OF THEIR PAST
Disclaimer- The characters that you recognise obviously don't belong to me, they belong to Joss and Mutant Enemy and all those hot shot people; not me.
Note- Okay so this is the plan, I have 2 on going fics (this one and another called Daughter of Mine) not to mention the random one chapters that occur to me and the follow up to Dealing and Moving On. So what I'm going to try to do is update once a week until I have to return to the dreaded institution that they call tertiary education, this update will include one chapter for this story and one for Daughter of Mine as well as any randomness that occurs.
Note 2- This chapter is dedicated to Catlimere who was almost on the right track, just needed to think a little more out of the box. Thanks to everyone that reviewed.
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PART 5Buffy blushed. She couldn't believe the way her mind worked sometimes. She had strange new people being introduced to the demon world, there was something uber wrong with Willow and Xander not to mention Angel and Cordy, and here she was mentally undressing Wesley of all people and drooling all over Giles's newly cleaned carpet.
Wesley looked around and nodded to those he knew, looking curiously at those he didn't. He placed Conner's diaper bag and another heavy looking sports bag behind the couch and squatted in front of Cordelia. He ran a hand over her brow and smiled slightly as he watched Conner snuggle close to her. "You feeling any better?"
Cordy shifted her head, her voice hoarse. "A little, but that could be just because we stopped moving."
Giles cleared his throat and frowned. "What happened to you? What caused this?"
Wesley paused slightly before continuing. "We have a theory but I want to see what you make of it first. Look at these." He titled Cordy's neck gently to the side, revealing a set of teeth marks the area surrounding them already bruised. He then turned her head to the other side and pulled down her shirt slightly revealing yet another set of fang marks and bruising.
Sam inhaled sharply. "What could have caused that?"
Giles spoke, his face grim. "Vampires."
"That's not all." Wesley turned to Angel and gently helped him take off his shirt. Angel spun slowly to showcase his torso, a patchwork of wounds and healing scars.
Sam was horrified. "What happened to them?"
Wesley sighed. "Not completely sure actually. It just seemed to have happened instantly. There was no physical cause for these wounds, I was watching Cordy when they appeared."
Giles looked from Cordy and Angel to Xander and Willow. He started to pace, his mind working so fast if it was a machine there would have been smoke billowing out of his ears. Suddenly he stopped, his finger on his lips. "It's interesting that Anya was mentioned earlier."
Willow's eyes grew wide, coming to the same realization Giles had. She moaned. "No, I can't do this, can't handle this."
Xander looked down at her confused. "What, what is it?"
Giles slipped into lecture mode. "We all know there are parallel dimensions, some worlds are similar to our own, though there are many that are distinctly different. When Anya granted Cordelia's wish that Buffy had never came to Sunnydale she created that dimension and all the horrors that it contained. That of course included the people, in order to create a realistic replica she had to borrow some of their essence, their spirit."
Buffy frowned. "Okay, but what does that have to do with this?"
Wesley took over. "I believe that that dimension became unstable after Anyanka's power source was smashed and… And that the dimension is slowly breaking down, this would cause the borrowed essence to return to the original source."
"Meaning us?" Buffy questioned.
Wesley nodded. "Yes, however, I'm afraid something's happened. The essence should just be returned, causing no ill effects but it seems in the cases of Angel and Cordy that the returned essence is dominating the body."
"So that's what caused the injuries, the borrowed essence returning."
Willow looked up, her eyes wild. "Dominating; no, no not good." She pulled herself out of Xander's arms and started to pace. Xander placed himself in her path. "What's wrong baby?"
Willow laughed bitterly. "Did you ever wonder why you wore leather tonight? Why you went hunting? Why you bit me this morning? Why we can't stand to be close to Buffy right now?" She moved around him and continued to pace. "We were vampires in that world Xander and I don't think these essences want to let go of that."
Xander stood frozen and then shrugged. "Well that does explain the memories. And the whole vicious thing, thought I was being bit more of a bad ass then usual."
Giles blanched. "You have their memories?"
Xander and Willow nodded. Xander tried to grin. "Just like a great big blood and gore movie."
Jack cleared his throat startling the Sunnydale crew and the L. A team. "Okay so what's going on? In English if you don't mind."
Sam quickly explained. "The bits of their souls that were used to make the other versions of them are returning to them, but something's gone wrong and their causing Willow and Al to act like their other versions and their hurting Angel and Cordelia."
"Oh okay, so how do we help? What?" Jack questioned as they stared at him. "Al's member of our team, damn fine one and we are not going to lose him."
Buffy's eyes narrowed. "And what team is that again?"
Jack straightened, unconsciously trying to intimidate her. "I'm afraid that's classified."
Buffy started to argue. Xander broke in. "Buff just leave it please. I promise I'll explain everything once we get this fixed."
Buffy sighed and grumbled. "No fair using the puppy dog eyes against me. Fine, okay but you better explain everything mister."
Xander flashed his crooked grin. "Of course." He rubbed his hands together suddenly business like. "So what do we do now?"
Wesley grabbed the bag he had earlier deposited behind the couch. "Now we research. Try and find a way to negate to effects before they start occurring to the rest of us."
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Xander yawned and stretched, his joints cracking. He looked over at Angel who was sitting across from him. "So…" Xander started awkwardly. "Listen about that whole attacking you thing.."
Angel shook his head smiling ruefully. "Don't worry about it. Happens all the time."
Xander looked back down at his book and groaned. He threw it on the coffee table. "Man I am so sick of researching."
Angel flicked through the pages of his book. "Don't worry Wes'll have that Eureka moment any time soon."
Xander rubbed a hand over his face. "Can't be soon enough."
