Title: Lost and Found
Author: Helen
Posted: 07-05-2003
Email: hwtaft@yahoo.co.uk
Rating: NC-17
Category: Angst, smut
Content: C/A
Summary: This is set in season 5. A little back history is Cordy woke up and Angel helped her get over what happened to her, but then she took off, now she’s back.
Spoilers: I have included a ‘new’ character that has been spoiled from the show itself, just so I can take pot shots and yes, I’ve described her as ‘blonde’ Hee Hee.
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution:
Notes:
Feedback: Yes please, this is my 1st so any help is good
Thanks/Dedication:

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Part 1

WOLFRAM & HART BUILDING

The bed sheets were twisted from his constant restless turning; pillows had been scrunched close and then thrown when his temper frayed. Finally heaving a despairing sigh, he lay back flat on the bed, staring unseeing up at the ceiling, eyes burning and jaw clenched.

He lay there for only a few moments before shooting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he was naked and in the half light you could see every muscle in his body was taut with frustration.

With a groan he dropped his head into his hands and ran rough fingers through his hair. Then his head bent lower as if in pain and he wrapped his arms around his head as if in an effort to shield himself from something.

Despite his best efforts two tears fell down his sculpted and pale cheeks, angrily he scrubbed them away and got up to pace over to the desk in the corner of the bedroom. On it lay a crumpled piece of plain paper, snatching it up it looked for a second like he would hurl it across the room, but instead he smoothed it on the wooden desktop and read it for perhaps the thousandth time.

It was addressed to him and dated just over a month ago.

I’ve sent this letter separate to the other one, so this is just between you and me.

I’m sorry for running out like that, without saying goodbye or anything, but I felt like I had too. I was hurt and angry and couldn’t talk to you about it. I know your wondering why I left, it was the phone call from Willow, she told me about you and Buffy and how you guys were thinking of getting back together sometime.

It hurt me so much, maybe it was all in my mind but I had started to think of you as mine and that we had something together. I couldn’t bear to step back and just be friends again and even if she never came, I won’t be second best, so I had to leave.

I won’t be staying here, just stopping to write this letter so you won’t worry, please don’t try and find me. I’ll be OK, no more self-destructo girl I promise.

Keep the others safe for me and remember I love you.

He stared at the words on the paper as if he could will them to change, to say something else; unconsciously he spoke, his voice a hoarse whisper.

“Why couldn’t you have given me a chance to make this right”?

He bowed his head, as if a weight was dragging him down, then shockingly quick his fists crashed down, almost cracking the desk before turning and stalking towards the shower, face pale and set with eyes dark as midnight glittering in his pale face.

Shortly after he stepped out of the elevator and into his office, the drapes were drawn back and the mid morning sun was blinding in its intensity. The first thing he did was shut the drapes and shroud the room, then he opened the other door and let the startled woman at the desk next to it know he was back.

Before he shut the door behind him again, he heard her answer a call. All he caught was the name of the caller but it was enough and he briskly shook his head at her, he would not take the call. She nodded at him but he missed it as he went back inside his darkened office.

“Er Miss Summers I’m sorry but Mr Angel is not in his office at this time, can anyone else help you”

Seated with papers and reports strewn around him he tried to concentrate, but the call had unsettled him even more. He sat back and thought about the last call he’d taken from any of the scooby gang.

5 weeks earlier

It had been Willow, laughing and joking and enjoying the changes the closing of the hell mouth had made to her life. She made him smile, she always made him smile.

“Angel, Hey, howyadoin”

“Hey yourself, were OK, are you OK? The question was obviously prompted by her calling him.

“Oh yeah, all good here, listen I was talking to Buffy last night and it made me realise, God I’m so sorry, that there’s something important I forgot to mention the last time when I was in LA”

He tensed, not liking the sound of that, the last time she’d been in LA was when she resouled him and then left with Faith.

Willow guessed why he was silent “Oh it’s nothing bad, in fact it pretty great”, OK that sounded better, he relaxed.

“When I did the spell I did it differently that the first time, um I missed off the curse, just ya know popped the soul back in without it”. She was excited about the news but also anxious over having not told him sooner.

“You missed off the curse” repeated Angel slowly; wanting to make sure he understood what she was telling him.

“Yeah I know I can’t believe I forgot I am soooo sorry, if I could I’d kick my own ass. My only excuse is I had other things on my mind”.

Distantly he heard himself say “That’s OK, don’t worry about it, you’ve told me now”. He could hardly take it in, no more curse.

Then it hit him, God he’d been practically killing himself with frustration for the last few months and all this time.

“Listen thanks for calling, but I want to go and tell the others, its big news”, he wanted to get off the phone and go and tell Cordy, he knew she would be delighted and so few things really made her smile these days.

“Yeah OK, I just spoke to Cordy a few minutes ago, she gave me this number so I could tell you, she sounded a bit better”, Willows voice was suddenly cautious as if she wasn’t sure what she was saying was strictly true.

Damn, so much for his big surprise, Oh well they could still celebrate later.

“She is better; she’s really getting there, almost back to normal”.

Not to mention getting a little testy about his ‘molly coddling’ but what the hell, that was Cordy getting back to normal, so he loved it.

Back to present

Of course he’d had no idea that Willows conversation with Cordy had been so much more ‘chatty’ than his had been and that following it Cordy packed up a few things and left. For the next week he’d frantically tried to find her, using every resource in Wolfram & Hart LA branch, which was considerable, but they found nothing.

Her trail ended at a bus stop in some godforsaken spot and then the letters arrived. One for the guys, telling them not worry and she loved them and one for him explaining why she’d left him.

For a while longer he had refused to give up trying to find her, but eventually he’d had too, she didn’t want him to find her and that was that.

Plus he’d come to realise that she was better off without him and so was Buffy, it wasn’t self pity, well maybe a little, but the truth was he should never have started believing that his love life could ever be anything but a tragic farce.

The ironic thing about it was a few months ago, he could have a relationship but no sex, now he could have sex but was determined to never try a relationship again. All it did was destroy the people he cared about the most, while he was still here, unchanged, eternal and alone.

Let’s keep it that way, he thought to himself, standing up and walking out of the room.

LAX AIRPORT

Cordy watched from the tiny window as they landed at LAX, back again, she thought, welcome back to your life Cordy.

Without realising she was doing it she scanned the crowds inside the airport, there were hundreds of them, people milling or standing round waiting for friends or loved ones to disembark for a familiar figure. She knew he wasn’t here, Oh there were some tall, dark and handsome men, but none that fooled her even for a second, he was pretty unique.

Well duh of course he was being a vampire and all, not to mention it was full daylight.

Mentally she shook herself to get rid of the images; she wasn’t back for him, but for herself. She looked at her companion and smiled, at least she wasn’t alone.

Suddenly an intense feeling of giddy happiness almost threatened to make her act like an idiot, so she hugged her arms round herself as she stepped out into the strong sunlight and lifted her face so that the hot rays kissed her face.

“Glad to be back?” asked her companion

“Oh yeah, this is where I belong, this is home despite everything that’s happened this is still my city”, she swung to face the girl and smiled a huge mega watt smile.

“And if Angel tries to interfere out of some misguided thoughts of ‘protecting me’, I’ll kick his ass”. The smile widened even more at the thought.

This is gonna be fun, she thought, hugging herself even tighter, ignoring and yet at the same time savouring the feeling of intense excitement that came with the thought of pitting her will against his.

WESLEYS LIBRARY – WOLFRAM & HART BUILDING

“I’m worried about Angel”

Wesley put down the book he was reading, the generic cover; identifying it as one of the special reference books he used and watched Fred as she paced in front of him, wringing her hands.

“In what way” he asked in that quiet and calm way of this, his blue eyes piercing and ever watchful.

“Well for one thing, he’s still not sleeping, I mean its only 2pm and he’s been up for hours”, she didn’t need to say more.

They had all discussed this many times in recent weeks, at first they didn’t worry about his sleeping thinking he would settle down again, but this had been going on for so long now, it was worrying.

Wesley sighed and put the book aside to lean forward, all of attention on the slight young woman in front of him. Idly he admired how she looked, even in her white lab coat and sneakers she looked damned good.

Switching his attention back to the topic, he frowned slightly as he said “This has been going on too long, ever since Cordy disappeared. It’s got to be affecting him”

“Well you’d think so” said Fred, her raising her eyes and hands up in an ‘I dunno’ gesture.

“But he’s still doing extra patrols and generally kicking ass all over town. Not to mention the times he just goes missing for hours, doing god knows what”, she stopped talking when she ran out air and had to take a breath.

Wesley almost smiled at the last bit, he had a fair idea where Angel went at those times, but had no intention of discussing ‘that’ with Fred. It was Angel’s business and if it helped him to relax, he had no complaints.

Fred missed the smile, too busy with her own thoughts, “I mean I know how difficult it can be when two people break up, sometimes the worst thing is trying to get used to sleeping alone again”, she looked at Wesley for a response.

“It’s plausible, that sleeping alone is the reason he’s having such trouble. After all he spent the four months after Cordy first woke up, sleeping beside her”. Someone had to during those rough and emotionally exhausting times and Angel would not let anyone else do it.

“So what can we do to help him?” asked Fred helplessly, concern written all over her face.

