Story: The Catalyst: Burning the Night

["Femvamp " <femvamp000@xxxxxxxxx>]

TITLE: The Catalyst: Burning the Night
AUTHOR: Femvamp
E-MAIL: femvamp000@xxxxxxxxx
FEEDBACK: I'll be your best friend.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? It's yours. Just tell me where my fic's 
new home is.
SPOILERS: Oh please don't make me tell you just yet.
DISCLAIMER: Joss Wheadon and many others own the characters of BtVS 
(lucky bastards). 


Burning The Night

Cordelia Chase wandered though Sunnydale trying to get her bearing. 
She had been back in town for nearly twenty-four hours and still 
didn't know, when she was. The first thing she did when she had 
tucked Kate in for the day was check the local newspaper. Like the 
police force in Sunnydale, the newspapers talked about PCP and gang 
violence. Cordelia knew however, that most of the front-page news, 
was pure Buffy. Cordelia almost smiled.

Now it was nightfall and Cordelia was wandering the streets looking 
for a real story. Something that could jog her memory and tell her 
exactly when in the past she was. 

Cordelia avoided all the places she knew Buffy would be patrolling. 
She didn't want to see the slayer. Cordelia still had uncertain 
feelings for Buffy. She also tried to avoid Willow, but she figured 
they were both together. They were always together. 

Cordelia walked though and old area of abandoned mansions when she 
heard a twig snap. A part of her wanted to walk in the other 
direction, but Cordelia was looking for answers and this might be one 
of them.

The sound came from one of the mansions so Cordelia walked closer 
until she could see two figures through a window. Cordelia recognized 
them almost immediately. It was Buffy and Angel.

A whole spectrum of emotions went through Cordelia. Love, hate, 
anger, betrayal, longing, hope, want, even forgiveness. She knew that 
what happened to Buffy and Willow wasn't their fault, but....... 

Cordelia watched from outside as Buffy and Angel talked. Cordelia 
watched their faces and saw that neither of them was happy. Cordelia 
tried to remember she tried to figure out when this conversation could 
have taken place. It was all a blank to her. The only thing she knew 
for sure was this was after Buffy had sent Angel to Hell and PROBABLY 
before the others found out he was back. 

Cordelia turned away from the window and paced back and forth trying 
to remember when and how the others found out about Angel. It had 
something to do with Xander, she remembered that. She just didn't 
know how and when. For all she knew this could be months before they 
found out. 

Cordelia turned around to return to Kate when she ran smack into her 
past.

"Angel."

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

"Hello Cordelia." Angel said simply.

Cordelia stared at Angel for a moment. That's when she realized how 
much she truly missed the vampire. How much she longed to have him 
simply listen to her. He was the only one, besides pre-vamp Kate who 
actually listened to her. She missed that. And she missed how he 
trusted her. 

"Hello Angel." Cordelia said trying not to cry.

Angel looked Cordelia up and down and realized something was not 
right, "You're not Cordelia are you?"

"What would make you think that?" Cordelia smiled.

"For one thing, you're nails."

"What about them?"

"There chipped, Cordelia Chase wouldn't be caught dead with chipped 
nails." Angel paused, "Your not.....dead, are you?"

Cordelia laughed, "No I'm not dead. But thank you for asking."

"Then who or what are you?" 

"Well I am Cordelia Chase. I'm just not YOUR Cordelia Chase." 

"Then what Cordelia Chase are you?"

Cordelia frowned and looked at the ground beneath her, "I'm the 
Cordelia who will be if the current timeline isn't changed."

"Let me guess, you're here to change it." 

"I have no choice. "

"Why?"

"If I don't, the night will burn." 


TBC