Chapter 9
Birthday (part 2)
Angel and Buffy flinched when they heard a scream and then the floor was gone and they were plummeting down onto a dirt packed floor in a room that looked more like a cave. There was a big cube of stone in the middle of the room with a fire going on top.
"Thanks Lorne." Angel said. He went to Buffy to help her stand up.
"They have come. The champions have come. Come for what? Answers not to be had. Death is certain. Death awaits." A chorus of voices from everywhere, but from nowhere at the same time said.
"I wanna talk to the conduit." Angel called.
"We are the conduit. We are the gateway, the all, the time, the ever. They wish to speak to us."
"Yes, we do. Are you gonna show yourselves?"
"We are unseen. Formless. It speaks unknowing. Send it away."
"We're not going anywhere until we get our message to the Powers That Be. Our friend Cordelia has visions given to her by the Powers. They're killing her. We want the Powers to take them back. Let her go. She's suffered enough!" Buffy said, the anger obviously rising in her as it was Angel. "And Angel is a he, not a it." Suddenly Buffy was thrown back into the wall.
"Buffy!" Angel cried as he went to her. She was just standing to her feet when he reached her.
"Suffering? Do you know suffering?" the voices said. All of a sudden, Buffy and Angel were thrown apart into opposite walls. "Yes they do. The Powers owe nothing. Send it away. Send her away."
Buffy and Angel picked themselves back up. "We're not finished." Angel said, heading back towards Buffy.
"Their pleas are pointless. Her path is chosen. We will not interfere."
"The visions are too much. She's not strong enough to handle them."
"Obstinate. It speaks and does not listen."
"No, you're not listening! Cordelia is not a champion. She is a rich girl from Sunnydale who likes to play superhero. She doesn't have what it takes to do this! Don't the Powers get that? Stop whispering and listen to me, damn it! She's weak."
Buffy put a hand on Angel's shoulder. "Angel." Buffy looked around and called, "You're killing her. She's unconscious, and she's alone. Who knows if she's in pain?"
"They are angry. They are afraid."
"I'm more afraid of her dying than she is. What is that?" Angel said.
"Skip, get me out of here now." Cordy said. Skip was showing her what Angel was saying to a bunch of echoy voices. She had walked in just in time to hear Angel tell them she was 'a rich girl from Sunnydale who likes to play superhero. She doesn't have what it takes to do this!'
Skip nodded his head and they were back in the mall. "Cordelia, are you sure?"
"You gave me a choice, so I'm choosing."
"Okay, kid. Here goes. I'm gonna make you a star."
"Angel?" Buffy asked.
"I'm here." Angel said coming from behind a pile of garbage. "Are you ok?"
"I fine. What about you?"
"Been better."
"Let's get out of here. Get back to the hotel and figure another way to save Cordy since the Powers are definitely not going to be helping us."
"All right."
They started to walk and Angel noticed Buffy was limping. He went to her and slipped his arm around her waist to steady her. She looked at him gratefully and slipped her arm around his waist.
"Great show Cordy!" a man exclaimed behind her.
"Thanks! You too." She called back. Cordelia was in an all black outfit and her short hair was curled fashionably.
"Okay. There are stars and there are stars, and then there is you!" her assistant Nev, told her.
"God, that is sweet, Nev. Am I paying you enough?"
"Well, as a matter of a fact."
"Good. What's cooking?"
"Okay. You've got a costume fitting. The Producers want to run some ideas past you for next weeks show."
Cordy walked up to a group of fans and started to sign autographs. "Hi, how are you? What's your name?"
"We want to record that breast cancer PSA, but tomorrow is pretty booked. Maybe next week." Nev continued.
"No, make it tomorrow. I wanna get it on the air." Cordy turned to Nev with a sigh. "Nev, you ever get that nagging feeling that you're supposed to be somewhere, doing something, but you can't remember what?"
"No. I'm highly organized. That's why you pay me pretty well. But with the holidays coming I really."
Cordy handed the pen and pad back to the fan. "I have to go, I'm sorry. I have to go." She started to walk, Nev following her. "I want something. Hypo-something. Hypothermia?"
"Josh, lets get a large tub of ice water to Miss Chase's dressing room, pronto." Nev said into a cell phone.
"No, that's not it."
"Canceling ice water."
"Hyper... hyper baric?"
"Josh, make it an oxygen tent."
"No, that's not it either."
"Canceling tent."
"Hyperion! That's it!" Cordy said, spinning to face Nev.
"The hotel?"
"Yes. I wanna go there."
