Ceremony Of InnocenceBy DM Evans
Chapter: 11
Shrieks rang through the mansion, waking Angel. He shot out of bed, racing into the living room. Light streamed in the windows. Connor was in a corner trying to either claw through the stone or climb it. The horrible cries tore out of him. Angel grabbed him, pulling him close. Connor screamed even louder. Wesley and Lindsey ran into the room, both still half asleep. More cop-like and cautious before entering, Kevin peeked around the corner. "It's okay, Connor," Angel said, soothingly. "It was just a dream."
Connor ripped out of his arms, shoving Angel hard enough to land him on his backside in a sunbeam. Angel rolled out of the light, his flesh smoking. Kevin backed into a corner, seeing that display of otherworldliness. Angel tackled Connor, holding him tight, using his weight to pin the slight boy. "Connor, please, just relax." Angel loosened up a bit as Connor stopped fighting. He pulled Connor into a sitting position. "You just had a bad dream. You're safe, I promise you."
Connor shuddered, moaning. His color drained and his eyes widened. He tried to get his hand up in front of his mouth but didn't quite make it in time. His stomach emptied all over the stone flooring. Angel stroked his hair as he watched Lindsey leave the room. Connor started sobbing. "It's okay, Connor. Don't worry about it." Angel rubbed his son's back. "Shhh, Connor. I know you're scared but there's nothing to be afraid of now."
Connor managed to swallow his cries. Lindsey came back with a wet face towel and handed it to Angel. The vampire shot him a grateful look. He mopped Connor's face with it as his son relaxed back against him. "Okay?" Angel asked. "Do you know where you are?"
Connor nodded. "It was so real."
"I know, son. But you're safe. Can you stand up?" Angel helped Connor to his feet. The boy looked at the puddle of vomit, shame coloring his cheeks. "Don't worry about it, Connor. I'll clean up in here," Wesley said. "And do we have a plan for today?"
"Pants," Lindsey said, gesturing at them all. Wes had thrown on a ludicrous robe, burgundy with black velvet trim. Lindsey, himself, hadn't taken the time to cover up his tightie whities, which he was regretting. Kevin was in raggedy boxers in sharp contrast to Angel's black silk ones. "I can't think with all of us standing around in our underpants like this is a high school locker room."
"Good point." Angel tapped the living room couch's pillows and Connor sat obediently to wait for the others to clean up and dress. He curled up on the couch and when Angel came back he pushed in next to him.
"I'm going to try and make contact with the Moahilyass today," Lindsey said, coming back out in his slacks and dress shirt. Kevin wasn't far behind him in his casual jeans and T-shirt. Wesley's attire hovered between the extremes.
"Do you need help?" Wesley asked. "Angel's hampered but I'm not."
"Thanks but no. I've mentioned they are very structured demons. They don't take well to changes in plans. I don't know what they might do if I show up with company. And don't forget, they think I'm dead. Me reappearing will upset them enough," Lindsey said.
"Then you might need back up in that case," Angel said. "Someone who can stay out of sight but get to you fast if there's trouble. I'll call Buffy."
"Faith," Lindsey said. "No offense, but I don't like unknowns. I might not know Faith well but I know her better than Buffy."
"Okay, Faith then," Angel said.
"Is that enough? Just one woman against a bunch of demons?" Kevin gave them a strange look as all of them gazed at him either amused or with looks of pity for his ignorance.
"She's a Slayer, brother. If Faith isn't enough, we're in real trouble," Lindsey said.
"I'm going to assist Giles, Willow and Fred in trying to find out more about the Moahilya," Wes said.
"For all my dealings with them, I honestly don't know much about the Moahilyas' capabilities," Lindsey said. "I know more about their culture than I do about any magic they might possess. The most important thing I can tell you is they're ravenous and they think humans taste bad. That won't stop them from chewing on us."
"Can we kill them?" Connor's soft voice shocked the other men. They had thought he was too traumatized to be actually listening in.
"I'm sure it's possible but I don't know their weaknesses. I'm imagining it would be hard to hit them since most of their body surface is covered with mouths," Lindsey said.
"Connor, do you want to work with Wesley and the others?" Angel put a hand on Connor's shoulder. "I'm not sure you're up to helping Faith protect Lindsey."
"Can't do it." Connor glanced away. "Tried helping Fred back when you and Cordy were missing. I can't read so good, not good enough to be useful." Connor flinched a bit when Angel couldn't keep his disappointment hidden.
