PART 2
Angel carried the now unconscious Cordelia back to his car in a race of life over death. Feeling her heartbeat slow as the reduced blood pressure started to affect her life signs. Horror filled him as every torturously long second seemed to take her further away from him. “Hang on Sweetheart, please”.
He sped past gawking bystanders so fast they would later think they’d imagined seeing the large dark figure of a man, carrying a leather wrapped bundle of a girl in his arms. Her dark hair poking out from the black leather coat and one pale arm dangling.
The hospital was reached in record time and uncaring about any type of queue he rushed her inside the emergency room. He was met by a nurse who taking one look at his distraught face decided not to send him back but pulled aside the leather coat. Seeing Cordelia’s pale and waxy complexion she didn’t waste another second but immediately shouted for assistance.
Angel laid her on the bed they waved him toward and then stood back while they set to work on her. A female doctor came rushing over and took over from the nurse who then started checking vital stats.
“What caused the wounds on her neck”? Asked the Doctor tersely after a sharp intake of breath.
“She was bitten by a … animal”. God- talk about déjà vu, and this time he was just as guilty, even if it hadn’t been his bite. I should never have let her go off on her own. But he hadn’t been thinking about safety or the fact that she would have come out with him unarmed. I’ll never leave you alone again I swear.
“How long ago” was the next question, brusquely asked.
“About 20 minutes”. The doctor, a woman, gave him a sharp assessing look, disbelief evident on her face.
“Are you sure, these have closed over real fast if that’s true”. She peered suspiciously at him, and he guessed, correctly that she was wondering if he was on drugs and so unreliable as a source of information.
Angel had clotted the wounds himself, “I’m sure” he replied firmly his gaze glued to Cordelia, watching carefully everything they did to her. Knowing they were only trying to help her but feeling useless enough to keep watch anyway as they worked.
“Why don’t you wait outside, we’ll let you kn..”
“I’ll stay” he snapped out with a fierce scowl, then seeing the look of wariness and fear that crossed the doctors face at his tone and expression, forced a smile. “I won’t get in the way, I swear”. He wasn’t leaving her alone, not for a second.
They gave her a drip to replenish the lost blood and then after a few hours of observation, wheeled her into a private room. Once there they were alone. Angel sat beside her in a chair pulled as close to the bed as he could get, with one of her hands in both of his.
The hand felt so small and delicate and far too still for his liking. He wanted- no needed her to wake up so that he could see that she was going to be okay. “Wake up baby, please” he didn’t even realise that the pleading in his head had gotten past his lips until the words were out.
He laid his head next to her hip, facing her and watching her with intent dark eyes, searching for signs that she was coming round. “I’m so sorry Cordy, this is all my fault..” he whispered to her. He squeezed her hand gently with his fingers before lifting it to his lips to kiss the soft skin underneath her thumb.
After a while, lulled by the steady rhythm of her heart and breathing his mind drifted and he imagined all kinds of different scenarios where Cordelia asked him to do things or say things and in each one he gave her what she wanted and watched her smile bloom. An answering smile tugged his lips as he dwelled on the picture in his head.
Each new one was more outrageous than the last and he didn’t care. She deserved to have what she wanted the only thing was- he didn’t know what that was; she never told him anymore. Why is when you love someone they stop being so easy to read, he hated that.
“I though I had a handle on you long ago, but then I realised I didn’t. I guess we both changed Huh”.
His musings where interrupted by a moan from her and everything else just slipped away as he sat up to better see her face. Her eyelids flickered and he almost prayed that they would open. Then they did and felt his whole body swell. Please let there be no permanent effects.
“Cordy, Sweetheart you’re OK, your safe now” he told her trying to be reassuring and having no idea if he was just confusing her more.
“Where am I” it was croaky but it was clear and made sense. He almost collapsed with relief.
“You’re in hospital” he told her and he smiled when her face scrunched up in distaste. “Hate hospitals” she grouched. “Told them I don’t wanna die here. Wanna go home”.
He frowned, was she confused after all. “Cordy you’re not dying I promise”.
She opened her eyes fully and after a second they widened in shock as her faculties returned and realised what she’d said. “Crap, oh hey”. She tried to sit up and smile at him and then winced when her neck twinged. “No, no dying definitely not”. She flopped back down giving up the idea of sitting as too much effort.
Oh God he looked so worried, about her? Her hand lifted to cup his chin and jaw, smiling when he rubbed the slightly rough skin into her palm. Her thumb lifted up to explore his full sculpted lips and he looked down at her, mesmerised by the soft look in her eyes.
