Part 3<\/b><\/p>\n
The party was everything she\u2019d expected. A particularly lavish affair decorated and hosted by Lorne, the Anagogic demon with more style than a Neiman Marcus footwear sale.<\/p>\n
It looked fantastic, a world away (but not completely) from the floor Cordelia had stood on two months ago, and that served to make her feel a little better.<\/p>\n
Wesley had tried to come over all 007 in a simple tux, until Cordelia had stepped in and demanded he up the ante a little. Now, complete with manly stubble, Wes had been transformed into Indiana Jones, along with a very intimidating looking whip and a hat that he was afraid made him look rather silly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look great, Wesley,\u201d Cordelia had told him for the ninth time in the car on the way over.<\/p>\n
Spike, however much he\u2019d told Cordelia about how \u2018fun\u2019 it would be, didn\u2019t go in for \u2018all that dressing up lark\u2019. Content in his leather duster, he\u2019d scowled when one of the other partygoers had asked if he was supposed to be Billy Idol.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s your own fault,\u201d she\u2019d laughed, once Spike had groused around his beer for ten minutes. \u201cThere were thousands of costumes in that shop.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019d you want me to come as, bloody Superman?\u201d he muttered, standing awkwardly to the side of one of the offices. \u201cI mean Billy Idol, pet, really. I gave that bloke his looks!\u201d<\/p>\n
Spike hadn\u2019t been impressed at that. Still whining another twenty minutes later, Cordelia gave up on the idea of him enjoying the party and decided to mingle, plainly avoiding the demon that looked like he had a whole excess of skin thing going on.<\/p>\n
She got herself a glass of punch \u2013 non-alcoholic, because she maintained that she needed a clear head in a place like this \u2013 and started milling around the room, noting the appreciative gazes and filing them under \u2018still a hotty even after two demon pregnancies and a coma\u2019.<\/p>\n
She was talking to a guy who she\u2019d decided was most definitely evil when she heard Lorne\u2019s voice. She turned, excusing herself from the guy, and headed over to him, touching his arm lightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlumcheeks!\u201d His face lit up when he saw her and he whistled, watching as she twirled to give him the full benefit of the outfit, \u201cYou look\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFantastic?\u201d She supplied with a grin. \u201cAmazing? Like I haven\u2019t survived two demon pregnancies and a coma in the last three years?\u201d<\/p>\n
Lorne smiled, \u201cI was going to go with \u2018a million dollars\u2019 but yours works too. I wasn\u2019t sure you\u2019d come.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, well, how could I pass up a party?\u201d Cordelia smiled again, her gaze travelling the room a moment until it landed on Angel. He hadn\u2019t noticed her yet, caught up with what looked like a heated discussion with some demon or other.<\/p>\n
She wondered, briefly, if Angel was attempting some kind of deal but Lorne soon squashed that theory. \u201cNo business on this floor tonight, Pumpkin,\u201d he shook his head, \u201cIt\u2019s party time only. Why don\u2019t you go over?\u201d<\/p>\n
She cut Lorne a glance that told him to stop interfering, that she\u2019d go over when she was ready, but it was too late. Angel had seen her already, excused himself from the demon and begun to make his way towards her.<\/p>\n
Cordelia\u2019s calm wobbled a little and she straightened, knowing she looked fantastic and that if Angel gave her cause to, she could hold her own in an argument as much, if not more, than he could.<\/p>\n
This Angel was different than the one she\u2019d seen a week ago, and she wasn\u2019t just talking about the big black wings that were sprouting out of his usual black suit. He looked more focussed somehow, at ease with his role and that unsettled her more than it served to calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cAthena.\u201d He said as he reached her.<\/p>\n
Cordelia blinked. As expected insults went? That really wasn\u2019t one. \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGreek Goddess of Wisdom,\u201d he smiled. \u201cThat\u2019s your costume.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia glanced down at the knee-length Roman style white dress, tied at the waist with thin ropes of gold. Her hair was pinned up with a tiny gold flowered headband, curly tendrils falling down over her face. Her shoes were gold, too, laced up to her calf, her skin bronzed from an hours worth of spray-tanning.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was going for hot and sexy,\u201d she mused. \u201cI didn\u2019t really consider the whole mythology behind it or anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled at that, stepping a little closer to her, \u201cShe was known as protector of the city. She offered advice and protection to heroes to help them win their battles.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia\u2019s cheeks flushed slightly as she took in what he\u2019d said. \u201cShe didn\u2019t happen to get a little vision-brain every now and then, did she?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d he chuckled, \u201cno vision brain. She was known for her strategizing skills in war.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot much for the strategizing,\u201d she grinned. \u201cI\u2019m more for the \u2018poke them with the big shiny sword and hope they go away\u2019 ploy.\u201d<\/p>\n
