Part 3
Whipping out his hand, Angelus snared her wrist in an iron grip and began dragging her towards the nearest door. “You think I wanna be down here, listening to my childe screw the slayer’s mutt and staying in a darkened room with a girl who cries over nothing?” Glaring at her over his shoulder, he carried on “Believe me, I’ve got better things to do with my time.”
Before Cordelia could demand he let go, the vampire all but booted a door open with a powerful kick that sent a very old door creaking loudly open and crashing into a wall. Leaving Xander and Drusilla in the corridor, Angelus dragged the brunette cheerleader in without hesitation or care for her fragile human wrist. “We’ll have to sit on the floor, I don’t think there’s any leather couches or seats”
“I’ll stand” she confirmed quickly, no way was she sitting on a floor that might have had dried blood or old bones on it. She shuddered at the thought of possibly finding a skeleton in here… Oh God, what if there had been mummy experiments done in the asylum? What if there was a body in here with hair and fingernails? “Uhhhh!” The weird, shaky noise escaped her mouth before she had a chance to stop it and the vampire shot her curious glance.
“What’s the matter now?” He demanded as he let go of her wrist in order to look at her through the dark. His eyesight was finally beginning to adjust to the darkness and he could see her slightly more clearly now. He watched as she rubbed her arms with her hands as though to ward off a chill, her eyes were darting all around the room looking for something. A pointless exercise since he doubted she could see anything at all, let alone whatever it was she was trying to find.
Gulping a little, Cordelia lowered her voice so as not to wake up any spirits of insane people waiting to take revenge for the wrongs done to them. “What if there’s, you know, a skeleton in here? Or one of those operating tables with the experiment tools.”
Skeletons, operating tables and experiment tools? Where the hell did she think they were hiding in? An old mental asylum-turned-mansion or a medieval Area fucking 51? “Will you please pull yourself together woman?” Angelus asked, somewhat amazed by the girl’s overactive imagination where his mansion was concerned. “It’s an old mental asylum Cordelia, not my play house in Paris! There are no skeletons or operating tables or experiment tools here, though if you don’t stop that whimpering the skeleton situation can easily be remedied”
He could be lying about everything just so he could scare her later with a skull…
Cordelia gave her head a damn good shake, squared her shoulders and raised her head to look down her elegant nose at the vampire. “Then we should make ourselves at home, don’tcha think?” Christ, she was quivering in her Jimmy Choo’s but he didn’t have to know that. Huffing a little, she crossed her arms and adopted the most fearless position she knew. Her feet were a few inches apart, eyebrow raised and full lips quirked up in a half smile that dared anyone to try and mess with her.
Angelus regarded her posture and facial expression with a half-smile of his own, her fear was cloaking the air and he could see the slight trembling of her arms and legs. Her heart was racing, her eyes were blinking rapidly and snapping about the dark room as she waiting for some ghostly apparition of a mutated patient. She made a beautiful sight right then and he sighed, deciding she wasn’t that bad when she kept her mouth shut!
He confidently sauntered past the brunette towards the far wall where he sat comfortably on the cold, hard ground and crossed his long, powerful legs at the ankles. His large, strong hands were lifted to cushion the back of his head from the wall behind him and another sigh drifted from the contented vampire. “Aren’t ya gonna sit down? There’s no skeletons with long, bony fingers and empty eye sockets”
She made sure to send him a withering, unimpressed stare as she indefinitely decided not to sit down. “Skeletons or no, do you really think I’d ruin my Valentino skirt by sitting on this floor? As if” in the dark, he could see her eyes rolling. “I only got it this morning and in no way am I letting CryBuffy’s ex love bunny ruin a skirt that cost more than a year’s worth of her allowance”
Slowly, the sounds coming from the corridor began to get increasingly louder and more disturbing as both vampire and cheerleader used their imaginations. Her hands slapped over her ears, eyes squeezed tight shut and her mouth opened. “La-La-La-La-La! I can’t hear anything, La-La-La-La-La…!” Cordelia sang as she tried to rid herself of the image of Drusilla plastered over Xander.
Gritting his teeth together, Angelus let out an even breath as it became clear she had no intention of stopping that damned irritating noise. His nostrils flared with a sharp intake of unneeded breath and his lips pursed into a thin. “Cordelia!” The vampire barked finally as it got too much.
