Title: Unexpected
Author: rgw (Robin)
Posted: 11-25-2002
Rating: NC17
Email:
Content: Cordelia/Angel
Summary: Angel and Cordelia discover something unexpected while attending Xander and Anya’s wedding in Sunnydale. This takes place some time at the beginning of Season 3 after everyone is over the trauma of Buffy dying and then coming back, but before the whole Darla/Connor mess.
Spoilers: All of Angel Season 2 and Buffy Season 5.
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution:
Notes: This is my first attempt at fanfic, so constructive criticism is gladly accepted. It's really just a silly bit of fluff that I wrote a while ago, and I'm a little bit intimidated by all the great fics that I've been reading here, but I thought it might be a mood-lifter. This is a response to a challenge on Stranger Things.
"Any situation which involves Angel and Cordy having to vacation together in a room with one bed, one shower ... you get the drift :-) One of those "learn they have feelings for one another" pieces." ~SealedNFate
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Part 1: The Invitation
Cordelia dropped her bag on the table and kicked the door closed behind her.
“Hey, Dennis. I’m home.”
A light breeze ruffled her hair as her resident ghost acknowledged her presence.
She sifted through the day’s mail. Bill. Bill. Junk mail. Letter? She looked at the envelope carefully. It looked like a wedding invitation, but she didn’t recognize the return address. Someone in Sunnydale. She opened the envelope.
Anya Marie Smith
and
Alexander Lavelle Harris
request the pleasure of your company
at the celebration of their marriage
on Saturday, the seventh of October
Two thousand and one
at 7 o’clock in the evening
Springfield Vineyards
5050 Hillside Terrace
Sunnydale, California
Reception and dinner
immediately following
Oh my god. Xander was getting married?
* * *
“Hey, guys. What’s up?” Angel asked as he walked down the stairs into the lobby of the Hyperion hotel.
Cordelia and Wesley looked up at him from their positions at Cordelia’s desk. “Nothing, really. I was just telling Wesley about this wedding invitation that I got.” She flashed the piece of stationary at Angel. “Xander’s getting married.”
“Yeah, I got one too,” Angel said. “You going?”
Cordelia snorted. “Yeah, right. Just what I need is to go spend a weekend in oh-so-enjoyable Sunnyhell listening to everyone tell me what a loser I am since Xander, of all people, is getting married and I can’t even get a date. No thanks.” She paused. “And why would he invite me anyway? Hello! Ex-girlfriend! It’d be way too weird.”
Angel nodded. “I was wondering why I got invited, too. Xander hates me. Why would he want me at his wedding?”
“Strange, indeed,” Wesley said shortly.
Angel looked at Wesley questioningly, surprised by the tone of his voice.
“Wesley didn’t get one,” Cordelia explained.
“Oh, well, it just arrived yesterday. Maybe yours will come today. Sometimes it takes a while for the mail to get around,” Angel suggested.
Cordelia nodded. “That’s what I said. Or better yet, he won’t get one at all, and he’ll be spared the annoyance of having to buy a wedding present for two people he barely knows and doesn’t really like.”
“I don’t dislike Xander,” Wesley protested. “I’ll admit that Anya is not my favorite person, but I’ve really never had a chance to become acquainted with her.”
“And her being a former vengeance demon had nothing to do with that,” Cordelia said.
Angel decided it’d be best to stop this argument before it could get started. “OK you two. Let’s not start. I’m sure we have some actual work that needs doing, don’t we?”
“Work?” Cordelia asked. “Oh! You mean that thing we don’t get paid for. Yeah, sure.”
He smiled affectionately as she tossed the invitation onto her desk and turned to her computer screen.
* * *
I really need to file stuff more often, Cordelia thought as she sorted through the piles of important papers on her desk. She stopped when she came across the discarded wedding invitation.
Guess that’s been sitting here for the last couple of weeks, she thought. I should probably respond.
She opened the envelope and read the invitation again. Then she picked up the phone and dialed an increasingly familiar number.
“Hello?” a breathless voice said on the other end of the phone.
“Willow? It’s Cordelia. I’m not interrupting something, am I?”
Willow paused to catch her breath. “No, I just got out of class. I heard the phone ringing as I was walking down the hall and had to run to pick it up.” She paused. “What’s up? Nothing’s wrong, is it? I mean, you guys are all OK, right?”
Sometimes Cordelia really missed Willow. “No, Willow. Nothing’s wrong. Everyone here is fine. Actually, I just called about Xander’s wedding.”
“Oooh! You’re coming, aren’t you? We haven’t seen you, really, since you left Sunnydale.”
Cordelia hesitated. There was a reason she had avoided going back to Sunnydale. She knew what the others thought about her, and in a way, she didn’t blame them. She had been a bitch in high school, and she didn’t think any of them would really be interested in seeing her, especially not Xander and Anya. “Well, um, I don’t know. I mean, I was really kind of wondering why Xander invited me. You know? Ex-girlfriend? Seems kind of awkward.”
She could practically hear Willow smile through the phone. “Oh no, it’s nothing like that. I think Xander just wanted to let you know that things were OK. No hard feelings. We can all be friends. He’s trying to be nice, make up.”
“I don’t know... what about Anya?”
“She’s fine with it. She kind of likes you. Well, more than me, anyway,” Willow said thoughtfully. “So, will you come? I’d really like to see you. And you can meet Tara.”
“Well, maybe...”
“Great! And make sure Angel comes, too!” Willow’s enthusiasm was surprising, in a nice way. She really didn’t think the other girl would care whether she showed up for the wedding or not, but Willow seemed to genuinely want her to go. But there were still a couple of issues.
