Title: What's the Difference Between Me and You?
Author: AngelBaby
Posted: 04-12-2003
Email:
Rating: PG-13 language
Category:
Content:
Summary:
Spoilers:
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution:
Notes: I don't know if anyone remembers this story. I'm sure there are a few of you out there. I was on again, off again with the posting and I got too busy to finish it. I recently abandoned it. But try as I might...I just couldn't do it.
So, here I am again. I am determined to finish this story. (formerly Angel/Angelus, what's the difference?) I started it, might as well keep going right?
Truth is, I did and do enjoy writing this story. It's the longest one I've ever written so far. It's just fun to write. I really enjoy writing Angelus, cause you know he's just overall an interesting character to write for. And I like the plot, so I promise you I do plan to finish it.
This is a new revised version. So if you read it before, a few things might have changed. Some things were added, some things were removed. Nothing too drastic though. It just needed a little cleaning up in my opinion. And if you haven't read it before then I hope you do enjoy it.
Originally this was a challenge I posted way back when, but no one took it so I just decided to do it on my own since I really wanted to see this story done.
Challenge: Alright, here's a little run down.
*Early Season 3. Back in the good old days.
*Something goes haywire and Angel & Angelus end up seperating into two seperate people. Good twin, Bad twin type of deal.
*Up to you how they serperate. W&H, a spell gone wrong, a demon, etc.
*Somehow, again up to you, Angelus can't hurt anyone. Not even a fly. Think Spike with a chip. He tries to hurt anyone, he gets a pain like no other. Which of course he will discover immediately. He can still think evily, but he doesn't have to turn all Angel on us. Where would the fun be in that?
*While Angel isn't exactly comfortable with his demon hanging around he doesn't exactly want to kill him. Like Willow and Vamp Willow.
Must haves:
*A training session between A/C.
*The line "I would if I could but I can't so I won't". Umm...Don't ask
*Angelus showing an interest in Cordelia.
*Angel showing a dislike in Angelus showing an interest in Cordelia.(Did you get that?)
*Angel admitting his feelings for Cordelia. Cause that's always fun.
*Angel and Angelus fighting, teasing each other, etc.
Optional:
*Connor
*The Scoobies, a scoobie.
*Lorne & Caritas
*a vision
Everything in italics is what Angelus is thinking.
Feedback: Yes Please!Part 1
Angel made his way down the stairs to the basement that had been converted into a training room for him and Cordelia. She had asked him to come down and help her work on a few of her moves. There hadn't been any visions recently and no new cases, causing everyone to get a bit restless.
When he reached the bottom step, he looked at the site before him. There was Cordelia...stretching...bending over...so much so that he had a very nice view of her perfectly round...
"Angel?"
"Huh?" He looked up quickly to find Cordelia staring at him with a puzzled expression on her face.
"Are you ok?" She asked stretching out her arms above her head. The tank top she was wearing rid up her stomach a little. She began stretching to the side causing it to ride up just a little higher, flaunting just how good the top hugged her perfectly round...
"Earth to Angel! Come in Angel!" His thoughts were once again interrupted by the brunette that appeared to be more than a little annoyed.
"Uh, sorry! So, you ready?" Angel asked stepping out onto the mat.
"Been ready. So, you know I was thinking we could start with swordplay and then move to the hand to hand stuff. Whaddya think?" She asked while going to pick up her sword and grabbed his along with it.
"That's fine," He said going over to her and grabbing his sword.
"Wanna watch me kick daddy's ass, Connor? Yeah, ok!" Cordelia said with a smile and goofy baby voice to the child that was in his rocking seat, set away from the mat, watching the two.
"I thought you fell asleep little guy?" Angel asked, stopping to tickle his son.
"He woke up about half an hour ago. He's been fed and everything. I figured he's safe down here where we can watch him," She said tucking the blanket tighter around the baby.
"Yeah, he's fine down he-...Wait, did you just say YOU were gonna kick MY ass?" Angel asked standing up straight.
"What are you talking about?" Cordelia asked confused.
"Just now. When you were talking to Connor. You said 'Wanna watch me kick daddy's ass?'" Angel replied in an extremely high voice, immitating her.
"Wow! You're really obvservant. I said that like, what? Five minutes ago!" Cordelia said with a giggle.
"But you still said it!" Angel said circling her.
"I was kidd-"
"What makes you think you can beat me?" Angel said clinking her sword with his. He took his stance and Cordelia immediately took hers.
"Angel, you do know I was ju-"
"Come on, show me what you got!" He said challenging her.
"Are you serious?" Cordelia shook her head and smiled at him. 'He's really serious!' She thought. 'Well, if he's asking I'm giving!'
"Yeah! Come on, an attacker isn't always gonna go so easy on-" Cordelia immediately lunged at him but he jumped to the side.
The two began moving around each other, blocking the blows they both gave. After a few minutes, Angel had knocked the sword out of Cordelia's hand and had her pinned up against the wall with her back to him, one arm around her neck, the other holding her hands behind her.
"Alright, do you remember what I taught you when someone has a hold on you like this?" He asked holding on.
Cordelia answered back by putting one leg behind Angel's, and pushing back with her body causing him to lose balance and fall back.
"Yeah, I think I remember," She told him smugly.
"Told you I'd kick daddy's ass. Didn't I, Connor?" She said to the baby with a little chuckle. Cordelia walked over to Angel who was still lying on the floor looking up at the ceiling.
"I win! You lose! I score," She said happily looking down at him. Then suddenly, Angel kicked Cordelia's legs out from under her and was on top of her in a second.
"Never lose sight of your opponent. Always stay on guard. Now, what were you saying?" He said holding her hands above her head, smiling down at her.
"Let me up!" Cordelia screamed, trying to be angry but just smiling back at him.
She attempted to flip them back over by wrapping her legs around his waist and pushing up with all her strength. But Angel had her covered and wasn't letting go.
"Nuh uh. Not till you say it" he said, holding her down even though she continued to struggle.
"Angel!" She cried.
"Cordy!" He cried back, mocking her in the same high pitch voice he had used before. Cordelia burst out laughing. Angel loved the sound of her laughing and couldn't help but chuckle himself.
"I'm not gonna let you up until you say it"
"NO!" she said giggling.
"Okay then. You asked for it!" Angel then proceeded to move his hand up Cordelia's tank top. Landing on her ribs.
"Angel?" She said in a breathy whisper. Her laughter slowly died down.
Then, once again, Angel caught her off gaurd by beginning to tickle her without mercy.
"NO!*giggle* Nnno, please *giggle* Ang-Angel!*giggle* ANGEL!" Cordelia continued to shriek with laughter.
"Say it!" Angel said still tickling her.
Cordelia, bit her lip trying to hold in the laughter. She shook her head vigurously letting out giggles, trying to get him to stop the torture. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.
