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Post by Angel on Jul 4, 2011 0:00:43 GMT -5
Angel's penthouse was one of the lucky parts of the Wolfram & Hart building that wasn't completely obliterated in the battle. He wasn't sure if that was necessarily a good thing. Maybe it would've been better if the building had been leveled. But, for the moment, Angel was grateful to have a place to go, some small corner of the building where he could be alone and collect his thoughts.
He paced the carpeted floor in front of the desk in his bedroom. He'd been going through every book he could get his hands on without even being sure what exactly he was looking for. He hadn't even actually read some of them. He'd just flipped through pages and glanced at a few illustrations. He just kept thinking there had to be something useful somewhere he just wasn't seeing.
Angel slumped down in his desk chair, trying to take a second to relax. Some part of his brain was aware that he was acting a little obsessive, but he couldn't help it. L.A. was being consumed by demons and it was because of his crusade against the Senior Partners, his failure to defeat the army. He needed to make this right and he had no idea where to even begin.
After a few minutes he walked down the stairs into the main part of the penthouse, which contained his kitchen and living room. The entire thing was open concept with large plate glass windows revealing a spectacular view of the city's skyline. Angel went into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of vodka.
He had no idea what to do with himself.
Angel walked over to the living room area and sat on the couch, taking a long sip of his vodka and grimacing slightly. |
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Post by Connor Reilly on Jul 7, 2011 0:41:07 GMT -5
Connor couldn't sleep. Actually, he hadn't slept well the past few nights. He'd walked away from the final battle because Angel had told him to, but he hadn't felt right about it. He'd stayed away from Wolfram & Hart to respect Angel's wishes. He'd been trying to go about his day-to-day life like everything was normal. It just didn't feel right and he was getting nervous, not hearing from anybody. It probably was a precaution, keeping him at a distance, but a part of him was a little pissed off about it. The least they could do was let him know they weren't dead.
As Connor drove through Los Angeles in his pajamas it occurred to him that it wasn't the best idea. Particularly when he noticed the streets were a little busier than usual. It seemed like there were a lot of people running around and he assumed not all of them were exactly people. He hadn't thought to bring any weapons with him. He'd sort of just rolled out of bed and hopped in the car before he lost his nerve.
When Connor pulled into the parking lot of Wolfram & Hart his stomach dropped. Half of it was practically demolished and what was left didn't look like it'd stay standing long. Connor sat there for a long moment with the engine idling, wondering if anyone else had actually survived. He debated turning around and going back home, but something told him to investigate further. He killed the engine and grabbed the keys, taking a deep breath before he got out of the car and approached the side entrance.
Navigating the building was difficult. It was dark except in the few places where moonlight shone through. Connor felt like he was picking his way through a pile of ancient ruins rather than what had been a modern, state-of-the-art, top-of-the-line facility a few days ago. Somehow he made his way through the rubble and managed to make his way to Angel's office. He had no idea whether or not his father would be there, but he wasn't sure where else to look.
He found the door unlocked and he opened it carefully.
"Uh... Dad?"
Calling Angel "Dad" was still a little weird for him. He listened and when he didn't get a response he stepped into the room. He groped around the wall for a light switch out of sheer habit. Before he could consider the stupidity of this motion, considering the situation, his fingers flipped a switch and the light on Angel's desk flickered on. Connor blinked as his eyes adjusted. It occurred to him then that he hadn't actually expected the electricity to work anywhere in the building.
"He's gotta be here," Connor muttered.
Wolfram & Hart had been Angel's home for the past year or so. If the building was even remotely habitable, where else would he go?
Connor tried the intercom mounted on the wall. He pressed a few buttons to test it out and make sure he got the right area. Once he was confident the intercom was working he pressed the call button, holding it down as he spoke.
"Hello?"
Hello? Really? That's what he was going with?
"Uh... Dad? You up there?"
He let go of the button and waited, shoving his hands in the pockets of his pajama pants. What was he going to do if someone answered? What if no one did? What the hell was he even doing here? |
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Post by Angel on Jul 8, 2011 17:02:17 GMT -5
Angel sat on the couch, slowly twirling the glass of vodka around in his hands. He had no idea what to do. L.A. was slipping away from him. Everything he'd done to protect the city, all that he and his team had sacrificed, the lives they'd lost, all of it had been for nothing. They'd been defeated. Evil had prevailed. And Angel felt powerless to turn the tide back in their favor.
