Title: Sweet Dreams
Author: Luckylyn
Posted: 04-20-2005
Email:
Rating: NC-17
Category: BTVS Years
Content: C/A, B/A
Summary: A gift which leads to revelations could also be a curse
Spoilers: Season 3 Buffy after Lover’s Walk
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution:
Notes:
Feedback: Hell Yeah, I’m addicted
Thanks/Dedication:
A/N: for the sake of this story Buffy never drowned in Season one, and so she is the only living slayer.
Part 9
“Finally,” Chase exclaimed when Willow’s spell managed to open the handcuffs.
She reached over to Willow and gave her a hug.
“You’re a Goddess,” Chase said told her, happily leaping out of the bed and running out of Angel’s bedroom.
“Chase!” Willow called after her.
Chase found disappointment when she ran downstairs to the living room and realized Angel wasn’t home.
“He and Cordy took off?” she muttered, bewildered.
“Angel told me on the way here that he might take Cordy out,” Willow said walking down the stairs. “I’m sure they’ll be back later.”
Chase didn’t reply as Willow handed her a robe. She couldn’t believe Chase’s complete lack of modesty.
“You can’t really walk around naked,” Willow said. “I couldn’t find your clothes so I just grabbed Angel’s robe.”
Before Willow had set her free, Chase had been thinking over her conversation with Cordy. Angel did prefer a woman that was a challenge. Chase decided she could be a challenge. So far she’d made things too easy on Angel by chasing after him. Now she was set on making him come after her.
“I can’t believe he didn’t even come upstairs to see me before he left,” Chase pouted.
How could she get Angel’s attention if he wasn’t around for her to ignore him and play hard to get?
************
It took Cordy a second for her eyes to adjust to the light after the darkness of the sewer. She and Angel were in a large basement somewhere.
“Unfortunately I’m going to have to put you down now,” Angel said, caressing her behind before he set her down.
“So we’re in a basement,” Cordy said not really caring about location. She just wanted to be alone with him. She reached for him, but he stepped away.
“Come on,” he said, taking her hand and leading her up the stairs.
He listened at the door for a moment and then opened the door pulling Cordy behind him. They held hands as Angel walked up to the front desk of the Carrington Hotel. Angel gestured for her to sit in the lounge while he went to the front desk. Cordy sat in the lounge for several minutes wondering where Angel had disappeared to. Eventually, he joined her in the lounge and ordered some tea for them.
“So?” Cordy asked when Angel seemed content just to sit there and stare at her.
“Nice weather we’re having?” Angel said, refusing to give her any information.
“You’re going to make me beg, aren’t you?” Cordy asked.
Angel just smiled at her, daring her.
“We’ll see who ends up begging,” Cordy said taking a sip of her tea. She wondered what exactly Angel had in store for her.
Angel just smiled at her challenge, “You know I’ve been wanting to bring you here for a while. Ever since you got out of the hospital. I didn’t like you staying in that house by yourself.”
“You didn’t mention anything.”
“You were so resistant anytime I offered to help.”
“I’m used to being on my own,” Cordy said studying him. “Although if you had mentioned wanting to bring me here, it would have been extremely difficult to turn down a visit to Sunnydale’s best hotel. I have kind of a soft spot for this place.”
“I remember,” Angel said. “You mentioned once that you came here for afternoon tea once. You just had this amazing smile on your face.”
Cordy smiled at the memory and gestured to a table by the window, “We sat right over there. Me and Nancy. She was the best nanny I ever had. We got all dressed up and came here for my 10th birthday. My parents were away, and I think Nancy was trying to distract me from the fact that they had forgotten to call.”
“I’m sorry,” Angel said reaching over the table to rest his hand over hers.
“It’s okay. I think Nancy was more disappointed then I was that they didn’t call. I was used to not hearing from my parents when they were out of town by then,” Cordy said shrugging off the bad thoughts. “Any way Nancy and I had such a wonderful tea party together. The waiters brought over some cookies that had the words ‘Happy Birthday’ on it. I’ve loved this hotel ever since even though I never stepped foot in it again until now.”
Angel smiled at her and said, “I figured you’d like it here.”
Cordy smiled at him and said, “I love that you knew to bring me here.”
