Cordy was in the kitchen putting away the left over food when she heard Angel's panicked voice calling her name. Everyone else also heard his scream and they dropped everything and ran out to the lobby. When Cordy got to the lobby she didn't see her daughter or Angel, but she saw the front door open. She knew without a doubt that they were both outside.

"Oh my God." She gasped as she ran to the open door. She arrived just as Angel stepped out into the sun, catching fire, trying desperately to save his daughter from stepping out into the street. "CATHERINE. ANGEL." She screamed.

She watched in frozen horror as a fireball, also known as Angel, used his leather jacket to scoop Catherine up keeping her as far away from the flames as possible. At this point Connor was outside with his dad and sister. He grabbed Catherine from Angel, whose screams were mixing with her fathers. She was handed to Wesley who was right behind Connor who ran the crying child to her mother. As soon as his sister was out of harms way, using all of he strength, Connor pushed his father through the air into the shade. Angel landed hard on the front porch. All of this took place in less then twenty seconds.

"Oh my God, Oh my God, Catherine baby are you ok?" Cordy cried as she looked at her screaming daughter. There wasn't a scratch on her. She was just scared. "Shhhh sweetie, it's ok." Fred came over and held out her arms to take Catherine She knew that Cordy needed to be with Angel. "Hey go see Auntie Fred. She can get you some ice cream." Catherine's tears immediately stopped and she went right into Fred's arms. Cordy kissed her as they walked away.

When Cordy got over to Angel he was barley conscious. His entire body was burned. He must have been seconds away from turning into dust. He slowly opened his eyes when he felt Cordy next to him.

"Catherine? Hurt?" He whispered

"She's fine. Her daddy protected her."

"Connor?" He knew that Connor was the one who pushed him into the shade. Cordy looked over at his burnt hands.

"He's fine too." As soon as he heard those words he lost consciousness. "Gunn, Wes. Lorne, can you guys carry him up to his room. It's better that we do it now, while he is unconscious." They nodded. "I need to check on Catherine and Connor." Her friends gently lifted Angel off of the floor and carried him upstairs.

"Connor, let me see." Cordy said as she walked over to him. He painfully held out his burnt and blistered hands. "Oh sweetie, what were you thinking?"

"I had to Cor. He was about to die. Is he ok?" He whispered with tears streaming down his face.

"He is fine." She mumbled.

"Don't lie to me Cordelia."

"All right then Connor. He is not fine right now, but he will be. He can't die from these burns but it's going to hurt like hell."

"But vampires heal fast right?" Ciara asked

"He will definitely heal faster then we would but he won't be up anytime soon. Now come on Connor, let me take care of these burns." She led him to Angel's office and gently applied a burn cream to his hands then wrapped them up with gauze. "Now don't try to be a hero. If you start fighting you will regret it because it will hurt like hell. Take a break. Let your wife take care of you. Ciara, make sure he relaxes and use his hands as little as possible. If he pulls any shit with you show your demon half." Cordy instructed

"Cor, I was so scared. I thought that he was going to die" Connor said in a choked voice and she pulled him into her arms and hugged him tightly but gently.

"I know Connor. I was scared too." She replied when they pulled apart.

"I wish he would have waited and I could have gotten her."

"He did what he had to do to save her. You saw it. She was right at the edge of the street. He couldn't have waited. He would do anything, including dying for his children." Connor was silent. "You know, he did that for you."

"He did?" A surprised Connor asked

"When you first came back from Cortaux, you ran out of here, into the bright sun. Your dad chased right behind and would have burst into flames if Wes and Gunn hadn't of pulled him back."

"I never knew that."

"I need to go see Catherine and then Angel. You…" Cordy said pointing at Connor, "Take an easy."

"Please, send him our love." Ciara said as Cordy walked into the kitchen.

"Mommy, ice cream." Ciara yelled when she saw her mother.

"Is she ok?" Cordy asked Fred. She seemed fine and there wasn't any noticeable damage, but as any mother would be, she was worried.

"She is perfect. I checked her out and I didn't see a mark and she is acting like her normal self. I think that she was crying because she was scared." Fred said softly.

"How could she have gotten outside? How could I not have known?"

"She is two years old Cordy. They get into anything and everything. The door may have only been open a crack, but enough for her to pull it open enough to squeeze through. That is the only explanation that I can think of because none of us would leave the door open."

"I am such a bad mother." Fred immediately pulled her best friend into her arms.

"Cordelia Chase, that is bullshit and you know it. Look at Catherine, she is fine and her dad will be too. Now, I'll watch her and you go see him."

