{"id":6526,"date":"2015-07-25T12:20:29","date_gmt":"2015-07-25T11:20:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/?p=6526"},"modified":"2015-07-25T14:31:06","modified_gmt":"2015-07-25T13:31:06","slug":"searching-for-happily-ever-after-1-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/2015\/07\/25\/searching-for-happily-ever-after-1-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Searching for Happily Ever After. 1-3"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Title: Searching for Happily Ever After<\/b><br \/>\n<b>Author: <\/b><strong>(Only) Anne<\/strong><br \/>\n<b>Posted here: <\/b><br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:anneeb3@aol.com\"><b>Email<\/b><\/a><br \/>\n<b>Rating: <\/b>R<br \/>\n<b>Category: <\/b>Action<br \/>\n<b>Content: <\/b>C\/A<br \/>\n<b>Summary: <\/b><br \/>\n<b>Spoilers: <\/b>everything up to now- but not emphasized, but may contain tidbits of spoilers.<br \/>\n<b>Disclaimer: <\/b>The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon &amp; David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made. HONORABLE MENTION: <em>The Princess Bride<\/em>&#8211; movie (Reiner\/Scheinman Production) and book &amp; screenplay- William Goldman.<br \/>\n<b>Distribution: <\/b><br \/>\n<b>Notes: <\/b><br \/>\n<b>Thanks\/Dedication:<\/b>To <b>Dave<\/b>&#8211; for his most recent unique interpretation of the C\/A dynamic. Also &#8211; Wren gets a special one for helping me so quickly&#8230;Thanks <b>Wren<\/b>, you stopped me from pulling my hair out. Thanks.<br \/>\n<b>Feedback:<\/b><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Chapter 1 <\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cordelia indulgently watched as Wesley and Gunn made fools of themselves. A small grin danced over her face. It was amusing as well as a little sad. Sad, because the young woman that they were fawning all over had no clue that they were acting like love struck little boys for her benefit.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And that sort of attention just cried out for the proper response, but Fred just didn\u2019t have it in her to make the men squirm. Cordelia wanted to do it for her, but that would probably embarrass them all. Not that Cordelia would mind embarrassing Wesley and Gunn, after all that would be the whole point, but Fred would probably get all flustered, blabbily and go hiding in her room.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And Cordelia didn\u2019t want that. After all the young woman just started to come down from her caveroom on a regular basis.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cWhat\u2019s so funny?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cordelia jumped. \u201cDon\u2019t do that.\u201d Cordelia lightly smacked Angel as he appeared suddenly next to her. \u201cI\u2019m going to have to put a bell on you. That\u2019s it, you\u2019ll be my pet vampire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cAren\u2019t I already.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cordelia rolled her eyes. \u201cBroody guy fails miserably at trying to be joke guy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel smiled in acknowledgment of his attempt at humor. Though part of him wondered whether it was really a joke. There were times that he definitely felt like Cordelia led him around on a leash and a particular short one at that. But since Cordelia didn\u2019t seem to recognize that peculiar fact, he wasn\u2019t about to give her any ideas.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was bad enough the way he couldn\u2019t have her out of his sight even for a few minutes at a time. If Cordelia even had an inkling of the power she had over him, he would be doing her laundry and cooking all of her meals. Damn\u2019t he already cooked all of her meals.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel shook his head. He only cooked for her because if he didn\u2019t Cordelia would never eat. The young woman never kept any food at her apartment except peanut butter. And he had to be near Cordelia because she kept getting into dangerous situations. He had just almost lost her- again. How was he supposed to keep her safe when she kept getting sucked into other dimensions and attacked by freaky brain hijackers, not to mention the whole Vocah horror of over a year ago and every other dangerous situation she had been since.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">She was driving him insane with worry. But at least everything seemed okay now. Angel sighed. Until the next time. Oh well, he would just have to enjoy this relative peace and just make extra careful that there wouldn\u2019t be a next time. He wasn\u2019t sure he could take it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cNow what\u2019s got you so broody all of a sudden? The joke wasn\u2019t that bad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cI\u2019m not broody. And I asked you first. What\u2019s so funny?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cordelia pointed.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel looked over at Wesley, Gunn and Fred. \u201cThat\u2019s funny? I think it\u2019s good that Fred is leaving her room. Your talks with her must have helped. I did tell you thank you, right?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cYes and it is good. But that\u2019s not what\u2019s funny. Look at them, they\u2019re acting like little boys trying to win the attention of the cute girl on the playground. Pretty soon, they\u2019ll be passing her notes and carrying her books.