Title: Body Swap
Author: ANGCOR707
Posted: 08-18-2002
Rating: NC17
Email: angelcakes345@yahoo.com
Content: B/S, S/C, C/A, B/A, X/Anya, Wes/Faith, F/G basically everyone. (But not like that)
Summary: When an ancient power wants the slayer’s quintessence, it is prepared to go to great lengths to get it. Humor and angst ensues.
Spoilers: This is after things are resolved for basically both upcoming seasons.
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution:
Notes: Cordelia and Angel are together. Wesley is back with the group and so is Connor. Willow has been forgiven and all that blah, blah, blah.
Feedback:
Part 1
Cordelia woke-up and tried to move.
“ Stay.” Angel said in a tone that was barely perceptible. He held her a strong and possessive grip. His usually cool body felt warm pressed against her back.
“ I have to take a shower. Get dressed get to work.” She said not really making the effort to get up.
“ You don’t need to get dressed to go to work.” Angel said softly. Then, “ Never mind that. You have the day off.”
“ Angel, I understand you’re a creature of the night and all, but I’m starved and after last night I need a nice long bath.”
Angel loosened his grip and she turned so they faced each other. “ You said you were okay with trying new things.” He said giving her a brazen smile. She gave him a wry smirk. “ I said new things were okay. I didn’t say I wanted to try out for the next Kama Sutra movie.”
“ It wasn’t that bad.” He replied.
“ You’re not the one who had to become Houdini, but whatever. I just want a nice hot bath.” When she caught the look Angel was shooting her. “ By myself.”
She slipped out of the bed and towards the bathroom. Angel rolled back over onto his back, and stared at the ceiling. After a few minutes he sensed Cordelia reenter the room.
“ You know I was kidding right.” She said. HE sat up in bed to face her. She had a towel wrapped around her body and she stayed in the frame of the door to the bathroom.
/ She’s insatiable. I love her./
* * *
Connor looked up as Angel and Cordelia made their way downstairs. Sometimes it was sweet to him to watch them together, though he’d never admit it, other times he felt sick to his stomach with how much they were all over each other some days. “ Morning.” He said going back to looking at the computer.
“ Morning, son.” Angel said in response.
“ Morning Connor.” Cordelia said as she sat at her desk.
Fred came bounding down the steps happily. When she got downstairs she made a beeline towards Cordelia’s desk. “ Uh, Cordelia?” she said a question in her tone.
“What’s up Fred?” Cordelia questioned.
“ Don’t get me wrong or anything. We’re all really happy that you and Angel are together and can consummate your relationship now. Believe me no one more than I. It’s just with the Scoobies coming and Faith being here and you and Angel consummating. Maybe you guys should do it at your apartment.”
Cordelia had listened the whole time and took in everything and came to one conclusion, “ They’d be even more suspicious that we kept on going to my apartment all the time. Anyway I think Faith being here would take attention away from us.”
“ Of course it will. The Scoobies will look right past you and Angel necking teenagers to me.” Faith pronounced smugly emerging from the kitchen.
“ It could happen.” Angel said with misplaced certainty.
“ What could happen?” Wesley said as he entered the lobby.
“ Angel and C over here think that Buffy will overlook their necking because I’m here.”
“ Well maybe we could neck and that would draw the attention away.” Wesley joked. Everyone gave him quizzical glances, “ Or maybe not.”
* * *
“ I still don’t know why we have to go.” Dawn huffed.
“ Because whatever this thing is. It managed to get Anya to use her power against her will. We need to have everyone here together so we don’t worry about the dangers.” Buffy replied.
“ And so you can try and neck with Angel.” Xander grimaced.
“ That has nothing to do with it. If we do manage to neck. It’ll be none of your business.”
“ I wonder what Cordelia has been up to?” Dawn pondered out loud.
“ Shopping and driving Angel insane.” Xander suggested.
“ Probably wanting a raise in her paycheck or something..” Buffy joked.
“ I don’t know the last time I saw her she was different. Nicer.” Willow perked.
“ That would mean she changed. People don’t change Wills, they’ll act like it, but they never do.” Buffy responded as she stopped the car outside the Hyperion.
“ People do change Buffy, I mean Willow didn’t use to be gay and you never used to sleep with Spike to get through dark times.” Dawn commented as they started towards he Hyperion.
Part 2
The AI. Gang was in deep discussion and didn’t even notice as the Sunnydale group walked in.
“ Maybe if you guys did what you do less often you wouldn’t want to do it.” Fred suggested.
“ Now that doesn’t even make sense.” Gunn interrupted. “If they did it more often it get old then they wouldn’t want it as much. The less you have the more you want. Less is never more. More is more. So what if they kept it in a bedroom. That way not only would the Scoobies not have to worry, but we wouldn’t have to walk in.”
“ That only happened once.” Angel dignified.
