Campus Life: 15. Heartbeat
by filmtheory
Connor’s heart beat like mad as he ran from the scene of the accident. He could hear Emily’s faint heartbeat as well. He had to get her to a hospital, but it was a difficult situation. The police would be checking hospitals for people fleeing the accident. So would Angelus.

Connor ran hard down an alley. He jumped hard and made it to a second-floor fire escape. Connor climbed up and got to the roof. He looked back to see Nina running down a street followed by Angelus.

“Shit! Stay here baby,” Connor said quietly as he set Emily down on the roof. Connor jumped to the next rooftop and sprinted diagonally across it. His mind ran the math over and over, but he knew it was really just a blind guess. Connor made the edge of the roof and had only a split second to glance down and pick a trajectory before he leapt.

Connor sailed down and nailed Angelus with a powerful drop kick just before the vampire grabbed Nina.

“Aghh!” Connor yelled as his knee twisted and he hit the ground. The force of the kick drove Angelus against a brick wall, smashing out part of it.

“Connor!” Nina pulled the boy to his feet just in time for him to throw a spin kick and knock Angelus back. Connor’s eyes quickly scanned the alley, looking for potential weapons.

“Get to the roof on the other side of this building,” Connor said pointing. “Em’s there. Get her somewhere safe.

“Right!” Nina said as she started to leave. Connor stumbled on his weak knee and Nina turned back to catch him.

“Ah, Jesus, son!” Angelus said as he staggered to his feet. “Does your entire love life consist of my sloppy seconds?”

“What can I say?” Connor said as he moved toward Angelus. “I feel bad for any girl who thinks you’re a good lover. Have to let her see what sex with a real man is like.”

Nina took off as Connor managed to support himself on his own.

“Pft. You should have seen you with Cordy. You had no clue what you were doing.”

“And you should’ve heard me with Dru,” Connor shot back. “She told me no creature with a soul or otherwise ever made her squeal like that.”

“You slept with Dru?” Angelus asked, taken aback.

Connor lunged forward with a broken plank of wood he found on the ground. Angelus backed away quickly and Connor just missed the heart.

“Now he’s playing for keeps!” Angelus grinned widely.

Connor feinted forward, then took three steps back. Angelus charged him. Connor threw a limp kick with his bad leg and Angelus caught it. Connor pulled his free leg up and rolled back with his weight.

Angelus crashed down on top of Connor and immediately sunk his fangs in. Angelus moaned audibly as the powerful blood rushed into his mouth. Angelus’ body pulsed in unison with Connor’s heartbeat.

Connor too moaned. It wasn’t a painful moan as one would expect, but one of a kind of stinging pleasure. He mused that this must be what heroin addicts felt like when they shot up; that sharp pain of pierced skin followed by the rush of euphoria. Each of his heartbeats brought Connor that same combination of pain and ecstasy. Part of Connor wanted to surrender; to let his father drain him right there in the alley.

But Connor remembered the plan. The pipe on the ground. Backing up and letting Angelus think he had the upper hand.

“Graghhhhh!” Angelus screamed as Connor slammed the broken metal pipe through Angelus’ abdomen and out his back.

Angelus pulled away. Connor’s powerful blood fueled him enough that he could stumble away from the boy. Connor rolled onto his stomach and crawled toward the alley’s exit. Angelus crawled in the other direction as he pulled the pipe from his body.

“Good job, son,” Angelus said with unfeigned pride. The demon couldn’t help but think that it was his own personality traits in Connor that allowed the boy to pull a draw in their first two fights.

“Freeze,” a policeman shouted as he trained his pistol on Connor. “Put your hands in the air!”

**

“GTA, car-jacking, fleeing the scene of an accident, resisting arrest, and at least three counts of assault,” the policeman said. “Quite an outing for a first timer.”

“My parents are going to be so pissed,” Connor said in a deadpan voice.

“Is that a confession?”

“Did you mirandize me?” Connor asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Just waiting for the doctors to pump a couple gallons of AB+ into you.”

“Universal receiver. Lucky me.” Even Connor’s blood was designed to keep him alive.

Connor was strapped to a bed in the ER. The straps wouldn’t hold, but he didn’t want to have to assault an officer, so he was waiting for the cop to leave.

