The Road Before Us
By Misty Flores - mistiec_flores@yahoo.com
Rating: R - for violence, sexual situations, and some language
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.
The Road Before Us: Chapter Fourteen
Anticipation, mingled with dread, fear and wonderful intensity filled the air.
It was almost tangible, and as if he was mortal, the vampire stood in the center of the room, raised his arms, and breathed it all in.
Shrugging off the leather duster, he carefully placed it on the chair, moving toward the stone, circling around the druids who began the chanting.
Vampires were cursed with memories, cursed with feelings and emotions, and as killers with no soul, there was no excuse for the weakness that it caused.
Existing was never something Spike did well. As a child, even as a young man, William was someone who believed in the poetry of life, in taking it by its very essence and obtaining it, owning it: possessing it.
Glory. Love. Life.
In the blood, running down his throat, into his veins. In the bodies he took, in the lives he savagely tore apart.
Love and life sacrificed for the essence of humanity, the very thing that made so many human - made him the vampire he had become.
Unrequited love was perhaps one of the most forbidden of the curses that had been doled out to his existence.
Losing Drusilla, not just losing her love but losing her respect, being chipped, falling into his fantasy world with the Slayer, and then regaining his dark goddess, the glorious evil, only to have her taken again by yet another Scoobie.
A bitchy Immortal who never lived, never existed.
He stood, the emotion lumping in his throat as he held the cigarette to his lips, narrowing his eyes and pursing his lips.
It had taken more than seventy years to bring this plan to a head. Seventy years to create the plot of revenge so intricate and so powerful that lesser beings had balked.
Child's play.
The Immortal who had taken away his love and his self respect, and the Vampire who had taken the blonde would be torn from each other in one foul swoop.
The druids continued to chant, and Spike nodded when the stone began to rumble, shake.
Let them kill each other with their newfound love.
Even death was too good for that.
He closed his eyes, and shifted, knowing the Immortal would be watching.
Let her play her part then.
"Watch and learn, Kat," he whispered, dropping the cigarette and grinding it with his foot.
"It's going to be a bloody good show."
--
Vision number two was a hell of a lot more painful than the first.
Cordelia lost all body control and she very nearly hit her head on the corner of the desk had it not been for Angel's quick reflexes, honed to perfection. In less than a second, he was by her side, jerking her into him and holding her tightly as she writhed with the pain.
The vision came without warning, in the room that was congregated with both good and evil, both sides attempting to stop the unnatural, as lawyers and watchers stared, at first uncomprehending, as the Powers that Be made their interest in this particular situation known.
Through it all, the vessel, the Immortal caught between the worlds, shook uncontrollably, clutching the vampire with a desperate need, and if the evil in the room took notes, they would have remarked on the way she seemed to hunger for his touch, the way her body curled into his, face burying into his shoulder as if by only his scent she would be able to make sense of what had happened to her.
Cordelia herself noted nothing of the sort, but her hands latched onto Angel's shoulder and her face dug into his shirt, as she breathed in, desperate to find a link to reality from the horror of what she had just witnessed. Living, breathing, and completely unfiltered with pain.
When her eyes opened, she dimly heard the voices around her, some demanding to know what happened, others asking in hushed whispers if she was all right, and one in particular, raspy and gentle, accompanied with a pair of colder than usual hands that cupped at her face, gently questioning her on what she saw.
Reality came slowly, her Immortality battled the headache, and soon it was reduced to a dull throb. Her legs were shaky, but Angel's strength more than compensated for it, and when her eyes floated up and met his, the dark gaze was filled with concern.
She took a shaky breath, and carefully released him, felt her knees buckle a second time, and grabbed onto him again.
"Sorry."
"Are you okay?"
"Do I look okay?" she snapped, shaking her head and running fingers through her hair, pulling away from him again, thankful to find she could actually stand on her own this time.
She had an audience, she realized. Men in suits and ties and woman in blazers, and one guy with horns were all waiting for her words.
"We're outta time," she finally said, moving away from Angel and towards the weapons pile he had created, choosing a broad sword. "I've got a place, and that demon's being raised as we speak. Let's go."
"But the spell! We don't have it!"
"There's no time!"
Terence flipped desperately through the pages, looking down at the open scroll. "It's here. but the words. the translation."
"No time Terence," Cordelia clipped, moving past him, taking the black trench coat that Angel held out and shrugging it on.
Her eyes closed, and she breathed in, shuddering slightly as she felt the blade in her palm, and when she opened her eyes Angel was staring at her in open concern.
"What?"
"Nothing it's just." she swallowed, and managed a grim smile. "The Gathering. I'm starting to feel it again."
He bit down the comment as they stared at each other for a long minute, knowing exactly what that meant.
Katie broke into their moment, slinging her bag over her shoulder and motioning to the other Watchers.
"We're coming with you."
"Katie-"
"No buts. We can damn well figure this thing out there. At least if we can get a look at the thing we can determine the correct translation."
Terence immediately nodded, shrugging on his blazer.
Cordelia crossed her arms, watching the scene silently.
Angel shook his head. "No, Katie. It's too dangerous."
"Danger? You do remember who my grandmother was, right?" The elderly woman gave a strong smile. "I've had my share. It's time we do something for ourselves, instead of letting our Slayers and Immortals carry the bulk of the work."
"We gotta go," Cordelia said, moving to the desk and scribbling down on a blank scrap of paper. As Lorne came over, she held it up, allowing him to take it from her hand. "The address. That's where we'll be. The rest of you, figure this out here."
"Terence."
Mr. Jacobs nodded, gathering the books, and carefully setting the scroll on top.
"If you think you're going anywhere with that scroll-"
"Come on, you're coming too." Angel grabbed Mr. Weathers by the scruff of the neck, pushing him roughly toward the door.
"Hey! This is a good suit- and listen, VAMPIRE-"
"You think I'm letting your evil ass stay in my hotel you've got another thing coming." Angel pushed him out of the door, and turned back, catching the ax that Cordelia tossed to him.
Catching her gaze, he took an unneeded breath, and nodded. After a second, she nodded back.
Turning, the two strode toward the door, letting Katie and Terence take the back, out of the hotel, into the night.
--
She huddled into the corner of the limo, hands covering her face, trembling.
The feeling of helplessness invaded his soul, and he clenched his fists to avoid touching her.
She was infected.
The words mulled around in his brain, but he stayed put, body taut with tension.
A slender hand, worn with wrinkles, settled on his knee.
"The Gathering," Katie said, her voice deep, calm, even. "It's getting to her. Soon she won't be able to process anything but one, single mantra: There can be only one."
His gaze never left Cordelia's form, watching as she took in a breath, moved her hands to the lapel of her trench coat, fanning herself, leaning back, and closing her eyes and breathing deeply.
"Can you help her?" Rough, desperate need filtered through, and the woman beside him paused. After a beat, he tore his eyes from Cordelia and turned to Katie, found her watching him with an odd expression.
"Is it true Angel?" she asked after a second. "Are you in love with the Immortal?"
"Her name is Cordelia, Katie."
In the words wasn't the answer, but she continued to search his face, and in his eyes, she found what she was looking for.
She nodded.
"Take her hand, Angel. Hold her. Make her breathe in your scent. Remind her who she is." He gave her a questioning look, but she only shook her head, cutting him off before he could reply. "Make her care, Angel, make her remember. Heaven's knows what journey you two have reached in the road before you, but use it to save her, so she may save us."
Terence cleared his throat and Katie turned away, immediately lost in the nuances of the spell.
Angel waited, and when Cordelia shuddered, he moved, away from the cramped space between Mr. Weathers and Katie, and settling his weight in the leather next to Cordelia.
She was sweating, her arms were crossed over her body, a desperate shield, and she was visibly trembling.
He sat beside her, and took a breath, reaching around her carefully, pulling at her hands.
Her eyes fluttered open, glassy and bright.
"Angel-"
"Shh, Cordy."
Her body was hot, almost feverish, and she closed her eyes, struggling, but he continued to disentangle her fingers, pressing her into him, against his side.
The blade bit into his thigh.
He took that away too, settling it on the other side of him, away from her reach.
"Angel-"
"We'll be there in five minutes, Cordelia. You can save the world then." His words were firm, gentle, soothing.She struggled, swallowing down the emotion, but he pressed a kiss to her temple, and she sighed, eyes fluttering closed, leaning into his caress.
Relief flooded through him when tentatively, she slid a palm up his chest, snaking up to the exposed skin between his open collar lapels.
Her forehead rested against his shoulder, and she pressed herself against his form, her body hot against his cooler one.
And she was still trembling.
He spooned her to him, ignoring the other passengers in the limo, ignoring the crashes outside, ignoring anything and everything but the shaking Immortal in his arms.
He closed his eyes and breathed her in, thinking back through the years.
Cordelia slapping him to his senses.
Cordelia taking shots with him on an airplane.
Cordelia begging him to forgive her for Buffy's death.
Cordelia holding Oz's dead body.
Cordelia holding Xander's hand and sobbing into it.
Cordelia, standing on a bridge in London, completely unaware that he was about to step into her life yet again.
He pulled her in closer, his mouth brushing against her soft earlobe.