“There’s not really a great deal we can do and don’t forget he’s been through something similar to this before and got over it. But if it will make you feel better I’ll talk to him about it”.

Fred rushed over to give him a quick as lightening hug before dashing off back to her lab, her “thank you Wesley” floating behind her.

Why the hell did he always get stuck dealing with Angel when he was angry, unhappy, unpredictable or just generally being mean as a rattlesnake. Was he wearing a sign that said ‘brave fool’?

Wesley wished Cordy had not left for many reasons, not the least of which was her profound ability to cajole or fight with and ultimately influence a certain moody vampire.


A FEW DAYS LATER – ON A CASE

Wow, back in LA for a few days and they had a case already, what a team thought Cordy happily.

I can’t believe how great it feels to be poking around dusty warehouses looking for yuck monsters again. OK so it was definitely the feeling of being useful again that was giving her such a happy, but still.

Oh well, at least I dressed for the occasion, dark navy combat pants and navy vest top covered by a light jacket, sturdy boots that were cool and trendy, cos they were ‘in’. Hey a girl’s got to have some standards.

Her dark, glossy hair that normally swung freely around her shoulders, was tied back to keep it out of her way, with just a small fringe to frame a face that caused many a stranger to stop and take a second or third look.

Hazel eyes that 6 months ago were dull and red rimmed, now sparkled with intelligence and humour as she surveyed the dark, dank and dusty warehouse with the help of a flashlight. Wooden crates of various sizes had been piled high one on top of the other, creating corridors within the cavernous building.

Nothing here but wooden boxes and a dirty and bleak looking office by the entrance. It was night time and the place was empty and had been locked up, but picking it had been easy. No wonder the night creepies keep getting in here, she thought, I mean I’m not exactly an expert lock pick myself.

Well a quick look around the office and then she was outta here, maybe she’d find a lead and have somewhere else to go. The door to the office wasn’t locked, she put down the flashlight down on the single desk so that she could see, deciding not to put the light on unless she really had too.

There were two filing cabinets to the left, with the desk in the middle and the door in the far right corner, easy peasy. She’d be done in just a few more minutes.

OK, we have workers being hijacked by nasty looking demony things. One manages to escape and reports it to the police who think he’s nuts and so he gets fired by the company. Clues, clues where are youuuu.

Employee records, she had some names to check, of employees that had just not turned up for work one day. Some of them probably for legit reasons, but she’d have to search anyway. She was busy digging through one of the cabinets in the top drawer, when she felt the air move behind her.

The warehouse was musty and almost airless, so that couldn’t be good, she whirled around and simultaneously slipped a dagger out of its sheath placed at the small of her back. She didn’t want to kill anyone, so she tucked it so that the blade was hidden by her wrist.

Cordy was glad she hadn’t turned on the harsh fluorescent lights; if she had it probably would have been impossible to try and get away from the large black man-shape in the doorway.

At least she had a chance of not being recognisable again with just the flashlight on in the room. Then the guy moved, just a little to the left and she heard the ‘pop’ of a light switch, quickly she shut her eyes to avoid being blinded and so she could protect her vision.

At the same time she dived to the left side of the doorway, hoping to disorient the man blocking the door. She was sure it was a man, he was too damn big for anything else, unless it was a demon, Oh yeah great, hold that thought.

She still hadn’t got a clear look when she slammed into him, trying to knock him of balance and out of her way so she could slip out and run like hell. It didn’t work whoever he was, he was built like a brick wall and all she did was wind herself and fall on her ass. Annoyed more than frightened she looked up.

And froze

Angel.

---

Part 2

STILL ON A CASE - WAREHOUSE

The silence was absolute, Cordy could feel the flush rising from her toes to the roots of her hair, she was so not ready for this.

He was just standing there, looking at her. She wished he’d move or speak or something to break the incredible tension that invaded the small space between them. Now she knew what it felt like to have his undivided attention on her and not in a good way.

She would have stood up, but she didn’t want to get any closer and thought that scooting back would make her look like a scaredy cat. Say something, she screamed in her head to herself or him she didn’t know.

“Hey there”,

So it was her then, that figures he was never one for unnecessary conversation, even when he’d started getting in touch with his human side, which by the way seems to have taken a trip somewhere.

“Why are you here”, Uh oh it was the quiet and flat voice, the one she had always hated, even back when he used it a lot.

Time to stand up to him, literally. She stood up and brushed the seat of her pants with the hand not holding the knife, then slipped the knife back into its sheath behind her, hoping he hadn’t noticed it.

She cocked her head to one side and looked at him with wide and direct eyes. “I’m investigating a case”. Good just the right level of cool composure, she hoped.

He continued to just look at her in silence, and then he moved forward, forcing her to backup simply by crowding her. When the door was clear and while still facing her, he shut it closed and then moved back a step to stand in front of it. Leaning back with his arms folded and legs crossed.

He couldn’t have made it any clearer that he had no intention of letting her go anywhere, until he was good and ready.

Now it was her turn to stare, her mind whirling through all of the things she might do or say to get him to move out of her way. The only problem with the numerous scenarios that flitted around her head was that while not too long ago, every one of them would have worked; now she wasn’t so sure.

He looked predatory, that was the only way to describe it. An emotionless face, with brows lowered over unreadable dark eyes, high cheekbones and sculpted full lips. Plus he looked bigger than she remembered, taller and broader. Jeez his shoulders alone practically covered the width of the door and she had thought that she could muscle him out of the way, dumb idea.

He’d always been powerfully built, but she had never been afraid of him, now she was and she didn’t like it one bit.

“What, no ‘Hi Cordy Welcome back’ or just plain ‘kiss my ass’ then”, she snapped at him goaded by his damned broody silence which felt like Chinese water torture, which was probably the whole point.

“Are you trying to intimidate me Angel, is that what this is?” she raised a haughty brow as she crossed her own arms in an unconscious imitation of his own aggressive stance.

“Why would I want to do that Cordelia?” he raised his own brows.

“I simply want to know what you think you’re doing here, in this building at the dead of night, sneaking around like a thief” and then we’ll get to why you’re back in LA, but he didn’t mention the last part.

“I just told you”, asshole, she thought narrowing her eyes and glaring back “I am investigating a case and that’s all you need to know OK”.

She all but spelled out the last sentence as if she were talking to a toddler, that should irritate the hell outta him she though triumphantly, she was past the point of caring.

“I heard you the first time Cordelia” he pushed away from the door and walked slowly and carefully towards her.

She put her hand up defensively to stop him from getting too close; he did stop but only when her hand was pressed to his chest, her arm at full stretch. Then he grabbed her wrist to prevent her from retreating.

Before Cordy realised why he continued to hold her arm up and stretched slightly to the side, his other hand ducked behind her back and swiftly removed the knife from the sheath at her belt.

He smiled coldly and their eyes only inches apart where glued together, hers wide and slightly alarmed at the speed at which he’d disarmed her, his narrowed, challenging and strangely hot. The air was sizzling between them.

Cordy was infuriated by his scare tactics; this was the guy who had held her through the night so tenderly a few months ago?

“Let me go” she all but spat the words at him, not backing away an inch, her hazel eyes shooting fire.

“Not till you tell me what I want to know”, his own tone inflexible as iron.

“Is this how you get your kicks these days?”

“You have no idea, how I get my kicks”. He looked grimly amused.

She debated starting a fight but, although she was good thanks to their training sessions, she knew he had held back then, would he still be so careful now? Was it worth finding out?

He let go of her arm and she breathed a silent but relieved breath and massaged her arm. He hadn’t hurt her, but she wanted him to think he might have.

“Save yourself some time here, answer the question and then you can go”

Cordy nearly changed her mind about trying to kick his ass, who the hell did he think he was, her boss, not anymore he wasn’t. She was practically vibrating with rage, but knew this was not going to go her way. He won this time.

“I have a client who got attacked in this building a few days back, he used to work here. He got fired after a reported it to the police and they didn’t believe him”.

She gestured to the cabinet she had been exploring, “I was going through the employee files to check out some of the others that just disappeared one day to see if there’s a pattern, or get contact details to follow up”.

“That’s it? Who’s your client, I want a name”

“Kiss my ass”, she said it slowly and clearly, she’d reached her limit.

“Be glad too”.

He had spoken so quietly it took a few seconds for her to catch on and then Cordys eyes widened to an impossible degree and she sprang backwards like she’d been scalded.

“Don’t you come near me buster”

“Just trying to do what the lady asks” he was smirking now, the bastard

“Then let me leave, you have your answers” She was watching him like a mouse does a cat, trying to anticipate what his next crazy move would be.

He must have decided he’d pushed enough, he moved out of the way of the door and walked over to the cabinet she been looking in, when he arrived.

“Sure, it shouldn’t take much to find out what I want to know right here”.

Cordy turned to leave, then stopped and faced him again, “Just tell me one thing, how did you know I was here?” If he didn’t tell her it would drive her totally nuts.

“I didn’t, I came here for the same reason you did, for a client with a missing family member”.

“Oh really, don’t you have evil flunkies to do this kind of thing for you, save you ‘dirtying’ your hands”, pure sarcasm, but what the hell.

He faced her fully again “True, but sometimes if you want a job done right, you gotta do it yourself and to be honest, I wouldn’t have missed this for the world”. This time his smile was wide, totally evil and finally reached his eyes.

