Disclaimers: Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon own it all. I'm just doing this for fun, and hopefully entertainment
Reviews: Welcomed and appreciated
Willow leaned back against Oz, both of them facing the darkness of the ocean. "How totally weird is this? Look at that one!" She pointed at a winged creature that plunged into the sea and came up with an even stranger one. Since the vortex was opened a strange variety of creatures had spilled onto the shores of the planet, stuff made from fantasy novels. Not that Sunnydale wasn't fantastic enough, what with the Hellmouth and all, but now…Willow shook her head. "Think we're safe here?" They were sitting on the deck outside the dining room, the one that had no way down.
"We're safe enough. I heard Spike say the place was protected." Oz nuzzled her ear. "Don't worry, they hate werewolves."
"Well, I love them. Well at least this one." She ran her hand across his chest. "Is it wrong that I'm happy to be here with you? The world has virtually ended and all I can think about is how great I feel when I fall asleep in your arms at night and how happy I am when I wake in your arms at…night." She giggled. "I feel so wrong, I feel so guilty that I am so happy. How can I be happy when the world is in this state? And how can I be happy when Buffy is, I don't even know where she is, what's happening to her. And Giles, he's so bent by it all he and Cordelia are lovers. Lovers! The two of them are lovers. I am so losing my happy."
"Babe, don't judge. They found each other and that's a lot in this fucked up world we're in." Oz found the need to talk a lot more since their old world ended. Willow needed him to, hell even Giles and Cordelia needed him to. Yes indeed, he thought, things were really twisted in this world they called reality.
"I'm sorry. You're right. And I would never let them know how it weirds me out. And most of the time it doesn't, but just every so often I see them look at each other or they give an odd touch and…man this world makes for odd bedfellows, ya know?"
He had to laugh, "Yeah, I know. Look at Tara and Spike. Talk about odd, in the real world…but this is the real world isn't it?" Oz was a realist but at times like this is was hard to believe they'd been here, the wards of Angelus, for the past 6 months. Time seemed to fly by and then at other times it would seem as if it all happened yesterday. But plans were in the making, Willow and Tara had been working on a spell and he and Giles were searching for a new place to call home. An alternate world. He shook his head.
"What is it baby?" Willow rubbed his cheek.
"Just thoughts. Too many thoughts." He smiled at her. "Is Tara coming today?"
"Yeah. Spike found the orb and she thinks she has the spell worked out. We just need to run it past Giles and figure out the right timing."
"Are you still going to keep the whole thing from Buffy?" Oz asked.
"We think it best. I mean, why give her hope if it just fails? And if it works, well…she'll know 'cause Angel will tell her. Right?" She gave a weak smile.
It was an ambitious plan, to restore Angel's soul. Tara had been working on it since she first found out about Angel's curse. 'If he could be cursed with his soul, then we could bless him with it as well. I mean, it should've been a good thing not a punishment.' She was right, Angel had tried his best to atone and it wasn't right that he lose his soul for loving Buffy. So, Tara had spent months researching and Spike had been right there beside her, helping. Something Willow still found hard to believe, but love had a funny way of growing in the most unexpected places. Still, Tara persisted, she had an idea of where to start and once she had all the pieces she approached Giles with her idea.
"Okay, so here's the way I see it." Tara was uncomfortable talking to Giles about her idea, after all he was Buffy's watcher and she was just a new acquaintance. "The gypsy curse refers to happiness, but this spell," she opened the large volume she had found squirrled away at the magic shop, "this spell works on the premise that if unfinished work has to be done and that the death was of a super-natural, an unnatural, cause, well... I can't think of anything more unnatural than losing his soul for loving someone. And here, look at this," she pointed to a codicile, "if the soul has no desire to return to the living world the spell will be null." She shyly looked up at the older man, waiting for a reaction. "We won't be doing anything to Angel that he doesn't want, so if he doesn't re-inhabit the body it means he's in a place he wants to stay. We won't be playing any of those stupid games the gypsies did."
Giles removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Quite brilliant my dear. I am quite ashamed I never thought of this when Angel originally lost his soul." He took the young wicca's hands in his own. "If this works we will all owe you a debt that can never be repaid. Especially our Buffy."
Tara had hemmed and hawed, very embarrassed by the man's emotions. "We still need to search out a dimension that we can move on to. And we need to find an orb of Thesula. In the old days that would've been easy enough, but now…" She turned to Spike. "My fella's on it though."
"Yeah, I promised the little lady I'd help her and I'll do it. Won't be easy, but I'll find one." He shrugged as Giles stared at him, mouth opened. "Hey, shut your gob old man. I'm just searchin' out the orb, I've no idea 'bout this new world."
Giles shook his head. "Yes well, that will be my job." He turned to Tara. "You and Willow work on perfecting the spell and when we've come up with a new world we'll all move on. And I am praying to all the gods and goddesses that will include Angel."
She smiled at the Englishman, "I will be praying for the same thing."
That had been over three months ago and things were starting to fall into place. Oz smiled down at his girlfriend. He laughed inwardly at the title, she was so much more to him now. She was his everything.
Cordelia handed Giles his cup of tea as she sat next to him on the couch. "So, how does it look?"
"Well, we have been researching this alternate dimension, not so different from this place but, well…quite short on technology."
"Meaning?" Cordelia asked.
Taking a deep breath, Giles continued. "Meaning, little or no electricity. A somewhat medieval society, but a dimension that would be safe. Seems quite a few of our fellow humans have taken up residence there over the years for various reasons. Never-the-less, it would appear to be our best bet." He brought the cup to his mouth and took a drink of the burning liquid.
"Okay, so we have a plan. And being as smart as we are, no telling how long before you become king and since I sleep with you that would make me queen. Could totally work." She smiled and kissed Giles on the cheek before rising and going into the kitchen.
Confused, Giles put his tea on the table and followed her. He found Cordelia huddled in a corner, fighting to control her sobs. Taking her into his arms, he smoothed her hair from her face and pulled her closer. "Now, what's this all about little girl?"
"I told you not to call me that. And…and…I'm scared Giles. What if we go from the frying pan into the pot?"
"Into the fire? Well, I just don't know sweetheart. All I know is that we can't stay here. It's been 6 months and I don't know how much longer we can count on Angelus leaving us alone, even for Buffy's sake. He is an evil demon, one of the most evil, and he's been our savior up 'til now. It can't last Cordelia."
"He'll do anything for Buffy." She hiccupped.
"Yes, but it's killing her. She's being torn apart by the whole situation. Everyday, a little more of her soul is dying, she turning off. Emotion by emotion. I know you still blame her, but she's repaid her trespasses more than anyone should have to. We can't expect her to sell her soul any longer. We have to try and help her."
She sighed, "I suppose you're right. As much as I hate to admit it. I'm just scared Giles, once were out of here, once you're back to your old self, the sane, stuffy one…well, what if you don't want me anymore?"
He gave a soft laugh. "I will always want you Cordelia, I promise you that. You will have me for as long as you want me."
"Then I guess you'd better live a very long time 'cause I'm gonna hold you to it." She smiled at him and ran her hand over his cheek. "I love you Giles and I don't think I can live without you."
"You won't have to love, you won't have to."