Part 20<\/b><\/p>\n
Angelus stumbled towards the high school, kicking opening the front door, heading for the basement, once safely sheltered in the blackness, he rested.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Angelus ran jerkily towards an alley, kicking open a side door of an abandoned building searching for a place to heal.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Buffy ran home gulping down her tears and immediately getting on the phone with Willow.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Cordelia looked around at the dreary cavern. \u201cSo, we\u2019ll be safe here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s almost daylight.\u201d Angel scanned the cave once again. \u201cNo one\u2019s here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGee, can\u2019t see why, it\u2019s so lovely.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy,\u201d Angel commented.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, if it\u2019s safe, its beautiful that\u2019s all I\u2019m saying.\u201d She brushed at the grime on a stone and sat.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou won\u2019t be here for long.\u201d Angel pulled at the orb from his pocket, relieved that it was still in one piece.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s that for?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe soul spell.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUm, Angel, those words don\u2019t go well together, soul- spell, they just don\u2019t give me a warm and fuzzy feeling. Spell, soul, magic leads to mess-ups and bad stuff. A third Angelus running around would be a bad thing. Why do we need a soul spell?”<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not for me, for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMe?\u201d Cordelia squeaked. \u201cWhy do I need a soul spell?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause, Wesley figured it out. Wolfram & Hart transported your soul. That\u2019s why you\u2019re in your 17 year old body.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cI really hate them.\u201d She shrugged in frustration at not being able to smack a few lawyers around. \u201cOkay, so this soul spell will get my soul back to where it belongs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel nodded. \u201cWesley gave me the spell. Once your soul is in this,\u201d he raised the orb, \u201cI\u2019ll open the time portal, and send it through. Wesley says all he has to do is break it, your soul will go straight to your body, and you\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy body? Where is it? Wolfram and Hart don\u2019t have it do they? They better not being doing anything weird or icky too it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s safe at the Hyperion.\u201d Angel reassured the young woman.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, okay.\u201d Cordelia scrunched up her face again. \u201cI thought that the Portal had to be opened from our present.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems Fred has been studying the equations of the old spell. Wesley was able to use what she learned to devise a return spell.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia smiled at the braininess of her friends. \u201cHey, what happens to me?\u201d She pointed down at her younger body.<\/p>\n
\u201cWesley said that once your future soul leaves, all would be back to normal, soul, memory, minus this interruption, of course. All would be righted along with everything else. \u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about Angelus of 1898?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter you\u2019re safe, I\u2019ll go after him and send him back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia stared at the vampire,\u201d After I GO back,\u201d she raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want you away from him, from both of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Angel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not arguing about this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho\u2019s arguing, I\u2019m making sense, you aren\u2019t. Angel, you send my future soul back, I won\u2019t be away from either Angelus, I\u2019ll still be here, and at a disadvantage because I won\u2019t know what\u2019s going on, neither of the Angelus’ care what soul they kill. And, you won\u2019t be able to explain it to me, one I won\u2019t listen because to my 17 year old self you will be Angelus and two, I can\u2019t know because if I did I\u2019d run straight for Buffy and the Scoobies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel scowled knowing she was right but hating it. \u201cI\u2019ll just do the time portal spell, you\u2019re soul and 17 year old \u2018self\u2019 will be safe in 2002. When its over we\u2019ll send the teenager you back,\u201d he answered, satisfied with his alternative to Cordelia\u2019s arguments.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel, that\u2019s stupid. You\u2019ll need my help. And Wesley, Gunn, and Fred would never forgive you for subjecting them to a freaked out 17 year old me. I wouldn\u2019t forgive you, I\u2019d have to bitch slap myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou weren\u2019t that bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia rolled her eyes. Wow. Love was truly blind even in memories. \u201cTry another plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy,\u201d Angel tried.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Angel. And its just not Angelus 1 that we have to worry about, there\u2019s Angelus 2.