Fic- Hyperion's Son Ch 21
Sep. 25th, 2007 11:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessYes you read that right. I'm updating. Call the press
Hyperion's Son
Disclaimer - Sing the chorus. I don't own them (well, Darts, Misty and Night Rain are mine), Joss does. No harm intended, no money made, thank you for letting us borrow them for a while.
Spoilers - All of BtVS S7 and AtS S4
Rating - FRM
Pairing - Buffy/Angel, Gunn/Fred and probably a few others as we roll on
Summary - Ten years after Angel gave up his son, Angel Investigations has a strange new case, one of the young new Slayers training with Buffy in LA has turned up dead just like a half dozen or so street kids leading Angel, Buffy and their friends into a very dark world of hopelessness to find the evil is after one of their own.
Author's Note - thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
evil_little_dog for the beta
Chapter Twenty-One
While I was busy waging wars on myself, you were trying to stop the fight
You never doubted my warped opinions on things like suicidal hate… Hate me today
Hate me tomorrow Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you – Blue October – Hate Me
Buffy yawned quietly, shifting on the uncomfortable hospital chair. She had lost track of the hours that had gone by since Connor had been found dying in the courtyard. Finally, she and Willow had convinced Angel that it would be all right to have the television on softly. It wouldn’t bother Connor nor was it disrespectful to have it on. They also managed to convince Angel to get some rest in the shadows of the small room as it was nearly dawn.
There really wasn’t anything good on the TV but it served as a diversion while she kept vigil at Connor’s bed. The antiseptic smell was getting to her and Buffy didn’t know how people worked in places like this. Weariness sucked at her bones but Angel wouldn’t let anyone else into the room, barring Willow, as if he blamed everyone for what had happened. Even Willow’s assurances that Connor would be all right didn’t appease Angel.
A soft moan captured her attention followed by a metallic clank, the sound of restraints on the metal frame. Once Willow had admitted Connor as a suicide attempt, the cuffs had gone on, in spite of Angel’s protests. Buffy fumbled for his hand and he squeezed it. “You’re cuffed to the bed, just rest easy,” Buffy whispered.
“Why?” he murmured, his voice a harsh whisper.
“Because you tried to kill yourself,” she said practically, finding it easier than she thought to explain the restraints.
He shook his head slightly, eyes still closed. “No…why save me?”
Buffy stared at him for a moment, shocked. “Why wouldn’t we?”
“I don’t matter,” Connor said, finally opening his eyes.
Buffy squeezed his hand then she pointed to where Angel drowsed in his shadow-veiled chair. “Do you think you don’t matter to him? If you didn’t matter to me and Dawn, would we have searched the hotel and managed to find you in time?”
Connor didn’t answer. A few tears tumbled down his hollow cheeks. Buffy undid the leather cuffs restraining him to the bed. He looked at her in shock. She shrugged. “It’s not like these could really hold you. They’re just mandatory. If a nurse comes in, she can yell at me.” Buffy surprised Connor by sliding her arms under him, dragging him forward. He folded up against her, huddled in her embrace.
“You can’t die,” she whispered, remembering telling his father something like this once. It felt like a hundred years ago. “It would hurt more people than you know.”
“Besides, Dad, who?” he murmured, bitterness underlying his words.
“How about those kids at Anne’s? They’d miss you. You’re important to them and to me and Dawn.” Hearing his soft sound of disbelief, she added. “Maybe I should say it as you’re becoming important to me. Would that be more believable? Things that matter to your father, matter to me.”
Connor sucked on his lower lip as he slipped out of her arms. He settled himself back against the thin-mattressed bed. “I can believe that.”
“I’m sorry that I’ve not been very easy on you or very accepting. It’s been too hard on me, I guess,” Buffy said honestly; a touch of shame pinked up her cheeks. “I want to do better.”
“Dad didn’t tell you. He probably thought he was protecting you.” Connor sighed, a long drawn out sound. “I know him. Likes to make decisions he thinks are best for you without asking.”
Buffy laughed lightly, resting a hand over Connor’s. “You know your father all too well.”
Connor made a sound between a laugh and a cry. “Better than he knows.”
“I’m sorry that we haven’t been better to you.” Buffy cast a glance over at Angel. “He hasn’t even had time to think that much about anything but the demoness.”
“That’s important.”
