Disclaimers: Not mine, never were just playing with Joss's sandbox cause I can cause it's fun. Heh. If I was getting paid, I'd be doing something else, like maybe try to make my own show. But I'm not so I'll mess with his. ;)


Archiving: Yes, yes, yes! You can have this story and all my others if you'd like. Just tell me where it's going first ok?


Violence: Minimal Angel style violence.


Pairings: Ah ship pairings. Yes, I'll ship thank you. Spike/Cordelia as always ;) Fred/Wesley


Season: Takes place after Angel's last episode, before the new season. I'm so eager to watch it.


Feedback: Please! If you're in my Spike group, reply there, and if not you can reach me here: Xena@compuage.com


When the Music's Over

By: Leather


I. Cordelia

She remembers pain. The pain of childbirth, of the demon that had invaded her mind and made her it's host for the time she was pregnant. She remembers, in clear moments her confusion. She remembers using Connor, so quick to hate Angel. She remembers the look on Angel's face when he must have found her and Connor together in his son's bed.


And now there's darkness. After the baby was born, she doesn't remember much. Her mind plays tricks on her, and she thinks she's Queen C again. She is talking to Harmony, discussing Armani wear, and what's new. She knows this isn't right. This is wrong.


((Are we in love?))


Angel's voice comes to her mind, and she blinks, struggling to pull herself out of the vacuum she was in. She can't. It's like one long black tunnel. Help! Pound on the ceiling. Let them hear you. I'm not dead! I'm still here! Still alive. Angel, save me! But she couldn't say that. Couldn't move. Couldn't think.


Couldn't say sorry. So many couldn'ts. Cordelia whimpered, or in her mind she did. She was desperately trying to kick to the surface, to come back.


((let me out, let me out!!))


And then....


"Angel!" Fred's voice came down the stairs. "Angel! Angel, something's happening to Cordelia!" Angel heard Fred's voice, shot out of his chair almost knocking it over and raced to the upstairs room where Cordelia's comatose body was located. He was at her side in moments.


"Cordelia?" Angel asked. Something was going on. He could tell. She was struggling, her face contorting and finally her eyes opened, and she gasped.


"Angel!" Cordelia gasped, sitting upright. Then she began to cry.


But Angel was there, holding her in his arms.

****

"Cordy's up?" Gunn asked as Fred was eagerly telling him what was going on. Fred nodded, her hands in her pockets. "Yeah. She was...it was like she was fighting something and then–boom. She's all awake again!"


"Isn't that the best?" Lorne asked with a smile. "Princess is back. Ya know, for a while there I was sure she wouldn't pull out of it."


Fred nodded. "So was Angel. He's been at her bedside ever since.."


"World changed?" Gunn asked. "Since we became the bitches of Wolfram and Hart?"


Fred nodded.


Lorne shook his head. "How do you think that's gonna work out? Us owning Former Zombies R Us?" he questioned. "That White Room place gives me the heebee jeebies." He told her. "You guys can have the cleaning it out fun if you want."


Fred smiled a little. "Right." She said. "I just don't want Lilah's office."


"Don't blame you."


"Don't worry." On cue, Wesley walked in. "I'll be taking over Lilah's office."


((Just like you were in her bed?)) Fred pushed her thoughts away and smiled a bit at Wesley, seeing Gunn scowl at her. She shrugged to herself and went to the desk, saying something about getting a book.


"What's going on?" Wesley asked, laying down a box of weapons onto the table for the gang. "I heard someone screaming when I walked up."


"Cordelia woke up." Lorne said.


"Oh?" Wesley turned. "How is she?"

"We don't know yet." Fred sat the book down. "Angel is with her. He'll tell us soon." The Angel Investigations team. She nodded hopefully. The gang sat down and kind of looked at each other.


"We could play Hangman." Lorne suggested. "Or ooh!" He said and got up. "There's one of those washable boards, and we can play–"


"Hey guys." Angel intercepted the green karokie loving demon. He looked all shiny and happy. He smiled at them, a real smile and real Angel smiles came few and far in between.


"How is she?" Fred asked, eager to know.


"She's...confused." Angel said. "At best. She's weak, very." He frowned. "I wanted to take her to the hospital, but Cordelia said to wait. She wanted time to get adjusted, so I am but I'm going to take her to make sure there were no–brain injuries."


Fred nodded. "Can we see her? Is she up to the us seeing her? Or is it too much?"


Angel looked at Fred. "Right now, it is." He said. "I mean...nothing personal on you guys, she loves you, but Cordelia...."


Lorne placed a hand on Angel's shoulder. "Tell sweet cheeks we understand, and when she's ready to see us, she can tell us." he said. Gunn nodded his agreement and Wesley looked thoughtful. Angel smiled at them all. "Thanks, guys." he said. "I'm going to make Cordelia something to eat. Um...what do you serve people who just come out of a coma?"


"Jell-O?" Asked Lorne with a shrug.


Fred shook her head. "Cordy needs more than Jell-O, Lorne. She's been in a coma for a while. Start with some soup and bread." She advised Angel and went into the kitchen to help him. "That will be filling and not too much on her stomach."


"Right."


Angel watched Fred help him prepare a meal for Cordelia, then load it all up on a tray as she handed it to him. "Water first." She said. "Other beverages can come later." She shooed Angel up the stairs. Angel took the food for Cordy and knocked on her door. A moment later, her timid voice replied "Come in."


Cordelia was sitting up in her bed, her hair a bit longer, and still dark brown. She smiled timidly at Angel as he walked inside.


"Hungry?"


"Famished." Cordelia agreed as Angel sat the food down on her lap, propping the tray's legs out for her conveince. "I hope it's ok, Fred said bread and soup would be ok for right now."


"It's fine." Cordelia took a deep breath. "Um." She said as she grabbed a spoon and dipped it into the bowl, scooping some up and taking a bite. "Thanks, Angel." She looked up at him almost shyly, and for a moment Angel longed for Queen C.


Angel nodded. "Do you..want anything else?" He asked her. "Blanket?" He reached behind Cordelia and started to fluff her pillow.


Cordelia smiled. "No, Angel I'm fine." Her voice was scratchy from not being used in a long while. "No, it's really ok." She assured the nervous vampire.


Angel smiled. "Right. It's ok. You're back. The real you." He added. Cordelia winced, and so did Angel.


((Open mouth, insert foot))


"I.."


Cordelia shook her head. "Don't." She told him. "It's my fault, I accept the blame of what happened." She took a bite of the bread, dipping it in the soup and sticking it in her mouth, chewing. She swallowed before speaking. "It's Ok Angel."


Angel nodded. "Well." he said. "I'll let you eat." Cordelia nodded, watching Angel leave. She sighed to herself, taking in a few more spoonfuls of soup, eating some more bread. She took a drink of the water and looked around her.


"I'm home." She said, closing her eyes. It had been a hard day. But she had made it. She was back, where she belonged.