Revelations and Realizations (5/?) by: Alex

[keeper444@xxxxxxxxx]

Hi Folks,
That's right I'm back, despite requests that I disappear. I'm like a bad
Picaso I just keep turning up.<g>
Anyway I hope you enjoy the ride it's beginning to get a little bumpy.
This one's for all of you that wanted to know how Cordelia and Xander
are doing.
Alex
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Full disclaimers can be found at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buffywantswillow/message/8661 
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Revelations and Realizations (5/?)
By: Alex P.
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The old mansion trembled at the roar of the darkman's anger. 
Without a thought he struck and hit the cowering demon with
a  backhand that sent him flying across the room, 
and ended up slamming into a wall so hard he went all the way
through it. 

The dark scaled demon tried to stand but too many of his nearly
unbreakable  
bones had been broken 
by the tall human-looking creature 
that was standing over him. 
If the creature had looked angry 
it might have frightened the demon, 
but the casual unconcerned look on the creature's face sent the
minion 
into a terrified panic. 

"You fool," the man hissed quietly 
"I ordered you to watch them, 
not to have your incompetent thugs beat them nearly to death."

He kicked the injured demon, who once more went flying across the
room, 
to crash into another wall. 
The demon's black blood was 
being splattered over the floors, and walls, some had even  made it to
the ceiling, nearly every bone in his body was shattered, and 
several of his organs were ruptured.

"Please master...please...forgive... this...unworthy...beast," the
slowly dying hell spawn plead, his sibilant voice nearly inaudible to
human ears "I-I...only...thought...to..."

The demon was silenced when the tall thin man-like creature kicked him
again, 
this time the broken beast came to a stop bent backwards over a
stone alter.

"That's just it you idiot," his master snarled as he lifted  the
huge Demon over his head. "You weren't created to think, 
you were created by ME,
to follow MY orders. 
Since you can't do that, 
you are of no use to me."

With a satisfied roar the dark prince 
slammed the demon across the alter, 
bending him backwards over the stone surface, 
he hit so hard that every remaining bone and organ left in his
body, 
was shattered, 
black blood flowing from every orifice.

The now deceased demon's human minions were cowering in
the shadows, 
hoping that the enraged master wouldn't decide to vent his rage on
them, 
two of them fainted 
when the dark prince turned with a flourish and pointed in their
direction.

"I want three of you useless carrion to get over here." He ordered. "I
have a mission for you."

Three of the more intelligent young men separated from
the larger group 
and carefully made their way over 
to face the master. 

"You will go to the hospital 
and keep an eye on the two young ones, 
you fools put there." he explained the contempt driping from every
word "Do not, 
I repeat NOT, go near them or disturb any that come to see them. 
You will watch them 
and report to me every guest, 
visitor, nurse, orderly, and doctor, 
that enters and leaves their rooms. 
Is that clear?"

"Crystal" the larger of the men answered.

"Good now go," the dark man said, "Oh and gentlemen, do not fail me
again."

The three men nodded, and left, 
just as quickly as they could, 
once they were out of the room the master turned to the several
vampires, 
that had been lounging around the room 
and gave them 
the most chilling smile 
any of them had ever seen, 
even they shivered at that look.

"You can have the rest." he told the vampires "They are of no use to
me."

The terrified screams of the dead and dying echoed through the
mansion and out, 
to fade in the cold dark of the night 
unheard by any human...
that cared.
=====================
The dark aristocratc man was sitting at the large teakwood desk,
that his servant and friend, Victor, 
found to replace the one he'd shattered, several weeks before. 
He looked up from the reports his other minions had sent him and saw
his friend and long time servant enter with a pitcher and some silver
mugs on a tray.

"What have you there, 
Victor my old friend?" the Dark man spoke smiling at the one human 
he knew he could trust  
implicitly. "Perhaps something 
to amuse my palate or maybe 
an old family recipe."

The servant, whose family 
had served the dark prince 
faithfully, and with unwavering loyaly, 
for generations, 
smiled at his masters' humor.

"It is your favorite my prince." the stocky man answered in his thick,
almost indecipherable, middle European accent "The essence of these
New Worlders seems to agree with you my prince. 
I just wish they had more, 
in the way of our foods, 
and spices but never the less 
I was able to come up with 
a decent pitcher of plasma and chocolate 
as you like it my prince. 
Please drink while it is still warm."

