Right so I've pissed a certain someone off, she knows who she is and I am sorry. In the spirit of reconciliation I am posting even though no-one is reading this story which is a pity as its really quite a good story if I say so myself. To quote Neasa and Joe, whatever and bovvered??

For those who are reading thank you. Its worth it as my beloved writing partner have already started on Dynasty 3 which is edgier and darker, loads of fun!

But we need to finish this one first.

Thank you love, please talk to me. I am sorry really!

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Neasa glanced at Joe and gave a small smile. ‘I hope ya can still say you love me when you find out the rest of my gruesome past.’

‘Always.’ Joe smiled and he meant it. ‘I’ve read some of Dad’s it can’t be worse then that.’

Connor glanced nervously at Angel who tried to remain impassive.

‘’Does that bother you? That Joe knows that stuff?’’ Connor asked and Angel made a face.

‘’I’m not exactly thrilled but it is what it is isn’t it? What do you know?’’ Angel wasn’t sure.

‘’Some but only what Wes has said really.’’ Connor hoped that Angel might fill in the gaps, he was disappointed as Angel fell silent.

“Like reading horror stories aren’t they?” Neasa glanced at Joe.

“Not kiddin, I was reading about some things he did with your mom in the early days.” Joe looked at Neasa anxiously to see how much she knew.

“Like?...” Angel wanted her to shut up and he would have stopped her had Connor not grabbed his arm.

‘’Dad, you have to be honest. Honest about who you were, what you are now and what we are. It’s the only way, Joe needs to understand his heritage, you know he does. And so do I.’’ Connor was right so Angel just nodded.

“Hanging a house full of people at a party but I didn’t get it really or that thing with Drusilla. It was all written in this mystical language.” Joe looked at Neasa for the answer it had been driving him mad.

“Dru had a kind of sixth sense as a human, Angelus knew she was aware of what he was and set about destroying her. Killed her family one by one. Waited till she joined a convent and turned her into a vampire on the day she was to take her holy orders. Basically drove her insane. Mom said her vampire self wasn’t that impressed, Dru sent her mad with her mindless warblings. As for the party they used to do it a lot, get themselves invited and then eat all the party guests.” Neasa found it all quite amusing in a voyeuristic kind of way. She felt a distance from it, not quite associating it with the father she now knew.

“If they ate them why did they hang them?” Joe was still curious and Angel really didn’t want him to know. Despite how Joe behaved, there was still a part of him that was innocent and this would corrupt that.

‘’You can’t stop it dad. You cannot protect Joe from this, it’s his birthright whether you like it or not. It’s all of ours.’’ Connor sounded very mature and Angel knew he was beaten, he couldn’t battle this any longer. His children had to know the truth and it hurt him beyond words. In a moment of clarity, he now realised that this was his true retribution, where his real suffering for past misdemeanours lay. It was in his children’s eyes, as they reflected what he truly was and he was powerless to stop it.

“You sure you wanna hear this Joe?” Neasa was unsure how much she should reveal.

“I’ve read it so I want it explaining.” Joe was adamant, why did everyone in his family treat him like a baby?

Neasa sighed. “Party games if ya like Joe. Hang a few up like pieces of meat for later, break a few bones, remove a few body parts. Just sadistic torture Joe nothing less. ” Neasa said it how it was and Joe looked shocked for a second but then he covered it expertly as he always did.

‘’So it was for fun?’’ Joe asked quietly and Neasa shrugged.

‘’Does that bother you? Thought you hated daddy?’’ Neasa was interested in her brother’s reaction, she had always known this stuff but Joe had lived a relatively normal life in comparison.

‘’No, not really.’’ Joe was nonchalant but his eyes told a different story.

‘’You could have had a career in acting you know Joe if you weren’t already earmarked to be a killer and save the world.’’ Neasa made her point through humour. Joe shrugged although sometimes the idea of his destiny scared him to the core.

‘’We are what we are right? We don’t always have a choice, that’s what you’re saying’’ Joe understood. Neasa nodded, giving him a moment to digest that idea.

“How did you know about dad?” Joe was curious and Angel’s ears pricked up, he was wondering the same thing.

