Title: Soulripper

Author: Liam

Rating: NC17 for violence, sex, and strong language.

Summary: In the aftermath of ‘Loyalty’ and ‘Sleep Tight’, things at AI go from bad to worse. When Angel loses his soul, Cordelia begins having powerful visions that she is responsible for it. Did Cordelia cause Angel to lose his soul, or is there a deeper conspiracy at work?

Notes: This will become a crossover with Buffy, but don’t expect to see the slayer herself. Willow and Tara will become major players by the time this story is done.

Teaser

Her moans of pleasure were driving him absolutely wild. His gasp of excitement as she dragged her nails across his back only furthered her own. Never before had it felt so good to have someone inside her. She never wanted to let go.

“Angel,” she moaned as his lips traveled around her body. “Please,” she cried. She never thought that torture could feel so good. “Please, I need…” the electricity that shot through her body silenced her words.

“What do you need, Cordelia?” he asked. “Do you need me to release you?” Her strangled moan was his answer. “Do you need me to love you?” She gasped again in response. “Do you need me?” he asked.

“Always,” Cordelia moaned. “I’ll always need you. I’ll always want you.”

Angel liked that answer. He gently kissed her forehead. “Good girl,” he whispered.

***********

Fred was scared senseless when Cordelia bolted upright in the bed. The Seer was confused. This was not where she last remembered to be. At least, she didn’t think it was.

“No, Cordy, don’t do that,” Fred said. Cordelia was desperately pulling at the sensors and tubes attached to her body. When she pulled the one off of her heart, the machine began making furious beeping noises. “Cordy, please?” the girl pleaded.

But Cordelia would have none of that. She wanted the damn thing off. She wanted out of this place and she wanted to know what the hell was going on.

A nurse came into the room, alerted by the beeping. Trailing right behind her was Gunn. “What happened?” the young nurse asked. Then she saw that the patient had awakened. “Miss? You shouldn’t do that,” the nurse said.

“Fuck you,” Cordelia answered. “Get these off me and get me some clothes. I WANT OUT!”

The nurse had no idea what to do, so she did all that she could. She went to find her supervisor. Gunn sidestepped out of the girl’s way before approaching the bed.

“Yo, Cordelia, anyone ever tell you that ya got a knack for dealing with people?”

“What the hell is going on?” Cordelia asked again. She was in no mood for jokes.

Fred looked sadly at the Seer before turning her eyes to Gunn. She had no idea what to say.

“It’s a good thing you’re sitting down,” Gunn said. He took a seat next to Cordelia’s bed and began to tell the story.

*************

One cannot explain the feeling of the taste of warm blood accurately if it is not in one’s nature to drink it. It’s ambrosia to a creature that feasts on it to survive. When the first drops hit the tongue, it’s like an atomic explosion of sensation coursing throughout the body. It’s truly orgasmic. Nothing could compare to the hot and spicy elixir as it travels down the throat into the stomach. Sometimes the sensation was even better than sex.

Just sometimes, Angelus reaffirmed. Nothing could really beat a great fuck. Well, eating the woman afterwards could technically beat it, but Angelus wasn’t into technicalities. Not when he was hungry.

He saw the one he wanted. Angelus licked his lips. Redheads were especially tasty around a full moon. Add to that a bottle of Chianti and it had the potential to be a jolly good time. And this one reminded him of a redhead he knew a few years back.

“It’s really been too long,” Angelus muttered to himself. “Let’s see if I still got the touch.” Smoothing out his leather pants to ensure they showed off his assets, Angelus sauntered over to the attractive redhead.

“Excuse me, darlin’,” Angelus spoke in his old Irish accent, “but what’s a fine lady like you doing in a part of town like this?” The woman smiled at the handsome man. He could smell her attraction.

Angelus smiled wider. He still had it.

------------------

Part 1 - Released

“I can’t believe it,” Cordelia whispered. Her special little man was gone, and she hadn’t been here to stop it. And it was all because of a friend’s betrayal. “Where is he?”

Fred and Gunn both shrank back. In a matter of seconds, the brooding and morose woman before them changed. She was now radiating an anger that even non-demons could pick up loud and clear.

“We don’t know,” Gunn told her. “He was at this hospital. Someone found him and called 911. But a few weeks ago he disappeared. The police and staff seem convinced he left on his own.”

“I guess he didn’t want to face Angel,” Fred added.

“But you don’t remember any of that, do you?” Gunn asked.

Cordelia shook her head in the negative. It was all so fuzzy. “No, I remember returning from somewhere with Groo and then this,” Cordy indicated the bed she was in. “How long ago was that?” Neither responded quickly. “How long ago?” she demanded.

“Three weeks,” Fred said.

Cordelia was stunned. She had no memories of the past three weeks of her life. “How did I get here?”

“No one is quite sure,” Fred admitted. “One night you were just found on the hospital’s doorstep. They ran tox-screens to search for any drugs that you might have been administered, but the tests came out clean. We don’t know where you were.”

“Fred and I have been coming in to check on you often,” Gunn said. “But where kinda stretched thin. It’s just us two, Groo and Lorne at the Hyperion.”

“Where’s Angel?” Cordelia asked, confused.

Fred and Gunn gave a long look at each other. Neither wanted to tell the bad news, but Gunn decided he would do so. “Well, there’s a little problem with Angel.”

************

It might come as a shock to many, but Angelus was a very good cook. One doesn’t exist for nearly three centuries without picking up on various trades. Of course, soulboy didn’t flaunt the talent. He had to hold on to whatever masculinity he actually had.

“My Sire, Darla, used to love it when I made her ziti,” Angelus told the redhead. “We’d eat, then feed on some poor maid at whatever hotel we stayed at, then we’d fuck for days.” Angelus sighed at the memory. “Those were good times.”

Angelus placed two plates on the table. Taking the bowl of pasta, he served helping onto both. He then cracked open a bottle of wine and filled a pair of glasses.

“I must say,” Angelus said. “I’ve truly enjoyed our evening together. I’d love to do it again sometime.”

The girl moaned as she slid further down in her chair. The blood loss was threatening to send her into unconsciousness. Angelus looked upon her with mock sympathy.

“Oh, dear, I believe you have had too much to drink.” He moved the glass of wine away from her and then took her wrist. “You don’t mind if I do this, right?” Angelus then took a knife and made a thin slice into her wrist. Holding the bloody girl’s arm over his pasta, he allowed the life-fluid to drip over it. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I really was going to make a sauce for this, but I simply ran out of time.” When a sufficient amount dropped on his ziti, he dropped the girl’s wrist away. She soon slipped into unconsciousness. “Poor dear, you really must learn to say whe

n you’ve had enough.” The vampire took a bite of the pasta. Chewing slowly he savored the taste of the blood and herbs. Taking a sip of the wine, Angelus made a slightly disgusted face. Glancing at the bottle, he saw the problem. “Americans. When will they learn to make a decent red wine?”

************

Cordelia leaned on Gunn for support as she entered the lobby of the Hyperion. Groo was the first to envelope her in a hug. Cordelia returned the embrace. After prying herself from his arms, she accepted one from Lorne.

“It’s good to have you back, Princess,” the demon solemnly said. Cordelia smiled slightly and took a set on a couch.

The Seer was too much in a state of shock to do much else. Angel, her Champion, had lost his soul. Gunn and Fred had explained it to her. Shortly after returning with Groo, she and Angel went missing. A few days later, her comatose form was found outside the hospital.

Everyone had assumed the worst about Angel when he didn’t show up. Then nearly ten days ago while on patrol, Gunn and Groo came across…him. It wasn’t her Champion any longer. It was a monster, and they found it feeding on a teenage boy.

Angelus.

The demon was set loose and no one knew how. Over the next couple of patrols, Gunn said that he felt a presence around him. It was Angel, he said, only it wasn’t. He could feel the dark brown eyes watching his every movements, only now it wasn’t out of curiosity and benevolence. They were eyes that were searching for the next meal.

“Cordelia?” Gunn asked. “Is there anything you want?”

“Can you help me to the kitchen?” she asked. Gunn bent down and allowed the Seer to wrap an arm around his neck. They had barely gone three feet when Cordelia gave a strangled cry and went limp.

The vision was unlike any she had ever experienced before. She moaned as images of Angel filling her played through her mind. Images of him being tender and gentle, his tongue tasting every inch of her body. Images of him being rougher, pounding her into the mattress as she cried his name.

It wasn’t real, she told herself before passing out.

****************

Somebody left the window open, Angelus mentally sang. With catlike grace and silence, the vampire entered the room. Those mangy humans had finally left her alone.

Cordelia.

For once, Angelus had to applaud soulboy’s taste in women. This one certainly was a delicious little number. Angelus lightly crawled onto the bed, careful not to wake the girl. He positioned himself right above her, hands to each side of her head. He made sure that no part of him touched her. Although, there was one part of him he wouldn’t mind touching her with.

Angelus inhaled deeply. He smelled her hair, her neck, her mouth. Only a faint linger of her vanilla perfume remained. The time in the hospital had given her a sterile scent.

Oh, it would be so much fun to play with this one. Even Nancy-boy admitted that. Even he wanted this one, wanted to turn her and claim her, to make her his. And Angelus wanted the same.

Patience, he reminded himself. All good things come to those who wait. And Angelus had every intention of making this on ‘come’ to him.

But he restrained himself. The game hadn’t even started yet. It would be no fun to turn her now. He wanted the pleasure of systematically destroying this one’s soul. He wanted to watch her pain as the shell of her best friend committed monstrosities against all she cared about.

Tentatively, Angelus trailed his tongue along her cheek. The beauty stirred but didn’t wake. Oh. God, this one tasted good.

“Goodnight, Cordelia,” he whispered in her ear. “Sweet dreams for now, Little One. Because I soon plan on making your existence a nightmare.”

Gently the vampire removed himself from the bed. Taking an envelope from his pants pocket, he placed it on the table next to the bed. After brushing a stray strand of hair from her face, Angelus disappeared into the dark Los Angeles night.

------------

Part 2 - Business Propositions

The first rays of sunlight slipped through the blinds into Cordelia’s room. She squinted her eyes and tried to turn away from the offending light, but to no avail. It was time to get up.

Cordelia fumbled for the alarm clock on the table when her hand found an envelope. Forgetting about her desire to know the time, Cordy grabbed the envelope and opened it. What she saw inside made her gasp in shock. She had seen this before, and she knew exactly who was responsible.

It was a pencil sketch of her. She was lying stretched out on the bed, her nude form painstakingly drawn to be as accurate as possible.

“Angel,” she whispered. It was her best friend that drew this beautiful and haunting portrait.

No, this wasn’t her friend, Cordelia told herself. Her friend had a beautiful soul. The person that did this was the monster within. Cordelia folded the paper back up and put it back in the envelope. She then tucked it in her pants pocket before heading downstairs.

She found Lorne, Fred, and Gunn reading through a stack of files at the counter. Groo was taking stock of the weapons closet, fingering the swords and clubs. The Pylean immediately stopped what he was doing when his saw his Princess.

“Cordy?” he said, the name still sounding strange on his tongue. “Are you feeling well now?”

“I’m fine,” Cordelia assured him. She gracefully avoided the hug he tried to give her. She had no idea how to behave around him after her ‘dreams’ of Angel.

“Hey, Sweetcheeks,” Lorne greeted her. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“I’m fine,” she said again. The green demon looked at her skeptically. Cordelia knew he was getting vibes from her, but she silently dared him to call her on it. Finally, Lorne just shrugged and let it drop.

“Was that a vision you had last night?” Fred asked her.

“No,” Cordy answered. “I just over-exerted myself. I was kind of weak from the hospital. I’m better now, honest,” she told the girl. “You haven’t ransacked Wesley’s office or anything have you?”

“No, why?” Gunn asked.

“Because I need to make a call. With Angelus on the loose and Wesley nowhere to be found and myself being recently de-comatosed, I think we should call in some help.”

Lorne, Fred, and Gunn just stared after her. Something was up with the Seer. Groo, still hurt from Cordy’s less than enthused greeting, turned back to the weapons cabinet and began fiddling with a crossbow.

Inside Wesley’s office, Cordelia shut the door for some privacy. Searching his desk, she found a Rolodex. Flipping through the alphabet, she found the card she wanted.

RUPERT GILES

Palmetto Lane, Sunnydale CA

555-1989

Cordelia dialed the number. After a few rings, an electronic voice informed her that the number was no longer in use. Cordelia stared at the phone a moment as if it had grown a second head. Why was that number no longer in use?

Cordelia thought for a moment. They still needed help. With the demon expert missing, and her best friend doing a Darth Vader impersonation, the AI gang needed all the assistance they could get. But who to call? Suddenly, inspiration struck. Searching through the Rolodex, Cordy was disappointed not to find the name she wanted.

Nothing was ever easy.

She had her second Eureka moment in as many minutes. Grabbing the phone, she dialed the operator.

“Hello?” Cordelia asked. “I need you to look up a number for me.”

*********************

Los Angeles was a fascinating city. It was a world-class tourist spot. There were movie stars and big time sports teams.

But Angelus didn’t like it because of that.

He liked it because it was possible to get a good lay and a hot meal in one nice little stop. He liked it because of the miles upon miles of underground sewer systems that allowed for travel to any part of the city at anytime of day.

Walking through said sewer systems, Angelus thought about his game plan.

For years, the name Angelus was a name that was feared by vampires throughout the world. His ruthlessness and sheer brutality was legendary and unmatched.

But then he killed that damn gypsy girl.

Then vampires for an entirely different reason feared his name. He was a nightwalker that hunted and killed his own brothers. He became a mercenary of sorts, someone who was paid to kill others that were just like him. There wasn’t a vampire in this city that didn’t know the name of Angel.

But soon, he thought, they will once again know the name Angelus. But as much as he hated to admit it, he needed help to do that. But thankfully, he knew of the person that could help him.

Lifting the cover off the manhole, Angelus quickly climbed into the shaded alley outside the old factory. This was the palace of Kelemoke.

It had been over a century since Angelus had seen the tribesman, but he always heard his name. Kelemoke was a villager living on Africa’s Ivory Coast when he had been turned in the late 1850s.

He was from the Order of Versailles, a very powerful lineage that could almost equal Angelus’ in strength. His Sire had been Alexondra, a woman who had been rumored to once been the niece of an Egyptian Pharaoh. While the pharaoh part was probably false, she had been a very powerful vampire.

Kelemoke said he owed Angelus a favor for staking her. And now Angelus had come to collect.

He walked past several other vampires and entered the dark halls that Kelemoke reigned over. While the outside was definitely in need of repair, the inside was an entirely different matter.

Kelemoke had certainly been spoiled by his years in Southern and Western Europe after his turning. The walls had been covered in fine red clothes. Victorian style chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and beautifully cut French furniture from the time of Napoleon lined the walls. Authentic Italian Renaissance paintings were put proudly on display all around.

Very ironic that a man who’s upbringing valued the simply life should become someone who so cherished his luxuries.

“Who are you?” a voice demanded from behind him. Angelus turned to look at the speaker. The vampire was obviously a fledgling. This one could be intimidated.

“Who are you?” Angelus demanded in return. “Do you work for Kelemoke?”

The fledgling was surprised by the harsh tone. This vampire was obviously old and powerful. “Yes,” he stuttered.

“Then tell your master that Angelus has arrived.”

***************

The phone rang seven times before someone finally answered.

“Hello?” the voice asked.

“Dawn?” Cordelia questioned.

“Yes? Who is this?” the teenager asked.

“This is Cordelia in LA. Is Willow around by any chance?”

“Yeah, hold on.” Cordy pulled the receiver away from her ear as Dawn shouted for Willow to come to the phone.

“Cordelia? Is that you?” Willow asked

“Yes, it’s me. Willow? We need your help.”

*****************

Angelus was led to a large and well-furnished room below ground. When the minion left him, Angelus took the opportunity to snoop. Kelemoke certainly had done well for himself.