"Fi-*giggle* FINE! YOU WIN! I lose! You score! Are you HAPPY now!" She said still laughing.
"Very," Angel said getting up, grinning from ear to ear. He held out his hand, helping her get up.
"You know I'm getting you back right?" Cordelia said wearing the same grin.
"Yeah, yeah. We'll see," He said, picking up the equipment lying on the floor. He crossed the room and stacked them all in the cabinet they stored there for extra weapons.
"Come on, Connor. I think it's time for your nap," Cordelia picked him up and headed for the stairs.
"Cordy?"
"Yeah?" She asked turning around, rocking Connor in her arms.
"Same time tomorrow?" He asked, not being able to suppress a smile.
"Hmm, why not tonight?" She asked slyly.
"You got the time?" He asked leaning on the rail of the stairs, looking up at her.
"You got the energy?" She asked with a sly smile.
Not giving him the chance to answer, she turned on her heel walking up the remainder of the stairs into the lobby. Angel stayed behind chuckling and shaking his head, moving to put the rest of the weapons away.
Once he finished up, Angel began to walk up the stairs when he heard Cordelia scream in pain...Vision!
Part 2
Angel rushed up the stairs to see Cordelia struggling to stay upright.
"Connor! Get Connor!" Fred immediately grabbed the baby that began to cry. Once he was safely in her arms Cordelia fell back but Angel caught her.
"Cordy! Cordy? It's okay. I'm here, it's okay!" He held her close as they sank to the floor together. He whispered in her ear to try and calm her. Wesley rushed in with water and pills. Fred stood by shushing Connor as he quieted down. Gunn came and helped Angel get Cordelia to the couch.
"Cordelia, what did you see?" Gunn asked.
Wesley handed her the pills and water, she mumbled her thanks. Angel stayed right by her, stroking her hair and rubbing her back for comfort.
"Oh god," She took a second to catch her breath, then continued.
"I saw a demon. Big and slimy! It was a yellow, greenish, puke-colored demon..." Cordelia blew out a breath and took another deep one to fill her lungs.
"Are you alright?" Wesley asked concerned.
"Yeah, I just-"
"It's cool, just take a sec," Gunn offered.
"No, I'm fine. Umm...It has spikes going up the sides of it's arms, they were dripping some kind of ooze. I think they're poisonous. And it's eyes were glowing. It was attacking a group of people coming out of a club. Electric Shock, or something corny like that. I think it's on the corner of Wilsherd and Highler downtown. They were in an alley on the side of the building," Cordelia filled her lungs again trying to catch her breath. Angel continued rubbing circles on the small of her back. She smiled at him appreciatively.
"I didn't see anything else" Cordelia bent foward rubbing her temples, closing her eyes shut.
"How long do we have?" Angel asked softly.
"About an hour ,maybe two. It'll take you at least forty-five minutes to get there," She said sitting back up.
"I'll get some weapons ready," Gunn said walking over to the cabinet.
"Alright. Cor, will you be okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Go kill that demon," She said patting him on the shoulder and standing up. A dizzy spell came over her.
"Whoa!"
"Here, sit down. Just rest for a while. Fred, watch her, please? And I think Connor's ready for his nap," Angel got up to grab some weapons.
"Connor! Is he okay?" Cordelia tried to get up again but Angel put his hand on her shoulder.
"He's okay. Fred's got him,"
"Are you sure?" Cordelia turned to Fred who showed her Connor, who was presently cooing and drifting off to sleep.
"Yeah, he's right here. I got him before anything happened-"
"I was holding him and I had a vision. I could've-"
"Cor, don't worry about it. It's ok. Everything's fine. Nothing happened," Angel said trying to comfort her.
"But-"
"Hey, it's okay."
"Cordelia, he's right. You shouldn't worry," Wes offered.
"Hey, you guys ready?" Gunn came up to the group, wielding his axe over his shoulder.
"Umm..." Angel didn't want to leave Cordelia now. She obviously was concerned about what had happened.
"You should get going!" Cordelia said softly.
"We'll be good. You guys be careful. We'll be waiting for you. Call if anything happens!" Fred said with nervousness.
"Yes, mother!" Wes and Gunn said in unison.
"Just go!" She said rolling her eyes, laughing at the pair.
"Cor? We'll be right back. Go lay down in my room, alright?" Angel said tilting her chin up so she could look at him.
"Yeah, Yeah. Go already, you're wasting time," She said turning her head away. He nodded and walked out after Gunn and Wesley. Cordelia watched him leave with a frown.
"Cordelia, are you ok?" Fred asked once the guys had left.
"Yes, Fred. I'm fine. I'm gonna go lay down up stairs, okay?" She said walking toward the stairs.
"Do you want to take Connor with you?" Fred asked as she began to walk over.
"No!" Cordelia said holding up her hands signaling her to stop. Fred came to a halt and looked up confused.
"I just, umm...I don't think I should. I still feel a little dizzy," Cordelia tried to explained.
"Oh. Okay. I'll tell you if anything happens."
"Thanks, Fred," Fred nodded as she watched Cordelia go up the stairs.
***
On the Way to the Club
The trio was nearing the club. Wesley was in the back with a book on his lap, trying to find a passage on the demon that would help them in killing it. Gunn and Angel remained quiet up front, waiting for the ex-watcher's 'EUREKA!' moment.
"Aha! I've found it. It's a Tamayaikee demon. They originate from China and are fierce warriors. The spikes that Cordelia told us of are poisonous. The venom within the spikes can kill an opponent within just moments. It has a power to," Wesley paused as he squnted his eyes trying to read the text.
"I can't really read this next part. Something about separate entities. I'm not sure what that means. The rest of the text is a bit tattered," Wesley said, looking over the page once more.
"Does it say how to kill it?" asked Gunn, turning his make shift axe over in his hands.
"Ummm, just a minute. Ahh yes, it's very simple. Just a quick decapitation and it's as good as dead." He said closing the book.
"We're here" Angel announced parking the car across the street from the club.
As if on cue, they heard a woman scream. They rushed toward the action. Wesley got the group of people to safety while Gunn and Angel stayed, trying to kill the thing. Gunn took a few blows and was thrown across the alley.
Angel continued to pummel the beast with his fists trying to avoid the spikes as best as he could. Suddenly, the creatures eyes began to glow, as did Angel's. He stopped hitting the demon and just stared into it's eyes. Without warning, the demon lashed out and was about to impale him through the chest with one of the venomous spikes, but only got a gash across it. Wesley had rushed in and pushed him out of the way. Gunn went behind the demon and cut off it's head causing it to crumple to the floor.
"Angel? Angel, are you alright?" Gunn and Wes hovered above him, trying to get a reaction as he just stared into space, eyes still glowing.
"Angel, man snap out of it!" Gunn said shaking him. Almost instantly Angel shook his head and looked up at the two men staring down at him.
