Ceremony Of InnocenceBy DM Evans
Chapter: 13
"How is he?" Angel asked as he, Connor and Buffy met up with Fred, Dawn and Cordelia outside of Lindsey's hospital room. The vampire was making a concerted effort not to breathe. The stinks inside the hospital were particularly acrid on his sensitive nose.
"Unconscious," Fred replied. "The doctors are keeping him overnight because of the head injury but they think the unconsciousness has more to do with the massive amounts of GHB in his system."
"Most days, I would have loved to beat Lindsey into unconsciousness but tonight's not a time for him to be silent," Cordy said and Angel's eyes widened slightly as Queen C resurfaced.
Angel caught hold of Connor as he shrank away from a passing nurse. "I know exactly what you mean."
"You didn't find Faith, did you?" Dawn asked.
Buffy shook her head. "We found where they took her but they put her in a vehicle. Angel couldn't track it." She dug in her little purse and came up with a few ones. "Dawn, could you and Connor go get us something to drink?"
"Sure, come on, Connor," Dawn said, taking the money.
Angel gave Connor a gentle nudge when he hesitated. Connor reluctantly followed Dawn down the hall and into the elevator.
"So what's up that we had to get rid of the kids?" Cordy asked, leaning against the wall by Lindsey's door.
"Lilah's in town," Angel growled, still looking down the hallway. "Connor doesn't need to know that."
"Afraid he'll hunt her down before you do?" Cordy asked coolly and Angel turned to face her.
"Cordelia," Buffy snapped, glaring at the taller woman. Cordelia just raised an eyebrow.
"I just don't want Connor doing anything rash," Angel said.
"I wouldn't worry too much, Angel," Buffy said. "It's not like he'll kill her. He's not a murderer."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Fred said, her head chicken-bobbing with her unease.
Buffy whirled, her eyes fixing on Angel. He read the question in their agatey depths. "It's possible he might, Buffy. That's why I left him with Giles and Wes. In his frame of mind, I don't want Connor involved in any fights." Angel scowled. He and Buffy had been forced to get Connor before proceeding to the hospital The boy had gotten so antsy for action, Wes didn't think they could keep him from leaving for much longer. "Connor was taught to punish evil but that punishment was death. He didn't have the darkest of the dark worlds calling him 'the Destroyer' because of his lenient ways. I don't know what he'll do if he finds Lilah. She hurt him badly, so badly he can't even tell me. I don't think he'll hesitate if he sees her."
"He'll kill her or break down completely," Fred said, her thin face twisting with fear and concern.
Angel nodded. "I've considered that, too. That could even be worse. If he collapses, and Wolfram and Hart get hold of him I may never find him. Lilah tortured my child for months. I can't promise she walks away alive." Angel's voice went husky, his eyes so dark they were nearly black.
"Angel." Buffy put a hand on his arm. "You've said that before but you can't mean it."
"Why not?" Cordy asked, folding her arms. "I told Angel he had every right to kill Holtz for kidnapping Connor and ruining his life. That boy's never had a moment's peace or happiness. Lilah's only made it worse. She deserves what she gets."
Buffy stared at Cordelia, thoroughly unprepared for the harshness. She never expected Cordy to sign on for an execution but she understood the feeling somewhere deep down. She had been prepared to kill Faith to save Angel and to punish her for what the other Slayer had done to Angel in the first place. She would have killed the monks to save Dawn, as well. On the other hand, she didn't like Cordy encouraging Angle to do murder, not when they knew how dark Angel could get. "You know what, Cordy, I'm already tired of your attitude. You come strutting back here like you're queen of the world and you made everything worse." Buffy got closer to the dark-haired woman with each word until she backed Cordy against the wall. "You don't get to decide what's is and isn't okay for Angel to do when it comes to killing someone, not in my town. I say what goes here, you get it?"
Angel pulled Buffy back. "Save the bitching out for later," he hissed, nodding at the nurses' station where two of the nurses were peering at them. "This is not the time or place for it. And neither of you gets to decide what I'm going to do. This is between me, my son and Lilah, understand me?" His jaw set firm and deadly with that.
Buffy shrugged out of his grip, not looking at him. "Okay. I guess we're clear on that." She pointed into Lindsey's room. "Any chance of waking him up to see if he can tell us anything?"
