Title: Only Time
Author: Andrea, denis.hebert5@sympatico.ca
Spoilers: All season 3 + speculations on season finale.
Author's note: This is set after the season finale. This is taking into account the kidnapping of Connor, the numerous prophecies surrounding the child. In this fictional world, Connor was kidnapped by W&H but Angel and the Gang managed to save him and get him back. Cordy is not with Groo, though the guy is still in LA and did not go back to Pylea. Cordy and Angel sort of have not voiced their growing feelings to one another yet. So let's assume season 3 ends like that. This is set right after, so sometime at the beginning of season 4.
Rating: PG 13 just to be safe
Summary: With the future in chaos, The Powers That Be make a bold and risky move. What will Angel and Cordelia do when they come face to face with their decision?
2025 – Hyperion Basement
The moonlight came in through the small window and cast a small shadow across the wall. The basement of the Hyperion bathed in a calm, uneventful glow. One a closer look, the place seemed to have been left in a pitiful state. Weapons were scattered across the floor while old dust settled on the furniture. An old picture of two small children – a boy and a girl – rested, with the frame broken, on one of the tables.
No one in sight.
Just silence.
2002 – Street of LA
Angel was thrown in the air and against the side of a building by the strong three-headed beast. Wesley and Cordy hit the demon with their swords, desperately trying to tire the beast, but in vain. Angel came back full force when he saw the demon heading straight for Cordelia. He grabbed his sword and stuck it into the beast's stomach with all his strength.
2025 – Street of LA
The sword sliced Gunn's flesh, making his insides bleed helplessly.
"Gunn!!!" Buffy's frightened voice rang into the night as Gunn fell to his knees.
"Buffy, behind you!" A young man in his early twenties warned.
Buffy turned in time to kick one of the demons chasing them. The young man went to help her while Gunn managed to lean against the wall, hidden from the rest of the large demon troupe. Jumping from the shadows, a teenage girl wearing an old denim jacket grabbed a piece of metal and stabbed the demon that had been fighting Buffy. The three of them desperately tried to fend off the growing hungry crowd, but they soon found themselves struggling.
"Ally, look out!" Gunn screamed from the ground as the teenage girl spun around just in time to avoid a sword.
Outraged at his miss, the demon turned and grabbed the young man by Buffy's side and disarmed him, tightening its claws around his throat.
"Connor! No!" the teenager yelled out of breath.
2002 – Street of LA
"Angel! No!" Cordy gasped as Angel was tackled to the ground.
An unconscious Wesley lay sprawled across the floor while Angel struggled to free himself from the beast's grasp.
A second demon burst from the shadows and headed straight for Cordelia. She straightened her new denim jacket and took a deep breath. She began to fight him off with a sword but he soon disarmed her, wounding her arm and leg with its sharp claws. Blood began to roll down on the side of her leg as she began to step back.
2025 – Street of LA
The demon sliced Connor's throat with its claws, making the blood spill from his neck with dangerous speed. The teenage girl began to head for the beast but Buffy stopped her. With one swift, anger-filled move, Buffy chopped the demon's head off. The teenage girl immediately threw herself by Connor's side, desperately helping her up. Meanwhile, Buffy ran to Gunn, wrapping her arm around his waist to help him stand up. Once he was up, he noticed the army of demons approaching them.
Panicking, Buffy turned to the two young people and yelled.
"Run!!!" she shouted, pleadingly. "Ally, run!!!!" she repeated at the top of her lungs.
2002 – Street of LA
"Go! Cordy go! Run!" Angel yelled at the top of his non-functioning lungs, as Cordy began to run for her life.
Her feet savagely hit the ground as the streetlights flew by with the scenery. She could hear the second demon pursuing her with vicarious speed. She shot a few glances over her shoulder as she kept on running as fast as she could.
In her hurry, she tripped and fell face down on the ground, groaning in pain.
2025 – Street of LA
In their frantic running, Connor tripped and crashed onto the ground, as did the girl that was helping him. The girl grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him up as the two of them kept on running towards shelter.
Connor was getting weak. She could see it. She could see the door. Just a few more seconds and they'd reach it.
2002- Street of LA
Cordy ran as if the fate of the world rested on her last sprint.
2025- Street of LA
The young teenage girl ran like a mad woman, out of breath, knowing that the fate of the world rested on her last sprint.
2002 – Street of LA
Cordy fell onto the floor once again and spun around just in time to see the beast jump in the air to attack her. In one split-second, the world stopped turning. And then, Bang! A sword pierced the demon's flesh and the beast crashed onto the ground beside Cordy, revealing the handler of the sword.
