Struggling into consciousness, Cordelia\u2019s eyes fluttered open, then blinked closed again. The effort forced her back into the darkness as time slipped by without notice offering momentary freedom from the shock of being slammed into the ground. Foggy-headed, she awakened to a heavy weight pinning her down.<\/p>\n
Hard to think, hard to breathe.<\/em><\/p>\n Pain forced her to move, her hand instinctively slipping across rough rock and bladed grass toward her throbbing injury. Sticky moisture clung to the left side of her face, congealed blood clotting the wound closed. Cordelia stared at her bloodied fingers piecing together what happened.<\/p>\n It came in rapid replay. Kissing Angel. The meteor. Falling. Being pulled up into his arms. Explosive debris and the force knocking them down. The ground coming up fast.<\/p>\n No, something wasn\u2019t quite right with that, Cordelia\u2019s slowly concluded. Her hand slipped down contacting another, Angel\u2019s. Though her thoughts were muddled, it finally clicked. She had never actually gotten around to kissing him. Damn. No, no, that was probably a good thing. Angel was off limits in the Tall, Dark & Hottie, but no-bone category of guys. Buffy\u2019s territory.<\/p>\n Oh, and hello, note to self: he is a vampire. Her hormones needed a reminder of that little factoid.<\/p>\n Cordelia\u2019s fingers curled around his hand, an unsteady sigh escaping her throat at the contact. She tried to clear the last remaining cobwebs. At least she had the satisfaction of knowing that he thought she was hot, too. Not that Angel actually said the words, cos that would require actual conversation. No, he had to be cryptic about it.<\/p>\n Not that they could do anything about it. \u201cAngel.\u201d Turning her head to look his way, she ignored the pain it took to move, his name coming out more as a little cry.<\/p>\n His body half-covered hers. Cordelia instinctively knew that he had taken the brunt of the impact from the debris before they both slammed into the ground. They were on the edge of the gully. Not so close that they were in danger of falling, but in a position that made it difficult to squeeze out from under him.<\/p>\n More alert, seeing that Angel was not moving, she lifted her hand to his shoulder and tried to shake him awake. \u201cWakey, wakey! C\u2019mon, Angel, don\u2019t do this to me. You don\u2019t breathe, so how am I supposed to know that you\u2019re okay?\u201d<\/p>\n All she managed to do was leave a trail of bloody fingerprints on his skin. Angel\u2019s muscles were densely packed, his shoulder a rock that would not budge. Cordelia\u2019s attempt to awaken him had no impact.<\/p>\n Inching forward, she pressed her mouth to his ear and yelled his name again. Up in the trees, the birds flapped their wings, squawking in reaction, but Angel showed no sign of consciousness.<\/p>\n The only thing that kept her from panicking was the fact that he was not a large dust pile. She wrapped her arm around him, pulling close, letting her rhythmic breathing settle her down. Pressing her cheek against him, she lay quietly gathering the strength to move.<\/p>\n As soon as she got out from under him, Cordelia figured she would call for help. Not that the Scoobies even had phones of their own. They had pagers and a series of emergency codes. Too bad there wasn\u2019t one for this. Then remembering that her cell phone had been cancelled along with all of her father\u2019s other credit accounts, she realized that making a call was not an option anyway.<\/p>\n \u201cTime to move, big guy,\u201d Cordelia muttered as she attempted to scoot her way out from under Angel. The lower half of her body was completely pinned beneath him. \u201cUrgh! Maybe I shouldn\u2019t have given you that chocolate pudding.\u201d<\/p>\n Panting from exertion, and no closer to freedom, she puffed up her cheeks and let out a whoosh of air. \u201cOkay then, I suppose I\u2019ll just stay here for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n A deep male voice sounded from the tree line just out of Cordelia\u2019s line of sight. \u201cThat won\u2019t be necessary. I\u2019ll take care of this.\u201d<\/p>\n Rescued! And it wasn\u2019t even Buffy & Co.<\/p>\n Cordelia craned her neck up over Angel\u2019s body. Garbed in dark blue from head to toe, the stranger wore an unmistakable shiny silver badge. He was a bald, muscular tough guy. Just right for lifting large objects. Perfect timing. Maybe a little too perfect, a scary vibe raced along her nerves.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d you know we were up here? Maybe you were just checking things out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI saw the car at the bottom of the hill. Classic.\u201d The police officer reached up to remove his dark sunglasses revealing dark black eyes.<\/p>\n Mr. I-Wear-Raybans-At-Night probably thought that made him look mysterious or intimidating. Um, he was probably right. Cordelia noticed the subtle leer behind the otherwise friendly expression. Jerk. \u201cA little help, Officer. Kinda stuck here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe you deserve what\u2019s coming.