Disclaimer: I own Keith, the other unnamed vamps, and the plot. The rest belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, the WB, etc.
Finished: December 15, 2000
~~ Cordelia's Men ~~
~~ Chapter Thirteen ~~
Spike was at the butcher's that night, buying more blood, and would be back in a few minutes. I had to be quick. I sat on the bed, picked up the phone and dialed Angel's number. After a couple rings Wesley picked up. "Angel Investiga--"
"Wesley it's me, I don't have much time, is Angel there?" I asked quickly.
"Hi Cordy, yeah, I'll go get him," he replied.
A minute later Angel came on the phone. "What's up Cordy?" he asked. "Did something happen with Spike?"
"Sort of," I replied. "He's...sensitive. This morning, he called me Cecily and started talking to me as if I were her."
Angel sighed. "Cecily...she was--"
"The bitch that broke his heart...when he was turned he got revenge...anyway, he freaked out over her and then he nearly cried over the fact that his father used to beat his mother." I told him. "Do you think he could have his soul or anything like that? I mean, why else would he get upset over that?"
"I don't think he could have his soul back unless he was cursed or if some higher power gave it back to him," he explained. "But some vampires go through a detachment phase where they look for familiar things from their human life. Nobody knows why, but it's sort of like a minor breakdown."
"Did you ever go through it?" I asked.
"No, I had my soul so I spent my time grieving from all the deaths I'd caused. I wanted to leave everything behind rather than find things that reminded me of them." he answered. "Plus, I had Buffy."
"So this will pass? Because Spike is getting a little too weepy...I mean, I like it when he compliments me and tells me he loves me, but he can be so insecure at times and it's like he's a different vampire." I babbled to Angel. It was nice to have someone to talk to that I could trust with my life.
"It should...just stick by him and act normal. But cherish these moments, Cordy...before you know it, he'll return to the Spike he used to be." he reminded me, chuckling.
"I know...thanks Angel," I said. Just then Spike walked in the door carrying a grocery bag. "Um, yes, I have found a place and will be checking out tomorrow at eleven."
Angel understood immediately what I was trying to do. "No problem. Don't forget to give me your new number. Bye, Cordy."
"Bye." I hung up the phone and turned to Spike. "Hey lover," I said seductively, hoping he would believe that I had been talking to someone at the front desk. "Did you get your dinner?"
"Yeah...but doesn't it seem odd that you're boyfriend's a bloodsucker?" he asked.
"Well, my boss was, and that didn't seem weird after five years." I said. "Besides, if anyone asks me what you do for a living, I'll just tell them that you're a lawyer."
Spike laughed at my joke and walked over to me. He had been passive the whole day and I was relieved to see him responding to me again. I stood up and took the bag from his hand. He put a hand on my cheek and kissed me tenderly. Despite my feelings, I pulled away from Spike and put the bag in the fridge, then walked back to the bed and folded some more clothes into my suitcase.
"I'm glad that I don't have to pack all those boxes back into my car again...well, actually Angel did it for me, but I'm sure it was hard work." I smiled at Spike and he walked around the bed and stood beside me.
He took my hands in his and looked at me. "Let's go out," he suggested. "We still have the whole night ahead of us."
"I just need to change first," I said. "I mean, my hair is sloppy and these clothes--well, look at them! They definitely aren't 'going out' clothes." I pointed to the jogging pants and old sweater I was wearing.
"You look gorgeous," he said.
"I'll only be five minutes," I promised. "Then we can go."
Spike drank his dinner while I changed and fixed my hair and makeup. Fifteen minutes later, we left, hand in hand, walking towards the Bronze.
~~ Chapter Fourteen ~~
The Bronze was packed, probably because it was a Friday. I was glad that I wouldn't have to go back to the motel and finish packing anything since the only things I used were in my suitcase. I had found a cute little apartment, not far from Buffy's, and it was quite cheap, too. I had borrowed some money from Angel for a down payment. I promised I'd pay him back as soon as I found a solid job and I'd already had four interviews in the past three days. Things were finally looking up.
