Title: Loose Ends
Author: Jane McCartney
Disclaimer: All the characters you recognize belong to Joss & co. (all hail the crackhead). I'm just fooling around with his universe, with no intention of making money or anything.
Classification: Buffy-Angel crossover
Rating: PG13
Feedback: Yes, please! Doesn't everyone want it?
Email: janemccartney@bol.com.br
Distribution: Anywhere, I don't mind, just credit me and inform me where it's at.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Theo, who actually made this project a viable one with his amazing and wonderful work - I'm truly grateful for your help with the English grammar and all the necessary adaptations. You're my savior.
Note: This is my very first attempt at fan fiction, and English is definitely not my native language, so I'd be happy if you guys didn't go too hard on me - please. I'm just doing the best I can here.
Summary: [Buffy-Angel Crossover] Xander shows up in Los Angeles, and brings with him a secret that'll lead him into dangerous territory. Can he cope with that? And his friends, will they be there for him?
***
Cordelia's tongue met Xander's in a sweet but devastating explosion of feelings; and everything seemed magically perfect, for that brief instant.
She felt safe. She felt protected. She felt right.
She felt like a princess.
A completely different kind of princess, from her Sunnydale Queen C or Pylean princess persona, naturally.
She finally felt like a blessed princess.
But, nonetheless, those freaking gods seemed to unconditionally believe that she needed to lose everything she'd ever cared about.
They were bad, very bad for a girl's health.
"I'm sorry, Cordy, but I can't," Xander sighed, gently pushing away his body from Cordelia's.
"You love Anya," the brunette girl said simply.
"Yeah, I do," he confirmed frankly. "She's my whole life now, just like you were once. And I'm not gonna be stupid enough to make the same mistake again. You understand that, right? I was a jerk back then. I shouldn't have hurt you like that..."
"A stupid jerk," Cordelia grinned weakly at him, finally releasing herself from their embrace.
It was amazing how easily Xander could just lift someone's spirits, even if that person had suddenly gotten the most terrible news she could have ever received.
Or had just suffered in the worst possible way a girl could, in the presence of an ex-boyfriend. Whatever.
"Well, let's just forget about it, all right? I mean, I was shaken by this prophecy thing and I was obviously desperate," the brunette girl pointed out in an apologetic tone, avoiding the multiple glances from Xander.
"Uh-huh. Prophecy thing, got it," the dark-haired boy replied mockingly.
"Well, screw you, Harris! Hey, you should understand that I know that smartass tone of voice of yours!" the young seer promptly retorted.
And I also know how delicious your tongue tastes, mister! What?! Oh shit, I've got to snap out of this!
Great, there was this giant possibility that Angel would become a big badass vampire once again, and she was getting all hot about a man who was unavailable.
What else could happen for her life to become just fucking perfect now?
And with that last thought, three humanoid demons abruptly entered through the precarious hotel's room door and started to tear the place apart, in an obvious state of fury.
"Damn thoughts! I've gotta stop thinking them!" the brunette seer exclaimed.
Xander glanced at her with utter confusion, but just decided to let it go. "Cordy! Here," the dark-haired young man said, throwing a spiked lance into his former girlfriend's hands.
"What are we living in? The Stone Age?! C'mon, gimme something more modern; a crossbow, a gun of yours, I don't know! Anything, rather than a stupid pre-historical lance!" the brunette girl demanded loudly.
"Trust me, we'll need those 'pre-historical' beauties right now! These demons'll only die with a blow by these weapons to their forehead," the young man promptly replied, being abruptly interrupted by the attack of one of the creatures.
Cordelia let out a scream of sudden fear and Xander rolled along the dusty floor, managing to shove his own lance at the demon's forehead.
Contact.
First demon, down.
"See? Like that! It's the only way these goddamn bastards will end up like we want them, and that's dead!" the young man from Sunnydale pointed out, never diverting his attention from the second creature coming at his back.
