{"id":10390,"date":"2016-11-13T20:28:10","date_gmt":"2016-11-13T20:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/?p=10390"},"modified":"2018-07-23T21:33:46","modified_gmt":"2018-07-23T20:33:46","slug":"season-of-solace-105","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/2016\/11\/13\/season-of-solace-105\/","title":{"rendered":"Season of Solace. 105"},"content":{"rendered":"
105: \u00a0 \u00a0 The Foyer, Crawford Street Mansion, Central Sunnydale<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

 <\/p>\n

They squared off in the foyer, Angel and Cordelia standing silently across from Faith and Giles. Awkward was not the word for it. It was downright painful. No one seemed to want to be the first one to speak.<\/p>\n

Normally, Cordelia would just break the ice. She tried now, but the words caught in her throat. There was censure, sorrow and concern in Giles\u2019 eyes, his lips pressed tightly closed as he looked at the two of them. Faith looked ready for a fight, but she always did.<\/p>\n

It was Angel who finally broke the silence. \u201cI appreciate you coming here,\u201d he looked Giles in the eye, \u201cfor Cordy\u2019s sake,\u201d phrasing it as if he thought it was a burden.<\/p>\n

Cordelia was puzzled for a second until she realized that the last time Giles had been to the mansion, Angelus and Drusilla had tortured him for information. There was a twinge of guilt in Angel\u2019 voice knowing that the simple act of being here was enough to bring back the memories of that time.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaturally, I want to help,\u201d Giles took the hand Angel offered after only the briefest pause. The irony of it struck hard knowing that Giles was willing to help and protect her despite the fact that Angelus had killed Jenny Calendar.<\/p>\n

She thought she\u2019d been holding it together pretty well until Giles\u2019 attention turned to her. \u201cHow are you holding up?\u201d Thank God for Angel standing there next to her. The last thing she wanted was to look like a blubbering idiot in front of Buffy\u2019s Watcher.<\/p>\n

Assuring him, \u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d as she slipped her fingers through Angel\u2019s to clasp his hand tight. When he squeezed back Cordelia felt herself relaxing and everything she had wanted or needed to say came pouring out: Drusilla hiding her from the demon, Bev having a will that would need tending to, the need to file a report with the police, wanting to see Bev at the morgue, and make funeral arrangements.<\/p>\n

Giles promised to help with everything that needed to be done. \u201cI hesitate to say this now,\u201d he added, \u201cconsidering the circumstances, but we must discuss what is to be done about seeing to your protection.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Angel had suggested, Giles seemed to think it was possible that she was still in some kind of danger. Hello, not a virgin anymore. Cordelia did not think that needed pointing out after Buffy hightailed it straight to Giles\u2019 place this morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe final signs of the prophecy will make their appearance in the days and weeks ahead.\u201d He reminded her that it might be some time before they could let down their guard. \u201cI presume any fulfillment of this prophecy will ultimately require Cordelia\u2019s participation as a sacrifice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not going to happen,\u201d Angel practically growled his response. She could feel the tension building up just by the subtle change in his grip.<\/p>\n

With her free hand, she stroked her fingers down his arm. \u201cNo, it won\u2019t happen. You won\u2019t let it.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment, she got lost in Angel\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n

Cordelia had confidence that Angel could protect her from this. And just in case, she was still planning on more training sessions. She only hoped that Bev\u2019s funeral would go smoothly and that nothing else would distract them from putting her grandmother to rest.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll get through this,\u201d Angel promised her softly.<\/p>\n

A harrumph sounded from Giles catching their attention. Faith nudged him with her elbow and shook her head, but he didn\u2019t notice. Cordelia was too curious to ignore it. \u201cWhat\u2019s the secret?\u201d She suspected it had something to do with her and Angel.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo secret,\u201d Giles hurriedly explained. \u201cThere is something I need to discuss with Angel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia raised an eyebrow. \u201cOh, really?\u201d her voice dropped dangerously. There were some subjects she considered closed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the ongoing danger, I believe it is best to consolidate our efforts,\u201d Giles missed the glare in her eyes turning to surprise. \u201cThe mansion is the best place for everyone to hold up for a few days.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere?\u201d Cordelia glanced over at Angel wondering how he was going to react. Having Buffy and the rest of the Scoobs here was not a pleasant thought.<\/p>\n

