Chapter Nine

Outskirts Of Los Angeles,
California.

Angel, Cordelia and Wesley got out of Angel's car and started looking round for anything out of the ordinary. "This is where the Host said the mystical energy spike occurred," Angel informed his two team-mates/friends.

The Host had rung Angel and told him that a large mystical phenomenon had occurred earlier in the day. As his sunlight allergy was still prevalent, he had waited until sundown before going with Wesley and Cordelia to the focal point of the phenomenon, the warehouse district, to investigate. While Lorne hadn't been able to tell him much about the nature of the phenomenon, the cynic in the Champion of the Powers That Be told him to expect the worst.

Angel stopped suddenly, causing the other two to stop as well. "We should go this way, I smell something."

Cordelia looked at him strangely, not being able to smell anything herself, before remembering his senses were more enhanced. "Like what?" she asked.

"Magic and death," he replied solemnly.

She was silent for a moment, something to be treasured by those that knew her. "Sounds like we should go that way then."

Angel suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at Cordelia, instead following on with his previous suggestion of following the scent, which lead them to an abandoned warehouse almost at the city limits. When they went inside, they found a circle of candles surrounding a diagram of some sort drawn in salt.

"Although I'm not an expert, I have never seen a symbol like this one before. Have you Angel?" Wesley asked.

He shook his head slightly, but stopped after a moment and thoughtful look crossed his face as he remembered something. "No, at least not this specific one. It looks a little like a symbol used in summoning higher-level demons. The reason you haven't seen it before is that these are only given by invite, so it won't be found in any book."

Always interested in new information, Wesley looked at Angel like a kid in a candy store. "How did you come to see one?"

Angel suddenly looked pensive, as though the memory was uncomfortable for him. "Angelus did a demon lord a favour, and he needed the symbol to contact them. We need to have a look around and find out who or what did the summoning and what was summoned."

They split up and start searching the warehouse, looking for anything that will lead them to the summoned or the summoner.

After a few minutes Cordelia shouted out to the other two. "Guys, I think I've found something."

They go over to Cordelia's location. "What is it Cor?" Angel asked.

"It's a purse, it's new and expensive so definitely not belonging to a local."

"Any ID?" Wesley inquired.

"Hang on a sec." Cordelia opened the purse and started looking through it, quickly finding a drivers licence. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed.

"What is it?" Angel asked concerned at what would cause Cordelia to react that way.

"It's Anya's."

Angel and Wesley looked at each other, trying to place the name.

"Who's Anya?"

"Xander's girlfriend," she informed them.

"Are you sure?" Angel asked.

"There can't be too many Anya Jenkins' that live in Sunnydale California," Cordelia replied snarkily.

For a moment, Angel allowed his dislike of Xander to distract his brain. "Xander really has bad taste in women."

Cordelia glared at Angel and he almost took a step back as she screeched at him. "HEY!"

Realising what he said and who he said it to, he quickly tried to dig out of the hole he'd put himself in. "Present company excluded of course."

She maintained the glare for a couple more seconds to ensure that he got the message that he did wrong before speaking. "Damn right. I wonder where she went; from what Xander tells me she isn't the type of person to leave a purse behind."

Angel spotted a pile of ash off to one side and inspected it. "She didn't," he said solemnly.

Wesley and Cordelia turned to look at him.

"Huh?" Cordelia asked.

"She didn't leave it behind, she's dead."

They both looked at him, shock plainly written across their faces.

"What?" Wesley asked.

"What's left of her is over here," he said, indicating the ash.

They both looked slightly ill at that, death always being harder to face when it was close to home.

Wesley was the first to speak. "Should we ring Xander and let him know?" he asked them.

Cordelia looked at him sharply. "Wouldn't you want to know that your girlfriend was dead?" she snapped.

He looked down at his feet, looking decidedly guilty for his stupid remark. "Yes, of course, sorry I asked."

Silence once again permeated the empty warehouse for a few moments.

"I'll do it," Cordelia said out of the blue.