\u201d He chuckled now, a gravelly sound that crept along her spine. \u201cYour boyfriend\u2019s a vampire. Did you know that, girl?\u201d<\/p>\n Sensing real danger now, Cordelia curled her fingernails deeper into Angel\u2019s shoulder. It still got no reaction. This cop was giving her bad, bad vibes. She watched helplessly as he reached down and pulled up a broken branch from the ground, one end angled into a sharp point.<\/p>\n There was only one thing she could imagine he was planning. Fear gave her the strength to pull her body free. Cordelia scrambled to her feet, standing unsteadily at the edge of the gully between him and Angel. \u201cHe\u2019s none of your business.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you are.\u201d Dropping the branch to the ground, he stepped forward grabbing her shoulders.<\/p>\n Pulled close, Cordelia noticed instantly the glittering of inhuman eyes as the mask of human features began melting away. His touch became almost painfully hot as heat emanated from his body. Eyes wide with fright, she watched as the demon\u2019s true face was revealed.<\/p>\n \u201cTonight you have been marked for my master.\u201d The demon\u2019s hand slipped down to capture her flailing wrists. Cordelia kicked at his shin, lifted her knee toward his groin only to cry out as it contacted a rocky exoskeleton. \u201cBe calm. You will only do yourself harm.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe your master won\u2019t want me.\u201d Cordelia tugged hard when he moved to hold her other wrist into a single-handed grip. She broke free, but only momentarily.<\/p>\n That evil chuckle sounded again. What was it with bad guys who always thought they were gonna get the last laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cI think you\u2019re making a big mistake, buddy.\u201d When he started moving toward the lower section of the cemetery where the remnants of the path led back to the parking area, Cordelia planted her feet and forced him to drag her. \u201cDo you know who you\u2019re dealing with? Cordelia Chase is nobody\u2019s sacrifice.\u201d<\/p>\n Now focused on getting her down the hill, the demon slung her over his shoulder and trudged on. Yelling out to Angel again, Cordelia hoped that he would finally wake up. \u201cGet your ass over here! Kidnapping in progress. Sheesh! There\u2019s never a Slayer around when you need one.\u201d<\/p>\n The demon slapped her bottom just hard enough to sting. Outraged, Cordelia let out a curse, but it only seemed to amuse him. \u201cLet me go, you bastard.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am surprised the vampire let you live this long,\u201d a guttural growl emerged. \u201cOr that one such as you remains pure.\u201d<\/p>\n Cordelia stopped struggling, propped her elbow on his shoulder and looked over her shoulder. \u201cHey! What\u2019s that supposed to mean? My purity is none of your\u2014 anyway, it\u2019s not an issue. My vampire boyfriend back there took care of that earlier. Starlit picnic. A little Tai Chi. Some serious boinking.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou lie, Noisy One, I would smell it on you.\u201d<\/p>\n Eew.<\/p>\n Looking back, Cordelia watched as Angel\u2019s prone form got smaller and smaller as they moved away from him. Her gut clenched tight in fear, not only for herself, but also for him. He had been unconscious so long. Any serious injuries he had sustained were not immediately visible, just scrapes and bruises. She had not had time to check him out for anything worse.<\/p>\n Please be okay.<\/p>\n Without more than a moment\u2019s pause, Cordelia made another attempt at escape, again a futile one. This demon was almost Slayer-strong, as strong as Angel now that he had regained his full strength. \u201cMy friends will find you, kick your ass and rip your head off for this.\u201d<\/p>\n Walking down the line of tall scrub bushes separating the parking area from the main part of the cemetery, he made the final turn. \u201cI am not interested in your friends.\u201d<\/p>\n The demon stopped short of the police car parked next to the black Plymouth. A third car was parked next to the other two.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe we\u2019re interested in you, tough guy,\u201d Faith clocked him in the jaw with a quick jab of her fist. A grunt of pain sounded and he wavered on his feet, but held on to Cordelia.<\/p>\n Giles stood on the other side of the opening in the bushes, holding a crossbow. \u201cI suggest you carefully set Miss Chase down.\u201d<\/p>\n Rubbing her fist in the palm of her hand, Faith walked forward as the demon took a few steps back. \u201cYeah, put her down. Come play with me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMok ari cha shuna sey. Ra vinor Slayer eosun.\u201c\u00a0The demon growled a warning adding something more extensive in his own language.