Title:   Phropechy Boy 1/?
Author: THE PTB (Nieves and Lea)
Rating: PG
Email: ivanova58@yahoo.co.uk (that's Lea's email) & airamneus@hotmail.com (that's mine!)
Category: Romance/Crossover
Genre: Crossover
Summary: All of Angel and Buffy season 2.  A travel to the past to see the truth of a future
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made I am just poor.
Distribution: FSB, ST and AO if anywhere else please just us me know!
Feedback: Yes please!ution

Part 1

SUNNYDALE (1998)

Cordy walked into the library smiling; she just spent the afternoon cheerleading, it was something she enjoyed doing, it gave her tremendous satisfaction, it was something she was good at and now after that she had to force herself to go to the library.  She’s looking for a book for homework she wants to be out of here as quickly as she can trying to get away before she gets dragged in to the research.

“Cordelia is there something that I can do to help you?” Giles asked after seeing her walk in .

“Giles I came looking for a book of poetry. Any book will be great, I am doing this assignment on poetry for English and I don’t know who author to choose is there anything you can suggest?” Cordelia knew that Giles would be the perfect person to help her with this.

“ Just one second and I will get it the perfect book for you.” Giles said while walking into his office. Giles thought it was nice to see someone actually use the library for the real reason study, expanding one’s knowledge.

“So Cordelia how have you been?” Buffy said with annoyance in her voice.

“Good Buffy, how have you been?” Cordelia said trying to be polite but without wanting to talk with her. So much had happened since she Buffy had moved here, she had been dragged into the nightmare that was Sunnydale and she also dated Xander which brought down her popularity and the worse thing was that being popular didn’t mean what it used it, she had changed seeing with the Scoobies went through not that she would actually tell them that.

“Good too, I’m preparing my birthday party...” Buffy begun before Giles came back.

Giles walks back in with the book and hands it to Cordelia.

“Thank you Giles I will get it back to you as soon as I can, and I will take good care of it.”

“You’re welcome.”

Cordy walked out of the library.

“Cordelia” Giles called after her.

‘Damn’ she thought, Cordelia hoped that she managed to escape “yes Giles” she asked without turning to look at him.

“Aren’t you going to help to research tonight?”

“What?” Buffy asked not wanting to have her here.

“Hmm... sure, but if I end up needing glasses it’ll be your fault!” Cordelia said, not wanting to be here, but feeling that she had to be here Buffy had saved her life so many times. “so what do we have to do?” she asked the obvious lack of excitement could be heard in her voice.

“If you don’t mind, we’ll wait until the rest is here” Giles said gently, knowing she wasn’t prone to research, but also knowing that they needed all the help they could so, while he went back to his office to get some books.

Giles came out of his office to find Buffy, Cordelia, Oz, Xander, and Willow waiting for him, “So I see that we only have to wait for Angel and Jenny”

“No, I’m here” Angel said walking in, suddenly appearing as he normally did)

“Me too” Jenny said walking in after him.

“So, G-man, what’s the matter?” Xander asks.

“I asked you not to call me that.” Giles said automatically. “I found a prophecy about a powerful being and I searched every prophecy I could find. And I got the same… The child is called Tro-Clan or The Destroyer. It is an abomination, a threat to the future and must be destroyed…”

LA (present time)

Angel sat watching them for awhile he didn't want to disturb neither the sleeping woman, nor the sleeping bundle in her arms. Kissing her forehead he ran his hand through her hair and tucked it behind her ear uncovering her face so he could just stare at her, Angel had never met anyone quite like her. His gaze then fell onto his son. He'd never loved anyone as much as he loved his son, and he'd though he never was going to be able to love anyone with so much intensity and passion as he loved Cordelia. The two of them made him happy and then with Gunn, Wesley, Fred and Lorne and now even Faith, who has been paroled four months ago and was working towards redemption as well, he had his family never in his wildest imagination could he ever have believed that he would have so much and the one thing that kept it from being perfect was the fact that he could hurt them all so he knew he couldn’t be perfectly happy.

Cordelia woke slowly, her arms tightened gently around the bundle she held, she looked down and saw Connor still sleeping so she cuddled him a little tighter, she didn't know what it was but all she could feel for the little boy was love, she could never love him more to her she was his mother. She would die for him a thousand times over, just as she'd die for his father. As Cordelia looked up he saw him looking at her. She saw the love Angel had for his son, she knew that he would always protect him, protect them all.

"Hey you." He said with a smile, his brown eyes sparkled with emotion.

Cordelia noticed he was still in his boxers and from the look of his hair he hadn't been awake that long. Smiling up at him she turned Connor around. "You want to hold him" She asked gently as to not wake the baby up, and held him up to the vampire knowing that he would not say no.

Angel smiled down at her his whole face alight with love but instead of taking hold of the baby he climbed into bed next to her where he wanted to be forever.  He loved his seer more than anything but had no idea how to tell her.  Would she even love him back?  He slipped his body underneath the covers and slid it next to hers, her could feel Cordy stiffen slightly and then she relaxed, he reached out and pulled her closer one arm under her and the other over her and Connor holding them tightly to him. 

Angel never wanted to leave this bed if he was like this forever he would be happy.  So much had changed with him and he thought that with the whole Darla thing none of them would have forgiven him but they did and everyone at Angel Investigations was closer because of it and Fred had joined their family and with her coming out of her room more and helping she had come on in leaps and bounds, she seemed to have bonded with Cordelia like an a sister to her but Cordy had that worldly aura someone she could look up to.  He smiled as he thought of his make shift family flung together in extreme circumstances but they all had changed and grown together, they would do anything to protect all of them.

The vampire knew that everyone was over protective of Cordy because everything that she had been through and everything she sees, for Wes and Gunn it had because of what he did and how she seemed to avoid life and just be there for the two guys and the helpless, but Fred it was when she saw what Cordy went through during each vision but mostly when Lilah had sent visions to Cordy and Fred had to sit there and watch her friend in pain not being able to do anything and when they started to appear on her, it was the first time that anyone saw the physical manifestations of what she went through mentally and Fred sat by her side. 

SUNNYDALE (1998)

“What does it say?” Angel asked before he jumped to any conclusions, he looked around the room and saw panic on all their faces.

“It mentions a warrior and a seer and the tro-clan.  I am not exactly sure of the rest of it as it is in a language I don’t know, but I thought that we better be prepared for the worst.”  Giles talked as he eyes remained on the book.

“Why don’t we just get rid of it?”  Xander asked looking around and saw Buffy and Willow nod in agreement.

Giles took of his glasses and cleaned them on his tie.  “Well I am not sure about that.  We should really do some more research and make sure we have all our facts correct.”

Buffy shook her head in annoyance she wanted this dealt with now and then her and Angel could go patrol and be together.

Giles continued talking unaware of the people around him. “There’s a bit more of the prophecy, it’s a spell to get rid of the threat, before it happens, but it can only be chanted once”

Jenny stepped forward and touched Giles on the shoulder. “When is this suppose to happen?” She asked.

Giles looked at her momentarily and then back down at the book.  “Uuhh, well.” He stuttered. “Tonight.”

Jenny smiled encouragingly at him.  “Well if we do this spell whatever happens we can deal with it and this warrior and his seer would be protected.”

Giles looked at her and she could see that he was ready to argue with the point.  Buffy stepped forward.

“Giles we have to stop this thing and if we do that spell we can deal with it.” She spoke surely and positively.

But before Giles was able to read the spell aloud “wait! Don’t you need something? Some candles, herbs……what?” Cordelia asked when she saw that the rest of the gang was looking at her, “I read in a book that for lots of spells you need some things………it’s your fault Giles ‘cause you make me read those books” Cordelia could hear some giggles, it hurt her because nobody thought she could really help.

“It’s alright Cordelia” Giles said gently, “You’re quite right, I should read a bit more of the prophecy to see if anything it’s need it” He said smiling the teenager.

While Giles went to re-read the prophecy and Jenny was helping him, Buffy and the rest of them were talking and leaving Cordelia alone with her thoughts and Angel sat on the stairs, silent and brooding as always.

“Ok, I got it” Giles almost shouted “I’ll be right back, don’t go away” and with that Giles left the library it was the closest he ever came to running.

Buffy and the Scoobies went to their conversation, and Jenny sat herself down next to Cordelia.

“Good thinking you had there” she said to the silent teenager hoping to help her not feel so alone.

“Really?” Cordelia asked, she had been so used to attention that focused on her looks, her money and her popularity no one had ever tried to get to know her before but Xander did but then he cheated on her with Willow.  Angel she had a crush on once but as soon as she found out he was a vampire she distanced herself, but not because he was a vampire but because he was so In Buffy, she had enough of that worship with Xander, she always played second fiddle to the slayer,  and the only reason that they kept her around was because she made a great bait girl and any extra hands with the researching side of thing helped but that was it she had no true friend, the others that called themselves that but they were only with her because of her money and the Scoobies didn’t like her, not really, and Angel…well he was confusing he sat in the shadows and followed Buffy he helped fight and he was good with information but they treated him the same as they did her, an outsider, they were not part of the Scoobies and probably never would be.

“Yes, the spell wouldn’t have worked without the things Giles went to…”

“I’m back! I have everything I need, Willow will you help me? Jenny you too please, besides I need you to chant the spell” Giles said hurriedly.

That left Cordelia alone again she decided to sit on the stairs while Angel went to talk with Buffy.

Cordelia sat on the steps, watching as Willow placed candles in a circular pattern on the floor. Jenny was measuring quantities of various coloured powders into an ceramic pot on the table, Giles ticking each one off his list as she did so.

Giles shut off the library lights. Jenny moved to stand in the centre of the circle of candles, then slowly lit each one, in turn, with a long taper. Giles cautiously passed her the ceramic bowl containing the ingredients for the spell, and the gypsy placed it on the floor lowering herself to sit cross-legged in front of it. Jenny closed her eyes in concentration, lifted her hands palms facing upwards, and began to chant in a slow, measured voice.

LA Present Day

Angel had managed to drag himself from Cordy and Connor, he would have been quite happy to have stayed there for an eternity.  He walked down the stairs to the lobby with his son in his arms as Cordy had a shower.  He stopped as his mind wandered he wished that he could have stripped of and joined her.  He shook his head mentally as he joined Wes, Fred and Gunn and Lorne downstairs.

“Where’s Faith?”  Angel asked.

“The basement training.” Gunn said simply.

Angel placed Connor in his playpen and headed to the kitchen to heat a bottle up when suddenly a scream echoed from the lobby, it was Fred.  Angel practically flew through the door, Cordy ran down the stairs clutching Angel’s large robe around her and the basement door slammed open as Faith ran through.

A bright light stopped them all, it surrounded the crib and Connor laughing and trying to touch it in the middle.  Everyone in the Hyperion Hotel ran to him, trying to get hold of him but a barrier surrounded the small child and threw them back and they just had to watch as he disappeared into the bright light and on the floor of the playpen a symbol was left.

Chapter 2

Sunnydale 1998

The Scoobies, Angel, Giles and Miss Calender covered their eyes as the room glowed brightly; it radiated from the centre of the circle and as soon as it started the light vanished.  Everyone in the library cautiously opened their eyes and they all widened as soon as they saw what was sitting in the centre.  A little baby boy about 2 and half months old.

“Giles it’s a baby.”  Buffy stated.

“Yes Buffy I can see that.”  Giles took of his glasses and cleaned them and then put them back on his face.

Angel kept his face neutral but inside he was confused, very confused.  That baby smelt like him and Darla and a lot like Cordelia but he knew that wasn’t possible maybe it was a trap.  He looked over at Buffy maybe he should tell her.  Buffy turned back to him and smiled at him, he could hear her heart speed up everytime she looked at him, he knew what effect he had on her.  She made him nervous, he wanted to hold her, he wanted to claim and own her.  Angel knew it was a lot to do with the demon inside of him and wished that he could talk to her about it but the vampire didn’t want to scare the slayer, they never talked much anyway it was just about being together.

Cordelia walked up and stood beside Angel leaning forward and trying to look at the baby but not getting to close.  “So should someone like pick it up?”  The brunette asked. 

All faces turned to her.  “Well Cordelia, uhhh I think that might be a good idea.”  Giles said still not sure what he should do. 

The baby was laying on its back and looked around the room started to cry, it screamed, its face going red.  Miss Calendar picked him up but he wouldn’t stop, she passed him to Giles who held the baby at arms length not sure what to do with it, next it was Xander’s go, Connor stopped crying for just a moment, he looked into the teenager’s face and spat up all over him.  Everyone except Cordelia tried not to laugh, the may queen didn’t even try to she was laughing so much tears were rolling down her cheeks. 

Xander shoved the baby into the person next to him, which happened to be the vampire with a soul.  Angel looked panicked but the baby stopped crying as he recognised the face he gurgled and reached towards the man with his chubby little arms.  Angel looked around at the others surprise was evident on their faces.  The vampire looked a little embarrassed as he shoved the baby into Cordelia’s arms, but as the little time he held the baby he felt something indescribable.  Cordelia had the same reaction as Angel, Connor was happy with her and Angel most of the others seemed to make him cry.

