Rated: M
Disclaimer: I don't own them, I just like writing about them
Chapter Fourteen
The emergency room of General Hospital was relatively quiet this late evening. At least that was Dr. Monica Quartermaine's opinion as she strode from the elevator doors toward the nursing station her mind elsewhere while her eyes scanned the people seating in the waiting area. Given the unbelieveable earthquake that had shaken through the city, there were only a few waiting for treatment.
She had been finishing up a double by-pass when the tremors shook through the hospital. It was touch and go for vital seconds as machines flickered briefly as if undecided to stay on the main electrical line or switch to the backup generators. Gratefully the surgery finished with no complications and patient was currently in recovery waiting to be moved to his room.
After cleaning up, she heard several nurses speaking to Dr. Drake about the horrible five car pile up that happened across town as a result of the bizarre earthquake. She thought maybe they would be getting casualties, so she changed her mind about going home for the night so that she could offer help but then she heard Patrick say that Mercy was closer so the units were sending the injured there.
Deciding to take advantage of the lull, she had headed for her office only to enter to a ringing phone. Which was the reason why she was now walking pass the ER toward the morgue entrance of the hospital. Hearing her son's voice on the other end of the phone had been an unexpected but pleasant surprise. The fear in his voice that he probably thought he was concealing wasn't.
After Jason's accident, the family did everything they could to push him to be the young son they needed him to be. Did everything but open the door and push him out considering that had been the result. It wasn't until Kady was born that Jason considered giving them a chance. For her. So that Kady would have a large loving family, even if the Quartermaine ideal of love was just short of insanity. It wasn't until after the desperate brain surgery that saved his life that Jason embraced the family for himself.
So for him to call her, to trust her, was a big step and one she had no intention of making him regret.
As she stepped into the morgue, meeting the faces of the selected members of the hospital she figured she could trust, she offered them a wry smile. "I know what I'm asking of all of you, and if you decide that you don't want to be apart of this, I'll understand your choice. But if decide against helping me, I need you to leave now and keep what you know to yourself."
Robin smiled as she walked forward and placed a hand on her arm, "Monica, you know you only have to ask. You and Alan have already done so much for me, I'm glad you feel you can trust me."
"I've always liked Mr. Morgan," Epiphany nodded in agreement, "He helped my Stanley get that job at ELQ and away from that dangerous business. He's always been respectful. Anything I can do to help."
"Emily?"
Her daughter rolled her eyes in mock exasperation, "Of course I'll help Mom."
"If this gets out, it could affect your medical career," Monica felt obligated to warn her.
"Jason is my brother," was all Emily would say and Monica understood.
A firm hand closed on her shoulder and she looked up into the kind eyes of Noah Drake. "Anything you need," he told her and she felt comforted. Since Alan's death, those times were far and few inbetween. It was good to have the support of one of her oldest and dearest friends.
The door pushed open and they all turned to the anxious eyes of Bobbie Spencer who was closing her white jacket and adjusting the stethoscope around her neck, "Alright, what's up?" Fellow Grandmother in crime, Monica's first call was to Bobbie who had been home, so she had to rush back to the hospital to help.
"Okay, this is what Jason told me," but before she could continue the doors flapped open again and the arrogant younger Dr. Drake stalked inside with a frown. Those dark eyes of his went directly to his girlfriend, then his father as he folded his arms across his chest.
"What the hell is going on here?" Robin went to him, trying to push him toward the doors, murmuring excuses but he refused to budge. "I'm not going anywhere until I know why three key members of the hospital staff, the head nurse, my surgical nurse and a resident are sneaking around the morgue this time of night."
"You're being ridiculous," Robin shook her head in frustration.
"And you're avoiding, especially considering the fact that I just covered for all of your disappearances." He lifted a smug brow, "Well except yours Bobbie, you're supposed to be off tonight."
"Monica, he can be trusted," Robin assured her and she had no choice to believed that because they needed to prepare for Jason's arrival.
