Part 7<\/b><\/p>\n
Yoshino Village, Japan<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cThis is really starting to suck, Jun.\u201d Cordelia stomped behind her great-grandfather, trying not to whine, but it was impossible. \u201cI\u2019ve been here for two days-\u00a0meditating<\/i>! Channeling my inner-self and you still won\u2019t tell me what\u2019s going on or how you know about vampires. We can just call me \u2018aggravated\u2019!\u201d For all she knew, as they exited the house, they might be heading back to the temple.<\/p>\n
Jun chuckled in agreement. \u201cYou are absolutely right, my dear. Today we\u2019ll practice fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFighting?!” Cordelia practically stumbled over her feet at hearing that. After Sunnydale, that was the last thing she wanted. She’d had the idea of coming to Japan to get away from the madness called ‘home’. “Why would I want to do that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause that is what you were born to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn all the languages of the world- huh? I was born to fight? That doesn\u2019t make any sense. Well at least, my kind of sense.\u201d She was born to shop, and now she had the strength to carry all the bags she wanted!<\/p>\n
\u201cVery good. You were destined to fight. Better?\u201d Jun paused beside the coy pond, waving to one of his harvesters has they passed by. Cordelia had come during summer harvest, one of the busiest times for him.<\/p>\n
Cordelia glared at Jun, as she came to a halt in front of him. \u201cNo, it\u2019s not better!\u201d This time, she really did stomp her foot. \u201cFirst you lock me out of the house-\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou broke my gate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich I helped fix yesterday! Then you get all meditation happy on me-\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know when entering the village of Yoshino you pay homage to your ancestor-\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich only takes ten minutes by the way,\u201d Cordelia snidely replied.\u00a0You should just be able to go in and say \u2018thank you, love you, and good-bye\u2019<\/i>!<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not sass me about your heritage, young lady,\u201d His voice dropped low, almost deadly, as he took a step forward to his granddaughter. \u201cIt is just as great as you and has made you such!\u201d<\/p>\n
Ah, shit. Great Cordelia, just step all over his huevos<\/i>! \u201cI\u2019m sorry, grandfather. It\u2019s just I want answers. We get answers back home, we don\u2019t mediate for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell perhaps you should.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPerhaps.\u201d Cordelia whispered, slightly embarrassed as he began to turn around to go down the stone stairs behind them. His home was on the summit of a small hill, and down the stone stairway, along the hill was a massive training ground. It was both outdoor and indoor, with a dojo, and an impressive obstacle course that she had played on during her last visit to Japan.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, are you going to come to the dojo or are you going to continue to defy me in my own house? Remember who is master here, grandchild. I know you\u2019ve suffered, but respect must not be forgotten.\u00a0Wakarikiru<\/i>?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHai, jiisan<\/i>. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHumph.\u201d He was satisfied with her humility. Jun knew it was hard for her to show\u00a0any<\/i>\u00a0form submissiveness. Cordelia Chase was prideful and strong. \u201cGood. Then let us go. Each moment we waste is a delay in your training.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy training for what?\u201d She was still so confused about everything. It was like she was being thrust towards a life that everyone else knew about, but her. And she was somehow, supposed to know about it. Even that icky Master knew what was happening to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo slay demons and vampires.\u201d Jun raised his gray eyebrows in amusement at the shocked expression on her face. \u201cYour destiny. I must see where you are at in your level of strength and skill. Indulge me this afternoon in honing your skills, then I shall tell you what I know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fair enough. \u201cOkay. I like them apples.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat apples?\u201d He inquired, as he headed down the stone steps. \u201cWe don\u2019t have an orchard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia began hopping down the stairs behind him. \u201cUh, yeah, it\u2019s a figure of speech,\u00a0jiisan<\/i>. Do I get to play with the bushido?\u201d<\/p>\n
Chase Manor<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cHi there, Mrs. Chase. I hope you don\u2019t mind I dropped by. Can\u2019t resist those open invitations!\u201d<\/p>\n
Well, shit,<\/i>\u00a0she thought, hearing the vampire\u2019s sultry voice. \u201cAngel.\u201d Turning around from her bar, she saw that he was comfortably sprawled out on her red chaise. Obviously he had been there for a few moments, watching her fix an apple martini. \u201cWhat can I do for you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, you can start by informing me where you husband is at this moment?\u201d He reached over the side of the chaise and grabbed a pillow. Giving it a few fluffs, he placed it behind his head. \u201cYou don\u2019t seem the type to be parted from each other for too long. Dependency issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the past, yes, we would seldom part each other\u2019s company. But now it\u2019s different.\u201d Meredith had to admit that the vampire did look exceptionally tasteful, lounging on the velvet chaise. His black silk shirt and black slacks accentuated his pale features.<\/p>\n
\u201cFound some balls, in light of your daughter\u2019s calling, eh?\u201d Angel quipped. \u201cOr balls in your husband\u2019s case- I never did understand what the women\u2019s equivalency would be. Ovaries, maybe?\u201d Angel\u2019s brow furred as he mulled over that.<\/p>\n
