Love Always and Everywhere by Shannon
Part 1
Prologue
�Angel Investigations, we help the
helpless� Cordelia Chase sighed as she answered the phones, no one who ever
called the offices of Angel Investigations really could afford to pay. She
understood Angel�s need to repent and that stuff but she needed to have a
great wardrobe if she was ever going to be discovered.
�Cordy� a tear filled voice spoke,
�Is that you?�
�Yes, who are you?�
�It�s me Xander�
�Finally come crawling back?� Cordy
would never admit it to anyone but she missed Xander, sure he was a loser, but
he had been a sweet loser, who she loved.
�No� but he wanted to. �I just
wanted to let you guys know that Willow is on her way. Can you have her call me
after?�
�Sure� Cordy made sure her
disappointment didn�t show in her voice. �Why is she coming anyways?�
�Bad news. Really bad news.�
�What is it?� Cordy would swear up
and down that she never cared about anyone she left in Sunnydale but it wasn�t
true.
�I think that Angel deserves to know
first�
�It�s Buffy� Cordelia felt the
pang of panic in her stomach. �What�s wrong with Buffy?�
There was a long pause at the other end
of the phone line. �Tell me Xander!�
�She�s died�
�Oh is that all?� Cordy knew that
Buffy had a large history of dying and coming back to life. �Did you save her
again�
�No�
�No? Who did?�
�You don�t get it Cor, she�s
gone. No one could bring her back� Xander suddenly felt nothing. He felt numb
like telling it to Cordy had finally made it sink in.
�No! She�ll come back! She always
does� Cordelia had to believe it.
�Just don�t tell Angel ok?�
Xander sighed, �It�s not something he should have to hear over the phone.
That�s why Willow�s on her way�
�Yeah, are you ok?� Cordy
wouldn�t let him hear her cry again. She had sworn that when she moved on. She
would never let Alexander Harris hear her cry again.
�No.�
�Cordelia?� Angel came into the
room, �Do you know where the text on fire demons is?�
�I have to go� Cordy told Xander,
�But I�ll see you soon�
�Yeah, Willow will tell you about her
funeral and that stuff�
�Thank you for telling me� Cordelia
heard her breath hitch so she rushed the goodbyes. She made sure her eyes were
clear and her voice was under control before she turned towards Angel and
Wesley. �No, I don�t know where the text is. I�m going to have a nap. If
anyone�I know shows up come get me ok?� She knew that if she was going to
have to be the strong one when Willow broke the news, and in order to do that
she would have to cry first.
�Is she ok?� Angel glanced confused
at Wesley as Cordy ran upstairs.
�I have no idea� Wesley frowned, he
could have sworn that he heard the slightest hint of tears in her when she was
saying goodbye on the phone. The men just shrugged and where searching for the
text when they heard a knock on the door. Wesley rushed to answer it, �Willow,
what are you doing here?�
�Willow?� Angel asked as he turned
around, he frowned as he remembered Cordelia�s request. �Did Cordy know you
were coming?�
�I don�t think so� Willow was
trying to keep her voice steady but she had to break the news of her best
friends death to Buffy�s soul mate.
�Ok, well she wanted to be here if
anyone she knew came�
�I�ll get her� Wes volunteered.
�How are you?� Angel asked
concerned at Willow�s even paler that usual complexion and the dark circles
under red eyes.
�Not good�
�Why?� Angel automatically went
into work drive. �What�s wrong?�
�Will� Cordy had carefully fixed
her make up before coming downstairs. She exchanged a long look with Willow.
�Let�s sit down�
�Yeah,� Willow took a deep breath,
�Angel�it�s�Buffy�
�What about her?� Angel felt a
paralysing fear spread rapidly throughout his body. �What�s wrong with
her?�
�She�s dead�
�No� Angel stated.
�She is� Willow was fully crying
now, Cordy moved beside her and exchange a hug, that comforted her as much as it
was to comfort Willow.
�She can�t be�
�I�m sorry she is� Willow tried
to brush away the tears but they kept coming. �She died last night�
�It can�t� Angel pleaded.
�Dear God� Wesley had known Buffy
only a short time but his many vivid memories of her flashed through his head,
�Giles usually gives me a cookie� she had said on one of there first
meetings after he, fresh from the Watcher�s Academy, had given Buffy an order.
�How?� Cordelia prayed it was
instant.
�She jumped� Willow�s mind
replayed the horrible moment, �Into a portal of energy, she saved the world
and Dawn�s life. Her body was on the ground after�
�Where did it lead?�
�An untold hell dimension�
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