Summary: What if Damon and co were friends with Cordelia? They don't know the others. What if Cordy came for a visit before going to Sunnydale to help fight in End of Days? Set in Buffy S7, VD S3, and Angel S5 when she was dying, but she doesn't die.
It was a dark night in Mystic Falls, Virginia as Elena Gilbert walked into the Salvatore boarding house. She wanted to see him; The vampire she loved. But when she came in, she didn't expect Katherine to be there, too. She should've, though. She and Damon had had history together several years ago when the Salvatores had turned. So it should've been expected for her to see the vampiress. Damon Salvatore had a shot glass of Bourbon in hand, as she was speaking to him. They were so close and she was speaking so softly, she didn't know what the vampiress was saying, but it made Damon look very unsettled and unhappy.
Damon looked up at Elena where he stood by his drinking table, Kat in front of him, looking up at him as she was speaking.
"Elena," he greeted.
Katherine stopped talking to Damon and turned to look at her descendant as Elena walked up to them.
"Is this like a secret or something? What are you talking about?" she asked the vampires.
"Klaus wants to kill me, so I'm going to do my best to outsmart him. If he kills me, he kills me," Katherine answered her. "This may be the last time you see me."
Then, before any of them could say anything else, she was out the door, on her way to outsmart him and not die trying to do so.
Elena and Damon looked at each other.
"I hope she'll be okay," Damon said.
"I know. She's family," she replied.
He sat on the couch and she sat beside him. There wasn't really anything to say and they couldn't say anything to make each other feel better about this. Katherine was out risking her life. Well, unlife. And she was family. Family was supposed to stick together, but this family didn't. What Katherine wanted, she got. And they wanted so badly to help. But Katherine was doing this on her own to keep them out of danger. It was Katherine's way of saying that she still cared about them and loved them. Something she would never admit out loud, but would rather show. At least, not in words to Elena. To Damon, maybe.
Meanwhile, Kat was running from Klaus in the woods. Literally. She was running at vampire speed, Klaus always not far behind from her. She kept running, trying to find a way out and hide from him. Get as far away from the enemy as she possibly could go. But she knew that running from Klaus sooner or later, would result in the ending of someone's life. Predictably hers. But she didn't care about that as long as her family was alive and safe. All of it. Damon and Stefan and Elena. Her eternal family and her mortal family. Her and Elena were family only because Isobel had been Elena's biological mother. In turn, Isobel had been Katherine's long lost daughter that her father took from her when she was human. And without even knowing who Isobel truly was, Damon had turned Isobel into a vampire. But then Isobel had been killed by a vampire hunter. Alaric. But she had no vengeance or anger against that. It was in the past and the past had to stay in the past. Or you kept living in it.
Suddenly, she turned a tree and there stood Klaus.
"Hello, Katerina," he greeted with a wicked smile.
"Klaus."
Then he lunged and pinned her to the ground. She grabbed a branch from the ground and went to stab him with it, trying to fight with all she had. He twisted her arm, though and plunged it into her side.
She gasped in pain and then pushed him off.
She got to her feet and he grabbed her from behind and plunged it deeper in and she gasped in even more pain. Then, with determination to get away, she kicked him between the legs and limped as she ran. It was painful as she limped to be running with a branch in her side. It was deep in her side and she knew she needed help, but she didn't want Damon to get hurt by Klaus.
She figured then that she was away from Klaus, so she sat on the ground back against a tall tree, as exhaustion that she hadn't felt since her human days, came.
As darkness started to come, she thought Damon before everything went black for her. As she dreamed, dying from blood loss, flashes of the past came. Her unconditional love for Damon and Stefan; being captured and then being helped to escape by George Lockwood; all the games she loved playing with both of them; love for her family; all the blood she had spilled over the centuries; running from Klaus back when when she had been human; killing herself so she wouldn't be taken to Klaus by Rose; coming back home and playing tricks again with them with Elena, not realizing that she was family.
Damon and Elena were kissing on the couch when he heard his name being thought by Katherine.
Katherine, where are you?
Nothing.
Kat, can you hear me?
Everything was silent so he pulled away from Elena and looked at her.
"Katherine's in danger. I need to go. I'll be back, though. Stay here. Don't go anywhere."
Elena then watched as he sped out of the house to go be Katherine's dark knight in shining armor and rescue her from Klaus.
As soon as he saw Katherine Pierce, he rushed towards her and knelt in front of her.
"Kat," he said.
Klaus found them then and through Damon away from her, but Damon was quick and through him too. It was a fight between vampire and hybrid. But it didn't take long for Damon to break a branch from a tree and stab it into Klaus' chest.
"That's for Katherine," he said as he did so.
Damon ran to her and bit his wrist, putting it to her lips and making it go down her throat, as he pulled the branch out of her side.
"Come on, Kat. Come back to me. Please."
When nothing happened, he took his wrist away and then gently picked her up in his arms and at vampire speed, ran towards home, her in his arms.
Elena was pacing the floor by the drinking table, waiting for them to come back, wondering what could be taking so long, when he speedily arrived and stood by the couch. He then gently layed her down on the couch.