“Whoa! About Angel. How exactly did he get invited? Xander hates Angel.”
Willow laughed. “Yeah, Xander hates Angel. But Buffy loves Angel, and really wants to see him. And she figured this would be a good time, since there will be lots of other people around to keep Xander and Angel from spending too much time together. She really wants to see him.”
Cordelia’s previous good feeling melted away. The thought that Buffy really wanted to see Angel made Cordelia a little uncomfortable, but she couldn’t exactly say why. It wasn’t like she didn’t know that Buffy and Angel still loved one another and still wished they could be together. She shook her head. This really wasn’t the time to analyze her feelings about Angel and Buffy.
Willow went on. “And the rest of us haven’t seen Angel in way more than a year, almost two years, I guess, so it’d be really nice. Make sure he comes?”
Cordelia sighed. “No promises. Angel hates parties, and it’s hard enough to get him to do anything social as it is. But a party featuring Xander? I’m thinking, not too likely.”
“Well, just tell him how much Buffy wants to see him. I’m sure he’ll come then.” Cordelia frowned. “Anyway,” Willow continued, “you guys will have to come early. There’s a party at Buffy’s on Wednesday, and then the bachelor and bachelorette parties are on Thursday. The rehearsal is on Friday, and there’s a big party after that. This will be so fun! I can’t wait to see you guys!”
“Right. Well, I’ll see what I can do,” Cordelia replied.
“Great! I can’t wait to tell Xander!” Willow paused. “Ooooh! Call us if you need a place to stay. OK?”
“Sure. Definitely,” Cordelia said. Not, she thought. Visiting, seeing everyone for a couple of hours a day, she could handle that. Being a guest in one of their homes? No. That’d be a little too much. “Well, it was really nice talking to you, Willow. I’ll let you know when we have real plans.”
“OK! Talk to you later, then.”
“Goodbye.”
Cordelia slowly replaced the phone on its cradle. Great. She’d just agreed to go to Xander’s wedding. What had she been thinking?
Angel’s voice startled her out of her reverie. “Who was that?”
“Geez, Angel! Don’t do that! You scared me half to death.” She took a deep breath to compose herself and turned to see Angel standing just at the end of her desk. She hadn’t heard him come in.
“Sorry,” he said, grinning slightly.
She raised one perfect eyebrow at him. “That was Willow. I was talking to her about the wedding.”
“Willow’s getting married?” he asked, surprised.
“No, doofus. Xander’s getting married,” she replied.
“Oh, right. Did you decide to go?”
She sighed. “Willow decided for me. She seems to think my invitation is not a ‘rub-Xander’s-success-in-Cordelia’s-face’ kind of thing, but more of a ‘Xander-wants-to-be-nice’ kind of thing. She thinks I should go.”
“Are you?” he prompted. The thought of her going to Sunnydale made him a little uneasy, for some reason. He’d have to think about that later.
“Depends. She also said that your invitation may have had Xander’s name on it, but it really came from Buffy. She says Buffy really wants to see you, and thought this would be a good time. And since Xander is Buffy’s friend, Xander went along with it.”
Angel studied the floor carefully. He had mixed feelings. Part of him wanted to see Buffy, and part of him wanted to stay away. And yet another part of him wanted to be there for Cordelia, but part of him wanted to keep her away. “What do you think?” he finally asked.
She watched the emotions cross his face. He didn’t seem particularly excited about it, but then, neither did she. “I think that they’re our friends, sort of, and maybe we should go. Besides, Buffy wants to see you, and maybe it’ll be a nice break. Willow says Buffy is throwing a party, and we’re invited to the bachelor and bachelorette things and the party after the rehearsal.”
Angel considered that for a moment. “That’s an awful lot of parties. Sounds like a lot of people.”
“But you know most of them, and they won’t expect you to be the social butterfly,” she pointed out.
He looked into her eyes. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if they were there together. ”OK,” he finally said. “I’ll go, if you go.”
“Then I guess we’re on.” She watched as he headed over to the coffee pot. “You do know that you can’t wear black to a wedding, right?”
“Huh?”
Part 2: Just Friends Here
“Perfect,” Cordelia said as Angel unlocked the door to their motel room. “This just keeps getting better and better.”
They had spent the better part of an hour driving and calling all around Sunnydale trying to find a hotel room. No such luck. Finally, they found what seemed like the last available place in Sunnydale that anyone would want to stay, the last room at the Sunnydale Motor Inn. The last room, singular. As in, they would have to share. For some reason, that thought made her a little nervous. She tried to shrug it off.
“Trust Xander to pick the only weekend all year that there’s a convention in Sunnydale.”
Angel just laughed. And then stopped short in the middle of the doorway.
“Hey, move your dead butt and let me in,” Cordelia snapped.
Angel moved slowly into the room, but made no reply. That’s weird, Cordelia thought, he usually...
Her thought trailed off as she stepped into the room and took a look around.
There was only one bed.
For a moment, she just stared before her mind started to function again. It was one thing to share the room. After all, she and Angel had shared living space before. But share a bed? No way. A whole horde of butterflies took flight in her stomach.
“Angel, they said this was a double,” she said, grabbing the sleeve of his coat. “It’s supposed to be a double. There has to be another bed. Maybe they gave us the wrong key.”
Angel snapped out of his daze. “Right,” he said briskly. “I’ll go ask.” He stepped quickly out of the room.
* * *
OK Angel, he said to himself, get a grip. It’s not like you and Cordelia haven’t lived in the same place before.