“Tell me you haven’t been sitting there blaming yourself for this”? She asked him still a little croakily. He looked about for the water bottle and handed to her.
He gave a crooked smile and admitted it. “How did you guess”.
She handed the bottle back to him after taking a drink. “I know you, remember. Handsome Broody Guy”. His brows rose a little at her description and he looked a little sheepish. “Better than Brood-boy at least” he offered, reminding her.
“Or Sir Brood-a-lot” she reminded him back and laughed when he gave an exaggerated wince.
Then turning serious again, “I shouldn’t have left you alone” he said ducking his head and missing her expression as she raised her eyes to the heavens.
“Excuse me. I did the walking off not you” she informed him archly, and it didn’t take a vision to be able to tell he still wasn’t convinced.
“Fine that’s it then; this is all you’re fault and so you have to come up here and make it all better”. Hell if she was going to put up with being bitten then she could damn well take advantage and get a hug. He looked confused so she scooted over and patted the space she’d made next to her on the bed.
He froze in shock wondering if she really meant what he thought she did. “Don’t argue with the patient or she might have a relapse” joked Cordelia, slightly embarrassed that he hadn’t taken her up on the offer, but determined that he would.
He didn’t refuse – just got up and with uncharacteristic awkwardness stretched himself out beside her with his face next to hers on the pillow. He watched her expressions carefully for signs of what she wanted from him, stiff and unsure of what the boundaries where.
Cordelia gave an impatient sigh for his denseness and then showed him what she wanted by grabbing his collar and pulling him closer still. He took a risk and draped an arm over her middle and curled in closer. When she didn’t object or push him away again he began to relax and let her soft warmth seep into his bones.
Cordelia thought about it, she really did, and the words even pushed at her lips desperate to spill out. “Now kiss me” but at the very last moment she pushed them back. Thinking wryly that she wasn’t exactly in any shape to storm off if he refused her. Sighing in disappointment she tucked her face under his chin and settled in against his muscular body, trying to be content with ‘so close yet so far’. Soon enough she fell asleep again, still in shock and exhausted from her ordeal.
Angel found sleep impossible; he felt charged with an energy that hummed underneath every inch of his skin. Her breath washed over his neck and he could feel her naked breasts under the hospital gown push against his chest. She’d burrowed one hand underneath his shirt to curve it around his left ribcage, branding him with her heat.
His own hand was pressed to the small of her back and stroked her naked skin where the tie wrapped gown parted. Oh God, her skin felt like the softest velvet and it took every vestige of control and a good dose of guilt at his pleasure not to explore further and find out if it felt that way all over her body.
Being this close to her was torturous in ways even he’d never imagined. He tried to ignore it by refusing to let the words form in his head, but the demon that was every bit as a much a part of him as the soul wouldn’t let him. He could smell Daniel on her and it was driving him crazy.
Goddammit all to hell, he twitched when his body automatically wanted to crush her to him, knowing it would wake her. It was very faint but the odour was clearly coming from the bite on her neck and his face ached with the struggle to repress his tingling fangs. I should get up and leave. I’m as much of a danger to her right now as he was.
He hated himself for thinking that and so stubbornly stayed where he was, forcing his demon down and willingly suffering it’s crazed jealous twisting in his mind. One thought sustained him and he concentrated on it fiercely. He was going to destroy Daniel. The vampire would never trespass again on what was his and since he already had; well he was going to suffer first before he turned to dust.
He’s going to pay, Angel swore to the howling demon inside him. She’s only going to be safe when he’s gone. He tried to ignore the voice that told him she’d never be safe. Vampires hunted humans and even if he killed Daniel there would be more to take his place. Vampires only respected other vampires who where stronger, more brutal or destructive than they themselves were.
He should know, he’d spent the major part of his un-life climbing that particular ladder and reached the top in record time too. He smiled derisively at his own arrogance and mentally shaking himself free of the past, concentrated on the present.
The hospital bustled about its business never knowing that a monster lay curled around the woman he considered his. All the while plotting the violent destruction of a being that he’d once competed with in every sadistic arena they could devise between them.
***
Wesley and Fred arrived at dawn and while Fred kept the nurse occupied, Wesley snuck into the room. Fred followed not shortly afterwards having convinced the nurse she’d be less trouble if she gave way and let the ditzy dark haired girl visit her friend.
Angel was back in the chair, with Cordelia still sound asleep on the bed. The sheets tucked up around her shoulders to keep her warm and covered. Dark brown eyes met blue and a message passed between the two of them when Wesley entered the room.
