{"id":780,"date":"2015-06-21T15:57:11","date_gmt":"2015-06-21T14:57:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/dir\/?p=780"},"modified":"2015-12-11T09:29:17","modified_gmt":"2015-12-11T09:29:17","slug":"where-the-heart-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/2015\/06\/21\/where-the-heart-is\/","title":{"rendered":"Where The Heart Is"},"content":{"rendered":"

Title: Where The Heart Is<\/b>
\nAuthor: <\/b>Becjane
\nPosted: <\/b>11-03-2004
\nEmail<\/b><\/a>
\nRating: <\/b>PG13
\nCategory: <\/b>
\nContent: <\/b>A\/C
\nSummary: <\/b>This story is based on a challenge by Cali<\/b>, the full details of which can be found at the end of the post as it’s rather spoilery. The general gist of it is to re-write the ending of Sanctuary with a C\/A slant.
\nSpoilers: <\/b>None \u2013 set in ATS Season 1 after the episode \u2018Sanctuary\u2019
\nDisclaimer: <\/b>The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
\nDistribution: <\/b>Just ask
\nNotes: <\/b>I\u2019ve been suffering from a major case of writer\u2019s block with ACOF and Baywatch Angel just recently. This short standalone is an attempt to kick-start my muse again. It\u2019s PG-rated. Yeah, I know what you\u2019re thinking \u2013 what? It\u2019s a Becky fic! LOL! I was determined to write a non-NC-17 fic one of these days though. Hope you enjoy!
\nThe story starts in the last few minutes of Sanctuary, so borrows some of the dialogue from that eppy. It also contains some B\/A \u2013 sorry it\u2019s necessary.
\nFeedback: <\/b>
\nThanks\/Dedication: <\/b>Dedicated to Cali<\/b>, because her challenge was so detailed that I didn\u2019t have to come up with a plot line. She therefore deserves some of the credit.<\/p>\n

\n

~***~<\/p>\n

They stood facing one another in the deserted corridor of the LA police station, each dressed top to toe in inky black. Two former lovers, once so close, but now acutely aware of how far apart they had grown in the recent months of self-enforced separation.<\/p>\n

Angel was leaning against the stair-rail, intently studying his booted feet as he tried in vain to come up with something to say to fill the increasingly awkward, and ever-lengthening, silence between them. It was Buffy who finally broke the tense deadlock however.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should have told me what was going on,\u201d she said, her voice thick and heavy with self-righteous accusation.<\/p>\n

A flare of anger flickered inside the vampire at the implication that his every decision should be run by her first. As always though, he quashed the majority of his irritation, so his answer, when it came, sounded stuttery and apologetic in spite of the pointed bite of the words.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn’t – I didn’t think it was your business.\u201d<\/p>\n

The blond slayer stiffened, her pretty features growing hard and her blue eyes turning to chips of ice. \u201cNot my business?\u201d she asked, a note of incredulity creeping into her tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI needed more time with Faith, I’m not sure…\u201d Angel started to explain the responsibility he felt to aid the brunette slayer in her hour of need, but Buffy interrupted before he could finish.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou needed\u2026 Do you have *any* idea what it was like for me to see you with her? That you went behind my back…\u201d<\/p>\n

The tight reigns on the vampire\u2019s temper started to unravel at this unwarranted charge. \u201cBuffy, this wasn’t about you!\u201d he snapped in frustration. \u201cThis was about saving somebody’s soul. That’s what I do here, and you’re not a part of it. That was your idea, remember? We stay away from each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI came here because you were in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yeah right! <\/i>\u201cI’m in danger every day. You came because of Faith. You were looking for vengeance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a right to it,\u201d Buffy rejoined defensively.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot in my city,\u201d Angel immediately shot back.<\/p>\n

The blond slayer was momentarily rendered speechless by this territorial claim from her ex-boyfriend. It was starkly apparent that Angel had built a new life for himself here in LA – one that didn\u2019t include her. That hurt, and her wounded pride escaped in the cruellest possible way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have someone in my life now,\u201d she told him, a beat and then the sting in the tail. \u201cThat I love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Angel already knew that \u2013 courtesy of Faith\u2019s earlier slip-up \u2013 but the forewarning didn\u2019t make hearing it now any easier. He dropped his gaze and swallowed the lump that formed in his throat, his chocolate brown eyes turning suspiciously shiny as he struggled to keep his emotions in check.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s not what you and I had – it’s very new,\u201d Buffy continued, her eyes intent on his reaction to her words.<\/p>\n

