Part 2<\/b><\/p>\n
The Present\u2026<\/p>\n
Angel stared at his\u2026twin. His doppelganger. And his mind seethed with confusion.<\/p>\n
It had been so long. Was this what it was like to look in a mirror? To see a living reflection of yourself? If so, it was very\u2026strange.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho are you?\u201d the\u2026other demanded. His shock was quickly turning to anger. \u201c*What* are you?\u201d and he took a threatening step forward.<\/p>\n
Angel took a step back. Braced himself for a fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel,\u201d Cordelia said. She placed a hand on the other\u2019s arm. \u201cWait!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d the other demanded, never taking his eyes off of Angel.<\/p>\n
Cordelia pointed. \u201cLook,\u201d she said. And, reluctantly, the other complied.<\/p>\n
There was an area that vaguely resembled the cage in the Sunnydale High School library. It was filled with weapons, various odds and ends.<\/p>\n
On a shelf rested a bronze, egg-shaped statue.<\/p>\n
And it was glowing.<\/p>\n
\u201cDammit!\u201d the other swore.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Angel glanced around the lobby of the sprawling hotel. Tried to wrap his mind around\u2026whatever this was.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles. He remembered the last time he had been in the city. Those were the first people he\u2019d really tried to help. And they hung him from the rafters of this very hotel for his trouble.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t a pleasant experience, and he couldn\u2019t imagine what would have made him return.<\/p>\n
Frowning, he glanced at the other. He and the Englishmen leaned against the check-in desk, studying the statue.<\/p>\n
So far, Angel only had a sketch of what was going on. Somehow, he\u2019d been transported into the future. And, somehow, the statue had something to do with it.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t believe it. Not yet. That this man, who looked like him in every way, was *him*. That this was *his* future.<\/p>\n
What was he doing here? Why had he left Sunnydale?<\/p>\n
Where was Buffy?<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is extraordinary,\u201d Wesley Wyndom-Pryce said, eyes bright with excitement. He was like a younger version of Rupert Giles. From the glasses perched on his nose, to his upper-class accent, to the reverent way he handled the book he held. \u201cFascinating!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know about that, Wesley,\u201d the other said. \u201cI just want to figure out how the hell this happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel took note of the frustration and uneasiness in his counterpart\u2019s voice. Since they came upstairs from the training room, the other had barely looked at him. And, when he did, his discomfort was painfully obvious.<\/p>\n
Angel could understand. Facing yourself was hard enough when it was just thoughts and memories. But when it was embodied, took shape and form, and with their past\u2026<\/p>\n
((*Our* past,)) Angel thought, and very nearly smiled. ((I guess it\u2019s not so hard to accept after all.))<\/p>\n
Looking at him didn\u2019t seem to be a problem for everyone in the room.<\/p>\n
A young girl with long, dark hair sat in a chair, staring at him with open curiosity. Every time he glanced at her, she offered a wide, friendly smile.<\/p>\n
A young black man sat on the arm of her chair, watching Angel with unconcealed suspicion. Every once in a while, he\u2019d mutter something like, \u201cThis place is a freak show.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay,\u201d Cordelia Chase said as she descended the stairs. \u201cHave we solved this little puzzle?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel studied her. She\u2019d gone upstairs ten minutes ago, without explanation. Now, he could see it had been to change clothes. She now wore jeans, and a long-sleeved top.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow is\u2026\u201d the other began.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight as rain,\u201d Cordelia said. Then, she frowned slightly. \u201cThanks a lot, Fred.\u201d<\/p>\n
The young woman\u2014Fred\u2014grinned.<\/p>\n
As the other turned back to the Englishman, Cordelia paused at the bottom of the stairs. She looked around, like she was trying to find something to do, and her eyes skittered past Angel more than once. Finally, she seemed to come to a decision. Hand in her pockets, she walked towards him.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo,\u201d she began as she rocked back on her heels. \u201cHow are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel considered her question\u2014and *her*\u2014for one long second. \u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
A rueful smile curved her lips. \u201cOh, I know *that* one. What it really means is \u2018I\u2019m not fine at all\u2019.\u201d She gave him a considering look. \u201cThis is all pretty disconcerting, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel shrugged. He wasn\u2019t good at talking about his feelings. Not even with Buffy. And Cordelia Chase\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to say anything. I know how you feel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s frown was skeptical. \u201cYou do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, yeah. I had a similar experience.\u201d She rolled her eyes. \u201cWaaay too recently.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel was about to ask more about her \u2018experience\u2019 when he realized the other was staring at them. Watching with narrowed, disapproving eyes.<\/p>\n
