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Thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for his help with this chapter.

Chapter 12- Waiting in the Wings

New York City

Matt picked up the mail he'd gotten and went through it before finding two tickets. "Angel sent us a gift."

"What?" Faith asked as she walked to him, and he handed one to her.

"Blinnikov World Ballet Corps", Faith read the name. "And they're performing, what? Giselle?"

"Signature piece", Matt shrugged before finding an invitation. "Xander and Anya invited us to their wedding too a few weeks from now. Wanna go?"

"Guess I do", Faith shrugged before adding. "As for the ballet, I think we should go."

"You sure?" Matt asked.

"Not for the ballet, just been a while since I met Angel", Faith pointed out to him before adding with a smile. "And I wanna meet the baby."

"Well then, it's decided", Matt smiled.

Two days later, Los Angeles, Hyperion Hotel

Matt and Faith arrived at the Hyperion where Team Angel were talking as Angel was the first to hug them both. "Hey guys, glad you could make it."

He and Faith kissed each other's cheeks. "You look good."

"Yeah, so do you", Faith looked him up and down. "Where's the baby?"

"Oh yeah, just coming", Angel said as he walked upstairs.

"Ah, Devillicious, been a while", Lorne said happily as he and Matt hugged, and he read the auras of both Matt and Faith, which were both practically beaming. "I'm going to need shades myself with how bright you guys are."

"Really?" Matt asked and Lorne nodded. "Well, I guess that's nice to know."

Matt heard Cordelia telling Wesley nearby how he was the last time she'd gotten sexual action and trailed off after saying "the sex was….", which made Matt chuckle and shake his head, flattered.

Cordelia then walked to Matt and Faith and told Matt. "You look good, as always."

"And I imagine if I could see, my eyes would bulge out at the sight of you", Matt said as both of them shared a chuckle.

"Why did we break up again?" Cordelia joked.

"He already said something like that to me", Faith shrugged.

Then Angel came down with the sleeping Connor, handing him to Faith who cooed at him. "Awww, you're the cutest little baby in the world."

"Yeah, look at those cheeks", Cordelia said as Faith touched and very lightly pinched his cheek.

"He is so adorable, aren't you daddy's little adorable kiddo?" Faith cooed at Connor as she rocked him in her arms and kissed his forehead before handing him back to Angel. "Congratulations."

"Thank you", Angel said gratefully, then told Cordelia. "I hope you really enjoy the ballet."

"I hope so too", Cordelia told him before turning to Faith.

"Also, me and Fred are going out to shop for dresses, you wanna come?" Cordelia offered Faith.

"Sure, I'd love to", Faith said as the two of them walked out to meet Fred.

Lorne was wiping at the back of Angel's tux jacket with a rag as Angel asked. "Is it gonna to be alright? Is there a stain?"

"Oh, relax, crumb cake. I've got the soda water working overtime. Man, little Connor burps like a champ", Lorne assured him.

"At least he's sleeping."

"Who wouldn't?" Lorne quipped before deciding to talk about the important stuff. "With that sweet Irish lullaby you crooned. Just a hair flat on the bridge, but - more to the point - Cordelia?"

"What about her?" Angel asked.

Lorne revealed. "I read you while you were singing, you big corn muffin, and uh, can't say as I blame. I mean, what a woman she's become."

Angel was in denial. "You're not supposed to be reading me. Anyway, you read me wrong." He sat down on the edge of his bed and started to put his shoes on.

Lorne told him. "Sorry, strudel. It's not just when you're singing. We got a little term back in Pylea. Kyrumption?"

Angel shrugged. "I know it."

Lorne started. "Okay. When two great heroes come together..."

Angel denied once more. "There will be no coming together, okay? Everything we've been through together and all anybody wants to talk about is..."

Lorne wasn't giving up. "Can't fight Kyrumption, cinnamon buns. It's fate. It's the stars. Kyrumption is..."

Angel got up. "Stop saying that. And stop calling me pastries."

Lorne watched Angel for a moment, then said. "You're a man of many limitations, Angel. But you're a man. You got a heart. And Cordelia is a hell of a lady. I mean, if I thought she'd like to wear green, I'd be elbowing you out of the way. But she's out of my league. She's a champion, Angel, old school. And besides, we all know you got a thing for ex-cheerleaders."

