A/N from *MRS O-TOWN* - Hey guys. We're so sorry for the *unbelievably*
long hiatus. We've been so busy with school and exams but we hadn't
forgotten (like your emails or PMs didn't remind us! Lol!) and we had been
working on the next chapters. Also, don't forget we had 'All In A Day's
Work' to do too (which should be updated ASAP). Well, I know you've been
waiting a long time so I'll let you get on with reading. But a shout-out
goes to Gabby (our stalker), Psycgurl (whose been a long time reader of
some of our fics), Star and everyone else who have reviewed or email us
with feedback. We appreciate it!
A/N from *INSANE1* - What she said...lol. Guys, I am also gonna add my apologies for the delay, and use this as an advert for my other fics out there *ducks as T tries to hit her with a cartoon baseball bat*. I SWEAR that I'm working on them and all that. My computer is a bitch. Lets leave it at that...lol. Thanks for all your feedback and support on these fics, we really love you guys.
~*~*Chapter 8 - Ultimatum*~*~
The sun streamed in through the miniscule gap in the hotel curtains. Cordelia stifled a yawn and rubbed her eyes lazily. Her hand hit the object next to her with a loud THWACK! Cordelia turned to see what she'd hit, thinking it was the table beside her bed. Her sleepy eyes widened.
Angel's eyelids flickered open and he smirked, rubbing the top of his head.
"And good morning to you too." he grinned. She exhaled and smiled, still stretching and bringing the covers up to her in a sudden bout of embarrassment. Not that there was anything to hide.especially after last night.
What had she done?!
Well, she KNEW what she had done....but Groo....and a wedding....and oh this was bad. "Hey," she tried to make her voice less surprised and more normal.
He looked back at her and then around the room, his mind racing to remember the previous night. Sure he remembered what they had done...but now he was catching up with *every* tiny detail. He smiled and then looked down at himself, before blushing a little and reaching for his side of the blanket.
Hold up!
He *blushed*? That had NEVER happened to him before. The blushing. Especially not in THIS sort of situation. "Hey...." He replied, training his exterior to remain calm and poised.
Cordelia gulped a little. It felt like a surreal dream. Everything last night had been fine but she hadn't meant it to get this far..not that she minded.... Of course she should mind! She was still engaged. And Angel didn't know. But she loved him....HE didn't know that either. What if..What if he thought she was just another easy lay? What if he had only pretended to be suave and sweet and all that just to get her into bed and then he'd leave. What if- she was cut out of her thoughts when he reached over and brushed a stray strand of hair from her face.
Cordelia scolded herself for even thinking about it. She knew deep down in her heart that he wouldn't play her..he didn't seem like the type, no matter what his friends said he was like. But when..no, *if* he found out about Groo, she dreaded his reaction.
Oh god! What *had* she done?!
Angel tilted his head at her, noticing the way she pulled back from his touch. Did she think last night was a dreadful mistake? Had she had too much champagne and didn't even know what she was doing until this morning? Oh God! He didn't want to think about that. Not after he realised that he loved her. While internally panicking, he forced his voice to remain collected. "So, penny for your thoughts?"
Cordelia was, for the first time in her life, rendered speechless. How was she going to explain this to him and to Groo?
"I just...I'm just surprised," she said, half lying.
He couldn't help the look of anxiety that flashed across his features. She didn't remember?? "Oh...." How was he supposed to reply?
"I never knew I could feel like this about somebody," Cordelia added, mentally kicking herself. She hadn't MEANT for it to come out, but she couldn't resist it. She didn't like to see him hurt.
It was a look of relief that made its way into his face this time. He smiled and reached for her, holding her in his arms. "I know what you mean....This is all new to me. I mean, the feelings...." He grimaced at his babbling. He NEVER babbled. "Although with the way I'm acting you would probably think that all of this is new to me...." He paused. "But its not." Oh great, now she'd think he was a player. (That was the truth though, right?) "Not that-"
She silenced him with a finger to his lips. She smiled slightly, "Me too," she said softly. He grinned and nodded, snuggling his head into her shoulder. She kissed the side of his head, "I'd better go," she said quietly. Sensing his disappointment, she added, "I'll be back soon,"
He brightened, and kissed her forehead. "I'll hold you to that." She turned her eyes away from him as she slinked out of the bed, holding the covers around her as she picked up her clothes. She could feel his gaze on her as she moved around. She felt so guilty.