They smiled at each other and for maybe the first time since she\u2019d woken up, it felt normal being around him. It was hard, sure – being inside this building was never going to put her at ease \u2013 but she could deal with that for now.<\/p>\n
She started to say something, to ask Angel how he\u2019d been this last couple of weeks \u2013 Queen of Small Talk, thy name was Cordelia Chase \u2013 but Angel got there first and with it, her stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy, can we talk?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel, look\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry about last time,\u201d he told her quickly, earnestly. \u201cBut what you said made me think that maybe you\u2019re\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy!\u201d<\/p>\n
She turned right in the middle of Angel\u2019s sentence, cutting him off at the knees to greet Fred who\u2019d headed there with Gunn and drinks, looking a little glassy-eyed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey guys,\u201d she grinned, thankful for the interruption as she took the drink. She took a sip, making a face as she realised it was alcoholic. Hadn\u2019t her plan been to not do the alcohol thing tonight?<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t it great?\u201d Fred gushed, unaware that Angel was glaring at her as he was handed one of the drinks by Gunn. \u201cIt\u2019s just totally what everyone needed! I mean, after the week we\u2019ve had -\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel cleared his throat and Fred clammed up, flushing guiltily. Cordelia\u2019s spirits soared a little. So, his week hadn\u2019t exactly been great, huh? That was\u2026kind of a good thing, as far as she was concerned.<\/p>\n
Then she just wondered if it was something to do with their killing those Bendril demons and her spirits dropped. \u201cBad week at the office, huh?\u201d She tried.<\/p>\n
Fred glanced at Angel, floundering for a moment, \u201cWell, I mean\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had visitors,\u201d said Angel, taking a drink of the punch from the small, frosted glass. He didn\u2019t look like elaborating was in his game plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone I know?\u201d She asked, trying to sound offhand about it, though her curiosity was piqued.<\/p>\n
Angel frowned, glancing from Fred to Gunn and then back to Cordelia. \u201cBuffy,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cBuffy was here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia\u2019s previously in-place calm wobbled again. \u201cBuffy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cY\u2019all talk about her like she\u2019s the second coming or somethin\u2019,\u201d Fred murmured, ignoring the fact that Gunn jabbed her lightly in the ribs.<\/p>\n
Three glasses of punch did not make for a very patient Fred, especially when her friends were big dummies who couldn\u2019t see what was right there in front of them the whole time it\u2019d been there.<\/p>\n
\u201cFred,\u201d Angel warned softly, having heard this argument only a few nights before.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d She demanded. \u201cYou get your hands cut off and she shows up and acts like you brought it on yourself just \u2018cause you\u2019re a vampire. She couldn\u2019t even try to be a little bit sympathetic!\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia\u2019s mouth fell open, \u201cYou had your hands cut off?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not as bad as it sounds,\u201d Angel tried, though it didn\u2019t put her at ease, \u201cand she did save me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat figures,\u201d said Cordelia, rolling her eyes. She had a funny taste in her mouth. \u201cSo she just happened to be in town and save you from a\u2026what did it, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA Slayer,\u201d said Angel. \u201cShe was-\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPsychotic,\u201d Fred interrupted. \u201cCompletely and utterly out of her tree. She was in a mental institution when she was called. She thought Angel was the guy who\u2019d killed and tortured her parents ten years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia blinked. She\u2019d heard bits and pieces from Spike about the last few days in Sunnydale, what they\u2019d done in making all the potentials into Slayers. It sounded like a good idea at the time,<\/p>\n
Cordelia had admitted, but maybe now Buffy was thinking that she hadn\u2019t quite thought it through. \u201cSo what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBuffy showed up, saved Angel and then decided to bitch him out for taking the job at Wolfram and Hart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel looked mutinous, his mouth cut into a thin line as he glared at her. \u201cThanks, Fred.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked confused for all of a second until sarcasm registered and she rolled her eyes, not quite sure when speaking her mind had become her top priority. That was usually Cordelia\u2019s job. \u201cNo problem, boss.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow can we talk?\u201d Angel asked, glancing at Cordelia.<\/p>\n
Cordelia frowned, not at all sure she wanted to hear how the Buffy and Angel show had gone. She glanced at Gunn and Fred, now hasty in making their retreat, over at Spike who was being pissed off by Harmony and then to Lorne and Wesley, deep in conversation.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay,\u201d she sighed, \u201cFine. Let\u2019s talk.\u201d<\/p>\n