Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Anything and everything before Birthday
Timeline: Connor is around, Lorne is not living at the hotel, and Cordelia is not part-demon.
Disclaimer: Let it be known, I own nothing from Angel-verse.
Summary: Ok, it is pretty, erm…"fluffy" shall we say? No point whatsoever. What if the gang found out about the affect the visions were having on Cordy before the episode Birthday? What would they have done if Skip wasn't around to turn Cordy into a part-demon? Find out my take on the situation!
~*A False Sacrifice*~
~*Chapter 1~*
~*Discovering the Pain*~
"So, what you're trying to tell me, is that without the powerball, I'll die."
"Yeah, that's what I'm tellin' ya."
"Dammit. I quit!"
"Angel, man, you can't quit! Not after we've come so far! It would be pointless to quit now."
"Gunn, I'm sorry! I have to! It's not working out the way I planned."
"How did you expect it to work out? Everything would be peachy? There wouldn't be any bumps along the road, no demons? No otherworldly things around the corner? Come on, man, you didn't seriously expect that."
"Gunn! It's Nintendo! Get over it!" Angel stood up from the couch at the Hyperion and dropped his controller.
"Fine! You want to be that way? I'll get English to play. Yo! English!" Gunn made his way to the back of the office to find another playmate. Angel made his way to Cordelia's desk where she held his son. She swayed her hips and smiled as the young boy giggled in her arms.
"Oh, baby! How cute are you?"
"I'd go with handsome, but not cute. Oh, you mean you were talking to the baby?" Angel smirked as he made his corny joke and reached his arms out for Connor.
"There ya go, honey! Go to your daddy! He may make horrible jokes, but he loves you!"
"Funny, Cordy. Really. How's the Bornovia case coming?"
"Done! Finished this afternoon. The family paid us in full and now we have enough to go buy some new clothes!" Cordy grabbed the check off of her desk and made her way around Angel, right before he took the check from her hand.
"I don't think so. I think it should go into the-"
"-Connor fund. Yeah. I know. That's what I was doing."
"Oh, well…ok. You know the combination, go for it."
"Yeah. I will." Cordelia passed an arguing Gunn and Wesley.
"English, come on. You have to play. Connor's too young, and Angel's too old!"
"Gunn, I'm telling you. I don't know how to play, nor do I want to find out."
"Fine, if that's how you're going to be. But I'm tellin' ya right now. You come and play, I'll even let you be Mario."
"Well, since you put it that way, no!" Wesley seemed to be consumed by his desk full of papers and books. The usual.
"Wesley, take a break. Go have some fun for fifteen minutes! And make Gunn stop jumping up and down like a seven year old." Cordy placed the check in the safe and closed it.
"All right. All right. But, I have to clean my desk first."
"You go and play, I will clean your desk. Cause if you don't go now, I think he's going to spontaneously combust."
"Yesss! All right, let's go! You and me! Bring. It. On."
"Oh wonderful." The boys exited the office and left Cordy to her own devices. She didn't notice Angel in the doorway as she cleaned the top of her employer's desk.
"What would we do without you?"
"Oh! Geez, Angel. I didn't know you were there."
"Seriously. We'd be utterly lost without you here."
"I think you guys would manage just fine." Flashing a brilliant smile his way, Cordy finished tidying the Englishman's desk.
"Whatever. You know it's true." Angel noticed Cordy slightly falter as she glided through the office back to her desk.
"Cordy, you okay?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." She avoided eye contact and sat down trying to shrug off her evident pain.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! I am fine!" Her temper rose and her head pounded. Angel definitely did not want to push this further. But he did anyway.
"Cordy, if you're hurting, maybe you should lay down. Maybe, go home?"
"Angel. I am telling you. I am fine. I don't need to lie down, or go home. I am perfectly fine sitting right-"
"Cordy?"
