Cordelia sat quietly in an empty room. It had been a couple of days since she had seen Angel at Buffy's house, but for her it seemed as clear as if it had happened that day. She stood from the bed and looked out of the window. It was snowing softly and she let out a suprised gasp and cursed Xander Harris under her breath. Outside her window on the lawn was an obviously fake snowman, with a woolly hat, scarf and plastic carrot stuck on for its nose. The snow that was falling was hardly gathered on the grass so the snowman was foolishly stupid, but it made her smile just as Xander knew it would.

It was midday and the sky was oddly stroked with red, but it was deliciously cold, and Cordelia couldnt help but shiver. She'd been up a few hours, reading in her room and as she she exited her temporary bedroom she,found herself in the living room which was how she had expected it. Warm and festive with the christmas tree weirdly decorated with odd bits and bobs and the fire on. Only a day away from Christmas yet Cordelia had nothing to be happy about. When she had arrived it Sunnydale she had planned to visit her parents, but had found that the Chase residence had been cleared and all of her stuff had gone with the rest of the family. Elsewhere. Emotionless she had been about to turn and leave Sunnydale when she had ran into Giles and the two of them had gone into a small cafe for some nice english tea and some very american coffee. Then he had offered her a place to stay, food for as long as she needed it, all for reasons she couldnt think of. She didnt know why the watcher had offered her anything and she wondered how a man such as him could offer her anything after what a bitch she had been in Highschool. When she had asked he had only smiled and told her that everyone deserved a place to stay over christmas.

Now he was in the kitchen as he always was. Making some fresh tea. Smiling at the faint humming she could hear she curled up on the sofa with a cushion in front of her and a blanket over her toes.

"Hello." He said happily as he approached his arm chair, arms laden with cups and biscuits.

"Hi Giles." She repeated standing up to help him place the things onto the coffee table.

Shooing her he placed them all down on his own and then passed her a cup of fresh coffee that he knew she preffered rather to tea. Pouring himself a cup of tea from the hot tea pot he stole a biscuit from a newly opened box and she did the same and he smiled at her warmly.

"Buffy called last night." he began, slowly as not to upset the brunette.

Cordelia merely nodded and continued to sip at her well made coffee.

"She wanted to talk to you." he continued.

But still she didnt reply and he thought what to say next.

"I said you were asleep." he finished.

"I was asleep." she said carefully.

"So you can talk to her today then?" Giles asked.

Cordelia shook her head, "No, I'm leaving today."

"Leaving? But Cordelia its Christmas. Where will you stay?" He asked shocked.

"I've got a cousin that lives in New York, i was thinking of visiting her for while." she said adamantly.

"Well cant you at least stay over Christmas?" Giles asked hoping the girl would accept.

She nodded, "I suppose i could. But i dont want to talk to Buffy."

Giles questioned her, "Cordelia? What did Buffy do? I know you two have never seen eye to eye, but i dont understand."

"It doesnt matter Giles. I cant explain. I'll stay for Christmas dinner, and then leave late afternoon, if thats okay?" she stated.

Giles nodded and guessed that the conversation was over.



"Angel do you want a cup of blood?" Dawn called from the kitchen.

"No I bloody well dont." Angel said under his breath.

"Shut it, just cos your brooding dont mean you gotta take it out on the Niblet." A blonde vampire growled at him in a low voice and then spoke louder so Dawn could here him, "Angel said 'He would love some' and i would too."

"K." Dawn called back and Spike heard the vampire growl and then watched him as he jumped off the couch and begin pacing.

"Angel I thought we agreed, you'd stop pacing if i sorted things." Buffy's voice said from the doorway and Angel glanced up to the petite blonde slayer, as he continued pacing.

"We did, but you didnt, so im not." He replied stating a fact that he was obviously angry about.

"Well at least stop for the carpets sake. Your starting to wear it out." Buffy replied forecefully and then held up the portable phone, "I just rang Giles. He says Cordelia was going to leave today."

"TODAY? Today?" Angel shouted, and rushed to the door, but was thankfully held back by his ex.

"Woah Angel, slow down. Its light outside and plus Giles said that 'she *was* going today'." Buffy said pushing him back to the couch.

Angel sighed and waited for her continue.

"Shes leaving tommorow, late afternoon, but she's said she wont talk to me. Giles seemed unclear about the reasons why and to be frank so am i because you havent told us, why shes here, why your here and why shes upset with you. So i think that you, Angel, should start talking." She said quickly.

"Now would be a good time." she added when she didnt get a response.

"She's angry." Angel said with a frown.

"Well i never would of guessed that." spike added but quickly shut up when he saw the looks his grandsire was giving him, "I'll go and erm get my blood."

He went into the kitchen and shut the door leaving the slayer and the vampire with the soul alone.

Buffy sat on the couch next to him and looked at him expectantly, "So? Angel whats going on?"

"Shes angry." he repeated, "at me."

"Why?" she asked.

"Shethinksweslepttogether." Angel said quickly.

"She what?" Buffy almost yelled.

"She thinks you two-" but Spike was quickly yanked back into the kitchen and the door was closed promptly.

"Im sorry." Anegl said, "It was the only way."

"She what?" she almost yelled again, still dazed from what he had just told her, closing her eyes she tried to make herself calm down and ended up yelling a load of questions at him.

"Why? Why was it the only way? What happened? Why? How did we? What? ANGEL WHY DID YOU TELL HER THAT?"

"Im sorry." he repeated trying not to meet the slayers gaze

"Damn right you are, i mean we didnt, y'know, did we?"

"No." he said shaking his head.

"So why did you tell her we did?" she asked confused

"Because i had to find out how she felt about me."Angel said and his comment angered her further.

"So you told her YOU SLEPT WITH ME?" Buffy shouted angrily.

Angel nodded and Buffy hit him around the head.

"SHE THINKS THAT IF YOU CAME RUNNING BACK ID SLEEP WITH YOU. YOU MADE HER THINK THAT IM A WHORE. ANGEL, HOW COULD YOU."

Angel shrugged trying to back away from the angry slayer.

"Hang on a minute." Buffy said taking everything in, "What do you mean by 'I had to find out how she felt about me'."

"I love her." he whispered.

"Jesus." Buffy said and sat in silence looking at the vampire who was holding his head in his hands.

Then when she noticed that he he was shaking she found that he was nearly crying.

Her eyes questioned him intently.

"I love her. But ive lost her." he repeated running his hands through his hair, and slowly she wrapped her arms around, comforting the vampire that had once been the greatest love of her life and now was a wreck in her arms.

"Its okay. Its okay." She tried to reassure him as she rocked him like a baby in her arms and she hoped to god that everything would be.