“Research?”  Xander suddenly said, wanting to get away from the baby but first things first he wanted to go and clean himself up.  All of the others walked away leaving Angel and Cordelia with the baby identical confusion covered their faces.  Angel was about to walk away when Cordelia grabbed his arm.

“Oh no you don’t.  This baby likes the both of us you are not leaving me alone with it.”  She said her eyes narrowing as they looked at him.

“I uhh don’t know anything about babies?”   He told her quietly.

Cordelia looked at him in amazement.  “You think I do?”

His shrugged his shoulders and they both looked down at Connor as he gurgled and reached out to both of them.  Cordelia and Angel looked at each other with panic evident on their attractive faces.

While this was happening Buffy was looking at Angel thinking how good he looked with a baby in his arms, she could see herself with their baby, that was until she remembered he was a vampire and he could have babies. “So Cordelia are you going to let anyone hold the baby, you know everything doesn’t have to be about you” she asked annoyed with the brunette who was standing far too close to her boyfriend.

“Oh…uh… sure” Cordelia said distractedly she was looking at the baby so she didn’t even hear what ever Buffy had said.

Angel took the baby who made a little face as he was moved from the warm place he was but settled in a moment after been in his daddy’s arms feeling the same comfort, feeling like it was home.

Buffy went over to stand by Angel and to take the little baby in her arms but as soon she was a foot away from the vampire Connor began to cry noisily.  Buffy moved away as if she had been slapped, a shocked looked on her face not knowing what to do?  Why did this baby seem to like Angel and Cordelia? 

Angel and Cordelia both looked down at the baby and then at each other smiling at the other one just like parents would do.  Everyone stared in amazement as they made faces and the baby seemed to be lapping it up he was giggling and spitting up at them and the may queen and the vampire could do the only thing they could they laughed.

LA Present

Angel stood there frozen still staring at the same spot where his son once was.  The symbol seemed to be glaring back, teasing him, only giving them a small piece of information.  The vampire turned and saw that Wes, Gunn and Fred had books out already searching for that symbol.  He’s Angel son but he was their nephew they were all family and they were going to get him back.  A door slammed and everyone turned Cordy was no where to be seen but muffled sobs could be heard from the bathroom it was sobs of pain.  Angel walked over and opened it gently not even bothering to knock first walking in he just wanted to see her, to hold her.

Angel took hold off her and he turned and stared into the deep hazel eyes of his best friend, the woman he loved and hoped that she loved him back and most importantly the mother too his child, their child.  He could see the worry in her eyes, he could see the tears forming but Angel knew that she was trying to force them back to be strong.

Angel grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, he reached up his hand and gently stroked her cheek, feeling the softness beneath his hand.  Cordy couldn’t help it her head leaned into his touch.  He reached up with his other hand wiping away a falling tear, he traced the tracks of the others until his fingers reached her chin.  Her eyes never moved away from his, her breath caught in her throat.  She licked her lips, wetting them, her nervousness starting to show.

Angel’s eyes were drawn to her lips, he couldn’t stop himself he was like a man dying of thirst and the only thing that would help him, that would keep him alive was a kiss from her.  She closed her eyes as the two of them became closed and finally it happened they mouths touched, it was so gentle, so soft and delicate to start with but then the waiting, the need for each other consumed them, the kiss became powerful, erotic, they seemed to merge into one, the need for kissing each other became like the need for air for her and blood for him.  They wanted to consume each other.  Their hands roamed over each others bodies touch and feeling they could.

Suddenly Wesley through open the door, they jumped apart as if they had been scolded with fire, their eyes wide with shock.  Wesley just smiled at them, it had been a long build up but hopefully they would admit too each other what they felt and would not run away again.  They needed to face each other and be honest for a long time.

Sunnydale 1998

After researching and not getting about the baby Angel was holding at the moment the whole gang decided it was time to go home, but that led to another problem.

“Uh.. Who’s going to keep the baby?” Giles asked, not wanting to have him.

“Giles!! He’s a baby not a book! No one has to ‘keep’ him we have to take care of him!” Cordelia said annoyed about the way Giles talked about the cute little baby.

“Then you can ‘take care of the baby’ yourself as seeing he only is quiet with you and Angel” Buffy said pettily.

“I was going to, you don’t need to be so rude! I just need someone to go with me to my house, I don’t have my car here today and I don’t wanna be alone with the baby and it’s night right now!”

“Oh don’t expect me to go with you, he’ll cry the whole time!”  Buffy said annoyed that the preferred Cordelia to her.

All Cordelia could do was stare, as she rocked the baby gently from side to side.

"We should get you home." Angel said turning to Cordelia.

Cordelia held the baby close, protecting him from the chill.  Angel and Cordelia left with the child not looking back and not acknowledging anyone.  Angel was angry with Buffy for her attitude they couldn’t help it if the baby preferred them to her, she had to grow up this was not about her and the slayer could not be the centre of attention all the time.

When they arrived at her front door, Cordelia removed her key from her trouser pocket, and unlocked it. She stepped inside and turned to face Angel, who just stood on the porch.

"You can come in." She said, as she walked further into the house.

"Are you sure your parents won't mind?" He asked before he moved he was always wary of going into a new house with out making sure that they understood, not that it would make any difference now, he had been invited and could come in whenever he wanted.

Cordelia was emotionally and to physically too tired to lie when she spoke. "They're not here."

"Oh, they're away for the weekend?" He had spent very little time with Cordelia Chase, but every time he did, he was sure that she was trying to hit on him. At least that's what Buffy had said. But tonight she seemed different, he had seen a different side to her. She was not the brash, I am the centre of the universe, she was caring about a baby, a baby that she had never seen before.  He liked this side of her, but this child also brought out a different side of him as well.  He looked back at her as she spoke again.

"Something like that. Are you coming in or not?" He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, following her into the open lounge.


Part 3

Sunnydale 1998

“Nice place” Angel said looking around the tastefully decorated foyer he only ever seen the house on the outside, never really taken much notice in it.  He only found out who lived there when he started to date Buffy and met one Cordelia Chase.

“It’s what my parents thought of as a home” Cordelia said bitterly she didn’t even try to hide it.

“And you don’t” Angel stated, finding easy talk with her which he found unusual as he had never really talked to her before he was amazed by that he had heard all the stories from Buffy and also heard Xander and Willow talk.  It seemed that they never really knew her; no one seemed to know who Cordelia Chase really was.

“It’s not that, it’s… for this being a home they should be here more than four days per month” Cordelia replied, not believing she just told him that, he made a great listener she stopped herself talking, no one at school even her so called friends like Harmony and Aura did not know how lonely she was at home, how she was left alone all the time and which is why she kept people at a distance.

At that moment Connor started to cry and when no one reacted immediately the cries became louder, his little chubby face became redder and redder but none of them knew what it meant, was the little boy hungry, tired or did he need a change of diaper?

They realised they didn’t have anything that would suit the baby plus they needed his food and diapers and some toys.

“We need to go shopping for you, don’t we?” Cordelia asked the little boy while rocking him to sleep she still couldn’t believe that she had a baby in her arms and that she was enjoying it and just to add to the weirdness the person who seemed to like it as much as she did was a vampire with a soul how surreal was that?

“If you want I can go with you” Angel offered himself to go shopping with them both, finding he liked her company he couldn’t believe he had actually said that but now he had he found he was looking forward to it.  Angel did not want this night to end.

“Great! That way I hold the baby and you drive” Cordelia said excitedly not believing he didn’t leave as soon as they reached her house and it was also help too carry all the items that they were going to have to buy for the child, she held out her car keys to him, Angel took them and they headed back outside.

And with that they left her house to go to the mall in the red corvette Cordelia knew that the larger stuff she could get delivered like the cot and maybe some of the other things that they were going to buy.

***

Angel and Cordelia walked through the store, with Angel holding Connor in his arms and rested him against his chest. Cordy walked through the different baby aisles looking for everything that they needed she showed Angel outfit after outfit, keeping the ones they liked. As much as Angel hated to admit it, he was actually enjoying himself and that was something that he never thought would happen him.  If you’d have told him that a week before he would be shopping with Cordelia Chase, he would have fallen over laughing at the idea of it.

"Ooooh! Angel! Look at this! Isn't this adorable! It would look so good on him Angel!" He smiled her happiness seemed to be contagious and who ever thought that this cheerleader only enjoyed doing things for herself never took the time to get to know the real her.

"Okay. Another outfit to take. We have to save some money for his crib, a car seat, diapers, formula, baby powder-" He said trying also to work out what they needed and it wasn’t just clothes.

"I know. It's called a master card Angel." She said with a grin and he nodded and walked next to her, he was seeing another part of Cordelia and he was liking it, Angel had never met anyone quite like her, but they could say the same about him as well, she was so easy to be around there were no games… nothing, she said what she thought so you didn’t have to try and guess what she wanted that was one of the problems with Buffy she seemed to think that he could read her mind and when he got it wrong she seemed to get upset with him, it was tiring but there was nothing like that with Cordelia.

"Can I help you?" A girl asked them her eyes lingered on Angel for a bit longer than was necessary and she smiled at him.

"Yeah." Cordelia put the clothes on the counter. "We need all of this, that crib over there and that car seat. Angel, give me the baby." He handed the little boy to Cordy and walked over to get the large box holding the crib and the car seat.

"He's a pretty one, don't see many looking like him now a days." Cordelia turned to the checker.

"You really don't, do you?" Cordelia said trying not to say too much even though she was tempted to tell the girl that he was a vampire just to see her reaction, but for once she held her tongue.

"And strong too." She said as he picked up the items with incredible ease and then sighed as she continued to watch him.

"Yeah. He's one in a million.  Oh and taken."  Cordelia added just for spite, the girl didn’t need to know it was not her, but one Buffy Summers, the chosen one.

LA Present

“Cordelia, your lipstick is smudged” He said with a knowing smile, “Yours too” Wesley said patting Angel lightly on the shoulder. “Guys if you too are finished we’re going to try a spell.” Wesley walked out with a little lift in his step.

“Uhmm … right we’ll be there in a second” Cordelia said trying to control her breath.

Cordy and Angel turned to each other, their eyes staring into the others.  He reached over and brushed her cheek gently with his knuckle, her skin was so soft he could look and touch her forever.  He smiled at her but there was something he needed to tell her and something he needed to know.

“Cordy this is not a one time thing for me.  If it is for you don’t continue this…please.” Angel tried to sound brave but he didn’t think he could ever let her go even if she asked him to. 

A smile covered her face and lit up the whole room.  “It’s not a one time thing for me Angel, I don’t think it could ever be that for us.”

Angel felt himself smile in response. “I love you.”  He whispered.  “I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love you.  I know we still have obstacles to pass like my curse and” She placed a finger on his lips.

“I love you too and we will deal with whatever is thrown at us, together.”  It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted of their shoulders, they finally told each other what they felt.

Cordelia took a tissue and cleaned his mouth with it. 

“Cordelia we’ll talk more when we’ve rescued our son.”  He told her they had things to do now.

“Our son?”  She asked with tears in her eyes.  “Do you think of him like that?”

“Yes Cordy, you are his mother and I couldn’t think of a better one.”

Cordelia reached over and took his hand in hers. “Well then let’s go and get our son.”

With that the two of them walked out and joined the others in the lobby.  The AI smiled as they watched them, Wesley had come back and told them what he had seen in the bathroom and the two of them holding hands just confirmed it.  The two of them deserved to be happy more so than anyone, they both had been through so much, all they had to do was to find Connor and their family would be complete.  The next thing was the curse they had to find a way around that.

Angel looked up and saw the smile on their teammates faces; he guessed by it that they had everyone’s approval.  “So Wesley are we ready to go?”

Wesley nodded.

“I need you all to form a circle while I chant the spell, I don’t need anything more for it” Wesley said the others.

“A time for everything
And to everything its place
Return what has been moved
Through time and space”      

All of them went quiet, trying to see if something was happening, after a couple of minutes Wesley said the spell wasn’t the right one and that he had to go to get some ingredients for another spell. Gunn and Fred and Lorne went to the kitchen to eat something while Angel and Cordelia went to sit in his room but in the end they ended staring at the crib, the two of them could so clearly see him laying there.

“God I can’t loose him, he’s my baby… our baby” Angel said brokenly.

“Angel you have to think positive, you can’t think like that, we’ll have our baby in no time with us” Cordelia said trying to calm him.

“I know, but…he’s the best thing…no offence Cor but he’s…”

“None taken, and I understand you, he’s your baby, a little person who loves you no matter who you are, he loves you because you’re he’s daddy, and the best daddy he could ask for.  He’s the best thing that has happened to me as well.” Cordelia told him hugging him.

