Part 6<\/b><\/p>\n
Thursday, 8:37 p.m.<\/i><\/p>\n
Mrs. Chase spoke, jarring Angel and Cordelia out of their post make-out haze.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, Angel, it\u2019s obvious you know how to pleasure a woman.\u201d She smiled knowingly, wiggling her eyebrows for effect.<\/p>\n
Cordelia was horrified. \u201cMother!\u201d she whispered. She\u2019d never been so humiliated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s important, Cordelia. I had to teach your father way<\/i> too much,\u201d she said, her words laced with innuendo. \u201cIt\u2019s so much better when he knows beforehand how to properly use his\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMOTHER, please!\u201d Cordelia shouted, her eyes sliding shut in mortification. \u201cThat was information I would have been happy to live without. It\u2019s unhealthy for children to imagine their parents having . . . ewww! I can\u2019t even say it,\u201d she scrunched her face up and shuddered.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Chase just laughed, amused by her daughter\u2019s flustered demeanor. \u201cI just have one question for you, Cordelia, then I\u2019ll change the subject. Is he as good as he looks?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia turned a shade of red that just matched her cherry-colored blouse. \u201cMother, I am not<\/i> going to answer that!!\u201d she hissed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat good, huh?\u201d Mrs. Chase answered, looking at Angel with new eyes, perusing his features and coming to rest on the fingers that gripped Cordelia\u2019s waist. \u201cThen I guess it is<\/i> true what they say about men with big hands,\u201d she said, a hint of wistfulness in her voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Chase, you\u2019ll make me blush,\u201d Angel said, smiling devilishly.<\/p>\n
Cordelia nearly choked on her spit. \u201cMother, can we PLEASE change the subject?\u201d she begged.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Chase shook herself out of fantasyland and took pity on her daughter. She schooled her features and returned to a respectable topic.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am satisfied that you\u2019ll be able to provide financially for my daughter,\u201d she said to Angel, totally back to business. \u201cBut what are your plans for the future? Do you intend to stay in L.A.? Do you want children?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her last question was accompanied by a scrutinizing stare that dared him to say \u201cno\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would live anywhere, as long as Cordelia was with me. As for children, well. . .\u201d Angel paused, suddenly wanting to be honest for some reason. \u201cTruthfully, Mrs. Chase, I may not be able to father children. It\u2019s a medical condition, one that occurred some time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the understatement of the year,<\/i> Cordelia thought.<\/p>\n
His grin was gone and Mrs. Chase was watching him intensely. He continued, \u201cBut I have no doubt that Cordelia would make an excellent mother and I would love to adopt children.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unbidden, images of Angel holding a child swarmed Cordelia\u2019s mind. A little girl with dark hair and curls, cuddled up on her daddy\u2019s strong chest. . .Oh, god. Shake it off, Chase. Get it together!<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry to hear about your condition, Angel, but adoption sounds like a wonderful idea. There are so many children who need loving, stable homes,\u201d Mrs. Chase agreed.<\/p>\n
Just then, the nosy nurse swept in with Mrs. Chase\u2019s dinner: beef stroganoff, wilted string beans, and the ever present hospital staple, green Jell-o.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, eat up, Mrs. Chase,\u201d the nurse encouraged. \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t want to miss the wedding, now, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I wouldn\u2019t,\u201d she answered softly, looking tenderly at Cordelia.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should be going,\u201d Angel said, nudging Cordelia off his lap and standing up. \u201cIt was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Chase.\u201d He took her hand and kissed it again.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pleasure was all mine, young man,\u201d Mrs. Cordelia said. \u201cBe sure to take good care of my little girl.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel smiled and nodded his assent, then stepped out into the hallway to give Cordy some time with her mother.<\/p>\n
Cordelia stepped to her mother\u2019s bedside. \u201cBye, Mom. I\u2019ll be back to see you later.\u201d<\/p>\n