She leaned over the table to kiss him softly.
Then she sat back in her chair and asked, “So you brought me here for a tea party?”
Angel nodded, “And other things.”
“Right, we’re running away from home,” Cordy said. “I love that running away includes a four star hotel.”
“Of course, as I recall you made it pretty clear that I was going to have to impress you,” Angel said.
Cordy smiled coyly at him.
“So?” Angel asked her watching her take in the scenery.
“I’m impressed,” Cordy replied and then looked at him. “You know what I said about buying me dinner and jewelry and all that fancy stuff.”
“Yeah,” Angel said.
“You don’t have to give that to me. You really are enough,” Cordy said, then she gestured to the room and added, “But all this doesn’t hurt.”
Angel laughed and Cordy sat back and just enjoyed seeing him happy. The concierge stopped at their table and whispered in Angel’s ear.
“Thank you,” Angel said, shaking his hand and slipping him a tip. “That will be all for now.”
“You’re welcome Mr. Angel,” he said and turned to Cordy. “I hope you enjoy your visit to our hotel.”
“Thank you,” she said as he walked away and then she looked at Angel. “So what are you up to, Mr. Angel?”
Angel just smiled as said, “This is really great tea don’t you think?”
Cordy threw her napkin at him and said, “I won’t beg for info.”
“Good,” Angel said. “Then I can just surprise you.”
“Okay, just be prepared for a few surprises yourself,” Cordy said, getting up from the table.
“Where are you going?” Angel asked, suddenly nervous.
Cordy leaned over him and kissed him thoroughly and then she stepped away, “I’ll be right back.”
Angel just watched her walk away and wondered what surprises she had in store for him. Running away had been a good idea. It was wonderful for Angel to just sit around and banter with Cordy. He knew it couldn’t last and that they would both have to go back to reality, but Angel was determined to enjoy having Cordy to himself.
************
“What are you thinking?” Buffy asked Liam.
The silence between them was making Buffy uncomfortable. He’d been sitting there most of the day just staring at her and trying to hold her hand. Buffy found Liam comforting and disturbing at the same time.
“I’m happy because you’re better,” Liam said. “What are you thinking?”
She was thinking that she could use some time alone to think about what not being a slayer meant and said, “I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to do with my life now.”
“You can do whatever you want,” Liam said.
“The problem is I don’t really know what I want,” Buffy said with a sigh.
“In your dream, we left Sunnydale and you went to college,” Liam offered.
Buffy smiled thinking of the possibilities, “I’m afraid it won’t last. What if it’s temporary?”
“We’ll find a way to make it permanent,” Liam said. “I would hate to leave you.”
Buffy took his hand and said, “What am I going to do with you?”
“Whatever you want,” Liam said.
“Really,” Buffy asked smiling, “Anything?”
“I’m yours,” Liam said.
It was so tempting to take what Liam offered, but Buffy felt like it was betraying Angel. Then she figured she might not owe Angel anything considering it seemed his greatest wish turned out to be Chase. Buffy needed to talk to Angel and find out what he was feeling. She had to find out who he wanted. She had no idea how to get it out of him. Buffy still couldn’t believe he’d left the hospital with the others. She’d thought he’d stay behind like Liam did. Then she wondered if it was better that she and Angel hadn’t talked yet. Buffy wasn’t certain she wouldn’t like what he had to say.
“Liam, I...” Buffy struggled with what she should say.
She was saved by Giles entering the room.
“Hi, Giles,” Buffy said when she saw him.
“I just wanted to look in on you,” Giles said. “Hello Liam.”
“Hi Giles,” he replied.
“Where’s your mother?”
“She went home to get a change of clothes,” Buffy said.
“I spoke with the council,” Giles began, frowning.
“What’s wrong?” Buffy asked. “They can’t reverse the spell, can they? Make me a slayer again.”
“They don’t have that power,” Giles said. “That’s the problem. They want to find the woman who gave you your dream.”
“Did they even bother asking if I wanted to be a slayer again?”
“I told them you wanted to be released from your duties,” Giles said.
“So they could care less about what I want,” Buffy said.
Giles sighed, “No one ever chooses to be a slayer, Buffy. The council believes the world needs a slayer. That the need for a slayer out ways one girl’s wish.”
