~~~Part 3~~~ �What do you mean it�s empty?� Cordelia nudged Willow out of the way and peered into the darkened windows of the house they had known for years as the redhead�s home. �Empty as in no furniture, no TV, no pictures on the walls, nadda zilch.� Willow felt a panic rising in her chest. Instead of the twenty-one year-old that she was, she all of a sudden felt like a small child again. �Oh this is not good, in the big we are so frigging screwed way.� Amy leaned her head against the dirty window and felt like crying. �Now what?� Faith was standing at the foot of the steps looking up at the others. �Well you have to live somewhere in town if Buffy went to your house to pick you up this morning.� Cordelia bit her bottom lip. �Yeah but the question is where, and how do we find it?� Willow walked away from the window and sat down on the top step. �If we went back in time how come there�s so many differences here?� Cordelia demanded. �First we didn�t even know Faith in 97. Second Wes didn�t come until the middle of next year. Now this. Willow�s parents were never home long enough to dust let alone pack up a house and move.� �We are so dead.� Amy sat sunk down next to Willow. �Stop. We are each strong young women who have been through too much to let a little messed up time travel get to us.� Cordelia crossed her arms over her chest and gave the rest her no nonsense looks. �We regroup. We know that I live in the same place, since I called there this morning to have Mary get us the train tickets. We go back to my place for the night. We�ll decide what to do from there.� Having some from of a plan they left what once had been Willow�s home, the redhead looking back one last time unable to rid herself of the sadness of losing the sanctuary of her youth. ~~~*~~~ �Wow now this is what you call a house.� Faith whistled as she walked past Cordelia into the front hall. �I�ve never been inside.� Willow whispered in awe at the wealth that the brunette had grown up in. �Yeah take a good look around, in just a few years it�s all up for auction.� Cordelia grumbled bitterly. �Maybe you can warn them.� Willow stared at a painting on the wall, not able to place the painter, but could tell the piece of art probably cost a small fortune. �Oh, I can see that conversation. Hey Dad, you may not know this but the IRS knows that you haven�t paid your taxes in years. Maybe you should consider doing something about that.� Cordelia lead them to the stairs and looked over her shoulder at her friends. �They got what they deserved. They�re adults, and they made the choice not to pay.� �So where are they?� Amy asked. �Well if they�re anything like the people I grew up with they could be anywhere. Even when they�re home they are so busy with their dinner parties and kissing ass to be at home.� Cordelia stopped in front of a door and opened it wide for the girls to enter. �Someone a little bitter about her golden childhood?� Faith muttered irritated that growing up she would�ve given anything for the security a warm house and food that the brunette just took for granted. For the brunette slayer her childhood home was a chain of cockroach infested motels, and a drunk for a mother that was barely sober enough to fix Ramon Noodles for dinner. Cordelia bit back her response. As a group they all knew that Faith had to have had it hard to make her so disruptive at an early young age. Choosing to ignore the comment Cordelia walked over to her answering machine seeing the light blinking. Curious to find out who had called, she pressed the play button. Beep. �Cordy this is Harm�s...� Willow groaned and rolled her eyes. �You missed Cheerleading practice today, where are you? We decided to have an extra practice tomorrow after school in the gym. Oh and you�ll never believe who missed school today. The redheaded freak wonder. Well if you get this message call me.� Cordelia pushed the pause button, terror in her eyes. �Cheerleading? We so need to get back to our time. Do you even know the last time I did the splits?� Grimacing Cordelia could feel the pain a practice could bring her. �Better you than me.� Amy shuddered. �Oh that was funny...not� Cordelia shot back. �Oh I have to see that.� Faith smirked. �Okay so you may have to live through a few practices.� Willow bit back a smile. �I�m sure it won�t kill you. Ignoring the other girl�s mirth to what was sure going to be one heinous experience Cordelia pushed the play button again. �Cordelia honey this is your Mother. Thought I�d give you a short call, our plane has been delayed. I swear how hard is it to stay on schedule? Anyways Paris was beautiful as always, and now we�re off to Rome. See you in a few weeks...kisses.� �Cordelia are you sure that our parents aren�t related in some obscure way?� Cordelia snorted at Willows comment. Beep. �Hey Cordy, Harm again. Where are you? Anyways you�ll never believe where we�ve been invited to this weekend... a frat party. I�ll tell you more tomorrow, bye.� �Hello, that doesn�t sound familiar or anything.� Willow walked over to Cordelia�s bed and sat down. �Well at least we know what to expect this week. Virgin sacrifices, yippee. What better way to say welcome back to the Hellmouth?� Cordelia followed Willow�s example and sat down next to her. �So I take it you two have been through this before?� Faith wished she could sit down but felt too uncomfortable sitting near the two other girls. �I think I remember you telling me about this Willow. Buffy and Cordelia went to some kegger and almost ended up being sacrificed.� Amy flopped down on the other side of the Willow. �So we stop it before it happens.