Cordy felt herself slipping into darkness suddenly and she was gone.
***
"Cordy? Cordy? Can you here me?" Wesley's voice rang out.
A drowsy Cordelia slowly came into consciousness.
"Wesley? What happened? Oh God!" she said sitting bolt upright, and then grabbing her head in pain, "The spell didn't work! Angel's didn't get his soul. He tried to..." she trailed off.
"It's okay Cordy. Calm down. Come on lay down and rest. You hit you're head quite hard down there." Wesley said laying her back down.
"But, Wesley, what happened down there? He tried to kill me, but I'm not dead am I?" She asked.
"No silly. It's okay. Willow suddenly realized that the spell couldn't have worked when she saw that the globe was still glowing. His soul never got to him, and luckily Buffy got there just in time." Wesley said.
"But why didn't it work Wes? Why didn't he get his soul back? Oh God is Buffy okay? Is Angel okay?" she asked exasperatedly.
"Calm down Cordy, its all okay. Buffy is fine, so is Angel. He knew he couldn't fight Buffy again, so he got away. He's out there somewhere, so Angel is okay, but the people of LA are not. Not with a soulless 252 year old vampire on the loose. We need to find him, but I don't know how we will handle this." Wesley said nervously.
"You're not suggesting? No we are not going to kill Angel! We can't." Cordy said sitting up again.
"Lay d..."
"Wesley I'm fine, but we are not killing Angel." Cordy said angrily.
"Look Cordelia, do you think I want Angel dead any more than you do? Of course not. Angel is like a brother to me; like my protective big brother, and I don't want him dead. But what would Angel want? Do you honestly think that Angel would want us to save him and let all those people Angelus will certainly kill die? No, he'd want to die himself before innocent people died." Wesley said.
"But Wesley, I love him. I love Angel, I can't lose him again." Cordy said as the tears filled her eyes.
"I know, Cordy, I know." He said hugging Cordelia, as she began to cry, "But it's all we can do. The spell didn't work, for some unknown mystical reason it didn't work. Killing him is the only way to save all of those people." Wesley said. "I'm so sorry Cordelia, I really am."
***
Buffy, Spike and Gunn sat in the Gunn's office to discuss how Buffy would go about this. Anyone looking in on them could see that, even Spike was distressed about these circumstances.
"Okay so Buffy, are you going to be able to do this. I mean without him killing you?" Spike asked taking her hand in his.
"Yes. I have done it before, and I have fought Angelus before. I can do it, I don't want to, but I can." Buffy said. She didn't love Angel as she used to, but he was still in her heart. He was still one of her best and dearest friends. But she knew what she had to do.
"Okay then here's how it'll go down..." Gunn began.
"Gunn, there's someone here to see you all." Harmony said entering the room.
Harmony showed in the guest.
"Hey B, how's it goin'?"
***
"Okay, Cordy are you ready to go out there and talk to the others?" Wesley asked.
"No, but I don't really have a choice do I?" Cordy said looking in mirror to fix her puffy red eyes and mascara-smeared cheeks.
"Come on sweetie, we're all here for you." Lorne said helping Cordy out of the chair she was slumped in. "You look beautiful."
"Angel used to say that too." Cordy said trying not to cry again.
"Come on Cordy, let's go. You're a strong girl, you can do this." Wesley said.
They all walked together out of the room and up the stairs to Gunn's office.
***
"Faith?" Buffy gasped getting up quickly. "What are you doing here?"
"Nice to see you too B." Faith said crossing her arms over stomach and grinning.
"Sorry, it's just well I'm surprised to see you. How are you?" Buffy asked.
"Oh 5 by 5! And you?" She asked.
"Okay, well we have bad news." Buffy said.
"Bad news? I wondered why you were in town, but heard about you and Spike here. Congrats guys, I knew you two would work out." Faith said, "So what's the bad news then?"
"Angel has lost his soul, and we did the spell to get it back, but it isn't working. There's no choice but to..." she was cut off.
"You can't kill Angel!" Faith said. "You can't do it! There's got to be some other way."
"Faith, think about it. He's a very strong vampire. He's survived this long, and in a city full of innocent people..." She trailed off.
