Part 4<\/b>\u00a0– Into the Abyss<\/p>\n
Angelus rolled out of bed a pulled on a pair of his leather pants. Grabbing a tank top and his shoes, he barely looked back to the bed.<\/p>\n
Kelemoke\u2019s \u2018gift\u2019 lay shivering in a small pool of her own blood. The blond child was in a state of shock from blood loss and the multiple rapes. Hannah couldn\u2019t understand why the man with the bumpy face had kept her alive. She was surprised he hadn\u2019t killed her. After last night, she wanted to die.<\/p>\n
But maybe that\u2019s why he kept her alive. He knew she wanted death. The monster wouldn\u2019t give her what she wanted.<\/p>\n
The monster exited the bathroom and gave the girl a disgusted look. Now fully clothed, Angelus grabbed his duster and sword. \u201cClean yourself up before I return,\u201d he ordered the girl.<\/p>\n
Hannah just stared after the monster as he left. It was nearly half an hour before she gathered enough strength to get up. The pain made it almost too much to walk. But Hannah was a strong girl, no one had ever said differently. She\u2019d make it to the bathroom. And somehow, she knew she would survive.<\/p>\n
******************
\nTara and Willow had explained what would need to be done. The next day, Tara would go to a nearby magic shop and get the ingredients she would need. Cordelia knew about Willow\u2019s \u2018condition\u2019, and she accepted whatever help Willow could give.<\/p>\n
Lorne showed the Wiccas to a couple of spare rooms. Cordelia ignored all the curious looks that the gang gave her and retreated to her room.<\/p>\n
She shut and locked the door behind her. Was this really just the second night since her return from the hospital? Already it had felt like a month.<\/p>\n
Stripping from her sweater and blue jeans, Cordelia grabbed a towel from a drawer and went into the bathroom. Setting the towel on the rack and grabbing her bubble bath from underneath the sink, Cordelia had a sudden thought.<\/p>\n
Returning to the bedroom she closed and locked the glass windows. While He could still get in if he wished, at least Cordelia would be alerted to His presence if He tried. Feeling reasonably safe, Cordelia went back into the bathroom.<\/p>\n
Turning on the hot water, she added two capfuls of her favorite vanilla bubble bath. Tying her hair back into a high ponytail, Cordelia gently stepped into the water. Slowly she sat down and leaned back into the hot water. Closing her eyes, she allowed the steam and smell of vanilla to calm her.<\/p>\n
But as much as she would like to allow the calming sensations to overtake her, Cordelia knew there was planning to be done.<\/p>\n
Tara would be taking the lead in all magic activities that might need to be done. The Seer had listened on in sympathy as Willow had told her story of addiction to the darker magic. Cordelia completely understood Willow\u2019s reluctance to partake in such practices; she also knew that it presented a problem.<\/p>\n
Despite Willow\u2019s assurances that Tara was very skilled in the arts of magic, Cordelia had seen something akin to worry in the blonde\u2019s eyes when the words \u2018soul restoration\u2019 were spoken. Even Tara admitted that she didn\u2019t know if she were strong enough to perform such a task, even with Willow\u2019s assistance.<\/p>\n
But that would have to wait anyway. They still didn\u2019t know what the cause of the problem was. But hopefully, tomorrow they would know. Tara would use her magic to enter Cordelia\u2019s mind, much as Willow had done to Buffy once. It had worked then, they told a worried Seer.<\/p>\n
Even if she were slightly fearful of such a mind invasion, Cordelia knew she had to suck it up. This could be the key they needed to learn the secret of what happened to her friend.<\/p>\n
But first, Cordelia had to climb out of this tub before she fell asleep. It wouldn\u2019t do to drown before they could do the Vulcan Mind Meld. Cordelia extracted herself from the cooling water and grabbed the fluffy black towel. It was one of a set that Angel had given her. It was just like him, Cordelia decided. Dark, but warm and secure.<\/p>\n
***************
\n\u201cAre you ready?\u201d Willow asked.<\/p>\n
Cordelia nodded that she was. Carefully, she took the cup that Willow offered.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat will help put you into a trance state,\u201d Tara explained. \u201cIt will calm your body and make it easier for me to look inside you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia sat Indian style in the center of her bed. Around her, incense candles were burning. \u201cDon\u2019t you have any that smell like cinnamon or strawberries?\u201d she joked lightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry,\u201d Tara smiled. \u201cWe witches strictly use the stinky stuff. Adds to our power,\u201d she whispered in a conspiratorial voice. \u201cNow go ahead and drink.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia obeyed the light command. It wasn\u2019t bad, she decided before she slipped into the trance. Like flavored tea. She\u2019d have to get the recipe.<\/p>\n
The Seer fell backwards onto the bed, the empty cup spilling from her hand. Willow took it before Tara joined the Seer on the bed.<\/p>\n
Saying a few archaic words in Latin, Tara placed her hands on Cordelia\u2019s temples. Rubbing softly, Tara continued to softly mutter in Latin. Her lovely face knitted in concentration as she searched the recesses of Cordelia\u2019s mind, trying to find the answers that the brunette desperately wanted.<\/p>\n
After a few moments, Tara\u2019s eyes began to make REM-like movements behind her eyelids. Her head twitched from side to side in an almost rhythmic time. Her breaths began coming in shallower pants, until suddenly her eyes snapped open.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhoa,\u201d Tara breathed, a blush rising in her cheeks. \u201cX-Rated is right,\u201d she told her former lover. Slightly embarrassed, Tara touched Cordelia\u2019s temples once more. She\u2019d never done the whole man thing before, but even Tara had to admit some of that looked like fun.<\/p>\n
Several long minutes passed before Tara once again broke the connection to the Seer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you find?\u201d Willow asked.<\/p>\n
