Tremble

:: Tremble ::

by Rachel

Tremble: Part 3

"I'm thinking this sucks." Cordelia said as they both sat apart on the sofa, waiting for the sun to go down. They were anxious to be able to get out and move about. But for now they were stuck inside, and the news was on again. It was always on on days like this. It was an on going thing. All they talked about were the stupid earthquakes….

Angel sighed from across the couch.

Cordelia blew out a heavy breath and decided to look for something better to watch. It was after five; 'Friends' reruns should be on. She didn't watch TV much, but when she got the chance, it was probably her most preferred show. That Rachel really cracked her up! She was so spoiled and self indulged! How could someone be so clueless???

Cordelia spotted the remote sitting on the end table just past Angel. Without thinking, she simply reached past him, leaning over his lap, and retrieved it. Angel squeezed back against the sofa out of reflex as she entered his personal space. He watched as she moved back to her side; his eyes inadvertently trailed down the line of her neck to her cleavage, which kinda swayed into view for a few seconds. He realized he was staring and quickly looked away, scolding himself silently, then shoving it out of his mind as if it didn't happen. Angel always did that when his eyes lingered a little too long on the beauty that was Cordelia Chase. He didn't like her like that, they were, after all, family.

The term 'family' was so over rated…

Cordelia was back on her side of the couch now, and holding out the remote, pushed the button for channel 5. She smiled when her show popped into view.

"Yay." She said.

"Yay what?"

"I never got to see the end of this one before."

"What is this?"

Cordelia gave him an awed expression.

"DUH! It's Friends!"

"Oh." Angel grew silent. He started chewing one of his nails.

A joke was said; the laugh track on the show giggled and applauded, Cordelia laughed, and Monica hit Ross in the head.

"What's 'Friends'?" He asked quietly. Cordelia looked at him pathetically and shook her head.

"You're a lost cause, Angel."

"Sorry, you know I don't watch TV,"

Just then the broadcast was interrupted by a special news bulletin.

"DAMN YOU, HAL FISHMAN!" Cordelia hissed, sitting up and throwing a pillow at the TV. "Little, bug eyed creep," She mumbled.

The Muppet-looking geriatric news anchor started rambling on more about the earthquakes. It was enough to make Cordelia livid and she flicked off the television in a huff and threw the remote at the floor.

Angel glanced over at her. Cordelia scowled. "Now I'll never know if Ross and Rachel get together again…damned earthquakes."

"I'm sure you'll get a chance to see it again."

"Maybe…"

"Cordy, don't look so depressed. It's just a TV show."

"But I like that show," She whined uselessly.

Now Angel shook his head at her pathetically. "I was always more into books." He justified.

"Plech! Books," She grimaced. "I see enough books at work, thanks."

"You've never read a good book," Angel said. "Reading can open so many windows…You should try it sometime…reading."

Cordelia glared at him. "Was that supposed to be a crack about my ability to read???"

"No!" Angel gasped. "No way! I know…I know you can read. I just meant, you should read something good, something intriguing…not judge all books by the ones you read at work. Then maybe you'd feel differently about it, that's all."

"Oh." Cordelia eyed him wryly. "You could take over as the host of The Reading Rainbow, you know that?"

"The Reading what?"

"Nevermind." Cordelia rolled her eyes. "And just what would you suggest I read?"

"Me? Oh, I don't know."

"Oh come on. You're the big book-reader…what would I like?"

"I don't know…a lot of things. There's all kinds of great authors out there, and it depends on what genre you like,"

"What kind do you like?"

"The classics,"

Cordelia rolled her eyes again. "How did I guess?"

"Was that supposed to be a crack about my age?"

Cordelia shook her head innocently. "No…not at all."

Now Angel eyed her suspiciously.

"We must be bored…" Cordelia sighed. "I'm in a boring discussion about books."

"Sun's almost down," Cordelia said, standing at the window and peeking out through the blinds. She sensed Angel come up behind her and she turned around to find him slipping on his leather jacket. "Have you been feeling as stir crazy as I have?" She asked.

He nodded slightly, almost apologetically.

"You're great company…but yes."

"I don't blame you," Cordelia said, patting his arm as she passed him. She wrinkled her brow. "I don't know how you can stand it…being trapped inside all day."

"Well, at least at the hotel I had sewer access," Angel said simply. "But besides…what with burning up in the atmosphere and all, I don't really miss the daytime that much."

"Still," Cordelia crossed the room to her bedroom, and going to her closet, removed her knee length, burgundy leather coat. She slipped it on over the black fitted bodice style tank she wore with matching slim, boot-cut pants, then checked her lipstick and fluffed her hair in the mirror on the inside of the door. She gave herself a once over, and satisfied, sealed the closet. She walked back out into the living room, stopping to pick up her bag, and called out, "We'll be back later, Dennis."

She and Angel headed towards the front door, and then left the apartment. Dennis locked the door behind them.

The hallway was deserted. Or so it seemed.