"But Buffy you just can't kill him." Faith said, tears actually forming in her eyes, despite her blinking them back.
"Well we can't possibly do anything else. We can't catch him." Spike added.
"Wait a minute. Yes we can. We can catch him. Buffy we are two slayers, and I'm assuming Willow is here two. Two slayers and a powerful witch can catch Angelus. It's a piece of cake!" Faith said excitedly.
"Yah know, you might just be right there Faith. Bloody hell, I think that would work." Spike said standing up.
"So that means saving Angel?" Gunn asked.
"Yeah. That's exactly what it means." Faith said. "We'll catch him, and not kill him. Then we can figure out how to fix him up again."
Just then Lorne, Wesley, and Cordelia walked in the room.
"Faith?" Wesley asked shocked.
"Hey Wesley, how's it goin?" Faith asked hugging Wesley.
"Um...fine, Wesley said stepping back and looking at Faith as if she were mad.
"Oh come on, lighten up. You were my Watcher after all. Well kind of. Sorry I treated you so badly anyway." Faith said smiling.
"Um...that's alright." Wesley said.
"Cordelia, I heard you didn't stay dead. That's good." Faith added.
"Yeah I think I'd have been better off dead than here, with Angel being killed and all." Cordy said trying hard not to cry anymore.
"Oh! Oh! Good news! We don't have to kill Angel." Buffy said excitedly.
"What? Why" Cordy asked.
"Well I am here to save the day." Faith said cocking her head to the side and grinning. "Naw, but I am here and I made the point that two slayers and a powerful witch can capture Angelus without killing him. It'll work for sure!"
"So we don't have to kill Angel? We can save him?" Cordy said.
"Yup, that's what's goin down!" Faith said.
***
Faith, Buffy and Willow were pretty much ready for action now. Buffy and Faith had weapons ready, just in case, and Willow didn't need much preparing for magic. They didn't exactly have a plan of action, but they knew they could handle Angelus if they worked together.
Cordelia sat on Angel's bed and thought about the last few days. She lay and put her head on Angel's pillow, hugging the other one in her arms. She missed him so much, and the last few days had been torturous. They had to save Angel now, or she was going to lose it. She could smell Angel's sent on this pillow, and she breathed it in. The cologne she had bought him, he obviously still wore. That made her smile. She imagined him lying with her all over again. Buffy, Willow and Faith would capture Angelus and bring him back to Angel Investigations. They would figure out how to get his soul back, and she could be in his arms again. She didn't even need his curse to be lifted. Although she wanted more, she was perfectly content with just being near Angel. Holding him close, and feeling his arms around her. Where she fit so perfectly; in the arms of her Angel. She needed him back, soon.
***
"Okay, we're all set." Willow said. "Let's do this. Let's go catch ourselves a fallen Angel."
"Bye Spikey." Buffy said as she passionately kissed Spike.
"Okay wow, nothing we need to see guys. Let's keep the tongue tag to a minimum okay?" Faith blurted out.
"Okay Faith, I think your imagery was worse than their kiss." Wesley said making a face.
"Aw come on have a little fun. You're way to serious my British friend. Just like Giles. You British men." Faith said laughing.
"Hey watch it Slayer, I'm a bloody Brit too yah know." Spike said.
"Yeah and what're gonna do about it Spike? Bite me? Nope you can't cuz you're all human now." Faith said mocking him.
"And bloody proud of it too." Spike said kissing Buffy again.
Faith groaned and pulled Buffy away.
"Geez I thought we were over the PDA! This is not a high school hallway you know." Cordelia said smiling finally.
"Okay, come on Will, let's get going." Buffy said rolling her eyes at the others, yet still smiling at the jokes.
"Bye guys. Good luck, and be careful." Gunn and Wesley said.
"Yeah and don't hurt him too badly." Cordelia said softly.
We won't." Buffy said quietly to Cordelia as she passed her. The two, for once, had an understanding of each other. Buffy knew exactly how Cordelia felt, and she knew how to help. "He'll be okay, don't worry."
***
In an alley in downtown LA.
"Oh he's been here. Look at this." Faith said crouching by a girl whose neck had obviously been bitten. "Definitely Angelus."
