Cordelia did all she could to keep her eyes open. God this is boring! He talks about his dad's portfolio again he's getting a stake to the thigh. This seemed so much more interesting before Xander and demons came into her life. Her dad usually did it to her and she went with it. Now it just feels like she's wasting time. Time which has suddenly become a lot more precious to her. Cordy finally focused on the road and saw where the car was stopped at makeout point. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!"

The boy looked at her with stars in his eyes. "Come on Cordy I feel like we've really connected."

Cordy glared at him and stuck her hand over his eyes. "What color are my eyes?"

"Uhmm"

Cordy dropped her hand and immediately got out of the car. Thanks for the dud dad. They had so much in common.

"Cordelia, just get in the car,"

Cordy took a couple steps out only to stumble into a gray haired man wolf. Why is this always happening to her? "Uh, you're a good doggie right, a good veggie doggie right." She heard the sound of the car screeching and taking off. "You coward!" She quickly took off in the other direction the wolf giving chase. "Somebody, somebody help!"

Xander ran the water over his head and got out of the shower grabbing a towel. It's a nice little man cave now, emphasis on cave.

"Somebody, somebody help!"

Cordy ran to the tree and hid to catch her breath seeing the creature move further ahead seeing it lost track of her. Where's Buffy when you need her for crying out loud! She went to quietly leave only to feel a sharp pain in her leg seeing the wolf creature doubled back and is currently biting her. She quickly put her manicured nails to use scratching its eye forcing to loosen its grip as she hobbled away shouting. "Xander!"

Xander appeared in the familiar melody from the zyusouken as a white glow surrounded him. "Cordy get down!"

Cordelia ducked as Xander ran full force and shoulder charged the wolf knocking it into the forest and to parts unknown as he took off in the other direction. "What took you so long!"

"I was in the shower!" Xander countered.

Cordelia looked at him and smiled. "Clearly."

Xander blushed seeing what fell down and quickly grabbed the towel wrapping it back around his waist as the glow disappeared. "So, where's your car?"

"I was doing a favor for my father and I'm spreading the word that Jim has VD tomorrow." Cordy replied looking at her leg. "Think it will need stitches?"

Xander smiled and kneeled down as the glow overtook him and put his hands on Cordelia's leg.

Cordy watched as Xander's light just seemed to heal the wound. "How did you do that on purpose? You've never had such control of the light before."

Xander smiled getting back to his feet. "When I had nothing to do for a month but stay in the cave I learned when I got sick of looking for a cure. Did it by accident once shaving and learned how to control it a lot more. I can also throw a light ball with it. Are you OK?"

Cordy nodded. "Yeah, bad not date notwithstanding. And once again you're wasting your time helping me."

"It's my time I'll waste it as I please." Xander assured her.

Cordy did her best not to laugh before kissing him deeply. "What color are my eyes?"

"You are the beautiful hazel eyed woman whom I hope will be my girlfriend when this is over." Xander answered.

Cordelia smiled. "I already am." The two kissed deeply again until Cordelia whispered. "You're poking me."

"Sorry!" Xander backed away.

Cordy looked down at the watch and the clock going. "You should probably go. Before people notice the naked man."

Xander looked at her uncomfortable. " I don't want to leave you alone."

Cordelia pointed out a blue car with fogged windows. "Yeah, that's Tim Carrey and Beth Nealis they'll give me a ride home."

Xander looked at Cordy he didn't think she was close to either of them and come to think of it. "Wait, I thought Tim was dating Beth's friend Che... oh. Until next time I guess."

Cordy smiled seeing him play the Zyusouken. "Till next time."

Xander disappeared playing the familiar song as Cordy walked to the car.

The next day Miss Calendar came into school feeling lighter, then she had before but she hates that the truth hurt the others so much. Jenny came into the library at a sight that is genuinely starting to disturb her seeing Rupert face first in a book for the third time this week and a countless number of times this month. She walked over and gently nudged him.

Giles opened his eyes and looked around. "What time is it?"

"Morning?" Jenny said looking down at the page of the book. "Fires of resurrection? Are they reassembling the Judge?"

Giles shook his head. "No, Xander's attack has left him so many pieces that the bigger pieces were scrambled by the council and the smaller pieces were put into concrete in construction products, hate to say it but as big a pratt as he is Ethan has his moments."

Jenny nodded. "So, trying to resurrect Angel's soul?"

Giles got up and calmly put the book back on the stack. "No!"

Jenny watched him walk. "Look Rupert, I didn't want to say anything because of secrets I've been keeping recently but you've been a mess for a month now."

Giles shook his head. "I'm fine."

Jenny stood at the door. "Is that right? You don't eat, you barely sleep, I can't count how many times I've found you crashed head first on the table. Something is scaring you and you're working yourself to the bone from it."