Buffy’s expression hardened. “So are you and we forgot that. And we’ve forgotten how to be forgiving.” She shook her head, her hair swaying. “It’s always been a weakness of ours.”
“I’m not any better,” Connor said, shifting uncomfortably on the hard bed, his pale blue gown pulling precariously. “Need to get me a nurse.”
“What’s wrong?” Can I help?” Buffy asked worriedly.
Connor smiled wryly. “Doubt you want to hold that.” He nodded to the bedside urinal. “And you probably should lock me back up so you can call the nurse.”
“Oh yeah, good point.” Blushing faintly, Buffy closed the cuffs back over Connor’s slender wrists and hit the call button for the nurse. “I’ll wait outside.” Getting up, she went over and tapped Angel’s shoulder, dragging the groggy, half-awake vampire outside.
“What’s going on?” he asked, rubbing his eyes. He watched a nurse go into Connor’s room and his expression morphed into one of worry. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Buffy replied, placatingly. “Connor’s awake.”
“Then why did you bring me out here?” Angel turned to go back in.
Buffy grabbed hold, halting him. “Because I figured he’d rather pee in private.”
Angel’s eyebrows climbed. “Oh. I’m sure you’re right Buffy. I…” Angel faltered and she put her arms around him, pulling him tight.
“He’s going to be all right, Angel.” She figured that was what he needed to hear the most. She just wished she knew if that were the truth or not.
“You don’t know that,” he said, his words muffled against her skin.
She let him go, running a hand over the hard angle of his jaw. “I do. We were having a nice talk. Well, I guess nice isn’t really the term for it but it was productive, I think. Don’t give up on him now. Connor needs you to hold him up and I’ll be here to hold you up as needed.” Buffy smiled at him.
Angel kissed her and she felt the love pouring out of him. “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Buffy. I don’t know where I’d be without you.”
Before Buffy could respond, the nurse came out of the room and nodded to them. Buffy put a hand on Angel’s strong arm. “Go talk to him, Angel. I’ll wait here for a little while.”
Angel gave her a thankful smile and went into the room. It hurt more than he could tell anyone to see his son strapped down. Connor looked oddly at peace with that. He went and sat by Connor’s bed.
“Hi, Dad.”
“Hey.” Angel pushed Connor’s bangs out of his eyes. “How do you feel?”
“Okay, all things considered. Tired,” Connor admitted, looking so fragile it made Angel’s heart ache.
Angel studied his big hands, trying to think off what to say. “Buffy said you two were talking.”
Connor nodded. “It was a good talk, really.”
“That’s what she said, too.” Hope gleamed in Angel’s eyes. “I want you to like her.”
“I do. She might even like me a little, even if I don’t make it easy,” Connor said ruefully.
Angel smiled and patted Connor’s shoulder. “You’ve never been one for the easy path. I think it’s a family trait.”
“Really? Spike said you were pretty lazy.” Connor grinned.
“Spike wants to be killed slowly.” Angel managed a weary grin but he was thrilled Connor could find something that made him smile.
Connor snorted. “Not before I get all of the good stories out of him.”
“Oh, Spike can surely keep you entertained for days,” Angel replied. He’d gladly suffer the humiliation of a slew of Spike stories to keep Connor happy. Angel sobered. “I am sorry, son.”
“It’s not your fault, Dad.” Connor’s fingers balled in the sheets, his pain shining through. “I meant what I said before. You’ve been good to me, beating aside. Better than the rest. I’m just so very tired.”
“I know.” Angel stroked Connor’s hair again. “You’ve been there before. I couldn’t help you then. Let me help you now.”
“I don’t know what you can do, Dad.” Connor’s eyes dimmed, trying not to think about the last time Angel helped, which had inadvertently lead to this moment. “You can’t force people to be nice to me.”
“No, but I can find you a good place to stay, where you can get better, and you won’t have to deal with them if they can’t be civil,” Angel said softly.
Connor sighed. “I’ll think about it.”
“I just don’t want you to go yet, son. There’s a lot of life ahead of you. I want you to get well and enjoy it,” Angel whispered, his hand closing over Connor’s.
“I did what I thought…” Connor shook his head. “I just wanted it to end. I don’t expect you to understand.”
Angel’s jaw set. He knew exactly what he needed to say. “But I do. I tried to kill myself, Connor, one Christmas Eve not all that long ago really, back in Sunnydale when Buffy was still in high school. I tried to greet the sun.”
