*Title- Back To Sunnydale
*Disclaimer- First and foremost, I'd like to point out that I don't own any
aspect of the show Angel, though it would kick major ass if I did!
*Rating- PG-13 I suppose.
*Timeline- I have no clue when this is set. After That Vision Thing and
Before Billy. No Connor, no Darla, no part-demon Cordy, and Fred has
finally heard the click.
*Reviews-Hell Yeah!
CHAPTER TWO
^*^*^*^
At 9:00 everyone started to arrive at the Magic Box. Cordelia, Angel, and Wesley had spent the day locked away in their hotel rooms, sure to avoid any old acquaintances from Sunnydale, as well as the sunlight. Fred and Gunn on the other hand had explored the entire area. By the time they all met up, Fred had several mementos from her friends' old town.
"Did y'all know that there's a popcorn factory about twenty minutes away? It was so much fun! Charles won me this bucket!" Hugging a huge bucket full to the top with popcorn, Fred sat down next to Willow who smiled simply at the Texan girl.
"Where's Angel?" Buffy asked, obviously impatient.
"Him, Cordy and Wes stayed at the hotel. They should be here soon." Fred answered.
"They just hung out in the hotel all day? That's boring." Xander noted.
"Not when you have a rousing game of scrabble and a couple granola bars!" Cordy cheerfully answered from the doorway. The other two followed behind her.
"Ok, game plan guys." Buffy took charge. "What are we gonna need to kill this thing?"
"Just bring as many swords and weapony things you have on hand." Cordy answered Buffy's question, which had actually been directed towards Angel.
"So, between all of us, it shouldn't be too hard then. Xander, Gunn- you guys get the south side. Angel-we'll will hit up the north side. The rest of you, stick around here until we get back."
"Buffy, I'll fight. So will Wes. That's why we're here."
"Ha. Right, you two fighting?"
"Excuse me?" Cordy was indignant, but tried to keep her cool on the slayer.
"Last time you were here you would run away like a little girl every time evil showed its face. In fact, so did you, Wesley."
"That was uncalled for." Wesley sounded hurt.
"Look, Buffy. Things have changed in the last few years. And whether you like it or not, we will fight this fight. You can't always have all the glory. We're here to help you guys, so you best treat us with some respect." Buffy moved forward to look Cordelia in the eye, but looked silly in comparison being that Cordy was taller.
"Respect? Why the hell do you deserve any respect? Because you get little pictures of the future from the so-called Powers? I lost all respect for you the day I met you, Cordelia."
"Buffy, I'm not going to get into this with you. I don't know what your problem is. We have people to save, so you're either in or you're out. But either way, I'll be there with or without you." Cordelia turned to leave, but Buffy's next comment stopped her.
"Whatever demon is there Cordelia, it won't pay you any money. Oh, the mighty Cordelia, saving the innocent in LA. Is that what you tell people? Does that make you feel better about yourself? The only reason you supposedly 'help' people is to get their money. You'll never change, Cordelia, no matter what you tell yourself." As Buffy finished her sentence, an actual tear slid from Cordelia's eye.
"You think this is about money?" She paused slightly, "Do you really think-"
"Cordy. Come on, let's just-"
"No, Angel." Here voice was low, rough. Her eyes never left Buffy's.
"You don't know the hell we've been through, Buffy. And I can't even imagine how hard it's been for you these past years. But don't you ever question my motives for helping people again. I've seen what this world will do, and it's not my duty. It's not my job to help people. I don't do it to feel better about myself. I don't do it because I get the visions. I do it because I care. And as corny as the sounds, it's true. Just knowing how many people are out there suffering, dying, hopeless-that's my motivation, not dollar signs not checks. I *have* changed Buffy, and obviously so have you." With that the room fell silent. Everyone simply waited for the next move. It almost looked as if Cordelia was about hit Buffy. But even if she were feeling tempted, she resisted.
As she was at the door of the Magic Box ready to leave, she decided to say something else, turning quickly she called out for her champion, "Angel?" But it wasn't a plea to follow; it was a plea to catch her. She fell back into a vision. Her shrill screams caused the group from Sunnydale to jump up into action. Xander's worried voice came from the back of the room as he called out to Cordy. Angel was there in less than a second, holding her as she held her head in anguish.
"What is it, Cordy? What do you see? Come on, talk to me!" As she writhed in torture, Buffy stood exactly where she had been during Cordelia's spiel. There was a look of horror on Buffy's face, and when Cordelia finally came out of the vision, Buffy drew her hands up to her mouth in a look of shock.
"Demons, four or five of 'em. You have to go, hurry! They're at the cemetery. Go!" Slight pauses after each command made the moment tense, and as Angel looked up to Gunn and Wesley they all nodded.
"We'll be back, Cordy. Are you going to be okay?" She nodded and shut her eyes.
"Yeah. Go! You have to go!" The three men didn't take notice of any of the Scoobies and they simply grabbed their swords and left the shop. Fred went over to Cordy to comfort her. Cordelia waved her away with a fake smile and tried to stand on her own. She held her head in her hand, and took a breath. She then opened her eyes to look at the group.
"You have to help them. They can't handle it alone."
"Cordelia-" Buffy started what may have been an apology, or a question. Either way, Cordelia shot her down.
"Go." The authority in her voice prompted Xander and Buffy to exit the shop quickly.
"You all should get some bandages or something. There's going to be a lot to patch up." She looked at Anya, Willow, and Tara. They all simply nodded.
"Fred, you help them. You know what we'll need. Be ready for the worst."
"Cordy, what about you?" Fred asked perplexed.
"I'm going to help fight." Fred motioned to contest, but Cordy just looked at her.
"I'll be fine, Fred. Can't hurt anymore than it already does. And Willow, Tara, could you research some spells?"
