Becoming I

Back in Sunnydale, Buffy lay shivering in her bed, under mountains of blankets, tears falling ceaselessly from her eyes. Feeling the bed shift and sink down, she huddled deeper into her cocoon of safety, wanting to die.

Joyce gently pulled the blankets away from Buffy's tight knuckled grip and with a wail of bottomless despair, her arms were full of a sobbing child.

"Oh God, Mom! I said some horrible things to him," Buffy gasped out between fresh sobs, feeling the sheltering arms tighten fiercely around her.

"I know, baby, but it was for the best," Joyce said helplessly, flashing a look at Giles hovering in the doorway.

"Yes, Buffy, what you did, you did to protect Holly and Xander, and above all, the other," Giles came into the room tentatively to gaze down at her with pain filled eyes, feeling as lost as she.

"He'll never forgive me," Buffy moaned softly.

"Should he find out the truth, he will forgive you," Giles said quietly, "You know Xander and how much he cares for you. Do you honestly think that once he know the truth he won't forgive you?" Smiling confidently down at the look of dawning hope in her eyes.

"Now come, Faith will be here with her Watcher and we mustn't give them the impression that you've been crying or are upset," he said bracingly, nodding his approval as Buffy slid off the bed and padded from the room.

He ignored Joyce's frown as he watched Buffy disappear.

"Giles, don't you think you were a little unfeeling," Joyce said carefully, "All that British 'stiff upper lip' maybe fine for you British type people but we're Americans. If she wants to cry all day, I say we should let her!"

Giles rounded on her angrily, his eyes flashing behind his glasses, staring at her in furious silence before he sighed and removed his glasses. She didn't know the whole truth.

"The new Slayer is Faith," he said tiredly, rubbing at the bridge of his nose in distraction.

"Goddammit!" Joyce said forcefully, clapping her hand over her mouth with a guilty start, her eyes still furious over her hand.

Giles looked at her with cold amusement, "Precisely. Buffy knows that she cannot be seen as weak despite what the Council has done to her. Your daughter knows the stakes are far too high in this deadly game, far higher than you realize. She is determined to protect Holly and Xander at all cost."

Joyce shivered at the hard, ruthless look in Giles' eyes. Despite falling in love with him, she realized that there were just some parts of him that she didn't know about. And as Buffy padded back into the room and looked to Giles, she realized that her daughter knew the darker side of Giles far too well. For the first time, getting a glimmer of what her daughter and the others had been up against for most of their lives.

Slowly Xander swam to full consciousness and Buffy's strident vile words immediately running though his mind. He moaned in distress, feeling cool arms tighten protectively around him. He just wanted to forget!

He looked up desperately at Angel, "Make love to me," he begged softly, ducking his head and planting frantic kisses over Angel's chest, feeling cool nipples harden under his lips.

Angel squirmed, "Xander, as much as I love how your mind works," he shivered and moaned under the boy's skillful caresses, his body tightening in arousal. He gripped Xander head and drew the hot, wet lips away from his chest.

"Xander, I don't think this a very good idea," he tried to say evenly, gasping as warm fingers ran eagerly over his rising cock.

"I just need to forget, to know that this," Xander gestured to the room, to the bed, "This is love. That you do love me and this isn't wrong," he pleaded, his eyes lost and uncertain.

Angel froze before he melted under that look, "Xander, I love you," he said with quiet intensity, backing up his words with sweet, gentle kisses on swollen eyelids.

"When we are together, it's done in love and joy. It's not just about sex, sex I can get anywhere but that's all it'll be just sex. Cold, empty and emotionless sex. I had years of that with Angelus, but when we're lying together sated I'm filled with so much joy and love that it just overwhelms me. It's love in every touch of our bodies, I can hear it in every cry that you make when I'm deep inside you. I don't think I have ever loved another as much as I love you. If my soul wasn't permanent, I think that Angelus would be free every time I look at you."

Angel smiled down into Xander's wide eyes, drowning in the chocolate drop eyes and proceeded to show his ionuin, his love just how much he adored him.

Bringing Xander to the edge time and again, until the boy was babbling nonsense, his hips working helplessly in need.

