PLEASE NOTE TIMELINE: Season 3 of Angel. Cordy is still dying from her visions, but let's just pretend that Provider happened before Birthday. It's a funny episode, and the story continues from that night. (The night Cordy fell asleep with Angel and Connor.) But I don't want to transform her into a part-demon yet. For the Sentinel, it has been a year after Incacha passed the way of the shaman to Blair. Their friends know about his visions, but do not know that Jim is a Sentinel. (A human with 'super' senses; all five of his senses are enhanced.) Sort of like a vampire, except he's not dead. (In a way, he's more like Connor than a vampire. Connor had the enhanced hearing, scent, etc and he wasn't a vampire.)

Also, I'm going to write the story in Blair and Cordy's POV. And I'm not going to tell you which is which, you can figure it out. (I know you can do it.) LOL.

Chapter Two:

It's been the same every morning for almost two and a half years now. Before I even open my eyes, I can feel it; feel the migraine still lingering from the last mind-shattering vision that I had.

This time is really no different, except it is.

This time, I don't have Phantom Dennis bringing me my pills before I lift my head of my pillow in the morning. I don't have time to soak in the tub before getting up for work.

Before I open my eyes, I know that I'm not home. I'm at Angel's. Connor's baby smell and sounds surround my senses at the same time I can feel his little legs kicking against the hand holding him near me. That brings a smile to my face: my little angel. I know that he's not mine. Hell, it's not like I could forget how Angel betrayed us by lying about sleeping with Darla, but when I see his cute little baby face, it truly doesn't seem to matter anymore. I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be.

Finally, I force myself to open my eyes. Angel is coming out of the bathroom; obviously he'd taken a shower, still wrapped in a towel. I'm used to that. We've both worked together for so long—never mind when we all worked out of my apartment after the first office blew up—that we've seen each other in towels and such.

He smiles at me, "Good Morning, Cordy." He sort of jumps on the bed to tickle Connor, "Good Morning, little guy. How's my little guy, this morning? Playing with your toes. Yeah. I see your toes." His baby talk makes Connor and I laugh at his corniness.

I smile back at him, getting up out of bed to take my turn in the shower. Before I walk in I grab the purse that I threw in the corner of the room, waiting before I'm alone before letting the smile fade into pain. Grasping my head, I blink at my reflection. I look horrible. Opening my purse, I pulled out my painkillers, wincing as I swallow a couple of pills.

Washing my face and throwing on a layer of makeup, I plaster my fake smile on again, ready to start the new day.

Angel is carrying Connor around the room, trying to find a clean onesie. Once he finds it, he puts Connor back on the bed to change him as he chats with me. "How'd you sleep, Cordy? I think we were both really tired, I don't remember falling asleep. I keep thinking yesterday was some weird dream. Do we really have $50,000 or was that just a dream?"

I smile at him, "Yes. We have $50,000. But you're right; it does seem like a dream. I mean, demon trying to cut off Fred's head to put on their master? Weird."

After Connor is all dressed up and happily gurgling, Angel hands him over to me. I hold the baby close in my arms, not really wanting to let go of him. I fight hard to maintain my smile; I know in my heart, I'm not going to live long enough to see him grow up into a man. And the hardest part about the whole 'dying' thing is that I have to keep it a secret. Staring into Angel's smiling face; my heart breaks because I know that he's going to have a difficult time without me. He's going to be so angry at me; I promised him once that I'd always be by his side and now, I'm breaking that promise.

I focus on the present. I taught Fred how to answer the phones, Gunn how to file the paperwork, and Wesley how to help Angel when I'm not around and I did it so sneaky that they had no idea what exactly I was doing. I just have to hope that everyone will be okay.

We both walked down the stairs, (I'm still wearing yesterday's clothes) greeting the other members of Angel Investigations with a smile and a good morning. I love how no one seems to blink that I have stayed with Angel and Connor for the night.

"Alright, what do we have to work on today?" I exchange Connor for a cup of coffee that Angel has made me. I take a sip before going over to my desk to check our calls. Ever since we 'went on-line' yesterday, we've been bombarded with junk mail, prank phone calls, and occasionally a case. Though I do admit that our last case made Connor's college fund.

Wesley retreated back into his office as I check our calls and start handing out assignments. Gunn and Fred leave to check out a possibly spell on a teenaged boy. It seems he was cursed by his Wiccan ex-girlfriend.

Angel, of course, stayed in with Connor due to his 'sun-allergy', while I got rid of the junk and went over the invoices owed to us.

I figured that I'd be completely bored out of my mind today. It's funny how that old Murphy works out, huh? Well, bored was not the word.