“God Cordelia, I love you, I don’t know what I’d you without you” Angel said holding her more tightly to him. “You are the other best thing in my life, you and Connor are the things that make me wake up and wanting nothing more than my redemption for you two, without you and Connor I wouldn’t be who I am right now”

Cordelia looked at him and the only thing that passed through her mind was ‘I love him’ and instead of telling him she kissed him.

“YO! ANGEL, CORDELIA WESLEY IS BACK” Gunn called for them.

“Ok, people I’m here and I think this spell will work” Wesley said trying to calm Angel and Cordelia.

“How sure are you Wes?” Cordelia asked she wanted her baby back.

“Uhmm… let’s say…99%, ok?”

“Relax Wesley just do your best.” Angel said.

“In this place and in this hour
We call upon the ancient power
Open the door through time and space
Create a path to another place”

With that said, a bright light appeared in front of them, wind seem to swirl around them, Fred paled. 

“I hate portals.”  She mumbled and before anyone could reassure her they were all sucked into a portal.  Which closed immediately after the last person vanished.

Part 4

Sunnydale 1998

Giles, Jenny, Willow, Xander and Buffy all sat around the table in the library not knowing what to do.  They were all confused they had done the spell to find the destroyer and a baby appears, a baby that only seems to like Cordelia and Angel.  Giles took of his glasses and cleaned them he could feel a headache coming on.  There was something that they were missing and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

A bright light appeared on the table where the baby had appeared, chairs scattered across the floor as everyone moved away and to grab some weapons as quickly as possible and they stood their armed hoping to be ready for whatever came through.  Just as quickly as the light appeared it vanished and standing on the table were 2 people that they knew and the rest they didn’t.

“Angel?”  Buffy whispered confusion covering her face, she turned to the library door and stared at it for a moment Cordelia and Angel left with the baby, but what were they doing standing on the table.  “Cordelia you’ve cut your hair?”

Angel, Cordy and Wes looked at each other and groaned.

“Oh god I’m in hell.”  Cordy muttered Wes and Angel both reached out and took hold of her hands.

“Well uhhh.”  Giles stammered for a bit.  “Maybe you should get off the table and we can find out what has happened.” 

Cordy’s hands were released Angel and Wes jumped of the table smoothly and easily, Gunn followed and he reached up to help Fred down.  Angel held up his arms and helped Cordy off the table.  Buffy frowned as Angel’s hands remained on her waist holding her tight against his body.

“What the hell is going on?” Buffy screamed her eyes still staring at where Angel’s hands were.

Cordy tried to move away from him she could see that Buffy was very angry and very confused and once they tried to explain it was going to go from bad to worse.

“Well if you stop shouting we will explain to you?”  Wes answered in a calm voice.

“Who the hell are you?” Buffy demanded.

Wes shook his head, he had figured out that they had gone back in time but it must have been a point in time before he arrived here.
****

Cordelia and Angel decided to go back to the library and see if anyone had figured anything out.  So Cordelia suggested they walk and take the baby with them.  Angel had agreed with her figuring out that he could deal with anything that tried to hurt them or a least give them a chance to escape.

“Hey guys look what we have here” A vampire said to his friends Angel and Cordelia were  suddenly surrounded by vampires.

Angel was so lost in thought that he didn’t sensed the vampires, damn, Angel thought he didn’t want to fight now, not with Cordelia and the baby with him.

“Run Cordelia, when I tell you just run to the library” Angel said hurriedly, not wanting anything to happen to Cordelia and the little baby.

Cordelia was scared by not for herself but for the baby who was awake and looking at her as if she was someone he could recognize. Clutching Angel’s shirt, Cordelia’s voice cracked as she finally found the breath to speak. “Oh, God, please. Angel, we have to go.”

“Cordelia,” he spoke softly, but loud enough for the teenager to hear him. “Take the baby and go.”

“Not so fast,” the tallest of the vampires spoke up as Cordelia made an effort to do just that. “We’re here for the kid. According to our sources, that baby he’s from the future, so he’s worth a fortune. Give him up now and we won’t have to kill you”

Angel and Cordelia glanced at each other quickly how did they know that the baby was from the future?

“But I thought we’re going to eat her.”  One of the vampires complained.

The shortest of the trio gave his partners in crime a dark look, “You want to eat the baby’s mother, she has to be worth a fortune too.”

Cordelia’s heart pounded a little faster as she realised they thought the baby was hers. He might as well be, she already loved the little guy. Damned if she was gonna let anything happen to him.

“Idiots we’re here for the baby!” the leader said, “And now shut up!”

“You’re not going to get the baby” Angel stated a growl rumbled deep within his chest as he spoke.

“Says who, you?” the leader said laughing.

“You don’t know who he is, do you?” Cordelia asked them, a smirk appearing on her face it still amazed her that they did not know who Angel was and they still underestimated him.

“It doesn’t matter, give me the baby,” the leader told Cordelia as he stalked towards her.

Angel seeing that charged him, while Angel and the leader were fighting the others vampires got to Cordelia knocking her out and taking the baby from her.

Angel staked the leader in time to see the others running with the baby, he’s first impulse was running toward them but he saw Cordelia in the ground not moving and he rushed to her side.

“Cordelia” Angel said gently as he lifted her head slowly and making sure that she was not seriously hurt.

“Uhg…” Cordelia started to coming around, “Oh My God, they took the baby” she said starting to cry the tears rolled down her checks and she buried her head into Angel’s chest as he held her against him and he made himself a promise, he would find out who took the child and he would make them pay slowly and would wait for them to beg him to stake them and then Angel would with great pleasure do so.

****

Xander stood there and gapped at the group in front of them.  “You’re from the future.”  He said for the hundredth time.

Cordy rubbed her eyes tired of hearing the same thing over and over again from Xander.  “Yes Xander we are and now we are moving on.”

Wesley had managed to get as far as explaining that they were from the future and who everyone was when the Scoobies had started to bombard them with questions and then Jenny Calender and Giles had joined in.

Buffy was frozen to the spot and Willow had hold of her arm, she could see the way Angel watched Cordelia the way he held her that they were together but what happened to her why weren’t they together, her and Angel were soul mates destined to be together. They had the romantic love that every girl had read about, had dreamed about.  What had happened?

The ex-watcher once again opened his mouth once again to try and explain this time why they were actually here when suddenly the doors of the library flew open and Cordelia and Angel ran in.

“They took the baby.”  The 16 year old Cordelia said crying.

Angel put a hand on her shoulder, he never noticed the new guests his eyes were on the young girl next to him.  “I still don’t understand why the spell you did brought him here Giles.”

“YOU WHAT?”  Cordy shouted angrily they had taken her and Angel’s child.

With that the high school Cordelia looked up from the door and stared at herself but it wasn’t her not in the identical sense, her hair was shorter and had blonde highlights in it, and next to, well her, was Angel he had his hands around her waist and he too was staring at Giles the pain and anger was clear in his face.  He looked different from the Angel that was standing next to her at the door the other one had a dark red shirt on, the Angel she knew only wore black.

“You took our son?  What the hell for?”  Angel said his voice deceptively quiet, he was just managing to keep hold of his temper, what he wanted to do was grab Giles by the throat and slam him against the wall and beat the information out of him.

“Our son?” Buffy asked angrily, “Who’s son” she was scared of the answer.

“My son, mine and Cordelia son” Angel said with his arms still around Cordelia.

“But it’s impossible” Buffy said sounding like a 5 year old girl.

“No is not, Buffy things have changed” Angel said gently.

“As I can see” she said with venom in her void, looking at Cordelia angrily.

“Don’t” Angel said cautiously.

“What?”

“Cordelia is not in fault here so don’t look at her like that.”  Angel glared at the slayer.

Buffy stepped back nervous this was definitely not the Angel she knew, the blonde glanced over to the door and saw the pale face of Cordelia, the Cordelia she knew staring at them.  It was her son, it was her and Angel’s son.  She turned her head to look up at the vampire who had a look of shock on his face.

He looked over at himself.  “It can’t be, I’m a vampire I can’t have children.”  He stuttered.

Wesley looked over at the mirror images of his friends.  “It was a prophecy and a long story.”  He muttered knowing that this was going to get out of hand soon.

Xander had not moved he was frozen to the spot and he was definitely hearing things.  “Deadboy and the bitch of Sunnydale High have a child, together.”

At this point future Angel turned to the kid and before anyone knew what was happening he had Xander pinned up against some book stacks.

“Let’s get something straight shall we her name is Cordelia not bitch, now say it with me and then apologise to her.”  Angel said angrily he knew that he was taking his fear for his missing son out on this teenager but it was also something he had wanted to do for a long time.

“Cordelia I am sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”  He mumbled fear evident in his eyes.  He had managed to get away with so much with the Angel that he knew but this man in front of him was different, he was not a loner, he had a family and friends.  He stood up and said what he thought.  There was no hiding in the background for him.

“And now my name Xander what is my name?”  Angel asked.

“Angel.”  Xander stuttered.

Buffy was about to walk over and intervene.   Cordy just stood there and watched the man she loved protect her name.  But instead the dark haired girl named Fred went to him and touched his bicep.

“I think he’s sorry now Angel.  You better let him go.  We have to concentrate on finding Connor.”  She looked down tears welling in her eyes.  “I want my family back and I want to go home Angel.”  Fred said crying.

Angel dropped Xander and gently put an arm around his friend and they walked back over to Cordy.  “We will Fred, we’ll find him and then we will go home.”

She looked up at him and smiled.

Angel watched himself with his friends, his family he had never had that before not even when he was human but it seemed in the future that he would have and the vampire deep down inside could not wait for that to happen. 

Buffy walked over and stood in between him and Cordelia wanting the two of them to be far apart as possible, did their romance start here in Sunnydale was it already happening, she glanced at the two of the accusingly but neither of them noticed, their eyes were on the future them and how close they were and the family they had as Wesley and Gunn joined the trio all leaning on each other, helping and protecting each other in this time of need.


Part 5

Sunnydale 1998


“Uhmm... ” Fred begun to talk but she was unsure on how continue, he “hi I’m Fred” she continue talking while walking towards Cordelia and Angel, “you weren’t here when we came, and while I know both of you already you don’t know us, as I said I’m Fred, he’s Wesley and he’s Gunn” she said pointing each of them, “and you already know each other so…”

“Fred honey you have to breath” Cordy said to the young woman and she smiled at her friend knowing how hard it was for her to talk in front of strangers.

“uhm… I … Cordelia you were saying something when you came” Fred told the younger version of her best friend.

“Oh God, it’s true, we’re ambushed and the knocked me out while Angel was fighting and they took the baby and Angel staked the leader so now we don’t know where they went, and the baby is alone, and he could be hungry or need a clean diaper and…” Cordelia rambled as the tears started to fall again, she couldn’t seem to help herself and now that she knew that it was her child.

“Cordelia, relax” Angel said thinking how young she was. “What happened to Connor?” He asked her gently trying not to worry her anymore.

“Connor?” Past Angel asked he was trying to absorb everything that happened in one single moment he had things in the future that he never believed could happen.

“My son…your son…this is confusing…He’s name is Connor, he’s 2 and half months old, he’s one of the best thing I have in my life” Angel said sadly, he wanted nothing more than his baby.  Cordy took hold of Angel’s arm and looked up at him, her eyes glistened with tears but she smiled on of the sweetest smiles he had ever seen and returned on back to her.

“I like the name” Young Cordelia said trying not to make Angel more sad she had only just met the little baby but she was drawn to him, she already cared and loved him how much worse would it be after 2 and half months.

“Yeah it is” Angel said smiling at the teenager wondering why he never tried to know her in Sunnydale.  He noticed how beautiful she was, but he had been blinded by Buffy but in his eyes she was even more stunning now, there was a light that shined within, Cordy no longer had to hide the fact that she was a good person who cared about others and he loved her more and more everyday.

“What I don’t understand is, you did a spell to get rid of a future danger and you got Connor, care to explain Giles?” Cordy asked, she was hurting, she wanted her baby boy in her arms and she was angry why would they do this?  What possible explanation could there be.

“Why don’t you sit and I’ll explain everything” Giles offered all of them.

The LA Gang sat down together, while Angel and Cordelia tried to understand what was happening and Buffy went to sit next to her Angel as she thought of him still trying to work out why in the future he was with Cordelia and not her.  That was the one thing she could not get her head around, it was Cordelia the may queen of all people.  What would the two of them have in common.

“I found a prophecy that talked about a warrior and his seer and what they called the Tro-Clan or The Destroyer, as you can see it’s an abomination, a threat to the future so we did the spell to destroy to danger” Giles said feeling cleaver as he was who found the prophecy. “I still haven’t translated the whole prophecy but I’m working on it”

The LA Gang couldn’t believe that a watcher had made that big error, acting without really thinking, without translating the whole prophecy.

Cordy was livid “And WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING!!!!!” She stalked towards Giles, Angel tried to stop her but she dodged him “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? ANSWER ME BEFORE I KICK YOUR ASS BACK TO THE WATCHER’S ACADEMY” She all but yelled at him her eyes were alight with anger, she could not believe the stupidity of him, the danger that he had put her child into without getting all the facts first.