Cordelia didn\u2019t seem to notice. \u201cWell, we\u2019ll fix it. It\u2019s what we do. And, I mean, Wesley can figure out just about anything. It\u2019s one of the benefits of being obsessed with musty out books. Don\u2019t worry about it.\u201d And she laid her hand on his arm.<\/p>\n
Startled, Angel glanced down at her hand. Except for Buffy, people rarely touched him. Voluntarily.<\/p>\n
With a reassuring smile, Cordelia walked away. Angel stared after her, trying to reconcile this warm, compassionate woman with the spoilt, selfish child she\u2019d once been.<\/p>\n
His eyes connected with the other\u2019s. The narrow-eyed, disapproving stare had transformed into a slightly hostile glare.<\/p>\n
As the hint of a suspicion formed in his mind, Angel glanced towards Cordelia once again.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I have a few answers,\u201d Wesley said. His strong, confident voice grabbing everyone\u2019s attention. Then, the shadow of uncertainty fell across his face. \u201cOr, at least, speculations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone drew closer to the desk.<\/p>\n
\u201cLay it on us, English,\u201d the young man\u2014Gunn\u2014said. \u201c\u2019Cause, you know, curiosity kills.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCuriosity doesn\u2019t kill, Charles,\u201d Fred denied. \u201cEveryone always says that, and it\u2019s true that being nosy can get you into trouble. And, when you\u2019re eavesdropping, you never hear anything good about yourself. But, if curiosity really killed, nobody would ever invent or discover anything. And we\u2019d still be livin\u2019 in caves and running around in\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, Fred,\u201d Wesley gently interrupted. \u201cThank you.\u201d He cleared his throat, straightened his glasses. \u201cIt\u2019s obvious that this current situation has something to do with the bizente. And what happened a few weeks ago.\u201d His eyes found Angel, who stood apart from the group. \u201cWe recently stumbled across this statue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou got that right,\u201d Cordelia mumbled. She leaned against the counter, next to the other. And he took half a step closer. Not a lot. Just enough so that their shoulders touched.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomehow,\u201d Wesley continued, \u201cthe power of the statue was activated, and Angel and Cordelia were transported three years into the past.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur minds were,\u201d the other said. He looked toward Angel without looking directly *at* him. \u201cI guess you could say our present minds possessed our past bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel frowned. He didn\u2019t recall anything like that happening. So it either hadn\u2019t happened *yet*, or\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cNeither one of us remembered a thing,\u201d Cordelia said. \u201cNot back then, anyway. And nobody mentioned it, so\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo,\u201d Wesley continued, \u201cwe can assume that no one in that time period remembered the incident.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel nodded. That made sense. If something like this could make sense. \u201cYou think this thing has something to do with me being here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIndirectly,\u201d Wesley said. \u201cSince Angel and Cordelia\u2019s return, I\u2019ve been doing some research. The bizente was once used to help a person \u2018walk the past\u2019. They could revisit and relive certain moments, but wouldn\u2019t have the ability to change events. Think of it as a very vivid dream in which you can\u2019t control your own actions. A dream in which you can relive some treasured moment, all of those emotions and sensations, over and over again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Treasured moments.<\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s mind went to his night with Buffy. Their one night together. Those few brief moments, when everything between them was perfect.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the power of the statue was\u2026corrupted somehow,\u201d Fred said. When everyone turned to look at her, a blush stained her cheeks. But she smiled and forged on. \u201cSomebody tried to use it, and a little dark magic, to really really time travel!\u201d The concept seemed to excite her. \u201cInstead, they damaged the bizente. And they thought it would *never* work again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut they just messed it up?\u201d Gunn asked. \u201cChanged how it works?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently.\u201d Suddenly eager, Wesley turned to the other. \u201cDo you remember what Giles said before he sent you back?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat the magic of the statue lingers in the bodies of those it effects.\u201d He frowned thoughtfully. \u201cBut it fades eventually. In a few hours.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I don\u2019t think it *did* fade. In fact, I think *his* body\u201d\u2014he nodded towards Angel\u2014\u201cis still\u2026infected by traces of that energy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich means mine was too,\u201d Cordelia said. She crinkled her nose. \u201cEwww.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd these traces made him susceptible to temporal magics that would have no effect on others.\u201d He turned to Angel. \u201cI recognize the demon you described. It\u2019s called a hathor. These creatures have a very small, precognitive ability.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey can see into the future?