Angel.
2025- Hyperion Basement
Buffy and Gunn blocked the door with tons of furniture. On the other side of the dark room, Connor laid down on the floor in pain, while the young woman leaned over his body with tears in her eyes as she tried to stop the bleeding of his neck with her bare hands.
Buffy turned around and saw the heartbreaking scene and tears sprung from her eyes. The pounding on the door kept pressing them. Gunn immediately went to a drawer and took out an enormous book and some crystals, which he handed to Buffy immediately. Connor was fighting to breathe and the girl was fighting to stop the bleeding.
"No…no…" she breathed through her tears. "Not you too….not now. Look at me…stay with me. Don't you dare die on me now…" she cried.
"A…Ally…" Connor managed to speak as blood leaked from his wound like a fountain.
At that moment, a bright light flashed and revealed a frantic Skip staring at them.
"Oh my God…" he exclaimed at the sight before him.
"Skip, we have to do this now." Buffy urged him while Gunn placed the crystals in a circle on the floor.
"Yes, and they agree." Skip said motioning to the heaven – the PTB. "But he can't go." He said referring to Connor.
"What?!?" the teenage brunette nearly spitted through her tears as Connor's body shook in her arms. "He has to go! They chose him to go! Can't you do something here? Do something!!!" she shouted.
"Ally…" Connor whispered again.
She looked into his helpless, dark eyes as he spoke to her.
"Don't give up…" he told her out of breath. "Make this right…you can make this right…" he begged of her.
After a long silence, she got up and turned to face Buffy, Gunn and Skip, a determination imprinted in her hazel eyes.
"Are you sure?" Gunn painfully asked and she nodded.
"Ally…" Buffy whispered taking her hands into hers and intensely looking at her with tearful eyes. "She would be proud of you…remember that." She whispered, embracing the young woman with such love.
Buffy pulled away and she and Gunn stood back while Skip joined the girl in the middle of the circle.
"You remember what you have to do?" he asked her with concern. One look at Connor and she nodded again. "Don't let go of my hand." He warned her.
Gunn and Buffy recited a chant and a warm light enveloped them. In one flash of light, Skip and the girl vanished from the trashed training room.
2002- Outside the Hyperion
Angel's car stopped in front of the hotel
"How did Gunn and Wesley get back here before us? You know for a champion, you could use a more champion-y car." Cordy mumbled, holding her bruised forehead.
"Hey! This is a very good car! Gunn is a reckless driver." Angel defended himself as he got out of the car and walked to her side to open her door.
He saw the wounds on her legs and stomach and grimaced.
"Okay, so what'll it be?" he asked, looking down at her in her seat. "The damsel in distress entrance or the Champion piggy back ride?"
Cordy raised an eyebrow and stared at him.
"What? I'm not letting you walk." He grinned sweetly.
--
Inside the Hotel
Lorne stood there holding Connor as a freshly patched up Gunn and Wesley chatted around the counter with Fred. Interrupting their casual conversation was the sudden bright light that swept into the room. After the initial shock, the blinding light disappeared, dropping the body of a weak teenage girl onto the floor. A few seconds later, Skip's body came crashing down the flight of stairs while everyone stared, jumping into defensive mode.
"Oh God…" Fred whispered, looking down at the girl who lied on the floor, covered in blood.
The girl weakly lifted herself up on her knees and looked up. When her eyes met Fred's, Wesley's, Gunn's and Lorne's, she caught her breath and froze.
"What the hell…." Gunn muttered while Skip pulled himself up.
"Time Travel's a bitch. Can't we just use the freeway next time?! Sweetie, I told you not to let go of my hand…you could have come face to face with…" he began, lifting his eyes to see the emotional, dumbfounded look on everyone's faces, especially the young brunette. "Oh…"
there was a long silence as they all stared at one another. The loud voices coming from the door finally broke the silence. Angel burst through the door, carrying Cordy on his back, as they two of them laughed out loud.
"Okay. Put me down you big caveman!" she laughed, hitting his shoulder playfully.
Their teasing quickly stopped as they saw the scene before them. As soon as their voices had been heard, the girl had froze, holding her breath, her mouth slightly agape, her eyes welling up with tears.
Slowly, ever so slowly, she turned around and looked at the two people standing in the doorway.
It was them.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she stayed glued to the sight of Cordelia.
"What's going on? Who are you?" Cordy asked, looking at everyone, especially the stranger in front of her.
Skip stood still, unsure what would happen now.
"Mom…" the girl whispered to herself, unable to move, speak, or breathe.
