Angel found himself stood in the middle of the Hyperion Hotel lobby, utterly confused. He patted himself down to find there wasn't a scratch on him. He froze, recognising a familiar scent. He sighed heavily and shrugged.

"So this is what it's like to be dead then, huh?"

He turned, staring straight into Cordelia's mega-watt grin. She cocked her head to one side and looked him up and down appraisingly. She took a step toward him and grasped his hand.

"Told you I'd be seeing ya."

He pulled her into a tight embrace, squeezing her hard. She hugged him back, wanting to stay in that moment for as long as she could but Cordelia knew there wasn't enough time. There was never enough time.

She pulled away, holding him back at arm's length.

"You're not dead, Angel."

He frowned, looking around them at the familiar surroundings so full of memories.

"So what's going on then?"

She smiled slightly, raising her left hand in to the air. It glowed a brilliant white and the hotel faded away. Angel found himself in the middle of the alley again, still surrounded by demons. A few feet away in either direction, he could see Spike and Illyria.

Everything had been frozen in place, even the dragon that now hung static above the scene. Angel turned his gaze back to Cordelia.

"You did this? You froze everyone?"

She stepped away from him, examining the demon statues caught in mid-swing and pulled a disgusted face at the blood and gore.

"The joy of being a higher being."

Cordelia spun round to face Angel, wagging an accusatory finger at him.

"It's for real this time, I swear! The Powers That Be showed me where my true path led and it meant leaving all this behind. Shame… Apocalyptic battles are great cardio."

Angel nodded slowly, staring at the ground.

"And then you died."

She took a step toward him but stopped herself from getting any closer, her voice barely a whisper.

"I hung on as long as I could in that coma. For you…"

He cleared his throat and looked around, looking anywhere but at her.

"So now what?"

Cordelia grinned.

"Now it ends. At least for the moment.

Angel watched as she closed her eyes, lifting her hands skyward as light seemed to emanate from her every pore, gradually reaching a brilliant white crescendo. Blinking hard as the light subsided.

Angel could only watch as the demons closest to them turned a glowing orange and then burst in to a shower of sparks. This created a domino effect, rushing backwards through the crowd. The last to go was the enormous dragon above them.

As the glowing embers fell down to earth, Angel couldn't help but have a disgruntled pout.

"Hey, I wanted to slay the dragon!"

Cordelia rolled her eyes as Spike staggered towards them, looking dishevelled.

"What the hell just happened? Where did everybody… Bloody hell, Cordelia? Ok, seriously, what the hell is going on?"

She opened her mouth to reply but Illyria cut her off.

"You have power. You are immortal. You turned their bones to ash."

Cordelia shrugged.

"Couldn't have put it better myself."

Spike just stared at her as Angel staggered forward.

"Gunn…"

His broken body lay on the unforgiving concrete in a pool of his own blood. As Angel knelt beside him, he could swear he saw the ghost of a smile on his dead friend's lips. He felt Cordelia's hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her, his eyes pleading. She could only offer him a sad smile.

"I'm sorry Angel. This was his time. As much I as I wish I could give him back to you, I can't. Just like I can't bring back Wesley."

The last comment she directed at Illyria who immediately broke Cordelia's gaze, a single tear on her cheek.

Cordelia leant down and took Angel's hand.

"There is someone I can help though."

Angel cast her an exasperated glance as she dragged him to his feet and pulled him down the alleyway.

"Oh God, you're not going to say me are you? Because depressed as I am right now, I really don't need some spiritual cleansing, bright light mojo."

Cordelia stopped suddenly and Angel nearly rammed right in to her. She simply pointed ahead of them without a single word and Angel raced forward, an anguished cry escaping him that brought the others running. Spike came to an abrupt halt at Cordelia's side.

"Is that…"

She nodded silently as she knelt by Connor's head. Angel, inconsolable, clutched his son's lifeless hand in his own, his tears disappearing in the rain. He looked up at Cordy and her heart broke to see his pain.

"I told him to leave! I wanted him to be safe."

Cordelia laid a gentle hand on Angel's face and smiled broadly.

"And he will be Angel. I told you I'd help."

She leant over Connor's body and rubbed her hands together.

"Wax on…"

She rotated her hands in concentric circles over Connor's chest. The same glow she had revealed before extended downwards, covering her entire body. Angel stared in disbelief, still clutching his son's hand despite the fact that it was now glowing.

"Wax off…"

Cordelia muttered under her breath and the light enveloping Connor's broken form began to fade. Angel waited but nothing seemed to be happening. The light was gone and still his son just lay there.

He looked at Cordelia, desperation and frustration in his eyes, but she only smiled. Suddenly, Connor's chest lurched upwards as he gasped for air, his eyes flung open. Cordelia lay a soothing hand on his cheek.

