Disclaimers in chapter 1
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Protection
by Slayerbelle
Chapter 4 -- Hide Only Me
A gyrating girl in a pink tank top stumbled into Angel, who quickly caught her by the elbow and helped her stand. He tossed a look over at Cordelia, who was nursing a Long Island Iced Tea by the bar.
She waved him off dismissively. "No, not her, someone taller!" Cordelia yelled over the din.
The girl giggled away with what passed off as an apology and Angel made his way back to the bar. "Aren't you under 21?" he said to Cordy, just as the bartender passed her a cocktail napkin.
Cordelia almost choked on her beverage. Her mouth opened, and a loud laugh came out. To the bartender, she went, "He's such a kidder. Get him a Scotch please."
He gave her a onceover, then gave up pretty easily. Just as he left, Cordy swatted her boss with the cocktail napkin. Who actually didn't notice, because he was busy scanning the crowd.
This was a different bar Cordelia led them to, one that favored electric guitar music and rock groups, where people were jumping around and calling it dancing. In a lot of ways it reminded him of The Bronze back in Sunnydale, and then he felt a little pang of longing. It wasn't as though Sunnydale was home -- no place was home, really -- it just reminded him of a time when his life had oddly become simpler, and he missed it.
Cordelia was at the moment fixing her top, tapping her feet to the music, not at all vigilant about the attack she had just been warned of in her vision. She saw Angel eyeing her. "I'll know when I see her! In the meantime you... I don't know, not frown or something."
He scanned the crowd again, thanking the bartender who placed the Scotch in front of him. He tipped the glass, taking the shot down in one smooth move, and he saw her again.
Just a reflection in the glass, which he followed to the other side of the dance floor. She started walking to him. He left the bar to meet her halfway.
"Hey." he said, barely hearing his own voice.
She lifted a finger and pointed to the corner of the room, at least farther away from the blaring speakers. He followed her there.
"I couldn't leave without saying goodbye," she said, at least somewhat audible now.
"You're not seriously going back." he said.
Aurora smiled, like he was a child who didn't understand. "Oh I am."
"Aurora, you have amazing powers. We try to reach so many people, and imagine what you can do working with us. You can't waste that on me."
They looked at each other, eyes meeting, and he could see her answer already. There was a serenity in her eyes, a lack of fear.
"This isn't a job, Angel. I actually do believe in what I do. And I don't think anything is going to waste if I do it for you. But you realize that you can't ever contact me again, don't you?"
"I need to know if you're still OK."
"And you will know. This is the only way I can keep protecting you, Angel. If I follow their rules. And I will, follow their rules." Aurora laughed. "Not that I'm breaking thirty-seven of them with this very conversation."
"I can't make you change your mind."
She was very clear. "No."
"Well then." He reached for her hand. "Thank you."
The gesture caught her off guard. She looked at their entwined hands for a second. And then, "Angel," she said. "I know I wasn't supposed to meet you, but I don't regret I did. I think it makes my calling clearer to me."
He started to shake his head, but she silenced him. "No, wait. Listen to me. Remember that the lives you touch are filled with love because of you. Cordelia. Wesley. You give them something they didn't have before, don't think that you don't. I just -- I just had to say that."
He couldn't find a reply to it, her selflessness was rare to him, her sacrifice he still found a little irrational. "So I'll never see you again," he said instead.
She smiled sadly. "If all goes well," she said.
Angel nodded, understanding what he allowed himself to. Still holding her hand, he gently pulled her to him and kissed her. Her sigh was muffled against his mouth, their lips lightly touching. She was the first to pull away, and in their closeness he could feel her softly speaking under her breath.
"Earth and moon, both sunlight see,
In your shadow, hide only me."
A soft breeze fluttered against his cheek. He opened his eyes and he already expected her to be gone.
Gathering his bearings, he looked back towards the bar, straight into the eyes of Cordelia, who was looking at him with a strange sadness.
His footsteps seemed heavier as he walked back to her.
"Come on, big guy." she said, blotting her lips with the cocktail napkin. "Let's get out of here."
"Wait, we haven't saved the girl yet."
She shook her head. "We already did. Come on."
