Part 26<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cCordy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are we supposed to do with him?\u201d Cordelia paced. \u201cWe can\u2019t send him to his time, this is his time. Kill him. I\u2019d like to, but what would that do? But we got to do something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, you agree with Lorne.\u201d Gunn pointed to the green demon.<\/p>\n
Lorne coughed. \u201cActually, I\u2019d say that I agree with the Princess, she called it before I even got here. That\u2019s not one happy vamp in there. Even before all this playing patty cakes with the time line. He\u2019s present wasn\u2019t a happy place. Dark, alone, sad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia swirled. \u201cDon\u2019t even try to make me feel sorry for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t princess, it just what it was. He has the soul, the desire to be what he could be, he just doesn\u2019t have the patience or the know how to get there. He could learn, though. He\u2019s has the soul.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou keep saying that has if it means anything to me.\u201d Cordelia flashed her eyes at demon.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrincess, the Angel cakes that you love is gone, but this one is a champion, he can be taught and he does love you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe killed my \u2018Angel Cakes\u2019 and Wesley is dead. I\u2019m not teaching him how to tie his fucking shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m with Cordy.\u201d Gunn nodded.<\/p>\n
Fred cleared her throat. \u201cWe have to do the spell again, fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKitten, honeys, friends, sweeties, from what you\u2019ve been telling me you\u2019ve been playing a spectacular game of twister with the time line, making it worse as the game progresses. It could be time to cut your losses and carry your chips home. We have Cordelia and a vampire with a soul, who for all extensive purposes is Angel. Or will be with some good old family loving and understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lorne flinched back at the trio of glares. \u201cOr not. Don\u2019t kill me, just voicing another option other than playing Russian roulette with more futures. So, what is the plan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll go.\u201d Gunn nodded. \u201cDo the spell that we used with English, with any luck, I\u2019ll get there at the same time. The two of us\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d Cordelia interrupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cGirl, you ain\u2019t going. You\u2019re the focus of all of this. We ain\u2019t giving two Angeluses and a crazy Angel another Cordy to focus on. I\u2019ll chain YOU up before that happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fred cleared her throat again, looking apoplectically at Cordelia. \u201cI\u2019d help him. Sorry. You can\u2019t go. For one thing, you\u2019re already are there. Not the body but the soul. It\u2026I don\u2019t know\u2026you shouldn\u2019t. It\u2019s too dangerous. I\u2019ll go with Charles.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFred, you can\u2019t go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can.\u201d Her eyes sparkled in indignation through her glasses. \u201cI can use a crossbow, I can be there as back up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia slumped her shoulders. \u201cWe need Angel and Wesley.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGirl, we don\u2019t have them that is why were in this shithole.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s go get them.\u201d Cordelia said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re not agreeing on.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, let\u2019s go.\u201d Cordelia waved her hand in the air,\u201d a year from now. Let\u2019s go get our Wesley with his brains, and the Angel that we trust. Just before all this time traveling stuff started to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gunn and Fred looked to each other and started nodding slowly. \u201cFred, could you do another spell.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, it\u2019s just plugging in the numbers now. Still, some leeways with exactness but, yeah, give me a date.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia looked to Gunn, her face scrunched. \u201cI don\u2019t know, the parameters should be definitely LA -Angel and Wesley here working together – so at least 1999. No, make it at least 2000.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHell, make it four months ago.\u201d Gunn suggested.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood,\u201d Cordelia nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if I can. Not like that. The spells have always had a cushion between the time departed and that to go to. It\u2019s like a built in warning system that too close is too dangerous. No, jumping back to yesterday. We know that we could send from here to 1998, I wouldn\u2019t suggest going much before that. Wesley did know, I think he did, I mean, when he sent he and Gunn back to warn Angel, it couldn\u2019t have been that far in the future, but I don\u2019t remember if he put in precautions. He gets all of the time cause and effect dynamics. I only get the math. But, I would say close to 1998 but with Angel and Wesley in LA, but not yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFour months ain’t yesterday,\u201d Gunn grumbled.<\/p>\n
