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Whose Shanshu?	By : QueenB Category: AtS/BtVS Crossovers > Het - Male/Female > Angel(us)/Buffy > Angel(us)/Buffy Views: 3387 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
“Angel, I know this is a happy happy joy joy moment, but we really need to make tracks.”
“Excuse me, recent invalid here. What’s your hurry?” Cordelia snapped. God, two minutes back in Angel’s life and Buffy was already acting as if she owned him.
“We’re stuck in Wolfram & Hart, that’s what’s the hurry,” Buffy replied. She really wasn’t intimidated by Cordelia Chase any more. Well, not by much. Still, it was majorly offensive the way Angel kept hovering over her, acting like he couldn’t bear to let her out of his sight for even a moment. That was probably the case and the knowledge depressed her even more than the notion of his being cozy with Faith.
“That’s where we are? I thought we were in some fancy shmancy hospital.” Cordelia looked around at the elaborate display of machines surrounding her. “What the hell are we doing in this place?”
“We have to get the others out of here, too,” Buffy added to Angel. “Any idea how we can get in touch with Lorne, Wesley, Gunn and Fred right away?”
“What are they doing here? For that matter, what am I doing here?” Cordelia demanded. She didn’t want to stay here. But she wanted answers about what Buffy was doing back in Angel’s world when she was sure they’d gotten rid of her for good.
Willow knew getting the stubborn woman to move would be difficult, given her weakened condition, and offered a suggestion. “Wait. We don’t need to hustle Cordelia out of here. The W&H people had her here until she recovered, right? Well, there’s no reason to make them think her recovery isn’t all their doing. So we just walk out of here with Cordelia saying ‘Great job, people. She’s all better, thanks to you. We’ll just be going and get her back to the hotel so she can get back to familiar surroundings where she’ll be all comfy.’ What are they gonna do? Keep her against her will?”
Cordelia rolled her eyes. “Wow, the old Willow babble. I really missed that--not.”
“She’s right. For all Wolfram & Hart know, Cordelia woke up on her own.” Angel put his arm under Cordelia’s and none too subtly tried to get her up.
Cordelia directed a meaningful gaze downwards. “Not that I don’t appreciate the assist, Angel. But I’m sorta lacking in the footwear department. Don’t you think sharp eyes are gonna spot me walking out of here barefoot?”
He grinned at her, an expression at once sheepish and smug. “Got that covered.” He let her rest and ran to a closet set near the door. Angel drew out a plain, simple white gown, pants and long light overcoat handing from a hanger along with flat white shoes. “Do you remember this?”
“Sure. It’s what I was wearing when I went to meet you at the beach.”
Curiosity and anguish flashed in Buffy’s eyes. “You were meeting Cordelia at the beach?”
“It’s not important, Buffy.” Angel didn’t want to relate that story right now. At the time he’d been certain that he and his seer were madly in love. Well, not madly. As Fred had told him, it wasn’t a good idea for him to get too happy and he hadn’t been. That should have been the tip-off right there that his feelings for Cordelia weren’t what they should have been.
“Not important? I get all dressed up and leave Groo to go walking around in the sand at night which incidentally is not as romantic as people make it sound what with the cold ocean spray and the sand getting in your shoes…” She halted as she thought of something. “Hey, you mentioned Lorne, Wesley, Gunn and Fred. Where’s Groo? Did Wolfram & Hart get him, too?”
“Who’s Groo?” Buffy and Willow asked simultaneously.
“Another long story having to do with a side trip to Pylea,” Angel answered.
Willow recalled that word. “Right. That’s where Fred was held as a slave. Is this Groo from Pylea?”
“Yes, Willow. But these are stories best told away from Wolfram & Hart.” Angel stood up, exasperated beyond belief. Now that Buffy had re-impressed on his mind just how dangerous it was for them to be here, he was itching to get away. He pulled out his cellphone and began dialing the different departments his team was working in.
Cordelia gaped at him. “I don’t believe it. Since when do you use a cellphone except under threat of direct torture?”
“Since I felt the need to keep in touch with everybody on my team,” Angel snapped. Buffy and Willow were standing next to the open door and he could hear Willow muttering what sounded like a spell for sleepiness. He had recognized the dead-eyed oblivion in the guard’s stare and silently congratulated the wiccan on her handiwork. But he guessed it was wearing off and that only fueled his impatience.
He finished the calls and glanced up to see Buffy and Willow looking towards him for instruction. “Are we good to go here?” Buffy said, flicking a glance between him and Cordelia who was wriggling into her shoes.
“Give me a moment. I’m so wobbly I can barely stand up. I’m like one of those newborn zebras you see on the Discovery channel,” Cordelia said. She scooped up the white garment and stood, leaning heavily on Angel. Buffy noted the possessive posture but said nothing. Together all four of them made their slow way out of the room.
__________
They were beginning to think themselves home free when Lilah Morgan rounded the corner. The woman’s eyes flashed over the quartet in a second, lingering a fraction longer on Willow, and Buffy had the uneasy feeling the woman knew everything that had transpired, from the telepathy she and the wiccan shared to the supernatural awakening of the seer.
“Cordelia Chase. So nice to see you up and about. Enjoy your nap?”
Cordelia chose to ignore the question with the regal hauteur only she was capable of. “Lilah, that’s a really ugly shade of makeup. Pale and chalky do nothing for your complexion.”
The woman raised one artfully plucked eyebrow. “My complexion? She’s kidding me, right, Angel? She has to know why I’m a whiter shade of pale, doesn’t she?”
In a flash, Angel understood. All Lilah knew was that Cordelia had been in a mysterious coma. She didn’t know about the evil entity that had taken up residence in Cordelia’s body and he was damned if he was going to tell her in front of his seer, fresh as she was from her sickbed.
“She doesn’t remember, Lilah. She’s still a little under the weather and suffering from post-traumatic amnesia.”
“Then don’t you think she should stay here? Our physicians give the best of care, Angel. You must know that,” Lilah purred as she came closer.
Buffy’s dislike of the female lawyer had returned in full force. “Look, Lily--”
“That’s Lilah.”
“Whatever. My friend wants to be surrounded by familiar, happy things and she ain’t getting it here. So we’ll just be going. We’ll call you, okay?” She shouldered her way none too gently past the woman. Unfortunately, she pushed just a little too hard and the scarf around Lilah’s neck slipped, exposing the long red scar around her throat. She yanked the scarf back in place but not before the others saw it.
