A Good Day

Title: A Good Day
Author: LaLa247
Rating: R
Email: LatinaGrrl2000@yahoo.com
Summary: Angel and Cordelia are caught in the middle of an ambush and it's up to Angel to save them both
Spoilers: No
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution: Yes! Just tell me where
Dedication: 1) To the lovely, wonderful, brilliant, and beautiful Anni. Her patience and wisdom helped me finish this fic. Who loves ya, baby?


"All lights out. Lights off."

"I- I can't reach-"

A loud crash, and the remaining lights were snuffed out.

"Thank you."

Angel walked through the abandoned warehouse hurriedly, searching and smelling for sound and bodies. He lifted boxes and general large objects, making sure the place was vacant. He stopped in front of a shattered mirror, presenting no reflection.

Cordelia Chase watched the vampire steadily and with a diminutive amount of nervousness. She clutched her bloodied shoulder tightly, concealing the deep gash that lay there. His black leather jacket rested on one of the Seer's shoulders, the other shoulder slumping with the ache of her injury. Her lavender camisole was ripped down the side.

Angel kept walking around anxiously, almost as if he didn't know what to do or how to do it. The moonlight was Cordelia's only source of keeping up with him. Her new demon powers didn't permit her to have exceptional night vision yet.

"Angel?"

"Yes."

"Who were those guys?"

"I don't know, Cordelia. You heard what they said."

"They hurt me."

Angel's silence was nearly deafening. "I...I know."

"Angel."

He spun around promptly, walking towards the girl. His face, once hard with worry and anger, softened gradually. The bruises suddenly became more apparent. "Hey- don't worry about it. We've been through worse." He muttered, touching her chin gently. It was the only place he wasn't frightened to touch her at that moment. "How are you holding up?"

Cordelia smiled slightly, more or less forced for him. "I am peachy, Angel. Right as rain."

He stared at her, and then turned away, pulling out his cell phone. She knew he knew she was lying. The slightly rigid face told her that. He pushed a button then put the phone to his ear, waiting. After a second- "Gunn- pick up. It's an emergency. Please." A long pause. "Wes- Fred? Anyone- Hello?" Following another silence, Angel cursed and shoved the phone back into his pocket. "Nothing." He said, his voice barely audible.

"Maybe they're looking for us now?"

"Not likely." He was moving again.

Cordelia sank onto the steel steps leading to the upper floor. She rested her head on the cold railing, a slight case of vertigo sweeping through her. Angel suddenly appeared in front of the girl, her eyes registering double of his form. "Hi." She muttered faintly.

"Hey." He carefully stood her up. "Come on." He started to lead her up the flight of steps. "We have to move."

//Earlier...//

"Yeah, so, I should get a raise."

Angel walked down the dark, damp street, his Seer at his side. "Why would that be?"

She gave him a sidelong gaze. "Because I'm working for you." He gave her a stare, and she gave him a million watt smile in return.

The vampire sighed. "I'll think about it, okay?" She squealed loudly, and he nudged her. "Ssh..."

"Sorry." She whispered, looking around. "Do you see anything? Anything potentially...icky?"

"No. Are you sure this is the street you saw?" He poked his head into a broken car window, more out of boredom than scrutiny.

Cordelia stared at her reflection in the only thing on the car still intact. The mirror. "Considering I saw it in the middle of the supermarket, yes." Angel straightened up and sighed again. The girl looked up at him. "Do you do that just to annoy me?"

Angel smiled, wrapping an arm around his friend's shoulders. He proceeded to lead her to the corner. "What say we get back to the hotel before Lorne turns it into a karaoke bar?"

"Could be worse. Could be-"

"Muorseorse."

The two stopped in their tracks, looking up at the unfamiliar voice. A lone man stood there. Angel's height. Long, black hair pulled back into a ponytail. And a vampire. His face was already transformed, his fangs showing in his smile. Angel tightened his hold on Cordelia's shoulder, and then thought better of it. He slowly unwrapped his arm, keeping alert. His other hand slipped to the pocket that held his favorite stake.

"I wouldn't do that...Angel."

Angel brought his hand back to his side, staring at the vampire. "How do you know my name?"

"I know a lot of things about you." The demon looked upon Cordelia with yellow eyes. "Hi, sweetie." He stared at Angel. "A man and his lady shouldn' t be out so late at night. Bad things can happen."

Angel stepped forward, blocking Cordelia from the man's view. "I think you should get out of our way..." He trailed off, not knowing how to address him.

"Vincent." He smirked. "What's the rush, warrior? I just wanna talk."

"We don't want to talk." Cordelia finally spoke up, her eyes the only part of her visible from behind Angel. She was getting eerie vibes from the intruder. Something about him wasn't right. Something about the situation wasn't right. She could feel it. "We just want to go. Okay?"

