Part 3<\/b><\/p>\n
Hyperion Hotel <\/em> Lilah Morgan walked into the offices of Angel Investigations, confident no one at Wolfram and Hart would know. That happened when the surveillance equipment went on the fritz.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, whom do I talk to about taking my case?\u201d Lilah called.<\/p>\n From the back office came the entire gang, Cordelia in the lead. \u201cDid you find anything?\u201d Cordelia asked. She was still hesitant around the lawyer, despite Angel\u2019s recent comfort around her. Begrudgingly, Cordy had to admit Lilah had come through several times in the past year.<\/p>\n \u201cI think so,\u201d Lilah answered. Flipping open a file folder she carried, Lilah began to recite information. \u201cHereford Innovations does indeed exist. Located in London, the company was founded in 1996 by Douglas Edwards and Michelle O\u2019Leary.\u201d<\/p>\n Lilah handed the folder to an eager Fred, who began to quickly root through the contents. \u201cWhat does Hereford Innovations specialize in?\u201d Wesley asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThey do computer stuff,\u201d Lilah said. \u201cThey\u2019ve made a small name for themselves in research to boost cellular phone reception. They\u2019ve also developed a pistol that is now employed by British recon units. That\u2019s about it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo groundbreaking research,\u201d Wesley observed.<\/p>\n \u201cNot yet anyway,\u201d Gunn said.<\/p>\n \u201cHold on a second.\u201d Fred flipped through the folder and came back to a page she found particularly interesting. \u201cThis is a spreadsheet of major employees at Hereford Innovations.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Lilah said. \u201cThey actually have a website. I pulled that page off it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019ve heard of two of these people,\u201d Fred stated confidently.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Cordy drawled. \u201cBut what does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n Fred looked at the gang, understanding starting to form in her eyes. \u201cIt means, if this information is true, I can begin to explain how a woman from thirty years in the future can travel through time on a whim.\u201d<\/p>\n ***********<\/p>\n Sunnydale, California <\/em> Rupert Giles stared in fascination at the metal dumpster outside the Elm Street Clinic. Placing his fist near the hole, he could determine that the entry shot was slightly larger. Whatever had narrowly missed Cordelia, and ignited this trash receptacle, was about the size of softball.<\/p>\n During the lunch break, the Scoobies had all gathered in the high school library to recount the tale of last night\u2019s events. Giles was deeply upset that one of his charges had so nearly been killed, even if it was Cordelia. But then the natural curiosity came through.<\/p>\n \u201cTell it to me again,\u201d Giles asked of his Slayer.<\/p>\n \u201cLike I said, I didn\u2019t see much,\u201d Buffy said. \u201cI was fighting a couple vamps, then I heard kind of a \u2018thwomp\u2019 noise. Next thing I know, Cordelia is on the ground, and the dumpster is on fire.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you say there was a man that knocked her out of the way?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right, G-man. We saw him clear as day, except that it was night and kind of overcast\u2026\u201d Xander rambled before Willow elbowed him.<\/p>\n \u201cA man came running from that alley across the way,\u201d Willow pointed. \u201cWhoever it was tackles better than most of the linebackers on varsity.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was Angel,\u201d Cordelia insisted again. The brunette wore a small bandage on her hairline. It was hard to find a hairdo that would look stylish and cover it up.<\/p>\n \u201cCordelia,\u201d Buffy said sadly. \u201cIt couldn\u2019t have been Angel. I killed him.\u201d The blonde began to tear up at the mention of her dead love.<\/p>\n \u201cPoo,\u201d Cordelia exclaimed, not really thinking about what Buffy might be feeling. \u201cIt was El Vampiro himself, or my name isn\u2019t Cordelia Chase.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell Linda Lu, shall I take you to dinner tonight as a consolation prize?\u201d Xander inquired. He received a Cordelia \u2018death stare\u2019 in return.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry to break the lovers quarrel,\u201d Oz said, \u201cbut we\u2019re straying from the point here. There\u2019s somebody shooting weird ass lights at Cordelia, and somebody who took a nosedive to protect her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQuite right,\u201d Giles agreed. \u201cI\u2019ll of course research this afternoon. But I suggest that we all patrol tonight, myself included. Perhaps this mysterious assassin and Cordelia\u2019s Guardian Angel shall reappear.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGreat!\u201d Cordelia exclaimed. \u201cWhat happens when whoever starts using me for target practice again?\u201d<\/p>\n Buffy managed a small grin at the brunette\u2019s query. \u201cDuck,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n ***********<\/p>\n Clarke\u2019s Ridge Cemetery <\/em> \u201cThere are to many cemeteries in this damn town,\u201d Cordelia muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cThe perks of the Hellmouth,\u201d Xander retorted.<\/p>\n \u201cGuys,\u201d Buffy said. \u201cWe\u2019re here to keep an eye out for any would-be assassins and any vampires stupid enough to cross us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPrecisely,\u201d Giles agreed. \u201cSo be quiet and keep your eyes open.\u201d<\/p>\n The Scoobies shut up at Giles\u2019 request. For several minutes the gang patrolled the cemetery in silence. That is, until Cordelia spoke up.<\/p>\n \u201cThis grass is really sticking to my heels.