Disclaimer: All characters and things from ANGEL and BUFFY belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. If they aren't on the show they belong to me.

Summary: A different turn of events after Season 1 Episode 12 "Expecting" A/C pairing

CHAPTER 35

Jessica was in the lobby, swinging around one of Angel's swords from the weapon cabinet when Angel and Connor walked in.

"Whoa, nice moves." Angel commented as he watched his daughter swing the sword around her without giving much effort.

"Thanks." Jess smiled at him, and placed the sword down. "How'd your night go?"

"Good." Angel looked to Connor. "We killed some vampires."

"Did you?" Jessica raised her eyebrow at Connor who just nodded at her.

"Yeah, Connor was pretty tired so we decided just to come back." Angel told her. "Everyone else went out to eat."

"I see…" Jessica nodded, yawning. "I'm a little tired myself."

"Well, you two did have a long day." Angel said to both his children. "You should get some rest. There are blankets in the hall closet, and you guys can pitch camp on the couches tonight. We'll get you two rooms ready as soon as we can."

"Sounds good." Jessica said.

"Good." Angel smiled, and awkwardly pulled his daughter in for a hug, kissing her slightly on the forehead. "It's good to have you back."

Jessica squeezed her father tightly, surprising them both. When she let him go of him,

Angel just shook Connor's hand before heading up the stairs.

"So, how did it really go tonight?" Jessica asked Connor as she made her way into the closet to grab two blankets.

"It went well." Connor told her, and he meant it. He had actually had a good time with Angel. "He's not what I thought he was…"

"Who? Dad?" Jessica asked, already knowing who Connor was talking about.

"Angel." Connor told corrected her. Sure, he felt semi-comfortable around the vampire, but he was by no means calling him dad.

Jess shrugged. "I told you he wasn't bad." She chucked a blanket to her brother and set herself up for bed on the couch. "You just didn't get the chance to know him."

Connor shrugged. "I guess."

Jessica gave her brother a grin before chucking a pillow in his direction. "Admit it, you had a good time with him."

Connor laughed, tossing the pillow back at her. "It wasn't the time of my life."

"But he isn't a bad guy?" Jessica asked.

Connor shrugged again. "I guess not. Not as bad as I was told."

"So you'll give him a chance then?"

"Yeah." Connor flopped back into the couch as Jessica turned off the light. "I'll give him a chance."

"Good." Jessica smiled in the dark at her brother. "Go to sleep, dork."

"You too, squirt."

Angel entered the bedroom he shared with Cordelia to find it dark. He flicked on the lights, and saw Cordelia's form under the covers. He smiled at the woman he loved, and fiddled with something in his pocket, but he immediately stopped when he realized that Cordelia's body was quivering. She was crying.

"Cordy?" Angel asked, sitting down next to her and moving the covers so he could see her tearstained face. "Cordy, what happened? What's wrong?"

Cordelia shook her head violently, pulling the covers over her head again.

"Cordelia Chase…" Angel yanked the covers off of her again. "You are going to talk to me. Whatever it is, I can help."

"No you can't." Cordelia said into her pillow.

"Try me." Angel ran his hand through her short, now blonde hair. He studied it for a moment. He didn't even remember her dying it. She must have done it before Connor and Jess had been taken, because thinking back on the memories of that day, Cordelia did have the blonde locks. "Cordy…"

"Fine." She sat up, wiping her face. "She hates me."

"What? Who does?"

"Our daughter." Cordelia looked down. "She hates me."

"Cordy, I don't believe that." Angel lifted her chin back up. "Why would you say that?"

"Because she told me she did." Cordelia wiped up a tear that was falling from her eye.

"What?" Angel was shocked.

Cordelia nodded. "She told me that I was a horrible mother, that I didn't save her from Holtz." She leaned into Angel and began to cry more. "She said I didn't love her, that you loved her because you would have died for her and Connor."

"Cordy, you would have." Angel pulled her closer to him. "But it wouldn't have mattered. If you had given up your life, it wouldn't have changed anything."

"Angel, she's my baby. I missed her, and now she's back and…" She cried harder. "Everything's such a mess right now."

"Cordelia, listen. You're not a bad mother, and things between you and Jess will get better, I know they will." He kissed the top of her head. "Listen, Friday night, why don't you and I just go out. We haven't had time to ourselves in so long, and everything around here is finally getting back to normal."

Cordelia nodded slightly into his chest. "Yeah, maybe."

Angel kissed her head again. "Good, because I have something planned for us." He slid her over in the bed and lay down next to her, allowing her to snuggle close to him. "Why don't you get some sleep, I'm sure everything will be better in the morning."