"Angel, please," Xander begged hoarsely, needing to filled, to be complete. He knew that Angel loved him but sometimes it just felt....more sacred when Angel was making love to him. To have Angel so deep inside him that he could feel him in his throat.

Angel pulled back, ignoring the protesting mewl from Xander and pulling a condom over his raging hardon, he carefully spread the long limbs apart and began a deep hard ride inside his boy, determined to erase Buffy's cruel words and spurred on by Xander's screaming encouragement.

"Yes! Oh God, Angel! Harder! Yes...oh...oh...more...more...yes! Give it to me harder..harder...deeper...yes! Go deeper, oh God Angel," Xander shakily chanted out under Angel's demanding thrusts, his body rocking under the serious pounding he was receiving. Almost every stroke brushing over his prostate, he could feel each long icy thrust of the huge cock deep in his ass as Angel would deliberately change the angle of his thrusts.

Abruptly Angel let go of his legs and pulled out, flipping him over and plunging back in the clenching rosette with a scream of pleasure from Xander, feeling the boy's hips writhe demandingly. And quickly Angel complied, ramming his hard cock deep in Xander's tight ass and reaching around, stroking the hard velvety cock in time with this thrusts. Feeling his balls began drawing up and the increasingly bucking from the ass in his hands, he knew they were both close to coming.

"Faster! Give it to me harder....yes....yes....oh God YES! Uh...oh....oh...Deeper Angel!....Yes, like that....give it to me....oh....oh...yes....uhg....YESSSSSS!"

And with a long howling scream of ecstasy, Xander came, flooding Angel's hand. Hearing Angel's cry of release and feeling him flood his insides with his cum he felt complete...and above all, loved.

With a slow release of his breath, Xander collapsed on the bed under Angel's cool weight, breathing raggedly, feeling his muscles still twitching in the aftermath of his climax.

Angel rolled them slightly, so that they rested on their sides and slowly pulled out, both of them hissing at the friction on their now sensitive flesh.

"Okay now," Angel cuddled Xander close and was not surprised when the boy twisted in his embrace and to lay against his chest. Going with the easy motion, he shifted so he was on his back, with Xander sprawled over him and stroked the long back with gentle fingers, feeling the shiver of response from the tired, sticky and sated boy.

"I'm getting there," Xander muttered, looking up at Angel, "I thought we were doing so good. Why would she say such horrible things about me..to me," he asked, bewildered pain in his dark eyes.

Angel closed his eyes against the anguish in the dark liquid eyes. "Xander, I'm sure she must had had her reason. Maybe it was too much for her to accept, us being together and with a child. Hell, I don't know what to tell you, mo gra," Angel said helplessly, stroking the soft dark head.

"I guess you were right all along," Xander said quietly, resting his head back on Angel's chest, staring at nothing, "You warned me not to get my hopes up with her," he whispered rubbing at the ache in his chest.

"Xander, you weren't the blame for any of this. You are one of most loyal men I've known. You give your love unstintingly and are always there for the people you care about," Angel spoke passionately, tilting Xander's head up and looking into the boy's sad miserable eyes.

"That's one of the things that I love and admire about you," he said softly. You're loyal, compassionate and you make a wonderful friend to have. Your courage and honesty shines through you, and anyone that can't see that gotta have rocks in their heads."

Xander blushed at the high praise from Angel," Ya think so, huh," he smiled shyly.

Angel pulled him close and kissed him, "I know so! Now let's get up and see what mischief your daughter has gotten into," and he slapped his hand on Xander's ass eliciting a surprised 'Ow!' from the other as he hurriedly rolled the squirming boy off of him and got out of the bed.

"Hey, no fair! Why is it that whenever's she bad, all of a sudden she's only *my* daughter," Xander complained loudly, climbing out of the bed and padding naked after his smirking mate to the shower. "And she's being good, which is not that often, she's your precious little daughter?"

Angel smiled under the stinging caress of the shower, he had hoped that he could count on Xander's natural tendency to bounce back, he knew that they still had a long road ahead of them but with the proper help, they would make it. He just hoped that Buffy would make it also.