Suitably gratified with the response that she was engendering, she stepped closer and concluded her revelation with a purposely callous punch line. \u201cYou know what makes it new? I trust him – I know him.\u201d<\/p>\n

At this, Angel sharply let out the unneeded breath he wasn\u2019t even aware he was holding, finally allowing all the anger and hurt inside to break free in a rush of powerful sentiment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s great!\u201d he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. \u201cIt’s nice you moved on – I can’t! You found someone new – I\u2019m not allowed to, remember? I see you again; it cuts me up inside, and the person I share that with is me! You don’t know me anymore, so don’t come down here with your great new life and *expect* me to do things your way. Go home!\u201d<\/p>\n

Buffy held his stormy gaze for a brief moment, and then stalked across the corridor to pick up her suede, tan-coloured jacket. Angel walked over to the wall and braced his hands against it, deliberately keeping his back turned to the unrepentant slayer.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee?\u201d she said, pausing at the top of the staircase. \u201cFaith wins again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201dGo!\u201d the vampire ground out from between clenched teeth, refusing to look at her as she started to descend the steps.<\/p>\n

Buffy silently left, the thud-thud sound of her heartbeat gradually fading into the distance. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Angel slammed his palms hard against the wall, dislodging a few chunks of plaster with the force of the blow.<\/p>\n

\u201dYou all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

The vampire twisted his head around at Wesley\u2019s concerned question, watching as his friend slowly walked down the corridor to join him. Reversing his position, he leant his head back against the wall and closed his eyes, his arms folded across his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a taciturn, shadowy guy – I’ve got a big mouth,\u201d he commented with a wry grimace.<\/p>\n

\u201dDo you want to go after her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201dYes,\u201d he admitted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Angel snapped his astonished eyes up to the Englishman\u2019s steady gaze. \u201cTo apologise for yelling at her like that. I mean, I left Sunnydale so that she could have some semblance of a normal life, and then I give her grief because she found it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook – maybe this none of my business – but if you want my opinion, *you* have nothing to feel sorry for. If anyone should be apologising, it\u2019s Buffy. She knows you don\u2019t have the same freedom to move on as she has, and yet she still threw her new relationship in your face like that. It was both cruel and heartless, not to mention completely unnecessary. I don\u2019t understand why you crave her love so much, Angel. It\u2019s not like it\u2019s unconditional – and yet yours for her seemingly is.\u201d<\/p>\n

The vampire was silent as the harsh truth of Wesley\u2019s words penetrated his consciousness. In the past, he had been so immensely grateful for the blessed warmth of Buffy\u2019s love, that he had permitted her to treat him with a lack of respect. He had almost always allowed her to call the shots in their relationship – in fact, their break-up was pretty much the one and only decision that he recalled having made for the two of them.<\/p>\n

At the time, he had thought leaving Buffy would mean retreating back into the shadows that he used to live in, and yet, somehow, it hadn\u2019t turned out that way. He had friends now, true friends, not to mention Angel Investigations and his mission for the Powers That Be. It all gave him a real purpose in life, something he had never really had before, not even back in Sunnydale with the blond slayer by his side.<\/p>\n

Why was her love still so important to him then?<\/p>\n

The unexpected answer hit him with a sudden lightening bolt of clarity. It wasn\u2019t, not anymore, he was surviving just fine without her. There were still times when he missed her, but – in relation to when he had first arrived in LA – those moments were few and far between. The all-consuming love had diminished into a bittersweet nostalgia, which he had mistakenly believed to be evidence of the continued constancy of his feelings. He had told himself he would never get over her, and therefore he hadn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

The strong streak of selfishness in Buffy\u2019s nature was suddenly so very clear to him though, whereas before he had viewed that side of her personality through rose-tinted glasses. Whenever her behaviour had annoyed him in the past, he remembered repeatedly telling himself that she was young, impressionable, and heavily burdened with the monumental task of being the slayer. By excusing her faults in this way, he had maintained the illusion of her as the perfect woman in his mind.<\/p>\n

He could no longer do that, however; the last few hours\u2019 events had changed his opinion of her irrevocably. The slayer had never been so outright bitchy towards him before, and this time he wasn\u2019t able to ignore it. He called to mind their earlier conversation about Faith to hammer home that point to himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know Faith did some bad things to you.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can’t possibly know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you can’t possibly know what she’s going through.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201dAnd of course, you do? I’m sorry, I can’t be in your club; I never murdered anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