Spike and I sat at a quiet table and ordered our drinks. After a few minutes, I saw one of my old high school followers, Aura, sitting at a table across the room. She waved me over and I rolled my eyes at Spike. "I'll be back in a few minutes...I have to pretend that I care what she has to say." I said, standing up.
He stood up too and leaned in close to my ear. "So let's give her something to say." he suggested. When I nodded, he wrapped his arms around me and placed a passionate kiss on my lips. I just knew she would be watching and I didn't care. I was proud of Spike. He'd really changed since I'd last seen him in LA, trying to steal the Ring of Amarra from Angel. He let go of me and sat down, grinning all the while. I felt a little lightheaded as I walked across the floor to where she sat. I noticed that Aphrodesia was sitting with her.
"Oh my god, it's you, Cordy!" Aura squealed. "How are you?"
I put on a plastic smile. "Fine Aura, and how are you two?" I asked, although I knew they wouldn't answer me, but skip right to the nosy questions.
"Is that your boyfriend?" Aphrodesia asked.
I looked over at Spike and he gave me a little wave. *Showoff,* I thought. *He can probably hear every word we're saying.* I turned back to the girls and nodded. "Yup, that's my William," I told them. "He's so nice, and so smart--"
"And so cute!" Aura added. "So you lived in LA? What was it like?"
"It was great!" I said, only half-lying. "I got lots of auditions for commercials and TV shows, but I felt that I was too good for them." They girls just nodded. They still thought I was the 'perfect' person that they thought I was in high school. "I got a job at this investigations office though...my boss was so nice, and quite handsome."
"Who is he?" she asked. "Have we heard of him?"
I looked back at Spike. "I really have to go...I can't stand being apart from him for too long." I said, which was true, but I also didn't want to discuss Angel right now...and especially to them.
"Oh, we understand," Aphrodesia said, smiling. She quickly scrawled a number on a napkin and handed it to me. "Call me sometime and we can get together...like old times."
"Sure, that would be great!" I said trying to sound excited. I guess they bought it because they giggled like they were still fifteen. *I'm a better actress than I thought.* I chuckled to myself. I turned and walked away, purposely dropping the napkin on the floor as I made my way through the dense crowd.
I had almost reached the table where Spike was waiting for me and gasped when two men suddenly grabbed my bruised arms and stood on either side of me. They dragged me out of the Bronze and I yelled for Spike the whole way out. He tried to follow us but there were too many people in the way and they slowed him down.
The men turned down an alley and threw me against the wall. Blinding pain ran through my head as it hit the wall. It was worse than the visions. I felt warm blood spill from a cut above my left eye caused by the sharp bricks on the wall. They spun me around and slapped my face, hard. One got behind me and twisted my arm behind my back as he held my neck. The other man stepped forward, smiling. His face shifted and I chuckled, in spite of the burning pain coursing through my body. They were obviously confused by my reaction.
"You really think vampires scare me?" I asked them. "I'm not just a meal you know...I worked for Angelus for five years and I'm dating William the Bloody. And when you carried me out of there, he looked pretty pissed off."
The vampires suddenly became scared. Every vampire knew about Angelus and Spike. They were the world's two most infamous vampires...aside from the Master.
I heard hurried footsteps and a smile spread across my sore face. Spike had come to my rescue. The two vampires saw him and tried to run but I tripped them and grabbed the stake Spike had given me from my belt. Spike joined me and pulled out a stake as well. "Keep your grubby hands off my girl," he said menacingly as the two vamps stood up.
"Sorry, we didn't know she was your meal, man," one vampire said. He slowly backed away but spike grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him forward. I held the stake up to the other vampire and gave him an 'I told you so' look.
"She's not my meal," he said. "She's my girlfriend." I saw a flash of movement from Spike's arm and a second later the vamp was dust. The other vampire pushed me backward into Spike before I could stake him and ran away.
Spike caught me and helped me stand up. He studied the gash above my left eye. "It'll be fine...it's a little deep, but not too bad. There won't be any scarring but we should clean it up." he said. I nodded as he grabbed a tissue out of my purse and started dabbing at the cut as we walked home.
"Are we never going to get a chance to stay out for a whole night?" I said angrily. "Someone always starts a fight and one of us leaves bleeding."
