Chapter 4
"So I'm going to be ok?"
"Pretty much. You'll have to get used to it but it's nothing to be ashamed of." Cordelia thought of Doyle and Groo, both part demon.
"Thank you so much." The man shook their hands. "How can I repay you for your help?"
"Well we have an hourly fee."
"Done."
"Here." Cordelia grabbed a business card from the counter. "You can send the check to us here. If you have anymore questions just call."
"Oh Hank, how did you hear about us?" The man stopped by the door.
"A friend of my ex wife recommended you. Once I accepted there was something wrong it wasn't so bad. Thanks again. It's very strange to realize that there is so much in this world we don't know."
"It's our pleasure." When he was out the door Cordelia went back to her computer. "Talk about weird. It's not every day that someone walks in and tells us they're a demon."
"Did he seem familiar to you guys?"
"No. Then again you know a lot more people than we do Angel." Cordelia giggled and then yelped. Angel rushed to her side to catch her falling. She winced and spasmed in pain as the others hurried to get ice packs. Fred looked on curiously, still not quite used to the visions.
"What's going on?"
"It's Buffy." Cordelia moaned. Her eyelids fluttered and she fell back limply.
"Cordelia!" Angel shook her. "Wake up." Willow's grieving voice filled his head. It was words that haunted his nightmares. "What is it?" He felt himself morphing.
"Ah! She's not dead." Cordelia's eye sprang open wide. "But she needs help."
"What's going on?" Angel changed back, relief flooding him.
"There's something wrong with Willow. I saw her, she was doing something bad. Oh God. I can't believe this. But Buffy's in danger. She's out of control Angel."
"What can we do?"
"I'm not sure. Something's going to happen. Something that holds a balance, to save her or..." Cordelia squeezed her eyes closed in concentration. Wesley placed the ice pack on her head.
"Wesley, call Giles. Find out what's up. I don't want to rush in there without knowing the facts."
"Good idea." Cordelia moaned.
"Why don't you rest for a few minutes." Angel advised Cordelia. She nodded and lay down again. Angel followed Wesley to his office and shut the door.
"I don't like the sound of this Angel."
"Neither do I."
"We knew Willow was powerful long ago. There's no telling what she is capable of."
"I know."
"I can't imagine her hurting Buffy."
"When you get called to the dark side you don't think of those things." Angel thought of his family, an ever present reminder of why he was on the road to redemption. He remembered little Katherine, his sister, barely 9 years old when Angelus murdered her. "But she's not to that point yet. If we can find out the key to stopping her maybe we can save her before it's to late."
"Angel," Wesley looked up from the phone.
"Giles is gone."
"What do you mean?"
"While you were brooding and talking I called. It said the phone number is not in use. Giles wouldn't do that without telling us."
"Try the Magic Shop."
Wesley dialed the phone.
"This is the answering machine for Anya's magic Box. I'm Anya. Please call during store hours or come in and spend your money. Oh, and have a nice day."
"It's Anya's Magic Box now?" Wesley shrugged. "Wesley call Xander. Find out what's up."
"What are you going to do?"
"Sing." They both shuddered as Angel swept out of the room. Gunn was standing protectively near Cordelia waiting for his assignment. "I have to go. Make sure she's ok. Most likely we'll be heading to Sunnydale when I get back."
"This mean I'll finally get to meet the Slayer herself?"
"Yes and you'll probably regret it." Cordy moaned again and shifted the ice pack. Angel got into his Plymouth Belvedere GTX and drove through the late night LA scene.
He knew the karaoke bar would be hopping. It always was. "Angel cakes!" Lorne waved to him from the stage, heck the demon was practically attached to it. "Can I get you a martini."
"I need to sing."
"What's wrong?" The demon's face took on a look of alarm, which made his pointy nose and red eyes look even more comic.
"My friends in Sunnydale might be in danger."
"Sing away." Lorne handed him the microphone with a cringe. After plunging through a moment of anxiety Angel made his way to the stage. Lorne waved and winked from the bar and he guessed the demon had picked out a song for him. Suppressing his fear he watched the television monitor. "And I'd give up forever to touch you, to know that you feel me somehow..." Angel felt at home with the lyrics. He had even danced with Buffy to them at the Bronze. The song was painfully personal. It was almost like the singer, with his wistful, raspy voice had seen them.