"Terrific. When would you like me to." Cordy was already walking on. "Now? Now you would like to." Cordy snapped her fingers in the air without looking back at Nev. "Without security? Without an entourage of me? Right. I'll give them a call." Nev said into the phone, "Josh, car, side door, now."
"Anything?" Fred asked.
"No. Apparently the conduit doesn't like.well, anyone." Buffy said.
"All we got was thrown around." Angel said.
"Are you guys ok?" Wes asked.
"We're fine. Buffy had a little bit of a limp from landing wrong on her ankle, but I think she's fine now."
"I am. It's this whole thing where I have more weight than I'm used to in the front." Buffy said. Fred offered her a chair, but she declined.
"Have you guys found anything?" Angel asked.
"Not a thing! I just don't know where to look!" Fred said. "Lorne is out talking to some of his contacts and Gunn's watching Cordy, but as of now. nothing. Sorry."
"It's ok. Just keep looking. We're going to go up and give Gunn a break."
"Are you sure?" Wes asked.
"Positive." Buffy and Angel said as they headed out the door and towards the stairs.
Cordelia rang the doorbell at 171 Oak. She had been to the Hyperion and found this address in a room that was so familiar to her, but she couldn't place why. All she knew was that she wanted to find out why this address seemed so important to her.
The door opened and a teenage girl popped her head out. "Oh, hi. I'm. I'm really sorry to bother you."
"Oh, my god. You're Cordelia Chase. You're Cordy!"
"Yeah, hi. Listen, I know you don't know me, but would you mind if I."
"Oh! Please, come in."
"Oh, thanks."
Cordy walked in and the girl shut the door behind them. "I'm Cynthia. Cynthia York. And I love your show. Like, LOVE, love. You're just you're my idol, Cordy. I wanna be just like you, and have my own design firm and. Wait a second. What are you doing in Reseda?"
"Yeah, um, hmm. Good question. Um, this is gonna sound a little bizarre, but, um, is everything okay here? Nothing bad happened, has it?"
"My dad left us a couple months ago."
"Oh. Honey, I'm sorry. Is your mom here?"
"She's up in Ojai visiting friends."
"Oh. Well, ah. That's, ah. Well, okay, then, ahem." Cordy started to leave.
"Hey! You wanna see something cool?" Cynthia called to her.
"Sure." Cordy said, turning back and following Cynthia a little ways into the room. On the other side of the couch was a pentagram drawn on the floor.
"It's a retrieval spell. I'm gonna make my dad come back and live with us again. I'm pretty sure I did everything right. Even though I spilled some diet coke on the book I was using and had to improvise a little. Pretty cool pentagram, huh?"
"Cynthia? I think we should get out of here before." A blue light flashed and rose from the pentagram and then died away, revealing a big demon. ".that happens" Cordy pushed Cynthia towards the door. "Get our of here, Cynthia. Go!"
Cordy picked up a lamp and smashed it over the demon's head. She turned to run, but the demon tripped her. It grabbed her leg and started to pull her towards it. Cordy grabbed a book and hit the monster in the face. It fell back just as the door opened. A tall black man, Wesley, and Buffy walked in, weapons at ready. Wes was missing an arm, the sleeve pinned up at his side. "Get the girl." Wesley said.
"Lets go! Outside." The man said.
Wes stepped up and ran the demon through with his sword while Buffy punched the heck out of the demon.
"Wesley, Buffy, what are you doing here and what happened to your other arm Wes?" Cordy asked.
Wesley shoved her out of the way. The black man came back in and together, he, Buffy, and Wesley beat the monster down. Once it was unconscious, Buffy stabbed it with a sword to kill it.
"So, you all, like, kill things now? Cause last time I saw you Wes, you just kind of fainted in front of them." Cordy said.
"Cordelia, why the hell are you here?" Buffy asked
"I know, I know. Reseda. It's practically the ninth circle of hell."
"Not Reseda. Here in this house. Is that girl a friend of yours?" Wesley said.
"Oh, look, I know we haven't seen each other in a while, Wesley, and. But there is something weird going on with me. Like Sunnydale weird."
"Oh, my god." Cynthia said, looking at the dead monster. "My mom is gonna freak."
Wes and the black guy picked up the demon and hauled it out to a beat up truck. Buffy and Wes led Cordy away while the other man put the demon under a tarp as Cordelia told her story.
".And underneath the wallpaper was an address. This address. So, for absolutely no sane person reason I can think of, I come out here and whammo! Slimy monster fun time. What's up with that?" she finished.