Spike just chuckled. "We'll have plenty of chances." he reassured me.
~~ Chapter Fifteen ~~
When we got to the motel, we noticed that my door was slightly opened. "I locked it," I said. "I double checked the lock...I always do." I began to panic.
"It's probably just Angel or Buffy," he said, trying his best to calm me. "But I'll take a look to be sure...you wait here, okay?"
I nodded as a tear slipped down my cheek. This had happened twice in LA, in both apartments, but the second time Dennis was able to detain the intruder long enough until Angel and Wesley arrived. Spike kissed me quickly and slipped inside the door.
"Who are you?" he asked someone. "And what the hell do you think you're doing in here?"
A voice mumbled a reply but was soon followed by a loud crash. I think it was the lamp on the table beside the bed. I heard a thump as someone fell to the floor and Spike ran out of the room carrying my suitcase. I peeked into the room quickly and saw a man lying on the floor. "Let's get out of here," Spike whispered. "It's not safe."
He started to pull me but I refused. "I have to pay the bill," I said. "I don't want to end up like my parents."
Spike let out an aggravated sigh as we quickly walked to the office. After we'd paid, we ran to my car and left. "My apartment won't be ready until tomorrow. The previous renters haven't moved out yet." I told him as I drove
"Do you think Buffy feels guilty enough to let you stay there?" he asked.
I shrugged and headed for her place. "But what if Riley's there...I don't want to bother her. Maybe we could go to Giles'," I suggested. I turned the car around and started driving to his place. "Wait, no we can't do that either...Olivia's there now and I don't want to intrude again." I gave up and pulled over to the side of the street. "Xander's?" I suggested, but when I saw Spike's angry face I added, "No, he's probably got Anya there."
"We can always go to my place," he suggested. "It may not be a deluxe suite, but it's got a vacancy."
I started up the car and drove to the cemetery. We entered the mausoleum and jarred the door with a chair. Spike lit some candles sitting on the table, dresser and TV. "We should try to stay as inconspicuous as possible. We'll stay here for a while and leave in the morning. We'll be safer in the day."
"I will, but you won't," I said. I sat down on the couch. "The sun will turn you into a crispy critter."
"I'll stay in the car until we find a safe place to get out," he said. "I wish I had that stupid ring. Then I could walk outside whenever I wanted."
"Do you think that the chip would still hurt you if you were wearing it?" I asked.
"I'm not sure, it's buried inside my brain and I think the ring only protects from outer damage." he answered.
"Oh," I said nodding. "How many hours until we can leave? And why can't we stay in the car? It's chilly in here."
"Because, vampires can enter your car whenever they want...it wouldn't be safe, at least here I can fight them off if they get in." He sat down beside me and put his jacket around my shoulders. It was kind of heavy but it quickly warmed up to my body temperature.
"Why is it so cold in here?" I asked. "Sunnydale's on a Hellmouth for crying out loud...should it be at least a little warm?"
Spike grinned. "It's cold because it's all stone in here...and it's partly underground." I leaned against his chest and he put an arm around me.
"I'm scared, Spike," I whispered. "This has happened before...in LA. Except I was home and I couldn't fight him. I wasn't living with Dennis yet and I couldn't get to the phone." Tears fell from my eyes as I cried.
"It's alright," he said. "You got out safely."
"But not before he took something from me," I said.
"What did he take? Money? Jewelry?" he asked.
"No...something much more priceless." I sobbed.
"What?" he asked softly, wiping my tears off of my face.
"My self-esteem, my trust in people...my body." I said as more tears streamed down my face. Spike held me tighter and tried to soothe me but the memories were too real. I had buried them for so long. The bruises and cuts had eventually disappeared on the outside, but on the inside, I was still trying to heal. Angel, Doyle, and even Wesley had restored my faith, and I felt like my old, happy self again. But one likeness to that incident set me off.
"Did they catch him?" he asked. I could hear the pain and anger in his voice.
I shook my head. "I reported it to the police but they couldn't find him," I said. "Because he was a vampire. I partly wish that he would have drained me and left me there instead."
