Part 3<\/b><\/p>\n
Greenwood Psychiatric Facility<\/em> The receptionist jumped in her seat as six people stormed the entrance. A good-looking man in black jeans and a tight blue sweater took the lead and made a beeline for her desk.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I help you, sir?\u201d the receptionist asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYou had a Jane Doe brought it, correct?\u201d The receptionist gulped in acknowledgement. \u201cLet me see her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me,\u201d Doctor Fox said as he stepped from his office. \u201cWhat is this all about?\u201d<\/p>\n Angel turned to face the doctor. \u201cI want to see this Jane Doe that was brought in. I may know her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what would your relationship to her be?\u201d The doctor was wary of this man that seemed ready to snap.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m her husband,\u201d he said without hesitation. \u201cMy name is Angel Chase and she would be Cordelia.\u201d<\/p>\n The doctor could feel the concern radiating from the man, and deciding not to question the statement. \u201cFollow me then.\u201d Fox turned and led the group through the sterile halls of the facility. But no amount of antiseptic could mask the smell that was Cordelia. Like everything else about her, it stood out above all else.<\/p>\n At the end of the hallway the doctor used a keycard to swipe a door open. Pushing it open, the gang was shocked to find a disheveled Cordelia huddled in a padded corner, a vacant look in her eyes as she stared off into a far away place.<\/p>\n \u201cCor?\u201d Angel whispered. He bolted over to his Seer, Gunn and Fred right on his heels. Buffy, Xander, and Dawn stepped inside, but kept their distance from the reunion. In just the hour that they had been in Los Angeles, they learned quite quickly that they had no place here.<\/p>\n \u201cCor? Sweetie? Talk to me, please,\u201d Angel begged. His head snapped around to glare at the doctor. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly?\u201d Fox asked. \u201cI have no idea. Police found her walking a busy Santa Monica street. She was incoherent and reacted violently to physical contact. She ripped a cop\u2019s shoulder out of socket and gave several of my orderlies\u2019 concussions. Once we left her alone, she seemed to go into a catatonic state.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel chanced stroking Cordelia\u2019s cheek, and was pleasantly surprised when she actually seemed to lean into it. The vampire leaned in close so that he could whisper in her ear. \u201cHold tight, Cor. I\u2019m going to make this all better. I promise.\u201d In a gesture that surprised not only him, but the other five who knew him, Angel kissed her softly on the lips before standing<\/p>\n \u201cI want to take her home,\u201d Angel stated firmly.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Fox apologized sincerely. \u201cBut I\u2019m afraid that I can\u2019t release her. I hope you understand that, but I want more time to examine her. I can\u2019t release her just yet, not until I\u2019m sure she won\u2019t react violently to someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n Fox would have been headless and his body spurting blood if Angel had his way, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him from doing anything stupid. Angel silently thanked Fred for being a rational mind.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, Doctor,\u201d Angel relented. \u201cBut may I visit her again?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. Just speak with our receptionist. She\u2019ll give you a pass that will allow you access whenever you wish.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Doctor.\u201d Angel had actually calmed enough to shake his hand. \u201cDo you have a phone that I could borrow for a moment? I want to call her family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust ask the receptionist. I\u2019m sure she\u2019ll let you use the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel nodded slightly and cast a long, lingering look to Cordelia. His Seer stared off vacantly, and it hurt him more than he could have imagined. He then led the group out of the room. \u201cThey\u2019re not going to find anything wrong with her,\u201d Angel stated confidently.<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you know?\u201d Buffy asked. She was as confused as her cohorts as to what was going on. Things had changed, the man before her certainly wasn\u2019t the person she remembered. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, but it isn\u2019t natural. Whatever caused her to be like that is supernatural. Buffy? Do you know a way I can reach Giles?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, he should be at the Magic Box. The number is 555-1983\u201d<\/p>\n Angel turned on the charms and got the receptionist to relinquish the phone. He quickly punched in the number, and three rings later, reached the man he wanted to talk to.<\/p>\n \u201cGiles? It\u2019s Angel.\u201d<\/p>\n The Watcher was pulled away from his talk with Willow, and was more than slightly surprised to speak with the vampire. \u201cWhat can I do for you? Have you located Cordelia?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have,\u201d Angel affirmed. \u201cListen, I need your knowledge. She was taken to a psychiatric hospital and they\u2019re trying to treat her for catatonia. I just saw her, and she smells strongly of the Powers. She\u2019s unresponsive and the doctor said she reacted violently to intrusion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Powers you say?\u201d Giles took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, why?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat you described sounds remarkably like Semele Syndrome.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSemele Syndrome? Like the Greek myth?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes it\u2019s\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I know what it is,\u201d Angel said. \u201cI\u2019ve just never seen it before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s because it\u2019s an extremely rare occurrence. A being has a close encounter with a divine entity and sees the true face of a higher power. The being is sent into a catatonic or comatose state from the shock and awe of the encounter. The few recorded instances in the Watcher Diaries of a human encountering a true divinity has left them dead. Only demons have been reported to survive the incident. If it really is Semele Syndrome, it\u2019s surprising that Cordelia is even alive.