“I’ll be seeing you again Cordelia”, she guessed he was using her full name deliberately to goad her with memories of a time, when he would have called her Cordy.

“Sure you will, cos if you think this little interlude has got me running scared, you really don’t know me at all” with the last word firmly in her favour, she swanned out and slammed the office door hard enough to shatter the glass.


CORDY’S APARTMENT

“What is his PROBLEM” ranted Cordy, “other than being totally mentally deficient and a big dumbass bully”.

Cathy watched her friend rage, sympathy shining out of blue/grey eyes, which turned to laughter at her next words.

“I so wanted to kick his bony ass”

“So why didn’t you?”

“Cos he probably wouldn’t have let me”, pouted Cordy

Who then plopped full stretch and face down on the coach, swearing into the cushions. Cathy’s smile got bigger as she made out one or two of the more colourful ones from the mumbling.

“What I wouldn’t give for some supernatural powers and I’m kidding OK, had more than enough of those, but still, it was damn FRUSTRATING”. The last was nearly ear splitting in volume.

“OK I’m done screaming now”

“So he has a bony ass now then?” Cathy sat down and crossed her legs, god sometimes she really reminded Cordy of Fred, it was the natural sweetness she supposed.

“In my fantasy he does and I break it in two” Cordy looked at her friend and burst out laughing, seeing the humour and realising how bloodthirsty she sounded.

“So do you have any other fantasies about him, other than the violent type?”

“Not any more I don’t, arrogant bastard, can you believe he threatened to kiss mine”

It was too much for Cathy, the look of indignation on Cordy’s face, coupled with the topic and the images that crossed her mind. She laughed so hard, Cordy threw a cushion at her head.

“He said he was going to kiss your ass?” she was gasping trying to stifle the laughter.

Cordy grinned “Yes he did and you have to help me get him back for it”.

“Sure, no problem. I’ll hold him down and you beat him up, only problem is you’re stronger than me and you couldn’t do it, so we would probably both end up in worse shape”

“Oh I have something more subtle in mind and anyway we have a case to solve before he does, that’ll do for starters”.

---

Part 3

AROUND AND ABOUT

Angel did his best thinking either during or straight after a fight. He reckoned it must be the extra kick of adrenaline to his brain that gave him his ‘eureka’ moments.

That being the case you’d think after dusting two vamp nests and unearthing and slaughtering a nasty troll like creature with truly atrocious eating habits, you’d think he’d have figured it out.

What the hell had gotten into him? He still found it difficult to believe what had happened in that warehouse office. True he hadn’t been expecting to find her there and had been totally blindsided by the emotions just seeing her again brought out, but still it was no excuse for the way he’d behaved.

All he knew was that when he’d seen her again, standing there rummaging around in that office, he’d gone a little mad, there was no other explanation.

He remembered her fury when he blocked her escape and then the horror on her face when she realised it was him. That had hurt and then brought out his own anger.

The funny thing was she didn’t know the half of it, thankfully. She hadn’t guessed the feelings roiling through his gut like some wild emotional storm. She had no idea that when he’d grabbed the knife from her, what he had actually wanted to do was grab her head, pull her close and plunder that soft mouth with his own, until she begged him to stop or maybe not to stop at all.
Thank god he hadn’t, as he seriously doubted he could have stopped with just a kiss.

He smiled without humour as he walked aimlessly down dark alleys and back streets, using all of his keen vampiric senses to scan the walls around him and the road before and behind.

He was desperate for a fight all he needed was for some big nasty and hopefully powerful demon to jump out at him or try and scamper off with a potential victim and he would be in business. He just needed something, anything so that he could beat and pummel and rip and gouge and maybe forget for a while that Cordy was back.

Every time he thought of their encounter, he felt it again, the arousal their confrontation had sprung to life inside him. Damn he wished he’d remained celibate, at least before his libido had been easier to control. Today it felt as if it had become a living thing, need and desire clawed at his guts, goading him.

His cell phone went off on his coat pocket and he cursed luridly as he searched for the damn thing, answering it with a barked out “Angel”.

He listened with one hand on his hip and a frown nearly drawing his slashing brows into one black line. It was Eve; he was needed for something blah blah blah, probably some stupid security problem.

Angel was almost sure that his new ’liaison’ was under express orders from the senior partners to give him so much trouble he would either have no time for anything else or go completely crazy with the pointlessness of it all.

“Either take care of it yourself, see Wesley or Gunn or write me a memo, I’m busy”, he said and then promptly disconnected.

In fact he intended to be very busy for quite a few hours yet, he thought as he made an impulsive decision. The phone call forgotten, he headed back to the car, his car not theirs. The black convertible was parked some ways back from the main road, to avoid drawing attention. The Plymouth was pretty notorious these days but he refused to give it up.


ANGEL’S OFFICE – WOLFRAM & HART BUILDING

Eve looked at the phone in her hand for several moments before crashing it back into its receiver in temper. Her blonde hair was piled high, exposing her graceful neck and delicate ears. To look at her you would think she was a beautiful porcelain doll with big china blue eyes and full pouty lips. The lips weren’t pouting now though, they were drawn back in a snarl that was somehow more startling for appearing on that delicate face.

“Asshole”

Her voice was normally soft, coaxing but that one work came out in a sibulent hiss. So you’re not coming out to play today vampire, fine with me. “It just means more work and no play for you tomorrow”, she smiled at the thought, her eyes going dreamy as she invented all kinds of things to dredge up for the following day.

“Angel not willing to play your game, Eve? How disappointing for you”

The precise, mocking and oh so very English voice was coming from the doorway behind her, Eve whirled, her hand darting up to neck in a startled gesture.

“Wesley, I didn’t see you there”

“Obviously, otherwise you might not have shown your true colours, soooo eloquently now would you”?

Dammit he’d obviously overheard almost all of the conversation “Don’t you know it’s rude not to knock”?

She said it gently, making a slight frown appear as if she didn’t understand why he was acting this way. Her blue eyes were her best feature and she made the best of them, careful application of cosmetics, emphasised their size and colour. But not too much or otherwise spoil the image of doe eyed innocence.

“I would have knocked but I already knew that Angel is out. You do know this is Angel’s office don’t you, Do you think he’ll be pleased to know your snooping around here”?

If it wasn’t for the fact that she knew Wesley Wyndham Pryce, ex-watcher and stand-up guy had a taste for bitches she would think he was gay. But obviously innocence didn’t get his motor running, so she dropped it and became matter of fact.

“I wasn’t snooping I was making a call, to him actually, so why don’t you carry on and go running to him and snitch on me”?

“No need for sarcasm Eve, just because your not getting your own way”, Wesley walked into the room and around the desk to stand behind it and beside the large leather chair, symbolically presenting a united front with the missing vampire.

“He knows what your up-to you know, we all do. You seem to be the only not seeing that”

“We’ll see” Eve left without another word, her back ramrod straight in the smart and not too revealing suit. Might as well wear a nun’s uniform thought Wesley, it would be more subtle.

Maybe he was just getting jaded, but after Lilah; that woman just seemed stupid, but then again never underestimate your enemy. He was definitely going to have to have that talk with Angel soon.


NIGHTCLUB

The music was thumpingly loud and the bodies of thousands of clubbers bobbed and swayed to the beat. It was hot and many of them wore almost no clothing in an effort to keep cooler and carry on dancing.

Heartbeats thundered from them, so excited and keyed up where they at being here and being young, drunk and carefree. It was a candy store for demons.

He’d come here the first time three weeks ago, they’d found out it was the regular hunting place for a bunch of local vampires. Normally he couldn’t stand the noise and press of heated bodies but right then he hadn’t cared, he was working, hunting his own kind. The pain and bitterness temporarily forgotten.

He hadn’t actually planned to do anything other than dust the vamps and go home. The fights had been almost too easy and for the most part the clubbers had remained oblivious to what was going on, that what was had made them such appetising targets for the monsters in the first place.

The girl had approached him afterwards, when he was doing a last sweep. They’d started talking or at least she had, he’d had been too busy trying to think of a kind way of getting rid of her. When she suddenly twined her warm and pulsing body along his front and reached up with warm lips and kissed him full on the mouth.

He’d frozen in her arms, but she didn’t seem to notice and carried on pressing kisses along his jaw to his neck. He’d stepped back intending to gently rebuff her when he looked into her smiling eyes. They were full of warmth and generosity, the sparkle in them more than a little mischievous, her wide smile was rueful. This was no predatory girl looking to pull a guy; she just wanted to enjoy herself and for some reason wanted him too as well.

Almost unwillingly he’d liked what he saw even though she was nothing special in the beauty department, except for the genuine sweetness that showed clearly on her face. Also tempting him was the smell of her aroused body. The musky scent weaving around him and making his nostrils flare. Her nipples were visibly peaked and a pulse throbbed in her throat, he could hear another pulse too, slow and heavy from deep inside her body. Impulsively he’d taken her back to her place and stayed. All the way there he had debated what he was doing, in the end he’d done it anyway.

He’d told her almost nothing about himself, she hadn’t asked for more and had been happy to just enjoy him and the pleasure he could bring her, without promises of another meeting. For his own conscience he’d had to make that clear first, no problem she’d said. It had brought him some small measure of peace for a while and so, his long period of celibacy had ended.

