Shining

by xox Moony xox

Angel contemplates his feelings for Cordy when someone from their past shows up unexpectedly at the Hyperion. Cordy realises she is in fact in love with Angel.

Feedback: Please, oh please, oh please... I like to know what people think of my fic :) Plus you send me good feedback for this one, and I'll write a sequel.

Distribution: Just ask and it's yours, of course you better not say you wrote it or anything or there will be trouble.

Disclaimer: The wonderful world of Buffy and Angel belong to the wonderful Joss Whedon of course, oh and David Greenwalt, and Marti Noxan too now. Let's see… who else, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, etc.

Timeline: Season 3 of Angel, sometime after 'Offspring'. Mainly because I refer to the beginning of the episode, but in my wacky little world Darla never showed up.

Summary: Angel contemplates his feelings for Cordy when someone from their past shows up unexpectedly at the Hyperion. Cordy realises she is in fact in love with Angel. There is also a subplot going on towards the end with Fred and this person from C & A's past, but I won't tell you who it is 'cause it'll ruin the story.

Authors notes: Nothing much too say, except this is the first fic I've written set around Angel and its characters, so if some of the characterisation a little off, sorry.

* * * * * *

Cordelia Chase tucked her dark hair behind her left ear and sighed softly as it immediately fell across her face again, she scraped it back roughly with her right hand then reached for her coffee mug sat on the desk. Putting the mug to her lips a moment, she paused and scrolled down the information on the computer screen before her. She'd been reading for the last couple of hours, but none of it was going in and none of it was useful.

Sighing heavily she took a sip of her black coffee and smiled as the liquid warmed her body, slowly she lowered the mug back to the desk again and there was a loud clunk as the pottery of the mug and the wood of the desk met. "This is useless." She muttered under her breath and closed down the window gracing her computer screen.

"Any luck?" Angel's voice came from behind her and echoed around the spacey lobby of the hotel; his footsteps did the same as he walked up behind her. After several moments of silence, he added, "Maybe you should take a break or something."

"Already am." She answered and took another swig of her coffee, it seemed to taste different, she cringed. "Can we say 'needs sugar' much?" She moved from her desk and to the cabinet where the coffee things were kept, reaching for the sugar dispenser she tipped in the equivalent of four spoons worth. "Doing any good with the books?"

Angel frowned as he leant his body against one of the filing cabinets. "Can't find anything actually, but as soon as Wesley gets back I'm sure we'll dig up something on this Yellesh demon."

"Where did Wesley go? I thought he was still here looking through the books with Fred." Cordy looked at him, studying his face as she waited for a reply.

"Library. To see if we could pick up anything on the history of our demon, I have a feeling he could be gone quite a while." He looked at here with amusement. "You know, Wesley, books. Books, Wesley, go together like vampires and blood."

She nodded to show she knew what he was getting at, and then added, "Got it. We're in for a long wait. Where did Fred go?" Angel gestured to the stairs, in other words she went to her room. Moving back to her desk Cordy settled down and looked at him tentatively. "What do you wanna do 'til he gets back?"

Angel shrugged then ran his hands through his hair while sighing. "Keep up with the research I suppose."

"You just told me to take a break." She pointed out as she raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"Yeah, I did." He said in what was much a forced whisper, and then slowly walked back into his office shutting the door behind him.

Cordy followed him and caught hold of the door just before it totally closed, "Angel," she said softly. He turned at looked at her, she continued. "I get the feeling you're trying to shut me out a little or-"

She was going to finish the sentence, but the sudden appearance of Wesley interrupted her. "I found it!" He declared rather breathily. "I found our demon…it took a while but I found it."

"Great," Cordy replied flatly. "Now at last I can go home." She headed back out of Angel's office - though now it was technically Wesley's – and grabbed her purse from beside her desk.

Angel raced after her, almost completely ignoring Wesley and knocking him out of the way. "Let me drive you."

She turned to look at him. "Are you sure? Haven't you got stuff to do?"

"It can wait," he said softly, but the look on Wesley's face said it couldn't.

"Actually, Angel. We need to complete a rather complicated ritual before the sun starts to rise in order to be rid of this-"

"Just a minute, Wez." Cordelia interrupted. "Why before dawn today? Why not tomorrow's dawn?"