“Do you agree with them?” Buffy asked. The accusation was clear in her tone.
“The world does need a slayer,” Giles said. “But your happiness matters to me a great deal.”
“They are going to do this no matter what we have to say,” Buffy said. “There’s nothing we can do to stop them?”
Giles shook his head, “They are determined. Normally there is some sort of transition. When one slayer is lost there is another in her place.”
“So I guess they wish I had died,” Buffy said bitterly.
Giles knew Buffy was correct about that but instead of agreeing said, “We know so little about what’s happened. I’m not sure there is anything the council can do.”
There was one thing the council could do, but Giles hoped it wasn’t under consideration. But he couldn’t help wondering if the council were capable of ordering Buffy’s death to ensure the world had its slayer.
************
Angel had been waiting twenty minutes and had just set his mind to tracking Cordy down when suddenly hands were covering his eyes. He took her right hand and nipped her wrist.
“Were you about to get a search party for me?” She asked sitting down at the table with him.
“I was considering it,” Angel said.
“Tea’s cold,” Cordy said after taking a sip.
Angel looked at his watch, stood up, and offered Cordy his hand, “It’s time for your surprise.”
Cordy happily took his hand and let him lead her out of the lounge and into the elevator.
“I had a feeling we’d make our way upstairs,” Cordy said when they stepped out to the elevator and on to the penthouse floor. Her body warmed as she thought of what lay ahead.
Angel took a room key out of his pocket and handed it to her, “This is for you.”
Suddenly Angel looked nervous, “I wasn’t sure if the room was the right thing. It’s yours. You can invite me or not.”
Cordy walked ahead of him and entered the suite. She had expected a suite, but it still surprised her. There were white tulips everywhere. There was a table set up near the bed with her favorite food. On the bed instead of the usual hotel robe, Cordy saw a red cashmere robe that she couldn’t help running her fingers over.
She turned to Angel who was standing in the doorway and said, “Come in, Angel.”
Angel came towards her, “I figured I owed you lunch since we didn’t get breakfast together this morning.”
“So much has happened since this morning,” Cordy said wrapping her arms around him. “How long do we get to run away from home?”
“Until sunset,” Angel said hating to cut their time short. They would only have a couple of hours together. “I have to...”
“Visit Buffy in the hospital?” Cordy wondered.
“Yes, and I have to check on Jenny,” Angel said. “Giles was worried about her.”
“How is Giles?” Cordy asked caressing his cheek. He looked so worried.
“Confused. Angry. Sad,” Angel said. “I can’t do anything for him.”
“But you can take care of Jenny,” Cordy said. “I’ll drop by the library to see him while you visit with Buffy. I was hoping you’d take me with you to see Jenny.”
Angel smiled, “I’d like you to meet her. She’s just.. I don’t know how to describe it. She wanted...”
“What?” Cordy asked.
Angel pulled away from her then and went to sit on the bed.
“She wanted my forgiveness for not telling me about the curse sooner. She wanted me to forgive myself,” Angel said.
“You can’t forgive yourself, can you?” Cordy asked as she sat beside him.
“It’s not something I can afford to do,” Angel said. “Holding on to what I’ve done is what reminds me not to repeat those mistakes.”
Cory placed her hand on his knee, “She forgives you though.”
“Yes, she wanted me to be happy,” Angel said.
“That’s something your Jenny and I have in common,” Cordy said, smiling at him. “You deserve some happiness.”
Angel took her hand and held it. Then he leaned in and kissed her slowly. He pulled away from her so he could look in her eyes. Angel licked his lips because he wanted to savor the taste of her.
“The way you look at me...” Cordy said leaning over and caressing his lips with hers. “...it’s the most amazing thing.”
Cordy unbuttoned his shirt and slipped her hand against his skin. Angel was cold but surprisingly soft. She just ran her hands over his shoulders removing his shirt. Free of his shirt his hands reached for her, but she pulled away and stood up. He watched her as she slipped out of her skirt first revealing her black garter belt and stockings. Then she lifted her shirt and smiled at the way his eyes devoured her sheer lace bra and panties. Angel ran his hands over her bottom pulling her closer.
