Dropped Ball
"Lorne, I really need to sing tonight," Cordelia said as soon as she'd made her way to the Host's table.
"Oh Sweetie, this is about our delectable champion from another world isn't it?" He asked sympathetically. "You just sit here and look at the song book, I'll go fit you into the schedule."
Cordelia flipped through the songbook until a title leapt out at her.
"Okay folks, I want you all to give a warm welcome to our lovely Seer, Cordelia," Lorne introduced her.
Cordelia started at the slightly strident music and when she sang her voice was more plaintive that the song called for. "Should I stay or should I go now?" she sang. "If I stay there will be trouble. If I go it will be double."
After the song ended Cordelia hopped off the stage and joined Lorne at his table.
"So that's what's on you mind," He said. "And I thought it was just about Groo. Do you really need a psychic or just a
friendly ear?"
"I'd appreciate either," Cordelia sighed. "The PTB told me I've served my tenure and I can choose a successor for the visions. That means I'm free to choose to go with Groo if I want to. Someone else can be Angel's link to the PTB. According to Groo, I'm the only one who has a shot at ending the war in Pylea and I think I really love him, but…"
"But you don't want to leave when there's hard feelings between you and Angel-cakes," Lorne finished.
"Yeah," Cordelia sighed smiling sadly. "If I stay, maybe he'll stop hating me someday, but if I leave he'll just forget me. I'm not stupid enough to think he'd even expend the energy to keep on disliking me if I weren't here. If it weren't for the visions he'd have already disappeared on us."
"Oh Honey, Angel never hated you," the Host sighed.
Cordelia looked down at her hands. "Maybe not hate, but he sure doesn't like me much anymore."
"Cordelia, listen to me; Angel loves all three of you, he never stopped. You're his family in everyway that counts. Well, except for blood and trust me; blood doesn't count for much. The thing is, he's repeatedly hit the ball back into your court and you never bothered to return it. He gave up. So if you want things to change between the two of you, you're going to have to take the initiative this time." Lorne said. "A long time ago I told Angel he couldn't go back to what had been, that he had to move on to something new. It took him some time, but he's done that. If you're going to get anywhere with him now, you'll have to deal with the person he's become, not the one he used to be. And you're going to have to listen to him to figure out who that is."
Author's note: Song is "Should I stay or go" by The Boggles.