Part 6
Cordelia stretched moving around in the bed. She sat up and looked at the empty space beside her. She blinked as Angel exited the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his hips.
“Not afraid I’ll rip it off.” Her appreciative glance wandered up and down the vampire’s strong body.
“Maybe, we could talk Anita into putting a shower into the Enchanted Room.” He knelt on the bed.
“An Enchanted Shower, that’d be fun.” Cordelia smiled in leaning in for a kiss, her hand stroking along Angel’s chest.
“Uhuh,” Angel cupped her chin bringing her even closer, his lips gently taking possession of hers. Cordelia scooted along the bed, drawing out the kiss, her tongue meeting Angel’s in a gentle caress. She leaned back.
“Wow. Towel wearing Angel and a morning kiss and I don’t feel the need to embarrass myself in front of Fred and Gunn. This is an accomplishment.”
Angel sat back, a slow sexy grin forming. “Oh, the magic is gone, is it? I think I feel used. You sure, I can’t get you to go running into the shower?”
“Stop that, Angel. Don’t start a challenge that we can’t finish.” She scooted back suddenly wary at the vampire’s expression.
Angel laughed and kissed her soundly on her scowl. “Will save it for our next outing.”
“Get dressed, mustn’t push our luck.”
Angel took a deep breath and nodded.
“Angel.” Cordelia sat on the bed watching him pull on his pants.
“Hmmm.”
“It worked.” She smiled happily at Angel’s grin.
“Yep, it definitely worked. I don’t feel like killing anything this morning.”
Cordy scrunched up her face. “Afternoon and what do you mean?”
Fully dressed Angel flopped back down on the bed, his hand teasing at Cordy’s toes. “Frustration, Cordy.”
Cordy nodded. “Yeah, good thing too my big toe was beginning to hate me.”
“Uh?” Looking at the digit in question.
“Frustration can hurt sometimes when it causes kicking hard unmovable objects.” She smiled. “So, when can we go again?”
Angel chuckled lying on his back, his hands resting behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. “Now would probably not be good, uh.”
Cordy turned to lie on her side facing the vampire. “Oh, it would be good but not financially feasible. Can’t splurge all at once. It’s like ice cream, control, Angel. Get the most for your money.”
Angel jerked to his side to face her. “Cordy, you have no control when it comes to ice cream. You can’t stop once you start.”
Cordy shot up. “I can too. I’m not a pig.”
Angel laughed. “Okay, it wasn’t you that finished off a gallon of Rocky Road in one sitting.”
“Only once and I needed the comfort. Hmmph- you do spy on me.” She glared.
“Only…. when I need to.” He shrugged sheepishly.
“Hmmph.” Cordy scrunched up her face. “Angel, how’s the blood diet going, you ready to cut down?”
Angel puzzled over the change of subject though he was glad she had switched away from his habit of watching her, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to talk about his diet either. “I’m still a vampire, Cordy.”
“Duh, human blood. Can we cut it back to 1/4 mixture – Larry’s is expensive. We could maybe increase the fun fund by a couple of hours, if you are.”
“Oh.” Angel thought about it. He still craved the human, but the half and half was going fine. So it was only a matter of deciding which he needed more- human or Cordy. “Okay.” Actually, even the little needed to create a 1/4 mixture was too expensive when he looked at that way. “We won’t get anymore, just stretch out what we got, then go back to just pig.” He decided.
“Are you sure, we can do the 1/4th.” Cordelia asked.
Angel nodded. “It’s time anyway. I should’ve just gone cold turkey.”
“Angel, if you still need it. It’s only been two weeks or so.”
“No, Cordy. I’m fine, never felt stronger or better.” He kissed her again.
Cordelia nodded. “So, maybe shoot for a week.”
Angel grinned knowing that the young woman was no longer talking about his diet. “I don’t know if I can last that long but we’ll plan on next week.”
Cordelia gave a bright smile. “My turn for a shower. Do I have any clothes here?”
“Washed and folded.”
“You’re so sweet,” jumping off the bed and heading for his shower.
Angel groaned plopping back down on the bed. There was that word again. ‘Sweet’. Good god, Cordy made him sweet. A sweet vampire, it could bring shivers up the spine if it wasn’t so laughable.
But, Cordy thought he was sweet so he’d live with it. Anyway, making love to her did have some moments of sweetness, he guessed in between the more lustful carnal aspects. Angel turned to stare at the closed door of his bathroom.