"I'm not sure. I'd have to consult my books." Wes said.
"Some things never change."
"And Buffy! Gotta say, your lack in fashion has gone way down." Cordy said, taking in Buffy's tight-at-the-hips-way-to-loose-the-rest-of-the-way- down pants and skin tight black shirt that had a rip on one arm.
"Geez Cordelia, your right. Some things never change." Buffy retorted.
Cordy noticed the small scars on her neck. One was a vampire bite that must have been where Angel had bit her and the other was half across the bottom of her neck. 'What happened to your neck!"
"Angel, bit me."
"I know that! The other scar!"
"Oh." Buffy fingered it lightly. "Ran into some trouble with a Polgara demon a while ago and its skewer got me."
"Wow."
The black guy came up and cleared his throat.
"Oh, sorry. This is our partner, Charles Gunn." Wesley said.
"Man, Wes and Buffy told me they knew you, but I. I didn't believe him." Gunn said.
"Yeah, we go way back. Back to, um, when Wesley had two arms, which, by the way." Cordy said.
"Uh, Kungai demon a couple of years ago." Wes filled in.
"Hey, is it true that you and Wes were. You know, that you had a little." Gunn asked.
".humiliating kiss where he drooled all over my chin? Yeah. But I worked really hard to repress it." Cordy said.
"Right. Well, as much as I'm enjoying this forced death march down memory lane." Wes said.
"Hey, what is it with you Sunnydale folks and repression? I mean, you four are the most denying it folks I've ever met." Gunn said.
"Three? Who else is here in LA?" Cordy asked.
"Any change?" Fred asked. She had come up to give Buffy and Angel some tea.
"Nothing." Buffy said. "She's just. gone."
"We're still looking."
"Has Lorne come back yet?" Angel asked.
"No. He called though and said that he had. absolutely nothing."
"Damn it."
"Angel." Buffy warned.
"Sorry. This is just so frustrating. Cordy could have prevented this whole thing if she had just told someone."
"I know."
"I'm gonna go back down and help Wes out some more. Let us know if there's a change. Any change." Fred said.
"We will." Buffy said gingerly.
Fred walked out of the room and Angel sighed. Buffy climbed on his lap and he laid his head on her chest. She stroked his hair and cheek, telling him that everything was going to work out.
Buffy led Wes, Cordelia, and Gunn into her apartment.
"Cordelia, I want you to think about this. Angel's not the person you knew. He came to Los Angeles in pain, vulnerable and when Doyle, his only friend died he. he retreated into himself." Wesley said.
"Him getting the visions didn't help either." Buffy added.
"He left you." Cordy said to Buffy.
"I know. Wes called me up and told me what was going on. When I came, I was the only one Angel would respond to."
"So, let me get this straight. Angel gets the visions of people who are gonna die, and he tells you, and you go out and slay, and this is how you make your living? This has got to be the suckiest job in the world."
"It pays the bills occasionally." Gunn said.
Buffy walked to a door and retrieved a key.
"Don't be shocked by his condition. The visions have taken a toll, and the isolation. Sometimes he sends us out to save people he killed two hundred years ago." Wes said.
"So, why don't we just tell him you stopped by and said hi?" Buffy added.
"I've gotta see him." Cordy said.
Buffy opened the door to reveal a room with shackles hanging from the ceiling, a mattress laying lopsided on the floor, and a bare footed Angel sitting on them. His arms were wrapped tightly around his knees and as the door opened further, they tightened. Cordelia stared at the shackles.
"Restraints. Sometimes the visions make him too violent for Buffy to handle." Wesley said grimly.
Suddenly Angel stood, arms wrapped firmly around himself, and started to mumble. "One seven one Oak drive, do you hear me? I feel better now. I can be alone here. I won't run away."
"Oh my God." Cordy said.
"This is one of his good days." Wes said.
"No, I. I won't. I won't do that. I won't do. I didn't mean. I didn't mean. Only if it's dead. It's me." Angel dropped back down on the corner of the mattress. "It was my fault. It was me. I'm okay. I didn't mean. I didn't mean."
Cordy took a step closer, but Buffy held her back. "Don't get too close."
"Ah! I won't run away." Angel continued.
Buffy walked up to him and gently lifted his head so he would look at her. "Hi."
"Hi. You're Buffy. Hi. I'm sorry. I did it. I didn't mean though. Won't do it again. Won't run away."
"No. No, you won't will you?"
"No. No. No."
"You have someone here who wants to see you."