Fred shrugged. "It probably wouldn't hurt him any, might even help him throw off the drug's effect.
They went inside. Kevin looked at them curiously from where he sat keeping vigil by his brother's bed. His expression suggested he might have overheard them. Lindsey had been expertly pinned into the bed by the nursing assistant's judicious use of tucked sheets. His head was swathed in thick, fluffy white gauze. A heart monitor and nasal cannula for oxygen had been utilized just in case.
"You want to question him," Kevin said, the cop in him recognizing the looks and the need.
"He might be the only one who can help save Faith," Angel said.
Kevin looked around to see if any nurses had miraculously appeared then tapped his brother on the shoulder. Getting no response, he shook Lindsey harder. Lindsey's blue eyes cracked open and just as quickly fell shut. A final tap on the shoulder got him to open his eyes. Lindsey groaned, his eyes narrowing in pain. He had to fight to get one arm free of the sheets, nearly knocking the pulse-oximeter sensor off his finger. Fred caught his flailing hand long enough to push the sensor back on his finger.
"They need to talk to you, brother," Kevin said.
"Where am I?" Lindsey muttered, his fingers brushing his bandage-swathed head.
"The hospital," Buffy said.
Lindsey's eyes widened as he did his best to survey his new surroundings. "How?"
"We were hoping you could tell us. You called and told us you were hurt and they got Faith," Angel said.
"Faith?" Lindsey looked confused.
"You and she went...dancing," Cordelia said with all the double entendre she could manage to squeeze into one word.
"I don't remember...." Lindsey's brow beetled. "Was that after the Moahilya guts got all over us?"
"That was over a day ago," Angel said, impatiently and Lindsey's wan face molded into a look of disbelief.
"The doctor said he might have amnesia from the GHB," Kevin said and Angel wished someone had thought to mention that before they disturbed the wounded man. Still, he knew they would have tried to glean all the information they could regardless.
"Don't worry about it, Lindsey. Rest," Angel said but Lindsey had already faded away.
"Want me and Cordy to stay?" Fred asked.
"No, that's okay. I'll sit with him," Kevin said. "You go help find who did this to him and find your friend."
"If you need us, if you feel threatened, call us," Cordy said.
"She's serious about that, Kevin," Angel added. "Wolfram and Hart know Lindsey's here and probably guess he's helping us. They wouldn't hesitate to come and finish what they started."
Kevin digested that. "I'm a cop. I can handle most anything human but given what I've seen in the past few days, they could send something definitely not human. Maybe someone should stay."
"I will," Cordy said. "We can't risk Fred's baby and Angel, you and Buffy will definitely be doing the heavy lifting out there trying to find Faith so you can't be here."
"Thanks Cordelia," Angel said then headed out the door, nearly bowling over Dawn and Connor.
Dawn jumped back, holding up the cans of soda. "Drinks!"
Buffy took one. "Thanks. We're heading for home. Cordy is going to be staying with Kevin and Lindsey. We could use your help with the research."
"Should be looking for Faith," Connor grumbled, staring at his feet.
"We are," Angel said, patiently. "We're not just going to give up, I promise you but you're not up to helping with tracking down Faith."
Connor eyed Angel angrily but didn't protest. Angel put a hand on his child's shoulder. He'd have to find a way to tell Connor about Lilah but not until he could figure out a way to keep Connor under control. Perhaps Willow could work a spell to weaken him. Angel hated doing that to his son but it might be needed. He'd discuss it with Wes, Giles, Buffy and Willow when he had a chance but for now he had to concentrate on the more pressing problems at hand.
---
Lilah sat down with a warm cup of tea, caffeine be damned. She almost felt a twinge of guilt. Not about bashing Lindsey over the head. She'd been dying to do that for years. She didn't like handing Faith over to Dr. Outing who was on her way from LA. There was something creepy about medical rape. Project: Next Generation made Lilah's skin crawl. Still, the money and power she received for delivering Faith was very medicating to her soul, such as it was.
Lilah had bigger concerns. She had to convince the Senior Partners to let her get out of Sunnydale. She had a bad feeling about this. Faith was here. She knew that Angel visited Faith regularly in jail. Lindsey almost certainly had a hand in helping Connor escape. It stood to reason that if Faith and Lindsey were together, Angel could be with them.
