Title: Prisoner
Author: victoriamartynne
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Spoilers: Season Four
Summary: What if things had run different after Angel had seen Cordelia and Connor together?
When Fred arrived back at the hotel Gunn and Angel were out on a case in the sewers, Wes was locked in Angel's office trying to research an upcoming evil which left Lorne.
He could instantly sense that something was wrong.
"What's going on kitten?"
Fred shook her head. "I can't talk about it."
"Come on precious, you can tell Auntie Lorne anything." He insisted with a smile.
She sat down on the couch and he came to sit next to her.
"I saw Cordelia." She whispered.
"What?" He looked shocked. "How is she?"
Fred shook her head again. "She looks awful. She's working in a bar and living in a motel. She looks like she's living on the streets, even though she isn't. It was so good seeing her again but she was different."
"How do you mean?" He asked.
"She was quiet and talked like she didn't care about anything. Then I upset her and she started to cry and she's really hurt Lorne, she wants to come home, I know she does."
"That's easier said than done. His lordship won't want her back here, not yet anyway." He said, meaning Angel. "He saw her in that interview so he knows how miserable she is. It's up to him now."
"Can't we do anything?" She asked desperately. "Bring her back without asking him?" He looked at her sceptically and put an arm around her in comfort. "Do you want to face his wrath? Give it time muffin, he'll come round and before you know it she'll be back."
Cordelia walked home crying. She ignored the people begging on the street corners and the musicians trying to make a little money. She made her way back to the motel and locked her door. Turning the radio on loud, she let her tears fall.
Two hours later there was a banging on the door. She opened it cautiously, leaving the deadbolt on. "What do you want?"
"Are you Cordelia Chase?" A man's voice asked.
"What do you want?" She asked again.
"I've got a present from a friend."
She closed the door and pulled the deadbolt off, enabling her to open the door fully.
"What's the present?"
"You're a hard woman to find." The man said and then pulled back his fist to punch her square in the nose. "You killed Bobby. He was my friend. All he wanted was money." He punched her again until she fell to the floor and then began to kick her hard wherever he could. "Snobby bitch! You killed him!"
Wiping a hand across his brow he left her lying in the doorway unconscious. "I hope you like your present."
The phone rang at Angel Investigations at six o clock that night. "Can I speak to Mister Angel please?"
Fred handed the phone to Angel quizzically.
"Yeah?" He said, not looking up from the book he was reading.
"Mr Angel, this is Rebecca Hargraves, I'm a nurse at LA General. We have a patient here by the name of Cordelia Chase." She paused for the news to sink in.
Angel put the book down and sat up, swinging his feet off the desk, knocking a pile of files on the floor. "What's wrong with her?"
"She's was beaten up in her motel room around two o clock this afternoon. It's taken us this long to stabilise her and find identification. She had a business card in her wallet with this telephone number on it and kept asking for Angel. If you could come in and confirm our identification it would be appreciated."
Angel answered without hesitation. "Of course."
He hung up and grabbed his coat. He looked around at the gang. "Cordelia's been beaten up."
They all went to the hospital. A nurse at the desk directed them to her room and the gang waited outside while Angel went in.
She was laid on the bed not moving, although she was awake.
He walked slowly to the bed and took her hand in his. "Cordelia."
She opened her swollen eyes. "Angel." She murmured and then began to cry.
The sight of her battered and bruised broke his heart. "I'm so sorry." She began to say but he cut her off by holding up a hand.
"Let me talk first." She nodded slowly. "What you did with Connor broke my heart. It nearly killed me. When you were in the higher realms all I wanted was to hold you in my arms again. I needed you beside me. When you came back and you didn't know who I was hurt me more than you could imagine. Getting all your memories back at once must have been so traumatic for you and I understand why you needed comfort from someone, but I could have given you comfort. I never gave you the chance to explain yourself about what happened with Connor and to be honest I don't want to know why you did what you did. I'm willing to let it all go and we can move on. When I got the phone call tonight saying that you'd been beaten up I suddenly realised that it doesn't matter what happened in the past. If you'd have died tonight then I would have never forgiven myself for not forgiving you. I couldn't live without you. Seeing what happened to you after I kicked you out has hurt me. It hurt me that it could have been avoided. I know you're not a murderer. I don't care about the past anymore. I just want my future to be with you." He paused and then smiled at her. "That is if you want me?"
