{"id":8582,"date":"2015-12-13T01:29:32","date_gmt":"2015-12-13T01:29:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/?p=8582"},"modified":"2015-12-13T01:53:01","modified_gmt":"2015-12-13T01:53:01","slug":"false-claims-40-42","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/2015\/12\/13\/false-claims-40-42\/","title":{"rendered":"False Claims 40-42"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter Forty:<\/b> The Dating Game<\/em><\/p>\n

God, the waiting was unbearable. As she anxiously checked her watch for the 27th time Cordelia though that whoever said \u201cThank God It\u2019s Friday\u201d should be beaten. Then shot. Then beaten again.<\/p>\n

The whole day had been crappy. Of course, any day that culminates in a date with the evil dead probably isn\u2019t going to be all flowers and sunshine. But still, did it all<\/b> have to suck?<\/p>\n

Apparently so, she thought with a sigh as she checked her watch yet again.<\/p>\n

First she\u2019d run into Xander in the hallway after English. Not the \u2018see you across the way\u2019 run in, but the \u2018wasn\u2019t looking where I was going drop all my books\u2019 kind of collision. Xander had, of course, immediately begun to pick up her books, but Cordelia hadn\u2019t been able to hide the automatic look of panic at his nearness. A corresponding look of hurt crossed his young and earnest face and he limited himself to retrieving his own books, leaving Cordelia\u2019s to her.<\/p>\n

A sharp pain pierced her heart at the memory. She\u2019d wanted so badly to reach out to him then; to tell him that things would work out. But she was starting to believe that they wouldn\u2019t. After all, if things were working out she\u2019d hardly be standing here now, pacing in her foyer, waiting to spend the evening with someone who considered her a pet.<\/p>\n

And, as if the encounter with Xander hadn\u2019t been hard enough, Giles had cornered her in the library before she left and tried to get her to agree to spend the weekend with Buffy again. An idea which she\u2019d immediately nipped in the bud.<\/p>\n

Explaining to Giles that her parents were home, Cordelia had stressed that she needed to spend time with them this weekend or they would begin to think she\u2019d fallen in with a bad crowd.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich,\u201d she\u2019d added with a roll of her eyes, \u201cwouldn\u2019t be far from the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luckily Giles didn\u2019t know that she could probably disappear off the map for months and as long as she didn\u2019t do anything to \u201cembarrass them\u201d, her parents weren\u2019t likely to notice at all.<\/p>\n

Still, her ploy had worked and she was sans Buffy for the next few days. Of course the fact that Buffy was just as reluctant as Cordelia to spend the weekend together and therefore did little in the way of rebutting her arguments, helped.<\/p>\n

Then she\u2019d arrived home to find that a package had been delivered for her while she was at school. Thank God Constance had accepted it and not her parents, because while it\u2019s not likely that they\u2019d question her about it, this was<\/b> the Hellmouth and she really needed to save all of her luck for tonight.<\/p>\n

She knew the moment that she saw it that it would be the outfit Angelus had promised her. Eyeing the box she noticed that it wasn\u2019t big enough for the body to be in with attire, so that was a plus.<\/p>\n

Expecting a repeat of the last time he\u2019d dressed her, Cordelia was surprised at the dress she found buried in layers of tissue paper.<\/p>\n

Hunter green silk overlaid with the sheerest chiffon in a lighter shade of green, the dress was far more modest than she would have ever expected from the vampire. Although the halter top left her neck and shoulders bear, it completely covered her breast with no cleavage showing whatsoever. And though it clung gently to her figure, the soft flair in the fabric at her hips ended in a swirl of material that brushed almost demurely at her knees. Although the effect was stunning, it was so far a cry from the leather and chains of their first \u201cdate\u201d that she almost questioned that it had come from Angelus.<\/p>\n

Of course, the accompanying card cleared up any lingering doubts.<\/p>\n

Cordelia ~<\/i><\/p>\n

I expect you ready at 8:00. Making me come looking for you would be a mistake.<\/p>\n

You have an appointment at 4:30 at Reynard\u2019s. Don\u2019t worry; the bill has been taken care of.<\/p>\n

