Part 5
Angel remained silent until they reached her car. “You don’t have to do this. I know a few places I could stay at where no one would find me.”
“Do you really want to be alone?”
“I..I’ve been…I’ll be fine.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“I..I..”
“It wasn’t meant to be a hard question. Look Angel. I have a large house with three guestrooms.”
“You don’t…”
“Stop. You’re making way too big a deal out of this. You need a place to stay and I have plenty of room. We’re friends, remember?”
“I don’t want to intrude.”
“What intrude? I hate being alone in that big house. So in a way, you’ll be doing me a favor.”
Angel smiled. “In that case, how can I say no?”
“You can’t. Now let’s go.” She glanced around the deserted parking lot. “Wow! Deja vu.”
“How so?”
“This is where I parked the night you chased me into the alley and I ended up in that dumpster full of body parts.”
“I did not chase you.”
“Followed, chased…” She slipped in behind the wheel.
Angel shut his door. “I wasn’t sure it was you. How was I supposed to know you’d climb into a dumpster to avoid me?”
“When you live on a hellmouth, if you think someone or something is chasing you, you either run or you hide.”
“So where exactly does antagonizing a slayer fit into that strategy?”
“She deserved that. How could Buffy expect Giles to invite you to stay with him? I mean he finally came out of his office tonight. That’s progress. He’s trying. OK. So your new demony thing has him a little wigged; he’s hardly alone in that.”
“Could you not refer to my new ability as my demony thing?”
“Huh? Oh…OH! I guess you already have one of those.”
Angel decided to it was time to seize control of the conversation. “I was referring to Faith.”
“Huh?”
“Faith was the slayer I was talking about.”
“Don’t start that again. We got away, didn’t we?”
“Yes, but..”
“I thought I was pretty cool under pressure. I totally didn’t react to the things she was saying and I swing a pretty mean candlestick.” She smiled as a memory struck.
“When those wackos thought I was Faith and they started hunting Buffy and I, I ended up saving us. OK. Buffy did most of the work, while I stood there with a spatula. But when we finally made it to the library, Buffy was knocked unconscious and I totally bluffed the redneck vampire into running away. OK. Buffy did wake up and take out the gun-wielding maniacs, but I was..am Cordelia Chase, cool under pressure girl.”
“I bet you’re a good runner too. You’re probably pretty fast. I would imagine being a cheerleader keeps you in good shape.”
“Nice try mister.”
“Fine. If you won’t run, you should learn to defend yourself.”
“Hello! Did you not see me and my candlestick?”
“You might want to learn how to use a crossbow at the very least.”
“Will you teach me?”
“I guess I could do that.”
“OK. It’s not a spatula or a candlestick, but it might work in a fight.” She gave him a saucy grin. “We’re here.”
Angel studied the large, elegant building. The high security fence complete with an electric gate screamed money but not in an overly ostentatious way.
“So are you just going to sit there and stare, or are you going to come in? Invite given. It’s get off your butt time.”
“I’m coming.” Angel followed her into the house. “It’s not bad.” He looked around the foyer. To his left was a living room, to his right was a study, in front of him was an open staircase with a hallway on either side.
“Thanks. It doesn’t have any chains hanging from the walls but somehow we make due. The living room is over there. That’s my dad’s study. You can check out the library he’s got but don’t touch anything else.” She shrugged.
“Nothing personal, Daddy can sense if anything’s been moved. Anita is only supposed to dust and vacuum in there. The hallway on the left leads to the dining room. The one on the right leads to the kitchen. There’s door in there that leads down to the rec room. There’s a large screen TV, a pool table and the bar down there. The set of french doors in the kitchen open up to the patio. You’re welcome to use the pool and the hot tub..you know…whenever the sun’s not shining. There are extra swimsuits in the pool house.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Come on.” She started up the stairs. She pointed to the left. “The master bedroom and one of the guestrooms are that way. That room gets too much sun for you. This way.”
Angel followed her to the right.
“This is my room.” She pointed to the door across from hers. “This will be your room. It gets less sun then the one next to it. There’s only one window.” She opened the door.
The room was dominated by a queen size bed. There were two nightstands, a matching dresser and an armoire. It was the type of luxury Angelus would have appreciated.