“ Yeah, once on the kitchen table, once on your desk, once in the training room, there are a whole lot of onces? That isn’t even a word, but you know what I mean.” Faith said.
“ You don’t have to walk in.” Cordelia snapped sarcastically.
“ Don’t have to walk in on what?” Buffy said finally making her presence known. She didn’t like that Faith was there even though Angel had explained everything over the phone. She still didn’t like it.
You would of thought the group had heard the voice of GOD or worse yet the DEVIL with how high half of them jump. “ Damn it Buffy, is you’re goal to end my life with a heart attack?” Cordelia asked standing up.
“ Walk in on What?” Buffy asked again disregarding Cordelia’s statement. The Fang Gang fell uncomfortably silent. Well all except..
“ Cordelia and Angel comshucking!” Fred said brightly.
“ Tell me that isn’t what it sounds like.” Xander pleaded. Faith gave a small smirk.
“ What does it sound like?” she questioned.
Angel could have sworn he heard Cordelia growl…. or was it himself? All he knew that he wished that the group wasn’t dispatching information on his sex life so quickly to the Scooby Gang. Most of all to Buffy.
“ What it sounds like is impossible because of the fact that this is Cordelia and Angel and no amount of anything could get him to com let alone shuck with her.” Buffy responded smartly her features showing her doubt.
“ What’s that supposed to mean?” Cordelia questioned angrily.
“ IT supposed to mean the only reason Angel would sleep with you is out pity.” Buffy remarked. She faltered slightly. One reason because she knew what she had said was cold. The other was because Angel had caught Cordelia before she could tackle her. (Try to. Buffy thought.)
“ Is that Buffy?” Fred questioned taking another look at Buffy. “ Hi I’m Fred. I’ve heard so much about you from Cordelia and Wesley. Angel doesn’t talk about you much I think it upsets him. Also because he’s with,”
“ Breathe, Fred.” Gunn said knowing that Fred could have went on, but from the look on Angel’s face he didn’t want her too.
“ Can anyone explain why Deadboy is still holding Cordelia?” Xander asked. Angel let go of Cordelia slowly.
Everyone chose to ignore Xander again.
“ Fred can you show Dawn, Willow, and Xander to their rooms. I need to talk to Buffy.” Angel said heading for the office.
Part 3
Buffy closed the door behind her and took a seat across from Angel. " So you said you needed to talk?" she asked more than stated as reminder.
" Yes, we need to taalk. You see Cordelia and I are together. Well not together, but we are a couple. Yes, we're a couple, and I love her, and she loves me. The young man you say out there is my son. Darla was his mother, but we don't talk about her much. I'd really appreaciate you understanding all of this. Also I know you and Cordelia aren't best friends, but try not to be to snappish or anything we don't need that right now. Especially since you need our help more than we need yours." Angel said stopping to breathe. You don't even need to do that anymore yet here you are breathing as if you tried finishing a lot of something into one statement.
Buffy's mind had stopped listening at the part when Angel had said that he was in love with Cordelia and she in love with him. " How could you be in love with Cordelia?" she asked harshly. That was just sick beyond sick. That was like Spike loving her. Still won't except it. Even if he does have a soul I can't trust him.
" How can I love her? I love her because she accepts me, and everything I am. She doesn't let me hide. I feel this sense of completion and its because of her. She's my sun and when I'm with her I can almost feel my heartbeat in happiness. That this woman, Cordelia Chase loves me. She doesn't hide from me either, I don't feel like a third wheel in the relationship or like I'm standing back. This feels so real for me." Dumbass do you really think she's going to take that anyway, but wrong.. Not even wrong total stupidity on your part. Okay now she asked you something and you're not payin attention. What would Cordelia do?..Totally not a time to think of Cordy at least not on how to tell your ex-things have changed. Damn it she's still looking.[I] "What did you say?"
" Are we talking about the same Cordeila Chase right. Because if she is then I don't see how you could be so dumb. In Sunnydale she was all over you like ants to honey and you didn't even notice her. Now you guys are in love. That is bullshit and you know it. She doesn't deserve you. I don't knowwhat she drilled into your head, but you can't love her. It's not possible believe me when it comes to that."
[I]She said all of that that fast? " I can love her and I do. What do you mean she doesn't deserve me? Obviously because Cordelia doesn't deserve more than an ex-pyschoticc killer. Sorry Buffy I forgot your twisted logic." Angel snapped to quickly. " And how could you possibly know that I couldn't love her? Huh? I think about her and that's the first emotion that rushes forth. I see her and I smelll her and that's what I feel, but most importantly she's my best friend, and I know this is how I feel. She has excepted me no matter what. No one else has ever done that." Stupid idiot she's definetely taking that the wrong way. She's saying something and once again you have spiralled into your own little world.
This isn't going to happen like this. HE still loves me. I just have to fix whatever Cordelia did to him. Make him see what he's missing. What he once had.Buffy thought.
