All You Have To Do Is Smile

By Kyizi

Part 10

* * *

The breeze whipped her hair around her as it blew through the open windows of the carriage and Cordelia smiled. She glanced at Cathy, who was sitting next to her, her arm linked with the little girls. Cathy had been excited to say the least when Angel had picked her up, and Cordelia couldn't help but feel injected with joy herself the more time she spent with the girl. She pushed her worries about Angel aside, and leaned her head against the back wall of the carriage, deciding to think about it later. The morning was clear and bright, and the countryside was beautiful. The sea air was permeating around her and she felt more relaxed than she had in a long time.

She felt the skin on the back of her neck prickle and turned to smile at Angel, his gaze fixed on her in such a way that she felt her breath hitch. The look in his eyes was so full of passion that it was almost predatory, and well, she was a woman, there was just something about primeval lust that turned her on.

She averted her eyes and resigned herself to blushing. She had stopped trying to fight it, preferring just to ignore it.

"Miss Cordy?"

She turned to Cathy with a smile. "Yes?"

"Will you come have dinner wit' us again, t'night?"

"I certainly wouldn't like to impose, Cathy, I'm sure your family have enough to contend with without me."

"Please." His voice startled her and she couldn't help but jump a little as she turned to look at Angel again. "Me mother would love t' speak wit' you again, and m' father likes your presence as well."

"And so does our Liam!" Cathy exclaimed with a giggle. "Please come, Miss Cordy. I never gat to show you me dalls last time."

Cordelia chuckled. "In that case, I'd love to come. But only if you promise I'll get to see those dolls."

"I promise."

The rest of the ride was in silence, but Cordelia couldn't ignore the lustful gazes that Angel was sending her way. She was getting more and more flustered as the journey continued, unsure as to why he was behaving the way he was. If there was one thing she knew that Angel prided himself on, it was keeping a handle on his emotions. That was, after all, one of the reasons they found themselves in the past.

Much sooner than she had expected it, they arrived at the beach. Cordelia smiled as the sea air wafted in through the open windows, getting stronger as the door opened. She allowed Angel to exit first and Cathy then scrambled over her, jumping into her brother's arms, allowing him to swing her around before setting her on her feet. Angel then turned to Cordelia, and she smiled rather shyly as she held out his hand to her.

For goodness sakes, Cordelia, she admonished herself, it's only Angel, and as much as you may feel it at the moment, you're not some damsel in distress.

"Watch yer foot there, Miss Imogene," Angel said, catching her when she listened to his advice a little too late. She found herself clutching to Angel's jacket as he cradled her to his chest. He was smirking at her, laughter in his eyes, and she glared at him. "I tried t' warn y'."

Cordelia grumbled and straightened herself up, somewhat reluctantly, before slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow. They walked, arm in arm, out onto the beech and Cordelia was only vaguely aware that the coachman was following them with a basket and a blanket.

There was something about the way the day was shaping out that made her think she should cherish it. She had no idea why, but there was a small alarm triggering in the back of her head that made her think that the day ahead would be a turning point. Something was going to happen, she just had no idea what it would be.

"Miss Cordy! Miss Cordy! Watch me!"

Cordelia shielded her eyes from the bright light of the sun, and glanced towards Cathy. It wasn't a hot day, but it was definitely bright, and the little girl was surrounded by an almost ethereal glow. Cathy had removed her shoes and was running long the line in the sand where wet met dry. She was already covered up to her ankles and was kicking sand in the air in a bid to cover her whole dress.

Cordelia laughed and glanced sidelong at Angel who was chuckling to himself. "I think she's going to need a bath when she gets back," she said wryly. "God, I miss showers."

"Showers, Miss Imogene?"

Cordelia stopped walking and looked at Angel's confused face. The fears that she had intended to hide for the duration of the day were attacking her full force. He genuinely seemed confused, and the more she thought about it, the more she realised what had happened. He couldn't remember the future.

