Summary: Adventures they'll have and people they'll meet.
Spoilers: Up through BtVS:Chosen and AtS:NFA
Rating: Minor language, violence
Acknowledgment: My thanks to Theo for his input, ideas, and beta reading.
Part 5b: A Horse of a Different Color
Just as Xander had when Cordelia first arrived at Stonehenge, Angel rushed forward to gather up Cordelia in a joyous embrace. They hugged and cried in each others arms, Angel holding her fiercely, as the others looked on. After awhile they released each other and stood back a half step, Angel still gripping Cordelia's arms as his eyes drank in the sight of her and her brilliant smile. He leaned in again to kiss her as she turned slightly, only allowing Angel to kiss her on the cheek.
Xander was sure he wasn't the only one who noticed the momentary look of hurt and confusion that crossed Angel's face, though he suspected he was the only one to understand something significant had happened, even if he didn't know exactly what.
Angel finally became aware of the audience around himself and Cordelia and grinned sheepishly. Frowning, Xander turned and joined the burgeoning hysterics starting behind him with Faith, Giles and the slayers. Cordelia expressed muted enthusiasm in her greeting toward Faith. Angel held back, unsure of his reception. Giles and Xander nodded their greetings to the vampire. After a moment's pause Giles extended his hand to briefly shake Angel's. Xander and Angel just glared at each other, facial muscles bunching as both clenched their jaws.
When the initial celebration had run its course it was quickly decided they should move on to where the tunnel widened into a small cavern, with long sight lines to see any approaching attacker and plenty of places to defend. After verifying the worst they'd suffered was only scratches and bruises, everyone except Cordelia and Angel sat around Faith.
Faith became the center of attention as they all listened raptly to her story. Cordelia and Angel moved off from the main group, far enough away that even the slayers couldn't hear their voices. Xander got up and made an initial step to follow but quickly thought better of it, watching the pair for a few seconds before sitting back down. He shoved aside his concerns and returned to listen to Faith. However, every once in awhile, during a pause in Faith's breathless recounting, Xander would take a quick peek back to see Angel and Cordelia speaking in hushed whispers.
---
Angel's emotions were flip-flopping from barely contained elation to abject confusion and everything in between. "Cordy, I don't understand. I don't know what kind of miracle brought you back, but you're alive! You're alive!" he repeated. "We, we both made it! I'm so happy to see you again it hurts."
At Cordelia's sudden look he quickly amended his words. "Oh. No! No, no, not that happy." Cordelia relaxed. "But it feels like, like...you're giving me the cold shoulder? And why the hell didn't anybody let me know you were back!" Angel looked over Cordelia at the group gathered around Faith and his eyes started to cloud yellow. He growled low in his throat. "Was it Xander? Is that meathead keeping you prisoner?" Angel took a threatening step around Cordelia. "If he's hurt you again I'll ki--"
With surprising force Cordelia shoved him back. "Whoa! Back up, Angel! In fact, make a complete U-turn. Xander hasn't done anything wrong."
Angel's disbelief showed and Cordelia felt the need to repeat herself, "Will you listen to me? Xander's done nothing wrong. Nothing, Angel! Xander hasn't hurt me, or kept me prisoner or anything like that. He, and Giles, and everybody here, have been nothing but kind and gracious, bending over backwards to help me any way they could."
Angel directed his angry accusing scowl at Cordelia. "Except they wouldn't let you call me! I know they're watching me, and I know they can reach me if they want to."
"Yeah, Uh, well...that...um," Cordelia appeared a little embarrassed and wouldn't look Angel in the eye. "That was...that was my decision, Angel, not Xander's. They offered to help me get back to L.A. and see you, or call you. Or whatever I wanted. But I chose not to, not yet."
Angel's eyes opened in surprised confusion. "What? But why, Cordelia? What happened?"
"It's hard to explain, Angel." Cordelia sighed. "There's just...a lot of stuff. Stuff I need to figure out. This really isn't the time or place to go over it..." She started to turn back toward the others.
Quickly, though as gently as he could, Angel reached out and pulled her back around. "No! Now is the time. I'd have moved heaven and earth if I'd known you were alive, Cordelia. Di-didn't--you said...you said we were in love. Don't you remember?" Angel pleaded.
"Yes, I remember being in love with you," Cordelia agreed, her lips turning up in a sad reminiscing smile as she looked down at Angel's agitated hands. "Or at least thinking I was."
"Thinking?" Angel was stunned. "What are you talking about? You said you were. And I know I was in love with you."
Cordelia lifted her head and flipped back a lock of hair. She looked directly into Angel's eyes as if she could divine the truth from the darkness in them. "Were you, Angel? Were you really in love with me? And not still with Buffy?"
"I..." Angel floundered, waving his hands, trying to think how to answer that.
Cordelia chuckled lightly and continued before Angel could finish his answer. "That night we were supposed to meet, but never did because Skip took me to the higher plane? Do you remember that night?"
Angel let his arms fall to his side and closed his eyes tightly. "Yeah. Sometimes I'd prefer to forget it."
Cordelia's eyes took on an unfocused faraway look as she went over her memories again, speaking her thoughts aloud. "I remember talking to myself that night, trying to figure out if the feelings I had for you were real. And I thought they were. I believed they were. But now...it's so...distant. It feels like, like, a memory of a memory. Someone else's memory. What happened that night, looking back now, it doesn't feel right. Like it was me but not really me at the same time, y'know?" Cordelia threw up her hands in confusion and let out an explosive breath. "God, I don't know anymore! I just don't." Her sad smile acquired a bitter edge.
Angel collected himself and argued, "But you weren't possessed by Jasmine until after you came back. Before that it was you."
Cordelia lost the smile but not the bitterness. "Yes, Jasmine. I was a passenger on the Jasmine horror ride while she drove. And I could do nothing about it." The recollections of what Jasmine had done with her body distressed her mightily, all the wanton killing the fallen Power had enjoyed, the pain she had inflicted on people, the chaos and destruction she had unleashed on a entire city.
Cordelia shuddered as she tried to put away the awful images." And you didn't really clue into that. Not until too late." She suddenly realized that was a big part of why she was upset with Angel now. Despite all the clues and misbehavior he never really figured out it wasn't her. Not until it was far, far too late.
"I was staying with Conner, for God's sake! Your son. I fucked your son, Angel. Isn't that kind of a whopping big flashing neon sign that something was wrong with Cordy! But you didn't want to figure it out, did you? You just got all petty and sulky. And you saw us living in attics and meat packing plants. Me, Cordelia Chase! Staying in a meat packing plant? Hello! Anybody home?" A harsh brittle laugh escaped her but she sobered quickly, pausing before continuing on more quietly. "But you weren't," she sadly concluded in a soft voice.
