PART ONE

START AT "YOU'RE WELCOME" ENDING SCENE.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
ANGEL'S OFFICE- WOLFRAM & HART

"Oh, what the hell, one for the road." Cordelia turned back around and walked straight into Angel's arms, kissing his lips and holding on to him. The phone rings in the distance on his desk.
"I don't have to get that."
"No, you don't." She still is embraced in his arms. Straightening his tie, "But I have to go."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not going to work for Wolfram & Hart, Angel." She said, looking into his eyes, meaning every word. He let go, and ran his fingers through the ringlets on her face.
"Please don't."
"I have to Angel. I would love to stay here and be with you and fight the good fight again. But I'm not going to work in this building for those people and pretend everything is alright." She said, watching him sit down on the leather couch. "Don't do that."
"What?"
"Go into full brood mode. Don't do that to me."
"I'm not doing anything to you. You the one that's leaving me in the cold, Cordelia."
"Bull, Angel." She paused and tried to sit next to him, but he got up from the couch. "This is what I'm going to do. Like it or not, you're gonna hear about this, so deal." A beat stood between the sentences. "I'm going to San Francisco. Going to fight the good fight there, since you seem to have everything under control here." She said, watching him pace back and forth in front of her. Spike entered the office, looking for the both of them.
"Are you guys coming? Everyone is getting pretty ticked that you're both not there."
"No, we're not coming Spike." Angel lashed out at the blond vampire.
"Angel!" Cordelia stood up and walked over to Spike. "Sorry about that. We just got to talking about things. Can you come and help me with my suitcase?" She asked him, taking his hand and taking him over to the private elevator. When the doors opened, they both got into the shaft and heard Angel toss the stuff off his desk and into the wall. The doors closed and Spike looked over at the lovely brunette with tears in her eyes.
"You okay, pet?" He asked as he saw her wipe away the tears from her face.
"I'll be fine."
"Doesn't look like it." He looked at her with the utmost concern. "Look, I know that we aren't the greatest of friends, but you can talk to me."
"I know Spike." The doors opened and she entered Angel's penthouse apartment, rushing to the closet for a spare suitcase that she knew Angel had. "Can I ask you a favor? I mean, favors?"
"Sure. But I'm not wearing anything for you. No necklaces, rings, amulets, etc.."
"Darn, than that totally vetoes the little skimpy blue g-string I had in mind." She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she gathered up the clothes that they had bought two days before and her old ones as well. "Once I leave, can you get the rest of my stuff and send it to this address?" She handed him a slip of paper.
"Is all your stuff here?"
"Right here in this little penthouse." She said to him.
"Yeah, I can do that."
"Can you do me one other favor?"
"What's that?"
"Take the visions."
"What?"
"Take the visions for me. I can't help Angel; even with the visions." She paused and sat down on the mattress. "I need you to take the visions. Would you do that for me?"
"Why? You're the only thing that connects Angel to this world, Cordelia. Why are you leaving?"
"Because I can't work for Wolfram & Hart. They have caused too much mayhem and destruction to everything and I don't want to be a part of that. Even with Angel here."
"But he..."
"Don't say it Spike." She held up her hand as he took a seat by her side. "I do too. You know, that L word. But, this Wolfram & Hart thing, it's too much." She started to sob as he placed his arm behind her back, supporting her frame as she cried on his shoulder. Grabbing a tissue box off the nightstand, he handed it to her.
"I'll do it then, for you." He paused as she looked up. "And for him."
"Thank you."