Slowly Xander began to heal under the loving attention of Angel, Willow and Spike. He stayed especially close to Willow knowing that she was hurting too over the abrupt cessation of their friendship with Buffy, choosing to stay with him. He had tried to be fair, telling her that it was okay with him if she still wanted to hang with Buffy, he could help but feel relieved when she gently told him that she was staying.

Shuttling back between the hotel and the apartment, Angel looked on with pride and love as Xander began to recover over the next couple of weeks his natural joy of life. He could still see the haunted darkness lingering in the brown depths of the boy's eyes, the pain lurking deeply within, especially whenthouthought no one noticed. But gradually the darkness and pain began to recede, giving him hope that the crisis was over.

Slowly, he thrust deep into hot blistering heat, looking down into dark glittering eyes, as Xander worked his hips, spurring him to greater efforts. Erotic blandishments in those liquid dark eyes, promises, whispers of untold delight in sup supple body writhing under him. Unconsciously he began to ram his cock harder, deeper into the boy's tight clenching asshole, seeing the chocolate eyes becoming blind at the feel of him jamming his hard aching shaft deep, deeper still into the tightest hole he had ever been buried in.

Listening to the open mouth gasping cries from his boy, the low keening sounds of delight, of pleasure, he eyed the golden column of Xander throat as the boy arched his head violently back into the pillow. He could see the pulse beating wildly under the golden skin, calling him....whispering to him just below Xander's screams of pleasure.

Harder and harder he fucked Xander, ramming his cock brutally into the spasming hole eyeing the pulsating vein beating in the bared throat, it's siren call luring him closer...closer....

As as he felt Xander coming, screaming under his increasingly harsh ramming cock, he struck! Tearing at the pulsating vein as they both came. Gulping down mouthfuls of delicious hot blood, spiced with pleasure, burning with desire as Xander held his head tightly against his neck.

And he came back to himself, idly sucking at the gaping wound, tearing at it each time Xander attempted to close it, finally feeling Xander frantic hands in his hair trying to force his mouth away.

Alarm coursing through him, he hurriedly moved away, watching with horrified eyes as the ragged wound glowed and slowly began to close.

Panting, Xander sat up against the pillow wincing in pain as he moved, and regarded his horror stricken mate.

"Mind telling me what was that all about," he managed to say mildly all the while his mind was racing for answers.

"Not that it wasn't good, mind you," he said hastily as Angel opened his mouth, a distressed look on his face, "You just kinda had me worried when you didn't want to let up on my neck, ya know." He watched Angel carefully, not know whether to Shift his ass the fuck outta here or what. Love or not, he had no intention of being anybody's punching, or rather munching bag.

Angel ran a hand over his face, moaning softly as he felt blood smeared around his mouth.

"Xander, I don't know what came over me," he said at last. "All I remember is how good it felt being inside you, then it was like something came over me and your blood was calling me." He shuddered convulsively in reaction of how close he came to really hurting Xander.

Xander eyed him before sighing as he crawled over to Angel, hissing slightly in pain and cradled Angel in his arms, for once being the comforter.

"Hey, it's okay," he murmured soothingly to the dark head. "A little blood between mates is always a good thing. Beside it wasn't so bad, as a matter of fact it felt kinda...sexy," he wiggled his brows lasciviously and leered at Angel drawing a choked laugh from him.
nly nly you, mo gra, would find humor in this," Angel gestured to the bloody pillow, Xander's bloody shoulder and chest.

"Bite your tongue," Xander said sharply, an impish gleam in his eyes, "I would never laugh about sex. Especially not sex with you," he purred, a seductive glint in his eyes, reaching for Angel, but wincing at the stab of protest from his sore ass.

"And maybe not," he said ruefully, squawking in surprise as Angel flipped him over onto his stomach. Whimpering as he felt blissful cool wetness glide across his sore pucker, sighing and mewling with pleasure as the cool caressing tongue began to burrow deeper into his greedy ass.

Angel tongued deeper into Xander's hungry little ass, intent on making up for hurting his lover and a slow smile crossed his face, from the way Xander was pushing back his hot little ass, he was doing a damn fine job! He settled himself between the eagerly spread legs forrolorolong bout at one of his favorite activities: Driving Xander Insane.