~ Angelus<\/p>\n

That last part had her seeing red, which was obviously what the stupid vampire had intended. Knowing that was one of a billion sore spots between them he just had to push the issue to reinforce her helplessness. Cordelia thought she might choke on her hatred even as she climbed into the car and drove to the salon as ordered.<\/p>\n

When she\u2019d arrived they\u2019d seen to her immediately, making her wonder exactly what Angelus had done to them to make them treat her with such kid gloves. Not even asking what she preferred, they set to work, giving her a facial and a manicure, doing her makeup, and sweeping her hair up into a complex, ornate style that she noted seemed to emphasize the scar on her neck that she worked so hard to hide.<\/p>\n

Arriving back home she dressed, slipped on a pair of sandals which added 3 unnecessary but confidence building inches to her height, and took up her current position at the front door.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t that she was eager to begin another night of torment; it was just that she wanted to head Angelus off before her parents saw him. They\u2019d probably be so grateful that he wasn\u2019t Xander that they\u2019d invite him in without a second thought, and that was a good as a death sentence in this instance.<\/p>\n

Cordelia was pulled away from such morbid musings by the pair of headlights she could see through the ornately carved glass panels in her front doors. The last thing she\u2019d expected was him to show up at the door. Dammit, they had security gates for a reason, and she really didn\u2019t want to know how the vampire had procured the code for them. Grabbing her purse and her wrap she managed to fling the door open just as Angelus was preparing to ring the bell.<\/p>\n

Angelus\u2019 hand hovered over the doorbell in shock, not due to the sudden opening of the door, but to the picture of loveliness before him.<\/p>\n

Soft and elegant, she was the epitome of femininity. Her skin appeared lit from within against the material that tenderly caressed each curve that it touched. Although in no way revealing, it was almost more erotic as it made one picture, in painful detail, what was concealed by the thin kiss of fabric.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a vision.\u201d<\/p>\n

His voice was husky and throbbing with the same desire that darkened his simmering gaze, and for Cordelia there could be no doubting his words.<\/p>\n

Although she had never lacked admirers, at that moment, as the focus of this being\u2019s unwavering longing, Cordelia felt wanted in a way that she\u2019d hadn\u2019t imagined she could. And although she knew it should appall her, instead it caused a liquid heat to surge through her body leaving her teetering on the edge of something she didn\u2019t quite understand.<\/p>\n

It frustrated her, this dual nature of his. Tender and concerned one moment, possessive and overbearing the next. What bothered her most was that it was starting to not bother her.<\/p>\n

Although, intellectually, she knew that was the bond, it was beyond her control to inhibit. Angelus was right; there were people she cared about, that she wanted to protect, and his willingness, eagerness to hurt them gave him an unlimited amount of control over her.<\/p>\n

All she could do was to keep reminding herself that Angelus was a killer with no redeeming qualities, and any feeling she had to the contrary was a result of the bond he was slowly forcing on her. That was really the only defense she had left, and she knew that if she lost sight of that, if she allowed herself to see any other side of him, for even a moment, she\u2019d be lost.<\/p>\n

