1 Part 6 –
"Angel Investigations. We help the hopeless." Cordelia sang into the phone as it rang the next day at the office. She was feeling and doing much better. Her wounds were still a bit nasty but she put up with them with the aid of pain-killers and she was wearing tight denim jeans and a black turtle neck with no sleeves - she didn't want anyone to see the still- healing wounds though the ones on her arms weren't too bad.
Angel leaned on the door frame watching her face as she listened trying to work out what was being said by the caller. Wesley had gone back to Cordelia's - well, his new apartment, he still had a lot of things to unpack since today he had mainly been helping Cordelia take her stuff over to Angel's.
Cordelia frowned. "Where'd you get this number? ... Would you just fucking leave me *alone*." She put the phone down and rolled her eyes.
Angel waited for her to tell him what that had been about but she didn't seem to notice him standing in the doorway.
He walked up to the now humming brunette, and was about to ask her about the call, but she spotted him and jumped in surprise. "Angel! Jeez! - We have got to get a bell to go around your neck otherwise I'm gonna die from a heart attack!"
"Sorry. Who called?"
"Um, some kid probably - sounded about 10. He told me he was watching me. -Y'know boy's are *so* immature at that age, and *as* *if* I'd fall for that!"
The phone rang again, and Cordelia jumped. Angel picked up the phone this time. "Angel Investigations."
He listened then put his hand over the mouth-piece and held it out to Cordy. "Some guy. Mike?"
Her face lit up as she took it from him and placed her own hand over the mouth-piece. "Cross your fingers. *Hopefully*, I'm about to get asked out!"
Angel rolled his eyes and headed back to his office, he didn't really want to listen to Cordelia suck-up to this guy.
"How dare you!" Cordelia squealed into the phone, Angel turned back around in interest.
"If you were here now, boy, would I give you a piece of my mind - and it'd be going up a not so pleasant place, get that, kiddo?!" She told the caller before slamming the phone down harshly.
Angel raised an eyebrow at her. "Cordy?" He asked when she didn't say anything.
"Kid *again*."
Angel frowned. "He didn't sound like a kid to me."
Cordelia gave him an incredulous look. "How can you mistake a grown-up for a kid with a squeaky voice like *that*!"
"He had a deep voice!" Angel protested. "And -" He was interrupted by the phone going off again. They both stared at it.
"You answer. I'll listen as well." Angel told her as he strode quickly over to her and sat on her desk, bending down so he'd be able to hear what was being said.
"Angel Investigations." Cordelia said nervously.
"Hey, Cordelia. I think you might wanna pay me a visit. *Very* soon." Wesley's voice drifted down the line.
Angel smirked and straightened his back.
"What's he doing, Wesley?" Cordelia asked with a smile.
She laughed after a minute. "OK, I'll be over in a bit. Tell him that if he doesn't behave then I won't come. - And if he doesn't tidy the place up before I get there, I may have to start singing."
"Bye, Wes!" She said putting the phone down.
She looked at Angel. "You wouldn't *believe* what Dennis has done! - I better go short him out. I promise to be back in about an hour."
She stood up and went to the door, grabbing her coat on the way.
"Be careful, Cora." Angel told her with all seriousness.
She looked back at him and saw in his eyes that he really cared. Her own eyes shined back brightly as she focused on what he'd just said. "Don't worry. I will be. See you in an hour or so."
With a wave of her hand she fled out the door and shut it with ease behind her.
Angel jumped when the phone rang again. He picked it up, trying desperately to remember the little 'slogan' Cordy had made up. She seemed to remember it just fine, he and Doyle on the other hand always thought they had it pinned down, but when it came round to actually answering the phone, they both nearly always said it wrong.
"Angel Investigations, we hope the, no wait, we help the helpful - NO, we help the hopeless! -"
"She's pretty." Came an unusually high-pitched voice down the line.
Angel's eyes narrowed. "Who is this?" He asked angrily.
"Wouldn't you like to know. - She has beautiful hair, don't you think? - I love the way it glides behind her as she walks. Oh, but, lately she seems to have lost the confidence when out and about all by herself. Must have something to do with nearly being *killed* by the demon dogs that I set on her."
Anger welled up inside Angel so much, that even when he tried to speak, no words came out.
"Oh, and look, she doesn't seem to like one of my other precious little pets either..."
Angel dashed to the window, knowing that Cordelia wouldn't have gotten far, and maybe he could see if this guy was telling the truth or not.
He couldn't see her, and he threw the phone onto the desk just as the person on the other end hung-up.
He reached for the door, but before he could open it, Cordelia burst through panting and they ran right into each other.
Angel grabbed her wrists and pulled her away from him, looking urgently into her eyes to see if she was OK. "What happened?"
Cordelia took a deep breath. "Big ugly fishy thing. - Didn't even get a chance to get out of the building!"