“Officer Tate?” a man at the door asked.

“Yes, I’m Wayne Tate,” the policeman said, looking at the two men said.

“I’m Agent Riley Finn,” the man said holding out a badge. He nodded to another guy in a suit, also holding out a badge. “This is Agent Graham Miller. We’re with the FBI. And we’re taking over the investigation. Could you wait outside, please?”

“Goddamn feds,” Tate muttered as he left the room.

Riley stepped to Connor’s bed and removed the restraints. “You know Buffy Summers?”

“Met her a couple times,” Connor said.

“Well, you owe her,” Riley said. “Big time.”

“I’l1 buy her some flowers and take her to dinner,” Connor said, rubbing his wrists.

“Then you’d owe her two favors,” Graham laughed.

“Is Emily okay? Emily Pierce. Has she been--”

“She’s fine,” Riley said. “She was admitted just before you were. Nina’s with her. We have a couple guards on her room. Guards that know how to deal with Angelus. Now look, Buffy’s going to handle everything. You just stay here.”

Connor stood. “Forget it. I got to find Angelus.”

“You wound up missing a gallon and a half of blood last time you two tangled,” Graham said as he blocked the door.

“And Angelus wound up with a pipe through his chest,” Connor said.

“Buffy needs you to just stay here,” Riley said, putting a restraining hand on Connor’s chest.

Connor sighed and looked down. He hated this part. “You know Buffy?”

“He knows her, alright,” Graham said with a smug grin.

Connor nodded. “Call and thank her for helping me out when you wake up.”

Riley couldn’t process what Connor was implying. “When I wake up?”

Connor slammed his fist into Riley’s jaw, knocking the agent to his knees. Riley grabbed Connor’s arm to keep him from punching again as Graham rushed forward.

Connor pushed past Riley, but couldn’t pull his hand up in time to punch Graham. Using all the momentum of his body, he dropped his face and slammed the top of his head into Graham’s forehead, knocking the agent unconscious.

Connor jerked his arm free of Riley and punched him again. The agent’s eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped to the floor.

Connor looked around the room. He grabbed a notepad and pen from the table by the bed and wrote a quick note.

Connor stuffed the note in Riley’s hand and stepped to the window. He pushed the window hard and the Plexiglas pane popped out. Connor quickly grabbed the pane and pulled it inside. He looked down.

“Three stories,” Connor laughed. “Cake.” Connor dropped to the street below.

***

“Riley!” Buffy said, shaking the agent. “Riley what happened?”

Riley’s eyes slowly opened. “Buffy? Buffy, he attacked us.”

Buffy looked down and saw Connor’s note. She picked it up and read aloud. “Sorry about that, but this is something I have to handle. Connor.” Buffy crumbled the note and tossed it. “I’m going to kill that kid.”

“Who is he?” Riley said.

“Angel’s gay lover or something. He’s an okay kid when he’s not knocking out my friends. I gotta find him before he gets himself killed.”

****

“Kennedy’s picking him up from the airport,” Willow said into the cordless phone as she walked through the house. “Dawnie is here helping me get stuff ready for the spell.”

“I wish you two had a slayer with you,” Buffy said.

“We can’t get Connor from the airport and have the spell ready as fast as possible if we all packed into the car to go get him.” Willow covered the phone. “Dawnie, where’s the sage?”

The breeze coming through the front screen door was nice, but safety had to come first as night fell. Willow pulled the front door closed and locked it, then resumed her conversation with Buffy. “Besides, we can take care of ourselves.”

“Just make sure you’re willing to take care of yourselves,” Buffy said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means Angelus could kill you in a heartbeat,” Buffy answered over the phone as Willow headed up the stairs. “You have to be willing to do the same.”

“Buffy,” Willow started in her sad voice.

“I want Angel back, too, Willow. But if it comes down to you or Angelus, you have to do what you have to do.”

“How very Clint Eastwood of you.”

“I’m serious, Will. And the same goes double for Dawn.”

Willow stopped at the top of the stairs and turned back to look at the front door. “Buffy, I have to call you back,” Will said, clicking the phone off. “Dawn, where are you?”

Dawn stepped out of her room. “What’s wrong?”

“I just closed that door,” Willow said, nodding to the front door. “And put the chain lock on.”