Angel groaned again this time in frustrated appreciation. Cordelia Chase made love like she lived – to the fullest extent, no hesitation, with love and confidence, with assertiveness borne from strength and desire. She exuded a sensuality that ignited desires throughout his body as well as a vulnerability that made him ache to protect her always.
God, he loved her. Angel groaned getting off the bed, he didn’t know if he could last a week.
Part 7
“Good morning,” Angel said cheerfully to Gunn and Fred. “Coffee,” he poured a cup, whistling.
Fred’s eyes got big shooting a glance to her boyfriend. “He’s whistling.”
“I heard, girl,” Gunn shot back. “Hey, Angel, it’s afternoon.”
“Right.” Angel leaned back against the counter, sipping his coffee.
“You seem to be in a better mood than last night.”
“Yeah, why are you so happy. How happy are you?” Fred asked.
“It’s a beautiful day.”
“Okay, Mr. Sunshine that can’t go out in the sun without being burnt toast.” Gunn shook his head.
“Good one, very funny,” Angel brought up his mug in a cheer.
“Weird.” Gunn whispered to Fred.
“Good afternoon, all.” Cordy bounded down the steps. “Ooh, coffee.” She grabbed Angel’s cup out of his hand. She peered in. “Coffee,” She sipped.
“Please take mine, it’s only the last cup.”
“Thanks, you’re so sweet. You can make some more.”
“Sweet,” Angel shook his head, moving towards the coffee maker, whistling again.
“Okay, twighlight zone here. Were they or were they not mad at each other last night.” Gunn whispered again to Fred.
“They made up,” Fred looked at the humming vampire than back at Cordelia leaned up against the counter seeming more relaxed than she had been in ages. Fred blinked rapidly. Angel was humming. “They didn’t.” Fred looked worriedly to her boyfriend.
“That wasn’t Angelus.” Gunn shook his head.
“Right,” Fred swooshed out a deep breath. “Angelus wouldn’t whistle or hum, he would just kill us all.”
“Actually, Angelus did sometimes whistle while he killed.” Angel came back into the lobby a mug of blood in his hand.
“Oh.” Fred looked concerned again.
“Angel, shut up.” Cordy said her eyes never leaving the paper on the counter.
“What?”
“You’re new ‘whistle while you work’ routine is freaking everyone out.”
“I can’t be in a good mood?”
“Of course, just not perfectly in a good mood.” Fred apologetically explained.
“Geez.”
Cordelia’s eyes shot up. “Angel, you just ‘geezed’. Stop- that’s freaking ME out.”
Angel rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at her.
“You jerk,” Cordelia laughed and threw the newspaper at him.
“Okay, that is just really weird-weird,” Gunn tugged at Fred.
“Yeah.” She shrugged.
“Good, everyone is here.” Wesley strode into the lobby from his office, glancing momentarily at the laughing young woman and vampire, Angel swatting at the newspaper that fluttered around him.
“What’s up?” Angel said once the paper was safely littering the floor. “New case with paying clients. Please tell me they’re paying. You know, I was thinking we should probably raise our rates. So how much are they paying?”
“What’s the deal, planning on starting a new college fund, don’t think Connor is Ivy League material yet,” Gunn questioned.
Fred smacked at his arm as both Angel and Cordelia’s expressions changed from happy to blank.
“No case,” Wesley responded. “But it is about Connor.”
“What.” Angel said his tone now deadly serious.
“He came by to see me.”
“He did?” “Is that good?” “What did he want?” Angel was the only person that remained silent.
Wesley directed his attention on Angel. “He admitted to watching you and he wanted me to tell him about you.”
“I repeat is that good?” Gunn said. “What did you tell him?” Cordelia questioned over Gunn.
“Cordelia, I told him what history I know which happens to be substantial.”
“You what?” Cordelia snapped. “History as in Angelus. He knows too much of that as it is- Holtz told him more than enough. Did you tell him about now- that Angel’s a champion, that’s he is a good person, did you explain about his soul, did you?”
“Of course, Cordelia, I explained about Angel’s soul. But, I couldn’t ignore or deny Holtz’s claims of what Angelus had done.”
“Why not?” Cordelia demanded.
“Because, it would’ve been a lie. Cordelia, you know as well as I do that to accept Angel you have to understand Angelus and the potential threat.”
“You told him that Angel’s soul wasn’t permanent. You sanctimonious bastard.” she yelled. “Since when have you cared about the ‘truth’?”
