Chapter Authored By: MissKitieFantastico
A/N: Sorry for the long delay, but writers' block is a bitch.
A/N2: I'm probably getting a little overzealous, but I'm labeling this chapter with an *R* rating for Cordy's potty-mouth, mild kinkiness, and implied slash. You've been warned. =)
Enjoy!
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Chapter Thirteen
Dia De Los Muertos
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Home.
That's all that keeps running through my brain. It should be any time now, as soon as we find Acathla's head and perform the spell, I can be back in the hotel with my family. I can forget everything that's happened in the past couple weeks, and just go on with my life. We can put our family back together.
I never thought I'd miss the smog and the grime in LA in my entire existence, but now I feel like I can't breathe without it.
Totally insane, I know.
But it was home. It was more 'home' than the town I grew up in. The town I thought I'd never go back to, but here I am. Granted, it's quite different, oh who the hell am I kidding?! It's the complete 'yang' to the 'yin' of the Sunnydale I remember, but it's still got a hint of that same old Sunnydale creepiness. Only here, in this world, the wiggins factor is amplified by about infinity. The creepiness isn't lurking in the shadows or waiting for sunset. Here it's an all-access pass to every child's nightmare, every demons wet dream…
Ugh, that was a disgusting thought. I *so* need to get out of this place, I think it's warping my mind.
That's it, no more thoughts for me today. Cordy's done with the brain- usage. So, I look to someone that requires no thought. Just feeling. Angel. Of course, he's changed a bit since I met him… Got a little shorter, a bit furrier, a lot more playful… and well, I guess I just hope he doesn't try to hump my leg.
I smirk at that, and look down at him from my perch on the stairs. He's still sprawled out on the floor, belly up. Must be the dog in him making him so playful. Not that I mind really, playfulness that is, but it just doesn't suit him. He's supposed to be all lurky in the shadows, brood-a- thon champion.
Instead, his tail is wagging.
"Hey, Cordy?" Angel looks up at me, with those same chocolate brown eyes that I could totally drown in. Die a death of chocolate-y sweet goodness that would have my dentist rolling over in his grave. If he were dead, that is. Ah, who knows, maybe in this world he *is* dead. Everyone else seems to be.
"Yeah?"
"What if…" Angel moves closer to me, still limping a bit from the leg wound. He can't seem to meet my gaze anymore, and already I'm missing those soulful eyes… But I know what he's getting at, what he's thinking about. No, not a mind reader here, but he's pretty obvious.
"We can't figure out a way to turn you back?" I ask softly.
"Yeah." He quietly responds, guilt and pain etched into his voice.
"We will." I tell him in all honesty. I know it. I don't care if I have to track down every single disgusting mystical text for Wesley, we will turn him back. Either that or I buy him a leash and start shopping around for a second-hand Dog-loo.
"I hope you're right." He sighs, and finally catches my eyes again. It's still weird hearing his voice coming from the ball of fluffy white fur, seeing his lips move. Something right out of Scooby-Doo.
"Cordy?" Lorne's voice breaks our gaze, and immediately I shoot daggers with my eyes. Did I mention he has really bad timing?
"Yeah, Lorne." I say, standing up, stretching my sore leg. The throbbing has dulled somewhat, now it's only minorly irritating.
"I think we found it."
Immediately, Angel takes off in a run in the direction Lorne just came from.
"I'll keep an eye on the door while you manly men take care of the grunt work." I smile at him, and he tosses me a disgusted face.
"Me? Grunt work? Uh, no. I facilitate." He smiles at me, before turning and heading back into the stacks.
Now I feel all alone. Well, that may be because I *am* alone. Out here. By myself. No one to talk to. I turn to the stairs to call out for Fred to keep me company and to bring Connor, but I hear the Library door creak open.
"Well, lookey here." I hear someone purr out, voice like sensual satin. I know that voice. Where do I know that voice?
So I turn, and breathe out, "Xander…"
He gives me a quizzical look, like he's trying to remember who I am. Geez, it's only been three years, not a lifetime! Oh, wait that's in my world. Oh, god. I wonder how long it's been here…
I see the door swing open behind him, and a smaller figure steps out from behind his muscular, and slightly pale, body.
"Cordelia." Willows purrs out.
I find my voice, the shock finally wearing off. "Willow. Xander. Wow, I never thought I'd see you here!" I smile at my old friends, even if this is a different world, the feeling of seeing them after so long is just overwhelming.
