***
A feminine groan filtered out from long dark strands sticking to a pale sweaty face, “I just wanna die, can I somebody- anybody?”
Wesley rolled his aching body over and cracked open an eye, then sat up too fast and immediately wished he hadn’t, “Christ, it worked. I don’t believe it bloody *worked*…”
Angel didn’t bother trying to get up yet, letting his senses do the walking for him, “Believe it. Everybody okay?”
Another deep voice spoke up from his left, “I’ll let ya know…soon as my guts stop spinning and my head heaving.”
It took a second to realize why that sounded wrong, Wesley frowned then offered helpfully, “I think you meant-“
“I know what I meant. Ever heard of a joke, English-?”
“I’m okay, I think.” Nabbit kept it simple since talking offered the queasy sensation in his belly too much temptation.
“- y’know light humor, razzin’-“
“Ugh, will you guys shut-up! Oh God, I’m gonna puke.”
That got Angel at least sitting up and even he had to pinch the bridge of his nose and swallow hard. “Okay, lets just take it easy, take stock and then see if the floor stops doing the can-can.”
Mollified, and still flat out Gunn gave a tiny grin, “Oh good, you too.”
“We really should get moving. Time is of the essence,” Having said what he felt it necessary to point out, Wesley got back to massaging his throbbing temples.
“You first,” suggested Cordy snidely then puffing out an aggrieved sigh she pushed up her butt and levered up on both palms. “Crap, I don’t believe we have to go through that again to get back.”
That unpleasant thought garnered a chorus of groans and a gruff compliant from her boss, “You just *had* to mention that didn’t you?”
***
Los Angelus at the turn of the new Millennium was a sight for sore eyes and even sorer heads. Only, seeing it as it was and should be was exactly the incentive they needed to get back into the groove and their butts moving. First things first they needed an office with good Internet access.
Chewing a nail Cordy alternated between checking lock picking progress and looking out for stray cop cruisers. “Tick-tock, Wes. It’d just be our luck to get caught breaking and entering, y’know.”
Since he’d only begun the tricky job perhaps twenty seconds earlier Wesley straightened and gave her an offended look, “I’m done,” the door swung silently open on healthily oiled hinges. “Mr. Nabbit, after you.”
Gunn followed them and Cordelia went to do the same until a gently restraining hand curved around her elbow. Reluctantly looking up, Cordy found Angel staring at her and for once he wasn’t looking inscrutable.
“Something’s bothering you, what is it?” He wasn’t talking generally and they both knew it.
He’d asked and opening her lips Cordy let rip, “I can’t believe you left Lindsey MacDonald, Satan’s Toady to guard our way back home. Are you insane?!”
Short and succinct, but still she was breathless and the smoulder in those hazel eyes was hot enough to singe and aimed straight at him, Angel took a second to enjoy the view; hiding the guilty pleasure he got from the jolt it gave him. Cordelia had wanted to say something at the time but everything had happened too quickly and biting her lip afterwards had only made the simmer steamier.
“We needed somebody to keep the projector on and the gate open. He was the best choice since this part of the mission is the most important.”
“I could have-“
Unconsciously his fingers tightened around her upper arm, “I wasn’t leaving you back there on your own.” The inflexible set of his jaw was mirrored in his tone. Angel softened it deliberately, “Lindsey knows if he did anything I’d take it out on him in this time. He won’t dare try anything.”
The conviction of his need to protect was incredibly touching and soothed most of her temper. And knowing it was the best he could offer in a bad situation Cordelia accepted it, albeit reluctantly. Puffing out a breath she dropped her gaze to his chin, unnerved by the searingly intent look gleaming out of onyx eyes.
“Fine. I just hope and pray you aren’t underestimating how much he hates you.”
It was dark and quiet with the drone of traffic muted and far away. Despite the urgency they both felt, it was a strangely intimate setting.
“I’m not,” he replied low and deep and Cordy could swear she felt the tiny vibration of that rich timbre echo in her body. Had he stepped closer or something? She licked her lips and dragged her gaze from his; only just realizing she’d been staring at the firm curves of his mouth.
I didn’t want to kiss him- I didn’t… and that look in his eyes wasn’t need, it was just Angel being his usual over dramatic self. Get a grip already!
She felt like a coward but still… “Let’s go in. I’m cold.”
Inside the office they’d chosen Nabbit was seated at the desk, laptop open next to him and plugged into an outlet. The laptop had been living an exciting life recently and both Gunn and Wesley were hovering over his shoulder so that three faces were gazing at the flickering screen with identical expressions of mingled hope and anxiety.
“How’s it looking?” asked Angel, casually taking the opposite side of the desk from the one Cordelia leant a hip against. Palm braced on the pale surface his expression showed nothing but polite interest, a mask to hide his shock at the current of awareness that had slipped under his guard outside with Cordy.
