Chapter 8
Cordy woke about 6.30 and got up and pulled on the tank top and shorts she usually slept in. She knew Liam would come into the room when he woke to see if his daddy was back.
Sure enough about 7am the child ran into the room and jumped onto the bed. Liam woke up with a start when the small child landed on him.
‘Daddy you’re back’ cried the child, before Cordy could stop him.
‘Angel, this is your son Liam’ she said quickly adding to Liam ‘Daddy’s lost his memory so doesn’t know who we are, so we have to be patient with him’
Liam senior looked at the small child, who was obviously his child and called Liam he thought he better get used to the name Angel otherwise it would be too confusing having two Liam’s around. At least these people seemed to know something about him.
Cordy scooped up the child and took him for his breakfast, leaving the vampire alone in the bed.
Later that day, Cordelia went downstairs after settling Liam for a nap after his lunch. She was amazed to find Angel ensconced in the lounge regaling his audience with tawdry tales of his life in Ireland. Dawn, Fred, Willow and Buffy were hanging onto his every word, and even Connor was standing in the doorway absorbing the tales his father told. He had never had much chance to find out about his father’s past before he had been turned, this was too good an opportunity to miss. In the past Angel had avoided the subject and deemed it to be of little interest to Connor.
Angel for his part had found a truly awful striped yellow shirt to wear along with some black pants, and was sprawled on the couch, a glass of whiskey in his hand, the rest of the bottle on a small table beside the couch, not far from reach. Cordy goggled at the shirt, she hadn’t realised Angel had such a monstrosity in his wardrobe, if she had it would have been thrown away.
Cordy went and sat in a chair on the other side of the room, only half listening to what the vampire had to say. She was amazed at this side of Angel, he was positively the “life and soul” of the party, something he’d never been since she’d known him. She hoped the change wasn’t permanent.
Spike and Xander were in agreement with each other, for a change, in that they both really did not like this new version of Angel.
Angel for his part was in his element, surrounded by fine looking, and in his eyes, scantily dressed lasses, hanging on his every word. A comfortable lifestyle, no nagging father and a beautiful wife to bed at night, he thought his life couldn’t get any better. He was beginning to learn about being a vampire; Wesley had sat down with him that morning and spoken to him about his history as a vampire, and some vampire lore. Angel had been amazed to find that he had ‘Sired’ at least two other vampires, a woman and a man, and that Spike was also a vampire, who had been sire by that woman. Angel didn’t ask how it was done, he had a feeling it would be dirty and couldn’t imagine himself participating in anything like that with another man!
Cordelia listened to the vampire’s tales for a while and then turned and made her way into Wesley’s office.
‘Wes, how can we fix this?’ she asked. She liked the Irish Liam well enough, who wouldn’t? He was a lightweight, fun loving, outline of the man she married, what was not to like. But she wanted her Angel back. It seemed as soon as they found each other something would happen to upset the apple cart.
‘I don’t know, I’m researching into it, but it’s going to be awkward if we can’t find a way to fix it. I suggest we let Lorne read him later when the bar’s open, that’s all I’ve got so far’ replied Wes.
‘Oh crap, I suppose he’ll have to sing’ said Cordy, imagining what Angel might sing.
‘Wes, what are we going to do about this dance club case?’ she asked ‘we can’t just let it rest, that manager said there were about a dozen reports of missing men, and that’s what he knew about. There are probably more, maybe even some from other clubs. We have to see if it’s demonic or just some perverted cult.’
‘I agree, there must be something we can do to help; I don’t think we can use Angel until he’s back to normal. I think the Scoobies are going back at the end of this week, so we better think of a solution fast if we want to use them, Buffy and Spike will be useful in the muscle department’ said Wesley.
Later that day Cordy took Angel into Lorne’s bar, to persuade him to sing for the horned green demon. Angel had been a little shocked at Lorne’s appearance, but had manfully ploughed through a few verses of an Irish folksong he used to sing to his sister Kathy.
Lorne sipped his ‘Seabreeze’ and looked thoughtful as Angel finished his song.
‘My, he can sing a little better, and he’s almost in key’ he muttered to Cordy.
‘Lorne, what can you read?’ Cordy asked impatiently.
‘Give me a few minutes to let my fillings stop humming’ replied the demon as Angel wandered over to the bar in search of a drink. He was looking around at all the coloured lights in the bar, along with the fancy art décor and many different varieties of drink on the long counter behind the bar. The barman pushed yet another whiskey towards Angel.
He grabbed it thankfully, he was having a hard time coping with reality, it seemed the last 24hours had been a fantastic dream that he couldn’t seem to wake up from. He had been quite happy earlier, but now the more he explored this strange world the more confused he became.
Angel had gone into the TV lounge in the afternoon and had been amazed to see his small son lying on the carpet watching strange little people dancing to music that seemed to have no instruments, and all inside what looked like a box with pictures.
