Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine...

Friends in High Places

Chapter One: A Very Weird Day...or the End of the World

FiHP

Today was going to be a great day!

Or that's what she thought when she first woke up this morning. It was the first day of school and everything was perfect! Her skin looked amazing, her hair looked even better and her outfit was great! All she had to do was drive to school and let everyone admire her perfection.

...but then she remembered.

Although the word ascended would be more accurate. And the memories were just a part of the package...so was the light show for that matter. So when the servants came into to the room to find out what had caused the fireworks, it only took a little wave of her hand to blame it on her hairdryer...or what was left of it.

Well, even if she had to go back to Hell School, at least, she kept her powers. Good for her.

...or not as she couldn't feel any of the other 'Powers' and as much as the idea of being in charge appealed to her, it's not like they were around for her to rub it in their faces. That and she bet all their, well her agents now, could feel the shift, now that the Powers that Screwed the world up were suddenly absent. Actually, considering just how absent the old PTBs were before, they probably didn't even noticed.

Great just great! She had to let every seer, and other direct links know there was a new boss, which required a meeting as she was NOT going to give them horribly painful visions and leave them alone to figure out their meaning.

Oh God the paperwork!

And the damn taxes! The worst news she received when she first became a Higher Being. She had to pay taxes! Stupid (IRS)... she always suspected they were demons.

"Benevolent demons? My, Holy and extremely hot, ass!" She mumble under her breath. "Should not be legal stupid Higher Laws screwing up with me."

She needed a Lawyer...a non evil lawyer. She stopped her car suddenly, nearly making the car behind her crash into her. A crazy idea was taking form in her mind. She was a genius!

'But really... coming back to this place!' She thought looking at the building from hell. Or the building on top of hell depending on who you asked.

Ugh...or maybe she was an idiot because her idea meant she had to get good grades. And even though her "Power that is Hot" status gained her universal knowledge... as far as the mortal world knew Cordelia Chase was not the best student around, the hottest? Definitely. But, top of her class? Yeah...she could hear everyone's laughter already...mostly her parent's laughter.

As she parked her car she asked. "How am I supposed to solve the world's problems AND get good grades without it being suspicious...or messing with everyone's head? I'm a Higher Being NOT a Higher God or Willow!"

...Wait a second.

Oh yes, she was a genius.

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She could definitely hear the laughter now. Not only here but in a higher plane as well. Her new blonde 'friend' was enjoying this up there.

Xander was laughing at her in disbelief at what she had just told Willow. He thought she was trying to trick them from the moment she approached them without uttering a single scathing remark. Well the stupid idiot!

Here she was, being nice and actually apologizing for the way she had treated them before, and he found it funny! Completely lost it when she mentioned her career plans and asked Willow help in achieving her goal. How dare he! And she even had decided she was totally not blaming them for what their future selves had done and...well okay maybe a little but they hadn't done anything yet...not like it would happen this time around. There would be no dating of Xander Harris this time.

At most she would try to be friends... friendly acquaintances, well at least she'd try not to be too bitchy.

The redhead, however, having realized the Cheerleader was serious, looked confused, shocked and kind of scared. "You want to..." Willow squeaked. Her eyes wide.

"Yes." Cordelia, somehow, managed to say sincerely while rolling her eyes at Xander. "I know you have no reason to believe me, but I promise I'm not possessed or something." She smiled trying to contain her annoyance at Xander's renewed bout of laughter. "I really am sorry. I can't excuse the way I've treated you guys. But, I mean it. I want to change the way things are, and I don't want to be the person that every one thinks I am, that my parents made me become."

She looked sharply at Xander. "Sometimes people put up walls of bitchiness or humor to try and convince everyone and themselves that nothing affects them. That they don't hurt inside."

Well that shut him up.

There was a reason she had dated the guy. They were more similar than they liked to admit. If for different reasons, they put up those damn walls. Something that everyone did, but that they sometimes took to the extremes when mixed with their stubborn nature. Their walls were pretty damn strong and most of the time hurt them as much as they protected them. They kind of shared that with Faith too, actually.

Which, Cordy hoped, she could put to good use when they met the brunette slayer. Even after she grew up so much as a person in L.A. She still had not been able to forgive the girl. Not only for what she did to her friends, but because the girl had the most expressive eyes Cordy had ever seen. Even with her walls up, and the amount of pain in there only served to remind Cordelia of her own pain.

Once she ascended though.

That thing possessing her hadn't lied to Angel when it told him Cordy had seen what he did as Angelus. She had. She also saw Xander's life. Confirming the abuse and neglect she had always suspected, his parents put him through. He turned out okay though... well sort of.

