Part 34
Cordelia rolled her eyes again at Paddy. If that stupid director wasn’t careful she would go completely insane on him. God, this was stupid, it was make believe and she had real world stuff to do. Mainly, yell at Angel.
Cordelia moved off her mark as her cell phone rang again, waving away the director’s yell.
Cordelia listened and asked only one question of Nevin. When he answered in the affirmative she said ‘buy it’ and slammed the phone closed.
“ARE YOU DONE NOW?”
Cordelia gave an icy look at the red-faced pulse-pumping director. “You’ll get your shot, so don’t worry, you yell at me one more time and I’ll rip a new orifice in your body, one that won’t ever give you pleasure.”
Cordelia ignored the surprised tense silence that descended the sound stage at her outburst, “so, are you going to shoot a scene or what?” she yelled at the slacked-jaw veteran director of TV and films.
“I….” He bolstered.
“I…I…my butt, I’m the star of this show…and you know what, I just don’t feel like being here right now…so screw your I…I….I..’s.” Cordelia stormed out of the room.
***
Cordelia flung herself up against the wall of the hallway. What was going on with her? First she makes some asinine stupid statement of love for …what…Buffy’s boyfriend….okay, so that wasn’t really true anymore but it just sounded easier to dish….
Cordelia couldn’t understand it. She hadn’t felt this mad since….ever…not about a relationship…okay, Xander and Willow lip locking and stomach spearing caused a lot of pain – literally and figuratively- but this…She couldn’t concentrate. She had been a first class bitch out there on the sound stage.
It was the vampire’s fault he was just being stupid….and she wanted him to know how stupid he was being…no way would he blame any of this on her. So, she blurted out an inappropriate saying….he should’ve known better. And they were friends, weren’t they? Angel should’ve of considered that for he ran away like….a MAN.
Cordelia kicked the wall. She had gone from insecurity to complete anger in a matter of a few hours. She wouldn’t be okay, until she spoke her mind with the vampire. Cordelia knew where he lived. She narrowed her eyes and swung her shoulders back in a makeshift confident manner.
“Miss Chase…Mr. Paddy wants….”
She swung around to the innocent stagehand. “Tough shit. And quote me.”
***
Cordelia banged on the door of the apartment. “I can hear you- let me in, right now, you dumb ass.”
Wesley swung open the door.
Cordelia jumped back startled, more by the large sword in Wesley’s hand than the yanked opened door.
“Cordelia, this is not a good time.”
Cordelia narrowed her eyes. “I want to talk to Angel.”
“I gathered. But, this is not a good time. We’ve got to go out.”
Cordelia peered around Wesley’s body, finally noticing an axe-wielding Gunn. She glanced back to Wesley. “What’s going on? Where’s Angel?”
Wesley took a deep breath. “In his room, he’s had a vision. Now, we have to go. Come back later.”
“He doesn’t go with you?”
“Cordelia, he’s had a vision. He can’t.”
“Cuz, he’s crazy.” Cordelia questioned. Everyone told her but she was still having a hard time believing it. Angel wasn’t crazy just a jerk.
Wesley rolled his eyes. “I explained the visions make him…”
“Crazy,” waving away the rest of the words. “I want to see him.”
“Cordelia, he’s not in any condition to be yelled at or called a dumb ass.”
“I wasn’t…I want to see him.” Cordelia insisted. She wasn’t sure why, but it was really important for her to see Angel and not to yell at him.
“Cordelia, we have to go. There is a victim that needs to be saved and that’s the only way Angel will get any relief from the vision’s effects.”
“Then go, I’ll stay with Angel. Which is his room?” She glanced around the small room, opening the first door she saw. She slammed the closet closed. “Well.” she ordered.
“Cordelia, you don’t want to see him right now, he wouldn’t even be able to recognize you. It’s not safe. So, please go, I’ll call you later, you can see him then.”
Cordelia stopped listening and went down the hall, trying more doors. She stopped when she got to a locked room. “You’ve locked him in?”
“Cordelia,” Wesley said in exasperation.
“Wesley, the quicker you unlock the door, the quicker you can go save the victim.” Cordelia’s head shot back to the closed room. She flinched as she heard moaning and banging. “Let me in, NOW.”
“Do it, man. Arguing with her is taking too long.” Gunn shrugged.
“Charles.”
“He’s chained.” Gunn reasoned.
