Title: The Upper Hand?
Author: Anne
Rating: NC-17 (for some sexual content and violence)
Spoilers: No real spoilers- Connor doesn't exist and I didn't even bother with Birthday and all it implies. So, if I had to place it- I guess it would be after Plyea, but before everything else- and no mention that Buffy even supposedly died. I just figured that 'Mother's love' was long enough, mentioning all of those things. This is just a C/A story and it's done, not even close to being as long as 'Mother's love'
Disclaimer: ATS belongs to Joss & Co. - not me, go figure. .
Distribution: If you want it, it's yours- just let me now.
Chapter 1
"Cinnamon or nutmeg." Cordelia held up the two spices.
"Neither." Angel grimaced.
"Ah, you want to be surprised, okay." She smiled and turned back to the counter.
"No, Cordy. I don't."
"Pooh, you can't really be that boring."
Angel just sat his shoulders slumped and stared at the back of Cordelia's shaking head. She never listened to him, never. He'd growl if he thought it would do any good. But she would just pout or worse glare and do it anyway. For his own good she would say, to liven things up in his icky dull diet. Angel liked his icky dull diet. Well, actually, he really didn't 'like' pig's blood. But, it was all right, not as good as human of course, but since that wasn't really an option, it was fine. It worked and it didn' t need to be spiced up or livened in anyway.
"Here ya go." Cordelia smiled handing him the warm mug.
Angel reluctantly took it and he would drink it, because Cordelia wanted him to. Someday, she would listen to him. Who was he kidding? Cordelia would always have the upper hand in their relationship. Puzzled Angel put the mug down. It was just pig's blood.
"Ah, Gottcha," Her smile was even brighter; laugher filled her warm hazel eyes. "Scared ya, didn't I? I scared the big bad 'grr' guy."
"You definitely scare me." Angel took another sip. And she definitely got him. Angel didn't know when or how it exactly it happened but Cordelia Chase definitely got him all dead heart and tenuous soul of him. His realization that he needed her happened the first year of their working together and becoming friends. The love- he wasn't so sure about, the love just sort of snuck up on him. He probably still wouldn't realize it if it hadn't been for Fred's nonsensical ramblings about Kyerumption and Moira. Angel still didn't know whether he should thank Fred or hate her for that insight.
Angel's musings were cut off as he saw Cordelia's body tense and her hand fumble for the back of the chair. Angel was off the stool and over the counter before the scream emerged from out of her mouth.
"Cordy, Cordy." He murmured trying to hold her body from thrashing as the pain of the vision overtook her.
The sounds of Cordelia's yells brought Wesley, Gunn and Fred running.
The three friends knelt down beside Angel and Cordelia's trembling form.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, Cordelia stopped moaning and shifted in Angel's arms. "I'm fine, large demon, spikes a lot of them, razor like claws about to put an end permanently to a couples' grope session under the boardwalk. Hurry or the guy will never get the chance to be lucky again."
Chapter 2
Fred glanced at the other brunette sitting next to her. Cordelia was rubbing her temples as she read the computer screen over Fred's shoulder. "Cordy, are you sure you don't want to lie down or at least have some more aspirin."
Cordelia gave a small smile. "I'm fine. Really." She emphasized at Fred's doubtful look. "We need to keep looking. I want to identify that ugly of uglies. There was something about it in my vision. We need to know what it is- it's important." Cordelia looked towards the door of the lobby. "I wish.It doesn't feel right Fred. They shouldn't have gone without knowing what type of demon it was."
"But you said."
"I know.the couple didn't have the time, but I can't get over the feeling that we should have somehow found the time. Let's keeping looking."
Fred nodded and continued to search the All Thing Demons' website. "What about this one?"
"He's ugly, but no. The one in my vision had five claws, not four and it was uglier."
They both jumped as the front door slammed open. Cordelia was on her feet running as soon as she saw Angel's unconscious form cradled between Wesley and Gunn.
Cordelia swallowed her panic as she saw the deep incisions ripped into the vampire's chest and stomach. "Take him to his room. I'll get the first aid kit." She ordered.
****************************
Cordelia said nothing as she gently pulled the material of Angel's shirt off the bloodied wounds. Cordelia refused to let her fear get in the way of what she was doing. She wiped the blood and.. Cordelia looked up questioningly to Wesley. "What's this?" Pointing to a black oozing substance that seemed to be embedded in the cut.
Wesley peered in closer as did Gunn and Fred. The ex-watcher fiddled with his glasses. "I don't know it must have come from the demon."
"Wesley, you didn't recognize what kind of demon it was?"
"No, it was obviously some species of Incisoratic demon, but I've never read of the one we wounded or of such demon leaving a substance in their victim's injuries."
"Wounded?" Cordelia asked.
"It got away, we had to get Angel out of there. We saved the couple, though." Gunn said. "And it was hurt pretty badly."
Cordelia nodded. The couple was saved and Gunn was right, Angel needed to be brought home. That's all that mattered. "Wes, these wounds are bad, but Angel should be conscious by now, he's had worse." Cordelia stomach lurched as she said that, but it was true.
Wesley nodded. "I know. It may have been on the account of the substance." Wesley put on a pair rubber gloves identical to the one's Cordelia was wearing. "Fred," Wesley turned around to the address the young woman, but she was already out the door. "I'll get the microscope set up." She called as she ran down the stairs.
"Thank you, Fred." Wesley took one of the cloths that Cordelia had used to wipe up Angel's blood and the black substance. "I'll take this and see if I can identify it."
"Fred and I were looking on the website, we couldn't find the demon." Cordelia called after him.
"We will discover it. Angel will be fine."
Cordelia shook her head, fighting against the tears that were threatening to fall. "How do we know that? We can't even tell if he's still alive. I mean he's dead and he seems dead, for all we know he could be."
"He's not dust." Gunn said.
Cordelia shot the black man a look and then softly smiled. "Yeah, he's not dust so I guess then he the right kind of dead, uh."
Gunn smiled back. "Cordy, can I get anything for you?"
"No, just make sure that there is enough blood. We should've enough, but do uble check, Angel will need at least four more bags than usual once he wakes up."
Gunn nodded and left.
***************************
"Damn you, Angel. You're the champion. You aren't supposed to be the one hurt. Wake up, please." Cordelia finally let a small tear escape. "Please," she begged as she tenderly taped the last of the bandages on his chest. Cordelia force a smile. "You'll be fine. You will." Curling up beside the vampire. He was so still and cold, colder than normal. Angel's body temperature was always colder than a human's but after awhile once Angel had been in contact with them, his temperature would rise, as if the dead flesh soaked up the heat around it. Maybe, her body heat would warm him, make him heal faster.
Chapter 3
"Wesley." Fred beckoned the ex-watcher to the computer and pointed. "The Axis has five claws and leaves a purple substance in its victims, it eats away the flesh it penetrates. I know it says purple, but maybe they meant black." Pointing again to the authors of the site on the demon.
"No, if that was it, we should have seen a reaction by now." Wesley looked up as Gunn came down the stairs.
"Nada, and Cordy is passed out hugging the vamp. I was going to wake her but she'd probably just yell and get mad."
"That was probably for the best. You didn't detect any signs of Angel's flesh being eaten away around the bandages or discoloration or infection."
"Uh, gross. No."
"Wesley," Fred called again. "The author's cited this text as an authority on Axis' and other rare Incisoratic demons, but I can't pull it up on any other web page. It's seems to be out of print. Do you have a copy of it?"
Wesley came over and read the title. "No. Fred, please print it out for me. Gunn, just in case it was an Axis and the reaction is delayed because Angel's a vampire, I need you to go to the herbalist and get." Fred held out two sheets of computer printouts. One with the list of ingredients needed to counteract an Axis' poison and the title of the book. "Thank you." Wesley smiled. Fred smiled and pushed up her glasses.
Wesley handed Gunn the list of ingredients. "I'll go to Anatolia's book shop, if the book is still in existence, she will have a copy or at least know where to obtain it. Fred.."
"I'll stay with them."
"Thank you."
Chapter 4
The vampire's eyes remained closed as he used his other senses to discern where he was. He felt great, but he wanted to know as much of everything that was going on before he reacted. The warmth that surrounded his body felt exhilarating, the scent that confronted him was as intoxicating as it was familiar. The demon resisted the urge to plunder the source of the pleasure immediately, he had in the last 100 years learned the benefits of patience or rather his last two aborted tastes of freedom had taught him the necessity of thinking before acting.
The seer's body wrapped around his pretty much told him that the human's had no idea what had happened. Angelus moved his arms slightly; he wasn't chained. Which guaranteed they had absolutely no clue what the effects of the demon's slashes had on the ensouled wimp. Angelus didn't either. He just knew he was free. Angelus lifted his head, his eyes resting on the brown head sleeping in the crook of his shoulder. The delectable, lush Cordelia Chase, Angel's little best friend and unspoken love. This was going to be such great fun.
Angelus hid his smirk as he felt the body brush and move against him. Her warmth scorched against him. Angelus controlled himself. Angel was such a fool. The demon was going to have so much more than just fun with this piece of tasty ass.
"Angel," Cordelia leaned up and stared in the dark eyes of the vampire. "Angel, you're awake." She hugged him tightly. "Whoops, I didn't hurt you did I? Are you okay?" She sat up, her hands quickly going to the bandages. Angelus started to sit up. "Lie down, you big dork, scaring me half to death. Stay still, I want to see how you're healing." Angelus lay obediently back down.
Cordelia scrutinize the wounds. "They're better. They're better." She said grinning and hugging the vampire again. "I bet you're starving. Don't move. I'll be back. I promise no added flavoring. Lie down." Cordelia stopped at the door and glared. "You scared me, don't do it again."
"Yes, Cordy." Angelus gave a sheepish smile. Cordelia flashed him a beautiful smile and went running down to the lobby.
