Not Too Late: Part Eight
by Ahn
Joss and the WB owns everything except the plot and the creatures and characters that came from my imagination. If he wants, he can also own my student loans too.
Author's Note: This happens way after "Becoming" and definitely after Joss decides to bring back Angel from Hell.
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Part Eight
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The night was still as the salty breeze went gently through Cordelia's black hair. "Ugh! My hair's going to be all stcky with all this sea air!" she said in an annoyed tone. Xander paid no attention to her as he scanned the pier with narrowed eyes.
"Xander! Are you paying attention to me?"she complained. Xander gave her a cursory glance before his eyes started to look around the pier again.
"Sure! You hate the sea air because it does things to your hair, but right now we've got more important things to worry about, like looking for clues,"he replied paitently, betraying none of his impaitence."So why don't we do that, honey?"
Cordelia stuck her arm around his."I *really*don't see why we have to do this..."
She ignored the annoyed glance that he gave her."I mean, it's not like we can find clues in the dark here or if we could find someone that saw what happened last night. I think that we should come back in the morning, when it's light so we could see and so that I could wear a hat."
"Besides,"Cordelia added more gently,"I'm sure that Buffy's alive. She's the super chick that can beat up any demon that thinks he's a bad ass. We'll find her."
"But what if we're too late?"Xander said worriedly as he looked at her. Though he had only begun to realize that he deeply loved her, he could not help but feel not a little protective of Buffy. Since high school she had evolved form a potential girlfriend to something different and just as vital to his life. Buffy was his friend, buddy, and sister, just like Willow was. After so many years and so many demons, he had become convinced that she was invincible, especially after the defeat of the first Master. He was not too late to save Buffy then, but he was deeply afraid that he was too late this time."What if she's dead? What if-"
Cordelia held two fingers against his lips to calm him."Shh..we won't be too late. We're never too late to help our Slayer, we're the Scooby gang, remember? The Slayerettes-extraordinaire!"
"You hate those names,"he said smiling into her fingers. Cordelia simply shrugged."After so many years, the names finally grew on me."
Xander looked over the edge of the pier, and then at her. Though he hated to give up, he knew that she was right. For the past half hour, there was no one at the pier, it was all dark and empty.
he thought wryly. "Let's take a closer look at the warehouses, where Oz is. Maybe he found something."
"What are you looking for, Slayerette?" said a low voice from behind him. Startled, Xander spun around into a fighting stance while Cordelia ran behind him. There was a woman with the long black hair in a black-silver catsuit that seemed to be painted on her. She seemed to be amused. "I'm not here to fight you. I came to help you."
Still wary, Xander looked at her with distrust."Who the hell are you?"
"You may call me Hlin or Guardian, whichever you prefer. I have come to help you, Xander," she repeated."You and the others need help now that the Slayer is dead. There going to be a great deal of danger surrounding this Hellmouth."
"What a surprise,"said Cordelia wryly as she slowly came around from Xander."In Sunnydale, danger around the Hellmouth. Love the cat suit."
"It has its purposes, Cordelia,"she shrugged nonchalantly. Xander gave both of them a look.
"Can we save the clothes admiration for later? Buffy's not dead, there was a dead girl that was pretending to be her that's dead. But enough of that, who the hell are you?"
Surprised, Hlin looked at him."She is not dead? Then where-"
A shout was heard from the farside of the pier. Near the warehouses. Where Oz was. The three looked at each other and then started running towards that shout.
* * *
"Who are you?" asked Oz to the woman with the long black hair.
"I am Guardian,werewolf,"she said,"and I think that I had better see the Watcher of the Slayer before I say any more. Come, let us go."
"Sure,Bossy the cow,"murmured Cordelia as they started towards Oz's van.
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