"Fine," she blew out a frustrated breath. "I recieved a call from my son tonight, he's on his way to the hospital with an abdominal wound that needs to be treated. A young man, he says looks to be about seventeen or eighteen. The injury is on his right side, and Jason can't exactly say how dangerous it is."
"Don't they have a doctor on staff for that?" Emily asked and Monica knew she meant a doctor that worked with Sonny's organization that wouldn't make a noise or think of reporting the incident to the authorites.
"I don't know why Jason didn't call Sonny," Monica shrugged, but the warm glow of love swelling in her chest only grew as she realized that Jason was trusting her more than his oldest friend. "He didn't say this was involved with Sonny."
"Will the boy be needing surgery," Noah asked and she could only lifted her hands.
"We'll have to asses that when he gets here, but I had Epiphany bring everything down to the room across the hall. It's sterile and we can scrub in here but I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. That's not all," and she watched their eyes widen in shock. Well, she had felt exactly the same.
"Robin, I need you to check out a young boy, approximately seven years old. Jason said he didn't appear to be injured but the boy's mother wants to be certain."
"Of course," she immediately replied.
"We have a woman coming in with a wound to the shoulder. Patrick, since you've decided to join us, I'd like for you to take a look at her." Monica explained carefully, "She also has multiple cuts and contusions that I want you to check out. Noah, I want you and Emily to take a look at the other woman coming, she has several wounds to her back. She most likely will need stitches."
"I figure you had a reason for calling me," Bobbie stepped forward and Monica held out a hand to grasp hers. They held on tight, a friendship that had endured years and she gave the red head a shaky smile.
"Jason's bringing Kady in," at her gasp of shock Monica hurried to assure her, "She's fine but I thought you would want to be here for her since I'm going to be in with the ab wound."
"And you were right." Bobbie blinked away tears and gave a small smile of thanks.
"We need to set up a triage are in here to deal with everyone, Bobbie, I need you to be in charge of that, make sure all of the injuries are treated. And we need to keep this quiet."
"What the hell went on tonight," Patrick asked, "Was this due to that earthquake? Why the secrecy?"
"I don't know, I didn't ask and I won't. If you have a problem with this I'm sure Bobbie and Emily can handle things. I know this isn't brain surgery," but he cut her off with a wave of a frustrated hand.
"No, I'm fine," Patrick grunted is agreement. "You're the chief of staff here."
"Thank you," she told him, then turned to the others, "Thank you all."
And the doors of the exit burst open with two men she had never seen before carrying a young man covered in blood.
xx
Miranda didn't want to turn him loose.
Even while Dean and Sam had rushed them to this hospital, pushing the Impala through the streets at a speed that should have got them pulled over by the police, she had held Gabriel in her arms, tears spilling down her cheeks as she struggled between unspeakable joy and near hysteria.
It had been less than a week since she had seen her boy last and it felt like years. Then the choked sob would crush her heart because as she looked down into the changed face of her son, she realized for him it had been years. It wasn't just that his hair was longer, that familiar bowl-shaped cut now hung to his neck, the soft blonde just a bit darker. The arms that wrapped around her neck were a bit longer, the face held a little less of that baby fat, he was taller.
She had no answers for how it was possible that her five year old had come back two years older but as Dean had looked from her questioning gaze to Gabriel he had silently promised to find them for her.
But there was no question this was her Gabriel.
Despite the smudges of dirt and blood, despite the changes, those loving eyes, and that sweet smile was all her son. The warm peace that spread through her body, the bond between mother and child, she knew that despite all the dangers awaiting for the moment all was right in her world.
The doctor, this Robin woman, had been very kind and considerate. Her dark eyes were full of questions, going from Dean's protective stance over them both to her face but she said nothing. She couldn't have missed the ragged clothes Gabriel wore, or those guns tucked beneath Dean's coat but she ignored it all and treated Gabriel, giving him a thorough physical without any word.
"I can run some blood work," she began but Dean shook his head.
"No thanks. We'll get that handled once we get home," he told her, "We just want to be sure that Gabriel is okay." Miranda didn't need Dean to say that the last thing they needed was for a strange doctor to discover some abnormalities in her son's genetic makeup. How on earth would they explain that her son could possibly be half demon? Even if they were trusting her right now, a simple physical for a child wasn't a big deal really.
