Disclaimer:All characters belong to Joss Whedon and Angelthe series.

Synopsis: Angel and his crew have all moved on from their former lives and onto this new path, but when presented another chance will they follow their destinies or take the chance to try again at a life Unfettered? Takes place in season 2.

Chapter Six

The tension in the room had risen to almost suffocating levels. No one was sure who should say what, though Spike answered Angel with a nod and an arm up to move Dawn behind him. Cordelia noticed this, then glanced to Buffy. When the blond looked flushed then looked away, she decided it was time to act. With a grin she walked over to Angel.

"Hey there broody! Gunn brought doughnuts, and there's coffee, so why don't you help me get some for Willow and Xander. Buffy want a mug? Tara, tea right? You just look like a tea girl."

While Cordelia put a hand to Angel's chest and gave him a grin she was ushering him back into the office. There was a clearing of throats and Gunn offered doughnuts while Tara stammered that tea was fine. The door closed immediately behind Cordelia and Angel and when the muttering sound of harsh voices was heard the Scooby gang looked nervously around. Meanwhile Gunn grabbed a bear claw and handed it over to Wesley before grabbing a twist for himself. When no one moved right away Wes and Gunn looked around and Wes cleared his throat.

"They'll be fine. Best not to interrupt. Now, I believe I am caught up and –"

The door flew open and Angel headed out with a puppy dog expression on his face and shoulders slumped. Hands full of mugs he walked over to Willow and Xander, handing over coffee mugs. A small glare sent to Spike but nothing was said. He then turned to hand Tara her tea.

"Didn't know if you took anything so just added honey."

Tara had of course heard stories about Angel and Angelus and this didn't' fit in with either so she muttered a staggered thank you and held the mug. Carefully side stepping to be closer to Willow. Angel stood with his back to the bookshelves so he could keep an eye on the study group. Spike and all exit points. Hands in his pants pockets he tried to relax but was really not comfortable with Spike there. Spike knew that but was also a bit surprised by his behavior and looked from Angel to the open office door. Gunn frowned at Angel.

"You, where's mine?"

When Angel's face came up and a hint of confusion and contrition flittered across his face Spike grinned and took the opportunity.

"Yeah poof, where's the token's cuppa?"

"Watch it!"

Gunn turned to glare at Spike and again the tension went up, quickly diffused as Cordy came out with a small tray of mugs.

"It's all right Gunn, Spike, like most manpires, has a habit of not thinking before talking."

Her look shot him down and she walked over to give Gunn his coffee then a mug to Angel, a pointed look said he was going to drink and so he took it. Heading over to Spike she offered him a mug.

"Figured you hadn't gotten breakfast yet either, you're looking all peaked, so drink, and behave. Sorry Dawn, I didn't think you were coffee and probably not tea, but there's doughnuts!"

With a smile she tilted her head to the box as Spike stared at the mug and then took a tentative sip. Once he was sure what it was, he drained the mug. Face shifting and a blood moustache coating his upper lip as he grinned. Cordy set down the tray and cupped her mug in her hands as she picked at the doughnuts to decide but then thought better of it and didn't take one.

Buffy cleared her throat and at a look from Spike she frowned at him, he shrugged and set the mug down. Dawn was grinning and headed over to get a doughnut.

"Oooh jelly!"

Angel made a small grumbling noise and when Dawn raised the doughnut and her brow, Cordy looked to Angel, who gave a quick surprised look then glanced to Spike, Spike was eating this up and when Cordy finally relented with a sigh, Angel's look turned to triumph. Cordelia grabbed a napkin and handed it off to Spike. Who wiped his mouth with a shrug. For Buffy, that was the last straw. She tossed up her arms and realized no one was paying attention. Everyone gone back to studying or eating.

"All right, is noone thinking pod people here?"

Confused faces glanced up to Buffy. All but Gunn and Cordy. Gunn having started to flirt with Tara, he must not have gotten the memo, and Cordelia suddenly finding her coffee very interesting. Angel looked at Buffy and saw her staring daggers and with the look passed between the slayer and Spike, suddenly quite a bit became very clear. The growl came up from deep in his chest and Cordy looked up quickly. She saw his look at Spike and closed her eyes shaking her head. Of course. It was Giles that spoke up however, while all the underlying tension was being focused.

"Buffy, did you find anything last night during your patrol?"

