Chapter 17

I noticed a few minutes ago when I tried to access fanfiction.net that it was not responding. I was somehow sent off wandering around in cyberspace with no map to get me back. It was scary I tell you! Anyway since FF.Net is having an attitude problem (can't blame it I have many) I hope to upload this chapter tonight but that may turn into tomorrow. Sorry and I swear this time it wasn't my fault! I have the chapter written!

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Preview: Buffy has a tender moment with Dawn that's long overdue, Wesley has a flash back to his darker side (See I do read reviews!) And Angel and Willow come to a decision.

Previously: Buffy kicked Cordelia's temper tantraming ass when she hurt Dawn only to let Dawn finish the fight by knocking Cordelia unconscious. Go Dawn!

Wesley had quickly ushered Dawn and Buffy outside to his car. Buffy watched Andrew fuss over Dawn for a minute before asking him

"Hey Andrew? Can you do me a favor?"

"Of course Buffy." He answered before a look of anger crossed his face. "Want me to wait until Cordelia wakes up and then knock her unconscious again?"

Buffy smiled at his hopeful tone

"No I think it will be awhile. Dawn packs a pretty mean punch. Must be genetic." She said proudly "Actually I need you to get yours and Dawns things and bring them to the new house. There is no way I'm letting any of my friends stay here. Not with her here. Not after that."

"Buffy." Giles said softly "There is very little furniture there. Where will everyone sleep?"

"We'll figure it out." Buffy said "We always do. If the rest want to take their chances staying here fine, but I will not leave Dawn or any of my Slayers in danger."

"But Buffy-" Gunn started to say.

"I'm sorry Gunn," Buffy said earnestly "But she's unstable. Something is wrong with her." Buffy's eyes had no malice for Gunn, just sympathy.

Gunn acknowledged this statement with a sigh before saying sadly

"I know. I'd get your people away from her too. Just a heads up, Lorne will probably come with you. He's already almost been killed once by Cordelia. After watching that, well, just expect him to tag along."

"He is always more than welcome." Buffy said quickly "You all are."

They all stood silently until Buffy looked at Andrew again.

"So will you do that for me?" She asked.

Of course." Andrew said before he stroked Dawns hair and lightly kissed her.

"I'll hurry and see you soon." He whispered to her.

Buffy smiled as she watched him run to gather everything before turning to Dawn.

"So." She said blandly "Andrew huh?"

"Yeah well, he grows on you." Dawn said defensively.

"Does this mean we have to have The Talk?" Buffy asked with dread.

"Please." Dawn said archly "After growing up around the Xander and Anya sexcapades?"

"Oh thank heavens." Buffy said in relief before getting serious "Dawn. I'm proud of you."

"Where did this come from?" Dawn asked.

"I've wanted to say it for a while." Buffy said "But it always seemed the world was ending and I never got a chance. One thing Spike taught me is to not wait to tell people how I feel."

Both girls eyes got misty and hugged. Gunn turned to Giles and Wesley and asked only partly joking

"Are you all like this?"

"Unfortunately for everyone else in the world, yes." Giles said wryly. "Quite annoying isn't it?"

"Oh please Giles." Buffy said laughing "Your the king of heartfelt, emotionally charged, sappy moments."

"Quite so." Giles said sheepishly "But it probably IS quite annoying to others"

Wesley offered Buffy, Dawn, and Giles his car and said that he and Andrew would get a ride back with Gunn. After the girls and Giles pulled away, Wesley turned back towards the hotel. His face darkened in a way that Gunn hadn't seen since Buffy arrived. Gunn unconsciously took a step back.

"Wes? What's wrong man." he asked cautiously.

"Cordelia is what's wrong." He said coldly before walking back into the darkness of the hotel. Gunn swore before following him. Sometimes he hated having a family.

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After Wesley had ushered the girls and Giles out, Angel went over to Cordelia. He wiped the blood off her face and winced at the fistmark of a one, Dawn Summers, clearly visible on her face.

"Lorne will you help me move her to the couch?" He asked.

