Over the next week Angel slowly began to heal. He finally quit being stubborn and started drinking the whiskey for his pain. By week's end he was able to have short conversations that actually made sense. He was never left alone. They all were scheduled in two-four hour shifts depending what was going on. Cordy insisted on staying during the night and Ciara and Connor stayed in Cordy's room with Catherine.

To add to the strain of everything else, vamps and demons must have heard about Angel being incapacitated so there were more attacks which meant that every available person at Angel Investigations was out fighting including Cordy and Ciara who hated it but she knew that she was needed, especially since Connor wasn't able to fight either.

"I don't know how much longer we can keep this up." Cordy said as she collapsed on the sofa. Justine and Gunn followed suit.

"Who the hell sent out the memo that Angel and Connor were down for the count?" Gunn grumbled.

"Angel is healing relatively quickly. Maybe another four weeks minimum and six weeks maximum. "Wes said

"I can't do this anymore. I hate the fighting and killing." Ciara said in a tear filled voice.

"I know honey, I know." Connor said as pulled Ciara into his arms. "She can't do this anymore. It's not who she is."

"I agree with you Connor. She is more likely to make a mistake if her heart isn't in it."

"We need help." Justine said

"Ya think." Gunn said playfully.

"Since we have some down time, I'm going to check on Angel then go find my daughter before she forgets who I am." Cordy said as she headed upstairs. Everyone followed Cordy's lead. Justine, Gunn, Ciara and Connor retreated to their respective rooms for some private time. Wes went to find Fred who since her pregnancy has been assigned office duty. He walked up to her and kissed his wife deeply.

"Hey, I missed you and that." She said and he kissed her again.

"Fred sweetie, I am so sorry. Things have been insane." Wes said sadly

"Wesley, you guys can't keep this up. You all are exhausted. Someone is going to get hurt."

"I know, but I have an idea." He said smiling.

--

Cordy walked into Angel's room. Lorne was sitting on the chair next to his bed reading,

"How is he?"

"About the same." Lorne said sadly. "He drank his lunch a couple of hours ago."

"Go on take a break, I'll stay for awhile." Lorne didn't argue with her. He kissed her forehead on his way out of the door.

As if he sensed her presence, he began to stir as soon as she sat down. He slowly opened his eyes and smiled when he realized that she was there, next to him.

"Cor?"

"Hey it's me. How is the pain?"

"OK. How are you?"

"Good. I miss you."

"Connor?"

"Better. His hands are still pretty burnt up. It's too bad that he doesn't have the same healing quality as he do."

"All my fault."

"Don't say that."

"Catherine. I miss her."

"She misses you too."

"I need to see her."

"I don't know. I don't want her to hurt you."

"Please Cordy?" She nodded and she went to retrieve their daughter. Catherine was just waking up from her nap when Cordy got to her room.

"Hi mommy."

"Hi baby. Do you want to go see daddy?" Catherine's face lit up. "Ok, but you have to be gentle baby ok." She nodded happily. As soon as Cordy opened Angel's bedroom door Catherine let go of her mother's hand and ran into the room.

"Daddy, Daddy." She suddenly stopped in front of his bed as soon as she saw his burnt body.

"Hey chipmunk." Angel said softly and Catherine reached for her mother who picked her up.

"Sweetie, it's daddy."

"Daddy?"

"Come here chipmunk." He held out his arms and with Cordy's help she slowly climbed into his arms. When he winced in pain, Cordy reached out to take Catherine but he stopped her with his eyes.

"Ouchie Daddy?" She asked as she pointed to his burns.

"Yep chipmunk. Daddy has an ouchie." Catherine leaned forward and gently placed her lips against his burnt arm.

"Better?" She asked

"All better chipmunk." She stayed on his lap for about five more minutes talking non-stop, most of the time using words with some of her incoherent babble. As soon she was put back down on the floor she ran into her room.

"Are you OK? You look like you are in pain."

"No more than usual. Nothing I can't handle." Cordy raised her eyebrows. "No, really. I'm fine." He said as he closed his eyes. He was asleep within seconds. Cordy let him rest and went into Catherine's room to play with her. Over the past week she had really missed her daughter. She couldn't wait until Angel healed so things could get back to normal. Two hours later she put a DVD in for Catherine and went out to check on Angel. He was just waking up again.

"Hey you." She said softly.

"Catherine?"

"In her room watching Shrek." Angel grinned.

"She loves that damn movie."

"It's your fault, You bought her the damn movie."

"You're right as usual."

