Bonded

Chapter Fourteen

 

Angel grabs his coat and heads up the stairs to the front door. Buffy is right behind him. He turns to take her hand and suddenly the doors fly open and Angel takes a foot to the chest. He flies back knocking Buffy down with him. They both flip onto their feet to face the intruder. The young man stands holding a cross-bow pointed at Angel.

Young Man: Hi. Dad.

A bolt flies from the bow and Buffy snags it mid-air. The young man immediately re-fires as Angel dives away.

Gunn: Buffy!

He tosses a sword and she catches it and stands defensively. The young man flips off the stairs toward Angel. Buffy moves toward them

Angel: Wait!

Connor releases another bolt and Angel rotates out of the way and it wizzes by him. Buffy moves forward.

Angel: No!

She stops. Angel and Connor stand facing each other staring.

Connor: Interesting.

Buffy: Connor?

He pulls a large curved knife from a sheath and moves toward Angel.

Buffy: Angel!

Buffy tosses him the sword and turns to Gunn for another. Angel catches the weapon and lets the tip rest on the floor. Connor tosses the bow down and swipes at Angel with the blade. Angel parries the blow on his sword. Connor flips up, kicking Buffy from behind him and turning back toward Angel.

Angel: Bad move.

Buffy flips up and as Connor moves toward Angel again she spins and sends him into a wall. He flips back up and again heads for Angel.

Buffy: Will you just stop for...

Connor spins back to swipe at Angel. Angel spins and blocks with his sword. They begin parrying as Buffy stands back watching.

Angel: Can't we just talk about this?

Connor twist and kicks Angel in the knees, dropping him to the ground. Connor kicks him across the room into the wall. Connor runs at him.

Buffy: Wait!

Angel kicks both feet up into Connor's face, sending him flying onto his back. He flips back up quickly.

Buffy giggles causing Connor to turn toward her. Angel moves quickly and wraps his arms around Connor in a bear hug. Connor jams both feet into Angel knees sending them crashing to the floor. Connor turns with the blade heading toward Angel’s throat. Buffy deflects it with her sword sending Connor plummeting onto his back from the force.

Gunn steps forward and with Buffy and Angel surround Connor as he flips to his feet.

Angel: Okay. Everybody just calm down.

Connor sweeps toward Buffy and she deflects the move

Gunn: Angel, if Peter Pan here doesn't stop...

Connor leaps and kicks Gunn hard in the chest knocking him down. He advances at him with his knife raised, Angel hits him on the back of the head with the handle of his sword, knocking him away from Gunn. Angel drops the sword, and straddles Connor, hitting him with a hard right-cross. Connor brings the knife up and Angel twist his wrist turning the blade back toward Connor’s throat.

Buffy: Angel, no!

She falls to her knees beside them and looks into the boys petrified eyes.

Buffy: Connor?

The blade touches Connor's throat. Angel looks in horror and he rips the blade from Connor‘s hand and slings it away. He stands up and Buffy reaches down and touches the boy‘s face. He jerks back from her. Tears fill her eyes as she stands and backs toward Angel staring at her son. Angel steps forward and offers him his hand. Connor crawls backward and then jumps to his feet and heads for the doors.

Buffy: No!!

She takes off after him. Angel close behind her. They take off out the door and down the street. Connor dashes into the alley and toward the back of the hotel. Buffy and Angel are right behind him. Connor leaps onto a trash can and snags the rung of the fire escape. He begins climbing up on the outside of the metal structure. Buffy is right behind him and grabs at his ankle. Connor looks down in surprise and kicks back. She lets go and moves higher. He twist and connects his foot with her jaw. She momentarily looses her grip and starts to fall backwards but Angel’s hand connects with back and she scurries on up after Connor.

As they reach the roof, Connor looks around frantically.

Buffy: Connor, let’s just go inside and talk.

Connor: Get away from me demon.

Buffy: Demon? I’m not a demon.

Connor: You run with beast.

Buffy: Your father is not a beast, Connor.

Connor: Don’t call me that. I am not Connor.

Angel: You aren’t?

Connor: I’m Stephen.

Buffy: Okay Stephen. Now do you want to come downstairs and talk?

