"This is getting boring," Faith complained.

"What, you mean you can't let twenty minutes pass by with no killing?" Buffy quipped.

"You know there are more demons out there. You can feel it too."

Buffy sighed and leaned against a tree, "Yes, yes I can."

There was more silence and then finally Faith's cell phone rang. She answered it with a flippant, "What up G?"

Buffy could hear her Watcher's very prissy British voice answer Faith indignantly, "Would you please refrain from calling me that? You sound like a gangster."

"Hey, I'm fresh outta the joint, G. Whattya expect?" she winked over at Buffy who couldn't help but grin a bit.

"Tell Buffy we need you two to split up - to cover more ground. This situation is quickly getting out of control. . ." Faith paced out of earshot then hung up and walked back over to Buffy with Giles' directions.

Buffy bade Faith goodnight and goodbye, uncharacteristically hugging her. There was a good chance that this would be the last time that they ever saw each other again.

She found that there was nary a demon to kill along the way. Which was good - Giles' coordination of efforts appeared to be keeping large sections of the city safe. She felt good about having him at the helm once again. It had been a long time since he had retired as her Watcher and left her to her own devices.

"Buffy?"

Buffy slowed her pace and turned towards the familiar voice she heard behind her. "Cordelia? What are you doing here? Where's Angel?"

"I think what you really want to ask is how is Angel? Has he completely lost his mind?" Cordelia laughed as if she hadn't a care in the world and slinked her arm through Buffy's. "So, where are we going?"

For someone who appeared to be self-centered, Cordelia could be remarkably perceptive. It wasn't the first time Buffy had wondered about this. Was her princess persona really just an elaborate defense mechanism? Buffy decided to take the bait, "OK, Cordy, how IS Angel? Has he completely lost his mind?"

But Cordelia didn't answer her question. Instead she took a different tack, "I'm so glad I found you. You need to know about the Sanshu prophecy."

"Sand shoe?" Buffy furrowed her brow.

"I don't have much time, but I just had to tell you. Angel has a chance to become human again." Cordelia began to bounce with her steps. Buffy couldn't understand why that would make Cordelia so happy. Maybe she and Angel were closer than she thought. . . An old nagging jealousy began to surface.

Uncannily perceptive, Cordelia instantly read her look, "Oh, it's not like that between Angel and me, don't worry."

She let out another giggle. Her jubilation in this time of peril was starting to get annoying. "Just tell me what I need to know, Cordy. Time is running out, and I need to be somewhere."

"Oh, look at you," Cordelia reached out and stroked Buffy's face with a motherly look in her eyes. "Ever the Slayer."

Her gesture completely unnerved Buffy, and she didn't have time for this strangeness. "Spit it out Cordy."

She could feel the demons closing in around them and was starting to get agitated.

"OK, here's how it goes. When the end of days is nigh," she looked up to the sky and chuckled once more, "It looks like its nigh! Dragons and hellspawn everywhere!"

"Come on, Cordy."

"Oh, yes," Cordelia settled down once more, stopped walking, and looked directly at Buffy this time, "At the end of days, the vampire with a soul has a crucial part to play. The prophecies don't know which side he'll choose - good or evil, but if he chooses wisely, he will be rewarded. He will be restored."

Buffy just stared at her dumbly. "And you're telling me this why?"

"Buffy. Angel could become human again - this is his big chance!" she was floating now. "Aren't you the least bit excited?"

As the implications sank in, Buffy genuinely smiled for the first time in ages and had to admit, "Well, yeah."

"'Well, yeah?' that's all you have say?"

With Cordelia's unusual perception tonight, Buffy felt compelled to play it close to the vest. Her mind was processing the possibilities as fast as any supercomputer, but her thoughts were none of Cordy's business. She suppressed her smile and instead just gave her a blank look.

"Anyway, he has to make the right choice - can you help him do that?"

Buffy looked up at the sky again to see a particularly menacing looking dragon swoop down between two buildings. "It sure looks like he could use some help in that department right now."

"Yes he could."

"You sure it's not too late?"

Cordelia hesitated, "Hmm, I hadn't thought about that one. We'd better hurry, I know where he is."

She proceeded to tell Buffy a location - it happened to be the exact same location that Giles had given her. Wow! After all this time, she really WAS going to see Angel tonight. The anticipation tied her stomach in knots. "I'm heading that way anyway, let's go."

Buffy led the way down the alley while Cordelia fell into silence. And she was . . . floating. Something began to tickle Buffy's mind. Hadn't she heard that Cordelia was. . .

Suddenly, she didn't hear footsteps behind her anymore. "Hey, Cordelia, I thought you were. . ." Buffy stopped and turned ". . . dead."

Now that was wicked. Buffy was in the alleyway all alone. She shuddered.

Her mind filled with thoughts of Angel, Cordelia, and herself. She continued on her way, muttering under her breath, "Gawd, does ANYONE stay dead anymore? You'd think mortality was going out of style."