She nodded slowly and felt a tear run down her bruised cheek. "I really am sorry though, you do know that?"
He nodded and kissed her gently.
"Is everyone here?" She asked when he pulled away.
He nodded. "Even Lorne came, complete with overcoat and trilby."
She smiled and he went to get everyone.
They all came in with big smiles for her. Fred had warned them how bad she had looked when she'd seen her and they'd all been shocked, except Lorne, that she'd seen her without telling.
They all came up to hug her frail body gently and tried to hide their shock when they saw her up close and felt how thin she was. For the first time in months, Cordelia Chase was smiling again.
When she was discharged from hospital she moved straight into Angel's room. She'd broached the subject of Connor with Fred when no-one else was in the room and she'd been told that they hadn't seen him. Cordelia had nodded and said nothing else.
All of Cordelia's things were still in boxes in the room she'd stayed in before moving in with Connor. Angel left Cordelia in his room while he went to find her a nightshirt or some pyjamas for her to sleep in.
He returned and let her change in the bathroom while he changed in the bedroom.
"So." She began awkwardly. "What happened while I was away?"
He steered her towards the bed and made her lie down. "Well, we had an apocalypse."
"We did?"
"Yeah, a demon called The Beast tried to end the world. The gang had to bring back Angelus to stop him." He let that sink in before going on. "Anyway, he stopped him and Willow came to restore my soul."
She shook her head. "I can't believe they brought Angelus back."
"There was no other way. He was only back for a couple of months and he was kept in a cage for most of the time."
"Why did they need Willow?"
He looked embarrassed for a moment. "Because they lost it."
"Lost what?"
"My soul. They needed Willow for a certain kind of spell that took more magic than they were capable of. Anyway, they brought me back with one difference." He paused again waiting for the inevitable question.
"What's that?"
"My soul is anchored in my body. Willow managed to overcome the curse."
Cordelia's face broke out into a grin. "Angel, that's wonderful!" She exclaimed and reached out for him to hug her.
He grinned as he felt her arms and had to remind himself not to squeeze her to tight because of her bruises.
"There's one more thing we have to talk about." She said into his neck.
Almost as if he knew what she was going to say he pulled back out of her arms.
"Angel, he's your son." She pleaded with her eyes.
"I don't want to hear it!" He growled and pulled away from her.
"Angel, he's your son and you love him. Whatever happened between him and me was over the moment it began. What happened was the worst thing I have ever done in my life. He was like my son. He thought of me as mom and I know how disgusted you are with me and I am myself." She closed her eyes and then pleaded with him. "Don't let it ruin the relationship between you and your son. He loves you, you know, even though he doesn't show it. And I know that if you can forgive me you can forgive him. Give it a chance Angel, before long you won't have that."
He looked at her after her outburst. "I'll think about it."
"Don't think, do!" She ordered and then smiled. "Before it's too late."
He pulled her into his arms again and kissed her forehead. "I suppose it'll be good to have our family complete again."
"That reminds me, what happened with Wes?"
Angel sighed. "There were ancient texts that needed to be translated and Fred couldn't manage alone so we asked Wes and he said he'd help. We talked and he told me how he thought that I would kill Connor. A lot of time had passed and he saved me from the bottom of the sea, without anyone knowing. We forgave each other."
She smiled and held onto him tighter. "I love you."
He smiled. "I love you too."
Cordelia and Fred spent the next week unpacking all of Cordelia's boxes. They saved one box for last and they spent hours poring over it, laughing and crying.
Wes, Gunn, Lorne and Angel, having heard the commotion, came into Angel's room to see what was going on.
"Yo, ladies, what's going on in here?" Gunn asked and leaned against the doorframe.
Fred wiped her eyes. "We were just looking at some photographs."
"Of who?" Angel asked suspiciously.
"Oh, of you guys, Buffy, Xander, Willow. I think there's even one of Giles in there, and Oz." Cordelia told them, not looking up from the contents of the box.
"You keep photos of the Scoobies?" Angel asked, looking surprised.
"Don't look so surprised." She said and looked him in the eye. "Family is important." She said pointedly.
Angel sighed, there was no way around it, he'd have to talk to Connor.
"Angelus." Connor snarled as he opened the door to find Angel there.
"Connor, can I come in?" He asked, even though he'd already been invited in by Cordelia when she'd been living there with him.
Connor said nothing but moved out of the way.