“No good, can’t hear you”
His hands clenched into a white knuckled grip and his jaw crackled with intense pressure as his blood began to boil. “For fuck’s sake, grow up!”
Hazel eyes quickly snapped wide open, the irises full of rising fury at his comment, her jaw dropped and her own hands became clenched. “Grow up?” Cordelia seethed, “Says the 300 year old vampire who acted like an adolescent not more than ten minutes ago! Pots and kettles”
Angelus glared at the brunette who talked back to him as though he were nothing more than an irritating pet yapping at her ankles. That really, really pissed him off. Didn’t she have any clue who the hell he was? Didn’t she know the meaning of dangerous situations and recognise when she was in one? “I think you should learn to keep your pretty mouth shut” he growled warningly.
An exasperated and disbelieving sound left her throat as she glared right back at him. She’d had more than enough of his attitude tonight. Where the hell did he get off? He couldn’t bully her around. “I’m so sick of your attitude!” Cordelia snapped and hands went to hips defiantly. “You’re just a big overgrown bully who thinks he can get away with everything”
“I get away with it because I can” Angelus growled as he got up from the floor. It didn’t take more than three or four paces before he was stood directly in front of the brunette, flashing golden orbs bore down into furious hazel ones. Let her talk back to him now.
An eyebrow rose once more as Cordelia met his gaze without flinching. “Maybe you do, but that’s only cus you’re a vampire. Big whoop! Who isn’t these days? Not like being a dead man walking is anything to brag about”
He’d said something similar just after losing his soul. Damn her! Narrowing his gaze just a little, the vampire changed his tactic. Inhaling deeply before speaking, “You’re not PMS-ing, so that can’t be the reason why your head’s up your tight ass” Angelus was pleased to see her mouth drop again. “Must be knowing your EX is getting screwed and you’re not.”
Slowly, those darkened orbs of his lit up with a wickedly teasing light that glimmered within the shadows of the old room. A smirk tugged lightly at the corners of his mouth as he regarded her for a few seconds before speaking. “That it?” He continued as though he were trying to diagnose her problem, “Those hot, little sounds making you cream your panties?!”
Cordelia’s eyebrows reached unprecedented heights and her mouth closely resembled a guppy. “EWWWWWWWW!” Her face showed nothing but disgust at his implication and her entire body shuddered. “That’s disgusting! Gross! That’s Xander and Drusilla.” She expressed the names just in case he didn’t understand. “What? Wasn’t there enough yeurgh in the world that you had to add to it?”
Angelus didn’t have a chance to reply as a girlish giggle sounded from directly behind Cordelia, making the brunette and vampire turn their attention away from their escalating argument to the entrance of the chamber. Through the shadows, the Scourge made out a rather haggard-looking Xander who was stood leaning on his childe and Drusilla, who was still fondling the boy’s bare chest.
The vampiress was cooing and licking her lips as though she had just tasted the sweetest fruit known to man and was committing it to memory. “Is the pretty girl making Daddy mad?” Drusilla enquired, her voice coming out on a husky breathy sigh that made the cheerleader shudder with revulsion. Clacking her tongue in dismay, the female vampire shook her head slowly. “Naughty kitten!” She chastised and wagged a finger “You mustn’t make Daddy mad, that is very naughty. He might spank you”
“Imagine that” Xander’s defeated voice sounded his dry remark.
Narrowing his eyes at the pair of them, Angelus felt the extra weight of another headache boring down on his head as he ignored both comments. “Had fun, Harris?” He stated instead, “Did my Dru take good care of you?!” Why waste a perfectly good opportunity to taunt?
“Oh yeah” Xander thought he had finally gone insane. “She really knows where to put those fangs of hers”
Cordelia was pleased that it was as dark as it was in the room, this way no-one could see the shocked blush reddening her face. “That was way too much information, thank you.” God, could tonight get any worse?