"Are you hurt? - Where'd it go?"
"I don't know. I got hold of a pipe and whacked it one and just ran. It didn't get the chance to hurt me. But, it might get another target - you better go see if you can -"
Angel shook his head. "You and only you is it's target. If it still wants you it will come and get you."
She frowned. "How do you know that I'm it's target?"
Angel went to the window and looked about again. "The so called 'kid' rang again -only it isn't a kid. Maybe a demon of some short that has a high pitched voice. Anyway stuff was said about you - they said you weren't too impressed by the demon dogs that were set on you and didn't look like you were impressed by this 'big ugly fishy thing' either."
"What?" He turned back to her shocked face and saw fear flicker in her eyes as well.
"Don't worry, nothing's gonna happen to you as long as I'm about."
The phone rang again, and Cordelia gave it a nervous look.
Angel picked it up from it's place on the desk, surprised he didn't break it when he had thrown it there before.
This time he didn't bother to say anything, knowing who it would be.
"You should tell her that my pets *don't* want to hurt her, their orders is just to bring her to me, but they seem to find violence hard to restrain when she puts up a fight."
"Why do you want her?"
"Maybe I'll tell you when I finally have her."
"Maybe you'll tell me NOW."
"Such *sexy* long legs, she has, if I were you I'd -"
"LEAVE HER THE FUCK ALONE, DO YOU HEAR!?"
Angel's harsh tone made Cordelia want to shrink back and hide in a cupboard, from the side of the conversation she could hear, somebody wanted her, real bad.
"Actually no. I choose not to have heard that part. Do you want me to tell you one thing, though, Angel? What I will 'fucking' do? - Is *fucking* her. - Strong and hard until it kills her. *Very* soon." The line went dead and Angel became so mad he vamped out.
He turned to Cordelia. "Somebody's after you, and I'm afraid Cordelia, you are gonna have to be watched like a hawk by me. And I don't care how much you complain that I'm too over-protective of you, because I need you too much just to let you wander off by yourself and get killed." He figured telling her that someone wanted her dead was better than saying somebody was planning to rape her until she died.
Cordelia nodded, not wanting to argue with Angel in game face when he was so aggravated.
The phone rang again and Angel snatched it up. "WHAT?" He growled.
"Um, hey, Angel. Sorry if I caught you at a bad time, but has Cordelia left yet, Dennis is getting rather impatient."
Angel's face returned to normal but he still looked pissed. "I'm sorry Wesley, something came up and it would be WAY to dangerous for Cordelia to leave the office. Tell Dennis to stop being such a selfish little pratt and realize that while he is pinning for Cordelia, some jerk-off is as well but actually taking his obsession with her a little to far and trying to *kidnap* her. Got that?!"
Cordelia tugged the phone off Angel.
Who handed it to her and sat himself down on her desk.
"Wes? - It's Cordelia. I'm sorry about Angel but I've been getting weird calls for *ages* now and we just found out that the person who is doing them also ordered those beasts to go after me, and as it turns out, they were actually supposed to kidnap me. So anyway, I'd love to explain more to you, but that's all I've managed to get out of Angel so far. - Oh, besides the fact we reckon it's a demon. See ya." She hung up before Wesley could reply.
Angel frowned at her. "Ages? - You said you've been getting these calls for ages?"
"Well, today,.. twice or so." She said, knowing that he wasn't believing it.
"Cordelia."
"OK, OK, shine a light in my eyes why doncha! I've had a few calls like that at my apartment starting a few days before the beasts appeared. It just sounded like a kid so -"
"Why didn't you tell me about this!?"
"Well, it didn't seem *that* important. I thought it was just a kid messing about -"
"As it turns out, Cordy, it isn't a kid. And it's not messing about either."
"I know that now. And I know that I should've told you. When he called here at the latest, but, I was just being me, y'know, dim-witted Cordy."
"You're not dim, Cordelia, though sometimes I do worry. Look, all that doesn't matter now. And this freak doesn't matter either cuz he's never gonna get to you, cuz I'm *always* gonna take care of you."
Cordelia nodded. "I know. And I'm glad. I wouldn't want anyone else to take care of me. I mean, I've always wanted a Guardian Angel, now I have one." She smiled at him. "And I wouldn't want an Angel to come in another way, shape or form. I mean, wings would just be tacky. - And who ever heard of a vampire with wings!"
Angel smiled. "Come on. Lets go down stairs. I think I've had enough time in the office for one day."
Cordy smiled and followed him into the elevator, flipping the light off on the way. "Hey, y'know what?! - This is my first 'journey' home from work since I moved in! - How exciting is this!"
Angel diverted his face from her so he was facing forward while she did a little jumping about thing excitedly. His look read oh-my-god-what-the-hell- have-I-got-myself-into.
