Protocol, Part Eight

[thebratqueen]

Previous parts can be found here.

PART EIGHT

"C'mon. That was cool."

Angel kept his face neutral. "It was okay."

"It was *not*," Connor said. "It was *great*. Did you see me? I was all - " Connor mimed kicks and punches in the air. "And he went *down*. Boom! Dust. Bad guys zero, good guys a billion." Connor gave him a look. "You *had* to have seen that."

Angel grinned. Turn the clock back and this was Connor, five years old, turning somersaults on his bedroom floor. *Watch me, Dad. Watch! Watch! Look what I did! Did you see?* And of course Angel did because this was his son and Angel *always* saw. "It wasn't bad."

Connor didn't fall for the routine for a second. Instead he elbowed Angel in the side. "It was the *best*. You're just jealous."

"I'm jealous now?" Angel asked. He nodded a greeting to the guards that they passed. The tunnels were clear again, but it didn't hurt to have someone keeping a watchful eye.

"Yeah," Connor said. "'cause you're old and ancient and you know your moves aren't as good as mine."

"Old *and* ancient," Angel observed. "Did I miss another birthday?"

"And how about that flip?" Connor asked, already skipping on to his next point. "With the sword? Admit it, *that* was cool."

"You know what *else* is cool?" Angel asked.

Connor groaned. "No. No lectures. Come *on*! I had a good day."

"Writing to your father," Angel said, "*that's* cool. Sending him messages. *That's* cool."

"*Da-ad*," Connor said, hitting the two syllables as only he could. "We *did* this one already."

They mounted the stairs up to the private wing. "Yeah, well we're doing it again."

"You said it was okay!" Connor protested.

"In what dimension did I say it was okay?" Angel asked.

"Before I left!" Connor said. "You said I could go and I could lead the team and I could take as long as I had to - "

"I was thinking a week!" Angel said. "A week. You go out, you kill demons, you spend a few days doing things with your friends because for some strange reason you think I was born yesterday and don't know it should only take three days to take care of a nest that big, and then you come *home*. You don't spend *two - "

" - *two weeks*," Connor echoed over him, rolling his eyes. "Dad, I *know*. We *did* this."

"How long would you have been out with those Raptors if Spike hadn't called you back?" Angel asked.

Connor looked shifty. "A… half-week?"

"Not born yesterday," Angel reminded him.

"Dad," Connor said, "I'm 18 years old."

"I don't have amnesia either, Connor," Angel said. "I know how old you are. But oddly enough most evil things don't care. If they're going to kill you they're going to kill you. Me? I like you alive."

"I can handle myself," Connor said.

"I know you can," Angel said, because the Hell of it was Connor *did* fight well. Probably better than Angel's overprotective nature liked to admit. "I'm just saying you prove that to me by keeping in touch and letting me know you're okay."

Connor processed this. "So… I can stay out as long as I want, as long as I keep in touch with you?"

"Nice try," Angel said. "You keep in touch with me period. We'll see about how long you can stay out."

"I think I should be able to stay out three weeks if I sent a note back every other day," Connor said.

"This is why I think you've got a great sense of humor," Angel replied.

"Two and a half?"

"You know Wesley wasn't even here a full twenty-four hours before he was asking about sending letters back home," Angel said.

"Well good for him," Connor said, completely unimpressed. Then he frowned. "Wait - who's Wesley?"

"New husband," Angel said. They'd reached the floor with their apartments. Angel made a gesture, inviting Connor to follow him back to the master suite. "I'd like you to come meet him. Maybe see if you two can get along?"

"You wanted me to get along with your new husband and you thought *comparing* the two of us was going to be a good start?" Connor asked. He folded his arms, a grin shaping his lips. "Dad? You suck at this."

"Gimme a break, I've never done this before," Angel said. He leaned against the wall, buying them some time. "So what am I supposed to be doing?"

Connor shrugged. "Telling me you love me. Telling me that nobody's ever going to mean as much to you as I do. Telling me the new guy isn't going to take my place."

Angel reached out for him. "Connor - *nobody* is *ever* going to - "

"Oh my God, Dad, I was kidding," Connor said. He laughed. "What am I? Three? You *married* the guy. I know he's not taking my place. 'cause if he is then either you and he have a really screwed up relationship or you and I do. And since I *know* you don't treat me like a husband - "

"You know what's funny?" Angel asked. "Giving me heart attacks, that's what's funny."

Connor turned around so that they were side by side against the wall. "Look, I'm not saying I'm gonna be best friends with this guy or whatever, but I'm not going to be dumb and jealous about it either. After all, I was here first, right?"

"Absolutely right," Angel said. He reached out and ruffled Connor's hair.

Connor ducked his head, then immediately started patting his hair back into place. "Geez, Dad, make it look like yours why don't you?"

