Chapter Two
Cordelia wandered among the stalls in downtown L.A. Fingering the fabric and comparing the colouring of a few pieces of clothing that caught her eye. She smiled softly to herself, thinking back to the days when she did not even have to look at the price tag of an item of clothing if she wanted to buy it. Those days were gone now, and strangely, she didn't regret them any more, or moan and complain about her situation, not constantly, anyway. She shivered, in spite of the heat of the day as one of the many images that had assaulted her while she lay strapped to a hospital bed came back to here. A little boy, his wrists slit. Sometimes, she felt she had a dim understanding of what Angel went through every day. It was bad enough to have the memories of hopelessness, despair, and pain. How much worse must it be to know that you were the one that inflicted or instigated it?
Cordelia pushed the thoughts away, for now. Sometimes it unnerved her at how far she had come from the cheerleading bitch of Sunnydale High school. She couldn't honestly say she regretted it, though.
Suddenly, there was a pounding of feet and a blur rushed past her, sobbing. Cordelia turned quickly.
"Hey! Wait!" She called, running after it.
Kathy heard the call and the sound of steps running after her. She also heard the concern in the voice. She was lost and afraid, the very sunlight making her nervous. She hadn't been around so many people in years, and she was consumed with guilt at leaving the werewolf who had helped to what she knew would be a painful punishment.
Unable to run anymore, she sank down to the pavement, hugging her knees and sobbing quietly. She sensed someone sit down on the pavement next to her, and unconsciously flinched away slightly when a gentle arm was put around her shoulders. She looked up, almost afraid, to see a young woman looking at her kindly and with concern.
"Your not OK," The woman said bluntly, looking at her. "Do you want to tell me what it is?" Kathy stared up at her, her first instinct to say no. Something was crumbling inside her, though. No one had shown her care or concern ever since her 'death' Then a werewolf who she didn't know and who didn't her risked the punishment that would follow and allowed her to escape, now another complete stranger was offering her comfort. The hard not of loneliness and distrust that had grown inside her all the years, snapped, and she flung herself into the woman's arms, crying, letting it all lose at last. Letting the first person since her mother after Liam's funeral, hold her in their arms and comfort her.
Cordelia looked down at the sobbing girl in her arms, feeling her anger rising at whoever could do this to someone, to another human being! You don't know that it was a human, a voice whispered to her. Cordelia stroked the girl's back murmuring soothingly to her, ignoring some of the odd looks she was getting from passers-by. As the storm of sobbing ceased she pulled back a bit so she could see the other's face.
"Do you feel any better?" she asked gently. The girl considered the question for a moment, the smiled shakily.
"A bit," she conceded. Cordelia smiled.
"Good," she said. She looked down, considering the girl for a moment. "What's your name?"
Kathy started in surprise, staring up at the woman in disbelief. She wanted to know her name? Why- because that's what people do in the real world! She shouted angrily at herself. Not that the world that Wolfram walked in was any less real... She shivered, then looked back up, realising that the woman was waiting for an answer.
"Ka-Kathy," she said, stumbling over the symbols of her own name. The woman smiled.
"Hello Kathy," she said, "I'm Cordelia." The woman, Cordelia, looked down at her, considering something. "Do you want to come back to my place?" she asked hesitantly. Her head was telling her that she should get away, that she shouldn't trust 'anyone' but her instincts... But her instincts were telling her that she could trust this woman, and she had learned to trust her instincts.
"OK," she said, hesitantly, wondering if she was doing the right thing. Cordelia looked slightly surprised, then relieved, and held out her hand. Slowly, Kathy took it and...
And Cordelia saw the chains. The anger that had been simmering in her erupted to boiling point.
"Who did 'this?'" She demanded, grabbing the end of the chain. She glared down at her, demanding an answer... And saw that Kathy was shaking. Why...? She wondered, then she realized her mistake.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, dropping the chain instantly. Kathy swooped down, gathering it up instantly. "it's just..." she sighed shaking her head slowly, "The whole idea make's me so mad..."
Kathy nodded, shakily trying, to regather her control.
Cordelia's voice was gentle, soothing, as she asked her next question.
