Title: Shan-Shu Series; Natural Disaster
Author: Scorch
Posted:
Email
Rating: PG
Category: Humour
Content: C/A
Summary: Angel experiences humanity. Sequel to Humanity Strikes!
Spoilers:
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution:
Notes: Quest Series 2, Fic 2.
Thanks/Dedication:AO, Cal n Lil’s place
Feedback:
THUD-THUD-THUD…
BANG-BANG-BANG…
THROB-THROB-THROB…
Massaging her temples in an attempt to block out the incessant drumming by the marching band in her head, Cordelia closed her eyes and waited for the painkillers to take their sweet effect. All day she had to listen to the thumping, clattering and pounding of the hammer battering the wall in her bedroom.
CRASH-CRASH-CRASH…
Abruptly standing up, the brunette dashed into her bedroom to see what else had gone wrong. Dennis, her wonderful ghostly roommate, gladly flung her door open to allow Cordelia to see the damage that Hurricane Angel had done. Hazel eyes dilated into saucer-size black pupils with a beaming corona of livid toffee. Glossy lips parted, astonishment caused her cheeks to flush with a pretty pink and her body went numb.
All the wallpaper had been stripped and pieces of it were scattered haphazardly on her dusty floor, there were splinters of wood on her bed, floor and decorating the tops of her drawers. The bed sheets were caked in dust, tiny particles of wood chippings and her wall had numerous nail-sized holes in it. Small pictures that once hung happily opposite her bed were nowhere to be found and the art-deco vase she had bought herself as a housewarming now looked to be cracked.
Not daring to breathe in case she choked on the cloud of dust, Cordelia turned her expressionless gaze to Angel who was stood with his hands on his hips staring at the shelves he was putting up. His t-shirt was coated in a fine sheen of dust and sweat, the dark brown hair was light with wood chippings and his clothes were more than ruined. Finding the will to blink, she swept her eyes over him and blinked again when she saw the tool belt wrapped around his waist.
“I think I made an error with the measurements” Angel muttered as he continued to study his work methodologically. Wiping the back of his hand over his lips, he turned his dark concentrating gaze to the silently fuming woman behind him, “What do you think of it so far?” he nudged his perspiring head in the direction of the shelves that were hanging at odd angles on her wall.
Cordelia swallowed back the urge to nail him at an odd angle on the wall, she tried to remember he hadn’t been human very long and was only trying to be helpful. “Why don’t you ask me that when you’re finished? That way I can be really surprised at how great you’ve” she clenched her jaw together “Done”
He sent a brilliant smile her way and got himself a genuinely forced brilliant smile in response. Angel peered down at the hammer in pride “You know, I never would have thought I would enjoy doing stuff like this,” he told her enthusiastically “But check me out! I’m loving this, its so good Cordy and I’m even getting the hang of it. How would you feel about starting a new business?”
Resisting the urge to cry, the brunette had to think fast for a way to save the human race from sure extinction at the hands of Angel’s idea. “But we still have hopeless to help” Cordelia congratulated herself inwardly, “We couldn’t take up a new and totally different business venture while we’re helping Connor save those hopeless” she thanked every God listening for that boy’s existence.
Angel’s excited expression faulted slightly but then brightened as a new idea floated into his brain. “Xander does this stuff doesn’t he?” he asked, looking back at the shelves that were about to fall off the wall despite numerous nails trying to hold them up.
“Yes!” Cordelia nearly shouted for joy, “I’ll call Xander and see if he can come to help with the shelves”
“I don’t need any help with the shelves baby, what I meant was we can go into partners with Xander and have an L.A. based business” Angel told her, he was really warming up and getting serious about his idea.
Panic bubbled up in her already unstable stomach “I don’t think Xander would want to share his business” she told him, wracking her brains for a way to talk him out of this. “From what I hear, he’s already got a business partner,” okay, so it was a little white lie but who cared when the human race was threatened?
Again, the ex-vampire’s face faulted as he shrugged dejectedly “I guess you’re right” Angel sighed and scratched his head, looking at the shelves which were now making a creaking noise that added to her blinding headache.
Now she felt like a horrible person, Cordelia tried to make it better “But there are still lots of things like this you could do at the hotel” it worked and there was the brilliant smile back on his face and she smiled back. “I know Connor would appreciate it” she could get him to agree to let his father do some stuff around the hotel, it might take bribery and money but she knew she could do it.
CREEAAAKKK…
THUD…
Both occupants and the ghost all saw the shelves teeter on the wall before landing with a crash onto the bedroom floor in a messy heap. Cordelia really wanted to cry as she saw her once beautiful bedroom turn into a bombsite a little more.
Tapping his fingers thoughtfully against his chin, Angel looked down at the shelves now crushed together on the floor at his feet. “I don’t suppose I could have a coffee, I might be here a while”
The End- of this one!
Scorch