Part 16

One of the things that occurred to Cordelia as she drove around the streets of Sunnydale, was how much things had changed since she last lived here. The residents of good ol' Sunnydale may have blissfully ignored the vampire problem consciously, but people still didn't stray out at night all that much. It was as if there was something inside of them telling them it wasn't safe.

Looking around now, Sunnydale's nightlife was of a much more tame variety. Well apart from the drunken louts, you get in every town. But people obviously felt safe.

It was a small thing, but something that Cordelia could take some pride in. They had won. The losses may have been great, but in the end the Scoobies won.

As she pulled up at the motel, Cordelia really hoped Angel was staying there. It was a good bet, but as they had all remarked over the last few days, they really didn't know Angel anymore.

Thankfully the manager was very receptive.

"He's in 108," he gruffly replied. "He's a strange one, your friend."

"What do you mean?" Cordelia asked, her natural instinct for information, immediately clicking into gear.

"In and out at all hours. Leaving early in the mornings. Just strange."

Cordelia smiled and thanked the man. She thought it must be boring to manage a place like this and maybe spying on the guests was the only way to keep yourself sane.

She walked briskly over to room 108 and knocked on the door. She was surprised to see the door wasn't closed when she did.

"Hello! Angel!" she called.

Still there was no answer.

She was about to give up, when she noticed there was a light on in the bathroom. She wondered If Angel was in the bathroom and couldn't here her. Politeness took a back seat, as she needed to find him. So she opened the door and went to walk inside, only to be yanked out again when a hand grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"Ahh!" she screamed at the contact, before noticing who it was. "Angel! Don't scare me like that."

"Do you always break into people's homes."

The first thing Cordelia noticed was that Angel seemed out of breath. His reply had to stop on a couple of occasions, for him to visibly take in more air. The second thing was the sweat that was running down his face.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Angel answered evasively, before moving away from her line of sight.

"You seem, well, out of breath," Cordelia ventured again.

"I've just been out for a jog," he replied, before moving into the doorway, blocking Cordelia's line of sight.

"You? Jogging?" It seemed a little too normal for a task that Angel was doing, but Cordelia didn't push it.

"We need your help."

"Why?" Angel replied, not wanting to scare her off, but wanting to know exactly why they needed him.

"Something's happening to Xander, okay?" Cordelia replied, annoyed at the twenty questions face Angel seemed to have adopted.

Inwardly Angel grinned, they had finally come for help, but outside his face remained the same stoic self. "Give me a minute to get changed," he replied, no sign of emotion in his voice.

"Sure," Cordelia answered, before making to go into his room. She was surprised when Angel stopped her.

"I'll just be a minute," he told her and then shut the door in front of her.

Something was definitely up with Angel, Cordelia thought. But then they had known that since he re-appeared.

After Angel shut the door, he took a deep breath. That was too close a call as far as he was concerned. Leaving his door unlocked was a critical mistake, and Angel was thankful he got back to the motel in time to stop Cordelia from entering the room.

**************

The first thing Xander realised when he came too was that he'd obviously been out for a while. The second thing that he realised was that he had no real choice anymore. For whatever reason, something was happening to him. Something that felt very much like what happened almost eleven years ago. But there was darkness to it this time. He almost felt as if some unseen power was trying to force him somewhere, but couldn't, so he kept returning. But for how long?

Whatever was happening to him, he knew his choice was taken away from him. He knew that he was going to go back.

From the look of concern on Dawn's face, Xander knew that she realised the same thing.

"I'm sorry," he told her, as he became fully conscious.

Dawn shook her head, her bottom lip quivering slightly. "It's not your fault Xan."

"I wish..." he started to say, before stopping. He knew what he wished didn't come into it anymore. "It isn't right," he simply stated, letting out some of his anger, at feeling his own destiny being taken away from him.

Before Dawn could reply, they heard a knock at the front door. Wesley, who had been giving them some space, while he continued researching in the other room, went over and answered the door.

Both Xander and Dawn looked as one as Angel entered the house. In a way the felt like the hens, who had just let a fox into their henhouse. But at this particular moment, Angel was the most knowledgeable hen walking around.

Angel for his part, looked as though he sympathised with their cause. But neither Xander nor Dawn felt all that forgiving.

"I didn't know that this would happen," Angel stated as he came in and sat down opposite them.

"Forgive me if I don't feel like being sociable, Angel," Xander replied.

