Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville or Angel.

Here you go! FINALLY THE FIRST CHAPTER! This is set after the short stories Night Blossom and The Miracle Child.

All I have to saw now is…let the CHLONNOR BEGIN!

This story begins in episode THE PRICE during Angel Season 3.

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It'd begun like any ordinary Sunday.

A couple of days had passed since Connor's kidnapping and everyone was trying to get Angel out of his depressive rut. Everyone but Chloe, who realized that when Angel was in his moods it was best to let him realize he needed to stop, otherwise he'd just sink deeper and deeper into his self-pity if people tried to yank him out of it.

Everyone had thought that redoing Connor's room might help. Chloe didn't, and for some reason she felt completely uneasy at the Hyperion so she'd left the others at the hotel and ventured off to see how Wesley was doing. No one but Angel knew that she was still going to see Wes, and Angel only knew because he could smell him on her.

That was a point of sourness between sire and childe, and yet neither acknowledged it or the situation. How Chloe saw it, she guessed Angel realized she was the only family he had left and he wasn't going to isolate her or push her away and thus make himself completely alone.

That was why he didn't mention that he could smell Wesley on her.

"What do you mean not to come back to the Hyperion?" Chloe asked as she stepped off onto the street from having visited with Wesley for the last couple of hours.

She ran fingers through her hair as she heard Fred telling her through the cell phone that the consequences of Angel's dark spell in the Hyperion (the consequences Chloe had just known would come back to bite them in the asses) had finally appeared and they'd locked themselves in the Hyperion to be able to catch the slug-like creature and kill it before it could get out.

"But maybe I should go—I could."

"No." Fred sounded like she was shaking her head. "Angel said to tell you that if he saw you in here and this thing wasn't dead---that he'd make Angelus look like a boy scout."

Chloe winced. "Bastard."

"Just—just stay put and we'll call you when we have this figured out, 'kay?" Fred whispered.

"How are you holding up?" The blonde asked, looking around the busy street. "I bet Angel has you looking up all this stuff and expecting you to come up with the answer immediately as if you were Wesley."

Fred paused for a moment, since Wesley's name had been banned from use in the Hyperion. "Yeah."

"I'm—" right outside Wes' apartment. "Close to Wesley's neighborhood. I can go to him, ask him to help."

"Don't---thanks anyway." Fred sighed. "I'll—I'll call you."

"Be careful you guys."

"Sure." And then Fred hung up.

Chloe looked around her, then back at Wesley's apartment. "Oh screw it." With that the blonde turned and hurried back the way she she'd just come from. She was going back to Wesley's and he was going to help her.

The blonde hurried up to Wesley's apartment and knocked rapidly on his door, not even bothering to look at him when he opened the door, surprised to see her again.

"Chloe?" He asked in a voice raspy from not having used it for so long. "What's wrong?"

She told him everything, pacing up and down frantically. "What if it's infected them all? They'll die dried up and just turn to dust!" She threw her hands in the air before sinking into his couch in tears. "Wes. What if something happens to them?"

The ex-Watcher was silent for a moment before going to sit next to her. "I'm going to help you, Chloe, because you're my only true friend. Not because of them."

She looked up at Wes through teary eyes. "Thank you."

With the information Wes gave her Chloe hurriedly phoned Fred again, and when she didn't pick up her cellular Chloe called Angel. She found out in horror that the Hyperion was crawling with millions of those things, that Fred had been infected, and that the slug thingies were all running from some horrible thing called The Destroyer---which was heading there to kill Angel.

Chloe was frozen stiff as she remembered the name in her dream so many weeks ago, and suddenly wondered if she was having visions like Cordelia. She didn't mention that though, and told Angel to force Fred to drink liquor, that it would dehydrate her body and force the thing out.

That was lucky considering that they were all stuck in the kitchen.

"Don't come here, Chloe." Angel didn't thank her. "I'll call you when we manage to kill these things. Just don't come."

And then he hung up.

Chloe turned to Wesley and leaned against his shoulder. "God. I hate waiting."

Wesley just sighed and pulled his arm around her. "Everything will be alright. You know Angel will find a way to kill everything eventually."

"I hope so." Chloe whispered.

