A.N. Ok, so, I fudged the timeline a little, this fic takes place just before Ted in Buffy with one notable difference; Xander and Cordelia have never, ever made out. As for Charmed this is set just after Leo and Piper got married.

Chapter Seven: Enter the Source

Cordelia's head jerked as some phantom terror worked its way into her dream.

"You're evil" The voice no more than a hiss but there was a malevolence to it that made Cordelia whimper. "You have always been evil."

Weakly Cordelia replied, "No I'm not."

"You are cruel and vindictive, you prey on innocent feelings and emotions, and you thrive on pain." The voice was gentle but firm and Cordelia couldn't help the wave of horror that shot through her. Was she evil?

The voice spoke again, "Remember," and it continued only this time it was her voice she heard, "Willow! Good to see you've finally seen the softer side of Sears." Cordelia winced.

"You are more than shields you guard your heart with dear one." Cordelia turned and saw that she was no longer alone in her dreams. A woman stood near her, with a gentle smile in place. She was beautiful, with brown hair and bright blue eyes, she was dressed in simple jeans and a t-shirt but she some how looked ethereal.

"Get out!" The whispered voice was back only louder this time, angrier, less gentle.

Cordelia ignored the voice and asked the woman, "Who are you."

With a crooked grin the woman replied, "I am your mother." Cordelia stared. Cordelia's mother laughed, and vaguely Cordelia noted that it sounded fairy like. "You were not born evil and I more than anyone know that you are still good."

Cordelia looked down ashamed; her mother had seen how she treated people?

Her mother moved forward and gently lifted Cordelia's chin. A vision flashed before Cordelia's eyes: There were vampires everywhere. Most would never admit to knowing about the evil that tainted Sunnydale but Cordelia Chase was not one of them. After Buffy and her friends had saved Cordelia, the young May Queen had been forced to examine the evil that surrounded her home. She had snuck into the library more times than she could count, liberating books so that she could learn. So yeah, she knew that those bumpy faced freaks surrounding Willow and Miss. Calendar were vampires. Wait… what. She revved the engine and slammed her foot down on the gas pedal. There was a small open path to the two girls and Cordelia quickly sped through it, clipping a couple vampires on the way. She screeched to a halt beside the two surrounded women and threw open the door, "Get in!" Willow and Miss. Calendar obeyed and leapt into the car, thankful.

Willow urgently directed, "We need to get to the library!"

Cordelia nodded curtly, "The library, right!" She turned the wheel, gunned the engine and the car shot past the vampires and slammed through the school doors.

Willow's eyes bugged and she exclaimed, "Of course we'd usually walk there…" Cordelia was driving faster than she should be considering this was a school. The fact didn't stop her from plowing though the three sets of double doors that separated the three girls from the library. The car skidded to a halt and Cordelia, Willow, and Miss. Calendar tore from the vehicle and into the library.

Cordelia's eyes focused and she looked at her mother in surprise.

"Do you see sweetheart? Those two would be dead if not for you, that is who you are." Cordelia's eyes were wide. "Let your guard down love and your friends may surprise you, let them in and you might find yourself less lonely." She smiled that crooked smile again and pressed a hand to Cordelia's forehead. "Wake up little one."

Cordelia's eyes snapped open and she bolted up in bed. Her sheets were soaked through with sweat and she felt gross and unsettled. Slowly she rose from the bed and made her way to her bathroom.

After her shower she felt refreshed but she still had questions shooting through her mind. Was that woman her mother? Who was the voice bent on making her think she was evil? Was she evil? Was Xander? That one struck her as stupid; Xander wasn't evil, because he wouldn't be helping the slayer if he was. At that she smiled, she had been helping Buffy so by that standard she wasn't evil either. She nodded her head in satisfaction and dismissed the voice as an idiot. If being a bitch made her evil then she would prove that she didn't have to be a bitch. She would take the woman's advice and try to be herself. For the moment she wanted a killer outfit for school and then she would check on her houseguest.

This girl slept a lot. Cordelia vaguely realized that she didn't even know the girl's name. The May Queen had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, as gently as she knew how Cordelia reached out and shook the sleeping girl. After the third shake she started to stir. Cordelia stepped back and waited.

Tara's eyes cracked open and she was immediately struck by her unfamiliar surroundings. With out letting on that she was awake she opened her mind and felt that there was another presence in the room. It wasn't malevolent though. Finally Tara sat up and rubbed her hand over her face. She felt better after the night's rest she had gotten. She turned and caught sight of none other than her sister. She jumped in surprise.