‘How’s that done, what is it?’ he had asked fearfully. Luckily Willow had been keeping an eye on what Liam was watching, so she came in to the room and tried to explain the concept of television to Angel. She could see after a while she was wasting her time he had absolutely no clue what she was on about and when Cordy came looking for Liam, gave up with relief.
‘You’re wasting your time Will’s’ said Cordy laughing, ‘even modern day Angel hadn’t much idea how most of these things work.’
‘You’d think someone who’d been around as long as he had would be an expert, wouldn’t you?’ Willow commented dryly to Cordy, as she went back to her computer, hoping Angel didn’t follow her and start asking about that as well. She was in luck he was more interested in finding more whiskey.
It seemed he could drink far more than usual without any noticeable side effects, a bonus he thought as he found another bottle and settled down to christen it with a generous glassful.
***
Cordy tapped her foot impatiently waiting for Lorne to finish his thoughts.
‘Well, what do you read?’ she asked, when she could bear it no longer.
‘Well brown eyes, it’s all there, Liam, Angel and I even get a hint of Angelus lurking in the background, all wrapped in a gorgeous peach aura. It seems Liam’s blocked out all of Angel’s memories, he must have had a spell or something pretty hectic done for that to be able to happen. But there is no obvious way to reverse it.’ said Lorne. ‘I’ll have to go see some of my contacts and find out of there’s a way round it, the trouble is most of the demon population will be only too pleased that Angel’s left the building. Woe betide anyone giving me information to restore him, their life won’t be worth living.’
‘Well, Wesley’s researching and Willow’s trawling the net, I don’t know what more we can do’ said Cordy, tears suddenly filling her eyes and threatening to fall, at the thought that she may never be with her lover again.
Lorne looked with sympathy at the beautiful woman in front of him and put his arm round her and patted her shoulder.
‘Don’t worry these things have a way of fixing themselves’ he said, then noticed Angel staring at him. “ot oh looks like someone’s getting a tad jealous” he thought and removed his arm as Angel came over to Cordy.
‘This is amazing, all the different lights and bright things’ Angel said, as he gently but firmly moved Cordelia away from the horned demon. He put his arm possessively round her.
‘Humm’ thought Cordy, ‘he must have been possessive before he was turned.
The others had started to drift in, Wesley was keen to hear what Lorne had read. The bar opened fully and the music started to play.
Angel was shocked at how loud it was, he kept looking round for the singers, until he just gave up and downed his drink, at least that was something that he understood.
***
Later that evening most of the AI group had wandered back into the hotel foyer for a nightcap when Cordy had a vision. Angel looked at his wife confused as to what was happening to her, especially when a bottle of water drifted over to hover in front of her.
‘How does that happen’ he asked pointing to the bottle, he was beginning to think he was mad, when no one else took any notice.
‘It’s Dennis, he’s a ghost, thank you Dennis’ said Cordy holding the water to her throbbing temple.
Wesley looked at Cordy in concern and hoping to forestall any more lengthy explanations to Angel asked ‘what about your vision?’
‘It was at the Paradise Beach club, Wes, we have to go and rescue those men, I could see it in my vision. They are to be sacrificed tonight, we have to try to save them.’ Cordy replied.
‘Right let’s get tooled up, we’ll need rope, hooks and plenty of tranq. guns, in case we can’t tell who’s human and who’s demon’ Wesley said, thinking about the women who had abducted him and Xander. Gunn and Connor went to the weapons cabinet.
‘Shall I go get the others?’ asked Fred. ‘They’re still in the bar with Lorne.’
‘As long as they can come quickly’ said Cordy ‘we don’t have a moment to lose. In fact we’ll set off, Spike knows the way, they can follow in his car. Fred would you mind staying with Liam?’
‘No of course not, but I think Willow’s with him’ Fred replied.
Cordy had to smile to herself, she could see herself becoming a ‘grandmother’ soon, they way Willow was with Liam, Cordy was sure it wouldn’t be long before Willow had a child of her own.
Cordy looked at Angel as he hefted a sword ‘you don’t have to come, we don’t expect you to fight’ she said.
‘Are you going?’ he replied. ‘If so, so am I, I can’t let you go back to that place on your own, you shouldn’t be going at all.’
‘I have to go, to show them the way’ she said, gathering her jacket and heading out.
Gunn, Connor, Wesley, Angel and Cordy piled into the SUV.
They soon arrived at the club to find the gates firmly locked.
‘Park up the road a little way, I’ll show you where we got over the wall the other day’ said Cordy.
Wesley moved the vehicle forward slowly until Cordy said to stop, he parked under some trees and switched off the engine.
They grabbed their weapons and exited the car, Angel still looking in awe at the horseless carriage. He still couldn’t get his head around all the new things he had seen and heard in this new world, the more he saw, the more baffled he became.