Angelus got off the bed. 'Yes, Cordy'. Jesus the ensouled wimp was whipped. He needed a shower and to get this show on the road. But, first, Angelus stilled and sensed the heartbeats in the hotel. Lovely Cordy's, of course and sweet innocent loony Fred's. Angelus smirked. Fred didn't think that Angel was a beast. Well, he was just going have to show that little cute Plyean refugee that just wasn't true. No, lame ass heroes. Where could Wesley and Gunn be? Angelus thought about that. He had planned on killing all of them, well except Cordelia at least not right away, she deserved special attention, after all, it was her that made his ensouled counterpart so pathetic. She was worse than the Buffmonster. Well, Cordelia was his priority, he didn't want to take a chance that they would figure out he was back, not before he had her safely away, but there still maybe time to play and kill Fred before the dumb heroes get back. He'd play it by instinct.
************************
"Cordy," Fred jumped up as Cordelia came running down the stairs.
"He's awake and healing fine." Running into the kitchen to get the blood.
"Angel's awake, wonderful." Fred smiled.
Cordelia paused and looked around. "Where's Gunn and Wesley?"
"Wesley went to get a book that he thinks will identify the demon and Gunn went to get some ingredients, just in case the black oozy stuff was poisonous."
Cordelia scrunched up her face as she put a mug of blood in the microwave. "Poisonous? He seemed fine. But,." Cordelia remembered her earlier unease about the vision. "That's a good idea."
Chapter 5
Cordelia glanced around the empty room starting to get worried, until she heard the shower running. "He must be better," she smiled to the young woman that had accompanied her back up the stairs.
"Angel, hurry up dinner's getting cold." She called heading towards the bathroom door. She jumped back as the door opened and the vampire strode out with nothing but a towel wrapped around his lean hips. Angelus debated about that but decided that he would wait too shock the seer and well, the towel would be enough to make the other woman all fidgety. He was right.
Fred just gapped her face turning bright red and she turned quickly around. Cordelia didn't notice Fred's embarrassment. Cordelia just shoved the mug at the vampire and looked again at the wounds on his chest, her finger tracing each line.
Angelus swallowed his growl at her touch, her obliviousness to his semi-naked state and the smell of pig's blood. He would show Cordelia that he was not a eunuch.
Cordelia scrunched up her face at the vampire. "Don't be growly, I told you I wouldn't spike it. Geez." She smiled and hugged him. Angelus had to move the mug to keep from spilling it at her embrace. "Now, drink it, you need it. You lost a lot of blood."
"Em," Fred said her back still turned. "Angel, I'm glad you're better, but you should probably still rest, Wesley and Gunn went to find out what kind of Demon attacked you and the possible effects of the black oozy stuff. It may not have effected you now, but it just might, so."
"Angel, she's right. That stuff was just gross and not normal. Well, demons in general aren't normal, but you know what I mean. Drink it, I'll get you some more and you lie down."
"Cordy, what about you? Are you hungry? You haven't eaten since way before the vision. And the guys will be back soon. About I go to that Mexican place down the street and get take out?"
"You just want tacos. But yeah, I am kind of hungry. You go and I'll stay and make sure stubborn 'grr' guy eats and rest. Angel." Cordelia turned pushing the mug to his mouth.
Angelus sighed and took a sip. He was hungry, but pig's blood was definitely not on his menu of choice. That was standing before him. But he drank and let Fred leave. He would have time, after he took Cordelia away. After all, she was his priority. He couldn't take the chance that he would waste this opportunity by playing with Fred and having Gunn and Wesley come back. Who knew, by the time he killed all of them Cordelia may escape. Angelus knew he would find her, but all that time wasted.
Anyway, if they did figure out what happened, their fear would just be an added bonus. He could wait for them, but not for Cordelia.
Angelus handed Cordelia the empty mug. She smiled.
"Could I have some more?"
Her smile got even bigger. "I'll be right back, now put some clothes on Fred almost fainted seeing you're manly boobs and get back into bed. You need to take advantage of this Angel, I'm waiting on you, won't happen every day, you know."
Angel went to the closet and pulled out some clothes. Leather and silk always a comfortable combination. He sat on the bed and thought. Angel was one stupid vampire and his stupidity had prevented Angelus from even seeing the truth. Or rather, Angelus' own desire to taste and destroy the seer had blinded him from sensing Cordelia's true feelings for the vampire. She wanted him, or she wanted the ensouled one, she was just better at the denial thing than Angel. Clueless idiots, both of them. But it made it all the more fun for him. Angelus would make the seer scream his name, beg for him, then terrorize her until she screamed in hate at Angel and him, then he would take her again, then..well, then one way or another she would die.
He got up and went downstairs.
Chapter 6
"I told you to lie down."
Angelus said nothing but moved closer.
"Angel?" Cordelia moved back the mug jerking in her hand as the vampire pulled it from her tossing it to the ground.
"I don't want it. I want you."
Cordelia moved back her legs pressed against the small table. Her eyes widened at his tone. Words that once should've have made her stomach twirl with butterflies, made her intestines tighten in fear and shivers run down her spine.
"No, no, no." She scrambled back trying to calm herself, trying to tell herself that she was imagining things. Her hand fell to the table searching for anything that could be used for a weapon.
Angelus moved quickly, he was aware that Cordelia had gotten better at her defensive moves and he didn't want to have to fight her, not yet. He grabbed her arms, pulling her tight to his body, the steel bands of his arm allowing for no movement. He plunged, his fangs piercing her neck and drinking. He forced his head up, not enough, but enough for now, he pressed his bloody lips onto her mouth as Cordelia's body slumped into his. Cordelia tried to struggle but the sudden blood loss and shock made her dizzy. She tried to scream, but Angelus mouth cut off her voice.
"Two choices, Cordy." Angelus pulled back his head, but kept her body firmly trapped to his. "I can hurt you really, really badly now, so much that you can do nothing but watch, watch while I kill Wesley, Gunn and sweet little Fred, or you can go with me now, and who knows maybe you're brave 'family' will figure it out and save you. Which will it be? I'm game for either."
Cordelia winced and wiped her lips against her shirt and spit. "You're just going to kill us all anyway. So, no I won't go willingly. Fuck you." She brought up her knee and knocked him in the groin and pushed with all of her might.
Angelus grunted but maintained his hold, barely. "You've have been paying attention to your little training sessions, but I'm still stronger, I will always be stronger." He pulled her in closer, yanking her hair in his fist. "One more time, Cordelia. I've given you two choices. Granted, your individual fate is pretty much determined but the rest of the fang gang's is up for grabs. If you fight me now and I have to do things that I'm not quite ready to do to you yet, you will be helpless and they will be clueless when they all walk back into their 'home' and I will take a lot of joy in killing them with quite of be of flair in front of you. But if you choose door number two, we go and they live for now. Do you really want to kill your family just because you're a little pissed at me?"
"Why? Why, not just do it?"
"Because, my dear, the plans I've have for you will take some time. I can of course act quickly and that wouldn't be fun for either of us, or rather not quite as much fun for me. But either away I will have fun. And aren't you always the one saying that I should have more fun, so really choice number two is the best."
Cordelia squeezed her eyes shut and wished herself anywhere but there, but no luck. She tried to think. She didn't want to give into the vampire. She wanted Wesley and Gunn to come back and shoot him with a tranquilizer gun, chain him up and for Wesley too figure out how to bring Angel back. But for that to happen, Wesley has to know that Angelus was here. And he wouldn't not until it was too late. And Gunn would just stake and ask questions later. And god forbid, Fred came back first. Cordelia slumped and nodded. Angelus held her body closer and smiled. Cordy was a brave one, full of spirit, but she was weak, too much heart.
"Smart choice." He pressed his lips against her cheek, his fangs scrapping against her skin.
"Whatever," she choked.
Chapter 7
Wesley skimmed through the book as he went to the counter. He looked again at the price. He was glad Angel Investigations had an account because there was no way he could pay its cost right now. But, even if it wasn't helpful in this particular incident it was definitely a book worth having. Why hadn 't he heard of it before? He was still chastising himself as a drawing and caption caught his eyes. Wesley stalled, his stomach dropped and perspiration broke out across his body. He ignored the clerk's questions as he read intently, his hand going for his cell phone. He waved the clerk away as he dialed the hotel frantically. No answer. No, he prayed. He dialed Gunn's cell phone.
"What?"
"Go back to the hotel, now. Take a tranquilizer gun and I don't care if Angel is unconscious or not- shoot him, then chain him, Cordelia knows where the chains are, tell her the black ooze eats away at a person's soul. Tell her, she'll know what to do. Gunn, I called the hotel. No answer. It may be too late, but try, I'm on my way."
"FUCK" Gunn yelled, startling the other customers of the herbalist shop. He ran jumping into his truck tires squealing as he made a wild U-turn in the middle of the street.
**********************
Gunn raced through the hotel. It was empty. He ran back to the lobby and jumped as Wesley barged in.
The two men looked at each other. Gunn shook his head. "No vampire, Fred or Cordelia."
Wesley slumped to the floor, his head resting in his hands.
"Guys, what's wrong?"
Wesley jumped up. Both Gunn and Wesley ran to Fred grabbing her.
"Guys, the food." She tried to pull back.
"You're alright." Wesley said with relief. He sighed. Maybe he was wrong. But . "Fred, where did you go? Where is Angel and Cordy?"
"Angel and Cordy?" Fred looked up puzzled at both men. "They were upstairs. Angel was all better. Cordy was going to get him some more blood. She was hungry, I was and I thought you'll would be so I went to the Mexican restaurant, you know the one with the really great white sauce, you know..Wesley what's wrong?"
Wesley turned away from the young woman. "I'm afraid that wasn't Angel, but Angelus, the book that I got identified the demon -it was an Incisoratic- an Aufreot, a soul eater. The black ooze penetrates the victim's wounds and steals away their soul. It stole Angel's soul and left Angelus. And Cordelia was left alone with him and now they're both gone." Wesley slumped back down on the floor. "Oh god."
Fred tightened her grip on the bags of food; she wouldn't panic. "I saw him it was Angel, not some monster, not the monster described in the file. It was Angel."