"The sooner we do the ritual the less we have to worry about this Yellesh demon." Wesley who was standing strong at the door to his office slowly removed his glasses. "Angel I suggest we do this sooner, rather than later."

Angel spun on him a flash of anger in his eyes. "I'm driving Cordelia home, then we can do the ritual."

"That's fine by me, just make it sharpish. Angel, I don't need to remind you that you now work for me?" It wasn't really a question, more of a power statement; Wesley gave Angel one last glance then disappeared into his office shutting the door firmly.

Angel stared at the door several moments then turned to Cordy a smile gracing his features. "Shall we go then?"

"Sure." She muttered and headed for the lobby. "You're never gonna accept that Wesley's the boss now, are ya?"

"No," he replied simply, "It's not gonna happen." Then strode out of the doors to his car, he opened the door for her then slowly made his way to the other side, pausing halfway around he looked back at Cordy. "How do you fancy going for a cruise down to the beach? We can visit the carnival."

She stopped just as she was lowering herself into the seat. "What about the ritual?"

"I really don't think this demon is going to cause much trouble overnight, well if we go by its track record. So then, carnival?" He asked hopefully, and waited for a reply.

"How 'bout I take Miss Chase to the carnival, and you do your ritual?" A voice replied, Angel frowned and he watched Cordy's face brighten as she squealed excitedly and leapt out of the car.

Cordy raced towards the owner of the voice. "Xander! Oh, my God, Xander!" She grinned brightly and ran into his arms, Xander picked her up and spun her around a couple of times, she let out another squeal. Then when he put her down again she looked him up and down. "You look so good."

"Well, I made a good impression then?" He asked eyebrows raised.

She nodded as he pulled her into another hug. "I never knew you owned suits, this has to be a first."

Xander sighed happily and ran his hands over his jacket. "All for you, Cor." He put a hand to her face, and she smiled shyly. "You look beautiful."

"Naturally," she replied with a laugh.

Angel, who was beginning to get fed up with the happy 'we meet again' scenario, cleared his throat in order to get their attention. They both turned to look at him; it had worked. "Well this all very touching, but the carnival doesn't stay open all night and it's getting really-"

"You're right." Cordy interrupted him then turned back to Xander. "We should get going."

"I meant that we should-"

"Get a move on, yup," Xander nodded then held his arm out to Cordy, she accepted it and they walked away from Angel's car. "We can drive there in my new sports car."

"Ooh sports car!" She replied excitedly.

Angel frowned as he ran a hand through his hair. "What just happened?"

* * *

"So what are you doing here?" Cordy asked with a smile, "I mean you've never come before, why now?"

Xander shrugged as he parked his car on the roadside beside the carnival, then looked at her lovingly. "I missed you, and things weren't particularly going too well at home, I needed some closure."

"But I thought you and Anya were engaged now, that's what Willow told me." She smiled at him her eyes glittering.

"Yeah," he looked away from her and started tapping his fingers against the dashboard, Cordy grabbed his hands and stopped him, and he slowly looked back at her. "The important word there is 'were', we sorta broke up a couple of weeks ago."

"Oh," she bit her lip nervously, "I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's okay, I'm fine. Buffy and Willow have been helping 'cause we're all living the fun filled single life now." He frowned and took a deep breath. "It's strange, it hasn't been like that since high school. In fact I kinda wish it was high school, where Willow used to have this whole big crush on me, and I was totally obsessed with Buffy, and where she was in love with Angel." Looking at her, he added. "And you were there."

She tried to smile but it didn't happen. "It's nice that you missed me, but that's really never gonna happen again, we've all moved in different directions…including you."

"Such as?"

"Well, uh…" She thought about it a moment. "Willow sorta likes girls now, which doesn't include you unless you're planning on having a sex change in the near future. You don't seem to obsess over Buffy anymore, and from what Willow says she's the one who likes you."

Xander's mouth dropped open. "Willow said what?"

"That Buffy kinda liked you at the moment." She moved her hand to his chin and closed his mouth for him, she grinned. "Guess you didn't know that. Buffy probably does love Angel still but it's never going to happen, they've both accepted that. And lastly, I'm not coming back to Sunnydale. Ever."

"Any reason why not?" He asked softly.