“You’d be surprised at the lingerie selection in the hotel gift shop,” Cordy said moving to stand between his thighs.
Angel kissed her stomach. Then he looked up at her and said, “So that’s where you went.”
Cordy nodded and pushed him backwards on the bed. Then went to lay beside him. He placed his hand on her stomach and kissed her lips. While he kissed her neck, his hand slid over her panties, and she shivered. Cordy could feel him smiling against her skin before he licked the pulse point on her neck.
That’s when the phone rang. They ignored it at first, but it kept ringing.
Cordy exclaimed, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Then Angel growled, move away from Cordy in order to reach the phone, and then he picked it up and threw it against the wall where it broke into pieces. Then he leapt back on to the bed and kissed Cordy breathless.
When he let her have some air, Cordy laughed and said, “I love you.”
And suddenly Cordy stiffened. She hadn’t meant to say the words. It was too soon for them. She waited for a moment hoping for a positive reaction from Angel. Cordy was worried by the way he just stared at her stunned. Feeling humiliated she got up from the bed.
“What are you doing?” Angel exclaimed.
“I know this was supposed to just be fun and games,” Cordy said putting her shirt back on.
Then she was on the floor looking for her skirt and Angel heard her say, “But I don’t want to play any more.”
Angel was kneeling on the floor beside her pulling her up so he could look her in the eye, “This has never just been fun and games. And you know it.”
His grip on her arms tightened, and he pulled her towards him for a crushing kiss. For a moment she returned his kiss with equal force but then she resisted, pulling away from him. Cordy couldn’t go through with it. She already had been in a relationship with Xander where she cared more than he did. She never wanted to go through that again. Cordy figured Angel cared for her, but he didn’t love her. If he did he would have done more than just stare at as if she had two heads when she said ‘I love you.’
When Cordy glared at him, Angel released her arms suddenly angry. Everything had been going so well. She had made him so happy by telling him she loved him. He’d been so shocked by hearing her say what he’d been wanting to hear. Angel figured she hadn’t meant to say it and for some reason she was angry at him for it. She was regretting being with him.
“I don’t understand you,” Angel said getting up from the floor.
“Yeah, well that’s no surprise,” Cordy said picking her skirt.
Then she stood up and put it on. But the zipper was stuck and Cordy couldn’t get it closed.
“Fuck!” she yelled and suddenly she felt the tears well up.
The sight of tears startled Angel out of his anger. He stepped towards her, but she backed away and locked herself in the bathroom. She turned on the water and sat on the edge of the tub. She hoped the sound of the water would hide her crying.
“Cordy,” Angel said pressing his hand against the door. He was tempted just to break it down to get to her.
Angel resisted that urge and said, “This is your room, Cordy. It’s up to you if I stay here or not.”
He waited hoping she’d ask him to stay.
“Just go, Angel,” Cordy said not wanting to face him.
Feeling defeated Angel went over to the bed and put his shirt back on. Then he grabbed his coat and opened the door to leave. To his surprise Chase was standing there just about to knock.
“You really should answer your phone, Angel,” she said, smiling brightly at him.
Part 10
Angel was dumbfounded, “How did you find us?”
“I have your memories,” Chase said. “I just thought of places I knew you wanted to take Cordy to.”
She started to step in the room, but Angel blocked her path. He knew the last thing he and Cordy needed at that moment was Chase turning up and causing trouble.
“You didn’t say goodbye to me,” Chase pouted. “And now you won’t even let me step inside and have a place to sit.”
“There are plenty of placing to sit back at the mansion, Chase.” Angel said pushing her further into the hallway and closing the room door behind him. “You have to stop chasing after me.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Chase said glaring at him. “My days of chasing after you are over. If you’re too stupid to realize the amazing thing you have in me then that’s your problem.”
“Then why are you here,” Angel said glaring at her in return.
“Giles came by the mansion. He said it was urgent and that he had to track you down,” Chase said.
Angel regarded her suspiciously, “I’m not in the mood for your games. Is there really an emergency?”
Chase could see his anger. It frightened and thrilled her.
“Giles seemed to think there was an emergency,” she replied, looking offended.
