Title: Home Is...
Author: Argent and Love's Bitch
Posted: In the long-ago days of board crashes
Rating: NC17
Email:
Content: B/A, C/A & C/Aus & B/S.
Summary:
Spoilers:
Disclaimer: all characters are the property of Joss Whedon, they're just being borrowed for a little fun, no infringement of any kind is intended. Please don't sue.
Distribution:
Notes:
Feedback:
Challenge: See first page.Part 7
Written by Love's Bitch“What the hell are you doing here?!?”
Spike took a deep swallow and looked up at his grand-sire. Right. He’s been here before.
“Eating breakfast, if you must know…what the hell are you doing? Following me?…I don’t fancy you that way mate…I mean I know I’m a good looking guy, but…”
Angel jerked him a bit farther off the ground…
“If you’ve touched her…”
“Touched her…Oh,” laughed Spike… “You think I…what were you thinking? You know I can’t hurt her…”
He saw the hesitation creep into Angel’s eyes, and felt himself being lowered back to the ground as Angel loosened his grip.
“So what were you…”
“Eating?” he asked, picking up a bowl from the counter. Straightening the t-shirt Cordelia had given him (Sunnydale High Drill Team 1997), he showed the bowl to Angel. “This. Cordelia gave me some blood to put in my Fruity Pebbles…Gonna have to ask her where she got the blood, damn tasty for pig…” he said, looking contemplatively into the bowl.
Angel closed his eyes and took a breath. “That still doesn’t tell me what you’re doing here….”
Spike was still looking into the bowl, studying the blood.
“Spike….”
Spike took a spoonful, and held it up to the light, watching the blood as it dripped off.
“Cinnamon,” said Angel.
“What?” said Spike, startled from his study.
“She puts cinnamon in the blood. At least for breakfast…”
“Really, now…has she ever tried cilantro…?”
“What are you doing here, Spike? How’d you get in…?”
“I asked him. How else?”
They turned to see Cordelia standing in the hallway to her bedroom, wearing only a pair of towels, a deep red one covering her body, a pale blue one piled high on her head.
“I think the question is, what are you doing here?”
“What do you mean, what am I…” said Angel. Spike had to laugh. One word from her, and Angel was in full puppy mode.
“I thought I told you to stay in Sunnydale with Buffy,” she said walking into the room.
“Cordy, I saw you….”
“You saw me…?”
“I had a dream. You were in danger, you…”
“Oh,” said Spike. “You had a dream. First vampire romeo, then vampire detective, now you’re the damn vampire Martin Luther King…”
“Shut up, Spike. I’m fine, Angel. See?”
“What is Spike doing here?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I hired him.”
“You what?”
“I hired him…”
“You can’t hire him…”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s my business…it’s named after me. You know, ANGEL Investigations…”
“Funny. My name’s the one on all the legal work…”
“Cordy, you know that…”
“You didn’t apologize to Buffy, did you…”
“That has nothing to do with this…”
“You didn’t, did you….”
“Well, no, but…”
Spike chuckled… “Uh, oh, in the Slayer’s doghouse…Lord, do I know what it’s like to be…”
“SHUT UP!” they said, in unison, and began bickering to each other again…
Spike sighed and sat down. Bringing the next spoonful to his mouth, he watched as Cordelia and Angel went back and forth. Heh, if he was lucky maybe the towel’d fall off.
***********
Xander stepped through the broken doorway of the crypt.“Buffy, you in here?”
His eyes adjusting to the dark, he saw her. Rocking back and forth in Spike’s easy chair, crying.
He kneeled in front of her…
“Hey…what are you doing…you worried us…Dawn didn’t know where you went….”
She kept rocking, her eyes closed tightly…..
Looking around, he saw how empty the crypt was….
“He’s gone….?”
She nodded her head slowly….
“What happened…?”
Finally she looked up at him. “I don’t know I mean…I …me…Spike…Angel….oh god, Angel…we had this fight, I mean it
was…”“Did you dust him?”
“What? Why would I…”
“Buffy,” said Xander gently. “It’s just that no one’s seen him…”
“He left?”
Xander closed his eyes and nodded. “I’m sorry, Buffy, I know you…”
“It’s all right…”
“It is…”
“I know where he went.”
“Back to LA...?”
“To Cordelia,” she said in resignation.
“You can’t think that he…”
“He said her name, Xander….”
“So, they’re friends…”
“During…”
“During….during what….?”
She gave him a flat look.
“Oh…during…”
“Yeah…oh.”
Xander stood, and put his hand up to rub his eyes. “I don’t know what to tell you, Buffy…”
“I don’t know where he went, though…”
Xander opened his eyes, and looked at her, puzzled… “I thought you just said that he….”
“Not him. HIM…” she said, motioning to their surroundings…
“Oh yeah…him…” said Xander, looking around the room, amazed at how much stuff Spike had cleared out. It amazed him that he had had that much stuff in the first place.
“Wow…guess he couldn’t take the couch…” he said. “Hey….what’s this?”
He bent down and reached under the couch… “I know I’m really taking my life in my hands doing this here…I mean I’ve seen Roman Holiday…and Cat-People…”
“What is it?” asked Buffy.
Xander pulled his arm out and opened his hand.
“A phone…”
“That’s Angel’s phone…”
“What was Spike doing with it, besides stealing it…”
“I don’t know…” she said, her voice wavering…
“Well, let’s see,” said Xander. He punched re-dial…. “I’m betting on 976-VAMPS…but that's $7.00 for the first minute and I didn't think Spike had a credit..”
Buffy was looking at him blankly...
"Not that I'd know how much things like that cost...I mean I've seen the ads...."
***********
Spike hadn’t seen anything nearly this good on Passions. They’d been going after each other for over an hour. They kept going even when Cordelia had gone into the other room to put on some clothes. He’d been especially impressed that they had begun to make each other breakfast even while fighting….Cordelia shoved the skillet at Angel, and he began to fry up some eggs for her while she put some blood in a mug and nuked it. You’d think this wasn’t the first time they’d done this…and it was really getting good….Cordelia had just brought up a particular sticky subject…“And what about Darla…?” snapped Cordelia.