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel laughed nervously at that. \u201cWell, since when has Cordelia ever felt the need to follow the tradition of things? You know her, always doing it her own way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I\u2019m sure,\u201d Giles chuckled slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cIs there anything I can do to make her snap out of it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you have a copy of Hoffstrom\u2019s book? I believe it\u2019s called \u2018Psychosis of the Paranormal\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think so,\u201d Angel answered.<\/p>\n \u201cGood. There\u2019s a section in there. It gives thorough instructions on how to concoct a serum that can be used to give the neurons a kick start. If you can administer a dosage to her, it should revive her from the catatonia within minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel breathed a huge sigh of relief. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d Giles said. \u201cIf there is anything further, please call. Oh, by the way, has Buffy arrived?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell then. I sent her to offer her services in helping locate Cordelia, but apparently they are no longer needed.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel grunted in response, a sound that Giles vaguely thought could have been an agreement. \u201cWell, again, thank you. I\u2019ll be sure to call if we need help.\u201d Angel hung up the phone before Giles could utter another word.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, what did he say?\u201d Gunn asked.<\/p>\n \u201cHe said we could fix her. Fred, do you remember seeing a copy of \u2018Psychosis of the Paranormal\u2019 around the office?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Wesley had a copy in a box down in the basement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs there anything that we can do?\u201d Buffy asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not really married to Cordelia right?\u201d Xander asked. \u201cBecause that makes me wanna say \u2018eww\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe was prettier as a brunette,\u201d Dawn said vaguely.<\/p>\n \u201cI dunno,\u201d Angel said in response to Dawn. \u201cCor could look good with electric blue hair. And no, I\u2019m not married to Cordelia, and there would be nothing \u2018eww\u2019 about that idea. And finally, you could all help by going home to Sunnydale.\u201d<\/p>\n That was it, Buffy decided. \u201cWhat the hell is wrong with you?\u201d she snapped. \u201cEver since we got here, you and your crew having been trying to get rid of us. All we wanted was to come out and help you find Cordelia.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cActually, Dawn and I hoped a visit to Disneyland was in the cards,\u201d Xander interjected.<\/p>\n \u201cXander!\u201d Angel and Buffy snapped. \u201cShut up!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cListen,\u201d Angel said. \u201cThis is a family matter. You don\u2019t see us sticking our noses in your business. We found Cor, we\u2019ll give her the serum that can fix her, and it\u2019s done. Then we can all try to rebuild our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Buffy crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes slightly. Angel groaned inwardly, knowing he just did something stupid. He pushed too hard, and now she would be stubborn.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll stay long enough to see that Cordelia recovers. Who knows, maybe there will be a demon or something you could need help with.\u201d<\/p>\n The tone was clear. There would be no arguing with her. And frankly, Angel was far too tired to argue. He wanted to get some rest, work on the serum, and then get his Cordelia back.<\/p>\n \u201cFine. We have some spare rooms. You can stay a day or two.\u201d Angel said nothing more for the rest of the evening. When they arrived at the hotel, he immediately headed to the room Cordelia sometimes used, leaving Fred and Gunn to gather the ingredients to make the serum.<\/p>\n The Scoobies steered clear, or else suffer the wrath of Fred Burkle for getting in the way of saving Cordelia.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Wolfram and Hart<\/em> The doors to Harrison\u2019s office were thrown open, revealing a tall dark haired man. Harrison glanced up at the intrusion calmly. \u201cHello Ramius,\u201d he greeted. \u201cHow are you?\u201d Harrison reached underneath the desk and tapped the security button.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t bother calling for the guards,\u201d Ramius said harshly. He disappeared out the door for a moment. Returning, he tossed the body of a Wolfram and Hart security officer to the floor. A hole in the center of his head oozed blood.<\/p>\n \u201cAs for how I\u2019m doing,\u201d Ramius continued. \u201cFrankly, I\u2019m fairly pissed off. You betrayed me, Gregory. And I don\u2019t respond well to betrayal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Harrison mocked. \u201cBut you were becoming a liability. We had to get rid of you.\u201d<\/p>\n Ramius swatted a vase resting on a small table, shattering the pottery against the wall. \u201cDid you really think you could rid yourself of me? You should have known I would come for vengeance. You cost me my job, and you cost me a shitload of money.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWrong,\u201d Harrison snapped. \u201cYou cost yourself that job, but yes, we did screw you out of a pretty penny. But don\u2019t worry, that money was put towards a very good escort with exceptional oral skills.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m glad you thought it worth it.\u201d Ramius jerked his silenced pistol from its holster. Two quick shots to the head ended Harrison\u2019s life. \u201cPersonally, I would have thought the price too steep.\u201d<\/p>\n Ramius holstered his weapon and shifted into the form of a security guard. He glanced around the room calmly, running a hand through his hair.<\/p>\n Ramius was able to leave the building without a confrontation.<\/p>\n
\nLos Angeles, California<\/em><\/p>\n
\nOffice of Gregory Harrison<\/em><\/p>\n