Lorne dropped into a chair, chuckling, but Angel only looked down. "What have I got to offer her?"

"Do I even have to answer that? You just have to act, Angel. You gotta let her know what's brewing inside. 'cause, man, it's real and - and you don't wanna miss that shot!" Lorne urged him.

Angel was shaking his head. "Lorne, Cordelia, she's...Matt's ex, it'd be weird."

"Matt will always love Cordelia, but he has moved on", Lorne said, and now Angel was surprised.

"Moved on. With who?"

"Who's moved on?"

Both of them turned to look at Cordelia standing in the doorway, showing off her black beautiful dress. Angel said after a beat. "Uhhh….uhh…"

Lorne said aside to Angel. "You - you know, disregard everything I said. I forgot how homely she was."

"You - you look like..."

"Like a ballet fan?" Cordelia came swaying into the room. "An aficionado? A devotee, in fact?" She reached up to adjust Angel's bow-tie. "Tonight I've decided that we don't have to be our incredibly dreary selves." She smiled at Angel. "Tonight we're just a couple of young sophisticates enjoying an evening of classical dance. How does that sound?"

"Sounds just right", Angel said, smitten by her.

Later, they walked down below where Faith was in a criss-cross backless wrap hem maxi dress, and she was fiddling with Matt's bow-tie, he was in a tux and looked good in it, as usual.

Angel looked over at them as Matt whispered something in Faith's ear and she giggled, and he was confused. Faith then looped her arm around Matt's while leaning her head onto his shoulder, and Angel was frozen at this point.

"Did you become a statue?" Cordelia asked as Angel now snapped back to reality.

"Ah, right, sorry", he said before moving towards the two of them while Cordelia saw Fred asking a shy Gunn to come out and decided to join her.

"Hey Angel", Faith waved to him.

"Hello", Matt added.

"So, ummm", Angel trailed off before finally asking. "What is going on between you two?"

"Ah, right, I forgot we never told you", Faith realized.

"Told me what?" Angel asked.

"We're together", Matt revealed.

Angel . exe had stopped working. He stood, staring at them both blankly, like a statue, his mind processing this. His two best friends, one of whom was like a sister to him, were, well, together. They were dating.

Faith snapped her fingers in front of his face. "You in there?"

Angel finally blinked, opening and closing his mouth a few times before he awkwardly said to Matt. "If you hurt, I will kill you, I don't even care if you can kick my ass, I'll win that time."

Matt ended up chuckling as Angel groaned, then Matt assured. "Relax, I won't be hurting her."

"And if he does, you don't need to kill him", Faith added, before joining Cordelia and Fred herself.

"Well", Angel sighed, patting Matt's shoulder. "You two have been through a lot, so, I'm happy for you both."

"Thanks", Matt said before deciding to come to another matter. "Now, Cordelia."

"What about her?" Angel asked.

"I think it's obvious", Matt told him. "You have feelings for her."

"Now you too?" Angel asked, annoyed.

"Well, it's obvious", Matt told him. "And I think she has some for you too."

"But she's your ex, you two were really close", Angel started.

"We were, but I've moved on with Faith, and she needs someone too, and who better than you?" Matt pointed out, tapping Angel's shoulder as he said. "Don't let this chance go."

By that time, Gunn had finally arrived as Wesley draped his stole over Fred's shoulders while Cordelia responded to something they'd said. "Thank you, but no thank you. There will be no visions tonight."

"How can you be sure?" Angel asked.

"I had a vision", Cordelia shrugged before adding. "Besides, Matt will beat 'em up if they send any."

"Yeah, without hesitation", Matt agreed as Wesley draped Cordelia's jacket over her shoulders. shoulders.

"Thank you", she then whispered to him. "The iron is hot."

Wesley looked from Cordelia to Fred. They all walked out of the lobby.

Eventually, they all arrived at the theatre and settled in their seats, with Wesley, Fred and Gunn sitting together in one row. Angel, Cordelia, Matt and Faith had seats in the row just behind them.

Angel apologized. "Sorry they're not closer. Getting seven seats together..."

Wesley assured. "Don't be silly. Best place. We get the whole panorama from here."

