Title: Angel's Bliss
Author: Gem
Rating: I'm gonna say NC-17.
Disclaimer: The Characters or the show are not mine. Shame, huh?
Teaser: -What if the events in 'Eternity' had happened just a little bit differently? Imagine if when Cordy realized there was a reason Rebecca wanted to know info about Angel, she thought she didn't have time to call/page Wesley, and went to the office on her own (and because she wouldn't have to pace around waiting for Wes, she'd get to the office a little sooner, right?), and found Angelus letting lose on Rebecca, so, Cordelia will walk in when... well, read on and find out.... ;-)
Spoilers: Everything up to Eternity, nothing after.
-By the way, I like Spike so I always try to work him in somehow.
(You'll recognize the first part... )
(You should know when I take over the plot....)
"You're supposed to help people." The actress told him, full of hope. "Help me."
Angel looked at her longing face, and something in him seemed to snap. "You want me to help you." He grabbed her arm. "Fine." He pulled her into the kitchen with him.
"What're you doing?"
"It's a big decision, Rebecca. Eternity."
He pulled open his refrigerator as he pushed her to the wall.
"I'm going to give you a taste of what it really is your asking for." He said as he grabbed a bag of blood and burst it open as he held it out towards her.
The actress gasped as she felt the cool liquid touch her skin and enter her mouth.
Angel stopped suddenly and moved away from her as she gasped through the blood.
Gasping himself at what he had done. "I'm sorry, I..." He let the bag of blood in his hands fall to the floor.
He looked up at her, finally realizing the cause of his behavior. "What did you do to me?" He rushed to speak, realizing time was being wasted, he just hoped that he was wrong.
She wiped some of the blood off her face with her hand before looking at him. "Nothing."
A glinting glass of nearly-finished wine caught Angel's eye, and he turned toward it. "You put something in my drink."
She looked at him guiltily. "I just wanted you to relax a little, Angel. Lower the defenses a little."
She gasped with surprise as he grabbed her arms.
"What was it?" He asked urgently.
"A little happy pill." She sounded small and afraid.
Angel breathed heavily and in defeat, he let his head fall to rest on her shoulder.
"Oh, God." She breathed as his head met her shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
"Everybody's so sorry." The vampire said in an amused voice, head still bent down.
The frightened young woman didn't hear the amusement in his voice.
"I just wanted us both to be happy."
"I am happy." The slightly amused voice came again.
"Really?"
"Yes." The woman gasped as she felt pain surge to her neck - he was biting her.
The vampire pulled away as she scrunched her face up in pain.
Then, she saw him, the man's face distorted, pointed teeth in an excited grin, and yellow eyes laughing at her.
"Perfectly happy." He confirmed.
"Angel?"
"Oh, what's the matter? - Look a little nervous?"
"You, ... you're ..."
"FREE," he walked across the room to where his wine sat at the table, and picked up the glass.
"You freed me," he drowned the last drop. "Um," he licked some off his finger. "God, I love this stuff!" He claimed before he used the low-lying ceiling to take off the top part of the glass.
Upstairs, Cordelia Chase dashed in, just in time to hear the small smash of glass come from below the offices.
Trying to walk quietly so the vampire wouldn't hear her footsteps, the seer crept quietly to the stairs, crossing her fingers that the smash had just been Angel dropping something, not Angelus getting mad. 'Please don't have done the nasty. Please don't have done the nasty.' She repeated in her head as she got nearer.
Angelus pointed the glass at the actress. "Remind me to get the name of your dealer, before I kill you."
The actress was frozen with shock. "Kill me?"
"In all my years," he began, twirling the smashed glass in his hand as he spoke. "I have never killed a famous person before. BUT, with no witnesses who's gonna believe me?"
He had an inspiration. "Hey, maybe we could take a picture."
Angelus and Rebecca were both unaware of the young brunette crouched on the stairs rolling her eyes at Angelus. 'We could take a picture? - Couldn't he think of a better line? - Jeez!'
"I KNOW!" Angelus said, making both actresses jump. He tossed the glass over to his left hand. "We'll do it like back in the day. I'll keep your head on a stick as proof." He let out a little laugh at the thought, and got another eye-roll from the seer still perched on the stairs, waiting for her chance to take him by surprise.
"My head on a stick." The actress repeated, numb with fear.
"Well, OK." He tossed the glass over his shoulder. "A pike."
"You're just trying to scare me." The actress claimed suddenly, and she seemed to forget about her fear.
