1 Part 14 –
"Right, OK. So that's a no go." Wesley told Cordelia, who yawned from her position on the couch.
"Is this gonna take much longer, cuz y'know it's really boring!" Cordelia wined before pulling a blanket over her. It was about one in the morning and they had all been up all night while Wesley looked up things on past demons that could've passed this power onto Cordelia.
Angel had managed to escape by going off to pay the Oracles a visit to see if it really was a seer thing. 'Lucky devil!' Cordelia thought. Then she smirked to herself. 'Jeez, listen to me, I'm calling an *Angel* who protects people a devil. Definitely been up too long.'
"I'm so with you on that one, and I'm only listening!" Spike called out from the kitchen where he'd just gone to get some more blood, hey, this thinking stuff was hard work!
"Yeah, and putting in the odd comment, which nobody gets while you laugh your evil vampire socks off!" Cordelia bit back.
"Hey, less of the evil, I'm a good guy now!"
Cordelia was about to retort, but Wesley jumped in. "I'm sorry, Cordelia. But, really, wouldn't you like to get to the bottom of this unusual power you've acquired?" The ex-watcher asked, looking up from a stack of notes.
"I've already pretty much put it in the seer puberty category, and if that don't work out, I'm blaming anyone of the past demons we've delt with for giving it to me, I don't see why it matters which one. It's no biggie, Wes, it's not like I can suddenly do a bunch of other cooler stuff, I mean, warming up a drink after it gets cold without getting up does have it's advantages, like, the not getting up thing, but it's not exactly anything more than that -"
"You're a genius!" Wesley exclaimed, jumping up and not noticing all his notes fell from his lap onto the floor.
"And that's why I can make hot water cold and vice versa?" Cordelia asked doubtfully, completely getting the wrong impression.
"Maybe not." He whispered under his breath, only Spike caught it as he re- entered the room.
"No, Cordelia, I mean, all this time we've been focusing on what we already know you are capable of - we should be testing you for other things now!"
"Other powers? Jeez, Wes, don't you think I would've, oh I don't know, maybe *noticed* other weird stuff I can do!"
'I already knew she wasn't a morning person, and apparently not a staying up all night one filled with coffee person either. Mind you, she was always like this.' Wesley thought.
"Not necessarily, maybe it's something you wouldn't notice because it's something you developed over time - no matter how long or short that period - therefore, if *you* developed it more from what it was at the start, you would think it's something you've learnt, not acquired." He attempted to explain.
Spike and Cordelia stared at him blankly.
Wesley looked to and from them. "It's quite simple if you think about it." He suddenly remembered reading something once. "Or it could be something else together. Cordelia, did your parents -"
All three pairs of eyes flickered over towards the elevator as it grinned to a halt and was pulled open.
Angel stepped out, all pensive face, as per usual, he took his coat off and draped it over a chair before walking past them all into the kitchen without even realizing they were there. His lips were moving slightly as if he were going over something to himself in his head.
Cordelia jumped up and followed Spike's lead after Angel, who they found sitting at the table muttering to himself.
Wesley headed in the other direction to Angel's 'Library'.
"So? How'd it go?" Cordelia encouraged.
"Hum?" Angel looked over them briefly before turning back and staring at the wall. "Oh. Yes, nice shoes, Cora."
Spike and Cordelia's gazes dropped to her feet. She wasn't wearing any shoes.
"Uh, mate. I think we'd all like to know what these Oracle guys said." Spike tried.
"That's nice, Spike." Angel mumbled.
"Let's go all out then, shall we?" Cordelia whispered to the blonde vampire next to him, who turned to her about to ask what she meant, and was completely surprised by what she said. "Spike, I want to fuck you on that table right now." She said loudly.
Angel stood up so fast the table was knocked over. He shot confused looks over to Cordelia and - a now what Spike believed was an hearing impaired -vampire.
