A/N – Please be kind at the end of this… I've apologized early to get everyone's mind wrapped around all the possibilities. Hopefully, you've expected worse and it turns out to be a relief, but that may be wishful thinking. Anyways…

Enjoy the last bit (be prepared, it's longer than average) and make sure you tell me if you liked it!

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Cordelia's eyes opened slowly and the world began to right itself. She could hear groans from her friends as they all stood up around her. Voices started to become distinguishable.

"How we haven't had millions of concussions by now, I'll never know," Gunn complained.

"What the bloody hell happened? I didn't become solid just to be thrown about like a sodding rag doll…" Spike grumbled as he rubbed his head. Lorne clucked his tongue as he looked around.

"Well, well, well… The Powers That Be stepped in have vanquished the Partners That Aren't. I say we party… this calls for a drink. Something stronger than a Seabreeze, of course. Maybe tequila, straight from the bottle," Lorne said as he rubbed his head.

"What happened?" Cordelia asked as she stood up and worked the kinks out of her neck.

"The spell worked," Wes said as he looked around the now-empty room. "Conner's soul defeated the Partners…" Cordelia looked around as well.

"Where is Conner? Shouldn't he be back with us?" she asked. The demon looked around, eyes squinted in concentration.

"He's gone," Lorne said, helping Fred to her feet.

"Great, where'd he run off to now? I have a feeling that we can't hang around this joint much longer," Gunn said.

"He's gone… just… gone," Lorne reiterated as his eyes roamed the room. Cordelia's own eyes went wide.

"You mean…" she started. Lorne nodded sadly in confirmation. The brunette looked around again. There was Buffy, there was Spike – looking more solid than he should in his ghost-like condition – and there was Gunn, Wes, Lorne, Fred and Lindsey.

"Angel?" she called, wanting him to make all the confusion better. She turned to take survey of the entire room. Not seeing the dark form of her vampire, Cordelia spun back to Lorne. How had they not realized that he was not there? The demon's red eyes were even sadder and she felt a stabbing pain all over her body. He wasn't there.

"Bring him back," she said softly but with ice. She looked between the demon and Wes. "You bring him back right now!" The last word echoed in the large room.

"I can't Cordy," Wes said in a quiet voice.

"What do you mean? Use your pretty words from that stupid spell… reverse it! Bring Angel back!" Cordelia's voice was taking on a hysterical pitch. Fred brought a hand to her mouth to stifle the sob that threatened to come out.

"The father's soul will carry the son home…" Wes said softly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Buffy asked, leaning against Spike as the ache in her heart increased.

"That was the last line of the spell… the prophecy. It means that Angel had to sacrifice his soul to save Conner's. They are both in a good place," he said. Cordelia's knees went slightly weak and the ex-Watcher reached out and pulled her close to him.

"Why?" she asked no one in particular as her forehead found Wes' shoulder.

"Angel was a champion, Cordy. We all knew that he may not survive one of the apocalypses. And in the end, it was his choice," he said. Buffy nodded.

"Even I was meant to die," she said. Cordelia's head shot up to look at the blond girl.

"But you came back," she said, a spark lighting her eyes. Buffy looked at Spike and then looked back to Cordelia.

"Yeah, I did. But with dark magic," she said. The spark in Cordelia's eyes died, but she still stared at Buffy.

"But you came back," she said again, petulantly, reminding everyone of a little girl trying to deny something that hurt. Anything anyone wanted to say was cut off as the floor began to rumble. The walls around them shook violently.

"Earthquake?" Fred asked. Gunn snorted.

"Not with our luck. It's never as simple as that," he said. Wes' head spun around to locate the door.

"Gunn's instinct was correct. We can't stay here. We've got to get out," he said. The group began running towards the door.

"I don't think we're going to make it out in time," Buffy said. Spike looked over his shoulder at her.

