Disclaimer: All characters and things from ANGEL and BUFFY belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. If they aren't on the show they belong to me.
Summary: A different turn of events after Season 1 Episode 12 "Expecting" A/C pairing
CHAPTER 73Angel went to open the door to Erin's room, when suddenly, it flung open right before him, and in front of him stood an alarmed Cordelia, with a seemingly tranquil Erin in her arms. Before Angel knew what was going on, Cordelia was pulling him into Erin's room.
"Cordy…what?" Angel started.
"Angel, look!" Cordelia pointed out the open window to the dark streets of L.A. below.
"What?" Angel asked, as he studied the scene outside.
"It's dark out!" Cordelia rocked Erin in her arms quickly to keep her own nerves down.
"So?" Angel was confused. He didn't care that it was dark out; he just wanted to talk to Cordelia and apologize for what had happened downstairs.
"It's two o'clock in the afternoon!" Cordelia's eyes grew wider as she spoke, and Angel saw fear in them. She was scared.
Suddenly, Angel realized the weight of her words and his own eyes grew wide. He looked down at his watch. "It's the middle of the afternoon, and it's dark out!"
"Pitch black." Cordelia took Angel's hand with the one she wasn't rocking Erin in, and pulled him closer to the window, pointing up to the spot in the sky where the sun was only moments ago.
Angel looked up, examining the sky to see some of the suns rays trying to escape around what appeared to be a block of darkness. The sun was blotted out. Again. Just like when the Beast was in town.
"Not again." Angel said to himself.
"It's happening all over again, Angel." Cordelia looked at her husband, concern in her voice. "It's like what happened with that Beast." Her eyes then fell to Erin. She looked so peaceful in her mother's arms. "What's going on out there?"
Angel shrugged, pulling Cordelia and Erin close to him as if to protect them both. "I don't know what's happening, Cordy, but we will figure this out. I promise. Right now we need to get everyone back in the hotel." He took Cordelia by the hand and led her downstairs to the lobby.
Spike and Jess were making their way through the sewer when suddenly they heard a pack of something coming up behind them. They both stood against the wall, trying to figure out who or what was making its way down the sewers. When they heard no heartbeats, Jessica and Spike knew the pack was a group of vampires.
"Put your game face on." Spike told Jess as he morphed into his demon face.
Jess nodded, putting on her demon visage as well.
A moment later the vampires passed Spike and Jess. One vampire, with long blonde hair, and big sideburns, stopped to talk to the blonde vampire with a soul and the immortal half-breed.
"What are you doing hanging down here my brothers?" The vampire asked.
"I'm not your brother." Jess started, annoyed at the vampire.
"Sorry." The vampire studied Jessica's face. "It's dark down here, I couldn't see your face."
"Right." Jessica rolled her eyes.
"Hey, don't I know you from somewhere?" The vampire studied Jessica even more.
Jess began to panic, realizing she had probably killed a few of this vampire's friends, and that he would recognize her.
"Well, she knows a lot of people, a lot of people know her." Spike covered quickly for Jessica. "So where are you all headed off too?"
"Didn't you hear?" The vampire asked, excitedly.
"Hear what?" Jess asked.
"The sun!" The vampire squealed. "It's missing!"
"What do you bloody mean it's missing?" Spike was confused.
"I mean it's gone." The vampire repeated. "It's total darkness up there." He pointed up to the street. "Sun just blotted out a few minutes ago."
Jessica checked her watch. "It's only five after two. It's the middle of the afternoon."
The vampire nodded, eagerly. "I know. Isn't it great? I knew something was coming, I could feel it, you know? And something did come! Total darkness, like two years ago."
"I remember." Jess said as she recalled the Beast she had battled and how he had blotted out the sun. Could the Beast be back, though? She was pretty sure Angelus had turned that big piece of rock into dust.
"Well, it's the same thing." The vampire said. "This is it. This is what was coming! This is the new world."
"How?" Spike asked. "I mean, do you know why the suns out?"
The vampire shrugged. "Not really. I heard some people talking, they think it might be that law firm, maybe you heard of them. Wolfram and Hart? Some people are saying they've got something to do with this."