“Meaning someone unlocked it from the inside,” Dawn whispered.

“We better get out of the house.”

“Wait,” Dawn whispered, grabbing Willow’s arm. “What if that’s what he wants?”

Willow froze and looked around frantically.

“I told you we should have down the disinvitation spell right away!” Dawn whispered angrily.

Willow reached inside her room and grabbed an amulet and a handful of Root of Khandeashtadt. “All intruders in the house be gone!” Willow shouted. A sudden force jolted Willow and Dawn through the door. Their bodies smashed through windows and slammed down on the garage roof. Willow rolled and fell from the roof, slamming into the ground.

“She said intruders you stupid spell!” Dawn yelled at the broken window. Shards of glass were in her hair and sweater, but she fortunately had very few bits of glass in her skin.

“Oh, sorry about that!” a woman’s voice floated from the window. “I guess you guys were expecting Angelus.”

Dawn moved to her side and saw Amy Madison standing in Willow’s bedroom.

“He figured you’d have done the disinvite spell,” Amy said as she stepped out onto the roof. “So he sent me to handle the only witch who’s ever re-ensouled him while he took care of other business.”

Amy peeked over the edge of the roof. Willow was unconscious and bleeding badly. “Wow. Good job, Amy,” the witch congratulated herself. She turned back to Dawn. “One reversal spell and the job’s done. I’m actually kind of disappointed. I was thinking there’d be a big witch’s duel.”

Dawn smiled. “And you were right.”

Amy turned to see Willow standing behind her on the roof. Will swung her hand. It flashed blue as it connected with Amy’s jaw and knocked her to the side of the house.

Amy raised a hand and shot a bolt of lightning at Willow. Willow slammed her hands together and punched the bolt with the joint fist, knocking it away. It hit the side of the house and set it ablaze.

Dawn jumped up and began to charge Amy. Suddenly, Dawn’s feet moved forward but she moved backward as she did. Dawn slipped from the roof and screamed as she hit the ground, snapping her ankle.

“You’ll pay for that,” Willow screamed.

“Of course I will. All witches pay for their sins. Tell me Willow. What do you have to pay for?”

Willow began to chant but soon found herself crying. Magic to influence emotions was one of the most subtle of the dark arts. Will hadn’t expected it from someone as showy as Amy. Willow pulled herself together, but it was too late. As she opened her mouth to speak, Amy slammed a ceremonial dagger into her stomach and shoved her from the roof.

Willow hit the ground with a dull thud. She called upon the powers of the earth to heel her, but unconsciousness overtook her before she could.

“Pathetic,” Amy scoffed as she turned and hopped from the roof of the burning house. She floated to the ground, landing softly.

Dawn limped toward Amy. She was holding the only weapon she could find; a split log. Amy smiled and waved her hand. The log lit on fire, forcing Dawn to drop it.

“Sleep, little girl,” Amy said.

“Is that a spell?” Dawn laughed, still completely awake.

“A suggestion.” The burning log rose from the ground and slammed Dawn in the head, knocking her out.

*****

“Connor says you should head to Atlanta,” Kennedy was saying is she swerved in and out of traffic with one hand on the wheel.

“I’ll talk to her,” Connor said as he gripped the dashboard. “You drive. I’ve been in enough accidents in the last two months.”

“She doesn’t want to talk to you,” Kennedy said to Connor. “Right,” she said into the phone and turned back to Connor. “She says you’re an asshole and she’s going to kick your ass.”

“Slayers. They think they own the world just cuz they saved a few times.”

“What about Willow?” Kennedy asked into the phone. Her teeth clenched as she listened. “You better find your boyfriend before I do, because I’m going to kill the son of a bitch!”

“The hell you are!” Connor said angrily. “Give me the phone,” he added grabbing it from Kennedy. “Buffy, it’s Connor. You don’t have to talk to me, just listen. Now that Angelus already hit Willow’s, the next likely targets are you, Nina, Emily, and me. My parents are hiding out ‘til I tell them it’s okay to go home. Get to Emily’s parents and take care of them. I have a flight to L.A. out of San Jose in two hours. I’ll find Nina’s sister and niece.”

“This all would’ve been easier if you’d just stayed at the hospital,” Buffy said.