She perceived that as a direct threat to her. The Senior Partners saw it as an opportunity to get Connor back. They were disappointed that she hadn't used the resources to bring Lindsey in when she had the chance. She argued that the Sweepers had their hands full with Faith and that she was hardly the one to be bringing in Connor. She reminded them that her unborn child, one they were very interested in, was at risk if she stayed since she had few illusions as to what Angel would do to her if he caught her.
To make matters worse, the slaughter of the Moahilya convinced the Senior Partners that someone had to watch over the operation to be sure it went as planned. Lilah decided she had been too hasty in killing Gavin. She could have used him to do this for her. The Senior Partners had decided there was no one else without enough experience and banked trust for the job.
Lilah knew what she had to do; convince the Senior Partners that there were viable alternatives and get on the next plane to anywhere but here. She just hoped she could do it before Angel caught up to her.
---
The Moahilya watched the little Shabar demon remove the crystal receptacle from the apparatus. It glimmered with its ethereal energy filling. A second Shabar put another crystal in place. The Moahilyas had considered aborting the mission after the loss of their companions but there was money to be made and honor to uphold so it was business as usual, if mining a hellmouth could be termed usual.
---
Faith pried an eye open, staring into a bright white light. She caught glimpses of people in medical masks and dull sterile blue clothing. Her legs felt funny and she was fairly sure she was tied down. The room felt like the arctic. Before she could test her restraints, something burned into her arm and the lights went out again.
---
Sitting back on the couch in his mansion, Angel felt his temper slowly reaching the boiling point. Faith had been gone for thirty-six hours and they didn't have a clue where to find her. Anya was at the hospital with Kevin and Lindsey; the latter was due home shortly. To which end, they had moved their base of operations to the mansion because Angel didn't want Lindsey to be left alone just in case. He knew that Lindsey didn't feel very well yet and the mansion had more room, regardless.
Xander, Willow and Cordy were bickering over the research like old times but Wes and Giles looked ready to strangle the lot of them. Dawn and Connor were in the corner taking a break, playing with the Gameboy. No one minded. There was more than enough help for the research and Angel thought everyone understood Connor's fragile state. Angel was pleased that his son was bearing up to Dawn's overt offers of friendship, even though the boy did mostly look like he'd rather be left alone.
Fred had taken ill with morning sickness that had moved in like a storm cloud for the entire day and she was lying down in Wes' bed which had irritated Gunn for some insanely jealous reason. Angel knew over-weaning envy was the reason his temper was on the rise as much as he didn't want to admit it. He knew it was childish and beneath him, but he was irritated and jealous that Buffy had chosen Spike to go check out a lead on the Moahilyas and hadn't asked him along. It made sense because they were using Spike's contacts to mine for information and he was useless in that aspect.
"Come on, Connor," Dawn said, getting up. "Everyone could use something to drink. Help me carry."
Angel watched Connor slog to his feet as Dawn took drink orders. At least he wasn't shying away from her any more. Maybe he had gotten used to her or, better yet, Angel hoped Connor was recovering a little.
"Earth to Angel," Cordelia said, a note of peevishness in her voice.
He tore his eyes off the opening to the kitchen, wondering what Cordy had been saying to him. "Yes?"
"I said Connor looks good today, like he's doing better," she repeated.
He nodded distractedly. "I think so."
"Maybe now he knows what you felt like, tossed into the ocean to rot." Gunn shot an irritated looked at the kitchen. "Maybe now he gets what suffering is."
The sound of breaking glass echoed from the kitchen and Dawn screamed, "Connor no!"
Angel raced into the kitchen, nearly colliding with Dawn. He slithered past her and ran outside the open back door. He tackled Connor, bringing the boy's run to a sudden stop. They skidded on the grass, leaving the shadow of the house. Angel rolled out of the sunlight, taking his son with him back into the protective shadows. Connor thrashed and flailed so wildly he wasn't even able to turn it into a viable attack. Angel only had to use his body weight to pin Connor to the crushed grass until the worst of it passed.
"Are you all right, Angel?"
Hearing Wesley's voice, Angel looked over his shoulder. His friends stood in the doorway, concern etched into their faces. "I'm okay," the vampire replied, his flesh still smoking. "Just give us some space."