"Connor, I want you to move back to the hotel." He saw the panicked look on his son's face. "Or come and visit, maybe go out on a couple of cases with me."
"Why? Why would I want to see a filthy demon?"
Angel sighed. "Look, Connor, yes I'm a demon. But as you've already I'm not a bad demon. I have a soul. I'm not Angelus."
"But he's inside of you. And he can still come out."
"Not anymore."
Connor turned and faced him. "What do you mean?"
"This demon that tried to end the world had to have Angelus kill him. Something about him and the demon knowing each other back in the day. My soul got stolen and Willow Rosenberg from Sunnydale had to find it and put it back. She managed to keep it in my body permanently. Angelus will never come back." Angel told him and then decided that he needed time to absorb it. "I'll be at the hotel if you want to talk. Please come back Connor. We all want you back."
"Angel, honey, it's only a little bit of cinnamon. It will do you good." Cordelia insisted from her perch on Angel's lap.
He eyed the glass of blood she'd given him. "I can remember the last time you put cinnamon in my blood."
"And you didn't drink it did you?" She said triumphantly to the gang who were either perched on or leaning on the counter in the lobby.
He shook his head. "And do you blame me?"
She looked at him as if she wasn't taking no for an answer.
"Pebbles, just drink the blood, for our sakes!" Lorne pleaded and took a sip of his own drink.
"See." She smirked. "You're outnumbered."
He caught her lips in a kiss and heard Wes and Gunn groan and Fred giggle.
"Drink it!" She ordered when he released her.
He eyed the glass again and took a sip. He managed to force it down. "Delicious." He said, and she seemed to believe him.
"See, it wasn't that bad." She said triumphantly and didn't see Angel pour the rest of the blood into a potted plant.
Wes stifled a smirk by hiding his mouth behind his hand.
"Hey, remind me to call Willow later on." Cordelia said to Angel and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Why?" He looked at her quizzically.
"To thank her for making your soul permanent." She explained with a gleam in her eye.
"Do you fancy testing it out right now?"
He blushed and couldn't look any of them in the eye.
The lobby door slammed as someone came in. They all looked around.
"Hi Dad." Connor said to Angel, standing in the doorway with a bag at his feet. "I'm home."
The End
Author: victoriamartynne
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Spoilers: Season Four
Summary: What if things had run different after Angel had seen Cordelia and Connor together?
When Fred arrived back at the hotel Gunn and Angel were out on a case in the sewers, Wes was locked in Angel's office trying to research an upcoming evil which left Lorne.
He could instantly sense that something was wrong.
"What's going on kitten?"
Fred shook her head. "I can't talk about it."
"Come on precious, you can tell Auntie Lorne anything." He insisted with a smile.
She sat down on the couch and he came to sit next to her.
"I saw Cordelia." She whispered.
"What?" He looked shocked. "How is she?"
Fred shook her head again. "She looks awful. She's working in a bar and living in a motel. She looks like she's living on the streets, even though she isn't. It was so good seeing her again but she was different."
"How do you mean?" He asked.
"She was quiet and talked like she didn't care about anything. Then I upset her and she started to cry and she's really hurt Lorne, she wants to come home, I know she does."
"That's easier said than done. His lordship won't want her back here, not yet anyway." He said, meaning Angel. "He saw her in that interview so he knows how miserable she is. It's up to him now."
"Can't we do anything?" She asked desperately. "Bring her back without asking him?" He looked at her sceptically and put an arm around her in comfort. "Do you want to face his wrath? Give it time muffin, he'll come round and before you know it she'll be back."
Cordelia walked home crying. She ignored the people begging on the street corners and the musicians trying to make a little money. She made her way back to the motel and locked her door. Turning the radio on loud, she let her tears fall.
Two hours later there was a banging on the door. She opened it cautiously, leaving the deadbolt on. "What do you want?"
"Are you Cordelia Chase?" A man's voice asked.
"What do you want?" She asked again.
"I've got a present from a friend."
She closed the door and pulled the deadbolt off, enabling her to open the door fully.
"What's the present?"
"You're a hard woman to find." The man said and then pulled back his fist to punch her square in the nose. "You killed Bobby. He was my friend. All he wanted was money." He punched her again until she fell to the floor and then began to kick her hard wherever he could. "Snobby bitch! You killed him!"
Wiping a hand across his brow he left her lying in the doorway unconscious. "I hope you like your present."
