Title: Second Chance
Author:bloody-ink
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Angel and the gang all belong to their creator's.
Cordelia ran down a dark and musty alley,panting with fear,she tripped cutting her hand on the ground.She'd been chased,alone, and beaten for what seemed like weeks. She crawled to the corner of the alley only to find someone throwing a punch to her face giving her a bloody lip.She tried to fight back but weeks of running had weakened her. Crying she allowed herself to be tossed around like a ragdoll,being thrown to the ground she weakly crawled up against the wall.Awaiting another blow from the attackers she hurriedly covered her face with her hands.But,somebody jumped in punching the closest guy near her. He threw kick after punk at them until they were all dead. He walked cautiously over to her then kneeled down in front of her,she was so traumatized thinking it was one of her attackers she wimpered pulling away. He placed his hand on her arm and she winced,crying,he leaned in and wiped away the tears. She peeked a glance at him,then a broken smile appeared across her face.She shouldv'e recognized the coldness of his hands.She didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around him,"Angel!"she cried.
"It's okay,I'm here,"he assured her.
"I've been so alone...I tried looking for you...it was just to dark,"she cried.
"I've come to bring you back home,"he said with a light smile.
"Why am I here in the first place...if it's about those horrible evil things I've done,I swear that wasn't me,you have to believe me Angel?"she cried panicly.
"I know...this place...it's a simulation that the Power's That Be stuck in your mind.Jasmine's been terrorizing the whole city,"he said looking around him as he heard a noise in the distance.
"Who's Jasmine?"she asked calming down a bit.
"She the being that was inside you...crupting you,"he said with sympathy.
"Jasmine..."she said looking a bit worried.
"Yeah...I know.We should get going,but first Fred sad that for this spell or whatever it is to be ended that you need to let go of your restraints.If you're holding anything inside,if anything is holding you back from leaving here,anything you...regret or want to rid yourself of,now is the time,"he said hurriedly.
"I don't know...there's nothing,"she lied.
"That's not true!"he said noticing another group of attackers moving towards them,"Come one,Cordy, you need to...now,"the attackers were getting closer and closer,Angel stood,"Come on,now!"
"No!"she yelled.
"Now,you have to,if you want to escape any of this you need to!" he yelled back.
"I can't,"she cried weakly.
"Yes,yes you can,"he assured her.
The attackers were just about to attack when she yelled out,"Fine...I'm sorry for everything that I've done badly,I'm sorry for hurting you,and I regret not telling you...telling you that I love you!"
They vanished and awoke where their bodies had been. In one of the Hyperion's hotel rooms,Fred had found a spell to release Cordy from her brain dead coma,"You guys okay?"Fred asked.
"Uh,yeah,I am,"Angel said a bit out of breath,looking to Cordy who appeared to be slowly coming out of her coma.
"Don't worry,she's just having a harder time coming out if it,"said Fred picking up her books and placing them in a bag.
"You guys done yet,Jasmine's minions are starting to break through our barriers?"asked Gunn running into the room.
"Yeah,the spell worked,"excitedly said Fred swinging her bag over her shoulder.
"We've gotta go!"yelled Wesley running in the room and standing next to Gunn.
"What's happening?"weakly asked a still out of it Cordelia.
"Unfortunately,honey bun,we don't have time for that,"said Lorne starting to follow Gunn and Wesley out the back.
"I've found a way out,"said Connor out of breath running up from where he had Gunn and Wesley headed towards.
"Okay,Cordy?Can you walk at all?"Angel said,but then she fell back into unconsciousness.
"Let's move!"yelled Gunn from outside.
"Alright,I'll carry her,"said Connor walking up to her.
"No,that's okay,I've got her,"he said picking her up into his arms.
They all ran out of the door,Angel had his arms clutched around her.They all ran down to the end of the hallway and turned left,"It's in here,"Connor said pointing to a door on the right.
They ran in,"This window leads to the back alley,"he said opening the window.
"Good...Fred you go first,"Angel said shifting Cordy a bit in his arms.
Fred climbed put the window followed by Gunn,Lorne, and then Angel.He held her over his shoulder as they began to climb down the fire escape.Close behind them was Wesley and Connor,reaching the ground he once again moved her into a comfortable position in his arms."Let's go!"Angel said slightly out of breath.
They all ran down the alley only to run into Jasmine's minions,they all fell into battle with each other.Angel placed Cordelia out of the way so she wouldn't be harmed,making sure that she would be okay he joined Gunn,Wesley and Connor.Fred made her way to Cordelia's side to make sure she wouldn't be harmed,Lorne in the mean time looked for some sort of escape route.Jasmine walked out from behind a building,with an evil laugh she snuck up behind Angel,a sword materialized in her hand and she thrust the sword through his groggily awoke and saw Fred standing above her,"Fred?"she said trying to stand.
