The Final Chapter of "A Champions Wish"
The title for this chapter was inspired by the song: "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday
Enjoy.
Her lips parted open as the one name called out, she was gone, torn, taken away once again from the unknown world which felt like home. She felt her body fade, the same fade she felt once before, three times in fact, each with a different outcome, and yet this is the one that seems to be her last.
Cordelia opened her eyes ever so slightly as the bright white light flickered before her; she had to blink a few times to finally adjust to the new area. But that was just it, it wasn't new, it was something familiar, a place she's been before; she's back to where she started.
A faint whisper slipped from her lips "No" as she pulled herself up to her feet. "No, no, no! Why? Why do you keep doing this to me, to him?" She spun in different directions trying to find someone whom she could speak to, but there was nothing but white. "Is this all just fun and games for you, messing with your so called Champions lives?" Her voice began to break with each passing word, it was becoming far too much for her to handle and she was soon going to break. "Why won't you answer me? Answer me!"
"They can't princess." A faint familiar voice echoed from behind as Cordelia came to a sudden halt. Those words, the way they were spoken, it was all too unreal to be true. After gaining the courage, she slowly turned towards the direction the words came from, coming face to face with the man she never thought she'd ever see again.
"Doyle?" Even as she said his name the emotional shock was far too great. Tears began to flood her eyes as she walked toward the young man in front of her. Her heart was racing as her body grew sore from the emotional break she was about to face. As she took one last step towards him she reached out to touch his cheek "Doyle." The two shared a smile as she breathed a deep sigh before collapsing into his arms as sobs soon took over.
Moments passed as Doyle continued to hold Cordelia in his arms, he's never seen her so vulnerable, even when she felt she was nothing at that time they got her a new place she was still strong enough to overcome the fear inside. He knew she had to once again and this was the moment she needed to realize it. "Hey, hey, hey, it hasn't been that bad."
He brushed the tears from her eyes, trying to help ease her pain and get her back on focus. A few sniffles escaped from her before she replied, "You try going back to three different time frames only to watch someone you love die."
She dried her eyes still feeling angry, confused, and hurt from all she's seen and gone through. Doyle could only remain quiet as if his thoughts were unraveling in his mind.
A sigh followed as he replied, "I have."
It was a relief to finally have someone to share that with but he knew this was Cordelia's time and he was there to help her choose her destiny. She was confused by what he meant by that, even as he helped her back up to her feet she could only stare.
"How 'bout a walk?"
It was more a rhetorical question as Doyle began to lead her down a portal path. A velvet sort of color surrounded the two as they watched sudden images fly by.
"What is this? Disney mania?"
Every direction she turned images were just soaring by.
"It's your life."
"My life is the PTB's feature length film." She pauses for a moment before continuing on. "I always dreamt of being the star of a movie but this is ridiculous."
"I don't know I find it entertaining." He replied as he watched one clip of her life when she's rehearsing her speech for the Oscars at age seven.
"Haha very funny, what's the point to all of this?"
"Right, getting back to business lets fast forwards a bit." And with a snap from his fingers every image doubled the speed before coming to a freeze with a simple clap of the hands.
"Ah beautiful." Doyle and Cordelia stared towards the image of Cordelia walking gracefully towards the edge of the bluffs while Angel watches from her side.
"Why are we back here? And what are those images?" Every so often images would flash of Angel fighting with someone at the bluffs who Cordelia could only guess as Connor.
"Well you see Cordelia this here was no ordinary send you back in time sort of thing. If you remember that time angel was sent down to rot in his watery grave; this moment here was one of the few he dreamt of and that's where we sent you."
"Are you telling me you sent me into Angel's dream?"
"Basically, the only difference was, you. And that it changed a few things with you confusing him a bit about being in Wolfram&hart and all, it ended differently than how his did; though not entirely considering someone did die."
"Could you be any more confusing right now?"
He snapped his finger as the next image came up. It was them on that balcony just before Doyle had jumped.
"Please tell me you didn't dream this." Her heart ached over the thought of this being Doyle's only dream.
"No, but it's a memory, a deep meaningful memory of mine; and that's what you were sent back to. Cordelia this here was a point in time that not only affected me in ways beyond my control but it changed the lives of my two closest friends. It led you both on different paths that would've never happened if I hadn't jumped."
"You don't know that."
"Actually I do." Before Cordelia could ask Doyle snapped his fingers once again leading them to 1756. "Ah Ireland, brings back memories, never thought you would be stuck back there did ya?"
"Actually playing the lead role of a mid 1700's woman has its benefits, though it wasn't what I had in mind. Trust me it wasn't that easy being there."