“My mum didn’t’t want someone else telling me. I saw her for quite a long time Joe and she didn’t want me to hate her. Not that I would have anyway. She didn’t’t do those things anymore then Daddy did so don’t try using it, Joe. It’s not fair, it’s like you being blamed for something ya didn’t’t do. Do you get it?” Neasa caught Joe’s eye but he looked away. Angel was concerned, Joe was bound to use Angel’s past against him. Kids used what they needed to at times.

‘’ I get it. I’m not stupid despite what you all think.’’ Joe shuffled a little and Neasa smiled.

‘’Joe, its all put on, I know that. A carefully cultivated image, you don’t fool me but the one you need to carry on fooling is daddy. Don’t want him expecting decent grades do you? You might have to do some work.’’ Neasa laughed. Angel felt a total fool, he had just assumed that Joe was like Connor but he remembered at that moment when Joe had first come, many of his teachers saying that he was clever but lazy.

‘’Ooops, Neasa has totally blown Joe’s cover hasn’t she?’’ Connor laughed, he had known all along but would never rat.

‘’Yes, she has.’’ Angel said through gritted teeth.

“Okay enough said about our father’s grisly past. You and I have never been without a soul so we don’t have the luxury of an excuse. We are mostly responsible for our actions and that sucks sometimes. I preferred it when Conn was aware of my every move, I had the luxury of being able to fall and know he’d pick me back up. Take responsibility whilst I just stood and looked dumb.’’

“ Pretty much like now then?” Joe sniggered and Neasa punched his arm.

“You could do far worse then let Conn have your back Joe. If things go wrong with everything I’ll want to go running to him but you’ve sworn me to secrecy.” Angel hoped that he might learn something at last about what was going on in his childrens' lives.

Joe shrugged. “I don’t wanna tell anyone yet. You read anymore?” Angel stopped himself from making him tell him at that very moment in the street.

‘’Joe will come to you, dad. He will, he’s just stubborn and trying to prove himself.’’ Connor tried to make Angel understand.

‘’He doesn’t have to do that. It’s what I’m here for and he is putting Neasa in harm’s way.’’ Angel was starting to get agitated.

‘’Dad, just listen. You might find out this way.’’ Connor calmed him down.

“I’ve read both books twice Joe, it’s all enchantments other then what I told ya about the keys. I‘m still not happy about what‘s gonna be on the other side of the damned door when ya find it.” Neasa played with the crystal nestling safely in her pocket.

‘’What door? What goddamn door Connor?’’ Angel wasn’t calm after all.

‘’I don’t know dad. Sorry, he won’t speak to me either. I’ve tried.’’ Connor was no help.

“How can ya make sense of the shit in them books it all looks like drawings?” Joe continued, oblivious to the fact he was a hair breathes away from a major interrogation.

“Dunno. Ya seen anything else of the monkey?” Neasa carried on the conversation.

“Not since the other night when Dad scared you to death. Sorry about that Ness.” Joe apologized.

“I really crapped my pants Joe it was all so fuckin intense. You handled it well really cause I would have been screaming the place down.”

Joe laughed at that. “He can be a hard bastard can’t he?” Angel cringed but it was true, he could.

Neasa exhaled loudly. “Understatement, I was really unsure when I came. Mom told me he’d got a temper but jeez. You certainly know how to bring it out that’s for sure.”

Joe sniggered. “Not through choice.’’

‘’Yeah right. That’s not completely true is it?’’ Neasa was no fool.

‘’Yeah well, I admit. I do stir him sometimes for fun but not that night. That night was too much. He can be okay though really. Don’t tell him I said so though.” Joe winked and Angel couldn’t quite believe what he’d just heard.

‘’See, he does like you.’’ Connor laughed.’’ Yeah, yeah. I know that’s not the point, that parents aren’t meant to be their kid’s friends. I get all that but see, he does like you.’’ Connor knew it mattered, a lot. Angel blushed, the only answer Connor needed.

Neasa laughed.

“What do you think Ness….really?...About Dad.” Joe asked exactly what Angel wanted to know.

“If you’d have asked me that a week ago I woud n’t have known what to say. Now, I love him of course and I trust him. Although I think he should chill a little, bad things happen all the time but sometimes ya gotta step back long enough to enjoy the moments of calm. I’m surprised he drinks beer.”

“Why?” Joe thought most adults drank sometimes.

“Cos he was a drunk and a thug before he got turned. His last memories before being turned must have been blurred cos he was that pissed.”

