February 5, 2002

Lorne was in the middle of explaining the situation to Groo.

"Our princess is stuck back in time," Lorne said.

"But she is right there, Can you not see her?" Groo said walking towards Anna who continued to stand behind Angel.

"We don't have time for this," Angel said turning to Fred and Gunn. "Explain it to him."

Angel turned to Lorne and said, "Let's go."

And so Lorne, Wesley who was holding Connor, Anna, and Angel walked out of the hotel while Fred asked Groo to stay behind so she could explain things.

Angel drove the car and Wesley who was sitting beside him said, "How much did you tell Buffy on the phone?"

"I spoke with Willow since Buffy was at work," Angel said. "I filled her in on the Cordy situation and that I needed them to protect someone."

"But you didn't mention the little dumpling?" Lorne, who sat in the backseat with Anna and Connor, asked.

"I didn't want to tell them about Connor over the phone," Angel explained. "I have to tell her in person."

--

February 5, 1999

Buffy entered the mansion with a bag of clothes for Cordy. There was no one upstairs or downstairs so Buffy went into Angel's basement. She was shocked by what she saw. Cordy stood over Angel who was lying on the floor. She held a sword to Angel's throat. Meanwhile the teen Cordelia was sitting on the sidelines laughing.

"Okay you win," Angel said.

Cordy smiled and withdrew the sword, "Hey Buffy."

"What happened?" Buffy asked.

"We're training," Angel explained.

"Training? Pftt," Cordelia repeated. "She was kicking your ass."

"Angel was trying to take it easy on me since I'm just a weak little female," Cordy said batting her eyes at him.

Angel smiled in spite of himself and Buffy frowned.

"I won't underestimate you next time," Angel promised.

Cordy smiled confidentially, "I know."

"That was so worth cutting last period," Cordelia said grabbing the sword from Cordy. "You've got to show me how you did that."

"Sure," Cordy said. "But first I'm going to grab some goodies from the kitchen."

Cordy and Cordelia walked up the stairs towards the kitchen arm and arm leaving Angel and Buffy alone in the basement.

"You trust her with a sword?" Buffy asked.

"She needed to train and prepare for her next fight with Smith," Angel replied placing the swords in his weapons cabinet.

"You can't expect Cordelia to be the one to face him," Buffy said. "We're supposed to be protecting her."

"And so far our protection has amounted to letting Smith beat us up while Cordy jumps in to save us," Angel said. "We're defenseless against him."

"Giles and the others are in the library working a way around that as we speak," Buffy said. "We can't let Cordy face that guy. He'd kill her."

"That's not going to happen," Angel said stubbornly and walked upstairs to the kitchen.

"Did you teach her that sword move?" Buffy asked him before they entered the kitchen.

"Yes and No," Angel replied. "I think I teach her that move in the future."

"She told you that," Buffy said surprised.

"No, but fight techniques can be like a signature. She's put her own touch on it, but I can tell it's my technique," Angel said.

"I guess we get around to training Xander, Will, and Cordelia how to fight in the future," Buffy said with a shrug as they entered the kitchen.

Cordy surprised both Angel and Buffy when she handed him a mug filled with blood.

"Uh...Thanks," Angel said uncertain and then he left the room to drink in private.

Cordy frowned, "You don't have to run away Angel."

Cordelia joined in, "It's not a secret you're a vamp."

"If he's uncomfortable, don't push him," Buffy said relieved that he wouldn't drink blood in front of them.

--

2002

Buffy walked into the Summer's house and called out, "I'm home! Who wants to help scrape the grease off my...

Buffy stops in her tracks when she spots Xander and Dawn dancing in the living room while Willow and Anya sit on the couch watching.

"Are we singing again?" Buffy asked horrified that another demon had come back to make them all sing, dance, and give up secrets.

"No just dancing," Xander said.

"We're teaching Dawn perfectly synchronized steps for the wedding reception," Anya said.

Xander shows off by spinning Dawn around and then dipping her as she laughs.

Xander turns to Buffy and asks, "Wanna go for a spin, Buff?"

Going to sit on the couch Bufffy replies, "I think I'm heading more towards ungainly collapse."

"Rough Day?" Willow wondered, concerned.

"Kinda," Buffy said not going in to details. She'd started her day falling in to bed with Spike. And she finally told Tara her worries about coming back from the dead wrong. She just wanted to shake it all off but she couldn't.

"Well it's about to get worse," Xander said unhappy.

"What?" Buffy asked. "New Demon in town?"

"Old Demon," Xander muttered.

"Angel's coming?" Willow said. "It's not an apocalypse. They just need us to protect someone while they save Cordy."

"When is he coming?" Buffy asked torn between panic and relief at the news.

"Sometime tonight," Willow said.

"We were going to the Bronze but now we have to wait around for Buffy's boyfriend," Anya said disappointed.

"I'm going to take a shower," Buffy said running upstairs to get some time alone.

--

1999

Angel sat in the living room watching the two Cordelias talk and laugh. Cordelia was constantly trying to push Cordy into giving up information about the future and Cordy kept sidestepping her.

"Why not give me just one little detail?" Cordelia demanded. "Like how rich are my future boyfriends."

Cordy shook her head and smiled, "I'm not telling you anything."

"Angel, help me here," Cordelia insisted.

Angel shook his head and refused to join in the argument.

"This is one time when I love your strong broody silence," Cordy said.

"The strong broody silence thing can be good," Cordelia replied. "Too bad about the no bone thing."

"Yeah," Cordy agreed.

He had planned on just sitting in his room reading until it was time to take Cordy over to the library to research with the others but the Cordies wouldn't let him do that. He found their attention disturbing but was enjoying it despite himself.

"Let's not talk about me," Angel said.

"Yeah, let's talk about me," Cordelia said. "So do I at least get use my sword fighting technique against Xander in the future?"

"I'd actually like to see that," Angel said.

Cordy just smiled at them.

--

2002

Angel held Connor in his arms at he stood on Buffy's porch. His friends stood behind him waiting for him to work up the nerve to ring the doorbell.

"Okay," he muttered to himself and then knocked on the door.