About an hour later she got a quick phone call from Gunn saying that everything was alright, not only had they managed to get the thing out of Fred, but some of Cordelia's mysterious demon powers had manifested themselves (namely a bright, purifying light) that'd killed all the creatures in the Hyperion.

Everyone was fine and waiting for her at the hotel. There was a little commotion right before Gunn suddenly hung up on her, but Chloe didn't pay it much mind as she threw herself at Wesley and hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek. "They're fine! Oh Wesley! Thank you!"

He hugged her back, smiling softly. "You're welcome, Chlo."

Pulling back and grinning in his face, Chloe shot up. "I've got to get back. They're all expecting me there to go over what this Destroyer is, where it's coming from, when it's coming, and why it wants to kill Angel." She paused as she hurried to the door. "Why does everything always want to kill Angel anyway?"

Wesley chuckled hoarsely from where he stood next to the sofa, hands in pockets, ducking his gaze.

"Thank you again, Wes." Blowing him a kiss, Chloe was quickly out the door and hurrying towards the apartment's stairs.

She was outside out of the apartment building in what seemed like seconds, looking for a bus or a taxi, but nothing appeared. The blonde hopped a little nervously, not understanding why she felt so giddy, as if something right had finally happened.

"Come on, come on…" When nothing seemed to be appearing she growled and decided to walk. She could head downtown, find a taxi or bus there. Plus, everyone was probably tired from the whole fighting thing so it wasn't like they would complain about having to wait a bit.

Nah. They'd probably be happy for the time to relax.

With that in mind, Chloe headed off in a brisk walk, realizing in surprise that more than half of the day had already passed.

Time really does fly.

Chloe continued walking, ignoring the busy life all around her, the people milling around, the horns honking, the ambulance crossing at dangerous speeds.

She was used to the noise. She lived off of it.

Grinning and shaking her head, Chloe suddenly paused as she felt something, something she'd never felt before.

Pausing, she looked around her at the people on the streets. No one was paying her any attention, no one was even really looking up from where they were going or the conversations they were having with friends. For all accounts she could be invisible---and yet there was something there.

Narrowing her eyes, Chloe tried to figure out what this feeling was. It wasn't exactly the feeling of being watched. No. It was something else. Something different.

It was a little like the link she had with Angelus, but it wasn't the same. Angelus wasn't out there—thank god—but something else was, and somehow it was connected to her.

What IS it?

Looking around her once more, Chloe veered off to the side and headed away from the busy crowd. If there was something after her she didn't want it to attack her while she was around so many innocent people.

She headed down towards the old train tracks down the less safe part of town, looking over her shoulder and yet not seeing anything. The blonde was so intent on looking behind her that she didn't notice what was in front of her until she ran into something that felt like steel.

The blonde turned and gasped when she saw the large blue humanoid demon glaring at her in the darkness of the abandoned alley, a couple of smaller, yet just as vicious looking creatures behind him.

"You." He pointed a curled finger at her. "You are the one we've been looking for."

"Me?" Chloe asked, blinking as she looked at the leader and then at his goons. "Are you sure about that?"

The leader raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I am 'sure'."

"What for?" The blonde wanted to know, folding her arms over her chest. "I don't know you dudes, and you know what? I don't like being stalked either. So why don't you just say who you are, what you want, and then we'll go from there—how's that?"

The creatures looked confused.

"Why isn't she screaming and running, or at least pleading for her life?" One of the goonies in the back whispered to the blue guy next to him.

The leader shook his head slightly, red eyes narrowing menacingly. "Listen lower life. You will shut up and come with us."

Chloe snorted. "Excuse me? Did you just call me a lower life?"

And another pair of goonies exchanged confused looks.

"Do you know who I am?" Chloe asked, channeling highschool!bitch!Cordelia as best as she could to try and pull this off. "I am Angelus' Favored childe. You do not want to piss off my sire by touching me or calling me a lower life." She conjured the most snobbish look she could muster. "He will pull your guts out of your body and choke you with them just for thinking you could touch me."

A couple of the goonies took a step backwards and gulped.

"Yes, well, while Angelus' tales are told to naughty demon children as warnings," the leader reached out and grabbed her arm lightning fast, pulling her to him violently, his fish breath on her face as he glared down at her. "You're sire is now Angel, and it's day. He won't be coming to save you."