“Cordy,” Angel went towards the angry young woman, surprised at the venom that sprang suddenly into her words. “Cordy, I can’t deny Angelus. You told me not to lie to Connor, that we needed to build his trust.”
“By confirming whatever crap Holtz’ has told him over the years, NO.” Her eyes remaining fixed on Wesley.
Gunn and Fred stepped back from the three people engaged in an eye power struggle.
“Cordy, Wesley was right.”
“Right,” Cordy scoffed, glaring at Wesley. “We know how ‘right’ Wesley can be. He’s so smart, reads ALL the prophecies and gets them WRONG.”
“Cordy,” Angel pulled at her. “It’s okay. Wesley and I are okay about that, alright.”
“But, you aren’t are you, my good friend Cordelia?” Wesley stated coldly. “But where were you- oh right, getting suntan oil rubbed all over you by your lover.”
“Wesley,” Angel warned, his attention now on the British man.
“Oh Christ,” Gunn mumbled pulling Fred further away. “Some shit’s going to happen now.”
“Shouldn’t we do something?” Fred blinked up.
“Move out of the way,” Gunn urged.
Cordelia took a deep breath, narrowing her eyes into dangerous slits, shrugging off Angel’s hand. “Ever heard of the phone, Wesley. Mexico has them you know. Reach out and touch a friend, maybe I don’t know call and say, ’hey Cordy, I’m about to ruin everyone’s lives- got any thoughts’. But, no, you know everything that comes from those dusty scrolls and books. Why tell a friend, they might just tell you that you were wrong and you can’t have that can you. But, you were wrong, disastrously WRONG.”
“I KNOW that, Cordelia.”
“Do you? I wonder, Mr. Know-it-all, you should’ve called me.”
“Why?”
“WHY? Because I would’ve come back.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have left, have you even thought about that or have you been too busy blaming me?”
“It wasn’t Cordy’s fault.” Angel stepped closer to Wesley.
“Of course not, perfect Cordy, never wrong. Our little self-centered girl has turned into quite the persona of perfection.”
“Wesley,” Angel growled.
“What’s your problem,” Cordelia shoved Angel out of the way, standing directly before Wesley.
“Charles.” Fred whispered.
Gunn shook his head. “Angel, man, let them argue it out, okay.” Gunn stepped up next to the vampire. “Angel, she can handle it.” Gunn reassured.
Angel stared at the other man and then nodded.
“My problem? Could it be that my friend, my very good friend, never bothered to try understand why I made my mistake, so much for friends and promises, uh. Or now do your promises only pertain to Angel?”
Cordelia shook her head. “Don’t Wesley.”
“Don’t what Cordelia, question your objectivity, question the promise we made three years ago, the one we made last year. Why not?”
“Cordy?” Angel stepped up.
“What the hell is he talking about?” Gunn whispered to Fred.
Fred just shook her head.
The young woman ignored the vampire. “Wesley, I haven’t forgotten. I just don’t go looking for Angelus under every mood swing. It wasn’t Angelus, Wesley, it was Angel being drunk with Connor’s blood and if you hadn’t had a prophecy so far up your ass you would’ve figured it out. They did,” She swung her hands around to the other occupants of the room.
“But, no, you assumed the worse because some stupid book said so and because of Angelus. And your assumption cost us baby Connor.” Cordelia shook her head. “I didn’t need to talk to you to understand your motivations, Wesley, I know why you did it. But good intentions be damned when talking could’ve prevented everything. Why didn’t you talk to me, if you couldn’t trust Angel -and don’t give me any more bullshit about me being with Groo. Or at least Fred and Gunn. Why?”
Cordelia’s angry tone had turned into plea.
Wesley looked away from her searching gaze. “I didn’t…I didn’t want to call you until I was sure, I didn’t want you to worry about it if I was wrong and I hoped maybe you were happy. And when I thought I was right, it was too late.” He slowly answered.
“Fred and Gunn? Nevermind,” Cordelia whispered at the brief bit of pain that flashed through Wesley’s stance. “Hey,” she tugged at his arm. “I missed alot.” She lifted a hand to his face. “I was wrong, I’m sorry.”
“Cordy…me, too.” Wesley smiled gently.
“I’m not hugging.” She smiled. “Wesley, talking, remember from now on.”
Wesley nodded, taking off his glasses. “Then that brings me to my next topic.”
“Did they just make up? And what was the first topic?” Gunn looked down at Fred. She shrugged.
