Wolfram and Hart have decided that Angel and Angelus are too much trouble so they set out on his destruction. They have to choose their weapons with precision.
Sort of set after Reunion and mixed in a bit of Epiphany but it then follows a totally different timeline from the episodes then I've added some stuff in to add interest!!! It a series!
At All Costs...
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She stood outside the door that had became familiar to her many years before. Too many years apart and too many mistakes made. She knocked firmly on the heavily engraved wooden door. She heard the masculine footsteps and when the door opened she saw the familiar warm, comforting face of their owner.
"Cordelia!" Giles exclaimed "What a surprise to see you here. Oh come in out of the rain."
The dreary weather has greeted Cordelia not long after she passed the 'Welcome To Sunnydale' sign. It reflected her mood as if the Powers That Be could tell that she needed to be even more depressed. Cordelia didn't even know why, when she had left the hotel she had gone home and packed an overnight bag then headed back to Sunnydale of all places, but here she was.
"Thanks Giles." She said shaking hair wet hair out onto Giles wooden floor.
She took a seat on the couch in the living room and noticed the TV sitting in the corner.
'Maybe Giles has caught up with the 21st Century after all' She thought to herself as he handed her a towel to dry her hair.
"So Cordelia why are you here?" Giles asked while placing a cup of coffee on the table in front of her.
The truth was she didn't know why she was here, or why she chose to descend upon Giles' house, she just needed to get out of LA and as far away from Angel as she could.
"I'm on vacation time." She lied and Giles raised a sceptical eyebrow. "OK quit with the eyebrows, that's my trick. Angel fired me and I didn't want to stay in LA to watch him self destruct. God I never realised Vampires could be so stubborn. That idiot sacked me and now what am I meant to do with these damn visions? I mean the Powers That Be are good with the given and bad when you want to return them."
She continued to rant, now pacing the floors, while Giles just sat there as the old Cordelia flashed at him only to be quickly stifled again.
"Wesley is fine 'Cos he can go back and do the Watcher gig, Gunn can...can do what ever he did when Angel wasn't around. But me." She shouted. "I gave up everything so that he could get his damn Shansu. My acting, even though Angelus was right; I'm crap, my countless dates that great-Broodyness has scared away. The film producer, oh he was a cute and successful. Ahhh." She cried out as she sunk to the floor.
Giles watched in slow motion as Cordelia grabbed her head before falling to the hard wooden floor, her head hitting it but not with enough force to do any damage. He ran to her side and lifted her head as she squirmed around the floor, fitting and crying in his arms.
She slowly opened her eyes, the tears clouding her visions. She could see a male form and the words escaped her lips before she could think straight.
"Angel?"
Giles was taken slightly aback at the fear and innocence in her eyes as she slowly calmed down and opened her eyes. He heard he whisper the Vampires name and finally it clicked into place.
"No Cordelia, it's Giles, your in Sunnydale. What happened?"
Cordelia slowly pulled herself to her feet, clawing at Giles jumper. She reached into her bag and pulled out the slim-line cell phone and pushed in one button.
"Hello Wesley? I had one. It was down at the warehouses near where Gunn lives....A rising with those horned demons we've been chasing...yeah those are the ones. Three human sacrifices, two kids and an altar that looks like it came form the Ark, probably did....A few days...You guys OK with it?...Right see you soon." She hung up the phone to fine a very confused English man staring at her.
"Cordelia what's going on?"
"That was a vision from the Powers That Be. They were given to me from a friend through a kiss before he died." She winced at the sad memory. "I took over his job, some job, as a Seer to help Angel save all these people and get his Shansu, to become human."
"My God Cordelia. You sound as if you've had a lot to deal with. I don't understand though. How can Angel become human? He's a Vampire, dead, no heart beat."
"Yeah but he's unique, a Vampire with a soul. Don't worry, it was prophesied in some ancient, smelly text that Wesley has been translating. Giles I hate to ask but it is too late to get a motel so can I...?"
"Yes of course. You can sleep in the guest room, it is made up."
Cordelia picked up her bag and walked in the direction Giles had shown her. She opened the door to an airy, yet warm room. She dumped her bag unceremonily at the foot of the blanket chest and sat on the bed. The tears started trickling down her face and she didn't even try and stop them. He hands flew up to her face as she tried to stifle the wails.
Giles heard the 20 year old crying outside her door. He felt his heart heave. Cordelia may never have thought herself to be a part of the Slayerettes but her held her as close to his heart as Buffy and Willow. He felt anger stir in him as he though of Angel taking another girls innocence.
Meanwhile:
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Angel collapsed into his bed, exhausted even through all the hours he had been sleeping. This time he would be able to sleep in peace. Darla wouldn't be waiting of him, to lead him away from his cause. She was gone, well the Darla he wanted was gone. Dru had taken way the greatest gift that he could have wished for her; a soul. Wesley, Gunn and Cordelia were all gone now, at his request. He didn't want them getting hurt by what he could do. Angel had dismissed Wesley and Gunn as if they were nothing more than employees, but they were so much more; they were his friends. Cordelia, his family, had left with them and now he had no one except Darla. Maybe if he could convinced her a soul was good he could perform Willows ritual and Darla would regain her soul. First he had to deal with Wolfram and Hart, they had to pay what they had done to Darla.
Angel pulled himself up through the manhole in the basement of the Wolfram and Hart building, right next to the vault where he had stolen the scroll. He knew as soon as he was inside the building, alarms would be going off everywhere, but this had to be done. Angel made his way up the side fire stairs until he reached the floor where Lindseys office was. He waited until the security teams passed by the door before beginning his stealth-like prowl to Lindsey office. Lindseys office was empty and immaculately clean, almost like it had never been used, except for the smell of lies and deceit in the undisturbed air. Angel made his way over to Lindseys mahogany desk, free from files, and started pulling open drawers, which were locked until Angels strength opened them. They contained files under various code names but one in particular caught his eye.