Chase wasn’t particularly interested in what was worrying Giles. When he came by the mansion, Chase only saw an opportunity that would let her go after Angel that wouldn’t look as if she were chasing after him again. This way she could be near him and play hard to get. She congratulated herself on the brilliance of her plan. Soon Chase figured making herself unavailable would make Angel more interested.
Angel was suddenly worried, “Did Buffy relapse? Or is something wrong with Jenny?”
“He didn’t give me details. He just made it clear he needed to find you fast,” she said. “And considering the shabby way you’ve treated me you’d think you’d be grateful that I’d go through the trouble of tracking you down.”
Angel studied her and said, “Thanks for finding us. We’ll be on our way. You can head back home.”
“So that’s it,” Chase said, getting irritated. “Thanks for the info. Go Home.”
“There’s no time for this,” Angel said turning back and opening the door to the hotel suite. “I’ve got to get Cordy and speak with Giles.”
“You’re in a mood. What happened Angel?” she asked, knowingly. “Was being with Cordy not the way you imagined? She’ll never be what you want. Not like I can.”
Angel glared at her, but Chase was determined. She felt no fear when he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the elevator
“This is it, Angel,” she said glaring at him. “This is the last time I’m coming after you. And when you realize you made a mistake and come after me I won’t be available.”
“Good,” was all Angel would say as the elevator doors closed ending the conversation.
Chase had one consolation. She could tell things had not gone well between Cordy and Angel. That made Chase feel a great deal better.
Angel walked back into Cordy’s suite. He could hear her moving in the bathroom. She had turned the water off, and so he had no doubts she was crying. He knocked on the door. The sound startled Cordy.
“I thought you were long gone,” Cordy said.
Then she reopened the water faucet and began washing her face.
“Chase stopped by,” Angel said.
“Well that’s fantastic,” Cordy muttered her voice muffled by the towel drying her face.
“She’s gone, but we’ve got to go. There’s trouble with Giles,” Angel said.
Cordy opened the bathroom door, “Is it Buffy, Jenny, or some new big bad?”
“Chase didn’t know,” Angel said. “I figure we should just head over to him.”
Cordy nodded and picked up her purse, “Let’s go.”
As Angel settled the bill on the front desk, he saw Cordy talking to one of the bell hops who handed her a couple of bags from behind the information desk.
When she caught Angel staring, she said, “I picked up a few more goodies at the gift shop earlier. I had the bell hop hold on to my stuff for me so that I could surprise you.”
Angel noticed she seemed embarrassed by the explanation. He felt guilty that he had some how wounded her when they had been in the suite together. He couldn’t figure out how it had gone so wrong.
Angel hesitated slightly as they stood in lobby, “Cordy, I...”
“Let’s not do this now,” she interrupted refusing to look him in the eye.
Then they snuck back into the hotel basement and took the sewer route to the library. Giles was relieved to see Angel and Cordy emerge from the stacks.
“What’s wrong?” Angel asked.
“Buffy’s in danger,” Giles said.
“Have her enemies figured out her lack of slayer status?” Cordy said.
Giles and Angel stared her in surprise. Neither of them had considered that demons might come after a now vulnerable Buffy for revenge.
“That problem hasn’t come into play yet,” Giles said. “It’s the council.”
“The council?” Cordy asked.
“They’re trying to reverse the gifts aren’t they?” Angel asked.
“They’d be killing Chase and the others,” Cordy exclaimed concerned. “You’d lose your permanent soul.”
Giles looked at Angel, “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that your soul would be one of your gifts.”
“She wanted me to be happy,” Angel said almost apologetically, knowing he didn’t have to say that the ‘she’ was Jenny.
“I know,” Giles said frowning at him.
“What can we do to stop the council?” Cordy asked to relieve the tension.
“We don’t want to stop the council. We have to find a way to reverse the gifts,” Giles said.
“You don’t have the right and neither does the council,” Angel said.
“The gifts have made things complicated, but there’s been no permanent harm so far,” Cordy said, agreeing with Angel.
“What do you think will happen if the council doesn’t find a way to take back the gifts?” Giles began to yell. “What will happen if they lose their slayer?”
“You think they’d kill her to bring on the next slayer,” Angel said.