"I-I'm sorry Cordelia." Angel hung his head. "I truly am. I just--"
Cordelia waved off Angel's apology. "S'okay, I suppose," she said, though her tone sounded like she was trying to convince herself rather than already convinced. "Jasmine probably had some kind of hex going to make you extra dense."
"Then...we're good?" Angel asked uncertainly, looking up, beginning to hope Cordelia would now feel as he once remembered her feeling.
Cordelia shook her head once. "No, Angel, it's not good. Not for me. Because it had to have begun before all that, before the Powers or Jasmine or whoever suckered me in. I remember the things I did and didn't do when I was still me...sort of. The things I was thinking, the choices I was making, the way I treated you and everybody else. It's like 'was that really me?', 'cause I just don't understand the why of it."
"What are you talking about? You were fine before you ascended."
"Wesley." Cordelia's expression was stony.
"Wesley?" asked Angel. "What's he got to do with how you felt for me?"
Cordelia gave him a troubled glance. "When he was in the hospital with his throat slashed, and later when he was allowed to go home, I never once thought about going to see him. Not once! That's just...wrong, Angel. I wouldn't have done that. I refuse to believe I would really have done that."
Unable to help himself, Angel grew angry. "Dammit, Cordelia, he stole my son! Why should you have seen that traitorous bastard?"
"I know he did something majorly wrong and heinous, Angel. But...it was Wesley! Our Wesley. He was family. So he made some bad choices--really bad ones--but he's still family. You were as caught up in the false prophecy as much as he was. And in his own deluded way he was trying to look out for Connor just as much as you were. And I just totally shut him out like that? Was that really me?"
"Look, Cordy, okay, maybe I overreacted. But that doesn't mean you have to feel anything toward him or--"
Cordelia impatiently cut him off. "Angel, you told me Skip was in on it the whole time. That he was a key player in Jasmine's plan, right?"
"Uh, yeah. So?"
"Then how can we trust anything he was involved with?"
"Well, we can't, I guess," Angel cautiously answered.
"And if he was the one who gave me the demon-y powers to cope with the visions?" Cordelia prompted.
It took Angel a few seconds to follow the direction Cordelia was going with her arguement before he slumped back. He looked down, dejected, and began to pick at one of the stalagmites next to him.
"See? So maybe I thought I was in love with you, but I don't think those feelings can be trusted. And I don't feel it now, not that way. I'm sorry, Angel, but I, I'm not in love with you. Not that way, not now."
Cordelia stepped close to Angel and took his head between her hands, feeling the rough coolness of his cheeks against her palms, and gently turned him to face her. She made sure she had his full attention before speaking again. "I do love you, Angel. As a friend. A particularly bone-headed idiot friend." She cast an affectionate bemused look back at Xander, who just happened to be looking their way that moment. "But then, I'm kinda used to that."
"You're, you're tossing me aside for, for...Xander?" Angel spluttered, seeing the direction she had been looking, trying to retain some sense of dignity.
"No! I'm not tossing anybody for anything, you big lunkhead." Cordelia let go of Angel and rolled her shoulders before looking up thoughtfully. "I think I somehow knew. That I needed to sort everything out. And...maybe that's why I didn't call. Maybe I should have, and I'm sorry, but it's not easy coming back when you think you've died. It was just so much to deal with."
Cordelia almost laughed at Angel's downcast expression and how pitiful he looked. Angel appeared as far from losing his soul as he ever could. Cordelia punched him lightly on the shoulder. "C'mon, big guy, I think we should rejoin the others."
---
"Yeah, so Lorne tells me I gotta haul ass over here," Faith said to the group at large. "And drag Angel's along as well. I mean, I'm down with that. Lorne's cool. If the Jolly Green beanpole says to do something then you probably should. And well, hell, I ain't been over here in awhile so I figured you all got kinda soft and needed some help." Faith looked around appraisingly at her sister slayers. "Looks like I was right." Her wide smile took the sting out of the implied insult. Carole, who had worked extensively with Faith when she first arrived in Cleveland, returned her smile.
"So that clears up why you're here with Angel, though I confess that's quite the devil of a story!" Giles scratched absently at his forehead before removing his glasses. He produced a dusty handkerchief from a back pocket. "But it doesn't explain why Angel has to be here," he finished with a frown as he tried to clean the lenses before putting them back on. Giles looked over at the vampire with a sour expression.
Faith also looked around before answering Giles' question. "I think Angel knows, but he ain't sayin'. Lorne tried to explain something about atonement and consequences but he lost me real quick. But, hey, Lorne's a straight shooter, I trust him. If he says Angel has to be here then Angel has to be here." She shrugged and held out her arms as if the responsibility wasn't hers.
Giles raised both his hands in a placating gesture. "That's fine, Faith, it is." The Watcher paused in thought and then blinked before giving Faith a quizzical look. "By the way, how did you find us down here? There must have been a dozen or more branchings we passed, you couldn't possibly have searched them all. Not that quickly, anyway."
Faith smiled and tapped her nose before hooking her thumb at Angel. Chagrined, Giles nodded his head, "Ah, I see."
Xander snorted. "And I'm sure the marks I've been making didn't have anything to do with it."
"I like my explanation better." Faith smirked at Xander. "And that's what's goin' in the report!" She started laughing at her own joke and Xander joined in, chuckling. Faith abruptly stopped and continued her explanation. "Then we heard the 'signal' and came running."
"Yes, your timing was impeccable," Giles said sardonically. "But how did you know where to find us in the first place?"
"Didn't, G. Lorne said 'go to the Well'. Angel knew where it was. The marks in the tunnel were great, but if it weren't for Angel I would never have found that damn tree. And wicked cool, by the way!"
"A better question is how did you get past that fire pit of hell? Especially with Mr. Match-lite?" asked Xander.
Faith looked perplexed. "What fire pit?"
"C'mon, Faith!" exclaimed Tarian, "About twenty minutes back. We were nearly completely fried sunny-side up."
Faith sharply shook her head once, sending the dark hair curling around her shoulders flying. "Nope, didn't run into nothin' like that. Except for Angel's moping and whining--and that fight--it's been smooth sailing all the way."
"Huh," Xander grunted.
Giles sat back with his chin on his fist. "Perhaps it can only be activated one time, then lies dormant or disappears?" he pondered aloud.
"Did you stop in town? Did you see Will?" asked Xander, ignoring the older man.
"No, and uh-uh. Came straight from the airport. 'Sides, Red's still in Rio, right?"
"No, no, she's on her way here," Giles corrected her, "We're to meet with her tonight in town."
"Tonight? I hate to tell you, Giles, but it's already way past midnight. How d'you think we got here without a char-broiled Angel?"
"Really?" Giles looked down at his watch, which only indicated late afternoon. He held it up to his ear, shook it, and listened again, confused.
"Electric, baby!" crowed Xander before looking at his own watch. Giles grinned when Xander's confident smirk changed to a confused frown.