"Oh God, what happened?" she asked, alarmed about what state she was in.
"Klaus attacked her."
"Is she going to be okay?"
"I don't know this time."
"What do you mean?"
"She's really hurt. My blood isn't even doing anything except healing her wound. I don't know what to do, Elena."
He walked over to the drinking table and poured a drink of liquor into a shot glass. He then started to drink.
She looked at him.
"Damon, that's not going to help."
"I don't know what to do, so yes. This is helping."
"Drinking doesn't solve anything, Damon."
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and a moment later it opened to reveal an exhausted Seer. There stood Cordelia Chase herself, whom they hadn't seen for a couple years.
"What's this about drinking not solving anything?" she asked Elena.
"Klaus almost killed Katherine," Damon replied.
She closed the front door.
"Who's Klaus?"
"A vampire hybrid," he told her.
"Oh. I think I remember him now. I read Wesley's and Angel's books. He's in there. Only white Ashwood will kill him."
She came to stand by the couch where the vampiress lay.
She saw the wound in her side.
"What did he do to her may I ask?"
"He stabbed her in the side with a branch," Damon answered her.
"Well, at least it wasn't anywhere else. She should be fine. That is, as long as she starts healing like normal. I think she might be dying. She's not healing very fast at all."
"Tell me something I don't already know," he said.
"Be patient, Damon."
"Yeah, right. I don't have patience."
"I can see that. Plus, I know you. You're not very patient. But you try to be."
A few minutes later, after a little bit of Cordy taking care of her, Katherine was fine. Damon and Elena were both glad that she was okay. After all, they cared about her. They wouldn't want her dead or anything related to that. That's how much they cared. It went both ways.
Katherine got to her feet, feeling better and looked at the former Sunnydale High Queen C.
"So, what brings you here other than saving my life? Which by the way, I thank you for."
"You're welcome. I'm dying from my visions."
"You know, that can be fixed," Damon said.
The brunette looked at him.
"Damon, no. No offense to you guys, but I'm not being a vampire or anything. This is possibly the last time you'll see me alive. Depending on how well it goes in Sunnydale. I'm going back to my hometown if you guys want to join me. Be careful though. It's the Hellmouth and Elena is human. I mean, I of all people almost died more than once in that town before graduation came along. But I'm sure she'll be fine. Two vampires and a Seer to protect her. You two need to also be careful. We're going to Buffy's house. She's a Vampire Slayer. She won't stake you without question, but Faith will depending on her mood and how you guys act."
"We're coming," Katherine answered for everyone.
Katherine Pierce had always secretly wanted to meet a Vampire Slayer. It was legendary. There were always myths or even gossip about them. Usually certain famous ones.
It was a dark night, as they walked up to stand on Buffy Anne Summer's porch where the Slayer lived. It was Cordelia Chase who knocked on the door and Buffy who answered a moment later.
"Cordelia," Buffy said, looking at her, arms crossed. "What are you doing here?"
"Whatever. I'm helping and I have news that concerns me. You guys can come in."
And with that, Cordy walked into the living room, the vampires and Doppelgänger following.
Buffy closed the door and went to stand by Spike. Her new boyfriend. He was a vampire whom in the past had killed a couple Slayers and got his name by using railroad track spikes to kill his victims way back when.
"Look who's here," Cordy announced.
Xander stood up from where he sat between Anya and Willow on the couch.
He smiled at her.
"Cor. Long time no see."
"Xander, hi."
She didn't smile back, though. How could she? He had hurt her in senior year, which she had forgiven, but she was also slowly dying from the visions.
The Seer looked at Anya. The former Vengeance Demon. Someone that hated her guts for making that wish that accidentally made her human. Poor Anya didn't have her powers anymore or anything she had always known.
"I need you, Anya. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I do. You were a Vengeance Demon. Is there a cure or what?"
Anya looked at her.
"That's a surprise. What do you need my help for? Ask the others." Then she really got a look at her. She softened herself, realizing the state she was in. "You're dying. You must have visions."
"I do. I am."
"You have to kiss someone. Transfer them over to someone else."
"Great. Thanks."
Cordy walked up to Spike.
"Me?" he had to question her.
"Yes."
She looked at Buffy.
"Buffy?"
"Whatever," Buffy said, walking into the kitchen as to not see them do what she knew they were going to do to save her life.
"That's as much of a yes as we'll ever get."
A moment later, the two of them were kissing.
They pulled away a few minutes later and looked at each other.
"Did it work?" Spike asked.
"I don't know. We'll know whenever a vision comes."
"Wonderful."
She walked away from him to get away from him.
"You'll be okay now," Anya announced to her, feeling she should let her know that she wasn't going to die anymore.
"Thanks," Cor replied, smiling a little.
She went to stand by Damon, Elena, and Katherine.
"We have guests. Damon Salvatore is a vampire, Katherine is a vampire who sired Damon and his brother Stefan back in 1864, and Elena is a human," she announced to the Scoobies.
Cordy saw Faith's look at Damon.
"He's taken, Faith."
"Aww, man. And I thought I would have some fun."
Faith crossed her arms where she stood not far from the bookshelf.