The beige file had 'SIGHTS' written in bold red letters across it. He carefully unwrapped the string fastener and opened the file. Cordelias figure greeted him with a plain white piece of paper with 'WEAPON' scrawled messily across it. Angel heard dulled footsteps on the carpet outside the office. They stopped and the lock to the door was pulled open.
Lindsey stepped into the office and placed his briefcase on the side board to make a cup of coffee, his left hand not quite used to handling the heavy coffee pot creaked under the strain. He rounded his desk and went to sat down in his chair when a displaced skelf of wood caught his eye. He bent down until he was level with the drawer and saw the dents in either side of the wood. Lindsey gently coaxed the drawer out of it's runners to find it opened without a key. His hand sprung to the red button under his desk and after 20 seconds three security guards ran into the room.
"Someone has been breaking into my desk. FIND THEM." He shouted, losing his indestructible cool for a few seconds before composing himself again.
Back In Sunnydale:
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Cordelia stirred in the early morning sunshine that filtered through the guest room window. She peaked through the door to see Giles talking to a black trench coat wearing male. For a brief moment her heart sailed, Angel had came grovelling back to her, but then she noticed the Platinum dyed hair and her heart filled with fear. She ran over to the bedside table and grabbed her stake. Cordelia tip-toed down the Moroccan styled hall and raised the stake up high. Cordelia lunged forward, aiming for the heart but the culprit turned at the last minute and the stake plunged into his stomach instead.
"For Christ sake,. What the Bloody hell..." Spike looked down at the wooden object protruding form his being. "You ruined my shirt."
"Well excuse me but you moved." Cordelia pouted.
Giles moved in between the two, not before Cordelia high kicked the Vampire and sent him to his butt. "Spike, First aid kit." He pointed towards the open plan kitchen. "Cordelia, Spike is good."
Cordelia let out a unlady-like snort. "How can Spike be good, he doesn't have a soul."
"No he has the next best thing, a chip, that means he can't hurt people."
Cordelia grabbed her sides in laughter while Spike wandered back through.
"So what is Peaches secretary doing here and shacked up with you Giles, you should be ashamed she's 25 years your younger."
Giles removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Ha ha Spike. Cordelia is staying with me because..."
"I'm on vacation. " Cordelia lied. "I'm not his *secretary*, I'm his Seer. So you can't hurt people." She sniggered in Spikes direction. "Well aren't we the whipped puppy then!" Spike lunged for the Seer and a crippling pain ripped through his head, like walking on hot coals. "Spike we share something in common, we both get a pain in the head from things we didn't ask for. But mine we will be gone soon."
Giles looked at in a confused manner. "Spike, please leave! You've been fed now go. I'll see you at Magic shop."
Spike swung a blanket around his shoulders and ran swiftly out the front door, yelping as the morning sun nipped at his heels as a reminder he didn't belong to this world.
"Now Cordelia what is this about your visions soon disappearing? I thought you had them to help Angel." Giles asked now that Spike was out of his Vampire ear shot.
"Well you see I was never meant to have these visions and the PTB aren't happy that Doyle passed them on to a meer mortal. Now that Angel sacked me then they are going to take them back. I did tell Doyle that if his gift was ever my gift I would return it but now I don't want to return it. He gave me them for a reason, I don't know what that is yet, but there was definitely a reason. And now Angel is just being an arse...sorry and idiot. Umph." She threw her arms in the air. "Can I help you out in the Magic store? Please it would give me something to do. I'm good with people and demons alike and I know lots about money from the business with...No I won't say his name."
"Yes why not. You might be helpful while I train. You will have to put up with Xanders girlfriend, Anya, she can be a bit...Um..."
"Tact-less?" Cordelia filled in for him, remembering the vengeance demon that had shown her a world so different from the one she now lived in. "Yeah I know, I used to be like that. It doesn't bother me, we've both moved on. I mean there was Christopher with the demon babies and then Lindsey the lawyer that was cute but turned out to be a demon pawn playing with things he doesn't understand." She looked at Giles who was looking confused again. Cordelia quickly closed her mouth when she realised she had been babbling again.
Later:
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Cordelia appeared out of her room wearing a pair of stone bleached bellbottom jeans, a cornflower blue tank top and a white cotton shirt was unfastened and blowing behind her. Her hair was down and bobbing around at her cheek. Giles was amazed at how mature and different she looked compared to the rich, bitchy, immature cheerleader he knew two years before.
They headed out to the Magic shop to find that Anya had already opened up and was stocking the shelves. Giles was worried, to say the least, about the first meeting between the two. Anya was very protective over Xander and Cordelia was still hurt from the kiss with Willow.
"Morning Anya. We have a visitor working in the shop. Anya you remember Cordelia, she used to go Sunnydale High with Buffy, Willow and Xander."
Anya saw Cordelia enter the shop confidently and removed her sunglasses. "Your Xanders ex-girlfriend aren't you." Cordelia nodded in the ex-demons direction. "Well tough he's mine now! Aren't you the one that took my powers away with that stupid wish of yours?"
"Yeah, sorry about that." Cordelia smile sweetly at Anya. "I know why don't I make us coffee? Giles your English like Wesley huh. You drink tea as well?"
Cordelia headed through to the gallery kitchen just off the main shop room passing by the training room. She appeared back in the shop with two cups of tea and a cup of coffee for Anya just as the Slayerettes with a tall muscular looking man and a nervous looking blond girl entered the shop.
"Hiya Giles, Anya, Cordelia...Cordelia! What are doing here?" The blonde asked staring straight at the Seer.