Connor eyed him suspiciously. “How didn’t you die?”
“Buffy tried to talk me out of it,” Angel replied. “And it snowed in southern California, blotting out the sun. The Powers That Be weren’t ready for me to die. Maybe they weren’t ready for you, either since Buffy and Dawn went looking for you in time and Willow just happened to decide to stock up on that medicine that would reverse the narcotics. That was a lot of things that had to fall into place.”
Connor mulled that for a moment. “I suppose so.”
A soft knock sounded on the door and Buffy peeked in. “Can I come in?”
“Sure,” Connor said. “Though I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be awake.”
“We’ll get Willow to release you, son, and we’ll all go home,” Angel said, his dark eyes lighting up.
“I think he’s supposed to stay for seventy-two hours, Angel,” Buffy said uneasily and Angel looked ready to protest.
“Dad, it’s okay. I want to stay. It’s not the first time I’ve been in on a seventy-two hour hold. I think really I need to be here. You can arrange to have Lorelei come see me instead of me having to talk to whatever shrink’s on duty here. That would be a big help.”
His brow knit. “Are you sure, Connor?”
“I think we could all use the rest, Dad. We could talk to Lorelei and Willow about taking the restraints off, naughty nurse fantasies aside, I’d rather not be spoon fed and all the rest.” Connor smiled.
Buffy rolled her eyes. “Is the naughty nurse thing universal?”
“Probably,” Angel replied, a hint of humor hiding in the corners of his generous mouth. “We can arrange that, Connor. You just sleep now.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Even with that settled, Angel found it hard to leave. Buffy led him out of the hospital and to the parking garage so he could get into the trunk like so much luggage.
X X X
Buffy hadn’t been back at the hotel for ten minutes when her cell rang with Xander’s ring tones. She thought for a moment about just crashing on her bed and ignoring it. Instead, she answered. “What’s up, Xander?”
“You need to get to the school, Buffy.” The tension in his tone made Buffy wince.
“But I just go in.” She knew her friends could handle most crises. “I was at the hospital all last night.”
“Leda escaped and she killed Tricia,” he said, pain in his voice.
Buffy nearly dropped her phone. She couldn’t have possibly anticipated that. “Oh God, I’ll be right there.”
Angel peered out of their bedroom at her, hearing her anxiety. “What’s wrong?”
“Leda killed Tricia and escaped. I have to get to the school,” Buffy replied, trying to find the shoes she had just kicked off.
“I’ll go with you.”
She held up a hand. “No, you’re exhausted, Angel. Stay.”
“You’re no less tired. You have a rogue slayer who got past Willow’s magic. I’m going,” Angel insisted, his thick arms crossing over his broad chest.
Buffy nodded. She knew arguing with Angel was futile. “All right.”
She broke all the traffic rules getting to the school as fast as she could. She wondered briefly if Angel was capable of getting motion sick in the back. Xander and Willow were both waiting for Buffy outside the school as the slayer swung under the covered carport.
“How did this happen?” Buffy demanded to know as she popped the trunk.
“We don’t know. Somehow she got past the holding spell,” Willow said, her pale face blotchy with anger.
“She wasn’t a witch,” Xander reminded them.
Buffy opened the door so Angel could dash inside. “Willow, your holding spell, was it on the room or on her?”
“The room,” Willow said, following Buffy inside. “Robin and Giles are dealing with Tricia’s murder. We had to call the police, of course. I’m not sure they believe Leda killed her.”
“I still can’t believe she did that,” Xander said, his dark eyes widened.
“She saw Tricia as her betrayer,” Angel said, knowing all too well about prey-predator relationships. “She was the enemy. Leda probably counts Buffy and Connor as that as well, probably you, too, Willow.”
“Do you think Connor is in any danger?” Buffy glanced over at the vampire.
Angel shook his head. “I doubt she would have any idea that Connor is hospitalized but we should be concerned with Leda turning up at the hotel.”
Xander nodded as he headed up the steps towards Leda’s room. “How is he, Angel?”
Angel’s eyes narrowed but he sensed nothing but honest concern. “Connor’s doing okay, all things considered. They’ll keep him at the hospital for a while.”
“It’s a good thing, right?” Xander asked.
“Better than this.” Angel gestured down the hall.
“I want to know how this happened,” Buffy growled, tossing open the door to Leda’s prison. The sparse furniture was intact and the window was as well. The bars didn’t even seem to have been tried.
