(A/N):
Precious Destruction: Chapter 5- Poisoned People
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The boy leaped, eyes bright with the instinct to kill and mouth curling in a vicious snarl as the demon singer looked up in fear and raised a suited arm in an attempt to shield himself from harm.
But the attack never came.
With a sharp cry, Connor bent in the air, holding his stomach, and fell before reaching his victim. Landing in a heap and whimpering while his breath hitched, but a second later, whirling his glare back on the man, he snatched up his pants and whipped out two blades that had been strapped to his thin legs throughout the night, positioning them for the ready as he was back on his feet again, preparing for the close execution.
He again raced forward, heart pounding and feet light.
But was grabbed from behind just as his hunt gasped and backpedalled for the hallway beyond the door.
The weapons were flung across the room.
"LET ME GO!" the boy snarled, bringing up his elbow to hopefully connect with his dad's chin, but Angel only held on tighter, a hand over his boy's taut stomach and an arm slung around his shoulders, steadying him where he stood.
"No, Connor! You have to realize what youre doing!"
"I know what Im doing! He's a demon!"
"He wont hurt you!"
"Not that I COULD!" Came a shaky shout from just outside and Connor snarled in reply, struggling more wildly in his father's hold.
"They should all DIE!" Connor yelled over his shoulder at the man but quickly gasped when he didnt respond, instead pulling him tighter against his dead body, hand still firm over his stomach.
"No, Connor, he's good!"
The boy then gave a small and disbelieving laugh, lip still curled. "Like you? Theyre evil! Father taught me that; Father taught me everything!"
"He didnt teach you a thing, Connor! And IM your father, not him!" Now it was Angel's turn to growl, anger sparked from the mere mention of Holtz alone. Connor still struggled within his grasp, but eyes that were before trained with hate towards the open doorway, now fixed on the pale cold hand still on his belly.
"Quit touching me." His voice came out hard as steel and he gave the man a dark look while he attempted to fling himself away, but clenched his teeth as the action left him almost shaking.
The pain was starting again.
But he wouldnt let the vampire see his weakness.
"Let me go."
"No,Connor," if anything, Angel brought him closer, his hand compressing more over his son's skin, "something's wrong-"
"-And you realize this NOW?" Came Lorne's voice again, sounding composed, though.
Connor hissed in fury and made an effort to move forward again, but Angel stopped that, almost lifting his boy from the floor to keep him near.
The pain shot through again.
Connor could feel his belly constrict with it, but he held in the whimper that wouldve broken free if it hadnt been for the fact he was still in the presence of the creature behind him.
But Angel had felt it.
He felt the ripple slice through his son's stomach.
"Connor-"
"-Let. Me. GO!" Connor demanded again, displaying the same technique as before, but this time his hit connected. Angel's head snapped back but he held on just the same, instantly recovering and attempting to keep a grip on the furiously snarling boy.
"Quit it! Quit TOUCHING me!" Connor now screamed, trying to fling the hands away, especially the one pressing down on his pain. "I dont want you TOUCHING me!"
"Connor!"
Pain.
His belly clenched again, making him hiss with hurt and bend forward to get rid of it.
This pain was different, though.
And 'he' wasnt there.
Angel looked over, now hearing voices from the hallway. The boy shook in his arms.
"Stop it," Connor gasped, eyes flashing as he lowered more, an arm around himself, but he felt a shiver of horror wash over him and through him, almost masking the intense ache as he questioned himself on what he was actually ordering the monster to do.
Revulsion coursed through as the creature continued to press his cold body up against him, hand never wavering from the spot on his panged belly.
"Something's wrong..." Angel whispered, voice growling with torment as his child twisted and turned in his arms, pounding his fists against the parts keeping him prisoner within the loving and yearning and protective cage. "Whats hurting you, son...Connor, please... Please, son, whats-"
"Angel?" Fred entered the room, Gunn at her side.
"What the hell's happening in here?" The black man asked, looking from the vamp to the pain-filled face of the kid in his arms.
The agony sunk and filled then rose through his body as Connor abandoned his efforts of escaping, instead silencing his grunts of anger at being held so closely, and stared at the floor, concentrative gulps and swallows, as well as his body shaking, the only things giving away the tension now circling throughout him.
Angel strengthened his arms and tried to turn the boy to look at him, but Connor froze his body like a stone and kept in his place, blinking at the carpet as the two new people in the room stepped forward.