But it was Faith's life that truly horrified her. She had a feeling it would have horrified even Angelus if he'd seen it. Probably sent him into a rage if he'd known just who... well never mind that for now. Cordy certainly felt the horror of what she'd gone through...and of what the scoobies and Cordelia herself had unintentionally done to push the slayer over the edge.

Cordy had considered trying to be friendly with her, but her damn eyes and Cordelia's jealousy at Xander's behavior around Faith, made her push that thought out of her head.

So Yeah. Cordy had quite a few regrets, and just because she was a Higher Being now, didn't mean she couldn't try to fix them now she had a second chance. That meant no more Queen C, unless you really deserved it...or really annoyed her.

"I-ahh-I uhh...if you really... I mean s-sure...water... and a b-bridge over it...with the water under...y-yeah and time! To p-process...I mean...and yeah L-law s-school with you know all t-the Law and high grades a-nd y-you... and m-me with the h-helping yeah uh... yeah s-sure...with-"

Cordelia had to stop the babble fest, or they'd be here all day. "Really!? Great!" She said smiling at the redhead. She knew it was probably too much for the girl's mind at the moment, and she didn't want her passing out on her. But even if she didn't completely believe her, Willow had already agreed...sort of, in the middle of her babble, to help her out. Cordy would prove she meant what she said during the time they would spend studying and at school...in public even. "I'll call you later so we can come up with a schedule or something, and maybe we can hang out at Lunch."

"L-lunch!" Another squeak by the redhead.

Even Xander was looking completely shocked and overwhelmed now. There definitely was some major lack of blinkage going on with his eyes. "Yup!" She said making a mental note to make sure he kept both of them this time, and excused herself to go to her next class, leaving them standing there gaping at her retreating form.

"T-this has been a very weird day so far..."

Xander, now gaping at Willow, couldn't help but laugh again... with no humor this time, just pure, unadulterated and very real fear. "Weird? Are you mad!? She was nice! SHE APOLOGIZED!" He was hyperventilating now. "It's the end of the world!"

FiHP

School day out of the way.

Now it was time to start working on one of the main reasons, the Powers were terminated, axed, canned, shown the door, laid off, given the pink slip, sacked...and banished to the World with Nothing but Manillow...

Relaxing on the couch in her small office while they were trapped there, Cordy almost pitied them. Almost. No one in their right mind would survive the first couple of hours there...except maybe Angel...but then he wasn't quite right in the head anyway.

"Miss Chase, Mr. Whistler and Mr. Doyle are here as you requested." Her secretary's voice announced through the intercom.

Cordy smiled. Going over to her desk to give her new secretary an answer.

"Great! Send Whistler in. And have someone bring Mr. Doyle something to drink while he waits."

"Of course, Miss Chase." She loved having a secretary. And she totally loved what she was about to do.

Her eyes focused on the balance demon when he came through the door.

He looked at her and gulped. "Ma'am?"

"Whistler! Hi, don't bother sitting this won't take long." She said sweetly. Now, anyone who knew Cordelia Chase would have run like hell the moment they heard that tone in her voice.

Whistler didn't know her. "err Okay.."

"After reviewing all of your cases, particularly Angel's and the ones you took after his, I've decide it would be best to transfer you another plane. As a new approach is to be taken regarding his case. That said I felt you deserved some form of recognition for all your hard work." With that she went over to his side of the desk and giving him an envelope.

Whistler, confused but somewhat relieved, took the envelope and opened it to reveal...a pink...what the?

"Oh, by the way say hi to the Powers and Skip for me!" She said happily. Thoroughly enjoying the panicked look on his face when the content of the envelope and her words clicked in his head right before he disappeared.

"Lia? Have Mr. Doyle come in, please. Oh and give Whistler's cases except for Angel's to one other case workers who passed their evaluation."

"Right away, ma'am."

Yes she was really liking being in charge.

"Ah...you wanted to see me ma'am?" Doyle's voice asked from the door bringing a big smile to her face.

"That I did Mr. Doyle! Please take a sit. I wanted to personally let you know that the Seers program will be undergoing some major upgrades. Brain damaging headaches are a thing of the past now!"

"What..

"No one will be receiving any visions at all while the upgrades are been implemented though, which is one of the reasons I had you come to see me personally." She said giving him a dazzling smile.

"Ma'am?"

"Ah, none of that! You can call me Cordy. And I'll call you Doyle. We are, after all, going to be working together from now on. You see Doyle. I have a very important assignment for you!"

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When the two Higher beings met again and having finally calmed down after laughing their asses off, at the mortals' reactions to the 'New Cordelia'. They discussed the finer details of the brunette's plan. The woman, who scared the PTB's like no one Cordelia had ever met, and was powerful enough to strip them of their power and banish them to a place that made the World with Nothing but Shrimp seem like heaven; agreed that it was a solid plan and certainly would put a lot of bad guys in trouble.

