Title: The Horror of Amusement
Author: Lily -- lilyana_vamp@yahoo.com
Rating: PG for now. R later.
Disclaimer: I don't own anybody. ME, Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt, yadda yadda yadda. I think I should own them. I want them for my own. I want the money ME is making off them.
Distribution: If you want it, take it...just let me know where it
went.
Feedback: well duh.
Summary: Angel Investigations decide to take a few days off after their ordeal with the First to spend somewhere fun, but the fun doesn't last long. Sequel to my last fic, formerly titled "Currently Untitled", now titled "When the Face of Evil is the Face You Love." Part 4
Universe
Cordelia had felt the pain shoot through her neck and screamed, only to hear him laugh in satisfaction. She cut her scream short and brought her knee up sharply, causing him to topple over in pain. She could hear him moaning and could feel him rolling on the bed. She knew this was her only chance. She pulled at the bedposts fiercely, trying to free her bound hands and then realized that they were no longer cuffed. She ripped the blindfold off, fully expecting to see Angelus writhing in pain on the bed. Boy, was she wrong.
The Haunted Mansion had the potential to be freaky enough when it was filled with Disney patrons, but now, when it was empty and silent, it was even more wig-worthy. Cordy stood up and looked around cautiously. Connor and Fred lay beside her, but everyone else seemed to be gone. She wondered why they had left the three of them and knelt beside Fred. She rocked her gently. "Fred."
"Hmm." the girl moaned and opened her eyes. She looked around confused and then stood up beside her friend. They both walked to Connor's side and nudged him.
"Connor?" Cordy whispered.
"Where are we?" the boy asked groggily, struggling to his feet.
"The Haunted Mansion. I don't know where everyone is though. They were here before I blacked out." Cordy walked to the ramp and glanced up it carefully. She couldn't imagine that Angel would leave them without a fight; he was a champion after all, always there to save her life. Of course, in order to save her life, he needed to be present. "Angel!" she whispered sharply up into the darkness but received no answer.
"Charles?" Fred called worriedly and grabbed Connor by the arm as he tried to walk deeper into the Mansion. "Oh no you don't. You are staying right here with Cordy and I young man. We're not going to have you disappearing on us again."
"Yeah, why did you run off like that anyways?" Cordy demanded, feeling rather angry with him. "What gives you the right to run off like that and almost get the three of us killed? For all we know, the others might be dead too!"
"I didn't run off!" Connor defended himself and backed away from Cordelia. "I don't even remember leaving you guys. The last thing I remember is hanging out after Space Mountain and A .Dad going back to the hotel."
Cordy's _expression softened and she gave him a small smile. She wondered how long it would take before he got used to calling Angel 'Dad'. They had worked so hard, but now Cordy had to wonder if the three of them were the only ones left to see Connor's transformation completed.
"This isn't getting us anywhere. We need to go find the others," Fred interrupted Cordy's thoughts and motioned toward the darkness at the top of the ramp.
"As long as there are still others." Cordy muttered and grabbed a six-foot candelabra. "What? You can never be too cautious," she smirked and led the way into darkness and uncertainty.
******************************
"There not moving Angel." Gunn's voice shook as he spoke. Angel wasn't sure he'd ever seen the man like this before. He wasn't sure if ihe'd/i ever been like this before. The fear gripped at his unbeating heart like a cold, menacing hand.
"I know. Just .we have to keep them warm." He draped his long coat across Cordy and Connor's bodies. iPlease, you all have to pull through. I won't lose my family, any of it. I've worked too hard to get you all back, I'm NOT losing you again!/i
*******************************
"Heidi-ho! We come bearing .what is it again that we come bearing Dumpling?" Lorne asked the very exasperated Englishman to his side.
"I'm not taking him with me next time!" Wesley whispered sternly to Angel and dropped a pile of dusty tomes onto the table, sending fake cobwebs floating through the air.
"Aww Cupcake, I'm hurt."
"Okay, does the demon have an obsession with pastries or what?" Gunn asked from his position at Fred's side with a pained smile on his face.
"You don't even know the half of it," Angel sighed and turned his attention to Wesley. "What did you find?"
