14
The sharp ringing of the phone had Wesley jerking awake, his hands flaying frantically across the bedside table as he searched blindly for his glasses. He found them finally, sliding them on and yanking the covers off, jumping out of bed. He slipped his feet into his slippers, heading out into his living room and grabbing the phone from its receiver.
“This had better be bloody good!”
The phone continued to ring.
Wesley stared down at the phone in his hands, his eyes widening in realization. It was them. He dropped the phone, dashing towards the storage closet, turning the correct combination and pulling the door open. He fumbled for a light, the ring of the fax phone that connected him to the Powers deafening in his ears as he finally reached it, yanking it up to his ear.
“Hello?”
There was silence on the other line and for one terrible moment, Wesley feared he’d missed it. There was a beeping sound, a strange mechanical click and whine – and then the fax machine began to print.
***
Epiphanies came at the strangest, most inconvenient times in life, almost as if they were designed to leave you helpless and miserable in the face of the truth. It was on the phone last night that it had finally sunk in, FINALLY shed light on her erratic, confusing emotions, when Buffy had blurted how she felt onto Xander’s machine.
It had come as if out of nowhere, rising from her throat and taking her heart with it before her brain even had a chance to protest. And now it all made sense – her anger at Faith, her possessiveness over Xander, her anxiety at the very thought of them together.
She was in love with her best friend. With Xander. With the only man in her life who’d ever been a figure of stability and constancy and unconditional love.
She was a fool for not realising it sooner.
Buffy stirred her café mocha, watching the liquid swirl around in the porcelain cup. Comprehension didn’t make it hurt any less and now everything she’d been feeling for days piled up on her, making her head hurt and her heart heavy.
“Buffy?”
She looked up at Xander’s concerned face, feeling her heart give a little in her chest. “Yeah?”
“You okay?” He cocked his head. “You look…not okay.”
Immediately she looked away, terrified that he would look into her eyes and know that she loved him. To her credit, she managed the tiniest of smiles. “I’m fine, Xander. Rough night, that’s all.”
“This I understand.” Xander nodded. “What with my secret spy experience now rivalling yours…” He grinned, slipping his hand into hers and she jerked momentarily, feeling a tingle shoot up her arm.
“But hey,” He squeezed her hand, staring her right in the eye. “Regardless of my current Tom Cruise slash Sean Connery status, I’ll promise you this.”
Buffy swallowed. “What?”
“No matter what happens,” He paused dramatically, “No matter how famous I get…”
Buffy released a breath, equally relieved and disappointed that he was joking around.
“You’ll *always* be my best friend.” Xander winked at her. “Bonnie.”
His eyes sparkled with amusement and it hit her once again just how very much she loved him. “Always.” Tears pricked behind her eyes but Buffy bit her lip, smiling softly. “Clyde.”
***
Sunshine streamed through the large, floor length windows of the suite and Cordelia grimaced, her eyes fluttering open. She grabbed for the glass of water that had been placed on the bedside table, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the bright morning light. Despite its intensity, the view of the city was still breathtaking and Cordy found herself mesmerized by it all over again.
The turbulent buzzing of her phone on the side table shattered the peaceful moment and she reached for it, flipping it open.
“Hello?”
“I leave you alone for five minutes and you sleep with a dead guy?”
Cordy jerked, sitting upright. “Riley—”
“Let’s recap, shall we? Here’s me, worrying about you half the night because you’re not answering your phone…” Cordy winced. “And there’s you, banging Dracula.” Even if her ring tone had been louder, she doubted anything would’ve penetrated her dead-to-the-world slumber. And Riley was sounding unusually serious on the subject.
Riley continued to vent. “Oh, and let’s not forget Buffy, who called to cover for you. Said you were, and I quote, ‘tied up’ with a client all night. Tied up, my ass. You never let me tie you up, but this guy—and I haven’t even MET Mr. Tall, Dark and Bloodsucking yet!”
“I’m sorry, do I know you? Because you’re freaking out in a totally un-Finn-like manner,” Cordy said, her body too wonderfully sore and tired to argue. But when he didn’t immediately respond, for a split second she worried that he really was pissed off. “Look, I guess I should have called or something. But I just didn’t think…”
“Cordelia Chase, meet my point. You weren’t thinking. Not with your head anyway. Which is, let’s face it, my gig.”
She frowned. “Speaking of which, pot meet kettle. The only time you’ve ever been with a woman and called me is so you can pretend I’m your parole officer or court-appointed psychiatrist and make an excuse to leave.”