They didn't move, not trusting Connor not to get away with Angel unable to follow into the late afternoon sun. Angel eased back on the pressure, letting Connor up. Connor reached a hand out to his father, crying so hard, Angel barely understood him saying, "I'm sorry."
Angel took the trembling hand, squeezing it. "For what, son?"
Connor didn't answer. He curled up, rocking, sobbing, "I'm sorry," over and over again.
Angel shot another look over his shoulder and this time his friends went back inside. Angel patted his son's shoulder. "It's all right, Connor," he said, softly. "Is this about what Gunn said?" Angel thought Connor said yes but it was so muffled he wasn't sure. Angel lifted Connor up, resting his son's head against his shoulder, rubbing his back. "I forgive you for that. You have to forgive yourself now."
Connor shuddered, his arms tightening around Angel's chest.
"Tell me what they did to you, Connor. You have to get it out," Angel said softly. "It's poisoning you from the inside."
Connor buried his face against Angel, his tears soaking into his father's shirt. "She hurt me."
"I know, son," Angel said, hoping that wasn't the end of the confession.
"She touched me," Connor choked out.
Angel eased him away so he could look his son in the eye. "What do you mean?" he asked and Connor's lips trembled, his eyes canting down to his lap. "Do you mean sexually?" Angel could barely grind out that last word. He already knew the answer. He had been expecting it for some time, judging on Connor's reactions to women. He was hoping that his son would look at him like he was nuts and say no.
Connor only bobbed his head, crying harder. Angel pulled him so close, he hoped the pain would osmosis out of his child and into him. "I'm so sorry, Connor. I'm sorry I didn't find you faster. I'm sorry I couldn't help you before Wolfram and Hart took you away."
Connor scrunched up in his arms. "She had this...thing. She put it in...it hurt so much," he rasped out.
Tears pricking his eyes, Angel squeezed him so tight bones creaked and Connor's breath gasped out. Angel was barely aware of hearing himself saying 'sorry,' repeatedly. Did it feel as meaningless as it sounded? Angel tried hard not to cry but didn't succeed. He wanted to tell Connor it would get better in time but he didn't know if that was true.
As Angelus, he had raped and left his victims alive, just to watch the continuing pain. It helped send Dru over the edge, watching him and Darla rutting like animals in her nun's cell then Darla holding her down for him. The sins of the father had been visited on the son. What a cruel God to have devised such a thing.
Angel reined in his emotions more quickly than Connor did. His son cried himself out, lying weakly in his arms. Connor wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "It's not going to stop hurting, is it?" he asked, pulling away from Angel.
"Slowly. I won't say it will be easy." Angel nodded toward the mansion. "No one else needs to know unless you want them to."
"I don't care."
"Sometimes it helps to talk." Angel tried to sound hopeful, trying to find a way to pull his son out of the darkness. "It'll take time but eventually you'll remember not every woman is out to hurt you."
"I know." Connor sighed. "It's just...." Connor hung his head, unable to finish. Angel stroked his hair.
"I know. And as much as I want to help, there is little I can do other than be there for you, to talk, to listen, whatever you need."
"That's enough," Connor whispered.
Angel hadn't expected that; that his desire to help alone would be comfort enough for his child. It made something in him lift and lighten. For once, he felt hope. "I'm glad. I'll do anything I can for you."
Connor pressed his face into his hands. "Tell me the truth."
Angel cocked his head, his brow wrinkling. "About what?"
"She's here, isn't she?" Connor's eyes met his father's. "Lilah has Faith."
Angel rocked back. "What makes you say that?"
"You don't want to talk about her disappearance in front of me. I know Wolfram and Hart have the demons here in Sunnydale working for them. It makes sense that Lilah's involved."
"She might be here but you can't go after her, Connor, promise me," Angel said quickly, knowing what Connor could be capable of. Part of him wished they were free to let Connor have his revenge. Connor looked away. "Promise me, Connor. If you hurt her, Wolfram and Hart will make sure that you are punished. You could go to jail. Do you understand what that means?" Angel gripped Connor's shoulder. "You'll be in a cage again. Jail might not be able to hold you but the police will hunt you down with guns like that first night with the girl who died. Remember?"
