{"id":7568,"date":"2015-10-30T13:37:45","date_gmt":"2015-10-30T13:37:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/?p=7568"},"modified":"2015-10-30T13:38:21","modified_gmt":"2015-10-30T13:38:21","slug":"ghost-hunting-cordelia-chase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/2015\/10\/30\/ghost-hunting-cordelia-chase\/","title":{"rendered":"Ghost Hunting Cordelia Chase"},"content":{"rendered":"

Title: Ghost Hunting Cordelia Chase.<\/b>
\nAuthor: Samsom<\/b>
\nPosted: <\/b>
\nEmail<\/a><\/b>
\nRating: <\/b>R for language and a vampire\u2019s sense of smell.
\nContent: <\/b>C\/A subtext. B\/A cannon… read Notes.
\nCategory: <\/b>
\nSummary: <\/b>On Halloween Ghost Hunters<\/i> comes to town and Cordelia is everyone\u2019s choice for bait.
\nSpoilers: <\/b>s2 BtVS.
\nDisclaimer: <\/b>Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
\nDistribution: <\/b>Just ask
\nNotes: <\/b>This is set AU, in place of the Halloween episode we saw in s2 BtVS. Emphasis on the C\/A subtext, and a little bit of canon B\/A but it\u2019s barely noticeable. Since I\u2019ve seen very few episodes of Ghost Hunters, liberties were no doubt taken.
\nThanks\/Dedication: <\/b>Thanks, always, to Damnskippy<\/b><\/em>, for her encouragement and her mad beta skills. She makes the very short list of people whom I strive to be like creatively.
\nFeedback:<\/b> Yes please.<\/p>\n

\n

\n

Okay, The Atlantic Paranormal Society is going to California this Halloween, to investigate a small town two hours up from LA. There have been rumors for years about this town, Grant, and we\u2019re going to set up downtown, a hot bed of activity from what we understand, and see if we can get some good stuff, and maybe debunk some others. Ready, guy?<\/i><\/p>\n

Ready, Jason.<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Halloween. Something\u2019s bound to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rooting through the potato chip bag for crumbs, Grant smiles without a lot of real humor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe town\u2019s haunted, right? That\u2019s what the contact said. Graveyards with more traffic than the Beltway in DC, a high school reputed to be on the mouth of hell and deformed demons buying munchies at the 7-Eleven? So what have we seen in the six hours we\u2019ve been here on Halloween night? Bupkus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Licking the salt off his fingers, he tosses the bag away and adjusts his headset.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a waste of electricity,\u201d he finishes, slumping down in the passenger seat of their tricked out van.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoa, there\u2019s something,\u201d Jason mutters in appreciation.<\/p>\n

Grant stretches his head up and peers out of the windshield.<\/p>\n

A girl climbs out of a candy apple red sports car with an intriguing vanity plate, and straightens up with practiced ease, smoothing the skirt of her uniform over the finest ass Grant had seen since Gracie bent over to pick up the trash yesterday morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cA cheerleader. Now that\u2019s some sharp eyes on you partner.\u201d He drawls, preparing to close his own peepers instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, dude, check out the guy behind the coffee house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finger pointing out, he gestures to a dark figure lurking behind a public trashcan along the tree lined sidewalk. Grant looks again, his gaze sharpening in professional curiosity.<\/p>\n

Paler than the moon above their heads, and still in a way Grant is not used to seeing in the living, the man\u2019s hands are clasped together as he keeps his eyes on the cheerleader striding into the Expresso Pump.<\/p>\n

Too far away to see the expression on the stranger\u2019s face, Grant follows his finely honed \u2018what the fuck is that\u2019 instinct and picks up the digital thermometer and fires it up, making sweeping motions across the downtown tableau outside their van.<\/p>\n

Everything is registering a heat signature but the figure in the black coat.<\/p>\n

\u201cFuck,\u201d he says succinctly. \u201cI think we have something.\u201d<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

A few minutes later, the equipment in the van is up and running and Jason has fifty pieces of hardware aimed at the figure in the distance.<\/p>\n

The cheerleader comes out of the coffee house holding onto a container with four coffees and a box Grant assumes contains doughnuts or biscotti or whatever the coffee crowd is paying too much money for this week.<\/p>\n

