Chapter 28: what the hell…

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 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.

"Let me try." Wesley volunteered for the task. He leaned down and touched Angel's shoulder. "Angel?" He called him. Angel looked up at him. "I think we better move Cordelia to a more comfortable location, say back at the house." Angel didn't answer. He looked down at Cordelia. "Angel?" Wesley tried again.

"I know." Angel said and got up still holding Cordy in his arms, Wesley helped him. "Is it dark outside?" He asked.

"Not yet, soon." Buffy answered.

"Fred hand me that blanket." She nodded her head and went to bring it. "Gunn can you bring the car to the front." Angel kept giving orders.

"Sure." He said and took the keys and left. Fred covered Angel and Cordelia with the blanket. A few minutes later they heard the car honk. Angel walked out the door followed by Fred and Wesley. The Scoobies stayed behind.

"That was…" Willow found it hard to describe what just happened.

"Did you see how they all followed him out? Like he was their leader or something." Xander mocked him.

"Well he is in a way." Anya remarked.

"Still, it was weird." Willow added.

"Look you guys we can't judge their behavior. How would we react if it was one of us?" Buffy tried to show them the other side.

"We've been through worse and we never cracked up like they did." Willow said. "Even before we began the spell they were way too jumpy and hipper.

"They were acting like they were sanding their crowned queen to face death." Xander added his perspective."

"You guys." Buffy tried to refute what they said but found it hard. She also believed they were acting weird on all accounts.

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Spike stepped in. "Didn't you see them for the past few days." Everyone looked beveled. Spike rolled his eyes. "They're not just good friend, they're family. They're all they got in this world." Spike words started to make sense. "Most of them don't have a mom or dad or even an uncle to turn to. They deal with the crap in live on their own."

"So do I." Buffy noted.

"No you don't." Spike corrected her. You had your mom for all this years and now you have Dawn. And Giles is like… well you know."

"The point Spike." Xander was getting impatient.

"The point dumb ass." He smiled at Xander mocking him. "They feel like they lost one of their family member." He looked at Buffy. "Last time you thought you lost a member of your family you went all catatonic, remember?" He was right. Buffy knew he was right. "You can't judge them cause you're not them, you never will be. At least hope you never will be."

"Well as fascinating is it all may be we do have greater issue to deal with at the moment." Giles said trying to get everyone's attention.

"What greater issues?" Tara asked.

"The spell for once. We have to monitor Cordelia and make sure she's safe." Giles explained.

"And if she's not what can we do?" Anya asked confused.

"Several things, but that's besides the point at the moment." Giles wanted to concentrate on the matters at hand. "Second thing. Buffy you need to patrol tonight with backup."

"Why? I don't need backup." Buffy frowned.

"Yes you do. We still don't know what's coming. We know it's evil and we know it's on his way." He focused on her. "You need to look for anything out of the ordinary."

"It's Sunnydale everything is out of the ordinary." Buffy joked.

"You know what I mean Buffy." Giles snapped at her. She wasn't smiling any more. "You and all of us need to be extra careful."

"Especially when Angel is out of the picture." Willow said worriedly.

"I'm not sure he is." Buffy wondered.

"And we still need to…" Giles was cut off.

"I know Giles." Buffy said. "I know what we need to do, I know we have a lot of work. I've done this before, you know?" She wasn't joking this time. "I know my job." And with that the lecture ended.

"I think me and Tara will go now." Willow said to Buffy. We're tired and there's not much to do any way so…"

"Sure Will no problem." Buffy smiled at her in understanding.

"I'll stay here and help Anya close up. After that we'll head home also." Xander said.

"How about you Giles?" Buffy asked.

"I'll take a few books with me and I'll go back to the house with you. You are going home, aren't you?" Giles asked.

"Yeah sure, I need to check on Dawn, I haven't seen her all day."

"So we're all settled." Anya concluded.

"Oh Look it's dark outside. That means you can go." Xander said joyfully to Spike. Oddly enough Spike didn't answer back. He stared out the window and then walked out through the front door.

"That was uncalled for." Buffy was angry with Xander.

"What? It's Spike." Xander laughed.

"Sometimes Xander you have such a short memory." Buffy grabbed her jacket and headed for the door. "Giles you go ahead I'll meet you there." She said and walked out.

"Spike wait up!" She called after him. He didn't stop walking. She ran towards him. "Spike." She grabbed his arm and he turned.

