By Misty Flores
Email: mistiec_flores@yahoo.com, mistyjox@hotmail.com
Series: the Winters Trilogy – but purposely written so it could also be a standalone
Rating: R
Genre: Angel/Cordelia – Buffy/Angel and Cordelia/Xander implied
Teaser: Years after the death of their true loves, a lonely Cordelia and Angel reunite to stop a new nemesis, and find themselves fighting a mutual attraction as they cling to the memories of their mortal lovers.
Crossover: Sorta. Highlander – but seriously, you do NOT need to be familiar with that.
* additional notes on previous parts
--
The Road Before Us: Chapter Nine
"This is L.A. Maybe evil's just stuck in traffic." – Cordelia Chase.
--
In the barely there light of the parking structure, with the flickering fluorescents that seemed positively ancient, her face was barely discernable.
But she responded to her name, her scent, although cleaner, less tainted with fear and anger, was clearly her own.
"Katherine?" he said again, hands in the air, mind reeling with surprise and confusion, almost forgetting the blade resting against his neck.
The blue-eyed Immortal was still with shock, but recovered quickly, putting the sword away and staring at the vampire with open curiosity.
"This is… a surprise."
"What are you doing here?" he immediately asked.
"What are you doing here?" she shot back.
"I live here."
"In the parking structure?"
"No… I-"
She seemed less surprised than he was, and the shock still outweighed his ability to speak.
"Angel- the vampire guy!"
Why are you here?"
Katherine actually smirked as she crossed her arms, tossing her long dark hair behind her shoulder with a shake of her head. "I've been called."
"What?"
"Tell me yours I'll tell you mine. What the hell were you doing running into a flock of vampires?" The tip of her lips quirked. "Trying to join the party?"
"No!" Angel squinted, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked at the summarily less depressed Immortal. His last encounter she had been half crazed with grief, now, Angel got the distinct impression he was seeing a more normal, playful side of Katherine.
It was disconcerting, to say the least.
"My friend has these visions of people in trouble… that's how… I had a vision of a lot of vampires attacking a girl-"
"Which would have been me." She grimaced slightly, nodding to the black car in the corner of the garage. "They kind of cornered me while I was trying to get out of here."
"Katherine? What are you doing here? Where's…" he swallowed, curiosity unable to stop him from blurting out, "Where's Cordelia?"
The smile faded, and she took a breath, walking past him to the car. "Come on. I'll explain on the way."
--
She had the distinct impression she was being watched.
Cordelia was used to being watched, it came with the territory, but usually the feeling was not at all threatening, because honestly, how threatening could a little man in a tie with a too-big coat really be?
No… Terence was, for once, not stalking her, but on his own, working on a much bigger problem, and Cordelia's sixth sense was giving her much more chilling vibes.
Back into the Chase Winters mode, she sat back in the leather chair, inspecting the digital binder before her, manicured fingers tapping against the hardwood desk, knowing the eyes on her were growing impatient.
She didn't care.
Her other hand, resting on her ear, stroked the lobe thoughtfully, something she preferred to do when she was nervous instead of touching her hair, which was sleeked down.
"This is unacceptable," she said finally.
The lawyers gave a surprised look, irritation filling their faces seconds before one stood.
"Ms. Winters…"
"I remember giving this company a very large sum of money to stay away from Angel Investigations," she snapped, tossing the digital binder onto the table with a clatter. "You mind your business and he minds his."
"That would be difficult," clipped a lawyer in an expensive suit, with hands as polished and manicured as hers. "Considering he seems to thrive on getting involved in ours."
Chase gave a sigh, leaning back into the leather, staring down the lawyers of Wolfram and Hart.
"Do you think I'm so ignorant I don't know what you do?" she said finally. "You've killed two of his Seers, and resurrected Super Bitch from Hell- you've even tried to get him to turn evil, again, and all you've really managed to accomplish was pissing him off even more. You know for evil, blood sucking lawyers, you're not too smart."
"This is disappointing, Ms. Winters," he said slowly. "I thought we were understood."