"Yeah, okay this looks fresh. Willow do you sense anything?" Buffy asked.
"Yes." She said closing her eyes, "I feel him. He's close."
"Okay get ready, and remember we don't want to kill him." Buffy said.
"Did you really need to tell me that?" Faith said.
The three stood their backs to one another. They were ready to catch their fallen Angel alright.
"Hello ladies. And what do I owe the honour of this meeting?" Angelus asked slyly.
"Hello Angelus, we have come to catch you, and then bring the real Angel back." Buffy said.
"Oh yeah. I'd love to see you try. You always were a stupid bitch Buffy, and this time you'll be a stupid, dead bitch." Angelus said laughing coldly again.
"I'd watch that mouth Angelus. The things you say could come back to haunt you." Faith said.
"Just like the things you did came back to haunt you Faith. You're just like me you know. A murderer. A cold-blooded killer." Angelus said.
"Leave her alone, Angelus. And get ready to be caught yourself." Buffy said.
"Yeah, you can't beat us. We're better!" Willow said in defense.
"Oh and you brought the little red witch along too. How sweet." Angelus grinned.
Willow lifted her hand and sent a wave of lightening towards Angelus. It his him square in the chest and knocked him abruptly to the ground.
"Not as little as you thought, am I?" Willow said smiling now.
Buffy and Faith rushed towards him at both sides, but he was on his feet before they reached him. Buffy kicked Angelus in the side, but he retaliated by punching her face. Then Faith let loose a few punches to Angel's stomach.
"You won't get way this time, Angelus." Buffy said throwing all her weight into her next punch, which landed Angelus in the jaw.
The fight went on while Willow conjured up a sort of magical holding spell. She would catch Angelus in it on the count of three.
"One...two...three..." Willow yelled.
Buffy and Faith jumped out of the way and a bright purple lightening bolt soared toward Angelus. Unfortunately he had anticipated this and dodged the bolt this time. He turned and bolted away behind the cloud of smoke the bolt left when it hit the ground.
"Damn it!" Faith cried out.
Buffy flipped out her cell phone and called the number for Angel Investigations.
"Angel Investigations, we help the helpless, Wesley speaking. Can I help you?" Wesley answered with the message they had been saying for many years.
"Wesley, it's Buffy. This is going to be a lot harder than we thought. Angelus seems to be super strong." Buffy said worriedly.
"Okay. Well do what you have to do Buffy." Wesley said.
Cordelia had poked her head in just enough to hear Wesley say that. Had they lied to her? Were they really going to kill Angel? She couldn't let that happen. She needed Angel. Cordelia quickly headed down the elevator of Angel Investigations and out the front doors.
"Okay well, just be careful and don't hurt him too much. Remember its still Angel in there somewhere." Wesley continued.
She hung up the phone and the three continued to track Angelus.
***
Cordelia was not going to lose Angel again. She was absolutely determined not to. She didn't know what she would do yet, but she had to find them.
It didn't even take too long for her to find Buffy, Faith and Willow. She could here them from a ways away.
"He's close by." She heard Willow say. "Getting closer. He's somewhere ahead of us."
"Okay are we ready to catch him this time?" Buffy asked.
"That's son of a bitch is going down!" Faith said, "And by that I mean Angelus, not Angel."
"Yeah we know. Let's get him." Buffy said.
Cordelia followed them as they tracked Angelus, but she stayed out of range, so that Willow wouldn't sense her too.
"He's just ahead guys." Willow stopped them. "If we climb this roof, we can plan from up there. Take my hands."
The other two grabbed Willow's hands, and the next thing Cordy knew, they were all on the roof.
Cordelia quickly found the back entrance to the building and climbed the stairs inside and up to the roof. She carefully climbed onto the roof making sure she was not within seeing distance of the others.
"Hello again." Angelus said. "We meet again. Only this time; I'll kill you."
"Think again." Buffy said as they began fighting again.
Cordelia slowly walked over to them, behind a small wall. She walked up behind them, but not too close and watched. She knew it was Angelus, but seeing him get his ass kicked like that was pretty bad anyway. Cordelia stepped back a few steps to see better, and that's when it all happened. Not realizing just how close she was to the edge of the roof, she tripped over the wall and fell backwards off the roof. She screamed and then was silent.