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cUh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cJeez, but I guess you didn\u2019t have much opportunity to walk a girl home from school or make an ass out of yourself trying to woo the girl in 18th century Ireland, uh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThey&#8217;re interested in her?\u201d Ignoring her jibe.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cDuh\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel looked again. Wesley and Gunn did seem to be paying a lot of attention to Fred lately. He had thought they were just trying to help her get accumulated. Oh well. He wasn\u2019t worried. Wesley was definitely trustworthy. And while Gunn still had some issues with Angel, the young black man wouldn\u2019t do anything to put Fred in danger. Not after the incident in Caritas, anyway.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cPromise me, that if they resort to name calling and a duel to the death at dawn, you\u2019ll put a stop to it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cA duel?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cSure, you know, a duel- the stupid ancient macho invention to win the lady fair.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cOh. Sort of like I did with Groosalugg.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cPlease.\u201d Cordelia shook her head. She looked back and sighed. \u201cYou know, I miss that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cPlyea?\u201d Angel wasn\u2019t even about to suggest that she missed Groo.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cNo, stupid. The attention of good looking men.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cYou think Wesley and Gunn are good-looking?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cSure, but I\u2019ll deny it.\u201d Cordelia giggled and then sighed. \u201cAh, those were the days. You know there was a time that men used to look at me like that, do silly stuff for me, you know pay attention to me.\u201d She said.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cI pay attention to you.\u201d Angel looked puzzled and a bit hurt.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cYou do amazingly brave and selfless acts to save me. Which is definitely appreciated, but I\u2019m talking about that.\u201d She pointed again. Wesley and Gunn were nudging each other out of the way to get Fred a piece of paper to write on.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cI cook for you.\u201d Angel had to stop himself from whining.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cordelia turned and smiled brightly. \u201cYou cook for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel had to stop himself from blurting out that he didn\u2019t. He cooked for Cordelia. He couldn\u2019t help it everyone else mooched. Well, Fred didn\u2019t, but the young woman still had problems remembering to turn the stove off. He started cooking for her after the kitchen went up flames when she tried to boil water.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cYou know, I think Wes may have the advantage though. He was quite the protector at Caritas. You better be careful. Wes just maybe putting a dent in your hero armor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cUh.\u201d Angel barely heard what she said. Angel paid attention to Cordelia. Hell, she was practically the whole focus of his attention, except when there was demon or evil to fight providing of course she was safely away from that fight. He did pay attention to Cordelia, he did.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d Cordelia gave a teasing smile. \u201cYou may be losing a worshipper.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cUH.\u201d Angel really didn\u2019t understand a word that Cordelia was saying. He did pay attention to her. What else did she want? He looked back over at Wesley and Gunn. Now the two were scrambling to get Fred a pen. Angel could do that. Well, he couldn\u2019t when Cordelia had a vision. It was more important to make sure she was okay and comfortable. Wesley would have to keep getting the pen and paper under those circumstances.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cFred\u2019s crush, silly.\u201d Cordelia laughed at Angel\u2019s perplexed expression. \u201cYou are clueless. Fred has a crush on you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cShe does not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cDoes too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cDoes not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThis could go on all night. Trust me on this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cBut\u2026do something.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cUh,\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cTalk to her. I don\u2019t want her to have a crush on me. Why would she have a crush on me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cGee, I don\u2019t know maybe because you\u2019ve saved her, been nice to her, gave her free room and board, and happen to be a very handsome guy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cYou think I\u2019m handsome?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cNot me. Fred.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cOh all aright, I think you\u2019re cute too. But I\u2019ll deny it.\u201d She gave him a bright smile.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel couldn\u2019t help it he smiled back. Her smiles were infectious. But just \u2018cute\u2019? Why didn\u2019t Cordelia think he was handsome? Actually, why did he care if Cordelia thought he was handsome? He was getting a headache.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cUm Cordelia I don\u2019t want Fred to have a crush on me. Do something.