Cordelia rose as soon as the actress had opened her mouth, and pulled her cross in front of her as she neared the actress and vampire, neither noticed her as she was mostly hidden by the wall which somewhat blocked her own view of what was happening.
"Is it workin'?" He bit back.
"No."
'Uh - oh.' Was Cordelia's immediate thought.
Before Rebecca realized, and before Cordelia could react, Angelus had grabbed the actress roughly and thrown her across the room, she landed on the stairs and tried to pull herself up.
Cordelia raised her cross and a vase she had picked up, ready to take action, but she paused and waited to see if she could find a better time.
Rebecca had seen her lurking by the corner, but Angelus didn't notice because their eye contact didn't even last a second.
"How 'bout now?"
"You're crazy." Rebecca spat out. Her aim now was to try and keep herself from looking at the brunette that she prayed would save her life.
"Oh, no." Angelus stepped forward joyfully. "I'm a vampire." An insane laugh passed his lips. "Boy, you look like you could drop a few pounds - I could help you with that."
"This isn't you."
"They always mistake me for the character I play, they never see the real ME!"
"I, I just wanted to - " She began.
"Be like me? - I can't say I blame you - I'm one happy fella!"
Cordelia took her cue, and stepped forward, letting the china vase crash over Angelus' head, she felt her hand sting as apart on the flying china caught her palm, and she felt blood slide down her fingers - that she wasn't worried about, nor was the fact that Angel was going to kill her for breaking the vase, what did worry her was the fact Angelus was coming at her, unaffected by being hit over the head.
"Cord, nice to see you again. Feisty as ever." She held up her cross, and he flinched as he was made to take an unwilling step back.
Rebecca pulled herself up and went and stood on Cordy's right side, closest to the steps for a fast get-a-way if she needed one.
"In all your years, Angelus, you haven't met anyone like me." Cordelia spat at the vampire roughly. "You think you're big and tough, all macho and vampy? - Well, wait 'til you get a load of me. I'm a bitch. And I'm proud of it."
Angelus laughed. "And what would make YOU so special, Cordelia, so different to the thousands I've met?"
Cordelia pushed aside his question for the moment, and looked at Rebecca. "Get out of here." She ordered the elder more experienced actress that wasn't doing as good as job as Cordy at hiding her fear.
"But, -"
"GO!" Cordelia ordered.
The actress still looked doubtful, but had no problem doing as Cordelia said as Angelus looked at her and growled, causing the brunette to scream and dash off up the stairs as the vampire laughed insanely.
Cordelia listened to the clunks of the famous-woman's shoes as she dashed up the stairs.
"So, why are you so special, Cordelia?" Angelus asked with a sly grin.
Cordelia's eyes faltered to the steps Rebecca had just dashed up for a second, before boring into the soulless vampire's eyes. Angel had to be in there somewhere.
"You've met lots of that type, I'll bet, who you just have to growl at to get them to run from you, screaming with fear - but not me... I don't run from anyone."
Cordelia boldly stepped forward, cross still in front of her. "And you, Angelus, you could never make me scream."
The vampire's face turned into a devilish smile. "Sounds like a challenge, Cora."
Cordelia tried not to flinch as he used Angel's pet name for her.
"But see, Rebecca kindly set me free with a happy pill, I have plans to stock up on them before I can take up that challenge."
He moved around her, keeping his distance as she still held the cross in front of her, and turned towards the stairs, but stopped when he heard the brunette laugh.
He turned around and glared at her, she noticed this and shook her head. "Sorry, didn't mean to do that out loud - just I never thought I'd see the day that Angelus turned into a wuss."
Angelus' eye's flamed angrily. And Cordelia continued. "You see, you're scared.... you're scared of Angel taking control of you again."
"That wanker, I don't think so." Angelus stepped away from the stairs, and moved a little towards Cordelia.
"Oh, but, I do. You see, you're really afraid deep down that if you take time out now to make me scream with fear, it may take longer than you plan, - longer for you to go without a happy in stock, more chance to let Angel resurface."
Angelus laughed. "Oh, pul - lease!" He was mimicking her former self. "I could make you scream in two minutes tops."
Cordy raised an eyebrow. "I seem to remember saying never." She let the last word out slow, daring him to try.
He just glared at her.
"At this point, I feel obligated to tell you, you're so not being scary, and I'm so nowhere near screaming." She tossed her cross to one side. "Come on, Angelus, give it your best shot..." She pulled her bag off and glared back at him. "...I dare you."
Cordelia wasn't surprised when he suddenly lunged at her, hell, she'd been expecting it.
