Ties that Bind chapter 16
#Xander and Cordelia's room at 7:30 am #
The dark-haired man lay in bed feeling troubled because he had great sex with his former high school sweetheart but despite getting close during the past few weeks, they had not resolved the issues between them such as what he had felt for his deceased ex Anya who had nearly married. Xander hoped that he could start again with someone he still had strong feelings for spending time with Cordelia made him remember what they once meant to each other but Cordelia had changed for the better since her high school days.
The woman in question was currently lying on her back but with the same troubled thoughts on her mind because she wanted to know if there was a chance to build something real between her and Xander or was he still in love with Anya.
"Cordy are you ok?" asked Xander
'Yes, I am ok and that was some night" replied Cordelia after she had opened her eyes and regarded Xander.
"Should we talk about last night because we had sex because we thought that it was the last day before taking on the forces of evil" asked Xander
"Yes we should and I want to know if there is a chance to build something real between us or do you still have strong feelings for Anya? I am warning you that I won't compete with a ghost" said Cordelia
"I always remember Anya and our relationship together with some fondness but she is dead and I need to move on from her and spending time with you has made me fall for the strong woman that you became in L.A while working with Dead Boy. Although I should have been there to help when you got possessed by Jasmine" replied Xander seriously
Cordelia felt her heart lift at his words and not for the first-time cursed Jasmine for manipulating her to leave Sunnydale instead of getting together with Xander again. But on the other hand, she developed strong friendships with Wesley, Gunn, Fred who along with Angel had become her family.
"That's good and if we live through this why don't we go on a road trip around the world afterwards" replied Cordelia
"Wow direct aren't you just like the Cordelia I remember from High School" said Xander fondly.
"I am sorry that I bullied and teased you and Willow in High school and I guess that I was jealous while you both had a genuine friendship with Buffy while I had my Cordettes who weren't not my friends not really" remarked Cordelia apologetically.
"it's alright as you are no longer that Cordelia but someone who had matured like the rest of us and that's a yes to the road trip as long as we still help to fight evil if we find it" said Xander
"Of course, and I still want to assist the new Slayers because Buffy is not much of a leader after the stories that you told me about fighting the First in our home town" replied Cordelia
"Well she did her best and I don't think that she was ready to run an army of teenage girls at the time" defended Xander about one of his oldest friends.
Feeling much better they both got out of bed and Cordelia used the shower while Xander smiled to himself.
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Angel and Nina's room about 8 am
"Are you evil?" asked Nina sleepily and she and her vampire boyfriend were lying in bed.
"No, I am not" replied Angel
"While a part of me is a little jealous that I can't activate your curse by perfect happiness. A larger part is glad that your evil self can't get out" said Nina honestly
"Wesley said that perfect happiness only happens rarely and most people have to deal with acceptable happiness and this is what I have with you" commented Angel seriously. The brooding vampire had a pang of guilt at the mention of Wesley the man who had given his life for their mission but was now a ghost serving Wolfram and Hart.
"That's true and I would not describe my relationships with any of my exes as perfect happiness and I am sorry about Wes because he is a good man when I knew him" replied Nina
"If things go side ways I want you to get out of the city and hide. I have some money hidden away so you can use that for you and your family" said a serious looking Angel
"No! I would not run away and you are not doing this to me again. If things do go badly then I am not leaving you and that's final!" growled Nina
"I just want you to be safe" said Angel
"That means nothing if you are not safe too and would you run and abandon everyone if things go badly" replied Nina seriously.
"No but I need to make up for the past" said Angel
"The crimes are on Angelus's hands not yours and besides you were not even in your body when he was terrorizing Europe" pointed out Nina
"Angelus's hands are my hands and if I fall in destroying the Senior Partners then Spike can be the new champion" said Angel with a brooding but a determined expression
"I am not in love with Spike and you deserve a shot at redemption like everyone else as you the best man that I ever met. Stop talking nonsense before I slap you around the head" ordered Nina
Angel stopped talking seeing the look on her pretty blonde face. They had a shower together and Nina soaped his body and then they washed each other.
Afternoon about 3pm under the ruins of Wolfram and Hart
Wesley was communing again with his superiors
"Did you invite the good guys to the upcoming confrontation" said the voice of the Wolf
"Yes, I did and it seems that Giles wants to send out Angel, Spike and Connor to weaken the vampire army before committing his Slayers" replied Wesley
"That's good and if on the off chance that things don't go our way then we will use this chance when the violence is at its greatest to manifest in order to take out the vampire who had been our greatest foe" said the Ram
"Angel won't last five minutes in a confrontation with you beings" said Wesley
"Does that grieve you Wesley knowing that the vampire with a soul is doomed either to fall at the hands of Angelus or at the hands of us" snickered the Hart
"No it does not because Angel and his son made us sign that deal with Wolfram and Hart which led to Fred's death" said Wesley partially lying and using some of the truth helped to sell the deception he thought.
