Part 8
A WEEK OR SO LATER
“Willow, stop mooning around before you do something dumb, like hurt yourself. Here, gimme that”. Cordelia shared a look with an amused Angel and swiped the paring knife off the preoccupied redhead.
Willow blushed and then darted a look at a knowing Angel who smiled at her out of warm chocolate brown eyes. A silent message passed between the pair and Angel shrugged and shook his head. It was up to Willow how she explained her recent behaviour to her friend. Though why she was still keeping it a secret from Cordelia he had no idea.
Cordelia saw the by-play between them out of the corner of her eye and jealously twisted inside her. Abruptly deciding she was sick and tired off this she narrowed warning hazel eyes on Willow.
“Hey” she said in a jokey tone to get her attention. “Go share secrets with your own vamp” and she didn’t need to finish that off with a ‘this one’s mine’ for the message to get through and Willows eyes widened.
So did Angel’s when he caught the territorial stamp in the voice of the women he secretly labelled his siren. His mouth opened and then closed with a snap and he returned her smile with a quizzical one of this own. Then something hit him.
“Pire” He dropped the kitchen towel he’d finished drying with and crossed his arms.
“Come again?” Now it was Cordelia’s turn to be confused as she picked up a an unidentified green lump of a vegetable for peeling.
“Vamp-ire” Spelled out Angel, and pointed at his chest. “That’s what I am a vampire not a a… vamp” his mouth twisted in a moue of distaste.
“There’s a difference”? Asked Willow joining with the confusion, making Cordelia splutter with laughter, and wave the knife around with enough careless abandon that it was Angel’s turn to take it off her. It was getting to be a habit around here, he thought wryly.
“Angel, it’s just a word; don’t be so anal”. Cordelia taunted, crossing her arms and trying not to let the wide smile get any wider. He was so easy, she thought with more than a hint of affection. Sheesh, I can’t believe I was ever afraid of him.
“Hey… It may just be a word. But it’s not the right word”. Angel hastily defended himself and looked to an oblivious Spike for back-up.
“Is that- oh my god, is that a real honest to goodness pout?” Cordelia looked to Willow for confirmation and the vampire in question suddenly found himself being scrutinised by two grinning girls.
“I don’t pout” he growled and pulled his lips taut and lowered his brows into a fierce glower.
“Uh huh! Beg to differ, Angel. That’s definitely a vampy pout” Cordelia giggled and put a hand over her mouth at the look of consternation on his handsome face. They only got worse when he started to slowly but surely stalk her around the kitchen.
Her breath hitched in her throat when he cornered her between the sink and the stove. “Angel stop, okay. I give in”. More giggles escaped and her laughing eyes met his dangerously intent ones. Underneath her restraining hand his chest felt like smoothly carved marble.
“Say it” Angel playfully growled as his arms came up to cage her. “C’mon Sweetheart. Open those pretty lips and say it with me” he raised a mocking brow and a grin tilted the corners of his full lips. “Va-m-p-ir-e”.
Cordelia rose on her tiptoes to meet him and deliberately licked her lips slowly before opening her lips and complying with his request. “Vampire. Got it” Hot lights shimmered in his brown depths and her heart kicked in her chest.
They stayed that way locked together, almost, but not quite touching. “So got any vampy secrets to tell me, big boy”? She rashly asked. His smug brown eyes widened incredulously at her daring.
Cordelia dived under his arm and got away before he had time to react and this time he didn’t risk chasing her since his libido was still rebelling against his willpower from this one. Angel hastily checked out his fly for telltale bulges before turning round.
“I agree with you, Pet. He’s definitely anal. Me, you can call me Vampy anytime” Spike winked at her and tossed a sly grin at Angel.
Angel didn’t react at all except to agree with a smug smile. “I’m 200plus. So yeah, I got secrets. Who the hell wouldn’t”? He caught Willows intrigued look as she sliced the rabbit meat and knew he’d see a similar one on a certain nosy brunette.
“Ooh, lets have a game of truth or dare; that’d be fun. Not to mention make a change from you guys and your obsession with Trivia. Like that’s interesting- not “. Well it was either that or pump Spike if she wanted to find out Angel’s secrets.
Angel smirked, knowing exactly what was going through that beautiful head of hers. He’d tell her a few secrets. Maybe…one day; sometime in the future perhaps when she was too exhausted from making love to run out on him or laugh her ass off. Whoah, down boy! .