Now he was back again, he wasn’t entirely certain what he was looking for, or even if he was looking for anything at all. He moved to the stairs leading to the balcony and the upper floor, even they were crowded with clubbers passing up and down, drinks in hand or just groping their way along, almost blind with drink and fuzzy headed with an exhaustion they couldn’t feel yet.

Up top tables and chairs were sparsely spread around and many sat in circles on the floor. He ignored them; he wasn’t going to be joining any groups.

His search led him into the darker areas and he ended up finding himself looking down at the frantic dancers below as the music built to an even more deafening crescendo. A few feet away from him a guy and girl were necking, something about the set-up caught and held his attention, the girl was mewling in pleasure and clutching her lover as tight as she could, then suddenly she stiffened and the mans hand covered her mouth to stifle her screams.

Typical, thought Angel as he moved behind her attacker, grasped his head in both hands and twisting HARD, the neck bone snapped with an audible crack. The vampire’s eyes blinked at him from the head he now held at a crazy angle. Angel grimaced at the sight and twisted again with all of his unnatural strength, his shoulders and arms flexing and bunching with strain until the head came clean off and the both body and head turned to dust.

The next second he found his arms full of a sobbing hysterical woman, he rubbed his hands over her back once, then spotting a passing security guard, signalled to him and gratefully handed her over.

Unexpectedly it hit him then, a bone numbing weariness that seemed to pull at his soul. He stood and let the room spin for a while before he blinked and centered himself again. He had to get out of here, as he was leaving he realised with a strange sort of exhausted clarity that he didn’t really want to be here anyway or in some strangers bed.

It had worked the few times before, only because he had believed that he would never see Cordy again and so none of it mattered.

He knew Cordy well enough to have no doubt that if she felt she had no choice, she was strong enough to put him out of her heart and mind and move on.

But he’d been wrong about her not coming back and now she was, things had changed again and he just couldn’t do it. If he wanted to release some tension he would just have to find another way of doing it. Urghh, just that thought alone made him feel even wearier.

As he left the club he didn’t notice the woman carefully keeping out of sight while watching him.

She seemed to droop with relief when he had left. Internally one side of her was berating herself for interfering it wasn’t any of her business what he did. Well, she told her scolding inner self defensively, I didn’t actually influence him or anything, just made him feel tired, that’s all. Now he’ll go to bed to sleep, alone, no harm done.

Cautious by nature she waited a good ten minutes before exiting the club herself, just in case he hung around. He didn’t know her, had never met her but he might sometime in the future and in her experience it was always better to be safe than sorry.

---

Part 4 THE NEXT DAY – BACK ON THE CASE

“Ewwwh, why do demons always have to make their hovels in the sewer” moaned Cordy as she gingerly lowered herself down.

It was all she could do not to hold her nose, some sewers were not too bad, like the ones Angel used, but then he knew them all like the back of his hand and probably avoided the stinky ones.

“Maybe because there aren’t many prehistoric caves in LA now” said the tinny voice from the cell phone she was clutching to her chest in one hand.

“ha ha, you should be the one down here and then see if you can joke about it”, she grumbled and switched on her trusty flashlight, oh for the ability to see in the dark.

“OK which way now” she said, pointing the flashlight around, over grey walls and deliberately avoiding the floor, she did NOT want to see what was squelching under her feet.

As directed she walked straight ahead, avoiding any extra sized slimy lumps she come across until she came to a junction with two tunnels leading off, she took the one on the right.

“I hope you know the way back out, cos I so don’t want to get lost down here”, she could have smacked herself; she should have brought some chalk and marked her way, just in case.

“Hey have a little faith OK; I can get you out again, trust me”

There was genuine hurt in the voice which came through despite the bad reception. Oh god, please don’t let me lose the signal she thought as she took a second left turn.

“Sorry, I know just ignore me OK, first case nerves”

“Nearly there now, so stop for a minute and let me have a look see before you go in” said the voice at the other end of the phone.

Cordy stopped and huddled back to the wall, at least it was a little less stinky here, either that or she was getting used to it, Ewwwh she thought, who wants to get used to that.

She pressed the phone to her ear again, waiting for Cathy to speak again; even so she jumped when she did.

“Right, were definitely on the right track. Up ahead, there’s a doorway on your left. It’s not a man-made door, looks like it’s been gouged out of the tunnel wall. Inside is a cave like place with our demon in it”.

Cordy gripped the phone tighter and tried to stifle the shivers that wanted to break out, nerves, if she gave into them now she’d soon be running screaming out of here and that would be the end of her fledgling solo career.

Not gonna happen.

“The demon is really big, larger than most men, its covered in shiny dark overlapping scales like some kind of natural armour, oh and its face is really gross, particularly its eyes; I mean yuck, milky white with some kind of weepy fluid running down its face. But saying that it doesn’t look so smart and its size has got to go against it in that confined space”

Cordy took a few deep breaths, OK some good news at least.

“Anything else I should know”

“Yeah when it first sees you it’s going to go berserk. Foaming at the mouth, snapping jaws, the works, so be prepared for a fairly nasty first look. From what I can tell the only way you will be able to kill it is to stab it in the eye, deep enough to pierce its brain”

“Right” said Cordy, patting herself for the weapons, dagger - check

“Don’t try and attack its body, you won’t have strength to get through the scales to do any damage, so don’t waste your energy”.

“From what I can see you’re most dangerous moment is when during the fight, you step back on some old bones and lose your balance and fall into it, it swings and smashes you into a wall and nastiness ensues”.

“Oh great, thanks”

“Think of it as advanced warning so you can avoid it, you should see it from my end”, was the slightly testy reply.

I used to; she thought but didn’t say it. Their situations where totally different.

“What about it’s attacking style”

“Swinging fists like battering rams and sharp claws, just avoid its arms and you’ll do OK”

“Thanks, better than a horoscope” said Cordy attempting light heartedness.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come down there? I might be able to distract it so it’ll be easier to kill”, it was not the first time the offer had been made and Cordy knew her friend was sincere. But having her here would only complicate things given her history.

“No, with the way demons act around you it will probably just go crazy and be even more dangerous, thanks anyway”

She heard a deep sigh and a softly spoken, “All right then good luck”.

Less than 5 minutes later and she was wishing she hadn’t been so determined to do this alone. Damn the thing was huge and twice as ugly as she had expected. Just seeing it had seriously grossed her out and knocked her concentration for those first precious seconds.

She ducked and weaved around it, grateful for the years of dancing and cheerleading that made such moves as natural as breathing. Even training with Angel hadn’t been this bad but then he hadn’t actually been trying to smash her apart, so big dif!

She was tiring and every kick she’d managed to land barely even fazed it, her knife just glanced off it and there was no way she was risking her knuckles by being dumb enough to try and punch it.

She stepped back and at the same time jerked her head back to avoid a particularly vicious swing. Damn this thing was really getting into its stride now, she had to end it soon or she was lunch.

Just as she was thinking this she felt her foot twist on the suddenly uneven floor and knew what was coming, she started to overbalance and fall towards the demon with its snapping and snarling face getting closer, too close.

Desperately she dived to the left, pain shot up from her foot as it protested being forced to propel her in the opposite direction from how she originally started to fall. She landed on her side but managed to avoid smacking her head on the unyielding floor, she so didn’t need to be seeing stars right now.

Then it was on her, meaty arms with clicking claws on either side of her shoulders, its head looming over her, drool dripping onto her neck.

OH GROSS, nauseated beyond belief she grabbed its chin with one hand, managing to stay its decent for one precious second, then slammed the dagger with her other hand into its eye socket.

Then she lay there, pinned as it slumped over her, dead. She had to wait a few minutes to get some strength back before being able to heave it even the slightest amount off her, so she could slither out from underneath.

Then she just stood there aching all over and covered in the most disgusting grime and smiled, unable to stop herself she whirled around, if she knew how she would have danced a jig, she thought then changed her mind when her ankle gave an indignant twinge.

She’d done it, killed the thing that had attacked her client. It was official there was now one less demon to attack the helpless in LA and she was the one who’d done it, OK with a little help from a friend and secret weapon.

She grinned, Team Cordy rocked.

The phone tucked, safe and protected in her inside pocket rang shrilly causing her nearly jump out of her skin after the utter silence of death.

A sense of foreboding nearly made her fumble and drop it before she could answer it.

“Hello”

“Get out of there now” was the frantic message. Uh oh

she didn’t wait to hear more but made tracks out of the demon made cave, back the way she’d come, only when she had some distance did she put it back to her ear.

“What is it, what do you see”?

“Two more of them on the way, nearly at the cave, run NOW, don’t stop for any reason, don’t even look back”

Cordy ran, her lungs pumping oxygen in and out as her feet pounded out a rapid tattoo on the walkway. By the time she reached the first intersection her chest felt on fire and her legs felt like lead weights and the foot she had nearly turned was throbbing like a bitch.

“How am I doing”?

“Keep going, they’ve got your trail but helps coming, just keep running straight on, don’t worry about finding your way back, just run straight”.

Too frightened to truly panic, she just lowered her head to her chest and pumped her arms faster, trying to get every ounce of speed out of her tired and battered body.

Until she ran into a solid and unmoving obstacle that should have knocked the wind out of her the speed she’d been going, but instead it swung her up and around, slowing before stopping her.

She was in Angels arms, help up high before he let her slide down, she didn’t care about that or anything else that wasn’t life or death at the moment. “Two demons on my tail, their coming right now”.