Cordy walked over to the wall and levitated herself to the top of it. Conner jumped up beside her, while Gunn threw a hook and rope up and quickly climbed it. Wesley waited until Gunn was on the wall before turning to Angel, ‘are you staying here, or coming with us?’ he asked.
‘I’ll come’ replied Angel and scrambled untidily up the wall. He kept forgetting he now had super powers, and was still amazed how little effort he needed to do things.
They all perched on the wall while Cordy got her bearings, she pointed out the corner where she had gone with Spike and after checking for any patrols and not finding any jumped down on the complex side of the wall. She quickly made her way over to the building corner, with the rest soon following her.
‘So what’s next?’ hissed Gunn.
‘We have to get round to the main atrium, I saw them in my vision, men tied in a circle with something rising in the centre. The guys had symbols and marks cut into their chests’ said Cordy, sotto voice.
They crept round the building until Cordy stopped suddenly, Angel walked into her back. ‘God, Angel, you dork, be careful you nearly had me over then’ she hissed.
‘Sorry’ he mumbled, sounding much as he used to when she’d told him off, he idly wondered what a ‘dork’ was. He’d been too mesmerised by the seductive sway of her hips in the skintight pants she wore, to notice she’d stopped.
Gunn and Connor moved forward and peered round the corner.
‘Is that where we need to be?’ Gunn asked.
‘Yeah, but in my vision I sensed another way in. There should be a door around here somewhere’ she replied.
Connor moved back along the building and rummaged in the bushes growing round the base and after a while he stepped back. ‘Here it is, there’s a trapdoor set in the ground’ he said.
He quietly held the bushes back, Gunn dug around the edge with his axe and with a quick apology to his favourite weapon, levered the side up so Connor could grab hold of it.
They pulled the door up and scrambled through to find out they were in a damp storeroom.
‘Eeww, pong much’ said Cordy scrunching her nose, at the smell.
Wesley switched on a smell flashlight when Conner pulled the trap door closed leaving a piece of wood wedged in it, after all they might need it later.
They surveyed the small room in the dim light, until Wesley found a door and Connor moved over to it. It appeared to be locked from the other side. He put his ear to the door
‘I can’t hear anything, can you Dad?’ he said to Angel.
Angel moved to the door and listened, he shook his head ‘me neither’ he said, he still found it odd that Conner was his son, and didn’t answer to ‘dad’ very readily.
‘Move back’ said Gunn, giving his faithful axe another sad glance, before shoving it in between the door and jamb and twisting it to force the lock apart. It gave with a sharp snap and they all held their breath, wondering if they had given the game away. After a while when no sound was heard, Connor cautiously opened the door and opened it fully to allow the others to follow him into a dimly lit corridor.
They inched forward to the end of the passage and were just about to turn the corner when they heard footsteps approaching.
‘Leave that, come on, we better not hang around, she wants us to keep the others occupied and not disturb the ceremony’ said a woman’s voice.
The footsteps stopped and turned around, ‘ok, I was just going for some more wine from the store’ a second voice said as the steps receded.
‘Whew that was close’ said Wes, wiping a hand over his face. They moved forward cautiously until Wesley could see round the corner of the passage.
‘Come on it’s empty’ he said and they moved into a better-lit corridor. Cordy shut her eyes, trying to recall the vision.
‘We need to get into the main area and fast’ said Cordy, just as two women walked into view.
‘Hey, who are you, what are you doing here?’ said one of them. The other just looked and then said ‘Angel?’
Cordy looked sharply at Angel as he smiled at the woman, “Geez, he really was a perv” she thought. Wesley and Connor moved forward quickly and grabbed the women.
‘Be quiet and you won’t get hurt’ hissed Connor as Angel moved forward ‘don’t hurt her’ he said.
Arianne looked at the handsome man ‘where did you go? I was blamed for letting you go, until they realised you’d got out through the window’ she said.
‘Dad, leave it’ said Conner as he and Wes bundled the woman back to the storeroom.
‘Have you come to help those men?’ said Arianne.
‘Yes hopefully, now I’m sorry but we have to tie you up’ said Wes as he tied the women together and put some tap over their mouths. They looked at him with round frightened eyes.
‘Just stay here and keep quiet, we’ll come and get you later’ said Gunn, hefting his axe and preparing to return to Cordy and Angel.
Chapter 9
Cordelia concentrated on her vision once again and by the time the group had reassembled she had a good idea where they needed to be.
‘Ok, we have to get into the centre lobby, that’s where it’s all happening’ she said.
‘Which way?’ asked Gunn, they were approaching the end of the corridor, and it branched off in two directions.
‘Umm, right, I think’ replied Cordy.
They trooped round to the right and after going round another corner, the corridor opened out leading to a lobby. On the far side were double doors complete with eight burly men standing guard.
‘Looks like they don’t want anyone to get in there’ commented Wesley quietly.
One of the men spotted the gang and called out as he started towards the group.