And just like that. A minor time fold and a very carefully selected group of employees later, a new force of good made it's appearance in Los Angeles...and if it all worked out several offices around the world would follow, of course.

"It makes sense. Can't believe it never occurred to anyone before...then again The Powers were in charge, so yeah". Said Cordelia's new partner in crime. Or was she her new boss? The blonde (...or well she was a redhead now...what was with that?) Higher Being hadn't made that very clear. "I knew we did the right thing keeping you around. Letting you return to earth as a human was considered." The 'woman' said smiling. "You know...having a second chance at life. Free of the supernatural. It would have meant erasing your memories though. And we felt that was not something you would have wanted."

"Really? Well, that's a nice change. It can get pretty old really fast, having a bunch of Higher Being messing with your head." Cordy raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean not every one up here are big jerks like The Powers were?"

The Higher being smirked. "Well, I'm sure there are some...or quite a few jerks left. But they sure as hell follow the rules...and with what happened to the Powers I'm sure they'll try to keep in line anyway."

The thought of the Power's fate never failed to make Cordelia feel all warm inside. "So, what made you decide to keep me as the only 'Power'?...ugh, I need to find a new name. I don't wanna be called that anymore."

"You do that. I never liked what they called themselves...arrogant luridi branco di cani bastardi..." She trailed of mumbling. Then shook her head. "But never mind. We can get together for some shopping and PTB bashing after we get things done. To answer your question. We thought you could be a great asset as a Higher Being. You managed to get some things done even when they kept interfering to keep their beloved 'Balance'."

Ah, yes the Balance. Cordy was sure the word alone got the old Powers off every time it crossed their minds. Eww...bad thoughts!

The now redhead smirked as if knowing what Cordelia was thinking, but continued explaining. "At the same time it seemed unfair to burden you with all of the PTB's duties and not giving you an escape from all the stress that comes with your new responsibilities. You are capable of living in the mortal plane as well as here, as you noticed when you woke up there. Unfortunately, while we fix the mess the powers left us with, you can't exactly relax and spend all your time sunbathing in Hawaii or something..." She trailed off cocking her head in thought. "Well, actually you can do that too, as long as you also remain here and in Sunydale dealing with things. I'll show you how to be in several places at the same time. You are going to love it! Definitely helps with the paperwork.

"I can do that?" That definitely was a surprise to her. While, she was omniscient on some level, it could be blocked with enough magic. A LOT of magic but it could happen. If the person doing it was someone as powerful as say... Willlow at her witchiest. But not indefinitely, as it would drain the caster of their magic eventually. A Higher Being definitely could last longer at it, but only if: A) She wasn't their boss or; B) They were more powerful than her.

And with here being the only...nope, she would not say Power, no sir... 'Hot chick with superpowers' as Faith would say, worked for now while she came up with something original; but anyway she was the only HCwS on her level for the moment, she could only be blocked out by her Bosses, the Senior Partners and probably the First Evil even weakened as it had been for the last few billion years (...and yet it outsmarted Buffy and got her to kill the Slayer line)

But back to the matter at hand. Her Self, her essence, not just her awareness, and if she was getting it right, even her body? The Powers certainly hadn't done that, at least she didn't think so.

"Oh yes! I forgot to tell you. You've been promoted!" The woman said as she dropped into a chair. A chair that had just appeared, just like their new location. "This is your new office! Much better than the one you had before, isn't it? It's even connected to the building you chose for you little project."

Well, looking around she had to admit it was pretty nice. Actually, it was amazing! Kind of put Angel's W&H office to shame. Feeling a bit smug, she sat down on the comfy chair behind the desk. "Promoted?" She asked. A 100 Watt smile on her face.

"Yup! We knew, your new status as the Hottest Boss the beings of this plane of existence have ever had, would require more that just a Higher Being." She said winking at Cordy "So with your new position you also get Their power." Oh. Well damn. Now, she really wanted to rub that in Their faces! "I did tell the powers that me and my kind would take care of their duties. You are one of us now, sis!"

And the surprises kept coming! Cordelia had to admit it. From the moment she met the woman her life had been anything but dull. "And who is us, exactly? Because I've only met you so far and you still haven't told me your name."

"Why, sis! That's an excellent question! If anyone in the mortal plane ever asks you that, you're really going to enjoy the look on their faces...Personally, I'm really fond of the light effect they use on that TV show...oh and the name's Cristina by the way." She trailed off smiling at the shocked disbelief on the brunette's face, when a beam of light descended upon the redhead.

"Get out!"

FiHP

AN: So how did you like that? Think it's worth it to keep going with this fic? Let me know if you like this chapter.

Next Chapter: Lots of Angel...and probably some Faith too. And hey, maybe I'll let you know when the hell things are happening...maaayybe.

See Ya!

Kat