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAngelus 1, 2?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo have a better way of keeping them straight. Angelus of \u2018now\u2019 and \u2018past\u2019 Angelus was confusing and way cumbersome, should\u2019ve thought of it earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel shook his head. \u201cCordy, both Angelus came to your house, Angelus, um, 2, was obsessed with Buffy not you, you said in your letter that your plan to keep it that way failed. What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat had been my plan,\u201d Cordelia insisted in a slightly defensiveness manner. \u201cBut, I\u2026it wasn\u2019t my fault, it was the stupid Powers fault.\u201d She explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Powers?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia rolled her eyes. \u201cI had a vision, do you believe it? Like there wasn\u2019t enough to worry about.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA vision? Are you all right? You didn\u2019t have the potion.\u201d Angel\u2019s eyes urgently scanned her face and body, looking for any signs of distress that some how he failed to notice when he had previously examined every inch of her body with his hands and lips.<\/p>\n
Cordelia brushed off his concern. \u201cMom has some killer drugs stashed away, I was okay. But, I had to go out at night and save the victims.\u201d Cordelia didn\u2019t like the vampire\u2019s sudden silence or his glare. \u201cAngel, I had too, what else was I going to, I couldn\u2019t go to Buffy, you weren\u2019t here. I couldn\u2019t let them die.\u201d She rushed, her tone completely defensive.<\/p>\n
Angel blinked rubbing his forehead, the action used to calm his anger. Anger was not productive. Cordelia was safe. \u201cTell me.\u201d He said in manufactured calmness.<\/p>\n
Cordelia scrunched up her face at the vampire, his tone wasn\u2019t much better than his glare. \u201cWell, two vampires in the cemetery getting ready to ruin some kids make out session. I got there in time, you should’ve of seen it. One of the vampires grabbed me from behind and I used the kick you taught me, \u201c Cordelia demonstrated her move, swinging and kicking high, just in case Angel didn\u2019t remember. “Then I hit him,\u201d she mimicked the rest of the fight, \u201cI did it. Dust bunnies.\u201d She nodded.<\/p>\n
Angel nodded, interrupting the young woman\u2019s proud demonstration. \u201cAnd while you were patting your self on the back,\u201d he said slowly without any inflection in his voice, “the other vampire, was where?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia frowned. \u201cHe tackled me. But, I was holding my own. I was.\u201d She claimed at Angel\u2019s steady stare. \u201cWell, I would\u2019ve but, he saw your marks and then freaked and went all-sorry this sorry that and well, I staked him. Why didn\u2019t you tell me these things,\u201d she pointed to her neck, \u201c act as vamp repellant. How\u2019d he know they were yours, well actually, he thought they were Angelus 2\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel covered his face. \u201cThe vampire got close enough to biting you to scent them? Is that what you call holding your own?\u201d He was going to have to tie her to his waist or lock her in their room. She was too reckless. Cordelia was giving him ulcers or would if he could get them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2026he could smell that they were yours, weird,\u201d deciding to ignore Angel\u2019s angry question. \u201cIs there some sort of database, you know identifying vampires by smell. That\u2019s a lot weird and just a little bit creepy, but cool.\u201d She nodded encouraging the vampire to speak.<\/p>\n
Angel really didn\u2019t want to have this conversation with the young woman that was now trying smell the marks on her neck.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordelia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordy jerked her head up. \u201cHow does it work?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel sighed, resigned to the fact that she would not continue with her story until he explained. \u201cI don\u2019t know the physiology of how it works. All I know, all vampires know, is that a mark is different than a just a bite, a mark incorporates the vampire scent into the wounds, warning others that the prop\u2026the person is claimed. A vampire sensing such marks, may not be able to identify the scent by name, but will be able to know the strength, age, etc. of the one that made them, then if and only if, the vampire is concerned with being able to fight and win against that other vampire, will he leave the person alone. So, you see, Cordy, it\u2019s not a vamp repellant if the vampire that is trying to kill you is arrogant or stupid enough not to know that I wouldn\u2019t tear them apart for touching you. It\u2019s not a guarantee of anything, that\u2019s why I didn\u2019t tell you, because you would think of them as some sorta free pass.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia considered, a smile breaking out over her face. \u201cPooh, you\u2019re the bestest and strongest vampire out there. That other vampire ran like a chicken.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel wouldn\u2019t let the warm glow of her confident praise deter him. \u201cThat\u2019s because he identified you as belonging to Angelus, here in Sunnydale at this time, the only vampires that are close to my age or\u2026. viciousness are Dru and Spike.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, they would\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know. Un souled, they would never go against me, but with a soul, they\u2019d be less respectful of my mark. But it doesn\u2019t matter because you aren\u2019t getting near either of them. Now, you were explaining how Angelus 2 noticed you.\u201d Angel signaled the end to that conversation with a long burdened shake of his head.<\/p>\n
