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 25
Angel woke up to the sound of water running from his bathroom. He neglected to open his eyes and instead patted the spot in bed next to him that Cordelia had curled up in the night before. The spot was empty. He opened one eye and saw the bathroom door half opened, realizing Cordelia was already up and in the shower.
Angel opened both eyes and sat up in bed, just as he heard the shower water shut off. "Cordelia?" He called out.
"Be right out." Cordelia's voice came from the bathroom. A second later she stepped into Angel's bedroom in just a towel.
Angel smiled at the sight of her, although the particular scenario brought up some hard memories for him, particularly of the day he walked in to get her before she got her memory back, before they woke up Jasmine. He frowned at the memory.
"Well, good morning to you too." Cordelia rolled her eyes at his expression.
Angel immediately snapped out of his thoughts, looking up at her with a smile. "What?"
Cordelia just laughed, smiling her famous smile. "Nothing, dork." She leaned down and kissed him, giving Angel a peak down the top of her towel, which he took advantage of completely.
Cordelia saw Angel's wandering eyes and gave him another kiss before standing up straight. "You get nothing this morning, mister, except a cold shower." She moved to the closet she had now claimed as her own, telling Angel that she had much more clothes then he ever would.
Angel growled at her statement, causing her to turn back to him.
"Come on, shower." Cordelia motioned to the bathroom. "We've got a big day ahead of us."
Angel nodded, sighing. "I know." He climbed out of bed, and made his way over to her, wrapping his arms around her, and kissing her softly on her bare shoulder.
Before Cordelia got to wrapped up in the moment, she moved her neck. "Come on, you really need to shower. After you talk to Darla we can spend some time together."
Angel sighed, letting her go. "Yeah, if I can even get to Darla and even if I do she might not know anything."
Cordelia turned to face Angel, holding up a brown top and a white top. "She will."
"I hope." Angel pointed to the white top. He liked her better in lighter colors; he thought it made her skin appear even more bronzed then it was. He also thought it made her look more like the angel he knew she was.
Cordelia nodded at his shirt selection and put the brown one back in the closet. "Trust me, once we figure out a way to get you to her…" Her voice trailed off and she got a distant look in her eyes.
Angel had seen that look before. He grabbed her shoulder. "Cordy…did you…"
"Vision." Cordelia's eyes shifted back to him. "I just had a vision." She was clearly surprised.
Angel nodded, also surprised. "Well, this reality is changing. Our powers are coming back, I guess."
Cordelia nodded. "Yeah."
"What did you see?" Angel asked her.
"You…and Darla…" Cordelia smiled. "I know how to get you to her."
Angel smiled at her. Maybe the Powers That Be were still watching over them after all. Why else would they send Cordelia a vision? Then again, Angel wondered why Cordelia had even gotten the vision. She wasn't technically a seer anymore because he wasn't technically a champion anymore. And she wasn't part demon, so the vision should have hurt her, but it didn't. Thoughts flew through Angel's head, as he realized that he felt cold inside, like he had when he was a vampire. He checked his heartbeat; it was still there, for now. He had a feeling he needed to get to Darla and soon, because things in the new reality were definitely crashing into things from the old reality with great force.
The sound of Buffy's cell phone ringing was what woke up Buffy, Spike, Giles, Xander, and Faith who had all managed to fall asleep all around Giles' living room the night before. After Giles had gotten off the phone with Angel he and the rest of the group decided to start researching in the few books they had about other dimensions and realities and the gateways between them, and somewhere during that research they had all managed to fall asleep.
Buffy checked her phone, looking up at the disheveled group in front of her. "It's my mom."
"Well, bloody answer it." Spike told her; grouchy that he had been woken up.
"I can't." Buffy said.
"Why not?" Xander asked.
"Because it's weird." Buffy admitted as her phone stopped ringing. "My mom died. I was there. I remember. She shouldn't be here anymore."
