Chapter Thirty-One:
“Angel?”
“Mmmm” Angel pulled the girl curled next to him onto his body.
“I am..” Cordelia kissed the vampire’s forehead. “…Hungry.” She moved to kiss him on his nose.
“How hungry?” Angel captured her lips with his mouth.
“Um, not that hungry…yet,” she said softly tracing her fingers down his chest.
“Good,” the vampire growled, flipping Cordelia over and running his hands down her body.
***
Wesley was fuming. Important things were brewing and his boss and seer were still locked in the bedroom. He paced in front of the bedroom, trying to figure out how to get them out, with the least injury to himself.
He was about to yell ‘fire’, when a feminine shape came running out of the room laughing. Wesley, still staring in stared in surprise as a male body chased the first, also laughing. He stood still wondering if somehow he had been transported to another universe.
“I’m hungry.” Wesley heard the feminine whine. Nope, it was his universe. Only Cordelia could reach that particular high note in a single breath. Wesley looked into the kitchen. He didn’t know whether to cringe or smile.
A very beautiful immortal was trying to reach the refrigerator and keep a sheet secure around her body. While a very handsome smug vampire was holding onto her waist, preventing her progress.
“Excuse me.” The former watcher cleared his throat.
“Wesley, what do you want?” Angel growled.
“What do I want?! How about some explanations! It has been two days”
“Wesley”
The watcher turned towards Cordelia’s whine, eyes closed. “You will put some clothes on now.” He heard a body leave the room, then a giggle as the second body started to follow. “Angel, come back here, you will stay here, until she is properly clothed.”
Wesley heard a whine and a door shut. It wasn’t until he heard a growl that he opened his eyes. “Angel,” he said to the half naked vampire scowling in front of him, “I am actually, quite pleased that you have gotten your soul on a permanent basis. But can we try to remember that we may be in the middle of a situation…Where are you going?” Not again, he thought, as he saw Angel go running to the bedroom.
He reached the bedroom in time to see the vampire catch Cordelia as she fell to the floor with her hands to her head.
“Water, aspirin and paper.” Angel held on to the trembling girl. Wesley scrambled about the apartment looking for the necessary items. Finally, he gathered them all together and headed back to the bedroom. “Here.” Wesley handed the aspirin and water to Cordelia.
“Thank you.” Cordelia sipped the water. “They did that on purpose. They made it more scratch and sniff, just to see if I was paying attention,” she said tartly. “Oh, I would really hate them, but I guess that would be bitchy since they…Well, it would just be unreasonable.” Cordelia blushed.
“Cordelia, what was it?” Wesley asked.
“Just your standard smelly, yukky, slime demon on First Street.” She got up and picked up her sword.
“What do you think you are going to do with that?” Angel asked pointing to the sword.
“I am going to help you, you idiot.” Cordelia walked out of the bedroom.
Angel growled, following her.
Wesley shouted, “STOP!” Both Cordelia and Angel looked back at their friend impatiently.
“First,” started Wesley taking control of the situation, “PUT some clothes on, both of you!”
The vampire and the immortal looked at him perplexed then looked at each other. Both blushed as they realized that they had nothing on but sheets.
Wesley was confounded. Did the powers-to-be really mean for this to happen? Finally, dressed Angel and Cordelia stood before him looking a little shamefaced.
“Secondly,” continued Wesley, shaking his head, “Cordelia you will stay here.” He put his hand to stop the tirade that he knew was coming. “This is Angel’s fight, just like fighting the various Immortals coming for your head is yours alone. Unless..” He stalled. “Did you see an Immortal in your vision?”
“No”
“Yes, good then, Angel will go defeat the slime demon and if he needs help, he will remember to call on his cell phone,” he said pointedly to the vampire.
“Of course.” Angel looked indignantly at the former watcher.
“Ummph, ‘grrr’ boss here doesn’t even know how to turn his cell phone on. I don’t see why I can’t go,” she pleaded.
“I do and you can’t,” yelled Angel.
“Stupid, testosterone vampire..”
“Do you both really love each other?” Wesley interrupted.
“Yes.” “Of course.” He heard from both.
“That’s nice. I was beginning to wonder. Cordelia, you will stay and Angel you will go. Remember to push the power button on.” Wesley shooed the vampire towards the sewers, while blocking Cordelia’s path.
