Cordelia sat in Angel's office holding in her hand the picture of
Angel and her from fur years ago. She wished she could go back in time.
Tell Angel how she felt about him, even back then. She had loved him, she
still did. She never thought her heart could hurt this badly. It was
torture to be brought back to life only to see Angel become soulless again.
She couldn't be with him if he had no soul. He was nothing without his
soul. She could feel Angel; feel his arms around her. The taste of his soft
lips as they gently caressed hers. The way he held her in his arms that
night they shared together. She belonged to him; she had felt so whole, so
real. She longed to go back to that night she had returned to him, and lay
there in his arms forever and ever.
"Hey sweetie, are you holding up okay?" Lorne asked as she walked in and interrupted her thoughts.
"Oh yeah I'm fine Lorne, thanks for asking." She said as Lorne closed the door and walked over to her.
"Hun, I don't have to hear you sing to know what you're feeling. I can see it in your eyes when you look at that picture." Lorne said sitting in the chair next to her.
"I miss him Lorne," Cordy said looking up at his red eyes, "I was brought back to him, and now I've lost him again. He's been taken away again. How do you suppose he lost his soul anyway Lorne? You don't think he...well he wouldn't?" Cordelia tried to ask.
"No. Don't worry brown eyes, that boy only has eyes for you. You should have seen the way he looked at you when he told us all you were back. It was as if he could see into your soul. He loves you honey, and no one could take that love away." Lorne said placing a reassuring hand on her knee.
"But Lorne, why would he just up and lose his soul? He went to see the Powers, would they have taken his soul? Why would they do that if they're the ones that brought me back to save Angel?" She asked putting the picture back on Angel's desk.
"I don't know babe, but don't you worry your pretty little head off, he'll be his old self before you know it." Lorne said smiling.
"Thanks Lorne, you're awesome." Cordelia said smiling and blinking back tears.
"It's okay to cry babe, you have to give in sometimes. You can't always be so strong." He said smiling back at her.
"It's just I miss him so much, and I can't help thinking that I won't get him back again." Cordelia said letting a few tears fall down her pink cheeks.
"Come here sweetie," Lorne said reaching out for Cordy to lay her head in his lap, "You can cry now, you'll feel better for it."
Cordy let herself go and lay her head down and cried.
***
Wesley's office.
"I have to call Willow right away. We need to get Angel back." Wesley said. "This is not going to be easy. Remember last time we asked for their help. Granted we are not Wolfram and Hart anymore, and Wolfram and Hart is gone for good, Willow is not going to want to help us."
"True that. She's one powerful witchy girl, but she's a pretty stubborn one at that." Gunn said.
"Okay here goes nothing." He said as he dialed the number to Willow, Dawn and Xander's Rome apartment.
"Hello this is Dawn speaking how may I help you?" Dawn answered cheerfully.
"Hiya Dawn, how are you? This is Wesley."
"Oh hey Wesley, what's up? Long time no talk." Dawn said laughing.
"Actually, we have some bad news; I need to talk to Willow. Is she there?" Wesley said.
"Oh," Dawn said getting serious, "I'll get her hold on a sec." Wesley heard her call out for Willow in the background. /Willow! It's Wesley on the phone for you!!/
Another person picked up.
"What do you want?" a voice that wasn't Willow's asked.
"Xander. I have something important to discuss with Willow." Wesley said sternly.
"Well we don't associate with Wolfram and Hart." Xander said stubbornly.
"Xander, you know as well as I do that Wolfram and Hart has been destroyed and we made a mistake joining them to begin with."
"Hello?" This voice wasn't Willow's either. "Wesley, what's wrong?"
"Buffy? Oh you're back from you're honeymoon?" Wesley asked.
"Oh yeah. It was great. Oh so you have bad news?" She asked, sounding happy for once.
"Yes, it's pretty bad. Angel has lost his soul. Not in the conventional way though. I mean to say he didn't..."
"Yes I figured that Wesley. Oh God, that is so not good. Is he killing people?" She asked sounding concerned.
"Well he almost killed Cordelia, but no. We actually have him under confinement, but we need Willow to perform the spell." Wesley asked, perplexed by the amount of people now on the phone.
"Geez that's bad." Dawn added.
"Wait a minute here. Cordelia? Um isn't she...well...I mean to say she dies Wesley." Xander added.