Angel's head jerked towards Cordy.
"Angel. Do you remember me?" Cordy squatted down beside him. "I'm Cordelia?"
Angel scrambled away on all fours and retreated to a corner.
Buffy stood and looked apologetically at Cordy. She went towards Angel and sat beside him. "It's Cordelia, Angel. You remember Cordy."
"No. I'm afraid." Angel said laying his head on Buffy's chest. "I'm afraid. I'm afraid."
"Shh." Buffy slowly rocked him back and forth as Cordy came up to them.
"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." Cordy said.
"I'm fine. Fine. One seven one. One seven one. You'll see. You'll see, one seven one. My head doesn't hurt." Angel lifted his head and banged it back against the wall. "My head doesn't hurt. Now I'm warm. My head doesn't hurt." He wouldn't stop banging until Buffy grabbed his head and forced him to stop.
"Angel, stop. Stop. Please? For Buffy?" Buffy said.
"For Buffy."
"You don't remember me, do you?" Cordy asked him.
"I was there. I wanted to die. But. but I was. was afraid to die. So afraid to die. One seven one." Angel kept repeating the number over and over while he wrote it with his hand on the wall.
"Shh, Angel, it's okay. Everything is gonna be okay." Buffy said. She took his hand from the wall and placed it gently on her leg. Angel left it there and laid back down on Buffy's chest.
"It was my fault. I was there. I couldn't do anything. There was nothing I could do." Angel said.
"Buffy's right. everything is going to be ok." Cordy leaned in and gently took Angel's head in her hands. She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. Suddenly, everything slowed down and a blue light passed from Angel to her. When Cordy sat back on her heels, everything was frozen in place. Buffy stared in astonishment next to a stunned Angel. Wes and Gunn stood behind her, staring at the scene that had just been played out.
"I remember everything. The visions." Cordy walked over to where Skip was suddenly standing in the room, ".they're mine."
"We made a deal. You gave up the visions, not to mention the certain death that goes with them, and you get to live out your dream. Call me crazy, but I thought that was a pretty fair trade." Skip said.
"Sure it's fair, but it wasn't me."
"We've been over this. I respect what you're trying to do. It's noble and heroic, and all that other Russell Crowe 'Gladiator' crap."
"You've seen."
"Didn't love it. The fact remains that humans are not strong enough to harbor the visions! Period. Even the Powers That Be can't change that."
"Then find a loop hole, Skip. I know my purpose in this world and it includes the visions. And if the Powers That Be aren't complete dumb- asses, they know it, too."
"There maybe a tiny loophole."
"I'll take it."
"You may wanna think about that. The only way you get to keep the visions is by becoming part demon. The process isn't easy. It'll make your vision pain feel like a stroll through Candyland. And even after the pain subsides the effects of the transition will be numerous and unpredictable. You may never be able to lead a human life again."
Cordy looked over at Buffy and Angel, knowing that this wasn't the way they were supposed to be. Knowing that life wasn't supposed to be like this. She looked back at Skip. "So, demonize me already."
"It was an honor being your guide, Cordelia Chase."
She smiled at him. Skip put his hand to Cordy's forehead and a bright light went from him to her. Cordy screamed in pain.
Cordy started to scream and arch her back on Angel's bed. Buffy and Angel shot up and went to her side. The rest of the gang, hearing the screaming, came running in the room.
"What's happening to her?" Fred asked.
Cordy shot up on the bed, gasping, and opened her eyes.
Angel caught her in a hug. "I thought we'd lost you!"
"Angel." Cordy said. She gasped and darted out of his reach. Cordelia started to check her body. "No horns. No tail! Whew, just checking." The others all stared at her. She got out of bed and stretched. "It feels so good to be solid again."
"Cordelia, what is the last thing you remember?" Wes asked.
"When? I've been so. Oh. You mean the vision downstairs. No, I had a vision, but it's been taken care off. There was this actress, and a one- armed guy and a girl with scars on her neck. It's a long story. But right now, we have to solve my vision."
"The one you just said was taken care of?" Buffy asked.
"No. The one I'm having right now. There is a young man in a park in Glendale. Uh, somewhere near a pond. There is a demon waiting for him. He's red with four, no make that five horns."
They all just stared at her. Angel took a small step forward. "Uh, Cordy?"
"What?"
Cordy was floating about a foot off the floor. She looked down just as she started to float back down. "Weird! Who's going?"
The other just shrugged. Gunn and Wesley headed out the door, Cordy, Lorne, and Fred following. Buffy and Angel were the last ones out.
