DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Never will be. Not unless Joss decides to adopt me and give me the copyright. (Hey if you're gonna dream, might as well dream big.)

SPOILERS: None. At least not really.

SUMMARY: This story is set in a somewhat AU. Cordy has a secret. There's a reason behind all the things her father gives her. Can Angel save her from her secret before it's too late?

DEDICATION: This one is for Drew and Kitka. Friends. My own personal Angel and Cordelia.

DISTRIBUTION: If you ask, I'll probably say yes.

Cordy had taken her shower and crawled into bed, hoping against hope that he would leave her alone tonight. Throughout her bedtime rituals, she hadn't noticed the shadow moving around in the tree by her window.

When she had finally turned off all the lights and pulled the covers up around her neck, Angel relaxed for a moment. It looked like all would be well tonight. That would be a good thing. He had come to care deeply for the dark-haired young woman. Especially since coming back from hell.

He knew that Buffy had only done what she had to but it didn't help to repair their relationship. The two of them had grown distant since he had come back even though they had spent a lot of time together at first. Buffy had hidden him being back for so long that he had begun to think that she was ashamed of him.

Then one day, Cordy had shown up at the mansion, looking for someone to talk to after the whole factory incident. She had broken up with Xander and Willow was trying to beg for Oz's forgiveness. That had been the night that both Buffy and Angel had realized that they had been trying to lie to themselves. That they could never be together like that again. That even being friends was a lie. The whole sending Angel to hell thing had totally destroyed their relationship beyond repair.

Cordy had sat that day and cried in Angel's arms for hours. Then, when she decided it was time to go he told her to feel free to come talk to him anytime. She had. More and more the two had gotten close.

One day, they kissed. It wasn't planned. It was a total accident. Cordy's ankle had given out and she fell into Angel, knocking him down. Their lips met and that was how Buffy had found them when she came to see how he was doing.

"I guess you're doing just fine," she shouted, tears running down her face. She had stormed out and hadn't really talked to Angel since.

Meanwhile, Oz had totally left Willow who was devastated. He started seeing Buffy. Willow was so heartbroken that she missed several days of school.

Xander went to Willow's house one night to find her laying across her bed, a bottle of pills laying next to her. He had rushed her to the hospital where they saved her from the overdose. Xander never left her side once. He and the little redhead had been inseparable ever since.

The gentle tapping on the window scared Cordy. Oh God, now what? She slipped out of bed, being very quiet and not turning on any lights. Otherwise her father would know that she was up and probably come up here.

She slid open the window. "Angel, what are you doing here?"

"Making sure that you're okay. I was at the library today when they saw your ankle. What is he doing to you?"

"If I tell anyone, he swore that I wouldn't live to regret it." She hung her head and Angel could smell the salt of her tears building up. "Angel, if he catches you here ...."

"He won't. Stealth guy, remember?" Right then, Angel wanted to pull her out the window and take her back to the mansion where she would be safe. Protected. Of course, there was the whole univite spell that had been cast. Even though she had never invited him in before the loss of his soul.

"Angel, I can't take this much longer. If I live to graduation, I'm leaving town. I have to get away from here."

"Pack a bag. Come to the mansion. You'll be safe there."

"He won't let me. He'd rather see me dead than with anyone else."

"He won't be able to hurt you at the mansion. I promise. I can protect you."

Just then, Cordelia's bedroom door flew open and the light came on. "You slut!" Her father stormed over to the window and grabbed her arm, throwing her across the room. He pulled off his belt and Cordy cowered in the corner where she had landed. She knew what was coming. The same thing had happened everytime she had come home from a date.

"Cordy, invite me in!" Angel yelled. "Invite me in!"

The first three blows fell and then, nothing. Without realizing it, Cordelia had screamed for Angel to come in and that had been all it took. Angel threw her father against a wall, picked her up and fled from the house.

Returning to the mansion that night, he gave Cordy one of the guest rooms. There was a bathroom that had been fully stocked from when Dru and Spike had been there. She showered again and felt a little better.

However, when she curled up in the bed and fell asleep, her father was there, in her dreams. She woke to find herself cradled in Angel's arms with him gently rocking her. She had no more nightmares that night as long as Angel held her.

//////////////////

AN: Hope that part works. More to come definitely.