"Are you sure Cor?" Angel asked her. "I mean telling someone a loved one is dead is difficult to do, it needs to be done carefully."

"I know I'm not the most diplomatic person at times, but I'm the only one of us that won't get the phone hung up on them."

"Good point," he conceded, knowing that Xander would rather have all of his teeth pulled without anaesthetic before he willingly spoke to the souled vampire.

Wesley looked at her strangely. "Why would Xander hang up on me?" he asked her.

"You do remember what you were like in Sunnydale don't you?" she said in way of a reply.

Remembering that he was basically a pompous prick back then, he nodded in acceptance. "Ah, yes, I can see your point."

Cordelia went for her cell phone but Angel stopped her. "It's too late to ring now, let's leave it until morning. I'll arrange for someone to collect her remains; I'll ensure that they're put somewhere nice."

"Shouldn't you let Xander decide that?" she asked him, not liking the fact that he was taking something so important out of Xander's hands, also knowing that Xander might not be best pleased himself.

"He'll want to see her, do you want to put him through that?" he replied, allowing his compassion over what had happened to overrule his dislike for the young man.

Wesley and Cordelia looked at each other and then at Anya's remains before shaking their heads.

"No."

Halliwell Manor,
San Francisco,
California,
The Following Morning.

Everybody was sitting around the dining room table having breakfast and enjoying each other's company. Piper had been true to her word and helped Buffy and Xander find a nice place to stay, leaving them with an open invitation to join them for breakfast, an invitation they both eagerly accepted.

Xander had decided to hire a car while they were there, not wanting to burden the others with ferreting them from one place to the other while they were in San Francisco, and had done so before arriving at the manor.

Both Buffy and Xander found themselves really liking Cole and the others; the revelations of the past couple of days had finally sunk in enough to allow them to get to know the people behind the powers. They got on with Phoebe straight away, as with her being the closest to their own age, they had quickly found some common ground from which to build from.

Phoebe was enjoying not being the youngest in the group anymore, even if it was only going to be for a short time. Even though she loved her sisters more than anything, she sometimes felt as though her sisters coddled her and didn't always see her as an adult in her own right.

Both Cole and Leo were glad to have another male to talk to, as was Xander for that mater. Although they all knew they wouldn't trade their friends and chosen family for the world, it was sometimes annoying to be in the minority gender wise, especially when the topics of fashion or men came up in conversation.

The friendly atmosphere was shattered when they heard what could only be the front door being smashed in. They all raced out into the hall, seeing a blonde woman in a red satin dress smiling at them all.

"Knock, knock!" the woman said brightly, as though she hadn't just forced her way into their home.

Somehow being at the front of the group, Xander spoke first. "Who they hell are you lady?"

"My name is Glory and I was told that I could find an Alexander Harris here. I've been told me he knows where my Key is and I really want to ask him about it."

Hearing that she was after Xander, Buffy pushed in front of him. "Don't know anyone by that name, you must have the wrong house."

"Pity, I guess I'll just have to kill you all then. Oh well, never mind."

Xander and Buffy went straight on the offensive, charging at Glory but getting swatted away like flies for their trouble, Buffy crashing into the telephone table and Xander colliding into the Grandfather clock. Piper went to freeze Glory but all it did was to slow her down slightly as she stalked towards the others. Cole fired several energy balls at her, but even in her slowed state she seemed to have plenty of time to either dodge or simply block them with her hands. Prue went to use her power on Glory also, but it simply caused her to falter in her step slightly, not actually slowing her down in any way.

"Nothing is working!" Cole shouted to no one in particular.

Those that were still standing began to realise that they were outmatched, outclassed and in a world of trouble.

"I have an idea!" Leo said in way of reply.

Leo grabbed Glory by the arm and orbed away before anyone could say anything.

"Leo!" Piper screamed after her fiancé.

Before they could worry about where Leo went, Xander began to come to, as did Buffy.

"Did anyone get the number of the truck that hit me?" Xander asked a little woozily.

As Prue and Piper checked on Xander, Phoebe and Cole checked on Buffy. When Cole went to help Buffy up, pain shot through her right arm.