“Pissed, what does that mean?” Joe was mystified.

‘’Drunk. He drank the pub dry.’’ Neasa filled him in.

‘’Right, that’s seems kinda unlikely.’’ Joe couldn’t quite see it.

“Mom was well impressed as a vamp said he got thrown out of the tavern for being pissed and fighting. She followed him and didn’t’t miss the opportunity to…well whatever anyway.” Neasa didn’t want to give details.

“You ever drank beer Ness?”

“Why have you?”

“Yeah once and it wasn’t worth the pain. Dad found out.” Joe grimaced as he remembered.

Neasa sniggered. “Ya not wrong about the pain and I don’t mean from Daddy. I got pissed on my sixteenth birthday and I’m ashamed to say I had a fight or three. Didn’t’t last long…of course. Spike arrived as I broke some poor guy’s nose, although he had tried to feel my ass so he was lucky I didn’t’t break his hand. ….Spike said what did you expect you was stood on a snooker table singing Robbie Williams Rock DJ and stripping?”

“What?….Stripping as in take your clothes off?” Joe shook his head in disbelief. Connor glanced at Angel who had a face like stone. He decided to say nothing, he didn’t want to get blasted.

“Never mind I’ll play it for ya. You’ll get the idea and yes, my clothes. Spike rescued me thankfully just as I was dropping my pants…. God.”

“You got totally wasted then?” Joe didn’t keep the admiration from his voice and Neasa looked at him sharply.

“Nothing to be proud of Joe I barfed all the next day and it served me right. I wouldn’t do it again. My excuse was I wanted my mommy.” She said the last part in a baby voice and Joe gave her a funny look. “I’m not kiddin either, I cried for her all day. What a fuckin birthday that was.”

“What did Spike say?”

“Err something like. Well Poppet I’m sure your mom must be really pleased right about now knowing ya was attempting to follow in her footsteps and heaven alone knows what Peaches would say.” Neasa giggled at the memory, she loved Spike.

“Did that worry you Ness, that Dad might not like you?”

“Of course it did and I’m more worried now that as he finds out things about me he may not love me. That I am very afraid of, I never worry about that with Conn I know he always will. Same with Mom she made her feelings clear. I’m sad and needy. What about you, were you worried about that?” Neasa tried yet again to get Joe to talk about himself. To Angel’s dismay, he side stepped yet again.

‘’No, I knew he’d hate me and I was right.’’ Joe grinned as Neasa rolled her eyes.

‘’You are not convincing Joe.’’

‘’ Anyways I’ll always love you. You’re perfect.’ Joe laughed giving Neasa a shove. Change of subject again. Angel felt he’d learnt a lot about Neasa but little about Joe.

‘Fuckin love you Bro.’ She shoved him back. “It means a lot that ya do.”

‘Should think you do fucking love me. I’m thirteen and holding your hand in public. Do you get what that means?’ Joe’s mouth again and Angel controlled the urge to yell at him down the street.

‘Yeah ya get more chance to punch somebody when they make a smart ass crack.’ Neasa added to it and Angel had a sudden compulsion to take them both home and lecture them for hours.

Joe sniggered. ‘Too fuckin right, Billy’s over there.’ He nodded to a row of tables outside a large and colourful coffee house where a group of his friends were sitting.

‘You wanna hang a while?’

‘Errr aren’t ya forgetting Daddy Dearest?’ Neasa indicated behind them and Joe shrugged indifferently.

‘I’m not gonna fuckin do anything am I although I’d love a smoke?’ Angel cringed, he needed to deal with Joe’s newly acquired habit soon, thank you Spike.

Connor glanced nervously at Angel whose cheek was twitching.

‘Don’t fuckin know with you.’ Neasa giggled.

Angel sighed at their constant cursing and glanced at Connor who sniggered.

‘’That’s how they talk dad. They don’t know you can hear although I think we should keep that we are listening to ourselves. It’s cool eavesdropping. Joe seems to have forgotten about super hearing. He really isn’t that clever sometimes.’’ Connor laughed at his brother’s denseness.

‘’I hate cursing. They don’t need to do it constantly. It makes them sound stupid. So help me if I hear that word out of either of their mouths once more. I’ll….’’ Angel didn’t’t finish his threat and Connor patted him on his back in an effort to calm him down.