"Besides, back here we stand less chance of setting off the 'under seventy' alarm", Cordelia added.

Angel joked. "Back in the day I'd always get box seats. Or I'd just eat the people who had 'em.'

"Don't lets reminisce. We're here. Enjoy", Cordelia said.

"You sure you can enjoy this?" Faith asked Matt before turning to Angel. "You didn't think this through when you got the tickets for him, did you?"

Angel groaned as Matt said. "Don't worry, I can still hear it."

"I thought Matt would get the impressionistic picture in his head while they danced", Angel told Faith.

"I think I will", Matt said and the curtain opened.

The ballet began as the Russian direction glanced from above.

Cordelia ended up snoring, and jerked and moved as her head ended up on Matt's shoulder, but he nudged it slightly and then it ended up on Angel's shoulder as she still snored.

In the row in front of them Wesley glanced at Fred, while Gunn was leaning forward, intent on the stage, a smile on his face. Fred looked over at Gunn and smiled.

Faith ended up liking it too as she smiled at the whole thing, while Matt's and Angel's faces were grim as they turned to each other.

The act came to an end and people began to applaud, with Gunn cheering. "Bravo! Bravo!"

"Loved it, so nice!" Faith agreed, clapping herself.

Cordelia jerked upright. "I loved it."

"It's just intermission", Angel told her.

"Yeah, wonder what they'll do during that time", Matt said grimly.

Cordelia looked at Angel's jacket where her head was resting. "That isn't drool, is it?"

"It's okay. Matches the back", Angel shrugged.

The group walked out into the lobby as Gunn said. "I say it once, and gloat all you want: these guys are tight, and I am trippin' out."

"Yes, they just knocked me out", Faith said, doing a motion with her hand.

Wesley agreed. "They certainly live up to their reputation. Has the choreography changed much since..."

Angel shook his head. "No. Nothing's changed."

"Well, it's wonderful they're able to..."

"No. I mean, nothing's changed", Angel revealed, to their shock. "These are the same dancers I saw before."

Fred said. "That's impossible. We're watching the exact same troupe you saw in nineteen-ninety?"

Gunn remembered. "I think he said eighteen-ninety."

Fred agreed now. "Oh. Okay, that's much more impossible."

"Actually, they aren't the same dancers from before", Matt now spoke up as Angel looked at him. "Because there was only one person on the stage."

"What?" Everyone went together in shock.

"Yes, only the Prima Ballerina was on the stage, no one else", Matt revealed.

"Okay, this is creepy now", Cordelia muttered.

"The Prima Ballerina was the same too", Angel said. "Guess she's the only real one."

He then suggested. "We should check it out."

"Exactly what I was thinking", Matt agreed.

Fred gave her input. "Maybe after the show we should head backstage?"

Angel wasn't going to wait. "I was thinking now. You guys should go back. I'll snoop."

"I'm coming with you", Matt said. "I sensed the dancers weren't real, you'll need me."

"Me too", Faith shrugged. "I mean, love the ballet, but I can use my brain more here."

Angel shot her a weird look as she said. "Thinking like a vigilante now, you know? Learning to think and solve, like you and Matt."

Angel nodded as Cordelia became the final member of the 'snoopy gang'. "I'm with snoopy. The magic of the ballet - not really getting to me."

Wesley joked. "How will the dancers keep time without your rhythmic snoring?"

The lights flickered and a soft chiming sounded to indicate the end of the intermission. Cordelia told Wesley. "Don't think that's not coming back to haunt you."

"Time to split up then", Matt said as, Angel, Cordelia and Faith descended some stairs where a security guard was in their way.

"Check out the zeppelin", Cordelia quipped.

Angel noted. "Awful lot of muscle for a ballet company."

"Well, since none of this is normal, it's not that surprising", Matt pointed out.

Cordelia asked. "You want I should distract him? Make with the nice, nice while you slip by?"

Angel said. "Don't be stupid. I'm that guy and the most beautiful girl I've ever seen is making eyes at me? It's either bachelor party or a scam."

"What did you just call me?"

"I'm sorry. You're not stupid."

"No. After that."

"I think I'll just have to go with my patented sudden burst of violence."