Cordelia wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Ewww. What is that?”
“Nothing,” Lilah responded stiffly. “A little souvenir from my brief sojourn with the Angel Investigations crew.”
Buffy raised her eyebrows and glanced at her former lover. “Angel? Did you do that? I’m not shocked, you understand. I’ve only met this woman twice but I can totally get the urge to slice and dice her. I’m just wondering if that scar goes all the way around--”
“--and what’s holding her head on,” Willow added, her wide-eyed glance riveted on the concealing neckwear.
“Angel didn’t kill me, sweetie. It was little Miss Chase here.”
“Cordelia?” Angel searched his memories even as he tried to keep hold of his increasingly frantic seer. Angelus recalled finding Lilah dead in the hotel but had been clueless as to who or what had actually killed her. True, Cordelia had been evil then. That still didn’t explain why she would kill Lilah Morgan.
“Kill her? You mean, she’s dead--and I did it?Angel, what is she talking about? Will somebody please tell me what’s going on?” Cordelia demanded, her voice becoming high and shrill.
“As I said, it’s a long story and there are parts even I’m not sure about, seeing as I was Angelus for part of it,” Angel said. He was getting irritated in spite of his determination to keep calm.
“ANGELUS!?” Cordelia’s voice shot up an octave. People getting out of the elevator froze and then scattered like the wind, shooting nervous glances at Angel as they fled.
“Oh dear. She really doesn’t remember, does she?” Lilah smiled in bland amusement as she enjoyed Cordelia’s evident dismay.
“No, she doesn’t. I don’t remember it, either. We’ve got no one’s word for it but yours, Lilah. You can understand if that’s less than convincing.” He swung away from her and clasped Cordelia tighter as if shielding her from the dead woman. “Cordelia, let’s go. As I said, it’s--”
“I know, I know. I get it. It’s a long story. Just get me home, Angel,” Cordelia replied in a weary tone.
__________
They made it to the basement with no further incident, which surprised Angel a little; he had expected further resistance from Wolfram & Hart personnel. Maybe Willow was right. They weren’t committing a crime. Why would anybody stop them?
The rest of the crew had already gathered and, as soon as they saw Angel approaching them, became vocal in protest against their unwilling withdrawal.
“Is this important? I was looking at another interpretation of the Aberjian…”
“I was just testing out this kickass mace I found…”
“They have this gadget that allows you to penetrate into other dimensions without spells…!”
“I’ll have you know I was arranging an appointment with Mel Tormé…”
Damn, Angel had forgotten that he and Cordelia would be the only ones glad to get away from W&H’s clutches. He braced himself for a sharp argument with his crew.
But all the comments stopped when they caught sight of Cordelia. They surged forward and bombarded her and Angel with questions. Angel waved them off, saying they needed to get back to the hotel.
Cordelia pointed out the difficulty with that plan. “Angel, it’s daylight outside. How are you going to get back? Do we stick you in the trunk? And there are eight of us. I’m thinking even with you riding as cargo, that’s gonna be a really tight squeeze.”
He shrugged, pulling out his car keys. “Not really. Wolfram & Hart gave me cars with the same kind of necro-tempered windows as their offices. We can take two of those.”
The former prom queen raised her eyebrows in inquiry. “Cars? As in plural? How many are we talking here?”
The embarrassed grimace on Angel’s face spoke volumes. “According to Lilah…twelve.”
“Twelve? You have twelve cars now? Tell me again why we’re leaving!” Cordelia demanded, even as she was shuffled into the back seat.
__________
Cordelia didn’t know why she should feel so tired. She just got out of a coma; shouldn’t she be all resty from it? But she was out of sorts and cranky. Getting back to the hotel and finding it full of hyper teenage girls didn’t improve her temper.
Finally she was perched on a bed, sipping tea, in one of the hotel rooms surrounded by the assorted members of Angel Investigations. Angel was sitting in Cordelia’s old room relating the story of Connor to her and the other members of his team. The task wasn’t made any easier by Cordelia’s astonishment and the disbelief from the others.
“That’s amazing,” Fred breathed.
“Amazing? Try freaky as all get out. I don’t like the idea that someone’s been messing around with my memories especially if it’s these W&H dudes who are supposed to be working for us,” Gunn grumbled.
“All of our memories have been tampered with and none of us, except Angel of course, remembers anything about Connor. It’s like this whole other reality has been created, like a parallel universe. The reality of the quantum mechanics involved for such a thing is staggering. How could it have been done? Does that mean that all the monsters and demons this Connor killed are alive again or have only memories been affected?” Fred rambled. She was torn between shock and rabid scientific interest and started muttering under her breath about various formulae.
Cordelia tried to focus on the more important aspects of the story. “So you’re saying I came back only it wasn’t really me and I…I had sex…” God, it was just too awful to contemplate. She took another gulp of tea. “And I gave birth to a demonic child called Jasmine. Well, it’s official. I am never having children again as long as I live. I get pregnant twice and both times it’s with demon babies. I’m definitely cursed to lead a childless life.”
Fred protested the gloomy statement. “That’s not true, Cordy! Even if it is, children aren’t always that much of a blessing, are they?” She glanced for confirmation at Angel who flinched slightly at the tactless comment.
Cordelia stared at him as she sifted through the details of his story. “And you’re saying your son, this Connor, has gone on to a better life? A better life as in the house, mom, dad, siblings, not the afterlife.”
“That’s right, Cordelia,” Angel explained, a wealth of resignation behind his tone. It was just as he’d feared. Cordelia didn’t remember a single thing about Connor--not Darla’s reentry into Angel Investigations, his birth, Holtz’s mad pursuit of the boy. It was all gone from her mind as if the child had never existed.
Cordelia rubbed her temples; this whole thing was starting to give her a migraine. “That mysterious place I was supposed to have been--I don’t remember it at all. Did you guys try to bring me back?”
“We searched high and low, Cordy,” Fred answered. “We found this magical talisman but all it said was that you were in a beautiful place. I-I guess that it was kinda vague when you think about it.” She trailed off unhappily.
Angel added, “I was afraid Connor might have done something to you.”
“Me? Why would Connor hate me? According to you, you were the one who killed his dad. Well, that surrogate, wannabe, bastard dad Holtz turned out to be. Ugh. A guy like that makes deadbeat dads look like Santa Claus by comparison.” She sniffed and smoothed out an imaginary wrinkle in her bed sheets.
“I didn’t kill Holtz, Cordelia. Connor just thought I did.”