Tara looked slightly confused. \u201cDid you know that she was part demon?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
Willow was surprised. Cordelia Chase was part demon. Even after all the glowing things the people downstairs said about Cordelia, that revelation still managed to shock the hell out of her.<\/p>\n
\u201cInteresting,\u201d Willow admitted, \u201cbut I meant did you find anything about these triple-x visions she\u2019s been having.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, that,\u201d Tara said. \u201cIt\u2019s strange. They feel like memories, but at the same time, they don\u2019t feel natural.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Willow asked. \u201cIs some kind of spell responsible for this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Tara answered. \u201cI don\u2019t feel any magical residue coming off her. I don\u2019t think these memories are hers, but I don\u2019t know what it could be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Willow pondered it for a moment. \u201cTell me when she wakes up. I\u2019m going downstairs to look into something.\u201d She gave Tara a lingering squeeze of the shoulder before going. Tara stared at the doorway long after the woman she still loved left. But all that would have to wait. Tara had to figure out how to help Cordelia.<\/p>\n
**************
\nTara helped lead a still woozy Cordelia down the Hyperion\u2019s stairs. Groo quickly jumped from his seat and took his Princess and helped her to a couch. The rest of AI came out of Wesley\u2019s office from studying files that had been neglected since this whole ordeal began. From behind the desk counter, Willow powered down her laptop and joined them in the lobby.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst, I want you to know that I told everyone about the dreams,\u201d Willow said. \u201cI hope you don\u2019t get angry, but if we\u2019re to work together, they need to know.\u201d She was relieved when Cordelia didn\u2019t snap at her, instead the Seer just nodded tiredly.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, did you find out anything from the lookie-loo inside my head?\u201d Cordelia asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m pretty sure the visions aren\u2019t real,\u201d Tara started. \u201cThey just don\u2019t have an authentic feel to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia tried to wrap her still foggy brain around this. \u201cSo, is it magical or what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think so,\u201d Tara said. \u201cNormally when someone has been targeted by some kind of magic, there is a type of mystical residue. It\u2019s like an aftereffect that can cling to the person for some time. If someone used magic to make you see these visions, then there should still be some of this residue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what then?\u201d Cordelia asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s psychological,\u201d Willow said.<\/p>\n
Cordelia raised an eyebrow at that. \u201cSo you think I\u2019m nuts?\u201d she asked half joking.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo!\u201d Willow quickly amended. She was about to apologize when she saw the playful smile on Cordelia\u2019s face. \u201cWhat I meant was, I think it\u2019s something called False Memories.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d Gunn asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cFalse Memories are a big reason why hypnosis isn\u2019t a widely accepted form of therapy,\u201d Willow explained. \u201cIn hypnosis, a psychologist asks objective questions to a subject while they\u2019re in a trance-like state. The object is to allow the patient to bring out repressed memories. But a major complaint is that psychologists can make patients remember events that never occurred.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of objective questioning to unlock repressed memories, a person can implant a desired memory into a subject\u2019s subconscious. These memories can prove to be very traumatic and seem totally realistic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you\u2019re suggesting that someone implanted memories into Cordelia\u2019s head of her and Angel doing the nasty?\u201d Gunn asked. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the bigger question right now is who,\u201d Lorne interjected.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it\u2019s a pretty short list,\u201d Fred added.<\/p>\n
\u201cShort?\u201d Cordelia said derisively. \u201cThere\u2019s only one name on the list. Wolfram and Hart.\u201d<\/p>\n
***************
\nFor several hours the gang had talked downstairs about what to do. Cordelia, Tara and Gunn would pay a visit to Lilah Morgan the next day. There was no one at Wolfram and Hart that hated Cordelia and Angel more than she, and if anyone knew what was going on, it would be her.<\/p>\n
Cordelia was the first to decide to retire for the night. The tea was still playing hell with her brain. Only some good sleep would lift the fog rolling through her head.<\/p>\n
When Cordelia entered her bedroom, she headed straight for the bathroom sink. Brushing her teeth and washing her face, she went back into the bedroom. It was then that she saw what she missed the first time.<\/p>\n
Cordelia couldn\u2019t stop herself from vomiting. She had seen dead people before, but not like this.<\/p>\n
The nude form of a young woman lay spread-eagle across her bed. Her belly had been ripped open, exposing the internal organs. The girl\u2019s small intestine snaked out of the body and wrapped her hands around the bedposts.<\/p>\n
Her hazel eyes were dull and lifeless. Blood matted down the lovely young girl\u2019s short brown hair. The rest of the girl\u2019s blood and soaked the sheets and began to pool on the floor.<\/p>\n
One thought rang throughout Cordelia\u2019s mind: The girl was a dead-ringer for herself.<\/p>\n
Cordelia dropped slowly to the floor. Tears flowed freely from her eyes. She then saw the writing on the wall above the bed. It was written in blood.<\/p>\n
SHE WAS A SCREAMER<\/p>\n