*******
His roommate started commenting on the 'hottie' the third time she came by their room to ask him out for coffee. Connor had repeatedly tried to explain that it was purely a platonic relationship but Brian didn't believe him.
"You fuck her yet?" He asked as Connor began pulling on his shoes, waiting for his fifth 'date' with Lana.
Connor glared at his roommate and threw a book at him purposefully missing his head by an inch. "We're friends Brian. Not that you'd understand that given your relationship with the opposite sex."
"Makes no sense dealing with their shit if you're not going to get the privileges."
He rolled his eyes and moved towards his desk grabbing the bottle of water that was sitting on the pile of textbooks. He began running his finger down the spines trying to figure out why each usually easy subject was giving him such a hard time. The knock on the door interrupted his self-reflection and Connor moved to open the door beaten by Brian who grinned widely at him before opening the door.
"Hey, Lana right?"
"Yes, same as the first three times you met me."
Connor grinned as Brian moved aside and Lana sauntered in, walking directly over to him and kissing his cheek before turning to catch Brian's eye.
"Hey sexy."
"Lana, you ready for our study session?"
"That's what you're calling it, god you are a lame ass."
Connor shot him a dirty look and grimaced when Faith winked as his roommate, "Only if you are. Last time you seemed a bit out of it."
"I'm fine Lana, I was just tired before." Connor moved towards the door edging past Brian and gently pushing Faith out the door, closing it behind them as Brian yelled something about tying a scarf to the door.
Faith matched Connor's stride as they left the building, making their way down the street.
"Sorry about Brian, he can be an..."
"Asshole?" The Slayer offered and grinned. She was enjoying Connor's company, it surprised her though because Angel had told her she hadn't really gotten along with his teenage son, but then again, in that version Connor had given new meaning to the phrase troubled teenager.
"Something like that." He smiled back, "So dinner first?"
Faith nodded but stopped and put a finger to her lips. Connor looked confused but she didn't have time to baby him, something was coming and if she wanted to help Angel, she'd need to concentrate on keeping his son alive. Faith turned slowly in a circle still not seeing anything, when Connor tapped her shoulder the Slayer spun around into an immediate battle stance. Ten vampires surrounded them and Faith quickly managed to look at Connor, pushing him against a wall before a vampire to her right launched himself at her.
"Slayer."
"One of them," Faith grinned, ducked to the side and snaked a hand out catching the vampire's ankle, throwing him backwards onto the pavement.
The others began to move closer until one separated and ran at Faith, punching her in the gut and causing the Slayer to stumble backwards. Faith pulled a stake out of her coat as she managed to right herself. She spun around, quickly catching the first vampire off guard and slammed the stake home. Without pause she pulled the stake out of the vampire and moved swiftly to the next, roundhouse kicking it back into another two and knocking all three of them backwards.
"Faith!"
The Slayer grunted at Angel as he entered the fight and turned her attention back to the vampire she was sparring with. Faith rolled her eyes as she continued to block the vampire's punches, two seconds later she was coated in dust and moving towards her next target who turned to dust and left Angel standing in front of her, his stake still raised.
"Where's Connor?"
Faith looked at the wall where she'd left him and immediately started running, only vaguely aware of Angel shouting her name as he followed her.
Angel collapsed on the sofa and looked at Faith who was silently hanging her coat on the hook by the door avoiding eye contact. He'd lost him again, Faith had been right there with him and his son had still disappeared; it was starting to look like Angel was never meant to be a father and that maybe he should have just killed his son and let death be his peace.
"He'll be ok, Connor's strong."
Angel shrugged off the hand she put on his shoulder, "He doesn't remember how to fight Faith, Connor doesn't remember any of it and he's still suffering because of me."
"Connor is going to be ok Angel, but I am worried about how those vampires knew I was the Slayer."
"They sensed it."
"No, they knew it and there's a whole world of difference there, whoever hired the Lavkar demon to drain Connor hired those goons to take me out. Ten vampires against a Slayer though isn't very creative."
He sat up in the chair and looked at her as she kicked her boots up on the table, "So whoever it is has resources."
"And some sort of vendetta against you."
Angel rubbed his eyes and stood up, he needed to clear his mind but instead thoughts of Connor continued to fog his mind. "Once you've eaten I want you to go to his dorm room, see if he's there, maybe the Lavkar demon has finished with him for the time being."
Faith nodded, "I don't need to eat, I'll find him Angel."
All the vampire could do was watch her leave, he banged his fist against the table as the door closed and looked numbly at the crack that appeared in the wood. He was never supposed to be a father, a father would have protected his son, would've been out tracking him with Faith. Instead, Angel was forced inside because of the sun.
