Chapter 3<\/b><\/p>\n
December 22, 2002<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cAngel? Wesley?\u201d Cordelia knocked and then slowly slid the doors to Wesley\u2019s office open and peeked inside only to find it empty. \u201cHuh. Where the heck is everybody?\u201d<\/p>\n
Walking to the center of the lobby, she cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled. \u201cHello! Ollie ollie oxen free!\u201d The only answer was a slight echo of her voice reverberating off the marble ceiling.<\/p>\n
She planted her hands on her hips and humphed. Twisting around on her heels, she stormed to her desk to gather her purse and sweater coat. \u201cOkay, if that\u2019s the way you want to play it! I\u2019m going home now. I hope I don\u2019t get attacked and eaten by giant praying mantis-si or alien pod monsters! If I am, well\u2026you\u2019ll be sorry then, I betcha!\u201d<\/p>\n
She got to the door and turned back around to add. \u201cAnd another thing. How are you going to find your Christmas presents when I\u2019m dead? They\u2019re really good presents, too.\u201d She waited one more time for something from someone, but a shiver was all she got for her trouble when a cold draft winged up her spine.<\/p>\n
Part of her was so curious that she could barely keep her feet from racing up the stairs to see what could possibly interest all four of them enough to have abandoned her in favor of it. But the other part of her was too tired to care.<\/p>\n
\u201cFine. Goodnight! I hope I\u2019m alive to see some of you tomorrow!\u201d Pulling the edges of her coat snuggly over her chest to brace against the chilly night breeze, she opened the door and left mumbling, \u201cIt\u2019s almost Christmas, and I\u2019m working with a bunch of heathens.\u201d<\/p>\n
The suction of the wind slammed the door behind her.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs she gone?\u201d Fred asked a bleary-eyed Angel.<\/p>\n
He nodded. \u201cShe wasn\u2019t very happy, either. One of us should have stayed down there with her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, it might have been a less suspicious course of action, but considering just how much is left to do, every minute counts.\u201d Wesley looked around the wreck of the abandoned room they\u2019d established as their base for \u201cOperation ASQ.\u201d There wasn\u2019t an inch of the space that wasn\u2019t covered in fabric, thread, batting or left-over pizza boxes.<\/p>\n
Fred\u2019s hair never ceased to have some scrap or tangle of thread caught up in it. Gunn was in charge of inspecting her every time she left the room so that Cordy wouldn\u2019t be tipped off.<\/p>\n
For someone as organized and anal as Wesley, this entire project made him queasy. He hated to fail and there didn\u2019t seem to be a way to avoid it in this instance.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel, I hate to be the harbinger of bad tidings, but I think it\u2019s time to throw in the proverbial towel, or in this case…needle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel could barely lift his head from the cream cotton that felt like lead in his hand. It seemed like he\u2019d been embroidering that one blurry word for hours. He wasn\u2019t even sure it was a word anymore.<\/p>\n
It had taken a day for him to get the hang of the delicacy required to sew the sentiments that everyone had written especially for Cordelia. They were beautiful, funny, smart, and loving just like her. But he\u2019d had no idea how tricky it was to keep the stitches even and refrain from tugging at the thread so hard that the fabric puckered all around. There had been far too much fabric ruined and time wasted in those first few days of learning, but everyone was so enthusiastic that no one wanted to admit that these warriors of good, champions over evil might be defeated by simple needle and thread.<\/p>\n
Until now.<\/p>\n
Angel put the small block down and raised a weary gaze to the faces of his friends. Each one looked to him for hope, but at the same time recognized the futility of their task. Sighing, closing his eyes and allowing the weight in his soul to carry his head back to rest against the plaster wall, he let everyone off the hook.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s it, guys. Wesley\u2019s right. There\u2019s no point in killing ourselves; we all know we can\u2019t finish this in time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fred was about to protest, just a little, but Gunn touched her shoulder and shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe gave it a good try, man. But, hey, it\u2019s not the end of the world. You\u2019ve got two days to find something else, and we\u2019ll all help you figure out what to get her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d Fred added, anxious not to let the gloomy atmosphere linger for long. \u201cWe all know Cordy well enough to come up with something that she\u2019ll adore and love you for giving to her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks, guys, but I\u2019ve got to do this myself. It has to come from me\u2026you know? Or else\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOr else it\u2019s just another gift from one of her friends and not from the man in love with her?