“Chained? Let me in, I mean it Wesley.” Cordelia really had to get in that room.
“Fine, but don’t go near him.” Wesley shook his head as he brought out the key.
Cordelia shoved past Wesley as soon as the door was opened. She stopped and just stared. She wanted to scream and then cry…and then kill whoever or whatever was responsible for crippling the strong vampire.
Angel’s body was slumped on the floor, only being held upright by the iron shackles attached by long chains to the ceiling. It was sickening and it broke her heart. “Get him down from there.” Cordelia whispered through clenched teeth, her voice choked with tears and anger.
“Cordelia that would not be wise.”
“Do it. He’s barely conscious.” She glared accusingly adding Wesley to her list of responsible parties to kill.
“Cordelia, it has to be this way- the drugs’ tranquilizing effects are only temporary. If he’s not chained when it wears off he could hurt himself.”
“I’ll stay with him. Now, unchain him, please.” Cordelia’s anger was replaced with the need to help Angel. She could do it, her gut screamed.
“Cordelia, he could strike out at you. He’s not cognizant of who you are right now or his own strength. He could hurt you.”
“Wesley,” Cordelia pleaded again, her eyes never leaving the vampire. She moved closer.
“Cordelia, don’t” Wesley reached out to stop the young woman.
“Victim to save, man. Just do it. We got to go. Leave her a gun.”
Wesley shook his head at the black man, seriously doubting the wisdom of Gunn’s suggestion.
“Please.”
Wesley closed his eyes at Cordelia’s teary expression and made what he hoped was the right decision.
Angel’s body fell forward as his arms were released. Groaning, the vampire huddled up and slowly blinked.
“Angel.” Cordelia whispered, relieved at the sign of consciousness.
The vampire jerked to the soft voice, his eyes widening as they tried to focus on the young woman. He started babbling, mumbling demon and park over and over again.
Cordelia bent down, reaching out her hand. “Angel.”
Again, his head jerked, but this time he frantically scooted across the room away from the soft voice. He crunched, beginning to bang his head against the wall. “Hurt, go away.” tumbled from his lips.
Cordelia stood, tears falling freely. So many things over the last few days had inexplicably felt right or wrong. The sight of the broken terrified vampire was one of the most very wrong feelings she had experienced. It was SO NOT right. Cordelia felt it down to her very bones.
“Angel, it’s me, Cordy.” She stepped closer to the huddled vampire, ignoring Wesley’s call of warning. “Angel…it will be alright, I promise…I promise,” kneeling down next to the trembling and mumbling vampire. His actions stilled as Cordelia cupped his face gently. “I promise. It will be alright,” gently leaning in to kiss the vampire. Her tears mingling with her breath and the sudden glow the enhanced the touching lips. The room froze.
“Cordelia.”
The young woman stood up, her eyes traveling from the still vampire to the deep voice of the demon that called to her. “I remember, I remember everything.”
The large metallic demon shook his head. “The visions will kill you.”
“Angel can’t have them, look what they do to him.”
“Shouldn’t have been your concern. We had a deal.”
“It was a bad deal, Skip.”
“Death is a worse deal, Cordelia, and you will die. I showed you what would happen if you kept the visions. Do I have to remind you that right now you are lying in a coma, dying? You made your choice.”
Cordelia shook her head, brushing away her tears. “You didn’t tell me that Angel would be like this. He needs me. He can’t be a champion this way. The Powers were able to re-write history. They have to be able to do something else. Angel can’t have the visions.”
Skip studied the young woman. “This is not the way it was supposed to happen.”
“Yes, it is. The other life was false. I could feel it. Something was missing. It felt wrong. It was the visions- they’re mine. Doyle did give them to me not Angel. The only thing right in that life was that I wanted to be with Angel…that…I…that I wanted to be with him.”
“You having the visions is wrong, Cordelia. Doyle giving them to you was a mistake, I told you that. It was his feelings for you that screwed it up. Just like it is your feelings for Angel that are messing things up now. Get over it and live.”
“I can’t- so, find a loophole.” Cordelia’s determined gaze remained fixed on the big demon.
Skip glared back hoping to intimidate the young woman into faltering. With grunt, Skip sighed, giving up the losing battle. “There maybe a way.”
“Listening.”
“You can become part demon.”
Cordelia scrunched up her face. “I’ll get to keep the visions? They won’t kill me.”
