Disclaimer: Belongs to Joss, all of the characters, the world. The story is mine, I doubt he'd want credit for it, but hey, it's all in good fun!

Feedback: Has been great so far! I love you all and will add more at the bottom to specific people

Distribution: Not so sure just yet, so ask first please!

Chapter Nine

"He is coming."

They only looked to each other and then forward, just as Angel fell to the ground in front of them and stood.

"Why are you here, lower being?"

"Really? This is a surprise to you? You had to know that I'd have questions."

"They were answered. Why do you bother us with this?"

"I want to know why. Why they were taken and how I have a family. Children. I shouldn't be able to have any children and I have two."

"Do you want the children taken then?"

He glared, hands fisted to his side. He knew if he lost his temper he'd lose this chance at answers.

"No. I want to understand why now. Why I was given these. . . "

"Gifts."

"Your son, was a prophesy. The Destroyer. He can turn the balance for either side. A destroyer of evil, or of good."

"Your daughter was our gift. You wish to be mortal, to gain a human life, but you must earn it."

"You must not only be a champion, but human. You have been fighting for redemption."

"You were to fight for your humanity as well."

"The connection between champion and seer has always been close, however, "

"What you two have had is beyond that. She is a humanizing influence on you."

He was getting confused, the way the twins finished each other's sentences. He thought he could follow it, but barely.

"So, you had us possessed?"

"No lesser being! We allowed your soul to remain."

"We simply bound it to hers and granted you the gift, the balance."

"The light. She will balance the Destroyer."

"She will grant redemption."

"The baby. So, my soul is safe, and Cordy and I. . . "

"Your soul is bound yes, "

"But you have thrown away our gift."

"I didn't! I didn't know she was my daughter! You allowed her to be taken to another dimension, we brought her back!"

They advanced on him. Hands out towards him. A vision formed above of him on the bed, holding Connor. Cordy in the rocking chair nursing a baby.

"This was your gift."

"You were to protect it."

"You believed a false prophecy and that was why they were taken."

"We sent the information to give you a chance."

"To give you this."

The scene changed to the one he'd seen in the hospital. Cordy nursing the baby in her arms, Connor sitting with her.

"All right, I made mistakes, I admit this. Isn't that also what makes someone human? I'm trying to fix it."

"It is too late."

"You have turned your back on us."

"On your destiny."

"You have stopped fighting and are no longer a champion."

"You severed ties with your seer."

"She will work with another champion."

"One that will follow their destiny."

"They will protect the light."

"And we are done with you now."

AA

Angel shook his head. Back in the alley he looked up at the wall. He knew trying to get back to them and argue wasn't going to work. Slowly the words sunk in. They had bound his soul to Cordelia's. At the ballet. So before he told her, well he hadn't actually told her yet. He kept skirting around it, but was it only their doing? No, he had known before that, he hadn't allowed himself to believe it, confront it, but Lorne had even seen it. He had seen he's seen the same thing in Cordelia. So their feelings were their own, not put there by the powers. He blinked. She was going to work with another champion? What did that mean? The only 'champion' he could think of was Groo. Angel growled to himself. He couldn't have upset her that much! She wouldn't just run to him, would she? It didn't matter. Making amends was old hat by now, and this was more important than his redemption. This was his family. He wasn't going to lose it now.

He had promised that he'd be right back, leaving Connor with Fred and Lorne, but he needed to see them. So he headed right for the hospital. Racing to her room he froze. It was empty, being cleaned. He checked with reception, they hadn't been moved, they were discharged. Suddenly he felt panicked. Like he was running out of time. His talk with the powers fresh in his mind, he felt it like a shadow reaching for his family, pulling them away. Back to the Hyperion he ran in and found only Fred sitting with Connor. She looked up and stood slowly.

"Is, everything okay Angel?"

He glanced around, listened, nothing. They weren't here. Why he thought they'd come straight here he didn't know.

"I, screwed up. Fred, I, think I lost her."

