Chapter Nine
"Don't come at me through Cordelia ever again. You play that card
a second time, I'll kill you."
Angel - That Vision Thing
--
She often wondered how the sight of blood had become just the stain of red against her fingertips.
It was odd, really. And just plain weird.
Inspecting her fingernails, Cordelia noticed with some consternation that the red flakes had dried under them.
Clean up was going to be a bitch. Taking in a breath, she wiped at the bangs that tumbled over her forehead. The office was abnormally silent, thanks to one quiet, hurt vampire.
She welcomed it. The chaos the battle had left behind more than a few scars, but it was no secret that Angel, who nearly had his heart cut out, had endured the worst of the scrapes.
"What?"
"Hmm?" she murmured back absently, rubbing the red into the towel as she cleaned her hands, turning back to find her vampire husband just where she left him. Leaning against the desk, Angel's shirt hung open, white tank-top ripped to shreds and stained with blood.
It still made her wince.
"What are you thinking?" he elaborated, a smile turning quickly into a grimace as he shifted against the desk.
"I'm thinking that death was too good for that idiot demon," she responded, shoulders deflating as she came forward. "Come on." He let out a small hiss, a whisper of cold breath against her shoulder as she smoothed her hands gently over his shoulders, pushing the ruined shirt away from his body. Again, her fingertips were soft as they prodded at the wound, less than a millimeter from where his still heart lay. "Remind me to kill you," she snapped.
"It's wasn't my fault-"
"Yes, it was, dumbass. You know just as well as anyone that Faith can damned near kick your ass. There was absolutely no need to go heroic and push her out of the way like that. You're damned masochistic, Angel, and it pisses me off."
It was a faltering rant, and even Cordelia had to glumly note that there had been less bite than bark in her voice lately. The matriarchal role had, for some odd, suspicious reason, landed in HER hands here at Angel Investigations, and now it seemed that she was more or less obligated to be the voice of reason.
Coming from a young woman who once wished to live in a fascist society just so a friend couldn't be framed for murder, it was quite a development.
Then again- this was also in a group where a convicted murderer had recently saved a life of a young former slave almost at the expense of her own, where an ex-gangster called his girlfriend a 'pookie-bear' (Cordelia heard that and never, ever could look at Gunn the same way. Ever.) and most importantly, where a vampire who had been responsible for the death of countless people loved and married a woman who became a demon to save him, who fathered a son who was ripped away horribly, and then miraculously and painfully returned to him.
He stroked her now, her eyes closing with a sigh as she leaned forward, forehead resting against his.
"I'm sorry."
"Yeah... well... You should be." The smile she flashed him was tight, quick, but it made him grin slightly back, the moment of silence between them all she really needed to reassure herself that they were still here, still alive, to fight another day. "Move back a little, okay?"
He obeyed, scooting further onto the desk as she pushed his thighs apart to stand between his legs, cleaning quickly, before the wound had a chance to close on his super healing body.
From outside the door, they heard a shriek of laughter, followed by a groan of defeat.
"DEAD, DEAD, DEAD! You are SO DEAD!"
"Connor! Don't be a bad sport!"
Cordelia met Angel's eyes, a quirk of amusement tipping her smile up slightly.
"Angel's gonna kick your ass, that was his favorite controller."
"Connor broke my joystick-"
"Hold it," Cordelia planted a palm firmly on his chest, pushing him back. "He'll buy you a new one. Don't move until I'm done."
He shifted, eyes now focused on the door, most likely concentrating on his poor witty controller, held onto for special purposes. Vampire reflexes or now, it was only because of that controller that Angel had beaten Gunn at his video game.
The last time they had a chance to play was month ago. Once again the smile froze, her heart thudded inside of her, and she bit her lip, finishing the wrapping around Angel's torso with a jerk, turning away.
"Okay. You're done."
She kept her eyes on her tools as she cleaned up, wiping at the blood at her body, silent.