Connor: No. I won’t and you can’t make me.

Angel: Another bad move.

Before Connor can respond, Buffy moves at him and rapidly deflects his blows. She quickly get his arm penned behind his back.

Connor: Let me go you demon loving whore.

Buffy snaps her hand back and smacks him on the butt three times. He jerks and glares at her as Angel begins laughing. They both look at Angel.

Buffy: Do you have a problem?

Angel: Uh did you just spank him?

Buffy: Let’s go.

She begins guiding Connor to the stairwell door. Angel opens the door and she forces him in and down the steps. Connor is unable to wiggle from her grip. They emerge from the stairwell and into the back hallway of the first floor. She propels him into the lobby.

Cordy: You got him?

Buffy: You thought I wouldn’t.

Angel: Where are the others?

Cordy: Gunn and Xander followed you. Fred went upstairs to lie down.

Connor: You can’t keep me here.

Buffy: I can and I will. Can someone get me some rope?

Cordy: Sure.

She goes into a closet and brings out a handful of heavy rope. Buffy quickly ties his hands behind his back and then loops and ties it around his waist. The long tail she wraps around her wrist. She pulls him over to the settee and shoves him down.

Connor: You going to feed me to the beast?

Buffy: I am not feeding you to anyone. I am going to talk to you.

She kneels in front of him and grabs his jaw pulling his eyes toward hers. She looks into his eyes and smiles.

Buffy: I know you don’t remember me. But I love you very much.

He tries to jerk from her hand but she forces him to face her.

Buffy: I don’t want to hurt you. You are my life.

Connor: Who are you?

Buffy: Me? Well, I didn’t carry you in my body for nine months but I’m your mother. I was suppose to be the one to raise you.

Connor: Who are you?

Buffy: You want my name?

Connor: You know mine.

Buffy: I’m Buffy Summers.

Angel kneels beside her and Connor’s eyes dart at him in panic.

Angel: Hello son.

Connor: I am not your son or hers either.

Angel: We know you believe Holtz is your father. But I am. We were a family.

Cordy hands him a photo and he looks at it before showing it to Connor. Connor looked at the picture of Buffy sitting on Angel’s lap holding baby Connor. Both parents were grinning as they looked into the cherub face. Connor glances back up.

Buffy: We were so happy until you were stolen from us.

Connor: I was not stolen. I was rescued.

Buffy: I know that is what you were told. But it isn’t true. You were taken from our home. A home where you safe and loved.

Connor: Where I was trapped with a demon for a father.

Buffy: Your father would never harm you.

Connor: You are an idiot. He is a demon. He kills. No soul can change that.

Buffy: Yes it can. I know him and I trust him.

Connor: I have seen ones like him and I know how they kill.

Buffy: I do to. I kill them every night.

Xander and Gunn walk in.

Xander: I knew we should have stayed put.

Gunn: See ya got him.

Angel stands up and walks toward them.

Angel: Yes. Thanks guys for trying to help.

Connor: All of you align with him. How can you sleep at night?

Cordy: We love him.

Xander: Speak for yourself.

Connor: You don’t trust him?

Xander: Trust Angel? Well…….uh…. actually I do. I don’t love him. I’m not even sure I like him. But I do trust him.

Connor: Then you are all fools.

Buffy stands up and paces for a moment.

Buffy: Angel, we have to do it.

Angel: Huh?

Buffy: We can not allow this to be. We have to save him.

Angel: Buffy.

Buffy: Is this how you imagined him? This anger? This hatred?

Angel: Of course not.

Buffy: Then we stop it.

Cordy: I agree.

Buffy turns to Connor.

Buffy: Connor, I love you.

Connor: I told you my name is Stephen. Stephen Franklin Thomas.

Buffy glances at Cordy and then back at Connor.

Buffy: Okay, Stephen it is. Do you want tell me about you?

Connor: No.

Buffy: Okay. What do you want to talk about?

Connor: I want you to let me go.

Buffy: No.

Connor: My father will come.

Buffy: I hope he does. I have a lot I want to say to him.

Connor: He will kill the beast and his whore to rescue me.