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cordelia rolled her eyes. \u201cNot my job. Yours.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel shook his head.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cOh don\u2019t worry, I think the worse of it is over. And anyway, Wesley and Gunn are doing their best trying to divert her.\u201d Cordelia sighed again. \u201cOh, Angel, I left some of my more demon dirty clothes upstairs, could you maybe wash them for me. I mean, not right now but when you do laundry.\u201d She smiled brightly.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel didn\u2019t even realize that he nodded until she left the room. Damn\u2019t. Angel pulled at his shirt to see if the leash was in fact real.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Chapter 2 <\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel looked happily at the piece of paper in his hand. He looked again at his score. He would show it to Cordelia. The test showed that he was a good boyfriend. Granted he had to ignore a lot of the questions because they dealt with pleasuring the girlfriend.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">But he did well on the others. He was attentive and listened. Angel slammed down the magazine. What was he doing? He wasn\u2019t Cordelia\u2019s boyfriend. He was Cordelia\u2019s friend. But, still, attentive and listening were good qualities in a friend. Weren\u2019t they? She was driving him crazy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cYou\u2019re wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel scrambled to shove the Comos magazine and piece of paper into a drawer. \u201cI am?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cYou did my laundry and even folded it. Thank you.\u201d Cordelia beamed and sat on the corner of the desk. \u201cWho would\u2019ve thought my big bad vampire was such a great domestic. Not a spot left.\u201d She paused, glancing down and raising a brow. \u201cUm, Angel laundry and cooking are great, but why are you reading my Mademoiselle and Woman\u2019s Day?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cUm,\u201d Angel shoved the magazines aside. \u201cRecipes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cCool. Any good ones?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel shrugged. The recipes were okay, but the articles on how to please a woman had been useless. Their advice seemed to center on the bedroom. Not particularly helpful to him. All he wanted was to know how to give Cordelia more attention.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cWesley and Gunn want to take Fred to the movies. Do you want to go?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cAre you going?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cI haven\u2019t decided yet. I don\u2019t have anything else to do. But the last time I went I had a vision. Kind of ruined it for my date and me. He never called again. I guess he was embarrassed. Just left me there wriggling on the floor. And he was embarrassed? Jerk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cDate? When was this? Why didn\u2019t I know? Where was I? You don\u2019t date.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cDon\u2019t rub it in. But, yes occasionally, during a blue moon, I get asked out. It was just some guy I met at the gym. You were at the monastery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cWesley let you go? Did Wesley meet him? Did he check him out?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cWhoa, dad. I\u2019m fine. No demon spawn to report and yes Wesley met him. He was a jerk, not an evil thing. So, do you want to go?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cGo where?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cTo the movies. Geez, what\u2019s up with you, lately? You haven\u2019t been taken over by a dense old guy, have you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cAre you going?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cI told you vision embarrassment?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cIf you have one, I\u2019d have to miss the movie anyway. So, go. I\u2019ll make sure you don\u2019t end up on the floor, promise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cordelia smiled patting his hand. \u201cYou do catch me don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cI try.\u201d Angel rested his hand over hers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cYou do. Okay, let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel stood his hand coming up and resting on her shoulder. \u201cSo what\u2019s the movie?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThe Princess Bride.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel looked questioningly at Cordelia.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThe man in black goes through dangerous obstacles, horrible torture to save the princess.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThat\u2019s a movie?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cIt\u2019s a fairytale. Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles. It has it all.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel looked skeptical. It still sounded an awful lot like a day in the life of Angel\u2019s Investigations.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">***<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The members of Angel Investigations left the hotel and piled into the Plymouth. Cordelia went to climb in the back with Fred, but Wesley beat her to it. Cordelia rolled her eyes at Angel and got in the front.