I start to move toward them, but I notice Willow's clothes. Something about them makes me stop dead in my tracks. Since when did Willow ever wear leather? More accurately, a leather bustiere? My gaze slides up and down her body, taking in the skin-tight leather pants and black stilettos…
"Wow, Willow, you sure have changed… Nice choice of wardrobe." My voice is starting to shake. I remember those clothes, and I remember that look in her eyes. A predators eyes.
"What can I say, Xander likes the kink factor." She turns to him, one set of slender fingers sliding up and down his chest, roving over the black silk shirt, the other set sliding down his front to knead at his leather- clad thigh. "Don't you, baby?"
He turns to her, gaze dangerous and full of animalistic lust, "Oh yeah, baby." He turns in a motion almost too quick for me to catch, making me jump back a bit, and he forcefully pulls her body flush with his before licking a trail up her throat to her ear. Willow gasps in pleasure and grabs at his shirt before looking at me, that same dangerous lust in her eyes.
"Wanna join, Cordy? You used to love this…" She giggles evilly. What did she mean by 'used to love this?'
I must have that question planted on my forehead, because Xander laughs. "What? You don't remember? Me and Wills used to make you scream all night long." He takes a small step toward me, and I step back. Keeping a good portion of floor between us.
"You really are a screamer, Cordy. Used to make me all hot and bothered too. You always loved to torture me… Wanna torture me now?" Willow cocks her head to the side, bottom lip protruding in a pout, eyes innocent. For a demon.
Nonchalantly I reach for my back pocket, for my stake… that's no longer there. Fuck! I dropped it back at Buffy's. Ok, next tactic. "Will, as um, *inviting* as that sounds, I think I'll have to pass. I'm not quite the party-girl I used to be!" I try to laugh, but my voice is totally transparent. I'm scared shitless, weaponless, and the gang is nowhere in sight.
Can my day get any worse? I curse to myself…
"What a pity."
I gasp out loud and stumble back against the stairs, landing on my ass, as I stare up at an all too familiar face.
"Not much fun is she?" Angelus questions, turning to Willow, a solid smirk on his face as he beckons to her with his hand. Immediately she moves from Xander's grip, and folds herself into Angelus' arms. Immediately he dives for her mouth, consuming her, before yanking away in a motion that if she were human, would've broke her neck.
She just moans in pleasure. "But you're fun, aren't you?" Angelus whispers seductively, tracing her lips with his index finger before she sucks it into her mouth, nodding her head.
"Yeah, my Wills is quite the funbag." Xander moves up behind Willow, pressing his body flush against her back, rubbing his hands at her sides. She drops her head back against Xander's chest, moaning in obvious pleasure.
I'm breathing so hard now, I can barely hear what they're saying to each other, and I think I'm gonna pass out. My head starts spinning and my vision starts to dim as I see Angelus disentangle himself from Xander and Willow. He slowly swaggers my way, black leather and hips moving in a seductive rhythm, taking his time.
Teasing me.
"I missed you, Cordy. A great kill was never the same without you there to lick the blood off my body. Boy do I miss that tongue." He stops just shy of me, gazing directly into my eyes, into my soul, and I feel it start to burn from the toxins in those endlessly evil brownish-black pools.
I feel the tears start to well, as I realize just who—what—I was, in this world. I want to move, get away from him, run back to Angel, but I can't seem to get my body to work. He's got me pinned with his stare and I hate him for it. This thing, who is nothing like my love, has more control over me than Angel does.
"That's right, Cordy. You were mine, once upon a time. Mine and Buffy's. You were that is, until you met a White Hat. They don't exist anymore, we killed them, and you can be mine again. Would you like that?" Angelus crouches down in front of me, reaching a hand out, running it up my leg.
I can't get my voice to work, but I manage to shake my head furiously at him.
"Oh. Too bad. I want you." He hisses at me, slowly slithering up my body, and I try to sink further into the stairs, my face contorting in disgust. "You're mine." He breathes out, his face millimeters from mine, and he nips the tip of my nose with his blunt teeth. I whimper in fear, and finally finding the muscles in my arms, I push at his chest.
I faintly hear Willow giggling in the background, and I'm nanoseconds away from crying out, mouth open in a silent scream and Angelus plunges forward, his mouth swallowing any sound I would've made. I keep fighting at him, pushing, trying to kick, wiggle out from under him. Anything to get away!
I feel his tongue in my mouth, and immediately I gag, feeling my stomach churn and spasm. I start to choke and he pulls back as I gasp for air. He slowly moves his cold, dead lips down my chin to my collarbone and he clamps his hand over my mouth before I can scream.
That's when I hear it. A whizzing sound somewhere over my head, and I hear Willow scream out, "Oh! Fu—" at the same time as the sound of a vampire exploding into dust.
