Title: Leftovers

Co-written by: Wicked R and Isa

Set: not exactly time specific, any time after around season 2, second part, I guess. No spoilers.

Regular disclaimers apply.

Rating: PG for violence.

Genre: Angst, shortfic, hurt/comfort. Probably borderlines torture.

Summary: Well, you know me. Cordelia is helping Angel. You can guess how and why.

Pairing: A/C friendship

It was 5 o'clock in the afternoon and Angel hadn't made an appearance down in the lobby yet. Cordelia started to worry. Gunn mentioned seeing Angel coming back to the hotel the night before, but the former gang leader went out on an assignment again, so she couldn't get any details out of him. There wasn't anything urgent Cordelia needed Angel for, she just wanted to make sure he wasn't dreaming again about Darla all day. She would have to look in Angel's room. The curtains were drawn, but there was a small space left open, letting in a glimpse of the glorious LA afternoon light. With the layout of the room, the tiny sunray now only shining upon the drawers, would move further with the sun so it would reach the bed with the sleeping vampire in it just before dusk. Still a couple hours away yet, but Cordelia hurriedly draw the curtains shut blocking out the deadly ray. Angel didn't react to any of the noise she was making. Now she was highly alerted, there was something really wrong. Cordelia instinctively put her palm on Angel's forehead.

He was sweating. At the soft touch of her warm hands her friend stirred in his sleep and groaned, his lids started to flutter open, "Darla…" he murmured opening his eyes.

Taken aback the seer lifted her eyebrows. Darla?! Was she right all along? "No! It's me! Cordelia!"

"I need…Darla…" moaned the 250 years old vampire.

The seer felt hurt. "Well, it's me or no one. You choose," she responded in a reserved tone.

Angel struggled to sit up, but doubled over instantly in pain and into Cordelia's arms.

As she held Angel up, the vampire whispered into her ear, "I need you to…act like....Darla for me."

"What?? I don't know what you mean by that. And I wouldn't want to, and even if I wanted, how could I?" In spite of her feelings against Darla, and Angel's recent tendency to let his imagination run rampage about his Sire, she sensed that something wasn't right, "Angel? What's wrong?"

Angel needed time to gather his strength before he could continue to talk. Exhausted he sunk back again, shutting his eyes.

Cordy inspected him worried and confused, "it seems as if you were in physical pain. You are not going mental on me, are you?"

Angel swallowed hard, and weakly he reached for Cordy's hand, "Darla, help me…"

If only Gunn were here. At the moment she only wanted to shake some sense into Angel, then ask Gunn to give him a good beating. But that was no option. The vampire so obviously was in real pain. "Liam!" she used another tactic, it had worked before, so she tried it on again. "Angelus! It's me! Cordelia! From Sunnydale!! Buffy's classmate?!?" She emptied all the possibilities of bringing the vampire out of the state he was in.

Angel opened his eyes puzzled. He looked confused at his seer not sure to whom she exactly was referring to, "Cordy?...Sorry. I…Darla. She used to do this for me…"

"Do what Angel?"

"Cutting me open to take out a blade or bullets."

Cordelia shoved Angel back to the bed. Terrified she backed off a step. "What?"

"The skin has healed over, but the blade is still in my body."

"Where?"

"Here," Angel grunted from the effort it took only to move his hand pointing at the upper part of his abdomen. There was no scar visible.

"You can't be serious!" started Cordelia.

"Please Cordy, it hurts so much, it's a torment only to talk! Do it!" he pleaded.

"How exactly.....?" she trailed off.

"Verkep demon…last night…" Angel drifted off.

"That is not what I was asking!" anger was tinting her voice. Darla would've enjoyed that, or maybe not? She didn't like her sweetheart Angelus being harmed and in any pain. It's plain barbaric though, what Angel asks from me!the seer thought. Might be the best option though. How can I do this? Without puking or fainting. Or both. Theoretically it's possible, but I never even saw before how to do this… Luckilya shudder crawled up Cordelia's spine, then steeling herself with a shaky breath.I can do this.She did what Angel asked from her. It took a while until she felt the blade under his clammy skin. Only the thought of the barbarous task before her started to make her sick. The situations Angel always gets me into, incredible!She almost called for Wes, but eventually she decided she could do it by herself.Wes would probably just pass out anyways. You owe me big time for this Angel!

A few hours later the vampire reached consciousness again. He moved his hand to his wound, probing.

"No more blade," assured him Cordelia, "and…no more Darla!?"

"No more Darla. Cordelia." he promised.

"Hmm. That's better."

The End.