"Sunny?"
"Yes, they'll hunt you like that until you're caught or killed."
Connor shrunk into himself. "Then she doesn't get punished."
Angel tipped his son's chin up. "I swear to you she will be punished, but you just can't kill her, no matter how much you think she deserves it. Now promise me," Angel demanded and Connor nodded his agreement. "Thank you."
Connor looked at the vanishing sunlight. "Did you get burnt?"
"Not really. Don't worry about it." Angel patted his hand. "Let's go back inside."
Connor shook his head. "They're still mad at me...for everything."
"No, they're not," Angel replied too quickly.
Connor's lips twisted into a trembling pout. "Gunn said so."
"You ignore that. I'll talk to them," Angel promised. "I want you to come inside."
"I want to go to my room."
"Okay. You go lie down. Would you like some tea?" Angel asked, helpless. His mother had given him tea to calm him as a child all those many years ago. Why didn't he have better options?
Connor bobbed his head. "That's good."
Angel helped Connor up and wrapped an arm around his son's slender shoulders, leading him inside. Connor didn't look at anyone as he cut through the living room and into his room. Angel took Willow's hand and pulled her into the kitchen with him.
"What is it, Angel?" she asked as he started the kettle.
"I'm afraid he's going to take off." Angel hung his head, hating himself for this. "I don't like doing it...he hates magic so much but...."
"You want me to bind him here," she finished for him.
"Or something like that." Angel shrugged. " Maybe something more subtle."
"I can make him think he's really really tired. It should sap his energy and keep him here," Willow offered. "And he'll probably just think he's exhausted."
"That would be very good. I hate asking you to do this but I'm afraid he's going to do something very stupid even if he promised he wouldn't."
"Not good at keeping his promises?"
"I wish I knew, Willow." Angel's eyes gleamed with sorrow. "The only ones I've heard him make were ones to kill me and he tried his best to honor them."
Willow's lips puckered. "Looks like maybe he's gotten over that. Tell you what, I'll weave the spell right into the tea. You're making it for him, right?"
"Yes. Call me when it's ready, Willow. He's got a lot of issues going on right now and you represent the two biggest ones, magic and female."
"Okay," Willow said, not pressing the point.
Angel went into Connor's room. Connor wasn't in his bed but he heard water sloshing behind the door to the adjoining bath. Angel walked over to the door, listening close. It sounded like his son was trying to wash away a stain all the baths in the world wouldn't expunge. Angel took a deep breath in; no blood smell, just Irish Spring soap. Connor hadn't done himself any harm, which Angel knew from experience, wasn't uncommon for rape victims.
"The tea will be ready soon, son," he called though the door.
More splashing almost drowned out the 'okay.'
Angel sat on the bed, waiting just to be sure Connor didn't bolt. Finally Willow called for him. Angel looked at the closed bathroom door. He could hear Connor was still in the tub. "I'm going to get the tea."
When he got back, Connor was in bed, back pressed to the wall. His eyes kept watch on the doorway. Angel gave him the tea and sat with him just to be sure Connor drank it. He didn't need to worry. Connor downed the hot liquid and just like that he had magically drugged his son. "Want me to sit with you?"
"They need your help with the research," Connor replied, reaching around on the bed for something that wasn't there. "Guess Dawn has my Gameboy."
"I'll send her in with it." Angel got up and patted his son's shoulder. As he went into the living room. He saw Buffy and Spike had returned. He heard Wesley say, "and you were able to hit Buffy in spite of the chip? How fascinating."
Angel's lip curled. Spike had hit Buffy? And yet if he were to kill Spike for it, Buffy would likely never speak to him again.
"Yeah but it's not the kind of hitting I like to do, if you know what I mean," Spike leered, brushing a blond curl off Buffy's neck and she let him.
Angel launched straight into a red rage, trembling all over. This day had been horrible enough on its own. He didn't need to see the woman he still loved flirting with his pain-in-the ass grandchilde.
"We don't want to know," Xander said and Angel found himself in agreement with the young man.
"Too bad we were on business. The botanical gardens are romantic," Spike persisted in his flirtation, leveling his gaze on Angel and Buffy smiled faintly at the blond vampire. "At least the dryad who lives there had interesting information."