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel still had enough energy to smile at the wise woman before him. \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRight, then.\u201d Wesley snapped the maudlin atmosphere in two with his leadership voice. Rising to his full height, he daintily began picking off the fuzz and fabric embedded in his wool pants. \u201cI think it\u2019s best we all get some rest. Tomorrow we need to get back on the horse and tend to agency matters that, quite frankly, we\u2019ve all let slide the past few days. I admit I\u2019m just as responsible, well more so since I\u2019m in charge, but we can\u2019t allow ourselves to be pulled into more holiday-induced, devil-may-care behavior or innocents may suffer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDamn, I\u2019m glad you\u2019re not my Secret Santa.\u201d Gunn helped Fred off the floor and caught her in his arms when she started to topple over from fatigue. \u201cIt\u2019s almost Christmas, I think we\u2019re entitled to a little slacking off.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAh, but that\u2019s when we should be at our most alert. Every beast of the nether world is fully aware of our vulnerability at this time of\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWesley,\u201d Angel interrupted. \u201cWe\u2019ve just spent 124 hours straight putting threads through holes so small even I needed glasses to see them, my fingertips are bleeding from jabbing them every three seconds, and I\u2019m not sure but I may have sewn my trousers to my underwear\u201d he shifted a bit and grimaced, \u201cor worse. I think we deserve a day to relax and recuperate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut, Angel\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not saying we don\u2019t show up for work just that we chill for a day. If something happens, we\u2019ll take care of it. We always do.\u201d<\/p>\n
It pained Wesley\u2019s pride to acquiesce to Angel yet again, but in this instance he knew he was being unreasonable. \u201cI guess you\u2019re right. We always do muddle through despite our sometimes painfully inadequate preparations. I just thought\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Gunn punched him playfully in the bicep. \u201cWe know, English. It\u2019s your way of cheering us up by making us even more depressed about something else. You know that never works, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
The former Watcher\u2019s brow creased and the corners of his mouth hitched up slightly. \u201cMy clever ruse has been discovered, has it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Gunn put his free arm around Wesley\u2019s shoulder, the other still holding a yawning Fred to his side, and the three dragged themselves from the trashed room to their own beds and well needed sleep.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease, I figured that out the first time I met you. Well, okay, not the first time because you were unconscious in a hospital bed, but definitely by the second time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe second time you merely handed over that talisman; what was there to figure out about that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, you were so ruse-in\u2019 back then, even more than you do now\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel listened to his friends\u2019 tease each other as they drifted back into their own lives and out of the drama of his. He was on his own, which is how it should have been all along.<\/p>\n
Whatever was to become of his relationship, or lack of one, with Cordelia was resting on his shoulders \u2013 the ones that slid slightly to the left as his head pulled his body toward the comfort of the floor.<\/p>\n
He closed his eyes hoping his mind would shut down long enough to catch a few hours of sleep before he had to worry about what to do about Cordy\u2019s present. He didn\u2019t care if he was lying in a whirlwind of cotton. He didn\u2019t have the strength to crawl to his room.<\/p>\n
On the cusp of deep slumber, he heard a kind voice, cracked with age and experience, whisper to his dream self.<\/p>\n
\u201cSay the words, say the words.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
Angel mumbled, \u201cIn the morning, okay?\u201d and nuzzled deeper into the sea of quilt bones and calico.<\/p>\n
December 24, 2002<\/i><\/p>\n
For two nights the old woman\u2019s voice had haunted his dreams, pestering him with her incessant chanting. He had the oddest feeling there was a tinge of Cordy about her, but he chalked it up to his dreams morphing qualities of the two together.<\/p>\n
Whether it was his subconscious egging him forward or the spirit of some witch, he was convinced the voice was right. He had to just tell her, with or without the perfect gift or the right moment.<\/p>\n
He finally figured out what the old bat had tried to tell him a week ago. When he told Cordelia how he felt about her, that would become *the* ideal moment he\u2019d been waiting for. It wouldn\u2019t matter if he handed her a quilt or his empty palm; as long as he loved her and she returned that love, they didn\u2019t need anything else.<\/p>\n