In the center of the room was a large oak desk that looked 18th century. On either side were plush leather chairs that Angelus felt envious of. Slowly, he took a seat in one of them. Angelus sighed as he relaxed in the highly comfortable chair.

The vampire took note of the large bookshelf behind the desk. There were several first editions of novels by Austen, Twain, and Cervantes. His collection of poetry was quite impressive also. He’d never seen a first edition of ‘Leaves of Grass’ before.

“You have five seconds to prove you’re not that souled bastard before I stake your ass,” a voice with a slight African accent commanded.

“Do you smell a soul upon me you savage Negro bastard?” Angelus smirked.

Kelemoke laughed in return. “Indeed I do not, you Irish whore.” The African extended his hand, which Angelus gladly shook.

The vampire was exactly as Angelus remembered. He had the same piercing brown eyes that he first saw in Barcelona so many years ago. Despite the fact that Kelemoke was only perhaps five foot five, he stood with a confidence that stated he was not someone to fuck with. And he wasn’t either.

Angelus had seen first hand the ferocity and ease in which the vampire across from him killed. He was cool and calculating, and Angelus respected him for that.

“You are without soul,” Kelemoke commented. “How did this occur?”

“I’m not certain,” Angelus said honestly. “One night I went to bed as Nancy-boy, the next thing I knew I was once again without the soul.”

“Interesting,” Kelemoke said as he sat down in his chair. “But that isn’t why you are here. What can I do for you, my friend?”

“To the point as always,” Angelus smiled. “I need minions, and I would like them as soon as possible. You do owe me a favor,” he reminded

Kelemoke looked at the vampire thoughtfully. “Indeed, I do owe you a favor,” Kelemoke admitted. “I shall give you the help you seek, but first, I’d like to know what you wish to do with them.”

“I wish to build a Kingdom,” Angelus said. “And I wish to have a Queen by my side.”

“And you have chosen Los Angeles?” Kelemoke asked. “And this Queen, have you someone in mind?”

“I might have found a suitable mate,” Angelus smirked.

Kelemoke laughed. “This mate isn’t another blonde?” he teased.

“She isn’t,” Angelus laughed. “I have vowed never again to make that error.”

“And may I expect some compensation for the usage of my minions?” Kelemoke inquired.

“Would Santa Monica be suitable?” Angelus grinned. Kelemoke grinned with him. Angelus certainly had a habit of making things interesting.

--------------------------------

Part Three: Vinco Vici Victum

The gang was really starting to worry about her.

That morning she made a telephone call, to whom they didn’t know. On her face was a mixture of sadness and resolve. She then sat on a couch in the lobby and didn’t move for three hours. Then it happened again.

She gave a long cry of anguish, or at least Fred thought it was, Lorne wasn’t so sure. Her body went limp once more, but this time she was able to stay conscience. She refused any attempts of aid, a fact that discouraged Groo mightily. He didn’t like it when his princess wasn’t happy and healthy, and right now, she was neither.

“What do we do?” Gunn asked.

“I think we just give her time,” Fred said. “I still think she trying to comprehend that Angel isn’t Angel anymore.”

“I think we’re all trying to come to terms with that one, Cupcake,” Lorne added. “But I’m getting some strange readings from the Princess. I think she may be hiding something.”

The three turned at the sound of the front door opening. The small form of Willow Rosenburg appeared in the doorway, followed by a dark blonde form that they didn’t recognized.

“Cordelia?” Willow called. The Wicca spotted the brunette on the couch, but was confused when she didn’t respond. She jumped in surprise when a green hand touched her arm.

“Hello there,” the green demon greeted. Both girls looked at him with a tinge of fear in their eyes. “Wow, a couple Wiccans,” the demon noted. “Strong ones, too.” He held out his hand in greeting. “I’m Lorne. The bald fellow over there is Gunn and the cutie beside him is Fred.”

Willow took his hand tentatively. “I’m Willow,” she said. “And this is Tara.” The blonde behind her shyly smiled and waved. “Cordelia called me and said she needed help.” She saw that Cordelia was still staring out into space. “What’s going on? Is Cordelia ok?”

“She didn’t tell you what’s happened?” Lorne asked surprised. Willow shook her head. “Well then, sit down. I’ll fix us a couple Sea Breezes and tell this twisted tale. But a long story short: things couldn’t be worse.”

*************

Angelus stalked silently along the rooftop of the old warehouse. His demon eyesight allowed him to see through the windows and the darkness of the neighboring building. He motioned to the minions on the street across from the building.

It was nearly time to attack.

With ease, Angelus leapt the twenty feet and landed on the opposite rooftop. Followed by a pair of minions, he crept to the glass sky roof in the middle. Peering down, he saw nearly two-dozen vampires.

The Steiner Clan.

William Steiner was a relatively young vampire, just over a century old. But he was a good businessman. William ran a racketeering organization in Buffalo during Prohibition.

During the Cold War he had gained a reputation for developing the best fake identification money could buy. Vampires, as well as Russian defectors, paid good money for him to create birth certificates and Social Security papers for them.

Starting in the mid 1980s, Steiner moved to Los Angeles and became a major player in drug trafficking. His main claim to fame was helping turn Metamphetamine from a local drug of choice into a pipeline stretching into the Midwest. He also ran Crack and LSD, as well as some guns, but Metamphetamine continued to be his main crop.

But Angelus didn’t care about drugs, although a few of his minions might. What he cared about was the fact that William Steiner had power. With power, there could be resistance, and with resistance, Angelus’ hope for creating his own empire could be shattered.

So William Steiner had to be destroyed.

The vampires inside were stunned when the front and rear doors were shattered. His minions rushed in and immediately began to drive back the enemy. Angelus decided to make his grand entrance.

All looked up as Angelus dropped in a shower of glass. Leather duster flowing, Angelus was a menacing sight. Drawing a stake from his pocket, he dusted the first awestruck vampire he saw. Two more quickly followed before Steiner’s minions remembered to fight back.

Angelus then drew the sword strapped to his belt. Leaving the fight to his minions, he went in search of Steiner. Kicking open a door, the smell of steam told him it lead to a boiler room below. Throwing caution aside, Angelus rushed down the steps, his demon senses trying to pick up the scent of a vampire he’d met only once before. Thinking he found it, Angelus allowed his nose to lead him.

A hatchet whizzed by his head and opened a steam valve. The hot gas momentarily blinded Angelus. Steiner quickly used the opportunity to attack.

The small vampire used his speed to beat a reeling Angelus back against a boiler. The elder vampire managed to deflect the blows of his opponent’s sword, but just barely. He was still hurting from the steam.

Steiner swung his sword in a quick arc towards Angelus’ head. The elder managed to duck as the sword punctured another pipe and blasted the younger in the face. It was all Angelus needed. Quickly turning, Angelus delivered a vicious cut to the younger vampire’s side.

Steiner tried to turn and counter, but a quick slice severed the hand that held the sword. Steiner’s scream of pain echoed throughout the basement. Angelus’ grin grew wider at the sound.

“Veni, Vidi, Vici, William,” Angelus taunted in his Irish accent. “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

One cut was all it took to end William Steiner’s existence. His head didn’t even hit the floor before his body turned to ash.

“Sorry, Billy,” Angelus said. “It’s just business.”

*************

“Is she okay?” Tara asked as she sat next to Cordelia. The young brunette seemed to be in a trance of sorts. Her vacant eyes were dilated and her breath was coming in short pants.

“She seems to be doing that often,” Fred observed.

“Cordelia?” Willow asked. The redhead gently laid her hand on the other girl’s shoulder.

Cordy gave a short shout of surprise and nearly fell of the couch. It took a few moments before she was able to remember where she was. Finally, she looked up and saw that Willow had arrived.

“Hi,” she said with a small smile. “I didn’t hear you come in. This must be Tara?” The blond next to her smiled and nodded. “Now that you guys are here, let’s go to Wesley’s office and talk shop.”

Cordelia slowly stood up and led the way to the office. A confused Tara and Willow followed. The rest of the gang looked on. Maybe these two would be able to help get their friend back.

**************

“Kelemoke!” Angelus called out triumphantly. The vampire led his minions through the halls of Kelemoke’s palace. In his right hand Angelus held a leash, the collar around the neck of a young girl. The brunette didn’t look a day over 16. The frightened child stayed as far behind the vampire as she possibly could. When she reached the end of her leash, Angelus would jerk the cord, making the girl whimper in fear all the more.

“Angelus!” the tribesman greeted. “Did all go well?” Kelemoke took Angelus in a quick embrace that the other returned.

“Indeed it did,” Angelus replied happily. “William Steiner is no more.” He then motioned to the girl behind him. “For the use of your men, I bring you a gift. How rare it is to find a girl her age still a virgin.”

The vampires laughed as Kelemoke happily took the girl’s leash. “Thank you for the consideration, Angelus. But I have a gift for you as well. I hope you find her suitable.” Kelemoke motioned to a minion who brought out a petite blonde girl. This girl looked to be a teenager as well.

“I’m sure I can find a purpose for her,” Angelus said. Angelus turned to one of the minions behind him. “Take her to my quarters. And I better not find any marks on her when I arrive,” he warned his minion. Turning back to Kelemoke he said, “Shall we go to your office and discuss business?”

“Certainly Angelus.” Kelemoke turned his prize over to a minion that dutifully took the child to his master’s chamber. Leading Angelus towards his office he inquired, “So William Steiner’s clan has been defeated?”

“Indeed they have,” Angelus answered. “There were perhaps six who offered their services to me. They will replace the three that we lost. Now that Steiner has been destroyed, it shouldn’t be difficult to take the rest of north Los Angeles.”

“True,” Kelemoke said. “Alexander of Yorkshire has a small clan in the north. Thomas Hobbes is in control of the Hoffman Clan since Jacob was killed two years ago by yourself I believe.” Kelemoke grinned at Angelus’ smirk.

“It was Soulboy that buried a stake through his undead heart,” Angelus said with some disdain. “But Alexander is an idiot and Thomas is little better. Neither is capable of handling leadership of a clan.”

“That is true as well,” Kelemoke admitted. “The Hoffman Clan had been a major rival of mine until Jacob’s demise. How do Americans say it? Thomas isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer."

Reaching the office, Kelemoke threw open the doors and walked to his liquor cabinet. “So when do you plan on making your next move?” Kelemoke inquired.

“In two nights,” Angelus answered. “I have ‘other’ business I must attend to tomorrow night,” Angelus answered vaguely.

“Well.” Kelemoke smiled. “Try not to cause too much trouble.” He handed Angelus a glass of brandy.

Angelus accepted the offering and smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” he smirked.

*************

“So you’ve been having X-Rated visions of you and Angel…?” Tara started.

“Doing the nasty?” Cordelia finished for the shy Wicca. Tara blushed at Cordelia’s frank verbiage. “Ever since I’ve woken I’ve seen flashes of Angel and I doing things I wouldn’t allow myself to dream of.”

“Are you sure it isn’t just your imagination?” Willow began. “Because I know back in Sunnydale, you kinda had the hots for Angel.”

“No!” Cordelia shouted. “Angel is my best friend. I don’t think of him that way.” Cordelia sighed and amended her statement. “Okay, occasionally I do, but I remember just as well as anyone what happened the last time this guy got a really good lay. No matter my feelings for him, I wouldn’t risk that if it meant there was even the slightest chance Angelus could return.” The brunette plopped down in Wesley’s chair.

“But still, you think that somehow you and Angel had sex and that he lost his soul?” Willow asked.

“Well,” Cordy said, “I’m having sweaty sex fantasies about my best friend who just happens to be currently soulless. You think there might be a connection?” she asked sarcastically. Cordelia sighed and rubbed her temples. “I’m sorry Willow,” she said. “It’s just that things are so bad right now, and I have no idea what to do.” She looked at the Wiccans with tear filled eyes. “I just need to figure out how to get Angel back.”

“W-w-well,” Tara stuttered, “there might be something that we can do. Something that might help unlocking your memories.”

Cordelia wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at her with a determined look. “How soon can we do it?”

------------

Part 4 - Into the Abyss

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.

Kelemoke’s ‘gift’ 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’t understand why the man with the bumpy face had kept her alive. She was surprised he hadn’t killed her. After last night, she wanted to die.

But maybe that’s why he kept her alive. He knew she wanted death. The monster wouldn’t give her what she wanted.

The monster exited the bathroom and gave the girl a disgusted look. Now fully clothed, Angelus grabbed his duster and sword. “Clean yourself up before I return,” he ordered the girl.

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’d make it to the bathroom. And somehow, she knew she would survive.

******************

Tara 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’s ‘condition’, and she accepted whatever help Willow could give.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

But as much as she would like to allow the calming sensations to overtake her, Cordelia knew there was planning to be done.

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’s reluctance to partake in such practices; she also knew that it presented a problem.

Despite Willow’s assurances that Tara was very skilled in the arts of magic, Cordelia had seen something akin to worry in the blonde’s eyes when the words ‘soul restoration’ were spoken. Even Tara admitted that she didn’t know if she were strong enough to perform such a task, even with Willow’s assistance.

But that would have to wait anyway. They still didn’t know what the cause of the problem was. But hopefully, tomorrow they would know. Tara would use her magic to enter Cordelia’s mind, much as Willow had done to Buffy once. It had worked then, they told a worried Seer.

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.

But first, Cordelia had to climb out of this tub before she fell asleep. It wouldn’t 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.

**

“Are you ready?” Willow asked.

Cordelia nodded that she was. Carefully, she took the cup that Willow offered.

“That will help put you into a trance state,” Tara explained. “It will calm your body and make it easier for me to look inside you.”

Cordelia sat Indian style in the center of her bed. Around her, incense candles were burning. “Don’t you have any that smell like cinnamon or strawberries?” she joked lightly.

“Sorry,” Tara smiled. “We witches strictly use the stinky stuff. Adds to our power,” she whispered in a conspiratorial voice. “Now go ahead and drink.”

Cordelia obeyed the light command. It wasn’t bad, she decided before she slipped into the trance. Like flavored tea. She’d have to get the recipe.

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.

Saying a few archaic words in Latin, Tara placed her hands on Cordelia’s temples. Rubbing softly, Tara continued to softly mutter in Latin. Her lovely face knitted in concentration as she searched the recesses of Cordelia’s mind, trying to find the answers that the brunette desperately wanted.

After a few moments, Tara’s 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.

“Whoa,” Tara breathed, a blush rising in her cheeks. “X-Rated is right,” she told her former lover. Slightly embarrassed, Tara touched Cordelia’s temples once more. She’d never done the whole man thing before, but even Tara had to admit some of that looked like fun.

Several long minutes passed before Tara once again broke the connection to the Seer.

“What did you find?” Willow asked.

Tara looked slightly confused. “Did you know that she was part demon?” she asked.

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.

“Interesting,” Willow admitted, “but I meant did you find anything about these triple-x visions she’s been having.”

“Oh, that,” Tara said. “It’s strange. They feel like memories, but at the same time, they don’t feel natural.”

“What do you mean?” Willow asked. “Is some kind of spell responsible for this?”

“No,” Tara answered. “I don’t feel any magical residue coming off her. I don’t think these memories are hers, but I don’t know what it could be.”

Willow pondered it for a moment. “Tell me when she wakes up. I’m going downstairs to look into something.” 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.

**************

Tara helped lead a still woozy Cordelia down the Hyperion’s 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’s 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.

“First, I want you to know that I told everyone about the dreams,” Willow said. “I hope you don’t get angry, but if we’re to work together, they need to know.” She was relieved when Cordelia didn’t snap at her, instead the Seer just nodded tiredly.

“So, did you find out anything from the lookie-loo inside my head?” Cordelia asked.

“I’m pretty sure the visions aren’t real,” Tara started. “They just don’t have an authentic feel to them.”

Cordelia tried to wrap her still foggy brain around this. “So, is it magical or what?”

“I don’t think so,” Tara said. “Normally when someone has been targeted by some kind of magic, there is a type of mystical residue. It’s 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.”

“Then what then?” Cordelia asked.

“I think it’s psychological,” Willow said.

