Part 6<\/b><\/p>\n
Would this night never ever end? Cordelia closed her eyes and breathed out heavily, feeling the weight of the last two weeks settle about her shoulders and pull her further down into her body.<\/p>\n
She felt so alone, and so bone tired. Her big choices lately were to either celebrate each anniversary wearing a velour Starfleet uniform or to be sacrificed as a fake virgin. And that about summed up her nasty, no good very bad life.<\/p>\n
She sighed, watching Fred tuck into the huge plate of tacos with gusto. How could anyone eat like a long-distance trucker and still have the body of a child from a Sally Struthers country? Fred looked continuously like her picture should be above the caption, \u2018You can feed this child for just seventeen cents a day,\u2019 but Cordy had seen her pack it away on an ongoing basis, and never put on a pound. Life was funny that way.<\/p>\n
Life was funny in many many ways, none of which Cordy saw any evidence of tonight. She sat, tight-lipped, while Gunn and Wesley roared over the sacrificial virgin incident. Yeah, yeah, yeah. God knew she thought it was a complete stitch. She looked down, trying to smile, as Gunn retold the story, again, for Lorne\u2019s benefit.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo she\u2019s just layin\u2019 there, all mouth, lippin\u2019 off like the guy is getting ready to hand her flowers and not slice and dice her little body, when she announces, hey, I\u2019m not a virgin!\u201d Gunn laughed again, throwing his head back.<\/p>\n
Wesley chuckled beside him, and Lorne smiled absently down at his own plate. Fred stopped eating and looked at Cordy sympathetically. Cordelia looked at Gunn and nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did. I just threw what was left of my dignity right out there. Seems to have worked\u2026I mean, no slice and dice to be seen\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell yeah\u2026Angel and me show up to save the day for Klingons everywhere\u2026\u201d And Gunn laughed again. Cordelia felt a wave of tiredness begin to creep over her body. She was so tired of this. She drifted off, trying to ignore the chuckles of the group as they lounged around the table at the small Mexican restaurant.<\/p>\n
She looked down at her untouched plate, pushing rice around as if it would, like tea leaves, form some kind of mystical guidance message that she could use to jump her life forward to a better place. She didn\u2019t notice Angel, who had been silently watching, lean forward and clap Gunn on the back, laughing loudly.<\/p>\n
He threw a camaraderie arm around Gunn\u2019s solid shoulders and grinned, leaning over to whisper quietly, \u201claugh about that story again and I\u2019ll bleed your body dry before the sound leaves your throat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gunn sat straight up, eyes wide, and Angel grinned a dorky grin while nodding his head slightly towards Cordelia. Gunn looked past Angel at Cordy, and a dull flush spread over his face as he realized how bad Cordelia was feeling.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Cordy\u2026\u201d She looked up at him, wary. \u201cSorry about that\u2026..you\u2026.that was a crappy thing to happen to anybody. You\u2026\u201d He grinned, but without humor. \u201cYou were handling yourself fine. You\u2019re a tough cookie.\u201d Cordelia looked at him, unblinking. Gunn shifted a bit nervously. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUh. For what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe other shoe. C\u2019mon, Gunn, the joke. I\u2019m a tough cookie\u2026..who\u2019s, oh, bittersweet. I used to be pure as the driven snow. but I drifted\u2026c\u2019mon\u2026.hit me with the funny.\u201d Gunn stared at her, misery beginning to show in his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cOhhh\u2026maybe it would be funnier if Wes gave you the Klingon word for snow.\u201d Her voice began to rise. \u201cBecause god knows I haven\u2019t had enough Star Trek action to get me through the day.\u201d Angel started to say something and she threw him a dirty look. \u201cDon\u2019t even start with me. I\u2019ve been hearing it from you for two weeks now. I think \u2018stupid\u2019 is the your favorite word for me, with \u2018dumb\u2019 and my personal favorite, \u2018spacy\u2019 coming in a close second and third. Because, it\u2019s all about how stupid I am.\u201d She rose up, unaware that other diners had stopped eating and were listening in.