Angel stood outside of the path of the light as his friends started to investigate. “How about the ceiling tiles? Connor showed us Leda used them to store drugs,” he reminded them.
“I took care of that, too, with my wards,” Willow replied.
“Will, what is this?” Buffy pointed to something on the outside of the windowsill. “Did you put this here?”
Willow peered at the sigil. “Damn. She has some sort of outside help. This broke my wards.”
“Outside help?” Xander’s face screwed up, shoving his hands in his pockets to keep them from jittering. “Why does that sound very very bad?”
“Because it is,” Buffy said. “Not only is she rogue but she might be working for some other supernatural force that we know nothing about.” Buffy punched the sill, cracking it. “We didn’t need this, not with that demoness running around.”
“I can’t imagine a good time for a rogue Slayer backed up by an unknown magic user,” Angel said, his lips thinning.
“What do we do now?” Xander asked.
“We have to find out who she might be working with,” Willow said. “Leave this to me. I’ll start asking around the magical community.”
“And I’ll start knocking on demons’ doors to see if anyone has seen Leda. I’ll tap into Wolfram and Hart’s resources as well,” Angel said, wishing there was more any of them could do. He could see the tension in Buffy’s eyes. He, himself, didn’t need any more problems. He was drowning as it was but fate seemed to think they could handle more.
Hyperion's Son
Disclaimer - Sing the chorus. I don't own them (well, Darts, Misty and Night Rain are mine), Joss does. No harm intended, no money made, thank you for letting us borrow them for a while.
Spoilers - All of BtVS S7 and AtS S4
Rating - FRM
Pairing - Buffy/Angel, Gunn/Fred and probably a few others as we roll on
Summary - Ten years after Angel gave up his son, Angel Investigations has a strange new case, one of the young new Slayers training with Buffy in LA has turned up dead just like a half dozen or so street kids leading Angel, Buffy and their friends into a very dark world of hopelessness to find the evil is after one of their own.
Author's Note - thanks to
evil_little_dog for the betaChapter Twenty-One
While I was busy waging wars on myself, you were trying to stop the fight
You never doubted my warped opinions on things like suicidal hate… Hate me today
Hate me tomorrow Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you – Blue October – Hate Me
Buffy yawned quietly, shifting on the uncomfortable hospital chair. She had lost track of the hours that had gone by since Connor had been found dying in the courtyard. Finally, she and Willow had convinced Angel that it would be all right to have the television on softly. It wouldn’t bother Connor nor was it disrespectful to have it on. They also managed to convince Angel to get some rest in the shadows of the small room as it was nearly dawn.
There really wasn’t anything good on the TV but it served as a diversion while she kept vigil at Connor’s bed. The antiseptic smell was getting to her and Buffy didn’t know how people worked in places like this. Weariness sucked at her bones but Angel wouldn’t let anyone else into the room, barring Willow, as if he blamed everyone for what had happened. Even Willow’s assurances that Connor would be all right didn’t appease Angel.
A soft moan captured her attention followed by a metallic clank, the sound of restraints on the metal frame. Once Willow had admitted Connor as a suicide attempt, the cuffs had gone on, in spite of Angel’s protests. Buffy fumbled for his hand and he squeezed it. “You’re cuffed to the bed, just rest easy,” Buffy whispered.
“Why?” he murmured, his voice a harsh whisper.
“Because you tried to kill yourself,” she said practically, finding it easier than she thought to explain the restraints.
He shook his head slightly, eyes still closed. “No…why save me?”
Buffy stared at him for a moment, shocked. “Why wouldn’t we?”
“I don’t matter,” Connor said, finally opening his eyes.
Buffy squeezed his hand then she pointed to where Angel drowsed in his shadow-veiled chair. “Do you think you don’t matter to him? If you didn’t matter to me and Dawn, would we have searched the hotel and managed to find you in time?”
Connor didn’t answer. A few tears tumbled down his hollow cheeks. Buffy undid the leather cuffs restraining him to the bed. He looked at her in shock. She shrugged. “It’s not like these could really hold you. They’re just mandatory. If a nurse comes in, she can yell at me.” Buffy surprised Connor by sliding her arms under him, dragging him forward. He folded up against her, huddled in her embrace.
“You can’t die,” she whispered, remembering telling his father something like this once. It felt like a hundred years ago. “It would hurt more people than you know.”