"-right…" As if on cue, the vision hit. And it hit hard. Angel grabbed her as she flew to the floor. Wrenching in agony, Cordy shrieked and twisted in Angel's strong arms. The others all came to their side, Fred watching from afar, and Gunn racing to get water and Wesley to get the painkillers. It was like a well-oiled machine, the group knew what to do and when to do it whenever a vision hit. But on this particular occasion, their timing was off. Or perhaps the Powers' timing was off. The vision was lasting longer this time. The group stood transfixed by the aching girl and they waited until she was ready to tell them what was going to happen. Panting in utter confusion, Cordy was able to sit up with the guiding arms of her champion.
"Um," Squeezing her eyes tightly, trying to recall the awful images that had just passed her eyes.
" I think it was, erm, Hillgrove Apartments. A family being attacked, by, um, demons. They look like humans, but they aren't." The group looked at each other in confusion.
"Go! You have to go now." Holding her head, Angel wouldn't let her go. He looked to Wesley.
"Get some weapons and get there. I'll be there soon."
"Angel, you have to go too." He looked at her with guilt in his eyes.
"I'm going to help you, Cordy. I'll join them soon." He knew she would protest, but he would stand firm. Standing up on shaking legs, Cordy looked at Angel with tears in her eyes.
"You. Go. Now. A family will die if you don't go."
"You need me now, Cordy."
"Angel! Go!" She screamed the last word and pointed to the door. He hesitated for a moment, not sure to obey or take the risk and stay with her. He looked to Gunn and Wesley at the doorway and went to them.
"Fred, watch her. Don't let her go home." With that the men left the hotel and were on their way to fight the evil that pervaded LA.
"Cordy, are you gonna be all right?" Genuine concern marked Fred's voice. Cordy looked longingly towards the front doors of the Hyperion, and then fell to her knees. Coughing, and panting she clutched at the hardwood floor.
"Cordy? Oh my gosh!" Fred sat beside her new friend and patted her back soothingly. Breathing heavily, Cordy tried to stand. Fred helped her, but she was shrugged off instantly.
"Go, and um. Check on Connor. Make sure he's all right."
"Cordy, Connor's fine. You're the one who needs help."
"No, Fred. I'm fine. Really. I just need to get some, some aspirin or something."
"Oh! Here ya go!" Fred reached to the front desk, which had a glass of water and a bottle of painkillers.
"Thank you. Go, check on Connor."
"Are you sure-" A quick glare from the aching young women made Fred stop mid-sentence and obey the harsh command. She raced up the stairs to check on Angel's son. In the lobby, Cordelia grabbed the front desk with one hand and sunk to the floor. She reached in her pocket for a bottle of her prescribed medication ignoring the pansy bottle of aspirin that was set atop the front desk. Trying to open the bottle, she became frustrated. Her eyes welled up with tears as she tried fruitlessly to open the bottle. It finally opened, but the tiny white pills flew across the wooden floor and the bottle crashed to the floor. She clawed at the floor trying to pick up the tablets. Cordy got a handful and downed them with the provided water. Panting with aggravation, she leaned against the desk and closed her eyes. Minutes later she could hear the quick steps of Fred coming down the stairs.
"Connor's fine! He's sleeping like a baby! But, of course, he is a baby, so that would make sense-Cordelia?" The babbling girl edged to the seeming-to- be-slumbering woman leaning against the desk.
"Cordy?" Fred then noticed the scattered pills across the floor.
"Fred, I'm fine." Cordy answered dreamily. Fred looked to the floor and saw the bottle of painkillers.
"How many of these did you take?" The thick Texan accent came through in her plea to know what Cordelia had done.
"Not enough to stop the pain…"
"Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Okay, Cordy! We're just gonna call Angel and everything will be fine-" Eyeing the woman on the floor, Fred dialed Angel's cell number.
"Oh my gosh. Pick up. Angel…pick up!" As Fred frantically spoke to the non- existent Angel, she read the prescription bottle in her hand.
"Seltrax?"
"No, wrong number-" Angel's voice rang through the receiver.
"No! Angel! It's me! Fred!"
"Hey Fred. We're on our way back. Everything okay over-"
"No! Everything's not okay! Get over here right now."
"Calm down, Fred. We'll be there soon."
As Fred hung up the phone, Cordelia slipped into unconsciousness and all Fred could say was, "Oh my gosh."