“That was Willows fault for calling us culturally deficient, cos we didn’t know Jewish people could eat bacon” piped up Spike from the table, boots up reading the paper. “We had to defend ourselves now, didn’t we”.
“That wasn’t Willow. I called you culturally deficient, Dumbass. Get you’re facts straight”.
“What secrets do you have, Cordy” interrupted Willow thinking the bantering could move onto arguing and wanting to keep the peace.
“Welll….. there’s the one about the college boy” said Cordelia thoughtfully, tapping a carrot against her full lips in contemplation.
“Don’t wanna know” snapped Angel from inside the oven as he checked the egg rolls. Then hissed in pain and sucked his thumb from the burn he’d got when instant jealousy made him clumsy.
“Okay. How about the jock”? Cordelia grinned when his head hit the oven door he jerked out so fast. “Not that one either” Angel scowled at her and rubbed his head. There was enough bad temper simmering in his dark eyes to make her feel a smidgeon of guilt for teasing him.
“Would it help if I told you I was a virgin”? She offered nonchalantly while turning back to the cutting board and her pile of peeled veggies. His displays of possessiveness where getting more frequent and she couldn’t help crowing a bit about that little gem. It made up for the lack in other areas, she thought defensively, when her conscience nagged.
Spike slammed down the paper and crowed. “Now this is getting interesting”. He folded his arms and waited for more with a gleam of anticipation in his startlingly innocent blue eyes.
“Shut up, Spike” Angel turned flabbergasted eyes on Cordelia. “I kinda guessed that”. He told her rashly, trying to shut it down. His sex drive didn’t need any more encouragement and he could do without adding fantasies of ‘virgins and vampires’ thank you very much.
“Oh really” asked Cordelia archly and stepped closer to a discomfited Angel with her head tilted questioningly. “Does this mean you’ve been speculating on my sexual status”? She waggled the half-peeled carrot in front of his face.
“Maybe” admitted the vampire after a minute spent mentally squirming and finding no way out. “So what? You gonna stab me with a carrot”? If you don’t have a defence then the best course of action was attack, he reasoned and met her look for look.
“I’ll tell you where to stick the carrot” muttered Spike evilly, earning himself a reproving slap over the head from Willow. “Oy, that hurt” he started and then stopped to cock his head, listening to something only he’d noticed.
Angel and Cordelia were too wrapped in their little debate to wonder where he was going when he left the room and Willow was caught up in the comedy of it too much to notice either.
Cordelia felt a tide of heated blood rise on her face and saw the exact moment his dark eyes dipped to the vein in her neck, and even his long lashes couldn’t hide the hungry glitter in them. Immediately the sensitive skin tingled as if he’d caressed it and her nipples budded with helpless arousal. Unnerved, Cordelia dropped her eyes when his came back up to catch hers and latched onto Spike’s last comment.
“Eww, that’s so gross. I was gonna eat this, but now” she almost tossed it away but a wicked little imp awoke inside her, egged on by the fog of arousal still clouding her mind.
“Mind you, I could have a few ideas about this carrot”. Feeling reckless again now she had some distance from Angel, she held it up to make sure everyone got a good look. “Prefer the idea of non vegetable though”. She wriggled her eyebrows smuttily and then gurgled with helpless laughter when Angel choked.
“We got company” announced Spike coming back into the kitchen with a face that spelled trouble with a capital T.
Instantly distracted they all turned towards the forbiddingly stone-faced blonde. The girls surprised and confused; and Angel uncomprehending as he struggled to free his lust-clogged mind of a multitude of overlapping images all featuring a cocky brunette and sex toys.
Spike jerked his back towards the main living room. “Put them in there but knowing ‘er, likely won’t stay there” his eyes bored into Angel’s warningly, making the dark haired vampire stiffen as understanding finally dawned.
“Who”? Cordelia asked sharply as alarm started to insidiously creep up. Looking wide eyed between the two silently communicating vampires.
This couldn’t be good, do vampires make social calls? If so how far does vamp hospitality go. Then she felt ashamed of herself. Of course Angel and Spike wouldn’t let anything happen to them. She forced herself to relax and smiled reassuringly at an equally nervous Willow.
“Darla” replied Spike, still not breaking eye contact with a frozen Angel. The new tension in the kitchen hiked up several degrees, just at the sound of *that* name. Angel closed his eyes and rubbed a hand over his face, all the while groaning silently.
“Otherwise known as granny- the bitch from hell”. Only someone who knew him well could make out the undertone of disgust mixed in with the cool sarcasm.