"What happened?" He said groggily trying to clear his head.
"You scared the hell out of us! That's what happened!" Gunn said helping him up. Then Wesley noticed the gash on Angels' chest.
"Oh dear" Wesley said gravely.
"Oh dear? What 'oh dear'? Man, don't say 'Oh dear'. 'Oh dear' always equals bad!" Gunn asked worriedly. Wesley motioned to Angels' chest.
"What?" Angel asked looking down immediately.
"Oh crap," Gunn and Angel said simultaneously.
"We need to get to back to the hotel, now!" Wesley said, hurrying them along to the car. Gunn took the wheel and rushed back to the Hyperion.
Back in the alley, the remains of the demon started to form something and begin to glow.
Part 3
Arrrgh...My head.
I really need to lay off of the bottle for a while...Nah, who am I kidding?
"Darla! Get me something to eat! I'm in the mood for something...Mmm, young!" God, I'm starving.
"Darla?" Hellooo?
...
"What? You're not gonna tell me to go get it myself?" Oh god, it's bright in here. What's a streetlight doing in our room?
Wait a minute...In here is out here.
"The hell is going on?" Why am I in an alley?
"Okay, I don't know what the fuck is going on around here. But I wanna know why I'm in an alley! AND WHY THE HELL AM I NAKED?!?"
Reasons why I would be in an alley at night...naked.
"I can think of a few things. None of which are registering," This is so FREAKIN typical. Why is this shit always happening to me?
Okay, think, think...Come on, THINK! What was the last thing I did?
I need to focus. I gotta focus. Just FOCUS!
"Let's see. I was trying to suck the world into hell. That...didn't work out too good...NO WAIT! It was that wannabe-actress with the nice rack. No wait, that was Cordelia...REBECCA something or other
is the one that slipped me that drug. But that wore off."
This is too confusing.
"Did SoulBoy get drugged again?"
No, that's not right. It doesn't...feel the same.
"Oh Christ! Did he get laid and I missed it?!?"
Nah! He's such a pussy, he wouldn't risk his precious little soul. Even if it would mean he'd get some. God, he's such an ass.
"Okay. Think! Think! What happened? One minute I'm trapped in the Soul's body. And the next, I'm...I'm?"
Umm. I don't kn-
Oh crap! That demon!
"That goddamned demon!"
Well, that explains why I'm covered in...slime? God, I hope that's slime.
"And this stinging in my chest,"
Oh JESUS! Ok, note to self: Don't touch chest!
"What am I gonna do?"
Wait, what do I mean 'What am I gonna do' ?
"I'm free. I can't hear the soul. I can't even feel him. I'm free! I'm actually free! And I'm still hungry!"
This is gonna be fun.
"But first! Clothes are good. So are showers!"
I need to find...oh hello!
"Perfect size," Looks like a lawyer type. What's he doin walkin around L.A at night? Doesn't he know that's when the things that go bump usually come out? Two to one he works at Wolfram & Hart.
That suit will have to do. It's not too bad.
Looks like he's got rich blood too.
*Shrug* I'm not picky.
"Ahhh! What's going on?!?" Hmm, screams like a girl.
I love the smell of fear. Okay, that was kinda cliche.
"Well, I was thinking of killing you then stealing your clothes. Seeing as how I'm kinda lacking in that area!"
"P-p-p-p-"
"P-p-p-p-p. You gonna get that sentence out sometime this year. Don't get me wrong, I got a lifetime. But I'm not a very patient man,"
I love this part. Right when I vamp out and their eyes widen in horror. That look is priceless.
"You're not a man!"
Hey!
"I assure you I am. I mean, if you just look dow-," Oh wait. "Oh, you mean the vampire thing. Yeah, well I guess I'm not a very patient vampire then. On that note, I'm gonna kill you now!" Mmmm.
OW!
"Help! PLEASE SOMEONE!" Bastard hit me with his briefcase.
*Sigh*
"PLEA-" Well, look at that. Hahahaha! Oh, THIS is priceless. The dumbass just tripped and fell. Looks like the fall knocked him out cold. How stupid do you gotta be to pull something like that?
Oh well! Worked in my favor.
"Let's see...Wallet! Harold, how you doin? Nice ID picture. Really it's nice. Ha! I knew it. You got nothin but Benjamins' in here!" Bastard's got more hundreds than an ATM machine.
"I'll take this!" Okay, just gotta strip the guy down and get my shit together.
15 minutes later...
"I like this suit. I just so happen to be very fond of pinstripes and silk!" Okay, now I can eat.
"I'm going to enjoy this!"
AHHH! What the hell was that?!? Oh god, my head! *Moan* That felt like multiple drills were trying to drill there way OUT of my head.
"What's going on?" Shit, lawyer's waking up.
"Go back to sleep!" Little punch otta do it!
ARRRGGHHH! What IS THAT?
"Something is seriously wrong with this situation! I need answers. I need answers NOW!"
Looks like I'm gonna be paying my soul mate a visit.
***
The Hyperion
The trio finally made their way back to the hotel. Angel had nearly passed out several times during the ride back. Not knowing what else to do, Wesley did the only thing he could think of. Everytime Angel looked as though he was about to blackout, Wesley would smack him as hard as he could. It made the vampire angry but it worked pretty well.
Gunn parked the plymouth and helped Wesley drag Angel into the hotel.
Right as they walked in they met a worried Fred at the door.
"What happened? You were breaking up over the phone. I couldn't make out what you said!" Fred asked hurriedly.
"Fred, where's Cordy and Connor?" Angel asked, wincing as he slowly sat down on the couch.
"Cordy went up to your room right after you left and I just laid Connor down in his crib. As far as I know they're still asleep."
"Ok," Angel nodded.
"Fred, I need you to please research this demon for me. See if there are any possible cures from it's poison," Wesley asked handing Fred the book he had been looking at earlier. Her eyes widened as she noticed the gash on Angel's chest.
"I'll go do that right away!" She quickly left.
"Angel, you alright?" Gunn asked sitting across from him.
"Yeah, I just feel a little tired," He replied rubbing his eyes.
"Stay awake!" Wesley said preparing to smack him but Angel stopped his hand.
"I can't take anymore. I promise you I won't fall asleep, alright?" Angel asked frustrated. His cheek felt sore and hurt to touch.
"Right, sorry."
"Yeah, man. You should prolly lay off him for a little while. I think you got a pretty good workout in that arm of yours. And Angel looks like he's wearing blush," Gunn said chuckling.
"You find this funny?" Angel asked a little angry. 'I could be dying right now, and he's laughing it up!' He thought.
"Nah man! I mean, that sucks," Gunn said pointing to Angel's chest. "It's just I've been watching you get bitch slapped by Wesley for the past hour and it's kinda funny," Angel gave him a cold stare.
"I'll just shut up and go help Fred. Sorry!" Gunn said exiting quickly.