“Alright, alright… melodrama over,” Riley conceded. “Just be straight with me…”
“Always.”
“You okay?”
“Better than okay. I’m great.”
“I should think so. I mean, if the dude hasn’t learned his alphabet at least up to the big-O in a couple of centuries – ”
“Riley!” Cordy couldn’t help but grin at his playful leer. “Must you cheapen the moment?”
“It’s a gift.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “Go enjoy the morning after and call me later. Oh, and Cordy?”
“Hmm?”
“I wanna meet this guy.”
Cordy sighed. “Fine, whatever. We’ll talk about it. Later.”
“Cool.” Riley paused. “Necrophiliac.”
“Man whore.”
He laughed. “Sticks and stones, Chase, sticks and stones.”
Cordy smirked, hanging up. She checked the text message that popped up, replying to Buffy and confirming she’d be in by one. She snapped the phone shut and tossed it back onto the bedside table, falling back onto the comfortable mattress. Cordelia frowned at the empty space beside her, only just noticing it void of a certain vampire.
There was an odd noise behind her and she turned her head from where it was resting on the pillow, her face immediately softening when the bathroom door opened and Angel emerged from it, his hips wrapped in a towel, body still damp and glistening from the shower. It truly was amazing, to see him in the sunlight, not to mention the way it made his entire body glow, highlighting the tiny drop of water that cascaded down between his pectorals.
Cordelia licked her lips, her voice coming out hoarse. “Hey.”
“Morning, beautiful.” Angel replied with a grin, taking a few steps towards the bed. He leaned down, kissed her. “Sleep well?”
“Mmm…” Cordy murmured, spreading her arms wide on the bed and smirking at the way Angel’s eyes hungrily followed every movement. “This bed is amazing.”
He winked. “You should stay over more often.”
“Maybe I will.”
Angel placed one knee on the bed, bracing himself on his arms and preparing to crawl towards her. A soft chime made him pause, glance behind him.
Cordy cocked her head. “Who’s that?”
Angel grumbled something unintelligible. Then, “Stay here.” He stood, his lips quirking. “Hold that thought.”
Curious, Cordelia sat up, wrapping the sheet around her and leaning towards the end of the bed. The French doors and the sofa directly in front of them were partially obscuring her view but when Angel reached the elevator and it slid open, Cordy had to duck for fear of being seen by the woman standing there.
“Well,” Came the woman’s voice, low and husky. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”
Cordelia’s eyes narrowed.
The woman continued when Angel didn’t respond. “I figured you wouldn’t mind me using your private elevator.”
“Eve, I mind you breathing.” Angel said dispassionately. “I thought I told security not to let you into this building.”
EVE???
Cordy pushed herself up on her elbow, staying low and peeking out from behind the doors. Eve was an attractive woman, though her clothes left a LOT to be desired, shorter than Cordelia in height and with medium long reddish brown hair.
Cordy snorted. Despite Eve’s attempts at appearing minion-like, Satan must’ve missed the boat with her. She came off more like a smarmy sorority girl pretending to be all grown up.
“Sweetie,” Eve smirked cockily, “I’m liaison to the senior partners. You honestly think you have any control over my comings and goings?” Her smile widened. “Well, maybe not my goings, but you did have a way with my comings at the Halloween party.”
Cordelia rolled her eyes as that, her heart lurching for one thick, jealous beat before it calmed.
“What do you want, Eve?” Angel sounded bored.
“What do I want?” Eve asked, smirking at him. She ran a finger down his chest. Cordelia clenched her fists into the sheet. “I thought you’d never ask, Angel – ”
Angel grabbed her hand, shoving it away. It was a difficult angle but Cordy could tell his expression remained blank. “Get out.”
Eve pouted. “Is that anyway to treat a lady?”
“You’re hardly a lady.” Angel scoffed.
“Tramp’s more like it.” Cordy muttered, grasping the side of the bed when she nearly toppled over it.
Eve crossed her arms slowly. “Whatever. As liaison to the senior partners, I have a job to do.”
Angel raised an eyebrow uncaringly. “And you’re torturing me with the excruciating pleasure of your company because…?”
“Security said they brought you an intruder last night.” Eve said. Cordelia could swear she kept glancing at Angel’s chest. “A woman.”
Angel still looked uninterested. “And?”
Eve glared at him. “Where is she?”
Angel didn’t even twitch. “I dealt with her.”