"Okay," the young brunette snorted, trying futilely to reach the third demon's forehead. And when Cordelia finally managed to do so, she permitted a half-smile to appear on her lips.
"Got it, dead," the young woman voiced proudly.
The lifeless body of the demon started to decompose into a thin cloud of purple smoke, and soon there were only the orange ashes of its guts scattered on the floor. Cordelia's wandering eyes, looking in the middle of the final vestiges of ash also found a silver medallion, with an unknown symbol etched on its surface.
She carefully lowered her arm and took the medallion - which was utterly dirty with the remaining ashes - into her hands. "Gross," the brunette girl proclaimed, staring at the strange object with growing curiosity. "Oh man, Wesley would so fall in love with this! He loves all these... well, peculiar things."
"Cordelia!" Xander screamed as loud as he could, trying desperately to get Cordelia's attention. He was still engaged in a fight with the second demon, and things weren't exactly coming up roses on his side.
More like a crown of thorns.
The demon had almost managed to grab Xander's lance from his hands in its first offensive, and they were now engaged in mortal combat.
An evil creature with the strength of a Hellspawn against a powerless simple human?
Okay, maybe things were looking *really* bad on his side.
The pretty brunette grabbed her own lance and ran towards the two combatants, who were fighting in the right-hand corner of the hotel room. Cordelia raised her weapon, earlier rejected but now accepted without any qualms, and started to hit the demon's head viciously.
"Get off of him, you... you..."
"Bastard creature of evil?" Xander offered under his continuous gasps for breath.
"Yeah!" the young seer acknowledged thankfully. "Bastard creature of evil!"
Xander managed to administer a strong blow to the demon's upper intestine, and rolled away just in time to avoid a powerful payback blow from the creature's furious fists. Growling immediately in pain on account of his injuries, the boy then dragged himself along the floor in an effort to help Cordy kill the damn thing.
The demon growled, and staggered back at Cordelia's side.
The poor creature never had a chance.
The dark-haired boy threw the metal structure of an old lamp onto its back, and the young seer promptly grabbed her lance and shoved it against the demon's forehead, which automatically let out a growl of utter pain and anguish.
And with the actions from both Xander Harris and Cordelia Chase, soon the demon was transformed in orange ashes scattered all over the cold floor, just like its two compatriots. Among the dirty remains, there was also the same silver medallion with the mysterious symbol on its surface.
"Well, amongst all stuff, I sorta didn't really miss *this* Hellmouth's genuine kind of... thing," the dark-haired boy pointed out with transparent sarcasm; his painting breath just now seeming to recover its usual regularity.
"That's so what I didn't need right now," an annoyed Cordelia complained.
"Actually..." Xander started.
"Oh, I hate your actually's," the brunette girl snorted tiredly.
Beyond every previous event of this very strange night, this new feeling was hitting her somehow stronger than anything else.
It was as if she was there, but she wasn't. As if somehow, she didn't care, but did care about the arrival of these new nasty surprises. After all, this is all pointless - nothing's gonna change the future, right?
Cordelia was getting frustrated.
"Actually," Xander continued, promptly ignoring her complaints, "They were following me. Even the Powers That Be can't stop the forces of evil that easy, and I fought two of those... things... when I first came back, about five hours or so. That's how I've got hurt before."
He stared at the seer. "I was told they'd come, I just didn't know it was gonna be multiple fights, ya know? I thought I'd dealt with the opposition, but I guess I was wrong..."
Xander snorted. "Phht... course I was, huh? It's a big deal what I'm supposed to stop, and I'm thinking the most powerful baddies would send just a couple of morons to stop me? I mean, how stupid can I be? Wait - don't answer that," his babbling mode seemed to be going at full-speed, and Cordelia didn't know if she would cry for remembering Angel's unchangeable future or just laugh at Xander's incoherent order of words.
