[B]Chapter Three: Envision Disaster [/B]

At first, Angel was almost glad Buffy didn't answer. Until he focused and realized he knew the young man on the other side of the door. He saw Riley's pupils dilate and his jaw tighten as recognition hit, right before he lunged at Angel with an angered cry. Riley tackled him like a line backer and Angel grunted as he felt a rib crack and his back hit the yard hard, followed by his head.

"Get off him!" Cordelia yelled, coming up to push an unsuspecting Riley off of Angel. She helped him stand and he wavered. Angel felt cool liquid run down the back of his head and looked up just in time to see Riley charge again.

Buffy, Willow, Xander and Spike rushed out the door just in time to see Angel take a hit to the jaw. The vampire growled, trying to fight the change and the ever loudening voice that screamed for him to just snap the little asshole's neck and end this already.

"Riley!" Buffy yelled, unable to move, stunned to see her boyfriend attacking her ex, who she was just surprised to see in general. Angel threw a right hook, catching Riley in the solar plexus. He staggered, coughing, before coming at Angel again. Angel caught Riley's wrist and twisted, turning the boy so his back was to him. Angel's eyes flashed gold, before he pushed Riley away.

[B]Rip his fuckin' head off and be done with it, unless you [I]want[/I] me to come out and have some fun.[/B]

"Back off boy," Angel growled low in his throat. Spike watched, amused, until he saw Angel's eyes change and felt the air crackle in a way he couldn't recall since Angelus. He tackled Riley from behind, before pulling him up and pushing him hard against the tree.

Spike was momentarily stunned with his actions, realizing that if he did slightly harm Riley for his own good, the chip didn't interfere. [I]Good to know[/I], the younger vampire thought.

"Let me go!" Spike rolled his eyes at Riley, grip tightening. "You should've let me kick his ass."

"I just saved yours, Mate." Riley ignored Spike, looking past him to Angel.

"We're not done here you over grown leech!" Angel groaned, running his hands over his face in an attempt to calm himself.

"Look Captain American, It's been a long time since I've opened a vein, but I will if you pull anymore of that Van Helsing Jr. shit, got it?" Before Riley had a chance to respond, Buffy stepped toward Angel, her stance and face already defensive. "Hey," he said before she could start her tirade. She blinked, thrown off.

"Um, hey."

"In all fairness, this wasn't how I expected this to go."

"How you expected what to go? Why are you here, Angel?"

"I'm getting there," he said a little harshly, trying not to snap. "This isn't easy for me either. I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here. Cordelia had a vision yesterday. It sent us here last night after some…enemies we've been having issues with," he ignored Cordelia's glare. It wasn't the time to let Buffy in on exactly who he was after. "I just came by to let you know I was in town and why."

A few moments of silence followed as Buffy took in what he had just said, eyes glued to the ground. She uncrossed her arms, took a step towards her home and looked up.

"Come in," she threw over her shoulder. Angel looked to Cordelia, before walking to the house. She followed, then everyone else. Riley stood just outside the door, stunned. He quietly walked inside.

The group was seated in Buffy's living room. Angel sat in a chair, Cordelia on the arm rest. Buffy was on the couch, Willow and Xander with her. Riley leaned against the wall, Spike against the counter, and Giles in the chair opposite Angel. Joyce wandered about the kitchen, trying to eavesdrop stealthily.

"So, who did you follow here?

"Vampires. Two of them."

"You couldn't just leave it to me? That's kind of my job, Angel. Vampire Slayer. Slayer of vampires." Her voice held irritation. He thought she couldn't handle this on her own so he came here to, apparently, do the job right. If that didn't bother her enough, he didn't appear to even be giving her a second look.

She tried to brush it off as being due to Riley, but other than the scuffle her boyfriend provoked, Angel didn't seem to care. He seemed different somehow, though she couldn't quite figure it out. He was darker, distant, antsy, easily irritated, and seemed to be trying his damnedest to bite back his growl at her tone.

"Believe me; I would have loved to leave it to you. But Cordelia had a vision. That means I need to be here to handle it. It's my case, my problem, and I'm going to fix it. I just wanted to give you a courtesy heads up."

The answer didn't ease Buffy's irritation. It enflamed it. A part of her was hoping that he came here to protect her, like he had a year ago for Thanksgiving. Now, looking at him, he was all business. Her Slayer senses were telling her that something was going on with Angel, something that wouldn't end well. Too much time had passed between them for her to be able to tell though.

"Vamps go from LA to Sunnydale and Sunnydale to LA all the time, Angel. What's so special about these that you have to rush to [I]my[/I] town to take over?"

