Title: His Source
By
Beta by Theo
Rated: PG 13 if that.
Summary: Xander goes to see his unknown Source.
Author notes: This was just written after I noticed that the Demon Seer talked kind of like Cordelia, just more jaded. And since she was played by Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia), I got to thinking what if that was Cordelia? So this is my 'What If' story.
Charmed/Buffy/Angel Crossover

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'Slayer Prep' School, Cleveland, Ohio
July 23rd 2006

Faith growled, as she punched the punching bag. Dressed in her normal shorts and sports top, she let loose on the pitiful bag. And as her anger grew more intense, she hit the bag harder and harder.

Moments later, she just yelled angrily and with one Slayer-powered blow, nailed the bag as hard as she could.

Robin Wood watched with interest as the bag was ripped off its base, and flew across the room. The sound of it smacking the wall was muffled by the mounted mats, but not enough to be unnoticed. "Why do we even have that thing?" Wood asked her, as he leaned against the boxing ring. "We have to buy the bags in bulk-"

"Just like the swords and the Kendo sticks!" Faith growled, as she tore off the gloves. "What's your point?"

"No point," her boyfriend said simply, as he handed her a towel. "Just making small talk, till you tell me what's got you so pissed."

She looked at him in disbelief. "What's got me pissed!?" Throwing the towel down she yelled, "Robin, Xander just LEFT! We have three teenybopper Slayers all magic'ed up by that damn group of demons, and the guy just left!?"

"He told us why though before he took off, you know," Robin countered.

"Yeah, I know," the Slayer grumbled back. "To go see his little source-"

"Well, whoever it is, they've never steered him wrong yet," Robin commented, as they moved for the exit.

"Yeah, but I just don't buy this," his girlfriend replied, as they entered the hallway. "It's just - way too easy! Whoever this guy is who's feeding Xand all the right answers, is going to want something in return - sooner or later. Personal experience talkin' here. I can just feel how it's eventually gonna go bad for us..."

---

Unknown location
The same time

Senior Watcher Xander Harris pocketed the small, enchanted ruby crystal as soon as he arrived. He still had no idea where this place was located, beneath the planet's surface...because hell, the underworld isn't exactly listed on any map.

"You're back again?" A female voice sounded from farther into the room. "If I didn't know better, I would swear that you just liked to see me-"

Xander walked father into the cluttered chamber as he said, "You already know why I'm here."

"Yes, so I do!" Cordelia Chase said, as she came into the light.

She was still wearing the purple outfit that Xander had seen, the first time he'd met his ex-girlfriend after...IT had happened. The cloth was a cross between that of a gypsy and a harem girl, and enough to make most men drool - what with the way it emphasized her generous bosom...

But then, Xander Harris wasn't most men.

"Still, you of all people know that I've never been the conventional sort. Shall we start with the small talk?" When he sent her an annoyed expression, Cordy shrugged. "Okay, then how about we talk about why you haven't filled in the rest of your merry little band about who your all-knowing source is? I mean, a girl likes a little credit now and then."

Xander did not want to get into this again. He scowled, "The demons that are knocking out our Slayers-"

"Yeah, yeah," Cordy said, disinterested. "Those girls, they're stuck in magic comas...." she trailed off as she smiled at him. "Boy, evil just has no imagination anymore, does it? Comas...of course, I started the fad. Just like always."

"Cordy..." Harris groaned. "I don't have a lot of time here." With a nod of his head, he indicated the large pool of silver liquid nearby. "Please. We can do the whole banter part, after you tell me how to save my girls-"

The former Higher Power took on a wicked grin, as she reached up and ran a finger across his jaw. She didn't seem to mind the one-eyed man's expression and purred, "Your girls? And come now. There's so much more we can do than just 'banter', Xander Harris..." The lusty tone in her voice made the scantily-clad woman's intentions obvious. "So very much more..."

Without a word Xander removed her hand from his face, but she took notice of the gentle nature in which he did it. "As much fun as that sounds, first things first."

"You are just way too uptight these days, dorkhead," Cordy grumbled, as she moved to her Gazing Pool. "There was a time, I could have just whispered into your ear for a moment - and we'd have been over halfway to Happy Town by now! Or at the very least, you'd be racing me into the nearest broom closet!"

"Times change," Xander replied with little emotion.

"Yeah, those wacky old good times," Cordy said back in the same vein. "First, the heartache - almost all because of you. Then becoming poor, the demon pregnancy, going to Pylea, the body hijacking..."

"Cordy," Harris interrupted her, raising a hand. And in his eyes she could him begging her to get on with it. "I'm on the clock here..."

"Yes, you're always in such a hurry whenever a precious Slayer or two is threatened, aren't you?" The brunette sighed as she waved her hand over the unknown, well at least to him, silver liquid.

An image began to take shape; it was an image of a plant growing in a university greenhouse on the far end of Cleveland, that finally appeared in living color. "Right. Some of that should get your little Britney Spears wannabes back into tip-top shape."