"Thank you Fred. Come and get me if you need anything."

--

"How is he?" Cordy whispered as she walked into Angel's room.

"He is still unconscious." Wes said.

"I've never seen him this bad before." Gunn commented as he continued to stare at a burned Angel lying on his bed.

"He's never been this bad before." Cordy whispered

"Is Catherine and Connor all right?" Gunn asked and she nodded

"Catherine is fine. Connor's hands are burnt pretty badly, but I think that he will be ok."

"What can we do?" Lorne asked

"I don't know. I'm going to clean him up and get him out of his clothes while he is still unconscious."

"I'll stay and help." Wes offered and Cordy nodded in appreciation.

"Cordycakes, we will be downstairs if you need anything." Lorne said as he gently hugged her.

"Ok, what first?" Wes asked when the door shut behind them.

"We need to cut these burnt clothes off of him." She instructed as she handed Wes a pair of scissors. "You take the left side and I'll get the right."

They worked in silence cutting of Angel's clothes. She was no doctor but she was sure that he had sustained fourth degree burns. At one point she was able to see his bone and she quickly had to run to the bathroom to puke. Once the clothes were all cut off the front of his body, Wesley rolled him onto his left side and Cordy cut then they did the same for his right side. After about an hour all of his clothes had been removed.

"My God, he looks horrible." She whispered as she looked at his burnt body. Wesley gently placed his arm around her shoulder.

"I know, but right now it's a damn good thing that he is a vampire because he won't die from these injuries. He will heal.

"How long to you think it will take?"

"A month, maybe two."

"He is going to hate that."

"I would have to agree with you. He will definitely hate it."

"I think that I need to leave the burns uncovered. Don't you think?"

"Yeah, once they start blistering and the skin grows back we can then bandage him up."

"Will a sheet be ok?" She asked him as she went to the closet.

"Yeah, that should be fine." Cordy gently laid a sheet over his burnt body. "Will you be ok? I would like to go check on Fred, Connor and Catherine."

"Yeah, we'll be fine. I want to be here when he wakes up."

"I thought that you would. He is lucky to have you." Wesley said as he walked out, leaving Angel and Cordy alone.

She pulled a chair next to his bed and gently picked up his charred hand, and let the tears that she had been holding back, flow from his eyes.

"Thank you Angel. Thank you for saving our little girls life. This wouldn't have happened if I was doing my job and watching her like I should have been. I was so scared. I was scared for Catherine. I knew that you wouldn't let anything to happen to our girl. I knew that she was safe from the street and cars, but I was scared that she was going to lose her daddy. I was scared that I was going to lose you. I thought that you were going to die today and just so you know, this may be selfish, but I don't want to live without you. I love you Angel, I never stopped loving you. I know that I have only offered you friendship, but that's not enough anymore. I was only offering you friendship because I didn't want to get hurt again. The first time almost killed me and I wouldn't be able to survive it a second time, but I realize that I have been stupid and wasting valuable time that we could have together. I know that you will never hurt me again. I have known it all along. I just let my fear and not my heart make the decision for me. You know when I went out on my date with Drew, I knew that I never wanted to be with anyone else but you and I knew it during the first minute that I was alone with him, before he became an ass. I know how hard and how much this going to hurt but I know that you can do it. You are the strongest man that I know. You are not only my hero, but you are a hero to your son and daughter. I am going to be here for you through all of the pain and hurt. You need to hurry up and heal so we can make up for lost time. I love you Angel and I always will."

While sitting next to his bed, holding his hand Cordy fell asleep. She was jarred awake by moaning coming from the bed.

"Angel, I'm here." The moaning got louder. She knew that he was in a lot of pain. She ran to the door. "Someone bring me whiskey, water and blood now." She screamed. The moaning was getting louder and he was beginning to thrash around on his bed. "Angel, you need to calm down and lay still." She said sternly as tried to hold him down and not hurt him at the same time. The not hurting him was not working. Thankfully Wes and Gunn came in with her supplies.

"Give me the whiskey." She snapped.

"What's this for?" Gunn said as he handed her the bottle

"The pain." Wes responded

"Hey, baby, here take a drink." She said soothingly. She grabbed his head and held it up, placed the whiskey bottle to his lips and forced him to drink. After he managed to drink half of the bottle she let him lay back on the bed. He seemed to be slightly more relaxed but still in obvious pain. There were beads of sweet rolling off of his forehead and he was shivering. "I need a blanket now. He is freezing." Gunn handed her a blanket and she gently laid it across him.