That's what he loved about winter, the lack of restrictions, he could go out when it was cloudy and the nights were longer so he wasn't constantly cooped up somewhere. But winter also meant a heavier workload with demon attacks on the rise and he hated that Connor had fallen subject to that. Angel had never been able to save his son, even by giving him a new life, he was still failing him and now Faith had taken over the role of protector. Connor's life of suffering had begun the day Darla had staked herself in the alley and Holtz hadn't killed him; the miracle child of two vampires born to bring forth Jasmine; Angel hit his fist on the already cracked table, he should have known Connor never would have stood a chance. Against those odds who would.
He stood up when the table collapsed and moved towards the window, it wasn't as soothing as his office window at Wolfram and Hart. Angel didn't own Boston, not that he owned LA but he could safely call the city his; he was its protector. It was ironic; he could protect an entire city yet he couldn't protect his son no matter how hard he tried. The buzzing in his pocket jolted Angel back to reality and he fished the phone out of his jacket.
"Angel."
"It's Wesley, the Lavkar demon we were talking about--the one after the boy," He paused, "Wolfram and Hart sent it, I was going through contracts and the demon's contracted to the firm."
"But how Wes? We're in control, I didn't contract any demon to attack this kid."
"You don't have final say on all contracts Angel and we are working in the belly of the beast. Wolfram and Hart is evil at its core, we're simply here to use their resources in our fight for good."
Angel glared out the window, he knew everything that Wesley was telling him but someone within the firm had sent the demon after his son and he didn't need three guesses to figure out who.
"All I'm saying is be careful with this Angel."
"Who signed the contract?"
"It doesn't say."
"Tell everyone to keep a low profile, they already know I'm looking into this case it won't take them long to put all of you under suspicion."
"We'll tread discreetly Angel, maybe even take some well deserved paid leave. I'll call you later."
Angel ended the call and slammed the cell phone back into his pocket.
"Lilah," he growled at the ceiling.
She didn't answer, not that he'd expected her to, Lilah wasn't stupid. If she showed her face around him he'd find some way to make her stay in Hell look like a holiday in Disneyland.
"We had a deal, Wolfram and Hart got me in exchange for Connor having a new life. That didn't include you being able to destroy that for him."
"No, you just signed him up for a normal life. You shouldn't have signed your name to such a broad statement, normal means different things to well," she smirked and dipped her head at him, "Different things."
"Normal is a life free of demons, I wanted Connor to grow up away from all that."
"That wasn't what you signed."
"I didn't really have time to read the small print, my son was about to blow people up."
The former lawyer began pouring herself a drink and Angel stalked over to her pushing her against the wall and gripping her neck.
"Haven't you learnt by now, you always read the small print, I want a scotch, double, on the rocks and then maybe we can start to negotiate."
"We don't have anything to negotiate Lilah," Angel hissed and gritted his teeth increasing the force of his hand against her neck.
"Fine, have it your way, I'll go back to Hell and the Senior Partners will get your son and then you'll ruin yet another family." She smirked as he dropped her to the ground, "How many would that make it?"
Angel flexed his hands but kept his eyes trained on the woman as she stood up and brushed her skirt off, making her way to the bar.
"What's the deal?"
"Wolfram and Hart gets you and Spike, no holds barred. The firm owns your souls."
"Spike can't be involved."
"Then no deal." Lilah shrugged her shoulders and sipped at her drink, "Two vampires for your miracle son Angel, take the deal or leave it--this isn't an ongoing offer, 48 hours and it's off the table, Wolfram and Hart gets your son."
"What would happen to Connor?" Angel sat down at the bar and ignored the smug looked that crossed her face, instead he took the bottle of scotch she'd been drinking and finished it, "What would happen to him?"
"He dies he could wind up like me." She grinned, "I don't know Angel, you know the Senior Partners, I'm not privy to whatever they want to do with your son, I only know that they want him. He's probably going to play some important role in the End of Days but I'm guessing you've already figured that out."
Angel nodded, "He's my son, I knew he'd be important but after Jasmine--I thought that was his purpose."
"Whoa, showing real faith in your boy aren't you?"
"Show me another story that proves otherwise."
"As much as I'd love to, what with it keeping me out of hell and all I think I'm going to enjoy myself for the forty eight hours I have on earth. You know how to reach me."
She disappeared and Angel blinked against the flash of light, "Spike?"
"Bloody hell Angel, do you know what time it is?"
"I need you in Boston."
"Hold up, I'm not your little puppy dog."
"It isn't for me, I can't explain over the phone but I need you to get here, don't tell anyone, if they ask tell them you're visiting Buffy."
"Why would they believe that?"
"Because she loved you once." The words grated against the back of his throat, "Just get to Boston, the private jet will be waiting at the airport, I've only got forty eight hours."
"You're going to die?"
Angel ignored the happy tone in his childe's voice, "No, I'm not going to die but if you don't get here soon then I can think of..."
"Idle threat Peaches."
He was about to retaliate but the peroxide vampire had hung up, Angel could only hope that he would agree to the terms; without Spike's help his son would be lost to him forever.
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