“Cordelia…” Giles begun to talk.

“WHAT?!?! YOU ALMOST KILLED AN INNOCENT BABY BOY BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T READ THE WHOLE PROPHECY, YES HE’S THE DESTROYER, BUT NOT OF MANKIND BUT OF ALL DANGER TOWARDS MANKIND, YOU ALMOST KILLED MY BABY” She yelled at him while crying the tears fell like a waterfall, the anger and the fear coming out in every single tear.

“Cordelia baby, you have to let it go” Angel told her hugging her to him. Seeing Cordelia crying was a thing he hated. “Giles, you and me need to talk and we’ll do tomorrow, we need to plan, we have to look for Connor, Angel” he called himself which was odd but in his long life and especially the one in LA he managed to take things as they came.

“Yes” He’s counterpart said looking suddenly at his twin his eyes had been on the other Cordelia and her outrage towards the watcher.

“Are you living in the apartment at the back of town? ”He asked just wanting confirmation.

“Yes, why?” The past Angel asked.

“It’s nothing, I’m going to the Crawford Manor, if you guys want to help come with us, we’re going now”

“Uhm… can I go too?” Cordelia asked shyly. “I want to find him, it’s was my fault” she said sadly afraid that all those from the future would blame her as she did herself.

“It wasn’t your fault, you two were ambushed, but feel free to come with us, it’ll be a great help.  The more the merrier and we could use some extra hands if we need any researching done” Cordelia told herself thinking it was strange and she thought about all the good and bad things that lay in this high school girls life but it was worth every heartache. every bit of that pain.

Buffy grabbed hold of her Angel’s hand and smiled a sweet sickly smile at everyone.

“Well Angel, MY Angel.”  She made she that she emphasised MY, “and I are going patrolling we’ll see if we can pick up any information while we are out there.  Without waiting for a reply she dragged the vampire with her and as soon as the library door closed Gunn burst out laughing Wes and Fred joined in.  Cordy was looking at him smirking and he scowled at them all.

“Angel man you are so whipped.” Gunn said still laughing that was definitely not the Angel he knew.

“Hey.” Angel said pouting a little and trying to look hurt.

“At least with Cordy you pretend to at least to argue, while trying to get a glimpse down her top.”  Wes said joining in with Gunn.

Fred continued to giggle, the rest of the Scoobies stopped and stared it wasn’t long before Angel and Cordy were laughing as well.  

It was just the release they needed, they needed to still feel like a family and they did.  “Let’s go to the mansion.”  Angel said he turned to the others. “You are welcome to come and help if you want to.”  The LA gang plus the high school Cordelia walked out of the library not even looking back to see if anyone else was following them it didn’t bother them whether they were or not.

Later…

Angel and Cordelia were in the back of the mansion, they’re sitting on a bench talking.

“Angel what are we going to do?” Cordelia asked worriedly.

“First of all baby you need to relax, you need to be able to think clearly” Angel told her hugging her. “We have lots of good people on our side, we’re going to have Connor back in no time” He said thinking about how Buffy and his twin came earlier to help, they were still inside talking with Wesley about a plan.

“You know I found Buffy’s face very funny when they came here” Cordy was thinking the same as him.

“You know what? That’s true, I thought that vein in her forehead was going to explode, it looked like it was doing the cha-cha” someone said coming towards them.

“Hey Cordelia…man this is getting confusing…I’m talking with myself!” Cordy told them it was definitely not something that she thought would ever happen.

“Cordelia we want you to thank you for helping us” Angel said looking at the younger version of the woman he loved dearly.

“What can I do? I was with him a day and already loved him” She said remembering his chubby face, “I just hope we find him soon, he could be cold, or hungry or wet or…”

“You already think as a mom.” Angel said smiling at her.

“You should do that more” Cordelia said as she watched his whole face transform.

“Now where have I heard that before?” Angel said joking.

“Hey, it’s true, you’re gorgeous everyday but when you smile you are even more,” she paused for a moment.  “Breathtaking.”  Cordy finished lovingly.

“Uhm.. I hope I’m not intruding anything but you need to come back inside” Willow said joining the three the red head was a bit nervous about interrupting them, two these people she recognised but no longer knew.

With that Angel and the twins got up and went inside.

“We’re here” Cordy said, “What happened?”

“Right, I think I found a way to locate Connor as soon as possible” Wesley said as the boss he was.  It had taken him a little while but now he was better at taking control of the situation “We’re going to make two teams and patrol around the town”

“Who is in each tem?” Cordelia asked, she wanted to go with someone from LA, she wasn’t comfortable with Xander and Willow because of the betrayal and Buffy was looking at her angrily. It wasn’t her fault that her older self and Angel were in love and had a child and she had a family the teen looked at the LA gang and noticed how close they were and earlier she had seen how they laughed and joked, she smiled softly she couldn’t wait for the future.
“The teams are, first: Buffy and Xander will go with Gunn, Fred and myself to the east part of the town moving to north, and the second team: Angel and Cordy will go with Angel, Cordelia and Willow”

“What will Giles be doing?” Cordy asked.

“He’ll be translating the prophecy” Wesley stated.

“Uhmm… Wes don’t we already…”

“Don’t Cordelia, he needs to know what he almost did” He said angry with his fellow watcher.  It was a hard lesson that Wesley had to learn and he had learnt from it now it was Giles time to look at what he did and what the consequences could be?  If anything happened to Connor, Wesley didn’t know what any of them would do especially Angel and Cordy.

Buffy glared at Wesley.  “You are not my watcher, you can’t tell me what to do I am the slayer and this is my town.  People follow me not you.”  She spat out angrily.

Wesley couldn’t help but smile, he was not her watcher yet but he would be, not a very good one mind you but still.  The ex-watcher forgot what it was to like to be around teenagers.

Future Angel stepped forward.  “Buffy get over yourself.  We are older and currently have more experience then you do at this age.  I’m a 250 year old vampire with a soul who has a child because of a prophecy and a champion for the PTB, Wesley is an ex-watcher and a rogue demon hunter.”  Buffy’s face fell as she heard Wesley being called a watcher.  “Gunn is from the streets and has been fighting vampires longer than you have, Fred here is a great physicist and has lived 5 years in a hell dimension and Cordy she grew up on the hellmouth and also a seer.  None of us know what normal is but in LA we work as a team.  We come up with a plan what ever the best plan is.  For some of us it takes a sledgehammer for us to see but we do eventually.”  Angel laughed.

Buffy’s eyes grew even more, angry that was the most Angel had ever said, but you could see how he looked at each one of his team-mates how much he cared but his gaze stayed on Cordelia a bit longer.

Giles had sat in the corner his mind going over and over what had happened.  He might have caused the death of a young baby, his mind screamed at him and not only that but it might be the child that brings the end of demons.  He took his glasses of and rubbed the bridge of his nose.  What had he done?

Cordy looked over and saw Giles, she was still very angry but she knew that this man did what he thought was right and they needed all of him now, they needed him to concentrate.

“Giles?”  She whispered as she knelt in front of him.  “I know you are sorry and that if you could take it back you would but what we need is for you to concentrate and decipher the rest of the prophecy we need to know it all.”  

The watcher looked up and stared into her hazel eyes, he was amazed at how she had changed.  She was still a young woman with so much responsibility she managed to do it with grace and style.  He hoped that Buffy would grow up to be like this.  Giles smiled softly at her and promised himself that he would do everything he could to get Connor back to his family.

Past Angel looked around he still had a few questions.  “Who are the PTB?  I uhhh you are the champion and Cordelia is your seer?  I don’t understand?”

The future Angel grinned.  “I know it is a lot to take in the PTB is what Cordy calls them when she is not angry are The Powers That Be, they send uhh messages through Cordy and she lets me know when people are in trouble we go save them and we save souls and earn my redemption along the way and a seer well I should let Cordy explain that.”

Cordy stood up from where she had knelt with a quick grin to the other she opened her mouth but no words came out, she screamed and clutched her head.  As she fell backwards Angel was there holding her in his arms as she screamed and convulsed, tears rolled out of her eyes.  The images flashing through her mind, the loneliness of Connor she could feel her little baby’s terror, she could see the vampires laughing and enjoying the child’s scared tears.  There was a flash of teeth, pain and lots of blood.  Gunn grabbed some water while Fred went to get her painkillers and then the two of them and Wesley knelt next to Cordy all of their faces were covered in concern and worry.  They hated when this happened to her but even more so at the moment what if this was about Connor.

Slowly her body stopped shaking and she opened her eyes and stared into the ones of the man she loved.

“He was so scared.”  She said crying.

Angel pulled her tightly against him wishing that he could protect her from all of this pain.  “We’ll get him back.”  He whispered hoarsely.

Xander looked down at the future version of his ex-girlfriend.  “So that was a vision.”

“Cordy what did you see?”  Wesley asked softly he hated to do this but they needed to know.

She looked up and gave him a sad watery smile.  “All I saw was a cemetery, lots of vampires, blood and fangs.”  Cordy looked up at the ceiling and glared.  “Damn you the one time I actually wanted a vision you gave me that Sunnyhell is full of cemeteries  that is not a lot of help.” She screamed.

All the Scoobies plus the past Angel all looked up to see who or what she was shouting at.

“The PTB.”  Gunn and Fred said together.

“Look we have to go ok teams hit every cemetery on your section.  Let’s go.”  Wesley ordered.

 

Part 6

Sunnydale 1998

As the teams spilt up Buffy watches as Angel, her Angel vanished from view.  Wesley paused for a moment and watched her, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.  The slayer glared as she watched HER boyfriend walk out the door with her nemesis and their future counterparts. 

“This totally sucks.”  The blonde mumbled to herself. 

Wesley shook his head and watched the slayer storm out, this wasn’t about her and Angel’s relationship, this was about finding a little boy who should not have been dragged back here and the ex-watcher followed her out the door.

****

Willow and Angel and Cordelia walked slowly behind the Angel and Cordy from the future, their gazes fell as the two future counterparts fingers entwined.  The red head glanced at her two companions and they darted glances at each other and blushed.  Willow felt her heart drop; this is what the future was going to be, but what about Buffy?  This was not fair on her best friend, she gets to see the man she loves, the one she believes who is her soul mate has found someone else and it seems that the slayer is not in the picture.  The witch sighed; it was going to be a long night.

****

Buffy walked along with the others in her group, kicking the stones on the ground as hard as she could.  Gunn turned and glared at her, Fred tapped him gently on the shoulder, he turned his head to the brunette and shrugged his shoulders, the slayer was not his problem but if she kicked one more stone he would be more than happy to make it his problem.

The blonde kicked another stone viciously as she imagined it was one Cordelia Chase it flew across the ground hit a fence and rebounded breaking one of the light bulbs on a lamp.

Gunn made a move towards her but Wesley held out his arm.

“Buffy you do know what stealth means, right?”  He asked in a sarcastic tone.

The slayers eyes bulged as she turned to him.  “How dare you?”  She screeched.

“Get hold of yourself, this is not about Cordy and Angel this is about a little child that was brought because Giles did not finish deciphering the prophecy first.  This is not about you not get hold of yourself and act like an adult and if you can’t go home because you are no use to us and I promise you that if Connor dies because of your selfishness then Angel and Cordy won’t have to get to you because the three of us will make you pay.”  Wesley told her his voice quiet but no one had to guess at what he meant.
Xander paled and turned and faced Wesley.  “You can’t talk to her like that she’s the slayer.  You don’t know what she has to go through.”

Gunn couldn’t help himself but he laughed and Xander turned to stare incredulously at him.  “Where you listening earlier I’ve been killing vamps since I could walk, Fred’s lived in a hell dimension for 5 years, Wesley is an ex-watcher and a rogue demon hunter, Angel is a vampire with a soul and champion to the PTB and Cordy.”  Xander and Buffy could see the evident care he had for all of AI but she had become a sister to him and love was so clear to anyone that looked.  “She has the toughest gig of all, she is the seer, she sees and feels all the pain that the victims go through and we go and save them.”  Gunn’s eyes hardened.  “Yeah she’s maybe the slayer but she ain’t the only one who has a tough gig but do you hear us whinging and bitching about it.  Now shut the hell up we have Connor to find and if you don’t like it you know where the exit is.”

Xander and Buffy both turned and looked each and wore identical looks that said ‘who the hell did they think they were?’  But they both followed quietly glaring at the backs of the three new comers when suddenly Gunn held up his hand and motioned them to stop.

Buffy stopped and then snuck up beside him her slayer mode in full gear.  They saw vampires wandering through the cemetery with bags full of baby stuff, Xander opened his mouth to say something and Fred covered his mouth with her hand to stop him, they didn’t want the vamp to know where they were, but any good vamp would have kept and ear out and heard their breathing but these two just seem to be arguing about whose turn it was to change the diaper of this kid and what they were going to do with the money.  Wes, Fred and Gunn’s anger grew, and they had to physically stop themselves from going after those idiots now.