"And that's a bad thing because…?" Angel asked, pointedly.

"You know it's a good thing you can't see yourself in a mirror," Connor said. Satisfied with his appearance, he folded his arms again. "So what's he like?"

"He's…" Angel tried to find a word for it. "Interesting. Complicated. Definitely from a different culture."

"Is he nice?" Connor asked.

"Yeah," Angel said. He shifted his weight onto his other foot. "I think so. He's scared though. I'm starting to think he's never been this far from home. As a favor to me, do you think you can be extra nice to him?"

"Uncle Spike says we shouldn't be nice to anybody from the Council," Connor said.

"What have I told you about blindly repeating Uncle Spike's prejudices?" Angel asked.

Connor frowned. "Nothing. It's never come up before."

"Don't do it," Angel told him.

"I wasn't going to!" Connor said. "I'm just saying maybe he's not going to be as nice to Wesley as I am."

"Yeah, apparently we already crossed that bridge," Angel said. "Still trying to figure out if we need to do repair work on it."

"Do you like him?" Connor asked.

"Of course I like him," Angel said. "Spike's family. You know I love him."

Connor gave him a look. "The *new guy*, Dad."

"Oh," Angel said. He shrugged. "Yeah. Sure. You know. Well enough. We just met, we're still working on getting the names right."

"I think you're supposed to have done more than that on the wedding night," Connor said.

"What would you know about it?" Angel asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We had the talk when I was seven, Dad," Connor said. "You can't pretend I'm innocent now. Not that I'm saying I *enjoy* picturing you having a sex life - "

"Feel free to change the topic at any time," Angel suggested.

Connor thought about it. "Do I have to call him 'Dad'?"

Angel shook his head. "No. I'm not forcing you two into that. I'd just like you to get along. Besides, he's too young to be your father anyway."

"Oh God, he's not my age is he?" Connor asked. "Because it would be seriously gross if you were robbing the cradle."

"I'm 250," Angel reminded him. "Anyone *breathing* is me robbing the cradle."

"True," Connor said. He pushed away from the wall. "Okay. Might as well get this over with."

Angel patted him on the back. "That's the spirit. Just imagine he's the guy making sure nobody from the Council ever tries to murder me. Since, well, he is."

***

Angel left Connor in the hall while he went inside the apartment. No sense springing that kind of thing on Wesley without warning.

Wesley was sitting in the livingroom, reading a book by the fireplace. He looked up, then stood when Angel came in. "My Lord - "

"I'm back," Angel said, unnecessarily. He wondered if he was ever going to get a handle on the nerves that came whenever the two of them tried to talk. "Everything went okay."

Wesley nodded, and Angel realized they were back on company manners. This was definitely not the same guy who'd been gasping in his arms in the shower that morning and boy was *that* not a thing to be lingering on when your teenaged son was cooling his heels on the other side of the door. "Excellent news, my Lord. May I get you something? Is there anything you need after your battle?"

"No," Angel said. "I mean, no thanks. There is something you could do for me though."

Wesley looked surprised - but not unhappy - to be given a request. "Of course. Whatever my Lord wants."

"Okay, first off you can *really* call me Angel," Angel said. "I swear it's okay. Second, I'd like you to meet my son."

*There* were the nerves that Wesley had so far managed to hide. His expression didn't change much, but Angel could hear the skittering beat of his heart. "It would be an honor, my Lord."

"No chance on the title thing, huh?" Angel asked.

"You know you'd think you'd be happy that somebody was pretending you're in charge around here," Connor called out from the other side of the door.

"*You* could at least pretend not to be eavesdropping," Angel called back.

Connor opened the door and walked in. "I could but I got bored. How long were you going to make me wait out there anyway?"

"I was trying to make this less awkward," Angel said.

"Dad," Connor said, "there is *zero* chance of that happening."

"Speaking of people who could pretend that I'm in charge around here," Angel said.

Connor ignored him. He held his hand out to Wesley. "Hey. I'm Connor."

Wesley shook hands with him. "A pleasure to meet you, your highness."

"Yeah, wow, with the titles," Connor said. He took his hand back, but smiled. "It's just Connor, really."

Wesley looked to Angel for support.

"He's family," Angel said. "It's okay."

"A pleasure to meet you, Connor," Wesley replied.

"So you're the new guy?" Connor said.

"Indeed," Wesley said.

"Dad says I don't have to call you 'Dad'," Connor told him.

"Connor!" Angel said.

Connor looked at him. "What? You did."

"At least say it *nicer* than that," Angel said. He turned to Wesley. "Sorry. I just meant - I figured you two had enough to deal with already. You don't have to worry about a parenting thing."

For some reason that seemed to make Wesley smile. "You're very kind, my Lord. And your son may call me whatever pleases you."

Connor leaned over to Angel. "Does he always talk like that?"

