"Cordelia? Hey?" Buffy managed.
Cordelia looked from slayer to vampire and back again. Not that she was surprised. The few times she had observed the two together always held the undercurrent that the two enemies didn't always have the death of the other on their minds. Oh this was going to be fun, but first . . . "Is Giles inside?"
"Yes?" Did Buffy actually move closer to Spike?
"Great, could we all go inside then?" Then a bit more serious, "It's urgent."
Buffy led the way in, followed by Spike and the rest.
"It's quite interesting really," Giles was calling down from the loft to the group below. "I must say I'm a bit embarrassed that this didn't catch my attention sooner."
"Hey, Giles, you have a visitor," Buffy announced, then made her way over to one of the far bookshelves, joined by Spike. They stood slightly apart, a bit out of sorts, but, more than anything, a bit upset at having been interrupted.
Cordelia walked purposefully toward Giles, assailing him before he had barely touched the ground, "You need to go to Dublin. Be there for Willow when she gets there."
Everyone looked at her.
"Giles, you need to talk to the Coven."
Xander was the first to speak. "Your hair, Cordy, it's blond and . . . short!"
She sighed. "Thank you, Captain Obvious, I'm glad to see you still focus on the important things in life."
Xander eyed his ex closely, "And you know this how?"
"Visions, I get visions, okay. What I want to know is why Willow is in danger of life and limb from some group of Dublin witches? What did she do, get suddenly all powerful and step on their toes?"
No one replied.
"Willow Rosenberg, poster-child for Geek Weekly decided to what, go out and take over the world?"
"Actually, she tried to end it," Anya interjected.
Cordelia's face fell. Little, quiet, mousy Willow Rosenberg? Last she knew the former computer geek dabbled in Magicks, but . . . it had been over three years.
"I know Los Angeles is a bit removed from the Hellmouth, but you'd have to be in another dimension to have not known," Buffy called condescendingly from the back.
"Um, well . . ."
"Who's he?" Dawn asked, pointing at Connor.
"Angel's son, Connor," Cordelia shrugged nonchalantly, her mind busy trying to comprehend Willow's change.
Silence.
"See, I'm not the only one without tact," Anya smiled.
~*~
"Vampires can't have children," Buffy broke the silence.
Bloody hell, could nothing ever go his way? Spike looked from his lover to her former lover and back again. The pouf had some big time explaining to do. And of course he'd show up just when . . . Bollocks! Still this could prove to be very interesting. The souled one wasn't so righteous and self- denying after all!
Then Cordelia caught his attention; something besides the girl's hair was different. If he didn't know better, he'd bet his crypt that-nah, there was no way.
"The evidence speaks to the contrary on that," Giles broke in. "However, we have more pressing matters at hand."
Everyone turned to him. The ex-librarian still held some sway.
"Cordelia, any idea how much time I have before Willow goes before the Coven?"
"A day or two at most. The Powers are always pretty vague in the time area unless it's urgent."
"Fine. I leave tonight." He turned to the Sunnydale crowd, "This prophecy might have some insight into what we're dealing with. Also keep looking into the Trio's things. Maybe look around the hideout again."
He began make his way to the back when Xander grabbed him. "I'm coming with you."
"No!" Cordelia barked.
"Excuse me?"
"You have to stay here."
"Again with the how?"
"Xander," she rolled her eyes. "This is the one time in your life when hiding might be a good choice. Okay, maybe not the one time."
"But I was the one who-"
"Stopped her? That's why you can't go. The Coven . . . I don't know," she looked thoughtful. "You're needed here. That's all I know. And, Buffy, stop looking at me like I'm stepping on your toes. This isn't homecoming, though you were stepping on my toes then."
There was no way she could see Buffy's face, her back was to her, not that there wasn't a powerful vibe of hostility emanating off the Slayer. Spike kept his observation to himself when no one else seemed to notice. For once in his life, he missed the chip, then he could find out for sure.
"Giles, go," Cordelia stated firmly. "Otherwise . . ."
With that, the Englishman left the building.
~*~
"Cordelia, who the hell do you think you are, barging in here?" Buffy shouted at her, once the former Watcher had left.
"Trying to save, Willow," Cordelia returned, sincerely. "But since it doesn't directly affect the little soap opera that is the life of Buffy Anne Summers, I apparently have no right."
"Cordelia," Angel warned from the shadows. He hadn't moved since he first entered. Nor had his son. Both looked like they'd rather be elsewhere.
"Come on, it's always about how Buffy'll be affected," she sighed. "Probably didn't even notice Willow was walking on the wild side until it was too late."
Before anyone knew what was happening, Buffy lunged at Cordelia. And for a few moments the two struggled with each other, neither gaining the upper hand. It took Spike and Angel both to pry them apart.
"Luv, I don't think this is the time to work out old grievances," Spike whispered in her ear, holding her struggling against his chest.
"Five minutes, just give me five minutes."
"Bring it, Buffy, I may just surprise you," Cordelia nearly broke out of Angel's grasp.
He pulled her tighter. "Loathe as I am to admit it, Spike is right here. This isn't the time."
The two vampires eyed each other for a moment. Something wasn't quite right here. True, Buffy and Cordelia had always been barely hospitable to the other at times. Still . . .
At that moment, Anya disappeared. She reemerged from behind a bookshelf a few seconds later, towing a very surprised Halfrek behind her.