Angel sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"Should I go get Cordelia?" Wesley asked the vampire.
"No! Let her rest. She needs it," Angel said sitting up straight again.
"Angel, she's going to find out sooner or later."
"Then she'll find out later."
The two remained quiet for a short while. The awkward silence was too much for Wesley.
"She seemed very upset over what happened earlier," He said softly.
"What are you talkin about?" Angel asked confused.
"Cordelia. She seemed very concerned over her having the vision,
while she was holding Connor."
"Oh. That," Angel said sighing. He knew Cordelia was upset and he knew that eventually they were gonna end up talking about it. He just didn't want to have to do that now.
"I'm asuming you agree?"
"You'd be asuming right."
"Do you plan on talking it over with her?"
"Right now, I'm focused on this. Right here. And the not dying aspect of this. Right now. Right here."
"Angel, you're not going to die."
"Because I'm already dead?"
"Well, that too. But we will find a cure. And when we do, you'll be fine. Fine enough to discuss this issue with Cordelia," Wesley pointed out.
"What am I supposed to say to her, Wes?" Angel asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.
"Do you understand her reason for being upset?"
"Yes, I understand. But, I don't want her to feel like she shouldn't hold my son because she's afraid she's going to endanger him somehow. I'll admit, I was a little concerned about what happened. But I trust her with Connor. She's the closest thing he has to a mother. I don't want her to feel obligated to back off. I don't want her to back off!" Angel said with frustration.
"I'm getting that," Wesley said, understanding something about Angel and Cordelia that he wasn't so sure of before but had no doubt about now.
"Wesley, Angel! We found something!" Fred announced as she walked over to the pair, with Gunn in tow.
"Already?" He asked them with surprise.
"Yeah, we're fast researchers," Gunn said looking down at Fred admiringly.
"What did you find?" Wesley asked, going to stand on the other side of Fred.
"Ummm, well the Tamayaikee infect their opponents by impaling them with their spikes and spreading the poison. But when this happens they usually die, kinda like when a bee stings somebody and loses it's stinger. We searched for cures, but supposedly...There are none.
We tried tracing some other links to the word Tamayaikee itself. It means separater-"
"Yes, I remember reading something about separate entities. Did you find anything similar to that?" Wesley inquired leaning in closer.
"We found something on the demon that says that it can cause a person and their inner self to seperate. Kinda like attack of the clones," Gunn explained.
"How does it do that?" Angel asked.
"Hypnotism. It draws out their victims inner self through mental powers of some sort. It said...It said the peson would slowly die without their other half to complete them," Fred said slowly.
They all shared a look.
"When you say 'inner self' you mean-" Wesley didn't get to finish.
"Inner child, your conscience, or some might say your inner demon!" Angelus stated as he strolled into the lobby. He walked right in front of Angel and looked him up and down.
"Damn, I look like crap!"
"Angel?" Fred asked tentively as Gunn and Wesley covered her.
All Angel could do was sit and stare up at himself.
"Angel, what's with the suit?"
Part 4
Angelus turned around quickly to see Cordelia at the top of the steps.
"Cordelia, Cordelia, Cordelia!" Angelus said with a smile.
"Angel?" Cordelia asked.
"Cordelia!" Angel said to her, standing up, wincing slightly at the pain in his chest. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Angelus flinch a little too.
"Angel-s? What's going on?" Cordelia paused on the stairs with a furrowed brow.
"Where's Connor?" Angel asked quickly.
"He's upstairs in his crib. I came down here to get him a bottle for when he wakes up. Fred, I thought you were upstairs!"
"I heard them pull up. I came down here to see if everything was alright," Fred tried to explain.
"And obviously it's not! There are TWO Angels! How is that possible?!?" Cordelia asked confused and bewildered.
Angelus looked on in amusement as several emotions passed over her face.
"Hey Cordy! Long time no see," Angelus asked in a sickeningly sweet tone. He winked at her as he blew a kiss.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me!" Cordelia said shaking her head.
"Cordelia, I want you to go upstairs and get Connor. Fred, go with her," Fred nodded as she quickly walked by Angelus and to Cordelia who stayed firmly planted on the stairs.
"I want you to get all your stuff together, go to your apartment, and stay there," Angel said firmly.
"But-"
"No, no buts. Just please go!" Angel said pleading with her.
"Can you at least tell me what's going on, so I can know why I'm being kicked out?"
"Come on, Cordy," Fred said trying to persuade her friend to follow her up the stairs. But Cordelia held onto the railing.
"I'll talk to you later. Once I figure out what's going on!" Angel said rubbing his temples.
"Angel?" Cordelia asked as she noticed how tired he looked.
"GO! And don't let anyone in. Not even me," Angel said as he looked between Angelus and Cordelia.
Cordelia jumped at his tone and bumped into Fred.
"I think you better listen to him. Unless of course you want that pretty little neck of yours to-"
"Going!" She replied quickly. Cordelia and Fred practically ran up the stairs and straight to their rooms to gather their things.
"Angel, you want me to go with them?" Gunn offered.
"Yeah, go help 'em out. You can take my car," Angel said, throwing him the keys.
"You're letting him take the car? What the hell is wrong with you?" Angelus asked a little angry. 'It was my idea to buy that car in the first place!'
"Shut up!"
"You know, I think I like your new 'Take Charge' attitude! Definetly an improvement from the 'Whiny-Tortured Soul' attitude."
"How did this happen?" Angel asked without any hesitation.
"What? This?" Angelus motioning between them. "Don't look at me, I came here looking for answers of my own. I'd figured you'd know what happened, seeing as how you were in charge of the body last!" He said accusingly.
"So, you know nothing about what has happened?" Wesley asked stepping forward.
"What did I just say, WatcherBoy?"
"We gotta figure out what happened. And how to reverse it!"
"Yeah...Hold on, reverse it?"
***
Upstairs
"Fred, what is going on?" Cordelia asked, pleading with her friend to tell her the truth as they hurried down the hallway to the nursery.
"Cordelia...I think you should ask Angel-"
"I TRIED and he YELLED AT ME!"
"Kinda like what you're doing right now?" Fred asked quietly.
"YES! I mean NO. I don't know. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just confused and I don't like that feeling!" Cordelia quickly opened the door to the suite and raced to Connor's crib.
"It's okay," Fred said trying to calm her.
"No! If this is as bad as I think it is, then this is a million miles away from okay!" Cordelia said running a hand through her hair. Fred shook her head not knowing what to say.
"Fred, just tell me one thing. Was that Angelus down stairs?" Cordelia asked. She sucked in a breath, holding it in as she waited for an answer.
"I-I think so. But then again, I've never met him myself so-"
"Oh God," Cordelia whispered. They reached Angel's suite and she quickly opened the door and headed into the nursery.
"Connor?!?"