Cordelia winced and apologized, "Sorry, it's just that I need to get to school so I was wondering whether or not you wanted to come now, or I could pick you up at lunch so that you can speak to the gang, I'm assuming that's why you're here?."

Tara shook her head and asked, "Actually I have a hotel room, if you could drop me off there?"

Cordelia nodded. As Tara got up she continued, "I am here to talk to you all though."

Cordelia turned to leave the room to give Tara a chance to wash up but stopped in doorway and turned, "What is your name?"

With a crooked grin Tara replied, "Tara."

Cordelia suppressed a shiver at the familiarity of the smile and introduced herself, "I'm Cordelia."

Cordelia slipped into Homeroom without a second to spare. She darted to her seat next to Buffy while the teacher's back was turned and shot the man a dazzling smile when he turned and saw her where she hadn't been before. He looked ready to scold her and then thought better of it.

"Where've you been?" Buffy leaned in to ask.

Cordelia whispered out of the corner of her mouth, "I took Tara to her hotel room." Buffy nodded and then grinned as Cordelia pulled out a Cosmo. She opened it and offered to let Buffy share and was rewarded by the slayer's smile. A second later she turned to glare at Xander, who had lobbed a piece of waded up paper at the back of her head.

"What am I, chopped liver?" Xander was pouting.

Cordelia smiled and replied, "Yup." Buffy and Willow snorted.

The cordettes were having a bad day. Cordelia had apparently defected to the enemy, and she didn't seem to give a crap what anyone thought about it. The cordettes didn't know what to make of this new Cordelia and were horrified that the rest of the school seemed to like her. During math Cordelia had raised her hand seven times, turned in her homework, and gotten an A on the pop quiz that had been given. Even the Scoobies were surprised by Cordelia's intelligence. They had known the girl wasn't stupid but they hadn't realized that if she applied herself she was a brain like Willow. During science one of the jocks had started in on Xander but was quickly stopped by Cordelia. She paused in her own work and had taken time to explain something to Xander that even Willow couldn't effectively teach. Her brother was stunned that by the end of the class he had actually completed his assignment.

As the Scoobies walked to lunch Xander pulled slightly behind the three girls and reflected on his sister. She still looked like she had stepped off the cover of Vogue but she was more relaxed, smiling at something Willow had said. She had not insulted anyone yet unless you counted him and even then her insults lacked bite and were more like good natured teasing. She was actually at the moment talking about a book that she had read with Willow. The red head seemed thrilled to have someone who excelled at school around her. Buffy looked a little lost as she tried to keep up with the conversation. Xander shook his head and wondered if they were finally seeing the real Cordelia.

As the group sat down Xander asked, "So you're a brain?"

Cordelia shrugged, "Intelligence is not appreciated among Harmony and the others, probably because they are all idiots." Xander smiled, there was that bite.

Willow spoke, "Yeah but you didn't even look like you were trying."

Cordelia smirked, "I wasn't, apparently it's a lot harder to play stupid than to be smart."

The Scoobies made their way into the library and sat at the table. Giles came out, his arms loaded with books. The group groaned, even Willow.

Giles rolled his eyes, "Due to Cordelia and Xander's new abilities I thought a little research was in order."

They had been researching for what seemed like hours when Cordelia finally had enough. "I'm going to go get Tara." She announced her intentions and started for the library doors.

Xander scrambled after her, "I'll come with you." He was desperate to avoid more research.

"What's your favorite color?" Cordelia and Xander had been playing twenty questions all the way to Tara's and it was Xander's turn to ask a question.

"Green, yours?" Cordelia replied without mincing words.

"Blue." Xander answered just as they pulled up outside of Tara's room. He stepped out of the car and looked around distastefully and told Cordelia firmly, "There is no way we can let her stay here tonight, I'm sure she'll end up food for something."

"I thought the same thing this morning, I'll offer to let her stay with me; my parents aren't due back for awhile and even when they do get back I'll bet money they don't notice." She spoke without any bitterness, as if she were just stating a fact and Xander was granted some insight into Cordelia. The twins made their way to Tara's room and Cordelia knocked, and shouted, "Tara, it's Xander and Cordelia!" They heard a crash and Xander reared back and kicked in the door. The two teens entered through the splintered doorway and saw that two men had been holding Tara down. Tara was lying on the ground, trying to get away from the older man. Both men looked at the intruders and then the younger of the two turned his attention back to Tara.

As Tara's eyes widened in terror, the May Queen snarled, "Don't touch her!"

