Part 9
“Still got the poncey broodiness going there, I see.”
Spike’s voice intruded on Angel’s morose thoughts and Angel frowned. Fiercely.
“Go away, Spike.” His tone left no room for argument. He turned around in his chair, facing out the darkened window and away from Spike.
As usual, Spike paid no attention, perching on the edge of Angel’s desk and making himself at home. “So how did the little date go, mate?”
Angel turned to him, an eyebrow raised. “Since when are you concerned with my social life?”
Spike shrugged, trying to look casual. “’m not. Just curious, is all. Want to know if you made an ass out of yourself. That’s always good for a belly laugh.”
Angel rolled his eyes. “It didn’t. Go, I mean. We just aren’t, you know . . . And she isn’t . . . ”
“Cordelia?” Spike finished for him.
“Yeah.” Angel sighed, then rubbed his forehead with his fingers.
“The cheerleader was one of a kind,” Spike said, nodding in respect to her memory. “Can’t believe you were such a wanker. You had three years with the chit, and you never said anything.”
Angel turned on him, angry. “I didn’t know I loved her, damn it! She was just there. I knew I cared about her. Hell, I practically told her before I got dumped into the bottom of the ocean. I knew I would die for her if it came to that, but I didn’t realize how much I need her until—” He paused as his voice broke. “And then she was gone.”
Spike sighed, and Angel heard dejection in the sound. “Can’t say I don’t know what you mean.”
Angel snorted. “But are you doing anything about it? No.”
Spike glared at him. “That’s none of your business, mate,” he said, irritated.
“Yeah, sure. You’re in love with my ex-girlfriend and that’s none of my business.”
“The ‘ex’ part takes it out of your territory, Angel.” Spike stood defensively, his tone warning Angel to stop this thread of the conversation.
The older vampire wasn’t finished yet. “You say you love her, Spike. She doesn’t even know you’re alive.”
“And I mean to keep it that way.”
Raising an eyebrow, Angel looked at him incredulously. “And you say I’m the wanker.”
Spike just growled at him. “And what the hell am I supposed to do, Peaches? Go find her and say, ‘Hey, guess what. Didn’t die in the apocalypse like you’d thought, love. Here I am! Want to shag?’ I don’t think that will work.” Slumping back down dejectedly, Spike crossed his arms over his chest.
“Well not if you do it that way, no,” Angel said dryly.
“Besides, what do you care? Thought you’d never approve of Buffy and me.”
“I can’t say that I like it, Spike. She deserves normal. That’s why I left. That and the curse. I couldn’t stay there, knowing that I loved her so much and couldn’t have her.”
Spike snorted. “Yeah, that. Can’t have my poncey grandsire running around terrorizing the countryside.”
Angel let that one slide. “You can’t let it pass you by, Spike. I don’t like the thought of you with Buffy. I never have. She deserves normal. But,” he said, stopping Spike’s protestations with a look, “I think you might be right. Buffy can’t have normal, even if she deserves it. And if she loves you. . .” he shrugged. “Just don’t wait until it’s too late, like I did.”
“It’s only been a few months.”
“Yes, but she doesn’t know she’s waiting for you. She might be mourning you, but she’ll get over you eventually because she believes she has to. She’ll start dating someone else, Spike, because she needs that. She deserves that.”
Spike stood up suddenly, fear striking his heart at the thought of Buffy moving on. He turned to Angel. “I bloody well know that!” There was fear on his face. “But I can’t take the rejection again, Angel. Not from her. I love her too much. I’d rather be alone than whipped and tortured like I was before.”
Angel just looked at him. “I still think you should say something. The soul changes things. And I saw the look in her eyes when I went back to Sunnydale. She could be yours with a little convincing. The resurrection thing is bound to score you a few points.”
Spike looked at him suspiciously. “Since when are you on my side where Buffy’s concerned?”
Sighing, Angel leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “You annoy the hell out of me, Spike. You probably always will. But Buffy deserves to be happy, and I think she could be with you. If you’d just get off your ass and go tell her.”
“I can’t yet. It’s too soon.”
Angel just nodded, knowing that Spike wouldn’t budge. Besides, Angel’s heart wasn’t really in this conversation anyway. It was far away with someone he couldn’t go and give his love to. Not anymore.
His despair must’ve shown on his face. “She still isn’t coming back, Peaches,” Spike said softly.
“I know,” Angel said, tears coming to his eyes as he thought of her again. “God, I know.”
Part 10
“So what’d they say?”