"Oh right, no she's back. Long story short; she was brought back by the Powers That Be to help Angel, but we don't know how she's to help Angel." Wesley said quickly.
"Hello? This is Willow." Willow finally picked up.
"Willow..."
"Angel lost his soul again!" Xander cut Wesley off.
"Yes precisely, and we need you to perform the spell to get it back." Wesley said, relieved to have finally gotten Willow on the phone.
"Oh God, not good. I can be there in a few hours." Willow said. "Okay I'll go get ready." The phone clicked.
"Bye Wesley." Dawn said. Xander hung up.
"Oh Spike, stop that..." Buffy's line went dead too.
"Okay then, that was about the weirdest conversation I have ever heard. Guess I just had to hear the other end." Gunn said after Wesley hung up.
"No that was just as weird," Wesley said, "Willow will be here in a few hours."
"Oh so it wasn't so hard was it?" Gunn asked.
"No, but Buffy was back so she must have explained everything about Wolfram and Hart to the others." Wesley replied.
"So you talked to all of them then?" Gunn asked.
"Unfortunately, yes," Wesley said, implying that he didn't want to talk to Xander, "But thank God I didn't have to converse with Rupert."
"Yeah, he was a strange British man. Hey come to think of it you two have a lot in common." Gunn said grinning.
"Oh stop that. Rupert is nothing like me. And he is in England, thank God. Fred would have gotten along well with Rupert though, I expect." Wesley said, his eyes glazing over.
Gunn looked up at the sound of Fred's name. After her death, and the necessary killing of Illyria, it had taken Wesley and Gunn a long time to patch up their friendship. They had been like brothers, but after what Gunn did, and then Wesley's retaliation their friendship had been ruined. But now they were pretty much back to normal.
"Yes I suppose she would have." Gunn said quietly seeing the hurt in Wesley's eyes, and feeling the hurt in his own heart.
"But anyway everything will be fine now that Willow's coming." Wes said shaking the thought of Fred out of his head. "Everything will be fine."
***
In Angel's office 2 hours later.
"So Willow will come then?" A now composed Cordelia asked.
"Yes. She should be here soon. She has her "ways" of getting here. Witchy ways if you ask me." Gunn said.
"Gunn, she is a witch, of course her ways will be "witchy." Wesley retorted.
"Whatever, English." Gunn said.
"Guys, grow up." Cordy said pulling a fake, but pleasant smile.
"You okay Cordy?" Gunn asked getting serious again.
"Yeah I'm fine guys. Thanks for all being here for me." Cordy answered.
"Well you've been through a lot. But don't worry everything's going to be just fine." Wesley assured her.
Just then Harmony burst in.
"They're here!" She sang out excitedly.
"They? I thought it was just Willow." Wesley said looking up from a book.
Harmony left to show them in. They gang looked up to see Willow, Buffy and Spike at the entrance to Angel's office.
"Ahh, sure is nice to be back here." Spike said breathing in deeply, "of course I loved being in the Bahamas with Buff." He added quickly as he kissed Buffy on the forehead. She returned by kissing him gently on the lips.
"Okay guys, that's really enough PDA." Cordy said rolling her eyes.
"Oh sorry Cordelia. Cordelia! But...how?" Spike stuttered.
"Hiya Spike. Yes you're not the only on that doesn't stay dead. Well I mean you; Buffy and Angel are not the only ones that don't stay dead." Cordy said.
"Oh. Well how are you?" Spike asked.
"Um...let's see I was brought back to help Angel. Angel, the man I love, and now he's lost his soul and wanted to kill me. How do you think I feel?" Cordy exclaimed.
"Sorry she's just a tad touchy at the moment." Lorne said placing his hand on Cordelia's shoulder.
"Sorry I shouldn't have snapped. It's just I am going through so much..." Cordelia began.
"You're in love with Angel?" Buffy asked.
Cordy's face turned bright read as she realized she'd said that out loud. It actually sounded nice. I love Angel. Hmm...
"Well Cordelia and Angel have had a thing for a while now." Gunn added, "Well not a thing as such."
"He loved her, she loved him; they never shared their feelings. She died, and now she's back and he's gone." Lorne added.
"And I thought I was love's bitch!" Spike exclaimed. Buffy hit is chest.