Cordelia scrunched up her head. \u201cNo earlier than 2000, better yet, 2001. By then, Wesley had gone from clumsy rouge demon hunter to awesome brain guy, with the ability to remain on his feet as he killed nasties and Gunn was working here too. Sorry Fred.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s okay, any specific\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPick one.\u201d Cordelia shrugged. \u201cAs long as we can get an Angel we trust and a Wesley that will know what the hell we need to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Part 27<\/b><\/p>\n
Gunn jumped first, Fred and Cordelia followed soon after all rolling on the floor catching their breaths as they stood. They had all agreed to go together or rather they all disagreed about who would go alone. Lorne agreed to stand watch over the bound Angel B.<\/p>\n
Gunn grunted looking around, his expectant expression turned to a scowl as he turned to the slight brunette that was brushing off her jeans. \u201cYou were supposed to put us in the past, but not the friggin far past.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t.\u201d Fred pushed at her glasses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis,\u201d Gunn wiped his hand over the dusty counter, looking at the dark and dank surroundings. \u201cIsn\u2019t\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGunn,\u201d Cordelia called. \u201cWe screwed up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fred stood arms crossed. \u201cI know I did the spell right, exactly in the parameters you gave me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia gave a soft smile. \u201cIt\u2019s not your fault Fred. Gunn and I forgot.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGirl.\u201d<\/p>\n
She swished at the dust and debris on her abandoned desk. \u201cWe forgot that there was a vampire with a soul in our past that we didn\u2019t trust.\u201d She held a chipped coffee mug that had once held pencils and pens. \u201cWe\u2019ve been fired.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFuck.\u201d Gunn rubbed at his baldhead. \u201cWill he even listen to us?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy guess is a big fat no.\u201d Cordelia leaned her head back. \u201cWe need to get to Wesley.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you to get out of here.\u201d Angel\u2019s deep voice, brittle in its starkness, echoed into the lobby from the direction of the basement.<\/p>\n
Fred squealed and jumped at the voice ready to go towards the vampire, but was held back by Gunn\u2019s strong hand. \u201cThat ain\u2019t an Angel you want to know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUh.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPost Darla mind fuck, pre Darla fuck, useless to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fred slapped Gunn\u2019s arm. \u201cI told you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry, but that doesn\u2019t change the fact this version is a worthless bastard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia sighed. \u201cGunn.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGirl, you know it better than I.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust be quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel stood his eyes narrowing at Gunn\u2019s words and protective action towards the unknown female. He looked towards Cordelia. He had been surprised to sense her in the lobby. Hell he hadn\u2019t believed it at first. Angel had stopped himself from running up the stairs, forcing down the relief and hope that had sprung up. She had been so indifferent, biting, and cold when he had seen her in the hospital. She had said in loud clear terms that his family didn\u2019t want or need him. She had cut him off completely. After all turn about was fair play.<\/p>\n
Going to the hospital had been a weakness just as the unfettered hope that he hogtied and shoved back down was when he had sensed her. Emotions, the feelings that Cordelia, his family allowed him made him too weak to face Darla, Drusilla and destroy Wolfram & Hart. He couldn\u2019t allow that. He needed to get Cordelia out of the hotel, out of his life. She was his biggest weakness.<\/p>\n
He looked down at the woman that faced him. \u201cThis is my hotel. You are trespassing. You don\u2019t belong here. I don\u2019t want you here. You agreed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did?\u201d Cordelia stepped back. \u201cWhen did I say okay, Angel act like an asshole, go bury yourself in your obsession with Darla and Wolfram & Hart, forget your soul, our mission, leave me. Did I, really?\u201d Cordelia thought back, shaking her head. \u201cGunn?\u201d<\/p>\n