Oh, God, things are getting seriously worse. Okay, deep breaths, Cordelia, deep breaths. Rather than voicing her panic, she simply shook her head and smiled. "Eh, nothing, Liam, just thinking aloud."

"If you say so." Angel didn't seem convinced, but he didn't question her and she was eternally grateful for that because she had no idea what she would say.

Okay, so Angel really can't remember a thing. That's okay, we can work with that…I can figure it out, right? I mean I was going to be an actress, this is just…improvisation…Oh, God, we're screwed.

Cordelia allowed Angel to lead her to a patch of grass, all the while trying not to panic about the current situation. When they had found a nice patch of sand in front of a grassy dune, they stopped, and Angel took the basket from the coachman. He set out the blanket and Cordelia sat down while Angel arranged for the man to come back and pick them up in a few hours.

"Miss Cordy," Cathy said, sitting down next to her. She was out of breath and took a few moments before she started to speak. "Liam wants to ask y' a favour."

Cordelia turned to Angel questioningly and couldn't help but smile at the way the tips of his ears had gone red. "What did you want to ask me, Liam?"

When Angel didn't reply, Cathy giggled and answered for him. "He wants t' draw ye, Miss Cordy."

"Draw me?"

"Only if you don't mind," Angel said, finally speaking. "I'd like to sketch you."

Cordelia smiled, and nodded. Her thoughts were with the picture she had seen on the floor of Angel's room in Los Angeles. She wasn't sure that was the image he would produce today, but she did know that the day would be something Angel would remember in the future. And if he could remember this strange event in the future, it helped her believe that the mess would sort itself out, that they would get home. She wasn't sure how, exactly, only that it made sense to her.

"Sure. I'd like that."

They day seemed to go by very quickly, and before Cordelia knew it they were in the carriage on their way back to Galway. She had spent the day playing in the sand with Cathy, while Angel drew sketch after sketch. She hadn't seen the results of his day, but felt that three sand castles, complete with turrets, all made without the plastic buckets she was used to, was a productive day for her.

That evening, she had dinner with Angel's family again, and she was struck by the differences she was already noticing. Angel seemed to get on so much better with his family than she had ever assumed, and she had the feeling that was something to do with the fact that Angel wanted to right things while he had the memories of killing them. Which reminded her of something else. She had no idea what the date was when Angel had been turned, but she had the feeling that date was fast approaching.

Angel had agreed to walk her home after dinner, and Cordelia found that she no longer knew what to say to him. He wasn't her Angel any more, but that certainly didn't mean she disliked who he was. But now that he didn't know who he really was, that meant he didn't know that they had to get home.

"Y're awful quite this evenin', Miss Imogene," he said, breaking her thoughts. They were still a fair walk away from the main town.

"Sorry, Liam, I'm a little lost in my thoughts at the moment."

"Thinkin' about yer brother?"

"Eh, something like that. My past, really." Cordelia sighed and glanced at him. He was watching her with an expression that she couldn't read. She stopped walking and frowned. "What is it, Liam?" He laughed a little and took a step closer, and she felt her breath hitching in her throat.

"I'm jus' thinkin'."

"A-about what?"

"You."

He took another step closer and they were suddenly pressed right against each other. Cordelia opened her mouth to say something, anything that would stop him. He wasn't her Angel. But she wasn't given the chance as his mouth descended on her. And then she stopped thinking all together.

~x~x~x~x~x~

The moment his lips touched hers, Liam felt as though he was drowning. He was soaked through, but he didn't care. He pushed her back against the wall of the stable and help her firmly between it and his body. He didn't care that he was nearly crushing her, in fact, she was clutching him, pulling him closer, so he didn't think she cared either. All that mattered was Miss Imogene and the feeling that was surrounding him. There was a sudden tingling in the pit of his stomach, and he felt it wind it way up his spine and into his head.

