Cordelia looked up at the group of people gathered around the
reception desk.  The old hotel was bursting with life these days.
Angel looked at the redhead, cuddled against him with a look of
besotted pride.  The snarky blonde vampire stood near the dark
vampire and witch, hovering protectively over his family.  Gunn and
Wesley sat on a couch nearby, arguing about the merits of American
football versus British football.  Spike threw in comments on the
grandeur of Manchester United occasionally.    She grinned as the
words flew, her family surrounded her with warmth and love and she
had a date with a certain oracle later, life was good.

Standing and walking around the counter into the midst of her family
she was suddenly felled by an intense vision.  She collapsed into the
arms of someone, and shook as she saw things, bad things.  Slowly,
she began to regain control of her self.  She groaned as she raised
her hands to her head and pressed hard on her temples.  It never
worked, but she was convinced that if she just put enough pressure on
her aching head, it would feel better.  Looking up at the sea of
concerned faces around her, she took the handful of pills that Wesley
handed her, washing them down with the bottled water that Gunn held
to her lips.  She realized that it was Spike who had caught her.  His
arms were firm and hard as he held her close.

"Angel, there is a demon, it was killing a little kid in the park
across the street from a, it looked like a school, but the sign said
Notre Dame.  It is a red brick building and I saw a street sign that
said Clarkson.  The kid is near the back of the park, there are some
old railroad tracks there.  You have to hurry, this feels like it is
now."  The brunette seer moaned and slumped down into Spike's arms.
Her head ached in the worst way.

"I think I know which park she's talking about.  It sounds like Palms
Park to me.  It is West L.A. just off of  the 10 Freeway.  There is a
catholic school there, and it backs up to old railroad tracks.  I
can't think of any other park on Clarkson that matches the
description."  Gunn was collecting his battle axe, as he spoke.

She looked back at Spike and glared "Well, put me down, you have to
hurry.  In fact, why are you still here?"

Angel grabbed his favorite sword, and gathered Gunn and Spike with
his eyes, "Wesley, you see if you can find out anything about this
demon.  Call me on the cell if you find anything out that we need to
know.  Willow, would you take care of Cordelia?  She can take a while
to recover from these things."  Without further comment the three of
them left the lobby, to face the demon raging in West L.A.

"Can you tell me what it looked like Delia?"  Wes asked gently.

"Yeah, it was big and green and all claws and teeth.  I think it had
scales, but I can't be sure.  All I know for sure is that it screwed
up my date with Doyle."  She reflected on that tragedy, then
discovered one far worse, "And, I broke a nail.  Just how much worse
can this night get?"

Her question was answered with another vision.  This time she was
already laying on the couch, so at least she didn't fall.  The silver
lining was obscured as she realized that she was seeing Doyle and he
was under attack.  Someone was using some kind of magic to attack her
boyfriend.  She growled, low in her throat, not in this lifetime was
her only thought.  I just got him back and I'll be damned if I am
going to lose him again.  She gingerly lifted her head from the
armrest of the couch and looked at her forces.  She moaned as she
moved, but had no intention of stopping.  "Wes, you need to call
Angel, tell him that as soon as he kills the demon, he has to get to
the oracle's chambers.  Someone is going to attack Doyle."  She
waited as he pulled the phone to him and started to dial.  "Willow,
the attack seemed to be magical.  We'll have to have your help.  You
and Wes are the only magic users we have."

She watched Will's nose wrinkle as she used the term magic user.
Willow grinned through her worry and  queried, "D&D, much.  Couldn't
you use witch or caster or something politically correct?  I'll go
get my bag of tricks, be right back."

Cordelia slowly lowered her head back to the armrest of the couch.
She waited impatiently for the pain killers to kick in.  She had to
be able to fight, and soon.  She wasn't losing Doyle again.  Not now,
not ever.  She cut her eyes toward Wesley, listening to him explain
to Angel, that yes, he needed to take care of the demon.  And that
they would hold off the bad guy or guys until the troops could come
to the rescue.  And yes, he would watch out for Willow and Delia.
Yes, that they needed to go now.  They wanted to get there soon, in
hopes of warning Doyle, before the attack actually came to fruition.
Yes, they would be careful.  Yes, goodbye Angel.  He hung up the
phone, and glanced over at the couch to find Delia watching him, with
pain filled eyes.  He jumped to his feet and went to her, lifting the
bottle of water to her lips.  He smiled reassuringly, "We will get
there in time, and we will save Doyle for you."  She winced and
nodded.

A clatter from the stairs announced Willow's return.  "I'm ready if
you guys are.  I think I got everything we might need, Wes."

"Help me up, Wes."  The British demon hunter leaned down and
assissted her from the couch.  "Ouch, ouch and ouch.  Let's get
going, we may not have a lot of time."  The seer leaned heavily on
Wes as the trio headed for the post office and the battle to save the
love of her life.

Meanwhile:

Gunn and Spike looked at Angel.  Spike knew that growl, someone had
just threatened one of Angel's posessions.  He didn't envy that
person at all.  It sounded like soul boy was very close to losing
it.  "Well, mate, what's doin'."