A few minutes later, she was done with the introductions. She looked at Buffy and Faith.
"So, what's the plan?"
"Don't ask me," Faith replied. "She's the ring leader. I'm just a tag along. You know that."
"Buffy?" Cor said.
"You seem to just come in here and know what's going on, so you tell me. What's the plan?" Buffy retorted.
"Okay. Fine. How about we all just go and separate. Faith, Dawn, Xander, Willow, Katherine, Damon, Elena and I in the storm sewers. Buffy, you go check out the Pagean Temple. Anya and Andrew can go ahead and look for as much of first-aid stuff in town as possible and bring it all back here. Spike can stay here and make sure nothing happens to anyone here. Now let's go. Everyone grab weapons."
It was a dismal night, as Faith and Cordelia led them all towards the storm sewers to investigate.
"So, are you back now?" Xander had to ask her, looking at her as he walked beside her just like they used to; almost like they used to.
"I think I truly am back, but I'll have to find a place to stay first. Maybe I can stay with Buffy and help her go through what she's going through."
"I think Deadboy the second is doing that."
"So, I guess they're together, huh?"
"Yeah, Cor. They are."
"I better not say anything. Angel will be disappointed. I know I am. I thought... I just thought that Buffy and Angel would always be in love."
"Like us, Cor?"
"I guess. Speaking of us, what's up with you and Anya? You guys are supposed to be married. But you guys won't even look at each other. I know that's not the silent treatment."
"Yes. Because you are the boss of the silent treatment."
"Xander."
"You missed a lot, Cor. We never got married. I left her at the altar after telling her that I wasn't ready and then apologizing. Then she left and came back as a Vengeance Demon. Then she asked D'Hoffryn to make her a human again. Now we don't know where we stand. And I think in her eyes, you being here will just complicate things even more."
"If it helps, you're forgiven and I wish I could take you back, but Anya I think will always love you. Like I always will."
"Thanks, Cor. That means a lot. The part where I'm forgiven."
"Yeah. I guess. It would on your behalf."
Then they gave each other a quick kiss before coming back into focus.
"We're back, aren't we?" he said, linking his hand with hers as they walked, following Faith, the others behind them.
The three newcomers to Sunnydale listened to them, as they followed the Scoobies, Seer, and witch.
They stopped in the middle of the sewer tunnels.
"What's that?" Cordy asked, seeing a wooden crate.
"Let's check it out," Faith replied, striding up to it.
They followed.
With Cordelia beside her, the others behind them, Faith used her Slayer strength to open it with her boot, seems how it was padlocked closed. And there she and Cordy saw a bomb with a timer counting down. And without hesitation, they both whirled around and ran as fast as they could, as they yelled at the others, "Run!" in a chord.
Meanwhile, Buffy was in the Pagean Temple with a red and white scythe in hand, fighting against Caleb. They fought long and hard, each trying to get the upper hand until finally, she split him in half, killing him for good.
It was a dismal night, as Buffy walked into her house and saw that Spike, Anya, and Andrew were the only ones there.
"They're not back yet?" Buffy asked.
She now stood in the living room.
"Yeah. They're not here yet. But I'm sure they'll be here. They have to be," Anya replied.
As everything blasted behind them and debris slowly fell in certain places, Katherine and Damon made sure Elena was out of danger, not caring really if anything happened to themselves. And then everybody fell, as the blast from the bomb through everyone in different places.
Elena, Damon, Cordy, Xander, Faith, Dawn, and Willow looked around at each other, making sure everybody was okay.
"Everyone okay?" Faith asked, in a little pain from her side, but other than that, Five by Five.
Damon knelt by Kat who lay on her back.
"You okay, Kat?"
"I think so. I hate bombs."
"Yeah. I know. They suck."
He helped her to her feet, as the others got to their feet as well.
Damon looked at her.
You're hurt, he thought to her.
Not really. My leg just hurts a little. I'll be fine. Don't be so protective. Last time I checked, you hated me. Now go make sure Elena is in tip top shape. She's only human. I'm not. I'm not dying anytime soon.
Half an hour later, they all walked into the living room.
"What happened to you guys?" the former Vengeance Demon asked, looking at the group as they walked in.
"A bomb," Katherine replied to her, looking at her and then sitting down on the couch to take a break for a little bit, as did Faith.
"We're all okay. Just a little bruised," the former Queen C assured Buffy. She didn't want her thinking she should leave Dawn at home next time. If there was a next time.
A few days later, it was the battle. They all came to the school in a bus to fight against the creatures. Anya, Andrew, Cordelia, and Katherine were in the hall by the stairs to fight them, while the others were in the basement that now looked a lot like a cave. It didn't even look like a basement or anything anymore.
A few hours later, the battle ended when Spike died and everything started to collapse. As Faith ran up the stairs, she shouted out, "It's collapsing! Everybody get out!" Then she stopped in the middle of the stairs to yell at a grief-stricken Buffy, "B, let's go! Come on!" Then she started to run up the stairs the rest of the way, seeing Buffy start running towards them, too.
A few minutes later, everyone was on the bus and Willow was driving the bus away, as Sunnydale collapsed before their eyes.