Angel sat up for a long time after he was sure Cordelia was asleep. His heart broke for her. She had been sick over losing Connor and Jessica, and he knew she would have done anything to save them. He didn't understand why Jessica was doing this to her mother. If anything she should be blaming him. He had been the one to hand his children over to Holtz, not Cordelia. He decided he was going to have a talk with his daughter the next day.

Angel and Cordelia entered the kitchen the next morning hand in hand to find Fred, Gunn, Wesley, and Connor sitting around the table eating breakfast.

"Wow, who cooked this morning?" Cordelia said, eyeing the pancakes.

Fred raised her hand. "I figured with everyone back we might as well have a nice breakfast together."

"Sounds good to me." Cordelia said, taking the seat next to Connor.

"So, how'd you sleep last night, Connor?" Angel asked, as he poured himself a cup of blood.

Connor shrugged, trying not to watch Angel drink. "Couch was comfortable."

"It must have been." Wesley added. "Jess is still asleep."

Connor laughed. "Please, she'd sleep on anything. Plus, she's not a morning person."

"She never was." Angel recalled.

"Liked to stay up all night though." Gunn rolled his eyes. "Used to keep the whole damn hotel up with her screaming."

"Some things don't change, I guess. She used to go out hunting and slaying demons all night long. Then it was a pain to wake her up in the morning." Connor recalled the memories with a smile. "Dad used to beat…" He trailed off when he realized what he was exposing about Holtz. "Uh…he used to…"

"Beat me to a bloody pulp." Jessica finished her bother's sentence with a big smile as she entered. "And what the hell smells so good?"

"Breakfast." Fred grinned.

"Sweet." Jessica gave a sly smile as she made her way over to Angel and poured herself a cup of blood.

"Why do you do that?" Connor asked his sister, keeping his eyes down on the table.

"Do what?" Jess asked.

"Drink." Connor said. "You can eat like a regular person so why do you insist on drinking blood like a demon?"

Jess shrugged, taking a sip from her cup. "Because I can, and it's easier." She took another sip and then stole a piece of sausage off of Connor's plate. "Plus, I know it bugs you."

Connor looked up at her and rolled his eyes with a grin. "When are you going to grow up?"

Jessica shrugged again. "I'm immortal. I think it's safe to say I've got time."

"And two big demons." Cordelia said, making the whole group turn to her to see her floating off of her chair slightly. When the vision was over she focused back on Angel. "Two demons, downtown, bagel shop."

"How many bagel shops are in the downtown area?" Angel asked the group.

"I'll get on it." Fred said, exiting into the lobby.

"I'll help her." Gunn said, following her.

"What was that?" Jess asked.

"A vision." Angel told her. "From the Powers."

Jess nodded. "So it's our invitation to go kill something?"

"Basically." Angel smiled at his daughter. "You ready?"

Jess grinned back. "Totally. Let's move."

Fred reentered the kitchen with Gunn trailing behind. "We've narrowed it down to three places."

"Just try them all." Wesley told them. "It will be quicker."

"We'll take the sewers." Angel told Jess. "Connor, you want to come?"

"No thanks." Connor said. "I should go back to see Dad…I mean Holtz."

Angel nodded, not wanting to crowd his son. "Okay. Come on, Jess."

Jessica nodded and swiftly followed her father out of the room.

Cordelia sighed, and stood, stretching her arms out. "Well I'm ready for a shopping trip today. Fred, you want to come?"

"What are we shopping for?" Fred asked.

"Clothes for Connor and Jess. I don't think they are going to fit into their old stuff anymore." Cordelia joked.

"Sure." Fred smiled. "Let me just clean up."

Cordelia nodded and made her way into the lobby, flopping down onto the couch Jess had slept on. A few minutes later Connor entered.

"Are you going to visit Holtz today?" Cordelia asked Connor.

Connor nodded. "I want to check in with him. Make sure everything's good."

"Sure." Cordelia said. "Can I ask you something?"

"Um…okay." Connor said. He felt comfortable around Cordelia and didn't mind answering her questions. She was basically his mother, or so Holtz had told him.

"Has Jess ever…" Cordelia put a piece of blonde hair behind her ear. "Well, does she…has she ever said anything about me?"

Connor nodded. "Yeah. She used to talk about you and Angel a lot. Holtz used to smack her around for it, but it never changed her view on you guys."

"And what kind of view was that, exactly?" Cordelia asked, curiously. She wanted to know why Jessica was so hostile to her, and she figured Connor would be the one to ask since he did grow up with Jess.

Connor shrugged. "I don't know. She talked a lot about how you guys were all heroes. How she could remember that I don't know, but she did. She talked a lot about Angel."

"Did she ever say anything about me?"

Connor thought for a second and then slowly shook his head. "Not really. She just used to acknowledge you as her mother. She really only talked about Angel because she knew how much it drove Da…Holtz up the wall. That's my opinion anyway."