"I want to know why we were attacked," interjected Zelinda. "As Mr. Giles said, there must have been many different tunnels we could have entered. But they found us. They were waiting for us. Why? How did they know we were coming?"
Xander stopped tapping at his watch. "Maybe they weren't after us." He continued when Giles prompted him. "It's possible they weren't waiting for just us. They might have been here ready to attack anybody. Maybe they're part of the test?"
"Demons? As a test for the Keeper?" Giles scoffed. "I find that difficult to believe. I won't profess to know the whys and wherefores for their presence, and I'm not dismissing the notion out of hand. But it's not surprising either. Aside from the Hellmouth--and a few other locations around the world--this Well," Giles spread his arms out to encompass everything, "is a nexus of some of the most potent demonic energy. It will attract them like--"
"Flies to shit?" asked Faith.
Giles looked pained at Faith's abuse of the English language. "Yes, quite."
"Knox worshiped the Old Ones."
Xander hadn't seen or heard Angel's approach and jumped when his voice broke in. He winced when he unintentionally put too much weight on his injured ankle as he tried to stand. He quickly sat back down, still grimacing as he massaged his ankle.
"He brought Illyria into Wolfram & Hart, but he must have had help apart from Dr. Sparrow. Fellow worshipers."
Giles slowly looked up at Angel, giving him a second of consideration before answering. "Yes," he agreed, "let's not forget the Old Ones. There must be many groups that would not want the Well protected, that in fact would want to see the return of the Old Ones. In retrospect, it's surprising how little resistance we've run into so far. In addition to the dangers of the Well itself, I must caution all of you this is likely only the first encounter with other agents of doom."
Tarian snorted. "There's always gloom and doom. I want to know if we should go on or go back?"
All eyes, even Angel's, turned toward Xander, who stood, pushing off Fulani's shoulder.
"We've still got plenty of supplies. We're rested now, and with Faith and...Angel...we're even stronger than before. We go on."
The slayers nodded their heads and everyone moved decisively to gather up their weapons and supplies. As people started to shuffle around to return to their original order Xander approached Angel and Cordelia, who were standing together.
"Angel, I'd like to talk to you please. Alone," Xander said, pulling the vampire aside. The words were polite, but Xander's tone made it clear it was not really a request. Angel was too surprised to resist. Cordelia rolled her eyes but did not follow.
Xander spoke in hushed tones, very aware Cordelia was watching them closely. He turned his back to her as he faced Angel. "Listen, Angel, I'm willing to accept your help and advice, and I'm glad for any you have to offer." He paused and looked carefully at Angel, eye narrowing. "Faith vouches for you and I'll accept that for now. But let's be absolutely clear about something."
Xander unconsciously took a small step forward, invading Angel's space. "Nobody apart from Cordy and Faith wants you here; you're not among friends. You have no authority here. You follow, you do not lead. Are we clear?"
Angel's expression darkened as he pulled himself up to his full imposing height, looking down at Xander.
Xander was visibly unimpressed. "This isn't like the last time we met. And if I can't handle you then there are four well-trained slayers who wouldn't hesitate a heartbeat to take you out before Cordy or Faith could stop them." With more important things on his mind, Xander didn't bother to match Angel's glare as he moved back to help finish up the preparations for moving on.
---
"So. What's her story?" Faith jostled Xander with an elbow as they walked side-by-side. "Last I heard from Angel, Queenie was dead or something." Faith's expression screwed up as she tried to remember exactly what Angel had told her. "He wasn't real clear on it." She glanced back. "'Cept that he was pretty clear on how he wouldn't clear it up."
Xander's gaze followed Faith's for a moment, glancing over his shoulder where, behind Giles, he saw Cordelia and Angel engaged in conversation.
"Or something." Xander turned back with an odd quirky smile that disappeared quickly. "She got better."
"Huh! Well that's nice then." Though Faith had enjoyed being the center of attention and holding court before everyone with her story, she hadn't failed to notice how quiet Xander had been, nor that he'd kept twisting around every few minutes to look at Angel and Cordelia. Faith made a gesture with her hands. "So are you and--"
"How's Robin?" Xander asked.
Faith laughed raucously, clapping Xander on the back--but not too hard--accepting Xander's clumsy deflection.
"Well, y'know, he's five-by--"
"Five?"
She grinned. "You got it."
"And you two? Everything's...?" Xander let the question dangle.
Faith played dumb and smiled mischievously. "Us two?"
Xander waited.
Unknown to anyone, he and Faith had established an odd friendship during his time in Africa. She had flown in to help corral a wild slayer, one who hadn't taken well to her new abilities and responsibilities and had been terrorizing a village. She wouldn't speak at all the few times Xander had been able to see her. It was Giles' suggestion to bring in Faith to help work with the girl, thinking a kindred wild spirit might be the best approach.
Unable to think of anything better Xander had reluctantly agreed. He had been anxious about dealing with Faith and had mostly kept apart from her, at first only interacting with her at the bare minimal professional working level required of the job. To his mild surprise though, Faith had been perfect for the new slayer, gradually establishing a rapport and gaining her trust. Faith had demonstrated amazing patience, not trying to force the issue as she eventually brought the new slayer into the fold.
Faith's behavior toward him had also been surprising, not pushing their relationship beyond anything Xander was ready for, but also making it clear she was open to something more than just being colleagues. Over the course of weeks they worked together finding and adopting a level of training and supervision the new girl would tolerate. Faith also helped him handle the ongoing supervision of current slayers. Though tentative at first, a real friendship had developed between Faith and himself.
Perhaps most surprising of all it had continued even after she had flown back to Cleveland. They continued to exchange occasional but regular email and letters; even a phone call once in awhile, usually asking each other for advice on something demon-y or slayer related. But sometimes they just shot the breeze, talking about things going on in their lives.
Some subjects never came up, including the darkest parts of their shared past history. It was never spoken of between them as they both seemed to understand they had left behind the people who had been on either side of an attempted murder. It was silently agreed that an apology would be useless and, to a real extent, unnecessary anymore.
Faith lowered her head and Xander leaned in to listen. "Promise not to tell no one?"
Xander expressed mock horror. "Of course, Faith. What do you take me for?"
"The biggest blabber-mouth on either side of the pond."
"I'm not as bad as Andrew," Xander said defensively.
"True, true." Faith took an overly dramatic look around, Xander copying her, and she dropped her bombshell. "We're thinking 'bout gettin' hitched."
Xander's double-take was absolutely genuine and his mouth flopped open without making any sound. Faith huffed and shook her head in disgust, as if she should have known better. She was pleased, however, to see how quickly got himself back under control.
"You're shitting me!" Xander exclaimed, borrowing one of her catch-phrases.
"Sometimes I wish I were. But...I really ain't." She shook her head and shuddered melodramatically.