***
"What the hell was that?" Faith asked.
"Was that Cordelia?" Buffy asked. They heard the scream again.
It was too late for them to realize they weren't paying any attention to Angelus. He came up behind Buffy and knocked her head with a pole. A huge gash opened on her head and she was knocked to the ground. Before Faith could fully react he slashed her stomach with the pole and she too fell over. Willow was next and got a knife through her side. Even her magic couldn't help her now.
Angelus walked over to the edge of the roof and saw Cordelia hanging on for dear life to the edge of the 10 story building. Suddenly a sweeping of sickness came over him and flashes of past experiences flew through his mind.
He saw himself seeing Cordelia at a party in LA, then giving her clothes, seeing her become princess in Pylia, seeing her in a coma, kissing her as she left him only to die, seeing her appear before him, holding her in bed the night she came back, seeing her smile at him...the visions faded out. Angelus was hit with a strange feeling. He knew he didn't have a soul, but there was something. Some urge deep inside him that didn't want to let Cordelia die. But why? No he didn't care, he didn't have a soul. He wouldn't give in to the soul.
With that he grabbed Cordelia's hands and held her out over the ground many, many feet down.
"Angel please do this! I know you're in there somewhere. Give in to the soul. Please. Angel! I love you!" She shouted as she felt him letting go of her hands. The tears streamed down her face. And she squeezed her eyes shut as she got ready to fall. But it wasn't happening. And all of a sudden she was being lifted up. Her eyes flew open as she felt her feet hit sold ground. There stood Angel, or Angelus, she didn't understand. There was no way Angel could really surpass his soullessness.
"Cordy? Cor? I don't get it. I remembered. I remembered everything. It was like I was lost, but then I saw you hanging there, and all the memories of you and me flooded back to me, and I just overcome it. I overcome Angelus." Angel said with tears in his eyes. "I love you Cor."
Angel pulled her in tight and kissed her softly on the lips. And then he vanished from right in front of her.
TBC...
***
"Cordy? Cordy? Can you here me?" Wesley's voice rang out.
A drowsy Cordelia slowly came into consciousness.
"Wesley? What happened? Oh God!" she said sitting bolt upright, and then grabbing her head in pain, "The spell didn't work! Angel's didn't get his soul. He tried to..." she trailed off.
"It's okay Cordy. Calm down. Come on lay down and rest. You hit you're head quite hard down there." Wesley said laying her back down.
"But, Wesley, what happened down there? He tried to kill me, but I'm not dead am I?" She asked.
"No silly. It's okay. Willow suddenly realized that the spell couldn't have worked when she saw that the globe was still glowing. His soul never got to him, and luckily Buffy got there just in time." Wesley said.
"But why didn't it work Wes? Why didn't he get his soul back? Oh God is Buffy okay? Is Angel okay?" she asked exasperatedly.
"Calm down Cordy, its all okay. Buffy is fine, so is Angel. He knew he couldn't fight Buffy again, so he got away. He's out there somewhere, so Angel is okay, but the people of LA are not. Not with a soulless 252 year old vampire on the loose. We need to find him, but I don't know how we will handle this." Wesley said nervously.
"You're not suggesting? No we are not going to kill Angel! We can't." Cordy said sitting up again.
"Lay d..."
"Wesley I'm fine, but we are not killing Angel." Cordy said angrily.
"Look Cordelia, do you think I want Angel dead any more than you do? Of course not. Angel is like a brother to me; like my protective big brother, and I don't want him dead. But what would Angel want? Do you honestly think that Angel would want us to save him and let all those people Angelus will certainly kill die? No, he'd want to die himself before innocent people died." Wesley said.
"But Wesley, I love him. I love Angel, I can't lose him again." Cordy said as the tears filled her eyes.
"I know, Cordy, I know." He said hugging Cordelia, as she began to cry, "But it's all we can do. The spell didn't work, for some unknown mystical reason it didn't work. Killing him is the only way to save all of those people." Wesley said. "I'm so sorry Cordelia, I really am."