He pushed her against the wall, and licked her neck a little before looking deep into her eyes. "I could just turn you."
"And I could just call you wimp. You know you'll never make me scream, cower away from it why doncha?"
"Wrong. I know I will."
Cordy raised an eyebrow, "yeah?" She gave him an icy glare. "Go ahead and try."
He kissed her hungrily until he knew he had to pull away, not wanting her to pass out without no air.
She breathed in heavily.
"You were right about one thing, Cora. You aren't like anyone else I've killed - they were all smart enough to realize they only had a chance.. by running, you're too stupid to even realize that."
"And all those that ever ran from you - you caught up and killed, didn't you? And since you say no one else stood up to you like me, how do you know it's the stupid thing to do? I might just survive."
"I'll know, when I hear you scream."
Cordelia closed her eyes and moved forward, her lips were nearly touching his as she whispered, "Never gonna happen."
He pushed her back into the wall, keeping her body there by pressing his own against it, his head dove forward eagerly and he thrust his tongue into her mouth viciously.
One hand he snaked around her waist, pulling her to him as well as pushing himself up against her.
The other hand found her clothed breast and massaged it toughly with his fingers against the material.
Not knowing what to do with her own hands but to use them to push him away, she rested them on his shoulders and tried to shove. Human strength wasn't a match for the Vampire, he barely noticed her trying to push him away.
He pulled back when he smelt blood, he had smelt it before, when she had cut her palm with the china, but it being right under his nose now, he grabbed at her hand, and pulled it to his mouth, licking up all of the blood.
Her blood did something to Angel, who was trying to fight the demon so he could resurface - it gave him strength, but Angelus had finished with her hand and let it drop, not giving Angel enough of what he needed.
Rebecca dashed from the building - she had tried to call the police from the office, but they hadn't listened and told her to get a life when she mentioned a vampire - they didn't even believe she was who she said she was!
She ran smack into Wesley, who was on his way up the steps to the building.
"Rebecca! - I mean, Miss L -" Wesley began, gripping the womans shoulders in attempt to calm her.
"Angel.." The actress gasped. "He's gone crazy - he tried to kill me!"
Wesley's mouth dropped open. "You slept with him?!" He asked, dazed, remembering what Cordelia had told him about when Angelus had been freed by Buffy before.
"No, I never... he just went crazy... he tried to make me drink blood, I, ... I -"
Wesley was relieved to hear the blood splattered on her wasn't her own. "Was he like this when you arrived?"
"No. No.. but, before he went all nutty he seemed to think it was important that I, ... that I -"
"Tell me!"
"I slipped something into his drink."
"What was it?"
"Droximal. - It's a drug that -"
"- Stimulates perfect happiness?"
"Yes!"
"I think we had better get away from here, at least for the time being. " Wesley suggested, and moved to take the actresses arm to lead her away.
The actress didn't move, and finally stopped being so hysterical, and took in a long shaky breath.
"Are you OK?" Wesley asked, seeing her shocked face.
Rebecca looked at the man with horror. "Cordelia - she saved me, she's still with him. - And the police didn't believe me -"
She never finished because Wesley almost violently threw her out of his way as he dashed to the entrance.
Cordelia lay on the floor at Angelus' feet, she had passed out from not receiving oxygen. The vampire knew she would come round in a few minutes.
So while he knew he had time, he picked the brunette up and put her on Angel's bed before searching in the closet for where Angel kept all his old torturing equipment.
Angel had never expected them to be used again, but kept them to be reminded of all the terrible things he had done so to not ever be truly happy. 'That was a mistake, Old Boy.' Angelus smiled wickedly as he pulled out the box he was looking for, and put it on the floor next to the bed.
He needn't have been a vampire to pick up on the thundering footsteps coming down the stairs.
Angelus looked back at Cordelia's figure. "I promise you'll be screaming soon, but lets make sure we have no interruptions first."
The vampire went out into the hall just as Wesley met the foot of the stairs.
"Where's Cordelia?" The English voice demanded.
"Ah, Wes, my man, don't be worrying about Cordy - she's getting ready for the time of her life."
"Angel, don't be fooled - what you're experiencing is not real, it's been brought on by a drug. It's all an illusion."
'I could have fun with this.' Angelus thought wickedly.
He slipped out of his game face. "An illusion?" He tried to sound confused.
"Yes, Angel. This isn't really true happiness. It shouldn't be enough to have made you turn completely. Fight Angelus - don't let him be in control."
'Fool.' Angelus spat in his mind. "This is false, I'm not experiencing this, this content feeling - not at all?" Angelus moved towards Wesley slowly.