Angelus raises his head from my chest, growling, full-on vamp face. I gasp from behind his hand as he looks up to see the attacker. In a flash, I see a boot fly right over my head into his face, knocking him backwards, off of me. Immediately, I scramble up the steps and feel strong hands pull me to a standing position on the landing.
It's Gunn.
"Oh, thank Go—" I start, but he pushes me out of the way, and screams for me to run, find Fred and the baby. Before I can move, I see Aris fly over the railing and tackle Angelus, who had pulled himself onto his knees. They both go rolling and slam against the check-out desk, splintering the rotten wood.
I hear a loud, ferocious growl and see Xander lurch forward, his demon marring that beautiful boyish face. Gunn is distracted, trying to reload his crossbow, so I yell out his name, shoving him out of the way as Xander leaps into the air.
I feel him hit my side, and all the air leaves my lungs as his dead weight lands right on top of me. I try to push away the dancing black stars in my vision as I struggle with him, yelping out in pain as his knee digs into my thigh, and I feel the wound ripping open again.
"You bitch!" He growls, trying to get my arms above my head to pin me down.
His hand comes within reach of my mouth, so I lash out, teeth bared and bite down as hard as I can. I feel flesh tear and he howls in pain, trying to pull away from my mouth. I ignore the taste of flesh and blood in my mouth and bite down harder. In a movement too quick for me to counter, he raises one leg up and slams it into my stomach and I immediately let go. He rolls off me as Gunn charges, and I curl into a ball, clutching at my stomach, trying to breathe and keep from throwing up at the same time.
From my fetal position on the floor, I see Xander stand up clutching at his mangled hand, as Gun flies into the air to tackle him from behind. Xander whips around, bringing his leg up in a roundhouse, and I hear his boot connect with Gunn's skull. I hear Gunn's grunt as his momentum and Xander's kick sends him flying off to the side, and he lands in a heap against the base of a bookcase.
My eyes start to water as I realize he's not getting up, but my attention is brought back to Xander as he spins around, refocusing on me.
God, I've really gotta stop saying 'could this get any worse'… Now I've got the evil doppelganger version of my boyfriend trying to kill Connor's protector (and I didn't even get to revoke my 'no-bone' policy!) and my somewhat, quasi ex-boyfriend looking at me like filet mignon.
"Aww, Cor. Don't be so sad! You're still my favorite! I was bored with Willow anyway…" He laughs, moving toward me with predator-like grace, and I feel my blood run colder than ice.
"HEY! Dead-Boy!"
My heart almost jumps into my throat with joy as I hear Angel's voice behind me, and I turn to see him strutting up next to me, growling.
Xander stops dead in his tracks, completely confused. Just like old times, except for him being amongst the heartbeat-impaired group.
He shakes off his confusion, probably chalking up a dog talking, to too- sensitive vamp hearing and spouts, "What's with the dog."
Angel just growls while I slowly scoot away from Xander, then he takes a step forward, ignoring Angel.
"If you wanna get to her, you gotta go through me first, Dead-Boy." Angel says, taking a small step forward, then adds, "Heh, always wanted to say that to you. Feels good, after all those times you said it to me."
"What?" Xander looks confused again, his vamp face contorting in confusion, but he shakes it off, "Angelus?" he questions. Oh yeah, same old Xander, sharp as a ball.
"Not quite!"
This time Angel gets pissed, and growls, elongated teeth bared. I do a visible double-take when I see his teeth. My god are those things long—and…pointy! Yeesh, they certainly weren't like that before.
Angel leaps into action. It must be the combination of his vamp-speed and his inner—outer—dog, because he launches himself at Xander faster than he can blink.
Xander falls back, landing hard, and Angel is all over him. I stumble, frantically trying to get up, do something, find someone, as the rest of the gang comes charging out of the stacks. Immediately Fred hands Connor off to Lorne and rushes to Gunn, and I hear Aris cry out in pain.
Everyone starts to draw their weapons, but Angelus bellows out, "STOP!"
He's standing in the middle of the room, one hand around Aris' neck, the other around her waist, pinning her arms at her sides. She looks so beaten that I'm sure if he let her go she'd just crumple to the ground.
"Angel!" I look frantically at him, and he pulls back from Xander, who scrambles up, bloodied and beaten. Immediately, Wes has Gunn's bow-thingy pointed at his heart, and Xander doesn't attempt any more movement. He lets the arrow fly anyway, and Xander explodes in a cloud of dust.
"I'm not Angel you dumb bitch…" Angelus growls, completely ignoring the fact that Xander was just dusted. He smirks, nodding to the gang behind me, "Who's the parade of losers?"
