Go TeamC/A
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Title: The Date
Author: RachelDemented
Posted:
Rating: N-17 eventually
Category:
Content:
Summary: Cordelia doesn't know what to think when Angel suddenly starts dating.
Spoilers:
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution: Take it, please! BUT! Drop me a line to let me know where.
Notes:
Thanks/Dedication:To Califi, for getting on my ass to finish this, and all the fans of this story and all the C/A shipper fans out there who are being screwed over by Joss Whedon's decision to write Cordelia out of the show.
Feedback:Parts 1-9 of this story were written in September 2001. Part 10 was written in June 2003. Sorry it's taken so damn long.
Part 1"Jezebel," Cordelia hissed under her breath. It hadn't been a loud sound, but Gunn, sitting whilst reading the newest issue of Entertainment Weekly in a chair a half dozen feet away, looked over anyway; a slightly curious spark in his eye and his lips pursed so as if he were waiting to hear more. Cordelia said nothing but looked away. Gunn looked back at his magazine. And the display in the lobby continued on unaffected before them. Cordelia rolled her eyes.
Angel and his "date" were slipping on their coats. Or, actually, his "date" was while Angel helped. Cordelia didn't understand what it was that he saw in this "woman". She didn't seem to have any qualities Cordelia would think Angel would go for. She didn't know how to fight, she wasn't a cop, she wasn't into sucking blood (that Cordelia knew of anyway) and she didn't have blonde hair! Why on earth would Angel be even remotely interested was beyond her comprehension. She nearly winced as Angel helped his "date" slide her hair from beneath the lapel of her slightly—okay, VERY—fashionable—no, TRENDY—suede-skin camel dyed duster.
Cordelia's eyes flitted across the woman's face and sure enough it was there: That damn flirtatious smirk girls use to show guys that they approved of being helped on with their coats, and more so, that they'd like them do to it again and again and again, on many more dates, future dates. This meant she was just as interested in Angel as Angel was in her. Of course, this
woman had asked Angel out, so of course she was interested. That should be no surprise to Cordelia.
Cordelia leaned forward in slight anticipation as the two turned to head out of the hotel…sure enough, Angel's hand flitted across the small of his "date's" back…the "date" turned and smiled, Angel smiled, everyone was smiling, Cordelia grimaced, the "date" leaned in close, whispered something, Angel laughed, and they were gone.He'd laughed. Cordelia started to feel nauseas. "Plech!" She spit into her trashcan.
"Now that was tactful," Gunn said surely, tossing his magazine to the side.
"I don't get it," Cordelia growled, all the while looking disgusted. "I just don't get it."
Three weeks earlier, Angel had waltzed into the Hotel looking just a tad too carefree. The skip in his step and the whistle on his lips and the goofy, boyish grin on his face did nothing to deter it. Cordelia had been sitting in this very same spot,blandly looking over a case file filled with facts about a monster they'd managed to destroy the night before. With Wesley's nearly illegible Watcher scrawl scribbled across each page and a stamp of approval from Cordelia,the case was closed.
She'd shoved it all into this folder, stuck some paperclips in various places to hold it together, and was just about to get up to file it away when the vampire walked in, looking almost…sunny."Hey, guys!"
"Hey." Cordelia and Gunn said together, both stalling on the "ey" part as they realized how peculiar Angel looked. He looked almost…happy. He'd gone out for a quick fight, and yes, staking vamps usually worked as an upper on this guy, but no way should he of been acting quite like this.
"What's going on?" Cordelia demanded. Typical worried Cordelia, flat and serious.
"Huh?" He queried, preoccupied as if he hadn't heard the question.
"Dude, what's with the waltz?" Gunn broke in.
"Huh? Oh!" And then he smiled. Wide. And Cordelia's eyes narrowed and she peered at him. Angel wasn't being Angel. Angel wasn't being moody, broody, melancholy, or any of the other typical "ey's". He was stepping lightly, smirking to himself, and walking up to her desk. He toyed his fingers along the frazzled leaves of Cordelia's desk fern…it needed water…it was almost enough for her to smack his hand away and demand he snap out of whatever daze he was in. Instead she waited with her jaw slack open."I…" He shrugged, "Had a good day."
"Nuh, huh." Cordelia frowned. Shaking her head, she rose from her chair. Gunn moved to gather in beside her, and the two
regarded the vampire with a mixture of confusion, awe, and suspicion. "NUH HUH. You didn't have a good day," She said, crossing her arms. "Because that doesn't happen. Angel, you don't just have a good day. Something happened. Something different. What happened? You'd better tell it, and you'd better tell it quick, cause I'm getting really uneasy about this and I don't want to have to stake you…or Angelus?" That last part was a question, and at the arching of her skeptical brow, Angel chuckled, shaking his head. That action did little to calm her nerves.
"Yeah, man." Gunn said. "What's going on?" Angel turned away, now not only smiling to smile, but smiling because he was amused. His friends' behavior had not been a surprise. He'd wondered on the way home just how he was going to explain this to them. He'd have to tell them. After all…he'd be gone for the rest of the night. It's not like they wouldn't notice his absence. And they'd want to know why.