"The understanding, at best Mr. Weathers, was a shaky one, apparently." Chase stood, carefully pulling at the sleeves of her linen white suit, keeping her eyes on his. "From now on consider the support of Chase Industries completely off limits. None of our contacts will be used, as well as none of our free trade agreements."
The talking suits shifted uncomfortably, and she resisted the urge to smile.
They knew, she knew they needed her.
"Perhaps you have neglected to understand exactly how we could help you with what's coming?"
"Excuse me?"
"The Gathering."
"Ah. That."
"We have resources to make the Gathering quite easy for you, and quite difficult."
Cordelia stared at their faces, disbelief clouding her features before she suddenly burst into chuckles.
"Are you trying to threaten me? GOD - you guys are such losers!" Her hand clapped over her mouth as the inner Cordy came out, and taking a breath, she began again in a more serious tone. "Trust me, this endgame is way over your heads. My only advice to you, is stay the hell outta of it. You're too green to be messing with the big time, boys."
Picking up her briefcase, and sliding on the white coat, she only gave them a courteous smile, and walked out of their offices.
Good riddance with Wolfram and Hart.
Blowing out her breath as she strode down the staircase, it occurred to her that the darkness that had come over the sky seemed slightly unnatural.
It made her shiver, the all white she had taken to wearing seeming a little too conspicuous in the hellhole that was Los Angeles.
So spread apart that not even the bombs could destroy it, Los Angeles was still thriving, with it mini malls and the proverbial cornucopia of guilty pleasures. Angel had his hands full, that she knew well.
Again she wondered exactly when to pop into Angel's office with a cheery – 'Hey! We're here! Guess that vision was a little more scary than we thought!'
The darkness of Los Angeles was intoxicating, she shivered as she pulled the white duster closer to her body, seeing the car in the distance of the deserted parking structure.
But when the chill over her became an undeniably familiar sensation, as it rode up her spine and took over her body with the nausea, she knew she wasn't going anywhere soon.
Exhaling slowly, she turned, a tired, grim smile caressing her features as she regarded the taller figure leaning against the post.
"One of Wolfram and Hart's best, I presume?"
He smiled, the sword resting casually against his shoulder, pushing away and walking toward her.
"There can be only one, princess."
--
Sunnydale, CA 2008
She ran quickly, it was almost impossible to keep up with her, and Angel gritted his teeth, dug in his feet, and continued to pump his legs, sliding down the slopes, grabbing onto brushes to break his fall as his mouth dried with panic.
Not even the forced swallow did anything to alleviate the tension in his chest, and he continued to pump, hoping against hope that he would not be too late, that she would not be too late.
The vampire had a better grasp of the night then they did, as Cordelia skidded down a path, immediately followed by Faith, shouting orders to each other and circling the woods, a tranquilizer gun in Cordelia's hand and a smaller laser taser in Faith's.
They were barely shadows, and Angel halted, sniffed once, trying to find the renegade werewolf.
"I thought you said he could control it!" Faith's voice broke the stillness, permeated through the darkness.
Cordelia didn't say anything for a moment, but took a deep breath in and then, "That way."
Angel got the whiff, and he was off, knowing they were far too busy employed with finding Werewolf Oz before the hunter did to pay much attention to the vampire that was trailing them.
And he saw the wolf, saw the flicker of metal gleaming against the moonlight, and the cry ripped from his throat in warning as he burst forward.
The shot rang through the night, and then all was still.
He was too far away, Faith and Cordelia ran into the clearing before he did, Cordelia knelt beside the fallen body, and her hands were trembling.
"Oz," she whispered hurriedly, "Oz."
He came forward, but Faith turned and pinned him with her eyes, and when she held out her hand behind an unseeing Cordelia and shook her head, he stayed put, hands locked into fists, chest heaving with anticipation.
He could smell the blood.
The wolf whimpered, and the animal that was Oz lay it's head on his friend's lap, as Cordelia gathered his blood stained hands in hers, and gave a long, painful, sigh.
It was over.
Angel felt something inside him tremor, a deep anger, as the growl was ripped from him, sinking to his knees.
Another one. Just like that.