“We need to spread out,” Connor said. “That way we can find him more quickly.”

“And he can kill us more easily.”

Connor sighed. “I’m not planning to fight him. I’m going to find him, call for back up, and track him. And you should do the same.”

“I find him, I take kick his ass and tie him up.”

“Buffy, listen to me, it has to be me.”

“Why?”

Connor frowned. “I have to be the one to fight him. It’s just a . . . listen, I need you to get a group of like ten or twenty slayers together. Teenage, if possible. Can you do that?”

Buffy smiled. “Sure. One bitch posse, coming up.”

******

“We’re done talking about this Nina,” Jill, Nina’s sister, said angrily as she walked into the living room and shut the television off. “Ten o’clock, Amanda. Bed time.”

Amanda frowned and headed for her room. Usually she’d try the puppy eyes in an attempt to get another half hour, but mom was in a bad mood.

“You’ve been acting like a different person for over a year,” Jill complained. “If I hadn’t had your urine tested, I’d think you were on drugs!”

“You had my urine checked for drugs? I can’t believe you!”

“And I can’t believe you! That’s why I can’t just take an immediate vacation and pull Amanda out of school for a month just because you say we’re in some kind of danger you can’t tell me about.”

“At least let me take Amanda and--”

“I don’t want to go and you think I’m going to let you take Amanda? What’s wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with you?” Nina shouted back. “Are you so obsessed with judging my life and casting me as a freak that you’d ignore me when I say you’re in danger? That your daughter was in danger?”

“Nina, I don’t even know you anymore. You act strange. I haven’t seen you for six months.”

Nina looked down and sighed. “I have a weird boyfriend and a weird job. I protect people. And now I’m protecting you. So get your stuff and get moving or so help me god I will drag you from this house.”

“Works for me,” Angelus grinned.

Nina’s heartbeat quickened as she heard his voice at the door. She turned and did her best to hide her fear.

“She didn’t tell you why she ran away?” Angelus said to Jill. “She left home because she is a freak. She knew if you knew what she really was, you’d throw her out.”

“Don’t let him talk to you like that Aunt Nina!” Amanda yelled. “I don’t care if you’re a werewolf. I still love you. And so does mom.”

Nina turned, shocked that Amanda wasn’t in bed. It took her another second to be shocked at what the girl had just said.

“Werewolf?” Jill said.

“Yeah,” Amanda said. “Why do you think she’d always be busy the three nights around the full moon and get all excited about raw meat?”

“Damn it, I’m an idiot!” Jill shouted. “Nina, why didn’t you tell us?”

“What?” Nina said. “You believe me? I thought you’d think I was crazy.”

“Please,” Jill answered. “I’m a nurse at L.A. General. I’ve seen much weirder shit than werewolves.” She turned to her daughter. “You didn’t hear that.”

Jill looked at Angelus crowded in the doorway. “You never invited him in here, did you?” she asked Nina. “Of course not,” she answered her own question. “Otherwise you’d be in here attacking us already. Wouldn’t you? Vampire.”

“Aw shucks. Guess my secret’s out.”

“Must be disappointing,” Jill smiled. “Come to wreak havoc and all you get is a family reunion.”

“Speaking of which,” a voice behind Angelus said. The vampire turned to see his son.

Connor quickly threw a hard punch to Angelus’ forehead. The vampire fell backward. He hit the invisible barrier of the door and shot back toward Connor. Connor swung out his arm, caught Angelus’ neck and clothes-lined him.

“I knew all those Saturdays watching professional wrestling weren’t wasted,” Connor smirked.

Angelus flipped to his feet. “There’s a thought. You and I could take this live on television. Make some cash off out father son rivalry.”

“Sounds cool,” Connor said as he circled Angelus. “Because Stanford? Not cheap.”

“I thought you were on a track scholarship?” Angelus said. “Only a wussy ass college like Stanford would need to do that. Real schools like Harvard and Princeton don’t need to buy their athletes.”

“Oh, you did not just bust on my school.” Connor threw a kick. Angelus caught it and swung Connor, throwing him onto the front lawn. Connor’s cell phone fell from his belt and bounced on the lawn. Angelus saw it. Connor seemed not to notice.