Cordelia raised an eyebrow at that. “So you think I’m nuts?” she asked half joking.

“No!” Willow quickly amended. She was about to apologize when she saw the playful smile on Cordelia’s face. “What I meant was, I think it’s something called False Memories.”

“What’s that?” Gunn asked.

“False Memories are a big reason why hypnosis isn’t a widely accepted form of therapy,” Willow explained. “In hypnosis, a psychologist asks objective questions to a subject while they’re 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.

“Instead of objective questioning to unlock repressed memories, a person can implant a desired memory into a subject’s subconscious. These memories can prove to be very traumatic and seem totally realistic.”

“So you’re suggesting that someone implanted memories into Cordelia’s head of her and Angel doing the nasty?” Gunn asked. “Why?”

“I think the bigger question right now is who,” Lorne interjected.

“And it’s a pretty short list,” Fred added.

“Short?” Cordelia said derisively. “There’s only one name on the list. Wolfram and Hart.”

***************

For 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.

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.

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.

Cordelia couldn’t stop herself from vomiting. She had seen dead people before, but not like this.

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’s small intestine snaked out of the body and wrapped her hands around the bedposts.

Her hazel eyes were dull and lifeless. Blood matted down the lovely young girl’s short brown hair. The rest of the girl’s blood and soaked the sheets and began to pool on the floor.

One thought rang throughout Cordelia’s mind: The girl was a dead-ringer for herself.

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.

SHE WAS A SCREAMER

------

Part 5 - Semper Idem

Despite the stereotype that the Los Angeles Police Department was consisted of morons and worse, they were extremely thorough. Cordelia might even go as far as saying too thorough.

Detectives had questioned them all non-stop, all except Lorne, who had wisely decided to leave before they could arrive. Everyone had followed Cordelia’s example: They didn’t know who the girl was. As for who was responsible, it’s possible that it was a former client that was dissatisfied with an investigation.

Cordelia couldn’t watch when the body was brought down in a bag. The image of her cold, dead eyes still haunted Cordelia whenever she closed her own. This wasn’t the work of her oftentimes morose best friend. This was Angelus.

Cordelia didn’t fool herself like Buffy Summers had. She didn’t try to separate the demon and soul into two entities. Cordelia had always known that Angel and Angelus were opposite sides of the same coin. It was like bipolar disease from hell.

But she, unlike many others, accepted that the demon was part of what he was. She had to accept it, because she loved who Angel was, and the demon was part of that.

But this was completely different.

This was pure, 100% Angelus. There was no soul in him now. It wasn’t the being that had become so important to her the past few years.

She had told Angel once that if the demon was ever let loose, she wouldn’t hesitate to kill him. Angel had thanked her for that. Gunn had told her that Angel had said the same not too long ago to him.

Staking her best friend had long been a nightmare of hers.

But bottom line, if there were no other options, she could do it in a heartbeat. She owed it to him to do so. Cordelia knew that the soul of the boy once known as Liam wouldn’t forgive her if she did otherwise.

“Miss?” A female detective finally drew her attention away from her thoughts. “Miss, if you have another place where you can relocate your business for a time, it would be for the best. We want to cordon off the building as a crime scene.”

“Yeah,” Cordelia said. “We can move.”

“Good,” the detective replied. “You’ll understand if we need to contact you or any of your associates?”

“Yes. Thank you detective. If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to speak with my friends about relocation.” The detective nodded and let Cordelia go. Everyone was waiting in Wesley’s office for her.

“So what happens now, my Princess?” Groo asked her. Cordelia felt sorry for the man. He was in a strange land, and had no idea what was going on at the moment. He didn’t understand why everyone was suddenly so afraid of Angel. The man seemed distant at times, but Groo liked him. He had excellent weapons.

“Well, it’s been ‘suggested’ that we find someplace else to conduct our business for the time being.”

“They’re forcing us out?” Gunn asked incredulously. “That’s bullshit. Why?”

“They want the entire building blocked off as a crime scene. Personally, I think it’s not such a bad idea. This place is too large and Angelus has easy access. I was thinking about moving us to my apartment for now. Tara, can you do an un-invitation spell?”

“Yeah, no problem,” Tara answered.

“Good. Because Angel had a standing invitation to the place. Fred, call Lorne and tell him where we’ll be at.” Fred immediately grabbed the phone. “I guess now we just gather up whatever books and supplies we might need. We can try to get as much as we can moved, then later I want to go see Lilah.”

“You really think this law firm may be responsible?” Willow asked.

“This isn’t a normal law firm,” Gunn said. “Most lawyers are blood suckers, these guys actually represent them. They specialize in demonic shit. They’re the same people that raised Angel’s sire from the dead.”

“They’ve been a thorn in our side for a long time,” Cordelia said. “I bet they’re just loving Angelus being on the loose.”

**************

“So everything is being finalized for tonight’s assault?” Kelemoke asked.

“The details are being ironed out,” Angelus answered. “Tonight we shall eliminate the Hoffman clan, tomorrow it shall be Alexander. After that, I want to regroup and then concentrate efforts in the south part of Los Angeles.”

Kelemoke poured a couple glasses of wine and handed one to Angelus. “Here, I think you will appreciate this. It’s Italian. Bottled in 1876.”

Angelus grinned as he accepted the glass. “I have no idea what you are referring to Kelemoke. I think that primitive African brain has finally given out on you, my friend.”

“Bite me, you arrogant Irish pig,” Kelemoke laughed. “You know exactly what I refer to. That whole ‘Inheritance’ scam you put on that Venetian girl and her father.”

“One of my finest moments,” Angelus admitted.

“You wooed the man and his daughter. You then convinced the old bastard to will his money to you when he died, and all the while, you fucked his daughter behind his back. You killed him and then turned the girl.”

“The townspeople saw two puncture wounds on his neck and saw his recently vampirized daughter leaning over the carcass. They reached the obvious conclusion.”

“You really were a conniving bastard, Angelus,” Kelemoke smirked. “Good to see some things never change.”

“Semper idem, my friend. Always the same.”

“Indeed,” Kelemoke said. “If I may ask, where did you go last night? You didn’t cause any trouble, did you?”

“Of course not,” Angelus laughed. “As I said before, Kelemoke, I wish to have a Queen for my Kingdom. I had to go off to court my lady. And as you know, what’s a good courtship without the giving of gifts?”

***********

Lilah Morgan was tired as hell. Things at the office were always fairly hectic, but the past few weeks it was hectic to the exponent of x. All the wanted was a shot of scotch, a couple of Percodan, and a soft bed.

She turned the lock on the door and entered her lonely, dark apartment. She threw her briefcase to the floor, not caring where it landed. She immediately headed for the liquor cabinet. A loud clicking behind her stopped her pursuit for alcohol.

“You’ve got five seconds to tell me what the hell you did to Angel before I pierce your skull with this crossbow.”

************

An easy battle was like a bad fuck, Angelus thought. Sure, you got off on it, but it just wasn’t as powerful an experience.

Defeating the Hoffman Clan proved to be ridiculously easy. And what made it worse was the fact the their leader, Thomas Hobbes, had the gall to beg for mercy. Having mercy was God’s job, not Angelus’.

His own forces had sustained no losses, not that Angelus cared. It didn’t take long to create a new minion to take a fallen one’s place. But still, Kelemoke could be fickle about things like that. He didn’t like losing minions. And Angelus genuinely liked Kelemoke, so he would try to avoid unnecessary losses.

The only positive about this battle was the bounty. Hobbes might have been an imbecile, but he kept some nice looking wenches around for personal pleasures. Angelus spotted a brunette that he could have a lot of fun with.

Hobbes also kept some fine weaponry. Angelus was particularly fond of a 15th century Japanese katana he found in a closet downstairs. That would be going in the personal collection for sure.

“Is anyone else as disappointed as I am?” he asked of his minions. “Who else would like to attack Alexander’s clan tonight?”

His minions cheered the idea. They too wanted to fight. And the chance for more prizes was also an enticing prospect.

“Then it’s settled,” Angelus said. “Saddle up. We move in ten minutes.”

The minions shouted approval once more. They quickly finished moving their bounty into the vans outside. After so long a time of sedentary living, it was good to be in battle once again.

***********

“I really need a better home security system,” Lilah muttered. From the shadows appeared Angel’s bitch, accompanied by two others. “Well, I know Mr. Gunn, but who’s the blond with the bags under her eyes?”

“You’d better start talking,” Cordelia threatened. “Or I make sure you walk with a limp for the rest of your life.” She lowered the crossbow and aimed for Lilah’s thigh.

“You brought one of those into my home before. As much as I know you wanted to, you didn’t use it on me. What makes you think you could?”

Cordelia released the bolt before Lilah had time to blink. Lilah hit the ground hard, the arrow sliced through her leg and imbedded in the floor behind her. “You bitch!” she screamed.

“It’s just a flesh wound,” Cordelia said. The arrow had left a deep and bloody gash on the inside of Lilah’s left thigh, but the wound wasn’t fatal. “And now that you’ve tested my resolve, I suggest you start speaking.”

Behind her, Tara and Gunn stood in shocked silence. Cordy didn’t say anything about shooting anyone. “Um, Cordy?” Gunn started.

“Be quiet,” she told him. “You,” she pointed to Lilah, “start talking.”

“I know surprisingly little,” Lilah said. “Wait, that’s the truth,” she cried as Cordelia loaded another bolt. “I was kicked out of the project.”

“So Wolfram and Hart is responsible for this?” Gunn asked.

“Yes!” Lilah shouted, the pain in her leg increasing. The bitch had ruined a brand new pair of hose, too. “They are responsible for your visions and they are responsible for Angelus being set loose.”

“But not you?” Cordy asked sarcastically.

“Not me,” Lilah defended. “I voted against any plans to release Angelus.”

**************

“Where is Angelus?” Kelemoke asked a minion.

“I do not know, Master,” the minion responded. “He disappeared shortly after we crushed the clan of Alexander.”

“He wasn’t killed in the battle?” Kelemoke asked, slightly fearful.

“No Master. I saw him briefly after the fighting. He wasn’t even wounded,” the minion said with pride. “He led us to two great victories tonight, Master.”

“Indeed. But if you or anyone should happen to see him, tell Angelus that I wish to speak with him about the night’s battles.”

“Yes Master.” The minion bowed and set off to collect his share of the night’s treasure. Perhaps he’d be fortunate enough to be rewarded one of the women. He did kill five enemies on the night, after all. Didn’t that deserve a good reward?

***

Angelus crouched on a nearby rooftop, his black duster whipping in the wind. Across the street, he could see clearly into the apartment. There was his Queen.

Angelus unconsciously began to take short, quick breaths at the site of her. Her short brown hair was pulled up into a ponytail. She wore a pair of tight, faded blue jeans that hugged her curves nicely. The oversized flannel shirt she wore completed the look.

Cordelia Chase was the picture of perfection.

His mind drifted off into memories of waking dreams that he’d been having the past few weeks. Every few days he’d experience a new one. He was sure that they were not memories. Perhaps they were uncontrollable fantasies.

Angelus had one shortly after crushing Alexander’s clan. It sparked an immediate desire to see his future Queen. Perhaps it was some latent or unconscious connection that had led him here, but sure enough, he had found his Queen talking the Her.

Angelus didn’t like that. He didn’t like Lilah Morgan. Angelus had toyed briefly with the idea of turning her, but quickly nixed it. Oftentimes evil humans become shitty vampires.

But to be certain, this was a situation that would have to be rectified.

But not now. Now he would be content watching his Queen hold a crossbow to the whore.

----------

Part 7 - Rueba de las Almas

“You voted against releasing Angelus? Why do I not believe that?”

“Believe what you want, you fucking whore, but I didn’t want Angelus freed,” Lilah shouted at Cordelia. “Without a soul, he couldn’t feel the pain of loosing his son. Without a soul, he couldn’t feel the guilt when we fucked with your mind. I want the son of a bitch to feel pain. But now, the monster is on the loose and apparently we have no idea where he is.”

“Wolfram and Hart had been keeping tabs on him?”

“Apprarently,” Lilah spat. “But a couple of our people turned up dead a few weeks ago. I guess Angelus knew someone had been watching. I don’t know much beyond that. Except that some Indian looking man seems to have taken up residence in our offices. He wears a necklace all the time. Has a bunch of small glowing beads on it.”

“I find it hard to believe you haven’t done any snooping,” Cordelia said.

Lilah spat at her while trying to keep pressure on her leg wound. “The bosses have buried me in work and deadlines. They didn’t like that I voted no. Now they’re making me do secretarial shit.”

“I’m crying on the inside,” Cordelia said. Kneeling beside the bloody lawyer, she poked the arrowhead into Lilah’s gut. “This is my best friend we’re talking about. If for one minute I think you lied to me, or kept some key bit of information from me, I will come back and I will kill you.”

Cordelia shoved Lilah flat against the floor. Without a second glance, Cordy tucked the crossbow out of sight and left, followed closely by Gunn and Tara.

“Was she telling the truth?” she asked Tara as they piled into Gunn’s pickup.

“I think so,” Tara said. “Her mind was clear. I don’t believe she was hiding anything.”

Gunn put the truck in gear and took off. “What the hell was that?” he asked Cordelia. “I know that woman’s a bitch, but I wasn’t expecting you to shoot her.”

“I heard once the threat of pain is oftentimes worse than pain itself. I needed her to know that I was fully capable of inflicting it on her. Besides, it got us some information, didn’t it?” Gunn reluctantly agreed. “Now we go through the books and see if we can narrow down who that Indian man is.”

******

“Hello, Cordelia,” a silky smooth greeted from behind her.

Cordelia turned to find Angelus standing in her bedroom doorway. Dressed in tight black leather pants and a midnight blue silk shirt, Cordelia could almost let herself forget who this was.

“How did you get in here?” she gasped, all the while staring below his waist.

“You let me in,” he said innocently. Angelus smirked when he saw where she was looking. “See anything you like?” he asked as he gyrated his hips. “I know I do.”

Although she wanted to run, Cordelia’s desire to stay overrode the flight instinct. She was powerless to move as Angelus slowly sauntered over to her. He gently fingered the straps to her black thigh-length dress.

“I know I like this a lot,” he whispered to her. His right hand dropped down to just below her knee. Slowly, too slowly, it began to make its way upward. His hand continued to move until he found the object of his desire. "No knickers,” Angelus teased gently. “I didn’t take you for that kind of girl. Nice to see that you’re ready for me.”

“No,” she denied softly.

“Yes, you are. I can smell you.” Angelus took a slow, deep breath. “It’s surrounds you like a fine perfume. I can also feel you.” Cordelia gasped loudly as two fingers slowly entered her.

“You’ve wanted this for a long time,” Angelus insisted. “Why else would you be wet and waiting? Admit it, you’re just a horny little slut.” Angelus smirked at her shocked expression. He was easily able to block the hand meant to slap him. “Just lay back and let Angelus do the work,” he ordered softly. Cordelia was shocked when she seemed to obey. “That’s my girl,” he whispered. Angelus took hold of the dress straps and pulled them off her shoulder. “Lift up,” he said.

Cordelia obeyed once more. Angelus slowly slid the dress down her body, his mouth leaving a trail of kisses over her breasts and stomach. “Good girl,” he told her. Cordelia watched in a daze as Angelus painstakingly began to undo the buttons on his shirt.

“Fuck that,” Cordelia cried as she grabbed his shirt and ripped it open. Buttons flew everywhere, as her hands took on minds of their own. They made several sweeps across his chest before finally settling on his belt. “Off, now!” she shouted. Angelus grinned at her eagerness. He liked a woman that could be assertive. That’s why he stayed with the syphilitic whore for so long.

Cordelia batted his hands away when she decided he was taking too long. The belt was undone in moments and was promptly thrown away, hitting a bedside lamp and knocking it to the floor. “Pants, off, now,” she said more to herself than him. Angelus adjusted from his kneeling position above her to allow Cordelia to pull his pants down. She jerked down hard on them, leaving angry scratches on Angelus’ sides. The vampire moaned at the sensation. This he liked.