"Well in that case," Robin gave her a kind smile, then one to Gabriel as well as she ran a gentle hand across the top of his head, "Everything is just fine."
"Thank you," Miranda blinked back another wave of tears, which she figured she would be doing for months before the need to weep went away.
xx
"Young lady, you look like you went ten rounds with Conan the Destroyer and before you say anything, yes that is a comment on your very unusual but quite attractive attire."
Faith held back a snort of laughter, then grimaced a bit as the flirty Dr. Patrick Drake tugged on the needle he was using to stitch up her shoulder. After making it through the door back at the house, she figured their clothes would have returned to normal but instead she ended up in some strange mix of Waste Land attire along with her leather pants and boots. Not that she cared, but it made for an interesting combo.
Spike and Fred were outside in the truck waiting, figuring it might be a little complicated to explain the pale guy and Fred was on the phone to Wesley with the news. They had followed Jason through the city to the hospital, listening to her explain that Cordelia believed that the boy who came through the door with Gabriel was Connor. After that big revelation, none of them could really speak but the questions were there.
If this was Connor, how the hell was he so old? Where had he been and what happened to Holtz who had taken him? How had he hooked up with Gabriel?
And most importantly, where was Angel?
"Is she going to be okay," Sam's concerned voice spoke up next to her, as he threaded his fingers through hers. Whatever had been done to their eyes was gone after they came back, so she was back looking into those yummy eyes that made her stomach melt. The second they pulled up in front of the hospital, Sam was out that muscle car rushing over to their truck to help pull her out and he hadn't left her side since.
The hot doc adjusted a patch of gauze over his finished set of stitches. "She's fine. Whatever weapon caused the injury-"
"A knife," she improvised, unwilling to say something close to a spike on the arm of a demon that was intent on killing her.
"Yeah, right. Well it didn't do any nerve damage." he rolled his eyes, and she figured he knew the difference between a knife wound and what he had just stitched up. "I'm going to finish you up with a tetanus shot just to be on the safe side. I'll give you a prescription for some antibiotics and a mild pain killer that you can get filled at a local pharmacy. You'll need to keep these dry. Come in next week and I'll yank them for you."
She didn't care about the shot, it had been a few years since her last one anyway. First week of prison actually. Gave her a whole battery of pokes and prods in there. She figured the government had to keep the inmates healthy so they could serve out their sentences.
Given the questioning glances Drake gave most of her cuts as he had treated them before moving on to the largest, proved she wouldn't be coming back for treatment. Normally she dealt with her wounds herself, but Sam had insisted she get the one on her shoulder looked at. She didn't mind, it was one thing for her family to be concerned about her safety but Sam was different. As a Slayer, her body healed at a much faster rate than normal humans so she would probably be able to remove the stitches herself in a couple of days.
She watched the doctor remove his rubber gloves and toss them in a biohazard bag, before giving Sam a glance. "You need anything?" There were a few scratches on his face, but otherwise Sam was fine and told him so. "Then I'm going to go check with Monica to see if she needs any help."
Faith placed a stilling hand on his arm, "Is Monica the one working on Connor?"
"The boy with the ab wound?" And Faith nodded, "Yeah, you want me to bring you an update on his condition."
"Yeah," her voice was thick with emotion, still unable to quite wrap her mind around the knowledge that he could truly be Angel's son in there and after all this time they could possibly lose him again. Connor had seemed fine until they walked through the door and then his injury had seemed to surge with a new spill of blood.
When Drake was gone, Sam sat down on the metal table next to her and wrapped an arm around her. She leaned against him, accepting the comfort and feeling much better than any medicine could ever provide. "How are you doing, really?"
She glanced around the busy room, watching Miranda gather her son into her lap. Seeing Dean sit down behind them and gather them close to press a kiss to her temple, rub a gentle hand over Gabriel's head. Cordelia was fussing at the doctor working on her back, probably giving him hell about wanting to be near Connor. Kady was sitting next to her, quieter than usual, but strangely not antagonistic against Cordy. It was all so strange. They had been through so much together in such a short amount of time but it felt just like LA. Just like family.
