Part 4
“Ya know, I once told Cordelia she’d never be able to get between you and Angel.” Xander mused, walking alongside Buffy and Spike. “Guess she finally did, huh?”
At Buffy’s odd look, he quickly changed the topic. “Why the hell would two vampires choose the beach?” he muttered, trying to kick the sand out of his shoes and keep up with the rest of the group when they overtook him at the same time.
Spike rolled his eyes. “Stop whining, Harris.”
Buffy squeezed his hand, shooting him a look. “Try irony, Xan.” She said, over her shoulder.
“Well,” Wesley stopped suddenly, nearly causing Angel to run into him, “if Willow and Fred are correct – ”
“If?” Gunn interrupted. “You did NOT just say if.”
Wesley ignored him. “If they’re correct then this is the pier.” He turned to Angel. “Any luck?”
Angel took a deep breath, concentrating hard. He could smell the sand, the sea, rocks and fish and –
“Got it.” He whispered. “But it’s faint. She’s further away.” He could smell her blood and it made his own turn cold. When he opened his eyes again they were yellow. He gestured for the group to follow him, walking around and behind the pier, making his way under a worn and ripped metal fence with the sign “DO NOT ENTER” pinned upon it.
When he straightened on the other side of the fence, several beach sheds stood before him, old and abandoned, he assumed, where the wooden doors and floorboards creaked and the furnishings didn’t work any longer.
Gunn whistled. “Talk about a needle in a haystack.”
Buffy grinned. “I don’t think whoever was looking for the needle had two highly advanced metal detectors.”
Spike, Xander and Wesley shot her a confused look. “Huh?”
Buffy coughed delicately, reddening. “Uh…vampires. I doubt they had vampires to find the needle, or in this case Cordy – it was a friggin’ metaphor!”
She stamped her foot indignantly and Spike suppressed a grin, kissing her temple. She swatted him in the side.
Angel cleared his throat and Buffy bit her lip, suddenly feeling guilty. He was worried enough about Cordy without having to be reminded of what he was missing. She gently pushed Spike away.
Satisfied that they were all listening, Angel spoke. “Alright – here’s the plan.”
***
“Alone in the dark, where the demons are torturing me.”
A scream tore out of Cordy’s throat as Drusilla’s whip connected with her skin for the third time. Gashes had appeared all over her body, blood red and ripped wide open.
Drusilla licked her lips. “My mouth waters…”
She rolled the whip between her fingers, throwing it to the side. Darla wiped away the tears that slid down Cordelia’s cheeks, flicking her tongue over one. Cordy flinched.
“Such strength…” Darla whispered, trailing cold fingertips over a fresh wound in Cordy’s arm, “Angel always loved a strong woman.”
She smiled winningly, rising to her feet and circling the room at a leisurely pace. “He loved to break them, hurt them a little, or a lot maybe, make them crumble beneath his fingertips like they were nothing more than grains of sand.”
Cordy swallowed the bile rising in her throat.
“Me?” Darla grinned. “I preferred to watch.”
Through the tears, Cordelia snorted.
Darla swivelled on her heel, shooting her a sharp look. “What?”
“You’re a real hellcat, Darla.” Cordy’s tone was thick with sarcasm.
Darla glowered. Cordelia glared back.
“Perhaps you’d like to see,” Darla said, coming forward, “how *catty* I can be…”
She lashed out, her fingernails grating across Cordelia’s throat, drawing blood. Cordelia hissed, reflexively spitting in her face.
Darla’s punch seemed to come out of nowhere, the weight of it sending the chair flying back a few feet. Almost instantly, Cordelia felt her eye swell, a dull pain encompassing the left side of her face.
For a few moments, the silence was deafening. Then Darla bit her lip, her eyes locking with Cordelia’s.
“He never told you, did he? About our little night together?”
That caught her attention – Cordelia raised her head with as much energy as she had left. “What?”
“Probably too scared to.” Darla grinned wickedly. “Didn’t want his little Cordelia to hate him anymore than she already did…and then after that, couldn’t bear the idea of her loving him any less that she already did.”
“What the hell are you talking about, skank – o?”
Darla ignored the insult. “That little ‘Epiphany’ he had? That was *all* thanks to me.”
Fear hit her straight in the gut and Cordy swallowed. She hated that her voice came out as a whisper. “What?”
Darla only smiled. “He was as good as I remembered.”
“You’re lying.” Cordelia said lowly, her heart pounding in her chest.
“I am many things, little girl.” Darla snapped. “A liar is not one of them.” A cruel smile crept over her face. “I am a sadist, however. And the look on your face is priceless.”