He was trying to figure out why the prospect of sharing a room with Cordelia was suddenly making him nervous. He and Cordelia were friends. Good friends, but still friends. That’s all there was. It shouldn’t have been a big deal.
True, another part of him responded, but you’ve never shared a bed with her.
He hadn’t shared a bed with anyone since Darla. If you could really call that sharing a bed. It had been desperation sex, pure and simple. No real sharing involved. So, if you didn’t count that episode, he hadn’t really shared a bed with anyone since Buffy. And there was no way he should be putting sharing a bed with Cordelia into the same category as sharing a bed with Buffy.
It will be OK, he told himself. We’re friends. It’s a big bed.
She was waiting for him outside the room. “Did you get the right key?”
“This is the right key, and the right room. It’s the only one they’ve got.”
“Oh.” She seemed to gather herself, and then turned to him, smiling brightly. “OK, we can do this. We’re both adults, right? It’s only for a couple of days. As long as you don’t snore and hog the blankets, everything will be fine.”
She was right. They were adults. They could do this. He smiled back. “Well, I definitely don’t snore, but no guarantees on the blankets.” He opened the door and held it for her. “Come on. Let’s get settled. We’ll be late for the party.”
* * *
Cordelia took a deep breath as she walked up the path to the Summers house with Angel. She was really not looking forward to this first meeting. She was certain that within moments of their arrival, Buffy would find Angel and that’s the last she’d see of him for the entire evening. Not that she really wanted to spend the whole time at the party with Angel, but she would have liked to have the moral support until those first awkward minutes with everyone else were over with.
She cast a quick glance at Angel, but couldn’t tell what he was thinking from his expression. Probably couldn’t wait to see Buffy. Again, that thought seemed to trouble her, but she pushed her unease away. It’s not like Buffy and Angel were going to run off and do the horizontal mambo. They were both too responsible for that. She sighed. “You OK?” she asked.
“Not sure, I guess.” He paused. “You’re not going to run off and leave me to fend for myself, are you?” Angel asked as they approached the door.
“What?”
He seemed nervous. “Well, you’re social and all, and I figured you’d want to talk to everyone, and I’m a little bit uncomfortable about standing around, alone.”
She stopped and looked at him carefully. He was definitely nervous. “Angel, they’re your friends, too. I’m sure they’ll want to talk to you at least as much as they want to talk to me.” She paused. “Maybe that wasn’t the best analogy, since most of them probably don’t really want to talk to me at all. But hey, what are you worried about? As soon as Buffy sees you, she’s probably going to drag you off to ‘patrol’ or something, and you’ll only have to worry about spending the evening with her. I’m the one who should be worried about being left alone.”
He gave her a weak smile. “Thanks.”
“No problem. That’s what friends are for, right?” She looked at him and smiled warmly for a minute before looking away nervously.
He watched her fidget in front of him. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll stick with you, if you stick with me.”
“Fine. Until Buffy shows up and you both disappear,” she said pointedly.
“We won’t disappear. Not for long.”
“Famous last words.”
They reached the door, and Cordelia rang the bell, Angel standing just behind her. They were both slightly surprised when the door was opened by a young teenaged girl with long brown hair. She wasn’t familiar.
The girl looked at her a moment before smiling a little. “Cordelia. You came.” She looked behind Cordelia and her smile faded. “And you brought Angel.”
Cordelia and Angel shared a look. This must be Buffy’s sister, Dawn. Buffy had explained Dawn’s presence to Angel when he had come to see her after her mother’s death, and Angel had tried to tell Cordelia and Wesley about her after Buffy had died. While Cordelia understood the basics, mystical power in human form sent to Buffy for protection, it was still a little weird seeing the girl for the first time.
“Hi Dawn,” Cordelia replied.
The girl stepped reluctantly away from the door and waved them in. “Come on in,” she said. “But she’s not here.”
“Who’s not here?” Cordelia asked.
“Buffy. She’s out doing a quick patrol before the party.” She looked pointedly at Angel. “She’s with Spike.”
“Spike?” Angel asked. “What’s he doing here?”
Dawn smiled. “Spike helps us, protects us. He’s our friend. He has been all this last year or so. You know, before the Glory thing.”
“Spike’s your friend?” Cordelia was incredulous. They liked Spike? The evil, soulless killer who had had Angel brutally tortured was their friend?
“Mmm hmmm,” Dawn replied. “We trust *him*. He protected me from Glory even after she spent a day torturing him. And he treats me like a person, not like a kid. He and Buffy patrol a lot together. Ask anyone.”
“OK,” Cordelia said. “We’ll do that.”
Dawn looked around the room. “Well I guess you know everybody. Drinks are in the kitchen.”
“Thanks,” Cordelia said to Dawn’s retreating back. She turned to Angel. “What was that about?”
He shrugged. “No clue.” He shook his head. “I’ve never met this person, and already she hates me.”
Cordelia put a comforting hand on his arm. “She doesn’t hate you. She’s just a teenager, so she has plenty of attitude. Besides, Willow said that even though we may not remember her, she definitely remembers us. Like we were in high school. Well, when I was in high school. So, I’m the bitch, and you’re the ex-boyfriend. I can see where she might not be exactly thrilled to see us.”
Angel nodded reluctantly.
She gave his arm a squeeze. “Hey, no brooding this early in the evening.” He looked up and gave her a little half smile. “That’s better.” She looked around the room. “OK, so there are a few people here we don’t know. Let’s go get a drink.” She took his hand and lead him off in the direction of the kitchen. “And I have got to find out what’s up with Spike.”
* * *
“Cordelia!” Willow’s excited voice came from behind her. “You made it!”
