disclaimer: I do not own Angel: the series or Buffy: the Vampire Slayer shows or characters. I do however own the characters of Cathy Lucy Angel and Nicholas (Nicky) Wood. No money is exchanging hands. Please don't sue me. I'm just a poor college student without a dime.
Summary: This story is the sequel to Fast Forward. Connor has finally come back home after living in Quar'toth for ten years. Each chapter will focus on a separate character's point of view as Connor adjusts to being back home and living with his family.
Pairings: Angel/Cordy, Faith/Wood, Fred/Wesley, Gunn/OC, Spike/Buffy, later on Connor/Dawn, Anya/Xander, Willow/Kennedy.
The song that inspired this story is This Year by Christina Aguilera. (Click to get the lyrics)
If you want to skip around to other chapters first you can, but they might not be up yet. I just put in the links in advance. They are all separate stories with different points of view.
PS—I tried on the first chapter to keep it in third person POV, but it was too hard so I switched it to first person. Hopefully it should go a little better than October. Please be patient, it takes time to write these stories.
This Year
By: Sensue
Chapter Two: November (Lorne's POV, first person—he's telling the story)
We'll crumb cakes, has this been a weird and wacky trip. I mean, one minute Angel and Cordy's son is a little nipper who looks a lot like dear old dad, the next day he's as tall as I am. And doesn't he have quite the attitude problem: I mean come on; I was raised in a Hell Dimension too. At least I don't act like that. Well at least he isn't cutting my head off like he did when he first arrived.
I think that the little talk the princess had with him really helped; either that or she used her glow-y power on him and made him see the light, this time literally. His aura changed. It was no longer jagged and rough looking, but smooth, more flowing. He seemed calmer afterwards. Peaceful and serene, but only near his mother. He still was wary of the rest of us. It's understandable; we're strangers who he doesn't really remember, except in flashes of memories.
The other little nippers were so excited to see big brother again. They weren't afraid of him or anything. They just wanted to play with him and act like they always had. I think that that was what Connor needed. To feel comfortable and loved. And to be a 'normal' teenager for a little while.
Halloween was great. It was so much fun. We all got into the superhero spirit this holiday season. Trust me, you wish that you were there, if only to see Angel in a Batman costume. Woowie those pecks. And don't forget Wesley. Adam West has nothing on Wesley Wyndham-Pryce.
That was some party. I wish we could do it more often. Hey! We can. Connor's birthday is on the 19th of this month. We could give him a birthday party the world has never seen. Legally the kid is only eight years old, while in actuality the time/space continuum Star Trek stuff made him eighteen years old instead.
I talked to the Princess about a party for Angelcake's Jr., she agreed that it would be a wonderful idea, but she didn't want to invite too many people…She said that it was going to be hard to explain how her kidnapped son appeared a few months later a teenager, without having people she didn't know or trust at his party.
I agreed to help decorate the Hyperion of the occasion. I even invited Claude, my bartender to keep the drinks rolling. At least he finally learned how to make a descent Sea Breeze.
The kid was enjoying the party, that's what I thought anyway until he ran away. Angelcakes and the Princess were frantic. They asked everyone to look for him. Faith and Robin went to all of the teenage hangouts to try to find him, while Freddy and Wes looked near the hotel. Angel took his car and tried to sniff him out. The Princess stayed with Nicky and Cat, while she waited by the phone for news. Spike went out on his own, trying to think of where the troubled teenager would run to.
It was Spike who ended up finding the brat. He came in with his head down and his tail between his legs, that was figurative, of course. Spike had to have lectured him within an inch of his life, because the kid was really sorry for scaring his parents. Cordy was right. It was too much too soon. He still didn't understand this world and its weird and wacky customs. For example, setting a cake on fire.
The princess called a family meeting that night. All were invited. She put forth a motion to cancel the Thanksgiving party, so not to overwhelm Connor. It was voted Nay.
As Gunn said, "there's no way in Hell, we're missing out on all that food for the kid. No matter how much he thinks it's different."
"Okay, well, I know we talked about inviting Buffy, Giles, Willow, Xander and the rest of the girls for Thanksgiving dinner, but how about we push the big invite to Christmas or New Years and just have a family dinner. Just all of us?" Fred suggested. She wanted Connor to feel welcome as well. It was strange but in a way, Freddykins acted like Connor's second mother. Wesley put his arm around her shoulders and agreed with her.
Well, well, well, what do we have here? Wesley and Fred were getting awfully close for just friends. Actually reminds me of Angel and Cordy before, with my help, of course, they realized they loved each other. Those two crazy love birds have more Kyerumption than two cows in a barn. Maybe one day, we'll be celebrating another happy occasion. I should help those two along. The problem becomes how, without them knowing what I'm doing.
So, a quiet family Thanksgiving dinner is just what this family needs to get the holiday started properly. The princess called Buffy and told her that she was sorry to cancel Thanksgiving dinner on them, instead offering Christmas as an alternate date for a get-together. Buffy had to decline that invitation. It seems the Slayers were having some sort of an initiation dinner party or something like that. Cordy countered by offering New Years instead. She said that she'd even have a picnic instead of a fancy dinner, if they wanted to. That invitation was accepted and "thank you's" were exchanged.