“I know, I know. That’s what I meant. So why did you think he’d done something to me? You said I was playing his mommy. I was changing his diapers, for Pete’s sake!” She made a face at the thought then took another sip of tea.
“You disappeared at the same time I did. We thought he might have hurt you to punish me. Connor wasn’t exactly stable in his final days.”
“This is one wild tale, Angelcakes. But he’s telling the truth, Cordy. I’m reading him and I can see this little Angel Jr. running through his life like a black line through a Chanel jacket. It’s genuine. There was a little nipper here and his name was Connor.” Lorne sat down heavily on a nearby ottoman. What he wouldn’t give for a decent Seabreeze right about now.
The ex-Watcher fingered the scar in his throat. “So I didn’t get this in a fight with a demon but from this Justine woman?” Wesley tried to find the inconsistency between his altered memories and the truth. “Angel, I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say. This tale is fantastical yet you claim that it’s true. But the boy is gone and Darla is dust--again. Even with Lorne’s corroboration, it’s a bit much to swallow.”
The vampire spread his hands helplessly. “I know. Except for me and Lilah, of course, no one else remembers the truth. Whatever spell Wolfram & Hart used wiped everybody else’s memory clean.” He frowned and thought for a moment. Of course, Buffy did have a dream about Connor…
It was as if Cordelia read his mind. “Okay. What about Buffy? What was she doing on Wolfram & Hart’s stomping grounds? Where does she fit into this delightful tale of unsafe sex and teenaged rebellion? I’m pretty sure she wasn’t here for any of this. She certainly wasn’t here for diaper duty.”
Angel quickly sketched in the details of W&H’s information about Sunnydale, Spike’s soul and the connection between the two to the destruction of Cordelia’s hometown. Angel wasn’t certain how she would take the total annihilation of her birthplace but she was bound to hear the truth sooner or later and he’d learned she got really testy when she found out she’d been lied to.
“Spike got a soul? So didn’t see that coming. But he’s gone now so you’re back to being the one and only souled vampire on the map.” She didn’t say anything about Sunnydale and, frankly, Cordelia was thrilled the town was demolished. It had been the scene of so many failures, humiliations and mistakes in her life. Most of the time she operated on a kind of deliberate denial about her time there and refused to mention it to anybody. Now the site of all her disappointments and crushing defeats was gone for good.
Cordelia hid her grin behind her teacup, finished drinking and leaned back in bed. “Sunnydale disappeared, Buffy became homeless and, let me guess. Having nowhere else to go like, say, the entire rest of the continental United States, she decided to pay her old boyfriend a visit and park her little keister here in our happy home, knowing you wouldn’t have the heart to turn her away.”
“Actually, Buffy didn’t want to come here. It was Faith’s idea,” Angel replied in a stiff tone and Cordelia’s eyes widened.
“Faith’s here, too? The psycho is back? Why didn’t somebody warn me?”
Wesley objected to the description. “She’s most assuredly not a psycho, Cordelia. She helped to bring in Angelus. Her aid was invaluable both here and in Sunnydale.”
“She’s not the only one, Cordy. There are lots of girls here. They’re all Slayers and they all helped to defeat this ultimate evil called the First,” Fred replied. “What kind of name is that for the bane of all mankind, anyway? The First…not exactly a name to inspire terror, is it?”
“That’s beside the point, Fred. How soon do we send them on their way and take back the hotel again? And, if they’ve messed up the rooms, I’m not cleaning it up. I just got out of a coma and I’m taking it easy.” Cordelia crossed her arms and lifted her chin defiantly.
This was where things were going to get tricky. “That’s the thing I wanted to talk to you all about. I’ve been thinking about the offer from Wolfram & Hart and I’ve come to the conclusion that we can’t stay there. It’s too dangerous and all the more so because the danger is of a more subtle kind. We think we’re in charge but we have literally hundreds of people working for us doing things behind closed doors that we’ll be completely unaware of.”
“I hear that,” Gunn muttered. He’d been silent through most of this recital, a heavy frown on his face. He was probably still thinking about that Lacey woman and the mysterious panther he’d mentioned.
Angel turned to the Englishman who was still turning over the improbable news of his treachery. “Wesley, how do you feel about taking another crack at being a Watcher?”
Wesley frowned at the question. “You mean with Faith? I think she’s far past the point of needing or even wanting my guidance.”
“Not her. I’m talking about these other girls. Buffy and I think there must be other Watchers left in the world. Perhaps there are Watchers in training, much like these girls were potential Slayers before they became actual ones. Some of them are heading back to their respective homes. They’ll need Watchers to train them.”
Wesley’s eyes gleamed. The prospect of being a Watcher again, of doing what he had trained his whole life for, held an undeniable allure. It was a much better opportunity than whatever Wolfram & Hart had to offer. “Yes, you’re right. Giles and I can coordinate our efforts. There are secluded corners of the world, places even Wolfram & Hart may not know about, that Watchers retreat to in times of danger. If we can get even a handful of them, they could help train these girls. But, Angel, training a Slayer is usually a one-to-one proposition. There may not be enough Watchers left to help them.”
“Then you educate Watchers. Gunn, you could help the girls train. Think you’re up to the task?”
“Training a lot of pretty girls…that’s a hardship I think I can handle,” the large man replied, grinning.
“Angelmuffin, I don’t mean to sound like a party pooper here. But I never really signed on for this gig. I just sorta got pulled into the whole do-gooding business because…well, tell the truth, I’m not sure how I got caught on this merry-go-round except that you people kept trashing my club and I had nowhere else to go. I don’t see that I’m really needed here anyway now that you’ve got Cordykins back in action,” Lorne said.
Gunn hated to be the one to burst the empath’s bubble but he thought Lorne was forgetting a few things. “Lorne, you can read people. Wolfram & Hart know this; that’s why they want you with them. Remember Vegas? You really think W&H are taking you simply ‘cause you got a nice tenor?”
“Well, I thought my dashing good looks featured somewhere in the equation,” Lorne quipped. Then he deflated. “No. You’re right, Gunn. I stay with those bastards and it’s only a matter of time before they stick another hose in my skull and siphon off my brains. Count me in, Angel.”
“What about me? I-I’ve never been a great fighter and you should see the wonderful things they’re doing in those labs! They’re making strides in physics that you wouldn’t believe. It’s so incredible, all the neat gadgets they’ve got for doing surgery, hi-tech espionage…”
“Hi-tech what? Wolfram & Hart, leading manufacturers of toys for Big Brother and you want to keep working for them? Fred, do you hear yourself?” Cordelia demanded.