For a second the urge to lean in and kiss her had been undeniable and he was still reeling. Powerless not to he flicked her a look and caught her gazing back looking equally as puzzled. Damn, caught. Abruptly focusing back on the screen Angel forced his mutinous attention to follow what David Nabbit was doing.
“When the bug hit at New Year had I enough time to create a program to cure it, but by that time I was too late. Right now I’m uploading it to Microsoft using the same ploy as Gundry. Once it’s done it’ll go out as an automatic update to all Microsoft users. Then when Gundry tries it in a few days the virus should be recognized and deleted.”
Back in his element David Nabbit was all business and his demeanor was assured.
“Should be?” queried Cordelia sharply. Angel caught the leap of fear in her pulse even with the distance between them and irrationally wanted to throttle the human for causing it.
“Nothing is absolute,” murmured Wesley absently, “but it worked for Gundry the first time round. We just have to keep our fingers crossed and when we get back to our time we’ll know if it worked.”
The little bars finished their work and the message that came up had them all slumping with relief, “Successful,” grinned Nabbit, “we’re all done here.”
***
The trip forward in time was every bit as excruciating as the backward one. In the few seconds it took Angel to realize he was back on terra firma he heard a too familiar noise that had his eyes shooting open. It was the sound of a crossbow being drawn back and locked in place. Ignoring the shooting pains in his skull Angel searched for the cause of it.
He didn’t have to look far. “Well, well, lookee what dropped out of the wall? I always knew you were a roach, Angel.”
Cursing himself, Angel stared past the very pointed wooden bolt aimed at his chest and straight up into the face of Lindsey MacDonald. It was still night and dark with the lights off, but he could see clearly that Lindsey’s suit was as immaculate as ever and the god-awful smelling costume wasn’t in evidence anywhere.
From outside the sound of passing traffic added to the infinitesimal buzz of electricity, emanating from generators housed in the basement of the church in vibrating along his spine. So, they fixed the world, but at the price of his existence.
Carefully raising his hands, Angel asked, “Couldn’t resist could you, Lindsey?”
“Now you mention it, no.”
Delighted and cocky with it, Lindsey felt like a king as the others groggily came too and then realizing he was there, rolled over to stare up at him with wary anger. God, how long had he wanted to have them like this? Too long and now it was payback time.
Dragging a chair over with one loafer shod foot Lindsey didn’t take his eyes, or the crossbow, off the vampire lying still as death on the polished floor of the church as he gently lowered himself into it.
Moonlight and the white glow of the exterior floodlights painted the surreal tableau of four figures lying frozen in place before an armed man. Forcing himself to calm and not give into the seduction of this new power, Lindsey asked, “Did you really think I’d pass up an opportunity to catch you weak and helpless?”
Before Angel could respond an irate female voice growled from just to the left of the vampire, “You ungrateful sack of sh-“
Lindsey wasn’t foolish enough to take his eyes off Angel, adrenaline could do wonders for a human, never mind a vampire facing death, “Now- now, unless you want your boss staked sooner, I suggest you keep quiet and let me do the talking.”
“Crowing,” corrected Wesley, rising up on one elbow to slowly wipe the sweat off his forehead before it could drop into his already painfully stinging eyes.
Sluggish from the torturous travel through time his mind spun, searching for a means to save his friend. Overly dramatic or not, death would be preferable to standing by and just letting it happen. Sometimes Wesley surprised even himself. Now wasn’t one of those times.
The following silence was tense, heavy and ominous. Over it the combined heartbeats were deafening with no other noise to cover them and Angel tuned them out.
“How did you know I’d be weak and helpless, Lindsey, that wasn’t in the brochure?” He asked with a quirked brow, using cool detachment as a goad to try and tip the human into making an error he could take advantage of.
Frustratingly Lindsey’s smirk only got wider, “Caught that slip did you? Yeah, you’re right, that other me didn’t just sit and wait for you to show up-“
“He used the time machine.” It wasn’t a question and Angel’s round of silent self-recrimination turned up a notch. He should have guessed, but he’d been more concerned with fixing the mess than getting safely back. He didn’t dare look towards Cordelia as her breath hissed in annoyance. He didn’t need to; he could feel her glare like a brand on his cheek.
Shifting on the hard seat Lindsey sat back, getting comfortable with his legs outstretched. “That’s right, snuck right into my office and told me what went down. Pretty eye opening for a Tuesday morning before lunch I can tell you. Knocked me off my stride too.”
“You should try living it,” snarled Gunn still wondering why he was being so careful to keep still. He didn’t care of the vamp got dusted- did he? Just cos he owed him… Oh hell, he’d just answered his own damn question.