"Buffy, always good with the welcomes. I'm on vacation from LA and what's a better place to visit than going from Hellmouth to another? Willow and someone, and someone else."
"This is Tara and Riley." Willow filled in "Hiya Cordelia."
Cordelia flashed a genuine smile in the Wicca direction. "Ah so this is Riley. I must say Buffy, your taste has changed. He is human this time huh?"
Riley stepped forward to shake hands with the sarcastic Seer. "Riley Finn. You must be the Cheerleader from Sunnydale High. I recognised you from Buffys prom photo."
"Yeah that's me. I flew the flock. I worked, work, for Angel in LA." She noticed Rileys smile fall. "So your the commando then, you caused quite a stir in LA. And Tara would be?"
"Tara is my...girlfriend. She's a Wicca." Willow took Taras hand.
Cordelia was taken aback slightly but soon recovered when she saw the love the two shared. "Well we're all full f surprises aren't we."
Buffy turned to Giles, "You ready to train then? Riley is gonna join us. He's gonna help when the battle starts."
"Oh great, demon rising, end of the world stuff. Just can't escape it can ya?" Everyone turned around and looked at Cordelia. "What?"
"Cordelia, this is Buffys greatest battle since Adam, we need to be ready." Giles piped up while Riley just stared; not quite knowing what to make of Cordelia Chase, bitch extrodinaire.
"I can help with research. I can phone Wesley and get him to look up some smelly texts for you. They should be done slaying my visions. I can get Wesley and Gunn to find Angel and tell him to get his evil butt over here."
"NO!" Riley shouted out then quickly withdrew. "I mean we are better dealing with this one on our own plus you can have the Inisititives back-up if you need it.
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "What do you mean 'Evil Butt?"
"Not evil as in 'Grr, I'm Angelus and I'm gonna be bad and sarcastic.' Nah we've been there. He just been funny since...well he's been strange and broody."
"What else is new for Dead-boy?" A familiar voice filled the small shop. "Hi Cordelia, nice to see you."
"Xander!" Anya ran over to her dirty and dusty boyfriend. She threw her arms around him, looking in Cordelias direction. "So how was your day at the site? Did you make money to spend on me?"
Cordelia winced slightly. Not because Anya and Xander looked good together but because the boy that had broken her heart had something she didn't: Someone to depend on. Her family was either in jail or obsessing over his dead, now risen Sire, while the other half of that duo was dead. She blinked back the tears.
"Nice to see your fashion taste hasn't changed." Cordelia motioned at his dirty Hawaiian shirt.
"Nice to know your still the bitch Cordelia." Xander flung back at him.
Buffy grew impatient, she wanted to know about Angel and what Cordelia meant by strange but not while Riley was there. "Right Giles lets get going." The trio trouped through to the 'Danger Room.' while Xander and Cordelia sat bickering at each other, Anya sticking up for Xander when ever Cordelia got one up. Willow shared a seat with Tara, looking up new spells and texts on the Internet. An old high school friend might say that it was just like old times but it was anything but.
10 pm in LA:
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Angel lay awake, aware of the cold body beside him. Her arms draped across his chest as she came back into the world of the living where she didn't belong. Angel was constantly trying to fight back the memories of the night before. He had found out about the new business that Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn had set up and how well they were coping without him. Nobody needed or wanted him anymore, except Darla. But she didn't want him as Angel, she wanted her Darling Boy back; Angelus. Angel felt the pain shoot through his heart and tear at his very being. He shot out of bed and knelled in front of the window and looked out at the LA cityscape, the pain still tearing through him. He felt Darlas cool hands on his shoulders.
"Don't worry, it will only hurt for a minute."
This pain wasn't the same as the last time; after Buffy. This felt like a warning, not the final event. He turned around and faced Darla.
"No it won't. It hurts forever. Now leave me alone. If I find you in my dreams or anywhere near me or my employees then I will hunt you down and stake you." He stood up and quickly dressed, walking out on his Sire. He only turned out when he called his demons name.
"Angelus, they don't work for you anymore. You don't have anyone, all alone again." She snared.
"We'll see."
"Remember that your Seer is only human." Darla shouted to a retreating back.
He jumped straight into the convertible and headed for the ex-watchers apartment downtown.
Wesley opened the door to find the ragged looking Vampire, that up until a month ago he had considered his friend, standing before him.
"Angel." Wesley said dryly. "What can I do for you?"
"You can tell me where Cordelia is. I know she isn't in LA, I can fell it." The Watcher went to turn away. "Please Wesley, I want to make it up to all of you but I have to start with Cordelia."
"She's in Sunnydale. I think you'll find her at Giles' house. Don't expect a warm welcome, she hates your guts right now."
Angel climbed back into the convertible and put the hood up. He turned and headed out of the city onto the freeway bound for Sunnydale.
Midnight At the Magic Box:
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The Slayerettes were spread across various sections of the shop. Buffy, Riley and Giles were still training after a 30 minutes break, for the benefit of Riley and Giles. Willow was still on the Internet while Tara was in the spell department of the bookcases. Xander and Anya were making out in the kitchen and Cordelia sat at the table in the middle of the shop with a Latin text in front of her, feeling more detached than when she first arrived.
The door to the shop opened, attracting the attention of everyone except Cordelia, who was lost in her dreams.
"Angel!" Willow exclaimed.
Cordelias head flew up. She looked briefly at Angel before rising from the table and walking away from his view. Buffy and Giles wandered slowly out of the Danger Room at the sound of Angels name, Riley stood behind them very wary.
"Cordelia wait. I want to talk to you." Angel shouted out. He reached out to grab her arm but she slapped him away.
"Don't touch me!" The Vampire recoiled "I don't want to talk to you." Cordelia went to walk into the kitchen but the picture of Xander and Anya stopped her. There was no way out except through the front door. She went to barge past Angel but he moved into her way. "LET ME GO!"
