Chapter Eighteen
Angel stood in the middle of lobby; his hard stare alternating from the front door of the hotel to the phone on the counter. Angel willed with all of his might for Cordelia to come strolling through entrance smiling and safe, without the Professor, without the necklace and without the possibility of any threat of danger to her of any kind.
He glanced again at the phone. Angel would give Wesley five more minutes. If he or Gunn hadn’t called by then, he would call them and they better have a decent explanation as to why they hadn’t called sooner.
With a growl of frustration and anger, Angel strode over to the couch. He sat silent for a moment and then got back up. He went quickly to the counter and moved the phone to the table by the couch. Angel didn’t want to take any chances that he would somehow miss their phone call. Why was it taking so long?
He gave Wesley clear, concise, and explicit instructions to keep him informed of Cordelia’s whereabouts. Hadn’t he? Angel thought back over his conversation with Wesley before the former watcher and Gunn went to follow Cordelia and the Professor. He had told Wesley to call him if anything happened. Angel shook his head.
Did that mean Wesley wouldn’t call him unless something did happen? Well, that’s not what he meant. He meant for Wesley to keep him informed at all times.
Damn, there were times that being deathly allergic to sunlight was more than just problematic but very, very frustrating. If he could possibly venture out, he would know exactly where Cordelia was, what she was doing with that so- called `gorgeous’ doctor.
It’s not that he begrudged Cordelia time away from the hotel with a so-so handsome man, but this was not an ordinary time, nor was the Professor an ordinary man. Angel didn’t trust him; he didn’t trust the necklace. The necklace may be a tool for good, but it was a dangerous tool and he didn’t want Cordelia anywhere near it.
A circumstance which was fairly impossible to achieve, since the damn thing was magically sutured around Cordelia’s lovely neck, he thought. Damn’t, how was he suppose to protect her if he was stuck in the hotel.
Angel grabbed at the phone, his patience at its limit. He took several deep unneeded breaths as he waited for the other end to pick up. “Wesley? Where’s Cordelia? What’s happening?” He growled into the phone.
“Angel, I was about to call.”
“It took you long enough,” he growled. “Did something happen?” Pictures of Cordelia being kidnapped, Wesley and Gunn trying to find her preventing them from calling him, raced through his mind. Or maybe, a car hit her and they had been preoccupied with waiting for an ambulance?
“Wesley, is she alright? What aren’t you telling me?” the vampire demanded.
“Angel, it’s only been fifteen minutes. And Cordelia and Dr. Red Bear both have made it safely to Café Russo. They’re now about to be seated.”
“Café Russo? That’s the restaurant on Peach St. isn’t it? There’s a sewer access nearby, isn’t there? I …”
“Angel,” Wesley interrupted. “The nearest sewer access is an half a city block away. Does the saying `lit up like a Roman candle’ sound at all familiar? Don’t worry Gunn and I are right across the street. We can see them clearly. The waiter just brought them some bread and their drinks.”
“Across the street? You should be in the restaurant. What if she needs you?”
“Hey, the doc is feeding her a bread stick,” shouted Gunn, trying to hide a smile.
Wesley shot Gunn a hard look, shushing him to silence.
“What was that? He’s feeding her? Why can’t she feed herself?” called Angel through the phone.
“He isn’t feeding her,” Wesley replied loudly, drowning out the sounds of Gunn’s laughter. He didn’t know who he was more disgusted with the clueless lovesick vampire or the smart-ass friend in seat next to him.
Somehow, someway Wesley had to get Angel to admit his feelings for Cordelia; otherwise he was going to go nuts. Wesley took a deep breath.
“Angel, across the street is perfectly adequate for our purposes. We don’t want Cordelia to make a scene, now do we? She may know we followed her but I don’t think she would appreciate us joining them. Angel, this may not be such a bad idea. Cordelia may be able to discover something of value from Dr. Red Bear. He seems to be very taken with her.”
Wesley winced as the words came out of his mouth. Stupid, stupid thing to say, Wesley thought. ” I will call if anything happens,” he added quickly.
***
“What do you mean taken,” the vampire demanded.
“I just meant….oh, nothing…..Angel everything is fine, okay.”
“Okay…okay,” the vampire conceded. “But when I say anything, I mean anything and everything. Better yet, just check in every fifteen minutes.”