He sat up and reached for his boxers, which lay on the floor a few centimetres from the bed. Pulling them on, he started to pick up their clothes, giving her as much privacy as possible.
She disappeared into the bathroom as quickly as possible. She wouldn't have a shower here, she'd just put her dress back on and go to her room. She needed to think and she wouldn't be able to do that knowing he was in the next room.
When Cordelia emerged from the bathroom, hastily dressed, hair messed and make up smudged, he smiled. He had never seen anyone look so scruffy and yet beautiful at the same time. Argh! Yet another cheesy thought in his head. That was the one downfall of love, he decided. It made you turn into a rambling idiot. Although, if he had someone like Cordelia Chase, it didn't bother him.
Argh! Another one right there!
She gave him another small smile as she said, "The bathroom's free, I'll be back later," she said as she turned towards the door. He nodded and moved to hold her one last time before she left, but she was gone before he had the chance, and the worry was back in full force.
Outside the room, Cordelia let out a deep breath and leant against the wall. How could she let this happen? How could she be so stupid? Cordelia smiled at a passing couple, who whispered to each other when they walked past her. Firstly, she had to get out of this dress and get cleaned up. Then, it was time to come clean.
She dreaded that. She wished she didn't have to. She wished that she could stay here with him for the rest of their lives and not have to face the real world. But, alas, it could not happen, and she was bound to lose both him and her fiancé.
By some miracle, she managed to get to her room and get into the shower. She wanted to wash away all the bad things. She wanted to go back to the way it had all started....*before* she was engaged to Groo. She wanted to meet Angel *before* she'd met Groo.
And again, she knew it could never happen. The tears started to fall and she sobbed for the next 20 minutes, allowing the water to drown out her cries and wash away the bitterness.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Gunn straightened himself up, PI style, as he knocked on the door. This was going to be one VERY interesting conversation and he knew it. He knocked hard on the door several times. He was so angry with her.
He KNEW he should have forced the issue with Angel, but oh no, that guy just HAD to follow his.... er.... well, whatever it was, it wasn't his head..not the one on top of his shoulders, anyway.
Cordelia finished the last coat of her lip-gloss and groaned as several raps on the door echoed through her room. She opened it, surprised to see the young black man towering over her, "God, what were you going to do, break down the door?" she sniped. She didn't want to be mean to him, she just wasn't in the mood.
He glared at her and pushed his way in, not saying a word. Cordelia hit the wall behind her with a soft thud. She frowned.
"Rude!" she said getting irritated with Gunn's behaviour. "Do you mind?" She asked closing the door and crossing her arms over her chest.
He looked her in the eye and snorted derisively. "Not really. No."
She arched an eyebrow up and then sighed. "I'm really not in the mood. I know you don't like me-" Cordelia was cut off as Gunn spun around and snarled.
"I hate you. You're right. And I don't give a damn if you're in the mood or not to be honest." He shot back at her.
"What's this all about?" Cordelia asked. She didn't want Gunn to be in her room long. She wondered if Angel had told him about what happened last night, "If this is about last night, I don't think it's any of your business," She said firmly.
He stopped and grinned at her, his eyes flashing with cruelty and a world of hate. "When you screw with my best friend, literally and not, I *make* it my business." He stated, thrusting a handful of papers into her hands. "You messed with the wrong man *princess*" He hissed.
Cordelia snatched the papers away from Gunn's hand and looked at them, her mouth fell open. Private emails sent to her sister and details about Groo and her family filled the pages, "T-t...y-y-you've been looking me up?!" she asked with a mix of disbelief and fear.
He tilted his head to the side and rolled his eyes. "Hell yeah. Didn't think that wouldn't get caught when you were messing with a *PI* did you?" his grin grew wider as he realised she was scared.