"Cordelia, you're not running away from this one. Not this time. You always complain that I don't want to talk well now I do."
"I wasn't the one who ran away. You sacked us remember, you walked out on us, on me." Cordelia bit on her lip. "Giles can we borrow the Training room to talk please, that way if I try and kick his ass I get a soft landing."
Giles nodded. Buffys heart tore as Angel walked straight passed her, not registering her. As if reading her mind, Riley slid his protective and comforting arms around her thin waist. Shouts started to echo around the shop, emanating from the training room. The Slayerettes looked around the room uncomfortably.
"Well I think that I will leave Cordelia to lock up tonight." Giles said beating a hasty retreat from the Magic Box.
"Yeah Tara and I better get some sleep. We have...stuff to do tomorrow." Willow said with Tara following behind Giles.
"Xander can we go? We can go back to your basement and have sex." Anya suggested and Xanders face lit up.
"Yeah sure Anya, I've heard Cordelias insults before." They both turned and walked out of the shop leaving Buffy and Riley behind.
"Buffy I have to go and report in. Are you coming?" Riley asked.
"No I think I better stay here." She looked at Riley for a reaction. She saw his shoulders sag and then watched the light in his eyes disappear. "Well if Angel comes to his senses and tries to shut Cordelia up then I am the only one who could stop him doing serious harm. He did slap me when I was in LA."
Buffy watched as Riley left the shop, his shoulders still sagging and the look in his eyes of distrust. She turned her attention back to the feuding couple.
"Cordelia will you stand still? Your pacing is making this very hard."
"Good, the harder the better. Who are you to come waltzing into MY hometown and DEMAND to speak to me. Well when I wanted to speak to you, you just brushed me off. Why should I talk to you."
"Because we're family."
That had her she stopped pacing and looked straight at the Vampire. She could see the pain and the misery behind his eyes. It was always there but this time it was so much worse. He was breaking apart.
"Yeah some family. Wesley gets shot, I have demon babies and Powers That Be slide shows in my head and you...your a 250 year old Vampire who ran away with his Sire. You are the worse of all. You turned your back on us when we needed the most, when you needed us the most. That isn't family. Family is like when Doyle was alive."
"OK I can see you still have issues over this but please let me explain. I don't expect you to understand..."
"Understand what? The need to protect the ones you care most about, the ones that matter most in the world. The understanding when you are powerless to stop them taking the roads that shouldn't be walked down. Oh yeah I understand that, much."
"Point taken. But this was different. I loved Da..."
"I don't want to hear her name. Angel I mean it."
"I loved her once. She was my world and I thought I had lost her the first time but then she was back and it was suddenly all that mattered. It took over everything. I was selfish, I'm sorry, but this mattered to me."
Cordelia felt his words mirror hers as she ran through the memories and pains form Xander and Doyle.
"Angel it is always about what matters to you. We're your family, we know it more than ever. She is evil, pure, incarnate evil. Why are you so blind and such an idiot over this?"
"I'm not blind and she isn't evil. She had a soul and she knew what it was to care. I couldn't just walk away from that. She was like me."
Cordelias heart soften as she saw the pain behind is eyes increase. The feeling of powerlessness and helplessness was all to real to her but Angel had only felt this when he was first soul and when Buffy died briefly.
"She WAS like you, I think that is the point Angel. She is a hard-nosed bitch that has no soul, has no heart. You couldn't have just walked away, sure ya can. Take a stake, straight to the heart and poof," She motioned an explosion with her hands. "And you put one foot in front of the other and walk away. She doesn't want you as you are, she wants the sarcastic, sadistic killer called Angelus. And when she realises that she can't get to him then she will try killing you instead."
"Cordelia she knows about the happiness curse and she also knows she can't be the one to turn me." He looked at a very confused Cordelia. "I slept with her and she couldn't turn me."
Angel heard to sharp breaths been taken. He watched the confusion leave Cordelias eyes immediately and replaced by anger.
"You what?" She shouted ready to slap him but he caught her hand in mid air. "Why?"
"It was uncontrollable. I was low, everybody had abandoned me again and she was there."
"How could you. She's a whore Angel, slept her way around most of the Polish army during WW2 I heard. What do you mean 'uncontrollable? You just happen to fall into bed with her and she had you handcuffed to the bed? Eww I don't even want to know? Did all that brooding take up the space in your brain for intelligence?...."
Angel slowly walked away from his ranting ex-Seer, shaking his head. He turned back to her as she still shouted at his retreating back. The anger welled up inside him and his demon urged to be realised. "Why did I ever put up with you Cordelia?"
"Doyle!" She whispered, almost inaudibly.
He stopped dead at the mention of his dead friend. He gazed as Cordelia crumpled to the floor in exhaustion, a single tear falling down her face.
"Doyle didn't want us to part that's why he gave me the visions. He didn't want a new Seer to come in and break up his family. But that seems to have happened anyway." She took in a deep breath. "Do you know how many times I cried myself to sleep at night when you went evil? How many times I played having to call Buffy to stake Angelus in my head? I was worried about you constantly. I couldn't go to auditions 'cause I would fluff my lines then my name would get around as a lousy actress. I even blubbed my way through the national that I had the day after you fired us."
Angel marvelled remembering what Doyle had told him about a month after Cordelia joined them. Doyle had just walked away from an insult session with Cordelia, and he was off to buy her shopping.
"Why do you let her talk to you like that?" Angel asked Doyle.
"Look," Doyle pointed through to Cordelias office. She sat flicking through Vogue but never looking at the pages. Her 19 years displayed on her face show her innocence and maturity to the world she now lived in. "That's what you call a 'Cordy Moment' They are few and far between so you have to take when you can."