"I'm sorry for making you go through all of this," the dark-haired young man then shrugged in visible shame.
"It's not your fault," she muttered softly.
"Maybe it isn't, maybe it is. I could have just kept you out of it," Xander persisted in torturing himself with guilt.
"Hey, hey, hey! I was born on the Hellmouth too, remember? I'm a pretty tough girl; danger is like part of my life now. Okay, I hate it - but it's part of me, it's part of my routine, it's part of who I am, OK?"
"Also," Cordelia grinned. "I'd have made you tell me, anyway."
Xander chuckled, and took the pretty brunette into a goofy hug again. "Ah, Cordy, did I ever tell you how much of a jerk I was, to ever screw the 'us' topic back then?" the young man burbled out, in an honest gesture of friendship.
"Stupid jerk," the young seer remarked promptly, in a mocking tone.
It felt so good to be surrounded by his arms.
Even if not in the way she truly desired to be, it still felt good to be hugged like that.
How did I ever let him get away? Cordelia sighed nostalgically to herself, forgetting for a moment past feelings of betrayal and pain.
There was definitely no space for remembering past mistakes right now; just that sweet, comfortable and righteous sensation that she felt embraced by her former love's warm arms.
They never saw the fourth demon, coming in furiously and at full speed in their direction, from the dark shadows of the room.
It seemed like things could actually get worse tonight.
Cordelia Chase couldn't challenge the irreproachable power of true evil.
To do so was to fight a lost battle.
Because, while men play, God laughs.
And the Devil's waiting patiently, for his turn at the roulette table.
And, to Cordelia, the number that came up was a sharp piece of rusted metal lance shoved against her back and making its nasty and painful way into her body, to finally explode out through her bloody abdomen.
The frightened hazel eyes of the pretty brunette, the young girl with a face and form of a natural-born princess, cried fearful tears.
The gods above had abandoned her in every way they could.
And she hated them for it.
"Don't you die on me, Cordy, don't do this, don't you dare..."
***
Author: Jane McCartney
Disclaimer: All the characters you recognize belong to Joss & co. (all hail the crackhead). I'm just fooling around with his universe, with no intention of making money or anything.
Classification: Buffy-Angel crossover
Rating: PG13
Feedback: Yes, please! Doesn't everyone want it?
Email: janemccartney@bol.com.br
Distribution: Anywhere, I don't mind, just credit me and inform me where it's at.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Theo, who actually made this project a viable one with his amazing and wonderful work - I'm truly grateful for your help with the English grammar and all the necessary adaptations. You're my savior.
Note: This is my very first attempt at fan fiction, and English is definitely not my native language, so I'd be happy if you guys didn't go too hard on me - please. I'm just doing the best I can here.
Summary: [Buffy-Angel Crossover] Xander shows up in Los Angeles, and brings with him a secret that'll lead him into dangerous territory. Can he cope with that? And his friends, will they be there for him?
***
Cordelia's tongue met Xander's in a sweet but devastating explosion of feelings; and everything seemed magically perfect, for that brief instant.
She felt safe. She felt protected. She felt right.
She felt like a princess.
A completely different kind of princess, from her Sunnydale Queen C or Pylean princess persona, naturally.
She finally felt like a blessed princess.
But, nonetheless, those freaking gods seemed to unconditionally believe that she needed to lose everything she'd ever cared about.
They were bad, very bad for a girl's health.
"I'm sorry, Cordy, but I can't," Xander sighed, gently pushing away his body from Cordelia's.
"You love Anya," the brunette girl said simply.
"Yeah, I do," he confirmed frankly. "She's my whole life now, just like you were once. And I'm not gonna be stupid enough to make the same mistake again. You understand that, right? I was a jerk back then. I shouldn't have hurt you like that..."
"A stupid jerk," Cordelia grinned weakly at him, finally releasing herself from their embrace.