Suddenly the feeling exploded and Angel pulled back, his hands over his eyes as colours flooded his vision. He felt disoriented and breathless, and it wasn't until all his memories rushed at him at once that he realised where he was. The impact of gaining a couple of hundred years worth of memories in one go send him to his knees, and when the panicky voice made its way into his hearing, he remembered where he was.

"Cordelia, would you please stop shouting?"

"Oh, my God, Angel, you remember me!"

"Yes, but it if you continue to shout at me, I may wish to forget again."

"I don't understand," he heard her say, and he opened his eyes to find her kneeling in front of him, concern in her eyes. "Why did you forget at all?"

Angel frowned. "I don't know."

They were silent for a few moments before Cordelia took a deep breath. "I think," she said softly, "that there may be more to this than we originally thought."

"How do you mean?"

"I mean, the spell wasn't meant to send us back in time, only into your memories, and then you suddenly become your past self, meaning that we weren't going to be able to get home until you remembered? It just seems a little strange is all."

"I think you may be on to something," Angel said, struggling to his feet before helping Cordelia to stand. "I just don't know what."

"Me either."

They stood still, and Angel took a moment to look at her. She was biting her bottom lip in concentration, and he couldn't help but notice that it was slightly swollen from his kisses. Well, Liam's kisses. Which begged the question, if she knew he wasn't really himself, why had she allowed his to kiss her? He knew that he had always been good at getting what he wanted out of women, but he didn't think that Cordelia Chase would be that willing to be persuaded.

I wonder what she would do if I kissed her now?

~x~x~x~x~x~

Cordelia felt his gaze on her again, the same gaze that had been sending goosebumps running up and down her spine for the few days. But that had been Liam, not Angel. She slowly turned to look at him.

What is he up to? she wondered, frowning a little. The moment she had turned to look at him, his gaze had changed. There was a look in his eyes that meant he was thinking about something, and she wanted to know what.

"What is going on in that head of yours, Angel?"

He smirked and stepped closer, and while the action had taken place a few moments previous, she wasn't reminded of Liam, she was reminded of Angelus stalking his prey. "I was just wondering," he said in a low voice, "what you would do if I did this."

"Did wh-"

Suddenly his lips were on her again, and it was as if she was back at the inn that first night they had arrived in the past. There was nothing as important as Angel's lips on hers.

Oh, God Angel's lips are on mine. Again. As if suddenly realising the same thing, Angel pulled back abruptly. Okay, that didn't mean I didn't like it! God, he looks sexy. I am seriously going to have to get him into role playing when we get home.

"I, eh, I mean…" He cleared his throat and looked at her for a few more moments. "Oh, what the hell."

God, was all she could think as her back hit the wall again. Angel was kissing her and at that moment, she really didn't care where they were.

~x~x~x~x~x~

He smiled and turned the coin over in his hand. It had turned green a few moments prior, which meant that the spell had been broken. Angel and Cordelia had allowed themselves to get…closer. He thought he knew what that meant, but given the fact that Angel seemed to have more morals than an entire convent, he wasn't so sure. Either way, the feelings were there and they were being acted on to some extent.

He pulled himself out of the bed, not bothering to cover himself up and walked to the window. People's lives were so easy to play with. Especially good people. She hadn't understood why he felt the need to play with them first, but it gave him a sense of satisfaction to seem them destroyed first.

Cordelia and Angel had at least admitted something to each other, and screwing with their minds had been fun. The closer they got to each other, the more it would hurt when he tore it out from under them. And it wouldn't be long now.

Not long at all…

~x~x~x~x~x~

TBC…

Yes, I know it's been a while since I updated, and I'm really sorry. I'm at home for the next few days, and I'm hoping this is proof and means that my muses came with me…*fingers crossed*

I reckon there will be about four or five more parts to this one. Five if I have my way, want to make it a nice amount of chapters, and fifteen is so much better than fourteen! ;)