Title: Right Before Your Eyes

Author: Wereleopard
Rating: PG

Pairing: C/A
Email: Angst
Summary: Up to pregnant Darla it is AU, Angel's thoughts and questions about himself, his friends, his redemption and the love he has for Cordy.

Disclaimer: The characters in the Angel verse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made I am just poor and the song doesn't belong to me either.
Distribution: FSB!

Feedback: Yes please!

A/N Ok this is AU duh! LOL. So instead of Spike making Buffy feel something it was Angel, but Spike IS still in love with her and we know whom Angel wants.

Chapter 8

Angel's Bedroom, Hyperion Hotel, LA

The kiss was slow and deep, it was just a taste, it was just one small kiss he kept repeating in his mind, but in his heart and soul he knew it could never be one small kiss between him and Cordy, it would always be more, it was their friendship, all the ups and downs they had been through together, it was the love he felt for her. She owned every single part of him.

Cordy was drowning in emotions and she never wanted to be saved, she slowly moved her hands up his chest to his shoulders, she could feel the hard muscles beneath the dark shirt her wore. Her fingers itched to touch the smooth pale skin below. She loved him with everything she was, it felt like it was slow motion as he went to kiss her this was better than any dream, she was in heaven, she was in his arms.

Angel pulled away from her and smiled, his eyes bright, full of love. He stroked a finger down her cheek and as if she were a cat she rubbed her head against his finger, he then slid it down her neck and down between the valley of her breasts and stopped on her swollen stomach.

Cordy took a deep breath, this was the part she dreaded, she was afraid to look up and see the disappointment and disgust in his face. She was terrified that it was a kiss in the heat of the moment and the happiness of seeing her again and any minute he would realise what he had done and pull away.

He opened his hand and spread it out and he felt it, a kick and the vampire laughed. There was a child growing within the woman he loved it was part of her which made it special already no matter who the father was. He watched as his seer raised her head and stared at him shock and surprise written in her beautiful eyes.

"Angel?" She whispered.

"I can't believe that your baby is in there." Angel told her his voice full of awe.

Cordy smiled at the tone of his voice. "You've had a child of your own Angel. You were around when Darla was pregnant, you must have felt it."

"It's not the same it wasn't someone I." Angel paused for a moment trying to collect his thoughts together. "It wasn't growing inside someone I love." His eyes remained on the ground; he couldn't face her. He had just put his heart on the line and now the ball was in her court.

Cordy was sure her heart stopped; she was sure that she had misheard him. "Angel?"

His dark eyes met hers as he raised his head. The vampire could see confusion but also hope in those beautiful orbs.

"I love you." Angel told her again and then it happened the biggest, brightest and the most stunning smile he had ever seen appeared on her face. Now he remembered what it was like to be in the sun, what it felt like to have the heat on your skin and what it was like to have your heartbeat and to feel alive. He felt that all again with that one smile.

"I love you too. Angel I'm not sorry about having the baby, I wish it could have been with you but one miracle baby is enough don't you think. This wasn't planned and Lindsey and I aren't." She waved her hands around trying to explain. "We've never been, it was just one night and we had some drink and boy doesn't that sound wrong."

Angel took hold of her hands and brought them to his chest where he placed them over his unbeating heart. "It doesn't matter Cordy, you are back home where you belong. The rest of this we will deal with together just like we do anything else. You're tired I uhhh," he stuttered. "There is another room made up for you or you can umm."

Cordy laughed how she had missed the stuttering, sweet adorable dork but she did manage to catch his meaning.

"I'd like to sleep in your arms Angel obviously we can't do more me, well like this and you and your curse." She watched him, as she spoke there was change in his eyes Cordy had definitely missed something. "What?"

"Uhhh the curse is not a problem anymore, the whole thing with Darla well the PTB didn't want Angelus running around so they secured it. But I mean there is no rush I just want to hold you in my arms and maybe kiss a little more if that is ok with you." Angel mumbled.

"I think that sounds like heaven." She muttered feeling exhausted and emotionally drained. "What about Buffy?"

Angel groaned. "I'll tell you once we are in bed ok?"

She nodded in agreement, with a groan she sat on the bed and tried to get her shoes of and sighed in frustration. This is when Lindsey or someone in the café had usually helped her. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath she was just about to ask for help when she felt some cold hands on her feet. Cordy opened her eyes and down on his knees was Angel gently taking of her shoes and massaging her feet.

Lobby, Hyperion Hotel, LA

Gunn, Wes, Fred and Lindsey were looking up the stairs with smiles on their faces and they all shook their heads as they looked at each other amazed at the weirdness that was their lives.

"Who the hell does she think she is?" Buffy muttered as she paced. "She comes in here and acts all sweetness and light but we all know what she is, she's a"

"Stop right there." Lindsey told her in a deadly quiet voice. "I love her as a friend, so if you want a problem go ahead and finish that sentence. Cordy is one of the most loving and most forgiving person I know and I won't allow anyone to say anything bad about her especially when it is not the truth." His blue eyes glinted becoming cold as ice as he stared at the petite blonde.

The rest of AI walked forward. "We won't allow it. This is Cordy's home, it isn't and has never been yours." Gunn said to her, anger evident in his voice.

"We'll see what Angel has to say about that?" With that she flounced up the stairs to Angel's room followed closely by everyone else and she flung the door open and her mouth opened and closed at the sight before her.

Angel was laying in bed with his arms wrapped around Cordy and they both looked at peace and happy. They looked like they belonged together and they did. Buffy opened her mouth to wake them up when Lindsey covered her mouth with his hand and they all dragged her out of the room and closed the door softly behind them.

A pair of male eyes opened and he smiled, he may not trust Lindsey but it was obvious that he cared about Cordelia, they probably would never be friends but at the moment they weren't enemies, he looked down at the brunette he held and he felt truly at peace, if his soul had been secured he would have lost it when he held his son for the first time and he would have lost it again right at this moment.

Buffy glared at them and she hit Lindsey as he let her go. She knew that Angel would hate if she hit any of his friends, she stormed out of the hotel to cool down and when she got back and Angel was up this would all be sorted out. He was only being nice to Cordelia that was all there was nothing else to it.

Wolfram and Hart, LA

Lilah paced backwards and forwards in her office Lindsey and Cordelia had been at the hotel for a while and there seemed to be no problems. That shouldn't have happened, she needed to step things up. There had to be something she could do, her phone rang sighing she picked it up.

"Yes." She said sharply and slowly a smile began to form on her face. "That will be perfect. Start it straight away.

TBC