A few angsty days later, distantly he could hear Fred arguing with someone on her cell phone. He brooded slightly over changes he had been noticing in Wes and in himself. Casting a surreptitious look at the silent man, he couldn't help feel that something majorly bad was bothering Wes, something that the other was hiding.

He turned his attention back to the chortling Connor, smiling at his little boy, knowing that Connor could help draw Wesley out of whatever slump the man was in.

"Ah, huh? You like that broadsword? That's your old man's favorite," he confided to the baby casting a sidelong look at the silent Wes.

"Hey, Wes! He's gonna be crawling in no time. We got to start baby proofing this place just...," catching himself in time before he said '...like we did with Holly.

"Here take him," he gave Connor to Wes, and spoke to the baby, 's a's alright. It's your uncle Wes. Yeah, he loves you bunches!" He snickered, "He's just - English."

He ignored the mock offended look Wesley gave him, hiding a smile as he turned back to the weapons cabinet, frowning on how to babyproof the cabinet from Holly's curious little fingers. The girl had an amazing ability to climb up walls and such, and was much stronger than a normal five year old. He shuddered, just imagining her opening the cabinet and an axe falling on her head.

~"Just chain them up, why don't you," Xander said sleepily.~

Forgetting for the moment, Angel exclaimed, "Chain 'em up?!" Startled at all the faces turned to him.

"What?!" Fred looked at him as if he was crazy.

Stammering and thinking fast, he said, "I say we put a chain and a combination lock on the weapons. Better safe than sorry," he looked down at the chortling Connor in Wes' arms. "Isn't that right, buddy? He likes you. I can tell," he looked at Wes' glad to see a small smile on the man's face.

~"Oooh, good save," Xander said smirking.~

Silently, Angel threw a frown at him, Xander in turn threw an image of him naked, horny and dripping wet on the bed. Gritting his teeth he shut down their link, hearing an echo of Xander's laughter.

Tuning back in to hear Wes say, "I like him, too. As a matter of fact I was thinking, perhaps I'd take him to the park or the beach, just the two of us. Maybe there'll be some time in the next day or two."

Angel smiled at the hopeful look in Wes' eyes as he took Connor back, "Sounds great. Yeah. Count on it." Once again, Connor has saved the day. Gonna be a hero like your old man and stepdad, he thought proudly.

Despite his outward appearance, he was shaken by his behavior when they came up against the Wraith-ers. He could see the confusion in Gunn's eyes and smell the uneasiness from Fred. And he tried to turn the situation into something normal, something that would lighten their mood, because their fear and confusion was causing something to stir and shift in him.

"That was fun," he said turning to them trying to make his gameface disappear and knowing he was unsuccessful at Fred's slight gasp, guiltily he tossed aside the band leader's arm.

They headed back to the Hyperion in uneasy silence with him struggling to control his increasing rage.

Striding into the hotel he was met with Lorne.

"So, how'd it go," Lorne asked with a smile, that was slowly fading as he looked from one grim face to the other.

"The Wraith-ers are no more," Gunn announced walking past him.

Angel muttered, "Tore 'em apart."

"Literally," Fred stammered out, her eyes wide.

Angel walked around the counter, opened the little fridge and poured himself a glass of blood, eyeing them all silently over his glass, switching his attention to

Lorne when the demon began to talk.

Lorne looked down at Connor, "He has been so good the whole time his daddy's been gone. Do you miss your daddy? He's right here. Hey, Angel, I think Connor needs some papa-love."

"He needs a lot of things. day day, every day," Angel nearly snarled out, inwardly wondering where the hell did that come from.

"Well, yeah. That's kind of how kids...," Lorne looked at him in confusion.

He felt like someone was in control of him as hateful word spewed out of his mouth, "Connor needs a bath, Connor needs a bottle, what Connor needs is to grow up!"

"Uhm, is something wrong," Lorne asked in the growing silence.

Angel spoke through clenched teeth, "Gosh, no, Lorne, everything's just great! I got a kid that cries, pees and moans, and never gives me a moment to myself."

And Connor's crying was seriously aggravating his nerves, setting them to vibrating with rage.

He could feel something frantically beating on a locked door, screaming to be let in.