"Who said that I needed him to save me?" She wouldn't let him see how much his grip was hurting her. "I just told you gentlemen what he'd do to you for touching me. Not what I will do to you."

The creature looked at her eyes and laughed. "And what is a delicate little human like you going to do to me?"

Chloe gave him a small smile before clenching her free hand and bringing it down as hard as she could against the arm that held hers. The sound of a bone cracking and the boss' screams filled the alley as Chloe was freed, only to be surrounded by the goonies and an infuriated boss.

"I will kill you for that!" He hissed as two of the creatures grabbed her arms, keeping her immobile. The boss rounded on her yet stopped and looked behind her, eyes narrowing further into tiny slits. "Walk away, human."

Chloe stopped struggling against those who had her and turned her head, eyes widening as they fell upon a young man around her age walking towards them. He was tall, with straight brown hair and blue eyes that seemed to stand out more thanks to the dirt on his face and body. He was dressed in animal's skins and had a necklace of assorted teeth around his neck.

He was breath-taking, with an air of menace that intrigued and drew Chloe towards him.

The leader pulled away from her and sneered at the newcomer. "An entire suit made of chamois." His sneer grew. "That's different." Shaking his head he motioned to the belt hanging from narrow hips that held odd bones and other assorted things on it. "What's all that?"

"Things I killed." The newcomer announced, raising an eyebrow, looking confused that he'd had to be asked.

"Very funny, pretty boy." The demon shook his head. "But as entertaining as this has been, I'm going to have to get my boys to eat you."

"No!" Chloe struggled again against the creatures that had her. "You leave him alone! You want me! Remember that? Me! He's an innocent!"

Then again, with the way he was dressed he was probably insane, but that really didn't matter at the moment.

"Awww, how sweet." The boss smirked before turning to the others. "Kill him."

Chloe struggled as the creatures that weren't holding her rushed to kill the poor, most probably delusional kid, but instead of screams from him she could hear the sounds of fighting and screams from them.

The blonde turned her head and watched in shock as the young man fought off the creatures that attacked him. His movements were those of a trained warrior, his actions fluid, and his accuracy and viciousness in battle fascinating.

The creature that'd been holding her right arm left to go help the others when the last that'd attacked the young man fell dead at his feet.

Quickly looking to make sure that the boss was watching the fight, Chloe twirled and elbowed the creature holding her in the back of its head. The blue creature shrieked and let go of her other hand, enabling her to finish twirling around and grab his arm, pulling it at an odd angle and breaking the shoulder bone as Angel had once taught her.

It screamed and fell to the ground, cradling its broken appendix.

Sirens screamed in the air, obviously heading towards them.

Chloe froze in fear. The cops. They could not get caught in this freaky situation by the cops! Angel was in enough hot water as it was!

She turned around in time to see the stranger, her rescuer, standing over the body of the boss, bloody knife in hand. The blonde froze, watching him in awe. Any other girl would have run screaming had she seen this, but no, Chloe wasn't any other girl.

She'd been Angelus' Favored for crying out loud---she'd seen much worse.

And part of her, maybe it was the demon part of her, couldn't keep her heart from beating a little bit faster as she saw him turn to her, covered in blood, weapon still in hand, eyes and aura dark from combat.

He was like a frickin' angel of death…and she was getting hot over it.

Clearing her throat and calling herself many unpleasant names, Chloe winced when she heard the sirens closer. "We have to get out of here. The cops are coming and we'll be in a lot of trouble if they find us."

The stranger tilted his head slightly and looked at her oddly, curiously, as he walked towards her, knife still in hand.

Chloe didn't back down, although she did gulp, waiting until he was right in front of her, watching her oddly again. "We have to go." She whispered, not getting why her heart was thumping so crazily in her chest or why her breathing was accelerating. Or why she was suddenly feeling so hot.

Yeah, this was California and all, but damn, it was like she was in a furnace or something!

He didn't say anything, only stepped closer, eyes never leaving her face. Those blue eyes looked confused as he scanned every feature of her face before he finally put the blade away. "Lead me."

Oh GOD I love that voice.

Calling herself a hussy, Chloe shivered slightly and nodded. "Keep up."

