Part 15<\/b><\/p>\n
Silence reigned in Kenny\u2019s throne room as his newly cleaved body lay in front of his wife. Cynthia stared at her former husband for a moment, then smiled ruthlessly, wiping her bloody blade on his shirt. She gave her sword to one of her guards, and turned to face Angel Investigations, et. al.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mission to the powers is nearly complete,\u201d she said, very gracefully for someone who had just beheaded her husband.<\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s lips brushed Cordelia\u2019s ear as he whispered, \u201cDo you know about this?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia shivered at the light touch and whispered back, \u201cThe Powers asked for her help. They want her to bind your soul.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face a mixture of shock and awe, Angel stared at the female demon. He said nothing as she walked regally towards him and placed her hands on his chest. She closed her eyes and began to speak.<\/p>\n
\u201cMay the soul of the Warrior Vampire, the Champion of the Powers that Be, the protector of the helpless and hopeless, be forever thus. May his cause be strengthened by the power found in happiness and love. May he never forget his past, never worry for his future, never waste his present. May he fulfill his destiny and serve the Powers faithfully.\u201d<\/p>\n
As she spoke, her hands became hot, scorching Angel\u2019s chest and burning straight through to his soul. He cried out, his eyes glowing briefly. Then the sensation was gone and Angel\u2019s eyes slid shut.<\/p>\n
Angel felt a warmth throughout his body that he\u2019d never experienced before in his life as a vampire. It was fading quickly, but it was as if every dead cell in his body had been given a glimmer of life, warming him to the very fiber of his being. He opened his eyes, locking them on Cordelia\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Cynthia smiled at the couple, so obviously in love. They had so much in their future; they had no idea what was in store for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Powers are pleased with their Warrior and his soul mate,\u201d Cynthia said, smiling warmly at Angel and Cordelia.<\/p>\n
Buffy had watched the entire exchange with growing anger. She was skeptical that anything was legitimate to bind Angel\u2019s soul\u2014after all, Giles hadn\u2019t found anything\u2014but the spectacle had looked real. If she knew Angel, though, (and she was sure she did), he wouldn\u2019t risk Angelus to test it out. Her eyes narrowed at Cynthia\u2019s \u201csoul mate\u201d comment, upset that the demon\u2019s gaze encompassed Cordelia and Angel, not Angel and herself. She desperately wanted to change the subject and break up the charged air flowing between Angel and Cordy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWeren\u2019t we supposed to save some other<\/i> people here?\u201d Buffy asked, irritation obvious in her voice.<\/p>\n
Cynthia\u2019s eyes narrowed at the harsh tone of the little Slayer. \u201cI will free them, Ms. Summers. Angel Investigations has satisfied its end of the deal and your services are no longer needed.\u201d<\/p>\n
With that, Cynthia glided toward the door and exited, her guards following closely.<\/p>\n
Cordelia’s Apartment – 4.27 a.m.<\/i><\/p>\n
Angel had never before known this level of contentment. He sat sprawled on Cordelia\u2019s sofa, its owner draped over him like a blanket, her head resting on his chest. His arm wrapped around her back and his hand curled comfortably just centimeters below her breast, warmed by her skin beneath the cotton of her shirt. He brought his other hand up and smoothed her long hair away from her sleeping face, admiring the smooth profile.<\/p>\n
He was so blessed to have her. And for a Damned being, that was saying something.<\/p>\n
She was still an enigma to him. She lit his body on fire with her kisses, but it was her soul that had truly enflamed him. Cordelia, in all her tactlessness and bluster, matched his soul in a way that no one else ever had. She took him at face value, looking at the dichotomy of vampire and man as an asset, not a detriment.<\/p>\n
For that, he’d given her his loyalty and his heart.<\/p>\n
The Sunnydale gang had left just 30 minutes earlier. Riley, upset over Buffy\u2019s wishy-washy attitude toward him, had left immediately after the mission was completed. Giles had thought it best for the rest of them to leave as well; Anya was completely overwrought, Willow was drained, and Xander\u2019s neck needed stitches. Buffy was the only one who seemed okay, but Angel knew better. His parting conversation with her confirmed it.<\/p>\n