She was immeasurably grateful when all he did was nod and pick up the sword he’d dropped when she had barrelled into him. He braced himself, hearing them now; they were coming hard and fast.

Within seconds the two demons were on them, their speed outside of the confining cave astronomical. Angel moved forward to head them off, stepping in front of Cordy and meeting their charge with a swinging, flashing blade, cutting though their incredibly tough hide and causing them to howl and retreat before charging again, maddened by blood lust.

She could only watch in morbid fascination as he swirled and kicked, dodged and swung, one managed to swipe the sword from him. He didn’t even pause or look to try and retrieve it but waded back in with his fists. In this kind of situation she was the first to admit he was poetry in motion. She could only envy him that fact that even without the sword he was inflicting some serious damage.

Then one managed to catch him with powerful blow to the chest and he sailed into the air heading for a crash into the opposite wall, but he’d seen it coming even if too late to stop it and braced a leg to propel himself back almost before he hit it, the sword back in his hand, how the hell had he found it in this light?

The other one charged again and he bent himself double, crouching so that his knees were almost touching the floor. The demon couldn’t stop or change the height of its slashing swing and it started to topple on top of the vampire, just as its chest touched his back, Angel snapped upright, using all of the power in his thigh and shoulders to heave the thing up of its legs and send it crashing back behind him.

Whirling he raised the sword in both hands and stabbed it deep into, where in a human, the heart would have been. It gurgled a howling scream, high pitched enough to make Cordy want to cover her ears, but she didn’t have time, the other one was just behind Angel now and he was struggling to get the blade free of the one he’d downed.

She gave a howl of her own and leaped at it. Luckily for her it had been standing by small stepped ledge and she managed to cause it to fall, its weight making it impossible to correct and stop the fall even as it swung to face her, it continued to topple and then landed with a meaty splat on its back.

She didn’t hesitate but jumped on it, straddling it as she raised her own dagger high in both of her hands to give impetus to the blow she intended to inflict. She brought the blade down and felt it go into the demons flesh, but it hadn’t gone in far enough, she had pierced the eye almost right through but not the brain. The tip must have hit some kind of eye socket bone or something.

It writhed beneath her and she would have been bucked off if she hadn’t suddenly found herself airborne again as she was plucked off the thing. She didn’t take her eyes of it and saw Angel’s boot beneath her own dangling feet as he stamped it down on the end of the blade handle protruding from the demons face. There was an awful crack and the rest of it slammed into the demons skull and it went unearthly still.

Silence fell, well except for her harsh breathing, Angel still hadn’t put her down and now he turned her still in his arms so that she was facing him. Hesitantly she looked into his face expecting, god knows what, but he was smiling at her, she smiled back relieved and found herself fighting an urge to wrap her lags around his hips rather than ask to be put back on the ground.

He lowered her gently before she could decide to take the crazy option.

“Where’s the third one”?, he asked his voice unusually gravely even for him.

“It’s dead, I killed it back at its cave thing”, she grinned at him thoroughly pleased to be able to tell him that. But wising she had known there was three and not just the one.

“So that IS why your down here, you came here to kill it ALONE”, he was frowning blackly at her now, incredulity in his voice.

She decided to take the bull by the horns, “Yeah”, as casual as she could make it.

“Oh and just so where clear, I solved this case first OK” she poked him the chest with one finger as she said it.

He just looked down at her, they were so close she was craning her neck to maintain eye contact, she watched as he clenched his jaw and then took a deep but unneeded breath.

God, she looked so adorably determined, standing there glaring at him, covered in all kinds of grime. He could help it, he leaned down and did what he had wanted to from the first time he’d set eyes on her again.

His lips settled firmly on hers and gently forced them open to let him in, his tongue slid inexorably inside, stroking along hers rhythmically. His hand cupped her chin to stop her from turning away from the intimate invasion.

Cordy’s own breath froze as she felt an electric shock start from her lips and spread down her body, to settle with a sunburst of warmth between her legs. Her knees threatened to buckle at the sweet draining sensation.

The kiss carried on and on, he changed the angle to be able to go deeper and then he retreated only to suck on her bottom lip and then gently nip at the sensitised area. She felt dizzy and only dimly, she heard her cell phone start to ring.

She groaned deep in her throat but managed to pull back enough to push at his shoulders a silent request for release, he did and watched with brooding intensity as she walked a little away before answering the call.

“Hello”, please don’t let it be another warning of impending danger.

“Hey there, sorry to interrupt honey, but I thought you might wanna take a breath before you pass out, ya know”.

There was a definite snicker behind the words and Cordy felt herself blush as she realised her friend had seen her all but melting in Angel’s arms.


WOLFRAM & HART BUILDING

Eve closed the door to her office quietly although she wanted to slam it to release some of the tension she was desperately hiding from her co-workers.

Once she was alone and no one could see her, she clenched her fists and screamed silently, that done and feeling no better she stalked over to the phone on the desk and stabbed out the number with a stiff finger, agitation in every line of her body.

The call was answered almost immediately and she went pale, knowing what she had to say was not going to go down very well, still she steeled herself.

“I’ve just found out something that going to be damaging to the plan” her knuckles went white and her face paled at the sounds coming from the other end of the line. Quickly to get it over with she went on.

“Visionless girl’s back and I need to know what I’m authorised to do about it”?

She nodded after the other party had finished speaking, her mouth set in a grim line. It was what she had expected to hear. She would have to move fast before things progressed beyond her ability to retrieve the situation in her favour.

---

Part 5 CORDY’S APARTMENT

She was scrubbing the bath, trying to keep busy. She’d already done the oven, wiped down the cupboards and mopped the floors. She knew what was causing the manic cleaning spree; she was in classic denial mode.

I did not melt into a puddle of heated bliss like some dumb blonde in a bad B-movie, I DID NOT, she told herself fiercely. God she couldn’t even convince herself, she dropped her chin despondently on the rim of the white utilitarian bathtub.

To make it even worse, she couldn’t decide if that was less embarrassing than the fact that after she’d ended the ‘enlightening’ call, she’d bolted out of there like a frightened rabbit. She just couldn’t face him right then and so had run, mumbling excuses about emergencies and forgotten appointments.

God what must he be thinking now, she groaned and shook her head, mortified. She raised her chin again, it didn’t matter what he thought, it was never happening again and that was THAT.

“He kisses me again, he’s toast” she promised herself.

The crushing sense of disappointment that followed made her close her eyes and kneed her belly to try and sooth it’s jumping. Where the hell had he learned to kiss?

Talk about vampires having a ‘devouring’ kiss, she’d certainly felt like a gourmet meal offered to a starving man. If he could have he’d have swallowed her whole, but in a good way. No, not a good way, not in good way – if she repeated it enough she would believe it.

It wasn’t as if this had been their first kiss, not by a long shot, but the others had been tender and gentle, exploring and tasting one another. This one in comparison, well again with the devouring.

She could still remember a time, where for years she had not even thought of Angel and kissing in the same sentence, well not unless you added Buffy too. Her hazel eyes narrowed dangerously at that.

There’s a thought where is the intrepid slayer, or ex-slayer, whatever. What was Angel doing putting the moves on her and not Buffy, had Buffy turned him down after all.

Infuriated all over again, she attacked the hapless tub with renewed vigour and not a little venom. Just then there was a knock at the door and she smiled grimly as she stripped the gloves of her hands and went to answer it.

But it wasn’t him. A young woman stood just on the other side, Cordy had never seen her before but for some reason disliked her immediately. Maybe it was the wide guileless blue eyes, or maybe it was simply the shiny blonde hair that she was taking such exception too, given her recent mental gymnastics.

“Hi can I help you” and because she felt guilty about her reaction she smiled her biggest smile and desperately tried to suppress a grimace at the woman’s tight, upswept hairstyle and buttoned up clothes, repressed much?

“Are you Cordelia Chase” asked the woman in a small and hesitant voice, her hands clasping and unclasping with obvious nerves. Her chine blues darting around behind Cordy, as if she expected something to suddenly leap out at her.

“That’s me” she said with sunny charm, great who the hell was this nun wannabe?

GYMNASIUM – WOLFRAM & HART BUILDING

Angel ignored the hi tech gym equipment strategically placed around the edges of the custom built facility, in favour of a leather bag, suspended from the ceiling. Something he could safely pound on.

Half an hour later, Angel stood back from the crazily swinging leather bag, running his hand over his dripping brow, ignoring the sweat running down his chest, dampening his white vest which clung to his muscular torso like a second skin.

He had the whole gym to himself, no one except for Wes, Gunn and maybe Fred liked to exercise with the boss and as for Lorne, well he’d keel over with a heart attack if he ever saw Lorne walk in here intending to work up a sweat. He didn’t care about any of that in fact he preferred to be left alone in here.

Just as he finished the thought, Wesley walked into the room wearing a t-shirt and casual pants - not exactly recommended office wear, but considering he still wore black combats and knit tops to work he was making no complaints. Someone wants to make an issue of it, they can kiss his ass.

“Taking some exercise then”? Wesley asked facetiously, as it wasn’t exactly in question given the state Angel was in. He came to stand beside the bag, stopping its swing with one hand.

“Gotta keep in shape” answered Angel, equally tongue in cheek.