The foursome watched as they disappeared into a crypt.

“I wish I had my axe” Gunn muttered darkly.

Wes just smirked at him and Fred patted him soothingly on the arm.  Buffy and Xander just watched them their faces full of disbelief, Buffy shook her head and moved slowly towards the entrance followed closely by everyone else.  Buffy looked through the slightly opened door and there was Connor surrounded by vampires.

Connor giggled and tried to grab the athame, it was the knife that they were going to use to sacrifice the brat and it brushed his belly ever so slightly, tickling him. He was lying on his back, on top of a stone table, and his pajamas were open, exposing his tummy.

"You like the athame, don't you?" the vampires said, softly, while retracting her hand and keeping the athame out of the baby’s reach. "And I'll bet your parents never let you play with sharp objects, you poor thing. Don't worry: soon we're gonna play a lot of interesting games with this one."

"Well, it’s about time you showed up! I've been waiting here for..." the vampires’ voice trailed off when she realized that the newcomer wasn't whom she had expected. "I don't know who you are," she said coldly, frowning at Wesley, "but you're clearly at the wrong place; this is a private party."

"If you don't know who I am," Wesley said, "you obviously haven't done your homework properly."

Without further warning, he staked the vampires’. Then he walked past the ashes, heading towards the table on which Connor had already rolled onto his stomach, and was very near the edge.

"Hi baby," Wesley said. He took Connor in his arms and gave him a loving look. Bowing his head, he could smell the soft fragrance of lavender in his hair, and the boy snuggled contently in his arms.

“Oh My God, Connor” Fred said taking the baby from Wesley’s arms, “Oh sweet baby, we’re so worried” she kissed the baby all over his little face, “You’re mommy and daddy are going to be so happy to see you”

“Hey girl, let me hold the kid” Gunn said also wanting to hold ‘his nephew’.


Chapter 7

Cordy and Angel arrived back at the mansion.  They had found nothing it was too much for the seer.  She wanted her son back and she wanted to be home.  Angel pulled the woman he loved into his arms and held her tightly against his chest.  The other Cordelia and Angel stood with Willow and just watched them, the sadness evident in the room.

Buffy stormed into the mansion her face red with anger, she had controlled her emotions until they found the kid but now they had it was a free for all her anger consumed her.  How dare Wesley and Gunn talk to her like that?  This was her town she was the slayer and deserved to be treated as such.

Angel and Cordy’s heads whipped around and stared at her.  Buffy’s hands were empty.

“Connor?”  Cordy whispered fear clutching at her heart and her hands tightening around Angel.

Buffy watched her carefully, the blondes eyes narrowing she opened her mouth to tell her to get away from Angel, it didn’t matter which vampire it was, it was her Angel past, present and future.  The doors opened again and in walked Wesley and Fred followed by Gunn who was cooing at the little boy in his arms.

Cordy and Angel looked at each other and grinned, her face lit up the whole room.  Xander just walked in and he froze in his tracks as he looked at the beauty that was Cordelia Chase.  The future had been good to her and he felt his heart break deep down knowing that he had nothing to do with the woman she was going to be and that he would never see that change.  He moved his eyes to the Cordelia he did know, she had moved closer to Buffy’s boyfriend and they were both hidden in the darkness of a corner.  Xander may be the idiot, but he could see things and what he saw was that the two of them did not want to interfere in the family reunion but they couldn’t drag themselves away either.

Before anyone could stop her, Cordelia jumped to her feet, she stopped short right in front of Gunn, and the two friends stared at each other for a moment, the street fighter smiled and said to Cordelia:

"We didn't find any bruises or scratches; plus, he is alert and responsive. But I think we should keep an eye on him for the next 24 hours or so, just in case, but we don't think there'll be any problems."

Then he gently handed the boy over to Cordelia without another word. He watched in silence as Cordelia took a step back, holding Connor as tight as possible and covering the baby’s face with kisses and tears.
Angel had stood up and was standing right behind Cordelia; he tried to speak, but choked, and just passed one arm around her shoulders and the other around their baby, holding them both in the same loving embrace. They stood there for a moment, until Connor started to feel uncomfortable: being hugged and kissed was a common part of his life, and one he quite enjoyed, but now mommy and daddy were starting to squeeze him a little too hard, and he whined and squirmed in their arms, trying to free himself.

"Sorry, buddy," said Angel, smiling through his tears and releasing his grip on him, "I guess you need some space to breath, huh?" he added, wiping the tears off his face and affectionately kissing his son.

Buffy couldn’t believe what she was seeing her eyes filled with tears and she ran off and past Angel ran after her.  The vampire managed to catch her once they reached the cemetery.  He stood in front of the slayer not sure what he should do he could see she was upset but it wasn’t his fault he had no idea what the future had planned for him and now he found out it was with Cordelia Chase.

*****

“Buffy?”  Angel said.

“I thought we were forever Angel, I thought we were soulmates.”  She looked up at him teary eyed, she waited for an answer for him to say that they were, that this was a trick, that he would never leave her but he didn’t.  “Oh so you and Cordelia how long has it been going on?”

Angel’s eyebrows creased in confusion.  “How long has what been going on?”

“Well I assumed that your ‘love affair’ started while you were here and the two of you are so chummy now.”  She said bitterly.

Angel rolled his eyes and groaned.  “There is nothing going on between me and Cordelia.”  He said through gritted teeth and then watched as both her eyebrows vanished into her fringe.  “Ok there is nothing NOW going on between me and Cordelia.”  The vampire paused and took a deep breath.  “You seem to blame me for what is going to happen in the future, it has nothing to do with me.”

“Yeah right?” Buffy mumbled sarcastically.

Angel was getting tired of this.  “What if it was you?” And as soon as he spoke those words he knew that it was the wrong thing to say.

“Oh so now it’s my fault, I am the one who chases you off and you end up with the bitch of Sunnydale High, with a child from your sire that was stacked but brought back to life.”  Buffy shook her head.  “My life is sounding more and more like a soap opera.  Angel I just want to be normal and do normal things.”  She sniffed exhaustion was getting the best of her.

“Buffy you are never going to have normal you had better get used to it.  But if you want to get close to it then you better find someone else to date.  I’m a vampire, a vampire with a soul remember I am less normal than you.”  He said with a small sad smile he saw her hurting and his heart ached, but he saw the future and he saw what it brought him, he had a family, a son and a woman who loved him and whom he loved, it eased his soul and made him look forward to the coming days but it didn’t help his girlfriend any.

“I’m sorry Angel, I can’t deal with this.”  And with that she ran off and disappeared into the night.

“Angel?”  Said a feminine voice he turned and it was the future Cordelia.  “Angel uhhh my Angel has gone after her he thinks maybe he can help her, make things a little easier.  Wes says that none of you will probably remember this but since he has never time travelled before he is not exactly sure so we thought that if we split up and talked to each of you it may make things a little easier.”

He smiled at her. “Thanks I have so many questions?”

“Well ask away I’m here to answer them or as many as I can all the others you going to have to well ask yourself.”  Cordy said laughing.

“You and me what, why and uhh how?”  Angel asked stuttering.

Cordy laughed at him.  “Sit down this might take a while”

*****

“Buffy?”  Angel called out.  “We need to talk I need to explain things.”

“What the hell could you explain?  Why did you leave me Angel wasn’t I good enough for you?”  Her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying.

“Buffy you were more than I could ever imagine when I was more then I ever thought I deserved but it was hard we couldn’t get past the slayer and vampire thing, that was the one thing you couldn’t except whole heartedly and in the end we just hurt each other so I decided to leave and went to LA.”  Angel told her softly the last thing he wanted was to hurt this young girl in front of him and even he seemed young when he watched himself which was funny when you think how old he actually was.

“With Cordelia.”  Buffy said sadly.

“No we never left together I never really got to know her here and to start of with it was just to help her out, then we became friends, then best friends and then without realising it I just fell in love with her it was so simple.”  Angel eyes lit up as he thought about the woman he loved with every fibre of his being, the memories flooding back.

“I don’t understand how?”  The blonde said wiping her eyes.

“Do you really want to hear this.”  He watched as she nodded.  “Take a seat.” 

Buffy sat down and watched him as he started to tell her about his life.

*****

Hyperion Hotel Present

Faith paced the hall patience was not one of her virtues, it wasn’t fair why the hell couldn’t she have gone with them, she had almost begged Angel to let her go but Nooooooo she had to stay here and keep an eye on the place.  She could see their point of view but it didn’t mean she had to like it.  They did need someone to make sure that there weren’t going to be any surprises when they arrived home, that an army of vampires or demons weren’t going to snack on them as soon as the portal opened and they walked through, there were still a lot of people out going for the kid so they did what they had to.

The slayer heard the door open she turned.

“Oh just great.”  She mumbled why couldn’t she just keep her mouth shut.  Faith groaned. 

Chapter 8

Faith stared at the door as vampire after vampire followed by demon after demon came into the hotel. 

“Oh just great, you Faith you wanted some action babe and you definitely have got you wish.”  She mumbled to herself.  The slayer glanced around the room and there she saw on the desk a stake and Gunn’s axe.  The brunette somersaulted across the room and flipped on to the table grabbing the axe and stake as she landed with her legs bent.

“Let’s go boys.”  Faith said with a grin and winked at them.

****

Buffy sat there and watched Angel as he talked about what had happened to him from the moment Doyle entered his life and changed it, the good and the bad.  How he had a family, how he had hurt and betrayed them with Darla of all people.

“Darla?  Isn’t she you know, dust?”  Buffy asked that was one name she was not expecting to hear.

“Long story involves and evil law firm.”  He said vaguely, he really didn’t want to bring up all of the details because that was when Cordy became his best friend and how he nearly lost her to all the visions she was getting.

“Law firm aren’t they all evil?”  The blonde said with a smile, she could see the sadness creeping into his eyes, the look that he always seemed to have in this time period but it seemed to have vanished in the future and she liked it, liked it a lot.  She frowned was it wrong that she wanted to be closer to this Angel than her boyfriend in this time?  It felt like she wanted to cheat on him with well him.  But this Angel he was so much stronger, the slayer always thought that the mysterious part of Angel was what made him sexy but she was wrong, very wrong.  

The vampire in front of her was not mysterious but he was definitely hot and she blushed this Angel was starting to turn her own and all he was doing was talking about his life, his life without her, his family, his friends.  He was smiling, his eyes shone brightly full of love for his life and he looked sexy at times and then he looked like a dad, a friend, a brother and the boy next door all rolled into one.

Angel enjoyed telling Buffy his life, well the good parts but he was starting to get uncomfortable he thought that she was going to finally see him as a different person from her Angel.  He paused as he could smell her arousal in the air, he silently groaned and wished Cordy was here, a demon would be good, another vampire, hell he would settle for a cat stuck up a tree, a little old lady trying to cross the road.  The vampire had the urge to bang his head against one of the stone headstones.  He thought he had gotten through to her.

“This one more so.”  He gave her a half smile and watched as her eyes lit up.

“So you have a good future then?”  She asked shyly.

“Well just like anyone else it has its ups and downs but yeah I have a family, the people I love and trust.”  He didn’t want to hurt by telling her again how much he loved Cordy.

“I can see that it has changed you.  My Angel and you are completely different, you are right you are two different people.”  She smiled sexily at him.

Angel paused it was a good thing that she saw him as a different person but it seemed that she was attracted to him, as in the future him, oh god this was getting worse by the minute.

“Well I am glad that you see us differently I think it is time for us to head back.”  Angel stood up and brushed the dirt from the back of his duster.

He looked up and the next thing he knew he had an armful of slayer who was trying to kiss him

*****

Cordy watched Angel’s face as she told him the future of his life, it was weird watching him still being attracted to him, who wouldn’t be.  But she wasn’t in love with him she could see the differences so plainly and everything that had happened to him, to them had shaped the manpire he was today uhhh in the future.

“So you get visions for me, for my redemption?”  He asked.

After the baby, Connor, had arrived he had gotten to know his Cordelia. He stopped that thought, she was not his, what he meant was the Cordelia from his time yes that was it.  Angel had noticed how different she was, the cheerleader hid a lot from people but then the way people talked to her and treated her he could understand, people either disliked her or wanted to be her.  There was no in-between.

“Well also to help the innocents.”  Cordy said with a grin.

Angel couldn’t help it and he just smiled back, her smile was infectious.

“Of course but with everything that happens and the things that I have, uhh will.”  He paused and shook his head and could feel a headache coming on.”  What HE does to you how can you forgive him?”  The vampire just couldn’t understand why the stood by him after she had told him what he had done to them.

“Well because I love him he is my heart, but before that I loved him as a best friend, as family just like the others do and we stick together.  We have ups and downs but in the end it is worth it, he is worth it and I know that I may not be around to see the day he Shanshu’s but I will walk at his side until me last breath.”  A sadness covered her face knowing that their walk was going to be a lot shorter than anyone thought.