Fred blinked, then she realized he was talking about Cordelia and smiled.

"Cordelia? She loves you, she loves Connor. . . "

"I know I made a mistake."

"Firing her? Um, again?"

"I was just trying to protect her."

Fred walked over, leaving Connor to play on the floor. Putting a hand on his arm she took a deep breathe, it was the same thing she'd told Gunn yesterday.

"We protect each other, Angel. We all choose to be here, we know it's dangerous, and we know you think it's just your fight, but it's not. It's all of ours. Not just for you, even if we do wanna help you get that shanshue thing. It's for us too. You gotta have more faith in us."

He looked down at her, she was right. He trusted them, but he hadn't been showing much faith in them. In their abilities, in their choices. He still felt like he had somehow dragged them all into his world, his life, his fight. It was their lives too, their fight. He smiled and covered her hand with his.

"Thanks Fred."

She nodded and smiled. With a glance to Connor she thought she might as well see about pressing her luck, since she was on a roll and all.

"Ya know, Wes called, said Cordy was going home. Lorne and Gunn left to help get the apartment ready. We could, go visit?"

"I think that's a great idea. Can you help me get Connor ready?"

AA

Angel walked up the steps to the apartment and paused. Fred shot him an encouraging smile and knocked on the door. After only a moment Wesley opened it and smiled, then the smile faded when he saw Angel.

"We're here to visit!"

"Oh, of course, Cordelia is in her room, I'm trying to get her to rest."

He stepped away from the door for Fred to walk in. She glanced back to Angel, who nodded, and headed inside with Connor. Angel gave a nod to Wesley and went to step in. He stopped as if hitting a wall and looked back at the man. Wesley lifted his chin.

"Wes?"

"I finished the uninvite spell before I brought them home. For safety."

"Oh, okay, well, then invite me in."

"I don't think that's wise."

Angel growled and went to step forward, Wes didn't move.

"And why not?"

"Did you see what happened at the hospital? You hurt her Angel, right now she needs to heal. I got the message that you no longer wanted her to come to the Hyperion and I have yet to break that news to her."

"I didn't mean it, I, don't mean it. Look, Wesley, let me speak to her."

The stare down was interrupted by Gunn clearing his throat, he gave them a nod, a glare to Angel and stepped passed Wesley with a bag of groceries. Angel's eyes followed and his body relaxed as he saw them. Fred walked out of the bedroom with Connor and Cordy followed, walking slower than usual, holding Frances in the outfit that Fred had gotten her. Gunn set down the groceries and grinned coming over to take the baby from her.

"Hey there's Frankie! How's my girl?"

Fred giggled and Cordy frowned smacking at his arm.

"It's Frances! Don't call her a boy's name! She -"

The room went still as Cordelia caught Angel in the door. He tried for a smile.

"Frances, after -"

"Yeah well, I, didn't know. Boy or girl so, was kind of hoping it would still work."

"No, I mean, yeah, it's, it's a good name."

"What are you doing here Angel?"

The quiet resignation was almost worse than her yelling at him and Angel shoved his hands back into his pockets.

"I, was hoping to talk to you."

He looked around at the others, all staring at him. Some in pity others in warning.

"Alone."

Cordelia nodded, Wesley opened his mouth and she shook her head.

"Can you guys, um, have Connor help get Frances down for a nap? If that's okay?"

She glanced up to Angel not forgetting his last reaction to Connor being near the baby. He nodded and raised a hand to gesture towards them.

"Uh yeah, that, I mean he wanted to come. That's, fine."

Wesley was the last to leave the room, unsure that they should be left alone should there be a problem. Fred grabbed Gunn's arm and pulled him into the room. Once it was just the two of them they stared. Angel nodded towards her.

"I'm, not invited."

"I know."

She sighed and walked over to the door.

"So, can I come in?"

"We'll see, what did you want Angel?"

"I went to see the powers. Try and, get some answers."