"Christ!" she exclaimed.

"No, I don't think that god would do that to me, seeing that I'm his gift to women," Xander quipped weakly.

Buffy laughed in spite of the pain. "At least we know he's OK."

Phoebe looked at her strangely. "What?" she asked.

"Xander's jokes are always funniest when he's got a concussion."

Xander went to glare at her but winced when he tried. "Hey! I resemble that remark!" He realised what he said and flushed slightly. "I mean I resent that remark! You alright Buff?" he asked concerned.

She nodded slightly. "I've been hit by worse."

"That doesn't answer the question."

"I'll live."

"Neither does that."

"Xander!" she shouted angrily.

Xander smiled. "That does, you never use that tone of voice when you're badly injured, as it vibrates your body too much."

The three sisters looked at each other and then at Cole. "Do we act this strange after being knocked across the room?" Prue asked.

Cole looked at them like they had all grown extra appendages. "I'm not going anywhere near that conversational minefield."

Buffy was able to stand under her own power now and looked extremely pissed off. "OK where is that bitch and how hard can I kill her?"

Cole shrugged. "We have no idea, Leo grabbed her and orbed away."

Xander nodded in appreciation. "Good idea."

Piper sent her most devastating glare at him, which he completely ignored. "Are you nuts!" she roared.

"No, although with the amount of people that ask me you'd think so wouldn't you?" he asked rhetorically. "I'm guessing that after Buffy and I were sent into dreamland, you all had a shot at her and was as successful as us?"

They all nodded their heads. "Yeah, she took what we sent at her like it was nothing," Cole replied, obviously not liking the thought.

"Then in that case Leo did the only thing he could do, and the thing he has vowed to do."

The sisters looked at him strangely. "What?" Piper asked.

"All Whitelighters take a vow that states that if a charge is in imminent danger of dying, to take any and all measures to prevent it. Don't worry though, he'll be back."

"How can you be so sure?" she asked/demanded.

Xander smirked at Piper. "He's too afraid of you not to be."

She slapped him on the shoulder that wasn't hurt. "Hey!"

At that moment, Leo orbed back into the hall. "Is everyone… Ow!" he shouted as Piper hit him on the arm, hard.

"Don't you ever do that again!" she exclaimed.

"Whatever you say dear… Oww!" he shouted again as she hit him on the other arm.

"I mean it!"

"I can't promise not to do it again, anymore than you could promise not to do anything stupid if I were in trouble."

Knowing that he was right, but not wanting to lose the argument, she folded her arms across her chest. "That's beside the point."

"That's exactly the point."

Before they could go any further, Prue decided to interject. "Can we get back to the psycho bitch that came into our home, and nearly killed us all?" she asked.

"Sorry," Leo replied for the both of them. "I orbed her to an unpopulated island in the Pacific Ocean, she should be out of our hair for a while."

"Why not a volcano?" Xander asked.

Leo looked at Xander for a moment before responding. "I would have got singed as well, not to mention I didn't actually think of it."

"Any idea what this key she was talking about is? Or why she thought I knew where it was?" he asked the Whitelighter.

No one noticed the way Buffy was looking uncomfortable with the conversation, as if they did they would have known that she knew more about the Key than she was letting on.

"I'll have to check with the Elders about the Key, I have no idea why she thought you had any idea where it was. Come to think of it, she shouldn't even have known you were here, considering you only got here yesterday."

"Whoever gave her that information is so coming off my Christmas card list," Xander groused.

Hyperion Hotel,
Los Angeles,
California.

Cordelia slammed the phone down in frustration. "I've tried Xander's place twice and he's not there." Cordelia had only been trying for a few minutes, but she had never been known to be patient.

Wesley looks at the calendar on the wall before saying anything. "It is a weekday, he might be at work."

Cordelia just looked at him for a few moments before sighing. "I didn't think of that; it's difficult thinking of Xander as a responsible adult. You're probably right, but in any case I'll try the Magic Box, he might be there. If he isn't, Giles might be able to tell us who Anya was summoning, and I'm sure he would want to know what happened to her, she is his partner in the shop after all."