Angel chuckled. Xander jumped, he had never heard Angel laugh. Cordy had to have been a great influence on him. He looked over at Cordelia and sighed. It was quite a sight, she was hurt pretty bad and yet she still held Conner tightly in her sleep afraid to let him go. Then there was Buffy, she had crashed a couple of hours ago on the floor next to Cordy. Her mouth was slightly ajar and her limbs would sometimes twitch as she dreamed. Not far from her Jack had fallen asleep against one of the walls, he was not going to be a happy camper when he woke up.
Xander craned his head to glance at the table. Giles had piled his books up on the table and was slowly searching through each one. Wesley had pretty much done the same thing; it looked like it was a watcher thing. Sam had thrown herself head first into the research, her eyes were bright with excitement as they moved down the page. Teal'c had taken a spot near her; his interest arrested by the new topic of demons and hell dimensions. Willow was sitting in front of her laptop as she quickly switched from site to site.
Xander sunk back into the couch and pulled a box out of his jacket pocket. He opened it and stared at the ring inside. At this rate he was never going to get the perfect opportunity to propose. Xander sighed. Well, that's life on the hellmouth for you.
"Eureka!!" Xander jumped, accidentally closing the box on his finger. He quickly shoved the box back into his jacket pocket. He looked over at Angel. "He actually says it?" Angel just rolled his eyes and moved closer to the table. Xander rose and stationed himself behind Willow, absently working the tension out of her shoulders.
Wesley held up a book and began to recite half the page, it explained collapsing dimensions and all the things that Xander couldn't understand at this time of the night. Wesley concluded his speech coming to the point. "There's a spell, it will sort of heal the borrowed essence, return it to the state in which it was originally taken. That should completely reverse the effects."
Xander perked up, now completely awake. "So what are we waiting, wave some burning plants, light some candles, chant the chant and hey presto Rory's your uncle and we're all fixed."
Wesley shook his head his face grim. "It's not that easy. The details of the spell itself have been hidden from human eyes for centuries. They are guarded by a sect of demon followers who wait for one to come who will release them of their burden. Their location is top secret though there is some speculation they are situated near the hellmouth."
"Well, we're just going to have to go to our source." Xander stood straighter. "You guys rest, or whatever you have to do." He moved towards the door.
"Hold it Harris." Jack stood from his place on the floor. "You're not going alone." Teal'c nodded in agreement. "We shall accompany you, Captain Harris." Angel spoke up. "Me too." Xander shook his head. "Uh uh Deadboy, you're not going anywhere. It's dangerous and you couldn't hold up your end in a fight."
"So that settles it, Teal'c and I will go with you." Jack made to leave the apartment. Xander stopped him. "Not like that your not, you go in unarmed and you'll be dead in five minutes, less if you speak to them." Jack rolled his eyes and pushed his flannel shirt out of the way revealing his gun. Xander clicked his tongue. "No that's not gonna do it. Come on lets get you properly armed."
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The beads adorning the entrance to the bar jangled quietly as they were pushed aside by the new customers. Willy stood behind the bar, cleaning a glass with that dirty rag. He looked up. "Hey, what do'ya know Xander Harris what are you doing here? Not on an errand for the slayer are you?"
Willy's voice carried to the back of the bar, where subtle movement could be seen, well it would have been subtle had it not been for the fact that the three men had been fighting for the majority of their lives. Xander grinned and casually sat on one of the bar stools. Jack and Teal'c flanked him, protecting his back. Xander leaned forwards, his grin feral. "Hey Willy, we need some information. Think you can do that for me?"
Willy swallowed audibly. "Sure kid. What do ya want to know?" Xander leaned back, looking to all as if he didn't have a care in the world. "There's this big secret demon sect around here somewhere. They have something we need. We could really use their location. They're not exactly the blend in type of demon; they look like big green smurfs."
Willy looked around and leaned in. "Look, Harris I really like you. You should stay away from them, they're bad news." Xander's face hardened and Willy took a step back. "This isn't negotiable, you tell me where they are or I'll rip out your intestines and paint the walls with your blood."
Jack had shifted slightly to try and stare at one of the canine-like demons when a roar made them aware of an incoming aggressor. In a smooth move Xander rose, twisted around and had un-holstered his weapons; his gun and short sword moving quickly through the air, covering all points of attack. Jack and Teal'c quickly pulled out the weapons Xander had armed them with earlier. Jack aimed his crossbow at the other patrons, unaware of here the next attack could originate from and Teal'c wielded a glaive with trained hands.
The demon continued to bear down on Xander, when suddenly a booted foot met the demons face, very hard. Attacking only with his feet Xander forced the much larger demon up against the bar, he removed his foot from the demons throat only to replace it with the gun to its head. Trusting Teal'c and Jack to protect his back he kept the short sword trained on the other demons.
Xander glared. "I don't like being attacked by demons, it tends to make me cranky and you won't like me when I'm cranky." The demon's mouth moved into something that resembled a smirk. "Your weapon cannot kill me."
Xander pressed the gun into his head. "No, but I'm betting it'll hurt like hell and take years to heal." The demon scowled and under his breath started complaining about demon hunters, slayers and their lap dogs.
Willy, ever the peacemaker, grabbed a scrap of paper and started to scribble on it. "Here take it, just leave my paying customers alone." Willy folded the paper and handed it to Jack. "There you have what you want, now go."
Xander sheathed his weapons and backed his way out of the bar, grabbing the paper of Jack. Once outside he opened it. 'Hey kid your technique has improved, very intimidating. The demons you're looking for have taken up residence in the sewers near Angel's old place. Good Luck. Give my best to your witch and the slayer.'
Xander turned his head, looking at Jack and Teal'c. He clapped his hands together. "Right, we've got a demon to see about a prophecy."