Spike and Gunn removed the last box of Cordelia's from Angel's penthouse. He sat there on the bed, looking so sad and outcast from the rest of the world. Which he was, but even more so now since she was gone. Two days already had passed with her in San Francisco. Spike had taken on her visions with a simple gesture of a kiss. He hadn't had the first vision yet, but she told him to keep the flask around and a big bottle of pain killers, which he had conveniently stashed in the pocket of his leather jacket. She had called him early this morning to let him know that she was there. He liked that about her, that she actually made the time to call and wanted to let her family that she was still on the Earthly plane. They bumped into Angel's dresser and knocked over the pictures that were on top of them. One frame fell to the floor and Angel went to pick it up. Looking into the frame, Angel crouched down on the floor and ran his hands over the picture.
"Angel?" Spike asked, wondering how his friend was.
"Leave it, this box is heavy. What on earth does she have in here?"
"Clothes, what else?" Spike and Gunn closed into the elevator as Wesley came out of it, going towards Angel who was still crouched on the ground. He knelt down and patted Angel on the back, hoping he could help since they had both been with her since the beginning.
"Come on. We need to get out of here." He grabbed Angel and steered him towards the elevator. As they entered, Angel finally was willing to talk.
"She was it."
"Hmmm?"
"She was it. The reason. The reason we fight, the reason I fight."
"But what?"

"There's no but. I know why she left. And I don't blame her. If I had any other choice, I wouldn't have taken this job either."
"But why did you?"
"So she could live. So we could go on, fighting the good fight."
"But the path, Angel. You just got your path back." Wesley said as the doors opened and he noticed Fred picking up the rest of the weapons that Angel had thrown across the room two days ago. He had trashed everything in the office out of anger and loneliness. "Uh, Fred, can you..."
"No, it's alright. Maybe it's better if all of you hear this." Angel said as Spike and Gunn dropped the last box by the others. They all gathered near, like grandkids listening to a grandfather's story on Christmas Day. "She was there from the beginning; with me and Doyle." He paused and sat on the floor where the rest of them were sitting as well. "She was the one to open my eyes to life. You all know that the love of my life was Buffy, but it all changed. Seasons change, the song changes. The note went higher and lower and all over the place. She patched me up and offered me advice when I didn't need it or want it for that matter." He took the knife on the floor before him and looked it over. "This knife is the one she used to take a bullet out of me one time." He smirked as he remembered the moments he was most grateful for. "Buffy taught me how to love, there's no mistake about that, but Cordelia, sweet Cordelia...she taught me how to live in a world where love reigns and evil begs to reason. She is the reason I'm still standing here today. Guys, if you just look at yourselves, you can name the reason in your life, can't you?" He asked. "Spike, that would be Buffy for you, right?" Spike nodded towards the vampire, looking around the trashed office. "Gunn, Fred, right? Or was it Anne? Or your sister?"
"It's Anne. She's the reason that I got my life on track again."
"Wesley, that'd be Fred for you, right?"
"Right." He confirmed as she looked up at him, with a bit of surprise in her eyes.
"There's always a reason, and nine times out of ten, it's a girl, or in your case, Fred, a guy." Angel said as they sat there in the circle thinking of their own reasons.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
CORDELIA CHASE'S APARTMENT

Cordelia moved the chair slightly to the left and looked up at her new living room. It wasn't what she wanted it to be, but it was there and done as far as she was concerned.
"There, that should be it." She wiped her forehead of the sweat that was beading through her pores. "Thanks Leo."
"No problem. That's what I'm here for."
"Sure. No wonder the Elders referred me to you."
"Which reminds me, how did you get in contact with the Elders?" He asked, taking a load off as he sat down on the couch.
"Water?"
"Please." He responded while she went to the kitchen to get them both some water. She came back, handed him a glass of water and sat beside him.
"Well, I kind of used to be a higher being."
"Higher being, really?
"Yea. With all the powers and everything."
"So, you're not one anymore?"
"Nope. I'm just a liaison."
"For what?"
"Not sure yet. But I'll tell ya once I figure that out." Cordelia raised her glass and took a sip of the glittering water in her glass. Leo drank some of his water and heard the frantic call of Piper's surround him. He looked up and rolled his eyes. Cordelia took the glass from his hands and said, "Go ahead. She needs you. I'll call if I see anything, you know, suspicious."
"Okay, thanks." Leo got up from the couch.
"One more thing, Leo. Give that baby a kiss for me."
"Which one?"
"Both of them."
"Will do." Leo orbed back over to the manor as Cordelia rested on the couch. Too bad Dennis wasn't occupying this apartment to keep her company. She closed her eyes and tried to get some rest. She could see him there, basking in the sunlight of the nacro-tempered windows of Wolfram & Hart. Standing there probably thinking of what to do next in his life without her. Heck, he had Spike now with the visions. His path lied with him now. There was no reason for her to be with him, even though there was that little thing of being the love of her life. She opened her eyes again to see the night sky had descended upon the city. It was nice being here, she thought to herself, but she missed LA. She missed Angel.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
WOLFRAM & HART, ATTORNEYS AT LAW