Angel followed Cordelia as she strode down the carpet; the only sound was leather swishing at their jackets movement, and Cordelia's boot heels clicking across the floor. Angel's steps were silent, of course, and they got to the elevator and pushed the down button. Cordelia glanced at her wristwatch and saw that it was now almost 7:20. By the time they got to the parking garage, it would be dark out.

"So where are we going first? The office?"

Angel nodded. "Office first…then, I kinda wanted to drive around a little, get some air."

"Sure."

Finally the door slid open and with a few steps, both were inside. Practically meeting the wall in the tiny enclosed space, they turned around to face the outside hallway and Angel reached down to push the P button for the parking garage. It lit up, and the two of them stood quietly waiting for the doors to close.

"Let's stop back by the hotel again, and pick up some more of your things."

Angel groaned. "Cordy, I have enough things."

"What!" She gawked. "No you don't! You barely have enough to last you until tomorrow!"
"Cordelia, I have plenty,"

Angel noticed the doors were still open and so he pushed the button again.

"Angel," Cordelia continued to argue. "You do not have enough stuff. You've got three outfits maybe…four tops! Including the one you're wearing and what if something happens tonight and we run into a big old monster or something and you get demon goo all over yourself and then you'll be down to three again—"

Angel scowled. The doors still weren't closing.

Angel hit the button panel again, and finally with a ding, the doors started to close.

"Its about time." Cordelia mumbled eyeing the elevator. Angel grunted in agreement.

"Wait!" A shrill, old, annoying voice called out. "Hold the door! Wait!"

Angel and Cordelia looked up unexpectedly to see Old Mrs. Feitlemeyer charging down the hallway towards them, dragging her nasty little dog behind her. Angel respectively reached forward and stopped the doors.

"What are you doing!" Cordelia hissed, knocking his hand away.

"What!"

"I don't want to ride the elevator with her! Let her wait!" Cordelia pushed past Angel and hastily began repeatedly pushing the button to close the doors. But nothing happened. "Oh, damn!" Cordelia cursed. She pushed it one last time, practically punching the button panel with her closed fist, and finally with a little ding, to her relief the doors, slid closed.

Cordelia grinned triumphantly, however Mrs. Feitlemeyer's foot hindered their escape. At the very last second, she wedged it between the enclosing doors, and with a ding, they reopened for her, like Moses parting the Red Sea. Cordelia's grin fell into a scowl, and with a nasty look, Mrs. Feitlemeyer shoved her way inside, sending Cordelia even further back into the box and even giving Angel a dirty glance when he, much to Cordelia's dismay, tried to most politely assist her with holding aside the doors until her dog could get in.

"I can do it." She snapped, swatting his arm away. Now Angel was dismayed, but ignoring it, the old lady gave her dog's leash a good, hard tug, and with a yelp, the pooch was now inside too.

It sniffed Angel's shoe and growled. Annoyed, Angel growled back.

Mrs. Feitlemeyer looked up at Angel with wide, surprised eyes and he immediately ceased. He averted his gaze, and once again pushed the P button for the parking structure.

"Basement, please." Mrs. Feitlemeyer said snippily.

"He's not the bellhop, push it yourself." Cordelia grumbled. Mrs. Feitlemeyer looked at her, an argument surely about to ensue.

"No, I got it, Cordy," Angel said, trying to diffuse the situation. He pushed the B button and the doors slid closed.

The three of them stood silently and it took a moment for Cordelia and Angel to realize that they weren't moving. They looked at eachother questioningly, and again, Angel reached forward and pressed the buttons. All of them stay lit, but nothing happened. Angel pushed them harder but still they were motionless.

"That's odd," Mrs. Feitlemeyer said dumbly. "Usually I'd be downstairs by now. This sure is taking a while—"

"That's because we're not moving, Mrs. Feitlemeyer." Cordelia scathed. She sighed heavily and reached around the old woman to push all the buttons in one last attempt to get moving. "Dammit!" Cordelia hissed, beating the button panel with her hand. "Stupid...piece of…old…crap!"

"Maybe you broke it." The old woman said drolly.

"I didn't break anything." Cordelia rolled her eyes and pressed her thumb into the button to open the doors. But they didn't budge.

"Well, maybe your man friend broke it."

"Will you shut up already!" Cordelia heaved. "Nobody broke anything!"

Mrs. Feitlemeyer's face went white, and Cordelia turned to Angel.

"Can you please get us out of here? I think I'm about to go homicidal…"

Angel nodded and stepped forward; Mrs. Feitlemeyer moved back to give him room. Her little dog began to yap furiously at his movement.

"Stop it, Mitzie," She snapped. She'd scolded the mutt, but the look she gave the two of them was unpleasant to say in the least. Cordelia gladly returned the look, crossing her arms sourly and watching Mrs. Feitlemeyer out of the corner of her eye. They both snubbed their noses at one another, and eventually one looked away.

Angel tried to pry the doors apart with his fingers. Mrs. Feitlemeyer smirked to herself, watching demurely as he then began to search throughout his pockets.

"What are you looking for?" Cordelia asked.

"Something to wedge between the doors." He responded, then pulled out his keys. Taking the key to the Plymouth, he worked hard to slide it within the crease between the flat, steel doors, but to no avail. He shook his head, shoving the keys back into his pocket, and glanced at the tall brunette. "Ah, I need something sharp."