She picked up the phone and dialled the Magic Box's number. After several rings, the phone is answered. "Magic Box, Rupert Giles speaking."

It had been a while since she had heard Giles' voice and a smile appeared on her face as she remembered the good parts of High School.

"Hey Giles," she said brightly.

"Cordelia," he responded with a smile in his voice, "how nice to hear from you. How are you?" he enquired.

"As can be expected, doing what we do. Is Xander there?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not," he replied, "he's currently in San Francisco with Buffy. Is there anything I can help you with?"

The reason she called went flying out of the window as she picked up on something else. "Why is he in San Francisco with Buffy? Are they going out?"

She could almost hear him pinch his nose and clean his glasses, suppressing the urge to laugh as she waited for him to answer. "Heavens no, something came up that required Xander to go there and Buffy went along for support."

She idly wondered why he would need support from Buffy when she'd never offered him any before, but finally remembered why she called. "So he's still going out with Anya then?" she asked.

"Yes he is. Please don't think me rude, but what is this about?" he asked, knowing that she wouldn't have called for no reason.

She paused for a moment trying to work out the best way to tell him. "There's no easy way for me to say this, but we found Anya in a warehouse at the city limits. It looks as though she summoned a high-level demon and didn't live to tell the tale."

She could hear a thump, she guessed from Giles slumping down in a chair. "Dear lord, she told him."

She could almost see the worry that came from Giles' voice. "Giles? She told whom what?" she asked worriedly.

"There have been some… revelations regarding Xander and it appears that Anya has now placed him in serious danger," he replied vaguely.

She began to get frustrated; his explanation explained nothing at all. "You're not making a lot of sense here Giles."

"I'm sorry," he replied apologetically, "but this is not the thing that can be explained over the phone, but you do need to be made aware of recent developments, especially with what I think Anya might have done. Is there any chance that you can come here to Sunnydale?"

Giles wasn't one to worry easily, despite how they teased him over his use of 'Good Lord', and the fact he didn't want to explain things over the phone told her that it was something big. "We won't be able to leave until sundown," she replied, "but I don't see why not, things have been pretty quiet around here recently, now that Darla and Dru have been taken care of."

"Excellent, I shall see you tonight then. Wait, did you just say Darla and Drusilla?" he asked.

She decided to play him at his own game; she was still a little miffed with him that he hadn't told her what was going on. "I think that better be explained when we get there. I'll see you tonight Giles."

"Yes, goodbye Cordelia."

As she turned round after putting down the receiver, she noticed both Wesley and Angel looking at her. "Why did you say we would go to Sunnydale?" Angel asked.

"There's something going on with Xander and Giles says what Anya was doing is connected. He thinks we should know but didn't want to talk about it on the phone."

Instantly Angel looked worried and Cordelia could tell that it wasn't about Xander. "Is Buffy OK?" he asked.

She tried terribly hard not to roll her eyes but failed miserably, her lifelong instinct to show what she thought winning through with ease. "Yeah, she's with Xander in San Francisco."

If she didn't know better, she would have sworn his eyes flashed amber. "Why?" he asked/demanded.

Angel had gone into the stance normally reserved for interrogating demons without even thinking about it, and the question had a definite command in its tone.

"I have no idea," she replied, blatantly ignoring the tone he used, "although I'm sure Giles will explain it to us tonight."

Before she'd even finished her sentence, Angel had grabbed his car keys and jacket and had begun stalking, not walking, towards the hotel's underground car park.

"We're not waiting," he said to them, "my cars got tinted windows that will protect me from the sun and I'll be able to get into the Magic Box without too much trouble. Ring him back and tell him we'll be there in a couple of hours." He didn't even bother to stop walking as he talked to her.

Wesley looked between them for a moment before following Angel.

Cordelia just stood there for a moment. "What is it about the men in my life all wanting Buffy?" she asked no one in particular, sighing when nobody answered and picked up the receiver to ring Giles, again.