“Your bathroom is through that door. Your closet is in here. There’s a TV in the armoire. I’m just going to get a blanket for the window. I’ll be right back.”
Angel grabbed the extra blanket off the bed. “This’ll work.”
“OK.” Her eyes darted around the room. “Well..good night then. I’m across the hall if you need anything.”
His eyes focused on his hands. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“Good night Angel”
“Good night Cordelia”
***
Cordelia had one strange dream after another. She knew she wasn’t afraid of Angel but inviting a vampire into one’s home was usually a bad, your final bad decision. In this instance, she took comfort in having an undead houseguest.
She may have appeared cool on the outside during and after she faced Faith but the confrontation had left her shaken. There was now the possibility that Faith might come after her. Of course Angel was an even bigger target than her, so having him there could increase the chances of a reprisal.
After getting dressed, Cordelia had listened outside Angel’s door. She had to laugh at herself. Angel didn’t breathe. She wasn’t sure what she was listening for exactly.
She left his door and headed downstairs. A moving shadow in the living room caught her eye. She stepped into the archway. Her hand moved to stifle her gasp. A shirtless Angel was performing some sort of routine. His movements were slow, graceful and fluid. She once referred to Angel as salty goodness.
In Giles’s books, he was referred to as the vampire with an angelic face. Watching him move around in the shade of her living room, she was struck with the truth. Angel was beautiful.
Angel tried not to break his concentration but her scent was too distracting. He could hear her heartbeat accelerate. He was relieved when an intake of air revealed no trace of fear. “Were you planning on staring at me all day?”
“No. In a few seconds, I fully intend to blink.”
He dropped his arms and turned to her. He couldn’t stop the smile from forming. His lips weren’t used to making such an expression. He knew they would be forced to if he continued spending time with the beautiful, willful brunette.
“Buffy will be stopping by after school with some of your things. There’s a monitor in the kitchen. It’ll show you who’s at the front gate. Tell whoever else that stops by we’re not accepting any deliveries. I’m not expecting anything and my parents won’t be home for a while.
No opening the door for strangers and don’t invite anyone in. If they can’t cross the threshold on their own then they shouldn’t be allowed to enter.” Her eyes were twinkling when she winked at him.
“Thanks for the advice. I’ll be careful.”
“Good. I’ll see you later.”
“Wait! How do you know Buffy will be stopping by? I know you suggested…”
“When Giles made the same suggestion, Buffy volunteered to go.”
“What? How could you know that?”
“I spoke to Giles on the phone last night. I knew he’d be worried about me. Not to mention still angry about what happened with Faith and what I said to Buffy. He hates it when I hurt little miss…” She cleared her throat. “Buffy’s feelings whenever I get protective of him.”
“So do you and Giles..have many late night chats?”
“Normally we just talk in the library but we do occasionally talk on the phone. He doesn’t have many people he can talk to that don’t treat him like their honorary father.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well you know. Father’s are supposed to have all the answers. They aren’t supposed to have feelings or problems they need to share with someone. They aren’t supposed to be men with…you know..urges.”
Angel’s jaw dropped. “Giles discusses his urges with you?”
“Not exactly but I don’t pretend like he doesn’t have them or that they’re gross when he does. He’s a guy but father’s are supposed to be…sexless.”
“Then they wouldn’t have children.”
“Duh but that doesn’t mean it should ever be discussed or imagined. I have my own father to not think about.”
“So your father is…sexless.”
“Eww! Can we not use the word sex and my Daddy in the same sentence. God! Gross much!”
As confusing as her ideas about father-types were, he wished she thought of Giles as a second father. He didn’t want to question why their late night chats bothered him. He almost felt possessive.
“I gotta go.” She started to leave but turned back. “You’re up awfully early. Did you sleep well?”
“I…ahh..I’m a night person. Vampire, remember?”
“I remember but the sun is shining now. Get some sleep. We have research to do tonight.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t go in until they find a cure.”
“Don’t be silly. I’ll be back after cheerleading practice. I expect you to be ready.”
***
Buffy stood and stared at the gate surrounding Cordelia’s house. Never in a million years had she ever thought she’d willingly be there. Now here she was to give Angel a change of clothes and some blood. *My life isn’t weird.*
She hated what was happening. She should be the one taking care of Angel. He was in danger. She should be there protecting him but she wasn’t. Why? Because of some demon infection. Thanks to that stupid mouthless demon, the idea of being near him made her nervous. He could get inside her head.