The man with no body heat steps slowly toward her and Grant tenses, wondering if he needs to jump out of the van. He\u2019s fairly certain the man is not human since he\u2019s not registering on any of their equipment and the girl appears to be oblivious.<\/p>\n

Until she swings her head to the side and sees him.<\/p>\n

Ponytail whipping against her neck, she glares for a second before turning a smile on him that threatens to blow out their infrared scanner.<\/p>\n

Goddamn, he can see the glow of her teeth from thirty feet away.<\/p>\n

The figure pauses now that he\u2019s been spotted and then extends his hand offering, Grant presumes, his help with her load. She shakes her head, though, and moves her lips in thanks. Moving to her car, the man watches her go, an unreadable expression darkening his eyes.<\/p>\n

After the cheerleader stores her stuff in the car under the man\u2019s watchful observation, she waves lightly at him and drops back into her cherry ride gunning the engine and shifting into reverse with the practiced ease of the very rich.<\/p>\n

In a cloud of tailpipe smoke, she\u2019s gone and both Grant and Jason take a moment to appreciate the sound of her purring engine before it fades from sight.<\/p>\n

When they look again, the man is no longer in front of the coffee house.<\/p>\n

Just as suddenly he\u2019s standing outside Grant\u2019s window.<\/p>\n

Grant resists the urge to jump into his partner\u2019s lap by sheer force of will alone.<\/p>\n

Up close, the man in the black coat looks less human than anything Grant\u2019s ever seen through his computer screen before. To say his skin is pale is like saying black is dark. It\u2019s washed of color, life. Whatever. There\u2019s just nothing there.<\/p>\n

Same with his eyes.<\/p>\n

The fine hairs on his arms stand up at attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs there something I can do for you gentlemen?\u201d The figure asks, his gaze taking in their equipment before settling on them again.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Jason mutters, finding his voice while discreetly taking readings and praying the man doesn\u2019t notice.<\/p>\n

They are considered for a moment before the man nods slightly, head turning and eyes taking in the direction of the cheerleader\u2019s car.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever you\u2019re thinking about my friend, don\u2019t. If you\u2019re thinking about using some of this hardware on her, don\u2019t. If you\u2019re thinking of following her, don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

His gaze swings back to them, the warning clear.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, we\u2019re \u2013 ah, we\u2019re on a location scout for possible filming, that\u2019s all.\u201d Totally full of shit but Grant has to try. They just need the guy to step back and Jason will gun the engine and floor the gas pedal and that\u2019ll be all she wrote.<\/p>\n

He takes in the bullshit excuse with all the due consideration a predator gives prey and then nods slightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cSunnydale\u2019s usually not this quiet,\u201d he replies. \u201cOr this hospitable. Be careful when you leave town.\u201d<\/p>\n

He turns on his heel and saunters around towards the back side of the van.<\/p>\n

Panic making him brave, Grant jerks open the door and jumps out.<\/p>\n

No one\u2019s there.<\/p>\n

Moving to the back of the van, he can\u2019t see the guy anymore.<\/p>\n

Fuck.<\/p>\n

Jason joins him and neither of them says anything for awhile, Grant exhaling in shaky relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat, my friend, was unreal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo kidding,\u201d Jason says in a shaky voice, laughing slightly in relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you get everything?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn him? You bet,\u201d Jason replies, excitement creeping into his voice. \u201cShould we leave town?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFuck no, buddy. We\u2019re going to find that cheerleader again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

Angel is already in the library when Cordelia comes through the double doors, carefully balancing the coffee and biscotti in her hands.<\/p>\n

Giles looks up in relief at the sight of her, already coming over to relieve her of her precious caffeine burden.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank God,\u201d he mutters, hunching over the treats and carrying them over to the counter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you were all tea and scones all the time, Giles,\u201d she remarks, following behind. Her skirt swishes up on every forward motion of her legs, and Angel is careful not to trace the femoral artery weaving up her leg to her inner thigh with his eyes.<\/p>\n