"I'm not exactly certain, but I think this poison that they were infected with may have transported their souls into another dimension."
"What kind of dimension?" Angel asked, the fear clutching at his throat. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if they were trapped in some hell dimension. All three of them had been taken to another dimension once already, but this time it was their souls, a thing that Angel knew first hand was nothing to mess with.
"Oh, Cordy is so going to kick our asses if we don't get them back here," Gunn joked half-heartedly.
"How will she accomplish that if we don't-" Wes caught the look on Lorne's face and thought it best to shut up. "Back to the matter at hand. Somehow we need to find out where they are so we can figure out some way of getting them back here."
*****************************
"Wesley! You need to figure this out! Quick!" Angel yelled while trying to hold onto the body of his floating Seer.
"I'm working as fast as I can Angel. The accommodations aren't exactly ideal for concocting an antidote."
Gunn looked at the three unconscious forms, the concern plain on his face. "Are you sure just an antidote is going to take care of this man? I mean, is it going to bring them back from-"
"I don't know Gunn! I'm doing everything I can!"
"Take it easy English. I'm just trying to be practical here."
"Why don't you try being helpful instead?" Wesley bit back, his frustration outweighing his concern.
"You implyin' something?" Gunn spoke hotly, taking a few steps toward the other man.
Lorne stepped between them and put a hand out to either man. "Whoa, whoa, whoa Sweetie Pies. Let's not have a match until we get the others where they belong, or Cordelia will be joining in on a few rounds from the nether- realm."
"Lorne's right," Angel said shielding his eyes from another random burst of Cordy's light. "We need to concentrate on saving them before we come to blows. If you two have issues, put them to the backseat. We need everyone's full attention now."
Gunn snorted and backed over toward Fred, his enraged eyes never leaving Wesley's.
"Things are gonna get nasty Angelcakes," Lorne whispered to the vampire who merely nodded in acknowledgement.
iWesley had better figure this out for all our sakes,/i Angel thought to himself as he looked around at his broken family.
*************************
"Whatever made me think that we could have a nice, normal, fun vacation? Is it so much to ask to have three days and two nights of happiness and enjoyment, all expenses paid?" Cordy rambled as she walked along, using the candelabra as a walking stick.
"Isn't that thing heavy?" Fred asked.
"Nah. You gotta love the magic of illusion. I think it's made of plastic or something."
"You'll find out if you actually need to use it as a weapon and it breaks on you."
Cordy shot a look at Connor and stuck her tongue out at him. "It'll work fine! What? Oh, just let me live in my bubble of denial. God knows I'm right at home in it."
"Where is everybody?" Fred looked around at the empty amusement park.
"They were all probably evacuated because of the demon."
"Hey! I didn't go on that one!" Connor yelled and pointed at a roller coaster in front of them.
"I don't even remember that one." Cordy had a very uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She heard Fred call her name and looked over to see the girl collapse on a bench, a Disney map trembling in her hand. "What is it Fred?"
"Look," she spoke simply and held the paper out.
Cordy snatched it from her friend's hand and glanced at it. "What about it?"
"Date. Copyright date down in the corner."
"Copyright The Walt Disney Company two-thousand and . six?" All of the color left Cordy's face. "How can this be?"
"It's been three years? Are you going to let me drive now?" Connor asked.
"Lemme think.uh.no! There's no way it could have possibly been three years! A day maybe, but three years? No way!" She turned to the silent girl on the bench. "Hello Fred! We need an explanation Brain Child!"
"I-I don't know. Maybe it has to do with the demon?"
Cordy repressed the urge to say 'duh' and just sighed. "This is so not good."
*******************************
"Ah-ha!" Wesley exclaimed, suddenly breaking the silence. Gunn's head fell off his hand and his forehead bounced off one of the plates secured to the table. He rubbed his head tenderly and glared at Wesley.
"'Ah-ha!' says the mad scientist!" Lorne announced in joy and Angel rushed to the table.
"What? What did you find? Did you find what dimension they're in? What kind of dimension is it? Is it a hell dimension?" Angel asked, the words an unbroken, blue streak.
"Now I iknow/i you and Cordelicious have been spending too much time together. Broody-buns is babbling and Princess has started growling," Lorne laughed.