He was surprised as Lorne just stood there and made no move to help him.

"What?" he asked the demon.

"Well, if it's all the same to you Angelcakes, I'd feel safer not being near her in case she wakes up." Lorne said. "You know, I'm one that people seem to like to kill."

"This is ridiculous," Angel said "Why would Cordy try to hurt you?"

"How short our memory is." Lorne said dryly "Besides it was just a few minutes ago she drew blood from a teenager."

"Lornes right Angel." Willow said slowly "Cordelia not stable."

"We don't know what happened with Buffy" Angel said "Maybe Buffy attacked her. Or not." he said seeing the anger on Willows face.

Willow was interrupted by Andrew's entrance.

"I was told to get mine and Dawn things" he announced."Buffy said that we shouldn't be here anymore. I guess she meant you to along with her Slayers." He said to Willow before going upstairs. Halfway up he turned back to Lorne

"Oh yeah. Buffy said you are more than welcome to come along if you want to." He said "There's not a lot of furniture yet and it will probably be a lot of sleeping bags but your still welcome."

"Thanks kiddo." Lorne said looking at Angel. When Angel looked at him he said "I think I'll get my necessities" and went upstairs.

"I don't understand what's happening here." Angel said to Willow. "All of Cordy's friends are just abandoning her? Because she's jealous of Buffy?"

Willow looked at Angel in fascination. "Are you really that blind?" she asked incredulously "There leaving because they are scared of Cordelia."

When Angel started to argue Willow continued

"Angel, she attacked the Slayer. Hello? Super strength that rivals yours? They don't have Buffy's strength or training. What chance would they have if she turned on them?"

"But she wouldn't. She is just upset and maybe that's my fault." Angel said

"Oh really?" Wesley said coldly as he entered the lobby followed by Gunn "First it's Buffy's fault Cordelia got violent, now it's yours, when are Cordelia's actions her own fault?"

"That's not fair Wesley, not exactly." Angel said uncertainly.

"Indeed. Well, I have a teenager bleeding all over my seats that says otherwise." Wesley said letting a little of his rage show.

"Cordelia's been through a lot." Angel said in defense of her.

"Oh really?" Wesley said coldly "Then I expect Fred and Xander and the new Slayers to start attacking people. After all they have all been through a lot." He said mimicking Angels words.

Angel started to get angry. He walked up to Wesley as Willow approached Cordelia.

"So what Wesley? You turn your back on your friend when she needs help?"

"That girl laying there is not the Cordelia I was friends with." Wesley said as he stood his ground and looked Angel in the eye. "Besides, helping the hopeless is YOUR job, I was fired remember?"

Angel growled and Gunn stepped in.

"Guys, hey, listen up." he said "Angel, Wesleys right. That girl is not Cordelia, not the one that we know. She hasn't been since before the coma."

"Guys" Willow said trying to get there attention. They ignored her as Angel started in on Wesley

"Who the hell are you to judge her Wesley?" he snarled.

"Someone who is obviously not blinded, you fool."Wesley said evenly.

Angel stared at him before throwing a punch. Wesley ducked it and they started circling each other looking for openings. Angel wasn't finished talking

"You think I don't know what this is about Wesley? I do. It's about Buffy. Cordelia dared to touch your new love interest. Maybe this one will work out better than the last one."

Wesley swung and landed a blow to Angels face. Angel stumbled back before continuing his talking

"You think I don't smell her on you? On your breath when you two came back from finding the house? Do you hold her while she sleeps? I'm betting yes."

"Um guys?" Willow said again. she looked at Gunn who had retreated close to her who just shrugged.

"I guess this has been coming awhile." He said to the witch.

Wesley answered Angel back "Yes Angel I do hold her while she sleeps. Upset that it's not you are we? Poor Angel, first replaced by the soldier, then Spike. It's hard having a soulmate isn't it. How horrible for you. You have to make due with an unstable knockoff of Buffy who will probably try to kill you too."

"GUYS!" Willow shouted at both of them.