Xander didn't say anything for several more seconds. "Wow!"
"Yeah, wow! Big wow!" Faith looked sideways at Xander with an imploring expression. "Maybe I'm makin' a big fuckin' mistake wow, y'think?"
Xander made what he hoped was an encouraging gesture.
"Hell, Xand, I'm no good with this shit. Use 'em and lose 'em. That's how it works. Or that's how it's supposed to work." She caught his flinch. "Sorry, I didn't mean--"
"No, it's nothing," Xander said, interrupting her apology. "Please, go on."
"This, this thing, two years now with Robin..." She shrugged her shoulders in confusion. "I'm twenty-three, old enough I'm s'posed to know what I want, yeah? But sometimes I feel like a little kid. Like I'm not ready to get married. And Robin's already talkin' 'bout gettin' a dog, too! I don't even want to think about what's next. A house? Kids? Jesus!" Her breathing started to come in quick shallow gasps and she was looking overwhelmed, displaying a side of herself Xander knew she never liked to show in front of anyone.
Xander wrapped on arm around her shoulders. "Whoa, Faith! Step back and slow down. Breath deep." Xander used one of the mantras he knew would always work to put Faith in a good frame of mind and calm her down. "Think about riding your bike down the PCH on a nice sunny day." It worked and soon she was calmer and more relaxed, the corners of her full lips upturned in a slight smile, eyes looking at nothing. Xander knew she was imagining the salty sea wind blow through her hair as she rounded through the turns on the winding coastal road.
"You guys are getting along okay?" he asked after letting her go.
Faith's focus returned to the present and she bristled. "I said we were, didn't I?"
"Just making sure." He held up his hands. "I want to do something for you that might help." Faith raised her eyebrows expectantly, inviting him to continue. "Odds are everyone's been telling you about responsibility and settling down, growing up, paying bills, the whole big scary future." He glanced over to see her ducking her head in agreement. "And it'll all be true. Well, some of it anyway. But that's not important." Xander took a deep breath. "You love him, right?"
"We have our moments, but fuck yeah!"
"And I'm probably the last person who should be handing out advice about marriage and relationships. But I know this: Keep your eye on the prize and don't ever let it go. You make the choices, you decide your own future, don't let anybody else do it for you. If you see yourself together with Robin in your future, then grab hold of that future and make it yours."
She nodded her head slowly in time with her steps as she considered his advice. It was nothing Earth-shattering, pretty pat in fact, but it was a vote of confidence of a kind she could understood from someone she respected. "Huh. I'll do that. Yeah. Yeah, thanks, Xand."
"And Faith?" Xander stopped, reaching out to put his hand on her elbow, bringing her to a halt as well.
Faith turned, a little startled by the enormous grin plastered across his face. "Yeah?" she warily asked, thinking about taking a step back.
"Congratulations!" Before she could move he gathered her up in a big brotherly bear-hug, nearly choking the breath out of her despite her slayer strength.
"Hey, hey, hey! Let me go, you stupid fuck!" she laughed, swatting at him harmlessly.
Zelinda and Carole looked back in curiosity at the commotion behind them.
Faith laughed again as Xander set her back down and they picked up the pace again. "I'll tell you later," she informed her juniors, waving at them to keep moving.
"YOU DID WHAT?"
Cordelia's sudden, loud and angry outburst rang out and caused all other conversation to stop. Everyone halted and looked in her direction. Xander, quickly scrambling back to her despite his protesting ankle, found a mildly embarrassed Cordelia who wouldn't look at anybody, and a very much chagrined Angel who also wouldn't look at anybody. The rest of the group soon piled up behind Xander.
"What's going on, Angel?" growled Xander, stepping between the vampire and Cordelia. Before Angel could respond Xander glanced over at Cordelia and asked, "Are you okay?"
Brushing off her hands quickly, she gave him a small reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'm fine." Then she angrily waved at Angel. "It's him. He signed it away!"
"Signed it away?" asked Giles. Angel appeared to grow more and more uncomfortable, uncharacteristically fidgeting as everyone turned to stare at him, but he remained silent. "Signed what away?"
Angel shrunk into himself even further yet still maintained his silence. His expression gave away nothing.
Cordelia sighed and crossed her arms tightly, anger simmering just below the surface. "If you won't, I will," she threatened quietly.
Angel only shrugged minutely.
Cordelia took the gesture as assent and began pacing back and forth. "It's his prophecy," she began, "The Shanshu Prophecy."
"Shanshu? Prophecy? What's this? I've never heard of such a thing." Giles looked back and forth between Cordelia and Angel.
"It's complicated," Angel rasped.
"Angel becomes human after doing lots of good stuff," Cordelia supplied.
"Or not."
"So... you're presuming he could be kinda human?" Xander asked, incredulous.
"No!" Angel quickly objected. "I, I'm not...I signed it...away."
Cordelia stepped forward and punched him hard on the shoulder. "Dumbass!" she exclaimed, though with not nearly the amount of disbelief as the first time she heard it.
Giles cocked his head. "You signed it away? This prophecy, you mean?" Angel nodded. Giles stood back to consider the information he'd just heard.
"But why!" cried Cordelia again, still shocked. "This was everything you'd been working toward!"
"It was in the vision I got from you," Angel argued in his defense, and suddenly the words poured out of the previously reticent vampire. "It showed me who the real enemy was, who I really had to fight: The Black Thorn. But I needed to get all the way inside, to find out who they were, learn their strengths and weaknesses. I had to convince them to believe me, to accept me. I needed to prove to them I was on their side. So I...signed it. To show them I...I didn't...care, that I wasn't interested in being human. To get them to trust me." Angel threw up his hands and turned his back to her. "So no more Shanshu."
Cordelia didn't think she could be more surprised. She stood silently agape after Angel's explanation and shook her head, still not wanting to believe what Angel had just said, neither about his vision or the Shanshu. How, she wondered, could he have gotten it so wrong? She didn't know anything about some vision he may or may not have gotten from her, or much of the details of what he thought he had to do. But damnit...
"You're unbelievable," Cordelia snorted.
Xander, in a rare moment of restraint, wisely made no comment or other obvious outward expression. Nothing this vampire did ever surprised him, no matter how reckless, dangerous or stupid. If Angel had had a shot at real honest-to-goodness humanity, and threw it away on some glorious stunt--one that left the world no better off afterwards than before, and arguably worse--then that was no skin of his nose. Except he and the people he worked with had to be part of the clean up crew. Again. He snorted softly. It was so goddamn typical of Angel, he thought.
Everyone looked over curiously when they heard Giles making an odd hiccuping sound. It quickly dawned on Xander that Giles was actually laughing so hard he was having trouble breathing, which was the reason for the strange noise. Unable to help himself, Xander smiled when Giles finally rolled back against the wall to support himself before sitting down on a large rock.