At Cordy’s shocked silence, she continued. “A night of hot, sweaty, steamy – ”
Cordelia was barely listening. She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her, her heart hammering wildly against her ribcage as it wept helplessly. Rage and betrayal bled through her veins and tears pricked at her eyes.
“Pretty girl is suffering…” Drusilla whispered.
Cordy closed her eyes against the tears, trying to shut out the screaming fury in her head and the shattering in her heart. Certainly, their current relationship made it difficult to suppress the feelings of deception and jealousy but Angel had owed her nothing at the time aside from the truth – and he had lied to her.
He lied to me. That bastard looked me straight in the eye and lied to me.
And he had slept with Darla. He had slept with this monster who was slowly killing her…
Oh God. OH GOD…
She suddenly felt nauseous.
He risked everything for –
“Of course,” Darla’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts, “the bastard said it was perfect despair and told me to get out before he staked me.” The vampire had begun pacing again, more frantically this time. “The outcome was a little different than I had initially expected. He used me – took what he wanted and threw me out like yesterday’s trash.”
She glared at Cordelia. “But that’ll all change when he’s by my side, when he’s Angelus again. I’ll make him forget you, forget guilt and good and – ”
Darla stopped abruptly, her nostrils flaring. “Speak of the devil…” She closed her eyes, a soft smile fluttering over her lips. “He is here.”
Drusilla squealed, clapping her hands together. “Daddy?”
Darla nodded. “I can sense him.”
Drusilla giggled, crouching down beside Cordelia and stroking her face. “Daddy’s coming little one. Must make ourselves look pretty!”
Hope flared in her at the mention of Angel’s proximity, but the slight anger she felt was unexpected. Cordy glared through her good eye, biting, as it were. “Might take some work with you two.”
Drusilla pouted. Then she slapped her, hard.
The room spun slightly and Cordy recognised the feeling of exhaustion and weakness as hours of torture and terror beginning to take their toll. Her body ached unbearably and Cordelia finally gave in to the darkness, unable to hold the weight of her throbbing head, her broken heart or her heavy eyelids any longer.
***
They stood in front of the worn down shed, eyes wide, hearts racing. Angel swallowed, closing his eyes. “They know I’m here.”
Xander frowned. “How?”
Spike shot him a look. “Vampires, Einstein.” He tapped his nose.
Gunn loaded his crossbow. “Who cares? We got your back.”
“There’s six of us and two of them.” Buffy said, crossing her arms impatiently. “You do the math.”
“She’s right. We’re wasting time.” Wesley gestured towards the door, looking at Angel. “After you.”
Angel took a step forward. “Remember,” he warned, swivelling to face the rest of the group, “wait for my signal.”
They all nodded. Angel took a deep, unneeded breath.
Then he turned and walked into the beach shed.
****
Part 4 Cont’d
It was dark inside. And cold, and dirty. The rotten smell was overpowering and Angel felt his eyes water.
Downstairs was empty. He could sense them upstairs before he saw them, Cordelia’s slow, too slow, heartbeat thumping in his ears, the smell of her a relief as well as a concern.
He could smell blood. Her blood.
She had been hurt.
Anger burned through him, hot and raw. He clenched his fists, calming himself.
She was here. He had found her and she was alive.
But they had tried to hurt her.
Yellow eyes glowed in the dark and Angel let the relief and the fury fuel his strength. Mustering it all, he took the stairs two at a time, finally reaching the second floor of the shed.
It took him no time to locate the door she was behind.
It opened with a creak, and Angel was greeted by the sight of three women that had brought him to his knees at one time or another during his long life – women that he had lusted after. Women that he had dragged into the night, into his world of darkness. Women that he had loved.
Now, that love was directed towards only one of them. Angel dared a glance at her.
And fear, cold as ice, flooded his heart.
Cordelia was unconscious, her body slumped at an awkward angle over the chair she’d been bound to. Angry cuts and bruises in shades of red, black, purple and blue covered her arms, legs and face. The smell of her blood was overpowering, much more so than when he had first sensed it downstairs, and nausea swirled dangerously in his stomach.
He itched to hold her, touch her, to check her pulse and confirm that she was alright. Her heartbeat was unsteady and she appeared disturbingly lifeless. He wanted to lift her in his arms and carry her to safety but he had to stick to the plan. One false move and –
He swallowed, not moving a muscle.
“Hello daddy.” Drusilla grinned like a cat who’d swallowed the canary.
“Dru…” Angel looked up, his voice cold, even. Drusilla frowned at his unenthusiastic response. He ignored her, looking up. “Darla.”
A smile slipped onto Darla’s face and she ran her fingers over the lacy collar of her dress. “Angelus.” She walked forward, stopping a few feet away from him. “I knew you’d come dear boy. There is a lust for darkness that lies deep within your heart, a lust for me. You cannot fight it. No matter where you are, you will always return to me.”
