Dear Angel, I’m so sorry if I’m hurting you by doing this. I never meant to cause you pain and by doing this, I hope I’m avoiding causing you more. I can’t marry you now and I swear to you it is not because I don’t love you! I love you more than anything, maybe that’s why I’m choosing your happiness over mine. You might not have any idea what I’m talking about but I think you do. I’ll never stop loving you and I just want you to always remember that but a guy named Whistler showed me some things and said you’d suffer if I didn’t let you and Buffy be together and I hate her so much and I think deep down I’ve always thought that you still loved her and I could never live with myself if something happ Cordelia crumpled the tearstained letter and threw it in the trash. She wiped her eyes, thought for a moment, took a deep breath and started again. Dear Angel, I can’t explain my reasons for doing this and I’ll be shot before I say something as cheesy as ‘It’s not you, it’s me’ but I’m leaving, well if you’re reading this I’m already gone… please don’t look for me. This isn’t working for me and I don’t think this is working for you either, so it’d probably be best for me to avoid the whole emotional break-up scene and just leave. If I have a vision I’ll email or call Fred. I’m taking a very long vacation but don’t worry, I don’t expect to get paid for it. This means when I get back I still expect to have my job. Oh and don’t anticipate me back for at least six months. PS. I had a vision and Buffy needs your help. Toodles, Cordy She folded the letter, wrote ‘To Angel’ on it, and laid it on her bed with her engagement ring on top. She grabbed her suitcase and quietly walked out of the Hyperion. Thirty minutes later, Cordelia was checked into a hotel room across town. "What are you doing here?" She asked the demon standing behind her. "Came to see how you were, you did the right thing kid." Whistler told her. She turned around angrily. "If I did the right thing then why the hell do I feel like my heart stopped beating?" She screamed at him, angrily at first but then breaking down into a sob and falling onto the bed. Whistler awkwardly sat on the bed and put his arms around her. "Why couldn’t you just leave us alone?" Cordelia asked as she struggled to breathe in between sobs. "You know why." He answered. Cordelia sniffed and dried up a little. ‘I do know why, don’t I? He never stopped loving her did he? Cookies… I can’t think about this now.’ she thought numbly. "What was the hard way?" Cordelia asked after a few moments of silence. "What?" Whistler asked, confused. "You said you were too much of a softy to do it the hard way, what could’ve been harder than this?" she asked. "Oh." Whistler said and stood up. "Are you sure you want to know?" He asked her. She nodded. Whistler touched her forehead and she instantly saw Angel with a tragic look on his face. "What’s wrong?" Cordelia asked, her voice cracking. ~ "I’m so sorry, Angel." Buffy said truthfully as she laid a hand on his shoulder. ~ "What’s she sorry for?" Cordelia asked. She then saw what Buffy and Angel were looking at. ~ Cordelia Chase 1980 – 2004 Beloved friend and daughter ~ Whistler brought her back to her hotel room. "The Powers That Be wanted me to die?" Cordelia asked tearfully. "Only if it was necessary, you’re important to them too." "Why? Because I kept Angel warm until their precious Buffy could bake?" she snapped bitterly. "Do you have any idea how many lives you’ve helped save?" Whistler asked her. "Angel is the one that saves lives." Cordelia said. "Your visions are what have lead him in the right direction countless times, you’re a messenger, the Powers aren’t going to forget that." "I sure am awful expendable to be a messenger." "You’re not expendable, alright it’s like this, the apocalypse can be won without you but it can’t without Buffy and Angel fighting together, that’s the first priority. In no other circumstance would they sacrifice one of their messengers." Whistler told her, reassuringly. "Ok, so if I’m so important then what am I supposed to do now?" she asked. "Do exactly what you told Angel you were going to do. Take a vacation, come back to LA in about a year." Whistler said. "Right. I have fifty dollars in my purse, how am I going to take a vacation on fifty dollars?" "Oh, right. I almost forgot." Whistler said and dug into his coat pockets. He threw a wad of hundred dollar bills onto the bed beside her. She looked at him, shocked. "See ya later kid." Whistler said and disappeared.