"What? I had to do something, Angel, you were being all zombie guy, which is unusual for you since your normal status is broody boy." Cordy told him casually as she went to pick the table up, Angel and Spike instantly helped.
"So, come on, mate. What'd these Oracle dudes say, or you wanna go stare at the wall longer before spilling?"
"Well, they made no -"
"*Wesley*! Get in here, Angel's about to do the whole analysis thingamajig!" Cordelia yelled.
Spike frowned. "You don't have to yell that in my ear!"
Wesley came in with a very old looking book. "I think I may have found something, Cordelia, if you could just tell me -"
"Shut up, you Poof. I've heard enough of your voice tonight to last me forever. Give us a break for just five bloody minutes!"
'So, vampires can get irritable from lack of sleep just like young women.' Wesley thought as he let his mouth close and took a seat at the table.
"They were just as cryptic as usual. But I defiantly got the impression that whatever has happened to Cordelia, hasn't been because of any demons she may have come into contact with. As for it being a seer thing, all they basically said was what happens to her was meant to happen and it's not because of who *I* am but who *she* is."
"So this thing I have, it's not cuz I'm your seer? And if it's not something from a demon, what the hell is it?"
"Cordelia, your parents, are they both mortals?" Wesley asked impatiently.
"Wesley, after all those years helping Buffy to fight vampires and demons, I think Cordelia would've picked up on any tell-tale signs and worked it out by now. And if your implying that Cora is some type of half-demon, Buffy's instincts would've picked up on it years ago, and me and Spike would be able to tell right here and now!"
"Actually, Angel. I wouldn't know."
"Cora, you'd know if they were after living with them for nineteen years, especially after hanging out in the library for over four years!"
"Of course I'd know from living with them, Angel. If I lived with them. 'Them' being by biological parents. I'm adopted."
Angel's mouth dropped. He hadn't known that. 'How come she never told me that? Why didn't Giles or Buffy or someone let me know? What, did they want me to be totally clueless?' "You never said."
Cordelia fixed him with a look. "You never asked."
"You should've told me, Cora. I'm supposed to be -"
"- My best friend? Yeah, I know. Don't take it personally, Angel. No one on this earth knows I'm adopted and if they did, I certainly never told them."
"You never told anyone?" Angel felt a wave of sympathy. 'She never felt there was anyone she could tell,' he thought sadly.
"Telling someone I'm adopted is one thing. Telling them the whole story behind it is another. I don't think I *ever* want anyone to hear it because it's too, too... it's not an everyday thing, and, well, it just hurts to think about it." She slumped down on a chair.
"So your parents, your real parents, you have no idea if they are both completely human or not?" Wesley questioned urgently.
"Wesley!" Spike rolled his eyes. "Jeez, I'm an evil turned good vampire here - and even *I* know to be sensitive right now, and there's you just butting in with questions like -"
"- Excuse me." Cordelia stood up abruptly and walked quickly through into the bathroom.
She shut the door quietly behind her, which clued Angel in that this was really something big with her. It was something close to her that made her feel pain - if it had been something like anger or possibly anything else, she would've slammed the door. Either that or started screaming abuse at them all.
He glanced at Spike and Wesley. "I know it's not your fault - either of you. I guess this must be a very touchy subject with her. Admitting it to someone for the first time must have made her face up to it more than she's ever had to before."
"Angel, if she has never met her parents, then they might be demons or -"
"They won't be demons, even if she has only received her demon heritage now, Buffy, Spike and I would have always felt something about her. And well, I know I don't, Spike obviously doesn't. And Buffy never mentioned anything."
"Still, I think we should do background checks on both her biological parents." Wesley sighed. "You wouldn't be able to get the name of the adoption agency out of her would you?"
"I doubt she would know that if she never wanted to accept it."
"Her biological parents names then?"
Angel turned to the door. "I'll try."
He taped gently on the door. "Cordelia, it's Angel. Can I come in, or -"
The handle twisted and the door opened slowly.
He walked in and shut the door behind him.
