Title: My Senior Year
Author: Dock
Posted: 2003
Email
Rating: NC17
Category: BtVS 3
Content: C/A, B/A, C/X, W/O
Summary: This is a response to AngelLuver's challenge. It takes place in season 3 of BTVS and everything in seasons 1 & 2 have happened.
Spoilers: BTVS S1&2, S3 up to "Band Candy"
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution: GTFA, Nothing Fancy and anyone who asks.
Notes: This story starts during "Enemies". The first two lines are direct quotes. If you're wondering about the episodes in between, "Bad Girls" and "Helpless" happened (for the most part). I plan to pick and choose what goes into my AU.
Notes 2: To clear things up a bit - Faith is bad and she joined forces with the Mayor. Cordelia and Xander are still dating. Willow and Oz are dating. Xander and Willow are just friends (for now). Angel has remained in seclusion at the mansion except for when he pretended to be Angelus. The Scoobies have barely seen him. He is weak and trying to recover from hell. Ooh, Mr. Chase has been paying his taxes.
Notes 3: I have NEVER been an B/A shipper. Given the time frame of this challenge, I will do my best to respect what they had BUT this is a C/A fic. Buffy will NOT get Angel and I don't plan to fix her up with someone else to soften the blow. For those of you who were B/A shippers before ATS, be warned some of your favorite B/A moments are going to be rewritten with a C/A spin.
Notes 4: *Internal thoughts*; *Overheard internal thoughts* I hope it isn't too confusing.
Notes 5: I'm doing my 'aspect of the demon' very differently than the show. It's my AU. Just go with it. I'm also going to be jumping around in time a lot more.
Challenge Requirements:
~ Angel's soul was made permanent by Willow's spell.
~ Angel is still weak and not fully recovered from his little vacation in hell.
~ Because of his weakness, Angel is mostly assigned to "research duty" by the Scoobies (possibly with Cordy, cause they don't think too much of her at this point).
~ What happened in the Library scene in Becoming pt. 1 has given Cordy a new perspective, hence she is not as bitchy (keywords "not as").
~ The whole essence of the demon in Earshot happens to Angel, not Buffy, hence he hears Cordy's thoughts (possible naughty?), and how the Scoobies really feel about him since his return.
Feedback:
Dedication: For AngelLuver, whose challenge inspired me and Kelly22.
Part 1
"I feel so much better knowing that he broke my face in a "good" way. It's a "good" bruise."
"He was only acting, Xander."
"I don't get it. You said Angel was all weak and pathetic. Why would the Mayor even want him?"
"How weak can he be? Look what he did to my face."
"Oh please Xander! I could do that to your face."
"How about some sympathy here? You're supposed to be my girlfriend."
Cordelia reached over to pat Xander on the back but looked at Buffy. "So is he weak or what? Even if he is strong again, why would the Mayor want him soulless? Angelus wasn't exactly a team player."
"I never said Angel was pathetic and I don't know why the Mayor wanted him. Faith's intentions were pretty clear." She shook her head to banish the mental image. "We found out the ascension is on graduation day. That's what we need to focus on."
"But.."
"Look I don't know! Maybe he figured a weak Angelus would be a controllable one. Maybe he wanted to make sure Angel wouldn't be against him come graduation day. Angel will get better, you know. Maybe he thought he could help Angelus get strong so he would keep me distracted while the Mayor ascends!"
"Those actually made sense."
Buffy rolled her eyes. That was as close to a compliment as Cordelia got. "Angel is still weak. I think it might help his recovery if he got out more."
"He can start hunting again, 'cause that was so much fun the last time."
"Xander!" Willow gave him her angry face.
"I thought he could come here and help with research."
"What?!"
"Come on Xander. He needs to do something. I can't take him patrolling with me. This way I can still keep an eye on him. I don't know if the Mayor or Faith will try anything else."
"But thanks to the Mayor, we know there are demons who can remove Angel's soul. We're lucky Giles introduced this one to his wife. What about the next time? I was all for being supportive when we thought Angelus was gone for good, but..."
"I'm sorry. I must have blinked while you were being supportive."
"Okay Buff. Supportive may have been a little strong, but.."
"Nothing's changed. Angel has his soul and thanks to Willow, it's gonna stay that way."
"Miss Calender is the one who translated the spell and changed it. She's the one you should be thanking. Oh wait. You can't. Angel killed her. I guess there wasn't a hallmark to fit the occasion. Nothing says thank you like a broken neck."
"Xander, that is enough!" The teenagers hadn't noticed Giles and Wesley's return. "It's getting late. We can begin researching tomorrow after your classes have finished. We have an ascension to stop."
"Mr. Giles, I'd like to remind.." Wesley's words trailed off when everyone got up and walked out. "I'll see you all tomorrow."
***
"Are you okay, Buffy? Xander was being a butthead again."
"I'm getting used to it." She rubbed the back of her neck. "He's got his reasons for hating Angel. I know he's afraid the horror story that is my life will happen all over again."
"But my spell?"
"I know but..the Mayor's plan would've worked if that..guy hadn't owed Giles a favor."
"I know."
"God Will! He was so convincing tonight, watching him kiss Faith, those things he said to me.."
"He was acting."
"I know. Angel was just pretending." Buffy looked at the redhead with pleading eyes. "He didn't even flinch. He was so convincing. It makes me wonder if Angelus is really gone."
"What?"