They both turned around "What?" They said in unison.

"Well thanks for finally paying attention." Willow said sarcastically. "Cordelia was made a demon so she could be strong enough to handle her visions right?"

"Yes," Angel answered "Why?"

"When was the last time she actually HAD a vision?" Willow asked.

"Well. I guess it's been since she was made a higher power." Angel said thoughtfully.

"Willow, what are you thinking?" Wesley asked.

"Well seers usually have a glow to their aura." Willow said thoughtfully "Cordelia doesn't have one."

Wesley was the first to catch on

"So she doesn't have the gift anymore." he stated.

"What are you two talking about?" Gunn broke in confused.

"Without the gift Cordelia is just a half demon." Willow explained " The two halves inside her are fighting for superiority. When the demon was inside her it must have polluted the demon half of her to crave evil."

"That makes sense." Gunn said "So how do we fix it?"

"Well there's the tricky part." Willow said "Cordelia's human part doesn't want to be fixed. It's also polluted now. It probably happened when she was in the coma. Her human side was shut down and the demon took over."

"What do you mean her human side doesn't want to be fixed?" Angel said "Of course it does."

"No Angel it doesn't." Willow said gently "Funny thing about humans, they like power. When they get it they don't like to let it go."

"So Cordy isn't really human anymore?" Gunn asked looking at Cordelia in horror.

"Well, outside yes." Willow said "But inside, well not so much."

"So what do we do?" Angel demanded

"Well we could try to extract the demon but the demon is what made Cordelia wake up. It's also a large part of her now. I could kill her by trying to remove it."

"So that's out." Angel said "What's the alternative."

Willow shrugged. "Angel I don't know of any alternative."

"What about giving her a soul like you did Angel?" Wesley suggested. "Would that work?"

"No." Willow said shaking her head "She still has her soul. Everyday it gets darker but it's still there."

"aww how sweet." Cordelia said as she woke up. "Willow trying to help me. Does that slut friend of yours know this?" she asked before backhanding Willow.

"The last thing I need are a bunch of Sunnydale supernerds trying to help me." She said cattily.

"Your right Cordelia." Willow said as she got up slowly "We shouldn't help you." with that she said a few Latin words and glowing bands wrapped themselves around Cordelia's hands, feet and torse and pinned her to the floor. She started yelling profanities at Willow who released one more band that gagged her.

"Sorry" she said to Angel "But I'm really not in the mood to hear ranting right now. I still have Dawns blood on me."

"Willow, we can't just leave her tied up in mystical rope on the floor." Angel said.

"Sure we can." Willow said evenly "Unless you want her dead when she attacks a Slayer. She's a demon now remember?"

"Willow, perhaps we should fetch Andrew and consult Mr. Giles on a possible way to free her without killing her." Wesley said quickly.

"Yeah that's a good plan." Gunn said glancing at Cordelia."Will uh, this thing hold if your gone?"

"yep. But you might want to break out some shackles just in case. I wasn't bluffing about the Slayers." Willow answered him.

Andrew came down the stairs with his and Dawns things. He stared at the prone and gagged Cordelia before shrugging and commenting "About time. You couldn't have done that before Dawn got hurt?"

"Angel why don't you watch Cordelia while we go find Giles." Gunn said. "I'll call Fred and Xander and tell them what's happening. This isn't the safest place for either of them right now I'm thinking."

Angel nodded and the group walked out leaving him alone with Cordelia. Gunn started telling Willow

"You know, those glowy things? That's bad. Can you show me how to do that?"

He heard Willow laugh before the door closed and he was alone with Cordelia once again.

"Well this is just great." He said to himself.

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I have to say this was by far one of my favorite chapters to write. Call me crazy but I love problems with one of the characters. Just a heads up, I want Buffy to see dark Wesley. Look for it soon. Also a wonderful suggestion from one of my reviewers in the form of an old Sunnydale chum will be making an appearance. Gunn will have a new interest soon also. She's a Watcher who will knock his socks off. See why I love reviews?