"I wasn't saying it was. A modern day American, a one of a kind modern day American," Cordelia smiled over the small comment. "Sent back in the day, let me just say we had to pull a few strings in that department. It wasn't easy on our side either."
"Why was I even sent there, what was the point? What's the point to any of this?"
"The point Cordelia is you have to realize what makes you the woman you are today, what makes you who you are, the most important piece to your life."
"And what's Angel's siring have to do with my life? What do any of those points in time have to do with my life?" Her breathing began to quicken as her anger began to rise. "What made those three moments so special? Cause I didn't see anything special when it comes to having to watch everyone you love just die in front of you."
"Like I said Cordelia, this is not your ordinary time travel. We each had a part in the connection, the road to redemption for all of us." A tear escaped from her eye as she turned away to wipe it from her cheek. This was all confusing and seemed to be nothing more than a game and she was getting sick of it. "Angel's dream at the bluffs-"
"Yeah with Connor killing him in the end, do you want to tell me that Connor has a part in this?"
He could see her patience was running thin, but she needed to understand why this was all happening.
"My memory of our last day together as a team, and a fantasy that was-"
"Why?" Her eyes were once again flooded with tears. "Why did you jump?"
This was something he couldn't seem to answer; he just continued to ignore the subject. It was something he wasn't ready to tell her, in fact he felt she wasn't ready to hear the truth.
"Come with me, there's still more I need to show you." He took hold of her hand as he led her to another portal, only this one ended in a dark alley.
"I remember this place." She began to walk towards the center of the alley where the rain poured; she put her hands out as she watched the rain go through her.
"You're not here Cordelia, not entirely, but you have seen this place before." A sound drew her attention away from Doyle as she watched a shadow step before her. Standing in front of her drench in rain, with his right hand clinging onto a sword while his black coat draped over his body, it was none other than Angel.
"Can he see me?" She knew he couldn't, but just seeing him staring in her direction, she couldn't help but ask.
"No." Doyle replied as he continued to watch from the shadows. A sudden sound ahead drew his attention elsewhere and it was at that moment she realized what she was witnessing.
"It wasn't a dream."
"No." Doyle walked towards Cordelia as she knelt down next to the broken man pyre. Her hand went right through him with each stroke but she couldn't help but try and comfort him. "The powers felt it best to keep you informed on what's been happening since you passed along the visions."
"Does he…" She couldn't even finish the question. The thought of this moment being Angel's last on earth gave her deep grieving pain. It was at that moment she felt the presence of someone else and closed her eyes as she heard Angel's scream echo through her ears.
"He didn't die." Relieved from the answer given she opened her eyes to see how Angel would be saved only to find herself back in the white abyss with Doyle standing above her.
He pulled her to her feet as he waved his hand over the endless nothing, and as if his hand were painting a picture, images of the Hyperion hotel appeared with the broken vampire standing broken and alone below them.
"Angel." Her heart ached for her friend standing below her; he seemed so lost and alone. She could only imagine what had all occurred during her absence. "He's so lost." She looked towards Doyle as if pleading for him to help her figure out a way to save him from his despair.
"He is," A voice from behind replied. "And he needs help."
Cordelia's eyes widened as she stared towards the figure in front of her.
"You!" There standing before her as if the past few months Cordelia had experienced never happened stood the same woman who brought her here in the first place. "Oh you have a lot of nerve showing your face back here missy." Pointing her finger towards the woman with her brunette wavy hair still up, Cordelia marched straight towards her before realizing something different. It was something she recognized before but didn't piece together until this very moment. The simple sparkle and living bounce the woman had, made it all too real and yet impossible to be true. "Kathy?"
The young woman bobbled her body back and forth as if doing a small victory dance for guessing who she was.
"Hi Cordelia, welcome back." She smiled before pulling her into a big hug. Cordelia was still stunned over what she was witnessing, to see Liam's sister again only grown-up which seemed impossible in ways she couldn't count made it hard for her to even keep focus on what was going on. Then again ever since she left Angel in wolfram&hart that night, nothing has made any sense.
"What are you- How are you- Boy you think they'd have some kind of sitting area for how many shocking things they spring at you." Her mind was thinking so much she couldn't even figure out what goes where or how it would fit. Everything seemed upside down and Cordelia wanted nothing more than to face straight again. "It was yours. Me being sent back to Liam's siring, that was your memory."
"More of a fantasy, Cordelia I think you know just how special you are, or in my brothers words how precious you are. I've been watching you, and I know that all he's gone through, all he's seen, felt; it wasn't until he came to LA did things start to click for him. He found his path and understood it." Walking over next to Doyle she continued on with what she had to say. "And it's you I have to thank for that."