"It's not so much another dimension as an alternate universe. They're still here, just not in a universe in which we can contact them." Wesley continued reading. "Oh dear."
"No 'oh dear's'. We don't like 'oh dear's'," Gunn said from his side of the table.
"It seems that time passes much more rapidly in this universe. If I've calculated everything correctly then it's been approximately three and a half years." Angel, Gunn and Lorne stared at Wesley in silence. None of them could comprehend what the Englishman was telling them; their loved ones had already existed three and a half years in another universe.
******************************
The three lost souls wandered to the park gates, and upon stepping through, found themselves in front of the Hyperion.
"Home!" Cordy screeched and ran through the front doors, Fred and Connor hot on her trail.
Angel looked up from behind the front desk as she burst through the door and frowned. "Where have you been?"
"Oh, it was horrible Angel! We woke up in the Haunted Mansion, and none of you were there, and the date was two-thousand six, and I knew it couldn't really have been three years, and I was scared I'd never see you again!" Cordy rambled and threw her arms around her beloved vampire's neck.
Angel didn't return her embrace. Instead he pushed her away. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but this isn't funny Cordelia. Don't even think you can come in here and act like nothing's happened after all these years.after what you did with Connor."
"What I did with.? Oh Angel! You know that wasn't me! We've been over this a million times!" She couldn't understand what Angel was so angry about.
"Save it Cordelia. I don't want to hear it."
Cordy looked at him with confusion and then turned back to where Fred and Connor had been. They were gone. "Where'd they go?"
Angel looked at her with an irritated _expression. "You came in alone Cordelia."
"Nuh-uh! Fred and Connor were with me!"
"Acting crazy isn't going to get me to pity you and take you back."
"Oh please! Like I want pity from a delusional vampire who's stuck in the past."
"I'd say you were the one who was delusional."
"Bite me Broody-boy." Cordy turned on her heels and moved toward the door. Before she could react, Angel had jumped over the counter and grabbed her by the arm. "Let go of me!"
"No. I'm not letting you go. You won't leave me again.ever."
Author: Lily -- lilyana_vamp@yahoo.com
Rating: PG for now. R later.
Disclaimer: I don't own anybody. ME, Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt, yadda yadda yadda. I think I should own them. I want them for my own. I want the money ME is making off them.
Distribution: If you want it, take it...just let me know where it
went.
Feedback: well duh.
Summary: Angel Investigations decide to take a few days off after their ordeal with the First to spend somewhere fun, but the fun doesn't last long. Sequel to my last fic, formerly titled "Currently Untitled", now titled "When the Face of Evil is the Face You Love." Part 4
Universe
Cordelia had felt the pain shoot through her neck and screamed, only to hear him laugh in satisfaction. She cut her scream short and brought her knee up sharply, causing him to topple over in pain. She could hear him moaning and could feel him rolling on the bed. She knew this was her only chance. She pulled at the bedposts fiercely, trying to free her bound hands and then realized that they were no longer cuffed. She ripped the blindfold off, fully expecting to see Angelus writhing in pain on the bed. Boy, was she wrong.
The Haunted Mansion had the potential to be freaky enough when it was filled with Disney patrons, but now, when it was empty and silent, it was even more wig-worthy. Cordy stood up and looked around cautiously. Connor and Fred lay beside her, but everyone else seemed to be gone. She wondered why they had left the three of them and knelt beside Fred. She rocked her gently. "Fred."
"Hmm." the girl moaned and opened her eyes. She looked around confused and then stood up beside her friend. They both walked to Connor's side and nudged him.
"Connor?" Cordy whispered.
"Where are we?" the boy asked groggily, struggling to his feet.
"The Haunted Mansion. I don't know where everyone is though. They were here before I blacked out." Cordy walked to the ramp and glanced up it carefully. She couldn't imagine that Angel would leave them without a fight; he was a champion after all, always there to save her life. Of course, in order to save her life, he needed to be present. "Angel!" she whispered sharply up into the darkness but received no answer.
"Charles?" Fred called worriedly and grabbed Connor by the arm as he tried to walk deeper into the Mansion. "Oh no you don't. You are staying right here with Cordy and I young man. We're not going to have you disappearing on us again."