"Ah Victor you are so good to me." Dracula sighed as he took a long
drink of the satisfying concoction "Yes Victor very good but you
are right, 
I do so prefer 
the Swiss chocolate to this, 
but it is very tasty. 
Something about those that dwell in this marvelous country, 
their essesnce is more robust, more...invigorating 
than the tired blood of the old World. 
Won't you join me my friend? 
I know you have developed a taste 
for it in the Old Country. I think you will find this far better than
you've had before."

"Thank you my prince, you are most kind." Victor answered as he sat
down across the desk from his prince and poured himself a large mug of
the steaming drink. 
"Have you any news of our quest, 
or has our beloved future princess 
still eluded those weak minded fools that serve you? 
It is a sorry lot yet they are supposedly 
the best to be had."

Dracula sighed and sat back down behind the massive desk.

"No they have been unable to locate the Chosen One or her Sorceress, 
and without them, 
I can not find my Elisabeta." Dracula complained to the only human
alive to ever understand his need to search 
for his eternal beloved "The boundaries placed upon me, 
by The Powers are ridiculous, 
and if I could I 
would get right to the purpose of my visit to this quaint little
hamlet." 

"At least we know that crazed Hell spawned bitch didn't lie to us,"
Victor said trying to cheer up his master if the Chosen One is here
than so too is your beloved."
Dracula smiled sadly at his servant, grateful for the attempt.

"Worry not my Prince." Victor continued, the sincerity in his voice
a product of his unwavering devotion to the dark Prince "We
will find your beloved princess, 
and no power on this Earth 
shall keep her from you, 
I would give my life to make it so."

"I know Victor," the ancient being 
assured his servant and loyal follower 
"Your loyalty and commitment, 
has never been questioned, 
and never will be, 
but it has been hours 
since those fools attacked 
the Chosen One's friends, 
and still neither one has wakened, 
and there has been no sign 
of either her or her Sorceress. 
Where are they, and 
why do I get the feeling 
that an old enemy is responsible for my failures so far? 
Surly old Lugh, and his two accolades, 
have passed from this realm by now. 
I have heard  nothing of them 
since that damned Van Helsing 
destroyed my Elisabeta's incarnation, 
and her lover, 
over a hundred years ago. 
I'm sure you've heard stories ,Victor, 
I believe it was your father with me then."

"No my Prince, it was my grandsire, 
but I remember when he spoke of it," 
Victor reminisced sadly 
"It broke his heart 
that he wasn't able to serve 
you better then, 
and I swore to him that I would do whatever was necessary 
to see that you were reunited with your beloved. 
I am only grateful 
for the years added to my life 
in your service 
that has allowed me 
to see the return of your Princess. 
I swear to you my prince 
that my family will not fail you now...
or ever again."
=====================
The doctor sat down heavily 
in one of the chairs near the three obviously distraught adults. 

Ever since she had interned at Sunnydale Memorial 
Dr. Cheryl O'Bryan had known 
something wasn't right. 

During her pre-med undergraduate days at USC she had heard rumors 
about the large numbers 
of unexplained traumatic deaths 
in the area.
It had been a major factor 
in her decision to apply 
to the medical school 
at UC Sunnydale. 

All through Medical school 
it had become obvious 
to the intelligent young woman 
that some very strange things 
were going on 
in the picturesque little town.

Once she'd entered residency 
and declared her speciality as a trauma surgeon, 
Cheryl had kept a private diary 
of all the unusual injuries, 
she had personally 
handled over the years. 

Now combining the years in residency, 
as an attending 
and now as head of Trauma surgery 
at SDM she had amassed 
a huge filing cabinet full 
of evidence of the intentional ignorance 
and denial among the citizens 
of Sunnydale. 

Also of the conspiracy of silence, 
and deceit by the cities officials, 
from the Mayor's office, 
all the way down to the police, 
and firefighters, 
along with every other civil servant 
in government service here. 

Even Cheryl had felt herself 
falling into the same rut of denial 
and ignoring the facts, 
that she saw every day, 
then one day about a year ago, 
avery pretty young college coed 
was brought in with severe traumatic injuries.
Her case had brought back all Cheryl's suspicsions 

The doctor had spent several hours working on the badly damaged young
blonde, 
tying off severed veins and arteries, 
along with reattaching tendons, 
setting broken bones, 
and repairing damaged organs. 
It had taken some of her finest work 
just saving the young woman's life.

When Cheryl had come out 
into this very room as a matter of fact 
and met the young woman's family, 
it had been an all too familiar scene, 
much like this one. 
The tired surgeon closed her eyes trying 
to recall that night, 
she remembered meeting a very upset, very pretty redhead, 
and all the people trying to comfort 
and console worried young woman. 