“Well, we are an investigative agency. I thought that would be the sorta thing we’d be interested in.” Fred couldn’t help but feel a little defensive. All these great plans of Angel’s didn’t seem to pertain to her and she was feeling very much on the outside.
“We won’t be investigating much if we stay with the W&H people. Fact, I’m not sure what we’re supposed to be doing for them. I mean, I know they working for us. But they’re still lawyers and we not. So can any of you think of a good reason why we should stay?” Gunn asked. He looked around at everybody’s faces and noted the confusion on each one.
Wes mused, “He’s right. Why did we even consider dealing with these people?”
Cordelia puffed out her lips dramatically. “Ever think you guys were under a spell? Something meant to manipulate your minds, maybe?”
“How could they…” Fred trailed off as Angel met her eyes. “Oh, right. Manipulating minds with a spell. Guess that’s right up their alley.”
“Oooookay. I’m willing to go along with the idea that W&H has put the collective whammy on our craniums. But now that we’ve broken free, what do we do with them? The company has still been turned over to Angel Investigations. It’s effectively in your name, Angel. Any thoughts as to what to do with a multizillion dollar industry devoted to evil?” The demon from Pylea crossed his arms and trained his red eyes on Angel as he awaited his answer.
The vampire had been considering this ever since he and Buffy had discussed W&H and their probable plans for the Slayers. He smiled slowly and spoke to Cordelia. “Cordy, do you think David Nabbitt would be interested in acquiring another business?”
__________
Buffy tucked the last of her clothes into the bag. She wished she had proper luggage but she guessed that was the least of her problems.
All she could think about was her lover--make that ex-lover--getting cozy with Cordelia in the next room. He’d ridden with her instead of Buffy back to the hotel and she bit her lip, squeezing back tears for the umpteenth time. He’d rushed to the aid of Cordelia without so much as another glance in her direction.
Buffy didn’t know why she should have expected anything else. Cordelia had always been after Angel in school and now it seemed she had him. Why not? The former May Queen was beautiful, poised, regal, full-bodied from her pregnancy, partly demon and had been by Angel’s side for years, sharing in his pain, battles and triumphs. She probably knew him better than Buffy ever would. With her demonhood, she had more in common with him than Buffy did.
Buffy knew she was tainted. She came back from Heaven wrong. Spike knew it and Angel could smell it. Cordelia had gotten seriously messed up on her return trip from wherever she’d been, too. She’d slept with Angel’s son, which had to have been a major blow.
But that hadn’t been her fault. She was blameless. Buffy wasn’t. She had knowingly slept with a soulless beast, a creature both Angel and Angelus hated with a passion. He’d never forgive her for that. She was soiled beyond measure in his eyes.
From what she had overheard from Faith and Willow this morning, this thing he had with his seer wasn’t a relationship filled with the UST and teenaged romance that he’d shared with her. No, Cordelia’s and Angel’s love was a pure one based on mutual respect, friendship and trust. That was a much more mature and adult relationship than what he’d had with her.
It made sense for Angel to love Cordelia. Buffy was a Slayer; he was a vampire. Loving her had to be one of the dumbest things for him to do. Just like Willow said, Cordelia would keep Angel sane. She was the better choice.
She splashed water on her face over the bathroom sink and stared blindly into the mirror. For the first time, she understood why Angel had let her go all those years ago. He’d wanted a better life for her. Now it was time for her to make the same sacrifice and bow graciously out of the picture. It hurt to lose Angel to her Sunnydale competitor but if it made him happy, then so be it. After all, wanting to see the ones you loved happy was the real sign of true love. Nothing else mattered.
Oh god, you’re being noble. I think I’m going to be sick. Hey, what about the happiness clause? Still an issue here and the prom queen is tempting toothy death if she does the beast with two backs with Angel. Maybe he’ll go all “grrrr” and rip her throat out.
Where were you when Faith was talking? There’s no sex involved and if there is… well, I guess Angel is willing to risk it with her and not me.
Ouch. That sucks.
Uber sucks.
Taking a deep breath and checking the mirror one last time to see there were no signs of tears, she went out to see if the others were ready to leave. She inched past Cordelia’s door. Buffy wasn’t interested in running into Angel and the seer again if she could help it. Then she inwardly cursed her bad luck as Wesley opened the door. “Ah, Buffy. Did you wish to speak to Cordelia?”
She managed a faint smile. “No. I mean, not especially. I just wondered if you were all done catching up with her.”
He quietly closed the door behind them, leaving the two of them in the hallway. “Indeed we have. Angel had quite the tale to tell.”
“I’ll bet.” She searched Wesley’s eyes and her own softened. “H-how are you taking it, Wes?”
He strode down the hall as she walked alongside him. “Taking it? Oh, you mean the knowledge that Angel has a son which is unprecedented, that the child was foretold in prophecies which was unheard of and that against all reason I betrayed my friend by kidnapping the boy and had him taken from me in turn into a hell dimension. Considering all that’s happened to us, I’m taking it rather well, thanks for asking.” He smiled at her surprise over his devil-may-care attitude.
She gaped at him and then giggled. “Wow, Wes. You really have changed. You’ve gotten that stick out of your butt.”
He chuckled dryly. “Yes, it made walking rather difficult. However, it was far more difficult trying to walk in leather pants, I assure you.”
She blinked. “Leather pants? You were in leather pants?” She laughed at the image that popped into her mind.
“Rather. They chafed like the very devil. I don’t know how Angelus managed to wear them especially in such a hot climate as California.”
“Oh well, vampires don’t sweat, you see. Plus he probably thought it went with that whole bad-boy-creature-of-the-night look.”
“Naturally. You can’t be truly evil unless you’re wearing tons of dead cowhide. There’s a rule about it in the Watchers Diaries, I believe.”
“How did the evil beasties ever manage to project bad-assness without leather?”
“I believe many of them go with human skin.”
“Oh. And ew.” They grinned at each other and then Buffy paused as she considered her next question. “Did Angel tell you what he’s got planned?”
“You’ll be pleased to know that we no longer will be working for Wolfram & Hart.” They leaned on the balcony and watched the girls milling around in the lobby. Some of them were eating and others had paired off, cementing their new friendships. Lorne had told the girls about his special abilities and had coaxed some to sing their favorite songs a cappella.