Angelus moved toward Connor, swooping down to surreptitiously grab the cell phone. He stuffed it in his coat pocket and spun to try to kick Connor in the head.

“Put Harvard athletes in the Pac 10 and see how they do,” Connor said, flipping to his feet and dodging Angelus’ kick.

“Are you still on about that? I already move don to thinking about whether I should skin your girlfriend while I rape her or after.”

Connor yelled angrily and charged Angelus. He needed to get injured and get into the house. He knew Angelus wouldn’t kill him yet. The vampire wanted Connor alive to watch his friends and family die horribly. But Connor knew he had to be injured to explain his retreat. The slayers would be ready soon.

Angelus grabbed Connor and twisted his arm back. He slammed Connor into the ground and rammed the boy’s head into the concrete walkway up to the front door. He bent the arm as hard as he could. He wanted to break Connor’s arm, but the kid was made of iron. He settled for wrenching it lose and dislocating it.

Connor screeched in pain. He pulled himself out from under Angelus with his one good arm. On all threes (his left arm being useless), he scrambled to the door and leapt through the barrier of the house.

“Pussy! I can’ believe anyone with my genes would run away from a fight like that!” Angelus backed away from the house. “Be seeing you soon.” He turned and ran into the night.

“We need to get you to a hospital,” Jill said.

“You’re a nurse,” Connor said. “Make a sling and do what you can. I have to get moving.”

Jill shook her head. “You’re--”

“There’s no time! Just do what you can.”

Angelus slowed to a walk about two miles from the house. He took out Connor’s cell phone, which he’d surreptitiously snatched from the lawn. He cycled through the recently dialed and received calls. Most had names attached. One, with a 303 area code, didn’t.

“Denver?” Angelus said, trying to remember if that was the city to which the area code belonged. He hit the call button.

“Hello?” a young girl’s voice answered.

“Erin?” Angelus said excitedly, trying to sound like a perky teenaged girl.

“Yes?”

“This is Angel. Do you remember me? We met when Connor was in the hospital.”

“Yeah,” Erin said perkily. The dumb bitch’s tone sounded like her parents kept her in the dark. “I remember. You’re Connor’s biological father who looks like you could be his brother.”

It couldn’t have gone better if Angelus told her what to say. “Anyway, Connor said you were all in Denver.”

“Boulder,” Erin corrected.

“Oh, that’s right. He wants me to come check in on you. You in particular.”

“Really? Well, my cousin’s taking me to a party tomorrow night. It’s for her soccer team. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind having a hot guy show up. You want to come and meet me there?”

“That’d be great!” Angelus said. “What’s the address?”

*******

He rang the doorbell and the front door opened.

“Angel!” Erin called perkily from the back of the room. The party was the vampire’s wettest of wet dream. About fifteen teenage-ish girls in athletic clothes.

“You’re Erin’s friend?” the girl who opened the door said. “Come on in.”

“All I needed to hear,” Angelus said as he stepped through the door. He saw two of the girls step protectively in front of Erin and usher her toward the garage.

Poor Erin looked scared already Angelus thought. Couldn’t be more scared if she knew what was coming. Erin’s heartbeat was racing. It was like an aphrodisiac.

A girl closed the door behind Angelus and two of her friends joined her in leaning back against it. Like they were blocking it.

Angelus’ mind went into overdrive. Erin was scared. He was in a room full of teenage girls. And they were blocking the door to keep him in.

“Shit!” Angelus said.

“You know,” Connor said, coming down the stairs with his arm in a sling. “For an evil mastermind, you’re pretty gullible.”

Angelus smiled. “Using your own sister as bait. Nice. I’m proud of you, son.” He looked around the room. “So . . . how many of these girls are slayers?”

Connor smiled smugly. “All of them.”

********

Buffy clicked another chain into place over the unconscious Angelus, just to be sure. “I can’t find Spike and Willow’s out of commission. Meanwhile, I’m not wild about leaving him like this.”

“I can do this,” Dawn said. “Just find Spike.”

“You can do the re-ensoulment curse,” Buffy said. “That I buy. It was the first major spell Willow ever did solo. But this . . . you’re talking about an entirely new spell. That takes big mojo.”

“I helped write the spell. And it’s a variation on several existing spells, so I . . . I can do it.”