It may have been the truth, but the way she\u2019d said it\u2026 it reminded him that his evil past had never been a closed book as far as Buffy was concerned.<\/p>\n

She liked to believe that Angelus was a completely separate entity from his souled alter ego, whereas in reality they were one and the same. He belatedly realised that he had gained more acceptance from the friendship of Cordelia, Doyle and Wesley, than he had ever gotten from the girl who supposedly loved him with everything she was.<\/p>\n

Wesley stood by, quietly observing the myriad of thoughts and emotions that flickered across Angel\u2019s angular features as all this ran through his mind. The ex-watcher didn\u2019t think he\u2019d ever seen quite so much outward emotion from the reticent vampire before. Although his darkly expressive eyes often gave away the depth of his internal feelings, Angel\u2019s handsome face was usually a blank mask in situations such as these – not so today however.<\/p>\n

He eventually seemed to reach some sort of conclusion and squared his shoulders, focusing his gaze back on his friend\u2019s expectant face. Wesley accepted this silent acknowledgement with a brief incline of his head, but then continued on with the lecture, still feeling the need to point out a few things that seemed to have escaped the vampire\u2019s notice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get why you empathise with Faith, Angel, I do. *But*, in your efforts to help her, you seem to have forgotten the feelings of the other people who have been affected by all of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Angel cringed as he took in his friend\u2019s cut lip and bruised face, knowing the flesh underneath the man\u2019s pale blue shirt and dark beige coat was similarly marked. Faith had really done a number on the poor guy, and he had swept it under the carpet as if it meant virtually nothing. \u201cGod Wes, I\u2019m sorry\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t mean me,\u201d the ex-watcher brusquely waved aside his apology. \u201cI\u2019m not the only one who ended up on the wrong side of our wayward slayer\u2019s meltdown, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCordelia\u2026\u201d Angel whispered, a sharp stab of guilt running through him. He had hardly given his seer a second\u2019s thought since yesterday.<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly,\u201d Wesley\u2019s reproachful statement cracked like a whip and the contrite vampire winced.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe took paid vacation,\u201d he half-heartedly protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t really believe that, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Angel shook his head, suddenly filled with a healthy dose of remorse. He knew Cordelia well enough to take her bright and breezy exterior yesterday morning with a pinch of salt, but, at the time, his mind had been elsewhere, preoccupied with helping Faith find the path to her redemption. Therefore, the vulnerability that lay beneath the seer\u2019s thin veneer of cheeriness had barely even registered with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know where she is?\u201d he asked quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoled up in her apartment, nursing her injured face, I shouldn\u2019t wonder. She resembled a victim of domestic abuse yesterday morning, or didn\u2019t you notice?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, I get the picture, Wes. You don\u2019t have to rub it in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes I think I do. Cordelia has shown a whole lot more loyalty to you than Buffy ever has. And yet, she doesn\u2019t seem to command even half the consideration that you heap onto your ex-girlfriend. There\u2019s something very wrong with that, you know; Cordelia deserves better from you. All I\u2019m saying is that *maybe* it\u2019s time you got your priorities straight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing the true regret in the vampire\u2019s deep brown eyes, Wesley was finally satisfied that his message had been suitably received and understood, and he, all of a sudden, felt bone-tired.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I think I\u2019m going to go home.\u201d he said with a weary sigh. \u201cIt\u2019s been a long and eventful couple of days, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll drive you,\u201d Angel offered automatically. \u201cUmm \u2013 you and Buffy did come here in my car, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Wesley replied with a tired smile, dropping the keys into the vampire\u2019s outstretched hand. \u201cAnd thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Forty-five minutes later, Angel turned the sleek, black Plymouth into the parking lot at Cordelia\u2019s apartment building. He took the stairs to the first floor two at a time, and jogged down the corridor to the familiar door at the end.<\/p>\n

Glancing at his watch, he hesitated \u2013 it was nearly four in the morning, hardly the time to turn up, unannounced, on his seer\u2019s doorstep. He frowned, reluctant to leave and return later, however. Wesley had got him thinking; he needed to check that Cordelia was all right.<\/p>\n