"Is he okay?" Fred asked, almost afraid of the answer.
"Yeah, he's fine!" Cordelia said with a shaky smile. She was about to pick up Connor but backed away abruptly.
"Uh, Fred can you get Connor? I'll get all his stuff together," Fred looked at her with a furrowed brow as she quickly moved around the room, gathering stuffed animals and his diaper bag.
"Cordelia, I can do that," Fred told her, trying to take the items out of her arms.
"No! Just please, get Connor ready!" Cordelia said, holding on tight to the stuffed bears and the bag.
"Cordelia, it's okay. Nothing's gonna happen if you get him-"
"I can't, Fred," The older girl whispered. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks, but she held them in and refused to let them fall.
"Hey!" Gunn said entering.
"Ahh!" Both girls jumped once they heard him. Cordelia dropped the items and brought a hand to her chest.
"Hey, hey! It's cool it's just me," Gunn said walking in to help them gather the fallen objects.
"Charles, you scared us!" Fred said as she ducked down to help pick up some of the toys.
"You're almost as bad as Angel," Cordelia said with a frown.
"Sorry about that. Angel asked me to come up here to help you get your stuff together. We're gonna be taking his car," Gunn said flashing the keys.
"He's letting us take the car? It must be more serious than I thought," Cordelia replied humourlessly. She kneeled down and began piling everything into the bag.
"I'll get Connor ready," Fred said as she rose and walked over to the crib.
"Gunn?" Cordelia whispered from her position on the floor.
"Yeah?" Gunn asked crouching down next to her.
"Give me a straight answer. What's going on?" Cordelia asked looking down at her hands.
"Truthfully, Cor...I don't even know. Look, once Angel figures out what IS going on, he'll tell you. You know that," Gunn said putting his hand on her shoulder. Cordelia nodded with a sigh.
"Okay."
"Okay," Gunn patted her shoulder then rose taking the bag full of Connors things with him. "Fred you need anything from your room?"
"I'll just go grab my coat and bag," Fred said as she came out holding Connor. She handed him over to Gunn and walked out to her room.
"Cor, you wanna take him?" Gunn asked as he bounced the baby up and down.
"I'll take his stuff," Cordelia took the bag off of Gunn's shoulder and went to grab her coat off of Angel's bed.
"Okay. Let's go meet Fred," Gunn said as he walked out after the seer.
They walked down the hallway in silence. Cordelia tickled Connor under his chin and smiled sadly as the baby chuckled a little.
"You sure you don't want to take him?" Gunn asked once more.
"No, I probably shouldn't," She said looking down at her feet.
"Why not?" Gunn asked confused.
"Okay, I got everything!" Fred announced as she exited her room holding her things. Cordelia thanked the PTB that she didn't have to answer Gunn's question.
"Alright, let's go."
***
Downstairs
Angelus was relaxing on the small couch in the lobby, with his feet propped up on the coffee table across from him.
"Basically we know nothing. Am I right?" He asked in a bored tone.
"Pretty much," Angel replied shortly.
"You can't even tell me why I can't hurt anybody?"
"What?" Wesley and Angel asked in unison.
"Can you explain to me why I can't feed?" Angelus asked slowly with a roll of his eyes.
"You can't feed?" Angel asked bewildered.
"Don't you think that if I could, I would of at least killed HIM by now," He replied gesturing towards Wesley. "Come on, give me some credit!"
"I was a little confused by that but-" Angel started.
"*Sigh* Let me tell you a little story," Wesley and Angel shared a look as he got up dramatically and began his story.
"I wake up in a dank, dark alley. Naked nonetheless! And I'm covered in what appeared to be demon remains," He began.
"The first thought that entered my mind was that I was back in Galway. I had a killer headache, so I figured me and Darla had gotten pissed drunk the night before," He paused for dramatic effect.
"I thought maybe the past 248 years of my life had been nothing but a nightmare, made up by my alcohol induced mind. Then that’s when I'm slammed back into reality by the passing of cars, beeping of pagers and ringing of cell phones. And some guy that kept saying 'Can you hear me now?'"
"So there I am. Left all alone. And I can't stress this enough...With no clothes, NO CLOTHES! I figured I'd probably help that situation cause I wasn't about to go streaking through all of Los Angeles," By now he was pacing in front of Angel and Wesley, running a hand through his hair but soon regretting it for there was still some slime left in it. Wiping his hand on his pants, he began again.
"I see this guy, he looks about my size. I grab him. Go to bite him, he hits me in the head with his breifcase and makes a run for it. Probably would of made it too, had it not been for the fact that he was an incompetent MORON and he tripped and fell. I go over, find out he's knocked out cold and I take advantage of the situation. I strip him down," He said waving a hand over the suit.
"Then I go to bite. But I get this horrible pain in my head that felt like I had doused it in holy water and then shoved newly sharpened crosses through each one of my eyelids," He said motioning toward his head. Wesley flinched. Angel crossed his arms and tried to get the image out of his head.
"He started waking up so I punched him, you know?" He said with a shrug.
"Of course," Angel replied sarcastically.
"But there's that PAIN again! So I just figured, screw it. And I headed over here to get some answers," He finished up and plopped down on the couch.
"So you can't hurt anyone?" Angel asked, not believing for one second what he was hearing.
"Pay attention, Smart-One. What have I been screaming?" Angelus replied with a growl.
"Why should we believe you? Your history has proved you to be a lying, sadistic, son of a bitch. Why would we beieve anyone with that type of track record?" Wesley asked stepping forward. Angelus turned to him with a gleam in his eyes.
"Thank you. Your comments flatter me, really!" He said putting a hand to his still heart.
"But I can see your point. You want proof? Then I'll give you proof!" Angelus braced himself for the inevitable pain that was about to come.
Before even Angel could stop him, he lunged at Wesley and vamped out and went to bite him. An intense pain shot through both of the vampires and caused them both to cry out in pain.
"Ahhh!" Angel clutched his head and fell back onto the couch. Angelus sat down immediately and held his head between his hands.
Wesley watched on, bewildered as to what was going on.
"Now do you believe me?" Angelus shouted still clutching his head.
"Ahh," Angel moaned, waiting for the ache to subside.
"What was that?" He asked, shaking his head trying to get the pain to leave.
"THAT was what I've been trying to tell you about for the past ten minutes!" Angelus yelled to him.
"Now are you gonna tell me that you know nothing about this?" Angelus asked, narrowing his eyes at them.
"No! We know as much as-"
"Well there was something," Wesley said.
"What?" Angelus asked standing up. Wesley looked at Angel who shook his head.
"Angel, we might as well tell him. He's going to need to know," Wesley said trying to persuade his friend.
"Fine, you're right!" Angel said leaning back on the couch.
"Tell me what?" Angel asked narrowing his eyes again.