A heavy silence thickened the air until finally Angel commented, \u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Gaping openly, Cordelia pictured Buffy catching her making out with Angel. Demons were the least of her problems. \u201cNow?\u201d<\/p>\n

Defending Angel\u2019s decision, Giles listed his own reasoning for suggesting it in the first place. Knowing that the Crosathnam demon had already tracked Cordelia down once, it was likely that it could do so again. There would be no need to house her with one of the others, keeping the Scoobies\u2019 families safe. Since the mansion was not in a heavily populated area, they might have a chance to keep a low profile.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot sit idly while the demons gather strength,\u201d Giles warned them. \u201cWe need a stronghold against attack and I believe this mansion will provide it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Angel was already thinking of weaknesses in the perimeter defenses and how they might go about fixing them. When Giles stepped up and suggested they sit down to work out some details, Cordelia gladly left them to their man-to-manpire chat. She was anxious to talk to Faith.<\/p>\n

There were some things Cordelia needed to get off her chest. \u201cI didn\u2019t expect you to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still staring over at Giles as he and Angel walked toward the study, Faith jerked her attention back to Cordelia giving her a gruff response. \u201cIt was me or B.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis bodyguard thing is more of a pain than I imagined.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia expected Faith to joke about her needing to get used to it if she planned to be rich and famous some day. The joke never came. Just an uneasy silence as Faith crossed her arms over her chest and looked back down the hall.<\/p>\n

She seemed closed-off and uncomfortable. Guessing that it had to do with being witness to whatever Buffy said about her when she got to Giles\u2019 place, Cordelia let out an indignant huff. \u201cBuffy Big Mouth blabbered that I was with Angel last night. Guess Giles loved hearing all about it\u2014 not.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a statement rather than a question. Faith barked a laugh. \u201cYeah, he knows. Everybody knows.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose I\u2019m now the bitch from hell\u2026 again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Faith let out another laugh, but this one was tainted with remorse. \u201cThat\u2019s my title.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not getting it, Cordelia asked, \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s obvious.\u201d This time Faith looked straight at her, standing stiff as a board.<\/p>\n

There was not anything as obvious as a neon sign that Cordelia could see. \u201cYou say something to piss Buffy off?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. Don\u2019t you get it?\u201d She looked stunned and uncomfortable about saying anything else. \u201cBev. Bev died because of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough with the\u2014 hey!\u201d she stalled as Faith\u2019s words sank in. Taking a step forward, Cordelia told her, \u201cI saw everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wracked with guilt, Faith stumbled over the words, \u201cIt was an accident.\u201d She stared back, jaw tightening as she waited for Cordelia to chew her up and spit her out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that.\u201d Cordelia realized the reason for Faith\u2019s evasiveness. \u201cBev would be the first to kick your ass for blaming yourself for this. As it is, looks like I get first dibs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Faith flashed a grin, but it faded again just as quickly. \u201cBev was cool. I never meant for her to get hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Deciding to let Faith get this out in the open, Cordelia found herself swallowing back another bout of tears. She let her hair fall forward shadowing her face as she took in a deep breath before looking up again. \u201cFighting demons, even if you\u2019re a Slayer, must be tough when you\u2019re trying to protect other people, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t change anything,\u201d Faith scowled, angry at herself and the situation. She let out a noxious curse pushing away Cordelia\u2019s outstretched hand. \u201cSome Slayer. I\u2019m such a screw up.\u201d<\/p>\n

She gave her a little room, but did not back down. \u201cYou\u2019re my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

The seconds passed without any comment, but that dimpled smile appeared again. Cordelia nabbed the opportunity to change the subject. \u201cBuffy\u2019s just lucky it was you who showed up. She\u2019s overdue for some ass-kickage of her own. My clothes were in trash bags.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia shuddered again at the atrocity. \u201cTrash bags.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe we should check on the guys,\u201d Faith leaned over to peer down the hall again, \u201cjust in case.\u201d<\/p>\n