"I wish you were right, but then.where are they?" Wesley looked up to Gunn. "Did you find anything?"
"Not upstairs. I haven't really had a chance to look around here" he waved around to the lobby. "I went upstairs as soon as I saw no one was down here."
"Well, look now." Wesley got up.
"Wesley, it was Angel."
"I hope so." Wesley nodded, not at all believing what he said.
"Wes, man." Gunn called from the kitchen.
Wesley ran and stopped. Wesley looked at the fallen broken table, the broken mug of blood on the floor. Wesley took a deep breath. "Okay, gather all the weapons, Fred get your lap top, I'll get the books I'll need. Gunn, Angel's never been to your apartment correct." Wesley nodded at Gunn' s nod. "We will go there. Fred pack as much stuff as you will need in five minutes. We need to get out of here now."
"Wesley?"
"Angelus as free reign of this place, as he does with Cordelia's, I've invited him in my apartment before, we need to go to Gunn's now. We'll call Lorne from there, if the sanctuary spell is finally up and running we may be able to use it a base of operations, but until then we need to get away from here, now."
"What about Cordy?" Gunn asked.
Wesley closed his eyes. "We can only do her any good if we are safe and can plan without interruption from the mind games Angelus will start to play."
"Wesley, he didn't kill me or do anything. It was just Angel maybe they just went out."
"Fred, if he didn't show himself to you then it was only because he didn't want any inference while he took Cordelia away."
"I thought you said that Angelus was all obsessed about the Buffy chick, you know the love of Angel's life."
Wesley looked over at Gunn. "Angelus has been known to go after what Angel cares about the most. You've been with us for what almost two years- who would you say Angel cares the most about? Some blonde slayer that you've heard mention of or Cordy that he's been stammering, stumbling over and jumping into any and all damn portals that could possibly save her."
"Oh, the Kyerumption." Fred blinked.
"Yes. Now, move."
Chapter 8
"Darlin, I'm going to have to ask you to wait here." Angelus smirked at Cordelia. "Okay, I won't." He hit her and laid her unconscious body against the wall along with the other unconscious woman.
He barged into the room, the vamps all jumped up. "Who the hell?"
"The name's Angelus, and you have two choices follow or be dust." Angelus strode into the lair.
"Yeah, right, it's the soul guy, we heard about you."
"Did you?" Angelus laughed, lunging and staking the vampire. He rushed the others breaking and pulling them apart until they were only a few vampires huddled in the corner. "As I said, I'm Angelus and you have two choices, but let me make it easier," he left the hidden room off the alley and brought in the unknown woman. "Take her, would the souled wimp give you this. Take it, enjoy, but if you do then you are accepting me as master, don't and I will just kill you and find new followers. You're choice."
The few remaining vampires moved closer and sniffed at the woman. She was human, undrugged and healthy. They took her.
Angelus left and carried in Cordelia.
"Master, another?"
Angelus growled. "This is mine, if anyone touches her, they die, slowly, understand. I will be happy to help you increase your coffers of gain and blood, but this is mine. Remember that and we will all be happy and full."
"Okay, okay." The big blonde vampire went back to the others that were drinking off the fallen woman.
Angelus went up to the stairs of the old warehouse, he looked around. It would not do, the windows were covered but it would just not do. He set Cordelia down on the floor and went back downstairs.
"You," he called to the blonde vampire.
The vampire looked up from the woman's thigh. "Yes, Master?"
"I want you to get me some things."
"Yes, Master."
"Also, you'll look a little peaked, take some advice go to the east side, activity as been lean there over the last three years."
"Cuz of you, well, I mean cuz of.."
"Yes, well, I'm not there anymore now am I? I'm here. Go, eat, but only after you bring me what I need or I will make the whole city lean."
"Yes, master."
The blonde vampire tugged on the other vampires. "Finish her and let's go."
"Where?"
"Shopping and for take out." The blonde vampire shrugged. "That's Angelus."
"I heard the soul thing was just temporary, you mean that's true." The blonde haired vampire raised her brows in contemplation.
"Get over it, Cassandra, the Master has a pet." The blonde smacked the female vampire. "And I get the impression that he would be very angry, very angry if anyone came between him and his pet."
"Wow." Said a vampire that couldn't be over twenty-five, with the face of a teenager. "Angelus, we're with Angelus, that's so cool. What does he want us to do?"
"He wants us to get a bed, some curtains, some clothes for his pet, some food for her, he wants us to go shopping, but he also said that the east side is ours, so lets go. I have his list."
"Okay, she's done." The female vampire kicked at the dead woman.
Chapter 9
Cordelia tried to will herself back into unconsciousness, but her mind refused. She blinked and looked around. She moved her arms, she wasn't tied, that was good, right? She crawled up the wall, her back pressed against the cement. Where had Angelus taken her? She wasn't even going to guess why. Cordelia was just surprised that he hadn't killed her right away. What game was he playing? She should be grateful that he hadn't just stayed hidden killing all of them and then high tailing it back to Sunnydale. At least this way, hopefully, Wesley would have a chance to warn Buffy and the Scooby's and maybe find away to fix it before Angelus did too much damage.
Cordelia clenched her fist until her fingernails cut into the flesh of her palms. What fuckin good were the visions if they didn't show the true danger? The stupid horny teenage couple was alive, but now how many would die because the Powers didn't show her the real evil of the demon. Calm down. Cordelia looked around. She was in an abandoned warehouse. Debris, there was always junk in warehouse, some of it had to be wooden and sharp. She wouldn't kill Angelus unless she absolutely had to but she needed to be ready. Cordelia started to search the ground.
"Looking for pointy things?"
Cordelia refused to let herself react. She straightened. "Yeah. The pointier the better." God, she wanted to cry.
"You never give up do you? Don't you ever just get tired? Angel did, and looked what happened. He slept with Darla. It was fun, but just not enough. I pushed him to acknowledge his feeling for you." Angelus came up lifting Cordelia's chin. Her eyes remained shut refusing to look at his face. "Look at me Cordelia, you really won't like it if you don't."
Cordelia glared at him. "That's better. It wasn't so hard, now was it?" Angelus smirked moving closer. "I had hoped that he would just acknowledge it, get you in bed and then I would be free with my arms locked around you, your body over mine, your life mine at whim, but no. Ensouled, I was a clueless, impotent bastard, but now, fates were looking out for me, I don't even have to share with the souled wimp. You are mine, now." He brushed at her hair, fingering the puncture wounds on her throat. "That's what those mean, in case you were wondering. You are mine" Angelus shrugged and smiled. "Until, I get bored of course. Then you're just dead. Ooh, unless Cordy's heroes come to rescue, but your most stalwart savior is long gone eaten by black ooze. This is rich." Angelus laughed.
"What do you want?" Cordelia stepped back.
"It's not obvious?"
"Actually, it's not. Why am I here? Just kill me. Don't you have blondes to go after? Darla's still out there. Go, find her- make like vamp love bunnies away from here, go scourge Europe or something, go to Sunnydale, terrorize Buffy, just kill me and go. Leave Wesley, Gunn and Fred alone. Go."
Angelus stepped back and laughed resting his chin in his hand. "You are so beautiful and dumb. I'll get to Darla, when and if I feel like it, you never did understand did you, so hung up on the blonde factor." Angelus laughed. "And as for Sunnydale, you that eager that I go and wipe out your high schools playmates."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "No, maybe this time, Buffy will lose the love goggles and send your ass to hell quicker than later."
"Ooh, that's right, Buffy's the slayer. Scary. Cordy, love, I could give a shit about Sunnydale, that hell mouth lost it's appeal when Angel found a home here in LA, when he found his little true love here," Angelus curled his lip and whispered in a mocking tone. "Oooh, who could the evil vamp be talking about," Angelus eye's twinkled. "Could it be the loud mouth, sexy seer, who's as dim as a broken bulb? I think so."
"You lying bastard."
Angelus laugh became lower and came back upon her. "Oh, Cordelia, Cordy, me love, you are so stupid." Whipping her round until her back was pressed tight against his chest. He leaned in licking at the puncture wounds on her throat, biting at them. He growled, his fangs piercing the flesh making the wounds deeper, he held her closer as he drank, stopping again before he had too much. He twirled her around, Cordelia tripping at her dizziness. "Get the picture, darling." Cordelia's hand went to her throat as her body fell against the wall slumping to the ground.
"Um, excuse me, Master."
Angelus turned. "What's your name," he growled to the blonde vampire.
"Um, Clyde. Um, we've gotten what you asked for." He motioned to the bags he had in his hands and to the other vampires behind him, struggling with a mattress, bedsprings and other furnishings.
Angelus nodded, "Well done, Clyde. Did you find enough to eat?"
"Oh, yes."
"Excellent, set it up. Come on, darling, let's leave them alone while they make this place more homey for you."
Cordelia scrunched back further into the wall as Angelus reached for her. "Not nice." He jerked her up and swung her into his arms.
"Angelus, Master?"
Angelus turned to stare at the female blonde vampire. "Yes."
"I.anything you want, anything." She licked her lips.
Angelus considered. She was quite beautiful.
Cordelia lifted her head and stared. She struggled against Angelus' hold. "Put me down. Figures. Put me down and go to the blonde dead bitch would you. If you won't kill me, just leave and tie me up or whatever, just leave me.figures, blondes everywhere."
Angelus looked down at the wriggling brunette in his arms. He laughed and tightened his arms. "Be still or I will make you." He whispered into her hair. Cordelia just glared and moved even harder. Angelus sighed and squeezed even tighter and turned to the blonde vampire. "You're name?"
"Cassandra."
"Pretty name, I'll let you know, now just hang up the curtains, okay, that's a dear."
Angelus left the room with a still struggling Cordelia in his arms.
Chapter 10
"Why are we putting curtains up?"
"Because, Angelus said too."
"But, don't you find that weird?"
