A/N: Please R&R!
Disclaimers: Angel belongs to the WB, Joss, and David.
Chapter 5
(c) June 22, 2002
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I have no idea why I've never visited a casino before today. Well, maybe because I was underage before? Other than that, this place is fabulous. The night is young. The mass of crowds are cheering us on, the center of the casino. And the money is rolling right in.
We've racked up quite a bit of money now, Xander and I. Enough for a really nice shiny car or vacation. Or maybe a nice wedding.
Where did that thought come from?
Well, I suppose it's perfectly logical. After all, we are in the wedding capital of the country, if not the continent. And considering that all sorts of people get married each second of each hour of each day...
Well, like I said, we forgot the mission pretty quickly and thoroughly.
Only we should have realized that while we forgot the mission, it certainly didn't forget us.
Xander's laughing, jiggling the buckets of chips in our possession. "Lady luck!" he shouts to me, doing a jig in the middle of the casino.
I laugh, but a little nervously as I glance around. The last thing I want is to get kicked out for drunkenness when we're on a roll.
Although, I do have to admit that we've been tippling a bit of first beer, then wine, and now champagne. And a lot more than what I'm used to.
But hey, at least we're still winning, right?
Until the crowd around us parts slightly to reveal a shaky looking Anya.
Uh oh.
I'm the one who sees her first. Xander is still laughing glibly and bouncing around, hugging everyone when he stops short suddenly.
"Hello, Xander," Anya says, disbelievingly.
"Anya. Hi." he says simply.
She turns to me. "And Cordelia. What a surprise."
I notice she didn't add 'pleasant' to that last sentence.
"It's been a long time," I reply coolly. "How've you been."
"I'm good," she suddenly bubbles. Then she drops the bombshell. "I'm getting married."
"Wh-what?" Xander asks, ashen. I'm afraid he's going to faint.
"To Davey," she explains, waving her hand towards a man behind her. The man, laden with what looks like a million gold chains, looks up at the sound of his name and gives a little wave.
"He's rich," Anya continues, beaming. "He promised to build me a swimming pool filled entirely with twenty dollar bills."
"That's a lot of twenty dollar bills," Xander rasps faintly. He really does look like he'll keel over any second. We shouldn't have ordered that champagne.
"Well, I guess I should go now," Anya says, nodding. "So nice to see you both again."
Could anyone be any chipper? But her eyes are a little too bright as she makes her way back to Davey and his grubby millionaire hands which promptly wrap around her waist.
As soon as Anya and Davey disappear, I turn to Xander, who's just sitting there, downing the last of the champagne.
"Come on," I say to him, "I don't have the heart to keep playing. Let's get out of here."
"Yeah," he says tonelessly. The crowd groans that their entertainment is leaving so soon, but I just shrug as we make our way out of the casino.
"I want a drink." Xander says thickly.
"I don't know if that's a good idea," I tell him. But he ignores me and heads for the hotel bar.
"Two tequilas," he calls out to the bartender.
"I think I've had enough," I tell him.
"Nonsense. Let's drink to our miserable love lives." he says as the bartender places the two shots in front of us.
"Xander..." I say as he shakes salt onto his wrist and licks it.
"I'm assuming you don't have a love life. You wouldn't be here with me if you had." Xander grimaces as he bites into a lemon.
I think about that mysterious manpire I left behind and stare at the man in front of me. I think of the constant reminder that I can never have the true love that dreams are made of. "No, I don't," I say. I grab the salt shaker and a lemon slice. I'm not that sad, really. It's just the alcohol talking now.
"To us. Being miserable." Xander says, clinking my glass.
We down the shots together. It burns as it slides down the back of my throat. But I'm feeling happier in my misery now as we down another one, after another one. I'm starting to forget.
"You know, I forgot how much fun we used to have together," Xander slurs. "When we were like this by ourselves, no worries. And us not being in Sunnydale High," he adds. "You always were great when we weren't in that school."
I stare off into the distance and try to conjure up those memories from all those years ago. "Sure, I remember."
"I keep thinking what would have happened to us. If we had gotten a second chance." Xander continues, slamming down his fifth shot glass.
"Probably gotten married with a brood of 3.5 kids and a dog. And a house with white picket fences." I say, snorting ironically.
"Never would have figured you for the domestic type." Xander laughs.
"Obviously you didn't know me that well." I scoff.
He looks somber suddenly. "You're right. I don't." He grabs my hands suddenly and says seriously, "I'm finding that I'm liking what I know now. I wouldn't mind knowing more."
"Neither do I." I say sincerely. After all, I never would have expected that Xander and I could be friends again after all these years.
"I'm glad." he says mysteriously. "You know, coming here, of all places, with you. I'm wondering if it means something."
"Means something," I repeat.
Sliding off the stool, he crouches down on one knee and gazes up at me adoringly, still holding onto my hands.
Oh, my, god. This isn't what I think --.
"Cordelia, will you marry me?"
A million thoughts flash through my mind. The vampire who can't be perfectly happy. The one whose best friend in the whole galaxy, why not the universe, what was I saying? Oh yeah, who is sure will eventually get his soul back but probably not before she grows old and wrinkly. And who will probably still run back to his one true love.
"Yes," I say. "Yes, Xander. I will."