"Here," Cordy said, reaching into her bag and pulling out a wooden stake. She handed it over blatantly, much to his embarrassment, right in front of the old lady. Mrs. Feitlemeyer stared oddly at the sharpened piece of wood, but asked no questions and made no comments. Angel held the stake parallel to the crease in the doors, turning his back to both women and slightly shielding what he was doing from the older one. He shoved the tip of the stake into the door crack and started forcing it in further. He chewed his lip as he did so, sheer determination across his features, and Mrs. Feitlemeyer glanced over at Cordelia and said, implying much more than the question asked,

"Does he always do things with such brute force?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes.

"Of course," The old bag went on. "I bet you're the kind to go for that sort of thing…"

Again. More eye rolling from Cordelia.

"Maybe we should just call the super…" Mrs. Feitlemeyer suggested.

"He'll get us out," Cordelia bit.

"But the super could probably fix it correctly! I think we should call him before your man friend breaks things worse,"

"I'm not waiting for the damn super,"

"But the super could fix the door!"

Cordelia was about to retort again when with a grunt and a click, the doors parted, and using his arms, Angel shoved them open wide, all the way open, freeing them.

Angel stepped out into the hallway, straightening his coat, and Cordelia stepped calmly past Mrs. Feitlemeyer to follow.

She exited the elevator, but not before Mrs. Feitlemeyer sniggered,

"He is a strong one, isn't he?"

"Angel," Cordelia started, her fingers briefly gracing his forearm as she gestured across the hallway towards a door to the side. He turned and listened and she started to lead him to it. "Let's take the stairs…"

"Aren't you going to call the super?" Mrs. Feitlemeyer called out helplessly from inside the open box.

"Call him yourself!" Cordelia called back. She and Angel disappeared.

"But the super can fix it!" Mrs. Feitlemeyer said uselessly.

She stood there for a moment, all alone in the silence with her dog, when slowly the elevator doors closed on her.

"You shouldn't have been so rude," Angel smiled to himself as he and Cordelia strapped themselves into his car.

"Rude?" Cordelia repeated, perking her eyebrow at him.

"To your neighbor."

"I'd thought we'd gone over this."

"She's just old,"

"She's aggravating."

"She's probably lonely."

"She's probably insane."

"Well, still,"
"Still what. Everything I said she had coming. I should've said more."

"I think you said enough when you told her to shut up,"

"She needed to shut up,"

Angel was about to respond, but then shrugged meekly.

"Ah ha!" Cordelia gloated. "You're not so high and mighty after all, are ya!"

Angel perked his brow at her then, and pulled the car out of the parking garage out into the warm L.A. night.

"This place is a mess." Cordelia groaned.

She'd just flipped on the lights at the newer, smaller location of Angel Investigations. Angel locked the doors behind them and came forward past her. He had to watch his step to make sure he didn't crush any important old text from Wesley's demonology collection. It was strewn all over the floor.

Angel walked over to the shelf they had fell from when the shelf had come loose from the wall during one of the earlier quakes. He reached down and easily placed it upright, pushing it back against the wall. He then started hefting up big piles of books onto the counter top of Wesley's desk. There were a lot of books to pick up. This would take longer than they'd expected.

Cordelia winced and crossed the room towards the back room. There beside a side window was her favorite little foliage houseplant, knocked to its side, soil spilt and roots showing.

"Oh!" She groaned, going to it and lifting it helplessly. "Ah, dammit! My poor little Leea Coccinea Rubra!"

Angel glanced sideways at her. She continued to glower.

"Ah, man!" She hissed. "Its dead!"

"Maybe it can be saved," Angel offered, coming up beside her to help her lift the pot.

"No," She pouted. "I doubt it. Look at the trauma here! These leaves will never flourish again!" She caressed a delicate, dark burgundy leaf and sighed. She fell in love with this plant when she found it at the nursery. And look, it even matched her coat, she noticed. Angel set the plant stand upright and scooped as much dirt back into it as he could. He took the plant from Cordelia's hands and placed it carefully back in its base.

"We'll still try." He said.

"Ohh," Cordelia whined. She shook her head skeptically, then turned back to the rest of the office. "Let's just clean up Wesley's books before he gets back and has a heart attack. Besides, wouldn't want anything happening to the…" She picked up a book by a corner of its cover, and cocked her head to read its title. "…Inside Knowledge : The Complete Book of Demon And Devil Anatomy, oh brother."

"Yeah! We definitely can't afford to loose that," Angel snatched the book from her grasp and began skimming through the pages enthusiastically. He stopped and read through one page with genuine interest and Cordelia gave him a hard look before scowling and starting on the rest of the books. Within a half hour, they'd gotten everything back in order.

"Do you think it was even worth it to bother?" Cordelia asked as they headed out.

"What?"
"Cleaning up the office. I mean, what if there are more earthquakes? Everything's just going to get messed up again anyway."

Angel shrugged but didn't add anything and the two of them got back in his car to drive around for a while with the top down.