All You Need Is Love

Author: Nodakskip <nodakskip[at]aol.com>

Beta: Theo

Rating: PG-13

Author's Notes: AU at the end of season 3. Contains a Xena: Warrior Princess crossover.

Disclaimer: All the Buffy and Angel characters belong to Joss, ME, Fox, WB, Sandollar and Kuzui. And all X: WP references belong to Universal and Renaissance Pictures. The usual stuff about copyright also applies. I'm merely a fanfic writer, and the only profit I want to make is to entertain fanfiction readers - and if you believe that, you'll believe anything.

Summary: Xander and Cordelia talk after Graduation, and get a surprise visitor.


Chapter 1

Kingman's Bluff, Sunnydale, California
May 24th, 1999 7:35 am

"Los Angeles?" a startled male voice asked. "Why the hell would you want to go there? I mean, aside from the whole 'being close to that many shoes' thing-"

His female companion interrupted him. "What do you suggest, then? That I stay here? Ha, that's a laugh! What is there left for me *here*? There is not one good reason for me to stay in this hellhole of a town!"

When Xander Harris frowned and looked down, Cordelia Chase sheepishly amended, "Well, okay, maybe there is *one* reason..."

She sat down next to him on the bench. "Xander...come on, you know that despite everything, you still mean a lot to me. And God knows, you mean more to me than my own family right now! Who the hell knows where they even are, at the moment..." Cordy looked down for a second, to gather up the courage to say it. "And do I still have feelings for you? Well, yeah, but that's not enough anymore."

"It could be..." Harris responded, as he looked down as well.

Cordelia closed her eyes tightly for a moment. "Xander, I don't even know anymore if it was love that we had, when we were dating! It was close, sure, but that all got...sidetracked. I mean, say there had been no fluke or IRS thing. Even if we were still dating, would we have gone off to college together? If so, it would have been to some rich Ivy League place, where our roles would have been like totally reversed. I would have been the accepted one, while you got labelled as the hanger-on..."

Xander looked at her sharply. "You still think that's what we think of you?"

The former cheerleader shrugged. "I know you don't, but Willow and Buffy?"

"I can't speak for them, Cordy," he told her. "But I care for you, I really do. And...I love you." Now it was her turn to stare at him in surprise.

"Yeah, it's true enough," Xander shrugged. "Guess I should have said it a long time ago, huh."

"We both should have," Cordelia agreed wistfully. She then leant back into the hard wooden bench, with a twinge of sadness. "You know, I was debating with myself yesterday on asking whether you'd come with me to LA."

"Really?"

"Yes really, Xander!" Queen C said in annoyance, shaking her head. "But we both know that you wouldn't do it, even if I begged you to come. I know how good it makes you feel to help, to save someone's life every other day. How it makes you feel like you can make a difference, in Buffy's endless fight against evil..."

She looked him in the eyes. "But the thing that you'll never understand is, that it's not worth it to throw your life away fighting demons like that. You're not a Slayer; you're just an ordinary human, like me. I figure you keep going like this, two or three years and I'll be back for your funeral. And I'm not looking forward to that..."

Xander was stunned, but Cordy just said, "You want to fight evil without the certain death thing? There are people who do that every day in LA, Xander. Police, firemen, doctors, just to name a few."

Harris opened up his mouth to reply; but whatever he'd been destined to say was cut off, as a woman's voice said, "That's all true enough, honey. Funny thing is, not every hero fights the monsters that go bump in the night."

The two teenagers quickly stood up, and looked behind the bench. A woman was standing behind them.

She was about 5'7, with very curly blond hair. But what was most noticeable was the outfit she had on. A very see-through diaphanous thing, with a smallish white bikini set that could be seen underneath.

"You think so?" the scantily-clad woman mused, as she looked at Xander and then at her clothes. "I always thought my cleavage looked less than stellar in this. But hey, I'll go with the male perspective!"

Cordelia turned to look at a confused Xander, an angry expression on her face. "Hey, I didn't say it!" the young man defended himself.

"I know, studmuffin. You didn't say it, but you thought it," the woman told him with a smile.