Chapter Thirty-Two:
“Wesley, I could have helped.”
“You did by giving Angel the vision.”
“But, I could have really helped. I could have beheaded the smelly. Now, Angel is alone. What if he can’t defeat it? What if he dies? I need to go.” She grabbed her sword.
“Cordelia, now you know how Angel and I felt watching you fight Marcus. You are immortal and you have learned to defend yourself. But this is Angel’s redemption; just like your battles will be your own destiny. You want Angel to respect your rules, then respect his.”
“Why is it that you always sound like some old stodgy professor? Anyway, this is different, there are no rules.”
“But there is. Angel is a warrior for the powers to be. Will you take that from him?”
“But..”
“But nothing Cordelia. If he needs help then as always we will help him. But otherwise, it is his battle. His redemption. For reasons that have yet been explained to me, the powers have bound his soul, but did they redeem him?”
“I don’t…No,” she answered.
“Then he still has a destiny to fulfill. The powers have made you a part of it, hopefully for a long part, but..”
“A part? What do you mean?”
“Cordelia, you are now immortal. Angel’s hope, his destiny is to become human, to grow old and eventually die. You can’t do that with him.”
Cordelia’s mouth dropped open as she pictured herself still young burying an old human Angel. And then being alone for the rest of her long life. “That is an horrible, mean thing to say.” She slammed down into the couch.
“Cordelia, Angel becoming human is not a horrible thing.”
“Yes it is! I don’t want him to become human.”
“Cordelia, you don’t mean that!” Wesley was shocked.
“Yes, I do. I want him to stay a vampire and live forever with me,” she argued.
“Now, you are being selfish,” he chided Cordelia.
“I don’t care!”
“Cordelia!”
“Shut up!”
Cordelia was fuming. She didn’t want Angel to grow old and die. She wanted him to stay with her. She was being selfish, she knew. Angel wanted to be human and he deserved it. And if she was truly honest, she wanted him to be human. It would be the proof that Angel’s soul had been redeemed. But she argued with herself,
Angel had nothing to atone for, he was good. It was Angelus who was evil and he was gone. She sighed. Cordelia knew that Angel would never believe that he had nothing to atone. Angel blamed himself for every cruel act committed by Angelus.
Wesley watched the young girl struggling with her thoughts. He tried to talk to her, but she just glared at his attempts. So he stopped trying and waited.
Chapter Thirty- three:
Angel wondered how long his redemption would be delayed, if he ripped the throat out of the blonde detective lecturing him. Seriously, if it wouldn’t be that long , he would do it.
He was tired of Kate blaming him for her father’s death and all of the other evils in the city. Usually, Angel was able to stand and listen to her berate him, after all he did feel guilt over her father’s death. But now all he wanted to do was get back to Cordelia.
The fight with the slime demon hadn’t lasted very long. He should have been home a while ago. But no, Kate arrived on the scene and proceeded to lay into him. Angel tried to be patient, but her hatred was keeping him from Cordelia.
“Enough, for the last time, I am sorry that your father is dead. But I am not to blame for everything that is evil in your life. Get over it,” he told the stunned detective. “Arrest me, or leave me alone.” Angel walked to his car.
Angel drove back to the office, hoping that Cordelia wasn’t still mad at being left behind. He knew she could fight, but that did not mean that she could put herself in danger all the time. No, he thought, he would fight her if she insisted on going with him on his battles. He could be just as stubborn as she could.
Hoping for the best he walked into the office. Shit, he thought, as he noticed the tension in the room. Cordelia was sitting on the sofa staring at a spot on the wall. Wesley was sitting across from her, fidgeting.
“Um, guys? The slime demon is dead. I’m okay,” he said to the silent room.
“Well, goody for you. I guess that just brings you one step closer to your humanity now doesn’t? Hooray.” Cordelia ran into the bedroom and slammed the door.
“Wesley?”
“Uh, yes, well Cordelia is a little upset. It seems that she just realized that she will live forever and that you don’t want to.”
“You are going to have to explain more clearly, Wesley.”
“The prophecy, you will become human, you know grow old and die. Well, she is upset.” Wesley ran is hand over his face.
