Title: Once and Again

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Set in the future, Angel explains to his newest crew about his family, and the woman he loved.

She had come to expect the unexpected.

Vampires. Sure. Demons. No problem. It was routine. By now, the only constant thing in her life was the complete spontaneity of it.


But as Cordelia watched Angel, Faith, Lorne, and three other people fall from the sky--quite literally--she had come to a conclusion.

She had lost it. (And considering Angel was behind her just seconds ago, her confusion was justified)

Fighting evil for years, and her time had finally come.

"The drop was much steeper than I thought." Lorne grumbled as he stood up.

"Guys?" Cordy asked hesitantly, "What's going on?"

Six pairs of eyes turned to her. Then she realized it. These people weren't HER people. That Angel wasn't the Angel she knew. Those eyes belonged to the dark, broody Angel, where her Angel had bright eyes. Goofy eyes.

Finally, one of them spoke. "Well, long time no see, cupcake." Lorne said as he stood.

Faith climbed to her feet, and helped a young girl behind her. "Good to see you again, Cordelia." She said softly. Almost sadly. Next to her, Angel remained silent. Faith turned to him. "Well, Angel. Don't you have anything to say?" Her eyes turned back to Cordelia's. "After all. You've been waiting ten years."

*****

She was just feet from him. For the first time in years. And yet he couldn't think of anything to say. He sat with the rest of his newest crew on the soft sofa--he still owned this in the future--while Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn and Fred stared back at them.

"How do we know it's you?" Fred finally asked in a soft Texas twang.

Faith ran her fingers through her hair. "We're here to help you stop Rah'jah." She explained. "In our time, we... didn't stop him. And now things are pretty bad where we are. He's back. And we can't kill him."

"What do you mean we didn't stop him?" Fred asked, looking a little crestfallen that the gang hadn't been able to save the world.

Talon looked from face to face. Wesley looked a lot more rugged and handsome in person than in the pictures. Fred was adorable, and Cordelia was beautiful. She found it hard to believe that these people are supposed to die in a week. She reached over and grabbed Joseph's hand. Normally, he would have scoffed at her need to be coddled, but apparently, he felt he could overlook it today. Talon looked at Angel. He was still silent. She hoped he was ok.

"So, we can't kill this Rah'jah guy in the future?" Cordelia asked Lorne. "Why should we trust you? If we really are that pressed for help in the future, why did you guys come alone?"

Lorne looked from Angel to Faith. All three faces seemed to hold the weight of the world.

Finally, Angel spoke for the first time. He cleared his throat, then said softly, "It's complicated."

Wesley moved forward. "What happens with Rah'jah?" He asked, keeping his voice steady.

"Faith..." Angel started, "Faith, uh, kills him. But we don't do it right. We have to kill him a specific way, or he comes back stronger. And he's come back where we are. And we can't kill him." It was silent for a long while.

Finally, Gunn spoke. "Why don't me and Fred go and get something to eat? We can all finish this later, once the... shock has worn off." Wesley nodded.

"Ok." He said.

Gunn and Fred made their way out the door, while Cordelia smiled weakly and walked up the stairs. Angel watched her go. He had wished he would be able to see her again. And now he had the chance, but he couldn't think of anything to say to her. But she just found out she was visiting with time travelers--what was there to say?

*****

Given the severity of the situation, Talon felt bad about smiling. She stood in the office of the Hyperion, and was amused at the lack of change. Everything in this past office was the same as the future. Almost. There were pictures on the desk. Some of them, Talon recognized from the box. Papers were piled everywhere, most of them in handwriting unlike Angel's. A purse lay on the floor by the door. Nail polish on the corner of the desk. And a N64 sat connected to the small office TV. Talon had to smile at that. Those things were considered so out of date where she came from.

"Hi."

Talon jumped at the sound of the voice behind her. A slender woman stood in the doorway.

"I'm Fred." She said and stuck out her hand. Talon took it, unsure.

"Talon."

"I guess we didn't formally meet, huh? With all the confusion going on earlier..." Fred broke off. She didn't need to say anymore. "Well. Dinner's here." Fred smiled genuinely. "I hope it's not too out of date compared to what you're used to."

Talon smiled back. "Food is the only constant thing in the future." She said.

"What's it like?"

"The future? Not unlike this time. I mean, sure there are some differences. Electronics are nicer and computers are faster, but we aren't all wearing silver jumpsuits." Talon smiled. "This hotel hasn't changed. It's the same home I know and love. There are a few things packed away... and a few new things, too. But overall, its the same. He's not big on change, is he?"

"Can I ask you something?" Fred dropped her voice to a whisper. "Angel... is he like this? Back home?"

"Like what? Oh, you mean quiet and broody? Yeah. Yeah, pretty much. He enjoys his dark room far too often."

Fred clicked her tongue and led Talon into the lobby. "I thought Cordy broke him of that." She joked as she handed Talon a bag. "I guess we're just going to have to train him again."

*****

"Dinners here."

Cordelia didn't turn at the sound of his voice. She felt a little bad about ignoring Angel, but she couldn't think of what else to do. She sat on his bed, in his room. Angel stood behind her, in the doorway. He had been there for a few minutes. Or maybe a few hours. Time seemed to have lost meaning. She felt the bed sink a little as he sat on the bed next to her.

