Part 10
Angel entered the building where he had tracked Bane the night before, the scent of his past companion indicating he had been there only a short time earlier. Angel started to make his way up the stairs when he caught another scent. This one human but also strangely familiar.
What is this reunion week? Damn, if I get a whiff of Darla, I’m taking Cordy and leaving LA.
Dreading who the latest visitor from his past may be, Angel followed the trail to the upper level. Through the open spaces of the boarded front window, he spied the motorcycle parked across the street. Turning back toward the stairwell Angel peered at the shadowed figure aiming a crossbow at his chest.
“Hello Angel.”
Slipping his hands into his pockets, Angel relaxed as he leaned against the stair railing taking in the mousy, leather clad watcher he remembered from Sunnydale. “Wesley.”
“I wager you thought you’d never see me again.”
“To tell you the truth I hadn’t given it much thought one way or the other. What are you…”
“Hup-up-up! I’m the one asking the questions here.” Wesley interrupted, his shaky hand still pointing the crossbow at Angel’s chest. “I think it only fair to warn you, any sudden movement and I’ll be forced to…” Angel casually swatted the crossbow out of the watcher’s unsteady grip. After directing a somber gaze at the crossbow as it landed across the room, Wesley took in and released a deep breath before returning his attention to the vampire.
“…Right. You had a question?”
Angel suppressed a smirk and walked a predator’s circle around the nervous and fidgeting watcher. “Interesting look for you. The Watchers Council trying out a new image?”
Trying to steel his nerves and put distance between him and the vampire, Wesley walked further into the room. “In point of fact I no longer work for the Council. I came to the conclusion that I was of greater value to the cause working autonomously.”
“They fired you.” The matter of fact statement offered no hint of an inquisitive tone as Angel took in the ex-watcher’s fake bravado.
“Harddd…ly.” Angel watched with mild amusement as Wesley stumbled over something apparently invisible to the naked eye, barely catching himself before falling on his face. “With Buffy unwilling to follow Council orders there was simply no opportunity to function as watcher. And that’s why I became a rogue demon hunter.”
“You’re a demon hunter?” Angel questioned the watcher’s assertion with obvious doubt.
“Rogue demon hunter! And I’m on the trail of a particularly nasty bugger right now. So, I suggest you stay out of my way.”
“Easy tiger. I think you’re about to make a fatal mistake. If we’re talking about the same demon, you’re pretty much out of your league.”
“He’s left a trail of mutilated corpses, human I might add. The fiend has cut a swath across half the continent. I almost caught up with him in Phoenix. Got a pretty fair look too. Did a little reading and it seems there were two vampires that enjoyed this particular modus operandi in the mid 1800’s.”
“In your reading Wes, did you come across the names of these two vampires?”
“As a matter of fact I did. One was called Darcy Bane and the other was known as… Angelus.”
“If you did your homework Wes, then you know that should you confront Bane or Angelus, you’ll be drained and dead before the arrow leaves your crossbow. Why don’t you come back to the office with me? Cordy will be there…”
“You have Miss Chase? Is she all right?” Wesley squashed down his erupting fear at the thought of the beautiful, young woman at the mercy of the vampire. “If you’ve hurt…”
“If you will let me finish. Cordy will be coming to the office soon. She works for… we work together now. We have a small private investigating firm.”
“Work together? I see.” Though their infatuation had been brief to say the least, Wesley was relieved by Angel’s confirmation of the young woman’s good health. “Very well Angel. My bike is parked across the street. I shall follow you to your office.”
“Daylight Wesley, I used the sewer tunnels.” Pulling one of his business cards from his coat pocket, Angel handed it to Wesley. “The address is on my card.”
“Ah, it’s a…” Perplexed, Wesley studied the odd drawing on Angel’s card. “It’s a…”
“It’s an angel. Cordy designed it.”
“Ah, an angel. Yes, I see it now.” He keeps referring to her as Cordy. She only allowed that Harris brat to call her that while they were dating. Good Lord, surely Cordelia would not be on intimate terms with a vampire. Besides Angel’s heart, such as it is, belongs to the slayer. Quite a snotty girl really.
“What a sense of humor that Miss Chase has. I rather look forward to seeing Cordelia again. Shall we go?”
What does he mean again? Probably only knew her from research meetings in the library. That has to be it. Cordy would never go for a guy like that.“I’ll meet you there. Wait for me upstairs should you get there first.”
Angel ran through the sewers at full vamp speed. He didn’t think Cordelia would be at the office yet but wasn’t going to take any chances that Wesley would arrive ahead of him and be alone with Cordelia. Entering his apartment from the sewer access, Angel immediately knew he was the first to arrive. The lingering aroma of his night with Cordelia invaded his senses eliciting a possessive growl. Hearing Wesley at the outer office door, Angel grudgingly headed up the stairs to let him in.
As soon as Angel opened the door, he heard Cordelia’s breathy, panicked gasps as she ran toward the office. “Angel! Oh my God, Angel, I’m so glad you’re here. I was so scared. I didn’t know what to do.”
Angel ran into the hallway and wrapped his arms around the trembling girl, almost sweeping her into the office. “Cordy, what is it? What’s wrong?”
“He called me, Angel. He knows my number. He knows where I live. How does he know Angel? Why would he call me?”
“Who Cordy?”