"Don't even think like that!" Spike said. "You didn't deserve it...it wasn't your fault." He kissed my forehead. "I'll find him...somehow."
We didn't talk about it much after I calmed down a little and pretty soon I fell asleep on the couch. Spike had gone for a walk...he probably went to talk to the local bars to find the snitches and find out what he could.
I was shaken awake roughly and cool hands patted my cheek, still sore from the night's fight. "Spike?" I asked groggily. My eyes hadn't focused yet in the dark.
"Don't you recognize me?" a strange yet familiar voice said.
My eyes snapped open and I forced them to focus on the intruder. It was him...it was the rapist.
~~ Chapter Sixteen ~~
He tied my hands behind my back and tied my feet together too. He then covered my mouth with duct tape and picked me up. I kicked and fought as hard as I could, knocking the table over and trying to scream at the top of my lungs, but it was no use. Nobody was around and Buffy had finished patrolling over an hour ago. I prayed to God that Spike would return home and find us but he didn't. The vampire shoved me into the back of a van and slammed the doors shut. I heard the motor start and felt the vehicle lurch as he drove out of the cemetery and turned the corner sharply. The force of the turn caused me to roll over and smack my head on the side of the van...then I passed out.
When I awoke, my head was pounding and I found that my hands weren't tied together but were now tied around the headboard of the large bed I was lying in. I sat up and groaned in pain as the blood rushed to my head. *Well at least I still have blood. That's a good sign.* Almost as if on cue, the vampire that had kidnapped me entered the room. "You're awake!" he exclaimed. "You've been sleeping for nearly five hours.
I glared at him and he held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, it's my fault. I kidnapped you...but I didn't kill you." he said. "So I'm not all that bad."
"Whatever," I mumbled.
"Hey, this was my second chance to kill you...but I didn't. That night we spent together was special. Don't you think so? Allow me to introduce myself...I'm Keith. But you can call me anything you want."
"Leave me alone, bastard!" I shouted.
"Sorry, sweetie," he chuckled, taking a step towards me. "I can't do that. See, your boyfriend, Spike, killed my sweetheart."
"So you're going to kill me to get even?" I asked. "Spike's not my boyfriend. He doesn't even like me."
"No, Cordelia...I'm not going to kill you," he said, chuckling softly. "You're too beautiful to kill. Besides, you can't fool me...I know that you two are in love. It makes me sick."
"How do you know my name?" I asked.
"Oh, you don't remember do you?" Keith asked. "Let's see if I can refresh your memory. A package from a certain Alexander Harris...it was a cheap plastic ring right? Light blue in color? It came with an 'I'm sorry' note. You signed the paper for it."
"You delivered it?" I asked.
"I bought it, wrapped it, wrote the note, and you invited me in," he replied. "You see, I did my homework before I followed you to LA. I used to see you running around with that loser and think of how one day you would be mine. I heard Spike talk about you some...always wondered if it would work between us. When I heard that you moved to LA, alone, I decided to pursue you."
"You didn't pursue me...you stalked me, bruised me, and destroyed me," I said bitterly. "Is that what you wanted to do?"
"I didn't really care," he admitted. "I'm a vampire, you're human...you're a food group. I just wanted to have a little fun first."
"Why didn't you just kill me afterwards?" I asked.
"Because even then I had plans for you," he responded. "I was just never prompted to follow through with them until recently."
"What happened recently that has to do with Spike and I?" I asked.
"I heard that he killed Harmony a long time ago and I wanted to get him for it." he explained. "I loved her; she was beautiful, blonde, and willing to do anything for me...except stay. She told me that she loved Spike and when she left me, I felt like I died...again."
"What does that have to do with me?" I asked.
"Well, I heard about you two from some friends of mine...Spike stole her from me," he said. "Now I'm stealing you."
"I'm friends with the Slayer...and Angelus." I said, hoping it would scare him like it did with the other vampires. "They'll come after you and hunt you down like the trash you are."
"Ooh, I'm so scared," he mocked. "They'll be too busy fighting, or kissing, or breaking up to notice that you are even missing."
I gave up. I was ready to try begging. "Please, please let me go. I never did anything to you...why are you doing this to me?"
