Chapter 5

Two days after Chapter four.

Father Caleb quickly walked out of church and headed for his truck, after his sermon. As he was about to open the door, he heard someone shouting his name. Turning he saw a fairly attractive blonde running up to him. Looking at her face good he quickly noted that it was a new member of the church, Sarah.

"Well good evening Sarah. How are you?" he asked as she approached him panting.

"Good evening Father Caleb. I'm doing fine." the girl said panting. "Do you mind driving me home? My car broke down." she said pointing back at her car.

"Not a problem my child." Caleb beamed. "Hop in." he said as he opened the passenger side door. She quickly got in and the two drove off.

"So is it true that your family died in that fire two days ago?" Sarah asked as they drove away from the church. She had heard just like everyone else at the church, that his family was mysteriously burned to death in a fire a couple of days ago. But why he was here preaching and not with some of his family grieving was beyond her.

"Yea' that's true. And I guess you wonderin' why I'm here preachin' and not off somewhere crying my eyes out?" At her nod he continued.

"Well it's because I have to do the lord's work no matter what. Because when I stop it makes me want to curl up and die." Caleb says sadly.

"I wish I could make you feel better." Sarah replied looking glum.

"Actually you can." he says as he looks down at his crouth. Getting the message she leans over and is about to unzip his pants, until Caleb grabs her head and snaps her neck like a twig.

"Women." Caleb says with a wide smile as Sarah's limb body falls on him. "They seem to fall for anything."

"CALEB!" a deep sounding voice shouts in his mind. "Be prepared. Your first mission for me will start shortly."

"Hallelujah!" Caleb say with a mad man's grin as he kept driving.

a few seconds after the fourth chapter

After Megan, Tara, and Connor made it into her house, Megan quickly explained herself. She told them that she used to work for the Watchers Council as a Witch for the Coven. And one of her powers as a witch was the gift of sight. So she knew all along what was going on with Tara.

As they moved on to other matters, Tara clued Megan in on her life and told her a little about Connor.

"So you want to move on to the after-life?" Megan asked looking over at Connor.

"Yeah I do." Connor replied as he looked over at Tara nervously. "Now that I know Tara is safe, I can move on with no worries."

"But I don't want you to go." Tara said sadly. Even though she only knew Connor for a couple of days, he'd been more of a brother to her then Donny had ever been.

Connor smiled sadly at her as he walked in front of her.

"Tara you know I care about you right?" at her nod he continued. "But I think this is for the best. You're beautiful, young, smart, and you have a good heart. But me....well I'm just a ghost. I want you to have friends and live a long happy life. Having a ghost around would just be.... weird." Tara seemed to accept that and held in her tears.

"All I need is the proper spell so I can send you to the after-life." Megan stated through the ackward silence. As she was about to get up and consult her book of spells, Tara stopped her.

"I already have the spell, just let me get my book." she said as she walked over to her suitcase and took out her spellbook.

Tara,Connor, and Megan sat indian style in a circle, after thirty minutes of setting up and going over the spell. As Megan began the encantation the one candle they had burning in the middle of the circle suddenly flares. As the light got brighter and brighter, the room began to fill with smoke.

As the smoke began to dissipate Connor looked over at Megan and Tara. Both of them weren't moving and it didn't seem like they were breathing either. They were still sitting up with their eyes open, but it was like they were frozen in place.

Before he could go over and check on them a light flashed behind him. Turning he saw a beautiful white woman with short brown hair and she was wearing all white.

"Wh...who are you." Connor asked startled.

"My name is Cordelia." she replied with an easy smile.

"Ok Cordelia, why are you here?" Connor asked as he stood to his feet. "Are you going to send me to the After-life?" When he asked this Cordelia just smiled. That smile turned into a snicker. Then that snicker turned into a full blown laugh.

"What's so funny?" Connor asked as her laughing began to die down some.

"I'm laughing at you Angel." she said with a big grin. "Are you going to send me to the after-life?" she mocked his voice and then broke down into another fit of giggles.

"Wait what did you just call me?"

"I called you Angel." he just stared at her blankly. "You know your name. God, the powers must have sent you back without your memories." she said as comprehension finally dawned on her.

"The powers? Cordelia please tell me what's going on?" Connor asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well first your name is Angel and.....Oh just hold still." she said as she moved closer to him. He stepped back as if on reflex and she lowered her hands with a sad look on her face. That quickly turned into a scowl.

"Hold still you big baby." Cordelia screeched. Causing Connor and even herself to wince at the sound of her voice.

"Listen lady I don't know who you are but...."

"Angel just hold still so I can give you your memories back." Cordelia said in a much more gentle tone. Connor looked at her skeptically at first, but then he nodded his head and held still.