The phone rang at Angel Investigations at six o clock that night. "Can I speak to Mister Angel please?"
Fred handed the phone to Angel quizzically.
"Yeah?" He said, not looking up from the book he was reading.
"Mr Angel, this is Rebecca Hargraves, I'm a nurse at LA General. We have a patient here by the name of Cordelia Chase." She paused for the news to sink in.
Angel put the book down and sat up, swinging his feet off the desk, knocking a pile of files on the floor. "What's wrong with her?"
"She's was beaten up in her motel room around two o clock this afternoon. It's taken us this long to stabilise her and find identification. She had a business card in her wallet with this telephone number on it and kept asking for Angel. If you could come in and confirm our identification it would be appreciated."
Angel answered without hesitation. "Of course."
He hung up and grabbed his coat. He looked around at the gang. "Cordelia's been beaten up."
They all went to the hospital. A nurse at the desk directed them to her room and the gang waited outside while Angel went in.
She was laid on the bed not moving, although she was awake.
He walked slowly to the bed and took her hand in his. "Cordelia."
She opened her swollen eyes. "Angel." She murmured and then began to cry.
The sight of her battered and bruised broke his heart. "I'm so sorry." She began to say but he cut her off by holding up a hand.
"Let me talk first." She nodded slowly. "What you did with Connor broke my heart. It nearly killed me. When you were in the higher realms all I wanted was to hold you in my arms again. I needed you beside me. When you came back and you didn't know who I was hurt me more than you could imagine. Getting all your memories back at once must have been so traumatic for you and I understand why you needed comfort from someone, but I could have given you comfort. I never gave you the chance to explain yourself about what happened with Connor and to be honest I don't want to know why you did what you did. I'm willing to let it all go and we can move on. When I got the phone call tonight saying that you'd been beaten up I suddenly realised that it doesn't matter what happened in the past. If you'd have died tonight then I would have never forgiven myself for not forgiving you. I couldn't live without you. Seeing what happened to you after I kicked you out has hurt me. It hurt me that it could have been avoided. I know you're not a murderer. I don't care about the past anymore. I just want my future to be with you." He paused and then smiled at her. "That is if you want me?"
She nodded slowly and felt a tear run down her bruised cheek. "I really am sorry though, you do know that?"
He nodded and kissed her gently.
"Is everyone here?" She asked when he pulled away.
He nodded. "Even Lorne came, complete with overcoat and trilby."
She smiled and he went to get everyone.
They all came in with big smiles for her. Fred had warned them how bad she had looked when she'd seen her and they'd all been shocked, except Lorne, that she'd seen her without telling.
They all came up to hug her frail body gently and tried to hide their shock when they saw her up close and felt how thin she was. For the first time in months, Cordelia Chase was smiling again.
When she was discharged from hospital she moved straight into Angel's room. She'd broached the subject of Connor with Fred when no-one else was in the room and she'd been told that they hadn't seen him. Cordelia had nodded and said nothing else.
All of Cordelia's things were still in boxes in the room she'd stayed in before moving in with Connor. Angel left Cordelia in his room while he went to find her a nightshirt or some pyjamas for her to sleep in.
He returned and let her change in the bathroom while he changed in the bedroom.
"So." She began awkwardly. "What happened while I was away?"
He steered her towards the bed and made her lie down. "Well, we had an apocalypse."
"We did?"
"Yeah, a demon called The Beast tried to end the world. The gang had to bring back Angelus to stop him." He let that sink in before going on. "Anyway, he stopped him and Willow came to restore my soul."
She shook her head. "I can't believe they brought Angelus back."
"There was no other way. He was only back for a couple of months and he was kept in a cage for most of the time."
"Why did they need Willow?"
He looked embarrassed for a moment. "Because they lost it."
"Lost what?"
"My soul. They needed Willow for a certain kind of spell that took more magic than they were capable of. Anyway, they brought me back with one difference." He paused again waiting for the inevitable question.
"What's that?"
"My soul is anchored in my body. Willow managed to overcome the curse."
Cordelia's face broke out into a grin. "Angel, that's wonderful!" She exclaimed and reached out for him to hug her.
He grinned as he felt her arms and had to remind himself not to squeeze her to tight because of her bruises.
"There's one more thing we have to talk about." She said into his neck.
Almost as if he knew what she was going to say he pulled back out of her arms.
"Angel, he's your son." She pleaded with her eyes.