"You can read his thoughts?" Cordelia asked, shocked. "Is she a demon?" she then demanded of Xander. "Like that one that almost drove Buffy nuts?"

Xander shook his head. "Don't think so. And demon or otherwise, I think I would have remembered ever seeing her in one of Giles' books..."

The blond woman giggled, as she looked directly at Cordelia - who then slapped Xander on the arm, for being such a guy. "I can read your thoughts as well, sweetheart. And you don't have to be jealous of little old me! He still likes your cleavage a hell of a lot more than mine..."

Both teenagers' eyes went big at that. But Xander's shock was amplified, as the woman looked at him and added, "And ya know, a little tip. You should ask her to wear that lingerie set you saw her buy in that April Fools store, last week..." She motioned to Cordelia. "'Cause, honestly? She'd model it for you in a New York minute..."

Anger quickly rose in Cordelia, even as she blushed. "Get out of our heads, lady! Or whatever the hell you are! This is a private conversation!"

"Oh, I am female, Cordelia Chase," the blond told the younger girl. "But I'll also admit I'm not really human, well - not completely anyway."

"Who are you?" Xander asked pushing himself between Cordelia and the unknown woman.

"You don't need to protect her from me, Xander Harris," the woman sighed. "Hey, granted it's absolutely bitchin' to see a genuine white knight in this day and age, but I'm not here to hurt either of you!"

"And I'm supposed to just take your word for that?" Xander asked, his voice full of sarcasm. "Because in this town, anything's possible!"

The blond walked towards the pair, causing them to back up, and Cordelia clung to Xander's arm as she watched the woman sit on the bench they were just sitting on. "What are you?" the young woman demanded.

"You may not believe me. Yeah, in fact, I'll bet you a year's subscription to both Cosmo and Marie Claire that you won't!"

"Well, why don't you just tell us and we'll see? And I totally don't care about that bet!" the brunette girl replied, hoping that whoever this chick was, that Xander wouldn't have to try anything stupidly heroic. As much as she liked it that he would risk his life to save hers, Cordy didn't want to be the damsel in distress all her life.

"Groovy. Okay, I'm Aphrodite," the blond replied with a vibrant smile. "Y'know, the Goddess of Love?"

"Oh please, give me a break!" Cordelia snapped out in annoyance, as she stalked in front of Xander. He tried to hold her back, but she just pushed his arm away. "It's okay, Xander," she told him. "She's just some fruitcake that's escaped from the mental ward!"

Her anger was cooled in an instant, as Aphrodite waved her hand. And Xander was stunned when Cordelia turned to him, with an expression he hadn't seen in ages.

Her eyes were filled with desire, as Ms. Chase kissed him as forcefully as she could. "Oh my God! I love you, Xander, and I *need*you with me!"

Cordy looked him right in the eyes as she interlaced her fingers with his, as Harris staggered back in shock and confusion. She then told him in no uncertain terms, "Go home and pack your bags, Dweeb Boy. Because you are *not* staying in this town, to die for the cause! Or should I say, Buffy!"

Aphrodite waved her hand again, and Cordelia jumped back in shock. She looked at Xander in slight terror, as the femme began to breathe hard. "What...what the hell...what was that!?"

Aphrodite came over, and placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "I told you; I'm the Goddess of Love, sweetie. And however grody you might feel about what I just did right now? What you *felt* is what you really feel for the cutie pie here...without any baggage to hide behind."

Xander had his left arm wrapped around Cordelia's other shoulder, steadying her. "Look, lady, enough's enough. Go peddle your magic tricks elsewhere; because we're not interested! Come on, Cor, let's get outta here-"

Cordy watched as Aphrodite just tapped his hand, and Xander instantly took the cheerleader's face between his hands and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. "No, wait-" she started to say.

But it was too late; Xander kissed her, grabbing her tight and his tongue plundering her mouth. So with the feelings she'd just felt and now what she was getting from the kiss, Cordelia suddenly wanted to find a broom closet or something...immediately!

"Oh God, I love you too Cordy!" Xander exclaimed, when oxygen became an issue. "I was a complete idiot over that thing with Willow; on account I didn't even know what it was I wanted, till it was way too late!"

