Disclaimer: All characters and things from ANGEL and BUFFY belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. If they aren't on the show they belong to me.
Summary: Angel and Spike get a chance to get back the people that meant the most to them after the battle against Wolfram and Hart. But can they keep the real past a secret from the only people they want to share it with? A/C S/B
CHAPTER 8
Angel arrived in L.A. around sunset and, to him, it was a completely different city then when he last remembered it. He attributed that to the fact that he was seeing it in a new light, literally. He had only seen L.A. in the bright sunlight once, when Spike had come after the Ring of Amara, but Angel couldn't enjoy it then. Now he could. He could walk around in the sun all day, or go to the beach, or play basketball in the park.
He drove his car down the familiar street and sighed. None of it felt right without Cordelia. She had promised him that she would be with him until he Shanshued, and he knew she had already broken that promise, but not willingly. She died back at Wolfram and Hart to help him carry on, and he wasn't angry with her for that, but now, knowing she was alive and not with him, irritated him to no end.
Angel parked his car in front of the familiar gates of the Hyperion to find an older man locking the huge brass doors. Angel hopped out of his convertible and made his way up to the man quickly.
"Excuse me sir, but why are you locking up the gate?" Angel asked.
The older man turned to Angel, and Angel guessed he was somewhere in his late forties, his smile was old and worn, but his hair not completely gray. "Well, this place was on the market for a few months and we couldn't get anyone to buy it." He motioned to the Hyperion Hotel. "So after tonight the city will knock it down if I can't get a buyer. It's really a shame. It's a beautiful hotel."
"I'll take it." Angel said instantly. He was not about to let the Hyperion fall to pieces. The best years of his life were spent under that roof with Cordelia, his son, and his family.
The older man seemed to chuckle at Angel. "Well son, it might be a little out of your price range."
Angel shook his head, remembering all the money he had taken out of his account before he left Sunnydale. "I doubt it."
The older man nodded. "Very well then." He motioned to his car. "Can we take a ride to my office?"
Angel nodded, watching the old man get into his car, and then getting into his own convertible, following the realtor down the street and to his office. Angel wanted something to remember his past reality, and he felt that the Hyperion was just that.
Spike found himself sitting in the bleacher as Sunnydale High Schools football team got their butts handed to them by their cross-town rival. It seemed that the football team really did need Angel if they wanted to win. Spike could see that. Angel was always the athletic type. Too bad no one on the football team had a clue were Angel was.
If Spike had been there for the game he probably would have been pissed, but he wasn't. He was there to watch Buffy jump around in her cheerleading uniform. He liked the show so far, and every once in a while Buffy would glance up at Spike and smile before returning to her cheer.
Buffy wasn't the only reason Spike was there. He wanted to keep an eye on Cordelia. After all, that was all Angel had asked and it didn't really seem like a bothersome task for Spike, considering Cordelia was around Buffy the majority of the time.
When the game was over Spike made his way down the bleachers and over the railing, landing on his feet right in front of Buffy and Cordelia.
"What a game." Spike said sarcastically.
"Yeah." Buffy smiled at him as she took a sip from her water bottle. "You seemed really interested in the game."
"Well I'm bloody sorry if I'm more attracted to the women on the sideline shaking their butts then I am to the sweaty boys on the field." Spike joked.
Buffy smiled at him. "Are you coming to the Bronze tonight?"
"Of coarse he is." Xander made his way over, wrapping his arm around Cordelia and holding his helmet in the other hand. "Maybe his roommate can come to and give me another bloody nose, huh?" Xander jabbed at Spike, trying to make it a joke, but Spike didn't find it funny.
"Don't worry about Angel." Spike said simply. He was not about to tell the group that Angel had left town. It didn't seem like the right time.
"Well, whatever." Xander said as he kissed Cordelia on the head. "I'll call you tomorrow."
"You're not going to the Bronze?" Cordelia asked.
"Not tonight." Xander told her.
"But it's Friday night, and everyone is going." Cordelia gave Xander a little flirtatious pout.
Xander just rolled his eyes at Cordelia. "Well, I can't make it." He let go of her. "I'll call you."
Before Cordelia could say a word, Xander was walking toward the locker room. Spike could tell she was hurt by his actions, and when she glanced at the blonde ex-vampire she could tell he knew. She quickly looked away from Spike. "Ready to go, Buffy?"
Buffy looked at Cordelia and then at Spike. "Actually, I was going to see if Spike could give me a ride over?"
"Sure." Spike smiled at Buffy.
"Okay then." Cordelia gave a little wave. "I'll see you over at the Bronze."
Buffy nodded and she and Spike watched Cordelia make her way up the parking lot. Buffy then turned to Spike. "Do you have your bike or Angel's car?"