"Oh, shit," Faith whispered, banging her hands against the ground while Cordelia stood stock still. "NOT OZ. NOT FUCKING OZ. Where the fuck are you, you bastard!" She screamed into the wilderness, tranquilizer gun up and waiting, staring into the night. "Come out, you bastard!"
The shot was almost unheard, and it caught Faith in the shoulder. He sprung into action, bursting into the clearing toward the attacker, but a whirling swept in front of him and his body followed the action, whipping in time to see a sword sever a hunter's head from his body neatly.
He paused, still hidden in the shadows, turning to see Cordelia stand, carefully moving the dead body of Oz to the side and moving to Faith.
"Are you okay?" she said in a low voice, helping the brunette in the leather pull herself into a seated position, leaning against her with harried breaths.
The Slayer seemed unsure, shocked as her gaze ventured from the body, back to Cordelia.
"I… uh…"
The Immortal just methodically moved the arm, inspecting the damage. "Flesh wound. You should be fine."
Angel didn't move, his whole body taken with shock and a little uncertainty, as she moved to the body without the head, ignoring the blood, ignoring everything but the sword, which she cleaned by wiping against the blades of grass, and sliding it back into her coat.
Faith stood, a little uncertainly, hand on her bleeding shoulder as Chase Winters flipped open her cell phone and made a call.
He considered moving out of hiding, moving to pay his respects to the dead Oz, and even further considered moving to the bastard that killed him for his pelt-
But Chase Winters, with the dead hazel eyes, who had just killed a man, a human, made him pause, as she turned, looked exactly in his direction, and then just moved away, kneeling beside the body of one of her own best friends.
As the Slayer watched, turning to where she knew he was hiding, giving him a slightly panicked look, Angel could offer nothing to help her understand what had just happened.
The methodical casualty with how she took the life made something very clear to both the vampire and the slayer.
They were all supernatural, but Cordelia was no longer a mere mortal – she was what at one point both he and Faith had both striven desperately to be.
She was immune to the laws of man. Because as an Immortal, she was suddenly that much above them.
Faith stepped toward her, but wavered, Angel took a step, but was unable to make the journey.
And having achieved what the demon Angelus and what the murderer Faith had once wanted so desperately, Cordelia knelt beside the body of Oz, lay her head on the dead werewolf's chest, and sobbed.
--
For the third time since he had gotten in the car, he swore that his undead life had reached its critical, if not anticlimactic, end.
Katherine, this new, chipper Katherine, apparently, had never learned how to drive.
His heart had somehow managed to work its way into his throat as he curled his fingers around the armrest, gripping on tight after making sure that his seatbelt was fastened for the fifth time, and finally just swallowed down the fear as she swerved along the highway, explaining herself as quickly as she could along the way.
"How much do you know about Immortals?"
"Enough," he said, noting that the increased speeds that these new fangled sonic powered cars were capable of were not necessarily a good thing.
"Okay, then you know about the Gathering?"
His mind quickly scrambled for the answer. "The start of the End Game. All the Immortals congregate-"
"And proceed to try and wipe each other out," Katherine finished, grimacing slightly. "What no one thought was that it would happen … so soon."
"So soon?"
"Apparently the EndGame that we've all been waiting for is here, in Los Angeles. Now."
"We're hosting the End Game?" The vampire with the soul gave the Immortal a stunned look, and she nodded, frowning.
"Yeah, you should feel honored. It's like the Superbowl. Or the Olympics. If we still had either."
"And that's what you're doing here?"
"Pretty much drawn to it like everyone else. That the exit?"
"No… the one before."
"Oh." He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as she swerved over the ramp and into the desired lane. A small growl of fear escaped.
He inhaled sharply, stilling the urge to take the wheel by force and asking instead, "Where's Cordelia?"
A small smidgen of a smirk floated on her features as she gave him a quick look. "You mean the little hundred year old girl named Chase? I didn't kill her if that's what you're worried about. She's here, we came together."
With the answer came silence, and questions for the vampire, who was suddenly filled with nervous tension that coiled like a spring inside his body. Cordelia was here? Since when? The Gathering was now? Cordelia was going to be involved in the Game?
Oh, God.
"Chase says you help people."
Distracted, he could only nod, eyes furrowed in contemplation, the aching in his heart now aided with a budding tension.