"How could he be him so easily? According to Xander, Angel hit him without even breaking stride."
"Yeah but he's probably wanted to do that for a long time."
Buffy giggled. "So you think I'm being silly?"
"Maybe you should talk to Angel about this."
"I tried. Sort of. He only did it because I asked him to. It's not exactly fair to yell at him for doing a good job."
"Sounds to me like you're not over what happened before."
"How can I be? He killed Miss Calender. He tried to kill you, Xander, my mother.."
"But that was Angelus."
"My head knows that but my heart..is terrified of letting him back in. We should be happy. There's no more happiness clause in his curse. We should be able to pick up right where we left off, right?"
"Well, you're not the same girl you were on your seventeenth birthday. You've changed."
"I know, so has he. You didn't see him when he first got back. He was..practically an animal. I mean he's better now. He's not so..insane but he's different."
"He was in hell, Buffy."
"I know that. I sent him there."
"He didn't exactly give you a choice."
"Yeah but I need to help him. He's so closed off. We don't talk. Well, I talk. He just listens. We don't have conversations. God, he and Faith talked more than we have!"
"He was pretending to be Angelus and Angelus was kinda...chatty."
"Don't remind me." She looked into Willow's eyes. "I was hoping if he came to the library to research, it might help him be more..Angel-like."
Willow looked skeptical. "You think we can help him be...Angel."
"Not exactly. Angel was never social. When he first showed up, he was the sexy, mysterious, cryptic guy. Then he started helping me and we fell in love. I was kinda hoping to do it again. He's not strong enough to help with the fighting but he knows a lot. He can help by researching. Maybe if he feels useful, he could be his old self and we can fall in love all over again. I don't know how else to help him."
"Talking might help."
"This is Angel. He doesn't do 'talking'."
"I'll do what I can to help."
"I doubt he'd talk to you either."
"I meant I can help keep Xander in line."
"That'd be great."
"That's what best friends are for."
***
"Where's Oz?"
"Oh..umm..he had practice." Willow was still surprised whenever Cordelia Chase actually thought about someone other than herself.
"So when's deadboy supposed to get here?"
"Xander, you promised to be good."
"I said I'd try. Besides it's not like he's here yet."
"Buffy was going to meet him at the mansion and walk him here. She's still a little afraid that Faith might try something."
"So am I. I don't want to have to deal with Angelus again."
"You won't."
"And just for the record, if he hits me again, I'm staking him, soul or no soul."
"Like you did last night?"
"I thought we went over this. You are MY girlfriend so you're supposed to be on MY side."
"Sorry. I forgot." Cordelia glanced at the office. "Do you guys think Giles is going to come out of his office or do you think he'll hide in there all night?"
"What do you mean? He's not hiding. Giles does not hide. He's reading. He probably doesn't want to be distracted by Xander's bad jokes."
"Hey!"
"I'm only teasing."
"We're here!" Buffy and Angel walked through the library doors.
"Oh joy"
"Xander!"
Xander looked at Willow then back at the vampire. *This is going to be harder than I thought* "I'm hungry. I think I'll go on a food run."
Buffy sent Willow a knowing look. Willow gave her a small nod. "I'll come with you. There's safety in numbers."
"Sure. Let's go."
Buffy pulled Angel further into the library. "Where's Giles?"
Cordelia looked up from her book. "He's hiding in his office."
"I am not hiding." Giles remained in his doorway. He focused solely on Buffy. "I think you should begin your patrol early."
Wesley walked in just as Giles spoke. "I thought we discussed this Mr. Giles. I am Buffy's watcher now. You really must respect my authority."
"I'm so dreadfully sorry."
"You're forgiven." Giles rolled his eyes as he closed his office door.
"So Wes?"
"Oh..umm..I think you should begin your patrol early and I intend to go along and supervise. Now that Faith has gone rogue, you will need to be in top form. It is time to take your duty more seriously. You cannot allow yourself to be distracted by trivial matters." He glanced at Angel with distaste.
"My life is not trivial. Angel, why don't you help Cordelia research while I patrol. Xander and Willow will be back soon." She hated to make him spend time alone with Cordelia.
Angel silently sat at the table and selected a tome from the pile. He watched Buffy and her new watcher leave.
Cordelia sat quietly while everyone left her one by one. She stared at the silent figure across from her. She huffed. "I'm finding it hard not to take it personally that I'm the one who gets left alone with a former vicious killer." Angel didn't even blink. "So what's it like to be back at Sunnydale High? I mean you tried to kill Willow here. You did kill Miss Calender. You had Giles kidnapped from this very room, so you could torture him for information. It's gotta be weird."
Angel didn't move except to turn the page.
"So what's hell like? Is it all fire and brimstone? Hot pokers?"
"..."
"Did they force you to listen to that horrible music Giles likes? Or disco? Did they make you wear those shoes with the fish swimming around in them?"
"..."
"Was it like that Sisyphus guy pushing his boulder up that hill? Or that Tantalus guy with his receding pool of water and elusive fruit, though for you a pool of blood would be food and drink?"
"..."
"Buffy says you're pretty weak. You look pale. I mean even paler than usual. The black on black wardrobe doesn't exactly help. So are you like weak for a vampire or are we talking Xander-weak?" She noticed the corners of his mouth twitched up. "Wow. That was almost a smile. It's a good thing you're sitting. That probably took most of your energy?" She smiled at him.