Angel, though not possessing the confidence of the champion he'd been only a few short years ago, could tolerate and accept many different reactions to his plight. He expected disbelief, anger, sympathy, frustration, exasperation...any number of reactions. Being laughed at was not one of them. Confused and angry, Angel jumped up and in one quick stride stood over Giles in a threatening manner. "What's so funny!" he demanded.
Giles, craning his neck up at the dark figure towering over him, was unimpressed. "You are, you stupid bloody prat!" Angel's deepening scowl set off another hysterical fit from Giles. Before Angel could do anything further, Fulani and Carole jumped in and pushed Angel back, their grim faces a dire warning in and of themselves
"Explain yourself, Giles!" Angel called over their shoulders.
With determined effort Giles was eventually able to control himself. He stood and spoke to the slayers in front of him. "It's okay, Carole, Lani. Angel won't be hurting anyone. But thank you," he said firmly, clearly indicating they weren't needed. Once the girls had reluctantly backed away, though poised to jump back in at the slightest provocation, Giles turned to address Angel. "It's like this, you ruddy berk. You couldn't sign it away. It's not possible. And you of all peo--err, whatever--should have known that. That's what's so funny."
"Not possible? What are you talking about?" Angel's anger simmered, but Giles' casual and certain dismissal put him on the defensive, a position he instinctively disliked. "How could I possibly know what the situation really was? Oh yeah, because I was there! You weren't. They had the original scroll of the prophecy, and signing it the way I did invalidated it. I even signed with my own blood."
Despite his best intentions, and very probably because he was quite aware of the seriousness the situation warranted, Giles again burst into a fit of laughter. Fulani and Carole had to move quickly to restrain Angel.
Giles waved at the slayers. "Oh, let him go. He won't do anything." Giles looked up at Angel, completely uncowed by his menacing presence. He sighed tiredly before he continued. "Despite all the dreck you've read or seen or possibly been told, it's not possible for you to have signed it away. The Shanshu you called it, yes? And you're sure it's an actual prophecy?"
Cordelia answered for Angel. "We found it in the scroll of...Aber...crombie?"
"Aberjian," mumbled Angel.
"Whatever. Wesley figured out what it meant, that the vampire with a soul would become human one day. Well, okay, it didn't refer to him by name, but who else could it have been?"
"Spike had a soul," said Xander.
"Oh, puh-lease!" Cordelia dismissed that possibility out of hand.
"There were other references to the prophecy, that the vampire with a soul would die a human death. That meant I would first have to become human."
"And you're quite certain of its authenticity?" Giles inquired.
"Absolutely."
"Then you have your answer."
Everyone stared at Giles. Giles stared back.
"It's a prophecy!" Giles exclaimed, losing his patience, looking around for signs of understanding. When none were forthcoming he rolled his eyes and sighed again before addressing his friends. "You do know what a prophecy is, don't you?"
Everyone had thought they did but Giles' severe expression caused each of them to think a little more, to re-evaluate what little they knew.
Angel began, somewhat indignantly, "It's a vision of the future, a message--"
"Exactly!" Giles took a small quick step closer to Angel. "It's a message. And not just any message. It's a communication from on high. Literally, information from some higher source than us. The key aspect being that what it is is a message, and that what it is not is a contract. It can't be voided, canceled or signed away like, like, the goalkeeper for Arsenel."
Most still looked confused, though Angel's eyed widened as a new thought occurred to him. He pursed his lips and looked down as he worked it out.
Giles swept his gaze around at all his companions. "Don't you understand? It's the meaning of the words which are important, not how the words are spoken, or the material they're written on or the language used. They only confuse and cloud and obscure the real meaning. Think about how many times we've run across this! Remember when the Master killed Buffy? We read the words, which added one layer of obscurity, and assigned our own meanings and assumptions, which added yet another. All this to something that may already have been garbled when it was written down. The real meaning we could never be certain of. That's how we beat it. Because we never beat it: we just never truly understood it. And it's the same for all these so-called immutable prophecies we've ever come across."
Giles casually waved his hand to dismiss the subject. "And the blood bit? Piffle! Smoke and mirrors for the kiddies and dimwitted; doesn't mean a thing." Giles turned to Angel with a stern yet somber and sympathetic manner, and spoke softly. "You were tricked, Angel, and you fell for it. It's as simple as that."
Angel sat down, expression slack. He swallowed once. "You--" He swallowed again. "You, you mean I still could--"
"Yes. Nothing's changed. But as I said, we most likely don't know the true meaning of this 'Shanshu'. I know Wesley was quite good at these things, winnowing out that underlying meaning. Better then myself I'm forced to admit. But there's always room for misunderstandings and mistakes."
Angel nodded sagely, remembering how Wesley was fooled with regard to Connor. Finally convinced, he relaxed as he thought some more about the implications.
"Huh!" A smile began to form on Angel's face.
Cordelia immediately brightened. "What 'huh'? That's fantastic!" she enthused. "You can still Shanshu!" Then she slapped Angel hard, remembering the reason for her anger. "But I can't believe you'd even think of such a thing. What happened to everything I told you? I get you back on track and no sooner am I gone then you get derailed again. You were just going to throw that all away?"
"But the vision--" Angel started, then stopped. He worked his jaw, then looked back at her, accusing and apologetic at the same time. "I got it from you."
Cordelia snorted. "Look buster, I don't know what you thought you saw after I left you, but there's no way I'll ever believe it meant you were supposed to throw everything away in one insane-o comic-book hero gesture."
"But we needed to stop them."
"By stopping it everyday, in everything you do." She looked up as she recited what Angel had once told her. "If what we do doesn't matter, then what matters is what we do. Remember? Every day, every moment. Helping the helpless. That's how." Cordelia gave a small encouraging smile which faded to a look of disappointment. "But you gambled, went for the non-existent knockout, and threw it all away."
"But we won, we stopped them," Angel said, his voice acquiring a whiny argumentative undertone, as if he were being scolded like a small child. The argument was beginning to sound weak even to his own ears.
"For how long, Angel? At what cost? Were you even thinking about the consequences?" Cordelia sighed theatrically and gently grasped his hands in hers, smiling sadly. "You just never learn, do you? That's supposed to be Xander's job, not yours."
"Hey!" squawked Xander, but one quick warning look from Cordelia stopped any further protest.
Carole and the other slayers had been getting restless while the talking heads yapped. "What do we do now?" she asked apprehensively.
"Nothing has changed?" Giles commented dryly. "We go on?"
"We go on," agreed Xander.
This time Faith went out in the lead with Zelinda and Carole. Just behind them, Xander listened in for awhile as Faith teased the stolid German and her partner. He listened and watched long enough to satisfy himself Zelinda still kept a watchful eye out even as she parried the senior slayer's verbal jabs. Despite Carole's initial reluctance, Faith's infectious enthusiasm for everything dangerous soon had Carole hopping along and smiling and joking back.