Either she was not the only one good at changing subjects or Faith was actually concerned about the discussion going on in the study. \u201cWhy do I get the feeling they\u2019re not just talking about defense strategies? Giles wouldn\u2019t have the nerve\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOoh, he\u2019d better not,\u201d Cordelia started down the hall with Faith trailing after her.<\/p>\n

Angel was the first to look up at their arrival. He was standing by the fireplace, the wood cold and ashen much like his stony expression. His dark eyes flicked back to Giles who turned toward them. \u201cAh, girls, there you are. We were just finishing up here. Perhaps we should get started. Is… is everything alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ignoring him, Cordelia walked up to Angel, silently searching his face for signs that he\u2019d been subject to some kind of inquisition. Angel said nothing. His hand swept up to cup her face, eyes softening as they lingered over her mouth. She relaxed at his touch, instinctively knowing that whatever they\u2019d been discussing, it hadn\u2019t affected his feelings for her.<\/p>\n

Behind her, Faith\u2019s voice contained a little bite when she asked Giles, \u201cDid you ditch the lecture like I said?\u201d<\/p>\n

Lecture? Cordelia glanced over her shoulder before turning around completely. \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d It had better not be what she was thinking. And if it was, a certain Watcher had better produce the right answer. Otherwise, he would end up having to dislodge the family jewels from his nostrils.<\/p>\n

Though Giles was not psychic, he could definitely read her body language. Right now, it was shouting at him. He looked back at Faith who seemed to realize she unwittingly unleashed Cordelia\u2019s fury. \u201cSorry, Rup,\u201d she chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were discussing perimeter defenses,\u201d Giles responded truthfully.<\/p>\n

Moving a step closer, Cordelia propped her hands on her hips. \u201cGood answer. What lecture, Giles?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTake a wild guess,\u201d Faith looked like she was the only one having fun with this.<\/p>\n

Who needed to guess? It was obvious that Giles had prepared some speech about Cordelia being too young or Angel being too dangerous for them to be together. \u201cIt\u2019s none of your business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Giles didn\u2019t pretend to misunderstand. \u201cPerhaps not, but when things settle down, it would be prudent to conduct some tests. I understand that you believe your soul is now secure,\u201d he said to Angel.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d There was a thread of anger weighting the single syllable down.<\/p>\n

That did not stop Giles from continuing on now that the subject had been forced upon him. \u201cIf the risk of Angelus\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAngel\u2019s not going to lose his soul,\u201d Cordelia snapped. This was all out of some sense of concern for her, she realized, but that did not make it his decision. \u201cGiles, you\u2019re not my father. I\u2019m old enough to have sex if I want\u2026with anyone I want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pursing his lips closed, Giles agreed with a curt nod. \u201cI cannot judge you for whom you love, Cordelia, but allow me the courtesy of concern\u2014 for both of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her anger faded when she saw only genuine feeling in his eyes. Promising him, \u201cIt\u2019s safe. I know it is.\u201d The knowledge that Angel\u2019s soul was secure made Drusilla\u2019s shared vision seem plausible. She was not ready to divulge that to anyone without understanding it fully.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope so.\u201d Giles sighed deeply. \u201cFor now, the immediate issue is converting this mansion into our command center.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia could not hide her feelings on that matter. \u201cUgh. That idea is right up there with corduroy making a comeback.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil the danger is over, it\u2019s for the best.\u201d Angel had already agreed to it. He tried to assure her that it would be okay, but he did not sound very thrilled about it, either.<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess we\u2019ll be moving in,\u201d Faith sent her an apologetic smile.<\/p>\n

Making a sour face, \u201cFantastic,\u201d Cordelia\u2019s lip curled. \u201cIt\u2019ll be like Summer Camp with the Scoobies. I can\u2019t wait.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Scene 106<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

105: \u00a0 \u00a0 The Foyer, Crawford Street Mansion, Central Sunnydale   They squared off in the foyer, Angel and Cordelia standing silently across…<\/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-10390","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\/10390","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=10390"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10390\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}