Angel finally looked up from his book. "I'm not back to full strength yet."
"But you can still break Xander's face?"
"I'm sorry about that. I was pretending to be evil."
"Pfft. You probably enjoyed hitting him. I'm dating Xander and I want to hit him half the time."
Angel almost smiled. "I never said I didn't enjoy it." His expression darkened. "It's really hard being here." He glanced at the office. "I shouldn't be welcome here."
"You have someplace better to be?"
"No. It's just...I tried to kill all of you."
"Duh. Like I'd forget that. I remember watching you throw Xander out of a second story window."
"I never did understand why Druscilla stopped me...or why there was a mob of girls after him."
"Oh that. I broke up with Xander and he didn't take it very well. He asked Amy to cast a spell on me so I'd fall madly in love with him and then he could dump me. Only it went kaplooey and every female except me was affected. Seeing Mrs. Summers hit on Xander still gives me the wiggins. It was completely nuts. They tried to kill me because I hurt Xander."
"And you're dating him now?"
"I thought it was kind of sweet..in a sad, demented kind of way."
"But.."
"Plus it was partially my fault. I didn't want to break up with him in the first place. I only did it because my so-called friends wanted me to. Eventually I remembered that Cordelia Chase is no sheep. If I want to date a dork, I'll date a dork."
Angel stared at the cheerleader who used to flirt with him. She seemed different. The memory of her terrified face when he'd tackled her to the ground flashed in his mind. His fangs had been inches from her throat.
"Hello? You awake? You're staring."
"Sorry"
"S'okay as long as you're not staring at my neck."
"I'm sorry, Cordelia."
"I said it was okay. Staring is hardly a criminal offense. A bit creepy maybe."
"I meant I'm sorry for trying to kill you."
She studied him for a moment. "You're forgiven."
"What? You can't..I mean..how can you.."
"Look I don't know if anyone's ever explained the whole forgiveness thing to you but the victim is the one who gets to decide if his or her attacker can be forgiven. You, the attacker, only get to decide whether or not you want to be forgiven. You apologized. Then it's my decision whether or not to accept your apology. I chose to accept it, hence I forgive you."
Angel realized Cordelia was being sincere. "But how can you just forgive me like that?"
"Do you have any idea how many times someone or something has tried to kill me? I've had invisible stalkers, guys who wanted to cut my head off and sew it on another body so I would be his girlfriend, I was almost drained at the Bronze so the Master could rise not that I knew the purpose at the time, I was almost sacrificed so the Master could come back from the dead, I was attacked by a guy in a halloween costume, I was offered to a reptile thing by frat boys with serious issues, I was nearly killed by my classmates for dumping Xander, I was hunted by a bunch of wackos because they thought I was Faith and we can't forget about the random vampires who just thought I looked tasty or the zombies who crashed Buffy's welcome home party." She was nearly out of breath when she finished. "I seem to have 'hey if you're looking for a victim, pick me' tattooed on my forehead."
"It must be written in small print."
"Oh my god! Did you just make a funny? Do you need to rest? Should I get you some water or something? You can't have any of my blood but I'll let you bite Xander when he gets back."
He smiled. "I'm okay but thanks for the offer."
"Seriously though, I've had so many attempts on my life and you're the first person to ever apologize. Even Chris, a human, who considered chopping my head off before his conscience kicked in, didn't apologize. Your apology means something to me. So..you're forgiven."
"Thank you"
"You're welcome. I don't know about you but all this talking has made me thirsty. I'm gonna go get a soda. Do you want one?"
"No thanks"
"I'll be right back." She closed her book and stood.
"Wait. Maybe I should go with you. You never know what might be lurking in the halls."
"You're the expert."
Angel absently noticed how beautiful Cordelia's smile was. He couldn't resist returning it.
"Since you're not at full strength yet, are you protecting me or am I protecting you?" Angel laughed. She almost tripped when she heard it.
"How about we protect each other?"
"Okay but I should warn you. If I break a nail, it's gonna take more than an apology for you to be forgiven. It may require presents."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Just a sec." Cordelia left Angel in the doorway and went into Giles's office. "Do you want a soda?"
"No thank you."
She studied the older man. He looked tired. "Are you okay?"
"Of course"
"C'mon Giles. This is me. You don't have to be stiff upper lip guy for me."
Giles sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's difficult being near him but for Buffy's sake I'll try."
"She doesn't deserve you."
"Cordelia"
"I'm just sayin'." She winked at him. "We'll be right back."
"We?"
"Yes"
"Cordelia, I don't.."
"I'll be fine. Don't worry."
"He's dangerous."
"Aren't all men a little dangerous, Ripper?" She smiled at him as she closed the door. "Ready?"
Angel did his best to look like someone who hadn't been eavesdropping. It wasn't his fault. Vampire hearing plus open door equaled overheard conversation.
"Hello? I asked if you were ready."
"Sorry. I'm ready."
She muttered under her breath, "Dork".
"Did you just call me a dork?"
"Yes. You wanna make something of it?" She raised her fists.
Angel laughed. It was a deep, rich laugh. "I don't want to risk your wrath. You might break a nail."
She smiled. "You know, Angel. You're smarter than you look."
"That's funny. I thought the same thing about you earlier. I would've never guessed you knew who Sisyphus and Tantalus were."
"Hey! I read. Do I look blond to you?" Cordelia hooked her arm with Angel's. "Come on. My soda isn't going to grow legs and come to me."