They'd ask lots of questions. They'd demand the truth and know if he were lying, so he wouldn't lie. Besides, this was something he didn't want to have to hide…he wanted them to know about this. As much as it may confuse them, they'd have to know.
"I HAVE A DATE!"Cordelia's jaw dropped and Gunn's brow shot up and the both of them ceased all bodily functions including breathing for the moment, and it took a moment for his words to actually register. Angel grinned and smiled and swayed his shoulders and hips in a little, excited "happy-dance." Somehow only Cordelia seemed to find this to be completely unnerving.
"STOP THAT!" She insisted. "STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!"
"Yo, whatch you mean you got a date?" Gunn asked. He leaned back against the desk and folded his arms in suspense. Cordelia looked from one face to the other, waiting for the "ye olde pale one" to speak. When he finally did, she didn't know if she'd heard right.
"Just what I said!" Angel said, giddily. "I have a date!"
"An actual date?"
"An actual date!"
"Yo, man, congratulations!"
"Thanks!"
The two of them knocked fists and Cordelia nearly blew her top. "What the hell do you mean you have a date!" She shoved Gunn away and marched up to Angel.
"This girl!" Angel said incredulously. "This girl! She asked me out! I was on the promenade, walking off my adrenaline, you
know. She just walked up to me, she asked me if I knew where Marco's was. I said yes. I told her the way. We somehow started talking about other things, and she asked if I'd like to meet her there later,"
"Marco's??" Cordelia snipped. "Ew, that dive???"
"Yeah,"
"And you said YES???"
"Yeah!"
"Are you CRAZY!!!" Cordelia grabbed Angel by the shoulders and shook. "Are you whacked??? You can't go out on a DATE! Angel!!! You CAN NOT go out on a DATE!"
"Why not?" He asked, looking slightly annoyed as he fought to remove her hands from his lapel. "You used to go out on dates all the time,"
"Keyword being used to!"
"It's not my fault you stopped!"
"No! It's the visions' fault…Angel, you can't go!!!"
"Why not!"
"YOU'RE A VAMPIRE!"
"And…?"
"ANGEL! Are you HEARING YOURSELF??? Do you know what you're saying??? Did you get a hold of some bad blood—Are you HIGH? YOU CAN NOT GO OUT ON A DATE!" She grabbed his lapel and did the shaking thing again.
"Date?" It was Wesley. He walked in, set down a book and then circled around to where the others were standing, Cordelia's hands gripped Angel's coat so hard her knuckles were turning white and there was a maddening glare in her eye that made Wesley lean in for a closer look and then decidedly take a couple of steps back. Angel again loosened Cordelia's grip and brushed her off.
"I have a date, Wesley," He said lightly.
"Do you hear that, WESLEY?" Cordelia blared, spinning around and facing the ex-Watcher. "ANGEL has a DATE."
"A date?" He repeated
"A DATE." She snipped.
"Really?"Cordelia folded her arms sourly, and smirked. Now Angel was in for it; no way would Wes, good old Wes, condone anything like this! Angel was gonna get the Wesley Wyndham-Price lecture special! About how Vampires with souls CAN NOT in ANYWAY DATE—"And who's the special lady?"
WHAT. Cordelia shook her head, blinked, then shook her head again. Sticking a finger in her ear to clear the wax, she listened again cause no way did she hear it right the first two times!
"Yo man, is she fly?" Gunn asked. Wesley and Gunn were congratulating him! Immediately, Cordelia's hands went to her hips and her nostrils flared.
"She's…okay. Cute."
"Right on!"
"That's terrific!"
"Wesley!" Cordelia wailed. "Gunn!"
"I think it's terrific," Wesley continued. "I think it's great that Angel's making new friends."
"Oh my god!" The brunette's eyes were nearly popping out of her head from the stress.
"Whatever makes you happy," Gunn continued. More with the fist knocking.
"What if she's a spy!" Cordelia shouted out. "What if she were sent by, like, Wolfram and Hart or something! What if she wants to kill you!"
Angel looked thoughtful. "No," He said shaking his head. "If she were going to kill me, she'd have done it there. I mean,
probably… Besides," He looked over at her. "She didn't smell like Wolfram and Hart."
"So, say she's not from Wolfram and Hart, then she doesn't even know what you are?"
"If things develop…I'd tell her…eventually."
"You're crazy."
"If Angel wants to date, let him date!" Gunn argued.
"It's about time, really," Wesley said in all honesty.
"It probably wont go past a couple of drinks," Angel shrugged. "She asked. I couldn't turn her down."
"I wouldn't have turned her down either," Gunn encouraged.
"There's nothing wrong with accepting an invitation out," Wesley's proper, reasonable tone prompted an immediate growl out of the Seer, now forgotten on the way side in the sudden flood of testosterone.
"Dude…describe her."
