Part 7: Reunited
Cordelia had finally gone downstairs when she was sure that Angel would be fine on his own for a while. He had gone back to sleep, exhausted after the ordeal. Fred and Gunn were relieved to find out that Angel was safe and Cordelia was glad to find that they did not ask too many questions about how she found him. She was not lying when she told them that she was unsure about what had happened. Her story had only been briefly outlined when the arrival of their client interrupted them. Cordelia headed for the door.
"Where are you going?"
"To pick up a fresh 'meal' for Angel. I think he really needs it." She grabbed her jacket and left, leaving the others to take care of the client's needs.
As she walked to the butcher's, Cordelia found herself thinking about what she had become. Years ago she had imagined that by now the would have the perfect life, with money, a sucessful acting career, someone to form a healthy relationship now. All of that could have been hers, but she had refused. She never regretted any of the decisions that she had made. In just three years, she had changed so much and become a better person. Her heart had always been in the right place, she was never a bad person on the inside, but her high-school bitchiness was a thing of the past. Queen C lay dormant, but she would always be there if the occasion ever arose.
It was still light out when she picked up Angel's blood, but it was growing dark by the time she got back. Even though she had only been awake for a few hours, she felt that she had done so many things and nobody else knew the half of it. She knew that one of the hardest things about her situation was being unable to confide in someone, to share her worries and sadnesses with. Right now, it was about being strong and helping people who needed her. Her feelings were irrelevant and they could not get in the way any more.
Once back at the hotel, Cordelia made her way to Angel's room with his blood, checking in with Gunn first. Gunn was still working with the client and Fred had gone upstairs to sit with Angel. When she entered Angel's room, Fred stood up to leave.
"Hey, he's just wakin' up. He's been asleep the whole time you were gone. It's like he knew you were comin'." Fred smiled for the first time in ages.
"Don't get any ideas, now. It's just a coincidence. Or maybe he smelled the blood." She moved over to the bed, where Angel was attempting to sit up. She quickly came to his assistance.
After grinning and whispering some incomprehensible Pylean word to herself, Fred discreetly slipped out. The others were too preoccupied to notice. Angel had obviously been weak from hunger and he immediately accepted the glass of blood that Cordelia was holding to his mouth. He gained speed as he gulped, soon finishing off the contents of the glass.
"All better?"
"I'm sorry," he frowned. "That must have been disgusting."
"No, of course not," she assured him. "That's not the first time I've seen you drink. Believe me there are worse things than that."
He didn't look convinced. "What happened? Why does my head hurt so much?"
"You don't remember anything? That was quite a blast, I hope you didn't get too much damage." She took hold of his hand.
"I'm having trouble figuring out what was real. I have so many images in my head that are all mixing together."
The pained look on his face made her heart melt. She placed her other hand on his forehead, heating up the cold surface. "Don't try to think too much. Just rest, you're going to be fine."
"I feel a bit better already. Do you have some special powers you haven't mentioned?"
"Not that I know of. It's probably just the blood." She looked away, pulling back her hands.
"It's more than that. You make me feel alive." She ached inwardly, but she had to be strong.
"Sounds like that blood has gone to your head," she laughed forcefully. "Maybe you had better think about getting that rest..."
"No, it's starting to become clearer already." He took her hands in his, noticing the sadness in her eyes. More gently, he continued. "You were down there with me, weren't you? How did you find me?"
"I'll always find you. You can't get away from me that easily, you know," she smiled.
"Why would I want to?" he smiled back.
"Good question. What exactly were you doing in a box underwater?"
"How did I get out?"
"I asked first," she stuck out her tongue.
"He made a mistake."
"Obviously. Who?"
"My son." He looked at her sadly.
"Why would he do that? Things were going so well."
"Something happened. I don't know, I just don't know. I did everything right."
"Of course you did, you're all about doing the right thing. well, most of the time anyway." She grinned at him, "don't start brooding, now. We'll get to the bottom of this. You stay here, I'll get right onto this."
"Wait, we still have to talk."
"It can wait till later, can't it? You need that rest!" She moved to get up.
"We need to talk about, you know, that meeting we never had." he frowned.
She paused, taking this in. "It will have to wait, Angel. Something big is coming."
"How do you know? Did you have a vision?"
As he said the magic words, images started to flash through her head...