"I'm sorry Cordelia. But Willow will help Angel, and it'll be okay." Buffy said. Cordelia looked up at her. Was this really Buffy, because that actually sounded nice?
"Thanks. I'm glad you guys are here now." She said looking over at Willow who was busy setting up the circle.
"Okay it's all ready for the spell," Willow said standing up, "Cordelia I need you to help me because you've done it before. You remember just read the words even though you don't understand them."
"Got it." Cordelia said sitting cross-legged next to Willow.
"Okay let's do this." Willow said.
"Quod perditum est invenietur." Cordy chanted with her eyes closed.
"Not dead, nor not of the living. Spirits of the interregnum, I call. God's bind him; cast his heart, from the evil realm. In return, I call on...
As before Willow's head was thrown back and she chanted Romanian words into the air.
***
"Did it work?" Cordelia asked when it was all over.
"I'm not sure. I mean I felt it go through me, so the spell worked. We have to go to Angel and find out."
"I want to go to him." Cordelia said.
"Maybe that's not the best idea." Wesley said.
"Cordelia should be the one to go." Buffy said, "Go Cordy, go get Angel."
"Cordelia slowly walked to the door, terrified that it didn't work. What if he was still the cold, cruel Angelus that called her terrible things, and hurt her psychologically? No, it had to have worked, right?
***
Cordelia slowly walked down the steps to the confinement area. The walk seemed to take forever, but that was okay because she was afraid to get there. She was afraid to see Angel after he knew he had become Angelus again. What if he remembered what he had done to her, said to her? He would feel terrible, but she wasn't angry at him for it. She was angry at Angelus, but not Angel. Angel was not Angelus, he was the sweet, sexy vampire with a soul that she knew and loved. Not some heartless demon. She could see him now, and approached the bars of the confinement.
"Angel?" Cordelia whispered. "Angel is it you?"
"Cordy? Cor?" Angel answered.
"It's really you!" Cordelia said delighted.
"Yeah Cor, it's me. What's going on? Let me out of here please Cor. I need to hold you again. I'm so sorry." Angel begged.
"Okay, hold on." Cordy quickly put the key in the lock and turned it, "its okay Angel, I'm here. I'm not mad. I'm okay, happy now."
"Well you shouldn't be to happy babe, cuz now you're all mine!" Angelus said grabbing Cordelia by the hair and tilting her head to bare her neck. "You're all mine, for now!" He said laughing coldly as he leaned in to bite her neck.
TBC...
"Hey sweetie, are you holding up okay?" Lorne asked as she walked in and interrupted her thoughts.
"Oh yeah I'm fine Lorne, thanks for asking." She said as Lorne closed the door and walked over to her.
"Hun, I don't have to hear you sing to know what you're feeling. I can see it in your eyes when you look at that picture." Lorne said sitting in the chair next to her.
"I miss him Lorne," Cordy said looking up at his red eyes, "I was brought back to him, and now I've lost him again. He's been taken away again. How do you suppose he lost his soul anyway Lorne? You don't think he...well he wouldn't?" Cordelia tried to ask.
"No. Don't worry brown eyes, that boy only has eyes for you. You should have seen the way he looked at you when he told us all you were back. It was as if he could see into your soul. He loves you honey, and no one could take that love away." Lorne said placing a reassuring hand on her knee.
"But Lorne, why would he just up and lose his soul? He went to see the Powers, would they have taken his soul? Why would they do that if they're the ones that brought me back to save Angel?" She asked putting the picture back on Angel's desk.
"I don't know babe, but don't you worry your pretty little head off, he'll be his old self before you know it." Lorne said smiling.
"Thanks Lorne, you're awesome." Cordelia said smiling and blinking back tears.
"It's okay to cry babe, you have to give in sometimes. You can't always be so strong." He said smiling back at her.
"It's just I miss him so much, and I can't help thinking that I won't get him back again." Cordelia said letting a few tears fall down her pink cheeks.
"Come here sweetie," Lorne said reaching out for Cordy to lay her head in his lap, "You can cry now, you'll feel better for it."
Cordy let herself go and lay her head down and cried.
***
Wesley's office.
"I have to call Willow right away. We need to get Angel back." Wesley said. "This is not going to be easy. Remember last time we asked for their help. Granted we are not Wolfram and Hart anymore, and Wolfram and Hart is gone for good, Willow is not going to want to help us."
