Daddy Issues, Part Two

"Daddy Issues, Part Two" was the seventh issue of the Angel & Faith comic book series.

Synopsis
Angel was reminiscing about his past. In 1860, he was stalking Drusilla. She was everything that he wasn't, a dutiful daughter, a devout Christian, an unspoiled and innocent girl. With only one look at her he knew that she would become his masterpiece. Angel remembered how he slaughtered her family and how she turned to God for help. But Angel managed to plant the idea of her being evil into her head and he killed everyone that she turned for help. He convinced her that there was no salvation for her and he destroyed everything that she had. And when there was nothing left, he aimed her mind and managed to destroy that as well. And he made her insane and then sired her, in order to condemn her for the rest of the eternity.

Back in the present, Angel kept on thinking. Nothing lasted forever. He had a soul now. And his once greatest achievements were now his biggest sins. Even Drusilla had changed, and he could understand that. There was something different about her; she had gotten her sanity back now. But how?

"It's a funny story", as Drusilla told him. He knew that she had always loved having pets, and someone suggested to her a Lorophage demon. Normally these creatures didn't feed on vampires, they needed to feed on trauma and pain, and vampires didn't have a soul to feel that. But thanks to Angel, Drusilla had been able to feel pain and trauma even without having a soul. And her new Lorophage friend was so hungry when he woke up from hibernation, that it nourished itself on every trauma that Drusilla had. She could still remember what Angel did to her, but all the fear and the pain now was gone. And then she wondered what to do with herself. And since every girl admires her father, she decided to be like Angel and start helping the helpless. Usually a Lorophage demon fed on its victim's trauma, but it kept on sucking until there was nothing left but a corpse. But with Drusilla's guidance, everybody could be happy. And she could also help Angel as well. People crippled from fears and ghosts of their pasts, now came to Drusilla for help. She took away their pain and in the process her pet got fed as well.

But Angel didn't bite it. He knew that people were getting crazy hurting one another and he attacked the Lorophage demon trying to kill it but the demon easily defended itself against Angel. Drusilla kept on talking saying that she could not help everyone, some people were too much disturbed. But he could ask any of the people that were there. And some of them started telling their stories and their traumas, thanking Mother Superior at the end for her help. Angel was quite surprised when he heard the nickname. But as Drusilla told him, she had to use another name, she knew that Angel was in London and she didn't want him to track her until she was ready for it. And now she was. She obeyed Harmony's rules, the people she "healed" are so thankful to her that they let her feed on them, just some drops of blood from each, she didn't kill humans anymore. And she could help Angel as well. He was still stuck in his past, but his past couldn't hurt him anymore. She wanted Angel to let her take away all his pain. But Angel got mad, put on his vamp face and attacked Drusilla. She didn't have a soul, she couldn't be capable of doing selfless things. But on the other hand she didn't kill anymore, she obeyed the rules, and Faith stopped him and told him to go. As Faith and Angel left, Drusilla told him that she was waiting for him to come back when he was ready. She could never be cross at him because they would always be a part of each other.

Faith and Angel on their way back started arguing. Angel wanted to stop Drusilla, but Faith reminded him that they needed a reason to start a war. But they had a reason, Drusilla drove people crazy, she took away their emotions which were what makes them humans, she messed with people heads and drove them crazy the way he messed with hers once. "The abused kid becomes the abuser. It's all my fault!". But Faith didn't agree, because people went to Drusilla voluntarily. It was not their job to interfere when people wanted to do that. And some people seemed pretty good next to Drusilla. "Ask me, there are some things of your head" Faith finally told to Angel just before she saw her...

"Dad?" He was waiting for her. Faith quickly hid her weapon behind her back. Pat Lehane tried to touch her face, but she pulled back wondering what he was doing there. Her dad said he was different now, he had been sober the last 6 months but Faith didn't believe him. Her dad continued talking saying that she had every right not to trust him, but he had finally managed to put all the bad things from his past behind him and he was asking for a second chance. He just wanted to fix things between them. Faith didn't believe him and she walked away, hearing her dad saying that he would be in London for a couple of days and he still had the same phone number. When she reached Angel, who had been standing a little bit further, he told her that he didn't smell alcohol on her dad. And that got Faith really mad. Angel should be the last one trying to give her any advice about parents, his child had called so many times and he had blown him off every single one of them. But Angel defended himself saying that that was the best thing to do. When he was born he swore to give him the best life he could offer, but then he realized that that was a life away from him. All he had ever done to him was to hurt him and to cost Connor his childhood. Connor was better now way from him. Faith replied that it was hard to see that when he lived at the other part of the world. And Angel stopped talking only by telling her that he could never change what he is, but her father could, which made Faith run after her dad.

