Chapter 12: Been there done that.

Title: Reunion time.

Author: Nikka

Author notes: Hi everyone, If you need to know about summary, rate and all the rest it's all in chapter 1 I'll just remind you that English is not my native tongue so you may find some spelling & grammar mistakes, you're more then welcome to let me know about them but remember you may find them while you read the story. Have fun.

Disclaimer: Angel & Buffy's characters are not my creation (wish they were) they belong to Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt. Other characters that are not familiar from the show do belong to me.

Author's remark: My chapters as of now (ch 12) will no longer be reproof by Sigma due to the fact that I have no internet and I'm asking someone else to post the remaining chapters for me. I want to take this opportunity and thank sigma for all the help. And I hope you will continue reading my story even without the excellent work sigma has done. Thank you again sigma for all your great work.

"So what now? What are we suppose to do?"

"Are you always this impatience Xander?" the magistrate asked him in response to his earlier question.

"I think he just wants to know what's going to happen." Buffy explained.

"And you usually answer for him and the others. Right Buffy?" The magistrate smiled.

"Hello hello we're…. Back." Lorne walked in with Conor in the pram and Dawn next to him.

"What's going on? Who's he?" Dawn asked. No on answered her.

"Dawn go with Lorne & Conor back to the house!" Buffy ordered.

"No, answer me first. Who is he?" When no one answered the magistrate took the initiative.

"I'm the magistrate and you must be…" Dawn cut him off.

"The girl who won't let you take her sister." She walked to him and stood in front of him her hands crossed.

"Dawn no." Buffy said to her.

"I won't let him take you Buffy. You hear me you can't take her, she belongs here." Dawn yelled at him.

"You're a feisty one." The magistrate seemed more amused then intimidated by Dawn. "So you claim the slayer belongs here?"

"That's right she's the slayer and Sunnydale needs a slayer." Dawn explained a bit calmer.

"And I agree with you completely."

"You do?" Dawn asked surprised. She never thought it would be that easy.

"Yes. Sunnydale do need A slayer, but not necessarily this one". Suddenly Dawn didn't feel so victories.

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant." Dawn yelled at him.

"I know that's what you think, but it's not necessarily true". The magistrate said.

"And what makes you the expert. She's our friend, our family. I think we know her a little bit better then you". Xander cut in as he saw Dawn starting to crack.

"I never said you didn't know her. All I …" Xander cut him off.

"And we know she belongs here. We saved her from a hell dimension. We're her friends did you really expect us to just leave her there? Do you have any idea how many times she risked her life to save me...Us?" Xander pointed at everyone in the room.

"We couldn't leave her there. How can it be wrong for her to be here? We saved her." Tara continued where Xander left off.

"Did you really?" The magistrate asked. This time Willow answered.

"She's here, isn't she? With her friends. She's safe and loved. If you don't believe me ask her. Ask her where she was. Ask her how we saved her…" Willow gasped. "She thanked us. We did what we thought was best and it turns out we were right she was in pain and we freed her. How can that be bad?" Willow took a big breath and set on the chair behind her. Tara set next to her holding her hand.

The magistrate looked at Buffy. She lowered her head she couldn't look him in the eyes, afraid he'll read her thoughts. Though if Spike talked to him there's a good chance he already knows. Still she couldn't look at him.

"You tell me you love her, you tell me she's like family. But still you all brought her back for your own selfish reasons." They all looked at him stunned by his words.

"How can you say that?" Dawn lashed out on him.

"Dear…" Dawn didn't let him finish.

"Don't call me 'dear' or any other cute nickname". She said angrily.

"All right." The magistrate nodded his head. "Dawn." He turned to her. "You wanted your sister back. Above all you wanted your family, the only one you had left, back."

"Of course I wanted my sister, who wouldn't? especially after losing mom. But Buffy is more then my sister." Dawn explained.

"That she is." The magistrate seemed to agree with her. "She's also a friend, which is why Xander wanted her back." Xander raised his head with the mention of his name. "You missed your friend." The magistrate looked straight at him. "To lose someone you love, for the first time is hard."

"But I've seen death. People I knew, my friends…" Xander remembered all the people he knew that have died, all the hurt he felt.

"Yes you have seen death, too often I'm afraid, but to lose one of your closest friend that was too much. You just needed your friend back."