"Oh, it's alright," Lorne told Connor in a hushed whisper.

Angel snarled, "It's really not. Connor, shut up!"

"Don't yell at him. He's just a baby," Fred yelled back at him, trembling with fear and anger.

"He keeps it up he's not gonna be a baby for long!" Angel growled low in his throat, staring at Connor. With that Angel threw the glass at the wall, shattering it and spattering blood everywhere.

And with a tremendous rush, the door was ripped open and Xander was swarming through him, trying to still the rage in him.

"You better get a grip right now," Gunn shouted angrily, holding up his crossbow and putting himself between Angel and the others.

Angel stared at the blood dripping down the wall, looked at the guys then back at the blood. He turned to look at Lorne.

"What's wrong with me," he asked quietly, feeling the rage calming under Xander's stroking mental touch.

"Something's not right," Angel shook his head wearily, feeling calmer under the waves of peace Xander was sending.

Gunn said dryly, "No shit."

Angel noted that the man didn't move from his protective stance.

"Ah, I couldn't help but notice - when did you start drinking so much blood," Lorne asked quietly.

"I don't know. A few days ago," Angel shrugged, feeling himself beginning to tense up as Xander began to take an active interest in the conversation.

Fred looked at him, "Where did you get it?"

"Same butcher as always. It's - it's pig's blood. This last batch just seemed so much more...," Angel said, almost helpless to describe the feeling how this blood made him feel.

Gunn's eyes were narrowed, "What?"

Angel swallowed hard and said quietly, "Tasty."

Gunn, put his crossbow down on the counter, looking thoughtful, "You were all hyped this morning. Then you went all Tyson on those demons. Then you kinda crashed. Then you had another drink, then you started throwing things."

"Mm-hmm, just like my aunt Viola and her Southern Comfort," Fred said quietly.

~"Yeah, that's exactly how it was," Xander said softly.~

"Hey," Angel said, pointing to himself, "Vampire. Need to drink something red. Doesn't make me a blood-aholic."

Lorne said quietly, "Not unless someone's spiking your drink."

And they all look at the blood spattered wall. Fred handed Connor to Gunn.

"Let's find out," she said, her face grim with determination.

He watched Fred work at the microscope almost not hearing Gunn step close to him, he knew what she would find. And he could feel Xander waiting with him, giving him strength.

"You wanna hold him? He's sleeping," Gunn asked softly.

Angel regarded his sleeping son, "Maybe that's not such a good idea right now."

He stiffen when Fred straightened up from the microscope, know what she was going to say.

"So, there is more to pig's blood than meets the eye.There's just a trace of...."

Angel looked at the blood splatter wall and said quietly, "Human blood in it. I can feel it. It's his. - It's Connor's."

~"Holy shit!" Xander exclaimed in shock.~

"How do you know tha Gun Gunn asked startled.

Angel looked away, "The past couple of days he's...smelled like food." He wrapped his arms around himself, feeling Xander holding him safe sending waves of love to through him, calming the sickness in his heart.

Lorne said thoughtfully, "So, they've been feeding you your own son's blood so you'd get the taste of it and want more."

"Who's 'they'," Fred asked puzzled.

Angel looked at her grimly, "Who do you think?"

And now he figured out just who had been playing with him, maybe it was time for him to pay a little visit.

And he came away from his little tete-a-tete with Lilah unsatisfied. The only thing that kept her alive was Xander holding him back, calming him. Whispering that they could find more by staying calm. Xander's idea worked, well not as good as they wanted it to work, but at least they had a name to start, Sahjhan, some fucking ethereal time-traveling demon.

He returned to the hotel, seeing Wes holding Connor against his shoulder. He frowned slightly at the look of nervousness in Wes' eyes.

"Angel," Wes said with a slight hitch in his breath.

"Where is everybody?" Angel looked around the lobby.

Wes said rapidly, "Fred and Gunn went for food. Lorne - had to go out. I'm watching the baby. In fact, I packed up some overnight things. We talked about me taking Connor to the park and the one across from my place is... It's always full of kids. I thought he could spend the night with me." He had an almost desperate smile on his face.

Angel regarded Wes silently, before sighing, "That's - probably a really good idea."

