Title: Sometimes You Must Go Back (3/3) Story #7 of the
"Who I Am, What I'll Become" Series
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Um, not mine. They're Joss Whedon's.
Rating: PG-13 for language, content and violence
Spoilers: The whole Glory plot on Buffy, and the first 6 stories
of this series I'm working on.
Summary: Cordelia returns to Sunnydale to help save Buffy's
sister Dawn.
Distribution: Let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home
is at the "Who I Am" site:
www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/whoiam.html . All previous
stories can be found there.
Category: Story/Crossover with Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Feedback: Is motivational and appreciated.
Sometimes You Must Go Back (Part 3)
Cordelia glared at the blond woman, who at the moment was
glowing an interesting shade of electric blue. "First of
all, I don't appreciate you trying to kill one of the only people
in this town that I actually like. And second of all, I was in
the middle of a long distance phone call with a good friend of
mine!" She put her hands on her hips, and out of the corner
of her eye, she saw Buffy sneaking up behind the woman, whose
attention right now was solely on Cordelia.
She took a step forward. "Do you have any idea what it's
like to be having a conversation with someone when WAM! Suddenly
you're having this God-awful, mind-splitting vision? And what is
up with that outfit? You look like some guest off Jerry
Springer!" she said, wrinkling her nose in distaste.
The woman looked down at her incredibly short red leather dress.
"The shoes don't go either. So last year," Cordelia
informed her. "And, hello? The Smurf look is very
unbecoming!"
Buffy chose that moment to attack the woman, who suddenly let out
a loud growl.
Cordelia watched in shock as she vanished from the cavern and
Buffy landed on the ground with a thud and a stunned look on her
face. Then she looked up at Cordelia.
Cordelia stood still for a moment, then turned to see Xander and
Willow staring at her, as well. "Hi."
Without a word, Buffy stood up. "Where's Dawn?"
"She's with Spike."
"She's…what?" Buffy said in disbelief. "You
left her with Spike? God, grow a brain sometime, would you?"
Buffy raced past her, nearly knocking her over in the process.
Cordelia turned and hurried after her, feeling anger rise up
within her.
When they reached the crypt, Dawn was sitting on one end of the
concrete tomb, and Spike on the other.
"Hey, look! Nobody got dead!" Spike said
enthusiastically. "Any leftover demons to kill?"
"Just you, Spike," Buffy muttered as she moved to her
sister's side. "Dawn, are you okay?"
Dawn smiled. "Yeah, thanks to Cordelia."
"Hey, I guarded you, didn't I?" Spike asked
defensively.
"Only because Cordelia threatened to send Angel after
you," Dawn shot back.
"Like I'm bloody afraid of that nancy boy," he
grumbled.
Cordelia smirked but didn't say anything.
Buffy turned around to face her. "Can we talk please?
Outside?'
"Uh-oh. Slayer versus the cheerleader. Bets on who'll
win?" Spike asked Dawn, Xander and Willow, who had finally
caught up with them.
Cordelia used all the self-control she could muster and followed
the blond Slayer outside of the crypt and into the cemetery.
"What are you doing here? Did you know what was going on?
Are you working with Glory?"
"God, Buffy, paranoid much? I'm here because I had a vision
of Dawn in trouble. I saved your asses back there so don't you
dare accuse me of working with that bitch!" Cordelia
snapped.
"Couldn't help but notice the similarities between the two
of you. Your attitudes, the way you dress. Although," Buffy
paused and eyed Cordelia's sweatshirt and ragged jeans. "I
think her fashion sense is a bit better than yours tonight."
Cordelia stared at her. This was the thanks she got for saving
Dawn's life? For putting her own life at risk to save all of
their lives? She didn't have to take this. Not from anyone,
especially not Buffy Summers.
She turned and walked towards Angel's car.
Buffy wouldn't let it go. She followed her. "What? Giving up
your chance to reign as Supreme Bitch once more? That's not the
Cordelia Chase I know."