"Here, it's all there," Wesley said handing him the research Fred and Gunn had gathered. He quickly snatched it up and scanned the contents.
"This is a joke, right?" Angelus said with a touch of anger in his voice. He threw the papers down onto Angel's lap and folded his arms over his chest.
"I mean, you can't be serious. This is bullshit!"
"Unfortunately, it's all true," Wesley said as he took a seat next to Angel.
"He's right," Angel said gruffly.
"And you were gonna hide this from me?" Angelus asked slowly. Angel just shrugged in response.
"So a little quick run down. If we don't reverse whatever the hell happened...Then we're dead. As in, even more so then we are now?" Angelus asked as he sat across from them.
"In a nutshell," Angel said staring at the floor.
"You and me. We need each other to survive," Angel wasn't sure if his demon was asking or telling.
"Looks like."
"Well, irony's a bitch!" Angelus replied mainly to himself.
"My thoughts exactly," Angel said with a nod.
An awkward silence came over the group. Not being able to take it, Angelus got up and began pacing.
"How much time do we have?" He asked stopping in front of the pair.
"We're not sure," Wesley said as he looked at Angel from the corner of his eye.
"Well how do we reverse it?"
"We, uh...We don't know that either," Wesley said.
"Then go figure it out!" Angelus said through clenched teeth.
"It's not that simple," Wesley said looking up at the vampire. Angel watched the interaction closely. He knew Angelus was frustrated. 'Yeah, well so am I!' He thought.
"Yes it is! Go in there," He shouted, pointing at the office. "And get one of those big books of yours and look up the answer!"
"You and I both know nothing is that simple," Wesley said. His voice calm yet the look in his eyes filled with hate.
"Hey guys-" Angel got up and tried to bring attention to the two.
"Then do whatever the hell you need to do to help the situation!" Angelus said in a threatening tone.
"And you be patient!" Wesley said, standing up, giving him the same tone.
"Guys!" Angel said getting in between them.
"Haven't you been paying attention, Watcher? I don't got a lot of time. And patience tends to require quite a bit of that!" Angelus said taking a step closer.
"STOP!" Both men looked at Angel as he pushed them both away a step back.
"We're gonna figure something out. Alright?" He said looking at Angelus. "But to do that, we need to cooperate with eachother and focus! We're gonna pick up where Fred and Gunn left off and research this demon! ALL OF US!" He shouted looking between him and Wesley.
"NOW! Pick up a book," He said shoving a book into Angelus chest. "And RESEARCH!" He turned Wesley around and pushed him in the direction of his office. "Dear GOD in heaven!" He blew out a breath and plopped down on a couch, grabbing a book from the coffee table.
"Stay where you're better accquainted," Angelus commented. Angel glared at him. "Alright, alright! Don't get your panties in a twist SoulBoy!" Angelus went over to one of the other couches and sat down with his book in hand.
"I'll got look up some refrences. Fred might have overlooked something," Wesley said quickly retreating to his office.
'Thankyou!' Angel thought as he set to the task at hand.
Suddenly he heard rustling coming down the stairs. He looked up to see Gunn coming down with Connor in his arms, Fred came in tow and Cordelia was last. Angelus noticed them also. He saw Connor and froze. That was his son. His son.
'Has a nice ring to it!' He thought.
"We're gonna be heading out now," Gunn said as he moved to the side and held the door open for Fred and Cordelia. Cordelia paused and looked behind her. She noticed Angelus was staring at Connor but his eyes quickly flashed to her. She looked away and up at Angel.
'I'LL CALL YOU' He mouthed to her. She nodded and was about to leave when Angelus stalled her.
"I promise I'll see you real soon, Cordy," He called out to her. She looked at him but Gunn ushered her out the door quickly and closed the door behind him.
"Gotta love Cordelia...I know you do, Angel!" Wesley looked up from his book at the comment. Angel's gaze remained cold.
"Get to work!" He said quietly then sat down with his book once again. Angelus just smirked then began to read on.
***
Cordelia's Apartment
"Fred, what time is it?" Cordelia asked as she picked at the fabric from one of the throw pillows on her couch.
"It's 9:45," Fred said offering her a small smile.
"Which would be about five minutes since the last time you asked her," Gunn replied bringing in a glass of water and six aspirins. "I thought we could all use a couple of these," He said passing two each to Fred and Cordelia. He downed his own then gave them the glass of water.
The three had assmebled in the livingroom. Fred and Cordelia on the couch and Gunn trying to relax in her recliner. Connor was sound alseep in Cordelia's bedroom. Angel had yet to call, which had them all a bit on edge.
"Thank you. But I highly doubt this is gonna work," Cordelia said, swallowing hers anyway.
"Cordy, you just need to rel-"
"If you tell me to relax one more time there's gonna be a headline in the paper tomorrow morning 'YOUNG BLACK MALE FOUND STABBED TO DEATH IN AN APARTMENT IN SILVERLAKE, LOS ANGELES- SUSPECT IS A YOUNG BEAUTIFUL FEMALE-"
"Cordy, girl. I'm just saying you're too tense is all. I know you want answers, we all do. I wish I had 'em-"
"But you don't" She whispered to him.
"Cordelia, Gunn is right. I know it's frustrating but we'll find out what's going on soon enough," Fred offered, patting the other girl's arm.
"Yeah, well 'soon enough' just isn't...soon enough!"
"Angel said he would call, right?" Cordelia nodded. "It's only been two hours," Gunn informed her, trying to sound optomistic.
"Oh is that all?" She replied sarcastically.
"How's Connor doing?" She asked with a sigh.
"Sleeping like a baby...Cordelia, do you need anything?"
"No, I just...I'm sorry you guys. I've just been dealing with a lot of stuff lately and...I just want to know what's going on," Cordelia sighed again, leaning back into the cushions.
"Super hero bizz ain't easy, huh?" Gunn comented as he leaned back into the recliner.
"Hmph, understatement of the year!" She said with a chuckle.
Suddenly the phone rang. Cordelia jerked her head toward the sound and quickly made her way to it. Nearly tripping over Fred's feet, she picked up the reciever.
"Hello?" She asked quickly. Gunn and Fred looked at each other.
"Cordy?" Angel asked.
'IT'S ANGEL' She mouthed to her friends.
"Angel...This is Angel, right?"
"Yeah, Cordy. It's me."
"Good! What's going on?"
"Listen, I'm gonna head over there in a little bit. I'll explain everything that's going once I get there."
"But-"
"I'll be there in a little bit."
The line went dead.
"Hello? Angel?" Cordelia placed the receiver back into it's cradle softly. "He hung up on me!" She said with disbelief.
"Did he say anything?" Fred asked concerned.
"No. He just told me he would be here in a little while. He said he would explain everything once he got here," She explained as she leaned back on the couch once more.
"Well, I guess we just wait," Gunn said crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in the recliner.