Author: Andrea, denis.hebert5@sympatico.ca
Spoilers: All season 3 + speculations on season finale.
Author's note: This is set after the season finale. This is taking into account the kidnapping of Connor, the numerous prophecies surrounding the child. In this fictional world, Connor was kidnapped by W&H but Angel and the Gang managed to save him and get him back. Cordy is not with Groo, though the guy is still in LA and did not go back to Pylea. Cordy and Angel sort of have not voiced their growing feelings to one another yet. So let's assume season 3 ends like that. This is set right after, so sometime at the beginning of season 4.
Rating: PG 13 just to be safe
Summary: With the future in chaos, The Powers That Be make a bold and risky move. What will Angel and Cordelia do when they come face to face with their decision?
2025 – Hyperion Basement
The moonlight came in through the small window and cast a small shadow across the wall. The basement of the Hyperion bathed in a calm, uneventful glow. One a closer look, the place seemed to have been left in a pitiful state. Weapons were scattered across the floor while old dust settled on the furniture. An old picture of two small children – a boy and a girl – rested, with the frame broken, on one of the tables.
No one in sight.
Just silence.
2002 – Street of LA
Angel was thrown in the air and against the side of a building by the strong three-headed beast. Wesley and Cordy hit the demon with their swords, desperately trying to tire the beast, but in vain. Angel came back full force when he saw the demon heading straight for Cordelia. He grabbed his sword and stuck it into the beast's stomach with all his strength.
2025 – Street of LA
The sword sliced Gunn's flesh, making his insides bleed helplessly.
"Gunn!!!" Buffy's frightened voice rang into the night as Gunn fell to his knees.
"Buffy, behind you!" A young man in his early twenties warned.
Buffy turned in time to kick one of the demons chasing them. The young man went to help her while Gunn managed to lean against the wall, hidden from the rest of the large demon troupe. Jumping from the shadows, a teenage girl wearing an old denim jacket grabbed a piece of metal and stabbed the demon that had been fighting Buffy. The three of them desperately tried to fend off the growing hungry crowd, but they soon found themselves struggling.
"Ally, look out!" Gunn screamed from the ground as the teenage girl spun around just in time to avoid a sword.
Outraged at his miss, the demon turned and grabbed the young man by Buffy's side and disarmed him, tightening its claws around his throat.
"Connor! No!" the teenager yelled out of breath.
2002 – Street of LA
"Angel! No!" Cordy gasped as Angel was tackled to the ground.
An unconscious Wesley lay sprawled across the floor while Angel struggled to free himself from the beast's grasp.
A second demon burst from the shadows and headed straight for Cordelia. She straightened her new denim jacket and took a deep breath. She began to fight him off with a sword but he soon disarmed her, wounding her arm and leg with its sharp claws. Blood began to roll down on the side of her leg as she began to step back.
2025 – Street of LA
The demon sliced Connor's throat with its claws, making the blood spill from his neck with dangerous speed. The teenage girl began to head for the beast but Buffy stopped her. With one swift, anger-filled move, Buffy chopped the demon's head off. The teenage girl immediately threw herself by Connor's side, desperately helping her up. Meanwhile, Buffy ran to Gunn, wrapping her arm around his waist to help him stand up. Once he was up, he noticed the army of demons approaching them.
Panicking, Buffy turned to the two young people and yelled.
"Run!!!" she shouted, pleadingly. "Ally, run!!!!" she repeated at the top of her lungs.
2002 – Street of LA
"Go! Cordy go! Run!" Angel yelled at the top of his non-functioning lungs, as Cordy began to run for her life.
Her feet savagely hit the ground as the streetlights flew by with the scenery. She could hear the second demon pursuing her with vicarious speed. She shot a few glances over her shoulder as she kept on running as fast as she could.
In her hurry, she tripped and fell face down on the ground, groaning in pain.
2025 – Street of LA
In their frantic running, Connor tripped and crashed onto the ground, as did the girl that was helping him. The girl grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him up as the two of them kept on running towards shelter.
Connor was getting weak. She could see it. She could see the door. Just a few more seconds and they'd reach it.
2002- Street of LA
Cordy ran as if the fate of the world rested on her last sprint.
2025- Street of LA
The young teenage girl ran like a mad woman, out of breath, knowing that the fate of the world rested on her last sprint.
2002 – Street of LA
Cordy fell onto the floor once again and spun around just in time to see the beast jump in the air to attack her. In one split-second, the world stopped turning. And then, Bang! A sword pierced the demon's flesh and the beast crashed onto the ground beside Cordy, revealing the handler of the sword.