"There's a personal tie. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you there's not. They're strong. They're dangerous. They have major back up. And they've been making my life a living hell for a while. I'll get this done, and then be on my way back to LA." Silence fell upon the group. Buffy tried to push down the emotions that were resurfacing. This was just another case. They'd get it done and everything would go back to normal.

"All right. So, what happens now?"

"Honestly, I'm not exactly sure. I guess we patrol. Try to come across something." Cordelia intended to respond, but instead, her hand gripped his forearm tightly. "What Cor…Cordy? Shit." He caught her as she fell backward, off the chair, pulling her with him onto the floor. She stilled.

The sharp stab of pain and panic jolted through Cordelia. She felt disoriented and rubbed the back of her neck, trying uselessly to lessen the knot of tension. She felt another dose of pain and panic slam through her, accompanied by the feeling of her skull being split open with an axe.

There was a flash; graveyard, teenagers, two girls and two boys. She felt arms holding her, heard a soothing voice, and felt carpet beneath her. Angel kept her tight in the comfort of his body, easing her and himself back along the front of the chair, cradling her against his chest.

Cordelia grabbed at her head, crying, body going limp at the onset of pain. Images and the senses of pain and fear and panic poured into her brain. She could feel her body seize, as well as Angel trying to calm her.

At the same time, Cordelia could feel the pierce of fangs at her throat. She felt the blood leave her body, felt herself grow cold. She turned her head away from the vamp, eyes gazing out across the cemetery. She saw a strange tombstone, and then felt her eyes grow heavy as the life left her.

As soon as the images came, they stopped leaving Cordelia clinging desperately to Angel, gasping in breaths through her sobs. Her motor functions felt fried and her head ached. She waited until her world stopped spinning and then she opened her eyes.

"Angel?"

"I'm here Cordy." She pulled back from him slightly, taking in all the frightened faces staring around her. "What did you see?" he asked her softly.

"Teenagers. Two boys, two girls. Young. Cutting through the cemetery to get home, I guess. Two vampires attack. There's a grave stone. It's big, tall, with, like, an angel on top. That's all I got."

"That's fine. We'll find it," he assured. He lifted her, placing her so she was sitting in the chair. He left her for a moment, only to return with a glass of water and a few pain killers. He kneeled before her, handing her the water and pills. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Let's just take care of this. Soon?" He studied her for a moment while Xander inched closer, verbalizing what the rest of the group was thinking.

"What the hell was that? We should take you to the hospital."

"No, Xander, I'm fine."

"Fine? You looked like you just had a seizure! You were flopping around like a fish, then just, stopped moving. That can't be okay."

"Maybe he's right," Willow interjected, before turning to Giles. The older man didn't seem to have anything to say.

"I'm not going to the hospital. All they'll do is stick me with needles and IVs and sedate me, tell me I'm crazy and having some kind of neurological episode. No. No way." Before any one could argue further, Angel interjected.

"There's nothing a doctor can do. What you just saw was a vision. Hospitals can't help the supernatural so she just has to wait for the pain to stop. Which it will."

"You go through that every time you have a vision?" Willow asked, wide eyed.

"Sometimes it's easier. Sometimes worse. But it's worth it for all the people we've saved." She smiled softly, meeting Angel's face eventually, just catching the brief smile he sent her way. She felt a flutter in her stomach, but pushed it down. "So, let's make this one worth it and go save those kids, okay?" They seemed to agree. As Buffy, Riley and Spike walked toward the door, Angel moved beside her.

"The visions. They're getting worse, aren't they?" He asked her quietly.

"Angel, no, it's nothi-"

"Cordelia," he turned her to face him, his voice stern.

"Okay. Maybe a little. They're more intense, more vivid. Takes longer to stop hurting." Both the frown twisting his lips and his furrowed brow deepened. "I'm fine Angel. Nothing I can't handle. I promise. Now, let's go take care of this."

"Okay."

Angel, Cordelia, Buffy, Riley and Spike patrolled the cemetery, all quiet. Cordelia walked beside Angel, still slightly shaken. She stepped wrong, stumbled, and Angel held her, preventing her fall, but unable to salvage her shoe as the heel sank into the ground. She struggled to pull it out.

"I told you not to wear those."

"Well excuse me, I didn't anticipate a vision."

"You knew we were going to patrol."

"Might. Might patrol." She corrected, pulling her shoe out. "This is all your fault, by the way."

"Mine?"

"Yes."

"How is it mine? Doyle's the one who-"

"Not the visions, dumb ass. Us, being here. If you would've just staked the bitches instead of providing them with a buffet-"

"Cordelia," he growled, warning her to stop while she was ahead. At the sound of her extended name, she backed off with a,

"Hmmph."

"Maybe you should've left her at the house?" Spike suggested.

"Yeah. Right. You don't tell Cordy where she can and can't go. Get brave, try it some time. See what happens."