Cordelia sighed, knowing she got as much as she would from the vampire. \u201cAngelus 2 was there. He saw the fight and the scaredy vamp. He wanted to know what vampire marked me. I didn\u2019t tell him. And then I did a couple things that might have made him mad,\u201d shrugging.<\/p>\n
Angel cringed knowing perfectly well that Angelus just didn\u2019t politely ask Cordy questions. \u201cWhat did he do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReally, just asked, little forcibly okay, but I wasn\u2019t hurt or anything. He was though.\u201d Cordelia reassured.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d Angel knew he didn\u2019t want to hear it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI kicked him in the nuts, then chopped him, just like you taught me,\u201d she snapped the sides of her palms in the air.<\/p>\n
Angel groaned. That would\u2019ve certainly gotten Angelus\u2019 notice. \u201cThat\u2019s it? You said you were with him in my old apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was later. See, I still thought it would maybe okay, but the Scoobies showed up and I couldn\u2019t let Buffy get to him, she may have killed him, I wasn\u2019t sure. Usually, she screwed up with Angelus, but he was still kind of stunned, you said it would give me 3 seconds, but it was it was at least 5. So, I told him to run and I sorta of screamed into Buffy\u2019s arms. I was really convincing,\u201d she assured.<\/p>\n
Angel refused to let his growl emerge. He took a deep breath. \u201cYou saved him. That would definitely get you noticed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I did figure I messed up, but what else was I supposed to do. That\u2019s when I pretty much decided just to leave Sunnydale and hide out in LA and wait. So, I was probably a little too talkative when he showed up at my window later that night.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, not you. I don\u2019t believe it.\u201d Angel groaned shaking his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey.\u201d Cordelia narrowed her eyes. \u201cWell, it could\u2019ve worked but then I had another stupid vision the next day. So, I had\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou went out, knowing that both Angelus\u2019 were waiting for you.\u201d Angel was getting an uncharacteristic tick in his left eye, along with a burning in his stomach. Oh my god. Cordelia had done it she gave him warmth, the illusion of life, and the health issues that went along with it. He groaned again.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I didn\u2019t know about Angelus 1 yet and Xander had called and said that Buffy had run into Angelus 2 after he left me and she beat him up. He said that Angelus went limping and bleeding off, that he be out of the picture for a while. Pfft, wrong, he looked okay to me, leaping up on buildings, doing all sorts of vamp stuff all while carrying me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBack up. Explain.\u201d Angel tried to ignore the churning in his stomach. It wasn\u2019t real.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, after I killed the vampires, and saved the little boy, Angelus 1 showed up.\u201d Cordelia bit her lip and took a quick look at the vampire. \u201cAnyway, Angelus 2 kind of saved me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not telling me everything,\u201d he growled, the symptoms of his imaginary medical maladies disappearing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe important stuff I am.\u201d Cordelia insisted. She refused to tell Angel about the little boy\u2019s fate at Angelus\u2019 hands. \u201c Anyway, I ended up with Angelus 2 in your old apartment. At first, I thought it was you, I mean, who would\u2019ve thought that Angelus would save me, and he did try to pass it off. But, he couldn\u2019t and I double bluffed him and escaped.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he kissed you?\u201d Angel was about to hit something.<\/p>\n
Cordelia nodded. “And red shirt and leather pants. His wardrobe choices just screamed out evil \u2018grr\u2019 guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd during the kiss,\u201d Angel choked on his growl. \u201cThe marks?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia shrugged. \u201cMaybe he just smelled an old mean vampire?\u201d Cordelia said hopefully. She shrugged again in resignation.<\/p>\n
\u201cDamn.\u201d Angel let his growl out blocking any other more violent reactions. \u201cAs disturbing as that was, it still doesn\u2019t explain why they were both together.\u201d<\/p>\n