Giles glances over his shoulder at her, preparing to sputter when Buffy, coming out of the office, saves him from answering.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Watchers can have layers, too,\u201d she quips. \u201cIt\u2019s not all tweed and Earl Grey twenty-four\/seven.\u201d<\/p>\n

Angel almost smiles at Giles\u2019 discomfort, but is distracted by Cordelia sliding up onto the research table, legs dangling.<\/p>\n

The soft, secret center of her is shadowed in nylon and spandex, but he can smell the copper tang of her oncoming monthly cycle.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s why he can\u2019t stop from following her around.<\/p>\n

Ever since he drove her into a dumpster and then pulled her out again, she seems to have unleashed all of his predatory instincts. He finds the weakness expanding in his bones, the dreams of his mouth on her, between her thighs, drawing forth that which he needs to live and survive, that which he craves more than he craves being good, being worthy, seductive in a way that not even Buffy with her soft eyes and softer touch, can drive away.<\/p>\n

He deliberately moves his gaze away.<\/p>\n

Only to encounter Xander\u2019s hostile stare.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s right, boy, the demon inside his caged soul thinks; I\u2019ll get there first no matter which woman you try to claim.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, now that we\u2019ve established I\u2019m English, can we get this meeting under way? Hmm?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dipping chocolate biscotti into his steaming coffee, Giles commences the emergency gathering.<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

He feels exposed, an element in the air during Samhain<\/i> that doesn\u2019t want him around.<\/p>\n

The Master theorized once it was the white hat powers wanting to commune with their human pets when the walls were thinnest, pushing the undead back into the shelter of the earth and out of the way.<\/p>\n

Angel can feel the itch under his collar, to go to ground, to wrap himself in the dirt and sleep.<\/p>\n

Only the need to see Cordelia, to be around the earthy scent of her body about to bloom bright red and humid, was just a little stronger tonight, and Buffy found him because of it. She asked for his help so prettily that he found himself agreeing in spite of his trepidation to be any closer to Cordelia than he\u2019s allowed himself so far.<\/p>\n

Now he\u2019s standing at the lookout under a line of trees at the edge of the oldest part of the cemetery, waiting for a teenaged witch to summon forth a mummy some scientist\/wannabe occultist brought over from Egypt seventy years ago.<\/p>\n

He thinks Sunnydale\u2019s reputation as the seat of evil is going to take a beating tonight.<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

\u201cHey! Hey, stop, there she is,\u201d Grant points to the entrance of Restfield Cemetery. The cheerleader\u2019s car was parked a block away, and the girl herself was striding through the gates of the cemetery in the company of an older man and two other kids. None of them even hesitated to enter the domain of the dead on the scariest night of the year.<\/p>\n

Grant raised an eyebrow, wondering if they weren\u2019t closet occultists looking for a thrill.<\/p>\n

But where she is, the man that hadn\u2019t registered with any of their equipment might also be, so they rolled past the gates looking for a service entrance.<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you ready, Cordelia?\u201d Giles asks in a slightly worried tone.<\/p>\n

Cordelia nods, almost eager to get going and Giles frowns.<\/p>\n

She rolls her eyes at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d tell you not to worry because of lines, but \u2013 well, that boat\u2019s pretty much sailed, huh? But even so, don\u2019t worry. I\u2019ve been bait a couple of times, even when I wasn\u2019t really trying to be, so this\u2019ll be easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Without waiting for him to respond, she runs off, Nikes digging confidently into the earth.<\/p>\n

Angel watches her slow as she reaches the center of the cemetery, reaching up to undo her hair from its binding. The mass swings free, releasing its scent into the air where he catches the edge of expensive chemicals masked in artificial flowers.<\/p>\n

In his time, ladies washed their hair with rosemary water and soap made with real rose petals.<\/p>\n

He keeps his eyes on Cordelia, senses reaching out for any sign of demons or animated ancient mummies.<\/p>\n

She circles slowly around some planted flowers and plots, hands propped on her hips.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an almost irresistible invitation to play, and he wants to. Rush her and drive her to the ground, put his face into hers until her fear sweetens the sweat on her skin and the wine of her blood.<\/p>\n

On the other side of the property he can see Buffy sitting on a tombstone, waiting. Her heart is beating normally and there isn\u2019t even a tinge of fear to draw out of her.<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