"Is she a blonde? A redhead? Oh, a brunette?"
"She's cute." Angel repeated, smiling.
"ARE ANY OF YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME???" Cordelia screamed. But her cries were lost on deaf ears. The two human buffoons were huddled in fascination around the newly deemed crazy-vampire-retard, and Cordelia, seething with disbelief, moved in with a mission. Time for more shaking. Or not.Spinning him around, Cordelia gave Angel a good, hard slap, and he recoiled, hand going to cheek. And then Cordelia spun around and slapped Wesley and Gunn, all in one swoop, like a scene out of The Three Stooges. Gunn had seen it coming though, and backed up taking only fingertips. Wesley however cried out, causing Cordelia to feel just a little bad about it. BUT SOMEONE HAD TO SMACK SOME SENSE INTO THEM.
She turned back to Angel. Wagging her finger in his face, she started a barrage of scoldings, pointing out the finer details of his curse; reminding him of the last few times he'd became involved with strange women—Rebecca Lowell, anyone? And all about the Darla fiasco that nearly sent him over the edge last year. And finally, whole heartedly, she went into the details of one night last fall when he and Fred had had a "moment" and how he'd pushed her away because of the whole curse deal.
She'd rather of found out they were moving back to Sunnydale then find out he had a "date". At least she could make since out of Sunnydale…vampires and demons and werewolves, galore! Lots to do. Lots of ass to kick. Now, for the time being anyway, the only ass to kick was Angel's. And she was completely up for the job!
"SO DON'T TELL ME YOU HAVE A DATE," She crescendo'd. "Don't tell me you've got a date. Angel, I swear to god, if you have a date, I am seriously going to beat the unliving CRAP out of you, do you hear me! DO YOU HEAR ME!!!"
"I hear, I hear!" He cried, holding his hands over his face to ward off any more blows. Cordelia stalked in a circle about
nine feet across. All three men had backed away out of reach.
'Calm down, Cordy. Get a grip,' She told herself. She took deep breaths. It helped…a little. "how could you!" She was pleading now. Her voice had softened and as she approached, he didn't recoil…as much. "Angel…honestly! Tell me you're thinking clearly! Tell me you're not insane!"
"Cordy, it's just for a drink."
"IT'S NEVER JUST FOR A DRINK!" She screamed. "Not with you it isn't!" She was near hyperventilation. How could she get it through his thick, vampire skull! Forcing herself to breathe, forcing out the words, she said, "It's not just a drink, Angel! You've been ogled plenty of times before by strange women! You've never taken them up on it!"
"It's a drink, Cordelia! I don't understand why you have such a problem with it!" He said, annoyance back in full swing.
"HELL-LO!" She howled, flailing her arms. "Did I not just run off about a gazillion things in my outburst???"
"You made some points," He said very casually, moving past her in the other direction. She started to catch his arm, but he
turned and grabbed hers instead. "And if you hit me again," He warned, pointing his finger in her face, "I'll hit you back,"
He knew he wouldn't, she knew he wouldn't, but it was enough to get her attention, and she settled down.
"I'm sorry!" She heaved desperately shrugging away from him. Her chest had become tight and constricted during the heated moment, and now it was taking it's toll not allowing her to breathe properly. Angel supported her for a moment until he knew she was okay. And then he let go. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have slapped you!" She turned, glancing in Wes and Gunn's direction to include them in the apology. They meagerly accepted. "I just…" She turned back to Angel, slunken shoulders and head bowed. "Angel, I just…I don't want anything bad to happen to you. To US."
"I know." He said, his own expression softening as he let most of the animosity leave his voice. Coming back to her, he reached out a hand, placing it gently on her shoulder and leaned down to speak softly. "Cordy, I understand. But it's my decision. You always said I should get out more. This girl asked me to meet her for a drink, and I accepted. I thought you'd be happy."
"But Angel—"
"Look." His voice fell a little more, and the red mark from her hand dissipated from his pale face. The hurt look in his eyes…
'Jeez!' Cordelia thought. 'Kicked puppy dog, much?' "…If you don't want me to go, I'll go to her and explain that I can't stay. Then I'll come back here and we can all…" He regarded the lobby thoughtfully. "Sit around, or, something." 'Jeez. Milk it.'
Cordelia sighed heavily. "No." She said reluctantly, and he smiled. "No, I don't want that…go. Go have your…drink." She had meant it just as it had sounded: plural. One drink. "And THEN tell her you can't stay."Angel's smile immediately cracked. "Or not." She reiterated. She was defeated. She knew it. She pulled away from his grip and went back to her desk. "Go on, Angel. Go. Have fun. Have your drink, er, drinks, with your "date". Go on. Get out. Before I change my mind. Just go."
"You wont hold it against me?" He asked softly.
She rose her gaze and stared at him through fallen trestles of hair. "No. I wont hold it against you. You know that I wont."