‘Hey, you there, what are you doing?’ the guard shouted.
‘Busted’ said Conner, and prepared for a fight.
The guards ran towards the gang, drawing their nightsticks. They attacked the men first figuring they could easily overpower the woman later.
While the fight was ensuing Cordy ran to the double doors and tried to wrench them open, but they seemed to be locked from the other side. She could hear a strange humming noise coming from the other side. She looked around to see if there was anything she could use to force them open.
She was just in time to see Angel being pummelled to his knees by two of the biggest of the guards. He was trying to defend himself, but the men were overpowering him fast. She ran over to help Angel only to find one man turning on her. He hesitated seeing a woman, before he went to hit her and as Angel watched dazed from his beating, she dodged the blow and brought her knee up hard into the mans groin and when he doubled over with pain, she landed a smart chop to the back of his neck neatly felling him. Angel winced when he imagined the pain the man must be feeling and looked with new admiration at his wife. The other guard turned on Cordy when he saw his fallen colleague.
‘You’re a little firecracker, ain’t you?’ he smiled and cracked his knuckles in preparation to restrain Cordy. He grabbed her but it took awhile for him to get a good hold on her, what with all her struggling, kicking and clawing. She was eventually immobilised and slumped in defeat. Suddenly she was falling to the floor, the guard with her, she sighed with relief when she noticed a dart from Wesley’s tranq. gun sticking out of his neck.
‘Thanks Wes’ said Cordy, as she extracted herself and turned to the vampire groaning on the floor. ‘Come on Angel, getup’ she said, pulling the dazed vampire to his feet and going to the double doors again. The other guards swarmed over to protect the doors. Angel fought them off as much as he could, but they easily outnumbered him and he was soon on the floor again.
“I’m not much good at this fighting lark” he thought. Just as he fell, Conner and Gunn ran over after disabling their own opponents. Wesley was still doing well with his tranquilliser gun and had darted four of the guards before he had to reload. Gunn used his axe to force the doors open, wondering if his ‘baby’ would ever be the same after tonight’s treatment, and they ran through the doors.
The gang stood transfixed in the doorway, until galvanised into action they surged forward together. On the raised dais was a large woman who was beginning to morph into a huge slimy demon, long suckered tentacles immerging from its centre as it drew power from the circle of men connected by an electrical cable. It was stretched tight, and each man had electrodes pinned to his body. The tentacles waved towards the helpless men and one struck into the chest of the first prisoner, completing the circuit. He shrieked in pain as the suckered point dug deep into the markings on his chest, and it started to feed on the flesh it found.
Gunn and Connor rushed over to try and stop the demon, while Wesley and Cordy started over to the men to release them. Just as they reached them they heard Connor yell.
‘Cordy lookout,’ he cried. He had sliced through one end of the electric cable connecting the demon to the men, but the cable had sprung back and was coiling and writhing in the air straight to towards the seer.
Angel had just managed to get back to his feet again and enter the room when he saw what was about to happen, he ran forward jumped and grabbed the electric cable, not realising what it was, thinking only to protect his wife.
‘Angel, No’ yelled Cordy, when she saw him grab the end of the cable. But she was too late and Angel was thrown high in the air by the snaking line as the power surged through his body. It slammed him headfirst into the wall and he slumped down landing hard on his back with a sickening crunch. His body twitched and laid still, his hands blackened and burnt, the cable still sparking beside him.
‘Oh God’ cried Cordy, trying to reach the motionless vampire.
Wesley slashed through the tentacle attached to the captured man, who fell forward unconscious, the demon screamed when its tentacle was cut off and another feeler came over to join the first. Wes battled manfully with the writhing limbs, but as fast as he immobilised one, more would join it.
‘A little help here’ Gunn gasped, trying to breath past the tentacle that had him round the throat. Connor was in the same situation except that he had four of the wretched things around him and couldn’t talk or hardly move at all.
Cordy stood and lifted her sword chopping away at the tentacles, trying to get to Angel. But it was no good they were fast becoming outnumbered. Wesley was by now in the grip of half a dozen tentacles and some of the loose ones had plugged into the men still tied, gaining strength from the terrified captives.
Cordy was soon overpowered but when a tentacle tried to latch on to her, it didn’t seem able to like what it found and rejected her preferring to go to the other men. She ran forward, sword swinging and managed to chop another couple off, but she knew it was only a matter of time before she would be overpowered.
All of a sudden there was a commotion from outside the lobby and Cordy looked round to see Buffy and Spike fighting with the guards outside, who had started to come round, closely followed by Xander and Fred, brandishing her ever faithful crossbow. The guards who were able to, took one look at the demon and decided to leave instead of fighting, they took off at a run, not looking back. The wages they were paid weren’t worth getting killed for, they thought.
‘Good to see you guys’ gasped Cordy with relief.
