I own none of the characters of Angel.

"Cordelia, may we have a minute?" Wesley said from the doorway of her office.

Cordelia looked up and saw all of her friends standing there. She motioned them in. They had been at Wolfram and Hart for six months and until recently they all seemed to be happy, which was going according to Angel and Cordy's plan. Everyone had their own departments that they were running. Wesley and Cordelia were heading up the demon research department, which had really given her the extra help that she needed to complete their plan. Fred was head of the science department, Gunn had a microchip put in is brain so he was a lawyer, Lorne was the head of the entrainment department, Connor and Justine trained the fighters and Ciara was in charge of the day care center, which she absolutely loved.

"What's gong on?" She asked although she knew what the problem was.

"We are concerned about Angel." Wesley began.

"What do you mean?"

"My father is becoming an ass." Connor blurted.

"Excuse me?"

"He has been taking on clients that are less then ideal." Gunn said.

"I know that this would happen. I told all of you, I told that big lunkhead that this would happen but did anyone listen to me? No they didn't."

"Could you stop tooting your own horn cupcake and listen to us?" Lorne asked.

"Sorry, go on."

"Right now, he is in his office allowing a woman to sign her unborn child over to a group of demons that will sacrifice him on his thirteenth birthday" Fred said Cordy's eyes grew wide in mock surprise.

"And yesterday he agreed to represent a senator who wants to destroy a man's personal and political life by forging documents stating that he is a sexual predator." Gunn added.

"This is not why we came to Wolfram and Hart." Wesley said softly

"You're damn right Wesley and I'm ending this right now." Cordy stormed out of her office and headed to Angel's office with their friends following behind her to see how this played out. They knew that if he would listen to anybody, he would listen to his wife. Not even bothering to knock she stormed right into his office.

"Cordelia, we are in a meeting." Angel said

"That's why I'm here."

"This meeting has nothing to do with you."

"It has everything to do with me."

"Gentleman, Amanda, excuse me for one minute." He grabbed her arm and drug her out of his office. "What the hell was that?" He yelled when they got out into the hall.

"I should ask you the same thing. What are you thinking representing those monsters that want to kill an innocent child?"

"It's what we do."

"No it's not what WE do you asswipe. It's what YOU are doing."

"It's no big deal."

"NO BIG DEAL." She screamed. "It's a very big deal. You used to fight and kill demons like this and now you are helping them. And what about the senator? How can you willingly destroy a man's life, a man who has done nothing to you? Are you doing this for the good of a client? What about the good of your soul?"

"Cordelia, you are over reacting."

"No I think that I am reacting just fine. Would you be fine if someone destroyed Wesley's life with false accusations? Would you be fine if I decided to give Catherine or Chase to a group of demons so they could be sacrificed?"

"That's different."

"No it's not different Angel. What is happening to you? Where is our champion?"

"I'm still a champion, I'm just fighting for different things."

"Evil things." She spat as tears fell from her eyes, an impressive touch she thought.

"Cordy, can we finish this conversation later."

"As long as you walk in there and kill those demons."

"Not happening."

"Don't do it."

"I'm sorry that you don't agree."

"Angel, I swear if you walk back in there and there are no dead bodies within seconds I am taking our children and walking out of this evil place and you will never see them again."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me. I refuse to let my children be raised in this evil environment with a father who is supporting it."

"Cordy please don't."

"You know what you have to do." He stared at her for a few seconds and then returned to his office. Cordy stood outside of his door, acting like she was waiting for him to have a change of heart she knew wouldn't happen. After a few minutes the office door opened and the group of very undead demons walked out surrounding their sacrifice's mother with Angel following behind them.

"Thank you for your assistance Angel." The demon said and Angel shook his hand.

"My pleasure. When the baby is born call us and we will make sure that the transaction goes smoothly." Angel said smiling at the demon. After a few more casual pleasantries they were gone.