"Don't say that! This is the hellmouth."
There combined laughter could be heard in the halls.
Part 2
"We're back and we come bearing pizza." Xander looked around the library. Cordelia and Angel were sitting next to each other at the table. "Where's Buffy?"
"Hello to you too, Xander."
"Hello Cordy. Where's Buffy?"
"Patrolling. Wesley went with her."
"She left you alone with him?"
"Xander!" Willow hissed as she placed the sodas on the table.
"No Will. This is not cool. She shouldn't have left Cordy alone with him."
"Relax Xander. It's okay. It was tense for a minute but Angel told me he'd give me a ten second head start if he started to feel hunger pains."
"He what?!" Xander glared at the silent vampire. Angel didn't look up from his book.
"Don't worry. We worked it out. I told him he could bite you when you got back."
"You what?!"
Willow turned wide eyes to Angel. She could almost swear she heard him bite back a laugh. She shook her head. She must have imagined his snort.
"Geez. I'm kidding. You used to have a sense of humor. We're not alone. Giles is still in his office."
Xander sat down in the chair across from her, grumbling.
Cordelia leaned forward and smiled sweetly. "I appreciate the concern though."
He looked at her with a goofy grin. "Pizza?"
"Sure" She took the slice he handed her. "Do you eat pizza, Angel?"
"It's sausage. That's not his pig part of choice."
"Is your name Angel?"
Xander's grin faded under his girlfriend's harsh stare. *Great! Yet another woman who feels the need to defend the poor helpless VAMPIRE!*
"I don't really care for pizza."
Cordelia threw a couple of slices on a plate and grabbed a soda. "I'll be right back." She could hear Willow furiously whispering to Xander as she walked away.
Angel watched Cordelia out of the corner of his eye. He tried to ignore the whispered conversation going on across the table. He didn't want to analyze why, but he wished Willow and Xander hadn't returned. He stopped pretending to read and openly stared at the office door. He found Cordelia's presence made being in the library more bearable.
Since she closed the door behind her, not overhearing her conversation would be completely natural. His eyes drifted down to the pages in front of him but he didn't see them. He focused his senses on the other room. He told himself he was only doing it to avoid listening to Willow lecture Xander about his behavior. It would be easier to eavesdrop if he closed his eyes. Shutting down one sense increases the others, but he forced his eyes to remain open so as not to draw attention. The voices started to clear.
"Cordelia, I told you. I'm not hungry."
"Don't give me that 'cause I'm not buyin' it. I've been here since 4 o'clock and you haven't eaten anything. I bet you skipped lunch too. Am I right?"
"I am a grown man. I believe I can take care of myself. I don't need you..."
"Shut up and eat the damn pizza. Don't make me get tough. I've already had to beat a vampire into submission tonight. I think I can handle an ex-watcher."
"I noticed you and Angel seemed to be getting along."
"Yeah. Does that bother you?"
"I don't trust him."
"I didn't ask you to."
"Cordelia..."
"My pizza's getting cold and so is yours."
"Just..be careful. I don't want to lose anyone else."
"You won't."
Angel refused to look up when Cordelia returned. He was surprised by the concern the brunette expressed for Giles. The Cordelia he remembered, the one Buffy used to complain about and the one from tonight didn't seem to match. He wondered what caused the change.
"Angel, you're just supposed to read it. You don't have to memorize it."
"Huh?"
Cordelia leaned over his shoulder. "You're still on the same page."
Her scent surrounded him. "Sorry. I guess my mind wandered."
"It's not the first time, Spacey. Maybe you should call it a night." Her fingers stroked the back of his neck for a moment before she returned to her seat. "There's no reason to overdo it. The musty books will still be here tomorrow."
"I'm fine." *You're the distraction, whether you're here or in the next room.*
"I'm sure Angel wants to wait for Buffy to get back."
Willow's words made the guilt come crashing back. He hadn't been thinking about Buffy. He hadn't really thought about her since she left to patrol.
"Oh how could I forget? Angel's a kept vampire. It'd be easier to remember if you left your collar on."
"I would but it chafes."
"I like it when you make funnies, Spacey."
"That's why I'm here, to entertain you." Angel finally broke eye contact with Cordelia only to find Xander and Willow staring at him like he'd grown a second head. He went back to reading.
Willow and Xander were still gaping when Buffy and a very rumpled Wesley walked in.
"Hey guys"
Xander snapped out of it. "Hey Buffster. How was the slaying?"
"Not too heavy. There were a few vamps."
Giles stepped out of his office. "Buffy. Was there any sign of Faith?"
"Nope"
Giles removed his glasses and began polishing them. He couldn't keep the smirk off his face. "Wesley, you look a little worse for the wear. Rough night?"
"Yes. Well I was merely there to observe. I may have..."
"Tripped over a headstone while running away from a vampire?"
Wesley blushed in embarrassment. Everyone but Cordelia and Angel laughed at Buffy's words.
"Don't worry, Wesley. It's not your fault Buffy didn't do her job."
The petite blond glared at Cordelia. "I had already dusted one vamp and I was fighting two others. The fourth one went after Wesley. Giles never ran. He didn't scream like a girl either."
"I seem to recall hearing a story about a slayer, temporarily without her powers, running from a vampire."
"That was different and I did..."
"Ladies, that's enough. I suggest we call it a night."
Buffy and Cordelia continued to glare at each other.