"I'll be fine," she told him.
"I was scared back there," he quietly admitted, "Watching you run back for Jason and the others was probably the hardest thing I've ever done. Because I knew you had to do it and I knew if I had to get Kady and Gabriel back through the door before you came back that I would do it."
"That's our lives," she murmured, turning her head into the crook of his neck, inhaling the nice masculine scent of sweat and man.
Usually after fighting, she ran a high, adrenaline and the need for sex surging through her blood. She might go out find some anonomous guy and pound out those needs then go back to the hotel and sleep off the rest of the rush. That wasn't to say she didn't feel that same hunger for Sam, but it was so much more than that. Deeper. And for the moment she was content to just be in his arms.
"We put ourselves on the line, we know the risks and we know that no matter how bad it might hurt us in the end, we have to the right thing. The world depends on us to do the right thing."
"Came real close to saying screw the right thing tonight," she felt his hand thread through her hair as he copied the gesture she had just watched his brother perform. The warm touch of his lips on her skin made her sigh.
"So did I."
xx
The doors of the morgue swung wide again and Cordelia watched Spinelli and Lulu walk inside carrying several bags with them. She glanced up at the man who was giving her a hard time and the look he gave her in return clearly said she wasn't moving until he was finished.
"Lulu what are you doing here?"
The blonde blinked nervously and Cordelia watched her scramble to find an excuse. Luckily, Spinelli covered for her. "The blonde one was out on a date with me tonight, oh bountiful aunt, when Stone Cold called me and asked me to bring everyone clothes to the hospital."
Lulu looked like she wanted to protest but a quick glare from Spinelli had her huffing her agreement, "Yeah, I just wanted to help. Figured I could get the female stuff so Spinelli wouldn't be rumaging around through panty drawers."
"Hey," he actually sounded offended, but Cordelia was grateful Lulu had been back at the house tonight. The thought of the guy pawing through her bras and thongs was disturbing to say the least.
"Is my Dad still outside?"
Kady looked nervous, and given what she had seen of Jason, well the kid had reason to be. She and Connor had rode in the back of Jason's truck to the hospital, he would know the fastest route and had the most room. All the while, Kady had been gripping his arm, looking at him. Now given they had just come through a tramatic situation, killing demons, doors closing and rescuing people from hell dimintions that opened at your feet, but Kady seemed worried.
About Jason.
Spinelli shook his head and gave a secretive glance around before saying, "He said he'll be in to talk to the Granny's of the warrior princess soon."
"Now," Dr. Drake who was working on her back cut into her listening, "Do I even want to ponder how you ended up with these nasty slices on your back?"
If it weren't for Connor, she wouldn't even be here. And the fact that Jason had made a big fuss about someone treating her back. "Not really," she answered shortly, "But thank you for looking at them for me," she offered with a mild smile of appreciation. That was all she could manage around her fear for Connor.
"Some of them were very deep, but with luck and care, there shouldn't be too much scarring. You'll want to be careful not to get the stiches wet, so that means no showers and being cautious when you wash your hair."
Well that was just horrible, because besides wanting to know if her son was fine, she wanted to be clean. The stink of that place felt like it was coating her skin, with death and the remnants of evil. All she wanted was to sink down into some water and scrape it off.
"Can you check on Connor for me, please?" She watched him put his equipment away before turning back to her. "Please, he's my son. I need to know if he's okay."
His eyes widened at her words, and she knew he was wondering how someone as young as her could possibly have a child who looked to be edging toward adulthood, but he said nothing just turned to Emily and nodded for her to go and followed.
She was barely holding it together. All she wanted was to know that her son would be fine and most of all, frightening of all, she wanted the obstant man who stood outside in her beside her holding her in his arms and reassuring her that everything would be okay. The moment she let down the walls that she used to protect herself from feeling anything for Jason, every confusing emotion had washed over her and now she didn't know what to do with them.