Fred fired at the demon then reloaded her crossbow ready for another shot, neatly dodging the flailing limbs and slime that was squirting onto the floor from the severed tentacles.
Buffy and Spike launched themselves at the demon, they soon began to overpower it, the sheer number of attackers confusing it, and when Xander found and shut off the mains power the demon seemed to shrink in size as the remaining tentacles retreated back into the body cavity. Before it could disappear Connor wrenched himself free and stuck his knife deep into its spine severing its nerves. The demon roared in pain before falling dead to the floor. Connor set about dismembering it before covering the parts up with some drapes he’d pulled down.
Cordy ran over to Angel and tried to rouse him. Xander and Wesley released the rest of the men and helped those who were able to stand. The men all seemed dopey and disorientated, groaning and holding there various wounds or some just holding their heads. Buffy and Spike made their way over to Angel and stood looking at him, both with sadness at the burnt, unresponsive vampire
Wesley filled the rest in on what had happened, and after a while went with Xander to release the two women they had left in the storeroom, and call for a couple of ambulances to take the injured men to hospital.
Cordy was still trying to revive Angel; Fred came over with a glass of water and offered it to Cordy. She wasn’t sure if it was for Cordy or Angel, but she felt she had to do something to help.
Wes and Xander came back with the two shaken women, carefully avoiding the lump of demon under its cover.
‘I suggest we move the injured out into the lobby to wait for the medics, most have burns and gouges, except for the first guy he’s in a bad way’ said Wesley as Xander appeared with a table top to lay the badly injured man on. Spike and Connor helped to move it into the lobby. The man was still unconscious.
Arianne and Jeanette the other women, immediately began helping the shocked and dazed men. When they were all assembled in the lobby Arianne went over to Angel and Cordy.
‘How badly is he hurt?’ she said softly.
‘I don’t know, I can’t get a response, he was badly electrocuted’ replied Cordy, standing up to look at the women and adding, ‘hey you’re the one he knew aren’t you?’
‘Yeah, I tended to him when he was brought it, I didn’t know what he was here for. I’d been told the men had signed on for improvement courses, to do with changing their careers, or something….’ Arianne trailed off, when she noticed Cordy’s wedding ring.
‘He’s your husband, isn’t he?’ she commented thinking to herself “all the best ones are always taken.”
‘Yeah he is, he was abducted from a club we visited’ replied Cordy.
Arianne walked back to Wesley ‘can we go I don’t want to be here when the cops arrive?’
‘Yes, leave me your contact numbers in case we need to get in touch’ he said. Both women wrote their phone numbers on the back of an AI card, and left with relief, glad to escape without any injury.
Cordy walked over to Wesley ‘Wes, we need to get Angel out of here before the medics pronounce him dead’ she said.
‘Yes, good idea, why don’t you take him and go with Buffy and Spike back to the hotel, I’m sure Fred and Xander won’t mind staying behind, and returning with us.
Spike went to bring his car as close to the door as possible, while Buffy and Cordy dragged Angel to his feet and with help from Connor. They managed to lift him into the back of the car and set off quickly as they heard the sound of sirens in the distance.
Connor went back in pushing the double doors closed behind him and opened the large windows beside the dais; he then started to drag the demon parts out and deposit them in the lake. When Gunn saw what he was doing he went over to help and by the time and ambulances had arrived there was no sign of the grisly remains. Most of the slime had miraculously disappeared, along with the drapes.
They discussed what to say to the medics. Wesley elected to stay while the others went to the car to wait for him.
When the ambulances arrived Wesley spun them a tale about a party trick that had backfired, adding that the men should be check for drugs as well. He explained his presence there by implying he had arrived for an evening class only to find the men already in that state, that’s when he had called the ambulances.
They gave him an old look, but decided to take him at his word, after all he was English, and weren’t all Englishmen a little eccentric?
By the time he had finished explaining two more women had arrived and came over demanding to know what was going on at their club. Wesley slipped away in the confusion, managing to avoid giving the medics any of his details. He chuckled to himself as he women started laying into the medics for ruining the assemble room and the drapes.
Wesley heard the police siren shut off and assumed the cops had arrived so he slipped out of the large window behind the platform. He hoped the women would be arrested, as he was sure they were the ones who were in the club when he was abducted, and the amount of fuss they were making should guarantee them an arrest.
He jogged down the drive and hopped into the waiting car. Gunn started the engine and they left the scene, soon arriving back at the hotel.
***
Spike carried Angel up to his suite and laid him in the bed.
‘Geez, Peaches you don’t get any lighter’ he gasped; glad to lay his heavy burden down. He remembered the times when either he or Angelus had to carry each other home after a particularly heavy bout of drinking or fighting.
Cordy looked down at the unresponsive vampire. ‘Spike do you sense anything from him?’ she asked.
‘No luv, I can’t even feel the pull of the bond’ Spike replied.