"I can't believe you'd do this to your best friend...unless Angel told you to look it up when even then its-" Her voice quivered as she tried to calm herself down. She noticed that her hands were shaking slightly. She put down the papers, and stuffed her hands in her back pocket.
"HAH! Angel ask me to look up on you?" He snorted again, cutting her off. "That's rich. I mean, he sees you through these damn rose-coloured glasses and I can only imagine how hurt he's gonna be when you tell him." He stopped and smirked. "You *are* going to tell the man you've been leading on the truth right?" He said, offering her a chance to redeem herself slightly. Girl must have *some* morals, right?
Cordelia looked at him, "I..I don't know..." she stuttered, regretting not coming clean straight away.
His eyes widened in faux disbelief. "Girl....You're kiddin' me. So it's okay to go out, have a fling, lead some poor soul on but not-"
"Look, it wasn't supposed to be like this!" she snapped. She sighed and flopped down on her bed, a sudden sense of fatigue washing over her. She picked up the papers that she'd discarded on her bed. He had photos of stuff from her hotel room..her engagement ring....the photo of her and Groo..
Her eyes flashed at him when she looked into his eyes. "You went through my stuff?!" She screeched. "That's invasion of privacy! That's-"
"That's called 'finding out the truth'" Gunn retorted. He was doing what was best for his friend, whether it was legal or not.
"You can't do that!" Cordelia protested, making a mental note to get to her lawyer. But then she realised if she did that, her 'fling' with Angel would be exposed.
"Can too!" Great Gunn, sound like a 3rd grader! She rolled her eyes and held the documents firmly.
"Angel can't see this!" She snapped, pulling them to her chest. "I won't let you show him,"
"Then tell him. Tell him, so *I* don't have to..cos I sure as hell don't want to break his heart." Gunn said. It was strange. He wanted Angel to know the truth, but he also could bear to see him go through all that pain..again.
She held back her tears and looked to the ground. "I can't." She said weakly. "I love him you know." She looked up at him, her eyes glistening sadly, pleading with him to understand. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this. I wasn't supposed to have a fling.I wasn't supposed to do anything like this...I wasn't supposed to fall in love...."
He looked away. Damn that girl was a good actress.
Almost had him fooled for a second.
Almost.
"You're good, girl. He told me you were an actress. I don't care if you 'love' him or not. I just want him to know the truth and get on with his life.without you."
"Actress?" She asked, puzzled, before reality clicked. She looked back at him furiously. "You think I'm *acting*?!"
"Well isn't that what an actress does?" Gunn asked mocking her. "I mean, another performance like that, and you'd get an Oscar. I liked the thing with the tears. Very Meryl," His lips curled into a smile.
"I'm not acting!" She cried. "I really do love him. I don't want to hurt him! I don't want to lose him!"
"Then why did you play him in the first place?" Gunn asked. He felt no sympathy for the girl in front of him. They all did that, Darla, Buffy...
Although Darla had never proclaimed love. She'd openly admitted that she was only in it for the sex, and it was to his understanding that in that particular relationship, Angel had held a mutual opinion. Not that it mattered of course.
"Why did you do this in the first place? For the kicks? The sex?" Gunn asked harshly.
"NO!" She screamed, on the verge of breaking down. "I didn't....it wasn't supposed to happen. I really do love him!"
"Maybe that's what you think, but be assured he won't feel the same way after I show him this." He picked out papers from his bag. Copies. Cordelia looked at the worthless documents in her hands. Tears fell and stained the black ink.
"You can't." She declared helplessly. "Please.. don't.."
"Well, are *you* going to tell him?" Gunn asked, hoping she'd take up the offer.
She paled even further, but her grip never loosened. "I can't.." She wailed helplessly. "I was going to.. I really was, But I can't...."