“They won’t kill, but Cordelia it won’t a walk in the park. The side effects are unknown. It will excruciating- make the visions seem to be day at the beach. And there are other problems, as well.”
“But, I’ll get them, Angel won’t.”
“Yes.” Skip shook his head at Cordelia’s obvious priority.
“Then demonize me, already.”
“Fine, and while I’m at I better fix that other problem before it blows up in everyone’s faces.”
“What blows up?”
“Angelus. I’m going to have to anchor the vampire’s soul, if you continue to insist on having feelings for the demon. Ready?” He held out.
“You’re what…” Cordelia’s words were cut off as a piercing pain shot through her body with enough force to tear her apart. She screamed.
Part 35
Angel perched on the end of the chair, his hand gently covering Cordelia’s motionless one. Wake up, please, wake up, was his continuing silent refrain. She couldn’t do this to him. Cordelia couldn’t die. He needed her too much.
Angel bolted out of his chair, going to the bed as loud agonizing scream erupted from the unconscious young woman. “Cordy,” he choked out amazed at the sitting up woman.
“Angel?”
“Cordy,” he repeated hugging the woman tightly. She was awake.
“Angel,…” Cordelia managed. The vampire was squeezing her to death. Cordelia gave a gentle push. Angel probably wouldn’t be so happy if he killed her.
Wesley, Gunn and Fred ran in at the sound of commotion. They all froze, feeling a combination of surprise and relief at the sight of the hugging couple on the bed.
“Cordy?” Angel asked releasing her slightly.
“I’m fine, never felt better. I…” she scrunched up her face, jerking her head around searching her backside as well as brushing her hands over her face and hair. She shot Angel a bright smile. “No tail or horns.” She moved to get off the bed.
Angel followed her movement, watching the young woman stretch with the supple grace of a feline. “Cordy?” Angel frowned, soon he better be able to form more words if he was ever going to get an explanation out of the young woman. But right then, all he wanted to do was look. Actually, he corrected he wanted to hold her again.
He almost lost her. Angel got up to go to her.
Cordelia turned as she sensed the vampire approach. Cordelia could see all the questions running through his mind…and his happiness. She bit her lip at his smile. Wow. This Angel sure did that well.
The other, well…he had been getting better, but boy could he kiss. Cordelia frowned at that memory. She was going to miss that…but here, Angel was just Angel, her best friend, not her lover. Damn.
“Cordy?” Angel paused at the young woman’s frown. “What’s wrong?” he said worriedly.
Cordelia shook the thoughts of the other Angel out of her head. This was the life she wanted. Angel was safe. “Nothing’s wrong, things are great. I know, I know you have questions and Boy do I have some answers, I….” her gaze turned inward. “But first vision…Glendale, young man by a pond, red demon with four, no five horns. We better hurry,” she shrugged.
“Um, Cordy?” Angel asked tentatively.
“What?” she looked down to where everyone was staring. “Well, this cool.” She was floating. “Gee, just got some more questions didn’t you. I’ll try to answer this too, not sure exactly how, but I’ll try, after the victim is saved- deal? And stop gaping you all act like you’ve never seen anyone float before.”
Fred raised her hand. “I haven’t and you were dying.” The stunned group all nodded with her statement.
“Yeah, well. I’m not anymore. Let’s go save that guy.” Cordelia responded once her feet were firmly back on the floor.
***
“Cordy’s part demon.” Yep. It sounded the same as when Fred said it the first half dozen times after they got back from saving the young man in Cordelia’s floating painless vision. Crazy.
“It seems so.” Wesley looked up to the stairs. He had so many more questions, but Angel practically bit his head off when he brought out his list. But, Cordelia didn’t seem tired. In fact she looked and sounded pretty damn healthy. Wesley didn’t see why she couldn’t answer.
“Damn, nothing’s normal around here.” Gunn plopped down on the sofa.
Fred nodded, then pushed at her glasses. “I’ve got to say I’m glad.”
“She won’t die now.” Wesley agreed.
“Of course, I’m happy about that…but you heard her, in that other life, I was still in Plyea. You all just left me there.” She scowled at Wesley and Gunn. “I was a victim of Angel’s vision and you just left me there. What kind of friends are you?”
“That wasn’t us,” Gunn defended. “And you’re here, no reason to get mad.”
“Hmmph.” Fred fell back in her chair, still unsure about the whole thing.