Cordelia turned and was immediately caught up in a hug. “Willow! Hi.”
Willow released her. “You look great! You cut your hair. It looks good.”
Cordelia smiled shyly and fingered the shortened ends of her hair. “Yeah. I needed a change.” She looked closely at the other girl. “You cut yours, too.”
Willow nodded enthusiastically. “A couple of years ago. Just after graduation.” She paused and looked up at the figure that had come to stand behind Cordelia. “Angel! I’m so glad you’re here. Buffy will be so happy to see you!”
Cordelia could feel her smile melting and the tension begin to build in her shoulders. She felt Angel’s hand come to rest on her shoulder and give it a brief squeeze. She let out the breath she’d been holding and told herself to relax.
“Hi, Willow. How are you?” Angel asked.
“Really good. Have you guys met Tara?” She turned and pulled a blonde girl to her side. “Tara, this is Cordelia and Angel.”
“Hi,” Tara said quietly. “It’s nice to meet you.” She looked up at Angel through her eyelashes.
Cordelia smiled. So, this was Willow’s lesbian girlfriend. She looked at the two of them together. They seemed very comfortable and happy with each other, and she guessed that was what really mattered. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you, too.”
* * *
“So far so good, huh?” Cordelia asked Angel as they stood quietly together.
“Not too bad,” he agreed. They’d had a nice talk with Willow and Tara. He liked the other girl, she seemed to be very good for Willow and he was glad that Willow was happy.
“At least someone was happy to see us,” she said.
“Yeah. But we haven’t talked to Xander yet.”
She snorted. “Way to ruin my good mood.”
“Misery loves company.” He gave her a quick grin.
Whatever witty reply Cordelia was about to make died as a hauntingly familiar voice spoke his name.
“Angel?”
He turned slowly. “Hello, Buffy.”
“Hi,” she said with a smile. As Angel stepped back, she was able to see Cordelia for the first time. Her smile froze. “Cordelia. You’re here.”
“Hi,” Cordelia said tentatively. After several seconds of uncomfortable silence, she tried again. “This is really nice of you... to do... for Xander. It’s a nice party.”
Buffy’s smile faded a bit. “It wasn’t something I had ‘to do’. Xander is my friend, and this is something he wanted. They both wanted, actually.”
Cordelia took a small step back. “No! I didn’t mean that it was something you had to do.”
Buffy cut her off. “Not everyone can live up to your standard.”
Angel could see the blush creeping up Cordelia’s cheeks. “I just meant...”
Buffy went on. “And this weekend is definitely not about you.”
Angel could tell that Cordelia was struggling to keep her composure. “I just meant it’s a nice party.” She took another step back. “Excuse me. Please.”
“Cordy!” Angel tried to stop her, but she retreated rapidly to the kitchen.
Next to him, he could hear Buffy sigh. “Same old Cordelia, thinking the world revolves around her.”
He frowned. “That’s totally unfair. You don’t know anything about her, and you didn’t give her a chance.”
“To insult me? She already did that.”
“She was trying to pay you a compliment.”
Buffy snorted. “Right. Didn’t sound that way to me.”
Angel paused to collect himself. Having an argument with her wasn’t exactly the way he’d pictured their reunion. “She was nervous.”
“Nervous? Cordelia? What would she have to be nervous about?”
“She was a little afraid of how everyone would react.” He looked around the room, trying to spot her. “And you pretty much did exactly what she was afraid of.”
Buffy just looked at him skeptically. Finally she sighed. “Whatever.” She looked away and then looked up at him, and gave him a slight smile. “I didn’t really want to talk about Cordelia.”
* * *
Cordelia stood in the doorway to the kitchen holding her drink in both hands, trying to decide who she could handle talking to next. OK, she really shouldn’t be surprised. She hadn’t seen Buffy in two years. The other girl had no idea what had happened to her in LA and how she had changed. She hadn’t, however, expected it to hurt so much, especially since she had done it in front of Angel. Well, at least Angel would enjoy the rest of the night. She was now officially on her own.
“Cordy?”
She looked up to face Xander. “Hi.”
He smiled warmly. “Hi. It’s nice to see you.” He looked her over. “You look good. I like your hair.”
“Thanks.”
His brows knitted together. “You OK?”
She laughed. “Yeah. I’m fine.” She licked her lips. “So, um, congratulations are in order, I guess.”
Xander smiled. “Yeah. Thanks.”
She cocked her head and really looked at him. “You seem happy. That’s good. I’m glad.”
“I am happy.” His shook his head in disbelief. “I never really thought about getting married, and I certainly never thought I’d be marrying Anya, but I am. And I’m very happy.”
“That’s good. That’s the way it should be.”
“So, how about you?” he asked. “You happy?”
She shrugged. She was a little unsure about talking to him, but he didn’t seem hostile. He seemed interested. And concerned. Go figure. “Comes and goes. Generally, yeah, I guess.”
“You’re not sure?”
“Well, we work hard, and that’s really rewarding. And it’s been a real personal growth experience for me and Angel. And Wesley, too.” She looked at Xander. “It’s not about us, you know.”
“What’s not?”
“What we do. And what you guys do here in Sunnydale. It’s not about us. It’s about all of the innocent people, the ones who don’t know, and some of the not so innocent people, too. It’s about saving them, I mean. Or trying. That’s what it’s really about.”
Xander seemed amazed. “And you’ve learned all that from Angel?”
She laughed. “Well, no, not *from* Angel. It’s like we’ve learned it together.”