“Don’t you think you might be able to go on for longer if you actually wore the gloves” asked Wesley deadpan, pointing to the several pairs, lined up on hooks on a nearby wall.

Angel gave a small grin at the slight to his, erm ‘manhood’ and let it slide

“I do OK, seems dumb to me to train for a fist fight wearing something as thick as your average car tyre and then expect to be able to slug it out on the street”

Wesley relaxed, Angel in a bantering mood was an improvement and he had to admit bloody reassuring considering not so recent erratic behaviour. Still….

“You’ve been doing a lot of that recently, or did you think we wouldn’t notice”?

Angel started to answer sharply and then sighed and shrugged, his expression rueful and faintly conciliatory “Don’t worry about it Wes, just think of it as much needed therapy”.

Wesley stared at him a moment longer and then nodded, circling the bag he walked over to the long glass fronted display case, housing an impressive array of weapons.

“Did you want me for something” asked Angel wiping himself down with a towel that had been laid nearby.

“I was thinking we might talk,” said Wesley

“Talk about what”? asked Angel and isn’t that what were doing?

Wesley looked over and saw he’d gone tense again, he knew he should treat carefully or he would either get shut down or…. to hell with it.

“Cordelia for starters and then the delectable Eve” The sarcasm at the end was unmistakable but it was as if Angel hadn’t even heard him.

“What about Cordelia”? the question was snapped at him rapid fire as Angel walked towards him, his entire focus and attention the topic now that it included her. Interesting thought Wesley, but hardly surprising. Angel is nothing if not consistent and when he was fixated on something, nothing could shift his attention away.

“I was hoping you could tell me,” said Wesley, turning to the side to face the vampire

Angel balled up the towel he was still holding in his hands and with a snap of his wrist sent it sailing into a corner, he watched it fall before looking back at the ex-watcher.

“Cordy’s back in LA and running her own show” He flicked Wesley a sardonic glance before turning back to the punching bag for another round.

“Is that all you know”? Wesley persisted following him.

“Yes”, the bag started to take some punishment again

“She didn’t mention why she came back here to LA” Angel stopped and glared at him.

Wesley was undaunted, he’d seen that look too often and whereas at one time he would have backed off immediately, now he knew it was just Angel trying to duck out of discussing something he didn’t want to.

“As opposed to starting up elsewhere”? He finished.

“Look Wes, I don’t know OK, go and ask her and anyway don’t you have anything better to do that badger me about this”. Wesley could tell Angel had just passed simmering point, time to change tactics.

“I do actually, fancy a fight”?

“What”? he got the patented ‘are you nuts’ glower

Wesley jerked his head to indicate the weapons cabinet “I need some exercise”.

Sighing deeply Angel raised a single brow at him, waiting for him to get to the point, he knew there was point, with Wesley there always was.

“Sure, what did you have in mind”? He asked neutrally.

Wesley raised a challenging brow “Knives”?

Angel and Wesley faced each other over the mats, neither of them wearing protective gear, “No drawing blood” stipulated Angel

“Couldn’t agree more, considering it would take me ten times longer to heal than you”,

It would have been an impressive sight if anyone had been watching them. Both tall and dark, but with one much slighter than the other. Both obviously skilled but one with superhuman speed and endurance, it should have been over in minutes but neither wanted that. Angel held back and Wesley stepped up.

With whirring speed the knives darted in, out and under the arm held up to protect and deflect. The speed of both men was incredible as they wove their way from side to side of the mat, never stepping over the line although several times nearly overbalancing.

The knives would clash with a ring of steel again and again and again making the snickerty snick sounding rhythm almost musical. To an observer the movements of each man might have seemed choreographed, as if they were taking part in some kind of deadly dance.

The duel went on for so long that Wesley’s clothes were wrung through and he was finding it difficult to protect his eyes from the stinging sweat. He could tell he was tiring, it was nearly time to call a halt.

But then he overreached and Angel tripped him, he fell on his back on the mat, quite glad of the respite. That’s what you get for challenging a vampire he thought to himself.

Angel didn’t press his attack but casually tossed both knives out of harms way and held down a hand to haul the ex-watcher up, Wesley reached up to take the hand but in a moment of insanity or levity pulled instead. Angel not expecting it fell and crashed down next to him

They both starting laughing, Wesley holding his belly and roaring as he recalled the expression on Angel’s face as he started to go over.

Angel sat up and placed an elbow on each knee, he looked down at the still laughing man who was a good friend even if he was too damned persistent. But at least this approach was better than the ‘tea’.

“I saw Cordy again last night”.

Wesley leaned up on one elbow and quirked a brow as if to say ‘go on’.

“She ran into me in the sewers running from two of those demons you and Fred Identified, she’d already killed one of them” He paused, running the scene through his minds eye again.

“She killed one of them” asked Wesley his expression and tone one of admiration and surprise.

“Yeah and she was covered in filth too” He was grinning now, only someone who knew Cordelia would understand how unusual that is for her.

“We killed the last two together, she was amazing”

“You sound proud” said Wesley a smile on his own lips.

“I was damned proud of her, course I was mad too, I hated the way she had put herself in danger”

Wesley could imagine it, Angel was quite forward thinking for an eighteenth century man. But political correctness went out the window when it threatened to cause a loved one to get hurt and Angel loved Cordy.

“Then she ran out on me”, he looked casual as he said it, but Wesley knew there was some more to this. Not to mention it was hard not to miss the hurt in Angel’s voice. Hmmm, time to execute plan B.

CORDY’S APARTMENT

“Can I get you a drink or something?” asked Cordy when she’d finally managed to convince her guest to take a seat, or valium she thought, what’s with the nerves?

“No, I’m fine thanks. I really appreciate you letting me come in and talk” said Eve with eye’s carefully downcast.

“No problem, what can I help you with” asked Cordy, all business. You didn’t have to like clients to want to help them.

“I need to talk to someone about my boss”, said the woman with more hand wringing

Cordy was stumped, “Erm are you sure you’ve come to the right place, I mean work relationship issues are not exactly my area of expertise”

Eve’s head came up and she looked quizzically and hopefully at Cordy, “But you know him”

Cordy’s belly took another dive; she could guess what was coming.

“His name is Angel” said the woman, obviously slightly put off by the not so receptive look now on her face.

“What’s your problem exactly?” asked Cordy her face wiped clean of expression.

“He keeps coming onto me and I’m not sure what to do about it. I mean there’s no one I can talk to about it at work. I’ve only been there a short while, after he took it over in fact, but I heard that you used to know him well”.

Cordy said nothing, just kept gazing steadily at Eve. This is crazy, could this possibly get any ickier.

“I’m sorry if coming here was wrong its just, I’m a little scared. Sometimes he seems almost unbalanced and I think he forgets who I am and thinks I’m someone else”. Eve was starting to look seriously distressed now.

But Cordy couldn’t move over to her and offer comfort, for some reason the thought of it make her flesh crawl.

“Do you have any idea who this other woman might be, or what I should do”? Prompted Eve, watching Cordy’s face intently.
ANGELS APARTMENT – WOLFRAM & HART BUILDING

A little later, Eve walked through the Angel’s empty apartment. Fingers trailing over the rich colours of the leather suite, delicate fingers tracing the patterns on the cushions, he would be a while yet according to her source, she had some time.

She had prepared carefully, bathing in a vanilla scented bath and using only the lightest of scents to accentuate the perfume that he would find very familiar.

She had studied the file of the slayer very carefully, her habits and preferences, pictures over the years had been traced and gathered for intelligence purposes.

Eve was dressed in a silky and skimpy pyjama suit, the top cropped with spaghetti straps. Her golden shoulders gleamed invitingly, but in no way vying with the golden mop of loose and flowing blonde hair. Pink luscious lips pouted experimentally. She was ready all she needed to do was perform the spell.

She smiled after she had finished and the smoke drifted around the darkened room, permeating every corner with the pervasive odour of woodsmoke and something else, sweet and intoxicating.

She had drawn all of the curtains and lit only a few of the smaller lamps to give the room with its dark oak furniture a feeling of homeliness. She sat down with her legs curled up under her on his favourite leather chair, a book in one hand and the lamp next to her bathing her in its soft glow. He shouldn’t be long now and she smiled at the corner of the room where a hidden camera was recording.

---

Part 6

CORDY’S APARTMENT

Cordy was pacing the room, her every step a statement of agitation. Cathy hated seeing her friend like this, it made her mad.

“So you wanna do the time honoured ‘men are total bastards’ girl talk”

“No I want to go find him and drive a stake through his heart” said Cordy viciously, not stopping the pacing.

“OK, but are you going to let him have a say first”? asked Cathy, wincing when Cordy stopped with a jerk and started at her in disbelief.

“What can he possibly say, the poor girl was practically shaking with fear and all because the asshole can’t get over the fact that Buffy doesn’t want him”. She didn’t care that she was sounding like she was taking this personnally, it was frickin personal.

“Oh, I’m not arguing with you on that one, if it’s true”

“If it’s true”? repeated Cordy, “Why would some strange woman come to see me and say stuff only someone in that position could know about”?

“Because she’s evil and works for Wolfram & Hart”? said Cathy, desperately planting a seed.

Cordy started to blow her off, but then she stopped a thoughtful look on her beautiful face “I’ve got to admit I thought it was weird her coming to see me”.