Everyone was coming downstairrs when Buffy an Angel emerged from the office. Cordelia didn't know which was worse Buffy's friendly smile or Angel's tentative one. Things are going to be bad. Like Mariah Carey movie bad..no tuna and ice cream bad. I still can't believe Groo ate that.
" I guess we should start with the research." Willow chimed tiredly.
Part 4
After about three hours of hitting the books the group decided to take a break. Gunn, Fred, Wesley, Willow, and Xander went to get lunch while Connor and Dawn decided to play cards. Lone went to his room to take a nap, as did Buffy. Faith went to train and Angel and Cordelia were in their room playing cards too.
"Got any fives?" Cordelia questioned.
" I thought we were playing Spades." Angel said arching his eyebrow.
"We were but then I realized I wasn't winning so now we're playing Go Fish." Cordelia said. " So you got any fives?"
" We'd have to start over there are no cards to go fishing in." Angel said getting ready to shuffle the cards.
" Gin." Cordelia said putting her hand down. Angel stared at her for a second before holding out his hand.
" Four of a kind." He smiled proudly. Cordelia's smile fell.
" WE need to get lives." She said shaking her head.
" You only say that cause you lost."
" I say that because we went from spades to go fish to gin rummy to poker. When you can't come up with a more creative game than that," she was cut off as Angel pulled her into a deep kiss disregarding the cards and everything else.
" Is that creative enough for you?" he questioned between his kisses. Her voice was ragged as she pulled back slightly. " Nope." She said with a small smirk. Angel pulled her onto him as he lay on his back. "You can't do much from here." She chided slightly. Before she knew she was on her back and he had her pinned down.
Angel smiled slightly as he started his torment on her neck. He nipped at the delicate flesh his tongue darted out to lick along her pulse point. He pushed her body back down as she arched up towards him. " Unh unh no touching. Not yet." He whispered softly into her ear.
Cordelia whimpered in protest. No way! He's not doing this now. What was all this mornings talks about if he's just going to.. do that again. Her thoughts stopped completely.
Angel had managed to unbutton her shirt with his teeth letting his cool breath hit her skin. It was becoming harder and harder not to let her touch him. Damn it mention the word hard once and things start jumping around and your pants get tighter.
He took one of her nipples into his mouth teasing it with his tongue. He started kissing down her stomach till he reached her navel. She shivered as his tongue tasted the flesh there. AS quickly as it began it was over. She strained to look down as he used his free hand to slip her skirt down her hips.
" No panties why Miss Chase I thought you were a lady?" Angel grinned. The only reply he got was her breathy moans. " I'm guessing that's a no." he started to trail kisses down her inner thigh. Her hips jerked violently as he let his tongue trail lightly over the pink flesh of her warmth. Her scent was intoxicating to him it nearly made him dizzy. He pushed her legs further apart to get better access. He started to stroke her lightly at first with his fingers letting his tongue do the rest. HE cursed himself as her legs pushed him closer to her warmth. Next time remember to make sure she can' t use her legs.
" Angel.maybe we..shouldn't..do this.the others..will be back soon..what if they herrree!!!!!" what she meant to come out forceful instead came out as a an urgent plea to go faster. Which Angel happily obliged too.
* * *
Buffy was getting irritated. She had come back downstairs to see Connor teaching Dawn how to use a battle ax that was bigger than her head. Okay, just lay off he knows what he's doing? Wait a second who the hell is he. Don't go all haywire Buf, Angel wouldn't keep him here unless he was important. Why the hell is she giggling like a freak?
Buffy turned around and decided to go to Angel's room. Get him alone talk some sense into him. She was about to open the door when she heard Cordelia' s voice. " We should stop this."
" I think that it may to be late for that." She heard Angel's voice through the door. No they wouldn't they wouldn't risk everything like that would they?
Buffy pushed the door open and immediately slammed it shut. They were and he was. Buffy's head was reeling. She had to get a stake. She had to do it fast. Maybe if she were lucky she'd get Cordelia too. She shook her head of the thought and rushed down the steps right smack db into the arriving Giles, Anya, and Spike.
Part 5
Angel fell off of Cordelia as soon as the door slammed, falling flat onto the floor. "Shit!" he cursed. He saw Cordelia peek her head out from the side of the bed.
"Who do you think that was?" she asked as she started to pull her clothes back on very half hazardly
Angel groaned in frustration. " Someone who wants to get their ass kicked." He said standing up. HE quickly buttoned up his pants and straightened his shirt. This better not happen again. We were just getting to the good part.well the better part, but nonetheless I was. Angel's thoughts trailed off when he realized that Cordelia was already out the door.
Buffy quickly got back on her feet.
"What's your bloody hurry, pet? See something you didn't like." Spike chided unknowingly. Buffy scowled at him angrily. "Some get me a stake." She said harshly.
"Whoa, now I can't say one word without you pouncing me like a lioness in heat. on the other hand if you promise to keep it clean,"
"Not for you jackass. For Angel."