“I’ve been watching you all week, knowing that in this other pocket of time you were racing around trying to save the world I was already living in- weird huh? And just the kind of brain teaser I love too.”
A quick glance round showed none of them were in a position to take him down. Panic and irritation spiked and she struggled to contain it. Did this guy love the sound of his own voice or what? “Hello! Cramping here, get to the point already, geeze.”
Obligingly Lindsey got to the punch line, “He wanted me to arrange a little welcoming party for when you guys got back- if you made it that is. So, here I am.”
Angel spread his palms, “You’re alone though. So, where’s the rest of the welcoming committee?”
As they watched Lindsey’s face turned solemn and standing back up he sauntered closer until he was standing over the vampire once more. “I changed my mind,” he admitted softly, stretching the moment out as he sighted along the bolt. “Don’t get me wrong, I want to stake you so much I can taste the dust already, but…”
Smiting him with her eyes and the picture of spitting fury just waiting to happen, Cordelia jerked to sit up and finished it for him, “But you figured that if you did that we’d find you, rip your heart out and feed it to you within 24 hours, right?”
Breathing shallow and heart thudding in her chest Cordelia knew only that she meant every word. Her palms were sweaty and cold with horror and she clenched them. Angel was not going to die. No way no how. Eyes narrowed she caught a wary look from boyish blue eyes and willed him to understand it wasn’t just a lame threat.
Shaken, Lindsey hid it with a shrug, “Something like that, yeah.”
For the first time Cordy could recall, Lindsey’s cunning and intelligence was reassuring, she didn’t relax though- couldn’t until Angel was safe. If she had to talk the little shit to death she’d do it. Her fake grin was more of a snarl. “Good call. Does that mean the shows over and you get to leave- like now would be good?”
“In a minute,” Lindsey had barely finished speaking before he depressed the trigger and Angel’s cry of pain sent a dart of panicked grief and rage straight into Cordelia’s heart. Against the harsh sound of her hoarse scream of denial, Lindsey dropped the crossbow with a clatter and backed rapidly away as the other human’s all lunged up as one.
By the exit Lindsey stopped and turning on one heel called back, “That’s for the punch in the gut I got told about. Now, we’re even…until next time, Angel.” The door slammed behind his departing back.
On the floor Angel was writhing and cursing, his face twisted into a grimace of agony with one hand curled around the bolt protruding from his right shoulder before disappearing into his body and digging hard into the wood beneath. He was skewered.
Blood coated his hand and ringed the wood to sullenly ooze out and trickle down black leather. Stricken, Cordelia crouched next to him on her knees. For a second, Angel focused on her and his other hand found hers, accepting the comforting squeeze.
Sensing Wesley nearby Angel sought him out, “Take it out.”
Swallowing bile and still shaking a bit himself, Wesley asked, “Wouldn’t you rather wait-“
“Now, Wes.” Even weakened the tone brooked no argument. They had no idea if Lindsey was lying about being alone and Angel wasn’t willing to leave it to chance.
Pale and wide-eyed Cordelia cradled his head with her knees, cushioning him as he arched; rocking back and forth, teeth gritted against the pain while Wesley grasped the bolt and gathered his strength to yank it out.
***
“I still want to find him and geld him, or something equally as painful and permanently damaging. Dammit, he scared the crap outta me.”
“No…and don’t you think that’s a bit bloodthirsty, Cordy?” Not that he wasn’t enjoying it; her obvious need for revenge was doing wonders for taking away pain and soothing his raw ego for getting caught with his pants down.
Cordy had patched up a bare-chested Angel more times than she could count and felt nothing more than sympathy. So, what the hell is going on with me now? Close wasn’t close enough and every time her fingers touched his skin she wanted to slide her palms all over the rest and see where all of those intriguing bulges led her.
What is this? Danger over; I now get to turn into Slutty the vampire slayer and crawl into Angel’s lap. Screw that!
“Cor?”
She didn’t look up thinking somehow he’d read her mind, “What?”
Like anything new he wanted to poke it to see how it worked and this new side to Cordy was intriguing as hell for reasons he was too fuzzy to analyze. “Blood thirsty much?”
Ah, that one she could answer. Cordy took her eyes off the bandage she was arranging fussily around his shoulder to catch amused dark eyes and conversely wanted to hit him, “Um… lemme think… no. I thought you were a dust-bunny, Angel. Not exactly the highlight of my day, y’know?”
She was right. Wincing he pulled out a sheepish smile, letting his lips curve fully and eyes sparkle with repentant lights; a hint of rogue hidden deep in those midnight depths.
“Dork.” Helplessly her own lips twitched.
Ever since they’d got back to the apartment Angel been acting a bit strange, but then so was she so she let him off. Right now giddiness was allowed. Besides it was kinda cute coming from the Prince of Brood.