“Eww.\u201d Cordelia\u2018s mind going back to her bedroom and the creepy feeling of having both evil vampires watching her and Angel make love.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey should be trying to kill each other\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, Angelus 1, did say he\u2019d kill Angelus 2,\u201d Cordelia added helpfully.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, that\u2019s to be expected and for Angelus\u20262 to want to kill 1, but them together, doesn\u2019t make sense.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy? Sure, it\u2019s weird, but why are you so blown out about it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel stared at Cordelia. \u201cBecause they are me, and I want to kill both of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause they’re Angelus, your trip to the dark side. But, maybe they\u2019ve bonded in an evil lack of soul way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I want them to die, because they threaten you, they are trying to take away what is mine. There is no way that either Angelus would be able to let the other survive. This isn\u2019t about a soul or lack of one, it\u2019s purely what is. You are mine, they think the same way.\u201d Angel growled.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Angel.\u201d Cordelia walked up to the vampire, gentling cupping his tense jaw. \u201cIt has every thing to do with your soul, these,\u201d she brushed at the marks,\u201d are here because of your soul.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy,\u201d Angel shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel, look at me, I\u2019m 17. I don\u2019t have the scar on my stomach, I don\u2019t have my tattoo, but I do have these. You say that my soul was transported back, well so were these, evidence of my love and trust in you, not something I would give Angelus. You may be the vampire that was Angelus, but you are Angel now. You may have the instincts, the needs, but you are who you\u2019ve become because of your soul. That\u2019s who I love, I\u2019ll accept the part of you that was Angelus, and I\u2019ll accept the demon that you are, but I only accept it because of the compassion, goodness and love that resides along side that demon. If you could tell me that Angelus could give me those things then I’d take you all to my bed and my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel growled.<\/p>\n
Cordelia cocked a brow and laughed. \u201cOkay, I\u2019d only take you as Angelus, I like layers, the others are way too limited.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel shook his head grumbling. \u201cThis is stupid conversation.\u201d He grabbed a hold of the young woman pulling her close. \u201cI love you, Cordelia Chase.\u201d He nuzzled into her neck, fighting the urge to claim her again.<\/p>\n
Cordelia leaned back up, her hands going back to his face. \u201cYou really are an insecure vampire aren\u2019t you?\u201d She smiled, licking her lips. \u201cIt will dawn soon, no way to do anything now.\u201d She kissed his lips gently. \u201cI\u2019ve never made love in a cave before,\u201d she whispered running her tongue along his bottom lip.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s dirty,\u201d he growled, holding her waist, straddling her legs around his lap.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s probably why.\u201d She kissed him again, pushing him back slightly, \u201cYou\u2019ll just have to keep me off the grime.\u201d She leaned up, taking off her shirt.<\/p>\n
Angel leaned back further making sure that his body was between Cordy\u2019s and the rocks at all times, as he thrust into her love and sipped at her blood.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Angelus groaned, stretching as he stood in the basement of the high school. He lifted his red silk shirt, studying his healing wounds. Better, much better, but not perfect, but Angelus wasn\u2019t worried, he could accomplish what he came there for.<\/p>\n
Angelus entered into the school\u2019s main hallway, his normally stealth footsteps echoed in between the lockers the sound amplified by the emptiness created by the Saturday morning. Angelus pushed open the library doors, half expecting Buffy\u2019s watcher to wander out of his office. Angelus frowned, the uptight British stiff must have gotten a life. It would\u2019ve been convenient if the watcher had been there. He could\u2019ve gotten some information and blood.<\/p>\n
Angelus rifled through the books that populated Giles\u2019s small office. He threw down the last in disgust. Angelus ventured to the aisles of books in the main room. Fiction. He scanned the books quickly. Nothing, but fantasies.<\/p>\n
This was useless. Angelus tried one more avenue of information. He stood behind the computer recalling Buffy\u2019s little redhead sidekicks\u2019 actions to access the secrets of the Internet.<\/p>\n
Angelus hit on site after site all focusing on time travel, some more fanciful than the fiction he had just read, some couched in mathematical promises of success\u2026.if the universe worked that way.<\/p>\n
Angelus shut down the computer. Okay. It was pretty much unanimous time travel was impossible, except Angelus knew that to be false because he just fought his past self and saw his future souled self. Accepting that, Angelus of the past was right.<\/p>\n
He couldn\u2019t die. Angelus swung crashing the computer to the floor. That really pissed him off. Nothing in Giles\u2019s books or the computer gave him a fuckin clue how to get rid of the past Angelus.<\/p>\n
The vampire leaned up against the counter. The souled freak wouldn\u2019t be here if he didn\u2019t know that way. That meant he had to get Angel to tell him. Once Angelus was gone, he could kill the soul and take the girl.<\/p>\n
Against every instinct and desire, Angelus left the school trying to figure out a way to get the soul to cooperate before killing him. Angelus frowned, he knew the soul, after all he had been him, and well, Angelus didn\u2019t have any weakness.<\/p>\n
Angelus smiled, he didn\u2019t have any, but the soul had plenty, starting with the big \u2018L\u2019 word. Hell, souled he compromised plenty of his demon\u2019s needs. This one couldn\u2019t be that different.<\/p>\n