Angel, on the other hand, tried to fall to the back of the group. Having a vampire behind her made Tarian very irritable, even though she was assured he wasn't a threat. Sooner rather than later, and after many dirty looks and grousing complaints from Tarian, many grumbled in Welsh and sounding extremely vicious, Angel reluctantly moved ahead of Tarian and Fulani and settled in just behind Giles.
Giles, though not inclined toward geniality toward Angel, at least seemed to tolerate his presence. Tarian gave her cross-bow to Fulani and told her to keep it ready. Fulani nodded her solemn agreement and kept it pointed at Angel's feet, ready to bring it up in an instant. Tarian kept her sword and stake out and ready, her eyes never leaving Angel's broad form.
Cordelia surprised Xander again. After their little blow-up, and then believing she would want to stay with Angel and continue catching up, he was almost shocked to find Cordelia at his side again. After all that transpired between them, good and bad, and being very aware of Angel's presence, Xander felt extremely awkward and didn't know what to say. He gave her a quick acknowledging nod and kept quiet.
He thought she had to be feeling the awkwardness as well. It began to annoy him that she seemed blissfully unaffected, even finding the entire situation oddly humorous, if her small beatific smile was any indication. It left his thoughts all mixed up about how he felt towards her.
One element of Xander's confusion was that, in some ways, he still considered himself in mourning for Anya, or thought that he still should be. But the preceding week with Cordelia had changed everything. Although the nightmares still woke him, they didn't reoccur every night as before. And when he woke up in the morning he found himself looking forward to the day instead of dreading it. Just in general he had started feeling pretty good about the future, which was a little worrisome in itself, but he figured he could learn to deal with it, given enough time.
The newfound optimism hadn't changed even as they fought over her participation in this mis-adventure. Nor was his optimism affected by the knowledge that Cordelia's close presence could not be indefinite. He was just determined to enjoy it while it lasted.
But Angel's unexpected--and very unwelcome--appearance, and knowing he and Cordelia had shared something much more than just friendship, threw a huge wet blanket over those good feelings. It didn't help that Xander understood Angel and the others got to know Cordelia at her best, to see what he knew she could be. Got to see what I threw away. he berated himself. Am I...jealous of Angel? he wondered as he stomped along beside her. His unproductive musings made him more and more irritated with himself, gradually building to a boiling point.
"Why are you here?" he grumbled.
Cordelia heaved a sigh. "We've been over this before, doofus, remember?"
"No, I don't mean here. I mean here and not there," Xander said gruffly, first waving at the spot beside him then pointing behind him.
Cordelia turned her head as she continued to walk, her gaze lingering in Angel's dour form.
"He loves you, y'know. He's under the impression you were--are--in love with him." Xander blurted out, then immediately winced and cursed himself for sounding like a jealous hormonal teenager.
Cordelia's attention snapped back to Xander. "He told you that?" He had never spoken about it at length to her, but Cordelia knew Xander had confronted Angel at some point after returning from Africa. She strongly suspected she may have been one of the issues. From reading between the lines, listening to things not said and other hints she also suspected the confrontation had not gone well, not for either of them.
"Not in so many words."
Xander recalled his one and only encounter with Angel since Sunnydale. After returning from Africa he had reviewed the reports of the battle in Los Angeles. He eventually noticed how everyone's name was mentioned, including people he had only heard of second hand such as Charles Gunn, and even the woman with the unlikely name of Fred. He saw all their names and read of their outcomes. All except one: Cordelia, who wasn't mentioned at all. Xander immediately went to Giles to ask about it. A half hour later he was driving to Heathrow and was on the very next flight back to the States, bound for Los Angeles.
It hadn't taken long to track down Angel. The local slayers kept tabs on him, not interfering with the vampire's activities but just maintaining a constant vigilance. Just in case.
When Xander burst in upon Angel, living in one of the rooms in his dilapidated hotel, it hadn't mattered that Angel was as distraught as he was over Cordelia's demise. At first Angel had tried to explain the events leading up to her death, how things got out of control, how someone he kept calling his son was involved, how a woman named Jasmine was related to Cordelia.
But Angel's explanations were halting and confused, barely touching on the details of Cordelia's final days. Xander had gotten increasingly frustrated and angry when Angel wouldn't provide a simple answer to a simple question: what happened to her? The confrontation had gone from bad to worse when Xander accused him of virtually killing Cordelia himself. Something had snapped in Xander when Angel abruptly refused to respond anymore. He stepped up to the larger man, putting everything he had into an uppercut that would have taken a normal person's head off.
The punch had accomplished little but leave Xander with a few broken fingers.
The ensuing clash had been both brutal and quick. Xander later figured the only reason Angel hadn't killed him right then and there was that he recognized a kindred soul in their shared love and loss. Angel apparently had taken the time to bandage up a semi-comatose Xander before literally tossing him out onto the curb. Xander still didn't know why he had made the effort, but it took a lot of work to convince the slayers who'd found him to leave Angel alone.
"It was pretty obvious," Xander added simply when he returned to the present.
Cordelia glanced back over her shoulder at Angel and sighed. She had told Angel they were still friends, and she honestly believed it, though she wasn't certain what more there could be with Angel. But her relationship with Angel, past, present and future, was not something she cared to discuss with Xander, not at this time, not in this place.
Nor was she entirely certain about Xander. That they would be friends now, good friends, was established beyond doubt in her mind. She was comfortable with that, even looking forward to it because it was something they never really had a chance to do before. Nowhere in their ongoing cycle of mutual hatred, passion and pain, and finally reconciliation had they had a chance to just be friends. And maybe that's why things ultimately failed, she mused to herself. She very much wanted it to be different this time.
This time? That thought surprised her. There's going to be a this time? Though continually astonished by it, Cordelia was forced to admit to herself just how strongly she was affected by Xander, something she had noticed the very first night back in Saxmundham.
In some ways there was the same intensity she had felt in high-school, a force governed almost entirely by lust and hormones, at least at first. In other ways the attraction was new and different. He's certainly grown up a lot. But is it as simple as that? she thought anxiously. What if there's something else going on?
She most definitely wasn't sure how comfortable she was about that likelihood. Just as with Angel, could she trust that her feelings were real this time? Given the circumstances surrounding her seemingly miraculous return could she in fact be experiencing the same thing as before, that her feelings were not her own?. She shivered, dreading that possibility.
Xander watched Cordelia carefully and assumed her silence was an invitation to continue. "So, are you..." he hesitated, unsure how to phrase his thoughts, not pleased that Angel would almost certainly hear what he was about to say.
Cordelia started, shaking herself out of her reverie. "What?"
Xander looked back. Angel seemed lost in his own thoughts and didn't appear to be paying much attention to anything other than following behind Giles.
"Are you and Angel, y'know, 'you and Angel'?"