Another wave of the goddess's hand caused Xander to blink a few times in shock, and then jump backwards away from his ex. "Holy crap, but that was intense!"

Aphrodite easily maneuvered the stunned couple to their previous spots on the bench. "Well, kiddies, that's what you two truly feel for each other. But you would never have admitted it, and if I hadn't shown up today - five years from now, major bummer."

"What-" Cordy started to say.

"Not just yet, 'cause I got something to say first. And I mean, bottom line? Cordelia sweetie, you thought that if you admitted how deeply you think you love this guy, that you wouldn't be able to leave and start a new life for yourself elsewhere."

"That's not-"

"And Xander honey, you thought that if you told her how you *really*felt...that you'd end up leaving this so-uncool burg with her, and in so doing betray your friends - by turning your back on the Slayage thing. The one thing that makes you feel good about yourself, sometimes. Stupid as, but you also think you're gonna end up like your father, and hurt the former princess here..."

"You think you would hurt me?" Cordelia asked Xander, surprised. She quickly took a firm grasp of his hand. "Xander, puh-lease. There is no way you would ever end up like that drunken idiot who hit on me, the last time I came over to your house!"

"This is just...it's too-" Xander tried to speak. After a few tries to sum up his feelings with no success, he looked up to the blond goddess looking down at them. "Just one question. Why would the Goddess of Love care about us? And hey, keep in mind you're talking to the Research Boy who studied the Greek gods during sophomore year..."

"Well, good for you! It's nice to know kids still learn something useful these days in high school. But gettin' back to the Q & A? That's real simple, honeybunch," Aphrodite told the boy. "It's because you two, you're one of my favorite couples. I've been watching you guys for about two years now..."

Aphrodite sat down next Xander as she continued, "Remember the love spell you tried to cast on the girl when she dumped you that Valentine's Day, big boy? I swear, Diana and Hecate got completely and utterly pissed - but you *so* had all the rest of the Olympic gods laughing their asses off, with that stunt you pulled!" The goddess then started giggling helplessly, as Xander looked embarrassed and Cordelia glared daggers at him.

The blond went on, "So anyway, I was away for a while; this guy in a heavenly dimension, he needed some prep work, y'know? And when I looked you guys up again, I see that stupid fluke and the breakup. I thought to myself, whoa! So then I scrolled forward through time a few years, and saw what happens to the two of you...and when I did, well, I made up my mind right then and there to change it all."

"Change what happens to us?" Cordelia said weakly. "Does something bad happen to me and him?"

"Oh, you bet your liposuctioned ass it does!" Aphrodite exclaimed. "Neither of you had the guts today to admit your true feelings, so you two went your separate ways. You went to live in LA, Cordelia, and Xander here stayed and lived in Sunnydale. But that's not the worst of it..."

Cordelia had to look away. She did not like what she was hearing. So Xander asked the question they were both thinking. "What could be worse than knowing we were both too cowardly to admit the truth today?"

"Oh, hey, glad you asked!" Aphrodite said, before she snapped her fingers. Both Xander and Cordelia froze in place. Their faces held completely blank expressions for a few minutes, and then...

Xander threw up his hands, feeling for his left eye. "Gahhh!" He then took his hand away, "No, wait, I can still see with depth perception!"

Cordelia's voice was laced with venom. "A pep talk!?" she shook her head. "My life is reduced to becoming half-demon, getting my body hijacked, sleeping with Connor, giving birth to that Jasmine bitch, going into a coma and dying - just so I can give Angel a PEP TALK!?"

"So..." Aphrodite prodded. "I take it you two don't like what's in store, for both your futures?"

"I left a woman at the altar, that bastard Caleb gouged out my eye and I ended up hiding in Africa! Lady, do the words "hell, yeah!" mean anything to you?" Xander shouted.

"You think *you've* got it bad? I'm dead by 2004!" Cordelia yelled. "How am I supposed to like *that*?!" The former ruler of the school elite turned to Xander. "How the hell could our lives have gotten so bad? For God's sake, even *Spike* had it better than us!"