Drusilla licked her pouting lips once more and left Xander’s side for the first time that night, seeing how she was in no danger of losing her kitten to the other woman. She glided elegantly towards the brunette, emerald green eyes pinning the cheerleader to the spot as she came to stand directly in front of Cordelia. A slim finger topped with a pointed nail reached up to touch the dewy skin on her face, the vampiress smirked when the girl flinched at her touch. “Mmmm Daddy, you should like this one”
Grinning wickedly, Angelus moved his lethal figure to close Cordelia between himself and his childe, his heavily muscled arms came to wrap possessively around Cordelia’s trim waist. “You think so, Dru?” He purred seductively, leaning down so his cool breath purposely whispered across the heated cheek of the female he was holding prisoner.
The vampiress purred happily as her finger was slowly dragged across the fullness of the girl’s lower lip. “She has the prettiest eyes, like a fairy princess. Daddy should take her away from the nasty, nasty slayer and keep her in the highest tower in all the land. Away from the serpents and the slayers and the other princes.’ Would the princess like that? Come to stay forever and ever”
Being alone in a room with one vampire was bad enough, being alone in a room with Angelus was worse still but being in a room and sandwiched between Angelus and Drusilla was more than her brain could handle. Cordelia snapped her gaze over to Xander and prayed for his forgiveness for what she was about to do. “Dru, I think Xander wants you!” Her words came out a lot steadier than what she expected and she commended herself on not simpering like an idiot.
For his part, Xander shot his ex-girlfriend a glare that would have frozen the seven seas instantly. He’d just gotten rid of his groupie, couldn’t Cordelia give him a break? One good thing was he still had his virginity intact. Oh God, the vampiress was looking at him with that look again. Panic quickly began to bubble up inside his chest as his hands went to hide his genitals from her hungry stare.
“Not so fast Dru” who’d have thought Angelus would come to rescue? Certainly not Xander, but he was grateful.
That was until Angelus himself graced him with a harsh, soulless glare. “Xandie has to tell us what mess he got us into. Don’tcha Xandie?”
Xander’s gaze unwillingly drifted towards Cordelia and he gulped.
***
Cordelia was beyond amazement, beyond astonishment, to put it bluntly she was positively speechless which was a first. After the short but detailed explanation from her ex-boyfriend about the love spell that had gone wrong, she found herself on the end of an accusing glare from Angelus.
Black orbs were staring at her full of accusations and blame, making her fidget in discomfort under the weight of his gaze. “This is all your fault, Chase” the vampire growled as he disdainfully looked the brunette over, trying to figure out what was so special about her that warranted a love spell.
“My fault?” Cordelia yelled in stunned amazement as she blinked rapidly at the vampire. “He only wanted me to love him so HE could dump ME! If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s his” a finger was pointed in the boy’s direction. “No-one asked you to bring us to your little lair” she added haughtily and her nose rose up a little.
If there was one thing Angelus hated and that was being looked down on; it really raised his hackles that she thought she was too good for anyone and everyone. “I wonder why he wanted to dump you, God knows if you were my girl I’d wanna dump you to!”
“And I thought Dead Boy had no sense” Xander mumbled sarcastically as he wisely kept his eyes away from both females in the room. If he looked at Drusilla, she’d pounce on him again and if he looked at Cordelia, she’d kill him. The irony wasn’t lost on him at all; the girl he wanted to love him was the one who posed a fatal threat to his life while the blood sucking soulless demon attached to his side was professing eternal love.
Could tonight get any worse?!
“Oh no, whatever shall I do?” Cordelia blatantly ignored the sarcasm that fell from her ex’s tongue as she turned her wrath onto the vampire, her hazel blazing with a hot furnace of fury. “The evil blood sucking vampire doesn’t find me attractive, what a blow to my self-worth. I’m feeling the pain.” After making one or two fake crying sounds and wiping her dry eyes, the cheerleader shot a glance that clearly said ‘I don’t care what you think.’
“You should” Angelus bit back, a little perturbed that she didn’t care what he thought of her. Most of his minions clamoured for his respect and good opinion. “If you can get a vampire with no blood flow hard, then you know you’ve got a little something under the hood. Sadly in your case, the only thing under your hood baby, is a big mouth and a bad attitude”
“Says the soulless vampire who gets off on his own bad attitude. I repeat, pots and kettles.” Cordelia let his insults wash off her back as though they were nothing to her. Inwardly, she was demanding to know why the hell he didn’t find her in the least bit attractive. Her hair was perfect with not a strand out of place, a quick feel of her luxurious mane quickly backed that thought up. She had a great smile with straight, clean teeth, her make-up was perfect and her clothes were stylish and tasteful.