Cocking his head to the side, Angelus pushed his senses past the sensuous sight before him and extended them to the house beyond. Hearing two additional heartbeats, he realized that her parents were home. Oh, he knew they were back in town. There\u2019s no way that something like the return of Cordelia\u2019s parents could occur without him knowing, but the fact that they were actually in their home and not out at some business dinner or society party was surprising. It certainly explained his greeting at the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo Cordelia, isn\u2019t it only proper for me to meet your parents? Declare my intentions and all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Angelus couldn\u2019t contain his shout of laughter at the absolute look of horror that crossed Cordelia\u2019s face at his suggestion. Before he could say another word she was outside with the door firmly closed, her wrap and her purse which were already in her hands further proof that she was intending to head off any interaction between him and her parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no way I\u2019m letting you anywhere near my parents. It\u2019s bad enough that I have to put up with this without getting them involved.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEventually they\u2019re going to have to know. I mean sure, they\u2019re not great parents by a long shot, but don\u2019t you think they\u2019re going to wonder what\u2019s going on when you\u2019re living with me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia\u2019s mouth fell open in stunned disbelief at his proclamation. Closing it with an audible snap she resolved to ignore all such statements tonight. The last thing she wanted was to have this argument of ownership over and over again. Besides, even as rebellious as she knew she could be, a part of her worried that if she pushed him too far, defied him too often, he\u2019d end this bizarre courtship and make good on all of his threats. She just had to keep reminding herself that these were just words. Horrible, endlessly distressing words, but words nonetheless. And, being the realist she was, words were definitely preferable to actions in this case.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook,\u201d Cordelia hissed at him, \u201cyou wanted a night out which, by definition means not being in. So why don\u2019t we get going. After all, the sooner we start the sooner we\u2019ll be done, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Now it was Angelus\u2019 turn to let unpleasant words flow by. He could allow Cordelia to hang on to her denial a little longer. Tonight was about pleasure, showing Cordelia that there was more to him than the nightmarish tales that she\u2019d been told. Not that those tales were untrue, they just weren\u2019t all there was to him. And although usually those were the parts that he wanted people to know about him, in Cordelia\u2019s case he wanted her to see more than that. It would make it easier for her in the long run. True, with the bond between them eventually she\u2019d come to him no matter what she thought about him; but he wanted more than that. He wanted her to want him, genuinely want him; above and beyond their connection so that there wasn\u2019t a part of her that wasn\u2019t consumed by him.<\/p>\n

And the first step to that end was a lovely evening. Starting now.<\/p>\n

Relieving Cordelia of her wrap he swirled it in an arc so that it landed gently around her shoulders. Pulling her into his side, arm firmly around her waist, he escorted her to the passenger side of a black Plymouth convertible.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have a car.\u201d Cordelia felt kind of silly having pointed out the obvious, but the idea had never really occurred to her. \u201cI always thought you preferred to skulk around everywhere all stalker-like.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laughter welled up once more in Angelus\u2019 chest. She really was so entertaining.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the joy of skulking can\u2019t be overstated, sometimes driving is necessary. Like when accompanied by a beautiful woman for the evening. You didn\u2019t honestly expect me to drag you all over Sunnydale on foot, did you? If so, those heels are ridiculously inappropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia suppressed her smile at his gentle teasing. There was no room for anything but hatred where her feelings for Angelus were concerned. And suddenly she had the disconcerting feeling that tonight was going to test that particular resolve.<\/p>\n

\n

Chapter Forty One<\/b><\/p>\n

The restaurant was beyond beautiful. Just outside of Sunnydale, the small establishment was hidden at the end of an oak lined lane, nestled on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. The decor was elegant yet understated doing nothing to distract from the windows running the lengths of the walls that captivated the diners with breathtaking panoramas of the dark ocean below.<\/p>\n

Seated in a dim, sheltered corner, the romantic atmosphere was not lost on Cordelia who was already having a difficult time controlling the tingles running through her body even before they\u2019d reached this lover\u2019s hideaway. This was so the opposite of what she needed to be doing. She just had to remember that this was about saving lives; lives that were in danger thanks to the monster across from her. The incredibly hot monster across from her. And the need to refocus grew.<\/p>\n

A waiter, so discreet he nearly blended into the surroundings, quietly approached to provide menus. Waving them away Angelus ordered dinner for her and what sounded like two very expensive bottles of wine.<\/p>\n

Cordelia gave a token thought to protesting his nerve in even this that he didn\u2019t think that she could choose dinner for herself. But in the end she knew that this was minor compared to everything else going on.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet it go.\u201d She repeated silently to herself. When that didn\u2019t work she moved on to the deep breaths. Glancing up she caught the amusement spreading across Angelus\u2019 face.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, you\u2019re going to hyperventilate and pass out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWow. And miss some of this fabulous evening. God forbid.\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019d tried as hard as she could, but holding back was never Cordelia\u2019s strong suit.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, I can manage to order for myself. Been eating almost all my life; I\u2019m pretty clear on what I like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTonight\u2019s our time to get to know each other, Cordelia, and I don\u2019t want you having to think about anything but me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell that plan\u2019s working.\u201d She snapped back. \u201c\u2018Cause all I can think about right now is what a jerk your are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Angelus leaned back and watched Cordelia\u2019s not so subtle pouting. It was amazing what love could do. Behavior that mere weeks ago would have resulted in an immediate neck snapping was now cute and endearing.<\/p>\n