Her nervous glance went to the door, needing to see him and she felt a small hand close around her fingers. "He needs time," she heard Kady's whisper, "No one here knows about him, no one can know."
Well, given those fangs and the black markings all over his stomach, his eyes, yeah, Jason probably did need a minute.
"Connor, that's his name?"
She gave Kady a smile that trembled at the edges, "Yeah. Angel wanted a good strong Irish name for his son."
"Your son," the little girl answered.
"Yes," then Cordelia shook her head, "Well, not really but-"
"You loved him as your son," Kady reasoned with a maturity way beyond her years. "That's all that matters."
"I did," her voice broke on the last words as the memories assailed her. Holding Connor for the first time. Feeling him curl against her with such absolute trust. That burst of love that had surprised her. Nothing like she had ever experienced before.
Nuzzling his neck and taking in that miraculous baby smell of cornstarch and wonderful.
"He is my son."
"He's going to be okay," Kady told her, making her look down at the little girl. "They told me. It's probably a good thing my Grandma is the one doing the surgery because what she's going to find would have made these others want to tell. Grandma will keep his secrets."
"The Powers told you this?"
"Yeah. I could always see his face, could see him taking care of Gabriel. Making sure that Gabriel stayed safe. He fought his way through hell to get them both to that door with nothing but his determination and faith that someone would be there to help. Your son is a Champion, like my Dad."
Kady nodded, leaning her head against her arm in a surprising gesture of comfort and support. Until now, she would have guessed Kady didn't even like her, but now she wasn't so sure. Given Kady's hesitancy, neither was she. "I know you've been grieving and that's why you cut yourself off from the Powers, but now you have to open your heart again. What you did tonight that's just the beginning. You'll have to be strong if we're going to win."
Was she talking about that glow thing?
All Cordelia knew was the fury that washed over her at the thought of losing Connor again and then something had burst free of her. Some energy, pure and magnificent. But just as suddenly as it had come, it was gone. She had thought that light was related to the visions but could Kady be suggesting something else?
"They're already speaking to you again, hun?" Kady nodded and actually looked pleased. Given the visions, Cordelia figured Kady would be grateful for the reprieve, only the little girl looked at peace. She wished she could say the same. All her visions had ever brought her was pain and suffering. That's when the wave of disgust hit her.
Now didn't she sound just like a Cry-Buffy?
She thought she had figured this out when she became a half-demon but evidently some lessons would always need to be reinforced. Walking the walk was about more than fighting evil. It was about hope and faith.
It was about Belief that you were capable of doing more than you ever thought you were capable of. It was about doing what was right, no matter how difficult that struggle would be.
And she had questioned how Jason was raising his daughter, when Kady had already learned a lesson that it was taking years for her to truly figure out.
"So how do I get them to talk to me again?" She asked quietly, feeling something shaky rush through her body. Part of her, the hurt and scared part that was terrified to trust again, to open up again and risk pain, wanted to run away. The other part, the one Faith called Queen C, the one her family believed in and loved, the one Angel relied and on, trusted above all others with not only his mission but with his son, wanted to be the woman they deserved.
"You just have to listen."
xx
"So, you plan on staying out here all night? It's pretty damned cold."
Jason glanced over at that voice, felt a shudder run through his body. True he only had on a leather jacket over a pair of leather pants but cold was the last thing he was feeling at the moment. All he wanted was to be inside with the others. With Kady, making sure she was safe.
With her.
He had watched from the shadows as Spinelli and Lulu rushed inside and given the loose fitting pants and that tunic she wore, Cordelia had made use of the change of clothes. That was good right, considering that white gown had been covered with her blood. With the boy's blood. Sticking to her body. A body that made his mouth dry. The image of her before that chaos and death would be a permanant part of his memory.
There were no words to describe her beauty or how he was drawn to it.
There was no way to speak of these feelings that continued to grow.
"The boy? Is he okay?" He tried not to flinch at the near snarl of his voice. Damn it, just when he thought he was regaining the control he had reliquished it slipped further. Gratefully the markings of the seal had faded away, so he figured he was gaining ground on his demanding kitsune. But his vision was still too sharp, especially around the edges, and these damned fangs hadn't receeded yet.
