Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

Author's note: Thanks to, Ka-mia2286, ReganX, nookyfiction, MysticWolf1, Kelley:TheSelfToastablePopTart, Little Illy, and Moonjava, for reviewing!

"It's here," Connor said, jumping to the right conclusion. "The Beast." He knew why it was here too, there were too many coincidences for it not to be connected to him. No wonder Cordelia didn't want him.

"It's probably just an aftershock," Lilah said calmly, almost unaware of the violent shaking.

Unconvinced, Gavin tried the phone, "Line's dead," he muttered, knowing Lilah was watching him with an amused smile.

She rolled her eyes and handed him a two way radio. He took it from her almost gratefully; not such a smug bastard when he felt his life was at stake.

"This is Gavin Park to the front desk. Over," he paused. "Come in front desk."

A scream sounded through the room. "This is the front desk," someone choked out. " Mr Park, we're kinda ... "

There was more screaming.

Lilah stared at Gavin, unimpressed, her arms folded. "Tell him to stop whining and make a report," she instructed as a terrified cry of "Oh my God" came through the radio.

"Cordelia!" Angel called, entering the lobby with a tearful Charlie, half crying because he thought his beloved Cordy was in trouble, and half because his first thought when Angel caught him, was to tell Alonna. But he didn't know where she was, and he missed his baby sister very much, even if she did smell sometimes. "Cordelia Chase!"

The little girl tiptoed down the stairs meekly, her hands behind her back, the picture of innocence. She looked up at Angel with wide eyes, the way she had learnt adults found irresistible.

Angel, however, was no normal adult, and there was no way he was buying her act. "You've got some explaining to do."

Cordy lowered her eyes, slightly annoyed that it hadn't worked, and instead buried her head in her hands, letting out dramatic sobs.

Angel waited patiently for a few seconds, until he saw the little girl peek through her fingers at him to see his reaction.

Sighing at his lack of response, she lowered her hands revealing dry eyes. "You'd better not yell at me," she said seriously. "Coz my daddy says I'm Princess C, and one day I'll be Queen C, and then I'll kick your ass if you're mean to me."

"First," Angel said calmly, putting Charlie down and folding his arms. "Don't say 'Ass'."

"You just did," Cordy sulked.

Angel ignored her. "Secondly, I expect you to apologise to Charlie."

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Like you mean it."

"It's not my fault he's stupid," she argued, folding her arms like Angel, with an equally determined look on her face. It wasn't like she pushed him out the window or anything; Angel was just being a big fat meanie.

"Not stupid," Charlie lisped, his thumb in his mouth.

"You are!" she insisted, stamping her foot.

"Cordelia," Angel interrupted wearily, unsure what to do with the difficult child. He'd like to have sent her to her room; however sleeping accommodations were still very undecided. "Go to my office," he decided.

She didn't argue, just stomped off, making a point of slamming down each foot noisily. It wasn't fair. She was only playing a game. He wasn't even meant to jump. Charlie was just an idiot, and Angel was just a meanie.

"And don't come out until you're ready to apologise," Angel called after her.

A man screamed as the Beast threw him across the room, crashing into the sign saying "Wolfram and Hart, Attorneys at law." It killed him instantly, his body dropping alongside many others in a crumpled heap.

The Beast laughed, making his way to the stairwell, snapping the necks of anyone who got in his way.

XXXX

Gavin fumbled his way through shelves of toilet paper, panic causing a lack of coordination, and his brain to feel numb.

He knew there was a passage in the closet somewhere. He knew there was a way out. He knew ...

... The Beast was right behind him.

Gavin never got the chance to turn around. He was dead before he hit the floor.

Fred lay back, totally relaxed, letting her head submerge under the water for a while, breathing out causing bubbles.

She rarely got the chance to have a bath, it was always quick showers between jobs, and she was determined to enjoy this one. The kids were with Wesley, so there was no reason for her to be disturbed. Not that she'd mind Wesley disturbing her of course.

Fred sat up.

Wesley? She wouldn't mind Wesley disturbing her?

A few days ago it would have been Gunn she was thinking about.

Wesley though? Could she really see him as Wesley? If he knocked on her door that very second, would she let him in?

A coincidental knock on the door made her jump.

"Fred?" asked a little voice she'd learnt to recognise as Liam.

"We've got you a ... " Krev continued with a pause.

"Present," Mini Fred whispered.

"Present," Krev repeated, then Fred heard him whisper, "Would the killing of a Drokken not be better?"

She smiled, recognising the name of a Pylean demon and remembering Krev's kind weren't big on giving gifts.

"No," Little Wes whispered, making a mental note to look up Drokkens.

Fred grabbed a towel and stepped out of the bath, just as a piece of paper was pushed under the door.

She picked it up and two brightly coloured stick figures stared back, one with a triangle skirt on, which Fred guessed was meant to be her, the other looking very pleased to see her, and not just because of the huge smile on his face.

Before Fred had the chance to worry about what sort of adult content the five year old children had been exposed to, she noticed the writing at the top of the page. "Wesly and Fred plain wepins," which had been crossed out and rewritten by Mini Fred to say, "Wesley and Fred playing weapons."

She smiled guiltily at letting her imagination get the better of her. He hadn't been that pleased to see her; he was just holding a sword.

"I love it," she told the kids eagerly waiting on the other side of the door.

Wesley? Wesley?

Yeah, she could see it.

"Angel?" Cordelia called, walking into the lobby. "You have a minute?"

Charlie looked up at her curiously; he remembered seeing her before.

"It's about Connor."

Angel walked over, expecting her to be about to confess to sleeping with his son. "I already know."

"You do?" she asked, confused.

Before Angel had the chance to respond, Wesley called for him from the top of the stairs.

"Lilah phoned," he explained breathlessly as he joined them. "The Beast is at Wolfram and Hart."

"Why did she feel the need to tell us?" Angel almost snapped, directing his feelings about Cordelia to Wes. Lilah never involved them unless she had to.

"It would seem Connor is also in the building."

Little Cordelia sighed; she hated being in trouble. She climbed down off of Angel's desk, leaving the important documents she'd folded into paper aeroplanes, and peered around the door.

She'd give him one chance, only one.

"Where's my present?" the tiny brunette demanded, her hands on her hips.

"I don't have time for this Cordelia," Angel said distractedly, already making plans to go to Wolfram and Hart.

Mini Cordy glared at him behind her back, before focusing her attention on the other Cordy. "You have the same name as me," she commented. "But my hair's nice, and yours isn't."

Cordy put her hand to her head, the same way she did last time the little girl mentioned her short blonde cut.

"Why do you want a present?" Wes asked her curiously.

The little girl sighed, "Angel was a big fat meanie, and yelled at me," she explained. "When Daddy yells at me, he always buys me presents to say sorry."

The older Cordelia found herself nodding at the child's statement.

"You should say sorry, not Angel," Charlie told her bravely.

Cordy stamped her foot, turned, and ran out the room. Daddy always bought her presents, and if Angel wouldn't, then she'd just have to find her way home. Find her way back to daddy.

I know this was very Cordy-centric, but I'm hoping nobody minds, as long as I include the others more in the next chapter.

TBC: Little Cordy and some of the kids have an encounter with the Beast.

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