Wesley pounded on the door of Angel's office for the thousandth time. He had locked himself in two hours ago with a load of explosives and too many weapons to name.
"Angel! You're going to have to come out of there sometime." Wesley yelled, eyeing the fire department to go ahead and break down the door. With the thrust of ten firemen and a round log, the doors came apart revealing Angel in his almost comatose state, ready to ignite the dynamite. "Angel!" Fred yelled as she rushed past the firemen and to his side. Checking him over, he brushed her away and moved outside the office, with his arms crossed and in full brood mode. Fred looked at Wesley, knowing the only thing to do was to call Cordelia.
"Get her on the phone."
"Okay." Fred leaned up to give Wesley a kiss and went over to Harmony's desk and picked up the phone.
"Hey, that's my...oh, Miss Burkle. Sorry." Harmony looked up from over her desk and apologized.
"Harmony, isn't there anything else you should be doing besides painting your fingernails?" Fred asked as she punched in the numbers to Cordelia's new place of business. Harmony looked around her desk, looking for something to tell her. Glancing back up at the scientist, she simply replied, "No."

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
THE CHASE AGENCY HEADQUARTERS

"Wow, girl, this is something." Phoebe exclaimed looking over the new offices of the Chase Agency and admiring the impeccable taste that Cordelia seemed to possess.
"Well, it's an office and that's all I care about." She looked around and sat down behind her new desk when the phone rang. Phoebe walked up clapping her hands up and down.
"Oooh, your first official business call. Can I? Can I?"
"Knock yourself out."
Phoebe picked up the phone answering, "The Chase Agency, San Francisco Division. We go out fighting demons every night, how can I help you?" Cordelia smacked her on the elbow for saying the last part. That wasn't what her agency was based on. Not this time around. She was going after simple cases this time and if by chance, a demon-y case entered the equation, then so be it. Phoebe cupped the end of the phone and started to talk about the girl who was on the other line. "It's a guy named Fred, who sounds a lot like a girl and she says it's something about a guy named..."
"Angel?" Cordelia looked up in worry. Phoebe nodded and Cordelia grabbed the phone out of her hand. "Fred? What's wrong?" She answered, frantic and worried about Angel, but hoping that he was alright. He had to be alright. He just had to. "Slow down, Fred." She listened carefully. "He did what?" She asked, watching Phoebe widen her eyes with suspense and waiting for a good story. "Okay, okay, just start from the beginning."
"Okay, well it all started when you left, Cordelia. He's been going nuts and I'm talking serious nutso. Like that time you told me about that alternate universe where you were a famous actress and Angel was crazy. It's getting all too real." Fred said over the phone.
"You mean he has the visions now?"
"No, Spike still has them. Well, at least I think he does. He hasn't had one yet. But we need you Cordelia. He needs you." Fred pleaded.
"Fred, I can't." She said softly
"Why not?!?" Fred shouted
"Because, I'm needed here, Fred. And I can't just take off every time you guys call. I'm not going to be his lifetime girlfriend or his Martha Stewart or his Florence Nightingale." Cordelia paused and looked over at Phoebe. "Okay, we need to just stop listening to country music." Phoebe nodded her head and wanted her to continue the conversation with the Fred girl.
"You're not just that, Cordelia. You're..." She started to say and then heard a crash in the background. "Cordelia, I have to go, but please come. He really needs you." The other end of the phone clicked and Cordelia laid hers down on the cradle as well.
"So? Are you going?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because if he needs me as much as I know he does, then he'll follow me. I am not the one following this time. I'm the leader."