It was a common misconception among those rare few people who knew about vampires and hadn\u2019t been eaten by them, that they lacked feelings. Nothing could be further from the truth. Why would an eternity be worth living if you couldn\u2019t truly experience it? And right now he was enjoying the Hell out of every emotion the young woman in front of him pulled kicking and screaming from his chest.<\/p>\n

Resisting the urge to laugh out loud at the girl and interrupt the show, his willpower was wasted as the waiter approached and Cordelia arranged her lovely features into a passive expression; obviously perfected by years of exposure to situations requiring the phoniness generally known as \u201cthe social niceties.\u201d<\/p>\n

The waiter set an artfully arranged salad in front of Cordelia and filled her glass from one of the two bottles of wine. Turning to Angelus he poured from the other bottle; a dark red liquid that was a little to thick to be simply fermented grape juice.<\/p>\n

Bringing the glass to his lips Angelus raised an inquiring eyebrow at the girl across from him. \u201cDoes it bother you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat you drink blood. Pfft. Like that never occurred to me before. Gross but not shocking. And bonus points because at least it\u2019s not mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

If she\u2019d known how much her answer pleased him, Angelus was sure she would have responded differently. He was glad that she wasn\u2019t hiding from who he was. Sure, it would make the adjustment a little more difficult for her, but it was something she was going to have to accept sooner or later; her tendency to deal with things head on and her casual acknowledgment just now meant that it would probably be sooner. He hoped it would be soon enough.<\/p>\n

Tonight, just sitting here with her it was almost more than he could do to keep from bundling her out of the restaurant and dragging her back home with him where she belonged. She\u2019d adjust. She\u2019d have no choice. But he wanted more from Cordelia. He wanted her to need him. He wanted her to burn for him. True, he could shape her with violence and agony, but given the choice he\u2019d rather mould her with desire and passion. She would be an endless source of pleasure for years to come; he could certainly afford to invest this time in her.<\/p>\n

In an effort to avoid Angelus\u2019 increasingly heated gaze Cordelia began to eat her salad with a single-minded purpose. But as time passed she couldn\u2019t help but throw covert, questioning glances his way from beneath her lashes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

Obviously her glances hadn\u2019t been quite as covert as she\u2019d intended.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me?\u201d Cordelia opted for denial.<\/p>\n

Angelus\u2019 mouth tilted in a way that made him seem all too boyish. An innocent look that Cordelia thought nature should not have allowed this vicious predator even as it tugged at her heartstrings.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe considering looks. I assumed that this began the portion of the evening where explained to me, once again, why we can\u2019t be together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Well, since he\u2019d brought it up. \u201cWould that work?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

There was a finality in those words that settled despair around the brunette with such weight that it seemed to bow her figure.<\/p>\n

Genuinely curious Angelus asked the dejected girl before him, \u201cYou didn\u2019t really think that would work, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Letting out her breath in one long sigh Cordelia straightened her shoulders as her resolve rebuilt itself right before his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot really, but I\u2019m running out of hope here.\u201d<\/p>\n

He smiled at her with an odd sense of understanding.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood. You don\u2019t need hope, Cordelia. You have me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Picking up her fork once more she stabbed at her salad muttering, \u201cI\u2019d rather have hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

This time there was nothing hidden about the glare she threw his way.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, at this point I\u2019d rather have a terminal illness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laughter seemed to be the order of the night as Angelus\u2019 head tilted back and the merry sound poured forth.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf this is how you act on all your dates I can see how you were forced to settle for the moron.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was as if he\u2019d struck her. She flinched as the words hit her ears and her face drained of color. In a pained whisper borne of the anguish pooled deep inside her one word slipped out.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

As exquisite as she wore her suffering, Angelus was torn by the hurt he was witnessing. On the one hand it was proof the she was indeed keeping her distance from the boy. On the other it was merely more evidence that she\u2019d given a part of herself to someone other than him.<\/p>\n

That thought would drive him to distraction if he let it, and that\u2019s not what this night was about.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right. This is not the time for unpleasantness. This is the time for us to get to know one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sometimes Cordelia wondered if she shouldn\u2019t just stay in a state of shock around Angelus to save herself the grind of switching gears so often.<\/p>\n