Jessica could feel the blood rush from her face. Wolfram and Hart might have just taken away the sun. She did all she could to fight the sickening feeling increasing in her stomach. The feeling that something big was coming that she had been having for a while came crashing down on her. This was that something, but for some reason, Jess felt like this was only the beginning. She quickly pulled a stake out of her pocket, not giving it much thought as she pierced the chest of the vampire who had given them the information on Wolfram and Hart. Jess then took Spike's hand, hastily leading him down the sewer.
"Where are we going?" Spike asked as Jessica dragged him along.
"Back to the hotel." Jess told him. "I need to make sure everyone is safe, and we all need to figure out what the hell is going on."
Spike nodded in agreement. He could hear the alarm in Jessica's voice and it was starting to worry him. Jess was like Buffy, she didn't get scared easily, and right now, Spike could tell the young girl was getting worried.
Fred, Gunn, Wesley, and Lorne had been down at a coffee shop owned by one of Lorne's friends when the sun disappeared from the sky. The four friends quickly rushed outside to see what was going on when the darkness fell upon the streets of L.A.
"What the hell is going on?" Gunn looked up at the sky.
"Looks like the sun disappeared. Again." Lorne snorted. "We just don't ever get a break."
"What do you think is happening?" Fred looked to Wesley to see the ex-watcher deep in thought.
Suddenly, Wesley was thrown against the wall by two vampires. The Englishman struggled against the two demons, freeing himself.
Gunn quickly punched one vampire as Fred took out a stake from her purse and gave it to Wesley as he staked the one vampire Gunn hadn't punched. The vampire who Gunn had hit quickly got to his feet, giving Gunn a good blow to the gut. Gunn doubled over, but Wesley was right behind his friend, staking the vampire.
"Well, I think it's safe to say the vampires know the sun is out." Wesley said as he helped Gunn to his feet.
Gunn nodded, fixing his red long sleeve shirt. "We should get back to the hotel."
Wesley nodded in agreement. "We just need to be careful. I have a feeling a lot more vampires will be coming out onto the streets soon." He then took Fred by the hand and swiftly led the group back to the hotel.
Connor stood by the window in his dorm room, starring out at the darkness before him. He didn't understand why it was so dark outside, but he knew darkness like that. He remembered the days of the Beast and how terror immediately took over L.A. the minute the sun was gone. He also remembered Quortoth and the darkness of that dimension. That had been real darkness. That darkness had been the disease that had crept over him so long ago and turned his heart black. He would not let that darkness ever come over him again.
Connor moved swiftly, grabbing the two boxes he had packed up with his things. He would have to come back for the rest of his stuff at another time. Right now he knew he had to get back to the hotel.
Connor was making his way down the hall of his dorm when his roommate, a kid named Ray came up the stairs. To Connor, Ray could have been Gunn's twin. The vampire spawn swore the two looked exactly alike.
"Ray, what are you doing out here?" Connor asked.
"I'm coming home." Ray said in a rather calm matter. "Where are you going?"
"I'm out of here." Connor said. "And you should get back in the dorm. Lock it up tight. Don't let anyone in." Connor was worried something or someone would attack Ray in the darkness that had swallowed L.A.
"Why?" Ray asked slyly.
Connor dropped the box he was carrying as he realized he was no longer starring at his roommate, but instead was starring at a demon with Ray's face. Ray had been turned. He was a vampire.
Connor backed away slowly from Ray, swallowing hard.
Ray countered each of Connor's steps. "What's wrong, Connor?"
"Just…back up." Connor tried to remain calm.
Ray shook his head, morphing into his demon face. He grinned at Connor, exposing his fangs. "I can smell how scared you are."
"Then you can smell something else too." Connor remembered. "I'm half demon." And with that Connor took one good swing at Ray, sending the vampire across the hallway. Connor then took off down the stairwell. He needed to get back to the hotel.
Jess and Spike rushed into the lobby of the Hyperion Hotel to find Angel pulling weapons out of the weapon closest left and right, and Cordelia pacing around the room, bouncing a wiggling Erin in her arms.