"It's her second chance." Faith said. "Just like Angel said…"
Buffy shook her head. "No. She didn't die fighting some epic battle like the rest of us. She just…" Buffy looked at her hands. "She died. Her time was up."
"So?" Faith asked. "If the Powers felt like she deserved another chance then she did. Obviously they hand picked the few who came back."
"Why do you say that?" Giles was intrigued by Faith's words.
"Well, some of us didn't get to come back." Faith said, looking over at Xander who was looking at his feet. "I figure that's for a reason."
"Like Anya…" Xander looked up.
Faith nodded. "Yeah, like Anya. I mean, there has to be some reason she isn't back."
"And Tara…" Buffy added.
"And Doyle." Spike finished, rubbing his hands together, for some reason he felt unnaturally cold.
"Who?" Xander asked.
"Doyle…" Buffy repeated what Spike had said. "He was Angel's seer before Cordelia. The one who…"
"Oh right, the one who died." Xander recalled hearing the story of how Cordelia had originally received the visions.
"Well, he died a hero." Spike remembered hearing about Doyle when he worked at Wolfram and Hart. "Maybe that's why he isn't back."
"Or maybe he serves some higher purpose." Giles reasoned, feeling like he was scratching the surface of something big. "Like with Darla. If this was really a second chance for us all she wouldn't have been the one giving Angel and Spike the message about it, she would be getting her second chance."
Spike nodded after a moment. "You're bloody right. If this was really a second chance for us all then everyone would be back, not a select few of us."
"Okay…" Xander seemed to perk up. "So we are onto something?" If there was a way to get Anya back, he wanted to know what it was, and if there wasn't a way to get Anya back, he wanted to know why.
"Yes." Giles stood. "I believe we are. We should start looking into it."
"We should start with breakfast." Faith said, standing as well. "I'll go get some. B, you wanna come with?"
Buffy looked at the stack of books they had gone through last night. She was never much of a researcher; she would rather do a donut run any day of the week. "Sure." She stood quickly and followed Faith out the door of Giles' house. She was hoping by the time she and Faith got back with breakfast Spike, Giles, and Xander would be well underway with the research and would not need her or Faith's help.
Angel and Cordelia descended the stairs of the Hyperion Hotel to find Gunn, Wesley, Connor, Fred, and Lorne all busying themselves around the lobby. Gunn and Connor were pulling out all of Angel's weapons and rearranging the weapons cabinet while Fred, Lorne, and Wesley were looking over all of Wesley's books, clearly trying to find a way to get Angel to Darla.
Wesley looked up at Angel and Cordelia and rubbed the back of his neck. "We haven't found anything on a way to get you to Darla yet, Angel."
"No problem." Cordelia said, taking Angel's hand in hers and swinging slightly. "I already know how to."
"You do?" Gunn raised an eyebrow in speculation and saw the look Cordelia threw at him. Immediately he had to defend the shock in his voice. "Not that you ain't smart enough to figure it out, Barbie, its just that you haven't done any researching yet."
"Well, she…uh…" Angel looked at Cordelia and took a deep breath before he finished his sentence. "She had a vision."
"She had a what?" Fred, Lorne, and Wesley all spoke at the same time, shocked by what Angel had just told them.
"A vision." Cordelia repeated what Angel had just said.
"Like a vision, like one from the Powers?" Fred asked. "Like you used to get."
Cordelia nodded. "Yeah." She thought more about what she had said. "And you know what, it didn't hurt." She looked at Wesley. "It should have hurt. I'm not part demon anymore."
"Yes you are." Connor spoke up, as if he were still unsure of his own part in a conversation. He had always been direct and brief when he spoke, and now was no expectation. "I can smell you. You have some demon in you."
Cordelia's eyes grew wide as she looked at Angel. "Is he right?"
Angel took a whiff of Cordelia, surprised by the results he had inhaled. She did have the same odor she had gotten when she had become part demon. It was not a bad smell, just different from her human one. "Yeah you do." He looked at Connor. "So do you."