Angel.
2025- Hyperion Basement
Buffy and Gunn blocked the door with tons of furniture. On the other side of the dark room, Connor laid down on the floor in pain, while the young woman leaned over his body with tears in her eyes as she tried to stop the bleeding of his neck with her bare hands.
Buffy turned around and saw the heartbreaking scene and tears sprung from her eyes. The pounding on the door kept pressing them. Gunn immediately went to a drawer and took out an enormous book and some crystals, which he handed to Buffy immediately. Connor was fighting to breathe and the girl was fighting to stop the bleeding.
"No…no…" she breathed through her tears. "Not you too….not now. Look at me…stay with me. Don't you dare die on me now…" she cried.
"A…Ally…" Connor managed to speak as blood leaked from his wound like a fountain.
At that moment, a bright light flashed and revealed a frantic Skip staring at them.
"Oh my God…" he exclaimed at the sight before him.
"Skip, we have to do this now." Buffy urged him while Gunn placed the crystals in a circle on the floor.
"Yes, and they agree." Skip said motioning to the heaven – the PTB. "But he can't go." He said referring to Connor.
"What?!?" the teenage brunette nearly spitted through her tears as Connor's body shook in her arms. "He has to go! They chose him to go! Can't you do something here? Do something!!!" she shouted.
"Ally…" Connor whispered again.
She looked into his helpless, dark eyes as he spoke to her.
"Don't give up…" he told her out of breath. "Make this right…you can make this right…" he begged of her.
After a long silence, she got up and turned to face Buffy, Gunn and Skip, a determination imprinted in her hazel eyes.
"Are you sure?" Gunn painfully asked and she nodded.
"Ally…" Buffy whispered taking her hands into hers and intensely looking at her with tearful eyes. "She would be proud of you…remember that." She whispered, embracing the young woman with such love.
Buffy pulled away and she and Gunn stood back while Skip joined the girl in the middle of the circle.
"You remember what you have to do?" he asked her with concern. One look at Connor and she nodded again. "Don't let go of my hand." He warned her.
Gunn and Buffy recited a chant and a warm light enveloped them. In one flash of light, Skip and the girl vanished from the trashed training room.
2002- Outside the Hyperion
Angel's car stopped in front of the hotel
"How did Gunn and Wesley get back here before us? You know for a champion, you could use a more champion-y car." Cordy mumbled, holding her bruised forehead.
"Hey! This is a very good car! Gunn is a reckless driver." Angel defended himself as he got out of the car and walked to her side to open her door.
He saw the wounds on her legs and stomach and grimaced.
"Okay, so what'll it be?" he asked, looking down at her in her seat. "The damsel in distress entrance or the Champion piggy back ride?"
Cordy raised an eyebrow and stared at him.
"What? I'm not letting you walk." He grinned sweetly.
--
Inside the Hotel
Lorne stood there holding Connor as a freshly patched up Gunn and Wesley chatted around the counter with Fred. Interrupting their casual conversation was the sudden bright light that swept into the room. After the initial shock, the blinding light disappeared, dropping the body of a weak teenage girl onto the floor. A few seconds later, Skip's body came crashing down the flight of stairs while everyone stared, jumping into defensive mode.
"Oh God…" Fred whispered, looking down at the girl who lied on the floor, covered in blood.
The girl weakly lifted herself up on her knees and looked up. When her eyes met Fred's, Wesley's, Gunn's and Lorne's, she caught her breath and froze.
"What the hell…." Gunn muttered while Skip pulled himself up.
"Time Travel's a bitch. Can't we just use the freeway next time?! Sweetie, I told you not to let go of my hand…you could have come face to face with…" he began, lifting his eyes to see the emotional, dumbfounded look on everyone's faces, especially the young brunette. "Oh…"
there was a long silence as they all stared at one another. The loud voices coming from the door finally broke the silence. Angel burst through the door, carrying Cordy on his back, as they two of them laughed out loud.
"Okay. Put me down you big caveman!" she laughed, hitting his shoulder playfully.
Their teasing quickly stopped as they saw the scene before them. As soon as their voices had been heard, the girl had froze, holding her breath, her mouth slightly agape, her eyes welling up with tears.
Slowly, ever so slowly, she turned around and looked at the two people standing in the doorway.
It was them.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she stayed glued to the sight of Cordelia.
"What's going on? Who are you?" Cordy asked, looking at everyone, especially the stranger in front of her.
Skip stood still, unsure what would happen now.
"Mom…" the girl whispered to herself, unable to move, speak, or breathe.