Chapter 11

Wes stared down at the book he was reading, he pulled back for a moment and then adjusted his glasses.

"It can't be." He muttered to himself and re-reads it over and over again. A smile slowly began to blossom on his face but as soon as it did it fell. "Damn" he yelled and slammed his fist on the table.

Everyone had been through everything and what he had just read was the only thing that could work but there were parts of it that he didn't understand, maybe Giles could help.

Angel sat in the uncomfortable plastic chair gripping hold of Cordy's hand. His eyes red from crying, he couldn't loose her they had just found each other.

"Hello I am Dr Webster the specialist." He the elder man said.

"Any news Doctor is there anything that can be done." Angel asked hopefully.

Dr Webster paused for a moment and Angel's heart fell this was not going to be good news.

"I am sorry Mr Angel, it has deteriorated so fast there is nothing we can do. We just make her comfortable and her last moments pain free." He said this was the part of the job that he hated.

"How long?" The vampire choked out the words, he forced them past the lump in his throat.

"Hours, days, a week at the most. If there is anything we can do please let us know." Dr Webster left the man alone, he could see the love he had for the woman on the bed and now he was going to have to find someway to live without her.

Angel looked at Cordy laying on the bed, he had to let the others know what had happened and whatever they had found out it was going to be there only opportunity.

Wes had the phone at his ear, his hand was shaking and the tears fell from his eyes. Fred and Gunn walked over to him hands on his shoulders as his body shook with the sadness. He finally pulled the phone away and it dropped it the ground with a clatter.

He turned to his two friends he opened his mouth and then closed it again, he took a deep breath and tried again.

"That was Angel, a specialist has been to see him Cordy has hours, a week at the most." Wes turned to Giles. "We don't have time to do any more research it is the best lead we have." The elder watcher looked at him and nodded in agreement. Wesley was right they had no time.

Fred looked at Cordelia, the young girl was holding Connor, she looked as she was going to faint, Fred went to her. "Cordelia, are you alright?" She asked gently.

Cordelia looked at the woman she had in front of her, she was the only one that asked how she was, apart of Angel, no one though of her, she looked at the baby in her arms "I…uh… I don't know…" she said quietly, letting Fred taking Connor in her arms "I'm not sure about how I feel, I mean…she's dying… here in her past…what's going to happen to me…" she tried to talk at the same time she was trying not to cry.

"Oh right… you have to think of yourself, as always" Buffy said bitterly.

"I wasn't…" Cordelia began to talk, but she was too overwhelmed, "I need to go… I'm sorry…"

"That's was uncalled for Buffy" Angel said coldly leaving to look for Cordelia.

Buffy stood there opened mouth she couldn't believe Angel spoke to her like that, she saw Wes, Gunn and Fred glaring at her, their eyes a light with anger. The slayer backed away from them until her friends came into view Giles shook his head in disappointment, Willow looked down at the ground and Xander stared at her open-mouthed with a shocked look on his face. It was too much for the blonde and she fled out of the door of the library.

"Ok we don't have much time Willow, Xander can you get this list of items we need." The two youngsters nodded grabbed the list and left without a word. "I'll go and get the blood from Angel and Cordy. Gunn, Fred stay here with Giles and help him where you can I won't be long." With that Wes rushed out of the door they didn't' know how long they had he just hoped that they did it in time to save their friend.

Angel finally managed to catch up with Cordelia she had just ran and now found herself in a cemetery.

"Cordelia?" He called out.

The brunette stopped and stared at her him, her face streaked with tears.

"Am I being selfish?" She sobbed.

Angel's heart went out to her; he walked over and pulled the crying teenager into his arms. "No you aren't Buffy only said that because she was jealous."

"Why?" Cordelia sniffed.

"Because of the future we have together she always wanted us to be normal and I believed we couldn't be. You know me being a vampire with a soul and her being the slayer. But it seems in sometime we leave here separately and find each other, find friendship, find a family and finally find love with each other. Everything she wanted with me but it looks like we will never have, it's just hard for her to deal with it." Angel told her still holding her in his arms and gently stroking her hair.

Cordelia tipped her head so she was looking up at him. "What about you? How are you dealing with the fact that you and the love of your life won't end up together that you end up being with the bitch from Sunnydale." Her hazel eyes full of curiosity.

Angel stared down at her, he gazed into those beautiful orbs and he could feel himself drowning in them and he didn't want to struggle. "I am not as upset as I imagined I would be, in fact I am very much looking forward to the future. Having a child, a family and you." He whispered the last words as he lowered his head and ever so gently he kissed her lips, it was just a touch but they both felt the electrical shock down to there very toes and they suddenly pulled away as if they had been electrocuted. Both of their faces covered in shock.

"Oh god I'm sorry Angel, I didn't uhh don't." Cordelia stuttered.

Angel gave her a small and nervous smile. "I didn't either I mean it's been a shock to us you know with the baby and well us, I meaning finding out what we…" He waved a hand between the two of them.

Cordelia bent her head and blushed and he didn't think he had seen anything so beautiful. She reached out a hand. "We'd better get back and see if we can help me and send us to the future where we belong."

Angel laughed and took hold of her petite hand gripping it tightly as they walked back to the library.

Buffy ran out into the night crying, why was this happening to her? Didn't she have enough in her life, she was the slayer and she was never going to be normal and live like everyone else, it wasn't fair but no one understood.

She stopped suddenly and she dried away her tears. Angel. He would understand; he was more approachable and more caring in the future. Yes she would go and see future Angel, her Angel.

The blonde turned and headed towards the hospital. "Someone or something must have driven him away from my arms. I'll find him and we'll talk and when Cordelia is better he will tell her that it was a mistake and when they go back to the future he will come back to me, or maybe I can go to the future with him. My future self must be so unhappy without him. Yes that is what I'll do."

Wesley stopped at the doors of the hotel, his mobile plastered to his ear. "Oh dear that is a problem." He muttered. "I'll grab Angel and take him back to the library, we'll have to discuss it with him." Even though he knew Angel would agree but he had to make sure the vampire knew what could go wrong and why it would be Cordy and Connor who would be in the most danger.

The ex-watcher walked into the hospital and headed towards Cordy's room, he opened the softly and walked in. Angel looked up at him, it was obvious that he had been crying but the thing that hit you most with the desolate look that he had, that he had lost everything to him or was almost about to.

"Wes?" Angel whispered a little bit of hope appearing in his eyes.

"We do have an idea but you need to come with us and here what we say, there is a problem, a big one and we are not sure that it will work." Wes said looking at his friend.

Angel nodded he bent over and kissed Cordy on the lips softly. "I'll be back soon my love."

As they headed out the hospital they bumped into Buffy, she looked shocked to see Wes there.

"I was just coming to see how you were and uhh Cordelia of course." She stuttered.

Wes and Angel looked at each other knowing that she was lying.

"Of course Buffy, we are heading back to the library and we might need your help." Wes asked her.

She just stared at Angel and nodded.

Once everyone had got back from their various tasks, they all sat down and waited to her what the problem was going to be.

"Well the easy part is getting Angel and Cordy's blood but we have just found something else out, we need the blood of Angel with and without the soul."

Past Angel stood his face paler than normal, Cordelia who sat next to him watched him with worry and Buffy glared at them both.

All the AI gang turned to Angel and he looked at Wes.

"Yes Angel we are going to need Angelus, and it has to be you, it has to be Angelus who would be in our time."

TBC