Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own any of the characters, no matter how much I WISH I did. They belong to the idiot Joss and the WB.. Any other characters, I created.


This I Promise You
By Jules


Chapter 8
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b** The Chase mansion **/b


Adam was helping Xander with some back flips when his cell rang. He answered it, said a few yes's, and told the person he'd be right there.

"Mac, Cordy needs some help. She went a little wild at the store I'm guessing." Adam informed his fellow immortal who was helping Richie teach Willow blocking.

"Where is she?"

"Her car, the bags are too heavy, and her hands are full." Adam turned to their pupils, "We'll be right back."


They returned five minutes later, laden down with packages, Cordelia only holding one bag. She led them to the library door and opened them.

"Everybody in." She ordered, "Including Richie."

Everyone, except Duncan, Adam, and Cordelia, walk in, were shocked at the sight.

"Welcome to our slaying central." Cordelia proclaimed, "Follow me."

As they walked up the spiral staircase Willow found her voice, "This place is amazing."

Cordelia smiled and nodded, then led them to the tables in front of the weapons, and had Duncan and Adam set their bags down there.

"First off," Cordelia started, "Is what I was sent to by, anthems." She pulled out 10 beautifully carved, and some jewel encrusted daggers, the handles made of gold, silver, and bronze, "Everyone is to wear one in there boot at all times, as a safety precaution."

She handed one out to everyone. Willow's was gold with a large emerald on both sides of the bottom of the handle. Xander's was bronze, with animals carved into the handle. Duncan was given a gold one also, his had Scottish symbols all over it. Adam's was of the same metal with an intricate pattern on the blade and handle. Richie's was bronze, and had sapphires and rubies on the handle. Cordelia's was beautiful, a silver anthem, with an ivy design along the handle and blade, and Peridots in the shape of a star at the end of the handle. Of the other four, one was silver, and had Celtic designs engraved in the handle, with sapphires and peridots on it too. Another was light gold with diamonds on the hilt. The third was bronze with a plainish design, and the last was gold too, with an odd design and emeralds on it.

"Wow, these are beautiful Cordelia!" Willow gasped.

Duncan examined them, "This must have cost hundreds each, and they're all made out of the purest elements."

"Wizard anthems usually are." Adam told Duncan.

Cordelia gave everyone a hilt so they could put the daggers in their boots.

"So, what else have you bought?" Richie asked, pulling his pant leg down.

She pulled out the swords first, "These swords, are enchanted, so they can only be used by those in the pursuit of good, not evil." She placed them on hooks on the wall. Then she pulled out the staffs, "These are for basics, and the carved ones are for use against mythological creature. I'll explain when we actually need to use them."
Next she pulled out the crossbows and arrows, "Keep these in your bags or something. Bring them whenever you go out after dark. The silver ones you'll only need on the nights of the full moon. " She instructed, handing them out, giving everyone a load of arrows to everyone, half wood, half silver.

"Although you did stray from the list, you did a great job Cordelia." Duncan commended her, "We're definitely ready for anything now."

"I also got Willow every kind of ingredient for a spell she could possibly ever need. We'll just keep these in the alcove." Cordelia told her, putting the bags in a little room off to the right, still on the second floor, "But for now, it's after four, and I have a feeling your parents will be worrying about you."

Xander's eyes got wide, "You're right, we've got to get going." He signaled his eyes to Willow and Richie, "Richie, you promised you'd drive us in Adam's car, remember?"

Richie nodded his head, "Oh right . . . Cordelia, you said we'd go see a movie around six right?"

Cordelia smiled and nodded, "I'll meet you there."



b** Many hours later **/b


Cordelia and Richie laughed as they walked back through the front door of the mansion. Cordelia nearly had a heart attack when practically the whole school jumped out calling, "SURPRISE!"

"Oh my God! I completely forgot it was my birthday tomorrow!" She exclaimed.

Harmony came up and gave her a hug, "Oh you silly thing! How could you possibly forget your own birthday?"

Cordelia smiled at her fakely, "Well, I've had a lot on my mind lately."

Harmony and the Cordetts smiled at her sympathetically, and gave her their 'apologies' for not being more caring.

Cordelia got lost in a crowd of well-wishers as the live band, The Dingo Ate My Baby, played in the background.

It wasn't until an hour later she finally got to Willow, Xander, and Richie. She gave each of them a hug and thanked them.

"Guys, you have no idea how much this means to me, especially since you invited my friends, even though you hate them, as much as they hate you. And the fact that you remember my birthday . . . it's really sweet."

Willow blushed, "Oh, it's just something any real friend would do."

Xander nodded his head in agreement, "Yeah, besides, I'd never miss an opportunity for free food!"


b** Around one am **/b


Cake had been eaten, presents open, and everyone, but Richie and Adam, had gone home.

Now the four immortals were in the middle of the long clean up. They were going room to room cleaning up. They all finally ended up in the library.

Adam was picking up the packages from Cordelia's shopping venture earlier that day, when he noticed one of the bags was heavier then the rest.

"Cordelia, I believe there's something still in here!" He told her, placing the bag in front of her.