Cordelia had finally gone downstairs when she was sure that Angel would be fine on his own for a while. He had gone back to sleep, exhausted after the ordeal. Fred and Gunn were relieved to find out that Angel was safe and Cordelia was glad to find that they did not ask too many questions about how she found him. She was not lying when she told them that she was unsure about what had happened. Her story had only been briefly outlined when the arrival of their client interrupted them. Cordelia headed for the door.
"Where are you going?"
"To pick up a fresh 'meal' for Angel. I think he really needs it." She grabbed her jacket and left, leaving the others to take care of the client's needs.
As she walked to the butcher's, Cordelia found herself thinking about what she had become. Years ago she had imagined that by now the would have the perfect life, with money, a sucessful acting career, someone to form a healthy relationship now. All of that could have been hers, but she had refused. She never regretted any of the decisions that she had made. In just three years, she had changed so much and become a better person. Her heart had always been in the right place, she was never a bad person on the inside, but her high-school bitchiness was a thing of the past. Queen C lay dormant, but she would always be there if the occasion ever arose.
It was still light out when she picked up Angel's blood, but it was growing dark by the time she got back. Even though she had only been awake for a few hours, she felt that she had done so many things and nobody else knew the half of it. She knew that one of the hardest things about her situation was being unable to confide in someone, to share her worries and sadnesses with. Right now, it was about being strong and helping people who needed her. Her feelings were irrelevant and they could not get in the way any more.
Once back at the hotel, Cordelia made her way to Angel's room with his blood, checking in with Gunn first. Gunn was still working with the client and Fred had gone upstairs to sit with Angel. When she entered Angel's room, Fred stood up to leave.
"Hey, he's just wakin' up. He's been asleep the whole time you were gone. It's like he knew you were comin'." Fred smiled for the first time in ages.
"Don't get any ideas, now. It's just a coincidence. Or maybe he smelled the blood." She moved over to the bed, where Angel was attempting to sit up. She quickly came to his assistance.
After grinning and whispering some incomprehensible Pylean word to herself, Fred discreetly slipped out. The others were too preoccupied to notice. Angel had obviously been weak from hunger and he immediately accepted the glass of blood that Cordelia was holding to his mouth. He gained speed as he gulped, soon finishing off the contents of the glass.
"All better?"
"I'm sorry," he frowned. "That must have been disgusting."
"No, of course not," she assured him. "That's not the first time I've seen you drink. Believe me there are worse things than that."
He didn't look convinced. "What happened? Why does my head hurt so much?"
"You don't remember anything? That was quite a blast, I hope you didn't get too much damage." She took hold of his hand.
"I'm having trouble figuring out what was real. I have so many images in my head that are all mixing together."
The pained look on his face made her heart melt. She placed her other hand on his forehead, heating up the cold surface. "Don't try to think too much. Just rest, you're going to be fine."
"I feel a bit better already. Do you have some special powers you haven't mentioned?"
"Not that I know of. It's probably just the blood." She looked away, pulling back her hands.
"It's more than that. You make me feel alive." She ached inwardly, but she had to be strong.
"Sounds like that blood has gone to your head," she laughed forcefully. "Maybe you had better think about getting that rest..."
"No, it's starting to become clearer already." He took her hands in his, noticing the sadness in her eyes. More gently, he continued. "You were down there with me, weren't you? How did you find me?"
"I'll always find you. You can't get away from me that easily, you know," she smiled.
"Why would I want to?" he smiled back.
"Good question. What exactly were you doing in a box underwater?"
"How did I get out?"
"I asked first," she stuck out her tongue.
"He made a mistake."
"Obviously. Who?"
"My son." He looked at her sadly.
"Why would he do that? Things were going so well."
"Something happened. I don't know, I just don't know. I did everything right."
"Of course you did, you're all about doing the right thing. well, most of the time anyway." She grinned at him, "don't start brooding, now. We'll get to the bottom of this. You stay here, I'll get right onto this."
"Wait, we still have to talk."
"It can wait till later, can't it? You need that rest!" She moved to get up.
"We need to talk about, you know, that meeting we never had." he frowned.
She paused, taking this in. "It will have to wait, Angel. Something big is coming."
"How do you know? Did you have a vision?"
As he said the magic words, images started to flash through her head...