As she moved away, Mrs. Chase grasped her arm and pulled her back. \u201cHoney, I\u2019m so happy for you. This is exactly what I was trying to tell you yesterday. You have a keeper in that one, Cordelia. Don\u2019t ever<\/i> do anything to mess that up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia squeezed her mother\u2019s hand in reassurance. \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me, Mom. I\u2019ll be fine. Just concentrate on getting better.\u201d<\/p>\n
They exchanged goodbyes and Cordelia left the room. As soon as she and Angel were out of earshot, she lit into him.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust what the hell do you think you were doing in there, huh?\u201d She fumed. \u201cWeren\u2019t you laying it on a little thick?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was just doing as you asked, Cordelia,\u201d Angel answered, his face as innocent as his namesake.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2019Mrs. Chase, you\u2019ll make me blush!\u2019\u201d she mimicked in a sing-songy voice, scrunching her nose up at him. \u201cArghhhh! That is not what I had in mind. You were such a . . . such a . . . perv!\u201d Cordelia sputtered, storming ahead of him down the hallway. Not only had she practically been seduced by her boss, then completely humiliated by her mother, she also couldn\u2019t think of a better insult than \u201cperv\u201d to vent her frustration.<\/p>\n
Some of Angel\u2019s fun that had disappeared after the kiss returned as he watched Cordelia stomp down the hallway, heels clicking furiously on the tile floor.<\/p>\n
He had to hand it to her: she\u2019d held her own in there. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation, his wicked smile returning.<\/p>\n
Now it was time to turn up the heat.<\/p>\n
Part 7<\/b><\/p>\n
Friday, 4:32 a.m.<\/i><\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s cool knuckles kneaded the space between Cordelia\u2019s shoulder blades, soothing her sore muscles. She sighed; it felt heavenly. She lay on her stomach, topless, her head pillowed on her crossed elbows, her nose brushing the mattress beneath her. Her pajama pants remained on, slung low on her hips, her tattoo fully exposed. Angel straddled her, his thighs on either side of hers. He moved gently, rhythmically against her as he worked his hands over her body, melting away the tension.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, his hands were gone and Cordelia whined her protest. Before the sound even left her mouth, another sensation replaced the previous: his cool lips whispering against her soft skin. She sighed, contented once again, and relaxed, enjoying the new touch. Soon, his tongue sought the taste of her as well. He moved from her shoulders, traveling down the slope of her lower back and resting briefly in the valley, tickling her with butterfly kisses. After a brief respite there, he began to move again, heading further south, to worship the sun that adorned her backside. As his tongue traced its outline, the cool wetness scorched her, making her whimper. As his tongue bathed her, his hands grasped her hips, then trailed up her torso to stroke the sides of her breasts that were pressed against the mattress.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n
Cordy rolled over slowly and rested on her back, offering herself to him. Angel smiled at her briefly. The soft expression disappeared when Cordelia reached up to clasp the sides of his face, drawing him down to her chest. His mouth opened, seeking her\u2014<\/p>\n
RING RING RING<\/p>\n
\u201cNoooo,\u201d Cordelia groaned sleepily, burying her face in the pillow.<\/p>\n
RING RING RING<\/p>\n
\u201cGo \u2018way!!\u201d she whined impatiently.<\/p>\n
As if on command, the irritating noise stopped mid-ring. Satisfied, Cordelia snuggled further into her pillow, still in the murky place between sleeping and waking where she could grasp the remnants of her dream and continue it. It had been fantastic, the best dream she\u2019d had in months, maybe even ever, and she didn\u2019t want to lose it.<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t actually think that, though, only felt it. Thinking would have ruined everything.<\/p>\n
Thinking was evil.<\/p>\n
KNOCK KNOCK<\/p>\n
The sound was light, but it still penetrated deep enough to annoy her. That\u2019s it!<\/i> Cordelia mumbled grumpily. Whoever is responsible for this is going to pay. Dearly.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cCordelia?\u201d Angel\u2019s muffled voice came from the other side of the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo away, Angel, I\u2019m sleeping!\u201d Cordelia yelled, her voice nasty. Then she froze as everything came flooding back: her mother\u2019s sickness, her \u201cengagement\u201d to Angel, her unexplained attraction to him.<\/p>\n
Oh, god! Angel!<\/i> Images of her dream swarmed her head and her face heated.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordelia,\u201d Angel said more insistently. \u201cCan you open the door, please? The hospital called.\u201d<\/p>\n
