Angel

There was a flash. Angel looked back and before he had time to react the sword came down and took off his head. Then there was white. He squinted trying to see. There was nothing, only white. Slowly his eyes adjusted. He was in a large room. No furniture, no windows nothing, just an empty room. He looked down. This wasn't what he was wearing a second ago. In place of his old clothes were a pair of lose white pants and a white tank. He looked up.

"Hello handsome." Angel quickly turned to see a ball of silver glowing light. He recognized that voice. Suddenly the ball materialized into a solid form.

"It has been a while," Cordellia said with a smile. Angels jaw fell open. He stared for a split second before moving to touch her. She quickly held up a hand her face saddening.

"No, I'm not real," she said stepping back. Angel frowned.

"But….." he paused.

"My time in the corporeal is done. My work is here now." Seeing the still confused look on his face she went on. "Think of me as your guardian, your guide." Angel lifted his chin slightly in contemplation and continued to examine his surrounding.

"I'm dead," he said bluntly.

"Well technically you were dead before, but yeah."

"Is this heaven?"

"No," she gave a small snort as she replied.

"Is this hell?" Cordi looked around the room.

"No," she said as she shook her head. Angel looked around the room again, still very confused.

"This is that place in the middle," she said holding our her arms. "Some would call it purgatory. It's kind of like a waiting room." His eyes narrowed in on her.

"A Waiting room? What are we waiting for?" She looked at him as if he should already know that answer.

"Well, for you to go back." He took a second to let the words process in his mind. He was not quite sure he heard her correctly. After a very long pause her replied, "What?" Cordellia rolled her eyes.

"Angel you're here because you're not finished. And I'm here because, while you're here, I'm your guide." Again a long pause.

"Wait, I'm not finished. I don't understand." Cordi rolled her eyes again.

"Jesus the dead are so dense," she said more to herself than him. "Look, this was another step to lead you on your path. You still have a great many things to accomplish." She frowned then continued," Wait, why am I telling you this, you read the prophecy you know what is meant to happen."

"Cordi, I signed that away," He replied just a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Don't you take that tone with me. And I know you did, I saw, dumb ass." Angel stood a little straiter. It was weird to see Cordi like this yes, but she hadn't lost herself.

"Angel it was prophecy. Foretold long before you even existed, and it doesn't matter whether you signed in blood or in permanent marker. It will happen. But it's something you gotta work for." Angel stared at her his eyes a little wider than usual.

"So I still have a chance to be human?" he asked. Cordi smiled and nodded, watching as a smile slowly graced his angelic features.

"Which leads me to this." She slowly lifted her hand palm up to reveal a small crystal ball floating about an inch above her skin.

"A crystal ball?"

"A looking glass you idiot. This will show you anything you want or need to see. Past, Present, or future. Take a look." Angel slowly leaned over the small crystal looking deep into its depths. Suddenly things began to move and pictures appeared. He saw a girl about twenty years old. She was sitting at a desk a pair of black rimmed glasses resting low on the bridge of her nose. A small strand of her strawberry blonde hair fell into her face as she reached for a book across her desk. She attempted to blow the small piece of hair out of her face. When this failed she resigned to tucking it behind her ear.

"Who's this," he asked looking up at Cordi.

"Her name is Paten. Both you and her have a pivotal role to play in each others futures. We're sending you back to help her, so that she, in turn, can help you."

"What's so special about her," Angel asked. Cordi gave an evil grin.

"She's a slayer." Angel looked up at Cordi, his eyes narrowing.

"Great, a slayer. Because you know, I have such great experience with them." Cordin glared at him then cleared her throat.

"Now wait second, before you get all sarcastic, let me finish." Angel crossed his arm across his chest and faked real interest. Cordi took a deep breath as she stared at the pure white ceiling.

"OK, so the universe has a balance. There is the same percentage of evil as there is good. Sometimes there may be a slightly higher percentage of evil as well as good, but in the end it all balances out. Are you with me so far?" Angel roled his eyes and nodded.

"All right. When The First tried to open the hell mouth, that universal balance was broken. In an attempt to fix it, the powers that be allowed Willow to use her power to awaken all the potential slayers. But when that happened the percentage of evil dropped rapidly. Once again that balance was thrown off, and in yet another attempt to fix this the apocalypse was brought forth. This would end this world so that the universe could start a new. Which is why I was sent back to you. To set you on your path and-"

"Give me the visions," he said finishing her statement.

"Yes. Your actions post-poned the apocalypse, but that unbalance was still there. So the powers created Paten." Angel quickly held up a hand.

"Wait a second. So if the powers brought forth the apocalypse why did they stop it?"

"Because the powers didn't create it in the first place. When the universe was created, it was made with a sort of self destruct. If the balance was ever thrown off so immensely, like it was, it would destroy itself so the powers could start over." Realization crossed her features.

"So they stopped it so they wouldn't have to start over from the beginning."

"Exactly." Angel frowned yet again.

"So how did Paten bring back the balance?"

"Paten wasn't a potential slayer. In fact she was supposed to lead a normal life. But she was born different. She is the only female descendent of a slayer. It's in her blood. The powers simply woke up that power in her. But there was something else. When they woke up the slayer in her, they woke up something else." Angel leaned forward waiting for her next sentence. When she didn't immediately reply, he asked, "What did they wake up?"

"The witch. It turns out that she was also the descendent of a very powerful witching line. Which is another reason they chose her."

"So how am I supposed to help her," he asked doubt seeping from his lips. Cordi glared at him.

"Angel she has no idea what happened to her. No idea what she is. We needed someone different, someone special, like you, to train her. You're the only one that can help her Angel."

"Why? Why me?" Cordi paused and took a deep breath.

"That is something you will just have to figure out yourself." Angel glared at her as her paused to think. Special. She said Special. Suddenly he looked up with questioning eyes.

"Wait so does that mean you are sending me back as a vampire?" Cordi gave a weak smile and waved.

"Good Luck." Without another word Angel feels the floor drop from under her him. Once again there is another flash. When he opens his eyes he is in the dark. The floor beneath him is cold. Slowly his eyes adjust and he recognizes his surroundings. The Hyperion Hotel.