Title: Family: Back to Sunnydale
Author: victoriamartynne
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Spoilers: None, I think!
Summary: Imagine if Connor had never been taken by Wesley, Xander and Anya had never split up and Angel had told Cordelia how he felt. Cordelia gets a phone call that leads her back to Sunnydale and back to the past.
Her father's best man answered the door this time.
"Hi, I'm Cordelia Chase." She extended her hand. "Is my father here?"
"Sure come on in honey." The man leered. "I'm Bob, his best man. It's funny; your father never mentioned he had a daughter."
Cordy blinked. "I'm sure he didn't." She muttered under her breath.
"Can I get you girls a drink? I got some beers or something a little stronger if you want it." He leered at Fred this time.
"It's midday." Cordelia told him. "Where is my father?"
"I'm right here. What do you want honey? I told you to wait at Kathryn's." He was trying to tie his tie.
"I need to talk to you. In private." She said.
He took her into a small conservatory at the back of the house. "What is it?"
"You're beating up Morgan aren't you?" She decided to come straight out with it.
"Honey, that's a strong accusation you got there." Her father held her gaze.
"I know it is, but I know what you're capable of, don't I?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." He said calmly.
"Yes you do!" She hissed. "I saw the bruises. I know all too well how to think up excuses but she isn't as good at it as I am. Why are you doing it?"
"I'm not doing anything! How dare you come into my town and start accusing me of such absurd things. I never touched you or Morgan."
"You're lying." Cordelia stood her ground. "You hit me yourself this morning. Or can't you remember that? But next time, remember that I hit you back and there will come a day when Morgan hits you back. I'm not scared of you anymore father. I don't know why you even wanted me here."
"Me neither. Now go back to Kathryn's house and help her get ready. Then you will leave my house and go back to LA, the town where everyone who isn't wanted goes. And never call me again."
"I didn't call you. You called me." She told him, trying to stop the quaver in her. "There really is no hope for you."
She turned away from him and went back to where Fred was trying to distance herself from Bob. "Come on Fred, we're done here."
They left the house and went back across the street. Fred went to keep the children busy while Cordelia went to talk to Kathryn.
"Why are you marrying my father?" She asked.
"He's a sweet man." She replied.
"He's an old man."
"I love him. He's good with the children and he treats me well. We're going to be very happy together."
"How long has he been living with you?"
"A couple of months. Ever since your house burned down and he lost his wife."
"I thought my mom died in a car accident?" Cordelia asked, confused, as she watched Kathryn style her hair into a neat chignon.
"Oh, she did. But it happened around the same time."
"What do you mean our house? We lost our house to the IRS three years ago."
"No, you had it temporarily claimed while the whole tax mess could be sorted out. When your father paid the money he owed to the IRS he and his wife were allowed to reclaim it." Kathryn's words stung her.
"No, they left town, they went to Europe or somewhere." Cordelia stuttered, unsure of what they had told her at the time.
"They went to Nebraska to stay with an aunt of yours for a couple of weeks than they came back." Kathryn turned around and smiled. "You're asking a lot of questions."
"Well, I didn't even know my mom was dead until I got here." Cordelia snapped. "Now I find out that I've been lied to for three years."
"I'm sure he never meant to lie to you. I'm sure it just slipped his mind."
"Slipped his mind." She repeated numbly. "So, let me get this right. You were having an affair with my dad while he was living in my old house with her. Then she died in a car accident and our house burned down and he came to live with you."
"Exactly!" Kathryn clapped her hands and Cordelia just raised an eyebrow.
The church began filling up at about one o clock. Cordelia and Fred sat in a pew near the back. They saw Buffy and Dawn enter. "Hey Buffy." Cordelia called out.
"Cordelia, hi. Willow said that you were in town." Buffy and Dawn came to sit in the pew in front. Cordelia made the appropriate introductions.
"Buffy, before the ceremony starts can I ask you something?"
"Sure, go ahead." Buffy said, puzzled as to why Cordelia would want help from her.
"Was there anything suspicious about the way my mom died?" She asked.
"Nope, I don't think so." Buffy shook her head. "Why?"
"No reason, there just seems to be something strange going on."
"Like what?" She said, the slayer coming out in her.
"I don't know. My father never told me that we didn't lose everything to the IRS. They let me live in a dump and survive on minimum wage while they lived at home in luxury. My father never told me that my mom had died and now it seems strange that he would just ring me after three years to invite me to his wedding." Cordelia explained. "And, I think he's beating up Morgan."
"Oh no, he wouldn't." Dawn interrupted.
"Oh yes, he would. Trust me." Cordelia said and pointed to the mark on her face where he'd hit her earlier.
Dawn shut up and Buffy began talking again. "I guess there's something going on." She admitted. "But you were never close to your parents so surely you could be imagining it."
"I am not imagining anything and I'm not leaving Sunnydale until I find out what."
"What have you been telling Cordelia?" Raymond hissed to Morgan, gripping her arm tightly.
"I didn't tell her nothing. I promise." She looked away from him.
"Did you let her see the bruises?" He asked angrily.
"She saw them herself." She blurted and then gasped, realising what she'd done.
Raymond swung at her and hit her hard across the side of the face. She started to cry. "If you ruin this for me I swear I'll kill you!"