Do ghosts sleep?<\/i> he absently wondered.<\/p>\n

Rapping lightly on the door, he called through the thick wood, keeping his voice deliberately low. \u201cHey Dennis, it\u2019s me \u2013 Angel. Can you let me in please?\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a brief pause, and then he heard the noise of the chain being removed from the door and the scraping sound of a key turning in the lock. The heavy wooden panel swung inwards on its hinges, seemingly of its own accord, and Angel stepped over the threshold, quietly murmuring his thanks to Cordelia\u2019s phantom roommate.<\/p>\n

As he moved down the entrance hall into the living space, a floating pad of paper appeared in front of his face. Squinting to see the words in the darkness, the vampire read the message that Dennis had scrawled across the front page in red felt-tip.<\/p>\n

\u2018DON\u2019T WAKE HER\u2019<\/p>\n

Angel smiled at the ghost\u2019s over-protectiveness. \u201cI won\u2019t,\u201d he promised. \u201cI just wanted to see if she was okay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018IT\u2019S ABOUT TIME!\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, so I\u2019ve already been told,\u201d the vampire agreed, a trifle ruefully.<\/p>\n

The door to Cordelia\u2019s bedroom was slightly ajar. Pushing it open all the way, Angel entered on silent feet, grateful for his vampire stealth. He crossed to the window and pulled back the drape, illuminating the figure on the bed with the silver-white rays of the moon.<\/p>\n

The seer was asleep, her beautiful face peaceful in repose. Her shapely body was curled up into a C-shape, her right cheek resting on her upturned palm. She wore a pale-coloured nightshirt that covered her to mid-thigh, leaving her long slender legs exposed to the elements, the bed-covers having slid from the mattress onto the floor.<\/p>\n

Before he knew what he was doing, Angel found his eyes making a slow appreciative sweep over every inch of her. Starting at her painted toenails and dainty feet, his gaze travelled up the length of her toned limbs to the hem of her nightshirt. His eyes then moved on upwards to where the fingers of her left hand rested lightly against her stomach, and he smiled at the picture of a cartoon character that adorned her clothing. The garment was not what you\u2019d expect from such a fashion-conscious nineteen year old.<\/p>\n

When his wandering gaze finally reached her face though, his eyes screeched to a grinding halt. The pale moonlight had leeched away the majority of the colour to leave just varying shades of black and blue, but, by Angel\u2019s horrified reckoning, the entire left side of her face must be painted with every hue of the rainbow.<\/p>\n

\u201cJesus!\u201d he muttered under his breath as he lowered his body into the chair by the bed.<\/p>\n

His nagging guilt prayed heavily on his mind as he recalled the state in which he\u2019d found Cordelia the previous night. She\u2019d been shaking, almost hysterical, Faith\u2019s unscheduled appearance knocking her for six – in more ways than one. He\u2019d had to wrap her in a blanket to bring her body temperature back to normal, and it had been a good ten minutes before he\u2019d gotten any real sense out of her. Then, after she\u2019d helped him locate Faith, he\u2019d left without a backward glance and hadn\u2019t really checked in on her since.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t that he didn\u2019t care \u2013 far from it \u2013 it\u2019s just that when he set his mind on something, he could be decidedly one-track about it. Two nights ago, the primary goal had been to find Faith and rescue Wesley from her clutches. Cordelia had not been top priority, and she had consequently slipped off his radar – until their mutual friend had firmly placed her back on it.<\/p>\n

Leaning forward, Angel gently tucked a stray strand of dark hair behind the sleeping woman\u2019s ear and resolved to make more of an effort from now on. Wesley was right; Cordelia was loyal to him, without a fault, and he hadn\u2019t properly appreciated the unreserved friendship she gave before now.<\/p>\n

She was good for him, he knew. With her youthful energy and quick wit, she prevented him from retreating into the dark shadows of the demon world, and forced him to remain in the light of humanity. Now that he was learning to let go of his stifling love for Buffy, the vampire was gradually beginning to realise just how much his friendship with Cordelia really meant to him. The thought of something happening to her\u2026 well, it just didn\u2019t bear thinking about.<\/p>\n

With a deep sigh, Angel got to his feet and retrieved the discarded bedclothes from the floor. He tenderly covered up Cordelia\u2019s slumbering form, then bent to press a soft kiss on her forehead before settling back in the chair to quietly watch over her while she slept.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Next morning, Cordelia woke to the sounds of clanking pots and pans from the kitchen.<\/p>\n