Disclaimers: Angel belongs to the WB, Joss, and David.
Chapter 5
(c) June 22, 2002
~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~
I have no idea why I've never visited a casino before today. Well, maybe because I was underage before? Other than that, this place is fabulous. The night is young. The mass of crowds are cheering us on, the center of the casino. And the money is rolling right in.
We've racked up quite a bit of money now, Xander and I. Enough for a really nice shiny car or vacation. Or maybe a nice wedding.
Where did that thought come from?
Well, I suppose it's perfectly logical. After all, we are in the wedding capital of the country, if not the continent. And considering that all sorts of people get married each second of each hour of each day...
Well, like I said, we forgot the mission pretty quickly and thoroughly.
Only we should have realized that while we forgot the mission, it certainly didn't forget us.
Xander's laughing, jiggling the buckets of chips in our possession. "Lady luck!" he shouts to me, doing a jig in the middle of the casino.
I laugh, but a little nervously as I glance around. The last thing I want is to get kicked out for drunkenness when we're on a roll.
Although, I do have to admit that we've been tippling a bit of first beer, then wine, and now champagne. And a lot more than what I'm used to.
But hey, at least we're still winning, right?
Until the crowd around us parts slightly to reveal a shaky looking Anya.
Uh oh.
I'm the one who sees her first. Xander is still laughing glibly and bouncing around, hugging everyone when he stops short suddenly.
"Hello, Xander," Anya says, disbelievingly.
"Anya. Hi." he says simply.
She turns to me. "And Cordelia. What a surprise."
I notice she didn't add 'pleasant' to that last sentence.
"It's been a long time," I reply coolly. "How've you been."
"I'm good," she suddenly bubbles. Then she drops the bombshell. "I'm getting married."
"Wh-what?" Xander asks, ashen. I'm afraid he's going to faint.
"To Davey," she explains, waving her hand towards a man behind her. The man, laden with what looks like a million gold chains, looks up at the sound of his name and gives a little wave.
"He's rich," Anya continues, beaming. "He promised to build me a swimming pool filled entirely with twenty dollar bills."
"That's a lot of twenty dollar bills," Xander rasps faintly. He really does look like he'll keel over any second. We shouldn't have ordered that champagne.
"Well, I guess I should go now," Anya says, nodding. "So nice to see you both again."
Could anyone be any chipper? But her eyes are a little too bright as she makes her way back to Davey and his grubby millionaire hands which promptly wrap around her waist.
As soon as Anya and Davey disappear, I turn to Xander, who's just sitting there, downing the last of the champagne.
"Come on," I say to him, "I don't have the heart to keep playing. Let's get out of here."
"Yeah," he says tonelessly. The crowd groans that their entertainment is leaving so soon, but I just shrug as we make our way out of the casino.
"I want a drink." Xander says thickly.
"I don't know if that's a good idea," I tell him. But he ignores me and heads for the hotel bar.
"Two tequilas," he calls out to the bartender.
"I think I've had enough," I tell him.
"Nonsense. Let's drink to our miserable love lives." he says as the bartender places the two shots in front of us.
"Xander..." I say as he shakes salt onto his wrist and licks it.
"I'm assuming you don't have a love life. You wouldn't be here with me if you had." Xander grimaces as he bites into a lemon.
I think about that mysterious manpire I left behind and stare at the man in front of me. I think of the constant reminder that I can never have the true love that dreams are made of. "No, I don't," I say. I grab the salt shaker and a lemon slice. I'm not that sad, really. It's just the alcohol talking now.
"To us. Being miserable." Xander says, clinking my glass.
We down the shots together. It burns as it slides down the back of my throat. But I'm feeling happier in my misery now as we down another one, after another one. I'm starting to forget.
"You know, I forgot how much fun we used to have together," Xander slurs. "When we were like this by ourselves, no worries. And us not being in Sunnydale High," he adds. "You always were great when we weren't in that school."
I stare off into the distance and try to conjure up those memories from all those years ago. "Sure, I remember."
"I keep thinking what would have happened to us. If we had gotten a second chance." Xander continues, slamming down his fifth shot glass.
"Probably gotten married with a brood of 3.5 kids and a dog. And a house with white picket fences." I say, snorting ironically.
"Never would have figured you for the domestic type." Xander laughs.
"Obviously you didn't know me that well." I scoff.
He looks somber suddenly. "You're right. I don't." He grabs my hands suddenly and says seriously, "I'm finding that I'm liking what I know now. I wouldn't mind knowing more."
"Neither do I." I say sincerely. After all, I never would have expected that Xander and I could be friends again after all these years.
"I'm glad." he says mysteriously. "You know, coming here, of all places, with you. I'm wondering if it means something."
"Means something," I repeat.
Sliding off the stool, he crouches down on one knee and gazes up at me adoringly, still holding onto my hands.
Oh, my, god. This isn't what I think --.
"Cordelia, will you marry me?"
A million thoughts flash through my mind. The vampire who can't be perfectly happy. The one whose best friend in the whole galaxy, why not the universe, what was I saying? Oh yeah, who is sure will eventually get his soul back but probably not before she grows old and wrinkly. And who will probably still run back to his one true love.
"Yes," I say. "Yes, Xander. I will."