"I agree with Mr. Giles. You should get some rest, Buffy." Wesley gave Cordelia a small smile before leaving.
"God that guy's an idiot." Buffy turned to the others. "So?"
"Bronze?" Willow turned to Xander.
"Sounds good. Cordy?"
"Sure"
"If you lot aren't tired, perhaps you should continue researching."
"Sorry watcherman. Our youth calls to us." Buffy smiled at Angel. "Do you want to go to the Bronze? We could do something else if you're not up to it."
"Come on, Spacey. You can brood to loud music."
Angel glanced at Cordelia before looking at Buffy. "The Bronze is fine with me."
"Great!" *I knew my idea would help him.*
***
"Hey guys. What's up?"
"Oz!" Willow gave her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek. "How was practice?"
"OK. We still suck but now we suck a little less."
"I think you guys are great. Oooh I love this song. Let's dance."
"Sure"
Xander watched the new couple head to the dance floor. "You want to dance, Cordy?"
He didn't even look at her. "Not right now."
"OK" He turned to Buffy. "Shall we?"
"Umm" She looked at Angel.
"Go ahead and dance."
"I'll be back." Buffy grabbed Xander's hand and dragged him to where Willow was bouncing around.
"You don't like this song?"
"I love it."
"Then why aren't you dancing?"
"It doesn't matter. So how are you doing? You finally came out of your self-imposed exile and now you're surrounded by dancing teenagers. Not feeling urge to hunt, are you?"
"You don't pull any punches, do you?"
"Giles keeps trying to explain tact to me but I find just the idea of it too exhausting."
"You and Giles seem close."
"What makes you say that? He barely came out of his office tonight."
"Oh..he...I..you brought him pizza. I didn't see Willow or Xander worrying about Giles eating something."
"Giles and I are friends."
"Friends? I also noticed you were quick to defend Buffy's new watcher tonight. I guess you like British men."
"Wesley's a nice guy. He's not exactly battle ready but the Council doesn't really train them to be."
"What does Xander think about all this?"
"All what?"
Angel shrugged. He wasn't sure why it bothered him. "Xander isn't bothered by your...closeness with Giles..or the new watcher?" He was shocked by the tears he saw in her eyes.
"So that's how it is? You've decided I'm a whore."
"What? No! I..."
"You know what? Forget it. I'm out of here." Cordelia grabbed her purse and left.
Angel ran after her. "Wait! Please! I didn't mean that. I wasn't suggesting...I just..you are very...I didn't think Xander would want to share you."
"He's not sharing me! I am FRIENDS with Giles and Wesley. That's it! I'm not sleeping with anyone behind his back."
"I didn't...it's just I've been known to get jealous of Buffy's male friends. I wasn't..."
"Who could forget Buffy's dance of the slutty slayer when she got back from her summer in L.A."
"She'd been through a lot."
"She died. I heard the story. She died the same day Willow and I found the body of the first guy I ever had...never mind. Poor Buffy. I know the routine."
"I'm sorry I upset you. Please don't leave."
Cordelia finally looked at him. "I guess it'd be unfair to get mad. I didn't pull any punches with you." She managed a small smile.
"So when did you and Giles become such good friends?"
They walked over and sat down at the bar. "It was after that night you had Giles kidnapped."
Angel started to fidget. The guilt came flooding back. He stilled when Cordelia gripped his hand.
"Don't start brooding. This is about my guilt."
"For what?"
"I was handling the stinky herbs during Willow's spell. The next thing I knew there were vampires coming from all directions. Xander was pretty brave." A wistful smile crossed her face. "When all hell broke loose, he told me to run. So I ran."
"It was the right thing to do."
"That's what Buffy said later but she obviously didn't mean it. You heard how she talked about Wesley tonight."
"That's different."
"Whatever. Anyway when I finally stopped running, I went to the hospital to see if anyone was hurt. Willow was in a coma, Xander had a broken arm, Kendra was dead and Giles was missing."
"What'll ya have?"
"A diet coke, please."
"Coffee. Black." Angel paid for both drinks. "I shouldn't drink this. It makes me jittery."
"Should I start running now?"
"No. I'll be fine, but if I have another cup, run."
"Thanks for the warning. So everyone was either injured, dead or captured, except me. I didn't have a scratch on me."
"You shouldn't feel guilty for that. I'm the one who sent the vampires. I was..."
"Stop. You're not invited on my guilt trip."
Angel smiled. "Sorry"
"As I was saying, I was injury free and feeling guilty. When the dust finally settled and the world hadn't been sucked into hell, I had time to think about everything that happened. I needed to do something to relieve my guilt. Xander was busy hovering over Willow so I decided to take care of Giles, much to his horror." She took a sip of her soda. "Then a funny thing happened."
"What?"
"We became friends. I don't know who was more shocked, me or Giles. After I left on vacation with my parents, I called him once a week. I'd ask how he was doing and we'd end up talking for like an hour or so."
"What about Buffy's new watcher?"
"His name is Wesley." She shrugged. "I saw how they all treated him. They never gave the guy a chance."
"If he hadn't interfered, I might have been able to help Faith."
"Maybe and maybe if Buffy hadn't purposely kept him out of the loop, he might have supported the plan. Maybe if Buffy had gone to Giles and Wesley right away, they might've been able to help Faith themselves. I've heard the tale. It was an accident. She wasn't trying to kill a human."
"Buffy was scared. She..."
