Part 10
“Do you?” Fred asked.
Angel nodded slowly.
“It wasn’t a car accident, it Angelus wasn’t it?” Gunn asked.
Angel nodded again.
“Told you,” Gunn shot a look at Wesley.
“But, Angel, you, well not you, said…”
“That Angelus had wanted to turn the dark haired woman filled with beauty, spirit and fire, the one that he had marked, the one that he remembered in flitting images but never her identity or face over the years, just a lasting impression of want. And that Angelus, if he ever came across that woman again, would want to finish what he had started in 1898.”
“Yes.” Wesley took off his glasses. “Not with so much detail though, but yes.”
“I never had that conversation with you, I wouldn’t have, it’s a conservation I wouldn’t ever want to have to admit, not with my soul in my being, but it is true and Angelus would never change his mind.”
“So he fucked up. What was Angel doing during all this? Cordelia was safe when she wrote that letter. Angel went to Sunnydale on the day she wrote the letter. He wouldn’t have left her alone to get caught by Angelus. He wouldn’t have.”
Angel took a deep breath. “You all keep talking about past Angelus and other Angel’s. There was only one Angelus in Sunnydale in 1998 and that was me.”
“The other one got her, fuck. That still doesn’t explain what Angel was doing.”
Angel stared at the black man, he seemed angrier at an absent Angel rather than the vampire right in front of him that brutalized his friend.
Wesley shook his head. “Of course. I was being stupid.” He studied Angel. “You aren’t the Angelus that was present when Angelus from 1898 and Angel and Cordelia were in 1998….”
“Whoa, Wes, are you now saying there were three of them?”
“No, it worked. We know that Angelus of 1898 was returned. Angel was successful, I imagine he had Cordy’s soul safely in the orb and left the teenage Cordelia in what he believed to be in a safe environment from Angelus of that times’ notice….”
“Wesley, he already noticed her, Cordelia said so in her letter.”
“Yes, but that Angelus would have no memory of the period during the time anomaly.”
”Angel remembered Cordelia from 1898.”
“Yes only after he went back to save Cordy. Angel only connected the dots when we returned, and then he had a face to go with a vague memory, one that we couldn’t prevent because Angelus had already bitten Cordelia. But Angelus hadn’t remembered any of the specifics of the Portal or the fight with Angel.
No, no matter if Angelus of 1998 did notice, he would’ve forgotten once Angelus of the past was gone and Angel and Cordelia were gone. Things should’ve have been as they were. Angelus still having the dream, that couldn’t be helped but not realizing that the teenage Cordelia was the girl, because of Angel’s love for Buffy and Angelus obsession with the slayer.”
“Wesley, Angel and Cordelia weren’t successful.”
“I think they were or least they thought they were. Something must have happened, something not obvious to them or they would’ve never left the teenage Cordelia, but something did happen that changed the course of Angelus’ interaction with the teenage Cordelia. The question is what? That’s what we have to find and prevent from happening.”
“This time crap gives me a headache.”
Wesley nodded. “Angel, in 1998, what happened between you and Cordelia?” He faced the vampire.
Angel stared, and then looked away.
“Angel, we have to know.”
Angel closed his eyes hearing Cordelia Chase’s screams flowing around him as her blood warmed him, as he tore into her digging further and further into the fire. Needing the heat for as long as possible before taking it away from her forever, leaving him with his vampire mate.
Content as the blood drained away, tasting slowly savoring every tantalizing drop. Finally ready, the bloody incision on his chest where his heart would never beat bleeding, pulling the broken body close, growling as he prepared for her to drink.
Jumping, dropping the body as Buffy broke the door down. Angel fought the slayer with a rage so furious, as the moronic boy followed the slayer, taking Angelus’ desire away in his arms.
Angelus would’ve killed the slayer that day, but Buffy didn’t wait around for the finish, she had jumped out the window leaving sunlight in her wake. After that day, Buffy had always been more than willing to kill Angelus. The vampire just never gave her the chance. Settling on the best way he could to make her live a living hell, promising one day that he would kill her for his loss.