"I hate waiting!" Cordelia whispered to herself. "Hurry up, Angel!"
***
The Hyperion
Angel sat at the counter, staring at the phone. He had just hung up with Cordelia. He could here the anxiouness in her voice.
"Wesley!" He called to his friend that was trying to translate an ancient passage.
"Yes?" He asked looking up.
"I'm gonna go over to Cordy's. Try and explain what's going on," Angel said walking over to his desk and retrieving something from the top drawer. "I'm going to need you to stay here and keep researching. If you need to, just use this," He said quietly as he handed him a tranquilizer gun. Wesley took it and put it underneath the cover of his book. "Will you be okay?"
"I'm sure I will be," Wesley said in an even tone.
"Okay. I'll see you in a little bit," Angel said as he grabbed his coat and locked the office door behind him. He gathered a stake from the counter and walked out to the lobby.
"I'm gonna go. Behave!" Angel ordered as he passed Angelus on his way out.
"Wait, where are you going?" He asked.
"Over to Cordelia's apartment. Fill her in on what's going on...Don't even think of trying anything while I'm gone. I'll know if you do!" Angel warned.
"You sure you don't want me to come with?"
"I'm sure I can manage without you."
"You would think so, wouldn't you?" Angelus asked cocking his head.
"I'm leaving now!"
"I'm gonna miss you!" Angel just shook his head and rolled his eyes.
***
Cordelia's Apartment
"Hey Connor!" Cordelia whispered to the sleeping child on her bed. She left Fred and Gunn in her livingroom, watching some reality TV show about a millionare.
"Hey baby," She said softly as she laid down next to him.
"Can you tell me what's going on? Huh?" He cooed in his sleep.
"You neither? That's okay. You know, maybe I'm just over-reacting. This could be nothing. This could all just blow over and be erased by some kind of spell. I could be worrying about nothing...Then again, it's never nothing with your father. I guess that's just how our life goes. You gotta have some bad, to have some good," She murmured stroking his head.
"Like...Darla was bad! But you? No, see you are very good!" She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the forehead.
"So are you," Cordelia turned her head towards the doorway and saw Angel standing there. She slowly got off the bed and made her way out of the room, brushing past Angel. He follwed her out.
"I thought you told me not to let anyone in. Not even you?" They walked out to the living room. Cordelia turned around abruptly, causing Angel to almost run into her. He stopped himself and put his hands on her shoulders.
"I came to let you know what's going on," He said putting his arms back to his sides.
"Alright, so tell me," She crossed her arms over chest and waited for him to respon. Gunn turned off the television. Him and Fred looked at the vampire.
"Do you want to sit down?"
"I'm fine," She leaned against the counter in her kitchen and listened for the explanation. Angel nodded and sat down at the table. He folded his hands out in front of him and began.
"We found the demon from your vision. We managed to kill it. But it, kind of...scratched me with one of it's spikes-" He was interrupted by Cordelia.
"But I thought it's spikes were poisonous?" She asked. The realization slowly dawned on her.
"Yeah, they are," He said, not being able to look at her.
"So what does this mean? Are you okay? How could you let it scratch you like that? Are you hurt? And this still doesn't explain why there are TWO of you!" She finished taking a breath.
"I'm getting to that!" He said trying to remain calm.
"Demon worked some kind of mind mojo on Angel. Hypnotized him. It took a swipe at him and almost ended up giving him more then a scratch," Gunn said as he got up and stood next to the table. Fred came up and stood next to him. Cordelia's eyes widened but she said nothing.
"That's what it does. It hypnotizes people. It draws out their inner self-"
"So that was Angelus?" Cordelia asked looking at the floor.
"Yeah," Angel said, finally looking up at her.
"Where is he now?" Fred asked.
"At the hotel."
"Where's Wesley?" She asked a bit hesitantly.
"Umm...At the hotel?" Angel said sheepishly. He knew they wouldn't understand what was going on.
"WHAT?" Cordelia shouted. Immediately after they heard Connor's wail. Angel and Cordy started for her bedroom but Fred held up her hands and went herself.
"Do you mean to tell me that Wesley is at the hotel with Angelus, all alone?" Cordelia asked more quietly.
"Yes, but-"
"Did you tie him up?"
"No, but-"
"Did you tranquilize him?"
"No, Cordy just listen-"
"You left our friend alone with a killer?" She asked, not believing what she was hearing. Gunn watched as she clutched the edge of the table, her hands turning white from the pressure.
"He can't hurt anyone!" Angel said exasperated.
"What do you mean?" Gunn asked curious.
"It's some sort of spell or something. All I know is, he's not capable of hurting anyone," Angel said rubbing his eyes.
"How do you know?" Cordelia asked skeptically.
"Trust me, I know!" Angel said looking her in the eyes.
"I want to, Angel. I really do, but this is too weird. Even for me!" Cordelia said, taking a seat at the table. Angel went to sit next to her.
"Believe me, I know the feeling," They looked at each other. Gunn took it as his cue to leave them alone.
"What do we need to do?"
"We need to find a way to reverse it before..." Angel trailed off, not knowing if he should continue.
"Before what?" She asked worriedly. Angel sighed and looked down.
"If we don't find a way to reverse this...It'll kill me," He said, not being able to look into her eyes.
"What?" Cordelia whispered.
"Seperate, Angelus and I can't survive. We need to find a way to put us back together."
"Does he know all of this?"
"Yes."
"And he agreed?"
"He has no choice."
"What do we do?"
"Research. Find the cure. That's all we can do," Angel looked down at his hands. This was going to be harder then he thought.
"And if we don't?"
"Don't what?" He asked looking up at her.
"What if we-" She paused to clear her throat. "What if we don't find a cure?"
"I-I...I don't know," He whispered back.
"So, what? I just get to watch my best friend DIE?" Cordelia asked standing up and circling the counter. Angel's head snapped up at her comment. He turned around to face her.
"Cor, that's not gonna happen-"
"Well, what then?!?"
"I-"
"Tell me because I think this is something I need to know!" She was getting angry. Mostly frustrated, but the anger was there. Angel knew that. He got up amd stood opposite of her behind the counter. He gripped the edge and tried to remain calm but it wasn't working.
"Cordelia, what do you want me to say? I don't KNOW what's going on! If I knew, I would tell you! This is all happening so fast, everything was fine up until a few hours ago. Now, Angelus is back and if I don't reverse what happened that's it. I don't even know how much time I have left!" He looked up and saw her staring down at the floor, tears in her eyes, with her arms hugging her body. He hung his head and closed his eyes. Composing himself, Angel circled the counter and went up to Cordelia.
"Why are these things always happening?" She asked not looking up at him.
"You gotta have some bad to get a little good," He said softly, remembering her words from earlier.
"Hmmph, I think we're long overdue for some good," Angel placed a soft kiss on her forehead and put an arm around her shoulders. They walked to the living-room and sat down together on the small couch.