"Now Buffy, I know Spike has his soul and all, but I'm pretty sure he's still into the kinky stuff. I mean if the Magic Box incident hadn't been mainly about an outlet for anger, and sadness I'm pretty sure we," Anya began.
"AS much as I'm disturbed by the utter eccentricity of your sex lives we have to get back, to oh hello Cordelia." Giles said as he saw Angel and Cordelia descending the steps looking a little disheveled.
Anya cracked a smirk. Well who would have guessed? Angel and Cordelia are orgasm buddies. She took in Angel's half tucked in shirt and the slightly none straightness of Cordelia's skirt. From the looks of it they just went at it.
Spike smirked he took in their complete an utter lack of knowledge about their appearance. " What you two do shag against the wall before you came down?" he questioned.
Damn vampire senses! Cordelia could feel the blood rush to her cheeks. "That's none of your business." She said strongly.
"Ah twice I presume." Spike said grinning like a wildcat.
Buffy I was looking at everyone as if they had just went mad. " Do you guys realize that they just had sex. Who cares how many times it was? He's going to lose his soul. We have to stake him." Her urgency came out as a whine. Maybe I still have a chance. " Unless Cordelia couldn't possibly provide Angel with perfect happiness. Which wouldn't surprise me," Buffy was cut of as Cordelia slapped her square across the face.
"Shut up for one second." Cordelia said loudly. " For one thing I can and do make Angel very happy, and if I have to I'll do so right here." Faith started to choke on her soda while Spike gave Cordelia an appreciative glance. " Another thing instead of being so gung-ho on killing things maybe you should have paid a little more attention to the morning's conversation. Oh and next time you decide to pay a visit to Angel's room knock first."
"Every other room for that matter." Faith spoke up.
"You have no right to sleep with him." Buffy protested. Buffy refrain from using your own hand to smack yourself over the head. What you just said wasn't that stupid.Damn it you possessive idiot. You're going to have to find out how to hit yourself later for your stupidity. Buffy saw a look on Cordelia's face that defined annoyed. "Never mind I promised to play the excepting ex so I will."
"Don't do me any favors." Cordelia snapped before heading off into the office. The others arrived soon afterwards.
"We've got dinner." Fred said as they entered the lobby.
Spike hadn't remembered a time when so many derogatory remarks and witticisms came into his head. They were all at a very hue table in the kitchen eating away or drinking if you counted Angel and him. The dynamics of both groups could be seen without even a second glance. No one who was living in L.A. was talking to anyone from Sunnyhell besides Wesley and Giles. But their wankers.watchers so they feel the need to be proper. He decided not to put such a lucky time to waste.
"Well Peaches, always knew that brunette fetish would catch up sooner or later, but what luck she's a seer too." Spike said loudly.
"I thought Angel had a blond fetish. I mean there was Darla, Buffy, Kate, one of those furies." Fred said before going back to her taco.
Spike smirked slightly at Angel's glare. "Is that what the Poof told you? Lies never cease to end. No he always liked the brunettes better or redheads," Spike said shooting a look at Willow. " said that they were so much harder to seduce, or at least not as easy as a certain blond we all know and love. As much time as he spent with Drusilla it's a wonder she isn' t dead by Darla's hand or what not."
"Which blond we all know and love?" Gunn questioned he took one look at Buffy and nodded finally getting it. " That blond you all know and love her sparkle isn't working to well on me." He said going back to his conversation with Fred.
" What's that supposed to mean?" Buffy asked setting her gaze on Gunn.
"It's supposed to mean that yeah you're cute an all and your attitude ain't that bad, but whatever makes the guys fall all over you I just don't see."
" Oh and she has it." Buffy said towards Cordelia.
"Oh she definitely has it." Spike proclaimed reveling in Buffy's glare. " I mean I'm sitting over here and I can tell she has it." Spike decided to throw one in for the plain sake of getting to Angel. " I can feel it in my body, and it feels kind of hard."
Fred and Gunn started choking on their tacos while Faith and Xander who were sitting across from each other sprayed each other with water as they spat out their drinks. Spike barely had a chance to revel in it as Angel had him by the throat in a second. "Take it back!" he growled
"Take what back Peaches? It's not as if you're not all hard and bothered over her. I can't say a few words. I sort of get your anger though if I had a chit like that writhing beneath me every night. Whoa any guy coming along daring to take even a mere glance," Spike eye's flickered towards Angel's hand that was still wrapped tightly around his throat. " You do know that doesn't work on me though. Don't you." Spike winced as his head hit the wall again.
"Take it back." Angel growled yet again. Why are you even asking? Just stake him already.
"Fine I take it back. There is no hardness on me." Spike said holding up his hands in surrender. Angel let him go and immediately regretted it.
" Because it's all in her. The slayer I mean. Though the seer doesn't seem too bad either, but I'm not making a death wish. Though," Spike let the sentence hang in the air.
