1 Part 3 –
Angel sat and watched Wesley work at getting into Cordy, or rather, he watched Wesley attempt at how to work the tools to un-hinge a door.
Finally, Angel's patience gave in, and he took the tool from Wesley. "How *hard* can it be, Wes? - I don't see what's taking you so *long*!"
"Hey, don't have a go at me - I haven't had to un-hinge a door before and that's not my fault!"
Angel rolled his eyes. "Well, neither have I so lets learn, OK? - For Cordelia's sake."
The two became so preoccupied by the tool neither noticed the bathroom door open slightly and Cordelia step out, in a much worse state than she had been before.
Her eyes were red and puffy, all her wounds still un-attended to, and the one on her stomach still dripping un-noticed blood. "Angel.." She whispered.
Both the men's heads shot up to look at her.
Angel took a step towards her, his eyes flickered down to her stomach and he grimaced. "Cora?"
"Angel, I don't feel so good..." As she spoke she swayed again like she had done in the bathroom before, and once again, Angel reached out and managed to steady her.
Having lost all sense of what was around her, Angel managed to scoop her half-naked body into his arms without any complaints.
He carried her to his bed and set her down gently. He looked over at Wesley who was hovering by the door, looking anxiously in to see if she was all right.
"Wesley. Thanks for coming over. Now I have her outta there I can take care of her. She'll be all right now."
Wesley still looked worried. "You *want* me to leave?"
"I think it's best, the more people here the more confused she's gonna get."
Wesley shook his head. "I'm sorry, Angel. I can't leave. I do trust you with her normally, but in that vulnerable state, with blood dripping, you might feel you have to -"
"I'm Angel, Wesley, *not* Angelus. And I swear I'd rather kill myself than turn on her - or anyone for that matter."
Wesley nodded, and was reassured by the glint in Angel's eyes that showed he wasn't soulless, and was trustworthy like a loyal puppy was to a little girl.
"Call me in a few hours to let me know how she is? After all we're family." He requested, Angel nodded, and Wesley turned on his heal and headed for the door.
But when he reached it, he stopped, and turned back, only just visible through the crack left in the door, was Angel's figure gently stroking Cordelia's cheek with a adoring look. Wesley was reassured even more of Cordelia's safety as he turned and made his departure.
~*~
After cleaning Cordelia up, he had managed to undress her completely with no complaints from her as she was very drowsy.
Of course, Angel had tried to be a gentleman, but he couldn't help but look warmly at her as he had taken the bloody clothes (well, underwear) off.
She was now asleep on her front, and just wrapped in sheets, with zilch underneath.
He sat on a chair next to the bed, just watching her. He felt calm inside, just seeing her so peaceful after the nights events warmed his cold heart.
As she slept, Angel's mind wondered back to what she had said to him before in a fit of rage. Was he too over-protective of her? - He couldn't see how he was, if he had been, tonight wouldn't have happened.
What he didn't understand as he remembered what she'd said, was the part about her problems... 'But my problems were just as big as hers (-referring to Buffy) and as frightening as all the scary demons she ever met!'. He frowned, and made a mental note to ask her about it when she was in a better state of mind.
He watched her sleep all night, and most of the morning, not that he knew because he didn't realize the sun had rose, he only noticed what time it was when Cordelia began to stir.
She lifted her head up off the pillow and looked over at him dazedly.
She went to shift herself up more, and as she did so a frown flickered onto her face, and she tilted her head to the side and shot him a curious look.
Angel returned the look with his own worried one. "Cora, you OK?"
An eyebrow rose. "I'm naked." She stated.
Angel sighed in relief, he had thought it had been something more serious. He tried not to grin. "I know."
She held the sheets to her as she moved into a sitting position, she winced once as she felt her stomach ache. "You wanna explain to me how *that* happened?"
Angel, filled with relief that she seemed to be back to normal, stroked his chin and pretended to mull it over. "I think it happened sometime between when you were dressed, and when I was undressing you. Not exactly sure when."
She rolled her eyes. "Well, I'd appreciate some clothes now." She hinted.
