Part 4:

Cordelia could hear Angel moving around in the small apartment, she could hear the clang of utensils, the scraping of drawers being opened and closed and the dull thuds of objects being placed on the small table in the kitchen. She could also smell something that was sizzling away on the stove. She rolled slightly to her side so she had her back to the kitchen and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to somehow block out the smell that was making her feel slightly nauseous. It wasn't Angel's cooking, he was amazing in the kitchen, no it was her damn morning sickness. It was nowhere near as bad as it had been but it was still hanging around. The real problem was that she hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday and she was in fact really hungry, but the smell of the food being cooked was making her feel queasy and it wasn't getting any better. The nausea finally got so bad that Cordy had to get up and dash to the bathroom. Throwing herself down on the floor she emptied the meagre contents of her stomach into the toilet.

Angel had just been retrieving two plates from the cupboard when he heard Cordelia practically sprint to the bathroom and vomit. 'Damn it,' he thought to himself as he threw the plates on the table, choosing to ignore the resounding crash they made as they connected with the table top and shattered. He re-traced Cordy's steps to find her hunched over the toilet bowl, trying to hold herself up on unsteady arms. He manoeuvred his way into the small room, dropped down next to her, pulled her hair back out of her face and gently began to rub her back soothingly with one of his big hands, knowing it was just morning sickness and that there was nothing he could do but be there for her. He had helped her through similar moments in the past three months, and had always felt as helpless as he did now. He could save the world, slay the demons, help the helpless, but he couldn't help Cordy with something as insignificant as morning sickness, she just had to weather it, grin and bear, and as far as Angel was concerned it sucked, big time.

His silent rant was cut short when Cordelia, who had finished retching into the toilet bowl, lent back against the cool wall and moaned softly. Without leaving her side, Angel leant across the small space of his bathroom, grabbed a towel and wet the corner a little. He brought the slightly damp towel towards Cordy's face, in order to gently wipe away the sweat that had beaded on her forehead and nose.

"I'm sorry Cordy." He said, but no sooner were the words out of his mouth than she was cutting him off.

"Don't be Angel, you can't help it, I can't help it, so let's just leave it at that for the moment ok. It was just the smell that set me off, I'm actually really hungry and you know how much I love your cooking so don't worry bout it ok," she said getting up off the cold floor and pulling Angel along with her.

Cordy managed to drag Angel back into the kitchen where she collapsed into one of the seats at the table and watched Angel as he began to clean up the mess he had made in his rush to get to her. She fought to stifle a smile as she thought about how much more protective he was of her since they found out she was pregnant. The last few months must have been hard on him, she thought to herself. She knew that he hated the fact that he couldn't help her through things like morning sickness, he never told her that, but she knew him better than he thought and she was proud of that, proud of the fact that she knew more about him than anyone would, even, dare she say it (well think it really). Buffy.

Ahh the Slayer, she thought to herself. She had long since gotten over her childish rivalry with the 'Chosen One.' Moved on from the jealousy that she had harboured over Buffy's relationship with Angel, after being absolutely positively assured that whilst the vampire had loved the Slayer at some point and although she still had a special place in his unbeating heart, there was absolutely no way that he would give up what he had with Cordelia for any other woman, let alone the infamous Slayer. Yet Cordelia couldn't help still feeling a little anxious that at one point in time they had shared a very passionate, albeit, turbulent relationship and Angel would one day get tired of Cordelia and decide that he was kidding himself and all he really wanted was Buffy. At that thought she mentally shook herself, since when had Cordelia Chase, Queen C, biggest, baddest bitch of Sunnydale High become insecure about guys? Since you fell in love with Angel, she heard a little voice inside her head speak out and knowing that in some way it was true. She had never really been in love with anyone before, well maybe Xander for a while there, but not as much as she was with Angel and maybe she wouldn't love anybody as much ever again. Speaking of the object of her affections, he had just put a plate, knife and fork down in front of her and sat himself down across from her.