Angel remained expressionless. “Actually Darla, I’m here to kill you.”
Darla’s smile disappeared. The two vampires stared at each other for a few seconds, before Darla broke the silence.
“Over what?” She barked, pointing accusingly at Cordelia. “That disgusting little – ”
In a second, Angel had her by the throat, her body roughly jerked to his side as he held her in a choking grip. “Don’t you dare talk about her like that.” He growled.
Darla coughed angrily, spitting like a cat. “What happened to you?”
“I was given a soul.” Angel answered simply.
“And that makes you better?”
Angel’s tone was derisive. “Well, yeah.”
“Ha!” Darla scoffed, struggling a little to speak. “Doesn’t make you smarter – you can’t kill me like this, Angel.”
“No,” the hand around her neck curled tighter, “but a crushed windpipe would hurt like a bitch.” He released her, unceremoniously shoving her away. She flew across the shed, landing hard on the floor.
“No!” Drusilla cried out, covering her face. “No, not daddy!” She stared at Angel through her fingers. “It is you, isn’t it?” Her voice was soft, childlike. “My dark, stoic stallion?”
Angel’s eyes softened, but his face remained impassive as he observed his childe. Guilty memories washed over him, memories of a beautiful girl with an extraordinary gift, an innocent child whom he drove to the brink of insanity, a vicious vampire he trained to take lives. What had he destroyed to create? He had broken her, turned her, hurt her, loved her – she was his childe, his choice, his mistake.
“Is it?” Drusilla inched closer to him, her arms wide open before her. “My darling daddy?”
When Angel didn’t answer, she closed the distance between them, sliding her hands over his chest, her lips on his throat. He fought the urge to push her away. Her palm came to rest over his still heart and she pressed her face to it, slipping her arms around his waist. He barely blinked, his body still.
Drusilla whimpered.
“We’ve lost him, mummy…”
From across the room, Darla looked up, spitting out the blood in her mouth, caused by her fall. “What?”
“His heart stinks of her.” Drusilla bit out, abruptly pushing away from Angel and turning towards Cordy. Her voice was resigned, yet enlightened. “I can see her in it. Swirling bright and burning deep. The seer – ”
“Shut up Dru.”
Drusilla glared at her. “I *can* see her, pretty princess. Daddy holds her in his heart.” She whimpered again. “And he wont let go. He loves her – ”
“Shut up Dru!” Darla exploded, seething. “He doesn’t love her! He is MINE! He always will be – ”
“How long are you gonna keep deluding yourself, Darla?” Angel finally spoke, his previously calm voice now irritated, impatient. “You’re evil. I’m not. I tried to save you and I failed but Cordelia showed me the way from crazy. She helped me get past that.” His eyes blazed. “I love *her*. And you’re gonna pay for hurting her.”
Seconds passed in shocked silence. Then –
“You sicken me! You and your dirty soul!” A deep growl escaped Darla and she quickly got to her feet, stalking over to where Cordelia sat, her body limp. “You’ve destroyed my dream, Angelus.” She snarled, her hands coming to rest on either side of Cordelia’s neck. Angel tensed. “Now I shall destroy your everything.”
“NO!” Angel yelled, panic flooding him. He lunged towards Darla.
It all happened in a flash. At that very moment, the wooden door broke open, and Spike, Buffy and Gunn came racing through it, stakes, crossbows and fists at the ready. Wesley and Xander appeared behind them seconds later. Darla was momentarily distracted, and Angel managed to grab her shoulders, yanking her away from Cordelia and spinning her around. She struck out but he ducked, recovering and punching her hard. She stumbled a few feet back and Angel spun around to face his friends.
“Xander, Wes – get Cordy out of here, NOW!”
Gunn raised his crossbow, nodding at Wesley. “I got you covered.”
Wes and Xander nodded, rushing forward to Cordelia’s side, making quick work of untying the ropes that held her captive. Wesley swiftly cut the constricting rope around her middle, and almost in sync, Xander wrapped his arms around her neck and waist, gently supporting her so she wouldn’t slip or tumble off the chair.
“Angel!” Buffy screamed suddenly. “Look out!”
Before Angel had a chance to register her words, Darla ploughed into him, their combined weights throwing them several feet back and through a glass window onto the sandy beach bellow.
*
Buffy sprinted over to the window and looked over the edge. She saw Angel get to his feet and sighed, relieved, until Darla lifted herself off the sand and charged at him.
Angel threw a punch in Darla’s direction and she was knocked back, her hair flying madly in the wind. Satisfied that he was fine, Buffy turned around, her eyes searching out Spike.
She froze.