Chapter 6 You're a seer, with style!

"Now normally, I've been more of a boutique shopper since moving to Los Angeles, but I do shop in malls occasionally," Cordelia explained over the throaty roar of Angel's black Plymouth. Although it looked like Mother Nature was on the girls' side with an unusually dense overcast, they did not want to risk Katie being exposed to sunlight on the sidewalks of L.A.'s shopping district.

"How can you afford all of these clothes? Didn't you say your family was broke now?" Katie questioned from the passenger seat. They had stopped back at Cordelia's apartment to get Katie a new outfit. 'You can't go out in public dressed like that! No offense,' had been Cordy's initial reaction. They spent some time there trying to find something to fit Katie's petit frame. Dennis, Cordy's resident g-h-o-s-t roommate, had helped the girls choose a purple flowered wrap skirt, a lacy white peasant blouse, and some hemp-looking flip-flops. Personally, Katie thought she looked like a 60s hippie wanna-be, but Cordy assured her that the flower-child look was back in.

"They are. I've learned that I have to work hard to get what I want," Cordelia smiled back. "If I find something I want, I work hard until I can get it."

That sounds like me finding and building a relationship with my brother, Katie thought. "But what if something gets in the way or prevents you from getting it—whatever 'it' might be?"

"Pssh, nothing that gets in my way is left standing!" Cordelia replied with a smirk.

"That's great! Way to be!" Katie complimented. My thoughts exactly! Cordelia and I are really connecting. I always wanted a big sister, Katie mused. Even though she was eight times older than Cordelia, Cordy was showing her aspects of the world that she had always seemed to avoid.

"Earth to Katie!" Katie jumped in her seat. "We're here," Cordelia giggled.

"Then let the shopping begin!"

Angel was comfortably situated in his old leather recliner deeply engrossed in an old novel held in one hand and a glass of blood on the end table right next to it, when the sound of shopping bags and high heels floated down the stairs. There was cheerful chatter from the two girls, now back from their shopping trip. Angel sighed and put his book on the table. His afternoon of peace and quiet had ended.

"What do you think?" Cordelia asked entering the room and smiling with pride.

"I think you have been gone for so long I was ready to send out a search party," Angel mumbled, clearly not all that interested in hearing Great Adventure at the Mall.

"Be serious," Cordelia rolled her eyes. "I mean about Katie."

"What about her?" Angel asked clearly confused. It was like these girls had an inside joke that he was not part of. He glanced at Cordy, then Katie who was standing in the shadows trying to figure out where to put the shopping bags to keep them out of the way, and back to Cordy.

"ANGEL!" Cordy yelled in exasperation. He boss was so smart sometimes, but it was moments like this where she deemed him totally and completely clueless. "JUST LOOK AT YOUR SISTER ALREADY!"

"Yeah, Angel," Katie said, coming farther into the room where there was better lighting and gave a twirl. "Look at me!"

Angel quickly looked her over not really taking anything in until he noticed what appeared to be a burn mark on Katie's lower arm. "What happened there?" he pointed. "Looks like you had a brush with sunlight."

Katie looked down at her arm and blushed. "No, it was cloudy all day. At the salon, Cordy thought I should try tanning to get some color. It didn't work out too well."

"Who knew they used UV rays in those things?" Cordelia said in her own defense with a shrug. "Now, other than that, what do you think of her new look?"

Angel glanced at his sister, desperately trying to show some interest, and then did a complete double-take. His eyes widened and it took all of his willpower to keep his jaw from dropping. The person that stood before him looked nothing like the grungy little street girl who had walked into his office the night before. Katie had been transformed into a beautiful petite young woman. She was dressed in flowing pale blue sundress with black flat sandals. Her dark brown shoulder length hair now bounced in light waves with highlights the color of amber honey. Her eyebrows had been shaped to accentuate her intense eyes. Small hoop earrings and some light make-up completed the look.

"So what do you think?" Katie asked. Angel just stared. There was no way words were going to come from his mouth. Katie and Cordelia's eyes met and they gave a chuckle.

"I take that silence as a good thing," Cordelia beamed. All Angel could do was nod.

"Cordelia and I went to the salon at the mall and then we went back to Cordy's place where she gave me a makeover."

"I figured she was old enough not to have to worry about any looks being too 'grown up' for her," Cordelia joked. Angel was still in shock.

"Hellllo! Anybody home in there?" Katie waved her hand in front of Angel's face. He hardly blinked. This was starting to get creepy. "Angel…"

Katie was interrupted by a shriek of pain from Cordelia as she clutched her head and dropped to her knees. Katie leapt out of the way as Angel jumped to action and dove to catch Cordy before she completely hit the floor.

"I'll…I'll go call 911," Katie said as she went in search for the telephone.

"No," Angel said while cradling a sobbing Cordelia in his strong arms. "Get some aspirin and a glass of water."

"But…"

"Just do it! I'll explain later."

Katie followed orders and returned in a few minutes with the requested items. By then, Angel had lifted Cordelia onto the couch and was trying to calm her down.

"Ok, could someone please fill me in on what just happened?" Katie asked as she handed Cordelia a couple of the painkillers and a glass of water.

"Cordy is a seer, Katie. She gets visions from the Powers the Be. They are usually of people and places were something evil is going to happen. It is the only way I know when and where people need me help," explained Angel as he rubbed Cordelia's back. With her eyes still closed, Cordelia reached out, and Angel handed her a pencil and notepad.

"There were two of them after a man Simon," she gasped as she wrote down an address.

"Two what? Demons? Vamps? Worse?" Angel questioned. He needed to have an idea of what he was up against.

"Demons. Thermopoli Demons to be more exact, the kind that see body heat."

"Thanks, Cordy. I'll be back in a bit." That's no problem, I don't have any body heat.

"Are you going to take Wesley with you?" She asked, finally starting to recover.

"No, I don't know where he is and this doesn't seem too difficult. I can handle it on my own."

"I'm going with you," Cordelia said as she slowly stood up.

"No, you and Katie stay here, and lock the doors when I leave."

Katie watched as Angel went to his weapons cabinet and suited up with an assortment of daggers and knives. He also strapped on a blade that retracted into a collar around his wrist. He put on the final touch, his leather coat, grabbed his battle axe and walked upstairs like it was a normal night and he was going out for a stroll.

"Well Cordy, you sure are full of surprises," Katie said to the girl who had flopped back down on the couch, trying to lighten the situation a bit. She reflected over the day and after a moment said, "You're a seer, with style!"

Cordelia opened her eyes again and smiled over at Katie. "Yeah, I guess I am."