They weren't true fangs, just the incisor was a bit longer, a little sharper than normal. Noticable only when he spoke, but knowing the questions he knew his mother would have for him, he needed them gone before she joined him in the cold. Or worse asked him to come inside where the others could see.
Given the stunned reactions of everyone who was quite aware of the darker side of his life, he really needed to put a cap on the demonic kitsune energy before speaking to the people of Port Charles who knew him as merely a former mob enforcer.
"Connor." She spoke up, taking a step toward him. Was it cowardly that he felt terrified. Just truly terrified that if she got too close he would snatch her close and cut loose the raging hunger burning through his body. So he pushed into the wall a bit, silently cursing the lack of space. "His name is Connor. He's my son."
"That's Connor," he repeated and her little nod made him blink in surprise.
"He looks pretty mature for a five year old."
"I'm guessing a hell dimension might have something to do with that. I remember when Angel first came back from when Buffy sent him to that hell dimension, he said he'd been gone for a hundred years but it had only been a few months."
"By that estimate, shouldn't Connor be an old man then?"
"Different hell dimension."
"Oh."
She took another step forward, "Yeah, oh."
"Um, I'm sure," he paused, wanting to look away from her face, but unable to, "I'm sure Monica will help him. That he'll be okay." He knew no such thing, but he wanted to reassure her. If he had to tap into some parts of himself that were better left alone to make sure her son was healed, he would. And the fact that he was willing to risk that for her was too damned revealing.
"I know he'll be okay. Kady told me." She flinched a bit as she lifted her hands, but it didn't stop her from placing those warm fingers on his chest.
"Kady's okay?" He managed past the lump in his throat. Damn, her skin against his. Damn.
"Yes," she took another step closer, drawing them so close that he could draw her sweet feminine scent into his lungs. Before he could stop it, a growl of approval rumbled in his chest. She lifted a brow, but said nothing. "You have a remarkable daughter Jason but I came out here to see how you're doing."
Speechless, he simply inclined his head in thanks. Captivated, he watched Cordelia run her tongue across her lips. Of their own accord his hands went to her waist, careful of her injuries, to pull her close. As her heat brushed against him, his cock swelled with need. She released a soft little murmur of pleasure, shifting against him, closer, making his head swim.
"We can't do this," he squeezed his eyes shut, leaning his head back against the wall, but unable to release the grip on her hips. "There are things about me, that you don't know."
"Jason, look at me." When he looked into those hazel eyes, he was just lost. And he prayed never to be found. "I know you told me there were things you needed to tell me, and promised that you would but I'm a half-demon Seer who was once in love with a vampire. Do you honestly think there is anything you could tell me that would shock me?"
"Cordelia."
"You're pretty cute with those fangs you know," those fingers slipped up his chest, to run through his hair, "And the cute little points on your ears? Very nice."
"What?" He sounded horrified, now.
"Yeah, though I have to say it's your eyes that really do it for me."
"Points on my ears?" He choked out still stuck on that bit of information. Then he caught her gaze, "What's wrong with my eyes?"
"Nothing, really. Don't worry about it."
"Cordelia," he drawled out the warning.
"Fine, they look a little," she shrugged, shifting against him again and he was torn between enjoying the sensation and the news she was giving him. Then a little smile touched her lips, "Well, don't worry, I'm sure everyone will get used to them."
Before he could demand she tell him what she meant, she released a little giggle that had him frowning. "You're playing me aren't you."
"Just a bit," this time her smile was bright. Wonderful. "The part about your ears was pretty funny, wasn't it? Especially the look on your face."
This was something he had stressed on for years, losing control of his kitsune, having it consume him and she made a joke about it? Then he had to look at it from her point of view. She was a half-demon. And that certainly put things into perspective didn't it?
"I'm going to kiss you now," he grumbled, freeing a hand to thrust into her hair, "If you've got a problem with that, now would be the time to say so."
As she tilted her head up for his mouth, the last thing she murmured before he devoured her was, "I was wondering what was taking you so long."