"I have a home here in L.A., and people I love, and people who love me. I have friends, a job…you get the idea."

"Yeah, pretty good reasons to stay." He frowned. "But what about the reasons for leaving?"

"There's you," she whispered and slid closer to him in her seat, "I missed you so much, and I never thought I would. But, well I was wrong, and I really want you back in my life."

He looked her up and down a moment then pushed a lock of her hair from her eyes. "I'm right here, Cor."

"I know, but I still can't go back to Sunnydale." Looking away from him she felt her eyes well up with hot tears, seeing Xander was heart wrenching, it was like being pulled in about six different directions.

"Fair enough." Xander replied coldly, then cupped her chin in his hand and turned her to look at him again, she looked away from him as a tear slid down her cheek. He wiped it away gently with his thumb. "Cor, I know this is hard for you."

"It's not," she quickly replied, "It's just strange."

"Why strange?" Xander asked quietly.

"It's just…" Slowly bringing her eyes back to look at him she finished shakily. "I thought I was still in love with you, but seeing you now…I realise I'm not."

Xander looked away from her suddenly, he really hadn't expected that, he didn't want to hear any of this he had just come to L.A. to see her not get a whole speech on why she can't go to Sunnydale and doesn't love him. Resisting the urge to hit something he looked back at her, she smiled softly and Xander felt himself melt, boy he'd missed that smile. "I didn't need to hear that." He said trying to hide the flare of anger in his voice.

"You're angry."

"I'm not." He lied.

"I can see it in your eyes, Xander."

"So? What are you going to do? Take it back?" He shook his head as she looked away. "No, didn't think so."

Cordelia stayed quiet, she didn't know what to say, she was still a little unsure of why she'd said that to him. I don't love you. Was she deliberately trying to break his heart? She opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't get chance to say a word.

"You know, I asked myself over and over, 'why are you going to see her? What makes you think she'll want to see you?' I sorta know why I came now, to find the truth, as I said to find closure. Guess I found it." He sighed heavily and did actually hit the dashboard with his fist this time.

She was actually shocked at his immaturity. "Xander, grow up. You can't have everything your way all the time; I thought you would have figured that out by now."

"I never even said I wanted to start up something romantic with you here, I came to visit Cor. To bloody visit you. Not to-"

"I didn't-"

"You didn't realise? No of course not, you're too busy thinking about yourself."

"Okay," she interrupted quickly - voice raised slightly - before he said something he'd regret, "Just stop! I don't want to hear this right now." Xander muttered something she didn't quite understand and folded his arms across his chest; she rolled her eyes then moved forward and touched his arm gently. "Xander, listen. I don't want to argue with you. God, I wished I'd come to the carnival with Angel now."

"Mr Excitement himself, huh?"

"You don't know him anymore, he's changed so much."

"And you're in love with him?"

Cordelia laughed, in fact she laughed a little too loudly. "That's pathetic. In love with Angel?!"

Xander gave her a sidelong glance then looked away again, he was getting bored, arguing and having debates to whether someone loved Angel or not was high school stuff, and it got boring. Without even giving it a second thought he turned to her and literally pounced on her pinning her body against the cream leather of his sports car seats. "You know you wish he'd do this to you, get all tough with you, then make mad passionate love to you in the back of his car on the black leather, top down, stars looking down on you."

She looked up at him her breathing slowly getting heavier. "I don't."

"You know you do." He bounced back at her. "You want him to rip your clothes off you, and kiss you all over until your body trembles with excitement." He raised a knowing eyebrow at her. "Every night you dream about it, about him."

"I don't." She whispered again. "Xander, stop…please."

He sat back up and looked at her, she brushed her hair behind her ears nervously and looked at him, her breathing still heavy. Xander bit his lip, he knew it was true.

Cordelia stared at him as she tried to calm her breathing down a little, it wasn't happening. She gulped in the air rapidly as her heart raced; she'd never expected him to do something like that. It was weird. "What did you do that for?"

"To prove a point," he replied rather breathlessly, "Did it work?"

"No."

"No? You seemed to get excited."

"I think the word you mean is aroused, and that was you, not Angel." She admitted truthfully.

Xander raised his eyebrows at her. "Really?"

"Really. Feel like doing that again?"

"I wouldn't say no."