Her husband caught her by surprise, a gentle palm circling around her wrist, smooth and silky. That was always something that surprised her about Angel's hands. They were always smooth, unmarred by scars and callouses.
Some would say they were prettier than hers. She wouldn't. But someone might.
When his free hand snaked around her waist, she avoided his gaze, turning toward him as led her, eyes trained on the gauze wrapped around his naked chest.
His finger tilted her chin up, and she was forced to stare into the concerned dark eyes.
"What."
"Nothing, it's..." she managed a weak smile. "It's stupid."
"Cordelia..." She tried to turn away, but he held her firm. "What?"
His hand was rubbing circles gently into her palm, pulling her closer, and it was the sincerity that did it.
"Just selfish... it's..." she broke off, almost exasperated in an attempt to come up with the right words. "I- there seems to be nothing but badness lately, you know? This hotel, this desk... this office, it's just... every time we spend a night alone here, or with the gang it's always because of blood and death, and..." She shrugged helplessly. "It's stupid... Just a moment of regression. You know... Cordy always having to make it about her, and all."
He didn't buy it. But she wasn't sure he completely got it either, because he spend a full ten seconds just staring at her.
Then he kissed her.
It was an altogether different kiss than any he had given her lately. This was no desperate, lingering embrace, not an attack of passion or a simple caress that said 'I love you, and I just though you might want to know in case I die tonight'.
What it was, was ... nice.
His head tilted, and his mouth opened, and when his hand on her chin pushed, his tongue invaded for a sweet, lingering embrace.
Her eyes closed, she kissed back, gentle, always gentle as she whispered a breathless, intelligible word against his lips and pressed closer.
She felt his caress on her cheek, knuckles grazing delicately, tilting, opening her mouth further, inviting himself in. Fingers slid up bare skin, with a whisper soft touch, her shirt was gently shrugged off one shoulder.
Cool digits skimmed, sending shivers, and even then, with her hands massaging at his hips, she could still feel the warmth that came from the coolness of his touch.
And still, she kissed him.
Niceness gave way to passion, passion quickly gave way to lust, and it was then her soul splintered with hope, when Angel flicked his tongue delicately against her breathless lips, she heard him whisper, "Then lets make some good ones."
She loved him.
She fucking loved him.
The laughter bubbled up before she could help it, and when his face lit up in a beautiful grin, she stared, millimeters from his lips as she pushed him back against the desk.
"Oww! Careful!"
"Shhh..." She indicated toward the door, a mischievous smirk now accompanying her light hearted mood.
"Ahhhh... Cordelia Chase, you are a very ambitious woman..."
"How so?" she whispered, fingers now nimbly pulling at the belt at his hips, jerking it out of his belt loops before pulling on the zipper.
"If you think I'm not going to make you scream..."
The challenge was issued. Unforgettable.
Mouths slid hotly against each other, and then Cordelia got adventurous. The pens clattered to the floor, followed by the bookend, and she yelped when the scissors almost cut into her back.
"Are you all right?!"
Fred. Angel buried his head into her neck, shoulders shaking with morose laughter. Cordelia, caught between trying to keep her balance on her precarious perch and trying to contain her own mirth, found her voice trembling.
"Fine! Don't come in!"
"You sure?"
"FINE, Gunn! Don't come in!"
She was still laughing, some ten minutes later, when she fell off the desk.
When Faith walked in to find a tangle of limbs and two naked bosses, she never even blinked.
"It's okay," she said over her shoulder, turning around and slamming the door behind her. "They're just screwing on the desk."
--
"I can't imagine who would do a thing like that to me."
Cordelia was silent, jaw ticking as she leaned, casual to the innocent observer. The car continued to speed along at a merry fifty miles an hour, despite the honks and shrill screams from people jumping out of it's way.
The gaze in her eyes was sharp as flint, and in her distracted smile was a hidden venom only one person in the world had been able to pinpoint.
She was going to kill him.
"I can't think of any enemies I have."