"None of your business, now let her go." I seethe through clenched teeth, the muscles all over my body contracting, anticipating whatever his next move is. My leg is throbbing and bleeding like crazy, but I push the dizzying pain out of my mind and focus on his face.
"Yeah. Right. Let me do that." Angelus shoots back, deadpan. "She's too much fun. Quite the feisty piece of meat I've got right here…" He laughs through his fangs, squeezing Aris' neck tighter, eliciting a whimper from her.
I tear my eyes away from Angelus, and focus on Aris. Her eyes are glazed over, and they keep rolling back in her head. Good lord, what did he do to her? I was so focussed on Xander, I didn't realize she was going at Angelus alone. Angelus! The immortal asshole that even Buffy her Royal Highness had a hard time beating.
"I'll kill you."
"Oh really, princess? I don't think so." Faster than I could blink, Angelus dives for Aris' neck and she cries out in pain…
It only takes me a second to recover from my shock before I'm charging down the stairs at him, screaming lord knows what obscenities… everything starts to get all distorted. The only thing coming through clear is Angelus. He reacts, tossing her body off to the side and my body connects with his, and he stumbles back, managing to stay on his feet.
I can't see anything now, blind rage fueling my body and I'm kicking, punching, grabbing at him, not even knowing what I'm doing but letting my instincts do all the work. I feel something connect with my side and tear, but I can't feel the pain, and I keep at him. The screams of Angel and Groo push into my brain and I know they're charging at us, but I want to kill Angelus. I *need* to kill him for what he did! I feel my nails dig into his face and he howls in pain. His hands grab at my arms and twist outward and I yell out in pain as he tosses me off of him. I go flying over the counter and land on a pile of books.
I hear Angel growl, pure rage, and I know they're going at it.
I try to get up but I can't. Now I feel it, I knew I'd regret doing that, but I had to do it. I feel myself falling out of consciousness before Fred's frantic voice breaks the silence in my brain.
"Cordy! Cordy, please! Wake up!" Fred cries out over me. I struggle and finally manage to open my eyes, and I smile at her. Maybe it was more of a wince, probably both.
"Oh thank god! You're bleeding all over the place! I can't believe you did that." She scolds me, holding her hand over my leg, trying to stop the bleeding. Which I actually think already *stopped* but it's just covered in blood.
I start to sit up, and wince in pain at my side. Looking down, I see a tear in my sweater, but the wound is just a small gash. Nothing major, but damn it hurts like hell. "Damnit, I loved this sweater." I moan, as Fred helps me sit up.
"Cordy. Are you alright?" Wes says, running up behind Fred, and kneels at my other side.
"Yeah, Wes. I think so. He not such a tough cookie if a girl can kick his ass, huh?" I laugh, then get serious, looking him straight in the eye. "Did Angel kill him?"
"Unfortunately, no." He says quietly, looking down at his hands.
"NO?! Whadda ya mean, 'NO'!" I scream at him.
"Holtz did. About a millisecond before Angel was about to." Wes looks up, smiling at me.
"Funny. You should do stand-up, you know that?" I glare at him, accepting Fred's hand in helping me stand.
I survey the damage, everyone's still alive and kicking. That's a good thing. I see Angel, in the middle of the library, looking at the floor.
I shake Fred off, and tell her to help Wes finish the ritual while I get Angel. I limp over to him, placing a hand on the top of his head, slowly smoothing down the white hair.
"She's gone…" He says quietly, keeping his eyes on the concrete flooring.
"I know." I whisper back, willing my tears back to wherever they come from.
"No, she's really gone. As in not here. No body. Poof." Lorne says, strutting up next to us.
"I saw it. She actually did the little 'poof' thing. But more like a shimmery-vanish-poof than a vamp-poof." Lorne rushes.
"Is this you being comforting? 'Cause you're almost as stammery as Broody Boy over here…" I nod at Angel, and attempt a smile.
She wasn't human, we knew that. But it still hurts that she's gone. I loved her fashion sense.
"We gotta go." Angel says quietly, walking off to join the others.
"Good work, Sugar Lips. You fight like a girl, but at least you put power behind your claws." Lorne smiles, wrapping an arm around my waist and helping me up the stairs.
"They didn't call me Queen C for nuthin'." I smile back, letting him lead the way home.
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The End.
But! We've got an Epilogue on the way, so don't go anywhere just yet.
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Last Note: Y'know that crazy thing called FEEDBACK? I'd like some… You know me, Feedback-Slut. Don't make me beg! Oh alright, I'll beg… P L E A S E ! Pretty, pretty please with Naked!Angel on top? I want to know what you think!
There, I begged. Now go and REVIEW!!!