Angel shrugged. "I don't think I have anything in your size."
Her eyes narrowed. "Then your size will have to do."
Angel turned to his closet and then grinned, so she couldn't see how happy he was she was OK.
Cordelia scrunched her face up as he turned around with a grey shirt.
Before she could say anything, he turned back to the closet and grabbed another one, this one was light blue.
This time, she approved, so he tossed it over to her. He grabbed a pair of his boxers from a draw and they also hurtled towards her.
When he turned back to face her, he saw she held the boxers up and was giving them a mystified look.
He laughed. "Don't worry, Cordy, they're clean."
"Angel, I *can't* wear -"
"They're *clean*, Cora." He told her again, fixing her with a look.
She sighed. "Fine, whatever. But, I'm not moving an inch until you do; out the door that is."
He rolled his eyes as he headed out. "I saw it *all* last night, Cora!" He teased, actually meaning it the way it sounded.
A pillow hit him on the back of his head, and he turned back towards her.
She looked at him smugly. "Pul - lease! You're too much of a gentleman!"
'What she'll never know won't hurt her.' He found himself thinking as he grinned back at her, and left closing the door behind him.
In the bedroom, Cordelia changed into Angel's clothes after inspecting her gashes.
As she stood up, her legs shaked and she almost wobbled over, but, she made it to the door and then stayed close to the wall as she followed the humming of Angel. She found him making breakfast in the kitchen.
He didn't notice her take a seat at the table, and she watched him as he hummed and did a little dance about as he began to cook.
As he took a 'spin' in his dance, he finally noticed her and dropped the frying pan he was holding in shock, it clattered to the floor, just missing his feet.
"Cordelia! - You scared the life outta me!"
"Really?! How'd that happen? - I didn't think you had a 'life' in you?!" She said sarcastically, referring to the fact he was the walking dead. Then she grinned. "What were you humming?"
"I *wasn't* humming." He defended as he picked up the pan and straightened himself out.
"Oh, course not!" She rolled her eyes for what seemed like the zillionth time that morning.
~*~
Go on to part FOUR
Angel sat and watched Wesley work at getting into Cordy, or rather, he watched Wesley attempt at how to work the tools to un-hinge a door.
Finally, Angel's patience gave in, and he took the tool from Wesley. "How *hard* can it be, Wes? - I don't see what's taking you so *long*!"
"Hey, don't have a go at me - I haven't had to un-hinge a door before and that's not my fault!"
Angel rolled his eyes. "Well, neither have I so lets learn, OK? - For Cordelia's sake."
The two became so preoccupied by the tool neither noticed the bathroom door open slightly and Cordelia step out, in a much worse state than she had been before.
Her eyes were red and puffy, all her wounds still un-attended to, and the one on her stomach still dripping un-noticed blood. "Angel.." She whispered.
Both the men's heads shot up to look at her.
Angel took a step towards her, his eyes flickered down to her stomach and he grimaced. "Cora?"
"Angel, I don't feel so good..." As she spoke she swayed again like she had done in the bathroom before, and once again, Angel reached out and managed to steady her.
Having lost all sense of what was around her, Angel managed to scoop her half-naked body into his arms without any complaints.
He carried her to his bed and set her down gently. He looked over at Wesley who was hovering by the door, looking anxiously in to see if she was all right.
"Wesley. Thanks for coming over. Now I have her outta there I can take care of her. She'll be all right now."
Wesley still looked worried. "You *want* me to leave?"
"I think it's best, the more people here the more confused she's gonna get."
Wesley shook his head. "I'm sorry, Angel. I can't leave. I do trust you with her normally, but in that vulnerable state, with blood dripping, you might feel you have to -"
"I'm Angel, Wesley, *not* Angelus. And I swear I'd rather kill myself than turn on her - or anyone for that matter."
Wesley nodded, and was reassured by the glint in Angel's eyes that showed he wasn't soulless, and was trustworthy like a loyal puppy was to a little girl.
"Call me in a few hours to let me know how she is? After all we're family." He requested, Angel nodded, and Wesley turned on his heal and headed for the door.