Vincent stared her in the eyes until she had to look away. "You know, I never thought I would meet the legend. The vampire with a soul. Killing his own kind...kinda ironic, right?" Angel sensed several vampires behind him. And behind Cordelia. He had to be careful. "RIGHT?" He said nothing. He simply gave him a steely stare. Vincent grinned. "What- nothing to say?"

Angel shrugged. "Well, I was gonna give you a history behind my experiences with irony, but that would be boring. Not as boring as you, but nevertheless." A vampire stepped from the shadows, growling.

Vincent grinned, more than amused with Angel's response. "I would cut the sarcasm, Angel. I have friends."

"So do I. Not impressed."

Another vampire appeared about a foot away from Cordelia, and she immediately tried to move closer to Angel. "Angel." She whispered firmly. "Cut the macho crap. Let's go. Please." He ignored her. "Angel- please- I'm getting- we shouldn't be here."

Angel kept his eyes on Vincent. "Do you really think I care if you have some issues with my methods? Trust me, I don't."

"Your methods?"

"Liquidation of scExteExtermination of evil. Termination of people like you." Vincent began to scowl.

Cordelia tugged Angel's arm. "ANGEL. Come on, it's not- we should leave. Now! The car's only a few blocks away and-"

"It's early! Why do you wanna leave the get-together so early, sweetheart?" Vincent snapped his fingers, and almost immediately more than fifty people surrounded Cordelia and Angel. Angel looked around, growing anxious. Not all of them were vampires. He could sense it. Vincent turned to him. "Wanna party, my friend?"

Angel's hand shot back and clutched Cordelia's small one in his. "Walk away..." He muttered in a dangerously low voice, pulling her body against his back. A growing panic began to fill him. There was no way he could fight these people and protect his friend at the same time. He felt her heart start to race against his back. He silently hoped she remembered her training and would be able to hold her own. "Walk away." Angel repeated moremly.mly.

Vincent smiled coldly. "But why? You never give other vampires the chance to walk away- constantly killing...never asking questions. Fighting for those weak humans. Let's see how weak YOU are." He looked at the other members of his mob. "Let's party."

The group raced towards the two. Angel immediately stepped forward, punching the closest attacker. Cordelia, to Angel's surprise, picked up a pipe off the floor and started swinging the way he taught her. She managed to connect with several heads.

Angel fought off the vampires coming at him, and then glanced to his left to make sure his Seer was still okay. "They're not all vampires!" He shouted, throwing a human against the brick wall and snapping a piece of wood off an old table.

Cordelia slammed the heavy pipe against a burly man's face, sending him into a pile of boxes. "Who's not a vampire?!" She yelled, backing up as several people stepped forward. She swung her weapon hard, knocking her assailants over.

Angel didn't hear her, thrusting the makeshift stake into an advancing vampire. He erupted into dust, and Angel walked through him to the next series of assailants. He kicked one in the face, throwing him into another man. Angel turned around and was punched in the face. He was then hit with a brick over the head as numerous individuals rushed at him.

The Seer swung again, this time her pipe getting caught by the hand of a woman. The blonde female ripped the metal from her hands, throwing it to the side. She smiled at the girl, exposing a set of fangs. Cordelia backed up until she was against the wall before throwing her fist out and connecting with the lady's face. Her face whipped to the right, then focused on Cordelia again. She threw Cordelia back into the wall. The vampire punched her hard in the stomach, and she doubled over in pain.

Angel shoved off several men, staking the ones he could. He refrained from giving fatal harm to the humans. Vincent watched from the corner, smiling. "I have more, Angel!" He yelled. "Hundreds! All wanting a piece of you! Keep fighting!"

Angel's eyes searched for Cordelia. He spotted her against a wall with only one attacker. She was fine. He picked up a broken broomstick and shoved it into three vampires. Suddenly, he was tackled from behind and thrown into the steel fence, his stick flying several feet away. He crumbled to the floor when something slammed into the spot between his shoulder blades. He started to stand but was kicked in the face.

The female vampire grabbed Cordelia's short brown hair, pounding her head into the wall. The Seer slid to the ground for a moment, her body rattled by the slam. She slowly tried to stand. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something flicker. She blinked, using the wall for support. As soon as she reached her feet, she felt herself go down again. Her eyes darted to her left shoulder, where a large blade laid. She squeaked in shock, unable to react. She looked up at her attacker. The vampire grinned callously, shoving the knife further into her shoulder. The Seer screamed in pain, clutching the woman's hand to stop the attack.

Angel distinctly heard Cordelia's scream, and jolted to his feet, pushing his attackers away. He ran towards her, blocking any attacks coming his way. He could see the small pool of blood at her feet. He could see the blood running down her arm, her side, her back, and to the floor. It was all he saw.

Angel reached the blonde vampire, jerking her wrist up and bringing the blade with her. Cordelia cried at the force, sliding to the floor in extreme pain. He punched the woman hard, sending her into a row of garbage cans. He pulled out his stake and shoved it into her chest. He didn't even wait for her to dust before he turned to Cordelia. Angel picked her up, cradling her against him protectively. The mob started to advance slowly.

