An American Vampire in London, Chapter 4
'I had a vision yesterday.'
Cordelia looked up. 'Isn't that supposed to be my line?'
Wesley, whose head was buried in a book, spoke. 'No. I do believe it to be "I had a dream about you. You were in it".'
He noticed the others staring at him. 'What? I'm only reading what it says in the book. Honestly Cordelia, couldn't your agent have found you something…good. Like Shakespeare…or something good, which this obviously isn't.' He shook the copy in his hand.
'What does that have to do with Angel having a vision?' Cordelia enquired. '…And who's Shakespeare?' Seeing Wesley's face, she added '…Joke!' He said nothing so she asked again. 'What does the play have to do with Angel having a vision?'
'Oh. Nothing, I suppose,' Wesley answered, not taking in what Cordy had just said. Silence. Finally, he caught on.
'Angel had a vision?'
Cordelia replied, sounding sceptical. 'Yeah. So he said.'
Angel shuffled uncomfortably, noting Cordy's disbelief.
'Yeah, well…'
But before he could say anymore, Cordelia gasped, images flashing before her eyes. Angel moved forward, and touched her on the shoulder and asked, 'You alright?'
Teeth gritted, she replied. 'Yes'. She winced. Obviously, she was lying.
Wesley, who'd been watching Cordelia in case she collapsed, turned back to Angel, wanting to hear what Angel had to say about his 'vision'.
'So. This vision you said you had.'
'Well…'
Cordelia looked at the two, shocked. 'What?! I've just had a near-death fit and you're more bothered about him?!' She turned towards Angel, not wanting the thumping headache to get worse. 'Look here, mister. I have the visions around here and anywhere else I happen to be. Just because you have a 'vision' doesn't mean you should get all the attention. I should. Because my visions hurt. And I have them more often than you do. Not that you've had any before. So, technically, your vision might not be a vision. It could have been some pig's blood that was out of date that you drank that made you see things. Things like a vision. And now I'm gonna shut up 'cos saying that has made my head worse.' As an afterthought she added, 'And pass me the aspirin. Now.'
Wesley spoke hesitantly, not wanting Cordelia to snap again. 'Erm…There's only paracetamol.'
'I don't care what it is. It better make my head better.'
Angel passed the bottle to her. She struggled to open it, the pain making it hard for her to focus on the arrow she needed to align with the top to open the bottle. Frustrated, she threw the medicine, which narrowly missed Wesley, but hit the glass cabinet, behind him. The shattering sound made Cordy wince.
Angel picked up the bottle, making sure he didn't cut his hands on the glass. He passed the now open container towards Cordelia, who tipped the entire contents onto the table in front of her.
'Two?! Two?! There are only two lousy, para-whatsits in this stupid contraption?! What the hell am I gonna do with 2 tablets?! Two tablets are NOT gonna get rid of this major headache!'
Angel glanced at Wesley, who shrugged. Sighing, he spoke quietly.
'Cordelia. They don't allow many tablets in the UK. Fewer tablets mean there's less chance of a person overdosing on them. That means less suicide.'
'Suicide?! Do I look like I wanna commit suicide?!' Cordy's voice began to rise. 'I'd commit suicide because I wouldn't be able to get to the 2 stupid tablets in side. And the only way that would happen is by me eating the damn bottle!'
She flinched at the sound of her voice. Quietly, she continued. 'So Mister 'I-Had-A-Vision-And-Didn't-Get-A-Headache-To-Prove-It'…' She wallowed the tablets, and gulped down some water. '…What happened in your vision. Your alleged vision.'
Angel began to tell them everything he remembered. From seeing Spike to the girl, the god Osiris and what he did. He also told them about the blood. But something made him hold back from telling the two about the girl saying she loved him. Not until he knew why. When he'd finished, he waited to see what they had to say.
Cordelia spoke first. 'So. You're telling us you had a all-night, pain-free vision about some girl, more beautiful than Buffy and I put together, which I might add is wrong, 'cos I'm better looking than Buffy any day. Even on bad hair days. About some girl being sacrificed to a giant statue by a dog-headed woman who happens to be possessed by an ancient Egyptian god who kills his worshippers. And he's supposed to be good.' She stopped. 'Oh, and Spike was in it somewhere.'
'Well…'
'You have been drinking out-of-date pig's blood haven't you? I told you that butcher was dodgy, but did you listen? No.'
