{"id":10373,"date":"2016-11-13T19:40:34","date_gmt":"2016-11-13T19:40:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/?p=10373"},"modified":"2018-07-23T20:14:47","modified_gmt":"2018-07-23T19:14:47","slug":"season-of-solace-96","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/2016\/11\/13\/season-of-solace-96\/","title":{"rendered":"Season of Solace. 96"},"content":{"rendered":"
96: \u00a0 \u00a0 The Foyer, Angel’s Mansion, Crawford Street<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
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 <\/p>\n

Every faint sound from upstairs drew their attention. Anxiously, they listened for a hint of an argument, a sign that the insanity that they had just witness was never going to repeat itself. Only the faint sound of mumbling broke the silence, and that was theirs. There was no screaming, or shouting, no breaking furniture, or even, unthinkably, the rhythmic squeaking of a mattress.<\/p>\n

Except that wasn\u2019t quite as unthinkable as one might think\u2026or, um, not think, Willow admitted to herself considering what she\u2019d seen through the keyhole of Angel\u2019s study.<\/p>\n

Obviously, that had not been a first-time smooch session. Cordelia and Angel had been dating right under Buffy\u2019s nose. Willow saw that her friend\u2019s lips were drawn into a thin line, her face pale as she focused her attention above. Every now and then, they could hear something that sounded like a voice, but the old mansion\u2019s thick walls muffled almost everything much to her frustration.<\/p>\n

Willow was not the only frustrated eavesdropper. Scowling in the direction of the stairs, Xander muttered under his breath, \u201cWhat are they still doing up there?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her green eyes flitted in that direction. \u201cUmm\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

That was an interesting question. If Cordelia\u2019s attitude were any indicator, she would guess that they were arguing. Angel had looked kinda determined to make her take back what she had said about them breaking up. He was not exactly the type to sit around to talk things over.<\/p>\n

Nope, Angel was definitely an action-oriented kind of guy. Speaking of action, now that Willow knew that Cordelia & Angel were an item, it made perfect sense to her. The little looks, Angel\u2019s reaction when she had been hurt or kidnapped, the way Cordelia could get him to do anything, all added up. Two plus two definitely equaled four.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think?\u201d snapped Buffy now glassy-eyed with tears. \u201cYour girlfriend\u2019s got her claws into Angel. He felt sorry for her, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHah! Dead Boy couldn\u2019t wait to take advantage of Cor\u2019s misery,\u201d Xander countered just as quickly. \u201cHer grandma just died for cripes sake.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shrinking back as Buffy and Xander stood in a furious face-off, Willow suddenly recalled that old saying\u2014 about the rock and the hard place and being stuck in between. Ground zero was not exactly a comfy place to be.<\/p>\n

Buffy huffed, \u201cLike that would stop her?\u201d cheeks blotching with patches of red.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t blame Cordelia if your undead boyfriend can\u2019t keep his hands to himself,\u201d he protested. \u201cShe\u2019s not like that. You don\u2019t know what it takes for a guy to get into her panties.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making a face, Willow let out an, \u201cEew,\u201d which went unnoticed by both of her friends. The subject of Xander trying to get into Cordelia\u2019s panties was too much information. Not that he had succeeded since she had admitted to being a virgin.<\/p>\n

Hee!<\/p>\n

A random spurt of silly satisfaction hit Willow at the thought that she had been one up on her childhood nemesis. Of course that meant they now had something in common in a very weird sort of way, her first time being with wolfy Oz and Cor\u2019s with vampy Angel. Although that meant Cor had the exact same thing in common with Buffy, and so Willow figured it would not be a good idea to point that out.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is Cordelia Chase we\u2019re talking about,\u201d Buffy planted her hands on her hips, \u201cself-proclaimed Boy Slayer. Maybe she got knocked down a peg or two after you two started dating, but you don\u2019t get to be Head Bitch of Sunnydale High without knowing how to twist guys around your little finger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Xander actually looked insulted by that. The hurt pout appeared and then disappeared quickly. \u201cYou\u2019re not being fair. Buffy, you know what he\u2019s like: evil at the core. I\u2019d think you\u2019d be glad to be rid of the bastard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you really want him back, Buffy?\u201d Willow finally cut in. Her query forced a pause in the argument, both of them staring first at her and then at each other.<\/p>\n