But when he reached it, he stopped, and turned back, only just visible through the crack left in the door, was Angel's figure gently stroking Cordelia's cheek with a adoring look. Wesley was reassured even more of Cordelia's safety as he turned and made his departure.
~*~
After cleaning Cordelia up, he had managed to undress her completely with no complaints from her as she was very drowsy.
Of course, Angel had tried to be a gentleman, but he couldn't help but look warmly at her as he had taken the bloody clothes (well, underwear) off.
She was now asleep on her front, and just wrapped in sheets, with zilch underneath.
He sat on a chair next to the bed, just watching her. He felt calm inside, just seeing her so peaceful after the nights events warmed his cold heart.
As she slept, Angel's mind wondered back to what she had said to him before in a fit of rage. Was he too over-protective of her? - He couldn't see how he was, if he had been, tonight wouldn't have happened.
What he didn't understand as he remembered what she'd said, was the part about her problems... 'But my problems were just as big as hers (-referring to Buffy) and as frightening as all the scary demons she ever met!'. He frowned, and made a mental note to ask her about it when she was in a better state of mind.
He watched her sleep all night, and most of the morning, not that he knew because he didn't realize the sun had rose, he only noticed what time it was when Cordelia began to stir.
She lifted her head up off the pillow and looked over at him dazedly.
She went to shift herself up more, and as she did so a frown flickered onto her face, and she tilted her head to the side and shot him a curious look.
Angel returned the look with his own worried one. "Cora, you OK?"
An eyebrow rose. "I'm naked." She stated.
Angel sighed in relief, he had thought it had been something more serious. He tried not to grin. "I know."
She held the sheets to her as she moved into a sitting position, she winced once as she felt her stomach ache. "You wanna explain to me how *that* happened?"
Angel, filled with relief that she seemed to be back to normal, stroked his chin and pretended to mull it over. "I think it happened sometime between when you were dressed, and when I was undressing you. Not exactly sure when."
She rolled her eyes. "Well, I'd appreciate some clothes now." She hinted.
Angel shrugged. "I don't think I have anything in your size."
Her eyes narrowed. "Then your size will have to do."
Angel turned to his closet and then grinned, so she couldn't see how happy he was she was OK.
Cordelia scrunched her face up as he turned around with a grey shirt.
Before she could say anything, he turned back to the closet and grabbed another one, this one was light blue.
This time, she approved, so he tossed it over to her. He grabbed a pair of his boxers from a draw and they also hurtled towards her.
When he turned back to face her, he saw she held the boxers up and was giving them a mystified look.
He laughed. "Don't worry, Cordy, they're clean."
"Angel, I *can't* wear -"
"They're *clean*, Cora." He told her again, fixing her with a look.
She sighed. "Fine, whatever. But, I'm not moving an inch until you do; out the door that is."
He rolled his eyes as he headed out. "I saw it *all* last night, Cora!" He teased, actually meaning it the way it sounded.
A pillow hit him on the back of his head, and he turned back towards her.
She looked at him smugly. "Pul - lease! You're too much of a gentleman!"
'What she'll never know won't hurt her.' He found himself thinking as he grinned back at her, and left closing the door behind him.
In the bedroom, Cordelia changed into Angel's clothes after inspecting her gashes.
As she stood up, her legs shaked and she almost wobbled over, but, she made it to the door and then stayed close to the wall as she followed the humming of Angel. She found him making breakfast in the kitchen.
He didn't notice her take a seat at the table, and she watched him as he hummed and did a little dance about as he began to cook.
As he took a 'spin' in his dance, he finally noticed her and dropped the frying pan he was holding in shock, it clattered to the floor, just missing his feet.
"Cordelia! - You scared the life outta me!"
"Really?! How'd that happen? - I didn't think you had a 'life' in you?!" She said sarcastically, referring to the fact he was the walking dead. Then she grinned. "What were you humming?"
"I *wasn't* humming." He defended as he picked up the pan and straightened himself out.
"Oh, course not!" She rolled her eyes for what seemed like the zillionth time that morning.
~*~
Go on to part FOUR