* * *

Cordelia fumbled for the door handle of her apartment door, her back was pressed tightly against the wood, and Xander was right in front of her showering kisses across her collar bone. Several minutes of pleasure later her hand met the cool metal and she turned handle swiftly, the door gave way with a crack and they both stumbled into the apartment.

Xander kicked the door shut again as he moved away from Cordy for the first time in the last half an hour, he leant back against the door and sighed heavily, a 'wow, this can't be happening' type of sigh. Cordy was stood at the other side of the living room, her breathing still as heavy as it had been for the past forty-five minutes or so, and it didn't look like she was going to start up a normal breathing pattern anytime soon.

Moving closer to him Cordy licked her lips in anticipation, they still hadn't kissed and neither had said a word since the Angel incident, she decided it was time, just as she was about to whisper a few seductive words Xander's lips met hers in a tender kiss. Her body stiffened and she put her hands to his chest and pushed him away. "No kissing." She said sternly.

"Why not?" He replied sounding slightly hurt.

That was it the talk was starting, which was sure to ruin the moment. "'Cause I said so." She whispered and started walking towards her bedroom.

"I can't kiss you?"

She shook her head.

"Your appeal is really plummeting sweetheart." He said coldly, it was something quite similar to what he said to Anya when she attempted to ask him to the prom, why hadn't he gone with the sock puppet of love? Why? Why did he have to go with demon girl?

"Excuse me?" She was right the moment had ended as soon as it had started.

"You want to…you know, with me. But I can't kiss you?" He moved from the door a frown beginning to set in. "Okay, that is making the kind of sense that's not."

"It's simple Xander. We can make love but you can't kiss me on the lips."

"Can I kiss you everywhere else?" He replied and looked her up and down feeling exhilarated from every part of her wonderfully shaped body. "This isn't right, I can't do this." He added quickly realising that his hormones – as usual – were speeding into hyper drive.

"Why not?"

"You have to ask?"

She bit her lip and moved into closer to him pushing him against the door again, she looked into his eyes, and remembered why she'd loved him back then. He was so honest, and his heart got broken easily, take for example Valentines Day '98, when she'd dumped him. The hurt he felt showed through in his eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered and backed away from him, "I want An…"

"You want Angel, but you know you can't have him." He finished for her. "Have you told him that?"

"No!" She exploded. "I could never tell him."

* * *

"I don't understand, why would she choose him over me?"

"His looks?"

"Is that meant to help? 'Cause it didn't."

"Maybe she doesn't feel connected to you like that anymore, since…"

"You think she still holds that against me?"

"You hurt her, why wouldn't she."

"But I was certain we'd moved on from that."

"Things can resurface, come at you from a different angle."

"But with him!"

"Maybe she feels safe with him, protected."

"She has that with me."

"She probably doesn't feel it quite as much anymore."

"I attempted to make amends, why won't she except it?"

"It takes time to forgive betrayal."

"I want-"

"You should talk this out with her, I'm not particularly the best person to ask."

"You have helped though. Do you think she'll be at her apartment?"

"I couldn't tell you."

"I'll try there first." Angel let out a long sigh and slammed his fist against the bar. "She has to be there." Then shooting a glance to the demon holding the microphone. "Will somebody give that guy singing lessons, please?" He got up from the bar stool which he was sat upon and headed for the door. "Or take the mike away." He added as he disappeared up the stairway duster flapping behind him.

"I'll never understand that kid." Lorne said as he watched him go, then turning to the bar he picked up his glass and downed the contents, the demon on stage finished his solo; there was a light round of applause. Lorne didn't look at him, but still shouted. "Well boys and girls, bet you didn't think you'd hear that particular number in that key, did you?" His red eyes drifted to the demon. "Take a seat Alf, I have some interesting things to tell you."

* * *

Angel pushed open the doors to the Hyperion with as much force as he could muster in that few moments, the doors flew open and smashed against the opposing walls. Fred and Gunn, who were sat in the lobby talking, turned and stared at him a little bewildered.

"Hey, Angel." Fred said cheerily with a smile. "Did Cordy get back okay?"

"Yeah, Wesley said you left him hanging with this dark ritual," Gunn added rather harshly, "We had to help him out, Yellesh demon started with the killing spree, had to stop that ASAP."