That is what Angel had now. A Cordy Moment, her feelings laid bare, no Queen C, no walls of false tact, just Cordy.
Sort of set after Reunion and mixed in a bit of Epiphany but it then follows a totally different timeline from the episodes then I've added some stuff in to add interest!!! It a series!
At All Costs...
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She stood outside the door that had became familiar to her many years before. Too many years apart and too many mistakes made. She knocked firmly on the heavily engraved wooden door. She heard the masculine footsteps and when the door opened she saw the familiar warm, comforting face of their owner.
"Cordelia!" Giles exclaimed "What a surprise to see you here. Oh come in out of the rain."
The dreary weather has greeted Cordelia not long after she passed the 'Welcome To Sunnydale' sign. It reflected her mood as if the Powers That Be could tell that she needed to be even more depressed. Cordelia didn't even know why, when she had left the hotel she had gone home and packed an overnight bag then headed back to Sunnydale of all places, but here she was.
"Thanks Giles." She said shaking hair wet hair out onto Giles wooden floor.
She took a seat on the couch in the living room and noticed the TV sitting in the corner.
'Maybe Giles has caught up with the 21st Century after all' She thought to herself as he handed her a towel to dry her hair.
"So Cordelia why are you here?" Giles asked while placing a cup of coffee on the table in front of her.
The truth was she didn't know why she was here, or why she chose to descend upon Giles' house, she just needed to get out of LA and as far away from Angel as she could.
"I'm on vacation time." She lied and Giles raised a sceptical eyebrow. "OK quit with the eyebrows, that's my trick. Angel fired me and I didn't want to stay in LA to watch him self destruct. God I never realised Vampires could be so stubborn. That idiot sacked me and now what am I meant to do with these damn visions? I mean the Powers That Be are good with the given and bad when you want to return them."
She continued to rant, now pacing the floors, while Giles just sat there as the old Cordelia flashed at him only to be quickly stifled again.
"Wesley is fine 'Cos he can go back and do the Watcher gig, Gunn can...can do what ever he did when Angel wasn't around. But me." She shouted. "I gave up everything so that he could get his damn Shansu. My acting, even though Angelus was right; I'm crap, my countless dates that great-Broodyness has scared away. The film producer, oh he was a cute and successful. Ahhh." She cried out as she sunk to the floor.
Giles watched in slow motion as Cordelia grabbed her head before falling to the hard wooden floor, her head hitting it but not with enough force to do any damage. He ran to her side and lifted her head as she squirmed around the floor, fitting and crying in his arms.
She slowly opened her eyes, the tears clouding her visions. She could see a male form and the words escaped her lips before she could think straight.
"Angel?"
Giles was taken slightly aback at the fear and innocence in her eyes as she slowly calmed down and opened her eyes. He heard he whisper the Vampires name and finally it clicked into place.
"No Cordelia, it's Giles, your in Sunnydale. What happened?"
Cordelia slowly pulled herself to her feet, clawing at Giles jumper. She reached into her bag and pulled out the slim-line cell phone and pushed in one button.
"Hello Wesley? I had one. It was down at the warehouses near where Gunn lives....A rising with those horned demons we've been chasing...yeah those are the ones. Three human sacrifices, two kids and an altar that looks like it came form the Ark, probably did....A few days...You guys OK with it?...Right see you soon." She hung up the phone to fine a very confused English man staring at her.
"Cordelia what's going on?"
"That was a vision from the Powers That Be. They were given to me from a friend through a kiss before he died." She winced at the sad memory. "I took over his job, some job, as a Seer to help Angel save all these people and get his Shansu, to become human."
"My God Cordelia. You sound as if you've had a lot to deal with. I don't understand though. How can Angel become human? He's a Vampire, dead, no heart beat."
"Yeah but he's unique, a Vampire with a soul. Don't worry, it was prophesied in some ancient, smelly text that Wesley has been translating. Giles I hate to ask but it is too late to get a motel so can I...?"
"Yes of course. You can sleep in the guest room, it is made up."
Cordelia picked up her bag and walked in the direction Giles had shown her. She opened the door to an airy, yet warm room. She dumped her bag unceremonily at the foot of the blanket chest and sat on the bed. The tears started trickling down her face and she didn't even try and stop them. He hands flew up to her face as she tried to stifle the wails.
Giles heard the 20 year old crying outside her door. He felt his heart heave. Cordelia may never have thought herself to be a part of the Slayerettes but her held her as close to his heart as Buffy and Willow. He felt anger stir in him as he though of Angel taking another girls innocence.
Meanwhile:
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Angel collapsed into his bed, exhausted even through all the hours he had been sleeping. This time he would be able to sleep in peace. Darla wouldn't be waiting of him, to lead him away from his cause. She was gone, well the Darla he wanted was gone. Dru had taken way the greatest gift that he could have wished for her; a soul. Wesley, Gunn and Cordelia were all gone now, at his request. He didn't want them getting hurt by what he could do. Angel had dismissed Wesley and Gunn as if they were nothing more than employees, but they were so much more; they were his friends. Cordelia, his family, had left with them and now he had no one except Darla. Maybe if he could convinced her a soul was good he could perform Willows ritual and Darla would regain her soul. First he had to deal with Wolfram and Hart, they had to pay what they had done to Darla.
Angel pulled himself up through the manhole in the basement of the Wolfram and Hart building, right next to the vault where he had stolen the scroll. He knew as soon as he was inside the building, alarms would be going off everywhere, but this had to be done. Angel made his way up the side fire stairs until he reached the floor where Lindseys office was. He waited until the security teams passed by the door before beginning his stealth-like prowl to Lindsey office. Lindseys office was empty and immaculately clean, almost like it had never been used, except for the smell of lies and deceit in the undisturbed air. Angel made his way over to Lindseys mahogany desk, free from files, and started pulling open drawers, which were locked until Angels strength opened them. They contained files under various code names but one in particular caught his eye.