Why the hell wasn’t he attracted? Did she deserve to be attractive? She worked damn hard to feel like she was attractive. After all, that’s all that mattered where she was concerned, nobody ever bothered about what was on the inside. That was fine for her, that way she wouldn’t leave herself open to heartbreak.
“Your problem is that you’ve tried so fucking hard to be perfect that you’ve become unreachable.” At the drawn in gasp from the brunette, the vampire knew he’d hit a nerve and kept on going. “You’re beautiful, screw that, you’re fucking gorgeous baby and you know it”
Ice curled tightly around Cordelia as she stiffened under the analysis. Angelus was known for his mind games, for being able to pinpoint weakness with a deadly accuracy, for being able to use those weaknesses to his advantage. “If you don’t love yourself, who else will?” She quizzed smugly when the retort popped into her head.
He wasn’t gonna give her credit for that one at all. “But you don’t” he stated as though he had sudden insight into the mind of Cordelia Chase. “All anyone has ever seen is your pretty face and good body and in turn, that’s all you ever see. If nobody else is interested in your mind, then why should you be?”
A little lump of guilt rose up in Xander’s chest as he listened to the truthful words the vampire spoke. He never really thought of trying to get to know her, all he’d really wanted was a quick grope and kiss in the nearest closet. If somebody asked him anything about Cordelia Chase, he knew he wouldn’t be able to answer. Who was the most shallow? Him or her?
“I make it a point not to think, it’s a dangerous hobby” Cordelia coldly and nervously retorted, trying to bring some lightness back to the conversation and hoping against hope, he’d change the topic. It hurt, what he said that is, because every single syllable was the truth and it hurt her to know he knew her more than her closest friend.
“Wise choice” Angelus smirked in satisfaction, it didn’t take a genius to know he’d gotten closer to her than any of her so-called friends. Offhandedly, he wondered what she’d do if he told her what they say about her behind her back, but knowing her she probably already did. In fact, Cordelia would undoubtedly admit to all accusations openly and freely. She wasn’t ashamed, he liked that; deep down, he knew she didn’t give a damn what anyone else thought, he liked that too.
If only she’d keep her mouth shut, they stood a chance of getting along!
The conversation in the old, creepy dungeon room died down leaving a wall of silence between two of the occupants while the female vampire concentrated on getting her Xander’s attention back on her. Drusilla’s hand slowly smoothed up and down the boy’s chest, making him groan in helplessness as he was forced to succumb to her canoodling yet again, for he doubted Cordelia or Angelus would save him.
At the sound of his groan, Cordelia threw her hands high up into the air and let out an undignified snort before attempting to retrace her steps out of the room. “I cannot be in here while they’re… Doing who knows what with her fangs!” Her voice had risen a few decibels in volume and octave, the normally rich feminine noise came out as a high pitched cry for help.
“Then why don’t you help me?!” Xander demanded between nervous pants of air as Drusilla’s cool lips and tongue began to lathe his throat with soft little licks and kisses.
“You were going to dump me! You don’t deserve help”
“Hey, I resent that. You dumped me first”
“Well duh!” Cordelia replied easily as her arms crossed over her chest as she began to feel the chill in the room. Her skin was starting to come out in goose bumps, the soft downy hairs on her arms were beginning to prickle and she shivered. “I have my reputation to uphold, I can’t be seen with a guy who thinks the world revolves around Hawaiian shirts and polyester cotton blend. Do you know you gave me hives last week?”
“Shame your mouth wasn’t affected” Angelus snapped at the brunette when another tirade began to form. He saw the girl shiver a little and use her hands to rub some warmth back into her arms. His gaze was naturally drawn to the curves hidden by a flimsy, tight red sweater that hugged her firm breasts and showed them off to their utmost advantage. The chill was working it’s magic on her nipples, he could faintly see the outline of the little pebbles as they hardened under her clothes.
Not noticing where the vampire’s gaze was being directed, Cordelia didn’t bother dignifying his remark with a response and turned away from him instead. Calculating how far it was to the door, the brunette began to shuffle her way forwards hoping she would come across the escape route before Drusilla and Xander got any further. “God, my shoes are so dead” she grumbled to herself as she shuffled slowly so not to trip over.