At his words, panic set in and she vaulted from the bed, jerking the door open.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d she demanded, her worry apparent.<\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s face was sad, concerned for her well-being. \u201cThe nurse said your mother has taken a turn for the worse and we should come immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia\u2019s rocky trail of emotions came to a screeching halt at the mountain of shame and guilt. Her mother was dying, and she was thinking about sex. Sex with Angel. She looked at him warily, as if she expected him to jump her bones and distract her again.<\/p>\n
She shoved the disturbing thoughts out of her mind and took action. Her mother needed her. Nothing else mattered; her own problems were pointless.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d she said grimly, heading for the front door.<\/p>\n
Angel grasped her arm and smiled wryly. \u201cYou might want to change first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Frowning, Cordelia glanced down at her favorite tattered flannel sleeping pants and the mismatched, frayed tank top.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, okay,\u201d she said simply and reversed her course.<\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s eyes followed her as she retreated back into her bedroom. She looked delectable, even in those old clothes. They fit her body perfectly; the thin, soft cotton hugging her in all the right places, barely concealing her secrets from him. But they weren\u2019t exactly fit for public viewing. Nobody should have the right to see her looking that sexy, except him.<\/p>\n
Angel started at his own thoughts, stunned at their intensity. How did this make any kind of sense? 24 hours ago, he couldn\u2019t wait to start a well-developed plan of friendly revenge, no lustful ideas whatsoever. Now, he couldn\u2019t look at her without needing to adjust his fly, not to mention having to squash the powerful urge to lock the two of them in a bedroom for a week.<\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t so sure that Cordelia\u2019s thoughts mirrored his own. In fact, if he hadn\u2019t felt the eager response when he kissed her at the hospital last night, he would\u2019ve thought that she never wanted to speak to him again. Of course, he thought smugly, he had<\/i> been trying to torture her. And it had worked, too. He\u2019d had her so flustered that she retaliated with her only remaining weapon: anger. The only hitch in his plan was that her fury was even sexier than her irritation. That was the problem with bringing torture into this: Angelus liked it way too much, and it was harder for Angel to control the demon within. He\u2019d started to think about all the ways he could put that heat to good use.<\/p>\n
Cordelia\u2019s bedroom door opened once again and Angel shook off his less than pure thoughts. He could sort this out later; Cordelia needed to be with her mother.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d Cordelia said again, not looking at him as she headed for the door. Opening it, she stopped as she saw the beginnings of pink light at the eastern horizon.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel, it\u2019s almost dawn,\u201d she said, worriedly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll take your car,\u201d Angel said. \u201cThe hospital\u2019s not that far and there\u2019s sewer access back to here if we don\u2019t stay until dark.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay,\u201d Cordelia said distractedly. Angel\u2019s \u201ctake charge\u201d attitude had allowed her to return to worrying solely about her mother. As they reached her car, she grabbed his arm and turned him to face her.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow bad is it, Angel? What exactly did they say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey wouldn\u2019t tell me very much, Cordelia,\u201d Angel said apologetically. \u201cBut I\u2019ll be honest; they sounded very concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to lose her, Angel. I just got her back,\u201d Cordelia said, her eyes watering. She looked down at the keys in her hand, then shoved them at Angel. \u201cI think you\u2019d better drive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Part 8<\/b><\/p>\n
Friday, 2:32 p.m.<\/i><\/p>\n
Angel was glad that hospitals had so many darkened hallways. Cordelia\u2019s mother had a south facing room, one that had no direct sunlight at any time of day, and for that he was also grateful. He just may have risked combustion just so he didn\u2019t have to leave his distraught seer.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Chase had been unconscious since they arrived early that morning. The doctors were grim in their prognosis: the disease had attacked more viciously during the night, causing most of Mrs. Chase\u2019s body to shut down. Her lack of consciousness meant that she didn\u2019t have enough energy to stay awake; her body was trying to fight the invader. The longer she remained unconscious, the less likely it was that she would wake up. It meant that her body was losing the battle.<\/p>\n
