Once again, sorry for the delays. I'll simply say that more reviews mean faster updates! ;-)

For Disclaimer – See chapter one.

Cordelia was used to getting her own way.

Despite her shaky start in L.A, she'd soon found her feet, surviving and thriving in her new surroundings. Yes, she eventually got what she wanted.

She wanted a job and she got one, she wanted a car, so she borrowed Angel's, and she had wanted an apartment, and with some help she got it. But therein lay her current itch.

She'd made out she didn't want something, or someone; made it painfully clear on several occasions but now that someone was out having coffee with someone who wasn't her. Not that she cared of course; it was simply because she believed it was rude to just leave someone, stuck at the office, without so much as a note.

After all, she'd only stepped out for a minute, to take a peek in the shops before they shut, not that she could afford anything but still…

As she sat under her little grey cloud, Cordelia nearly leapt out of her skin when the current thorn in her heart suddenly crashed through the door, looking distinctly dishevelled and panting heavily. Instinctively she leapt out of her chair and unconsciously reached towards him, her movement interrupted at the last second by another figure pushing through the door,

"Cordelia! It's back! It attacked us" Yeva seemed in a similar state to Doyle, sweat trickling down her forehead.

"Oh God, are you okay?" Cordelia's question was directed at Doyle but it was intercepted by Yeva.

"Yeah, Angel turned up in the nick of time. He led it away so we could escape" Yeva's eyes were wild and her hands shook by her sides.

"Angel's still out there?" Doyle nodded and Cordelia caught the determined look in his eyes, "You're going after him?" She asked.

He nodded, "I have to."

Yeva's eyes grew even wider, if that were possible, "Doyle, you can't! It'll kill you."

The Irishman shrugged off their concern, determination etched into his face. "Someone has to watch his back. You two stay here, lock the doors and go down to the apartment" There were collective cries of outrage from both girls but there wasn't time to argue, "Do it!"

'It's fast! It's damn fast!'

If Angel's heart could beat, it would have been pounding. The last slivers of sunset had dissipated and now the vampire was hurtling through the near-pitch dark alleyways of L.A's underbelly.

Ordinarily, the fast-paced running wouldn't have bothered him all that much. After all, he'd jumped across thirty storey roofs just as quickly before. But in all fairness, he hadn't had a huge, very angry, half-dressed demon thundering after him.

The scroll was still clutched tightly in his hand, the fragile paper tearing slightly under his grip as he raced on.

'So, now what do I do?'

That was a good point. He'd managed to get the demon away from Doyle and Yeva but now what was he going to do? They hadn't found a way to kill it yet and Angel wasn't entirely sure brute strength would win out on this one.

If he could just have a minute to catch his breath, figuratively speaking, and then maybe he could come up with something. He clamped down on the paper in his hand again, feeling it rip under his fingers…

There was another roar, closer this time and Angel sped up. No point having a plan if you're in pieces…

He rounded the next corner, eyes searching the gathering dark for the key to his formulating plan. Up ahead flashed a steady stream of light, the thundering of the freight train and occasional horns blaring marred the night's silence.

Checking his footing, Angel suddenly halted and spun to one side in time to see the demon fly past him a good metre to two before it too slowed and turned.

"Hey big fella' Looking for this?" Angel held up the tattered parchment, drawing the beast's gaze; a deep growl emanating from its throat.

"Return that to me vampire." Angel had to admit he was surprised when the creature spoke, it's perchance for using its claws rather than conversation none withstanding.

Angel found his voice pretty quickly, "Not going to happen. You see, I have a problem with people who try and kill me and so I'm typically reluctant to do them any favours."

The demon growled, "Then you will die."

Angel sighed, "Been there, done that. And would it kill you to use some better lines, I mean….cliché?"

The demon quickly tired of Angel's attempt at wit and charged, claws extended and mouth agape. The vampire easily dodged the move, having caught up on the monster's techniques and style of attack.

To an innocent bystander, it might have almost looked like a macabre bull fight, Angel dangling the scroll at arm's length and nimbly sidestepping the sweeps and leaps.

The beast began to slow, its breath coming out in clouds in the damp air, "You can't protect her forever. This will end."

"Just try and keep up Tinkerbell." Angel retorted. But the monster was right on one thing, it was time to finish this battle. The vampire turned and sped again towards the train tracks.

The beast followed dutifully, as expected, as Angel hopped across the rails and led the creature on a merry dance back and forth. As the next train approached Angel realised it was too much to hope that the demon would stay still and get squashed, the noise of the train too loud to ignore.

Apparently the demon thought the same, "You intend to crush me?"

"Nope," Angel replied. The train reached their position and continuing along its path, carriage after carriage streaming past. It was just as the last car few flew past Angel that he lifted his arm and rather casually tossed the scroll into one of the storage coaches, a smile playing across his lips, "Go fetch!"

The demon roared, rounding on Angel as the train disappeared into the night, "You don't know what you've done!"

"Well, that's me for you, always far too impulsive for my own good" Angel tensed, expecting another furious attack but was at a loss for words when the beast simply turned and sloped away, following the direction of the retreating train.

"What? No comeback?" Angel shouted into the darkness.