‘I can’t feel it either’ said Cordy sadly, since she’d been back in LA the bond with Angel had renewed, becoming stronger every time he drank from her. Now it was dormant, rather as it had been in New York.
‘The others are back’ said Spike, and he and Buffy went down to meet them, leaving Cordy alone with Angel.
A while later Fred knocked on the door and came in with Lorne in tow.
‘Oh Cordy, what happened?’ Lorne asked, for once not using a nickname for the stricken woman.
Willow came into the bedroom from Liam’s bedroom where she had been watching the child sleep and dreaming of a child of her own.
Cordy explained briefly to them before going to the bathroom to get some water to try and ease the ripped and burnt clothing away form Angel’s body.
Angel lay in bed in his suite, completely still. Cordy had cut away his ruined clothes and bathed the burnt areas, before gently applying a soothing aloe she hoped would ease the burns and help them to heal. She then covered him with a light sheet and sat down to watch over him.
Two weeks later.
Angel woke to find he was laying in a strange white room, he sat up and looked around then down and noticed he was naked. “Great, the last indignity” he thought and stood up to wander round the stark place. The last thing he remembered was being hit in the back and head by something that caused excruciating pain. So much so he had passed out.
‘Lower being, you have come before us yet again, even after we made it clear we were not you personal servants’ said a golden skinned, toga dressed being.
Angel looked at him ‘you must be the new Oracles’ he said when he noticed a female dressed similarly to the male.
‘New, old, nothing really changes, well not much anyway’ she said, eyeing the vampire’s nude body appreciatively.
‘Yeah, well I didn’t ask to come here, in fact why am I here?’ Angel said, shrugging. He wasn’t modest, being a vampire with all the past life he had led as Angelus, had cured him of that, not that he had been that bashful in the first place. As Liam, he knew he was attractive to women and used it to his advantage to make many conquests.
‘Well technically you’re dead’ said the female.
‘Tell me something new’ said Angel ‘I’ve been dead for over 250 years’
‘Yes well actually you are really dead this time, we’re just waiting for your body to realise and turn to dust’ said the male Oracle.
‘Oh’ said Angel, a shade uncertainly. ‘Then why am I here and not in hell?’
‘Your case is going before the tribunal; we have to wait for the outcome. In the meantime what would you like to do?’ said the female.
‘What do I have choice of?’ replied Angel.
‘Well you can see the past, present or the future you may have had’ said the female Oracle.
‘I’ve no need to see the past, I was there. I don’t want to see a future if I won’t have it, so it’d better be the present’ said Angel.
‘Very well’ said the male, and with a wave of his hand he opened a window in a wall. Angel looked and saw it was a view into his suite at the hotel. He saw his body lying still on the bed with Cordy sat beside him looking shattered. As Angel watched Willow came into the bedroom and sat beside Cordy.
***
‘Will’s can you use your magic to see where he is, he’s not responding and both Lorne and Spike says he’s essence isn’t there anymore, he has no aura’ said Cordy tearfully.
It broke Willows heart to see Cordy like this, but she had already tried a locater spell for Angel’s soul that had come back with nothing.
‘It’s no good I tried but his soul is not on this plane’ said Willow, she hear Liam calling and got up to go to him. They had decided to keep the child away from Angel until they knew what was happening to him so Willow had elected to keep Liam occupied and free Cordy to be with Angel.
When she left the room Cordy lost the fragile hold she had on her tears and broke down. Gently clasping Angel’s burnt hand she bent her head and wept.
‘Oh Angel, please come back to me, in any form I don’t care, I love you. Please don’t leave me. I can’t stand it, we’ve only just got back together’ she sobbed.
Angel looking down felt his own heart breaking at her anguish and wished he could do something to ease her pain. Then the scene changed and Angel found himself in the lobby, where a very sad looking group were assembled.
‘Wesley, please let us know of there’s any change. I don’t want to go but Kennedy called, it seems there’s a problem she feels needs us’ said Buffy. Dawn, Xander and Spike stood beside her, their bags packed.
‘Of course I will, and thank you for helping with that demon, I don’t think we could have managed without you’ said Wesley, ‘at least we managed to solve the case and clear up the lose ends.’
Wesley and Connor had gone back to the club and the manager had gratefully paid up, especially after Fred had hacked into the police files and found that the strange women were being sectioned. Apparently some of the captured men were brave enough to file a complaint against the resort and as the main woman had disappeared, know one knew where, they as second in command would be charged in her place. As soon as they found that out they couldn’t wait to tell the strange tale and the more they spoke the more convinced the detectives were that they were both mentally disturbed. They would be sent for psychiatric treatment and were not expected to be released for a very long time.
The gang waved goodbye to the Sunnydale group, then mooched about not knowing what to do whilst they waited. Wesley went back to his books, trying to find a way to rouse Angel. He didn’t know what would happen if Angel never regained consciousness, would they be able to carry on?
‘Who wants food?’ said Fred.