Laughing harshly she derided his festive date activity.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s see. You – crazy, sadistic vampire. Check. Me – not. Check. Well, this has been fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she threw her napkin on the table and started to rise she was halted by Angelus voice which, while amused, would clearly brook no argument.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue, I may be slightly sadistic,\u201d He smirked, being unable to keep a straight face at such a tremendous understatement, \u201cBut I\u2019m hardly crazy. I\u2019m the product of my nature, Cordelia. My behavior may be abhorrent to you, but it is exactly as intended.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019m a predator, but so is the lion. Do you hate him for eating the gazelle? Do you hate the wolf for eating the rabbit?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat gives humans the ultimate rights to existence; to decide what\u2019s necessary in the universe and what\u2019s superfluous? Believe me; I understand why people want to kill vampires. After all, it\u2019s only fair, we want to kill you. But to think that somehow it\u2019s wrong that we exist; isn\u2019t that rather arrogant of you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia wondered if it was the bond when the things he said like this made a weird kind of sense. In some ways it made her wonder about the information they got from the Watcher\u2019s Council. Not Angelus\u2019 earlier, laughable claim that they were putting out vampire misinformation, but maybe they just didn\u2019t know everything there was to know about this particular type of demon. Sure, they did lots of killing, but was that all they did? And would the Council know? \u2018Cause really, how many vampires would want to hang out with them? How many people would want to hang out with them? She cared a lot for Giles, but he certainly wasn\u2019t the most exciting book in the library.<\/p>\n

Still, if Angelus thought that convincing her that he was a natural born killer was going to further his cause he was indeed, crazy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat just sounds like more reason for me to stay away from you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Angelus\u2019 reply required no thought. \u201cNot happening.\u201d<\/p>\n

Swirling the liquid in his glass he captured her gaze. \u201cCordelia, those things are part of who I am, but they\u2019re not all<\/b> I am. I have interests other than killing…they\u2019re just not as fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

The wink that accompanied that statement as he took a drink from his wineglass sent a shot of amusement through her; and wasn\u2019t that just wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Cordelia shot back, \u201c\u2018Cause Angel sure seemed like buckets of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

If she was trying to upset him with the mention of his souled persona, the upturn of his lips declared her failure.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe soul.\u201d Angelus let out a longsuffering sigh. \u201cThe soul had two hobbies – brooding and feeling guilty. Luckily, I share neither of those interests. But before the soul, I remember a time…\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Next Part<\/b><\/p>\n

Chapter Forty Two<\/b><\/p>\n

Her sides actually hurt she\u2019d laughed so much. This was definitely not the way she\u2019d envisioned the evening going at all. Angelus had more than lived up to his claim that he enjoyed past times other than killing and he had spent the evening regaling her with of tales of days gone by that were fascinating both for their content and their historical context.<\/p>\n

As the waiter left the last of their dinner dishes she couldn\u2019t help returning to his latest story to pepper him with questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re saying that Spike started a war in Africa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Angelus could only stare at the enthralling image before him. Flushed from an evening of laughter her skin was tinted a pale pink and her hazel eyes were like bright jewels in her flawless face. Her curiosity and increasing delight pleased him no end and he gave thanks to Spike and his antics for which, at the time he\u2019d usually beaten his unruly grandchilde.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I wouldn\u2019t say that he started it, per se, but his being there certainly didn\u2019t help. Of course, not many people can be around Spike for long without losing control of their violent impulses. He has that effect on people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rising gracefully to his feet, Angelus held out his hand to Cordelia. Her eyes dimmed just a touch at the realization that the carefree part of the evening was over and now she was journeying back into uncharted waters. Still, she grasped the hand offered her and allowed him to pull her to her feet.<\/p>\n

He must have been known at the restaurant, because there was no bill to settle, nor did they stop except to gather his coat and her wrap. Making their way out into the clear night, Cordelia was caught off guard as she was suddenly enveloped in his long, heavy coat. Knowing that it couldn\u2019t possibly be for the same reasons as the last time he covered her in this manner and since her velvet shawl was more than adequate for a walk to the car in the still evening she looked at him in inquiry.<\/p>\n

