Well the story is now entering the final leg and all will soon be revealed, it probably won't be mind blowing or anything and I don't know how predictable the ending is or is not, but I hope there are enough clues being dropped along the way.


Chapter 12

Giles was following Buffy, Willow as they led a hobbling Oz out of the door when he was stopped by a quiet plea behind him.

"Giles?" The pleading tone made Giles soften his features before turning around to address the young cheerleader, who was yet to move.

"Cordelia I'm sorry, but as I said to Willow there is no way we can." His own tone pleading, hoping she would not fight the decision.

Cordelia simply frowned before nodding; she then turned around and walked to the figure on the floor.

Despite his anxiousness to move, Giles did not begrudge her this final chance, lord knows his decisions had caused enough of tonight's problems already. He watched from the doorway as Cordelia approached Xander's body and knelt by his side. Trying to give her as much privacy as possible, while ensuring she was protected. Though now he had doubts as to what he thought he knew about the situation, looking down at the old diary he realised it definitely needed more investigation.

Giles was pulled from his reverie by an anxious, urgent call from Buffy, whom had backtracked, worried that Giles and Cordelia were taking so long. Giles only turned for a second, he only moved a centimetre as he turned, but that had been enough, the door slamming shut behind him, causing him to stumble forward a few steps towards Buffy.

"Damn." Giles cursed, turning instantly and trying to open the door, unsurprised to find it unmoving, causing him to bang his fists against the door in frustration.


Cordelia approached Xander and knelt down beside him, the blanket still pulled back from earlier. She stared down at his sightless eyes, before resting her hand on the side of his face, trying to remember what he looked like just a few hours before. She heard Buffy call urgently to Giles, but ignored it, wanting to have these last few moments in peace. Then the door slammed and the lights turned off, plunging the room into darkness, the only light coming from the still flickering fire in the fireplace. Any of her initial fear quickly turned to anger at the interruption.

"Miss Cordelia Chase, what an honour..."

"Go away." Cordelia bit out angrily.

"'So young, my lord, and true'...you have much in common, constantly misunderstood, you both love dearly but won't give fake platitudes. You always tell the truth and you both lost your kingdom for your declarations of truth, but I wonder have you ever told that young man of your true feelings for him."

"Just leave me alone, you've done enough for one night."

"I would love to Miss Chase, in fact the sooner this night is over the better."

Cordelia looked over at the shadowy figure in the corner of the room, she sighed and stood up. "What do you want?"

The figure gave a sad chuckle, "I am afraid the question Miss Chase is, what do you want?"

Looking down at the body of her boyfriend she replied, "I think the answer to that is obvious, even to you."

"Well yes, but I am afraid the answer was given the moment you walked through the front door. I have an offer to make you."

Cordelia scowled at the figure, "What could you offer that I could possibly want?"

"I can give you back your kingdom, make you Queen C of Sunnydale, make all those that once followed you, respect you again. I can offer you your former glory."

Cordelia looked confused, then angry as she processed what was being said, the anger driving her scathing reply. "You! You drown and kill my boyfriend, you torment other people whom I may consider friends. Then you bring back the one nightmare I never wanted to meet again, who kills my boyfriend again and now you stand there. You stand there and have the audacity to try and suggest that after all this that all I could possibly want is some gift of shallowness, just so I can be popular again. Someone I love is dead and all you can offer is that. What kind of person do you take me for."

Cordelia stopped to collect her emotions before finishing. "Go away, I don't know what your malfunction is Michael McKinley but leave me and the rest of my friends out of it."

"Is that a no?"

Cordelia did not reply straight away, instead she knelt down again to move the blanket back over the body. A glint nearby caught her eye, realising it was the poker Angelus dropped she picked it up before standing again and giving her reply.

"Damn right it is Ghost Boy, now let me leave." With that said, Cordelia turned around and stormed towards the door yanking it open and moving outside into the corridor before slamming the door behind her.

"If only I was able to do the same thing Miss Chase."


Cordelia stormed into the corridor, surprised the door had opened for her. She quickly noticed the rest of the group stopped further up the corridor standing next to some windows, which had not been there when they had gone into the room. They had apparently been waiting for her and had now all turned in her direction when the door had slammed. They looked a little surprised, taking in her angry expression and the fact she was carrying a bloodied poker, but their expressions all quickly turned to ones of relief.

"Cordelia, you are okay." Giles remarked, a smile of relief marking his features and matching that of those stood next to him.

Cordelia gave them a replying smile as she quickly moved towards them, only to have the smile fall short when another voice joined the conversation.

"Not for long watcher."

All eyes turned to Angel who now stood in a doorway, just a few metres away.


In case you are not sure, yes it is King Lear that is being refered to (the formatting won't let me reference sorry)...I never said I was original.

TBC...