"Oh please! If that Ted guy hadn't been a robot, if he'd just been the controlling, abusive asshole Buffy thought he was, she'd have been a killer too. She didn't try to cover it up then. She shouldn't have tried for Faith. If anything, it made it worse. It was an accident. The way we have weapons flying around during battle, it could have happened to any of us. Faith needed everyone's support. She was screwed up before she even came to Sunnydale."
"Hind sight"
"Yeah. I just meant it wasn't all Wesley's fault. He's a nice guy. Do you know all he has to do is call the Council, tell them that Giles's presence here undermines his authority with Buffy and they would have Giles deported in a heartbeat? They actually have that power."
"I'm sure they do."
"But Wesley would never take Giles from her. He knows how important they are to each other. He just wants to be a good watcher. You know Giles may have gotten his book smarts from his Council training but it was his misspent youth that gave him the ability to fight. Wesley just needs...help."
"So you're trying to help him?"
"What part of my scaredy cat run did you not understand?"
"You weren't..."
"I'm his friend. I know what it's like to be an outsider around here. I may help with the research, be a chauffeur and act as bait but I'm not really one of the scoobies. At best I'm Xander's girlfriend. Wesley needed a friend."
"I can relate. You really have changed. You're..."
"Not the same selfish bitch you remember?"
"I wasn't.."
"Don't worry. I dish out blunt honesty so I shouldn't stop you from doing the same."
"I wasn't..."
"The bitch is still here. I just save it for special people."
"There you guys are."
"Hey Buffy. We were just talking about you."
"Really?" Buffy's eyes narrowed at Cordelia's words. "What were you saying about me?"
Angel stood up. "I was just wondering if you might like a drink."
"Yes please. All that dancing with Xander made me thirsty." She smiled sweetly at Cordelia.
"What can I get you?"
"A bottle of water."
"OK. I'll bring it to the table."
Buffy hesitated. "Umm..OK." She went back to their table.
Angel waited until Buffy was gone. "Is that why you've been talking to me? You feel sorry for me, like Wesley?"
"Where did that come from? Isn't this where you're supposed to lecture me about being nice to Buffy?"
"Answer my question." Angel looked at his hands. "Did you not mean it when you forgave me?"
"Hey," Cordelia clasped his hand. "My forgiveness was sincere. I don't feel sorry for you. I did think you could use a friend but if you're not interested in being friends that's fine."
"No! I'd like that." Angel squeezed her hand. "I should get back. Buffy's waiting for her water."
"Wow! You could feel her tugging on your leash from here? Maybe I should get one for Xander."
"I'll ask Buffy where she bought mine."
"Another funny? Now I know you're getting stronger. C'mon, Spacey." She grabbed a couple of bottles of water and tossed some money on the bar.
Part 3
Cordelia walked down the hall toward the library. Thoughts of the previous night floated around in her mind. Angel had been surprisingly good company. She never imagined she would enjoy talking to a vampire.
After they returned with Buffy's water, Xander hadn't let her out of his sight for the rest of the night. She laughed at the memory. Xander was the one who left her alone with Angel at the Bronze, then he had the nerve to get mad because she didn't stay at the table and wait for him to return. The expression on his face, when she and Angel walked back to the table, had been priceless. It hadn't been her intention but she enjoyed Xander's jealousy. It was normally directed at Buffy or Willow.
Her enjoyment did have its drawbacks. Between Buffy and Xander, she didn't get to speak to Angel anymore. She'd offered him a ride home but Buffy refused on his behalf.
Angel joked and talked with her, but he barely said two words once the others were there. A smiling Buffy had sat next to the silent vampire for the rest of the evening. She didn't leave his side to dance. She laughed and talked with Willow, Xander and Oz. Buffy never even tried to draw Angel into the conversation. She seemed content just to have him by her side.
Cordelia walked through the library doors.
"I saw the demon's blood vanish from Angel's skin. That's never a good sign, Giles."
"What did the demons look like?"
"They were way creepy. They didn't have a mouth."
"I suppose I could do a little research. I'm sure it's nothing to be concerned about."
"Angel can help you."
Giles glanced at the vampire who snapped Jenny's neck. "I don't think that will be necessary. With Angel's...artistic talents, he can simply draw a picture of the demon in question."
"He can do that too but Angel knows a lot about demons. If you two work together, you'll have it figured out in no time. We don't have any time to waste. You're the one who's been reminding me we have an ascension to stop."
"Yes but..."
"Why don't you have Wesley work on it."
"Do you mind? We're having a private conversation."
Cordelia ignored Buffy and continued. "Wesley can work on this demon problem so Giles can focus his attention on the Mayor."
"That's an excellent suggestion, Cordelia. He is more than capable of handling such a task. He seems to have memorized a great number of texts. I believe Wesley is..."
"I am what?"
Cordelia linked her arm with Wesley's and pulled him further into the library. "Buffy needs you to do some research for her."
"About?"
"She's worried about Angel. Something about demon blood vanishing from his skin. I'm sure Angel can fill in the rest."
"I am not in the habit of aiding vampires. The Mayor and Faith are our priorities right now."
"Wesley, your slayer is asking you for your help. As her watcher, it's your duty to help her. A distracted slayer won't be much help to anyone."
"That's very true, Cordelia. I suppose I can spare the time. May I borrow your office, Mr. Giles?"
"Of course"
"After you Mr...Angel."