"Hey, hold on. I think I might have an approach that is a little more subtle", Cordelia said and walked to the guard as Matt smacked Angel's head. "Ouch!"

"You are so slow, don't wait in the wings, man!" Faith told him.

"When did you become an expert with words?" Angel asked, confused.

"Since I started reading Tolkien", Faith shrugged with folded arms.

"Hey! Do you like bribes?" Cordelia asked the guard who smiled.

"Do I ever."

Cordelia held up some money. "Well, we really wanna go backstage."

The guard took it. "Yeah, okay, but this isn't so much a bribe as it is a tip. And since I'm not parking your car, there's really no way that..." The guard was handing the bill back to Cordelia when he was knocked out by a sudden cross from Angel.

"When in doubt, punch it", Matt quipped while shrugging as he and Faith walked down.

Then they walked through the door and Cordelia asked. "Okay. You saw the building as we drove by. Do you remember it going on forever?"

Angel and Faith glanced past her down a corridor that stretched on without an end in sight as the former said. "It's clearly a spell, or a time flux, or something. I don't think we wanna be rushing in here."

Cordelia agreed. "Well, lets get the others and talk options."

Matt suddenly sensed the door disappearing as the others turned to see it, but instead there was just another corridor, stretching on forever, as Faith muttered. "About that."

Matt snapped his fingers, trying to use his echolation, and tried to hear and feel as far as he could. "There is no end to this hallway, on either side." He cracked his neck. "And me and hallways have a funny history."

"Can you hear anything behind the doors?" Angel asked.

"No, it's like there's nothing behind at all", Matt said grimly.

"Let's split up, we can cover more ground that way", Cordelia suggested.

"Fine by me", Angel agreed as he shared a nod with Matt, and then he and Cordelia left together.

"Like splitting up always ends well", Faith said sarcastically.

"Come on, let's go", Matt said as they went to the opposite side, and Matt opened a door. "Nothing here."

They walked further as Faith asked. "So, you have to open them to sense stuff?"

"Yeah, the spell is strong", Matt said as he opened another one. "Discarded costumes."

With that, they continued on their way.

Angel and Cordelia entered another room as Angel said. "This is her dressing room."

"The prima ballerina", Cordelia realized.

"It's unchanged."

Cordelia sat down at the dressing table and picked up a little chain with a cross on it. "She would wait for him here."

"It's warm. It's very warm", Angel said.

Cordelia turned to look at him. "I feel it."

"Something happened here", Angel agreed.

Cordelia stood up. "Angel?"

"Yeah?"

"I want you - to undress me."

Angel was shocked. "You what?"

Cordelia spoke, but didn't sound like herself. "It's just another costume. I want you to see who I really am. You're the only one who can."

Angel shook his head slightly. "I... - This isn't us. Cordelia", he licked his lips, "we're acting this out. Someone is..."

Cordy came to her senses. "Whoa! - Did - did I actually just ask you to undress me?"

Angel stepped closer. "Is that what you want?"

"Please... I..."

"You want me to make love to you right here?"

"You know I do."

Angel caressed Cordelia's cheek and leaned in closer, whispering. "But you're afraid."

"What if he finds us?" Cordelia asked.

Angel declared. "I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid of anything."

Cordelia whispered. "I'm only alive when you're inside me." They started kissing.

Suddenly there was a hissing sound and Angel jerked away, putting one hand up against the side of his mouth and cheek. "Ah! Cordelia."

"Yes."

"I'm sorry", Angel said.

Cordelia pointed out. "No. We so need to be out of here."

"Yes."

They were both breathing rather fast as they moved back together.

"This isn't out of here", Cordelia then said.

"I know. - Right."

Remaining on the verge of another kiss they moved across the room. Cordelia turned so that her back was to Angel, snaking one of her arms up behind his neck. "Open the damn door."

"Kinda hard."

"Kinda noticed."

Never losing touch with Cordy's body, Angel reached around and twisted the door handle. Breaking apart, they hurried through the open door, and Angel slammed it shut behind them.

"Whoa!"

Angel was leaning with his back against the door. "That's a fair assessment."

Cordelia pointed at the door. "What the hell is that place?"

"There's spirits in there. Energy trapped in time. It took us over", Angel realized.