"Not about everything." He looked at her questioningly. "Are you in the mood for a heart to heart?"

"As long as it is with you."

"I was wrong about us Angel. I have forgiven you for what happened with Buffy. I did a long time ago. I was just so scared of getting hurt again. I barely survived it the first time and I knew that I wouldn't survive it a second time." They both had tears rolling down their faces. "When I saw you outside in the sun on fire I was terrified. Not for Catherine's safety because I knew that you would save her, I was terrified that she would lose her daddy and he would never know that I forgave him and I still loved him.

"Cordelia." He whispered softly.

"Angel I know that I don't deserve it but please forgive me."

"For what?"

"For making you suffer for a stupid mistake. Forgive me for breaking up our family. You once told me that I was your soul. Well you are mine, without you I am incomplete. You have my heart; only you and no one else will have it. Would you give us a second chance? I love you so much Angel."

"Cor, you did nothing wrong. You acted exactly as you should have. I hurt you and I will always regret that. I love you Cordelia Chase. I never stopped."

"Does that mean?"

"Consider us a happy family again." Cordy leaned forward and gently kissed his burnt lips. "Does this mean that you are moving back in this room?" He asked her when they broke apart.

"You and I are never going to sleep alone again after you heal."

"Hell no. I'm not waiting any more. We have a king sized bid. You can stay on your side and I'll be fine. In fact I know that I will heal better if you are lying bedside me every night."

"You are so full of shit but who am I to argue with a sick man."

"I love you Cor."

"I love you Angel."

--

Two days later Cordy stomped into her new/old bedroom. Connor and Angel looked up in surprise as the door slammed.

"I swear to God, I have staked so many vamps that I feel like I am turning into dust. And no matter how many of those son of a bitches we stake there are more and more showing up." She fumed. She then noticed Connor sitting next to Angel. "Hey Connor."

"Hey Cor. Rough day?" He asked grinning

"Did you not hear a word that I said? And do you realize that it's not only happening at night? These sneaky little bastards are getting into everything during the day, stores, restaurants, and schools. It's fucking insane."

"Little ears." Angel said as he motioned towards Catherine's room and Cordy glared at him.

"I'm going to get a shower." She said walking to the bathroom and slamming the door.

"Dad, it's getting bad out there." Connor said

"I know. In all of my two hundred plus years, I have never felt so damn useless. I can't even take a piss without getting exhausted"

"What are we going to do? Everyone is exhausted and falling apart. They can't do it for much longer."

"I have no idea son. Do we know any healers?"

"Lorne has been trying to find one but so far he has had no luck."

"God Dammit."

A freshly showered and dust free Cordy came out of the bathroom and collapsed on her side of the bed.

"Angel, I don't know how much longer we can keep this up. We almost lost Wes and Justine today. It was so close and I was so scared. Wes's baby almost lost its father today and it's not even born yet." Cordy began to cry. Catherine heard the crying and came out of her room.

"Mommy?"

"Hey baby." Cordy sniffled.

"Puzzle." Catherine handed Cordy a puzzle. She climbed up on the bed and they both began putting her puzzle together.

Angel had drifted off again and Catherine and Cordy were still putting the puzzle together an hour later when there was a knock at the door. Cordy groaned. She knew that she was going to have to go out and do some more staking.

"Come in." She called out and Wesley walked in.

"Uncle Weswee." Catherine shouted as she scrambled off the bed and over to her uncle who picked her up and kissed her.

"Catherine, Aunt Fred has some ice cream for you. Do you want some?"

"Ice Cream." She squealed as she ran down the hall into Fred's arms.

"We seriously need to come up with something other than ice cream when we need to distract Catherine. If we keep it up she will start gaining some unnecessary weight."

"Wes, what's wrong?" Angel asked yawning. He was so tired of being tired.

"I have come up with a solution to our overwhelming vampire issue."

"Thank God." Cordy said, "What did you do?"

"I called Giles and asked for some slayers."

"What slayers did her send?" Cordy did not want to deal with the man stealing Buffy, even if vamps were destroying her town.

"Not Buffy."

"Faith?"

"No Faith is on another assignment and I didn't think that it would be a good idea for Buffy to come."

"Good thinking." Angel said. "So who did he send?"

"They are slayers that have just completed their training."

"Will they be good enough?"

"They will be but they also have a partner."

"Who is the partner?"

"Me." Said a voice from the doorway. Cordy and Angel turned around at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Get the hell out of my room. As a matter of fact get the hell out of my hotel and city," Angel growled

"Spike." Cordy whispered.