"True that. She's one powerful witchy girl, but she's a pretty stubborn one at that." Gunn said.
"Okay here goes nothing." He said as he dialed the number to Willow, Dawn and Xander's Rome apartment.
"Hello this is Dawn speaking how may I help you?" Dawn answered cheerfully.
"Hiya Dawn, how are you? This is Wesley."
"Oh hey Wesley, what's up? Long time no talk." Dawn said laughing.
"Actually, we have some bad news; I need to talk to Willow. Is she there?" Wesley said.
"Oh," Dawn said getting serious, "I'll get her hold on a sec." Wesley heard her call out for Willow in the background. /Willow! It's Wesley on the phone for you!!/
Another person picked up.
"What do you want?" a voice that wasn't Willow's asked.
"Xander. I have something important to discuss with Willow." Wesley said sternly.
"Well we don't associate with Wolfram and Hart." Xander said stubbornly.
"Xander, you know as well as I do that Wolfram and Hart has been destroyed and we made a mistake joining them to begin with."
"Hello?" This voice wasn't Willow's either. "Wesley, what's wrong?"
"Buffy? Oh you're back from you're honeymoon?" Wesley asked.
"Oh yeah. It was great. Oh so you have bad news?" She asked, sounding happy for once.
"Yes, it's pretty bad. Angel has lost his soul. Not in the conventional way though. I mean to say he didn't..."
"Yes I figured that Wesley. Oh God, that is so not good. Is he killing people?" She asked sounding concerned.
"Well he almost killed Cordelia, but no. We actually have him under confinement, but we need Willow to perform the spell." Wesley asked, perplexed by the amount of people now on the phone.
"Geez that's bad." Dawn added.
"Wait a minute here. Cordelia? Um isn't she...well...I mean to say she dies Wesley." Xander added.
"Oh right, no she's back. Long story short; she was brought back by the Powers That Be to help Angel, but we don't know how she's to help Angel." Wesley said quickly.
"Hello? This is Willow." Willow finally picked up.
"Willow..."
"Angel lost his soul again!" Xander cut Wesley off.
"Yes precisely, and we need you to perform the spell to get it back." Wesley said, relieved to have finally gotten Willow on the phone.
"Oh God, not good. I can be there in a few hours." Willow said. "Okay I'll go get ready." The phone clicked.
"Bye Wesley." Dawn said. Xander hung up.
"Oh Spike, stop that..." Buffy's line went dead too.
"Okay then, that was about the weirdest conversation I have ever heard. Guess I just had to hear the other end." Gunn said after Wesley hung up.
"No that was just as weird," Wesley said, "Willow will be here in a few hours."
"Oh so it wasn't so hard was it?" Gunn asked.
"No, but Buffy was back so she must have explained everything about Wolfram and Hart to the others." Wesley replied.
"So you talked to all of them then?" Gunn asked.
"Unfortunately, yes," Wesley said, implying that he didn't want to talk to Xander, "But thank God I didn't have to converse with Rupert."
"Yeah, he was a strange British man. Hey come to think of it you two have a lot in common." Gunn said grinning.
"Oh stop that. Rupert is nothing like me. And he is in England, thank God. Fred would have gotten along well with Rupert though, I expect." Wesley said, his eyes glazing over.
Gunn looked up at the sound of Fred's name. After her death, and the necessary killing of Illyria, it had taken Wesley and Gunn a long time to patch up their friendship. They had been like brothers, but after what Gunn did, and then Wesley's retaliation their friendship had been ruined. But now they were pretty much back to normal.
"Yes I suppose she would have." Gunn said quietly seeing the hurt in Wesley's eyes, and feeling the hurt in his own heart.
"But anyway everything will be fine now that Willow's coming." Wes said shaking the thought of Fred out of his head. "Everything will be fine."
***
In Angel's office 2 hours later.
"So Willow will come then?" A now composed Cordelia asked.
"Yes. She should be here soon. She has her "ways" of getting here. Witchy ways if you ask me." Gunn said.
"Gunn, she is a witch, of course her ways will be "witchy." Wesley retorted.
"Whatever, English." Gunn said.
"Guys, grow up." Cordy said pulling a fake, but pleasant smile.
