So why am I doing this? Being somewhat more or less than human, Xander could spend more than ordinary time with out needing to breathe, and so, because Cordelia was too squeamish, he had been selected to explore the ocean bottom for Angel's coffin. He rounded a small mountain of dumped rubbish. Serve deadboy right if I don't find him.
Willow had gotten the location, and immediately the scoobies had raced for LA. Except for Giles, who was heading for England for Sylvia's funeral, and Anya who was going with Giles. Cordelia, Gunn, and Fred went off to try and find Conner, while Buffy, Willow, and Xander went off to recue Angel.
Which was why Xander was walking the ocean floor, trailing a stout rope that Buffy would use to haul Angel up from the deep. Which would happen real soon now, as Xander came up to Angel's box.
Angel opened his eye at the movement outside his window, and tought he was delerious. He could have sworn that that he saw Xander just out side.
Xander smiled and waved.
Angel stared.
The box lay on it's back, and there was little if any way Xander could fasten the rope around it . With a sigh, he let it go, reached through the box, grasped Angel's shulders and...appeared on the boat behind Buffy and Willow, who were anxiously looking over the side.
The look on their faces was priceless, and Xander thought that he would never stop laughing. He did though, finally, though it had nothing to do with Buffy glaring at him, or her attempt to get physical with him. It didn't help that her attempt to rush him sent her through him and over the side.
Angel fished a dripping Buffy out of the water, and turned to stare at Xander.
"How, did you...what happened?"
"You have a seriously twisted sense of humour," growled Buffy.. All her instincts told her to wipe that smirk off his face. She was the Slayer, and shouldn't be the object of another's amusement. She growled once more as Xander positioned himself accross from her with an almost daring gleam in his eyes.
"Okay, lets just calm down." Willow climbed to the wheel, and turned the boat for shore. "We got to get back, see if they've found Conner."
"Yeah," agreed Xander, leaving Buffy to explain to Angel "I need to see Wesley."
++++
Gunn slammed into the brick wall, and rolled away as Conner's follow up fist just barely missed his head. Cordelia evaded Justine's kick as Fred hovered nearby. They had been tracked down to a smll tenement, and neither Conner or Justine were amenable to helping them. Especially when it was decided that it would be better to separate Conner from Justine. Somehow, neither was getting with the program.
A fist collided with Gunn's jaw and he was out of the game.
Conner jumped for Cordelia whan he was knocked over by a Fred landing on his back, which really wasn't that much of a problem. Not really. A frustration that was easily gotten rid of by backing up hard into a wall, and a dazed Fred was soon sitting next to Gunn.
Which meant that Cordelia was alone against both of them. Being a demoness really hadn't helped her in the fighting department, and while she had access to demoness powers, she really didn't know what to do with them. Except to back into a corner, and erect a protective barrier around her.
++++
Xander pounded at the door. Angel was really not on board with the who;e idea about bringing Wesley in on this. He was on board with the new Xander, and what needed to be done, and the need for someone with Watcher training, and it was explained to hm that Giles had familiy stuff to take care of. But he was really against bringing Wesley in. Which, as far as Xander was concerned, was all the more reason to get him.
He wasn't so sure when Wesley opened the door to his apartment. Clearly he had been drinking, but Xander thought he could see the real reason why. "Tough isn't it."
Wesley glared at him.
"Doing what you believed was right only to have them dump on you."
"Can you blame them?"
"For feeling the way they do about you, no, can't blame them for that. For turning their backs on you without even giving you a chance to explain, yeah, I can blame them for that." Xander took a look around the apartment, and took a seat unbidden. "What you have to do man is move on. You're a part of this, whether they like it or not."
"Part of what?" Wesley stared at the half empty bottle, then turned his attention back to his unwanted guest. It didn't take Xander long to fill him in.
"We could really use you," Xander said, looking him in the eye. "Gles has personal stuff, we need someone with a Watcher's training."