"You wanna say good-bye?" Wes gave Connor to Angel carefully.

"Okay. Hey. He-he. Sleep tight, big guy," he smiled at Connor and gave him a kiss, "Daddy will see you real soon. Just keep an eye on him, I check on him a lot during the night. You got his pediatrician's number, his baby formula?" He questioned briskly, trying to will away his nervousness, he didn't know how Xander handled letting Holly out of his sight.

Smiling at the rueful answer, ~"It's never easy the first time, lover."~

"I've got all that," Wes said.

Angel could almost hear the impatience in the man's voice and realized that he was being a trifle overprotective. He quickly changed the subject.

"You ever hear of a time-traveling demon by the name of Sahjhan?"

Wes looked puzzled, "No."

"The guy that brought Holtz here. He thinks I'm his sworn enemy. I don't know him from Adam. Can you hit the books before you go," Angel said at the dawning of understanding in Wes' eyes, turning slightly as the doors opened and Fred and Gunn came strolling in.

"Hey. Where is Lorne? He better show his green face pronto, or Fred'll eat his hoagie," Gunn said loudly, baiting both Fred and the absent Lorne.

Fred looked indignant, "I will not! I already had two. - Unless he's really not here?" she looked hopeful.

Angel looked on in amusement, well aware of Fred's voracious appetite, "He had to go out."

Gunn looked up from dividing up the food, "Where?"

Angel turned to Wes inquiringly, "Where did you say he went?"

Wes shrugged, "I don't know. He didn't say - exactly. I think he had to see a client. You know, I've got better reference materials for your demon at home, and Connor is getting sleepy. Why don't I look into it there?"

Angel looked from Wes to Connor, to Wes outstretched hands, back to Connor and slowly let Wes take his son. Feeling a tearing loss as if this was the last time he would ever see his son, gratefully leaning into the comfort that Xander was sending him.

"Ah, okay. Just call me if you find something," he said quickly, his hand lingered on Connor's soft silky head as Wes slowly stepped away.

"I guess, ah - I'll see everyone tomorrow," Wes spoke a little uneasiness, that Angel put down to nerves at having Connor all to himself.

Angel stood up quickly, he had almost forgotten, "Hey, Wes?"

Wes looked over his shoulder at him, a question on his face.

"What's the closest emergency room to your place," Angel asked rapidly, to test him ignoring the snickering from Xander.

Wes looked at him as if he was crazy, "Drew Medical. One minute away. Top infant care center. Don't worry." And he left the hotel.

After the fight with Holtz's men and finding out that Wes had stolen his son, only one thought remained in his mind: Finding Connor...and killing Wesley. Okay, that was actually two thoughts.

He seized one of the Hum-Vee and made his way to the location that the man said, seeing all the other Hum-vees surrounding a Wes' vehicle.

He jumped out of his car and ran as he saw Holtz getting Connor out of the back. Distantly aware of something trying to stop him and irritably shrugged whatever it was off. Freezing at Holtz's next words....

"Come any closer and I'll snap his neck!"

He saw commandos jumping out of their vehicles, guns cocking all around him, and fear began to rise, mushrooming inside him. He could feel the panic almost beginning to spiral out of control until Xander forced him to focus on the matter at hand. Panic wasn't going to do them any good. Barely aware of Holtz and Lilah's conversation as he and Xander plotted the best way to get Connor back.

Tuning in as Lilah demanded his child, instinctively he cried, "Don't!"

Lilah looked at him mockingly, "That's cute. You'd rather see the fanatic with the baby than us?"

She turned back to Holtz, "Those are automatic weapons pointed at you. They didn't have them in your time. They fire sixteen bullets per second."

"And if they were going to use them they would have already. They want the baby alive," Angel growled, his eyes turning a molten gold.

"Something we all have in common," Holtz looked at them all mockingly. Afterall he had the upper hand.

The air shivered and Sahjhan appeared.

"Not all of us," he said dryly. Turning to Lilah, "You do not want the child alive. You want the child dead. That was our arrangement."

Lilah looked him with equal parts contempt and boredom, "Yeah. I'm a lawyer. Have you met me? We have a new arrangement. I'm keeping the baby."