“What about her…?’
“I saw her last night, Angel,” she said grabbing his empty mug from his hand, and putting it under the faucet…
Angel grabbed a towel and began to dry while she washed… “So, my vision was right…”
“Oh, I don’t think it was a vision that did that to her…you lied…”
“What are you talking about…”
Spike had stopped crunching on his Fruity Pebbles in an attempt to hear the argument over the running water, when he heard a faint ringing…looking down, he reached between the cushions of the couch. Cordelia’s cell phone…hmmm…oh hell, why not…?
Punching the button, he smiled his best Cordeliaesque smile and said “Cordelia’s phone . Sorry she can’t come to the phone right now…I’d talk to whoever the hell you are, but she’s handing the poof his ass and it’s damn entertaining so if you’d like me to take a message, well sod off…” he said, punching end, and cheerily went back to his Fruity Pebbles, and their argument. He sighed, smiling as their voices suddenly became even louder. Lord, he missed Buffy…
“So…who had he called…?” asked Buffy.
Xander just looked at the phone… “Uhhhh….”
Part 8
Written by Argent"You're giving Spike my room?" Angel asked in horror.
"Well it's not like you need it anymore," Cordelia replied, " You went off to live in Sunnydale."
Angel snapped, " Well I'm back now. You don't need Spike. So you can leave," he added pointedly.
Spike, strolling about with his hands in his pockets, gave a shrug , " Don't think so, Peaches. Me and the cheerleader shook on it. 'Sides, like the look of this place." He turned around to give Cordelia an appreciative once-over and added, " And the boss is pretty easy on the eye."
She gave him a long , cool glance, " I'll let that one pass, vampboy. Don't do it again."
Fuming Angel burst out, " I said I'm back, Cordelia. We don't need him."
"Oh please, I give Buffy two, maybe three, hours before she turns up here looking for you. As soon as she does you'll be leaving again."
"I won't. It's over!"
Cordelia raised a brow, " And I'm supposed to believe that, Angel? Like I believed you when you told me that you never slept with Darla?"
Spike suddenly said, " Yeah, bit of a shock seein' the old cow and Dru huntin' together. Didn't I hear you dusted her?"
"I did," the older vampire snarled, " She was brought back. It's a long story." He looked at Cordy, " You told him about the firm of demonic lawyers that have a grudge against our firm?"
"I was getting to it. And don't change the subject. How did Darla get pregnant?"
Angel moved uncomfortably, " Vampires can't conceive. And they don't become fathers!"
"So you're telling me you're not the reason she's waddling around LA looking like she belongs in a parade?"
"There's no way that could happen. It's not possible."
"Not possible as in you didn't sleep with her?" Cordy watched as he dropped his eyes and gave a deep sigh, " Jeez, Angel, talk about how low can you go!" Out the corner of her eye she noticed that Spike had stretched out on the stripped down bed and was watching them in fascination. " What the hell are you looking at?"
He gave her a cheery grin, " Dunno, pet, the label fell off. But it's better than TV when you pair start in. Don't mind me."
"I do mind you," said another voice.
They all turned to see an angry looking Buffy standing in the doorway, an equally unamused Xander and Dawn just behind her. Buffy spared nobody else a glance but strode over to the bed and grabbed hold of Spike, " I mind you walking out on us without a word of goodbye. I mind it a lot!"
"I wrote a note," he protested.
Cordelia put her hands on her hips, " Hello, can you do this someplace else? This is a private conversation."
"I want a word with Deadboy myself, " Xander said, crossing to face Angel. Furiously he spat out, " Did you enjoy it, huh Angel? Using Buffy while you're thinking about Cordy here? Breaking her heart all over again. Was it fun?" Without warning he slammed a fist into Angel's face, then pulled back to do it again. This time his hand was seized in a grip that held, barely, short of breaking bones.
"I owed you one punch, Xander." Angel's voice had dropped into a lower, more dangerous register as he forced the arm down again. " And no matter what you've been told I wasn't the one doing the using."
Cordy's lip curled, " You slept with Buffy? That makes twice and no soul-loss. Did Willow mess up when she recursed you or something?" Struck by a sudden thought she said to Buffy, " Hope you're using some precautions or you may in for a surprise."
Buffy stared at her, face suffusing with furious colour, " That makes twice? I knew it!" Before anybody could stop her she dropped Spike, raced forward and punched Cordelia halfway across the room.
As her head hit the wall Cordy was dimly aware of Angel shouting something and Buffy shrieking back at him. There was a brief sensation of strong arms holding her when she would have fallen and then it all faded away.
***********
"How long can a simple Xray take?" Xander asked for the umpteenth time.Deeply uncomfortable Buffy shuffled and muttered, " I shouldn't have hit her like that. I could have killed her."
"Yes, you could."
"Leave her alone, Peaches." Spike glowered at his adopted sire. " She got jealous, it happens."
Buffy put a hand on his arm, partly in gratitude, partly to quiet him. Taking a breath she looked over at Angel, " You're right. I - I don't know why I keep losing control like this, but I am sorry I hurt Cordelia. And for what I did to you."
"What you did to him?" Xander asked eyes moving from one to the other, suddenly his jaw dropped, " You mean it wasn't Deadboy who wanted to-."
"Leave it, Xander. And don't call me that stupid nickname, I have enough of that with Spike." The dark vampire took in Buffy's expression, the genuine remorse in her eyes and finally said, " We both made mistakes, Buffy. Trying to live in the past instead of realising life goes on. But Cordelia never did a thing to hurt you, she just tried to help us both be happy. The apology you owe is to her."
She bit her lip, flushing painfully, " I know."
Abruptly Spike gave an 'ow' as he was slapped upside the head by Dawn, " And you owe both Buff and I apologies for walking out like that!"
"Niblet, have a heart, I'm not a bloke for goodbyes. It just seemed like time to move on."
Her lip quivered, " I don't want you to move on, I keep losing people. I don't want to lose you too."
