Title: Staking a Claim
Author: Cordelia’sDestiny
Posted: 02/04
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Rating: R/NC17
Category:
Content: C/A
Summary: Cordy gets bitten by a master vamp, and Angel’s demon doesn’t like it.
Spoilers: “Provider,” “Waiting in the Wings,” “Couplet,” (I borrowed a lot of dialogue from these episodes. It couldn’t be helped; you’ll understand when you read it.)
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution: Anywhere, just let me know.
Notes: Connor’s a baby. He’s going to stay that way. And the big shortcut: no curse is present in this story. Yes, I know it’s a cop out. Yes, I know I shouldn’t give myself such an easy out. I should come up with a logical, inventive way for Angel to get his freak on without compromising canon. But at this point, I don’t give a crap. There was too much to deal with already in this idea and I wanted it to be blessedly short, steamy, and sweet. Feel free to cast your aspersions via e-mail if you don’t like it. So there. Nyah!
Based on a Challenge by Impress. This challenge has been written before: Helen’s very fun read, “Every Breath She Takes. I would highly recommend that version as well. I couldn’t help but put my own spin on this one, though. The challenge is at the end of this page.
Thanks/Dedication:
Feedback: Yep, It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.
Prologue
“No!!!”
The word ripped from Angel’s throat in a painful roar as he watched another vampire sink his fangs into the delicate skin of Cordelia’s neck. He watched her face, her eyes wide with fear, and felt helpless. He hadn’t been there, hadn’t been fast enough, and she was paying for his mistake. She gasped, a strangled cry that pierced the night, and valiantly struggled against the steely arms of her captor.
Angel plunged his fist into the air in front of him, roaring again when his skin was electrified by the invisible magical field separating him from the pair locked in a death struggle. He could see Cordelia’s terror shining in her eyes, and his own were fiercely golden, his demon straining and demanding that he force himself through the barrier and rip the other demon’s head from his body.
Almost as soon as his fangs had pierced her, the other vampire raised his head and grinned, his mouth obscenely ringed with Cordelia’s blood. He snarled at Angel, dropping Cordelia at his feet, knowing that she was still very much alive but not giving her the mercy of a quick death. He’d paralyzed her with that bite and a bit of magic tied to his security shield. She would die, all right; she would bleed out onto the sidewalk in excruciating pain if he didn’t drop the force field and let Angelus get her to safety.
The attacker smiled evilly to himself as he straightened his impeccable clothing and stepped away from the young woman at his feet. He flicked a nonexistent piece of lint off the pristine landscape of his suit cloth, and licking his lips like a cat after a meal, he cleaned away the evidence of his murderous activity and his face shifted back to his aristocratically handsome human visage.
Walking closer to the invisible barrier between them, the master vampire Sebastian allowed a full expression of satisfaction to settle on his face and watched as Angelus’ control snapped. With glee, Sebastian noted the rage in Angelus’ golden eyes as he watched his young friend helplessly fight a losing battle with death. Her fingers wiggled slightly, as if she were trying to reach for him, her eyes begging him to help her. The arrogant satisfaction within him spread as Angelus tried again to breach the force field that Sebastian had erected, but he couldn’t. The magic wasn’t strong enough with him, no matter how vicious he’d been in his younger days.
Sebastian had him right where he wanted him. He walked right up to the edge of his protective shield, his face mere inches from Angel’s, and raised his chin in a haughty gaze of condescension.
“Angelus,” he began, his voice a deep malevolent melody, “your debt to me has been repaid.”
Angel growled in response, his eyes flashing helplessly over to Cordelia and then back to his enemy.
Sebastian smirked, then walked back to Cordelia, circling her prone body slowly, as if examining a piece of meat. Delicately, he knelt next to her, dragging the backs of his fingers across her still cheek. Only then did he look up and continue.
“So beautiful, this one. No wonder you are so taken with her. She is quite unforgettable, much like my Brianna was.”
He stood again, sauntering back to the edge of his circle as Angel paced frantically outside. “And so tasty, too,” the older vampire continued. “The small bit I sampled was quite delicious, in fact.” His satanic Cheshire smile winked at Angel in the moonlight. “I truly hope you can find a way to save her; beauty like that shouldn’t be wasted in death.”
“Sebastian!” Angel growled, stopping abruptly and placing both palms against the force field, ignoring the searing pain in his hands as the air in front of him lit up. “Drop this! Now!”
Sebastian shook his head. “Such impatience, young one. You have the status of a master, and yet you have no civility.”
“You call what you did civilized?” Angel’s voice was strangled in pain as he looked back at Cordelia, watching the pool of blood beneath her grow steadily.
Sebastian raised his eyebrows in incredulity, clasping his hands behind his back. “Of course! It is what we do, after all, is it not?” he added. “You wronged me some time past, and I sought to balance the scales between us. You destroyed my Brianna, and now I repay in kind.” It was all quite simple, really.
Angel fought against the rage that pushed at him, needing control to defeat the more powerful demon, but the guilt within him poked at his conscience.