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
WESLEY'S APARTMENT

Wesley and Gunn laid Angel down in his bed and retreated to the living room where Spike, Fred, and Lorne stood waiting. Looking at each other, they all knew it was only going to get worse. Without Cordelia here with him and them, it was only going to get worse.
"So what now?" Fred asked.
"We wait." Lorne said.
"For what?"
"For a sign."
"We don't wait for a sign Lorne. We've already gotten many." Wesley said, putting what they already knew out in the open. "He needs to be with her."
"We know, Wesley, we know." Gunn said, flying his arms up and down and sitting on the couch. Putting his hands up to his forehead he dangled his noggin in worry and confusion. "If she won't come, then..."
"Then we send him."
"He's hardly capable of anything! How are we supposed to get him on a plane to her if we can't even shake him out of the mental state that he's in?" Spike asked, sitting in the chair across from Gunn and pulling out a cigarette. Wesley pulled the cigarette from his mouth.
"I don't know." Wesley said, lighting the cigarette up himself and inhaling a bit of it. They all sat there in worry and wondered what they were actually going to do.

It was 3 a.m. in the morning when Paige and Phoebe orbed into the apartment.
"Is this it?" Paige asked, looking around at the people sleeping on the couches and chairs. "Wow, they must really be out of it." She commented, hearing the racket of snoring from most of them. "Phoebe?"
"In here." Phoebe waved her hand for Paige to come by her side. "This is him. Angel."
"Wow, she sure knows how to pick them." Paige paused and looked at the angelic face of the creature. "Tell me again, what are we doing?"
"That would be a good question." Wesley startled them from behind, pointing a gun at the chest of Phoebe.
"Oh, hi. I'm Phoebe and this is Paige."
"That's nice." He cocked the gun and was ready to shot. "Why are you here and what do you want with Angel?"
"We know Cordelia." Paige said in their defense before the pistol was shot off, alerting everyone in the building to their presence. He looked at her and lowered the gun. "And, uh, Phoebe, wanna take the rest of this?"
"Sure." She smiled towards the young looking Englishman. "You see, we know about Cordelia and Angel's situation. Well, at least Paige and I do. Piper is still coming around to the idea."
"Phoebe, Paige, and Piper? The Charmed Ones?"
"Yeah, how did you know?"
"You're famous. But go on, about their situations?"
"Yeah, we hear that Angel is miserable?"
"I wouldn't say that exactly, I would say more mental."
"Wesley? Who are you talking to?" Winifred Burkle emerged behind him, her arms tugging at his stomach and looking towards his face.
"Honey, meet Phoebe and Paige Halliwell."
"Oh, the Charmed Ones. Nice to meet you."
"Okay, does the whole City of Angels know of us?" Paige exclaimed.
"Sssh!" Phoebe put a finger to her lips and said to her. "Cordelia is miserable too."
"But she just said today that..." Fred started to speak.
"Yeah, I know, I was there. You're the girl that has a guy's name, right? Fred?"
"Actually it's Winifred, but Fred is better than Winnie."
"I here ya there. Anyhow, Cordelia's miserable. She hides herself behind the stacks of paperwork and cases that she has. She's hiding from the truth."
"What truth is that?"
"That she's in love. She just," Phoebe paused thinking of her own past experiences with Cole and Jason, "...she just doesn't want to get involved with him only to end up hurt and in pain."
Wesley looked over at his beloved and looked back asking, "So what do we do?"