Part 6
"Though, if she wants to give it a go I'm not one to turn down a woman in need. Which is most definitely is if she's been sleeping with you."
"Spike you really like the idea of death don't you?" Angel asked turning to face him again.
"Could you two stop the bitch fight please?" Gunn asked angrily. "Cause I'm not sure. One more story about who can do the bump and grind with Cordy best I might kill you both."
"You slept with Spike?" Cordelia questioned. Buffy just nodded. " Have you forgotten that you can still kill them right. I'm not saying that you should kill Spike now, but the next one that comes along you should try to you know not sleep with them."
"Look who's talking." Buffy replied.
"Did the Watcher's council change the rule or something?"
"They most certainly didn't." Wesley exclaimed.
***********
"Swain, we hope this is an adequate payment." Gavin said handing the girl a stainless steel briefcase.
"Very, I just wonder why all the trouble to get to the seer?" Swain questioned. You'll keep wondering your only job is to keep the slayers busy." Lilah said placing the file that she'd been reading down.
"What of the vampire. His son, that entire group? I'm coming into this for the money and the fact that it's kind of fun to do with torture. You have to give me more than 'keep the slayers busy'"
"You have your own people?" Gavin questioned.
"Yes, you hired them out for the others, but if what I here is right then they'll be stretched to thin. I'll pull out if something goes wrong."
"We'll just have to make sure nothing goes wrong." Lilah said. " Turn the monitor's back o this was just getting good."
***********
Angel had been sitting quietly for the past few minutes before suddenly bawling out in laughter.
"Well insanity never painted a pretty picture now did it." Spike said shaking his head in disdain.Now it's not really wonder where Dru gets it.
***********
After Angel's non- reasonable fit of hysterics in the kitchen dinner had pretty much went back to the relaxed or as relaxed as it could get. They had all pretty much dispersed afterwards. Willow and Cordelia were sitting opposite each other on one of the couches, discussing the best and worst aspects of teleportatoin.(again). Whilst Connor repeated tried to show Dawn who was acting unuasually giddy and surprisingly clumsy, how to hold a sword.
From Buffy's vantage point she couldn't actually see anything great about the boy, Then again that may have to do with the fact that he's 16 and your 22, but that's all numbers. It could also go into the whole Ick Factor. You never want to be able to say 'Well that's not how your father did it.' Or worse yet 'That's not how your son did it' Buffy inwardly cringed at the thought. She on the other hand was talking with the Fred girl who was going through various subjects faster than lightning.
"Are you a natural blond? It's okay if you aren't, but I'm not saying that though, but there are some blonds who have dark roots, not brunettes though. Cordelia was blond for a bit really didn't like after awhile changed it back." Fred said quickly. Fred wasn't really into the conversation just waiting for the Xander boy to stop trying to talk to her. Not that you don' tlike him just, he tends to yammer, and I hate it when people do that. It's all talk talk talk, but no response time. Buffy isn't very talkative right now is she. Oh, I'm babbling.
Angel was downstairs training by himself. Faith had offered even Connor, but he just wanted to be alone. If he admitted it to himself he was angry at Buffy. Not so much for sleeping with Spike as much as it was trying to make him feel like he had betrayed something that she had held sacred. That by his sleeping Cordelia he was doing something wrong. Not that the feeling had lasted long, but it had been there. This feeling of guilt slight and quickly gone, but there.
He wanted to be immature and march straight up those steps. Just flaunt his relationship with Cordelia in her face. Take Cordelia right there in front of everybody on the couch. Nice and slow just to draw out the torture. Show Buffy he didn't need her permission to move on.He shook his head of the thought. Doing that would just make Cordelia mad at him. IT would demean their relationship. . . but it would be fun..nooo!!!It was getting hard to think..it was making him hard. HE had come down here to clear his head of all the ways he'd be able to shove his moving on in Buffy's face. To tell himself it was plain old immature, but everytime he imagined what he could do with Cordelia just irk everyone not only Buffy it made him hard. His demon was always taunting him sometimes with things he wanted to do, but never really could unless maybe he got a few coworkers really really drunk. They had been able to bind his soul and keep the demon at bay, but it was still there. Arrogant as ever. Angel shook his head again.
HE usually never let himself get lost in his mind for to long, but it just seemed like it was going to be a very long visit from the Scoobies. Then there it was again. HE was lost in his thought as repeated his actions with the sword.
Despite popular thought Cordelia and he's frequent needs for the action wasn 't because the sex was that great.okay wasn't just because the sex was great. Angel corrected himself. Some of the time it was like he was testing his limits. See how long she let him linger at her neck when he went into game face. How much he could get a way with. Not that he told Cordelia, but the reason he alwaysed tried more to take her in every single place besides the bed was because it thrilled him, just the fact that they were taking the risk of someone noticing or walking in. He smirked slightly as he remebered one time in the weeks previous. They had all gathered in Cordelia's apartment to watch videos. Everyone else had been asleep not that they had cared, but basically they had been making out in the kitchen.
