70: The New Lair, Somewhere in Sunnydale
Angel’s pretty princess was awake. The steady thump of her heartbeat quickened as Drusilla pushed the door open to meet Cordelia’s widening tear-laced gaze. A fearful gasp sparked a little thrill that wrapped around Dru’s heart as she stepped into the room shutting the door behind her.
The room plunged into darkness for a moment until she lit some candles lined up on an old copper pipe near the entry wall. One by one until their glow spread out to chase the shadows away.
“You!” Surprise and recognition came next. Cordelia raised up one hand as if to stave off her approach. Clutching the sheet wrapped around her with the other, Cordelia took in another stuttered breath before demanding answers. “Why am I here? I was— oh, God, my grandmother is…”
“Dead,” Drusilla supplied the rest when her voice cracked with anguish. A sob of denial that followed resonated. Cocking her head, Dru raised a finger to her mouth, silently observing the play of emotions crossing Cordelia’s expressive face. “So tragic,” her eyes turned smoky as the coldness left her voice. “So much rich, warm blood wasted.”
Fury instantly dried the tears she could taste on the air. “Don’t talk about Bev like she was a missed meal.” Cordelia hurled the nearest object she could reach, a pillow that Dru easily caught and let drop to the floor. “Just tell me what the hell you want from me, you crazy bitch.”
“Language!” Dru clucked like a disapproving governess as her pretty new pupil gathered up the loose sheet and dared to step closer. Emotions ran wild in this one, rage flushing to the surface, mottling her smooth golden skin with a tinge of pink.
Placing one foot in front of the other, Drusilla walked an imaginary tightrope that led straight toward Angel’s little pet. That is what Spike liked to call the girl: a pet. Cordy did not like hearing that. Neither did Dru, who knew she was meant for more important things, and not to be treated as property. This one had so much to learn.
Scolding her sharply, “Naughty words shouldn’t come from such a pretty mouth.”
Drusilla watched idly as Cordelia began to pace despite the confined space like a caged tigress, eyes flashing defiance, refusing to cower in the face of her fears. Though distraught over her own vulnerable state and her grandmother’s death, she did not fold despite the devastation of her loss.
Others would not withstand such circumstance. They crumbled, surrendered in the face of darkness. Let it take them. Just as Drusilla knew that long ago, she had given in to Angelus’ torment. This girl was different. She could sense it.
“Daddy doesn’t like naughty words,” Dru told her with a smirk spreading across her red lips, “except when he wants to hear them.”
Cordelia’s jaw dropped open, snapping shut just as quickly. “Eew! Thanks for that mental image— not. Pfft! I really don’t need another one of Angel’s ex-girlfriends to tell me what he likes. I have Buffy for that.”
A throaty chuckle emerged from Dru’s throat full of dark delight. “Tell me, kitten, do you whisper sweet nothings into Angel’s ear and tell him of the naughty things you want him to do to you?”
Momentarily distracted from her rant when curiosity took over, Cordelia delighted Dru by pausing to ask, “So he, um, likes that?”
“My Angel likes a lot of things, precious,” Drusilla reached out to twirl a finger around a curling strand of Cordelia’s hair.
An embarrassed little mewl rattled around Cordelia’s throat before emerging as a short huff. “Well he won’t like the fact that you’re keeping me here. You’d better let me go.” Her bare foot stomped the concrete floor. “Like now!”
Not wanting to hear it, Drusilla easily distracted herself by gazing down at the red velvet overskirt of her gown. Velvet and silk, velvet and silk, pretty layers of red upon red the color of blood. As she spun around in a lazy circle, watching the way her skirt billowed, Dru felt Cordelia brush past her in a rush toward the door.
Reaching out, she snagged her by the wrist, yanking Cordelia back and leaning in to whisper, “You’ll spoil my surprise.”
Slowly, Drusilla released her waiting to see if she would run again, but Cordelia stood her ground. Her loose hair streamed wildly around her bare shoulders and she tucked an errant strand behind her ear before licking nervously at her lips. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I don’t want to be here.”
A sullen pout formed on Dru’s lips, “But I promised.”