“But that wouldn’t guarantee them a slayer,” Cordy said. “We don’t know how much the gifts have changed things. What if killing Buffy doesn’t create the next slayer?”
“There’s no way to know for sure unless Buffy’s dead,” Giles said. “We can’t allow that to happen?”
“There has to be another way,” Cordy said. “The council isn’t evil, right? They can be reasoned with.”
“I can’t do it,” Angel exclaimed. “We can’t kill them.”
“They aren’t real, Angel. They’re fantasies,” Giles said trying to reason with him.
“They’re alive,” Angel said. “Don’t lie to yourself. Taking back what that woman gave us is killing Liam, Chase and Jenny.”
Giles glared at Angel and yelled, “She isn’t Jenny.”
“It doesn’t matter who she is, Giles,” Cordy said gently. “She’s a real person. They all are. We can’t just casually sacrifice them.”
“So you’d sacrifice Buffy?” Giles said.
“There has to be a way to protect Buffy without destroying innocent people,” Cordy said.
“I won’t kill Jenny again,” Angel said, fiercely before he stormed out of the library.
Giles watched him walked way speechless and wounded. Cordy rested a hand on his shoulder.
“He’d die for Buffy,” Cordy said. “You know he would.”
Giles only response was to nod slightly.
“Where are the others?” Cordy asked.
“They’re camped out at Buffy’s hospital room,” Giles said. “I don’t want her left alone if it can be avoided.”
“I figure Angel’s on his way over there now,” Cordy said going to sit at the table. “Now that Buffy’s got protection let’s you and me look through the texts and see if there’s a solution that works for everyone.”
“Does Buffy know the danger she’s in?” Cordy said.
“I haven’t told her everything,” Giles said. “But I’ll have to tell her soon. I just wanted to let her have some time to enjoy her gift.”
“I’ll take the job of filling in Chase and Jenny,” Cordy said. “Do you still have that map on how to find her?”
“It’s in my office,” Giles said going up to find it.
When he came back and sat beside her at the table, he handed her the map.
“It’s isolated in the woods,” Giles said. “You shouldn’t go alone.”
“I’ll have Chase come with me,” Cordy said.
She wanted to say something wise about Jenny, but Cordy didn’t have the words.
“I’m sorry,” was all she could say.
Giles smiled bitterly, “She’s not a fan of apologies.”
“That’s good. I don’t like making apologies,” Cordy replied smiling at him slightly.
Giles couldn’t return her smile. He felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He hated knowing that Cordy and Angel were right but that Giles was still forced to go against them to save Buffy.
Giles turned to her and said, “I don’t want to do this.”
“I know, but you’re the watcher. You make the tough choices. That’s your job,” Cordy said understanding. “And for you it isn’t just a job anymore. You’re thinking like a Dad now. Angel’s capable of making those hard choices too. I think we all are. But let’s not jump to the worst case scenario just yet. Maybe the council won’t go to extremes.”
“I hope you’re right, but you don’t know the council. You have no idea what they are capable of,” Giles said.
“I am right,” Cordy said with a confidence she didn’t feel.
She worried that there was no solution that would save everyone. This gift given to Buffy might turn out to be a curse. Cordy knew that eliminating Liam, Chase, and Jenny would be wrong and it would damage them all somehow. She wondered if it was something Giles and Angel could recover from.
Part 11
Cordy came home to find Chase looking through her closet. She just stood there naked and humming as she tossed Cordy’s clothes around.
“I’m looking for just the right outfit,” Chase said with a frown. “I can’t seem to find anything I like as much a being naked. It’s really sad that I can’t just go out naked.”
“Yeah, it’s a tragedy,” Cordy replied sarcastically. “Did you have to leave my room a mess?”
“I’ll clean it up. I can be neat when I want to. Angel likes neat,” she replied and continued to rummage through the closet.
“We don’t have time for you to put together the perfect ensemble. I can’t believe I just said that,” Cordy said.
Chase smiled at her, “I know. There’s always time for the proper ensemble.”
“Not today unfortunately,” Cordy said and then suddenly softening towards Chase she added. “Maybe when things are less insane we can do the girlie bonding shopping thing.”
“Sure,” Chase said willing to be friendly with Cordy. “I’d love to have my own clothes.”