"Yeah, but Angelus is old, like really old from Europe old. They did weird things back then, but they were powerful. I say we listen and follow. This could be great for us." Clyde said as he nailed the material up on the wall.
"I don't know." Said the other male vampire struggling with putting the four-poster bed together. "I mean, all this for a human pet."
"They do that in Europe, it's called class." Clyde shook his head. "Don't you'll ever read? And, you have to admit, he did steer us right about that East side."
"True and he did pretty much tear everyone else to dust. I couldn't take him."
"I could." Cassandra laughed.
"Oh, keep your panties on, he ain't interested. He's got his hands full breaking his pet."
"He'll tire of her, quick. Puny human." She rolled her eyes and straightened the curtains. "I like these."
"I'm done, are you'll done I'm still hungry. There still some blood left in that delivery boy isn't there?"
"Yeah, but help put these clothes in the dresser first." Clyde called to another dark haired male vampire.
The vampire fingered the female lingerie. "I want a pet."
"Stick with Angelus, you'll get one, it's the European way." Clyde nodded.
Chapter 11
They were back down in the main room. Cordelia was leaned up against the wall. God, she wanted to scream. Scream in fear, anger and frustrations. She wanted Angel. Cordelia looked up at the mocking smiling face of Angelus, she closed her eyes and her urge to scream became even more pronounced. The urge became a reality when the pain suddenly over took her, her brain erupting in fire, and the flashes of a vision parading through her mind. She fell to the floor screaming.
Angelus moved, kneeling down and waited. Finally, Cordelia's yells decreased in volume, becoming small whimpers. "I guess, the Powers hadn't heard the news, uh." He leaned towards her. She winced, moving away, her hands going to her head, pressing at her eyes, low moans continuing.
"Um, Cordy, this is where you are supposed to say you're fine."
Cordelia shook her head; tears falling rapidly down her face. "It was never fine you bastard, it doesn't go away." She curled into a ball, holding her body close. Cordelia didn't care if Angelus saw her hurting, he wasn't Angel that would feel guilty, and he wasn't Angel that would care and brood about it. He couldn't make the pain lessen.
Angelus knelt on his heels. "What do you mean? You always told the wimp that you were fine."
"Well, get this you idiot, I lied." She yelled, wincing at the sound of her own voice.
"If you keep moaning like that, I'm going to have to knock you out, it's annoying. Well, it is when I'm not causing it."
"I'd be grateful," she gasped, rocking her body.
Angelus leaned further back. He didn't like this. "Where are your pills?"
Cordelia looked at him, her eyes red and filled with tears. "You're kidding, right?"
Angelus growled. Who would have thought to grab painkillers? It's not like he was planning to stop her pain, well at least the pain he caused, but this was just not fun to watch.
"No, you would have this little fits, Angel would hug and do oh are you okay bit, go fight the bad guys and come back and you would be fine. So, why aren't you fine?"
"And you call me and Angel stupid. How about, no hugging from Angel, no going to fight the evil in my vision, how about no relief from the pain, because the evil is still out there." She rubbed harshly at her temples. "Weren't you going to knock me out?"
"So, if I go kill the whatever in your vision, you'll stop wriggling around moaning like a dying fish."
"I hate you." She gasped.
"I know, but answer the question."
"Yes."
"Fine, where and what."
"You're going to go?"
"I'm not going to let the powers ruin my fun. You're useless like this. Tell me."
Cordelia bit down her retort. All that mattered was that Angelus was going to go. He was going to save the helpless, it didn't matter what the reason. So she told.
Angelus shook his head and yelled for Clyde.
Clyde came running.
"Watch her, no one touch her, get her water or something." Angelus stormed out.
Clyde looked at the frail human, moaning on the floor. He shrugged and went to get some water.
Chapter 12
"Lorne, are you sure it's safe here?" Wesley asked again.
Lorne came over from the bar and bottle of Scotch in his hand, placing it on the table before he sat. "This is just great, the big lug is the big evil lug and he has the princess, this is just great." He poured a drink.
"Lorne?"
"Yes. The club is still closed to the public; the three flighty delights have fixed the spell. I also gave them the heads up in the Angelus direction, so they're taking a mini vacation, so he can't find them, if he wanted to. And they also rescinded the human ban on violence, temporarily," he added for Gunn's benefit.
"I apologized."
"Yeah, you did." Lorne took another swallow. "So, leader what's the plan?"
"We go after Angelus, we dust him, and save Cordy, what else." Gunn said.
"Gunn, no. The research I've done indicates that if find the Auferote within the next 72 hours and kill it, and then the effects of the black ooze will be negated. And Angel's soul will return." Wesley shook his head in self-incrimination. "We should have killed it then, the black ooze was only able to take hold because we left the demon alive. I should have listened to Cordelia's unease about not knowing the identification of the demon before we left. If we had only known then."
"Wesley, everyone agreed that getting to that couple was more important, even Cordy. You couldn't known." Fred said.
"72 hours? In 72 hours, the evil vamp could kill Cordy. She could already be dead. We have to kill Angelus." Gunn interrupted harshly.
"No. Gunn. The Auferote was wounded fairly badly. It likes dark damp places and avoids the sunlight. It couldn't have gotten that far from where we fought it. It will be easier to find than to find Angelus in 72 hours. If we find it, kill it, we will be doing more for Cordelia and Angel than if we waste time looking for Angelus, 72 hours may past and then the black ooze 's effect will be permanent and Cordelia will definitely be dead. This way they both have a chance."
"We have to kill him now. Cordy is who needs to be saved not the vampire."
"Gunn, we have no idea where Angelus took her. He knows the sewers and the city better than we do. Angelus could be anywhere. We have an idea where the demon is, though- and the quicker we go find it, the better everyone will be. Once, the demon is dead, Angel will return and he will make sure that Cordelia is safe."
"Fine? Damn you're naïve."
"No, I'm not. I've met Angelus, you haven't. Cordelia has experienced him before. I know what I'm suggesting could do to her. But, I also know this is what she would want us to do. Angel, though, I'm sure would agree with you."
"He will kill her."
Wesley took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead. "Not yet. Angelus likes to terrorize and torture. He'll keep her alive for a while. That's why we need to hurry and find the demon."
"Torture?" Fred squeaked. "Angel wouldn't.It's not Angel, right." Fred hid her head in her hands. "I just left her with him."
"Fred, you couldn't know. If Cordy didn't then there was no way you could' ve." Wesley patted the young girl on the shoulder, trying to reassure her as she had done for him.
He got up. "Gunn, are you coming?"
"If he kills her, cured or not, he's dust."
Wesley shook his head. "If Angelus kills her and Angel is cured, I don't think you will have to worry about that." Wesley turned to Fred. "Do not leave here under any circumstances. If Angel calls you, do no believe that it is him, not until we have confirmed it, understood?"
Fred nodded.
"Lorne?"
"I'll make sure the kitten is safe, now go. Save the Princess and the dark knight. The alternative is unpalatable."
Chapter 13
The pain began to lessen in Cordelia's head. Which could only mean that the danger in her vision had been stopped. She took a deep breath of relief.
"Hey, here." Clyde shoved some water at her.
"Go away."
"The master said to give you some water. So take it."
"I said go away, you vamp toady." She knocked the water out of his hand.
"Listen bitch," Clyde stopped Cassandra from hitting Cordelia.
"Cass, remember." He pointed to the various piles of dust still scattered on the floor. "Don't. Just leave her alone, maybe she'll shut up then."
Cassandra grumbled and flashed Cordelia her game face. "When the master's tired of you, I will so kill you."
"When Angelus is tired of me, I'm sure all already be dead, you stupid bitch." Cordelia rolled her eyes. She looked to the door as Angelus strode in. She got up and then slumped back down as she saw what he was carrying.
"What have you done?"
"What?" Angelus said to Cordelia as he threw the victim of her vision to the other vampires. "I killed the demon, saved Joe Blow, here. What? Did you think I would just let him go? Hell, this is food. Those visions of your could come in handy." He smiled.
"I'm going to be sick." Cordelia swallowed her bile as she saw the other vampires feasting on the victim that was supposed to be alive and healthy after the demon in her vision was killed.
"Well, I'm not cleaning it up, so don't. Let's go and see what your room looks like." Angelus grabbed her and swung her up in his arms. "Oh, don't be sour, your headache is gone right? Can't use that excuse for what I've got planned. Can you?" He smirked.
Cordelia closed her eyes. Her headache was gone, now only thing left was a sharp pain in her heart and nausea. How stupid could she be that she thought that Angelus would actually do the right thing? He wasn't Angel.
Cordelia had to believe that Wesley had discovered the identity of the demon that affected Angel, understood the implications and their disappearance from the hotel and was at this minute working on a cure. She just had to believe. And she had to keep Angelus preoccupied so that he wouldn't go out and kill anyone else, and she had to keep his torturing of her to a minimum or Angel would never forgive himself when he returned. She just had no clue how to do that.
Angelus liked to cause fear and pain. Well the fear was easy. Cordelia was scared. Pain, she didn't want. And Angel would be very broody, if Angelus really hurt her. So, she would just have to let him really scare her, maybe that would be enough for the time being. And like she said, being frightened of Angelus was easy.
**********************
"So, what do you think? It turned out pretty good." Angelus threw her on the big bed.
Cordelia glanced around at the formally empty room. Heavy brocade curtains of a rich burgundy were hanging on the dirty walls, a heavy ornate wardrobe was in the corner. She looked down on the bed, the very large four-post bed she was lying on. She blinked - sheets and a comforter? Cordelia stared at the vampire. He was seriously asking her what she thought. Angelus was crazy. Angel never mentioned that Angelus was crazy, just psychotic and evil.
Angelus jumped on the bed beside her; he captured her as she tried to scoot away. "I asked- what do you think?"
"I was thinking, you're nuts. Certifiably nuts. This is a dark, dirty warehouse that you have me trapped in, planning to do gods know what to me, and you think I give a shit about curtains."
Angelus laughed and pulled her down on the bed, on arm clapping her to his side as the other waved about. "Yes, but isn't it homey."