\u201cJesus, dude, look at some of these readings,\u201d Jason sticks the EVP meter into Grant\u2019s line of vision. The thing is going off like he\u2019s never seen it do before, no matter which direction Jason points it in.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole cemetery is a hot spot,\u201d he mutters to his friend.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s going to take hours to go through all the data, he thinks. They\u2019ll have to call in the whole team over the weekend to do it.<\/p>\n

Lugging the strap of his equipment bag higher on his shoulder, he follows Jason deeper into the darkness of the cemetery, resisting the urge to gaze over his shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop, stop. There she is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grant nearly runs into Jason\u2019s back, stopping himself and twenty pounds of expensive hardware from toppling over.<\/p>\n

The cheerleader is standing in the center of the cemetery, hair loose and posture relaxed.<\/p>\n

Like she\u2019s waiting for the kickoff to start the game.<\/p>\n

A loud pop comes from the direction of a mausoleum right then, and the smell of incense and ozone pervades Grant\u2019s nostrils. He shakes his head, his skin trying to rearrange itself over his skull.<\/p>\n

He suspects the kickoff just commenced.<\/p>\n

\u201cDude, the guy,\u201d Jason nudges him with the EVP meter, pointing.<\/p>\n

Grant searches the edges of the property and sees him standing shadowed by the night and the trees. That same stillness gives him away, but it\u2019s edged with tension now after the odd explosion.<\/p>\n

The girl doesn\u2019t run away, and doesn\u2019t seem to be aware of the presence watching her.<\/p>\n

Then an unholy noise rips through the air and the EVP meter goes haywire, lights popping and needles going in all directions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the hell was that?\u201d he asks Jason, looking everywhere, ready to run, keeping one eye on the girl alone in the spotlight.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know but get ready to run, dude,\u201d Jason warns him.<\/p>\n

It sounds like a wounded animal, whatever it is, and the girl still doesn\u2019t move, still stands like she\u2019s waiting for a call.<\/p>\n

It comes in the form of a very large, lumbering shambles of a figure wrapped in dirty gauze, strips falling from it as it charges out of the doors it rips off the mausoleum.<\/p>\n

Straight at the cheerleader.<\/p>\n

Grant doesn\u2019t think about it, he just starts running towards her, shouting at her and waving with his free hand while pointing his EMF scanner.<\/p>\n

A small figure explodes out of the shadows perpendicular to his position, blond and petite, but a ball of fire comes out of nowhere and strikes her off her feet in the blink of an eye. Turning towards the source, he sees a stick figure in black, hand blazing with fire.<\/p>\n

Another shout from the opposite side and the older man they saw earlier streaks over to the now still figure on the ground, calling her name.<\/p>\n

Buffy.<\/p>\n

Suddenly it\u2019s a party in Restfield Cemetery, the cheerleader finally, finally<\/i>, spinning on her bright white Nikes and running full stop, screaming Buffy\u2019s name as well. The mummy doesn\u2019t even hesitate, just speeds up like it\u2019s got eight cylinders under the hood and gives chase.<\/p>\n

Grant runs full stop at her, intending on doing what, he has no idea. But he\u2019s a man, and there\u2019s a girl in trouble so he does what nature programmed him to do.<\/p>\n

Except something beyond the laws of nature is watching out for her as well. The dark figure in the coat seems to throw himself through the air, landing between the cheerleader and the monster, face distorted.<\/p>\n

\u201cJason!\u201d He calls, dropping his load so that he can pull out his digital recorder.<\/p>\n

Fuck, fuck, fuck, he just missed the shot of the fucking century!<\/p>\n

The guy growls, sounding like a lion, and lunges at the mummy, fists swinging. The mummy doesn\u2019t bother dodging, the punches having no effect on him, and keeps dragging himself after the girl.<\/p>\n

Grant points his recorder at her, watching from two feet away as she stops and hesitates, her eyes on the fight. Her eyes flicker over at him, frowning in anger.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho are you?\u201d she demands, voice high pitched with fear and anxiety. Not waiting for an answer, she turns on him. \u201cWhat are you just standing there for? Help him! Buffy\u2019s out \u2013 I didn\u2019t see the shot but that little witch got her good \u2013 someone needs to help him!\u201d<\/p>\n