Wesley went to the vampire and patted his shoulder. "Fake really. You're still in control, Angel."
Angelus let his head drop down, trying to look ashamed. "Yes, now I am. But, it's too late - Cordelia... I,..."
Angelus said no more, and left the rest to the ex-watcher's imagination as he headed towards the bedroom where he'd seen Angelus come from.
As soon as Wesley pulled away his gaze, Angelus snapped his head back up, in full game face.
He turned to follow the ex-watcher, grinning wickedly.
Wesley had stopped at the doorway to the bedroom, and was looking in at Cordelia who was slowly stirring and opening her eyes.
The last thing Wesley saw before he slipped into unconsciousness, was Cordelia's eye's open wide at the sight of something behind him, then something above his head.
When Wesley finally came round, he found himself tied to a chair in the kitchen, and he could just about hear Angelus in the bedroom.
"Scream for me, Baby." Was the first thing Wesley heard the vampire croon in a deep husky voice, horrible images flooded into the ex-watchers mind.
He cheered silently for Cordelia when he heard her bite back. "I can't scream with fear, Angelus, unless I'm actually afraid."
Her voice was weak, and Wesley wasn't sure he wanted to know why she sounded so un-Cordy like, - sure she was still giving as good as she got, but she didn't seem to have much effort to put into it, she sounded small and disturbed.
Wesley almost jumped out of his skin after Angelus and Cordelia had been quiet for awhile and a familiar vampire creeped into the room.
Spike obviously had intentions of surprising his sire, yet did not know he was the one who would receive a bigger shock.
Wesley, knowing from speaking to the other ex-watcher, Giles, on the phone, he knew of Spike's un-ability to hurt human beings, and prayed Spike still had that chip in his head as he tapped his foot on the floor to get the blondes attention.
Spike looked over at him, and then looked again around the place, before actually registering what he had seen.
His head spun back round, and he frowned, his mouth opened ready to question the English man, who's eyes were popping out of his head trying to tell the vampire to shut up, but before the younger vampire could get a word out, he stopped, hearing his sire in the bedroom.
"Cordelia." The elder vampire spoke softly. "Oh, won't you scream for me?"
"Never." The brunette was heard hissing back.
Understanding quickly registered on Spike's face. 'So, Angelus is in town.'
Spike pulled the gag from the English man's mouth, and began to untie the ropes on his hands.
"Hurry. We must get to Cordelia." The ex-watcher whispered as quietly as possible, not wanting Angelus' sensitive hearing to pick up his words, luckily Cordelia groaned at the same moment he spoke, and Angelus didn't hear him.
Spike, after untying Wesley completely, whispered back. "Are you bloody joking? That's not a bad version of Angel in there, you Poof! - It's Angelus, and I'm getting out of here!"
Wesley grabbed the blonde vampire's arm and opened his mouth to persuade him to help, his mouth shut itself as the snap of a whip was heard against Cordelia's flesh.
She didn't scream, much to Angelus' disappointment - he should've made her break by now, the bitch had more will power than he thought. All that was heard was a little groan in the back of her throat, while she modeled a pained look.
Spike had his eyes closed as the sound of the whip struck again - he remembered that sound from when he and Angelus and traveled together, he had been on the receiving end of it many times.
Spike wondered briefly how the girl was surviving this - he was a vampire and sometimes the pain of it had been too much, she was just a young lass - how was she not screaming and crying in pain - hell, he had done whenever Angelus introduced the whip to him, and that had all been in good fun in their sex games.
As a snap echoed the place for a third time, and Cordelia let out a little yelp, Wesley forgot all about persuading Spike to help, and moved towards the bedroom.
Cordelia's smiling face flashed in Spike's mind, and he held the English man back.
"I'll help. But, we gotta do this right. You -"
The blonde vampire stopped dead as Angelus' voice drifted into the room again.
"Cordelia, you're gonna have to hold on a minute - we have a visitor of the vampire kind."
He heard Angelus' footsteps, and Spike pushed Wesley back into the chair, shoving the gag into his mouth, and jumped for the couch. His sire had obviously sensed him.
The door to the bedroom squeaked open, and Angelus looked at Spike, now sitting on the sofa, with a magazine, then at Wesley, still tied to his chair.
Spike decided it was safer to pretend he didn't know Angel was now Angelus, and he gave his sire a grin.
Spike stood and moved towards his sire. "Alright, Peaches? I was wondering when you'd come and say hello to your favorite childe. Havin' too much fun with your new gal' obviously. So, tell me, Angel, why is that Poof tied up cuz it's been bothering me not knowin'."