"can you tell me who..." she hadn't finished her question when Kathy was shaking her head violently, staring up at her with wide, terrified eyes.
"No! No I can't! He'll..." she choked, trying to banish the unreasoning terror that swept threw her at the image of 'him' when she first awakened, his wolf eyes... No!
Dimly she was aware of Cordelia gathering her in her arms, stroking her hair, murmuring softly to her again,
"Shhhh, shhhhh," Cordelia pulled away from her slightly, keeping one arm around her, regarding her face seriously. "Tell you what," she said. "We'll go to my place, and find a way to get that 'thing' off you." Kathy stared at her, feeling fear at doing what she knew that Wolfram would violently hate, but behind that... Joy. Overwhelming joy at the mere idea, which she had given up on a long time ago. She nodded shakily.
"I'd like that," she whispered. Cordelia smiled and rose to her feet, pulling Kathy up with her.
"I think that's an understatement," She said softly, turning them both in the direction of her apartment.
*******
Cordelia inserted her key into the doorway of her apartment, glancing sideways at her young charge as she did so.
"Here we are," she said proudly, flinging open the door to her apartment. Kathy smiled slightly- laughing seemed to be beyond her, at least for the moment, and entered, glancing around in open admiration- only to be pushed out the doorway by an invisible force.
Kathy stumbled slightly as she ended up back out in the hallway. She glanced uncertainly at Cordelia who was facing into the apartment, eyes snapping with fury.
"Dennis!" she barked. "How dare you," she said, advancing menacingly on... nothing. "She is not a boyfriend, she is not an enemy, she is not a threat and you will not treat her like one, do I make myself quite clear?!" She huffed out a sigh and turned to face Kathy, eyes troubled. "Come in," she said gently, gesturing for her to enter. Kathy entered again uncertain, glancing around a bit nervously.
"It's OK," Cordelia said reassuringly. "It's just my ghost, Dennis, gets a bit overprotective at times." Kathy's eyes snapped back to her, startled.
"Ghost?"
"Yeah." Cordelia moved over to the kitchen area and started rummaging around in various draws. Kathy followed and at a nod from Cordelia seated herself an the sofa, surprised and delighted at it's softness. "Don't worry," Cordelia continued. "He's not really a bad ghost, just gets jealous of my boyfriends sometimes. Now." She found what she was looking for and returned to sit next to Kathy on the sofa. She held a strong hairpin in one hand. Cordelia looked at her seriously. "May I have your hand?" The tone of voice was not demanding, truly asking. Kathy looked down at her lap where she cradled the chain, symbol of her slavery. She swallowed and nodded determinedly.
"Yes," she whispered. Cordelia gently took her hand and inserted the hairpin into the lock, picking at it.
Kathy found she couldn't take her eyes off it. There was no sound in the apartment at the quiet clicking as the pin worked at the lock. Cordelia was bent over her wrist, eyes narrowed and brow furrowed. It seemed time started up again as there was a stronger 'click'... and the cuff sprang open. Kathy found that she was shaking as she lifted her arm slowly upwards, and the shackle didn't come. She felt the pure joy, the disbelief running through her as she stared at her bare wrist. Abruptly she turned and threw her arms around Cordelia, hugging her tightly.
"Thank you," she whispered, tears running silently down her face. "Thank you." Cordelia returned the hug but it wasn't as... Kathy pulled back slightly, looking up at her. "What?" she asked. Cordelia swallowed and looked down at her.
"Kathy," she said, "You don't have a pulse."
The next thing that Cordelia knew was that Kathy had hurled herself from her arms and was curled up in a ball on the floor, rocking back and forth. Cordelia froze for a moment, then got down on her hands and knees next to her. She could just make out a steady stream of desperate words, barely at hearing level.
"Please don't reject me, please don't be frightened, I'm not evil, I'm not, I don't want to be evil please..." In a flash Cordelia disregarded all thoughts of vampires, demons, forces of darkness, and pulled the terrified girl into her arms.
"I'm not going to Kathy," she whispered to her. "I'm not afraid, and you're not evil. The only ones who are are the ones who did this to you." Kathy broke down once more, and once more Cordelia held her and soothed her. Gently, not wanting to hurt her more, she asked, "What happened to you?" Kathy froze and didn't speak for a long moment so that Cordelia began to worry that she had pushed her too far. When she did begin to speak it was in a monotone voice.
