Sunnydale High School Library
Angel paced like a caged panther across the tile floor of the library his dark clothes and the sinewy graceful moves adding to the impression. To the counter one way, completing an efficient turn and stalking to the steps. Back and forth moving in a steady pace and not bothering to take notice of the eyes staring in his direction or the conversations going on because of it.
“It’s weird,” Buffy scowled as she watched Angel pacing. Normally, he was so still that they barely noticed his presence in the room. She sat on top of the table as they waited for Giles to start the meeting. Only her watcher appeared otherwise occupied as well.
Elbowing Willow, she nodded in the direction of the main desk where Giles and Jenny were standing supposedly talking, but really making goo-goo eyes at each other. The redhead muttered, “Angel’s not the only weird one.”
Buffy was still a little irritated with Jenny Calendar. She was torn between being very grateful that Ms Calendar had restored Angel’s soul, especially permanently, and the anger that still welled up whenever she realized the teacher had been in touch with Cordelia the whole time Angelus was their prisoner. Keeping the cheerleader in the loop when Buffy no longer thought she had a right to be there.
As the library doors swung open, Angel stopped pacing, but only to give Xander a silent nod of acknowledgement as he came through the door carrying two pizzas. “Never fear, the food is here,” Xander quipped as he entered sparing the vampire a lukewarm glance.
“What kind did you get?” Buffy queried holding out her hands for one of the boxes. It was never a good sign that Giles paid for pizza before patrol rather than afterward.
“Veggie Deluxe,” shuddering dramatically, he handed that one over, “and one with the works.”
Willow peeked in the second box. “No anchovies, right? Cos it’s just not right to kill little fishies.”
The little stab coming from Willow Rosenberg caught his attention. It was a sign of the underlying emotions of the whole group. They dealt with his dark side for the course of the last month. None of them had come out unscathed. Maybe it would have been different if Angelus had simply disappeared for a while and he showed up with his soul intact; all might be forgiven.
Nothing was that easy.
It didn’t work that way. They could deal with it and take everything he’d said as Angelus with a grain of salt or they could sit and stew over it. Not that he felt any of it should be glazed over and forgotten. Being physically restrained, his words had been his only weapon and they were sharp and cutting as any blade.
“Now that Xander has arrived,” Giles pulled his focus back onto the matter at hand trying to ignore the little smile that played around Jenny’s lips, “we’ll get started.”
Angel stared toward the doors before saying, “We should wait.”
“Why?” Xander already had his mouth full of pizza and chomped it visibly. “Not like we have to finish dinner first. Our moms aren’t watching to see if we talk with our mouths full.”
Buffy laughed at him, balling up a napkin and tossing it across the table. “Could you be any more gross, Xander?”
Nodding his dark head, Xander obliged her by opening his mouth really, really wide; still full of pizza, of course. The girls were laughing at his antics, while Giles simply let out a deep sigh thinking that the Watcher’s Council didn’t pay him enough for this. He received a sympathetic look from Jenny who had only recently started coming to these meetings, but was quite used to the antics of seventeen year-old boys.
Scowling darkly, Angel wondered what Cordelia had ever seen in Xander Harris that would make her date him in the first place. “Just wait a few more minutes, Rupert.”
Jenny’s gaze turned curious, catching the vampire’s eye and realizing the reason he sounded so impatient. Though Cordelia hadn’t said a word to her about coming to the meeting, it seemed clear who the vampire was expecting. Though she hated putting herself in the middle of this any more than she already was, Jenny figured she should suggest that he tell the gang to expect Cordelia Chase.
Her decision came too late as Cordelia pushed open the library door, standing just inside them to survey the room. Running behind schedule, Cordelia was still breathing fast from sprinting in from the parking lot, her heart beating fast in anticipation of being here and knowing what was likely to come the minute she stepped in the door.
At first glance, Cordelia noticed their varying expressions. Welcoming. Hostile. Surprised. Meeting Angel’s somewhat relieved gaze, she held it, automatically giving him a smile, but her attention was pulled away as she heard Xander react.
“Cordelia?” he gaped open-mouthed having finally swallowed the pizza.
“That’s my name,” Cordelia quipped stepping further into the room. “Being easily forgetful or are you hoping I’m just a figment of your imagination?”
Buffy dropped her pizza slice back on the top of the box looking like she wanted to reach for the nearest stake. “A good dose of amnesia where you’re concerned might be healthy for all of us, Cordelia.”
The slayer’s ultra-cool voice couldn’t hide the anger rising beneath it. Cordelia knew just what to say in return and the snarky response was forming on her tongue as both Giles and Jenny stepped forward to put a stop to what they saw as a potential battle of wills. Caught between defending Xander and backing up Buffy, Willow ended up gaping like a fish uncertain what to say.
Moving toward her, Angel stopped by Cordelia’s side as if his presence along might provide her with an aura of protection. Before she could snap back at Buffy, he told them, “I asked Cordelia to come.”