Now that he was naked, Cordelia took the initiative. Kneeing him in his side, Cordelia flipped him onto his back. “Just lay back and let Cordelia do the work,” she said with a smirk. Cordelia then raked her fingernails down his chest, leaving angry red trails down to his waist. The guttural moan he emitted sent shock waves through her.

“You think you’re evil?” she taunted. “I can do worse.” Cordelia wrapped a hand around his erection and began to slowly stroke him. Angelus arched his back so far, Cordelia thought he’d fold backward.

“For the love of God, woman,” Angelus moaned. “Cordelia, you need to wake up.” Angelus looked her directly in the eyes. “Cordelia, you need to wake up.”

***

Cordelia shot awake. A large demonology book that had been resting on her chest fell to the floor beside her bed.

“Cordelia,” Willow said. “You need to wake up. I think I found something.”

Cordelia stared up at Willow in confusion. Breathing heavily, She tried to calm herself enough to understand what Willow was saying. “What?” she asked in a ragged breath.

Willow stared down in concern. “I said I might have found something about this guy you told us about. The Indian dude?” She saw recognition flash in Cordelia’s eyes. “Cordelia? Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Cordy lied. “I’m fine, just a weird dream. Let’s go see what you found.”

*********

Angelus splashed cold water over his face. Looking in the mirror to the spot where his face should be, he was vaguely amused to see water droplets trickle slowly in midair.

He grabbed a towel and dried his face roughly. That dream was…intense. That foreplay had been more exciting that any he’d ever experienced. But it had all been a fantasy, hadn’t it?

It also went to prove, at least in his mind, why she was the perfect Queen. She was strong in will, perhaps even stronger than himself. She had been assertive, commanding, and he liked it. But perhaps she had been that way merely because he imagined her to be. No, Angelus thought. Nancyboy knew well enough what the woman could be like. Strong, independent, yet playful.

He was getting a hard-on again. And so soon after a wet dream. The last time he had one of those, Angelus was 12 and dreaming of Betty McCormack. Damn, that woman had an effect on him.

Angelus reached and grabbed his silk shirt off a hanger. There would be time to imagine later. He had business to attend to now. Putting on the shirt, he went back into his bedroom.

On the floor lay the pale body of the ‘gift’ Kelemoke had given her. The little minx had come at him with a knife. Angelus had to admire her courage. Of course, that hadn’t stopped him from snapping Hannah’s pretty little neck like a twig. It was a shame really. The girl had been a great fuck. He really liked the way she screamed when he entered her. She was one in a million. Angelus laughed at that. Who was he kidding? He’d just find himself someone new when he went out tonight.

Angelus grabbed a black bag from beside the bed and then put on his coat. So little time, so much to do. Well, if Angelus got going now, he should be able to finish up by morning. If not, he didn’t have anything pressing to do tomorrow morning. Whistling ‘The Goldberg Variations’, Angelus blew a kiss to Hannah’s cold body. He was gone to make a house call.

*******

Willow placed a large tome on Cordelia’s lap. On the page was a drawing of a necklace with tens of beads on it.

“What is this?” she asked.

“I think it’s the necklace that you were told about,” Willow explained. “In many Native South American cultures, there are stories of men who traveled through the forests of Columbia, Venezuela, and Brazil. They wore these necklaces. The Spanish called them ‘fantasmas’, meaning ghosts, since these men seemingly had the ability to disappear at will. Many of the Natives also used a Spanish phrase to describe them, since many tribes believed these men harnessed another ability. They called them ‘Rueba de las almas’.”

“What does that mean?”

Willow looked away for a moment before answering. “It means The Stealer of Souls.”

********

Lilah Morgan limped off the elevator when it reached the Wolfram and Hart parking garage. All day she’d been in pain because of what Angel’s whore did to her. On top of that, she’d got her ass chewed because she’d yet to file a report of the Davidson case. If Lilah had known that voting ‘no’ would have reduced her to secretarial chores, she’d have kept her fucking mouth shut.

Pulling out her keys, she hit the button on the chain that unlocked the door to her Mercedes. Opening the door to the car, she tossed her briefcase in. Lilah never heard Angelus come up from behind her until it was too late.

Holding the chloroform soaked towel over her mouth, Angelus grinned as Lilah slowly lost consciousness. Opening the back door, he tossed her in a heap across the seat. “Now, Lilah, we’re going to go to your place and discuss what you and my Queen talked about last night. I hope you have some wine stocked, because later, I was hoping you’d join me for dinner. Angelus climbed behind the wheel of Lilah’s baby. “Damn!” he said. “I love a stick shift! Makes me feel all manly.” Angelus peered at Lilah in the rearview mirror. “I guess that’s why you got it, huh?”

Angelus started the car and popped it in reverse. “I wonder how fast this thing hits 60?” Angelus shrugged. “Only one way to find out.” Throwing the car into gear, he hit fourth by the time he hit the street.

-----------

Part 8 - It's the Thought That Counts

“You know something, Lilah? You hold a very special place in my heart.” Angelus wrapped his arm around her shoulder as he leaned back against the bed’s headboard. Taking a sip of his wine Angelus made a pleased expression. “Wow. A woman with good taste in liquor. This is an excellent white wine, mademoiselle. But what was I saying?” Angelus stopped in concentration.

“Oh, yes, I was telling you of the special place you hold in my heart. You see, I’ve never hated a woman in all my life more than I hate you. Not even that peroxide slayer from a few years back. Although I must say, she does come close. After all, sending a fellow to hell doesn’t really promote endearment. Do you understand what I mean?” No sound came from Lilah’s mouth as she tried to scream.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Angelus said. “Although, she did have a nice rack. I may have to pay her a visit after I take over this city. Maybe make her my whore. Have you seen her lately?” he asked Lilah. “She isn’t quite as attractive now, I think. Lost a lot of baby fat, especially around the face.”

Lilah again tried to scream, but only a dry wheeze left her mouth.

“Would you like a drink? I’m sure your mouth must be dry.” Angelus pressed the wine glass to her lips. Most just trickled back out. “I’m truly sorry about this,” Angelus said, although the tone of his voice spoke to the contrary. “But I couldn’t have you screaming, so I decided to remove your vocal cords. Hope you don’t mind.”

Angelus laughed as Lilah’s eyes widened at that. “I also have another small confession to make,” he whispered. Angelus then slowly removed the white lace nightgown he’d dressed her in. Lilah followed his movements, but was too weak to offer any resistance. If she had the capacity anymore, she would have screamed in horror at what she saw.

Running the center of her chest, going from just above her belly button to between her breasts along her sternum, was a nasty network of sutures. The skin around the brown thread was a raw and angry pink color. For the first time since waking from her drug-induced slumber, she noticed all the tubes running from her body.

One entered her body at a small incision located below her left shoulder blade. Another ran out of her chest, inserted between the sutures lining her sternum. She could see the tubes ran back to a device sitting on the floor. About the size of a water cooler, Lilah heard the distinct sound of a small engine running inside it. Lilah knew exactly what it was.

“Do you like it?” Angelus asked, excited. “I first made one of those around 1864. I admit, it’s the product of a bored and overactive mind, but it remains one of my finest accomplishments. And also, the technology wasn’t as sophisticated back then. No internal-combustion engines and all that, ya know?”

Grabbing Lilah’s head so she looked directly into the yellow eyes of his game face, he asked, “Didn’t I tell you I could keep you alive for days through transfusions? I told you I had the experience.” Letting go of her head, Angelus tried to calm himself. Taking a sip of wine, he continued. “Of course, back in those days, it only worked about thirty percent of the time. Even vampires didn’t really understand the concept of blood types.” Looking up to Heaven, Angelus mocked, “But thank God for the 21st century and donor cards. It makes blood typing so much easier.”

Angelus saw the questioning look in Lilah’s fearful eyes. “Oh, you’re wondering what the sutures are for? Hold on a minute.” Angelus jumped from the bed and ran to the kitchen, where Lilah heard the refrigerator open and shut.

When Angelus returned, he carried a Tupperware bowl covered in tin foil. “You know how I was talking about accomplishments I was proud of? Well, here’s another one. I tell you, I was doing this shit successfully decades before the Mayo Clinic or whatever could.”

Sitting back down next to her, Angelus slowly peeled back the tin foil. “It’s a human heart,” Angelus explained at Lilah’s horrified expression. “More accurately, it’s your heart. But don’t worry. Connected to that thing there,” Angelus pointed to his machine, “you can live a relatively long and somewhat happy life.” Angelus then pulled Lilah close and kissed her passionately. “But then,” he said, “what would be the fun it that?” Taking one of the tubes in his hands, he pressed it together so no blood could flow.

Lilah tried valiantly to summon up whatever energy she had to escape, but Angelus held her tight. Placing butterfly kisses on her lips and eyelids, Angelus cooed at her, trying to get Lilah to be still.

“Just look at it this way, if Saint Peter compares my life to yours, you stand a decent shot at getting into Heaven.” Angelus smiled down at her as Lilah’s breathing slowed before coming to a stop. “That’s my girl,” he whispered. Releasing the tube, Angelus decided to clean up his mess before taking a shower. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was well past dawn. That was fine by him, Angelus didn’t have any place to be until tonight.

With a sudden thought, Angelus went over to Lilah’s desk and found a phonebook. Flipping through the Yellow Pages, Angelus found the number he wanted. “I’ll call them later,” he said. “As for right now, I’m kind of hungry. I wonder what Lilah had in the cupboard?”

*********

“This man steals beings' souls?” Cordelia asked.

“I think so,” Willow said. “The necklace he wears. Each bead is a charm that encompasses the soul of each victim.”

Tara put aside a magic book before picking up the story. “Whenever humans had their souls stolen, they would fall into a comatose state. Unless the soul was return, the person spent the rest of their life in a state called soul-death. The brain and other organs kept working, but the essence that made them living beings was gone.”

“But Angel’s not human,” Cordelia said. She knew what Tara was saying.

“Yes,” Tara agreed. “With Angel, the soul wasn’t the dominant part of his being. The demon inside of him is, and it has a life of its own.”

“So this is good, right?” Fred asked. “We don’t have to do a soul restoration. We just have to find this man and his necklace, right?”

“Essentially,” Willow said. “When the bead housing the soul is shattered it releases the soul. The soul then finds its way back to the body that housed it.”

“Then I suggest we find this ‘fantasma’ fast,” Cordelia said. Her tone left no room for argument.

The ringing of the doorbell broke the tension in the room. Cordy got up from her seat and went to answer. Peering through the peephole, she saw a UPS man. Cordelia thought for a moment. She wasn’t expecting any packages. Opening the door, she greeted the man.

“Sign here, miss,” he said as he passed the electronic clipboard. Cordelia quickly signed and took the package. “Have a nice day,” the man said.

Cordelia mumbled a farewell and shut the door. Taking the package into the kitchen, she set it on the table before retrieving a knife. She stared at the markings saying ‘Refrigerate Upon Opening’ and ‘Express Delivery’ in confusion. Slicing through the tape sealing the package, she unfolded the flaps. On top she found a note, and below, a Styrofoam container.

She pulled out the smaller Styrofoam container inside and cut it open as well. Opening the package, she dropped the knife it horror. “Come here!” she yelled to the people in her living room.

“What’s wrong?” Willow asked running into the room. The rest of the gang was right on her heels. Cordelia pointed to the box on the table. Looking inside, Willow had to run quickly to the sink so she could vomit.

“It’s a human heart,” Lorne said in shock.

Cordelia ignored the sickened gasps of the rest of the people. Instead, she opened the note. Written in blood it said:

WON'T YOU BE MY VALENTINE

----------

Part 9: An Unforeseen Occurrence

“Hello, my Queen.”

Cordelia slowly opened her eyes and found the smirking form of Angelus leering at her. Her impulse to coil back in fear was stopped. She was handcuffed to a pole. And why the hell did her head feel so weird?

“You’re so beautiful,” Angelus whispered. He gently stroked Cordelia’s cheek. He was only slightly put off when she shied away from his touch. It would just take a while to adjust to the new him.

“Don’t touch me,” she said with more bravado than she had.

“Cordelia,” he whispered. “I love you. I can worship you. I can make you a Goddess. I can make the world worship you.”

“I don’t want to be worshiped. I want Angel back.”

Angelus stood slowly, a look of anger on his face. “You’d rather have that impotent jackoff than me? I can give you the world. What can he give you?”

Cordelia fixed her most steadfast glare on the vampire. “Happiness,” she said simply.

Angelus screamed in frustration. Taking a chair, he threw it with all his might into the wall, shattering it into pieces. He paid no attention to his Queen as he slammed his bedroom door when he left.

Cordelia struggled against the handcuffs, her eyes never leaving a pointed leg of the now broken chair.

*******

Gunn stumbled down the hallway, using the wall to support his weight. It took most of his strength to knock on the apartment door.

The door opened in a flash, nearly sending Gunn crashing to the floor. Fred was by his side in an instant. “My God, Charles! What happened?” Blood oozed from a gash on the back

of his head. The rest of the gang had heard the commotion and came running. Willow had grabbed an ice bag from the freezer, and Tara was toting a First Aid kit from the bathroom.

Fred gently settled her boyfriend onto the couch. Clutching his hand, the terrified girl couldn’t be pulled away. Tara had to administer treatment around her.

“Gunn, where’s Cordelia?” Willow asked.

Gunn shook his head. “I dunno,” he said. “He took her.” Gunn was openly crying. “Cordy and I went to get some of the supplies we needed. When we got back to the truck, he came out of nowhere. Son of a Bitch hit me with a crowbar or something. By the time I came too, Cordy was gone.” Trying to hold back the tears, he said, “I’m sorry. I lost her.”

“My Princess is gone?” Groo asked, shocked. “We must get her back. We must find where Angel took her.”

“That’s a fine thought, Pumpkin, but where the hell would we start? This is a big city,” Lorne said.

“Lorne’s right,” Willow agreed. “It’s like a needle in a haystack.”

“But we must save her,” Groo insisted.

Tara finished taping a bandage to Gunn head. “Guys, it’s been said. The chances of finding Cordelia are slim. We need another plan.”

“We already have one,” Gunn said through his tears. “We go ahead with Plan A. The best way to save Cordelia is by saving Angel first. We collect the ghost dude and his necklace, and the problem is solved. Vampy gets his soul back and he can’t hurt Cordy.”

“I think Gunn’s right,” Willow said. “It’s just not feasible to go around every hole in Los Angeles trying to find Cordelia. This is the best option.”

Gunn accepted the Kleenex Fred offered and wiped away his tears. “The stuff is down in the truck. I managed to put it in before Angelus clubbed me. Has everything else been taken care of?”

“Yes,” Willow answered. “Tara and I went and rented a couple cheap cars today. They should more than do the job.”

“I got the van that we needed from my friend,” Lorne said. “The color’s been changed and the license plates are fake, so that’s all set.”

“Good,” Gunn said. “Then tomorrow we do it. Tomorrow we save our friends.”

*****

“Is it so hard to believe that I could love you?” he asked.

“You don’t love me,” Cordelia snapped back at him. Whatever drug she had been given had long since worn off. “You just want to control me. You just want me to be your bitch.”

“No!” Angelus angrily denied. “I want to treat you the way that you deserve. I want to give you all the things Soulboy couldn’t. To give you all the things he was afraid to give you. You know Nancyboy loved you?”

Cordelia stared at Angelus in shock. Cordelia had noticed all the little things, but she denied them. She thought maybe he was transferring his feeling for Buffy to her. Maybe because he saw her as Connor’s mother, so he felt obligated to love her.

“No,” Cordelia said.

“Yes,” Angelus spat. “He was afraid that if he acted he’d lose his soul. And ya know what?” He bent down so he was eye level with the Seer. “He was right. Like a fart in the wind, the soul would have been gone. But a part of him didn’t care. You know why?”

“Why?” Cordelia asked, despite her fear of the answer.

“Because he knew that I loved you, too. He wasn’t afraid that I’d hurt you. He was afraid of what I’d do to everyone else.”

