Author: Hieiko (spikey@otakumail.com)

Disclaimers: I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series, or any of the characters in these shows. I only write about them.

Distribution: If you want this, go ahead. Just email me and tell me where it's at. Thanks.

Spoilers: Set Post - BtVS: Chosen and Post - AtS: Destiny. AU after that.

Pairings: Hints of S/B, A/C, and B/A. Eventually S/C.

Rating: PG-13 for language, violence, and sexual situations. Nothing you won't see on the show.

Feedback: Would love that, pet. Send 'em off to spikey@otakumail.com

Summary: Spike finally goes to see Buffy in Italy, but their reunion does not go as well as he'd hoped. Cordelia Chase wakes up from her coma, and finds out that her friends are now working at Wolfram and Hart. She leaves the City of Angels and starts a new life elsewhere. The blond vampire and the part-demon seer find love once again, in the people they never would have expected.



TURNAROUND
Chapter 4



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February 10, 2004
Madrid, Spain
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Spain was a far cry from the way it had been a hundred years ago. Madrid was a lot different... but then, Spike had never been to Madrid before. It was Barcelona where he and Dru had their fun wreaking the usual havoc and destruction.

*Those were the good old days,* Spike thought. Then immediately felt guilty thinking about it. *Bloody stupid soul.*

Spike thought of counting the days. How long had it been since he'd last seen Buffy? He hadn't been sober enough to make light of the days and nights. It was getting ridiculous to a point. He wasn't even like this when she had died. Why was he doing this now?

*Right, then.* It was time to go kill something.



==================
February 24, 2004
London, England
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*Cordelia Chase, Seer and Watcher, two for the price of one.*

Cordy felt like laughing. She never in her wildest dreams (or perhaps, her most boring dreams) ever imagined that she would be a Watcher. And yet, here she was, the Council's newest Watcher-in-training.

She was laying all the blame on Wesley.

Of course, she knew why the ex-Watcher, now a Watcher once more, had decided to leave the illustrious law firm of Wolfram and Hart. Wesley Wyndham-Pryce had been glad of the Council's offer. He hadn't wanted to go back to Los Angeles after the debacle with the robot version of his father. The firm's loss was the Council's gain, of course. The Council needed more experienced Watchers in the fold, because, after the destruction caused by the First Evil, there were only few of them left.

After leaving Los Angeles, Cordy hadn't really known where to go. She'd stayed with an old friend in San Francisco for three weeks, and while she had fun for the first few days, it quickly wore off. Her friend had been one of the Cordettes of Sunnydale High, now living a life of luxury and relaxation. But the Cordelia Chase of present time had already changed far too much to still live like that.

So when she got the call from Wes, off she went to England to get back in on the action, the life of "helping the hopeless". Though now she was wondering if she'd have been better off staying in California.



==================
March 6, 2004
London, England
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"God, if I'd known I'd have to study ancient Sumerian, I would never have agreed to this Watcher gig," Cordelia complained as she sipped her tea. And what was with all the tea-drinking the British did, anyway? Personally, she'd prefer a nice frappucino at Starbucks.

Sitting in front of her, Willow Rosenberg raised an eyebrow and then giggled. "I'm sure it has its perks." Then she frowned. "Doesn't it?"

Beside Willow, her best friend Xander Harris remarked with mock enthusiasm, "Why yes, if you mean that one day you'll be asked to watch over a super strong teenage girl who will never listen to you and will leave you to research all the dusty tomes in dead languages... yep, definite perk there."

Cordy laughed. "Is that what Giles says? Well, with the same meaning, only with longer words."

"Nah, G-man enjoys all the reading of dead languages. It's the not listening that gets to him."

"Same with Wes, then. I swear, those guys probably drool at the sight of ancient texts."

"Oh, come on, it's pretty exciting to read and translate and discover things from antique tomes," Willow commented.

Both Xander and Cordelia just stared at her and raised their eyebrows.

"It is! For Watchers, anyway," insisted the redhead.

Xander smirked at Cordy.

Cordy groaned. "I don't think I'm cut out for this."

But in the back of her mind, there was a little voice saying, *Watch out, world, Cordelia Chase is going to be a hell of a Watcher.*