Angel glared at him. "What is it with you guys, can't I even take Cordy home without some sort of major lecture?! I've been on this earth-"

"I…didn't give you a lecture." Fred interrupted softly.

"Not you. Gunn and Wesley." He let out a heavy sigh then headed across the lobby and for the stairs; he did not want an ultimatum right now, especially from Gunn or Wesley. "I'll be upstairs." He muttered flatly. Just as he reached the top of the stairway the ringing of the phone cut through the silence echoing around the hotel lobby, he ignored it. A few moments later it stopped.

"Angel!" Fred called from behind him. "It's Cordy, she wants to talk to you."

His heart skipped a beat, and it scared him, he was sure that only happened with Buffy and would only ever happen with Buffy. Slowly turning back he ran down the stairs and grabbed the phone from Fred's grasp. "Thanks." He whispered.

* * *

Cordelia waited patiently for Angel's voice to come on the other end of the phone line, it seemed to be taking forever. Xander was stood over her plaiting her hair, which was strange considering what had happened between them that evening.

"Cordy?" Angel's voice came through happy but waves of sadness lingered. "Is everything okay?"

She smiled, "It is now," Xander sniggered behind her, she agreed with him though that was seriously lame. Angel stayed quiet. "I need to talk to you…I'm coming back to the hotel."

"Do you want me to come pick you up?" He offered.

"Nah, it's okay, Xander's gonna drive me."

Angel was silent again. "You're still with him?"

"As always." She replied pretty much to see how he'd react.

"Well call me if you change your mind."

"I'll be there in ten minutes, umm Angel?" She took a deep breath. "Get rid of Wesley, Gunn, and Fred, I want you alone." And then she hung up, looking back at Xander she grinned. "Do you think he got the idea?"

"Very much so," He headed for the door, "Come on Miss Chase let's knock him dead…" Xander frowned. "…Deader."

She nodded. "Lets."

* * *

Xander pulled up outside the Hyperion, and looked to Cordy. She was sat preening in one of the side mirrors. "Are you ready?" He asked gently.

Tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, she said confidently. "As ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

Angel, who had actually forgotten about getting rid of the rest of the Angel Investigation crew, was pacing the lobby running his hands through his hair. Hearing quiet muttered he turned on Fred and Gunn. "Get out." He said coldly.

Fred raised both her eyebrows at him. "I-"

Gunn stopped her as he placed his hand on her knee and looked at Angel. "What's eating at ya man? The attitude? The running-"

Angel strode over and grabbed Gunn by the lapels. "I own this place. I said get out."

"I think you should calm down Angel." Fred offered moving towards the highly-strung vampire. "Gunn didn't mean to-"

"Yeah I meant it!" Gunn spat back more directed at Angel that at Fred. "You can't just go turning all evil and going against us when you want."

Sighing Angel let go of Gunn's baseball shirt. "I'm sorry, I'm just-"

"Angel? What's going on?" Cordelia's voice came from the doorway she was stood strong her hands on her hips, Xander behind her a frown etched into his face, he moved slightly closer to Cordy as if to restrain her. Her line of sight drifted to Gunn. "Gunn?" She tried.

Gunn shook his head then walked to the door and pushed his way past both Cordelia and Xander. "Ask, Angel." He said grimly then headed away from the hotel.

"What happened?" She tried again a little more confidently, glancing at Fred she smiled softly. "Do you think you could maybe leave us alone for a couple of minutes?" Fred nodded, and Cordy turned to look at Xander she moved closer and whispered in his ear. "Could you maybe take her for a drive for a little while? Please?"

"Sure," he whispered back while cupping her chin in his hand, "Do you think we could spend some time together while I'm here? You know I want-"

She cut him off as she put her finger to his mouth. "You can count on it."

Xander grinned at her and moved his hand then stepped into the lobby his attention on Fred. "You wanna go for a drive?"

Fred glanced around a moment then pointed at herself. "Me?"

"You." Xander confirmed and stepped up close to her. "These two want a little alone time."

"Oh!" She exploded then grabbed Xander's hand and headed out of the doors. "See you guys later." Xander followed her quickly and mouthed 'bye' to Cordelia.

