"Do you want to help me decorate the tree?" Giles asked the brunette who
was sat on the couch. He had just found all of the old Christmas
decorations in his junk room and had just about managed to sort the good
from the bad.
Cordelia uncurled her legs and shook her head, "No thanks Giles." Standing she decided she felt like a walk and made her way to the spare room where she had been sleeping to find her coat.
Giles watched her go to his spare room, and his eyes filled with pity for the ex may queen. She re-appeared in the living room a few minutes later dressed in her coat and scarf to keep out the cold. Slipping her shoes on she smiled at the man that had let her stay at his house for Christmas.
"I'll be back in a while, do you want me to get anything while I'm out?"
He smiled and shook his head, "Not unless you see anything nice to go on the tree."
She smiled back and opened the door to be greeted by a draft of cold nights air. Closing the door softly behind her she began to walk. Not having a plan to walk anywhere, she just walked deciding to just go where he mood felt like taking her.
Not hurrying she walked along the path with her hands in her coat pockets. She glanced to her right and saw a massive Christmas tree in a house that had frost nearly covering the entire window. Nearly. She could see right into the room, she saw the tree and children sat around the tree and she could see all the presents that were laid neatly out in front of it.
Sighing she realized that she was nearly at the Summers' house. Knowing that she wouldn't be entirely welcome there, she tried not to look, but she couldn't help herself. As she walked past the front of the house, the door opened and Buffy stepped out onto the porch. Behind her followed Xander, Anya and Spike. Cordelia went to keep walking but as she attempted to walk a little bit further a voice called her name.
"Cordelia?" Cordelia recognized that it was Xander and before she knew it, her entire body had been swirled around and there she was stood in front of the first boy she had ever loved.
As she looked into his eyes he could only see pain and loneliness. Smiling at her he tried to embrace her in a friendly hug but found that her concentration was elsewhere. And as he looked behind him, to where Cordelia's eyes were focused he saw a tall, dark haired vampire standing in his leather duster, dressed in black staring at him with the weirdest expression.
As he recognized the vampires face, he heard a shrill shout of joy come from Buffy as the blonde raced out onto the front to greet her old boyfriend.
As Xander turned to question Cordelia he saw nothing and as he looked down the street he saw a figure, running, running from what he realized had hurt her most. And without realizing it, he ran right after her, ignoring the shouts of protest that Anya tried to give him.
As Cordelia's legs slowed 10 minutes later, she fell to the floor and sobbed her heart out on the pavement. She did not feel the presence of Xander near her and did not even protest when she was scooped from the ground by a pair of arms that hugged her close. Knowing not to question the girl he walked slowly, hugging her every step of the way until he reached the Watchers house. Rapping his knuckles against the door, it opened and Giles stood smiling. His smile quickly vanished as he noticed the girl wrapped in Xander's arms and stood aside to let the pair in.
"What happened?" Giles asked, as Xander placed Cordelia onto the couch. He did not leave her on her own; instead he sat on the edge of the couch and brushed her hair behind her ear soothing her tears.
"I'm not sure." Xander replied, "I don't even know when she got here."
"Two days ago." Giles replied, "She's been staying with me, so its a good job you brought her here first."
"Oh, well I didn't think Anya would be too pleased if I took her to mine," was Xander's reply, astonished that the Watcher had known that Cordelia Chase was in town. It shocked him at the tone the Watcher used when talking about the ex May Queen and it surprised him that the Watcher could of bonded with Cordelia so quickly.
Xander realized that Cordelia was asleep and Giles' quickly indicated for him to pick her up and carry her to the spare room. When she was in bed Xander turned out the light and as he left the room. As he stood in the doorway and looked back on the sleeping girl, he realized that his ex girlfriend had changed since he had last seen her. Frowning he realized that for her to break down in the way that she had, she must of been in so much pain and it saddened him that he didn't know what had caused it. Vowing to find out, he closed the door and quietly returned to the living room.
Cordelia uncurled her legs and shook her head, "No thanks Giles." Standing she decided she felt like a walk and made her way to the spare room where she had been sleeping to find her coat.
Giles watched her go to his spare room, and his eyes filled with pity for the ex may queen. She re-appeared in the living room a few minutes later dressed in her coat and scarf to keep out the cold. Slipping her shoes on she smiled at the man that had let her stay at his house for Christmas.
"I'll be back in a while, do you want me to get anything while I'm out?"
He smiled and shook his head, "Not unless you see anything nice to go on the tree."
She smiled back and opened the door to be greeted by a draft of cold nights air. Closing the door softly behind her she began to walk. Not having a plan to walk anywhere, she just walked deciding to just go where he mood felt like taking her.
Not hurrying she walked along the path with her hands in her coat pockets. She glanced to her right and saw a massive Christmas tree in a house that had frost nearly covering the entire window. Nearly. She could see right into the room, she saw the tree and children sat around the tree and she could see all the presents that were laid neatly out in front of it.
Sighing she realized that she was nearly at the Summers' house. Knowing that she wouldn't be entirely welcome there, she tried not to look, but she couldn't help herself. As she walked past the front of the house, the door opened and Buffy stepped out onto the porch. Behind her followed Xander, Anya and Spike. Cordelia went to keep walking but as she attempted to walk a little bit further a voice called her name.
"Cordelia?" Cordelia recognized that it was Xander and before she knew it, her entire body had been swirled around and there she was stood in front of the first boy she had ever loved.
As she looked into his eyes he could only see pain and loneliness. Smiling at her he tried to embrace her in a friendly hug but found that her concentration was elsewhere. And as he looked behind him, to where Cordelia's eyes were focused he saw a tall, dark haired vampire standing in his leather duster, dressed in black staring at him with the weirdest expression.
As he recognized the vampires face, he heard a shrill shout of joy come from Buffy as the blonde raced out onto the front to greet her old boyfriend.
As Xander turned to question Cordelia he saw nothing and as he looked down the street he saw a figure, running, running from what he realized had hurt her most. And without realizing it, he ran right after her, ignoring the shouts of protest that Anya tried to give him.
As Cordelia's legs slowed 10 minutes later, she fell to the floor and sobbed her heart out on the pavement. She did not feel the presence of Xander near her and did not even protest when she was scooped from the ground by a pair of arms that hugged her close. Knowing not to question the girl he walked slowly, hugging her every step of the way until he reached the Watchers house. Rapping his knuckles against the door, it opened and Giles stood smiling. His smile quickly vanished as he noticed the girl wrapped in Xander's arms and stood aside to let the pair in.
"What happened?" Giles asked, as Xander placed Cordelia onto the couch. He did not leave her on her own; instead he sat on the edge of the couch and brushed her hair behind her ear soothing her tears.
"I'm not sure." Xander replied, "I don't even know when she got here."
"Two days ago." Giles replied, "She's been staying with me, so its a good job you brought her here first."
"Oh, well I didn't think Anya would be too pleased if I took her to mine," was Xander's reply, astonished that the Watcher had known that Cordelia Chase was in town. It shocked him at the tone the Watcher used when talking about the ex May Queen and it surprised him that the Watcher could of bonded with Cordelia so quickly.
Xander realized that Cordelia was asleep and Giles' quickly indicated for him to pick her up and carry her to the spare room. When she was in bed Xander turned out the light and as he left the room. As he stood in the doorway and looked back on the sleeping girl, he realized that his ex girlfriend had changed since he had last seen her. Frowning he realized that for her to break down in the way that she had, she must of been in so much pain and it saddened him that he didn't know what had caused it. Vowing to find out, he closed the door and quietly returned to the living room.