"Angel," she began shakily. "I can't stop it-"
"Shhh. just listen." She nodded hesitantly, and he smiled gently, speaking in low whispers. "Can you hear me?" Another nod. "I love you."
Her body went still, completely still, but he only continued to hold her, and she whimpered, burrowing further into his embrace, clinging to him.
When he looked up, he happened to catch Katie watching them, with eyes of observation only a Watcher could attain.
With a hint of moisture in those eyes, she nodded.
--
When the tingle went over her body, the hot, feverish trembling went away, giving room for the anticipation, the furious high that took over her senses, made her smile, open her arms wide and reach up to the sky with the sword in her hand.
Life, pure and simple.
Death.. Hard and complicated.
And the body stilled, as Katherine waited, the sword in her hands pulsing into her, every second getting deeper, every second flooding more and more into her body.
Her eyes were dark as night, watching the door, the click going through her body as it finally opened, and she walked in.
Their eyes met, friends, enemies, an aura tinged with darkness exuding through both of them.
Katherine didn't see the others, she merely shifted the grip on her sword, and waited.
Chase Winters was her height, but less muscled. Her hair was shortened, and in her hand was a regular broadsword, not the usual saber she was used to fighting with.
But the look was in her eyes, and Katherine knew, as well as Cordelia did, this would end now.
"Go," Chase said, her eyes never tearing away from her form across the dark, empty ballroom. "Stop the demon."
"Cordelia-"
"ANGEL. This doesn't involve you. Do your part."
Katherine let her gaze flicker over to the vampire, who hesitated, and then finally agreed, moving away from Cordelia in a way that seemed almost painful to him, pushing the three people who had accompanied away from the two Immortals.
"Down the stairs, to your left," she offered.
Angel paused, but she only shrugged, and he continued on his way.
When they were left alone, her heart was pounding so loudly she wondered if Cordelia could hear it.
The other woman was silent, almost a statue as they locked eyes.
"I'm sorry, Kat."
Katherine cocked an eyebrow, moving sideways, immediately falling into the circular stand off pattern.
She didn't say a word.
"I'm sorry we couldn't help you. I'm sorry we couldn't save your soul. I'm sorry I'll have to kill you."
She narrowed her eyes, the words doing their work. Bitterness and unchecked blame now flowed through her,directed at the younger Immortal.
She took a breath, and walked to the table, reaching for a familiar short saber.
The sword clattered, sliding to a stop when Cordelia's boot stepped on it.
"Look familiar?" Kat asked.
Cordelia reached down to pick up her sword, blowing her breath out as she tossed the broad sword to the side. "Thanks."
"No problem."
Katherine waited, as Chase shifted the sword in her grip, tossed her bangs over her forehead.
She held up the demonic sword. Chase only pursed her lips.
"With this it's pretty much a one-sided battle, don't you think?"
Cordelia didn't answer, but reached for her trench coat, deliberately shrugging it off, and putting it on a nearby hook.
Her eyes never left the sword with the glowing blade, and Kat herself felt the pull, almost cried in pain when she flung it against the wall between them.
Cordelia's eyes widened in surprise, watching the blade embedded into the north wall, then shifting back to Katherine's.
Katherine picked up another sword, and her glare became ice cold.
"Kill the demon, or Kill me, Chase," she remarked. "But I'm doing this without magic."
To her credit, Cordelia barely flinched.
"Works for me," she said breezily.
Katherine nodded, and two seconds later, the flip had come, and she twisted up, meeting the blade with her own.
The jolt was rough, but she absorbed it, dark blue orbs locking with the hazel.
It was time to finish this.
--
Words flowed together in rhythmic sync, over the din of chaos.
Angel almost smiled at the faded voices, hampered by the dark stone. Angelus loved this part. He continued to move slowly down the stairs, always making sure to always keep himself in front, guarding the two Watchers and the evil lawyer.
Of the three, Terence looked the most frightened, clutching at his books as he continued to walk on wobbly knees, pushing into Mr. Weathers, who looked concerned, but vaguely bored with the whole thing.
"Watch the scroll!" he hissed, grabbing Terence by the shoulder, making him yelp. "The senior partners'll havemy head!"
"Oh, and I'm sure we all care so much about THAT," Katie muttered under her breath.
"Quiet," Angel snapped, almost snarling as he paused at the door, the voices on the other side getting louder. "That's just what we need. Sneaking up kind of entails. being QUIET."
He waited by the door, as Kate leaned forward, listening, mouthing the words in an attempt to understand them.
"Ummm. Uncle 'Gel?"
"You know that sounds really weird coming from you now."
"Sorry but. now would be a good time to interrupt-"
"We don't even know how many people are in there."
"Well, they're about to finish-"
"OH."
Without another word, he pushed back, and then kicked through, splintering the door off the hinges.
In a quick survey of the situation, Angel realized two very important things: one, he was hopelessly outnumbered, and two, they were too late.
Spike, raising his hands and saluting from his throne, gave him a cheery grin.
"Too late, poofy!"
Angel shrugged, the demon visage rising to his face as he ducked away from a Druid that came, sword raised high.
"Better late then never, huh, Spike?" To the Watchers and the lawyer he growled, "Find the spell."
"Terence, here's a good spot!" Katie grabbed him by the collar, propelling the Watcher backwards and sitting him in the corner, ignoring the way Mr. Weathers seemed frozen in place.
"Weathers get your ass behind me or help me fight!" Angel growled.
But Mr. Weathers was frozen, staring at the huge statue in the middle of the room, that was rumbling, creaking, groaning, slowly, as if coming alive.
The druids kept coming, and Angel had a hands full, keeping the Watchers free, flipping one over his shoulder and slamming a fist into another's gut, grabbing him by the coat and sending him flying into the third that came at him.
"Druid vampires," he muttered. "I hate those."
--
A pivot on her part took Cordelia by surprise, knocking her off balance, and the blade out of her hands.
Katherine barely had time to swing, before Cordelia used the momentum to launch backwards, into a make shift cartwheel, landing into a backward roll and grabbing her sword, back up on her feet in an instant.
Immediately Katherine swung down, and the clang sent a jolt of pain up her arm, giving Cordelia the advantage, as she lifted a foot and buried it into her abdomen, sending Katherine sprawling back.
The mansion door flew open, and a small girl, no more than sixteen or seventeen burst into the room, pausing, a stake wavering in her hands.
"Uh. Are you Ms. Winters?"
Cordelia didn't have a chance to respond, as Katherine regained her footing, and the dance of footwork began again.
The small Latina girl looked hesitant, unsure. "Do you um. need some . I'm the Slayer? The Watcher's Council.."
"Great! Good to meet you!" Cordelia bit, swinging under Katherine, catching the blade before it came down onher shoulder, and pushing up, sliding it away from her.
"Need some help?"
"No, actually I'm good here," she responded, launching over Kate into a somersault, ending in a split and once again meeting the blade. "Why don't you try downstairs?"
Kat paused, breathing hard, looking at the girl. "Slayer?"
"Yeah."
"Yeah. Down the stairs, to the left. Kill the blonde guy."
"Oh- kay." The Slayer looked hesitant, but moved obediently away from the Immortals, who now stood, waiting for her to leave.
"Chop, chop!" Cordelia said, motioning to the door. "Let's go!"
Kat rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she waited. "Can't do this with an audience, you know?"
"Prefer to kill each other in peace?"
"Please," Cordelia said, impatience in her tone.
The Slayer again gave them a weird look, but went to the stairs, opening the door, and closing it behind her.
Kat took a moment to breathe, lifting her wet mass of curls and letting the air hit her sweaty neck. "That. was."
"Yeah. And think: she's was one of the more amiable ones."
"Weird. You ready?"
"Oh yeah." This time Cordy took the attack, and the fight continued.
--
"No- it can't be Venetian- ANGEL ON YOUR LEFT!" Terence wiped at his face with a handkerchief, pushing it back into his pocket. "If it were then the whole dialect would be written differently."
"Plus the English guy wouldn't have figured it out," Mr. Weathers said, crouching next to them, a crossbow in his hands.
Katie immediately reached over and snatched it away.
"HEY!"
"Knowing you, you might intentionally miss and hit Angel," she said, pushing him toward Terence. "Help him. I'll take care of this."
"Listen old lady-"
Without a word, she snapped a hand across his jaw, making him slump back.
"Always hated lawyers," she mumbled, raising the crossbow, loading it quickly, and setting her sights.
Angel heard the whir and turned quickly, found the quivering shaft buried into the vampire's chest, exploding the next second.
"Thanks, Katie."
"Anytime, Uncle 'Gel." Taking the time to utter the words proved deadly, as a vampire took the opportunity to dig a stake into his stomach, not killing him, but making it very painful.
Angel grunted, falling to his knees in pain, waiting for the inevitable blow to his head, when suddenly a small female bowled over him, barreling into the vampire and bringing down a stake, dusting it.
At first he only blinked, digging the stake out, and staggering to his feet.
The little Slayer stopped, turning and nodding a half smile before turning back.
Angel turned, and Katie only nodded, shrugging, going back to her translation.
He took a breath, eyes on the younger girl, so small.. So young for her occupation.