“Angel, please.” Wesley urged.
“One night I saw her at the bronze with Buffy, Xander, Willow and the werewolf, and I knew. I started that night to follow her, to send her ‘gifts’. I wanted to give her the moron boy’s head on a platter; instead I gave her parents’ heads…” he stopped at Fred’s small choked gasp and Gunn’s curse.
“Yes, Angel, perhaps you misunderstood me, we do not need to hear or want to know the details of the atrocities I’m sure that Angelus did commit to Cordy, it is enough to know the result -she’s in a coma. What we need to know is specifically what triggered Angelus notice. You said, one night at the Bronze. Tell us about that night. What had happened?”
Angel nodded, his eyes shifting from Fred’s green expression and Gunn’s murderous glare. “I was in Bronze, looking for Buffy trying to figure out a new way to spook her. They were sitting at a table and I remember hearing Cordelia’s voice over the others. She was bitching and complaining, blaming Buffy about something. I didn’t understand at first. But, then Cordy, took off the scarf she was wearing around her neck and pointed to the vampire bite marks on her neck. She was blaming Buffy for somehow getting her bitten.
Her argument didn’t make much sense. For that matter Buffy’s retorts didn’t either. She told Cordelia that it wasn’t her fault if an imaginary vampire bit her. Cordelia was back to yelling about the bite, yelling that they weren’t imaginary. She didn’t even remember getting bit. Buffy wondered how the hell that was her fault. Cordelia argued back that Buffy was a slayer she needed to be out there hunting down rabid dead guys, not wasting time pouting over me and my lost soul” Angel gave a ghost of a smile.
“Actually, she was a lot more colorful in her choice of words. Then the whole table joined in trying to calm them both down. I was intrigued. Cordelia had apparently been bitten by a vampire and lived, but didn’t remember it, none of them knew how it happened. So, when Cordelia left to go to the bathroom I followed. I came up from behind, grabbing her sensing the bites. That’s when I knew.
I didn’t understand, I still don’t really, but there was no denying that the wounds weren’t placed there by a vampire having a snack. My scent was deep in the wounds. I had marked her, more than once, the smell of her blood intermingled with my scent. I saw her, really saw her then. How could’ve I forgotten those eyes. She was the dark-haired beauty from my dreams. I didn’t understand, but I did know. I was stunned, she screamed, Buffy and the rest ran up before I had a chance to take her out of the Bronze.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“I realize that but that’s what happened.”
“I’m not disputing you, but the marks you describe weren’t ever on a 17 year old Cordelia. Cordelia was twenty when Wolfram & Hart kidnapped her and tossed into 19th century that’s the body that Angelus bit. And Angel’s marks…”
“Angel’s what,…” the vampire asked in surprise.
“Yes, well Angel did, well mark her…I can only say that was a tense moment.”
“Tense? I wanted to stake his ass when I saw the fresh wounds, I would’ve killed him too, if Cordy hadn’t started yelling at the top of her lungs.”
Wesley nodded. “Cordy explained that while it was none of our business, she and Angel agreed that Angel would mark her to remove that taint of Angelus. Of course, Angel never said anything, but he wasn’t real happy with her telling us even that, though how he thought we wouldn’t have noticed is beyond me.”
“Guys, he wasn’t trying to keep it a secret and it wasn’t any of our business. It was personal between them.”
“Not our business that he was snacking on Cordy.” Gunn shook his head.
“He wasn’t snacking. Cordelia explained it more to me later when we were out shopping. She said that when they got back from London, Angel had been mad her. You remember how he was.”
“That was because she tried to sacrifice herself to Angelus so Angel and I could get away. It was stupid.”