"Why? It seems to me that you have things under control."
"For now yeah. But who knows what could crop up and you guys are the best at finding out what."
Wesley thought about it, then dismissed it. Angel won't have me."
"His tough." Xander grinned. "I don't think you're going to be his biggest problem, and he's going to be somewhat distracted, too distracted to do very much about it."
Wesley was going to add to that when there was the sund of a sharp beep. Xander reached into a pocket and withdrew a palm computer, or at least that was what it was. Xander read the screen, pressed a button, and a built in printer started to chatter, and spit out a piece of paper. Which Xander tore off, and handed to Wesley.
"You have a car?" He asked. Wesley nodded. "Good, we have to get to this answer."
"Why?" Wesley was suspicious.
"Cause if we don't some people are going to die, and you don't get any brownie pints."
++++
"We can sit here as long as you can." Justine grinned at Cordelia. Who had managed to inch around the wall until Gunn and Fred were in her protective shield. They had been sitting like this for hours. Gunn and Fred had come out of it but were still woozy. Her eyes wandered to the white chinese food box, then jerked back. Cordelia hoped that Justine hadn't seen tht. Demoness o not, using her power was a drain and the body demanded an increase in energy. Unfortunately Justine had, and made a show of eating a fork full.
"Hungry eh. Well funny thing, there seems to be something preventing me from handing you any of this." Justine picked a prawn off a plate and popped it into her mouth.
Cordelia glared defiantly. Next time she saw Skip, she would demand that the Powers train her in what she could do and how to do it. It was totally their fault, she was cowering behind this barrier, totally helpless, and unable to do anything but sit here, and wait until she got to tired to maaintain the barrier. Well Justine and Conner would just have to wait for as long as it took.
Conner stalked back into the room carrying a battleaxe. He lifted it and swung at the barrier, and was amazed when the haft was caught in a strng grip.
"Don't wanna do that," grinned Xander. "She has a lot of work to do before it's her time."
Justine jumped to Conner's aid but found herself restrained by Wesley, who had a strange but feral glam in his eyes.
"Took you long enough," grumbled Cordelia, who dropped her shield. "She cast a glare at Wesley, and turned to Fred and Gunn. Satisfied that they were okay, and ambulatory, she turned and smiled. "Justine you can go to hell and I know just who can get yopu there. Conner, your coming with us."
"No!" Conner's surge of strength shoved Xander accross the room, and it was all that Gunn and Wesley could do to keep him off Cordelia. "I go now hwere without Justine."
Justine, who had been too stunned to move from where Wesly dropped her just smiled.
"She's not coming," snapped Cordelia.
"Actually she is," said Xander.
"Are you out of your ever loving little mind." Cordelia turned on Xander. Gunn looked ready to help with the arm and leg ripping but was too busy helping Wesley restrain a struggling Conner. Clearly they weren't having a great deal of luck with it.
"You got a better idea," Xander shrugged. "Conner's got a streak of loyalty bar none, and Justine is at the center of that loyalty. Way I see it you have too choices, kill them both or take them both."
"If it hadn't been for Wesley that loyalty would have been focussed on Angel."
"If wishes were gifts and wants were nuts we'd all have a great Christmas."
++++
It was a noisy time at the Hyperion. With Angel, Buffy, Conner, Cordelia, Fred, Gunn, Justine, all screaming at each other, it was hard to make out one word from another let alone who was saying it.
Xander slipped around the edge of the group and went to stand beside Wesley. "See what I mean't."
Wesley nodded. "I fail to see how we can all work together ..."
"Don't worry, got that covered maybe." Xander pulled out his device and pressed a button.
"SILENCE!!!!!!"
Buffy whirled around and her jaw dropped when she saw the speaker. "Mom???"
Joyce Summers had to admit the weirdness of being here. Not that she had a real body to be here with, but the sensations, walking, spaking, well shouting, were still as she remembered them friom when she had bee alive. Especia;ly coming into an argument like this, which is something she had never had to do since Buffy and Dawn were children. She glanced nervously at Xander, who smiled back encouragingly.
