Chapter 21: Feelings Recognized
"We've got her!" The bell on the Magic Box door, poised to make its usual clang of greeting, was broken of its hinges by the force of which the door was thrust open. As it opened, it framed a frantic and ragged Xander and Buffy, both clutching an unconscious Willow. Most of the other Scoobies rushed to where the two were standing and helped them with Willow, carrying her to the backroom and laying her on a couch. "What do we do now?" Buffy asked gazing down at Willow and the rest gathered near her. "I saw Venus beginning to rise. When do we start the ritual?"
"Well we have to sniff out Rack's coven don't we?" Angel asked. "We can't start the ritual at all until we've found him."
"Yeah," Tara replied, lost in reflection. "You and Spike will need to get started searching for it right away."
"I'm not working with that ponce!" Spike exploded. "No way in hell!"
"Spike!" Buffy gave him a cold stare with her hands on her hips. "You promised!"
"That was before . . ." he started but became increasingly aware of confused glances his way. He sidled up to Buffy and ducked his head near her and hissed. "That was before you and him" he cocked his head vengefully in Angel's direction, "Resumed old filthy habits." He looked her dangerously in her eyes, his demon side bubbling within. Xander cleared his throat quite loudly, frowning at their obvious display.
Buffy stared back, her gaze caught in his, and almost involuntarily, she teared up. But she set her teeth forward and stuck her chin out with decision. "This isn't about you and Angel," she reminded him. "This is about Willow. About everyone else involved. People who will die if you don't help take care of this. If you don't cooperate," she paused, gaining new strength in her stare. "I swear I'll kill you before you make it out of town, Spike."
Spike cocked his head at her before he pursed his lips and clenched his jaw but nodded as he backed away. Judging by her body language, he knew she meant it. Not like it was such a bad way to go, Spike thought. Nothing worse than dying in the arms of the only person you ever loved. BY the arms, whatever. "I'll go with Angel and Spike," Buffy announced, turning back to the rest of the group. "What about you guys? How does this work?"
"We all need to go," Tara said grimly, arranging a number of vials in a large wooden box. "I have to go along with Willow to do the ritual at Rack's coven. That's the easiest way, bringing the fight to him. All the rest of you guys will need to be there for back up." Buffy was becoming increasingly surprised at the way Tara was really asserting herself with this ritual plan. Buffy herself felt more in the dark about how to handle the whole thing.
"And me!" Dawn beamed with pride at being included. "Don't forget me, big ol' backup provider." Tara nodded gently with a smile.
"That sounds kind of dangerous," Buffy reflected with a frown. "We should really split up, do more damage that way."
"No way." Tara shook her head resolutely. "This is only going to work if we stay together."
"Like the soddin' Brady Bunch," Spike mumbled under his breath.
"What about me?" Cordy asked from the table, still clutching and rocking Conner in her usual fashion.
"You'll have to stay here with Conner," Angel assured her, patting her on the shoulder. "You'll have to stay here, since Rack already knows where Buffy lives. It would be too dangerous for you to be there."
"I have to stay here?" Cordy exclaimed, miffed. "I feel like I'm not helping enough," she said, worriedly looking up at Angel. "I came all this way down here, and I feel like I haven't done anything." Angel hesitated when he saw her earnest, regretful look.
"Well on the bright side Cordy, you've been a breath of fresh bitch to the town of Sunnydale," Xander tried to comfort. He frowned when he saw Cordy's familiar old Queen C glare. "Sorry," he apologized. "Force of habit. I always associated the word bitch with you."
Cordy sighed. "I just wanted to help," she began, but suddenly looked as if she had been gripped with an enormous pain that was pulsing through her body. "Quick," she whispered. "Take him." Nearly throwing Conner at Anya, she was thrown to the wall, gripping her head the whole time. "At . . . the . . . pier . . ." she was mumbling through wheezing gasps. Everyone ducked near in concern.
"What's happening?" Xander yelled with concern over his ex-girlfriend.
"She's having a vision," Angel yelled back before jumping in to scoop Cordy in his arms before she was thrown into another wall. It killed him to see how bad these visions were affecting Cordy. "Hey, Cord, are you all right," he asked, painfully concerned as he smoothed her hair from her face.
"The pier . . ." she was still mumbling. "Pier 65, at the marina . . . he's there." In her mind, she saw legions of ghoul-like hippies all fighting powerfully with what appeared to be Buffy, Angel and Spike. She then saw a tall, greasy-haired man, grinning with dark hatred. She saw him suddenly clutching Buffy who soon fell to the floor. Seeing Angel rush near her, she then saw the tall man throw him across the room. "It's him . . ." her eyes glazed over with recognition. "It's Rack." Everyone stared at her in amazement. But soon amazement was replaced by worry as Cordy slumped over and fell unconscious.
"Cordy?!" Angel yelled, trying to shake her into revival. "Cordy, are you okay?!"
"She's unconscious," Xander exclaimed, trying to get to her and feel her wrist. "Oh my God. I don't feel a pulse." Wide-eyed, he turned to a stricken Angel who bit his lip and ragingly shook Cordy further. A few more minutes of the rest of the Scoobies standing over her with fear. Screaming out suggestions ensued.
