They squared off in the foyer, Angel and Cordelia standing silently across from Faith and Giles. Awkward was not the word for it. It was downright painful. No one seemed to want to be the first one to speak.
Normally, Cordelia would just break the ice. She tried now, but the words caught in her throat. There was censure, sorrow and concern in Giles’ eyes, his lips pressed tightly closed as he looked at the two of them. Faith looked ready for a fight, but she always did.
It was Angel who finally broke the silence. “I appreciate you coming here,” he looked Giles in the eye, “for Cordy’s sake,” phrasing it as if he thought it was a burden.
Cordelia was puzzled for a second until she realized that the last time Giles had been to the mansion, Angelus and Drusilla had tortured him for information. There was a twinge of guilt in Angel’ voice knowing that the simple act of being here was enough to bring back the memories of that time.
“Naturally, I want to help,” Giles took the hand Angel offered after only the briefest pause. The irony of it struck hard knowing that Giles was willing to help and protect her despite the fact that Angelus had killed Jenny Calendar.
She thought she’d been holding it together pretty well until Giles’ attention turned to her. “How are you holding up?” Thank God for Angel standing there next to her. The last thing she wanted was to look like a blubbering idiot in front of Buffy’s Watcher.
Assuring him, “I’m fine,” as she slipped her fingers through Angel’s to clasp his hand tight. When he squeezed back Cordelia felt herself relaxing and everything she had wanted or needed to say came pouring out: Drusilla hiding her from the demon, Bev having a will that would need tending to, the need to file a report with the police, wanting to see Bev at the morgue, and make funeral arrangements.
Giles promised to help with everything that needed to be done. “I hesitate to say this now,” he added, “considering the circumstances, but we must discuss what is to be done about seeing to your protection.”
As Angel had suggested, Giles seemed to think it was possible that she was still in some kind of danger. Hello, not a virgin anymore. Cordelia did not think that needed pointing out after Buffy hightailed it straight to Giles’ place this morning.
“The final signs of the prophecy will make their appearance in the days and weeks ahead.” He reminded her that it might be some time before they could let down their guard. “I presume any fulfillment of this prophecy will ultimately require Cordelia’s participation as a sacrifice.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Angel practically growled his response. She could feel the tension building up just by the subtle change in his grip.
With her free hand, she stroked her fingers down his arm. “No, it won’t happen. You won’t let it.”
For a moment, she got lost in Angel’s eyes.
Cordelia had confidence that Angel could protect her from this. And just in case, she was still planning on more training sessions. She only hoped that Bev’s funeral would go smoothly and that nothing else would distract them from putting her grandmother to rest.
“We’ll get through this,” Angel promised her softly.
A harrumph sounded from Giles catching their attention. Faith nudged him with her elbow and shook her head, but he didn’t notice. Cordelia was too curious to ignore it. “What’s the secret?” She suspected it had something to do with her and Angel.
“No secret,” Giles hurriedly explained. “There is something I need to discuss with Angel.”
Cordelia raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really?” her voice dropped dangerously. There were some subjects she considered closed.
“With the ongoing danger, I believe it is best to consolidate our efforts,” Giles missed the glare in her eyes turning to surprise. “The mansion is the best place for everyone to hold up for a few days.”
“Here?” Cordelia glanced over at Angel wondering how he was going to react. Having Buffy and the rest of the Scoobs here was not a pleasant thought.
A heavy silence thickened the air until finally Angel commented, “Fine.”
“What?” Gaping openly, Cordelia pictured Buffy catching her making out with Angel. Demons were the least of her problems. “Now?”
Defending Angel’s decision, Giles listed his own reasoning for suggesting it in the first place. Knowing that the Crosathnam demon had already tracked Cordelia down once, it was likely that it could do so again. There would be no need to house her with one of the others, keeping the Scoobies’ families safe. Since the mansion was not in a heavily populated area, they might have a chance to keep a low profile.
“We cannot sit idly while the demons gather strength,” Giles warned them. “We need a stronghold against attack and I believe this mansion will provide it.”
Angel was already thinking of weaknesses in the perimeter defenses and how they might go about fixing them. When Giles stepped up and suggested they sit down to work out some details, Cordelia gladly left them to their man-to-manpire chat. She was anxious to talk to Faith.
There were some things Cordelia needed to get off her chest. “I didn’t expect you to be here.”
Still staring over at Giles as he and Angel walked toward the study, Faith jerked her attention back to Cordelia giving her a gruff response. “It was me or B.”
“This bodyguard thing is more of a pain than I imagined.”
Cordelia expected Faith to joke about her needing to get used to it if she planned to be rich and famous some day. The joke never came. Just an uneasy silence as Faith crossed her arms over her chest and looked back down the hall.
She seemed closed-off and uncomfortable. Guessing that it had to do with being witness to whatever Buffy said about her when she got to Giles’ place, Cordelia let out an indignant huff. “Buffy Big Mouth blabbered that I was with Angel last night. Guess Giles loved hearing all about it— not.”
It was a statement rather than a question. Faith barked a laugh. “Yeah, he knows. Everybody knows.”
“I suppose I’m now the bitch from hell… again.”
Faith let out another laugh, but this one was tainted with remorse. “That’s my title.”