"It wasn't just me." Cordelia almost felt offended that she would give only her credit after all her friends have done as well. She turned to look at Doyle standing next to Kathy and Kathy couldn't help but notice what Cordelia was thinking.
"No, it wasn't only just you. If it wasn't for Darla he would've died a lonely drunken slob, and years later he would've never had a son. If it weren't for Drusilla Darla would've never came back to bore his son, if it weren't for Spike Angel wouldn't be alive right now." It was right at that moment Cordelia knew exactly who it was that saved Angel in the alley. "If it weren't for Buffy he would've never found that inner peace of knowing there may be more to who he is than he himself knew. He would've never had his moment of bliss, and would've never moved to LA where he soon would meet Doyle or later join forces with Wesley, or Gunn, or Lorne, or even save Fred from Pylea. And most of all he would've never met you. But out of all that Cordelia, you were the biggest part of what kept him going."
"Even I have to agree with that Princess."
It was beginning to sink in more so, everything was slowly piecing together, and she was starting to realize why she was here. She just had to know for sure.
"I'm here to be given a second chance." She walked slowly up to Doyle coming face to face with him before asking, "What about you? Why couldn't you stay?"
She's wanted to know even before she came here, ever since that moment he jumped she's been dying to know the answer to this question, and it's finally now he feels ready to answer.
"Because Angel needed to face the one thing he feared the most, himself."
"We could've helped him face that together."
"Angel needed someone stronger than him in a way he couldn't see."
"You were strong Doyle." She placed her hand on his arm trying to help him see how much he became a hero in her eyes.
"Yeah and I'm grateful every day for you and Angel for showing me that." He grabbed her hand in his as he continued on. "But I came to realize it wasn't my strength he needed Cordelia."
"Doyle did wish to return back to you and Angel Cordelia, it wasn't until the end of his trial did he change his decision." Kathy replied, and it was that response alone which made Cordelia's thought become reality.
"That's why I was sent to those times. I was sent to rethink my wish." She pulled back from Doyle, placing her hand to her forehead while piecing it all together. "You knew those moments would have a deep effect on me, so much that I would rethink my wish."
"No Cordelia, the trial is for you to see the most important meaning of your life." Kathy tried her best for Cordelia to see that. There was so much more to this than she realized, it was beyond second chances, wishes, memories, time… it was much, much more than that. "Those were each a deep meaningful memory for us, and we wanted to share them with you-"
"So everything that I went through, Doyle, Connor, and Liam it was all just to get another perspective on life?"
"A different look on things yes, but not what you may think."
"Typical PTB move. You give us one thing to believe in and rip it away from us just to play with our heads. We deserve better than this damn it. He deserves better." She was getting fed up with this whole fiasco, she looked back towards Angel now sitting on the center couch with his sword hung to his side and his head lowered to the ground, she couldn't bare the sight.
"Yes he does. We all do-"
"Answer me this," She asked after interrupting Kathy once again. "Those months in Ireland, does he?"
"They never happened." Kathy replied.
Almost out of breath Cordelia felt her heart ache in such a way she's never felt before and she had to sit down onto the floor. "So what, it was all just made up. If I were able to be sent back none of that would've happened?"
Kneeling to her level Kathy responded in an up building tone, "No, no. It would've, but that's the point Cordelia, don't you see. You fading away, it wasn't your time. You gave something to Angel, something that no one else could. But by giving that to him before having the chance to truly meet you, it would've never happened the way it was meant to. The time you and Angel had was it. It would've never been possible if it were anytime sooner."
"So you just let him die?"
"Do you really think that?"
"I don't know what to think anymore. This is all just crazy; I'm brought here for a second chance. I'm given a wish, only now… now I'm… I'm scared." That was something Kathy didn't expect to hear, neither did Doyle as he began to walk towards Cordelia taking a seat next to her.
He's been through this before, he was given the trial and had his wish changed, he too was scared, but it wasn't what may become of him or what it was he had to face, but what may happen to his friends. What if his wish wasn't what they needed and that was his fear at the time, but how Cordelia looked, he could already tell her fear was much different and he couldn't understand why.
"What's your wish Cordelia?" He asked.
"I know… I know it'll help Angel, and I know that it's going to make him happy. Is it so selfish for me to be afraid of what may happen to me?" Both Kathy and Doyle sat beside Cordelia listening to what it was she had to say. "It wasn't until a moment ago I realized what the meaning was to my life, my friends, my family, but mostly Angel. He has always been there for me. Each time you sent me to he was there for me, even as Liam he sacrificed himself for me and I think it's about time someone gave him what he wants." She glanced towards Doyle smiling as if he himself knew what she was going to ask.
"We're all on a path to our own redemption Cordelia and just so you know each path does end with a happy ending." Kathy mentioned before Cordelia said her wish.