"Yee. Scary. - Well, it's a good thing it wears off right away", Cordelia laughed as both of them looked down. Angel took off his tux jacket and folded it over his arm, strategically positioned in front of his body.

"Yeah. Good thing."

Matt and Faith opened the door to what was a storage room, and sensed nothing there.

"Looks like a dead end", Faith told him.

"Yeah", Matt agreed before he heard something as his head snapped in that direction.

"What is it?" Faith inquired.

"Not human", Matt replied.

They walked out, back through the hallway, and found Angel and Cordelia as the latter indicated Angel sarcastically. "My champion, ladies and gentlemen."

"Found anything?" Matt called out.

"Yeah, we were possessed in that room and we were finding out something during that, but Angel doesn't want to go back in!" Cordelia told them.

"Is it safe?" Faith asked.

"We're not sure", Angel replied.

"If it gets answers though, I think you should do it", Matt pointed out, and Angel conceded.

"All right, all right, I'm coming", Angel said as he walked to Cordelia and told the other two. "You two carry on."

They nodded and walked off as Angel and Cordelia ended up back in the dressing room, a few feet apart.

"Anything coming?" Angel asked.

"Uhm..." Cordy paced a little circle, then turned to face Angel. "Okay. Let's take it from the middle. - I want you to undress me."

Angel asked. "You want me to have sex now with you here."

"Yes, but I'm scared."

Angel agreed. "But you're afraid."

Cordelia carried on. "And afraid. What if we-he! - finds us?"

Angel awkwardly took a hold of Cordelia's shoulders and pulled her closer. "Well, I'm not afraid of anything."

"Only good inside, blah, blah, blah..." Cordelia squinted her eyes closed and leaned in to give Angel a quick smooch. Then they both looked around the room.

Angel started. "Maybe it only works the one time. You know, when the energy..."

Cordelia reached up and pulled Angel into a passionate kiss. The cross necklace dropped from her fingers behind Angel's back.

He then lay her back on the lounge in the ballerina's dressing room, covering her neck with kisses as she said. "This is wrong."

"Hush."

"You don't know him. - He has power."

"The power to do this?"

Cordelia gasped, taking a deep breath - and another. "Stephan, his power is unnatural. He could..."

"What? Kill us?"

"Worse."

Angel pointed out. "Kurskov owns the company. He doesn't own you."

Cordelia replied. "He doesn't know that. He thinks I'm his." She sat up and got a Russian accent. "That I dance for him. He is nothing but a deluded fan. He thinks I love him."

Angel offered. "Come away with me. Now. Tonight. We'll disappear. Even he won't find us."

Cordelia was reluctant. "I... - Stephan, everything I worked for is here."

"You can still dance."

"Can I? I don't... Not yet. - Maybe when we're..."

Angel told her. "Don't. Don't make promises."

Cordelia begged "Help me. - Help me be not afraid."

She sank back onto the lounge and Angel went back to kissing her neck.

Matt and Faith were walking through several rooms but finding nothing as Faith asked. "Where is that thing you heard?"

"Trying to hide from us", Matt noted when he heard them running again and said. "Turn around!"

They did and there were two guys in front of them, one wearing a 'Comedy' mask and the other wearing a 'Tragedy' mask.

"What the hell?" Faith said out loud as Comedy attacked her but she backed to avoid, while he laughed. "Shakespearean tragedy?"

"They're not alive", Matt told her as he side-stepped to avoid Tragedy and kicked him on the back, sending him down too.

Tragedy got up as Faith tore off the bottom of her dress to help fight better. "Good to know."

She ducked to avoid Comedy's punch and decked his abdomen as he let out a painful laugh and staggered back, and then she ran at him and with a leap, trapped his head between her feet before flipping him down as he crashed.

Matt spun and kicked Tragedy's knee, sending him, then spin kicked his neck hard, breaking it as he was out.

Faith too stomped on Comedy's neck and he was out too.

"We need to get the others", Faith said as Matt nodded and they made their way further, eventually finding Fred and Gunn, with Gunn wounded as Fred helped him up, and Angel and Cordelia arrived at the same time from the other side.

"You guys all right?" Angel asked.

"We are, just got attacked", Matt replied.