Cordelia struggled against the vampire. Angelus tightened his hold and threw a heavy leg over her body, stilling her movement. "Sure it could use some more work, but for a start, it's not bad."
Cordelia closed her eyes. "Don't you want to go suck the world into hell or something?"
"Tried it, been there, wasn't fun. No, this time, I'll start with the little pleasures," He swung his body over hers. "But, you won't be only a little pleasurable will you?" His mouth attacked her throat, not biting, just licking and tasting. Angelus leaned up and licked his lips. "Sweet, salty and spicy, very tasty."
"Eww, I'm all stinky and dirty." She pushed away at the vampire. "And I have to go to the bathroom."
Angelus looked up. "Uh."
"Bathroom, you idiot. Human- bathroom. Get the picture or do you want me to show you as I wet your nice new bed." She grumbled. God. Angelus was dense, stupid and crazy. And unfortunately still very dangerous.
"Oh. Human's are a pain."
"Then let me go or just kill me."
"I told you I'm not ready to kill you just yet, but if you keep annoying me, I just maybe."
"I don't care." Cordelia took a deep breath. So much for her plan to stall Angelus from hurting her, why couldn't she keep her mouth shut and just whimper in terror? It's not like she wasn't scared. "I have to go to the bathroom." Her mouth refused to listen to her brain.
"Fine." Angelus pulled her up and dragged her to the other side of the room, pushing her into a small room. Cordelia looked around, she turned back to the vampire. "I'm not going in there its gross. Look." It was a bathroom; a bathroom that hadn't been used in what seemed like a hundred years, dirt, rust and rat droppings littered the floor. The tub was a broken nasty looking thing and the toilet. Cordelia didn't even want to look.
Angelus kept a hold of her hand and turned the faucets. Brown water poured out. "It's got running water. See."
"It's gross. See," she pointed to the slime that pounded into the sink.
"It's clearing up. See." Angelus pointed to the water. Cordelia scrunched up her face. Sure enough the slime was turning yellow, then finally clear.
"There's probably no hot water. It looks like my first apartment when I got to LA."
Angelus stared at the young woman. Angel had never seen her first apartment. Cordelia Chase, Queen C, lived in a place that had a bathroom like this. Angelus would have loved to have seen it. "Well, then you should be comfortable in there then. " He pushed her to the toilet.
"There's no toilet paper and your not watching."
Angelus growled. If he didn't have such plans for her he would kill her right then and there. Angelus stormed out of the bathroom. He stopped at her next words. She was hungry. Angelus was going to kill her. He took a deep breath and continued out of the room. Yelling for Clyde.
*************************
"I told you to get food."
"We did," he started to point to the body on the floor and then stopped. "Oh, you mean for your pet. Dan." He called to the other male vampire.
Dan hurried over with a brown bag.
Angelus looked in the bag. It would do. Angelus looked at Clyde as he pulled out toilet paper and paper towels.
"Um, I got those, I've only been a vampire for a little while, I figured she would want them. Human's like stuff like that." Dan shuffled at the older vampires' glares. Except for Angelus, Angelus wasn't glaring he was nodding. "Well done, Dan." Now maybe Cordelia would stop bitching and he could get on with his plans for her.
Angelus looked around at the room. "If this is to be home for awhile, it needs to be cleaned up a bit, made more comfortable. Do it and then we can sit down and I will tell you how we will grow and become more prosperous."
The three vampires looked at each other and then at Angelus. They nodded and started to pick up the trash surrounding the floor. They all had eaten more in the last few hours in Angelus' company than they had in the last week. Angelus wanted clean. Angelus would get clean.
Chapter 14
Cordelia was still standing in the bathroom when he returned. "Well." She glared her hands on her hips.
Angelus just stared. She was making him do things for her, she expected him to do it. He would do this, but then Angelus would remind her quite thoroughly he wasn't the souled wimp that she could order around. He threw the toilet paper at her.
Cordelia caught it and then slammed the door.
************************
"Come out now." She was taking forever. Angelus was losing all patience.
"I'm trying to get clean." Cordelia stood at the sink, running her hands under the water trying to wet her arms and face. She wasn't about to step foot in that tub.
Angelus yanked the door from its hinges. Cordelia turned and glared her arms crossing over her naked torso. "Get out."
Angelus left, but came back immediately with a shirt taken from the wardrobe.
"I said." Angelus shoved a torn bit of the shirt into her mouth, effectively gagging her and quickly tied her swinging hands together. "If you don't stop moving, I'll do more than tie you up." Cordelia glared but stilled. "That's better. You want to be clean. Fine."
Angelus wetted the remaining piece of material and roughly started to wash Cordelia's torso. The roughness changes to teasing as he realized that his plans could start. Cordelia was gagged, no more nagging and she was in front of him, almost nude. His hand went to her pants and yanked. Cordelia's body lurched forward as he ripped the pants down her hips.
Angelus smiled as he knelt in front of her, one hand clenched tightly on her hips, squeezing painfully every time she moved. He kept squeezing until she finally stilled. With the cloth in the other hand, he rubbed around her stomach, the cloth drifting down between her thighs. A bruise was already starting to form where his fingers clenched tighter forcing her once again to remain still at the cloths movements. Low grunts of protest came from her gagged mouth.
Angelus stood and smiled at the tears of anger and fear flowed from her eyes. He went to brush at the tears, he laughed as Cordelia jerked her head back.
Angelus pulled at her bound wrists dragging her towards the wardrobe. Cordelia tripped and fell as her feet got tangled in the pants that were down around her legs.
Angelus just laughed as she fell and groan of pain sounded through the gag as Cordelia scrapped her thigh on the rough floor. Angelus took want he needed from the wardrobe and pulled her back up and hoisting her in his arms. He strode over to the bed and threw Cordelia on it. He landed on top of her his weight holding her down as he untied her hands and retied each to a bedpost. Angelus got up and removed her shoes and her pants, tying each foot to a bedpost. Angelus got up. "Now, it begins." He laughed, pulling his clothes off.
Cordelia struggled tugging at the restraints, her tears falling. Angelus leaned over her, taking the gag out of her mouth. "You can scream all you want now. In fact, I insist." Angelus bit down on her breast and drank.
Cordelia choked on her scream, she would not give him the satisfaction.
Angelus looked up. "So brave, so silly too think you can fight me. You will scream in pain and pleasure when I'm done with you. You will be begging me too take you and then to kill you."
"I've been begging you to kill me since I got here, stupid bastard." She spit.
Angelus rested his chin on her bloody wound. "True, but this time you'll mean it." He returned his mouth to her wound, licking the surrounding blood, moving to the expanse of her waist and stomach. His hand alternating between harsh groping and tender caresses.
Cordelia closed her eyes trying to block out what was happening to her. She wouldn't break; she wouldn't let this destroy her or her love for Angel. This was not Angel. She bit her lips, focusing on the pain she was inflicting upon herself, attempting to ignore the pain and pleasure that Angelus lips and hands were afflicting on her body.
She gasped as she felt the heavy cold weight shift over her body. Her eyes flew open into Angelus mocking ones. "Trying to remind yourself that I'm not Angel. That I'm the evil twin, the one you hate, not the one you love. You are stupid, Cordelia Chase. You who think you know Angel so well. I'm Angel, just not with a soul. I'm only doing what he wants to do to you, but won't allow himself because of the soul thing. I'm him. He's me. I just do what I want, when I want." Angelus laughed flashing his game face. "Cordy, love, let me introduce you to the real Angel, not the wimp the soul and you have made him become." He plunged his fangs into her neck as his hand thrust her thighs wider apart.
Chapter 15
"Now what?' Gunn said over the dead body of the Auferote.
"We go back and wait for Angel to bring Cordelia home."
"You better be right."
Wesley looked at Gunn, his eyes unreadable. "I am, I just hope that we were in time to prevent Angelus from doing to much damage."
***********************************
Cordelia gasped, her body tense waiting for Angelus to forcefully enter her. She waited but it never came. She felt his body lift off hers; she felt her hands being untied. Cordelia sat up her eyes opened looking questioningly at Angelus. The vampire just sat at the end of the bed, his body slumped.
She moved slightly. The vampire's head shot up. She stilled waiting for whatever game he was playing now. Cordelia's eyes widened, she wasn't looking at the mocking eyes of Angelus. Angelus never looked guilty, never looked heartbroken.
She closed her eyes as a surge of relief went through her body; she shot towards the vampire, her arms wrapping around him. "Angel." She murmured, smiling and crying at the same time, holding him tight. The vampire didn't respond.
"Angel?" Cordelia leaned back.
Angel nodded, but wouldn't look at her. He got off the bed untying her feet.
"Angel. Look at me." She ran to him, her hands going to his face.
Angel moved her hands away, still not looking at her. "Get dressed. I've have to take you home."
Cordelia stepped back. "Okay," she stammered. She leaned down to pick up her torn pants. "Um. " She held the ruined clothes.
Angel saw and turned away. He pointed to the wardrobe. Cordelia shrugged and went to cabinet. Cordelia opened the doors and stared. There were tons of clothes, nice clothes. All women's clothes. She turned to Angel, but Angel wasn't looking at her. He was finishing dressing, pulling on his black duster. "Stay here, until I come back." He said never turning going to the door.
Yeah right. Cordelia hurried and pulled out some clothes. She ran to the door, stopping by the brown bag resting there. Curiosity killed the cat, but Cordelia had just avoided rape and death, so she felt brave. She looked in and pulled out food, tons of human food. Food that she liked. When had Angelus gone shopping, she didn't remember seeing him ever come in with a bag of food. Or did he give a list to one of those stupid vampires down stairs. She dropped the bag and went for the door. Angel was going to fight those vampires. Cordelia needed to help.
Okay, maybe she didn't. Cordelia watched from the bottom of the stairs as Angel dusted all of the vampires, quickly and easily without a word. Then she watched his whole frame slump as he stared down at the body of the victim in her visions.
He straightened as he heard her moved into the room. "Angel?"