He really hated that he got that. He felt like such a pansy, but at the same time it gave him strength knowing he\u2019d resolved to just do it and accept the consequences if everyone was wrong about her feelings for him.<\/p>\n
With that burden lifted, the gift didn\u2019t really take long to find.<\/p>\n
Angel wasn\u2019t a fool. Love was great and all, but before all the hugging and kissing and possibly sex, he\u2019d better have a real present for her or Cordy would make good on all her eunuch talk just before she dusted him.<\/p>\n
The small box in the middle of the bed seemed so insignificant compared to what he had hoped to give her. But even though it wasn\u2019t all that unique and definitely not worthy of the neck it would grace, he found a way \u2013 he hoped \u2013 to still show her he understood what that quilt from years past had meant to her.<\/p>\n
Putting the last swirl on the last letter of his name, he folded the note that would explain the gift\u2019s significance and tucked it inside the winter white envelope. The last obstacle \u2013 address it to Cordy or Cordelia?<\/p>\n
Cordelia was the woman: sophisticated, intelligent, strong, and independent. Cordy was the friend: warm, funny, understanding, and loving. He loved and treasured them both.<\/p>\n
His pen hovered over the linen textured surface, the strains of Bing dreaming of a white Christmas floating up the stairs and disturbing his concentration. He got as far as \u201cCor\u201d and then stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cCor.\u201d He said it in his mind a few times and a feeling of \u201cjust right\u201d settled in his chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course. She\u2019s my core \u2013 my rock \u2013 my center.\u201d<\/p>\n
He put the pen down, finally finished and ready for Christmas. The tiny box was a dead giveaway as to its contents, so he had no plans of putting it under the tree. Besides it was something he intended to give her privately. He just hoped the gang wouldn\u2019t start teasing him about it and force the whole thing into a public fiasco.<\/p>\n
Stuffing the box and the note into his coat pocket, he made a mental note to warn the others. \u201cEspecially Fred. That girl does have a problem containing her excitement.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordy\u2019s scream wiped that plan from his thoughts.<\/p>\n
Flying from his room, he ran to the railing and was about to jump over into the lobby when she stopped him.<\/p>\n
\u201cVision. Get what you need, I\u2019ll grab a few weapons and then we have to move.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is everybody?\u201d He didn\u2019t want her going. Even with her demon half and her glowy power, he still wanted her nowhere near danger.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just us, big guy, and we can\u2019t wait around for them. Now hustle!\u201d<\/p>\n
He hesitated a second and then raced for his room where his coat and shoes waited. It would have been pointless to argue with her. He\u2019d learned that much. Besides she held all the cards. Only she knew where the danger was and she wouldn\u2019t allow him to go into battle without backup if she could help it.<\/p>\n
They were both stubborn in their protectiveness of the other and when there was a stalemate, they both had learned to bend a little. It didn\u2019t make it any easier to take, however.<\/p>\n
Shoes tied tightly, Angel shrugged on the leather coat and patted his pockets feeling for the weapons he knew were standard issue. Mid staircase, Cordy threw the car keys and his broadsword to him and lead the way through the garden doors to the Plymouth, mace in one hand and hurling axe in the other.<\/p>\n
Axe means demon. This should be an interesting Christmas Eve.<\/i><\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
The ride out of the city had been tense. Cordelia wasn\u2019t the best navigator in the world, only telling him where to turn at the last possible moment, so they left the borders of LA county with a trail of pissed off motorists behind.<\/p>\n
Once they\u2019d started up the pitch black two-lane into the San Gabriel Mountains and the vast terrain of the Angeles National Forest, the pace was still hurried but decidedly more relaxed.<\/p>\n
“You\u2019d think the Powers would have someone closer they could have called on for this one.” Angel broke the silence that had settled in the car. He\u2019d started to realize their whole evening was going to be taken up with this case once Cordy finally told him their approximate destination, and he wasn\u2019t happy about it.<\/p>\n
Cordy reached over and turned on the radio, quickly locating a station with 24-hour Christmas music.<\/p>\n
“I don\u2019t know, maybe this is their way of giving us a spontaneous trip to the mountains. Sure, it\u2019ll be filled with slime and possibly the loss of a limb or two, but it could be fun. Oh, and look! Snow!”<\/p>\n
He took his eyes off the road long enough to watch her staring out the window in wonder. She looked like a child seeing flakes for the first time and wondering how such a beautiful thing was possible. His expression was probably no different from hers.<\/p>\n
They drove higher, the density of the forest increasing with the elevation as did the storm. The wipers cleared a path for his vision and kept time with Alabama\u2019s “Christmas in Dixie” but couldn\u2019t drown out the caterwauling coming from the passenger seat.<\/p>\n