Spike watched in dread the signs of rising tears, " Oh don't do that, Pidge! I'm not gonna be far. Couple of hours away is all." He tried to jolly her along , " You'll be able to visit sometimes. Plenty of room in that big hotel for an extra guest. Better than a dusty old crypt."
"I like your crypt. And watching those stupid movies with you. And listening to Buffy tell you off for eating all the popcorn. Who's going to make her laugh if you go, Spike?" Her eyes held a wealth of accusation, " Who'll be there to protect her when she makes a mistake and some vampire-?" Dawn broke off, glancing uneasily at Buffy.
Abruptly her sister reached out and gathered Dawn to her, for once losing the awkwardness that seemed to permanently colour their relationship, " I'm not going to make a mistake, Dawn."
Her face hidden, voice muffled with tears she half-sobbed, " I want things like they were. Before Angel came."
Realisation filled Buffy's face as she held her close, lifting her eyes to Spike's face, " So do I, Dawn. But that choice has to be Spike's."
He looked right back at her, swallowing past a suddenly even drier than normal throat, trying to think what to say.
"Is this a private Hallmark moment or can anybody join in?" The cheerful cynicism of Cordelia's voice poured icewater on the overheated emotions in the room.
"You shouldn't be walking around on your own," Angel scolded, hustling her into a chair.
She rolled her eyes, " I'm fine. No concussion, no sign of trauma. And I don't want any comments about thick skulls, K?" Despite the swelling blackish purple bruise that distorted her cheek and eye Cordy grinned at them, wincing very slightly. " Just a bit of a headache. And I guess that audition for Thursday is a bust."
Buffy released Dawn and walked over to face her, " I know it's not enough but I really am sorry. It was totally out of line. I don't-."
"Hey! I'm getting used to it. Every time I meet a slayer in LA I end up looking like this." She tilted her head, voice gentling , " I'm not happy about it but I can live with it. We're OK. We are OK?"
"I don't deserve it, but yes, we're OK. And thank you."
"At least you came along to see how I was, " Cordy commented glancing about, " Still no sign of Wes or Gunn?"
Angel frowned, " Nothing. I called Fred and she said they never showed up, no calls, no messages of any kind. Were they working on something?"
Cordelia sighed, " We've done nothing but work since you left, rushed off our feet. I didn't hire Spike here for his boyish charms, Angel, we needed the muscle." A line appeared between her brows, " I know Gunn sometimes drops off the radar to help out his friends but Wes is Mr Anal Compulsive, he always checks in. I don't like this. "
"Neither do I," said Angel. " Let's get back to the hotel and see if we can find where they went last."
Part 9
Written by Love's BitchIt had been four hours, and they still couldn’t find them. Cordelia paced nervously around a stationary Angel, while the rest of them just watched…
“Are you sure it’s not them?” asked Cordelia…
“Given what you said about Darla, I don’t see how. And I think Wes would recognize Dru…”
“Did you say Darla?” asked Xander. “I thought you…”
“….killed her,” said Buffy. “I was there. We all were.”
Spike chuckled. “Well, if that’s what you call killing her, I’ve been doing it wrong all these years. You know, Buffy, I’d like to kill you right now,” he said putting the word ‘kill’ in air quotes “…come here…” he said, pulling the slayer to him.
“What are you talking about? You don’t want to kill me…”
“Not like you’re thinking….” he smiled lecherously...
“Then what…”
Cordelia sighed. “Let’s put it this way….Darla’s definitely been ‘touched by an Angel’…”
“She’s pregnant,” said Angel quickly.
Dawn’s mouth dropped, and Buffy’s eyes got big….
Spike strode up to Angel and gave him a little punch on the shoulder. “You know….it couldn’t happen to a better guy,” he said, laughing.
“It’s not funny…..” said Angel.
“Oh it’s a little funny,” said Cordelia. “You deserve it…”
“What….I …”
“You lied to me. And you slept with her. And you were all…beige….”
“Beige is nice,” said Fred from behind the counter. “Almost as nice as khaki…”
Buffy looked over at Fred. “I always thought so. Angel, what are they talking about….”
“I had a ….bad period last year…”
“Now Darla doesn’t have one at all,” laughed Spike, until Buffy punched him in the stomach.
“And he lied to me…”
“You wanted me to tell you the truth…you would have never taken me back then…”
“Taken him back?” asked Xander. No one answered.
“Well, might as well have done it then, because I’m sure as hell not taking you back now…” said Cordy angrily....
“Yeah, mate, she doesn’t need you now. I’ve got your job…"
“I thought you were coming back with us,” said Dawn.
“Yeah,” agreed Buffy warily.
“Can we talk about this later? This is just gettin' good.”
“Cordelia,” pleaded Angel..
“What? You think you can just buy me another Versace fall line and it’ll be fine…?!?.”
“He bought you Versace?” asked Buffy.
Cordelia turned, rubbing the bruise on her face. “Yeah, they’re really nice….you ought to see the pant suit, it’s just…”
“Cordelia,” said Angel. “I want to come back.”
“I told you to go to Sunnydale and be happy, dammit.”
“He can’t,” said Buffy. "We can't...not together..."
“What?”
“It won’t work, Cordy,” said Angel.
“You’ll make it work,” said Cordelia. “I put up with too much from you in the last two years , and it was always about Buffy. Buffy this, Buffy that. You’d think it was the damn Buffy show.”
Xander leaned in and whispered to Dawn. “It’s not?”
“Just go with it,” advised Dawn.
“What’s your point, Cordy?” asked Angel
“My point is that I care too damn much about you to let you blow this chance…”
“Oh, able was I ere I saw Elba,” moaned Spike.
“What?” said Angel and Cordy in unison.
“Every time you two go at it, it’s the same thing. You never say what you really mean, you say the same damn thing backwards and forwards….You care about her, she cares about you…I know the poof’s emotionally stunted, but I would’ve thought better of you, cheerleader.”
“OH!” said Fred, excitedly. “A palindrome! Like ‘taco cat’!”