\u201d Fred asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cTen minutes or so, at the most. There ability is used primarily to keep them from being discovered. It tells them when someone is about to arrive in the area. It also helps them determine when their chosen prey will be alone and vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo why didn\u2019t it know I was about to arrive?\u201d Angel asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, their ability is at its weakest when they are feeding.\u201d He nodded, as if confirming that fact with\u2026himself. \u201cTo continue, I believe that, when your dagger pierced the gland that gives the hathor their precognitive ability, it released a wave of temporal energy. And the only reason it had any effect on you was that you\u2019d been exposed to the magic of the bizente. Your body was drawn through time, and too the bizente itself.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was silence as everyone absorbed this new knowledge.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s it, then!\u201d the other said, sounding oddly cheerful. \u201cWe\u2019ll just use the reversal spell Giles found to\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not that simple,\u201d Wesley interrupted.<\/p>\n
The other grimaced. \u201cOf course it\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Englishman looked like he\u2019d been personally insulted. \u201cAs you pointed out yourself, Angel, the bizente transported your and Cordelia\u2019s *minds* into your bodies *in* the past. Your present bodies remained here. The fact that your past self\u2019s entire being has been transported into his future\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChanges things,\u201d Cordelia concluded. \u201cSo, no easy fix.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing\u2019s ever easy around here,\u201d Charles Gunn muttered.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere *is* a solution,\u201d Wesley said. \u201cI\u2019m sure. We just have to find it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLooks like it\u2019s time to crack the books,\u201d Cordelia said. And everyone rose with varying degrees of enthusiasm.<\/p>\n
\u201cWait.\u201d<\/p>\n
As one, the group turned towards Angel.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need someone to tell me what\u2019s happened in the last three years,\u201d he said. How had he come to be in LA? Working with these people? Living in this hotel?<\/p>\n
And where was Buffy?<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s wise,\u201d Wesley said. He looked the slightest remorseful. \u201cWe have no idea whether or not you\u2019ll remember what happened here if\u2014*when*\u2014you return to your own time. And knowing too much about your future could have disastrous effects.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone watched him, waiting for his reaction.<\/p>\n
Angel frowned. He could understand the logic in that.<\/p>\n
But he didn\u2019t have to like it.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
The group he was counting on to get him back where he belonged got to work.<\/p>\n
Wesley seemed to be reading four books at once. He muttered happily. Made notes. His concentration so intense, Angel doubted anything could disturb him.<\/p>\n
Fred and Gunn sat at a table, reading from the same book. The young man seemed more interested in making the girl giggle than finding answers.<\/p>\n
And the other\u2026<\/p>\n
About fifteen minutes ago, he and Cordelia had left the lobby. She\u2019d grabbed his hand and dragged him into the office located behind the check-in desk.<\/p>\n
The other seemed reluctant to go. But he hadn\u2019t protested all that much, either.<\/p>\n
The hint of a suspicion in Angel\u2019s mind grew. But\u2026<\/p>\n
Suddenly, he heard a sound. A faint squall, coming from upstairs.<\/p>\n
Angel looked around the lobby, to see if anyone else had heard. When it was plain know one had, he slipped away.<\/p>\n
As he climbed the stairs, the cries got louder. More insistent.<\/p>\n
He followed them to a largish suite. To a room that looked like\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cA nursery,\u201d he realized.<\/p>\n
For some reason, feeling of dread settled, in his chest. Slowly,he approached the crib.<\/p>\n
There was a baby, dressed in blue. Crying and kicking its tiny legs.<\/p>\n
It was obvious the baby had just woken up. It was crying because it needed something. To be changed. To be fed. To held.<\/p>\n
Angel took a step back. It had been so long since he held a baby. There was his baby sister, more than two hundred years ago\u2026who he\u2019d betrayed in the most unforgiveable way.<\/p>\n
And the baby in China at the beginning of the century. The child Darla wanted him to feed on to prove his loyalty.<\/p>\n
The baby’s cries got louder. More shrill and needy. Hearing them did something strange to Angel\u2019s cold, dead heart. Something he couldn\u2019t explain.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are *you* doing in here?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel turned. The other stood in the doorway. Scowling.<\/p>\n
Pushing past Angel, he hurried to the crib.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay, little guy,\u201d the other said. He picked the child up with expert hands. Cradled the baby to his chest. \u201cI got ya.\u201d<\/p>\n
And the baby\u2019s cries began to fade.<\/p>\n
Watching himself hold a baby with such ease seemed beyond to surreal to Angel. And it made him think impossible things.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhose baby is this?\u201d he asked\u2026before he even knew he was *going* to ask.<\/p>\n
Reluctantly, the other turned to face him. His eyes were inscrutable.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s mine,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s my son.\u201d<\/p>\n