The beige file had 'SIGHTS' written in bold red letters across it. He carefully unwrapped the string fastener and opened the file. Cordelias figure greeted him with a plain white piece of paper with 'WEAPON' scrawled messily across it. Angel heard dulled footsteps on the carpet outside the office. They stopped and the lock to the door was pulled open.
Lindsey stepped into the office and placed his briefcase on the side board to make a cup of coffee, his left hand not quite used to handling the heavy coffee pot creaked under the strain. He rounded his desk and went to sat down in his chair when a displaced skelf of wood caught his eye. He bent down until he was level with the drawer and saw the dents in either side of the wood. Lindsey gently coaxed the drawer out of it's runners to find it opened without a key. His hand sprung to the red button under his desk and after 20 seconds three security guards ran into the room.
"Someone has been breaking into my desk. FIND THEM." He shouted, losing his indestructible cool for a few seconds before composing himself again.
Back In Sunnydale:
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Cordelia stirred in the early morning sunshine that filtered through the guest room window. She peaked through the door to see Giles talking to a black trench coat wearing male. For a brief moment her heart sailed, Angel had came grovelling back to her, but then she noticed the Platinum dyed hair and her heart filled with fear. She ran over to the bedside table and grabbed her stake. Cordelia tip-toed down the Moroccan styled hall and raised the stake up high. Cordelia lunged forward, aiming for the heart but the culprit turned at the last minute and the stake plunged into his stomach instead.
"For Christ sake,. What the Bloody hell..." Spike looked down at the wooden object protruding form his being. "You ruined my shirt."
"Well excuse me but you moved." Cordelia pouted.
Giles moved in between the two, not before Cordelia high kicked the Vampire and sent him to his butt. "Spike, First aid kit." He pointed towards the open plan kitchen. "Cordelia, Spike is good."
Cordelia let out a unlady-like snort. "How can Spike be good, he doesn't have a soul."
"No he has the next best thing, a chip, that means he can't hurt people."
Cordelia grabbed her sides in laughter while Spike wandered back through.
"So what is Peaches secretary doing here and shacked up with you Giles, you should be ashamed she's 25 years your younger."
Giles removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Ha ha Spike. Cordelia is staying with me because..."
"I'm on vacation. " Cordelia lied. "I'm not his *secretary*, I'm his Seer. So you can't hurt people." She sniggered in Spikes direction. "Well aren't we the whipped puppy then!" Spike lunged for the Seer and a crippling pain ripped through his head, like walking on hot coals. "Spike we share something in common, we both get a pain in the head from things we didn't ask for. But mine we will be gone soon."
Giles looked at in a confused manner. "Spike, please leave! You've been fed now go. I'll see you at Magic shop."
Spike swung a blanket around his shoulders and ran swiftly out the front door, yelping as the morning sun nipped at his heels as a reminder he didn't belong to this world.
"Now Cordelia what is this about your visions soon disappearing? I thought you had them to help Angel." Giles asked now that Spike was out of his Vampire ear shot.
"Well you see I was never meant to have these visions and the PTB aren't happy that Doyle passed them on to a meer mortal. Now that Angel sacked me then they are going to take them back. I did tell Doyle that if his gift was ever my gift I would return it but now I don't want to return it. He gave me them for a reason, I don't know what that is yet, but there was definitely a reason. And now Angel is just being an arse...sorry and idiot. Umph." She threw her arms in the air. "Can I help you out in the Magic store? Please it would give me something to do. I'm good with people and demons alike and I know lots about money from the business with...No I won't say his name."
"Yes why not. You might be helpful while I train. You will have to put up with Xanders girlfriend, Anya, she can be a bit...Um..."
"Tact-less?" Cordelia filled in for him, remembering the vengeance demon that had shown her a world so different from the one she now lived in. "Yeah I know, I used to be like that. It doesn't bother me, we've both moved on. I mean there was Christopher with the demon babies and then Lindsey the lawyer that was cute but turned out to be a demon pawn playing with things he doesn't understand." She looked at Giles who was looking confused again. Cordelia quickly closed her mouth when she realised she had been babbling again.
Later:
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Cordelia appeared out of her room wearing a pair of stone bleached bellbottom jeans, a cornflower blue tank top and a white cotton shirt was unfastened and blowing behind her. Her hair was down and bobbing around at her cheek. Giles was amazed at how mature and different she looked compared to the rich, bitchy, immature cheerleader he knew two years before.
They headed out to the Magic shop to find that Anya had already opened up and was stocking the shelves. Giles was worried, to say the least, about the first meeting between the two. Anya was very protective over Xander and Cordelia was still hurt from the kiss with Willow.
"Morning Anya. We have a visitor working in the shop. Anya you remember Cordelia, she used to go Sunnydale High with Buffy, Willow and Xander."
Anya saw Cordelia enter the shop confidently and removed her sunglasses. "Your Xanders ex-girlfriend aren't you." Cordelia nodded in the ex-demons direction. "Well tough he's mine now! Aren't you the one that took my powers away with that stupid wish of yours?"
"Yeah, sorry about that." Cordelia smile sweetly at Anya. "I know why don't I make us coffee? Giles your English like Wesley huh. You drink tea as well?"
Cordelia headed through to the gallery kitchen just off the main shop room passing by the training room. She appeared back in the shop with two cups of tea and a cup of coffee for Anya just as the Slayerettes with a tall muscular looking man and a nervous looking blond girl entered the shop.
"Hiya Giles, Anya, Cordelia...Cordelia! What are doing here?" The blonde asked staring straight at the Seer.
"Buffy, always good with the welcomes. I'm on vacation from LA and what's a better place to visit than going from Hellmouth to another? Willow and someone, and someone else."