The words drifted through the disaffected haze, and it was almost amusing, to think of sweet, gentle Douglas with enemies. Her palm stroked his reassuringly, shook out of her thoughts as she turned and have him a smile.
"No, Douglas, I'm sure you have-" Immediately, her mind, still full of Angel, clicked onto something else. "Do you still have the check?"
"Cordy? Eyes on the road..." When she narrowed her gaze, he blinked away from the traffic, and gave a nod. With a grim smile, Douglas shifted in the front seat, maneuvering to get at his socks, pulling down away the modest white to peel out the folded rectangle. "I never got that. Why are you going to stick it in your socks? Wouldn't it get all smelly and gross-"
"You think my feet get smelly and gross?"
He paused, realized his mistake when she arched a cool eyebrow, and gave a nervous smile. "Course not."
She winked, good humor brought back just a bit at his sheepish grin. "No enemies, huh?"
"Yeah... well..." He rubbed at his wrists, raw remnants of handcuffs still visible. "Ya know, first I thought it might have been something to do with Angel, but that's stupid..."
She snorted, a very unlady-like snort, but it got her point across. "Oh yeah? Why?"
Picking through his jacket, Douglas seemed slightly distracted. "Cordelia." His tone was almost condescending. "He's not that bad of a guy."
"Oh really," she replied flatly, eyes on the road.
"Yeah. He is."
"Right." He was still fidgeting through his things. "What?" she asked.
"I..." he looked worried, patting at his pockets and then through his jacket. "My wallet. I lost it." Visible frustration edged his voice. "I can't seem to find it."
There was nothing but resignation in Cordelia's voice as she nodded her head. "Of course you lost your wallet." Wesley, I'm going to kill you. Dead. Deader than a door nail. More dead than that.
"And that picture of us in Bermuda- that's gone too..."
"May as well give them for lost, sweetie," she said flippantly. "It's okay, I have the money, remember?"
"But my credit cards-"
"You can cancel them later. Trust me. They won't be using them for a while. Too many important people to make completely miserable," she muttered, hands tightening on the steering wheel as she shifted into the turn, tires screeching.
He cursed, apologizing almost immediately afterwards, and then gave another "dammit".
"Douglas-"
"Cordelia-"
"Just let it go," she said, eyes narrowing. "You'll find lots of things missing."
Damn you, Angel.
The next turn caused the car to nearly do a slight wheelie, but Cordelia wasn't taking any more chances.
This was a game, and she was losing fast.
She should have known.
She should have known.
"Cordelia, maybe you should think about slowing dow-"
"Shut up, Doug. Your mother is waiting and you KNOW how she hates to be kept waiting."
"True, but... I think she'd like to see me in one piece, don't you?" He lurched, scrambling for his seatbelt as he yelped, when Cordy skidded across the street and rolled into the curb.
There. Perfect.
Pushing at the door, Cordelia slammed it behind her. "Stay here," she ordered. "In the car. Where it's safe."
Douglas took one look at the depreciating buildings and managed a gulp. "Safe from who? That guy on the corner with the knife?"
"No, from Angel. You'll be fine. That's just Marty, and it's just for show. He's a guard."
"Of what?"
"The pressroom."
"The what?! Cordelia!"
"I'll be back in three minutes, Douglas. Be good, and STAY." The order was clipped, barked, and Cordelia pointed a finger at him to make sure he didn't move, before finally turned away and clipping up the steps of the old Post Office.
--
Damned nosy demons.
Miller had to admit, he was just as curious as the rest of 'em, but he even had to respect personal boundaries when it came to the Light Bright. She had established that the first day he met her, where she spouted something to them about 'personal boundaries' and 'bubbles' in that screechy language humans chose to use.
Even then, her words were so inundated with slang and what not it had taken him three weeks just to understand one sentence.
Such was the lesson he had learned, and as a result, Miller did the best he could to warn off the others from Cordelia's palm pilot.