But the little girl smiled as she continued to fight, and his own concentration wavered when he saw the flash of blonde.
Immediately he launched to the other side of the room, scooping up the British vamp and slamming him to theground.
"Going somewhere, Spike?"
Spike grinned, dusting himself off, shaking his head and straightening.
"With all these bleedin' issues between us? Wouldn't dream of it!"
Angel stumbled back when Spike cracked a fist against his jaw.
--
Terence wiped at his sweaty forehead feverishly, moving the scroll and peering forward again.
"Are they on?"
"Yep," Katie nodded, finger affixed to her earlobe. "Start reading."
Mr. Weathers shuffled, and produced his photon light, shedding light on the scroll.
The words slurred in Terence's mouth, as his eyes looked up and he caught the statue, moving, breathing, groaning with unseen weight, causing the entire room to tremble.
In the center of the diagram, it continued to come to life, screeching and screaming accompanying it.
The bringer of darkness.
Closing his eyes, he forced himself to look back upon the scroll, continued to mutter the words, letting Katie repeat them into the recorder.
"Jason says they might be of Corinthian origin," she said after a minute.
Mr. Weathers immediately tapped on his earlobe, relaying the information.
"Corinthian translator standing by," he said after a minute.
Terence waited, and with each passing second, the dread in his heart grew, as the statue began to move.
"We might not have time," he said after a minute. "It's rising and we still haven't stopped the endgame."
The chaos in the room was almost palpable, and Terence found the waiting almost unbearable, as the little Slayer staked as many vampires as she could and the two vampires, one blonde, and one dark haired, hurled each other across the room with the ferocity of animals.
Blithely, he allowed one moment to wonder about his own Immortal, before his ear twittered and the translations began to come in.
--
Sunnydale, CA 2010
Chase Winters gripped her sword, almost tripping on the slick asphalt as she stumbled out of the car, pulling on her black trenchcoat as she ran towards the door.
Her heart was beating furiously and her body was drenched with sweat, as she furiously pulled her hair into a ponytail and kicked at the man hole.
She dropped into the hole, landing with a sickening squelch amidst the muck and the mire, but she barely paid attention to it.
Quickly, she began to move, not pausing, breathing hard as she broke into a run, praying to any one who would listen that her charge would be safe.
She couldn't lose Faith too.
Years, and she had almost lost all of them.
The ring was no longer on her finger, taken off the moment he passed away, put on her neck, by his request.
He hadn't wanted her to hold on, hadn't wanted her to pretend. he hadn't wanted her to spend her life in memories.
Pushing forward, she disregarded the sewage on her four hundred dollar boots, or the way the smell seeped though her black pants.
All that mattered was getting to Faith.
When she was close, she began to hear things, and it made her sprint, the shouting, the thumps, and prayingshe wouldn't be too late, Cordelia charged through the splintered boards, and encountered Drusilla's crypt.
She paused, mouth dropping slightly when she barely took in the vampire, before she exploded into dust, and a bloody, weak, and tired older Slayer fell to her knees, the stake falling from her hands.
"Faith." Immediately she was on her knees, arms sliding around the kidnapped Slayer, hand tipping up to inspect her friend's bloodied face.
"I killed her," Faith said, almost numbly.
Cordelia gave a slight smile, fading away immediately. "Yeah, you kicked her ass. Are you okay? How's the baby?" Carefully, Cordelia slid her hand to Faith's abdomen, heart jumping slightly when she felt the pulse of life beneath her.
"She was gonna. try . wanted to feed off the baby." Faith said, eyes still dazed as Cordelia gently helped her up. "I wasn't going to let her have my baby, Chase."
Her Slayer was weak, frail and tired. The kidnapping had taken place only six hours before, but Cordelia hadn't been there, and the pregnant Slayer had done what she could to protect Willow and Ruppy and her own child.
But Faith was swollen with child, and in the end, Drusilla had taken the Slayer-
And Cordelia hadn't been there.
Faith's lips were cut, her right eye was covered in a bruise, swollen, and on her neck were two small bitemarks.
But she wasn't dead, not yet.
Faith heaved in a whimper, sliding her arms around the Immortal and burying her head into Cordelia's neck, shuddering slightly.
Cordelia's eyes closed involuntarily at the gesture, her throat closing when the twenty-eight year old ex-Slayer took comfort in her lean, nineteen year old appearance.
Faith had fought by her side for years, and Cordelia had come to know her, regard her, and love her like family.
And if one damn person deserved a normal life, Faith was it.
"Cordy," she whispered against Cordelia's neck. "Thank you for coming."
"Let's get you out of here, Faith," she answered back, pressing her lips against Faith's forehead, felt the Slayer blow her breath out at the contact.
"Bitch almost killed me," Faith said, hand on her back as Cordelia helped move her toward the opening she had created in the crypt. "In the old days I woulda been able to take that psycho easy."
"In the old days you weren't the size of a house," Chase answered automatically, moving with her, guiding her through the splintered boards. "Watch the step, Faith."
Faith's fingers tightened on Cordelia's shoulder, and the Slayer froze, eyes jerking back to the crypt.
"He's coming," Faith whispered. "FUCK."
"Who?"
"Spike. Oh, shit. He's gonna find her dead and he's gonna-"
"Spike. Spike." Cordelia swallowed, and then looked back to the crypt. The steps were discernable, the British accent bouncing off the walls in the midst of the drips of the water.
Immediately all options began to swim through Cordelia's head. Spike. stronger and much more effective after chipping came out, running rampant in the war and twice as evil.
If he found out Faith killed Drusilla, and if Cordelia ran without killing them, then he would spend the rest of his undead life tracking Faith down.
Faith, who was pregnant, who was getting older, who was no longer fighting.
"Faith, take my sword, and go through the opening, up the manhole, in my car, and leave."
"Cordelia-"
"Go. I'll handle him."
"Without your sword?"
Cordelia clamped her lips together, swallowing. "I'll be fine. Just go."
"Cordelia, fuck that. I killed the bitch, I'll kill him too-"
"Faith. You're pregnant. Nine months. You're on maternity leave, permanently. GO." Cordelia shoved her in the direction, ignoring the flash of anger, and fear in Faith's eyes.
The blonde vampire stepped through and Cordelia stepped forward, picking up the stake and weighing it carefully in her arms, as he paused, looking around the room.
His cold blue eyes met hers, and Cordelia smirked, shrugging.
"Drusilla?"
He sniffed, with his animal senses, and Cordelia moved to stand in front of the open hole, covering it with her body.
"Sorry to break it to you, Spikey, but she's kinda dead." Cordelia flipped the stake to him, nodding to the pile of ashes.
The lean body of the vampire wasn't particularly intimidating, but that was part of Spike's charm. The vampire was dangerous because of his unassuming nature. The vampire who liked to have fun, reveled in his lack of conscious and even went so far as to fall in love, was so dangerous because he took nothing but love seriously, and in love, came all his passion.
He didn't seem to believe it at first, studying Cordelia as if he would have studied an ant, and turned, sniffing, finally regarding her.
"Cordelia. Love the hair."
"Wish I could say the same to you."
Cordelia wasn't sure how much Spike knew about her. He was smart, to have survived this long, he had known all about Buffy and even about Angel before he made his return to Sunnydale, but when Buffy died, many had taken for granted that Sunnydale was now free for the taking.
With Faith guarding the Hellmouth, that notion was quickly put out of their heads, and she knew that a few had even talked about one Chase Winters-
But they had yet to make the connection to Cordelia Chase.
But Spike was no ordinary vampire.
He paused, eyes roving around the room, and again he sniffed, looked toward the open door. "You expect meto believe the cheerleader killed Dru?" he chuckled.
"Then find her, but she's not here."
Her eyes bore into his, and her lack of fear was pivotal in making him believe. The self satisfied smirk fell and his body froze, and once again his eyes roved down to the pile of dust on the ground.
One second, two, and it sank in.
Pure heartbreak, in its rarest form, was terrifying to watch. She had seen it once, had experienced it herself, and it was always the same. Some reacted by lashing out, as Angel had, some reacted by shutting down inside, as she did, no one was the same.
Unpredictability was what made the moment so dangerous.
It was clear the moment the vampire's eyes flooded with tears which way it was going for him.
The way the body began to shake, the way his hands curled into fists, the way his eyes locked on hers in pure, utter rage-
And her without a sword. GREAT.
"Where's that bitch Faith," he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper, cool, dangerous, barely contained, like a bottle shaken one too many times.
"Faith's gone. I killed Dru."
He ignored her, moving toward the opening, and Cordelia quickly moved, covering the hole, stalling.
Faith, in all her pregnant glory, needed time to get out, and there was no way she was attacking a half mad vampire at this moment.
She needed time. to figure him out. to see which way the ball would teeter.
"Oh, yeah. I killed her," she said, coming forward, making sure Spike saw no one but her. "Crazy ass psycho chick, that was all me, baby. With this here stake, didn't even bother to use my sword on her, because hell, don't want to taint THAT baby, and it requires a little too much effort."
"NO!" the vampire roared, and in his grief his strength was increased two fold, in a flash he was by Cordelia's side, and less than a second later she was flung against the wall.
