Title: Hell on the loose

Author: Galadrielle

Fandom: Reaper/BtVS

Pairings: Devil/Sam Oliver, Angel/Tara, Spike/Riley, Xander/Lorne, Giles/Lindsey, Cordy/Wesley

Warnings: SLASH, violence, blood

Summary: When demons start invading Sunnydale, Angel and his crew are called back from LA to help stop the apocalypse. What they don't know is that it isn't a 'normal' apocalypse but rather a search party for the Devil's mate.

Chapter One

Darkness

Pain

Noises all around him

What had happened? Where was he? And where was his lover?

Was he already tired of him and had sent him to hell?

Doubt crept into him, remembering the carelessness he seemed to be treated with. How he never seemed to be able to do his job right. How there was always someone better, stronger, more intelligent and beautiful than him.

The doubts that had lived inside him for a long time, made him forget all promises he had received. None of the declarations of love mattered anymore now.

'He must be laughing his ass off!' Cursing himself, he felt tears rising unbidden.

Lying alone in the darkness with pain as his only companion Sam Oliver cried in sorrow, for what he thought lost.

"What? Why should we go back to Sunnydale, Cordy?" Angel asked irritated. He had finally been able to forget the whole episode with Buffy after Wesley and Lindsey had worked together on a spell that blended Angelus and Liam together, resulting in Angel becoming stronger and no longer hunting for redemption, but living a life and helping people. And now he would have to go back and be confronted with Buffy again?

Snorting unladylike Cordelia snarled, "Angel! Didn't you listen to a thing I just told you about this vision?" When she saw his shamed gaze she knew that he hadn't really listened to her, probably assuming that she was just bitching again. "We have to go back to Sunnydale. I had a vision. The vision showed hordes of demons invading Sunnydale and the others not being able to defeat them. We have to help them! Was that slow enough for your dead brain to comprehend?"

Shaking his head Wesley snorted, "Like they would want or accept our help!"

Sighing Cordy snapped at the men, "Well, do what you want! But I'm going and Lorne and Lindsey already agreed to come with me!" With a dramatic flair of her dress Cordelia Chase turned around and made her way up to her room.

After the last attack by Wolfram & Heart they had decided that it would be safer for them to bunk together rather than be apart and easier targets.

The only downer for them was that it had been too late to prevent the deaths of Gunn and Fred. Both had been killed two month ago by a sorcerer working for W&H.

Both were remembered fondly but as everyone in the Hyperion knew; live goes on…

Lindsey hadn't really been welcomed with open arms either, but he proved himself an addition by fighting with them, supporting them legally and even learning a bit magic taught by Wesley.

They had quickly discovered that once really angered Lindsey possessed an unlimited amount of magical power and wielded it instinctively. Now he just had to learn to call upon it and control it.

Angel and Wesley, both still standing in Angel's office looked at each other in exasperation. "You really think they will go, Wes?"

Rubbing his forehead Wesley sighed, "You know how stubborn she is, Angel. And multiply that with Lin and Lorne and you get the most stubborn people/demon on earth…"

Shaking his head Angel stood up. As he went he grabbed is ever present packed bag and started filling it with weapons.

"Angel, what are you doing?" Wesley looked at his friend curiously.

"Packing."

"Whatever for?"

Turning towards the former watcher Angel replied, "For Sunnydale. I'd rather give in with my pride and hide intact, thank you very much."

Shaking his head Wesley knew that Angel was right. While Cordelia had mellowed, a tiny little bit, over the years she could still take chunks out of their flesh with her sharp tongue. "You are right, of course. I should go and start packing too!" Opening the door Wesley groaned when he found himself face to face with not only the feared woman but Lindsey and Lorne too.

"Cordelia, nice of you coming back…"

Smirking superiorly at him Cordelia replied, "Don't worry, Wesley. I heard what you said and am proud to know that I trained you so well!"

Blushing furiously Wesley mumbled under his breath before practically running to his room to pack a few clothes, laughter following him up the stairs.

Angel meanwhile groaned when now the three gazes turned to him, "What?"

