everyonelives | for the rest of us death will be a relief

[Jody glances up at her before shaking her head sympathetically.]

I'm not familiar with those names, no. The only other friend of Cordy and Angel's I've met other than you is a guy named Spike.

[And Spike is a character, she doesn't think she needs to qualify that further.]

Spike?

( He survived? )

Well, he did help where he could when he could actually make physical contact. And he was brought back for a reason. Maybe I was brought back for a reason. I didn't find a giant gaudy necklace near by body, though.

In my experience, when it comes to resurrections, there's usually a reason. It isn't always good, but sometimes it works out.

[She's seen both sides of it at different points, so she's not going to immediately condemn this as bad.]

And it seems like you're not alone, either.

Really?

( She looks around her in the chair and them over Jody's head to see if there's anyone else in the station she missed. )

[She shakes her head, before holding up the phone.]

Not here. But it seems friends of mine have found some in Baltimore, and they have reason to believe there may be more.

[Because it's never just a couple with these kinds of things as far as the Winchesters are concerned.]

And here I was always told I was special.

( But, she's joking. )

But, please, do whatever work you need to do. I'll just occupy myself until it's time to get going.

Are you hungry? I have a little bit of paperwork to do, but I can order you something to eat while you wait.

[The local restaurants aren't far, and unfortunately her stack of paperwork is a bit tall.]

Oh, yes. Actually. Please. Starved, now that I'm thinking about it.

( She hasn't really been able to, and now she feels her belly inside. Yep. She's hungry. )

[Jody nods and pulls out her phone, pulling up the online menu for the local diner and extends it out to her.]

Knock yourself out.

[and she will go back to her paperwork, and once they're done with their meal and their work, Jody will take her back to her house and give her a warm place to sleep until their friends arrive.

Cordelia finally checks her messages after Annie calls and says that they'll take it from there, and she immediately books a flight to Sioux Falls. By the time she lands in the airport, she knows that Angel's flight isn't far, and perks up when she catches the sight of a familiar set of broody shoulders.

"Angel! Wait up!"]

( The joke here is that Angel doesn't need to be caught. He's far enough away, but stopped, as he looks up at the big board of destinations, arrivals, departures. It's a lot of words to -- And there's her voice. He turns to see her, having just gotten off her plane.

As they meet in the middle, Angel grumbles like Angel does. )

I was trying to find your gate, but the letters are so small.

It's fine. We have each other now, and we have a rental car to get us to Jody's.

[Alexander thought it would be prudent, given that they're probably going to have to bring Fred back with them to Baltimore. And he was also wise enough to put it on Cordelia's phone, because if there's anyone who would take to smart technology, it would be Cordelia Chase.

She glances at the sign and then points.]

Cars are that way.

( He read Buffy's messages, remembering vampire Willow in her senior year. He also knows about reality warping. Maybe it's the Powers that Be rewarding them for saving every universe from God himself. He knows better than to think he will ever earn his redemption. He is a fully formed, complicated vampire. He does good. He is also a curmudgeonly old, traditional man. He is a dork. He is a lot of things. But, redeemed?

He nods, his hand finding hers. )

What kind of car'd he get us?

Just a sedan.

[The Underground is not a flashy group, and everything they do is designed to fly under the radar.]

I know it's not you're usual style, but it's only for one trip.

Better have Apple Play.

( So he can play his songs, at least, when they drive. He is an insufferable old man once he learned Apple Music. But, also, thank you Cordy for helping him with his technology.

He closes the trunk of the car and goes around to the driver's seat. Inside, he sets the phone in the cradle as it asks to pair. )

It wants to pair. Yes. ( And they're cruising out of the airport parking lot to Billy Joel's "River of Dreams." ) Any more theories out there as to why people are suddenly back? I bought Fred something in the airport shop while I was waiting for my flight. I think she'll like it.

I'm sure she will.

[Cordy settles in her seat and pulls open her phone, starting to scroll through the chat again.]

They're bouncing around theories of some kind of wish spell? But hard to really say for sure.

[She shrugs.]

I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth.

Not like yours.

( Something happens when you ascend, come back, die and then you're brought back for cosmic balance. Things like compulsion and wishes come back. Cordelia didn't give him every detail but he remembers the Willow side of things. And they were... off. )

[Cordy shakes her head.]

Sam is saying something about a spell ingredient and a witch spell so it might be just ... unforeseen consequences of big magic. We just have to hope there isn't going to be some kind of karmic rebalancing.

[Because Jo isn't wrong that these things usually have consequences.]

They're not taking her away from us again.

( He won't allow it. Karmic or not. He fights for his people. He chews on the inside of his cheek as he goes over something in his mind. )

You don't think Illyria took the trip back with her, do you?

I don't know. It didn't sound like Illyria, did it?

[Not that Cordy was around to experience the difference between the two, really, but she also didn't talk to Fred, Angel did. She has to follow his gut on this one.]

No, it didn't. And I don't think she'd... wear her.

( Not like she did. For her parents. For Wes. )

If it was her, she'd know it was her. We would, too. ( And maybe it sinks in a little bit more. ) It's Fred Cordy.

It's Fred.

[One of the people she originally wanted to be one of her two when the Powers That Be first called her back. One of them who truly deserved to live, not die the way she did.

She can't wait to see her.

Which is why she's the first out of the car when they pull into Jody's driveway, and fortunately Jody saw them coming and is already at the door.]

Hey, Jody.

[The older woman pulls her into a hug.]

How's she doing?

["Currently eating me out of house and home," she says with fondness because Jody does love to feed people so it's not really a hinderance. "She'll be happy to see you."]

We're happy to see her. Jody. Thank you for taking her back with you.

( For looking out for her.

"Angel, Cordy, is that you?" Fred calls from inside. She comes up from behind Jody, spots them, and then throws her arms around Cordy, squeezing tighter than she should. "Sorry, not having had a body for a long time, I'm still learning my own strength. And I'm just happy to see you both." Angel smiles and then she hugs him, too. )

Hey, Fred.

["Of course. You guys made good time." And then she'll retreat back into the house and give them a moment. Cordy just smiles, staring at Fred and taking in the fact that they're all together again.]

We're happy to see you too. And am glad you landed somewhere friendly. It doesn't seem like everyone else is getting so lucky.

( "Maybe they didn't land friendly, but they found friendly people, at least it looks like from here," Fred says, holding her borrowed phone. "But, you're right. It's a small world after all." )

We should get inside. ( Fred nods, noticing something, eyes widening as she sees Angel in the direct sun.

"Angel, you--" ) Have a nice ring. But, I still get squirrelly in the sun. I've made friends in high places and the Powers decided I needed to be mobile during the day and the night.

Apparently Spike recently got one too and is annoyed I made got one for Angel and not him.

[She and Spike text. Or at least they did before he died (again) and they are resuming now that he's alive (again).]

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