"Stay back!" Angel commanded to them, putting one hand up that was quickly returned to the bundle curling before him. "Connor?"
The feeling expanded.
The horrible, afflictive, wounding hurt that ached and burned and slinked its way up his body and to his chest.
Up to his shoulders.
His neck.
His body convulsed within his dad's arms, making the older man gasp in concern and heartache while he turned away, hunching over more.
It tore through him and screamed while he himself couldnt- didnt want to. His legs, knees, thighs, and arms trembled while trying to supress it, forcing the harmful inner touches to dissipate back to where they had come from, but didnt succeed in doing so as his throat then filled and constricted, bile and something else rising. His eyes squeezed shut when he realized he couldnt stop it all from happening and he metally cursed and shrieked at his fingers as they swept across the arm of the worried man that was surrounding him and touching him, grabbing on and clinging as he felt it draining into his mouth.
"...W-Why?" He gasped out, opening his eyes a crack to see some of the pre-liquid dribble out onto the floor. "F-Father's n-not her-e-"
And it wasnt black.
And it wasnt blood.
His body shuddered as he let it loose.
"Oh my God, he's throwing up," the voice next to his ear whispered harshly in alarm as he tried to fall out of the monster's grasp but found the floor itself falling out from beneath his feet as he was semi-lifted and dragged over to the bed.
Quake.
More. Not black or blood, just more of whatever it was inside.
"Why? Why's his body doing this?" The same voice screamed out to the two still standing by the door, but they soon rushed over to join the frightened man as he placed his hands on his boy's small back, turning him to the side so he could drain it all out from over the bed.
It struck him again.
No black.
No blood.
Connor closed his eyes once again in pain and confusion, feebly pushing away distraught and eager hands.
"Oh my God, Connor...Connor..."
"Stephen."
The boy gasped as everything faded away to be replaced with a memory of a time just like that one...
But not.
"Why, Father? W-Why did-" He was cut off by another bout of spasms and more of the putrid smelling liquid poured out from his throat and mouth, filling the air with the stench of blood and dark fluids. He turned away, shaking more though when a large and rough hand rested on the back of his neck. "Why d-did...Father, why do this to me?"
"It wasnt done TO you, Stephen," the man replied calmly as he stood next to the stooped boy who was heaving with tears running down his face. "It was done FOR you. Once you heal, you will finally see some semblance as to what you truly are and what you can handle. This was for you to understand," the hand rubbed his neck as he still choked but then gripped him tightly, squeezing the skin and forcing his head up, "and this was done for me, son. To have a guarantee."
"Connor?...Connor!" Angel gripped him tightly again.
"The kid's a space cadet," Gunn peered into his blank eyes and was about to snap his fingers to show it when the boy blinked and instantly reacted.
"D-Dont touch me!" He threw the dead arms off him, glaring before moving his gaze down to the bed, blue boring into pale sheets. "You...You poisoned me," he whispered now, voice shaking in realization. He didnt know how, but just like 'he' did, the vampire had poisoned him.
JUST like 'him'.
"You're just like Father was," he growled out his thoughts and struggled with his body, almost pleading with it to move, before he was swooped down upon and swiveled to face the shock and worry of his vampire father.
"Wha-What? I would never...I would NEVER hurt you!"
Then the face of pure rage as his chin was tipped upwards. "And what do you mean, "just like he was"? What did he DO to you, Connor? Tell me!"
So much.
The monster was touching so much.
And Father wouldve been angry he was letting him.
Connor tried to shake him off but the vampire only held on tighter.
"Connor?"
Lorne then chose that moment to hesitantly creep in, looking extremely nervous. "Is my life still at stake here? And what exactly was all that about?" He gave a wary glance to the boy but directed his question at Angel, even though it was Fred who answered.
She saw it and smelt it.
And remembered.
"Food poisoning." Angel quickly looked at her, angry mask falling away to shock again but also relief. "O-Or something related to that general area," she stuttered, trying to explain. "He threw up food, as you can see."
"Thats it? FOOD poisoning?" Lorne sounded like he couldnt believe it. "Food poisoning was the cause of all this?"
Angel studied his son and willed himself not to inspect further as the boy faced away from him, body continuing its slight trembling. He then looked over to Fred, features distrusting but voice practically begging for hope. "How do you know that for sure?"