“Good,” Cordy said grabbing a dress from the floor and handing it to Chase. “We’ve got some major problems.”
Chase stopped what she was doing and immediately got concerned, “Is Angel okay?”
“Yes, but you and everyone else is in danger,” Cordy said. “Get dressed. I’ll explain things on the way.”
“A road trip might be fun,” Chase said hoping that Cordy would take her somewhere that would let her see Angel.
****************
Giles worries were increasing since he had been unable to get anyone on the council to speak to him anymore. They were shutting him out. They were going to move ahead without his input. He was losing his opportunity to reason with them.
“I can’t believe this,” Joyce said. “I thought the council were good people.”
“They believe this would be for the greater good,” Giles said.
They stood outside of Buffy’s hospital room. Watching Buffy and the others inside from the doorway.
“There has to be something we could do,” Joyce said, her eyes pleading with him.
“I’ll find a way around the gifts,” Giles promised.
“Would that mean Liam would be gone?” Joyce asked sounding worried.
“He isn’t real. He’s a figment of her imagination,” Giles said not sure if he was trying to convince Joyce or himself.
Joyce turned to look at the people gathered around Buffy’s bed. Liam sat beside her daughter holding her hand and smiling at her with eyes full of love.
“He’s more than that, Rupert,” Joyce said. “I wish I could pretend otherwise.”
“Everything would be easier,” Giles said.
“He’s been a godsend through all this hell,” Joyce said. “I was so happy for her. She had a chance to free of all this. A chance to find love with someone who understood.”
“There’s a price for that kind of happiness,” Giles said sounding tired. “We’ll find a way to help Buffy. I promise you.”
Joyce placed her hand on his shoulder. Touching was something they had always avoided, but she had to reach out to him then. There was something about Giles that she could not comprehend, and Joyce knew he’d never explain it. She didn’t know why there was always a wall between them. Giles looked at her a moment and placed his hand over hers. He was the one to break eye contact first. Then he gestured so she could walk back into Buffy’s room ahead of him.
***********************
“You’re up to something,” Chase accused after tripping on a fallen tree branch. “Are you planning on dumping out here and taking off.”
“As tempting at that plan is, there’s someone here we need to see,” Cordy said and then sighed in relief when she spotted the smoke from Jenny’s camp. “We’re almost there.”
“Almost where?” Chase asked and then stopped in her tracks. “We’re going to see Jenny aren’t we? Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“I did, but you weren’t paying attention,” Cordy chastised.
Chase had to admit that was true. While Cordy drove and attempted to explain the situation, Chase had tuned her out when she realized that Cordy wasn’t going to talk about Angel. Chase didn’t worry about Giles reversing her existence. She didn’t doubt Angel would save her. She didn’t see the point of Cordy being so distressed about it.
“Why am I here for this?” Chase whined as she followed Cordy. “You’re trying to keep me from Angel aren’t you?”
“Giles didn’t think it was safe to go alone, and I foolishly thought we could watch each other’s backs,” Cordy said. “A dozen vamps could attack us right now, and you wouldn’t notice unless one of them was Angel.”
“You’re exaggerating,” Chase said although she figured Cordy had a point.
“Just behave around, Jenny,” Cordy said.
“Stop talking to me as if I were a child,” Chase pouted.
Cordy rolled her eyes, “A five year old is more mature than you.”
“You’re just being bitchy cause things didn’t go the way you hoped with Angel today,” Chase replied. “Not that I’m surprised. I warned you that you couldn’t ever be what he wants.”
That comment brought back the hurt and humiliation of the afternoon but Cordy refused to let it show, “Rant and Rave all you want, Chase. It won’t change the fact that he’ll never choose you no matter how slutty you are.”
“It’s inevitable. He’ll come to me when he realizes what I offer him. I can give him anything he desires,” Chase said.
Cordy sighed, “You can’t spend the rest of your life in bed. There’s more to life than that. You’re so blind to everything but Angel. Beyond sex what do you have to offer him.”
“Unconditional love,” Chase said passionately. “That’s everything.”
“Your love isn’t unconditional. There’s all kinds of strings attached,” Cordy said.
“That’s not true?” Chase yelled.
