Disclaimer: Angel belongs to Joss, 20th Century Fox & the other companies who help out. I don't own any of the characters. "Never let You Go" belongs to Third Eye Blind.
Feedback: yes please! (No flames please)
Summary: This is a lighter "Angel" fan-fic set at Chistmas time It is Cordy, Doyle, & Angel's 1st Christmas together. :)
If anyone would like to use this story on their site please ask my permission first.
Pt. 4
Reluctantly, Angel left the hospital with Doyle in tow.
"Take it easy man, she's only staying overnight! Not to mention, the doctors feel that her condition improved, in just the short time that you were there."
"That's because I nearly "died" of laughter," Angel said sarcastically.
"Never happen buddy, already been there and done that," Doyle said dryly and patted him on the back. Angel glared at Doyle as they sat down on the bench to wait for the cab.
"Not funny," Angel retorted, "I'm serious!"
"Whoa, okay, sorry." "So what really happened?"
"Well, Cordy actually told me one of her childhood stories, which totally surprised me. I didn't expect her to open up to me like that."
"Well, what did she tell ya?" Doyle asked eagerly.
"I'm not sure if I should."
"Oh, come on," Doyle pleaded.
"Nope, I don't think so, It's Cordy's decision whether or not to tell you," Angel said with finality.
"You're a tough nut to crack," Doyle said as the cab pulled up to the curb in front of them.
"Alas, I'm gonna grill Cordy about it though," Doyle said with a wicked grin as they both climbed into the back of the cab.
Next morning:
Angel was having a complex deciding on whether to go with Doyle to the hospital to pick up Cordy, or go check out his car at the local junk yard. He couldn't help himself and opted for the latter. He put his face up to the chain-link fence just in time to watch his beloved car get put into the crushing machine.
"My car," he whimpered. He turned away, unable to watch anymore. As he walked away he vowed to get himself a new car, he was not going to ride the bus!
Meanwhile,
As Doyle helped Cordy into the cab she asked, "Where's Angel?"
"Oh, Angel couldn't resist checking on his car," and Cordy smiled slightly.
"I hate to encounter him when I get home," Cordy shuddered. Could you imagine his face when he saw the crushed hood?"
"Probably the look of physical pain," Doyle deadpanned, "but I doubt he'll be that upset Cor."
Nothing else was said on the way home. When they got home Angel was gone.
"See I told you he would be steaming mad," Cordelia declared. Just then the office door burst open, and Angel came striding in, his long, black coat billowing behind him. Cordy's head jerked up immediately and her dark eyes followed him as he brushed past both her and Doyle. Angel whirled around suddenly to face them, his face pensive in thought.
"We're obviously in need of transportation, so I've been thinking, there is another classic car for sale down the street, private owner, car looks in good shape,"
"Alright already, quit your rambling, and just go check it out. We know where your conversation was headed," Doyle cut him off. Angel just stared at him in surprise , his mouth hanging open.
"You seem to be doing that a lot lately," Doyle remarked, and Angel quickly shut his mouth. Angel suddenly realized that Cordelia was very quiet and he noticed that she was staring at her hands in her lap.
"Hey," Angel squatted down next to her, and gently tilted her chin up to face him.
"You're really not that upset about the car?" she questioned. He stood up and looked down into her imploring eyes. Angel shrugged his shoulders, "There's no use crying over spilt milk." Now it was Cordy's turn for her mouth to gape open.
"Shut yo mouth Miss Cordy!" Doyle said mimicking Mammy's accent "From Gone With The Wind." Doyle felt as if he had been watching an intense moment from "As The World Turns." *That should liven things up a bit,* he thought wickedly. Cordy shut her mouth, and she felt her cheeks turning red. Angel just shrugged, not catching her blush, and headed towards the door.
After Angel left Doyle helped her put her arm back in the shoulder sling.
"Oh, come on Doyle, I want to move my arm around a little," she complained.
"You heard what the doctor said Cor, to keep it immobile for the first few days," he scolded her.
"Yeah, I know, I know," she sighed. Switching the subject Cordy asked, "Is it just me or is Angel more relaxed."
"Well, I think Angel has adjusted his priorities a little, that's all," Doyle said thoughtfully.