Angel turned to Wesley, the voice of reason, to see an undecided look on his face.
'Wesley?'
'Well…what you have described does indeed sound fantastical. But in a world like this, where we can't rule anything suspicious out, something in Angel's vision may be remotely true. I will have to research into it. But what with the Watcher's Council…watching me carefully, I may not be able to get much information.'
Angel pointed at the computer next to Wesley. 'Use the Internet. See what you can dig up on Osiris and Anubis. Anything unusual.'
'Right.' Wesley stopped. 'Erm… Should I contact Giles?'
Angel looked puzzled. 'Why?'
'Well… Giles is more informed on Ancient Egypt than I am. Maybe he could find out something for us…'
'No,' Angel replied, a little quickly. 'We don't want Giles and the others involved. Too risky. And anyway, They've probably got other things to deal with. No.' The subject closed, Angel continued. 'Anyway, Cordelia, what did you see in your vision?'
'Oh not much,' Cordelia answered slowly. 'You and someone. Someone not being Buffy. Together. In bed. Naked.'
Both men exclaimed, 'What?!'
Cordelia, smiling smugly, went on. 'It's true. I saw some girl. Probably the same one you saw. Then an image of the two of you smooching. Not a nice image, I tell you. That changed into some weirdo vampire fight and then it ended in the temple you must have 'been' in with the place falling down and you with the girl in your arms.'
Wesley frowned. 'But isn't that impossible? I mean, won't Angel lose his soul if he achieves 'true' happiness? Unless he was Angelus in your vision, Cordy. But that wouldn't explain him trying to save the girl. But then again, Angel had the vision as himself so…'
He looked at Angel, who was shaking his head. 'You're wrong. I'd never sleep with anyone. I mean…'
'What?' Cordy asked. 'You'd never sleep with anyone BUT Miss Sunnydale Slayer of the Year? Care to remember she's having it off with some all-American farm boy, who's probably got some lovesick cow called Daisy waiting back home for him? Come on Angel. Look to the future, which you have done, incidentally. What you see is what you get. And you get the girl. She obviously needs help and that's what you do best. Help those who need it.'
'Yeah. But where do I find her?'
'Maybe she'll find you. They always do.'
'I had a vision yesterday.'
Cordelia looked up. 'Isn't that supposed to be my line?'
Wesley, whose head was buried in a book, spoke. 'No. I do believe it to be "I had a dream about you. You were in it".'
He noticed the others staring at him. 'What? I'm only reading what it says in the book. Honestly Cordelia, couldn't your agent have found you something…good. Like Shakespeare…or something good, which this obviously isn't.' He shook the copy in his hand.
'What does that have to do with Angel having a vision?' Cordelia enquired. '…And who's Shakespeare?' Seeing Wesley's face, she added '…Joke!' He said nothing so she asked again. 'What does the play have to do with Angel having a vision?'
'Oh. Nothing, I suppose,' Wesley answered, not taking in what Cordy had just said. Silence. Finally, he caught on.
'Angel had a vision?'
Cordelia replied, sounding sceptical. 'Yeah. So he said.'
Angel shuffled uncomfortably, noting Cordy's disbelief.
'Yeah, well…'
But before he could say anymore, Cordelia gasped, images flashing before her eyes. Angel moved forward, and touched her on the shoulder and asked, 'You alright?'
Teeth gritted, she replied. 'Yes'. She winced. Obviously, she was lying.
Wesley, who'd been watching Cordelia in case she collapsed, turned back to Angel, wanting to hear what Angel had to say about his 'vision'.
'So. This vision you said you had.'
'Well…'
Cordelia looked at the two, shocked. 'What?! I've just had a near-death fit and you're more bothered about him?!' She turned towards Angel, not wanting the thumping headache to get worse. 'Look here, mister. I have the visions around here and anywhere else I happen to be. Just because you have a 'vision' doesn't mean you should get all the attention. I should. Because my visions hurt. And I have them more often than you do. Not that you've had any before. So, technically, your vision might not be a vision. It could have been some pig's blood that was out of date that you drank that made you see things. Things like a vision. And now I'm gonna shut up 'cos saying that has made my head worse.' As an afterthought she added, 'And pass me the aspirin. Now.'
Wesley spoke hesitantly, not wanting Cordelia to snap again. 'Erm…There's only paracetamol.'
'I don't care what it is. It better make my head better.'