Spike looked at sideways. “Yeah…..like… taco cat,” he said, confused.… “Anyway, why don’t you two just admit you’re in love and get it over with?”
Angel and Cordelia looked at each other silently for a moment, then broke apart, both speaking at the same time…
“I don’t think it’s…” “You don’t really think that…”
“Uh…Angel,” said Dawn… “who’s that….?”
They all looked to where Dawn was pointing, just in time to see a very bloody Lorne standing in the doorway.
“Hi, kiddies…I’m going to faint now…” he said, as he fell to the floor.
Part 10
Written by ArgentPredictably it was Angel, with vampiric speed, who caught him, arresting his fall to the floor. Lorne slumped, totally limp and helpless.
"I assume this guy isn't here to attack us," Xander quipped.
Cordy rushed to help Angel, easing their friend down onto several of the chairs, she gave a slight whimper at the sight of his injuries. Somebody had taken a great deal of trouble to severely beat him without leaving him unable to speak, bruises and cuts distorted his features.
"This was deliberate," Angel stated.
Buffy tried to hide the sight from Dawn, who impatiently fought to get a better look, " He's a demon, right? I never saw one like that before."
"There are no other's like him," Cordy said, using tissues to dab at the mess of blood. " He's a friend." She looked up at Angel, " Still think this isn't Darla?"
His face was drawn," What could she hope to gain by this?"
Lorne's eyes fluttered open and he groaned, " That's the wrong question, Angelcakes. It's 'who' not 'what'. Your little friend did this to me as an object lesson in what will happen to Wesley and Gunn if you don't meet her at Caritas in one hour."
"They're alive?" Cordelia's voice almost broke, " She didn't....?"
"Alive for now." The green demon glanced at her and then back to Angel, " Darla came into the club with a bunch of humans. The anti-violence safeguards were ineffective against them. She wants you, badly, Angel. I don't know what for." His red eyes were bewildered, " You wouldn't believe how messed up her aura is. I wouldn't keep her waiting. Not if you want your friends to survive."
Angel stood up and away, thinking rapidly, " Darla must have some sort of plan."
"Or she's just rushing around causing general chaos and mayhem for the hell of it," Spike commented wryly, " Seem to remember that was her speciality back in the day." Blue eyes shifted to Angel, " You planning on staking her?"
"When she's pregnant?" Cordelia protested, " You can't do that!"
Lorne took hold of the hand that was still busy cleaning his face, " Princess, I'm all in favour of saving the innocent but this is a dangerous person."
"We help the helpless, we don't kill them."
"Cordelia, this is Wes and Gunn. Darla won't hesitate to tear them into little pieces if I give her reason."
His seer rose to her confront him, " We find another way."
Spike studied her determind face, " If Dru's with her that might give me an edge. I could-."
"Get yourself killed!" Buffy protested hotly. " Drusilla knows that you and I-," she flushed, " she won't trust you. It's too dangerous, Spike."
The blond vampire shrugged, " I already had to drag the two of them off Cheerleader here once. Darla's slow right now, and Dru never was much for fighting."
"And they're working with humans - who you can't fight!"
"Have to deal with that when it comes up. I took the job, Slayer, time to prove I can do the business."
Buffy moved to his side," Then I'm going with you."
"I'm on the payroll, but it's not your fight."
"If you're involved it is." Although embarrassed, her cheeks almost scarlet, Buffy held his gaze steadily, " We're a team aren't we?"
He gave one of his sudden, wicked grins, " If you say so, Slayer."
Angel gestured impatiently, " The main thing is to get there before Darla decides to take apart Wes or Gunn." He looked down at Lorne, " Are you able to help?"
"If you want a little light singing I think I can manage. Other than that I guess not, honeybunch." He gestured toward Dawn with his chin, " How about I stay here and look after Slayer Junior and Fred?"
"Who's Fred?" Xander whispered to Cordy.
"You saw her when you came in, Xander. She stays in her room a lot, she's shy."
Angel considered, " You think this may be a feint? Darla might come here?"
"Truthfully? No. But she's not an easy girl to read and I hate it when people get unpredictable. Let the tall, lucious one stay here with me just in case."
Xander looked around and then pointed at himself, " Was that about me? 'Cos I'm an engaged man, OK? Not into guys, or demon guys."
"Whatever you say, sugar." Lorne struggled to rise, accepting Cordy and Angel's help with a painful smile, " If things like this keep happening I may take up a safer occupation. Just look what they did to my new suit. Have you ever tried getting blood out of wild silk, it always leaves stains."
"Tell me about it, " Cordy commented absently, " the only thing worse is satin. Never looks as good afterwards." Catching Angel's impatient look she snapped, " Don't look like that, this stuff matters too."
Buffy, still looking at Spike added, " I hate getting caught wearing suede. Can't get anything out of that."
"The clock is running ," Angel said ignoring everything else, " let's get a move on."
***********
When they entered Caritas it was a mess. Furniture smashed, glass everywhere. Customers, or rather former customers, who had been unable to escape in time were scattered around in battered, bloody heaps. There was a nauseating stench of assorted body fluids from all sorts of species.Amidst it all Darla sat on a chair, Gunn and Wesley held on their knees before her as if worshipping some particularly over-emphasised fertility idol. The human supporters were a strange mixture of shaven-headed, robe clad men and women who bore bite marks on their necks. Apparently they were providing food as well as service to their mistress. Drusilla was stroking Darla's gravid abdomen and apparently holding a conversation with the unborn child.
Darla's smile was brilliant, " Angel, you came. And you brought dinner." Her eyes fastened on Spike, " I'm surprised, William, I've gotten used to being disappointed by him, but you don't stink of a filthy soul like he does. There's no tender heart in you."
"His heart is the Slayer, mummy." Drusilla's look was not unkind, " Strange boy he is. Dreaming after one who brings him death, like a moth to a flame. " She gestured oddly, as if brushing something from her face.
"I came, Darla. Release my friends." Angel spoke without real hope, just grateful to see that such injuries as they had already received were relatively minor. Above his gag Wesley's eyes were screaming a warning of some kind, but he had no means of conveying it.