He and Cordelia had walked the group to the door, Cordelia giving hugs goodbye. She had even started to hug Buffy, but one glance at the icicles shooting from the Slayer\u2019s eyes was enough to make her reconsider. She had been shaken by the hatred she saw there, but Cordelia knew this had to be resolved if she and Angel were to have a chance at happiness. She gave silent visual approval to Angel, then excused herself to the bedroom.<\/p>\n
Angel was grateful that Cordelia saw the need for this conversation between himself and his ex. Buffy needed to hear, once and for all, that Cordelia wasn\u2019t the rebound skank: she was his soul mate and she wasn\u2019t going anywhere.<\/p>\n
On the way back from Kenny\u2019s mansion, Buffy had reconsidered her opinion on the risk of releasing Angelus. If this soul binding was legitimate, it was worth the small risk. She could have Willow standing by with the curse, just in case. Any chance that she and Angel could be reunited was worth any risk.<\/p>\n
As soon as the door shut behind her friends and Cordelia disappeared into the bedroom, Buffy\u2019s features softened and she lunged at Angel. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she hugged him tightly, ignoring the fact that his arms remained at his sides. Pulling back, she looked up at him coquettishly through her long eyelashes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so<\/i> glad they\u2019re gone,\u201d she said, smiling tentatively. \u201cI\u2019ve been waiting to be alone with you since we got here.\u201d<\/p>\n
When he didn\u2019t say anything, she continued. \u201cIsn\u2019t there someplace else we can go. . .to be alone together?\u201d She emphasized \u201calone,\u201d and Angel knew he couldn\u2019t hold out any longer.<\/p>\n
He knew instinctively that this was going to be worse than the break-up talk.<\/p>\n
\u201cBuffy,\u201d he began, gripping her shoulders and gently pushing her away. \u201cI can\u2019t do this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Buffy feigned ignorance. \u201cOh, I know! In Cordelia\u2019s apartment, that would just be wrong. On so many levels. So lets go someplace else!\u201d she grabbed his hand, trying to pull him toward the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Buffy.\u201d Angel held his ground. \u201cThat\u2019s not what I meant and you know it.\u201d He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.<\/p>\n
He tried again. \u201cI meant what I said last night, Buffy. I\u2019m in love with Cordelia.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, you\u2019re not.\u201d Buffy said confidently, a stubborn set to her jaw.<\/p>\n
Angel was shocked. She dared to question him on this? She of all people knew that he didn\u2019t throw the word \u201clove\u201d around lightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am, Buffy. You have to accept that,\u201d he said harshly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are not<\/i> in love with Cordelia Chase,\u201d Buffy argued adamantly. \u201cShe\u2019s a conniving, manipulative little bitch who whines if she doesn\u2019t get the best of everything. She\u2019s manipulated you into thinking she\u2019s something she\u2019s not. She knows you\u2019re the best and she wants you, even though she knows you\u2019re mine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s eyes had narrowed at Buffy\u2019s careless words, the irises darkening until they were as black as his pupils. His jaw clenched painfully.<\/p>\n
Buffy missed the warning, too caught up in her own pain and denial to notice. \u201cYou can\u2019t love Cordelia and she can\u2019t love you. She doesn\u2019t have a heart, just a country club membership and a Visa Gold Card.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel moved so quickly that Buffy didn\u2019t even see it until she felt the excruciating pain in her upper arms as he gripped them brutally. \u201cDon\u2019t you ever<\/i>say anything like that about her again. You never took the time to look past her image and see the beautiful heart underneath.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI. love. Cordelia, Buffy. Deal with it,\u201d he growled, shoving her from him and turning away in anger and disgust.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel\u2014\u201d Buffy realized she\u2019d gone too far, desperation having driven her to drastic measures. She reached a hand out to touch his shoulder, and he whipped around, snarling at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust go home, Buffy,\u201d Angel said, weariness lacing his harsh tone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want\u2014,\u201d her voice broke. \u201cI just want back what we had. I love you, Angel,\u201d she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes.<\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s eyes melted a fraction, but the anger and mistrust were still present. \u201cBuffy, what we had is over. You have something great waiting for you at home and you don\u2019t recognize it. Riley isn\u2019t my favorite person, but he is a good guy, Buffy. He doesn\u2019t deserve this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Buffy choked back a sob; these words, more than any declarations of love for Cordelia, convinced her that she\u2019d really and truly lost him. If he still loved her, he wouldn\u2019t be championing Riley.<\/p>\n