Birthday (part 2)
Angel and Buffy flinched when they heard a scream and then the floor was gone and they were plummeting down onto a dirt packed floor in a room that looked more like a cave. There was a big cube of stone in the middle of the room with a fire going on top.
"Thanks Lorne." Angel said. He went to Buffy to help her stand up.
"They have come. The champions have come. Come for what? Answers not to be had. Death is certain. Death awaits." A chorus of voices from everywhere, but from nowhere at the same time said.
"I wanna talk to the conduit." Angel called.
"We are the conduit. We are the gateway, the all, the time, the ever. They wish to speak to us."
"Yes, we do. Are you gonna show yourselves?"
"We are unseen. Formless. It speaks unknowing. Send it away."
"We're not going anywhere until we get our message to the Powers That Be. Our friend Cordelia has visions given to her by the Powers. They're killing her. We want the Powers to take them back. Let her go. She's suffered enough!" Buffy said, the anger obviously rising in her as it was Angel. "And Angel is a he, not a it." Suddenly Buffy was thrown back into the wall.
"Buffy!" Angel cried as he went to her. She was just standing to her feet when he reached her.
"Suffering? Do you know suffering?" the voices said. All of a sudden, Buffy and Angel were thrown apart into opposite walls. "Yes they do. The Powers owe nothing. Send it away. Send her away."
Buffy and Angel picked themselves back up. "We're not finished." Angel said, heading back towards Buffy.
"Their pleas are pointless. Her path is chosen. We will not interfere."
"The visions are too much. She's not strong enough to handle them."
"Obstinate. It speaks and does not listen."
"No, you're not listening! Cordelia is not a champion. She is a rich girl from Sunnydale who likes to play superhero. She doesn't have what it takes to do this! Don't the Powers get that? Stop whispering and listen to me, damn it! She's weak."
Buffy put a hand on Angel's shoulder. "Angel." Buffy looked around and called, "You're killing her. She's unconscious, and she's alone. Who knows if she's in pain?"
"They are angry. They are afraid."
"I'm more afraid of her dying than she is. What is that?" Angel said.
"Skip, get me out of here now." Cordy said. Skip was showing her what Angel was saying to a bunch of echoy voices. She had walked in just in time to hear Angel tell them she was 'a rich girl from Sunnydale who likes to play superhero. She doesn't have what it takes to do this!'
Skip nodded his head and they were back in the mall. "Cordelia, are you sure?"
"You gave me a choice, so I'm choosing."
"Okay, kid. Here goes. I'm gonna make you a star."
"Angel?" Buffy asked.
"I'm here." Angel said coming from behind a pile of garbage. "Are you ok?"
"I fine. What about you?"
"Been better."
"Let's get out of here. Get back to the hotel and figure another way to save Cordy since the Powers are definitely not going to be helping us."
"All right."
They started to walk and Angel noticed Buffy was limping. He went to her and slipped his arm around her waist to steady her. She looked at him gratefully and slipped her arm around his waist.
"Great show Cordy!" a man exclaimed behind her.
"Thanks! You too." She called back. Cordelia was in an all black outfit and her short hair was curled fashionably.
"Okay. There are stars and there are stars, and then there is you!" her assistant Nev, told her.
"God, that is sweet, Nev. Am I paying you enough?"
"Well, as a matter of a fact."
"Good. What's cooking?"
"Okay. You've got a costume fitting. The Producers want to run some ideas past you for next weeks show."
Cordy walked up to a group of fans and started to sign autographs. "Hi, how are you? What's your name?"
"We want to record that breast cancer PSA, but tomorrow is pretty booked. Maybe next week." Nev continued.
"No, make it tomorrow. I wanna get it on the air." Cordy turned to Nev with a sigh. "Nev, you ever get that nagging feeling that you're supposed to be somewhere, doing something, but you can't remember what?"
"No. I'm highly organized. That's why you pay me pretty well. But with the holidays coming I really."
Cordy handed the pen and pad back to the fan. "I have to go, I'm sorry. I have to go." She started to walk, Nev following her. "I want something. Hypo-something. Hypothermia?"
"Josh, lets get a large tub of ice water to Miss Chase's dressing room, pronto." Nev said into a cell phone.
"No, that's not it."
"Canceling ice water."
"Hyper... hyper baric?"
"Josh, make it an oxygen tent."
"No, that's not it either."
"Canceling tent."
"Hyperion! That's it!" Cordy said, spinning to face Nev.
"The hotel?"
"Yes. I wanna go there."