“How is she”? Asked Wesley in a quiet voice as his eyes perused the pale face of the woman on the bed.
“Recovering” replied Angel shortly and standing up he pulled his duster from the back of the chair. “Is Gunn checking out his contacts”?
Wesley had debated arguing with Angel on this plan of his. He was after all the head of the agency now. What made up his mind not to was the certainty that he would fail to change the vampire’s course, and he wasn’t willing to push him that far.
He was uncomfortably aware that he was boss simply because Angel let him be. If he pushed him on this that status quo could well be lost. Vampires were notoriously hierarchical and Angelus had been reputed to be the worst of the lot. Beaten only by the Master in the absolute need to dominate and control every aspect of their own lives and everyone else around them.
“Yes he is” he replied keeping it simple. “He’s going to keep us both informed of any progress. You do have your cell phone with you”? Angel nodded and checked his pocket to be sure.
“When they release her take her back to the hotel and keep her there” he stared at Wesley with a stark warning clearly written on his forbidding face. “Under no circumstances do you take her home”.
“I’m aware of the dangers this vampire poses, Angel and I’m not a fool” snapped Wesley. Irritation that the vampire had thought he could be so easily swayed by the feisty brunette making his tone sharp. “I’m sure Cordelia will be happy to stay at the hotel when she’s made aware of the risks too”.
Angel wasn’t willing to take any chances; with Cordelia you could never be sure which way she would go, just on the principle of not letting her life be disrupted by her occupation anymore than it already was. He looked at Fred who was standing silently watching the by-play and casting glances at the woman causing the friction. “Don’t let her out of your sight” he told her bluntly.
CARITAS
The newly refurbished, post gang-bang incursion night-club was doing a booming business once again. Angel stepped through the archway at the bottom of stairs and scanned all of the bodies that crowded around tables and stood two deep at the bar.
As always there was the tiniest pause in conversation when the more demonic patrons realised he’d arrived, before returning to full volume once his gaze passed them by without stopping. Always aware of the nuances, the Host or Lorne as they now called him, stepped away from the table he’d been socialising at and sauntered over.
He was one of the few demons on LA that had no qualms about tweaking this vampire’s pride, ego or temper. It was entertaining at the very least and anyway someone had to do it and Cordelia, as good as she was at it; didn’t count as she already had him wrapped around her pinkie, even if she didn’t know it yet.
“Well well if it isn’t the prince of darkness come to grace us with his cheery presence”. He looked around while he said it, winking at one or two of the more concerned faces in an effort to return the ambience back to its previous relaxed state.
“Way to ruin the mood you big chump. Next time ring ahead and I’ll arrange for the jaws theme tune to be put on” he scolded with a scowl at the darkly aloof vampire. He smiled broadly for their avid audience and grabbing a black clad arm steered them over to a rapidly emptying table.
Smiling his thanks and saluting with his free hand he sat down and waited for Angel to do the same. “What’s up now”? He asked exasperated, determined to get rid of the dark thundercloud in leather as fast as possible.
“I need to find a vamp called Daniel. He’s old and dangerous”.
“Aren’t they all bad boy, so does this vamp know you personally”? Angel nodded. “Hmm so that means very old and very dangerous then”.
Angel frowned in confusion then scowled when he realised Lorne was referring to Angelus as a comparison. He shook his head to dismiss that topic, refraining from the standard denial of not being ‘that’ old and leaned on the table to make sure he wasn’t overheard. “I’ll sing if I have to”.
Lorne snickered at the obvious reluctance on Angel’s handsome face and was delighted to be able to tell him it wasn’t necessary. “Thanks for the offer but no”.
“Your buddy was here earlier and just between you and me it wasn’t for the quality of the blood. He wants you to find him every bit as much as you do”.
Angel leaned back in his chair looking thoughtful but not surprised, “Figures” he muttered and remembering the kind of mind games they used to get up to and silently groaned. “Did he happen to mention where he was staying”?
“No but he left something on the bar. I only kept it because of the look he gave me when he turned to go. Gave me the willies and then some”. Lorne got up and went over the bar.
He was back within seconds and dropped a matchbook on the table in front of Angel. It was from another club; the logo clearly emblazoned across the front. Inside the cover in a bold hand was an invitation to meet that night at 9pm.
***
Angel rang to check on Cordelia on route back to the hotel. Wesley had arranged for Cordelia to be released later in the day, possibly in the evening and so didn’t expect to be back at the hotel until much later. Satisfied with that he rang off and phoned Gunn to pull him off the search.