"It's all right, Connor. We should have been facilitating your learning all this time. We knew that education couldn't have been a priority in Quor-Toth. I'm sorry we didn't think of it," Wesley said.
"It's okay. There's never time for us, just for all the big problems we're supposed to fix," Connor said so sadly his companions felt that sorrow as if it were their own.
"That changes," Angel whispered. "Once this is over, that changes. You're the most important thing in the world to me, Connor. I'm supposed to be working toward my redemption, towards my humanity. Finding time for my son has to be extremely humanizing."
No one said anything for a moment. Wesley cleared his throat. "I ought to be going. I promised to meet them at Buffy's. Angel, you were out most of the night. You should rest some more while it's daylight. I will arrange for Faith to watch over Lindsey."
Angel nodded. "Thanks, Wes."
"I guess I'll try to give Wesley a hand with the research," Kevin said. "It beats sitting around here."
"Safer, too," Lindsey put in. He watched them leave then glanced over at Connor. "Do you want to go to Buffy's and be with the others? Maybe talk to Dawn?"
Connor shook his head. "No. I just need..." He looked out the window that the couch was carefully situated to avoid being anywhere near. "Alone."
"Are you sure? Sometimes being alone might seem right but really isn't what you need." Angel touched Connor's hair and the boy jerked away.
"I'm sure." Connor got up and headed for his room.
Angel resisted the temptation to follow him. He went back to his room and sat on the bed, trying to figure out what he needed to do with his son. Before he could formulate anything resembling a plan, Connor knocked on the door and came in. He had the handheld video game Fred had insisted they bring along. She said Connor had loved playing with it before they had thrown him out of the hotel. It had sat forgotten in Fred's desk for nearly a year. "Can I stay?" Connor stared at his feet.
"If you want to. Or if you'd be more comfortable, I could take a nap out in the living room and you'd have more room to do whatever in," Angel said.
Connor went to the beanbag chair that was in the room. Angel never knew where Buffy had found the thing. She had brought it over before. Angel paused in that train of thought. He hated thinking about when he and she had been happy together, since so much had gone so wrong since then. Connor nestled down in the old, large thing.
"You can play your game. It won't bother me," he assured his child.
"Thanks," Connor mumbled.
Angel fell asleep to the sounds of the game. Worry didn't let him sleep long. He woke once and Connor was still playing with the toy. The second time he awoke, Connor was curled up asleep in the beanbag chair, seeming to be at peace. Feeling somewhat reassured, Angel allowed himself some rest.
---
Buffy shoved paperwork around on her desk. After the First was disposed of, Wood had asked her back to her old position. She wanted to be back home helping, even though research wasn't her forte. She had promised to stop trying to do it all herself. Giles and Willow were the reigning rulers of research and they had Wes and Fred to help them. Still, throwing in with them would have taken her mind off the whirling emotions and thoughts haunting her.
All the digging up bones with Angel, the idea that graduation was in a few short weeks and Dawn was leaving, the whole idea of Angel having a child and what a strange androgynous creature he was, the lasting, nagging question of why in the hell was Spike still hanging around for even though they both knew it was over, all of those thoughts howled through her head. At least she had been busy most of the morning with nervous seniors, reassuring them that they'd make it through graduation and go on to do good things. The knock on her door didn't surprise her, surely just another teen in need of counseling. That's what she was here for, after all. "Come in."
"Hey, Buff."
Buffy's eyes widened a bit as Dawn came in almost shyly. She sat down in front of her sister's desk. For a moment the sisters merely stared at each other. "Is something wrong, Dawn?"
"Nope. It's study hall." She shrugged. "I thought we could talk for a little bit if you're not too busy. Here we're not gonna get bothered by anyone."
Buffy reached over the desk, touching Dawn's hand. "What's wrong, Dawnie? Nervous about going to school?" Buffy smiled a little to take any hint of a sting out of that.
"Actually I was worried about you. With Angel being here, the big talk last night, Spike still being here and how those two might...um, clash. I thought you might want to talk to someone." Dawn ducked her head, hiding her face behind her long fall of hair. "Or if not I can go back to study hall."
Buffy grinned broadly. "Thanks, Dawn. I appreciate it, really. And I'm okay. Angel and I had...it wasn't an easy talk but it was good. I finally felt like someone was treating me like an adult. Sometimes I feel..."
"Like Giles still sees you like you're sixteen," Dawn filled in. "I know."