She runs over and shoves his shoulder while Grant stands looking at her in confusion.<\/p>\n

Help?<\/p>\n

Who\u2019s going to \u2013?<\/p>\n

\u201cI said help him, you little girly man!\u201d She shoves him again and waits. Grants opens his mouth to speak and she rolls her eyes and huffs out a breath then she turns and runs at the mummy wrestling with the \u2013 were those fangs?<\/p>\n

\u201cHoly shit,\u201d Grant mutters, gazing frantically for Jason. But Jason is no longer where he was. Focusing on the fight again, he sees the girl take her shoe off and throw it at the two beings. It glances off the shoulder of the mummy, and the thing focuses on her again, throwing the man off his back and shambling after her.<\/p>\n

\u201cCordelia! Run!\u201d The deformity on his face distorts his voice as well, but the girl hears him just fine. Squeaking, she turns and runs again, clearly trying to lead the mummy away from her friend.<\/p>\n

Roaring in frustration, he raises straight up from his kneeling position and goes after them.<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

Angel feels the earth churn under his boots, his face curled against the fangs crowding his mouth.<\/p>\n

The mummy\u2019s old but strong and surprisingly faster than he thought it would be. Cordelia is just barely keeping ahead of it by the force of her fright and he silently begs her to hang on, to go faster. If it gets one hand on her, it\u2019ll tear her shoulder from the socket, or punch a hole in her trying to get her to stop.<\/p>\n

Run, baby, run.<\/i><\/p>\n

He reaches out and grabs a strip of wrapping, but it tears out of his grip and he growls in frustration, Cordelia leading all of them into the trees surrounding the cemetery and separating it from a nearby track of housing.<\/p>\n

Then, just as the mummy reaches out and grazes her shoulder and Angel can almost hear the sound her arm will make as its pulled from her shoulder, a blond ball of slayer fury rockets past him and tackles the mummy to the ground.<\/p>\n

Cordelia gets caught by the tumbling figures and stumbles, trying to keep her balance. Too late, she falls close to the edge of a ravine and goes over.<\/p>\n

Angel reaches with his whole body and pushes past the fighting slayer and monster, extending the molecules of his body until he\u2019s part of the air.<\/p>\n

He pulls a screaming Cordelia into the sphere and safety of his body and hugs her hard, covering her head as they tumble head over feet down into the darker part of the ravine.<\/p>\n

The scent of her blood blankets the air as her skin is opened by the fall.<\/p>\n

Just scrapes and cuts, he hopes frantically, ground and sky trading spaces in his tumbled vision.<\/p>\n

He stops their free fall by grabbing the root of a dying tree and gripping hard.<\/p>\n

He almost loses his grip on her in the pull back force and grunts against the pressure.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got you!\u201d He growls, peering up as they dangle against the downward sloping earth.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep me!\u201d she snaps, her voice laced with fear and pain.<\/p>\n

He almost laughs, thinking he just might have to.<\/p>\n

Then he instantly regrets the sentiment, thinking about Buffy fighting for her life above their heads.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t wiggle,\u201d he tells her as he tightens his grip on her body, preparing to haul her up.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d she replies through gritted teeth. He grunts again and pulls her up, getting her between him and the sloping ravine. Pushing her body securely against the ravine wall, he takes a second to feel her body, the curves and soft strength of her limbs and torso, before urging her to lace her hands behind his neck.<\/p>\n

A few moments later, he begins the long, arduous climb back up.<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

Cordelia groans as Angel hauls her up over the edge back onto flat ground. Crawling after her, he pulls himself over her prone body, turning her over on her back despite her obvious discomfort, and runs a trembling hand over her arms and down her legs, kneads her ribs gently to check for breaks.<\/p>\n

She flinches and lifts her hands up, onto his, unsure. He stills his touch anyway, under the slope of her breasts, and squeezes gently, compulsively. There\u2019s a catch in her breath that\u2019s not from the climb back up and a dark, tight thrill goes through him at the unmistakable sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes anything feel broken or wrong?\u201d He asks her in a quiet voice. Unable to stop himself, he traces the paths of his hands with his eyes, noting the various cuts that ooze blood against her soft flesh. Opening her eyes, she gazes up at him silently, and he can feel the prickly sensation of awareness, like an electric shock between them.<\/p>\n