Connor put up his hand but the rest shook their heads.
Fred and Connor went over to the phone discussing what to order.
Angel was snapped back into the white room.
***
‘Hey, I wanted to see Cordy again’ he grumbled, when the Oracles appeared before him.
‘It has been decided because of your continued striving towards redemption, and also the fact that even as Liam you did your best to help others. Something we never thought Liam would do, by the way. You will be allowed to go back to your wife and family and continue the fight for good until the final apocalypse. If you are successful in preventing it, you will receive you reward’ said the male Oracle. ‘If you trouble us again without summons you will be terminated immediately’ he added.
Angel looked at the oracle he didn’t understand the part about Liam but wasn’t going to argue if they were letting him go back Cordelia. He just wondered how long it would be before he achieved his reward, and if there would be anyone left to share it with.
‘So when do I go back’ was all he said.
‘You are impatient, lower being, you have to wait for you body to heal itself’ replied the Oracle. Everything faded out again and Angel found himself alone, after what seemed a long time, he lay down on the hard floor and almost immediately fell asleep.
The Oracle looked in on Angel a few days later and decided he was ready so clicked his fingers and Angel found himself spinning out of control. The next thing he knew he was waking up in his suite.
***
Cordy lay keeping vigil with Angel, she knew he couldn’t be dead or he’d be dust. She just prayed he would wake up. She had taken to sleeping beside him in the bed, capturing a small measure of comfort from lying beside her husband. So as soon as he started to move she became aware of it.
‘Angel’ she shook him gentle ‘Angel, wake up’
He groaned and struggled to open his eyes. ‘Umm Cordy, what a dream I’ve had, you’ll never believe it’ he rasped, through a throat parched from lack of use. They had tried to feed him but the blood just fell out of his mouth, so after a while they had given up.
‘Thirsty’ he groaned as he tried to work some saliva into his mouth. Cordy reached to pour him some water from beside the bed, then while he was sipping it, got up to warm him some blood.
He drank four cups of blood before he started to feel able to move again. He looked at his damaged hands.
‘What happened, do you know?’ Angel asked.
Cordy spent the next few hours recounting the events of the last few weeks.
Angel stared at her as though he didn’t really believe it, then his eyelids started to droop. Cordy pushed him back down into the bed and tucked him in, kissing him gently.
‘Get some rest now, Liam and the others will want to see you as soon as you’re rested’ she said and left him to sleep, pleased that he seemed back to normal.
He was asleep almost before she left the room. It was by now early evening, so she made her way down stairs, actually feeling hungry for the first time.
‘Mommy, you’re here’ cried Liam, running over to his mother.
Cordy picked him up, ‘Yes, sweetie, and good news, Daddy’s feeling much better, you will be able to see him tomorrow’ she said.
The others had looked up at her comments. ‘Is he awake, can we see him?’ cried Fred, she had been amazed by how much she had missed the vampire she thought of as a brother.
‘Well he was awake but he’s sleeping now, he’s had food and we’ve talked about what went on, I think he should rest until morning’ said Cordy, moving to the kitchen to see about some food for herself.
Later that evening, Connor, Willow, Fred and Gunn had all gone to the pictures. Wesley had disappeared to a bookshop he’d been promising to go to. Lorne left to open up his club. That left Cordy and Liam alone with Angel. Cordy bathed Liam and put him to bed. When he was asleep she went and hand a long hot bath in the family bathroom, rather than disturb Angel by using the en-suite. She put on a deep red negligee Angel had bought for her and made her way into her and Angel’s bedroom, thinking to slip into bed beside him. When she entered the room she realised he wasn’t in the bed and on listening realised he was in the shower. She sat on the bed and picked up a magazine to read while she waited for Angel.
***
Angel came out of the bathroom a towel wrapped low on his lean hips he looked towards the bed to see Cordy sitting up in the bed reading a magazine.
‘Hi’ she said softly, eyeing his scrubbed, faintly pink body ‘I take it you’re feeling better?’
‘Yeah, much, now I’ve scrubbed the rest of that blackened skin off’ he replied. Cordy had bathed away some of the burnt flesh, when he had been unconscious, but there had been a few places that wouldn’t come away, so she’d left them rather than cause any more damage.
He stalked over to the bed with predatory grace, Cordy looked as he moved; she still couldn’t believe how magnificent he looked, her very own man-pire. She felt her nipples hardening against the red silk of her negligee and moisture pooling between her legs as her body responded as though recognizing its mate. Angel lifted his head and breathed in the wonderful fragrance that was uniquely Cordelia.
With one of his heart stopping sexy smiles he bent over the bed and brushed his lips against hers, not lingering long, just enough to tease, before moving to cup her face with both hands. He moved in to kiss her, nibbling at her full bottom lip to seek entrance into her warmth. She moaned as she opened her mouth, their tongues entwined together. Angel knelt on the bed and leaned over her deepening the kiss. After a while he pulled away knowing she had to breathe.