"Yeah, why did you run off like that anyways?" Cordy demanded, feeling rather angry with him. "What gives you the right to run off like that and almost get the three of us killed? For all we know, the others might be dead too!"
"I didn't run off!" Connor defended himself and backed away from Cordelia. "I don't even remember leaving you guys. The last thing I remember is hanging out after Space Mountain and A .Dad going back to the hotel."
Cordy's _expression softened and she gave him a small smile. She wondered how long it would take before he got used to calling Angel 'Dad'. They had worked so hard, but now Cordy had to wonder if the three of them were the only ones left to see Connor's transformation completed.
"This isn't getting us anywhere. We need to go find the others," Fred interrupted Cordy's thoughts and motioned toward the darkness at the top of the ramp.
"As long as there are still others." Cordy muttered and grabbed a six-foot candelabra. "What? You can never be too cautious," she smirked and led the way into darkness and uncertainty.
******************************
"There not moving Angel." Gunn's voice shook as he spoke. Angel wasn't sure he'd ever seen the man like this before. He wasn't sure if ihe'd/i ever been like this before. The fear gripped at his unbeating heart like a cold, menacing hand.
"I know. Just .we have to keep them warm." He draped his long coat across Cordy and Connor's bodies. iPlease, you all have to pull through. I won't lose my family, any of it. I've worked too hard to get you all back, I'm NOT losing you again!/i
*******************************
"Heidi-ho! We come bearing .what is it again that we come bearing Dumpling?" Lorne asked the very exasperated Englishman to his side.
"I'm not taking him with me next time!" Wesley whispered sternly to Angel and dropped a pile of dusty tomes onto the table, sending fake cobwebs floating through the air.
"Aww Cupcake, I'm hurt."
"Okay, does the demon have an obsession with pastries or what?" Gunn asked from his position at Fred's side with a pained smile on his face.
"You don't even know the half of it," Angel sighed and turned his attention to Wesley. "What did you find?"
"I'm not exactly certain, but I think this poison that they were infected with may have transported their souls into another dimension."
"What kind of dimension?" Angel asked, the fear clutching at his throat. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if they were trapped in some hell dimension. All three of them had been taken to another dimension once already, but this time it was their souls, a thing that Angel knew first hand was nothing to mess with.
"Oh, Cordy is so going to kick our asses if we don't get them back here," Gunn joked half-heartedly.
"How will she accomplish that if we don't-" Wes caught the look on Lorne's face and thought it best to shut up. "Back to the matter at hand. Somehow we need to find out where they are so we can figure out some way of getting them back here."
*****************************
"Wesley! You need to figure this out! Quick!" Angel yelled while trying to hold onto the body of his floating Seer.
"I'm working as fast as I can Angel. The accommodations aren't exactly ideal for concocting an antidote."
Gunn looked at the three unconscious forms, the concern plain on his face. "Are you sure just an antidote is going to take care of this man? I mean, is it going to bring them back from-"
"I don't know Gunn! I'm doing everything I can!"
"Take it easy English. I'm just trying to be practical here."
"Why don't you try being helpful instead?" Wesley bit back, his frustration outweighing his concern.
"You implyin' something?" Gunn spoke hotly, taking a few steps toward the other man.
Lorne stepped between them and put a hand out to either man. "Whoa, whoa, whoa Sweetie Pies. Let's not have a match until we get the others where they belong, or Cordelia will be joining in on a few rounds from the nether- realm."
"Lorne's right," Angel said shielding his eyes from another random burst of Cordy's light. "We need to concentrate on saving them before we come to blows. If you two have issues, put them to the backseat. We need everyone's full attention now."
Gunn snorted and backed over toward Fred, his enraged eyes never leaving Wesley's.
"Things are gonna get nasty Angelcakes," Lorne whispered to the vampire who merely nodded in acknowledgement.
iWesley had better figure this out for all our sakes,/i Angel thought to himself as he looked around at his broken family.
*************************
"Whatever made me think that we could have a nice, normal, fun vacation? Is it so much to ask to have three days and two nights of happiness and enjoyment, all expenses paid?" Cordy rambled as she walked along, using the candelabra as a walking stick.