"You can't do that," Sahjhan yelled in rage.

Lilah turned to the commandos, "Ignore the loud mouth with the bad skin. He's impotent in this dimension."

"We're leaving," Holtz announced calmly backing away.

Lilah's eyes narrowed, "No one's going anywhere."

One of the commandos stepped closer, and Angel knocked him down, ripping the weapon away from him and turning it on Lilah.

"Don't shoot," Lilah cried in alarm.

Angel looked at her dryly, "Yeah. You really don't want to. Your bullets won't kill me. But mine will kill you - and her first."

Angel looked over at Holtz and Connor, considering his option.

Holtz looked at him coldly, "He'll be dead before I hit the ground."

"I know," Angel said softly.

Holtz looked around, "So. I'm going to leave nowght?ght? With me, he gets to live, anyone tries to take him, he dies."

Angel blinked under a string of words from Xander before saying, "Take him." Ignoring the howl of protest from Xander.

"Woah! No! What is wrong of you people," Sahjhan shouted furiously.

Holtz continued speaking to Angel, "I will take good care of him, as though he were my own son. He'll never even know you existed. Don't come after me. - You will though, won't you? Maybe I should just..."

"No. Please," Angel begged, his eyes wide in alarm, "Take him," conceding defeat.

Sahjhan enraged, raised his hands, "Lekko najine forkahdio!"

~"Oh fuck no," Xander yelled, bracing himself.~

There was a big explosion with bright sparks and a hole opened in the air. Past the burning edges Angel saw a turbulent, blood red sky.

Sahjhan looked around calmly, "What you are looking into is the Quortoth, the darkest of the dark worlds. So - I can widen the portal and you can all be swallowed up by a world you can not begin to imagine - or you can keep your word and kill that child. Now!"

~"XANDER!" Angel shouted.~

~"Shut UP! Can't you see I'm already doing something,"~ Xander snapped impatiently as he Shifted into the area keeping carefully in the shadows and out of sight.

When no one moved Sahjhan spread his arms wider, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

The opening in the air grew bigger.

Lilah turned to her men, "Kill it." issuing her order flatly.

Angel shouted, "No!"

Sahjhan frowned as the opening began to grow smaller, "What the....," he looked searchingly around for the source.

The commandos and Angel stood there with the weapons aimed at each other.

Out of the corner of his eye, Angel saw Holtz grab Justine and push her away from him then run for the hole in the air. Turning, Angel dropped the gun and ran after him.

His screams mingling with Justine, "Daniel! Daniel!"

"No! NO!"

And with horror, he saw Holtz jump into the roiling red air of the portal and disappear from view. Desperately he tried to jump after him, but was thrown back by a lighting bolt lashing out from the portal and slamming into his cheste fle flew backward, landing with a hard thud and rolled to look back at the portal.

Sahjhan looked around, "Wowso dso did not count on that. Kinda takes care of my problem."

Sahjhan raised his hands to closed the portal, "Forkahdio....," but the hole in the air quickly shrunk to a pinpoint and disappeared.

"All right then," he said shaken. He looked down at Angel, who was still staring at where the portal used to be, "Look, I could have taken them both your children. Don't forget to have a good summer," he said mockingly.

With that he disappeared into thin air.

Lilah looked down at Angel, who hadn't moved, "Hmph! Well, I'm looking at a mountain of paperwork."

She turned to go, thinking on Sahjhan words, 'both your children'. Perhaps tonight wasn't a waste after all, she thought brightening up.

Angel was barely aware of what was going on around him, it was taking all his strength to recover from that black bolt. Vaguely aware of conversation around him, as Xander poured strength into him desperately.

"Should we do something about..." he heard someone say.

And heard Lilah's cold cutting reply, "Yes, we should. - We should let him suffer."

He heard them all drive off and Xander crept out of the shadows to help him up as he rolled over onto all fours and looked around him, clinging desperately to Xander's shoulder.

He saw Justine drive off in Wes' car and nearly took them both to the hard ground, once again facing towards where the portal used to be...where he had last seen his son.

Well congratulations you fucking bitch, I'll make sure I put in a good word to your bosses, he thought viciously before being consumed by his loss of his son.

"Connor."