With one last, longing look at Angel, she nodded, then turned for the door. Silently, she opened it and exited, shutting it behind her.<\/p>\n
Now, alone with Cordelia in her apartment, Angel was finally at peace. He knew his life was far from perfect, but the fact that happiness was within his grasp brightened the horizon in a way that had never been offered to him before. He gently caressed Cordelia\u2019s sleeping face, then picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.<\/p>\n
Angel laid her down on the bed and slipped in beside her, arranging their bodies into one lumpy shape in the darkness. Gripping her tightly, he whispered, \u201cI love you, Cordelia Chase. Forever.\u201d He reverently kissed her forehead, the drifted off to sleep in the security of her warmth.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Cordelia awoke with the feeling that she was forgetting something really important. She struggled to open her eyes and remember, but she was so comfortable that she almost couldn\u2019t bring herself to. Something big was draped halfway across her body and her arm was asleep. She slid her heavy eyelids open and flinched, finding herself not more than two inches away from Angel\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
He was awake, staring at her, and Cordelia was so startled that she froze until he blinked and his serious expression shifted into something softer.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi,\u201d he said softly, smiling, the corners of his eyes crinkling up slightly as he reached out a hand and brushed unruly hair away from her cheek.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi,\u201d she said, smiling back sleepily, raising her own hand to stroke the side of his face.<\/p>\n
They stared at one another for a moment, enjoying the touch, basking in the warmth of each other\u2019s love, even undeclared.<\/p>\n
Angel said it first. \u201cI love you, Cordelia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia\u2019s smile turned wobbly, but she didn\u2019t cry. \u201cAngel, I love you, too. I don\u2019t know how it happened, but\u2014,\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMe, either,\u201d he answered. \u201cBut I know it did.\u201d His expression turned fierce and he grasped her around the waist, pulling her close. \u201cI\u2019m not going to let anything happen to you again, Cordelia. I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel, don\u2019t make promises you can\u2019t keep,\u201d Cordelia said, rushing to an explanation as he began to argue. \u201cNo, listen. We face danger practically every day, and there\u2019s no way that you can keep me safe all the time. I realize that. But I know you\u2019ll do everything you can to keep me from being hurt, and I\u2019m thankful for that,\u201d she explained, mollifying him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know,\u201d she said, a secret smile stealing across her face, \u201cI would\u2019ve been a lot safer if I knew how to fight,\u201d she hinted.<\/p>\n
\u201cFight?\u201d Angel asked innocently, acting as if he had no idea what she was talking about. \u201cI don\u2019t know, Cordelia. You\u2019re kind of, well, girly,\u201d he insulted, trying to hold back the grin that was threatening to break free.<\/p>\n
Her mouth dropped open in indignation. \u201cGirly? And you\u2019re such a manly man yourself, Mr. \u2018I spend 30 minutes on my hair in the morning.\u2019 You\u2019re such a dweeb.\u201d She socked his gut playfully.<\/p>\n
\u201cDweeb?\u201d His grin turned naughty as he said, \u201cyou are going to be punished for that, Cordelia.\u201d<\/p>\n
She recognized the look in his eyes and shrieked, laughing as she tried to pull away from him. He held fast, and she had no hope. \u201cOh, you\u2019re asking for it,\u201d he said, then attacked her, tickling her mercilessly.<\/p>\n
Cordelia\u2019s shrieking stopped abruptly as his touch turned lighter, making her gasp at the new sensation. She had arched her back in an attempt to get away from him, but now it was in an effort to get closer. His fingers stroked her sides lightly, from her hips to her underarms, all the way up to her fingertips, and her senses became so overloaded she felt tingles in the ends of her hair. He continued stroking, and she slowly sank back down into the mattress.<\/p>\n
He stopped, and she opened her eyes and stared into his. \u201cI want you so bad, Angel,\u201d she said bluntly, a huskiness in her tone.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I want you,\u201d he returned, sinking his body down onto hers, aligning them perfectly. Gently and reverently, he brought his head down to hers and kissed her.<\/p>\n