"Mom! Dad! You're okay!" Jess rushed forward.
Angel turned to face his daughter, relief crossing his face. "Jess! Your back! Where were you?"
"In the sewers. We were heading over to Wolfram and Hart." Jess told her parents.
"Why?" Cordelia asked quickly.
"Because, remember that nagging feeling I was having that something was coming?" Jess pointed outside to the darkness. "Well, I think it came."
"We were heading over to the firm to check things out. On our way there we ran into some vampires who let us know the sun was out." Spike explained.
"And they let us know that there are rumors circulating that Wolfram and Hart had something to do with the sun going bye-bye." Jess seemed to wave out the window at the sun that was nowhere to be found to emphasize her point.
"Wolfram and Hart had something to do with this?" Angel asked, furrowing his brow.
"Not a surprise there." Cordelia snorted as she felt Erin grab onto her necklace.
"Well, we aren't positive yet." Jess said. "Just what we heard." She then looked around the lobby. "Where is everyone else?"
Cordelia sighed, and Jessica could tell her mother was extremely stressed out at this point.
"We're not sure." Cordelia told her daughter. "We came down here and no one was here."
"You mean, Gunn, Wesley, Fred, and Lorne never came back from breakfast?" Jess raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't make any sense."
"I know." Angel agreed. "Maybe they are held up somewhere. I'd rather they stayed wherever they were then stroll out onto the streets. I have a feeling the vampires are out there already."
"They are." Spike told him. "At least that's what the vampires we ran into were planning on doing."
"Well, what about Connor?" Jess asked, wanting to make sure her brother was safe.
"He's upstairs." Cordelia said.
"He went out." Angel said at the exact same moment Cordelia spoke.
Cordelia and Angel both looked at each other confused.
"Well, which is it? Upstairs or out?" Spike asked.
"I let him go out before." Angel explained.
"Where?" Jess panicked. "We need to find him! He could be hurt or…or worse."
"But he's fine." Connor's voice filled the lobby as the young man quickly entered, slamming the front door behind him. "But L.A. isn't okay. The vampires, demons, its out of control."
"We need to go out. Patrol." Angel threw a stake to Jessica. "Until we can figure out what the hell is going on we should try and keep the carnage in this city down to a minimum."
"That's stupid." Cordelia told Angel. "You'll get killed."
"He's already dead." Spike said.
"Spike, shut up." Cordelia glared at the blonde vampire.
"Right." Spike nodded, cringing under the look he was getting from the immortal seer.
"We need to figure out what's going on." Cordelia said as Erin squirmed, getting bored in her mother's arms.
"Indeed." Wesley said as he entered the lobby followed by Lorne, Fred, and Gunn. "Because things are a mess out there."
"So we've heard." Angel sighed.
"Well, we need to get out there and do something about it." Jess said. "We think Wolfram and Hart might be involved."
"Really? I thought the same damn thing when all the demons and vampires crawled out." Gunn said sarcastically. "No crap that law firm has something to do with this!"
"Okay, so now that we've got that figure out…" Jess snapped, not liking Gunn's tone. "What's the plan?"
"Figure out how to get the sun back and save L.A." Angel said. "How's that sound?"
"Works for me." Jess said.
"Good." Angel turned to the group. "Wesley, and Fred you two stay here with Cordelia and Erin. I want you all researching this disappearing sun trick that Wolfram and Hart pulled. Anything that could be useful…rituals, reasons, anything."
"Sounds good." Wesley said.
"No, not good!" Cordelia moved Erin to her other arm. "I'm not sitting around here while L.A. goes to hell."
"Well, you're not coming out with us." Angel told her. "You need to keep Erin safe. In case something happens, Cordy, I want you out of this city. Do you understand?"
"No-" Cordelia started to argue.
"Do you understand?" Angel stressed.
Cordelia let out a sigh of defeat, flopping down on the couch.
Angel then turned to Lorne. "Lorne, start calling your contacts, see if anyone knows anything."