Encircling her waist with his arm, Angelus led Cordelia down a brick pathway on the side of the restaurant. It was canopied by arching oak branches, and when they stepped out from beneath the cover all Cordelia could do was gasp at the captivating sight before her.<\/p>\n

Spread before her was a garden filled to overflowing with flowers. Every kind imaginable was there in colors that even the moonlight could barely dim. This was a place of fairytales; of princesses who didn\u2019t bother waiting around in towers but still lived happily ever after. It was thrumming wit life in a way that only certain areas of nature can be; and it pulled her into its harmonious atmosphere with less effort than it took for her to cross the threshold into this paradise.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s beautiful.\u201d She breathed out in awe as she pulled away from Angelus to make her way through the blooms.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re beautiful.\u201d And she was. Of course, Cordelia was always beautiful, but standing in the moonlight, enraptured by all that she saw, swamped by his coat, he believed that in that one moment in time she was perfection.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that\u2019s me, beautiful Cordelia, beating the boys off with a stick.\u201d And it was true. That was who she used to be; before Xander, before Angelus.<\/p>\n

Taking a moment to inhale the delicate fragrance of the honeysuckle, Cordelia missed the vampire\u2019s angry demeanor and his rapid approach.<\/p>\n

As he spun her to face him she realized instantly what had upset him.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop.\u201d And with the kind of daring only Cordelia seemed to posses, she smacked the vampire in the chest as she rolled her eyes at him. \u201cGeez, why do you always have to be so possessive? Have you never heard of trust?\u201d<\/p>\n

Angelus studied the girl before him for a moment, not sure if she was serious or not.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re saying I could trust you to stay with me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia paused for the briefest of seconds, wondering if she should lie. But lies weren\u2019t all that easy. They were difficult to remember, and even if you could keep them straight they took on a life of their own. Just look at the lies she\u2019d told for Angelus.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. No matter what I\u2019m feeling right now or how much I\u2019m enjoying being with you, I can\u2019t forget who you are. What you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not the answer he wanted to hear, but in its own way it was almost better. It was so full of honesty. She hadn\u2019t lied to get him to relax his guard, and more than that she\u2019d admitted to having feelings for him and enjoying his company. It was rare to find someone who was so honest even when it didn\u2019t necessarily serve their purposes.<\/p>\n

He still remembered when Buffy returned the summer after facing The Master. She\u2019d toyed with Xander\u2019s feelings and with the soul\u2019s. And while he couldn\u2019t care less about either of them, it was that kind of game that he hated. And sure, Buffy had been going through something, but no one could argue that Cordelia wasn\u2019t going through just as much, if not more. And yet she seemed prone to leave those games to others.<\/p>\n

Turning his mind back to her statement he replied, \u201cWhat makes you think that I want you to forget? Cordelia, I\u2019m not Angel. I like both who and what I am. I don\u2019t want redemption; I don\u2019t want to right the wrongs of the world. I don\u2019t long endlessly for the sun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia had no illusions that it was Angel before her, so most of his remarks came as no surprise. That last one, however, caught her unawares.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t miss the sun?\u201d She couldn\u2019t fathom not being able to walk out in the bright golden light.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think moonlight is, Cordelia? It\u2019s just reflected sunlight, purified and safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Casting him a teasing glance from beneath her lashes Cordelia asked, \u201cSo I\u2019m not the sunshine of your life?\u201d<\/p>\n

Angelus found himself laughing once again. This whole night had been surprising in that regard. Not just his laughter, but hers also. He\u2019d meant it when he\u2019s said he wasn\u2019t Angel. Angel didn\u2019t just live in misery, he wallowed in it. Sometimes he wondered how he\u2019d ever managed to get happy enough to lose the soul. Must be low standards. But brooding? That wasn\u2019t Angelus\u2019 style. He liked being happy, and he\u2019d certainly been right about Cordelia, she was making him increasingly happy.<\/p>\n

\u201cHmmm…The sunshine of my life? No, like the moon, you\u2019re a glorious reflection of the sun\u2019s light. You\u2019re safe and warm but you never burn. You\u2019re my own personal moonbeam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Putting his arms back around her Angelus began leading her back to the car. And as she left this little Shangri-la on the Pacific, she wondered at the sad state of her life that that was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her.<\/p>\n

