Disclaimer: Joss owns the characters of BTVS. I am not making any money off of this fic. Please don't sue me.

Challenge details at the end.

by Jackofspikes

Chapter 6.

Settling the room down again after Buffy's announcement of Cordy's impending death, took a few moments. "Cordy, you have three options. One; do nothing and die. Two; wait till you're contacted by an Ugly-ass Demon named Skip, who'll offer to make you part-demon and therefore strong enough to handle the visions and, unfortunately, the hitchhiking evil higher being, or Three; let me help. Gotta add that if you let me help, the whole hitchhiking evil higher being...sooo not an issue." Buffy said smiling.

"Let me guess....another nifty new upgrade that can't be discussed till later," was Cordy's sardonic reply.

"Yep and nope. We can discuss it now. In fact we have to discuss it now, 'cause we can't move on to the next bit of business until you make your decision. Your decision alters the discussion." Buffy smiled at Cordy.

"Oh...well then, what are you offering me?"

"I can make you part angel. Which means the hitchhiking evil higher being can't hijack your body!"

"Wait...there's hijacking now?" an outraged Cordy demanded.

"How can you make Cordelia part angel Buffy?" Asked Giles, focusing in on the idea of new powers for his Slayer.

Looking at Giles as if he'd grown a second head, Buffy asked; "You do remember who I am, right Giles? I mean I might know how to do stuff, but have you ever known me to know how I know how to do said stuff? I mean, seriously?"

"Quite right, yes of course, how silly of me." Came his sarcastic response while Dawn and Spike quietly snickered in amusement.

"How does Cordelia being made part angel stop her body from being hijacked." Wesley asked.

"Good question Wes, I'm all with the non-hijacking." Cordy vehemently agreed.

"Simple. Pure evil can't occupy the same space as pure good without balancing each other out." Was Buffy's simple response.

"So basically, what you're telling me is that - to escape the mind-numbing agony that the visions give me; I can die, I can become part demon, or I can become part angel and becoming part angel stops the hijacking, right?"

"Right,"

"What a no-brainer." Cordy replied, decisively. "Gimme my wings, Girl."

"Spike, can you wait in the kitchen. I don't want to take the chance of hurting you with the light." Spike nodded and moved out of the way.

Buffy placed her hands in either side of Cordy's head. Holding her position, Buffy pulled her focus inside. A soft glow appeared, surrounding Cordy's head. As the light grew in size and brightness, it seemed to pulse and hum around both girls, shielding them from everyone else in the room. After a few minutes the light faded, slowly, until it disappeared completely. "How do you feel?" Buffy asked Cordy, softly.

"The pain's gone." Cordy looked shocked. "I'd forgotten what it felt like to live without it." Smiling brilliantly, she hugged the smaller girl.

"Well then, other than telling you you're stronger now, I just have a little piece of advice." Buffy smiled at the ex-cheerleader, "If anyone ever offers you a chance to become a higher power, say no...trust me, boredom and Cordy are unmixy things!"

Glancing at the smiles around the room, Buffy suggested a short break. Thus giving everyone a chance to take in everything they had so far heard.

*******

After everyone resettled in their places, Buffy collected her thoughts, deciding how to start. Taking a deep breath, she began; "In my time, it was a couple of things combined that led to the final badness. The prophecy that Wes received, telling him that Angel would kill his child, was the start. But Cordy being turned into a half-demon also played a major part. So now that Wes knows that the prophecy is a fake and Cordy can't be used by the evil higher power, everything has changed.

Angel's child has an important part to play in the future, and while that future is no longer under threat, because of the changes we've made, it can't be guaranteed. The problem now becomes Angel and his shaky soul. Can anyone here say, with any certainty, that the first time Angel hears his child call him 'Daddy', he won't lose his soul? Can anyone say that even if he doesn't loose his soul, that he won't go all dark again if something bad happens?."

"Buffy, surely you're not suggesting that Angel needs to be removed because of what he might do?" Wes asked, concerned at the direction of the conversation.

"Yeah, the Powers wouldn't agree to that. Angel's their Champion. He's on the road to redemption and he's got the Shanshu Prophecy to fulfil." Cordelia quickly added.

Buffy gave an imploring look to Lorne then answered as he moved to stand next to her, in support. "Actually, the Power's wouldn't have a problem with it, 'cause Angel lost his Champion status when he became judge and jury to that group of lawyers. They may have been evil, but they were human, and Angel is being held accountable for their deaths." At the shocked silence of the room's inhabitants, Buffy quickly continued. "As to his road to redemption...if the main reason you're fighting for good is because of some prize you might get, rather that because it's the right thing to do, you're not gonna get redeemed. And it's the demon that needs to be redeemed, not the soul – I'm thinkin' redemption is the last thing Angelus wants!"

After the few moments it took for the group to digest the information being given to them, Wesley hesitantly asked; "But he still has the Shanshu Prophecy to fulfil?"

"The Shanshu Prophecy is about a Vampire with Soul; Angel is a Vampire with a curse." Buffy gently informed them. "The Prophecy was never about Angel...it's about Spike."

"WHAT??!!??" was Cordy's unbelieving response.

"I thought everyone knew that Angel was known as the Vampire with a curse?" Anya stated with her usual bluntness.

"Well...that was unexpected" Wesley commented stoically.

"Don't be ridiculous Buffy, Spike doesn't have a soul." Giles scoffed

"Cool. You have your own prophecy Spike!" Dawn said, with her usual exuberance.

"Bugger." Spike muttered.

"Don't call me ridiculous Giles;" Buffy snapped, "If you had listened you would have heard me say 'a Vampire with soul' and not 'a Vampire with a soul'. A Vampire with Soul or Heart is a Vampire with the capacity to feel...deeply.

I apologize to you that I forced you to suffer though a year of torture, because of my self-centred and delusional belief that Angelus and Angel were two separate individuals. I'm sorry that you were forced daily to spend time with an individual that you held responsible for the death of your love all because of my case of puppy love. There are not enough words to express how deeply sorry I am that I forced you to endure that, but I can't change what happened. And while Angelus' evil actions certainly deserve your hatred, Spike's don't.

You were the one that went to him and suggested that the chip gave him the opportunity for redemption. What you failed to see was that while the chip may have been the catalyst, it was his love for the Summers Women that was his inspiration. And while he may still hide behind his 'Big Bad' persona, it is now just a defence mechanism. He. Has. Changed. He has saved all of us many, many times and has been instrumental in stopping a number of apocalyptic situations. He even helped me stop Acathla, and that was prior to the chip. The chip didn't make him change; it only hightened the possibility that he could. He stayed and not only did my job when I died, but he looked after Dawn constantly and kept the rest of you safe. He made sure Dawn had lunches and cooked her meals almost every night. He never received thanks. His efforts have never been acknowledged. He has constantly been berated, insulted and bullied while he should have been encouraged, helped and applauded. He is NOT Angelus. He is NOTHING like Angelus and quite frankly, in my opinion, he's a better man without a soul, than Angel is with one. I'm proud to know him, you should be too."

"Bloody Hell", was the quiet response from the British contingent.