She couldn’t hope to control her thoughts or her feelings. Watching him pretend to be Angelus so convincingly left her confused. His act made the line between Angel and Angelus blurry, something she needed to be clear. Was a big, blindingly white line drawn for her to see too much to ask for?
Watching him kiss Faith had made a bad situation worse. She had let Willow believe she was afraid Angel would hear her fears and that was true. Partly. Hearing her fears could be dangerous to their relationship but Angel hearing her doubts could be devastating.
She took a deep breath and pressed the intercom button. She waited a few minutes and pressed it again.
“Hi Buffy. Come on in.”
The gate opened. If she hadn’t been dreading this visit, she would have vaulted over the closed gate. The front door was ajar when she reached it. She reluctantly entered. He was sitting on the stairs. He rose when he saw her. “Hey!”
“How are you?”
*I so don’t want to be here.* “I’m fine. I brought you some clothes.” She dropped the bag at her feet. “There was no sign of Faith except for your trashed living room. I don’t think she appreciated being knocked out.”
“I can imagine. Do you think she’ll come here?” Angel cautiously observed Buffy. He didn’t want to hear any more thoughts. Buffy had barely crossed the threshold.
“I doubt she would ever guess you’re staying here. I can barely believe it and I was there when it was decided. I’m sorry you got stuck with Cordelia. If Giles doesn’t find a cure soon, I’ll talk to him about letting you stay with him. Staying here must be torture.”
He refused to react to her words. He didn’t want to fight. “Don’t worry about it. This place is fine.” He looked around the luxurious setting. *I know all about torture and this definitely isn’t it.* “And I meant, do you think Faith might go after Cordelia?”
“I’m sure she’s not too happy with Cordy right now but I doubt she’d go after her. You and I still top her grudge list.”
“I hope.”
*Thanks for your concern.* “I brought you some blood.”
“Thanks.” He walked over and accepted the paper bag, careful to stay out of the sunlight. “It’s been a while.” He smiled at her, touched by her thoughtfulness.
She looked away. *Oh god! He wouldn’t actually drink in front of me, would he?* “It’s no big deal.”
He stepped back. “I’m sure you have plenty of things you need to be doing. I’ll see you at the library later.”
“You’re still planning on going in?”
“Yes. Cordelia is picking me up after practice.”
“I know I’m the one who asked you to help but maybe it would be better if you stayed here and rested. With Faith after you and the Mayor’s ascension coming up, I need you at a 100%.” *Besides you make everyone nervous.*
Angel stood there clutching his bag of blood. He felt like all the air had been sucked from the room and breathing was something he suddenly needed to do.
“Hey Buffy.” Cordelia noticed Angel’s sorrowful expression. “Spreading sunshine I see. Your job is done here, so don’t feel the need to stay.”
Buffy was about to retort but walked out instead.
“Are you all right?”
Angel stared at the closed door.
“Spacey? Are you in there?”
“Yeah. You’re home early.”
For once, she decided not to push. “Practice got cut short. There was a minor medical emergency. So I went and got some dinner.” She held up her takeout bag.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. There was small pyramid mishap resulting in a sprained wrist. She’ll be fine after a few days of rest. Now there’s no practice until next week. I’ll be coming home after school so you’re stuck with me. We can go to the school as soon as the sun sets.”
“Buffy…I don’t think….I’m not going to the library.”
“I heard what she said and she can…” Cordelia took a calming breath. “Giles is expecting you to help. He and Wesley are working around the clock to find a cure for you and for a way to stop the Mayor’s ascension. They need help and you’re the only one other than them who can read…whatever languages Giles said you could read.”
“I do know a few human and demon languages.”
“Exactly! Which is why you’re going to help.”
“You could bring the books here.”
“So you can hide like you’re some kind of freak? Buffy was right about you needing to rest but we both know that’s not the whole truth. If they are bothered by the whole mind-reading thing, then they need to just suck it up. If Giles says he can handle your presence in HIS library then the rest of them sure as hell can too!”
“I..”
“Angel, it’s not your fault you can hear their thoughts. They were okay with you being there before you were infected. Well except for Xander.”
“It is an invasion of privacy.”