"I…I…" Xander couldn't find the words.

"What about me, what's my selfish agenda?" Giles asked spitefully.

"Actually you and Tara are the innocent ones. You were both ready to let her go." Gilles & Tara looked at him surprised. "You did it in the name of love. Love for your girlfriend." He said to Tara. "You didn't want to disappoint her." Willow looked at Tara shocked. Tara turned her head not able to look at her. She felt ashamed, he was right. In her heart she believed bringing Buffy back was wrong, but she said nothing, she didn't want to hurt Willow. She loved her too much.

"Is he right Tara? You didn't want to do the spell?" Tara couldn't answer Willow.

"And you left. You're the only one who had no part of this". The magistrate said to Giles, ignoring Willow's question to Tara. Willow didn't push further she let it go. For now.

"As for you Anyaka". The magistrate turned to Anya. "The reason you're not on trial is because you did it out of fear. You wanted the slayer back. You of all people knew how dangerous the world is and you wanted to feel safe again. And the slayer gave that to you. She made you fell safe." Anya felt ashamed. She felt more selfish then always.

The room quieted down. Each in his thoughts. Reflecting on what the magistrate said, about them been selfish.

Suddenly Spike broke the silence. "That may be true on some level but they meant well, magistrate". To the surprise of everyone spike was actually trying to defend them.

"William you're the most selfish one of them all." Buffy raised her head she was curious to see what the magistrate meant. "You wanted to tell her you're sorry you couldn't save her. You wanted to see her again. You would have sold your own soul if you had one to get her back."

"But I didn't. I told them they were wrong". Spike now defended himself, which made more sense to the scoobies.

"True. That's why you're not on trial." The magistrate smiled at him. He was about to move forward when Willow cut in.

"But I am." The magistrate looked at her confused. "I'm on trial, right? So what's my selfish act? What is it I'm guilty of except the obvious one?" Willow asked sarcastically.

"Magic." The magistrate answered quickly. His answer surprised everyone including Buffy. "You wanted to show them, to show Giles you're a powerful witch. You wanted them to realize you're capable of almost anything. And for once you wanted to be the hero the one that saves Buffy not the other way around". Willow looked at him angry as hell.

"Let's say you're right." Willow played along. "In the end the result is the same we saved her." Willow said smugly.

"Did you really? I beg the difference." They all looked at him misbelieving.

"You don't believe me then ask her." He pointed at Cordelia. All the AI team stood in the back trying to keep out of the way. By now Lorne & Conor had joined them.

"Me?" Cordy seemed surprised. What does she know; she hasn't been here in over two years.

"Yes you." The magistrate said with a smile. "You think it was a coincidence you read the Brolug emotions." Cordy gave him a curious look. "It's part of your new power. You can read the essence of someone, demon or human." Cordy looked confused.

"Try it if you don't believe me. Touch Buffy and tell me what you see, what you feel." The magistrate looked at Buffy who seemed afraid.

Cordy didn't move. What If he was right? What she felt before with the Brolug, the pain it was too much. What would she feel with the slayer who's been to hell and back?

"Don't be afraid, you'll be fine". The magistrate reassured her, almost reading her thoughts.

"Cordy you don't have to do this." Angel said to her seeing the fear in her eyes.

"If it helps the others, help Buffy I have to." She said and walked towards Buffy who just stood there with a scared look on her face. Angel went with her and the rest AI team also moved closer.

Buffy backed away. "Don't worry it will hurt me more then you." Cordy said with a smile trying to calm her.

"No, I don't want you to." Buffy said pulling away.

"Buffy if it will help, you should let her." Dawn said.

"I..." Buffy stopped.

"Don't worry Buffy will be right here". Xander said to her smiling.

"Can I?" Cordy asked. Buffy just nodded with her head for agreement.

Cordelia raised her hand and gently touched Buffy's arm.

"I don't feel anything". Cordy said to the magistrate. Buffy seemed relived.

"Close your eyes concentrate." The magistrate guided her.

Cordelia tried again. She touched Buffy's arm and closed her eyes. Images started to appear, feelings resurfaced.

"Nooooo". Cordelia cried she looked in pain. Angel ran to her but the magistrate stopped him.

"She's all right. She's just feeling what Buffy felt when she died. It will pass." The magistrate explained to Angel. Angel restrained himself but remained attentive.

