Mystical Thank-you

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. Obviously. The character's are Joss's and the idea for the story came from the "anti-coma" challenge by gidgetgirl.

Author's Note: I started this almost two years ago with the intention of having it be a one-shot. Then of course, my mind wandered off, things happened, and I never got back to it. Now I have returned to it, and it's going to be longer. Let me know what you think.

"You're welcome," Cordelia finished as she gazed into Angel's dazzling brown eyes for a final time in her mortal life. And then she was gone. Her mission as Angel's associate was successfully completed. Whether or not the brooding vampire knew it yet was beyond her knowledge and concern. When the time was right, Angel would know.

At the exact same moment during which those two simple words passed over Cordelia's soft lips, the physical body of Cordelia Chase disappeared from the hospital bed at the medical facility in the Los Angeles branch of Wolfram and Hart. In the twenty-two-year-old's place fell two children, a boy and a girl. Neither one of them looked possibly over the age of eleven and both looked around with wide and confused eyes.

The girl was the younger of the two, probably only seven or eight in age. Her wavy brown hair came down to her white hospital gown where it rested along her thin shoulders. Her dark brown eyes filled with fear and alarm as she cautiously sat upright on the bed next to the boy.

Her male companion was young, but not younger than she, with an age of about ten. His hair was short and dark and he had angular features along with gorgeous dark eyes. He quickly caught on to the girl's apprehension and he moved slightly closer to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, princess," he whispered in a comforting voice. "I'll protect you no matter what," he added as the Irish accent in his voice was becoming more and more noticeable with each word.

"Who are you?" the little girl asked as she glanced up slightly at the boy, her eyes still wide and now slightly filled with confusion.

"That's what I would like to know," the on-call nurse exclaimed as she closed the door behind her with a slight bang. She then gasped in shock as the concept of the unoccupied bed finally registered in her mind. "And what have you done with the patient who was here?"

The boy shrugged in mild confusion. "Look, lady, I dunno what you're talking about when you say patient, but my name's Allen Francis Doyle."

"What are you doing here?" the nurse asked impatiently as she crossed her arms across her blue shirt. "And who are you?" she asked as she directed her angered gaze towards the young girl.

The girl shook her head back and forth violently as she gave Doyle a slight push so that he was in front of her.

"Give me your name," the nurse commanded sternly as she tried to reach for the girl's wrist.

Again, the girl refused and she placed both her hands firmly underneath her body.

"I'm calling my employer," the nurse warned as she took off down the hallway towards her office that contained a phone.

After the nurse had left, Doyle jumped off the bed and gently closed the door before rejoining the girl on the bed. "Out of curiosity, what is your name?"

The girl moved closer to Doyle on the bed. She then placed her left wrist in his hand, turning it slightly so that her name was visible on the hospital's identification bracelet.

"Chase comma Cordelia J," Doyle read aloud softly. "It's pretty. Why keep that a secret?"

"They'd poke me with sharp things," Cordelia whispered as she gave an emphatic gesture at her wardrobe. "I'm the one dressed in the ugly outfit! When I get out of this, my father will make these jerks pay."

"Don't worry," Doyle stated again as he wrapped a gentle arm around Cordelia's shaking shoulders. "No one will hurt you. Not on my watch," he promised as he arose from the bed. "So what do you say about exploring the jungle?" he asked curiously as he extended his right hand out to Cordelia.

Cordelia smiled slightly as she took Doyle's hand. "Ok," she agreed as she too stood up.