Whatcha doin\u2019 Dennis?<\/i> she thought irritably, annoyed at having her peaceful slumber disturbed.<\/p>\n

As the heavy fog of sleep lifted, her nose twitched, reacting to the delicious smell of coffee that wafted in from the other room.<\/p>\n

Aww! He\u2019s making me breakfast, <\/i>she thought with a smile. He\u2019s such a sweetie! Wait a minute! Does he actually know how to cook?<\/i><\/p>\n

Her hazel eyes opening wide, the seer hurriedly threw back the covers and swung her feet over the edge of the mattress. Not bothering to don her robe and slippers, she exited her bedroom and padded barefoot across the lounge to investigate what was going on. Reaching the archway that separated off the apartment\u2019s small kitchen from the living space, she came to an abrupt halt, her mouth dropping open in astonishment.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey \u2013 you\u2019re awake!\u201d Angel said, turning around and gracing her with one of his rare smiles.<\/p>\n

Warmed from the inside out, Cordelia started to smile back, but her expression froze when something occurred to her. \u201cHow did you get in?\u201d she demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cDennis,\u201d was the vampire\u2019s succinct reply.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh great! So now my friendly neighbourhood ghost is letting just anyone past the door. I mean, first Faith, and then you. Talk about security \u2013 not!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI doubt he could\u2019ve stopped Faith, and I\u2019m not \u2018just anyone\u2019 – Dennis knows I would never hurt you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia\u2019s lips quirked up at the offended edge to Angel\u2019s voice – until she remembered that he was supposed to be in her bad books.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo where is Little Miss Psychotic anyway? Shouldn\u2019t you be catering to her every whim? Maybe baking her a cake, or something?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s in jail – she gave herself up to the cops last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

The seer\u2019s eyes widened at that. \u201cWell, well,\u201d she said. \u201cGuess there\u2019s some hope for her, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s got a chance. She\u2019s on the right path now, but where she goes from here is really up to her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFaith is lucky that she had you on her side. After what she\u2019s done, there are not many who would be so prepared to give her a second chance, Angel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Buffy so readily proved,\u201d the vampire remarked with a resigned sigh.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait a minute – Buffy was here?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUmm, yeah \u2013 she showed up yesterday morning, not long after you left.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia pulled out a chair and sat down at the table, her anger at him subsiding somewhat as her innate curiosity got the better of her. \u201cOkay, so spill. What happened? Was there a big slayer smack-down?\u201d<\/p>\n

The inquisitive seer rested her chin in her cupped hands, looking up at the vampire with large, expectant eyes as she waited on tenterhooks to hear what he had to say. She was a sucker for a good story, and this one sounded like it could be a doozy and a half.<\/p>\n

Angel smiled at the eagerness with which she enquired about the confrontation between Buffy and Faith. \u201cHello \u2013 bloodthirsty much?\u201d he teased, as he slid into the chair next to her with a cat-like grace.<\/p>\n

Something was different about him, Cordelia realised as she took in his relaxed posture. Usually after a visitation from Buffy, his disposition was as black as the clothing he wore, but today, he seemed almost tranquil, his mood calm and unexpectedly upbeat.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell \u2013 yeah!\u201d she answered. \u201cI know for a fact that Faith throws a mean right hook, and I was always gonna applaud the day that Cry-Buffy got knocked off her pedestal. It\u2019s not easy listen to your boyfriend go on and on about how wonderful his \u2018just-good\u2019 friend is all the time, you know. More fool me for hooking up with another of perfecto-slayer\u2019s mega-fans here in LA, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Angel reached out and gently touched her bruised face with cool fingertips. \u201cHow\u2019s it feel?\u201d he asked with genuine concern. \u201cDid you put some ice on it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, aside from the fact that it\u2019s throbbing like all get out, and I look like I should be in an abused women\u2019s shelter, it\u2019s fine. And yeah, Dennis was a real sweetie and held an ice-pack to it for hours. I guess ghostly arms don\u2019t get tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good that he takes care of you,\u201d the vampire remarked, his stomach burning with self-reproach because he hadn\u2019t been around to look after her himself. \u201cLook \u2013 about yesterday morning, I\u2019m sorry I wasn\u2019t more considerate of yours and Wes\u2019s point of view, it\u2019s just\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wanted to help Faith,\u201d Cordelia finished the sentence for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah \u2013 I failed to do so in Sunnydale, and I needed to make up for that. It doesn\u2019t excuse the way I brushed aside what had happened to you both though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAngel \u2013 it\u2019s who you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, a selfish moron?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d the seer said, prepared to let him off the hook, seeing as he had actually apologised for once. \u201cYou just get so focused on helping someone that you miss what\u2019s happening around you sometimes. I know it\u2019s not deliberate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt isn\u2019t, but I will try to be a bit more aware in the future, I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s all right then,\u201d Cordelia said, leaning over and punching him lightly on the upper arm. \u201cSo – come on, big guy \u2013 I wanna hear all about the big Buffy and Faith fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry to disappoint, but it didn\u2019t really happen that way\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Starting with that, Angel began to fill his seer in on the events of the previous day, while she listened with avid interest.<\/p>\n