"Oh come on Doyle, don't get all cryptic on me. Angel's been rubbing off on you too much hasn't he?"
"Well I .." Doyle started to defend himself. Just then the front door banged open.
"The car's ours," Angel stated.
"That's it, done deal?" Cordy questioned.
Angel nodded, "That's it. The papers are already signed. Done deal he said, using Cordy's words. There is only one problem though."
Doyle frowned, expecting to hear the worst.
Angel made a sad face, like a disappointed little boy at Christmas. "The car is red."
"That's the problem," Doyle said staring at Angel, laughing heartily. He shook his head doubled over in laughter. Cordy stood up, hitting Angel lightly in the chest, "Red is pretty," she said simply, and walked toward the open, front door.
"But I don't want pretty," Angel complained, "it's not"
"You, Cordelia finished for him. I know. Black is you fav in everything." She said rolling her eyes. Angel started to retort, but was cut off by a gasp from just outside the front door..
"It's beautiful!" Cordy praised. "And you got this for how much?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
Angel shrugged, "He just wanted to get it off his hands."
"I can't believe this, you got a total classic dirt cheap. A 59 Corvette convertible, candy apple red," and she ran her hand along the hood, lovingly.
"Care to introduce me to your date, Cor," Doyle said from the doorway. She gave him her dirtiest look and took her hand off the car's hood.
Angel looked at her in surprise, "How do you know so much about cars?"
She shrugged, "My Dad loves cars, and he would talk about them all the time. Engine size, colors, makes, you name it he knew it. I only ever paid attention to colors and makes though, it was much more interesting." She smiled at the memory, but then let out a sigh. Doyle looked at her with sympathy. He knew she missed her family. He remembered their discussion a few months back. *She just hadn't belonged in Sunnydale anymore, even though her and Xander were on good terms again. That's all there was though, just friendship. She loved him dearly as a friend, but nothing else would or could come out of it. There was virtually nothing left for her in Sunnydale anymore. She had changed and so had everyone else. They were just growing up.* A clear voice brought Doyle back to the present.
"Doyle, how about take out," Cordelia was asking him.
"Huh, sounds good to me," he said absently.
"You okay Doyle?" Cordy asked waving a hand in front of his face.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Doyle replied, snapping out of it.
"Angel, may I take the car for a spin?" Cordy asked hesitantly. Angel's head snapped up and he searched her face intently. Her eyes, he noticed, spoke volumes.
"Alright, he said finally, "but, I'm going with you!" he emphasized.
"Hey, what about me.." Doyle started to say, but Cordelia cut him off.
"Ooh," she squealed. Impulsively, she wrapped her arms around Angel's neck in a tight embrace.
"Whoa," he said uncomfortably, as he attempted to gently pry her hands off his neck. All the while , Doyle was thoroughly enjoying this spectacle, as he watched Angel silently mouth to him, "Help, get her off me!" Doyle just grinned broadly and shook his head. Cordy finally released Angel, after what seemed an eternity to him.
"Spaz much Angel, could your muscles get any tighter, geez!" "Doyle, how many times have I told him that conniptions are bad for his health?"
"Too many times to count," Doyle replied, grinning slyly.
Angel growled, "Come on, let's go. Don't forget to buckle up-- if you value your lives," Angel muttered under his breath.
"I heard that," Cordelia threw back over her shoulder. "Alright, everybody squeeze in."
15 min. later:
"Okay, Okay, I know I came close to hitting the fire hydrant, but I was afraid the bird was going to go SPLAT on my windshield!" She waved her good hand for dramatic effect, keeping her left hand on the lower part of the steering to keep it steady. Angel grabbed her hand and stuck it back on the steering wheel.
"Keep both hands on the wheel," Angel hissed.
"Fine, whatever, Mr. Front-seat driver," she said as they pulled into the driveway.
"You know Cor, I would just love to see your face if I could turn into a bat. I bet you would be hitting alot of fire hydrants then, huh?" He and Doyle started laughing.
"Ha-ha, very funny, Cordelia said as they got out of the car.
"Oh geeze, I almost forgot, and Cordy raced around to the passenger's side. Okay, who's ready to shop till they drop!" she said enthusiactally.