‘’Chill dad. We’re just catching some air.’’ Connor hoped that neither of his siblings swore again anytime soon.

‘I’ll ask.’ Neasa came to a halt and Joe let go of her hand. He was already half way over to his friends as Neasa span round, she waited for Angel and Connor to catch up.

‘Joe wants to talk to Billy and I need some water anyway. Damn sickness thing is doing my head in. Can we go sit down?’

Angel nodded, he flicked his head towards Joe.

‘’He’s already gone.’’ His tone was resigned.

‘Great thanks Joe.’ Neasa muttered.

‘Looks like you stuck with us Baby.’ Angel wrapped his arm about his daughter’s shoulder.

‘Or not.’ She sniggered and pulled away as Joe beckoned her over.

‘Why are we not popular with those two?’ Angel moaned.

‘They love each other’s company, they like to be together. Simple as I’d say. They still loves us so why worry?’ Connor patted his father’s back sympathetically, he’d already handled this in his own way.

‘We better not sit too close cos they’ll be pissed if it damages their street cred.’ Connor said and Angel wondered what would happen to their street cred if he gave into his itchy hand.

Joe dragged a chair over for his sister and she dropped next to him.

‘Ya know if ya all weren’t’t only thirteen I could feel quite flattered sat here in the middle of five lads.’ Neasa smiled.

‘’Lads? What does that mean?’’ Billy was confused.

Joe rolled his eyes. ’She doesn’t’t get out much……she meant to call us dudes didn’t’t you Ness? Rob quit eyeballing my sister.’ Joe punched his friend’s arm.

‘Huh? Oh sorry Joe I was looking cos she kicked Marcus’s brother’s ass and he’s way bigger then her.’

Joe smirked. ‘Well trained my Sis.’

‘And now he wants to date her.’ Rob continued with a grin.

‘Eh I fuckin’ hope not, I can do without the stress of that.’ Neasa slid down in her seat making a face at Joe as she realized that Angel was behind her with a face like thunder.

‘Just water please Daddy. I’m not feeling so good.’

Joe burst out laughing and Angel wanted to kill them both as he made his way to the counter.

Connor gave his brother and sister a warning glare before following.

‘Ooooh shit’s gonna fly.’ Billy nudged Joe.

‘Won’t be first time.’ Joe replied.

‘Or last.’ Neasa and Joe said together before cracking out laughing again.

‘Joey your four girl fan club has a new member.’ Billy smirked.

‘Oh for fucks sake.’ Joe physically shuddered. He frowned as he saw Angel’s head shoot up and he gave Joe a sharp glare. A thought suddenly occurred to him and he felt a chill.

‘Hard work being cute in it bro?’ Neasa remained oblivious as she started to eat some of Rob’s fries. She made a face and threw them in the trash.

‘’Hey, I was eating those,’’ Billy protested and Neasa grinned at him, shrugging indifferently.

‘No he’s very talented at it!’ Angel said placing a soda in front of Joe.

‘’You will keep but I am sitting just over there so you might like to watch your mouth. And say thank you.’’ Angel tapped Joe’s head before walking away with Neasa’s water.

‘’Uuuum, yeah thanks dad.’’ Joe rubbed his head whilst he opened his drink.

‘’Miserable fuck.’’ He muttered and instantly regretted it as Angel pointed at him, Joe knew then that he’d heard him.

‘Orr Crap, I’m in shit and it was you that just swore. No fair.’ Neasa sighed and got to her feet.

‘You are totally busted and you don’t even know why. That’s harsh Ness.’ Joe sniggered at her expense despite his apparently sympathetic words.

‘Funny Joe.’ She gave him the finger behind her back so Angel and Connor couldn’t see.

Angel pulled a chair out next to him as she approached.

’Sit!’ He barked.

‘But I wanna…’

‘SIT!’

She did, with a dejected sigh.

‘Joe is difficult enough without you making him worse Neasa! Can’t you set an example, he hangs on your every word?’ Angel heaped the responsibility onto Neasa’s shoulder.

‘How dare you? You are a total piece of work. What sort of example do you set exactly? You kill and maim, not exactly father of the year are you? You’re about as much of an example as Hannibal bloody Lector. ’ Neasa glared at her father with enough contempt to make Angelus envious.

‘We are doing what normal kids do, sitting around and taking the piss or whatever you call it here.’’ Her voice was going up slowly but surely.