\u201cFunny, Angel.\u201d Meredith was staying right by the bar. There was something sinister about his attitude and she did not want to be close to him. \u201cTruly. And to answer that question about my husband, he\u2019s in Los Angeles on business.\u201d She seated herself comfortably on the red cushioned bar stool.<\/p>\n
\u201cBusiness mingling-?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBusiness our daughter!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, really? That is delightful to hear, because that\u2019s the other reason why I\u2019ve come. I was just paid a visit by a rather\u00a0unusual<\/i>\u00a0fellow- an assassin by trade. He came to warn me to stop trying to find Cordelia or Buffy and friends would be killed. I found that quite disturbing. Wouldn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Meredith slowly nodded her head, not taking her eyes away from Angel. \u201cI would.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what I thought\u201d he agreed, almost in a chatty manner. \u201cYou\u2019ve got at least some form of a heart now, don\u2019t-cha?\u201d Angel couldn\u2019t stop the sly grin that spread across his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou really hate me don\u2019t you, Angel?\u201d Meredith quietly implored. \u201cFor what we did to Cordelia\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me think about that.\u201d Angel bit his lower lip in thought, giving a total mockery about being concerned about her question. \u201cHate is such a strong word, but-\u00a0yeah<\/i>! I do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPity. The man who came to see you- He looks like an assassin? The perfect face for blending, an ordinary face. Am I right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHittin\u2019 every button so far.\u201d Angel sat up, turning to face her dead on. He clasped his hands over his lap, as he he placed his feet on her cherry wood coffee table.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis name is Julius Sandefer. He\u2019s quite a dangerous man. Works for money and does his job well. My husband and I did not hire him, Angel, so get that out of your head.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s brown eyes widened in shock. \u201cWasn\u2019t even in there, but I had an inkling that you would know who he was. And if you knew who he was and what he\u00a0does<\/i>– then you just might know who that employer of his is. I\u2019ve got a bone to pick with that guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meredith tried not to choke on her martini, as his eyes flashed gold. \u201cAngel, this is way more complicated than you think. What has happened to my daughter has been building for ages, through many generations. Granted, I don\u2019t approve of what\u2019s been done to keep her location secret-” Meredith gave a grim smile at Angel’s stunned reaction. “Oh yes, I know about that. The two girls at the airport, and know people close to Cordelia are being threatened.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told me to stay away from her. To leave her alone. I\u00a0can\u2019t<\/i>\u00a0do that, Mrs. Chase.\u201d His voice was more than an implore for understanding, it was as if he were speaking from his soul. Angel didn’t notice the flicker of revelation on Meredith’s face, as he contemplated his own instincts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know you can\u2019t.\u201d Meredith knew her heart was beating fast. With his senses it must have been like a drum in his ears.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, do you? And how is it that you are aware of this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome things, Angel, are just not meant to be revealed.\u201d She felt like she needed a scotch now, as she rose to go behind the bar. \u201cWhy do you think we never informed the Watcher\u2019s Council about Cordelia? Why do you think we never told her? Because it was meant to be so. Imagine yourself, if you will, as you were when you were human.\u201d The ice clinked in the glass, as she pored the scotch. “What would you have done to prevent what you were to inevitably do? What you would\u00a0become<\/i>. The Scourge of Europe. The one with the angelic face. Oh, yes. I know\u00a0all<\/i>\u00a0of the gory little details.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep talking about this and you\u2019ll know\u00a0more<\/i>\u00a0than just details,\u201d Angel said evenly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m trying to make a point, Angel. This is more than just a prophecy with Cordelia, it\u2019s heritage. It\u2019s fate. And it cannot be changed by you or by anyone. I know, because I\u2019ve tried.\u201d She slammed the Scotch bottle back into the cupboard, grabbed her glass and came back to sit down.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve tried?\u201d The sneer on his handsome face was a clear fact that he doubted her efforts highly.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely. I went against everything I was supposed to do. Lived the wild life, not the life of a mother destined to birth a human warrior. In fact, I got pregnant twice before Cordelia. I couldn\u2019t bear the thought of my baby having such a life. So, I figured, after aborting the two before her, I was safe.\u201d She could feel her eyes misting as she recalled her past sins. \u201cAlexander and I had just married and he wanted an heir. No god would allow a woman to conceive a savior, when her mother was a sinner, right? A\u00a0murderer<\/i>. Wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd just to be cautious,\u201d she continued. \u201cI tried to keep my daughter away from all the known Hellmouths. Never took her to Bangkok or Cleveland. Kept us out of Sun Valley because I thought that was were the other one was. The other two were definite confirmations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would you think the other Hellmouth would be in Sun Valley?\u201d Angel asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cA girl child will be born in the old world, in the valley of her ancestors. And in the new world, in the valley of the sun, when the mouth of Hell opens, she will be reborn<\/i>.” It sounded like she was was quoting from a scroll book that wasn’t in front of her. “So I assumed Sun Valley. Not the brightest crayon in the box now was I?\u201d<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t know about the brightest, but definitely the most bitchiest<\/i>. \u201cWhere was Cordelia born?<\/p>\n