"What? Oh, just some newbie vamps. Dusted. Seriously though. Okay so Cordy gets visions, that's messed up but this?"

Cordelia's jaw tightened but she didn't say anything. Angel of course couldn't let it lie as he set down his mug and crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at Spike.

"Speaking of messed up, why is Spike here again?"

"Been doin' a lot more for the li'l bit then you ever did! Part o' the team now yeah?"

Buffy paled and Cordelia was not in the mood. Not in the least. So she set down her own mug and sighed, turning to dig out her purse from the pile of their things.

"Right well, since I'm so not in the mood for another epic drama fest with the long lost loves of slayer and vampire and I'm really not up for a love triangle of emo proportions, I'm heading out. Wes says you guys got all the information you could find I am going to head out and see if I can find the place this all goes down. Maybe that will shed some light on the reason we are actually here."

Tara set aside her tea and tried for a smile, a quick glance to Willow and an answering nod and the two were ready to follow.

"W-we'll come with y-you. If you'd l-like. May-maybe we can, help get s-something?"

Cordelia had never looked so grateful. She even reached for Willow's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"That would be great. Thanks."

Tara's answering smile was proof that she was glad to feel useful and Dawn grabbed another doughnut before heading out with them. She shot Buffy a look. Self satisfied, before glancing to Spike. She knew her sister was interested, everyone knew Spike was interested. She was just glad that she wasn't the only one noticing.

"I'll come! Besides I heard Cordelia has the best taste in shoes and there's a pair downtown I'm just dying to get. Buffy says they are ugly as sin. Whatever that means."

Before Buffy could protest the quartet were out the door. Cordelia gave one last glance back and the look of hurt was impossible to miss, and an apologetic look was returned by not only Wesley but Giles. As soon as the door closed and the small bell had finally faded away all Scooby eyes turned to Buffy, while Wes and Gunn stared at Angel.

"Smooth, Angel. Real smooth."

Gunn shook his head and turned his back on Angel as he went to plop down and look over the papers, knowing the books would do him no good. Off of Angel's confused look Wes stood up and cleared his throat.

"Angel, if I may, could we speak? Privately?"

Showing it wasn't a request so much as an order, he headed straight to the office and Angel hesitated before following. The door closed and Giles stood next, cleaning off his glasses he kept his head down as he spoke, until he got to her name, then his brow raised.

"I believe we should also speak, in the training room? Buffy?"

Buffy's mouth was suddenly opening and closing as if a child caught sneaking out, but she nodded, and followed him out of the room. Both doors closed, the remaining people seemed to go still, as if hoping they could hear something. Xander and Spike stared at the back door, while Gunn and Anya were much more interested in the office. When Spike stepped away from the door to the table, motion that was arrested as if stuck in time, began again. Anya went back to counting money and the others went to the research.

AA

Nothing was said for a few minutes. Willow and Tara walked hand in hand, and Dawn trailed the three women finishing off her doughnut. Cordelia had her head held up her chin, purse slung over her shoulder as they walked. Her eyes had cleared, and she was pushing away any hurt to deal with what they were there for. Of course she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and Sunnydale wasn't exactly the largest area to walk through before you saw everything. Tara whispered to Willow who nodded then walked ahead and touched Cordelia's arm softly. Getting her to stop.

"So, any idea where we're headed?"

Cordelia looked confused then finally stopped, letting her shoulders relax.

"I'm sorry, I guess I just needed to get out of there. Um, the truth is, I didn't actually see it happening."

With a frown she realized something was off about her vision. She'd have to think about it, before she could Dawn was bouncing in front of them.

"We could always, you know do some shopping while you try and think about where to go! Please?"

Willow rolled her eyes and Cordelia laughed.

"Sure, shopping sounds good. Why don't we start with, shoes?"

Feeling a bit better the women moved on to the small shops downtown. There was definitely more that needed to be discussed, but everyone was happy enough to let it go for now and enjoy a bit of the day.

AA

Buffy closed the door silently behind her and as Giles wasn't speaking yet she tried to defuse whatever the situation was before she got chastised for anything. She wasn't sure what she'd be in trouble over, but she was sure it was something. She knew Giles too well to not know she was in trouble. So she gave her bubbling blond smile and walked after him to the center of the mats.

"I totally didn't invite Spike but hey, maybe he'll eat Cordelia?"

