CHAPTER 14
Historical Note: By now, the story takes place in the end of the fifth season of Buffy, and the fourth season of Angel.
Author's Note: Ok, so, Wesley's starting to be in there more. Does anyone have any suggestions or comments about the characters? Am I doing alright portraying the characters, man I hope so! Let me know! Naskt8@aol.com.
Author's Note/Historical Note: This part takes place three months after where the second one left off. Angel is still missing, leaving Buffy to deal with the Hyperion Hotel, and to raise Connor. Cordelia has also gone missing, and the crew is searching for her as well. Also, Joyce gets terminally ill, forcing Buffy to go back to Sunnydale and take care of things for awhile not knowing she'd end up doing it permanently.
"Ok, that-that's all I need to hear," Lorne said, stopping Cordy in the middle of her song. Angel looked over at Lorne, wondering why he had stopped Cordelia so soon. He quickly noticed Lorne was scared about something as he backed away from her.
"What? What's wrong?" Cordy asked worriedly.
"Oh, nothing. Nothing's wrong," he assured her before scurrying out of the room. Buffy looked over at Angel worriedly.
"I'll be right back." Angel excused himself before heading in the direction Lorne headed towards.
Buffy looked over at Cordy. "I-I'm sure it's nothing. Sometimes, I don't even understand Lorne," she admitted. Cordy nodded. "I'll be right back. I'm going to see what's going on," she said before following Angel. They're lying to me again, Cordy said to herself. She looked around the room and decided to look around while the others discussed more lies.
* * *
"Lorne, what's going on?" Angel demanded as he walked into Lorne's room.
"Evil. I saw death, and evil, and it's coming and soon," he explained. "I didn't see much, but it was enough to make my head ache, and my stomach feeling like snakes are in it." Before Angel could respond, a loud scream ripped through the hotel. Without hesitation, Angel, Buffy and Lorne ran out of the room, back down the stairs. When they got to the lobby, they realized it was empty with the exception of a demon's body on the floor.
"Cordy!" Angel called out as he began to search the downstairs rooms while Buffy remained in the lobby.
"She's not here," Angel said as he joined Buffy back in the lobby.
"Could Wolfram & Hart have gotten her?" she asked as she looked down at the demon body lying on the floor.
"It wasn't sent from Wolfram & Hart; that was my client," Lorne told her.
"We have to find her," Buffy said quickly. "She doesn't remember anything; she could get killed," Buffy said worriedly; although when Cordy lived back in Sunnydale, the two hadn't been very close, but Buffy had to give her credit on account of her helping the Scoobies out in Sunnydale. Besides, Buffy had noticed a change in Cordy when she had first arrived in L.A. to see Angel a few years back.
"I'll call the rest of the guys," Lorne said quickly while Buffy and Angel headed for the Weapon's cabinet and pulled out what they'd need.
"I'm going to take a quick sweep around and see if I can find her before the rest of the guys get here," Angel told them.
"Then I should go too," Buffy said.
"Buffy, I need you here." Buffy shook her head. "What if Dawn wakes up?" he asked.
"Too late," Lorne said from the other side of the room. Buffy turned around and looked up to see Dawn at the top of the stairs covering a yawn with her hand.
"What's going on?" she asked as she headed down the stairs.
"I'll be ok," he assured her before leaving. Buffy grumbled before heading towards Dawn.
"It's ok. Go back to bed," she told her.
"No way. Something's going on; and you expect me to go back to sleep? Who was screaming?" she asked.
"Were just having some problems with Cordy right now," she explained.
"I want to help," Dawn said.
Buffy shook her head. "What I need for you to do right now is to go back upstairs into you room," she told her.
"But-" Dawn began.
"Dawn, I mean it. I'll explain everything later. Now go!" she told her sister. Dawn mumbled something before climbing back up the stairs. Buffy turned back towards Angel.
"Be careful," she simply told him. Angel smiled at her.
"Always."
* * *
An hour or so later, the whole gang were there, joining in on the search for Cordelia, all except for Wesley and Angel. Dawn, after arguing with Buffy, was downstairs helping Fred out with marking a map trying to find where Cordelia could be. Buffy looked around and felt helpless. She realized that this group worked together great, and knew what they were doing. Buffy felt as if she should be out with Angel trying to find information out on the streets. But Angel was right, in case Wolfram & Hart was up to no good, and planned the whole thing, it was better if Buffy stayed behind to protect everyone. Buffy quickly swung around when she heard the front doors open a few seconds later, and Angel walked over to the group.
"Any luck?" Buffy asked.
Angel shook his head. "How bout here?"
"Same," Buffy said.
"She's got to be somewhere close by!" Angel said sounded frustrated that they hadn't found anything yet. As if on cue, Wesley walked in through the front door.
"I know where Cordelia is," he announced. Angel looked at him shocked.
"But--How?" he began. "How in the hell do you do that? This is the second time you've- Never mind. Where is she?" he asked quickly.
"You're not going to believe this," he warned them. The room attention on him now.
"Where is she?" Gunn asked. Wesley looked directly at Angel.
"She's with Connor."
"Wait a second. We've been looking all over for her, and she's been with my son?" Buffy asked.
"It seems so. I'm not entirely sure how they ended up meeting, but.." Buffy looked over at Angel, who just stood there.
"Angel?" she asked.
"No, it's good. At least we know she's safe there. Connor won't hurt her," he said sounding certain of it.
"Angel, if Wolfram & Hart is after both Cordy and Connor-"
"And if they somehow find their whereabouts," Gunn continued. Angel looked at the group.
"We gotta go," Angel said quickly realizing they had a point, and both Connor and Cordelia may be in trouble.