Cordelia nodded. Connor hadn't been much help, but Jess was far more complex a person than Cordelia ever imagined she would have been. Maybe Jess had kept things from Connor. "Thanks, Connor."

"Anytime Cor…uh…"

"Cordelia's fine." Cordelia said standing. "You don't call Angel dad yet so I wouldn't expect you to call me mom."

"I never had a mom before." Connor said truthfully.

"Well you have one here." Cordelia told him as Fred came down the stairs.

"Cordy, I'm ready for some shopping." Fred smiled.

"Great." Cordelia grinned back. "I'm totally in the mood for it." She grabbed her purse. "See you later, Connor."

"Bye." Connor said as he watched Fred and Cordelia exit. He then stood himself, and made his way out of the hotel to go see Holtz.

Jess and Angel entered the bagel shop just in time to find two demons throwing people around the place.

"Well, this is lovely." Jess said sarcastically to Angel before vamping out. "Let's go." She quickly flipped over one of the demons, grabbing him mid-air and throwing him into the counter.

Angel took the other demon and threw him out the window. "Jess, go get him!" He pointed to the one he had thrown who was now in the direct sunlight.

Jess nodded and hopped out the window, onto the demon and broke its neck in one quick stroke.

Angel turned to the other demon and threw two quick punches before plunging a knife he had found on the counter into the demon.

Jessica climbed back in the window this time in her human face, with all eyes focused on her. "Circus folk." She told everyone in the bagel shop who seemed to just believe her because of the shock the were in. "Okay then, Dad?"

Angel nodded and led her back into the sewers. They walked for a while in silence and then Angel turned to her. "Not bad up there."

"I hold by own." Jess grinned.

"You're a great fighter."

"Well I kind of learned quickly. In Quortoth it was kill or be killed."

"Your mother didn't send you there." Angel threw in suddenly, trying to add the element of surprise. He wanted to get Jessica's honest feelings about Cordelia out so they could talk about them.

Jess rolled her eyes. "Like I didn't see that one coming."

"You know she told me everything you said."

Jess nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, I know."

"So why did you say it?"

"She asked. I just told her the truth."

"You don't know the truth."

"I do. She could have saved us, she didn't. That's the truth."

Angel shook his head. "That's not it. You don't know anything. If you knew-"

"She didn't save us!" Jess cut him off. "She could have, but she just stood there. She stood there and let Holtz take us."

"I was there." Angel tried another approach. "I didn't save you."

"You tried."

"I was the one who gave you to Holtz in the first place."

"Because he tricked you." Jessica told him. "She wasn't tricked."

"She loves you." Angel said. "You were her whole world. You still are. When you and Connor were gone her walls came down on her. She was a mess. Jess, she became a demon to save you from those visions, how can you say she doesn't love you?"

Jess thought for a moment. "Maybe she does, but it doesn't matter, because in the end she let us die."

"You didn't die."

"But we could have!" Jessica snapped. "And she didn't even try to save us. You were willing to die for us. She was willing to cry for us. Did her tears save us? No."

"Give her a chance."

"I've been to hell and back. I'm over giving people chances, and I'm over trying to please people. If she doesn't like how I act around her and you don't like how I act around her, tough! The three of us have eternity to walk this earth together, and I can guarantee you in all that time my opinion of her won't change."

"Well then you're missing out." Angel told his daughter. "Because your mother is an amazing person, and like it or not, you're going to need her one day."

"I've made it this far without her." Jessica said as she picked up the pace.

Angel shook his head and took an unneeded breath as he followed his daughter. Jess was exactly like her mother, he decided.

Connor entered the hotel room that Holtz was staying in. The shades were still drawn, and the only light came from the small table Holtz was sitting at.

"Dad?" Connor said.

Holtz turned and nodded, motioning for Connor to sit down. "How was your night?"

Connor shrugged, not wanting Holtz to know he had actually enjoyed himself. He felt like he was stabbing Holtz in the back by liking Angel. "It was alright."

"And Angel?" Holtz questioned.

"He is a good deceiver." Connor lied. "He made me believe we were actually helping people. That he was actually good." Truthfully, Connor was now questioning Holtz, because he now believed everything Jessica had said about Angel. He believed his real father was a good man, or vampire, or whatever.

Holtz laughed to himself. "You enjoyed yourself while you were with him."

"What?" Connor was shocked Holtz could see through his front. "No. I wasn't…"

"You're place is beside him. I see that now." Holtz continued with his plan. "You believe he is good then go with him."

"I'm not leaving you."

"You must. You are his son. Embrace it." Holtz stood. "You will see soon enough his true colors."

Connor nodded. He knew now that Holtz was being bitter. Jess had been right all along; his place had been beside Angel and his sister. They were the good ones in this fight. "Fine." Connor said, and then exited the room.

Holtz grinned slyly. His plan was going to work perfectly.