Because this new intimacy seemed to invite it she let her eyes linger on his face. Tracing the strong bones that gave his face the brooding handsomeness that had caught her eye the second she’d spotted him in Sunnydale. Saints and sinners, the opposite ends of the spectrum and yet he managed to look like both at the same time.
Oh God, don’t start that again. Move dammit. Think about something else and cover him for up for chrissake.
Relinquishing her seat nestled between his spread thighs Cordelia dumped the left-over bandages back in the first aid box and removing the stool, motioned for him to come closer, holding up his shirt, “sit up, lazybones,” she instructed and docilely he did.
Full for the first time in too long the demon was stated enough for Angel to enjoy being level with her chest for purely male reasons. Not just level either but close too. When she threaded his sore arm into the sleeve her breasts jiggled under the vest top. Seeing it his mouth went numb and then exploded with moisture. Unfortunately that wasn’t the only hungry reaction his body gave off.
Dammit, he’d known he shouldn’t have let her cajole him to take those painkillers. Too late, Angel realized his head was swimming, meaning the tight control he used to maintain those barriers between him and the rest of the world was weak.
Weaker than he thought.
God, he only had to lean forward maybe two inches and his lips would be brushing the nipple that had puckered under the navy cotton of her top. He groaned long and low making Cordelia freeze thinking she was hurting him.
“Are you, okay?”
Looking between the cage of her arms with the shirt draped over one shoulder and halfway around his back, Cordy found glazed brown eyes staring guiltily back. Zeroing in on his parted lips she couldn’t help but notice how rosy and moist they were…and wow, who knew Angel’s eyes could go that warm melted chocolate color?
That’s it, I’m officially going insane. Giving herself a rough mental shake she poked him, repeating, “Angel, are you okay?”
He blinked and jumped like a scalded cat, “Sure, um…I’m fine. Here, I’ll finish,” dazed by the rebellious fire of lust in his belly Angel stood, simultaneously sliding out to the side and desperately making sure his enlivened crotch didn’t brush against her and give him away. He was never touching so much as an aspirin *ever* again.
Just then the sound of the elevator came to him. Saved by the bell. He pounced as soon as Wesley pushed back the cage door. “Wesley, what did Gundry say about the side-effects of what we did?” There had to side effects that was the only explanation.
Taken aback by the urgency Wesley blinked. “According to Gundry, before our impetuous friend Gunn killed him, there aren’t any. Apparently when we traveled back to this time each one of us merged with and *became* the Angel, Cordy and Wes of this time; creating one individual again.”
Forgetting her own and Angel’s kooky behavior, Cordy rolled her eyes, “So, that’s why I have the strangest little flashes of doing things I know I haven’t been doing recently. As in, I remember doing my nails yesterday sitting at my desk and yet…look at this, do these look manicured to you?”
Thrusting out the offending hand for inspection she waggled the fingers to show off the lack of polish and uneven edges of her nails.
“Now you mention it, no,” admitted Wesley cautiously, wondering if he was saying the wrong thing. Then his eyes widened behind his spectacles and he pulled up his sweater to show a pale patch of hip, pointing to the thin red scar running up his side, “And I still have the scar from my run-in with that Sternack when we met Gunn.”
There was a pause while they considered the facts. Then Cordelia hit the nail on the head, “Ugh, too complicated for me. All I care about is that we fixed it- job well done. Let’s just get back to living a normal life…well, as normal as our freak-filled existence can be anyway.”
Angel’s head shot up from checking his fly, “Hey,”
“Pfft, I didn’t mean you, dumbass.”
***
The Oracles were not pleased to be revisited and it took several hours and a lot of determined wheedling to be admitted. Finally they must have realized Cordelia was prepared to wait all day and night if she had to.
“Why have you summoned us again, lower being?”
“I’ll be quick so unruffle, okay? I just want to know that the deal is still on even though we changed everything back.”
“What you did changed only your world, not here. The deal remains unbroken.”
“Cool. So, how permanent is Angel’s soul again?”
***
Geeze, those Oracles, huh? If you stuck a rock up their asses you’d have a diamond in a day. Anyway, so now you have it, the whole sorry sordid mess. Okay, maybe not so much of the sordid but give it time. At least I still have the visions and the guys of course and the world has power again.
Do I care that the people walking down their lighted streets, driving their cars and eating out of fancy restaurants have no idea what we went through to get it back for ’em? Um, *yeah* cos guess whose still shopping at the Pennysaver?
Whatever, right? We know what we did and what we went through. Pity the peace didn’t last though and, boy, did we piss off the bad guys or what? Cos, the next time they came at us they went straight for Angel- or rather Angels head, in big twisty and drive you insane kind of way.
I just wish I’d realized that at the time but that’s not my story, that’s his.
The End