Oh God.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d she replies, telling him nothing, getting up on her elbows and dragging herself out from under him. He closes his eyes against the slide of her body on his, not moving, not making it easier on either of them. It\u2019s what he\u2019ll have, the only thing he\u2019ll allow himself the memory of, when things go back to normal.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything okay here?\u201d<\/p>\n

He looks up into Buffy\u2019s tight face, taking in the pressed together lips and crossed arms. Her voice, while concerned, is asking something altogether different.<\/p>\n

He climbs to his feet gingerly, deciding to ignore it. The aches are settling in, and he knows it\u2019s going to take a couple of pints of blood to set things right inside. Stooping over and bracing his hands against his knees, he takes a second to assess things, and despite her edginess, she rushes forward, offering him the strength of her shoulder to hold onto.<\/p>\n

He does so, closing his eyes again so he doesn\u2019t have to watch someone else prop Cordelia up.<\/p>\n

When he opens them again, one of the strangers from the van is the one helping her to her feet.<\/p>\n

Aches forgotten, he lunges forward and grabs the one holding Cordelia, jerking him up by the collar of his t-shirt.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho are you? What do you want?\u201d He grits through his teeth, shaking the man a little.<\/p>\n

\u201cPut him down, Angel,\u201d Giles snaps, appearing with the other man from the van, Willow and Xander taking up the rear.<\/p>\n

\u201cAngel, stop,\u201d Buffy urges him, hand on his torn up shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot until he tells me why he\u2019s been following Cordelia around,\u201d Angel replies resolutely, not taking his eyes off the man\u2019s panicked face.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe weren\u2019t \u2013\u201c Angel shakes him for the lie. \u201cWe were, but we aren\u2019t \u2013 we wouldn\u2019t have hurt her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAngel.\u201d The slayer\u2019s hand grips his shoulder and spins him, breaking his hold. The other man drops down in a heap and Angel almost glares at Buffy.<\/p>\n

\u201cHas it occurred to you that they may have had something to do with the mummy?\u201d He demands, blinking down at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, God. The mummy!\u201d Cordelia exclaims, breaking through the raised voices. \u201cWhat happened to it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Xander puts a hand on her shoulder, stepping up next to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry Cordy, we didn\u2019t let it get away with scuffing your shoes,\u201d he mock comforts her.<\/p>\n

Cordelia knocks his arm away, impatient.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care about that \u2013\u201c Xander snorts in disbelief. \u201c-moron.\u201d She turns to Willow standing next to Giles. \u201cWillow? What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMummy\u2019s back in the ground,\u201d Willow confirms with a nod.<\/p>\n

Angel turns back to the two strangers in their midst.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho are you and why have you been following Cordelia?\u201d he demands, refusing to be distracted by details.<\/p>\n

The dark-haired one climbs gingerly to his feet, hand at his throat.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re ghost hunters,\u201d he says. Everyone looks unimpressed and he tries again. \u201cEver see our show?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Buffy says, crossing her arms again.<\/p>\n

Xander raises his hand cautiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have.\u201d He smiles at Grant slightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks for watching,\u201d Jason automatically replies.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, Xander, not enough weirdness in your during-and-after school activities? You need a TV show about ghosts to top things off?\u201d Buffy asks Xander with a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess,\u201d he says ruefully. \u201cIt\u2019s totally cool, though. They set up camp in some wicked haunted house or asylum and record paranormal activity. Sometimes they debunk it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Angel, annoyed at Xander\u2019s scruffy puppy routine, again tries to grab the brunette.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce again I\u2019m going to ask you why you were following Cordelia around. Last I checked, she was corporeal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buffy throws Angel an unreadable look before turning to Grant as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, how about that, guys?\u201d she repeats.<\/p>\n

Grant shuffles, sheepish, sensing the undercurrents around them and not wanting to add to it. But the look on Angel\u2019s face says he\u2019s not going to let anything go anytime soon so\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were following her hoping to run into him,\u201d Grant points at Angel. \u201cAgain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgain?\u201d Buffy parrots with a touch of suspicion.<\/p>\n