"I told you to wait." Angel shook his head, but still wouldn't look at her. "Come on." He waited until she was close then he moved.
Chapter 16
Cordelia finally gave trying to get Angel to speak to her. The rest of the walk back to the hotel was done in utter silence. The vampire wouldn't even look at her, the only he time he even touched her was to lower her down into the manhole near the entrance to the door in the alley and then to pull her up into the entrance of the basement of the hotel.
He let her pass and go upstairs. Angel followed but stopped in the doorway as soon as he saw Wesley, Gunn and Fred run up to Cordelia.
Wesley turned to t he vampire. "Angel."
"Take her to the hospital." Turning to go back down into the basement, back into the sewers.
"Cordy?" Wesley asked.
"I'm fine. Angel's just being stupid, really stupid." Glaring at the retreating form of the vampire. "I just want to go home. Can some one please take me home." She turned to Wesley and Gunn.
"We'll take Angel's car." Wesley grabbed the keys. Gunn and Fred quickly followed.
"Everyone doesn't need to go." Cordelia snapped. Her frustration at Angel' s lack of response towards her was turning into anger. They needed to talk. But he was being all broody and stupid. And she sure didn't want to talk about what happened with Wesley, Gunn and Fred.
"Cordy, we were worried. Wesley said it was Angelus. Why does Angel think you should go to hospital?" Fred's eyes got big. "That was Angel right, and if he thinks you have to go to the hospital... What did Angelus do? Are you all right? Maybe you should go to the hospital. I shouldn't have left you alone with him."
"I will say this only one more time- I AM FINE. Gunn, take me home. Wesley, you stay here, if Angel comes back, he may want to talk to you, but I doubt it," she grumbled. "And, Fred, don't ask Angel any of your one million questions, if he does come back. He isn't in the mood; he's in a stupid, guilty broody mood. And I'm fine."
Wesley nodded to Gunn.
*********************
Gunn turned to Cordelia and started to speak. She cut him off with a glare. "I'm not in the mood to answer any questions, either."
Chapter 17
"Well,"
"She wouldn't talk, but she seemed okay. I guess. She ran into her apartment and slammed the door on me. Has the vamp come back?"
"No." Wesley took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead.
"Something happened." Gunn said sitting on the counter. "I saw vamp marks on her neck."
Wesley rubbed even harder. "Let be it for now. They'll talk when they're ready. I hope." He shoved on his glasses.
******************************
"Go away Dennis." Cordelia waved at the floating robe behind her. Cordelia stepped closer to her mirror, her fingers touching the bite marks on her body. She closed her eyes as she remembered the feeling of Angelus' fangs penetrating her flesh, then his lips and tongue kissing and licking the wounds, easing the sting, giving pleasure just as he gave pain. What were they going to do now?
Her bare feet made no sound as she went to the bathroom. Cordelia settled down in the hot water, letting the water soothe her aching body, wishing it could do the same for her heart and mind.
What Angelus had done had the capability of destroying her relationship with Angel, if they let it. Cordelia was willing to put it behind her, place it with all of the other bad things that Angelus had done. It was Angelus not Angel. She could keep separating the two. She could, if Angel would let her. But, he wasn't doing that. He was acting all stupid like he had done those things to her. But it wasn't Angel. Cordelia suck further into the tub, trying to wash away Angelus words, the words that claimed that Angel and he were one in the same. That just wasn't true. Cordelia needed for Angel to say it. Cordelia jumped up from the tub.
Chapter 18
"Cordelia?" Wesley looked up at the young woman standing in the doorway.
"Has he come back yet?"
"No."
Cordelia turned and headed for the basement. "Cordelia, where are you going?"
"To find him."
"Cordelia, I don't think.." Wesley sighed. " You should.' He finished to the closed door.
**************************************
Cordelia looked around in the dark sewer. Where would she go if she was a guilt-ridden, stupid vampire that just lost her soul and bit, terrorized, threatened and almost raped her best friend? Damn. She was in the wrong place. Cordelia turned to go back to the hotel and stopped again. She would just stay here and wait. If brood guy had been watching her apartment then he would know she left and he would know she came to the hotel. It shouldn't be that long.
She looked up as Angel emerged from the dark shadows.
"You should've gone to the hospital."
"I didn't need to."
"You were hurt."
"I'm fine. And going to the hospital would have done nothing but raise a lot of questions.
Angel turned and started to walk away.
Cordelia ran up to the vampire and yanked on his arm. "Angel, stop. We have to talk."
Angel took her hands off him and pushed her. "I don't want to talk."
"You have to," Cordelia ran back to him. "You have to." She repeated. "Please, Angel. Don't let what Angelus did destroy us."
Angel stopped and faced her. "You want to talk, so talk."
"Here? It's gross down here."
Angel took a deep breath, he wasn't sure if it was to stop himself from hitting, kissing or running away from the young woman in front him.
"Where would you suggest, then?" He said lowly.
She pointed back to the path to the hotel. She scrunched Wesley was there. "We could stay in the basement or go to your room."
"My room?" Angel took another deep breath. "Let's go, then." He grabbed her arm and pushed her back to the hotel.
"Angel, I can walk. Nevermind." She mumbled at his glare.
*******************
Both Fred and Wesley looked up from their books as Cordelia and Angel came through the basement door.
"Leave." Angel said to them as he pulled Cordelia towards the stairs to his suite.
"Cordy?" Wesley got up, fumbling on the counter for a stake.
"Okay, I'm okay. Bye. We're going to talk." She gave an odd smile to Wesley and Fred. "Bye."
Wesley studied the pair a moment and beckoned Fred to come with him. "We'll be back very soon."
"Take your time." Angel said.
"That's okay," Wesley said. "We'll be back. Come on, Fred."
Cordelia pulled against Angel's tug. "Angel, now that they are gone we can just talk here."
"You said you wanted to talk in my room."
"I also said the basement." She countered.
"Upstairs." He pulled her after him. Angel pushed her into the room and locked the door.
"Angel, why are you trying to scare me?" She glared her arms crossed against her chest.
"Because, Cordelia you should be scared of me." The vampire moved closer his eyes glowing yellow.
Cordelia smacked him. "Stop it. I don't know what you're up to, but just stop it."
Angel stepped back and reverted to his human guise. "You really are stupid." He laughed, his voice a perfect imitation of Angelus mocking tone.
Cordelia stumbled back. Angel studied her. "What's the matter, Cordy, am I frightening you now. Aw, love, how special. Do you know what's so intoxicating about fear for a vampire? It's gives the blood such a more intense flavor, the air just becomes drenched in the scent. Quite, wonderful." He stepped closer. "What is Cordy, I've got my soul, what are you afraid of? Afraid that I will tie you to the bed, rape you, feed off you, hurt you."
Cordelia straightened and swung at the vampire. "Ouch." She cried, holding her fist.
Angel placed his hand over his jaw. "Do you really think that could stop me?"
"What is your problem? Why are you doing this? What? Angelus didn't do enough damage now you want to finish it? Stop it."
Angel started to laugh again, this time not mockingly but in resignation and sadness. He sat on the edge of his bed, shaking his head.
"Angel, talk to me." Cordelia sat down next to the vampire.
"Go away, Cordelia."
"I can't. You know that. You're hurting and it's making you act weird, weirder than usual. I can't leave you like this."
Angel shook his head in his hands. "Why won't you ever listen to me?"
"I do listen to you, but you aren't making any sense right now." She placed a small hand on Angel's thigh. "You aren't."
"Yes, I am, Cordelia." He took her hand off his leg. "You just don't want to hear what I'm saying. Just like you didn't listen to Angelus."
"I heard him."
"So, you heard him say that we were one in the same, I am Angelus Cordelia, I am my demon. I hurt you, I bit you, and I tried to raped you."
"Would you stop saying that?" She jumped up off the bed and glared.
"No, not until you understand and leave."
"I'm not leaving."
Angel jumped up. "Damn you, what do I have to do to get you understand."
"I do understand." Cordelia did understand or at least she was pretty sure she did. Angel just refused to believe it because he seemed to expect that if she really understood, she would leave him. He was the one that didn't understand, not her. She waited for his next move. Angel was angry, very angry. His eyes were flashing from brown and gold, his body tense. Well, she would see if she was right or if he was. But, she wasn't that worried, he was almost never right when it came to their relationship.
Cordelia stood still as Angel stalked towards her and ripped at her clothes until she was nude in front of him. Melodramatic that was her vampire. He pulled her in front of the mirror forcing her to look at her reflection; he roughly placed his hands on the evidence of Angelus bites. "This is what I did."
Cordelia wasn't looking at her reflection; she was staring at the mirror though. The mirror. Angel put that in after one of her many complaints about there not being enough mirrors in the hotel. Why hadn't she questioned why Angel put a mirror in his bedroom? Why hadn't he? She wondered if he even realized it. She hadn't until now. "Angel, why did put a mirror in your bedroom."
Angel stepped back, his anger completely lost in confusion. "Your mirror?"
"It's not like you need one. Why here? Sure, you put one in the guest room, I use, but why here? I like this one better. Why did you put the best mirror in here?"
Angel just stared at the nude young woman. "Cordelia, I just ripped your clothes off."
"I know. That wasn't very nice. I liked that outfit. You could've just asked. I would've taken them off."
Angel stumbled even further back, his legs hitting the edge of the bed, his hands clutching at the covers. He closed his eyes as he pulled up blanket. "Here. Sorry." He handed the covering to her.
Cordelia shrugged and wrapped the blanket around her body and got on the bed behind the befuddled vampire. "Angel, I do understand. I might not have, but I do now, okay. Your little melodrama clued me in okay. So, you can stop with the I am Angelus bullshit."