“How exactly did you do that?”
Angel took a step closer to her, levelling his nose with hers. His voice came out gravelly, dangerous. “Would you like me to show you?”
Cordy wasn’t entirely sure what he did but Eve’s entirely body stiffened and her eyes widened momentarily in fear. She took a step back, and Angel took advantage of the space, punching the down button beside him.
“Fine.” She breathed, her voice shaking just slightly. “I trust you dealt with her sufficiently and that we wont be seeing her again?”
Angel shrugged in non-committal fashion. “Sure.”
“Good.” Eve said, glaring daggers at him as the doors started to close. “Well, I’ll see you – ”
Angel grinned wickedly as the elevator doors slammed shut in her face.
“Can’t you get a lock on that thing?” Cordelia asked, standing and wrapping a sheet around herself as Angel turned back towards her, scratching the back of his neck. He looked a little irked and lot sexy, and Cordy couldn’t help her eyes from dropping to where his towel was riding awfully low.
Still, she had to clear the air. “So you two are groin buddies?”
Angel’s eyes jerked up in surprise but she merely raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms against her chest. “And I thought Darla was rock bottom.”
Angel gave her a pained look. “We’re not – ” He sighed. “Just once. There were special circumstances. A co-worker told us to, but mystically.” He growled. “She’s lucky I let her walk out of here with her head still attached to her body.”
Cordy scrunched up her nose, rolling her eyes, unable to squelch the pangs of jealousy though she knew they were groundless. It was obvious that he was as unimpressed by the event as her. “I’m surprised she didn’t walk out of here with *you* attached to her body.”
When his eyes jerked to hers a second time, Cordy wondered if maybe she was only doing this to make him squirm. His expression remained astonished for a few seconds before his lips twisted into a smirk, throwing her completely.
“You’re jealous.”
Cordelia’s jaw dropped. “I am NOT jealous.”
Angel stepped closer to her, grinning widely. “Yeah you are, you’re jealous!”
Cordy’s eyes narrowed. “I am not – mmph!” He cut her off, kissing her hard, his hands grasping her shoulders briefly before he pulled away and pressed his lips to her temple. “You have nothing to be jealous about. Eve wasn’t my choice by a long shot, it was just an unfortunate situation.” He kissed her nose. “Nothing compared to you, to last night.”
When her eyes fluttered to his, he cupped her cheek, smiling. “I haven’t felt that happy in a long time, Cordy.”
Cordelia sighed, appeased, her jealousy almost instantly forgotten. She raised an eyebrow. “Not too happy, I hope.”
Angel chuckled and his breath tickled her ear, provoking goosebumps across her shoulders. “No, but close.” He looked around his suite. “This place makes it kinda hard.”
“Kinda noticed.” She grinned wickedly, before sobering and squeezing his arm. “Me too. I mean, I’m happy.”
His proximity was close and Cordy couldn’t help it – her eyes dropped to his lips, pulled into a grin at her leer, then his chest and the towel wrapped loosely around his hips. Her hands fell to his waist as though they had a mind of their own and she untied the towel, letting it drop to the floor.
Angel didn’t take his eyes off her as she moved closer. “But maybe we should, you know, make sure.” He murmured.
“Hmm.” Cordelia said, her lips touching his in the briefest caress. “Maybe.”
Angel swiftly ducked his head, his mouth pressing feverishly against hers as he kissed her breathless. He nipped at her bottom lip, his arms going around her. Smoothly, he lifted her against him, supporting her thighs as her legs wrapped around his waist and the sheet fell away.
Cordelia felt the cool press of the wall against her back, her fingers raking through his hair as he peppered her face and neck with kisses. Angel palmed her back, his tongue sliding across the hollow of her throat and jaw-line, soothing the tiny bites he made along the way.
Cordy rubbed herself against him, desperate for friction and Angel growled, low in his throat as their bare flesh connected. She dug her nails into his shoulders, arching her back when he sucked a nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the dark nub. Her own fingers slid under his arm and over his chest, finding his nipple. She played with it, loving the way he purred, his body vibrating against her.
“Put your hands up over your head.” Angel ordered, his voice low, sexy, and a shiver passed through her at his assertiveness. She did as he asked, tingles spreading along her body as he ran his hands down her sides, settling them on her waist. He nuzzled into her cheek. “Spread your legs.”