"Same here", Cordelia told them.

"Charles got stabbed", Fred told the rest.

Gunn pulled up his shirt as Cordelia hurried over to take a closer look while he said. "Yeah. A couple stitches worth."

"Yeah, not too serious", Matt agreed.

Angel looked at the dead minions. "The same guys that attacked us."

"All of us were attacked by these then", Faith realized.

Fred told Cordelia. "Cordy - your tag's showing." Fred tucked the tag back away while noticing Faith. "And you ripped off the bottom of your dress?"

"Needed to fight", Faith pointed out. "I'll pay extra while returning the dress."

Gunn asked. "Any idea where we are or what the hell?"

"Yeah, this place has a spell and the hallway does not end", Matt sighed.

Angel was shifting on his feet. "Cordy and I hit kind of a mystical hotspot back in one of the dressing rooms."

Cordelia explained. "Well, it seems the prima ballerina had a lover back in the day. And there was this Count Kurskov, who owned the company, and I guess he had a thing for the girl and - they were mightily afraid of him."

Angel added. "He had powers of some kind."

"He was a Wizard."

They all turned to see Wesley standing on the threshold of one of the corridors archways, sword carried loosely by his side. "He was obsessed with the girl. - When he found her with the other man, he went insane with jealous rage - pulled her out of time", he slowly walked towards them, "out of any reality beyond his theatre, his company. He swore she would dance for him forever."

Fred asked. "How did you..."

"I - ah, - I hit a hotspot, too."

"That explains why she is the only real person on the stage", Matt said in realization.

Gunn asked. "And now we're stuck here?"

Wesley explained. "Well, ah, this kind of temporal shift can't just exist. It has to be maintained. That requires power and concentration. If we can overload him somehow, we might be able to slip back to the real world."

"The man with the plan!" Gunn said.

"So, let's overload him then", Faith shrugged.

Angel asked. "How do we do it?"

"Maybe it has something to do with that", Matt gestured, and the others turned to look at a dead minion slowly rising, beginning to shake, then split in two, one wearing a tragedy mask and sobbing, the other wearing a comedy mask and laughing.

Angel grabbed them both in a head lock under each arm and broke both their necks. As soon as they hit the floor they started shivering and splitting each into a new pair of theatre minions.

"So they multiple on dying, great", Faith said sarcastically.

"Look!" Cordelia pointed.

For a moment the wall of the corridor wavered, revealing another reality behind it. Wesley realized. "And that is draining his energy. Angel, try and find a way to the stage. The count will be watching."

Angel started to walk away, muttering under his breath: "I bet he has a box."

Wesley put a hand on Angel's arm as he walked past and Angel stopped to look at him. "Find his power center and destroy it. We'll try and loosen his hold."

Gunn asked. "By making more monsters? Man with the frightening plan!"

"Frightening's the only one we have", Matt sighed.

A minion came up the corridor and Angel spin kicked it, breaking its neck before heading past it.

"Back here. They can't surround us", Cordelia indicated a corner as they moved there.

Cordelia took a minion's sword and gave Gunn a stiletto as Wesley put a hand on Gunn's arm. "You two –" He looked at Fred and Gunn. "- stay close together. I'll take point."

Matt took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, exposing an arm blade on one, then reached back and took out his Demon-slaying Billy club, and Faith took out two knives from somewhere.

"You two came prepared?" Cordelia asked them incredulously.

"Since when has my time in LA ever been quiet?" Matt pointed out, and she had to concede.

Matt then stabbed a minion in the abdomen before spinning as he was split and sliced another's throat with the blade and with another spin, whacked one minion on the neck with his club, sending him down.

Faith used her knives to block one's sword and then kicked him away before hurling one at a minion behind, getting him before slicing the previous' throat in a rotatory motion, and then she took out two more knives.

Cordelia, Wesley, Fred and Gunn fought the minions as well.

Matt rushed one minion and stabbed his throat with the arm blade, then flipped another down and did the same to him.

One more rushed him but Matt spun him and stabbed his chest with the arm blade as well.

Faith kicked one's feet from under him and stabbed his neck before ripping the knife out and stabbing another coming at her in the gut, then she disembowelled that one before hurling the other knife at one coming from behind, and getting up, took out two more knives.