Angel snapped the cover of the cell phone shut.  "Cordelia had
another vision.  This one was of someone using magic to attack
Doyle.  She has gathered up the troops, Wes' word, and gone to
protect him.  We have to find this demon and kill him fast.  I don't
know how long Willow and Wes can hold out against a powerful
magician."

Spike growled as he realized his sire's mate was in danger.  He liked
the little redhead because she was nice to him and he loved to shag
her, but she was his mum.  No one threatened his family and got away
with it.  He had been expecting trouble, but he had thought it would
come from Sunnyhell in the form of Slutty the vampire layer and the
wicked witch Tara.  "Don't worry sire, how long can it take The
Scourge of Europe and the defender of L.A. to take down one measley
little demon?"

"The defender of L.A.  Hey man, I like that." came from the
backseat.  He turned and say the grin on the face of the man in the
rear.  The blonde vampire could clearly read the worry in the man's
dark eyes.

"We'll get there in time, mate.  Never you worry."  Spike turned to
face his sire, he could tell this was going to be a bad night for the
bad guys.  He reached deep within and began to purr, subliminally,
hoping to calm his sire.  Angel needed to keep his focus.

Soon they swerved onto Clarkson, Gunn giving Angel directions.  They
saw the park and slid into a parking lot.  Unloading the armed men,
led by Gunn quickly found the area of the park that the seer had
described to them.  They scanned the area carefully, looking for the
demon and his victim, a gasping cry led them to a dark area where
they saw...."Damn, that thing is huge."  Gunn unslung his axe from
his shoulder.  Angel grimly drew his sword, and Spike, well Spike
just grinned.

He shouted back to Gunn, "Aim for his kneecaps, if that's all you can
reach."  He flung himself at the huge green thing in front of him.
He managed to clamp one arm around the demon's neck and he sat
perched on the thing's back, looking for all the world like a demon
bronco buster.  The demon threw the small boy he had just grabbed
away as he tried to deal with the nuisance on his back.  Gunn, taking
the snarky blonde's advice just this once, aimed a roundhouse blow at
the side of the thing's right knee.  His hands ached, as the axe in
his hands bounced off the things armored skin.  Angel, noting the
armor drew back his sword to stab at it's eyes.

"Spike, get off of him."  He ordered and as soon as his childe was
well away from danger, he threw his sword, piercing the demon's left
eye.  Green ichor ran down it's face as it slowly swayed and then
fell.  He pulled his sword from the things eye, with a sucking
sound.  "Don't let it's blood touch you."  He warned his team.  He
held up the sword, it's blade was ragged where the acid in the
thing's blood had eaten away at it.

Spike put his human mask on, and went to the small boy laying on the
ground.  He was just coming to, and was shaking his head to clear
it.  "Are you all right then?"  He was struck as he saw the child's
brown hair and blue eyes.  It reminded him of someone, but for the
unlife of him, he couldn't remember who.  "What are you doing out
after dark, anyway?"

The small boy looked up at him and cheekily replied, "I was running
away from school.  Now I think I'll just run back if you don't mind."

Spike grinned at the kid.  "Com'on then, I'll walk you back."  He
took the kid by the hand and told the others that he was taking the
kid home and would be back soon.  Angel nodded and turned back to the
demon that had begun to smoke as the acid in it's own blood slowly
destroyed the body.

"Well, at least it seems to be taking care of the cleanup by itself.
Let's head back to the car, as soon as Spike is back, we need to
roll."  They hefted their weapons and headed for the black
convertible.  Both of them worried about the rest of their happy
family.  They had just reached the car when Spike slipped out of the
shadows.

"Well, come on then, time's wasting.  Let's go save Mum."  The hyper
blonde was in the car in a second, bouncing impatiently as he waited
for the other two to load up.  In moments the trio of heros was
enroute to the post office.

Under the Post Office

Cordelia looked at her companions.  "Are you ready, this can be a
bumpy ride?"

Willow nodded her head, she was excited about finally meeting the
oracle.  Wesley just looked resigned to facing the man whom he had
never met, but had heard so much about.  He nodded to the seer and
braced himself as she threw a handful of herbs on the glowing brazier
and chanted the prayer to invoke them into the presence of the
oracle.

Cordy shook her disorientation quickly off.  She looked at her
companions.  They were visibly dazed by the experience.  She heard a
loved voice behind her, "And have ye brought company with ye, then,
Princess?"  She spun and threw herself against the chest of the man
she loved, sobbing, hysterically.  Doyle clutched her to his chest,
rubbing her back soothingly.  She felt his hands, massage the tension
from her shoulders.  "Now, and what's this, then?  Has someone been
hurt, and why have ye brought these with you?"

She took a deep breath, and then another.  "Doyle, I had a vision."

"Aye, and aren't ye supposed to be doing that very thing.  I assume
you sent Angel off to deal with the problem.  But that doesn't
explain your tears, unless....." there was a brief pause as he
considered the unthinkable.  "Never say that Angel is..."