Xander shook his head. “Wow. I’ll have to give you both credit, then. Some people never figure that out. Feels kind of good, huh?”
She smiled and nodded. “I’m probably one of the people you figured would never get it, huh?”
“Nah. We all grow up. Even me. I never wrote you off.”
She smiled again. “Thanks.”
They stood quietly, in comfortable silence for a minute or two.
“So,” Xander finally started. “How long have you and Angel been together?”
She was confused. Surely Xander talked to Willow. “I’ve been working with Angel almost ever since I got to LA.”
“No, I mean, how long have you and Angel been *together*. You know, an item?”
Her jaw dropped. “Never! I mean, we’re not. We’re just friends.”
“Mmm hmmm. You guys seem awfully chummy for that, what with all the touching and the smiling. Anya actually pointed it out to me,” he said to her stunned look.
“What? No. We’re just friends. Good friends, but friends.” She paused. “Angel’s changed a lot in the last two years, this last year especially. He smiles a lot more, and he actually has a sense of humor. Sometimes it’s pretty weird, but it is a sense of humor. He’s not too good on the social thing, but he’s trying. He does get out. Some.”
“Thanks to you?” Xander seemed vaguely amused.
“Well, not entirely. Wesley and Gunn help.”
“Wesley’s still there? I would have thought you’d have driven him off months ago.”
She gave Xander an exasperated glare. “I would never drive Wesley off. He’s one of my closest friends, and he’s a huge help. He’s great at research and he’s learned how to do some fighting, too. He’s actually the boss now.”
It was Xander’s turn to be stunned. “Wesley’s the boss? Angel actually takes orders from *Wesley*?”
Cordelia sighed. “Yes, most of the time. And Wesley’s a good boss. It’s been a really long time since you’ve seen him, but Wesley has changed, just like the rest of us. You really should give him the benefit of the doubt.”
Xander caught himself before he uttered the caustic comment on Wesley’s competence that had immediately popped into his mind. “I’m sorry. You’re right. So you like working with Angel, huh?”
She smiled. “Yes. A lot. We’re doing a lot of good.”
He smiled back. “That’s good.” He paused. “Cordy, I’m glad you came. And I’m glad you’re happy, even if it’s with Angel.”
She sighed. “I told you, Angel and I are just friends. Even if I wanted us to be something else, and can I just say ‘Eeew! Dead guy’, he’s still cursed, so it’s not like he’d be receptive. And besides, hello! Buffy! Love of his life! Trust me, he never looks at other women. *Any* other women.”
Xander shot her a wicked grin. “Besides you, you mean.”
“Xander!”
“What? He’s been looking at you the whole time we’ve been talking,” Xander said.
“Pffft!” she said. “He has not. He’s far too busy talking to Buffy.” She looked across the room and caught Angel’s eye. He looked like he wanted to ask her if she was OK. How sweet, she thought, sending him a reassuring smile. He nodded and turned back to hear whatever Buffy was saying. Cordelia turned to Xander, who was giving her his best ‘I told you so’ look. “OK, he was looking, but he was just worried about me. You and I didn’t exactly part on the best of terms.” She looked away. “To be perfectly honest, I was a little afraid to come.”
“Afraid?”
She nodded. “Everyone remembers me as the Bitch of Sunnydale High, and with good reason. I know most of you weren’t really excited about my coming back, and I was kind of nervous about the reception I’d get.”
He put a companionable hand on her arm. “Well, I’m glad you did come. I wanted a chance for the two of us to mend fences, since we’ve both become better people. I think I’m going to like the new Cordelia Chase, and so will everyone else.”
“Thanks, Xander.” God, if he kept being this nice and understanding, she was going to cry.
“Angel obviously does.”
“Xander!” Or not.
* * *
Angel allowed himself to relax a little when he caught Cordelia’s eye and she smiled reassuringly. Whatever she and Xander were talking about, it wasn’t upsetting her. Yet. He glanced back over at her. No, she was still OK.
He turned his attention back to Buffy. It was nice to see her again, to talk to her, to know she was doing well. He worried about Cordelia, though. He watched as Xander introduced her to some of the other people in the room.
He felt Buffy’s hand on his arm. “Patrol with me a little later?”
He nodded. “Yeah. That’d be nice.”
“OK. I should talk to some of the others. Will you be OK?”
“I’ll be fine. Go on.”
“I’ll be back.”
He nodded and watched her go. She was still beautiful, slender and petite, yet strong and deadly. He still loved her, but somehow he didn’t feel that same soul-wrenching drop his heart used to take whenever he saw her. He wondered what that meant.
He looked around the room and spotted Cordelia with a young man that he didn’t recognize. He watched her talk animatedly to the other man, gracing him with one of her high-wattage smiles. She really was lovely, with her soft curves and classical features. He shook himself, wondering at the direction his thoughts had taken. He had always known that Cordelia was beautiful, but he had never admired her in that way. Sunnydale must be messing with his mind.
He returned his attention to the rest of the room in time to see Willow approaching.
“Angel, can I talk to you? Privately?”
“Sure. Outside?”
They walked through the kitchen and out the back door of the Summers home.
“What is it?” he asked the redhead.
“Tara and I think we’ve found something.”
He waited for her to continue.
“Something to anchor your soul.”
* * *
Angel walked along next to Buffy in stunned silence. Willow and Tara could anchor his soul. It was unbelievable. He didn’t know what to think.
“Angel? You OK?” Buffy asked.
“Did you know about Willow’s spell?”
She smiled lovingly at him. “Yes. It’s wonderful, isn’t it?”
“I... yeah, I guess it is.”