Angel cursed luridly under his breath. He’d been prepared for this at first. But when months went by without interference he’d allowed himself to relax. He wanted to kick himself for being so goddamn stupid. Darla was a clever manipulative bitch. She would have known when *not* to strike.
“Why thank you, Spike. It’s so nice to finally feel welcomed here” came a cold and equally sarcastic voice from the open doorway behind him.
Cordelia felt in instant hatred for the beautiful blonde standing just behind and to the left of Spike. Darla surveyed the room with cool satisfaction at the effect she was having. Then her attention settled on Cordelia and her ice blue eyes narrowed into thoughtful slits. “well, well isn’t this just…hmmm, homey”??!!
Cordelia was too busy hating her guts to notice the dangerous glitter in the ice blue eyes that raked her from head to toe. Angel did notice, just as he noticed everything that touched or affected Cordelia. “Why are you here”? He asked Darla and couldn’t keep the deep distrust from colouring his rasping question.
Angel kept himself utterly still so as not to betray by look or gesture his fierce concentration on the brunette standing to one side, warily watching the three vampires square off under a thin veneer of civility. His lips twitched into a sardonic smile while he wondered what she’d think of them after this. Vampires were not by nature a friendly bunch and frequently meetings ended unpleasantly.
“So much for the welcome, Angelus” she mockingly pointedly as she sauntered sinuously around the room, trailing her fingers over anything in her path, including Angel when she reached him. “Hello, Lover. Pleased to see me”?
Angel sensed Cordelia stiffen and the knowledge that he had to play it cool or risk raising Darla’s suspicions came back to haunt him. He’d do anything to stop her hurting Cordelia, or Willow for that matter. But first he had to try and stop it becoming an issue at all.
Angel forced his shoulders to relax and cocked a hip against the counter beside him then lowering his chin met his sire’s glittering gaze with his own carefully blanked eyes. “You know me. Never good with surprises” he said slowly and let a hard smile curve one side of his full lips. “Isn’t that right, Darla”? He pitched his voice low, letting the throb of memories do the work for him.
Angel wanted to but didn’t flinch when Darla’s response was to sidle closer. Intrigued, she pushed him to see what he’d do. Using her body as tool Darla brushed hers up and into his; while her hand slid slowly up a sinewy forearm, stopping at his elbow where he’d pulled up the sleeves of his shirt.
“Oh, I don’t know” crooned the vampiress with a sensually charged smile curving her lips. “I seem to remember a surprise or two that went down a storm”.
It didn’t take a genius to guess that this bitch knew Angel- intimately. Jealousy twisted and burned inside Cordelia as she saw the undead slut manhandle what she considered hers. Deciding, charitably she thought, to give her vampire the benefit of the doubt. Cordelia concentrated her ire on the hussy trying to crawl all over him.
“So- do you always go knocking on people’s homes, then drape yourself over the nearest male like some kinda desperate and… skanky whore. Let me guess you were a prostitute before you died- right”? Every sarcastically dripping word dropped like ten-ton bricks into the stunned silence.
“What did you say to me”? Rising fury throbbed in the usually dulcet tones of the blonde vampiress. Darla stepped back from a pale and tense Angel to whip around and face the foolhardy human who had dared insult her.
Smug satisfaction flamed inside Cordelia, burning through any hint of self-preservation. She had no idea who this bitch was and she didn’t give a flying fuck either. She crossed her arms and coldly met the furious, vengeful slits of blue ice. “Oh, I think you heard me” she shot back sweetly with a tight disdainful smile.
Sheer unadulterated panic washed over Angel, and his already stiff body tightened as adrenaline pumped through every muscle as the instinct to protect his own kicked into high gear. Beside him Darla shot him a look of spiteful warning. Nausea heaved inside him at the clear message. If he didn’t punish Cordelia for her outburst, then Darla would. Still he hesitated, god he just couldn’t do it. But then he felt Darla coil and gather herself, getting ready to pounce and rip.
Oh shit- Cordy even as the anguished incoherent cry crossed his mind he was moving as fast as his vampire reflexes would let him. He had to get to Cordy before Darla did.
Cordelia fully expected a backlash; after what she’d said how could she think otherwise. But she’d felt secure in the knowledge that Angel would protect her. He always did, even when he was spitting mad at her. In fact he was so overprotective that she sometimes wanted to scream and if she was brutally honest, frequently did. Just then, she revelled in the knowledge.