Cordelia reached into the bag and pulled out the orbs, "Oh yeah! The orbs, these things will come in handy. The blue one will light up if someone's not telling the truth. And the red one will light up if someone's plotting against you. The last one . . . well it was pretty!" She whined.

Adam picked it up and examined it, "Cordelia, you really have no idea what this is for?" He demanded.

"No, why?" Cordelia asked.

"This orb . . . it contains the power to anchor Angel's soul. It's the first spell I was telling you about. But this isn't supposed to exist anymore. Supposedly it was destroyed 400 years ago."

Cordelia's eyes grew wide, "This will make Angel's soul permanent? I swear, if you're just jerking me around, I will cut off your head, no matter how good a friend you are."

"I swear, it's right here." Adam pulled out a book and placed it in front of her.

Cordelia quickly skimmed over the text and murmured, "You're not kidding, I can make it permanent, I can give him the one thing he needs to be happy." She looked up and around the table, "You guys can go to bed, I'm going to stay up and read into this further."


Duncan knew what she would be doing that night, but he couldn't stop her, he didn't have the heart to. He knew she was in love with the vampire, and that she knew that the vampire didn't love her back. It was her way to feel better, by making him happy. He rubbed her back, then went down the spiral stairs, and to bed.



Adam and Richie followed his lead, and left, both taking one look back at the girl who was intently reading the passage. Then they drove home to their own mansion, where they wouldn't sleep all night, fore they would be too busy worrying about their friend, who they knew was going to do something completely selfless that night.


Cordelia read the passage, and realized Adam hadn't translated it completely, he'd just seen they'd need the orb and stopped reading. But she read the whole thing, and knew what she'd have to do. She set up seven candles, in a horseshoe around the orb, and a bowl for the ingredients she'd need. Red, white, yellow, and pink rose petals, the nectar of a lily of the valley. She lit the candles and started chanting the ancient incantation..

Then candles flames rose higher and higher as she chanted, and the orb began to glow and rise in the air as she added the final ingredient to the bowl, the life's blood of a person who was in love with the individual who's soul was being anchored. She slit her wrists with the anthem she'd bought that day, but couldn't watch her blood pour into the bowl; her eyes were focused on the orb. Which had risen high in the air. A supernatural wind was whipping around the whole room, yet the candles stay lit. The blood loss was too much, and finally she passed out on the table, her wrists still on top of the bowl, draining her of her essence as she died once more.


The windows flew open, and the wind blew out of the room, taking the essence of her being with it. It blew un-naturally throughout Sunnydale, following a set path it was given, until finally it slipped in through a window of Angel's apartment.


Angel was asleep in his bed, dreaming, and didn't see the strong wind whip through his apartment then cause his body to lift off his bed as it enveloped him. But a spirit entered his dream . . .


bI** Angel's dream **/b

Angel was in a room, fully clothed, shirt unbuttoned. He whipped head around calling out, "Where am I? What's going on?"

A little girl's voice answered, "You are here, and you have been given a tremendous gift."

"What do you mean?"

"Your soul, it is anchored, the curses clause is void." A little girl came out of the light and told him, "Someone who truly loves you gave up her life for you, but do not be afraid, fore she has many lives, a young immortal is she, and will awaken again. But their sacrifice means just as much, for she thinks that you will never return that love, and she just wanted you to be happy with the one she thought you were destined to be with. She does not see that in truth, your destinies are enter-twined throughout eternity, and always have been. For you have been soul mates since time began. But none the less, she thinks she has given up something very precious for you, her one chance at happiness, and for that, the anchoring was completed."

"Cordelia." Angel whispered realizing that was her secret, she was immortal. Everything was making sense.

The girl nodded, "Yes, she loves you very much, and you love her as well, if you'd only tell her soon enough, so much heartache could be spared . . . but alas, you will awaken with only the certain knowledge that your soul is permanent. Everything else will be forgotten, all that had been revealed will be a mystery once more, and your fate will continue as if you had never found out."

"But why?"

"Because, Fate is a temperamental thing, and messing with her plan always makes her very angry, and upsets her scenes she writes long in advance. We mustn't disturb her plan, but do not fear, everything will turn out . . . unless she changes her mind . . ." then the girl disappeared.

b** End of Angel's dream **/b/I


Angel woke up with a start, the rest of his dream was too foggy to remember, but he did know one thing, his soul was no longer in danger of being lost. It was permanent!



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Cordelia woke again with a start, and looked quickly at her wrists, there was no trace of what she'd done the night before, except for the mess before her. She blew out the candles, which were practically all gone, and put them away, she carefully put the bowl in a special place, but the orb she took with her after she cleaned up.


Next to her bed, there was a silver holder for a candleholder. She took out the candleholder, and placed the orb in it. It looked like just another trinket in her bedroom. She knew no one would ever think to look there. Cordelia changed into her negligée, then climbed into bed, to dream of Angel, just as she did every night, and would do every night of her immortal life . . .



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Please, I want replies, I know it sounds pathetic, but I live for feedback, good or bad! I need to know what you think so I know where to go with this.


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