"She's gonna be pissed that you're looking at it," he groused, crossing arms and elevating feet as he closed his eyes, ignoring the group of Champions as they picked across the pilot.
"This is ... damn... we're going to be here forever, you know that?" Marksy asked, the burst of pessimism unusually uncharacteristic.
Miller propped open an eye. Hmmm. If Marksy was having issues...
This must be more serious than he originally thought.
"Still say she's going to be mighty pissed if you guys don't back away from that little character of witness, thing."
"Since when have you stopped on the dime everytime the Light Bright asked?"
"Since she fried my ass for trying to kill that stupid Slayer of hers," he muttered, rubbing at his eyes.
"Listen to this: 'Into this tortured mind came the idea that her powers, her gifts that were the only hope of a wounded soul, should have been produced for use. The use that was manipulated, changed, and bartered before she had a chance. Into her fractured conscious was a hope for a future that was fragmented, and unless a miracle occurs, Bethany's soul will be severed from her body..."
Al gave a low whistle. "Girl shoulda been a lawyer, not a Champion."
Champion after Champion gave each other uneasy looks, and even Miller, shaken enough to open his eyes, pulled his foot from the table, pushing himself with a groan from the creaking wood of his chair.
"She's got her heart in that damned thing," he muttered. "And anyone that calls themselves a Champion and means it ain't gonna go and throw it all away for a little humanoid moron who thinks he can actually sell LIFE insurance."
Al let out a low laugh. "Selling Life! Insurance against death! This WORLD!" He scratched his head at the very idea.
"HA!" Miller swiped the palm, peering at the little black characters shining against the screen. "Now I'm giving that marriage three months, and I'm going three to one. Any takers?!"
"I'll that that bet." Frozen, Miller felt the hot glare before he saw it. Shivering, he turned, pilot burning in his hands as Cordelia Chase strode into the room, pushing past Bugsy, and sending Al flying. "WHO said you could touch my Palm Pilot!?"
Miller blinked, looked back down, saw he still had it, and took a step back. "I... uh... well, Light Bright- THEY STARTED IT!"
"Nevermind," she snapped, snatching it away and pushing it into her purse, eyes perusing the room in a sharp glare. "What? I can't even leave the room before you guys start talking about me like a bunch of Nancy Boys?"
"Who you calling a Nancy boy, Glow Bug?!"
"You, idiot," she remarked, pushing herself up onto the table and opening her cellphone. "Fine. I can take an audience."
"Awww, come on, Cordy. We didn't mean nothing," Al wagged his tail, trying his best to appear like his typical puppy dog self. "We were just saying that you're one of us. You aren't no quitter. Not in your blood."
"You being demon and all," Marj added.
"Oh, I can quit all right." Cordelia's eyes were glazed with a hidden fire. Cheeks were burning a bright red, and her back was as straight as an iron rod. "Listen guys, okay? Because I'm going to explain this one more time. I'm getting married because I WANT to. I'm going to get out of this, and I'm going to live like a HUMAN BEING. I'm not gonna embrace this demonic blood, and I'm going to THANK GOD, or whoever that I have no horns OR a tail, and I'm going to get the hell outta Dodge and-" Words suddenly mooshed together in fervent emotion, Cordelia cut herself off, punching furiously at her phone and holding it to her ear, ignoring them all in the sudden silence that followed.
After a few moments, she began to speak again, this time, in a sugary, entirely too sweet voice.
"Angel? Hey, sweetie. Hmm? Oh yeah, I got the interview, all right. Got past Skip and everything. I'm even hanging out with my boys over here."
"Hear that?" Someone whispered in Miller's ear. "We're her boys!"
"Get off of me before I impale ya," he grumbled, shoving Bugsy away.
"Yeah, but look- I just found out something really important. It was a vision." She smiled. "Oh yeah! I had one of those! Can you believe it! I know! It's like a second calling! But I need you to listen, Angel- sure- maybe you should get a pencil and paper..."
"You had a visi-"
"Shut UP, Marj," she hissed, hand clapped over the receiver as she narrowed her eyes at him.