The thoughtful look stayed as she turned to face Cathy sitting watching her. “I guess I just got distracted after I heard what she was saying, to want to dig any deeper”.

Cathy could understand that, if something hurt, the last thing you wanted to do was go prodding and poking around.

“Look we don’t know for sure if she is lying but we can always find out”, suggested Cathy in her most reasonable tone. “All I’m saying is that you should make sure first before going with the stakeage”.

Cordy flopped next to her on the coach, “Your right, we should find out more about Eve, so what do you suggest, you gonna do your ‘thing’”?

“It’ll be quicker and less painful than trying to beat it out of her”, joked Cathy

Cordy just grinned “When do you want to start”?

“Oh I think that there’s no time like the present” for some reason she was getting an itchy feeling, like they didn’t have much time. But she didn’t mention that part; the feeling was too nebulous, yet.

“Where to then” said Cordy hauling herself back up to go grab a jacket.

“Wolfram and Hart” said Cathy with certainty

Cordy went to grab some weapons too.

ANGEL’S APARTMENT – WOLFRAM & HART BUILDING

“I’m drunk,” said Angel to nobody, only just managing not to chuckle as he was thoroughly enjoying a rare feeling of general well being. Wesley had followed up their talk in the gym with a bottle of scotch and challenge to help him empty it. Angel could never resist a challenge and sneaky Wes knew that.

The elevator rise was soothing and he was looking forward to going to bed, to sleep and he had a sneaky feeling that similar to yesterday he would sleep well and dreamlessly.

The doors opened with a soft ping, rolling back to a tableau that he would never have guessed in his wildest imaginings. The girl curled up on the chair, soft lamp light, who, what, was that Buffy?
His stomach lurched and he groaned he was not up to dealing with this now.

She looked up then and smiled gently, coaxingly at him, holding out her hand in welcome. His vision cleared then and everything seemed to settle for a moment.

He walked slowly over to stand in front of the chair, careful not to spook her, his expression clear and non-threatening. When he reached her he braced an arm on each side of the chair and leaned over, a soft smile playing around his sculpted and full lips.

“Get your ass out of my chair Eve, then take it and the rest of your skinny body out of here NOW”.

He had started to talk in a gentle tone and it had taken her a moment to catch the words, too lost in the glow of success. The last word was loud, angry and meant business.

Eve was stunned, why wasn’t the spell working, it was foolproof and she’d even tested it out on another vampire yesterday, just to make sure. It had worked on him brilliantly, well if you don’t count the fact that the girl had ended up having her throat ripped out afterwards.

Then she smelled the whiskey on his breath; he was still looming over her, hostility and disgust on every line of his face and taut body. That was it, the alcohol was delaying the effects, all she had to do was slow him down and then she still had a chance.

“Just so where clear here Eve, I wouldn’t spit on you if you were on fire. Now get the hell out of my place”.

Angel was done with patience, grabbed her wrist and started to haul her bodily out of the chair, willing to drag her across the polished hardwood floor to the elevator and away. But he’d forgotten that he wasn’t exactly sober and managed to turn too fast. Suddenly he went dizzy and fell to his knees.

He took some deep breaths to try and centre himself with the feeling of air in expanded lungs. But for some reason that just made the dizziness even worse and the room seemed to fade and narrow around him until all he could sense was the few feet surrounding his body.

Quickly Eve dragged a rug from nearby and placed it next to him, pushing him until he toppled back on it, mumbling incoherently. Great now it was working too well, it looked like she was going to have to do all the work, bastard.

She looked around her, this was going to have to do, there was no way she could move him over to the bed or even the couch without help and she wasn’t prepared to let anyone else in on what she was doing.

She undid his shirt and peeled back the sides, his eyes were closed and he groaned. She ran her hands over his muscular chest, enjoying the sensation of rock hard muscle and smooth skin, she dug her nails into his side and scraped a little. That woke him up a bit, then she leaned over and kissed him, carefully placing her lips in such a way that her tongue could dart into his mouth.

Helplessly he responded, his hands came up to grip her hips as she straddled his chest. Eve sat back after a few minutes, he protested and pulled her down again, until her breasts where pressed to chest. Still grinning she flicked a tongue over his nipple and then rubbed her silk clad lower body, slowly down his belly and over to the telltale bulge in his pants, stopping there to press down and gyrate her hips, teasing him.

“Well, well not so fussy now are you” she said in teasing murmur. But then the spell would make you pant after anyone with breasts and a vagina she thought to herself, but didn’t say aloud in case he remembered tomorrow.

She was damned glad he’d been drinking, she should have thought of that herself. Once you got over the initial delay it actually made it even more potent which would make it look even better on camera, not to mention add to the effect of convincing him he had actually changed his mind and wanted her.

She was so engrossed in what she was doing she didn’t notice the door leading to the stairs, which was kept permanently locked, open behind her.

Cordy slipped the lock picking tools she’d picked up back in her back pocket, Cathy was behind her. They both stood still and silent, staring in shock.

Then Cordy saw red, bright flashing red right before her eyes, she could feel her blood pressure rising and another pressure in her chest expanding.

The first Eve knew of their presence was when hard hands grabbed her hair and arms in a vice like grip and flung her to the side and off Angel. She turned around expecting to see Wesley or Fred and could only gape when she saw it was Cordy, boiling mad and full of accusing fury.

“I’m sorry, we couldn’t help it, we just…” she let her voice trail away and a guilty blush stain her cheeks, “I let him persuade me it was the right thing”.

Another person stepped into view and bent down to check out Angel, who was struggling to get up off the floor. Eve narrowed her eyes, who the hell was this.

“Cordy, you better check this out. I’m not sure but he doesn’t look right to me” Cathy got up from her crouch and backed away from the vampire who was starting to get a bit of co-ordination back. Uh Oh better make it fast.

“What did you do to him” gritted out Cordy, her face only inches away.

“Nothing, it just sort of happened” said Eve with studied calm, but her eyes flickered as she watched Cathy sniff the air delicately like she was tasting it and then start rooting around the candles and supplies she’d left on the sideboard.

“She’s a lying bitch” said Cathy with deliberate matter of factness from over the other side of the room, holding up something that looked vaguely like a thick vegetable root.

That was enough for Cordy, who promptly pulled the blonde woman up by her hair and said into her face “I guess no one ever told you trespassing’s illegal”

Then she drew back a fist and let it fly straight towards that pink stained mouth. Both women watched as Eve fall back on the floor in an unconscious heap, Cordys chest still heaving with anger at having been tricked into feeling sorry for this woman. Then she turned to Angel and found he was standing right behind her.

“Cordy back away from him” shouted Cathy, almost too late.

“Why” asked Cordy doing it anyway, but not understanding what was the problem, he looked OK; in fact thinking about he looked damn good, whoa back up what happened to being pissed off?

“He’s erm been put under a spell, kinda”. Cathy sounded so embarrassed, Cordy turned to her and almost got herself cornered into a chair.

“What kind of spell”? She was circling a couch and table now. Watching him watch her with that intent, I’m getting ready to pounce look that he could practically get a patent on.

She darted a look at Cathy to see what she was doing. Was that a blush on her friends face, she started to get worried and gave him another once over. OK a little on the dishevelled side and she could smell whiskey on him, which wasn’t actually that unpleasant and still hot, hmmmm.

“Angel, c’mon its Cordy’s please stop with the stalking OK. What kind of spell Cathy”? Cordy was yelling by this point.

Angel just shook his head but didn’t speak or stop and she scooted round the chair again. This is getting seriously ridiculous, she thought with an inner giggle. Do I want him to catch me or not? GET A GRIP!

“It’s a lust spell I think”

“A what”!! Cordy couldn’t believe her ears and stopped in her tracks. OOPS wrong things to do, strong arms caught her round the middle.

Not again.

He didn’t cart her off anywhere, which to her mind would have been the sensible thing to do, oh no that wasn’t quick enough to suit him. He dropped them both simply by falling back and taking her with him, when he hit the floor still holding her tight, he rolled, until she was trapped underneath him.

“Cathy” she wailed but that was the last thing she could get out before she was being devoured again.

Cathy meantime was frantically rummaging through the various drawers in the place, shit, there’s got to be something here somewhere. She didn’t want to have to hit him or anything, one because she probably would only make him mad and two she didn’t like hitting things.

She heard muffled sounds and turned to take a quick peak, and shut her eyes “Oh my innocent eyes”, OK a bit overly dramatic she thought, but seriously running out of time here.

Then she heard Cordy giggling, giggling?? Another look and she was getting really panicked, she felt a bubble of hysterical laughter nearly burst free.

“Cordy try and not get affected OK, where the hell has she put the antidote”. Frantically she ran to the windows to see if there was a way of opening them, to get some fresh air in and reduce the effects, nothing.

Cordy was enjoying what he was doing way too much to give a damn about anything else right now. Wow, what had she been running from? His hands held hers down just slightly above her shoulders while his lips nuzzled and nipped at her neck, causing her to helplessly arch into him, lifting her hips so that the hard bulge of him settled even more strongly into her sensitive core. So intense was the sensation of pleasure he reared back so that he could thrust harder, get closer.

She watched him, loving the look of almost savage arousal on his face before he captured her lips again, releasing her hands to grip the edges of the blouse she was wearing, then he tore it open regardless of the buttons that had once held it closed. She didn’t even notice the destruction of the blouse, as the fingers of one hand cupped an aching breast, tormenting the sensitive nipple with quick and clever caresses.