"Will you be okay with going back, Angelcakes?" Lorne asked, worried for his friend.

Nodding Angel replied, "Sure. Whatever I had with Buffy is definitely over and done with."

"You know that, but what about the bitch? Does she know you are done for?" Cordy asked using her most bitchy tone of voice she used whenever talking about Buffy.

Shrugging careless Angel said, "If she doesn't I'll just have to tell her…"

Snorting Cordelia interrupted him, "Yeah, again and again and again. You forget, Angel, that she considers you her property."

"Well, then we just have to cure her of that notion, won't we?" The smirk Angel sent them was purely Angelus and made them shudder in pity for Buffy.

The late afternoon found them sitting in the van Wesley had rented so they could take as many books and weapons with them as thought they would need. The former watcher was driving while Angel and the others sat comfortably in the back.

Not for the first time in his unlife Angel was glad for blackened windows on vehicles as he looked at the scenery they passed. He thought about Buffy, about the feelings he had had while he had been in Sunnydale and about how they seemed to vanish when he really started living in LA. But he thought about his childe, too. Spike had always been a large and important part in his past. Since he had heard from Xander calling Cordelia for their weekly call that Spike had been 'chipped' and was now literally 'fangless' he had worried about him. While they may hate each other on the surface the bond between them remained strong and sure.

He was and will always be Spike's sire.

Shaking his head Angel concentrated back on Cordelia detailing her vision, "You remember where our coffee shop was, Wesley? Xander told me that it's now a bar…but I'm sure that this is where the vision took place. The buildings around it, you know?"

Nodding Wesley replied, "I remember the way. Will we go to Giles' first or start our own lead there?"

"We'll go there first. That way we'll have something to tell them should we find anything." Angel decided.

They jumped in surprise when music interrupted their conversation, "Mine!" Cordelia exclaimed when her cell phone rang. Looking at the display her forehead wrinkled in uncertainty, "Xan, is everything alright?"

*Hi, Cordy. Just wanted to let you know that another apocalypse is on the move right now.* Xander sounded breathless.

Biting her lower lip she asked, "Are you okay? You sound stressed…"

A snort interrupted her, *Yeah, I'm okay. Just getting food for the more important people in the group. You know those who never want to do any work themselves.*

"You mean bitchy and witchy, don't you?"

*Wow, Cordy! How did you know that?* The laughter told her that he was feeling a bit better.

Smirking she replied, "Well, I'm a psychic, you know? Getting visions, even have my own set of worshippers!"

Laughter greeted her and she really relished in the blush on Wesley's face. 'I just wish that Angel could still blush!'

*So, who is licking you pumps? Deadboy or Wesley?*

"Actually, it's both of them!"

*I'm really impressed, Princess. Cordy, I've got to go, they are waiting for their nourishments to get back to the research. Damn 'end of the world' again…*

Soothing him as best as she could over the phone Cordy said, "Yeah, I know what you mean. And don't worry reinforcement is on the way to you! But don't tell those dumb bitches, otherwise Angel won't be able to enter the door before she shoves her lose and dripping…"

*CORDY!* Xander exclaimed, *Behave yourself, Princess! But I know what you mean, even when she is with Riley she always talks about Angel this and Angel that. It hurts him, but does she care? No! Anyway, I'll be glad when you get here. There have already been some rather nasty sightings.*

Angel had enough and took over the phone, "Hey, Xander. Were there only sightings or actual attacks?"

*De…Angel, no attacks we know about at least. But there seems to be something funny on the sixth cross Marden's…*

"That's where the bar is you told Cory about?"

*Yeah, should we meet you guys there?*

"No, we'll look for ourselves and then meet you at Giles' later. We need another hour until Sunnydale. It would be nice if you could get the others there too. That way we'll only have to explain once what we know." Angel looked at Wesley, who stepped down on the accelerator.

Sighing Xander replied, *Sure, just get here on time. 'til later, Angel!*

Angel gave Cordelia her phone back. "Hopefully the town is still standing when we get there."

tbc