Angel started to run his hands along Cordelia's back. He was nipping at her neck teasing himself with it. That made the sex so much more fun. IT made him work harder to please her and he never failed.
Cordelia turned around when she sensed Angel come up the steps. He looked like he'd taken numerous showers in his clothes. HE cuaght her eye and he smirked slightly. As he started towards her she wondered what he could possibly be thinking..Cordelia knew that look. Angel wore it whenever they were about to make love or whenever he knew he was about to do something that would make her slightly peeved. Connect two and two. HE was just training he's all sweaty, he's giving you 'You're going to hate me for this' stare, he's all sweaty. . . he wouldn't.She pulled her self off the couch as he continued for her.
But damn it things alwaysed seemed to get in the way like weapons or books or 'her feet' she tripped right into Angel who pulled her up and into a deep hug.
"Angel, no you're all sweaty! And smelly and sweaty." Cordelia repeated as she tried to push him away playfully.
"You usually don't complain when I'm sweaty." Angel smirked again.
A blush crept onto Cordelia's face as she finally got back down. "It's not the same type of sweat."
Part 7
It was morning at AI and the mood was bustling. Fred, Wesley, Giles, and Willow had books and other files scattered all over the floor in the lobby while Xander, Gunn, Spike, and Angel were checking out certain demon bars for information. Connor was still trying to teach Dawn how to handle a sword, which Cordelia had suspected, was a ploy on both parts and it kind of freaked her out. As of now she was in the underground parking lot of Wolfram and Hart with Buffy and Faith. For the special occasion they were all in black to keep hidden well.
“Okay anyone care to tell me why instead of fieldwork or even research we’re at a law firm” Buffy questioned.
“To get information.” Faith offered.
“On what the fact that possession is 9/10 of the law? Or the fact that we have no idea what we’re doing?” Buffy retorted.
“Did you happen to pay attention to the conversation this morning? Wolfram and Hart the evil lawyers…okay the ‘we defend evil’ evil lawyers?” Cordelia questioned.
“Oh, yeah it’s just after ten seconds of your droning I have to drown you out.” Buffy said smartly.
“Five more seconds of your complaining I may have to drown you out.” Cordelia snapped as they reached the elevator. “So you guys open it.”
Buffy and Faith turned towards Cordelia as if she were crazy. “What?”
“You need to open it so we can get going. You know dying in a painful way may have seemed cool never, but uh let’s get going.”
Faith and Buffy shared a look then quickly shrugged off the agreement as they pushed the doors aside easily. “Okay now you can go first.” Faith said pushing Cordelia towards the elevator shaft.
“Fine I’m in no way scared of dark narrow places. Unlike certain super-strengthed people I know.” Cordelia said as she found surface to climb up the elevator shaft.
“Rat!” Buffy yelled and Cordelia almost fell.
“Are you crazy?” Cordelia questioned fixing Buffy with a dark glare.
“Come on, you know it was funny.”
“ Yeah in the ‘MY YELLING COULD OF MADE CORDY DIE’ way, oh on a side note that was sarcasm.” Cordelia snapped as Faith started to climb after her.
Buffy rolled her eyes as she started after them. Get a sense of humor not like you really died.
***********
Fred started to look through the information Wesley had obtained from his friend at the police department on Swain or in her opinion ‘bought off an under paid cop’, but call it as you wish what she found could help them a great deal.
“Check this out.” Fred said as she handed Wesley the file. Wesley took the file from her and looked it over.
“Do you think this could help?” he said as he looked over the file once more, not really seeing where the good was in the facts infront of him.
“ Come on you don’t think it could?” Fred questioned. “Look at it from this perspective, if they couldn’t link her to anything on a sort of ‘she’s been alive to long to have records’ basis of facts and events and she’s working for Wolfram and Hart we have to assume she’s done this kind of thing before. She seems to have a very good track record of the recent.”
“This really doesn’t help us. We’re not even sure in what way she chooses to torture and our sources are about as helpful as a drunk to robbery case of a liquor store, or something of the sort.”
Before Fred could respond the phone rang. Dawn got to it before anyone else did. “ Hello.” He answered cheerfully. “No they’re not back yet…you’re where…and you need to remind Wesley that,” Dawn stopped for a second then hug up the phone. “The line went dead. That was Gunn said something about Spike and Angel wondering whether the girls were back and that he had to remind Wesley about something that Angel needed him to do then beep the phone went dead.”
“Angel didn’t ask me to do anything? Nothing that I recall.” Wesley began. After a few seconds realization dawned on Wesley. He quickly stood up and grabbed his coat. “I’ll be right back. Fred whatever you think you saw whatever it was tell Giles about it before you jump on a chance to investigate.”