Spoilers: Anything and everything before Birthday
Timeline: Connor is around, Lorne is not living at the hotel, and Cordelia is not part-demon.
Disclaimer: Let it be known, I own nothing from Angel-verse.
Summary: Ok, it is pretty, erm…"fluffy" shall we say? No point whatsoever. What if the gang found out about the affect the visions were having on Cordy before the episode Birthday? What would they have done if Skip wasn't around to turn Cordy into a part-demon? Find out my take on the situation!
~*A False Sacrifice*~
~*Chapter 1~*
~*Discovering the Pain*~
"So, what you're trying to tell me, is that without the powerball, I'll die."
"Yeah, that's what I'm tellin' ya."
"Dammit. I quit!"
"Angel, man, you can't quit! Not after we've come so far! It would be pointless to quit now."
"Gunn, I'm sorry! I have to! It's not working out the way I planned."
"How did you expect it to work out? Everything would be peachy? There wouldn't be any bumps along the road, no demons? No otherworldly things around the corner? Come on, man, you didn't seriously expect that."
"Gunn! It's Nintendo! Get over it!" Angel stood up from the couch at the Hyperion and dropped his controller.
"Fine! You want to be that way? I'll get English to play. Yo! English!" Gunn made his way to the back of the office to find another playmate. Angel made his way to Cordelia's desk where she held his son. She swayed her hips and smiled as the young boy giggled in her arms.
"Oh, baby! How cute are you?"
"I'd go with handsome, but not cute. Oh, you mean you were talking to the baby?" Angel smirked as he made his corny joke and reached his arms out for Connor.
"There ya go, honey! Go to your daddy! He may make horrible jokes, but he loves you!"
"Funny, Cordy. Really. How's the Bornovia case coming?"
"Done! Finished this afternoon. The family paid us in full and now we have enough to go buy some new clothes!" Cordy grabbed the check off of her desk and made her way around Angel, right before he took the check from her hand.
"I don't think so. I think it should go into the-"
"-Connor fund. Yeah. I know. That's what I was doing."
"Oh, well…ok. You know the combination, go for it."
"Yeah. I will." Cordelia passed an arguing Gunn and Wesley.
"English, come on. You have to play. Connor's too young, and Angel's too old!"
"Gunn, I'm telling you. I don't know how to play, nor do I want to find out."
"Fine, if that's how you're going to be. But I'm tellin' ya right now. You come and play, I'll even let you be Mario."
"Well, since you put it that way, no!" Wesley seemed to be consumed by his desk full of papers and books. The usual.
"Wesley, take a break. Go have some fun for fifteen minutes! And make Gunn stop jumping up and down like a seven year old." Cordy placed the check in the safe and closed it.
"All right. All right. But, I have to clean my desk first."
"You go and play, I will clean your desk. Cause if you don't go now, I think he's going to spontaneously combust."
"Yesss! All right, let's go! You and me! Bring. It. On."
"Oh wonderful." The boys exited the office and left Cordy to her own devices. She didn't notice Angel in the doorway as she cleaned the top of her employer's desk.
"What would we do without you?"
"Oh! Geez, Angel. I didn't know you were there."
"Seriously. We'd be utterly lost without you here."
"I think you guys would manage just fine." Flashing a brilliant smile his way, Cordy finished tidying the Englishman's desk.
"Whatever. You know it's true." Angel noticed Cordy slightly falter as she glided through the office back to her desk.
"Cordy, you okay?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." She avoided eye contact and sat down trying to shrug off her evident pain.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! I am fine!" Her temper rose and her head pounded. Angel definitely did not want to push this further. But he did anyway.
"Cordy, if you're hurting, maybe you should lay down. Maybe, go home?"
"Angel. I am telling you. I am fine. I don't need to lie down, or go home. I am perfectly fine sitting right-"
"Cordy?"
