The date is now September 24th, 2000 to match my timeline. One month since Tara's birthday. Cordelia is about two and half months pregnant.
A woman came into the Magic Shop. Well dressed, slightly rude. No different then any other customer really. Except she bought two items that should never have been in the shop, let alone sold together. A Kuhl's Amulet and a Sobekian bloodstone. Sobekites being a sect in Ancient Egypt that worship Sobek, a snake like creature, believed to be a god. Together they could be used to create a rather large snake. Unlike in another reality were Anya Jenkins, former vengeance demon, worked in Giles' shop, here no one knew the power of these items or what they could be used to create. Or the creature that was about to come after one of the Protectors own.
A group of hobbity like creatures and that same well dressed woman broke into the zoo, where they pulled a snake out of its habitat. They put it into a large, earthen jar. One of the hobbity creatures started chanting a spell, while the well dressed woman held the bloodstone and amulet. Nothing seemed to happen for a moment and then an extremely large snake with arms and a somewhat human like face appeared in front of her. She gave it a simple instruction. Find the Key. It went to find the Key.
Cordelia had been bored at home, alone. Xander was patrolling with Faith. The others had been working to give him as much time off as they could so he could have time with Cordy. Jesse had been going patrolling with Faith and Sarah, Jesse's girlfriend, came with sometimes. She knew what went on after dark in Sunnydale. Her uncle, Shawn Michaels, had been the Chief of the Chumash until his death a few months back, and was a long time friend of Abigail Morris, Xander's grandmother. Her cousin, Annie Michaels was the new Chief and doing well. Sarah was a kickboxer, as has been noted before and not too shabby with a short sword either. It gave Xander time off and gave Jesse and Sarah time together. A win for both couples. Plus, Sarah thought Faith was a hoot, so she never objected to spending time with her.
But Cordelia had wanted some space, Xander had been hovering a little bit. So he was patrolling with Faith. Then Cordelia got bored and decided to go to the Magic Shop. She'd just arrived when something came crashing through the front window. A very large snake, with arms and a somewhat human like face. It looked right at her. No, she realized in horror, it was looking at her stomach. She'd never been so scared in her life. Some instinct told her, this thing wanted the baby. Her baby!
There's a reason why the expression, 'There is no more dangerous animal on earth, than a mother protecting her young' exists. Whether the mother in question is human or animal, a mother protecting her young is easily one of the most dangerous creatures in existence. Now make that mother a demon fighter and an enhanced human whose soul has been Bonded to a wolf's soul. A wolf that would be just as protective of her young. Which, to a certain extent, the child growing in Cordelia womb was.
One moment Cordelia was standing there, staring at this creature that was staring at her stomach and the next, she had smashed her fist through its face and into its brain. It was dead before it hit the ground. Adrenaline can make a normal human mother capable of lifting a car off her child. Adrenaline in an enhanced human can shatter bone. It was over before anyone else had been able to react. Giles, Jenny, Willow and Tara all stared in disbelief, trying to wrap their heads around what they'd just seen. And then Cordelia collapsed to the floor, unconscious, overwhelmed by fear, rage and adrenaline.
Xander had never run so fast in his life. He'd never been so afraid either. The call on the walky from Willow had nearly stopped his heart. Something had attacked Cordelia and Cordelia had killed it. Then Cordelia had collapsed. The others had been afraid to move her, not sure what was wrong with her or if the creature had done something. They had called Grandma, who was coming as fast as she could, but she lived thirty minutes away. Xander could hear his own heartbeat in his ears. His world, his Queen, his Cordelia and their baby could be dieing and he just couldn't run fast enough. He'd left Faith in his dust. He didn't even hear her call out to him, he just ran. He had to get to Cordelia. That was all he could think.
She was still unconscious when he arrived. The others had dragged the snake like thing away from her. Good. 'Keep it away from her,' he thought. He fell to his knees beside her limp form, almost afraid to touch her. Jesse walked in right behind him. He dropped to his own knees beside them.
"Don't touch her." Xander snarled. Gathering her into his arms.
Jesse jerked back, surprised, not sure what was happening. Just then the rest of the Pack arrived. They circled around their Alphas, standing guard.
"What's going on?" Jesse asked, cautiously.
"He's acting on instinct." Tor replied. "Protect his mate and child."
Cordelia, sensing Xander's presence, began to stir and her eyes fluttered open. "Xander?"
"I'm here, Cordy. Don't move." He replied.
"It wanted the baby, Xander. It was looking right at my stomach. I just knew. It wanted the baby."
Those horrifying words nearly stopped his heart again. A demon that went after an unborn child? One that was only a few months along? What demon went after babies that young? They'd already encountered Lurconis, a demon that ate babies. They'd killed it. Was this is another like it?
"When will Grandma be here?" He asked.
"Maybe twenty minutes, yet." Giles answered.
Unfortunately, she never made it. She also never saw the drunk driver that ran a red light and crashed into her. Xander once said it would be great if a seer could see in big picture, surround sound. Great for everyone else, that is, not so great for the seer. Abigail had been cursing herself for not telling everyone sooner what her visions had told her about Xander and Cordelia's child. Now she would never get the chance.