"I don't even know who you are anymore." Cordy spat before spinning on her heels and storming away.

"She is over reacting. You know Cordy, she is a drama queen." Angel said uncomfortably.

"No, dad she is exactly right. This isn't who you are. I'm ashamed to call you my father." Connor said

"You don't mean that son."

"I do dad. I hate that I feel like this but I do."

"Connor."

"You make me sick dad and I'm following Cordy's lead and for the safety of my son, I don't want you to see him."

"Connor, please."

"You know what you need to do to fix this dad. Are you going to do it?" Angel stood there and Connor stormed off.

"They are both right Angel. I'm afraid that you are going to a dark place and you know what happens when you go into that dark place." Wesley said softly.

"I'm not going dark." He snapped and walked away headed to his penthouse.

"Cor, what are you doing?" He knew exactly what she was doing but because they were pretty sure that their penthouse, along with everything else in Wolfram & Hart, was bugged they made sure never to falter from their plan.

"I'm taking the kids and leaving." She was throwing clothes in a suitcase.

"Cor, please don't do this."

"You made your choice downstairs in your office."

"Its just business."

"Bullshit. It's not just business Angel. Would you let me sign over one of our children to be sacrificed?"

"Of course not."

"Then why would you let a total stranger do it?"

"It's different." He replied lamely.

"No it's not." She walked over and stood in front of him. "You are not the man that I married or love." She placed her wedding ring in his hand. "If you find the champion that I fell in love with have him give me a call."

"Cor."

"Don't try to find us because it will be pointless because you won't have an invitation to enter."

"Can I say goodbye to them?" He asked softly

"I don't think that it's a good idea." She turned and started walk out of the room but he grabbed her arm stopping her.

"I need to say goodbye to them."

"They won't understand that their father is evil."

"I'M NOT." He shouted

"Could have fooled me." She shrugged out of his grasp and walked away from him.

Twenty minutes later, Cordy was standing outside of the entrance of Wolfram & Hart why the kids played in the waiting limo.

"Cordy, please don't go." Fred sobbed as she hugged her best friend.

"I have to Fred."

"Where are you going?" Ciara asked tearfully

"I purchased a house on the beach a few weeks ago."

"A few weeks ago?" Gunn asked.

"I have seen the changes in him so I rented the house in case I needed to get away from him but I hoped that I would never have to use it."

"Then don't." Connor said. "Stay and try to talk some sense back into him. He will listen to you."

"He's not listening to me either. You guys should come with me." She suggested, knowing that they wouldn't agree.

"We need to stay, to try and get him back on the right track." Wesley said.

"Good luck with that." Wesley just started at her. "No I really mean that. Good luck. I hope that you can bring him back." After a few more tears and goodbye hugs, Cordy climbed into the limo with her children. Although she knew that leaving her friends behind at Wolfram and Hart was a means to an end but it still hurt like hell. A few tears ran down her cheek.

"What's wrong mama?" Her sweet boy usually called her mama.

"I'm a little sad that's all."

"Cause Daddy isn't with us." He asked.

"Yeah little man. I'm sad cause Daddy isn't with us."

"Where are we going?" Catherine whined.

"I told you baby, to our new house."

"I don't want a new house." She said stubbornly.

"Well we have one, whether you want it or not." Cordy snapped.

"I want daddy." She crossed her arms across their chest.

"Daddy's not coming but it's OK, you have me and Chase."

"I don't want you or Chase. I want daddy."

"I'm sorry Catherine. You're stuck with us." Cordy rolled her eyes while Catherine sat in her seat and pouted. It was going to be a long night.

--

Cordy walked into the room that her children were sharing. She walked over to her daughter and smiled. Catherine was a crazy sleeper, just like she was. She had only been in bed for an hour and all of her blankets had been thrown to the floor. Cordy picked them up and tucked them around her. She had been a pain all day. She was such a daddy's girl and she pouted, picked fights with her brother and mother, had tantrums, and refused to eat all because her dad wasn't there and now as she looked so sweet and innocent, not the terror from earlier in the day. She kissed her and whispered goodnight.