Cordelia was practically hopping from one foot to another in her nervous excitement.
David frowned at her. “How did you know I saw the Powers?” he asked, knowing that he hadn’t been the one to spill the beans.
“Oh, it’s all over the place,” she said lightly, waving her hand airily. “Everybody knows about it. I’ve been keeping up with the rumor mill.”
David frowned at this. Before now, Cordelia had never expressed any desire to make friendships with her fellow citizens of heaven. Obviously she felt better about being here now that she thought it was temporary.
He sighed. It now really was temporary. He was going to lose her.
“They said yes,” he said simply.
She stared at him, awestruck for a moment, before lunging at him throwing her arms around his neck and squealing. “Oh my God, Davy! Talk about fantastic! You’re the best guardian EVER!”
Gently, he extracted her arms from around his neck and set her lightly on her feet. He smiled down at her, his eyes tinged with sadness. “There’s more than that, Cordelia.”
“Duh!” she said, shaking her head and plopping down into the grass, reclining back on her elbows as she looked up at him. “D’ya mind?” she said, shielding her eyes from the sun. “You’re giving me a crick in my neck. Sit down.”
Rolling his eyes, he joined her on the grass, his wings tucked neatly behind his back.
“So, yeah, there’s obviously more to it than me just going back. What’s going on? Is there some kind of problem they’ve gotten themselves into and they couldn’t find a way out?”
David smiled inwardly at her astuteness. She did know the Powers pretty well after having worked for them for a few years now. “There is a problem,” he conceded, “and you’re their best hope at fixing it. They don’t think Angel will trust a new seer.”
“And the rest of the gang couldn’t take the visions, right? Wes and Fred probably couldn’t handle it because they’re human.”
“Not a vision of that strength, no,” he agreed.
“And Gunn? Same reason?” she asked.
“Not exactly,” David hedged. “Gunn’s been determined ‘infected’ because of Wolfram & Hart’s upgrades to his memory.”
Cordy rolled her eyes. “If I’da been there, I’d never let him do that,” she said, shaking her head. “Anybody can tell you that you never get something for nothing. He’s gonna end up paying for that.”
David just looked at her, not willing to reveal his knowledge on that subject.
“And Spike?” she asked. “Lorne?”
“Lorne is out because he’s pure demon,” David said. “He wasn’t even considered. And Spike would retain the visions like you did, and the Powers already have another path for him to travel.”
“To help Buffy again,” Cordelia said, nodding. “Makes sense. So I’m all that’s left, huh?” She couldn’t help but smile. “Figures that they’d take so long to get the right idea. Silly Powers.”
David squirmed at her near blasphemy. He’d cautioned her about her boldness before, but she seemed unfazed by it. He seemed to recall her haughty declaration that “nobody” could tell Cordelia Chase what and what not to talk about.
“So what’s the big problem that little ol’ me gets to fix?” she asked. “Did Angel get himself in trouble already?”
David shook his head. “No. It’s Angel’s son, Connor.”
Cordy frowned. “But Angel took care of him. Gave him new memories so he could have a happy life.”
“He did. But Connor’s new parents died in an accident about five months ago, right after the last time Angel went to check on him. Everyone thinks it was an accident, but someone orchestrated it to isolate Connor.”
“Oh, God!” She was appalled. “And now he’s all alone?”
“Pretty much,” David said. “His sister is living with their grandmother, but Connor hardly ever sees her. It’s too hard on both of them.”
“So what’s wrong with him besides that?”
David explained about Connor’s new mentor. “There’s someone behind him calling the shots. The Powers can’t see who it is.”
Cordelia gasped as the pieces fell into place. “They’re training him to take out Angel, aren’t they?”
David nodded. “They are. We need you to go back and warn Angel, then find out who’s behind this and stop them. Making Connor safe is very important. The Powers have plans for him.”
Cordy sat up straight, nodding tersely. “I can do it. How long do I get to stay?”
David was taken aback by that question. She thought they’d bring her back again? After all the trouble she’d caused them?
“You’re staying until Angel dies, Cordy,” he said gently.
She gaped at him. “H-how? He’s immortal. I’m not.” It didn’t get much simpler than that.
David finally smiled at her for the first time today. “The Powers have bound your soul to his. You need to bond to him and you will be tied to his fate. You’ll survive until he dies, by his side all the way.”
“Bond? You mean have sex?”