"Good and inform the vampires that when evening comes, they are to prepare their forces" ordered the Wolf and they disappeared from view. Wesley smiled to himself.
About 6pm outside the base
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Spike watched with some amusement as Connor and Faith were saying a non-verbal good bye with tongues. Angel and Xander both looked disgusted by the passionate kiss shared by the young couple.
"Come on we don't have all night for you to kiss" called Angel and the two vampires and Connor walked towards the ruins of Wolfram and Hart. The plan was for them to show up and the Slayers and others will come in later which would surprise Wolfram and Hart and their allies. Angel drove his Plymouth car with Connor in the passenger seat and Spike in the back towards the ruins of Wolfram and Hart.
As they got closer to their destination, they had noticed that local vampires were watching them. They got out and walked through the ruins of the old building.
"Look at this place Peaches it looks like that they had levelled the office to the ground" commented Spike surprised at the level of devastation.
"When we took out the Circle of the Black Thorn we did half of the job now with the help of Buffy and Faith and other Slayers we can finish the job" replied Angel
"I stopped that guy from staking Dad then during that fight" pointed out Connor
"Well who is going to save you idiots now?" asked a new voice and Angel saw his face looking at him with a sadistic smirk. It disturbed a little to see Angelus even one from an alternate reality in the real world.
"Where is the ice queen?" asked Spike looking around to see if Angelus had brought reinforcements
"Why Spike do you want to fight her rather than me?" asked Angelus
"No, I want to see the look on her face when I kill you" growled Spike
"You couldn't take me anyway even if I had one hand tied behind my back" sneered Angelus
"We will see and I was planning on bringing Buffy your ashes as a gift" said Spike
"Promises, Promises don't make them if you can't keep them" sang Angelus and Connor glared at him remembering those words from when he saw the mainstream Angelus in a cage in a previous life.
"Actually, Spike Angelus is mine as while I can't quite smack the crap out of my evil counterpart he will do" commented Angel
But Angelus smirked and then whistled and at least five vampires stood behind him and then his Spike joined him.
"So, the idiots are here" commented soulless Spike
"That's right Willie and thanks for stating the obvious" replied Angelus sardonically
"It's Spike now and how many times do I have to tell you mate" growled Spike angrily
"That sounds familiar to me" said Angel
"Do you morons know that you have been betrayed by the Council as they want you to weaken our forces and then die or be dusted" jeered Angelus
"No, the Slayers are coming and it's you who has been played by Wolfram and Hart and us" retorted Angel.
The fight was on and Angel was busy involved in the melee against the local vampires and then he used a spin kick driving his foot into the gut of a female vampire and she shrieked in agony while Connor and Spike worked together against Angelus. The older vampire was having a challenge as both Connor and the bleach blonde vampire were experienced fighters.
Meanwhile soulless Spike was watching the carnage with a satisfied look on his face and if Angelus was dusted then he and Drusilla could get away from Darla and the Master and start working on their own. He could always tell Drusilla and Darla that a Slayer or Angel got their precious Angelus. The thought made him smile before he glared at his souled counterpart. He then quickly threw a punch at his souled self who avoided his punch and responded with a left cross at his face. He wanted to destroy this abomination wearing his face that was making a mockery of his reputation as William the Bloody the killer of two Slayers by falling in love with a Slayer and helping people rather than eating them.
"When you are dust, I think that I should send Buffy to join you even though it is a bloody crime to tear her apart because of her beauty" said soulless Spike
"Now, now no funny business with the Slayer or I will have your guts for garters" said Drusilla with a pout.
"She will be dead soon enough and we will dance on the Slayer's grave" replied Spike smiling at his beloved goddess.
"That's alright then" said Drusilla with a smile. She charged at Connor who was currently avoiding a punch from Angelus and then Angel kicked Angelus in the chest and then Connor guarded his back by dusting a vampire who was sneaking up on him.
15 mins later
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"They are still fighting" said Kennedy pointing to the battle as the Slayers and others like Xander and Cordelia got close to the ruins of the L.A office.
"Then that's let us help them then" said a determined looking Buffy
"I got your back B" agreed Faith
"Besides when we have finished saving the world then we go out to have Starbucks" said Xander
"Or the mall because I want to check out if Dolce and Gabbana has a new sale" said Cordelia
"I could get behind that" said Buffy and then they charged in surprising the vampires who were not expecting them as their bosses had mentioned that they were only going three fighters from the forces of the light.
"Faith is that you?" called out Connor
"How are you doing stud" asked Faith
"Oh I got about three vampires already" replied Connor gleefully
"Not bad babe" replied Faith
Buffy was busy looking for Spike in all this chaos and they were finally reunited
"Good to see ya pet" said Spike
"How is it going" asked Buffy checking to see if Spike was alright
"Not bad and I got to punch Angelus which was the highlight of the week" replied Spike
"Well I am here to help you smack him around" said Buffy and she used a spin kick on Angelus and he cursed in pain.
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