CHAPTER TWO

"Kind of makes you wish Giles were here, doesn't it?" Buffy asked, taking a nervous sip of tea. There were better ways to start a Saturday. Seeing how pale Dawn was, sitting on the couch, Buffy regretted her decision to include her sister in this part of her life. Truth be told, Dawnie looked as wan as Buffy felt. Willow and Xander appeared equally ill. Cordelia seemed positively green, huddled up in a living room chair.

Buffy still couldn't believe Queen C was back in town and wasn't sure how she felt about it. She was staying with her parents for a little break from L.A. but she was throwing in with Buffy and the rest of the Scoobs like old times. With some overseas counseling from Giles, Willow managed a spell that returned Cordy's memories. During the course of that magic, Cordy had babbled uncontrollably, her memories pouring back into her head and out over her tongue. She spoke of being in love with Angel, being made to feel his decades as Angelus while she was a higher being – was the Cosmos a joker or what? – and how his evil permeated her like poison. She muttered about people Buffy didn't know, like Lorne and Connor but once the spell was over, Cordelia had become usually quiet.

Buffy didn't ask about the things she'd heard. She wasn't ready to know if Angel had loved Cordy back. That Cordy wanted Angel was no surprised. She had since she first saw him. The fact that it could be love instead of lust made it better somehow. Despite Buffy's curiosity, it was just better to let sleeping dogs lie. Willow agreed and thankfully Xander hadn't been there to hear the confession.

"Maybe we ought to call Giles," Xander said, tugging at the ragged hem of his work jeans.

"The last time we found a skinned body we handled it just fine," Buffy said, shooting Willow an uneasy look that thankfully her friend didn't seem to notice. She left out 'after we stopped thinking it was Willow's doing.'

"Last time?" Cordy shuddered. "I'm beginning to regret I ever remembered anything about Sunnydale."

"Do you think there could be another Gnarl out there?" Willow clutched a hand over her gut protectively. Xander petted her shoulder comfortingly. Dawn, like Willow, found a new shade of pale at the remembrance of the demon. Her time as a pose-able action figure wouldn't be soon forgotten.

"Could be but he just ate the skin and drank the blood. He didn't take hearts, too," Buffy said, her nose wrinkling.

"Really regretting the whole memory thing," Cordy moaned, fluffing her blonde hair. She wished she could remember why she had ever gotten this unflattering cut and color. She had always been vain so why do something that made her look ten years older than she was?

"Trust me, Cordy, I don't want to see one of these things again. Last time around my belly skin was munchies for it," Willow said, rubbing a careless thumb over he flat abdomen.


Cordy's green color went more verdant and she fled the room.

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Getting sick? That's not the Cordy we used to know."

"I know life hasn't been any more normal for her in L.A.," Buffy said, an almost concerned look flickering in her eyes.

"She threw up when I took her for coffee yesterday. Said she must have had a touch of food poisoning," Xander said, still surprised when Cordy suggested on catching up with him. He had been relieved she had finally forgiven him for the sins of high school.

"Yeah, she got sick the day before, Buffy,  waiting for you to come home from work. She told me the same thing," Dawn put in.

Buffy glanced over at Willow. "Could the memory spell be making her sick?"

She shrugged. "I'll ask that question into my email to Giles."

Cordy stumbled back in. "Sorry. I thought maybe I had food poisoning but it won't go away. Maybe I have stomach flu…or it's a late side effect of being a higher being."

"Yeah that's making us all queasy," Xander said and Willow slapped him. Cordy just gave him one of her patented sour looks.

"Maybe you should see a doctor," Dawn said, glancing up at the clock as if she were expecting something.

"I did yesterday. Hopefully I'll hear from her soon. Sorry to interrupt everything, Buffy. I don't think we ever ran across anything like this in L.A." Cordy shrugged apologetically.

"Other than the Gnarl, we haven't either. I guess our best bet is to email Giles," Buffy said, "and I'll talk to Spike and see if he knows anything."

Xander glared at the mention of the psychotic vampire's name. Dawn looked no happier and Cordelia just watched them bemused by their reactions.

"I'll ask Anya, too. Centuries in the vengeance game might give her an insight we don't have," Xander said.

"Anya's speaking to you?" Willow was surprised.

"D'Hoffryn sent another demon after her and her place got torn up. She didn't want to ask me for help but she can't keep paying for the reconstruction of her home. I offered to do it for her," Xander replied, an uncomfortable look settling on his broad face.

"Oh. Good luck with that." Willow seemed equally uncomfortable. She wanted her friends to be happy but she couldn't shake the feeling it was a bad idea, that too much had happened to go back.

 "I can talk to Wesley and Angel," Cordy offered, cautiously watching Buffy's face. To her surprise, it remained fairly impassive.

"Good idea. With whatever else is happening with this 'from below it devours' stuff, I don't need something else running around skinning people. We're not lucky enough for them to have the same cause. I'm willing to use any sources we can think of," Buffy said, as Cordy's cellular rang.

The seer stepped into the other room to answer it without disturbing the talk.

"I'd better get going, Buffy. I promised Kit and Carlos that I'd meet them at the Espresso Pump so we can work through MacBeth," Dawn said, making a face.

"Oooo, that's such a good play," Willow said, her green eyes lighting up.

Dawn's scowl deepened. "I could think of something more fun to do than spend a Saturday studying."

"If it's any consolation, Dawn, the rest of us aren't exactly having a great time here," Buffy said as Cordy returned, a somber look in her eyes. She sat stiffly on the couch. "You okay, Cordy?"

"Yeah," she mumbled without conviction.

"Speaking of no fun, I'd better hit Home Depot and head to Anya's," Xander said. "If something happens, call."

"We will. See you tonight, Xand. If you head anywhere but the Espresso Pump, Dawn, call me," Buffy said.

Dawn sighed, tossing back her hair. "Sure. Can you drop me off there, Xander?"  He waved her on so she headed out the door with him.

"Guess that leaves us to get started on the research. You give Wesley a call, Cordy, and I'll email Giles," Willow said.

Cordy nodded then a loud sob escaped her. She clamped  a hand over her mouth a little too late to keep it in. Buffy and Willow exchanged glances, hoping this wasn't one of Cordy's usual histrionics. Buffy didn't doubt Cordelia was upset but she hoped Cordelia wouldn't make too much of it like she was wont to do.

"What's wrong, Cordy?" Buffy asked. "What was the phone call about? It's obviously upset you."

Cordy took several deep breaths getting her crying under control. She wiped the tears from her face. "That was my doctor."

Buffy and Willow's faces lost their edges. Willow touched Cordy's shoulder. "Was it bad news?"

Cordy flashed a fragile smile. "Depends on your point of view." Her body shook as that smile collapsed. "I'm pregnant."