Title: Desperate Measures 8/8
Author: Wereleopard
Rating: PG
Pairing: C/A
Crossover Angel/Buffy
Email: Romance
Summary: Cordy is dying from the visions and the AI gang will go to any lengths to save her, but they first have to go to Sunnydale to help the Scoobies
Spoilers: All of Buffy and Angel
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angel verse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made I am just poor and the song doesn't belong to me either.
Distribution: Let me know
Feedback: Yes please!

N/B When Tara and Willow split up due to the magicks; Tara moved to LA and joined AI. And the timeline may not be correct but it is my story so just ignore it ok LOL

Chapter 8

A month had past and there was still no sign of Cordy, they couldn't find out anything, they had followed the journey of the spell but by the time they had got there all that was left was a stone tablet covered in blood and nothing else.

Angel grew more and more distant he would only talk to his family but those conversations were far and few between and with each passing hour he became angrier, the demon within him was now just beneath the surface and every time he fought the demon came out and it was getting more and more violent each time.

Wesley never seemed to sleep day or night he would be sitting and reading trying to find any clue, anything that would lead them to her. He couldn't give up on her not yet, not after everything they had been through. He prayed that she was alive, but deep down within him the hope that once shone began to fade but that didn't stop him, and he wouldn't until he had absolute proof that she was in fact dead.

Tara and Fred the bright light in their eyes seemed to dim and they kept to themselves in their room, Tara blaming herself for letting Cordy go without her and still need managing to deal with the loss of their connection and Fred had lost part of her family someone she wanted to be like, the one that told her things honestly and then helped her out, the one she went to with problems they were all like a ship lost on the ocean with no one to guide them home.

Gunn was rarely seen he went out with his axe and came back battered, bloody and bruised during the dark and during the day he just walked and walked hoping and praying that he would just find her, he would stop off and by Tacos for the girls and drop them off before he left again, they were all hurting and lost and were afraid to try and move on because it would seem like they were giving up on her, they didn't want to move on, they wanted her back.

The Scoobies had gathered together and talked when Angel or Gunn went out Spike or Buffy would be with them in case they needed back up, Willow sat in a chair in the hotel room and watched over Tara and Fred, Giles and Xander stayed with Wesley, Giles helped with the translations and Xander and Anya would get more when they were needed.

However, even though the Scoobies were always around they could not get past the impenetrable wall that the LA gang had erected around them, they would get strength from each other but that was starting to fade, they were all drifting apart and if they didn't find out what had happened good or bad it was going to split them apart, it was the not knowing that was destroying them, if she was dead the could grieve together and pick up the pieces and move forward trying to build something of a life together again but at the moment they were all in limbo.

Cordy sat in what she assumed was the middle of nothingness, there was no up, no down, no left or right, just nothing, it was very disorientating.

"You have passed the test." Said a voice that echoed around her.

"So you keep telling me." Cordy muttered knowing that they were going to go through the talk again.

"You showed us by doing the…." The voice continued

Cordy interrupted "Greatest sacrifice of all, you life for someone else blah, blah blah. We have done this now time to move on, let's go time is a wastin'."

"You are still human and so the visions will still kill you, but there is a choice." The voice said with a hint of impatience.

Cordy grinned she knew that she was finally getting to them. "So what is the choice?"

"You can either have you life re-written from the moment where you would have met Angel in LA or you can become part demon. Think about this carefully the tests you have been through so far are nothing to what becoming demon will feel like, or you can have your greatest wish and have the life you always wanted." The voice said the irritation out of its voice.

Cordy breathed deeply and closed her eyes and all she saw was her family. "You know that is not much of a choice because I have the life I always wanted, with my family demonise me already."

"We have chosen well. But the final choice is also not just yours." The voice muttered cryptically.

Cordy frowned not liking the sound of that.

This was the time when Angel tried to sleep, the daylight ours, this is also the time that made him more insane when he couldn't do anything or kill anything, it was also the time when he just wanted to walk out into the sunshine and let it all be over. But he wouldn't he knew that, he knew that so he tried to sleep.

Angel closed his eyes and it wasn't long before reality faded around him and the dream world appeared.

A green meadow surrounded him, the sun was shining brightly and standing in front of him was Cordy and Buffy.

"It is time to chose, you have been conflicted for so long, it has stopped you from being the champion that you must. Choose now!" The voice out of thin air muttered.

"What do I have to choose?" Angel screamed to the heavens.