“That’s

not true. It can’t be…” Cordelia trailed off as she suddenly fell limp. “Cordelia?” Angelus was feeling for her pulse in seconds. It was strong and steady. “What the hell?” Angelus shouted. Suddenly his nose began to twitch. Leaning closer, the vampire smelled it. Or rather, he didn’t smell it.

“She’s without soul.”

***

The ‘fantasma’ smiled and placed the small crystal bead on the necklace.

“Just as you wished,” he said to the Senior Associates. “Now the Seer shouldn’t present you with any problems.”

------

Part 10: Every Action…

Los Angeles wasn’t like what you saw in the movies. In the movies, it’s always a bright and sunny day. There is never a cloud in the clear blue sky.

Bullshit, Fred thought to herself. Most Los Angeles days, the sky had a faint yellow tint because of all the smog. And today certainly wasn’t bright and sunny. Dark storm clouds threatened in the horizon. Rain would be here in an hour, maybe less.

It was Monday, about a quarter past noon. Fred stood at her post with binoculars in her hands and a walkie-talkie around her neck. She had a clear view of the entire playing field. She was the point man. It was up to Fred when to alert that the ‘fantasma’ had appeared. It was up to her when to tell the teams to execute their respective assignments.

The ‘fantasma’ and his two guards would set off for the diner at around 12:30. When they reached the Smithson and Ambercrombie intersection, the distraction would occur

Willow would be parked on North Smithson, while Tara would be parked on East Ambercrombie. At Fred’s command, they would pull out into the intersection and have an ‘accident’ with each other.

While the crowd’s, and most importantly, the guard’s attention was distracted, Lorne would drive up in the van from South Smithson. Pulling up behind the guards, Groo and Gunn would grab the ‘fantasma’. If all went according to plan, the operation should take no longer than a minute from the command to move to the time the ‘fantasma’ was loaded up.

In the van located two blocks away, the three men waited nervously. It was almost time to execute. Grabbing the walkie-talkie, Gunn checked in one final time. “All right, everybody, listen up, it’s almost showtime. We can’t screw up on this people,” he said gravely. “This is our one and only chance at grabbing this guy. If we fail here, then we may never be able to save our friends.”

The gravity of the situation wasn’t lost on anyone. All knew what was at stake. This was the best and only chance they had to perform this mission. All radioed in with a ‘Roger’ before silence once again reigned.

Glancing at the van’s clock, Lorne noted the time. “12:28,” he said. His green hand fiddled nervously with the gear stick. Gunn silently chewed on sunflower seeds as he mentally went over the plan. Groo reached into a plastic bag and removed a length of rope and duct tape. He also pulled out a strange bottle marked ‘Chloroform’. Grab, contain, evacuate. That was the plan.

Then the call came. “Subject has just appeared with two guards,” Fred called over the radio.

Lorne quickly turned the engine on. “This is it,” he said. “It’s time.”

“Now we just wait for our cue,” Gunn replied.

***

Kelemoke stared at the girl in confusion. Checking her pulse, he found that it was steady and strong. Taking a breath, he noticed it too. There was no soul in this body. “Very strange,” Kelemoke said. “I’ve never heard nor seen such a thing in all my existence. You say she was fine one moment, but was like this the next?”

“Yes!” Angelus shouted irritably. “I was speaking with her one second, but then she collapsed unconscious.”

“Very strange,” Kelemoke repeated. She was a highly attractive girl. If Angelus wasn’t so set after her, Kelemoke might be tempted to claim her for himself. Even if she was part demon. “I do not know of anyone with the power to remove a being’s soul. It must be powerful magic.”

“I do not know who would hold that power either,” Angelus said. “But I know who would.” Angelus stormed from the bedroom into the main hall of the palace. “Minions!” he called. All eyes turned to the vampire who’d led them to victories. “Gather your weapons! We go to war!"

**

As vampires began moving underground to begin their operation, the humans above were beginning their own.

“Get ready,” Fred called over the radio. “Team One now!” A few moments passed before she yelled, “Team Two now!”

Tara and Willow each threw their cars into gear and sped into the intersection. Willow made sure that her car impacted the passenger side of Tara’s. The crowd of pedestrians, including the ‘fantasma’, stopped at the sight of the hard collision.

Good Samaritans rushed out into the street to help the women. The gang prayed that seatbelts and airbags would keep them safe. Moments after the collision occurred, the van was coming to a stop behind the ‘fantasma’ and his two guards. Gunn and Groo leapt from the back of the van. With two quick swings of a baseball bat, Groo sent the guards flying to the ground. Gunn smothered the small ‘fantasma’ with the chloroform cloth. He grabbed the man’s arms while Groo grabbed his legs. They tossed the man into the van and climbed in. The rear doors weren’t fully shut before Lorne put the pedal to the metal.

A few people cursed at the van for speeding past a wreck, but beyond that, nobody paid much attention. Fred nonchalantly hailed a taxi as soon as she saw the van was away. After being helped from the vehicles, Tara and Willow slipped away in the confusion. They were confident the fake identification they used to rent the cars couldn’t be traced back to them. It also helped they wore gloves in the car. Police couldn't find fingerprints.

*******

By one o’clock, everyone at Wolfram and Hart knew that something very wrong had happened. Many of the big shot attorneys had been called into a board meeting with the senior officials.

The staff knew better than to ask questions. When people started asking questions, they had a nasty habit of disappearing. Being in the dark wasn’t a bad thing. It sure as hell kept your head attached to your body.

Suddenly, throughout the building, alarms began to go off. The people at the firm had heard this sound before.

“Damn it! Is this another fucking fire drill?”

“Jesus Christ, it seems like we have one every month!”

The staffers began to file to the stairwell. While the money was good, the fire drills got fucking annoying after a while.

*******

Through the sewer tunnels located in the basement garage, vampires began to climb out and get in formation. By the time Angelus emerged, nearly three dozen minions had formed, ready for battle. Angelus was furious. Somehow he knew that it was these lawyers that were responsible for what happened to his Queen. He didn’t care how many sons of bitches he had to cut down; he was going to find out how to fix her.

He began to divide the minions. They would sweep the building and gather up as many hostages as possible. He led five minions across the garage to the elevators. Hitting the floor he knew housed the big shot lawyers, the troop rode silently. Alarms had long since sounded.

“Do not worry,” he told the minions. “They are only prepared for an isolated vampire to enter, not a legion. And remember, no killing until I give the word.” The minions nodded in acknowledgement.

With a slight buzz, the elevator door opened on the Fifth Floor. He spotted a few people heading to the stairwell doors. Turning the corner, Angelus couldn’t believe his good fortune.

From the conference room emerge the biggest names at the firm. “Well, if it isn’t the cocksuckers that I wanted to see.” Shifting into gameface, Angelus stalked toward the frightened crowd. “A dozen ripe plums ready to be picked,” he observed. His eyes fell on an attractive woman in front. “My, aren’t you a tasty looking bitch? I may have to kill you first, just so you don’t have to watch me gut the rest of these pigs. Gentlemen, if you would return to the room whence you came.”

His minions advanced on the group, sending them scampering backwards. Angelus stopped one and said, “Go around and tell the rest of the men to assemble here. Tell them to bring desert, because we may have a feast here shortly.”

The minion took off to find the others and relay the word. Grinning, Angelus turned to join his group in the conference room. Without warning, searing pain ripped through his chest, sending the vampire to his knees. Collapsing to the ground, it was several minutes before he rose. “Oh, my God. What have I done?”

*******

Cordelia’s eyes snapped open. Gasping for air, she tried to jerk away, but the handcuffs stopped her. “Holy shit! What the hell was that?”

-------

Part 11: …Reaction The sound of thunder echoed loudly, even in Room 17 at the Rest and Go Motel on the outskirts of Los Angeles.

“I know we’re on a tight budget here,” Lorne stated, “but couldn’t we get a hotel a little less roach infested to hide out in?”

“We could have,” Gunn agreed. “But that would entail staying in LA. It’s best to clear ground zero for a while. At least until we get an idea what Wolfram and Hart’s reaction in gonna be.”

“I guess,” Lorne agreed. “But what do we do about him?” All eyes turned to the still anesthetized figure of the ‘fantasma’.

“First, we get Angel’s soul back. After that, well, I guess we’ll figure something out.” Crouching by the body, Gunn began to search his pockets for identification. Finding a passport, he read aloud. “Everyone, say hello to Senor Carlos Ramirez Diaz.”

“Hello,” Groo said. Gunn and Lorne stared at him for a moment, wondering what the hell Cordy ever saw in him.

“Senor Diaz has been here since the 15th of February. This is a Peruvian passport,” Gunn observed. “Well, buddy, your passport has just been revoked.” Tossing the passport aside, Gunn removed the necklace from Diaz’s neck. “All we gotta do is bust this thing and the souls are released?”

“That’s what Red said. No incantations or anything.”

“Well, that’ll make it easy.” Gunn placed the necklace on a small table. Grabbing the complimentary Bible from the bedside drawers, Gunn prepared to do the job. Raising the book high above his head, he brought it back down hard on top of the beads.

The three occupants watched in awe as souls of all colors drifted slowly into the air. Pinks, blues, oranges, and greens filled the room. “That’s something you don’t see every day,” Lorne whispered.

A hot white flash blinded the occupants for a moment. When they recovered their vision, the colors were gone.

“I guess that’s it?” Gunn asked.

Any answer was interrupted by the sound of knocking. Crossing to the door, Lorne looked out the peephole. He quickly undid the bolt and opened the door. A drenched Willow, Tara, and Fred came in.

“Did you do it?” Willow asked.

“Done and done, Red,” Lorne answered. The women shed their rain-drenched coats and tossed them aside.

“You might want to turn the television to a news station,” Tara said. “We heard something pretty bad on the way here.”

Gunn grabbed the remote control and flipped the TV on. The sounds of a news report were quickly joined by images of the exterior of the Wolfram and Hart building.

“This is Debra Morris reporting live from Los Angeles at a scene that police are calling a massacre. Behind me is the law firm of Wolfram and Hart, a well-respected office. Inside are the bodies of two-dozen individuals reportedly the victims of a possible gang attack. This brutal attack occurred only hours ago. Police are stunned by the discovery of the scene. At this time, authorities seem to have little idea who could possibly be behind the attacks. “Once again, this is Debra Morris reporting for Channel 8 news. We will provide more information as it becomes available.” The scene went back to a newsroom shot of some gray haired man trying to look sympathetic.

Gunn flipped the television off. Everyone was stunned by the news. "He fucking led a massacre,” Gunn said in disbelief. “If only we’d destroyed the necklace in the van, maybe we could have stopped that.”

“No,” Willow admonished. “Giving Angel his soul back wouldn’t have stopped that. There had to be at least a dozen other vampires to do that. We did all that we could do.” Willow almost believed that, and she saw that Gunn almost believed it too.

“I guess we’ll never know for sure, will we?” Gunn asked.

“Um, I hate to ruin the guilt thing,” Lorne started, “but I think Mister Diaz-Rahi or whatever is waking up.” The ‘fantasma’ was beginning to move slightly.

“Well, tape his mouth shut,” Gunn said. “Can’t have the son of a bitch screaming.” Looking at the gang, he asked, “So who votes we pour concrete around his feet and take him to the beach?”

********

The old woman shrank back from Angel as he stumbled through the halls of Cordelia’s apartment complex. Edna Rhodes quickly unlocked her apartment and darted inside as the rain soaked form of the resouled vampire walked by.

Angel reached the end of the hallway. He grabbed the door handle and turned. Locked. “Hello?” he called meekly. He was greeted by a pair of resounding knocks. “Dennis, please, it’s Angel. Let me in.” Angel heard the deadbolt turn. The door swung open. Tentatively reaching out, his hand was stopped by the barrier. “I can’t come in,” Angel said softly. “Please, I need to know where everyone is.”

As a puddle of rainwater pooled at his feet, Angel watched as a piece of paper was pulled from a desk drawer. A magic marker began to scribble upon it. Dennis then floated the paper to the door. ‘Come in’ it read.

Reaching out again, Angel was able to cross the threshold. “Thank you, Dennis,” Angel said. The vampire hesitantly stepped into the apartment. The place was an absolute mess. Makeshift beds were strewn all over the living room floors. The dining room table looked like a SWAT team command center. Glancing through the schematics, Angel realized his friends performed some sort of operation.

“But that doesn’t help me,” Angel muttered. “Dennis, I need you to tell me where the others are at.” When nothing happened after a few moments, Angel tried again. “Dennis, Cordelia is in danger. I need to know where everyone is so we can save her. Please, Dennis.”

A phone book was pulled from a drawer at the desk. Angel stepped closer as the pages turned. It was a strange sight to see. It looked as if a wind picked through the apartment and opened the book. When the pages stopped, Angel glanced to see what the ghost wanted to show him. In the Yellow Pages, the Rest and Go Motel was circled in red marker. “Is this where they are?” Angel asked the ghost. Two knocks was his answer. Ripping the page from the book, he stuck it in his pocket. “Thank you, Dennis,” Angel said. “Now we have to go save Cordelia.

********

Cordelia tried jerking on the handcuffs, but she only succeeded in making her wrists raw. “This would be a great time to manifest demon strength,” she muttered. Cordelia adjusted to a more comfortable position against the pole as she contemplated the recent occurrences.

First, she would like to know what the hell just happened. She remembered arguing with Angelus, and then she woke up with a nasty hangover. A burning sensation shot through her body. It was nothing like she had ever felt before. It was nothing she ever wanted to feel again, either. She also wondered if the gang went ahead with the plan. She sure as hell hoped so. Cordelia would much prefer not having to face Angelus again. She wouldn’t have to stake him then.

But then, that made her wonder where the soulless wonder was. As much as Cordelia despised his presence, at least when he was around she could keep an eye on him. Who knew what he was doing, or killing, when he wasn’t around.

Cordelia strained her ears to listen to the noises outside the room. She could barely distinguish the sound of the black vampire’s voice. Kelemoke, she remembered. He sounded angry.

“What the fuck is going on?” Cordy wondered.

***

Peter had the unfortunate assignment of telling his Master that Angelus was missing. He didn’t like it, but he drew the short straw. It was also a bitch because Kelemoke had a habit of killing the bearer of bad news. This time was no exception.

The minions stared at the spot where Peter had stood just moments before. A pile of dust was all that remained.

“Angelus just vanished?” Kelemoke shouted at his minions.

“Yes, Master,” Luke answered. “He disappeared as I went to inform the others of where to gather. He may have been the one to call the police.”

“Damn!” Kelemoke screamed. “Gather up some of our best minions. Sweep the city. I want you to search every hole and kick over any rock that son of a bitch might be hiding under! I want him brought here so I can ask the bastard why he ran. Then I will kill him.”

Luke obeyed his Master’s order. Gathering a dozen men, the vampires set out, searching for the warrior who had given them victories.

***** Diaz wouldn’t be waking anytime soon. Willow gave him a shot of some kind of sedative. He could try mumbling some kind of spell, she reasoned. Not that the gang minded, they really didn’t want to deal with the ‘fantasma’.

As Groo played with the television remote in awe, the rest of the gang tried to come up with some sort of plan. They looked to Gunn for some sort of leadership, but he was clueless about any sort of action.

“Hey, I just said follow through with today’s plan,” he defended. “That doesn’t make me Macarthur. Red, you’re smart, what do you think?”

As all eyes turned to her, she said, “Right now I think we need to concentrate on finding Angel and Cordelia. I think we can put of dealing with him for a while.” Everyone glanced at the him in question. Still unconscious.

“Easier said than done, sweetie,” Lorne said. “We can assume Angel took Cordy to basecamp, but we have no idea where that is. And who’s to say we’ll find Broody. Wesley ran because he betrayed us. Angel’s worst nightmare came true. His demon attacked the people he cares about. Who says that he won’t try to run?”

A knocking at the door stopped Lorne’s speech. Rising, Tara crossed to the peephole. Turning back to Lorne, she said, “You were saying?” Unlocking the door, she opened it to reveal a rain soaked Angel.

