Rating: R maybe NC-17
Pairing: Angel/Cordelia?, Angel/Willow, Spike/Fred (maybe)
Synopsis: Angel's life is unhinged by unexpected forces
Author's note: AU year 2007, Gunn's dead and Fred's on a vacation for two months, Cordy and Angel are married, no Connor, Wesley is still friends with Angel
Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, UPN, WB and who knows. When I'm done I'll give them back, promise .o)
Distribution: I don't know why someone should want it but please ask, 'kay?
Dedication: To my wonderful and fearless beta Sinayah
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Prologue~
The two men stood proudly and their dark eyes held a hint of arrogance.
"We're here to remind you of the bond you once made with our ancestors."
Cold silvery eyes scanned the two humans before him without interest. "Really? And why should that bother us, lower being?" The condescending tone of the being made the younger of the two men flinch back.
Soothingly the older man laid his hand on the younger ones shoulder and stepped forward. "Please forgive my young companion for his lack of manners." He took an opal out of his pocket and held it out to the female oracle. "A gift for the Powers."
The female oracle came forward and looked approvingly at the glimmering gem. With a subtle nod she took the stone and stepped back to her brother. "My Brother, we should hear them out. I feel magic in these lower beings."
"As you wish, Sister." With a small wave of his hand he ordered the old man to con-tinue. The expression on his silver and gold face was bored; the oracle would listen, but he didn’t have to like it.
"Almost a century ago, in Romania, you wanted the filthy demon that murdered a beloved daughter of our clan as your warrior," the old man reminded, with a hint of ire in his voice. He took a deep, calming breath and continued. "You promised us eternal vengeance in return."
"Ahh, and what is your demand, lower being?" asked the irritated male oracle. "Our warrior does fine work for the Powers we serve."
"But he's happy!" Interjected the younger man, who had become enraged by the at-titude of the higher beings.
The oracles turned their cold eyes to the young man, their eyebrows raised in dis-may. But the human didn't flinch this time, instead the young man held his head even prouder.
"You’ve had your vengeance, his soul pains him always with the memories of his crimes," asked the female oracle after a moment of icy silence. "What do you ask of us now? Do you want his soul removed?"
"No," said the old man quickly, "not his soul. He suffers more when he's aware of the consequences of his actions. We ask that you take his little family from him. How you do it doesn't concern us, we only want to see him suffer again."
The male oracle took the hand of his sister. "Your wish is granted. And now, leave!" Before the humans could mutter their thanks a blast caught their bodies and threw them out of the temple.
"I don't like the thought of our warrior's suffering," said the female, stopping her brothers retreating form. "What will he do without a seer?"
"Don't fear sister, they didn't say how long the warrior must suffer. We will find him a new seer." He draped the end of his tunic over his arm and went into the appearing light. "These lower beings are so exhausting..."
~Part: 1~
L.A.
Angel slipped soundlessly into the bedroom, covering his bruised ribs with one hand. The fight with the Hydralisk had been long and hard not to mention all the slime that now covered his favorite leather jacket. He tried to catch another drop of the viscous fluid that threatened to plop from his sleeve but stopped midway when he saw his mate snuggled under the dark silk covers looking sleepily at him under long lashes.
"You alright," Cordelia mumbled tiredly.
"'s nothing, go back to sleep, Cordy," said Angel and hurried into the bathroom. Mo-ments later he came back, washed and clad only in his usual silk boxer shorts. His skin glistened with a few drops of water and his muscles flexed as he slid under the covers behind his lover. The dark vampire slipped his arms around the beautiful woman and pulled her body closer into his embrace. With an exhausted sigh Angel nuzzled his cool lips against the soft curve of his mates’ slim throat and cautiously laid his hand on her swollen belly. It wasn't long now till the parturition and the unborn child kicked and turned restlessly. It was a miracle and he silently thanked the PTB who had gifted him with such a treasure. Finally he would have a family of his own, not only a beautiful, strong mate but a child of his own blood. Contentedly, Angel drifted into slumber.
~~~*~~~
Cordelia dozed in and out of sleep throughout the dark hours of the night. The per-sistent dull ache in her back didn't subside as she had hoped and even the comfort-ing embrace of her lover couldn't help her forget the insistent, stabbing pain. She wriggled carefully out of Angels’ arms and waddled into the bathroom to the sink. She splashed cold water onto her heated face, hoping for relief, when she felt something warm running down her thigh. Absentmindedly she wiped a wash rag over her inner thigh and then looked in horror at the bloodied water whirling in the sink.
"God no, please," Cordelia whispered in fear as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Big frightened eyes peered back at her revealing the dawning horror. She grabbed the edge of the sink with clammy fingers and looked slowly down at the tiles and the still growing puddle of blood. Her breath came in shallow gasps and she stumbled back to the door, feeling the strength leaving her with every passing sec-ond.