Watching them go Cordy smiled a slightly sinister smile; this was going to be fun without a doubt. "Angel!" She exclaimed and ran over to him, he began to back away. "How's it going? How are the demons?" She kept going until she had him pressed against the desk. "Anything you want to tell me?" She asked pronouncing each syllable carefully and moving closer to his face as she did so.

"Like what?" Angel asked gruffly, he looked shocked a moment then laughed and cleared his throat. What was Cordy playing at here? Did she…no it was too absurd! She couldn't possibly…could she? Angel closed his eyes as he inhaled her perfume that was floating in the air around him, it was heavenly.

"Oh, I don't know." She shrugged then bit her lip jumping up onto the desk giving him a little space, she sighed overdramatically. "You know you're attracted to me."

"I'm what now?"

"You want me, Angel. Your whole body, every nerve – assuming you have them – is screaming for my touch. You know it. I know it. So why don't we just face the fact and do something about it!" She shocked herself, she actually shocked herself with her words, and it was all so true.

He moved from the desk and turned on her hands held up defensively. "Xander's the one with the screaming nerves, not me."

"You don't know how true that is." Jumping down again she moved back in on him. "But he's not the only one, Angel…go on kiss me, touch me, do something with me…bite me." She added seductively. "Drain every drop of my blood, taste me, lick away every-"

"Stop. This isn't you, Cordelia. Why are you acting like this?"

"I thought it'd be fun just wanted to watch you squirm." She smiled a normal Cordelia smile, and tucked her hair behind her ears shyly. "See, told you I could act."

Angel held his breath a moment – not that he needed to breath, it was just something vampires faked occasionally for dramatic irony. Then smiled. "Yeah, I knew that." He replied.

"You did?"

"Yes." He said strongly to clarify. "You can act, I figured that out a while ago."

Leaning her back against the desk she stretched her arms above her head, and looked at him in the corner of her dark eyes. "Seriously Angel, I have a couple of things to tell you."

"Such as?"

* * *

Xander opened the passenger side door of his car for Fred and she got in with a smile, he shut it again after her then walked around to his side and got in himself. "Sorry I had to drag you away like this, Cor wanted Angel to herself for a little while."

"I knew it!" Fred exclaimed, Xander looked at her quizzically, she elaborated. "I accused Angel a couple of weeks ago of having feeling for her and he denied it bluntly – why wouldn't he – he doesn't want anyone to know."

"So the big, bad – okay not bad exactly – guy known as Angel has warm fuzzy feeling towards our Cordy?" He shook his head; he hadn't expected that at all. "Man I did not expect it to run both ways."

"But isn't it good when it does?"

Xander looked down at his hands. "Depends on the people."

Saddening slightly Fred moved slightly closer and spoke softly. "I didn't know you liked her, in fact honestly, I don't really know much about you no one's really said anything until today when you showed up." She placed her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. I'm not looking for sympathy or anything. You see, me and Cordy, we used to date…until I sorta cheated on her with Willow."

"The one with the red hair who came to tell Angel about-"

"Buffy. Yeah, that's the one, her and me have been friends since we were about five, and it just happened, you know? Cordy saw us kissing, fell through a staircase, got impaled, wanted nothing more to do with me, the usual thing."

Fred frowned, "Yeah, usual thing."

"We sort of started to rebuild our friendship – relationship – or whatever, just before she left. It never really sorted out completely." Xander looked up and at her, smiling. "It's nice to have someone to listen to me."

"I'm a good listener, or so I've been told, talking isn't my thing – which is weird considering I spent five years in a demon dimension, you'd think I'd have a story or two to tell." She grinned. "But no such luck."

"Five years, huh?" Xander thought about that. "That's a long time."

"Angel rescued me."

"He does a lot of that." Maybe Angel wasn't so bad? Maybe Angel and Cordy belonged together? Maybe it was time he moved on with his life? And Xander knew the answer to that last one, simple really. Yes, it's time. He took a deep breath and added. "Which is good."

"Yeah. " Fred agreed. "It is."

Xander put the keys in the ignition and actually started the car up at last. "So where would you like to take a trip to? Any places in mind?"

"No, just drive."

"I like your style." Xander replied while slipping on a pair of Calvin Kline shades, he put the car into second gear and revved the engine, and then checking his hair in the rear-view mirror before taking the handbrake off, he added. "We will go where the road takes us."