He smiled then. It wasn't a happy smile, but an amused half smile. "I will manage."

Ducking her gaze, Chloe nodded and turned, leading the way quickly out of there. They hurried out into the main street and tried to remain inconspicuous---which was hard considering his getup. "First of all, we're getting you a new wardrobe."

He raised an eyebrow at her in silence.

Rolling her eyes at him, Chloe grabbed his hand to make sure that they weren't separated in the large crowd and hurried him to where she knew there was a small second-hand clothes store. A quick venture inside, and after guessing his size after years of doing so for Angel, Chloe took the purchases and headed with her still nameless rescuer to a hotel.

It wasn't the best place she could think of, but those demons weren't really after her. None of the things that ever came after her really were. No, they were looking for a way to get to Angel, and until she was sure that they had nothing to do with this DESTROYER creature that was out to kill her sire, she wasn't going to lead them back to the Hyperion.

Paying for a room and ignoring the look the receptionist gave her when she asked for two beds, Chloe grabbed the key and hauled her rescuer up to their room. Only when they were inside and she knew they were safe did she let her guard down and sighed in relief.

"Look, about what happened---," Chloe turned around and paused when she noticed him looking around the hotel room with childlike eyes, as if he'd never seen anything like it before. His interest was amazing as he touched everything, picking things up and inspecting them. "You---you're definitely not from California, huh?"

He looked up from where he was examining a clock before shaking his head.

"Either you'll think I'm crazy or I'm right---I'm going to guess you're from a different dimension."

He blinked and nodded in surprise.

"Okay." She took off her shoes. Crazies she couldn't handle, but hunks from another dimension? This was a piece of cake. "First day here in our dimension?"

"Yes." He replied cautiously, looking around. "My father told me stories of this place, and yet nothing is as I had imagined it."

"So your father came here before?" Chloe asked, throwing herself down on what she was now proclaiming her bed.

"He is from this dimension. As am I." Her rescuer sat down slowly and experimentally on his bed. "We left for our own safety."

"Oh." That was an obviously sore topic, so Chloe respected it and left it alone. "Is that where you learnt to fight?"

He nodded. "My father trained me to be a warrior."

"And train you good he did." She complimented, feeling a little silly. "Look, I didn't even know if you have somewhere to go or someone waiting for you and I went and got this room---."

"I have no one." He replied shortly, looking at his feet. "I came here alone."

"Oh." She sat up, feeling awkward now. "Well, you saved the right girl." She smiled softly at him as he looked at her in curiosity. "I understand being thrust into a new and weird world, and you helped me. So I'm going to help you now. It's the least I can do to thank you for saving my life."

He didn't say anything, just looked at her, that slightly confused yet utterly intrigued look back in his blue eyes. "Who are you?"

She blinked. "I haven't introduced myself, have I? What an idiot!" The blonde pulled a strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear. "My name is Chloe. What's your name?"

"Steven."

"Steven." Somehow the named seemed a little off, but she shrugged that off. "Well Steven, I have to call my family and let them know that I'm okay and won't be coming home tonight. Why don't you go and bathe in the meanwhile? You can change into the clothes I got you."

Steven picked up the bag with the clothes in mentioned and after a second's hesitation headed towards the bathroom.

Chloe admired him shamelessly back-too until he closed the door behind him. "Me—ow." Chiding herself once again for acting so shamelessly, Chloe reached for the phone by the side table and called the Hyperion. When no one answered she left a voice message and hung up, giving them the reader's digest version and telling them she'd get into contact.

With that over she decided to order in some room service. After the fight and adrenaline rush she was always hungry, and she bet Steven was as well.

"I do not understand this room."

Looking up when she heard that from the bathroom, Chloe scolded herself for being stupid and not realizing that this guy was from a different dimension and they probably didn't have indoor plumbing—Pylea sure hadn't.

"Don't worry I'll show---." Chloe's words stuck in her throat as she entered the bathroom and froze, forgetting to breathe for a second or two as her gaze fell upon his naked body.

There her heart went beating rapidly once more and her breathing accelerated.

And yep, there was the heat again.

Dammit Chloe! Control yourself!

She lowered her gaze for a split second towards forbidden territory, mouth parting in amazement, before she forced her gaze to turn to the toilet. "Uh, uhm." She cleared her throat nervously. "Sorry, I should have explained how bathrooms work."