“She can go,” Buffy jumped down from the table, not coming closer, but standing with her hands crossed over her chest. “You know how I feel ab—”
“Cordelia stays,” his tone darkened defying further argument. Not that he expected it would stop there. Angel didn’t want them blaming her for showing up uninvited when it was his idea. “My decision. She belongs here. With me.”
As her retort died on her lips with Angel’s surprising statement, Cordelia felt a little startled by the twist her mind is putting on those words. She belonged with him. The notion sent a swarm of butterflies to swirl in her stomach.
Get it together, Chase, Cordelia admonished herself. That’s not what Angel means no matter how good it sounds.
Buffy was the one to ask, “What are you saying, Angel?”
“If you want me here, you’ll accept us both,” he told her frankly. “I’m not going to let one…”
“Mistake?” injected Buffy.
“One night wreck Cordelia’s life anymore than I want that for you,” Angel explained emphasizing he had no intention of calling his time with Cordelia a mistake.
Realizing that Angel was referring to the night he lost his soul and the confrontations with Angelus that followed, Buffy reluctantly saw how he might make a comparison. Not that it gave Cordelia any right to touch him in the first place.
Xander could no longer stand being silent. Pointing at Angel, he let his own anger for the vampire stir. “Let’s not forget you do get around. Who’s next on your seduction list…Willow?”
Blushing beet red at the idea, Willow looked a little frightened by Xander’s sarcastic suggestion considering something Angelus said to her the night he lost his soul.
Calling out their protest, Cordelia and Buffy snapped, “Shut up, Xander.”
Even Giles had to say, “That’s not necessary, Xander. Angel is neither drunk nor soulless, so I would assume he is in control of his faculties at the moment.”
“Angel’s soul is permanent,” Jenny assured the group. “There is no need to fear that Angelus will return.”
While he was gratified to hear them coming so unexpectedly to his defense, Angel had to say, “Harris is right.”
That floored Xander. “I am? Yeah. Okay, so what am I right about?”
“The blame lies with me,” Angel returned calmly. “Everything that has happened is all because of my actions in the past.”
Cordelia put her hand on his arm, turning to assure he understood, “I don’t blame you.”
Xander wasn’t so accommodating. “I do. Cor, you broke up with me because of him.”
Rolling her eyes, Cordelia huffed, “We broke up before anything happened between Angelus and me. It had nothing to do with him and you know it.”
Mumbling under his breath, Xander couldn’t come up with a response when she hit him in the face with the facts.
Repeating her words with emphasis, “You know it.”
He mumbled a little more glancing at her with a hurt expression as if admitting that to himself would mean he no longer had anyone to blame for their breakup except for Cordelia and himself. He’d gone to such lengths to win her back by having Amy cast that love spell, only the town went wacky instead.
“You’re a sweet, funny guy Xander,” she smiled at him softly drawing his pout into a wry line, “but when it comes to being your girl, I’ll know I’ll never come first. Cos you’ve already got two that take priority.”
Buffy and Willow stared at Xander for a moment, both thinking that they knew she was stating the truth. Xander would do anything for them and despite the crazy spell he had tried in order to win Cordelia back, they just had a special bond in which the cheerleader had no part. Under their scrutiny, Xander squirmed nervously, but he was not able to deny it either.
There was only one truth he could point out in response. “You slept with Angelus.”
“Yeah. I did,” Cordelia answered without hesitation. Hands on her hips, she took an aggressive stance next to Angel. “Get over it.”
“But we…,” Xander trailed off as his words got mired in a jealous muck that weighed them down.
Giles made an awkward sound as Xander brought up the subject of sex. Looking like he might have heart failure, the Englishman cleared his throat attempting to gain their attention.
Not even noticing, Cordelia picked up where the teenager had left off, “But we never did it. The closest sessions were hot, Xander, but maybe the fact that it never went further was a sign that it shouldn’t.”
Angel frowned as he listened to the conversation. Closet sessions? What the hell was that supposed to mean.
Conflicting emotions ran rampant through Angel and he tried to get them under control. Just the thought that Xander had his hands all over Cordelia made him furious, but being her boyfriend at the time gave him the right to do so. At the same time, Angel felt elated at the news he’d never fucked her. Maybe Cordelia hadn’t been a virgin, but the thought of Xander Harris being the one to initiate her brought his rage a little too close to the surface to completely contain.
If Xander thought there was still a chance he might bed Cordelia, then Angel would just have to correct that notion pretty damn fast. “Time to move on, Harris. Cordelia can be your friend, but she’s sure as hell not going to be anything else.”
The possessive tone surprised her, but Cordelia found herself equally amused by it. “Pfft! I’ll pick my own friends, thank you very much,” then turning back to Xander, “I’d like you to be one of them.”
Feeling the weight of Buffy’s stare, Xander told Cordelia, “Me too.” It still hurt to say that was all they could be, but there was too much truth in her words to deny he had no feelings for Buffy & Willow.
“Hey!” Buffy protested his response as if she had a right to complain about keeping Cordelia as a friend.
Willow suddenly felt tired of all the push and pull between her two best friends over the Cordelia and Angelus saga. She finally voiced the thoughts she’d been keeping to herself all this time, “Buffy, maybe it was all just a mistake. Th-they were drunk that night. Things happen. What would you do if Angelus came up to you that way?”