Now I had to develop my plan. How was I going to get Fred and Wesley closer as a couple? Playing matchmaker is my favorite sport. I especially liked how I introduced Gunn to Andrea. They all had no idea that I was the one who sent the girl to Angel Investigations to begin with. I just knew that Gunn would like her. And it worked; the two are crazy about each other. I expect that he'll think that she's "the one" soon. They certainly spend enough time together.
That's why when I eavesdropped on them two nights ago, my plan had begun to form. I heard them both talking about a Thanksgiving blessing that they could chant before dinner. It was supposed to protect the house from evil spirits for that night. Sort of a reprieve of danger for only one evening. The way they were talking about it, it seemed that the spell would work without a hitch. So what did I do? I encouraged them to work on it together. As a sort of surprise for the others during dinner.
No one else even gave a second thought to the two huddled together in the office. They thought it was normal for the nerds in the house to work on something. Cordy had a twinkling smile on her face when she looked at them, so I guess she had the same idea that I had. I caught up to her later and asked her what she knew. She said jokingly, "I see all, I know all. I was a higher being, remember."
She cornered me into telling her what my plan was though. I did tell her. Then we both giggled at ourselves. Here we are, manipulating other people into falling in love…oh well, a thousand Hail Mary's and all that. We'll be forgiven. After all, love is all we need. Gotta love John Lennin.
Angelcake's and Spike were busy in the kitchen fighting over whose stuffing was the best tasting, while the turkey cooked. Faith sat in the kitchen soaking up the different yummy smells, while the kids sat in the living room watching a "Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special" on TV. Connor helped his mom set the table, while I, I setup operation "Get'em Together."
First I helped Cordy setup the dinner table, so that Fred and Wesley and Gunn and Andrea were sitting together. Gunn and Andrea were my secondary targets because I already got them together; I just needed them to get to the next step in the relationship, like marriage, or at the very least, officially 'going steady.'
I also setup the most romantic dinner music anyone could ever have, the Sting collection of famous love songs. You gotta love that man; he could sing a great love song.
When it was finally time for dinner, everyone sat down, gave a small blessing and wish for the future and then it was Fred's turn to intrupt. Now remember, Cordy and I were the only ones who knew what the plan was, the others were surprised to say the least to see Wesley and Fred holding hands and chanting. I was getting excited, there's nothing better than a great plan going right.
I spoke too soon. The chanting cuased this really big light to form in the middle of the dinner table. It was getting too close to the turkey for anyone's taste. Now there's no way that I'm going to let that light thing EAT our turkey or anything, so I jumped up and tried to stop it from touching the turkey. I swear, I was just trying to save our dinner. I don't know why the thing fought back and attacked me. YES, the light ATTACKED ME! All of a sudden, Wesley and Fred stopped chanting. The light was surrounding me. It was swirling round and round, making me dizzy.
They both ran into the office to see if they could stop it. Wesley and Fred fought over a book then said something. I don't even think they knew what they said. The swirl light stopped where it was and then sort of exploded blue gunk on me. The kids started laughing. And I saw the Princess smirk at me.
I ran to the bathroom to wash it off, but it was making it worse. Fred knocked on the door, asking me if I was okay. That's a joke! I'm turning blue and she's asking me if I was okay.
I came out a short while later, my skin completely, from head to toe now, blue. The others looked at me with wide eyes, Faith swearing softly under her breath, all the while trying to keep from laughing out loud. Robin, who was beside her looked at her and that was what set them all off.
Soon everyone, including my former friend Spike, who I thought was on my side of things, were laughing hysterically at poor blue me. I was really blue now. Emotionally I mean. Hey, no puns out of the peanut gallery.
What really surprised me was that Fred and Wesley were hugging each other and laughing. It looked like they were going to fall down on the floor laughing, if they let go of each other. When they all had stopped laughing, probably seeing my unhappy, non-laughing face, the couple was holding hands and sitting next to each other again. Probably playing footsy under the table and all that.
Never did they thank me for getting them closer together, at my expense mind you. Oh, well, I'd do anything for love. But I won't do that…again.
Later that week, the phone rang. At first, we thought it was well wishers for the holiday. A young lady named Tru was asking to speak to Faith. Faith stood up quickly and then took the phone call to another room. That was weird. Most of the time if the phone rang; you just answered it where you stood. Privacy wasn't an issue, we are all family. Your business is our business type stuff. When she came back out, she seemed upset, but didn't want to talk about it. Robin tried to talk to her, but she got mad and started yelling at him to leave her the hell alone and that it wasn't his business.
Whatever the call was about, it wasn't a good one. The only thing that we can do now is support her. I just hope that this secret doesn't hurt her as much as the last one did. She's got to learn to trust us. We love her. We're her family. And that's the way it'll stay.
The End (November)
How're you liking it so far…Let me know, please. It helps me to write it a little faster.
Next chapter… December (Faith's POV and Tru Calling x-over.)