"Cordeila!You need to get down!"she said grabbing her by the arms.
"Where's Angel?"she said looking around as her vision blurred in and out,"Angel!"she yelled seeing him calapse to the ground as Jasmine had a blasted of energy hit him in the chest.
Gathering enough energy to run to his side she kneeled down next to him trying to help him up,she looked up at Jasmine who was stareing at her.She walked over to her and knelt down putting her hand to her face a light eminated from it and then a sadistic smile crossed her face and she said,"Mommy,"and the light blasted through her head,screaming in pain Cordelia calapsed next to Angel passing out in pain.Calling off her minions she gave an evil laugh as she began to walk away,"Let this be a warning,Angel, that no matter how hard you fight you will lose."
The gang gathered and Lorne carried Cordelia as Fred and Wesley held Angel up as they walked.Knowing they couldn't return back to the Hyperion they made their way down into the sewers,walking through the catacomb like sewers Angel tried to gather his strength,"How's Cordelia?"
"She's fine,though she does get heavy after awhile,"Lorne answered shifting Cordelia in his arms,reaching a spot where they could hide out and rest Lorne laid her on the ground,brushing a strand of hair out of her face,"What did Jasmine do to her?"
"I'm not sure,whatever it was,she better be okay,"Angel gritted his teeth as Fred and Wesley sat him down.
"Alright,this is going to hurt,"Wesley got in position to pull a piece of wood from Angel's ribs.
"I'm ready,just do it,"Angel gritted his teeth and braced himself.
Wesley pulled it out as Angel tried not to make any noise,Fred looked up from Cordelia's side,"You think they'll find us down here?"
"It's only a matter of time,"Connor answered.
"Man,she's powerful,how are we gunna beat her?" Gunn sighed lightly swinging his sword back and forth.
"If we can't kill her we can imprison her," said Wesley.
"But to do that you'd need a very very...very powerful spell," Lorne looked a bit skeptical.
"Well,I guess Fred and I will try to find some information," Gunn nodded at them.
"Okay,be careful," Wesley watched them go.
Connor brooded off like his father,walking down the sewer way a bit he shook off his feelings for Cordelia,just knowing that she loved his father instead made him jealous. Lorne and Wesley stood guard thinking about their own ordeals,though in a bit of pain Angel scooted over to Cordelia.He smoothed back her hair and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Minutes passed and she woke with in a some pain,confused she looked around as her vision blurred in and out,"Angel?"
"Cordy?You okay?"he looked at her with some surprise.
"Yeah, just fine,except for this major migraine...what happened?"she tried to sit up but the pain in her head stopped her from accomplishing that.
"We've retreated underground,away from Jasmine's minions and herself," he said.
"Jasmine?....she...she was the one that I...she gave me back my power," she said finally sitting up and rubbing her eye's.
"Yeah,well,Jasmine's to strong,we've decided to try a spell," Angel stood and placed his hand up against the wall.
"Angel...I'm sorry...," she stood and wrapped her arm's around him.
"For what?" he said embracing her back.
"For everything I've put you through...I didn't mean for any of this to happen,especially with Connor...I'm so sorry...," she began to cry and he held her tighter.
"It's okay,I know...you always hurt the one's you love,I've had my fair share of that," he wiped the tear's from her eye's.
"Angel,I love you," she said looking up at him.
"I love you,too,ever since----," she put her finger to his lip's and leaned in and kissed him.
A white glowing light eminated from her and enveloped them,seemingly healing his wounds,"...wow," he smiled.
"Now if I had a dime for everytime someone said that,well,I think I'd be richer then my parent's," she giggled.
"I don't want to lose you again," he said with seriousness.
"...I knew...I knew you were near...somewhere...sometimes...I felt you near me,always when I was running,I heard your word's echo in my head. And I felt your touch and I tried to answer but...I couldn't...I tried so hard to reach for you,I just wasn't strong enough," sadfully she brushed her hair back and sighed.
"You're stronger then you think," he thought back to when she grabbed his hand as he was about to slit her wrist,"...I'm the one that should be sorry."
"For what?" she crossed her arm's over her chest.
"For letting this happen to you,it's all my fault that happened to you,if I had paid more attention---" he started to get all flustered.
"Angel,it surely wasn't you're fault,now we both can't go around blameing ourselves for what happened to the other,we're both sorry and we'll get through this," she leaned up and kissed him again,surely a group of champion's could get through anything.
TBC