Chapter 14
Angel, Gunn, and Wesley were quickly gathering weapons from the cabinet, mostly of the wooden variety as Cordy's vision had been of a vampires nest downtown.
Katie was again begging to be included.
"Please? I know how to kill a vampire," she informed them, "you just stake 'em through the heart."
She demonstrated her professed skill on the imaginary vampire in front of her with the stake she held in her hand.
Gunn was half observing her from the corner of his eye. "Uh, huh," he commented doubtfully. "Whatca gonna do, say, Hey Mister Vampire, you mind leaning down here so I can ram this stake through your chest, cos, that'd probably work?"
Katie scowled at him and stomped off, presumably to her room.
Angel didn't have time to go after her and Fred was having a day out with her parents. He gave Cordy a pleading look.
She waved him away. "Yeah, yeah. I'll take care of it. Go."
"Thanks. I owe you one."
"You owe me thousands, but who's counting?" she said.
The men hurried to Angel's waiting car, quickly dumped their weapons in the trunk, and got in.
When they reached the abandoned warehouse where Cordelia's vision had led them, everything looked quiet. As they entered the building, Angel carefully searched to the left while Gunn and Wesley went the other way. Just as Wesley reached a particularly shadowy area, a vampire jumped from above and knocked him to the ground.
"Over here," Gunn called to Angel.
Suddenly, there was not one, but a dozen vampires surrounding them. The went to work, Angel taking on two or three at a time while Wesley and Gunn worked mainly as a team. They were disposing of the vampires in pretty short order until Angel heard a familiar scream coming from the entrance.
Total fear gripped him as he saw the biggest of the vampires standing approximately 100 feet away. Katherine was in his arms.
He started towards her but the vampire he had been fighting knocked him to the ground and then dived on him, pinning him. Within seconds the vampire turned to dust as Wesley staked him from behind.
Finally free, Angel looked back to Katherine and saw the huge vampire's fangs closing in on her neck. He grabbed the sword beside him and flung it low, severing the vamp's feet from its body. Katherine dropped to the ground and ran while Angel hurried over to finish the job.
Six dusted vamps later, it was finally quiet.
"Katie!" Angel looked frantically around the warehouse. "Katie, answer me! It's all right. You can come out. Katie, where are you?"
Near the entrance to the warehouse a crate moved slightly. Katie crept out from behind it and began walking slowly towards her father. Angel ran to her and swept her into his arms.
"Thank God. Are you hurt?" He held her away from him and gave her a quick once over.
Katie shook her head.
"Are you sure?"
Katie nodded.
"What the hell are you doing here? Do you realize you almost…" Angel couldn't finish. He didn't want to think about it. "How did you get here?" he asked.
"I hid under the blanket in the back of your car. I thought I could help you fight the vampires, but I guess they're too big after all."
Angel couldn't believe how casual she sounded. "That vampire almost BIT YOU," he yelled incredulously.
"I'm fine Daddy. I knew you'd save me." Katherine looked at him with wide trusting eyes.
With that, Angel knew what he had to do. He carried her over to a nearby crate and sat down, laying Katie across his lap. She knew instantly what was about to happen and waged a protest, but to no avail. Angel could not be deterred. He raised his hand high, acutely aware of his increased vampire strength. With measured force he brought his hand down, making contact with his daughter's behind. Katherine cried out and struggled to break free of her father's grasp but Angel held on tight. Five more times his hand rose and fell as his child pleaded with him to stop. When it was over he stood her on her feet and turned her to face him.
"Don't you ever, EVER do anything to put yourself in danger like this again. Do you understand?"
Katherine's eyes were filled with tears. She dropped her head down and her hands reached back to rub her stinging backside. Angel put his hand under her chin and pulled her head up to look at him.
His voice softened. "Do you understand?" he repeated.
"Yes," she answered as the tears spilled out and ran down her cheeks.
Angel picked her up and carried her out to the car. He deposited her in the back and Wesley slid in on the other side beside her. He reached over and comfortingly patted her hand. Angel and Gunn climbed in up front and the four of them rode home in silence except for the occasional sniffle from Katie.