"Thank you," Xander said honestly. "And I mean that. With all my heart..."

"Hey, anytime for my favorite Zeppo," Cordelia told him truthfully. "But there is a matter of my payment, you know."

He looked at her in surprise. "Payment?"

"Oh please, it's just a small thing!" the woman said, as she moved to his side. Her hand slowly moved to the back of his head. For a brief moment Cordelia ran her fingers through his hair, then she pulled her ex in close to her - before their lips met.

The kiss they shared wasn't too long, or too short. But it had only a fraction of the lust it would have had, seven years ago. As said, times change.

Ms. Chase licked her lips though, as they parted. "Mmmm. It has been too long! Consider that a preview, if you like..."

"No!" Xander cut her off firmly. "Cordelia, I'm not joining you down here..." She could tell it pained him to say in addition, "You're evil now."

"God!" she scoffed. "Xander, when are you going to get past those stupid, out-dated concepts you like needlessly cling to?" She pulled him away from the pool. "Believe it or not, good and evil are just words. Titles that people give themselves to feel important-"

"You offer your 'gift' now, to all the demons around here!" Xander almost seethed. "How many people have died, because of tips you've given to any number of the things we fight?"

"Oh, please!" Cordy exclaimed, waiving him off - in that exact old way that had always made the Californian guy mad. "You think you can save everyone? You think it even matters, in the end? When it's their time, Harris, it's their time. Demon and human alike..." she shook her head sadly at him. "You know full well I used to be stuck in the same pigeonhole you are!"

Her voice became a taunting parody of itself, as Cordelia recalled her words from oh-so-long ago. "Oh Angel, there are so many people hurting. We just 'have' to help them!"

"You saved a lot of lives..." Xander started to say, but she cut him off angrily.

"Oh, sure!" Cordy laughed bitterly. "And my darling little baby girl Jasmine, she ATE a couple thousand more!"

Sitting down on her plush chair the seer told her guest, "I've seen first-hand what the all-powerful and merciful 'good side' does for its heroes, Xander. Not a damn thing! All of us are just tools, playthings to them. An entire city could be wiped out, and they wouldn't care - as long as it helped their goals out in some sick, twisted way! Angel tried to sell me on the whole Champion thing for years, but the ugly truth is up there - they just use you, and then toss you away like garbage!"

Cordelia continued, "Tell me - did the ultimate good guys 'fix' me, after they abused my ass? As well as stealing my life?"

"Well-"

She looked at Xander angrily, daring him to defend the Powers That Be. "Come on! You know as well as I do that the mystical forces up there, who we all supposedly worked for, they left me a half-demon and dumped me down here! Oh, but that was after they sent me for my big 'pep talk' with Angel..." With a laugh Cordy added, "And to think - the big lunkhead still hopes that they'll turn him human again, one of these days! He's an idiot, if he really thinks that might happen."

"It's not that simple," Harris started to say.

"Yes it is, Xander," the seer replied simply. "That's why I no longer use the term good or evil. Because I'm a true seer, now. Think of me as...oh, say, one of those guys who run the instant replay for the NFL. We show both teams what they want. And we have no stake in which team wins."

"Well, what about those seers that the Source has?" Xander pressed her. "Tell me they're not evil!"

"Those tramps!?" Cordelia chuckled. "A disgrace, is all they are."

"Cordy-"

"Just go," the woman told him wearily. "Go save them. So they can grow up to be big, bad, vampire-lovin' Slayers, that'll leave you behind - the same way everyone else has."

Harris nodded sadly as he took the crystal back out, the same one that she had given him months ago. "Stay out of trouble, okay? Please? For me. For old time's sake..."

"No promises, Xander. But I do look forward to your next visit..." Cordelia told him, just before the magic jewel took him away, heading back to Cleveland.

Mere moments after Xander had vanished from her lair; a full demon woman shimmered into existence. She was young, tall and blond. A succubus.

"You're still trying with him?" the blond demon asked her friend. "Hmm. Wouldn't your old vampire boyfriend be better for your needs, though?"

"No," Cordelia said at once, shaking her head. "Angel would instantly kill all the demons that come here, and Angelus would kill any witches or humans..." Standing up she said, "Xander's the perfect choice, you must admit. He's been past his grieving stage for Anya for a while now, I can tell. And that would have just gotten in my way."

"But he's just a normal human-"

Cordelia snorted at the blond. "Says the demon that just had one herself!"

The succubus shrugged. "He'll be fine, I only took a little of his energy. The guy wasn't that bad in bed either, for a Star Trek nerd!"

Cordelia moved back to the pool. "Xander is just like Wesley was, at one time. Good, but dorky. And with enough of a push from me...he can be drastically changed. Plus - he is the 'One Who Sees', after all. He may think that it's just a title that nut job preacher gave him, before he poked his eye out..."

Cordelia Chase spoke with confidence as she waved her hand again, the former Champion causing a new scene to be viewed in the pool by her and her friend.

"But I know better."

The End