Honorable
Sons: 24
by Josie_h
Notes
Connor pulled away from his father’s protective embrace, sat up and began to pick at the bedspread. The two vampires detected his heart rate racing even before the jolt of anguish came crashing through the link again, “I can’t move from Mom while she’s sick! So the … well the whole intern thing… and the coven thing and…. Far out!! I just can’t go!… It doesn’t matter about the reason!”
Willow stepped forward to lean over the bed… “Hey sweetie, no one’s asking you to! The coven is here… F’Iaid and I are here… Leave the details to us. We’ll sort the internship on compassionate reasons and push for some ‘credit courses’ to be taken externally if you need a makeup. Simple!”
Willow looked less convinced than she sounded, but it was enough for now.
“But… can you test me… I mean…” Connor looked pleadingly from Willow to F’Iaid and back. “The “Master” thing is all just well…. What is the Master thing!? Do people have to like… call me that? And what’s with the fangs? And ….” A silent tear filed its way down the young man’s cheek as his voice dropped to a whisper, “God….. I was always a freak…. But now with the biting and the glowy and ….”
Willow moved to sit on the bed beside the young man but Spike was faster, reclaiming his side of the bed and embracing the young man in time to catch the hitched sob. “Hey… pet… And by the way and just for the record I will not be callin’ you ‘master’ unless you have a certificate from some kinky club!”
Connor couldn’t help himself, snorted a little then laughed openly at the thought. The laugh was welcome and seemed the first in what seemed a very long while. Spike pushed his luck, poked his Aurelian protégé still pressed against his true father’s side, and grinned in full game face, “Show us your fangs then?”
Connor received a jolt of excitement and pride through the link and was aware that it sent a jolt adrenalin through his system, followed by the shift… Fangs dropped, eyes became golden and attuned to the night, and a previously ‘more than human’ felt an odd sensation of being not just fast and strong, but he felt hyper aware, on edge waiting to spark into action. Since the melding of his old and new memories, and the revelation regarding his physical powers he had always just felt… the odd one out. He was unable to share any of his memories or test his limits until he met his father(s) again but even then, felt slightly disconnected. Grounded, that was the word. He was definitely connected and grounded… with everything.
Willow smiled, remembering the first time she truly experienced the magic, the life-force of the earth flow through her. Watching Connor’s crimson aura fire once more she moved, hugged her Lady and smiled into the enigmatic dark face, conveying all the love and gratitude she could in the one look.
Connor took the time to feel his canines with a tentative tongue and wondered just what his newly improved senses might reveal, if only to observe their current abode, then wondered at the euphoric, tingly ‘grounded’ feeling that seemed to have permeated every cell in his body. But a niggling feeling of urgency edged at his conscience something was still missing. He dismissed it for the moment and turned to Spike then to his father, “So fangs and no ridges, but I guess a night vision thing?....Are my eye’s like yours too?”
Angel smiled, “My beautiful boy.” He kissed his son on the forehead but Spike still scented confusion and worry on the younger man. Now in game face, he instinctively pulled his Sire’s wrist toward Connor, scratching and drawing blood as he pressed it to the boy’s mouth. Without thought Connor bit through skin and muscle to source the arterial blood, then left the wrist as Angel pulled Connor toward him, arching his neck back and allowing the boy to take from his throat. After two or three draws of the rich blood of his father he withdrew, the wound healing as he watched.
Connor rolled to look with some confusion at his audience. Without hesitation Spike offered his neck also and Connor obliged, biting down with a groaned sigh. It felt right, did not feel odd or weird, nor did this need for blood seem to extend beyond the three of them. *Love* *Love* *Love* came through the link in time with his drawing of the precious familial blood.