“Besides, Dad, who?” he murmured, bitterness underlying his words.
“How about those kids at Anne’s? They’d miss you. You’re important to them and to me and Dawn.” Hearing his soft sound of disbelief, she added. “Maybe I should say it as you’re becoming important to me. Would that be more believable? Things that matter to your father, matter to me.”
Connor sucked on his lower lip as he slipped out of her arms. He settled himself back against the thin-mattressed bed. “I can believe that.”
“I’m sorry that I’ve not been very easy on you or very accepting. It’s been too hard on me, I guess,” Buffy said honestly; a touch of shame pinked up her cheeks. “I want to do better.”
“Dad didn’t tell you. He probably thought he was protecting you.” Connor sighed, a long drawn out sound. “I know him. Likes to make decisions he thinks are best for you without asking.”
Buffy laughed lightly, resting a hand over Connor’s. “You know your father all too well.”
Connor made a sound between a laugh and a cry. “Better than he knows.”
“I’m sorry that we haven’t been better to you.” Buffy cast a glance over at Angel. “He hasn’t even had time to think that much about anything but the demoness.”
“That’s important.”
Buffy’s expression hardened. “So are you and we forgot that. And we’ve forgotten how to be forgiving.” She shook her head, her hair swaying. “It’s always been a weakness of ours.”
“I’m not any better,” Connor said, shifting uncomfortably on the hard bed, his pale blue gown pulling precariously. “Need to get me a nurse.”
“What’s wrong?” Can I help?” Buffy asked worriedly.
Connor smiled wryly. “Doubt you want to hold that.” He nodded to the bedside urinal. “And you probably should lock me back up so you can call the nurse.”
“Oh yeah, good point.” Blushing faintly, Buffy closed the cuffs back over Connor’s slender wrists and hit the call button for the nurse. “I’ll wait outside.” Getting up, she went over and tapped Angel’s shoulder, dragging the groggy, half-awake vampire outside.
“What’s going on?” he asked, rubbing his eyes. He watched a nurse go into Connor’s room and his expression morphed into one of worry. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Buffy replied, placatingly. “Connor’s awake.”
“Then why did you bring me out here?” Angel turned to go back in.
Buffy grabbed hold, halting him. “Because I figured he’d rather pee in private.”
Angel’s eyebrows climbed. “Oh. I’m sure you’re right Buffy. I…” Angel faltered and she put her arms around him, pulling him tight.
“He’s going to be all right, Angel.” She figured that was what he needed to hear the most. She just wished she knew if that were the truth or not.
“You don’t know that,” he said, his words muffled against her skin.
She let him go, running a hand over the hard angle of his jaw. “I do. We were having a nice talk. Well, I guess nice isn’t really the term for it but it was productive, I think. Don’t give up on him now. Connor needs you to hold him up and I’ll be here to hold you up as needed.” Buffy smiled at him.
Angel kissed her and she felt the love pouring out of him. “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Buffy. I don’t know where I’d be without you.”
Before Buffy could respond, the nurse came out of the room and nodded to them. Buffy put a hand on Angel’s strong arm. “Go talk to him, Angel. I’ll wait here for a little while.”
Angel gave her a thankful smile and went into the room. It hurt more than he could tell anyone to see his son strapped down. Connor looked oddly at peace with that. He went and sat by Connor’s bed.
“Hi, Dad.”
“Hey.” Angel pushed Connor’s bangs out of his eyes. “How do you feel?”
“Okay, all things considered. Tired,” Connor admitted, looking so fragile it made Angel’s heart ache.
Angel studied his big hands, trying to think off what to say. “Buffy said you two were talking.”
Connor nodded. “It was a good talk, really.”
“That’s what she said, too.” Hope gleamed in Angel’s eyes. “I want you to like her.”
“I do. She might even like me a little, even if I don’t make it easy,” Connor said ruefully.
Angel smiled and patted Connor’s shoulder. “You’ve never been one for the easy path. I think it’s a family trait.”
“Really? Spike said you were pretty lazy.” Connor grinned.
“Spike wants to be killed slowly.” Angel managed a weary grin but he was thrilled Connor could find something that made him smile.
Connor snorted. “Not before I get all of the good stories out of him.”
“Oh, Spike can surely keep you entertained for days,” Angel replied. He’d gladly suffer the humiliation of a slew of Spike stories to keep Connor happy. Angel sobered. “I am sorry, son.”