His other hand was at her waistband, pulling down the elasticised waist to get access to her soft inner flesh, she quivered in anticipation. Her own hands started to wander, pulling at his clothing wanting, no needing, to get them off him.

Then he suddenly lifted himself off her and she could have screamed in frustration. He was shaking his head as if trying to fight something off and then he gave a growl of annoyance, before he flopped to the side of her unconscious.

She peaked over his prone body and saw Cathy holding a tranq gun, looking flustered as hell and more than a little frazzled.

“Why did you do that” she wailed

“Why, WHY” yelled Cathy, pushed beyond her limit, “Cos neither of you are exactly compus mentis at the moment and you’d have been miserable as hell tomorrow if I hadn’t that’s WHY”

“Oh”, Cordy looked puzzled for a minute as if she was trying to capture a thought or a memory.
“OK” she was starting to feel a bit more herself now that Angel was out of the picture, like coming out of a fog, she climbed gingerly to her feet and looked down at him.

“Magic spells with a bit of alcohol thrown in I reckon. He should be back to normal in the morning; he just needs to sleep it off. Mind you he’s going wake up with a KILLER headache,” said Cathy standing beside her, still holding the gun.

“What are we going to do with her” she asked Cordy, nodding her head at the still prone figure of Eve.

“I don’t care, but we need to get Angel onto his bed or something, he can’t be comfortable there”

Cathy looked at the large man on the floor and gave Cordy an incredulous look, then shrugged.

After a while and with a lot of huffing and puffing they finally managed to get Angel on top of his bed, the dark blue coverlet was rumpled from dragging his big body into place, but he was still unconcious and so not complaining.

“Are you sure you’re OK alone with him”? asked Cathy a little anxiously, “He’s not likely to stay out for long, it wasn’t a full shot”.

“Yes mother” said Cordy softening it with a smile, “Go on I’ll be fine and listen I appreciate the offer to deal with the evil bitcha in there. If it was me I’d kick her out on the street”.

“It’s all right. Better to get her out of here before he wakes up and goes after blood”

Cathy was halfway to the door when she turned back, hesitating “Are you sure your OK now” her blue gaze was strangely penetrating. Cordy shooed her out and closed the door.

“OK big guy time to wash that vanilla scent of you, cos its making me feel sick”. Cordy didn’t know why exactly she couldn’t bear to leave him with ‘her’ scent all over him, she just knew she couldn’t.

So she found a bowl and filled it with warm soapy water and came back to the bed armed with a washcloth. She struggled a bit to get his outer clothes off but finally he was naked except for tight black boxer shorts, for her own sanity she left them on him.

Before she started she tucked towels around his torso to stop the bedclothes getting wet then she started with his chest, gently and efficiently wiping him down and then using another towel to dry him, then his neck, shoulders and arms.

She managed just about to keep it impersonal, he’d had his privacy invaded enough for one night, she told herself. She took the towels and bowl away when she had finished and came back to sit beside his still body.

She just looked at him for a while, her hazel travelling his length admiring every strong, muscular line. God he’s big, all over was all she could think as her strayed to his groin but turned away with a blush, even out cold the effects of the spell kept him hard, she suddenly felt a desperate need to swallow.

Helplessly she lay down beside him, I’ll just watch him sleep she told herself, it’s not like I haven’t done that before. But she knew she was kidding herself, it was different then, even just turning or moving on the bed could wake him up, but now he was totally unaware.
She wanted to touch him so much; she fought the urge for along time before giving in and running her fingers over the rock hard thigh nearest to her from the knee up to were his boxers rested at the top of his thigh.

She continued to run the fingers over the cloth, avoiding the bulge of his arousal and utpo his belly button. She smiled a soft and dreamy smile, she had always loved his tum; not that she would ever have admitted it but she had a bit of thing for his belly. She’d get sneak peaks when he would stretch up and his shirt or whatever would ride up and she could see it and when he would take off his shirt so she would patch him up, god it used to be so difficult to keep from trailing her fingers over him.

It was taut and smooth but for some reason the skin around his belly button always looked silkier and more vulnerable, than any other part of his body. She touched it now, sweeping her soft palm over him, laughing softy in delight at the silky feel of it, she’d been right. Helplessly she leaned over and pressed soft lips to it, running her tongue around it and then down a little to were his navel met his boxer shorts.
Slightly shocked at herself she shot a look at his face, imagining he had woken up and was watching her, but his eyes were still closed, she sighed in relief and almost as if to say thank you leaned back and pressed a kiss to those wonderful sculpted and full lips.

Then his eyes, gently so as not to hurt or disturb him, next just under his ears and then she rubbed her nose against the kiss curls there. She laughed again; who would have thought such a big brooding hero would have such wonderful little curls just behind his ears.

She felt bad, but she was enjoying this so much, she knew she was still being affected by the spell, but she also knew exactly what she was doing. All the spell did was make her ignore all the reasons for why she couldn’t be with him, not give her the desire which was purely her own.

She kissed his stubborn chin and trailed her tongue down the strong column of this throat down to his chest. Her hair loose and silky followed her lips in gently caressing him, down to his nipples, which she gave a lot of attention to, rubbing with her cheek and lathing it with her tongue.

She picked up one of his hands so that the flat of his palm covered her own, so much smaller one, Such beautiful hands, wide palms with long sensitive fingers. She turned it round to press another kiss there before tracing his index finger and then sucking it into her mouth.

She froze when he groaned deep in his chest, the sound deafening after the silence she had enjoyed before, she shot up mortified to think he might wake up and find her still there but he didn’t let her get far.

In what felt to only be a microsecond she found herself looking up at him, pinned by his weight and the fire in his sinfully dark eyes. She was mesmerised by the change desire brought to his already handsome face, it was taut and those magnificent cheekbones were thrown into relief by the fact that his teeth and jaw were clenched but his lips were full and rosy.

He stared down at her and his arms trembled for a moment as if under strain, but he stilled them.

She wondered if he was still under the influence of the spell and thought he must be, she knew just by his expression that this time there would be no escape and she was fiercely glad. As cowardly as it might seem, this was the excuse she had been looking for to have him to herself even if it would only be for one night.

He took a deep breath and his chest expanded so much she felt a little crushed, then he was speaking his voice deeper than she had ever heard almost a growl.

“You left me once before, I won’t let you do it again”.
He didn’t let her respond but lowered his head and took her mouth in kiss so deep she felt as if she were drowning. He would barely stop to let her breath and then only to find her neck and bite and suck at that sensitive spot, it was almost unbearable the feel of him there. Made even more so by the knowledge of what he was and the deep conviction in her soul that he would not hurt her.

His mouth found her nipple through the lace of bra, but that was too much of barrier for him and so he ripped the middle open to get at her naked flesh. She squirmed, desperate to be able to caress him too, but he would not release her hands.

She arched her back and raised her hips in protest and a silent demand but he simply pressed her down again with his bigger body. Maddened she thrust and gyrated her hips and thighs and their lips met and clashed again in a battle of wills, his tongue thrusting past hers until she would do so the same and so the kiss became an intimate duel.

Suddenly he sat up and for one horrified moment she thought he would leave her, but instead he pulled her pants and underwear off with one tug and pull and in less than a second she found she was naked except for the remains of the blouse and bra. He left them on and pulled her beneath him again.

She felt him naked along and around her, she had no idea when he had taken off his last piece of clothing but only cared that he had.

His legs, heavy with muscle and slightly hair roughed grazed her inner thighs, forcing them to part and allow him access to her. Her thighs rose up to ride his hips, her hot inner core wet and aching to feel him there, inside her, deep enough to touch her womb.

He was suckling hard on each nipple, one at a time, the sharp pleasure almost painful as hot licks of fire shot straight to her womb, making her writhe underneath him. But still he wouldn’t give her what she wanted, she felt as if she would go insane if he didn’t hurry, she pushed at is shoulders to try and push him onto his back but instead he gripped her hips in his large strong hands and scooted down her body so fast she felt his lips, nipping and sucking at her clitoris before she knew what he was going to do.

She screamed at the intensity of a pleasure so engulfing it felt like a brand, she bucked in his hands but he simply gathered her closer, lifting her closer to him and those tormenting lips and clever tongue. Her head fell back as she arched again, before tossing side to side on the bed as she came. He didn’t stop sucking until he had taken all she could give.

Finally as she lay limp and still recovering from her orgasm he crawled up her body and mounted her. It had been so long for her, only the fact that she was so wet made his penetration bearable, helpless to stop it she screamed again as he stretched her, pushing himself remorselessly into her. The delicate tissues already sensitised by her orgasm made the sensation of his entry a journey of pure feeling. She clutched his shoulders and waited for her body to adjust to his size but he didn’t give her the chance, his lips trailed down her throat and over her shoulder at the same time as he was finally into her to the hilt.

As he pulled back for his next thrust he found the cord on her neck and gripped it with his teeth, her second orgasm came immediately and he started to thrust heavily into her, ruthlessly taking her higher and making her keen deep in her throat. His own release following as her inner muscles worked ceaselessly on his sex.

Afterwards when she could feel her limbs again she found her legs were trembling with fatigue and the release of tension. He was still inside her with is face buried next to hers on the bed, he was trembling too.

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