"You have to choose the woman who taught you how to love, and to love in return, or to choose the woman that taught you how to be human and took you out of your self imposed darkness. That is your choice, pick one." The voice told him.

Angel looked at Buffy the longing he once had for her was gone, but the love would always be there just like it would for her, they loved each other but not in love with each other any more. They had both moved on and changed and they were both happy and that meant the world to him, then he turned the brunette the woman that made him happy one minute and angry the next, the person who had become his best friend, the one that he had grown to love, it wasn't the same as with Buffy it wasn't that hot need, the bright glow that would fade, no this was an everlasting one, it grew from friendship and trust, through trials and tribulations this was a love that would burn long past when Cordy had gone and Angel had to live his life alone, he would do anything to have her with him always and the only way to do that would make her a vampire and that was something he would never do, he would rather live an eternity alone than take her into that horror, one that if they managed to get her soul she would hate him for and that would make him walk into the sunshine begging her forgiveness.

"The choice is made." The voice said.

"What, what have I made." Angel cried out.

"The second choice has been made and now it is up to you if you want the third one." The voice said.

Cordy looked around suspiciously. "What is it?" She asked carefully.

Angel walked up to Buffy and watched her carefully.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly.

"Better than ever, well apart from the missing Cordy thing. Don't worry will find her." Buffy said with a smile.

Angel's heart broke if Buffy was feeling better than ever then he must have chosen her and condemned Cordy. He screamed and fell to his knees, tears falling from his eyes, a numbness encased his heart, it was their faults the PTB, the vampires that took them it was everyone's fault this whole damn world and they would pay, every single one of them.

Coldness touched every bit inside of him and he glanced up and Buffy stepped away in fear, it wasn't the fact that he had vamped out, it was the hate in his eyes they were losing him to the demon, the reason that this was going to make him worse than how Angelus ever was hate, the absolute hate that would eat away inside of him and that stemmed from everyone who was involved in taking away his Cordelia and then it would be the world, there was nothing to stop him.

Buffy grabbed Angel's arm with all of her strength and the vampire grabbed her by the neck and slammed her into the wall hard, pieces of brick flying everywhere. Slender but strong arms grabbed him from behind.

"Spike." Angel growled as he dropped Buffy and pushed himself backwards until he heard and uuummmpphhh as Spike hit the wall hard and managed to break his arm free as he grabbed Buffy by the throat again.

Anya had heard the commotion, she saw what was happening and ran to get the others. The rest of the Scoobies and the LA crew ran into the room and just as he was about to break her neck a glow emanated around them, it grew and grew until a figure appeared in the middle of it.

"Angel." The familiar voice said.

Angel dropped Buffy and walked towards the light, to the voice he knew, to the person he thought he had lost.

"Cordy." Angel whispered as he walked into the light, his friends and family calling him back but he was going where he wanted to be in the arms of his love.

Fred and Tara started to cry, Wes and Gunn stood either side of them comforting them all watching the glow grow brighter and brighter until it was blinding then in a quick flash it was gone and all that was left was two figures, their arms around each other kissing passionately the world around them gone.

Fred, Tara, Gunn and Wesley grinned at each other and ran to the room hugging the two figures that were finally pulling away from each other.

Buffy looked at her friends. "Ok I'm confused."

"She's not completely human." Muttered Spike rubbing the back of his head that had hit the wall.

Everyone turned and looked at Cordy.

"Well I still have my visions but I had to pass some tests and you know become part demon." Cordy said with a bright smile.

"Cordelia Chase." Angel's voice was deep and disapproving.

"Angel it was the only I could stay with you guys." Cordy said quietly. "Thank you for choosing me and there is one other thing?"

Angel's smile wouldn't leave his face he had chosen her. "What?"

"Well it is technically two things." Cordy hedged nervously.

"So what are the two things Cordy, just tell us ok." Angel said softly realising how nervous she was.

"Well there is no happiness clause but uhh only with me." She rushed out quickly.

"What do you mean?" Angel asked cautiously.

"They bound us together Angel as long as you live I do, you are kind of stuck with me until you die or." Cordy trailed of shrugging her shoulders.

"I become human and we can grow old together." Angel said with a grin as he held her tightly again.

It wasn't long before they were in a group hug.

"Let's go home." Tara whispered.

Willow knew that Tara would leave but that didn't stop her hoping, they loved each other but at times that just wasn't enough, there had to be more and Tara had to become her own person and hopefully one day they would be back together again.

THE END