Cordelia laughed a little, with some sadness mixed in, seeing the green-eyed monster in the tunnel beside her, which also amused her a little. "Jealous, Xander?"
"No!" he too hastily replied. "Of course not."
---
A relatively long and straight section greeted Xander's party. When some of the more powerful hand-held torches were raised to see as far ahead as possible, a metallic gleam was seen winking at them as the light beams jiggled slightly. If it was another golden signpost, and it did appear to be the right color, then it would have to be the largest and most unobscured marker they'd found yet. Unconsciously their pace increased as if they were physically being drawn forward.
Ahead of him, Xander saw Faith reach down and scratch at her leg. Then her walk became a little zig-zaggy, like a drunk trying to maintain a straight line. Behind her Carole and Zelinda both stopped. Before Xander reached them to ask what was going on he felt an odd numbness in his injured foot and a pins-and-needles sensation crawling up into his legs.
"What the hell--" In seconds his legs felt like lead and he couldn't seem to take another step forward. Carole, still several yards ahead, looked at him in panic. Something in her eyes convinced him they were all in danger.
He yelled back at everyone, but it came out as a croak, "Hold it! Go ba--"
Xander saw Cordelia stop as his own legs slowly gave way. He collapsed into a sitting position, falling back against Zelinda. Groggily he turned his head and noticed Zelinda was in fact completely prone and appeared to be unconscious. With dulled mind, his last memory was of Carole slumping over Faith.
---
Everyone, including the slayers, was either lying down, or at most sitting, massaging and working their legs and arms, trying to get feeling back. Only Angel was moving about easily as he went from person to person checking on their condition and progress.
Each of the slayers except Faith were diffident toward the vampire. He hurried on after a brief pause to verify they were doing well while they continued to stretch and work the feeling back into their muscles. The ordinary humans, Xander, Cordelia and Giles, took longer to recover.
Angel lingered over Cordelia until she impatiently shooed him away. Angel took one glance at Xander and didn't even bother to approach, instead moving to check on Giles, who seemed to be having the most difficulty recovering. He was still lying prone, barely able to lift his head off hands that had been positioned to act as a pillow.
"Okay, what was that?" Xander asked, not speaking directly to anyone.
Giles smiled gratefully as Angel sat him up and started working his limbs as a masseuse might. "Some sort of numbing field. Despite your warning it caught us all," Giles replied, his tongue heavy and he slurred the words.
Xander turned to Giles, mildly surprised. "But you were pretty far back from us, weren't you?"
Giles was able to shrug. "It seems to have spread and caught us all before we knew what was happening."
"Then you didn't rescue us?" Xander's confusion was plain in both tone and expression.
"No. He did." Giles looked up at Angel. "Ah, err...thank you for that, by the way." He addressed Xander again. "He saved all of us." Giles just quirked his lips in response to Xander's frown.
"You're welcome," Angel answered. "It's fortunate that whatever it was didn't affect me." Xander glanced up to see Angel approaching again, critically looking him up and down before he completed his answer to Xander. "I was able to drag everyone out past it."
Xander pursed his lips and didn't say anything at first, curious about something. "How did you know how far to go?" he finally asked.
"I didn't. I just kept moving until one of you started to regain consciousness," Angel answered in a self-deprecating tone, adding a small smile.
Xander blinked in acknowledgment. He looked away and returned to the task of massaging his legs. Though still a bit wobbly Xander was soon able to stand on his own, uncomfortably aware Angel was still watching him from a distance. Xander straightened to his full height, groaning at the new sharp twinges on top of those from his ankle, and stared back, waiting until Angel looked him in the eye. The moment filled with a tension clearly felt by all those near by, making the slayers restless.
"I guess I owe you one," Xander finally spoke. A tiny smile flitted across his face as he ruefully acknowledged his implicit apology, glancing at Cordelia. "I seem to be saying that a lot these days. I'm not sure how happy I am about it."
Angel's shoulders shifted and he nodded. "I don't expect anything from you, Harris. Just..." A genuine grin suddenly broke out on Angel's face as he stole a quick look over at Cordelia, "...helping the helpless."
Xander struggled for a moment to overcome the urge to needle the vampire, who started to return to where Fulani and Tarian were forming up. "Angel?" he called out. Angel stopped and turned partway, presenting his profile to Xander.
"Thanks."
Angel dipped his head almost imperceptibly and continued.
Xander stared after him for a few more moments before turning around to verify Zelinda and Carole were ready to go. Then he checked on Giles and Cordelia. He gave a puzzled frown when he noticed Cordelia smiling at him.
Trying to ignore her, Xander shook his head sharply and barked out his command. "Let's get going."
---
It seemed they had barely gotten started again when, after negotiating a tight corner, Xander and Cordelia literally lurched into the three lead slayers, all standing stock-still. Xander was about to ask them what was going on when he looked past them and saw the reason. He turned when he heard Giles and Angel, and then Tarian and Fulani, noisily skid to a stop behind him.
Everyone gaped.
The tunnel had opened up into a huge cavern. Without a sense of scale to judge by it appeared large enough to contain all of Sunnydale, with plenty of room left over. The walls and high coruscated ceiling, what little detail they could make of it, all seemed to glow with a shimmering emerald green light. On the floor, over to the left, towering stalagmites crowded among each other like a rocky silhouette of Manhattan, pointing up at equally large stalactites hanging from the faraway ceiling. On the right could be heard the sound of falling water from an unseen waterfall. A burbling creek snaked out from behind a rocky shoulder and led into a small lake shrouded by curtains of mist. The far side was obscured, made nearly invisible by the distance, stalagmites, hanging mist and dim light.
The light itself was a green-tinted glow that filled the vast cavern yet didn't seem to come from anywhere in particular. Unlike the sickly, almost nauseating light that had permeated the Well itself, this hue was bright and clean, immediately giving the observer an eerie feeling of calm well-being. Dotting the monochrome background were multi-colored sparkles that glinted from every surface, adding an almost festive note to the surreal scenery.
Several seconds of awe-inspired silence passed.
"Well I'll be fucked!" whispered Faith. Everyone either nodded their head in silent agreement or just continued to gape at the sight.
"It's one of the most incredible things I've ever seen," said Giles.
"Mein Gott, es ist unglaublich!" finally breathed Zelinda.
"Whatever she said," murmured Xander in agreement, his head slowly rotating to take it all in.
"It's quite believable. The light is from a form of the native lichen. Though I'm not sure about the source of the multi-colored lighting effect. I agree, it is quite the sight."
As a group everyone jumped at the sound of the voice from behind them, especially the slayers, who where not at all used to being surprised so easily. If everyone had been shocked and stunned by the incredible space they were in, they were now flabbergasted by the strange man, or at least what appeared to be a man, before them.