"Terrific. When would you like me to." Cordy was already walking on. "Now? Now you would like to." Cordy snapped her fingers in the air without looking back at Nev. "Without security? Without an entourage of me? Right. I'll give them a call." Nev said into the phone, "Josh, car, side door, now."
"Anything?" Fred asked.
"No. Apparently the conduit doesn't like.well, anyone." Buffy said.
"All we got was thrown around." Angel said.
"Are you guys ok?" Wes asked.
"We're fine. Buffy had a little bit of a limp from landing wrong on her ankle, but I think she's fine now."
"I am. It's this whole thing where I have more weight than I'm used to in the front." Buffy said. Fred offered her a chair, but she declined.
"Have you guys found anything?" Angel asked.
"Not a thing! I just don't know where to look!" Fred said. "Lorne is out talking to some of his contacts and Gunn's watching Cordy, but as of now. nothing. Sorry."
"It's ok. Just keep looking. We're going to go up and give Gunn a break."
"Are you sure?" Wes asked.
"Positive." Buffy and Angel said as they headed out the door and towards the stairs.
Cordelia rang the doorbell at 171 Oak. She had been to the Hyperion and found this address in a room that was so familiar to her, but she couldn't place why. All she knew was that she wanted to find out why this address seemed so important to her.
The door opened and a teenage girl popped her head out. "Oh, hi. I'm. I'm really sorry to bother you."
"Oh, my god. You're Cordelia Chase. You're Cordy!"
"Yeah, hi. Listen, I know you don't know me, but would you mind if I."
"Oh! Please, come in."
"Oh, thanks."
Cordy walked in and the girl shut the door behind them. "I'm Cynthia. Cynthia York. And I love your show. Like, LOVE, love. You're just you're my idol, Cordy. I wanna be just like you, and have my own design firm and. Wait a second. What are you doing in Reseda?"
"Yeah, um, hmm. Good question. Um, this is gonna sound a little bizarre, but, um, is everything okay here? Nothing bad happened, has it?"
"My dad left us a couple months ago."
"Oh. Honey, I'm sorry. Is your mom here?"
"She's up in Ojai visiting friends."
"Oh. Well, ah. That's, ah. Well, okay, then, ahem." Cordy started to leave.
"Hey! You wanna see something cool?" Cynthia called to her.
"Sure." Cordy said, turning back and following Cynthia a little ways into the room. On the other side of the couch was a pentagram drawn on the floor.
"It's a retrieval spell. I'm gonna make my dad come back and live with us again. I'm pretty sure I did everything right. Even though I spilled some diet coke on the book I was using and had to improvise a little. Pretty cool pentagram, huh?"
"Cynthia? I think we should get out of here before." A blue light flashed and rose from the pentagram and then died away, revealing a big demon. ".that happens" Cordy pushed Cynthia towards the door. "Get our of here, Cynthia. Go!"
Cordy picked up a lamp and smashed it over the demon's head. She turned to run, but the demon tripped her. It grabbed her leg and started to pull her towards it. Cordy grabbed a book and hit the monster in the face. It fell back just as the door opened. A tall black man, Wesley, and Buffy walked in, weapons at ready. Wes was missing an arm, the sleeve pinned up at his side. "Get the girl." Wesley said.
"Lets go! Outside." The man said.
Wes stepped up and ran the demon through with his sword while Buffy punched the heck out of the demon.
"Wesley, Buffy, what are you doing here and what happened to your other arm Wes?" Cordy asked.
Wesley shoved her out of the way. The black man came back in and together, he, Buffy, and Wesley beat the monster down. Once it was unconscious, Buffy stabbed it with a sword to kill it.
"So, you all, like, kill things now? Cause last time I saw you Wes, you just kind of fainted in front of them." Cordy said.
"Cordelia, why the hell are you here?" Buffy asked
"I know, I know. Reseda. It's practically the ninth circle of hell."
"Not Reseda. Here in this house. Is that girl a friend of yours?" Wesley said.
"Oh, look, I know we haven't seen each other in a while, Wesley, and. But there is something weird going on with me. Like Sunnydale weird."
"Oh, my god." Cynthia said, looking at the dead monster. "My mom is gonna freak."
Wes and the black guy picked up the demon and hauled it out to a beat up truck. Buffy and Wes led Cordy away while the other man put the demon under a tarp as Cordelia told her story.
".And underneath the wallpaper was an address. This address. So, for absolutely no sane person reason I can think of, I come out here and whammo! Slimy monster fun time. What's up with that?" she finished.
