1 Title: The Walking Wounded

2 Author: Spike 'n Cordy

Summary: When Angel's soul becomes permanent but he neglects to tell the group and they hear it from Spike. How will they react?

Rating: PG13

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Authors notes: Sorry this chapter took so long. I have an idea for a sequal so I had to change the way I'm going with this one. Enjoy and please review.

Timeline: Set after Reunion and Crush.



Chapter Eight - Returning to Hell

"Angel? What about him? Do we get to watch him die?" Spike's exaggerated hopeful look did nothing to make her feel better.

She pushed away from him and went to the bathroom to vomit. After she rinsed her mouth she looked at Spike. "I don't know if I can do this," Collapsing into his arms.

They sunk to the floor. Spike rocked her, rubbing her hair and said soothing words, "If you don't want to go, we won't go."

She raised her tear stained face, "Someone had to go Spike, we can't not go. What would be the point of the visions if we pick and choose who to save?"

"We'll call them. I'm not going if you're not. I'm not going to deal with slutty and the poof on my own. I know we'll give them a call. A cryptic warning call."

"And if the ignore it? What then?" After a long silence, "It's time we go back Spike. We've changed. Were warriors for the Powers that Be, we can handle seeing the people we love who don't love us back and-"

"Save their lives, possibly making them realize that were more than meets the eye." Spike seemed to be liking this more and more, "Buffy will see that I'm a warrior for the light, just like peaches, and that I'm fighting the good fight even when I'm not near her so that means I'm not just doing it for her. She'll think I'm deeper, more.more.more her type."

Cordelia stood up, "I think we should get in there, kill the big-bad and get the hell out as quick as possible."

"Sounds good," Spike said relieved. He wasn't really ready to confront Buffy and Angel, neither of them were.

~~~~

Xander and Willow were making moon eyes at each other across the table and driving Wesley nuts. He stood up abruptly causing his chair to fall to the floor. Quickly righting it, he continued to his destination.

The door to Angel's office squeaked when he opened it. He noticed that Angel and Buffy were both a little flustered. Were they doing something not appropriate in a business environment, or fighting again? Wesley couldn't tell. Both of their faces were red, they seemed to be out of breath, Buffy was clenching her fists. Fighting it is.

"What do you want Wesley," Angel's voice was harsh.

Wes stuttered put off by Angel's scarcely harnessed anger, "I.I just w.wanted to see if any one wanted something to eat. I was going to go out and-"

"No," the single word was spoken with such ferocity from both parties, he almost ran out the door.

He then walked back to the table and decided he might as well ask the love birds if they wanted anything.

Willow smiled sweetly, "Thanks Wes, but we already ate."

Wesley nodded. He felt like running to the door to be free of this place, even if only for ten minutes. He wanted to cry when the door opened. The last thing he wanted was more research. Right now all he hoped to do was kill some thing.

When he saw who walked through the door all he wanted to do was cry, with joy. "Cordelia," he almost didn't believe it. Then she smiled at him like Mary mother of God. He was saved.

He noticed her attention went over his shoulder to the other side of the hotel. He followed her gaze to the group of demons brandishing baseball bats and other blunt objects. "I hope you can still fight, Wesley," was all she said before she and Spike went into action.

He was too astonished to say or do anything. He just watched as Cordelia and Spike fought together. It was like a dance, when he moved towards her she moved away, when she kicked he mirrored it perfectly. They both endured some blows from the bats and fists, but weren't daunted. They seemed to get stronger. Cordelia rolled over Spike's back to kick an especially ugly demon in the face. The last demon standing, Wesley realized, was carrying two swords it must have grabbed from the weapons cabinet. Simultaneously, Cordelia used its right arm as a step for her left leg, and kicked its head as Spike kicked its neck. The crack echoed off the now silent lobby walls. Cordelia and Spike both landed in their fighting stance and looked around for any more competition. When they realized they were finished they relaxed.

Willow, Xander, Buffy and Angel were in just as much shock as Wesley. They were all gawking at the performance.

Cordelia and Spike walked in Wesley's direction to the entrance to the lobby. Everyone seemed to get their mouths in working order again because they started asking them questions over top of each other.

Cordelia ignored them all but Wesley. She embraced him so hard he thought his ribs might crack. Not that he minded, it felt so good to be hugged again.

"I'm so sorry I left you," she whispered.

Wesley heard and tried to hold in the tears. He failed, but when Cordelia pulled away she was crying too. "I missed you so much," he managed to choke out.

She smiled a sad smile, "Me too." They hugged again, "I love you so much, Wesley. I need you to know that."

He sobbed into her shoulder, "I didn't think.I thought you might not. You stopped writing."

"I was kind-of out of this world. I'll tell you about it sometime. But right now all I want to do is see you and Gunn." She looked around the lobby then back at Wesley, "Where is Gunn?"

Wes wiped his tears away with his hanky and told her, "He went back to his crew about two months after you left. He didn't really like it here under the new management." His voice lowered, "Neither did I."

"I'm so sorry Wes, but I have to say this," he looked at her worried, she gave him a haughty smile, "I told you so."

Wesley smiled back, "Yes, you did."

~~~~~

Angel wanted to run up to Cordelia and spin her around, he was so happy to see her. After her disappearance over a year ago, he'd been alternating worried and guilty feelings when it came to her. He couldn't help but stare in awe at her and Spike's fight. She had looked magnificent and damn sexy in her skin tight leather pants. Angel wouldn't be a man if her didn't notice how it molded her butt perfectly, or how her tight shirt only gave a hint of cleavage and how her hair.

He was literally slapped out of his revere by Buffy who was giving him a glare that could freeze the sun. He hadn't realized his eyes were focused on Cordelia's chest but couldn't help another glimpse.

The lack of cheerfulness in Buffy's voice betrayed her statement, "Great Cordy and Spike are back." Her voice then turned to one of no nonsense, "We have to find out what those demons were and why they were here."

Spike's voice was loud and clear as he named off each and every demon that lay dead on the floor and the most logical reason for them to be there.

"I thought you said you weren't paying attention," Cordelia gaped at Spike.

"No, you assumed I didn't pay attention and I never bothered to correct you."

Xander started laughing from his place next to Willow, "Yeah right. Like there's really a demon called a Hussy demon.

Cordelia scowled at Xander. She started towards him wearing her fighting face, stopping directly in front of him. He looked petrified as she reached behind him. When she came back with a book, he noticeably relaxed. Flipping through the pages she stopped, marked the page with her finger and turned so he could see it, "Look familiar?"

Dropping the book at his feet she pivoted and headed back to the door, Spike and Wesley. "We came to do what we had to, so let's get out of here. I have to see Gunn while were in town." Pausing in front of Wesley, "You coming?"

His, "God yes," was practically screamed.

The three went to walk out the door when Angel yelled after them, "Wait Cordelia," he jogged up to them, "What the hell happened?"

"Pissed off, yadda, yadda, good offer, blah, blah, fight, fight, a whole lot of nothing, immortality, so more fighting, vision, here." She punctuated her 'sentence' with a nod of her head.

Angel put a hand on the small of her back and gestured to the circle of couches with his other, "Let's sit. You can tell us all about it."