ct14

Chapter Fourteen

"So then I got worried and was going to wake Angel, to let him know you were
missing." By this time the boys were done fighting over the paper and caught
up in Cordy's story. And Wesley had stopped humming to eavesdrop as well.
"Imagine my utter shock to find you there, in Angel's room, in Angel's bed,
in Angel's arms." Willow could feel the blush creeping up her throat to her
cheeks. For all her might she tried to remember a mute spell, but the fates
weren't on her side. "So I said to myself...Self, I'm sure that Willow wont
mind if you wear her new shoes, so I did."

Lindsey and Gunn chuckled as Willow tossed her pancake in Cordelia's
direction, hitting her friend square in the face. "Willow that...OUCH my head
my head." Cordelia gripped her head squeezing her eyes shut.

"Funny Cordelia my pancakes aren't that heavy...Oh a vision, isn't this
splendid." Everyone stopped for a moment from trying to sooth the seer, to
stare at Wesley. "Well its been so long since Ive seen her have one of
these that... Oh bloody hell." Wesley left the room to get Angel; sure that
after the vision was over his assistance would be needed.

Tears were flowing from Cordelia's eyes as she tried to take deep breaths,
but every time she thought she had the pain under control another vision
would rock through her head, making it feel as though a searing hot poker was
being shoved through on of her eyes.

"Is she always in this much pain?" Lindsey stroked Cordelia's hair out of her
face, worry etched into his face.

"Yeah, it's not a pretty sight." Gunn stood and walked across the kitchen to
get his friend a glass of water and some aspirin, feeling a sense of deja
vue. It had once been like this. Cordy getting her visions and he Wesley and
Angel would go out and slay the evil that caused their girl so much pain. A
tone time Lindsey had once been apart of that evil, and never did Gunn think
that he'd have Lindsey McDonald as his friend.

"Is there anything we can do to ease her pain?" Lindsey felt her body finally
relax, and he gathered her into his arms.

"Just what you were doing." Angel answered from the doorway, having watched
Lindsey get through his first encounter with Cordelia's visions. Scanning the
room his eyes landed on Willow who had her arms crossed protectively around
her. When she lifted her eyes to him, he saw the helpless look in her eyes.
He knew how the redhead felt. He had always hated seeing Cordelia in so much
pain, and unable to do anything to stop the agony she was in.

Cordelia could feel the groups stares and knew that her friends were
worried. Most of all, she could feel the jerky movements from Lindsey as he
tried to sooth her. Taking deep breaths and slowly opening her eyes she gave
her friends a shaky smile. Gunn offered her water and aspirin, which she
gladly excepted.

"Giles, and Dawn. They were fighting an ugly scaly lizard like thing. It has
this long purple tongue..."

"Where were they?" Willow sat on the other side of the Brunette.

"In some alley...Oh you mean what state. Michigan." The room went silent.

"What about...Buffy?" Willow winced at how hard it was to speak of her once
best friend's name. It had been years, and when once the blonde had been the
witch's best friend, Cordelia had taken over that spot. Plus there was her
feelings for Angel now, and if Willow were to honest she was almost dreading
the day the vision would come that would reunite them all.

"Didn't see her. But that doesn't mean anything. I didn't see Lindsey in the
last one and he was all right." Cordelia also had mixed feelings about
meeting up with the slayer. Willow was *her* best friend now. Where Willow
had always felt like an outsider, Cordelia had also felt the same way. Except
she had been surrounded by people and felt alone.

At least Willow had real friends. Ones that worried about her, and didnt
stab her back. Ones that wanted what was best for her, and didn't gloat when
she failed. That was what Cordelia had, and when she had a chance to get away
from Sunnydale and work with Angel and Doyle she had never felt so damn
lucky. She had finally felt as though she fit, that she had something worth
while. After Doyle's death she made an honest effort to let everyone in her
life know how much he or she meant to her. But it wasn't until Willows
friendship, the friendship of another female that Cordy knew what she had
been missing. Now Buffy was going to take all that away from her. Not to
mention that entire icky love/hate thing Angel and her had going on.

Cordelia worried how having Buffy around would effect Willow's and Angel's
feelings for one another. It was one thing to tease the witch about her love
for the vampire, and another to have something threaten it.

"So are we going to go and get them?" Cordy looked hesitantly at Angel, who
looked as though he were ready to say no.

"If the powers want us to, then I guess we will." Angel turned and left the
room, not seeing the tears that were threatening to fall from Willow's eyes.
Gunn sensed the girls emotional state and pulled her to him, giving her a
shoulder to cry on.

'This is fucked up.' He thought. Everything had been going great. Lindsey and
Cordy were back together, so he didn't need to listen to the ex-lawyers
whining about losing the love of his life. Willow and Angel were getting
closer everyday. Anyone who was around the two knew they had feelings for one
another.

As a group they had been working out again. Getting ready for the day they
got back to the basics, and started to kick some demon ass. Willow was
working on her witchy stuff, getting stronger everyday. Wesley was
researching portals, seeing if there were any others besides the one in LA.
Now a small group of people that they had once been allies with was
threatening the balance of things.

Sharing a glance with Lindsey, Gunn knew they felt the same way. They would
try their damnedest to keep their friends from getting hurt.