"Cordy, we need to get him to drink the water and blood." Wes said.

"I know." She said as she said as she took the water bottle from Wes. "Angel, we need you to drink this water."

"No…hurts." He mumbled.

"I know you're hurting, but you have to drink." She lifted his head up again and forced the water bottle into his mouth. He quickly drank it. "Now, how about some dinner? I have your blood." He took a small drink and choked it back out. "Angel, you need to drink. It will help you get you're strength up." She put the glass back up to his lips. "Now take nice slow sips." He did as he was told and drank the whole glass of blood. "Good job." She whispered as she laid his head back down on the pillow.

"God…hurts…bad" He said as tears filled his eyes.

"I know. I know baby." She said as she wiped his sweaty hair off of his forehead.

"Catherine…Connor?"

"They are both fine."

"Liar"

"Connor's hands are burnt but he will be ok and Catherine…"

"Screaming… Catherine." He interrupted her.

"She was screaming but it was because she was scared not hurt. She is perfectly fine. You rescued her." Those words seemed to put his mind at ease because he closed his eyes and drifted off into a restless sleep.

"How are Catherine and Connor?" She asked

"Fred and Ciara are playing with Catherine and Connor took a pain pill and he is lying down."

"Good. I'm so worried about them."

"Don't be. They are both under the watchful eye of Fred and Lorne."

"Thank you."

--

She had just finished giving him a sponge bath when there was a soft knock at the door. She quickly covered him up and opened the door to see Fred standing there. She answered the question before Cordy could even ask it.

"She is fine, just tired. Wesley and I were wondering if we could take her home to spend the night with is tonight."

"I don't want to impose. She is my daughter…" Fred interrupted her.

"We are offering. We want her to stay with us and you will be able to stay with Angel tonight because he needs you."

"I almost lost him Fred." Cordy said as she stared at the sleeping man.

"But you didn't. You know Angel; it will take a lot more then a little sun to take him away from you."

"He almost died, thinking that I never forgave him."

"You forgave him?" Cordy nodded. "Now you have the chance to tell him and start over. You guys were always happiest when you were with each other."

"Can you stay with him while I get a bag together for Catherine?" Fred nodded and Cordy walked over to Angel. "Fred and Wes are taking Catherine for the night and I have to get her packed. I'll be right back so if you need anything Fred will be right here."

Cordy walked out into the hall and was met by her daughter throwing herself at her mother. "Mommy, mommy." Cordy scooped her up and hugged her tightly.

"Hey baby girl. Do you want to go to Uncle Wes and Aunt Fred's house tonight?" Catherine nodded. "Ok then let's go get dolly."

"Daddy, want daddy." Catherine whined as they walked away from Angel's room. Cordy was amazed that her daughter knew that this was her dad's room even with the door closed.

"Daddy's sleeping Catherine."

"Night night?"

"Yeah baby, daddy went night night." That seemed to satisfy her.

Fifteen minutes later, Catherine was all packed and ready to go. Cordy did not want Catherine to see Angel in his condition so she knocked on the door to let Fred know that they were ready.

"Catherine are you ready to go?" Fred said as held out her arms but she clung tight to her mother.

"I want daddy."

"Honey daddy is sleeping."

"I want daddy." She said again as she began to cry. Cordy handed her over to Fred.

"Just take her, she will be fine. Catherine I love you." Fred and Catherine walked down the hall crying the whole way.

Cordy walked back into the room and saw Angel struggling against the pain, trying to sit up. "Angel, lay down. Relax."

"Catherine…crying…needs…me." He grunted through clenched teeth.

"She is gone already." She said gently holding him down.

"God….Cor….hurts…pain…so….bad." Cordy knew that he was hurting especially when the tears fell from his eyes.

"I know but I don't know what else to do." She gently placed her hand on his forehead. He was burning up. "I'll be right back. I need to get a cool cloth for you head." She ran into the bathroom and wet down a cloth in cold water. She came back to the room and his eyes were closed. Very carefully, she began to blot his forehead. "Oh my sweet Angel." She whispered.

His eyes opened and he looked at her. "Kathy, I'm not an angel I'm evil."

Cordy assumed that he was hallucinating but she was wrong. The Powers That Be decided to take this opportunity, while he was out of commission to send some of Angelus's victims to Angel in the form of Cordelia. These victims were the ones that Angel carried a hefty guilty burden and he needed to beg their forgiveness. So when he looked at Cordy he didn't see her. Instead he was looking at his innocent sister.