She stopped walking. “You don’t seem pleased. I would have thought you’d be a little more excited.”
“I am pleased... or I will be, I guess, when it sinks in.” He ran a hand through his hair. “It just seems so unreal. Like it’s too good to be true.”
She nodded her understanding. “It’s real. Willow wouldn’t have said anything if she wasn’t completely sure. You won’t have to worry about becoming Angelus ever again.”
She watched the half smile appear on his face. “Cordelia will be happy about that,” he said.
“Cordelia?” she asked incredulously.
“Mmm hmmm. She’s had a couple of run-ins with Angelus in the last couple of years. Well, sort of. Handled it really well, too. But I’m sure she’ll be relieved to know she won’t have to worry about that any more.”
“*She* won’t have to worry about it? What about the rest of us? What about me? Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for something like this?”
Angel looked away and then back into Buffy’s eyes. “About as long as I have, probably.” Her gaze dropped to the ground. “I’m sorry, Buffy. I didn’t mean to imply that it wasn’t important to you, or me, or anyone else.”
She sighed. “I know.”
“It’s a lot to take in all at once,” he said.
She nodded. “Now you’ll be free to be happy. There are a lot of things you’ll be able to do now.”
He shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”
“You could come back to Sunnydale,” she suggested.
“Buffy,” he said hesitantly. “I... I can’t. I have to go back to LA.”
“Angel... “
“Buffy, I have a responsibility, just like you have. I can’t leave Cordelia alone with the visions. I need to be there to take care of that,” he said gently.
Buffy threw her hands in the air. “Cordelia! Everything is about Cordelia with you. It’s like you’re in love with her, or something!” she exclaimed.
He ran a hand through his hair again. “No, of course I’m not in love with Cordelia, but she’s an important part of my life. She’s my friend, Buffy. My best friend.”
“I’m your friend, too, Angel.”
He smiled sadly at her. “No, Buffy. Spike was right about that. You and I have never been just friends. We’ve always been something more.”
“But, how can she possibly understand, Angel? She’s so involved with herself, how can she possibly be there for you?”
He shook his head. “She’s not like that any more. OK, sometimes she is, but most of the time she’s not. She’s changed. And she’s *always* there for me. Sometimes, I don’t know what I’d do without her. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am now.”
“You do love her.”
He paused to consider that. “Yeah, I guess I do. But only as a friend and a co-worker,” he added hastily. “Really. That’s all it is.”
She nodded slowly.
They stood uneasily for a moment. “We should patrol,” she said, finally breaking the silence. “There are still vampires that need killing.”
* * *
“Well, well. What have we here?” Spike leered at her from where he was lounging against the wall.
“Spike,” Cordelia said acidly. “I’d say it was nice to see you again, but that’d be a lie.”
He pushed himself off the wall and sauntered over to her. “I’m hurt, truly.”
She raised a single, elegant eyebrow, but didn’t move.
“Not afraid of me, are you, luv?”
“Don’t be absurd. Good news travels fast, and I talk to Willow. You can’t bite me.”
He shrugged. “Oh well, it was worth a try.” He noticed her empty glass. “Come on, we’ll get another drink.”
“And why would I go with you?”
He fixed her with his cool, blue gaze. “Cuz I’m excellent company, luv. Didn’t the witch tell you that?”
She was amazed at his audacity. And intrigued. “Fine.” She followed him back to the kitchen.
He took her empty wine glass and filled it, and then grabbed a beer for himself. “So, still workin’ for the Poof, eh?”
“Poof?”
“Angel,” he said with a sarcastic whine.
“I still work with him, yes.”
“Hmmph. Nice bird like you, I figured you’d have moved on to better things. Seein’ as how he’s unable to perform and all,” Spike said casually.
“I like working with Angel. And he performs just fine.”
Spike raised both eyebrows. “Does he now? I’m surprised.” He looked her up and down suggestively. “With a body like that, you’d think he’d have been happy at least once. Maybe it’s the short hair.”
“What?”
“Maybe it puts him off. You know, in the sack. Maybe at the moment of completion he thinks about it, and it keeps him from experiencing real bliss.”
Cordelia’s jaw dropped. “Oh! My! God! What is with you people? I am *not* sleeping with Angel. Do I have to wear a sign?”
Spike looked at her skeptically. “Are you sure about that?”
“Of course, I’m sure! How could I not know whether or not I was sleeping with someone? And I’m not.”
Spike took a sip of his beer. “Anya seemed pretty convinced that you were. The way he was lookin’ at you, and with all the hand-holdin’ and everything.”
“Yeah, well, she’s wrong. Angel and I are just friends.” Something about this whole conversation was bothering her. It was almost as if Spike were pumping her for information. “And why would you care, anyway?”
“Who, me? I don’t care, really.” He paused. “It’s just that if the Poof is busy chasin’ after you, he’ll be more likely to leave her alone.”
Now she was getting somewhere. “Leave who alone?”
Spike looked at her as though she were completely stupid. “The Slayer, of course.”
Hmmm. “And why do you care whether or not Angel leaves Buffy alone?”
Suddenly Spike was looking a little uncomfortable. “Um, well, we all know what happened last time he didn’t leave her alone, right? No more soul, and to hell with the rest of us.”
That sounded like an excuse. “So, this is all about Angel losing his soul? It has nothing to do with Buffy?”
“It has everything to do with Buffy. It’s bad enough, him comin’ here and makin’ her all mopey and upset for days after he’s gone.” He paced a few steps around the kitchen. “But to lose his soul again, it’d kill her for sure.”
Cordelia watched him over the rim of her glass. “You like her.”