Angel's nose twitched and his demon pushed forward at the strong aroma of fresh blood. The drowsy amber eyes of his demonic form scanned the empty place beside him and when he felt the sheets they where already cold. A soft creek at the bath-room let him know where his mate was and he spun around to catch sight of her. An-gel jumped out of bed and was at her side seconds after seeing her frightened ex-pression. He caught his love in his arms before she could slide to the ground.
"Cordy!" He knew he sounded terrified but something was very wrong. "Cordy! Please, baby, tell me what's wrong!"
With an immense effort Cordelia opened her eyes and looked into the frightened eyes of the demon that inhabited her mate's body. "The baby," whispered Cordelia when a new wave of pain wrecked her body. "Something's wrong with the baby."
Without another word Angel lifted her fragile body in his arms and raced down the stairs to his car. He placed Cordelia's now unconscious body carefully on the back seat and wrapped a blanket around her. The dark vampire raced back inside to their room and slipped into a pair of sweat pants, a t-shirt and shoes and was on his way back to the car in seconds. He shot out of the parking lot and down the road to the nearest hospital, again and again looking in the rearview mirror at his mate. With squeaking tires he stopped at the entrance of St. Mary's Hospital, scooped Cordy's lifeless body up into his arms and crashed through the doors of the emergency ward. A doctor and several nurses caught sight of him and took his precious burden from him. With long learned precision the doctor examined the young woman before her.
She looked up quickly. "How long has she been bleeding?" It didn't look good, the womans’ pulse was too slow and her heartbeat faded with every passing minute.
Angel was paralyzed. He felt certain that he was in a bad dream and would awake in a few seconds.
"Sir! It's important!" urged the female doctor seeing the shock on the young man's white face. She turned to the nurse. "100 milliliters of coagulant solution, stat! We’ve got to stop the bleeding."
"I don't know," whispered Angel and watched the doctor set the injection. "I don't know..."
"Ok, prepare OP two; we need the anesthesiologist and the surgeon on duty, hurry!" The doctor nodded in Angel's direction. "You have to wait outside now, sir." The nurses hastened out of the room following the orders and skidded around the pale young man with the haunted dark eyes. An older nurse took his arm and led him out of the room.
"You can wait here, sir. As soon as Dr Jenkins has news about your wife, she will come to you, ok? Maybe you should call a friend?" She patted his arm in sympathy and went back to the now closed room where Cordelia lay fighting for her life and that of their unborn child.
Hours passed but no one who came by the waiting room had news about Cordelia's condition. Angel paced the floor of the waiting room fighting his restless demon. He had called Wesley earlier and was pacing while he waited for the arrival either of his friend or a doctor who could tell him about Cordelia.
~~~*~~~
Wesley ran along the dimly lit hospital corridors, alarmed by the short phone-call he had gotten from Angel earlier. He hadn't quite understood what his vampire friend tried to tell him, something about Cordy and blood. And that they were at St. Mary's. When he rounded the corner he saw a female doctor speaking with Angel in hushed tones. Seconds later the dark vampire was on his knees, howling in anguish.
~Part: 2~
"Ouch!" Cordelia squeezed her hazel eyes tightly shut against the harsh light that flooded the room and whimpered pitifully. She raised her hand over her eyes and frowned when still glimpses of bright white filtered through her eyelids. "Duh, could someone please dim the light a little?" With a blow, all her memories returned and with a horrified gasp she tore her dark eyes open.
"My baby!" Seeking, Cordy's trembling hands glided over her flat belly. "Oh god, where's my baby?" She scrambled to a sitting position, tears disguising her view. The brunette looked around the room, her body wracked with heavy sobs.
"No fear, my Child, your infant is fine," a cool voice whispered out of nothing. "You will soon hold it in your arms again."
Cordy frowned confused and swung her long legs out of bed, which miraculously vanished behind her. "Who are you? And much more important, where is here?"
A cool soft breeze stroked calming over Cordy's arm and again the discarnate voice sounded. "You know where you are, Child. Your time has come."
"No, no, that's not possible!" Vehemently, Cordy shook her head, her long dark tresses bobbing around her shoulders. "Not now and in this moment. I love him and you promised I would be allowed to remain with him. YOU promised!"
"Your time has come, Child!" the voice repeated emotionless. "We know which sacrifice you bring, be certain!"
Cordy turned furious round after the voice, but it seemed to come from everywhere. She was in no way ready to accept something thrown at her from some unknown beings. She was Cordelia Chase after all. "Angel is stuck without my visions!" Not the smallest reaction, perhaps she should change tactics. "A-and... and he loves me and...," new tears smothered her voice. "He will hate you, because you took his family from him," Cordy finally whispered broken-hearted.
More voices arose and murmured all at once, coolly, reserved and obscure. Cordy felt like in Alice in Wonderland and her helplessness changed more and more into rage. A first sign for her increasing annoyance was her impatiently tapping foot, whirling up the fog. "Hello-ho, I'm still here!" called Cordy with her hands firmly planted on her hips. "Did you listen to me at all? Duh, your bloody champion will quit!"