A/N: Sorry for the long delay, but writers' block is a bitch.
A/N2: I'm probably getting a little overzealous, but I'm labeling this chapter with an *R* rating for Cordy's potty-mouth, mild kinkiness, and implied slash. You've been warned. =)
Enjoy!
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Chapter Thirteen
Dia De Los Muertos
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Home.
That's all that keeps running through my brain. It should be any time now, as soon as we find Acathla's head and perform the spell, I can be back in the hotel with my family. I can forget everything that's happened in the past couple weeks, and just go on with my life. We can put our family back together.
I never thought I'd miss the smog and the grime in LA in my entire existence, but now I feel like I can't breathe without it.
Totally insane, I know.
But it was home. It was more 'home' than the town I grew up in. The town I thought I'd never go back to, but here I am. Granted, it's quite different, oh who the hell am I kidding?! It's the complete 'yang' to the 'yin' of the Sunnydale I remember, but it's still got a hint of that same old Sunnydale creepiness. Only here, in this world, the wiggins factor is amplified by about infinity. The creepiness isn't lurking in the shadows or waiting for sunset. Here it's an all-access pass to every child's nightmare, every demons wet dream…
Ugh, that was a disgusting thought. I *so* need to get out of this place, I think it's warping my mind.
That's it, no more thoughts for me today. Cordy's done with the brain- usage. So, I look to someone that requires no thought. Just feeling. Angel. Of course, he's changed a bit since I met him… Got a little shorter, a bit furrier, a lot more playful… and well, I guess I just hope he doesn't try to hump my leg.
I smirk at that, and look down at him from my perch on the stairs. He's still sprawled out on the floor, belly up. Must be the dog in him making him so playful. Not that I mind really, playfulness that is, but it just doesn't suit him. He's supposed to be all lurky in the shadows, brood-a- thon champion.
Instead, his tail is wagging.
"Hey, Cordy?" Angel looks up at me, with those same chocolate brown eyes that I could totally drown in. Die a death of chocolate-y sweet goodness that would have my dentist rolling over in his grave. If he were dead, that is. Ah, who knows, maybe in this world he *is* dead. Everyone else seems to be.
"Yeah?"
"What if…" Angel moves closer to me, still limping a bit from the leg wound. He can't seem to meet my gaze anymore, and already I'm missing those soulful eyes… But I know what he's getting at, what he's thinking about. No, not a mind reader here, but he's pretty obvious.
"We can't figure out a way to turn you back?" I ask softly.
"Yeah." He quietly responds, guilt and pain etched into his voice.
"We will." I tell him in all honesty. I know it. I don't care if I have to track down every single disgusting mystical text for Wesley, we will turn him back. Either that or I buy him a leash and start shopping around for a second-hand Dog-loo.
"I hope you're right." He sighs, and finally catches my eyes again. It's still weird hearing his voice coming from the ball of fluffy white fur, seeing his lips move. Something right out of Scooby-Doo.
"Cordy?" Lorne's voice breaks our gaze, and immediately I shoot daggers with my eyes. Did I mention he has really bad timing?
"Yeah, Lorne." I say, standing up, stretching my sore leg. The throbbing has dulled somewhat, now it's only minorly irritating.
"I think we found it."
Immediately, Angel takes off in a run in the direction Lorne just came from.
"I'll keep an eye on the door while you manly men take care of the grunt work." I smile at him, and he tosses me a disgusted face.
"Me? Grunt work? Uh, no. I facilitate." He smiles at me, before turning and heading back into the stacks.
Now I feel all alone. Well, that may be because I *am* alone. Out here. By myself. No one to talk to. I turn to the stairs to call out for Fred to keep me company and to bring Connor, but I hear the Library door creak open.
"Well, lookey here." I hear someone purr out, voice like sensual satin. I know that voice. Where do I know that voice?
So I turn, and breathe out, "Xander…"
He gives me a quizzical look, like he's trying to remember who I am. Geez, it's only been three years, not a lifetime! Oh, wait that's in my world. Oh, god. I wonder how long it's been here…
I see the door swing open behind him, and a smaller figure steps out from behind his muscular, and slightly pale, body.
"Cordelia." Willows purrs out.
I find my voice, the shock finally wearing off. "Willow. Xander. Wow, I never thought I'd see you here!" I smile at my old friends, even if this is a different world, the feeling of seeing them after so long is just overwhelming.
I start to move toward them, but I notice Willow's clothes. Something about them makes me stop dead in my tracks. Since when did Willow ever wear leather? More accurately, a leather bustiere? My gaze slides up and down her body, taking in the skin-tight leather pants and black stilettos…
"Wow, Willow, you sure have changed… Nice choice of wardrobe." My voice is starting to shake. I remember those clothes, and I remember that look in her eyes. A predators eyes.