“Promi—? Oh!” Cordelia’s eyes rounded in remembrance. “Look, it’s nice that you want to tell me how to make Angel happy, but I think I’d rather figure that out on my own. Plus, there’s that part about him turning evil that I’d prefer to avoid.”
After a deep sigh that ended in a little growl, Drusilla wrapped a hand around her neck before Cordelia could react. She could practically taste the girl’s fear skyrocketing along with the heady sound of her pulse. Pressing her cheek against the warm column of her throat, Dru muttered, “So warm. My Angel must adore your heat.”
“Uh—”
“Now we are going to have some fun,” Drusilla pulled back expecting the same delight on Cordelia’s face that she felt at the prospect.
Inching back, Cordy’s eyes popped open, her hand waving defensively in front of her. Dru could not understand why.
“Fun?” Cordelia gulped loudly, “Look, I’m not that kinda girl.” Wondering what kind, Dru watched her hop nervously out of the corner into the open space in the middle of the room. “Really not.” Rolling her eyes, Cordy added, “God save me from kinky vampires! Dru, I don’t wanna die, but I don’t want to have fun either.”
“You don’t like tea?” asked Drusilla curiously and saw Cordelia’s gaze narrow.
“Huh?”
Giggling at the look on Cordelia’s face, Dru skipped toward the door and swung it open just enough to give her a peek of the adjoining room. There had been no time to decorate everything, but Drusilla had managed to fix up one area. A small table was draped with fine linen atop which was an exquisite little tea set with delicate china cups.
“That nice man in the china shop helped me find just what I wanted,” Drusilla revealed, only to let her little smile bottom up into a frown, “but he started to yell at me when I tried to leave. He wasn’t very nice after all.”
A hasty assumption followed, “So you bit him.”
“No,” Dru gasped at the thought of it. “He didn’t smell right. Spike had a word or two with him.”
Cordelia stepped away from the door, readjusting her sheet. “Spike’s here?”
Drusilla shook her head. “It’s just us girls: you, me and Miss Edith.” The latter was now sitting primly in her place on the table. Noting that her position was quite near the plate of sugary biscuits she had laid out, Dru scolded the dolly, “Wait for us, dear.”
Closing the door again, Drusilla confided, “Miss Edith can be such a naughty little girl at times.” Whispering, “She never listens to Daddy.”
“Let me get this straight,” Cordelia cut in abruptly, gaze narrowing, “you brought me here for tea?”
Nodding, Dru pointed out, “That nasty demon wanted to take you away from us. Our Angel wouldn’t like that at all.”
“No,” she agreed. “Neither would I. So, um, thanks for the rescue, I guess. That is if this is really just about having a little Girl Talk, cos I can totally handle that.”
Sensing what Cordelia left unsaid, Dru admitted that it would not be long before Angel discovered their location. “He will come for you soon enough, sweet kitten.”
“There’s just one little thing. No big if it is a problem for you, but— hello! Naked here,” Cordelia flapped the edge of her sheet. “Why am I naked? Please tell me that you did not let Spike undress me.”
Drusilla let her gaze follow Cordelia’s curves both revealed yet hidden by the sheet. A little flash of jealousy rose up at the thought of Spike’s lustful comments about Daddy’s new princess, flecks of yellow appearing in her eyes. “My Spike knows better than to ask. I sent him away tonight before I went to find you.”
“Yeah, well… good.” Cordelia visibly relaxed before reminding her, “Now about the naked part.”
Walking over to a set of metal shelves that had once been part of the factory’s storage spaces now draped with clothing, Drusilla sifted through to find what she was looking for. Finally, she held up a long gown of cream-colored silk with a scoop-necked bust line. A diaphanous layer of chiffon streamed from its empire waist down to the floor.
“Uh— that’s not exactly my style,” Cordelia started to glance around the room for her own clothes only to be told by Dru that she had thrown them into the furnace.
“This one is for me. I have a very special gown for you. Our Angel will love taking it off.” She tittered at Cordelia’s gaping stare. “You have wanted and dreamed and yearned for a dress, so I found one just for you.”
Drusilla draped the white gown over the end of the bed and returned to the shelves to retrieve a large cardboard box with an unfamiliar logo. Cordelia looked sad rather than grateful as she opened the lid to reveal a cloud of gold tissue paper. “I have been saving up for a prom dress,” she told Dru as if realizing that the vampire already knew the details. “Bev promised to pay half if I got a job.”