Cordelia stopped mid-step. "Let's get something straight,
Buffy. You never knew me to start with."
"Oh, we all knew you. You made everyone miserable.
Especially Xander."
That did it.
Cordelia faced her. "And what about you, Buffy? You're the
one who ruined Angel's life. I watched him brood over you for a
year while you were screwing around with your new boy-toy. Well,
guess what? Buffy's-Reign-of-Terror has finally ended. He doesn't
brood over you anymore. He doesn't even think about you."
Buffy's eyes narrowed. "You spiteful, trampy little bitch.
How dare you-"
"Tell the truth? Yeah, I never was any good at tact,
remember?"
"You were never good at anything," Buffy replied
coolly. "You were a waste of time and a waste of space, and
I'm sure Angel only keeps you around out of pity. We all threw a
party when you left town. And Xander partied the hardest of
all."
Involuntary tears stung her eyes. "Well, guess what, Buffy.
I'm going back to L.A. to my friends now. You, on the other hand,
can go to hell. Oh, wait. You're already there."
Without another word, Cordelia turned around and walked away from
her, not bothering to look back. She climbed into Angel's car and
started it with a shaky hand. She pulled onto the main road out
of Sunnydale and sped out of town as fast as she could.
Cordelia cried all the way back to L.A.
Xander rocked back and forth on his heels, unable to stand
still. When Buffy returned a moment later, Cordelia wasn't with
her.
"Where's Cordelia?" Dawn asked.
"She went back to L.A. where she belongs," Buffy
informed her tensely.
"Uh-oh. What happened?" Willow asked in concern.
"Nothing. We just had unfinished business. Dawn, let's go
home."
Xander watched as Buffy and Dawn left. Then he turned to Spike.
"I need your car."
Spike snorted. "Not gonna happen."
Xander narrowed his eyes and grabbed him by the collar.
"Give me your car keys. Now."
"She doesn't want you running after her."
"Xander, Spike's right. Buffy and Dawn need time with their
mom right now," Willow said gently.
"Not going after Buffy, Will." He shook Spike. "I
mean it, Spike. I'll stake you and take your car anyway."
"You're going after Cordelia?" Willow stared at him
wide-eyed.
"Bloody hell. Watch the coat, you blood pouf." Spike
glared at him, but reached into his pocket and handed him the car
keys. "If you wreck it-"
Xander didn't let him finish his sentence. He let him go and ran
for the door.
"Want me to come with?" Willow asked.
"No. Buffy's not the only one who has unfinished business
with Cordelia. I need to do this alone."
Willow looked at him doubtfully. "Xander, be careful. And be
nice! She saved our lives!" she called after him.
She sighed and then looked at Spike. "Walk me home?"
"Sure, Red." He jumped off the tomb and followed her
out the door.
Cordelia washed her face in the bathroom sink. Her eyes were
red and slightly swollen from crying. She looked like hell.
"Thank you very much, Buffy," she muttered bitterly.
A box of Kleenex floated over to her and she blew her nose.
"Thanks, Dennis. Hey, do me a favor, if God-forbid, I should
ever mention going to Sunnydale again, throw a chair at me or
something, okay?" She sighed and blotted away another round
of tears.
She didn't regret going back. After all, she'd saved Dawn's life
and probably three more, to boot. But next time, she was
definitely handing the assignment to Angel or Wesley. Even if she
had to track them down and beg.
Okay, maybe not the begging part.
But still.
The knock on her door made her temper flare. Where the hell had
they been tonight, anyway? She was vision girl, not Superwoman.
She stomped out of the bathroom and down the hall. "Okay, so
whatever excuse you two have for not being around tonight is so
not good enough!" she shouted at the closed door as she
moved toward it. "We are talking weeks, and maybe even
months of groveling here, boys. And Angel, I think I've earned
that pay raise we've been talking-" she ranted as she pulled
open the door.
Cordelia froze.
"Hey, Cordy," Xander Harris said tentatively.
~ The End ~