Gunn was curious. "Where are you hiding these knives?"

"You'll never know", Faith gave him a wink before spinning with the knives as she sliced two throats simultaneously.

She then got behind another and stabbed his neck from behind, the knife protruding from the front, and she pulled it out.

Faith then kicked another down and stabbed his neck before kicking him down.

As one more attacked, she grabbed his face and drew her knife across it, making him laugh in pain as he went down.

One attacked Matt with his sword but he stabbed his wrist from below with his arm-blade and took the sword before slicing his throat, and then spun as he struck another minion's wrist with his club, disarming him before stabbing him, and took his sword. "Faith!"

She turned to him as he tossed it to her, and now both fought with swords.

Matt spin kicked one down and as he sat up, Matt stabbed him through the face.

Faith did a spin motion and sliced one's abdomen before chopping off his head.

Matt rushed one from behind and sliced his back before slicing his leg as he started falling and during that time, Matt cut off his head.

Faith stabbed another one, then pulling out the sword, brought it down on his head.

Matt stabbed another from behind as he ended up on his knees and pulling out the sword, stabbed him deeper as the sword protruded from his chest and he moved it up, chopping his face into two.

Faith sliced one's abdomen with her knife as he went on his knees, then used her sword to stab his face twice.

With Matt and Faith fighting like this, Cordelia, Wesley, Fred and Gunn had a supporting role at best.

Matt and Faith then ended back-to-back as Comedy and Tragedy attacked them respectively.

Faith struck Tragedy's face with his sword in a spin motion and he fell as she whacked his face with the blade a few times before crushing it.

Matt stabbed one in abdomen with his arm-blade as he went on his knees and then Matt chopped his head off.

Angel, meanwhile, was trying to talk to the Prime Ballerina. "I can help you. But you have to do something."

"What?" She asked.

Angel told her. "Change the ending. Dance something new."

"I can't."

"He doesn't control all this. He's losing it", Angel looked to see the 1890 backstage dissolve for a moment into the present day stage. "But you have to take the stage. - It's not too late. You can change things."

The ballerina looked from Angel to the stage. She slowly step[ed towards the stage, looking back at Angel once, then went out and begins to dance around the lead dancer, lying stretched out in the middle of the stage as the rest of the company left the stage.

She raised her head from bowing down over the fallen body to look towards Angel, waiting in the wings, then stepped back and struck a different pose. Up in his box, Kurskov jumped up out of his chair. "No!"

As the ballerina begam to dance again, the body of the lead dancer shivered and dissolved. The ballerina stopped, holding a pose, and looked up defiantly at Kurskov's box. Angel ran out onto the stage and with two great leaps landed in Kurskov's box.

He grabbed him by the lapels and pulled him close. "Hey, where is your power center?"

"How dare you?" Kursov roared.

"I'll guess." Angel smashed the jewel in the center of the Russian cross-shaped medal hanging around Kurskov's neck. A wave of blue light raced out, washing over the ballerina on the stage.

Matt and Faith swung their swords when they dissolved and so did the minions and corridor into a modern day back stage room.

On the stage the ballerina looked up at Angel. Angel gave her a slight nod and she sank down, folding her body on top of her outstretched leg, in something like a deep bow, before dissolving away.

Kurskov sneered at Angel. "You have no right."

"Save it."

Out in the audience people began to applaud as Kursov ranted. "She - was my love. She danced only for me!"

"Yeah. You love her that much?" Angel hauled back and clocked Kurskov on the chin, dropping him to the floor. "Start a website."

Angel left the box.

Later, Hyperion

Out in the lobby, Cordelia was brushing at her dress. "Do you think I can still return it? Because otherwise we're gonna have to take on a lot more cases."

"Cordy."

Cordelia said. "You know, we should probably just not talk about - our little adventure. Anything that might have been seen, anything that might have been, oh", she let out a laugh, "perky."

Angel turned away. "I just wanna pretend it never happened."

"Exactly."

Angel agreed. "Wipe it from my memory."

Cordelia asked. "What? - Was it, like, disgusting?"

Angel assured. "No! I, ah... I would, I would just want... If we were to... - I would just want it to be... - new. Start at the beginning."