“Fine. Your demony thing..umm I mean your ability only seems to kick in when you look directly at someone. Try to avoid doing that.”
“I guess that could work.”
“It’s settled then.” She noticed a small suitcase on the floor and the paper bag in his hand. “I see Buffy managed to do something positive today. What’s in the bag?”
“Oh..umm…it’s blood.”
“Oh my god!”
“Don’t worry. I won’t…”
“Don’t worry? I’m a horrible hostess. I totally didn’t even think about it. I left you alone all day with nothing to eat. When was the last time you had any? You should have said something last night. I know you couldn’t have had anything since you showed up at the library yesterday afternoon. Here I am thinking how self-absorbed Buffy is and I’m just as bad. I’m sorry.”
Angel’s head was spinning. She didn’t seem disgusted about the blood. She was angry she hadn’t thought about it sooner. “I’m okay. I’ve gone longer than 24 hours without blood.”
“But you’re recuperating. I should have…”
“I didn’t say anything. It’s not like you’ve had other vampires stay with you before. Don’t worry. I have some now.”
“I’ll try to be a better hostess.” She snatched the bag from his hands. “Now we can eat dinner together.”
“But..”
Cordelia headed to the kitchen. She put her takeout bag down on the counter. “So how was your day? Was your bed comfortable?”
“It was fine.”
“That bed used to be mine but then I saw this amazing sleigh bed in a magazine. I had to have it.”
“I thought it smelled like you but it was so faint. I figured it was my imagination.”
“You imagine me a lot, do you?” She removed the container of blood from the bag. “Yuck”
“Just leave it. I’ll have some after you’re done eating.”
“Geez! Don’t be so sensitive. I say the same thing about meatloaf. Anita says it’s like eating a hamburger but it’s so not. It’s mushy. It’s like..somebody already chewed it for you.” Her face scrunched up in disgust. “Yuck!” She grabbed her dinner and opened up the container. “I’m eating pig too.”
She held up a piece of ham from her chef salad to illustrate her point. “It’s no big deal. You know some people think it’s gross that I eat sushi. Raw fish, like blood, isn’t for everyone.” She began rummaging through the cabinets.
Angel watched her in total confusion. The beautiful brunette had a habit of rendering him speechless.
She held up a pot in one hand and coffee mug in the other. “So do I heat it on the stove or in the microwave?” She stared at the pot. “It might burn in this. Ooooh I’ve seen Anita use that double pot thing, where you put the water in the bottom part. Would that be better?”
“The microwave is fine.”
“Doesn’t that…like radiate the goodness out of it? You’re still recuperting, remember?”
“It’s fine. Really.” He reached for the mug.
“Don’t be silly.” Cordelia set the mug on counter. She opened the container of blood and carefully poured it into the mug then placed it in the microwave. “How long?”
“About a minute.”
After she set the timer, she put the rest of the blood in the refrigerator then started digging around the cabinets again.
Angel watched her work. He could safely say he’d never met anyone like her before.
“Ah ha!”
“What?”
“I found the meat thermometer.”
“For what?”
“How else will I know if it’s 98.6°?” The microwave dinged. She stuck the thermometer in. “96.9° It needs a few more seconds.” She pushed the buttons and waited. She tested the temperature again. “99.1° Damn! Well give it a second to cool and then it will be perfect.”
She noticed his wide-eyed stare. “You can drink it now if you want. Just think of it as a slightly feverish piggy. Wait! Was I supposed to heat it to a human temperature or was it supposed to be a pig’s. What is a pig’s normal temperature.” She realized she was rambling and stopped. He was still staring. “What?”
He accepted the mug. “I..I…you are one of a kind Cordelia.”
“Duh!” She started munching of her salad. “Eat up. I can’t have you wasting away.”
Angel silently drank. His eyes kept drifting back to the amazing girl in front of him.
She caught him staring again. “What? Do I have something stuck in my teeth?”
“No. I..I..”
“OK Spacey. You’re starting to freak me out.”
“I’ve never…No one has ever heated blood for me.” He looked down at his mug before returning his gaze to Cordelia. “I have never drank blood in front of a human before. This is a little…surreal.”
She shrugged. “Well I’ve never heated blood for anyone before.” *It’s no big.*
Angel smiled. *It really is.*