"Now you see why I showed up today, kitten," Aphrodite told Cordelia. "JMHO, but neither of you can stay here..." the goddess said with a shrug. "Those crazy Powers That Be? They'll destroy you both, for their plans to work. Their so-called big picture, already. Xander, Cordelia, you wanted to fight the good fight? Well, children...you shoulda chosen your side a bit more carefully, is all I gotta say."

"How can we prevent all that?" Xander asked desperately, still trying to take in all that had happened, or maybe one should say the lack of anything good that had happened to him, during the next few years.

"Simple! I'm taking you both away from here," Aphrodite said, as she took a hand from each and pulled the duo to their feet. "And I know a foolproof plan to make sure those idiots upstairs can't manipulate you, ever again."

"How?" Cordelia asked at once.

Aphrodite's smile grew very wide. "It's been 2000 years, and the old pad's needing some new blood. So, I'm adopting both of you!" She giggled once, as both teens gave her the biggest look of shock that they seemed capable of. "Yeah, I've got a nice little homecooked meal of Ambrosia waiting for you two, as soon as we get home. So let's go!"

Without another word Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, closed her eyes. And all three vanished from the bluff, in a swirl of pretty and pinkish lightning bolts.

*****

Los Angeles, California
Two months later

In his darkened apartment living room, Allen Francis Doyle lay sleeping on his couch. He hadn't had that much to drink before he'd crashed tonight, so the man was able to wake up at once when he heard the laughter.

Female laughter, at that.

He rolled over, and was instantly stunned at what he saw. A girl, maybe about 18 or 19 years old, sat in one of his chairs. She was smiling and laughing at him. "Sleeping in your clothes again?" she said, shaking her head.

As he sat up rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Doyle took the time to take in the vision of beauty that was somehow in his apartment. She was a brunette with her curly hair falling just past her shoulders, in the classical Greek style...

She was also wearing a black outfit that was a long skirt along with a corset, that while it showed off a generous amount of cleavage, had a set of pink ribbons that were laced up the front like the laces of a tennis shoe. A pink bow ended the laces at her midriff.

"I thought you would like this outfit," the teenager told him. "'Cause you always did like to peek, you dirty old half-demon you."

Doyle blinked in surprise. He was wondering if this was not a vodka-induced dream..."You know me? Because I think I woulda remembered meetin' you before, princess..."

But to his surprise, the woman closed her eyes and her face took on a sad look when he called her 'princess'. "Uh, you okay there?" the Irishman asked in his native brogue.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she told him sadly. "But please, don't call me that. Memories of another life."

"Well, alright..." Allen Francis began. "Well, not that I'm opposed to havin' attractive women show up in my apartment, o' course. But I don't see a woman like you comin' to this neck o' the woods in, well, ever. What gives, then?"

"I can't stay long, Doyle," she told him as she stood. "I just wanted to tell you that in the future, when you fight the Scourge on that ship-"

He jumped up fully in alarm. "The Scourge!? What the-"

"Yes, them," the brunette said, annoyed at being interrupted. "Look, when you go to the ship the vampire with a soul tells you about, bring a shotgun with you. You'll need it to disable something."

Doyle's fear didn't go away. "Listen, sweetheart, I'll need somethin' much bigger than a shotgun if I tangle wi' the Scourge! Tell me-"

"Just bring one with you, when the refugees are taken to that ship. That's all I can tell you." She then turned to leave, but stopped. "Oh, and Doyle?"

"Yeah, darlin'?" the guy asked, not understanding this at all.

Without another word, the woman crossed the distance between them. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and grabbed the surprised Irishman into a long, sensual kiss. When she pulled away, the half-Brachen demon just stared at her dumbfounded. And she whispered simply, "I do know. I would have learned to love your face. *Both* of them."

But before he could say anything more, she disappeared in a flash of soft white light. Doyle just brought his hand up to lightly touch his lips in amazement, "Who the hell was that?" he whispered to himself.

However, he had no time to contemplate her identity before the vision hit that would send the messenger for the Powers, to find the one and only vampire with a soul...

*****

Salt Lake City, Utah
The same time

A male figure in black leather stood unnoticed over the sleeping girl in the hotel bed, as he was masking his presence from her latent demon senses. He then smothered a tiny chuckle, as he looked into her mind and saw the dream she was having. The guy remembered the words she would now never speak to him...