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I\u2019m even more stupid than that because I\u2019ve been sitting here, listening to this crap like I had no choice. Ya know the really crappy thing? This wouldn\u2019t even be a huge jokefest if they had asked Wesley if HE was a virgin. Everyone would only be hootin\u2019 and hollerin\u2019 if Wesley WAS a virgin. What the fuck is that about? My lovelife, or lack of\u2026\u201d she snorted with disgust, \u201c\u2026is nothing but ammo for the humor to fly, but if I was a man\u2026boy, would this story be different.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAmen, sister!\u201d Someone called out from across the small restaurant.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou bet!\u201d Cordy was on a roll, and shook Angel\u2019s hand off as he tried to pull her back down. \u201cStop that. What\u2019s the matter? Think I might be EMBARRASSED? Think I may do something\u2026oh\u2026.STUPID?\u201d She drew in a deep breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t take this anymore! I can\u2019t do this! I\u2019m done! I don\u2019t care if I get sacrificed to appease the fashion police at US magazine. I don\u2019t care if scary demons tie me to a slab and use me for a dinner plate. Do you hear me? I don\u2019t care! Wes, hope you love this face, because you\u2019re stuck with it for 50 more years. Know why? Because I don\u2019t care!\u201d She shrieked out the last on a hysterical note and smacked her chair away before stumbling out through the restaurant into the inky night.<\/p>\n
Everyone sat at the table, frozen. Lorne sighed and leaned back, not saying a word. Wesley looked down at his plate, and Gunn hung his head and shook it slightly. \u201cMan. Just beat me with a brick now, \u2018cause I don\u2019t think I could feel worse.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked up. \u201cSorry, Wes. I don\u2019t\u2026..I didn\u2019t mean\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Wes nodded, tiredly. \u201cNo, it\u2019s ok. Well, no it\u2019s not, but the thing is\u2026you\u2019re fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fred looked over at Wes and Gunn, her face wreathed in sadness. \u201cI\u2019m a bad friend. I should be there more for her, and I\u2019ve been\u2026.just\u2026.not a friend.\u201d She looked down at her plate. \u201cI suck.\u201d And she lifted another taco to her mouth, munching as she looked off into space, depressed.<\/p>\n
Angel watched them all silently and rose up. \u201cI\u2019ll get her home. She\u2019s\u2026.having a bad time with all this. Mainly\u2026\u201d He tossed money on the table and grabbed up his coat. \u201cMainly because she needs her friends. And..\u201d He laughed, a short, angry laugh. \u201cHer friends aren\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone looked up at him, guilt on their faces, and Angel tugged his coat on. \u201cAnd I\u2019m supposed to be there for her. And I haven\u2019t been, either.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lorne spoke up, his voice low. \u201cYou can fix that, Angel. Go be there now.\u201d Angel looked at Lorne, and silent communication passed between them as Angel nodded and moved towards the door.<\/p>\n
Gunn called out after him, \u201cAngel. Yo. How\u2019re we supposed to get home?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGet a cab.\u201d Angel tossed over his shoulder. \u201cWes can translate if the driver\u2019s an alien.\u201d And he was gone out the door.<\/p>\n
He caught up with her two blocks later, trudging down the sidewalk, her head down. Angel gripped her arm and pulled her around to face him and she looked up at him, tears shimmering in her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cOk.\u201d Her voice was low. \u201cHow bad was that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel looked of into the night, thinking a bit. \u201cOh, not too bad. Wesley is getting them all home. Gunn is a quivering mass of sorry goo. Lorne\u2019s having a drink as soon as he hits home. And Fred…\u201d he paused, grinning. \u201cWell, this has hugely affected her appetite. She was only able to eat two more tacos after you left.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia sniffed and pressed her face into Angel\u2019s chest, sighing as his arms came around her solidly. \u201cThey hate me now. They used to like me, and just think I was ditzy. Now they hate me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, they don\u2019t.\u201d Angel tucked her under his chin. \u201cThey feel bad. We all feel bad. I\u2019m as sorry as they are.