Cordelia gasped as he ground his hips into hers, her eyes nearly rolling back in her head at what he was doing down there with his hands. He dragged his mouth up, plundering her lips, his kisses hot and messy. She bit his lip, kissed his chin, his nose – laughing when she found he was grinning – his cheek. Her tongue painted the curve of his ear, flicking against his earlobe. Angel released a deep moan into her neck and Cordy jolted against him, bucking her hips into his.
Easily, he slid into her, her body accustomed to his presence, comforted and thrilled by it. When he moved, she moved with him, a rhythm building between them as they drew nearer to the peak. Skin slid against skin, closer with each thrust and Cordy felt every muscle in her body pull taut as his hands cupped her butt, holding her to him. Angel increased his pace, frantic, urgent, harder, only satisfied when she screamed, her thighs clenching around him as the orgasm hit her.
Bright lights flashed behind her eyelids and the world spun around her, taking her with it. When she opened her eyes he was coming inside her, his groan heavy, his face buried beneath her chin. Angel’s body ceased movement and Cordelia stroked the back of his neck soothingly, playing with the fine hairs there.
Slowly, Angel raised his dazed eyes to meet hers. “Talk about a morning workout.”
“Yeah well,” Cordy stroked his cheek, “A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.”
“Which is?”
Cordy shrugged. “I doubt the Powers want a fat vampire working for them.”
Angel raised an eyebrow. “You think I’m fat?”
Cordy smirked, eyes widening when Angel shifted. She was in too vulnerable a position to make a smart-ass comment about his weight but she couldn’t resist. “You’re…huggable.”
Angel stared at her evenly, not moving a muscle. Suddenly, he spun around, tightening his arms around her and taking three quick steps towards the bed. Cordy shrieked as she flew through the air, landing on the mattress and bouncing once. She giggled madly, thrilled and carefree when Angel lunged for her, locking a wrist around her ankle and yanking her beneath him.
***
“I see you’re trying to create an atmosphere.” Faith said sarcastically, tapping her heel annoyingly against the table. “You know, to heighten the tension before the big revelation.”
Wesley made a face. “Really Faith, you’ve been watching too many movies. I’m merely waiting until Cordy and Angel get here.”
“Sure.” Faith said, not sounding convinced but not pursuing it any further. She bumped Buffy with her knee. “You okay Summers? You seem a little quiet.”
Buffy glanced up briefly, faking a smile. “I’m fine.”
LIAR, a voice deep inside her shouted. She wasn’t fine at all, she hadn’t been for days. And apparently she was doing a crappy job of hiding it.
Cordelia on the other hand, when she walked in a few minutes later, looked very fine, – better than fine, hell, she was positively glowing. That might have had something to do with Angel walking right beside her, his hand in hers. It may also have been the barely-covered-by-make-up hickey on her neck and the fact that she was wearing the same clothes as the night before but hey, Buffy was just venturing a well-educated guess.
Faith raised an eyebrow. “You look like a girl who got good and laid last night.”
“And maybe again this morning.” Buffy muttered under her breath.
Cordelia flushed a deep crimson, glaring daggers at both of them but Angel only graced them with a purely male smirk, clearly unable nor wanting to hide that he’d had a more than enjoyable evening with Cordy.
“I’m well aware that you do, but could we refrain from discussing your sex lives? First thing at least? Wesley approached the table with a stack of papers, taking a seat beside Buffy. “Sort out your priorities.”
Faith frowned. “We have got our priorities sorted out.”
Wesley shot her a look. “Well, in that case, god help us all.” He glanced up at Angel. “Angel.”
“Wesley.” Angel said smoothly. “Good to see you again.”
“Yes, you too. Cordy, thank goodness you’re safe, I was worried about what might have been *done* to you last night.” Wesley paused immediately in his rifling through the sheets when the room went silent – swiftly followed by snickering, then howling laughter as Faith, Buffy and even Cordelia keeled over at the connotations of what he’d just said.
He looked up helplessly at Angel, going red. “No, I didn’t – what I meant was – as in the firm’s security guards – ” He closed his eyes, clenching his fists and Buffy had to bit her lip hard to keep another peal of laughter from escaping. Faith was holding her stomach, only now regaining her composure.
Angel was watching Wes with a mixed expression of sympathy and amusement, and when Wesley cleared his throat and dropped the stack of sheets onto the surface of the table, Angel dragged Cordy around the couch and into a seat, returning his notice to the matter at hand and giving Wes his full, undivided attention. Buffy smiled. You had to like the guy.