Since Cordelia was already secured in his coat Angelus decided on having the Plymouth\u2019s top down for their ride home. It was one more romantic facet to a night that was already leaving her awash in a sea of confusion. This wasn\u2019t how it was supposed to be, she was sure of it. She understood the hormonal component. She didn\u2019t like it, but she understood it. But these feelings, she wasn\u2019t sure where they were coming from.<\/p>\n

Angelus had told her, that night on her balcony that the bond created feelings of love in both parties, but she hadn\u2019t thought that was possible. How could a bite make her love anyone, least of all a killer? Her affections were still hers to give, right?<\/p>\n

That thought and others like it crowded her head \u2018til her conclusion flew from her lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey aren\u2019t real. These feelings aren\u2019t real.\u201d<\/p>\n

If his hearing wasn\u2019t quite so sensitive her soft statement would have been lost in the rush of wind that whipped around them. Shifting his eyes momentarily from the road he was captivated by the poignant expression on her face, her bottom lip caught between her even, white teeth as she lost herself in her thoughts.<\/p>\n

Turning his attention back to the road he spoke, his strong voice carrying over the wind.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think because of our connection your feelings aren\u2019t real? They\u2019re real, Cordelia. They\u2019re emotions. They are what they are for as long as they last. There\u2019s no right and wrong, and the bond doesn\u2019t make this artificial.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA mother loves her newborn child. Why? She doesn\u2019t know who they are or what they\u2019ll be. Their potential for evil and their potential for good are both equal in the unwritten book of their life. And yet she\u2019s enraptured by the life she\u2019s created. Because, like us, they have a bond. Does that make her feelings for her child false, worthless? Of course not. Our feelings are real, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reaching over, Angelus took her hand in his firm grip and intertwined their fingers. It was a simple gesture, the least erotic of all the touches they\u2019d shared, and yet there was something profoundly moving in the chaste joining that seemed to tighten something unknown in her chest as something equally unrecognized seemed to loosen.<\/p>\n

Not knowing what to make of all these new feelings and knowing she\u2019d never sort them out in the presence of the vampire beside her she closed her eyes and let the sharp bite of the night air distract her from her deluge of whirling thoughts.<\/p>\n

As the wind died down Cordelia realized they must be approaching her house. She let her lids flutter open as the car rolled to a stop. Releasing her hand, Angelus exited the car and opened her door. Helping her to her feet he escorted her to the door.<\/p>\n

Turning to face him she knew she was pushing her luck, but she had to ask, \u201cThat\u2019s it? It\u2019s over and I\u2019m home?\u201d<\/p>\n

Not being able to resist her upturned face Angelus gently ran his knuckles down the velvety softness of her cheek.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t that our standard deal? You, home, safe and sound?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia had a feeling she was being mocked. That he knew that any deals they made were subject to his whims and not to any real control she had. And yet the teasing, like so many things that night, was so gentle that it was comforting instead of grating.<\/p>\n

Still not ready to deal with these emerging feelings, she busied herself pulling her keys from her purse. Turning towards the door she was startled as they were swiftly extracted from her grip.<\/p>\n

Suddenly the fingers that had caressed her face grasped her chin tilting her lips up to meet his descending mouth. With a whisper soft stroke his lips brushed hers, an ethereal touch meant to last mere moments in time but to linger in the heart.<\/p>\n

Pushing the button to unlock the doors in front of which they stood, Angelus pressed the keys back into Cordelia\u2019s hand, smiling down at the dazed girl.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoodnight, Moonbeam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Snapping abruptly back to reality, Cordelia turned without another word and walked into her house. Closing the door she leaned against it and rubbed a hand over her eyes wearily. She had a feeling that of all the dangerous situations she\u2019d been in with Angelus tonight was the worst. Tonight he\u2019 managed to become more than a monster, to be more than the sum of the lives he\u2019d taken. And for the first time her terror was for more than her life. It was for her heart.<\/p>\n

Chapter 43<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter Forty: The Dating Game God, the waiting was unbearable. As she anxiously checked her watch for the 27th time Cordelia though that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-to-be-continued-fic"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8582","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=8582"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8582\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}