"On it, boss." Lorne gave Angel a thumbs up as he moved to the phone.
"Gunn, Spike, Jess, and Connor." Angel turned to them as he spoke their names. "We're going out to try and keep things out on the street under control. Stay close together, bring some extra stakes."
"Now you're talking my damn language." Spike grinned, ready to dust a few vampires.
"Good." Angel then made his way over to a rather pissed off Cordelia who was sitting on the couch, playing with Erin. He leaned over and kissed her shoulder. "I'll be back. Try and help Wesley and Fred."
Cordelia turned to glare at her husband. "I can help you. I'm part demon. I can fight."
"I know." Angel told her. "That's why you're staying here." His eyes fell to Erin who was lying on the couch next to Cordelia. He tickled the baby's stomach, causing her to squirm. "I need someone who can protect Erin here. If something should happen to us, I want someone strong to be able to get her out of here safe." His eyes then locked with Cordelia's. "I want you to be able to get out of L.A. safe."
Cordelia smiled, trying to calm Angel down. "You'll be back in a few hours." She assured him and then kissed him gently. "Be careful." She looked over at Jess and Connor. "You two mind your father."
"Yeah, yeah, let's go." Jess rolled her eyes.
Angel nodded, moving to the door and leading Jessica, Connor, Spike, and Gunn out and onto the dark streets of Los Angeles.
Eve and Lindsey smiled from their penthouse window as they watched the chaos that had taken over every single part of L.A. all because they had gotten rid of the sun, and this was only the beginning. They knew every demon and vampire would crawl out of their home once the sun was gone, and they knew Angel Investigations would try to save the city. They planned on wearing the fang gang out by letting them battle all the local demons and then, when they were weak, The Senior Partners would unleash their army. Angel Investigations was going to fall.
"This is brilliant." Lindsey smiled at Eve. "Everything is going according to plan."
"I'm sure Angel and his little team will hit the streets soon too." Eve told him. "Maybe if we are lucky a vampire will catch at least one of them."
"Well, if not, it's only a matter of time before we catch them." Lindsey said slyly. "Only a matter of time…"
Jess, Angel, Spike, Connor, and Gunn made their way down a dark alley to catch their breaths. They had only been out on the dark streets for an hour or so, but already they were all bruised and beaten badly. They had killed at least ten vampires each and three demons. Things were dire.
"We can't keep this up." Jess said, putting pressure on a huge wound on her shoulder that she had received from a vampire earlier that night. "We're all gonna get killed if we keep going. There's too many of them, and we're all getting tired."
Gunn nodded in agreement, catching his breath, as he felt his own blood drip down his forehead. He touched his head to feel a huge gash right across his now baldhead. He had shaved his hair off again once they had gotten back to the Hyperion. "You're right, Jess. I don't know if I can keep going."
"We don't have much of a choice." Angel said, although he himself had received a few injuries; a cut across his back and a bloody nose were the latest two.
"Dad, we're only three blocks from the hotel and we are already in need of major back up, which we don't have." Connor said as he shifted off his wounded leg. A demon had kicked it in earlier that night and he could feel his knee swelling as he spoke. "We're too weak to keep going."
"We have too." Angel told them. "Innocent people are victims in this."
"We know." Jess told him. "But if we keep going we won't be able to help them. We need to go back and get patched up, rest, and then come back out and fight."
"We can't leave right now. There are more people that need our help." Angel told them. He would not let innocent people suffer because of Wolfram and Hart. Not anymore. "We need to keep fighting."
"Right, because we can fight and all." Spike rolled his eyes as he wiped up his own blood that was trickling down the back of his neck. He had taken a blow to the head from a vampire, and was sure that if he weren't already dead, the force of that blow would have killed him on the spot.
"He's right. We need to just take a break, Dad." Jess said.
"Take a break?" Angel couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I'm the Champion, I can't just take breaks. And Jess, you're a champion for the Powers too! We don't get breaks. Our job is to save the damn world from what's happening!"
"Angel, are you listening to yourself?" Gunn asked. "We keep fighting and one of us is gonna end up dead. None of us are in any condition to keep this up."
