Title: The End Of Silence

Author: Cordelia

Rating: PG-13 (well, PG right now, but it will get better)

Spoilers: This is my own little world. There aren't any spoilers.

Feedback: greatly appreciated, I am dying to know what people think. Please send it to SLUTNAMEDSTARR@WHITE-STAR.COM

Distribution: If you want it, I would really appreciate it if you asked me first...but, duh, I'll say yes, what author isn't dying to have his/her story wanted somewhere.

Notes: I wrote this story a very long time ago. It was my first ever. I was always very proud of it until a few months ago. I decided that it was way to juvenile and I could do much better now that I have grown a little. I hope you enjoy the changes and the new ending. Thank you everyone who supports me.

Love always,

Cordelia



"Shut the hell up," Cordelia muttered viciously into her pillow. It was 6:00 a.m. and he alarm clock was going off, jarring her from her wonderful sleep. She rolled over onto her back and pulled the pillow from behind her head. Without warning, she began to beat the alarm clock into silence. When it finally shut up she smiled, sighed in triumph and went to take a shower. Three hours later Cordelia looked like perfect. Her warm brown hair hung in long, loose curls down her back. Her black dress was a little more than revealing, but covered enough so that it was still classy. Her black knee- high boots completed the outfit. She glanced over at her microwave clock to see how late she was going to be. "Great," she said cynically. "Late again." Walking over to the hallway to get her bag and sunglasses, she looked into the mirror. "At least I look great." She posed for a few minutes, admiring herself and then with one final look she said good-bye to Phantom Dennis and was off to work.

As she stepped into the doorway of Angel Investigations, she heard Angel's booming voice growl her name. "Oh please, like you were never late," she said snippily and marched over to her desk. Angel just starred at Cordelia as she went about with her daily ritual. "What?" Cordelia exclaimed, interrupting Angel's thoughts.

"Nothing," Angel said quietly and headed over to his office. Just as he sat down Doyle walked through the door. Angel sighed and went out to get his coffee.

"Morning," chorused Wesley, Gunn and Fred as they entered with laughs and giggles. "We brought you back a coffee," Fred said in her timid voice and gently placed a steaming cup of coffee on Cordelia's desk. Cordelia, who was too distracted by something on her computer monitor, nodded and took the coffee without even so much as looking at her. "Angel," Wesley said, handing him his coffee and going to sit down in a chair. Angel gave a weak half smile before sipping his coffee. Gunn, not having anything to do went and sat down on the couch, but it wasn't really sitting, it was more like collapsing. He dropped himself so hard onto the couch that Wesley, Fred, Cordelia and Angel all turned, waiting for the couch to fall apart. Gunn smiled sheepishly and apologized. After a few minutes passed in painful silence Gunn couldn't stand it any longer. "Jesus, what's with the dismal? You people act as if someone just died."

Angel looked over to him, "Actually, according to some statistics one person dies every..."

"Ya know what I mean!" Gunn exclaimed, interrupting Angel's fact. Cordelia got up from her desk and grabbed a donut from the box on top of the coffee machine. Just as she was putting the stale donut to her mouth, she dropped it as her head swelled in pain. The two men, Fred and Angel jumped up simultaneously to help their friend. Soon the vision was over and Cordelia immediately grabbed the aspirin from Wesley's outstretched hand. "A few vamps with a chick in the sewer, not far from here. Go straight and you are sure to run into them, hopefully with a stake." Angel leapt up and began to leave the room. "Angel," Cordelia called after Angel's retreating form. Angel stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Hurry." Angel simply gave a small nod before leaving the office.

Damn, Angel looks good....Cordelia! Cordelia realized what she was doing and silently reprimanded herself for thinking such things about her friend. Fred, sitting on the couch, saw Cordelia look at Angel leave and noticed that look on her face. She smirked and leaned over into Cordelia's line of view. Surprised, she jumped back and landed on her butt. "You like him, don't ya?"

"Duh, of course I like him, he's my boss," Cordelia said as she got up from the floor, dusted herself off and went back to sit down at her desk.

"No, No, No, that's not how I meant it. You like him more than a friend or your boss."

"Ewe," was her simple, disgusted reply as she ignored Fred and turned back to her work.

Fred just shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes, still smirking.

Angel was exhausted when he got home. He cleaned off his knife and placed it back into the cabinet. He closed the cabinet doors, grabbed himself a bag of blood from the refrigerator and started stripping off his clothes. As he entered his bedroom his jaw fell open, on his bed was Cordelia. Sprawled out and fast asleep. Shit, Cordelia is so sexy, even when she is sleeping. He thought to himself as he longed to touch her. He slowly walked to the bed, aware of his motions, and carefully sat down beside her. Maybe I'm hallucinating, maybe she isn't here. Oh, man. Maybe it's just my imagination. If she isn't real then it wouldn't matter if I kissed her, right? Oh my god, I can't kiss her. She's Cordelia.... Cordelia...My beautiful, sexy Cordelia. Angel ran a hand over his face, trying to gain composure. What's the big deal, it's just Cordelia.... just Cordelia. Every time he said her name his unbeating heart twisted just a little more. He took a deep breath, reached out his hand and slowly smoothed it over the side of her face. He marveled at how rough his hand was compared to her smooth skin and wondered if he was somehow damaging her skin by touching it. Her dark lashes fluttered as consciousness tickled them. Angel pulled his hand away and held a breath that served no purpose to him. Cordelia opened her eyes sleepily and started at Angel's impassive face. "Oh god, what time is it? I'm sorry, I just got a little tired and I thought I would take a nap before I finished my work." Her eyes began filling with random tears and she wiped them away from her face impatiently.

Angel laughed a little at her crying for no reason. "Cordy, It's quite alright. I don't mind. Don't get upset, wake up first." She looked up to her friend with such longing on her face, she knew she could never have him and it made her want him even more. She shivered as his hand traced along her jaw line and onto her neck. She felt a fresh film of tears well up in her eyes, but she held them back as best as she could. She hated that he made her feel so weak and vulnerable. Damn, she thought, why does he have to be so sexy all the time?? Just as she thought this, she could feel a single tear fall down her cheek. Angel wiped away the tear with the tip of his thumb, then without warming, he bent his head down to Cordelia and kissed her. Cordelia felt Angel's cold lips part her own and his cool tongue slip between her lips. She panicked and squirmed away from him. The tears were flowing now and she couldn't help it. She jumped out of the bed and ran across the room. She stood in the corner hugging herself looking down at the floor trying desperately to make the tears stop. Angel looked at her for a while, then got up and went to her side. He put his large hand on her tiny waist. She tried to move away but the only way was back and there was a wall there. He pulled her closer and if she had any more tears in her to cry, she would've cried them. He picked her up and carried her over to his bed, laid her down and lay down next to her.

They lay together on his bed in silence for a long time. Angel finally pulled his head up and looked at his best friend long and hard. She stared back at him, just as intently. "What are we going to do?" she asked in a cautious whisper.

"I don't know, what do you want to do." He replied gently.