The Wheel
Disclaimers: See part one.
Part Three
They arrived in Sunnydale around nine o'clock the next night. The small town was eerily quiet. If what Giles had said was right the majority of the inhabitants had been frightened indoors by the recent rash of murders and the demons were laying low between rituals. The only ones in town, actually, that weren't laying low were the Scooby Gang…or at least, what was left of it.
So, around nine o'clock at night, Angel's convertible pulled up in Giles' driveway with Wesley at the wheel. No one came out to great them, though they knew they were coming and the lights showed that someone was home. As soon as the car stopped Cordelia climbed out, followed quickly by Wesley. It was a bit of a struggle to get Angel from the backseat, but they managed. Once they got him to his feet between them, they half carried, half dragged him into the house.
Giles answered the door quickly when Wesley knocked. His eyes went wide but he recovered quickly. He'd received too many shocks lately not to. "Come in," he said quickly, standing aside.
Cordelia stumbled in the doorway and almost went down under Angel's weight. Giles was at his side quickly.
"Let me," he said and took over for her. Giles and Wesley manhandled Angel into another room and Cordelia slumped into a vacant chair.
Once she caught her breath she took a look at the gathering. Everyone was there, old and new. Willow, Xander, Anya…a boy she didn't know, so that must have been Riley…. Still, for so many people in one place they were remarkably subdued. Everyone sported minor injuries bruises and scrapes. Riley looked the worst out of them, a bandage on his head and a large bruise on the side of his face. Everyone looked exhausted.
Giles and Wesley came back into the room a couple of moments later. "Well," Giles said as he sat down, "I have to admit I did not completely believe you until I saw for myself."
"What, you thought I was lying about Angel's condition?" Cordelia replied, somewhere between angry and hurt.
"No!" Giles said quickly. "It's just…. He looks awful, Cordelia."
*So do you,* she thought, but didn't say it. They'd all been through hell lately, and she did have *some* sensitivity.
There was a long silence. "Hopefully being back in Sunnydale will do him some good," Wesley said. "Until then, Cordelia and I had best help you with your current crisis."
"Yes, that would be best," Giles agreed. "We're trying to determine…"
"Hold on a second!" Cordelia interrupted. "We just got here." She looked at all of them seriously, but mostly at Giles. "I want…I want to see Buffy's grave. Before anything else happens."
Giles looked at her in surprise. "Yes…of course." He paused for a second. "You shouldn't go alone."
"I'd take Angel with me," Cordelia replied testily, "but he's in no condition…"
"He'd…want to see Buffy's grave," Willow said in a barely audible whisper.
The room fell silent as that sank in.
"I'll go with them," Riley said finally.
Cordelia looked at his injuries with an odd expression.
"I can still shoot straight," he said. "And I'll help you get Angel there, too."
Cordelia nodded, and the rest of them returned to their silent research.
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