"So I'm going to be ok?"
"Pretty much. You'll have to get used to it but it's nothing to be ashamed of." Cordelia thought of Doyle and Groo, both part demon.
"Thank you so much." The man shook their hands. "How can I repay you for your help?"
"Well we have an hourly fee."
"Done."
"Here." Cordelia grabbed a business card from the counter. "You can send the check to us here. If you have anymore questions just call."
"Oh Hank, how did you hear about us?" The man stopped by the door.
"A friend of my ex wife recommended you. Once I accepted there was something wrong it wasn't so bad. Thanks again. It's very strange to realize that there is so much in this world we don't know."
"It's our pleasure." When he was out the door Cordelia went back to her computer. "Talk about weird. It's not every day that someone walks in and tells us they're a demon."
"Did he seem familiar to you guys?"
"No. Then again you know a lot more people than we do Angel." Cordelia giggled and then yelped. Angel rushed to her side to catch her falling. She winced and spasmed in pain as the others hurried to get ice packs. Fred looked on curiously, still not quite used to the visions.
"What's going on?"
"It's Buffy." Cordelia moaned. Her eyelids fluttered and she fell back limply.
"Cordelia!" Angel shook her. "Wake up." Willow's grieving voice filled his head. It was words that haunted his nightmares. "What is it?" He felt himself morphing.
"Ah! She's not dead." Cordelia's eye sprang open wide. "But she needs help."
"What's going on?" Angel changed back, relief flooding him.
"There's something wrong with Willow. I saw her, she was doing something bad. Oh God. I can't believe this. But Buffy's in danger. She's out of control Angel."
"What can we do?"
"I'm not sure. Something's going to happen. Something that holds a balance, to save her or..." Cordelia squeezed her eyes closed in concentration. Wesley placed the ice pack on her head.
"Wesley, call Giles. Find out what's up. I don't want to rush in there without knowing the facts."
"Good idea." Cordelia moaned.
"Why don't you rest for a few minutes." Angel advised Cordelia. She nodded and lay down again. Angel followed Wesley to his office and shut the door.
"I don't like the sound of this Angel."
"Neither do I."
"We knew Willow was powerful long ago. There's no telling what she is capable of."
"I know."
"I can't imagine her hurting Buffy."
"When you get called to the dark side you don't think of those things." Angel thought of his family, an ever present reminder of why he was on the road to redemption. He remembered little Katherine, his sister, barely 9 years old when Angelus murdered her. "But she's not to that point yet. If we can find out the key to stopping her maybe we can save her before it's to late."
"Angel," Wesley looked up from the phone.
"Giles is gone."
"What do you mean?"
"While you were brooding and talking I called. It said the phone number is not in use. Giles wouldn't do that without telling us."
"Try the Magic Shop."
Wesley dialed the phone.
"This is the answering machine for Anya's magic Box. I'm Anya. Please call during store hours or come in and spend your money. Oh, and have a nice day."
"It's Anya's Magic Box now?" Wesley shrugged. "Wesley call Xander. Find out what's up."
"What are you going to do?"
"Sing." They both shuddered as Angel swept out of the room. Gunn was standing protectively near Cordelia waiting for his assignment. "I have to go. Make sure she's ok. Most likely we'll be heading to Sunnydale when I get back."
"This mean I'll finally get to meet the Slayer herself?"
"Yes and you'll probably regret it." Cordy moaned again and shifted the ice pack. Angel got into his Plymouth Belvedere GTX and drove through the late night LA scene.
He knew the karaoke bar would be hopping. It always was. "Angel cakes!" Lorne waved to him from the stage, heck the demon was practically attached to it. "Can I get you a martini."
"I need to sing."
"What's wrong?" The demon's face took on a look of alarm, which made his pointy nose and red eyes look even more comic.
"My friends in Sunnydale might be in danger."
"Sing away." Lorne handed him the microphone with a cringe. After plunging through a moment of anxiety Angel made his way to the stage. Lorne waved and winked from the bar and he guessed the demon had picked out a song for him. Suppressing his fear he watched the television monitor. "And I'd give up forever to touch you, to know that you feel me somehow..." Angel felt at home with the lyrics. He had even danced with Buffy to them at the Bronze. The song was painfully personal. It was almost like the singer, with his wistful, raspy voice had seen them.
