Content: Connor/Pandora; Cordelia/Angel
Summary: Angel and Cordelia's parenting problems become more complicated when a prophecy is uncovered and Connor meets his prophesied partner in saving the world - Pandora Halliwell.
Spoilers: If you haven't seen the third season of 'Angel' and the fourth season of 'Charmed' - including the season finales - then read this story at your own risk since the events of the seasons will be spoiled.
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Notes: This story has nothing to do with my other story, 'The Nyazian Scrolls Saga: A Charmed Friendship.' I just like the character of Pandora and this is another possible way she and Connor could meet. This story will follow the events of the previous season of Angel, for example Connor will have returned from the Hell dimension (Quor-toth) a teenager. As well as most of the previous season of 'Charmed.' Feedback:
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Part 1
It was dark, but not completely. In this city called Los Angeles, there were lights everywhere. Connor stayed in the shadows that enveloped him in a comforting embrace. He was at home in the darkness. Quor-toth had been dark more often than light. There was no moon, no stars, just an angry red sky and repressive blackness broken only by a few hours of feeble light from a sun too far away to provide any warmth. The only other light came from the phosphorescence of some of the creatures - like the slugs - that lived there, the fire that his father had created and the glowing red of the lava pits. Connor's eyes were used to the dark, it had been the daylight that had given him trouble when he had first arrived in this strange new place. He stayed close to the buildings as he moved, peering into the alleys with his senses honed to detect any demon or vampire that might be lurking. So far it had been a quiet night with too much time to think. To think about the father he had lost and the father he had found. The family he had found.
Now Connor was trying to forge some sort of relationship with the vampire and his family. The more he saw and heard and fought by his father's side, the more he realized that his other father had not told him everything. He had to figure out what was right on his own. Whether or not his vampire father deserved the death that Father said he did. Connor frowned. He couldn't help but feel that he was betraying his father with his thoughts about the vampire.
A side door slammed open and Connor sunk further into the shadows. "Come on," an unknown male urged, a cajoling and seductive timbre making his voice low and husky.
"But the movie isn't over yet," a female protested. She sounded more amused than upset. "And what about Jenny and Blake?"
"I don't care about them." The boy pulled the girl out into the alley and the door shut behind them. He pressed her up against the wall, his hand caressing her hair. "I want to be alone with you."
The boy moved in for a kiss, but the girl kept him at bay. Her hands rested on his shoulders as she kept him back. "Not in an alley, Greg."
"You're right. I know a better place." Greg took the girl's hand and smiled, but Connor could tell by the rigid set of his jaw and the tension in his muscles that the guy was irritated. He led her toward the sidewalk and Connor would have let them go and went his own way except that the couple wasn't alone. As they left the alley, two figures separated from the inky blackness in rippling waves. They looked like men, but Connor knew they were demons. He followed them.
Greg, the amorous boyfriend, was obviously paying too much attention to his hormones and not enough to his common sense, because he led them into a deserted playground. Out of habit Connor scanned the playground, his gaze drifting over the shadowed silhouettes of the slides, swings, and jungle gym. He recognized it. When things got tense and he needed to think, this playground was at the end of his patrolling round. The Hyperion was only a few blocks away. Connor scowled at the boyfriend's stupidity. The demons were probably laughing, this was the perfect place for them to attack without notice. Connor couldn't believe that this Greg would put his girlfriend's life in danger when there were more than enough hotels around that would rent them a room for the night. Had the guy no concept of chivalry or honor?
The chains from the swing set creaked in the breeze. Greg hugged the girl closer. "Are you scared?" he whispered in her ear.
"No." The girl laughed. She pulled away from his embrace and suddenly stopped and spun around. The demons stood right behind them, but she didn't seem surprised. Or frightened.
"Hey." Greg puffed up with indignation. "Get lost." He stepped forward, but was suddenly flung to the side by an unseen force. His head connected with the trunk of a tree with a dull thump. Greg groaned, but didn't get up.
The girl slowly stepped back until she was standing in a pool of orange light from the street lamp and Connor got his first good look at her. She was beautiful. Her dark black hair fell in waves to the middle of her back and was held away from her face with decorative combs. Her features were delicate - high arching brows, dark colored eyes, and bow-shaped pink lips. Her petal pink tank top, light sweater, and darker pink skirt clung to the curves of her slim figure. She stood tall with an aristocratic air. She wasn't afraid. Connor respected that even though it was foolish - she should be afraid.
"Did he send you or did you two just get lucky?" The girl started to raise her hands and that's when Connor made his move.
The stake Connor threw embedded itself in the back of the demon closest to him, right between the shoulder blades. As he ran toward the girl, Connor swiped at the second demon's neck with his double-edged axe, severing its head from its shoulders. He knew that none of this would kill the demons, but it would buy him enough time to get the girl to safety and his father would know how to kill them permanently. "Run. This way." Connor grabbed the girl's arm and dragged her with him into the bushes. The Hyperion was even closer if they cut through the park.
*****
The book was open, sitting innocently on the hotel's check-in desk. It was old, caked with dust and burnt in places. It had survived a lot. Angel resisted the urge to throw it across the room. He, Cordelia, Fred, Gunn, and Lorne stood around it. "It's not Buffy," Cordelia stated emphatically with a shake of her head. "It can't mean Buffy."
"The union of the one from Heaven and the one from Hell shall destroy the Source and weaken the presence of evil," Angel quoted from memory, he didn't have to read the passage again. He rubbed his hand over his eyes and sighed. "Connor was raised in Quor-toth, a Hell dimension, and who else do we know who has been in Heaven? I don't like it either, Cordelia."
"You've been to Hell, Angel. Maybe the prophecy is about you and Buffy." Cordelia grimaced and refused to look at Angel. It would hurt too much to see even the smallest gleam of hope in his eyes. "I don't like that possibility either, but it is one."
"It's not me." Angel took Cordelia's hand and squeezed it. "The text before the prophecy clearly indicates that the one from Hell is Connor. I wasn't a stolen child." He pressed a kiss to the inside of Cordy's wrist. He willed her to look at him so she could see the truth in his eyes. He didn't want this prophecy to link him to Buffy - even through Connor. Buffy was his past.
"Maybe we should take it to Wesley and get his opinion on what the prophecy means," Fred suggested. It had been a year since Wesley's betrayal and they were taking tentative steps toward reintegrating him back into their family. Wesley's behind the scenes work at Wolfram and Hart and having Connor back had helped Angel begin to forgive and Fred always tried to give Wesley more opportunities for atonement.
"I don't think so." Cordelia withdrew her hand from Angel's and stepped away from everyone. She was actually having a harder time forgiving Wesley than the rest of them, but she was trying. "Wesley doesn't have the greatest track record with interpreting prophecies, Fred. Shouldn't Connor be back by now?"
"He went out patrolling, but I think something was bothering him." Angel followed Cordelia to the middle of the lobby. It seemed like that was what he had been doing for months now - following her while she ran away. He didn't understand. She had let Groo walk away from her because of him. She had rejected the Powers offer and had come back for him. They had declared their love for each other. Why was she so skittish all of a sudden? It was frustrating. He had thought he had lost her when the Powers had called her to.... "Cordelia, you were in Heaven."
"It wasn't Heaven and besides, I refused it." Cordelia glanced absently at her watch then at the front door. "Connor should be home by now. He's had enough time to brood." She looked to Angel and tried to lighten the mood with a smile. "We don't want him picking up your bad habits, Angel." As Cordelia approached the front door, it slammed open. Connor ran in, pulling a girl behind him. He shoved the door closed and locked it.
"What's wrong, son?" Angel pulled Cordelia back and behind him. He nodded at Gunn who went to the weapons cabinet.
"Demons. After her." Connor yanked the girl forward. She stumbled a bit and he caught her under the arm. She smelled good. The girls that Connor usually met lived on the streets and they didn't smell as fresh and clean as this one. They smelled of fear all the time and here this girl was in danger from demons and still she wasn't afraid. Maybe she was in shock. "Are you okay?"
"Despite being dragged around and manhandled...I'm fine," Pandora Halliwell snapped. She glared at the boy who had appeared so suddenly at the park and attacked the demons. She wrenched herself out of his grasp. For the first time he was more than just a blur of movement. He was kind of scruffy, his brown hair messy and he obviously didn't care about his clothes - his jeans and shirt had holes - but his eyes were an arresting blue. Not that it mattered, he had still interfered in what was none of his business. Pandora straightened, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Who the hell are you? And what do you think you're doing?"
Connor glared back. "I saved your life." Didn't she understand that those were demons back in the park? They would have killed her.
While the teenagers faced off, Gunn brought a couple of swords over to Angel and Cordelia. He didn't know what they were up against, but they were going to be ready to fight. "Angel, man, when this is over you're going to have to teach the kid how to properly pick up a girl. Dragging them back to your pad just doesn't fly in this dimension."
"That would imply that Angel would know another way." Cordelia arched an eyebrow at the vampire, a small smile playing at her lips. She knew she was sending Angel mixed signals, she couldn't help it. She loved him, but she knew they could never be together because of the curse and Buffy and so many other factors. She didn't know if she was strong enough to endure all that pain. It was easier to just be his friend and Seer. Cordelia pulled herself from her thoughts and focused on the first thing she saw. Connor scowling at the girl he had brought home. "Do you think he likes her?"
"Cordy, now isn't the time to...." Before Angel could finish, two 'men' popped into the lobby right in front of the locked door. They looked to each other as if making a decision and then the demon closest to them reached for the girl. "Connor, take cover!" Angel yelled. He watched as his son grabbed the girl and dove over one of the lobby's couches without protesting or questioning his father's order. Angel was pretty sure he did like her. Once the kids were relatively safe, he and Gunn attacked.
"What's wrong with you?" Pandora demanded. She struggled out from under the strange boy called Connor's grasp yet again. It was becoming a bad habit for him. She had come to conclusion that he wasn't normal - he moved much too quickly and he wasn't at all perturbed by the presence of demons - and so it wouldn't be too dangerous for her to use her powers in front of him and his family. All she needed now was the chance.
"What's wrong with you? I'm trying to save your life. Again." Connor grabbed her and tried to keep her down. Pandora didn't care how hot he was, she still didn't like him.
"I don't need you to save my life." Pandora's chin went up stubbornly. "Not then and certainly not now." She crouched behind the couch to check things out. The tall black man and Connor's father were keeping the demons busy, dodging energy balls and even managing to volley them back with their swords. They wouldn't win though, these demons needed to be vanquished with magic. Pandora stood up, brushing off Connor's attempt to pull her back down. "I don't cower behind couches."
"Neither do I." Connor jumped to his feet. Inexplicably he noticed that her eyes were a very dark blue. It didn't matter though what color her eyes were or how beautiful she was or that she smelled good, she was still annoying as hell and extremely ungrateful. "I was protecting you," he gritted out.
"For the last time, I don't need your protection." The girl waved her hand at the demon fighting Gunn. It froze as it prepared to hurl an energy ball. The one battling his father received the same treatment. "As you can see, I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself. Could you move away from the demons please?" Once Angel and Gunn had complied with her request, the girl gestured at the demons once again. They exploded and disintegrated. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to the park and make sure that Greg is okay."
"Fine." Connor crossed his arms over his chest. So the girl hadn't really needed his help. So she wanted to go back and find her idiot boyfriend. He didn't care. He didn't need some girl with demon issues complicating his life any more than it already was.
"Uh, Connor, honey." Cordelia sidled up to the angry boy she had come to love as a son. "Don't you think you should go with her. It's late and while she may be able to blast demons, there are humans out there just as evil."
It was no use arguing with her. For one thing, Cordelia was right. He couldn't let her walk around in a park all alone in the middle of the night. For another, he couldn't say no to Cordelia - he always felt compelled to do as she asked. He had a soft spot for her and, although he would never tell her, he thought of her as his mother. He loved her as his mother and he wanted her to be proud of him. "I'll go with you." Connor moved toward the girl.
"You don't have to."
"He certainly doesn't," a new voice agreed. Connor was surprised when the girl immediately back-pedaled until she had backed up into him. He put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. The man, who had dark curly black hair and dark eyes, smiled. He looked the girl over. "You've grown up nicely, my dear, and quickly."
"Shane." There was a small waver in the girl's voice and Connor could hear her heart racing. She trembled under his hands. She was afraid of this man. Connor didn't like the sour smell of her fear.
Angel tensed. His son was in danger. Like the other two, this demon had just appeared in the lobby, but this one was different. Angel knew that these were higher order demons - pure demons - and that type only appeared when they had an agenda. They were also more difficult to kill, although the young witch had done it easy enough. He wondered why she was hesitating now. Why this one scared her. Angel vamped.
The demon the girl had called 'Shane' smirked at the vampire. "Interesting company you're keeping these days, Dora. Does your mother know you associate with vampires?"
Pandora looked at Angel and gasped. But he had fought demons...why? And he had called Connor 'son'...how? Her first instinct was to blast him, but both of her hands were immediately covered by a strong grip. She looked up at Connor. "It's okay. It's not what it looks like." He squeezed her hands in an urgent quest for her to believe him. "He has a soul and fights for good. He protects people." Pandora wasn't sure if she could trust Connor or not, but she didn't have time to make a decision. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of red. She gripped Connor's hands and orbed both of them.
"Connor!" Angel yelled and he heard Cordelia echo it. Shane hurled a blast of red energy at the teenagers. Angel started forward, but stopped when his son and the girl disappeared in a swirl of blue light. The red bolt passed through and hit the circular sofa in the middle of the lobby. It burst into flames. Angel snarled, but his rage was tempered when Connor and the girl reappeared in more swirling blue light at his side. "You okay?" Angel growled with concern at his son.
"Yeah." Connor shook his head. He was slightly disoriented and dizzy. He glanced at the girl, but she had already disappeared. "Where...?" She reappeared before he could finish asking. She stood a couple of feet in front of the demon.
"Not bad. The Charmed Ones are teaching you well, sweet Dora." Shane flexed his hand. His eyes turned black and flames burned in their depths. "I can teach you more."
"No, thank you." Pandora knew it wouldn't work - she wasn't strong enough to contain Shane - but she attempted to freeze him anyway. Shane just laughed and the next thing she knew she hit the wall and fell to the floor behind the check-in desk.
"Hey!" Connor rushed toward the demon, but Angel held him back. They couldn't defeat this demon - at least not at this moment - and Angel didn't want his son to die. The girl groaned and picked herself up. Connor went over to her instead and Angel let him.
"How cute. A protector. I always knew you would be a heartbreaker." Shane winked. The screech of brakes from a car stopping outside the Hyperion sounded loudly from outside. "I guess that's my cue to leave. Give my best to my mother and yours." Shane blinked out of the lobby just as the front doors exploded open. A very angry woman stood in the doorway.
"I thought you didn't cower behind things?" Connor smiled down at the girl who had ducked back down behind the counter.
She put a finger to her lips and cringed when the woman yelled, "Pandora Halliwell!"
Glances were exchanged around by the Angel Investigations team as the woman looked around the lobby. They were all uncertain as to whether or not they should attack. The young witch was obviously reluctant to face her. The sofa was still burning and with a flick of her wrist, the woman froze it. She frowned. "I know you're here. It's no use hiding, young lady."
Pandora sighed and stood up. "Hi, Mom. How's it going?" She offered her mother a smile and casual wave.
"Hi, Mom. How's it going. You think you're going to get away with a 'Hi, Mom. How's it going?' Nah-uh." Piper Halliwell shook her head. "Why aren't you with the Elders? What are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry, Mom." Pandora walked around the counter. "It's just that I...It's boring living with the Elders."
"Boring! Boring! Pandora, it's a heavenly dimension. Heavenly dimensions aren't boring - they're blissful and serene." Piper held up her hand before her daughter could protest her viewpoint. "No, no, we're not doing this here. We'll talk about it later." She turned to Angel and Cordelia who were the closest to her. "Hello, I'm Piper Halliwell and this is my daughter, Pandora."
"It's nice to meet you." Cordelia stepped forward and shook Piper's hand. The woman didn't look old enough to be Pandora's mother, but then Angel didn't look old enough to be Connor's father. "I'm Cordelia Chase. This is Angel and his son Connor. And those people are our friends - Fred, Gunn, and Lorne. Your daughter was attacked by demons in the park and Connor brought her here - it's kind of our business. Fighting demons."
"Really? It's just a hobby in our family." Piper smiled politely. She raised an eyebrow in her daughter's direction. "And what were you doing in the park in the middle of the night?"
"Nothing. I was...oh, no, Greg!" Pandora headed for the door.
"He's fine. Your Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige took him to the hospital to have his head looked at. We had tracked you to the park, but you were already gone." Piper sighed. "Why don't you orb back to your room for now, honey. We'll talk later when your father gets home."
"But, Mom...."
"Orb. Room. Now." Piper rubbed at the headache that was beginning to thud in her temple. She watched her daughter orb out of the lobby. She smiled at these new people who were apparently comfortable in her world. "It's nice to meet you. We're new in town."
Part 2
Sex. It was a scary word - especially in reference to a discussion with your only child. Angel sighed as he faced the closed door to Connor's room. Cordelia had insisted that Angel have a facts of life conversation with Connor, focusing mainly on the prevention of creating life. It would surprise the hell out of her to know that his son no stranger to the concept or act of sex. Sometimes when Connor returned to the hotel in the early morning hours after a patrol, Angel could smell it on him. It was different girls almost every time and Angel really wished that he could talk to his son about it. He had no idea what Holtz had told Connor about the physical act of love, but he was pretty sure that it would have been along the lines of the century when Holtz had lived and in that century the only birth control was faith. Thankfully, the girls in this century had more knowledge about that aspect and had probably taught Connor how to protect himself and them.
It was a total cop-out. Angel told himself that because he couldn't bring himself to talk to Connor about sex. He was afraid. His relationship with Connor was precarious enough without adding sex and girls to it. Some things never changed. Sex and girls had caused the unsurpassable rift between his father and himself centuries before and Angel was sure that it would do the same to him and Connor. Angel still remembered his father calling him a scoundrel and debauched layabout. He remembered how worthless he had felt because his own father saw nothing in him to be proud of, he hadn't wanted him as his son. It had only driven further into the life of a drunkard who pursued barmaids. Eventually he had ended up in a dark alley and Darla's arms. Angel didn't want Connor to ever feel that he wasn't proud of him or that he didn't want him as his son.
There was no way to continue avoiding the conversation now. Connor had brought a girl home - a girl he knew his son found attractive - and Angel couldn't continue to ignore any extracurricular activities. As Gunn had pointed out earlier, "they didn't want to piss off that badass Momma witch anytime soon." Angel was pretty sure that if Connor and Pandora ever got 'close,' Piper Halliwell would not be pleased. She was already leery of them - they hadn't made a very good first impression.
*****
Despite being frozen, the red-yellow blaze of the formerly burning sofa still cast an eerie orange glow. Piper pointed at the inert flames. "You might want to take care of that, it's not going to stay frozen forever."
"Hi, I'm Fred." Fred bounced forward with a little wave as Gunn rushed to get a fire extinguisher and douse the flames. "So, you're new to L. A. ...and you're a witch. Wow. So, where did you live before?"
"San Francisco. Are you witches too?" Piper looked around warily. Several scorch marks marred the floor and walls. Someone had hit the wall behind the counter where her daughter had been hiding, several pictures on the wall were hanging askew. "What exactly happened?" There was something wrong here, Piper's senses were screaming that loud and clear. This was no ordinary attack on her daughter and these were no ordinary rescuers.
"I was out on patrol when I noticed two demons following Pandora." Saying her name gave Connor a weird feeling. He wanted to smile, but he frowned instead because he couldn't understand why he should be so happy. The girl was nothing but a pain in the ass - to use an expression he had heard Gunn say.
"Patrol?" Piper raised an eyebrow. "What exactly do you patrol?"
"As Cordelia said, helping people and fighting demons is our business, but it's also our mission. We patrol the surrounding area for vampires and other demons that pose a threat to humans," Angel answered. He understood the woman's reluctance to trust them, but he had a feeling it was going to be impossible to gain her confidence once she found out he was a vampire. He wondered if he should just show his demon face and get it over with.
"These demons aren't like any demon I've seen before - even in Quor-Toth." Connor sent a questioning glance Angel's way. "They appeared out of nowhere and it didn't kill them when I staked one in the back and beheaded the other. They just appeared here like nothing had happened in the park."
"Shimmered," Piper corrected. "Demons from that live in the Underworld shimmer. It's like the air ripples around them as they appear. They didn't happen to show their true demon faces, did they?" If she could at least get a description of their true faces, then she would be able to consult the Book of Shadows as to who Shane was sending after her daughter this time.
"There wasn't anytime, Magic muffin, your baby girl blasted them to kingdom come." Lorne stepped out of the shadows that had concealed his face. He smiled his best 'I'm harmless, lambchop, so don't blow me to smithereens' smile. "I know as a blood witch you don't come across my kind often, but trust me, I'm a good demon. Me and Angelcakes - the vampire with a soul - and the rest of the family work for the Powers That Be."
"The Powers That Be?" Piper's eyes narrowed. A demon with green skin, red eyes and horns and a vampire with a soul that were 'good.' Before Cole, there would have been no way she would have bought their story, but he had been chosen to be good and so she would give them the benefit of the doubt. Besides, it wouldn't be a good idea to attack alone - she didn't have the power of three. For now her only choice was to play along and gather as much information as she could to take back to the Book of Shadows and Leo.
"They're a subdivision of The Elders," Lorne explained readily. The witch was taking things with a surprising calm, but who was he to complain. "They deal with us - the messengers and warriors who keep the riffraff at bay while you battle the big guns."
"Really." It would have been nice if her husband had shared the politics and the bureaucratic structure of The Elders with her instead of just looking uncomfortable and changing the subject. Then she would have more of an idea as to whether or not she should trust these people...demons...and people. She was pretty sure some of them were people.
"Look, we're not going to ask you to trust us right away." Cordelia stepped forward and casually shielded Angel with her body just in case this witch got itchy fingers. She smiled widely and hopefully benignly. "Just know that we are on your side and if you ever need our help you know where to find us." She shared a glance with Fred. It would be nice if this woman and her sisters would accept them as friends and allies. They could use a few more female friends in the demon fighting business to shop and gossip and hang out with. She also had to think of Connor. If he liked Pandora, then Cordelia wanted to get to know her family and be on friendly terms with them. A stable relationship with a nice girl with a family that understood their world of demons was exactly what Connor needed.
"Fine. I'll remember that." Piper smiled politely. "Thank you for helping Pandora."
"Sure." Connor looked to the floor as Pandora's mother smiled at him. He still had to get used to people and sometimes attention embarrassed him. He did have a question though, not because he liked Pandora and was worried about her and could still remember the smell of her fear or anything. He just liked to know who the demons in this world were. "Uh, who was that demon - Shane?"
"Shane was here." Piper lost her smiled. That was what had given her that skin crawling feeling of evil. "Did he hurt her?"
"He threw her against the wall, but she seemed to be fine. What was he?" Angel picked up on his son's curiosity. That demon knew where they lived and that they had an association with the girl. He had to be prepared in case it decided to come back.
"One you don't want to know. I'm sorry, I have to get home." An overwhelming need to hug her daughter propelled Piper to the door. She wasn't fast enough to get away though, because her way out was suddenly blocked by the vampire who claimed to have a soul.
"Too late. We already know him and he knows us." Angel's eyes flashed and he fought to keep his demon face from appearing. They lived in a dangerous world. Cordelia and Connor lived in a dangerous world and it wasn't completely this woman's fault that they were exposed to a deadly demon. "What is he and how do I kill him?"
"You can't. Shane is the Source of All Evil." Piper sighed, reluctantly feeling guilty about their very credible fear. "His problem is with my family. I'm sure he'll leave you alone."
Not if Connor decided to pursue a relationship with her daughter. Angel was pretty sure that the demon had caught on to the attraction between the two teenagers. He caught the witch's arm as she tried to walk around him to the door. "And if he doesn't?"
"Do you have a pen and paper?" Piper took the pen and the card the vampire offered her and jotted down a number. "We don't have a phone number yet, but this is my cell. If Shane bothers you or shimmers in again, you can call me."
"I'll do that." Angel took the card and stepped out of her way. There wasn't much else he could do. The Source of All Evil. Lorne hadn't been exaggerating when he had said that she fought the big guns.
*****
Angel was starting to feel silly standing in the hallway. He should be downstairs in the office helping the others research the Source and the prophecy. They hadn't said anything to Connor about it, Angel didn't want to until they were fairly certain of all the details. The boy was probably asleep anyway and he really didn't want to wake him. He had been out all night.
"Hey, Dad." Connor opened his bedroom door and stood in the doorway. "Did you want something?"
"No...well, actually I think we need to, uh, talk." Angel folded his arms across his chest and then uncrossed them. "We, uh, need to talk about...." He tapped nervously on the door frame. His voice was getting unnaturally high. He hated it when it did that. He cleared his throat, hoping that would rectify the problem. "So, you made a new friend. She seemed nice."
I guess so." Connor shrugged. He didn't blame his Dad for being uncomfortable around him. He had sent him to the bottom of the ocean to spend eternity. He was surprised that his Dad didn't hate him.
"Yes, uh, about girls..." Angel crossed his arms again and swallowed. "They're nice. Girls are nice and, uh, it's only natural that you like them. Not that it would be bad or wrong if you didn't like them...girls, I mean, but you do like them...girls, I mean."
"Yeah." Connor frowned. This was a weird conversation. Usually he and his Dad talked about demons and fighting techniques. Sometimes Cordelia would sit them down at the table with some chocolate milk for him and a mug of blood for his Dad and try to get them to talk about their feelings about what had happened, but all they did was just stare at each other. Then Cordelia would give this frustrated cry and walk away muttering about repressed males and how they would never need a DNA test to prove that they were father and son. Then his Dad would suggest that they spar a bit in the basement. They never talked about girls.
"Yeah, so...did Holtz ever talk to you about girls and....what, uh, boys and girls do together sometimes...when they, you know, really like each other?"
At the mention of the man who had raised him, Connor stiffened. He knew now that it was Justine, not Angelus, who had killed his father, but he still didn't believe that his father had set up his Dad. He wouldn't discuss Holtz with Angel. It was best to think of them as separate or else he tended to get confused. "We did not speak of girls." The only females his father had mentioned were his wife and daughter and how Angelus and his demon whore Darla had defiled them. Connor still couldn't think of that thing as his mother, no matter what his Dad said about how she had sacrificed her unlife to give him life. She had still been a filthy demon. And now things were getting confusing again. One man he had loved and trusted had told him one thing and the other that he was beginning to love and trust told him another. It didn't help that his Dad had a family that Connor was also beginning to love and trust to back up his story. Holtz only had Justine and Connor would never trust her.
This wasn't going well. Angel noticed Connor's closed expression and set jaw. He shouldn't have mentioned Holtz. The man had accomplished his revenge. He had make it impossible for Angel to ever have a close relationship with his son. Holtz would always be between them because Connor would always love him and Angel would always hate him. "Okay. I just wanted to say that if you ever have any questions or just want to talk, I'm here." He wished he could hug his son, but he settled for a light punch to his arm.
"Okay. I'm gonna get some sleep now. Are we still going to patrol tonight?"
"If Cordelia doesn't have a vision." Angel turned to go back downstairs. "Rest up, son."
"You too, Dad." Connor moved to go back into his room, but paused. "Dad, have you ever felt weird around a girl or did things you didn't understand?"
"Well, you've seen me with Cordelia so I guess I'll have to tell the truth and say yes." Angel smiled. "But you shouldn't worry about it, it's a good thing." Better than meaningless one night stands. It was just too bad that the girl Connor felt weird about was also being pursued by the Source of All Evil. Angel would have given anything for his son to have avoided that particular foe, but it wasn't meant to be.
*****
It wasn't that she hated Los Angeles. Piper gave a frustrated sigh as she navigated the unfamiliar streets that led back to her new house. She didn't hate the new house that she and her sisters had bought either. It had a Victorian structure, much like their old home that they had leased to a witch friend, but it was set further from the street. Piper pushed the button that opened the iron gate and turned down the driveway. It was probably better this way. Now they had more privacy when they fought demons. No, Piper didn't hate it here. It just wasn't home yet and she wasn't sure that it ever would be. Not that she would ever admit that to Phoebe.
"I'm home," Piper called as she walked in from the garage entrance. If there was one thing she could love about this place, it was the kitchen. It was huge, not as cozy as her old one, and a nice mix of modern stainless steel and old fashioned pine. A lovely pine island dominated the middle of the kitchen and perched on the stools waiting for her were her younger sisters, Phoebe and Paige.
"Want some coffee?" Phoebe held out a mug for her sister. She had that guilty look that never really left her eyes these days. It was her fault that her family had to uproot their lives. She was the one who hadn't noticed or sensed Cole's odd behavior when he had been possessed by the Source. She had married him and then helped create Shane - the new Source of All Evil once the old had been vanquished by her and her sisters. They had briefly thought that they had vanquished the Source and his heir altogether, but they had been wrong. It was because of that error that Pandora hadn't been allowed to live a normal life. Instead she had been carted off to some heavenly dimension - Xan-tath - where time moved faster and she had grown up in under a year. It was her fault that Piper hadn't been able to enjoy being a mother. It was a small consolation that her advice column 'Ask Phoebe' had become internationally syndicated and she could help pay for this beautiful new house.
"Sure." Piper took the coffee mug and gave her sister a one armed hug. "How is Greg?"
"He has a nasty bump on the head and he thinks he and Pan were attacked by a gang of muggers," Paige answered. "Pan orbed in ages ago, what took you so long?"
Piper set her purse on the counter and hopped up onto a stool. She took a long sip of her coffee before answering. "Pan made some interesting new friends tonight. Is Leo back yet?"
"No, he orbed in briefly when Pan returned to make sure she was okay, but the Elders called him back and he had to leave." Phoebe traced her finger along the knots in the varnished wood counter. "Shane attacked her, didn't he?"
"And a couple of his minions, but apparently Pan took care of them." Piper reluctantly felt a thrill of pride that her daughter had vanquished two demons practically on her own. She saw the glisten of tears in Phoebe's eyes and reached to give her sister's hand a squeeze. Paige also noticed her sister's distress and stood up and hugged her. "We were expecting this, honey," Piper continued. "We didn't move to Los Angeles to run away from Shane. He was going to show up sooner or later...and so will Cole."
"Later would have been nice." Paige grimaced. "So, what's the plan of action when Cole does show up?"
"Nothing. I said good-bye and now he has to accept that." Phoebe smiled sadly and wiped at her eyes. "I'm so sorry you guys had to give up everything and move because of me."
"Give up everything? Oh, you mean that job as an assistant social worker that I had in San Francisco. Yeah, I am sorry that I had to give that up to become a bonafide actual social worker - no assisting about it - for Los Angeles County." Paige grinned.
"And I'm opening a second club, which officially makes me an entrepreneur." Piper stood up and she and Paige enfolded Phoebe in a group hug. "We haven't given up anything, we're all still together." It was true, being together was the only thing that mattered, but Piper still felt a little uncomfortable not being in the place she had called home her whole life. But they had to leave, explaining Pandora would have been too difficult. The neighbors would have become suspicious when her baby daughter became a teenager in a matter of months.
"I know, but I'm still sorry. If it weren't for Shane than the Elders wouldn't have had to take Pan away."
"That was their decision, not yours." Piper stiffened in anger. She hated the Elders. She and her sisters worked for them, they saved the innocents, but she still hated them. They seemed to dictate every moment of her life, even deciding whether or not she could get married, and now they would exercise the same control over her daughter. A part of her, the part that wasn't scared spitless, understood exactly why her daughter had ran away from the heavenly dimension she had been living in.
A sparkling blue column of light swirling at the kitchen doorway prevented any further conversation as Leo, Piper's husband and the sister witches whitelighter, appeared. "Hey, you're back." Leo dropped a kiss onto his wife's lips. "Pandora said you were in a mood."
"My daughter running away from the beings who are supposed to be supervising her so she can go out on a date with some boy I've never met and then get attacked by demons will put me in a mood." Piper frowned. "Was she hurt badly?"
"A few bumps and bruises. The Elders think she's ready to live with us full time. She's everything she can in Xan-tath," Leo blurted out. He knew that his wife wouldn't see this as good news. The only reason why she had agreed to have Pandora grow up in Xan-tath supervised by the Elders was because she would be safe there. She never really let herself think about the inevitable - that their daughter would be sent back to fight Shane and rescue innocents just like her mother and aunts.
"What? No, it's not safe. Tonight proved it's not safe. Shane attacked her." Piper had known this day would come, but she had been hoping it would later. When Pan was older, more experienced. When Piper herself was old and dead and didn't have to live through it. "She hasn't even been here a whole day and already he's attacked her."
"And she handled it. The Elders believe she is ready to fulfill her destiny." Leo didn't like it either. Pandora was his daughter and the Charmed Ones were his family - not just charges for him to guide. Whenever he pointed that out or argued about the danger they were in, the Elders said that loving them was his decision, but he still had a duty. As did they.
"So, who were these interesting friends Pan made you mentioned earlier, Piper?" Paige decided it was time to divert the subject. Piper was upset enough already and so was Phoebe. Besides, she was curious about these new people. This family needed new people around.
"A boy saved her in the park. He took her back tho his family who apparently are in the demon fighting business. The boy's father is a vampire who claims to have his soul. A demon friend of theirs - green skin, red eyes and horns - said that they work for the Powers That Be." Piper raised an eyebrow in Leo's direction but only received a blank look in return. "He said that they were a subdivision of the Elders."
"I can go back and ask about these Powers That Be." Leo prepared to orb, but his wife's hand on his arm stopped him.
"Not so fast. We have a sixteen year old daughter upstairs in her room who needs a good talking to about not running away to spend time with strange boys. You can grill the Elders later." Piper tugged Leo toward the front room.
"And while you do that, Paige and I will consult the Book of Shadows about vampires with souls." Phoebe grabbed her younger sister's arm and they headed for the back stairs that led straight up to the attic.
*****
Sleep was impossible. Every time Connor closed his eyes he saw Pandora standing in that pool of orange light from the street lamp facing those demons with an arrogant tilt of her chin. She wasn't like any other girl he had met - unless he counted Cordelia and Fred. His Dad had said that feeling weird about a girl was a good thing, but he wasn't so sure. She confused him. She was brave and beautiful and frustrating. She didn't want his help. She didn't need it.
Connor groaned and flipped over to his other side. He had to stop thinking about her. She was gone, he would probably never see her again. She had never smiled at him. Connor frowned in the twilight of his room as that strange thought entered his mind. Who cared if she hadn't smiled at him? Plenty of girls had smiled at him and plenty of them he had never seen again. It hadn't bothered him before. The only other girl he could remember confusing him this badly had been Sunny, but everything in this world had confused him then. Sunny had smiled at him. She had kissed him. Would Pandora's lips be as soft as they looked? Would she taste as good as she smelled?
Damn! Connor sat up in bed. His thoughts had circled right back to the perplexing witch. He had to think of something else. He was a warrior like his Dad. He hunted demons and she was just a distraction. His Dad and the rest of his family were on to some prophecy or new demon that was worrying them. Connor could tell by the way they had each took up their regular researching posts after Pandora's mother had left. They could be researching Shane, but Connor had the feeling that there was something else on their minds. Maybe finding out what that was would keep his mind off of Pandora Halliwell.
*****
Pandora stared up at the ceiling of her room. It wasn't her room really, it was just a room in her parents' house that she stayed in during her infrequent visits to this dimension. It was on one of those visits that she had met Greg and his friends. She had been at the mall with her Aunt Paige and Greg had flirted with her in a bookstore while her Aunt Paige had been looking for a book for her Aunt Phoebe. It had been so normal for him and so completely different from anything she had experienced on Xan-tath. She had just wanted to keep experiencing it so she had snuck out of the heavenly dimension to go out on dates with Greg. This was the first time that there had been any trouble with Shane and his minions during one of her unauthorized visits home. This was also the first time she had been caught.
It was worth it though. No matter how much trouble she was in, it had been worth it to feel normal. Greg didn't know she was a witch and he wasn't afraid of her. That's the way she liked it. For some reason, Pandora thought of Connor's blazing blue eyes. He knew what she was and she was pretty damn sure he wouldn't be scared of her. She doubted that he was ever scared of anything. He had attacked those demons and had wanted to protect her from Shane. She had felt safe with him even when his father had turned into that demon. She had trusted him when he had said his father was good. The only question she had now was why she had felt that way. And the only way to answer it would be to see Connor again. If she ever got the chance to come back to this dimension again.
Part 3
Softly murmuring voices led Connor to his father's office. He knew that the adults were all holed up in there discussing the prophecy they had found and to his surprise, he heard Wesley's voice as well. His father must really be worried if he had called Wesley for help. While not entirely certain what had cause the rift in their friendship, Connor knew that it had only begun to mend when Wesley had rescued his father from his ocean resting place and had exposed Justine's duplicity. He had also provided them with useful information on Wolfram and Hart. Wesley was taking a big risk being at the Hyperion. Connor crept closer to the door, hoping that Angel would be too distracted to sense his presence or hear his heartbeat. The door was slightly open and a slice of light slashed out into the dim lobby. The sun would rise soon, but still the interior of the hotel would only be lit by the interior lights.
"Look, people, the mystery is solved," Lorne declared. He was standing with his back to Connor. He was the demon Connor had the most trouble trusting, mostly because he was the one who looked most like a demon. Cordelia and Angel only showed their demon qualities during battle. "The girl in the prophecy is obviously the bewitching little creature with all the firepower that our errant boy dragged home and not your slayer ex-babe. Who else is named for Chaos and hails from a heavenly dimension? You know, personally, I think whoever wrote this prophecy kind of lost their touch - not much to interpret really."
"Lorne's right," Wesley agreed. He was sitting at the desk holding an old book. He set down the battered book. "This prophecy is pretty clear. Connor and this witch, Pandora, are destined to unite and fight the Source of all Evil whom you say she called Shane."
"Unite how?" Cordelia asked with a concerned frown. She stood particularly close to Angel. Connor noticed that she made a point of doing that every time they met with Wesley - like she wanted to establish who her loyalty was with. Connor had also noticed that his father didn't really mind because it gave him an excuse to touch her. "Is this just a partners-in-fighting-evil or more of a Moira deal? Because if this is going to be a case of teenage kye-rumption, then Angel needs to talk to Connor and we need to get on the girl's family's good side fast."
"I talked to Connor. Sort of."
"No, you need to really talk, not stumble and stutter like a dork until you awkwardly walk away. He needs to know the facts of life."
"We talked," Angel insisted stubbornly. Again he refrained from telling Cordelia that Connor already knew some facts.
Wesley cleared his throat. "The prophecy does indicate that their relationship will be romantic in nature. Is this going to be a problem?"
"Like Cordy said, her Momma might have a few things to say about it." Gunn stood leaning against a book case, his arms crossed in front of him. Fred sat on the desk beside him. "She didn't seem too thrilled by the vampire thing - soul or not."
"You're right. She's never going to trust me." Angel pulled his hand through his hair and started to pace in the small space. "She probably won't let her daughter within ten feet of this place. How are we going to convince these 'Charmed Ones' that we have to work together to defeat the Source of All Evil."
"I don't know, Angel-muffin, but you better think of something. First of all, it's those two crazy kids who are going to go up against the Source and if they're going to fulfill this daunting destiny then they're going to need their parents behind them," Lorne advised.
"They're also going to need to know what's going on." Cordelia touched Angel's arm. "We should tell Connor about the prophecy."
"He already knows." Angel walked over to the door and opened it all the way. "Would you like to read the prophecy for yourself, son?"
Staring made him uncomfortable, but Connor entered the room anyway. All eyes were trained on him as he took the book from Wesley and read the passage translated in the margins. 'The stolen child shall return from Hell a child no more. He will return to this dimension with the strength and skills of a warrior. The charmed child named for Chaos will hail from Heaven where she was kept safe from the evil that invaded her family. The union of the one from Heaven and the one from Hell shall destroy the Source and weaken the presence of evil in all dimensions.' The prophecy cleared up a lot. Connor looked up and met his father's concerned gaze. "It wasn't God. Father...Holtz always said that God gave me to him, but he was wrong. It was because of evil that I was placed in his hands."
"Connor." Angel stepped forward and held his hand out to his son, but stopped when Connor flinched back. So much of what the boy had learned growing up had been taken away from him. Not for the first time Angel cursed Holtz in his head, but this time he added the Source and the writers of the prophecy. They had taken his son away from him. He may not have deserved to be Connor's father, but Connor had certainly deserved a better life than the one he endured in Quor-toth. He shouldn't have to pay for the sins of his father. It wasn't fair, it was Angel's responsibility to take on evil.
"I...I'm going to take a walk. I'll be back later." Connor dropped the book and it landed on the floor with a dull thud. He knew it was cowardly to run away, but he needed to think. He couldn't think with so many eyes in the room.
"Connor, honey." Cordelia moved to stop him with every intention of enfolding him in a warm and comforting hug.
"Let him go, Cordy." Angel pulled her back against his chest. He kissed her ear and whispered, "He needs to be alone. He needs to reconcile himself to this fate the prophecy has outline for him and he needs to redefine everything that Holtz told him - again." He squeezed her shoulders and hoped that she understood. Connor was uncomfortable thinking about Holtz in their presence. It was too conflicting. Angel sighed with relief when Cordelia turned in his arms and offered him the hug she had meant for his son.
*****
A soft rap on her door preceded her parents' entry into Pandora's room and she sat up quickly on her bed. She wasn't nervous - they were just going to send her back to Xan-tath and the Elders there who taught her how to fight demons but never let her use her knowledge. She did feel guilty about scaring her Mom though.
