Title: "Glitzy Changes"
Spoilers: Post "Waiting In the Wings".. right after Groo arrives. Everything after that? Didn't happen.
Rating: PG-13 Nothing that couldn't happen on the show.
Distribution: Ask me. I'd probably be flattered. :P
Disclaimer: Joss, Mutant Enemy, Greenwolf, and UPN own the shows and it's characters.. all that jazz.
Summary: Angel Investigations is lead to investigate a strange vision; Cordy and Angel are inadvertently effected.
Feedback: I welcome constructive criticism. And any other sort of comment, if any. :P

Thanks to everyone who follows my story.

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---Hyperion Hotel | Lobby---

It's another day at Angel Investigations, with employees meticulously researching since the crack of dawn. Not a book laid unopened or on it's shelf, as each and every person would rifle through each and every text. Each and every person, that is, except the unconscious bodies of a vampire and his seer sprawled out on the couch. A word hasn't been spoken for a long while now, as they would each submerge themselves into their investigations. The green house guest cradled the sleeping Conner and read the morning's paper at the same time. Something caught his eye, yet he was cautious to utter a sound.

Lorne: "Um.. guys? I think our suspect's at it again."

Gunn was the first to tear his concentration away from his book, as difficult as it was to put down the two thousand page demon index.

Gunn: "Huh?"

Lorne waves the newspaper, attempting to clarify himself.

Lorne: "Take a look."

He flings the paper over to a startled Gunn.

Lorne: "Another attack."

Gunn finds the tiny scribble of an article and reads the story out loud.

Gunn: "-Man Found In Coma At The Regent Beverly Wilshire- (Pricey joint) *clears throat* A janitorial employee at the Wilshire found the unconscious body of a young man in a suite abandoned by it's guest. The relation of the undisclosed victim to the guest is unknown, as is the reason behind the sudden unconsciousness. He is currently being tended to, although doctors are baffled."

Wesley: "Certainly sounds similar to our situation. Also at an expensive hotel, no less."

Gunn: "I guess he's got a taste for that sort of thing. But his victims don't seem to be following any pattern."

Wesley: "Thank god we have something to go on, at least. We'll have to get into the lodging records of both the Wilshire and the Hilton somehow, and search for.. some sort of clue. Anything. Fred? Do you think you'd be able to--"

Fred: "get into the PD's files online and find the identity of the victim? I'm on it."

Groo breathes in and lifts his eyes from his book.

Groo: "I believe I have found information to assist in our research."

Everyone looks at Groo with very surprised faces.

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--- Alley Behind The Bronze's Girls Bathroom | March 1998---

Buffy steps closer to Angel, looking straight into his eyes with her own teary gems.

Buffy: "You're not.. my Angel?"

She takes a hold of his sweater's sleeve examining it, then she pokes him in the chest. Her last bit of research was laying a flat hand on his chest. She laid it right over his beating heart.

Angel: "I-- am."

An uneasy Angel steps backward away from her touch, contradicting his answer. He slightly bumps into Cordelia, who stood behind him.

Willow: "But you're all funny dressed. Oh, and human. Cordelia? Weren't you just wearing a fancy black dress inside the Bronze? I mean.. it was just a second ago. And how do you know human Angel?"

Buffy: "Wait.. we still don't know.. who are you?"

Angels opens his mouth to answer, but Cordelia grabs him away and whispers.

Cordelia: "We can't tell them. We need to.. convince them they're dreaming or something."

Angel: "How do we do that? I mean.. what if we're supposed to be here? And I'm supposed.."

Cordelia understands how Angel feels.

Cordelia: "I know, I know. But what if I'm not? Why should I be here when you shanshu in 1998?"

Angel: "Cordelia, you know how important you are to-- the mission. You're vision girl, remember?"

He tries to evoke a smile from her with his own, and it works. Buffy raises an eyebrow, exchanging glances with Willow as their peculiar friends have a private conversation.

Cordelia: "Granted... but I don't think I have visions here. I'm obviously not still demon, and my brain doesn't ache like when I was human with visions.. so.."

Angel puts away the memory of Cordelia's hidden pains and offers a solution in a very low whisper.

Angel: "We run then. She's the slayer, but.."