"Oh, no, Doyle said putting his hands in front of him. Last time I did that, some moron tried to run us off the road." Angel was about to try and worm his way out of going shopping when he heard Doyle's last statement.
"What!" Angel exclaimed.
"Cordy can tell you on the way," Doyle replied.
"Huh, oh no! I'm not.."
Doyle cut him off, "Oh yes you are, I went with her last time, you're going with her this time.
I'm going to stay home and take it easy. I'm tired." Angel just glared at Doyle as he walked around to the driver's side of the car. Doyle had other reasons for having them go shopping together, and his face broke into a smile as he watched them pull out of the driveway.
Pt. 5
"So, what exactly are we looking for ?" Angel asked, turning his head toward her.
She shrugged, " I'll know it when I see it."
"Oh, man," Angel groaned. He bent down and hit his forehead lightly on the steering wheel.
"Eyes on the road fang boy," Cordy said poking him in the shoulder.
When they reached the mall the parking lot was packed.
"I hate shopping," Angel muttered.
Cordy elbowed him. "It'll be fun. It won't take too long, I promise." She grabbed his arm and pulled him along to the nearest jewelry store. 2 hours and five stores later Angel had grown extremely bored and went to the mall pet store to look at the kittens, while Cordelia in his thoughts, *wandered aimlessly from store to store.*
"Almost finished!" an excited voice said from behind him.
Angel jumped, "You startled me."
"Sorry," she said. She looked over his shoulder and saw that he had been staring at two little black and white kittens.
He turned around to face her and she saw the thoughtful look quickly fade from his eyes, and he quickly averted his eyes to the food court.
"You hungry?" he asked
She barely had a chance to nod before he grabbed her arm and started to pull her away from the pet store window, but not before she had a chance to glance back thoughtfully at the little kittens in the window.
3 hours later Cordelia only had one more gift to get, it was for her sister Lisa. Lisa loved to take pictures, so they headed towards the camera shop.
"I'll be back in a sec, okay," Angel said and quickly dashed off.
Thirty minutes later it was Cordy's turn to wait for Angel.
"A sec huh?" she said sarcastically, but Angel could see the smile in her eyes as he walked up to her.
As they walked out to the car Cordelia realized that is was freezing outside and again she had forgotten her jacket. Just then she felt something soft and warm slip over her shoulders.
"Thanks Ang.." she started to say, then realized he was ahead of her, walking briskly towards the car. *I'll have to forget my jacket more often,* she thought, smiling to herself.
20 minutes later Angel pulled into their driveway and cut the engine.
"So what happened?" Angel asked Cordelia, and turned to face her.
"Huh?" Cordy feigned forgetfulness.
"You know what I'm talking about, the accident," he said, a hint of irritation in his voice.
"Oh, that," and Cordy looked down at her hands in her lap.
She raised her head to face him and took a deep breath, as Angel waited patiently beside her.
She was reluctant to tell him and relive the memories. Once again she took a deep breath.
"Well, we were basically run off the road, the car was headed straight for us, and Doyle had no where to go, so he made a sharp turn.
"It wasn't sharp enough though was it," Angel interjected softly. Cordelia shook her head.
"Cordelia's eyes were furious as she said, "The moron had his brights on too!" He surpressed a smile and reached for her hand.
"Come on, let's go inside where it's warmer."
Cordelia stared at him, "Since when do you get cold?" sarcasm tinging her voice.
"I don't," he replied softly, "but you are."
Next morning:
Cordelia threw off her bed covers, only to be met by a blast of cold air.