***
Buffy, Spike and Gunn sat in the Gunn's office to discuss how Buffy would go about this. Anyone looking in on them could see that, even Spike was distressed about these circumstances.
"Okay so Buffy, are you going to be able to do this. I mean without him killing you?" Spike asked taking her hand in his.
"Yes. I have done it before, and I have fought Angelus before. I can do it, I don't want to, but I can." Buffy said. She didn't love Angel as she used to, but he was still in her heart. He was still one of her best and dearest friends. But she knew what she had to do.
"Okay then here's how it'll go down..." Gunn began.
"Gunn, there's someone here to see you all." Harmony said entering the room.
Harmony showed in the guest.
"Hey B, how's it goin'?"
***
"Okay, Cordy are you ready to go out there and talk to the others?" Wesley asked.
"No, but I don't really have a choice do I?" Cordy said looking in mirror to fix her puffy red eyes and mascara-smeared cheeks.
"Come on sweetie, we're all here for you." Lorne said helping Cordy out of the chair she was slumped in. "You look beautiful."
"Angel used to say that too." Cordy said trying not to cry again.
"Come on Cordy, let's go. You're a strong girl, you can do this." Wesley said.
They all walked together out of the room and up the stairs to Gunn's office.
***
"Faith?" Buffy gasped getting up quickly. "What are you doing here?"
"Nice to see you too B." Faith said crossing her arms over stomach and grinning.
"Sorry, it's just well I'm surprised to see you. How are you?" Buffy asked.
"Oh 5 by 5! And you?" She asked.
"Okay, well we have bad news." Buffy said.
"Bad news? I wondered why you were in town, but heard about you and Spike here. Congrats guys, I knew you two would work out." Faith said, "So what's the bad news then?"
"Angel has lost his soul, and we did the spell to get it back, but it isn't working. There's no choice but to..." she was cut off.
"You can't kill Angel!" Faith said. "You can't do it! There's got to be some other way."
"Faith, think about it. He's a very strong vampire. He's survived this long, and in a city full of innocent people..." She trailed off.
"But Buffy you just can't kill him." Faith said, tears actually forming in her eyes, despite her blinking them back.
"Well we can't possibly do anything else. We can't catch him." Spike added.
"Wait a minute. Yes we can. We can catch him. Buffy we are two slayers, and I'm assuming Willow is here two. Two slayers and a powerful witch can catch Angelus. It's a piece of cake!" Faith said excitedly.
"Yah know, you might just be right there Faith. Bloody hell, I think that would work." Spike said standing up.
"So that means saving Angel?" Gunn asked.
"Yeah. That's exactly what it means." Faith said. "We'll catch him, and not kill him. Then we can figure out how to fix him up again."
Just then Lorne, Wesley, and Cordelia walked in the room.
"Faith?" Wesley asked shocked.
"Hey Wesley, how's it goin?" Faith asked hugging Wesley.
"Um...fine, Wesley said stepping back and looking at Faith as if she were mad.
"Oh come on, lighten up. You were my Watcher after all. Well kind of. Sorry I treated you so badly anyway." Faith said smiling.
"Um...that's alright." Wesley said.
"Cordelia, I heard you didn't stay dead. That's good." Faith added.
"Yeah I think I'd have been better off dead than here, with Angel being killed and all." Cordy said trying hard not to cry anymore.
"Oh! Oh! Good news! We don't have to kill Angel." Buffy said excitedly.
"What? Why" Cordy asked.
"Well I am here to save the day." Faith said cocking her head to the side and grinning. "Naw, but I am here and I made the point that two slayers and a powerful witch can capture Angelus without killing him. It'll work for sure!"
"So we don't have to kill Angel? We can save him?" Cordy said.
"Yup, that's what's goin down!" Faith said.
***
Faith, Buffy and Willow were pretty much ready for action now. Buffy and Faith had weapons ready, just in case, and Willow didn't need much preparing for magic. They didn't exactly have a plan of action, but they knew they could handle Angelus if they worked together.
