\u201cWe found it back at Trinity Baptist Church,\u201d Angel informed Giles. He\u2019d barely allowed the Watcher time to greet them after they pulled up at the curbside just in front of the gated entrance to the Mount Sinai Memorial Gardens.<\/p>\n
Giles looked almost giddy\u2026 for him, decided Cordelia and turned her attention to Faith who was walking around to her side of the car.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou two look like hell,\u201d Faith commented. \u201cThat was a pretty big shaker, but I\u2019d say you got the worst of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPfft! The earthquake was the boring part of the evening,\u201d Cordelia assured her. \u201cI\u2019m pretty sure watching Angel eat French fries would have won out if it hadn\u2019t been for the unscheduled family reunion at the cemetery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Faith leaned against the door. \u201cFrench fries?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVampires?\u201d Giles was asking simultaneously, his concern overshadowing Faith\u2019s interest in Angel\u2019s diet. Considering their appearance, it seemed clear that there had been a fight.<\/p>\n
Angel had not planned to get into this now, but he supposed it would have to be done eventually. As Cordelia herself had indicated, he was not going to be able to protect her around the clock. That meant informing the Watcher that, \u201cSpike and Drusilla are back in town.\u201d<\/p>\n
Behind his glasses, Giles\u2019 eyes widened a bit, his expression calm, yet serious. \u201cI see. Their timing is as impeccable as ever with our two Slayers busy unraveling the forthcoming events of the prophecy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think it has anything to do with that,\u201d Angel admitted glancing over at Cordelia. She sat in the passenger seat quietly tugging at her lower lip as if forcing herself not to speak.<\/p>\n
Faith was all business when she asked Giles, \u201cWhat\u2019s so special about these two vamps that has you so uptight? More than usual, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adjusting the duffel bag onto his other shoulder, Giles explained to her that these were not ordinary vampires. \u201cThey are of the Order of Aurelius and thus possess the deadliest of pedigrees.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s fingers curled into a tighter grip on the steering wheel. \u201cGiles means that they are my responsibility. A long time ago, I made Drusilla. She is my progeny just as Spike is hers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHope you don\u2019t mind if I stake the kiddies,\u201d Faith cocked her head and gave him a look that promised him she was serious despite her comical turn of phrase. \u201cI\u2019ll do it, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStay away from them, Faith,\u201d warned Angel. \u201cI\u2019ll deal with it. For the moment, I don\u2019t think they\u2019re involved in anything to do with the prophecy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Giles preferred not to underestimate those two. Give them an inch and they\u2019d be looking for control of the Hellmouth. \u201cHave you any idea as to their plans? Last time they pieced together the Judge in order to wipe out humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel did not exactly need to remind Giles that he was there at the time. \u201cDrusilla has taken an interest in Cordelia. She saw us together at the cemetery and got the wrong idea. It may be just a jealous fit, but Dru threatened Cordy\u2019s life and made it known that she plans to try again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDear God,\u201d Giles reacted in horror at the thought of Cordelia becoming a target for the insane vampiress.<\/p>\n
Faith fingered the stake that was tucked in her belt loop. \u201cLike I said Angel\u2026 if I see \u2018em, I stake \u2018em. No questions asked.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe may need to rethink the team assignments for the duration,\u201d Giles suggested much to Angel\u2019s irritation. \u201cI\u2019d feel better if Buffy or Faith were out with the two of you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCor, maybe you should just stay at home,\u201d Faith suggested and it was the first thing out of her mouth tonight that Angel actually agreed with. He seconded it drawing an immediate response from Cordelia.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo way!\u201d Cordelia sent them both nasty looks. Sounding vexed, she told Faith, \u201cYou\u2019re supposed to be on my side.\u201d Then turning back to Angel, \u201cAnd you\u2026 you made me a promise today and you\u2019re keeping it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Puzzled for a moment, Angel realized she meant the training sessions. That was good for learning long-term defensive skills, but it was not going to save her life if Drusilla attacked again tomorrow. \u201cI haven\u2019t forgotten,\u201d he told her leaving Faith and Giles to send each other questioning looks and answering shrugs as they stood by the car.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d feel safer if I was with you,\u201d Cordy told him bluntly. \u201cMaybe they can\u2019t get into the house, but I don\u2019t want them hanging around, either.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel let go of the steering wheel to squeeze her hand, \u201cYou know I\u2019ll take care of you, Cordy. Home is the safest place for you while you sleep. Otherwise, you can stick with me or with Faith if I can\u2019t be there. Buffy will be around during the school day and I\u2019m sure Giles will keep an eye out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCertainly,\u201d Giles stated although somewhat distractedly as he stared down at the tender way Angel was holding Cordelia\u2019s hand. They seemed lost in each other\u2019s eyes. If that was any indication of their interaction at Trinity Cemetery, it was no wonder Drusilla got the wrong idea. Assuming that it was wrong in the first place, he shuddered at the notion.<\/p>\n
Giles had been relieved at the news that Buffy and Angel had broken off their romantic ties, though Angel\u2019s continued presence had suggested he was not quite willing to close that chapter of their relationship. No matter how many times the calm, rational part of his mind told him that Angel was a different person as a souled being in comparison to the purely evil intellect responsible for Jenny\u2019s death, in his heart Giles had never truly believed it.<\/p>\n
There were dangers to be found in any relationship Angel forged, but this unlikely partnership with Cordelia Chase suddenly held possibilities that Giles had never even considered.<\/p>\n
Removing his glasses, Giles pinched the bridge of his nose, holding tight for a few seconds to release the tension building there. He had enough problems to deal with tonight. Cursed vampires and crazed ones were not his top priority. \u201cAngel, I suggest you escort Cordelia home. We\u2019ll deal with future assignments and your concerns for her safety tomorrow. In the meantime, Faith and I will collect Buffy and the others to begin a study of the obelisk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia slipped her hand out of Angel\u2019s grasp and tucked it into a cross-armed position. She saw Faith backing away from the edge of the car while holding a hand to her ear with the universal signal for \u2018phone me\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe quake opened up a crevasse in the middle of the cemetery,\u201d Angel was busy informing Giles about the details of their find when Cordelia started to pay them attention. \u201cYou\u2019ll need some digging equipment and some ropes if you want to elevate it. It\u2019s lodged at an angle in the ground, so only two of its sides are visible.\u201d<\/p>\n