"Shh, sweetie, shhh… It's ok now, it's ok."

Connor blinked rapidly, his mouth opening to speak but he never got the chance as Angel scooped him up in his arms.

"Oh thank God, thank God!"

Cordelia cleared her throat loudly.

"Err, thank Cordy I think you'll find."

Angel grinned over the top of Connor's head and she grinned back as she stood, leaving the pair to their reunion.

Connor's voice was muffled against his father's chest.

"Hey! Hey, Angel! Can't… Breathe…"

Angel released his hold on Connor but couldn't bear to let him go entirely.

"Sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… I'm just so glad you're alright. But what the hell are you doing here anyway? I told you to leave!"

Connor shrugged, offering up a shy smile.

"After what happened at the lawyer's place, I knew… End of the world kinda stuff, right? I had to make sure that my old man wasn't, you know, letting the side down."

Angel pulled him back into another tight embrace and Connor made no move to stop him.

Spike cleared his throat loudly and Cordelia arched an irritated eyebrow in his direction.

"What is it Spike?"

He shrugged as he lit himself a cigarette.

"Not that I'm not grateful for the rescue, love, but this ain't gonna be the end of this, is it? I mean daddy dearest over here pissed the Senior Partners off something rotten.

Cordelia glanced upward and sighed.

"As much as I hate to say this, Spike's right. The Senior Partners had an apocalypse scheduled and just because you made them have one, it doesn't mean they won't stick to their original timetable. The Powers That Be helped you out this time guys. I can't guarantee I'll be around next time."

Angel staggered to his feet, pulling Connor up with him.

"And is the big one that's coming? The final apocalypse?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes, flinging her eyes up in exasperation.

"Angel, how many times have you seen the world about to end? There is no final apocalypse, no big win one way or the other. There will always be a battle between good and evil. You know why?"

Angel looked down at his son, remembering a conversation he had years before with Wolfram and Hart's Holland Manners.

"Because there's evil right here, in the hearts of men. Inside every man and woman on this planet, that's where the battle really is."

Spike snorted with laughter.

"Well, that's one moment I'm glad Hallmark don't cater for. Look pet, just tell us what's going to happen now. You got the know how haven't you?"

Cordelia glared at him, hands on hips.

"I became part of a higher plane of existence. I didn't become a magic eight ball!"

Angel watched her approach him, realising just how much he had missed her.

"Cordy…"

She smiled at him, but it was bitter sweet.

"I got the big guys to let me help my guy out. Again. This doesn't end Angel, not yet. So many prophecies, so little time."

Spike darted into Cordelia's field of vision.

"You mean that whole Shang Shuey thing? Where the vampire with a soul gets to become human and redeem themselves and all that? It's gonna be me, isn't it pet? Come on, little miss glow worm, give us a clue!"

Cordelia's gaze never left Angel's face but he averted his eyes. He had signed away his chance to a mortal life, his redemption, in an effort to convince the Circle of the Black Thorn that he was truly on their side.

"It doesn't matter anymore, Spike."

He laid a loving hand on Connor's shoulder, feeling the emotion rising within as his son looked back up at him.

"That's not why we fight."

Cordelia nodded slowly, her smile sad, and Angel realised she knew what he had done. He cleared his throat and straightened up.

"So what's with the prophecies? I mean, without Wesley, without Fred…"

Cordy shook her head.

"No Angel, I told you, I can't bring them back. But with every door that closes… Well I'd hate to go all cryptic higher power on you but I'd say your answer will be rolling in to town in about, oh, five minutes. Which means it's time to go."

She turned to Illyria.

"Ok Big Blue, you go to that mansion and get Wesley. Connor, Spike, go get Gunn. They don't deserve to be left like this. They were Champions."

The three of them moved off silently, a sombre mood over each one. Angel reached took a step forward, his hand reaching out to hers.

"Cordy…"

She laid a gentle finger on his lips.

"I loved you Angel. I guess I always did. And I truly believe that you loved me too. But that was then and this is now. I'm gone and I can't ever come back again, not the way you want me to anyway. And you know what? That's ok. I'm doing some real good now and I can still protect you, I can still guide you in the right direction. I moved on, Angel, and now you need to as well. Properly. Not like what you were doing with Eve. You might have burnt some bridges in the past but it doesn't kill the love. It never dies. When you see her again, you'll know that. So tell her."

Angel's hand fell to his side as Cordelia turned away from him and walked down the alley. She paused, grinning over her shoulder.

"Oh, and just in case all that product's thickened that dense head of yours, that was me guiding you kiddo. Enjoy the ride."

And with a flash of light she was gone.