"Pour some water over her head," Dawn suggested.
"I'll find a spell that can revive her," Tara was saying, running for a spell book.
"Sit the git up! Slap her silly!" Spike yelled.
"I like his idea," Anya exclaimed. "Slap her." She shrugged when Xander gaped at her. "I'm just trying to help," she murmured.
"Or, considering the girl doesn't have a pulse, we could try calling an ambulance. Did anyone think of that?!!" Xander yelled in frustration.
"Right." Buffy immediately grabbed a phone and started dialing. "Hello, 911? We've got a female here, unconscious, no pulse . . ." But just as soon Cordy screamed back to life, her whole body shaking. Angel ducked and caught her, sighing with relief and teary anger.
"Cordy!" he was screaming. "Don't ever scare me like that again!" He reached up and hugged her tightly. "We thought we lost you!"
"W-what happened?" Cordy whispered, still dazed. She struggled to sit up, but her weak arms gave way under her.
"T-that . . . vision thing," Dawn said, shaking with fascination. "T-that's so . . . COOL! Hey Buffy, how come you can't do that? You're the Slayer and you don't do cool things like . . . that." Dawn's alacrity faded when Angel glared at her.
"M-m-my god, a-are you okay?" Tara stammered with genuine concern. "I can't believe you have vision powers. And that powerful too."
"Yeah," Cordy grinned, sheepishly proud. "Powerful . . . visions, the only visions of choice." She winced as she gripped her head. "God . . . can you get me my pills from my purse?" she motioned Anya towards her bag.
"I'm really glad you're okay, Cordelia," Buffy said, trying to mask her impatience with sincere concern. "B-but, you said you saw Rack. Where was he?"
"Pier 65, at the marina," Cordy smiled broadly to finally be of help. "On some huge boat."
Buffy turned to Tara. "This is great. This saves a lot of time of hunting for him." Tara nodded happily. Angel, however, refused to leave Cordy's side.
"Cordy, we have to get you to the hospital," he whispered to her urgently.
"What? No!" she scoffed, trying once more to get up, but slipped once more to the floor. "I'm . . . fine."
"Hey Cord? If your standards of 'fine' is being dead for 6 minutes, than you got a really short, fine life ahead of you." Xander tried to mask his fear with his usual sharp tongue.
"Dead?" Cordy looked quizzically from person.
"You had no pulse for 6 minutes Cordy," Angel filled her in gently.
"Wow. I was dead?" Cordy looked over towards Buffy. "What goes around comes around I guess." Buffy shrugged knowingly. She looked back towards Angel with fear. "Angel . . . I saw Buffy and you in my vision. You guys got hurt."
Buffy snorted. "You guys are worrying your pretty heads about nothing. I keep telling you, I've already taken tough stuff before. Why is this shampoo-deprived loser scaring all you guys?"
Cordy continued to gaze into Angel's deep, brooding eyes. "I want you to be careful Angel," she stated softly, seriously. He nodded, but his impenetrable gaze never left hers. Something suddenly stirred in Cordy, something that she hadn't felt for a long time, at least not since Doyle. Their eyes remained locked until Cordy opened her mouth to say something, instead keeling back over before a word could be said.
"Cordy?! Okay, that's it we're getting you to hospital!" Angel picked her up, but Buffy stopped him by lightly placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Angel, we don't have enough time, Venus is already beginning to rise. We can just let her wait here while the ambulance comes."
Angel stared at her in incredulous anger. "I am not letting Cordy stay here by herself when she's like this," he said through clenched teeth. Buffy was surprised at the intensity with which he had made the declaration. She returned his glare with an equally venomous one.
"Ok, how's this," Xander suggested, trying to alleviate the obvious tension. "Me and Ahn will drive Cordy down to the hospital and then meet up with you guys later down at the pier." Reluctantly, all agreed, and Angel tried to hand over to Xander, who meekly accepted with quivering arms.
"Wait." Cordy groggily lifted her head up before Angel had let her go. Impulsively reaching to grab the back of his head, she swooped him down to crush his lips against hers. Angel, at first confused, responded with equal fervor. As they parted, the rest of the group simultaneously gasped with gaping mouths and wide eyes. Oblivious to the rest, Angel gazed back down at Cordy, equally amazed. "That's something for you if you get hurt," she said sheepishly, with a small smile. "Something for you to fight for." Angel, full of understanding, smiled down at her intensely and pressed another softer kiss to her lips. Spike made an audible noise.
"For a dead poofter, you keep racking up the hot young bodies don't you mate?" he smirked. He stole a furtive glance at Buffy who immediately stiffened. She had her brow furrowed and was looking on with obvious discomfort, but she hurriedly tried to mask it with initiative.
"Okay, so you and Anya take Cordy to the hospital," she said to Xander. "Take extra tasers just in case. Dawn, you go with them, watch over Conner." Dawn opened her mouth to object but when Conner was dumped in her arms, she gleamed at with sweet maternalism. They were actually letting her take care of something, someone, she thought with ecstatic glee. They all nodded, taking their roles and emptied the Magic Box, ready for their mission.