Cordelia: "How's about we try a little covertness, Mr. Supposed-to-be-a-private-detective? Watch and learn."

They return to the irritated faces of Willow and Buffy.

Cordelia: "We're-- clones."

She failed to muster up the suaveness she promised, much to her own dismay. Angel tries to swoop in with his own smooth save.

Angel: "Magical clones."

He fails.

Angel: "I-- I mean.. a spell was made by someone. And-- and here we find ourselves."

Cordelia: "Yeah.. we had to jack some clothes of a vamp bef--"

Willow: "Streakers! You were the streakers!"

Buffy: "You were?!"

Cordelia: "Uh.. heh.."

She smiles nervously.

Cordelia: "Hey.. come on. Cut a little slack for the magical clones. Like we wanted to be naked."

Angel unconsciously glares at Cordelia.

Buffy: "I'm getting a distinct feeling that this clone business is utter bull."

Willow: "Yeah, it wreaks of bull. Sounds neat though."

Cordelia: "Well then.. we'll just be on our way."

Buffy: "What?"

Cordelia: "You have to restore Angel's soul and send him to hell. We can't let that change."

Every one of them are wide-eyed, not fully believing the way things have progressed. Cordelia raises her hands and starts wiggling her fingers.

Cordelia: "This is a dream! A dreeeeaam!"

She nudges Angel with her elbow. He then tries to mimic the action.

Angel: "Yeah. Dreee.. eee.. eeea.. m."

Angel and Cordelia suddenly drop their hands and run away. Buffy stands there for a few seconds, mouth gaped, before running after them. The duo cuts around the corner, and a few seconds Buffy follows. She stops to find no sign of them in the parking lot. Willow appears short-breathed a few seconds later.

Buffy: "I lost them. I can't believe I lost them. What the hell was all that?"

Willow shrugs, and they head home.

Angel pulls Cordelia behind a low-rider truck, and they both sit and pant from their dash. Angel peeks from the side, sees Buffy and Willow walk away, and rests his head on the truck in exhaustion.

Angel: "They're leaving."

Cordelia: "What do we do now?"

Angel: "I'm hungry."

Cordelia: "Huh? Oh, hungry. Yeah, I noticed in the bathroom."

Angel: "Wha--? No, I meant.."

Angel blushes and stutters, Cordelia doesn't notice.

Cordelia: "Your stomach was grumbly."

Angel: "Oh. Yeah. Well, I am. Aren't you?"

Cordelia: "Hello? We're all time-traveled! We really need a plan."

Angel: "We can't go to the mansion.. Angelus would be there. We'll go to my old place. I have some clothes and money left there."

Cordelia: "Thank god, a plan. So we'll eat after we settle. Okay, you big human you?"

She grins, and once again Angel finds it contagious.

Angel: "Have I ever told you how much I--"

Cordelia: "Yeah, you love me. Best friends forever and all. Let's go, we can chit chat about our situation later."

Angel stands, and then immediately ducks back down.

Angel: "shhh."

He peeks from the side as Cordelia waits. After a few minutes, she hears an engine start and then fade away.

Angel: "Okay, it's clear."

Cordelia: "Who was it?"

Angel: "You."

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---Hyperion Hotel | Lobby---

Wesley: "Oh. Well then, by all means, do share."

Groo hands the book to Wesley and points to something on the page.

Groo: "There."

Wesley: "This is Roman mythology. Well, the sort that's no one ever heard of, naturally. It speaks of being that sends people to their past through the method we're looking for."

Gunn: "Any new info about our guy?"

Wesley: "It's a little-known god; Monrazetro. He was shunned by the rest of them--"

Gunn: "Oh, so a real bad-ass then."

Wesley: "Actually, he was shunned for serving the beings of earth and living among them. His methods made people free, but created many alternate realities in the process. He had good intentions."

Fred: "Free?"

Wesley: "Well.. They'd get a second chance at a turning point in their lives, free to alternate their paths. Not by inhabiting their old bodies, but by given fresh life of prime and living completely new lives."

Everyone felt very solemn at this point, not knowing what to think.

Gunn: "There's always a catch. What is it?"

Wesley skims through the book's entry.

Wesley: "Oh no. This is very.. very bad."

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