"Which is why I love you." He said. So, everything was solved…for the moment. "Don't wait up." She allowed a small, though totally fake, smile to grace her pretty features, and then he left. Behind her, Wesley rubbed his cheek, hard, and Gunn fell into a chair with an amused expression…
Much like he was wearing now."I just don't get it."
"Cordy…stop being jealous."
"Jealous???" She repeated, sitting up straight. "OF HER??? I'm not jealous!"
"Angel likes her. Give her a chance. I'm sure she's got…something to offer."
"Oh, shut up, Gunn!" Cordelia barked. "You just like her because she looks like that what's-her-name…Denise Richards!"
"It helps," Gunn leered, and then laughed as Cordelia threw a wadded up napkin at him.After a moment, she sighed,
"Why did she have to show up now? She's going to ruin everything. I just know it!"
"She's not going to ruin anything!" Gunn exclaimed. "Besides, Angel would want her there!"
"Why?" The wrinkled up nose sent Gunn into hysterics.
"Because she's his girlfriend!"
"DON'T YOU DARE USE THAT WORD!" Cordelia exclaimed. "Don't you dare!"
"Well she is his gir—"
"TUT, TUT, TUT!"
"If she ain't his girl, then what is she?" Gunn waited patiently for the comeback.
"She's his…" Cordelia looked for the right expression. "Date."
Part 2"Hi."
"Back so soon?"Cordelia glanced at the clock. It was barely eleven. On a Saturday even. He'd only been gone about thirty minutes.
Angel's "date" usually kept him out until at least past one…if not two, lately. Of course, they never started until after ten…Angel always slayed the demons first. Visions first, social enjoyment second. Cordelia was relieved she at least had "that" over the "date". She also often wondered what excuses Angel had been using on the "date" to explain all the late night excursions…anyone with half a brain would realize that they'd never seen their new guy in sunlight. But then this was Angel's "date" they were talking about…you couldn't expect much from the "date".
And besides. Why should Cordelia care? She'd never even really cared enough to ask… Of course this is a big, fat lie.
Cordelia's curiosity nearly drove her insane on a daily basis, but she would never ask; regarding the "date", she'd never do anything but appear indifferent. It was her only true way to protest against…the "date".Angel looked troubled. Cordelia perked a brow.
"Yeah," He started, in regards to the previous question. "Paige wasn't feeling well. So we ended early."
"Oh," Cordelia awed. "I'm truly sorry to hear that. I hope it's nothing serious," Cordelia waltzed passed Angel to retrieve a cup of coffee from the coffee maker. He regarded her with complacency but didn't give her much space to maneuver about. "Excuse me." She huffed as she bumped into him then had to squeeze past to make it back to her desk. Angel hovered right behind her, never letting her get more than a step or two away.
"Where are the guys?" He asked.
"At a movie. With Fred."
"They do that a lot, don't they?"
"Yeah," She answered dejectedly. "They do."
"It doesn't bother you?"
"Why should it? They have lives…just like everybody else,"
"Why don't you go with them?"
"Don't feel like it." He didn't respond; instead, toyed with a book on Wesley's desk. Cordelia took it as a sign their chitchat was over, so she sat back down and went back to her papers.
"It's quiet." He commented.
"Yeah…perfect when you're trying to go over invoices." Her sarcasm was not lost on him, but still he dwindled. So the chitchat wasn't over… Under his scrutiny, Cordelia appeared uncomfortable. To play it off, she continued reading papers.
"Cordelia…"
"Hmn?"
"Can I talk to you about something?"
"About…?"
"Paige."
"Uh, sure." Her voice was far too "uppity". She sat back in her chair, suddenly snatching up her full coffee cup and bringing it to her lips as she took a small sip; all in the hopes to appear convincing, all the while staring blankly at the mess on her desk.
Another moment of hovering passed before Angel grabbed up and dragged Gunn's chair from his desk. With a bump and a scrape, he set it down across from her. He took a seat, completely silent—not even the squish of leather from his jacket — and continued to regard her with an intense stare until she surrendered her attention fully to him.
"What's up?" She asked all too guiltily.
"You tell me." He hadn't said it sharply, but Cordelia recoiled all the same. She set her cup down and put all the effort she could muster into being indifferent. 'Think it. Want it. Believe it.' She reminded herself from acting class. With a flutter of her eyelashes, and a quick, unconvincing shrug, Cordelia attempted to play it out.
"I really don't know what you mean,."
"Cordy," Angel said almost painfully. He shifted in the chair until it creaked. Awkward noises seemed to put humans at ease. It was no different with Cordelia. It made him seem…more human, maybe. Settling his elbows on his knees, he leaned forward, rubbing his face in his hands and resting his chin in his palm determinedly. "Tell me." He asked. "Please. What do you have against Paige."
"I don't!" Cordelia swore. "I don't have anything against…her."
Angel rolled a groan through his throat. She wouldn't even say Paige's name. "Be straight with me." He forced, eyes never leaving hers. "I heard the jezebel comment, Cordy,"
"Oh. That" Cordelia looked away shamefully; heart speeding just a little, her face flushing with the increased blood flow.
"It's okay, I'm not mad," Angel smirked. "I just want to know what's up."
"I don't know." She finally admitted. "I just…I don't know. She's like…an outsider."
"And you want to exclude her because of that? Isn't that a little redundant?"
"I don't want to exclude her!" Cordelia hissed. "Not…much."
"Cordy," He was cocking his head at her, giving her that disappointed parent stare.
"Alright! Alright!" She held up her hand in surrender. "Alright, I'll be straight with you."
"Good. Because that's all I've ever wanted."
"She bugs me." Cordelia glared at the top of her desk with a grimace of so much distaste, Angel had to hide his amusement.
"And why's that?" He asked.
"Because…I don't know. Just because!"
"There's got to be a reason."
"Well, because…" She glanced at her fashion magazine. It had come in the mail today. "She…dresses…weird."
Angel raised a brow. "She dresses like you."
"Not really." Cordy retorted, but he was waiting for a better answer. Cordelia sighed. "She's like…phony. Or something."
"You've never even had a conversation with her."
"That's because…I don't need to. I can tell."
"You've barely spent five minutes alone with her."
"Twelve."
"Excuse me?"
"Twelve."
"Twelve what?"
"Minutes."
"Huh?"
"I spent twelve minutes with her. Alone." At the blank expression on his face, she expanded. "Remember? Last week? She came by and you had to go and change your socks. It took you twelve minutes to get back downstairs. And I had to spend twelve whole minutes alone with her because Wes, Fred and Gunn went to another movie without me…and you were upstairs…changing your socks, or whatever. So I was alone with her…for twelve minutes…twelve whole minutes, Angel. Twelve." She held up both hands, flashing first ten fingers and then two for emphasis. Angel stared at her in absolute awe.
"Oh the horrors," He deadpanned. "I'm really sorry I put you through that, I'll never do it again."
"Next time," Cordelia hissed sourly. "Have the right socks on when she gets here."
"They'd gotten all wet in the sewer."
"Not my concern."
"Alright," He was trying hard to humor her, but Cordelia was being so irrational. He, did not, however, want to anger her or alienate her or hurt her any further. Obviously, Cordelia was hurt by something. And they said Vampires were touchy… "No more changing socks." Angel agreed. "I go as I am. Now, what else?"
"What else what?" She scowled.
"What else do you not 'like' about her?"
"I don't know."
"Don't give me that. Be straight."
"I don't know!"
"I don't know isn't an answer, Cordy."
"Well, tell me why you do like her, and I'll try to counter that!"
He gave her an impatient scowl. "It doesn't work that way,"
"Well!"
"Well???"
"Well…"
"Give me something to work with here, Cordy. Let me understand—"
"I just don't like the way she is with you." She'd said it quickly, and immediately regretted it.
"And how is that?" Angel asked in all seriousness. Now she had to elaborate. Great. Just great…
"Like…" She started, squinting her eyes, and gesturing with her hands. "All…touchy."
"What's wrong with touchy?"
"It's...like…all…touchy!" The way she said it…with such distaste. "I just don't like it. It makes me…uncomfortable."
"Hmn,"
"And the guys too!" She quickly lied. "They don't like it either! You should…you should make her stop."
"Oh, really."
"Yes. Really. Uncomfortable. All…very…uncomfortable." Cordelia wanted to crawl under her desk and hide. The scrutiny in his eyes… But he was playing it cool.
And that just made it worse."Why hasn't anyone said anything?" He asked.
"Because they…" Stall. "Don't want to…" Fish. "Bother you," Cordelia was racking her brain. It really angered her that she couldn't come up with anything better. It was even more angering when Angel called her on it.
"I don't think that's a solid argument," Angel reasoned. "I mean, Fred is touchy, and you never cared,"
"That's because it's Fred!" Cordelia whined. "Fred is Fred! Fred is different!"
"How's Fred different?"
"Duh! Because she's FRED!" How to explain to make him realize? "KATE! Kate was different! This…"date" of yours…" More distaste. "Look. I don't know how much clearer I can make this, but I wouldn't even be upset if you were touchy with Gunn, but—"
"Uh, not gonna happen." Angel clarified.
"No kidding!" Cordelia quickly agreed. "But, my point is, it's…just…her. She doesn't fit in, Angel. The "date" just doesn't fit in."
"Her name is Paige, and she'd fit in if you gave her half a chance. She's nice, Cordy. She's a nice person. If you hung out with her, just once, I bet…"
"Buffy was a nice person," Cordelia pointed out childishly, gripping her desk as she leaned back in her chair until the two front legs rose slightly off the floor. "But you don't see me hanging out with her, now do you?"
Angel paused. "This isn't about Buffy."
"At least Buffy knew who you were, WHAT you were," Cordelia went on. "This…Paige…she doesn't know…" Her hazel eyes rose and met his brown ones. Cordelia looked away sadly. She breathed. "Or does she?"
Angel shook his head slightly, having nothing to retort.
"See?" Cordelia sighed in exasperation. "See what I mean!"
"I was planning on telling her." He gulped. "Tonight, actually. I didn't get a chance to though." Now Cordelia paused. Slowly the chair was brought to rest fully on the floor. She shifted, uncomfortably, not knowing how to react.
"Oh?" She whispered finally, pushing her coffee cup around on the desk. A wet ring had imprinted itself on and bled some important documents, but she was too preoccupied to notice it right then. Angel had been going to tell this girl about the situation? Really??? "Wow." Cordelia sighed in resolve. "You must really like her then, huh?"
"I don't know." Angel said truthfully, leaning back to rest fully in his chair. He looked as blown away as she did. Maybe even blown further. Cordelia hadn't realized things had gotten so close between him and the "date". Before Cordy could say much else, Angel addressed her next concern. Good thing too, cause she wasn't sure how to bring it up. Angel just looked a little lost.
"I know that she has to know before anything can go…farther."
"Just…how far…has it gone?"
"Not far."
"Well…that's a relief."
"To no one more than me."
"I'm sorry, Angel…I had no idea."
"I know. It's okay. I just…would really like your support in this, Cordy." He regarded her sincerely, and Cordelia felt her heart drop in her chest. "You know, you can be a really hard person to need." His tone was all too earnest. "If ever…anything…happens…with Paige, with anyone…I want…need…you, to be there, and to support it. I can't do anything without you on my side. It's really important to me that you're on my side. Because things get rough, I don't kid myself. Really rough. And if I don't have you there, nothing will work. Nothing works without you. Nothing else matters."
"Really?" A beat.
"Yes." Another beat. But Cordelia wasn't letting go that easily, not without one last try.
"She just bothers me, Angel." She whimpered. It was the same excuse, but never delivered with so much apathy. It never stood a chance.
"I don't accept that." He said quietly.
"Do you want me to make up something then?"
"No. Of course not."
"Then you'll have to accept it." Cordelia teetered on strength. She sat up in her chair, very straight and professional, and picked up a pen, and started…doodling…"I Hate P"…on some paper…on her important documents. Of course she scribbled it out quickly, before Angel could see, but still…not such a good sign.
"Angel, you'll just have to accept it…" A breath. "Because I…" She felt him watching. "Honestly…" He could see right through her. He saw the silly façade she was so desperately trying to fend. And he wouldn't look away because he just wasn't that merciful. 247, scratch it, 248 years as a Vampire, and Angel had the staring game down pat. Cordelia made the mistake of glancing into his eyes…big, brown, deep saucers…and her will fell with a timber.
"I'd never hold it against you." He whispered. "Never expect you to apologize." It was over.
She started to smile, feeling foolish. And wriggling, she took up his offer of a way out. "I…I can't think of…a good reason…right now. So…"
"So…you'll…?"
Cordelia sighed a heavy breath. "I'll give her a chance."
Angel smiled calmly. "Thank you."
"Yeah." She said. "Sure. Whatever. Maybe we could all go to a movie or something."
"I'd appreciate it." He got up, stopping to plant a hard, approving kiss against her temple. She smiled, but then his hand pet the back of her head.
"Hey," She said, swatting it away. "I'm not a dog, ya know!"
"And I'd never mistake you for one." He started to head towards the stairs when Cordelia remembered something important."Hey! Angel!"
He stopped, hand on the banister, and turned to face her. "What are you doing this Friday after work?"
He shrugged. "I don't know, nothing special. Why?"
"Well, keep it open." Cordelia said sharply. "Don't make any plans." He nodded, and would have asked why, but she'd already turned her back on him, signaling there was nothing more to say. Angel went upstairs to retire an early night.
Part 3"Hi, Paige. How are you?"
"Fine, thanks for asking."
"Sure."So far, so good. Cordelia had been openly polite. Angel smiled at her from behind Paige's head, and Cordelia decided his well-being was well worth it…for now. The other's came up behind her and offered their greetings.
"So, what movie is it tonight, guys?" Angel asked curiously, nearly wrapping his arm around Paige's shoulders. Cordelia resisted the urge to purge.
"The Queen Of The Damned," Fred answered. "It just came out. I love Anne Rice…even though it's fiction." Angel froze. Paige didn't notice. However, Cordelia did.
"So, do you…like…vampires, Paige?" Cordelia asked, looping her arm through the other girl's and forcibly pulling her away from Angel and towards the door.
"It's kind of a…gothy thing." Paige answered with a giggle.
'Gothy thing?' Cordelia turned back and mouthed in amusement to the group. Gunn and Fred smiled, Wesley looked worried, and Angel looked petrified.
"I guess it's okay. Really, the modern vampire is a glorified fabrication of pop culture," she went on. "But what's not to like? Charming, handsome, eternal men. With great style and a flair for the sensual," She turned and looked at Angel in a flirty, dirty-whore way…or so Cordelia thought.
"So, then you do like vampires?"
"I wouldn't say that."