\u201cAngel ran into me outside the Pump getting coffee,\u201d Cordelia chimes in, diffusing things. \u201cHe told me about the emergency Scoobie meeting, which I already knew about.\u201d She turns on Grant and Jason. \u201cWhat I didn\u2019t know about was being followed. Stalk much?\u201d She demands, crossing her arms carefully over her torso.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s our job,\u201d Grant assures her. \u201cThere wasn\u2019t anything funny about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFunny how I don\u2019t see it that way,\u201d Cordelia remarks, unconvinced.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ve cleared things up enough,\u201d Giles replies, his tone saying the exact opposite. \u201cBut you understand we can\u2019t allow you to leave with your equipment. For Buffy and the others to remain effective, they must remain under the radar of mainstream society.\u201d<\/p>\n

Angel doesn\u2019t wait for their agreement, but steps forward and demands their hardware silently. Grant thinks about refusing but the look in the vampire\u2019s face \u2013 How about that? No ghosts, but one mummy and one vampire in action. Not bad for a night\u2019s work.<\/i> \u2013 and backs down, handing over the bag and the digital recorder around his neck.<\/p>\n

Jason gives his over to Xander.<\/p>\n

Neither of them will mention the collection of data in their van.<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

An hour before daybreak, Angel stands on Cordelia\u2019s balcony, watching through gauzy curtains as she limps from the bathroom to her bed.<\/p>\n

She looks up and sees him, not reacting.<\/p>\n

After a second, she tightens the belt of her robe and pulls up the lapels so that her throat is covered, and comes over.<\/p>\n

Opening the door, she eyes him silently.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are you?\u201d he asks her quietly.<\/p>\n

She shrugs.<\/p>\n

\u201cAside from about a thousand different colored bruises decorating my back and legs, I\u2019m doing okay.\u201d she replies. \u201cHow about you?\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s awkward talking with her. Up until a few hours ago, they were almost strangers with a few events and people in common. Everything he wanted from her was hidden, subsumed by his feelings for Buffy. Now there\u2019s an awareness running silently between them, fed by the memory of the press of their bodies against each other, and the smell of her blood on his skin.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m doing good,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I got that. You know, a few weeks back Buffy told me something about you, something I just thought she was saying to get me to,\u201c she stops. \u201cWell, never mind about that part.\u201d She looks up at him. \u201cNow I think it might be true.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how do you feel about it?\u201d he asks tentatively.<\/p>\n

She sighs and looks down at the space between their bodies before gazing up at him again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you and Buffy are more made for each other than I thought, even if the actual thought makes me barf a little in my mouth,\u201d she admits. \u201cHow is she anyway? She got hit pretty good by that witch or whatever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know Buffy. You hit her, she just gets up again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia laughs without any real humor.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a gal,\u201d she comments.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave a good night, Cordelia,\u201d he tells her, backing up, back into the shadows of her balcony.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou too, Angel.\u201d Her whisper is soft and full of longing.<\/p>\n

She closes the door again but the scent of her bath and the perfume of her blood and sweat follow him long after the lights of her estate fade into the distance.<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

On his way back to his apartment, Angel stops by the motel the ghost hunters are staying at and rips apart the inside of their van, destroying their digital recordings and EVP readings while they sleep inside their room.<\/p>\n

Good thing they rented the van, or it might have been a problem to get into it.<\/p>\n

He gets back to his apartment just as the sky begins to lighten into the rosy glow of daybreak.<\/p>\n

He goes to sleep without showering, keeping the smell of her on him a little bit longer, and dreams.<\/p>\n

\n~~end~~<\/b><\/p>\n

Thanks, as ever, to Starlet<\/b> for the inspirational prompts that made this possible. A mummy, Cordelia in peril, Angel rescuing her, BTVS years.<\/i><\/p>\n

samsom.<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Title: Ghost Hunting Cordelia Chase. Author: Samsom Posted: Email Rating: R for language and a vampire\u2019s sense of smell. Content: C\/A subtext. B\/A…<\/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-7568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-completed-fics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7568","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=7568"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7568\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}