Angel was left alone walking. He ended up at the East End, in an abandoned house. He remembered. He entered inside, and he heard a familiar voice. It was Drusilla, she was also there. This used to be her house, the place where he slaughtered her family. All those years she could hear their screams in her head over and over again. She used to write lyrics about it but now she was able to return to that house after all those years for the first time. And she was actually thinking of buying it. Angel started apologizing, he was so sorry for what he had done to her. But Dru stopped him. She was just a stupid girl believing that her gift to see the future was a curse. She would have had a terrible life, if he hadn't sired her and now she was finally free because Angel set her free. And she wanted to return the favor to Angel. The Lorophage demon attacked Angel trying to suck out his pain but Angel defended.'' "This isn't freedom, this is lobotomy!" ''And he started fighting the Lorophage demon. But unfortunately the demon was much stronger than Angel, and only Drusilla was able to stop it. And she did. Angel understood that she had been using hypnosis on the demon, something that he wasn't able to master himself. But Drusilla said that everybody needs someone for guidance. And the Lorophage demon has her. The vampires had Harmony and her rules. Sure she missed the screams and the pain she used to cause to her victims, but one must move on and not hold on to the past. And so must Angel. But she wouldn't change him until he asked for it. Drusilla had decided to give Angel the choice that he had never given her. He would change only if he wanted to.

Angel ironically replied "Good thing you're immortal" which made Dru mad and she tore up his shirt. "Your foreplay could use some work" Angel said. "I see you, Angel, I know what you're up to. My mind isn't the only thing that's clearer, my sight is as well". And what she could see was the Tooth of Ammut, the devourer of ancient Egyptian souls attached to Angel's right nipple. Even with the seed broken, it could still work as a fragment of the spirit and Angel had merged it with his flesh. And she understood Angel's plan: "When you find them, the pieces of your dead friend have only one place to go, into you."

Angel tried to avoid it, saying that he was familiar with what Drusilla was able to do and understand. But Drusilla kept on warning him. Angel played with the fire. She knew that Angel had already managed to find a couple of fragments of Giles' soul and he merged them inside of him. And that's the reason why he acted like Giles sometimes. Dru with her vision had seen him. But the more of Giles he took, the more Giles took place inside of him. And Giles' voice became louder and louder inside Angel's head, Drusilla knew it. But inside Angel's head there were already two voices living there, Angel and Angelus. And Drusilla knew better than anyone, Angelus didn't just come back when and if Angel lost the soul, Angelus was always there inside of Angel's head talking to Angel all the time. Angel got more defensive trying to deny that Angelus was always present inside of him, that Angelus was just a part of him, but Drusilla insisted. She knew better than anyone. Angelus was always there like a devil on your shoulder, whispering to him to do evil all the time.

Angel got even more defensive. "Angelus doesn't exist, not as long as I have a soul, it's been that way for over a century!" But Drusilla insisted. She could see into Angel's past. She could see him feeding on the dying cashier back in the '70s. Who was urging him to do that? Angel had had enough and stopped her. He was good at ignoring people and that was what he would do. He said goodbye, leaving her. But Drusilla kept on telling him that he should let her help him. She could take away the pain he felt for killing Giles before it went too far. Drusilla knew better that anyone what it was like to hear voices in your head. And the day that Angel would not be able to stop the voices he heard inside his head was not far away and it would not be a joy. And finally she told Angel: "When you want me, you know where to find me".

Meanwhile, Faith was at home with her father who was amazed with everything that now belonged to Faith. But he also saw her weapons. Faith tried to justify it saying that Giles used to collect those, but her dad knew the truth of who she really was. After all the things he had watched on the TV, he had figured it out himself, and Faith felt relieved about it. And her dad felt so proud that his little girl could kick anyone's butt. And he also showed her his chip of being sober for the last 6 months. It was a new start for him and he was also hoping for a new start with his daughter. Faith's mobile phone rang, she picked it up, it was important, she needed to go and she left her dad alone at home. When he was alone, his phone rang as well. He answered, "Don't worry sire, you're gonna get exactly what you asked for" he said, while holding a piece of the things that Giles used to collect.

Continuity
The story was set after "Live Through This", but before "Women of a Certain Age".

Individuals

 * Angel
 * Faith Lehane
 * Drusilla aka "Mother Superior"
 * Highgate Vampire
 * Darla
 * Drusilla's father
 * Harmony Kendall
 * Connor
 * Rupert Giles

Species

 * Vampire
 * [Human
 * Lorophage Demon

Locations

 * London

Weapons and Objects

 * Tooth of Ammut

Collections

 * Daddy Issues