"My motorcycle." Spike said. "Angel's car…we'll I won't be using it anytime soon." And that was the truth; Spike wouldn't use it anytime soon. Not when Angel was in L.A.
"That's fine." Buffy grinned at him. "I like your bike anyway."
Spike smiled and nodded as he watched her lead him out toward the parking lot and toward his motorcycle. There was definitely something between them, and he could feel it. He wasn't just Buffy's rebound from Angel. He was more to her, and Buffy was the world to him.
Angel pulled his car up to the back of the Hyperion Hotel. He had gone with the realtor, and it turned out Angel had more then enough money to by the Hyperion. In fact, the hotel was cheaper in this reality then it had been in the old one.
Angel slowly made his way into the lobby of the Hyperion, flipping on a light and seeing a ghostly scene in front of him. The Hyperion was decorated exactly how it was left when Angel Investigations made the move to Wolfram and Hart. The furniture, the flowers, the phone, everything was in the exact spot it had been left in. He rushed toward the counter, hoping to find the one piece of his past that he did not want to let go of, but it wasn't there. In fact it was the only thing in the whole hotel that was missing. The signs, the business cards, the case files, anything related to Angel Investigations existence was gone, as if it never was there at all.
Angel sighed as he looked around the hotel. It was so familiar, and yet so foreign to him. He needed to get some air so he decided to make his way out the back, past the garden. He then continued down the street, walking aimlessly and that's when he heard the woman's scream.
Angel quickly turned in the direction of the scream and found himself in a dark alley. At the other end of the alley Angel could just make out the silhouette of a woman being attacked by a man. He quickly rushed forward, throwing the man aside and grabbing the woman's hand, leading her back to the lights of the street.
When they got back to the street Angel turned back to the woman to see if she was okay, and that's when he was stunned. He knew the young black woman standing in front of him, he couldn't remember where from, but the shape of her eyes was so familiar.
"Alonna!" A voice that sent chills up Angel's spin yelled.
Angel turned to see Gunn running toward him.
"Charles!" The girl Angel had saved ran toward Gunn.
And that's when Angel put it all together. He recognized the woman he had saved because it was Gunn's sister. The sister Gunn had tried so hard to protect.
"Are you okay?" Gunn asked Alonna.
Alonna nodded. "I'm fine." She motioned toward Angel. "He saved me."
Gunn stuck his hand out to Angel. "Thank you, man. You saved my baby sister."
Angel shook Gunn's hand, trying to piece everything together. Darla had said that everyone had been given a second chance, and he assumed this was Gunn's. Gunn had the chance to be with his sister. "No problem."
"I'm Charles Gunn." Gunn introduced himself, and them motioned to his sister. "This is Alonna."
"Angel." Angel responded.
"Angel?" Alonna raised an eyebrow. "That's your name?"
Angel dug his hands into his pockets. "Yeah." And with that Angel turned and began to walk away.
"Hold up, man!" Gunn called after him. "That's it? You save my sister and just walk away?"
"I'm sure we will run into each other again." Angel continued walking.
"Yeah? Why you say that?" Gunn asked. "Anymore attackers coming by that I should know about?"
Angel turned back to Gunn. "Get her home. Keep her safe."
Gunn looked at Angel, Angel looked at Gunn, and the two men completely understood each other, as though they were passing words between them but they weren't. Angel had always had that ability with Gunn. He assumed it was because they were so much alike, and he found a small sense of comfort as he walked away from Gunn and Alonna and back toward the Hyperion. He liked knowing that Gunn had no idea who he was and yet they could still read each other like books.
Spike and Buffy arrived at the Bronze to find Cordelia, Willow, and Oz sitting at a table in the back of the club. They both walked over to their group of friends and took seats next to them.
"Good to see you guys." Willow said to Buffy and Spike.
Buffy nodded. "We would have gotten here sooner but Spike had to stop and get gas."
"Didn't realize my bloody bike had none left." Spike added.
"Well, at least you made it." Cordelia seemed sad as she played with the straw in her glass.
"Right." Spike nodded at Cordelia.
"So, where is Xander?" Willow looked over in the direction Buffy and Spike had walked in.
Cordelia took a deep breath, avoiding eye contact with everyone at the table. "He's not coming."
"He's not still upset with what happened at school today, is he?" Willow asked. "I mean, I don't even think Angel is here." Willow looked around. "I haven't seen him…"
"No Angel." Oz stated simply. He always had a way with words.
"I didn't think he'd be stupid enough to show up here." Buffy rolled her eyes.
"No. I mean no Angel ever again." Oz said, looking around to see the confused looks from his friends. "Didn't you guys hear?"
"Hear what?" Buffy asked.
"Angel dropped out of school." Oz said. "I heard the secretaries talking when I went into the office today."