"What can I say, Xander likes the kink factor." She turns to him, one set of slender fingers sliding up and down his chest, roving over the black silk shirt, the other set sliding down his front to knead at his leather- clad thigh. "Don't you, baby?"
He turns to her, gaze dangerous and full of animalistic lust, "Oh yeah, baby." He turns in a motion almost too quick for me to catch, making me jump back a bit, and he forcefully pulls her body flush with his before licking a trail up her throat to her ear. Willow gasps in pleasure and grabs at his shirt before looking at me, that same dangerous lust in her eyes.
"Wanna join, Cordy? You used to love this…" She giggles evilly. What did she mean by 'used to love this?'
I must have that question planted on my forehead, because Xander laughs. "What? You don't remember? Me and Wills used to make you scream all night long." He takes a small step toward me, and I step back. Keeping a good portion of floor between us.
"You really are a screamer, Cordy. Used to make me all hot and bothered too. You always loved to torture me… Wanna torture me now?" Willow cocks her head to the side, bottom lip protruding in a pout, eyes innocent. For a demon.
Nonchalantly I reach for my back pocket, for my stake… that's no longer there. Fuck! I dropped it back at Buffy's. Ok, next tactic. "Will, as um, *inviting* as that sounds, I think I'll have to pass. I'm not quite the party-girl I used to be!" I try to laugh, but my voice is totally transparent. I'm scared shitless, weaponless, and the gang is nowhere in sight.
Can my day get any worse? I curse to myself…
"What a pity."
I gasp out loud and stumble back against the stairs, landing on my ass, as I stare up at an all too familiar face.
"Not much fun is she?" Angelus questions, turning to Willow, a solid smirk on his face as he beckons to her with his hand. Immediately she moves from Xander's grip, and folds herself into Angelus' arms. Immediately he dives for her mouth, consuming her, before yanking away in a motion that if she were human, would've broke her neck.
She just moans in pleasure. "But you're fun, aren't you?" Angelus whispers seductively, tracing her lips with his index finger before she sucks it into her mouth, nodding her head.
"Yeah, my Wills is quite the funbag." Xander moves up behind Willow, pressing his body flush against her back, rubbing his hands at her sides. She drops her head back against Xander's chest, moaning in obvious pleasure.
I'm breathing so hard now, I can barely hear what they're saying to each other, and I think I'm gonna pass out. My head starts spinning and my vision starts to dim as I see Angelus disentangle himself from Xander and Willow. He slowly swaggers my way, black leather and hips moving in a seductive rhythm, taking his time.
Teasing me.
"I missed you, Cordy. A great kill was never the same without you there to lick the blood off my body. Boy do I miss that tongue." He stops just shy of me, gazing directly into my eyes, into my soul, and I feel it start to burn from the toxins in those endlessly evil brownish-black pools.
I feel the tears start to well, as I realize just who—what—I was, in this world. I want to move, get away from him, run back to Angel, but I can't seem to get my body to work. He's got me pinned with his stare and I hate him for it. This thing, who is nothing like my love, has more control over me than Angel does.
"That's right, Cordy. You were mine, once upon a time. Mine and Buffy's. You were that is, until you met a White Hat. They don't exist anymore, we killed them, and you can be mine again. Would you like that?" Angelus crouches down in front of me, reaching a hand out, running it up my leg.
I can't get my voice to work, but I manage to shake my head furiously at him.
"Oh. Too bad. I want you." He hisses at me, slowly slithering up my body, and I try to sink further into the stairs, my face contorting in disgust. "You're mine." He breathes out, his face millimeters from mine, and he nips the tip of my nose with his blunt teeth. I whimper in fear, and finally finding the muscles in my arms, I push at his chest.
I faintly hear Willow giggling in the background, and I'm nanoseconds away from crying out, mouth open in a silent scream and Angelus plunges forward, his mouth swallowing any sound I would've made. I keep fighting at him, pushing, trying to kick, wiggle out from under him. Anything to get away!
I feel his tongue in my mouth, and immediately I gag, feeling my stomach churn and spasm. I start to choke and he pulls back as I gasp for air. He slowly moves his cold, dead lips down my chin to my collarbone and he clamps his hand over my mouth before I can scream.
That's when I hear it. A whizzing sound somewhere over my head, and I hear Willow scream out, "Oh! Fu—" at the same time as the sound of a vampire exploding into dust.