The black man shrugged his shoulders. \u201cYou might\u2019ve been a bit verbal in your venting good riddance to the vamp. Hell, we all were.”<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that was to you and Wesley, when did I tell him?\u201d She pointed over her shoulder to Angel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gunn shrugged. \u201cI heard you yell about the evil-ex bitch a couple of months ago and Angel whimpering. I was a little bummed. You almost got us the boat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fred raised her hand. \u201cI heard it too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia rolled her eyes. \u201cThat was just,\u201d she waved her hand in the air, blowing it off. \u201cNot then, but now, is what I\u2019m talking about. Hmmph.\u201d She turned to the vampire. \u201cWhat did I say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel narrowed his eyes, wondering at Cordelia\u2019s new tactic to get to him and why she was doing it. The woman he saw in the hospital would never want to be there.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe you told me, that you didn\u2019t need me, that none of you needed me before you told me to leave. Now I\u2019m telling you, all of you, to leave my hotel,\u201d his eyes as cold and mechanical as his voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cFuck.\u201d Cordelia turned again to Gunn. \u201cWe really screwed up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel blinked. Cordelia didn\u2019t curse not like that. Her expressions of damnation were more imaginative than common profanity. That wasn\u2019t the reaction he expected but he didn\u2019t expect any of what was happening.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy?\u201d Gunn asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWesley,\u201d she turned back to the vampire. \u201cHow long ago? Is Wesley still in the hospital?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAw, shit.\u201d Gunn rubbed he head furiously.<\/p>\n
Fred\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cWas he blown up or shot? Wait, the blown up bit happened before the what\u2019s her name bit.\u201d Fred\u2019s eyes blinked rapidly towards the vampire. \u201cWhere\u2019s Wesley? We have to go to him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia shook her head. \u201cFred, you can\u2019t go. We can\u2019t even go. Maybe\u2026\u201d She faced the vampire again. \u201cIs he still in the hospital or is he home?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel stared. \u201cHospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy, we have to go.\u201d Fred urged.<\/p>\n
She nodded. \u201cYes, but not to the hospital. Gunn and I are already there. Wesley can\u2019t help us. But we do have to go.\u201d She went to her desk. \u201cDamn\u2019t.\u201d she brushed at the papers and trash that no longer meant anything. She went straight into the enclosed office. \u201cAngel.\u201d She yelled.<\/p>\n
Angel almost refused to move but the whole thing was becoming so surreal that maybe he was dreaming and in his dreams he could be in the same room with Cordelia for a short time at least, before he woke up in an impossible sweat and more determination to push her out of his being.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do\u2026. nevermind, the desk calendar was Wesley\u2019s.\u201d She slumped down in the chair, her hands covering her face. \u201cI don\u2019t know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel had to ignore the tremor in her voice otherwise he would be drawn from his course. She had to go. \u201cI want you to leave. Don\u2019t make me do it the hard way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia looked up all signs of distress gone in the dangerous glint of her narrowed eyes. \u201cThe hard way? Would be that be using force? Glad to see that it would still be \u201chard,\u201d\u201d she quoted in the air,\u201d to pick me up and throw me out on my ass. But before you get all \u2018hardy\u2019,\u201d she quoted again, “give me a minute before I ‘make’ you be even more beigey and unbearable. If my presence bothers you so much go to the sewers, go stalk out where the dangerous duo are, go stare at Wolfram & Hart and try to figure out how to destroy it, or at least go back to the basement and turn yourself into more of the vamp terminator. I\u2019ll leave, don\u2019t worry, I just need to think for a minute so go into your deep silent brood cold mode and shut up.\u201d She glared for a moment and then yelled for Gunn.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d the black man was in the room in an instant with Fred following close behind. \u201cIs the vamp giving you trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry about him, I lived through it once, I can stand five minutes of the asshole. We need to figure out what to do. We can\u2019t bother Wesley. He has\u2026we just can\u2019t and I don\u2019t see recruiting the past you or me. It would\u2019ve taken an apocalypse to get me to leave Wesley and our crazy problem just won\u2019t cut it-too much other crap going on in this time frame and not much sympathy for Angel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about Angel, I mean him,\u201d Fred nodded to the vampire at the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, right.\u201d Gunn rolled his eyes as Cordelia Pfft loudly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat, he is Angel, he has soul, he\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGirl, so did the other one and he killed Wesley.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fred bit her lips. \u201cCordy said Angel B said Angelus did it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you remember her saying that she believed him? I don’t.”<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy,\u201d Fred looked to the young woman behind the desk.<\/p>\n