"It's a culture thing," Angel said.

"I am required by the Council to show proper respect," Wesley explained.

"To vampires?" Connor asked.

Angel could see a light of curiosity in Wesley's eyes. But all Wesley said was, "To my husband, and those who matter to him."

"That's not what Uncle Spike said about you," Connor said.

"He means people from the Council," Angel hastily said. He then took a stab at the question Wesley wasn't asking, hoping it would move the conversation to safer ground. "Connor's not a vampire."

"You needn't tell me such things if it doesn't please you, my Lord," Wesley told him, but Angel could see that the curiosity had been satisfied.

"Well, it must have pleased me since I did," Angel said. He tried to smile, in case his words had come off harsher than he intended. "You know. Tell you."

"I've got super powers though," Connor added, as though it might help.

"Ah," Wesley said. Then offered in kind, "I don't."

"That's not true," Angel said.

Wesley's brows furrowed together. "My Lord?"

"That you… "Angel faltered. "I mean - I know you don't have, you know, *powers*. I just meant you're not useless."

"Thank you, my Lord," Wesley said, though he still looked as though he thought Angel had lost his mind.

"It's okay not to have powers," Connor said. "Lotta guys don't."

"I try to do what I can to the best of my ability," Wesley said. "Particularly in service to your father."

Connor held up a hand. "Yeah. Don't need the gory details, but thanks. So what should I call you?"

"Whatever your father would like you to call me," Wesley said.

"That's - " Angel stepped in. "That's a Council thing. Apparently there's rules and stuff. He's not trying to be weird with the formal." Angel turned back to Wesley. "Whatever *you're* comfortable with, okay? Seriously. Can you do that?"

Wesley took a moment, then nodded. "If you wish."

"I do," Angel assured him.

Connor looked as though he didn't know what to make of that, but tried to go on anyway. "Can I call you Wesley?"

"Of course," Wesley said.

"Can I call you Wes?"

"If you wish."

"Could I call you Lee?" Connor asked. "Or what about a nickname? Do you have a cool nickname? You know for a while there they called me The Dest - "

"Just *pick* one, Connor," Angel said, nudging his son back to the point.

Connor grinned. "Can I call you Wes?"

"That would be fine," Wesley said.

Angel frowned. "Could *I* call you Wes?"

Blue eyes were definitely conveying the double meaning of the title this time. "My Lord can call me whatever he likes."

"Meaning I should've known that already," Angel translated.

"I wouldn't have put it into those terms, my Lord," Wesley - Wes, replied. Though a smile hinted at the corners of his lips.

"Man, and I thought you were kidding when you said you hadn't figured out the name thing yet," Connor said. "Are you *sure* you did the wedding night correctly?"

"This from the kid who wants to stay out for weeks and not contact me," Angel said.

"I'm just saying if you need pointers I'm here for you," Connor said.

"*So* funny," Angel replied.

Wes looked uncertain. "My Lord, should I give you and your son privacy?"

"What?" Angel asked. "Oh, no. We're just talking. Actually, I was thinking that now's a good time to give you a tour of the place. Show you were everything is. Connor, you wanna come with?"

"Why?" Connor asked. "I already know where everything is."

Angel gave him a look. "Connor, would you like to come along and help me give Wes a tour of the place? Bearing in mind that I'm making my voice make that question sound mostly for my own amusement?"

"Which means that I *have* to come along because you're seeing this as a bonding thing," Connor said.

"It means you have to come along because I'm your mean, horrible daddy and I always get the last word," Angel said. "The bonding thing was secondary."

"Why didn't you just say the second part in the first place?"

"I was trying to keep it from being awkward," Angel said.

"Yeah," Connor said. "Dad? Again? So not going to happen. *All* of this is awkward, right Wes?"

Wesley blinked, as though startled to be included in the conversation. "I - That is, I - "

Angel rescued him. "It's okay. I know it's weird. But I'd like it anyway. Wes? You feeling up for a tour?"

Wesley relaxed, clearly happy to be given a question he could answer. "Of course, my Lord."

Angel turned back to his son, acting as though they hadn't already had this conversation. "Connor? Wanna join us?"

"Actually I wanted to go back to my room and - "

Angel didn't fall for it for a second. "Connor? Wanna join us?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Connor said.

"There, see?" Angel said. "We're all in agreement. It's like we're family already."

"Don't worry," Connor told Wesley. "He's always strange like this. You get used to it after a while."

"Families agree with one another?" Wesley asked.

Connor laughed, then headed out the door. "Yeah, right."

Wesley looked up at Angel, confusion in his eyes.

"It's okay," Angel said. Impulsively he put an arm around Wes, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "You're doing fine."

"As long as I haven't disappointed you," Wesley said.

"Haven't done it yet," Angel promised, then held Wes's hand as they went to follow Connor.