Angelus raises his head from my chest, growling, full-on vamp face. I gasp from behind his hand as he looks up to see the attacker. In a flash, I see a boot fly right over my head into his face, knocking him backwards, off of me. Immediately, I scramble up the steps and feel strong hands pull me to a standing position on the landing.
It's Gunn.
"Oh, thank Go—" I start, but he pushes me out of the way, and screams for me to run, find Fred and the baby. Before I can move, I see Aris fly over the railing and tackle Angelus, who had pulled himself onto his knees. They both go rolling and slam against the check-out desk, splintering the rotten wood.
I hear a loud, ferocious growl and see Xander lurch forward, his demon marring that beautiful boyish face. Gunn is distracted, trying to reload his crossbow, so I yell out his name, shoving him out of the way as Xander leaps into the air.
I feel him hit my side, and all the air leaves my lungs as his dead weight lands right on top of me. I try to push away the dancing black stars in my vision as I struggle with him, yelping out in pain as his knee digs into my thigh, and I feel the wound ripping open again.
"You bitch!" He growls, trying to get my arms above my head to pin me down.
His hand comes within reach of my mouth, so I lash out, teeth bared and bite down as hard as I can. I feel flesh tear and he howls in pain, trying to pull away from my mouth. I ignore the taste of flesh and blood in my mouth and bite down harder. In a movement too quick for me to counter, he raises one leg up and slams it into my stomach and I immediately let go. He rolls off me as Gunn charges, and I curl into a ball, clutching at my stomach, trying to breathe and keep from throwing up at the same time.
From my fetal position on the floor, I see Xander stand up clutching at his mangled hand, as Gun flies into the air to tackle him from behind. Xander whips around, bringing his leg up in a roundhouse, and I hear his boot connect with Gunn's skull. I hear Gunn's grunt as his momentum and Xander's kick sends him flying off to the side, and he lands in a heap against the base of a bookcase.
My eyes start to water as I realize he's not getting up, but my attention is brought back to Xander as he spins around, refocusing on me.
God, I've really gotta stop saying 'could this get any worse'… Now I've got the evil doppelganger version of my boyfriend trying to kill Connor's protector (and I didn't even get to revoke my 'no-bone' policy!) and my somewhat, quasi ex-boyfriend looking at me like filet mignon.
"Aww, Cor. Don't be so sad! You're still my favorite! I was bored with Willow anyway…" He laughs, moving toward me with predator-like grace, and I feel my blood run colder than ice.
"HEY! Dead-Boy!"
My heart almost jumps into my throat with joy as I hear Angel's voice behind me, and I turn to see him strutting up next to me, growling.
Xander stops dead in his tracks, completely confused. Just like old times, except for him being amongst the heartbeat-impaired group.
He shakes off his confusion, probably chalking up a dog talking, to too- sensitive vamp hearing and spouts, "What's with the dog."
Angel just growls while I slowly scoot away from Xander, then he takes a step forward, ignoring Angel.
"If you wanna get to her, you gotta go through me first, Dead-Boy." Angel says, taking a small step forward, then adds, "Heh, always wanted to say that to you. Feels good, after all those times you said it to me."
"What?" Xander looks confused again, his vamp face contorting in confusion, but he shakes it off, "Angelus?" he questions. Oh yeah, same old Xander, sharp as a ball.
"Not quite!"
This time Angel gets pissed, and growls, elongated teeth bared. I do a visible double-take when I see his teeth. My god are those things long—and…pointy! Yeesh, they certainly weren't like that before.
Angel leaps into action. It must be the combination of his vamp-speed and his inner—outer—dog, because he launches himself at Xander faster than he can blink.
Xander falls back, landing hard, and Angel is all over him. I stumble, frantically trying to get up, do something, find someone, as the rest of the gang comes charging out of the stacks. Immediately Fred hands Connor off to Lorne and rushes to Gunn, and I hear Aris cry out in pain.
Everyone starts to draw their weapons, but Angelus bellows out, "STOP!"
He's standing in the middle of the room, one hand around Aris' neck, the other around her waist, pinning her arms at her sides. She looks so beaten that I'm sure if he let her go she'd just crumple to the ground.
"Angel!" I look frantically at him, and he pulls back from Xander, who scrambles up, bloodied and beaten. Immediately, Wes has Gunn's bow-thingy pointed at his heart, and Xander doesn't attempt any more movement. He lets the arrow fly anyway, and Xander explodes in a cloud of dust.
"I'm not Angel you dumb bitch…" Angelus growls, completely ignoring the fact that Xander was just dusted. He smirks, nodding to the gang behind me, "Who's the parade of losers?"
