Miracle Girl

Chapter 3: Couplet

Angel could hardly believe it had been almost a full month since his children were born and his world changed. He thought happiness was something he could never have but now he wasn't so sure. The only thing that was complicated for him was his mixed feelings for Cordelia. He found the young woman beautiful, fiery and blunt at the worst of times. All these things drew him to her but she did not seem to return his affections. The Groosalug showing up did not help things either. Smiling down at his two little miracles he comes down the stairs into the lobby. Wesley is moving about behind the reception counter and Angel smiles at the ex-watcher as he moves closer.

"Hey." Wesley looks up and smiles at the vampire.

"Morning."

"You, ah, you're the only one here?" Angel asks.

"So far. - How's young Connor and Kitty today?" he answers and Angel smiles at the two babies before nodding.

"they're good. Cordelia, she's - usually in by now, isn't she?" Wesley looks at him and nods, slightly confused.

"It's early. I imagine she and Groosalug where up late. They have a lot of catching up to do," he replies.

"Right. Ah. 'They.'" Angel goes to put Connor and Kitty down in matching bassinets in Wesley's office. Wesley looks at the brooding man and follows him.

"Actually, I was hoping you and I could talk before the others got here."

"Sure. What is it?" Angel asks, happy to get his thoughts off Cordy and Groo.

"Well - it's the fact of them. I know the sudden arrival was something we all needed a moment to digest. - Still, there are questions."

"You're suspicious," Angel stated thinking he was talking about Groo and Cordelia.

"'Cautious' might be a better word." Angel nods.

"You think he's evil."

"Evil?" Wesley asks, shocked.

"Okay, maybe not evil, but - he's definitely hiding something. Does he seem shorter to you?" Angel asks. Wes glances down into the bassinet and with confused eyes he look back up at Angel.

"We are both talking about Connor and Katherine, aren't we?" he asks. Angel blinks and looks down at his sleeping son before looking back at Wesley.

"What about Connor and Kitty?" Wesley sighs.

"They shouldn't exist."

"Their birth was foretold. How many people can say that?" Angel asks, his voice slightly raised.

" They have a role to play, that's true, but we still don't know what that role is. - Angel, we can't be afraid to ask the questions, because your enemies, their enemies, certainly won't be."

"You're right. We should be prepared." Wesely nods, smiling at the agreement.

"I'm glad you agree. However, with the loss of the Nyazian Prophecies, we'll probably have to look elsewhere for our answers." Angel nods, and looking at his two children he frowns. He didn't want his children to have a destiny in this life. He wanted them to be normal, to grow up and go to collage, start families. He didn't want them to be in prophecies. He knew though that people rarely got what they wanted.

"Well, we both know where those prophecies went. Maybe it's time to make another assault on Wolfram and Hart." Wesley shakes his head, even he knows that's not the best idea.

"That might not be necessary. Not yet, anyway. There should be other sources. Ancient works accumulate scholarship, commentary over the years."

"Huh. You think somebody else has already done the work for us." Angel states, realizing where Wes was going with this.

"That's my hope. I've been looking into it. I just... I felt you should know," Wesley answers.

"I wanna be involved, completely," Angel says.

"I need to get Kitty's bottle ready before long. I noticed she began to teethe a little. I guess her teeth are coming in which is odd. Arn't they supposed to be older then a month?" Angel asks. Wesley looks at Angel in shock and nods a perplexed look on his face.

"I see, it could be her vampire half. They may not even been her human teeth, or maybe she has fangs with her normal human teeth. We won't know until they grow in. You'll have to teach her that biting human isn't good when she is old enough to understand, you do realize?" Wesley asked. Angel sighed and looking down at his baby girl, who was at the time sleeping he nods. He worries sometimes about how much vampire Katherine had in her but he can smell her soul and knows she is good just like Connor. He wouldn't let either of them make the same mistakes as him, he would protect their souls.

"Involved with who?" Angel spins around to see Cordy put some stuff down on the reception counter, and walks out of Wes' office.

"You're here. And..." He looks to see Groo standing in front of the weapons cabinet, trying out one of the swords "... so is he." he says, annoyance in his voice.

"Angel. Your weapons are most impressive." Angel fakes a grin and nods.

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Angel could hardly believe he was stuck with Groo. He held nothing big against the Goosalug but he didn't particularly like him either. Angel and Groo enter what looks like the water treatment plant Wes was talking about before they had left. The Senih'd drops off of some pipes behind them. Angel and Groo turn and attack the demon together. The Senih'd manages to disarm both of them fairly early into the fight, but neither Angel nor Groo let that slow them down. Angel is taking a bit more of a beating than Groo, but other than that they're doing about the same against the monster. Until it lets out a scream and breaks through the wall to escape into the sunny park outside.

Angel scrambles back out of the sunlight streaming in through the opening. Groo picks up his dropped sword, then holds out a hand to help Angel up.