Angel stood and silently walked into the office. Wesley followed him in.
"Don't worry, Giles. I'll make sure Wesley doesn't get any fingerprints on your books." Cordelia winked as she passed him.
Buffy watched the office door close. "I can't believe her! She just waltzes in here and takes over. She is such a total bitch! I swear she thinks she's the center of the universe!" *I wanted the two of you to work together.*
"That's uncalled for Buffy. If Wesley has any trouble, which I doubt, I will help him. Now take this list and retrieve the books from the stacks."
"But..."
"No buts. Ascension, remember?"
"Fine!" She stomped up the steps.
Giles couldn't help but smile. The brunette had walked in, noticed his discomfort and took over. She'd done that to him on several occasions. When she first showed up on his doorstep after Acathla, he was rather hostile. He'd been drinking, heavily. Jenny's death, his torture and Buffy's disappearance had taken a heavy toll. She snatched his glass away from him and poured it down the drain. She then proceeded to dispose of the remainder of the bottle and every other drop of liquor in his flat.
Once the shock had worn off, he started yelling at her. He shouted his outrage at her actions but it soon escalated. Everything he wanted to scream at Angelus, Buffy and himself was directed at Cordelia. She hadn't even flinched when he grabbed her. He finally came to his senses when he raised his hand to strike her. He collapsed in tears. Instead of condemning him, she held him and rocked him until he calmed. Her entire persona seemed to change before him that day.
***
"You say this demon had no mouth?"
"Yes"
"Interesting." Wesley scanned the bookshelf. "What happened exactly?"
"Buffy and I were walking to the mansion. A pair of demons attacked. They were strong..but I'm not really a good judge of that right now. I was fighting one while Buffy fought the other. It...pinned me to the ground. Buffy rushed over to help me. She stabbed it and it collapsed on me. I got its blood on me when I rolled it off. The other one ran away. Buffy was checking me for injuries when she noticed the blood disappear." Angel sat at the desk and finished his sketch. He handed the drawing to Wesley.
"Ah yes. I recognize it." He flipped through the tome until he reached the page he wanted. He read silently. "Oh dear."
Cordelia, who'd been sitting on the couch, rose and stood beside Angel. "I don't like the sound of that."
"Apparently this demon is known to infect its attackers."
"Infect?" She placed a comforting hand on Angel's shoulder.
"Fascinating"
"Wes! Infect?"
"What? Oh..um..according to this, it infects a being with 'an aspect of the demon'. I'm not entirely sure what that means."
"I've heard of that. By reputation at least. It may just be demon hype."
Cordelia's fingers stroked the back of Angel's neck. "What? Since when do demons have hype? Are there PR firms that handle the evil and slimy of the world? They probably get ghost writers. I have yet to see a vampire turn into a bat." She pinched his neck. "Can you do that?"
"Oww and no"
"So Wes, is Angel going to get a case of the bumpies?" Her finger brushed his forehead. "'Cause he's already got a set of those. Hey! Maybe it'll be something cool like the ability to go out in sunlight without becoming a crispy critter. You really could use some color. You can take Wesley with you." She looked at the watcher. "He's a vampire. What's your excuse?"
Wesley adjusted his glasses. "Please be serious, Miss Chase."
She perched on the corner of the desk. "He called me Miss Chase. I'm in trouble now." She kicked Angel's leg. "It's all your fault."
"How is it my fault?"
She rolled her eyes. "Because you're slayer whipped."
"What?"
"I offered to drive you home last night. Buffy insisted she walk you home and god forbid you disagree with her. Now you're going to sprout horns." She crossed her legs. She was too lost in thought to notice two sets of eyes on her. "You said the demons didn't have mouths. That would really suck for you. I mean we'd be safe from ever being your chew toy but how would you drink blood? Can a vampire starve to death?"
"This is hardly productive."
"Well what should we do? If the book is right, he's already infected."
"I suppose we could search for a cure."
"Don't we have to know what he's been infected with first? Besides it might just be something we can cut off, like a wart."
Angel stood. "We should just wait and see. Even if it is true, it may not affect me since I'm already a demon."
"Perhaps you are right. We do have bigger concerns right now. Although I do want you to come to me immediately should you experience any symptoms."
"Or if you grow a tail."
Wesley shook his head at the grinning brunette as he walked out.
As soon as he was gone, she sobered. "Are you okay?"
Angel felt his backside. "No tail, so I'm good."
"You might look cute with a tail, Spacey. It'll improve your balance."
"Way to look at the bright side. Ever the cheerleader, huh?"
She looked down at her feet. "It helps me deal with things. Do you want to talk about it?"
"Nothing bad has happened yet."
"We could talk about how your girlfriend had to rescue you last night."
Angel slumped onto the couch. "Thanks for reminding me."
"Sorry" She went and sat beside him. "How did you get here anyway? The sun's still out."
"Sewers"
"Eww!"
He shrugged. "A vampire's got to do what a vampire's got to do."
"So other than your new demon part, are you okay? No injuries from the fight?"
"It wasn't much of a fight. I got my ass kicked pretty quickly. No serious injuries though."
"That's good but tonight I'm driving you home. Little Miss-Slay-Happy will just have to deal."
"Why do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Put Buffy down. You're protective of Giles and Wesley. I've seen you be nice to Willow. Why not Buffy?"
She sighed. "I can't help it. I'm grateful for all the times she's saved my life, but it drives me nuts the way everyone treats her like she's the center of the universe."