“It’s not your fault, Dad.” Connor’s fingers balled in the sheets, his pain shining through. “I meant what I said before. You’ve been good to me, beating aside. Better than the rest. I’m just so very tired.”
“I know.” Angel stroked Connor’s hair again. “You’ve been there before. I couldn’t help you then. Let me help you now.”
“I don’t know what you can do, Dad.” Connor’s eyes dimmed, trying not to think about the last time Angel helped, which had inadvertently lead to this moment. “You can’t force people to be nice to me.”
“No, but I can find you a good place to stay, where you can get better, and you won’t have to deal with them if they can’t be civil,” Angel said softly.
Connor sighed. “I’ll think about it.”
“I just don’t want you to go yet, son. There’s a lot of life ahead of you. I want you to get well and enjoy it,” Angel whispered, his hand closing over Connor’s.
“I did what I thought…” Connor shook his head. “I just wanted it to end. I don’t expect you to understand.”
Angel’s jaw set. He knew exactly what he needed to say. “But I do. I tried to kill myself, Connor, one Christmas Eve not all that long ago really, back in Sunnydale when Buffy was still in high school. I tried to greet the sun.”
Connor eyed him suspiciously. “How didn’t you die?”
“Buffy tried to talk me out of it,” Angel replied. “And it snowed in southern California, blotting out the sun. The Powers That Be weren’t ready for me to die. Maybe they weren’t ready for you, either since Buffy and Dawn went looking for you in time and Willow just happened to decide to stock up on that medicine that would reverse the narcotics. That was a lot of things that had to fall into place.”
Connor mulled that for a moment. “I suppose so.”
A soft knock sounded on the door and Buffy peeked in. “Can I come in?”
“Sure,” Connor said. “Though I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be awake.”
“We’ll get Willow to release you, son, and we’ll all go home,” Angel said, his dark eyes lighting up.
“I think he’s supposed to stay for seventy-two hours, Angel,” Buffy said uneasily and Angel looked ready to protest.
“Dad, it’s okay. I want to stay. It’s not the first time I’ve been in on a seventy-two hour hold. I think really I need to be here. You can arrange to have Lorelei come see me instead of me having to talk to whatever shrink’s on duty here. That would be a big help.”
His brow knit. “Are you sure, Connor?”
“I think we could all use the rest, Dad. We could talk to Lorelei and Willow about taking the restraints off, naughty nurse fantasies aside, I’d rather not be spoon fed and all the rest.” Connor smiled.
Buffy rolled her eyes. “Is the naughty nurse thing universal?”
“Probably,” Angel replied, a hint of humor hiding in the corners of his generous mouth. “We can arrange that, Connor. You just sleep now.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Even with that settled, Angel found it hard to leave. Buffy led him out of the hospital and to the parking garage so he could get into the trunk like so much luggage.
X X X
Buffy hadn’t been back at the hotel for ten minutes when her cell rang with Xander’s ring tones. She thought for a moment about just crashing on her bed and ignoring it. Instead, she answered. “What’s up, Xander?”
“You need to get to the school, Buffy.” The tension in his tone made Buffy wince.
“But I just go in.” She knew her friends could handle most crises. “I was at the hospital all last night.”
“Leda escaped and she killed Tricia,” he said, pain in his voice.
Buffy nearly dropped her phone. She couldn’t have possibly anticipated that. “Oh God, I’ll be right there.”
Angel peered out of their bedroom at her, hearing her anxiety. “What’s wrong?”
“Leda killed Tricia and escaped. I have to get to the school,” Buffy replied, trying to find the shoes she had just kicked off.
“I’ll go with you.”
She held up a hand. “No, you’re exhausted, Angel. Stay.”
“You’re no less tired. You have a rogue slayer who got past Willow’s magic. I’m going,” Angel insisted, his thick arms crossing over his broad chest.
Buffy nodded. She knew arguing with Angel was futile. “All right.”
She broke all the traffic rules getting to the school as fast as she could. She wondered briefly if Angel was capable of getting motion sick in the back. Xander and Willow were both waiting for Buffy outside the school as the slayer swung under the covered carport.
“How did this happen?” Buffy demanded to know as she popped the trunk.
“We don’t know. Somehow she got past the holding spell,” Willow said, her pale face blotchy with anger.
“She wasn’t a witch,” Xander reminded them.