Cordelia sat on Angel's bed and thought about the last few days. She lay and put her head on Angel's pillow, hugging the other one in her arms. She missed him so much, and the last few days had been torturous. They had to save Angel now, or she was going to lose it. She could smell Angel's sent on this pillow, and she breathed it in. The cologne she had bought him, he obviously still wore. That made her smile. She imagined him lying with her all over again. Buffy, Willow and Faith would capture Angelus and bring him back to Angel Investigations. They would figure out how to get his soul back, and she could be in his arms again. She didn't even need his curse to be lifted. Although she wanted more, she was perfectly content with just being near Angel. Holding him close, and feeling his arms around her. Where she fit so perfectly; in the arms of her Angel. She needed him back, soon.
***
"Okay, we're all set." Willow said. "Let's do this. Let's go catch ourselves a fallen Angel."
"Bye Spikey." Buffy said as she passionately kissed Spike.
"Okay wow, nothing we need to see guys. Let's keep the tongue tag to a minimum okay?" Faith blurted out.
"Okay Faith, I think your imagery was worse than their kiss." Wesley said making a face.
"Aw come on have a little fun. You're way to serious my British friend. Just like Giles. You British men." Faith said laughing.
"Hey watch it Slayer, I'm a bloody Brit too yah know." Spike said.
"Yeah and what're gonna do about it Spike? Bite me? Nope you can't cuz you're all human now." Faith said mocking him.
"And bloody proud of it too." Spike said kissing Buffy again.
Faith groaned and pulled Buffy away.
"Geez I thought we were over the PDA! This is not a high school hallway you know." Cordelia said smiling finally.
"Okay, come on Will, let's get going." Buffy said rolling her eyes at the others, yet still smiling at the jokes.
"Bye guys. Good luck, and be careful." Gunn and Wesley said.
"Yeah and don't hurt him too badly." Cordelia said softly.
We won't." Buffy said quietly to Cordelia as she passed her. The two, for once, had an understanding of each other. Buffy knew exactly how Cordelia felt, and she knew how to help. "He'll be okay, don't worry."
***
In an alley in downtown LA.
"Oh he's been here. Look at this." Faith said crouching by a girl whose neck had obviously been bitten. "Definitely Angelus."
"Yeah, okay this looks fresh. Willow do you sense anything?" Buffy asked.
"Yes." She said closing her eyes, "I feel him. He's close."
"Okay get ready, and remember we don't want to kill him." Buffy said.
"Did you really need to tell me that?" Faith said.
The three stood their backs to one another. They were ready to catch their fallen Angel alright.
"Hello ladies. And what do I owe the honour of this meeting?" Angelus asked slyly.
"Hello Angelus, we have come to catch you, and then bring the real Angel back." Buffy said.
"Oh yeah. I'd love to see you try. You always were a stupid bitch Buffy, and this time you'll be a stupid, dead bitch." Angelus said laughing coldly again.
"I'd watch that mouth Angelus. The things you say could come back to haunt you." Faith said.
"Just like the things you did came back to haunt you Faith. You're just like me you know. A murderer. A cold-blooded killer." Angelus said.
"Leave her alone, Angelus. And get ready to be caught yourself." Buffy said.
"Yeah, you can't beat us. We're better!" Willow said in defense.
"Oh and you brought the little red witch along too. How sweet." Angelus grinned.
Willow lifted her hand and sent a wave of lightening towards Angelus. It his him square in the chest and knocked him abruptly to the ground.
"Not as little as you thought, am I?" Willow said smiling now.
Buffy and Faith rushed towards him at both sides, but he was on his feet before they reached him. Buffy kicked Angelus in the side, but he retaliated by punching her face. Then Faith let loose a few punches to Angel's stomach.
"You won't get way this time, Angelus." Buffy said throwing all her weight into her next punch, which landed Angelus in the jaw.
The fight went on while Willow conjured up a sort of magical holding spell. She would catch Angelus in it on the count of three.
"One...two...three..." Willow yelled.
Buffy and Faith jumped out of the way and a bright purple lightening bolt soared toward Angelus. Unfortunately he had anticipated this and dodged the bolt this time. He turned and bolted away behind the cloud of smoke the bolt left when it hit the ground.
"Damn it!" Faith cried out.
Buffy flipped out her cell phone and called the number for Angel Investigations.