Walking towards him, she gulped as she reached around him and slid open the shower's see-through door, turning on the shower and concentrating on getting the water nice and warm. "It's like a waterfall, see?" She kept her back to him and nervously kept all of her attention on the falling water. "You stand under it, and use this thing called a bar of soap to get all the dirt and green blood off of you. When you're finished just---," Chloe forgot what to say when he was suddenly standing behind her, looking over her shoulder at what she was doing, the heat of his body warming hers.

And then he was sniffing her. It was discreet, and any normal woman wouldn't have noticed it, but Chloe did. And something within her reacted to it…something inside of her liked it.

Gulping when she felt heat warming in her hips, as if he was going to place his hands there, Chloe gasped and turned, finding him so much closer than she'd expected. "Ummm, uh," Chloe was breathing erratically, her body reacting to him in ways she didn't understand. She'd never felt like this around anyone! Not even Angelus! "You should bathe."

And with that she hurried passed him and into the bedroom, collapsing on her bed with a groan.

When Steven emerged from the bathroom later, completely clean and dressed in the slacks and shirt she'd gotten for him, not only had the food she'd ordered arrived, but Chloe had managed to get her hormones under control as well.

"You look nice." She smiled, motioning for him to join her on the floor, where she'd placed the plates of food. "I don't know about you or the customs where you come from. But I usually like to sit down on the floor when I eat. It's not a custom from around here, I'm just weird like that."

He tilted his head again, watching her, before going to sit next to her on the ground and looking at his plate. "What---what is it?"

"Chicken." When the name seemed foreign to him she tried to explain it. "Chicken is a small creature with two legs, feathers, a peak and wings. We eat them here."

He looked a little less confused and then noticed the fork and knife. "I know of these. They are tools for eating."

"Bob, we have a winner." Chloe joked, smiling at Steven as he picked up the utensils and used them awkwardly but successfully, cutting the chicken and placing it into his mouth.

"This, this tastes good." He blinked, mouth still full.

Chloe giggled as he finally swallowed. "Wanna try some of mine?"

"What is it?" He was so enthusiastic, like a child.

"Beef." She offered a bite to Steven, smiling as he experimentally stole it from her offered fork and chewed. "Do you like?"

He turned and looked at her, swallowed, and then smiled. "Yes."

Blushing and not knowing why, Chloe returned her attention to her food. "Well, if you like this you better eat up 'cause when you're finished we have dessert! Chocolate cake and ice cream!"

They ate mostly in silence and yet it wasn't uncomfortable as Chloe would have thought it would be. Honestly, she was in a hotel room with a stranger who could easily kick her ass, and yet she wasn't afraid. She felt as if she'd known Steven forever, which was odd in itself.

The desert was fun, because Steven hadn't ever had anything like it, and Chloe hadn't laughed or enjoyed herself more than she did watching his eyes widen—or the fact that he got brain freeze when he ate the ice cream a little too fast.

"You shouldn't have eaten it too fast!" She laughed as she knelt in front of him as he pressed his hands tightly to his temples, closing his eyes tightly against the pain. "It hurts when you do. But it'll go away just as soon, I promise."

They stayed like that until Steven's body relaxed and he opened his eyes---eyes that stared right into her own.

And suddenly Chloe realized how close they were. She froze, eyes scanning his face, trying to understand why he affected her this way, why she found his eyes so familiar.

"I---." She didn't know what to say as he lowered his hands from his face and continued to look at her.

Steven seemed so confused as he looked at her before leaning closer and sniffing her once again, trailing his face down the curve of her neck, his nose brushing against the exposed skin as he did so. "Who are you?" He whispered again against her skin.

Chloe's eyes slid closed and she realized she was trembling. "I'm---Chloe." When she felt him pull away her eyes opened slowly and she noticed he was once again looking at her in confusion and what seemed like slight fear, and she didn't know why she did it, but she reached forwards and pressed her lips to his.

When she realized he wasn't kissing her back, Chloe pulled away, seeing his eyes wide in surprise as he brought his fingers to his lips. It was as if he'd never been kissed before---but that couldn't have been possible. He was—he was---grrrr---and there was no way that not one female in this dimension of his had ever kissed him.