“If making Angel happy meant giving him up, would you do it?” Cordy said.
“Would you?” Chase said.
Cordy thought it over a moment, “Yes.”
“Then you don’t love him as much as I do, I’d never abandon him for anything,” Chase said storming ahead of Cordy towards Jenny’s site.
Cordy walked past the circle of torches surrounding Jenny’s set of tents. Jenny walked towards her with a smile.
“It’s really good to see you,” Cordy said. “Angel wanted to come himself, but he had to go to Buffy.”
Jenny studied her quietly reading her thoughts.
“You worry for so many people,” Jenny said.
“She doesn’t worry about me,” Chase couldn’t resist saying.
Jenny turned to Chase and said, “Very little concerns you.”
“Just Angel,” Chase admitted proudly. “I don’t know what Cordy’s worried about. Angel wouldn’t let Giles erase me.”
“There are some things I think you will appreciate in the tents,” Jenny said.
“Like what?” Chase said not wanting to leave Jenny and Cordy alone. She knew they’d discuss Angel. She knew that Jenny probably knew Angel better than anyone. Chase didn’t want Jenny sharing her insights with Cordy.
“Go into the large tent,” Jenny ordered sternly. “There’s some food you will enjoy and garments that would suit you.”
“But...” Chase began.
Jenny simply stared at her intently, and Chase suddenly walked into the tent without another word.
“That’s a neat trick,” Cordy said.
“I can influence her because we both are a part of Angel,” Jenny said.
“It’s more than that this place is amazing,” Cordy observed. “I feel so calm. So safe here.”
“The longer I exist the more powerful I become,” Jenny explained. “This place is intended to be a comfort to me and for those who wish to visit me. It doesn’t always work.”
“You couldn’t soothe Giles,” Cordy assumed.
“No, I could not,” Jenny said her voice wavering slightly. “There is something I can do to help. This sanctuary is protected. No one can enter who I don’t wish to allow.”
“So we can bring Buffy here and the council couldn’t track her?” Cordy said. “That would be amazing.”
“I know it would be a temporary relief until Giles manages to find a solution,” Jenny said. She couldn’t help getting teary eyed at the thought of Giles.
Cordy rested her hand on Jenny’s, “Giles told me you didn’t like apologies. Is there anything I can do?”
Jenny shook her head, “This isn’t your wound to heal. That’s up to Giles. I’ll do what I can for him if he lets me.”
“He worries about you. I don’t know if it helps for you to know that,” Cordy said.
“It does help,” Jenny said feeling relieved to know she did matter to Giles on some level.
“He doesn’t want to...” Cordy hesitated.
“He doesn’t want to kill me,” Jenny concluded. “But he’ll do what he must for Buffy.”
Jenny’s eyes watered, and she angrily wiped the tears away.
“Living is difficult,” she said. “The longer I’m alive the more I feel. It’s painful.”
“Not all the time,” Cordy said. “There are good feeling too.”
It was on the tip of Jenny’s tongue to tell Cordy she was scared and how that new emotion could be overwhelming. She could die and suddenly Jenny felt just how much she wanted to live. But she didn’t think she could continue to live if the price for her life was Buffy losing hers. Jenny kept those thoughts to herself. Angel created her to be a source of comfort. She had to fight to keep the dark thoughts at bay.
“Angel cares for you and you have a friend in both of us. I don’t want to leave you alone, but I should go tell the others Buffy has a haven here,” Cordy said getting standing up.
Jenny grabbed her hand to keep her sitting down and said, “You don’t have to go. I can call Angel to me.”
Jenny close her eyes, and Cordy noticed a faint glow emanate from her.
********************
Angel stood in Buffy’s room with the others and was in the middle of talking with Giles when he suddenly went still.
“Angel,” he heard a familiar voice say.
“Jenny?” he replied aloud.
Suddenly everyone stopped talking and looked at him. Buffy looked horrified at Angel and then looked over at Giles. She knew hearing Angel bring Jenny up had to be painful for Giles.
“You don’t have the right to say her name,” Xander said furiously.
Angel wasn’t paying attention. He was too busy listening to Jenny. Giles watched him and realized the moment he dreaded had arrived. He was going to have to tell them about Jenny.
Continue on...