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel smiled. Once Cordelia pointed it out to him it was obvious. He glanced in the rearview mirror. Fred was chattering excitedly about the movie while Gunn and Wesley hung on her every word.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">None of the occupants of the vehicle noticed the dark figure watching from across the street.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Chapter 3 <\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cInconceivable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cHave fun storming the castle\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cI am the dread Pirate Roberts.\u201d Gunn stalked towards Fred. The young woman squealed in delight.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cordelia groaned. \u201cStop them, please.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cI don\u2019t think I can. I think our only choice is to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cBut this is my office, too. And it\u2019s your home. It\u2019s not fair. Make them leave.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cI can\u2019t bodily throw them out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cCordy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cOh alright. Let\u2019s take these books upstairs.\u201d Cordelia threw up hands to her ears to block out Wesley and Gunn\u2019s continual recitation of the movies lines.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">They both figured out quickly that every time they quoted the movie Fred would break out in hysterical giggles. So, they had been repeating the lines non-stop ever since they left theater, each trying to top one another.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cordelia was seriously beginning to hate one of her favorite movies. She was definitely coming close to hating her friends. They were getting on her nerves.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cMawidge is a dweam wiffin a dweam.\u201d Gunn said.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.\u201d Wesley took a fighting stance in front a teary-eyed Fred.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cAngel, don\u2019t forget the file.\u201d Her hands still over her head. Cordelia moved quickly to the stairs to get away from the mini reenactment going on the lobby.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cAs you wish.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cWhat?\u201d Cordelia brought down her hands.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cI got it.\u201d Angel said.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cordelia scrunched up her face. She could have sworn Angel had said \u2018As you wish\u2019. He better not start quoting the movie too.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">***<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel and Cordelia sat quietly going over their new case. It wasn\u2019t a real difficult one. It was just a matter of narrowing down which of LA\u2019s many septic tanks the Vesta demon chose to nest in.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cYou didn\u2019t like the movie?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cUh?\u201d Cordelia looked up from the map she was marking.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThe movie? You didn\u2019t like it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cI love that movie. I just like it on the screen not the bad imitations being played out downstairs. What is it with guys memorizing movie lines? Xander knew all of the words to Dumber and Dumber. I mean it was a stupid movie, why would you want to know the words, much less hear them over and over again.\u201d Cordelia shuddered.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel decided to ignore her reference to Xander. He still couldn\u2019t figure out what Cordelia had seen in him.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cWhat\u2019s there not to love about \u201cThe Princess Bride\u201d? You got a sexy man in black fighting to save his true love. He withstood the \u2018Machine\u2019 and beat the bad guy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cHe died.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cWesley, not our Wesley, but the sexy fictional one, was only sort of dead. Kind of like you. You&#8217;re undead, which is sort of dead or is it sort of alive?\u201d Cordelia scrunched up her face. \u201cAnyway, it was about true love conquering all. Something every one wants to believe in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cDo you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cNo. But that\u2019s why it\u2019s a fairytale because true love doesn&#8217;t conquer all. If that had been real life. Wesley wouldn\u2019t have come back for Buttercup; he would\u2019ve probably shacked up with one of the many women he found in the ports. Or if he did come back, he sure wouldn\u2019t go through the fire swamp or torture. Face it; there just aren\u2019t that many heroes out there. I mean sure, you\u2019re one, but you\u2019re special. There aren\u2019t many guys out there like you.\u201d She scrunched up her face again.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cActually, I guess you\u2019re the only \u2018grr\u2019 guy out there with a soul. See, special.\u201d She nodded emphasizing her point. \u201cAnyway, even if by some weird chance Wesley did go back for Buttercup and did face those obstacles to save her, and they did get married, they would have been split in 2-3 years tops. That\u2019s why the movie ended with the kiss that left all the others behind. Because everything after sucked. Nope, \u2018And they lived happily ever after\u2019 is stuff of fairytales and storybooks. True love, yeah right.