"We'll get through this. We've been through worst things," Cordelia looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.
"It's not like the world's ending," He recieved a hand over his mouth. With questioning wide eyes her turned to the owner of the hand.
"Mmmph?"
"What the hell's wrong with you? Say something like that around here and it's liable to happen!" Cordelia said removing her hand and smacking his shoulder. Angel let a smile slip but it quickly left.
"We'll find something, Cordy. I promise!"
"I hope so," She laid her head on Angel's shoulder and listened to the sounds of Connor waking up and of Gunn and Fred trying to shush him. They stayed like that for a few minutes before she broke the silence.
"So, you left Wesley alone with Angelus?" Angel tensed at the question.
"Umm, well yeah...BUT! I locked the door and it's not like Wesley can't defend himself," And the eyebrow raised once again.
"I'm just-gonna go call him," Angel said, slipping from her embrace.
"I think it's best that you do!" She replied nodding at him.
"Yeah" And with that he rushed to her phone.
***
The Hyperion
"Talion...No!...Tarakeyan...No!...Tailorpunik...No!...A recipe for teryaki chicken?...Umm, no!" Wesley mumbled to himself as he searched through one of the ancient chinese texts books he had hidden away.
Ever since Angel had left he had been on edge. Even with the tranquilizer gun by his side, and the locked door between him and the demon he couldn't quite concentrate on the task at hand. Whenever he heard a sound coming from outside he would jump and instinctively reach for the gun. But Angelus never even tried to get into the office. He hadn't even said anything to the watcher. The most he had heard was a few choice cuss words, mainly directed at Angel, but that had been about half an hour ago. The newly come silence was beginning to unnerve Wesley, but he tried to remain calm.
*RRRIIINNNGGG*
"AAH!" Wesley jumped and let out a high pitch yelp. He realized it was only the office phone and reached over to grab it. He heard a low chuckle outside, embarrising, relieving, and terrifying him all at the same time.
"Umm, h-h-hello?" He asked keeping his breathing under control, or at least trying to.
"Wes? You okay?"
"Oh! Angel it's you! Yes, yes I'm fine. Is everything all right?"
"Yeah. I just called to check in. Are you sure you're alright?" Angel asked. He could practically hear the other man's heartbeat racing.
"Yes, I'm just a bit jumpy."
"Angelus didn't try anything did he?"
"NO! CHRIST, I ALREADY TOLD YOU I WOULDN'T!" Wesley turned his head to the door, listening to Angelus screaming.
"Did you get that?" Wesley asked sitting back down behind his desk and opening a new book.
"Yeah, I got it."
"Were you going to be returning soon?"
"Yeah, I'll be there in a little bit."
"See you later then," Wesley hung up and and rubbed his eyes.
*CRASH*
Wesley's head snapped up at the loud crash he heard. Looking up, there was Angelus leaning against the door frame to his office.
"Come on, did you really think that would keep me out if I really wanted to get in?" Angelus asked motioning towards the door. Wesley remained frozen for about a second then quickly reached for the tranquilzer gun, but realized he left it on the counter near the door, right next to the door. Angelus follwed his eyes and smirked.
"Relax, I can't hurt you remember? I just came in here to get another book," He said waving the text book in his hand.
"This one's empty," He dropped it on Wesley's desk then walked behind him, grabbing a couple books out of the shelf. Wesley remained still in his chair, looking up at the vampire. Angelus walked away and turned around to look at the watcher once more. He shook his head with a roll of his eyes and walked out to the lobby to continue researching. Wesley shook his head and tried to figure out what had just happened. He got up and peered into the lobby. Angelus was sitting on the floor, leafing through one of the text books he had gotten.
"Question? Comment?" He asked without even looking up. Wesley ducked back into his office, grabbing the tranquilizer gun on his way back to his desk.
"Dumbass," Angelus said under his breath, getting back to his reading.
***
Cordelia's Apartment
"Well?" Cordelia asked once Angel had hung up.
"He's fine. He said Angelus hasn't tried anything. He seemed kind of...I don't know-"
"Jumpy? Scared? On edge? Paranoid? Terrified?"
"All of the above. Not that I blame him. I should have sent him over here instead of leaving him there by himself," Angel said feeling the guilt start to settle in.
"Hey, Angel? It's okay. You just said so yourslef, everything's fine. Granted, leaving Wesley alone with a homicidal maniac wasn't the BEST thing in the world...but he's fine. Don't go all broody on me now. And besides, I needed to see you," Cordelia added softly.
"Why?" He asked, raising his eyes to look at her.
"I-I needed to know you were okay. I needed to know what was going on. I didn't exactly get the answer I wanted, but I'm kinda used to that by now," Cordelia said folding her arms over her chest. The two of them remained silent in her living room. Uncomfortable silence taking over.
"I-Umm...I should head back. Give Wesley a hand," Angel said turning towards the door.
"Oh! Okay, let me just get Fred and Gu-"
"No! You should stay here!" Angel said stopping her from getting to her room.
"What are you talking about? I can't stay here!" Cordelia said shaking her head in protest.
"Cordy, I don't want you there."
"I didn't ask you if you wanted me there or not!"
"Cordelia!"
"Angel!"
"Cordelia *sigh* I don't want you there. I don't want you near him," Angel said running a hand through his hair.
"Wouldn't be the first time."
"Because the other two times were so much fun?"
"You said he was harmless!"
"Yeah. Physically he can't hurt you. But I'm afraid that-"
"That what? He's gonna say some not so nice things about me? Sticks and stones, Angel!"
"Cordelia, you don't know what he's capable of! He's gonna try to mess with your head," Angel said trying to convince her to stay.
"Then I'll stay away from him! It's a big hotel. I'm sure I can manage that!" Cordelia said placing her hands on her hips.
"Cor-"
"Angel, please! Don't make me stay here. I can't stay here, knowing that you're there and that if something happens I wasn't there to help," Her eyes pleaded with him, and try as he might to avoid them he couldn't.
"I don't kn-"
"I was going crazy here waiting for your phone call. Please, don't make me do that again!" Angel sighed. He didn't want her around Angelus, but the truth was he wanted her there with HIM just as much as she wanted to be there.
"I don't want you with him alone."
"Not gonna argue with that," She said letting out she had been holding.
"Alright, I'm gonna head over there right now. Get your stuff together and I'll see you at the hotel in...Half an hour?" He said getting his coat and putting it on.
"Yeah," Cordelia said nodding her head at him. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she watched him leave her apartment. Blowing out a breath she walked to her bedroom.
"Gunn? Fred? Come on, let's go," She said to the pair that had been sitting next to the door.
"We were just-"
"I was looking for-"
"Shut up and get your stuff together. Come on, we gotta go help research!" She said grinning at them. Fred and Gunn groaned but smiled back.
Continue on...