"I didn't become solid just to die in a crazy law firm," he said. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand as he pulled her along. If they survived this, she would have to have a long talk with him…

"Left, Gunn! Left!" Wes cried to his friend as they rushed through the hallways. "Don't you remember how we came in?"

"Well excuse me for being in a slight panic. My brain isn't exactly working top-notch right now," he yelled back.

"Stop with the arguing! More with the running!" Cordelia yelled at them both. A few more turns got them to the stairway to the main level. With a hard swallow, Cordelia started up them, trying to block out the amount they'd have to climb. When they all reached the top, the stood at the door for a second to catch their breath. As they turned to go down the next hallway, Gunn let out a groan.

"Does anyone else feel like they're chasing the smell of cheese?" he asked.

"Now that I think about it, I don't remember it being this hard to get in," Lorne said.

"Yeah, well, time wasn't exactly of the essence then," Lindsey commented. The demon watched as the framed pictures they ran by fell to the floor and the plants decorating the hallway tipped over.

"True," the demon responded as they turned another corner. They all let out a sigh of relief as they entered the spacious lobby. Lighting fixtures were falling and sparking as they ran through it, ducking as a crash sounded close by. It seemed like the run to the front door took place in slow motion. Not sure exactly what was happening, all they knew was that they needed to get out.

There was a collective sigh of relief as they finally made their way outside and safely a few hundred yards away from the skyscraper.

"Look!" Fred cried turning back to look at the building they'd just escaped.

They all turned and watched, panting at the exertion, while the building began to crack and crumble. Rather than crash to the ground though, the Wolfram and Hart logo was stripped away as if it wasn't hundreds of pounds of marble and the building structure twisted and contorted to become another building altogether. What had once been the center of all things evil was now a local television station. The gang watched with unfazed eyes. There was silence as they all took in the new scenery.

"Kind of anticlimactic, don't you think?" Fred asked.

"After all the pain, suffering and hard work, you'd think we'd be rewarded with an explosion or something…" Gunn grumbled. Cordelia, through it all, stayed quiet. Rather than say anything, she turned on her heel and started walking. Just down the street was Angel's convertible.

"We've defeated Wolfram and Hart… what next?" Lorne asked.

"Disneyland?" Gunn asked.

"How about Cancun?" Fred asked.

"If we're going on a trip, I suggest Fiji," Wes said.

"Hawaii."

"Australia."

"Japan…" Everyone looked at Spike as they all climbed in to the vehicle. "What? I've never been there." Cordelia gripped the steering wheel.

"Home…" she said softly, but everyone heard her loud and clear and was instantly quiet. She started the car in that moment of silence and pulled away. The only person to look back was Lindsey… and even then, he had a relieved expression on his face.

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They all walked tiredly into the hotel. Gunn, Fred and Lorne immediately collapsed onto the circular couch.

"There's no place like anywhere that's not Wolfram and Hart…" Lorne groaned.

"I can't believe that Angel…" Fred started before she took a breath. "… isn't here." Gunn put his arm around her and hugged her to his side. Wes gave everyone a warning glance before he turned to look at Cordelia. Her eyes were roaming over every inch of the hotel lobby.

"Cordelia…" Wes said, his eyes finally catching hers. He knew full well that she was on the verge of a breakdown. And he knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't want to be the center of attention with everyone's eyes on her when it occurred. Wes reached out and gently took her arm, leading her into his office.

"Are you alright, Cordy?" he asked, closing the door behind them. Cordelia shook her head.

"No, I'm… I'm not alright," she said. Her voice hitched just as a tear finally escaped.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked. She let out a watery laugh.

"Yeah… you can turn back time so we can fix a few things…" she said. Wes smiled a pain-filled smile as his friend collapsed into a chair.

"I would if I could," he said. Cordelia let out a sigh as she put her face in her hands. Things were quiet for a moment before she let out another, heavier breath. Her hands began to tremble as all her emotions fought for release.