Everyone watch as Wesley departed the hotel. One thought was shared. What the hell was so damn important?
***********
The Previous Night
Angel emerged from the bathroom a little refreshed, but was a little upset to see Cordelia asleep on the bed. He tilted his head to the side and took in her form. It was times like these when he just let himself watch her. She couldn’t hide from him couldn’t look away or try to make herself look better. She was just beautiful.
It reminded him of his stint as Angelus earlier that year. He’d watched all of them, but his love for her had made her Angelus’s obsession, his obsession. It was when he thought about these times that he’d worry himself. It gave him this odd sense of control and even though she’d let him go certain places with his instincts it was he who stopped himself from biting from letting the taste of her blood tease him anymore than it already had.
Angel shook his head of his revelry and slid into the bed next to her. Her body moved closer to him and he wrapped an arm around her waist. He quickly drifted off to sleep letting his dreams take him.
Angel felt her hips rock lightly over his. The slow torture she was causing him made him want her even more. Her scent, her soft moaning, the way she bit her lip when she rose up and moved slowly back down. Her rocking became more feverish and their thrust started to meet each other in a rhythm that his body was aching for. He needed to taste her to make her see the real him. The one he hid from her at least. He pulled her down to him and she felt the prick as his fangs pierced her jugular.
Her wasn’t as pure as he had once thought it to be, but it still held that innocence that he craved about her, that he had craved about her. He wanted to release her to let her live, but the hunger was too strong. He held her body close as he felt her go limp. Letting her drop as he finished he took in what he had done. HE looked into her eyes and closed his.
“Buffy.” He whispered to himself. His body all of a sudden filled with the need of the warmth that her human body had provided. He looked up into a pair of chocolate brown eyes, and smirked slightly.
“Well at least I’ve finally got myself a slayer.” He said huskily as he pulled the body towards him. HE put his human mask back on and smiled before starting the cycle again.
Part 8
Crasshh!! A table broke to pieces as Spike threw the demon into the table. “Will you talk now?” he questioned forebodingly.
“I know I would.” Xander said cringing slightly. The demon looked pretty beat up and Xander was starting to wish he’d decided to go with Angel instead of Spike. The little amount of information they had gotten was stuff they already knew, but Spike still managed to beat the living shit out of the demon before it would give.
This demon did however seem to know more than he…she…it let on.
“I told you everything I know.” The demon said in a belittling tone. Spike punched him again and the demon reared back, and started to cough roughly.
“Fine, I’ll talk.” The demon said coldly as he went towards the bar. He was tough, but you can only get your ass kicked for someone else for so long.
***********
Faith sat down in the chair opposite Lilah’s intimidating one; while Buffy took the seat next to it.
“She’s not here.” Cordelia said looking around the office.
“Nice to know you have that gift of mastering the obvious. Always need that during battle.” Buffy spat.
Cordelia chose to ignore her as she headed towards the door, and poked her head out and checked for any sins of Lilah.
***********
Lilah handed Gavin the file. “ Make sure to keep our informants level with what we want to know about Swain. We don’t want her switching sides on us or just deciding to take the money and run. Also get the shaman we used before to up the ante on the dreams he’s beaming to our favorite vampire we need him preoccupied and keep an eye on everyone we don’t need them cluing in. Understand?”
Gavin came close to shaking his head no. To saying ‘Shove it up your ass’ then he remembered she had more supremacy over him then he’d ever have let alone having it over her and nodded yes.
***********
Lilah gave him a half smile as she headed into her office. “It’s good to be,”
Suddenly Cordelia stepped out infront of her. “The best.” She said giving her wayward smile.
Lilah controlled the urge to jump as Faith and Buffy stood up.
“What exactly do you want?” she asked briskly as she started towards her desk.
“I want a lot of things, but right now I want a nice little inside knowledge of whatever you have planned for my friends…friend over there and Miss-Likes-To-Fight.”
“I have know clue what you’re,” Lilah was cut off as raised her hand up swiftly, in a motion that Lilah didn’t catch.
“If the next words out of your mouth were going to be ‘talking about’ I prepared for that.” Cordelia said with a smile.
***********
Wesley looked through the mass of files that Lilah left all over her apartment, and chuckled to himself. Before his acceptance back into the group her apartment was immaculate when it came to anything from work, and now here it was all laid out for open view.
She really thought that he was that stupid. For whatever reason she had left enough information to give away the project he wasn’t sure, but knew that most likely they’d be paying for it. He collected as much as he could and started out towards his second location.
Things were looking up.
***********
“Angel!” Gunn said snapping his fingers infront of the vampire’s face.
Angel snapped out of his haze the thoughts of last night’s dream drifting from his mind regrettably. “What?”
“I know you travel the sewers all the time, and all, but I don’t so you need to direct us back. You know to the hotel. Where we can regroup and all that good stuff with everyone.” Gunn replied.