“Wesley, sometimes you do talk too much.” Angel went into the bedroom.
Cordelia was pacing back and forth across the floor. She stopped and looked at Angel as he entered the room. Then she turned away and resumed her pacing.
“Cordelia, we don’t know when the prophecy will take place or even if it will.” Angel sighed.
“Of course, it will take place. It has to take place, it is the whole point of all of this.” Cordelia waved her hand around. “I know you want to be human and I want you to gain your reward, you deserve it. But a part of me wants you to stay with me forever, and you can’t do that if you are mortal. God, I am selfish,” she cried.
“Yes you are.” Angel gathered the young girl into his arms. “But, so am I, because I expect that if and when the prophecy is fulfilled that you will be with me. I expect for you as young and beautiful as you are now, to push me around in my wheelchair and to bathe me. I expect to be the envy of all the old men.”
Cordelia giggled into his shirt.
“Cordy.” Angel’s tone became serious. “I never expected to have a chance to be human again. I never expected that my soul would be bound. And I sure never expected to fall in love again. But I am in love and my soul is permanent. I am happy. I have my reward as long as you are here to love me and to protect my soul. Remember you promised.” Angel kissed the young immortal on the top of her head.
“I love you,” she sniffled.
“Good” Angel lifted her face and kissed her gently.
Chapter Thirty-four:
“Angel, Cordelia.” Wesley called from the next room.
“Coming.” Angel and Cordelia walked out of the bedroom hand in hand.
“Brian just called. He and Duncan have some information. They think we should all meet. I told them to come over.”
“Did they say what it was?” Angel asked.
“No, just that it may be important.”
***
The members of Angel Investigations were waiting in the office for Brian and Duncan. Wesley looked over at his two co-workers in exasperation. Cordelia was sitting on Angel’s lap, stroking his hair. The smiling vampire’s hands encircled the girl’s waist.
Wesley was truly happy that Angel’s soul was bound and that his two friends were in love. But couldn’t they keep their hands off each other? It was distracting and embarrassing.
“We are about to have guests. It may be advisable that you two, ” he waved to the couple, “show some restraint. Not everyone appreciates public displays of affection.”
Cordelia got up from Angel’s lap, sticking her tongue out at her friend. “You are nothing but a young, old fuddy duddy.”
Angel watched her walk to her desk. She was beautiful and amazingly she loved him. The last few days were the most overwhelming and the happiest of his long undead life. Images of holding Cordelia and making love to her flashed in his mind. Angel could feel his cock hardening. He glanced at Cordelia. She was looking at him with the same growing hunger. They both started to get up from their seats.
Wesley sighed in disgust at their actions. “Sit down.”
Angel and Cordelia glared at their friend and sat down.
“How long will this take?” Angel hoped it wasn’t too long; he wanted to take his seer back to bed.
Wesley just shook his head.
“They’re are here, or a least Duncan is,” Cordelia said gratefully. The sooner they get this over with, the sooner she could get Angel back in bed.
Chapter Thirty- five:
The five individuals were seated in the outer office. Wesley was happy to see that Angel and Cordelia were following his earlier request and sitting apart.
Angel was not happy. He was fighting the urge to physically remove Cordelia from her chair next to the other immortal. A low growl left his throat at the sound of her laughter at something Duncan had said. Cordelia admonished him with a quick glance. Angel squirmed uncomfortably in his chair and tried to calm down. With a small sigh, Cordelia got and moved to the coffee machine.
“Anyone else?” Pouring herself a cup.
“No” Came the universal response.
Cordelia took her cup and sat down behind her desk away from Duncan. Cordelia looked at Angel. Better? She silently asked with the raise of her eyebrow. Angel returned her look with a sheepish smile.
Duncan noticed the couples’ silent exchange with some sadness. He sensed that whatever doubts Cordelia may have had about Angel loving her were no longer present. Duncan could see that the vampire and his seer had reached an understanding.
One that, he admitted, seemed to agree with Cordelia. Duncan had never seen the beautiful girl look so relaxed and content. She was glowing. Duncan sighed. All he wanted was for the young immortal to be happy and safe. She was definitely happy, so he would just have to rely on Angel to keep her safe.
“So what did you find out?” Wesley asked Brian and Duncan.