"No you doofus.  I had two visions.  Angel, Spike and Gunn are
dealing with the first one right now.  They'll be here as soon as
they kill the demon.  It's the second vision that concerns me.
Doyle, someone is going to attack you, using powerful magics.  I
don't know who.  I never saw a face, but I am scared."

"Well, that explains the witch and the sorcerer, then.  I am sure
that we can deal with this little problem, macushla."  He turned to
face the others.  "Ye have my thanks for coming and me power is at
your disposal.  Would ye be havin a seat then?"  He waved his hand at
the two of them and they looked behind them to find cushy armchairs
where there had been nothing before.

As they sat, Willow's curiousity came to a head, "Can you teach me
how to do that?  It would come in really handy when Angel and Spike
decide to break the furniture with each other."

Cordy grinned through her tears at the red headed hacker.  "I already
tried to get him to do this for my place.  He told me that it would
be an abuse of power, and that I really didn't need a leather couch
as much as I thought I did."  She leaned into Doyle's body, comforted
by his warmth.  It helped that he was just here.  "But, that doesn't
mean I am giving up."

Doyle grinned at her and looked to the witch and the sorcerer.  "And
what, may I ask have ye planned to go about protectin me?"  With a
casual wave of his hand, a chair appeared behind the dark oracle and
he sat down, firmly placing his Princess, in his lap.

"Well," the redhead spoke, "We thought we'd start with the standard
protection spells and maybe a spell designed to block evil
intentions.  After that, we will just have to see what, whoever
throws at us."

"Darlin, had you considered that the place is already protected to
the hilt.  Nothing evil is able to enter my realm."

"Ahem," the Englishman's tones were cool, "and what, exactly,
happened to the last set of oracles?"

Doyle's face grew somber as the ex-watcher's words sank in.  "Well
now, there is that.  I need to consult with me bosses, for just a
bit."  He stood and placed, the woman he loved gently in his
chair.  "I'll be right back.  Oh, and Princess, I give you leave to
admit Angel, and his crew, but no others."

"Will it hurt, because double vision, can you say migraine?"

"No Princess, it willna hurt."  He smoothed the hair at her temple,
and vanished quickly.

"I am never gonna get used to that, and hey, my head doesn't hurt.  I
didn't know he could do that.  I am gonna have to make it a point to
come see him after all  my visions."  The seer's eyes narrowed as she
glared at the pair across from her, "And since he can do that, we
have to save him."

A echoing gong sounded, filling the stone chamber with noise.  Cordy
concentrated and three figures were thrown into the chamber with
them.  The dark vampire recovered the fastest, he was used to it
after all.  Gunn looked all nonchalant and looked for a place to sit
down.  Spike just shook his head and sauntered over to Willow's
chair,  "Cor, mum, but it'll never replace stairs."  He planted his
butt on the arm of the chair.  "So, where's this oracle chap that we
have heard so much about?"

Cordelia looked at him, "Doyle is off consulting with the PTBs.
Trying to figure out what's going on, and how to fix it."  She waved
one hand expressively, and two more chairs appeared.  She looked at
her hand in shock, then waved it one more time, just to check.  A
table with a tray of glasses appeared between them.  "Oh, wow, I
wonder if I can figure out a way to keep this, when I get home?"

Angel removed Spike from the arm of the redhead's chair and planted
him in one of the chairs Cordelia, and I can't believe that Delia did
that, had conjured.  He raised his witch to her feet, and sat in her
chair, lowering her to his lap, and nuzzling the bite marks on her
neck.  The bleached blond wonder grabbed a glass of blood off the
table, and dumped a shot of Doyle's Jamesons in it.  He threw it back
hungerily, his game face coming to the fore.  He looked around at the
rest of the people in the room.  "What, I was hungry, it takes lots
of energy to be a demon buster."

Gunn snerked at him, "Yeah, Bleach Boy, and if you'd stayed on that
demon's back much longer, he would have thrown you half way across
the park."

"Everything is okay then?"  Cordy had to ask.  She couldn't stand not
knowing.

"Yes, Delia, one demon slain and one runaway boy voluntarily returned
to school."  Angel grinned at the seer, "And, a really good show,
when Spike tried to break the demon, like you would a horse."

Spike sulked, "Well, it distracted him and got the kid away from him,
didn't it?"

Doyle appeared in their midst, and pulled Cordy up and sat, placing
her back in his lap.  "Well, now, it's nice to see you all, Angel
would ye mind introducing your companions to me.  Well except for
Spike.  Him, I remember."

Angel quickly made him known to Gunn, Wesley, and Willow.  Then
looked at the oracle.  "Well, what's the deal? What are we facing?"

"Not a lot, apparently.  The PTBs wanted you hear so they could tell
you in person, and not through Cordy, that they were proud of the
work you were doing and that you were on the right path to
redemption.  They said somethin about you having a tendency to ignore
the messages that were really important and go off on your own, so
they brought you to them with all of your teammates as witnesses.
They didn't want there to be any misunderstandings.  So drink up,
you're fightin the good fight and then leave and go about your
business.  Me Princess and I have a date tonight."  He grinned at
them to take the sting out of his words.

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