"Here you go, Cordelia," said Buffy handing her a cup of black coffee before Buffy sat
down on the couch beside her.
"Thank you," said Cordelia taking a sip of the piping hot liquid and sighing tiredly, hoping the coffee would help her feel less fatigue.
"S-so Cordelia, I-I thought you were busy training the new slayer, u-um, Annie, wasn't it?" asked Giles who, with his former Watcher sense, noted that something was wrong, but everyone was noting this.
"Annie, um, died a few days ago, Giles," said Cordelia softly before she took another sip of her coffee.
"She died?" asked Buffy in surprise and she felt Xander squeeze her hand in comfort as she continued hesitantly, "How did she die, Cordelia?"
"She was challenged," said Cordelia, who wasn't sure if she should tell Buffy the entire story.
"By who?" asked Buffy, noticing Cordelia's reserve.
Cordelia glanced at Buffy momentarily before she glanced at her steaming cup of coffee and mumbled, "Angelus."
Buffy stood up with a start, unsure if she had heard correctly, "What?"
"Angelus has come back and he killed Amy," said Cordelia looking up and she saw Buffy's eyes widen.
"It's my fault! If only I had killed him when I had killed Druscilla and Spike!" Buffy scolded herself aloud as she let go of Xander's hand.
"B-Buffy, it's not your fault. Angelus ran before you could destroy him," said Giles insisted trying to comfort his former charge.
"But, Giles, it is my fault," said Buffy softly recalling that she had made him what he was...evil, "I made Angel turn to Angelus."
"You weren't to know the consequences, Buffy," insisted Willow as she rocked her baby in her arms, hoping that all of this screaming was not going to wake her noisy child.
"Will's right, Buffy," said Xander standing up and taking Buffy into his arms, "You didn't know that that would make him turn to the dark side. All you knew was that you loved him and you cared for him and although that wasn't make it right, it doesn't make it wrong either."
Buffy sighed as she heard the beating of her husband's heart and hearing these words for the first time from him; his acceptance of her past love and wrongs seemed to make things a little bit easier. "It's just that he's killed so many and I still can't believe, even after all these years, that he can't be the Angel I knew."
"Um, I hate to break up this moment, but there's something you both should know," said Cordelia glancing at them hesitantly, knowing that this wasn't exactly the best time to tell them, but they had to know and they had to be prepared for the worst.
"What is it, Cordelia?" asked Buffy glancing at the Watcher with widened eyes, "What is it that you have to tell us?"
"Since Annie's now, um, dead, a new slayer has been initiated," said Cordelia taking another sip of coffee before she placed the cup down, "You all know that right?"
"Right, a slayer is initiated when the former slayer dies or the slayer is allowed to retire," said Xander nodding, "Of course we know this, we've all been immersed in everything slayer for a long time, not lately, but it's not something you forget."
"Get ready to be re-immersed," said Cordelia biting her lower lip hesitantly.
They all turned to Cordelia and Xander replied, "What do you mean Cordelia?"
"The new slayer...it's Moira..."