At the impact, her head snapped against the wall and her mind splintered with the pain, the blood bitter on her tongue as she bit it with her teeth, almost gagging on the taste.
His fist landed in his face, breaking her nose with a snap, almost pushing the bone into the brain, and she feltthe pain dizzy her, as he grabbed her by the throat and flung her to the other side.
To say it was a fair fight wasn't exactly. well. fair. In Cordelia's opinion, she had had very little warning before Spike attacked, and she told herself that she had come to rely on her sword way too much when he, with his lightning quick reflexes came out yet again, and she had a heel buried into her stomach in a terrific blow that brought her to her knees.
One part of the plan worked, however.
He had forgotten completely about Faith.
Spike was surprisingly heavy, as he straddled her, hand clasped around her throat and squeezing the life out of her.
God, she hated being choked.
With a surge of strength she bucked him off, flipping him over and landing on top, but her mind was still aching, and her limbs were shaky, and the vampire took advantage, hauling her by the chin and jerking her head to the side, burying his fangs in her neck.
There was sharp pain, like a knife slicing through the skin as he tore at her, not caring about delicacy, purely intending to suck her dry.
She struggled, but with the blood rushing out, her strength was quickly leaving, and she found herself concentrating only on the sucking sound that came from her ear, on the cold, heavy weight of the vampire, and the certainty that she would certainly die today.
As her eyes fluttered closed, a crash and a growl made them snap back open, and suddenly the weight was thrown off, and she could breathe again.
She tried to sit up, but she was too groggy, and instead she closed her eyes, letting the darkness take her.
When she came to, her eyes found a blurry version of Faith, and the pressure against her neck revealed to be a makeshift rag torn from Faith's own shirt, pressed against her wound in an effort to stop the bleeding.
"Faith?"
"You are such a bastard," Faith muttered, her voice low, angry. "I told you I'd kill the little shit. But no, you have to get all self sacrificing, stealing MY thunder, telling him YOU killed Dru-"
Cordelia closed her eyes again, feeling the Immortality she had come to rely on take effect, pooling over her, working at her wounds.
"Faith-"
"I'm pregnant but I'm not helpless, Cordelia." Carefully, Faith helped her sit up, resting her on the wall of the crypt.
Her head still ringing, Cordelia was finally able to get a good look at the crypt.
Completely empty.
"Spike?"
"The initiative has them. Good thing your car has a ringer, Cor. Two minutes and they were here, ready to take away Hostile. some number or other."
Cordelia closed her eyes, swallowing down the blood that was still pooling in her throat, grimacing in disgust and spitting out. "Does he still think I killed Dru?"
"Cordelia-"
"DOES he?"
Faith paused, and finally nodded. Cordelia blew a breath of relief, shoulders relaxing. "Good."
"Chase, this martyr shit isn't you."
"As long as he's alive, he's a threat to you, Faith. I've got nothing to lose. If he comes after me it's only a matter of time- don't you dare tell ANYONE you killed Dru."
"FUCK, Cordy I can handle it!"
"I don't WANT you to!" Cordelia stood, albeit shakily, taking the rag from Faith and holding it to her throat, craning it slightly and grimacing as the skin carefully knit itself together. "You've got a kid, you've got a life you've earned and I'm not going to let you screw it up."
"You think I'm gonna leave you, is that it?" Faith shook her head furiously, shoving at Cordelia with that Slayer strength that pushed Cordelia back into the wall. "Is that what you think? That I'm just gonna take off with my kid and the father and just leave you? FUCK that, Queen C. You're stuck with me."
"Faith, you're gonna take off with your kid and live out the rest of your life and be a good mother because that's what's best for HER."
"I'm the mom, I'll decide. You tell Willow to stay away?"
"Yes."
"And did she? NO. And hell if I'm going to. You're all I've got, Cordelia. You and Angel and I'm not letting either of you get all broody and shit on me. That's not fair. It's not fair to ME-" Her voice softened, and the Slayer's tone was choked as she whispered the last few words. "I love you."
Their eyes met, and Cordelia felt her own eyes flooding with tears. "I love you too, Faith." And the two brunettes reached for each other, held each other in a moment of gratitude and utter devotion.
Both Immortal and Slayer were trembling, and both began to sob.
--
Things were quickly escalating, and it was impossible to determine which way things were supposed to turn.
Angel ducked the punch, sent one of his own, and then swerved out of Spike's kick, all the while attempting to keep an eye on the statue that continued to rumble.
Hidden in the corner, the two Watchers and the lawyer were working feverishly, but they seemed no closer to the answer than before, and even Spike, the damned child of his who was forever switching sides for his own benefit, was starting to look uneasy as the figure began to come forth.
"You an idiot, Spike?" Angel seethed, using the smaller vampire's momentum to swing him past him, push him with furious force into the wall. In two seconds Angel was there, grabbing him by the hair, slamming him back face first into the bricks, bringing blood onto Spike's face. "You wanna bring about the end of the world? You don't know the first thing about chaos, boy."
With a growl, he tossed him to the other side of the room, walking toward where the vampire landed in a furious heap.
"Messing with Buffy, messing with Faith, messing with Cordelia - you got a fucking deathwish pal? Think you've got a free card that entitles you to screwing with my women?"
"Your women?" Spike stood, ducking under another punch and kicking up, directly into Angel's kidneys, sending him flying back. "You ponce. You think you owned them? They owned you, and that bloody soul."
"Love's bitch, 'ey Spike?" Smashing an elbow into his face, Angel held the younger one still long enough to deliver another bone crunching punch into his face.
"You think this is about taking over the world, mate?" Spike only grinned, and with a burst of strength, he pushed back, tripping Angel, watching as he fell to the ground.
The ground beneath them began to move, and both vampires looked toward the stature. The plaster began to fall, underneath it shades of something green, and scaly began to emerge.
Spike grinned. "Who the bloody hell cares about the world, Angel?" he shook his head. "When there's nothing left to live for? Either way, that demon gets your girl or Kat does. And you lose. You'll always lose."
Stumbling back, Spike turned, sprinting toward the stairs.
Angel stood, fully prepared to go after him when the shriek made him freeze.
Turning, his found the game face emerging in full glory in reaction to what was before him.
The demon had risen.
--
The shaking of the mansion made it harder to keep her footing.
Cordelia did the best she could, stumbling under the weight of the sword as Kat's blade connected with hers with increasing power, driving her to her knees.
Both women were sweating profusely, neither had trusted the other to say a word, and that was the first indication to Cordelia, whose mind was still running at a furious pace despite her desperate attempts to keep it clear of anything but the battle, that something wasn't right.
Most of the Immortals Chase encountered were talkers. She had come to recognize the type, warriors who talked, dug into your soul with words in an effort to throw you off, to look into their eyes, and not the sword, a crucial mistake.
The battle was in the mind, but the extension was the sword.
Kat was a talker.
But there was no talking now, only the stone cold look of resolve that continued as the relentless Immortal continued to parry and thrust.
The second indication that made Cordelia's heart twitch was Kat's eyes.
They glowed almost, turning a light blue that seemed almost hued to destroy, cold and calculating and not atall the warmth that Cordelia had come to expect.
There was no broken heartedness, not angry or bitter resolve, no blame.
There was only hate.
And then the fear came.
As Katherine swerved, ducking under the blade and skimming Cordelia's skin, slicing through her abdomen, notdeep, but enough to make Cordelia's stumble back, fall to her knees.
Kat did not press the advantage. Instead she looked to her own sword, dropped it suddenly, and reached for the one buried in the wall.
Chase took in a hitched breath, unsure, stumbling to her feet and ignoring the scratch in an effort to concentrate on the battle.
Katherine was older, Katherine was stronger, and Cordelia was not concentrating enough to win the fight.
Either way, it wouldn't take long now.
As the Immortal advanced, Cordelia braced herself, her heart shuddering within her as she swallowed, thoughts suddenly elsewhere.
On a pair of brown eyes, on a pair of cold hands. On a ring on a chain, and three words whispered that had filtered into her consciousness.
"I love you."
She closed her eyes, bowing her head, waiting for the inevitable.
It never came.
Cordelia's eyes opened, and instead she found Kat turned toward the door, as a vampire burst through, a streak of blonde that exploded into dust as Katherine beheaded him.
There was quiet in the aftermath, and Katherine dropped to her knees, suddenly fatigued, hand resting on her knee.
"Did you just kill Spike?" Cordelia managed.
Katherine was quiet only a moment. Her eyes met Cordelia's and the hate dissolved, moisture pervading the orbs.
"He killed Nick."
"Oh."
Dropping her sword, Cordelia's hand went to her stomach, grimacing at the wound, thankful that it was over.for now.
"Wow." Cordelia took in a deep breath, bracing herself on her knees. "That was kind of anticlimactic."
Katherine managed a smile.
Cordelia stood, always careful, moving toward the closed door when the rumbling began again.
"Umm. the demon-"
She turned when Katherine cried out, and Cordelia's eyes widened as the sword in Katherine's hand began to pulse, the green glowing suddenly flooding through Kat and shining brightly out of her eyes.
Gripping her sword, Cordelia stumbled back as Katherine fell to the floor, convulsing.
"Oh, crap."