"Because, honey," he said leaning in close to me. "I'm going to turn you."
Finished: December 15, 2000
~~ Cordelia's Men ~~
~~ Chapter Thirteen ~~
Spike was at the butcher's that night, buying more blood, and would be back in a few minutes. I had to be quick. I sat on the bed, picked up the phone and dialed Angel's number. After a couple rings Wesley picked up. "Angel Investiga--"
"Wesley it's me, I don't have much time, is Angel there?" I asked quickly.
"Hi Cordy, yeah, I'll go get him," he replied.
A minute later Angel came on the phone. "What's up Cordy?" he asked. "Did something happen with Spike?"
"Sort of," I replied. "He's...sensitive. This morning, he called me Cecily and started talking to me as if I were her."
Angel sighed. "Cecily...she was--"
"The bitch that broke his heart...when he was turned he got revenge...anyway, he freaked out over her and then he nearly cried over the fact that his father used to beat his mother." I told him. "Do you think he could have his soul or anything like that? I mean, why else would he get upset over that?"
"I don't think he could have his soul back unless he was cursed or if some higher power gave it back to him," he explained. "But some vampires go through a detachment phase where they look for familiar things from their human life. Nobody knows why, but it's sort of like a minor breakdown."
"Did you ever go through it?" I asked.
"No, I had my soul so I spent my time grieving from all the deaths I'd caused. I wanted to leave everything behind rather than find things that reminded me of them." he answered. "Plus, I had Buffy."
"So this will pass? Because Spike is getting a little too weepy...I mean, I like it when he compliments me and tells me he loves me, but he can be so insecure at times and it's like he's a different vampire." I babbled to Angel. It was nice to have someone to talk to that I could trust with my life.
"It should...just stick by him and act normal. But cherish these moments, Cordy...before you know it, he'll return to the Spike he used to be." he reminded me, chuckling.
"I know...thanks Angel," I said. Just then Spike walked in the door carrying a grocery bag. "Um, yes, I have found a place and will be checking out tomorrow at eleven."
Angel understood immediately what I was trying to do. "No problem. Don't forget to give me your new number. Bye, Cordy."
"Bye." I hung up the phone and turned to Spike. "Hey lover," I said seductively, hoping he would believe that I had been talking to someone at the front desk. "Did you get your dinner?"
"Yeah...but doesn't it seem odd that you're boyfriend's a bloodsucker?" he asked.
"Well, my boss was, and that didn't seem weird after five years." I said. "Besides, if anyone asks me what you do for a living, I'll just tell them that you're a lawyer."
Spike laughed at my joke and walked over to me. He had been passive the whole day and I was relieved to see him responding to me again. I stood up and took the bag from his hand. He put a hand on my cheek and kissed me tenderly. Despite my feelings, I pulled away from Spike and put the bag in the fridge, then walked back to the bed and folded some more clothes into my suitcase.
"I'm glad that I don't have to pack all those boxes back into my car again...well, actually Angel did it for me, but I'm sure it was hard work." I smiled at Spike and he walked around the bed and stood beside me.
He took my hands in his and looked at me. "Let's go out," he suggested. "We still have the whole night ahead of us."
"I just need to change first," I said. "I mean, my hair is sloppy and these clothes--well, look at them! They definitely aren't 'going out' clothes." I pointed to the jogging pants and old sweater I was wearing.
"You look gorgeous," he said.
"I'll only be five minutes," I promised. "Then we can go."
Spike drank his dinner while I changed and fixed my hair and makeup. Fifteen minutes later, we left, hand in hand, walking towards the Bronze.
~~ Chapter Fourteen ~~
The Bronze was packed, probably because it was a Friday. I was glad that I wouldn't have to go back to the motel and finish packing anything since the only things I used were in my suitcase. I had found a cute little apartment, not far from Buffy's, and it was quite cheap, too. I had borrowed some money from Angel for a down payment. I promised I'd pay him back as soon as I found a solid job and I'd already had four interviews in the past three days. Things were finally looking up.
Spike and I sat at a quiet table and ordered our drinks. After a few minutes, I saw one of my old high school followers, Aura, sitting at a table across the room. She waved me over and I rolled my eyes at Spike. "I'll be back in a few minutes...I have to pretend that I care what she has to say." I said, standing up.