\u201d<\/p>\n Buffy lowered her stake and turned back to stare at the other girl. \u201cWhy are you wearing heels on patrol?\u201d<\/p>\n Cordelia gave her best \u2018duh\u2019 look to the Slayer. \u201cIt\u2019s the only pair of shoes I have that match this skirt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou only have one pair that matches that skirt?\u201d Buffy asked incredulously. \u201cDamn, you\u2019re slipping in style points.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBite me, Buffy,\u201d Cordelia snapped back.<\/p>\n \u201cWill you both hush?\u201d Giles demanded. The Watcher was growing increasingly tired of the two girls\u2019 incessant squabbling. \u201cI swear, if I have to say it again\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGiles, shut up,\u201d Buffy ordered.<\/p>\n Normally, Giles would have snapped back at his Slayer for saying that, but he didn\u2019t this time. Her \u2018Spider Senses\u2019 were working, he realized.<\/p>\n \u201cVampires?\u201d Giles questioned.<\/p>\n \u201cWould this be a good time to circle the wagons?\u201d Willow asked timidly.<\/p>\n \u201cShush,\u201d Buffy ordered again. \u201cVampire somewhere near,\u201d she said after a moment. \u201cKeep a lookout.\u201d<\/p>\n Two hundred yards away, on the roof of a crypt built along the cemetery\u2019s west wall, Allison Beasley steadied her weapon for the kill shot.<\/p>\n ***********<\/p>\n Angel made sure to trail a safe distance behind the Sunnydale gang. The vampire wanted to keep his presence a secret as long as possible. It would be tough for him to stick to the shadows, especially after seeing what it was like in the light, but he felt this was the best option.<\/p>\n Angel watched his future love trudge through the slightly wet grass. Every ten feet or so, she\u2019d stop and pull at dirt clumps that stuck to her heels. Angel grinned as he remembered the Cordelia from high school. Only she would gallivant around a cemetery hunting vampires in a short skirt and heels. He could imagine the fussing she was making.<\/p>\n She looked incredibly beautiful, Angel thought with a sigh. Long shapely legs leading to an attractive, short black skirt. She had a white silk shirt that showed off the tiniest bit of cleavage. And damn, her hair looked pretty. He\u2019d have to convince future Cordelia to grow it out again.<\/p>\n Suddenly Buffy tensed. Angel quickly ducked behind a tree to hide. She detected a vampire near, he knew. Hopefully she wouldn\u2019t detect which vampire it was. Angel peered at her through a twist of the branches. Oh yeah, she felt a vampire near.<\/p>\n Just like the Slayer\u2019s senses went on full alert, Angel\u2019s went haywire as well. The vampire quickly shifted to game face to access the possible threat. A couple hundred yards away he saw it. Allison was preparing to take her shot.<\/p>\n \u201cFuck!\u201d Angel said aloud and bolted towards the Sunnydale gang. His vampire speed allowed him to close the gap between himself and Cordelia in a matter of moments. Dread filled the vampire as a loud \u2018thwomp\u2019 echoed throughout the cemetery. He didn\u2019t know if he\u2019d make it.<\/p>\n But he did.<\/p>\n Angel launched his body in front of Cordelia, taking the grapefruit sized pulse round square in his back. His momentum knocked him into Cordelia, sending them both into the ground.<\/p>\n The other members heard the distinct sound of the shot being fired, and turned back just in time to see a large body knocking Cordelia to the ground. The bullet impacted between the figure\u2019s shoulders, sending blood flying everywhere. Willow jerked back in shock when a splatter of blood coated her cheek. She\u2019d been closest to Cordelia when it happened.<\/p>\n \u201cAaghh!\u201d Cordelia cried from underneath the body that fell atop her. \u201cA little help please?\u201d<\/p>\n The gang was quickly by her side, pulling the body away from her. They all gasped in shock at who it was.<\/p>\n \u201cAngel?\u201d<\/p>\n ***********<\/p>\n \u201cWho are they Fred?\u201d Cordelia asked.<\/p>\n Fred continued to examine the paper before her. If this was true, then it could explain everything. \u201cThere are two men here that I\u2019ve read about. Duncan Smyth and Friedrich Schuber.\u201d<\/p>\n When Fred stopped, Cordelia grew extremely anxious. \u201cFred!\u201d The other woman snapped to attention and noticed the entire group was focused on her.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, sorry,\u201d Fred apologized. \u201cSmyth is a British theoretical physicist. Schuber is an Austrian who made a big name working with electromagnetism.\u201d Everyone stared at her blankly.<\/p>\n \u201cElectro-what?\u201d Gunn asked.<\/p>\n Fred sighed heavily. This would take a lot of explaining. \u201cGive me ten minutes,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ll try to dig something up.\u201d Fred then retreated back to her laptop to begin researching.<\/p>\n \u201cHe he,\u201d Gunn chuckled. \u201cDamn British can\u2019t even spell \u2018Smith\u2019 right.\u201d Gunn swore he heard a muttered \u2018Fuck you\u2019 from Wesley\u2019s general direction.<\/p>\n ***********<\/p>\n The amount of pain that Angel was in couldn\u2019t be accurately described. He felt like someone had ripped the skin off his back. With a low moan, Angel hesitantly opened his eyes, when a sudden thought ran through his head. If he got nailed in the back, then how the hell did he get away from the Scoobies?<\/p>\n Angel tried to sit up, but was kept from doing so. He was handcuffed to a bedpost. Searching around desperately, he realized he was in a strange place. Finally, his eyes came to rest at the foot of the bed. \u201cAw fuck.\u201d<\/p>\n Willow and Oz stood there, staring at him. Oz was his normal passive self, but Willow was nervously trying to smile at the vampire. \u201cSo, uh,\u201d Willow began. \u201cHow are ya?\u201d she finished cheerily.<\/p>\n
\nOctober 17, 2003<\/em><\/p>\n
\nSeptember 19, 1998<\/em><\/p>\n
\n11:21 PM<\/em><\/p>\n