"I don't want to hear it!" He growled and pulled away from her.
"Angel, he's your son and you love him. Whatever happened between him and me was over the moment it began. What happened was the worst thing I have ever done in my life. He was like my son. He thought of me as mom and I know how disgusted you are with me and I am myself." She closed her eyes and then pleaded with him. "Don't let it ruin the relationship between you and your son. He loves you, you know, even though he doesn't show it. And I know that if you can forgive me you can forgive him. Give it a chance Angel, before long you won't have that."
He looked at her after her outburst. "I'll think about it."
"Don't think, do!" She ordered and then smiled. "Before it's too late."
He pulled her into his arms again and kissed her forehead. "I suppose it'll be good to have our family complete again."
"That reminds me, what happened with Wes?"
Angel sighed. "There were ancient texts that needed to be translated and Fred couldn't manage alone so we asked Wes and he said he'd help. We talked and he told me how he thought that I would kill Connor. A lot of time had passed and he saved me from the bottom of the sea, without anyone knowing. We forgave each other."
She smiled and held onto him tighter. "I love you."
He smiled. "I love you too."
Cordelia and Fred spent the next week unpacking all of Cordelia's boxes. They saved one box for last and they spent hours poring over it, laughing and crying.
Wes, Gunn, Lorne and Angel, having heard the commotion, came into Angel's room to see what was going on.
"Yo, ladies, what's going on in here?" Gunn asked and leaned against the doorframe.
Fred wiped her eyes. "We were just looking at some photographs."
"Of who?" Angel asked suspiciously.
"Oh, of you guys, Buffy, Xander, Willow. I think there's even one of Giles in there, and Oz." Cordelia told them, not looking up from the contents of the box.
"You keep photos of the Scoobies?" Angel asked, looking surprised.
"Don't look so surprised." She said and looked him in the eye. "Family is important." She said pointedly.
Angel sighed, there was no way around it, he'd have to talk to Connor.
"Angelus." Connor snarled as he opened the door to find Angel there.
"Connor, can I come in?" He asked, even though he'd already been invited in by Cordelia when she'd been living there with him.
Connor said nothing but moved out of the way.
"Connor, I want you to move back to the hotel." He saw the panicked look on his son's face. "Or come and visit, maybe go out on a couple of cases with me."
"Why? Why would I want to see a filthy demon?"
Angel sighed. "Look, Connor, yes I'm a demon. But as you've already I'm not a bad demon. I have a soul. I'm not Angelus."
"But he's inside of you. And he can still come out."
"Not anymore."
Connor turned and faced him. "What do you mean?"
"This demon that tried to end the world had to have Angelus kill him. Something about him and the demon knowing each other back in the day. My soul got stolen and Willow Rosenberg from Sunnydale had to find it and put it back. She managed to keep it in my body permanently. Angelus will never come back." Angel told him and then decided that he needed time to absorb it. "I'll be at the hotel if you want to talk. Please come back Connor. We all want you back."
"Angel, honey, it's only a little bit of cinnamon. It will do you good." Cordelia insisted from her perch on Angel's lap.
He eyed the glass of blood she'd given him. "I can remember the last time you put cinnamon in my blood."
"And you didn't drink it did you?" She said triumphantly to the gang who were either perched on or leaning on the counter in the lobby.
He shook his head. "And do you blame me?"
She looked at him as if she wasn't taking no for an answer.
"Pebbles, just drink the blood, for our sakes!" Lorne pleaded and took a sip of his own drink.
"See." She smirked. "You're outnumbered."
He caught her lips in a kiss and heard Wes and Gunn groan and Fred giggle.
"Drink it!" She ordered when he released her.
He eyed the glass again and took a sip. He managed to force it down. "Delicious." He said, and she seemed to believe him.
"See, it wasn't that bad." She said triumphantly and didn't see Angel pour the rest of the blood into a potted plant.
Wes stifled a smirk by hiding his mouth behind his hand.
"Hey, remind me to call Willow later on." Cordelia said to Angel and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Why?" He looked at her quizzically.
"To thank her for making your soul permanent." She explained with a gleam in her eye.
"Do you fancy testing it out right now?"
He blushed and couldn't look any of them in the eye.
The lobby door slammed as someone came in. They all looked around.
"Hi Dad." Connor said to Angel, standing in the doorway with a bag at his feet. "I'm home."
The End