“Christmas in Dixie, it\u2019s snowin\u2019 in the pines…”<\/p>\n
“Cordelia, please.”<\/p>\n
“Angel, you know that never works. Besides, I\u2019m just trying to keep the Christmas spirit alive and get you ready for battle. Admit it. You really want to strangle something right now.”<\/p>\n
There it was. That cute peek from under half shuttered lids, her teeth gnawing at her bottom lip, her brows lifted as if she had no idea what power she wielded with those arcing bows of wispy hair. It was the look that reminded him how much of a little girl she still was in many ways. The look that took every bit of evil buried in his demon genes and replaced it with a fierce burning to protect and ward off anything that would ever mar her innocence.<\/p>\n
It even had the power to make him feel like a guileless youth and no one had made him feel like that \u2013 ever.<\/p>\n
He could never stay annoyed with her when that one look shot an arrow straight to the love center of his soul. He chuckled softly, saying, “You can stop trying. I always want to strangle something when I\u2019m around you.”<\/p>\n
“Angel!” Her backhanded slap was perfectly aimed as always \u2013 his right bicep began to sting instantly.<\/p>\n
“Ow! You do realize you\u2019re part demon now and that really hurts. Don\u2019t damage the merchandise. I might need to kill something later \u2013 other than you.”<\/p>\n
“Oops, sorry. Hey! You\u2019re the one who insulted me. Take it back, and maybe I\u2019ll rub your arm and make it feel better.”<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t see that coming, but he wasn\u2019t about to turn down a little Cordy hand action. “I\u2019m sorry. I don\u2019t want to strangle you all the time.”<\/p>\n
He held out his arm so she could start the massage. When nothing happened, he looked at her. She was staring out the window, looking intently at the mass of pine and veil of snow as it rushed by. He waved his arm directly in her face.<\/p>\n
“What?” she asked as she pushed his hand out of her face.<\/p>\n
“My arm? Start rubbing.”<\/p>\n
“I didn\u2019t mean now.”<\/p>\n
“But it hurts now.”<\/p>\n
“Oh, suck it up, you big baby, besides we\u2019re here. Turn at that little dirt road on the right.”<\/p>\n
He hated himself when he pouted, but there were times he couldn\u2019t help it. And she was the only one that could make his lip pooch out involuntarily.<\/p>\n
The back tires of the Plymouth slid wide to the left and Angel turned into it instantly pulling the tank into control and straight down the narrow path. Several hundred yards out, he could barely make out dim yellow lights that probably glowed from the small windows of a secluded cabin.<\/p>\n
“Where to, Cordy?”<\/p>\n
“A little further. There\u2019s a house and an old woman about to have her head removed for Christmas. Great surprise, huh?”<\/p>\n
He nodded his agreement as he wrestled with the wheel to maneuver around pot holes big enough to swallow a small village. Seeing the chasms wasn\u2019t made any easier by the white out falling from the sky. His head hit the roof a few times, and he swore under his breath about the cost of replacing shock absorbers these days before the lights suddenly appeared through a tear in the snow blanket. They were almost there.<\/p>\n
“So what\u2019s the deal with this demon?<\/p>\n
“You mean Joe?” Cordy asked before she hit her knee on the glove compartment. “Ouch.”<\/p>\n
“Sorry. The demon\u2019s name is Joe?”<\/p>\n
“Mean Joe Green. He\u2019s green, mean and, well, you get the idea.”<\/p>\n
“Okay, so what\u2019s the magic word? I\u2019d kinda like to get this over fast so we can get home.”<\/p>\n
“Ass.”<\/p>\n
“What? What did I say?” His foot slammed on the brake about thirty feet from the front of the log structure now clearly defined in front of and protected from the storm by a stand of evergreens.<\/p>\n
“The magic word, dumbass, is ass. Stick that sword where the sun don\u2019t shine, and we\u2019ll be hippity hopping our way back to the warm \u2013 okay, deathly cold and dreary – marble halls of home.”<\/p>\n
He turned off the ignition, grasped the door handle, and was about to jump from the car when he turned to her and said, “Didn\u2019t you just switch holidays?”<\/p>\n
She halted her exit long enough to flash him her ear-to-ear smile. “A girl can\u2019t start too early dropping hints. A nice Easter outfit wouldn\u2019t be sneered at.”<\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s belly laugh immediately was sucked into the night void and drowned out by the howl of nature\u2019s attempt to paint the earth with purity.<\/p>\n
“Cordy! Stay behind me. I don\u2019t want you getting lost in this storm.”<\/p>\n
For once, she wasn\u2019t arguing. She fisted a measure of leather, and Angel was grateful to have the assurance she was there but cringed at the damage she was probably causing with her nails.<\/p>\n
Even through the strong scent of pine and crisp tang of ice, he could smell the fowl stench of evil close by. He followed the trail carried by strong winds that sliced at his nostrils, and soon they were edging around the back corner of the house.<\/p>\n