“Hello,” Angel said softly. “Can I come in?”

---------

Part 12: Answers

Angel had a stake pressed against his heart in a matter of moments. Gunn was up instantly and jammed a stake across the threshold at Angel’s chest. “Give me proof right now that you’re not Angelus, otherwise I stick this in,” Gunn threatened.

“Gunn!” Lorne called from behind. “Cool it, I can feel the guilt coming off him. It worked.”

Gunn never took his eyes off the vampire. Angel avoided his gaze, preferring to concentrate on the raindrops falling on his head. “Can I come in?” he asked again. Gunn had to strain to hear him.

Gunn slowly lowered the stake away from the vampire’s chest. “Yeah, come in.” Angel had barely stepped into the room before Fred barreled into him. The small girl held on for dear life.

“Angel! We missed you so much! I’m glad you’re back!”

Angel slowly wrapped his arms around Fred. “I’m glad to be back,” Angel said.

Fred looked into the eyes of her first Hero. He was so sad, so guilt ridden. This certainly wasn’t the monster they had been afraid of. But it wasn’t really the man she had come to know over the past months. This was a man she had never seen before. It was a man no one save Willow had ever seen. Someone whose soul is tortured to the point of total hopelessness.

Angel gently pried himself away from Fred and began to drift toward a far corner. The individuals in the room gave him a wide berth, not from fear, but from respect. Once settled in a chair in the darkest corner, Angel finally noticed the man bound against the wall. “Who is he?” Angel asked.

“That is the guy responsible for the whole ‘no soul’ thing,” Willow answered. “We sorta kidnapped him outside Wolfram and Hart.” No one missed the painful wince Angel gave at the mention of the law firm.

“Angel?” Willow asked. “Do you know what happened there today?” Willow slowly approached the vampire and kneeled in front of the chair. Angel nodded slowly, his eyes trying to find anything to look at besides her. “Angel? What happened?”

“Something happened to Cordy,” he whispered. “I thought that Wolfram and Hart would know what happened.”

Millions of questions started to fly at the mention of Cordelia. Angel grimaced and pressed himself deeper into the chair. Willow waved frantically at everyone to shut up. When they finally settled, Willow resumed.

“What do you mean something happened to Cordy?”

Angel had finally found a flaw in the wallpaper near his chair. That was a good place to focus. He couldn’t see everyone’s stares then. “Angel?” Willow asked again.

“I was talking to her, then she drifted off. I couldn’t smell her soul anymore.” Angel finally focused on the woman who saved his soul so many years ago. “Her soul smells like peaches,” he said in a melancholy voice. “I like peaches.”

Willow rested her hand on Angel’s, only to have him jerk away. She apologized before asking, “Angel? Do you know where Cordelia is?”

“She’s in danger,” Angel replied. He turned away from Willow and focused once more on the wallpaper.

*** “Have you found anything?” Kelemoke demanded of Luke.

“The men swept throughout the city, but were unable to locate Angelus,” Luke answered. “However, I did go to the woman’s apartment. I couldn’t enter, but I could smell his presence. He had been there recently.”

“He went to find her friends,” Kelemoke mused.

“Master, there is something else.” Kelemoke looked upon the minion with a questioning glance. “When I was at the apartment, the scent was Angelus’, I have no doubt of that. But, I swear it was different somehow, like there was also…”

“A soul?” Kelemoke supplied. The minion nodded the affirmative. “Then Angelus is no more. It is merely Angel now. However, I still want him dead.”

“It may be difficult to find him, Master. The rain prevented me from tracking him outside. I could not tell where he went after visiting the apartment.”

“You are right,” Kelemoke acknowledged. “He will be difficult to find. But then again, here in these halls lays an item that Angel and Angels held most dear. There is no reason to believe he won’t return for it.”

**********

Now would be a great time to develop ESP as a demon attribute, Cordelia mused. Then she could shoot a message to Gunn, the Pope, Santa Claus, or any other person who could get her out of this hellhole.

“Damn handcuffs are chaffing my wrists,” Cordy muttered. The clank of the cuffs against the pole was the only sound in the room. “At least Noriega got to listen to Van Halen. I’d settle for some fucking Yanni.”

Cordelia didn’t like the quiet. It was a proven fact that bad shit always happened when it went silent. She’d seen enough slasher movies to know that was true. Hell, she’d been raised in Sunnydale. She knew vampires didn’t often wears bells around their necks. And here she was, in some building with a shitload of them. Including one that seemed really pissed off at Angelus.

Cordelia’s nose twitched as her ears picked up on the sound of footsteps approaching the door. “Speaking of the devil,” Cordy mumbled.

“You don’t seem surprised to see me,” Kelemoke observed.

“I smelled you coming,” Cordy answered.

“Do I really smell that bad?” Kelemoke asked, amused.

“No,” Cordy said honestly. “In fact, I may have to ask where you got the bath soap you use.”

“Coverdale’s,” Kelemoke supplied. “It’s down on Sunset. I normally get a spicy blend, but you seem more the peaches and cream type of woman.”

“You’re right, I am. But thanks for the info. I also think that bath soaps aren’t what you were wanting to discuss.”

“They aren’t, but it’s always nice to have a woman appreciate my efforts to smell good. I just came to tell you that Angelus seems to have betrayed us. He possibly has his soul back. We’re having difficulty locating him, so we thought we’d just use you as bait.”

“Good plan, because I honestly think Angel likes me.”

“Well, I’m not the Master because of my good looks. Although I could be. But you could just tell me where he is. I’d forget about the bait idea.”

“Sorry, don’t know where he’d be. But if he’s really Angel again, I couldn’t really tell you. No offence to you or your hospitality, but I kinda want to be saved now. Unless of course you want to set me free.”

“No offense taken, but I can’t set you free. I want to kill Angel quite badly, and you’re my best bet to get at him.”

“Then I guess I wait here then. Anything else on your mind?”

“Not really. I’ll leave you to your attempts to break out of the handcuffs.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Cordelia called as he left. She had the weirdest conversations with people sometimes.

***

It took several hours before Diaz woke from his drug-induced haze. When he finally woke, the vampire greeted him.

“I’d like to know why,” Angel said quietly. The vampire removed the tape from the soul stealer’s mouth with a quick jerk. “Why did Wolfram and Hart do it?”

Diaz gasped in pain. It felt like his lips and just been jerked off. He kept his eyes transfixed on the vampire. “Because they were idiots,” he said in a Spanish accent. “They saw it as the perfect time to destroy your little group. With the Watcher gone, they decided to finally remove the thorn from their side.”

“But why Cordelia? Why not just me?”

“A couple years ago, it would have been just you. But Wolfram and Hart felt the Seer had become too key a player. They began to view her as a threat. Don’t look so shocked,” Diaz said, noting Angel’s look. “Remember Billy? That was just a much about screwing with her as it was freeing him. They hired a psychologist to implant false memories into her head. The hope was that they would incapacitate her. But for some reason, they didn’t.”

“Because she is half demon,” Lorne supplied.

Diaz looked at Lorne in surprise. “Well, that would explain it. Demons aren’t as susceptible to mind altering as humans are. Guess Wolfram and Hart didn’t know that she was a half-breed now.”

“But why take away my soul?”

“Because they thought you would destroy the people you cared about. They should have known you’d play mind games with everyone, kill a few people you didn’t like, and generally screw up their plans. They actually thought they could control you.”

“Silly them,” Gunn said, unamused.

“Very,” Diaz said seriously. “But then, all I cared about was the money.”

“How much?”

“For you? A quarter million dollars. I received half that for your Seer.”

“So you’re the reason Cordy didn’t have her soul.”

“Yes,” Diaz said without much remorse. “So, uh, any chance now that I’ve spilled my secrets that you’ll let me go?”

“Not a chance in hell.”

Diaz shrugged. “Thought so.”

“Um, Angel?” Tara asked. “I think I have something here that might be of use to us.” Everyone turned to face the young Wicca holding a magic book. “But, I’m not sure if it’s something he should be hearing.”

Willow removed another vial from her bag. Filling a syringe, she plunge the needle into Diaz’s arm.

“Hey!” he protested. “Can you at least use rubbing alcohol? I could get an infection!” In moments Diaz succumbed to the drug.

“You were saying?” she asked Tara.

“I think I found a way to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone again.”

---------------

Part 13: A Simple Plan

“I have just one question,” Lorne started. “Does Senor Diaz need to be conscious for this?”

Tara looked up from the spell book with a perplexed look on her face. “I don’t think it should matter. Willow?”

“It shouldn’t matter,” Willow said. The redhead lit incense candles all about the room. Willow then took the Crystal of Hekate and carefully placed it on a small stand on the table.

The Crystal was shaped as a prism, and was about the size of a baseball. When the light from the candles struck it, the Crystal bent the rays into a multitude of colors.

“So, for us laymen not educated in the art of magik, do you think you could explain this one more time?” Fred asked.

“It’s called an Adficio Spell,” Tara explained. “The idea is to drain him of his mystical powers so he can’t do any more harm.”

“So the Crystal of Hekate is used to store the power?” Gunn asked.

“No. By storing the power, there is always the chance that it could be freed. Diaz could find a way to reabsorbed his magik,” Tara said.

Willow finished adjusting the prism before picking up the explanation. “If we wanted to merely capture his power, we’d just use a mystical orb or some other device. But using a prism is different.”

“She’s right,” Tara continued. “When the mystical energy is pulled into the prism, the crystal has the same effect as it does on light waves. It actually disperses the energy into different elements.”

“And when the elements are dispersed, it’s like taking apart the components of a bomb,” Willow said. “The mystical energies are rendered impotent.”

“You can do this?” Gunn asked.

“Theoretically,” Tara said. “What?” she asked off his look. “It’s not like I’ve ever done this before. Sure, I’ve read about it. I’m fairly certain I can do this.”

“How certain, Cupcake?” Lorne asked.

Tara wrinkled her nose. “Ninety-four percent?”

“Are you asking us or telling us?” Gunn wondered.

“Uh, I’m telling you,” Tara decided.

Gunn, Lorne, and Fred did not look convinced. Groo was busy playing with the coffee maker, while Angel sat in the corner, listening to the conversation.

“You won’t be in any danger, right?” Angel asked. “If something were to go wrong, would you be harmed?”

“Probably not,” Tara said. When Angel was about to object, she defended herself. “Like I said, I’ve never done this before. But I am fairly certain I can do this. Besides, don’t the benefits outweigh the negatives? If this isn’t done, who knows what this guy will do? Maybe he won’t hurt you again but we saw how many beads were on his necklace. He’d stolen souls before, and if we don’t do this, he might do it again.”

Angel had to admire the resolve the young woman showed. But still, the doubt was there. “Willow?” he asked.

“She’s right, Angel,” Willow said. “The risk is too great to not try. And I believe she can do this. Tara is one kick-butt witch,” she said proudly. Tara returned the compliment with a shy smile.

“Then I guess that’s settled,” Gunn observed. “How soon can we do this?”

“As soon as I get a fire going,” Tara answered.

****

The still drugged form of the soul stealer was laid unceremoniously on the mattress. At the foot of the bed was the table. In its center sat the Crystal of Hekate, and on both sides were a pair of lit candles. Behind the table sat Tara in one of the hotel's cheap wooden chairs.

To her right on a small stand rested a metal bowl. A small flame burned gently inside it. To Tara’s left was another chair, and on top was a tray containing herbs that she would need during the incantation. Surveying the setup, and double-checking her ingredients, Tara finally decided that she was ready to go. “Ok,” she said to the others. “I’m ready.”

Everyone gathered around the bed holding small bundles of smoking herbs. The group mimicked Willow’s motions as they all waved them in the proper fashion. Tara grabbed a small handful of a ground, yellowing substance and dropped it into the fire. A bright yellow flame shot up, almost causing Fred to drop her herb bundle.

“Goddess,” Tara beckoned. “I call on you to help us. Please give us your blessing and give me the power to fight this harm. Goddess, I beg you, help me remove the magik from he who takes souls!” Tara took a handful of a bluish powder and tossed it into the flame. The fire once more shot up, casting a blue shadow over the room. “Goddess! Direct his power into your Crystal, guide it so he may never bring harm again!”

Suddenly, Diaz’s eyes snapped open. “Is this normal?” Fred asked fearfully. Diaz bolted upright, his eyes devoid of any recognition. His head was thrown back as his mouth dropped open.

“Goddess! Expel him of his power!” Tara pleaded once more. From Diaz’s mouth poured a black mist. Tara slumped in her chair, but Willow was soon by her side. Everyone else watched as the mist crawled towards the Crystal of Hekate.

“Did it work?” an exhausted Tara asked.

“I think so,” Willow said. “Look.”

The mist began to enter the prism. The Crystal of Hekate began to glow with a tremendously bright luminescence. In the darkened room, the sight was all the more remarkable, as the mystical energy was broken apart. A rainbow of colors shot from the prism as the now ineffective magiks were separated.

“Wow. Pretty,” Groo observed.

“Be silent now, pseudo-Angel,” Lorne said.

“Ya gotta admit,” Gunn whispered. “You don’t see that every day.”

Diaz flopped back against the bed, the spell knocking him further into the drug-induced unconsciousness. While Willow tended to Tara, Lorne place a lid over the bowl to put out the flame.

“So what now?” Fred asked. “What do we do with him?”

Angel placed two fingers on Diaz’s neck artery. “Well, he can’t hurt anyone. I guess we put him on the first plane to Brazil, Honduras, or wherever he is from. I really don’t care.”

“Angel’s right,” Gunn said. “Now that Diaz has been neutered, we got more important things to worry about.”

“It will be tough,” Angel told them. “Where she’s being held is surrounded by many vampires.”

“How many is many?” Lorne asked.

Angel stared at Diaz’s form as he stated his answer. “Fifty, give or take a few.” A collective moan of disbelief rose from the group. “Their Master is a tribesman named Kelemoke. He’s strong and he’s smart.”

“Which means?” Gunn asked. “This means he’ll realize how important Cordelia is and is probably prepared for an assault.”

“So basically, we’re fucked,” Gunn stated.

“I could do a spell,” Tara offered. “It’d be enough to give cover until you get inside the building.”

“That should be good enough. Gunn, Groo, and Lorne can use that to sneak in the backdoor and get Cordelia,” Angel said.

“What are you gonna do?”

An almost evil smile played at Angel’s lips. “I’m going to go right through the front door.” He picked up his coat from the floor and went to the door. “I need to go make a few deals. I’ll be back by sundown.”

The vampire was gone before they could question further. Only a few minutes later, a new day began to rise. And all knew, one way or another, it would all end tonight.

----

Part 14: Storm Rising

“What the fuck is that?” Gunn shouted.

Angel returned shortly after sundown to the hotel. When everyone came out to greet him, they noticed the way the trunk of his convertible sagged. When the vampire popped the trunk, they found something that shocked them all.

“That,” Angel said seriously, “is 200 pounds of C-5 explosive.”

The gang stared at the 20 bricks of explosive that weighed down the car. Willow carefully took one of the bricks in her hand. It was plainly marked: US ARMY, C-5 HIGH EXPLOSIVE, PLASTIQUE.

“Um, Angel, I don’t mean to be a snoop, but where the fuck did you get plastic explosives from?” Willow asked.

Angel grimaced as he remembered. “We destroyed a vampire clan in south LA. They were major weapons runners. I went and found their main competition, a group led by a Mosack demon named Sumner. When he found out I was responsible for him now having a monopoly, he was gracious enough to give me some complementary explosives.”

“Nice guy,” Tara commented.

“Not really,” Angel answered. “If Angelus was still around, Sumner would be at the top of his hit list. He’s got a real bad attitude. He also has a tendency to smell like cottage cheese.”

Everyone was still staring at the explosives in awe. “Uh, Angelcakes, I hate to be the one to ask a stupid question, but what the hell are you planning on doing with 200 pounds of explosive?”

“Well Lorne,” Angel said, “I plan on killing them all. Two hundred pounds should be enough.”