There was a brief silence before Gunn straightened and cleared his throat. "You have until noon," he said. "Or I do it,"
She watched him leave and collapsed onto the bed, weeping again and wondering what she was going to do.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Angel grinned to himself as he remembered the events of the previous night. He hadn't seen Cordelia yet, but he wasn't too doubtful things had been ruined. After all, she'd looked happy when she'd woken up. A knock on the door made Angel's heart flip. Assuming it was Cordelia, he opened the door with a huge grin on his face.
Gunn watched as Angel's face fell.
"Oh, it's you," Angel said disappointedly. He expected sarcastic a remark from his friend, but none came.
"Yeah," the younger man replied solemnly instead. "It's me." He pushed his way into the room and sat down on the couch, deliberately avoiding the nearest bed.
"What's up with you?" Angel asked, "Get turned down again?" He smirked, trying to engage in some playful banter.
Gunn scowled at the comment and remained silent, turning to pull a wad of documents from his bag instead. It was past noon, and it seemed as if Cordelia had forfeit her right..or, rather, *obligation* to come clean. He sighed and extended the folder of incriminating evidence towards the other man.
Angel looked at them. "Gunn, we're on holiday, I don't want to work!" He proceeded to ignore the files.
"This is important."
Angel took them from him, reminding himself to look at them later.
Gunn noticed the way his friend placed them aside and rolled his eyes. "Now man." He hissed. "And, I hate to say it, but....you'll be shocked." He stood up and deliberately looked into Angel's eyes. "I'm sorry bro...."
Angel peered into the file as he scanned through various emails and photos of Cordelia and another man, "What is *this*?" He demanded, panic trying to squirm into his voice, but his anger made it go by unnoticed.
Gunn straightened to full height, not allowing Angel to intimidate him. "I checked up on her. THAT-" He pointed towards a picture of Groo, "Is her fiancé and-"
"Her *fiancé*?" Angel repeated in disbelief, taking every detail of this man in. Somewhere at the back of his mind an itch of recognition kicked in, although he was at a loss as to why.
Gunn nodded, still prepared for the explosion that Angel was saving up. He knew the other man well enough to predict what he would say and do in this situation, so he was prepared to defend his actions. "Yeah. Listen man, I'm so sorry....I didn't want to be right but-"
"I don't believe this," Angel cut in. "I cannot--" he groaned as he sat on the bed. Suddenly his head whipped up and he glared at Gunn.
'Oh here we go....' The black man thought as the other man snarled at him. "Listen Angel-" He began.
"How could you do this?" Angel growled. After all the bother at the beginning, Gunn was *still* on Cordy's back.
"How could *I* do this???" The younger man echoed in amazement. "Shouldn't you be asking *her* that question? Or better yet-"
"You've had it in for her since the first time you met her! You can't honestly believe that I'll believe this shit that you've produced!" Angel exploded, just like Gunn had predicted - although for the wrong reason.
"You think that I made this up?!" Gunn exclaimed, completely horrified. "Angel, man, I would *never* want to see you get hurt-"
"That's bullshit and you know it! If you didn't want to see me hurt you could have stopped belittling Cordelia! You could have just accepted that we were together!"
"And let *her* hurt you? No, bro. This way you know what you're dealing with." He reasoned in response.
Angel couldn't think of a suitable response. Finally he slumped his shoulders. "So, she has a fiancé?" He asked glumly. Gunn nodded and another argument escaped his lips. "Then why hasn't she told me anything about him?"
"Would you have slept with her if she had?" Gunn tossed back. He didn't allow any time for Angel to reply. "No. And, unfortunately, she's a player. I know you liked her but she's just like you and Darla were...." He trailed off, knowing that the last part wasn't gonna help things in any way, shape or form.
"Don't bring my past into this!" Angel blew up again, although he was starting to believe Gunn was right. Which made him even more furious. It wasn't possible. "Cordy would never lie to me!" He added defiantly.
Gunn let out a short, cruel laugh. "Don't fool yourself bro. That's all she's been doin' since you met her."
"I know Cordy, alright! And she's never had an engagement ring or even a picture of that guy in her room!" Angel pointed to the picture of Groo, screwing up his face slightly. Why did he feel like he knew him? Why did that even matter? He shook his head to clear his thoughts.