Buffy: You think he can?

Connor looks at her and shakes his head.

Connor: You move like him. Like me. How?

Buffy: I thought you would have figured it out by now. I know Holtz has taught you about demons and everything.

Connor: Yes. I have learned everything for this day. The day I face the beast who sired me.

Buffy: Well then I think you know who I am.

Connor looks into her face and shakes his head.

Xander: Looks like Holtz did a sorry ass job.

Connor: My father taught me everything. I know how to kill them.

Buffy: Stake, sunlight, holy water, yada yada. I know the drill.

Connor: You say you kill them yet you love one.

Buffy: I do. He is not like them.

Angel: Buffy?

She turns and looks at him. He cocks his head to Cordy. She holds up the rope and Angel takes it as she moves to Cordy. Connor looks at him petrified. Angel sits down on the settee and glances at the scared youth.

Angel: I will not harm you. I love you.

Connor: How have you fooled them of your true self?

Angel: They know who I am and what I am.

Connor: Even the one who claims to be my mother.

Angel: Especially her. She knows me like no other. She holds my existence in her hand. She is my light.

Connor: You love her?

Angel: I do.

Connor: And my real mother?

Angel: Darla?

Connor: Yes.

Angel: I never loved her. I couldn’t. I didn’t have a soul. I have only loved one woman in all my 275 years.

Connor: 275?

Angel: I was born in 1727.

Connor: Oh. And you love this Buffy?

Angel: Yes.

Connor: And she is not a vampire?

Angel: No.

Connor: But she kills them?

Angel: It is her destiny. She is the chosen one.

Connor: Chosen one?

Angel: You haven’t figured it out yet? She is the slayer.

Connor: Slayer? “The” slayer?

Angel: Yes, the love of my life was born to destroy me.

Buffy: Got it.

Angel: Really?

Buffy: Yes.

Connor: Got what?

Buffy: What we need to save you.

She glances over as Xander walks down the stairs and hands her a box.

Angel: Now?

Buffy: The sooner the better.

Angel: I guess.

Buffy: Gunn and the others can stay with him.

Angel nods as Gunn takes the rope. Xander picks up a club and Cordy grabs a sword. They pull Connor back under the upstairs balcony and against the wall. Buffy and Angel move to the middle of the lobby and he pulls her into his embrace as she opens the box.

Connor: What are they doing?

Cordy: Saving you.

Connor watches on as Buffy punches the buttons and then straps the band on her wrist. She looks into Angel’s eyes and they cling tightly to one another.

Fred: What is going on?

Cordy and Gunn look toward Fred as Buffy reaches for the red button. Connor dives for the couple and plows into nothingness as they disappear.

 

1986

Buffy and Angel look around the dark dusty lobby. Buffy feels a panic rising in her. She grips Angel’s hand hard.

Angel: Let’s go.

He drags her out the front doors and onto the sidewalks.

Buffy: What the hell was that?

Angel: Thesulac demon.

Buffy: Huh?

Angel: Feeds on paranoia. It was why I got the hotel so cheap.

Buffy: Oh.

She pulls a paper from her pocket and looks at it.

Angel: Ready?

Buffy: More than.

They take off down the street.

 

Dark alley.

Angel: You sure this is the best idea?

Buffy: Yes. You get him distracted and I’ll get him.

Angel: We could get him killed.

Buffy: We won’t.

Angel nods and lifts her up to the bottom of the fire escape. She quietly moves up as he moves up the nearby stairwell. He strives to keep the distance between them in the comfortable zone, but can feel the sharp pull of the soul. He arrives on the sixth floor landing and enters the hallway. As he approaches the apartment door, he feels the pain lessen and knows she is near. He pauses before rapping on the wooden veneer. It rattles under his power.

Holtz: Who is it?

The door remains closed and Angel pounds again.

Holtz: Who is it?

He jerks the door open and stars into the brown eyes.

Holtz: Angelus.

Angel: Holtz.

Holtz: How did you……

Angel: Find you? Or know you were even alive?

Holtz just nods.

Angel: I know everything. I know you have taken my son. A son not born for another 16 years.

Holtz: How?

Angel: Just say I know and I want him.

Holtz walks away from the open doorway and calmly picks up a cross bow. He turns and aims it at Angel.

Holtz: I don’t think so. I prefer I kill you here and now.

Angel: If I die now then Connor is never conceived.

Holtz flinches as the reality sinks in. The two men stand staring at each other.

Holtz: You will never get him. You can not enter.

Angel: You are safe now but you have to leave someday.

Holtz drops onto a chair and picks up his cup of tea and sips it. Angel leans on the doorframe and watches. Angel suddenly feels the sharp pain of the pull of the soul and turns to leave. Holtz looks up in wonder as the vampire flees. He panics and turns toward the other rooms. He jerks open the door and looks into the sparse room and the empty crib. He runs to the window and looks down as Angel comes around the corner of the building. He wraps his arms around the small blonde and they take off into the night. Holtz stares in horror and screams.

The duo run through the dark streets of LA. As they plunge down one alley after another, Buffy grips the small bundle to her chest and tears stream down her cheeks. Miles from the rundown apartment complex they slow to fast gait.

Buffy: Stop.

Angel pauses and looks at her.

Angel: What is wrong?

Buffy: I just want to see him.

She moves under the nearby street light and looks into the bright eyes.

Buffy: He is bigger.

Angel: I know. It probably took him a month or so to get the apartment.

Buffy nods and begins walking on.

Angel: We lost some time but we have him back.

Buffy just nods and moves on. He reaches for her arm and stops her.

Angel: He is alive and with us.

Buffy: I know. It just isn’t fair. I missed his first months and now this.

Angel: But you have all the rest of his life.

Buffy nods and slowly smiles. They turn and move quickly back to the hotel.

 

 

2002

Connor dives for the couple and plows into nothingness as they disappear. As he skitters across the floor he fades and disappears and the intertwined couple reappear from where they left.

Xander: Whoa!

Gunn, Fred and Cordy stare at the spot where Connor was last seen. Xander moves toward Buffy and Angel. His black clad arms release her and she steps back and reveals the blanket clad bundle in her arms.

Cordy: Oh my god!

She streams forward and knocks Xander aside. Buffy pulls back the soft blue blanket and Cordy revels in the small cherub face. Gunn and Fred quickly cluster around. Cordy looks at Angel.

Cordy: Is he okay?

Angel: Ask Buffy. She won’t even let me hold him yet.

Buffy: You haven’t asked.

Angel reaches out and she reluctantly releases the small child to his father.

Angel: Hello son.

Buffy moves beside him and he wraps his free arm around her shoulders and pulls her close.

Cordy: Now what?

Buffy: I vote sleep and food and not sure in that order.

Gunn: I could do food.

Angel: Would you mind?

Gunn: No. I can go.

Xander: I’ll ride with you.

The two men head for the door as Buffy drops onto the settee. Angel settles in beside her with his arms full. She glances at the small bundle and smiles.

Buffy: We did it.

Angel: That we did.

Cordy: What about me?

Angel: Cordy, do I have to say it?

Cordy: You know you do.

Angel: Thank you.

Buffy: That was amazing. You hack almost as well as Willow.

Cordy: Willow and Fred have taught me a lot.

Buffy: I can remember when you thought Del stood for deliver.

Cordy: Huh?

Buffy: Willow told me.

Cordy: Oh. I try to forget those days.

Buffy: Thought they were the good ole days for you.

Cordy: No. I kinda like now days better.

Buffy: Well Willow could not have done a better job or faster.

Cordy: All I needed was a full name. And I just assumed Holtz kept the name Daniel. So I started looking for Stephen Thomas and his father Daniel. Found the boy’s school records and that led me to his medical records and that led me back to where he first live in LA.

Buffy: Did he ever have a mother?

Cordy: Nope. No name was on his records.

Buffy nods.

Angel: You made the right decision.

Buffy: But to take his life away like that.

Angel: We gave his life back to him. The life he deserves. With two parents that love him and are not raising him as a demon fighter.

Buffy: So you have no plans to train him to be a warrior.

Angel: No.

Buffy: Even after you saw his skills.

Angel: No.

Buffy: Oh.