\u00a0\u201cDe sua Varstrae gataru ona duaranta. Jo nahn. Preot mayla rek Tavrok mystarus.”<\/p>\n Faith merely cocked her head. \u201cI don\u2019t know about you, Rup, but I\u2019m taking that as a threat.\u201d<\/p>\n Abbreviating the translation to the key point, Giles said, \u201cIt is a warning not to interfere with the Rites of Tavrok.\u201d<\/p>\n Faith took another step forward. Pointing out to the contrary, \u201cI\u2019m all for interfering.\u201d<\/p>\n Cordelia let out a short scream as the demon spun her around to stand in front of him as a shield. His clawed hand with thickened skin rough against her own, he held her by the neck. Both Faith and Giles held off their approach. With the demon\u2019s grip tightening, Cordelia thought he was about to crush her throat, but he stopped just shy of it.<\/p>\n \u201cHe needs me alive,\u201d Cordelia got out over the rumble of his growling discontent. She was being dragged back up the hill.<\/p>\n They were in the narrow space between the gully and the forward edge of the meteor crater. Faith suddenly looked behind the demon, gave a nod and called out, \u201cAngel, take him out.\u201d<\/p>\n The demon whirled, releasing Cordelia out of necessity, and crouched into a defensive posture. It sent Cordelia toppling toward the edge of the crater. She fell with a piercing scream silenced as the air was knocked out of her when she hit the ground. Scrambling for purchase, she managed to find a tentative handhold.<\/p>\n Above, her captor realized he had been fooled into thinking the vampire was conscious and ready to fight. His mistake cost him Cordelia. There was nothing to do except to run. Faith started to pursue him, determined to knock him down. He was their only lead. Besides, he had obviously been planning to make Cordelia the next sacrifice mentioned by the prophecy.<\/p>\n The hell if she was going to let that happen.<\/p>\n Giles had not thought of that when he suggested they check out the crash site. It was visible from their position at Trinity Church Cemetery and seemed like it had come down near Cordelia and Angel\u2019s location here at Shady Hill. Neither one of them had suspected trouble until they spotted the police car. Remembering that a cop had picked up Karla Brewer the night she disappeared suggested he might have a similar plan.<\/p>\n She did not figure on him falling for the old distraction ploy, but was not going to knock the fact that he did.<\/p>\n \u201cFaith!\u201d On the ground, Giles was leaning over the crater\u2019s edge holding on to one wrist as Cordelia reached up with her other hand.<\/p>\n He had barely caught her before she fell, but his grip was failing.<\/p>\n Hearing him, Faith stopped and spun around. A huff of frustration sounded as she realized the demon was going to get away. She leapt across the gully they had crossed during the chase. She could not see Giles\u2019 face, but the sound of his voice urging Cor to hold on told her she needed to haul ass to get there before he dropped her.<\/p>\n She had gone too far to make it. Another twenty yards separated her from Giles\u2019 prone form when Angel barreled out of nowhere to pull Cordelia to safety. Faith had never seen anyone, even a vampire move so fast. \u201cWay to go Angel!\u201d she shouted out.<\/p>\n The strength and speed used to bring her back to her feet had Cordelia wavering in shock. First, it was Giles, but then\u2014 omigod! Angel, it was Angel standing there and she had never been so happy to see anyone in her entire life.<\/p>\n Tears of relief glistened in Cordelia\u2019s eyes as she hugged him, her cheek pressed against his chest, arms winding tightly around his waist. A subtle rumble sounded beneath her ear. Instantly, Angel\u2019s arms enveloped her. Reeled in tight as he held her close and nuzzled his cheek against her hair Cordelia wanted to be\u2026 needed to be closer still.<\/p>\n Angel\u2019s hold loosened and a tiny moan of complaint escaped her throat at the loss as he pulled away just enough to look at her face. Too many emotions choked her up. She managed his name. It came out as a whisper, a needy sound swallowed up by the dark depths of his eyes.<\/p>\n Taut with tension, Angel\u2019s gaze slid from hers to look at the dried blood caked to her temple and the trail it left along her cheek. He followed that trail with his fingertips, smoothing her hair and tucking it behind her ear, noting the darkening areas on her throat where the demon held a little too tight.<\/p>\n For a moment, he had murder in his eyes, and then it drained away. All that was left was need as he stared down at her plush lips parted invitingly so close to his. Cordy shifted in his arms, her warmth melting into him.<\/p>\n Irresistibly drawn together, their mouths met in a soft velvet kiss steeped by tender concern, expressing relief. Over in a moment, the soothing press of his lips left her gasping. They pulled back an inch, both staring in shock at what they had just done.