"I'm just trying to.." Angel started before being cut off.

"Don't you dare say, you're just trying to help," Xander cut in.

Angel was about to reply in kind, when Cordelia loudly declared enough. It had taken her long enough to track down Angel, and she was in no mood to sit back and watch them bicker. There was too much at stake for that sort of crap. Xander and Dawn may have very little time left, and she was certain neither of them wanted to spend that much of it, arguing.

"Shut up both of you," she shouted at both of them. "Angel you're here to do one thing, and Xander, I hate to be blunt, but this is life and death here."

Xander felt a little ashamed and simply nodded. "So what can we do?"

"It's actually quite a simple procedure," Angel started. "We need to go to where you appeared and than I recant a spell and the orb does the rest. It takes a little while for the power to build up, but the actual process is quite simple."

Xander and Dawn both looked to Wesley in the hope he had some better news.

"That's what I found out as well," he replied, no joy in his voice at all.

The reality of their worst fears setting in, Xander needed to know a few things. "What happens to this timeline when I go back?"

"In a way it'll cease to exist," Angel answered, not showing any emotion.

"What?" Dawn asked shocked, not having realised that it would effect her reality as well.

"The new timeline will take its place. We won't have any memory of this time," Angel explained, not seeing any dilemma in his words.

Dawn however was taking a lot longer to digest this news. She looked at Xander for support.

He simply nodded. "I thought it would be something like that. As soon as I go back, I'll have changed history. Maybe not a lot, but maybe a heck of a lot. Whatever happens, a new time line will be created. It can't be stopped."

"So it'll be as if none of this ever existed?" Dawn asked.

Xander took Dawn's hand in his. "That's why time travel's such a dangerous thing." He hoped it sounded comforting. His knowledge of course was based on endless SF shows he watched growing up, but it still made sense to him. "I won't go back, if you don't want me to."

"But you'll die here," Dawn answered.

Xander didn't respond. He wanted Dawn to make her own mind up. He didn't want to die, but he was asking her to sacrifice her own life in a way, as well as Wesley and Cordelia's, for the chance of them all surviving.

"We should get moving, If we are going to do this," Angel interjected.

"What now?" Dawn asked, not liking being made to make a rushed decision.

"It's for the best. Xander's unstable here. Every minute we stay could mean he has another attack. He mightn't survive the next one."

"But, I.." Dawn looked back at Xander, then Wesley, Cordelia and finally back at Angel. They all seemed resigned to what would be happening. "I need another day," she pleaded. Looking straight at Xander, she added, "I'm not ready to say goodbye."

Xander rose and stepped over next to Dawn. He knelt down next to her, trying to soothe her pain a little with his words. "At least we have a chance to say goodbye, this way." He wiped away a tear, that had formed under one of Dawn's eyes, carefully away with his hand.

He turned his head to face Angel. "Give us a hour or so"

Angel shook his head. "I don't think that would be wise."

"It wasn't a request, Angel. I'm sure you can use some of that time to set up whatever you have to set up."

Angel nodded. He knew when to shut up. He had gotten what he wanted, and a loose word now could screw it all up. "Even when you get there it'll take twenty minutes or so before the power is strong enough to send you back."

Xander nodded. "So I have an hour and a half. Wes, do you mind researching till we leave? You never know what you may find."

"There's no time. I need help," Angel interjected.

Wesley thought that Angel's objection was a little to heavy handed, but didn't say anything. Tensions were running high enough as it was. "Surely it's best to keep trying to find out what we can till the last minute. If you need help, Cordelia could help you."

Wesley glanced at Cordelia to make sure she was acceptable to that, which she showed she was when she simple nodded her head.

Knowing that objecting anymore might jeopardise his plans, Angel kept his protest quiet. "We'll be in the clearing. In an hour," he ordered, looking straight at Xander and Dawn.

Xander didn't really acknowledge Angel's words. He could hardly look at him, without thinking that he was somehow responsible for it all. He simple walked over to Cordelia and wished her well. "Be careful."

She smiled sweetly at Xander's concern, before giving the same grin to Dawn. Then she went over to Wesley and gave him a hug. "I'll see you later."

"I'll be there," he replied before reluctantly letting go of her.

When he turned around he saw that Xander and Dawn had already started making their way up the stairs. His heart ached for the pain they must be in, but he was determined to keep looking. It was in that moment of clarity, that an idea struck him. He mentally kicked himself for not thinking of it sooner.