"That bad?"

"Don't underestimate the amazing, nagging wrath of Cordelia Chase. Trust me." She sent him a glare over her shoulder.

"So, what is this all about? Piss off an ex-girlfriend from back in the evil days?" Riley asked, a taunting tone in his voice.

"Something like that. Except, two." The group stopped.

"Two what?"

"Two ex-girlfriends." Buffy sent him a look.

"Forget to mention a few details?" She couldn't keep the jealousy from sneaking into her voice, something that didn't go unnoticed by Riley or Spike.

"Maybe a few," Angel said. Cordelia let out a "Pfft!" before receiving a glare from Angel.

"Anyone I know?" Spike asked, suddenly suspicious.

"You might say that." Before the conversation could continue, the sounds of screaming and crying were heard. The group went running. Buffy, Spike, Riley and Angel immediately went to the two vampires, while Cordelia went to the four teenagers to see if they were okay. The two boys held the girls in tight embraces. Cordelia approached.

"Hey, are you guys…" she trailed off as one of the guys turned to her, fangs barred. The other bit the girl in his arms. "Angel!" Angel turned, watching the vampire square up against Cordelia, ready to attack.

"Spike!" Angel called as he went to Cordelia. "The other girl!" Spike left Riley and Buffy to the original two. He and Angel battled the other two and Cordelia went to the two girls. One was huddling by the girl who was bit.

"Put pressure," she said, taking the sweater the friend was holding and pushing it to the bleeding girl's neck. She walked them out of the cemetery. "Hold it here for her. I'll call an ambulance." Cordelia turned away from the girls.

The four each fought their vampires, who were stronger than they expected. Riley took a hard hit to his already sore body and fell back, disoriented. The vampire charged Angel, slamming his fists into him just as Angel dusted the vampire he had been fighting.

Angel stumbled forward at the surprise impact, his balance lost. He felt his temple clip a tall headstone before everything turned dark red. Cordelia came back just in time to see him hit his head and fall.

"Angel," she ran toward the vampire, not thinking, just acting. She didn't have a weapon, so she jumped on the vampire's back before it could deliver a final blow to Angel. She clawed at his face, hoping that someone with a weapon would help before the vampire turned her into dinner.

Buffy helped Riley to his feet as Spike finished off his vampire. Angel shook his head, trying to clear the fuzziness, ignoring the pain in his temple. Buffy, Riley and Spike turned, just as Angel stumbled toward the other vampire. Cordelia jumped back, off of the vamp, standing by the Sunnydale trio as Angel growled, letting the change wash over him.

Angel dragged the vampire with him, pushing it against the headstone he had hit earlier so hard pieces of cement crumbled and fell to the ground. Angel moved in close, growling lowly, violently.

"I know this wasn't coincidence. Where are they?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Cut the bull shit. Who? The blonde one?"

"There's no blonde lawyer." The vampire said. His eyes widened then as he realized he gave up something he wasn't supposed to. Angel's eyebrow raised as realization hit.

"Lawyer? Wolfram & Hart? Where are they?"

"I, I don't-"

"Look! You're making me wanna fight some more. You get lucky, you'll be dead in ten minutes. You get really lucky, you'll be unconscious the last five. Now tell me!" He roared. The other vampire flinched.

"The lawyer. The hot brunette. She was here. Wanted to make sure we did things right. Left when it went south. You can probably still catch her," he said encouragingly, hoping Angel would let him go.

"Thanks," Angel said, then ripped the vampire's head from his body, waiting for the dust to fall before turning around. As soon as he faced the group, Cordelia rushed into his arms. He was stunned by the impact, but returned the embrace.

"I'm so glad you're okay. Ugh, let me see that," she said, tilting his face gently to see the split across his right temple, seemingly unmoved by the bumps and ridges she was touching, or the golden eyes staring back at her. Buffy's eyes widened, surprised at Cordelia's comfort around Angel's vampiric state. She also felt another pang of jealousy as the brunette fussed over him.

"It's fine Cordy. I can already feel it closing up." She still continued to inspect him.

"I know, it's just, with the extra vampires…they weren't supposed to be vampires Angel. I didn't-"

"It's not your fault."

"I'm kind of curious about that myself. Why didn't you know the two 'dates' were vampires?"

"It's not that simple Buffy. I don't always get play by play. Sometimes I get the full picture. Other times I get enough just to know what's going on and where. Sometimes, I don't even get that."

"So this little movie in your head isn't really all that helpful."

"We saved the girls, didn't we?"

"Yeah. And almost got killed by two surprise vamps!"

"I-"

"Buffy. Back off." Angel spoke sternly. "It's not Cordy's fault. And save the energy you're gonna use to yell at me. We're not done yet.