He stood up too and leaned in close to my ear. "So let's give her something to say." he suggested. When I nodded, he wrapped his arms around me and placed a passionate kiss on my lips. I just knew she would be watching and I didn't care. I was proud of Spike. He'd really changed since I'd last seen him in LA, trying to steal the Ring of Amarra from Angel. He let go of me and sat down, grinning all the while. I felt a little lightheaded as I walked across the floor to where she sat. I noticed that Aphrodesia was sitting with her.
"Oh my god, it's you, Cordy!" Aura squealed. "How are you?"
I put on a plastic smile. "Fine Aura, and how are you two?" I asked, although I knew they wouldn't answer me, but skip right to the nosy questions.
"Is that your boyfriend?" Aphrodesia asked.
I looked over at Spike and he gave me a little wave. *Showoff,* I thought. *He can probably hear every word we're saying.* I turned back to the girls and nodded. "Yup, that's my William," I told them. "He's so nice, and so smart--"
"And so cute!" Aura added. "So you lived in LA? What was it like?"
"It was great!" I said, only half-lying. "I got lots of auditions for commercials and TV shows, but I felt that I was too good for them." They girls just nodded. They still thought I was the 'perfect' person that they thought I was in high school. "I got a job at this investigations office though...my boss was so nice, and quite handsome."
"Who is he?" she asked. "Have we heard of him?"
I looked back at Spike. "I really have to go...I can't stand being apart from him for too long." I said, which was true, but I also didn't want to discuss Angel right now...and especially to them.
"Oh, we understand," Aphrodesia said, smiling. She quickly scrawled a number on a napkin and handed it to me. "Call me sometime and we can get together...like old times."
"Sure, that would be great!" I said trying to sound excited. I guess they bought it because they giggled like they were still fifteen. *I'm a better actress than I thought.* I chuckled to myself. I turned and walked away, purposely dropping the napkin on the floor as I made my way through the dense crowd.
I had almost reached the table where Spike was waiting for me and gasped when two men suddenly grabbed my bruised arms and stood on either side of me. They dragged me out of the Bronze and I yelled for Spike the whole way out. He tried to follow us but there were too many people in the way and they slowed him down.
The men turned down an alley and threw me against the wall. Blinding pain ran through my head as it hit the wall. It was worse than the visions. I felt warm blood spill from a cut above my left eye caused by the sharp bricks on the wall. They spun me around and slapped my face, hard. One got behind me and twisted my arm behind my back as he held my neck. The other man stepped forward, smiling. His face shifted and I chuckled, in spite of the burning pain coursing through my body. They were obviously confused by my reaction.
"You really think vampires scare me?" I asked them. "I'm not just a meal you know...I worked for Angelus for five years and I'm dating William the Bloody. And when you carried me out of there, he looked pretty pissed off."
The vampires suddenly became scared. Every vampire knew about Angelus and Spike. They were the world's two most infamous vampires...aside from the Master.
I heard hurried footsteps and a smile spread across my sore face. Spike had come to my rescue. The two vampires saw him and tried to run but I tripped them and grabbed the stake Spike had given me from my belt. Spike joined me and pulled out a stake as well. "Keep your grubby hands off my girl," he said menacingly as the two vamps stood up.
"Sorry, we didn't know she was your meal, man," one vampire said. He slowly backed away but spike grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him forward. I held the stake up to the other vampire and gave him an 'I told you so' look.
"She's not my meal," he said. "She's my girlfriend." I saw a flash of movement from Spike's arm and a second later the vamp was dust. The other vampire pushed me backward into Spike before I could stake him and ran away.
Spike caught me and helped me stand up. He studied the gash above my left eye. "It'll be fine...it's a little deep, but not too bad. There won't be any scarring but we should clean it up." he said. I nodded as he grabbed a tissue out of my purse and started dabbing at the cut as we walked home.
"Are we never going to get a chance to stay out for a whole night?" I said angrily. "Someone always starts a fight and one of us leaves bleeding."