--
By Misty Flores - mistiec_flores@yahoo.com
Rating: R - for violence, sexual situations, and some language
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.
The Road Before Us: Chapter Fourteen
Anticipation, mingled with dread, fear and wonderful intensity filled the air.
It was almost tangible, and as if he was mortal, the vampire stood in the center of the room, raised his arms, and breathed it all in.
Shrugging off the leather duster, he carefully placed it on the chair, moving toward the stone, circling around the druids who began the chanting.
Vampires were cursed with memories, cursed with feelings and emotions, and as killers with no soul, there was no excuse for the weakness that it caused.
Existing was never something Spike did well. As a child, even as a young man, William was someone who believed in the poetry of life, in taking it by its very essence and obtaining it, owning it: possessing it.
Glory. Love. Life.
In the blood, running down his throat, into his veins. In the bodies he took, in the lives he savagely tore apart.
Love and life sacrificed for the essence of humanity, the very thing that made so many human - made him the vampire he had become.
Unrequited love was perhaps one of the most forbidden of the curses that had been doled out to his existence.
Losing Drusilla, not just losing her love but losing her respect, being chipped, falling into his fantasy world with the Slayer, and then regaining his dark goddess, the glorious evil, only to have her taken again by yet another Scoobie.
A bitchy Immortal who never lived, never existed.
He stood, the emotion lumping in his throat as he held the cigarette to his lips, narrowing his eyes and pursing his lips.
It had taken more than seventy years to bring this plan to a head. Seventy years to create the plot of revenge so intricate and so powerful that lesser beings had balked.
Child's play.
The Immortal who had taken away his love and his self respect, and the Vampire who had taken the blonde would be torn from each other in one foul swoop.
The druids continued to chant, and Spike nodded when the stone began to rumble, shake.
Let them kill each other with their newfound love.
Even death was too good for that.
He closed his eyes, and shifted, knowing the Immortal would be watching.
Let her play her part then.
"Watch and learn, Kat," he whispered, dropping the cigarette and grinding it with his foot.
"It's going to be a bloody good show."
--
Vision number two was a hell of a lot more painful than the first.
Cordelia lost all body control and she very nearly hit her head on the corner of the desk had it not been for Angel's quick reflexes, honed to perfection. In less than a second, he was by her side, jerking her into him and holding her tightly as she writhed with the pain.
The vision came without warning, in the room that was congregated with both good and evil, both sides attempting to stop the unnatural, as lawyers and watchers stared, at first uncomprehending, as the Powers that Be made their interest in this particular situation known.
Through it all, the vessel, the Immortal caught between the worlds, shook uncontrollably, clutching the vampire with a desperate need, and if the evil in the room took notes, they would have remarked on the way she seemed to hunger for his touch, the way her body curled into his, face burying into his shoulder as if by only his scent she would be able to make sense of what had happened to her.
Cordelia herself noted nothing of the sort, but her hands latched onto Angel's shoulder and her face dug into his shirt, as she breathed in, desperate to find a link to reality from the horror of what she had just witnessed. Living, breathing, and completely unfiltered with pain.
When her eyes opened, she dimly heard the voices around her, some demanding to know what happened, others asking in hushed whispers if she was all right, and one in particular, raspy and gentle, accompanied with a pair of colder than usual hands that cupped at her face, gently questioning her on what she saw.
Reality came slowly, her Immortality battled the headache, and soon it was reduced to a dull throb. Her legs were shaky, but Angel's strength more than compensated for it, and when her eyes floated up and met his, the dark gaze was filled with concern.
She took a shaky breath, and carefully released him, felt her knees buckle a second time, and grabbed onto him again.
"Sorry."
"Are you okay?"
"Do I look okay?" she snapped, shaking her head and running fingers through her hair, pulling away from him again, thankful to find she could actually stand on her own this time.
She had an audience, she realized. Men in suits and ties and woman in blazers, and one guy with horns were all waiting for her words.
"We're outta time," she finally said, moving away from Angel and towards the weapons pile he had created, choosing a broad sword. "I've got a place, and that demon's being raised as we speak. Let's go."
"But the spell! We don't have it!"
"There's no time!"
Terence flipped desperately through the pages, looking down at the open scroll. "It's here. but the words. the translation."
"No time Terence," Cordelia clipped, moving past him, taking the black trench coat that Angel held out and shrugging it on.
Her eyes closed, and she breathed in, shuddering slightly as she felt the blade in her palm, and when she opened her eyes Angel was staring at her in open concern.
"What?"
"Nothing it's just." she swallowed, and managed a grim smile. "The Gathering. I'm starting to feel it again."
He bit down the comment as they stared at each other for a long minute, knowing exactly what that meant.
Katie broke into their moment, slinging her bag over her shoulder and motioning to the other Watchers.
"We're coming with you."
"Katie-"
"No buts. We can damn well figure this thing out there. At least if we can get a look at the thing we can determine the correct translation."
Terence immediately nodded, shrugging on his blazer.
Cordelia crossed her arms, watching the scene silently.
Angel shook his head. "No, Katie. It's too dangerous."
"Danger? You do remember who my grandmother was, right?" The elderly woman gave a strong smile. "I've had my share. It's time we do something for ourselves, instead of letting our Slayers and Immortals carry the bulk of the work."
"We gotta go," Cordelia said, moving to the desk and scribbling down on a blank scrap of paper. As Lorne came over, she held it up, allowing him to take it from her hand. "The address. That's where we'll be. The rest of you, figure this out here."
"Terence."
Mr. Jacobs nodded, gathering the books, and carefully setting the scroll on top.
"If you think you're going anywhere with that scroll-"
"Come on, you're coming too." Angel grabbed Mr. Weathers by the scruff of the neck, pushing him roughly toward the door.
"Hey! This is a good suit- and listen, VAMPIRE-"
"You think I'm letting your evil ass stay in my hotel you've got another thing coming." Angel pushed him out of the door, and turned back, catching the ax that Cordelia tossed to him.
Catching her gaze, he took an unneeded breath, and nodded. After a second, she nodded back.
Turning, the two strode toward the door, letting Katie and Terence take the back, out of the hotel, into the night.
--
She huddled into the corner of the limo, hands covering her face, trembling.
The feeling of helplessness invaded his soul, and he clenched his fists to avoid touching her.
She was infected.
The words mulled around in his brain, but he stayed put, body taut with tension.
A slender hand, worn with wrinkles, settled on his knee.
"The Gathering," Katie said, her voice deep, calm, even. "It's getting to her. Soon she won't be able to process anything but one, single mantra: There can be only one."
His gaze never left Cordelia's form, watching as she took in a breath, moved her hands to the lapel of her trench coat, fanning herself, leaning back, and closing her eyes and breathing deeply.
"Can you help her?" Rough, desperate need filtered through, and the woman beside him paused. After a beat, he tore his eyes from Cordelia and turned to Katie, found her watching him with an odd expression.
"Is it true Angel?" she asked after a second. "Are you in love with the Immortal?"
"Her name is Cordelia, Katie."
In the words wasn't the answer, but she continued to search his face, and in his eyes, she found what she was looking for.
She nodded.
"Take her hand, Angel. Hold her. Make her breathe in your scent. Remind her who she is." He gave her a questioning look, but she only shook her head, cutting him off before he could reply. "Make her care, Angel, make her remember. Heaven's knows what journey you two have reached in the road before you, but use it to save her, so she may save us."
Terence cleared his throat and Katie turned away, immediately lost in the nuances of the spell.
Angel waited, and when Cordelia shuddered, he moved, away from the cramped space between Mr. Weathers and Katie, and settling his weight in the leather next to Cordelia.
She was sweating, her arms were crossed over her body, a desperate shield, and she was visibly trembling.
He sat beside her, and took a breath, reaching around her carefully, pulling at her hands.
Her eyes fluttered open, glassy and bright.
"Angel-"
"Shh, Cordy."
Her body was hot, almost feverish, and she closed her eyes, struggling, but he continued to disentangle her fingers, pressing her into him, against his side.
The blade bit into his thigh.
He took that away too, settling it on the other side of him, away from her reach.
"Angel-"
"We'll be there in five minutes, Cordelia. You can save the world then." His words were firm, gentle, soothing.She struggled, swallowing down the emotion, but he pressed a kiss to her temple, and she sighed, eyes fluttering closed, leaning into his caress.
Relief flooded through him when tentatively, she slid a palm up his chest, snaking up to the exposed skin between his open collar lapels.
Her forehead rested against his shoulder, and she pressed herself against his form, her body hot against his cooler one.
And she was still trembling.
He spooned her to him, ignoring the other passengers in the limo, ignoring the crashes outside, ignoring anything and everything but the shaking Immortal in his arms.
He closed his eyes and breathed her in, thinking back through the years.
Cordelia slapping him to his senses.
Cordelia taking shots with him on an airplane.
Cordelia begging him to forgive her for Buffy's death.
Cordelia holding Oz's dead body.
Cordelia holding Xander's hand and sobbing into it.
Cordelia, standing on a bridge in London, completely unaware that he was about to step into her life yet again.
He pulled her in closer, his mouth brushing against her soft earlobe.