“I spoke to Adam Pierson, a former watcher and an Immortal.”
Brian looked shocked. “Adam was an immortal? But wasn’t he killed by James Horton’s men, I mean he disappeared.”
“Methos thought it was prudent to make Adam disappear. But he is very much alive.”
“Methos!”
“Who is Methos?” asked Cordelia
“He is one of the oldest known Immortals. He is over a thousand years old, may be older. No one is real sure, the reports on him are scarce,” exclaimed Brian.
“Actually, he is closer to five thousand. And the reports are scarce because while he was in the council, he systematically destroyed them.” Duncan corrected.
“But why?”
“He thought that if he destroyed the reports of his past, he could forget it.”
“But…”
“Brian, the reason is irrelevant to this discussion.” Macleod tried to end the subject.
“But…”
“Brian,” interrupted Angel, “everyone has something that they wish to forget or change in their past. As long as it not relevant to Cordelia, then whatever is in the immortal’s past, his business and his alone.”
Duncan nodded to the vampire, acknowledging Angel’s understanding.
“Yes, well on to what is relevant.” Wesley tried to defuse the tension in the room.
“In the course of Methos’ research for the council, he met a watcher, Jeremy St. John..”
“But St. John is a part of ‘my’ former council,” exclaimed Wesley.
“No, he is not. He is one of the eldest members of ‘my council'”
“Would you both overeager question guys let Mac finish, geez.” Cordelia huffed. “We will be here all day,” she added under her breath. Angel heard and smiled, knowing that like him, Cordelia was anxious to go back to the apartment. Cordelia blushed, sensing the vampire’s hungry gaze.
“He is the link or at least one of the links between the two councils,” explained Duncan. “Anyway, they discovered a prophecy about an immortal who along with a vampire with a soul, will fight for the Powers, and their joining will signal the ‘beginning of the end’.”
“What?” Angel and Cordelia’s minds were no longer preoccupied with lovemaking.
“Beginning of the end? What does that mean?” asked Brian.
“Something horrible, probably,” griped Cordelia.
“The ‘beginning of the end’, it could mean anything. It could be the sign of the end of the world. Or maybe it is the beginning of a new era in the fight against evil. I am inclined to believe that, though I wish I could see the research,” Wesley mused.
“A new era? What are you thinking, Wes?”
“Well, Angel, it could be inclusive to the prophecy in the scroll. The scroll foretells of the beginning of your redemption. It tells of the many trials that you must face to reach your humanity. The ‘beginning of the end’ and your partnership with Cordelia could be one of the many trials on your path.”
“Hold on!” Cordelia jumped up. “I am not a ‘trial’ you pitiful excuse for a friend and research guy.”
“What, what did I say?” cried Wesley.
“I think you said that Cordelia is a trial, you know, an obstacle to Angel’s mission,” whispered Brian. “Not a real smart thing to say.”
“Oh.” Wesley glanced nervously at the irate young immortal. “Cordelia, I didn’t mean that you were an obstacle. I meant that you being here with Angel was foretold. You know, to help him in the battle for the Powers.”
“Are you saying that you think that my relationship with Angel is merely some part of a stupid prophecy written by some stupid old men?”
“I would be careful on how you answer, if I was you,” whispered Brian.
Wesley looked at the glaring girl. “Angel, help?” he pleaded.
“You are on your own,” smiled Angel.
“Angel, you don’t think that our…. well you know… is just because of some prewritten plan do you?”
“I don’t know, but if it is, it’s a very good plan. Come here.” Angel pulled the still agitated girl to his lap.
“But, Angel..”
“Sh, it is a good plan, ” whispered Angel, gently stroking her hair.
Angel could hear Cordelia’s heartbeat returning to normal. He turned to Duncan. “But the prophecy itself, doesn’t explain how St. John knew about Cordelia.”
“Jeremy St. John had access to the reports on the Slayer and your involvement with her. He surmised that she may be the one foretold in the prophecy.”
“Buffy… who doesn’t think she is the ‘one’?” Cordelia grumbled under her breath.
“Me” Angel whispered into her ear. “Now, sh..” Kissing her neck. Cordelia sighed and wiggled closer in his lap. Wesley rolled his eyes at the couple, but thought better of saying anything. He didn’t want Cordelia to erupt again.