"Brr, it's cold!" Her bare feet hit the wooden floor running as she rushed to the bathroom, only to grab a change of clothes on the way. Dressed in a red turtleneck sweater and blue jeans Cordy poked her head outside the bedroom door. *Cordelia Chase has a plan!* she thought triumphantly. *Coast is clear* she thought. As she made her way to the elevator her white sneakers squeaked on the wooden floor. *Oh, I hope this does not wake up Angel. He may not be able to turn into a bat, but he can sure hear like one!*
*To leave a note, not to leave a note.*
She looked at her watch, 6:30 am. *Nah, Angel won't be up for quite awhile, and Doyle will sleep till noon. I'll be home in plenty of time* As she made her way to the main floor the air was colder there than at the apartment. "Angel better get a heating unit for this place, he may not be bothered by the cold, but we sure are," she muttered. *Note to self: nag Angel about heating unit.* She rubbed her upper arms briskly. *I hope Angel won't mind If I borrow his leather jacket, It's freezing!* she thought. She opened the door and gasped. The ground was covered with a thin layer of snow. "L.A- it snowed!" she whispered softly. She closed her eyes and breathed in the crisp, clear air. She lifted her hand upward almost as if she could feel the snowflakes touching her fingertips. Just as quickly the spell ended, she lowered her head and trudged forward, braving the cold weather. *I'm so glad no one saw that* she thought gratefully.
Little did she realize the pair of eyes watching her. The figure tore his eyes away from the window and headed towards the basement.
About an 2 hours later he returned from the basement, only to see a frosty Cordelia coming out of the elevator. He noticed her shivering even with the jacket on.
"Cordelia, where have you been?" he scolded as he walked over to her. She jumped nearly a mile.
"Ang.. Angel I didn't notice you here," she said through chattering teeth.
"Of course not, you're too busy freezing to notice. Angel frowned. He took off her jacket and started rubbing her arms vigorously. "What possessed you to go outside this early in the morning, let alone at all?" he questioned.
"I.. I had to get something for Doyle," she said lightly.
Angel looked off into space, a faraway look in his eyes. He dropped his hands from her arms.
"What's wrong?" Cordelia asked anxiously.
" I really should get heat for this apartment, or a fireplace maybe," he said thoughtfully and continued to stroke his chin.
"You get cold?" Cordelia asked in surprise.
"Sometimes," he said turning back to her, a sheepish look in his eyes.
"You said earlier" but Angel cut Cordy off.
"I know but I didn't want to scare you or something," Angel replied.
"Scare me, are you kidding. This is great! Maybe your becoming.."
"Human, not likely," Angel said bitterly. She watched him walk toward the elevator, and shook her head, one minute he could be all warm and fuzzy, and the next minute cold, almost to the point of being cruel. His behavioral changes bothered her immensely. To take her mind off of it she decided to go in her bedroom and wrap Doyle's present for him. She realized with 2 weeks until Christmas it was a bit early, but she didn't care. Just as she finished wrapping up Doyle's gift she heard a soft knock at the door.
"Who is it?" she asked.
"Tis I, Doyle," he replied. *Ahh!* She scrambled to hide his present under the bed.
"Come in," she said airily.
"Whatcha doin?" Doyle asked suspiciously, noticing the wrapping paper strewn all over the bed.
"Oh, just wrapping presents. Want to help?" she asked him with a smile.
"Sounds like fun," he replied with a grin. He helped her carry the bags out of the bedroom. Cordelia and Doyle sat across from each other, Indian-style. Doyle was so engrossed in his wrapping that he didn't even hear Angel close the basement door. Cordy, however caught him in mid-stride as he headed towards the kitchen. "What are you doing Angel?" her head cocked to one side as she curiously eyed him.
"Huh, oh, a nothing, I was ah, just downstairs washing laundry, that's all," he shrugged non-chalantly. She just nodded her head but inside she was thinking, * Aha, sure you were.* She grinned to herself at the thought. She resumed her wrapping until she had an awesome idea. She spoke to Doyle as she struggled to stand up.
"I'll be right back," she said. Doyle looked at her curiously as he could see the gleam in her eyes. *I'm getting to old for this* she thought to herself as she stretched her legs to get the kinks out of them. She walked into the kitchen only to find Angel reading a copy of "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens and a steaming mug of coffee in his hand.
"A pair of spectacles would make this scene complete. What do you say Grandpa Angel."
"Ha, Ha, very funny," he said and put down his book.
She smirked and grabbed his hand, "Come on, there's something I want you to do."
"Cordelia," Angel started to whine.
"No whining brood-boy, you'll like this- I promise." She stopped when they got to the living room. "Help us wrap presents," she said excitedly. She saw him open his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. "It'll be fun, besides we could use your help."