Cordelia took a deep breath. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t make sense otherwise Fred, Angel did send Angelus 1 back or no Angels with souls. The other Angelus, well, maybe, but he was the least threat because he didn\u2019t know who Wesley was yet or what he would mean to Angel or to me. It doesn\u2019t matter. All that matters is that we stop it. We won\u2019t do it from here. We\u2019re going home and then I\u2019ll go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy.\u201d Gunn shook his head. \u201cYou ain\u2019t going anywhere near the Angeluses or Angel B.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m already there, so what.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Fred ran up. \u201cMaybe if Wesley said you could but otherwise, no.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to. This is my fault. Two times I was faced with him and I\u2026 No, I\u2019ll go. I\u2019ll stop it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if you don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWill it really be any worse? Angel is already dead. If I fail, so what, at least I won\u2019t be here alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy, you aren\u2019t alone, we\u2019re here. We love you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGirl, you aren\u2019t going on a suicide mission, not without us.\u201d Gunn said forcibly.<\/p>\n
Angel moved from out of the shadows. He had wanted to believe that this was some elaborate scheme of Cordelia\u2019s to get him to listen to her. But, that reassurance was leaving rapidly as the name Angelus was thrown around too easily and she hadn\u2019t even looked at him since she told him to get lost and neither had Gunn or the unknown young woman.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat suicide mission.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia blinked up. \u201cOh, the wall speaks. Go away. I told you we would be leaving soon, in fact, we might as well leave now. At least at home, we have some semblance of cleanliness.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are you here?\u201d Angel asked no longer believing that her presence had anything to do with him rehiring them and everything to do with the bizarre notion that she wasn’t even the young woman that he had so recently seen standing guard over Wesley\u2019s hospital room.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a mistake. We forgot. How I don\u2019t know, but we did. And you don\u2019t care so why waste your time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to know why you and Gunn are here, why she\u2019s here,\u201d he pointed to Fred, \u201cWhy you didn\u2019t know that Wesley is in the hospital, why you think he\u2019s dead, why you think I\u2019m dead, I want to know what Angelus has to do with any of this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if I don\u2019t tell you then what? You\u2019re going to fire me, cut me out of your life? Ooh, are you going to threaten me? Did it, done it and Pfft to you.\u201d Cordelia glared.<\/p>\n
Fred stared at Gunn. The black man was also glaring at Angel. And the vampire was standing there taking it in and giving his own cold glare in return. Shivers ran up her spine. She ran to Cordelia, pulling at her arm. \u201cCordy, this is Angel. Not a version that you don\u2019t know, one that you can\u2019t trust, one that you can\u2019t love. He is Angel. I\u2019ve read the files. This is Angel just before his epiphany. He can help, you have to remember that, both of you.\u201d Her intense stare and words encompassing Gunn also.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t care.\u201d Cordelia shook her head. Gunn nodded in agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy,\u201d Fred held the other woman\u2019s face. \u201cYou don\u2019t believe that, you couldn\u2019t have, you never would\u2019ve still loved him if you\u2019d truly believed that. And Charles, you do trust Angel and so does Wesley. If you couldn\u2019t forgive, understand and believe then you never would\u2019ve saved me and become my family. Stop thinking in the past and how he hurt you. We can if we have to search for another version, but Wesley never liked us sending Angel back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe did quick enough, he went quick enough.\u201d Gunn shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, but only because he had to. We talked about it when devising the different spells. He was always concerned. Wesley just couldn\u2019t allow the changes to remain. It was simply emotion over logic and reason. None of us are completely sure of all of that happened. But, I do know that Wesley warned against using the Portal too many times without a justifiable reason because each time there was the risk that something would change making things even worse. And he was right- it is worse. Wesley did,\u201d looking to Cordelia and Gunn. \u201cCordy, we did talk about it, right after it happened the first time, Charles you were there.\u201d<\/p>\n
The black man slowly nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cTalked about what?\u201d Cordy glanced at her two friends.<\/p>\n
Fred took a deep breath. \u201cWhen you came back from 1898, after we knew what you went through. Wesley debated going back again at a time before he and Angel went- in an attempt to stop Angelus from ever seeing you. But he decided that we knew the outcome of the first trip, you were safe and even though things changed slightly, they were inconsequential to the risk.”<\/p>\n