"It's hard to take, I know."


Cordelia plastered a smile on her face. "What's hard to take? I'm just trying to imagine you in futuristic space boots."

Angel looked towards his hands. "I may not have heard your voice in a few years, Cordelia, but I can still tell when you're lying to me."

Cordelia sighed. "What's it like? I mean, not the future as in terms of cars and clothes... but you. How are we doing?" She asked.

Angel flinched at the word 'we' but tried to hide it. "Faith is an official part of the gang... she left a few years ago, though. Went to England. Talon, Joseph and David joined me a few years after she left." Cordelia kind of grimaced. It was hard for her to hear that there were other people.

"They seem nice." She said softly.

"They really are."

Cordy nodded. "Are you two close?"

Angel stalled for words. "She... she is a close friend. I saved her a while back. I need her. And I think she needs me a little more than she likes to admit."

Cordy nodded. "Oh." She said, softly. "Oh. Is it anything like Buffy?"

"What?" Angel asked, then smiled. "Oh. No. I don't need her like that. She's my Seer."

If Cordy thought it was hard hearing there were other people, it was nothing compared to hearing there was another Seer. "If she's your Seer, what about--"

Angel's bedroom door opened then, and Faith stood in the doorway. "Come on. Food's getting cold." She said. Angel looked at Cordy one more time, then back to Faith.

Angel cleared his voice, then stood. "Yeah. We're coming."

*****

Though this was her home in the future, Talon still felt out of place. Walking around the fourth floor, she felt like she didn't belong. Dinner had gone well, without mention of Rah'jah, they spent the meal comparing times. Gunn had asked about gaming systems, Fred was dying to know about computers, Wesley asked about prophecies, and even Cordy had a few things to ask about designers and Hollywood.

After dinner, Joseph, David, and Gunn had gone to play video games, ("I've always wondered how ancient systems worked!" David had laughed) Wesley was in his office, and Lorne and Faith talked quietly in the lobby. Cordelia was upstairs, and Angel... well, he disappeared once the plates were cleared.

As she made her way downstairs, Talon decided she would talk to him.

But before she could think of what to say, the vision hit.

*****

Angel had been in the courtyard when he heard Talon's scream. Though he had a lot on his mind, he pushed his thoughts away as he ran into the lobby, past the stunned faces of Wesley and Gunn, and up the stairs, Lorne close behind him.

He found her on the ground, in front of the stairs leading to the fourth floor. She lay, grabbing her head in agony, writhing on the floor as if an electrical current was passing through her. Angel kneeled beside her. A moment later, she stopped, and sat up wearily. Lorne grabbed her shoulders to support her.

"What'd you see, sweetpea?" Lorne asked gently.

Wesley, Gunn, and Cordy ran up behind them in the next moment.


"What's going on?" Gunn asked, looking ready to fight if need be. A second later, Joseph and Dave pushed their way through.

Joseph hugged his sister, and Talon tried to calm down. "Demons are getting ready to ambush some nightclub downtown." Talon said. She closed her eyes, and Angel could see them moving behind her eyelids, searching the vision for more information. "Roseland Ave."

"She's a Seer." Wesley said, more a statement than question.

"I didn't see that." Cordelia said simply.

"Well," Wesley said gently, "Technically, Talon is the current-"

"No. I don't mean I didn't see. I just had a vision. But I didn't see that. Three demons are going to sacrifice some teenagers. In the cemetery on Oak Drive. Did we get the same message, but just different versions?"

"We better be safe. Check both places."


"Right." Angel said. "Joseph, get Faith, and tell her we're going on a mission. You, Faith, Fred and David go check out the nightclub. Wes, Gunn and Cordy can come with me to the cemetery." Angel looked down at Talon, still resting against Joseph. "Talon, stay here with Lorne and relax."

Talon shook her head indignantly. "No way I'm sitting around here, just waiting. I'm coming with you."

Angel smirked and shook his head no. Talon stood up, regardless.

"Those demon jerks gave me this headache, I want to be there when they get their comeuppance."

Angel crossed his arms, but finally said, "Fine, but stay out of trouble." He turned to Wesley. "Alright, let's go."

*****

"Feeling better?"


Talon turned and saw Cordelia, stretching after a quick but bloody battle with some Setnah demons.

"Yeah." Talon said, then tried to think of something else to add. "Much. Thanks."

Cordy smiled. "I tell you, I don't miss the post-vision headaches." She glanced around. "Hey, where's Angel?" Before Talon, could reply, she spotted him, standing on top of a soft hill, under a large willow tree. She started towards him, but Talon's arm reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Don't." She said softly. "Not now, anyways."

Cordelia was ready to snatch her hand from the girl and ask her who she thought she was--but something in her voice stopped her. "Why not?" She asked Talon.

Talon shook her head, and looked around for her brother. "Just... don't."

*****

Angel had felt her moments before she was actually there. "Hi, Cordy." He said softly.

Cordelia looked at him, then back to the gang, who had now begun to climb back into the AngelMobile. "We're leaving now." She said. "You've been standing here a while."

Angel nodded. "Ok." He said shakily. "I'm on my way."

"What's wrong?" Cordelia asked, looking at the place where he was staring.

Angel shook his head and started to walk away. "Nothing." He said, "Let's go home."