"Cord.." He stopped as her hand covered his mouth. "You are a vampire, Angelus is a vampire, you both share a lot in common, you both are obsessive, prone to over dramatics, a thing for blondes, " she paused as growl vibrated through Angel. "A tendency to get growly, when someone says something you don't want to hear or does something you don't like, you are both possessive, both like blood, both have a capacity of great and violent rage, but where Angelus is a psychopath in that he's amoral, no boundaries to curb his actions or desires, you have a soul, a moral compass that allows you to be a good man, allows you to love and be loved. Angelus doesn't have that and that is why you are different from him. Angelus maybe a part of what you are but he isn't all of you. Even without a soul, you weren't the same Angelus that you were 150 years ago or even four years ago. Angelus may have wanted to terrorize me, though it was kind of weak, well up into that last part, but before that he still wanted me to be comfortable. Rocky road ice cream. He got me ice cream, didn't have any of course, but he got it. And those curtains, those were almost exactly like the curtains that I wanted for the lobby, but you wouldn't let me get, said they were too expensive." Cordelia paused. "Angel, nobody using those curtains now, they 're just hanging in an abandoned warehouse, I mean." She scrunched up her face. "No body was killed for them were they, because if they weren't then we could get them and hang them..?"
Angel turned to her. "Shut up. And don't read too much into Angelus desire to make you comfortable before he tortured you. Pleasure and pain that's what he does."
"He's good at it." Cordelia shrugged. "At least you stopped saying it was you."
"It was me, Cordy, I hurt you."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Stop." Cordelia cradled his disbelieving face and stared into his guilt filled eyes. "Angel, you've hurt me more with a soul than you ever could with out one and I still love you. I love you because after each back step you take a greater step forward. Watching you learn to accept your humanity, to believe in your right to be happy, watching you begin to really love all of us as a family, not that obsessive blind tragic crap that you and Buffy dwelled in, but real love, love that makes you happy and laugh is beautiful. That's why I'll never leave you, because I have to see the end or at least try to, I want to be there when you finally get to walk out in the sun, I want to take you to the beach and get some color on you. I need to see it, I need to see you happy."
"Angelus."
"Angel, you're missing the point. God, you're dense. Angelus does scare me, I can't deny that, he scares me because he means death and pain to those I love, he means that you are further away from your redemption, but he isn' t what really terrifies me, he was once, but you changed that, you changed that when you with a soul, terrified me more. You hurt me and scared me, when you cut yourself off from us. Angel, with a soul, you have the capacity to cause more harm to your redemption, to me, to all of us than Angelus ever could, all that demon can do is kill us, you could've destroyed us and the mission that we believe in by your choices with a soul. You have choices in your behavior, Angelus doesn't, not really since he's an amoral vampire. You are so worried about how I feel about what happened with Angelus, don't be, be worried about how I will feel if you ever turn your back on y our soul again.
"You said you ."
"No, I didn't. We've never really talked about it. Things and circumstances just happened and we became okay again, better than okay, but it didn't go away, Angel. It was still there. This stuff with Angelus will go away. Because it wasn't you, the whole you, but the other was." Cordelia sighed as she saw Angel retreat back into himself, trying to hid even further from her.
"Angel, don't. I love you. Don't go back into brood mode. I forgave you, I just never said it, but I did. I love you and you've shown that you don't want anything like that to happen again. I just mention it so you would put what happened with Angelus in perspective. That's all."
Angel gently brushed Cordelia's hair from her face and stared intently into her eyes. "I don't understand you. I've never met anyone like you before." He said with awe and disbelief.
"Well, duh, I'm Cordelia Chase." She quirked a big smile.
He laughed and pushed her to the bed, hugging her close to him.
Cordelia giggled. "If this was a movie, we'd be kissing right now and then making love or at least you would say you loved me too."
Angel leaned up looking into her eyes; her lighthearted tone couldn't hide the need for a response from him. "And you think you know me so well," his lips moving closer. "I love you, my unique, beautiful Cordelia Chase," ending the sentence with a soft kiss.
Cordelia wrapped her arms around the vampire pulling him closer, deepening the kiss for as long as she thought wise, and then just a little bit longer. With a sigh, she broke the kiss. "Um, Angel." She whispered, moving away.
"Yes."
"I'm naked and well..and while Angelus may not be my biggest fear, I don't want him back." She scooted back.
"Either do I, so I'll avoid all black ooze in the future, but not this."
"Angel, sex, joy, bad guy."
"Cordy, you understand more than I do about a lot but trust me on this, I won't lose my soul, not from the joy of making love to you."
"How come?"
"Because to do that now, I would have to be able to forget the risks, and I can't. You can't and neither can I, so no matter how much love and joy we feel we both know that it isn't completely true not while my demon still exists."
"Hmmph."
"You aren't happy."
"Happy, that I can't send you into oblivious joy, no, but I'll settle."
"Don't pout. I love you and you do send me to joy, just not oblivious joy and you don't want that- just know that you are the only one that can lead me to my humanity. Because you are my humanity."
Cordelia blinked at the tears forming in her eyes. "That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me."
Her smile turned to a frown as she thought more about what Angel said. She scooted up. "So that means you can have sex when ever you want."
"That would be great. Can we start now?"
"No." She pushed at his reaching hands. "I mean you could just go out and have sex with anyone."
"I always could."
"Ewww."
"I didn't. " Angel quickly defended. "Not, since well, not since Darla and that wasn't fun, well not joyful anyway. And no one before that except Buffy and I didn't know the risks, then.
"Ewww." Cordelia moved even further away.
"Cordy." Angel tried to pull her back. "The curse was love, joy and sex and forgetting who I was. I've had sex without."
"Stop. Ewww."
"Cordy, I'm neither a virgin or a eunuch."
"Ewww."
"Would you stop making that sound?"
"Would you stop talking about your blondes.ewww. I can't make love to you. Ewww."
Angel rubbed his face hard. Okay, this wasn't fatal. This wasn't angst filled Angelus or beige period talk. This was just blond talk. Ewww. Maybe Cordy was right.
"Cordy, you know that I wouldn't let Darla come between us again. If she ever shows her face back in LA, I will stake her before allowing her to hurt you or anyone else. The reason why I slept with her is non-existent now. I know what I would lose. And it isn't worth it, it never was, I was just too stupid to realize it at the time, that's all."
Cordelia shivered. "Ick, I know that, don't ever mention that again, it makes my skin crawl."
"Then."
"Buffy, the other blonde, you could go back to her now that you've figured out the love, joy, sex loophole. I've got to go home."
Angel just stared, his hand shot out as Cordelia moved from the bed, yanking her back on. "Angel."
"Cordy, now you are being really stupid."
"I am not."
"Yes, you are the one that said that my love for Buffy wasn't real, just obsessive, blind tragic stuff and you were right. Why in the hell would I want to go back to that when I have real love here, love that gives me joy and makes laugh..and frustrates the hell out of me?"
"But, she was the .."
"If you say the love of my life, I'm going to growl, if you say she's blonde, I'm going to rip that cover off you and pound into you, until you can't ever say that word again."
"Did you just threaten me?"
"Yes."
"Don't..I." she knelt on the bed. "Just don't," she pounded into his chest.
"I will, if you keep being stupid."
Cordelia narrowed her eyes. "She is blonde."
"That's it." Angel grabbed Cordelia throwing her on the bed, his full weight covering her body. "It's not fate, or a fetish, just a coincidence that the two woman that most effected my life, prior to you were blonde and in the scheme of things, their hair color had nothing to do with it. It was Darla's bite and Buffy's willingness to love, and anyway Buffy's not a real blonde."
"Of course she isn't, she needs a better hair dresser, you could always see the roots." Cordelia agreed automatically. Then she thought about what Angel said. "Ewww." Cordelia smacked him.
"That's how I knew too, the root thing." Angel laughed.
"Shut up. So, I affected your life?"
"You're fishing now."
"What? So, I want to hear how wonderful I am, what's wrong that?"
"Nothing, because you are." Angel laughed and kissed her. "I love you, you make me feel and laugh. A very special thing."
Cordelia smiled and looked down as Angel divested her of the blanket. "Um, Angel, are you going to bite more, I mean if you have to okay, but I got an awful lot of them, they go away won't they? Summer will be here soon, and well they won't be hidden in a bikini."
"That's was the point," he grumbled.
"What?"
Angel leaned up and traced the marks still apparent on Cordelia's smooth skin. Guilt and possessiveness overrode the joy he had begun to feel with Cordelia.
"Angel?"
"They will go away. Except, these won't," His hand moved to trace the wounds at her neck. The one spot that Angelus made sure would never leave.
"Oh, so I can wear my bikini, then."
Angel stared down at the young woman. He was very tempted to start the marks all over again. He'd seen her in a bikini and he really didn't think anyone else should. What was there was his and only his. Angel sighed. Cordelia was right. Angel was just as possessive as Angelus. Good thing that Angel did have that moral compass.
"Cordelia," Angel pulled her up so that she was sitting next to him her gaze on his. "This marks," he moved to the ones on her chest, abdomen, hip and thigh, will go away, they will heal, not deep enough to scar, but this," His hand drifted to her neck. "Will remain, unless you get it removed. They were made to mark you as the property of Angelus. And any vampire that attacks you knows that he does it at the risk of Angelus wrath."
"Property? I'm not anyone's property." She glared.
"I know. That's why my moral compass would never allow me to do it. Anyway, it's not needed, anyone touches you- they'll feel my wrath mark or no mark."
Cordelia narrowed her eyes. "Oh, so you wouldn't do it, but you would still act on the principle that I was your property."
"Cordy, I am a vampire. You said you understood."
Cordelia sighed. "So, if I keep them, then the vamps that could attack me might not because they're all squiggly over the Angelus legend."
"The younger vampires are a little ignorant of the old ways but they should recognize another's mark."
"I don't like this, Angel. It smacks of ownership and other stuff."
"Then get rid of it, it's a scar, it can be removed." Angel moved a little.
"You don't want me too."
"Yes, I do."
"No, you don't. You're an old fashioned vampire. Fine. I'll keep THIS one, but no more, I can't have you marking me up and ruining my look in a low cut blouse or dress or what if I want to wear a halter or a midriff or a bikini. It just won't do."