She laughed, " I may do so. In time. But we have things to discuss first, my love. Our child's future for instance. I was so angry when I first realised what was wrong with me, what you had done. But then I found out the truth."
"The truth?"
"We have a destiny, Angel. These followers of mine have waited for centuries for their prophecy to be fulfilled, for their saviour to be born. And now I carry him. The first-born true vampire, never corrupted by a human soul, untainted by mortal weakness. He will rule them, care for them and they will feed and serve him - he will save them from the coming darkness. Alone among humans they will be permitted to live." She gave a manic smile, " Our baby."
Cordy raised a brow, " Now we have two crazy, undead bimbo's."
Darla looked at her, " You won't escape a second time I will cut out your heart and feed it to my child."
"You're meant to wait a few months before starting them on solids."
Spike raised the stake he held, " I'm all for a bit of witty repartee myself but what say we get to the bloody destruction part and cut the crap?"
"As you wish." Darla made a slight motion, flinging a handful of something over Angel and then leaning back, laughing. " Let's start the destruction."
He shrieked and arched as if hit with a massive electric shock, gasping for unnecessary air and clutching his chest. Cordelia rushed to try and hold him as battle erupted around her, the weight of Angel's now unconscious form bearing her down to the ground. Spike, cursing steadily the punishment his chip gave him, managed to fight his way to, and free, Wes and Gunn. Buffy tried to reach the two female vampires but was driven back over and over again. Gunn, snatching up the nearest blade, added his own contribution to whirling chaos. Wesley beat off attackers and rushed to try to reach Cordy and Angel's sides.
Cradling his heavy head to her chest Cordelia lashed out at any attacker that came near. She felt Angel stir slightly, " Angel, you back with us?"
"Yes," his voice was thick and slurred, he moved to sit up and she helped him, keeping a wary eye for further attacks. She jumped as Angel nuzzled her neck.
"Not the right moment, Angel. Enemies to fight."
"Right." As his face lifted she saw the ridges, jagged teeth and yellow eyes, "Hi, Cordelia, did you miss me?"
Even over the sounds of battle Cordy heard Drusilla clap her hands and exclaim like an excited child, " Ooh, Daddy's back!"
Cordelia swore and scrambled to get free, wrestling with Angelus as he fought to drag her neck to his teeth once more. " C'mon, Cordy, you know you'll love it. No more worries about the stupid soul, we can cut to the good stuff."
Clawing as his face she gasped, " Sorry, two bites in two days is my limit. I'll put you down for next week!"
He was laughing , enjoying her desperate struggles, " Be nice and I might even let you live."
"No thanks." She looked over his shoulder, eyes widening.
Angelus chuckled, " You don't think you can bluff me again do you?" His last word was cut off as Wesley smashed a chair over his head, sending him back under again.
Drawing heaving lungfuls of air Wesley managed to say, " Darla somehow used the portal's energy to remove Angel's soul. We have to get him out of here."
Working together Wesley and Cordy began dragging Angel back to the entrance, Buffy, Spike and Gunn driving off those who tried to stop them. Within a few moments they succeeded in reaching the car and leaving.
"Shall we pursue them, Lady?" asked one of the minions.
Still sitting Darla shook her head, " No need. Angelus will return to us in his own time."
"Are you sure they won't bring back his horrible soul, mummy?"
"Quite sure, childe." Darla held up the hand she had kept tucked out of sight during all the events of the preceding minutes. The translucent ball clasped in her fingers seemed to flicker and swirl as she shook it. Darla laughed as she tapped on the crystal, " Now there's nothing preventing us from being a happy family again. Is there, Angel?"
Part 11
Written by Love's Bitch“Dawn! Get upstairs…”
Dawn, Xander, Fred, and Lorne all looked up from their card game to see a slightly bloody Buffy standing at the entrance to the Hyperion, holding open the door They soon saw Cordelia, dragging a broken Wesley. She sat him down and took the door from Buffy.
“Xander!” yelled Cordy. “There’s a mace in the cabinet behind the counter. Give it to Buffy…”
“What…why?”
“Dawn! Upstairs, NOW!’ screamed the slayer.
“What’s going on?” asked Dawn.
“Yeah,” said Xander, “Something following y…”
He was interrupted by a very loud growl, as Spike entered holding Angelus in a full Nelson….
“Pet….he’s awake…”
“The chains are in the office,” said Cordelia…
“That’s my Cordy…always ready for lovin’” snarled Angelus.
Dawn’s eyes widened. “That’s…”
“Angelus,” said Xander. “Upstairs Dawn. Now…and take Fred with yo…”
He looked over to see Dawn already at the top of the stairs helping Fred with Lorne.
“Oh…right…I forgot…you remember…”
“Now that we’ve taken that lovely walk down memory lane, Harris,” snapped Spike, “can you give the Slayer the
mace?”“What…Oh yeah, “ he said, tossing it over the counter.
Spike turned Angelus to face Buffy.
Buffy smiled. “Say goodnight, gracie…” she said, and swung the mace flush with Angelus’ face.
***********
“So you’re telling me he’s evil now?” asked Gunn.“As evil as they come,” sid Wesley.
Xander paced in front of where they say on the lobby couch. “I don’t get it…which one of you stopped for a quickie?” he said, glancing between Cordelia and Buffy.
They stared at him like they usually did when he said something stupid.
“No one did, you git,” said Spike. “Darla found some mojo…”
“So they’re still alive…”
“Yeah…” said Cordy, her head in her hands.
“Hold on…Let’s get back to this evil thing….when you say as evil as they come, how evil we talkin’ …?” asked Gunn.
Buffy and Cordy looked between each other, then at Spike.
“Tell him,” said Cordelia. “He needs to know what we’re dealing with…”
“How would he know?”
“Oh…sorry,” said Cordelia. “Charles Gunn, this is….Spike..”
“Also known as William the Bloody,” said Wesley.
“You’re the guy who shoved rebar through Angel trying to get that ring…”
“Yeah,” said Spike, “But…”
“And you’re the guy that impaled Cordy?”