"Come.," Groo says, not understanding that in this world Angel can not go into the sunlight. Angel just looks at Groo, not moving. Screams sound from outside, and Groo turns to run after the Senih'd. Angel slowly gets up and watches as Groo goes to rescue the young woman the Senih'd has grabbed. The demon tries to use the woman as a shield against Groo's sword, but Groo manages to knock them apart. Cordy, Wes, Gunn, and Fred come running over a rise in the park, just in time to see Groo catch the woman in one arm, while knocking the Senih'd down and stabbing it deep into the back of its neck. The demon dissolves into an oily black puddle that seeps away into the ground. Angel watches the rescued woman cling to Groo, and rolls his eyes slightly. So maybe he was a little jealous, not only could Groo give Cordy things he could not but he could save people in brod daylight, something he could never do.

Wesley nods, a smile on his face as he claps Groo on the shoulder. "Well, done." Angel watches as Cordy throws her arms around Groo, a big smile on her face.

"I must say, excellent work." The people in the park gather around them, applauding. Wes reaches out to pat Groo on the shoulder once again.

"Well done." Wes turns and looks towards the hole in the side of the building. He sees Angel standing in the shadows of it, watching them. He sighs, and walks over towards him.

"They seem to love him," Angel speaks. Wesley sighs.

"He isn't you though Angel. Groo is a hero in his own right but you've been through things that would have broken him beyond recognition. Come on I'll walk back to the hotel with you.

††††††††††

Angel couldn't believe it. Not only was Groosalug steeling Cordy and his team but he was now steeling his look. Sniffing he tried to block out what Wesley had said, they looked nothing alike. Nothing. Angel mutters under his breath

"He's wearing my clothes."

"Good fit," Wesley says. Groo smiles up at them. Angel returns the smile.

"Where's Cordelia?" Angel asks. Groo points to the office and he nods before walking towards it. Cordy gets up from Wes' chair as Angel walks into the office, a set smile on his face.

"Oh, good. You're back."

"He's wearing my clothes," Angel says, almost whining. Cordelia smiles holding in her amusement and laughter. She loves Angel, she does but she isn't Buffy and she won't let herself love him only to be crushed. She was no different then Ms. Slays a lot in that department, someday she wanted it all and Angel may not even Shanshu in her lifetime and if he did who was to say he didn't run off to Buffy leaving her heartbroken.

"What? Oh, yeah. I-I didn't think you'd mind. Turns out you guys are about the same size. I think he's a little taller. Looks great though, doesn't he? Angel, I need your help."

"What happened? - You had a vision?"

"What? Oh, no. No, it's nothing like that. Uhm. This is - personal." Angel raises and eyebrow before asking.

"What is it?"

"I wouldn't ask, except, ah, there's really no one else I can trust with this. It's something only you can do?" Angel puts his hands on Cordy's arms and leads her over to a chair before sitting down on the edge of the desk in front of her.

"Tell me." Cordy lets out a deep breath, hopping this didn't hurt him or her in the process.

"You've done so much for me already and... Well, this is just one more thing for the list, I guess."

"There is no list. You know that. Just - just tell me what I can do."

"I need you to help me have sex - with Groo." Angel slowly turns his head to look out into the lobby where Groo is standing talking to Wesley. Cordy grins at Groo behind Angel's back and waves. Groo waves and smiles back. Angel lifts a hand, wiggles his fingers a little and raises his eyebrows, while trying to smile back.

"I realized something today. - It's not the threat of losing the visions that's been keeping me from being close. - It's me. The Visions are just an excuse. I mean - there's always some excuse." 'like the fact that I love you but can never have you.' she thought after she said this.

"Right."

"I'm tired of being lonely," Cordelia said, tears brimming in her big hazel eyes.

"Yeah.," Angel muttered.

"So I worked it out."

"You did?"

"Yes! It was something Wesley said - a paranormal prophylactic. And that got me thinking. I couldn't be the only woman on earth that had some supernatural gift that could be lost through physical intimacy."

Angel frowned and nodded. "Stands to reason."

"So I started researching and anyway, I'm right. There is a potion, a protective potion. I take it and bang! I can."

"Hmm. A potion."

"Yeah. Anyway, this woman's name is Anita, and she's kind of in the business. Makes love potions, elixirs, things like that. She says she's got just the thing at this address." Cordy hands Angel a paper with a scribbled address.

"You want me to - get this for you."

"I went to my ATM, got cash." Hands Angel a wad of bills. "Nearly cleaned me out, but I think it's worth it."

"So you and Groo can..." Angel trails off.

Cordy nods smiling happily. "...com-shuck like bunnies. You betcha."

"Why don't you just send him?"

"I am sending him. He kind of insists on it, but that's why I need you."

"Huh?" Angel asks, confused.