To everybody’s delight, Robin Wood had recovered much more quickly than anyone had expected and come back from the hospital along with the other previously injured Slayers. Faith had jumped him the moment he walked through the Hyperion doors and pulled him forcibly into her hotel room. She joked this would be the first time she’d had sex with a guy in anything classier than a motel. That had been hours ago and they hadn’t emerged since then.
Having regained his strength, Giles had taken some of the girls to the training room. He hadn’t really wanted to, but they had insisted. He was, however, able to leave most of the actual work to Gunn who’d been happy to lead the girls in some aggressive physical therapy.
Willow came out of her room, her expression pensive, and nearly bumped into Wesley and Buffy. “Oh, hey. Hi again. What’s up with Cordelia? She all caught up with everything? Any chance she’ll clue us in?”
“I don’t think so, Willow. A lot of what happened to Cordelia--ugly and not fun. She won’t be in share mode for a long time, if ever.” Buffy knew most of the story, thanks to Angel, but she was willing to respect Cordelia’s wishes and keep it to herself.
Wesley decided to steer conversation in another direction. “Angel and the rest of us have formulated a plan to help the girls. We’d like to get all of them together and see what they think. I hope they’ll be amenable to the idea he’s laid out.”
When nothing else was forthcoming, Buffy grimaced. “Don’t tell me. We have to wait until we get everybody together. Boy, we so need cellphones.”
“Buffy, you can’t give a bunch of teenagers cellphones. They’ll spend all their time talking to their boyfriends.” She paused. “Or girlfriends. I saw the way some of them were looking at each other in the bus.”
“Really? I didn’t notice anything!” Buffy said in indignation when Willow giggled.
“You didn’t notice anything with me, either.” That was Buffy: sweet girl but not too bright.
The blonde Slayer pouted and then grinned. “You played it pretty close to the chest.”
“I played it pretty close to Tara’s chest, too,” Willow murmured and smiled when Buffy turned red and Wesley got an air of avid interest in the turn the conversation had taken. “So how is Cordelia?”
“Good question,” Wesley replied and turned to look back at her door.
__________
Angel’s gloomy expression was annoying Cordelia. All right, they were talking about the King of Brood here. But Angel had been lightening up quite a bit, thanks to her constant care and guidance, and Cordelia hated to see him reverting to his old ways. She was willing to bet that the return of a certain mousy blonde Slayer had something to do with that and she was determined to nip this latest misery party in the bud.
“Angel, what’s up with you? Why are you the one in a funk? I’m the one who got her body hijacked by the Prince of Darkness.”
“I’m sorry, Cordy. It’s just…it was hard seeing you lying like that, not knowing if you’d ever come out of it. It’s why I kept you at Wolfram & Hart. I was hoping they’d be able to perform a miracle.”
She patted him on the hand, mentally cursing herself for her lack of sensitivity. Angel wasn’t brooding over Buffy. He was concerned over her queenly self. She shouldn’t have doubted him. “That’s sweet, Angel. You could have just asked Willow, you know.”
“You weren’t in a coma when she was here. Then she went back to Sunnydale, Jasmine was born and put us all under a spell. By the time we snapped out of it, it was chaos and more chaos. And then Lilah told me about the danger in Sunnydale…”
“And you couldn’t get Willow to help because she was needed elsewhere and you didn’t know if she’d survive yet another bout of Sunnydale madness. Believe me, I understand. I was there when the Mayor became a snake, remember?” Her gaze fell on the vampire’s face and noted the sadness hadn’t really lifted. “What’s really got you so bothered, Angel? You got me back. Is it Connor?”
“Connor? No, not really. You said it yourself. Better that he have a happy life elsewhere than dead. That’s probably what would have happened if he’d stayed with me.”
“So? If it’s Buffy…”
“Not Buffy,” he replied too quickly. “She’s not staying. She’s leaving for Cleveland. She’ll be out of our lives soon and we probably won’t meet each other again in the foreseeable future. It’s something else, something that--almost happened over a year ago.”
“You mean the meeting at the beach.”
“That’s right. You told me--well, the Master told me, that you loved me but you couldn’t accept the things Angelus had done.”
“Darn right. There may have been something else in my bod but he got that right on the money.” Cordelia shuddered at the thought. She’d managed to get a peek at some of the old texts Giles had back in Sunnydale. The things she’d read about Angelus made her stomach clench and she recalled how she’d promised long ago to stake Angelus if he ever reappeared.
“So you don’t really love me,” he stated flatly.
“What? Of course I do. It’s your nasty evil twin I can’t stand.”
“Angelus is part of me, Cordelia. The demon didn’t take a holiday just because I got a soul. He’s there in every harsh action I take, every hard decision that I make, every cruel word that I long to say sometimes and never do.
“I have it in me to be dangerous, Cordelia. Everybody does. I’ve seen a lot during over two centuries on Earth and I know what humans are capable of. Add a demon to the mix and what you get is demonic passion informed by human cruelty. Angelus doesn’t go away just because you don’t like having him around.”
“What are you trying to tell me, Angel? That Angelus is lurking around the corner waiting to sink his fangs into a vein? Nice pep talk for a woman who’s just gotten out of her sickbed,” Cordelia tilted her chin and flashed Angel an indignant look.
“I’m trying to tell you love is about accepting a person for all that they are--good and bad.” Angel braced himself for what he was going to say next. “So I don’t think you’re in love with me. And I know I’m not in love with you.”
She gaped, her mouth hanging open like a fish. “What do you mean--of course you are! That’s why you came to meet me on the beach!”
“I thought I was. Lorne told me about knowing how I truly felt about you and Fred kept going on about kyerumption. I looked at you and saw what a good woman you were and what fine qualities you had and I thought ‘Why not?’ I’m going to be around forever and I was tired of being lonely just like you were when you took up with Groo. So I was going to settle.”
He leaned closer to the woman and looked her straight in the eye. He had to convince Cordelia that he was serious otherwise she would try to talk him into this and he couldn’t stand a renewal of her nagging pep talks. “But I wasn’t afraid of losing my soul. I should have been but I wasn’t. That was the overwhelming concern with Buffy and that fear never existed with you.”
“You think I can’t make you happy? Well, it’s not as if we’ve ever really tried, you know!”
“Cordelia, I don’t want to try. That’s just it. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking ever since you went into this coma. I enjoyed Darla. She was the epitome of bliss to me once. When we were together during the reign of terror we spread across Europe, no other woman compared to her in terms of sheer cruelty and invention in bed. And believe me, there were plenty of others. But I never loved her. That was proven when she tried to get me to lose my soul and failed.