"Have I mentioned how much I love you lately?" She asked him as she picked up a fork and began to eat, taking small mouthfuls just incase her body decided that it didn't like the idea of food. She heard him chuckle quietly and then get up to pour himself a glass of blood.

"I take it I've been asleep all day," she said as she watched him put the bottle of blood back into the refrigerator and sit back down in his seat, sipping from the glass every so often.

"Uhh, how'd you guess? I mean it's not really like you can tell in here," he said gesturing around him to the darkness that came with not having any windows.

"Well you know it's been a while since you've lived here and I doubt someone would come by and stock up your fridge with nice, fresh food and blood everyday and you can't really go out into the sun for fear of mucho sunburn so I just took an educated guess," she said smiling at him softly.

"Alright I get it, stupid question, I really should think before I open my mouth hey," he said smiling at her warmly. She loved that smile, glad for the chance to see it so often considering Angel's broody nature.

She went back to her food and began eating as a comfortable silence washed over them. Cordy slipped back into her thoughts from earlier when she remembered something that Angel had said to her earlier when they had just found out where and when they were, it hadn't bothered her at the time because she had been too worried about everything else to bother but now she felt that familiar anxiety creep into her again.

"Angel?" She asked looking up from her plate.

"Hmmm," he said whilst taking a gulp from his glass.

"Earlier, when you suggested we come here, you mentioned that you didn't want to see Buffy, why?" She questioned, all the while scolding herself for being so self conscious.

"Well," he said, a frown forming on his face. "It's just that, you know Buffy's just come back from the dead, well in our time anyway, and last time I was here it just caused stirred trouble and she doesn't need that right now. Why? Why do you ask?"

"Oh it's nothing, I was just curious is all," she said, feeling a bit stupid for worrying about it at all. For crying out loud girl how many times has he told you that he loves you and only you? She asked herself in frustration. But Angel wasn't satisfied with her answer it seemed.

"Look, Cordy, I don't know how many times I can tell you that I love you and would never leave you before you believe me but I'm saying it again," he told her softly, reaching across the small table and taking her hand. "I love you so much and I would never dream of leaving you for Buffy or anyone else for that matter, Buffy was in my past, I've moved on, you can too."

I wonder how many times he told Buffy that, the annoying little voice in her head said. She decided she was going to ignore that voice until it went away; no good was going to come from listening to it. All of a sudden she felt a familiar weightlessness as she left her seat and began to hover.

"Cordy?" Angel asked her, getting up from his seat and moving around the table to stand beside her. He knew better by now than to interrupt her while she was receiving a vision, he also knew that they couldn't hurt her anymore which was also a big plus.

Visions of screaming people, bloodied and beaten, and piles of dead bodies flew through her mind. All she could hear were their anguished cries, their pleas to be spared, and then suddenly a monstrous face flashed before her closed eyes. Teeth gleaming in, face twisted into some gruesome form of a smile and what looked to her like blood splashed across its face.

Cordy gasped as the vision ended just as suddenly as it began. Her visions had never been a walk in the park, but this one was different somehow. It had been as vague as usual and she had expected that, but during the vision she had gotten this feeling, she couldn't explain it any better. Just a feeling that told her that she should be worried, that this was not some normal find and slay the demon she saw in her vision was trouble, and that did nothing to settle her already frazzled nerves.

This guy, this demon thingy was big trouble and she was starting to realise why they had been sent back the Sunnydale circa 1999, they had to stop this guy, she didn't know all of the specifics, well, she didn't know any of the specifics, all she knew was that they would have to go into ultimate research mode, maybe recruit the help of the local Chosen One and her gang 'cause the two of them alone sure as hell wouldn't be much of a match-up against the thing from her vision.

"Cordy? What sis you see?" Angel asked her, crouching down to come face to face with her.

"You know how you said you didn't wanna bother Buffy, well you just may have to yet." She said quietly.

TBC