It was amazing how easily Xander could just lift someone's spirits, even if that person had suddenly gotten the most terrible news she could have ever received.
Or had just suffered in the worst possible way a girl could, in the presence of an ex-boyfriend. Whatever.
"Well, let's just forget about it, all right? I mean, I was shaken by this prophecy thing and I was obviously desperate," the brunette girl pointed out in an apologetic tone, avoiding the multiple glances from Xander.
"Uh-huh. Prophecy thing, got it," the dark-haired boy replied mockingly.
"Well, screw you, Harris! Hey, you should understand that I know that smartass tone of voice of yours!" the young seer promptly retorted.
And I also know how delicious your tongue tastes, mister! What?! Oh shit, I've got to snap out of this!
Great, there was this giant possibility that Angel would become a big badass vampire once again, and she was getting all hot about a man who was unavailable.
What else could happen for her life to become just fucking perfect now?
And with that last thought, three humanoid demons abruptly entered through the precarious hotel's room door and started to tear the place apart, in an obvious state of fury.
"Damn thoughts! I've gotta stop thinking them!" the brunette seer exclaimed.
Xander glanced at her with utter confusion, but just decided to let it go. "Cordy! Here," the dark-haired young man said, throwing a spiked lance into his former girlfriend's hands.
"What are we living in? The Stone Age?! C'mon, gimme something more modern; a crossbow, a gun of yours, I don't know! Anything, rather than a stupid pre-historical lance!" the brunette girl demanded loudly.
"Trust me, we'll need those 'pre-historical' beauties right now! These demons'll only die with a blow by these weapons to their forehead," the young man promptly replied, being abruptly interrupted by the attack of one of the creatures.
Cordelia let out a scream of sudden fear and Xander rolled along the dusty floor, managing to shove his own lance at the demon's forehead.
Contact.
First demon, down.
"See? Like that! It's the only way these goddamn bastards will end up like we want them, and that's dead!" the young man from Sunnydale pointed out, never diverting his attention from the second creature coming at his back.
"Okay," the young brunette snorted, trying futilely to reach the third demon's forehead. And when Cordelia finally managed to do so, she permitted a half-smile to appear on her lips.
"Got it, dead," the young woman voiced proudly.
The lifeless body of the demon started to decompose into a thin cloud of purple smoke, and soon there were only the orange ashes of its guts scattered on the floor. Cordelia's wandering eyes, looking in the middle of the final vestiges of ash also found a silver medallion, with an unknown symbol etched on its surface.
She carefully lowered her arm and took the medallion - which was utterly dirty with the remaining ashes - into her hands. "Gross," the brunette girl proclaimed, staring at the strange object with growing curiosity. "Oh man, Wesley would so fall in love with this! He loves all these... well, peculiar things."
"Cordelia!" Xander screamed as loud as he could, trying desperately to get Cordelia's attention. He was still engaged in a fight with the second demon, and things weren't exactly coming up roses on his side.
More like a crown of thorns.
The demon had almost managed to grab Xander's lance from his hands in its first offensive, and they were now engaged in mortal combat.
An evil creature with the strength of a Hellspawn against a powerless simple human?
Okay, maybe things were looking *really* bad on his side.
The pretty brunette grabbed her own lance and ran towards the two combatants, who were fighting in the right-hand corner of the hotel room. Cordelia raised her weapon, earlier rejected but now accepted without any qualms, and started to hit the demon's head viciously.
"Get off of him, you... you..."
"Bastard creature of evil?" Xander offered under his continuous gasps for breath.
"Yeah!" the young seer acknowledged thankfully. "Bastard creature of evil!"
Xander managed to administer a strong blow to the demon's upper intestine, and rolled away just in time to avoid a powerful payback blow from the creature's furious fists. Growling immediately in pain on account of his injuries, the boy then dragged himself along the floor in an effort to help Cordy kill the damn thing.
The demon growled, and staggered back at Cordelia's side.