“Angel, that won’t be necessary. We will call if anything happens. All right, now hang up. You are distracting me from watching Cordelia and Dr. Red Bear.”
“Um, Wesley can you tell whether- she is – well does she seem to be taken with the Professor…”
“Angel, I’m hanging up, now. Goodbye.” Wesley shook his head.
“The vamp has it bad, doesn’t he,” chuckled Gunn.
“Just watch Cordelia, okay,” Wesley sighed.
Chapter Nineteen
It was late afternoon, almost evening, the sun was slowing descending along the horizon, and the patio of the restaurant was empty, still too early for the dinner crowd. Cordelia sat across from the handsome Professor.
“So,” the handsome man asked.
“So,” Cordelia repeated. She scrunched up her brow. For a brief moment in the car ride to the restaurant, Cordelia let herself believe that she was just a normal girl on a normal date with an above normal attractive man.
But the handsome man’s inquisitive gaze wasn’t directed towards her out of any romantic interest but in a possible dangerous interest in the necklace. Her hand went to the piece of jewelry; she sighed as she caressed the metal.
The weight of the stones, the fact that she was sitting in an out door café’ just so the last of the days sun would prevent Angel from following her were poignant reminders that she wasn’t normal and probably would never be normal.
She remembered Angel’s handsome face frozen in rage as she left the hotel. Cordelia sighed again, she better find out what she could, if she was ever going convince the vampire to let her use the necklace and its power.
“So, how exactly are you going to convince me that the necklace is fake,” she asked, grabbing a bread stick.
“First, Cordelia, why did you call the old man, the wise one?” He had been distracted earlier by the unsettling presence of Angel. But now he had to know how the young woman knew the name of the Wise One.
“Uh, did I?” she asked, tearing the bread stick into small pieces. She hadn’t realized that she had. She hadn’t really thought about it. That had been what the Oracles had called the old Shaman in her dreams.
She frowned; she had forgotten to tell Angel about the Oracles being in her dreams. Damn’t, how could she have forgotten those two. Well she would tell him as soon as she got back to the hotel. Once Angel realized the PTB wanted her to have the necklace, he would have to let her use it.
After all, the PTB were the `higher powers’, they were the real bosses, not Angel. She looked quizzically at the handsome man sitting across for her.
“What did you ask?” Cordelia forced a smile bringing her focus back on the handsome man.
“The Wise One? Why did you call the shaman that?”
Cordelia scooted up in her chair, shrugging. “He was old, a shaman why shouldn’t he be wise?”
“Is that what he called himself?” The professor was insistent on prying an answer out of the young girl.
“Why is it so important?” she asked. “What exactly do you know about the shaman and the necklace? You tell me your secret and maybe I will tell you mine,” she smiled bewitchingly at the handsome doctor, choosing her course of action on how to get her answers.
“I don’t have any secrets,” John coughed, dropping his eyes from her wide smile. John shook his head. He couldn’t be sidetracked by the loveliness of the young woman. He had to discover what she knew.
“Umph, right,” she nodded. “I’ll start. I know that the necklace is real, because I have dreamt about it.”
“Dreams, what have you dreamed?” the doctor’s eyes shot back up to capture Cordelia’s wide hazel ones. .
“Nope, your turn,” Cordelia smiled.
John thought for a moment, trying to hide his impatience. The beautiful young woman had been very chatty on the ride to the café. If not for his ulterior motive, he would have extremely enjoyed her company. She was cheerful, entertaining and beautiful.
But he needed to now what information she was hiding, because despite her seemingly openness, she was concealing something. . He had to know about the dreams. But he could tell from her smiling steadfast expression, she would only give after she got something in return.
“The parable I discovered about the necklace,” he paused. John had to be careful about what he revealed. “The necklace was made by an ancient Shaman, it could heal all injuries.” The Professor stopped.
“Is that all? I already knew that. Try again,” she smiled winningly, but stubbornly.
John sighed; the young woman was irresistible. “As part of it’s healing, the Shaman was able to take on the injuries and pain of his people.” John said, he had already told the young woman more than he had planned.
“How about this,” Cordelia said unimpressed, but still grinning. “You keep talking and once I hear something that I don’t know, I will jump right in. Okay? Go on, please.” She waved her hand encouragingly.