"Sometimes. I know it's hard for a dad to let go," Buffy said and Dawn brightened. Neither young lady needed to say Giles was more a father to them than their real one. "I guess it was good to get it all out. We shouldn't have become so isolated in the first place."
"You're too proud, both of you," Dawn said quietly.
Buffy opened her mouth to protest that but couldn't. "I hate it but you're right. Angel thought he was helping by making the break between us."
"But he shouldn't be making your decisions for you," Dawn said, angry on her sister's behalf.
"True but I'm done dwelling on it. It can't be changed." Buffy shuffled some of her paperwork around her desk, keeping her hands busy.
"Good."
"I just wish I could be more helpful right now." Buffy blew at a lock of her hair that trailed over her forehead. "I hate just sitting around when everyone else is doing my work for me."
"Well, if the Council would pay a Slayer like they pay the Watchers you wouldn't have to do this job."
"Right now the Watchers are barely recovering from what the First did. But you have a very good point. I'm going to ask why is it that I don't get paid but Giles does." A smug expression painted itself on Buffy's face.
"They'll probably tell you it's because you're the Chosen One and that should be enough for you." Dawn rolled her eyes.
"No doubt." Buffy twirled a pencil through her fingers like a baton. "I do appreciate your concern, Dawn. But I don't want you worrying about me."
"Can't help it." Dawn drummed her fingers on the desk. "You're my sister."
"And I promised not to keep cutting myself off from everyone." Buffy sighed. That promise was proving harder than she would ever have imagined.
"And we're going to make sure you don't. I'll make you a deal. I'll try not to over worry about you being here alone without me and you don't worry so much about me going off the college." Dawn shoved her hand out to shake on the agreement.
Buffy took it. "Deal."
"Great. Then I'll go. You're probably busy." Dawn got up.
"Actually I have been." Buffy came out from behind her desk and impulsively hugged her sister. "Thanks. I'm glad you're concerned. It means a lot."
"You're welcome." Dawn hugged her back then sailed out the door.
Buffy allowed herself a wide smile. It really did make her feel loved and good about herself to know so many people cared about her. Sometimes it was too easy to forget that. She didn't have time to think on it before the next panicked senior knocked on her door.
---
Lindsey couldn't help looking over his shoulder hoping to see Faith but she was too well hidden. He hated walking into the warehouse alone but at least he was armed. Every time before he had met the Moahilyas in controlled situations. This was anything but. He had cast a spell to contact them. They hadn't really believed he wasn't dead and then they were outraged. He wasn't sure he convinced them not to call Wolfram and Hart to investigate the deception. For all he knew, they would go after Wolfram and Hart for their betrayal. He wouldn't mind that.
At least he hadn't signed the same kind of contract as Lilah, the one that bound him after he was dead. He hadn't been at the firm long enough, wasn't trusted enough for that sort of commitment. It had became his life's saving grace. He still wondered why Wolfram and Hart had let him go and he had no illusions about that. He was free only because the firm didn't have a use for him so he would rest much easier if the Moahilyas destroyed it.
This was a mistake. He should never have said he would help, at least not like this. He was going to get gnawed apart. He didn't want to die that horribly. If he survived this, it would be the last time he let Kevin guilt him into stuff. Lindsey took a deep breath and looked around. Where could they be hiding? He could smell them. The place reeked of raw sewage. He'd only give them a few more minutes then leave. The Moahilyas weren't the type to be late. He heard them shambling before he saw them. He froze, realizing he was totally surrounded. He counted eight of them. How did things so big and putrid hide?
"Thank you for meeting with me," Lindsey said, trying to regain a modicum of control over the situation. Unfortunately, his voice sounded tight and high. If he were facing down humans, they would know he was scared. He couldn't tell about what the Moahilyas thought.
"You have lied to us," one of them said.
Lindsey tried to ignore the rest of the demons. He knew that once one of them started speaking then that was the leader. The others wouldn't speak. "I haven't lied. It was my employers. They were the ones who told you I had been killed. They used us all. I came here to request that you break dealings with Wolfram and Hart and disassemble the apparatus the law firm had you install. Or tell me how its done and I'll find someone to handle it," Lindsey said, wasting no words.
"All you will do is pay for your deception."
That was definitely not what Lindsey wanted to hear. "It wasn't me. It was Wolfram and Hart who deceived you." Lindsey prayed Faith was in earshot. He put his hand into the inside of his jacket. He felt the butt of the sawed-off shotgun Wesley had given him before they left L.A. He had no idea if it would kill a Moahilya but he suspected he was about to find out.