“Is this the spell I asked Willow about?” Connor asked as he walked into the room.

“Yeah,” Dawn said.

“You figured it out?”

“We think so.”

“Dawn,” Buffy said. “Willow has been trying to figure out how to make Angel’s soul permanent for almost seven years. What’s changed that--”

“Spike’s changed. He has a soul.”

“Wait,” Connor said. “Spike? William the bloody? He has a soul? No one tells me anything!”

“Spike went through a bunch of trials to get his soul,” Buffy said. “I doubt Angelus will cooperate.”

“But we can back-mask,” Dawn said. “I found a spell in the Tavumda Ha that allows people to take on the aspects of their decedents. Like if you were blind but had a child that could see, you could do the spell to restore your sight. Willow and I adapted it using bits of the gypsy curse so that it could apply to spiritual characteristics instead of physical ones. Oh, and vampires instead of people.”

“That’s a lot of ifs,” Buffy said. “And you’re just a beginner. Besides, no Spike, no vampire with a soul. Hopefully we’ll find him before Willow’s out of the hospital, then we can do it.”

Connor was looking down, as if thinking. “The original spell was for characteristics of your kids?”

Dawn nodded proudly. “Yeah, but I figured out we might be able to make it for anyone of that entity’s lineage with the desired characteristic. In this case, soul. That way . . . oh.” She bit her lip slightly. “Connor, it . . . it could be dangerous for a human.”

“What?” Buffy asked. “What human? Angel couldn’t have sired a human with a soul.”

Connor looked at Dawn resolutely. “Do it.”

*********

Dawn walked up to Angelus and set her book down by his head.

“So, you’re going to try to play witch? Put my soul back in. It’ll only be a matter of time ‘til it slips out again. It’ll only be a matter of time ‘til I’m back.”

“Not this time. I’ve got the perma-soul mojo working now.”

“You? You can’t even make French toast. The only thing you’re good for is getting in trouble and praying your sister or some other sap bails you out. Speaking of bailing you out, I’m surprised Connor even puts in the effort. He was bitching and moaning the whole time he was home how you look at him with those lustful little eyes and follow him around like a little puppy dog. He already has one hound, Dawn. He doesn’t need another.”

“I know what you’re trying to do,” Dawn said calmly as she mixed her ingredients. “You’re trying to upset me. Get me off center so I’ll flub the spell. Buffy said we should gag you. But I was against it.”

Dawn looked at the vampire and smiled, confidence blazing in her eye so much that he nearly shuddered. “I wanted you to get your quips in while you can. Because, Angelus, today is the last day of the rest of your life.”

Dawn slammed her hand into Angelus’ chest. He screamed loudly as a painful white light burst forth.”

**********

“Are runners supposed to do that?” Buffy asked, sitting next to Connor, smoking a cigarette on the front step of the partially burned house. The damage to Willow’s place was mostly cosmetic. The damage to Connor looked a lot worse. The spell had taken a toll on him, but he’d come through okay in the end.

“Runners can sometimes,” Connor said, taking a drag. “Children of my mother, never,/i>. Don’t tell her, okay?”

“Deal.” They sat quietly for a moment. “So how . . . how did . . . how did you happen?”

“Long story. I don’t remember all of it myself. Well . . . I do, but I try to pretend I don’t. Helps keep me sane.”

“Sane is good.”

“I wasn’t born until a couple years ago. Like I said, long story. But that’s why he never mentioned me to you in Sunnydale.”

“Oh,” Buffy said, feeling slightly better. “Well, we should probably go and check on your dad.”

Connor and Buffy walked into the room. Dawn was sitting on a chair near the bed where Angel lay unconscious. Immediately Connor could hear it, like the steady banging of a drum.

“Spell worked!” Dawn said proudly. “I am so badass!”

Ba Bump.

“What the hell!” Connor said, as he ran to his father.

Ba Bump.

“Connor, what is it?” Buffy asked frantically.

Ba Bump.

“Oh my god!” Dawn gasped, putting her hand on Angel’s chest.

Ba Bump.

“What is it?” Buffy yelled.

Ba Bump.

Dawn looked up at Buffy, confusion on her face and tears in her eyes.

Ba Bump.

“Buffy,” Dawn said nervously. “Buffy, he has a heartbeat.”

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