So, he obviously didn't think of her in that way.

Oh earth, swallow me now and save me from this embarrassment.

Chloe opened her mouth to apologize when suddenly he was leaning forwards and his lips were on hers. The blonde whimpered, eyes closing shut once more as Steven's arms went around her and pulled her closer to him, and her hands went to his messy hair as she opened the kiss and took it further.

One touch of her tongue had him moaning in surprise and something else, and Chloe's body sang happily because of his touch. She didn't understand why she reacted like this with him. Chloe wasn't easy, in fact, most the few dates she had gone out over the past years had ended up badly because she wasn't much into touching…but with Steven it felt different.

It felt right.

Suddenly there was knocking on the door and Chloe pulled away from him, suddenly feeling the sire link she normally would have sensed a long time ago.

Steven looked at her hungrily—a look so different from his nearly childish one moments ago.

And she was getting hotter.

Suddenly the door was kicked in and both of them turned to see the vampire standing in the doorway, looking at them in surprise.

"Angel."

Chloe turned to Steven when she heard him say the name as well, yet unlike her surprised way of saying it, Steven had spat the name out and reached for his blade in the blink of an eye, standing.

"You know him?" Steven asked Chloe, although his eyes were on Angel.

"Of course I know Angel!" She exclaimed, getting to her feet, confused. "How do you know of him if you're from another dimension?"

"Were you running away from him? Was he keeping you as a slave?" Steven's voice was dangerous, his blue eyes dark with menace as he glared at Angel, who winced and looked hurt at the accusation.

"What?" Chloe asked, running fingers through her hair in confusion. "Why would you--? Steven, what are you talking about? Angel's my sire!"

His eyes widened as he turned to look at her. "You're not a vampire." He wasn't asking he was stating a fact. "I hear your heart. I know you live."

"I do—I am alive." Chloe agreed. "And I have my soul as well, I never lost it."

"Chloe." Angel was trying to say something to her, but she couldn't get what.

So she continued to talk, just so that Steven's attention was on her and not on her sire. "Angel---Angelus---saw me one night and he sired me. Or, he tried to. He killed me, but he couldn't force the demon in me and the soul out. My soul won the battle and while I have some demon in me it isn't in control at all. I woke up alive as well, not undead."

"Chloe!" Angel snapped.

"What?" She felt hurt. She was only trying to help him!

"Don't talk to her like that." Steven growled at Angel before talking to Chloe once more, although his blue eyes were still on Angel. "Do you drink blood?"

"His." She pointed to Angel, ignoring the look her sire was giving her. "I can't drink the blood of humans or other demons because I'll die. But like a vampire I need blood to survive, but only a little bit, and only Angel's."

Steven froze. "You'll die without this creature's blood."

And Angel winced again, once more looking hurt.

"Yes." Chloe nodded, divulging the secret she knew Angel had always tried to keep just that, a secret, for her own protection. And yet she felt as if she could trust Steven. "I don't know what you've heard about Angel in this dimension you came from, Steven, but he's a good person. He has his soul and--."

"Did you ask for him to sire you?"

She blinked at the angry question. "No. I fought him every step of the way."

"Were you scared when he was draining your life?"

"Terrified." Chloe whispered, momentarily remembering the night in the alley with Angelus, Dru and Spike.

"Connor that's enough!" Angel snapped, walking into the room, causing Steven to stiffen, ready to fight.

"Connor?" Chloe made a face as she shook her head. "Angel, his name isn't Connor, it's Steven. He and his father were from this dimension but escaped---." And suddenly her eyes widened in horror and she gasped, taking a step back. "Oh my God. Connor?"

Angel shook his head, looking sad and yet hopeful. "Yes, Chloe. He's Connor."

"Stop calling me that!" Steven growled. "My name is Steven."

"Oh my God." Chloe whispered, sitting down on the bed. She'd just made a move on Angel's son! She'd seen him naked and she'd lusted after him! I'm going to HELL!

"Okay then, Steven." Angel sounded desperate to get his son to put down the weapon and just talk. "Steven's a nice name. Not Irish but--look." He sighed. "I know we haven't gotten off to a great start here, especially with us fighting and you trying to kill me the moment you jumped out of the rip in reality in the Hyperion---."

"What?" Chloe gasped, eyes wide.

Angel and Connor both ignored her as Angel continued. "But if we can just take a minute, that'd be good. Please, just---don't run away from me, alright?" Angel paused. "I lost you once already. There's just---there's just so much I wanna know. There's so much I need to know." He paused once more, voice hopeful. "Okay?"

Steven---Connor---was silent, but he lowered his weapon, eyes still untrusting and on his father.

"You been okay?" Angel asked, trying to get his son to talk. "I mean, what was it like there?" When Connor didn't speak Angel just continued on. "Do you have any friends?" He shook his head. "Okay, I mean, not friends. It's not like you were at summer camp. You were stuck in a…hell dimension."

Chloe looked at her sire, heart breaking for him as she watched him trying to get through to a son who only glared at him with anger and distrust.

"Connor, I'm so sorry." Angel whispered, voice wavering for a second. "I tried to get you back. I did. I tried to come after you. I would've done anything. I just---I couldn't find a way in."

"I found a way out." Connor finally spoke, face hard.

"Yeah." Angel smiled slightly, hopeful, believing this as progress. "You did. You sure did." He shook his head in self-disgust. "I should've---I should've tried harder. I shouldn't have quit." He then looked up and took a step towards Connor. "But you're back, and---and that's what's important, you know? You came back to me."

Chloe felt like she was intruding on a very personal moment. This should be just Angel and Connor talking with no one listening in.

"I—I wanna know everything, son." Angel took another careful step towards his wary son. "I wanna know everything---everything about you, you know? What your life's been like. You---you must have a million questions."

"No." Connor's eyes were narrowed, as if he expected Angel to suddenly shift to his game face and jump at him.

"No?" Angel whispered, hurt, confused.

"My father told me everything." Connor sneered at Angel.

"Your---your father?" Angel whispered again, hurt marring his features. "Holtz isn't your father. He's--."

Connor reacted by punching Angel in the face. "You don't get to say that name! You don't even get to think it!"

"Connor!" Chloe cried out in horror, jumping to her feet and pushing him away, going in between father and son, looking up at Angel, hand going hesitantly to his bruised cheek. "Are you okay, Angel? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine." Angel nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder before looking at Connor. "Con--."

"I know everything." Connor accused, seeming angrier now for some reason than when he'd hit Angel. "He told me all about you. That you're a…a thing that…kills…and drinks blood." He sneered in disgust. "You're a vampire."

"What do you know about vampires?" Angel asked, body tensing.

"Decapitation, stake in the heart, daylight, fire." Connor answered, the sneer growing. "I forget anything?" There was silence. "You have a second face. A face for killing. Show it to me."

"Connor!" Chloe gasped as she turned to look at him for the first time since rushing to Angel's side. "What's wrong with you?"

"Chloe…" Angel whispered warningly.

She bit the inside of her mouth to keep from snapping something back. Couldn't Connor see that Angel was trying? That he was really trying?

"I wanna see it." Connor ignored Chloe as he stepped closer to them, eyes narrowed. "Come on! Show me!" He snapped, fury in those beautiful blue eyes. "Show me the face you used to kill my father's family! Show me the last thing Chloe saw before you drank the life out of her!"

"Connor!" Chloe cried out again in annoyance and something else. "Angel, you don't have to do it."

"He deserves to see this, Chloe." Angel whispered, his face shifting to that of his demon. "It looks like this, son."

"That's what you are." Connor whispered as he took a step back.

"It's a part of what I am." Angel whispered back. "A part I hope you'll be able to accept one day."

Connor shook his head in disgust. "You'd have to kill me first."

And Chloe was caught in the middle, not knowing what to do or say to make this any better for the both of them.

Connor then turned his eyes on her. "Do you do it too? Does your face change when you take his blood?"

She gulped at the intensity of that stare. "No."

"Show me." He ordered.

"This has nothing to do with Chloe, Connor." Angel took a step towards them and placed an arm around her shoulder. "She doesn't have to prove anything to you."

And yet, for some reason, Chloe felt that she did have something to prove. So she shifted and felt the slight tickle in her gums as her canines grew sharper and longer, though not by much. The blonde ran her tongue over her fangs, careful not to cut it.

