Wake of Destruction Interludes (3/ )
David finds himself at home for Christmas with a suspiciously cleared schedule. He has a feeling that Layla was behind it but loathed to say anything when he sees Connor’s shocked face.
They have a family dinner, him, his father, Connor, Layla, and Layla’s granddaughter Sarah. Even when his father, somehow able to stand Layla’s disapproval, leaves halfway through dinner David thinks that this is one of the best nights he’s had in a long time.
He just smiles at Connor and Sarah’s antics, even though he firmly believes that they feed off each other’s crazy, and draws a line at a food fight.
He’ll have to thank Layla for whatever she did to his assistant to get his schedule cleared for Connor’s winter break.
--
That night, Connor dreams of an abandoned room and a beautiful woman. She tells him she trusts him and then kisses him. They kiss and touch and clothes are removed. She whispers promises and it’s all so new to him. He thinks that this moment is worth everything because she’s never lied to him and she loves him.
When he wakes, Connor’s flush, arouse and guilty. So guilty he makes himself sick and spends the rest of the rest of the night curled up on the floor of his bathroom, pale and shaking.
He doesn’t stop feeling guilty until the sun rises.
--
He has the same dream the next night. Only this time he feels guilty and downright disgusted with himself. He spends a long time sobbing in the shower with hot water pouring over him.
--
He doesn’t remember what he dreams the third night but he wakes up terrified. When his heart slows and he manages to stop shaking he makes sure that the windows are closed and that his bedroom door is locked. He falls asleep with the lights on.
--
The fourth night he wakes up, he wakes everyone else too. When he comes to his senses his throat hurts and his father is shaking him. No matter how many times his father asks him what happened or if he wants to talk about it, Connor can’t speak.
He doesn’t remember it but the feeling’s enough.
Layla brings him a cup of tea because tea cures everything. It won’t cure this so Connor shakes and refuses to go back to sleep.
He waits for the sun to come up.
--
He doesn’t sleep the fifth and sixth night. On the seventh, his father gives him a sleeping pill. No matter how hard he screams his father can’t wake him.
--
David doesn’t try to give Connor sleeping pills again. Watching his child scream and scream and not be able to do anything about it is not something he can go through again. He makes an appointment with the doctor and hears comments like Night Terrors and psychotherapists and is given the card of a prominent doctor. He looks it up first and learns that Night Terrors in adults are caused by thing like fatigue and traumatic events.
He isn’t so sure about the causes but the symptoms are almost the same. He doesn’t want to send his son to a therapist but Connor screams when he sleeps.
He worries about it all night and takes to wondering the house. It’s about four in the morning and when he passes Connor’s room, he sees the blue flicker of light under the door. Knocking softly, he opens the door and sees Sarah sleeping on the bed and Connor sitting next to her watching infomercials, credit card in one hand…phone in the other.
“You would not believe the stuff you can buy on TV.”
“I hope you realize that you’re paying the bill when it comes in.”
Connor tilts his head slightly and keeps his eyes on the television, “You’ll be jealous.”
He closes the door and takes a seat on the bed. From there, the light from the screen makes Connor look sickly, eyes wide and unblinking.
“Should I get ready for you two to announce that you’re dating?”
“Dad,” Connor drawls, as if he’d just said something completely irrational, “It’d be like dating the demonic sister I wished you never brought home. We were having a Die Hard marath-“ Connor glances at her and recoils violently.
David places his hands on shaking shoulders. “What is it? Are you okay? Connor!”
Connor looks shocked. He glances back at Sarah. “I,” he gives David an incredulous look. “thought…nothing. I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. What just happened?”
Connor stays quiet for a minute, continuously shifting his gaze back to the sleeping girl.
“I swear that just for a moment when I looked at her, her face was covered in maggots. Dad?”
David has no idea what to say to that. “Yes?”
“…I think I’m losing it…”
David thoughts flicker towards the card in his office. First thing in the morning he’s going to call up Wolfram and Harts medical office and speak with that doctor.
--
Connor follows sullenly behind his father as they enter the Los Angeles Branch of Wolfram and Hart. He isn’t sure how he feels about all this. He doesn’t need sleep and he’s totally fine while the sun’s up. During the day all the terror and the guilt goes away and as far as he’s concern? Sleep is for the weak.
His father disagrees.
They meet with a Mr. Wyndam-Pryce who takes them to Mr. Angel. Mr. Angel comes off as weird and awkward and refuses to take his case. Then he saves him and his father from demons. Demons!
Angel was bad-ass.
And a vampire.
His friends were odd but cool. Especially the woman in the leather cat suit…even if she did scare the hell out of him.
He admits that his self preservation instincts are nonexistent because it was still kind of cool even when Angel told him he has to kill a demon.
Even if said demon lied when he said he grants wishes.
It kept on being cool up until he remembers everything.
He kills the demon annoyed that the thing had gotten its hands on his neck. When he can see Angel again he makes his decision and prays that it isn’t a mistake.
“Dude! Did you see that?” he continues to babble on about his awesomeness even as he takes in Wes with new eyes and sees how horrible he looks. It takes a lot not to freak when he realizes that the blue demon is Fred.
He keeps it up until he gets back to Angel’s office.
He sits in front the desk and says, “So, my dad’s kinda mad at you. I told him you took me demon fighting.”
“Oh,” Angel shifts awkwardly, “I’ll just go talk to him.”
Connor snorts. “Relax. I was joking. I wanted to thank you for everything. No more dreams?”
“No, no more dreams,” they sit quietly for a while and Connor wonders if Angel understood what he was thanking him for.
“What did you tell your dad?”
“That the doctor put me on antidepressant,” he takes the bottle out of his pocket and shakes it. “Placebos. I told him not to worry.”
“He’s a father. Parents always worry.”
“Yeah, I’m starting to get that,” he glances around the offices, “They do the craziest things for their kids.”
“Do you want to-“
“I should probably get going,” Connor cuts him off, “my dad’s waiting in the garage.”
He hesitates at the door.
“Hey, Angel?”
“Yes?”
Connor gives him a suspicious look. “You don’t sparkle in sunlight, do you?”
“…what?”
“It’s just; I don’t think I could respect you if you did. No matter how badass you are.”
“I’m pretty sure I’d go up in flames.”
Pause.
“You think I’m badass?” Angel asks hopefully.
Connor laughs and thinks that as thick as Angel is he got the message.
“You girl!”