"You are part of the organization. You pay the same price as they shall."
The leader started for him. Lindsey pulled his gun free. "Faith!"
He blasted the leader. Parts of it exploded into hunks of chartreuse flesh and baby blue ichor but it kept twitching. Lindsey pumped the twelve-gauge and filled the next closest demon with shot. Faith raced in, the poleax she borrowed from Buffy at the ready. She hesitated, staring at the multi-mouthed, reeking monsters.
"Oh, yuck," she cried.
"No kidding. Help me!" Lindsey bolted through the opening he had carved for himself as he tried to load the shotgun on the run. He was reminded suddenly, ludicrously, of the times he and Kevin had gone hunting rabbits and squirrels with their father. At least the cute and furries weren't out to kill him. He dodged another demon, blasting a hole in what he thought was its head.
He tossed off another shot then put his back to the wall to reload. He saw the glint of metal as Faith's axe whirled. Watching her fight was a thing of beauty. She was all precision swings, flying feet and deadly metal. Her grunts and cries of triumph as she hacked the things to bits were more of an aphrodisiac than that kama sutra concoction he and some of the other lawyers had quaffed down at a Wolfram and Hart party. He swore he could taste the potent sugary mix of ghee butter, honey, milk, liquorice and fennel as he watched Faith fight. He barely tore his eyes away from her in time to see one of the Mohilya closing in on him. The backlash from such a close shot covered him in blue blood and quivering flesh. The smell nearly made him vomit.
Faith paused in her path of destruction, looking at the mass of demon corpses. Blue gore dripped off her hair and face. "Um, Lin, should I have been like keeping one alive for questioning?" A sheepish expression crossed her face.
"A little late to be asking, not that I'm complaining." Lindsey wiped his face in disgust. "They wouldn't have talked. It would have been a breach of honor."
Faith kicked a mass of chartreuse flesh. "Shouldn't they be going to dust or dissolving or something?"
"They don't do that." Lindsey walked to the nearest forklift and managed to move it into the center of the Moahilyas. He patted the area over the gas tank. "Axe, please."
Faith buried her weapon into the metal. They could smell the gas as she jerked the blade free. It started pooling around the demons. Faith waved Lindsey toward the door, pulling a lighter out of her pants' pocket. She lit it and tossed it into the gasoline. If anything, burning Moahilyas smelled worse than normal. They fled the warehouse, gagging.
"We are not getting back in the car covered in this shit," Lindsey said.
"It's almost dark," Faith reminded him.
"And I'm walking home with a Slayer. I don't see the problem." He smirked at her and she returned it.
After pausing to hide the weapons in the car trunk and getting weaponry they could hide on their bodies, they headed back into the business section of town. People stared at them, giving them a wide berth. Concentrating on walking home as fast as possible to get to the shower, they never saw someone peering out of the Espresso Pump's window at them.
---
Lilah did her best to hide behind the coffee shop's dessert menu as a couple walked past the huge window. She knew she should be in hiding but she was so damn bored in her hotel room she couldn't stand it. She just wasn't the hiding out type. She thought that the thing between Angel and the Slayer in Sunnydale was long over so she had figured she was relatively safe. Luckily neither Lindsey nor Faith seemed to see her. She didn't even want to know what the blue goo that was covering them was. Lilah fished out her cell phone, nearly knocking over her caffeine-free tea. Being pregnant sucked. If she couldn't have caffeine soon she was going to murder someone; preferably Lindsey, Angel or Connor. Lilah placed a call to the Senior Partners. "Hello, sir, I have good news for you...no, I'm afraid I do not have a line as to where Angel and Connor are but I do know where Lindsey is. He's here in Sunnydale with Faith...yes, I thought that would interest you....you want me to what? Yes, I am interested in the bonus if I achieves this but I'll need help, sir...thank you. I'll be expecting them tomorrow then. Good night, sir." Lilah took a sip of tea, wincing at the bitter taste. They wanted her to capture Faith for the breeding program. Why didn't they just ask her to drag down the moon while she was at it? Still, Slayers had weaknesses. She knew they could be drugged and she knew Faith never could stay away from clubs for long. All Lilah had to do is wait with her assistants and she was sure opportunity would offer itself up.
---
"What is that smell?" Buffy asked as she came into her home with Angel, Spike and Connor. She had met with the vampires and Angel's son, who seemed to have developed an umbilical to his father, to do a quick patrol. She had called home before leaving work to find out that Faith and Lindsey hadn't returned and the research team still had zero to go on.