Cordelia shook her head. "Lost me in the middle."

Angel started. "Cordy - you and I, we've been working together for - a long time."

Cordelia let out a short 'duh' kind of laugh.

"What I mean is, you've become a truly extraordinary woman."

Cordelia grinned and chuckled.

"And I know we haven't always gotten along but… I think that we… you know… we…"

Angel trailed off, only to get smacked on the head, and turned around to see Matt walking off while doing a gesture with his hand.

Cordelia was confused but before she could ask about it, Angel turned to her and continued. "We… grew closer together and I think… I wanna give it a chance. See it through, you know, what we have, if you want to too."

"Angel…" Cordelia blushed, readjusting her dress. "Well, you know how to sweep a girl off her feet."

"So, what do you say?" Angel asked.

"Well, we've been through a lot… and… I…" Cordelia took a breath. "If this was five… six years ago, I'd probably jump at you straightaway but well…" She considered.

When they first met, she had a crush on him before seeing the truth about the supernatural and considering his infatuation with Buffy, Cordelia would never have considered being in relationship with him but both of them had moved on from each other long ago and Cordelia realized that no matter what, her and Xander would probably not last for long either way.

And now she and Matt had broken up, even if they had been good together, and he had moved on with Faith.

And she knew deep down, she had feelings for Angel a long time herself. "Maybe we have a chance. You've been there for me, when I needed you. And I want to be there for you too, Angel. I'd like to be with you, wherever it may take us, but we must see where this goes-

Angel nodded, knowing that they couldn't rush into it like he had with Buffy. While he didn't have the perfect happiness clause now, rushing into a relationship that fast was unhealthy, and his relationship with Buffy had proven it. "So, I guess we'll take it slow?"

"One step at a time." Cordelia promised as she held Angel's hand.

"Princess!"

They turned to see Groo had come.

"Oh my God! Groo!" Cordelia hugged him as Angel and Groo shared a look, and Matt and Faith came back down.

"Who's that?" Faith asked about Groo as Angel and Cordelia started speaking to Groo.

"A guy from Pylea", Matt told her as Lorne arrived next to them.

"Political situation there got sketchy, and so he got deposed and came here as he'd nowhere else to go", Lorne told them both.

Matt asked Lorne. "We spent so much time struggling how to get out of Pylea and he suddenly appears. How the Hell does that work?"

"No clue, amigo." Then Lorne adopted a look of horror. "Oh God, please don't tell me mom can get here!"

"Don't think she'd want to come", Matt assured as Lorne chuckled, then walked to Groo, deciding to show him around and get him a room, and he gave both Angel and Cordelia a thumbs-up and wink as they smiled, then holding hands, walked upstairs together.

Matt and Faith walked up as she asked. "Is it weird?"

"What?"

"Seeing Angel and Cordelia together finally?" Faith asked the lawyer.

"I'm just happy that they're happy", Matt told Faith as he walked near their door and she was in front of him, facing him. "My only focus now is to make you happy."

Faith smiled and wrapped her arms around Matt's neck, pulling him into a passionate kiss which he returned with equal passion, and she tugged at his jacket as he got the hint, taking it off while she ripped off his shirt's buttons, exposing his chest, and he started slipping her dress off.

Faith threw her shoes into a corner and slipped off her dress, now completely naked before shoving the door open behind them, and Matt lifted her up, carrying her inside as they continued kissing and he kicked the door closed while putting his glasses in a corner.

He then lay her on the bed and climbed over her as she started unbuckling his pants and he ran his hands over her breasts, eliciting moans of pleasure, while they kissed again, and continued passionately making love for the first time and pleasing each other.

Finally, the end of this one, hope all enjoyed it.

This is my favorite episode of Season 3 but I despise the ending with a passion. But here, Cangel happened without any interruption, so my version is superior to the actual episode because of just that.

And Matt/Faith finally have their first time as well.

Figured Groo would still show up, but since he and Cordelia never got close in this series, he won't interrupt Cangel.

Thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for the help, and also to Bl4ckHunter as the Cangel bit was taken from his 'One step at a time'.

Fred/Gunn still happened because I couldn't work any way around it, sadly, but I won't focus much on it.

Hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter.