Go TeamC/A
-
Title: Wish Verse
Author: Scorchy
Posted:
Rating: N-17 in coming parts
Category: Slightly Dark/AU
Content: VampCordy/Aus eventually
Summary: A challenge by Impress
Spoilers:
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution: AO, Lio, Cal n Lil's place
Notes: WARNING: If you like Willow/VampWillow then turn away now! Just a little something to encourage my muses to come back from beaching it in the Cayman's
The Challenge:OK Wishverse redo.*The Master turned Cordelia as well as Williow and Xander. Darla is still around. *Musts: *Darla and Cordy getting along and being the Masters favorites. *Cordy taking Puppy!Angel from Willow. *Puppy prefering Cordy as his new mistress.Other stuff I would like but not required: *Angelus *Angelus getting revenge on Willow. *If you go with cannon and have them break Anya's spell, I would like for Cordy to remember everything.
Feedback: Sure!
Part 1Holding perfectly still while the blonde applied the lip liner with expert precision, Cordelia's eyes flickered towards their open bedroom door where her sire stood watching them with an amused and adoring smile on his distorted features. His age showed in everything; from the way his human face never surfaced to the words he used when addressing either her or Darla.
The ridges on his face were much more prominent than those belonging to her or any of the others, his eyes glinted with sinful knowledge and unspeakable acts of inhumanity and his posture was deceptively calm. Hands had claws instead of fingers that could pierce through the delicate barricade of human flesh just as easily as his fangs. His black overcoat hung off his seemingly fragile frame and the length reached the floor, swishing along the stunning red carpet.
“Cordelia dear, please hold still” Darla's throaty voice interrupted the brunette and glanced over her shoulder to see what she was looking at. Upon seeing the Master watching them, the elder vampiress lowered her hand and turned to face him. “Good evening” she greeted, her glossy lips curling up into a genuinely warm smile.
“How are my special girls?” he greeted back, moving gracefully into their bedroom without being invited the Master took in the outfits laid neatly on Cordelia's queen-sized bed. A short, black skirt topped off with a cream, silk blouse; judging from the elegance the first outfit portrayed, he knew what his eldest childe would be wearing tonight. His youngest and most bright, sunny childe would obviously be wearing the long, deep berry coloured dress next to the skirt and top.
Chuckling deeply, the Master prided himself on having the prettiest and sweetest female vampires. In his eyes, both were unequalled in physical beauty and intelligence, even if one had been rather over-protected in her human life. The only other female vampire he regarded as his own childe was Drusilla, driven deeply into madness by the arrogant Angelus, the raven haired female was a legend in her own right. His large clawed hands came up to cup a cheek on either female's face, smiling down at the brunette when she rewarded his gentle affection with a large smile. “You two are precious and do wonders for an old man”
“I'd do you more wonder if you would let me wear leather” Cordelia retorted, turning sparkling golden eyes up to her sire, silent pleas within the toffee irises. “Sure, silk is great and all but I don't wanna be known as silk lady forever”
“Leather doesn't become you Beauty” the Master responded, curling his thumbed claw over the apple of her cheek, bronzed with the face powder Darla had carefully applied. “Nor you, Darling” he turned his glinting gaze to the blonde vampiress, “I prefer you both to be in the finest materials, two pretty girls like you will not be seen in anything tacky like leather”
Both females rolled their eyes at his charming words, secretly preening under his rare show of attentive affection. The Master let his hands drop from their faces to land around the small of each girl's back. “Do an old man wonder” he repeated, planting a kiss on top of Darla then Cordelia's head in turn. “Forgive me for not escorting my special girls for the night, but I have business to attend”
“That's okay, it may take a while but I'm sure we'll get over it” Cordelia pretended to sniff back tears and battered her long, dark eyelashes at her sire. “Besides, no other man would stand a chance with me if you were there” came her response for his unneeded apology at not being able to bestow them with his presence.
“There is no other good enough for you, Beauty. Not even that one with the dark hair, you may find him charming dear but I find him a grievance at times” the Master stated of his youngest childe's on-off courtship with the young man she had chosen as a human. Once again turning to Darla, the Master clacked his tongue at her and she sighed unnecessarily. “My darling Darla, when am I to expect you to chose a companion hmm?”
Blue eyes showing the exasperation she felt, though her lips once again curled up into a warmed smile for her sire. “When I find someone worthy of course” Darla responded, throwing shared arrogant smile with her youngest sibling.
Checking the diamond wrist watch given to her for her waking, Cordelia's eyes widened when she realised Darla and her would be arriving late; she took it upon herself to shoo the Master out so they could finish up getting ready. “Okay sire it's, like, way late as it is and we have to make ourselves look scrumptious!” she grinned cheekily up at her sire, silently asking him not to punish her for leading him out of the bedroom. “You're too much of a distraction and I don't somehow think you want to be covered in Ravishing Rouge, do you?!”
“Always worried about silly things” the Master sighed unnaturally and allowed his youngest childe and baby of his Order to press an affectionate kiss to his prominent cheek before wiggling her fingers in a wave. “Do come to me when you are both finished preening, I would like to look at my special girls”
Just then, a familiar loud and pained snarl whipped through the air, disturbing the rare and relaxed atmosphere between the three vampires. The Master's eyes rolled up to the ceiling, Darla smiled wistfully and Cordelia looked annoyed. “God, you would think she has far more interesting things to be doing. But noooo! Little Miss Puppy Pie has to prove she's something more than an unpopular technonerd”
“Personally, I wish her luck” Darla turned back to place the dressing table and began routing through the make-up on it. There was something about the sound of ex-boyfriends being tortured that was just sublime.
“If she wishes to torment Angelus then far be it from me to forbid her from something I would do myself” the Master spoke to Cordelia, what passed as his eyebrows raised slightly as he told her silently to keep her opinions about the other vampire to herself. He couldn't bear hearing another long, drawn out argument between his Beauty and his other childe.
“It's annoying and keeps me awake, besides Willow's only doing it because she has something to prove to everyone” Cordelia pointed out, not being able to help herself. Her newly manicured hands flourished up in a gesturing wave, “Aurgh! It's like she's showing off being a vampire little miss 'Oooh! Look at me, I'm a vampire and so it doesn't matter if I don't have friends. I can torture Puppy!'“
“Darla” the Master made a come hither movement with his finger to Darla who immediately responded and walked to stand beside the still ranting brunette. “Take your sister for some wine, make it from my personal casing” with those words, he glided away as silently as he came.
Standing with strong irritation all over her heart-shaped face, Cordelia clamped her hands around her waist and tapped her bare foot off the carpet. “5…4… 3… 2… 1” just as she reached the count of one, another pained snarl ripped through the air and caused the brunette to yank at her hair in undulated annoyance. “Arrggh! Will she ever stop and give me a moment's peace?” she yelled loudly, hoping the red head would hear her through Puppy's whimpering.
“Cordelia dear, ignore it and let's go get some wine like Master said” Darla, very rare was she known as the voice of reason but where her sibling and the red head was concerned, she'd be the voice of Martin Luther King if it meant no more silly rows. “How often does he offer anyone a taste?” blue eyes watched as hazel ones lit up brightly and wickedly at the thought of the vintage wine
Sighing deeply, Cordelia resigned herself to yet another night of listening to Willow play fetch with puppy. “Fine, but if she keeps it up until dawn then I swear to God I'll stake her myself… Let's go Darling and have us some wine! I still can't believe he dissed Dom Perignon,” going out all but forgotten about in favour of once again being favoured by the Master.
Neither vampiress cared whether or not they were in their bathrobes as they linked arms and sauntered down the tastefully decorated hallway of the mansion. The paintings that had once held Cordelia captivated now only received a passing glance of appreciation, however it was the sterling silver oil lamp that she loved. Though she has been spoilt beyond belief when she had been human, she still found pleasure in simple little things like that.
Slowing her saunter down, Darla sneaked a sly glance at the brunette as she tried her hardest to ignore the now quiet but still pained snarls coming from where Willow lived in the mansion. Cordelia was one of the few vampires who couldn't stand torture in any way, shape or form. It created too much noise and the blood stains never truly came out of clothes and the smell plagued her for weeks on end. Not just that but torture took energy that would be better spent on doing what she classed as fun stuff like shopping, manicures and preening under her sire's devotion to her.
“Tell me Beauty” Darla's sarcastic use of Cordelia's pet name had the brunette rolling her eyes upward. “What do you see in that dear Xander boy of yours?” as far as she was concerned, he made a good enough vampire but his humour didn't appeal to those of her generation. Men in her day took care of their companions not watched in satisfaction as the companion opened the door for herself.
“He's good to laugh at Darling Darla” the youngest vampire responded with a smirk, “And what will all this creepy stuff daddy's doing with those human people, I need some jollies” the whole thing made her shudder. Didn't the Master get how creepy it would be to drink human blood from a tap? It would taste all metal-like and have that bitter ting to it. “Yick!”
“I agree, much better from the neck” a wicked smile flirted on the full lips of Darla.
“I prefer to bite the groin, I may hate torture in the harshest sense but a little punishment of the male sex has to be done sometimes!” Cordelia flipped her chestnut hair over her pink silk covered shoulder as they turned to walk down the stairs. “Besides, someone has to suffer for the male race”
The sound of girlish giggles filtered through the grand and expansive room of the main hall in the mansion. A stunning seven tier chandelier hung from the high, arched ceiling and held the immense room in a bright but softened glow that emanated from the candle-shaped bulbs. Marble made up the flooring, slate grey and cream in colour with a hand-woven Turkish rug in rich, exotic shades covered a large proportion of the floor. Two identical spiral staircases were adjoined at the landing overlooking the hall, a huge portrait of the main members of the Order hung on the wall of the landing.
In the portrait, Darla was displayed in an exquisite, white Victorian full dress, her hair wound into tight ringlets and piled high under the feather-brimmed white hat, in her hand was a Japanese fan displayed in colourful detail. Next to her stood Drusilla and her ever-present doll, Miss Edith and a blonde vampire Cordelia knew as Spike. There was a tall, dark haired vampire that never failed to draw her attention, she recognised him as Willow's long-yowling puppy. How he went from being so important to being in a family portrait to being used as the red head's main source of entertainment she would never know.
Then there was the Master himself, situated in the centre of the painting with a satisfied smile gracing his vampiric face as he was surrounded by those of decreed importance. Even in a picture, he exuded age and knowledge.
“It's wonderful, isn't it?” Darla sighed as old and joyful memories floated within her imagination as she looked at what Cordelia always studied when they walked through the main hall. “In those days, we were the most powerful and noted Order” blue eyes reminisced over days gone by. “Angelus had such potential, sadly he couldn't control his urges and got himself cursed with the humanity of a soul”
Hazel eyes went from the portrait to the blonde inquisitively, “That's why that darn yowling man-shaped dog is reduced to being kept in a cage? Because he got himself a soul?” Cordelia got it straight in her head. “Oh, works for me!” shrugging off the thought of being tarnished with a soul, the brunette pulled impatiently on her sibling's arm. “Darla, wine!”
“Still so very young” Darla sighed at the youthful vampiress marching them towards the red, velvet curtain that led the way towards the Master's downstairs living quarters.
Part 2If he yelled one more time, she was gonna scream or stake Willow so fast that the red head wouldn't have time to blink. Tossing onto her left side and what she classed as her deafer side, Cordelia attempted to block out the damn howling by shoving a pillow over her ear.
“Ahh!” she sighed happily after a few minutes silence, maybe Willow had gotten bored of playing whatever game she made him play. After a few more silent moments, the brunette dared to remove the pillow from her face slowly before replacing it behind her head and snuggling down into it. Cordelia curled her sheets up until they were tucked under her chin and once again closed her eyes, hoping Keanu would pop up somewhere.
She was just about to pulled into the beckoning arms of delicious sleep when another loud yowling invaded her dream time and she angrily flung the sheets off her body. In full vampire face, Cordelia got out of her wonderful bed and yanked the pink robe from the back of her vanity chair and set about towards Willow's little hole.
“I've had it up to here, she's either gonna put a sock in it or I'm gonna make her get a life or see the damn light. I swear, that girl has gone too far this time” Cordelia marched intently down the hall, across the landing and through the oak door at the other end. “Five” she growled “Five nights in a God damn row she's done this”
The second door she easily shoved open would have made a human man puff with effort in moving it, however Cordelia was too busy ranting none-too-quietly to marvel over her unnatural strength. Her bare feet making heavy slaps on the cold, concrete flooring and her angrily glinting eyes setting fire to everything in the red head's wing. “WILLOW!” she bellowed when she tried unsuccessfully to find the other vampire.
Then she heard the trademark “Bored now” come from behind door number four.
“Does she honestly think that's cool?” Cordelia asked herself incredulously as she barged through that very door. “Ten bucks says she's using the matches… Willow, what the hell are you playing at?” she growled at the sneering red head, “Do you have any idea what time it is?”
Rising from her kneeling position in front of her Puppy, Willow turned bored and uninterested green eyes onto the fuming brunette. Red leather pants hugged her small but proportioned legs, black heeled combat boots made a clunking sound as she walked towards the intruding vampiress and her black top curled around her petite figure as she sashayed. “Haven't you ever heard of knocking?” she purred, licking her ruby red lips and tilting her head to one side.
“Haven't you heard of consideration for others?” Cordelia snarked back, thankful her uninvited presence had caused the damn yowling to cease. She vowed to sleep in here tonight if only to get her first decent night's sleep this week. Running French manicured fingers through her waist-long chestnut hair, she kept her eyes on the other vampiress as she turned to hang up the leash she was holding. No matches tonight then, she owed herself ten big ones.
“I do have consideration for others… Just not you” Willow retorted as she turned back to face her high school tormentor. For years, that girl had made her feel like she wasn't worth anything and made her feel stupid and unwanted. She couldn't help but wait for the day when she could get the chance to show Cordelia Chase just what she was now.
Looking suitably unimpressed by the retort, Cordelia rolled her eyes upward “Lord help me, I thought I'd never see the day when somebody would use worse sarcasm than Harmony Kendal, but hey! Miracles never cease” lowering her eyes from the ceiling, she inspected the manicure Darla had done earlier and was put out by a tiny chip in the white tipping. “Great, now look what your keeping me awake has done” she held up her hand as proof.
Prising his tired eyes open at the sound of someone clearly biting his Mistress's head off, Angel rolled onto his bruised side and peered through the gun-metal grey bars of his prison. He offhandedly wondered if his Mistress had finally killed him and it was the devil that was snapping in anger at his pained yells. When dull, fireless brown eyes landed on dainty feet Angel figured it couldn't have been the devil who had red polish on her toes and it wouldn't be the devil who had the Aurelius symbol in a silver chain around her ankle.
His sudden coughing made both female vampires look his way, a gleaming set of unsympathetic eyes set on him and emotionless green eyes landed on what they had been looking at all day. “Oh for crying out loud” Cordelia huffed and shoved her arms across her barely covered chest, “At least give him a bowl of water or something would you? I don't want any vampy coughing disease”
You're so kind” Angel's hoarse and broken voice sounded out his dry comeback to the brunette's version of caring. The use of his throat for that one sentence had him coughing harshly, his large body wracked with violent jerks as he slowly healed from the injuries caused by his Mistress.
Turning her attention away from Willow, Cordelia pitter-pattered the few feet to stand in front of the cage and peered down at the vampire she knew only as Angelus. His hair was dark brown, almost black and a spiked hairstyle that went out with flares. Though he was laying in a foetal position, she could see the power he physically held in his body. Apart from the already healing bruising, burn and whip marks, his chest was more or less perfectly contoured with underlying muscle she just knew would be solid.
His face was well-defined with a stubborn chin, his nose was a little large obviously due to numerous breakages and his eyes, though dull, were a stunning shade of dark amber. Pale lips were shaped perfectly from the way the lower lip was fuller to the Cupid's bow that arched in his upper lip.
“So this is Angelus, the vampire who couldn't control his urges” hazel eyes went from Angel back to Willow. “And you haven't even had the decency to get the poor guy to a hairdresser” Cordelia shook her head pitifully down at the hurt vampire on the floor of a cage. “No wonder he howls, God could you imagine what he would see if he looked in a mirror? It's gotta be emotionally stunting when you have an out-of-date hairstyle” shifting her sly gaze back to the red head “Wouldn't you agree Willow?”
He wasn't so hurt that he missed the insult the pretty vampiress gave to his Mistress and he struggled to disguise his snort of laughter as a cough.
Suddenly the door to the chamber flung open once again, allowing Cordelia's currant on-off beau to waltz inside. “Hey Xander” Willow purred as she moved to cosy up to the vampire. His dark hair flopped over into his eyes, his tongue darted out of his mouth to whet his lips as he looked at the undressed vampiress gazing down at the caged Puppy.
“Been having fun again?” Xander asked, removing the arms of Willow from around his neck and walked to stand next to Cordelia much to the resentment of the red head.
“Mmm, he's no fun anymore” Willow pouted and joined the other vampires in gazing down at Angel. “I need a new Puppy, or a maybe a Kitty” green eyes slid towards the brunette standing next to her. If only the Master didn't hold her in such a high regard, she knew just who she would have in that cage. Maybe there was a way to kidnap Cordelia and have her disposed of before anyone else could find out. After all, no one could blame her could they? The torment she'd endured at school because of the stuck-up bitch was enough cause for her to seek revenge.
“Willow, before you think about getting another playmate I strongly suggest you try getting an unlife first,” Cordelia remarked before sighing loudly. “Okay, you” she pointed sharply down at Angel who was looking up at her, “Be quiet or I'll stuff one of my sire's dirty socks down your throat and you” she looked to Willow.
“You're still a loser. My work here is done, goodnight! Xander?” she arched an eyebrow, silently demanding he walk her back to her bedroom.
“Later Will,” this time he might actually get some.
Part 3Sitting on his throne-like seat in his quarters, the Master waited patiently for his youngest childe to approach him with her side of last night's encounter with the red head. The brunette unhooked her arm from Darla's, letting the blonde drift away towards his guardsmen and begin flirting lightly, making him smile fondly as they became all but putty in her hands.
“Sire” Cordelia knelt respectfully before the Master, her head lowered but peeking up through her darkened eyelashes. “You summoned me” she waited for his answer.
Running his hand smoothly across her skull, he caressed the softness of her hair and slid down until he was able to tilt her chin up so she was looking directly at him. Ochre eyes bore with deceptive calmness into her unnatural golden ones, he wanted an explanation for the disturbance of the night before. “My precious Beauty” he purred richly, “I have received reports of your uninvited intrusion into the red head's chamber last night and subsequently allowing the young man to escort you back to your room”
“Yes sire, it's true but the yowling went on for hours last night and it was the fifth night in a row I missed out on important beauty sleep” Cordelia gave her side with the utmost respect in her voice and expression was adoring towards her sire. “I only wanted her to quit it for a little bit, instead when I got in there she started the sniping comments first. Then Xander came in and yes he did walk me back to my room but he didn't stay or get my panties off”
Her innocent honesty was one of the things he found amusing and he wanted to keep her innocent as she was his baby and only who he deemed worthy would be the one to take her hand in courtship. “Come sit, my dear” the Master held his wrinkled hand out for her to take and aided her in sitting on his lap. “Dear, young girl” he brushed the wispy strands of hair away from her heart-shaped face, “You must respect the rules of personal space my precious” her face fell slightly and her body tensed up involuntarily, readying herself for whatever her punishment maybe.
“My dear, I would not allow anyone to harm a hair on your pretty head not even myself” the Master assured his youngest, well not until she was well-groomed as a vampire and she had a long way to go for that to happen. “I have spoken to young Willow about her playtime hours and I have ordered her to be more considerate of not only you but all those who live in my Order”
A beaming, toothy smile was his reward for acting on her behalf and Cordelia flung her arms tightly around her sire, making Darla bite back a hysterical laugh at the expression on the Master's face. “Thank you sire!” she gave his neck one last affectionate squeeze before letting go. “May I ask for permission to go with Darla to the mall tonight or am I requested to dine with you again?” to be requested by the Master, even you were a childe, was a great honour and she loved it when she was honoured. It was even better when both Darla and she were honoured at the same time for their sire seemed to love the attention they bestow on him.
“You may go spend some time with Darla” the Master both quashed her hopes and made her beam brightly at his permission. “Now leave me in peace, for both your presence shall surely give me whimsical aspirations. If I were a hundred years younger and my appearance were more flattering…”
“We know Daddy” Cordelia pressed a daughterly kiss on his cheek and grinned cheekily at her teasingly affectionate word. “You'd make us both your honeys” jumping down from her place on his lap, she skipped merrily to join the waiting vampiress at the entrance to the quarters when his next words ceased her movements.
“Beauty” the Master called out and she turned to face him, hoping he would request Darla and her to dine with him. “Young Xander is no longer allowed to escort you, instead I have given the Willow puppy to you” he may be souled but that was the reason he had chosen Angelus to guard her. The Master wasn't stupid, when he read up on the abominable curse placed on the arrogant vampire he found it could be removed if happiness were to take place.
As things now stood on the Hellmouth, Angelus would be an incredible asset in bringing back the glory to his Order. As he did not wish for his Darla to associate with Angelus as they only caused more trouble than they were worth, he had made the decision to grant Cordelia with the noted vampire. That could work in a lot of ways, the Master mused, the young vampiress needed to learn how to be a vampire but it was useless pairing her up with Darla. Those girls only learned how to look more attractive so Cordelia hadn't learned the art of vampirism at all.
Though Darla had been able to teach Angelus the art of becoming a noted vampire, it seemed his youngest childe's interest in simple pleasures of shopping and other vanity things appealed to the young woman in Darla. The Master sighed whimsically, girls would be girls he thought and far be it from to disallow Cordelia of her wishes. She was still young and had much to learn, placing her in the care of a vampire like Angelus would be good for her.
“I have a Puppy?” the brunette asked, turning to look at Darla unsurely.
“Poor you” the blonde stated sympathetically, being lumbered with Angelus wasn't something she would wish on her worst enemy let alone her favourite sibling.
“Darla Darling” the Master smiled at one of his most noted creations, “You are to go with your sibling to collect Angelus from young Willow to make sure there are no more petty arguments. Goodness knows this family has had more than it's share of problems lately”
“Sire” Darla spoke in understanding.
Blowing her sire an exaggerated kiss, Cordelia once again linked arms with the blonde and all but dragged her out ready for their weekly trip to the mall, both girls discussing anything clothes-wise.***
Smacking her lips together, Darla smudged the light beige lipstick until her sibling stated the colour was even on her lips. Running a slender fingertip across her upper lip, the blonde brushed away a spot where the make-up felt a little thick. “Much better, Cordelia dear?”
“Yeah, almost ready Darla” there was a rustle of a zip, a small clang of plastic bottles followed by a loud crash that had the elder vampire wincing. “Ooops… Oh well, I guess I'll just have to get another bottle. With Angelus being assigned to be my escort now I guess our sire will let me go to the mall more than once a week. Don'tcha think?”
“Dear, sire would let you have his horse if you asked him” Darla replied with a smirk that grew into a wide grin when Cordelia emerged a little dishevelled from the bathroom. Strands of hair was raised with static, the berry shading on her lips was smudged over her lip line and her cheeks were flushed with a pretty red blush.
“Bed head's in according to Cosmos”
“I think you just had a hard time getting that sweater over your head” Darla remarked knowingly, it had taken quite sometime to get used to putting certain types of clothes on without the use of a mirror. One of the main reasons why she now mainly wore classically elegant blouses, you could see what you were doing with the buttons.
“You couldn't let my wallow in denial could you?” Cordelia frowned at the observant blonde in front of her. When her sibling went to speak, she held up her hand to silence the words she knew would pour from her mouth. “Don't, I know how stinky the Nile is Darling and I don't need to be reminded again this century or the next one for that matter”
“That's if you live that long dear” with a sigh, Darla began to straighten the neck of younger vampire's sweater and stood back to admire the outfit. “You thought five days of listening to Angelus yowling was bad, just wait until he's babbling incoherently in your ear for five days”
“I told him he'd better be quiet or I'd shove one of the Master's dirty socks down his throat!” Cordelia snickered and peered down at the new clothes she got from the mall. A roll-neck sweater a dark amethyst in colour, a lighter dusky purple mini-skirt that reached mid-thigh and flesh-toned fishnet tights topped off with black, suede ankle boots. “Well?” she asked with an indecisive expression.
“Stop looking for praise you won't get Cordelia, you have to pick a puppy from the litter!” having had enough of the vampiress's posing and self-complimenting, Darla all but pushed her sibling out of her bedroom door. “I wonder if our Sire is going to summon William and Drusilla, it would be fun to have a family reunion” the Master had confided in her about his curse-lifting plan and she hoped to God it worked.
Though she could say with honesty, she despised Angel both with and without a soul, she knew he had the mind to bring back the power from the other clan trying to take over their territory and gain total control over the Hellmouth in general. If that happened, then who knew what would become of the Order of Aurelius. Maybe Cordelia and her little, human quirks she still possessed would have a good effect on the lack of Angelus self-control.
Time would tell.
Part 4Slamming her body hard onto his lap, Willow used all her strength to exert near unbearable pressure on his groin and caused Angel to choke back a high-pitched whimper of male pain. “I'm gonna miss you Puppy” the red head cooed to the vampire trying not to struggle, “I better make sure our last few moments together are unforgettable”
“Everything about you is forgettable” Angel bit out; if he was soulless she wouldn't dare look at him without permission much less speak to him the way she did. This vampire was an amateur compared to the likes of him, Spike, Drusilla and Darla. “You're an amateur” since he knew he was being given a new Mistress, he felt there was no point in biting back what he thought of Willow. “Sorry” he choked on a bloodied cough, “I mean loser”
He hadn't missed the furious expression that wiped the smirk from her face at the pretty vampiress' insult. He had also seen the way Willow had paused from attacking the brunette as she got frowned upon.
A small fist full of unnatural power collided with his cheek, sending his face snapping to the side. “Loser am I?” Willow growled, the fury making her human visage slip from place to reveal the demon. Removing her body from atop his, she turned and went straight for the metal whips she had. The snake-like shaped slipped through her palm until she cracked it off the cold, grey concrete with a loud, metallic clash. “You haven't learned very well have you Puppy?” her emerald eyes were full of mock pity and sympathy for what she was about to do too him before she was forced to give him up.
It didn't surprise her in the least, being chosen once again over Cordelia Chase she was used to it. Willow saw everyone who sided with the stuck-up bitch as a traitor to her; though Xander was clearly only using the brunette for her looks and her closeness to the Master, he still put the bitch above her. He was the only one that wouldn't cross her vengeance one of these days, but Darla and the Master himself would pay for watching the bitch humiliate her every chance she got.
She'd show them just who she had become, she promised that to herself and she was not going to let herself down.
As rage at her human self spilled over, Willow watched as her metal whip cracked off Angel's back, splitting both his already torn shirt and welted skin. “You'll learn Puppy” she repeated the movement continuously until he couldn't hold back his pained snarls anymore and his face shifted to that of his demon. “Aww, does Puppy want to bite?” she mocked him, the metal flicking through the air one more time and landing on his back. “I guess I'll have to get you a muzzle, can't have you biting now can I? Unless your biting Master's pet of course”
Angel didn't miss the bitter sarcasm in her voice as she referred to, he assumed, was the pretty vampire with the hair and pink robe from the other night. She'd saved him from extra hours of playing puppy with his Mistress and he wanted to thank her, even if she only did it to have a quiet night's sleep she still saved him. Flicking his tongue over his now exposed fangs, he turned glinting tigers' eyes on the red head, breathing unnecessarily with inner rage. “What's the matter?” he purred through coughing, “Still an unpopular loser?” it was only thing he had over her.
If what was said the other night was true, then he guessed the pretty brunette had been part of the In Crowd at school and his Mistress had not. From his point of view, something so trivial shouldn't cause embedded feelings of resentment but obviously his Mistress didn't think it was a trivial matter and he was going to take advantage of it. “The Master only cares about his best and brightest, obviously you're neither the best or the brightest. Must be the fact you don't have breasts to keep your brains in”***
“Err hello!” he could feel a fingernail prodding his side, “Wake up, you're not dead or anything, well you are technically but you're not dust so I know you can open your eyes” a cheery, female voice slowly broke through the intense pain his body was now feeling. “I totally cannot believe that loser freak would do this to me” the female voice snarked out.
What Willow did to her? He was the one in agony.
“How am I supposed to be seen with a man who closely resembles a giant bruise? God, I always knew that girl was selfish. Hello! Wake up would you? I prod you anymore, I'll break my nail!”
Cranking his eyes open, Angel's blurry vision slowly swam into focus as his brown eyes landed on the pretty vampiress from the other night. “See?” she stated triumphantly, “That wasn't so hard was it, hmm?” She was leaning totally over him, her face mere inches from his as she studied his battered appearance intensely.
Dried blood covered his lips and nose, one eye was black and blue, his chest was littered with burn marks and bruises while his back was numb from the whipping. “At least you're not wheezing anymore, that's a bonus because I don't know if I could handle being around Mr. Wheezy and I'm not into sharing other vampire's germs especially ones caught from Miss Vamp of the Century”
“I've got some yummy O pos for you all fresh and warm, I chose O pos cus that's my favourite and you'll be pleased to know it came from a girl, not a guy. Males feeding from other males is just gross, that's the reason why I feed off men cus I can't see me sticking my fangy parts into another girl can you?”
His soul protested wildly while the demon thanked Satan for the fresh, human blood instead of the vermin his old Mistress fed him on. “No human blood” Angel wanted to vocalise, but he was too weak off feeding from vermin which didn't give him nearly what he needed. Before he could actually form any words of protestation, he had a straw popped into his mouth.
“Good boy!” he felt the pretty one pat his head, causing him to frown as he took the first sip of blood while ignoring the breaking of his soul in the knowledge someone had been killed for it. “No, they haven't been killed yet” Cordelia informed him brightly, “It's from one of those vampy 'hos who let the males bite for free. Can you say sluttish? Of course you can't cus you're drinking”
This was one of the Master's favourite's? She couldn't be more than a month old at very least.
After the first few sips, Angel already felt his healing start mending the damage caused by his last comment to his old Mistress. The thick, rich blood was flowing like a fresh stream down his throat and bathing his tongue in the tastiest thing he'd eaten in months. His gaze stayed glued to the pretty one still leaning over him with a half-smile on her berry coloured lips and her own gaze blinking owlishly down at him. “Have you been told what you're doing with me yet?”
Angel shook his head, then waited for the throbbing headache to begin which normally happened when he moved his head after being beaten unconscious. When the throbbing never came, he relaxed a little and continued to drink the in bigger quantities. He was going to hate himself when it sank in he was drinking human blood.
“Oh in that case, allow me to introduce myself to you” Cordelia's lips twirled up completely into a beaming smile that revealed her fangs. “I'm Cordelia Chase and you are gonna be my new guard, according to my sire you're also supposed to teach me how to be a real vampire cus Darla couldn't teach me. My sire said that all we do is look pretty and do him wonders. He's the greatest, isn't he?” her eyes sparkled at the thought of so much attention from her sire.
There were many words Angel knew of that could describe the Master, greatest certainly wasn't one of them. Suddenly, a loud slurping noise disturbed her next words before the formed on her lips and Cordelia realised her new guard had drank all the blood. “Cool, you want more cus I can send someone to get some? It's no trouble for me so don't worry about it”
Of course it was no trouble for her, she wasn't the one who would be going to get it.
“In the portrait in the main hall, you look really good in it. You're naturally handsome or the artist did one hell of a job on you” Cordelia mindlessly talk as she finally removed her face from above his and moved to get some attention for some more blood for Angel. “I need more blood” she called out to her currant guard outside her room, she was going to miss that guy when he went. Good service was hard to find these days and he didn't tell on her when he found her and Darla a little drunk that one time.
“Do you want O pos or something else?”
“Not human” Angel murmured, easing his large frame onto his side and gasping when the scars on his back pulled tightly, making his skin feel like it was on fire. Pain-filled dark amber eyes settled on her expectant face, a silent plea within the orbs as he asked for something other than human blood. “No human blood… Please Mistress”
Her perfectly shaped eyebrows rose high and a confused expression crossed her face as Cordelia began thinking if she could none-human blood anywhere on the premises. “I don't know Angelus” she shook her head thoughtfully, having no problems using his soulless name at all. “Xena Warrior Vamp really did a number on you” she stated, “You need the human blood for healing right?”
Human blood would be better for his body's healing ability but his soul overpowered both common sense and the demon's instinctive response to the offer of humanity. “I won't drink it, Mistress” he didn't think she would torture him like the other one so he went with speaking freely to her.
“I'm not a, going on a mouse hunt. B, not going to feed you a puppy or a kitten and c, you are not gonna be my guardian while you have rat breath. I have a reputation that you won't destroy” Cordelia countered his refusal to drink the offered blood. “What? Is human blood not good enough for you just cus you're all soullified?”
Angel was too stunned to hear an obviously soulless vampire out and out refuse to let him drink a puppy or kitten. What kind of vampire was she? “Are you soulled?” he couldn't help asking, no other vampire would have a problem with feeding from puppies or kittens so why did she?
“Err hello? I feed from humans, men only mind you, but still humans and that's after I boot em in their goolies!” a cheeky grin spread across her heart-shaped face and he had to stop a responding smile from forming. “Look, if I promise to get the blood from a skanky vampire 'ho, would that be good enough for your royal soulliness?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Nope!”