A crackling static noise caught his attention. He listened. For a few seconds all he could hear was the silence of the room. The fridge buzzing in the kitchen. Car horns in the distance. And then the sound came again and lingered. A voice drifted through the static. One it took him a second to recognize. He sat up straighter, nearly letting the glass of vodka slip out of his fingers.
"Connor?"
Angel set his glass on the table as he stood up. He crossed the room quickly to get to the intercom on the wall. He held down a button.
"Connor?"
He waited a second for confirmation, but he didn't really need it. It was just better to be positive than kind of sure.
"How did you... What are you doing here?"
He couldn't keep the surprise and worry from his voice. He'd sent Connor away from the fight for a reason. Why had he come back? |
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Post by Connor Reilly on Jul 10, 2011 12:14:08 GMT -5
Connor was standing in front of the intercom getting more anxious by the second. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. No, it definitely wasn't a good idea. He couldn't sleep so he'd decided to crawl around a ruined building for a while? What the hell was he thinking?
Angel's voice came through the intercom and Connor was slightly surprised, but also relieved. Well, he wasn't dead. That was a plus. Connor held down the button on his end.
"Oh, you know. Just hangin' out," he said. "I got bored, figured I'd chill in the lobby instead of sleeping. But, you don't really have a lobby anymore so I figured I'd hang out in your office."
He rolled his eyes. What a stupid question. What did Angel think he was doing there?
"I came to see if anybody was here," he said flatly. "I haven't heard from anyone since the fight with Hamilton."
He took his finger off the button and ran a hand through his hair, which was kind of all over the place. He probably should've run a brush through it or something. He also could've put on some real clothes instead of his t-shirt, pajama pants and slippers. He supposed it didn't really matter. Angel wouldn't care what he was wearing. He'd seen him in worse. |
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Post by Angel on Jul 10, 2011 12:41:16 GMT -5
Angel wrinkled his brows, listening intently as Connor replied. He sighed, noting the sarcasm in Connor's words. Angel was worried and didn't appreciate a serious question being answered with sarcasm. He was about to say so when Connor continued, saying he'd come to see if anyone was in the building because he hadn't heard from anyone since the battle.
Oh, God, Angel thought.
Immediately he felt a pang of guilt. He would've liked to think he hadn't contacted Connor because he'd wanted to keep him safe, that contacting him so soon after the battle could have been dangerous. But, the truth was he hadn't even thought to get in touch with his son to let him know how everything had shaken out.
"Connor, I..."
He trailed off. He didn't know what to say. I'm sorry? I'm fine? Somehow nothing seemed to convey what he was actually feeling. He licked his lips. His mouth had gone a little dry.
"Why don't you come on up?" he said. "The elevator's still working, but if you're nervous you can use the stairs.
He pressed a button that would grant access to the elevator behind his desk. |
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Post by Connor Reilly on Jul 10, 2011 13:19:01 GMT -5
Angel started to say something, then stopped and told Connor to come up. Connor jumped as a panel of the wall slid away to reveal an elevator. Connor regarded it warily. Did he really want to trust an elevator in a building that was falling apart?
The fall wouldn't kill you, a voice in his head assured him.
After thinking about it, Connor realized that was probably true. He'd survived some pretty nasty falls and collisions without much injury. But being dropped was only one of his worries. What if the thing got stuck or something?
You've gotten stuck in worse places.
Connor supposed that was true, too. He pressed the call button and waited. A part of him would have felt better scaling the building than riding up this elevator. He wasn't sure how to feel about that.
The elevator opened and Connor stepped inside before he could change his mind. The door closed and he felt the elevator start to pull him upwards. His heart beat a little faster and he tried not to think of this thing as a moving box of death. By the time the elevator stopped at the penthouse he couldn't get out of it fast enough. He stepped into Angel's apartment and looked around. the place was pretty spiffy compared to the Hyperion. |
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Post by Angel on Jul 10, 2011 13:43:13 GMT -5
Angel ran a hand through his hair and started pacing the room while he waited. He wasn't sure what he was going to say, or how he was going to explain all that had happened. He guessed there was no good way to say it.
Angel was standing over by the kitchen when Connor came out of the elevator. He turned and met him in the living room. He blinked, looking Connor up and down. He looked like he'd jumped out of bed and hurried over.