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cTrue love is real.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cordelia looked understandingly at Angel. \u201cI\u2019ll grant you that your love for Buffy could be classified as true love, but the happy ending\u2026Oh, Angel.\u201d Cordelia scooted over and knelt before the vampire. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I shouldn\u2019t have said that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThat\u2019s not what\u2026.never mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cAngel, I am sorry. It wasn\u2019t that you didn\u2019t love Buffy enough, it was just that stuff got in the way.\u201d Cordelia waved her hand in the air.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cI\u2019m sure that if there hadn\u2019t been the whole slaying thing and stupid curse thing, you two could have had the happy ending even before you shansued. Who knows if the shu prophecy happens sooner than later, it still might. I mean she\u2019s not dead anymore, so who knows. Maybe just this once true love will win out.\u201d She smiled reassuringly at the vampire.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel gently brushed at Cordelia\u2019s hair. He knew that there was not going to be a \u2018happily ever after\u2019 with Buffy, even if she was alive now. Seeing her again had just confirmed what he had begun to suspect when he realized that he could move on from her death.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Their love had been strong, blinding and furious, and at the time true, and in away it still was- he would always love the young woman that taught him to love- but it wasn\u2019t true enough to allow for a happy ending. Because he had changed and so had she. The love may be still there, but the need wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">When Angel saw Buffy, she had been more beautiful than ever, her experiences had matured her and turned her into a heartbreaking young woman. His non-beating heart had lurched when he had seen her, but he knew now that it was more because he had come face to face with a dream that he once had, not the reality he needed or wanted.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Angel needed more than a dream; he needed real friendship, real companionship, and real acceptance.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Things he hadn\u2019t gotten with Buffy, things he didn\u2019t even know he had needed at the time. With Buffy he had been a vampire first, a vampire that she loved against her instincts and better judgment. Cordelia however thought of him as a man, a friend and a vampire, the last almost being an afterthought. Angel looked at the regretful woman staring at him. Angel smiled.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">He truly did need the things that she gave him; they were things he couldn\u2019t lose. Those were what made Cordelia so important to him.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cAngel?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThis is silly, it was just a movie.\u201d He pulled her up to sit beside him.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cI upset you. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cNo. There maybe a happy ending for me, some day, maybe, but it won\u2019t be with Buffy. That time has come and gone, not because we didn\u2019t love each other but because of stuff, as you so correctly said. I am really okay. But, Cordy I don\u2019t want you to give up that dream, I don\u2019t want you to give up \u2018true love\u2019 or your chance at a happy ending.\u201c<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cordelia arched a brow. \u201cAngel. Be realistic. Vision girl. They may have called me a Princess in Plyea, but I\u2019m not one. There will be no knight on a white charger to rescue me. I\u2019ll just have to leave it to you to keep saving me. And that works for me.\u201c<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cYou said you miss the attention.&#8221; Angel still wasn&#8217;t sure what type of attention she needed. Wesley and Gunn were acting like idiots. She wanted some guy to get all idiotic on her? That didn&#8217;t make sense.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cI do. Give me break. There still is \u2018girl\u2019 in Vision girl. But hey, having friends, especially ones that jump through portals to save me, and a particular one that cooks and does my laundry isn\u2019t something to scoff at. Are we okay?\u201d Cordelia was still concerned that she had upset him.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cBetter than okay. And you didn\u2019t upset me. Now lets find that demon\u2019s lair. And then I\u2019ll fix you something to eat. The Player\u2019s troupe downstairs has to be almost finished with their show.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cOne can only hope.\u201d Cordelia smiled brightly and went back to her map.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/2015\/07\/25\/searching-for-happily-ever-after-4-6\/\">Chapter 4<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Title: Searching for Happily Ever After Author: (Only) Anne Posted here: Email Rating: R Category: Action Content: C\/A Summary: Spoilers: everything up to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-completed-fics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6526","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6526"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6526\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}