Spike and Connor began to giggle simultaneously as the pulse continued… Angel looked puzzled until Spike began to sing quietly, and was joined a few bars later, in harmony, by his young companion, both with fangs still exposed dripping Spike’s blood… “*Love* *Love* *Love*” the Classic Beatles song from the late 60’s, oddly timed to match the emotional pulse. Angel threw his head back and laughed hard, realizing it had been his doing that a virtual chant was flowing as he watched Connor feed from his blonde relative.
Willow tugged F’Iaid forward until the two witches sat on the end of the bed just as the singing stopped. Connor sat up, drawing his knees close, and turned a serious gaze on his witch friends.
“So… I’m a full blood, I get that. And now I’ve even got the fangs to prove it…. and family blood is well, pretty amazing, I get that too… and the whole glowy thing is just kind of, well… weird I guess, ‘til I find out what that… um, it… kind of, does…but you said foretold?…. *What* is foretold? I mean … *so* not wanting the whole hero gig…”
Willow looked a little sad, “Sweetie you were created to bring balance. The special one who can truly straddle the world of demon and human, ultimately you will command in both realms. But this is a gradual thing honey. You will learn the magic and control from us, and the lore and fighting from your fathers, and stay grounded in the normal human world with your other family.
You won’t do this alone. But hey…. You wanted testing right?”
Connor suddenly brightened. “Now?”
“Well If you think you’d like to…”
Connor looked at Spike and Angel, grinned, then literally sprang off the bed, pulling on clothes as he near flew into the lounge room. Willow and F’Iaid stood to follow as Spike leaned over to his mate, kissed him then smiled, “Ah the exuberance of youth.” As he promptly found his clothes from the previous night and followed the others into the lounge room.
Angel grumbled good naturedly as he joined them at a more leisurely pace, “So says my one and a half century old, hyperactive Childe!”
Willow had her laptop open and was ready to record some of their results when Angel stayed her hand and gently closed the computer. “No records…. Please… we will know. He will know. That is enough.”
Willow looked a little dismayed but nodded her agreement.
Connor wanted to begin, “So what’s first?”
“Well, I thought we could do the basic five senses and maybe the vampire senses too I guess. Do you notice any change in your hearing?”
Connor stilled. He could certainly hear the city noises: the rumble of traffic; dogs barking; the occasional slamming of a door; the faint sound of a television. He was fairly certain that it was augmented but as his focus returned to the room in which they stood, it was the sound of two distinct heartbeats, as well as his own, that marked the change.
“I can hear your heartbeats.”
Willow’s eyes widened “Wow… well um that’s good right?! So what can you smell?”
“Red, boy already had a fine instrument there. Perhaps I can suggest a more robust trial than us all staring at the lad waiting for him to spot the bloody difference.”
Willow’s hands went to her hips, “What do *you* suggest Spike?!*
“A hunt.”
Connor was the first to react. “What?”
Willow echoed the sentiment, “What?”
“Lad wants testin’, so let him hunt…. Well me o’ course – and don’t look at me like that you silly bint! I go, he chases. Few hours max. Sunrise… Don’t fancy meself taking a ride in a dearly departed ashtray!” Spike stared hard at Willow. “Boy’s a natural hunter, or was at least. Best way for him to know difference will be a hunt.”
Willow caught the approving eyes of F’Iaid, and was just beginning to nod as Spike leaned over to Angel, whispered something, grinned and kissed his mate, then took off at a sprint, leaping the balcony rail, and landing somewhere below to disappear into the night.
Connor realized the challenge felt a jolt of excitement through the link, and flashed yellow eyes and a feral grin complete with new fangs, as Spike hurtled into the darkness. His audience heard a faint. ‘Bye’ as he hurdled the balcony barrier after his quarry.
Willow saw the worried expression on Angel’s face and squeezed her dark witch’s hand. F’Iaid leaned toward Angel, speaking in a near whisper, “Follow them.”
Angel turned smiled and instantly shifted to game face then took off in the same direction as ‘his boys’.
F’Iaid turned to her redhead and as she began to caress the beloved face with feather light touches simply stated, “Dis will be a good night for dem all.”