"We all chose to come back," she finally sobbed out. Wes immediately went to her and pulled her into an embrace. "Angel sacrificed himself for Conner and we all chose to live. If that isn't the most selfish thing I've ever been a part of, I don't know what is…" Wes hugged her tighter.

"It was not selfish, Cordelia," he said in a harsher voice than he intended. "What you did was choose a path. Because Angel made the ultimate sacrifice in order to save his son does not mean that your decisions were any less of a sacrifice." Cordelia looked up at him with hopeful, watery eyes. Wes smiled down at her as he squeezed her arm.

"You gave up your visions. We all know how much those meant to you. Buffy gave up peace in heaven and will continue to be the Slayer. Spike gave up immediate absolution in order to atone for his crimes…" he said. "You all had the easy way out, really. Even you, although you probably don't see it as such. You chose to come back to the world and continue to fight. Angel would be proud… so proud…" The ex-Watcher's voice cracked slightly with emotion causing Cordelia to look up at him. His eyes were as watery as hers.

"I love you, Wes. I know we don't say that to each other because it makes things so…" she struggled to find a word.

"Real?" he asked. Her eyes met his.

"Yes. It makes all the danger so real. But I need you to hear it and to know it. You are the brother I never had, the best friend I never had and…" she broke off, her eyes tearing up again. Wes pulled her into another hug.

"I know Cordelia. And I love you too. We may not be related by blood, but you are more family to me than my actual family," he said. They stood like that for a few more minutes.

"Thank you, Wes. It means a lot to hear you say that…" she said. Wes smiled a slight smile.

"Yes, well… we all tended to be misfits within our own families, standing out for one reason or another. It made sense we all came to care so much about each other. We had no one else. And I don't want you to think that you don't have anyone else to lean on now that Angel is… gone…" he said, looking to the floor in his own sadness. Cordelia laid a hand on his arm.

"I know. I know I'll always have you guys there to back me up. We all have grieving to do, in our own ways. We just have to avoid the kid gloves and talk about it when we need to," she told him. Wes nodded.

"That is a brilliant suggestion; let's see if we can hold to it. We all tend to be a bit… stubborn," he said. Cordelia's lip twitched at the statement of the obvious. Then her face went serious again.

"Speaking of grieving… I think I'm going to go get a head start," she said.

"I think you have one already," Wes said, "All over the front of my shirt…" Cordelia looked down at the tear-stained shirt. Then, looked at all of the dirt and blood and whatever else had deigned to make its presence known.

"I think that's the least of your problems right now," she commented with a small smile. Then, she turned and opened the office door. Six sets of eyes immediate looked to her. Cordelia swallowed the lump in her throat at the concern radiating her way.

"I think I'm going to go lay down," Cordelia said to her silent friends. They all watched her as she made her way up the stairs. Away from their probing eyes, she slowly made her way down the well-traveled hallway and to the only room she wanted to be in. Without hesitation, she pulled down the comforter and sheets and buried herself beneath the familiar blankets. They still smelled like him, after all this time… Her still-dry cheek rested against the soft pillow as she stared at nothing.

Powers help me… what do I do now?

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"Is she going to be alright?" Fred asked quietly. Wes' eyes stayed on the stairway where Cordelia had disappeared.

"I don't know right now, Fred. I don't know," he told her. "But it's probably best to let her alone for a bit. Let her mourn… let us all mourn."

"Kitten just lost her Angel. He was with her since the beginning. It may be a while before she's alright again," Lorne said sadly. "Her aura's bleeding right now…" There was a groan from the peanut gallery and the gang turned to look at the ex-lawyer.

"Uggg… I don't think I need to stick around for this Dr. Phil moment…" Lindsey said.

"You're leaving?" Fred asked. Lindsey gave her a look.

"Did you think I was going to stick around and be a part of your 'Save the World' club? I don't think so. I just got out of one lifetime contract. There's no way in hell I'm going to sign on for another one… besides, I've got better things to do and better places to be," he said. Gunn rolled his eyes.