“I didn’t myself, no, but…”
“And you don’t got no soul…”
“No, but I…”
“Trust him, Gunn,” said Cordelia.
“But…”
“Just do it…”
“Ok…so what we dealing with? I mean, I’ve seen some pretty bad vamps….”
“Not this bad,” said Buffy. “Not near…”
“What are you talking about…”
Spike rolled his tongue in his mouth, thinking…. “Son, let’s go into the kitchen…what I’m going to tell you isn’t for the faint of heart….”
“We all know what he is, Spike” said Buffy.
Spike leaned into her ear and whispered, “I’m taking him in the other room in case he faints, luv. Man’s gotta have his dignity…”
She nodded, and Gunn followed him into the kitchen. A few minutes later, Spike walked out alone.
“You tell him?” asked Buffy.
“I did.”
“So did he faint?” asked Cordelia. Spike smiled. Cordelia knew the score.
“Nah….just tossed his cookies…”
“Who tossed their cookies?”
They looked up to see Dawn and Fred coming down the stairs.
“I thought I told you to stay upstairs…”said Buffy.
“He’s chained up, right?”
“Yeah, but…”
“So chill…it’s not as if I’ve never seen Angelus before…”
“So you know why she’s worried,” said Xander.
“Yeah…so what happened….what are we going to do?”
“We’re going to get his soul back,” said Cordelia.
“Might not be that easy, luv.”
“I don’t care….I’m going to get him back…”
“Changed your tune from an hour ago, didn’t you?”
“Shut up, Spike…”
“I’m just saying…”
“Spike,” said Buffy, “Cordy’s right. God, how often have I ever said that?…..but she is….we gotta figure out a way to get his soul back…”
“I agree,” said Wesley. “It was difficult enough to defeat Darla and Dru with Angel on our side…with him on their side….”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, mate…”
“Spike, did you forget to pick up a caboose on your train of thought? He’s evil, he won’t help us,” said
Xander.“Well…I’m evil, and I’m helping…”
“Spike…” said Buffy, “He’s not you….”
“No…he’s not. But I always thought you thought that was a good thing….”
“I never ….Spike….Angel’s gone…”
“Don’t say that,” snapped Cordy… “just don’t…”. She started to cry into her hands…
Spike knelt down in front of her, and lifted her chin with a finger….
“Pet….I think I can help…if you let me….”
“What do you want to do?”
“Just talk to him….tell him some things…a little vamp to vamp bonding…”
“Spike,” said Buffy, “I don’t think he’ll…”
“Okay,” nodded Cordelia. “Do it…”
Buffy looked at her… “Cordy, I….”
“Buffy….I want him back.”
“Okay…”
“Well…alright then…”
***********
It was quiet. The only sounds he could hear was the sound of Buffy snoring, and the rustling of blankets as she and Cordelia lay curled up in office chairs on opposite sides of the room. He hadn’t slept. Angelus would be awake anytime now.The rustling of chains signaled the end of his wait.
“Well, wakey-wakey,” said Spike, as he looked into the burning gaze of his grand-sire. The ball gag not only kept the older vampire silent, it effectively neutralized the possibility of him biting through his gag…
“Let’s you and me have a little talk. Okay, I’ll talk and you listen. That okay, pop-top,” he said, tapping the top of Angelus’ head as he walked past him, lighting a cigarette, and wiping the hair gel off of his hand onto the
windowpane…He leaned over and opened the window to let the smoke drift out into the night.
“So….you lost your soul again. Bet you think that makes you happy, dunnnit it? “
Angelus slowly nodded, and Spike thought he could detect a hint of an attempted smile.
Spike pulled up a chair, and put it backward between his legs. Sitting down, he stared at the floor for a second, he shook his head.
“No…we both know that’s a load….You’re probably telling yourself lacking a soul makes you free, no inhibitions, no consequences, no regrets….well that’s rot. I know…I’ve got no soul to speak of…but you bloody well know I’ve got regrets…”
He stood and walked toward the window. He didn’t see Buffy’s eyes slowly open….
“So you see….I know different now…different than I did before…a couple of years ago, I asked you why you wanted to hurt the Slayer so much….you said because she made you feel human…I thought you were tipping over crazy at the time…not that that was unusual for you….but I know now, what you meant. I know even more than you do. She might’ve made you feel human, but she makes me feel more than that…she makes me feel like a man. Something I thought died that night in the barn…”
He turned back to face Angelus, and Buffy quickly closed her eyes….
“But you and I know different, don’t we mate….the man didn’t die…oh the body may have, but not the man inside. We are who we always were….aren’t we? Just a little weaker….All our strength…all our courage…all that makes a man a man…that’s what we lost when we became vampires…that’s why we killed. Not to eat…alright, not just to eat…but to feel something. To feel strong….We told ourselves we were evil, that’s what evil did. We were just weak.
“You know the difference between you and me, mate?….I like myself. I always did, really. Oh I like to moan and whine about who I was before I was turned….but you know…I was pretty nice guy…probably would have taught poetry at nice school for girls…had a few teenagers with crushes on me that’d be too scared to do anything about…written some more bad poetry. I may have been a bachelor my whole life, but I would have lived a decent life. A respectable life. When Dru turned me, it was so much easier to give in. To think I hated myself…to hate the world…but you see, I like the world. I always have…
“Now you….you were a right wanker by all indications. Probably wouldn’t have lasted two more years if Darla wouldn’t have found you. Would've caught gonorrhea, got elephantiasis or warts on your Jolly Roger, and that would’ve been the end of you, and you would’ve died, rotting in a gutter. And you know…nobody would have cared. That’s why you’re the way you are. You hate yourself….and that’s sustained you. I guess it’s what sustains most of us. Self-loathing as a reason to inflict pain on the world. Damning it for damning you…Well, that’s the coward’s way, and we both know it. We always had a choice, even if the choice was to die. We didn’t have to drink…but we did. I did because I was a sodding love-struck fool. You….you were just too stupid. Too scared to die. Too arrogant not to.