She also remembered the hope 
and fierce protectiveness in those intense green eyes. 

For some reason, 
Cheryl had almost expected 
to find that redhead here to greet her when she came out. 
The doctor recalled the reason she remembered that case 
over the hundreds of others, 
despite all her warnings of 
a long slow recovery, 
and the long incredibly painful therapy 
the athletic woman was facing 
before the blonde 
would be back to normal. 

They all just gave her 
a condescending smile, 
and told her that, 
now that they were sure 
the blonde would live, 
that her recovery would be a lot quicker 
then the doctor antcipated, 
that the petit woman was going to leave the hospital under her own
power. 

The doctor was sure that the people were being way to optimistic, 
and they were headed 
for a big disappintment, 
but within a week the blonde walked out 
like nothing had ever happened. 

Now here she was again, 
only the redhead and the blonde 
were gone. 
Now it was a striking older woman 
with dark blonde hair being held 
by a taller stoic man 
with compassionate blue eyes 
behind those wire frame glasses 
that were fashionable 
several years ago, 
but the one that held her attention, 
was the smallish olive skinned man 
with midnight black hair 
that hung to his shoulders 
framing the patrician featured face 
and the most intense dark brown eyes 
Cheryl had ever seen, waiting for news
and on her table,
had been a beautiful brunette, 
brought in with the nice looking young man that her chief resident 
had spent two hours treating.

She looked up at the two older people 
looking at her 
with that distraught parent look 
she'd seen so often. 
Somehow deep inside 
Cheryl felt certain that judging from the haunted look in all of their
eyes 
these people held the key 
to solving the mystery 
that was Sunnydale.

"W-what is the rest?" the woman asked, 
"What else do we need to know? Whatever is necessary to take care of
them do it.               
                                             
Xander..ah...Officer Harris, 
is covered through the Police department, 
and Rupert Giles and, I 
are financially responsible 
for Cordelia Chase. 
So you just do what 
needs to be done, ok?"

"That's not the problem Ms. ah..." the doctor began.

"Summers, Joyce Summers." the woman said, "Call me Joyce."

"Ok...ah...Joyce" 
the doctor resumed "as I was saying, 
Finances are not the problem, 
the hospital has already been in contact 
with the insurance carrier, 
and Officer Harris had both 
himself and Ms. Chase on his coverage. 
No, it's the true nature of their injuries, 
the obvious wounds were serious, 
and the blood loss was severe,
the two caused some initial concern, 
but once we began replacing the blood, 
and repairing the peripheral damage, 
it wasn't as serious as we'd first thought. These wounds, 
while dangerous, 
were easily taken care of. 
The real danger are the 
multiple head wounds, 
we've run all  the tests, 
including an EEG, 
several times to be sure of our results. 
All indications are 
that while Ms. Chase is unconscious still, 
and will probably remain so 
for enough time to allow her body 
to begin to heal and recuperate, 
her prognosis is actually 
quite encouraging."

"That's marvelous doctor!" the man said quietly "Giles by the way, 
everyone just calls me Giles."

"Thank you, I suppose I really should follow suit" the surgeon said 
shaking the offered hand, 
"I'm Dr. O'Bryan, Cheryl O'Bryan. 
I'm Chief of Trauma Surgery 
here at good old SDM. 
I do believe we've  met before."

"I'm sure you have met my friends." 
the dark mysterious man added 
reaching out his hand feeling himself strangely compelled to 
become acquainted with 
this tired over worked 
but incredibly beautiful black haired, green eyed woman. "My name is
Jeffery Fallon, 
Dr. Jeffery  Fallon, 
I'm an Oxford Fellow 
and researcher of exotic diseases 
and their unconventional treatments."

The surgeon looked into those dark knowledgeable eyes 
and was instantly intrigued 
by this enigmatic stranger. 
There was an aura of honest sincerity 
about him that made her determined 
to know him better, much better. 

She shook his hand and gave him one of her rare 
but dazzling smiles. 
She was about to engage him further 
about his research when she 
remembered why she was there.

"I'm sorry, but...um...if I may." 
Cheryl said a little off balance  
from her sudden feelings 
for the mysterious Dr. Fallon, "I am very encouraged 
by Ms. Chase prognosis, 
but her companion Officer Harris, 
however, is not as positive I'm afraid.