"And for a split second there, I though he may actually be an okay person," he said. Lindsey sneered at him.

"Wishful thinking on your part… Whatever you do, don't ever come looking for me. I'd prefer to sink into oblivion. Completely off the radar from both sides…" he said.

"Don't worry, we'll all forget your name the second you walk out that door," Gunn said. Lorne scoffed.

"I won't… well, maybe I will… but I won't forget that voice," the demon said. Lindsey smirked at that.

"Where are you going to go?" Fred asked the ex-lawyer.

"That's for me to know and you to never find out. Don't be offended when I say I never want to see any of you again… well, actually, I really don't care if you are offended…" Lindsey said with a shrug before turning and going to the door. The rest of the gang looked amongst themselves for a second before Wes cleared his throat. Lindsey's hand paused on the door.

"Thank you for your help," he said. Lindsey didn't turn around, but he didn't say anything scathing either. Instead, he walked out without another word. It was enough of a 'your welcome' for the Angel Investigations gang.

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It had taken a long while for Cordelia to finally fall off into a fitful sleep. But when she did, she found herself dreaming.

"Cordelia…" a voice reverberated through her mind. "… open your eyes…" She did. And when she looked around, she saw that she was in the Hyperion's courtyard.

"Cordelia," the voice said again. Her eyes searched out the source and they fell on the one person she wanted to see more than anything.

"Angel," she said with a relieved smile. The sun shone in his dark hair and he stood in its warm light as if he belonged there. "They told me you were gone…" Angel crossed the small space of land that separated them to where she stood. The sun played naturally across his features, unlike it had the few times he'd actually stood in its light. Cordelia's heart swelled at the picture of the man standing in front of her.

"I am," he said softly. "I am gone, Cor." The happiness she'd felt evaporated.

"No, you're not. You're here with me right now," she said, taking one of his hands in both of hers. Angel smiled as he lifted his free hand to her cheek.

"I'll always be with you," he said. His fingertips ran gently over the soft skin of her face. Tears welled up in her brown eyes.

"That is the stupidest cliché in the whole damn world. I don't care if you're in my heart or my mind or my soul. You were there already. You're not with me unless you are here with me where I can touch you, hold you and kiss you. I need you here… we only just started loving each other!" she pleaded. Angel smiled again.

"Cor, if you think back, you'll see we always loved each other, even when we didn't know it," he said. Cordelia shook her head.

"It's not enough," she told him, a tear spilling over. Angel let out a sigh as he pulled her close.

"It's never enough. It's never nearly enough," he admitted.

"I love you," she said as she pulled back slightly to look at him. "I love you more than Buffy ever could. I want you to know that." Angel shook his head with a chuckle.

"Can't let that go, can you? Not even in your dream…" he commented. Cordelia gave him a small shadow of her normally bright smile.

"I can't help it. I think Buffy competition is part of my DNA," she said. Angel leaned forward and gave her a gentle, loving kiss.

"I love you. Only you. Buffy is meant for something else," he said after stepping back. "I don't believe in fate all that much, but something was meant for us… even before we met here in L.A. Even during the years in Sunnydale. That's clear to me now."

"But you're gone. I don't know what I'm going to do now," she said, leaning her forehead against his shoulder.

"Fight. You're going to fight," Angel answered for her.

"The mission…" she started, slightly muffled against his shirt. Angel nodded.

"Yes, the mission. You are the heart… of our family, of Angel Investigations… There is nothing more important than the fight… Even us…" he said. Cordelia's eyes looked up into his. She wanted to deny it, to yell out that nothing was as important as the two of them being together, but she couldn't.

"Deep down, I know that. But I can't help but be selfish and want you here with me until I'm all old and wrinkly," she said. Angel smiled. The Cordelia of old would have never said she'd ever be 'old and wrinkly'. It was a testament to how much she'd really changed.