Angel backed up, and then turned, kicking the steel fence open. He started to run down the alley. Vincent laughed. "Keep running! We're coming!"

He kept running, Cordelia in his arms. When they were several blocks away, he gingerly put her down. "Are you okay?"

Cordelia whimpered, holding her blood-spattered shoulder. "A-Angel." She whispered, shaking. "I-"

Angel took off his jacket, wrapping it around the Seer's shoulders. "Ssh, it 's okay." He looked around and groaned. He had run in the wrong direction. His car was nowhere in sight. He stepped forward and stopped. The sounds of footsteps were so loud in his ears. He turned and grabbed Cordelia's hand gently. "Come on, we have to move. Please, just a little bit."

They both started walking, Angel trying to pull his Seer along the way. They reached a small warehouse, and he pushed the steel entrance up, guiding Cordelia inside. He slammed the gate down, and then looked to her. "We have to make sure we're going to be safe."

//Now...//

"Where are we going?" Cordelia mumbled, leaning against Angel.

"Somewhere." Came his tense reply.

She stared at the ground as they climbed the stairs, the steel steps seeming to tilt. "I- Angel- I need to sit. Please." Angel hesitated for a moment, and then helped her sit down on the stairs. "Thank you." She breathed.

Angel sat next to her, gently moving her hair from her eyes. He didn't bother to pull her hand off her shoulder. He was afraid to. "Cordy." He murmured. "I have a plan."

She looked at him quickly with a relieved sigh. She smiled. "Oh, thank God- what is it?"

The vampire chewed his bottom lip and stared down at his feet. "I fight."

"You what?!" Cordelia gawked at him. "I would SO hit you if I could move my arm." She stared stra ahe ahead, not knowing what to say. Finally, she turned towards her friend. "Why?"

Angel shifted slightly, so he was facing her. "They're coming for us. I can feel it. I can hear it. I can smell it. That guy- Vincent- he wasn't lying, Cordelia. He has hundreds...and he wants me."

"He wants to KILL you!"

"I know." He tapped his foot anxiously on the step. "But what if I don't, Cordelia? They'll find us eventually. And if not tonight, then later. What if they find us at the hotel? They will kill our entire family. I won't let them."

Cordelia nodded. "Okay. Then I'm gonna help you."

"No."

"Why?! I know how to fight! I can help!"

Angel poked Cordelia's upper arm gingerly. She gasped in pain and jerked back. He nodded. "No."

The Seer gripped her arm tighter, once again not knowing what to say. "Angel...there is too many. You might." She trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence. Finally, she looked at him. "Please, let's just try to run."

"They're right outside. At least two blocks away. We won't have a chance." The vampire stood, and tenderly lifted Cordelia to her feet by her waist. "Come on."

They walked up the rest of the way, reaching the top. Suddenly, Cordelia leaned against Angel's chest, feeling dizzy yet again. Angel held onto the girl, concern filling him. "Cordy- what is it?"

"I feel dizzy..." She muttered.

Angel immediately lifted Cordelia off her feet, carrying her through the pathway to a dark corner. He leaned her against the wall, grabbing several old blankets and throwing them on the floor. He carefully rested her on the provisional bed, and then ripped a wedge of the blanket off, tying it around wou wound. He covered her with his jacket. "Stay." He turned to walk back down the stairs.

Cordelia sat up. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be right downstairs, Cordy. Lay down. Rest. Please." Reluctantly, she did what she was told.

Angel turned and jogged down the stairs. He stopped at the bottom and searched the vast space carefully with his eyes. His eyes drifted to his watch. 2:46. He had over three hours to keep himself and Cordelia alive. His eyes inspected every bit of the warehouse. Six large windows partially covered with thick blankets. Angel's feet began to guide him around the room. He reached a metal chair and tested its sturdiness, pressing his weight onto it with his hands. Satisfied with that, he yanked the blanket off the windows, exposing dust covered glass. He couldn't even see out to the streets. Good. Angel gathered up the blankets, hitting it against a thick, metal column. He watched the dust fly from the fabric with each impact, and then walked up the stairs again.

Angel handed the blankets to Cordelia. "Here."

She wrinkled her nose, taking them. "Gee, thanks for giving me allergies. Or possibly a rash. It beats clothes."

"Everything's dusty here." The vampire crouched down beside the girl. "It's not much, but it's something, right? Just use it to cover yourself. It's cold in here." He stopped, noticing her trembling. "Especially for you."

Cordelia slowly lay down, covering herself with the gray blankets. "Thank you." Angel nodded, then stood. "Angel." He stopped. "I think the bleeding stopped."

He forced a smile. "See? You'll be better in no time. Told you." He turned and walked away from Cordelia. He couldn't stand to see her that pale.