"-right…" As if on cue, the vision hit. And it hit hard. Angel grabbed her as she flew to the floor. Wrenching in agony, Cordy shrieked and twisted in Angel's strong arms. The others all came to their side, Fred watching from afar, and Gunn racing to get water and Wesley to get the painkillers. It was like a well-oiled machine, the group knew what to do and when to do it whenever a vision hit. But on this particular occasion, their timing was off. Or perhaps the Powers' timing was off. The vision was lasting longer this time. The group stood transfixed by the aching girl and they waited until she was ready to tell them what was going to happen. Panting in utter confusion, Cordy was able to sit up with the guiding arms of her champion.
"Um," Squeezing her eyes tightly, trying to recall the awful images that had just passed her eyes.
" I think it was, erm, Hillgrove Apartments. A family being attacked, by, um, demons. They look like humans, but they aren't." The group looked at each other in confusion.
"Go! You have to go now." Holding her head, Angel wouldn't let her go. He looked to Wesley.
"Get some weapons and get there. I'll be there soon."
"Angel, you have to go too." He looked at her with guilt in his eyes.
"I'm going to help you, Cordy. I'll join them soon." He knew she would protest, but he would stand firm. Standing up on shaking legs, Cordy looked at Angel with tears in her eyes.
"You. Go. Now. A family will die if you don't go."
"You need me now, Cordy."
"Angel! Go!" She screamed the last word and pointed to the door. He hesitated for a moment, not sure to obey or take the risk and stay with her. He looked to Gunn and Wesley at the doorway and went to them.
"Fred, watch her. Don't let her go home." With that the men left the hotel and were on their way to fight the evil that pervaded LA.
"Cordy, are you gonna be all right?" Genuine concern marked Fred's voice. Cordy looked longingly towards the front doors of the Hyperion, and then fell to her knees. Coughing, and panting she clutched at the hardwood floor.
"Cordy? Oh my gosh!" Fred sat beside her new friend and patted her back soothingly. Breathing heavily, Cordy tried to stand. Fred helped her, but she was shrugged off instantly.
"Go, and um. Check on Connor. Make sure he's all right."
"Cordy, Connor's fine. You're the one who needs help."
"No, Fred. I'm fine. Really. I just need to get some, some aspirin or something."
"Oh! Here ya go!" Fred reached to the front desk, which had a glass of water and a bottle of painkillers.
"Thank you. Go, check on Connor."
"Are you sure-" A quick glare from the aching young women made Fred stop mid-sentence and obey the harsh command. She raced up the stairs to check on Angel's son. In the lobby, Cordelia grabbed the front desk with one hand and sunk to the floor. She reached in her pocket for a bottle of her prescribed medication ignoring the pansy bottle of aspirin that was set atop the front desk. Trying to open the bottle, she became frustrated. Her eyes welled up with tears as she tried fruitlessly to open the bottle. It finally opened, but the tiny white pills flew across the wooden floor and the bottle crashed to the floor. She clawed at the floor trying to pick up the tablets. Cordy got a handful and downed them with the provided water. Panting with aggravation, she leaned against the desk and closed her eyes. Minutes later she could hear the quick steps of Fred coming down the stairs.
"Connor's fine! He's sleeping like a baby! But, of course, he is a baby, so that would make sense-Cordelia?" The babbling girl edged to the seeming-to- be-slumbering woman leaning against the desk.
"Cordy?" Fred then noticed the scattered pills across the floor.
"Fred, I'm fine." Cordy answered dreamily. Fred looked to the floor and saw the bottle of painkillers.
"How many of these did you take?" The thick Texan accent came through in her plea to know what Cordelia had done.
"Not enough to stop the pain…"
"Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Okay, Cordy! We're just gonna call Angel and everything will be fine-" Eyeing the woman on the floor, Fred dialed Angel's cell number.
"Oh my gosh. Pick up. Angel…pick up!" As Fred frantically spoke to the non- existent Angel, she read the prescription bottle in her hand.
"Seltrax?"
"No, wrong number-" Angel's voice rang through the receiver.
"No! Angel! It's me! Fred!"
"Hey Fred. We're on our way back. Everything okay over-"
"No! Everything's not okay! Get over here right now."
"Calm down, Fred. We'll be there soon."
As Fred hung up the phone, Cordelia slipped into unconsciousness and all Fred could say was, "Oh my gosh."