<\/p>\n Parting lasted only a moment. Cordelia trembled at how good it felt to kiss him, a jolt of tingling warmth centering deep inside. Her palms slipped up the cotton shirt over the hard contours of his chest, her fingers slipping up to his shoulders toward the nape of his neck.<\/p>\n The slide of his hand down to the small of her back brought Cordelia closer still. A soft moan sounded against her lips containing a hint of the hunger he had found so hard to control. Now he just needed to taste her, to assure himself that she was alive and in his arms. That one brief kiss was not nearly enough.<\/p>\n Ravenously, he kissed her with the silky slide of his soft lips over hers. Again and again. Feeling her warmth soaking into him as her body angled closer, thin lycra and cotton poor barriers between them. Her mouth was eager against his, just as needy. He gently sucked at her bottom lip, heard her anxious mewl as her fingers threaded through his hair.<\/p>\n Letting her take what she wanted before delving into the warm recesses of her mouth, Angel shuddered with need at the slide of his tongue against hers. When he moaned into her mouth, Cordelia echoed back, their arousal climbing despite their bruises. Her body writhed catlike against him, unconsciously rubbing her breasts against his chest, hips shifting closer to his body\u2019s hardening response. Angel\u2019s hand splayed open across her back, moving with long, sure strokes against her spine.<\/p>\n \u201cDamn, I\u2019ve gotta get me some of that,\u201d Faith dimpled at the sight. Walking up next to Giles who had half-turned away from the kissing couple, she tugged at his now wrinkled tie. \u201cTold ya so. Those two are hot.\u201d<\/p>\n Noting that Faith went right back to staring at them, Giles deliberately cleared his throat. The second time, Angel and Cordy turned toward the sound, both looking dazed and slightly irritated by the interruption.<\/p>\n Until now, it seemed like they were the only two people on that hilltop. They stood within each other\u2019s embrace, frozen in realization of what had happened. Then it sank in, the enormity of those kisses. Slowly, they slipped apart, eyes focused on the ground and then daring to meet.<\/p>\n \u201cCordy, I shouldn\u2019t have\u2014,\u201d Angel let her go, backing off a few inches. A subtle growl built up at the loss of her touch, trapped there by the guilt welling up at a fast pace.<\/p>\n Cordelia did not want excuses. He obviously thought kissing her was a mistake, but she did not want him to think that they were so important to her, either. \u201cGeez, Angel, just \u2018cause I\u2019m happy you saved me doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m that grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n She turned away from him to walk past Faith and Giles who stood slack-jawed at their sudden change of behavior. Angel pushed past them to follow her ignoring the fact that it was probably better to let the subject drop.<\/p>\n \u201cI was concerned about you, Cordy,\u201d Angel caught up with her. \u201cThings got out of hand. I wanted to make sure you were okay and then\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen you got carried away with a little tonsil hockey.\u201d<\/p>\n Catching her elbow in his grasp, Angel whirled her around to face him, a hint of anger glinting as he stared downward. \u201cIs that really how you want to play this? I won\u2019t apologize again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor what?\u201d The fast move had left her head spinning. Everything that happened seemed to come crashing down on her at once. Cordelia managed a casual shrug. \u201cOn the scale of bleh to earth-shattering, I\u2019d rate it as no big deal. So drop it.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a helluva big deal, Angel wanted to argue but kept his mouth shut. He was too busy trying to control the urge to yank her back into his arms and shatter every memory she ever had of being kissed by anyone else. Frustrated with his own weakness, angry at her reaction, he let her go.<\/p>\n Angel seethed with the need to tell her that her body betrayed her, that he knew the throbbing pulse at her throat, the beat of her heart, the scent of her arousal. Instead, he decided to let her have it her way for now. He would do as she asked, \u201cConsider it dropped,\u201d but not before he took his turn at biting back, the demon in him unable to let it go completely.<\/p>\n The words tumbled in freefall from his mouth, a venomous hiss against her ear. \u201cAfter all, it didn\u2019t mean anything. You\u2019re not Buffy.\u201d<\/p>\n Cordelia staggered back, wavering on her feet, eyes no longer focused. Her hand went up to her head, her injured temple throbbing. Now everything was spinning, not just her head. She blinked in slow motion, watching in a fog as the stony expression on Angel\u2019s face blurred. He said something, reaching out for her. Then the world fell away.<\/p>\n Her legs crumpled beneath her as she blacked out.<\/p>\n