She raised a brow but didn't move. He took that as a sign to keep talking.

"They, told me about her, about Frances. She's, a gift. I didn't know, when Holtz took you two I, could only think about getting you back I didn't even think that she, was ours."

"It doesn't matter Angel."

He hated that note of defeat in her voice.

"It does matter, it matters to me."

She mattered to him, but he still couldn't say it. He saw the tears brimming and the smile wasn't nearly pleasant enough to reassure him.

"That' why it doesn't matter. Angel, you lied to me, about Darla, but I got past that, because of Connor. Because I look at Connor and I see you, I see your son and that was enough for me. It wasn't enough for you. Angel. . . "

She swallowed hard, she could do this, it hurt too much and it was already hard to breathe. Closing her eyes a moment she slowed her breathing down, if she started hyperventilating now she'd never get it out. Opening her eyes she looked up at him again, this time all walls were down.

"I love you, I'm, in love with you. And it was enough, to be able to help you, to be there for you. I know you love me in your own way, like you love Fred and Wes, and even Gunn. But, I can't anymore. It's not enough anymore to just wait for the other shoe to drop."

Angel blinked, he was dumbfounded. She had said it first and he felt like an idiot for waiting so long, but he was confused too. He shook his head.

"Other shoe?"

"Buffy? Shanshu? We don't know how long and believe me, I've had the thought that I might be long gone by the time it happens, but what if it's not? What if, if you get to be human tomorrow? Will you even say goodbye before leaving? I can't just wait for it, dread it. You've pushed me away, all of us, but, mostly me, more than once. I get the hint already!"

She stopped, he was just staring at her. With a groan she waved her hands in front of his face.

"Is any of this getting through to you?"

"Well not anymore."

She jumped at the voice behind her and looked, a large demon stood there and she turned back to Angel, still just staring.

"Skip! What did you do to him?"

"Hey, oh um, well I kind of just needed to talk to you . . . "

"I don't care fix him!"

With a shrug Skip waved his hand and Angel moved. He jerked towards the door and stopped short as he still wasn't invited.

"It's not about Bu-"

He stopped, stared at Skip, then Cordelia.

"Hey Angel. Sorry to interrupt, I know it was kind of important, but this is business. Only be a minute."

Cordelia crossed her arms and Angel frowned.

"Business?"

"Yeah, powers sent me. Cordelia Chase, you are being transferred."

Angel felt his heart plummet, they were going to do it, they were really going to do it. Cordelia only looked confused.

"Cordy, invite me in. Now!"

"Don't you go ordering me around! I don't work for you anymore remember? What kind of transfer, you can't take my visions!"

"Oh hey no, nothing like that. You're still a seer, just, need a champion."

"I have a champion! I -"

She tossed her arm towards Angel then her face fell. He'd let her go again, fired her. Her eyes widened, did that mean they'd send her away? Angel tried to be calm but he was anything but. Lowering his voice he tried to get her to concentrate on him.

"Cor, invite me in. Please."

"You fired me."

"Cor, please."

Skip rubbed his hands together as if preparing.

"Right, well, kind of on a time table here. See the new champion, kind of just joined us, and he really needs some help. He could go either way and the powers want to make sure he goes our way. Now you're still healing so I got a little extra juice to help with that."

"No, no I don't want to be, transferred!"

"Yeah they kind of figured that too. So I got a little something to help with the transition."

"Skip! Go away, don't make me rip your throat out! Cor invite me in!"

Angel growled, game face on as he stared down Skip. He was throwing himself against the barrier when Skip put his hands on either side of Cordelia's face. Her body went limp, floated up a few inches from the floor and her eyes went distant. After a moment Skip pulled his hands back and she floated there. He put a hand in front of her face and looked at Angel apologetically.

"Sorry man, nothing personal. Just doing my job. Hey, cute kid by the way!"

Angel tossed himself at the door again, this time landing on the other side, but Skip and Cordelia were gone.