"You mean things like these?" The black man produced the surveillance photos he'd taken of the picture of her dresser with the objects lying on top, vaguely hidden by hair brushes and things.
Angel closed the file; feeling defeated and violated, and handed it to Gunn. "Just get out."
"Angel I'm sorry." The younger man said, while Angel grabbed hold of his shirt and dragged him towards the door. "I really am."
"You should be," Angel said as he closed the door in his best-- no, EX-best friend's face. Somewhere deep down he knew that this wasn't Gunn's fault, but it was so much easier to blame others than just accept things....The pain wasn't quite as bad when there was someone to blame.
Gunn frowned at the door. What was he supposed to do now? He knew that Angel would simmer down, but until he did, there wasn't much he could do for his friend but wait. Unless he could find Wes and Lorne..They'd know what to do. So long as they weren't still fighting over that cute Texan chick..
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hours later, Angel looked at the door. The sharp raps from the other side had brought him out of his thoughts. He hoped it wasn't room service. He didn't feel like going out of his room. Then again, a walk down by the pool would do him good.
After a few more seconds, the person knocked again. He groaned and heaved himself up. "I'm coming."
Opening the door, he came face to face with the woman that had led him on for the last week or so, "Angel," she sighed "We need to talk."
He frowned harshly at her, a thousand different emotions flowing inside him. He wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. He wanted to slam the door in her face. He wanted to scream at her for toying with him. He just wanted to kiss her and hold her as he had the previous night..It was all so damn hard. Why couldn't he just *know* how to react?
And there she stood, wanting him to just slam the door in her face and reject her, or call her a name. But more than anything, she wanted him to take her into his arms and tell her it would be all right.
However, Cordelia Chase knew that none of the above was really possible.
Angel shook himself from his stupor and silently moved aside, waiting for her to enter and make the first move. After all, he had come to him. She could start the conversation.
"I know you're mad...." she began, her eyes scanning the floor. The tears she'd shed had been roughly wiped from her eyes before she'd knocked on the door, but she couldn't do anything about the ones that were already forming. Especially not if she looked at him.
He forced back the snide comments that were forming on his tongue. 'Give her the benefit of the doubt' his mind repeated, over and over. It was rapidly becoming his mantra. 'Give her the benefit of the doubt'. Those few words alone were all that was preventing him from blowing up in front of her. He wondered if she even realized this as she forced herself to look up at him.
"Look, I don't want to do this here. Can I come in?" she asked, voice shaking.
He *had* moved aside, had he not? Well, maybe she was too upset with getting caught out to notice. Angel, once again, bit his tongue and stepped away from the doorframe. His mantra was still in full effect, although he didn't know how long he could keep it up.
Cordelia entered the room, making careful note to come in quickly and stay far away from him. There was something about his demeanour that gave her the heebie-jeebies. Then again, he had every right to be angry. She would be if she were in the same situation. But she wasn't, and she had no idea exactly what he was thinking or feeling. She could only wait to see how he would react. An educated guess told her that it would be far from an enjoyable experience.
After Cordy entered, Angel closed the door and turned to face her, arms crossed over his chest. "Talk." He growled. "I'm listening." He could feel his resolve slipping as he spoke. His mantra was definitely beginning to lose its effect.
Cordelia frowned when she heard the tone in his voice. 'May as well get to the point' she thought silently. "I'm engaged," she said, cringing as she watched him flinch. She hadn't meant to hurt him..Was it too late to make amends? Of course it was. The only thing she could do now was try to explain, and somehow she knew it was going to be more difficult than she first thought. Steeling herself, Cordelia took a deep breath and prepared for his reaction.
*************************
Well, there's another chapter. (Gotta love these cliffies, huh? *winking*) We apologise *again* for the long delay and hope you'll stick around for the next chapters.
Also, before we go, don't forget to review. We like to know if you are reading it and enjoying it.
Until next time!