“Cameron Crowe, you idiot! Who do you think Angel?” Cordelia Chase was the only person Angel had ever known that could leap from immense fear to outright cynicism without ever coming up for air.
“The vampire in my vision Angel. The vampire that’s killing those prostitutes. The psycho-vamp that thinks I’m a prostitute and wants to chop me up next.”
“Calm down baby. You’re safe. That’s all that matters. Wait, why didn’t you call me? You should never have left your apartment. Bane might know where you live but he couldn’t have gotten inside without an invitation.”
“Well excuse me Angel for not thinking clearly while I’m running for my life.”
“Angel is right Cordelia. It is during those stressful times that we must train ourselves to reason with the most clarity.”
“Wesley?” Her attention drawn to the unnoticed guest, Cordelia pulled away from Angel and slowly walked toward Wesley.
“Cordelia, hearing that you were in LA was certainly a nice…ummm…” His words were cut short when Cordelia reached up and planted her lips on his. Enjoying her rather friendly hello, Wesley pulled her close, returning the kiss until Cordelia abruptly ended their reunion and stepped away. “…surprise.”
Disappointed with the pointless kiss, Cordelia shakes her head, oblivious to Angel’s angry and jealous growls. “It didn’t work!”
“No? Hmm…I thought it went considerably better than last time.” Wesley weakly challenged as he absently slid a finger across his lips savoring the too brief moment.
“No, it was just a kind of experiment. I was trying to…” Cordelia really looked at Wesley this time, taking in his uncharacteristic attire. “…Wesley? What are you doing here? Are you working with Angel?”
“A lone wolf, such as myself, never works with anyone. I’m merely allowing Angel to assist me.”
“Oh, wow.”
“I’m a rogue demon hunter now.”
“Oh, wow. What’s a rogue demon?”
“No not a rogue…never mind.” Wesley flinched as he sat down on the sofa. “Ahh.”
Cordelia noticing the grimace of pain settling over his face stepped toward him again. “Are you alright, Wesley?”
“No. These pants, they tend to chafe one’s…legs.”
“Ahum…well hazards of the trade I guess. Whatcha gonna do?” Bored with the whiny man’s skin irritation, Cordelia walks away from the watcher and steers the conversation back to her problem. “Angel, what are we going to do now?”
“First…you stop kissing every man within arm’s reach.” Angel almost hissed as he directed another low growl at their unwelcome intruder. “Second…”
“I want it out of me Angel!” Cordelia almost yelled her insistence. “And if kissing is the only way to get rid of it I will smooch every damn frog in this kingdom!”
“We’ll set that aside to discuss later. Right after we have discussed that dress you were planning to wear tonight. Now second…”
“Not was planning…am planning…and what is wrong with this dress…being careful how you answer that.” Cordelia warned wagging her finger in Angel’s face.
“You’re not going to any party tonight Cordy.” Angel leaned closer to her face, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Now hush.” Forcing himself to remember stopping Bane should be his priority Angel turned his attention to the unwanted but temporarily needed assistant. “Wesley can you invoke an uninvite spell here?”
“I don’t think so Angel. Those spells are designed to protect one’s private dwelling. I don’t think it would work efficiently for a public place such as an office.”
“I have an apartment downstairs. Will the spell protect that?”
“Perhaps. Do you have any texts on protection spells?”
The primal instinct to punish his girl for her flamboyant behavior barely contained, Angel directed his attention to the task at hand. “Cordy, you have options; three actually. You can go downstairs using the elevator, you can go downstairs using the stairs or…” Angel tapped his right shoulder, his lips curving into a sly grin. “…I can carry you downstairs. Which will it be?”
With her fists planted firmly on her hips, Cordelia stalled avoiding an argument she knew she wouldn’t win. “Your choice sweetheart but you’re running out of time.”
“Damn it Angel, you can’t tell me what to do.” The impatient tapping of her foot morphed into a loud, hard stomp before she spins on her heels and heads for the elevator.
“We’ll be down in a minute. The book Wesley needs might be in my office.”
“Take your time. Not like I was gonna be using my heart for anything special anyway.” Her face scrunched and twisted with frustration, Cordelia sticks her tongue out at the overbearing vampire.
Once the elevator started its descent Angel moved swiftly across the room towering over the ex-watcher’s seated form. “So Wes, that kiss was better than last time. How many kisses have you shared with Cordy?”
Wesley’s throat bobbled and gurgled as he gulped trying to regain his ability to speak. “I believe it was just the two.” Wesley croaked against the vampire’s hovering, angry face.
“Right now I have more urgent matters so I’ll make this quick and simple Pryce… there will never be a third. Got that?”
“Yes.” Wesley cleared his throat hoping to rid his voice of its squeaking pitch. “I’m quite sure I do.”
“Good. That’s settled. Let’s get downstairs.”
“And that’s Wyndam-Pryce.” Wesley called out to the departing vampire heading toward the stairs. Well, guess the vampire’s heart doesn’t belong to that snotty slayer after all. Wish I could have seen her face when she received that bit of news.
“Angel, what about the book and can we please take the lift? I was quite serious about the chafing.”
“The book’s downstairs and you don’t know Cordelia Chase at all; do you?”
“I rather think our time in Sunny…”
“Cordy didn’t get her way and she’s pissed. Wesley, *I* will die of old age before Cordy sends the elevator back up. We’re taking the stairs. Concentrate on the un-invite spell, it’ll take your mind off your… …thighs.”