"Well, okay," he said reluctantly.
Feedback: yes please! (No flames please)
Summary: This is a lighter "Angel" fan-fic set at Chistmas time It is Cordy, Doyle, & Angel's 1st Christmas together. :)
If anyone would like to use this story on their site please ask my permission first.
Pt. 4
Reluctantly, Angel left the hospital with Doyle in tow.
"Take it easy man, she's only staying overnight! Not to mention, the doctors feel that her condition improved, in just the short time that you were there."
"That's because I nearly "died" of laughter," Angel said sarcastically.
"Never happen buddy, already been there and done that," Doyle said dryly and patted him on the back. Angel glared at Doyle as they sat down on the bench to wait for the cab.
"Not funny," Angel retorted, "I'm serious!"
"Whoa, okay, sorry." "So what really happened?"
"Well, Cordy actually told me one of her childhood stories, which totally surprised me. I didn't expect her to open up to me like that."
"Well, what did she tell ya?" Doyle asked eagerly.
"I'm not sure if I should."
"Oh, come on," Doyle pleaded.
"Nope, I don't think so, It's Cordy's decision whether or not to tell you," Angel said with finality.
"You're a tough nut to crack," Doyle said as the cab pulled up to the curb in front of them.
"Alas, I'm gonna grill Cordy about it though," Doyle said with a wicked grin as they both climbed into the back of the cab.
Next morning:
Angel was having a complex deciding on whether to go with Doyle to the hospital to pick up Cordy, or go check out his car at the local junk yard. He couldn't help himself and opted for the latter. He put his face up to the chain-link fence just in time to watch his beloved car get put into the crushing machine.
"My car," he whimpered. He turned away, unable to watch anymore. As he walked away he vowed to get himself a new car, he was not going to ride the bus!
Meanwhile,
As Doyle helped Cordy into the cab she asked, "Where's Angel?"
"Oh, Angel couldn't resist checking on his car," and Cordy smiled slightly.
"I hate to encounter him when I get home," Cordy shuddered. Could you imagine his face when he saw the crushed hood?"
"Probably the look of physical pain," Doyle deadpanned, "but I doubt he'll be that upset Cor."
Nothing else was said on the way home. When they got home Angel was gone.
"See I told you he would be steaming mad," Cordelia declared. Just then the office door burst open, and Angel came striding in, his long, black coat billowing behind him. Cordy's head jerked up immediately and her dark eyes followed him as he brushed past both her and Doyle. Angel whirled around suddenly to face them, his face pensive in thought.
"We're obviously in need of transportation, so I've been thinking, there is another classic car for sale down the street, private owner, car looks in good shape,"
"Alright already, quit your rambling, and just go check it out. We know where your conversation was headed," Doyle cut him off. Angel just stared at him in surprise , his mouth hanging open.
"You seem to be doing that a lot lately," Doyle remarked, and Angel quickly shut his mouth. Angel suddenly realized that Cordelia was very quiet and he noticed that she was staring at her hands in her lap.
"Hey," Angel squatted down next to her, and gently tilted her chin up to face him.
"You're really not that upset about the car?" she questioned. He stood up and looked down into her imploring eyes. Angel shrugged his shoulders, "There's no use crying over spilt milk." Now it was Cordy's turn for her mouth to gape open.
"Shut yo mouth Miss Cordy!" Doyle said mimicking Mammy's accent "From Gone With The Wind." Doyle felt as if he had been watching an intense moment from "As The World Turns." *That should liven things up a bit,* he thought wickedly. Cordy shut her mouth, and she felt her cheeks turning red. Angel just shrugged, not catching her blush, and headed towards the door.
After Angel left Doyle helped her put her arm back in the shoulder sling.
"Oh, come on Doyle, I want to move my arm around a little," she complained.
"You heard what the doctor said Cor, to keep it immobile for the first few days," he scolded her.
"Yeah, I know, I know," she sighed. Switching the subject Cordy asked, "Is it just me or is Angel more relaxed."
"Well, I think Angel has adjusted his priorities a little, that's all," Doyle said thoughtfully.