"Angel," she began shakily. "I can't stop it-"
"Shhh. just listen." She nodded hesitantly, and he smiled gently, speaking in low whispers. "Can you hear me?" Another nod. "I love you."
Her body went still, completely still, but he only continued to hold her, and she whimpered, burrowing further into his embrace, clinging to him.
When he looked up, he happened to catch Katie watching them, with eyes of observation only a Watcher could attain.
With a hint of moisture in those eyes, she nodded.
--
When the tingle went over her body, the hot, feverish trembling went away, giving room for the anticipation, the furious high that took over her senses, made her smile, open her arms wide and reach up to the sky with the sword in her hand.
Life, pure and simple.
Death.. Hard and complicated.
And the body stilled, as Katherine waited, the sword in her hands pulsing into her, every second getting deeper, every second flooding more and more into her body.
Her eyes were dark as night, watching the door, the click going through her body as it finally opened, and she walked in.
Their eyes met, friends, enemies, an aura tinged with darkness exuding through both of them.
Katherine didn't see the others, she merely shifted the grip on her sword, and waited.
Chase Winters was her height, but less muscled. Her hair was shortened, and in her hand was a regular broadsword, not the usual saber she was used to fighting with.
But the look was in her eyes, and Katherine knew, as well as Cordelia did, this would end now.
"Go," Chase said, her eyes never tearing away from her form across the dark, empty ballroom. "Stop the demon."
"Cordelia-"
"ANGEL. This doesn't involve you. Do your part."
Katherine let her gaze flicker over to the vampire, who hesitated, and then finally agreed, moving away from Cordelia in a way that seemed almost painful to him, pushing the three people who had accompanied away from the two Immortals.
"Down the stairs, to your left," she offered.
Angel paused, but she only shrugged, and he continued on his way.
When they were left alone, her heart was pounding so loudly she wondered if Cordelia could hear it.
The other woman was silent, almost a statue as they locked eyes.
"I'm sorry, Kat."
Katherine cocked an eyebrow, moving sideways, immediately falling into the circular stand off pattern.
She didn't say a word.
"I'm sorry we couldn't help you. I'm sorry we couldn't save your soul. I'm sorry I'll have to kill you."
She narrowed her eyes, the words doing their work. Bitterness and unchecked blame now flowed through her,directed at the younger Immortal.
She took a breath, and walked to the table, reaching for a familiar short saber.
The sword clattered, sliding to a stop when Cordelia's boot stepped on it.
"Look familiar?" Kat asked.
Cordelia reached down to pick up her sword, blowing her breath out as she tossed the broad sword to the side. "Thanks."
"No problem."
Katherine waited, as Chase shifted the sword in her grip, tossed her bangs over her forehead.
She held up the demonic sword. Chase only pursed her lips.
"With this it's pretty much a one-sided battle, don't you think?"
Cordelia didn't answer, but reached for her trench coat, deliberately shrugging it off, and putting it on a nearby hook.
Her eyes never left the sword with the glowing blade, and Kat herself felt the pull, almost cried in pain when she flung it against the wall between them.
Cordelia's eyes widened in surprise, watching the blade embedded into the north wall, then shifting back to Katherine's.
Katherine picked up another sword, and her glare became ice cold.
"Kill the demon, or Kill me, Chase," she remarked. "But I'm doing this without magic."
To her credit, Cordelia barely flinched.
"Works for me," she said breezily.
Katherine nodded, and two seconds later, the flip had come, and she twisted up, meeting the blade with her own.
The jolt was rough, but she absorbed it, dark blue orbs locking with the hazel.
It was time to finish this.
--
Words flowed together in rhythmic sync, over the din of chaos.
Angel almost smiled at the faded voices, hampered by the dark stone. Angelus loved this part. He continued to move slowly down the stairs, always making sure to always keep himself in front, guarding the two Watchers and the evil lawyer.
Of the three, Terence looked the most frightened, clutching at his books as he continued to walk on wobbly knees, pushing into Mr. Weathers, who looked concerned, but vaguely bored with the whole thing.
"Watch the scroll!" he hissed, grabbing Terence by the shoulder, making him yelp. "The senior partners'll havemy head!"
"Oh, and I'm sure we all care so much about THAT," Katie muttered under her breath.
"Quiet," Angel snapped, almost snarling as he paused at the door, the voices on the other side getting louder. "That's just what we need. Sneaking up kind of entails. being QUIET."
He waited by the door, as Kate leaned forward, listening, mouthing the words in an attempt to understand them.
"Ummm. Uncle 'Gel?"
"You know that sounds really weird coming from you now."
"Sorry but. now would be a good time to interrupt-"
"We don't even know how many people are in there."
"Well, they're about to finish-"
"OH."
Without another word, he pushed back, and then kicked through, splintering the door off the hinges.
In a quick survey of the situation, Angel realized two very important things: one, he was hopelessly outnumbered, and two, they were too late.
Spike, raising his hands and saluting from his throne, gave him a cheery grin.
"Too late, poofy!"
Angel shrugged, the demon visage rising to his face as he ducked away from a Druid that came, sword raised high.
"Better late then never, huh, Spike?" To the Watchers and the lawyer he growled, "Find the spell."
"Terence, here's a good spot!" Katie grabbed him by the collar, propelling the Watcher backwards and sitting him in the corner, ignoring the way Mr. Weathers seemed frozen in place.
"Weathers get your ass behind me or help me fight!" Angel growled.
But Mr. Weathers was frozen, staring at the huge statue in the middle of the room, that was rumbling, creaking, groaning, slowly, as if coming alive.
The druids kept coming, and Angel had a hands full, keeping the Watchers free, flipping one over his shoulder and slamming a fist into another's gut, grabbing him by the coat and sending him flying into the third that came at him.
"Druid vampires," he muttered. "I hate those."
--
A pivot on her part took Cordelia by surprise, knocking her off balance, and the blade out of her hands.
Katherine barely had time to swing, before Cordelia used the momentum to launch backwards, into a make shift cartwheel, landing into a backward roll and grabbing her sword, back up on her feet in an instant.
Immediately Katherine swung down, and the clang sent a jolt of pain up her arm, giving Cordelia the advantage, as she lifted a foot and buried it into her abdomen, sending Katherine sprawling back.
The mansion door flew open, and a small girl, no more than sixteen or seventeen burst into the room, pausing, a stake wavering in her hands.
"Uh. Are you Ms. Winters?"
Cordelia didn't have a chance to respond, as Katherine regained her footing, and the dance of footwork began again.
The small Latina girl looked hesitant, unsure. "Do you um. need some . I'm the Slayer? The Watcher's Council.."
"Great! Good to meet you!" Cordelia bit, swinging under Katherine, catching the blade before it came down onher shoulder, and pushing up, sliding it away from her.
"Need some help?"
"No, actually I'm good here," she responded, launching over Kate into a somersault, ending in a split and once again meeting the blade. "Why don't you try downstairs?"
Kat paused, breathing hard, looking at the girl. "Slayer?"
"Yeah."
"Yeah. Down the stairs, to the left. Kill the blonde guy."
"Oh- kay." The Slayer looked hesitant, but moved obediently away from the Immortals, who now stood, waiting for her to leave.
"Chop, chop!" Cordelia said, motioning to the door. "Let's go!"
Kat rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she waited. "Can't do this with an audience, you know?"
"Prefer to kill each other in peace?"
"Please," Cordelia said, impatience in her tone.
The Slayer again gave them a weird look, but went to the stairs, opening the door, and closing it behind her.
Kat took a moment to breathe, lifting her wet mass of curls and letting the air hit her sweaty neck. "That. was."
"Yeah. And think: she's was one of the more amiable ones."
"Weird. You ready?"
"Oh yeah." This time Cordy took the attack, and the fight continued.
--
"No- it can't be Venetian- ANGEL ON YOUR LEFT!" Terence wiped at his face with a handkerchief, pushing it back into his pocket. "If it were then the whole dialect would be written differently."
"Plus the English guy wouldn't have figured it out," Mr. Weathers said, crouching next to them, a crossbow in his hands.
Katie immediately reached over and snatched it away.
"HEY!"
"Knowing you, you might intentionally miss and hit Angel," she said, pushing him toward Terence. "Help him. I'll take care of this."
"Listen old lady-"
Without a word, she snapped a hand across his jaw, making him slump back.
"Always hated lawyers," she mumbled, raising the crossbow, loading it quickly, and setting her sights.
Angel heard the whir and turned quickly, found the quivering shaft buried into the vampire's chest, exploding the next second.
"Thanks, Katie."
"Anytime, Uncle 'Gel." Taking the time to utter the words proved deadly, as a vampire took the opportunity to dig a stake into his stomach, not killing him, but making it very painful.
Angel grunted, falling to his knees in pain, waiting for the inevitable blow to his head, when suddenly a small female bowled over him, barreling into the vampire and bringing down a stake, dusting it.
At first he only blinked, digging the stake out, and staggering to his feet.
The little Slayer stopped, turning and nodding a half smile before turning back.
Angel turned, and Katie only nodded, shrugging, going back to her translation.
He took a breath, eyes on the younger girl, so small.. So young for her occupation.