Spike just chuckled. "We'll have plenty of chances." he reassured me.
~~ Chapter Fifteen ~~
When we got to the motel, we noticed that my door was slightly opened. "I locked it," I said. "I double checked the lock...I always do." I began to panic.
"It's probably just Angel or Buffy," he said, trying his best to calm me. "But I'll take a look to be sure...you wait here, okay?"
I nodded as a tear slipped down my cheek. This had happened twice in LA, in both apartments, but the second time Dennis was able to detain the intruder long enough until Angel and Wesley arrived. Spike kissed me quickly and slipped inside the door.
"Who are you?" he asked someone. "And what the hell do you think you're doing in here?"
A voice mumbled a reply but was soon followed by a loud crash. I think it was the lamp on the table beside the bed. I heard a thump as someone fell to the floor and Spike ran out of the room carrying my suitcase. I peeked into the room quickly and saw a man lying on the floor. "Let's get out of here," Spike whispered. "It's not safe."
He started to pull me but I refused. "I have to pay the bill," I said. "I don't want to end up like my parents."
Spike let out an aggravated sigh as we quickly walked to the office. After we'd paid, we ran to my car and left. "My apartment won't be ready until tomorrow. The previous renters haven't moved out yet." I told him as I drove
"Do you think Buffy feels guilty enough to let you stay there?" he asked.
I shrugged and headed for her place. "But what if Riley's there...I don't want to bother her. Maybe we could go to Giles'," I suggested. I turned the car around and started driving to his place. "Wait, no we can't do that either...Olivia's there now and I don't want to intrude again." I gave up and pulled over to the side of the street. "Xander's?" I suggested, but when I saw Spike's angry face I added, "No, he's probably got Anya there."
"We can always go to my place," he suggested. "It may not be a deluxe suite, but it's got a vacancy."
I started up the car and drove to the cemetery. We entered the mausoleum and jarred the door with a chair. Spike lit some candles sitting on the table, dresser and TV. "We should try to stay as inconspicuous as possible. We'll stay here for a while and leave in the morning. We'll be safer in the day."
"I will, but you won't," I said. I sat down on the couch. "The sun will turn you into a crispy critter."
"I'll stay in the car until we find a safe place to get out," he said. "I wish I had that stupid ring. Then I could walk outside whenever I wanted."
"Do you think that the chip would still hurt you if you were wearing it?" I asked.
"I'm not sure, it's buried inside my brain and I think the ring only protects from outer damage." he answered.
"Oh," I said nodding. "How many hours until we can leave? And why can't we stay in the car? It's chilly in here."
"Because, vampires can enter your car whenever they want...it wouldn't be safe, at least here I can fight them off if they get in." He sat down beside me and put his jacket around my shoulders. It was kind of heavy but it quickly warmed up to my body temperature.
"Why is it so cold in here?" I asked. "Sunnydale's on a Hellmouth for crying out loud...should it be at least a little warm?"
Spike grinned. "It's cold because it's all stone in here...and it's partly underground." I leaned against his chest and he put an arm around me.
"I'm scared, Spike," I whispered. "This has happened before...in LA. Except I was home and I couldn't fight him. I wasn't living with Dennis yet and I couldn't get to the phone." Tears fell from my eyes as I cried.
"It's alright," he said. "You got out safely."
"But not before he took something from me," I said.
"What did he take? Money? Jewelry?" he asked.
"No...something much more priceless." I sobbed.
"What?" he asked softly, wiping my tears off of my face.
"My self-esteem, my trust in people...my body." I said as more tears streamed down my face. Spike held me tighter and tried to soothe me but the memories were too real. I had buried them for so long. The bruises and cuts had eventually disappeared on the outside, but on the inside, I was still trying to heal. Angel, Doyle, and even Wesley had restored my faith, and I felt like my old, happy self again. But one likeness to that incident set me off.
"Did they catch him?" he asked. I could hear the pain and anger in his voice.
I shook my head. "I reported it to the police but they couldn't find him," I said. "Because he was a vampire. I partly wish that he would have drained me and left me there instead."
"Don't even think like that!" Spike said. "You didn't deserve it...it wasn't your fault." He kissed my forehead. "I'll find him...somehow."