"He doesn't know this world. I can't send him into a demon brothel all by himself! I mean, I trust him, but I'm not crazy," she answers. Angel takes a step back in shock.

"Brothel." Cordy follows him

"You'd be safe there. No woman's gonna tempt you, right?" Cordy asked, and regretted it as Angel looks down.

"R-right." Groo walks into the office.

"Are we ready?" he asks.

"I think so."

"We're most grateful for your help, Angel." Groo puts an arm around Angel's shoulder and pulls him close. "You've been a true friend to us both." Cordy laughs.

"Yeah." Cordy sighs and smiles at Groo hoping she was doing the right thing. Deep down she knew she was simply a coward running but she really had no choice. She and Angel just would not work, if they did fall into true love then there would always be the question of Buffy and his soul. The last thing she wanted was Angelus back.

††††††††††

Returning from the Brothel and the fight which had broken out was not the worst part of the day for Angel. He knew that as soon as he got back and gave Cordy the flask, he'd loose her for good. Part of him knew it was for the best but the selfish part wanted to keep her, he loved her. Not like he had loved Buffy but it was close, and possibly some day could be just like that. As Angel placed the flask into her outstretched hand he felt his heart break a little. Cordy takes it then grabs Groo by his shirt and pulls him up off the settee.

"Let's get our of here! See ya!" Cordelia yells. Cordy hurries Groo towards the exit doors of the Hyperion.

"Cordelia." Cordy stops and looks back at Angel.

"What?" When Angel only stands there, Cordy holds up a finger to Groo then walks back to Angel. Cordy, quietly and silently, hoping for a moment he was trying to stop her and maybe just maybe he feels the same for her that she felt for him.

"What is it?" she asks. Angel takes one of her hands and puts a roll off dollar bills tied with a string into it.

"What's this?" she asks.

"Just some money I saved up."

"Why? What for?" she asks, hopping it wasn't for the children. She couldn't take it and live with herself it was for their future education.

"I did something for you tonight. Now I want you to do something for me. - Don't come in tomorrow. In fact, don't come in for a couple of weeks. Take Groo some place - nice. Somewhere where there is - sun. - He'd like that."

"Angel..." she whispers, fighting back tears. She knows if she leaves now they may never get another chance but she can't let herself be hurt.

"Promise me." Cordy shakes her head a little as she looks down at the money, hitches one shoulder a little.

"Okay." Cordy turns to leave, then turns back and touches the hole in Angel's T-shirt where the tentacle went into his heart.

"You sure you don't need some patching up yourself?" she asks. Angel looks down at his chest and shakes his head.

"No, I - I'm good. Didn't hurt a bit." Cordy looks at him for a moment, then turns and walks out with Groo. As the door closes Wes comes out of his office. Angel looks at him then turns towards the stairs. He enters his childrens room and smiles as he sees Lorne is laying Connor and Kitty down into their cribs.

"Alright now. You get some rest, big boy and girl. Yes. You go to sleep. Get you nice and tucked in... yes." Lorne looks up as Angel walks up to them.

"Thanks for looking after them."

"Yeah. Sure." Gives Angel a look. "You okay?" he asks and Angel looks down at Connor and over at Katherine, a slight smile spreading over his face.

"Yeah." Lorne leaves as Angel keeps watching Connor and Kitty. He runs a hand over the baby's face and then does the same for Katherine.

"I'll always protect you two, we'll always have each other." Angel sighs and then leaves. Turing off the light as he goes. He walks downstairs as Wesley is writing 'the son' on his notepad which he is staring at as Angel walks in.

"Working late?" he asks and Wesley looks up startled.

"Yes. - You startled me."

"Oh, I didn't mean to." Wesley nods and looks back at the notepad.

"I thought I was alone."

"Yeah." he looks up at the ceiling where his children are sleeping in the room above. "So did I," he says. Wes watches as Angel smiles with his eyes full of love and walks back out of the office. Wes lets out a sigh and looks back down at his notepad where he can read 'the father – will turn – the daughter - and kill - the son.'

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"Hotlz? How much longer do I have to wait until we kill Angel?" Justine asked as they stood watching their fighters fight. There were only a few of them, a handful really, but they were good. For humans, and very into their training. Holtz looked down at the young woman and smiled, not a very comforting one between friends but one passed between allies.

"Soon, very soon. The Seer has left now and Angel has lost his link to the Powers That Be. He is weaker without his Seer, the heart of his business. With her gone and the prophecies in the building and being tampered with it is only a matter of time before the Ex-Watcher acts on the news. Be patient Justine, your revenge will come soon," Holtz answered and Justine nodded smirking. She couldn't wait to hear the horror that would befall the Angel team and her sisters murderer will have been reduced to ash just like her sister had been.

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A/N: Sorry it took so long guys. I also like to say that I am sorry this chapter is so boring and short - I never liked this episode but I thought it was important to include. I hope it turned out ok, and not to boring.