“What is a Shanshu?”  Angel asked it seemed important to her.

“The day your redemption is paid and the day you become human.”  The sadness vanished and her face lit up.

“Human?”  Angel asked and watched her nod.  He would be able to walk in the sun, see the blue sky, food actually tasted it and see himself in the mirror and watch himself age.

A scream broke him out of his fantasy as he watched Cordy grab her head and scream, her eyes suddenly went wide and stared at him, and he could see the fear and pain.  This was not normal.

Cordy cried this pain was worse than normal, she knew it was time; she was going to die in the past. 

“Tell him I love him with all that I am and tell them all that I am sorry,” 

Angel watched as Cordy was fighting to tell him, he could see that she was fighting to stay awake he took hold of her in his arms and her body went slack as she fell into unconsciousness, someone had to know what was wrong they had to find out and now.  Her heartbeat was weak, her breathing was shallow.  The vampire picked her up and cradled her gently in his arms and went in search for help. 

*****

Angel pushed Buffy away from him.

“Buffy what the hell are you doing?”  He demanded.

“I thought you know that.”  Buffy looked down at the ground embarrassed.

“You thought what that if you attacked me that I would what, Buffy I am from the future even if I was still in love with you, which I’m not nothing could happen.”  The vampire told her.

“Angel help her please?”  His own voice said, Angel turned and saw the past him carrying his Cordelia in his arms unconscious.

The slayer was forgotten by him as he took the love of his life into his arms.  “What happened?” 

“She was talking about the Shanshu she gripped her head and screamed.  Cordy told me to say that she loved you, she loved all of you and that she was sorry.”  Tears were in both of the vampire’s eyes.

Buffy just stared at the future Angel how could she go back to her boyfriend now.

“Let’s go.”  Future Angel said as they rushed back to the mansion to talk to Wesley and find out what the hell was going on.

*****

Wes shook his head he had to concentrate he couldn’t let the worry consume him he had to find out what was happening to his friend and a way to stop it.  He wanted his sister back, his Cordy.  With all the problems they had been through together they couldn’t lose her now.  The rogue demon hunter didn’t know how they would survive without her especially Angel, they had just finally gotten together.   Wes was going to do everything in his power no matter what it was.

“We need to find out if it is medical or mystical.  I will stay here with Giles and research the mystical aspects.  Angel take Cordy to the hospital maybe they can do something for her, maybe they can find out what is wrong.”  Wes ordered.

Angel frowned.  “Wes remember what happened last time?”  He didn’t like to remember the way they had to strap her down and sedate her just to stop her screaming and thrashing.

Wes walked over and placed a hand on his friends shoulder.  “Angel she’s not having any visions we just need to know if maybe it caused some physical reaction and that is why she is in the coma.”

*****

Angel paced the corridor he wished they would hurry up, something was wrong he knew that they had rushed her off.  Fear ate at him from inside; he couldn’t lose her not now, not ever.  He sat down heavily on one of the plastic chairs and buried his head in his hands.

Buffy watched him she wanted to go to him and take him in her arms and take away the pain but she couldn’t, she glanced over at her Angel who was hiding away in the corner that was only one of the differences.

Fred and Gunn moved to either side of their friend.  Gunn placed his hand of Angel’s shoulder and Fred lent her head against his arm and wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.

Angel could feel the strength and love come from his friends it was what he needed.

The three of them jumped up when the Doctor walked in finally they were going to find out if it was physical and what could be done to help her.

Chapter 9

Angel stared at the Doctor and he could tell by the man's face and how is heart and breathing changed, and he could smell fear this was not going to be good.  The vampire took a breath that he didn’t need and sat down if he didn’t he knew that whatever he was told his legs would not be able to keep him up.

Gunn and Fred glances at each other and then back down at Angel, by his reaction before the doctor even said anything they knew it was not going to be good.  Fred could feel the tears build up she didn’t want to hear this.

The doctor looked at these three people this was the part of the job that he hated.

“Are you family?”  He asked politely.

Three heads nodded, Fred sat down and held onto Angel, the vampire was frozen he was terrified of what was going to be said.  Gunn looked at two of the people he loved, he went to the doctor and shook his hand.

“Cordelia is like a sister to me and Fred, to Angel she is,” he paused and look at the lost look on his friends face, “more.”

“I’m Dr Marcus, we sent her for some CAT scans and the results have just come back.  I’m sorry to tell you this but…”He stopped he had never seen something this severe in his life and how was he going to explain it to them.  “Her brain is dying bit by bit, I have never seen anything like this before and I am at a loss for an explanation.”

It was his fault, the visions were killing her Angel stood and rushed out of the door, he had killed the woman he loved.  Fred and Gunn watched him leave, the tears that threatened to fall earlier were finally released, her head fell down to her arms and the young woman’s sobs could be heard through out the corridors of the hospital, the sadness, the loneliness and the fear seeped into everyone who heard the sorrowful sound.

Gunn bit his lip and breathed deeply, he couldn’t break down not yet.

“Is there anything that can be done?”  The black man asked.

The doctor shook his head.  “I’m sorry there is nothing that can be done, it is only a matter of time.”

“Ummm how you know uhhh.”  Gunn stuttered he just couldn’t get those words out they choked in his throat.

“A month maximum.”  The Dr Marcus pulled a card out of his pocket.  “If you need anything, information, anything call me.”

Gunn took the card from him his hands shaking, Dr Marcus left them alone and he finally let the tears fall, he walked to Fred and collapsed at her feet and buried his head in her lap and sobbed.

Angel ran as much as he could in his state of mind, in the end he fell to his knees and cried, and cried because he was losing the woman he loved. After a while he felt a hand in his shoulder, he could sense her she was unique.

“Angel, what’s…” Cordelia stammered, “What’s wrong? What’s happening?” she asked confused, she only knew her older self had a vision or something like that and now she wasn’t waking up.

“Cordelia, Cordy…” Angel looked at her, so young so full of life, and he was going to destroy it. He began to cry again.

“What is it Angel?”

“Cordelia, please you have to promise me something”

“What?”

“In a couple of years we’re going to meet in a party… please when you’d see me, don’t came near me, don’t talk to me, if you do, it’ll end bad, I destroy everything I touch” he sobbed.

“She’s…I’m … dying??” She asked scared, Cordelia looked at the man she had in front of her, so broken because they were in love, something she didn’t know she ever felt. “No! I will not! I want to have this future, even if it’ll kill me, I can guarantee you she had her best time with you, here in Sunnydale she was unhappy, I want to know what it feels being loved for yourself and not for who you are, I want to have a real family…” she yelled at Angel while sobbing.

Cordelia could see how this was killing him; she went to her knees and made him look into her eyes.

“Angel, I have seen the two of you together, I have seen you all together.  If I don’t meet you none of this will happen, no Gunn, no Wesley, Fred will still be in a hell dimension and no Connor.  I am not going to stop all that happening also I could still die in the future with you not protecting me I could get hit by a car, we don’t know what will happen and we can’t waste our time with what if’s.”  She smiled at him, it was the smile that he had grown so use to.  “I’m looking forward to this future, I can relax and be happy because I know in the future that I will have a family and friends finally, people who will like me for me, people who love me and you want me to give that all up because you are afraid to lose me.  Well guess what it’s not about you and what you want. What about all the innocents that you save?  Do you want them to die because you are hurting?”

“You don’t understand we have just found each other, just before this happened we told each other that we loved each other.  We haven’t had a chance to be together to see if it will work.  She always told me that she would stand by my side until my redemption, but she never understood and I didn’t until recently she IS my redemption.”  He stared into those same hazel eyes but they looked so young and hadn’t had all the pain to come.

“Pfft you’re giving up already, NORMAL everyday medicine can’t help her, has that ever stopped us before, I don’t think so we are going to have to look in the more unusual places, which means we do the searching through musty old books.  We will find something we’ll work together.  I know you want to stay here but we are going to need your help, let’s get back to the library tell the others what is going on and then get down to saving me.”  Cordelia reached out her hand and waited until Angel grabbed it.

The vampire was pulled to his feet he turned to look at Gunn and Fred and they both nodded, the teenager was right, they would fight this together as they always did and they needed the Scoobies help. He had a family and he wanted them all back safe and sound and in the future.

“Ok let’s go.”  Angel stopped and gazed down the corridor towards Cordy’s room, he wanted to stay here, he wanted to be here just in case she, something happened but Cordelia was right he did speak other languages and some demon they were going to need his help the quicker they found a cure, the quicker she would be back with them and then all they needed to do was find a spell and go home.

*****

The Library, Sunnydale

The Scoobies and Wes sat around waiting for news the door opened and in they walked.  Past Angel was the first one to notice that Cordelia gripped hold of one hand and Fred the other they seem to be giving him strength just to carry on.

Wes saw the looked in Fred, Gunn’s and especially Angel’s face, his eyes teared up but he held the back.  He slowly walked towards his friends, carrying Connor gently in his arms, he had felt alone while all the others were at the hospital and he just needed to feel connected to him and Connor and started to cry he could sense that something was going on.  Cordelia dropped his hand and backed away and straight into past Angel, who without thinking took hold of his hand.

“What?” Wes couldn’t get the words out.

“She’s dying.”  Gunn muttered there were gasps throughout the room.

All of a sudden the AI group moved as one and held each other and let the tears fall together, they needed to comfort each other before they could move on to concentrate on saving their heart.

It seemed as if they stood there for an eternity when they finally pulled away and wiped away the tears, Fred stood and explained what the doctor had told them.

“So we need to find a cure for her, if modern medicine can’t do it we need to find another way.”  Cordelia said taking charge; this was her future they were talking about.

Xander looked at her, the beauty he had grown up with, whom he had hurt.  “Why don’t you just not meet up with Angel and not become his seer.  I don’t want you to die.”

“Not you as well, look this is my future I have a family, people who actually like, love and care about me.  I’ve never had that here, so you all can go to hell.  Why would it bother any of you if I died.”  Anger got the better of here she still tried to help but they just thought she was a joke.

Cordelia tried to run away but past Angel gripped her hand harder so she couldn’t move, Buffy’s eyes narrowed and her blue eyes glazed with anger as jealousy ate at her.  She may want the future Angel more, but the one from her time was still boyfriend and she wasn’t going to lose both of them to Cordelia Chase.

Giles watched Buffy he knew how possessive the slayer was over her vampire and now she had found out that they don’t have the ‘happy ending’ she wanted.  The blonde turned and saw Giles staring at her and shaking his head, she frowned at him wondering what was wrong out of the corner of her eye she saw the ones from the future and could see how much pain they were in and guilt washed over her, she was thinking about herself when their friend was dying.

Chapter 10

“Research now,” Giles said, being supportive in the only way he knew how.

“Yes, we will find an answer in the books. We always do,” Willow said trying to encourage the family.

“What are we looking for?” Xander said, wanting to help, he still felt something for his Cordy and he didn’t want anything bad happening to her.

“I don’t know, we could look about mystical comas, visions…” Wesley said trying to order in his mind the books they’d be needing this night.

“I remember reading some books about visions and seers during Watcher Training,” Giles said. Wesley began handing out books.

“Humans are not supposed to receive the visions. They are not meant for them,” Willow told them. They’ve been reading for a while now and it looks like Willow found something.

“What do you mean, Willow?” Angel turned to ask the red head.

“In this book it says human can’t have the visions it doesn’t say too much, the book talk about two humans that received them, and it didn’t turn out good for them,” Willow said as gently as she could.

“What happened to them?” Wesley asked, a bad feeling in his gut.

“The back of their skulls blew out,” Willow said. The room flinched, “Both died less than a year after they received them.”

“It says anything more?” Gunn asked.

“According to this, humans aren’t meant to last longer than a year”

“A year?” Cordelia said, “Doesn’t she have them for over two years already?” She looked at Angel for an answer.

“Yes she does,” There was a moment of silence, then Angel said strongly, “We’ll go over everything. We have to research everything. Fred, you take the computers, Wesley go over there and look for any book that you think we’ll need.  Willow; see if you can find some healing spells, or something. Gunn you and Buffy go and check out the Magic Shops. Cordelia, you and Giles hit the books with me, and Xander…” Angel stopped his list of instructions, thinking for a second, “Xander…you go do whatever it is you do,” he finished up. No one thought to question the orders, a scene so different from just a few years ago. “Oh and Gunn we need some food for everyone…go to the mansion for Connor things, please”

“On it man, I’ll take something for you” Gunn said.

Fred was already in front of the computer, while Willow was with a bunch of Wicca books around her. She was on the phone, speaking to a friend, explaining the situation. Gunn grabbed his coat, and waited for Buffy, and the two of them headed out.

The rest opened books, searching for a clue, or anything that would help, that could save her.

It was a long night, a depressing one, where very little seemed to give any hope.