Cordelia didn’t see it coming, saw nothing at all in fact. Once second she was looking at a coldy furious slut of a vampire and the next she found herself dangling from a ruthless hand wrapped around her throat. The fact that his large hand didn’t squeeze, was known only by him and her. Cordelia was simply too stunned to appreciate it though.
Angel threw her away from him and across the room before Darla could deduce the same, and then stalked after the sprawled girl to stand menacingly over her. “Apologise now! Or I’ll watch while she flays the skin off your back” snarled Angel with malicious intent in his cold, cold obsidian eyes. Thwarted, Darla stepped back to watch the drama with all of the intensity of her predatory nature.
Stunned immobile with shock Cordelia jerked her head off the floor and twisted it round to stare up at him, dumbstruck. “How could yo…”. The hoarse, disbelieving whisper didn’t get finished.
“Shut up” Angel roared over her with fury evident in every line of his powerful frame as he towered over her. He looked terrifying with his lips drawn back in a vicious snarl and rigid jaw thrust aggressively forward. Cordelia didn’t even know she was shaking her head in denial as if to ward of the image.
His eyes turned amber as he continued to glare down at the hurt and confused girl he was desperately trying to protect. If he didn’t make this convincing they were doomed but.. he hated doing it. He didn’t need to fake the fury. It rose up without any prompting and most of it directed at himself and the blonde bitch he was playing up to.
Cordelia had no idea how much it had cost him to hurt her even just a little, rather than let Darla hurt her a great deal more. All she knew was that in just a few seconds her world had been rocked to its foundations and it was with a sick feeling of unreality that she watched Darla come up behind Angel.
The blonde came up behind him, and feeling her there the dark haired vampire surprised all of them when reached behind his back to tuck her closer with an arm curved back around her hip. It was a supportive lover like stance that cut the stunned girl on the floor to the quick.
Can this really be happening? Her thoughts whirled dizzily and her head ached with dull throbs. She blinked hard but everything stayed the same. Then her shocked gaze landed on Willow’s horrified face and to her utter mortification her vision blurred as hot tears gathered. Oh god, it is real.
“Don’t let an apology stop you, dear boy. You know I adore a good whipping as much as the next girl” purred Darla with a thread of anticipation in her girlish voice.
“Now, that I *do* remember” murmured Angel with a smirk, then cocked his head consideringly. “But I’m so angry right now I’ll probably kill her” he shrugged his heavy shoulders. “Then what good is she to me”? He raised questioning brows and turning hooked his other arm around Darla’s waist to pull her closer, distracting her.
“Forget her. I thought you came by to see me”? He pouted playfully and then pushed her roughly away, knowing she’d like it. “Not some dirty humans”. Angel didn’t dare look at Cordelia. If he did he knew he’d lose it and just end Darla’s miserable existence and then…they’d all die.
Pushing herself to sit up, Cordelia struggled to swallow the bile she hadn’t even noticed had risen up. Disbelief still robbed her of the ability to speak and numbly she just listened to them croon at each other over the dull roaring in her ears.
Dizziness nearly overwhelmed her and her vision blackened with tiny coloured lights. Oh crap, I’m going to faint, hysteria threatened to bubble up out of her. Don’t faint, don’t faint. Please! Then she realised she wasn’t breathing and concentrated on letting the air trickle down her tight and scratchy throat.
Darla’s eyes narrowed. This was unexpected to say the least. She suspected she was being played but she wasn’t certain of it. The trouble was that while once she’d known almost every thought that crossed his unconscionable mind, now she found her childe a mystery. A mystery she needed to unravel.
“Can’t I do both” Darla queried with a soft smile and pulled his unresisting body back to press against hers. Whatever game he was playing she’d play along for now, and enjoy the benefits while she could.
It showed nowhere on his face but the queasy feeling of sickness in Angel’s belly had gone from a vague discomfort to a definite threat. Spike’s eyes were literally bugging out of his head and he refused to look at the pair as they walked out arm in arm. He still couldn’t believe what’d just gone down and he knew why Angel had done it.
Shit there was going to be some fireworks after this. He didn’t doubt it for a second. What the fuck is this? A sodding merry go round, first Angel and Cordelia, then me and Willow, then back to…. He shook his head and gave it up. Shit happens! He eyed Cordelia warily as she moved to brace herself against the counter and then vomited in the sink.
The next few hours crawled by agonisingly slowly for everyone but Darla. Willow tried to go and comfort a pale and obviously distraught Cordelia, but Spike wouldn’t let her. As for Cordelia, she didn’t notice or care. She didn’t want comfort and would’ve rejected it instantly anyway.