He immediately clamped his mouth shut.
"No, not you, Angel," she said softly. "Sure. You ready? Okay..." Suddenly she bolted off the desk, "Good-" Her voice suddenly dropped two octaves, and could have shaved ice. "Now, listen, you dimwitted, soul-laded, impotent asshole."
Miller blinked. Yipes.
"You screwed it, Mister. You, Mr. Broody Asshole, just screwed yourself because I'm not DOING that damned character of witness, soul or not. You think Wes is smart enough to frame my boyfriend? Then have him save her soul! And I'm taking that damned check with me, and I'm on the NEXT FLIGHT, and if you even come NEAR me I'm going to -" She paused, most likely hearing something on Angel's side. "Ohhhhh... you don't know what I'm talking about? Well, why don't you ask Miss Slutser Slayer?!"
The phone was slammed down with a clap, and Miller was shoved aside as Cordelia marched past him, grabbed her jacket, and proceeded to stuff her left hand into the right arm hole with shaking thrusts.
"AND THAT! Is my goodbye! I'm going to be a wife, damn it." Miller blinked, stunned into silence as the rest of the demons stood as well, jumping out of the Light Bright's way before her heels got to them too. "I'm getting OUT of here, I'm moving to GOD DAMNED MAINE, and I'm going to have HUMAN babies- or adopt... might not want to lose my figure, and I'm going to-"
The phone began to ring again. Miller nudged it with his foot, looking quizzically at Marksy.
He shrugged.
Shrugging back, Miller reached down and picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Is Cordelia there?"
"Angel?"
"Hey, there... she there?"
"Hold on." Holding the tiny phone delicately, Miller roved the room until he managed to catch up with Cordelia, who at the moment was slamming her sunglasses into her purse. "Cordelia? It's Ang-"
With a purpose-filled stride, Cordelia lunged forward and grabbed the phone from his hand.
Yelping, Miller held the abused fingers to his mouth, moving back.
"AND ONE MORE THING... Hey..." Cordelia blinked, found in her haste, she had accidently hit the 'end' button. "SHIT." Shoving the phone into her purse, she nearly tripped over Marj.
Miller nursed his wounded digits, and moved to the corner.
He wasn't taking anymore chances with her and those heels.
--
"Cordy! Cor!" Angel slammed the phone down, closing his eyes and grabbing at his hair in frustration. "See? I told you it wouldn't work."
Fred blinked. "You told ME?!"
--
The manacles were so last year.
Bethany had a permanent glower on her face, features tinted with ash, legs aching from sitting in a very uncomfortable stone slab for more than an hour.
"Is this going to take any longer?" she finally asked, narrowing her eyes up at her captor.
Lilah Morgan, hair cut fashionably short, in a film noir thing that reminded Bethany of one of those thirties talky movies that she had liked so much as a kid, gave her a stupid cat-like smile over her briefcase.
"What's the rush? You've got eternity."
Oh, fucking ha-ha.
Rolling her eyes, she shifted again, grimacing at the dead feeling in her butt as she looked up at the dark caverns of the hell dimension. Damn. Couldn't they at least have damned her in a place with a little more color?
"I'd so kill you if I could," she barked.
Lilah once again barely gave her an amused grin. "Yes, I know. That's my whole argument. You're not hard to defend, Bethany."
"Shut up. I can't believe I ever liked you."
"Me neither. No one likes me. No accounting for taste, either."
She hated her. She hated, hated, hated her.
Bethany's butt got colder, and colder.
"I thought hell dimensions were supposed to be HOT."
"They are, when I'm in the room," came the quip, and Bethany rolled her eyes again, this time during Skip's entrance.
She hated him too.
"Sorry I'm late," he answered, throwing Lilah Morgan a grim smile as he jogged into the room. "Damned Champions. Bunch of arrogant louts."
"Believe me, you know one, you know them all." Lilah Morgan reminded her kinda of Xena the way she stood and firmly shook hands with the guy. "Great complexion, by the way."