Angel growled a little. "Name's Angelus." He spat.
Spike raised an eyebrow in what he hoped was surprise. "Well, that'd explain why Wesley's all tied up. - And I didn't think you and your Cordelia would be using a whip for pleasure."
"It's pleasure for me."
"Bet the snobby-bitch isn't thinking the same."
"She's quite enjoying it actually." Angelus growled.
Spike wagged his eyebrows. "Maybe you want a rest. Can I have a go with her? - That is if you're doing what I think you're going to her."
"No, that's my last resort to make her scream, I'm sticking to non-sexual pleasure at the moment." Angelus turned and went back into the bedroom.
Spike cautiously followed.
Spike eyed the brunette, she was in a right state, as he entered the room his senses wakened to the smell of blood.
Cordelia had been chained, naked to the bed. Her ripped clothes hurled about the room.
Spike saw the places where she had been struck by the whip, but not straight away, it wasn't that obvious because it blended in with cuts and bruises. In fact, it looked like she had burns in some places - Angelus was obviously trying to make Angel rage with anger.
Her face was a mess - she was gonna have a hissy fit later when she saw it. Blood was all on her bottom lip, and Spike knew she had been biting it to stop herself from screaming. Bruises on her right cheek, and what looked like a ghastly burn on the other one.
"Non-sexual, eh? That'd explain her nakedness." Spike said sarcastically, although he'd never admit it, he definitely preferred Angel to Angelus.
"Shut the fuck up, William, you want me to start on you?" Spike wondered why Angelus was so pissed off.
"What's up with you, mate? You said this was pleasure, but, you seem to be having trouble enjoying it."
"It's 'cause I won't scream. " Cordelia choked out, smirking in triumph.
'How the hell can she be smiling?' Spike thought incredulously.
"I told you, Angelus. I told you you'd never make me scream."
The vampire grabbed a knife from the box of torturing equipment, and lunged at her throat. "Scream, Cor, or I'll kill you."
Cordelia's eye's glittered with the thought of being put out her misery. But, she wouldn't give Angelus the time afterwards to go and get some happys - she had to keep him with her for as long as possible so Angel had a fighting chance.
"Kill me, then. You'll only prove me right. I'll never scream for you, Angelus, never." Her voice was stressed as she whispered, anxious for him to take the knife away.
Angelus stepped back from her with a growl, and threw the knife against the wall, just missing Spike.
"Angelus, mate. Calm down, jeez, you're not gonna get nowhere like -"
The whip struck Cordelia's skin again, and Spike flinched. That made him want to hit Angelus hard - sure if he could he'd love to be holding that whip - preferably against Buffy, but, since he couldn't torture, why should anyone else?
Spike stepped up to grab the whip off Angelus as it hit Cordelia again.
Wesley dashed in and got there first, holding a cross-bow to Angelus.
"I'd not do that again if I was you." The English voice droned, not letting himself look at the brunette on the bed because her knew he'd go to extremes if he was to see her.
Angelus rolled his eyes. Even Spike and Cordelia held back groans, knowing the ex-watcher was going to get his ass kicked.
"Oh, really, Wes. As if -" Angelus knocked the cross-bow out of his hands, " - you could shoot that at me when your weapon's at your feet."
Wesley looked at the cross-bow on the floor. "Ah, well..."
Angelus swung his fist back, and hit Wesley so hard he was thrown back against the wall and left to slide down it, unconscious, his glasses askew.
Angelus turned to Spike. "I wonder how he got free."
Before the blonde could even think of replying, the two vampires went for one another.
Cordelia watched in horror as the two vampires that were now supposed to be working for good went up against each other.
They were both equally matched, and the ex-may queen presumed it was because Angelus had thought William the Bloody how to fight.
Spike got the upper hand as he threw Angelus to the floor, and viciously sat on his stomach, the elder vampire groaned, Spike swung his legs around so that they trapped Angelus' arms.
Spike shook his head as he turned. "Now, that, I enjoyed."
He grabbed a stake that had been made from a broken wooden chair they had used during the rumble, and held it to the vampires throat.
"Spike, no!" Cordelia cried.
"What! You're actually pitying this thing after what he did to you!?"
Angelus growled from his position.
"Angel's still there somewhere - he was given a happy pill, we have just got to wait 'til the drug wears off and we'll have brood-boy back! You can't kill Angel, Spike!"
Spike looked down at Angelus and growled.
" - Plus, he's your sire! You have that whole connection - special bond thing going on!"