"You think you can help me?" At the words, Angel turned, eyes locking with hers.
"What?"
The smirk was gone, but Katherine licked her lips, took a breath, and began speaking, her voice somewhat shaky and a little disturbed. "Chase and that Watcher seem to think… they think Nick and that other vampire are – it's not time, Angel. The End Game, I can feel it. Chase can feel it. It's not time yet."
There was the roughness in her voice that Angel had been seeking; the confliction.
Angel paused, the visions that had been plaguing Travis running rampant through his mind as they whipped by the streets.
"Turn here," he said almost mechanically, and this time the way she jerked the tires gave him nothing to fear.
"Someone's rushing Armageddon."
"Only if a bad one wins," Katherine corrected.
"Who knows what's bad and what's good?" Angel said, mulling the thought over. "Power has been known to corrupt, and absolute power…"
"Yes I know the saying."
"… and they kidnapped you…" he mulled the words over, lost in thought. "Spike's never been one for the end of the world," he finally said, suddenly reminded of the alliance between Buffy and Spike to bring him – no Angelus, always Angelus- down.
"Chase also said you had visions."
Chase was saying an awful lot. Angel turned, shrugging, choosing his words carefully.
"I don't get them. I have Seers… he had them, and… I use them to help people."
"So we do need help."
The reality of the whole situation began to sink in, as Angel sunk further into the seat and let Katherine continue to drive.
The end of the world, the gathering, Immortals fighting in his city for the right to be the last alive, and Cordelia was one of them – Katherine, the one in his vision was here and Cordelia was still not anywhere to be found. Spike had taken Katherine for a reason in London and now, he had a sneaking Spike hadn't been leading him into the mansion at all.
Angel had simply been a means to an end.
Dammit.
There was so much they didn't know, and he knew, they were running out of time.
"I need to talk to Cordelia."
The tone was grave, husky. The big, hulking body was completely still. She flashed him a quick glance, but nodded.
"I'll call her," she said after a moment, ticking her ear and speaking hurriedly. "Maybe we'll get somewhere."
--
The burning cigarette provided only a pale glow in the night, eerily consumed by the darkness in the corner, where the vampire watched the fated confrontation between two beings.
The fight was almost a dance, and he had to admire that, the way they regarded the murder and annihilation of each other so poetically.
It was… bloody beautiful. He could charge for a view like this.
He leaned against the wall, the stucco tickling his back, as he lazily pulled the cigarette to his mouth and inhaled deeply, letting the acrid smoke taint his already dead lungs.
Poetic.
The cheerleader was fighting with a short saber, quite ancient by the looks of it, but she more than held her own against the more medieval, larger, and heavier double edged sword of her opponent.
With each crash that came as the two blades met, came a flury of sparks, Good versus Evil, duking it out for the fate of man kind.
Good versus Evil. He narrowed his eyes, dropping the burnt cigarette to the ground, grinding it into the old cement with one booted heel.
He never believed in black and white, never once believed someone was all good and all evil. Soul, or not, William the Bloody had long since known the vestiges of love, had once cavorted with humans who had been hostile, and without blaming them, he knew why.
Because he was evil – even when he was a 'good guy'.
Love made some blokes do some perverted things.
But the love was long since buried, deep within the sectors of his multi-layered vampire countenance, and he only watched with narrowed eyes as the brunette faked a right, blocked the flat of the blade with a foot, kicking it out and leaving him open, whirling and in a split second, slamming the blade into the side.
He smirked. Her signature move. Sloppy. The other one should have seen it coming. Should have done his homework.
A quick pull out, and Cordelia Chase, aka Chase Winters, swung, twirled, and neatly took the head, the blood spurting over the white clothes.
He winced. She would be pissed about that.
He waited, knew what was coming.
The lightning came, the noise, and the unseen force ripping through her body as she stumbled, fell to her knees, head arched back in triumph, agony, pain.
And just like that, it was over.
Bloody poetic.
He smiled, taking a breath, letting it out, considered giving a standing ovation, but instead turned, walking away from Cordelia.
All the time, remembering.