A humped figure in a tan suede coat, indigo jeans and fur-lined boots was collecting firewood from the cord piled against the back wall, the light from the kitchen door granting her enough light to do so without fumbling. It also gave him a clear view of the creature sneaking on all fours toward her from the edge of the woods.<\/p>\n
Angel pulled Cordy out from behind him, pointed at the demon and then silently signaled for her to stay and watch out for the woman. She nodded, immediately understanding.<\/p>\n
Stretching to his full height, Angel walked determinedly toward the danger. The wind whipped his coat around his legs, the flapping noise it made so loud any chance at stealthy was merely a dashed hope. He rubbed the hilt of the sword in his palm firming his grip and raised it waist high as the demon spotted his approach.<\/p>\n
The howl of the storm couldn\u2019t snuff out the cries of the weak-assed demon and the grunts Angel expelled with each blow. Cordy stayed motionless until the two engaged but winced at the scream from the woman when she finally recognized her life was in peril.<\/p>\n
Hesitating for only a second, Cordy side-stepped her way to their helpless client, her axe poised and ready if needed. Her eyes darted from the woman to Angel and back again until she reached her and began to tug at her, but her frail bones were locked and her muscles paralyzed.<\/p>\n
“Lady! Come on! Into the house now!”<\/p>\n
She wouldn\u2019t budge, her gaze transfixed by the monster before her. Even Cordy\u2019s demon strength wasn\u2019t enough to get the flimsy-looking body to safety when she fell to her knees in shock.<\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s sword stabbed at tough hide and despite its sharp blade was merely nicking the beast and making it really mad. Fully aware of its Achilles\u2019…um…butt, Joe kept its ass constantly moving and tucked beneath its massive, alligator-like tail.<\/p>\n
“You\u2019re really beginning to tick me off, Joe.” Angel spun and kicked at its exposed chest propelling it backward, its stubby arms windmilling to right itself.<\/p>\n
Regaining its balance, it rushed forward, three sloth-like claws bared and aimed at Angel\u2019s midsection. Angel was about to jump backward and bend at the waist to avoid the razors\u2019 tips, but he stepped on a felled tree trunk and ended up pushing his stomach forward instead, his body automatically attempting to avoid tripping.<\/p>\n
“Angel!” Cordy screamed as the claws met flesh and came out the other side dripping red.<\/p>\n
She stared horrified as Angel dropped his sword to clutch at the ripped skin. Head bowed to assess the injury he didn\u2019t see the other set of talons sweeping up to strike another blow \u2013 possibly fatal.<\/p>\n
“Ahh!” Her battle cry pierced the darkness and made Angel\u2019s veins freeze.<\/p>\n
Time slowed as he saw her running toward the green menace, axe risen above her head with both hands, the edges of her form becoming more brilliant with each step making the snow sparkle as it whirled in her wake.<\/p>\n
“Cordy, noooooo!” Angel\u2019s terrified plea came too late.<\/p>\n
Joe turned to face the threat from behind and was greeted with the blade of her axe as it severed the clawed hand that had dared cause harm to her family. Wailing in pain and rage, it hurled its body at the well-lit target taking both itself and Cordelia to the ground.<\/p>\n
Angel was shocked from his stupor by Cordy\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n
“Now, Angel! Kick its ass now! Literally!”<\/p>\n
Cordy\u2019s back was on the snow covered earth, the demon\u2019s one good clawed hand and snapping jaws being held at bay, but only barely, by the bright-white strength issuing forth through her hand clasped around its wrist and the other around its neck.<\/p>\n
In its anger to destroy the thing that had maimed it, Mean Joe had left itself exposed. Angel picked up his weapon and trying not to think about where he was sticking it, plunged it over and over again into the soft area immediately under the strong tail muscle.<\/p>\n
Before its final yowl and its body collapsed, streams of fluorescent yellow blood spurted from the gouges splattering Angel from chest to knee. When he flung the corpse away from Cordy, he could see her pants and flimsy coat had faired no better.<\/p>\n
But it didn\u2019t matter because she was alive.<\/p>\n
“Damn it, Cor!” He pulled her up from the ground and into his shaky embrace.<\/p>\n
“Are you ever going to listen to anything I say?” he almost whispered, the words cracking in his throat.<\/p>\n
“I\u2019m going with \u2018no\u2019,” she said as she tried to squirm free of his life-crushing arms and grab a lung full of air. “Angel, having trouble breathing now.”<\/p>\n
He lessened his grip enough for her feet to touch the ground, but he refused to let her go.<\/p>\n
“Besides,” she said, “who\u2019s the one with their intestines hanging out and who\u2019s scratch free? And can I say, not a good look for you.”<\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s eyes followed her gaze to his stomach. “Damn. This was my Christmas shirt.”<\/p>\n
She laughed, a sound that echoed through the boughs like the ringing of bells. “I could tell \u2013 it being a greener shade of black than your everyday black ones.<\/p>\n
“Haha. This one is pure silk with covered buttons. It has a festive quality to it. Well, it did.”<\/p>\n
