Part Two

Los Angeles
On Interstate Five, Northbound

"Angel, do you know exactly where you're going?" Cordy asked, as he changed to a faster lane.

"No, I'm trusting my instincts here. I have a friend in San Francisco, he might know what's going on. He had better not be involved, though," he muttered the last part darkly to himself.

"Is he..." Cordelia asked, rather uncertain of herself...she had no right judging his friends.

"Demon. But not a vamp. He helped me out awhile back, before I went to L.A., right after Sunnydale."

Sunnydale
Willow's room

How should I go about this? I have no clue what I'm getting myself into! Am I really ready to do something of this magnitude? Willow wondered. This power I sense, It's big, no huge! Anybody, anything could have that type of power, good or evil. I had that much power.

And you'll never have that type of power again!

I don't want that type of power! I never did, I never will again!

Yes, you do, deep inside, you do. You want to know what it feels like again.

No! I don't, LEAVE ME ALONE! I don't want to listen to you! LaLaLa… I can't hear you!

You know that I know that doesn't work. I'm inside your head.

Get OUT! OUT OUT OUT! I have to concentrate!

Maybe I should ask Giles. No, he's busy, with the First, and with the girls, he has no time to go on a wild goose chase. I'm not even sure if I want him knowing. Is being able to feel power good, or evil? What would he think? He knows that I've repent. He knows what side I'm on.

And you don't even know! It taunted.

Yes, I know what side I'm on, I am on Buffy's side.

What side is she on? She's died, and come back, what if she just want's to give up, what if she doesn't care?

But she does! She cares about this fight, and about me! Get out of my head! I'm not going to listen to you!

It might be nothing, a figment of my imagination, this power I feel. Yet, it could be something to do with the first.

Well, I might as well bring some supplies with me. And I promised Buffy I would bring some weapons, she thought as she packed crystals of different sizes, candles of assorted colors, assorted herbs, and her crystal. She also packed enough clothes for a week, and two stakes, two mini crosses, as well as the one that was nailed to her wall when Angelus was around, and plenty of Holy Water. She grabbed her stash of cash, just in case she needed it. She also unplugged her laptop, that had been charging, as well as her cell phone, and packed those. She looked around her room, Is there anything I've forgotten? Nope. She took the key to her door out of her drawer, then she walked out. She turned and locked her door. Dawn used to borrow things without returning. She was ashamed at herself for thinking such a thought. She was just going through a rough time, with her mother gone, and Buffy being so distant! Even though she tried to trust Dawn, the door stayed locked.

San Francisco
Halliwell house

"Anything?" Piper asked once Leo had returned.

"Hello to you too. Hi sweetie!" he kissed his son's tiny head.

"Sorry, just, you know, anxious."

"They either don't know anything, and or won't tell me anything."

"Dang!"

"Yeah, sorry."

"That's ok." She kissed her husband, to show no hard feelings. The baby, in between his mother and father, started to whimper. "Oh, he's hungry." She went off to breast feed her son.

Highway outside of San Francisco

"Ok, Angel, once we get into a more populated part of town, we have to stop."

"Why?" He asked, slightly perturbed to be stopping when he was so close, and the sun would be up in three hours, he could smell it. They hadn't left until around eleven, and the drive was over five hours long.

"Because I said so. Trust me. We have to stop. Do you know where your friend lives?"

"I have an idea."

"Then when we stop, you get directions."

"Wherever would I be without you, Cordy?" he asked, sarcastic.

"Lost."

Sunnydale
Bus Station

"One north bound ticket, please," Willow asked the woman behind the counter

"What city?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"Well, the buses go as north as Portland Oregon, then they head towards the East Coast on Interstate 84."

"Then I guess I'm going to Portland. Could I have a round trip ticket?"

"Yeah," she popped her gum.

"Is the ticket good for anytime, I'm not sure how long I'm staying. And I'm not totally sure where exactly I'm going."

"You can get off at any stop. You can get back on the bus, and either continue, or return. The ticket is good for thirty days after it is bought."

"Ok, thanks, I don't think I'll be gone that long!"

"Your welcome, Miss," she said, bored.

San Francisco
Floral Shop

"Much better. Did you get directions?"

"Yeah. Cordy, it's two hours before sunrise, could we hurry?"

"Do you want me to drive?"

"Sure. Cordy, what's in your hair?" Angel asked, eyeing the bright yellow daffodil in her hair, tucked behind her ear.

"Don't tell me you went to the ballets, yet you didn't go to an opera?" she asked, sounding playful, yet scornful. Only she could manage to sound two totally different ways at once. Angel thought, amused.

They drove in silence for awhile, deep in their own thoughts.

Angel started laughing quietly.

"What's so funny, Mister?"

"I was just remembering the last time I saw my friend. He really helped me through some of my darkest hours. We were going through the same thing. He was good by choice. He was going to be 'kinged' for this group of evil demon's, and his girlfriend, who was going to have his baby, was to be his evil queen. I didn't get details, but she found out that he was evil, as well as his child within her, and with the help of her sisters, she sent him to hell. He had just made his way back when I met him. He was trying to get her back. She said she was over him.

It was just like me and Buffy, sort of. We were supposed to be friends, but it doesn't work that way, it didn't work then, it will never work. Spike showed us that," Angel reminisced, "I wonder if she ever took him back?"