"I'm fine!" Giles repeated

"Well, if you ever need someone to talk to about this my door is always open." Jenny offered as the door came open showing Buffy, Cordelia and Willow.

Giles smiled seeing an opportunity to change the topic. "Buffy, how did the patrol work out last night?"

Buffy shook her head. "No sign of Angel, or much of anything for that matter."

Cordy looked at the group. "I got attacked by a dog thing."

Jenny looked at her concerned. "Are you OK?"

Cordy nodded. "Xander showed up at the eleventh hour and pulled me out of the fire."

Buffy looked at her with a smile. "You saw him?"

"Shoulder charged the demon to parts unknown with that white light thing he does." Cordy finished.

Willow nodded. "Well since he's harnessing it into attacks does that mean he'll be coming home soon?"

Giles shook his head. "No, not likely, not yet, sadly that power that beat the Judge needs to be fully controlled before he's out in public again and he's just not there yet."

Willow frowned but understood not wanting her best friend blowing anything up but she's finding out more about this place next time she sees him.

Giles turned to Cordelia. "Anything you can tell me about this uh, dog demon besides that?"

Cordy shook her head. "No, that's it, big demon, looked like a dog or a wolf. Now I'm off for a Spa weekend have fun. Daddy's way of making up for a lame date." Cordy went for the door to see Oz come in holding his head. "What happened to you?"

"Bad headache." Oz replied.

Cordy just quietly left the building looking forward to the weekend.

Xander laid back and bounced his head and that's all 999 bottles of beer on the wall. Is it night or day now? The teen got to his feet and decided to look around Sunnydale through the water. Up first Buffy, he sees her with... Giles at... Lover's lane. "What the fu..." Well, if Angel is anything it means she does like older... oh god no, screw this he's going to Willow its probably demon related anyway. He sees her at the Bronze and sees no big deal she knows the rules. He decides to focus on Angel maybe he's hiding in some place he can blow up. He sees him walking in the sewers of Sunnydale with fresh blood on his lips. Xander slammed his hand down and splashed the water. As much as he wants to kill Angel he knows he can't by himself much less underground where a hundred of his friends can be waiting. Hell for whatever reason he can't even teleport to him. He's guessing it's either a vampire thing or a dead body thing. Either way he can't touch him.

Xander switched his focus to Ethan and to his surprise sees the wheel chaired Englishman reading through a book of resurrection rituals. The chaos mage has a heart who would have thought it. He switches his focus to Jenny and saw her at home on her computer doing something illegal if his memories of Willow are right he wonders what she's hacking into. Ten minutes later he got bored and went to the fridge letting the picture of Jenny dissipate.

Two twinkees and a root beer later and he's back at the screen. Last but not least Cordelia. He waited as the water created a forest from the looks of it. She had a crap date so that means she's on a spa day. He watches as a clawed hand grabs a tree and claws into it. He sees the demon from last night and quickly retrieves his weapons. He can't believe that thing followed her all the way out there.

Xander appeared out in the world weapons ready. "Alright dog boy where are you?" Xander wandered the forest finding the clawed-up tree. From there he took the same route the creature. "Cordy! Are you out here?"

Xander walked up to another tree in the forest seeing the claw marks once again. Is this just like a graffiti tag this thing does? From the bushes on the left of him the creature's head emerges and just let's out a low growl causing Xander to quip because he'll never get his chance again. "Clever girl!"

Xander immediately turned left and jumped into air with the white glow all around him as the creature pounced on him knocking him to the ground and making him drop his sword. Xander got his feet into the creature's stomach and flipped it over his head. "If you hurt Cordelia, I'm going to turn you into a rug for the lapse less cave."

The creature got to its feet as a full glowed Xander tackled the creature into the bushes at the right of them unaware of the sudden drop as they rolled down the hill fighting for control at the bottom of the hill the creature landed on top of Xander and calmly looked into his eyes.

Xander matched the creature's eyes staring it down. What happened next Xander didn't expect seeing the creature pee on his leg. "That's just a dick move man."

Before the fight can continue three arrows landed in the creature's back as the creature's eyes went heavy and crashed on Xander who could only groan in pain from all the sudden dead weight crashing down on his chest. "Are you kidding me!"

Xander watched as the Blue Archer walked up to him and all he could do is struggle against the dead weight. "You're never going to get a cleaner shot."

"I know." The archer let an arrow fly into Xander's arm as the teen's eyes got heavy before closing completely like the creature passing out.

Author Notes

I wasn't planning to end the chapter there but I couldn't think of a better place to end on a cliffhanger for part 1.

Thanks to everyone who has previously reviewed followed and favorited this story and thank you for sticking around through the hiatus from hell.