The poor creature never had a chance.
The dark-haired boy threw the metal structure of an old lamp onto its back, and the young seer promptly grabbed her lance and shoved it against the demon's forehead, which automatically let out a growl of utter pain and anguish.
And with the actions from both Xander Harris and Cordelia Chase, soon the demon was transformed in orange ashes scattered all over the cold floor, just like its two compatriots. Among the dirty remains, there was also the same silver medallion with the mysterious symbol on its surface.
"Well, amongst all stuff, I sorta didn't really miss *this* Hellmouth's genuine kind of... thing," the dark-haired boy pointed out with transparent sarcasm; his painting breath just now seeming to recover its usual regularity.
"That's so what I didn't need right now," an annoyed Cordelia complained.
"Actually..." Xander started.
"Oh, I hate your actually's," the brunette girl snorted tiredly.
Beyond every previous event of this very strange night, this new feeling was hitting her somehow stronger than anything else.
It was as if she was there, but she wasn't. As if somehow, she didn't care, but did care about the arrival of these new nasty surprises. After all, this is all pointless - nothing's gonna change the future, right?
Cordelia was getting frustrated.
"Actually," Xander continued, promptly ignoring her complaints, "They were following me. Even the Powers That Be can't stop the forces of evil that easy, and I fought two of those... things... when I first came back, about five hours or so. That's how I've got hurt before."
He stared at the seer. "I was told they'd come, I just didn't know it was gonna be multiple fights, ya know? I thought I'd dealt with the opposition, but I guess I was wrong..."
Xander snorted. "Phht... course I was, huh? It's a big deal what I'm supposed to stop, and I'm thinking the most powerful baddies would send just a couple of morons to stop me? I mean, how stupid can I be? Wait - don't answer that," his babbling mode seemed to be going at full-speed, and Cordelia didn't know if she would cry for remembering Angel's unchangeable future or just laugh at Xander's incoherent order of words.
"I'm sorry for making you go through all of this," the dark-haired young man then shrugged in visible shame.
"It's not your fault," she muttered softly.
"Maybe it isn't, maybe it is. I could have just kept you out of it," Xander persisted in torturing himself with guilt.
"Hey, hey, hey! I was born on the Hellmouth too, remember? I'm a pretty tough girl; danger is like part of my life now. Okay, I hate it - but it's part of me, it's part of my routine, it's part of who I am, OK?"
"Also," Cordelia grinned. "I'd have made you tell me, anyway."
Xander chuckled, and took the pretty brunette into a goofy hug again. "Ah, Cordy, did I ever tell you how much of a jerk I was, to ever screw the 'us' topic back then?" the young man burbled out, in an honest gesture of friendship.
"Stupid jerk," the young seer remarked promptly, in a mocking tone.
It felt so good to be surrounded by his arms.
Even if not in the way she truly desired to be, it still felt good to be hugged like that.
How did I ever let him get away? Cordelia sighed nostalgically to herself, forgetting for a moment past feelings of betrayal and pain.
There was definitely no space for remembering past mistakes right now; just that sweet, comfortable and righteous sensation that she felt embraced by her former love's warm arms.
They never saw the fourth demon, coming in furiously and at full speed in their direction, from the dark shadows of the room.
It seemed like things could actually get worse tonight.
Cordelia Chase couldn't challenge the irreproachable power of true evil.
To do so was to fight a lost battle.
Because, while men play, God laughs.
And the Devil's waiting patiently, for his turn at the roulette table.
And, to Cordelia, the number that came up was a sharp piece of rusted metal lance shoved against her back and making its nasty and painful way into her body, to finally explode out through her bloody abdomen.
The frightened hazel eyes of the pretty brunette, the young girl with a face and form of a natural-born princess, cried fearful tears.
The gods above had abandoned her in every way they could.
And she hated them for it.
"Don't you die on me, Cordy, don't do this, don't you dare..."
***