“Wesley, she didn’t know about the prophecy or rather that it meant her and not Buffy. But, Cordy said that wasn’t really what made Angel mad. He had been angry that she let Angelus mark her. Which if you ask me wasn’t really fair, Cordy told me that the only reason she did it was because Angelus lied to her and told her that he wouldn’t kill that other woman and he didn’t tell her it was mark, just that he wanted to bite her.
Of course, he killed the girl anyway, Molly, I think that’s the name Cordy said. Anyway, Cordy told me that having Angel redo the marks was the only way she could think to make sure that the memory of what Angelus had done, what she had done, wouldn’t come between them. Cordy said that she wasn’t Angelus’ didn’t want to be Angelus’ and she wouldn’t never be his, just Angel’s, isn’t that sweet.”
“No.” Gunn shook his head. “It’s …NO. And he still does it. You telling me the issue of Angelus comes up after friggin time they have sex.”
“Charles,” Wesley said sharply. “We agreed that Cordy and Angel’s intimate moments were not open for discussion or censure. They are consenting adults in love.”
“I’d agree if they kept it in the bedroom, but you can’t even go in the basement anymore. And you have to knock on every friggin closed door just in case you walk in on them.
“Charles, the hotel is their home.”
“It’s OUR office and I didn’t see you so damn calm when you saw them on your desk.”
Wesley winced. “Don’t…I’ve been trying to forget that.”
“It’s so sweet, they love each other so much.”
“Damn’t girl, you think everything they do is sweet, even them splitting our ear drums when they decide to see who is the loudest when they get to arguing.”
“Kyerumption and Moira, it’s so romantic.”
“Girl” Gunn threw up his hands.
Angel was still gaping when the human’s finally fell silent. He gulped. “Cordy and I are lovers? MY soul?”
“Oh, yes. Your soul was bound when…”
Fred squeaked. “Don’t.” holding her hands to her head. “I don’t want to hear about Darla sex.”
“Who does?” Gunn rolled his eyes.
“Darla is dead.” Angel said completely confused.
“No shit Sherlock, she’s a vampire.”
“She’s dust.”
“Oh, The lawyers- they brought her back to mind fuck with you. It worked pretty well until you had some epiphany while boinking the ex.”
“Charles, I said I didn’t want to hear it, I heard it once already today, I don’t want to hear it again. It’s disturbing.”
“Fred, Angel and Cordy hadn’t even realized that they loved each then. He wasn’t cheating on Cordy, okay.”
“Still, it’s disturbing.” Fred glared and crossed her arms.
Angel flinched a bit that was the first time the young woman actually glared at him. “I didn’t do it,” he defended.
“Oh, right.” Fred smiled.
“I don’t get it, you can go all gooey eyes at Angel snacking on Cordy, but you can’t handle….”
Fred held up her hand. “Charles, I mean it.” She glared at the black man.
“Damn, girl, you’ve been hanging around Cordy too long.” Gunn looked at his shoes.
“Cordy, Cordy, Cordelia.” Wesley shouted.
“What?” the room jumped, even the vampire.
“Cordelia, not her sex life with Angel, is our concern. We’ve digressed into the gutter. Now let’s take our self out and continue with our problem.”
Angel frowned. He wanted to hear more about his sex life with Cordy. Angel couldn’t believe the teenager that his demon wanted, still wanted, ever loved him and let him mark her, repeatedly and that he complied with what seemed to be very little guilt.
It didn’t make any sense, but the idea was intriguing and a balm to his memories.
“As I was trying to explain, Cordelia hadn’t been marked when she was 17. Damn. Angelus must have marked her before Angel and Cordelia returned home. But, Angel must have realized that would leave the teenage Cordy vulnerable.”
“Maybe he just had to get the hell out there.”
Wesley shrugged. “Bringing back Cordy was of course his priority, but so would keeping the teenage girl safe, after all she would become the woman that Angel loved. But, that has to be it.”
Angel interrupted. “You talk as if the future Cordelia and the 17 year old Cordelia are the same but obviously not.”
Wesley puzzled.
“You keep harping on the 17 year old body, but say nothing about the 20 year old one as least not in regards to 1998.”