Not getting it, Cordelia asked, “Why?”
“It’s obvious.” This time Faith looked straight at her, standing stiff as a board.
There was not anything as obvious as a neon sign that Cordelia could see. “You say something to piss Buffy off?”
“No. Don’t you get it?” She looked stunned and uncomfortable about saying anything else. “Bev. Bev died because of me.”
“Enough with the— hey!” she stalled as Faith’s words sank in. Taking a step forward, Cordelia told her, “I saw everything.”
Wracked with guilt, Faith stumbled over the words, “It was an accident.” She stared back, jaw tightening as she waited for Cordelia to chew her up and spit her out.
“I know that.” Cordelia realized the reason for Faith’s evasiveness. “Bev would be the first to kick your ass for blaming yourself for this. As it is, looks like I get first dibs.”
Faith flashed a grin, but it faded again just as quickly. “Bev was cool. I never meant for her to get hurt.”
Deciding to let Faith get this out in the open, Cordelia found herself swallowing back another bout of tears. She let her hair fall forward shadowing her face as she took in a deep breath before looking up again. “Fighting demons, even if you’re a Slayer, must be tough when you’re trying to protect other people, too.”
“It doesn’t change anything,” Faith scowled, angry at herself and the situation. She let out a noxious curse pushing away Cordelia’s outstretched hand. “Some Slayer. I’m such a screw up.”
She gave her a little room, but did not back down. “You’re my friend.”
The seconds passed without any comment, but that dimpled smile appeared again. Cordelia nabbed the opportunity to change the subject. “Buffy’s just lucky it was you who showed up. She’s overdue for some ass-kickage of her own. My clothes were in trash bags.”
“Uh…”
Cordelia shuddered again at the atrocity. “Trash bags.”
“Maybe we should check on the guys,” Faith leaned over to peer down the hall again, “just in case.”
Either she was not the only one good at changing subjects or Faith was actually concerned about the discussion going on in the study. “Why do I get the feeling they’re not just talking about defense strategies? Giles wouldn’t have the nerve—”
“Um.”
“Ooh, he’d better not,” Cordelia started down the hall with Faith trailing after her.
Angel was the first to look up at their arrival. He was standing by the fireplace, the wood cold and ashen much like his stony expression. His dark eyes flicked back to Giles who turned toward them. “Ah, girls, there you are. We were just finishing up here. Perhaps we should get started. Is… is everything alright?”
Ignoring him, Cordelia walked up to Angel, silently searching his face for signs that he’d been subject to some kind of inquisition. Angel said nothing. His hand swept up to cup her face, eyes softening as they lingered over her mouth. She relaxed at his touch, instinctively knowing that whatever they’d been discussing, it hadn’t affected his feelings for her.
Behind her, Faith’s voice contained a little bite when she asked Giles, “Did you ditch the lecture like I said?”
Lecture? Cordelia glanced over her shoulder before turning around completely. “What are you talking about?” It had better not be what she was thinking. And if it was, a certain Watcher had better produce the right answer. Otherwise, he would end up having to dislodge the family jewels from his nostrils.
Though Giles was not psychic, he could definitely read her body language. Right now, it was shouting at him. He looked back at Faith who seemed to realize she unwittingly unleashed Cordelia’s fury. “Sorry, Rup,” she chuckled.
“We were discussing perimeter defenses,” Giles responded truthfully.
Moving a step closer, Cordelia propped her hands on her hips. “Good answer. What lecture, Giles?”
“Take a wild guess,” Faith looked like she was the only one having fun with this.
Who needed to guess? It was obvious that Giles had prepared some speech about Cordelia being too young or Angel being too dangerous for them to be together. “It’s none of your business.”
Giles didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “Perhaps not, but when things settle down, it would be prudent to conduct some tests. I understand that you believe your soul is now secure,” he said to Angel.
“Yes.” There was a thread of anger weighting the single syllable down.
That did not stop Giles from continuing on now that the subject had been forced upon him. “If the risk of Angelus—”
“Angel’s not going to lose his soul,” Cordelia snapped. This was all out of some sense of concern for her, she realized, but that did not make it his decision. “Giles, you’re not my father. I’m old enough to have sex if I want…with anyone I want.”
Pursing his lips closed, Giles agreed with a curt nod. “I cannot judge you for whom you love, Cordelia, but allow me the courtesy of concern— for both of you.”
Her anger faded when she saw only genuine feeling in his eyes. Promising him, “It’s safe. I know it is.” The knowledge that Angel’s soul was secure made Drusilla’s shared vision seem plausible. She was not ready to divulge that to anyone without understanding it fully.
“I hope so.” Giles sighed deeply. “For now, the immediate issue is converting this mansion into our command center.”
Cordelia could not hide her feelings on that matter. “Ugh. That idea is right up there with corduroy making a comeback.”
“Until the danger is over, it’s for the best.” Angel had already agreed to it. He tried to assure her that it would be okay, but he did not sound very thrilled about it, either.
“Guess we’ll be moving in,” Faith sent her an apologetic smile.
Making a sour face, “Fantastic,” Cordelia’s lip curled. “It’ll be like Summer Camp with the Scoobies. I can’t wait.”