“Stake him,” her automatic answer left no room for reconsideration despite the fact that she had been reminded that Angelus and Angel were the same being.
Cordelia tapped her fingers on her hips. “I’m not the slayer here, Buffy. You weren’t exactly on speaking terms with Angelus. I wasn’t thinking of consequences. Things just happened. I don’t blame Angel for it and I don’t regret a second of that night.”
Stroking his hand down Cordelia’s back, Angel’s comforting move was not lost on Buffy, nor the tender look in his eyes as he stared at the brunette. Drawing up to her full height, Buffy fumed at him, “Will you just stop touching her.”
Having not even realized he was doing so, Angel started to drop his hand having and then changed his mind keeping it there. Sensing the tension in Cordelia’s back made him want to soothe it away and it took quite an effort to keep his hand still. Angel tried to redirect Buffy’s anger by bringing them back to the reason they were there in the first place. “We’re here to help with patrol.”
“Yes,” Giles jumped at the opportunity the vampire had opened up as he saw the storm brewing in Buffy’s green eyes. Thinking he could do with some tea to calm his nerves…or a stiff drink, Giles suggested, “Yes, let’s do talk about patrol. Buffy? Let’s begin our review of last night’s encounter with the Degarba beast.”
Buffy didn’t want to talk about the Degarba beast. Giving her watcher a petulant pout, she plopped down into her chair. “I’m listening.”
Letting out a long sigh, Jenny realized the slayer had resigned herself to Angel’s terms. If she wanted the vampire there, Cordelia would be there too. There was obviously more going on than Cordelia had revealed and while she was curious on her own, Jenny also knew that despite the permanent soul Angel would always be her business. By cursing Angelus, the Kalderash had also tied themselves to him for eternity.
Cordelia had to have met up with Angel since they parted at Rupert’s apartment, she guessed. Jenny had talked with Cordelia briefly at school, but the teenager didn’t say much more than to thank her for researching the curse so thoroughly and for telling her about the spell-casting.
Having heard Cordelia’s side of events and witnessed some of the things Angelus had revealed to Buffy and her friends, Jenny figured that Angel’s re-ensoulment was only going to add more conflict to the situation. Knowing that she was right was not at all satisfying.
“Have a seat, Cordelia,” Giles gestured toward the table. He was not opposed to her being here as long as it didn’t disrupt things. He hoped after a period of adjustment, Buffy would get used to having her around again. As for Angel, he wasn’t certain at all what might happen, but secretly wished that the vampire would leave his slayer alone.
Stepping up to the table, Angel held out a chair for Cordelia drawing a smile from her lips as she acknowledged his gentlemanly move. “First car doors and now chairs, what’s next, covering mud puddles with your coat?”
Angel instinctively clasped a protective hand to his leather jacket and after mirroring Cordelia’s teasing grin with a flash of pearly white teeth, pressed his mouth into an amused smirk. There was just something about her that made him want to protect and cherish her one moment and bring her to an earth-shattering orgasm the next.
Caught up in their own little world of magnetic eye-contact, Cordelia got the feeling that Angel wouldn’t be quite so polite in bed. Just the way he was looking at her made her want to jump him. Neither one of them noticed Buffy’s scowl as Angel headed over to his usual spot on the stairs where he could keep an eye on them both.
After Giles’ long lecture on Degarba beasts and the proper way to bring them down, the group headed out on patrol. Buffy had glanced at the information Angel had found in the watcher’s book yesterday and taken out the demon with her own unconventional fighting style rather than follow the recommended technique to the letter.
Giles seemed a little reluctant to let the gang go off on their own without his supervision. Considering the tension that continued to fill the room, he wasn’t at all certain it would dissipate if his watchful eye wasn’t on them. “Jenny, perhaps you should head home.”
“I’ll see you later then,” she agreed, her dark eyes twinkling.
Sliding a glance at the table of teenagers, Giles found them to be staring at him with that knowing look in their eyes. Recently, things had been developing quite rapidly between himself and Jenny Calendar. Though the last month of having Angelus in his house made it all but impossible to have her over, the vampire wasn’t there anymore and when it came to choosing between spending the rest of the evening with her and a routine patrol, Giles found it a difficult choice.
“We’ll handle patrol,” Angel told him, rising from his seat on the stairs.
He wasn’t concerned about what they might run into, but like Rupert Giles, he had a feeling the group dynamics needed a little airing out and exercise. That wouldn’t happen if the watcher tagged along all night.
Buffy stood up as well, not certain at all that she liked hearing Angel make decisions for her patrol that involved her watcher. Besides, having Giles along might help her to stay focused on patrol rather than the fact that Cordelia Chase was part of the group again.
“He should come,” Buffy spoke up. “I may have more questions about that Degarba beast.”
Though Angel wasn’t buying that excuse, he said nothing. Giles gave his slayer a small smile thinking that she was actually interested in hearing more about possible slaying techniques. In that case, his duty was clear.
