Chapter Seven

50's Diner

The four poured into the 50's diner "Sweet" Xander looked around appreciatively.

"It's great" Fred grinned "though they don't do Taco's" Gunn's arm snaked around her waist as she scooted into their usual booth, Xander and Dawn picked up a menu as the waitress pad in hand walked towards their table.

"The usual?" She looked at Fred and Gunn who nodded realising they came here much to often they both smiled.

"Come here a lot then?" Xander grinned

"What's the usual?" Dawn peered over the top of the menu.

"Two stacks of Pancakes, Extra Syrup and Choc milkshake" Fred said "Yummy"

"Sounds good to me" Xander put the menu down "What you think Dawnie you think we can take these L.A. softies."

"Definitely" She grinned, she was having so much fun in L.A. it was a lot better than boring ole demon filled Sunnydale.

"Well make that two usuals then, though I'm telling you Fred could beat the both of you with room to spare." Gunn laughed.

"Can I?" Dawn pointed at the vacant pinball machine at the other end of the diner.

Xander reached into his pockets and shrugged. "I'm all out" Gunn stood up reaching into his pocket he pulled a huge handful of quarters and passed them to Dawn who beamed and headed to the machine.

"Well that was a great film." Fred played with her napkin.

"Are you kidding!" Xander slouched back "If movie directors really knew what demon goo did to your clothes they'd be in for a shock none of this quick wash stuff"

"And that head rolled all the wrong way!" Gunn enthused "They don't come off like that"

"God we need a life" Xander said picking up a napkin "and I know as well as you two we weren't paying attention to that film"

"You think they're ok?" Fred glanced at Dawnie making sure she couldn't hear them.

"Yea, well, either Angel's dust, Buff's dead again. or they're with the happy making and we've got a big bad Angelus on our hands, and this time I vote for the staking option." Xander looked at Gunn "Either way not good"

"Well the last one's a no no, not happening" Gunn looked at Fred "Right?"

"Kye-rumption, remember" she smiled at him lovingly.

"What? I don't like the idea of Buffy giving Angel a happy as much as anyone else, all I'm saying is we can't rule it out."

Gunn shrugged "I'm not to sure Angel's gonna be in the mood for gettin jiggy with blondie"

Fred frowned "I don't know look what happened with Darla, he was in bad brood mode then."

"Darla, she got dusted 3 years ago what's with him and the big pile of dust?"

"Two words for you bro: Wolfram and Hart"

"The evil law firm?"

"They brought her back say at least 9 months ago" Gunn said hinting his brows rose suggestively.

"Ok lost here spill" Xander leaned forward arms crossed resting on the table.

5 minutes later.

"Ok so breaking this down. Angel got extra broody fired you lot, hooked up for a one nighter with the newly made vampire Darla. Not losing his soul he had an epiphany returned to work for you. Nine months later a pregnant Darla returns and sacrifices herself for their human child, who happened to be on the top of every demon cult and evil law firms wish list. So Wesley decided to take it into his own hands giving him to Holtz also brought back from god knows when, who then jumped into a hell dimension never to be seen again."

"That's about it, with some other craziness thrown in for good measure" Gunn smiled as the waitress brought their food.

"Right so this madness about Cordy leaving, you're thinking it's enough for him to get to that point " Xander said disbelievingly

"Well sort of, but then not the greatest choice to get over her with."

"Hold it one syrupy minute! Get over?!?!"

Xander moved over as Dawnie arrived back. "The have Kye-rumption" Fred said using her fork to cut some of her pancakes. Xander looked puzzled at Gunn.

"Angel loves Cordelia"

"Angel loves Cordy? Awww that's sweet" Dawnie tucked into her pancakes swirling the syrup around them.

"Oh you could have just said" Xander said taking a mouthful of cold milkshake then he paused swallowed hard as he realised "The Angel being dust is looking more and more likely."

Realisation spread across the groups' faces they rose from the table leaving the money on the table and rushed to Gunn's van.

The Hyperion

The lobby was quiet, as the four arrived.

"Well I don't see any dust" Gunn looked around, "Unless she been reading that book"

"Hey, how was the movie?" Buffy appeared from the office a weighty tome cradled in her arms.

"Ok so that rules out both scenarios B and C." Xander whispered to Gunn and Fred.

"It was great Buffy, you would have loved it!" Dawn chimed

"Where's Angel?" Fred said sitting on the couch.

"See if we'd have asked it would have sounded suspicious" Xander whispered to Gunn.

"In his room, How do you ever find anything in here?" she flipped through the book.

"We don't" Gunn said simply sitting next to Fred.

"What are you looking for?" Fred asked taking Gunn's hand.

"Anything to do with Pylea apparently" Willow emerged carrying a smaller tome "So far we got zilch" she sank onto the other seat.

"I have this theory, to be good at research; you have to be English and slightly geeky" Gunn chuckled

"That's it!" Buffy dumped the book on the desk.

"What?" Willow stood up "What is it?"