"I can't stop thinking about you. Sometimes in my dreams, you're all naked."

No matter what else had happened or would have happened, the man wanted to make sure she would be okay. So with a wave of his hand, he nodded in satisfaction before he too vanished in a flash of white light.

Anya Jenkins stirred only slightly, when the naked man in her dream changed from Xander Harris to...Jonathan Levinson.

*****

UC Sunnydale, Sunnydale, California
October, 1999

Willow sat in the cafeteria of the union building, with her friend from her ancient mythology class. "I thought you were going to do your essay paper on Apollo?"

"I was," Kate Erikson said, as she shoved her overpriced textbook into her bag. "But then I went with Aphrodite's kids. I always liked their story, when I was a little girl. I don't know, I guess it was just the first love story that I ever heard about..."

"I didn't know she had any kids," the redhead replied. "Well, I mean I know some people think that Cupid was her..." Willow trailed off, when she saw her friend staring at her.

"You mean, you never read the story of Alexander and Cordelia?" Kate asked in amazement.

Willow nearly choked on her Sunny delight. "Who?!"

"Alexander and Cordelia. Aphrodite's adopted children from another land." She reached into her bag, and pulled out a well-worn paperback book. "Here, look at this..." Erikson said, as she looked at the clock on the far wall. "Oh crap, I gotta go right now. Physics; what a pain!"

Willow's hands were shaking, as Kate left and she reached for the book left behind on the table. The names had both unnerved and frightened her...

As Xander and Cordelia had both been missing now, for some time. For a while, the Scoobies had thought that Cordy had left with Xander to go with him on his summer road trip. But summer had come and gone, and there had been no word from either of them since May.

Now Willow flipped the book over to look at the cover. In bright white letters, it said...

Alexander and Cordelia, one of the first love stories of the ancient mythological world.

Her heart almost stopped beating, when the Jewish girl saw the picture on the cover. It was one of an old wall mural, from an ancient Greek temple. And it showed the teenage Alexander Harris and Cordelia Chase in togas and chitons, surrounded by worshippers and servants.

It took her five full minutes to even think straight enough, for Willow to run for Giles' apartment.

*****

Apartment B, 523 Oak Park Street, Sunnydale
An hour later

Giles and Buffy walked into a surprising sight. Willow was frantically pacing the length of the living room. "Well, it's about time you guys got here!" the redhead snapped.

"And a 'happy to see you' too," Buffy said sarcastically. "Okay, then, what's the dire Wills?"

Willow just tossed them the paperback book. "Check out the cover," she ordered.

"Alexander and Cordelia!?" Buffy exclaimed, as Giles took the book to inspect it more fully. "Color me crazy, but that picture looks very much like our missing Scooby gang members..."

"This can't be-" Giles said, as Buffy snatched the book back. She began to read the back of it out loud, "The timeless love story of Alexander and Cordelia is as much loved and revered as such tales as Romeo and Juliet or Sleeping Beauty...what the hell is this, Giles?"

She struggled to keep reading. "According to Greek legend, the goddess Aphrodite foresaw a terrible fate for a pair of young lovers, that led her to adopt the two as her own immortal children. This book tells their story and examines how they were worshipped, during the golden age of blah blah blah...also included is Professor James Whitmore's theory on the location of their lost temple-"

A pause. "This has got to be some sorta sick joke!" the Slayer decided.

"I don't think - no, no, it's not," Willow said helplessly. "Kate told me it was her favorite story, when she was a kid. And, and recognize this?" she held up an old leather book.

"That's from my collection," Giles said at once, as Willow gave it to him.

"I know, we examined it from one end to the other during sophomore year. But, FYI? It's got a new chapter at the end now," the Wicca told them nervously.

Giles was dumbfounded when he read a passage out loud, "Because the Greek God of Lightning Alexander, and his wife Cordelia the Goddess of Beauty were champions of mankind and aided in the fight against the forces of darkness, Buffus the Bacchae Slayer offered up prayers and sacrifices to them, before going out to do her duty...?"

Buffy's eyes went wide. "WHAT?!?"