“St. John was sure of it, when a new slayer was called but Buffy Summers was still alive. So he asked Methos to go and find out if she was immortal,” continued the older immortal.
“Buffy, did die. Is she immortal?” asked Cordelia softly. Oh god, what if Buffy was the one. Angel felt Cordelia tense in his arms, her heartbeat speeding up. He held her tighter.
“Buffy is not the one,” stated Angel.
“No, she is not. The slayer is not immortal. If she did die, then she was revived by other means. But while in Sunnydale, Methos discovered that Cordelia was a pre-immortal. And because of her connection to the Slayer and her knowledge of the vampire with a soul, St. John arranged for a watcher to go to Sunnydale.”
“Why weren’t Giles or I informed?” Wesley was clearly offended.
“I don’t know. Probably, because if she was not the one spoken of in the prophecy, then there would no reason for you to know she would become immortal. After all, there is a policy of noninterference with immortals. I imagine that St. John had already pushed the limits of the policy, by sending a watcher to observe a pre-immortal.”
“What will he do now that he knows I am Immortal?” asked Cordelia
“But he doesn’t, right? Brian didn’t tell anyone at the council that you had your first death,” questioned Wesley.
“My death wasn’t really a secret. Remember, memorial service, etc.”
“Cordelia is right, he knows. I have been recalled to England for a debriefing,” sighed Brian.
“What will happen to you?” Cordelia gave a worried look to her watcher.
“I don’t know. Maybe I will get sacked.” Brian shrugged. “But probably not, if St. John wants to keep the prophecy quiet, then he can’t afford to bring in another watcher.”
“I don’t want some stranger watching me.”
“Maybe…” Wesley thought out loud. “I will go to England with you.”
“Wesley, why?” asked Angel.
“I want to look at the research and see if I can tell if it foretells of something specific or if it just a general portent that Cordelia will join you in your mission. Also, if I am there maybe I can convince St. John to allow Brian to remain and find out what if anything are his intentions.” Wesley was silent for a moment.
“Angel, just what did the Oracles say, other than the obvious, of course?” Waving to the girl on Angel’s lap.
“Yeah, what else did they say? You never did tell me.” Angel shook his head at his pouting seer and whispered in her ear. Cordelia blushed as he told her that he had been too busy showing her the most important part of his conversation with the Oracles.
Angel turned to the rest of the room. “They really didn’t say much. That Cordelia’s destiny as an immortal was linked to mine, and therefore she would remain my seer. Then they went on to tell of upcoming battles, etc.”
“Anything specific?”
“No just the same vague portents of gloom.”
“Well, I think it is just a general prophecy, but I still should go to England. What do you say, Brian?”
“Fine, my plane leaves in a couple of hours.”
“Well, I better go pack.”
“Wesley, I don’t want you to go,” whined Cordelia. “I just got home.”
“Cordelia, I will be coming back. And I think you and Angel will be fine until then, don’t you?” Wesley was amazed at how pretty Cordelia looked blushing and pouting at the same time.
“All right”
Duncan got up to follow the two watchers out. Cordelia and Angel followed him to the door.
“Goodbye, old man. And thank you.” Cordelia kissed Duncan on the cheek. Angel also thanked the immortal without a hint of a growl.
“You know where, I am.” The Highlander said to Cordelia. “And remember to practice.”
“She will.”
Duncan stared at the vampire. “Keep her safe.”
Angel nodded his promise to the departing Immortal.
Epilogue:
Cordelia and Angel stood in the now empty office.
“So what do you want to do?” asked Cordelia
“We could do some paperwork, you have been absent from the office for awhile now.”
“Ewww” She scrunched up her nose in distaste.
“Or not, ” he smiled. “I know we will play a game.”
“A game?”
“Well more like a race, on the count of three, the first one to the bedroom completely unclothed, wins.”
“What does the winner get?”
“Anything the winner wants. Ready one…”
Cordelia was out of the door laughing, before he reached two. Angel took Cordelia’s shirt off his head and smiled at the thought of a naked Cordelia waiting for him in their bedroom.
“I win! Hey, get your cute dead butt up here and it better be naked,” yelled the young immortal.
The vampire went happily upstairs, picking up various pieces of clothing along the way.
The End