“I do not!” Spike exclaimed indignantly. “We’re mortal enemies.”
“Uh huh. That’s why you’re obviously invited into her home. That’s why you’re at a party for a person you hate. That’s why you’re Buffy’s new patrol buddy.” Suddenly, she understood. She grinned wickedly at him. “You’ve got a thing for Buffy.”
“Now hang on! I...” he stopped at her challenging look. “Oh, bloody hell! Fine. I have a thing for the slayer. It’s not like it’s the first time that’s happened.”
She continued to grin at him. “Nope. You’ve got lots of company. Angel. Xander. Giles. Pretty much every male who knows her.” She shook her head. “I almost feel sorry for you.”
“Yeah, well, don’t bother. If you really want to be useful, luv, occupy the Poof for a few decades.”
She snorted. “Sorry. Not going to happen. Just friends here.”
* * *
Angel was immensely relieved when he and Buffy finally arrived back at her house after their patrol. Then he felt guilty for not wanting to spend time alone with her. He was a mess. He needed to talk to Cordelia.
He searched the room quickly and found her talking to... Spike? A growl threatened to crawl it’s way up his throat and was quickly suppressed. He didn’t care what anybody said about how harmless and how helpful Spike was now, he didn’t want the other vampire anywhere near Cordelia. He stalked across the room.
“Spike.”
The blonde looked up. “Well, speak of the devil. We were just talkin’ about you.”
“Go away, Spike.”
“Now, is that any way to behave in public. And here I was havin’ a nice chat with your lovely secretary, here. Wasn’t I, luv?”
Cordelia put a hand on Angel’s arm. “It’s OK, Angel. He’s not doing anything.” Angel made no move, but she was almost certain she heard him growling. “Hey! No fighting in Buffy’s house. We’ll all be in trouble.” Angel finally looked at her. “It’s OK. Really.”
The growling seemed to stop, and she waved Spike off. He went, giving her a wink before disappearing around a corner. She finally released the breath she’d been holding.
“Are you OK?” Angel asked her.
“Fine. Really. We were just talking.” She paused. “He’s actually sort of entertaining, in a weird kind of way.” She gave Angel a smug grin. “I did find out what’s up with him, though.”
“Oh?”
She looked around the room. Too many people. “Later.”
He nodded.
“So, how was patrol?” she asked brightly.
“Complicated.”
She brushed a stray bit of vampire dust off his coat sleeve. “So it seems.”
He shifted uncomfortably. “Is it OK for us to go now?”
“Yeah, sure. Let me get my purse, and we can say goodbye.”
* * *
Fifteen minutes later they were driving toward the Sunnydale Motor Inn in Angel’s convertible. Heading towards the one room with one bed. The bed that they would be sharing. Cordelia felt the butterflies in her stomach threaten to take off again. Best think of something else.
The top was down, and the warm night air was fluttering Cordelia’s hair. Angel had been very quiet, and she wondered what had happened between him and Buffy. Deciding it was best to go slowly, she tried what she hoped would be a safer topic.
“So, what did Willow have to say?” Angel glanced at her. “I noticed the two of you go outside earlier, and I just wondered what was going on.” When Angel didn’t respond right away, she continued. “But, if it’s personal, you know, never mind.” Still no response. She sighed. Great. Another Buffy inspired brood.
“What did you find out about Spike?” he asked suddenly.
“Huh? Oh. Lots.” She proceeded to tell him everything she had learned about Spike’s chip, and all of the help he had given the gang over the last year or so. She debated whether or not to mention Spike’s crush on Buffy, but decided that Angel really needed to know. It would be much better if he was prepared, rather than surprised by it. She took a deep breath and waded in. “So, anyway, apparently his change in attitude has come about because he’s got a thing for Buffy.”
Angel stared at her for a second before turning back to watch the road. “A thing?”
“Yes. He, um, he’s in love with her.”
Angel was quiet for a moment. “And you believed him? He is a consummate liar.”
She chose her next words carefully. “I believe him. He’s a lot different than the last time we saw him. And the way he looks at her, the way he talks about her.” She paused. “I think he loves her.”
He was quiet again after that. They reached the motel, and he parked the car and opened the door of their room for her. When he had closed the door behind them and locked and chained the door, he finally spoke.
“I still think you should stay away from him.”
She turned, startled. “Who?”
“Spike. I think you should stay away from Spike. He’s still an evil, soulless vampire, and you shouldn’t trust him.”
She snorted. “Please. Like that would ever happen. Hello! This is the same vamp that spent an entire day having you tortured. As if I could forget that.” She thought for a moment. “No, he’s entertaining enough in small doses, in a room full of people, but I’d never trust him.” She gathered a few things out of her bag. “Mind if I use the bathroom first?” Without waiting for a response, she headed into the other room and shut the door.
Angel sat on the end of the bed and rubbed his hands over his face. So many things to think about. He wasn’t really upset over the news that Spike thought he was in love with Buffy. After all, he himself could understand that feeling. Buffy must know. He wondered how she felt about Spike. That thought was uncomfortable, but not nearly as much as it should have been. He shook his head. He had been more upset about finding Cordelia with Spike at the party. Weird. Must have been because Cordelia wasn’t a Slayer, and couldn’t really protect herself against creatures like Spike. Yes, that must be it.
Cordelia. He really wanted to talk to her. Well, he’d have plenty of opportunity while the two of them were laying in bed.
Together.
That strange feeling in the pit of his stomach was not nerves, because there was no reason to be nervous about sleeping in the same bed with his friend Cordelia. They were just roommates, two friends sharing a motel room. That’s all there was to it.