“How do you know this,” John asked urgently in concern and surprise. “Did the fake Shaman tell you?”
Cordelia just widened her eyes and shrugged, indicating to the Indian to continue.
John grimaced. “The necklace disappeared centuries ago and its gift lost.”
“How?”
John sighed in relief. The young girl had finally shown some interest.
“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “The necklace and its possessor just vanished.”
Cordelia scrunched up her face, quietly judging the value of that information.
“Was there any indication of whether it was just lost or was it stolen?” She needed more particulars before she added her own comments.
“No.” John answered. The unattractive facial expression she had made was very becoming on the young woman.
“That’s not very helpful, but…In my dreams, my spirit guides convinced me that the necklace was my gift.”
“What do you know about spirit guides?” He momentarily forgot the tantalizing picture Cordelia presented sitting there across from him.
She shrugged. “Not really all that much, except that mine are a humming bird and a wolf.”
John leaned back stunned in his chair. This young girl had two guides, two very powerful guides. “How many dreams have you had? And what did they tell you exactly about the necklace.”
“I think it’s your turn, now,” she smiled leaning back in her own chair.
“I need to know,” demanded John. He did need to know. If this was true, if the young woman had gained knowledge of the necklace through the spirit plane, it could change everything. He just wasn’t sure how.
“Why? Why is it so important to you? It’s yoo…,” Cordelia gasped suddenly. “Not nooooow…..Owwww,” she cried clutching her head as the piercing sharp pain of a vision split through her skull.
John watched in shock as the young writhed and screamed, falling to the floor in obvious agony. He jumped up from his seat.
Chapter Twenty
Gunn raised his brows to Wesley as the former watcher’s cell phone began to ring again.
“Over anxious much, I’m saying the vamp’s impatience is showing,” he commented as Wesley answered the phone.
“Nothing has happened, Angel. They are still talking. Cordelia ordered a salad; it looks like spinach one. She seems to be enjoying it,” he shot into the phone before Angel could ask. “And no, I don’t have any idea what they are saying. I can’t read lips. Yes, maybe we should have gone inside,” Wesley sighed rolling his eyes. Wesley began to speak again, when Gunn suddenly interrupted him.
“Wes, man,” Gunn yelled punching Wesley in the arm. Wesley glared at his friend, shushing him.
Gunn ignored Wesley’s waving hand. “Cordy, I think she has gotten one of the mind blowing visions,” he yelled getting out of the truck.
“What?” Wesley jumped out of the vehicle. Cordelia was no longer in her seat, but on the floor clutching her head. “Go,” he ordered Gunn.
Gunn was already halfway across the street.
Wesley started after him, stopping to look at the phone dangling in his hand. He grimaced as he heard Angel’s loud growl through the instrument. Wesley put the phone back to his ear as he followed Gunn to the restaurant.
“Angel, it seems that Cordelia may have had a vision.”
“Go,” he ordered.
“I am. Gunn as already reached her, he is helping her up now.” Reassured Wesley.
“Cordelia was on the floor? The doctor didn’t help her? What was he doing just watching her suffer,” the vampire growled in disdain.
“I imagine it caught him by surprise. Angel, I will call right back.” Wesley hung up the phone as he entered the outdoor patio.
Angel stared at the useless phone; it’s dial tone vibrating in his ears. He was tempted to throw the phone across the room. He should be there; he should be the one comforting and holding Cordelia, not trapped in the hotel with this phone as his only means of contact.
But it was the only link to Cordelia right now. He slammed the phone down and started to pace the floor.
“Excuse me doctor,” Wesley said squeezing past the large frame of the Native American.
“What’s wrong with her?” the doctor asked concernedly.
“Migraines,” Wesley shot over his shoulder. “Cordelia?”
Cordelia moved her hands from her temples, blinking her tear filled eyes. She slowly nodded. “We have to go.”
“Of course, pardon us Dr. Red Bear. Cordelia’s…. her medication is at the hotel. Possibly I can come by your office tomorrow and take a look at the legend of the necklace.” Wesley leaned in putting his arm around Cordelia’s shoulders.
Cordelia automatically shrugged off the contact, just has she had shrugged off Gunn’s and Dr. John’s earlier attempts to hold her. Inexplicably, Angel was the only one that Cordelia allowed to comfort her when she was in the throws of a vision. His touch was the only that didn’t just exasperate the pain she experienced.