David, the mighty guardian angel, actually blushed at her bluntness. Angels didn’t talk about these things. “Yes, Cordelia. That and a blood exchange. Moreover, it must be done soon after your return to ensure that the bond is strong.”
She smiled at this, her eyes taking on a far away quality. Just as quickly the dreamy look was overtaken by worry. “But it’s been so long, David. What if he’s forgotten he loved me? What if he didn’t really love me like I thought? What if he’s moved on?”
David raised an eyebrow. “This from the girl who claimed that Angel wouldn’t survive without her?”
She bit her lip in worry. “Well, yeah. But I can’t see him. I don’t know that for sure, even though I’d like to think I do.”
He took pity on her and put her fears to rest. “He still loves you, Cordy. He’s having problems without you there, just like you thought.” He smiled for a minute. “They say he’s even started talking like you, he misses you that much.”
She laughed at that and the tension melted away from her shoulders. “So when do I go?”
He just smiled sadly, then stood. “You’re leaving tomorrow, Cordelia. This is the last time I’ll see you before. . .”
She stood, too. Reaching out, she touched the back of his hand. “Thank you, David. You’re the best guardian angel a girl could ask for.”
He remained silent, not trusting himself to speak.
“Watch over me good, ‘kay?” she added, grinning at him with one of those smiles he loved so well.
“I’ll try,” he said gruffly. “I know you won’t make it easy.”
“Would ya want me to?” she said cheerfully. Suddenly, she lunged at him again, wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezing him so tightly that a mortal man may have been crushed by her affections. “I love you, David, and I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too, little one. Be happy.”
“I will, David. Definitely.”
Part 11
“Good!” Jace’s voice cut through the stillness of the warehouse as he and Connor battled it out for the fifth time that afternoon. “Keep your sword up, your arm strong. Protect your weak side.”
Connor followed the instructions, even as he fought with lightening speed. Jumping higher than any normal human ever could’ve, He landed on a pile of pallets nearby. He brandished his sword and smirked at the advantage he now had over his teacher.
Inwardly, Jace groaned. Every day, Connor got stronger. The mystical enhancements that Jace had been taking were losing their effectiveness. He’d been warned of this, but he had hoped that he’d be able to hold on awhile longer. It didn’t look like it was going to happen. An infusion of something powerful was what he needed, and he needed it fast. There was another option, but that was—he grimaced, not wanting to think about it.
The boy was obviously the child of something inhuman, despite the story his DNA told. Connor was a miracle, and it was all Jace could do to hang on for the wild ride.
Just as Jace was trying to get his advantage back, Connor sprung again, this time landing directly behind him. He reached out, his fist slamming Jace’s sword from his grip, then hauled his mentor back against his chest and pressed the blade to his throat.
“How you like that, old man?” Connor said, a smirk in his voice.
He must’ve been too cocky, because what happened next caught him off guard. Jace stepped back with one foot and used his weight to throw Connor over his head, dumping the young man unceremoniously on his backside.
“It ain’t over till it’s over, kiddo,” Jace said now that it was his turn to smirk. He reached a hand out to help Connor up. As Connor took it, someone in the shadows began to clap.
“Excellent job, Connor.”
Connor stared curiously in the direction of the feminine voice, then looked to Jace in question. Jace’s face was instantly transformed into a proud smile as he watched his lover walk into the light and toward him.
“Hey baby,” he said softly, reaching for her and giving her a long kiss that had Connor turning away and clearing his throat.
“Hey yourself.” Rubbing Jace’s chest, she smiled up at him through her lashes. She finally turned to Connor, looking him up and down once in a way that made him want to stand up tall and straighten his wrinkled shirt. “He looks like he’s ready,” she commented as if he weren’t even there.
“Who are you?” Connor asked, not without some edge to his voice.
With the exception of Jace, who he’d accepted almost immediately, he’d been wary of meeting new people so soon after he’d lost his parents. Come to think of it, he couldn’t figure out why he’d accepted Jace so quickly. There’d just been something about him that had drawn him to the other man. His broad shoulders, his brown eyes that said and hid so much at the same time. He’d had an attitude that seemed to suggest that he could be an extremely violent man, but he kept his inner beast tightly leashed.
At Connor’s question, Jace tightened his grip on the woman next to him.
“Connor, I’d like you to meet the person who means the world to me. The woman who encouraged me to seek you out. The woman who is going to change your life just like she changed mine.”
Connor raised an eyebrow at Jace’s description, but kept his mouth shut and let the man continue.
“This is my girlfriend, Eve.”