"I was dead," she said. "I was floating in a dark place. I hadn't gone into the light. I was waiting. Then someone dragged me out. They put me back in my body, but it was dead. He kept me. I couldn't escape. I couldn't die, I was already dead, wasn't I?" Cordelia drew her wordlessly tighter against herself, understanding that this was too deep for tears.
"How long?" she asked, her own voice choked.
"I don't know," Kathy whispered, "Long." Cordelia tightened her grip around her, her soul blazing in anger for the 'He' who could do this.
Kathy kept her head pressed against Cordelia. She focused on one thing that Cordelia had told her. 'I'm not evil, I'm not evil.' She told herself. 'But she doesn't know what 'He' brought you back to do,' another voice whispered. She squeezed her eyes tight shut and tried to block out the voice.
There was a banging on the door. Cordelia's head jerked up.
"Dennis!" she snapped. A picture rose from a pile on the table. Kathy gasped as she recognised the person in the newspaper clipping. It was the lawyer who had stared at her with such lust in his eyes. Cordelia groaned under her breath, then glanced at Kathy and saw the sudden fear in her eyes.
"Lindsey," she muttered. Her eyes quickly swept around the apartment.
"Go!" she gestured behind the sofa. Kathy scrambled quickly behind it as Cordelia swept the chain under it with her foot and the banging started again.
"Alright, alright, don't break the door down." Kathy listened to her footsteps as she walked over to and opened the door.
"Hello, Lindsey," Cordelia's voice drifted back to her. "Need a hand?"
"Extremely funny, Cordelia" Lindsey's voice replied. Kathy remembered the ugly stump on the end of Lindsey's arm, and Wolfram's talk of 'sacrifices'
"I just presumed to give you, and your boss, a warning," Lindsey's voice continued.
"Yeah, well Angel and I are very grateful, good day now." Kathy froze. 'Angel?'
"You must understand," Lindsey continued, his voice smooth and modulated. "It is a personal gift to one of our... clients, and we would hate to see it come to a unpleasant end."
"I'm sure we will do everything we can to ensure that. Now, will you leave, or should I have Dennis throw you out?"
"Good day, Cordelia."
"Good day, Lindsey. I'd offer you my hand to shake but..." Lindsey's answering voice was tight.
"A pleasure talking to you, Cdordelia, as always." The door slamed and a second later Cordelia's voice spoke again.
"Dennis, open all the windows, lets try and clear this stench out." There was a rush of wind as the various windows opened. Kathy looked up as Cordelia walked around to kneel in front of her, her face concerned.
"Kathy?" she asked. Kathy stared back at her, trembling slightly.
"Your-your boss is Angel?" she asked. Cordelia frowned briefly and answered
"Yeah," she said. "He's a great person and I'm sure he can help you with- Kathy?" Kathy had begun to shake more violently. Cordelia reached out and placed a concerned hand on her arm. Kathy stared up at her.
"You don't understand," she whispered. "I-I'm a weapon against him, that's what they all say." Shock registered on Cordelia's face briefly. Then she looked down at her, face aclm once more.
"Do you want to be a wweapon?" she asked. Kathy stared up at her.
"N-no," she said.
"Then you won't be." Cordelia said simply. She stood up and walked over to the kitchen. "Can you drink?"
"Yes," Kathy answered dazedly, then reality slamed back into place and she stared at her in disbelief. "That's it?" she asked, "'you won't be'?" Cordelia turned back to her, face serious.
"You're a good person, Kathy," she said. "And I'm sure whatever their plan is, you will do your best to mess it up." Kathy nodded distractedly and Cordelia smiled. "Then we have nothing to worry about," she said. She turned back to the kitchen. "Drink?" Kathy smiled, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
"Please," she said.
********
It was later and beginning to grow dark outside when the door opened and a man walked in.
"Cordelia," he said, "I got your message, what is Wolfram and Hart doing no- His eyes fell on her and he clutched at the table for support. "Kathy?"
Kathy stared at him, pale.
"Liam," she whispered.
To Be Continued...
(Aren't I evil? :-))