"Is any of Giles's books still here?" he asked as the couple had reached the top steps.

Dawn looked down at Wesley, a sad smile on her face. She knew he wouldn't give up and she loved him for it. "There is some. Check in the storage space, under the stairs. I've never really looked through them."

Wesley thanked her with a nod, but said nothing more. The rest of the time was for them. He hoped that since Xander's disappearance was one of the last things, Giles had been researching, save for the ongoing fight, some books may still be here.

************

After answering Wesley's question, Dawn followed Xander the rest of the way to the bedroom. Neither of them spoke on the way up. They each could feel the sense of finality hovering over them.

Xander closed the door behind them and they walked over to the bed, both taking a seat and then as if they were thinking as one, they laid down. Xander opened his arms and Dawn set herself in the gap between arm and torso, letting Xander drape it down on top of her as she snuggled into his body.

They lay there in silence for a few minutes, before, as if they both could tell what each other was thinking, they turned and lying on their sides, they looked at each other, wondering what exactly they wanted to say.

"What'll you do when you get back," Dawn asked breaking the silence.

"I don't know," Xander said shaking his head. As each minute passed the reality of it all sank in a little further.

"I mean what about us?" Dawn asked.

"I know what you meant, honey. I don't think anyone will accept me asking you out, at least not when you are fourteen years old."

Dawn nodded, finding it hard to think of them as separated. "I know. I don't think I would have said yes, even if you asked, back then anyway."

Xander looked a little hurt. He was sure she had a crush on him back then.

Dawn couldn't resist smiling at him. "You ego's safe, Xan. I had the biggest crush on you from the time I thought about such things. But you were a dream, not reality. If you had asked me out then, I probably would have run away."

Xander knew that this wasn't going to be as easy as he had hoped it would be. Saving Buffy may be an easier task, then making sure he timed everything right for Dawn to fall in love with him. "So I need to wait a few years, then hopefully you haven't found the man of your dreams and you'll be ready."

He gently lifted Dawn's chin. "What if you're never ready?"

Dawn smiled warmly at him. "The feelings will be there Xander. It'll just be up to you to activate them." Dawn gave Xander a little chuckle. "I expect you to be the best prom date a girl could ever have."

Xander kissed her and then again. "You'll have the best prom anyone could have."

"You promise," Dawn asked, needing the reassurance.

"With all my heart."

And then there was silence. Dawn snuggled into Xander's side and Xander encased her in his arms. They both thought of nothing other than the love they felt for each other. It wouldn't be long, before they had to think about other things.

*************

Wesley had spent the last half an hour researching through a new set of books, he had found under the stairs. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of it earlier, but as Angel and Giles were the ones who did most to the researching into Xander's disappearance, Giles was sure to have some books on the subject.

Unfortunately the books only seemed to back up everything they had already known. The only difference being that in these books there was no mention of the fading in and out episodes that Xander had been experiencing. That in itself wasn't all that surprising. It wasn't in all of the other books either.

But he had to keep looking. The new books gave him the slight bit of hope he needed to keep his mind focussed on what needed to be done.

He was about to call Cordelia to let her know that he would be delayed, when Xander and Dawn walked down the stairs. It was only then that he realised their time was up. He hadn't noticed that sixty minutes had already gone by.

He couldn't help but choke up at the sight of them. He could tell that they were each being brave for each other. He tried to keep his upper lip as stiff as possible as they approached him.

"Are you ready?" Xander asked.

"Umm, no actually," Wesley replied. "It'll take another half an hour till the ceremony's complete. Give me 15 minutes and I'll be there. There's just a few things I want to check out."

"What things?" Xander asked.

Wesley could tell by his tone, that Xander had leapt on the idea he had found something. He only wished that he had. "I'm sorry, it's nothing concrete. Just that I want to verify a few things in these new books first. I'll ring through any news."

Xander nodded, but had the inescapable need to hug the former watcher. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"It's my pleasure," Wesley replied in kind. He warmly accepted the embrace. Trying to ignore the feeling that it would be the last time he did so.

After they had broken, Dawn came forward and gave Wesley a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for doing this, but please get there to be with Cordy."

"I will," Wesley replied, knowing that he couldn't have asked for better friends.

The three of them stood there for a few seconds before they all nodded to each other, as if they knew it was time to go, and Wesley watched as Xander and Dawn turned around and walked out the door.

End Part 16