"You okay Cordy?" Gunn asked getting serious again.
"Yeah I'm fine guys. Thanks for all being here for me." Cordy answered.
"Well you've been through a lot. But don't worry everything's going to be just fine." Wesley assured her.
Just then Harmony burst in.
"They're here!" She sang out excitedly.
"They? I thought it was just Willow." Wesley said looking up from a book.
Harmony left to show them in. They gang looked up to see Willow, Buffy and Spike at the entrance to Angel's office.
"Ahh, sure is nice to be back here." Spike said breathing in deeply, "of course I loved being in the Bahamas with Buff." He added quickly as he kissed Buffy on the forehead. She returned by kissing him gently on the lips.
"Okay guys, that's really enough PDA." Cordy said rolling her eyes.
"Oh sorry Cordelia. Cordelia! But...how?" Spike stuttered.
"Hiya Spike. Yes you're not the only on that doesn't stay dead. Well I mean you; Buffy and Angel are not the only ones that don't stay dead." Cordy said.
"Oh. Well how are you?" Spike asked.
"Um...let's see I was brought back to help Angel. Angel, the man I love, and now he's lost his soul and wanted to kill me. How do you think I feel?" Cordy exclaimed.
"Sorry she's just a tad touchy at the moment." Lorne said placing his hand on Cordelia's shoulder.
"Sorry I shouldn't have snapped. It's just I am going through so much..." Cordelia began.
"You're in love with Angel?" Buffy asked.
Cordy's face turned bright read as she realized she'd said that out loud. It actually sounded nice. I love Angel. Hmm...
"Well Cordelia and Angel have had a thing for a while now." Gunn added, "Well not a thing as such."
"He loved her, she loved him; they never shared their feelings. She died, and now she's back and he's gone." Lorne added.
"And I thought I was love's bitch!" Spike exclaimed. Buffy hit is chest.
"I'm sorry Cordelia. But Willow will help Angel, and it'll be okay." Buffy said. Cordelia looked up at her. Was this really Buffy, because that actually sounded nice?
"Thanks. I'm glad you guys are here now." She said looking over at Willow who was busy setting up the circle.
"Okay it's all ready for the spell," Willow said standing up, "Cordelia I need you to help me because you've done it before. You remember just read the words even though you don't understand them."
"Got it." Cordelia said sitting cross-legged next to Willow.
"Okay let's do this." Willow said.
"Quod perditum est invenietur." Cordy chanted with her eyes closed.
"Not dead, nor not of the living. Spirits of the interregnum, I call. God's bind him; cast his heart, from the evil realm. In return, I call on...
As before Willow's head was thrown back and she chanted Romanian words into the air.
***
"Did it work?" Cordelia asked when it was all over.
"I'm not sure. I mean I felt it go through me, so the spell worked. We have to go to Angel and find out."
"I want to go to him." Cordelia said.
"Maybe that's not the best idea." Wesley said.
"Cordelia should be the one to go." Buffy said, "Go Cordy, go get Angel."
"Cordelia slowly walked to the door, terrified that it didn't work. What if he was still the cold, cruel Angelus that called her terrible things, and hurt her psychologically? No, it had to have worked, right?
***
Cordelia slowly walked down the steps to the confinement area. The walk seemed to take forever, but that was okay because she was afraid to get there. She was afraid to see Angel after he knew he had become Angelus again. What if he remembered what he had done to her, said to her? He would feel terrible, but she wasn't angry at him for it. She was angry at Angelus, but not Angel. Angel was not Angelus, he was the sweet, sexy vampire with a soul that she knew and loved. Not some heartless demon. She could see him now, and approached the bars of the confinement.
"Angel?" Cordelia whispered. "Angel is it you?"
"Cordy? Cor?" Angel answered.
"It's really you!" Cordelia said delighted.
"Yeah Cor, it's me. What's going on? Let me out of here please Cor. I need to hold you again. I'm so sorry." Angel begged.
"Okay, hold on." Cordy quickly put the key in the lock and turned it, "its okay Angel, I'm here. I'm not mad. I'm okay, happy now."
"Well you shouldn't be to happy babe, cuz now you're all mine!" Angelus said grabbing Cordelia by the hair and tilting her head to bare her neck. "You're all mine, for now!" He said laughing coldly as he leaned in to bite her neck.
TBC...