"This is kind of an odd time to visit," Angel said. "Is everything okay?"
It occurred to him that there might have been some kind of emergency, but if that were the case he thought Connor would have said so over the intercom. Then again, maybe not. Connor wasn't exactly the same kid he'd known. That was a good thing, he supposed. It was what he'd wanted. But, it hadn't really turned out the way he'd planned. He hadn't wanted Connor to get thrown back into this life. But, sometimes you couldn't escape your destiny. |
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Post by Connor Reilly on Jul 10, 2011 14:04:43 GMT -5
Connor walked into the living room as the elevator closed. Angel looked a little run-down to Connor. It wasn't easy to tell with a vampire, but there were subtle clues. He was slightly paler than usual. There were dark circles under his eyes. Then there was the pacing. Connor had caught a glimpse of Angel pacing just before he stopped and turned around.
Angel took in Connor's appearance and immediately asked if everything was okay. It was a little weird that Connor had just rolled out of bed and driven to Wolfram & Hart in the middle of the night. But, whatever. He'd done it, he was here, and how it looked was the least of his worries.
"I could ask you the same thing," Connor said.
He took a few more steps into the main part of the penthouse. He was kind of surprised at how big it was, how stylish and modern it looked. It fit the look of the rest of the building, but it didn't really fit Angel, at least not the Angel Connor remembered.
"But, no, everything's fine," he said. "I just couldn't sleep. I figured if you were here you'd be awake. You have the whole nocturnal thing."
He turned around to face Angel, folding his arms across his chest.
"So, what the hell happened?" he asked. "I mean, I didn't expect everything to be in one piece when I got here, but I thought the building would at least be standing."
He stared at Angel, waiting for a reply. Now that he knew Angel was okay his relief was quickly being replaced with a little bit of anger. An email or a phonecall would have been great. Now he wanted answers, and he wanted them quickly. He'd already waited longer than he should've had to. |
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Post by Angel on Jul 10, 2011 14:34:19 GMT -5
Angel was relieved that Connor hadn't come here out of immediate necessity. Then again, maybe he had. Just not the kind that involved anyone being in physical danger. But, clearly, Connor had felt some kind of urgency to come here the way he had.
Connor said he couldn't sleep and he wanted to know what had happened. Angel wondered how much the results of this battle had been weighing on Connor's mind. It hadn't occurred to Angel that Connor might have felt guilty about leaving the fight.
Angel licked his lips, wondering where to start. This was going to be a hard conversation.
"Why don't you have a seat?" Angel suggested. "Make yourself comfortable."
He motioned to the sofa and arm chairs stationed around the coffee table. |
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Post by Connor Reilly on Jul 10, 2011 14:56:24 GMT -5
Connor waited for Angel to say something, noting his hesitation. He didn't like Angel's body language. He already knew things must have gone bad with the way the building looked and the apparent absence of the rest of the group. Now Angel had been hiding out here and he was reluctant to tell Connor what had happened. And then he told him to sit down. That was like the icing on the cake.
Connor gave him a questioning look. He didn't want to sit. Sitting down wasn't going to make whatever bad news Angel had any better. But, he walked slowly over to the sofa and leaned against the arm. It was going to be just as hard for Angel to talk about this as it would be for Connor to listen to it. He turned his attention back to Angel, bracing himself for bad news. |
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Post by Angel on Jul 10, 2011 22:29:08 GMT -5
Angel waited until Connor positioned himself on the arm of the sofa. He wasn't quite sitting, but Angel didn't push it. He wanted Connor to make himself comfortable, and if he wasn't comfortable sitting, fine. Angel folded his arms across his chest.
"I'm not sure where to start," he confessed. "I guess first I should ask what you know. What happened after we fought Hamilton? Or after you went home? Have you heard anything at all? Run into anybody?"
Angel was wondering if Spike or Illyria had crossed paths with Connor. He hadn't seen them since they'd all fled the battle. He doubted they were dead. Spike was about as hard to kill as Buffy was and he wasn't sure anything even could kill Illyria. But, he hadn't really been keeping in touch with either of them. Things had been chaotic and he'd been trying to figure out what to do next. What good would rallying his team do if he didn't have a plan to present to them? |
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Post by Connor Reilly on Jul 10, 2011 22:58:02 GMT -5
Connor watched Angel, trying to wait patiently for a reply. But, the more Angel hesitated the more frustrated and anxious Connor felt. He had to make an effort not to snap at Angel when he asked if Connor had heard anything. Hadn't he said when he came in he hadn't heard anything? He couldn't help feeling like this was some kind of stalling tactic. He let out a frustrated sigh.