Willow had gotten the location, and immediately the scoobies had raced for LA. Except for Giles, who was heading for England for Sylvia's funeral, and Anya who was going with Giles. Cordelia, Gunn, and Fred went off to try and find Conner, while Buffy, Willow, and Xander went off to recue Angel.
Which was why Xander was walking the ocean floor, trailing a stout rope that Buffy would use to haul Angel up from the deep. Which would happen real soon now, as Xander came up to Angel's box.
Angel opened his eye at the movement outside his window, and tought he was delerious. He could have sworn that that he saw Xander just out side.
Xander smiled and waved.
Angel stared.
The box lay on it's back, and there was little if any way Xander could fasten the rope around it . With a sigh, he let it go, reached through the box, grasped Angel's shulders and...appeared on the boat behind Buffy and Willow, who were anxiously looking over the side.
The look on their faces was priceless, and Xander thought that he would never stop laughing. He did though, finally, though it had nothing to do with Buffy glaring at him, or her attempt to get physical with him. It didn't help that her attempt to rush him sent her through him and over the side.
Angel fished a dripping Buffy out of the water, and turned to stare at Xander.
"How, did you...what happened?"
"You have a seriously twisted sense of humour," growled Buffy.. All her instincts told her to wipe that smirk off his face. She was the Slayer, and shouldn't be the object of another's amusement. She growled once more as Xander positioned himself accross from her with an almost daring gleam in his eyes.
"Okay, lets just calm down." Willow climbed to the wheel, and turned the boat for shore. "We got to get back, see if they've found Conner."
"Yeah," agreed Xander, leaving Buffy to explain to Angel "I need to see Wesley."
++++
Gunn slammed into the brick wall, and rolled away as Conner's follow up fist just barely missed his head. Cordelia evaded Justine's kick as Fred hovered nearby. They had been tracked down to a smll tenement, and neither Conner or Justine were amenable to helping them. Especially when it was decided that it would be better to separate Conner from Justine. Somehow, neither was getting with the program.
A fist collided with Gunn's jaw and he was out of the game.
Conner jumped for Cordelia whan he was knocked over by a Fred landing on his back, which really wasn't that much of a problem. Not really. A frustration that was easily gotten rid of by backing up hard into a wall, and a dazed Fred was soon sitting next to Gunn.
Which meant that Cordelia was alone against both of them. Being a demoness really hadn't helped her in the fighting department, and while she had access to demoness powers, she really didn't know what to do with them. Except to back into a corner, and erect a protective barrier around her.
++++
Xander pounded at the door. Angel was really not on board with the who;e idea about bringing Wesley in on this. He was on board with the new Xander, and what needed to be done, and the need for someone with Watcher training, and it was explained to hm that Giles had familiy stuff to take care of. But he was really against bringing Wesley in. Which, as far as Xander was concerned, was all the more reason to get him.
He wasn't so sure when Wesley opened the door to his apartment. Clearly he had been drinking, but Xander thought he could see the real reason why. "Tough isn't it."
Wesley glared at him.
"Doing what you believed was right only to have them dump on you."
"Can you blame them?"
"For feeling the way they do about you, no, can't blame them for that. For turning their backs on you without even giving you a chance to explain, yeah, I can blame them for that." Xander took a look around the apartment, and took a seat unbidden. "What you have to do man is move on. You're a part of this, whether they like it or not."
"Part of what?" Wesley stared at the half empty bottle, then turned his attention back to his unwanted guest. It didn't take Xander long to fill him in.
"We could really use you," Xander said, looking him in the eye. "Gles has personal stuff, we need someone with a Watcher's training."
"Why? It seems to me that you have things under control."
"For now yeah. But who knows what could crop up and you guys are the best at finding out what."