� Faith shrugged. Fighting, that was what she was used to. Not the problem solving of the messes they found themselves in. She didn�t have the restraint to sit around, analyzing all aspects of a problem. �But that means that we have to wait around for three days.� Cordelia shook her head. �Can�t we just leave Giles a little note or something?� �What scared of Cheerleading practice?� Willow smiled at the former May Queen. �Hell yes. But that means that we need to go to school and try to fit in for three days.� Cordelia stood to face everyone. �What are we supposed to do for three days? Do any of you remember how obscenely early High School starts?� �Well it�s not as though we know how to get back, or even how it is we got here. So I really don�t see why we shouldn�t stop what evil we can on our little visit.� Amy pointed out. �Which bring up another point. Do we tell Giles what�s going on?� Faith spoke up. Willow looked in surprise at the slayer. �Why wouldn�t we?� �Think about it Red. Think about how tight your little group was back in High School. If one of the group were to come up and say �Hey guess what, I�m from the future and can�t seem to get home.� How would you all react?� �We�d be suspicious as hell and be working harder to prove that the person was evil and lying then trying to help.� Cordelia answered. �Well we could just tell Giles to keep it to himself.� Willow heard the words and knew it would never work. �So what do we do?� Willow asked Faith who seemed a little stunned that someone as intelligent was asking for her advice. �I think that we�ve been through enough that we really don�t need any help. We research, we argue, we solve the problem. Isn�t that how you all usually got things done?� Faith gave a half smile. �She�s right.� Amy nodded. �We can do this.� �I know I�m going to regret this.� Cordelia sighed. �What the hell I�m in... Willow?� The redhead chewed on her lower lip, the true sign that the redheaded witch was contemplating her plight. �Fine. But if we don�t find anything in...two weeks we tell Giles.� �Fine.� Cordelia yawned. �I know after all that we�ve been through today I should be wired for the next week, but I�m beat. I�m going to tell Mary to make up some rooms for you guys tonight. I have a feeling that we�re going to need all the rest we can get.� ~~~*~~~ �Wow.� The four girls stood outside of the High School, staring at its intact structure. Willow�s mouth hung open, unable to form any other words. Students passed by the four girls giving them odd stares at their strange behavior. �The last time I was here was on graduation.� Cordelia�s voice was hushed. �I still don�t know why I�m here.� Faith grumbled. �Or why I have to wear this dress.� Pulling at the bodice of the dress. Cordelia sighed, having already explained the reason several times already. �Things are a little different here. You may still be in school. If anything Wes will be here and at least you can find out where it is that you live.� �Okay well if I am in school how the hell am I supposed to know what classes I�m in.� Faith arched a brow at the others. �She�s not the only one who thought of that. To tell you the truth I barely remember the classes I did take.� Amy admitted. �And what about lockers and combinations.� �Okay so this wasn�t very well planned.� Cordelia looked to Willow hoping that the redhead had some answers. After a moment Willow smiled triumphantly. �I�ll use the computer in the library.� �I knew we kept you around for something.� Amy smiled as they took one last look at the outside of the school and walked for the entrance. ~~~*~~~ �Lindsey, Lilah please have a seat.� Holland Manner�s surveyed the two talented law students that had just entered his office. He had found the two at Hastings the year before. It had really been pure luck that he had found them at all, but things couldn�t have turned out better. Both Lindsey and Lilah were at the top of their class, competing against one another for valedictorian. The way the two competed was a thrill to watch, and Holland knew that he could use their rival against them. �I had word from Mayor Wilkins and he is thrilled with the assistance you two provided him with that little problem. I have to say that the senior partners are very interested in the two of you.� Holland offered them both a smile. �He�ll be up this way in a week, and would like to run a few things by the two of you. This is a very big deal, and you should be very proud of yourselves.� Lindsey could barley contain the ecstatic feeling that the praise from a man such as Holland gave him. Finally he had found a place in his life were he could be proud of something, were he didn�t feel like an outsider. True the clients that Wolfram and Hart took in were rather different, but hadn�t Holland shown him that even these creatures of the night needed to have council as well. Take the Mayor for example. The poor man was responsible for a town filled with murder and mayhem. But somehow he was able to keep the town a somewhat safe place to live for the residents there. Holland Manners was not only responsible for opening his eyes to a world Lindsey had no idea existed, but for giving him a chance at a lifestyle Lindsey never dreamt possible. Checking his watch Holland stood. �I have a meeting in a few minutes. But I�d like to invite the two of you out on my boat this weekend. There are a few very important people I want you to meet.� Lindsey and Lilah stood as well, shaking the hand Holland offered. With a nod of his head Holland Manners left the office, leaving two of the best young soon to be lawyers the firm had come across in years. ~~~*~~~ |
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