"Hi, honey, are you hungry?" Piper smiled uncertainly. She was so not prepared for this. She wasn't supposed to be dealing with a teenager for at least another thirteen years. Pan should have been just learning how to walk.
"No, I'm fine. I had some popcorn at the movies with Greg." Pandora plucked at the bedspread. Maybe she was a little nervous, she had never disappointed her parents before or done anything that would require discipline.
"Yes, Greg. Would you like to tell us about him?" Piper sat down on the bed next to her daughter while Leo took a seat at the desk. They had discussed things earlier and had decided that they didn't want Pandora to feel attacked or alienated.
"I met him about a month ago when I went to the mall with Aunt Paige. He's really nice. We've gone out a few times...."
"A few?" Piper interrupted. She couldn't stop her voice from rising. "As in more than once? How many times have you left Xan-tath without permission?"
"Four or five times. This was the first time Shane or his minions attacked me."
"Oh, well, that's good to know." Piper jumped up and paced agitatedly around the room. She bit her fist to stop herself from yelling. Her daughter had been in danger God knows how many times and the Elders hadn't said a thing about her disappearing acts - if they even knew about them. She never should have trusted them with her child. Never.
Leo caught Piper's hand and gave it reassuring squeeze. There wasn't much they could do about Pandora's truancy now. "Why did you risk leaving the Xan-tath dimension? You were safe there."
"It was fun down here. I made friends. Everything on Xan-tath is so bor..." Pandora caught her mother's eye and changed her words. "Blissfully serene. I was blissed out of my mind. When do I have to go back?"
"You won't be going back. It's time for you to come home and live with us." Piper sought out her husband's calm gaze as a sudden unease settled over her. What if her daughter didn't want to live with them?
"Really?" Pandora grinned. "I can really stay here?" At her parents' nod, Pandora bounced up and hugged them. "This is great."
"You understand that Shane will be a constant danger," Leo pointed out. He trusted the Elders' decisions more than his wife did, so he was sure that his daughter was ready to live with them here, but he couldn't help feeling the fatherly urge to lock her in her room until she was thirty. "You're going to have to be cautious and alert and know that you can't handle everything by yourself. You have to ask for help when you need it."
"I know, I know, I should have called for my whitelighter when the demons attacked me. It just happened so fast and Connor was there." Pandora rolled her eyes and continued before her father could interrupt. "And I know that I shouldn't have trusted him or his father right away like that. Is Connor's father really a vampire with a soul?" Pandora perched back on her bed. There hadn't been a lot of lessons about vampires - they were the concern of the Slayer not witches - so she was intensely curious. "And how can he have a son? I guess Connor could have been adopted, but he's really fast and strong, but he's not a vampire."
"I don't know, honey, your aunts are looking in the Book of Shadows for some answers to those questions." Piper paused. She sat down on the bed again and brushed a lock of hair out of her daughter's eyes. "Until we get those answers I think it would be best if you didn't see Connor. We don't know anything about his family except that they claim to fight demons even though some of them are demons themselves."
"But he protected me from the demons Shane sent and from Shane himself. His whole family did. Shouldn't I at least go over there and say thank you?" It would only be polite, it's not like she would care if she ever saw Connor again and even if she did, it was just because she was curious about him.
"I know, but Shane still could have set it up." Piper continued to stroke Pandora's hair. "He likes games. Promise me you won't go back to that hotel until we get some more information on them."
"I won't." Pandora sighed. Her disappointment was only because she wanted to investigate where her instant trust in Connor came from and if she would still feel that way.
"Thanks, sweetie." Piper kissed her daughter's temple and stood up. This boy, Connor, made her nervous. She didn't know who or what he was and if she got her way, Pandora would never see him again, but she very rarely ever got her way so that probably wouldn't happen. The best she could hope for was to distract her daughter. "And once you've settled in maybe you can invite your friend Greg over for dinner."
"Okay," Pandora agreed unenthusiastically. She wasn't exactly sure about Greg meeting her family. He was normal and her family definitely was not.
"We'll leave you to get some sleep now." Leo gave his daughter one last hug.
"But, it's morning."
"And you've been up all night." Leo grinned. He was going to enjoy being a father full time. Just as long as all this talk about boys remained talk. "Get some rest and we'll do something this afternoon. A family thing."
"Sure, Dad." Pandora followed her parents to her bedroom door. Once they had left she leaned against the closed door. She couldn't believe she wasn't going back to Xan-tath. Pandora squealed and spun around the room. The fear that she had felt when she had seen Shane last night couldn't even dull her excitement. She was finally home. And she wasn't tired at all, she wanted to explore. Pandora smiled and dissolved into a swirl of blue as she orbed out of her room. Her parents wouldn't miss her, she would be back before their family afternoon.
*****
The heat of the early morning sun beat against the drawn shades of the bedroom suffusing the room with a soft orange glow. Angel felt Cordelia shudder beneath him as his fingertips brushed lightly along her collarbone up to her shoulder where he eased the strap of her bra down her arm. All the while he continued a tender assault on her mouth - nibbling, sucking, lashing his tongue in and out with swift strokes. Her lips were so soft, he could kiss her for an eternity. Angel felt Cordelia slip her hand under his sweater to caress his waist and the tight muscles of his abdomen. Her leg rubbed along his, their bodies shifting and settling so that she cradled him with her body.
It hadn't been Angel's intention to get involved in a heavy duty make-out session when he had asked Cordelia to accompany him to his room. He had wanted to talk about what was happening between them. He wanted to know how to make her comfortable with him again so she didn't pull away and distance herself. He had also wanted to talk to Cordelia about Wesley. He wanted to know why she was having such a hard time trusting their friend again. But once they were in his room, she had hugged him and told him that everything would be alright because they would get through this prophecy the way they always did - together. She had kissed him, a simple brush of the lips. Then the only thing Angel had wanted was Cordelia.
"Angel," Cordelia moaned. She pulled away from him. She pushed at his chest with one hand, but the one at his side still held him to her. "Angel, we have to stop."
"I know." Angel leaned down and stole one last, lingering kiss. He rolled off of her and settled at beside her. He stroked her hair. "I love you."
"I love you too." Cordelia's eyes were downcast. She picked lint off of his sweater. "What did you tell Connor about the birds and the bees?"
"I told him he could come to me with any questions he might have about girls." Angel sighed. "I kind of messed things up when I asked what Holtz had told him about girls. Connor didn't really want to talk to me after that. Goddamn, Holtz! I hate that he can still separate me from my son."
"It won't be forever." Cordelia ran her hand up and down Angel's arm. "Look at how far you two have come in the past year, soon Holtz won't matter to either of you. But that doesn't mean you get out of having The Talk with your son, Buster."
"You know my information is a bit out of date." Angel pulled Cordelia closer. He brought his lips up to her ear and murmured huskily, "I think I could use a tutoring session before I explain thing to Connor. Apparently there's some sort of base system nowadays?"
Cordelia snorted. "Yeah, you rounded a few of them a couple of minutes ago."