What? What is it now?" He was obviously upset.

"Look I'm sorry about Xander. Sometime he doesn't think." She tried to explain.

"Only sometimes?" Spike answered back. Buffy ignored his little remark she thought after what he said Xander had it coming.

"I know you were offended." He looked at her not saying anything. "I just wanted to apologize." She finished off.

"Whatever." He brushed it off, turned away and walked.

"That's all." She followed him. "Whatever? That's your response?" She was surprised

"What would you like it to be?" He stopped walking and turned to face her. "I've been eating the same crap from you people for years. Why should today be any different?"

"It's not like you've been a saint all those years." Buffy reminded him.

"No I haven't. But no matter what I do. No matter how much I help, I'm still and always your punching bag." He looked at her for a moment and when she didn't say anything he turned to walk away but then she stopped him.

"I don't think of you as my punching bag." Buffy said almost apologetically to him.

"Then how do you think of me…"?" Before she had a chance to answer he shook his head. "No don't answer that. I don't want to know. It doesn't matter anymore." Buffy looked at him confused. He noticed that. "That's why I came today, to tell you I'm leaving Sunnydale." Buffy was stunned. She didn't expect that, not in a million years.

"Leaving?" Buffy asked in disbelieve. "For good?"

"I don't know for how long. Maybe a month, maybe forever." His words echoed in her head.

"Why?" She asked.

"Do you really have to ask me that? I think you know Buffy."

"Are you sure that's what you want to do?" She asked.

"No. But I have to. For my sake and yours."

"When?" She hoped he wouldn't say 'now'.

"I'll wait to hear what Cordelia has to say about the big bad. After that I'll decide." He knew he shouldn't but he took her hand. "I have to make sure you and Dawn are safe. After that…" He could swear he saw a tear. He bend down and kissed her hand. And then he left.

She didn't follow him. She stood in the street trying to breath, She was breathing heavily. Her heart was racing. She bended forward grabbing her chest trying to breath normally, She choked. She took a deep breath and stood up. Took another breath and started walking home. A million thoughts were running through her mind. As she came closer to home she tried to get it together. She didn't want anyone to know, no yet.

"Hi." Buffy greeted Fred as she came in through the back door into the kitchen.

"Hi." Fred who was heating a bottle greeted back.

"Where's everyone?" Buffy inquired.

"Angel took Cordy upstairs and the rest are in the living room." Fred seemed busy and not really in the mood to talk.

"Okay then." Buffy got the message and walked out the kitchen and into the living room.

On the big sofa she saw Wesley and Giles going through some books. Lorne was sitting on the couch rocking Conor in his arms. Gunn stood next to him playing with Conor.

"Ho Buffy, you're here." Giles said when he noticed her standing by the wall.

"Hi Giles, anything new?" She asked, but the look on everyone's faces kind of answered her question.

"Nothing new." Giles said. "Is everything all right?"

"Ha." Buffy's mind was drifting.

"You left in a hurry so I wondered if everything was all right?" Giles repeated his question.

"Nothing serious." She didn't feel like talking about Spike right now. "I think I'll go check on Angel." She said and was about to turn for the stairs when…

"He asked not to be disturbed." Fred who just came to the living room said.

"Oh." Buffy turned back. "Where's Dawn?" she asked Fred.

"In her room." Fred replayed.

"Did she too ask not to be disturb?" Buffy asked Fred.

Fred knew she was getting back at her for being so protective of Angel. "Not to my knowledge."

"Good." Buffy said as she walked up the stairs.

"So you guys believe the spell worked?" Gunn asked Wesley and Giles.

"Yes." Giles answered.

"I wonder where she is?" Wesley thought out loud.

"What do you mean?" Fred asked confused.

"I mean what period of time? where is she? In what country?" Wesley's eyes glittered. "I find it all very fascinating."

"Yes well we can only imagine." Giles said.

"Imagine?" Gunn asked.

"Yes. Cordelia can be anywhere, at any time. We just don't know."

"Oh god my head. You guys does anyone have some aspirin?" Cordelia grabbed her forehead her eyes were closed. "Guys I don't think the spell worked." She kept speaking but no one answered back. Her eyes were still closed her head was lowered. "Guys?" She said this time louder and then she opened her eyes and looked up. "Holly crap, where am I?" she looked around. She was in a building sitting on a bench. People were going back and forth but didn't seem to notice her. The place looked familiar but she wasn't sure where she was. She felt better so she got up. And started to walk around. "God this place is so familiar, I feel like I've been here before….