We didn't talk about it much after I calmed down a little and pretty soon I fell asleep on the couch. Spike had gone for a walk...he probably went to talk to the local bars to find the snitches and find out what he could.
I was shaken awake roughly and cool hands patted my cheek, still sore from the night's fight. "Spike?" I asked groggily. My eyes hadn't focused yet in the dark.
"Don't you recognize me?" a strange yet familiar voice said.
My eyes snapped open and I forced them to focus on the intruder. It was him...it was the rapist.
~~ Chapter Sixteen ~~
He tied my hands behind my back and tied my feet together too. He then covered my mouth with duct tape and picked me up. I kicked and fought as hard as I could, knocking the table over and trying to scream at the top of my lungs, but it was no use. Nobody was around and Buffy had finished patrolling over an hour ago. I prayed to God that Spike would return home and find us but he didn't. The vampire shoved me into the back of a van and slammed the doors shut. I heard the motor start and felt the vehicle lurch as he drove out of the cemetery and turned the corner sharply. The force of the turn caused me to roll over and smack my head on the side of the van...then I passed out.
When I awoke, my head was pounding and I found that my hands weren't tied together but were now tied around the headboard of the large bed I was lying in. I sat up and groaned in pain as the blood rushed to my head. *Well at least I still have blood. That's a good sign.* Almost as if on cue, the vampire that had kidnapped me entered the room. "You're awake!" he exclaimed. "You've been sleeping for nearly five hours.
I glared at him and he held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, it's my fault. I kidnapped you...but I didn't kill you." he said. "So I'm not all that bad."
"Whatever," I mumbled.
"Hey, this was my second chance to kill you...but I didn't. That night we spent together was special. Don't you think so? Allow me to introduce myself...I'm Keith. But you can call me anything you want."
"Leave me alone, bastard!" I shouted.
"Sorry, sweetie," he chuckled, taking a step towards me. "I can't do that. See, your boyfriend, Spike, killed my sweetheart."
"So you're going to kill me to get even?" I asked. "Spike's not my boyfriend. He doesn't even like me."
"No, Cordelia...I'm not going to kill you," he said, chuckling softly. "You're too beautiful to kill. Besides, you can't fool me...I know that you two are in love. It makes me sick."
"How do you know my name?" I asked.
"Oh, you don't remember do you?" Keith asked. "Let's see if I can refresh your memory. A package from a certain Alexander Harris...it was a cheap plastic ring right? Light blue in color? It came with an 'I'm sorry' note. You signed the paper for it."
"You delivered it?" I asked.
"I bought it, wrapped it, wrote the note, and you invited me in," he replied. "You see, I did my homework before I followed you to LA. I used to see you running around with that loser and think of how one day you would be mine. I heard Spike talk about you some...always wondered if it would work between us. When I heard that you moved to LA, alone, I decided to pursue you."
"You didn't pursue me...you stalked me, bruised me, and destroyed me," I said bitterly. "Is that what you wanted to do?"
"I didn't really care," he admitted. "I'm a vampire, you're human...you're a food group. I just wanted to have a little fun first."
"Why didn't you just kill me afterwards?" I asked.
"Because even then I had plans for you," he responded. "I was just never prompted to follow through with them until recently."
"What happened recently that has to do with Spike and I?" I asked.
"I heard that he killed Harmony a long time ago and I wanted to get him for it." he explained. "I loved her; she was beautiful, blonde, and willing to do anything for me...except stay. She told me that she loved Spike and when she left me, I felt like I died...again."
"What does that have to do with me?" I asked.
"Well, I heard about you two from some friends of mine...Spike stole her from me," he said. "Now I'm stealing you."
"I'm friends with the Slayer...and Angelus." I said, hoping it would scare him like it did with the other vampires. "They'll come after you and hunt you down like the trash you are."
"Ooh, I'm so scared," he mocked. "They'll be too busy fighting, or kissing, or breaking up to notice that you are even missing."
I gave up. I was ready to try begging. "Please, please let me go. I never did anything to you...why are you doing this to me?"
"Because, honey," he said leaning in close to me. "I'm going to turn you."