Buffy opened the door so Angel could dash inside. “Willow, your holding spell, was it on the room or on her?”
“The room,” Willow said, following Buffy inside. “Robin and Giles are dealing with Tricia’s murder. We had to call the police, of course. I’m not sure they believe Leda killed her.”
“I still can’t believe she did that,” Xander said, his dark eyes widened.
“She saw Tricia as her betrayer,” Angel said, knowing all too well about prey-predator relationships. “She was the enemy. Leda probably counts Buffy and Connor as that as well, probably you, too, Willow.”
“Do you think Connor is in any danger?” Buffy glanced over at the vampire.
Angel shook his head. “I doubt she would have any idea that Connor is hospitalized but we should be concerned with Leda turning up at the hotel.”
Xander nodded as he headed up the steps towards Leda’s room. “How is he, Angel?”
Angel’s eyes narrowed but he sensed nothing but honest concern. “Connor’s doing okay, all things considered. They’ll keep him at the hospital for a while.”
“It’s a good thing, right?” Xander asked.
“Better than this.” Angel gestured down the hall.
“I want to know how this happened,” Buffy growled, tossing open the door to Leda’s prison. The sparse furniture was intact and the window was as well. The bars didn’t even seem to have been tried.
Angel stood outside of the path of the light as his friends started to investigate. “How about the ceiling tiles? Connor showed us Leda used them to store drugs,” he reminded them.
“I took care of that, too, with my wards,” Willow replied.
“Will, what is this?” Buffy pointed to something on the outside of the windowsill. “Did you put this here?”
Willow peered at the sigil. “Damn. She has some sort of outside help. This broke my wards.”
“Outside help?” Xander’s face screwed up, shoving his hands in his pockets to keep them from jittering. “Why does that sound very very bad?”
“Because it is,” Buffy said. “Not only is she rogue but she might be working for some other supernatural force that we know nothing about.” Buffy punched the sill, cracking it. “We didn’t need this, not with that demoness running around.”
“I can’t imagine a good time for a rogue Slayer backed up by an unknown magic user,” Angel said, his lips thinning.
“What do we do now?” Xander asked.
“We have to find out who she might be working with,” Willow said. “Leave this to me. I’ll start asking around the magical community.”
“And I’ll start knocking on demons’ doors to see if anyone has seen Leda. I’ll tap into Wolfram and Hart’s resources as well,” Angel said, wishing there was more any of them could do. He could see the tension in Buffy’s eyes. He, himself, didn’t need any more problems. He was drowning as it was but fate seemed to think they could handle more.
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Date: 2007-09-26 03:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-26 03:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-26 04:15 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2007-09-26 03:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-26 03:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-26 03:53 am (UTC)I'm thinking Leda either got some help from W&H (still don't trust them) or from the demoness herself. Damn.
*hugs and cuddles Connor*
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Date: 2007-09-26 04:12 am (UTC)to be honest, I'm not sure who is helping Leda yet...
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Date: 2007-09-26 05:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-26 02:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-26 03:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-26 04:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-26 08:50 am (UTC)BTW, wanted to asked you this, you have updated the chapter in "Fanfiction.Net" but what about Forever Fandom.com, I have noticed that you didn't update the previous one which is Chapter 20. Fanfiction.Net doesn't seems to allow NC17 stuffs but Forever Fandom does. Hmmm..don't know if you could update there also cos going in yor LJ, cos you don't put "tags", and if I want to read one of the chapter happens to be NC17, it will be difficult to find your post.
Sorry to bother you Dana but I really in love with this story..I like the way you write each character in Buffy/Angel Verse especially Connor. You make him so pitiful, to tell you the truth, I really did cry a little for him..SOB SOB =(
Yap, now I am going to read it hee hee =D
Thanks again!!
*hug*
||-mONi-||
Sep26,2007 Wednesday
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Date: 2007-09-26 09:02 pm (UTC)actually i do put tags on this, not many but they're there. I haven't been to forever fandom in a year and honestly none of this will be NC-17 so what you get at FFN is what you'll see anywhere.
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Date: 2007-09-29 11:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-29 01:46 pm (UTC)i don't even know the url any more. I'd have to google it
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Date: 2007-09-30 08:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-29 11:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-29 01:42 pm (UTC)I'm glad you liked it.
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Date: 2007-09-30 08:09 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2007-09-27 02:29 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2007-10-07 07:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-07 07:21 pm (UTC)