“Poor pet. Angel will kiss it all better for you.” The visions dancing in her head told Dru that Cordelia enjoyed Angel’s kisses, and caresses. “He makes you tingle all over. Take solace in him, sweet kitten. Heal the wounds in your heart.”
Annoyed at the soft words of advice, Cordelia turned her attention to the cardboard box on the bed. The dress was made of the softest chiffon. Sleeveless, with a tight bodice, it had a slew of tiny pearl buttons down the back. Silver accents rimmed the neckline and waist. It looked new, but the design hinted at some long ago era.
It was gorgeous, but nothing like the dress she had put on layaway at April Fools. That one was modern, chic, and made her sparkle like a movie star on the red carpet.
“Why this dress?”
Holding her secrets close, Drusilla’s mouth curved at the corners. Explaining, “Proper tea deserves proper clothes.”
The elegant dress whispered innocence with its pink blush hue, but Cordelia recognized that it might have the opposite effect. “Don’t bite me for pointing this out, Drusilla, but there won’t be anything proper about that dress when my boobs do an imitation of Dolly Parton wearing a Wonderbra.”
Dru blinked owlishly, but stayed silent on the matter.
Holding the bed sheet close, Cordelia reached for one of Spike’s red t-shirts. “How about this? Better yet, give me my own clothes.”
Drusilla copied Cordelia’s earlier foot-stomping routine. “No! Wear the dress,” Drusilla pouted holding it out of the box so that the skirt unfolded to its full length. Quite used to being indulged, she did not like being refused. Vamping out, she growled, “Put it on.”
When Cordelia snagged the dress from her hands, Drusilla smiled serenely and let her features shift back to human form. Giggling, she watched as Cordelia turned her back on her while struggling to maintain her hold on the sheet and pull the gown on over her head. Mumbles mutated into curses as Cordy got stuck with her head somewhere in the middle of the bunched gown, arms above her head and sheet clinging to her hips.
“I’ve got it!” Cordelia huffed, yanking the gown into place when Drusilla came over to help her out. She glanced down at the low neckline and brought a hand to her chest. Complaining loudly, “I know you’re like really old, but that’s no excuse for not keeping up to date with the latest fashions.”
That was just something Dru would have to think about later. Helping Cordelia fasten the long string of buttons at the back of the gown stirred memories. “My sisters used to dress for tea at Auntie Tessa’s. Pretty bonnets, lace collars, white gloves.”
“We loved to have tea. Auntie made the nicest crumpets.” Dru fastened the last button and turned Cordelia around to examine her work. A frown marred her pale features, as she sighed. “Angel ate Auntie Tessa.”
“Oh, er— sorry,” Cordelia commented, smoothing her hands down the snug waist of the gown. “Speaking of Angel…”
Drusilla interrupted, still caught up in thoughts of her family and seeing the way Cordy filled out the gown. “My little sister Anne loved pretty clothes. She wore a blue dress with an organdy fringe the day Angelus came for me.”
“Can we just get on with the tea thing?”
“He made me watch. I screamed and screamed, but nobody heard. Nobody came to stop him.” Drusilla confided randomly, “It’s impossible to get blood out of white lace gloves.”
Balking, Cordelia paled as Dru shared the details. “Please, I really don’t want to hear this. Angel is not like that anymore, at least not when he has a soul. I know that he’s sorry for what he did in the past.”
“Sorry doesn’t make up for taking my family away,” Drusilla grabbed her by the wrist again. “Bad, bad Daddy.” Tugging Cordelia toward the door, there was little resistance. Other than an attempt at pulling out of her grasp, Cordelia followed behind as Dru led her toward the table. “It’s been so long since I had a sister to share secrets.”
Cordelia’s mouth formed a circle, “Oh.” She sank down into the chair gripping the edge of the table. Her little pink tongue swept across her full lips before she said, “You’ve got secrets. What is it you want from me, Drusilla?”
Sitting down opposite Cordelia, Dru unfolded her napkin and placed it in her lap before answering. “It’s what our Angel wants that’s important. Listen carefully.”