~*~
Go on to part SEVEN
"Angel Investigations. We help the hopeless." Cordelia sang into the phone as it rang the next day at the office. She was feeling and doing much better. Her wounds were still a bit nasty but she put up with them with the aid of pain-killers and she was wearing tight denim jeans and a black turtle neck with no sleeves - she didn't want anyone to see the still- healing wounds though the ones on her arms weren't too bad.
Angel leaned on the door frame watching her face as she listened trying to work out what was being said by the caller. Wesley had gone back to Cordelia's - well, his new apartment, he still had a lot of things to unpack since today he had mainly been helping Cordelia take her stuff over to Angel's.
Cordelia frowned. "Where'd you get this number? ... Would you just fucking leave me *alone*." She put the phone down and rolled her eyes.
Angel waited for her to tell him what that had been about but she didn't seem to notice him standing in the doorway.
He walked up to the now humming brunette, and was about to ask her about the call, but she spotted him and jumped in surprise. "Angel! Jeez! - We have got to get a bell to go around your neck otherwise I'm gonna die from a heart attack!"
"Sorry. Who called?"
"Um, some kid probably - sounded about 10. He told me he was watching me. -Y'know boy's are *so* immature at that age, and *as* *if* I'd fall for that!"
The phone rang again, and Cordelia jumped. Angel picked up the phone this time. "Angel Investigations."
He listened then put his hand over the mouth-piece and held it out to Cordy. "Some guy. Mike?"
Her face lit up as she took it from him and placed her own hand over the mouth-piece. "Cross your fingers. *Hopefully*, I'm about to get asked out!"
Angel rolled his eyes and headed back to his office, he didn't really want to listen to Cordelia suck-up to this guy.
"How dare you!" Cordelia squealed into the phone, Angel turned back around in interest.
"If you were here now, boy, would I give you a piece of my mind - and it'd be going up a not so pleasant place, get that, kiddo?!" She told the caller before slamming the phone down harshly.
Angel raised an eyebrow at her. "Cordy?" He asked when she didn't say anything.
"Kid *again*."
Angel frowned. "He didn't sound like a kid to me."
Cordelia gave him an incredulous look. "How can you mistake a grown-up for a kid with a squeaky voice like *that*!"
"He had a deep voice!" Angel protested. "And -" He was interrupted by the phone going off again. They both stared at it.
"You answer. I'll listen as well." Angel told her as he strode quickly over to her and sat on her desk, bending down so he'd be able to hear what was being said.
"Angel Investigations." Cordelia said nervously.
"Hey, Cordelia. I think you might wanna pay me a visit. *Very* soon." Wesley's voice drifted down the line.
Angel smirked and straightened his back.
"What's he doing, Wesley?" Cordelia asked with a smile.
She laughed after a minute. "OK, I'll be over in a bit. Tell him that if he doesn't behave then I won't come. - And if he doesn't tidy the place up before I get there, I may have to start singing."
"Bye, Wes!" She said putting the phone down.
She looked at Angel. "You wouldn't *believe* what Dennis has done! - I better go short him out. I promise to be back in about an hour."
She stood up and went to the door, grabbing her coat on the way.
"Be careful, Cora." Angel told her with all seriousness.
She looked back at him and saw in his eyes that he really cared. Her own eyes shined back brightly as she focused on what he'd just said. "Don't worry. I will be. See you in an hour or so."
With a wave of her hand she fled out the door and shut it with ease behind her.
Angel jumped when the phone rang again. He picked it up, trying desperately to remember the little 'slogan' Cordy had made up. She seemed to remember it just fine, he and Doyle on the other hand always thought they had it pinned down, but when it came round to actually answering the phone, they both nearly always said it wrong.
"Angel Investigations, we hope the, no wait, we help the helpful - NO, we help the hopeless! -"
"She's pretty." Came an unusually high-pitched voice down the line.
Angel's eyes narrowed. "Who is this?" He asked angrily.
"Wouldn't you like to know. - She has beautiful hair, don't you think? - I love the way it glides behind her as she walks. Oh, but, lately she seems to have lost the confidence when out and about all by herself. Must have something to do with nearly being *killed* by the demon dogs that I set on her."
Anger welled up inside Angel so much, that even when he tried to speak, no words came out.
"Oh, and look, she doesn't seem to like one of my other precious little pets either..."
Angel dashed to the window, knowing that Cordelia wouldn't have gotten far, and maybe he could see if this guy was telling the truth or not.
He couldn't see her, and he threw the phone onto the desk just as the person on the other end hung-up.
He reached for the door, but before he could open it, Cordelia burst through panting and they ran right into each other.
Angel grabbed her wrists and pulled her away from him, looking urgently into her eyes to see if she was OK. "What happened?"
Cordelia took a deep breath. "Big ugly fishy thing. - Didn't even get a chance to get out of the building!"