Dr. Red Bear watched the three young people leave the restaurant. The young girl was flanked closely by the two men. The pain that Cordelia had experienced had seemed to be replaced by a rushed tension. A tension that was shared by the men.
John didn’t know what make of the detectives or the young girl. But he had to find out. John waited until he saw the trio get into a pick- up truck and drive off. He got into his car and followed.
Chapter Twenty-one
Angel was waiting by the door when his three friends entered. He rushed to Cordelia’s side, gently grabbing at her shoulders. He stared searchingly in her eyes. “Cordelia, are you okay?”
She took a deep breath and nodded.
“Cordy, I’m sorry that I wasn’t there,” he whispered his hands sliding down her arms, tenderly stroking up and down, trying to give her belated comfort.
“Angel,” she sighed. “You can’t be there all the time, you know that. Now stop,” she chided, actually moving closer to his caresses, rather than away, her actions in sharp contrast with her words.
Even though the immediate agony of the vision was gone, her head still throbbed. Instinctively, her body recognized the need for the soothing touch of the vampire, even if her mind didn’t.
“The vision?” Angel whispered.
“Right,” she smiled weakly, finally moving away. She immediately felt the loss of his touch. “It was another slice and dice, doing what it does best, slicing and dicing at the pier. Jeez, what is this, rerun season? It will be dark soon, we better get ready.” Cordelia moved to pack up her weapons.
“Cordelia, you’re staying here.” Angel demanded.
“Angel, we don’t have time for you to go all `grry’ protective.”
“Cordy..” Angel started.
“Angel, you can’t stop me. You’re not supposed to stop me. The PTB want me to use the necklace. I forgot to mention it, but the golden bobsy twins were in my dream, they have given their okay. So, you have to let me.”
“The oracles? They were there?”
“Where?” broke in Wesley.
“Cordelia, why didn’t you say so earlier?” demanded Angel overriding Wesley’s question.
“I forgot,” she shrugged. “It wasn’t like they were all that informative, imagine that, uh. But they did say it the necklace had something to do with a `specific destiny’ beyond just being your seer. The vaguey shiny duo just didn’t tell me what that particular destiny was.” Cordelia scrunched up her forehead. Her eyes widen in sudden realization.
“Angel, I bet it was,” she automatically reached out to touch his chest.
“Cordelia, NO.” Angel lurched back to avoid her hands.
“Angel,” she argued, reaching again for him.
The vampire moved further away from the girl, growling.
“What exactly is going on here? Angel, Cordelia?” demanded Wesley.
“Yeah, what English said,” echoed a very confused Gunn.
“Wesley, PTB, the necklace, they gave it to me so I could heal Angel’s soul. I just know it. Make him stay still,” Cordelia begged to Wesley.
Wesley stared stunned, alternating his gaze between an angry vampire and an anxious seer. “Heal Angel’s soul?”
“Yes,” Cordelia shouted. “I can do it. And he knows it.” She waved her hand at Angel. “But, he is being too stupidly stubborn. He thinks it will hurt me, but it won’t or not for long, anyway. Make him let me,” she pleaded.
“Angel, is this true?” Wesley stared at Angel. “Angel?” He questioned again. If Angel’s soul could be whole, then the threat of Angelus would be nonexistence or at least it should be thought Wesley.
“No”
“It is too,” Cordelia cried, her eyes filling with tears.
“Cordelia, I told you before and I meant it. You will not attempt to ever use that power on me.” Angel growled.
“But, Angel,” interrupted Wesley. “If the PTB…”
Cordelia looked hopefully at the former watcher urging him to try to convince the vampire.
“No, Wesley. Cordelia will not experience by soul’s burdens not even for a moment.” Angel said with finality.
Wesley considered the resolute vampire. It was true. Cordelia could heal all of Angel’s torment and guilt. And Angel knew it. But because Angel wanted to protect Cordelia, the vampire wouldn’t allow it. Wesley shook his head.
He knew that Angel did suffer inner turmoil, Angel’s continuous stoic appearance couldn’t hide the conflicted nature of his soul or the guilt he felt daily, no matter how much he tried to mask it. Wesley looked again at Cordelia. Her need and eagerness to heal Angel was apparent on her lovely face.