Sebastian was right; Angelus had taken someone important from him. Before Angelus had turned Druscilla, he’d been looking for a playmate; Darla was boring him. He’d met Sebastian’s human lover at a party and had immediately been intrigued by the woman’s fiery red hair. He’d never been one for redheads before, but this one had caught his eye. He’d wooed her away from Sebastian in a matter of minutes, and two hours later, the woman lay beneath him, quite thoroughly sated and purring her pleasure. Her pleasure, and herself as well, had been short-lived as Angelus decided he needed a midnight snack. Sebastian had vowed retribution, and here, over 100 years later, he was coming to collect his debt.
With Cordelia.
Sebastian continued his civil conversation, ignoring the distress Angelus was exhibiting at Cordelia’s condition. “You do recognize, of course, that I claimed her before I drank her, just as you did to my Brianna.” His expression dared Angel to avoid answering.
“Yes,” Angel growled, desperate to end this sick conversation and get Cordelia help.
“Very well,” Sebastian nodded. “The balance has been restored in the honored traditions of our kind. Be thankful that I had some mercy in me and did not see her killed. . . yet. That,” he shuddered, “would be quite uncouth.”
He raised his arms with a flourish, and with a flash of light, disappeared.
Angel lunged for Cordelia the moment the light faded, half expecting to find the force field in place. He was relieved to find it wasn’t, and he gathered the young woman into his arms.
“Angel,” she said softly, her fingers curling into his coat sleeve. “I—”
“Shh,” Angel said, “Don’t talk. I’ll get you to the hospital.”
No one was more surprised than Angel to see her wrinkle her nose up in irritation and sink her nails into his arm. “Angel! You’re pushing on my leg and it hurts!”
Immediately loosening his grip, he helped her to her feet. “Geez,” he heard her mutter, but knew she wasn’t really mad at him. She was frightened, and she was taking that out on him.
“Let me see your neck,” he said, keeping his arm firmly around her.
“No!” she said, trying to pull away from him. “It’s nothing; just a little bite. That’s all, okay?” She gave him one of her huge smiles, meant to reassure him, but he wasn’t buying it.
He frowned at her. “It’s not a little bite, Cordy, it’s a claiming bite. Those are serious. I need to look.”
She sighed with irritation but gave in, turning her head to the side and exposing the twin puncture wounds on her neck. They were neat, the small river running from them already drying, the wounds clotted, but red and angry looking. Angel growled deep within his chest as he smelled Sebastian’s scent all over her; it was killing him to know that someone else had claimed her. Someone not him.
If Angel’s soul could be characterized as angry, his demon was ten county lines past furious. It took everything ounce of willpower to keep himself in check. Angelus wanted to find that bastard and rip his head from his skull. After he dismembered him and chopped the pieces up into tiny bits, only leaving the heart and head untouched so that he could prolong the pain. Only that would satisfy him after seeing Cordelia—
“Geez, Angel!” she was yanking on his coat sleeve. “Obsessive, much? the guy’s gone. I’m fine. Get over it!”
Okay, maybe fine was stretching it a little bit, but the gold rimmed edges of Angel’s eyes didn’t spell out anything good.
“But he hurt you, Cordy! Nobody does that and gets away with it. Nobody!” He growled the words out through his teeth, his forehead rippling as he struggled to keep from changing.
She raised her eyebrows at him and guided him away from the scent of her blood on the sidewalk, steadfastly ignoring the throbbing in her neck. “Okay, Angel, now you’re scaring me. I think you’ve watched The Godfather movies too many times.”
He frowned, but let her drag him away. “This isn’t over, Cordelia,” he vowed. “Sebastian’s going to pay for what he did to you.”
“Enough with the overkill already! Forget about it, Angel! I’ve been bitten before, remember? With Darla? It healed really fast, so no worries.” All she wanted to do was get out of there, and she’d had enough with Angel’s vendetta. She was feeling really weird, kinda weak and tingly, and she just wanted to go home.
But Angel knew better. Sebastian hadn’t been kidding. He’d claimed Cordelia, and he’d be back to finish the bond, if only to make Angelus suffer further.
There was no way in hell that Angel was going to let that happen.
Part 1
Challenge by Impress
Angel’s demon side REALLY, REALLY wants Cordy. His souled side wants to remain friends. The man in him, while attracted to her, likes having a female as a friend so sides with the souled side.
One night while out (can be a case or just fun, or whatever) Cordy is attacked by a vampire. The vampire isn’t a run of the mill vamp, he’s actually a master vamp nearly as powerful as Angel(us). Angel rescues her but not before the other vamp has managed to bite her. Angel wants to kill the other vamp but somehow (you decide) the other vamp gets away.
Since the bite was from an older vamp, the wound is deeper then with most vamps. Because of this the wound is taking longer to heal than other bites would. After the first day or so, Cordelia can no longer stand having the bandage on her neck (it’s itchy, it clashes with her outfit, whatever reason you want to give).
Angel is now forced to see the other vamps fang marks on her. This drives the demon in him nuts. The demon wants to ‘erase’ them and replace them with his own permanent mark. The soul/man barely restrains the demon, but with each passing day of being forced to see (and smell a hint of the other vamp) the demon gets harder and harder to control. Eventually, the control snaps and the demon takes control of the body and claims Cordy.
Must includes:
*Angel(us) hunting and killing the other vamp for touching what was his.
*Angel(us)’s claiming of Cordy can’t be non-con.
*The whole scene with Angel(us) claiming Cordelia must be done with him in full vamp face.
*Possesive!Angel(us)
Optional
*The Curse.
*A S/G crossover (not done)