Cordelia moved over to him and put both hands on either side of his head. A white light emanted from her hands and Connor started to see images. Not just any old images but his past, dates, faces, enemies, all most everything.

As the light from her hands began to fade, Connor began to stagger back and hold his head as if he had a headache.

"Are you ok Angel?" Cordelia asked as she looked up at him.

"I'm fine Cordy, but I want some answers." Angel said in full brood face.

"That's my boy. Big, Bad, and Broody is back." she said with a smile. At the ghostly vampire's glare she relented. "Spoil's sport."

"Cordy." Angel said, his patience wearing thin.

"Alright, alright." she said as she crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "When you were in the battle with the Circle of the Blackthorn's army you got dusted. Only it wasn't supposed to happen like that. You and Illyria were supposed to live. You were supposed to Shanshu."

"Cordy that's impossible. I signed away at ever having a chance at being human."

"Angel what's meant to be is meant to be. You can't sign away a prophecy." Angel thought about this for a second and nodded his head.

"Ok but what am I doing here in 1997, shouldn't I be.....I don't know, rotting in hell?" Angel asked bitterly. Cordelia looked at him strangely before she replied.

"Angel I don't think you understand, you've been redeemed."

"Redeemed to live my life as a ghost.... whoopty doo." 'I bet Spike would laugh his ass off at this.' Angel thought to himself.

"It wasn't supposed to happen like that. You were supposed to turn human and die of old age. None of this craziness was supposed to happen."

"Alright but what am I doing here?" he asked again. Cordelia sighed before she sat down on the floor next to Tara.

"Basically after you died the powers got kind of edgey. You see Spike and Gunn died down that alley...."

Angel looked heart broken at this news. Gunn was a trusted ally and friend and it just didn't seem fair for him to die like that. As for Spike...Well he still hated Spike but he had to admit he gave his life to save the world.

"It was just supposed to be you and Illyria. You two were supposed to be fighting back to back until the army was defeated. But shortly after you got dusted Illyria was killed herself"

"Ok I understand that, but why is this important?" Angel asked a little annoyed.

"It's important because since you killed Droygon, there was no one to watch over the old ones. Angel the future turned out really bad because of that mistake you made. Something evil awakened the old ones and now they are wreaking havok on the world. If Illyria had of lived she was supposed to be the next guardian of the deeper well."

"What about Buffy and all of the other's? Didn't they try to stop what was going on?" Cordy looked down at her feet before she met his gaze.

"They didn't make it Angel. Buffy, Willow, Xander, they're all dead."

"So why did the powers send me back here?"

"Because they wanted to give you a second chance." Cordy replied.

"A second chance?" Angel scoffed. "I'm a freakin' ghost."

"That's were she comes in." Cordy said looking over at Tara.

"Her, she's just a kid."

"Maybe, but a few years down the road and she's going to fight against the darkness. And let me tell you Angel she's going to die. That was also a problem in itself, she wasn't supposed to die that young. She had something important to do in her life and some crazy kid comes along and ends it."

Angel looked at her and could barely control his rage. He wasn't mad at Cordy but he was mad that someone would even try to hurt Tara. She was shy, but over all she was a good kid.

"So what do the powers have in mind?" he finally asked after a moment of deep brooding.

"They want you to join with Tara's soul."

"What!" Angel exploded. "Why not put me back in my old body?"

"Because there are things that Angel and later Angelus must do, that must come to pass. Besides there has to be a balance of good and evil. And with you protecting her she might have a chance at living longer then a few years. Plus, she gets your powers, along with a few other ones." After a few more minutes of brooding Angel sighed and moved over to Cordy.

"Ok what do I do?" he asked.

"That's my boy." Cordelia beamed as she got to her feet. "All you have to do is hold your hands over Tara and concentrate. You're going to feel weird for awhile and then you will fade into her body."

"How long will I be inside her?" Cordelia sighed. 'Damn why does he have so many questions.'

"I don't know. I'm guessing probably after your mission is over." Angel then gave her a look. "Just think of all of the things you get to change this time around Angel. All the people you get to save. Why do you think I suggested that they send you back this far in the past. Duh...it was so you could change things."

"Alright." Angel agreed.

"I'll see you in the afterlife sometime." Cordy said as she turned to leave.

"Wait Cordy!" Angel shouted as she began to fade.

"Yeah." Cordy said looking back at him.

"You have nice hair." he said with a smile.

Cordy smiled back at him and then she faded away. Angel looked back at Tara, who was still frozen in place.

"Your life is going to change forever, kid." he said as he put his hand in front of her face. He stood there for a few minutes until he himself faded away.

tbc...

A/N angelsdb's account was deleted so he told me to continue on with his story. He really hopes that he can get his old fans back.