She cupped his cheek, spread her mouth into a wide grin, and it hit him how completely and utterly empty his life would be if he could never see that smile again. His knees began to wobble slightly when the reality of what he\u2019d almost lost gripped his heart, mind and soul. And in the midst of that terrible thought, she did the most amazing thing.<\/p>\n
She kissed him. Smack dab on the lips.<\/p>\n
His already shaky legs might have failed him if it had lasted longer than a millisecond. Cordy pulled back suddenly when a scraggly voice cut through the stillness surrounding them.<\/p>\n
“Looks like you two just saved my worthless hide. You best come in the house and get patched up.” The pepper-haired woman, having made a miraculous recovery from her initial stupor, turned and trudged toward the kitchen door never doubting they would follow.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t know whether to kill the interfering victim or hug her for stopping him from being an embarrassing puddle at Cordy\u2019s feet.<\/p>\n
“Come on, Angel. I need to check you out.” She stuttered as the veins in her cheeks filled. “I mean, I need to look at your abs. Damn it! I mean I need to…”<\/p>\n
Angel captured her flailing hands with his and smiled. “I know what you mean.”<\/p>\n
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and let her think he needed help walking to the cabin. He didn\u2019t feel the least bit guilty as her arm circled his waist and the fingers of her free hand manacled his wrist holding him in place against her.<\/p>\n
Nope. Not one bit guilty.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t forget my arm,\u201d he reminded her as the two limped their way slowly toward the warmth and safety of the shelter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about your arm?\u201d<\/p>\n
The soft blanket of flakes that floated around them muffled their gentle teasing from any nearby ears.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re supposed to rub it better. You promised.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t shut up about that, I may have to rub something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReally? What did you have in mind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re just a dirty old man, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just now figure that out?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cClose the door and take off your shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
The cabin\u2019s living room was cozy and fragrant with hand-braided rag rugs, rough-hewn pine furniture and wine and cream fabrics covering plump cushions. The large river stone fireplace drew focus to the center where a crackling blaze pushed the chill from the heart of the room to its fringes. Angel sat on the raised flagstone hearth, his back warmed by the fire, while Cordelia knelt between his knees to tend to his wounds.<\/p>\n
The old woman introduced herself as Beatrice Wannamaker of the Atlanta Wannamakers. She\u2019d said it proudly as if Angel and Cordy would, of course, know the reference. They merely nodded and smiled and Cordy continued to wrap the gauze Beatrice had provided around his waist.<\/p>\n
He squeezed her shoulder in gratitude knowing she had stifled words Angel could easily imagine she wanted to say. Words that probably would have gone something like, \u201cSo? I\u2019m Cordelia Chase of the Hellmouth Chases. Big whoop.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBeatrice, have you lived here long?\u201d Angel quickly asked trying to cover up her muffled \u201cpfft\u201d in response to his silent thanks.<\/p>\n
\u201cLong enough to know what I saw out there wasn\u2019t human nor any animal I\u2019ve ever seen in these woods. And I know it\u2019s not the fourth of July, so that light show wasn\u2019t exactly kosher. Care to let a tough old broad in on what\u2019s going on here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I\u2019m a vampire with a soul, Cordelia\u2019s a half-demon seer and that thing that almost killed you was Mean Joe Green.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordy\u2019s body was shaking with stifled laughter. Leaning in, she whispered, \u201cSmooth, Omega Man.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo need to be a smarty pants, son. A straight out \u2018it\u2019s none of your business\u2019 would\u2019ve worked just fine. Now I\u2019ll get you two some clothes to sleep in. I\u2019ve got some from my husband and daughter that should fit you fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordy turned and stretched her arm out to halt her exit. \u201cNo, thanks, that won\u2019t be necessary. We\u2019ll be leaving in a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, you\u2019re welcome to try, but if you value your life you\u2019d be smarter to stay put. That storm out there came up behind you. Right now there\u2019s at least a foot of snow covering the road you came in on and it\u2019s not letting up until morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordy turned back and peered up into Angel\u2019s eyes, unable to hide the moisture forming in her own. \u201cBut, Angel, it\u2019s almost Christmas. I want to go home.\u201d<\/p>\n