--
Her heart was beating irregularly as she walked into the hotel. Her steps were hesitant, and Cordelia felt her chest constricting, her body a little feverish.
She could have attributed that to the quickening, and in truth, she was tired, spent, the energy still flowing through her veins, the memories of the man she took coursing through her.
But something was wrong – the fight had been too easy.
Way too easy.
And her mind refused to dwell on that, instead turning to intense dark eyes, to the look of disappointment and lost hope in the face of the vampire she had considered an ally, an enemy, and sometimes, a guardian, even when she was protecting him.
Sending him away had been easy, too easy. In her heart, to ease the tremoring, the confliction, the heat his gaze had given –
The ring burned cold on her chest, and she wondered, how this happened, so many years after.
Married at a young age, lost for years after, Cordelia had no time to ponder an attraction to a vampire.
The Gathering was happening, it was affecting her, running through her veins, the anticipation urging her to take part in something that would most likely kill her.
It was happening too soon – and Wolfram and Hart had broken their alliance and now she was here, in the city of Angels, seeking help from the one person she had pushed away, the one person she had known for over a century – and the one person who was her only link to her past – to her memories.
The good ones, anyway.
Pushing open the door, she took a breath, thankful that she had a change of clothes in the car, the charcoal gray pantsuit a color more suited for the occasion.
She had never seen the Hyperion from the inside, it was… bare.
"Hello?"
A young blonde man with glasses that seemed just a little too big jogged out from around the corner, "Hey can I help… you?" His steps faltered, his eyes met hers, and he was still for a moment.
"Hi."
"… Hi!" A too wide grin came out and he came forward, hand outstretched. "I'm sorry… I …" he cocked his head, considering. "Chick from my vision?"
She couldn't help but smile. "Hello, Travis. I prefer Cordelia."
He nodded enthusiastically, grabbing the hand and pumping. "Wow. I uh… this… this is… " he pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose and began to clear some books and pads off on of the chairs. "Here! Sit!"
"I'm okay, listen is Angel here?"
He shook his head. "There was a… he's out… about." He motioned with his hands, jogging to the containment unit. "Can I get you anything?"
"No, I'm fine." The Seer continued to stare at her, and Cordelia finally cocked an eyebrow.
"Done?"
"Done what?"
"Checking my face for flaws of any kind?"
"Oh." He blushed pushed at his glasses one more time, the flush visible even to the tips of his ears. "Sorry, I just… Angel said… it doesn't matter what Angel said-"
"It kinda does." She dropped her duffel bag on the middle of the floor. "I need to see him. Can you get him on the intercom?"
"Oh, Angel doesn't go for that. I can barely get him to use the ear phone," he dismissed. "I did get him one of those old fashioned pagers- you know, but he didn't like the way it beeped under his skin."
"Yeah, being marked isn't exactly my thing either."
Music drifted out from one of the corners of the hotel and Cordelia turned, studying it, but Travis only pushed his glasses up his nose yet again, and shook his head. "Ignore it. I do."
Her eyes narrowed. "You know I can recommend a good correctional physician for the vision thing."
"The glasses? Yeah I know they're ancient but … my eyes, can't mess with 'em." He gave a slight shrug and a grin. "Vis-"
"Oh, right. The vision thing."
"Yeah."
They fell silent, as Cordelia took a breath, tapping her earlobe and quickly running off a number.
She waited, but there was no answer.
"Dammit."
"You okay?"
Her eyes flickered up to find him staring curiously. "No I'm fine… I was just… you know that girl, Katherine?"
"The other Immortal, that's so cool by the way. Yeap."
"I brought her with me."
Travis blinked, and the silly love-struck smile faltered. Cordelia's eyes widened and she started forward when he jerked.
His thrashing body was hard to hold, as he cried out in pain and fell to his knees.
The urge to panic was so very acute as she tried to keep his jerking movements to a minimum, mind flashing to that first aid course she took way back in 6th grade, and that was HOW many years ago?
But the epileptic Seer stopped thrashing, buried himself in her arms, and clung to her.
And really clung. He was shaking slightly, and Cordelia, not by nature a cuddly person, and completely bewildered by his reaction, could only pat him awkwardly, and received an even tighter clingy Seer in response.