The older man snapped back, "Stay out of this!" It was spoken as an order and Cordelia's inner bitch took offense.

Xander growled back, "Like hell we will, look at her!" He pointed to Tara who was clearly scared.

"We are her blood kin and this doesn't concern you two," The older man was growing impatient.

Cordelia was more than a little angry now and even more determined to make sure that Tara didn't have to go with these two jerks, "What do you want us to do Tara?" She asked Tara the question directly.

The older man shook his head, "It isn't her decision!"

Xander clenched his fists and stepped forward menacingly, meanly he spat "Shut up." Then gently he asked, "Tara?"

The room grew quiet as Tara looked between her saviors and her captors for seventeen years, she stuttered heavily but her desire was clear "I… Pl-please d-d-don't let th-them take m-me."

Desperately the older man blurted, "She's a demon!"

Cordelia and Xander shared a smirk and Cordelia stepped forward looking just as dangerous as Xander did, "You don't say?" Cordelia and Xander shot forward and each twin grabbed one of the men. Xander used his superior strength to forcefully remove the older man; Cordelia shimmered with the young guy in her arms, spun him and shoved him out the door.

"Stay gone!" Xander shouted after the two men and took note of the camper they fled towards.

Cordelia turned back to Tara, "Are you ok?" She helped the blonde to her feet and winced at the rapidly bruising mark on Tara's cheek.

Tara nodded, relieved, "They didn't do anything b-but sm-smack me around."

Cordelia nodded and stated firmly, "Get your stuff, you're staying with me." Cordelia's tone brooked no argument. Tara rushed to comply.

From the doorway, where Xander was playing sentry, he called "Who were those guys anyway?"

Tara looked ashamed as she admitted, "My father and brother."

Cordelia scowled, "Jerks." Xander grunted in agreement from the doorway. Tara quickly gathered the rest of her things and moved to grab a picture from beside her bed but Cordelia beat her to it.

"Who is this?" Cordelia was stunned to see that the woman in the picture was the same woman who had been in her dream.

Tara smiled softly and replied, "My mom." She had gathered everything and Cordelia handed the picture over. Tara and Xander headed to Cordelia's car and waited for the cheerleader to open it.

In a soft voice Cordelia asked, "Was she our mother too?" Xander's eyes shot to hers and then he turned expectantly to Tara.

Tara looked surprised, "How did you know?"

"So she is?" Cordelia wanted a straight answer.

Tara looked down, "She was."

"Was?" Xander asked and looked at Cordelia.

"She died a couple of days ago." Tara had tears in her eyes and both Xander and Cordelia were hit with a wave of sadness for a woman they hadn't known. Tara made eye contact with Cordelia and asked firmly, "How did you know?"

Cordelia shrugged, "I had a dream."

Xander asked out of the blue, "Are you a demon too?"

Tara shook her head and answered, "My father said that hoping to get the two of you to leave." Xander nodded.

"So…" Cordelia trailed off.

"You're our sister?" Xander looked at Tara. Tara nodded, almost looking like she wanted to apologize.

"Cool," Cordelia opened the car doors, "Get in." Xander and Tara obeyed.

Buffy and Willow looked up from their books as Xander entered, followed closely by Tara and Cordelia. The blonde girl was bright red and was looking between Cordelia and Xander in surprise.

"We're hot!" Cordelia announced as if her word was law. Tara blushed, if possible, even redder.

Xander had an arm tossed around Tara's shoulders as he led her to the table, "Buffy and Willow this is Tara, she is our," he indicated Cordelia and himself, "Big sister."

"What?!" Buffy looked shocked.

Cordelia smiled, "Our mother was her mother." She spoke softly to Tara, "Tare this is Buffy and Willow."

"Hello," Was all Tara seemed able to manage for the time being. Willow was charmed by Tara's soft smile; she stood and offered her hand. As soon as their skin touched their eyes locked and they recoiled as if burnt. Cordelia, Xander and Buffy all looked on, curious. The doors to the library swung open yet again and Giles and Angel entered.

"Hello my dear." He spoke to Tara and she looked down trying to hide behind her hair.

Xander announced, "Meet our sister G-Man, dead boy."

"Xander how many times have I told you not to call me that." A second later Giles registered Xander's statement. "Dear lord, really?"

"Yup," Cordelia confirmed her brother's words and sat next to Buffy. Giles tried to make eye contact with Tara but she resolutely stared at her feet.

Xander looked at the group and asked, "Learned anything?"

Yay!! They know Tara's their sister. As for the title of the Chapter, take a guess. Two updates in less than two days, go me.

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