“Should?” Gunn asked incredulously. “Angel, dude, fifty pounds of that stuff will level a building. Two hundred will obliterate it.”

“Like I said, two hundred should be enough.”

“I’m going to assume you have a plan,” Tara said.

Angel slammed the trunk shut, much to the chagrin of the gang. “Don’t worry,” he said. “They can’t go off unless the detonator is in place.”

“I’d rather not test that assumption,” Lorne declared. “But Cutie Pie brought up an interest point there, something about a plan I believe it was.”

“It’s simple: Tara uses her spell to blanket movement. Gunn and Groo haul Cordy out to safety. Meanwhile, I create a major distraction by parking the next Oklahoma City right in Kelemoke’s living room. I’ll try to find a way out, then I’ll blow the place down.”

“Try to find?” Fred asked fearfully.

“Try,” Angel said emotionlessly. “If I can’t, then the place goes down anyway.”

“But wouldn’t this kill you?” Groo added. The group moaned at his stupidity, while Lorne tried to refrain from slapping the back of his head.

It was Willow who spoke for the group. “Um, Angel? I think everyone will agree with me when I say Bad Plan. Very Bad Plan.”

“Well, one way or another that place is coming down. Personally, I’d appreciate it if you guys rescued her before I flip the switch.”

“Angel!” Willow tried to reason. “You can't just destroy a building!”

“Why not?”

Willow would have laughed if the vampire didn’t look so serious. “Do you even realize the ramifications of doing so? This isn’t like staking a vampire. There will be evidence of a bombing. The hollowed out crater in downtown Los Angeles will probably be a giveaway. If you go through with this, the authorities will find you. It might be tough to explain certain things, like the fact you’re a vampire.”

“Willow,” Angel said gently, “they will not trace anything back to me. This C-5 has been missing for several months. If they can trace it, it will lead them to Sumner and his people, not me. And it’s not like they can trace this car to me either. Since I’ve never officially owned a vehicle, plus the fact that I don’t have a valid Social Security Number, Driver’s License, or Birth Certificate. I’m a ghost. You can’t trace a ghost.”

Willow threw up her arms. “Will somebody reason with this stupid vampire?”

Gunn stepped forward. “When do we do it?”

“What?!” Fred, Willow, and Tara all turned to face him. “Charles, what the hell are you saying?” Gunn didn’t flinch at his girlfriend’s tirade. “He can’t blow up a building! It’s ridiculous, it’s…”

“The best idea we have,” Gunn answered calmly.

“It’s best by default,” Lorne said. “If there’s only one team, that kind of makes them the best whether they play or not.”

“Are there any other choices?” Gunn shot back. “We go charging in? The seven of us? Against something like fifty vampires? We’re good, but were not that good.”

Silence fell as they considered the options. Not that there were many. But still, blowing up a building? It was suicidal at best for Angel. He may have done some awful things recently, but none believed his death to be an acceptable outcome.

“It’s simple,” Angel said. “Either you’re with me, or you’re not. I could care less. But one way or another, that place, and every vampire inside will be destroyed. I’d just prefer Cordelia wasn’t there as well. Tara?”

The vampire’s piercing brown eyes captured hers, demanding an answer. Sighing in resignation, she agreed. “I’ll do the spell.”

“Gunn, Groo?

“I’m in,” Gunn answered.

“So am I.”

“I am too,” Willow said. “I’ll go with the boys. Just in case there’s trouble.”

“Where Charles goes, so do I,” Fred stated.

“Well, I’m certainly not going to be the lone duck on this pond,” Lorne said. “I guess I’m in.”

“When do we do it?” Tara asked.

“Just before sunrise,” Angel said. “When all the vampires will be there. I want to kill them all.”

***

“I have to say, Miss Chase, I’m surprised Angel hasn’t appeared yet,” Kelemoke said. The master vampire sat on Angelus’ bed flipping through a copy of Playboy. “Hello, Miss February,” he whistled. He tossed the magazine aside at Cordelia’s disgusted look.

“As I was saying, I expected Angel to come charging in last night. I’ve never known him to have much restraint.”

“Maybe he’s changed more than you think,” Cordelia told him.

Kelemoke laughed. “My dear, perhaps you give him too much credit. At his core he is still a malevolent entity. Brutal, savage, impulsive. I think that has all been proven.”

“But that’s when he’s soulless,” Cordelia argued.

“And now he has a soul,” Kelemoke agreed. “But even without a soul, you were the object of all his desires. With a soul, those feelings are only intensified. Emotions can be a real bitch, as you Americans might say. He’ll come for you, and soon, I hope.

“Buy anyway,” Kelemoke continued, “I’ll leave you alone now. It’s nearly two in the morning, and I still haven’t eaten yet.”

“Yeah, you go do that,” Cordelia said dryly. “You gotta keep your strength up. But before you go, how about letting me out of these handcuffs? I think my hands are turning blue. Besides, it’s time for a bathroom break.”

Kelemoke thought for a moment before calling in two of his minions. “Please free Miss Chase from her bounds,” he ordered the minions. “Escort her to the bathroom. When you bring her back in, you may keep the handcuffs off.”

Kelemoke then breezed out of the room, leaving Cordelia alone with the two minions. Even though she knew they wouldn’t hurt her, it still made her anxious. Once more, she prayed to whoever was listening to send her some help.

***

Under a street lamp at the Rest and Go Motel, Willow and Tara sat on the curb. Tara sipped a Doctor Pepper while flipping through her magic book. She’d long memorized the spell she would need, and she was merely killing time.

Willow sat next to her, a can of Sprite between her legs and a cellphone to her ear. “Yeah, Buffy, I know we’ve been gone a while,” she said to her friend. “We’re still in LA helping on the case. No, everything’s cool. It’s just with Wesley on sabbatical, Cordy and Angel needed someone to help with research and such. No, you don’t need to come here. If all goes well, we should be home in a day or two. Yeah, I did see the news. Yeah, it is the law firm Angel’s been having trouble with. I don’t know what that was about. Maybe they pissed off the wrong client. From what Cordy and Angel said, they’re scum.” When Willow saw Gunn coming out of the hotel, she spoke quickly. “Hey, Buffy? I’m going to need to let you go. Yeah, we got some night work to do. Sorry for calling so late. Goodbye.”

“You lied to her,” Tara said without looking away from her book.

“Yup,” Willow said. “It’s need to know information, she didn’t need to know.”

“You’ve seen too many X-Files.”

“Probably,” Willow agreed. Gunn crossed the parking lot to where the two women were sitting. “Is it time?”

“It’s time.”

The women slowly rose and followed Gunn inside. Glancing at her watch, Willow noticed it was only an hour and a half until sunrise. Willow caught Tara’s eye, and both understood the truth of the situation.

Good or bad, it ended in 90 minutes.

*********

Angel pulled the Cadillac to a stop a block away from the garage entrance to Kelemoke’s building. On the opposite side of the building, the rest of the gang would be gathering to make the extraction.

Taking a deep breath, Angel tried to steady himself. Contrary to what the others believed, he didn’t want to die. Not again. Because he knew where he’d go afterward. But Angel had every confidence that they could rescue Cordelia. So he didn’t have to worry about her getting hurt. And he knew what he had to do. Remove the threat. Because Angel knew if he didn’t, Kelemoke would launch a campaign to destroy them all. But Kelemoke wouldn’t have the chance.

“God. I know I’ve done some evil things in my lifetime. I know I’m a monster, an abomination, a plague. I also realize you might not even be listening to me right now. But if you are, please give me the strength to do this. Give me the strength to keep my family safe one last time.”

With that, Angel floored the accelerator. The Cadillac flew down the street and onto the entrance tunnel. The car shattered through the gate at over sixty miles per hour. The sentries could do nothing but leap out of the way.

Slamming the brakes, the car skidded to a stop in the center of the garage. Quickly, he reached into the glove box and removed the radio detonator. Tucking the small controller in his jacket pocket, he glanced at the clock. The gang had thirteen minutes to find Cordelia and get her out. Meanwhile, Angel wanted to find Kelemoke. Dying by a bomb was too good for him. Angel wanted to see his face when he buried a stake in his chest.

“Angelus!”

Angel turned and saw the two sentries streaking towards him. Pulling out the crossbow slung inside his coat, Angel ended both of their lives. Angel took a moment to look at his watch. Twelve minutes, twenty seconds left.

Angel calmly walked to the elevators and pressed the button. Seconds later an elevator opened up. Climbing aboard, Angel pressed ‘3’. He would find Kelemoke there.

--------

Part 15: To Paint With Fire

The dark and damp tunnels beneath the building provided the access. Quietly, Gunn removed the grate, giving the rescue party access to the boiler room. Within a couple minutes, everyone was climbing an old stairwell, searching for the place they needed to go.

"Do we know where we're at?" Fred asked.

Lorne mentally went over the directions Angelcakes gave him. "Well, we just came from the boiler room. The stairs take us up to the basement, which is where we are now. Take a left down this corridor, then a right and we should find a stairwell to the first floor. Angel said Cordy was in a bedroom on the East Wing, first floor."

The gang crept along the corridor wall, mindful of the countdown and of vampires. When they reached the right turn, Gunn poked his head around the corner. "Four vamps," he whispered. "Tara?"

Tara pulled a small pouch from her pocket. She dumped the powdered contents into her hands and muttered a few Latin phrases. Raising her palm to her face, Tara blew the powder into the hallway. "Blind," Tara whispered. Turning to Gunn she said, "Go."

Gunn and Groo bolted from the corridor. The vampires rubbed their eyes in confusion. They heard the sound of running, but they were blinded by the attack. The vampires were dust in moments.

The rest of the gang scampered behind after the two men. When they reached the stairwell door, Tara quickly performed the spell again to ensure anyone on the stairs would be defenseless. Meeting no intruders, the rescue party rushed up the steps to the first floor.

"Which way is east?" Willow asked.

"That way." Lorne pointed to his right.

In a SWAT-like cover formation, Lorne used the sledgehammer he brought to knock down doors, allowing Groo and Gunn to rush inside. On the fourth try, they finally found the right room.

"Princess!" Groo shouted when he found Cordelia sitting on the bed.

"Groo! Watch out!" Cordy shouted.

One of the two sentries sucker punched Groo in the gut. Lorne quickly brought the sledge down on the head of the vampire, crushing his skull. "Holy shit! That really is therapeutic!" he exclaimed.

From behind, Willow raised her crossbow and loosed the bolt straight into the second vampire's heart, turning it to dust.

"Nice rescue," Cordelia commented. "This is the rescue, right?"

"Yes, Princess," Groo wheezed.

"Where is Angel? He has his soul, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, he does," Lorne said. "He's taking care of some business. Speaking of which, we need to take care of our own."

"He's right, we only got about eight minutes to get out of this place," Gunn said.

The gang ushered Cordelia from the room and ran in the direction they came. "What the hell happens in eight minutes?" she asked.

"The explosion!" everyone cried.

"THE WHAT?!"

***

Angel's broadsword sliced easily through the necks of any vampire that got in his way. After decapitating a fifth minion, he finally found the one he was looking for. "Kelemoke!"

The tribesman appeared from his library, a Japanese Katana in his hands. "Angelus," Kelemoke calmly replied. "What brings you back to my humble abode?"

"The woman, mainly," Angel said.

"Mainly?"

"I'm also going to destroy you and every vampire in this place."

Kelemoke smiled at Angel's brass. "And how do you plan on doing that?" he inquired.

Angel's slow smirk even gave Kelemoke chills. The souled vampire slowly pulled the remote from his pocket. "Isn't technology wonderful? In less than seven minutes, we all go to hell. Unless of course I push this button." Angel fingered a small green button on the remote. "But that won't be happening."

"So why come after me at all?" Kelemoke asked. "Why not just let the building blow?"

"Because I want to die, too."

****

"You got any of that magic powder left?" Gunn asked.

"Nope," was Tara's short reply.

The gang had made it back into the boiler room, but they ran into a problem. About a dozen vampires kind of problem. That was a bitch when there was only six minutes left on the clock.

"Any other way out?" Fred asked.

"Not that Angel told me about, Kitten."

"Well, I guess we fight," Willow said. "Unless of course I hear some suggestions. Cordy?" The redhead turned to ask Cordelia if she had an alternative. "SHIT!"

"What?" Gunn asked.

"Oh, nothing, just the fact that CORDELIA IS GONE!"

The Seer was nowhere to be found.

*****

Well, there was no question that smell was definitely one of her demon powers . Cordelia was certain that there were several benefits to that, her present situation being the first. But she rued the day she'd have to use a port-a-potty.

The Seer followed her nose as she tracked a scent that was distinctly Angel. Not Angelus, she realized, this scent had something extra to it. It was the soul. And it was leading her directly to him.

The sounds of metal striking metal resounded throughout the lavish corridors of Kelemoke's palace.

***

Kelemoke narrowly dodged the blow from Angel's broadsword. The blade whizzed over his head and shattered a vase on the table behind him.

"Hey, you son of a bitch! That's from the Ming Dynasty! You can't just buy those at flea markets!"

"Put it on my tab," Angel growled.

The vampires continued to trade blows at a vicious pace. Finally, Kelemoke delivered a devastating roundhouse kick that sent Angel crashing to the ground.

Kelemoke stood above the fallen vampire. "Looks like I win, doesn't it Angelus?"

Angel grinned evilly up at the tribesman. "Do you now? It's really gonna suck when you try to use the remote." Angel laughed as Kelemoke's eyes flashed yellow. "The remote does shit. You really think I'd risk you shutting down the bomb?"

"ANGEL!"

Kelemoke's eyes snapped up and locked on the beautiful young half-breed. It was all Angel needed. The elder vampire rammed his sword through the groin of the tribesmen, the trajectory slicing along the useless intestines of the younger vampire.

"Looks like I win," Angel said. Angel kicked Kelemoke off him and leapt to his own feet. The tribesman was pressed against the wall, holding onto the spot where his genitals once were. A clean slice was all it took to end Kelemoke's existence.

"Angel!" Cordelia rushed into the arms of her Champion. "That's really you, right?"

"Yes," Angel said, his tone suddenly somber. "It's me."

Cordelia grabbed the vampire's arm and tugged. "C'mon, we have to go. The gang told me we don't have much time. We need to get out of here."

"No, Cordelia," Angel said. "You go. I'm going to make sure that none of the others try to escape."

"NO!" Cordelia shouted. "You will not do this! Goddammit! I am not going to lose you, Angel! I need you!" The vampire shook his in denial. "Angel, I know you're hurting. I know about the things that you've done. I know that you're still hurting about Connor. But damn it, Angel, you still have a purpose in this life, and so do I. And you know what? It's together! Champion and Seer! Now you can either come with me and get out of here, or I can stay and we both die! What's your choice?"

Angel stared into the eyes of the woman he had caused so much pain. He wanted to see hatred. He wanted to see a cold disgust. It would make what he needed to do so much easier. But all he saw was an undying faith. Faith in him.

"Angel," she pleaded. "Please."

"Cordelia," he began. "I'm sorry." He couldn't stop himself from kissing her softly on the lips. "I'm so sorry," he said again.

***

The gang finally managed to beat back the group of vampires blocking their escape. "But what about the Princess?" Groo yelled.

"Angel will find her," Gunn shouted back. "He'll make sure she's safe."

The gang made their way through the access tunnels beneath the complex and into the sewage system beneath the streets. Everyone finally resurfaced through a manhole in an alley three blocks away from the building.

"But how can you be sure he will?" a desperate Groo asked again.

"Because he's Angel," Fred said with absolute confidence. "He always saves her."

*****

Inside the building, what was left of Kelemoke's minions tried desperately to figure out what to do. They knew that their Master had been slain, and that Angelus was the betrayer.

But none of them knew that their lives were over. Not until the timer on the fuse hit zero. None of them realized quickly enough that they were on their way to hell. The blast shot upward from the parking garage, destroying the infrastructure of the building. Those who weren't destroyed by the initial explosion were consumed by the fire that fed on the oxygen in the vast corridors.

