"Research now," Giles said, being supportive in the only way he knew how.
"Yes, we will find an answer in the books. We always do," Willow said trying to encourage the family.
"What are we looking for?" Xander said, wanting to help, he still felt something for his Cordy and he didn't want anything bad happening to her.
"I don't know, we could look about mystical comas, visions…" Wesley said trying to order in his mind the books they'd be needing this night.
"I remember reading some books about visions and seers during Watcher Training," Giles said. Wesley began handing out books.
"Humans are not supposed to receive the visions. They are not meant for them," Willow told them. They've been reading for a while now and it looks like Willow found something.
"What do you mean, Willow?" Angel turned to ask the red head.
"In this book it says human can't have the visions it doesn't say too much, the book talk about two humans that received them, and it didn't turn out good for them," Willow said as gently as she could.
"What happened to them?" Wesley asked, a bad feeling in his gut.
"The back of their skulls blew out," Willow said. The room flinched, "Both died less than a year after they received them."
"It says anything more?" Gunn asked.
"According to this, humans aren't meant to last longer than a year"
"A year?" Cordelia said, "Doesn't she have them for over two years already?" She looked at Angel for an answer.
"Yes she does," There was a moment of silence, then Angel said strongly, "We'll go over everything. We have to research everything. Fred, you take the computers, Wesley go over there and look for any book that you think we'll need. Willow; see if you can find some healing spells, or something. Gunn you and Buffy go and check out the Magic Shops. Cordelia, you and Giles hit the books with me, and Xander…" Angel stopped his list of instructions, thinking for a second, "Xander…you go do whatever it is you do," he finished up. No one thought to question the orders, a scene so different from just a few years ago. "Oh and Gunn we need some food for everyone…go to the mansion for Connor things, please"
"On it man, I'll take something for you" Gunn said.
Fred was already in front of the computer, while Willow was with a bunch of Wicca books around her. She was on the phone, speaking to a friend, explaining the situation. Gunn grabbed his coat, and waited for Buffy, and the two of them headed out.
The rest opened books, searching for a clue, or anything that would help, that could save her.
It was a long night, a depressing one, where very little seemed to give any hope.
Angel was intently reading a book in Latin, about prophetic dreams, but truth be told he wasn't really reading he was thinking about Cordelia and how much he needed her.
"Found anything relevant?" Angel jolted from his thoughts at the sound of the English voice above his head. Lifting his eyes, he took in the tired face of the ex-watcher.
"So far, no." he replied sadly, in his pale face an expression of fear that nobody thought you could see ever.
Angel stopped for a moment his eyes echoing the loss he felt in his heart, there was an empty void inside of her that was only filled by the laughter, the smile, the smell, the emptiness had a shape it was shaped like Cordelia Chase. The vampire had realised how dependent he had become on her, he awoke thinking about her and Connor and they were the last thing he thought of.
The relationship he had with Buffy was different, with the slayer it had been new and exciting meeting in the cemetery, stealing kisses, the danger for him it was like he was 15 years old. But when he was sent to hell he had aged so much, when he left to go to LA he hid away but still helped people it was Doyle and Cordelia who had really helped him grow and then eventually the others.
They treated him as a man, a friend a loved one, he would be handed a cup of blood as if it were tea, he couldn't do that in Sunnydale, hell he couldn't even have imagined doing that here. He went to the cinema and had ice cream with Fred, he'd gone against Gunn on the playstation Angel the vampire with a soul had a normal life, kind of.
Angel wasn't going to live without Cordelia he couldn't she was the sunshine to his darkness.
"Wes I can't live without her, she is my everything. We have just gotten together and now people are tearing us apart. It's so unfair I know I did A LOT wrong but I am trying to fight for good I am doing what I can. What isn't it good enough they have to take one of the things that light up my life. We just found each other. If she dies I don't think I can survive without her." His eyes filled up as he stared at his friend.
Wes reached out and touched his shoulder. "We are going to do everything we can, no matter what we have to do." He smiled at Angel. "I was attracted to Cordelia and she was me." He waved around the time they were in. "Back in the day but do you know what the more I got to know her, the less I was attracted to her but the more I loved her, she became my sister and I don't know if any of us will be whole without her, she affected us all in her own way and with everything she goes through after every vision." The rogue demon hunter wiped away a tear that managed to escape from his eye. "She is strong Angel and she will fight have you known Cordelia Chase go without a battle especially when she has something to lose in this case her family me, Gunn and Wes, Connor the son she never thought she would have and you a man, a vampire who truly loves her for being her, who accepts it all, may not like it but accepts none the less. Cordy is many things but a coward isn't one of them."
Angel smiled briefly and nodded at him he walked over to Fred and laid a hand on her shoulder.
"How are you doing?" He asked the petite Texan.
She gazed up at him with big; wide eyes wet with unshed tears.
"I miss her." Fred said simply and plainly.
"We all do but don't worry we'll get her back." Angel choked the words out and walked towards the Scoobies to see how they were doing with the researching.
Fred watched him walk away as much as she had a crush on him and as much as she would have loved if he had fallen in love with her, you couldn't blame him Cordy could stand toe to toe with him and he loved every second.
"Yes we will because you need her too much." Fred whispered to herself as she ducked her head and continued to search, she had this family and she wasn't going to lose any of them, there had to be something to help.
After talking with the Scoobies and seeing that no one had a lead Angel thought about going to see Cordy. "I need to go, I have to be with her, I'll be back in a while" he sounded so desperate that no one said anything, they just let him go.
Angel walked into her room, she looked so pale, but at the same time so beautiful, "You can't die. Connor needs his mother. I need you, I love you Cordy I just found you…" he said quietly, before bursting into tears.
A nurse walked passed and saw the sobbing man her heart went out to him as she listened to his words, in this job you saw the best and worst. You had babies being born and the happiness that surrounded them and then you had things like this when you had a person losing a loved one and the girl was so young, she had a whole life ahead of her, but she wouldn't her brain was dying, the nurse doubted if this man would ever see her open her eyes and manage to say their last farewells this would it for them. She could feel the tears building up in her own eyes as she walked away leaving him alone in his grief and sadness.
Past Cordelia and Angel looked at each other, they felt as if they should be doing something, this was their future, a baby crying got their attention as they both walked over together, even if they weren't his parents yet maybe they could calm him down until something was figured out.
Cordelia picked the baby and smile down at him, Angel looked over her shoulder down at him, they both grinned and looked at each other as the baby's cries stopped but they both froze when they gazed into each other's eyes, it was like a magnetic pull they could tear themselves away. There was something there, had it always been there or was it a small flame that was just starting and it would take all these years to grow into the bonfire of love that it was or would be in the future.
Buffy stood in one corner watching them, it wasn't fair, yes she was attracted more to the future Angel, he was the more normal version of the vampire, he was the one that could, as much as he could an average boyfriend. Why couldn't they switch? But even though Cordelia had no right to have googly eyes at her boyfriend, they may get together in the future but that made no difference that was not now and you never know things might change, the blonde smiled secretly to herself maybe I can do something so they won't end up together, maybe there is a way that Angel will love me forever, but how?
TBC...