"Angel Investigations, we help the helpless, Wesley speaking. Can I help you?" Wesley answered with the message they had been saying for many years.
"Wesley, it's Buffy. This is going to be a lot harder than we thought. Angelus seems to be super strong." Buffy said worriedly.
"Okay. Well do what you have to do Buffy." Wesley said.
Cordelia had poked her head in just enough to hear Wesley say that. Had they lied to her? Were they really going to kill Angel? She couldn't let that happen. She needed Angel. Cordelia quickly headed down the elevator of Angel Investigations and out the front doors.
"Okay well, just be careful and don't hurt him too much. Remember its still Angel in there somewhere." Wesley continued.
She hung up the phone and the three continued to track Angelus.
***
Cordelia was not going to lose Angel again. She was absolutely determined not to. She didn't know what she would do yet, but she had to find them.
It didn't even take too long for her to find Buffy, Faith and Willow. She could here them from a ways away.
"He's close by." She heard Willow say. "Getting closer. He's somewhere ahead of us."
"Okay are we ready to catch him this time?" Buffy asked.
"That's son of a bitch is going down!" Faith said, "And by that I mean Angelus, not Angel."
"Yeah we know. Let's get him." Buffy said.
Cordelia followed them as they tracked Angelus, but she stayed out of range, so that Willow wouldn't sense her too.
"He's just ahead guys." Willow stopped them. "If we climb this roof, we can plan from up there. Take my hands."
The other two grabbed Willow's hands, and the next thing Cordy knew, they were all on the roof.
Cordelia quickly found the back entrance to the building and climbed the stairs inside and up to the roof. She carefully climbed onto the roof making sure she was not within seeing distance of the others.
"Hello again." Angelus said. "We meet again. Only this time; I'll kill you."
"Think again." Buffy said as they began fighting again.
Cordelia slowly walked over to them, behind a small wall. She walked up behind them, but not too close and watched. She knew it was Angelus, but seeing him get his ass kicked like that was pretty bad anyway. Cordelia stepped back a few steps to see better, and that's when it all happened. Not realizing just how close she was to the edge of the roof, she tripped over the wall and fell backwards off the roof. She screamed and then was silent.
***
"What the hell was that?" Faith asked.
"Was that Cordelia?" Buffy asked. They heard the scream again.
It was too late for them to realize they weren't paying any attention to Angelus. He came up behind Buffy and knocked her head with a pole. A huge gash opened on her head and she was knocked to the ground. Before Faith could fully react he slashed her stomach with the pole and she too fell over. Willow was next and got a knife through her side. Even her magic couldn't help her now.
Angelus walked over to the edge of the roof and saw Cordelia hanging on for dear life to the edge of the 10 story building. Suddenly a sweeping of sickness came over him and flashes of past experiences flew through his mind.
He saw himself seeing Cordelia at a party in LA, then giving her clothes, seeing her become princess in Pylia, seeing her in a coma, kissing her as she left him only to die, seeing her appear before him, holding her in bed the night she came back, seeing her smile at him...the visions faded out. Angelus was hit with a strange feeling. He knew he didn't have a soul, but there was something. Some urge deep inside him that didn't want to let Cordelia die. But why? No he didn't care, he didn't have a soul. He wouldn't give in to the soul.
With that he grabbed Cordelia's hands and held her out over the ground many, many feet down.
"Angel please do this! I know you're in there somewhere. Give in to the soul. Please. Angel! I love you!" She shouted as she felt him letting go of her hands. The tears streamed down her face. And she squeezed her eyes shut as she got ready to fall. But it wasn't happening. And all of a sudden she was being lifted up. Her eyes flew open as she felt her feet hit sold ground. There stood Angel, or Angelus, she didn't understand. There was no way Angel could really surpass his soullessness.
"Cordy? Cor? I don't get it. I remembered. I remembered everything. It was like I was lost, but then I saw you hanging there, and all the memories of you and me flooded back to me, and I just overcome it. I overcome Angelus." Angel said with tears in his eyes. "I love you Cor."
Angel pulled her in tight and kissed her softly on the lips. And then he vanished from right in front of her.
TBC...