Once the basement collapsed, each of the seven floors above it fell like a row of dominos. The rubble spread for several blocks. The gang waited for several hours after the explosion, long after the ambulances, police, and fire trucks arrived. They long after the new dawn rose in the east. They waited, hoping that Angel and Cordelia would arrive at the rally point.

It was nearly twelve hours after that all realized the truth. Angel and Cordelia weren't coming.

--------------

Part 16: Survival

The decision was never really up to him. It was a simple fact. Cordelia’s life was far more important than his own. He would save her life, even if he took him away from the death he so wanted now.

“Follow me, quickly!” he shouted. Angel grabbed his Seer’s hand and ran back to Kelemoke’s library. Cordelia followed, having full faith that Angel would save them. But she was confused, how would they get out through here?

Angel led her to the bookcase behind Kelemoke’s desk. On a shelf about shoulder level sat a bust of Nero. Angel pulled hard on the bust. Cordelia realized it was a lever. Machinery grinded audibly as the bookcase slid to the left, reveling a stone stairwell.

“It leads to the tunnels below! Come on!” No sooner that the two set foot on the first step did they hear the sounds of the explosion. The pair raced down the steps into a stone lined tunnel. The earth quaked around them. Dust dropped from the ceiling below as the wooden rafters shook.

Chunks of stone began to drop from above. “Angel! We’re not going to make it!”

“Yes, we are!” Angel shouted back.

As more stone began to fall above them, Angel spotted a hole located at the bottom of the wall to his left. “Dive in there!” he commanded. Cordelia, for once, did as he told her. The vampire followed behind her. The hole actually led to a small room that had been blocked off by stone.

“This looks like a damn bomb shelter!” Cordelia exclaimed. Plates of steel lined the walls of the room. It looked several inches thick.

“It probably is,” Angel said. “This place was built in the fifties.”

Both turned as they saw that stones had fallen and blocked the access hole. They were sealed in. “We’re trapped!” Cordelia said.

Angel grabbed onto Cordy to calm her down. “It’s okay,” he tried to assure her. “These tunnels are fairly well built. They should be able to bare the brunt of the blast. It may take a little time to push the stone out of the way, but we WILL get out.”

Cordelia stared at the stone before nodding. “Yeah,” Cordelia whispered. “We’ll get out.” Staring into Angel’s eyes she asked, “How did you know to go here?”

“I explored this building inside and out. Just in case I needed to leave in a hurry. I found this room on one of my explorations,” Angel explained.

The pair stood in silence as the last vestiges of the explosion died down. The earth stopped shaking. The sounds of thunder ceased. A single heartbeat marked the only sound.

Angel made a very unmanly ‘eek’ of surprise when Cordelia enveloped him in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re back.” If Angel breathed, he would need to do it right about now. Cordelia clung to him tightly. Angel so wanted to enjoy the contact, but he wouldn’t allow himself to. Gently, he broke the embrace.

“Glad to be back,” he said. Angel hoped he sounded convincing. From Cordelia’s look, he decided he didn’t. “Come on,” he said, wanting to avoid a lecture. “Let’s get to work on moving those rocks.”

***

For several hours the duo worked to free themselves from the shelter. They finally succeeded.

When they finally crawled from the room, they were able to survey the tunnels. Angel was right, the tunnels did survive the brunt of the blow. In fact, it seemed that most of the fallen stones decided to drop in front of the bomb shelter’s opening. Cordelia didn’t fail to make note of that.

“Would you rather have taken your chances we’d make it?” Angel asked.

“Not really,” Cordelia mumbled. Angel almost smiled at her child-like response. Almost.

Angel led the way through the darkened tunnels. After what was probably a walk of several city blocks, they came to a steel door. With a strong tug, Angel jerked the door opened.

“Sewer? Eww.”

“We’ll be in there only long enough to get to a manhole,” Angel assured her. Hopping into the wet, dark sewage tunnels, the pair only had to walk another block before they reached a manhole.

Climbing up first, Angel easily flipped the cover to the side. From the smell, the vampire could tell that the sun had just set. Angel jumped up into the alley, and then helped pull Cordelia to the surface. When the two walked into the street, they were amazed at the sight.

There was nothing left of Kelemoke’s palace. The only thing to mark the past existence of the large and stretching building was the rubble that scattered for blocks. Firetrucks, ambulances, and police cars surrounded the scene.

“Oh, my God,” Cordelia said. “It’s like a war zone.”

“That’s because it is,” Angel said solemnly. “Come on. Let’s go find the others.”

*****

At Cordelia’s apartment, the gang waited in silence. None knew what to say. For a while they batted around ideas about how to deal with Diaz, but that conversation died down. They mainly just sat and hoped that their friends would arrive.

“Y’know what would be great?” Willow asked. “Call INS and sick them on that Diaz bastard. I could alter his visa to say it expired. Get them to get him out of the country.”

Gunn sat in a recliner, Fred resting her head on his shoulder as she sat in his lap. “Sure,” he said. “Go for it.”

The room fell into silence again. When the doorbell rang, everyone started at the loud noise. Willow stood quickly and went for the door. But before she reached it, she had seconds thoughts. “Dennis,” she called. “Who is it?”

The phantom began to knock excitedly on the coffee table. A rush of air was felt as the ghost sprinted to the door. The door bolts were quickly unlocked and the door flew open.

Excited shouts filled the previously silent room as the gang rushed to greet Cordelia and Angel. Cordelia eagerly accepted the hugs that everyone offered, but the vampire hung back from the crowd. He smiled slightly as the Seer was engulfed in the crowd.

“We’re glad you’re safe,” Gunn said for the group.

“Yeah!” Fred said anxiously. “Did you see that explosion? Where have you guys been?”

“No, I didn’t see the explosion. I sure as hell felt it though. We escape into some tunnels and hid in a bomb shelter or something that was underneath the compound. It just took a while to dig out.”

While everyone continued to pay attention to Cordelia, Angel took the opportunity to slip away. He needed someplace dark, someplace where he could brood about what a monster he was.

Cordelia had no intention of letting him do that. As Willow and Tara gave her a group hug, her eyes followed the vampire that both tried to kill her, and tried to save her. Cordelia knew him to well. She knew what Angel was thinking. She knew he wanted to reflect on the things he’d done.

Cordelia removed herself from all the hugs and followed the vampire. The gang knew that they needed to talk, so they busied themselves with talk about how they saved the day and on how to deal with Diaz.

Cordelia found him in the bedroom by the moonlit window, sitting in a cheap rocking chair she bought at a garage sale. The vampire was fully aware of her presence. After years of working with him, she knew his mannerisms, most of them anyway. He had a habit of stiffening his shoulders slightly when someone entered a room that he alone occupied.

“This is a great chair,” he said softly. “I used to have a rocker. Bought it in London around 1843. It was an impulse buy. The thing lasted about two weeks. Darla ended up smashing me over the head with it after a squabble."

“You vampires, I tell ya, you’re crazy creatures. I never said it before, but I always hoped you kids could work out your problems.”

Angel fell silent. The vampire continued to stare out the window, the moonlight glowing over his face. Cordelia couldn’t stand it.

“Knock it off, Vampire. I’m not going to tolerate your fucking brooding.” Angel’s eyes locked onto her face. Good, she thought, she had his attention.

“You’ll listen to what I say, and then we’ll begin to move on, you got it?” Angel continued to stare at her, but Cordelia could see that spark of attention in his eyes. “I know what you are, what you’re capable of. I know the evil you can cause. I’d seen it before this ordeal, so had Willow.

“But in the time that we’ve worked together, I’ve learned to accept the demon as a part of you. I did so because I cared for you, because I loved you. I owed you that love, because you were probably the first person to ever accept me for what I was.

“Kelemoke told me that at your core that you are a vicious monster. Shut up,” she said when Angel tried to speak. “I don’t believe that. It isn’t the demon that defines who you are. The demon is inside all vampires. What defines who you are is the soul, not the demon. I’ve seen what your soul is capable of doing. I’ve seen the incredible good that you’ve done. You’re soul is a good one, no matter what you might think.

“What you’re thinking is this: I want to die. I deserve to die. Be quiet!” she silenced him again. “That’s bullshit. You lost your soul. You had it ripped from your body. The events that transpired afterwards are not your fault.

“So I will not listen to you brood over things beyond your control. And I will hear nothing, and I mean NOTHING, about you wanting to die. I told you back in that building, we have a purpose in this world. We were meant to be together on this. Without out you, what point is there to any of it?”

Cordelia flopped down on her bed, exhausted from her tirade. Dust and dirt coated her hair and skin. Her wrists were rubbed raw from trying to escape the handcuffs he had placed on her. But her eyes held a deep passion and conviction for what she was saying.

“Cordelia…” he began.

“No, Angel,” Cordelia interrupted. She crawled from the bed and knelt before the vampire. “You have to listen to me. I NEED you Angel. Because all we’ve done, all the good we’ve done in this city means shit if you back out now. I can’t do my job without MY Champion. I need you Angel. Not just because of the mission, but because I love you.”

Angel sucked in a long breath. He wanted to refuse her, to deny what she was saying. He was worthless, a monster at best. But her eyes, God, her eyes. They made him want to believe. In the end, his decision came down to one simple truth. He couldn’t refuse her anything. "Okay,” Angel agreed softly. “I’ll live. For you.”

Those were the words she wanted. The tears that had barely been kept back flowed freely then. Angel slid down into the floor next to his Seer. Gently, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as the tears continued to fall.

“I’m so sorry,” Angel whispered in her ear. “I hope you forgive me someday.”

Cordelia clutched the vampire tighter. “I already have. I hope that you forgive yourself.”

Angel held onto Cordelia like she was his lifeline. Hell, he just practically said she was. “I’ll try,” Angel promised her. “I’ll try.”

(Dedication: To Amber Benson, for over two years of being by favorite character on that show. This part and story is dedicated to her for Amber’s oftentimes underrated, under appreciated, but always remarkable work. (Liam begins to sob uncontrollably). They (Hits) killed (head) my (on) babydoll (desk)! Those bastards!)

Part 17: Epilogue

Three Days Later

They had been allowed to move back into the Hyperion the previous day. The AI gang all breathed a sigh of relief as they entered the spacious lobby. It was like coming home.

Near the door sat the bags of Tara and Willow. Buffy and Xander would be coming soon to take them back home. Their job in LA was done, although both were sad to leave. It was a change to get away from the squabbling of the Scoobies, and work with the AI gang. Both were curious how the aftermath of this ordeal would turn out.

Cordelia stepped gracefully down the Hyperion stairs. Dressed in faded jeans and white t-shirt, the Seer had bandages wrapped around both of her wrists. Willow was amazed that this was the same Cordelia Chase she knew in High School. For a girl that Willow could once barely stand, she now held Cordelia in the same esteem as she did the Slayer.

“Are you sure that you won’t stay longer?” Cordelia asked them. “Now that everything’s been settled, it’d be a great chance to relax in the big city. We could grab Fred and have a girl’s day out at Disneyland or something.” Cordy was very sad to see the pair go. She owed them so much, but she knew she had little to offer in return.

“No,” Willow said kindly. “We really should be going. We’ve missed enough classes as it is. Besides, Buffy and Xander are already on their way. Should be here any moment.”

“Thank you for offering, though,” Tara added. She respected Cordelia a great deal. She admired the love and devotion she showed towards Angel. Plus, Tara thought with a grin, she’s kind of cute.

The three stood in silence for a few moments before Cordelia began. “I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate you helping us. You came down here even though you had nothing at stake in this. You risked your lives to save Angel and myself. I wish I had something more to offer you both, but all I can say is Thank You.”

Tara and Willow just smiled back. They had no idea how to respond. ‘No problem’ or ‘Que nada’ just didn’t seem appropriate.

“But I want you both to know,” Cordelia said her voice becoming thick with emotion, “that if you two ever need anything, you can always come here. The door is always open.” Cordelia laughed at that. “Well, except for whenever we’re surrounded by Lilliad Demons or Vampire Cult. Then that sucker is barricaded.”

“So,” Tara began, “are you going to tell Angel that you love him? You know, in the more than platonic, best friend kinda way?”

Willow looked at her ex-girlfriend in surprise. What the hell was she talking about? Cordelia however, didn’t skip a beat.

“I don’t know. I don’t think now is really the time. So much has happened lately, starting with Connor and Wesley. And what the hell would I do about Groo?”

“Dump him,” Tara said simply. “I mean, he’s probably a real nice guy. A little on the slow side though. But as for timing, maybe it’s the best time to tell him. It might just give him the incentive he needs to keep going.”

Cordelia considered the words for a minute. “Maybe." She shrugged. “Life is a bitch.”

Although she wasn’t real sure about the whole Cordelia/Angel love thing, Willow joined the conversation. “So where is Angel? Isn’t he going to come say goodbye?”

“Angel’s still in his room. He was asleep when I checked. But he’s still brooding over everything. I think he’s getting better,” Cordelia said honestly. “I’ve gotten him to smile a couple times. I even got him to chuckle once. Hopefully he’ll be back to being his normal dorky self soon.”

Willow looked at the Seer dubiously. “Dorky self? Are we both talking about Angel?”

“Yeah, I always heard he was kind of quiet,” Tara added.

“Pfft! That boy is the biggest dork you’ve ever met. He actually thinks Urkel is cool.”

Tara and Willow both laughed at that. So the vampire had layers. In Sunnydale, Willow could probably count the times she saw Angel smile on one hand. Even then, it was always around Buffy, and it always contained a tinge of sadness to it. But from the way Cordelia made him sound, Angel had changed. He almost seemed human.

A car horn sounded from outside the Hyperion. “That must be Buffy and Xander,” Tara said. The girls grabbed their things, Cordelia grabbing a couple of duffle bags to help out. Opening the door, they found Xander and Buffy waiting in his car.

“Before you go, there’s one thing I have to ask, “ Cordelia began. She helped put the bags in the trunk as the warm California sun shined down on them. “What the hell happened to Diaz?” Willow grinned wickedly, causing Cordelia to break out smiling herself. “What?” the Seer asked.

“I altered his visas,” Willow said. “Then I entered the INS database and put out an alert that he’s in the country illegally. He’ll probably be held a few days, questioned to make sure he’s not doing anything dirty, then they would normally deport him after that.”

“Normally?”

“Well,” Willow said evilly, “he might be arraigned if there are any international warrants out for his arrest.”

Cordelia didn’t even want to know. “Don’t tell me! Plausible deniability! Remember when I said if you ever need anything? Well, if you get arrested, forget it. You can make your own bail, got it Red?” Willow grinned in response.

“So what about Wolfram and Hart?” Tara asked, changing the subject.

“They won’t be bothering us for a while, considering most of the Los Angeles hierarchy are dead. But right now we have to concentrate on healing. We’ll worry about Wolfram and Hart later.”

Cordelia then gave both girls hugs and bid them a safe trip. “Remember,” she told them, “the door is always open.”

Tara and Willow smiled their thanks and said goodbye. Climbing into the backseat of the car. they waved farewell to Cordelia.

"So how did things go?” Buffy asked as they pulled away from the curb. “Cordelia didn’t irritate you too much, did she?”

“No,” Willow said. “I never thought I’d say it, but she’s a hell of a person.”

Xander looked at his best bud in the rearview mirror skeptically. “Right,” he drawled. “Now Willow, I am going to ask you to pass forward the wacky weed. You know that stuff isn’t good for you.”

“So what did you guys do?” Buffy asked.

“Research, surveillance, filing, nothing special,” Tara answered. Off Willow’s amused look she said softly, “Need to know information. They don’t.” The girls shared a knowing smile while the two in front just shrugged in confusion.

“Any interesting gossip? Thoughts, comments, suggestions?” Xander inquired.

“Not really,” Willow said.

“Just that Cordelia and Angel need to say ‘I Love You’ and get it over with,” Tara added.

The car came to a screeching halt. Buffy and Xander jerked around to look at her. “WHAT?!”

“Did I say that aloud?”

End