He hated not giving her everything she wanted, but he wasn\u2019t willing to risk her life. He moaned when she sniffed trying to stem her tears. \u201cAh, Cordy, don\u2019t. You saw what it\u2019s like out there and the way we slid around getting here. It\u2019s bad now and only getting worse. We can head back in the morning and still have Christmas with everybody later.\u201d<\/p>\n
Realizing she wasn\u2019t going to persuade him, she slumped back on her haunches and staunched the tears with the heels of her palms. \u201cFine, but don\u2019t think you\u2019re getting out of cooking Christmas dinner. I don\u2019t care if we have to eat turkey at three o\u2019clock in the morning; I\u2019m having a real Christmas dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n
Impressed as always at the way she adapted, he grinned and stroked her cheek. \u201cI never thought otherwise. Why don\u2019t you call Wesley and tell him what\u2019s happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy cell won\u2019t pick up a signal here. Do you have a phone?\u201d she asked Beatrice.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course I do. I may be old and eccentric, but I\u2019m not crazy. It\u2019s that old-fashioned monstrosity on the kitchen wall. It\u2019s big and puke green, you can\u2019t miss it.\u201d She pointed the way down the hall.<\/p>\n
When the coast was clear, Bea whispered to Angel, \u201cDo you think she\u2019ll know what to do with a rotary phone?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel liked the old broad. \u201cActually, we have a pretty ancient rotary in our office. I think she can handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, maybe there\u2019s hope for you youngsters yet. I\u2019ll be right back with your clean clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alone for the first time in several hours, Angel took a moment to gather his thoughts and absorb his surroundings. He inspected Cordy\u2019s handiwork on his injury and, as always, felt better just from the care and attention.<\/p>\n
Letting his eyes scan the room, he did a mental calculation about the size of the house. It was small, but the rooms were spacious. He looked up and admired the exposed beams and noted that the logs were notched and not planed flat to fit together. It showed the builder put in a lot of hard work and love into making this house a home.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband and I built this place from scratch,\u201d Bea said, startling Angel even though he hid it well. \u201cWe never had more fun or loved each other more passionately than when we were putting this all together, log by log. Have you ever done that? Created something that didn\u2019t exist before with somebody you love? Watched it weather storms and all of the world\u2019s changes and yet amazingly it still stands despite your own neglect?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel saw a world of memories in her eyes and each one caused a flicker of joy and sadness and hope and more emotions than he knew existed, and he longed to know each and every one of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I haven\u2019t,\u201d he confessed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think you have. I can see it every time you look at her. All you have to do is tell her, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s mouth fell open. What was it with these old women seeing right through him?<\/p>\n
She winked and shoved his chin up. \u201cBetter close that trap, son; you\u2019re catching flies. Now here.\u201d She handed him a pair of navy sweatpants, a brown and red flannel shirt and white tube socks.<\/p>\n
Angel finally shook his stare away from Bea\u2019s all-knowing eyes, and looked at the clothing in his lap. He frowned at the mismatched and style-challenged ensemble.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry, it\u2019s the best I\u2019ve got and tonight when it\u2019s about ten below out there, you\u2019ll be damn grateful for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
He snorted and nodded in understanding. \u201cYou\u2019re right. Thank you. I\u2019m just\u2026I\u2019m not a flannel kind of guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou live in the mountains long enough and you won\u2019t want to wear anything else \u2013 except maybe thermals, and I\u2019m guessing you\u2019re pretty glad right now I didn\u2019t pull out the long johns.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHa! You\u2019d be very right about that.\u201d He couldn\u2019t contain the self-deprecating snorts that erupted as he visualized himself in just such a red union suit.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight about what?\u201d Cordy entered the room behind Beatrice and seemed vexed and extremely curious about what had made Angel laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were just talking about Angel\u2019s preference in underwear,\u201d Bea said, and without pause handed over Cordy\u2019s new wardrobe. \u201cHere. Don\u2019t bother complaining. I know it\u2019s not Chanel or whoever\u2019s the big chichi designer today, but they\u2019ll keep you from freezing to death.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordy held up a white pair of leggings, a cornflower blue button-up pajama top and the back-by-popular-demand tube socks. \u201cUm\u2026thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUh-huh. I\u2019ll show you to your room and then I\u2019m hitting the sack. I\u2019ve got to be up at dawn because\u2026\u201d She stopped in her tour at a sudden realization. \u201cWell, hell, I don\u2019t know why. It\u2019s just what I do I guess. Whaddya know.\u201d She shrugged and started walking again.<\/p>\n