"Oh, so you don't like them?"
"I liked Interview," Paige answered, referring to Interview With A Vampire. "But if these things were real, we wouldn't be so enamored with them. I think it's ridiculous to regard anything, even if it's fiction, that is so obviously demonic in such a glorified, tragic, human light."
"Yes…they are tragic. Again, you don't like them?" Cordelia glanced back and caught the frowns of all four friends behind her. They didn't approve of where the conversation was going, and Angel stared at her darkly. Apparently he didn't see
how this was helping him…was that a growl? Not helping at all. Cordelia sighed in apology, shrugging…what could she do? He reluctantly broke his gaze in acceptance. They made their way out to the car.
"I guess not?" Paige said, making it questionable. "Of course…I've never met one before!" It was a bad attempt at a lame—and so out of place—joke, but Cordelia couldn't hold it against her because of the look on Angel's face. He was looking pretty crushed right about then. And pretty much pissed at her. And actually, he was coming towards her, very deliberately.
"Oh! Tehe!" Cordelia mused, eyes widening. "That's funny. Clever…really…" Maybe if she could get in the Plymouth,
she'd be safe…out of reach, or something. Cordelia started to push. "Okay. Paige. So. Get in the car."
Wesley took a deep breath, briefly placing a hand on Angel's shoulder as if to say "It's just a few hours, it will be over soon" then the England native turned and headed towards Gunn's truck. Gunn chuckled and followed, and Fred followed after.***
They'd only gone a few paces before Cordelia turned around, saw them and practically shouted out, "Where are you going!"
"There's not much room," Wesley said, eyeing the classic Plymouth. Angel had silently gone to hold the passenger's side door open for Paige and Cordelia. Paige slid in the front seat, and didn't move towards the middle. Cordelia all but shoved her.
"THERE'S ROOM!" She said quickly. "THERE'S ROOM! Come on! Get in! You know this car seats six! Remember? Pylea? Lorne?"
"UH, let them take Gunn's truck, Cordy." Angel said very quickly. Cordelia looked down at Paige and decided as she wore a dumb expression that she was obviously oblivious. Cordelia looked at Angel.
"It's cool, Angel." She urged, implying so much more than anything having to do with the seating arrangements. She observed the other three friends again. "Come on guys! We're taking the same car!" At her insistence, everyone piled into the convertible.The ride to Mann's Chinese Theater wasn't as uncomfortable as everyone acted like it was. Cordelia had pressed herself into the front seat next to Paige…unfortunately pushing Paige farther into Angel, while Wesley, Fred, and Gunn, in that order, sat in the back.
Angel didn't look like he was complaining, and neither did Paige. Cordelia frowned, not liking it one bit, and decided she'd have to make a little noise. She reached forward, making sure to elbow the "date" as she did so, and flipped on the radio. She twisted the dial up so that it was loud, and an old Aerosmith ballad (which probably only Angel would recognize…maybe Wes or Fred) came blaring out of the speakers.
Fred barely had enough time to cover her ears before Angel flicked it off and gave Cordelia a really mean look. Cordelia got the point, and didn't mess with the car anymore. Instead, she decided to talk it up. She brought up every invasive topic she could think of until she was sure she saw Paige frowning to herself.
Angel got really upset when Cordelia asked Paige how she felt about Lawyers. Wolfram and Hart: Still a very sore spot for Angel. "That's enough Cordy," Angel said.
"Oh look!" Wesley said chipperly from the backseat. "We're here!" The others looked up as Angel looked over and veered his car into the small parking lot next to the theater. He stopped at the gate, paid the attendant eight bucks to park, and then pulled in and settled the Plymouth into a wide space.
Cordelia and Angel opened their doors near simultaneously while Wesley and Gunn climbed over the sides of the car, and helped Fred do the same. Cordelia started to hold the door for Paige, but then realized Paige had slipped out on Angel's side and was busy inspecting some smut that apparently had worked its way onto his chin. Cordelia watched as Paige licked her finger and wiped at it—'What is she, his mother?' she thought sarcastically—and…the light that lit within Angel's face.
Cordelia's gaze fell away, and she slammed the car door. The others were already on their way to the box office. Angel and Paige started to walk. Cordelia hung back, and watched Paige slip her delicate, little hand into Angel's. She supposed they did that often—'what more could Angel do besides hold hands?' she thought. When she formed a mental image, she suddenly didn't want to think past hands. And so she removed the entire nasty notion from her mind. She just wouldn't acknowledge the hand holding, and everything would be okay. Cleared head and not thinking about it! Eh, it still made her cringe. The "date"… It just wasn't right.
She slowly followed at the back of the group of six. They bought their tickets, and went inside. The theater wasn't crowded.
"Yo, the usual?" Gunn asked, glancing at his two usual movie companions and starting towards the refreshment stand.
"Yeah," Wesley called.
"Don't forget the Goobers!" Fred reminded him.
"I wouldn't forget the Goobers!" Gunn exclaimed good-naturedly. He reached the back of the line and took his place. "English, find us some seats!"