"Thanks. I moisturize."
"I hurl," Bethany muttered.
They ignored her.
"You ready to get started?"
"Been waiting for you." Lilah turned to her books, pulling papers out of her briefcase. "You do know your little flutterbudget is on the case, right?"
"Your nemesis?" Skip asked, head tilting teasingly.
"Ahh... no. Cordelia Chase is the thorn in my side. My nemesis is a little Slayer BRAT that stole my..." Lilah Morgan managed to calm herself, forcing another smile. "But we won't talk about it."
"Please," Bethany breathed, shifting in his chair.
They ignored her. Again.
"Right. Well, Cordelia won't be a problem. She wants to be out of this just as much as we want her to stay out of it. I saw my girl. She's been broken." Skip sighed, rubbing at his shoulder. "Not a place I ever thought she'd be."
"Yeah. Boo hoo. You know, Skip- she gets involved, things get complicated."
"They won't. She won't, okay?"
Bethany groaned, rubbing fingers through her hair. "Guys?! I'm a little tired now, can I go back to hell now?"
"Oh... Bethany. Forgot you were here. No."
Her butt was asleep now.
It hurt.
And it pissed her off.
--
The rage had settled somewhat, and even though there was a still the tight aching of a trembling heart, Cordelia could safely say that she had manage to compose herself somewhat to a relieved bout of nostalgia.
Clasping hands with Miller, Cordelia felt herself smile, a genuine grin of affection.
"It was great to see you again."
Miller, a brave demon, she'd give him that, ruffed up her hair with a large palm. "So long, Light Bright."
"Hey!" Glaring good-naturedly, she nudged him slightly. "NEVER touch the hair!"
"Light Bright!"
So many familiar faces, and the smile on her face seemed uncontained, a heart ready to burst as she moved toward the door, slowly, turning to give the room of Champions her smile and her heart.
"Guys, this is it. I'm leaving now. For good."
Miller snorted. "Yeah. Famous last words."
"And the last ones," she enunciated. "Next time you see me, I'll be driving an SUV with a trunk full of kids." She paused at the entrance, arms spread out wide. "That's right, fellas- while you guys are crawling through sewers and severing limbs in an attempt to help the helpless, I'll be baking brownies, and sucking popcorn-"
Al laughed, clearly enjoying the show.
"Don't forget about me, guys. Cause GOD KNOWS I'm gonna try to forget
all about you, and when that big ass road unfolds-"
Her dramatic exit was suddenly cut short when the entire place erupted in a siren that nearly popped her eardrums.
Portal after portal opened around them, and The Champions stood, hands reaching for weapons, whirling around them.
"What the..."
The pounding resonated in the halls, and even Cordelia stood, wide-eyed as the chaos moved in the room.
"What's happened?!"
The hell dimension door was wide open, and she stayed at the opposite corner, dry-mouthed as her friends and colleagues scrambled to the opening.
"WHAT?! What's happened?!"
"She's escaped!"
Cordelia blinked.
Oh, god. Oh, God- OHGODOHGODOHGOD-
"Damned HUMAN- GO! GO!"
And with a clatter of chaos, the Champions flew from the room, weapons flashing, collapsing into the hell dimension where the telekinetic girl had escaped.
In the end, Cordelia Chase was left alone in the Pressroom, human heart pounding.
Oh, God. Oh, God.
In two seconds her cellphone was out and the speedial pushed.
"Angel," she breathed quickly, "She's out. She escaped. NO, I had nothing to do with it! Yes, dumbass, I KNOW we have to find her- I KNOW, Lardass. Yes, I'll look. Get your ass moving, and put Wes and Faith on the case- Yes. Yes. Bye."
The cellphone was stuffed into her jacket and without another thought,
Cordelia launched into a run, heels and all, grabbing a scythe from the
weapons closet and dove into the dimension, before it closed in on the
empty Pressroom.
End chapter