Angel looked uneasily from both Cordelia to Wesley. Something just happened between the two of them one that ended the antagonism between the two for good and what promise was Wesley talking about?
He knew that they were close, but how close. Angel studied Wesley with a glare.
“Wesley, no next topic, Connor.” Cordelia reminded.
Wesley took a deep breath. “Connor is watching trying to place what Holtz taught him to what he sees with his own eyes. He’s willing and listening.”
“So, his stalking is a good thing.” Cordelia nodded.
“Yes.”
“Do you believe him? He fooled us before.” Cordelia asked suddenly. Fred nodded along with Cordelia’s question.
“I believe his willingness is legitimate, what he does with the knowledge I don’t know. However, his anger wasn’t as pronounced as it was when I spoke to him at Wolfram & Hart.”
Cordelia scrunched up her face. “Okay.”
“Does he need anything?” Angel asked.
“He didn’t ask but I fed him and gave him some money.”
Angel nodded. “Thanks.”
“Next topic,” Gunn asked, hoping that it wasn’t going to be as volatile as the first.
“Yes, well, it’s…Angel, your blood, there is a large portion of human in the mix.”
Gunn slumped back against the counter, his hope damned. “Great, anyone we know?”
“You’ve checked Angel’s blood supply, why?” Cordelia shot up glaring. “You’ve no business doing that.”
“He hasn’t been acting weird, well, not too weird.” Fred said.
“You’re point.” Angel said quietly.
“You know.” Wesley asked. “Of course, you would have to know because of the amount.”
“You’re drinking human,” Gunn shot a look over to Angel. “Why? Should we worried, I’m worried.”
“Of course not,” Cordelia rolled her eyes.
Wesley stared at Cordelia. “You knew.”
Cordelia squirmed a little then stood straight. “Everything is fine, Wesley. No need to go running for the stakes. Angel just needed some human after almost starving to death for a month.”
“Vampires don’t starve.”
“You know what I mean. Anyway, we’re going down to 1/4 mixture.”
“You knew.” Wesley shook his head.
“So what.”
“Don’t you think that is something we all needed to know.”
“No.”
“Cordelia, human blood….”
“Blah, blah, blood lust, blah. I’ve heard it before Wesley ad nausem. Angel’s fine hasn’t snacked on anyone. Hmmph.”
“Cordy,” Angel held out his hand.
She swirled and turned. “What?”
“Nothing.” Angel shook his head, wishing he had the courage to tell the complete truth. “Wesley, I needed it, alright- I didn’t say anything because there wasn’t any need to worry everyone. We’re dealing with it. It will be pig only in a few days.”
“Then it can start now.” Wesley took the mug from Angel’s hand.
“Wesley, blood’s expensive, we can’t just waste what we have.” Cordy argued taking the mug out of Wesley’s hand.
“Whoa, I’ll chip in. Get rid of the human stuff.” Gunn looked warily at the vampire.
“Fine, Wesley, today then.” Angel gave Wesley the mug that Cordelia had shoved back to him.
“Angel.”
“Cordy, it’s not that much money wasted, especially, if it gives everyone peace of mind, okay.”
“That’s not…. are you sure?”
“I told you earlier, okay.” He leaned into kiss her forehead and then looked up. “Please tell me that there is something that we can work on.”
Fred shrugged. She was just glad the yelling stopped. “We’re still trying to track down the zombie boyfriend of Carol Jones, you know, the one of the few clients we have, I’m not sure we should raise her fee though, since we haven’t actually found her dead boyfriend. Where do zombies hang out?”
“Graveyards.” Gunn answered, studying Angel. He couldn’t help it. Gunn wasn’t at all comfortable with the fact that Angel had been drinking human blood all this time. But, while he had been acting strange lately, Angel hadn’t got really gotten mad at any one but Cordy. “Hey, it wasn’t Cordy’s blood?”
“What? NO.” Cordy shook her head.
“Just checking.” Gunn decided that he would leave the subject alone. “Zombies, graveyard.”
“No, that’s just where they come from, there always leaving them in the movies.” Fred disagreed, moving and waving her arms and legs in a zombie motion.
“What do you have?” Angel headed towards Fred and the file she dropped when she started on her impersonation of a zombie.
“Cordelia,” Wesley called.
“What?”
“You should have said something.”
“It wasn’t a problem, Wesley.”
“I thought I could handle it alone, Cordy, don’t make my mistake.”
“I won’t.”
Wesley took a deep breath. “You haven’t forgotten, but would you still be able to do it.”