"This is Tara and Riley." Willow filled in "Hiya Cordelia."
Cordelia flashed a genuine smile in the Wicca direction. "Ah so this is Riley. I must say Buffy, your taste has changed. He is human this time huh?"
Riley stepped forward to shake hands with the sarcastic Seer. "Riley Finn. You must be the Cheerleader from Sunnydale High. I recognised you from Buffys prom photo."
"Yeah that's me. I flew the flock. I worked, work, for Angel in LA." She noticed Rileys smile fall. "So your the commando then, you caused quite a stir in LA. And Tara would be?"
"Tara is my...girlfriend. She's a Wicca." Willow took Taras hand.
Cordelia was taken aback slightly but soon recovered when she saw the love the two shared. "Well we're all full f surprises aren't we."
Buffy turned to Giles, "You ready to train then? Riley is gonna join us. He's gonna help when the battle starts."
"Oh great, demon rising, end of the world stuff. Just can't escape it can ya?" Everyone turned around and looked at Cordelia. "What?"
"Cordelia, this is Buffys greatest battle since Adam, we need to be ready." Giles piped up while Riley just stared; not quite knowing what to make of Cordelia Chase, bitch extrodinaire.
"I can help with research. I can phone Wesley and get him to look up some smelly texts for you. They should be done slaying my visions. I can get Wesley and Gunn to find Angel and tell him to get his evil butt over here."
"NO!" Riley shouted out then quickly withdrew. "I mean we are better dealing with this one on our own plus you can have the Inisititives back-up if you need it.
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "What do you mean 'Evil Butt?"
"Not evil as in 'Grr, I'm Angelus and I'm gonna be bad and sarcastic.' Nah we've been there. He just been funny since...well he's been strange and broody."
"What else is new for Dead-boy?" A familiar voice filled the small shop. "Hi Cordelia, nice to see you."
"Xander!" Anya ran over to her dirty and dusty boyfriend. She threw her arms around him, looking in Cordelias direction. "So how was your day at the site? Did you make money to spend on me?"
Cordelia winced slightly. Not because Anya and Xander looked good together but because the boy that had broken her heart had something she didn't: Someone to depend on. Her family was either in jail or obsessing over his dead, now risen Sire, while the other half of that duo was dead. She blinked back the tears.
"Nice to see your fashion taste hasn't changed." Cordelia motioned at his dirty Hawaiian shirt.
"Nice to know your still the bitch Cordelia." Xander flung back at him.
Buffy grew impatient, she wanted to know about Angel and what Cordelia meant by strange but not while Riley was there. "Right Giles lets get going." The trio trouped through to the 'Danger Room.' while Xander and Cordelia sat bickering at each other, Anya sticking up for Xander when ever Cordelia got one up. Willow shared a seat with Tara, looking up new spells and texts on the Internet. An old high school friend might say that it was just like old times but it was anything but.
10 pm in LA:
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Angel lay awake, aware of the cold body beside him. Her arms draped across his chest as she came back into the world of the living where she didn't belong. Angel was constantly trying to fight back the memories of the night before. He had found out about the new business that Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn had set up and how well they were coping without him. Nobody needed or wanted him anymore, except Darla. But she didn't want him as Angel, she wanted her Darling Boy back; Angelus. Angel felt the pain shoot through his heart and tear at his very being. He shot out of bed and knelled in front of the window and looked out at the LA cityscape, the pain still tearing through him. He felt Darlas cool hands on his shoulders.
"Don't worry, it will only hurt for a minute."
This pain wasn't the same as the last time; after Buffy. This felt like a warning, not the final event. He turned around and faced Darla.
"No it won't. It hurts forever. Now leave me alone. If I find you in my dreams or anywhere near me or my employees then I will hunt you down and stake you." He stood up and quickly dressed, walking out on his Sire. He only turned out when he called his demons name.
"Angelus, they don't work for you anymore. You don't have anyone, all alone again." She snared.
"We'll see."
"Remember that your Seer is only human." Darla shouted to a retreating back.
He jumped straight into the convertible and headed for the ex-watchers apartment downtown.
Wesley opened the door to find the ragged looking Vampire, that up until a month ago he had considered his friend, standing before him.
"Angel." Wesley said dryly. "What can I do for you?"
"You can tell me where Cordelia is. I know she isn't in LA, I can fell it." The Watcher went to turn away. "Please Wesley, I want to make it up to all of you but I have to start with Cordelia."
"She's in Sunnydale. I think you'll find her at Giles' house. Don't expect a warm welcome, she hates your guts right now."
Angel climbed back into the convertible and put the hood up. He turned and headed out of the city onto the freeway bound for Sunnydale.
Midnight At the Magic Box:
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The Slayerettes were spread across various sections of the shop. Buffy, Riley and Giles were still training after a 30 minutes break, for the benefit of Riley and Giles. Willow was still on the Internet while Tara was in the spell department of the bookcases. Xander and Anya were making out in the kitchen and Cordelia sat at the table in the middle of the shop with a Latin text in front of her, feeling more detached than when she first arrived.
The door to the shop opened, attracting the attention of everyone except Cordelia, who was lost in her dreams.
"Angel!" Willow exclaimed.
Cordelias head flew up. She looked briefly at Angel before rising from the table and walking away from his view. Buffy and Giles wandered slowly out of the Danger Room at the sound of Angels name, Riley stood behind them very wary.
"Cordelia wait. I want to talk to you." Angel shouted out. He reached out to grab her arm but she slapped him away.
"Don't touch me!" The Vampire recoiled "I don't want to talk to you." Cordelia went to walk into the kitchen but the picture of Xander and Anya stopped her. There was no way out except through the front door. She went to barge past Angel but he moved into her way. "LET ME GO!"