“You hate yourself for killing your family. You probably thought about doing it before you got turned, though, didn’t you? You hate yourself for all those you’ve killed since. The thing is…that’s why you kept going. To hate yourself a little bit more…I mean, what kind of idiot tries to drag the world into hell? You wanted the torment….that hundred years Buffy sent you to…you probably thought it was a spa….”
Angelus growled…
“Oh, now quiet down, we both know I’m right… You did what you did because she made you feel…and you know what…I think that’ s what scares you….feeling. Everytime you feel something that can hurt you, you kill it…or since you got your “soul” you run away. Like that night with Buffy….you ran away…except you ran into someplace easier…it was so much easier to be Angelus than Angel….to be the vampire with no cares, and no qualms….instead of Angel, the man who was scared he wasn’t man enough.
“You know what I think. I think the Watchers lie. I think we never lose our souls. We always have it. Otherwise, why the hell would I care if Buffy died…but I did. I cried every night, for 147 straight nights. And the night she came back, I cried again. I cried because I couldn’t save her, because I couldn’t get her back…and then I cried because I did. If I didn’t have a soul, I wouldn’t care what happened to Buffy or Dawn…or dammit, even to you…Those old Greek boys say a soul is what makes love possible…and I know what love is…and I know I love Buffy….so don’t give me that Watcher definition of a soul….
“ I don’t think you were ever cursed…I don’t know what those gypsies gave you….I don’t know what it is that Darla’s got in that crystal ball…but it’s not you, mate. It can’t be. Because I saw you. Even with whatever it is gone, you still loved Buffy…she still made you feel….just like now…you still love Cordelia….I’ve known you for 121 years mate…and you can’t hide it…you love that girl.
“So you have a choice…you can either be the right wanker, and keep on making reasons to hate yourself…and the world….and you can actually be a man….and you’ve got it in you, I’ve seen it…even without the bloody soul or what ever it is…we’ve got a bum deal, mate, no doubt about that….but if you let Darla win…you’re still the same weak little man who drank from her in the first place….
“Now this again…this thing with Cordelia…it’s making you feel…and you’re running again….just like before….and if you do that….then maybe all you are is what you were when Darla found you….gutter trash…We can’t change what we are mate…but we don’t have to let it rule us….”
Spike stood, and stamped out his cigarette on the floor. Looking up, he saw Buffy staring at him….
“You believe that?” she asked….
“Yeah…I guess I do….”
“So do you think he does…”
“I don’t know…Don’t guess it matters….could be true…could be crap …anyway, if he doesn’t it made him damn uncomfortable and that was fun enough…”
“So why’d you say it…?”
“I guess I needed to….”
“I’m sorry for eavesdropping….”
“You didn’t eavesdrop, luv…”
“I didn’t say anything….”
“It’s not eavesdropping if I know you’re listening….”
“How’d you?”
“You snore like a lumberjack, pet…”
She threw her pillow at him, and he playfully ducked. It was only Angelus’ growl that reminded them he was in the
room.“What now?” she asked.
“I want to talk to Angel.”
They turned to see Cordelia standing behind them, her blanket in her hand….
“Alone…”
“I don’t know if that’s safe, Cordy….”
“Just go….”
“C’mon, pet, let’s go check on the niblet….”
As they shut the door behind them, she grabbed the chair Spike had been sitting in and turned it around, facing Angelus. She crossed her legs, and smiled.
“Okay,” she said. “Here’s how it’s gonna be..."
Part 12
Written by Argent"I'm going to sit here and do a little talking and you're going to listen, for once, while I decide what we should do. Rushing off to Caritas was a dumb plan, look where you've ended up. I don't know if what Spike said is right. This whole soul business is more Wesley territory than mine. I don't know if Spike's just flapping his mouth - seems to love the sound of his own voice. But I do know Harmony wasn't some stranger even if she was a vampire, Angel." At his growl Cordy gave a half-smile, " OK, big guy, Angelus if the name matters that much. But it's true. Harmony was still Harmony, she'd have betrayed me as a human never mind a vampire, I just let myself forget that because I was so pleased to see her again. Pathetic much?" She laughed at her self parody and stood up.
She began to pace, " Harm was the same girl who wanted to fit in, she wanted me to give her a direction for her life, er, unlife, just like I did back in high school. It wasn't about her being somebody different, it was Harm. I don't know how to test for a soul, I'm not sure some people even have them. But I do think you can judge people, or demons, vampires, whatever, by what they do and what they choose not to do."
Turning Cordy stabbed a finger at him, " When you insulted me a couple of years ago you were saying the things that Angel had thought, but was considerate enough to keep to himself. And," she swallowed, looking a little sick, " I guess I always knew that Angel had the same impulses as you, he just chose not to follow them through. But that distinction got a little blurred when he left Darla and Dru to have a little lawyer snack-fest. So, what is the big difference? Just that Angel wants to help people, even when he screws up, but you enjoy watching them suffer?"
Watching Angelus struggle and champ against the gag Cordelia sighed, " Fun as this is I suppose it's not going to be much of a conversation with that thing in your mouth. I'm going to take it out." Seeing the smirk in his eyes she reached to the back of her waistband and produced a stake, " and in case you're thinking of reducing my number of fingers, I'll be holding this to your heart while I do so."
Matching action to words Cordy levelled the stick to his chest with one hand, while she unsnagged the ball from his jagged teeth. He worked his jaw as if to ease discomfort and then spat a string of obscene comments that made her raise her brows.
"You want to find out how effective holy water is as a mouthwash?"
Angelus pulled his head back, studying her sharply, " You wouldn't do that."
"Bet? I'm not a cry-Buffy."
"You're bluffing." He gave a leer, eyes running over her body in obscene speculation, " You don't strike me as the type to enjoy torture but I'm game. If you make it worth my while that is." He snarled as Cordelia slapped his face back and forth.
"Don't piss me off. I'm not in the mood. You're going to answer my questions and you'll do so politely or I'll beat the crap out of you."
His yellow eyes were full of contempt, " You don't have the guts. As soon as I'm free of these chains I'll-."