Wesley thought about it, then dismissed it. Angel won't have me."
"His tough." Xander grinned. "I don't think you're going to be his biggest problem, and he's going to be somewhat distracted, too distracted to do very much about it."
Wesley was going to add to that when there was the sund of a sharp beep. Xander reached into a pocket and withdrew a palm computer, or at least that was what it was. Xander read the screen, pressed a button, and a built in printer started to chatter, and spit out a piece of paper. Which Xander tore off, and handed to Wesley.
"You have a car?" He asked. Wesley nodded. "Good, we have to get to this answer."
"Why?" Wesley was suspicious.
"Cause if we don't some people are going to die, and you don't get any brownie pints."
++++
"We can sit here as long as you can." Justine grinned at Cordelia. Who had managed to inch around the wall until Gunn and Fred were in her protective shield. They had been sitting like this for hours. Gunn and Fred had come out of it but were still woozy. Her eyes wandered to the white chinese food box, then jerked back. Cordelia hoped that Justine hadn't seen tht. Demoness o not, using her power was a drain and the body demanded an increase in energy. Unfortunately Justine had, and made a show of eating a fork full.
"Hungry eh. Well funny thing, there seems to be something preventing me from handing you any of this." Justine picked a prawn off a plate and popped it into her mouth.
Cordelia glared defiantly. Next time she saw Skip, she would demand that the Powers train her in what she could do and how to do it. It was totally their fault, she was cowering behind this barrier, totally helpless, and unable to do anything but sit here, and wait until she got to tired to maaintain the barrier. Well Justine and Conner would just have to wait for as long as it took.
Conner stalked back into the room carrying a battleaxe. He lifted it and swung at the barrier, and was amazed when the haft was caught in a strng grip.
"Don't wanna do that," grinned Xander. "She has a lot of work to do before it's her time."
Justine jumped to Conner's aid but found herself restrained by Wesley, who had a strange but feral glam in his eyes.
"Took you long enough," grumbled Cordelia, who dropped her shield. "She cast a glare at Wesley, and turned to Fred and Gunn. Satisfied that they were okay, and ambulatory, she turned and smiled. "Justine you can go to hell and I know just who can get yopu there. Conner, your coming with us."
"No!" Conner's surge of strength shoved Xander accross the room, and it was all that Gunn and Wesley could do to keep him off Cordelia. "I go now hwere without Justine."
Justine, who had been too stunned to move from where Wesly dropped her just smiled.
"She's not coming," snapped Cordelia.
"Actually she is," said Xander.
"Are you out of your ever loving little mind." Cordelia turned on Xander. Gunn looked ready to help with the arm and leg ripping but was too busy helping Wesley restrain a struggling Conner. Clearly they weren't having a great deal of luck with it.
"You got a better idea," Xander shrugged. "Conner's got a streak of loyalty bar none, and Justine is at the center of that loyalty. Way I see it you have too choices, kill them both or take them both."
"If it hadn't been for Wesley that loyalty would have been focussed on Angel."
"If wishes were gifts and wants were nuts we'd all have a great Christmas."
++++
It was a noisy time at the Hyperion. With Angel, Buffy, Conner, Cordelia, Fred, Gunn, Justine, all screaming at each other, it was hard to make out one word from another let alone who was saying it.
Xander slipped around the edge of the group and went to stand beside Wesley. "See what I mean't."
Wesley nodded. "I fail to see how we can all work together ..."
"Don't worry, got that covered maybe." Xander pulled out his device and pressed a button.
"SILENCE!!!!!!"
Buffy whirled around and her jaw dropped when she saw the speaker. "Mom???"
Joyce Summers had to admit the weirdness of being here. Not that she had a real body to be here with, but the sensations, walking, spaking, well shouting, were still as she remembered them friom when she had bee alive. Especia;ly coming into an argument like this, which is something she had never had to do since Buffy and Dawn were children. She glanced nervously at Xander, who smiled back encouragingly.