Boy- Angel – this how clingy he is with you?
She considered telling him about her little rule of personal space when the tingling sensation over took her and the door swung open, forcing her concentration on the six lawyers and… the two Immortals who walked through the door.
"Oh, you have to be kidding me," she said, as Travis looked up as well, pulling his hands away from her.
Slowly she stood, eyes on the duffel bag fifteen feet away.
"You guys don't know when to quit, do you? No wonder Angel hates your guts."
Mr. Weathers looked incredibly smug as he slid his hands into his pants pockets and spoke with an almost leer, "Ms. Chase this is just a business negotiation."
"Uh-huh." Hands twitching warily, she stepped in front of the seer, watching the two Immortals, one female and one male, with the swords, naked and gleaming. "You two realize if you take me outside the rules of the Game it's open season on your heads, right?"
"We've got the resources to make sure that doesn't happen," said the girl easily.
"God, you're stupid. How old are you? Fifty? Sixty?"
"Seventy."
"Now, THIS is interesting." Cordelia almost slumped in relief as the Immortals and lawyers whirled to find a leather clad Katherine in the doorway, twirling two short swords in her hands.
"I tell you, Chase. I leave you alone for two seconds and this happens. Never trust the ones younger than two hundred. Always manage to suck themselves-"
"Bite me, Kat," she said, crossing her arms.
She grinned. "I won't but he might." Angel stepped in, on his face the demonic demeanor of Angelus.
"Cordy."
"Hey, Angel." She managed a little wave, never taking her eyes off the Immortals.
"Angel, GREAT timing!" Travis said, giving the vampire a thumbs up.
Katherine lobbed a sword over the heads of the lawyers, and Cordelia caught it easily, swinging it and pointing it toward them.
"Okay, now we're even."
The scene was ripe with tension, with anger, and a little bit of bloodlust and fear. Angel was careful, circling around the group and moving next to Cordelia.
"You okay?"
"Oh fine. You know, high off of one Quickening, getting ready to lop another head off. All great fun."
His eyes locked with hers, as the pair set eyes on each other after the absence that seemed much longer than it truly was, and then both looked away.
The lawyers received a much more threatening glare, followed by a dangerous, and threatening, growl.
"I told you to stay the hell away from this place."
"Not everything's about you, Angel," Cordelia muttered underneath her breath.
Mr. Weathers only smirked. "Chase you can't hold them off forever. Sooner or later, one of them is going to win."
"Yeah, and upon my unfortunate demise every portion of Winters Incorporated is given to Angel Investigations."
"What?" Angel and Travis both spoke, coming around to stare at her.
"Not the time guys," she said, both hands steady on her sword. "Take a walk, lawyer boys."
"Yes, take a walk." A new member joined the standoff, a middle-aged man with green skin, red horns, and a very festive taste in clothes. "Angel Investigations just happens host the lovely, redesigned, and all new Caritas, and Tony, you know what that means."
Mr. Weathers gazed at the demon, blowing his breath out.
"Sorry, sugar lips but rules are rules. Come back when you're ready to play nice. And that goes for you two, ladies, and of course, gent." He nodded to the four Immortals in the room.
Mr. Weathers was quiet, and there was a long, still moment, before he clamped his jaw, the tick evident before he turned, nodding to the lawyers, and ordering the Immortals with a snap of his fingers. "Let's go."
Katherine and Cordelia's swords did not lower until the door closed.
And then the flood started.
"Where the hell were you?"
"What do you mean everything goes to Angel Investigations?"
"What kind of sword is this? It's cool!"
"Angel, do you EVER pick up your phone!"
"HEY!" Everyone stopped chattering as they turned, watching as the fluorescent dressed demon covered his hands with his ears. "Guys! Kinda got other priorities, here, don't you think? Like the END OF THE WORLD?!"
And Cordelia asked one more question. "All right. Who the hell is the green guy?"
"Oh, forgive me." The man sauntered up to her, took her hand delicately, and kissed her palm. "Ms. Winters, a pleasure. I'm known as the Host, but feel free to call me Lorne."
"Huh?"
--