"I'm not sure. I'd have to consult my books." Wes said.
"Some things never change."
"And Buffy! Gotta say, your lack in fashion has gone way down." Cordy said, taking in Buffy's tight-at-the-hips-way-to-loose-the-rest-of-the-way- down pants and skin tight black shirt that had a rip on one arm.
"Geez Cordelia, your right. Some things never change." Buffy retorted.
Cordy noticed the small scars on her neck. One was a vampire bite that must have been where Angel had bit her and the other was half across the bottom of her neck. 'What happened to your neck!"
"Angel, bit me."
"I know that! The other scar!"
"Oh." Buffy fingered it lightly. "Ran into some trouble with a Polgara demon a while ago and its skewer got me."
"Wow."
The black guy came up and cleared his throat.
"Oh, sorry. This is our partner, Charles Gunn." Wesley said.
"Man, Wes and Buffy told me they knew you, but I. I didn't believe him." Gunn said.
"Yeah, we go way back. Back to, um, when Wesley had two arms, which, by the way." Cordy said.
"Uh, Kungai demon a couple of years ago." Wes filled in.
"Hey, is it true that you and Wes were. You know, that you had a little." Gunn asked.
".humiliating kiss where he drooled all over my chin? Yeah. But I worked really hard to repress it." Cordy said.
"Right. Well, as much as I'm enjoying this forced death march down memory lane." Wes said.
"Hey, what is it with you Sunnydale folks and repression? I mean, you four are the most denying it folks I've ever met." Gunn said.
"Three? Who else is here in LA?" Cordy asked.
"Any change?" Fred asked. She had come up to give Buffy and Angel some tea.
"Nothing." Buffy said. "She's just. gone."
"We're still looking."
"Has Lorne come back yet?" Angel asked.
"No. He called though and said that he had. absolutely nothing."
"Damn it."
"Angel." Buffy warned.
"Sorry. This is just so frustrating. Cordy could have prevented this whole thing if she had just told someone."
"I know."
"I'm gonna go back down and help Wes out some more. Let us know if there's a change. Any change." Fred said.
"We will." Buffy said gingerly.
Fred walked out of the room and Angel sighed. Buffy climbed on his lap and he laid his head on her chest. She stroked his hair and cheek, telling him that everything was going to work out.
Buffy led Wes, Cordelia, and Gunn into her apartment.
"Cordelia, I want you to think about this. Angel's not the person you knew. He came to Los Angeles in pain, vulnerable and when Doyle, his only friend died he. he retreated into himself." Wesley said.
"Him getting the visions didn't help either." Buffy added.
"He left you." Cordy said to Buffy.
"I know. Wes called me up and told me what was going on. When I came, I was the only one Angel would respond to."
"So, let me get this straight. Angel gets the visions of people who are gonna die, and he tells you, and you go out and slay, and this is how you make your living? This has got to be the suckiest job in the world."
"It pays the bills occasionally." Gunn said.
Buffy walked to a door and retrieved a key.
"Don't be shocked by his condition. The visions have taken a toll, and the isolation. Sometimes he sends us out to save people he killed two hundred years ago." Wes said.
"So, why don't we just tell him you stopped by and said hi?" Buffy added.
"I've gotta see him." Cordy said.
Buffy opened the door to reveal a room with shackles hanging from the ceiling, a mattress laying lopsided on the floor, and a bare footed Angel sitting on them. His arms were wrapped tightly around his knees and as the door opened further, they tightened. Cordelia stared at the shackles.
"Restraints. Sometimes the visions make him too violent for Buffy to handle." Wesley said grimly.
Suddenly Angel stood, arms wrapped firmly around himself, and started to mumble. "One seven one Oak drive, do you hear me? I feel better now. I can be alone here. I won't run away."
"Oh my God." Cordy said.
"This is one of his good days." Wes said.
"No, I. I won't. I won't do that. I won't do. I didn't mean. I didn't mean. Only if it's dead. It's me." Angel dropped back down on the corner of the mattress. "It was my fault. It was me. I'm okay. I didn't mean. I didn't mean."
Cordy took a step closer, but Buffy held her back. "Don't get too close."
"Ah! I won't run away." Angel continued.
Buffy walked up to him and gently lifted his head so he would look at her. "Hi."
"Hi. You're Buffy. Hi. I'm sorry. I did it. I didn't mean though. Won't do it again. Won't run away."
"No. No, you won't will you?"
"No. No. No."
"You have someone here who wants to see you."
Angel's head jerked towards Cordy.
