Part 5<\/b><\/p>\n
September 21, 1998 <\/em> \u201cIs it just me,\u201d Buffy began, \u201cor is Cordelia not even in the solar system anymore?\u201d<\/p>\n The Scoobies were all gathered in the library, trying to discuss the best course of action to keep Cordelia out of harm. The brunette wasn\u2019t really contributing any ideas. Instead, Cordelia had the same faraway look in her eyes that she had the previous day.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m wondering if we\u2019re even in the same universe,\u201d Xander answered. He waved his hand in front of his girlfriend\u2019s face. No response.<\/p>\n \u201cShe seems to be taking this in stride,\u201d Oz observed. The thought that Cordelia would be a mother didn\u2019t terrify him as much as it probably should.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s been like that since Angel said she\u2019d be a mom,\u201d Willow said. This was just plain weird. A future version of Angel came back in time to protect Cordelia and her unborn child. And Cordelia was going catatonic over the fact she\u2019d be a mother.<\/p>\n \u201cWelcome to the Hellmouth,\u201d Buffy said.<\/p>\n Giles made his entrance from the back of the book stacks, frustrated. Try as he might, he couldn\u2019t find much of anything to disprove what Angel was saying. If things didn\u2019t change for the better, Giles might be forced to believe the vampire.<\/p>\n \u201cAny luck?\u201d Willow asked.<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely none,\u201d Giles answered. The Englishman wearily wiped his glasses as he spoke. \u201cI searched every prophecy I could find. I can\u2019t find anything about a time shifting demon assassin trying to eliminate the birth of a child.\u201d<\/p>\n For the first time that day, Cordelia spoke. \u201cThat\u2019s because she isn\u2019t demon. She\u2019s human. Angel said so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd we believe that monster all of a sudden, why?\u201d Xander asked. \u201cFor all we know, someone might be trying to stop him from killing you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPfft!\u201d Cordelia waved him off. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, but having half your hide taken off your back to save my life kind of endears me to someone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStill,\u201d Giles insisted, \u201cif at all possible, I would prefer that Angel not come too close. Even if he speaks the truth about traveling back in time, we have no true idea of his motivations. It could be all a manipulation.\u201d<\/p>\n Cordelia quickly waved off the Watcher before returning to her daydreams. Rebecca Leigh for a girl, Matthew Tyler for a boy she decided.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps it would be best if some of you could stay with Cordelia tonight,\u201d Giles suggested. \u201cIn her home, she would be safe from Angel. And with Buffy there, she\u2019d have protection from this other anonymous being.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe?\u201d Buffy squeaked. \u201cI should stay at Cordelia\u2019s?\u201d That was not her idea of a good time.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Giles said, not missing his Slayer\u2019s reluctance. \u201cIs that acceptable to you Cordelia?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d Cordelia answered, still in her daydream. Maybe Hannah Michelle for a girl, Cordelia considered. \u201cJust come after 10:30. That\u2019s when the housekeeper leaves for the night. She\u2019s not supposed to let people in when my parents are away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen I guess it\u2019s a sleepover,\u201d Buffy groaned.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps Willow could keep you company,\u201d Giles suggested.<\/p>\n The redhead gulped audibly. Oh\u2026joy.<\/p>\n ***********<\/p>\n Chase Residence <\/em> \u201cGoodnight Miss Cordelia,\u201d Rosa, the housekeeper called to the teenager.<\/p>\n Cordelia sat at the kitchen table, and didn\u2019t even look up from her notebook as Rosa shut the door on the way out. Jordan was a good name, she decided. That could be for a boy or girl.<\/p>\n Cordelia tossed aside the pencil and sighed heavily. What the hell was going on? Ever since Angel had said that she would eventually carry a child, she had been off in another world. She even flatly refused to go out with Harmony and the gang for a night at the Bronze.<\/p>\n Maybe it was the idea that she could be a better parent that either of the two she possessed that made Cordelia daydream. She may be a rich bitch with the material goods, but it\u2019d be nice to have mom and dad give her a hug every once in a while.<\/p>\n Getting up, Cordelia went to the fridge and grabbed a Diet Coke. Searching through a drawer, she came up with a bag of popcorn. Tossing it into the microwave, she pressed \u2018High\u2019 and waited for the beep.<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t hear the sound out the front door being jimmied open. Allison Beasley tucked the pick back into her pocket. She then pulled out her new toy. The Beretta felt damn good in her hand, despite the fact it was an antiquated relic. At least, in her time it was.<\/p>\n Walking silently through the living room, Allison twisted on her homemade silencer. From the kitchen she heard sounds of a microwave. Following the noise, Beasley quietly strode up to the kitchen doorway.<\/p>\n The mark was standing by the far counter, flipping through a book of baby names as she waited for the popcorn to finish. Allison leveled the Beretta at the mark\u2019s head and pulled back on the cock.<\/p>\n \u201cCLICK.\u201d<\/p>\n Fuck, Allison mentally shouted. Didn\u2019t count on that.<\/p>\n The sound of the bullet being chambered resonated throughout the kitchen. Cordelia Chase spun around and spotted the woman with the pistol. Thinking quick, she tossed the baby book at the intruder and dove behind the island counter.<\/p>\n Allison fired quickly, but the bullet missed and shattered a coffeepot. With a groan of frustration, Allison tossed the pistol aside. The silencer was only good for one shot. She then whipped out her favorite serrated blade.