Cordelia had remained at her mother\u2019s side since they\u2019d entered the room, speaking softly to her and stroking her hand. Angel had tried to get her to leave for a few minutes, if only to get something to eat, but Cordelia refused to move. He\u2019d given up, but he was determined to see that she wasn\u2019t alone.<\/p>\n
The guilt Cordelia had felt that morning had only intensified as she\u2019d sat by her mother, watching her die. She knew deep down that the feeling was irrational, but she couldn\u2019t help it. Her mother had needed her, and Cordelia was at home, sleeping, her dreams making her body quiver. She\u2019d let her anger and frustration cloud her judgment. She could\u2019ve slept here at the hospital, but no, she\u2019d had to go home and give Angel her best silent treatment. Fat lot of good that did if her dreams were going to betray her and ruin her perfectly justifiable anger.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mama,\u201d Cordy said softly, rubbing her thumb over the back of her mother\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry for what, Cordy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia\u2019s eyes shot up into the heavy-lidded eyes of her mother.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom?\u201d She asked, leaning closer, tears threatening to fall. \u201cHow do you feel? I\u2019ve been so worried.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I\u2019ve felt better,\u201d her mother understated, a tired smile on her face. Her eyes left her daughter, traveling the room slowly and coming to rest on Angel, who was leaning against the wall across from the foot of her bed, arms crossed, watching Cordelia worriedly.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel,\u201d Mrs. Chase greeted. \u201cThank you for being here with Cordelia.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe needed me,\u201d Angel said simply, his eyes meeting hers.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Chase nodded in agreement. \u201cShe certainly does need you.\u201d She paused. \u201cAngel, would you give me a moment alone with my daughter?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel pushed away from the wall. \u201cOf course,\u201d he said. Turning to Cordelia, he said, \u201cI\u2019ll be out in the hall if you need me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia nodded briefly, then turned her attention to her mother. \u201cYou\u2019re going to get better, Mom. You just have to rest and relax. Let your body heal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think so, Cordelia,\u201d her mother contradicted. \u201cI think I\u2019m dying.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not.\u201d Cordelia stated adamantly. \u201cI won\u2019t let you. I\u2019ve just gotten you back; I won\u2019t let you leave me again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Chase looked puzzled. \u201cWhat do you mean, you\u2019ve \u2018just gotten me back?\u2019 Your father and I had to move away from Sunnydale, that\u2019s true. But you moved as well. That doesn\u2019t mean I stopped being your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not what I meant, Mom. But we don\u2019t need to talk about it right now. You\u2019re not going to die. You\u2019re going to get better and I\u2019m going to help you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Too tired to continue the cryptic conversation, Mrs. Chase acquiesced. \u201cFine, Cordelia. But we will talk about this later.\u201d<\/p>\n
It suddenly struck her that there might not be a \u201clater\u201d. This could very well be the last conversation she ever had with her daughter.<\/p>\n
Cordelia began talking cheerily, trying to lift her mother\u2019s spirits. \u201cIt will be so great to have you here, Mom. When you get out of the hospital, you can come stay with me and we can spend so much time together. They have some of the most fabulous stores in L.A., Mom. . .\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Chase was immune to her daughter\u2019s incessant chatter. Her morbid thoughts continued amidst the babbling, each one increasing the intensity. She would miss so much. She\u2019d never see her husband again; he wasn\u2019t able to return to the country without legal ramifications. Her heart ached with missing him. She\u2019d never see her friends again, not that they were ever much to talk about. She looked up at Cordelia as her daughter adjusted the sheets and blankets, gesturing rapidly as she talked. She would miss the most important times in her daughter\u2019s life. She had already missed so much, now she would never see her grandchildren, never see her daughter\u2019s wedding.<\/p>\n