Again Angel was very tempted to ignore Cordelia and just mark the hell out of her, keeping her wrapped in a full bed sheet or naked on his bed, but he forced the feeling aside. He knew who she belonged to. And the mark on her neck was sufficient to keep the demons away unless they wanted to face a very vengeful Angel.
"So, can we make love now," Angel asked hesitantly. If Cordelia said no, there may be a problem with his moral compass, but he was hoping that wouldn 't come into play.
"I don't know what you're talking about, I've been waiting like forever for you to get over whatever issues that you've been brooding about."
If Angel could've thought of a way to strangle Cordelia and make love to her he would've, but as it was, he just leaned in and kissed her.
Cordelia reached around and fumbled at his coat. She pushed up.
Angel sat up and growled. Now what?
"Angel, you're still wearing your coat, sure it's a cool coat, but get rid of it and the rest of your clothes while you're at it."
Strangling was too good for her. Angel tore off his jacket and clothes in an instant. He was back on her in a second. She laughed holding him close. "Better." She nuzzled into his chin, her lips and teeth nipping at his flesh.
Okay. Strangling was definitely out. Angel growled and pushed her hands away and moved his head away from her lips. He moved his lips to her collarbone and trailed down to her breast. Cordelia wiggled, pulling against his grasp. As soon as Angel released her hands, they flew to his back kneading and caressing, her legs moving up wrapping themselves around his solid body.
Cordelia moaned as Angel's mouth encased her breast. She pressed her hands and pushed, her legs tightening around him. He was teasing her and she wanted him now. She moaned and pushed.
Angel laughed and let her move him.
************************
"Wesley, are you sure?"
"They been up there too long, I think we have to check."
"Okay."
Slowly they opened the door after no one answered their knock. Wesley eyes shot wide as he saw the bed. He closed the door and motioned everyone back. As they all went down the stairs, Wesley said. "Gunn, get the tranq guns. Fred, go now to Caritas."
"But, the black ooze?"
Wesley just shook his head. "Trust me. Go."
Fred bit her lip and ran.
"Wes, man, what did you see?"
"Angel and Cordy. In bed."
"And.OH, shit. Going." Gunn ran to get the dart pistols.
Both men went back stealthily going towards the bedroom. They cringed as they heard soft moans, and growls.
"When?"
"Better sooner than later, right, right." Wesley said as he opened the door. Both men shot.
Chapter 19
Angel wasn't sure what happened but the wonderful, life filled body that was covering him fell into a dead weight over him. The only thing that kept him from reacting in complete panic and rage was two things. One, was there was a heartbeat still coming from Cordelia's limp form and the other was the sound of two frantic heartbeats at the doorway. Too scared heart beats that he knew all too well. Angel moved, gently placing Cordelia on the bed beside him, removing the dart from her perfect backside as he did. Angel shook his head, pulling the sheet over her naked sleeping form. He turned and looked at Wesley and Gunn huddled in the doorway.
"I would suggest that both of you get as far away from the hotel as soon as possible, a few days away might not even be enough, when she wakes she going to be pissed, really pissed."
"Angel, you're Angel."
"Yes, the soul thing has been taken care of."
"Oh. So, you two were just..Oh. OH."
"AW, SHIT, she's going to be SO pissed. " Gunn turned and pointed to Wesley. "It was him, his idea, all of it. You tell her that. I'm outta of here."
"Yes, well Angel good to hear about your soul and finally acknowledging you love Cordelia.um." Wesley kept backing up. "Um as the boss of Angel Investigations, I'm giving myself leave.. yes, many days, I've earned them. Um, Angel, can maybe you call me when it's safe to come back. That's a good chap. Did I say congratulations? Well, Congratulations. Congratulations." Wesley ran from the room.
Angel looked at the empty door way and the unconsciousness beautiful form on the bed. He shook his head. Wesley and Gunn were just lucky that Angel knew that Cordelia would be more dangerous than he ever could be, because the vampire was not very happy right now. He tucked Cordelia tighter into the covers and got out of the bed. Okay, now what. Angel went down to the kitchen. There was something. He picked up the phone and started ordering food. Then he called Wesley.
"Yes."
"She's still unconscious."
"Oh."
"Keep everyone, Fred included away for the next couple of days and maybe just maybe I won't let Cordy kill you and Gunn."
"Fair, fair enough. Um, Fred will need some of her stuff."
"Wesley."
"We'll figure it out. No, that's sounds like a plan. Very good. Yes."
***********
Angel sat at Fred's desk, searching on line. Contrary to popular belief he knew how to use a computer, he just didn't like to. Finally Angel found the site he was looking for. He punched in his credit card number and hoped that they were truthful in the day delivery time.
Angel sighed and looked at the clock. It had been three hours; the tranquilizing drug affected a vampire for that long- how much longer for a human? He went back to the computer and searched another site. He pushed on the pictures. The models were nothing, but the clothes could be good on the right beautiful body. Angel shook his head. And that beautiful body was lying unconscious upstairs. He sighed and punched in more credit card numbers. It wasn't so much that Angel thought presents would keep Cordelia from killing Wesley and Gunn, but it couldn't hurt. He searched some more and stopped, suddenly realizing that he had moved from furnishing, to clothing to jewelry. Angel studied the pictures he clicked on. He had claimed Cordelia as a vampire, but as a man, had he? He looked some more he hadn't. His credit card was out again. But this would take longer. It had to be perfect. He searched; he put the credit card away. He couldn't do this over the Internet. Angel ran up to the bedroom. Cordelia was still out like a light.
He ran back down stairs and called Lorne.
"Hey, souled lug heard you were back in town."
"I need a big favor."
"Um..Ohh. Okay, maybe."
"I need you to watch Cordelia. Wesley and Gunn shot her with tranquilizers darts, one hopes that they were aiming for me, but whatever she's out, and when she wakes up she's going to be really mad. They're on the run. But the thing is I need to go out just for a minute, can you come over and make sure she doesn't kill anybody, thanks, owe you one."
Lorne hung up the phone. He stared. Okay. He would do it. But someone better fill him in on the whole story, soon.
Chapter 20
"All rightie." Lorne mumbled as he sat next to he bed. He had been obviously kept out of the loop. Otherwise, he would know why he was watching a dead to the world naked princess cocooned in Angel's bed covers.
Ah. Maybe he would get some answers, the beautiful dead log was moving.
Cordelia lifted her glassy eyes and brushed at her tussled hair. "Lorne?"
"Yeah, Princess, How you doing?"
"I don't know. You tell me."
"I'd really rather you go first, sweetie."
"Okay, you know that Angelus made an appearance."
"I heard that."
"He took me away for awhile."
"Heard that too, you look pretty okay for that nasty ordeal."
"Right. Um. Angel's back."
"I got that."
"We talked. We kind of figured out that we loved each other and a loop hole in the whole curse thing."
"Um, well, the love thing I knew a way back, the loop hole maybe I knew maybe I didn't, glad you kids figured it out."
"Right. Um, see we were in the process of figuring out the loophole when I went blank. But it wasn't in your passion induce blankness; it was more of just blankness. Can you explain that? And where is Angel?"
"Um, Angel said he would be back really soon. And as for the other, I think I know, I shouldn't tell you, but since you glare so prettily and sometimes looks do kill, I will- It seems Gun and Wesley missed out on the loophole bit and well thought that evil was a foot in the little loveroom and shot without aiming or thinking. You were nailed, honey and not by the vampire."
"Wesley and Gunn shot me." Cordelia jumped up on the bed. "Where are they?"
"I believe they've gone underground for now."
"They better run, when I get my hands on them, they are so dead." She glanced around. "Where's Angel."
"Cordy."
"Oh, thank god, honeycakes, she's all yours, she in a mood." Lorne rushed out leaving Angel at the door.
"Where did you go? You left me shot by those idiots."
"Now, Cordy, they were trying to shoot me, they didn't know."
"Hmmph." She fell on the bed. "Where did you go?"
"I shopped."
"You shopped?"
"Yes, if you are hungry, which you should be, I've stocked the kitchen and will cook you anything you want. Also, the curtains, a different color, but similar will be delivered soon they said 24 hours. And I got you this." Holding out a two small boxes.
Cordelia scrunched up her nose and took the two boxes. She opened the first one. She looked at the contents and put it down and opened the other one. She placed it beside the other. She stared at them and then at the vampire. "You know what they mean?'
"Better than you, I imagine. After all it is my history."
She glared. "Do you mean it?"
"I wouldn't have done it if I didn't."
"Angel, this isn't a claddagh ring. This is the real thing."
"You do know."
"Yes."
"You will always surprise me."
"No, not if you thought about it. I know jewelry, you had to know that, I love you and I'm a girl, practical and full of bad luck in the romance department, but still a girl. I wondered what a true Irish wedding band looked liked so I looked. Angel, do you really mean it?"
"Yes." Angel picked up the box that held the smaller ring. " The woven knots mean, eternal love and faith. I want you to have this, wear it as a symbol of our love. Just like I will wear this one." He picked up the other box, housing the bigger, but identical ring.
Cordelia scrunched up her face and grabbed the box out of his hand. "Okay," She smiled. She took the masculine ring out of its box and grabbed Angel's hand. "You know once I put this on, you are mine, no turning back no, whoops made a mistake, I won't let you."
Angel smiled. "Put it on."
Cordelia bit her lip and slipped the ring over Angel's third finger on his left hand. She laughed. "Now what?"
"Now." He grabbed her left hand and did the same with the other identical ring. "Now, demon or human will know that we belong to each other."
Cordelia bit her lips, moving them in nervous actions. She scrunched her face, the tears already forming. "I love you."
Angel smiled and moved towards her. "I love you. Now, I think finally, we can actually make love."
Cordelia leaned up. "Where are the happy shooters?"
"Running for their lives, they won't come back until I assure them that you won't kill them."
"Oh. " Cordelia pulled Angel on to her body. "I'll let you know when that is." She attacked his lips with a vengeance.
End.