"Spells for what?" Willow asked, curious and eager.
"Spells for closing a hellmouth." She looked at the group worriedly and left.
*END CHAPTER TWO*
CHAPTER TWO
^*^*^*^
At 9:00 everyone started to arrive at the Magic Box. Cordelia, Angel, and Wesley had spent the day locked away in their hotel rooms, sure to avoid any old acquaintances from Sunnydale, as well as the sunlight. Fred and Gunn on the other hand had explored the entire area. By the time they all met up, Fred had several mementos from her friends' old town.
"Did y'all know that there's a popcorn factory about twenty minutes away? It was so much fun! Charles won me this bucket!" Hugging a huge bucket full to the top with popcorn, Fred sat down next to Willow who smiled simply at the Texan girl.
"Where's Angel?" Buffy asked, obviously impatient.
"Him, Cordy and Wes stayed at the hotel. They should be here soon." Fred answered.
"They just hung out in the hotel all day? That's boring." Xander noted.
"Not when you have a rousing game of scrabble and a couple granola bars!" Cordy cheerfully answered from the doorway. The other two followed behind her.
"Ok, game plan guys." Buffy took charge. "What are we gonna need to kill this thing?"
"Just bring as many swords and weapony things you have on hand." Cordy answered Buffy's question, which had actually been directed towards Angel.
"So, between all of us, it shouldn't be too hard then. Xander, Gunn- you guys get the south side. Angel-we'll will hit up the north side. The rest of you, stick around here until we get back."
"Buffy, I'll fight. So will Wes. That's why we're here."
"Ha. Right, you two fighting?"
"Excuse me?" Cordy was indignant, but tried to keep her cool on the slayer.
"Last time you were here you would run away like a little girl every time evil showed its face. In fact, so did you, Wesley."
"That was uncalled for." Wesley sounded hurt.
"Look, Buffy. Things have changed in the last few years. And whether you like it or not, we will fight this fight. You can't always have all the glory. We're here to help you guys, so you best treat us with some respect." Buffy moved forward to look Cordelia in the eye, but looked silly in comparison being that Cordy was taller.
"Respect? Why the hell do you deserve any respect? Because you get little pictures of the future from the so-called Powers? I lost all respect for you the day I met you, Cordelia."
"Buffy, I'm not going to get into this with you. I don't know what your problem is. We have people to save, so you're either in or you're out. But either way, I'll be there with or without you." Cordelia turned to leave, but Buffy's next comment stopped her.
"Whatever demon is there Cordelia, it won't pay you any money. Oh, the mighty Cordelia, saving the innocent in LA. Is that what you tell people? Does that make you feel better about yourself? The only reason you supposedly 'help' people is to get their money. You'll never change, Cordelia, no matter what you tell yourself." As Buffy finished her sentence, an actual tear slid from Cordelia's eye.
"You think this is about money?" She paused slightly, "Do you really think-"
"Cordy. Come on, let's just-"
"No, Angel." Here voice was low, rough. Her eyes never left Buffy's.
"You don't know the hell we've been through, Buffy. And I can't even imagine how hard it's been for you these past years. But don't you ever question my motives for helping people again. I've seen what this world will do, and it's not my duty. It's not my job to help people. I don't do it to feel better about myself. I don't do it because I get the visions. I do it because I care. And as corny as the sounds, it's true. Just knowing how many people are out there suffering, dying, hopeless-that's my motivation, not dollar signs not checks. I *have* changed Buffy, and obviously so have you." With that the room fell silent. Everyone simply waited for the next move. It almost looked as if Cordelia was about hit Buffy. But even if she were feeling tempted, she resisted.
As she was at the door of the Magic Box ready to leave, she decided to say something else, turning quickly she called out for her champion, "Angel?" But it wasn't a plea to follow; it was a plea to catch her. She fell back into a vision. Her shrill screams caused the group from Sunnydale to jump up into action. Xander's worried voice came from the back of the room as he called out to Cordy. Angel was there in less than a second, holding her as she held her head in anguish.
"What is it, Cordy? What do you see? Come on, talk to me!" As she writhed in torture, Buffy stood exactly where she had been during Cordelia's spiel. There was a look of horror on Buffy's face, and when Cordelia finally came out of the vision, Buffy drew her hands up to her mouth in a look of shock.
"Demons, four or five of 'em. You have to go, hurry! They're at the cemetery. Go!" Slight pauses after each command made the moment tense, and as Angel looked up to Gunn and Wesley they all nodded.
"We'll be back, Cordy. Are you going to be okay?" She nodded and shut her eyes.
"Yeah. Go! You have to go!" The three men didn't take notice of any of the Scoobies and they simply grabbed their swords and left the shop. Fred went over to Cordy to comfort her. Cordelia waved her away with a fake smile and tried to stand on her own. She held her head in her hand, and took a breath. She then opened her eyes to look at the group.
"You have to help them. They can't handle it alone."
"Cordelia-" Buffy started what may have been an apology, or a question. Either way, Cordelia shot her down.
"Go." The authority in her voice prompted Xander and Buffy to exit the shop quickly.
"You all should get some bandages or something. There's going to be a lot to patch up." She looked at Anya, Willow, and Tara. They all simply nodded.
"Fred, you help them. You know what we'll need. Be ready for the worst."
"Cordy, what about you?" Fred asked perplexed.
"I'm going to help fight." Fred motioned to contest, but Cordy just looked at her.
"I'll be fine, Fred. Can't hurt anymore than it already does. And Willow, Tara, could you research some spells?"
"Spells for what?" Willow asked, curious and eager.
"Spells for closing a hellmouth." She looked at the group worriedly and left.
*END CHAPTER TWO*