\u201cI ignored the signs, Angel.\u201d Her brown eyes were glassy with memory. \u201cGod I was so stupid! She was born two months early, in Yoshino Village, Japan. I had some things I needed to get tied up over there, and she wasn\u2019t due for two more months! It couldn\u2019t be stopped, but I kept trying. Woe was me, when I found out there was a Hellmouth in Sunnydale.\u201d Meredith gave a dry chuckle, pausing to sip her drink. \u201cAlexander had just established headquarters here and it was then, that we both knew nothing would stop the chain. Our daughter would become the greatest of all Slayers. And in knowing that, truly accepting that- her pain would be the greatest as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are really speaking in riddles here, and I don\u2019t have the patience to solve them,\u00a0Meredith<\/i>. Who is Sandefer\u2019s employer and what else are you not telling me?\u201d For added emphasis at how serious he was in getting his answers, Angel stood up and walked to stand beside her. Gently leaning down, he whispered in her ear, \u201cTell me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taking in a shaking breath, Meredith tried to calm her breathing. His cold breath on her ear was like Death whispering to her. \u201cJulius Sandefer is employed by Cordelia\u2019s grandfather, Daniel Bellaver. My darling daddy!\u00a0Mr.<\/i>\u00a0Bellaver is a senior member of the Watcher\u2019s Council, and he is also aware of Cordelia\u2019s destiny as a slayer. He\u2019d been making absolutely sure that the Council would remain unaware of Cordelia as a potential. We may not be a close family, but we keep our secrets well hidden.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah. So hidden two innocent girls had to die because of it. Really amazing, Mrs. Chase. An amazingly, fucking twisted family.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t get cynical with me, Angel!\u201d She lurched up from her seat at the bar, and angrily stepped away from him. \u201cIt\u2019s all been done for her, to keep her safe! You don\u2019t understand. A slayer of her power- she\u2019s going to be coveted like no other. Look at you- You\u2019re already obsessed.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was no going against that. Ever since the night of the Hellmouth\u2019s opening, he\u2019d been more than rash. He was feeling his demon more and was even listing to it. He was feeling more like Angelus by the minute. He would back down. If it meant keeping Cordelia and the others safe. \u201cAlright. I guess this is as far as we go, eh? If I back away from finding her, and tell the others to do so- everyone\u2019s safe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, they\u2019ll be safe from my father\u2019s men. He\u2019s like a machine, you know? He\u2019ll stop once the switch has been turned off.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was obvious that Meredith Chase held no feelings of love towards her father. And like so many family traditions go, her own daughter would probably feel the same way towards her. \u201cIf Bellaver hurts anyone else with his assassins, I\u2019ll\u00a0permanently<\/i>\u00a0shut him off forever. You\u2019ll see he gets that message right? We wouldn\u2019t want the messenger hurt now would we?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d she whispered, fear seeping out of her every pore. \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t want that.\u201d<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Meredith Chase shakily grabbed her phone, once she was positive that Angel had left the grounds. Amid a few outbursts of frustration towards her fingers for trembling so much, she finally dialed the number to her husband\u2019s hotel room in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlex? It\u2019s me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you doing up at this hour? It\u2019s after 2:00am.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike you ever sleep. I just had a visit from Angel, Alex. A rather disturbing one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, God! Are you alright, darling?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, just a few idle threats against my life and such, nothing big. I did have to tell him about Daddy\u2019s involvement with Sandefer, though.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel\u2019s going to back off, and he\u2019ll tell Rupert Giles to do so as well. Once that\u2019s confirmed, Daddy will back down, too. But, Alex- there\u2019s something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s tasted Cordelia\u2019s blood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s impossible, Meredith! Cordelia hasn\u2019t had\u00a0any<\/i>\u00a0association with Angel since she became the Slayer. We were both sure of that!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s acting like Angelus would. Or how we\u00a0think<\/i>\u00a0Angelus might act! And frankly, I don’t like him. You know the connection that they are supposed to have with each other, and her blood would be a pure catalyst for bringing his demon out, despite his soul.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere has to be another explanation. How would he have gotten her blood?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know, and at this point I don\u2019t care. Somehow, he got some of our baby’s blood. We\u2019ll have to speed things up. Immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFine. I\u2019ll get Wolfram & Hart to draw up the paperwork, first thing in the morning. Remember what to tell them if they call you, Meredith.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s hard enough to realize we have to insure the care of our daughter to a vampire, so I\u00a0really<\/i>\u00a0don’t want those lawyers from hell after her either. It would be too much, Alex. They\u2019d give anything to have her, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, I know. I promise you on my life, darling, that they will never get their hands on her. However, she\u2019d probably bitch at them to death, so it may be worth our while to get them involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sharing a brief, but unsettling chuckle, the parents of Cordelia Chase disconnected. And first thing in the morning, Alexander Chase would contact his lawyer at Wolfram & Hart to disconnect themselves from their daughter, forever.<\/p>\n