\u201cBet cop lady was pissed,\u201d she interjected at one point.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could say that, she threatened to lock me in a cell with a spectacular view of the sunrise if I recall.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOuch! That could have been nasty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFaith was already there when we showed up though, so I was luckily saved from the bursting into flames experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what about you and Buffy?\u201d Cordelia asked, her question unfortunately coming across a little too eagerly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I know – pry much?\u201d she added off his amused look. \u201cBut hey, it\u2019s me \u2013 non-tacto girl – so what do you expect?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe and Buffy, huh?\u201d Angel mused quietly, trying to get his thoughts in order. \u201cI guess I learned something about our relationship today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did? Like what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike that I can live without her; that I\u2019ve somehow moved on without even being aware of it. There\u2019s no going back now, Cordy. It\u2019s over – for good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWow!\u201d the seer murmured incredulously. That had been the last thing she expected to hear.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Angel agreed with a half-smile.<\/p>\n

They were silent for a moment as they each digested the implications of the vampire\u2019s stunning revelation.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn, I really liked that show. Too bad The Powers That Be decided to cancel it,\u201d Cordelia cut in eventually, jutting her lower lip out into a mock pout.<\/p>\n

\u201cErr \u2013 what show?\u201d Angel asked, baffled by the sudden change in subject.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019Me and the Chosen One\u2019, dumbass!\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia\u2019s expression was perfectly serious for a moment, and then she flashed him that wide, brilliant smile of hers, the one that lit up her whole face with its radiance and softened her eyes to whirlpools of melted caramel.<\/p>\n

It took a while for the puzzled vampire to figure out what she meant, but then it clicked into place and he threw back his head and laughed heartily at her impudent quip. Cordelia shivered as the rich, deep sound reverberated down her spine, prompting warm tingles in her belly.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop that!\u201d she said sharply, half to herself and half to him. \u201cIt\u2019s freaky \u2013 you\u2019re supposed to be Mr Dark and Broody, not Mr Happy and Relaxed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Angel grinned at her. \u201cI\u2019ll try and contain myself,\u201d he promised.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do that \u2013 we don\u2019t want Angelus paying an unscheduled visit, now do we?\u201d Cordelia replied, as she shifted position on her chair.<\/p>\n

The vampire\u2019s gaze dropped from her face, watching as she curled one leg up under her, and placed the heel of her other foot on the edge of the chair seat. As she wrapped her arms around her bent knee, her nightshirt slithered down her shapely thighs, exposing the entire length of her legs to his perusal. Angel bit back a groan, knowing that she was completely unaware that she was giving him an unobstructed view of the simple white cotton panties that she wore underneath her nightclothes, in the process.<\/p>\n

It was weird, although he hadn\u2019t been completely oblivious before, he was suddenly very conscious of the fact that his seer was a stunningly beautiful woman. He couldn\u2019t keep his eyes off her; she stirred something within him that he hadn\u2019t felt for a very long time. He knew he should try to suppress it, but he simply didn\u2019t want to.<\/p>\n

When his gaze lingered a little too long, Cordelia finally cottoned on to the fact that his attention was no longer on their conversation. Trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach that his dark gaze provoked, she attempted to cover them up with a sharp remonstrance.<\/p>\n

\u201cErr \u2013 excuse me! I think my face is a little further north, bucko. Geez! Perv much, why don\u2019t ya?\u201d<\/p>\n

Angel was strangely unrepentant about his ogling, and he winked at her suggestively. \u201cWell, if you will go around half-dressed\u2026\u201d he replied, his deep voice vibrant with a rich sensuality. \u201cI mean, what\u2019s a normal red-blooded guy to do? Except look, that is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia was quite simply shocked to the core. Whoa! Is he actually flirting with me? Oh, this is so not good, so not good at all.<\/i><\/p>\n