But the little girl smiled as she continued to fight, and his own concentration wavered when he saw the flash of blonde.
Immediately he launched to the other side of the room, scooping up the British vamp and slamming him to theground.
"Going somewhere, Spike?"
Spike grinned, dusting himself off, shaking his head and straightening.
"With all these bleedin' issues between us? Wouldn't dream of it!"
Angel stumbled back when Spike cracked a fist against his jaw.
--
Terence wiped at his sweaty forehead feverishly, moving the scroll and peering forward again.
"Are they on?"
"Yep," Katie nodded, finger affixed to her earlobe. "Start reading."
Mr. Weathers shuffled, and produced his photon light, shedding light on the scroll.
The words slurred in Terence's mouth, as his eyes looked up and he caught the statue, moving, breathing, groaning with unseen weight, causing the entire room to tremble.
In the center of the diagram, it continued to come to life, screeching and screaming accompanying it.
The bringer of darkness.
Closing his eyes, he forced himself to look back upon the scroll, continued to mutter the words, letting Katie repeat them into the recorder.
"Jason says they might be of Corinthian origin," she said after a minute.
Mr. Weathers immediately tapped on his earlobe, relaying the information.
"Corinthian translator standing by," he said after a minute.
Terence waited, and with each passing second, the dread in his heart grew, as the statue began to move.
"We might not have time," he said after a minute. "It's rising and we still haven't stopped the endgame."
The chaos in the room was almost palpable, and Terence found the waiting almost unbearable, as the little Slayer staked as many vampires as she could and the two vampires, one blonde, and one dark haired, hurled each other across the room with the ferocity of animals.
Blithely, he allowed one moment to wonder about his own Immortal, before his ear twittered and the translations began to come in.
--
Sunnydale, CA 2010
Chase Winters gripped her sword, almost tripping on the slick asphalt as she stumbled out of the car, pulling on her black trenchcoat as she ran towards the door.
Her heart was beating furiously and her body was drenched with sweat, as she furiously pulled her hair into a ponytail and kicked at the man hole.
She dropped into the hole, landing with a sickening squelch amidst the muck and the mire, but she barely paid attention to it.
Quickly, she began to move, not pausing, breathing hard as she broke into a run, praying to any one who would listen that her charge would be safe.
She couldn't lose Faith too.
Years, and she had almost lost all of them.
The ring was no longer on her finger, taken off the moment he passed away, put on her neck, by his request.
He hadn't wanted her to hold on, hadn't wanted her to pretend. he hadn't wanted her to spend her life in memories.
Pushing forward, she disregarded the sewage on her four hundred dollar boots, or the way the smell seeped though her black pants.
All that mattered was getting to Faith.
When she was close, she began to hear things, and it made her sprint, the shouting, the thumps, and prayingshe wouldn't be too late, Cordelia charged through the splintered boards, and encountered Drusilla's crypt.
She paused, mouth dropping slightly when she barely took in the vampire, before she exploded into dust, and a bloody, weak, and tired older Slayer fell to her knees, the stake falling from her hands.
"Faith." Immediately she was on her knees, arms sliding around the kidnapped Slayer, hand tipping up to inspect her friend's bloodied face.
"I killed her," Faith said, almost numbly.
Cordelia gave a slight smile, fading away immediately. "Yeah, you kicked her ass. Are you okay? How's the baby?" Carefully, Cordelia slid her hand to Faith's abdomen, heart jumping slightly when she felt the pulse of life beneath her.
"She was gonna. try . wanted to feed off the baby." Faith said, eyes still dazed as Cordelia gently helped her up. "I wasn't going to let her have my baby, Chase."
Her Slayer was weak, frail and tired. The kidnapping had taken place only six hours before, but Cordelia hadn't been there, and the pregnant Slayer had done what she could to protect Willow and Ruppy and her own child.
But Faith was swollen with child, and in the end, Drusilla had taken the Slayer-
And Cordelia hadn't been there.
Faith's lips were cut, her right eye was covered in a bruise, swollen, and on her neck were two small bitemarks.
But she wasn't dead, not yet.
Faith heaved in a whimper, sliding her arms around the Immortal and burying her head into Cordelia's neck, shuddering slightly.
Cordelia's eyes closed involuntarily at the gesture, her throat closing when the twenty-eight year old ex-Slayer took comfort in her lean, nineteen year old appearance.
Faith had fought by her side for years, and Cordelia had come to know her, regard her, and love her like family.
And if one damn person deserved a normal life, Faith was it.
"Cordy," she whispered against Cordelia's neck. "Thank you for coming."
"Let's get you out of here, Faith," she answered back, pressing her lips against Faith's forehead, felt the Slayer blow her breath out at the contact.
"Bitch almost killed me," Faith said, hand on her back as Cordelia helped move her toward the opening she had created in the crypt. "In the old days I woulda been able to take that psycho easy."
"In the old days you weren't the size of a house," Chase answered automatically, moving with her, guiding her through the splintered boards. "Watch the step, Faith."
Faith's fingers tightened on Cordelia's shoulder, and the Slayer froze, eyes jerking back to the crypt.
"He's coming," Faith whispered. "FUCK."
"Who?"
"Spike. Oh, shit. He's gonna find her dead and he's gonna-"
"Spike. Spike." Cordelia swallowed, and then looked back to the crypt. The steps were discernable, the British accent bouncing off the walls in the midst of the drips of the water.
Immediately all options began to swim through Cordelia's head. Spike. stronger and much more effective after chipping came out, running rampant in the war and twice as evil.
If he found out Faith killed Drusilla, and if Cordelia ran without killing them, then he would spend the rest of his undead life tracking Faith down.
Faith, who was pregnant, who was getting older, who was no longer fighting.
"Faith, take my sword, and go through the opening, up the manhole, in my car, and leave."
"Cordelia-"
"Go. I'll handle him."
"Without your sword?"
Cordelia clamped her lips together, swallowing. "I'll be fine. Just go."
"Cordelia, fuck that. I killed the bitch, I'll kill him too-"
"Faith. You're pregnant. Nine months. You're on maternity leave, permanently. GO." Cordelia shoved her in the direction, ignoring the flash of anger, and fear in Faith's eyes.
The blonde vampire stepped through and Cordelia stepped forward, picking up the stake and weighing it carefully in her arms, as he paused, looking around the room.
His cold blue eyes met hers, and Cordelia smirked, shrugging.
"Drusilla?"
He sniffed, with his animal senses, and Cordelia moved to stand in front of the open hole, covering it with her body.
"Sorry to break it to you, Spikey, but she's kinda dead." Cordelia flipped the stake to him, nodding to the pile of ashes.
The lean body of the vampire wasn't particularly intimidating, but that was part of Spike's charm. The vampire was dangerous because of his unassuming nature. The vampire who liked to have fun, reveled in his lack of conscious and even went so far as to fall in love, was so dangerous because he took nothing but love seriously, and in love, came all his passion.
He didn't seem to believe it at first, studying Cordelia as if he would have studied an ant, and turned, sniffing, finally regarding her.
"Cordelia. Love the hair."
"Wish I could say the same to you."
Cordelia wasn't sure how much Spike knew about her. He was smart, to have survived this long, he had known all about Buffy and even about Angel before he made his return to Sunnydale, but when Buffy died, many had taken for granted that Sunnydale was now free for the taking.
With Faith guarding the Hellmouth, that notion was quickly put out of their heads, and she knew that a few had even talked about one Chase Winters-
But they had yet to make the connection to Cordelia Chase.
But Spike was no ordinary vampire.
He paused, eyes roving around the room, and again he sniffed, looked toward the open door. "You expect meto believe the cheerleader killed Dru?" he chuckled.
"Then find her, but she's not here."
Her eyes bore into his, and her lack of fear was pivotal in making him believe. The self satisfied smirk fell and his body froze, and once again his eyes roved down to the pile of dust on the ground.
One second, two, and it sank in.
Pure heartbreak, in its rarest form, was terrifying to watch. She had seen it once, had experienced it herself, and it was always the same. Some reacted by lashing out, as Angel had, some reacted by shutting down inside, as she did, no one was the same.
Unpredictability was what made the moment so dangerous.
It was clear the moment the vampire's eyes flooded with tears which way it was going for him.
The way the body began to shake, the way his hands curled into fists, the way his eyes locked on hers in pure, utter rage-
And her without a sword. GREAT.
"Where's that bitch Faith," he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper, cool, dangerous, barely contained, like a bottle shaken one too many times.
"Faith's gone. I killed Dru."
He ignored her, moving toward the opening, and Cordelia quickly moved, covering the hole, stalling.
Faith, in all her pregnant glory, needed time to get out, and there was no way she was attacking a half mad vampire at this moment.
She needed time. to figure him out. to see which way the ball would teeter.
"Oh, yeah. I killed her," she said, coming forward, making sure Spike saw no one but her. "Crazy ass psycho chick, that was all me, baby. With this here stake, didn't even bother to use my sword on her, because hell, don't want to taint THAT baby, and it requires a little too much effort."
"NO!" the vampire roared, and in his grief his strength was increased two fold, in a flash he was by Cordelia's side, and less than a second later she was flung against the wall.