"Stuff the childe - sire crap!"
"Spike!" Cordelia warned.
Spike had to admit she was one extraordinary woman, still wanting him alive after all that.
"Fine." He growled, and dropped the stake. He punched Angelus as hard as he could to knock him out. 'I gotta stop letting beautiful brunettes tell me what to do!'
Making sure his sire wasn't about to come around, Spike finally aided the seer on the bed.
First he pulled sheets over her, figuring she didn't want him looking at her like that, before finally untying the ropes on her wrists, which were red and sore from the tightness of the ropes and chains the other vampire had bound her to the bed with.
When he had finished she rubbed her wrists. "Thanks, Spike."
He gently touched the bruised side of her face. "Nothing I'd do for anyone else, Love..." He eyed his sire lying on the floor. "Look, I'd better get me sire in chains before he comes to. You take it easy."
Spike left her licking her wounds as he dragged his sires body out the door, and pulled him onto the kitchen table.
The blonde went back into the bedroom and grabbed some chains, he went back into the kitchen, Cordelia shuffled after him, just wrapped in a white and now blood red sheet.
Spike stopped dead as he entered the kitchen, Cordelia stopped too.
"What's wrong?" The beaten ex-May Queen asked.
"He's gone."
"Gone!? What'd you mean, gone!?"
"I put him on the table and -" Spike didn't get a chance to finish, he was knocked on the back of the head with a pipe.
Angelus looked at Cordy and growled. "That boy punches like a girl."
"Oh, shit. " Cordelia mumbled, she desperately wanted to run.
"Now, I'll give you a choice, Cordelia. I'll give you two minutes to get as far away as possible, let me assure you it's the only way you'll live, -"
"I don't run." Cordelia reminded him.
"And apparently you don't scream - for me that is. But, let me assure you, Cordy, if you don't run now, I will do something that's garnered a scream."
Cordelia knew Angel was probably screaming at her to run, but it was something she couldn't do - she wasn't going to let this murderous creature get out into the world again.
Cordelia gave him the dirtiest look she could muster up. "Bring it on."
Angelus grabbed her wrist and flung her to the linoleum floor. He pulled the sheet off her. "You must have a death wish."
"At least I don't have a personality disorder... - And Angel, if you heard that, sorry, it was only meant for half of you... the wuss half that thinks he's soooo scary."
Angelus growled, pulling down his leather pants, and boxers down to his ankles, before straddling her.
"Getting fresh with me, Angelus?" She grinned making her sore lips crack and bleed again. But it had done the job, and infuriated the vampire even more.
Angelus slammed his body down onto hers, going straight into her, hard and rough, no way was he going to ease into her, she deserved some more pain.
Cordelia found herself biting her tongue to keep from screaming - it hurt to much to continue biting her lip that was still cracked with dried blood.
Her face scrunched up and her eyes were closed as he began pushing into her, harder and faster - futher into her than she thought it was ever possible.
Her stomach stung so violently as he continued ramming his body into hers. She honestly thought he had done some serious damage.
He grabbed at her hair, tugging at it.
He kept doing this, naked on the linoleum floor, right next to an unconscious blonde vampire. Pushing her down to the hard cold floor.
He bit into her neck for a last effort, as he still kept thrusting into her, not as hard, as he was tiring himself, but that was more painful for Cordelia after him going into her so far than she thought possible. She felt her stomach ache terribly, and she wondered how she was surviving this.
He drained her as much as he knew he could without making her pass out - she wouldn't feel the pain if she was unconscious now, would she?
Just as Cordelia was about to break and scream in pain, Angelus snapped, being so frustrated that she wouldn't give in.
And Angel broke free because of his seers strength and love for him.
Cordelia knew he was back straight away, as he eased out of her slowly and gently.
Not tugging on her hair anymore, but slowly running it through his fingers as he released himself from her.
His body broke down, ranting out apologies, wrapping his arms around her worn out, sweaty, bloody body and holding her close.
He wouldn't look at her, he never opened his eyes, not wanting to see what he had done, not wanting to meet her eyes and see the hate, he buried his face in her hair as he continued to summon apologies.
She lifted her hand from the cool floor, and wrapped it around his body, comforting him, pulling him to her.
Her other hand mingled with his hair, stroking it, trying to bring him some solace with the fact that she was still alive to do so.
"It's OK, Angel, it's OK. I'm OK."
He wasn't listening, he could only focus on the fact he'd hurt her badly, possibly lost his only real friend. Yes sometimes she was shallow - but she was honest. She was a true friend.