“Inconsequential, my ass.\u201d Gunn snorted.<\/p>\n
Cordelia glared at Gunn and then narrowed her eyes at Fred. \u201cWhere were Angel and I in this little group office meeting?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIndisposed for a good three days, making things more \u2018inconsequential\u2019.\u201d Gunn shot back.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is your problem?\u201d Cordelia asked harshly.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy problem? Damn\u2019t girl. Between Wolfram & Hart, multiple Angeluses and Angels all who seem to have the need to make your pretty ass into a vampire or a piece of property has gotten Wesley killed.\u201d Gunn yanked at the shirt Cordelia was wearing. \u201cThese damn things that you wear so proudly will be the death of us all.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCharles,\u201d Fred yanked at the black man. \u201cStop it. Wesley understood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe didn\u2019t, he just let it be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia stood straight. \u201cSo what do you want to do, Gunn? What Lorne suggested. Let that vampire take Angel\u2019s place.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike that will happen, you\u2019ll kill him as soon as we let him loose.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe deserves to die. I can\u2019t believe that you think otherwise. He killed Wesley and Angel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, I\u2019m half in to forgetting all of them – Angels and Angeluses. Even with his soul bound, we get the evil fucker showing up on our doorstep. If it wasn\u2019t for Wes, I\u2019d say let them all die. That would stop Wolfram & Hart. No vampire with a soul, no whacked out schemes every five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia\u2019s voice got cold. \u201cGunn, Angelus doesn\u2019t even know who you are. Wolfram & Hart could care less about you. You have no say in this. None of you do. It\u2019s my decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour decisions have gotten Wesley killed and Fred offered up as your after sex breakfast and that is MY business. But, then again, it\u2019s all about Angel for you isn\u2019t it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia reared back and slugged the black man, her fist carrying the force of her every feeling of anger, sadness, and guilt, dropping the strong man to his knees.<\/p>\n
Cordelia blinked looking at what she had done. \u201cOh god.\u201d She ran.<\/p>\n
Angel stayed still, but his eyes followed the fleeing girl, targeting where her pounding heart was going. Satisfied for the moment he looked back to Gunn and to the young woman kneeling next to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cCharles, you shouldn\u2019t have.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe hit me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCharles, we all are hurting right now. But, Cordy had a point, a valid one. Not once during any of this did she have a choice. Wolfram & Hart threw her into the 19th century for Angelus to kill her. They sent him to the future to kill her when that failed. They sent her to Sunnydale to face two Angelus. This is about her, Angel, and their bond not us. Angel died because he had to go and save her. Wesley died because he chose to go after them. If we die, it will because we choose to put ourselves in the position to be in danger. She hasn\u2019t asked us to go though, she wouldn\u2019t. The only ones she will agree to send back is her or an Angel she can trust. She won\u2019t risk anyone else. You saw that when she chose to kill Angelus and die rather than put us in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe sent Wesley back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe asked him to go because she had no choice, she couldn\u2019t go. She didn\u2019t have a soul. She told us that she was afraid that she would just destroy our Cordy and kill that Buffy girl. And Wesley would\u2019ve gone anyway. He had just killed Cordy and Angel was dead. He would\u2019ve gone whether Cordy the vamp asked or not. Just like you would\u2019ve or I would\u2019ve. Together, Charles, that is the only way we will survive this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gunn pushed up from the ground. \u201cYou sound like Cordy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been listening to her. She rubs off on people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDamn straight, okay, so what I go and apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fred looked around. She scrunched up her brow at the departing dark figure that separated from the wall. \u201cThis might not be a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNope. I guess we\u2019ll be sitting here for awhile.\u201d Gunn jerked up. \u201cShit, what if he forgets that he doesn\u2019t the have sex free card.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think we have to worry about that. They didn\u2019t seem to like each other very much.\u201d Fred sat on the chair nervous and sad at the tension between her friends, even if Angel was from the past and didn\u2019t know her he still was her friend.<\/p>\n