Cordy struck him again, " Oh, that's the difference! Without the soul you're even dumber than Angel. Nice to know. Now shut the hell up and listen!" Convinced from Angelus' glaring silence he was at least paying a little attention she went on," You want to kill everybody?"
His lips quirked, " And bathe in their blood. And I'm going to make you last a long , long time-."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm so dead they'll have to bury me twice, I got it already. Think of a new threat, huh? Now, do you want your soul back?"
"No!"
"Sort of guessed not."
He struggled against the chains, straining to break free, " I'm going to make you regret the day you were ever born. I'll torture you for -."
"Please, change the tune. What are you going to threaten me with, Angelus? Rape, drinking my blood, setting me on fire, eating me alive, skinning - been there done that. You're supposed to know what Angel knows, how did you forget I don't just see the visions I feel them.? All of them. Over and over again. You think you can find something I haven't already suffered, even at second-hand? Lots of luck!"
Angelus looked at her, " Bottom line, no matter what you suffer at second hand you don't die. I can do that to you."
Cordelia sat down again, laughing hollowly as she did so, " All you'd be doing is speeding things up, dumbass." Seeing his puzzled look she lost her temper, searching her pocket until she found a coin and threw it in his face.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Have some money, buy yourself a clue. I don't have time for this shit, Angel, Angelus or whatever the hell you're calling yourself." Cordy sat back, drawing a calming breath, " I'm dying."
"What?" Angelus sat back, " What the hell is this? Some sort of a sympathy plea?"
She sneered at him, " No, it's a wake-up call. I don't have the time for your crap any more. My clock is running down. So, either you deal with me or I maybe get tired enough to stake you. These visions cost, Angelus, and I'm the one who pays the price. Bottom line - I'm human so I can't keep on doing this and eventually I'm going to die. So don't try and threaten me, don't waste my time I don't know how much I have left to spare and it really, really annoys me."
Abruptly his face resumed its human guise, " You never told me - him - that!"
Cordelia tossed her head, " Well, I kind of hoped things were going to settle down for a while. Didn't reckon on Darla doing her 'mommy dearest' stuff. I thought I'd have long enough for Angel and Buffy to work things out before-." She broke off and gave a breath of laughter, " And look who I'm talking to as if he's going to care!"
His face was still human, but twisted with some obscure pain," You wanted to see - him - settled before you...... How long have you known?"
"Does it matter?"
Angelus leant forward, " How long?"
"Since Pylea. I turned down my escape clause because I thought my visions mattered, made a difference."
"Escape clause?"
Cordelia tossed her head, " Y'know, Groo." At Angelus' growl she gave a chuckle, " What do you care?"
Although his human visage was firmly in place his eyes remained yellow, " You're mine. Nobody else touches you."
She sniggered and then gave a cough, subsiding into wry humour, " Well, the second part is certainly true enough, to my regret. But as to being yours-."
"You are! You always will be. The soul makes no difference."
"It does to me. And as to being yours - Angel belongs with Buffy and lacking an immediate deathwish I have no interest in you." At his chagrined expression Cordelia tilted her head, " Let's just get one thing straight, Angelus. You are going to get your soul back, like it or not. The only choice you get in the matter is if you cooperate or not."
"Why would I cooperate?"
Cordelia studied him narrowly, " Because that's the only way Angel and Buffy can be together, she'll never accept him otherwise."
"And what if he - I - don't want Buffy? What if I want you?"
She looked him full in the face," I don't want to talk about this. What are you going to do about Darla?"
Angelus frowned at her, irritated, " She doesn't matter. And I don't want the damn soul back, alright? I want to talk about us."
"There is no 'us'. Angel and I are friends, you're just the nightmare I wake up from sometimes."
The yellow eyes suddenly turned dark, his face entirely human, " Am I? Is that what you really feel, Cordy? No secret little fantasies, no 'what if he didn't love Buffy'?" He leant forward, voice coaxing , " It's the stupid soul that wants her, not me. You're the one I think about, the one he thinks about when he's dreaming. It hasn't been her for a long time now, just you." His voice deepened, grew silkier, " He loves the way you smell, you know? It's sort of spicy. Not your perfume, I mean how you smell. And the way you walk, those little smiles you give him for no reason. Hell, he even drinks the lousy coffee you make just to please you. The guy is whipped!"
Cordelia leaned forward, almost nose-to-nose with him, " Angelus, it's not going to work. I'm really not that dumb."
"I mean it!"
"Listen to yourself. 'I mean it', 'he loves the way you smell'. Who the hell are you talking about? You're one person, dammit, not two! Don't give me that stupid soul arguement. My friend, the man I love, is Angelus as much as he's Angel. Whatever your soul is it's not some magical get-out-of-jail card that somehow makes you a seperate person. Angel is Angel because he chooses to be something more than just a vampire, his soul gives him the reason but it's still choice. Angelus, well, I think we can all figure out why you choose to be who you are." Her voice and eyes held a disdain that made him flinch, " Some part of you knew you were going to die, wanted it, when you became a vampire. You hated yourself enough to want that. And when death didn't take the pain away you made everybody you could suffer in your place, all because you didn't know how to get past whatever the hell it was that screwed you up in the first place."
"You love - me?"
She watched him, her face softening very slightly, " You are such a mess! Yes, doofus, I love you. Big whoop, you may be the only person in LA that hadn't figured that out already. And it doesn't mean those chains are coming off anytime soon! Whatever else I know it's very obvious that you've really come to believe you are two people rather than one. We get your soul back, you get past whatever your damage is and get back with Buffy, you live happily ever after."
"I don't want that. Neither does she."
"OK, then we get your soul back and you brood about her for another decade or two, meet a nice girl, maybe pick somebody who isn't a Slayer this time, and then live happily ever after. Whatever!"
He strained forward, " The one I really want is you."
"Me?" Cordelia felt her temper rise, blood start to pound in her ears as she lost it," You want me? Fine! Here I am." She ripped the neck of her blouse, pulling his face down to her throat, " If that's all you damn well want then go ahead......!"