The end.
send feedback to slayerbelle@go.com
Protection
by Slayerbelle
Chapter 4 -- Hide Only Me
A gyrating girl in a pink tank top stumbled into Angel, who quickly caught her by the elbow and helped her stand. He tossed a look over at Cordelia, who was nursing a Long Island Iced Tea by the bar.
She waved him off dismissively. "No, not her, someone taller!" Cordelia yelled over the din.
The girl giggled away with what passed off as an apology and Angel made his way back to the bar. "Aren't you under 21?" he said to Cordy, just as the bartender passed her a cocktail napkin.
Cordelia almost choked on her beverage. Her mouth opened, and a loud laugh came out. To the bartender, she went, "He's such a kidder. Get him a Scotch please."
He gave her a onceover, then gave up pretty easily. Just as he left, Cordy swatted her boss with the cocktail napkin. Who actually didn't notice, because he was busy scanning the crowd.
This was a different bar Cordelia led them to, one that favored electric guitar music and rock groups, where people were jumping around and calling it dancing. In a lot of ways it reminded him of The Bronze back in Sunnydale, and then he felt a little pang of longing. It wasn't as though Sunnydale was home -- no place was home, really -- it just reminded him of a time when his life had oddly become simpler, and he missed it.
Cordelia was at the moment fixing her top, tapping her feet to the music, not at all vigilant about the attack she had just been warned of in her vision. She saw Angel eyeing her. "I'll know when I see her! In the meantime you... I don't know, not frown or something."
He scanned the crowd again, thanking the bartender who placed the Scotch in front of him. He tipped the glass, taking the shot down in one smooth move, and he saw her again.
Just a reflection in the glass, which he followed to the other side of the dance floor. She started walking to him. He left the bar to meet her halfway.
"Hey." he said, barely hearing his own voice.
She lifted a finger and pointed to the corner of the room, at least farther away from the blaring speakers. He followed her there.
"I couldn't leave without saying goodbye," she said, at least somewhat audible now.
"You're not seriously going back." he said.
Aurora smiled, like he was a child who didn't understand. "Oh I am."
"Aurora, you have amazing powers. We try to reach so many people, and imagine what you can do working with us. You can't waste that on me."
They looked at each other, eyes meeting, and he could see her answer already. There was a serenity in her eyes, a lack of fear.
"This isn't a job, Angel. I actually do believe in what I do. And I don't think anything is going to waste if I do it for you. But you realize that you can't ever contact me again, don't you?"
"I need to know if you're still OK."
"And you will know. This is the only way I can keep protecting you, Angel. If I follow their rules. And I will, follow their rules." Aurora laughed. "Not that I'm breaking thirty-seven of them with this very conversation."
"I can't make you change your mind."
She was very clear. "No."
"Well then." He reached for her hand. "Thank you."
The gesture caught her off guard. She looked at their entwined hands for a second. And then, "Angel," she said. "I know I wasn't supposed to meet you, but I don't regret I did. I think it makes my calling clearer to me."
He started to shake his head, but she silenced him. "No, wait. Listen to me. Remember that the lives you touch are filled with love because of you. Cordelia. Wesley. You give them something they didn't have before, don't think that you don't. I just -- I just had to say that."
He couldn't find a reply to it, her selflessness was rare to him, her sacrifice he still found a little irrational. "So I'll never see you again," he said instead.
She smiled sadly. "If all goes well," she said.
Angel nodded, understanding what he allowed himself to. Still holding her hand, he gently pulled her to him and kissed her. Her sigh was muffled against his mouth, their lips lightly touching. She was the first to pull away, and in their closeness he could feel her softly speaking under her breath.
"Earth and moon, both sunlight see,
In your shadow, hide only me."
A soft breeze fluttered against his cheek. He opened his eyes and he already expected her to be gone.
Gathering his bearings, he looked back towards the bar, straight into the eyes of Cordelia, who was looking at him with a strange sadness.
His footsteps seemed heavier as he walked back to her.
"Come on, big guy." she said, blotting her lips with the cocktail napkin. "Let's get out of here."
"Wait, we haven't saved the girl yet."
She shook her head. "We already did. Come on."
The end.