“As I was saying,” Wesley continued, loosening the collar of his shirt. “Unlike you prioritized ladies of leisure, I was awoken at an unearthly hour this morning regarding the case.” He shrugged. “Granted, it did save me a hell of a lot of research.”
“The PTB?” Cordy asked, serious now.
“Indeed.”
Buffy crossed her arms. “Are you ever going to tell us who it is exactly that you talk to up there?”
“There are a load of them.” Angel said, shifting somewhat uncomfortably when four pairs of eyes turned to him. “Shared responsibility. I’ve met a few – strange, mysterious, talk in riddles.”
“We know the type.” Faith said dryly.
“Let’s focus.” Wesley said, and once again they all turned to face him. “It was as I suspected. All three objects – the coin, the key and the glove are connected.”
Buffy’s eyebrows shot up. Well that was a lucky break…
“Here’s the catch,” Wesley said, putting a damper on it. “The reason the coin and key exist in the first place is that over the centuries, Wolfram and Hart has existed in one form or another, and similarly to the Powers That Be, they required and still do require spaces in which to contain information undisclosed yet vital to human, demon and other races among us.”
Faith released a breath. “They’re been around for as long as the Powers?”
Wesley nodded. “In various shapes and forms. Wolfram and Hart is merely this century’s disguise.” He looked at them grimly. “The Senior partners of the firm are simply labelled so as legal terminology. The truth of the matter is, they are essentially evil and it’s close to impossible to destroy them. More importantly, it is unwise.”
Cordy’s eyes widened. “Say what?”
“He’s right.” Angel said. “The senior partners balance out the evil in the world, just as the Powers do the good. Killing one wouldn’t do anything and you can take my word on that, but destroying them completely would knock the earth off its axis. There would be no balance, only chaos.”
Cordy stared at him, her tone accusatory. “So forget the fact that human beings will never experience a perfect world, you’re saying you don’t even *want* them to?”
Angel cupped her cheek. “I wouldn’t exist in a perfect world, Cordy.”
Cordy’s eyes immediately softened and she looked remorseful as she grabbed for his hand. “You’d exist in mine.”
Wesley cleared his throat uncomfortably and Buffy rolled her eyes at him, though even she had to admit their display was a little sickening. But that may have just been as a result of her current state of affairs, or lack thereof. “So no killing of senior partners, got it.” She pointed at a sheet on top of Wesley’s pile. “That doesn’t explain what these things actually do.”
“Oh, yes.” Wesley handed the sheets around to the girls and Angel, each depicting images of all three objects. “It turns out that when joined together, the coin and the key do grant access to a portal, cleverly disguised as something else of course, into probably the least easily accessible location in the world, let alone the building.” He paused, almost as if for effect. “This is the place that I believe, after carefully considering all the files recovered last night, houses the contract withholding Angel’s soul.”
Cordy scrunched up her nose. “So you think it’s in like, some dimensional portal behind door number 1?”
Wesley stood suddenly, looking nervous as he paced, his hands in his pockets. “Not exactly. The contract would have to be in a place difficult to enter, somewhere terribly concentrated with evil where it could reside as an object crafted by evil to commit an act of evil.”
Already, Buffy didn’t like how this was sounding. “Sorry, so you’re saying no one good can access this realm of evil?”
“No, that’s not the case.” Wesley replied. “Nothing entirely evil can survive in a realm of intrinsic goodness, and in a similar way, nothing purely good can exist in a place of solely evil.” He gestured vaguely towards them. “Human beings are creatures of balance, consisting of equal parts of good and evil. Of course, some more than others who go off the rails but that’s a different story all together…”
“So we’ll be fine?” Faith asked.
“Yes.” Wesley said cautiously. “As long as you aren’t there for too lengthy a period of time.”
Cordelia shook her head. “Hold on a minute. Wes, you haven’t even told us what this realm is. Is it some sort of alternate dimension or something?”
Wesley sucked in a breath, closing his eyes. “Actually, the place housing Angel’s soul is the place that no one other than Angel himself has recently tried to gain access to. Any procedures restoring the soul to its rightful owner would have to be undertaken at the very source of Wolfram and Hart, the only place with the power to chain his soul in the first place.” His eyes opened slowly. “The home office.”
Buffy felt the breath rush out of her lungs. Silence filled the room, tense and shocked, no one entirely certain of how to react.
Cordelia seemed the first to find her tongue, lifting her jaw off the ground. “Wow, you’re really giving a literal meaning to the expression ‘go to hell’, huh Wes?”