“Remember Rebecca Lowell? Sweet, desperate, frightened actress who wanted to pursue the L.A. dream of being young forever? She drugged me and I lost my head--and my hold over Angelus. But that wasn’t true happiness either. That’s why it wore off and I got my soul back.
“With Jasmine I knew pure and absolute love. You weren’t here for that but she affected almost everyone she met in the same way. It was like a drug: the bliss, contentment, the sheer unadulterated joy you felt whenever she was near. When she left your presence, the pain was like withdrawal, it was so bad. But I never lost my soul over her either.
“You, Wesley, Fred and Gunn all said you loved me once. But it’s not the kind of love you’re looking for. I’m sorry if I ever led you on to believe that my feelings were more than mere friendship. But that’s the truth. I love you. I’m just not in love with you.”
The woman on the bed had remained ominously silent throughout his explanation. “It’s her, isn’t?”
He didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “It’s not Buffy, Cordelia.”
“Oh no? Everything was fine and you and I were actually getting someplace. She shows up and suddenly you’re backing away like I’ve got the damn plague! You say you’re not in love with me but you’re not willing to give it a chance? If it isn’t her, then what’s the real problem?” Her voice quavered as she considered the probable reason for his rejection. “I-is it because of Connor? I couldn’t help that, Angel! I wasn’t in control!”
“I know that, Cordelia, and I would no more blame you for that than you would blame me for Angelus. But without the others pushing me into something I didn’t feel and didn’t want, I could see clearly. I’m not in love with you.”
“What about me? I’m in love with you, Angel! I came out to the beach to tell you so! And I doubt you came all that way just to say ‘Sorry, Cordelia, this isn’t going to work. I’ll call you.’ There was definitely something between us.”
“There still is. It’s just not what you wanted. Cordelia, you were still with Groo when you thought you were in love with me! You said you loved him in Pylea. Remember?” He recalled that all too clearly. He’d nearly gotten the crap beaten out of him by the big lummox and then Cordelia had run up to the other man and declared her love. It had been humiliating, to say the least.
Cordelia evidently remembered it, too, and scrambled to cover for herself. “It wasn’t really love with Groo. He knew it and he told me so before I went to meet you. He was just so much like you, you know? He had that tall, dark, muscular salty goodness going for him plus the whole heroic vibe and I think it was like that thing they talk about in psychology class, transmission…”
“Transference.”
“Whatever. But it was you I wanted underneath it all. I even felt it back in high school when all you could do was drool over Little Miss Freakozoid.”
“Don’t talk about her like that,” he growled.
She seized on his sudden ire. “See! One mention of her and you get hot under the collar.”
“At least she gets me hot,” he sniped back.
She gaped at his unexpected swipe. “Well, listen to Mr. Bitch! Nice to know you’re willing to go to bat for her but not someone who’s fought by your side--”
“--for three years? You and Buffy are pretty much neck and neck in that department, Cordelia. And I have gone to bat for you, as you say. I tried to get the visions to stop when I thought they were killing you. I fought the Vocah to save you when you were crazy in the hospital. We’ve helped each other--you and the rest of the team--countless times. So don’t say I’m not here for you. We help each other because that’s what family does and we’re family. But that’s it.”
The two of them faced each other and then Angel wheeled to leave the room. Cordelia started up in a panic. “Where are you going?”
“We’ve got plans to make regarding all those new Slayers and the future. I want my team together on this. We’re going to need you down in the lobby. If you can’t walk, you can take the elevator. But I expect to see you downstairs when we’ve all gathered together.”
Cordelia stared at the door after his departure, absolutely fuming. She’d gone through hell and back for this vampire and now he was trying to blow her off. But nobody walked out on Queen C, especially not her undead former boss.
This was all Buffy’s fault; she just knew it. She struggled to her feet, cursing her clumsiness, and went to her wardrobe. If she was going to confront the Resurrection Queen, she was going to look her best.
__________
It took a couple of hours before all the stragglers came in. Many of the girls were giddy over Lorne’s predictions for them and rethinking their decisions to go back to their homes. Angel was talking softly to Chow Ann in halting Cantonese and the Asian woman was practically glued to his side. She kept hugging herself around the waist and squirming from the discomfort his presence engendered but she wouldn’t back away, much to the amusement of the other Slayers.
He looked up as Robin Wood came down the stairs with a very smug-looking Faith in tow. The former principal of Sunnydale High gave the vampire a narrow stare but said nothing. Angel hoped that Faith had explained his status to the man; the last thing he desired was getting into a vicious confrontation with someone who had proven a valuable ally to Buffy.
He scanned the room. “Is everybody here?”
Faith replied, “We’re still waiting for the princess to show, but, yeah, I think that’s everybody, big guy.”
That might be for the best. He was hyper-aware of Buffy’s presence and it might be good to keep Cordelia away from her for the time being. He cleared his throat. “Well, we can get started without her. I know you’ve all gone through a rough time. But the important thing is you all survived it. However, you’ve been wondering where you’ll go from there. My team specializes in helping people. We’ve got a fully qualified Watcher and strong fighters working for us. You’ve got people with strength but no real training…”
“Hey! We had training! I helped train them,” Kennedy protested.
Rona replied, “Yeah, for six months. I coulda used a lot more than that. We all could have,” gesturing to the whole room.
“I don’t just mean combat skills. I’m talking about Slayer training, a background of lore and knowledge that dates back for centuries. I’m talking about what Giles gave to Buffy. We’ll need fighters to go around the globe and find the remaining Watchers who are left. That’s where you ladies come in. We know the Bringers targeted them as well so they may still be in danger. You’ll be needed in the fight.”
He leaned forward and spoke quietly in an effort not to frighten them. “You closed the Sunnydale Hellmouth. But you didn’t stop evil. The First still exists.”
The calm statement was met with a flurry of protests and denials from almost everyone. Xander was the quickest of all to counter it. “Look, Deadboy, I don’t know where you get off talking about the final battle in Sunnydale. Hell, you weren’t even there. But we did a total smackdown on this First. Its entire army was wiped out by the magic doohickey charm you gave me. We slayed its ass but good.”
“Did you, Xander?” Wesley interjected. “This thing is eons old and, from what Angel tells me, non-corporeal. You destroyed its army in Sunnydale, that much is true. But the evil can always go to ground and try again. It is patient, relentless, ageless, it has eternity to plan and it can always recruit more agents--human and otherwise. You thwarted its efforts this time but it will still have its minions out there, hunting down the forces of good.”