~*~
Go no to part FIFTEEN
"Right, OK. So that's a no go." Wesley told Cordelia, who yawned from her position on the couch.
"Is this gonna take much longer, cuz y'know it's really boring!" Cordelia wined before pulling a blanket over her. It was about one in the morning and they had all been up all night while Wesley looked up things on past demons that could've passed this power onto Cordelia.
Angel had managed to escape by going off to pay the Oracles a visit to see if it really was a seer thing. 'Lucky devil!' Cordelia thought. Then she smirked to herself. 'Jeez, listen to me, I'm calling an *Angel* who protects people a devil. Definitely been up too long.'
"I'm so with you on that one, and I'm only listening!" Spike called out from the kitchen where he'd just gone to get some more blood, hey, this thinking stuff was hard work!
"Yeah, and putting in the odd comment, which nobody gets while you laugh your evil vampire socks off!" Cordelia bit back.
"Hey, less of the evil, I'm a good guy now!"
Cordelia was about to retort, but Wesley jumped in. "I'm sorry, Cordelia. But, really, wouldn't you like to get to the bottom of this unusual power you've acquired?" The ex-watcher asked, looking up from a stack of notes.
"I've already pretty much put it in the seer puberty category, and if that don't work out, I'm blaming anyone of the past demons we've delt with for giving it to me, I don't see why it matters which one. It's no biggie, Wes, it's not like I can suddenly do a bunch of other cooler stuff, I mean, warming up a drink after it gets cold without getting up does have it's advantages, like, the not getting up thing, but it's not exactly anything more than that -"
"You're a genius!" Wesley exclaimed, jumping up and not noticing all his notes fell from his lap onto the floor.
"And that's why I can make hot water cold and vice versa?" Cordelia asked doubtfully, completely getting the wrong impression.
"Maybe not." He whispered under his breath, only Spike caught it as he re- entered the room.
"No, Cordelia, I mean, all this time we've been focusing on what we already know you are capable of - we should be testing you for other things now!"
"Other powers? Jeez, Wes, don't you think I would've, oh I don't know, maybe *noticed* other weird stuff I can do!"
'I already knew she wasn't a morning person, and apparently not a staying up all night one filled with coffee person either. Mind you, she was always like this.' Wesley thought.
"Not necessarily, maybe it's something you wouldn't notice because it's something you developed over time - no matter how long or short that period - therefore, if *you* developed it more from what it was at the start, you would think it's something you've learnt, not acquired." He attempted to explain.
Spike and Cordelia stared at him blankly.
Wesley looked to and from them. "It's quite simple if you think about it." He suddenly remembered reading something once. "Or it could be something else together. Cordelia, did your parents -"
All three pairs of eyes flickered over towards the elevator as it grinned to a halt and was pulled open.
Angel stepped out, all pensive face, as per usual, he took his coat off and draped it over a chair before walking past them all into the kitchen without even realizing they were there. His lips were moving slightly as if he were going over something to himself in his head.
Cordelia jumped up and followed Spike's lead after Angel, who they found sitting at the table muttering to himself.
Wesley headed in the other direction to Angel's 'Library'.
"So? How'd it go?" Cordelia encouraged.
"Hum?" Angel looked over them briefly before turning back and staring at the wall. "Oh. Yes, nice shoes, Cora."
Spike and Cordelia's gazes dropped to her feet. She wasn't wearing any shoes.
"Uh, mate. I think we'd all like to know what these Oracle guys said." Spike tried.
"That's nice, Spike." Angel mumbled.
"Let's go all out then, shall we?" Cordelia whispered to the blonde vampire next to him, who turned to her about to ask what she meant, and was completely surprised by what she said. "Spike, I want to fuck you on that table right now." She said loudly.
Angel stood up so fast the table was knocked over. He shot confused looks over to Cordelia and - a now what Spike believed was an hearing impaired -vampire.
"What? I had to do something, Angel, you were being all zombie guy, which is unusual for you since your normal status is broody boy." Cordy told him casually as she went to pick the table up, Angel and Spike instantly helped.