Spike had managed to catch her alone and hissed a taut warning to just ‘do as she was told for god’s sake’. So she did. Darla, always one to inflict pain insisted that it was Cordelia that waited on them. So Cordelia fetched and carried like a good little slave while rage replaced the shock and slowly built from flickering embers to an inferno that only monumental control kept hidden. She waited…
The taunts continuously thrown her way didn’t pass over her head but soaked into her pores, and every time Angel let one pass without comment, the cold ball around her heart got harder and harder until she felt like an automaton. She welcomed it and just carried on waiting….
“So why the change of heart, Angel. The last time we spoke you were a good deal less…oh, how shall I put it”? Darla cocked her head to the side and gazed at him out of direct blue eyes that didn’t miss a trick.
“I was unforgivably rude” inserted Angel with an apologetic smile. “I know; but you caught me at a bad time, and you *know* how jealous I get about the Master”. Angel caught her hand and pulled it to his lips, to tease the skin with tiny brushing kisses, while his dark eyes gleamed with a false appreciation for the beautiful façade she presented.
He tensed when Cordelia left the room and had to forcefully keep his eyes locked on target. He couldn’t let his need to keep watch on Cordelia ruin what he was trying to accomplish which was dazzle Darla into leaving them alone- at least long enough for him to come up with a better plan.
Outwardly he looked relaxed and content. It was a lie, inside him restless anxiety whipped at him. For the first time in a long time he worried Cordelia would try and escape. God, he hoped not. He didn’t want to have to chase her down again. Guilt, pain and possessiveness were an explosive mix and he felt all of them in spades.
“Hmm, why don’t I believe you”? Darla teased with a hint of steel. “What game are you playing now, Angelus”? She playfully slapped his hand and then leaned in to kiss him.
“You weren’t exactly welcoming yourself when I came to see you, remember”? Angel admonished gently and rather than kiss her poisonous lips, he lifted up her hand and bit her thumb with gleaming white teeth. “And I thought you liked games”? Both vampires went silent but didn’t pull apart as Cordelia entered the room with a tray of drinks.
For a second Angel shot a scrutinising look at her pale and set face, then looked back at Darla before the vampiress could sense it.
Cordelia dumped the tray on the low table, making the coffee splosh over the sides to pool on the tray. Then spun on her heel and left without looking at them once. “She’s obviously trouble, dear boy” Hinted Darla archly and watched his face carefully for any hint of emotion.
“Always, but isn’t that just my luck” agreed Angel easily and sat up to snag up a drink to hand it to the waiting blonde. Angel forced himself to take a sip of the hot bitter brew and dragged his mind off the stiff proudly erect figure who was right at this moment ripping his heart to shreds. An image of her horrified and hurt face flashed in front of his eyes, and he flinched away from it. He’d deal with it later.
“Why not let me have her, and you can pick out a new one. If you must..” Queried Darla, playfully flicking his ear and making him grin and snatch her hand in mid-air when she went to do it again.
“I’ll think about it, but Spike’s kinda attached to the other one. Besides, she’s useful to have around. Works hard; and better than a punching bag for getting rid of tension”. Darla laughed low in her throat and raised her drink in mock salute. With murder in his heart Angel laughed with her.
On and on it went. A verbal chess match with both of them lying through their teeth and pretending they didn’t know it. Establishing position and redrawing the battle lines. Angel had the advantage over Darla in that at least he knew every cold, malevolently bitchy inch of her.
The instant the door shut behind her, the three left standing in the hall fell uncomfortably silent. “Where’s Cordelia” Whispered Angel tonelessly, and resisted the urge to defensively cross his arms and look away from the blistering accusation in Willow’s green eyes.
It took a few tries but finally Willow found her voice, as tightly lashing as it was. “You leave her alone. You bastard!” snarled Willow in a low disgusted voice, and then unable to bear his presence for a second longer she whirled and raced up the stairs. She’d have gone to Cordelia if she could. But knew that the proud and stubborn girl she loved like a sister needed time and space to lick her wounds, not sympathy.
Spike and Angel both watched her disappear and then looked at one another again. Clasping his hands behind his back Spike rocked on his heels and jerked his towards the bedroom Angel and Cordelia shared. “Last time I saw her anyway” and for once the smirk was missing.
“Right- thanks”. Angel gave the door in question a look filled with hesitancy and trepidation. When he looked back Spike was gone.