Author: victoriamartynne
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Spoilers: None, I think!
Summary: Imagine if Connor had never been taken by Wesley, Xander and Anya had never split up and Angel had told Cordelia how he felt. Cordelia gets a phone call that leads her back to Sunnydale and back to the past.
Her father's best man answered the door this time.
"Hi, I'm Cordelia Chase." She extended her hand. "Is my father here?"
"Sure come on in honey." The man leered. "I'm Bob, his best man. It's funny; your father never mentioned he had a daughter."
Cordy blinked. "I'm sure he didn't." She muttered under her breath.
"Can I get you girls a drink? I got some beers or something a little stronger if you want it." He leered at Fred this time.
"It's midday." Cordelia told him. "Where is my father?"
"I'm right here. What do you want honey? I told you to wait at Kathryn's." He was trying to tie his tie.
"I need to talk to you. In private." She said.
He took her into a small conservatory at the back of the house. "What is it?"
"You're beating up Morgan aren't you?" She decided to come straight out with it.
"Honey, that's a strong accusation you got there." Her father held her gaze.
"I know it is, but I know what you're capable of, don't I?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." He said calmly.
"Yes you do!" She hissed. "I saw the bruises. I know all too well how to think up excuses but she isn't as good at it as I am. Why are you doing it?"
"I'm not doing anything! How dare you come into my town and start accusing me of such absurd things. I never touched you or Morgan."
"You're lying." Cordelia stood her ground. "You hit me yourself this morning. Or can't you remember that? But next time, remember that I hit you back and there will come a day when Morgan hits you back. I'm not scared of you anymore father. I don't know why you even wanted me here."
"Me neither. Now go back to Kathryn's house and help her get ready. Then you will leave my house and go back to LA, the town where everyone who isn't wanted goes. And never call me again."
"I didn't call you. You called me." She told him, trying to stop the quaver in her. "There really is no hope for you."
She turned away from him and went back to where Fred was trying to distance herself from Bob. "Come on Fred, we're done here."
They left the house and went back across the street. Fred went to keep the children busy while Cordelia went to talk to Kathryn.
"Why are you marrying my father?" She asked.
"He's a sweet man." She replied.
"He's an old man."
"I love him. He's good with the children and he treats me well. We're going to be very happy together."
"How long has he been living with you?"
"A couple of months. Ever since your house burned down and he lost his wife."
"I thought my mom died in a car accident?" Cordelia asked, confused, as she watched Kathryn style her hair into a neat chignon.
"Oh, she did. But it happened around the same time."
"What do you mean our house? We lost our house to the IRS three years ago."
"No, you had it temporarily claimed while the whole tax mess could be sorted out. When your father paid the money he owed to the IRS he and his wife were allowed to reclaim it." Kathryn's words stung her.
"No, they left town, they went to Europe or somewhere." Cordelia stuttered, unsure of what they had told her at the time.
"They went to Nebraska to stay with an aunt of yours for a couple of weeks than they came back." Kathryn turned around and smiled. "You're asking a lot of questions."
"Well, I didn't even know my mom was dead until I got here." Cordelia snapped. "Now I find out that I've been lied to for three years."
"I'm sure he never meant to lie to you. I'm sure it just slipped his mind."
"Slipped his mind." She repeated numbly. "So, let me get this right. You were having an affair with my dad while he was living in my old house with her. Then she died in a car accident and our house burned down and he came to live with you."
"Exactly!" Kathryn clapped her hands and Cordelia just raised an eyebrow.
The church began filling up at about one o clock. Cordelia and Fred sat in a pew near the back. They saw Buffy and Dawn enter. "Hey Buffy." Cordelia called out.
"Cordelia, hi. Willow said that you were in town." Buffy and Dawn came to sit in the pew in front. Cordelia made the appropriate introductions.
"Buffy, before the ceremony starts can I ask you something?"
"Sure, go ahead." Buffy said, puzzled as to why Cordelia would want help from her.
"Was there anything suspicious about the way my mom died?" She asked.
"Nope, I don't think so." Buffy shook her head. "Why?"
"No reason, there just seems to be something strange going on."
"Like what?" She said, the slayer coming out in her.
"I don't know. My father never told me that we didn't lose everything to the IRS. They let me live in a dump and survive on minimum wage while they lived at home in luxury. My father never told me that my mom had died and now it seems strange that he would just ring me after three years to invite me to his wedding." Cordelia explained. "And, I think he's beating up Morgan."
"Oh no, he wouldn't." Dawn interrupted.
"Oh yes, he would. Trust me." Cordelia said and pointed to the mark on her face where he'd hit her earlier.
Dawn shut up and Buffy began talking again. "I guess there's something going on." She admitted. "But you were never close to your parents so surely you could be imagining it."
"I am not imagining anything and I'm not leaving Sunnydale until I find out what."
"What have you been telling Cordelia?" Raymond hissed to Morgan, gripping her arm tightly.
"I didn't tell her nothing. I promise." She looked away from him.
"Did you let her see the bruises?" He asked angrily.
"She saw them herself." She blurted and then gasped, realising what she'd done.
Raymond swung at her and hit her hard across the side of the face. She started to cry. "If you ruin this for me I swear I'll kill you!"