"Oh come on Doyle, don't get all cryptic on me. Angel's been rubbing off on you too much hasn't he?"
"Well I .." Doyle started to defend himself. Just then the front door banged open.
"The car's ours," Angel stated.
"That's it, done deal?" Cordy questioned.
Angel nodded, "That's it. The papers are already signed. Done deal he said, using Cordy's words. There is only one problem though."
Doyle frowned, expecting to hear the worst.
Angel made a sad face, like a disappointed little boy at Christmas. "The car is red."
"That's the problem," Doyle said staring at Angel, laughing heartily. He shook his head doubled over in laughter. Cordy stood up, hitting Angel lightly in the chest, "Red is pretty," she said simply, and walked toward the open, front door.
"But I don't want pretty," Angel complained, "it's not"
"You, Cordelia finished for him. I know. Black is you fav in everything." She said rolling her eyes. Angel started to retort, but was cut off by a gasp from just outside the front door..
"It's beautiful!" Cordy praised. "And you got this for how much?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
Angel shrugged, "He just wanted to get it off his hands."
"I can't believe this, you got a total classic dirt cheap. A 59 Corvette convertible, candy apple red," and she ran her hand along the hood, lovingly.
"Care to introduce me to your date, Cor," Doyle said from the doorway. She gave him her dirtiest look and took her hand off the car's hood.
Angel looked at her in surprise, "How do you know so much about cars?"
She shrugged, "My Dad loves cars, and he would talk about them all the time. Engine size, colors, makes, you name it he knew it. I only ever paid attention to colors and makes though, it was much more interesting." She smiled at the memory, but then let out a sigh. Doyle looked at her with sympathy. He knew she missed her family. He remembered their discussion a few months back. *She just hadn't belonged in Sunnydale anymore, even though her and Xander were on good terms again. That's all there was though, just friendship. She loved him dearly as a friend, but nothing else would or could come out of it. There was virtually nothing left for her in Sunnydale anymore. She had changed and so had everyone else. They were just growing up.* A clear voice brought Doyle back to the present.
"Doyle, how about take out," Cordelia was asking him.
"Huh, sounds good to me," he said absently.
"You okay Doyle?" Cordy asked waving a hand in front of his face.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Doyle replied, snapping out of it.
"Angel, may I take the car for a spin?" Cordy asked hesitantly. Angel's head snapped up and he searched her face intently. Her eyes, he noticed, spoke volumes.
"Alright, he said finally, "but, I'm going with you!" he emphasized.
"Hey, what about me.." Doyle started to say, but Cordelia cut him off.
"Ooh," she squealed. Impulsively, she wrapped her arms around Angel's neck in a tight embrace.
"Whoa," he said uncomfortably, as he attempted to gently pry her hands off his neck. All the while , Doyle was thoroughly enjoying this spectacle, as he watched Angel silently mouth to him, "Help, get her off me!" Doyle just grinned broadly and shook his head. Cordy finally released Angel, after what seemed an eternity to him.
"Spaz much Angel, could your muscles get any tighter, geez!" "Doyle, how many times have I told him that conniptions are bad for his health?"
"Too many times to count," Doyle replied, grinning slyly.
Angel growled, "Come on, let's go. Don't forget to buckle up-- if you value your lives," Angel muttered under his breath.
"I heard that," Cordelia threw back over her shoulder. "Alright, everybody squeeze in."
15 min. later:
"Okay, Okay, I know I came close to hitting the fire hydrant, but I was afraid the bird was going to go SPLAT on my windshield!" She waved her good hand for dramatic effect, keeping her left hand on the lower part of the steering to keep it steady. Angel grabbed her hand and stuck it back on the steering wheel.
"Keep both hands on the wheel," Angel hissed.
"Fine, whatever, Mr. Front-seat driver," she said as they pulled into the driveway.
"You know Cor, I would just love to see your face if I could turn into a bat. I bet you would be hitting alot of fire hydrants then, huh?" He and Doyle started laughing.
"Ha-ha, very funny, Cordelia said as they got out of the car.
"Oh geeze, I almost forgot, and Cordy raced around to the passenger's side. Okay, who's ready to shop till they drop!" she said enthusiactally.