‘’Hang, we call it hanging.’’ Connor said quietly, he agreed with her.

‘’ We do enough wrong in our lives that makes you yell at us without you picking on the normal things as well.’ Neasa got to her feet. ‘I’m going back to Joe. I’ll get them all to read a fucking book or something if that’ll make you happy not that I’m bothered.’ Neasa threw her nose in the air.

‘Neasa, come back here. Right now!’ Angel tried desperately to sound in charge.

‘Ness, your water.’ Connor didn’t’t know what to say so he went practical.

‘Stick it up ya fuckin ass!’ Neasa walked off and dropped back onto the seat next to Joe.

Angel sat frozen for a second and then rose from his seat. Neasa watched him defiantly.

‘You okay Ness?’ Joe glanced at his sister.

‘Fine.’ Neasa nodded. ‘Fuckin fine.’ She was actually feeling light headed and not a little dazed at the way she had just behaved. She wasn’t sure where all that anger had come from but she knew where it went to. Her stomach dropped in fear as she watched Angel approach them.

“We’ll come back for you at six guys.’’ Angel said quietly and placed the bottle of water in front of Neasa before strolling away with Connor beside him. Joe looked at Neasa in amazement.

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Stood in the middle of an alley over an hour later Joe was amused by Neasa’s blatant disregard of everything their father said. The only time she did answer him, she swore and cursed. He was also totally baffled as to why his father looked like he was going to explode yet kept a safe distance away from her. Joe was no more an idiot then Neasa was so he knew his father was avoiding getting hold of his sister for a reason other than she was a girl and sixteen.

Connor sighed. ‘C’mon Ness get a grip and stop sulking.’

‘I’m not sulking I’m fucking fuming! What makes you think you have the right to tell me what’s right and wrong?’ Neasa stamped her foot, she actually stamped her foot. Joe looked uneasily at Angel who remained where he was.

‘You seem a bit hormonal. Are you having a girly type moment?’ Joe asked quietly. He’d never seen his sister lose her temper and this looked like it could be a first.

‘No Joe I’m not. More’s the pity cos then I’d have an excuse for feeling so fucked off!’ She removed a larger flick knife then what she normally used from the waistband of her pants and opened it.

‘Presume you ready for a kill then?’ Joe gave a little laugh.

‘Too fuckin’ right.’ She spun around and impaled the blade straight into a female vamps chest, dealing a right hook to the vamps face she dislodged it from the knife and sent it flying up the alley.

’Anyone move and I’ll fuckin stab ya as well!’ She said and followed the vamp as it tried to drag itself up the alley, she hauled it up by the scruff of it’s neck and smashed it’s head repeatedly into the side of the brick building. Every slam felt like a pressure valve being loosened in her head. The final slam was accompanied by a stake and a sigh from Neasa before the dust shower.

‘Uuum, you feel better now?’ Joe asked quite nervously.

Neasa looked at the blood on her knife and closed it without wiping it clean.

’A little.’ She shrugged, not as much as she’d hoped if she was honest.

‘’Nice kill sis.’’ Connor grinned and Neasa narrowed her eyes at him.

‘’Thought you were stuck to daddy bear’s side?’’ She sniped at him. Connor shrugged, not bothered.

‘’Just getting to know my dad better. No big deal. Maybe you should try it?’

‘’No thanks. You people make me sick.’’ Neasa screamed in frustration suddenly, she felt like a caged animal. Joe jumped away from her and stared at her with wide eyes.

‘’We are going home Neasa. Lets go.’’ Angel appeared behind her.

‘’Get away from me you fucking bastard.’’ Neasa was ranting now and Joe exchanged an alarmed look with Connor. Connor put his arm around Joe to reassure him.

Angel stepped forward and grabbed her wrist tightly. ‘You and I are going home.’ He didn’t wait for a reply. He strode away, pulling her behind him. He stopped suddenly and turned.

‘’Stay out for a while boys. Neasa and I need some time. Be careful and look after each other. Joe, do not even think about smoking a cigarette cos I will smell it and then I will have to punish you yet again. No smoking, no arguments. Clear?’’ This was the ferocious, no nonsense Angel again so both boys just nodded dumbly.

‘’Right, lets go.’’ Angel walked away again gripping Neasa tightly, she had no choice but to cooperate.