"He dropped out of school?" Buffy asked as she and the rest of the group looked to Spike for an answer.
Spike took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "Yeah. He did."
"Why?" Willow was stunned.
Spike shrugged. "He needed a break, I guess."
"Where is he?" Willow asked. "Is he still in town?"
Spike shook his head, clearly surprising the group. "He left this afternoon."
"Why?" Buffy seemed more curious then anything.
Spike shrugged again, looking up at Cordelia to see the shock written on her face. "He had no real reason to stay, I guess."
Cordelia visibly shivered at Spike's words and looked away from him.
"Well, I guess that's that." Oz said after a moment of silence.
The group at the table then seemed to chipper up, all accept Cordelia who was still looking down at her drink, and Spike, who was never really that happy.
"Looks like everyone is here tonight." Willow said about the crowd in the club.
"Basically." Buffy agreed. "Xander is missing a good time."
"I know." Willow said. "Faith too."
Cordelia seemed to perk up. "Faith's not here?"
Willow shook her head. "I told her to come but you know how she gets."
"All weird and bully-like." Oz stated.
"Exactly." Willow agreed with her boyfriend.
Suddenly, Cordelia stood, a tense look on her face. "I…I have to go…"
"Cordelia! Wait! We just got here-" Buffy tried, but Cordelia was already out the door.
"Let me see if I can get her." Spike stood, knowing why Cordelia had rushed out the door. He made his way swiftly out of the club and caught up to Cordelia a block down the street. "Cordelia!"
Cordelia stopped, turning to face Spike. "What?"
"Look. I know what you're thinking and where you're going but-" Spike said as he reached her.
"No you don't." Cordelia told him.
"I know you're going to see what in the bloody hell Xander is doing and I don't think you should." Spike told her.
"You think he's cheating on me too?" Cordelia raised an eyebrow. "Did Angel brainwash you or something?"
"Cordelia this has nothing to do with Angel." Spike told her.
"And what I am doing now has nothing to do with you so go back to the club and flirt with Buffy some more." Cordelia snapped as she turned on her heel and walked away.
Spike stood there for a moment, staring in the direction Cordelia had walked off in. Even in this reality Cordelia had that edge about her. She could be a bitch whenever she wanted to and she knew how to put people in their place. Spike sighed and turned back in the direction of the Bronze.
One thing Spike had been wrong about when he talked to Cordelia outside of the Bronze was saying that she was going to check in on Xander. She wasn't. She was going to check in on Faith and hoped that what Angel had told her and what she suspected was right deep in her gut was a lie. She prayed that Xander wasn't cheating on her.
She pulled her car up to the front of Faith's house and knew she was wrong. There, in Faith's driveway, was Xander's car. Cordelia took a deep breath and got out of her own car, making he way up to Faith's front door and still half hoping that she would find Xander and Faith inside, working on their health project.
Cordelia rang the doorbell.
A bump, a thump, and lights flicked on from inside the house. A minute later the front door swung open and on the other side stood Faith, clearly naked under the blanket she had wrapped around herself, and Xander standing behind her in his boxers. Both Faith and Xander were visibly shocked to see Cordelia standing on the other side of the door.
Cordelia just shook her head, and turned away from the door, running back to her car as tears fell down her face.
Xander ran after her. "Cordelia! Wait! I can explain!"
But Cordelia didn't give him the chance to as she turned her car on and took off down the street. Though her vision was cloudy, and her heart racing she found herself sitting in front of the only place she felt safe. She looked up realized she would have to wait for Spike to get home. The mansion in front of her was pitch black.
Angel sat in the lobby of the Hyperion Hotel with a phone book in his lap, trying to keep his mind off of Cordelia. He was trying to look Connor up but realized he did not know what Connor's last name was. He figured his best shot at finding his son would be heading down to the college campus the next day.
Angel sighed, standing and stretching out. That's when he heard the front door open. He turned and was in astonished to see who was standing in front of him.
"Hello there, I'm Wesley Wyndam-Pryce." Wesley moved down the stairs to shake Angel's hand. "I know its late, and I am sorry to bother you, but you wouldn't happen to have a room I could stay in tonight, would you? I just got in from England and have a seminar to go to tomorrow. I just need a room tonight."
"This, this isn't a hotel." Angel said.
Wesley raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? That's rather odd. I assumed it was since the sign outside said it was."
"It was." Angel got over the shock of seeing Wesley. "I just bought it."
"I see…" Wesley sighed. "Well, I'm sorry to bother you then, sir." He turned to move back to the door.
Angel moved to the door as well, stopping Wesley. "It's fine. If you just need a room for the night we can manage. I mean, there are plenty of rooms." For some reason, Angel did not want Wesley leaving. He missed his old friend.