The whispering became louder until a feminine voice stood out against all other. "We believe you are right, Child. But we can not extend your time in our champion's reality. There are boundaries even for us, your return would have unexpected consequences for millions of living beings." Warmth flowed round Cordelia and for the first time she felt no panic well up.
"Your path is different from that of your companion. As it always was predetermined. However, it lies in your hands to give him, what was really meant for him since the beginning... his Soulmate."
Shocked, Cordelia inhaled sharply.
"Choose wisely, Child, or there will be no future for mankind." The mild breeze swirled the milky fog apart and a silvery basin appeared to Cordelia's feet. The surface shimmered like fluid mercury and when Cordy, like magically attracted, looked into it, she could suddenly see Los Angeles at night. The picture became blurred, changed and all of a sudden she saw a graveyard, that seemed somehow familiar. "Buffy?" whispered Cordy with a frown.
"Is that your choice, Child?" murmured the mild breeze expectantly.
Appalled, Cordy turned round, her hazel eyes blazing with annoyed fire. "Are you nuts? Certainly not Buffy, pfft!" With a dismissing wave of her small hand, Cordy turned back to the basin. "Ok, if it sooo obviously has to be someone from Sunnyhell, I take... I take...," seeking, her view glided over the silvery surface, showing pictures only revealed to her eyes. Oh God, Angel, hopefully I do the right thing. I love you, my stupid man-pire! thought Cordelia frantically. "Come on, where are you all?" murmured Cordy worriedly until she discovered a well known bleached head. Taking a deep breath, Cordy observed the figure elegantly jumping over gravestones a moment longer before she pointed at the small figure in the basin. "There, that's the one I choose."
The basin vanished and the muffled cries of a baby for its mother's warmth could be heard in the distance. "So mote it be, Child! Come, it's time to follow your own destiny."
And in a flash of light all what was left behind was silence.
~~~*~~~
2 months later
A warm summer-breeze rustled the leaves of the old trees and the full moon twinkled through the clouds which quickly passed by the nightly sky. Like every night since Cordelia's death, Angel laid a bouquet of yellow roses on her grave. He crouched down beside the grave and ran his fingerstips tenderly over the gold inscription on the black marble stone.
Cordelia & Kathy O'Bannian-Chase
beloved wife & daughter
you'll never be forgotten
"I love you," whispered Angel, his voice rough with suppressed emotions and he had to blink several times to clear his view. "Wes sends his greetings; he came back from England yesterday . . . seems as if he finally had it out with his family." The dark vampire picked up the small teddy bear and pressed it for a second to his still chest before he carefully placed it back under the golden letters of his daughter's name.
"Gunn and Fred are still in Vegas. Gradually I believe they will settle down there. Well, and Lorne will reopen the Caritas next week." A fleeting smile played around the corner of his mouth. "This time the three furies carried out their charm without a reward from me. I-" The shrill ringing of his mobile cut in on Angel's monologue.
With a growl, Angel opened the cellphone. "Yeah?"
"Angel, is that you?" Wesley asked tentatively, astonished by Angel's rude tone. The ex-watcher swallowed and looked nervously at his opponents. "You should come to the hotel as quickly as possible, I think we have a slight problem here."
Angel frowned about Wesley's serious voice. The ex-watcher never called him without an important reason, knowing Angel's aversion to cellphones, and a shudder ran down his spine. "I'm there in 15 minutes." Angel shut the mobile and ran as fast as possible to his car.
~~~*~~~
The black Plymouth halted with squealing brakes at the Hyperion and Angel jumped out of the car. Ready for battle the dark vampire stormed through the front door into the foyer. Yet instead of a fight, he stood suddenly vis-à-vis Willow Rosenberg.
"Willow?" Abrupt Angel stopped and blinked, confused before he pulled the petite red-head cordially into his arms. "What are you doing here?" A deep menacing growl behind Angel let him instantly turn round. "Spike?" Unbelieving Angel looked into the yellow flashing eyes of his Childe.
"Hey, mate, take your paws off Red!" hissed Spike and pulled Willow protectively behind his body. Angel's demon stirred at the aggressive tone and he straightened up to his full size. Before the situation could escalate, however, Wesley stepped forward and said appeasingly, "We all should at first ease off and sit down, so Ms. Rosenberg and her companion can explain the reason for this urgent meeting."
With amber-tainted eyes, which clearly showed the close to the surface lurking demon, Angel turned to Wesley. "Those two are the reason for your call?"
Nervously, Wesley ran a hand through his short dark hair before he hastily removed his glasses and polished them. "Err... yes... well... their concern sounded very important and your presence seemed to be first priority."
Willow felt sorry for the ex-watcher who spluttered more and more under Angel's dark stare. "It's ok, Wesley," said the young witch and stepped round Spike's still tense body. "It's probably- AAAARG!" With a cry of pain Willow wobbled and would have fallen to the hard stone floor if Spike hadn't caught her quickly in his arms. Caught in a horrible vision, she didn't see the dismayed expression on Angel's face before he turned around abrupt and disappeared in his office, the door almost falling out of it's hinge.
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