Her daughter\u2019s wedding.<\/p>\n
A thought struck her, powerful in its brilliance. She smiled at the first bright thought in her pain-filled day.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordelia,\u201d she interrupted her daughter\u2019s non-stop, one-sided conversation. \u201cSit down, please. You\u2019re making me nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n
Instantly guilty, Cordelia complied. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mom. I was just trying to make you feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Chase smiled reassuringly. \u201cI know, sweetie. And thank you. But I want to talk about something.\u201d She patted the side of the mattress. \u201cCome sit with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia climbed up on the bed with her mother, perched on the edge of the mattress.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know you mean well, honey, but the truth is, I\u2019m not doing very well.\u201d Cordelia rushed to protest, but her mother stopped her with a look. \u201cI can feel myself getting weaker, and I know this is it. It is the end for me, but it is just the beginning for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
She paused for a moment, framing her words carefully. \u201cCordelia, you have a wonderful life ahead of you. You have a good job, caring friends, and a fianc\u00e9e who loves you dearly. You\u2019re content where you are in life, but you have so much more in front of you. The day you get married will be the beginning of the time in your life that you\u2019ll always cherish. When you\u2019re my age, you\u2019ll look back on that day as the embodiment of happiness, the one time when you were absolutely sure what life was about and what you wanted from it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia soaked in her mother\u2019s words, her mind tugging her in two different directions. On one hand, she felt even guiltier about masquerading as Angel\u2019s fianc\u00e9e. The happiness that her mother believed real was so far from Cordelia\u2019s grasp as to be nearly impossible. The other hand, though, recalled the feel of Angel\u2019s lips on hers yesterday and recognized the potential there.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Chase continued and Cordelia forced herself to concentrate. \u201cI don\u2019t want to miss that day, Cordelia,\u201d she said emphatically.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Cordelia said, having lost the thread of the conversation. She was so confused.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to see you get married,\u201d Mrs. Chase explained, her eyes imploring Cordelia to acquiesce.<\/p>\n
\u201cSee me get married?\u201d Cordelia said, still confused. Then, understanding dawned. \u201cMom, you\u2019re going to get well. You will see me get married, I promise.\u201d Well, you\u2019ll see the effects of a major fake break-up, but only when you\u2019re stronger.<\/i> Cordelia added silently.<\/p>\n
\u201cHoney, we\u2019ve been over this. I want to see you get married before I die. It\u2019s going to have to be soon. Here, in fact.\u201d At Cordelia\u2019s shocked expression, she continued. \u201cPlease, Cordelia?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, I don\u2019t know. There\u2019s no time to plan, and I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou would deny your mother her dying wish?\u201d Mrs. Chase knew that was a low thing to say, but she was desperate. She was determined to have this. Cordelia actually wanted it, too; she just didn\u2019t know it yet.<\/p>\n
Cordelia felt trapped. She glanced toward the door, knowing Angel could hear their conversation from the hallway. If she relented, she\u2019d have to go through a ceremony declaring her eternal love for him. If she refused, she\u2019d disappoint her terminally ill mother, maybe send her to her death.<\/p>\n
What a choice.<\/p>\n
Sighing, Cordelia knew that her fate had been sealed the moment she\u2019d announced her \u201cengagement.\u201d She\u2019d started this roller coaster; now she\u2019d have to ride it out. \u201cI would like nothing better than to be married in your presence, Mom, even here at the hospital. If you\u2019re sure that\u2019s what you want.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Chase beamed, suddenly feeling better than she had in months. \u201cOh, Cordelia, you\u2019re such a wonderful daughter. I love you!\u201d she reached to hug her, and Cordelia squeezed her back.<\/p>\n
Outside, Angel stood frozen, trying to digest what he\u2019d just heard. How in the world were they going to fake this one?<\/p>\n
And how the hell was he going to say wedding vows to Cordelia and not mean them?<\/p>\n