"Are you hurt? - Where'd it go?"
"I don't know. I got hold of a pipe and whacked it one and just ran. It didn't get the chance to hurt me. But, it might get another target - you better go see if you can -"
Angel shook his head. "You and only you is it's target. If it still wants you it will come and get you."
She frowned. "How do you know that I'm it's target?"
Angel went to the window and looked about again. "The so called 'kid' rang again -only it isn't a kid. Maybe a demon of some short that has a high pitched voice. Anyway stuff was said about you - they said you weren't too impressed by the demon dogs that were set on you and didn't look like you were impressed by this 'big ugly fishy thing' either."
"What?" He turned back to her shocked face and saw fear flicker in her eyes as well.
"Don't worry, nothing's gonna happen to you as long as I'm about."
The phone rang again, and Cordelia gave it a nervous look.
Angel picked it up from it's place on the desk, surprised he didn't break it when he had thrown it there before.
This time he didn't bother to say anything, knowing who it would be.
"You should tell her that my pets *don't* want to hurt her, their orders is just to bring her to me, but they seem to find violence hard to restrain when she puts up a fight."
"Why do you want her?"
"Maybe I'll tell you when I finally have her."
"Maybe you'll tell me NOW."
"Such *sexy* long legs, she has, if I were you I'd -"
"LEAVE HER THE FUCK ALONE, DO YOU HEAR!?"
Angel's harsh tone made Cordelia want to shrink back and hide in a cupboard, from the side of the conversation she could hear, somebody wanted her, real bad.
"Actually no. I choose not to have heard that part. Do you want me to tell you one thing, though, Angel? What I will 'fucking' do? - Is *fucking* her. - Strong and hard until it kills her. *Very* soon." The line went dead and Angel became so mad he vamped out.
He turned to Cordelia. "Somebody's after you, and I'm afraid Cordelia, you are gonna have to be watched like a hawk by me. And I don't care how much you complain that I'm too over-protective of you, because I need you too much just to let you wander off by yourself and get killed." He figured telling her that someone wanted her dead was better than saying somebody was planning to rape her until she died.
Cordelia nodded, not wanting to argue with Angel in game face when he was so aggravated.
The phone rang again and Angel snatched it up. "WHAT?" He growled.
"Um, hey, Angel. Sorry if I caught you at a bad time, but has Cordelia left yet, Dennis is getting rather impatient."
Angel's face returned to normal but he still looked pissed. "I'm sorry Wesley, something came up and it would be WAY to dangerous for Cordelia to leave the office. Tell Dennis to stop being such a selfish little pratt and realize that while he is pinning for Cordelia, some jerk-off is as well but actually taking his obsession with her a little to far and trying to *kidnap* her. Got that?!"
Cordelia tugged the phone off Angel.
Who handed it to her and sat himself down on her desk.
"Wes? - It's Cordelia. I'm sorry about Angel but I've been getting weird calls for *ages* now and we just found out that the person who is doing them also ordered those beasts to go after me, and as it turns out, they were actually supposed to kidnap me. So anyway, I'd love to explain more to you, but that's all I've managed to get out of Angel so far. - Oh, besides the fact we reckon it's a demon. See ya." She hung up before Wesley could reply.
Angel frowned at her. "Ages? - You said you've been getting these calls for ages?"
"Well, today,.. twice or so." She said, knowing that he wasn't believing it.
"Cordelia."
"OK, OK, shine a light in my eyes why doncha! I've had a few calls like that at my apartment starting a few days before the beasts appeared. It just sounded like a kid so -"
"Why didn't you tell me about this!?"
"Well, it didn't seem *that* important. I thought it was just a kid messing about -"
"As it turns out, Cordy, it isn't a kid. And it's not messing about either."
"I know that now. And I know that I should've told you. When he called here at the latest, but, I was just being me, y'know, dim-witted Cordy."
"You're not dim, Cordelia, though sometimes I do worry. Look, all that doesn't matter now. And this freak doesn't matter either cuz he's never gonna get to you, cuz I'm *always* gonna take care of you."
Cordelia nodded. "I know. And I'm glad. I wouldn't want anyone else to take care of me. I mean, I've always wanted a Guardian Angel, now I have one." She smiled at him. "And I wouldn't want an Angel to come in another way, shape or form. I mean, wings would just be tacky. - And who ever heard of a vampire with wings!"
Angel smiled. "Come on. Lets go down stairs. I think I've had enough time in the office for one day."
Cordy smiled and followed him into the elevator, flipping the light off on the way. "Hey, y'know what?! - This is my first 'journey' home from work since I moved in! - How exciting is this!"
Angel diverted his face from her so he was facing forward while she did a little jumping about thing excitedly. His look read oh-my-god-what-the-hell- have-I-got-myself-into.
~*~
Go on to part SEVEN