"As if you could hear. You didn't come any closer to the surface than the storm grating in the corner, but you looked cute all framed out in virgin's bower," Buffy shot back.
"Do you two think we can leave off the high school dance flirting and get down to actual business or should we all clear out and leave you two alone?" Angel growled, somewhere beyond pissed.
Everyone froze, staring at him. Angel felt like he was two feet high. He should never have let his emotions run away with him. He stomped outside, letting the evening air caress him but it couldn't put the genie back in the bottle. The fit he'd just pitched hung over the mansion like an ugly cloud. He heard Buffy and Spike, and probably several of the others, behind him. They didn't speak but he could feel all the eyes on him. He waited for one of them to comment on his meltdown.
"That was uncalled for," Buffy said, finally.
"You aren't in charge here any more, mate," Spike added and Buffy shot him a warning look.
Angel shook, prepared to pull his grandchilde's head from his shoulder. He clenched his fists, trying to bite back the anger that was more just spilling out everywhere thanks to Lilah's actions as opposed to being honestly directed at Buffy and Spike.
"Sorry," he muttered. "I'm having a terrible day."
"And that give you the right to use us as a punching bag?" Buffy asked, hands akimbo.
He forced himself to not look at her. Nearly everyone in the mansion outside of his son was behind her watching this like it was a daytime soap. He might not be able to see them but he could hear them breathing, smell the press of their bodies and he knew what they were like. They wouldn't miss this. "You're just going to have to cut me some slack," he replied.
"Why?" Spike snorted, reaching for his cigarettes.
"Because my son just told me in addition to all the psychological and physical torment Wolfram and Hart put him through, Lilah's been raping him and I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I don't know how to help him," Angel snarled, ranging out to the edge of the shadows. He heard the gaps and the 'oh gods' but they barely registered with him as he stared at the setting sun. "So forgive me if my temper is already on boil. I probably shouldn't have even said what I just did but he said he didn't care if you knew...he probably didn't mean that. I'm trying to figure out how to keep Connor from hunting Lilah down and killing her himself because he's figured out that she's here."
"That's why you wanted the spell," Willow said, understanding blossoming.
Angel nodded. "Exactly. I've got to figure out how to make him think Lilah's death is an accident because I am going to kill her for this and I don't want to hear arguments." Angel couldn't keep from trembling. Only his voice remained rock-steady. "My son will never be the same and it's her doing. So, tell me, what am I supposed to do? It's not like I can put him into counseling. Can you imagine what a psychiatrist would do if Connor started talking about vampires and demons? So, what do I do?" Angel's voice broke. The rest of him wanted to follow but he held it together. Buffy came over and put her arms around him, resting her head against his back. Angel sighed, feeling some relief at her touch.
"Angel," Giles said softly. "The Watchers have psychiatrists that are well versed in our world. We could probably find one of them to talk to Connor. You wouldn't even have to disclose his true heritage."
Angel rubbed Buffy's arms, which still had a strong grip on him. "Thanks. That might be good. When this is all over with, when Faith's safe and Lilah's dealt with it, I'm not sure what I'm going to do next. Do I even take him back to Los Angeles?"
"You're going to leave us?" Wesley asked and Gunn echoed the sentiment.
Angel finally turned around to face his friends. "Maybe, or at least do what you did, Wes, take a vacation. You're better for the time off you took in Wales, right? Cordy has her new life in New York and Gunn, you and Fred are starting a family. Maybe it's time to let Angel Investigations dissolve."
"So you're going to walk, just like that?" Gunn asked, his voice hot but his eyes remained cool.
"Not just like that. I have to think about what's best for Connor. He thinks all of you hate him for what he did to me," Angel said.
"We're supposed to overlook the fact he tried to kill you and led me and Fred on a merry chase for months?" Gunn cocked up an eyebrow and most of the Scoobies gave him a curious look.
"Yes. I've forgiven him and I know I can't make you do the same but I want you to remember he did what he was trained since birth to do. From what he's told me he's been killing demons since he was about five, that's over a decade of eradication. He thought I killed Holtz." Angel paused to let that sink in. "He made a mistake but I'm not going to punish him forever for it. He's had enough punishment for a life time. It was no worse a mistake than the one I was trying to make when he was conceived and you forgave me that, eventually. You made me crawl and kiss ass for a long time first and I'm not going to put Connor through that." Angel took a step away from Buffy who was looking at him curiously at that last pronouncement. Gunn, Cordelia and Wes glanced away.