"Faith and Lindsey had to fight their way out," Xander said, peeking out of the kitchen. Dawn and Willow were eating pizza, sitting on the couch. Wes, Fred, Gunn, Kevin and Giles were seated at the dinning table doing the same.
Willow waved at the kitchen. "Go grab some pizza. I know, I know, again but when there's this many people, it's easiest," the witch said.
"Are they okay?" Buffy went for the pizza, feeling Connor right behind her. "Fine but Moahilyas, as it turns out, really stink,"
Willow replied, wrinkling her nose. "They're showering."
"Did Faith beat him up for first go at the water?" Buffy grinned.
"I don't think they're taking turns," Dawn said, blushing.
"Okay, they had best not be doing anything gross in my shower." Buffy flopped down on a chair. She shot a glance back at Angel who stood like a caryatid on one side of the fireplace while Spike took up the same position on the other side. "I'll beat him up for you if he is," Kevin offered.
"And I'll let you." Buffy smiled at the older man who was holding up better than she would have expected. "So, do we know anything more now that they got back?"
"They grunted, 'we killed them all' and raced for the shower," Gunn said.
"And seeing how they smelled that bad we let them," Fred said.
"Did anyone think to find something for Lindsey to wear? Faith could borrow Buffy's clothes," Angel said, totally missing Buffy's evil eye.
"I keep some spare clothes here, just in case. They'll be big on him but..." Xander shrugged and headed upstairs to fetch his spare jogging outfit.
"And I'll get Faith something of mine," Willow added, dashing off.
They had polished off most of the pizza by the time Faith and Lindsey reappeared, both scrubbed pink. Lindsey was swimming in Xander's clothing. They got their dinner and all but fell down on the couch that Willow and Dawn vacated.
"So?" Buffy prompted impatiently.
"So, Lin and I killed them all. He's damn handy with a shotgun." Faith chucked his shoulder.
"You can thank my Dad and Kevin for that. The Moahilyas weren't interested in talking to me, Buffy. All they said was I was going to die and so were Wolfram and Hart for deceiving them. I really didn't expect anything different," Lindsey admitted.
"So, basically we still don't know how to take that thing under the Hellmouth apart." Buffy thumped her head back on the chair.
"'Fraid not. I'm not sure if the demons Faith and I took out were all of them or if I can expect something to still be out there, waiting to kill me," Lindsey said.
"Still on square one, how different for us," Xander said a bit bitter.
"I think Wes and I have come across a lead," Giles said. "But we don't possess the reference book. He and I will try to track it down tomorrow. It might give us a better idea as to how to dismantle the device safely."
"Good," Buffy said as someone knocked on the door. She looked around and saw everyone but Anya was in the room. She knew Anya let the Magic Box stay open late one day a week for a Wiccan meeting that she said was good for business. It was too early for her to be back and Anya wouldn't knock. She got up and opened the door, totally unprepared for who was standing there. Cordelia swept in without being invited. She smiled at Buffy then waved at everyone in the living room.
"Hi." For a moment Cordelia looked like she was at a loss for what to say. "I just couldn't stay away. Connor, I'm so glad you're safe." She bounced over to where he sat along the wall and reached down to embrace him tightly. Connor shoved her so hard Cordelia landed on her butt. He jumped up, his eyes wide and wild. "Don't touch me."
"Connor, what's wrong, baby?" Cordy looked up at him, stunned.
"Don't you ever touch me.” Connor whirled and raced for the door. He nearly knocked Buffy down to get out of it.
"Connor," Angel cried, running after his son. By the time he got to the door, Connor was already a few blocks away. "I have to get him back here. Sunnydale at night..." He was about to say was no place for a kid but it was probably exactly the place a kid like Connor would feel at home.
"I'll help you," Buffy said.
"Me, too," Spike said, moving for the door.
"No, Spike, we don't need you. You and Faith should head for the Hellmouth and make sure none of those demons are there," Buffy said and shut the door behind her.
Spike's pale face darkened. "Great, the big poof returns and I'm back to being the bootboy."
"That's B for you, always with the orders." Faith got up and slapped him on the back. "Come on, we don't need them. Let's go find us some ass to kick."
"Yeah, why not." He fished out his cigarettes and Faith immediately snagged one. Spike and Faith left and the Summer's house descended into an eerie silence. All eyes floated over to Cordelia who had found her feet.
"What did they do to that poor boy?" she whispered. No one had an answer.