Angel passed the bottle to her. She struggled to open it, the pain making it hard for her to focus on the arrow she needed to align with the top to open the bottle. Frustrated, she threw the medicine, which narrowly missed Wesley, but hit the glass cabinet, behind him. The shattering sound made Cordy wince.
Angel picked up the bottle, making sure he didn't cut his hands on the glass. He passed the now open container towards Cordelia, who tipped the entire contents onto the table in front of her.
'Two?! Two?! There are only two lousy, para-whatsits in this stupid contraption?! What the hell am I gonna do with 2 tablets?! Two tablets are NOT gonna get rid of this major headache!'
Angel glanced at Wesley, who shrugged. Sighing, he spoke quietly.
'Cordelia. They don't allow many tablets in the UK. Fewer tablets mean there's less chance of a person overdosing on them. That means less suicide.'
'Suicide?! Do I look like I wanna commit suicide?!' Cordy's voice began to rise. 'I'd commit suicide because I wouldn't be able to get to the 2 stupid tablets in side. And the only way that would happen is by me eating the damn bottle!'
She flinched at the sound of her voice. Quietly, she continued. 'So Mister 'I-Had-A-Vision-And-Didn't-Get-A-Headache-To-Prove-It'…' She wallowed the tablets, and gulped down some water. '…What happened in your vision. Your alleged vision.'
Angel began to tell them everything he remembered. From seeing Spike to the girl, the god Osiris and what he did. He also told them about the blood. But something made him hold back from telling the two about the girl saying she loved him. Not until he knew why. When he'd finished, he waited to see what they had to say.
Cordelia spoke first. 'So. You're telling us you had a all-night, pain-free vision about some girl, more beautiful than Buffy and I put together, which I might add is wrong, 'cos I'm better looking than Buffy any day. Even on bad hair days. About some girl being sacrificed to a giant statue by a dog-headed woman who happens to be possessed by an ancient Egyptian god who kills his worshippers. And he's supposed to be good.' She stopped. 'Oh, and Spike was in it somewhere.'
'Well…'
'You have been drinking out-of-date pig's blood haven't you? I told you that butcher was dodgy, but did you listen? No.'
Angel turned to Wesley, the voice of reason, to see an undecided look on his face.
'Wesley?'
'Well…what you have described does indeed sound fantastical. But in a world like this, where we can't rule anything suspicious out, something in Angel's vision may be remotely true. I will have to research into it. But what with the Watcher's Council…watching me carefully, I may not be able to get much information.'
Angel pointed at the computer next to Wesley. 'Use the Internet. See what you can dig up on Osiris and Anubis. Anything unusual.'
'Right.' Wesley stopped. 'Erm… Should I contact Giles?'
Angel looked puzzled. 'Why?'
'Well… Giles is more informed on Ancient Egypt than I am. Maybe he could find out something for us…'
'No,' Angel replied, a little quickly. 'We don't want Giles and the others involved. Too risky. And anyway, They've probably got other things to deal with. No.' The subject closed, Angel continued. 'Anyway, Cordelia, what did you see in your vision?'
'Oh not much,' Cordelia answered slowly. 'You and someone. Someone not being Buffy. Together. In bed. Naked.'
Both men exclaimed, 'What?!'
Cordelia, smiling smugly, went on. 'It's true. I saw some girl. Probably the same one you saw. Then an image of the two of you smooching. Not a nice image, I tell you. That changed into some weirdo vampire fight and then it ended in the temple you must have 'been' in with the place falling down and you with the girl in your arms.'
Wesley frowned. 'But isn't that impossible? I mean, won't Angel lose his soul if he achieves 'true' happiness? Unless he was Angelus in your vision, Cordy. But that wouldn't explain him trying to save the girl. But then again, Angel had the vision as himself so…'
He looked at Angel, who was shaking his head. 'You're wrong. I'd never sleep with anyone. I mean…'
'What?' Cordy asked. 'You'd never sleep with anyone BUT Miss Sunnydale Slayer of the Year? Care to remember she's having it off with some all-American farm boy, who's probably got some lovesick cow called Daisy waiting back home for him? Come on Angel. Look to the future, which you have done, incidentally. What you see is what you get. And you get the girl. She obviously needs help and that's what you do best. Help those who need it.'
'Yeah. But where do I find her?'
'Maybe she'll find you. They always do.'