"Isn't that thing heavy?" Fred asked.
"Nah. You gotta love the magic of illusion. I think it's made of plastic or something."
"You'll find out if you actually need to use it as a weapon and it breaks on you."
Cordy shot a look at Connor and stuck her tongue out at him. "It'll work fine! What? Oh, just let me live in my bubble of denial. God knows I'm right at home in it."
"Where is everybody?" Fred looked around at the empty amusement park.
"They were all probably evacuated because of the demon."
"Hey! I didn't go on that one!" Connor yelled and pointed at a roller coaster in front of them.
"I don't even remember that one." Cordy had a very uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She heard Fred call her name and looked over to see the girl collapse on a bench, a Disney map trembling in her hand. "What is it Fred?"
"Look," she spoke simply and held the paper out.
Cordy snatched it from her friend's hand and glanced at it. "What about it?"
"Date. Copyright date down in the corner."
"Copyright The Walt Disney Company two-thousand and . six?" All of the color left Cordy's face. "How can this be?"
"It's been three years? Are you going to let me drive now?" Connor asked.
"Lemme think.uh.no! There's no way it could have possibly been three years! A day maybe, but three years? No way!" She turned to the silent girl on the bench. "Hello Fred! We need an explanation Brain Child!"
"I-I don't know. Maybe it has to do with the demon?"
Cordy repressed the urge to say 'duh' and just sighed. "This is so not good."
*******************************
"Ah-ha!" Wesley exclaimed, suddenly breaking the silence. Gunn's head fell off his hand and his forehead bounced off one of the plates secured to the table. He rubbed his head tenderly and glared at Wesley.
"'Ah-ha!' says the mad scientist!" Lorne announced in joy and Angel rushed to the table.
"What? What did you find? Did you find what dimension they're in? What kind of dimension is it? Is it a hell dimension?" Angel asked, the words an unbroken, blue streak.
"Now I iknow/i you and Cordelicious have been spending too much time together. Broody-buns is babbling and Princess has started growling," Lorne laughed.
"It's not so much another dimension as an alternate universe. They're still here, just not in a universe in which we can contact them." Wesley continued reading. "Oh dear."
"No 'oh dear's'. We don't like 'oh dear's'," Gunn said from his side of the table.
"It seems that time passes much more rapidly in this universe. If I've calculated everything correctly then it's been approximately three and a half years." Angel, Gunn and Lorne stared at Wesley in silence. None of them could comprehend what the Englishman was telling them; their loved ones had already existed three and a half years in another universe.
******************************
The three lost souls wandered to the park gates, and upon stepping through, found themselves in front of the Hyperion.
"Home!" Cordy screeched and ran through the front doors, Fred and Connor hot on her trail.
Angel looked up from behind the front desk as she burst through the door and frowned. "Where have you been?"
"Oh, it was horrible Angel! We woke up in the Haunted Mansion, and none of you were there, and the date was two-thousand six, and I knew it couldn't really have been three years, and I was scared I'd never see you again!" Cordy rambled and threw her arms around her beloved vampire's neck.
Angel didn't return her embrace. Instead he pushed her away. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but this isn't funny Cordelia. Don't even think you can come in here and act like nothing's happened after all these years.after what you did with Connor."
"What I did with.? Oh Angel! You know that wasn't me! We've been over this a million times!" She couldn't understand what Angel was so angry about.
"Save it Cordelia. I don't want to hear it."
Cordy looked at him with confusion and then turned back to where Fred and Connor had been. They were gone. "Where'd they go?"
Angel looked at her with an irritated _expression. "You came in alone Cordelia."
"Nuh-uh! Fred and Connor were with me!"
"Acting crazy isn't going to get me to pity you and take you back."
"Oh please! Like I want pity from a delusional vampire who's stuck in the past."
"I'd say you were the one who was delusional."
"Bite me Broody-boy." Cordy turned on her heels and moved toward the door. Before she could react, Angel had jumped over the counter and grabbed her by the arm. "Let go of me!"
"No. I'm not letting you go. You won't leave me again.ever."