"Oh, no, Doyle said putting his hands in front of him. Last time I did that, some moron tried to run us off the road." Angel was about to try and worm his way out of going shopping when he heard Doyle's last statement.
"What!" Angel exclaimed.
"Cordy can tell you on the way," Doyle replied.
"Huh, oh no! I'm not.."
Doyle cut him off, "Oh yes you are, I went with her last time, you're going with her this time.
I'm going to stay home and take it easy. I'm tired." Angel just glared at Doyle as he walked around to the driver's side of the car. Doyle had other reasons for having them go shopping together, and his face broke into a smile as he watched them pull out of the driveway.
Pt. 5
"So, what exactly are we looking for ?" Angel asked, turning his head toward her.
She shrugged, " I'll know it when I see it."
"Oh, man," Angel groaned. He bent down and hit his forehead lightly on the steering wheel.
"Eyes on the road fang boy," Cordy said poking him in the shoulder.
When they reached the mall the parking lot was packed.
"I hate shopping," Angel muttered.
Cordy elbowed him. "It'll be fun. It won't take too long, I promise." She grabbed his arm and pulled him along to the nearest jewelry store. 2 hours and five stores later Angel had grown extremely bored and went to the mall pet store to look at the kittens, while Cordelia in his thoughts, *wandered aimlessly from store to store.*
"Almost finished!" an excited voice said from behind him.
Angel jumped, "You startled me."
"Sorry," she said. She looked over his shoulder and saw that he had been staring at two little black and white kittens.
He turned around to face her and she saw the thoughtful look quickly fade from his eyes, and he quickly averted his eyes to the food court.
"You hungry?" he asked
She barely had a chance to nod before he grabbed her arm and started to pull her away from the pet store window, but not before she had a chance to glance back thoughtfully at the little kittens in the window.
3 hours later Cordelia only had one more gift to get, it was for her sister Lisa. Lisa loved to take pictures, so they headed towards the camera shop.
"I'll be back in a sec, okay," Angel said and quickly dashed off.
Thirty minutes later it was Cordy's turn to wait for Angel.
"A sec huh?" she said sarcastically, but Angel could see the smile in her eyes as he walked up to her.
As they walked out to the car Cordelia realized that is was freezing outside and again she had forgotten her jacket. Just then she felt something soft and warm slip over her shoulders.
"Thanks Ang.." she started to say, then realized he was ahead of her, walking briskly towards the car. *I'll have to forget my jacket more often,* she thought, smiling to herself.
20 minutes later Angel pulled into their driveway and cut the engine.
"So what happened?" Angel asked Cordelia, and turned to face her.
"Huh?" Cordy feigned forgetfulness.
"You know what I'm talking about, the accident," he said, a hint of irritation in his voice.
"Oh, that," and Cordy looked down at her hands in her lap.
She raised her head to face him and took a deep breath, as Angel waited patiently beside her.
She was reluctant to tell him and relive the memories. Once again she took a deep breath.
"Well, we were basically run off the road, the car was headed straight for us, and Doyle had no where to go, so he made a sharp turn.
"It wasn't sharp enough though was it," Angel interjected softly. Cordelia shook her head.
"Cordelia's eyes were furious as she said, "The moron had his brights on too!" He surpressed a smile and reached for her hand.
"Come on, let's go inside where it's warmer."
Cordelia stared at him, "Since when do you get cold?" sarcasm tinging her voice.
"I don't," he replied softly, "but you are."
Next morning:
Cordelia threw off her bed covers, only to be met by a blast of cold air.