<\/p>\n Cordelia crawled towards the kitchen door to try to escape, but Allison was on her in a second. The assassin grabbed Cordelia\u2019s hair, and jerked the brunette to her feet. Smothering Cordelia\u2019s mouth with her left hand, Allison held the knife to her throat.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, little girl,\u201d Allison grinned. \u201cIt\u2019s nothing personal. It\u2019s just that your little bastard can never be born.\u201d<\/p>\n The kitchen door flew off its hinges. Cordelia had never been so thankful to see Angel before in her life. And boy, did he look pissed.<\/p>\n \u201cLet her go!\u201d Angel shouted.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry,\u201d Allison mocked. \u201cCan\u2019t really do that.\u201d Allison grinned as she realized the vampire\u2019s predicament. \u201cOh,\u201d she taunted. \u201cThat\u2019s right. You can\u2019t come in unless you\u2019re invited. That means you have to watch as I slit your little bitch\u2019s throat. I may be from the future, but I read up on the rules about your kind.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel growled furiously at the assassin. His game face slid easily into place, his fangs barred in anger. Angel then took a few steps away from the door. \u201cScrew the rules,\u201d Angel growled.<\/p>\n With a running start, Angel leapt at the door. The mystical barrier shattered like a pane of glass as Angel flew past the threshold. The moment of shock on Allison\u2019s part was all the time the vampire needed.<\/p>\n Angel knocked Cordelia away and proceeded to land a series of punches to the assassin. But Allison quickly recovered and countered the vampire\u2019s offensive. A shot to the gut and a spinning roundhouse kick sent Angel reeling backwards against the counter.<\/p>\n Allison jumped on Angel and twisted him around so his back was to her front. With her left hand, she jerked Angel\u2019s left arm behind him in an arm lock. She then dug her right elbow into the very spot her pulse round struck two days before. Angel howled in pain as Allison ground her elbow into the wound.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s that feel, vampire?\u201d Allison taunted.<\/p>\n \u201cNot bad,\u201d Angel grunted. With a quick snap, Angel broke Allison\u2019s nose with his right hand. \u201cHow\u2019s that feel, bitch?\u201d<\/p>\n Allison fell back, clutching her broken and bleeding nose. A sharp kick sent her flying against the wall. Angel pounced on his prey. He grabbed Allison by the neck and pressed her against the wall. Allison choked in desperation. She couldn\u2019t breathe.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy do you want the child dead?\u201d Angel shouted. \u201cTell me!\u201d<\/p>\n Angel loosened his grip only enough for her to choke out her words. \u201cThe child is the Men-clar,\u201d Allison grunted. \u201cIt is an abomination, a threat to the future. It must be destroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel\u2019s eyes flashed dangerously. \u201cWrong answer,\u201d he growled. \u201cA piece of advise before I send you to hell. Never fuck with a man\u2019s family.\u201d<\/p>\n Allison forced a strangled laugh. \u201cYou\u2019re not exactly a man.\u201d<\/p>\n With a flick of her wrist, a knife dropped down into her palm from the holster attached to her forearm. She buried the blade in the soft flesh just above Angel\u2019s left hip. Angel lost his grip as he shouted in pain.<\/p>\n Allison kicked the vampire away and grabbed a canister from the small of her back. As Angel jerked the knife from his gut, she said, \u201cThis isn\u2019t over.\u201d<\/p>\n She tossed the canister in Cordelia\u2019s direction as she leapt into the living room. Angel\u2019s eyes widened in terror as he realized what it was. \u201cCordelia! Get down!\u201d<\/p>\n Pure protective instinct once again took over. Angel used a burst of vampire speed to grab Cordelia and place his body between her and the canister.<\/p>\n The fragmentation grenade exploded the instant it hit the ground. Shrapnel and linoleum from the tile floor sprayed throughout the kitchen. The metal fragments shredded Angel\u2019s back as he dropped both of them to the floor. He stayed on top of Cordelia until he was sure the last bits of the blast had dissipated. Only then, with an agonizing grunt did he roll off her.<\/p>\n It was then that the Scoobies came through the kitchen door and saw the carnage.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d Buffy shouted as she rushed to Angel\u2019s side, not bothering to check on Cordelia.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was here,\u201d Cordelia explained, too distraught to bitch about the lack of attention Buffy paid her. \u201cShe tried to kill me, but Angel saved me.\u201d<\/p>\n Willow went to Angel\u2019s side to help Buffy, as both of the men moved to help Cordelia up. \u201cWe need to call Giles,\u201d Willow frantically said.<\/p>\n Buffy\u2019s ears perked up at the sounds of police cars in the distance. \u201cScratch that. We need to go to Giles. Cops are coming. We need to go. I doubt this is something we could easily explain.\u201d<\/p>\n Oz and Buffy grabbed onto Angel and hoisted him up. They needed to get him out of here quick.<\/p>\n \u201cMen-clar,\u201d Angel muttered. \u201cChild is the Men-clar.\u201d The vampire groaned one final time before lapsing into unconsciousness.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that?\u201d Oz asked.<\/p>\n \u201cDunno,\u201d Buffy grunted as she lifted Angel at the shoulders. \u201cIt can wait. Grab his feet. We need to go.\u201d<\/p>\n The two carried the wounded vampire out the door as Xander scooped Cordelia into his arms. Willow was the last to make her way out the door. Before she left, she took a last look around.<\/p>\n It\u2019s like a war zone, she thought. To go through this pain, the war must be personal to Angel. Willow slipped out the back door just as the police began to pull up at the front door.<\/p>\n
\nSunnydale High School<\/em><\/p>\n
\n10:24 PM<\/em><\/p>\n