His eyes raised to hers and she read the disappointment there. It was worse than being yelled at and her face fell. This time she decided to wait until he spoke. He saw her face fall and knew this was hard for her, but also knew that she wasn't making it easy for others. With a sigh he shoved his hands into his pants pockets.

"Buffy. I understand this is awkward for you. With Angel here and now with whatever is going on between you and Spike."

He raised a hand to wave a hand towards the door. As her eyes widened and she glanced behind her to the door then back to Giles to protest, his small shake of the head stopped her.

"However, these are our guests. It has been a couple of years since any of us, well a part from Willow it seems, have seen or spoken to Wesley or Cordelia. I know in that time you, Xander and Willow have all grown and changed drastically. I am just saying that perhaps you should give them the benefit of the doubt that they have perhaps changed as well."

Buffy opened her mouth to say something, but closed it, thinking better of it, and simply nodded.

AA

Angel's talk was not going quite as smooth. While he continued to brood in the corner, arms crossed, Wesley's face was tight with disappointment and anger.

"What is this about Wesley?"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth he knew he should have just kept to waiting. Wesley's face turned up to glower at him. His voice came out clipped, and a definite rebuke.

"Perhaps it has escaped your attention, but Cordelia and I were not exactly looking forward to coming back here. We did so because it is our job. Something that should have occurred to you as soon as she received the vision. Instead you decided to disregard us and come charging in by yourself. Now we are all familiar with the situation and that this is awkward as well for you and Buffy. The point, I believe, is that if the two of you would put aside your own issues with the slayer and her new lovers, whether she has any right now or not, and look around you might see that while Giles has been more than kind and accepting of us all, there are others that still see Cordelia as the unfeeling may queen they remember."

Angel sucked in a slow breath. He didn't' need it, but it helped release the tightness in his chest.

"She was never unfeeling."

Wesley finally relaxed a bit himself and nodded. His shoulders relaxing and arms crossing to mirror Angel's stance.

"No, but we are just as guilty as the others of not noticing. The point is, they don't know her, and right now, they don't have the time to get to know her."

AA

In a much better mood, Cordelia sipped at her ice cold frappachino with extra whipped cream and swung her small bag from the shoe store. Dawn was hyped up and everyone was thinking that maybe, the cold chocolatey coffee was not the best idea for the young woman. Still she wanted to hit one more store so Willow took the bullet and volunteered to take her while Cordelia and Tara took to a bench in the park across the street. With a sigh, Cordelia let her head fall back.

"I really hope I wasn't this hyper when I was in high school. I don't know where she gets the energy!"

Tara smiled, happily watching her girlfriend head into a store with Dawn and nodded.

"She l-likes to shop. We do-don't do a lot of g-girl days. Like, like this I mean."

Cordelia glanced over to her and smiled.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Mostly because I don't get them much. It's nice though, I'll admit. Most of my days are spent cleaning up demon goo and barking at the boys to clean up and sleep!"

"Well isn't this just as sweet as could be, and where is your little slayer friend? Witch?"

With a frown Cordelia and Tara both looked up at a woman in a bright red dress, with lips to match and a mane of perfectly coiffed blond curls. Cordelia tilted her head and got ready to ask who she was when Tara's eyes widened and she answered for her.

"Glory."

Cordelia's eyes widened as well. Realization dawning on her and her eyes slid across to the store in hopes that Dawn and Willow weren't heading back out. She stood up and painted on the Queen C smile hoping to delay the inevitable.

"Well, for a hell god, I have to say, your taste is impeccable. Of course, slut probably works really well in hell huh?"

Tara reached for Cordelia's hand, trying to pull her back to sitting, too late. Glory was angry. A glance down to herself she slowly looked back at Cordelia with a glare and raised her hands.

"Let's see what you know about my key, oh and take a message back to your slayer. Bring me the key, or everyone she knows, dies."

With a smile her fingers seemed to melt into Cordelia's temples. The seer's mouth fell open in a wordless scream and Tara jumped up from her seat, too late.

A/N:Yeah I'm totally speeding up the Glory thing. Mostly because it's not the big bad you need to worry about. Also thought of finishing this scene for you but hey, isn't a little mystery fun? Thanks to all who have sent reviews. Rest assured I'm not the type to hold a story hostage for reviews. I write because I love it!