Angel was intently reading a book in Latin, about prophetic dreams, but truth be told he wasn’t really reading he was thinking about Cordelia and how much he needed her.

“Found anything relevant?” Angel jolted from his thoughts at the sound of the English voice above his head. Lifting his eyes, he took in the tired face of the ex-watcher.

“So far, no.” he replied sadly, in his pale face an expression of fear that nobody thought you could see ever.

Angel stopped for a moment his eyes echoing the loss he felt in his heart, there was an empty void inside of her that was only filled by the laughter, the smile, the smell, the emptiness had a shape it was shaped like Cordelia Chase.  The vampire had realised how dependent he had become on her, he awoke thinking about her and Connor and they were the last thing he thought of.

The relationship he had with Buffy was different, with the slayer it had been new and exciting meeting in the cemetery, stealing kisses, the danger for him it was like he was 15 years old.  But when he was sent to hell he had aged so much, when he left to go to LA he hid away but still helped people it was Doyle and Cordelia who had really helped him grow and then eventually the others.

They treated him as a man, a friend a loved one, he would be handed a cup of blood as if it were tea, he couldn’t do that in Sunnydale, hell he couldn’t even have imagined doing that here.  He went to the cinema and had ice cream with Fred, he’d gone against Gunn on the playstation Angel the vampire with a soul had a normal life, kind of.

Angel wasn’t going to live without Cordelia he couldn’t she was the sunshine to his darkness.

“Wes I can’t live without her, she is my everything.  We have just gotten together and now people are tearing us apart. It’s so unfair I know I did A LOT wrong but I am trying to fight for good I am doing what I can.  What isn’t it good enough they have to take one of the things that light up my life.  We just found each other.  If she dies I don’t think I can survive without her.”  His eyes filled up as he stared at his friend.

Wes reached out and touched his shoulder.  “We are going to do everything we can, no matter what we have to do.”  He smiled at Angel.  “I was attracted to Cordelia and she was me.”  He waved around the time they were in.  “Back in the day but do you know what the more I got to know her, the less I was attracted to her but the more I loved her, she became my sister and I don’t know if any of us will be whole without her, she affected us all in her own way and with everything she goes through after every vision.”  The rogue demon hunter wiped away a tear that managed to escape from his eye.  “She is strong Angel and she will fight have you known Cordelia Chase go without a battle especially when she has something to lose in this case her family me, Gunn and Wes, Connor the son she never thought she would have and you a man, a vampire who truly loves her for being her, who accepts it all, may not like it but accepts none the less.  Cordy is many things but a coward isn’t one of them.”

Angel smiled briefly and nodded at him he walked over to Fred and laid a hand on her shoulder.

“How are you doing?”  He asked the petite Texan.

She gazed up at him with big; wide eyes wet with unshed tears.

“I miss her.”  Fred said simply and plainly.

“We all do but don’t worry we’ll get her back.”  Angel choked the words out and walked towards the Scoobies to see how they were doing with the researching.

Fred watched him walk away as much as she had a crush on him and as much as she would have loved if he had fallen in love with her, you couldn’t blame him Cordy could stand toe to toe with him and he loved every second.

“Yes we will because you need her too much.”  Fred whispered to herself as she ducked her head and continued to search, she had this family and she wasn’t going to lose any of them, there had to be something to help.

After talking with the Scoobies and seeing that no one had a lead Angel thought about going to see Cordy. “I need to go, I have to be with her, I’ll be back in a while” he sounded so desperate that no one said anything, they just let him go.

*****

Angel walked into her room, she looked so pale, but at the same time so beautiful, “You can't die. Connor needs his mother. I need you, I love you Cordy I just found you…” he said quietly, before bursting into tears.

A nurse walked passed and saw the sobbing man her heart went out to him as she listened to his words, in this job you saw the best and worst.  You had babies being born and the happiness that surrounded them and then you had things like this when you had a person losing a loved one and the girl was so young, she had a whole life ahead of her, but she wouldn’t her brain was dying, the nurse doubted if this man would ever see her open her eyes and manage to say their last farewells this would it for them.  She could feel the tears building up in her own eyes as she walked away leaving him alone in his grief and sadness.

*****

Past Cordelia and Angel looked at each other, they felt as if they should be doing something, this was their future, a baby crying got their attention as they both walked over together, even if they weren’t his parents yet maybe they could calm him down until something was figured out.

Cordelia picked the baby and smile down at him, Angel looked over her shoulder down at him, they both grinned and looked at each other as the baby’s cries stopped but they both froze when they gazed into each other’s eyes, it was like a magnetic pull they could tear themselves away.  There was something there, had it always been there or was it a small flame that was just starting and it would take all these years to grow into the bonfire of love that it was or would be in the future.

Buffy stood in one corner watching them, it wasn’t fair, yes she was attracted more to the future Angel, he was the more normal version of the vampire, he was the one that could, as much as he could an average boyfriend.  Why couldn’t they switch?  But even though Cordelia had no right to have googly eyes at her boyfriend, they may get together in the future but that made no difference that was not now and you never know things might change, the blonde smiled secretly to herself maybe I can do something so they won’t end up together, maybe there is a way that Angel will love me forever, but how?

Chapter 12


Future Angel just stared at them he wasn’t sure he heard that correctly, well he was hoping that he hadn’t heard that correctly.

“Angelus?”  He muttered.

“Are you all crazy, letting Angelus loose she just isn’t worth it?”  Buffy said petulantly.

Fred, Gunn, Wes and Angel all turned to her.  Their faces screamed that she was worth it; she was worth a lot more.

“Why do you need his blood?”  Future Angel asked.

“Well it seems for this potion it is something mystical to do with the soul, it needs your blood with the soul and without it.  We combine it with hers, do the spell and voila a mystical cure.”  Wes said with a confident voice but that was not echoed deep within.  They had no idea if it would work but it was their only chance.

Both Angel’s could sense the lie in his words but they didn’t say anything hope was all they had, this plan was all they had there was no time for anything else.

“Let’s do it.”  Future Angel looked at his counterpart.  “Take Cordelia and Connor hide them away, take the mobile with you and one of the others will let you know when it is safe.  Protect my.”  He stopped.  “Protect our son.”  Angel told himself.

The past Angel nodded he picked up Connor and Cordelia grabbed the bags and they left.  Buffy just stood there her boyfriend had just left with someone else and he never even said goodbye. She couldn’t believe that they were going forward with this plan it had to be the stupidest idea that anyone could have come up with and the only reason they did it was because of ‘Cordy’.  If she died then Angel would be free to love her again in the future.  The slayer stopped and shook her head what the hell was she thinking, she couldn’t let Cordelia die no matter what she felt towards the ex-cheerleader.

“We’d better make sure Angel is secured, we don’t want Angelus escaping.”  Buffy told them her voice neutral.  She was doing a job, she was the slayer this is what she did.

They all nodded in agreement and rushed around to get the stuff they needed for the spell and to keep Angelus looked up tight.

*****

Willow and Xander were walking through the streets heading back to the library with the stuff that Giles had asked them to get.

“I can’t believe that they are going to bring Angelus back.”  Muttered Xander he was jealous enough about how Cordy and Angel felt about each other and now the guys from the future were showing him how much a family they were and how they stuck together.  “This is just such a bad idea, I mean in all bad ideas this is the worst.”

Willow tapped him sympathetically on the shoulder, she did agree with Xander that maybe this wasn’t the best of ideas but they had no choice if they didn’t then Cordy would die and when she looked into the eyes of her friends and loved ones, and of course a little baby Connor she wasn’t sure how they would manage without her, it seemed that the Cordelia from this time would turn into an amazing woman that effected those around her, in a good way.

As they walked past a dark area a vampire poked his head out and watched them vanish into the night.

“They’re bringing Angelus back.  We could use a leader like him.”  With that he rushed back to the others they had been a little lost not knowing what to do when Angel and Co had killed their former one.

*****

Angel was tied down in the library everything had been secured he looked up at his friends and nodded, Wes and Gunn returned the gesture.

Buffy and the others watched knowing that some kind of private communication had just happened and not knowing what it was.

“What?”  Buffy asked.

Gunn turned to her.  “Angel asked us to kill him if Angelus escapes.”

“And we told him yes.”  Wes added.

Angel grinned at the surprised look on everyone else’s faces.

“I said thank you and to take care of everyone.”  Angel said with a sad smile.

“Ok.”  Buffy muttered why couldn’t her Angel be like this with her friends?  Why didn’t they have that silent communication?

It looked like everything was ready to go everyone already seemed prepared but Buffy couldn’t watch Angel being turned into Angelus.  So she paced out side the library impatiently but it wasn’t too long before a pale looking Willow came out and nodded to her friend.

The slayer took a deep breath and opened the swing doors of the library, her heart was in her throat, her legs were shaking and as for the fear it ate away at her inside.  She wiped her sweaty palms on her trousers as each step took her to the man that was tied up, the future version of her boyfriend, the man she loved.

“Angel?”  Buffy whispered as she gazed down at his handsome face.

“Sorry sweetheart Angel ain’t home anymore.”  The vampire smirked at her.

She took at step back and Angelus just laughed it sent a shiver down everyone’s spines he loved the smell of fear especially from a slayer it was such a turn on but she wasn’t the one that he wanted no he wanted his kid and his seer and he was going to enjoy every second of it.

Wes walked forward with a needle in his hand and pulled up the sleeve that the vampire was wearing.  “This won’t hurt.”  Wes told Angelus.

“But I do ex-watcher.  Where’s daddy’s little boy?” Angelus growled.  “Let me go now.”  He struggled but he couldn’t escape they had made sure of that.

Buffy stepped back as if she had been slapped she wasn’t sure that she could deal with this.  Angelus saw her reaction and smirked. Years ago all of his attention would have been on the slayer how he hated his soul for falling for the one person who had been put on this earth to kill them all.  But now there was Cordelia yes she was a little yappy but what a rack?  What fire?  He couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into that perfect flesh and he was going to enjoy every little drop of her life essence.

Wes pulled the needle out of Angelus and stared at the blood within the little glass container.  He nodded to Xander who took the blood and hid it away until it was needed.

Wes called out.  “Willow I need your help.”

Willow walked back in and nodded in agreement.

*****

Wes groaned as he tried to move his head hurt, actually his whole body did.  He slowly opened his eyes and then he heard another groan.  The ex-watcher glanced around the room and saw bodies laying all over the place.

“Oh god no!”  He whispered in horror as he saw the empty place where Angelus was once tied up.

Buffy clambered to her feet, the slayers face was pale.  “He’s going to come after me.”  She whispered in a terrified voice glancing around afraid that he was still there.

Gunn snorted.  “If he wanted you he would either have taken or killed you when you were unconscious, he doesn’t want you he wants….”  Gunn looked at Wes and Fred fear was written across all their faces, he didn’t know where his son was because it was left to the young Cordelia to pick a place Angel wouldn’t know about so that left only one person.

“Cordy.”  Fred said quietly hoping that she was wrong but deep down knowing apart from Connor, Cordy was next on his list or in this case she was in the number one spot.

“Willow we have to get the spell done now.  We have to try and restore Angel’s soul before its too late otherwise Cordy is dead or worse.”  Wes and all the others rushed around getting the blood and the ingredients for the spell that they had hidden away just as a precaution and it was a good thing they did.

Buffy’s memories were coming back they had been attacked by a group of vampires who released Angelus.  Angelus being the survivor that he is made his escape while the battle went out.  Buffy and the others had managed to kill the other vampires but she was the last one standing and she managed to stake him before the blackness over came her and she slid into unconsciousness just like the others.

The slayer kept one eye on the door just in case anymore decided to pay a late night visit to the library while all the others got the spell together.

*****

Sunnydale Hospital

Cordy lay in her hospital bed like sleeping beauty waiting for loves true kiss.

Something moved in the shadows and emerging from the darkness came Angelus a smirk on his handsome face as he gazed at the beautiful woman unaware what was about to befall her, he’s eyes glittered dangerously as he made his way to her side.

He reached out and gently stroked her hair of her face and neck and gazed hungrily.  Leaning forward he wrapped his arms around he pulled her up so her body was tight against his.  He moved her head to one side so he could reach her neck and slowly he moved forward vamping as he did so and Angelus savoured each single moment until he sank his teeth into the flesh that haunted his dreams…


 

Chapter 13

A nurse interrupted the moment in which Angelus was going to bite Cordy.

“Sir what you doing here?” the nurse asked to the tall man who was leaning towards her patient.

Angelus growled low in his throat, changing his features he looked at the older woman “I was going to kiss her goodnight…I love her so much… I had to come…” Angelus feigned being sad and broken because his loved one was in the hospital.

“Ok young man, I’ll let you stay for a little while, then you’ll have to go, she have to rest to be back with you”

“Thank you, you are too kind” Angelus said, sick with himself for being so nice, he should have killed her the moment she entered the room.

The nurse checked Cordy’s vitals and wrote them down, she then left not before warning Angelus to leave the room for the night.