"Cordelia Chase! Please stop talking and listen to your classmate, she was just answering my question about this plant." A voice from behind spoke. She turned quickly.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. What the hell is going on here?" She was screaming so loud she thought the building was going to fall down, but no one turned, no one even looked at her. It was almost like she was invisible. "I can't be. No way." She looked at the group of 12 years old standing in front of her with their teacher.

"I'm sorry miss Benson." The young girl smiled to her teacher and then whispered something to her friends. They all started to laugh as they were staring at another girl. She had red hair.

"Something is way wrong. This can't be true, this can't be…"

"You." Another voice spoke this time directly at her.

Cordelia turned and could not believe her eyes. "Doyle?" She said in shock. "Is it really you?" She came close to him and touched his face.

"The one and only." He smiled. "Did you miss me?"

"Doyle." She jumped on him and hugged him. Tears started running down her cheeks. She was laughing and crying all at once. "Doyle." She stopped hugging him and pulled back looking at him.

"I guess that's a yes." He smiled.

"Not that I'm not glad to see you but aren't you suppose to be…" She didn't know how to put it into word.

"Dead." He did it for her. Cordelia nodded her head. "Yeah I am, but you know the PTBs a little death can't stop them from recruiting you."

"You work for the PTBs?" Cordelia was surprised.

"From time to time it's a part time job." Cordelia looked beveled. "They call me when ever they have a gig for me. Like this one." He explained.

"So you're here to…" Cordelia wasn't sure why he was here.

"To guide you. You did ask for guidance right? Cause once, they sent me to this guy by mistake. I tell you it was so funny." He laughed.

"Not recently I didn't." Cordelia who was still confused answered his question.

"Wait. Didn't you say in your spell and I quote: 'Let my heart be my guide, and my soul be my anchor. May the powers lead the way.'"

"I said it as part of the spell that's right but I never…"

"That's all it takes sugar, just a few simple lines." Again Cordelia had the 'what the hell' face. "You asked for your heart to be your guide and the powers to lead the way. So the PTBs used me. They will lead the way through me. I guess I was on your hear after all." He seemed pleased with himself.

"I guess so." Cordelia smiled. Things were starting to make sense. Well… "Wait." She remembered something. "Why are we here? I mean this is…"

"1993." Doyle filled in the blanks. "And that cute brunette is you at the age of…"

"12." This time it was Cordelia. She was starting to remember. "And that redhead is… Willow. Oh my god that's Xander. "She laughed when she saw a nerd looking boy warning awful cloths and telling awful jokes. "God he hasn't changed a bit." She smiled.

"And before we ask. I can't tell you why were here. All I can say is you're not going to see your vision." Doyle said to her surprise.

"I'm not?" She asked.

"Not only your vision. We'll get to it eventually but we have some things to see along the way. Important things." He explained.

"And I can't know why." She didn't think it made much sense.

"You will know, but not right away. Like I said we have some things to see first. Starting with this museum."

"It's the botanic museum, right?" She was starting to remember. We were looking at all those boring plants and all I could think of was Brian, the cutest 12 years old you ever met." She looked at Doyle who was quite amused. "Oh those were the days. No demons, no vampires, no mind ranching visions." Doyle smiled in sympathy. "Oh by the way thank you for that wonderful gift, how can I ever repay you?" She teased him.

"Oh stop it. You love." Cordelia looked at him skeptically. "You had your chance to throw them away. You snooze you lose."

"How did you…?" She stopped half way knowing the answer to that.

"So as I was saying. Life were much simpler then. When all the evil in the world wasn't around." She smiled.

"Wrong." Doyle cut of her reminiscing. "It's Sunnydale." Cordelia didn't follow him. "You know, hellmouth. It's always been here and always will be. The demons were always around you just didn't notice them like you do now." Doyle explained.

"Is that why were here. To find a demon I met as a child but didn't know he was a demon." Cordelia was trying to understand.

"Patience. You'll find out. First we have to follow you." Cordelia looked at him. "I mean the younger you. Come on." He started walking.

"Am I all right? I mean the real me, back in 2002?" She asked.

"Yes. Now let's go. No more questions." He reached out his hand and she grabbed on as they started walking following young Cordelia.