Cordelia looked from slayer to vampire and back again. Not that she was surprised. The few times she had observed the two together always held the undercurrent that the two enemies didn't always have the death of the other on their minds. Oh this was going to be fun, but first . . . "Is Giles inside?"
"Yes?" Did Buffy actually move closer to Spike?
"Great, could we all go inside then?" Then a bit more serious, "It's urgent."
Buffy led the way in, followed by Spike and the rest.
"It's quite interesting really," Giles was calling down from the loft to the group below. "I must say I'm a bit embarrassed that this didn't catch my attention sooner."
"Hey, Giles, you have a visitor," Buffy announced, then made her way over to one of the far bookshelves, joined by Spike. They stood slightly apart, a bit out of sorts, but, more than anything, a bit upset at having been interrupted.
Cordelia walked purposefully toward Giles, assailing him before he had barely touched the ground, "You need to go to Dublin. Be there for Willow when she gets there."
Everyone looked at her.
"Giles, you need to talk to the Coven."
Xander was the first to speak. "Your hair, Cordy, it's blond and . . . short!"
She sighed. "Thank you, Captain Obvious, I'm glad to see you still focus on the important things in life."
Xander eyed his ex closely, "And you know this how?"
"Visions, I get visions, okay. What I want to know is why Willow is in danger of life and limb from some group of Dublin witches? What did she do, get suddenly all powerful and step on their toes?"
No one replied.
"Willow Rosenberg, poster-child for Geek Weekly decided to what, go out and take over the world?"
"Actually, she tried to end it," Anya interjected.
Cordelia's face fell. Little, quiet, mousy Willow Rosenberg? Last she knew the former computer geek dabbled in Magicks, but . . . it had been over three years.
"I know Los Angeles is a bit removed from the Hellmouth, but you'd have to be in another dimension to have not known," Buffy called condescendingly from the back.
"Um, well . . ."
"Who's he?" Dawn asked, pointing at Connor.
"Angel's son, Connor," Cordelia shrugged nonchalantly, her mind busy trying to comprehend Willow's change.
Silence.
"See, I'm not the only one without tact," Anya smiled.
~*~
"Vampires can't have children," Buffy broke the silence.
Bloody hell, could nothing ever go his way? Spike looked from his lover to her former lover and back again. The pouf had some big time explaining to do. And of course he'd show up just when . . . Bollocks! Still this could prove to be very interesting. The souled one wasn't so righteous and self- denying after all!
Then Cordelia caught his attention; something besides the girl's hair was different. If he didn't know better, he'd bet his crypt that-nah, there was no way.
"The evidence speaks to the contrary on that," Giles broke in. "However, we have more pressing matters at hand."
Everyone turned to him. The ex-librarian still held some sway.
"Cordelia, any idea how much time I have before Willow goes before the Coven?"
"A day or two at most. The Powers are always pretty vague in the time area unless it's urgent."
"Fine. I leave tonight." He turned to the Sunnydale crowd, "This prophecy might have some insight into what we're dealing with. Also keep looking into the Trio's things. Maybe look around the hideout again."
He began make his way to the back when Xander grabbed him. "I'm coming with you."
"No!" Cordelia barked.
"Excuse me?"
"You have to stay here."
"Again with the how?"
"Xander," she rolled her eyes. "This is the one time in your life when hiding might be a good choice. Okay, maybe not the one time."
"But I was the one who-"
"Stopped her? That's why you can't go. The Coven . . . I don't know," she looked thoughtful. "You're needed here. That's all I know. And, Buffy, stop looking at me like I'm stepping on your toes. This isn't homecoming, though you were stepping on my toes then."
There was no way she could see Buffy's face, her back was to her, not that there wasn't a powerful vibe of hostility emanating off the Slayer. Spike kept his observation to himself when no one else seemed to notice. For once in his life, he missed the chip, then he could find out for sure.
"Giles, go," Cordelia stated firmly. "Otherwise . . ."
With that, the Englishman left the building.
~*~
"Cordelia, who the hell do you think you are, barging in here?" Buffy shouted at her, once the former Watcher had left.
"Trying to save, Willow," Cordelia returned, sincerely. "But since it doesn't directly affect the little soap opera that is the life of Buffy Anne Summers, I apparently have no right."
"Cordelia," Angel warned from the shadows. He hadn't moved since he first entered. Nor had his son. Both looked like they'd rather be elsewhere.
"Come on, it's always about how Buffy'll be affected," she sighed. "Probably didn't even notice Willow was walking on the wild side until it was too late."
Before anyone knew what was happening, Buffy lunged at Cordelia. And for a few moments the two struggled with each other, neither gaining the upper hand. It took Spike and Angel both to pry them apart.
"Luv, I don't think this is the time to work out old grievances," Spike whispered in her ear, holding her struggling against his chest.
"Five minutes, just give me five minutes."
"Bring it, Buffy, I may just surprise you," Cordelia nearly broke out of Angel's grasp.
He pulled her tighter. "Loathe as I am to admit it, Spike is right here. This isn't the time."
The two vampires eyed each other for a moment. Something wasn't quite right here. True, Buffy and Cordelia had always been barely hospitable to the other at times. Still . . .
At that moment, Anya disappeared. She reemerged from behind a bookshelf a few seconds later, towing a very surprised Halfrek behind her.