And she stuck by his side, knowing what he was and what he could easily be after a moment of happiness, and she was still there with him, she hadn't run.
She had accepted him. All of him. Something Buffy couldn't do - something he couldn't do.
She was the best friend he ever had - she'd stayed with him in his darkest hour, in which he'd hurt her continuously.
And she was still there, her arms still open to him.
She had accepted him, as himself and as Angelus. And he loved her for it.
As Spike slowly awoke, he heard a terrified voice call out in shame over and over, and a much quieter, stressed voice whisper comforts, and he instantly knew Angel had returned.
The vampire slowly dragged himself up into a sitting position, and his hand went to his head. 'I'm gonna have to milk Brood-boy's apologies for that later, but first things first...'
The younger vampire pulled himself up and went over to his sire hugging his seer tightly while apologizing to her continuously.
Cordelia's eyes were wide as she stared at the ceiling over the wailing vampire's shoulder, they were filled with relief and joy, and as Spike's movement caught her eye, she looked over at the other vampire, and presented him with a wide smile.
Cordy didn't feel the pain anymore she was so happy, yeah, Angel was a state and would brood for ages about this, but she had saved him. She had saved him, that gave her all the hope that she had lost when Doyle died, plus some.
Spike moved to drag Angel off her, but she held up a hand telling him to wait.
"Angel, look at me." The brunette whispered.
Angel moved back a little off her, tears filling out his eyes that he refused to focus on her.
"Angel, look -" She began to repeat.
"- I can't, I can't see what I've done to you, how I've lost you - how I've hurt you and how you hate me for it." His voice shook with emotion.
Cordelia had never seen tears come from Angel before, not even when they had lost Doyle.
She reached a hand up and caressed his face, his eyes still diverted from her own as she spoke.
"Firstly, YOU didn't do this to me, Angel. It was Angelus - and yeah, I know he's a part of who you are, but I made the choice here, - I chose to keep him here with me until the happy pill wore off rather than let him out onto the world.... Secondly, you haven't lost me, because, again, I chose to do what I did, I knew what the risks were, and I chose to take them, and I can't let you take the blame for something I took the risk for. Thirdly, yeah, I'm hurting a lot right now, but that's just physically, you haven't touched me emotionally, - the scars will heal. Fourthly, I don't hate you. I could never hate you - if you'd just look at me you'd see that. Please." She spoke in the normal Cordy manner, just a little quieter and a little shaken.
Angel closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was looking directly into her soul, and saw that her words had been the truth.
"Thank you." He whispered, meaning it for so many things, for forgiving him - for actually believing there was nothing to forgive, because she had selflessly saved the world from his torturing, because she was his best friend.
"Anytime, Brood-boy." She smiled weakly at him, and she closed her heavy eyes
"Cordelia!" Angel cried as her eyes slowly shut.
She opened them again quickly. "I'm OK, Angel." But that was a lie, she was having a little difficulty breathing.
Spike stepped forward and held the other vampire away from the girl, as she struggled to breathe.
"Angel, crowding her is not gonna help."
Angel gently got off her and pulled his boxers and pants up from his ankles while Spike pulled the sheet back around Cordelia before gathering her up in his arms.
Spike looked directly at his sire, hoping he'd calmed down enough to make a decision. "Here or hospital?"
"Hospital!" Angel cried out as if Spike were insane.
"I warn you, Angel, if we take her there they are gonna be telling the police she was raped and beaten."
Angel looked solemnly at his childe. "Well she was."
Cordelia let out a little gasp, and both vampires knew she was trying not to make too much fuss, she didn't want to think Angel hurt her as bad as he had done.
Angel glanced at her and the blood covered sheet. "Hospital." He growled again.
Cordelia wacked Spike's chest as hard as she could which turned out to be just a little push as the vampire made his way to the staircase. "I refuse to go to the hospital!"
"Well, then, " Spike turned to carry her to the bedroom, but Angel stood in his way, buttoning up his shirt that was still covered in Cordy's blood from Angelus' torturing.
"You haven't got a say." The elder vampire growled to the ex-cheerleader, and Spike handed her over to the older vampire as he offered to take her.
Cordelia opened her mouth to complain, but it turned into a yelp of pain as her stomach soared in agony again, and she resulted to keeping quiet and concentrating on her own sporadic breathing to keep the pain minimum.
When Cordelia opened her eyes, she looked about the dark room.
She could hear rain against the window, and as she looked over to see out, a dark figure was mounted against the street light coming in from the window, whoever it was, was looking outside into the stormy night.