Sometimes, he forgot how young and innocent she really was.
“I agree with Angel,” he whispered. As much as Wesley wished for Angel to be at peace, he wouldn’t risk the possible consequences to Cordelia.
“What? Wesley,” she shouted in disbelief and anger.
“No, Cordelia, I won’t agree. Not until we find out more about the necklace. You said that the Powers didn’t explain what your specific destiny was. So, no. Just because, the Powers have seemed to condone your possession of the necklace and it’s power, doesn’t mean that its usage won’t cause you harm. Their plans and meanings are not always the obvious or apparent,” reasoned Wesley.
“Now, we should go.” Wesley said reminding the group of Cordelia’s vision.
“Cordelia, you stay here,” ordered Angel.
The beautiful brunette glared at the two men. “I am going,” she said slowly and loudly. “I won’t try to heal you, okay.” She said tersely to Angel. “If you get injured and are lying there with your borrowed blood seeping into ground, internal dead organs splayed out, don’t worry. I won’t touch you. But,” she glared.
“But, the victim in my vision will need me. The PTB force their painful, all encompassing flash pictures of the helpless on my brain and finally they have given me a real tool to help those helpless…And I’m going to use it.” Her flashing eyes shooting daggers at Angel, daring him to contradict her.
Angel’s inflexible glower engaged his seer’s furious gaze in a silent battle.
“Um,” Gunn coughed, trying to halt the rising tension and stop the futile contest between the two. “I suggest we get to the big nasty now, that way maybe Cordelia’s victim won’t need the glowy Indian stuff.”
Angel gradually released Cordelia’s enraged stare with a small nod. “We all go. Cordelia, you will stay by the car away from the fighting. If the victim is injured…”he paused.
Cordelia waited, trying to contain her impatience and anger. If Angel told her to stay away from the victim she would go ballistic.
“Then,” he glanced back at Cordelia. “Then you can heal him,” he yielded.
“Jeez, thank you,” she retorted. Cordelia stomped over to her desk to get her bag.
“Right,” Wesley commented. “Let’s go.” Wesley glanced over at Gunn. The young black man shrugged in agreement. The ride to the pier was definitely not going to be a fun filled barrel of laughs.
Chapter Twenty-two
The ride back to the hotel from the pier was just as quiet as the ride to the pier had been. But then the silence had been couched with anger from both Angel and Cordelia.
And as uncomfortable has that had been, Wesley just wished for that tempestuous stress, rather than the present stillness. The current silence was the result of concern and fear. Wesley glanced in the rear view mirror watching Angel holding and stroking Cordelia’s unconscious form, whispering words of comfort and encouragement into her hair.
They had been able to kill the demon, but they hadn’t gotten to the pier in time to save the victim from being nearly decapitated by the demon. The slash on the bum’s throat had been deep and gushing blood.
Cordelia had rushed to the injured man; immediately laying her healing hands on his wound, the white gentle radiance flowed from her hands and penetrated the deep cut. Within minutes the gash disappeared and formed on Cordelia’s delicate neck, her voice choking out in extreme pain as her vocal cords were severed and her blood spilled onto the dirty pavement.
Her chokes turned into soft anguished filled gasps as the light seeped up through the slash repairing her torn flesh as it glowed. Cordelia fell senseless to the ground, as her neck once again became smooth and unblemished.
Angel had rushed to her side at the sound of her screams. Angel’s dark eyes blinked rapidly, begging for the relief of tears as he watched her take on the unknown man’s suffering. Wesley watched as Angel’s tortured expression took root over his handsome countenance as the blood began to flow from Cordelia’s body.
Angel weakly fell to his knees, clutching at Cordelia’s fallen form as the healing light finally vanished. Angel quickly gathered the young woman into his strong arms, carrying her tenderly to the car.
Wesley and Gunn followed in silence. Each stunned and scared by what they had witnessed. The vagrant should have died, but he hadn’t all because of Cordelia’s gift.
***
John Red Bear moved out from the shadows of the empty containers stacked on the pier. He walked slowly to the spot where the injured man and Cordelia had laid. He shook his head, awed by what he had seen.
The young woman did have the power of the Wise One. How, he wondered amazed. John had to talk to his father.