"Well so do you." Connor said back to his father.
"Okay, so what does that mean?" Gunn asked.
"It means they are transforming." Wesley said. "Back to what they were before this reality."
"So that means Connor and Cordelia are part demons again and Angel is going to be a…" Fred couldn't finish her sentence as she looked at Angel.
"A vampire…" Angel looked at his hands. They were cold and his heartbeat was gradually slowly down. He gave it another day or two before he was a vampire again. "I know."
"Okay, so now what?" Gunn asked.
Wesley looked at Cordelia. "We follow your vision."
Cordelia nodded, giving Angel a gentle smile. She could tell it was killing him to have his humanity taking from him, but it didn't matter to her, she would still love him. "Well, it seemed that Connor had to spill some of his blood in a blue circle and then we chant something and Angel should be off to Darla." She looked at Connor and then at Wesley.
"Of course!" Wesley nodded. "Blue chalk and the blood that belongs to the person you're trying to seek."
"Say what?" Gunn asked.
"The blue chalk acts as like barrier to protect the person you are seeking out, and in order to get to them you need their blood, or some part of it, which would be Connor's blood since Darla was his mother. The phrase we need is in one of my texts." Wesley explained.
"Go get it." Angel ordered, and looked at Connor. "You game."
Connor was way ahead of Angel, however, moving to the counter and rummaging underneath until he found the bar of chalk. He wondered why Angel kept it there but decided not to ask. "Yeah, I'm ready."
Wesley emerged from his office, book in hand. "Okay, Gunn, draw the circle."
Gunn did as he was told and drew a blue circle on the floor.
"Now, Connor, the blood." Wesley looked at Connor.
Connor nodded, pulling a small dagger from his pocket and slicing his hand, letting his blood drip into the circle.
"Alright, my turn." Wesley opened the book and read a phrase in Latin. Within seconds a blue swirl opened in the lobby, illuminating it with a bright white light.
"I take it that's how I get to Darla?" Angel looked at Cordelia, shielding his eyes from the light.
Cordelia nodded. "Yeah." She tugged on his hand, forcing him to look at her. "Be careful, Angel."
Angel smiled at her, pulling her in for once quick kiss. "I always am." And with that Angel jumped into the swirl, leaving Cordelia, Wesley, Connor, Lorne, Fred, and Gunn standing in the lobby, looking at the blue circle and drops of Connor's blood that decorated the lobby's floor.
Faith and Buffy walked down the street toward one of the two bagel shops Sunnydale was home to. The two slayers walked in the same step, basking in the sunlight and making little comments about all the men that passed them, stopped, and stared. After about four men had passed them, Faith turned to Buffy.
"I could get used to this." Faith said, checking out one guy who was clearly eyeing her up. "What about you?"
Buffy just laughed, shaking her head slightly. "Not really my style, Faith."
"Since when?" Faith asked the blonde slayer.
"When was it ever my style?" Buffy asked the brunette slayer.
"Well, I never thought it was. Then you did that whole song and dance with Spike…" Faith's voice trailed off, indicating she was hinting at something. "Unless of course you actually have feelings for Spike..."
Buffy raised an eyebrow at Faith as she opened the door to the bagel shop for the dark-haired slayer. "What do you want me to say to that, Faith?"
Faith shrugged, getting in line behind about four other people waiting to order bagels. "The truth?"
Buffy sighed, looking at her hands. "The truth is, Angel was it for me. No one will ever replace him. But, I'm not looking for his replacement because there is no such thing. I just want someone who believes in me and understands me. And I think maybe that's Spike."
Faith smiled, she knew Buffy had feelings for the blonde vampire long ago, she was just glad Buffy could finally admit to them.
"What?" Buffy noticed Faith's smile.
"Nothing." Faith continued to grin, but turned to face the counter, pretending to be reading all the different things available for breakfast. She was glad Buffy had talked to her, but she was going to let Buffy and Spike deal with their feelings for each other. Right now, they had a lot of other things on their hands.