"Well, that is quite kind of you Mr.…" Wesley started.
"Angel." Angel said.
"Mr. Angel." Wesley finished.
"Just Angel." Angel told him.
"Well then, Angel." Wesley nodded, moving to the stairs. "What room shall I take?"
"Fourth one on the right is all yours." Angel said, offering Wesley Fred's old room.
"Thank you." Wesley nodded and moved up the stairs.
Angel stood in the lobby for a long time after that, staring up at the hallway Wesley had disappeared down. He hated this reality. He hated seeing Cordelia and Gunn and Wesley and having none of them remember him. It made him feel colder inside then he ever had as a vampire.
Spike stopped his motorcycle in front of Buffy's house. Willow had offered the Slayer a ride home, but Buffy had insisted on going home with Spike and Spike was not going to argue with that.
Buffy hopped off his bike and smiled at him. "Thanks for the ride."
"Not a problem." Spike told her. "I enjoyed it."
"Me too." Buffy smiled back at him.
"Well. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess." Spike took a deep breath.
Buffy rolled her eyes and pulled Spike's close to her before he could object, not that he would have, and kissed him.
They kissed for what seemed like forever, and then Buffy pulled away smiling at Spike and making her way up to her house. Spike sat on his bike for a moment after that, trying to wipe the huge grin off of his face. His new life in this reality had just seemed to perk up.
Spike pulled up to the mansion to find Cordelia sitting on the front steps, her arms wrapped around her knees. Even from the driveway, Spike could tell Cordelia was crying. He could even hear her sniffling every once and a while. He took a deep breath and walked up to the brunette sitting in front of his house.
"Hey there." Spike said as he stepped past Cordelia and moved to unlock the front door of the mansion. He then turned back to her. "If you plan on crying out here all night can you keep it down? I'll be trying to sleep."
Cordelia glared at Spike only to find him smiling back at her. Clearly he wanted to get her talking and he knew the only way to do that was by pissing her off.
Cordelia stood, moving past Spike and into the mansion. She flicked on the lights and took a seat on the couch in the living room as Spike shut the door behind him.
"So, can I ask why you were sitting on my steps crying?" Spike asked, pulling a chair over and setting it across from the couch Cordelia was on.
Cordelia looked down at her hands. "I am sure you already know."
"No. Can't say I do." Spike leaned back. "I'm not a mind reader."
Cordelia looked up at Spike. "Angel was right." She was fighting back tears. "Xander was cheating on me with Faith…" Cordelia wiped her eyes. "I caught him tonight."
Spike didn't know what to say. He had known deep down why Cordelia was there long before he asked her, and now he just felt sorry for her. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know how. So he sat instead.
After a moment, Cordelia got herself under control and looked up at Spike. "I'm sure you know why I'm here…"
Spike nodded. He knew.
"Where is he?" Cordelia asked.
Spike knew Cordelia was talking about Angel. "Not here."
"I know that." Cordelia seemed to whisper. "I know he left because of me…"
"Cordelia…" Spike started. He really didn't know what she wanted him to say.
"Just tell me where he is." Cordelia requested.
"Why?" Spike asked. "You plan on chasing after him?"
Cordelia shrugged, laughing to herself. "I know. It sounds crazy. I hardly know him. I mean, I've known him forever but I never really got to know him. You know?"
Spike nodded. Somehow he had understood what Cordelia was trying to say.
"It's crazy, but I feel like I need to go after him. I need to apologize. I don't know why but I feel like I need to be with him wherever he is." Cordelia gaze seemed to drift toward the ceiling. "I know that sounds stupid, but I feel like I belong with him."
And she did. Spike knew that as much as Angel did. Cordelia belonged by Angel's side, she always had. Why else would the Powers have made her his seer? "Yeah…"
Cordelia looked back at Spike. "Please, just tell me where he is…" She seemed to beg.
Spike nodded after a moment. "I will. But not tonight." He stood.
Cordelia stood as well. "What? Why not?"
"Because, you're upset and tired." Spike told her. "And I don't think you should just jump up and leave everything you have here behind you. Sleep on it. If you still want to go after him in the morning I will tell you where he is."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Fine."
"You can stay in Angel's old room tonight." Spike told her as he moved to his bedroom. "It's too late. I don't want you driving home."
"Fine…" Cordelia made her way into Angel's room, closing the door behind her.
Spike then made his way into his own room. He wanted to tell Cordelia where Angel was because he wanted them both to be happy, but he also wanted to make sure that leaving Sunnydale was something that Cordelia really desired. He didn't want her to regret her decision after she got to L.A. and then decide to come back to Sunnydale. Spike knew that would cut Angel deeper then anything. He would tell Cordelia where Angel was in the morning, if she still wanted to know.