A/N: I've rewritten this chapter a little, chopping it up and changing it around because I realised I wasn't happy with it. Now some of the bits that were in this chapter will be in the next. Sorry for the confusion.
*
"There's nothing here." Angel told his two friends, they'd been out searching LA for the best part of the night for any signs that the flash of light might have been something bad and had found nothing. Angel looked up at the sky and then down at Fred and Gunn, "The sun will be up soon." Sliding his broadsword into his belt he strode off down the street towards the Hyperion Hotel.
"We could always call Wesley, if anyone can work out what the light was it will be him." The words tumbled out of Fred's mouth quickly so that Gunn couldn't interrupt her.
"No baby, you know we can't even if Angel would let us." Gunn took Fred's small hand in his.
Fred cast her eyes upwards, "Charles, Angel went to Wesley himself and apologised."
"Only because he knew Wesley had the beat on what happened to Cordy." Gunn tugged Fred onwards indicating that the line of conversation was finished, following Angel's rapidly disappearing figure home.
*
Connor had been searching the streets for hours but had turned up no clues on what the light might have been. Looking up at the sky he felt the presence of the sun, 'Dawn soon' he thought to himself as he quickened his pace, he wanted to get in a vampire dusting before the suns rays lit up the city. He swung out of an ally not paying attention to where he was going and smacked straight into a solid object. The scent hit him first and he felt unbridled rage rise up in him, stepping backwards he looked up at his father.
"Connor." A hint of love tainting the hard tone of Angel's voice.
"Oh great it's the hell spawn." Gunn sighed as he saw Connor in the distance and was rewarded by a small chuckle from Fred.
"What are you doing here?" Angel asked, not exactly sure what to say to the son who had sunk him to the oceans depths.
"Looking for a vampire to dust." Connor's voice low and menacing.
A fleeting grin slid over Angel's features, he knew that no matter what Connor thought, he was nowhere near ready to take him out. "Hey, you didn't happen to see that flash of light earlier?" He changed the subject lightly.
Connor nodded, "What do you know about it?"
"Nothing, you?"
Connor shook his head indicating his lack of knowledge on the subject.
Angel opened his mouth and closed it again, trying to think of the best way to pose his next question, "Why don't you come back to the Hotel with us." Angel gestured toward Gunn and Fred; "Just until we figure out what the light was. Safety in numbers and all that."
'There' Angel thought, 'I've offered the olive branch, its up to him to take it'
Angel watched as his sons face stayed void of any emotion, he nodded his head in a silent agreement.
Connor fell into step with Angel, wary of the vampire next to him.
*
"There's no one on the first few floors" Willow walked down the stairs and back into the Hyperion Hotels lobby. "Faith's checking out the fifth floor."
"There won't be anyone up there, no one ever went up there." Cordelia emerged from the office her arms laden down with books and paper so old it had begun to turn yellow. She dumped the papers on the reception desk and began to flick through the pages.
"This is a different reality from ours Cordelia, they may use the fifth floor here all the time for dances and-" Willow trailed off as Cordelia turned her brown eyes up to her, "Yeah ok bad example." She retracted. Willow slid onto one of the stools that sat by the reception desk, picking up a large old book and opening it. "What you got here?"
"Papers and books from the office, I thought I might as well check that they didn't have the texts lying around somewhere. Some of the writing is in Angel's hand, that's got to be a good sign." Cordelia returned to riffling through the papers.
Willow saw the momentary look of hope that crossed Cordelia's dark eyes, "Cordelia you have to remember that this is an alternate universe. Here Angel might not ever have met you, he might not know who any of us are."
"I know" Cordelia spoke not looking up from the book, crushing the feeling of dread that knotted itself in her belly.
Willow looked down at the book she had opened and began flicking through it.
Letting silence fall between the two women.
*
Cordelia heard Angel before she saw him, she dropped the pile of paper she was holding onto the reception desk and pushed herself up from her seat moving into the centre of the lobby to greet him.
Willow swivelled on her stool to watch the lobby doors; worry lines creased her forehead as she frowned. They had no clue as to what Angel and the others might have become in this dimension and it troubled her that anything could walk through those doors. Willow readied herself to perform a protection spell, just in case.
*
"Where have you been staying Connor?" Angel asked as he swung open the lobby doors, the sight that greeted him was one he could never have prepared himself for.
"Cordelia?" Angel took in the scene before him, the woman he loved stood with composure in the lobby, the woman who was supposed to be residing in a higher realm never to return was standing only a few metres in front of him. 'And she looks so different' He thought. Cordelia's short hair was no longer highlighted blonde, her figure more muscular than he remembered but the most unrecognisable part of this Cordelia was the long scar that ran down the right side of her face from eyebrow to jaw line.
"Angel?" Cordelia's question lingered in the air.
Angel nodded rushing down the stairs towards Cordelia, sweeping her up in his arms. "I thought I'd never see you again". Her scent hit him and he drank in the familiar smell only noticing the stench of death that clung to her being after a few moments.
Angel set Cordelia down on the floor and took a step back from her, a feeling of unease settling on his shoulders, something wasn't quite right about her.
"Well at least he knows who you are." Willow stepped up beside Cordelia, her bright hair and pale skin a deep contrast to her friend.
"Willow?" Angel's brow furrowed in confusion, "When did you get here?"
Willow cast an eye down to her watch, "About 4 hours ago but that's not the point."
"Er I hate to interrupt this reunion y'all but didn't that big light flash go up 4 hours ago." Fred spoke up.
"You saw that huh?" Cordelia dragged her gaze from Angel and turned briefly to Willow, "Real discreet."
Willow opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Gunn.
"Discreet! What are you defining discreet as girl"
"Charles!" Fred elbowed her boyfriend gently in the gut.
Willow shook her head realising how off track they were getting, "Guys." She pulled the gangs attention back to her, "We haven't got a lot of time, their coming and we need your help." Her voice and face set in seriousness. Willow saw Angel open his mouth to speak but she didn't let him get a word in, "Now if we can just sit down and shut up we can explain all this. Ok?" She fixed the people who had been her friends in her own reality with a hard glare.
A general murmuring of agreement was uttered among the group and everyone began grabbing chairs and perching on desks.
"So there's no one on the fifth floor and boy is it dusty up-" Faith came bounding down the stairs her sentence and movements coming to an abrupt halt as she saw Angel, Gunn, Fred and Connor.
Angel was on his feet in a second, "Faith?" the confusion that swirled inside him obvious.
"Hey" was all Faith said
"You were going to explain?" Fred prompted, drawing everyone's attention back to Cordelia and away from the rouge slayer.
"Oh right yeah." Cordelia settled herself down onto a seat.
"Who are you?" Angel asked still standing, "Your not my Cordy."
"No I'm not." Cordelia directed her gaze at Angel, "In our world I was, still am in a sick twisted vampire way."
"Wait, what do you mean your world?" Gunn asked
"We're from an alternate reality of this world. Things are bad there, real bad." Cordelia moved her eyes around the group, "Which is why we came here."