"Or until we get bored, or you know hungry." Studying him a moment Fred smiled again as she picked up on one of his actions. "Cordy does that."

He looked at her over the top of his shades, chocolaty eyes staring. "Does what?"

"Checks her hair like that."

"It's all the time I spent in her little red sports car back in Sunnydale, rubbed off on me I guess."

"It's cute."

* * *

Wesley had been sat in his office for the last hour or so and had watched all the scenes unravel, currently Cordelia and Angel were both leaning against the main desk, both nervous, but their happiness showing through in their faces. He was glad they were finally talking out things, there were definitely a few feelings that needed to be shared. He only wished he didn't have to interrupt them, but he'd rather do it now than later.

Getting up from his desk he stepped out to the main desk, the two turned at looked at him startled by the sudden movement. Wesley cleared his throat and smiled. "I'll just make my exit." He said quietly.

"If you were working we could go…umm," Cordelia glanced around the lobby, until her eyes looked upon the doors. "Outside…you know if we disturbed you or anything."

"No it's fine." Glancing at his watch he frowned. "It's late, I'll leave you alone." And with that he headed out of the doors and down the street.

Angel looked back at Cordelia, he really wanted to tell her how he was feeling about her, but the last time he got involved with someone – Buffy – it turned out a disaster, which they all knew. He didn't want to put Cordy through that pain; he loved her too much to even think of – loved her? Angel raised an eyebrow at his thoughts, that's the first time he'd admitted that to himself even.

"Everything okay?" Cordy asked softly and moved into Angel's line of sight, he blinked a few times then smiled at her. "What are you thinking about?"

He looked at her face a few moments just taking in her beauty, her strong cheekbones, dark mysterious eyes, soft lips, her silky – he was thinking about her lips, things had changed now without doubt, he never would have thought about her lips a year ago, he was sure. Knocking himself out of his thoughts Angel stood up straight and looked her in the eyes. "I love you, Cordelia."

She stared for a full minute, there was no other way to explain it, her dark eyes just stopped, not one blink. Eventually Cordy took a sharp breath and licked her lips nervously. "You love me?"

"I love you." He repeated, it was getting easier to say; soon it would be the same as saying 'hi' or 'how are you?'.

Cordy stared again taking in each word carefully. 'I – love – you'. Weird. Angel loved her? She was sure she'd be the first to say those words, and he beat her to it. "I…I can't believe you said…I mean are you serious…you wouldn't say it if you weren't…you're Angel, you don't do things like that." She stepped closer to him and added. "I love you too."

Angel grinned.

* * *

Fred leant her head back on the seat of Xander's car as the wind whipped through her hair; she bit her lip and smiled. "I love this, can we just keep driving and never go back?"

"You don't wanna go back?" Xander asked softly but kept his eye on the road.

She jerked her head up and looked at him seriously. "It's not like I belong there or anything, I didn't have a home for five years…the Hyperion isn't my home now. I need to find my home.

"You're not the only one." He ran a hand through his hair. "It's so tempting to leave and not tell anyone, just go you know and find my own life somewhere else."

Sitting up even more Fred put her hand on his arm. "Stop the car?"

"What's-"

"Don't ask questions just stop the car." She removed her hand and folded her arms across her chest. He did as she said then looked at her expectantly. Fred smiled; she was now going to make the decision of her life with a stranger. "Why don't we?"

"'Why don't we?' what?" Xander shook his head a little mystified.

"Go. Leave." She pointed to the dusty road ahead of them, how long had they been driving? "Find our own lives, right now. All we have to do is keep driving."

Xander looked at the road then back at Fred, he raised an eyebrow. "My God, I love you!"

She laughed. "You like the idea then?"

"I love it." He answered simply. "Are you sure you don't want anything from-"

Fred grinned then leant in and interrupted him with a quick kiss. "I'm sure. Now drive."

* * *

Cordy looked at Angel.

Angel looked at Cordy.

And then it happened Angel moved forward and wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her closer to him, Cordy wrapped her arms around his shoulders, they edged closer until their lips met in a tender kiss. It was only a short moment, but still amazing.

Cordy looked at Angel a little more eyes glittering. "Whoa." She whispered.

"Uh-huh." Angel replied then pulled her closer still, she rested her head against his chest. "So what happens now?"

"I don't know."