He still had most of the day to kill but the timing should mean that thankfully he would be on his way to the meet before Cordelia got back to the hotel. He didn’t need to see her to know she would have something to say about him going off to fight this vampire alone and he simply wasn’t in the mood to try and explain why it had to be this way.
Daniel was a part of his past and his biting of Cordelia was Angel’s fault. So Daniel was his problem and he would deal with him- alone. That was plenty enough reason for him but there was also the fact that he had some preparation to do before the final confrontation with him. The other vampire was sadistic, ruthless and smart and if he was going to get some payback, Angel had to be in the right frame of mind; or the wrong one, depending on your outlook.
HOSPITAL
The bandage was square and white and covered half of her neck. Grimacing Cordelia ignored it as she got dressed in the clothes that Fred had brought from home for her. The soft stretchy lycra pants, vest, jacket and trainers were comfortable and although Fred didn’t know it, perfectly suitable for what she had in mind.
She stayed in front of the mirror on the back of the bathroom door and fiddled with her hair. She felt bad for the trouble she was going to cause Fred, but dammit she wasn’t willing to stand by and twiddle her thumbs while Angel went on a kamikaze mission of revenge.
Wesley came into the room and after a single furtive glance at her face, looked away to avoid her too direct gaze.
“Are you more comfortable now? I’ve spoken to the doctor and you should be able to be released in a few hours”? He told in a placatory voice. He was going to murder Angel for insisting on this.
Mind you, that wasn’t if Angel murdered him first. He was uncomfortably aware that she was upset over the news that Angel intended to go off alone and that he wasn’t going to try and stop him. Information she’d prised out of him over the course of the day. How the hell she did he had yet to figure out.
“Wesley, I was ready to go hours ago -in fact make that this morning which is more than a few hours”. She didn’t try to hide her major annoyance, not that it would surprise either of her ‘babysitters’. She’d been getting angrier and angrier as the day had gone on with her being stuck in here and they had both borne the brunt of it.
She didn’t know for sure but she could guess that her longer stay was due to more than the Doctors making sure she was healthy enough to leave. Wesley and Fred shared a look behind her back, which only confirmed her suspicions. Her hazel eyes narrowed in anger and all doubts or guilty feelings flew out of her head. They so deserved this.
As for Angel, she thought with a spurt of anticipation, well she’d deal with him when she found him. Won’t that just piss him right off. A smile spread over her face which she quickly hid when Fred gave her a strange look.
HYPERION HOTEL
Sweat and blood mixed freely on his arms and was spattered over his white vest. Chunks of the cinderblock wall of the basement were missing and crumbled in a mess along the edge of the floor underneath were they been punched out.
His knuckles were raw and the pain from his hands rocketed up his arms with each repetition. Pain was good, it liked pain. He whirled from the wall and back to the punching bag, kicking it so hard that despite being chained up it swung crazily and nearly came loose, chips of plaster fell from the ceiling as it bounced back to place, only to meet another powerful kick.
Before another half hour was over, he was ready. Dark brown eyes were ringed with topaz and flashed gold as his emotions seesawed between an equally savage enjoyment and ruthless determination. Softness was beaten down, mercy had fled and compassion was a speck on the horizon.
All became still and he froze in incredulous rage. His head whipped up and a snarl escaped taut angry white lips. Her heartbeat echoed in his ears and her scent teased his nostrils. She was here. He was going to kill Wesley, rip his throat out and gorge on the remains and all while she watched.
It was Wesley’s luck that he was still en-route because it took a few seconds for the soul to reassert itself and tamp back down the violent surge of bloodlust. “What the hell are you doing here”?
Anyone else might have seriously considered running back out the door and far away at having that growled voice directed at them, if not that then the being glared at by a seriously pissed off vampire in full vamp face was sure to do the trick.
Cordelia was shocked sure, but not by that. She’d been watching him for about a quarter of an hour now and she was seriously creeped out. Even knowing him and loving him like she did, she considered just turning around and leaving until the lunatic calmed down and some sign of sanity returned.
Instead she stood her ground; in fact she walked slowly down the stairs but couldn’t stop herself from crossing her arms over her chest in an unconscious attempt at defensiveness. Several phrases passed through her mind, all of them so inflammatory that even as angry as she was; she had more sense than to toss them at his head right now.
“I don’t like hospitals” she said simply, eyeing him carefully.