"So, come on, mate. What'd these Oracle dudes say, or you wanna go stare at the wall longer before spilling?"
"Well, they made no -"
"*Wesley*! Get in here, Angel's about to do the whole analysis thingamajig!" Cordelia yelled.
Spike frowned. "You don't have to yell that in my ear!"
Wesley came in with a very old looking book. "I think I may have found something, Cordelia, if you could just tell me -"
"Shut up, you Poof. I've heard enough of your voice tonight to last me forever. Give us a break for just five bloody minutes!"
'So, vampires can get irritable from lack of sleep just like young women.' Wesley thought as he let his mouth close and took a seat at the table.
"They were just as cryptic as usual. But I defiantly got the impression that whatever has happened to Cordelia, hasn't been because of any demons she may have come into contact with. As for it being a seer thing, all they basically said was what happens to her was meant to happen and it's not because of who *I* am but who *she* is."
"So this thing I have, it's not cuz I'm your seer? And if it's not something from a demon, what the hell is it?"
"Cordelia, your parents, are they both mortals?" Wesley asked impatiently.
"Wesley, after all those years helping Buffy to fight vampires and demons, I think Cordelia would've picked up on any tell-tale signs and worked it out by now. And if your implying that Cora is some type of half-demon, Buffy's instincts would've picked up on it years ago, and me and Spike would be able to tell right here and now!"
"Actually, Angel. I wouldn't know."
"Cora, you'd know if they were after living with them for nineteen years, especially after hanging out in the library for over four years!"
"Of course I'd know from living with them, Angel. If I lived with them. 'Them' being by biological parents. I'm adopted."
Angel's mouth dropped. He hadn't known that. 'How come she never told me that? Why didn't Giles or Buffy or someone let me know? What, did they want me to be totally clueless?' "You never said."
Cordelia fixed him with a look. "You never asked."
"You should've told me, Cora. I'm supposed to be -"
"- My best friend? Yeah, I know. Don't take it personally, Angel. No one on this earth knows I'm adopted and if they did, I certainly never told them."
"You never told anyone?" Angel felt a wave of sympathy. 'She never felt there was anyone she could tell,' he thought sadly.
"Telling someone I'm adopted is one thing. Telling them the whole story behind it is another. I don't think I *ever* want anyone to hear it because it's too, too... it's not an everyday thing, and, well, it just hurts to think about it." She slumped down on a chair.
"So your parents, your real parents, you have no idea if they are both completely human or not?" Wesley questioned urgently.
"Wesley!" Spike rolled his eyes. "Jeez, I'm an evil turned good vampire here - and even *I* know to be sensitive right now, and there's you just butting in with questions like -"
"- Excuse me." Cordelia stood up abruptly and walked quickly through into the bathroom.
She shut the door quietly behind her, which clued Angel in that this was really something big with her. It was something close to her that made her feel pain - if it had been something like anger or possibly anything else, she would've slammed the door. Either that or started screaming abuse at them all.
He glanced at Spike and Wesley. "I know it's not your fault - either of you. I guess this must be a very touchy subject with her. Admitting it to someone for the first time must have made her face up to it more than she's ever had to before."
"Angel, if she has never met her parents, then they might be demons or -"
"They won't be demons, even if she has only received her demon heritage now, Buffy, Spike and I would have always felt something about her. And well, I know I don't, Spike obviously doesn't. And Buffy never mentioned anything."
"Still, I think we should do background checks on both her biological parents." Wesley sighed. "You wouldn't be able to get the name of the adoption agency out of her would you?"
"I doubt she would know that if she never wanted to accept it."
"Her biological parents names then?"
Angel turned to the door. "I'll try."
He taped gently on the door. "Cordelia, it's Angel. Can I come in, or -"
The handle twisted and the door opened slowly.
He walked in and shut the door behind him.
~*~
Go no to part FIFTEEN