“Alone at last…” Angelus said leaning towards Cordy’s neck.

*******

Meanwhile………

“Aren’t you scared” Cordelia asked the vampire that was seated along with her in her car. She was driving towards a little cabin her parents owned near a lake; Angel was holding the little baby who was sleeping peacefully against his daddy-to-be chest.

“Of what? Of my evil self-ruining everything I’ll have? Of the cure not working and loosing you and never have the chance of having that future? Of…” Angel trailed sadly.

“I know what you mean, God I’d do whatever I could to have their future, I want to know you, I know I’ve been a bitch to all of you, but I want to be your friend, I don’t want …”

“It’s ok Cordelia, I have realized you just were trying to protect yourself of being hurt, I know what it’s not knowing if you can trust the people that is around you”

“It’s just not that, it’s………my parents have loads of money and everyone want to be my friend because of it, the one moment I let myself trust in someone he hurt me” she said remembering the sock and pain she felt the day she saw Xander and Willow kissing.

“Cordelia…”

“We’re here,” she said interrupting him “C’mon we’ll be safe inside” Angel gave her the baby and took their bags. Cordelia was waiting for him at the door, “Hurry up Angel, I invite you in” she said with a smile.

**********

Sunnydale High Library

Everyone was seated in a circle, in the middle of it was Willow with all the ingredients mixed, and they were waiting for her to begin the spell.

Willow was trying to relax, she was very nervous, she wanted the spell to work, and a lot of lives were at stake.

“C’mon people, join hands and repeat after me, ok?” she said, trying to be brave, to make them feel they could do it. She was answered with chorus of ok.

With her voice low Willow chanted the spell, concentrating, everything around her fading until there was nothing left just her and the magic

When the last sentence was repeated there was a little explosion, signaling the spell was finished.

**********

Sunnydale Hospital

Angelus sank his fangs in Cordy’s neck, the instant he drank the first drop of blood there was a bright light coming from both of them, Cordy opened her eyes and there was a stunned look in them. Angelus eyes were filled with rage as he felt the soul being secured to himself, that moment Angel gently extracted his fangs, he didn’t have the strength to lift his head instead he let it rest in the crock of Cordy’s neck liking the blood, sealing the mark.

Cordy felt Angel mouth in her neck and stead of felling fear she felt aroused. “Angel…” she moaned.

Angel took another sip of blood when he heard her moan and pulled back quickly, his face paler.  Sickness and loathing ran through his body.  He’d bit her; he’d bit his Cordelia.  Angel tried to shake of the sense of intense pleasure he received from it, he tried to purge his memory of the velvety taste as it trickled down his throat and he definitely tried to wipe Angelus lust and need to have taken her hard and now and then drank every last drop, her blood was like ambrosia, if he had done that it would have become an addiction, it would never have been enough just like the woman was to him.  Angel couldn’t ever lose Cordelia, they were supposed to be together his long life and brought him to her through all their ups and downs and he would fight for her until someone made him dust.

He gently lowered her head to the pillow and waited for those beautiful hazel orbs of hers too open.  Angel just watched her and it didn’t take long for those long lashes to move and slowly her eyes opened and then she focused on him.

Angel’s smile was blinding, she’s awake his mind screamed, he was so happy but also unbelievably pissed off that she never told him.  He would tell her what he thought about that idea once he knew that she was better.  The vampire needed that confirmation; he needed to know that the visions weren’t going to kill her.

“Angel?”  She whispered her voice dry and sore.  Slowly she lifted one hand to her neck where it ached and she could feel the fang puncture wounds.  “What happened?”

Angel ducked his head in guilt; he could feel the sickness within him rising again, he was afraid to look into her eyes to see the horror, the disgust.

“Cordy I…..”  He stuttered not sure if she was going to understand the explanation. Trying to tell her that they brought Angelus back so they could save her.

“Just tell me ok?” She whispered and laid one of her hands over his and entwined their fingers.

“Well we needed you blood, my blood and,” he paused for a moment.  “Angelus’ blood.”

Cordy squeezed his fingers a little tighter.  “Let me get this straight you released Angelus to save me, you risked our friends, our child, hell our future for me.”

“Yes, we all decided, we uhh I can’t live without you.”  He mumbled.

“Angel look at me.” She waited for his brown eyes to meet hers she could see the pain and anguish he was going through.  “One day you might have to go on without me, your redemption may not be in my lifetime.”  Cordy explained.

“I know that Cordy but we’ve just started, us had just happened and I just.”  He could voice how he felt there was too much but she understood Cordy smiled sweetly at him and raised a hand stroking his cheek.  Angel leant into that soft palm that heat and closed his eyes.

The Library, Sunnydale High

Wes looked around glancing at everyone.  “Do you thin it worked?”  He asked and the blank faces added up to how he felt they had no idea.

“Oh uhhh we might have a little problem.”  Giles muttered holding a book in his hands.

Wes groaned.  “What little problem?”  He dreaded asking.

“Well you know we said it was too share souls, so that made Cordelia stronger and be able to survive the visions.”  Every nodded at him.  “It’s uhh soul mates this will only work on soul mates and they will be joined forever, when one survives so does the other, if one does so does the other.”  The watcher said.

Buffy looked around.  “Then it didn’t work because everyone knows it is Angel and I.”

“Buffy give it up already.”  Wes muttered.

Buffy glared at Wes everyone knew that the two of them were supposed to be together, forever, that their love transcended everything and soon Angel would know that.  Once they caught Angelus and gave him back his soul.  Buffy did feel guilty and sad that Cordelia had to die at the hands of the soulless one.

“We’d better head to the hospital and see if Cordy is all right.”  Fred whispered afraid that they may have lost her not to the visions but to Angelus instead.  If he was still the soulless monster and they did manage to get his soul back Fred didn’t know how he was going to live without Cordy no matter what Buffy said.

“It worked Cordy and Angel are together just like they are meant to be.”  Gunn told them positively but deep down he knew this but just like his friends, no family he was worried as well.

Sunnydale Hospital

Angel paced as soon as Cordy had woken up they had rushed her off for tests to find out how she was doing.  He remembered growling at the doctor and nurse who had tried to take his Cordy away from him, again.  It took them a little while to make sure that he understood that they were only taking her away to check her out to make sure she was ok, that whatever had happened to her had gone.

“Angel?”  Said an English voice softly.

Angel looked up and saw Wes, Gunn and Fred; he smiled sadly at them he wasn’t getting his hopes up until the test results came back.

Buffy barge forward with a stake in her hand.  “Angelus?”  She said her voice hopeful, it was the first time that the slayer hoped it was the sadistic monster.

Angel looked at her with confusion.  “What are you talking about Buffy?”

Buffy’s face paled, tears fell down her face.  “Please tell me it is Angelus.”

The vampire didn’t have a chance to ask what was going on as Cordy was wheeled back into her room and smile brightly at everyone, her smile faded slightly as she saw the young slayers face.

“What have I missed?”  She glanced at Angel who shrugged his shoulders.

“Well it seems that the spell we did wasn’t exactly what we thought.”  Wes mumbled.

“Wes?”  Angel growled.

“Oh it’s not bad, well I don’t think so it depends on what you think.”  Fred rambled.

“Fred sweetie, just tell us what is going on?”  Cordy said with a smile.

Fred turned to Wes.

“Well.”  Wes said slowly.  “Let’s just say that there will be a good chance of Cordy being around for your redemption Angel.”  He laughed nervously.

Angel and Cordy stared at each other and then looked back at Wes.

“And?”  Cordy prompted.

“Well it seems that the spell would only work with soul mates.”  Wes said and then waited for their reaction.

Chapter 14

Cordy and Angel just turned and stared at Wes, both of them looking confused.
“What do you mean Wes?” Cordy asked.

“Well what we thought the spell would do was join your souls together, which would give Cordy some of Angel's demoness, do that she could live.” Wes stopped as soon as he saw the blank looks he was getting. “It doesn’t go into great detail about how it works, so sue me.” He breathed deeply. “As I was saying the spell didn’t actually work like it was supposed to.”

Angel growled deep within his chest, he was worried that he was going to lose her, just as he had managed to grab her back from the jaws of death. A light slap on the shoulder brought him back as he turned and glared at the beautiful brunette, her eyes flashing with annoyance.

“It was not there fault that the spell was rushed so they couldn’t find out all the details now is it. I ‘m betting it was one impatient vampire with a soul, so stop with the growling and let Wes explain what actually happen.” Cordy turned to look at Wes. "You are going to explain right" She asked hopefully.

Wes smiled and nodded at her. “Don’t worry Angel, Cordy is alive and I am guessing for a long time, well as long as you live anyway.” Cordy and Angel exchanged confused glances and then turned back to the ex-watcher. “Well this spell only works for soul mates, for Cordy to be alive now the two of you were meant to be together, your essences are joined. Cordy won’t age until Angel does; she is also stronger and faster than before. The downside to this is when one of you dies the other dies; you can’t live without each other. You are bound together for as long as Angel is a vampire and alive.”

Angel and Cordy turned and looked at each other, her eyes suddenly filled with sadness
.
“I’m sorry you’re stuck with me for the long foreseeable future.” She was glad but she was not sure if he was ready for that long a term.

Angel placed a finger under her chin and lifted it so he could look into her eyes.
“There is nothing more I want than to spend an eternity with you. One day maybe we can walk in the sun together and grow old together. I was so afraid of my shanshu because I would be alone but now, now I will have you at my side and I can’t wait for that day. I love you Cordy and that is never going to change.”

Tears fell from her eyes as she heard and felt the emotion behind his words. “I love you so much Angel and it grows more and more everyday.” Her voice was soft but Angel heard every word, and for just a moment he felt as if he were alive again and one day he would, there was no doubt in his mind because Cordy would be at his side.
Buffy ran at Angel hitting him in the chest, tears falling from her eyes like the Niagara Falls. “It was me; it was supposed to be me. You were supposed to love me forever. I was supposed to be your eternal light not her, not Cordelia.” Her heart was shattered into a million pieces and seemed to vanish into nothingness and in her chest was a gaping black hole.

Angel took hold of her hands, he felt guilty about not loving her now unlike the older Buffy they had grown up and grown apart and she had her own life and love now, but this young slayer in front of him still had her first love with Angel, just like the younger him. But once they left, their journey to the past would be wiped out so no one would remember and Buffy would get her first love back, for however short a time it would be.

“I’m sorry Buffy and even though you don’t understand it now and you hate me. You will find other loves when you get older. We will always be special to one another, we were each others first loves and that is one thing you would never forget.” Angel told her his voice soft.

Buffy pulled back and stared at the man, the vampire whom she thought she knew and staring back at her was the face of a stranger.


Cordelia and Angel sat down staring at the small child in the crib that was fast asleep. This was going to be their future; they hoped it would still be their future.

“Do you think uhhh?” Cordelia stuttered.

“Everything will be fine. This will happen, it has to.” Angel told her with hope and desperation in his voice.

“But when they go we won’t remember any of this.” Cordelia cried she didn’t want to forget these feelings; she wanted to cherish them and hold them tightly to her but most of all she wanted to be with Angel.

Angel reached out and touched the teenager’s face gently stroking her cheek. It was odd, he loved Buffy, he did but doubts seeped into his mind maybe he was just in love with the idea, maybe when he was told that he had to help Buffy his mind unconsciously made the decision that he had to be in love with her. With him being a vampire and she being the slayer, otherwise why would he help his mortal enemy and not work alone.

But what he felt for the petite blonde was nothing compared to what his feelings were becoming for the young brunette sitting next to him, his feelings had grown so quickly it had overwhelmed him. This could have been the reason why he had never gotten to know Cordelia Chase; deep down he knew that it would be so easy to fall in love with her.
Cordelia Chase just stared at the man, the vampire. She had always known that he was attractive but as she had gotten to know him better, she realised that there was a lot more to him.

Slowly their heads moved closer, time seemed to freeze and as their lips touched an electrical shock ran through their bodies. Angel was sure if it carried on Cordelia would have jump started his heart so it would beat again and just as he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck to pull her closer to deepen the kiss Cordelia’s mobile went off.

Angel groaned as he pulled away from heaven, she sighed and reached down pulling out the small phone from her pocket.

“Yes.” She said her eyes still joined to Angel’s and then it hit her hard, she had fallen in love with him. Her heart ached because she would have to wait a long time to be with him. “Ok we’ll be back soon.” She clipped the phone shut. “You heard?”

Angel nodded but his chest hurt. “Looks like the future is saved and we'll be together.”

“But not now.” Cordelia sobbed. “I don’t want to lose you. I want to be with you, to be able to love you now and forever. It isn't fair.”
“Cordelia all we can have is one moment which soon we'll forget.” Angel told her honestly.

“I don’t care if it is just one moment, if that is all we can have together now, then that is what I want. I need you Angel please make love to me.” Cordelia begged.

Before she could say anything else Angel had puller her into his arms and was kissing her passionately as they started to pull at each other’s clothes.

TBC