"What's wrong with Xander?" Joyce demanded her concern putting her 
into all out aggressive 
protective maternal mode, 
these were her "kids" 
and she was determined 
to see to their well being. 
"What are you doing for him? 
I want you to consult with 
Jeffery...er...Dr. Fallon on this, 
he has a lot of experience with unusual health problems." 

Before the surgeon could raise 
any possible objection 
she looked into 
the concerned motherly eyes 
and a secret knowledge passed 
between them.

"Jeffery is my daughter Buffy's doctor." 
Joyce said quietly 
letting her real message 
be carried by her gaze into the doctor's intense green eyes.

"I see," Cheryl said thoughtfully 
giving the shorter man 
an appraising look "the young man in question has slipped into
a deep coma. 
>From the evidence provided 
by all the injuries, 
he has taken to his skull 
I'm amazed he was able to walk 
as far as he did 
let alone carry Ms. Chase the distance indicated. He is truly
an amazing individual. Then again I'm becoming aware that
everyone associated with your daughter 
seem to be amazing individuals. 
Some day 
we will have to have 
a long discussion 
about your places 
in the scheme of things 
in our happy little community, 
but for now if Dr. Fallon will come, 
with me, I will get you registered 
and see to it that you are given leave to practice at SDM. 
I'm looking forward to doing some 
very interesting work with you, doctor."

"As do I doctor." the dark man's
old fashioned European up bringing showed as he gave a slight bow 
to the beautiful woman. 
A sly smile crossed his face, 
when his dark almost black eyes 
met the woman's burning green ones.

"Yes doctor." Jeffery said in his soft middle European accent
"very interesting work indeed."

The surgeon gave Joyce, 
and Giles the number of the room 
where Cordelia would be taken 
then asked Jeffery to follow her 
down the hall 
to where Xander lay in a coma. 
The dark man examined the boy 
then they went to her office 
to compare notes on their mutual patient 
and to fill out the paperwork 
that would give Jeffery full access 
to the hospital facilities.
=================
During the next few weeks 
Cheryl was even able to arrange 
for Jeffery to have his own laboratory space for his research, 
and to work on Xander's case. 

There were many late night discussions 
and Cheryl was beginning to think 
she'd gone back to school, 
but as she learned more of the facts 
she began to realize 
that she'd known the truth all along 
and before too long 
the Scoobies had a new member.

Joyce spent every night sitting next to Cordelia's bed 
seeing to the young woman's every need, 
and trying to sooth her troubled sleep. 

Whatever visions were plaguing her mind 
were causing the brunette to fight 
and call out in her sleep.

"No I can't" Cordelia cried out 
in her fevered sleep "It can't be, 
that's not possible!"

Joyce smoothed the young woman's 
furrowed brow, with a gentle touch. 

"Hush now sweetheart." the motherly woman whispered to the sleeping
girl "I'm here for you dear you're safe with me."

Buffy's mother hoped that she was right 
and that whatever was tormenting the young woman would release her
soon.
===============
The corridor she was in was dimly lit 
and a strange fog was rising 
from the floor. 
Cordelia was lost, and confused, 
she had no idea how long she'd been here or even how she got here 
but for some reason she knew
that she was here for a purpose. 

She looked down the long dimly lit corridor, 
a doorway at the far end was brightly lit 
and the light spilling out 
was what illuminated the corridor.
In desperation Cordelia called out 
hoping for an answer, 
but for some reason 
fearing the answer she might receive. 
It wasn't much, 
but it was enough that the one time prom-Queen could make out the
pictures 
that lined the walls of the corridor.

When Cordelia came close enough to clearly see the first picture, 
she was amazed to see 
that it was a scene from her life. 
As she slowly made her way down the long, seemingly endless hall, 
she came to other pictures 
each one a tableau from her own life. 

>From her childhood, 
the lonely nights of being ignored 
by her parents 
except to be used as a show piece 
like some blue ribbon animal 
trotted out to show people 
what wonderful parents they were. 
Being raised by a succession of nannies. 
Time spent trying to please her parents,
to impress them by, 
cultivating all the "right" friends, 
being included in all the "proper" groups, 
and clubs, joining only 
the "accepted" school activities, 
but never feeling as if she belonged, practicing and perfecting that 
"better than you" 
condescending attitude, 
that would keep everyone away, 
so they couldn't hurt her. 