“Poor shoes” the Scourge of Europe stated sarcastically as he tracked her movements with his gaze. A twisted smirk twitched at the edges of his hard mouth as she pretended not to hear him. “Where you going?”
“Away from here, I don’t need anymore trauma today. My brain and ears can’t cope anymore” Cordelia shot over her shoulder as she continued her shuffling. Each dragging of her feet made her cringe as she heard the soles of her shoes chaffing against the ground. The scratching was a horrid sound, second in annoyance to fingernails down a chalkboard.
Angelus regarded her form with a raised eyebrow, his mouth flickered up a little more as she visibly shook from something. “If you wanted the grand tour baby, all you had to do was ask nicely”
“A tour? Of this hell hole? I wouldn’t waste my eyesight” the brunette retorted. Said eyesight was avidly focused on the part of the ground she could vaguely see, she squinted and was almost sure she saw something scuttle past her feet. It took everything she had, but was able to repress the grossed out noise bubbling up in her chest. That was all her night needed to become a complete nightmare.
“This hell hole probably saved your life, you’re welcome for that by the way.” Angelus spoke up righteously and smugly, he figured nothing pissed her off more than being made to feel guilty about things she should have but didn’t do. To be honest, he didn’t want to be in the same room as Harris and Dru either, so maybe the cheerleader did have the right idea.
“Thanks so much for bringing me into the pit of despair, Angel” Cordelia’s sugary dulcet tones drifted around the room, making the vampire wince at the sweetness feigned. “I don’t know what I would have done with you!”
“Princess Bride” Xander breathed after a sloppy parting of lips sounded out, making both Angelus and Cordelia grimace in despair.
An excited squeal came from Drusilla who clapped her hands happily at the boy’s words. She had always wanted to be a bride and wear the pretty dresses and have proper flowers. “Oooh, Daddy! My kitten wants a princess bride. Can I be a princess bride?”
Angelus smirked “As you wish!”
“Oh, please kill me now!” groaned Cordelia.
Angelus’ smirk grew wider “As you wish!” he repeated with an evil grin.
“I swear to God,” Cordelia rose a hand sharply. “If you say anything else, I will tell the entire demon population that Big Bad Angelus watched The Princess Bride.” Xander’s snigger stopped dead at the growl aimed his way.
“Uhhh we’re never gonna get out of here alive” Xander’s high-pitched whimper sounded when he felt pointed fangs scrape dangerously down his neck.
“You’re only saying that because nobody ever has” Angelus quipped with a sideways glance at the brunette.
“Arrggh!” Cordelia’s loud, frustrated scream was joined by a heavy foot stomp that sent a jolt of pain up her leg. “Will you all stop it?! I’m gonna be mentally scarred for life, that’s if I’m not already”
“That’s easily arranged, all you gotta do is ask nicely” Angelus purred, thoroughly enjoying her little tantrum.
With a huff, Cordelia instantly resumed her movements towards the exit. Her footsteps were frantic, eyes were once again pinned to the floor and she didn’t see the wall she walked into. “Umph!” She collided with the concrete wall, her hands scrabbled for purchase as she attempted to regain her balance. It would have worked if one of her heels hadn’t snapped under the struggle to stay upright and the brunette landed squarely on her ass.
The room was instantly filled with a rich baritone laugh that emanated from Angelus. His large hand clutched his stomach as he stared at the female sat on the floor and desperately wished there had been some lighting at that precise moment in time.
Cordelia sucked in a deep breath, held her head high and ignored the huge wave of humiliation that threatened to drown her. Carefully, she picked herself up from the dirty floor, dusted and smoothed her clothes before she turned to face the vampire as he continued to laugh at her expense. “Excuse me” she stated regally and began shuffling at a safer pace, limping on one heel.
Angelus coughed back the rest of his laughter but kept the huge smirk on his face as he watched the cheerleader head for the exit. Shaking his head, he growled inwardly at her stubborn streak and made a move to follow her. At the sound of a girlish groan being joined by a boyish one, the vampire increased his speed and whisked the girl out of the room sharpish.