"Feeling insecure about my surroundings wasnt the only reason why I never left my room, you guys. I was sick for days when I first came back but I didnt want to trouble you all with it. It was the change, but mostly just the food. I had been living off practically nothing on that world, and whatever I DID eat, you wouldnt find in your local grocery store. All the food here didnt agree with me at first." Her small smile then flickered over to Connor who was now looking up within his father's arms. "I had the same symptoms- feeling weak, easily full, pain, and nothing would stay down." She then broke out in her overly bubbly cheer. "But that all went away! Everything's ok now!"
"You hear that?" Connor looked up again as Angel gave him a small smile. "Just food poisoning. Turns out your belly doesnt really like you right now," he spoke gently but with a hidden laugh.
A relieved hidden laugh.
His son was alright.
Physically.
"Youre not hurting anymore, am I right?" Fred asked the boy and after a while, he slowly shook his head, gaze never wavering from off his vampire father's face who grinned back lovingly at him. "I always felt better after...Er...Well, how 'bout we clean this up then?" She looked ready to move to it, but Angel quickly shook his head.
"Leave it- I'll clean it in the morning. Im putting him in a different room tonight." However, he hesitantly looked over at his kid for any complaints. "If thats ok with you, though..."
Connor said nothing, still staring.
Staring so much, in fact, and not moving at all, even though enfolded within the immortal's hold, that Angel became instantly worried again, letting it show with a frown. "Connor?"
Silence again.
"Connor, if anything hurts still, you...you have to tell me, son..."
Again, when getting no response, he turned to Fred. "What would make him...What made YOU feel better, Fred?"
"Well, soup. And ice cream! Oh! And a nice hot bath..." She then blushed. "Also, when I had somebody rub my tummy, it relieved the aching there..." She gave the man beside her a knowing smile, who then turned away, coughing and embarrassed.
After all, it was a time when they hadnt even been a couple.
Her words, though, tumbled into the vampire's head and rolled around a bit until one option stood out from the rest. "Rub his stomach? That helps?" He looked down at the boy in his arms as the frail woman nodded.
Angel's hand shook, though, as he reached for the hem of the boy's shirt, still keeping the other arm under his son's back. When Connor didnt react in the slightest, it gave courage to the dead hovering over him.
"Son, did you hear that?" Angel whispered gently. "It would make you feel better...Do you want me to try?" Again with no response, only calm eyes looking up at him as if waiting, his hand kept going, but once under the material and feeling heat radiate from living flesh, a small arm flung itself out and pushed him away.
Connor sat up, face now growing pale.
"C-Connor, I didnt mean-"
"-Dont touch me." His voice was soft and low.
"I-I was only-" Angel was cut off again as he tried to raise himself up also.
"-Im fine."
And not looking directly at any of them, he stood and walked out of the room, noticing with slight satisfaction that Lorne had bid a hasty retreat once seeing the boy move again.
The demon deserved to run.
Angel followed quickly, already at his heels, fearing he would just walk out on him right there and then. "Connor, please, dont leave," he begged but stopped, seeing where his son was going.
To another room.
Not out of the hotel.
Gunn and Fred were behind him as he watched his Miracle open the door and walk in, turning around with a lowered look and dark eyes. "This one," he stated simply and Angel nodded slowly, understanding.
But he didnt step forward.
He couldnt now, anyway.
"Son, I...I cant enter here without you inv-"
"-I havent made my decision yet," Connor said slowly as he turned, but was still looking over his shoulder at the man.
Angel froze, hearing those words, as his child then took that opportunity to walk back to the doorway, staring deep into his eyes again, but this time almost critically.
"I havent made my decision yet." Connor's voice was now emotionless as he repeated it.
The vampire swallowed and nodded. "...Alright." But he thought quickly. "If you need me-"
The door was soundly shut in his face.
Gunn gave a low whistle, sympathy coming off in waves from the woman behind him. "Do I even wanna know?"
But his remark fell on deaf ears as the older man stalked past quickly, fixing everything in his way with a glare as he opened his own bedroom door and slammed it.
Away from them all now, he let his anger resurface, the emotion so strong it racked his undead body and almost made him convert into his other self.
Holtz had hurt his son.
Of that, he was certain now.
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(A/N): Sorry this chap took long. And sorry L&F S&S isnt updated yet.
I spent most of my day (the time I hadda spend on updates but...didnt get far heheh) thinking up an ending for this fik and now Ive got one. I never had one before, sorry...
But yeah, this has an ending now and its...a surprise haha. XD R&R if u wanna.