\u201d He stroked her back softly, staring over her head into the inky night.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy\u2026we\u2019re sorry. All of us. No one was laughing because you\u2019re not a virgin\u2026.\u201d She pulled back a little and looked up at him. \u201cC\u2019mon Cordy, I think that ship sailed a while back. No big thing. It\u2019s just you\u2026laying there, all tied up\u2026trying to talk your way out of being a sacrifice. Damn.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shuddered a bit. \u201cI think back on that, and don\u2019t know whether to laugh or cry about it. Your friends\u2026\u201d He sounded \u2018friends\u2019 out distinctly, \u201c..are in the same boat. Coulda lost you. I think they\u2019re choosing to laugh.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah. I know.\u201d Cordy\u2019s voice was muffled. \u201cI just\u2026.\u201d She sighed. \u201cI just feel so\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t say stupid.\u201d Angel ground out. \u201cYou\u2019re not. Not at all. I think I am.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy do you think you\u2019re stupid? Not that I\u2019m disagreeing with you\u2026.\u201d She grinned to herself as she felt a rumble in his chest as he laughed, a low, sexy chuckle.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I shouldn\u2019t be this angry about you being married.\u201d Cordelia stiffened in his arms. \u201cWhy do you think that is? Why do you think I\u2019ve been such a bear about this?\u201d<\/p>\n
They both stood there, silent in the night. Cordelia finally raised her head and pushed away, stepping back a little as she looked up at Angel, her eyes luminous in the moonlight.<\/p>\n
\u201cUm. I don\u2019t know.\u201d Angel held her gaze and didn\u2019t move except to push his hands into his pockets. \u201cI know we\u2019re putting you to a lot of trouble\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not the trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know this makes stuff\u2026.messy. Life, that is.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t mind a little mess.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordy threw her hands up, a laugh bordering on hysteria bubbling up from her throat. \u201cWell, damn, Angel, I don\u2019t know why my inconvenient marriage is such a thorn in your side. You tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel looked down at her, at the energy that crackled off her body as she stared up at him. He looked away and grinned to himself, meeting her gaze again.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell you what. When this is all done, when you\u2019re just Cordelia Chase again, we\u2019ll have a drink and I\u2019ll tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, like that\u2019ll happen soon.\u201d Angel took her arm while she talked and they headed back towards his car. She sniffed again. \u201cNow, apparently, I need more than references to select an attorney. I need blood samples, a family history, and a sworn statement of humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel held her hand as they crossed the street and approached his car. \u201cI found him. A real attorney. He\u2019s on the level, and has a one man office, so his case load is small. He can take care of this in about a week.\u201d He opened the passenger door for Cordy. \u201cYou and Wes have an appointment tomorrow.\u201d Cordy looked up at him, smiling slightly. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou. You\u2019re one of the good guys.\u201d She wiped at her eyes and leaned in to whisper, \u201cYou don\u2019t scare me, pal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, don\u2019t let that get around.\u201d Angel pushed her into the car and shut her door, walking around and getting in on his own side. \u201cGirl Scout Cookie time. You know I have to be rough and tough when those little girls come knocking, or I\u2019m outta control.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah. We\u2019ve still got boxes of thin mints from last year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do?\u201d Angel sounded pleased.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hid \u2018em. You and sugar, not so much.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel grinned and started the car, pulling out into traffic. Cordy looked out the window and smiled, feeling a little lighter in heart and soul. Tomorrow. She\u2019d take care of this little problem tomorrow.<\/p>\n
And then\u2026.single city. And, apparently, drinks with Angel.<\/p>\n