Imzadi…..I know you like that pairing from your reviews I've seen. Lindsey has a big role to play, but not til later! I was going to put him with Anne, but she seems too nice for him. but anyway….thanks for the review!

Thanks to anyone who took time to read. As usual...nothing belongs to me except the plot.

Chapter Two

First surprises

Cordelia looked around her as they walked out of the lift into the main reception area of Wolfram and hart. "It's ok," Angel assured her. "Nothing's going to…"

"Leap out from the shadows and attack me?" she interrupted.

"Well, yeah," he answered.

"This isn't ok," she went on. "It's all wrong. How could you even think of accepting an offer like this…"

"I told you, it has to do with Connor," he told her irritably.

They'd stopped off at the shops to buy some new clothes for Cordelia. Wesley had stayed out in the car, so Angel had taken this opportunity to tell her about the spell.

"Hasn't Connor already been through enough? Been lied to enough?" she whispered fiercely. "Ok, don't get me started. I could go on forever. But he doesn't deserve this Angel. You have to come clean about everything to everyone. I'm just warning you."

He sighed and nodded in defeat. "I know. I'm just…building up to the moment. But I was trying to help him when I made that deal."

"I know you were," she whispered softly. "I know. But you made a deal with the devil. Good never comes from working with evil. You should know that by now. Now you're gonna have to pay the price."

"Couldn't you just have said…I'm in trouble?" he asked, sounding a bit tired.

And they came ever closer to his office. Angel slowly raised his hand to push open the door. Everyone looked up as one as they entered.

"Thanks Wes," he muttered. Wesley had gone on ahead of him and Cordy to arrange the meeting.

"Cordelia!" said Fred happily. She was the first to say anything. "When Wesley told us…I mean…I don't believe…this is just…"

"That about sums it up," Gunn finished for her.

"Sorry. You know how I ramble on and on when I'm nervous," Fred giggled and then moved forward to hug her friend.

"Yes, I remember," Cordy said wistfully.

"And look at you Gunn," she continued, taking in the new hair and smart suite. "You're all grown up."

He nodded. "Hey girl."

"And Lorne," she turned to face the Pylean Demon, her smile broadening.

"Hi, princess. Long time no see."

Then she noticed Spike in the corner of the room. "And Spike," she exclaimed in surprise.

"Did I wake up in another reality?" she asked suspiciously.

"No love. It's me. Complete with Soul and everything."

"A soul? This could get interesting."

"It's a long story," said Angel, sounding more then a little on edge. "Really long. Probably boring too."

It was then that Cordelia noticed the rays of light surrounding Angel and Spike. "Glass that protects you from the sun," she murmured. "Fancy illusion. Speaking off, don't you have something to tell your family Angel?"

"I hate you," he answered her.

She shrugged and sank into a nearby chair, folding her arms in front of her. "No you don't," she said smugly.

"Ok fine. I don't". He took a deep breath before remembering he didn't need to breath.

"Ok," he said finally. "I don't really know how to say this…but…" and that was the truth. He didn't know. They had all been lied to so many times last year. It wasn't just Connor, it was all of them. They were all going to turn against him. "I can't do this."

Cordelia's expression softened suddenly and she nodded in understanding.

"The powers that be woke me up for a reason. I was going to die - or at least I was supposed to. But the Powers actually stepped up for a change. They sent me to you with a warning. That thing that took me over, it manipulated you all so much, covered you in so much evil, that you were beyond help last year. They couldn't help you then."

"But now they can?" whispered Fred.

"Yes. They can only now just about reach you. But if you continue on this path, you'll be covered in darkness for the rest of your lives. All of you corrupted forever, beyond all recognition. Just like the senior partners wanted. And if you stay here, some of you won't make it out alive," She paused.

"You all made the choice willingly - and with good reasons. You thought you could make a difference from the inside. Change things. You thought you could use all this place had to offer to help people. But that in itself was a lie. In truth, you were all tired of fighting. You'd given up and this was a last resort. And it was beginning to change you, not the other way round."

A silence fell among the group then, and they looked at each other guiltily.

"But there is still a chance you can be saved. Still something worth fighting for," she continued. "The life of an innocent. Like it was in the beginning, you'll start things over, one soul at a time. It'll show you things aren't as bad as they seem. Anyway, you can start to make things better by helping Connor."

"You mentioned him before," said Wesley.

"His a very important player in all this," said Cordelia. "Not to be the father of evil as Jasmine claimed. But he has been taken from us. And we need to get him back before history changes on us…."

"What's that supposed to mean," asked Spike, standing up.

"It means, that if Connor is harmed in anyway, then history will change too. All the good you've done so far will be for nothing."

"If Connor wasn't here today, maybe none of that with Jasmine would have happened. It would be better for you not to remember it," said Angel.

Cordelia shook her head. "That's not the point sugar. Connors more important then that. And speaking of Jasmine, You people can be so dumb sometimes! she didn't organise you're lives for you. Do you realise how many things she would have had to control in order for Connor to be borne? It goes all the way back to Angel first meeting Darla, and Buffy being called as a slayer! If that was true, what's left to believe in? No, she was telling some very clever lies…I can't believe she actually fooled you!"

"What are you people talking about? I remember all of that apart from Connor and Darla. What's Darla got to do with any of it?" said Lorne, raising a hand.

Cordelia continued talking to Angel. "If Connor was never alive, you wouldn't be the people you are now. None of you. You're that much stronger because of him and you know it."

"Who the hell is Connor!!" said Fred. This coming from her was enough to startle them all.

"Oh, yeah. His…his Angels Son."

"Excuse me?" said Spike, raising an eyebrow.

………………………………...

Italy

Buffy looked at her two best friends, a calm determination in her eyes. "It's no use Xander. I'm going," she told them.

"But…Angels in charge of Wolfram and Hart. What if his turned back into Angelus? It could be a trick."

She shook her head. "No. I'd know…somehow."

"Besides, Wesley's there too," said Willow, coming to Buffy's defence. "And Gunn and Fred. I'm sure we can trust them Xander. None of them looked evil. Wesley was a little dark…."

"Dark? Wesley?" said Buffy in amazement.

"A lot has happened," Willow murmured. "But I trusted them all. They're the good guys. I don't know why Giles is making such a big deal out of this."

"I don't either," said Buffy. "And I don't care. It's one of the only places I can think of that she would have gone. She's been bugging me to go there for ages now anyway. I think she wanted me to talk to Angel after Spike…" her voice trailed off for a second. "She didn't want there to be anymore fighting. That, and she thought there were more slayers in LA and that Angel could help us."

"She said all that?" smiled Willow. "Just like her too be thinking about work. Her training to be a watcher now and everything."

"Look, if you guys are so worried then why don't you come with? But I'm leaving now. Booked a flight and everything."

"Fine," muttered Xander. "But only coz I'm worried about you. It isn't the highlight of my week to see dead boy again, believe me!"

"Wait," said Andrew as they moved towards the door.

"I'm waiting," snapped Buffy.

"LA equals a very bad idea. Trust me."

"And why is that?" asked Willow, narrowing her eyes.

"It's…I said I wouldn't…Spikes…"

"What about Spike?" asked Buffy.

"Well…his alive. Has been for most of the year. Wolfram and Hart bought him back as a ghost, but then he became corporeal. I found out when I went to go help that crazy slayer."

"And you waited until now to tell me?" Buffy shouted. "I'm so out of here!"

Willow exchanged a look with Xander and they started to follow her as fast as they could.

"Just like old times," said Willow

TBC

Next chapter……. Buffy arrives at Wolfram and Hart…