"You forgave me for what I did to Connor in the first place to start all of this. How can I do less?" Wesley asked, stroking the long scar on his neck before jerking his hand away self-consciously.
"I know I hurt Connor badly, too but I think he's forgiven me for that," Cordelia said. "You're right, I can't blame him for doing what he was groomed to do."
"I don't like ultimatums," Gunn said, begrudgingly. "But I can't argue he's been punished enough. I'll talk to Fred, too...so are you coming back to Los Angeles or not?"
Angel shrugged. "I don't know. The Powers that Be will probably force me to eventually. But this is the first time Connor's ever been outside of Los Angeles. There's a whole world out there. It might be nice if he got to see some of it." Angel paced back away from them then looked over his shoulder hearing a car arrive; Anya bringing Lindsey and Kevin home. "Dawn, Connor was looking for his Gameboy."
"I'll take it to him," she said, heading back inside.
Shrugging off help from Kevin, Lindsey made for the mansion, seeming to be moving pretty well now that the drugs were out of his system. Still, his eyes were a little glassy and he looked tired.
Not caring about that, Angel snared him, shoving the smaller man against the wall. "Did you know?"
"Let him go," Kevin said, grabbing Angel's thumb, yanking it back to make him release Lindsey. The others looked on in surprise. Buffy had been about to step in but she held back.
Angel shoved the lawyer again then stepped back. "Did you know, Lindsey?"
"Know what?" Lindsey asked, putting a hand to his bandaged head. He waved Kevin off, used to Angel tossing him around.
"Did you know that Lilah was molesting my son? Using who knows what to rape him?"
Lindsey's jaw dropped then worked like a fish's for a moment. "Angel, I had no idea. If I had known I would have told you."
"No idea," Angel said as if he didn't believe it.
Lindsey started pacing. He had known about the Senior Partners ordering Lilah to perform some kind of onerous task with Connor. He hadn't thought much about it at the time and he knew if he confessed to it now, Angel would probably kill him. "Oh lord."
"What?" Kevin asked. "You've got that look in your eye...." Kevin's lips thinned angrily. "Like you know something."
"Something I saw in Lilah's office makes a sort of sense now."
"What?" Angel growled.
"I've known Lilah for a long time. I'm not sure she would have done this without an order. I thought there were limits to her evil...anyhow, there were papers on her desk that I didn't have time to completely read but it was an outline for something called "Project Next Generation." Lilah was recruiting women for the project. I knew Lilah had to do something with Connor that she didn't want to do but I wasn't sure exactly what, just that it really upset her. Then she had to have a medical procedure as part of this project, since she was the first recruit."
"What are you saying?" Angel asked, feeling a cold chill descending on him.
"Lilah was furious that the Senior Partners were making her take part in this project," Lindsey said, stumbling to a halt. Kevin moved in to support him.
"You're saying that Connor's molestation was actually a harvesting for some sort of in vitro fertilization program," Wesley said, sounding too fascinated for Angel's tastes.
"That would explain things," Lindsey replied.
"That is so sick," Buffy said, horrified.
"What about Faith?" Willow asked.
"There aren't many cases of pregnant Slayers," Giles said. "They tend to be easy prey. But there is no reason to assume a Slayer's child would be anything but normal, judging by Robin, so they have little to gain by using Faith."
"True but Connor isn't entirely human and we know his abilities are inherited. All the women in this project are presumably normal humans. Wolfram and Hart wouldn't pass on a chance that Faith's abilities might be genetic in some way," Wes argued.
"And I thought this day couldn't get worse. I do not want Connor to know about this, provided he hasn't heard us talking," Angel growled. "I have no idea how I'm going to tell him about Lilah. And if they got to Faith...."
"Maybe we'll get lucky and find her before that," Xander said.
"Hopefully. We ought to get back inside and trying to figure out our next step," Angel said, pointing to the house. "Buffy, you and Spike were saying something about what the Dryad knew." Angel listened to Buffy explaining about underground activities but his mind was in too much turmoil to comprehend. He couldn't escape the feeling they hadn't hit bottom yet.