One taste, and neither could get enough. Cordelia attacked Angel voraciously, not willing to wait for anything. Her tongue thrust into his mouth, seeking his and rubbing against it sensually. She pulled one leg out from underneath him, bending her knee and placing her foot on the mattress for leverage. She pushed, sliding herself higher up underneath him, and every nerve ending in both their bodies screamed at the friction. She repeated the action, rubbing her tongue and her body against his simultaneously until the heat it created became almost too much for both of them.<\/p>\n
Angel took control of the situation, reaching his hands down and pulling off Cordelia\u2019s shirt and bra in motions that were so swift she almost didn\u2019t notice. She whimpered at the loss of his mouth on hers, but she was rewarded for her sacrifice as he bathed an aching nipple with his tongue. She buried her hands in his hair, then down his back and shoulders, tracing his shoulder blades through his shirt and setting his skin on fire. He sucked rhythmically at her breast, lightly grazing her with his teeth, and she arched her back off the bed, moaning.<\/p>\n
Cordelia grasped both sides of his head, pulling him away from her breast and back to her mouth, her tongue seeking his once again. Frustrated, Cordelia yanked his shirt open, buttons flying, and shoved it down his arms. He threw it aside, then melded them together once again, skin against skin. She brought her legs around his hips, rubbing herself against him, and Angel growled against the heated contact.<\/p>\n
Cordelia dragged her mouth away from his. \u201cI can\u2019t wait, Angel. I need you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel agreed completely. In mere seconds, the rest of their clothing was gone, and he stretched out on top of her, his cool length fusing to her heated one. One hand slid down to cup her backside, squeezing gently.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love you, Cordy,\u201d he whispered, kissing her lightly and joining their bodies into one.<\/p>\n
The feeling of Angel inside of her was so intense that Cordelia\u2019s heart stopped for a moment, her jaw dropping. Her wide eyes stared into his as he held there, waiting, his control hanging by a fragile thread. She breathed again deeply, returning his declaration: \u201cI love you, Angel.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was all he needed. He buried his head in her neck, moving slowly within her, then increasing the pace as she arched against him. He kissed her throat, her chin, and finally her mouth once again, their tongues sparring. His pace quickened, increasing along with the intensity of sensation and desire. Cordelia reached the peak first, scraping her nails down his back and wailing, every cell in her body shimmering with pleasure. She opened her eyes just in time to witness Angel\u2019s moment of pure bliss, his body shuddering, then slowly sinking down to rest on hers.<\/p>\n
Cordelia smiled in the half light and lovingly stroked his back as he collected himself. He raised himself up on his elbows just about the time that Cordelia was starting to feel all tingly from lack of circulation.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi,\u201d he said again, this time his voice laced with the pure contentment only sated lovers can manage.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi, yourself,\u201d she said, wiggling her eyebrows at him saucily and laughing. Her expression turned thoughtful. \u201cHmmm . . . what else can I say to insult you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHuh?\u201d Angel said, perfectly clueless.<\/p>\n
\u201cShhhh!\u201d Cordelia said, her finger to her lips. Her voice dropped to a stage whisper. \u201cI\u2019m trying to figure out how to get my boyfriend to \u2018punish\u2019 me again,\u201d she said, then giggled, smiling widely.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that could be arranged,\u201d Angel said seriously. \u201cAlthough I think the last punishment wasn\u2019t severe enough,\u201d he added, his lips curving into a wicked smile. He immediately dropped his lips to her collarbone and began kissing her, moving down between her breasts and to her belly, his destination clear.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think you might be right,\u201d Cordelia said breathily, her eyes crossing as he reached his goal.<\/p>\n
Somewhere in the back of her mind, Cordelia had coherent thoughts just waiting to be brought out. Those could wait for later, though. Right now, Angel was all that mattered.<\/p>\n
He loved her, and she had given him perfect happiness.<\/p>\n
Nothing could be more right than that.<\/p>\n
End.<\/b><\/p>\n