He wondered what kind of pajamas Cordelia wore, and then wondered why he was thinking about that. She was his best friend, not his girlfriend.
At that moment, Cordelia came out of the bathroom wearing boxer shorts and a tank top. Sensible. Angel was both relieved and disappointed.
“All yours,” she said, nodding towards the bathroom.
He took off his coat and boots before heading into the other room.
When he returned, she had turned down the sheets and was sitting cross-legged on her side of the bed. She had turned out all of the lights except for the bedside lamps. He stood for a moment while he unbuttoned his shirt, and then walked to her side of the bed and sat down on the end of it, facing her.
She waited for him to say something.
“Willow said that she and Tara found a spell that would anchor my soul.”
She blinked. Obviously, that was not what she had been expecting him to say. And then a huge smile broke over her face. “Angel! That’s... that’s great! No more evil you. That’s incredible. I’m so happy for you...” She trailed off, noticing his expression had not changed. “It is good, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “Yeah. It’s good.”
“Then why don’t you look like you think it’s good?”
“I’m scared, I guess. What if I get my hopes up, and it doesn’t work? What if something goes wrong, and I lose my soul for good?”
She leaned forward and grabbed his hand. “Willow wouldn’t have told you if she wasn’t certain it would work. She would never raise your hopes if she thought she’d have to disappoint you later. You know that.”
He nodded.
“And as for something going wrong, well, I guess that’s always a risk. But from everything I’ve heard, Willow has gotten really good and is very powerful. Xander says she hasn’t had a single spell go wrong since she and Tara got together. Tara’s really good for her. Besides, Willow has met evil you. I have no doubt that if she thought there was a chance of you becoming evil permanently, she would never take the risk.”
“I guess.”
She watched him stare at their joined hands. “Don’t you want your soul anchored?”
His head shot up. “Yes! Of course I do. I just...”
“Don’t think you deserve it?”
He looked down again. “Maybe.”
She gave his hand a squeeze. “Hey.” She waited until he met her gaze. “Of course you deserve it. Everyone deserves the chance to be happy. You’re a good man, and you suffer enough as it is. I don’t think a little happiness is too much to ask.”
He gave her a little half smile.
“So, when is this supposed to happen?” she asked.
“Tomorrow, if I agree to it.”
“So, you can sleep on it, and see how you feel in the morning.”
He nodded. “Thanks, Cordy.”
She just smiled.
He got up and took off his shirt, preparing to get into the bed. Cordelia watched him with a soft smile. A permanent soul. Wow. She could hardly imagine what a permanently happy Angel would be like. He was attractive enough as it was, but when he smiled it could literally take her breath away. Watching him now, she was somewhat relieved to see that he was still wearing an undershirt. She had seen him shirtless a lot, and it was a really appealing sight. She just didn’t think she was ready to be sleeping with him shirtless.
And even that thought didn’t come out right.
He turned off the lamp on his side of the bed, stepped out of his pants, and laid down, pulling the covers up to his waist.
She turned to look at him. “So what happened on patrol to make it complicated?” she asked. “I mean, Willow had to have told Buffy about the spell. I would have thought she’d be happy for you. For both of you,” she added quietly.
Angel continued to stare at the ceiling for a moment. “She did know. And she was happy.” He paused. “She wants me to move back to Sunnydale.” Cordelia’s heart dropped, and she closed her eyes. She hadn’t thought of that. “I told her I couldn’t, and she got upset.”
“Oh.”
He turned to look at her. “Cordy?”
She took a deep, calming breath. “I’m sure we could work something out,” she said. “Maybe if we both moved back here, the PTB would send us Sunnydale visions. Or maybe we could work something out with Wesley and Gunn...”
He turned and propped himself up on his elbow. “Cordy,” he said, stopping her rambling. “Do you want to move back to Sunnydale?”
She licked her lips. “If it would make you happy, being here with Buffy, and if we could keep helping people, and maybe if Wesley would come back...”
“Cordy, do you *want* to move back to Sunnydale?”
She shook her head.
“To be honest, neither do I.” He raised his hand when she looked like she would protest. “I kind of like my life in LA. We have important, meaningful work. I like the hotel. We both have real friends. And there’s no baggage there, no bad memories.” He gave her another half smile. “We belong there. LA is our place, and that’s where we should stay.”
She nodded, immensely relieved. But one thought still nagged at her. “But what about you and Buffy?”
“There is no ‘me and Buffy’. I broke up with her almost three years ago, remember?”
“You know what I mean.”
He shrugged. “Yeah.” He thought for a moment, as if searching for the right words to explain. He wasn’t sure he really knew exactly how he felt, but he’d give it at try. “I don’t think we’re meant to be together, and I’m OK with that. This may seem hard to believe, but she’s not the most important thing in my life any more. I mean, I’ll always love her, but I’m not sure that I’m *in* love with her. Does that make sense?”
“It makes sense, but I’m not sure I believe it.”
He laughed and laid back down. “Well, that makes two of us.”
She turned off the light and settled under the covers, making sure to put as much space as possible between her and Angel.
“So, how did your talk with Xander go?” he asked when she had gotten comfortable.
“Not too bad. No Cordelia bashing, which was refreshing. But there is one thing that you probably ought to know. Everyone there seems to think that you and I are sleeping together. Well, sleeping together as in having sex, not sleeping together as in sharing the same bed. Which we are, but they don’t know that. Unless you told them, which I’m sure you didn’t. I can’t imagine how they all got the impression that we’re in love with each other, when it seems obvious to me that we’re just friends. Right?”
Continue on...