"Angel. Do you remember me?" Cordy squatted down beside him. "I'm Cordelia?"
Angel scrambled away on all fours and retreated to a corner.
Buffy stood and looked apologetically at Cordy. She went towards Angel and sat beside him. "It's Cordelia, Angel. You remember Cordy."
"No. I'm afraid." Angel said laying his head on Buffy's chest. "I'm afraid. I'm afraid."
"Shh." Buffy slowly rocked him back and forth as Cordy came up to them.
"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." Cordy said.
"I'm fine. Fine. One seven one. One seven one. You'll see. You'll see, one seven one. My head doesn't hurt." Angel lifted his head and banged it back against the wall. "My head doesn't hurt. Now I'm warm. My head doesn't hurt." He wouldn't stop banging until Buffy grabbed his head and forced him to stop.
"Angel, stop. Stop. Please? For Buffy?" Buffy said.
"For Buffy."
"You don't remember me, do you?" Cordy asked him.
"I was there. I wanted to die. But. but I was. was afraid to die. So afraid to die. One seven one." Angel kept repeating the number over and over while he wrote it with his hand on the wall.
"Shh, Angel, it's okay. Everything is gonna be okay." Buffy said. She took his hand from the wall and placed it gently on her leg. Angel left it there and laid back down on Buffy's chest.
"It was my fault. I was there. I couldn't do anything. There was nothing I could do." Angel said.
"Buffy's right. everything is going to be ok." Cordy leaned in and gently took Angel's head in her hands. She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. Suddenly, everything slowed down and a blue light passed from Angel to her. When Cordy sat back on her heels, everything was frozen in place. Buffy stared in astonishment next to a stunned Angel. Wes and Gunn stood behind her, staring at the scene that had just been played out.
"I remember everything. The visions." Cordy walked over to where Skip was suddenly standing in the room, ".they're mine."
"We made a deal. You gave up the visions, not to mention the certain death that goes with them, and you get to live out your dream. Call me crazy, but I thought that was a pretty fair trade." Skip said.
"Sure it's fair, but it wasn't me."
"We've been over this. I respect what you're trying to do. It's noble and heroic, and all that other Russell Crowe 'Gladiator' crap."
"You've seen."
"Didn't love it. The fact remains that humans are not strong enough to harbor the visions! Period. Even the Powers That Be can't change that."
"Then find a loop hole, Skip. I know my purpose in this world and it includes the visions. And if the Powers That Be aren't complete dumb- asses, they know it, too."
"There maybe a tiny loophole."
"I'll take it."
"You may wanna think about that. The only way you get to keep the visions is by becoming part demon. The process isn't easy. It'll make your vision pain feel like a stroll through Candyland. And even after the pain subsides the effects of the transition will be numerous and unpredictable. You may never be able to lead a human life again."
Cordy looked over at Buffy and Angel, knowing that this wasn't the way they were supposed to be. Knowing that life wasn't supposed to be like this. She looked back at Skip. "So, demonize me already."
"It was an honor being your guide, Cordelia Chase."
She smiled at him. Skip put his hand to Cordy's forehead and a bright light went from him to her. Cordy screamed in pain.
Cordy started to scream and arch her back on Angel's bed. Buffy and Angel shot up and went to her side. The rest of the gang, hearing the screaming, came running in the room.
"What's happening to her?" Fred asked.
Cordy shot up on the bed, gasping, and opened her eyes.
Angel caught her in a hug. "I thought we'd lost you!"
"Angel." Cordy said. She gasped and darted out of his reach. Cordelia started to check her body. "No horns. No tail! Whew, just checking." The others all stared at her. She got out of bed and stretched. "It feels so good to be solid again."
"Cordelia, what is the last thing you remember?" Wes asked.
"When? I've been so. Oh. You mean the vision downstairs. No, I had a vision, but it's been taken care off. There was this actress, and a one- armed guy and a girl with scars on her neck. It's a long story. But right now, we have to solve my vision."
"The one you just said was taken care of?" Buffy asked.
"No. The one I'm having right now. There is a young man in a park in Glendale. Uh, somewhere near a pond. There is a demon waiting for him. He's red with four, no make that five horns."
They all just stared at her. Angel took a small step forward. "Uh, Cordy?"
"What?"
Cordy was floating about a foot off the floor. She looked down just as she started to float back down. "Weird! Who's going?"
The other just shrugged. Gunn and Wesley headed out the door, Cordy, Lorne, and Fred following. Buffy and Angel were the last ones out.