Her body\u2019s reaction belied the more sensible response of her mind, however. Her heart was hammering a drumbeat inside her chest, her blood rushing through her veins and echoing in her ears. She flushed pink and quickly dropped her legs to the floor, awkwardly tugging down her nightshirt to cover herself up.<\/p>\n

Striving not to laugh at her embarrassment, Angel took pity on her and returned their conversation to safer ground. \u201cSo \u2013 you want blueberry or plain?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d Cordelia looked up at him dumbly, confusion rife in her hazel eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cPancakes,\u201d the vampire explained patiently.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh right! Blueberry please, they\u2019re my favourite. Cora \u2013 our house-keeper \u2013 used to make them for me all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Angel went back over to the counter-top and threw a handful of fresh blueberries into the pancake mix that he had made up earlier. He then turned to the stove and lit the ring under the frying pan, preparing to finish off making her breakfast.<\/p>\n

Cordelia watched as the vampire moved fluidly about her kitchen, showing off his culinary skills to their maximum effect. She decided she could get used to this new, more open, Angel.<\/p>\n

Rather unexpectedly, he had discarded that protective suit of armour of his, and allowed her to see what lay beneath that stoic exterior. She felt strangely honoured that he trusted her enough to do that, and resolved to entrust him with her own fragile heart in return – despite the nagging warning in the back of her mind.<\/p>\n

Angel, in turn, found himself imbued with a renewed hope for the future. With this bright, intelligent woman by his side, he had confidence that he could face whatever obstacles fate decided to throw in his path. He knew there were still mountains to climb \u2013 finding a way to overcome his curse for one \u2013 but he refused to shy away from them as he had done in the past.<\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t have ignored their presence anyway, not even if he wanted to – not when he was finally beginning to realise just where his heart truly lay\u2026<\/p>\n

The End<\/b><\/p>\n

\n

The Challenge:<\/b><\/p>\n

SEASON ONE. SANCTUARY
\nIn the police Station where Buffy let Angel have it with both barrels, throwing Riley in Angel’s face.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

That part always made me so angry, and it showed just what a bitch Buffy could be, plus the convo b\/t them was very enlightening. And when he followed her to apologise…well, that pissed me off like you wouldn’t believe.<\/p>\n

Now, there is a way to turn this round to a C\/A piece- and why not?!<\/p>\n

Wes joins Angel once Buffy leaves.<\/p>\n

Can it be that he overheard the conversation and Angel tells him of his decision to go after her.<\/p>\n

I want Wes to question his decision. pointing out how Angel could, after all fluffy said, go running after her to apologise for HER behaviour?<\/p>\n

Does he love her that much? Angel doesnt reply- mainly because, on being asked outright, it made him wonder; did he? in fact, did he love her any more?<\/p>\n

That convo showed him a side he’d always ignored in the past, and he hadn’t liked it. in fact had found it and her distastful, actually wondering what he saw in her in the first place. Gratitude, that’s what.<\/p>\n

Wes goes on to say… You chase afer her like a puppy after you supposedly hurt her feelings, yet a girl who has stood by you for a long time gets injured and you rarely give her a second look\/thought.<\/p>\n

Does it even occur to him where Cordleia has been? make it two days as I can’t recall how long it was. All I know was that she wasnt around.<\/p>\n

Angel realises sickly that he hadn’t given it another thought when first she’d been hurt by Faith and then when she told him she was taking paid leave.<\/p>\n

Wes informs him that she hasn’t left her apartment since and her injury is slow to heal, being human and all, hit by a powerful Slayer.<\/p>\n

He suggests Angel get his priorities straight and leaves him alone with his thoughts.<\/p>\n

What does Angel do?<\/p>\n

Does he ignore that and still go to see Buffy, or does he rethink and pull out his thoughts and feelings on the brunette, which gears him to action? He has pushed Cordelia aside twice since she’s been with him in LA; first with Buffy when he became human for a day, and then when he decided Faith needed him more.<\/p>\n

Does he wonder belatedly why the loyal, caring brunette is still around?<\/p>\n

I would love a sweet, and hopefully hot conclusion to this fic. Would anyone feel like doing it for me? *flutters eyelashes*<\/p>\n

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

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