"Brr, it's cold!" Her bare feet hit the wooden floor running as she rushed to the bathroom, only to grab a change of clothes on the way. Dressed in a red turtleneck sweater and blue jeans Cordy poked her head outside the bedroom door. *Cordelia Chase has a plan!* she thought triumphantly. *Coast is clear* she thought. As she made her way to the elevator her white sneakers squeaked on the wooden floor. *Oh, I hope this does not wake up Angel. He may not be able to turn into a bat, but he can sure hear like one!*
*To leave a note, not to leave a note.*
She looked at her watch, 6:30 am. *Nah, Angel won't be up for quite awhile, and Doyle will sleep till noon. I'll be home in plenty of time* As she made her way to the main floor the air was colder there than at the apartment. "Angel better get a heating unit for this place, he may not be bothered by the cold, but we sure are," she muttered. *Note to self: nag Angel about heating unit.* She rubbed her upper arms briskly. *I hope Angel won't mind If I borrow his leather jacket, It's freezing!* she thought. She opened the door and gasped. The ground was covered with a thin layer of snow. "L.A- it snowed!" she whispered softly. She closed her eyes and breathed in the crisp, clear air. She lifted her hand upward almost as if she could feel the snowflakes touching her fingertips. Just as quickly the spell ended, she lowered her head and trudged forward, braving the cold weather. *I'm so glad no one saw that* she thought gratefully.
Little did she realize the pair of eyes watching her. The figure tore his eyes away from the window and headed towards the basement.
About an 2 hours later he returned from the basement, only to see a frosty Cordelia coming out of the elevator. He noticed her shivering even with the jacket on.
"Cordelia, where have you been?" he scolded as he walked over to her. She jumped nearly a mile.
"Ang.. Angel I didn't notice you here," she said through chattering teeth.
"Of course not, you're too busy freezing to notice. Angel frowned. He took off her jacket and started rubbing her arms vigorously. "What possessed you to go outside this early in the morning, let alone at all?" he questioned.
"I.. I had to get something for Doyle," she said lightly.
Angel looked off into space, a faraway look in his eyes. He dropped his hands from her arms.
"What's wrong?" Cordelia asked anxiously.
" I really should get heat for this apartment, or a fireplace maybe," he said thoughtfully and continued to stroke his chin.
"You get cold?" Cordelia asked in surprise.
"Sometimes," he said turning back to her, a sheepish look in his eyes.
"You said earlier" but Angel cut Cordy off.
"I know but I didn't want to scare you or something," Angel replied.
"Scare me, are you kidding. This is great! Maybe your becoming.."
"Human, not likely," Angel said bitterly. She watched him walk toward the elevator, and shook her head, one minute he could be all warm and fuzzy, and the next minute cold, almost to the point of being cruel. His behavioral changes bothered her immensely. To take her mind off of it she decided to go in her bedroom and wrap Doyle's present for him. She realized with 2 weeks until Christmas it was a bit early, but she didn't care. Just as she finished wrapping up Doyle's gift she heard a soft knock at the door.
"Who is it?" she asked.
"Tis I, Doyle," he replied. *Ahh!* She scrambled to hide his present under the bed.
"Come in," she said airily.
"Whatcha doin?" Doyle asked suspiciously, noticing the wrapping paper strewn all over the bed.
"Oh, just wrapping presents. Want to help?" she asked him with a smile.
"Sounds like fun," he replied with a grin. He helped her carry the bags out of the bedroom. Cordelia and Doyle sat across from each other, Indian-style. Doyle was so engrossed in his wrapping that he didn't even hear Angel close the basement door. Cordy, however caught him in mid-stride as he headed towards the kitchen. "What are you doing Angel?" her head cocked to one side as she curiously eyed him.
"Huh, oh, a nothing, I was ah, just downstairs washing laundry, that's all," he shrugged non-chalantly. She just nodded her head but inside she was thinking, * Aha, sure you were.* She grinned to herself at the thought. She resumed her wrapping until she had an awesome idea. She spoke to Doyle as she struggled to stand up.
"I'll be right back," she said. Doyle looked at her curiously as he could see the gleam in her eyes. *I'm getting to old for this* she thought to herself as she stretched her legs to get the kinks out of them. She walked into the kitchen only to find Angel reading a copy of "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens and a steaming mug of coffee in his hand.
"A pair of spectacles would make this scene complete. What do you say Grandpa Angel."
"Ha, Ha, very funny," he said and put down his book.
She smirked and grabbed his hand, "Come on, there's something I want you to do."
"Cordelia," Angel started to whine.
"No whining brood-boy, you'll like this- I promise." She stopped when they got to the living room. "Help us wrap presents," she said excitedly. She saw him open his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. "It'll be fun, besides we could use your help."
"Well, okay," he said reluctantly.