“Oh, yes, well, this time Wolfram & Hart didn’t kidnap Cordy and toss her through a portal. They transported her soul, I imagine it was to delay us from figuring out the entire plan, we wasted a lot of time trying to understand why our Cordy fell into a coma. We couldn’t be sure if it was medical or mystical. Lorne read her and told us that her soul was gone. When Angel left, Cordelia- her body rather, was with us.”
“You’re no longer a rogue demon hunter are you?” Angel asked the man.
“Actually, I’m the boss of Angel’s Investigations.” Wesley nodded at the subtle complement from the vampire.
Angel raised his brows.
“So, we agree what we need to do.”
Gunn wrinkled his brow. “We decided something? I get that the marks were what sets Angelus off, but what else have we decided.”
“If Fred is finished with the spell, I will go through the portal and warn Angel.”
Gunn shook his head. “That we haven’t decided. What are you planning to warn him about- Hey, Angel don’t let Angelus bite Cordy. I’m guessing the vamp already knows that one.”
“But not the importance.”
“Do you really think knowing will make him what- more protective of Cordy. I’m saying changing history is the last of his concerns. He’s got be on high alert as it is. Telling him isn’t going to change that or make him more protective. We’re talking about Angel and Cordy here. When has the vamp ever not risked anything, his soul, us, portals to save her?”
Wesley grumbled his agreement. “I will stay and help him make sure that it doesn’t happen. As concentrated as Angel may be, bad things do happen. Cordy was put in danger.”
“Then why can’t I go? You got to go to 19th century.”
“I lived in Sunnydale, I’m familiar with the town.”
“Then we’ll both go I’ll follow your Boy Scout preparations. ”
“Wesley,” Angel interrupted.
“Yes.”
“I’m going.”
“Angel, I don’t think that’s wise. If you go, there will be four of you running around Sunnydale, it could get very confusing. And the possible time mishaps are mind-boggling.”
“Wesley, I’m going. It’s my present you’re screwing with, it’s my past you’re changing.”
“I…”
“Do the spell.”
“There may be a problem with Angel and Cordy trusting you.”
Angel shook his head. “Gunn is right. Angel is on high alert, but if one of the Angelus marked Cordelia, it was because he failed to protect her. Who is in the best position to make sure that he doesn’t do it again? Angel stared.
Wesley considered. “Okay, but don’t mention anything to Angel about Cordy being in a coma by your hands, I think that is information that would not be beneficial to a trusting relationship.”
“Ya think?” Gunn rolled his eyes.
Fred cleared her throat. “What if Cordy was bitten before Angel got there?”
“Fred?”
“She did say in her letter that her plan to stay unnoticed didn’t work. Being bitten, well, that would mean the plan didn’t work.”
“She didn’t say that in her letter.”
“That doesn’t mean it didn’t happen though. Cordy wouldn’t write that in her letter. That would be something she would’ve waited to tell Angel in person. She would’ve known how that would’ve upset him.”
“What are you suggesting, Fred?” knowing that the young woman had more on her mind.
“That we send Angel back a few days before Cordelia’s letter was written. That way well….”
“Yes, I see,” Wesley took off his glasses, turning to the vampire. “We will send you before Angel arrives. You can protect her until then, though; I would caution you about approaching her unless there is an immediate threat. But otherwise, you will need to stay out of sight. We can’t be sure what your presence may do to the timeline. We’re sending you to fix it, not make it worse.”
Angel nodded. There was no denying that he needed to see a healthy beautiful teenager, one that would have existed had he not destroyed her, he wanted to know the Cordy that her family loved and that loved a vampire with a soul.
Yet, he was also frightened that if he did approach her that somehow she would know and hate him for what he had done.
***
Wesley, Fred, and Gunn sat around the office, all quiet in their contemplation. Fred broke the silence. “I hope this works.”
Wesley nodded. “If not,” he handed out the wafers to his friends. “We’ll know.”