“Wesley, Angel and I know the risks, okay.”
“I hope so, Cordelia.”
“I’m not stupid, Wesley.”
“No, but you are in love and you can be blind when you want to be.”
“Wesley, we’ve already had one fight today, do you want another.”
“Cordy, you need to be careful, if not for yourself, then for us and Connor.”
“I KNOW.” Cordelia huffed turning away from her friend.
***
“Cordy,” Angel leaned up on his elbow staring at the young woman in his bed.
“Hmm.”
“You’re mad, why?”
“It’s nothing, just Wesley.” She sighed.
“You did lay into him pretty hard.”
“Oh that, he deserved that and he was mean too. No, we’re okay. It’s just….”
“Cordy,” Angel interrupted. “How is it you two are okay, one minute you wanted to kill him the next everything’s fine.”
Cordelia leaned up. “I never wanted to kill Wesley, just wanted him to understand what he did. He does. Now, hopefully, he’ll keep remembering and not do it again. Though, I’ll have to watch him, he has a tendency to get tunnel vision.”
“But…”
Cordelia looked at Angel. “Wesley and I are friends, Angel. Friends fight, hurt each other, but they can forgive if they really care and are sorry. Wesley’s sorry.”
“You didn’t forgive me that easily. Took weeks and clothes.”
“That was different. You hurt me.”
“Wesley didn’t? He betrayed me, us.”
“Yes, but I understand why he did it, he was wrong, but I understand, I didn’t understand why you betrayed me-us and I hadn’t hurt you. So, it was harder to forgive. That’s all.”
Angel scooted up. “You didn’t hurt Wesley.”
Cordelia shrugged. “Yeah, I did. Just like I hurt you. I wasn’t here. I was supposed to be here. I’m sorry. Wesley loves Fred, you know.”
“Uh. She’s dating Gunn.”
“I know, and I should’ve seen it earlier, seen what it did to Wesley. He shut himself off before I even left and I didn’t do anything to help him. That’s why he didn’t talk to them. And I was so wrapped up in Groo- I wasn’t paying attention. Anyway, he explained why he didn’t call me-stupid reason, but just as stupid as your reason for not calling me. Denial with Groo withstanding, I would’ve come back, I may not have realized I loved you then, but I did know what my priorities were- you and our family, I would’ve come back,” she lifted a hand to his cheek.
Angel caught her hand bringing it to his lips. “I know, that’s why I didn’t call and you didn’t hurt me.”
“Stupid,” commenting on the first part of Angel’s statement.
Angel gave a small smile. “Maybe. What was the promise, Cordy?”
She scrunched up her face. “Oh,” she said in realization. “The same one I made to you.”
“To stay with Wesley always?”
“Did I say always,” she teased. “No, silly, the one where I stake Angelus, if you ever lose your soul. So, don’t okay.”
“Oh. You will, right.”
“You doubt me too.” Cordy shook her head. “If by some bizzaro chance Angelus pops out, I will do what I need to do.”
“And that is stake me.”
“After we know that Wesley’s spell won’t work and there is no other way to restore your soul.”
“No, Cordy,” Angel shifted, holding her shoulders straight, staring hard into her eyes. “If you get any opportunity you will stake me before you get hurt or our family does. You won’t wait.”
“I’ll do what I have to do Angel.”
“Cordy.”
“I promised, Angel.”
“Cordy, Angelus is not Harmony.”
“I know that. I’m tired. Let’s just got sleep, okay.”
“Cordy.”
“Stop okay, please, Wesley’s lectured me enough today, please.”
“You didn’t tell him.” Angel had wondered why Wesley had kept pulling Cordy into the office. He had almost followed. He didn’t like the way that Cordy looked after each time she left. But, Gunn and Fred had convinced him that obviously there was more stuff to work out between the friends.
Angel hadn’t really liked the idea of ‘stuff’ between Cordy and Wesley, but he hadn’t realized that Wesley was taking the opportunity to warn Cordy away from him. Angel swallowed his urge to kill Wesley at that thought. He choked on his growl. Wesley had every right to be worried about Angelus appearing, everyone did.
But, Angel and Cordy had found away to be together, and he didn’t want it to stop. Oh god, he was getting angry at Cordy and he didn’t even know her answer. “Well, did you?” Angel prayed that she would say no.
“Of course not. He’d have you staked and had me in chains. Tunnel vision. ”
The relief Angel felt was monumental, he dragged Cordy’s body closer. “Good. Love you.”
“Me, too.”