"Being the slayer is a heavy burden."
"Yeah but she isn't the only one who suffers. Buffy's so focused on her own pain, she can't see someone else's. I mean she brought you into Giles's library without even really discussing it with him first. Then today she tries to force him to work with you. The man is trying so hard for her but does she see that? No! It's never enough." She noticed Angel's stricken expression. She grabbed his hand. "Giles knows you have your soul now. He knows how sorry you are. He knows that you didn't know about the clause. He knows that as Angel, you would never harm him. But.." She cupped his cheek. "You wear the same face as Angelus. He needs to take things slow."
"I understand."
"Then explain it to your girlfriend." Cordelia stood and began pacing. "I used to be the center of my own universe and I admit, I'm occasionally jealous of the way Xander looks at her. It's rare. I am Cordelia Chase." She crossed her arms. "At least I'm willing to admit when I'm being selfish and petty." She sat down again. "Maybe we should just avoid the whole Buffy subject. I don't want to fight. We just became friends. Besides I get enough lectures from Giles."
"I'd rather not fight either."
"That's because you got your ass kicked last night. I don't think your ego could take another beating."
"How's that tact thing coming along?"
"I think I'm getting better, don't you?"
***
Angel sat on the steps leading to the stacks, a book resting in his lap. He looked around the room. Cordelia and Xander were sitting beside each other at the table. Sitting across from them was Willow and Oz. Wesley was in the office. Giles stood behind the counter. Buffy was in the cage, sharpening weapons. A comfortable silence filled the room.
He stared at Cordelia's back. He noticed Xander had his hand on her thigh. He couldn't understand what she saw in that idiot. She couldn't possibly enjoy the boy's touch.
*I'm so bored. Is this book even in English?*
*I love the way Cordy looks in this skirt. God her skin is so soft. I wonder what she'd do if I moved my hand a little higher. Ow!*
Angel smiled when Cordelia kicked Xander in the shin. It was strange. For a moment, he imagined he heard their thoughts. He glanced at Willow and Oz.
*I wonder if there's a spell that would make this reading go faster. I should check the spell books. Only that would just mean more reading. I wonder if I could find something on the internet. The computer could do my searching. I should do that when I get home. Mmmm. Oz is here so he'll drive me home. That means smoochies for Willow.*
*The full moon is a week away. Another three nights in a cage. No Willow kissage because I'll be a monster. If I'm a monster when the moon is full, what am I the rest of the month?*
Angel felt his gut clench. He looked over at Buffy.
*I wonder if Angel ever thinks about Faith. He says all they did was kiss, like that's nothing. Since he came back from hell, all we do is kiss. Is that nothing too? Maybe we should just have sex again, just get it out of the way. Maybe that will get us back on track. It's like swimming in cold water. It's better if you just jump right in, instead of slowly inching in. He looked so sad last night when I had to save him. It's not his fault he's all weak and pathetic. Having sex might boost his ego. God! How am I going to tell my mom he's back?*
"Stop!"
Everyone jumped.
"What's wrong?"
Angel refused to look at anyone. He didn't want to hear anymore thoughts. "I think I got my aspect of the demon."
"Wesley!"
Wesley rushed out of the office. "You bellowed for me, Cordelia." She silently pointed. His eyes followed her direction.
Angel looked at the young watcher.
*Please don't let me fail.*
"I..uhh..I can hear people's thoughts."
"I beg your pardon?"
Angel stared at his feet. "When I look at someone, I hear their thoughts."
"It's better than a tail." She waited for Angel to look at her. *Read my mind. Why did you yell stop? Whose mind were you reading?*
"Buffy's" Angel kept his eyes focused on Cordelia.
"What about me?"
"I was answering Cordelia's question."
"But she didn't say anything."
"I thought a question and Angel answered it." *So how long did you wait until you said something?*
"Not long"
*Did you read my mind?*
"Yes. You're bored and you're not sure your book is in English." Angel's eyes were still locked with Cordelia's. He didn't notice how everyone else started to back away. He looked over at Buffy. Her eyes were darting around the room.
*Oh god! He can hear my thoughts. This isn't fair. I never know what he's thinking. It's not like we talk anymore. Actually we never really did talk. We were always better at fighting evil and kissing. Now he can't even do the fighting part. What the hell am I...* Buffy caught his eyes. "I'm sure Giles can fix this. I need to patrol." She grabbed some weapons and ran from the room.
Wesley stepped back when Angel looked at him. "I'll begin searching for a cure." He rushed into the office.
"I'll help him."
Angel refused to look at Giles. He didn't want to hear his thoughts. "I think I should go back to the mansion." He briefly glanced at the remaining people.
"C'mon Spacey. I'll give you a lift. I'm sick of reading anyway."
"Cordy, you can't be serious. He can hear your thoughts. Plus, he's still a vampire."
"What would I do without you here to state the obvious, Xander? He got attacked on his way home. The other mouthless demon is still out there. I'm going to drive him. You're welcome to come too."
"I don't want deadboy rummaging through my mind. Doesn't it creep you out?"
"Why should it? I usually say whatever pops into my head."
"She's got a point, Xander."
Cordelia gave Xander a peck on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow." She waved at Angel. "Let's go." She could feel his eyes on her. *Maybe we should hit Vegas. You'd clean up at poker.*
He couldn't help but smile.
Part 4 |