Then Cordy looked so peaceful, she even smiled. Tears started to run down Buffy's cheek. She new what Cordelia felt, what she saw. The wonderful place she was at. The place she missed so much. The place her friends pulled her away from.

Then Cordelia started to shake. Again angel jumped.

"No. Let her finish." The magistrate ordered him.

"Finish what? Herself?" Angel said angrily.

"Angel, Cordelia will be fine. Calm down". The magistrate said calmly.

Now she was crying, so did Buffy.

"What's happening to Cordy?" Fred asked the magistrate worried.

"She's reliving Buffy's journey from the living to the dead and the living again. She's feeling and expressing all the emotions Buffy felt. She can't control it. The magistrate explained.

"Will she be harmed?" Wesley asked.

"No." said the magistrate. "But she needs to finish it. We can't disturb her, not now."

Everyone looked at the two women who were feeling the same emotions at the same time. When one cried the other cried, when one smiled the other smiled.

"She must be crying out of happiness, right?" Willow asked everyone waiting for an answer, for reassurance.

Xander came to the rescue. "Yeah, it must be it Will."

They kept looking at them waiting for the emotions to change from sadness to happiness. After all Buffy was back home were she belonged, why wasn't she happy. Another question bothered Willow. Why did Buffy look so peaceful & happy when she died? She was supposedly at a hell dimension. She should be in horrible pain. Why wasn't she? Her thoughts were cut off by Cordelia's cry.

"No, no, no. How could you? Why would you?" her eyes were still closed but the words just came out of her. Buffy didn't speak she just cried.

Angel ran to Cordelia, holding her. The magistrate allowed him. He knew it was finished. She has seen all she had to.

"Cor? Are you all right?" Angel asked worriedly. The rest of the AI team joined him. She just cried into his arms. She screamed and cried like she just witnessed the death of a loved one. Buffy just stood there. Her cheeks were wet from crying but she didn't cry anymore she just stared.

"What's happing to her?" Angel asked the magistrate angrily.

"All the emotions are flooding her. Buffy had time to deal with them to control them, Cordelia didn't." Angel looked at him.

"That's not good enough. When will she come out of it?" He asked again.

"In a few minutes. Give her some room." They all backed away, even Buffy leaving Angel & Cordy alone.

The crying weakened and in a few minutes just like the magistrate said Cordelia was her old self again. Her eyes were red from crying and she was still checking from the experience but she reassured Angel and the rest of the AI she was fine. She got up and looked at the scoobies. They were all looking at her for answers. She was trying to find Buffy and finally she saw her standing by the door looking scared.

Now Cordelia knew her secret what she was concealing, that was too much for Buffy.

"Do you want me to tell them?" Cordelia asked Buffy. Buffy didn't answer.

"Of course she does. Were her family." Xander said to Cordelia.

"Xander. It's not your decision, it's Buffy's."

"But Cordy, we have a right to…" Cordy cut him off.

"You have no right". She said angrily to him. He seemed shocked by her reactions. "Only she can tell you." Cordy pointed at Buffy. "And if she won't give me her approval, I will take it to my grave. Got it?" She looked at Xander, she was angry with him and he didn't know why.

"Buffy?" Cordelia called her name waiting for a reaction, any reaction.

Buffy looked up. She looked around seeing all the confused faces besides three people Cordelia, the magistrate and Spike. "I …" she tried to speak but didn't know what to say. "Tell them; if that's what you want, tell them. But don't expect me to stay and listen to this sad story all over again. Been there done that". And with this she opened the door and walked out.

"Buffy wait". Xander called after her. He wanted to go after her but Cordelia stopped him.

"I thought you wanted to know what happened?" She asked him knowing the answer.

"I do. But I want to make sure Buffy's fine." Xander said worriedly.

"She is. After all she's the slayer." The magistrate said to him. "Now you better sit down and hear what Cordelia has to say."

TBC.

Hi ppl, sorry for the long wait. As I said earlier I am using someone else's Internet to post the chapters. I didn't know if I would be able to finish this story but I felt obligated to the people who've read the story till now and loved it. I hope I can finish the story this week and for now this will be my last story, due to technical problems. I hope you'll all read the last chapters (I think at least 4 more) and please review, remember this is my last chance to get your reviews for awhile.

Thank you and hope you'll like this one.