Back at the hotel, Cordelia was going crazy. How was she ever going to tell Angel that she had lost his daughter? At first, she thought this was a game Katie was playing. Let's Play Hide and Seek Until We Drive Aunt Cordy to the Nuthouse maybe. But after looking in every corner and closet of the giant hotel for the past hour, Cordelia was not amused. In fact, she was downright frantic. What if someone had found out about Katie? Someone like Wolfram and Hart. What if they had kidnapped her…or worse? Angel could not bear to lose his child a second time. She had to find her. She just had to.
Lorne! Maybe she could call Lorne and he could pick up some sort of vibe. Quickly she raced to the phone. Just as she picked up the receiver, the front door opened and Gunn and Wesley walked in. Angel wasn't with them. Good! Maybe Gunn and Wesley could help her stall until she could get in touch with Lorne.
She began blurting, "Guys. You have to help me. I don't know what to do. It's Katie. She's…she's…"
Cordelia looked toward the door. "She's right there. Oh my God! She's right there!"
Angel and Katie were standing in the doorway. She ran to the little girl and squeezed her tight.
"Where were you? You nearly gave Aunt Cordy a heart attack, honey."
Angel spoke up. "She stowed away in the car. She was right there in the middle of everything."
Cordy looked down at Katie. "Why would you do something like that? Katie, that was so dangerous."
"You got that right," Gunn confirmed. "She was about half a fang away from being a vamp snack.
He turned and looked at Angel. "You know, you almost didn't make it in time. What's up with that man? You're startin' to move like a 270 year old."
Cordy led Katie over to the couch. "Are you hurt? You look like you've been crying."
Katherine shot Angel a quick glance, then turned back to Cordelia with her saddest eyes. "Daddy spanked me," she tattled.
Cordy was shocked. She had pretty much taken Angel for a pushover when it came to being a father. One more story, one more ice cream cone, one more roller coaster ride. Angel couldn't seem to say no to his daughter about anything. She couldn't believe he would ever punish her. She looked questioningly at Gunn and Wesley, who turned away before she could read them.
With a comforting smile, Cordelia reached out and smoothed down a piece of Katherine's hair. "Your clothes are filthy. Why don't you go upstairs and change into something clean and wash your hands and face, okay?"
"Okay." Katie turned and started up the stairs, but not before shooting one more accusing look in Angel's direction.
Her shot found its mark. Angel felt as though he had been punched in the stomach.
Once she was sure the girl was upstairs and out of earshot, Cordy turned on Angel. "Please tell me you did not hit that little girl."
Angel walked into the office and sat down behind his desk. Cordy followed on his heels.
"Angel?"
He began randomly shuffling and stacking papers.
"Say something, damn it!" she demanded.
He looked up, angry. "What do you want me to say?" he yelled. "Yes! I spanked her! You think I wanted to do it? I'd rather cut off my arm, BOTH ARMS, than hurt her like that. I didn't have a choice! She thinks this is all some great game we're playing. And now she wants to play, too. Well, today it just got way too close. Gunn was right. Another half-second…"
Angel leaned back in his chair. He looked tired.
His voice was calmer now. "Look, I wish I had these last six years back. I could raise her from Day One with a healthy respect for the dangers involved in what we do. That way, safety would just slowly become a natural part of her life. Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of time. She needs a crash course and she needs it now. I may not always get there in time to save her, and I won't lose her. Not again. I'd rather her be hurt a little bit now than badly hurt or killed…or worse…next time."
Cordelia saw the pain in Angel's face and her own anger dissolved.
"I guess you'd know a little something about the "or worse" part, huh?"
"Yeah. And that's never going to happen to her. Not ever. I don't care what I have to do."
There was a moment or two of awkward silence. Angel looked towards the stairway.
"So. I guess someone should probably go up there and talk to her. Make sure she understands that this was really for her own good and that she's still loved and all that."
He glanced sideways at Cordy. "Let me know how it goes, okay?" He tried hopefully.
Cordelia stood up and backed away. "Oh, no. You did it, you explain it." She smiled. "But I'll be right there in spirit thinking those good thoughts and all."
Cordelia was almost out the door when Angel spoke. "Cordy?"
She turned back around.
"What if she hates me now?"
Cordelia raised her eyebrows and shrugged. "Dads don't always get to be popular. The important thing is that they get to keep on being dads."