"Really? So, how does it go?" Angel smiled wolfishly. He pressed his lips to hers, slipping his tongue through them to tickle the roof of her mouth. "First base?" His hand cupped her breast and he bent his head to nuzzle at the lace of her bra. Cordelia's breathing was heavy and she reflexively gripped his hair as he rolled her nipple between his fingers. "Second base?" Angel replaced his fingers with his lips and flattened his palm on her stomach. Her skin was warm and silky. He started to move his hand lower, but Cordelia stopped him. Her hand grasped his, but she didn't say anything.
The words were there, but Cordelia couldn't tell Angel to stop. She didn't want him to stop. She wanted him to touch her and taste her and make her scream his name while forgetting her own. It would be so easy to be selfish. Cordelia took a deep, shaky breath. "Sorry, only a two base hit."
"Cordy, I could..."
Cordelia placed a finger over his lips to stop him from offering. "I know you could, but it wouldn't be fair. We can't have a relationship, Angel, when one of us is satisfied and the other is frustrated. It won't work."
"Yes, it will. I'll be fine, Cordelia." Angle hugged her to him. He didn't know what he would do if she left him. He had thought walking away from Buffy had been hard, losing Cordelia wasn't an option. He had shared so much with her - his heart, his soul, his mission, his life. Everything that was his belonged to her. "I'll be satisfied with the flush of your skin, the sound of your moans, and the look on your face when I give you the greatest pleasure one person can give another."
"Oh, Angel, th...that's so sweet." Cordelia bit her lip and wished she wasn't blushing like a school girl. She was supposed to be poised and sophisticated. "But don't you think that I would want that same satisfaction? I want to make love with you."
"You know that's not possible, Cordelia." Angel rolled over onto his back. He was hurt that she wouldn't let him do the one thing that he could do for her, even though he did get her point. A one-sided physical relationship would get frustrating for the both of them. The ache of her rejection was dulled when Cordelia cuddled up next to him, pillowing her head on his shoulder.
"Not now, but things change. You didn't lose your soul when you and Darla conceived Connor."
"I didn't go to Darla to find happiness," Angel pointed out. He gave Cordelia's forehead a quick peck. "Do you really think there's a loophole to this curse? Or a way to make my soul permanent?"
"I have to, I love you."
"Then I will to, because I love you." Angel was getting sleepy, but he didn't want her to leave. "Will you stay here with me for now?"
"For always."
*****
The smell of bacon, eggs, and other tantalizing odors wafted up the backstairs as Phoebe and Paige descended. "Why do I have to suffer every time Piper is stressed?" Paige grumbled as her steps slowed. Suddenly, she wasn't so anxious to share with her eldest sister what they had found about the vampire in the Book of Shadows. "I gained five pounds when she was deciding the best location for Charmed Chaos."
"Just because Piper cooks it, that doesn't mean you have to eat it." Phoebe smiled. She bounced down the remainder of the stairs and tried to pretend that she was carefree. "Hey, honey, are you expecting an army?" Phoebe picked a piece of crisp bacon off of a platter and ate it. Along with it, they were plates of eggs - poached, scrambled, and over-easy - sausage, and peach crepes with whip cream.
Paige viewed the culinary spread with a frown. "Or is this a new strategy? Are you we gonna try feeding evil to death?"
"Neither. Pandora's home to stay and I wanted to make her first breakfast here special, but I don't know what she likes." Piper dashed some tears from her eyes. "Do you think she likes pancakes or waffles? I'll make both just in case."
"Piper, I think you've made enough food." Phoebe caught her sister's hands and led her to the stools that lined one side of the island and sat her down. "What's going on? It's not like Pandora has never visited us before."
"You're right, she's visited. This is her home, I'm her mother, and she's only visited. She's never spent twenty-four hours with us, she was always orbed back to Xan-tath. I've never made my own daughter breakfast." Piper stood up and returned to the stove, pouring batter into a waffle iron. "Did you find anything on this vampire with a soul and his son?"
"Loads." Paige grabbed fork from the utensil drawer and took the seat Piper had vacated. She started eating a crepe. "The vampire, Angelus, was known as the Scourge of Europe until he pissed off a Romany gypsy clan - the Kalderash - when he killed a favored daughter. For their revenge they cursed him with a soul."
"So now he fights demons." Piper set some toast on the island and handed each of her sisters an empty plate. "Probably to make up for the people he killed."
"Most likely," Phoebe agreed. "But there is a problem, his soul isn't permanent. If he ever experiences complete happiness, he loses it and reverts back to being ordinary evil vampire."
"That's not good." Piper set the waffles and pancakes with the rest of the food. "How did all of this get in the Book of Shadows?"
"One of our ancestors, Philomena Halliwell, had married into the Kalderash," Paige answered. "She helped construct the Soul Restoration spell, but she didn't agree with the clause. Philomena thought he should have been allowed to redeem himself fully and find happiness."
Leo orbed into the kitchen as Paige finished speaking and caught the last of it. "The Elders agreed with her. The vampire was brought to the attention of The Powers That Be and they made him a warrior for good. He fights demons for his redemption and for his reward - the chance to someday become human again."
"It sounds like a twisted fairytale. Sad and romantic." Paige pushed her plate away.
"It sounds like a lot of trouble," Piper corrected. "What about his son? How did a vampire have a child?"
"There's nothing in the Book." Phoebe shrugged. "Leo?"
"He was, uh, kind of a gift from The Powers." Leo shifted uncomfortably. "The vampire kind of lost his way for a little while, so The Elders suggested that he could use some incentive to keep fighting."
"Oh, so Connor was less of a gift and more of a tool for blackmail." Piper rolled her eyes. These Powers didn't sound much better than The Elders as far as employers went.
"Things kind of went wrong when a demon Sahjhan interfered and the boy ended up being raised in a Hell dimension. He was actually only born a few years ago."
"Looks like he and Pan have something in common then. Heaven and Hell. It's kind of a Romeo and Juliet thing." Paige grinned.
"No," Piper and Leo both protested. Piper frowned at her sister and continued, "Pan isn't going to get involved in any epic teenage romance. She'll have enough to deal with being Shane's target full time and so will we."
"Paige was only teasing, you guys." Phoebe suppressed the feelings that surged up at the mention of her son. She couldn't deal with it. She would have to eventually, but it would have to be after they had vanquished Shane and Cole. If she thought about it or tried to sort out her feelings, she might not be able to go through with it. "Do you want us to get Pan for breakfast?"
Piper eyed the food she had frantically prepared. "No, let her sleep. She needs her rest." Piper sighed. "Besides, I know what she likes for lunch."
"So, when do we deal with the vampire?" Paige stood up and retrieved some containers from the cupboard. There was a homeless shelter near her office that could use the extra food.
"As soon as possible. I want to make it clear that my daughter is off limits and that we'll leave them alone if they'll leave us alone."
"Good plan. They can take care of their demons and we'll take care of ours." Phoebe nodded. "Why don't we pay them a visit right now before Paige has to go to work?"
"Be careful." Leo called after them as his wife and her sisters left. He was pretty sure that things wouldn't go as easily as they wanted it too. The Elders had been too pleased by the fact that his daughter had met the vampire's son. Leo sighed. His wife's distrust of The Elders was starting to rub off on him.
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