Connor gasped, eyes slightly wider. And yet he didn't look disgusted at her as he had when he'd seen Angel's true face. His blue eyes seemed to follow the path of her tongue over her teeth, his lips parting slightly, and once again Chloe felt that odd rush of desire hit her like a locomotive at maximum speed.

Clearing her throat, Chloe ducked her gaze and forced her fangs to disappear. "Connor, no matter what Holtz told you, we're not the enemy." She looked up into his eyes, a little relieved that he didn't try to punch her for saying his 'father's' name. "We loved you. We still do." She willed him to believe her. "We love you very much."

Connor didn't say anything, he just looked at her in that same lost way he had before.

"We're going back to the hotel, it isn't safe for Chloe here, not with some unidentified demons after her." Angel finally spoke against, squeezing her slight. "You know, Connor, if you want, you can come back to the hotel. No pressure or anything."

Chloe looked up, hoping he'd say yes.

"No." Connor seemed a little distracted all of a sudden, eyes narrowed in slight confusion.

"But if, you know," Angel hurried on. "You need a place to stay--."

"Angel." Chloe stopped him by turning in his hold and placing a hand on his chest. "Connor has lived all his life in a Hell Dimension, I think he'll be able to survive tonight in a decent hotel all by himself. Believe me, I've seen him fight. It's…impressive."

The blonde slanted a look at Connor before looking away.

"Chloe---I---." Angel looked desperate at the thought of leaving Connor.

"What happened to no pressure?" She hissed at him, giving him a little shove backwards before turning to Connor. "I wish you'd come to the Hyperion with us, but we understand that you need some space."

"We do?" Angel whispered.

She ignored him, concentrating on Connor, whose eyes and attention were fully on her. "We understand that this is difficult for you too. You grew up thinking that Angel was a monster and you're going to need some time to think things over and get used to how things really are."

Chloe didn't know if she was pushing it or not, but she laid her hand on Connor's arm, surprised that he didn't flinch away now that he knew who she was and that she had fangs. "But I want you to know that I'm still grateful for your saving my life. And—and I really meant it when I said I wanted to help you." She smiled slightly, determined not to blush. "When you're ready, or you just want someone to talk with or need someone to help explain something, come find me. You know where the Hyperion is. Okay?"

He looked at her in silence before nodding.

She smiled brighter. "Good." Pulling back her hand, Chloe returned to Angel's side. "Good night, Connor."

He remained silent, just watching her.

Ducking her gaze once more, Chloe dragged Angel out of the room. "Come on big guy. Let's go home."

Back at the Hyperion they filled in everyone about what'd happened, and they found out that something else had managed to punch its way out of Quor'toth before Lorne's dimensional-magic expert managed to close the rip.

The thing was, that Fred and Gunn had been watching over the rip, but had been knocked out and unconscious when it'd escaped. So no one had any idea what it was.

Angel got up immediately, determined to go back to the hotel and either force Connor to come to the Hyperion or to watch over his son.

"He won't come back and he won't like you watching over him." Chloe forced her sire to sit back down. "He's strong, Angel. He can take of himself. If you push too hard, he'll pull away faster."

"She has a point." Cordelia whispered from where she stood between Gunn and Lorne.

"I know." Angel sighed. "I just---he's my son."

"And he's back." Fred smiled from where she sat next to the vampire. "And he'll come around soon. He'll see that you're a wonderful, marvelous person."

Angel smiled at her. "Thank you Fred."

Fred smiled back at him.

Chloe yawned. "As exciting as this day has been for all of us, I think it's time I hit the sack. Good night you guys." Blowing everyone a kiss, Chloe hurried up the stairs and went to her room, locking the door behind her and resting against it with a long sigh.

Going to the bathroom she looked at herself in the mirror and pressed her fingers to her lips much like Connor had when she'd first kissed him.

I can still taste him.

"I am so going to hell!" Closing her eyes and groaning, Chloe shook her head before pulling off her clothes and going to bathe.

When she finished she changed into a large shirt and went to bed, never realizing that in his bed in the hotel, Connor was laying on his back in the dark, looking up at the ceiling with his fingers pressed to his lips.

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So, that's the first chapter. What do you guys think? REVIEW!