Angel shook his head, thinking for a moment.
Jess reached out, grabbing her father's hand. "Just a few hours of rest, Dad. It's all we need. Then we can come back out, I promise."
Angel looked down, his dark eyes locking with his daughter's matching orbs. She definitely took after her father when it came to her eye color. In her eyes, Angel could see just how drained and tired Jess was. He could also see how dedicated she was to continuing to fight this particular battle. She was not about to give up by any means; she just needed a few hours to regroup. Angel could see that, so after a moment he nodded. "Alright, a few hours of rest and we are back out here." He held up his stake. "Everyone stay close. Try and make it back to the hotel in one piece."
Jess, Spike, Connor, and Gunn nodded in agreement with Angel, as the dark haired vampire led the charge out of the alley and back into the chaos of the Los Angeles streets, hoping to make it back to the hotel as fast as possible.
Cordelia sighed as she curled up on the couch with a book Wesley had asked her to do some research with in one hand, and a water bottle in the other. Erin was sitting in her carrier that was on the coffee table at Cordelia's feet. The four month old was concentrating on her mother with a stern look on her little face, as if she knew what was going on in the dark world outside the hotel.
Cordelia looked over at Erin, catching the baby's hazel eyes. "What's up, Erin?" Cordelia asked tiredly.
Erin smacked her hands together, reaching for Cordelia.
"Oh, you want mommy to hold you, huh?" Cordelia put the book down as well as her water bottle, and leaned over, gently picking Erin up, and placing the baby on her shoulder. "How's that?"
Erin snuggled close to Cordelia, resting her head on her mother's shoulder.
Cordelia slumped back into the couch, rubbing Erin's back. "You see tired, sweetie." Cordelia cooed at her daughter, trying to take her mind off of the madness that was going on around her. She was worried about her family out on the sunless streets, fighting to save others, and she was also worried that they would not be able to save L.A. this time around. She was worried Wolfram and Hart was going to win this time.
Lorne hung up the phone at the counter, and circled a name on his list of contacts. "Bingo!"
"You got something?" Cordelia turned on the couch to face the green demon.
Lorne nodded. "A friend of a friend who moved their files over to Wolfram and Hart when we took that place over."
"Okay, so?" Cordelia asked.
"So, he didn't move his file out yet, and yesterday he got a call from Wolfram and Hart telling him to pack up and get out of L.A. because something big was coming today." Lorne explained. "Apparently Wolfram and Hart wanted all of their clients out of this city before they bloated out the sun. I guess it would be bad for business if all of their L.A. clients died."
"So, we are sure Wolfram and Hart had something to do with this then?" Cordelia asked, still rubbing Erin's back very gently.
"Positive, princess." Lorne said. "It's not the best news we could have gotten but now we know who is pulling the strings in this."
"Now, the question is how they are pulling those strings, and why." Wesley said as he and Fred walked in from the office, both starring down at books.
"You heard me?" Lorne asked.
Fred nodded, giving a shortened version of what Lorne had just said. "Wolfram and Hart is controlling whatever it is that is going on."
"But we still don't know why." Wesley added.
"How about because it causes pandemonium on the streets of L.A. and a lot of innocent, good, people are dying, and hey! Wolfram and Hart is evil, and this is just an evil thing to do." Cordelia said. "I mean, blotting out the sun in one of the sunniest cities around. That's just not right. Plus, not original, I mean, the Beast blotted the sun out, and it was original then, now Wolfram and Hart is just copying someone else's work."
"Thank you for putting that in perspective for us all, Cordelia." Wesley said slowly.
"Well, we should try and get some of the rituals that can be used to black out the sun. There's more then a few I know of already, from when we last researched when the Beast caused the sun to disappear." Fred said.
"And Wolfram and Hart wouldn't use a common ritual. It would be too easy for us to stop. They know that." Wesley said. "This is going to take some real research."
Just then, the front door of the hotel swung open and Jess, Angel, Connor, Spike, and Gunn all stumbled in, even more bloody and bruised then they had been in the alley.