"I'm on it!" Wesley answered, and then led Fred inside."Do you want anything?" Angel asked Paige.
"No. I'm fine. Thank you."
"Want to go sit?"
"Don't you want anything?" 'A nice big pint of B negative,' Cordelia wanted to say. 'Nuked, with a touch of cinnamon.'
"No, I'm good."
"Then let's go sit." They started to go. No one asked Cordelia if she'd wanted anything. Well, if no one asked, then she'd just have to tell them, now wouldn't she!
"I want a Diet Coke." She stated.
Angel and Paige turned slowly to regard her. "Then get one." Angel said. Cordelia looked from Angel to Paige—smug, little…—and back to Angel again. Then she held out her hand. With a sigh, he reached back, pulled out his wallet and handed her a twenty-dollar bill. Paige looked up at him in confusion but said nothing as he handed over the cash, then fumbled to place the wallet back in his pocket.
'That's right,' Cordelia said to herself. She'd have given anything to be able to say it out loud. 'I need, he gives. Learn it, live it, fear it.' Instead she watched them retreat, and then dejectedly went to stand in line with Gunn.
"You're acting crazy." He said when they were alone. Frowning, she glared up at him. "I'm just tellin' you for your own good. Angel's gonna kick your ass when we get home if you don't knock it off."
"I'm not doing anything!"
"'I'm not doing anything'," He mocked, and when she looked like she was about to slug him, he offered her a genuine smile. "I'm jus' teasin'. You know that."
"Huh?" Trademark wrinkled nose/look of disgust. "What??? OH. I don't care about that,"
"Ah, thanks." He snipped. "Then what is it? What's ruffled your feathers? Or should I say who?"
"P—" Scowl. "Angel's "date"."
"Could that look on your face have been any more green?"
"I don't like her, Gunn. I just don't like her."
"I don't think she likes you either, and I can't say that I don't blame her."
"Really?" Surprisingly…or not…Cordelia brightened at that.
"Nuh huh." They stepped forward as the short line moved up. Gunn looked at his watch, growing impatient. There was now only one couple ahead of them. How long does it take to make a bucket of corn and a couple of sodas? "Like I said," Gunn restated, wanting to douse any bad ideas from the start; for he knew how Cordelia thought. And he wouldn't put anything past her…even if Angel would. "Chill out." He warned. "Angel's gonna get pissed at you if you keep antagonizing it. I know how tempting it is…being so easy and all…"
"So it's not just me, she's dumb."
"She's not dumb." Gunn laughed. Cordelia frowned even more. "She's just ignorant of what we are. Give her a break. She's just a normal girl."
"Yeah, well…" She had no way to counter that. "I guess."
"Can I help you?" The pimply adolescent cashier said from behind the counter.
"Yo, man, three large cokes, extra large corn with butter…Oh. And a package of Goobers."
"Can't forget those Goobers." Cordelia said glumly.
"You want anything?" He asked, removing his wallet.
"Nah." She held up her twenty. "Angel's paying."
The previews had already started by the time Cordelia had gotten her Diet Coke. Gunn waited for her at the entrance with his arms full, and Cordelia elected to help him by carrying one of their spare drinks. She followed him in, carefully, as they went down the darkened aisles. After their eyes had adjusted to the dark, they spotted Fred, Wes, Angel, and… "her"…in the center aisle about fifteen rows down. Gunn walked quickly, and Cordelia kept right behind him.
She didn't realize it until she'd already followed him into a row that Angel and his "date" were sitting one row back, behind Wesley and Fred. And now as Gunn sat down, she was stuck in this row too. She passed the spare Coke to Gunn and had just started to sink into a chair when suddenly she up and decided to climb over the seat. Angel stared at her blankly and Paige looked more than surprised…maybe a little tiffed?
"So what did I miss?" Cordelia asked, leaning over into Paige's personal space and directing the question more to Angel.
"A preview." He said simply.
"Duh. Which one."
"I don't know. I wasn't paying attention."
"Leave it to the social retard," It came out too fast to stop, and she noticed Paige tense up…offensively.
"It was for an art film," Paige said shortly. "You probably wouldn't have cared for it." Cordelia processed that twice before deciding to take offense "What's THAT supposed to mean?" And then she noticed Angel had his arm around the little...
"You've got mine!" Gunn said, turning back and switching their Cokes. "This one's diet!" Cordelia went through the motions of handing his back but wasn't paying attention and almost spilled it.
"The movie's starting!" Fred scolded, spinning in her chair to regard the escalating tension behind her. Cordelia was about to say something more, but Wesley also turned around, and catching sight of her, shook his head ever so slightly.'Bad idea, Cordy. BAAD idea.'
Cordelia clammed up. She leaned back in her seat, and watched the movie over the top of Gunn's bald head. Lucky for her, he slouched through most of it… Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to watch all the Angel, Spike and Drusilla wanna-bes on screen. It was a long, long movie.