"After the fight I went home, took a shower, and spent the night waiting to hear from you. I haven't heard anything or seen anybody."
He spoke quickly and there was a clipped edge to his words. He wanted to hurry up and get this conversation over with. The sooner he knew the extent of the damage that had been done the sooner he could figure out how to help fix it. |
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Post by Angel on Jul 11, 2011 22:47:37 GMT -5
Angel could see Connor was frustrated. Angel couldn't blame him once he said he hadn't seen or heard from anyone since he left the fight with Hamilton. Angel sighed heavily. He should've contacted him, at the very least to tell him about Gunn and Wesley. He studied Connor for a moment. He felt overwhelmingly guilty. He knew Connor would be upset by everything Angel would tell him, but he would also be angry that he hadn't told him sooner.
"I'm sorry I didn't contact you," Angel said. "With everything that's happening..."
He paused, thinking carefully. He didn't want to tell him he hadn't even thought to call him.
"It was better if didn't," he said. "Safer."
He supposed that was true. At least, it made him feel better to think so. He moved over to sit on the edge of the coffee table, resting his hands on his knees.
"During the fight with the Circle of the Black Thorn a few things went... badly," he began.
He paused again for a long moment. He wasn't sure what the best way to say this was.
"Gunn was injured and... we lost Wesley."
It was difficult for Angel to say that last part. He and Wesley hadn't always seen eye to eye, but no matter how many times they'd parted ways Wesley had always been by Angel's side when it counted.
And that had gotten him killed. |
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Post by Connor Reilly on Jul 13, 2011 4:37:47 GMT -5
Angel apologized for not contacting Connor, saying it had been safer not to. Logically, that made sense, but something in Angel's eyes, in that lingering pause, told Connor it wasn't entirely true. There was something else he wasn't mentioning, some other reason.
Or maybe there isn't.
It was a simple thought that drifted through his head unbidden. Why wouldn't there be a reason?
He didn't think about you.
Connor felt a pang of anger at the thought, but pushed it from his mind as Angel continued, saying things had gone "badly" during the fight. Angel's tone and that pause made Connor tense.
Someone's dead.
The thought startled him and if it hadn't been for that tense feeling he'd gotten a moment ago he would've considered it unfounded. And then Angel confirmed the thought for him and his stomach dropped.
It was a strange feeling. On one hand he had only known Wesley for a few months. But, no, that wasn't true. He'd actually known him longer than that. It took a moment for him to process what Angel had said. Wesley was gone. Dead. Gunn was... what? Injured, but how badly? Was he on his way out, too?
"What happened?" he asked.
His voice sounded surprisingly even, considering how freaked out he was, how confused and angry he felt. Having two sets of memories complicated things that didn't need complicating. |
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Post by Angel on Jul 14, 2011 16:09:17 GMT -5
Angel watched Connor for his reaction. He honestly wasn't sure what to expect. He had spent time with Connor and gotten to know him as well as he could have under the circumstances. Even then he had never been able to anticipate his son's actions. Now he had an entirely different life Angel knew next to nothing about. He was bracing himself for anything from an indifferent shrug to a lunging attack with some concealed weapon.
The reaction he got was somewhere in the middle. He saw a flicker of something in Connor's expression. Anger? Confusion? He couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. When he spoke his voice was calm and the question was simple: What happened?
Angel licked his lips thoughtfully, trying to remember when Connor had come into the fight and what had happened when. He wasn't clear on the details himself, there had been so much happening at once.
"Wesley was up against Cyvus Vail. He's the one who forced you to fight Sahjhan. He's also the one who gave you your life, altered everyone's memories."
Angel waved a hand, trailing off. Connor knew the rest.
"Anyway, Wesley tried to fight Vail, but he was too powerful. Wesley was badly wounded. Illyria said he died too quickly for anything to be done. That's probably a good thing."
He opened his mouth to continue, but decided to give Connor a moment to process that piece of information before he threw too much at him at once. |
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