"I wish for Angel's wish to come true."
Kathy's smile glowed as the three got up from the floor and went back to the image of the Hyperion hotel.
"Wish granted Cordelia Chase." Kathy waved her hand over the image before she began to walk away leaving Doyle and Cordelia to watch Angel's wish come true. It wasn't to long after did the back door to the Hyperion swing open, startling Angel to his feet as he looked to find both Faith and Illyria standing with a nearly healed Wesley between them. Cordelia's smile brightened as she remembered that dream of Wesley dying, she knew Angel had wished to have his friend back alive. Just after thinking that the basement door busted open as Spike walked in with a healed Gunn standing next to him.
"Everything's turning out the way it should." Doyle said as both his and Cordelia's smile grew for their friend below them. "Even though his wish is coming true not all will be given fully until this war is ended." Thinking to him becoming human again or anything else not becoming what it once was, she understood what Kathy meant when saying they're all on their own path to redemption.
She continued to watch as Angel hugged his friends welcoming them back and wondering how this is all possible. Her heart soared over his happiness and couldn't help but wish she at least would get to see him one last time, but to say out loud meant too much for her to risk. It was at that very moment the front entrance of the Hyperion flew open and there stood none other than Buffy Summers accompanied by his son Connor. Buffy quickly rushed down hugging Angel tightly as he returned the hug to her.
That was something Cordelia couldn't see, she was happy to know Angel was finally happy, and that his wishes were coming true. But she knew she was on a different path and even as she watch Angel and Buffy only hug she couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of pain in her heart. She turned away to face Kathy standing in a distance from behind her. Doyle grabbed a hold of Cordelia's hand as they began to walk towards Kathy; they stop for a moment as he turns to ask, "Are you ready?"
"Big adventure?" She asked before turning to face him.
"Think of it as the next chapter to your story." She smiled over the comment he gave. He always knew how to make her smile and feel good inside. Leaning in close she presses her body against his and kisses him deeply on the lips. Not a moment too soon she pulls back as they exchange smiles. Doyle brushes his thumb across her cheek, as he continued to look into her eyes. He saw that spark he saw the first time he met her, and it was something he's dreamt of seeing again for so long.
She finally broke the silence as she said, "I'm ready."
Still holding her he pulls her close to him as he places a kiss on her forehead as he whispered, "I know." Stepping back towards Kathy, Cordelia finds herself not able to move as she looks to them both confused. "Say hi to Angel for me."
"Doyle?" She asked as both he and Kathy continued to smile brightly just before a bright white light illuminated from her body as she slowly disappeared from their sight.
Far below standing in the center on the Hyperion Hotel, Angel glances around smiling over everything that has happened this evening. He watches as both Faith and Illyria help clean Wesley's wound while it slowly heals, and both Gunn and Connor welcoming back Lorne who just walked in through the front entrance with his bag in hand and a smile on his face, while Buffy continues to touch Spike's face still finding it hard to believe he's alive. Everything was turning out the way it should be. There were some things that were still left unsettled but then again nothing can be perfect in this world, but one thing continued to play out in his mind over and over again. The one special way to make this moment truly magical, and it was at that moment a bright white light began to form in the middle of the lobby.
Not sure of what to expect the team prepared themselves for the worse. It was just then the light brightened ever more, as a figure began to form from inside. The team shields their eyes from the blinding beams before them. It wasn't a moment too soon that the light faded and nothing but pure silence filled the room as everyone stared at the gorgeous creature before them.
Cordelia stood there while scanning herself as if she were unsure of her own existence. Her attention was soon drawn elsewhere to the tall handsome familiar face standing in front of her. His eyes trailing across her entire body - wondering whether or not she's real. Their eyes locked as he slowly walked closer to her, his hand finally came into reaching distance; he pauses for a brief moment before getting the courage to place his hand onto her shoulder. Just as his hand made contact and the sheer notice that she was real he pulled her fully into his arms.
"You're alive!" He choked on the words said as if he were still undergoing some shock. Cordelia closed her eyes while she tightened her grip on Angel. Each clinging onto the other in fear of it being nothing more than a mere dream. They pulled back still continuing to hold the other in their grip. Freeing his right hand from their side he gently brushed her cheek, capturing his hand with hers Cordelia broke the silence with a glow in her eye as she said, "Doyle said hi."
A smile spread across both their faces as they leaned in for the one kiss to end all kisses, the beginning of their new life together.
~THE END~
I hope everyone enjoyed this story. It's sad to see it come to an end, but there are more stories like this on the way. I dream, I write, I post, and you all enjoy. :) Thanks so much for reading and reviewing.