"None of your business, now let her go." I seethe through clenched teeth, the muscles all over my body contracting, anticipating whatever his next move is. My leg is throbbing and bleeding like crazy, but I push the dizzying pain out of my mind and focus on his face.
"Yeah. Right. Let me do that." Angelus shoots back, deadpan. "She's too much fun. Quite the feisty piece of meat I've got right here…" He laughs through his fangs, squeezing Aris' neck tighter, eliciting a whimper from her.
I tear my eyes away from Angelus, and focus on Aris. Her eyes are glazed over, and they keep rolling back in her head. Good lord, what did he do to her? I was so focussed on Xander, I didn't realize she was going at Angelus alone. Angelus! The immortal asshole that even Buffy her Royal Highness had a hard time beating.
"I'll kill you."
"Oh really, princess? I don't think so." Faster than I could blink, Angelus dives for Aris' neck and she cries out in pain…
It only takes me a second to recover from my shock before I'm charging down the stairs at him, screaming lord knows what obscenities… everything starts to get all distorted. The only thing coming through clear is Angelus. He reacts, tossing her body off to the side and my body connects with his, and he stumbles back, managing to stay on his feet.
I can't see anything now, blind rage fueling my body and I'm kicking, punching, grabbing at him, not even knowing what I'm doing but letting my instincts do all the work. I feel something connect with my side and tear, but I can't feel the pain, and I keep at him. The screams of Angel and Groo push into my brain and I know they're charging at us, but I want to kill Angelus. I *need* to kill him for what he did! I feel my nails dig into his face and he howls in pain. His hands grab at my arms and twist outward and I yell out in pain as he tosses me off of him. I go flying over the counter and land on a pile of books.
I hear Angel growl, pure rage, and I know they're going at it.
I try to get up but I can't. Now I feel it, I knew I'd regret doing that, but I had to do it. I feel myself falling out of consciousness before Fred's frantic voice breaks the silence in my brain.
"Cordy! Cordy, please! Wake up!" Fred cries out over me. I struggle and finally manage to open my eyes, and I smile at her. Maybe it was more of a wince, probably both.
"Oh thank god! You're bleeding all over the place! I can't believe you did that." She scolds me, holding her hand over my leg, trying to stop the bleeding. Which I actually think already *stopped* but it's just covered in blood.
I start to sit up, and wince in pain at my side. Looking down, I see a tear in my sweater, but the wound is just a small gash. Nothing major, but damn it hurts like hell. "Damnit, I loved this sweater." I moan, as Fred helps me sit up.
"Cordy. Are you alright?" Wes says, running up behind Fred, and kneels at my other side.
"Yeah, Wes. I think so. He not such a tough cookie if a girl can kick his ass, huh?" I laugh, then get serious, looking him straight in the eye. "Did Angel kill him?"
"Unfortunately, no." He says quietly, looking down at his hands.
"NO?! Whadda ya mean, 'NO'!" I scream at him.
"Holtz did. About a millisecond before Angel was about to." Wes looks up, smiling at me.
"Funny. You should do stand-up, you know that?" I glare at him, accepting Fred's hand in helping me stand.
I survey the damage, everyone's still alive and kicking. That's a good thing. I see Angel, in the middle of the library, looking at the floor.
I shake Fred off, and tell her to help Wes finish the ritual while I get Angel. I limp over to him, placing a hand on the top of his head, slowly smoothing down the white hair.
"She's gone…" He says quietly, keeping his eyes on the concrete flooring.
"I know." I whisper back, willing my tears back to wherever they come from.
"No, she's really gone. As in not here. No body. Poof." Lorne says, strutting up next to us.
"I saw it. She actually did the little 'poof' thing. But more like a shimmery-vanish-poof than a vamp-poof." Lorne rushes.
"Is this you being comforting? 'Cause you're almost as stammery as Broody Boy over here…" I nod at Angel, and attempt a smile.
She wasn't human, we knew that. But it still hurts that she's gone. I loved her fashion sense.
"We gotta go." Angel says quietly, walking off to join the others.
"Good work, Sugar Lips. You fight like a girl, but at least you put power behind your claws." Lorne smiles, wrapping an arm around my waist and helping me up the stairs.
"They didn't call me Queen C for nuthin'." I smile back, letting him lead the way home.
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The End.
But! We've got an Epilogue on the way, so don't go anywhere just yet.
==++==++==++==
Last Note: Y'know that crazy thing called FEEDBACK? I'd like some… You know me, Feedback-Slut. Don't make me beg! Oh alright, I'll beg… P L E A S E ! Pretty, pretty please with Naked!Angel on top? I want to know what you think!
There, I begged. Now go and REVIEW!!!