He said nothing, just watched her with feral eyes gleaming. She kept her breathing even and each step was deliberately smooth so as not to make a sudden move. She didn’t know how but she could tell he was primed for something, her instincts screamed for caution.
“I especially don’t like being kept in a hospital to keep me out of the way” he still said nothing to either explain or refute her mildly voiced accusation. “I want to know what you think your doing”.
“I know what I’m doing – you don’t need to know” he snapped back, only his lips moved, every muscle in his body was frozen in place, utterly still like the predator he really was. It was a part of him that was always there but usually camouflaged with more acceptable, human attributes.
She gaped at him and her expression went from forcibly serene to outraged in a microsecond. screw caution, she wasn’t taking this crap from him. “You are so outside the realms of sanity, do you know that? I don’t need to know, is that right? Gimme a frickin’ break here”. She was almost yelling by the end and she’d closed the distance between them and now stood toe to toe with him.
“And another thing, Asshole. How come Wesley is acting like your lapdog again; cos Hello, he’s still the boss around here not you and for obvious reasons”. Her wide spread wildly swinging arms indicated the mess of the walls and then state of him.
Her rage only ignited his even more and it took a frightening degree of control not to snatch her up and shake her, scare her. Make her heart beat like a wild bird and let him drown in the intoxicating smell of female fear. “Get out of here, Cordelia” he snarled in warning.
“I-am-not mute secretary girl anymore and I never will be again, so deal with it” she snapped back not flinching from him in the slightest.
His head lowered slowly to hers, inches were all that separated his face from hers. She took a deep breath, slowly filling her lungs. She closed the distance until her lips brushed his cheek. “Are you actually trying to make me afraid of you, Angel”? Neither of them moved, locked in an almost touching embrace with invisible bonds.
Those whispered words were enough to finally let the soul take over completely again and his features melted back into human. “Dammit, Cordelia I wanted you to stay away from this”. The words were pulled from deep inside, anguished and yet resigned at the same time.
“Away from what”? She asked exasperated with him and this bullshit. “You think this is the answer; a temporary return to psycho vamp”?
He didn’t answer immediately his eyes were locked on the bandage covered the bite mark on her neck. He growled and laughed at the same time, he might have known that the demon would find something to bring itself back to the fore. “I don’t need an answer to anything Cordelia. You wanna know why, cos I don’t have any questions. I know what needs to be done”.
He reached up with one large hand and cupped the back of neck in a strong grip. She gasped when he tore the bandage off to reveal the puncture marks marring her smooth neck. She felt the vibration of his chest before the throaty growls erupted from his mouth and pulled away from him sharply. He let her go but his eyes stayed on the marks.
“What are you saying; that you’re entitled to revenge but I’m not? Not going to happen I want to kill him” she said it with her head held high and a determined gleam in her hazel eyes. “You’re not going after him alone. You need back-up”.
She was only half serious; she didn’t particularly want to hunt down this dumb vampire she’d had enough of that company last night. But if he agreed then it was only a small step to getting Wes and Gunn to tag along and then she’d be happy.
“I need you to get your ass back upstairs and leave me the hell alone” he spat out with all the venom he could muster. Fuck, what was it going to take to get her to just leave him be to get the job done.
This is so not like him , she knew she was staring but Geeze this was like some nightmare trip back in time. Did he really believe that he could just step back into master vamp mode and she’d just meekly obey like some kind of mindless robot.
He smiled mirthlessly at the look of dawning hurt on her face. She shouldn’t have come here and he was still going to rip Wesley’s head off. Later on when this was over he was going to hate himself but right then he didn’t really feel it, just knew it was coming. That was the whole point of this sick exercise.
“You wanna know the biggest difference between me and Daniel, Cor? Well I’ll tell you” he said coldly when she didn’t answer, and still with the humourless smirk he stalked her when she backed away with a look of uncertainty flickering over her too expressive face.
“Daniel hates women. Me – I love em” her eyes met his and widened when she saw the flicker of topaz within the smooth darkness she usually loved to gaze into. “Vampires don’t just retain the characters of their human hosts but the sexual preferences too. I always went for women for the fun stuff, but Daniel… no; he preferred men”.
“He’d kill women too, just not be so nice about it if you know what I mean -and that’s the vamp you want to go after. I don’t think so”.
She was silently appalled and he knew it, sometime later he’d be sorry for that, just NOT now. “Heard enough or do you want to know more” he taunted.
She turned and walked back up the stairs with her back ramrod straight. He watched her leave and then turned back to finish the preparations. He no longer needed to get psyched up; she’d finished that for him.