Angel added, “Look at what Wolfram & Hart nearly tricked you into doing.”
Buffy sat down hard on a lobby couch. She’d been kidding herself, hadn’t she? Of course evil never died or went away. There was the Hellmouth in Cleveland as proof, wasn’t there? She sighed heavily. “So what are you saying?”
“Let the girls stay here with us. We can train them; we can protect them. If some want to go back to their homes, they can. Only we should set up a system wherein they can check in with us so we know all’s well with them.” Angel smiled at a group of girls who stared back uncertainly. These youngsters were mostly foreign with limited English verbal skills. He, Giles and Wesley had been able to communicate with them and outline a plan for shipping them back to their many ports of call.
“What of Wolfram & Hart, Angel?” This came from Giles. While he didn’t truly regret the idea of leaving the temptations of the law firm behind him, he couldn’t help but regret the loss of the knowledge contained in their vaults and storerooms.
“We have an old friend named David Nabbitt,” Angel began.
“David Nabbitt? The David Nabbitt? The one who created all those Attack of the Clones games?” Andrew squealed. “He’s, like, a god! How do you guys know him?”
“He was one of our clients. He’d be happy to take Wolfram & Hart off our hands. I spoke to him over the phone and he’s prepared to settle handsomely for it. With the money he’s given us, we could easily start over our operations again here. There would be plenty of money to aid you get a fresh start as well, Giles,” Angel added. The older Watcher graced him with a smile and he nodded without speaking, acknowledging Angel’s generosity.
“Can I stay here, too? Pleeeease?” Andrew whined.
Gunn gazed at him narrowly. He hadn’t talked to this boy much. He had “nerd” written all over him; half the time Gunn didn’t understand a word he was saying. “That depends. What can you do?”
“Well, um, I-I’m a really good cook. I could, like, cook for you all and have hot meals waiting when you come in from a hard night of…slaying,” he finished lamely to a loud snort from Faith.
“He’s right, Gunn. Andrew is a fantabulous cook. He can make a funnel cake like nobody’s business,” Buffy chimed in.
Angel shrugged. The boy seemed harmless enough and, if he could cook, that would free the vampire up for fighting with his crew. “All right. He can stay.” Andrew breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe if he hung around he could meet Mr. Nabbitt.
“What about me and Buffy?” Dawn piped up. Angel hadn’t said anything about Buffy or her plans. He was still treating her sister with the same distance and pretending to be cool whenever she was near but Dawn wasn’t fooled. All this avoidy business meant the vampire was protecting his heart and who could blame him?
“You’re going to Cleveland. Giles informs me there’s a Hellmouth there. As soon as you’re all settled, we can relay information back and forth. There’s no reason for you to stay out of touch.” The vampire knew the girl was unhappy with this turn of events but there was no point in encouraging her in any fantasies if her sister was determined to leave.
“Oh. Well, we can always come visit, can’t we?” she pleaded. “Just for a weekend?”
He steadfastly refused to look at Buffy as he replied, “I don’t see any problem with that.”
“As long as you clean up after yourselves. It’s not like we’ve got maid service here.” A serene voice came from the elevator. All heads turned to behold the vision that stood in the opened doors.
Cordelia may never have made it as an actress but she knew how to make an entrance. After discarding at least six different outfits, she’d settled on a casual, deceptively simple-looking long dress of off white. Her breasts had swelled impressively with her late pregnancy and the snugness of the dress would make them all the more prominent.
She hadn’t taken much notice of Buffy since she awoke but she could tell the Slayer of Sunnydale was looking less than her best. The wear and tear of constant slayage had obviously caught up with the dyed blond; let’s see how she looked contrasted with her own carefully crafted beauty.
Angel raised an eyebrow at her attire but said nothing. Other men in the room were more appreciative. “Hey, Cordy! Looking good. Let me introduce you to all the girls.” Gunn turned towards the crowd. “Ladies and gents, this is Cordelia Chase, our resident seer. She gets visions from the Powers That Be.”
“The Powers That Be what?” Leslie asked. She was a 16-year-old Slayer (something she pointed out defensively to anybody who called her a “kid”) and rather unsure of herself. Cordelia Chase was a bit awe-inspiring; she reminded Leslie of the mean older girls who used to ignore her at school.
“They’re the ones that we serve. They give Cordelia visions and tell her about future events or people that we’re meant to save,” Wesley explained.
Dominique stared wide-eyed at the brunette in the white dress. “You get psychic visions? That’s terrific!”
Cordelia shrugged as if it was no great matter. “Well, it is now that the bone-crushing pain I used to get with them is gone. Who are you, by the way?” she asked brightly.
__________
The round of introductions was made again and Buffy got up to retreat to the kitchen. She was hungry. All right, she wasn’t so much hungry as rather depressed. Cordelia was the center of attention again much as she had been back in Sunnydale; Buffy was sure her presence wouldn’t be missed. She walked into the empty kitchen and leaned her head against the cold surface of the refrigerator with a sigh.
A heavy weight settled in her stomach and she spoke without opening her eyes. “Hello, Angel.”
“Buffy.” He said her name in the old way as if it were more than a mere word but held the embodiment of all his dreams. She could feel a trembling starting up in her legs and making its way over her spine. She stiffened her back and steeled herself against it.
She opened her eyes to find Angel staring at her in concern. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Better than fine. For the first time since Sunnydale collapsed there’s light at the end of the tunnel instead of…more tunnel,” she finished awkwardly.
“I just wanted to see that you’re okay.”
“I’m peachy with a side of keen.” The silence stretched between them to the point where it became uncomfortable. “Angel.”
“Yes?” She was trying to tell him goodbye and he didn’t want to hear it now that he’d come to a decision about where his heart truly lay. But he couldn’t pressure her in any way.
Cookies. Got to remember that she’s trying to be cookies. That speech really stuck in his craw and he forced himself to listen patiently.
“I-I want to tell you that I’m happy for you and Cordelia.”
“Huh? What?” That was definitely not what he’d been expecting.
“I heard Willow and Faith talking. They didn’t know I was listening and they mentioned how you felt about Cordelia.”
“Buffy, I--”
She held up a hand. “No. Let me finish.” If she didn’t get this out now, she’d burst out crying in front of him. Sure enough, she could feel the pressure of tears rising up to choke her voice and she began to speak rapidly.