The stranger was dressed as an Argentine gaucho, wearing loose bombachas trousers held up by a wide leather belt with intricate stitching. Canvas shoes adorned his feet and a wool poncho was casually swept over one shoulder. He sat serenely, sipping mate from a silver straw.
"I see you got our message after all; it did seem to take entirely too long." The man shrugged, causing the front flap of the poncho to fall back over him. He smiled broadly. "But you're finally here, so no matter."
Despite the affected costume he was wearing the stranger spoke in precise and clipped English tones, very much like Giles, only much more supercilious.
Angel peered intently at the stranger while scratching the back of his neck, desperately trying to place the face.
"Message? What message?" asked Xander. "I check my answering machine and mail daily. I don't recall getting any messages. Giles?"
Giles gave a confused sort of shake of the head.
"Nothing so crude and low, good sir. I'm referring, of course, to your companion. It is fortunate she is here, we will have need of her."
"Her?" Xander looked at the slayers arrayed around him, each of them holding weapons poised and ready, but otherwise making no threatening moves. "Who her?"
Giles got frustrated with Xander's inane questioning and broke in. "Hold on just a moment. Who the devil are you? What are you doing here?"
"You are quite correct." The gentleman bowed his head in apology. "We should begin with proper introductions. You may call me--"
"Jeeves!"
All heads swiveled to look at Angel, seeing his face taut with rage and despair, visibly struggling to prevent himself from vamping out.
"What?" Xander asked, "You know this guy?"
"Ah yes, the one you call Angel. Almost unique, a vampire with a soul." The gaucho considered Angel, and smiled in a way that made Xander itch to wipe it off with his fist. The gaucho turned to address the remainder of his answer to Xander. "It is easily explained, sir. Your friend--"
Xander hacked once and hard.
The strange gaucho assayed a small smile and inclined his head. "--acquaintance, then?" Xander shrugged. He continued smoothly, "He and I have conducted business before, business of a high order." The man now addressed Angel. "But Jeeves is not my name, fallen one. You may call me..." He looked up in thought, seemingly unsure of himself. Suddenly his face cleared and he smiled. "Envoy. Yes, Envoy, that seems a good name. Nice, vague, yet also profound and mysterious, not too pretentious."
"Says you," muttered Faith.
"Envoy? Why Envoy?" asked Giles.
"Would you prefer Jack?" Envoy asked in genuine curiosity. "I've always had a fondness for the name Jack."
'Jack the demon' ran through Giles' head and he quickly squashed that thought. "No, no! Envoy's fine."
Envoy's form suddenly shifted and looked the part of a well-dressed butler.
"How did you do that?" asked Tarian.
"I merely moved, child. You are seeing only a three-dimensional projection of my true five-dimensional form. Angel is most familiar with this view of me and I thought it might make things smoother."
"Are you one of the Powers?" asked Cordelia, "'cause I got a complaint to lodge!" She heard Angel snort derisively but kept her attention on Envoy.
Envoy turned toward Cordelia. "Powers? Who or what is that?"
"Y'know! The Powers," she said, making air quotes with her hands. Her brow furrowed as she expected him to understand. "The Powers That Be."
"Be What?" Envoy asked, appearing genuinely perplexed.
Cordelia sighed and sat down on a nearby rocky shelf. "Forget it." She crossed her legs and already looked bored with the situation.
Giles spread his arms wide and asked, "So we're in a five-dimensional plane?"
"Oh no. In a way, you're still in your world, just simply not where you started." Envoy turned slowly to look at everything around him, speaking as he turned. "This 'Well' as you call it, passes through and impinges on almost all the known dimensions and realities. It represents a common focus, a place where we could seal away a common enemy and threat to all: the Old Ones.
"And therein lies our issue," Envoy explained, arms still spread but glancing over at Giles. "Just as the Old Ones are a menace to all realities, all realities this Well impinges on must provide a guardian. If there is weakness at any point then they could use that dimension as a place to begin their conquest and domination all over again."
"A jumping off point, you mean? Like a staging area?" asked Xander.
"An apt description," agreed Envoy.
"That'd suck," mumbled Carole.
Envoy nodded grimly. "At the very least."
"Can we get back to the message bit?" demanded Xander. "You said 'she'."
"Indeed. You are all here deliberately, representing some of the best characteristics of your kind. Your two groups, separately and together, were at the forefront of this fight against the darkness. We have here the intellect," Envoy indicated Giles, "the fire and passion," he continued, nodding his head toward Faith, "and the heart and soul of each of your groups." He finished by pointing in turn to Cordelia and Xander.
"You mean Cordy?" Xander exclaimed before he smirked, "she's got a heart?"
"Indeed she does, as you're quite aware of." Envoy smiled tolerantly at Cordelia before he shrugged. "And she also happened to be at the right place at the time."
"This sounds like deja-vu all over again," mumbled Xander, "You wouldn't happen to be related to ADAM, would you?"
Giles jumped in. "Assuming we believe you, what are you doing here? What's your purpose?"
"Why, I'm here to oversee the rites you and the others and your candidate will participate in."
"Candidate?" Giles asked in confusion, twisting around to look at everyone.
"To be the Keeper, of course. The Guardian of The Well. The new Battlebrand." Envoy frowned uncertainly and regarded Giles carefully. "That is why you're here, isn't it?"
"Ah, well, yes. But our, um, candidate? We're, ah, we're still working on that detail."
Envoy's eyes widened in surprise. "Interesting, since here he is." He raised his hand and gestured toward Angel with an upturned open palm.
"Angel!" "Me!"
Everyone was incredulous, none more so than Angel himself.
"But he's a vampire!" objected Xander, "He's evil!"
Angel took the time to scowl at Xander. "I'm not evil. Most of the time." He turned to Envoy. "I'm also not the man you want."
"Truer words were never spoken," muttered Xander, who grunted softly when Cordelia sharply elbowed him.
Giles motioned to quickly shush him. "Children, can we save the name-calling for whenever we get out of this mess?"
Envoy regarded the three males with quiet amusement before sharing a look of exasperation with Cordelia. "Yes, he is a vampire. And as each of you represents a noble human facet, the Keeper must be a true representative of your world, of your humanity. That is also necessary. But it is not a prerequisite." He looked squarely at Angel and his voice dropped so that only the vampire could hear him. "And there are debts and obligations." The long silence hung heavy, weighing down on Angel's shoulders.
Envoy's expression quickly changed, smiling pleasantly as he spoke up again so everyone could hear. "Therefore, if he proves worthy of this exalted service, the rite of investiture, the Tzian x'Chooe, will take care of that in due course."
Angel went rigidly still, his face drawn into a stunned expression.
Cordelia shook her head violently one time and put her hand to her ear, as if trying to clear it. "I'm sorry, but..." The second part of it had sounded more like a sneeze than anything else. "Did you just say... 'Shanshu'?"To be continued...