"Angel?" She whispered.
The figure turned to face her. His eyes glinted in the small amount of light coming from the street lamp outside the window.
They just stared for what seemed like an eternity to Cordy. She wanted the silence to end, but was too tired to say anything, and the vampire was to afraid to say anything, but he eventually overcame his fear, and neared the bed.
"Thank you." He whispered.
"There's no need for that, Angel, and you know it."
"You were so brave, Cordelia. For me."
"I couldn't let that wuss roam the earth and ruin your good name now could I?"
"You should've. Anything to have spared you from this."
"Tell me something, Angel."
"What?"
"Tell me, ... tell me why you came back - I thought the happy pill would wear off slowly after a few more hours, but, you seemed to come back straight away for no reason -"
"But, there was a reason, Cordy. You. - Angelus knew that if he'd break you, it would enrage me, it was something he assumed he could do so easily, but, when he tried, he couldn't. It was the first thing he wanted to do so badly, but wasn't able to. He was trying to make you snap, Cora, because you said he couldn't do it. And when he realized you were right - that you were stronger and tougher than him, he was the one that snapped. He lost it. And even though the happy pill was still there, he went. And I came back. Because of you, Cordelia. Because of how much you were willing to do for me. - No one else would've been so willing to do the same. You accepted Angelus as apart of me in a way, no one's done that before."
"He's gone for good?"
"I can only assume at this point he's gone for good and that I have my soul permanently, I guess the Oracles figured I wouldn't be much of a warrior to them if Angelus came back for good, they decided they couldn't let that happen."
Cordelia smiled weakly. "I'm so happy for you, now you and Buffy can finally be -"
"No. Buffy, as much as I care for her, she wasn't able to accept all of me, she wasn't able to put everything she had on the line to save me. Cordelia, I don't want to be with Buffy. Someone else has shown me futher limits to what love is about."
He took her hand and perched on the edge of her bed. "I drank from you Cordelia - as Angelus, but your blood is still in me now, and although you made Angelus break, I wouldn't have been able to come back if your blood hadn't have strengthened me."
"Thank Angelus for that, he was the one that took it."
"You don't understand, Cora. If it had been someone else's blood, and even if it had been a whole lot more, I wouldn't have come back. Your blood did something to me because of the bond we share, and although you made Angelus snap and go away, your blood secured my soul from him snatching it back. And now, because your blood once ran through my veins, I'll always be Angel."
He stroked her hand with one of his, and his other touched her cheek. "Buffy may be the chosen one, and I'll always have a history with her. But, you're the chosen one for me, and if you feel the same, we can have a future together."
"I love you, Angel... I love you the same un-platonic way Buffy does.. or did. And as much as I tried to stop Angelus from going out into the world to kill again, and to spare people's lives, the main reason was to stop you brooding when you came back, because I knew you would come back. And when you did I didn't want you moping about remembering all the people you killed as Angelus…again. I thought, if I was the only one to get hurt, or even killed, it wouldn't take you so long – "
"Don't put it like that, Cora. – Because I know and love you and you're my best friend, I would've been in more of a state at losing you than coming back having killed a lot more who I didn't know, … because at least you'd be there to console me. I don't know what I'd do with out you."
"I don't know what I'd do with out you." She smiled. "I love you, Angel."
Angel smiled so brightly at this, something she had never seen him like before that Cordelia burst out laughing.
Angel looked at her worriedly as she winced at the pain in her stomach as she quickly stopped her laughter.
"So what was that out-burst for?" He asked her gently, helping her to pull the pillow up so she could sit up.
"I've just never seen you like that before."
"I've smiled before!" He defended.
"Oh, not like that you have. I never knew your face could turn all cheeky and goofy like that... you looked sweet! Do it again!"
Angel would've objected, and said he couldn't force himself to smile, but seeing she had a bright smile on her own face and had asked him to do it again like an excited little kid would have, he smiled foolishly again, not really having a choice.
Cordelia giggled. "You are just so cute when you do that!" She said happily.
Pleased he was making her feel better, the huge smile stayed on his face. "I thought you said I was cheeky and goofy?"
"In a cute way!!"
He still grinned at her.
"Ugh! This is torture! - Come here!" Her hand shot out and grabbed his collar, pulling him practically on top of her.
She held him back just as they were about to kiss. "Are you sure?" She whispered - well, she didn't want to do this if he'd just end up running back to Buffy at top speed.
"I love you, Cordelia Chase, in a way I never knew it was possible to love." He confirmed once more, before pressing his lips down onto hers.
------
THE END