"This..." Giles stammered in disbelief. "This was not here before. If, if it had been, we would have known about it long ago..."

"I'm guessing you guys found something strange, too?"

The three turned to see the redheaded boy standing in the open doorway. "Too?" Buffy asked. "Oz, don't tell me you found out something ooky about Xander and Cordelia as well?"

"No," the musician said simply.

"Well, good," Buffy sighed in relief.

"I only found out something weird about Cordelia."

"Ah, wh-what did you find?" Giles asked him, as he placed the rewritten book on the table.

"I was with Devon, while he was checking out some old Playboys at this bookstore..." He pulled out a wrapped magazine. "That's when I saw this."

"My word!" Giles exclaimed.

"I don't believe this!" Willow yelled out in shock, as she came over and looked. There on the cover was a half-naked Cordelia Chase. Her hair was a bit longer than the witch remembered, but other than that it was definitely her.

Oz looked right at Willow. "I pointed it out to Devon, and he said it only just looked like Cordy."

"Pardon me," Giles said in confusion. "But didn't your friend *date*Ms. Chase, before she started going out with Xander?"

"Yeah, he did," Oz confirmed calmly. "But still, he said it only *looked* a lot like her. Because did any of you guys notice the date on this thing?"

Buffy snatched the magazine from Giles to look. "1976?! What the - she wasn't even born then!"

The Slayer quickly flipped through to the centerfold. She had seen the girl in question enough times in their high school locker room to know what Cordelia Chase looked like, without any clothes on.

"Is it her?" Willow asked at once. "Is, is that Cordelia Chase?"

"No," Buffy said, the shock factor not getting any easier to deal with. "Not Cordelia *Chase*...according to the bio, it's Cordelia Harris!"

"What on earth is going on around here!?" Willow cried.

*****

Duplex Tower Suite, Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
The same time

The being once known as the Protector of Mankind turned from his spot looking out the window, when the two women came into the suite. "And how are the two loveliest women on Earth doing today? Did you enjoy your spa session?"

"Why, yes, we did Xander," Cordelia said, as she kissed her mate hungrily. "Mother misses you, you know."

Alexander nodded. "I had things I needed to attend to," he told her, as the young-looking man stared lovingly into his wife's eyes. "But I'll stop by and see her, in a few days."

"Good, then maybe she'll stop nagging about the grandchildren thing. Oh! Are you ready now to go see our old friends?" the brunette suddenly asked him worriedly.

"About as much as can be expected, Cordy. Because it's been...well, a very long time."

"If you want my opinion?" The dark-haired woman that had come in with Cordelia interrupted. "Don't even bother. Because they'll never accept you as who you are, only mourn the loss of who you were...I mean, they're mortals. We're gods, and there's no point in even trying to pal around with them!"

Cordelia just looked at her long-time friend in annoyance. "You know, Discord..." she said with a saccharine tone, "That advice may have sounded better coming from you, if you didn't have a date lined up with our masseur from today!"

The woman laughed, as she spun in place. A short, red, strapless dress appeared on her divine body, instantly replacing her previous clothing. "Hey, I never said we can't have some fun with them!" The goddess then laughed evilly, as she headed for the door.

Alexander's voice stopped her. "Discord! We don't need a repeat of what happened in Athens back then..."

The departing goddess grumbled angrily, "I make one tiny mistake, and you never let me forget it. But hey, at least he died happy!" she snapped, before she went out the door.

"Don't worry, husband mine," Cordelia told Alexander, as he turned back to her. "She learned her lesson, for all eternity."

Alexander just sighed. "Good, 'cause I didn't enjoy making her suffer. And if she hasn't? Then I am definitely sticking her with babysitting Strife for a decade!"

"Oh, please! That would be a cruel thing to do to your wife's best friend now, wouldn't it?" The woman then looked at him with mischief in her eyes. "You think Giles will faint when he sees us?"

With a laugh the man replied, "Oh, yeah. If I recall what...G-man was like, I *know* he will!"

Without another word, both Greek gods transported themselves to their old hometown, to finish off old business. The first time they had been there for over 2000 years, in fact.

And they weren't disappointed with both the reception, *and* the results of Discord's little prophecy.

The End