She sat on the edge of her namesake's bed. She was feeling very sentimental when they were picking out his name. She wanted to continue with the "C" theme but Angel was making it difficult because he didn't like any of the ones that she had picked. They had finally given up for the night and Angel was going through some papers with her maiden name and declared that their son should be named Chase, after his mother and she quickly agreed. She loved that her baby boy would carry her name.

He was such a sweet child. He wasn't as outgoing as his sister and had a very sweet and sensitive side. He was a mama's boy who adored his father and tried to be just like him from the way he had his hair cut to the dark clothes that he always wanted to wear. He has been awfully quiet today and she suspected that he knew something wasn't right in his parent's lives but was too young to fully understand it. She kissed him gently and left her children to sleep.

She walked out onto her deck that gave her a beautiful view of the ocean during the day but right now all she could see was endless blackness. A blackness that she felt was always present in her life. Sometimes she just wished that she was a normal girl with a normal life but that wish only lasted for seconds and then she remembered that she was in love with the most amazing man/vampire and she had two wonderful children, something she never would have had if she had a normal life. She didn't flinch or jump in surprise as a pair of familiar arms encircled her waist and lips found her neck.

"Have any trouble getting out?" She whispered

"No, the amulet worked great, As far as the spy's at Wolfram & Heart are concerned I am tossing and turning in the giant king sized bed in my empty penthouse. What about this place? Is it safe?"

"The cloaking spell that the witches I hired to cast is working perfectly. The only people that can see this house is you, Connor, Ciara, Fred, Wes, Gunn, Justine and Lorne. The big bad can't find us."

"I hate fighting with you, even if it is only pretend." He spun her around, pulled him into his arms and kissed her passionately. "I love you. Don't ever forget it." He whispered when they broke apart.

"I know that." She pulled away from him. "I have blood, are you hungry?"

"Sure."

"Make yourself comfy, I'll be right back." She ran into the house and returned in a few minutes with a glass of blood for Angel and a glass of wine for herself. She handed him his glass then she settled on his lap. They drank in silence for a few minutes then Angel broke the silence.

"How are the kids doing?"

"Catherine was a brat today, fighting, throwing fits, same shit she always pulls when you're not around."

"Sorry about that."

"And Chase is Chase being mommy's little helper and taking the abuse that his big sister bestows upon him."

"I will have to have a talk with her."

"Not for awhile."

"Can't we let them see me? I don't want them to think that I have abandoned them."

"You know your daughter's mouth. She sees you then she will tell everyone that she saw you and our cover is blown."

"Of the many things she got from you, she had to get your mouth."

"Ha Ha very funny." She kissed his nose. "As I recall, you rather enjoy my mouth." He took his thumb and traced her lips with it.

"I do enjoy it." He kissed her again.

They sat outside talking out there plan until a few hours before dawn. He confirmed that because of his actions today he had a meeting with The Circle of The Black Thorn in the next couple of days. They were going to call him the day of the meeting with the details.

"One more thing came up Cor." He said hesitantly.

"What now?"

"I was told that to get in I have to kill someone and I'm going to do it within the next couple of days."

"Someone?" He nodded.

"A friend and a stranger." She shot off of his lap.

"No, no you can't. This is gone to far. Killing a friend is not worth it."

" I'm not going to kill anyone that you know and I guess friend is to strong of a word, more like an acquaintance."

"Who then?"

"I was thinking Spike." He cracked.

"Angel." Her tone was full of warning. He knew it well. She used it a lot on their kids.

"I'm not telling you. It will make it easier if you don't know."

"Dammit, I hate this."

"I need you to be strong Cor. Strong for me, for our friends and for you and for our children."

"Please be careful. I can't lose you." She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"I promise to be careful." Those words did not bring any comfort to her.