"Wesley, he's in L.A. right" she grabbed her bag, then realised she was the only one moving "Come on!"

"That's not the best idea I've heard." Fred glanced knowingly up the stairs.

"I gotta say I agree with you on this one" Xander looked at Buffy "it's a long story"

"Wesley took Connor" Gunn said

"And yet so short" Xander shrugged.

"So" Buffy shrugged "get over it already Angel needs Cordelia back and I'm going to help him do that"

"In the way where he doesn't know right" Xander said waveringly "Right?"

"Maybe Lorne can help, rather than Wesley" Fred said

"Anything but Angel's singing" Gunn grimaced

"No we don't need Angel to sing," Fred grinned, "We just need to know how Groo got back to Pylea, seeing as the book was lost or misplaced. maybe someone found it and returned it to the library."

"Caritas?" Gunn said grabbing his keys

"Caritas" Fred nodded sliding off the seat "but were not all going to fit in your truck"

"Right.ok who wants to run the chance of Angel going even more psycho at them personally by driving the Plymouth?" Gunn said fishing the spare keys out of the drawer and dangling them in the air.

"What's the big deal with the car?" Xander said

"Well, lemmie think only Cordy gets to drive it, and that's once in a blue moon since it got stolen when she had it." Gunn put the key in Xander's hand "all I can say is hope and pray he doesn't find out"

"He's not driving my car"

"Angel, glad to see you up in the land of the living, in a non living sense of course" Gunn grabbed the keys and chucked them to Angel. "Works every time" he chuckled to Xander in a whisper. "Good ol' Vampire hearing"

"You mean." Xander shook his head disbelievingly

"Lets get going then" Buffy headed for the door, then stopped suddenly putting her arm out to the left, Dawn walked straight into it. "Not you."

"Awww Buffy, I'm safer with you remember no ones gonna be here"

"I'll stay, we can watch movies" Fred grinned.

"Right that's sorted then, we won't be long" Buffy opened the door and the rest headed out.

"I miss all the fun" Dawn slouched onto the couch.

Caritas

"First I was afraid I was petrified kept thinking I could never live without you by my side, but then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong and I grew strong ." Lorne tapered off the song as he saw Angel enter Caritas "and without further ado we'll get on to some of your scrummy songs" he placed the mike in the stand and headed towards Angel.

The bar was bustling even more than any previous night the group had gone there socially or on the trail of a demon in one of Cordy's obscure visions. Demons of all breeds sat around the bar and round tables all jostling to and fro from their seats often finding them occupied by another demon. Though this may have caused brawls in an ordinary bar Caritas stayed relatively peaceful, the bar was protected with even more spells than before covering people and demons, thanks to Gunn's crew Lorne's eyes had been opened to the fact that spells only stopping demon violence was inadequate.

"Well hello you I see Mr. Manilow can rest peacefully tonight." Lorne patted Angel's shoulder "Welcome to Caritas," He beamed at the scoobies then noticing Buffy "Oooh keep those slayer vibes to a minimum honey you'll scare away the clientele" he looked Buffy up and down her frame was taut clearly uncomfortable in the bar, then talking at just the right level so only Angel could hear "How you coping with blondie here?" Angel shrugged then Lorne raised his voice so they all could hear "And mores the point where's the princess?"

"Is this guy for real?" Xander looked around the demon filled bar then to the stage where the Torto demon and his parasite were 'singing'.

"Demon Karaoke who'd a thunk it" Willow smiled

"Oh sure cupcake, we demons love a good sing along now and again." Lorne smiled "and more often than that we endure a bad sing along" he chuckled

"Lorne here reads their futures, kinda a demon advice centre cept instead of the Dear Deirdre letters they sing karaoke" Gunn stood behind them all chuckling at their shocked looks.

Lorne lead them to a table behind some red ropes it was the only free table in the place "For my V.I.P guests" Lorne said as he pulled back the ropes. The gang sat round the table "So where is the Princess" he looked at Angel "oh wait let me guess" he smiled "off somewhere exotic with blue eyes maybe"

"You could say that" Gunn looked solemn

"She's in Pylea" Angel said simply and sat waiting for Lorne to make everything all right that's what Lorne did and that's what he would do now he'd make Cordy come back home where she belonged.

"Oh" the chatterbox side of Lorne disappeared in that instant and out came the Lorne that was quieter; but yet still could talk you to death. "Well I think the hunk of a hero sandwich and I got some stuff to discuss you stay here and have a drink on me, might even want to try your hand at the karaoke" he looked at them as he stood up Angel moving to follow him "or not never mind" the two made their way towards the busy bar.

"Did I just hear right" Xander looked bemused

"The whole hunk of a hero sandwich bit?" Willow said a puzzled frown on her face

"Yea"

"Oh..." Willow sighed "Glad I didn't hear that just in my head. coz wow strange thoughts."

"I'll be back in a minute" Buffy stood up and headed towards Angel and Lorne.