Cordelia stood quickly, her sudden movement causing Erin to lift her head from her mother's shoulder. "What happened to you guys?"
"We're fine…" Jess winced as Cordelia inspected the gash that ran from Jessica's ear all the way down to her wounded shoulder, it was shallow, but it still hurt.
"You weren't gone more then an hour." Cordelia looked at the rest of the injured group that had just walked in the lobby.
"Things are getting bad out there." Angel said as he threw his sword down. "We barely got a few blocks from here and we were already worn out."
"Well, we have gotten some new information." Wesley said as he watched his injured team members make their way into the lobby, all of them collapsing onto the couch, tired and hurt.
"Let me go get the first aid kit." Cordelia moved to the closet quickly as she felt Erin relax on her shoulder again.
"So, what's the news?" Angel asked as Cordelia came back placing Erin back into her baby-seat and then moving toward Angel to began working on patching up his cuts and bruises.
"Wolfram and Hart is in on this gig." Lorne said.
Angel nodded. "I thought we pretty much knew that."
"Well, its been confirmed now." Wesley said. "Through Lorne's contact."
"It seems he had some of his files in Wolfram and Hart and they contacted him to tell him to get out of L.A." Lorne said.
"They didn't want their own damn clients dying." Connor nodded slowly. "Makes sense."
"Whatever ritual they used to get rid of the sun it must have been big and powerful, and not very common." Fred said. "Not that rituals for ridding the sun are common. There are a few, but they are all very confusing and complex."
"So, we narrow it down to which one and reverse it, and then we kill Lindsey and Eve and everyone else who has a Wolfram and Hart tag attached to their name." Angel winced as Cordelia gently went over his cuts with a cloth.
"It's not going to be easy, Angel." Wesley warned him. "Whatever triggered Wolfram and Hart to perform this ritual must have been something very threatening to their existence. I doubt they are going to give up this fight easily."
"It's not a fight, it's more like a damn apocalypse." Spike sighed from his spot on the couch next to Jessica.
"Fine, then Wolfram and Hart won't give up on this apocalypse." Wesley said. "There are many things we need to figure out."
"Yeah, like how and why they did this and what the hell we gonna do to stop it." Gunn said. "Cause, damn, things are getting out of our control."
Angel stood when Cordelia had finished bandaging him up. He picked Erin up, smiling down at his daughter, glad to see her again. He kissed her gently on her head, causing her to give him her soft smile, swatting at his cheek. After watching Erin for a moment, Angel turned to the rest of the group in the lobby. "We are going to get some rest for a few hours, then I want everyone back down here and ready to work, got it?"
Everyone nodded as they watched Angel take Erin up the stairs and then Cordelia sighed, she had bandaged up Connor and Jess and was now working on Gunn. She really wanted to go upstairs though and be with Angel and Erin.
"Here, Cordy." Fred knelt down next to the immortal seer, as if to read her mind. "I'll finish up Gunn and Spike. Go upstairs and see Angel."
Cordelia smiled at Fred. "Thanks." She then quickly stood; making her way toward the stairs that Angel had just gone up.
Angel set Erin down in her crib very gently. He had been surprised earlier when he had picked up his youngest daughter and she did not fuss to be in his arms. Usually Erin squirmed and cried to get out of Angel's grasp and into Cordelia's arms, but not right now.
Angel looked Erin over in her crib. She was gazing back up at him with the same tense look he got from Cordelia when she was worried about something. The baby's arms were flinging up toward Angel, and he immediately bent down and picked her back up, carrying her over to the window that led out to the chaotic streets of L.A.
"Things are a mess out there, Erin." Angel told her as he moved away from the window. "It's the middle of the afternoon and the whole city is black." Angel looked away from his youngest daughter. "And Daddy doesn't know if he can help all the people that need help. I'm trying but I just don't know if I've got it in me. This might be too big for me."
Suddenly, Erin began glowing like she had the one time with Cordelia back in Wolfram and Hart. Heat ran up Angel's arms and rushed to his head, making the vampire dizzy for a moment. He looked down at his daughter to see Erin smiling at him, her eyes locked on his. After a moment, the light from Erin subsided, and Angel felt relief fly through his body. It was as if Erin was letting him know things would work out. Somehow, everything would turn out the way it was meant to.