Angel opened his eyes slowly to find himself in the same white abyss he had met Darla in twice before, after he had died at the battle against Wolfram and Hart. He glanced around once his eyes had adjusted to the great white nothingness, and realized Darla was nowhere to be found. The silence of the room was defining, and Angel even flinched when his own voice broke through.
"Darla?" Angel called out.
"So you made it after all." Darla seemed to appear out of nowhere right in front of Angel.
Angel jumped a little, not ready for Darla's presence to appear so quickly. "Uh, yeah?"
"Well, I mean, you didn't think to come here on your own." Darla said.
"What do you mean? Giles and me thought about it last night…"
"Right, but the Powers had to send Cordelia the vision to let you know how to get here."
"How did Cordelia get that vision?" Angel thought he would start there with this conversation with Darla. "She isn't a demon anymore, and in this world Doyle never passed her the visions before he died, right?"
"Doyle never existed in your new reality." Darla corrected Angel.
"What?" Angel was shocked.
"Doyle fought his fight for the Powers already. He accomplished his mission, you and the rest of the ones who were brought back have not yet." Darla said.
"But this was a second chance…"
"Yes, but not at a perfect life."
"But you said that this was our chance to be happy." Angel argued.
"It is, and it will be, but first you have to finish your duty to the Powers." Darla told him.
"What? That's what this was about the whole time?" Angel was a little beyond angry. "Finishing the damn fight?"
"Earning your reward." Darla corrected him.
Angel was furious. "Reward?"
Darla could tell he was mad. "Angel, I don't like it anymore then you do. I don't agree with it, or think its fair that the Powers The Be keep screwing around with your life, and with my son's life, but that's how it is. We have to pay for what he did Angel. I'm doing it up here and you're doing it down there."
"You and I do, but not them." Angel looked at his feet. "Not Cordelia, and not Connor."
Darla shook her head. "Unfortunately they are both as much a part of this as we are."
After a moment, Angel looked up at the women he had claimed to love for over two centuries. "So the Powers knew that this new reality and the old would collide together."
Darla nodded. "Yeah. That's why they needed you and everyone else back on that line fighting."
"Everyone who hasn't earned their reward yet?"
"Right."
"But what about Cordelia then?" Angel asked. "She fought, and she died for the Powers and they played with her like a puppet since she got the visions. She hasn't earned her reward yet?"
"She already got it." Darla said.
Angel looked confused.
"It was you." Darla told him. "You were her reward. The Powers knew that all she wanted and all you wanted was to be together, so they gave you the chance."
"Yeah, except I guess they forgot that if I am a vampire I can't be with her." Angel sighed.
"Well, that's exactly why you aren't a vampire." Darla told him.
"Not yet, but I will be soon enough. I can feel it. I'm colder, and the sun hurts my eyes, and my heart, it's slower then it was." He put a hand on his chest. "Not to mention I can hear and smell, and fight just as good as I could when I was a vampire."
"Those are just your strengths." Darla told him. "You're no more vampire then Cordelia is demon."
"But that's it, she is a demon, isn't she?" Angel asked. "She got the vision."
"Because the Powers need her now. Just like they need you, and Spike, and Buffy, and Connor, and Faith. All of you are gaining back only the strengths you need to fight this fight. Assuming you win and live through it, then you all do get that shot at a normal life." Darla explained. "Do you get it?"
After a moment, Angel nodded. He did understand. Just one more fight and it would all be over, he would get the chance to be with Cordelia for the rest of his existence. "I get it. Now send me back"
Darla nodded, smiling slightly at the father of her son. "Okay."
Angel closed his eyes and waited to hear the sounds of a busy Hyperion Hotel lobby. He would explain everything to everyone at A.I. and then he would call Sunnydale, explaining it all to Giles, Spike, Buffy, and Faith. They would then have to plot their next move.