"I can be selfish and want to be there with you too. But that's not the way this is going to work out right now. You need to be the team's strength. You need to pull them together, every single one of them. It's going to be difficult for you all. Some may stay, some may go – it's their free will – but in the end, sacrifices were made and they weren't made in vain. And you may even find allies among the rebels… if you look. We are all where we are for a reason. And I trust you with the mission; otherwise, I wouldn't have done what I did," he told her. Cordelia understood. She could yearn to not understand all she wanted, but she knew. Angel was right. He did what he had to do, and now, she had to do what she needed to do.

"I know, Angel," she said. Angel smiled, knowing that she meant it and knowing that she was going to be alright.

"Good. Now… it's time for me to go," he said, stepping back from her. She reached out and took his hand.

"I love you. I don't know what I'm going to do without you," she said. He reached up and touched her cheek.

"I love you too," he said before kissing her lightly. Then, he was gone.

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Cordelia woke up with the taste of salty tears on her lips and tear tracks marring her cheeks. The ache in her chest told her she'd been sobbing. She didn't remember sobbing… With a rough hand, she wiped away the tear tracks and sat up in the bed. Her hands ran over the soft bed covers and let memory take over for a moment. She remembered all the times Angel let her take over this very bed when her vision pain became too much. She remembered spending evenings feeding Conner here, next to Angel. She remembered all the times Angel brought her here because he felt she'd be safer here.

She let out a sigh as she finally kicked the covers back and she stood up to stretch. The dream came back to her all of a sudden and she knew that she was needed downstairs. Angel Investigations was without its namesake, but that didn't mean that it was without its purpose.

Cordelia knew she wasn't okay, but in time, she could probably get there. She also knew that the team wasn't okay either. But they'd get there as well. Angel had passed the torch onto them and that was what she needed to tell them. They could pull together in their grief, and in that midst, they could make the team stronger. They may have lost their Champion, but that didn't mean there weren't other warriors out there.

Cordelia let out a sigh at the thought of trying to convince Buffy to stay. She knew the Slayer had been through a lot, and she knew that Buffy deserved a real life. If Buffy didn't stay, Cordelia wasn't sure how long the gang would last on their own. But as soon as that thought slipped out, Angel's voice echoed through her mind. Allies among the rebels… A rebel… a rebel… where was she going to find a reb… her thoughts cut off and Cordelia smiled as she stood. She was no Wonder Woman, but Angel trusted her with the mission. And if she couldn't be Wonder Woman, then she could find out if one Wonder Woman wanted to stay and fight the good fight. Then, she had to go search for another - she had a rogue Slayer to find…

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"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Angel… you are making your host very put out…" a surprisingly jovial voice echoed through the chamber as the captive fought against his bonds. The blood dripped over his bare arms and wrists from where he'd struggled.

"Or shall I say… Liam?" the voice asked, humor alighting his eyes as he watched the dark-haired man glare up at him.

"Your life is going to be very different from here on out… and it depends on you how much longer that is going to be…"

"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from."

– T.S. Eliot

The End

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A/N: Evil, evil, evil… I know (grin)… I'm not quite sure I'm up for a sequel right at the moment since this took a LOT out of me. If that becomes the case, I just may have to write an alternate ending to this in order to pull it all together. But for now, I'm going to leave it open like this and see what my muse wants to do with it. PLEASE tell me how you liked this story, though. The more people tell me they liked it, the more likely I'll continue on with the next installment…

Quick note to Imzadi: How do you know that Lindsey didn't have TWO jobs during law school? I had three… and I wasn't paying the ridiculous amount of money that law school usually requires… :) Besides, I'd think something a little more "involved" like the zombie squad would catch the eye of the SP more than the mail room would… There's always more to a back story… ;) Anyways, fiction's fiction… :) I'm glad you stuck with it to the end! Thanks!