They weren't all bad memories, 
there were pictures of the times 
when Cordelia felt she belonged, 
the times where she actually had a purpose, times when she was almost
happy, almost content, 
just short of the life she truly wanted, 
One such scene 
showed her sitting at a library table 
in the old high school, she stopped 
and studied it closely.
Taking a moment to recall the deep warm feeling of being accepted as
Cordelia not anything else, 
she didn't have to be 
someone's daughter 
or girlfriend, 
or the first place snob, 
deep inside she had always hated 
being all those things, 
but they were what was expected of her, 
until she was a Scoobie. 

She was sure none of the others had any idea how precious that time was
for her. 
How when her father had turned out to be a thief and 
her mother, just another society drunk, 
the other so called friends had deserted her, but the Scoobies were
always there for her. 

Always a kind word or even a hi, 
there was never any pity either, 
and that endeared them to her even more. 
She looked at the picture and smiled at the memories it invoked. 
There was Buffy training with Giles 
and Faith, Buffy checking out Willow when she thought no one saw, 
and Willow staring over her computer monitor at Buffy when she was
sure she was hidden Cordelia had always secretly they were so cute
thinking they were so clever, 
and had kept their feelings 
for each other such a deep dark secret, 
when in reality it was written all over their faces and everyone already
knew, 

There was Xander sitting next to her, 
his nose deep in some book, and probably thinking one of those bad
jokes, she sighed as she thought of how much he loved her and wished she
was able to return it. 

Then there she was, 
the great and powerful 
Cordelia Evangeline Chase, 
Queen of all she surveyed, 
and of course her eyes 
were locked on...
Faith? 

Yes the picture and her eyes didn't lie, 
her eyes were glued to the sweating swaying form of the "dark" Slayer, 
watching her every move 
as the younger girl, 
twisted and lunged 
in the complex movements of her practice duel with Buffy.

Then another memory came 
unbidden to mind, 
Cordelia began remembering 
the raging inferno that was ignited 
in her belly 
every time she had watched 
Faith working out.

As if she'd been suffering from selective amnesia, Cordelia began
remembering, 
how much she had wanted to be taken 
by the dark Slayer, 
and how often she had ached to take Faith in her arms to comfort and
hold her, 
to protect her from all the horrors 
that had assailed the troubled young woman. 

A thousand memories flooded her mind,
all with reminders of the feelings she'd kept hidden closest to her
heart.
The memories of the one all consuming love of her life, and how she'd
let it slip away without her ever even trying to acknowledge it or even
approach the one she loved.

Then came the guilt again, but not because she had secretly loved Faith, 
but guilt because she hadn't done anything 
to show the Slayer how she truly felt. 

Once again Cordelia wondered how different things might have been if she
had just been brave enough to reach out 
and take Faith's hand 
and tell her she wasn't alone. 

It was like a knife in her chest. 
She forced herself through the pain and moved on to other pictures from
that time.

This brought back memories of other times with the wild untamable
Slayer. 
She remembered how not really upset she was when her relationship 
with Xander didn't work out, 
but how fast her life went down hill after that. 

In truth now that she thought about it 
her life actually began that  slide 
about the same time 
that Faith joined forces with the Mayor.
Cordelia was suddenly struck by a life altering, mind numbing,
earth shattering epiphany, was that it? 

Was her life supposed to be tied to that wild demented woman laying in
a coma in the prison ward of SDM? Could that have been her path, her
destiny? 
Maybe that was the reason her life had been such a mess ever since.
Maybe this attack was a blessing maybe she was supposed to have died
instead of trying to live the lie she was living now. In her mind
Cordelia was beginning to believe that if she was lucky she would die
and save everybody from being ruined by her being still alive after
Faith was gone.

With that in mind the beautiful brunette stepped through the doorway
into the brightly-lit room on the other side. It was a brightly lit
opulently furnished room done in a kind of Arabian Nights harem theme,
lots of colorful wall hangings and bright fabrics on the huge soft
pillows that were thrown haphazardly around the room.

In truth she was hoping that by entering this room, she would finally be
leaving the world behind, so that never again would someone be able to
break her heart like Kate had. 

Cordelia looked around the room looking for the Angel, or demon that
would lead her to her place in the after life. Then came the sight that
took her breath away.

Lounging on a pile of those pillows was the most incredibly gorgeous,
radiantly beautiful woman, 
that Cordelia 
had ever laid eyes on.

"Hello sweety," the woman said brightly, 
her voice filled the air, 
like the sweet ringing 
of a thousand tiny silver bells, "I was wondering if you'd ever get
here, 
it's good to finally see you Cordy!"

+++++++++++
END 5
TBC
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