Cordy turned back to glance and Angel and made a large circle in the air near her temple and mouthed the word, \u201cCuckoo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel pulled her hand down and pinched his face in disappointment at her. She humphed at his rebuke and continued the parade behind Bea down the hallway to an open door that she had disappeared into.<\/p>\n
Once in the doorframe, Cordy stopped cold and Angel ran into her. He looked up to assess what caused the bottleneck and saw immediately what concerned her.<\/p>\n
The bed \u2013 only one \u2013 and a small one at that. Sure it was a standard full, but Angel knew he could fill that out just by himself.<\/p>\n
Cordy stuttered a bit and her voice was unusually timid, \u201cSo, just the one bed then?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s okay, I\u2019ll take the floor or the couch is fine,\u201d Angel said quickly, eager to alleviate the tension that replaced all breathable air the minute they\u2019d reached the room.<\/p>\n
Bea said helpfully, \u201cWell, there\u2019s my bed. If you don\u2019t want to sleep with him, I sure don\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Cordy and Angel gaped at her, their open mouths detracting from their normal good looks.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, don\u2019t look so shocked. Old \u2013 not dead. Listen, I don\u2019t care what sleeping arrangements you two make. Bed, floor, couch, bathtub \u2013 makes no never mind to me. I\u2019ve got to warn you that when the fire dies, you\u2019d be a lot more comfortable sleeping with someone than alone. You can take that to the bank. Goodnight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Without the buffer of Beatrice, the room was crazy loud with awkwardness. Cordy was the first to break.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, this is silly. You\u2019re hurt and need to get some rest in a real bed. I\u2019m not a floor, couch or bathtub kind of gal, so it looks like we\u2019re sharing. Not a big deal, right? It\u2019s just sleeping.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words were convincing, but her heart hadn\u2019t slowed down since she entered the room. Plus, her excited babble was a dead giveaway that everything she was saying was a complete lie. She was trying to convince herself it didn\u2019t matter when it obviously did.<\/p>\n
Angel turned her around to look at him, keeping his hands on her shoulders as he spoke. \u201cCordy, I don\u2019t mind the couch. I\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, you heard her. It\u2019s going to get really cold tonight and my bones are not rattling alone!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDead guy, here. I don\u2019t have any body heat. I\u2019ll just make you even colder.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know. You\u2019re pretty white. My body heat can reflect off you and bounce back on me,\u201d she smiled at her clever solution.<\/p>\n
\u201cAssuming that insane idea could work, we\u2019d both have to be naked.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel couldn\u2019t believe he\u2019d just said that and from the rapidly reddening cheeks of Cordelia, she couldn\u2019t believe it either.<\/p>\n
She found a spot on the floor to stare at while the uncomfortable moment dragged on and on.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh!\u201d she suddenly said, the ideal solution coming to her. \u201cTake a really long, hot bath to get warmed up and then maybe you won\u2019t leech all my body heat. We can both stay warm.\u201d<\/p>\n
If she was suggesting what he thought she was suggesting, there was no doubt he\u2019d stay heated up.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe I should just stay in the living room and keep the fire going so everyone will be warm,\u201d he said as he turned to leave.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo way, buster.\u201d Her hand caught his wrist and twisted him back around. \u201cYou are not staying up all night just so you can be too tired to drive us home or worse, sleep Christmas day away and not cook! Is it really such a chore to sleep with me? Just kick me if I snore or drool on you. Now I\u2019m going to use the bathroom and then you get in there and start steeping!\u201d<\/p>\n
She pushed past him and was behind the bathroom door before he could stumble over the words of protest that burned in his throat. How could she possibly think it would be a trial to sleep with her? He shook his head unable to comprehend the woman\u2019s thought processes.<\/p>\n
He ambled to the bathroom and heard the water in the sink running. He knocked and said in an almost whisper, \u201cCordy, it is not a chore to sleep with you. Okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
All he got in reply was a muffled humph.<\/p>\n