"Cordelia, you're not running away from this one. Not this time. You always complain that I don't want to talk well now I do."
"I wasn't the one who ran away. You sacked us remember, you walked out on us, on me." Cordelia bit on her lip. "Giles can we borrow the Training room to talk please, that way if I try and kick his ass I get a soft landing."
Giles nodded. Buffys heart tore as Angel walked straight passed her, not registering her. As if reading her mind, Riley slid his protective and comforting arms around her thin waist. Shouts started to echo around the shop, emanating from the training room. The Slayerettes looked around the room uncomfortably.
"Well I think that I will leave Cordelia to lock up tonight." Giles said beating a hasty retreat from the Magic Box.
"Yeah Tara and I better get some sleep. We have...stuff to do tomorrow." Willow said with Tara following behind Giles.
"Xander can we go? We can go back to your basement and have sex." Anya suggested and Xanders face lit up.
"Yeah sure Anya, I've heard Cordelias insults before." They both turned and walked out of the shop leaving Buffy and Riley behind.
"Buffy I have to go and report in. Are you coming?" Riley asked.
"No I think I better stay here." She looked at Riley for a reaction. She saw his shoulders sag and then watched the light in his eyes disappear. "Well if Angel comes to his senses and tries to shut Cordelia up then I am the only one who could stop him doing serious harm. He did slap me when I was in LA."
Buffy watched as Riley left the shop, his shoulders still sagging and the look in his eyes of distrust. She turned her attention back to the feuding couple.
"Cordelia will you stand still? Your pacing is making this very hard."
"Good, the harder the better. Who are you to come waltzing into MY hometown and DEMAND to speak to me. Well when I wanted to speak to you, you just brushed me off. Why should I talk to you."
"Because we're family."
That had her she stopped pacing and looked straight at the Vampire. She could see the pain and the misery behind his eyes. It was always there but this time it was so much worse. He was breaking apart.
"Yeah some family. Wesley gets shot, I have demon babies and Powers That Be slide shows in my head and you...your a 250 year old Vampire who ran away with his Sire. You are the worse of all. You turned your back on us when we needed the most, when you needed us the most. That isn't family. Family is like when Doyle was alive."
"OK I can see you still have issues over this but please let me explain. I don't expect you to understand..."
"Understand what? The need to protect the ones you care most about, the ones that matter most in the world. The understanding when you are powerless to stop them taking the roads that shouldn't be walked down. Oh yeah I understand that, much."
"Point taken. But this was different. I loved Da..."
"I don't want to hear her name. Angel I mean it."
"I loved her once. She was my world and I thought I had lost her the first time but then she was back and it was suddenly all that mattered. It took over everything. I was selfish, I'm sorry, but this mattered to me."
Cordelia felt his words mirror hers as she ran through the memories and pains form Xander and Doyle.
"Angel it is always about what matters to you. We're your family, we know it more than ever. She is evil, pure, incarnate evil. Why are you so blind and such an idiot over this?"
"I'm not blind and she isn't evil. She had a soul and she knew what it was to care. I couldn't just walk away from that. She was like me."
Cordelias heart soften as she saw the pain behind is eyes increase. The feeling of powerlessness and helplessness was all to real to her but Angel had only felt this when he was first soul and when Buffy died briefly.
"She WAS like you, I think that is the point Angel. She is a hard-nosed bitch that has no soul, has no heart. You couldn't have just walked away, sure ya can. Take a stake, straight to the heart and poof," She motioned an explosion with her hands. "And you put one foot in front of the other and walk away. She doesn't want you as you are, she wants the sarcastic, sadistic killer called Angelus. And when she realises that she can't get to him then she will try killing you instead."
"Cordelia she knows about the happiness curse and she also knows she can't be the one to turn me." He looked at a very confused Cordelia. "I slept with her and she couldn't turn me."
Angel heard to sharp breaths been taken. He watched the confusion leave Cordelias eyes immediately and replaced by anger.
"You what?" She shouted ready to slap him but he caught her hand in mid air. "Why?"
"It was uncontrollable. I was low, everybody had abandoned me again and she was there."
"How could you. She's a whore Angel, slept her way around most of the Polish army during WW2 I heard. What do you mean 'uncontrollable? You just happen to fall into bed with her and she had you handcuffed to the bed? Eww I don't even want to know? Did all that brooding take up the space in your brain for intelligence?...."
Angel slowly walked away from his ranting ex-Seer, shaking his head. He turned back to her as she still shouted at his retreating back. The anger welled up inside him and his demon urged to be realised. "Why did I ever put up with you Cordelia?"
"Doyle!" She whispered, almost inaudibly.
He stopped dead at the mention of his dead friend. He gazed as Cordelia crumpled to the floor in exhaustion, a single tear falling down her face.
"Doyle didn't want us to part that's why he gave me the visions. He didn't want a new Seer to come in and break up his family. But that seems to have happened anyway." She took in a deep breath. "Do you know how many times I cried myself to sleep at night when you went evil? How many times I played having to call Buffy to stake Angelus in my head? I was worried about you constantly. I couldn't go to auditions 'cause I would fluff my lines then my name would get around as a lousy actress. I even blubbed my way through the national that I had the day after you fired us."
Angel marvelled remembering what Doyle had told him about a month after Cordelia joined them. Doyle had just walked away from an insult session with Cordelia, and he was off to buy her shopping.
"Why do you let her talk to you like that?" Angel asked Doyle.
"Look," Doyle pointed through to Cordelias office. She sat flicking through Vogue but never looking at the pages. Her 19 years displayed on her face show her innocence and maturity to the world she now lived in. "That's what you call a 'Cordy Moment' They are few and far between so you have to take when you can."
That is what Angel had now. A Cordy Moment, her feelings laid bare, no Queen C, no walls of false tact, just Cordy.