‘I love you so much’ he whispered ‘please let me show how much’
‘Oh Angel, yes, make me yours’ she breathed back, her arms caressing his broad shoulders as his hand moved to cup her breast, rolling her nipple between finger and thumb into a harder peak. He moved his head down to suckle it through the silk. Cordy arched into his caress.
“God” she thought, “he’s only just started and I’m a puddle of mush.”
She pulled his head up and began kissing him with all the emotion she felt, it was Angel’s turn to groan as he pulled away.
‘You turn me on so much’ he murmured, just knowing his tenting towel would prove his words.
Cordy deftly unwrapped the towel from around Angel’s waist, leaving him gloriously naked for her eyes to absorb. She reached for his hard shaft, stroking and squeezing him until he groaned, ‘you’d better stop or it’ll be all over before we start.’
Cordy smiled up at him and captured his nipples bringing them standing to attention, with her fingers and mouth.
‘Umm someone’s a little over dressed here’ Angel commented before untying the negligee’s fastening and sliding it off her shoulders to leave her totally nude to his gaze. His cock throbbed with want at the sight of her. He pushed her down and explored her body, kissing and licking all the places that he knew drove her wild, until finally ending up where she wanted him with his fingers buried deep inside her and his tongue laving her clit.
‘Oh Angel that’s so good’ she gasped as he soon brought her to a crashing climax. He quickly positioned himself at her entrance and pushed in catching the last few ripples of her orgasm. It nearly finished him again and he had to keep still, regaining some control. After a while he felt safe to go on and thrust into her, each stroke taking him deeper. She hooked her legs round his hips to allow him to penetrate fully.
‘Oh Angel… don’t stop’ she gasped, as he seemed to go deeper with each thrust.
‘I couldn’t if I wanted to’ he groaned as he hitched her hips up to change the angle enabling him to repeated rub her ‘g’ spot as he sank up to the hilt.
They were totally wrapped up in each other, but knew it couldn’t last. Nothing that good would go on for long and when Angel sank his fangs into his claim on her neck she exploded under the double penetration, the taste of her blood and the feel of her muscles gripping his cock, had him following her over the edge.
Angel rolled off her and they lay together limbs entwined, falling into a light doze. It wasn’t long before Cordy felt his renewed erection digging into her hip as he unconsciously thrust against her in his sleep. She decided to take matters into her own hands and careful not to wake him moved so she could take his long hard shaft into her mouth as her hand caressed and rolled his balls.
He woke from a most delightful dream to find it was real, as Cordy tended to his arousal, and rolled onto his back. She looked up at him through her hair and grinned before straddling his hips and impaling herself onto it. She rocked gently, twisting her hips a little, enjoying the reaction she was getting from the vampire.
Angel lay helpless, his gold flecked, brown eyes nearly crossing at the sensations she was evoking in him, he feasted them on her lush body swaying over his, she was so sexy he thought. After a while of her slow movements the urge to thrust was too much for him and he sat up pushing hard into Cordy. He laved her nipples as she tangled her fingers in his hair and pulled him close. He dragged her head down to devour her mouth, as he darted his tongue in time with his thrusts. It was all too much for Cordy and with a low groan that Angel felt to his centre she climaxed hard. Almost as soon as she did the effects of her muscles clamping around his cock caused Angel to thrust hard as he gritted his teeth in effort not to explode.
As soon as she calmed he lifted her off and before she could move was behind her, his fingers parting her folds and entering her, his thumbs busy on her clit. Cordy squirmed at the wonderful feelings he was giving her.
‘Oh Angel, I’m so close’ she murmurs, thrusting back towards him.
It was all the encouragement he needed and in one stroke he entered her, his long hard shaft sinking deep.
‘Oh fuck, baby, you’re incredible’ he groaned, as he looked down watching himself slowly pump into her slick warmth.
‘Oh so deep, so good’ cried Cordy, loving the way he penetrated her so fully.
Angel held her hips as he speeded up, pistoning rhythmically into her, his balls rubbing her clit at each thrust. Cordy reached between her legs and caught them, squeezing gently, as his fingers found their way back to her clit.
‘Arr.. Cor, so close, come with me, honey’ he gasped, and with a final deep thrust emptied himself into her, just as Cordelia erupted into a powerful orgasm, her muscles milking him, as he pumped into her.
Angel thought he would disappear into her, he was so deep and so sated, but after a few minutes he withdrew and they collapsed onto the bed and Angel rolled to her side taking her into his arms.
‘Wow, baby, that was intense’ he said when he could breath again. Cordy nuzzled his shoulder.
‘You got that right’ she replied still dazed.
‘I love you so much’ said Angel.
‘I love you too’ Cordy replied, kissing him passionately. They settled down to sleep, safe in each other’s arms, until they had to face the future together.
The End