Angel shook his head to clear his head some more and they started walking towards the hotel. They didn’t notice that someone who had a little more in mind than following their trail was following them..
Part 9
Lilah quickly drew her hand to her chest the blood pouring freely from it. “What the fuck was that for?” she shrieked.
“I told you I was prepared. Now what’s going on?” Cordelia snapped.
“Cordelia, maybe you shouldn’t go that far?” Buffy suggested. She had been put into a shocked silence for about ten seconds as the incident had happened so fast. One second Cordelia was threatening the bitch the next she was acting on it.
“It won’t kill her which is by far getting off a little to light for everything that’s she’s attempted.” Faith snarked.
Buffy didn’t care. This woman hadn’t done anything to her and Faith and Cordelia didn’t look scarred or wounded. She wasn’t going to let harm come to anyone no matter what the cause. “ I don’t care if it’s not killing her. She’s innocent and we have no proof against that.”
Cordelia turned to give Buffy a ‘Are you shittin me’ look. “ Innocent, innocent? As in indirectly causing others deaths? Innocent or you don’t believe she’s involved with this innocent?”
Buffy hadn’t thought of that, but to change her mind to suit the decision Cordelia had made wasn’t an option. “ I don’t think she’s involved she probably has more to do than diddle in Angel’s private or public life.”
“She wants to do more than diddle, but since you have a unbiased view on things we’ll go.” Cordelia said letting Lilah go.
***********
“Nothing that’s what we have? Nothing?” Angel said as he took a seat in his office.
“It seems that this Swain isn’t as ancient as she seem. From what Spike and Xander gathered she’s old, but not as old as Spike let alone you, but she definitely is a greater threat than anticipated.” Giles said as he pulled off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“Why?”
“I think Spike should inform you about that. Where as I am only mildly informed on the subject, but besides that I have a question for you.”
Angel hadn’t heard the question as his nostrils flared at the invasion of Cordelia’s scent, and then with Buffy’s that was trying to push it’s way in. “What?” he said glancing at Giles as he stood up.
“ I know this isn’t any of my business, and we’ve only been here one day, but I wonder if you would mind informing me on the way you found around the curse?”
Angel’s eyes became flicked with amber and he quickly shook it off. “Later okay, we have bigger fish to fry.”
Bigger fish to fry? Did he just say bigger fish to fry? Giles shuddered at the thought, and shook his head as he headed out in the lobby.
The picture infront of him amused him greatly. Spike and Angel were in a deep conversation while Angel’s eyes remained solely on Cordelia. While Buffy was talking with Xander and Willow her gaze kept on drifting to where Angel and Spike stood. Xander seemed a bit shocked while Willow looked as if it didn’t even bother her. Whatever it was he’d find out later. Fred was still typing away on her computer looking like she was enthralled while Cordelia, Faith, and Gunn watched as Dawn and Connor were literally tripping over each other.
“To think I could be in England right now missing all of this.” He said to himself. He looked up to see Wesley entering the Hyperion. Just as he did a huge bang was heard from the basement followed by an explosion that threw everyone back.
Part 10
Faith came to and looked around. “Could have been worse.” She said as she pulled herself up.
She heard a groan beside her as Cordelia struggled to pull herself up. “Could have been? Cause you know almost getting blown to itty-bitty bits ain’t too shabby especially if you live through it. I’d rather be itty bitty bits.” Cordelia snarked as she touched the gash in her forehead. She winced slightly before taking a look around. At least no one’s dead. She noticed as she took in Buffy and Xander helping Willow up.
“Was that a bomb?” Xander questioned as he shook some dust off his hair.
“No wanker it was a very angry gas line.” Spike said sardonically.
“I’m sorry if my judgment isn’t exactly straight after we were almost blown to pieces. Next time I’ll check with myself before hand.” Xander snarked.
“You say it was a bomb as if it happens everyday.” Gunn said as he and Connor picked Dawn off the floor.
“It may as well.” Swain said as she emerged from the basement.
Everyone almost nodded in agreement before realizing that they didn’t who the hell this chick was.
“What?!” they exclaimed together.
Swain was giving them all appreciative glances before it landed on Angel. “Well I could take you.” She said before finally gazing at Buffy and Faith. “Not a real problem.” When she turned around she came face to face with Cordelia.
“Could you take me?” Cordelia questioned.
Swain gave an arrogant chuckle. “I wouldn’t want to try.” She left Cordelia to wonder whether that was an insult or a compliment.
Angel was holding Swain by her throat in an instant. “What the hell do you want?”
“Whoa cool the testosterone vampire. I know this gets you guys off and all, but I don’t so if you don’t mind,” she said before kicking her leg out and striking his groin. HE dropped her immediately. As he let out a muffled cry of pain.
“See I knew I could take you. Just wanted to check things out. See what I’d be dealing with.” Swain said before exiting.
“Did we just let her go?” Wesley said as he looked at the door from his position on the floor.
TBC