Finally dropping her gaze to the floor, Buffy seemed undecided. Then her head snapped toward the staircase as if she had heard something they could not. \u201cI\u2014I don\u2019t know,\u201d shrugging almost imperceptibly.<\/p>\n

Willow\u2019s eyes widened as they followed Buffy\u2019s gaze. Were Cordelia and Angel still arguing? It seemed awfully quiet up there to her. If Slayer hearing was any better than normal humans, she wondered exactly what Buffy could detect.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Angel came back from hell you said\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know about his soul being safe,\u201d Buffy cut her off. \u201cI didn\u2019t know. Somehow, he just seemed different, but I thought it was me. We couldn\u2019t\u2026I couldn\u2019t do that to myself again. All of this time we could have been together, but I\u2014I pushed him away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inching closer, Willow tried to reach out to her, but Buffy deliberately stalked out of touching distance. She hated to see her friend heartbroken, but Angel had seemed pretty certain that he was not going to pick up where they left off. If Buffy had given him a chance when he returned to Sunnydale, Angel would have jumped at it.<\/p>\n

It was only natural that she looked at this a little more objectively than either one of her friends. \u201cTechnically, Cordelia and Angel are your exes. Think about it for a minute. They\u2019re not your current girlfriend or boyfriend. Can\u2019t they date anyone they want?\u201d<\/p>\n

Buffy gaped \u201cNo!\u201d as if Angel was supposed to go dateless for the rest of his very long existence.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot each other,\u201d Xander glared toward the upstairs again. \u201cIt\u2019s too quiet. Maybe he got fed up with her yelling and\u2014\u201d He stopped, eyes widening, and then took off across the foyer.<\/p>\n

Dashing after him, Willow caught up with him half a step after Buffy who grabbed his arm and whirled him around. Demanding, \u201cWhere are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n

A wild guess told Willow that Xander was afraid for Cordelia. After the protective vibes Angel had been giving off lately, that was one thing they didn\u2019t need to worry about. Besides, she was pretty certain, \u201cAngel wouldn\u2019t bite Cordelia.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe not,\u201d he agreed a little too quickly to suggest that she was right, \u201cbut Cor tends to keep on arguing until she gets\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Willow and Buffy shared a shrug. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUm,\u201d Xander looked rather uncomfortable admitting it. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a turn-on. For a vampire, it\u2019s probably like waving a red flag in front of a bull.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, like the study. I could only see a tiny bit through the keyhole, but wow they were\u2026,\u201d Willow gulped at the devastation on Buffy\u2019s face. She chirped, \u201cOr not. It\u2019s not at all like that. Maybe it was just something in my eye. I didn\u2019t mean to suggest that\u2014 hey, where are you going? The stairs\u2014 no\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

This time it was Xander holding Buffy back. \u201cDon\u2019t let it get to you, Buffster. It\u2019s Angel\u2019s fault.\u201d From his tone, it was clear that he blamed Angel for everything. \u201cWhat was he doing that with Cordelia if he didn\u2019t know about his soul?\u201d<\/p>\n

When Buffy sank down onto one of the bottom steps, Willow followed along. She was close enough to hear the softly whispered, \u201cIt\u2019s not his fault. It\u2019s mine.\u201d Her golden hair shrouded her face in shadows as Buffy\u2019s head dipped low. \u201cI did this. I made them patrol together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s no one\u2019s fault,\u201d Willow assured her though she could recall that Buffy was up to something when she assigned Cordy and Angel to team up. Guess they teamed up a little more than Buffy intended.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody can control who they love,\u201d she commented randomly. \u201cI mean, I suppose they\u2019re in love. I\u2019m sure it wasn\u2019t just pity sex, but if it was maybe Angel was just trying to be nice and make her feel better.\u201d Then she paused for half a breath. \u201cOf course, they might just be doing it because they\u2019re both kind of hot, but\u2014 you don\u2019t want to hear that, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Willow came out of her own little thoughtful fog to find Buffy and Xander glaring at her again. Oops! It was back to that rocky hard spot again. \u201cAm I babbling? I think I might be babbling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrying to be nice?\u201d Icy shivers crept along her spine at Buffy\u2019s cold tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone else would send a Hallmark card,\u201d Xander sneered, \u201cbut no\u2014 Dead Boy has to get creative with the move making.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feeling awkward and sorry for them both, Willow focused on the positives. Even they would not be able to deny the truth. \u201cGotta look on the bright side. No more Angelus.\u201d Trying to sound perky about it did not seem to be making any headway with either of them.<\/p>\n