"Thanks, baby." Angel kissed Erin on the head.
"Angel?" Cordelia entered Erin's room.
"Hey." Angel turned to face her as Erin snuggled close to her father.
"You should rest." Cordelia said as she took Erin out of Angel's arms. "You need to build back up your strength."
"I can't." Angel sighed. "Not with what is going on."
"Angel you need your full strength to fight right now. Things are a mess out there, you said it yourself." She motioned toward the window with her hand that wasn't holding Erin.
"I know. And all we are doing is trying to clean up the growing disorder." Angel shook his head. "Bigger things are coming our way from Wolfram and Hart. This is just the beginning."
"You don't know that." Cordelia tried to reason. "This could just be it."
"I can feel it, Cordelia." Angel looked down at his feet. "This is just the start of it all, and I can't help this nagging impression that Wolfram and Hart is just trying to keep us busy by blocking out the sun. So we can't focus on whatever it is they are really up to."
Cordelia moved toward Angel, wrapping her free arm around him, careful not to crush Erin in between them. "Angel, we are going to beat them."
"But first we gotta know what we are dealing with." Jess entered Erin's room, followed by Connor. "We need to find out Wolfram and Hart's damn plan."
"We know. The problem is we've got no idea how to get it." Angel said, and then saw the look on Jessica's and Connor's face. It was the look they both had when they were about to say or do something completely stupid. "Without someone getting hurt." He quickly added.
"Well, that's inevitable." Jess said as she motioned to the gashes and bruises she had received earlier that day. "Because things are bad out there, and we are all already hurt."
"Jess, whatever plan you devised, no. You're not going to be allowed to do it." Cordelia seemed to know her first born so well.
"Hear her out first." Connor stuck up for his sister.
"What?" Angel asked.
"Well, Gunn was telling us downstairs, before he fell asleep, that whatever operation the Senior Partners gave the okay for immediately goes into the company log and since Wesley and Fred are over the books and Lorne is still checking his contacts, and we've got nothing better to do, and no better plan, I was thinking that me, Connor, Spike, and you, Dad." Jess looked at her father. "All head over to Wolfram and Hart, check the logs, and figure out what the hell their plan is."
"Wow. Again. No." Cordelia said, shocked her daughter would even suggest that plan.
"Why not?" Jess asked, crossing her arms.
"How about because it's dangerous and stupid and there's got to be another way." Cordelia snorted as she swayed with Erin in her arms.
Angel thought for a moment, his eyes rising to meet Jessica's. "There is no other way. We've got to go over there."
"What?" Cordelia turned to Angel. Her husband was supposed to side with her in arguments, not her children. Not to mention the fact that Jessica's plan was insane.
"Jess and Connor are right. The only way to stop this thing is from the inside. We need to figure out Wolfram and Hart's plan." Angel said, he then turned to Jessica and Connor. "Go get Spike. Tell him to grab some weapons. I'll meet you guys downstairs."
Jess and Connor nodded, moving out the door.
The minute both of the children were gone, Cordelia slapped Angel full force across the face. "Are you kidding me? DO you know how dangerous this is? It's ridiculous and I will not let my family go over there and get killed!"
"It's our only shot at stopping this, Cordelia." Angel said, lifting Cordelia's chin, and trying to forget the stinging sensation in his cheek from Cordelia's hand.
"We have books, and contacts and…" Tears were forming in Cordelia's eyes as she looked up at Angel. "There has to be another way."
Angel shook his head. "You know if there was I'd use it, but there isn't. This has to be done."
Cordelia was silent for a moment.
"I'll make sure Jess and Connor are safe, Cordy, and I'll make sure we all get back here in one piece. I promise." He kissed Cordelia on the forehead. "Okay?"
After a moment, Cordelia nodded. "Just be careful."
Angel nodded, kissing Cordelia again and then making his way down the stairs to meet Jessica, Connor, and Spike.