At the impact, her head snapped against the wall and her mind splintered with the pain, the blood bitter on her tongue as she bit it with her teeth, almost gagging on the taste.
His fist landed in his face, breaking her nose with a snap, almost pushing the bone into the brain, and she feltthe pain dizzy her, as he grabbed her by the throat and flung her to the other side.
To say it was a fair fight wasn't exactly. well. fair. In Cordelia's opinion, she had had very little warning before Spike attacked, and she told herself that she had come to rely on her sword way too much when he, with his lightning quick reflexes came out yet again, and she had a heel buried into her stomach in a terrific blow that brought her to her knees.
One part of the plan worked, however.
He had forgotten completely about Faith.
Spike was surprisingly heavy, as he straddled her, hand clasped around her throat and squeezing the life out of her.
God, she hated being choked.
With a surge of strength she bucked him off, flipping him over and landing on top, but her mind was still aching, and her limbs were shaky, and the vampire took advantage, hauling her by the chin and jerking her head to the side, burying his fangs in her neck.
There was sharp pain, like a knife slicing through the skin as he tore at her, not caring about delicacy, purely intending to suck her dry.
She struggled, but with the blood rushing out, her strength was quickly leaving, and she found herself concentrating only on the sucking sound that came from her ear, on the cold, heavy weight of the vampire, and the certainty that she would certainly die today.
As her eyes fluttered closed, a crash and a growl made them snap back open, and suddenly the weight was thrown off, and she could breathe again.
She tried to sit up, but she was too groggy, and instead she closed her eyes, letting the darkness take her.
When she came to, her eyes found a blurry version of Faith, and the pressure against her neck revealed to be a makeshift rag torn from Faith's own shirt, pressed against her wound in an effort to stop the bleeding.
"Faith?"
"You are such a bastard," Faith muttered, her voice low, angry. "I told you I'd kill the little shit. But no, you have to get all self sacrificing, stealing MY thunder, telling him YOU killed Dru-"
Cordelia closed her eyes again, feeling the Immortality she had come to rely on take effect, pooling over her, working at her wounds.
"Faith-"
"I'm pregnant but I'm not helpless, Cordelia." Carefully, Faith helped her sit up, resting her on the wall of the crypt.
Her head still ringing, Cordelia was finally able to get a good look at the crypt.
Completely empty.
"Spike?"
"The initiative has them. Good thing your car has a ringer, Cor. Two minutes and they were here, ready to take away Hostile. some number or other."
Cordelia closed her eyes, swallowing down the blood that was still pooling in her throat, grimacing in disgust and spitting out. "Does he still think I killed Dru?"
"Cordelia-"
"DOES he?"
Faith paused, and finally nodded. Cordelia blew a breath of relief, shoulders relaxing. "Good."
"Chase, this martyr shit isn't you."
"As long as he's alive, he's a threat to you, Faith. I've got nothing to lose. If he comes after me it's only a matter of time- don't you dare tell ANYONE you killed Dru."
"FUCK, Cordy I can handle it!"
"I don't WANT you to!" Cordelia stood, albeit shakily, taking the rag from Faith and holding it to her throat, craning it slightly and grimacing as the skin carefully knit itself together. "You've got a kid, you've got a life you've earned and I'm not going to let you screw it up."
"You think I'm gonna leave you, is that it?" Faith shook her head furiously, shoving at Cordelia with that Slayer strength that pushed Cordelia back into the wall. "Is that what you think? That I'm just gonna take off with my kid and the father and just leave you? FUCK that, Queen C. You're stuck with me."
"Faith, you're gonna take off with your kid and live out the rest of your life and be a good mother because that's what's best for HER."
"I'm the mom, I'll decide. You tell Willow to stay away?"
"Yes."
"And did she? NO. And hell if I'm going to. You're all I've got, Cordelia. You and Angel and I'm not letting either of you get all broody and shit on me. That's not fair. It's not fair to ME-" Her voice softened, and the Slayer's tone was choked as she whispered the last few words. "I love you."
Their eyes met, and Cordelia felt her own eyes flooding with tears. "I love you too, Faith." And the two brunettes reached for each other, held each other in a moment of gratitude and utter devotion.
Both Immortal and Slayer were trembling, and both began to sob.
--
Things were quickly escalating, and it was impossible to determine which way things were supposed to turn.
Angel ducked the punch, sent one of his own, and then swerved out of Spike's kick, all the while attempting to keep an eye on the statue that continued to rumble.
Hidden in the corner, the two Watchers and the lawyer were working feverishly, but they seemed no closer to the answer than before, and even Spike, the damned child of his who was forever switching sides for his own benefit, was starting to look uneasy as the figure began to come forth.
"You an idiot, Spike?" Angel seethed, using the smaller vampire's momentum to swing him past him, push him with furious force into the wall. In two seconds Angel was there, grabbing him by the hair, slamming him back face first into the bricks, bringing blood onto Spike's face. "You wanna bring about the end of the world? You don't know the first thing about chaos, boy."
With a growl, he tossed him to the other side of the room, walking toward where the vampire landed in a furious heap.
"Messing with Buffy, messing with Faith, messing with Cordelia - you got a fucking deathwish pal? Think you've got a free card that entitles you to screwing with my women?"
"Your women?" Spike stood, ducking under another punch and kicking up, directly into Angel's kidneys, sending him flying back. "You ponce. You think you owned them? They owned you, and that bloody soul."
"Love's bitch, 'ey Spike?" Smashing an elbow into his face, Angel held the younger one still long enough to deliver another bone crunching punch into his face.
"You think this is about taking over the world, mate?" Spike only grinned, and with a burst of strength, he pushed back, tripping Angel, watching as he fell to the ground.
The ground beneath them began to move, and both vampires looked toward the stature. The plaster began to fall, underneath it shades of something green, and scaly began to emerge.
Spike grinned. "Who the bloody hell cares about the world, Angel?" he shook his head. "When there's nothing left to live for? Either way, that demon gets your girl or Kat does. And you lose. You'll always lose."
Stumbling back, Spike turned, sprinting toward the stairs.
Angel stood, fully prepared to go after him when the shriek made him freeze.
Turning, his found the game face emerging in full glory in reaction to what was before him.
The demon had risen.
--
The shaking of the mansion made it harder to keep her footing.
Cordelia did the best she could, stumbling under the weight of the sword as Kat's blade connected with hers with increasing power, driving her to her knees.
Both women were sweating profusely, neither had trusted the other to say a word, and that was the first indication to Cordelia, whose mind was still running at a furious pace despite her desperate attempts to keep it clear of anything but the battle, that something wasn't right.
Most of the Immortals Chase encountered were talkers. She had come to recognize the type, warriors who talked, dug into your soul with words in an effort to throw you off, to look into their eyes, and not the sword, a crucial mistake.
The battle was in the mind, but the extension was the sword.
Kat was a talker.
But there was no talking now, only the stone cold look of resolve that continued as the relentless Immortal continued to parry and thrust.
The second indication that made Cordelia's heart twitch was Kat's eyes.
They glowed almost, turning a light blue that seemed almost hued to destroy, cold and calculating and not atall the warmth that Cordelia had come to expect.
There was no broken heartedness, not angry or bitter resolve, no blame.
There was only hate.
And then the fear came.
As Katherine swerved, ducking under the blade and skimming Cordelia's skin, slicing through her abdomen, notdeep, but enough to make Cordelia's stumble back, fall to her knees.
Kat did not press the advantage. Instead she looked to her own sword, dropped it suddenly, and reached for the one buried in the wall.
Chase took in a hitched breath, unsure, stumbling to her feet and ignoring the scratch in an effort to concentrate on the battle.
Katherine was older, Katherine was stronger, and Cordelia was not concentrating enough to win the fight.
Either way, it wouldn't take long now.
As the Immortal advanced, Cordelia braced herself, her heart shuddering within her as she swallowed, thoughts suddenly elsewhere.
On a pair of brown eyes, on a pair of cold hands. On a ring on a chain, and three words whispered that had filtered into her consciousness.
"I love you."
She closed her eyes, bowing her head, waiting for the inevitable.
It never came.
Cordelia's eyes opened, and instead she found Kat turned toward the door, as a vampire burst through, a streak of blonde that exploded into dust as Katherine beheaded him.
There was quiet in the aftermath, and Katherine dropped to her knees, suddenly fatigued, hand resting on her knee.
"Did you just kill Spike?" Cordelia managed.
Katherine was quiet only a moment. Her eyes met Cordelia's and the hate dissolved, moisture pervading the orbs.
"He killed Nick."
"Oh."
Dropping her sword, Cordelia's hand went to her stomach, grimacing at the wound, thankful that it was over.for now.
"Wow." Cordelia took in a deep breath, bracing herself on her knees. "That was kind of anticlimactic."
Katherine managed a smile.
Cordelia stood, always careful, moving toward the closed door when the rumbling began again.
"Umm. the demon-"
She turned when Katherine cried out, and Cordelia's eyes widened as the sword in Katherine's hand began to pulse, the green glowing suddenly flooding through Kat and shining brightly out of her eyes.
Gripping her sword, Cordelia stumbled back as Katherine fell to the floor, convulsing.
"Oh, crap."
--
