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Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah.

Words in indicate thoughts.

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Part 3: Denial Runs Rampant

Voices floated in and out the streams of her consciousness as she came to. With awareness came lucidity, and she was more able to assess her situation. Her head hurt, her spine...ah. She was lying on a table. Dark shadows flitting beneath her eyelids...so they were all milling around her. And again, those voices. Talking.

She kept her eyes closed, having no qualms about eavesdropping on their conversation.

"From what I could deduce, she seems to think that she was, um, going out, if you will, with Xander. And for some reason, she hates Willow for it." Definitely Giles.

"I'm telling you, Giles, it's amnesia. It must be. Or else some demon-wizard or something cast a spell on her. Or maybe she knocked her head during the fall..." Buffy, sounding worried. I didn't think she cared, thought Cordelia sarcastically.

"Is she going to be alright?" Oz. Upset?

"What do you care? You broke up with her!" Xander. Clearly angry.

It took a second, but eventually his words did sink in.

Oz? Oz broke up with me?

Cordy's reasoning fought against believing what she suspected was true...

Well. That's certainly...different.

...that her wish had come true...although definitely not in the way she had expected...

"Cordy is no longer your concern." Still Xander, but now his voice was hoarse. "Your responsibilities are with Willow now."

"She's still my friend!"

"Things change. You kissed Willow, remember? We saw you. Did you think things would be the same between the two of you?"

"I didn't mean to hurt her feelings."

Xander laughed harshly. "It's a little too late to be worrying about that."

"Stop it you two." Buffy interrupted in a low, tense voice. "What's done is done. Our main concern now is Cordy. She's not taking this well. You saw how she acted!"

"Yes. We did." Beneath her closed lids Cordelia could sense Xander's form as he hovered over her prone figure. He brushed his hand gently over Cordelia's cheek, and inwardly, she shivered with pleasure at his touch.

Xander...

Her mind was awhirl with all the things she'd just heard. The verification of her suspicion did not soothe her frantic feelings, and she felt the need for space. Space and time to think things over.

Cordelia opened her eyes to a circle of worried faces that peered down at her. She's awake!" said Buffy, relieved.

"Only because this table is so hard. God, Giles, you should invest in some sofas or something." Cordelia pulled herself to a sitting position and rubbed the back of her head ruefully. "Thanks for the concern, people, but I feel much better now. I'm going to go freshen up." Jumping from the table, she headed out, avoiding the hands extended to stop her, and keeping her eyes from meeting anyone's gaze.

She reached the door and bumped into Willow, who was just on her way back in. "Oh, I see you're up," said the latter sweetly. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. It must be hard hearing the truth about yourself."

Cordelia shot her a glare. Bitch.

Willow pushed past the brunette and walked over to Xander. "Oh don't look like that, Xander honey. You know I didn't mean to hurt her feelings." She laughed coyly, enjoying the look on his face.

"Willow..."

"Come on, Oz. It's lunchtime and Harmony said she has something funny to tell me about your ex-girlfriend..."

Cordelia didn't stay to hear the rest, shoving open the library doors and rushing out, mortified.

Buffy rose immediately to follow her, but Xander put out his hand to stop her. "I'll go," he said. "I'll meet you at the cafeteria later." Buffy nodded reluctantly and moved aside to let him pass.

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I'm not too happy with this part, but oh well. What's done is done.