“She’s good for you. And I’m not. It’s not just the soul thing although that’s a big part. She took care of you, shared in all the problems that I couldn’t, kept you in touch with your humanity and I’m betting she made you laugh a lot and drew you out of your thick Angel shell. You’ve changed and I can see the changes. They look good on you.”
Buffy swallowed past the thick lump in her throat and forged on. “I on the other hand have taken a really bad turn for the worse. I did things that were stupid, things I’m so not proud of, and I’m not just talking about banging hips with Spike. I ignored my friends, neglected my sister, turned on my Watcher and couldn’t connect to all those girls up there who needed a competent leader. I came back from Heaven wrong, twisted and sick…”
She gulped and turned her face from him. It was too hard to speak while looking into those dark eyes that seemed to penetrate to the depths of her soul. The emotional pain had increased to the point of a physical ache in her chest and she couldn’t finish the rest of her carefully prepared speech. “You and me--we were doomed from the start. Me Slayer, you vampire. That was a disaster waiting to happen but I wouldn’t turn away. I never even told you how sorry I am for sending you to hell.
“What I’m trying to say is I hope you two w-will be happy together. Just not too happy, okay?” She managed a watery smile then drew a deep breath and tried to brush past him. He reached out and grasped her elbow and she trembled as a flare of heat ran up her arm. She didn’t know what he had to say; she only knew she was going to break down completely if she didn’t get away from him right now.
“Buffy, I’m not in love with Cordelia.”
“You--what? What did you say?” Wide hazel eyes stared incredulously into his face. The bright shimmer of unshed tears lay in them and he saw right to the heart of her sacrifice.
“I’m not in love with Cordelia. I thought I was. I hoped I was. I thought it could soothe the ache in my heart, the one that’s been there ever since I left Sunnydale. I convinced myself that you’d moved on and that it was time for me to do so as well. Cordelia was there--safe, dependable and convenient--and everyone acted like it was such a good match. I started thinking about compatibility instead of following my heart because I was certain I couldn’t have my soul’s desire again.”
“Soul’s…desire?” Her voice was quavering again and he marveled how this seasoned warrior could show such vulnerability.
“Only one woman in 240-odd years has ever touched me the way you have, Buffy. You see all the parts of me and you’re unafraid and accepting. I remember the time I took you to the ice skating rink and you touched my ridges.” He drew nearer to her, lost in the memory. “I was so ashamed of what I was and you didn’t care. You said you didn’t even notice.
“I’ve done things I’m not proud of, Buffy. I’ve betrayed my friends, locked my Sire and mad Childe in a room and turned a bunch of lawyers into their all-you-can-eat buffet and I’ve turned my back on humans in need. I’m not the champion everybody thinks I am. I’m just a dead man with a demon inside him. The only time I could hope to be more was when you loved me.
“And if I’ve kept my distance from you these last few days it’s because I knew I had to let you go. Somehow Sunnydale was never far enough away. I could always cling to the frail hope that I’d make my way back to you again. But Cleveland means that you’ll finally be free of my shadow and that it need never taint your life. You can make yourself into…cookies,” he finished. Boy, that was a rotten ending to a great speech.
“I’ll never be cookies,” she blurted out. “I was talking as if I was gonna be finished baking someday but the fact is people are never finished, are they? We just keep growing and changing and sometimes we change into a thing we don’t like but that’s never the end of us. We just keep growing, growing up, growing old…”
“Or not,” he murmured softly.
“Or not,” she echoed. “What I’m trying to say is that cookies or not, I’m still Buffy Summers…just not the Buffy Summers you fell in love with,” she said in a miserable voice.
She spoke with a self-loathing he’d never expected to find in her. Even after what he’d told her of his shameful exploits since they’d parted in Sunnydale over four years ago, she still took the fault upon herself.
He embraced her and whispered, “Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove. O no! It is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken. It is the star to every wandering bark, whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken. Love’s not Time’s fool though rosy lips and cheeks within his bending sickle’s compass come: Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ nor no man ever loved.”
Her eyes widened with each line and she remained breathlessly still until the final words were spoken. “That was…wow. That was Shakespeare, wasn’t it?”
“You recognize the sonnet?”
“Um, no. It just had that Shakespeare-y sound to it. D-do you really feel that way about me?”
“Forever. I love you, Buffy Summers.” His eyes sought hers in the dim cavernous lighting of the kitchen and saw her cheeks wet with tears.
“I love you, Angel,” she whispered and he sealed the words with a kiss.
How long they stood there they weren’t certain. Time and space seemed to vanish as the kiss deepened and they swayed together.
The moment was broken when Angel heard a commotion upstairs and lifted his head sharply. He sniffed and growled faintly when he perceived a well-known odor. The next moment, his forehead creased in confusion. “It can’t be…” he muttered.
She stared, baffled by his sudden shift in mood. “Angel, what is it?”
“I’m not sure,” he admitted. Then he glanced down at her. “Do you feel like facing the others now?”
She hesitated and looked at their clasped hands. “But…what about us? We’re still going to Cleveland, you know.”
“But, like Dawn said, you can always come down for a weekend or two.”
“That might be awhile. We’ve got lives to get back and Cleveland isn’t exactly close.”
“One thousand nine hundred fifty-three miles to be exact.” He smiled sheepishly at her surprise. “I, uh, checked.”
“Oh. That is far. But, hey, Giles got a teleporty spell from Wolfram & Hart. You might see us so often, you’ll get sick of us,” she teased.
“Not gonna happen.” The feeling of familiarity from upstairs was growing stronger and he could no longer shake off his unease. “Buffy, I think we should rejoin the others. Something’s happening up there.”
“A happy something or a danger something because I left my scythe in my other bag,” she quipped.
He didn’t reply. He merely stalked off, his gait shifting to that of a predator, and Buffy padded soundlessly after him. It was just like old times when the two of them would fight together and now her Slayer senses were reaching out to find the intruder. Odd, she wasn’t detecting anything, and by the time they made it to the lobby she was beginning to wonder if Angel hadn’t been mistaken.
__________
They walked in on a roomful of chattering people and one outraged seer. Buffy wondered what had gotten under Cordelia’s collar this time. “Cordelia, what is it? What’s going on?”
The brunette turned around and pointed one angry finger at the person in their midst. “That’s what’s going on!” The crowd parted and both Angel and Buffy stiffened.
“Spike.”

TBC
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