After a long pause, Xander finally let out a grunt of agreement. \u201cNot gonna miss that guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Willow gave herself points for progress. Now for a little extra credit, \u201cI suppose this lets Cordelia off the hook, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat hook?\u201d Buffy asked, her eyes narrowing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe prophecy hook. Kinda hard to be a virgin sacrifice when you\u2019re not a virgin,\u201d Willow explained her logic.<\/p>\n

Buffy unfolded her petite frame from her sitting position to walk back toward the center of the room. Clasping her crossed arms in a self-hugging motion, she sent Willow a rueful look. \u201cCan we not talk about this anymore tonight? It\u2019s late. We\u2019ve got a lot to deal with tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Buffy\u2019s gaze strayed back upstairs, Willow suggested, \u201cMaybe we should go home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo way,\u201d Xander headed back to his sleeping bag and sat down on top of it as if staking his spot for the night. \u201cI\u2019m not going anywhere until Cordelia comes down here and tells me she\u2019s okay with this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite pointing out that neither Angel nor Cordelia were likely to come out of the bedroom anytime soon, Willow could not change their mind. \u201cWe\u2019re still here for a reason,\u201d Buffy reminded them. \u201cThere\u2019s a demon out there who\u2019s got no idea that Cordelia isn\u2019t as \u2018pure\u2019 as she was a few hours ago. It may come after her again.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Giles\u2019 research, crosathnam demons were primarily nocturnal. While they could move around in the daytime, it affected their natural tracking abilities. \u201cWhether I like it or not, I\u2019ve got to stick around,\u201d added Buffy somewhat bitterly.<\/p>\n

She was still the Slayer. One of them, Willow corrected herself. With Faith in jail for murdering Cordelia\u2019s grandmother, things were going to get even stickier around here. There were trials and publicity and jail sentences and lethal injection in their future unless Faith managed to escape or Giles and the Watcher\u2019s Council pulled off a miracle.<\/p>\n

Willow shuddered at the thought, but it made her consider the fact that Angel and Cordelia being in love was hardly their biggest problem. Though telling Buffy and Xander to mind their own business was definitely hers. Honestly, Willow was not that concerned about Xander. He might be a little jealous over the fact that his ex had moved on, but he did not seem to be crushed by it.<\/p>\n

As long as Xander did not do anything stupid\u2014 like confronting Angel, then he would be okay. It was Buffy she worried about the most.<\/p>\n

Buffy put on a brave face that did not fool anyone. Willow only hoped they would not have a repeat of the last time Buffy lost Angel. She had abandoned Sunnydale leaving her family, her friends and her role as the Slayer behind her. Willow found it hard to imagine what she had gone through after killing Angel to save the world from being sucked into hell.<\/p>\n

They had talked about it when Xander was not around. She knew that Buffy thought of Angel as a soul mate; tied to her in some cosmic way whether or not they could be together. She had given him up when he returned to Sunnydale because it was too dangerous and had confided to Willow that she could not make it through a repeat of the tragedy that was their love.<\/p>\n

Now that Buffy did not have to worry about Angelus, Willow wondered if she was simply going to accept Angel\u2019s new relationship without a fight.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Scene 97<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

96: \u00a0 \u00a0 The Foyer, Angel’s Mansion, Crawford Street   Every faint sound from upstairs drew their attention. Anxiously, they listened for a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-to-be-continued-fic"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10373"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10373\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}