Press review now. ^_^ Thanks
A/N from *INSANE1* - What she said...lol. Guys, I am also gonna add my apologies for the delay, and use this as an advert for my other fics out there *ducks as T tries to hit her with a cartoon baseball bat*. I SWEAR that I'm working on them and all that. My computer is a bitch. Lets leave it at that...lol. Thanks for all your feedback and support on these fics, we really love you guys.
~*~*Chapter 8 - Ultimatum*~*~
The sun streamed in through the miniscule gap in the hotel curtains. Cordelia stifled a yawn and rubbed her eyes lazily. Her hand hit the object next to her with a loud THWACK! Cordelia turned to see what she'd hit, thinking it was the table beside her bed. Her sleepy eyes widened.
Angel's eyelids flickered open and he smirked, rubbing the top of his head.
"And good morning to you too." he grinned. She exhaled and smiled, still stretching and bringing the covers up to her in a sudden bout of embarrassment. Not that there was anything to hide.especially after last night.
What had she done?!
Well, she KNEW what she had done....but Groo....and a wedding....and oh this was bad. "Hey," she tried to make her voice less surprised and more normal.
He looked back at her and then around the room, his mind racing to remember the previous night. Sure he remembered what they had done...but now he was catching up with *every* tiny detail. He smiled and then looked down at himself, before blushing a little and reaching for his side of the blanket.
Hold up!
He *blushed*? That had NEVER happened to him before. The blushing. Especially not in THIS sort of situation. "Hey...." He replied, training his exterior to remain calm and poised.
Cordelia gulped a little. It felt like a surreal dream. Everything last night had been fine but she hadn't meant it to get this far..not that she minded.... Of course she should mind! She was still engaged. And Angel didn't know. But she loved him....HE didn't know that either. What if..What if he thought she was just another easy lay? What if he had only pretended to be suave and sweet and all that just to get her into bed and then he'd leave. What if- she was cut out of her thoughts when he reached over and brushed a stray strand of hair from her face.
Cordelia scolded herself for even thinking about it. She knew deep down in her heart that he wouldn't play her..he didn't seem like the type, no matter what his friends said he was like. But when..no, *if* he found out about Groo, she dreaded his reaction.
Oh god! What *had* she done?!
Angel tilted his head at her, noticing the way she pulled back from his touch. Did she think last night was a dreadful mistake? Had she had too much champagne and didn't even know what she was doing until this morning? Oh God! He didn't want to think about that. Not after he realised that he loved her. While internally panicking, he forced his voice to remain collected. "So, penny for your thoughts?"
Cordelia was, for the first time in her life, rendered speechless. How was she going to explain this to him and to Groo?
"I just...I'm just surprised," she said, half lying.
He couldn't help the look of anxiety that flashed across his features. She didn't remember?? "Oh...." How was he supposed to reply?
"I never knew I could feel like this about somebody," Cordelia added, mentally kicking herself. She hadn't MEANT for it to come out, but she couldn't resist it. She didn't like to see him hurt.
It was a look of relief that made its way into his face this time. He smiled and reached for her, holding her in his arms. "I know what you mean....This is all new to me. I mean, the feelings...." He grimaced at his babbling. He NEVER babbled. "Although with the way I'm acting you would probably think that all of this is new to me...." He paused. "But its not." Oh great, now she'd think he was a player. (That was the truth though, right?) "Not that-"
She silenced him with a finger to his lips. She smiled slightly, "Me too," she said softly. He grinned and nodded, snuggling his head into her shoulder. She kissed the side of his head, "I'd better go," she said quietly. Sensing his disappointment, she added, "I'll be back soon,"
He brightened, and kissed her forehead. "I'll hold you to that." She turned her eyes away from him as she slinked out of the bed, holding the covers around her as she picked up her clothes. She could feel his gaze on her as she moved around. She felt so guilty.
He sat up and reached for his boxers, which lay on the floor a few centimetres from the bed. Pulling them on, he started to pick up their clothes, giving her as much privacy as possible.
She disappeared into the bathroom as quickly as possible. She wouldn't have a shower here, she'd just put her dress back on and go to her room. She needed to think and she wouldn't be able to do that knowing he was in the next room.
When Cordelia emerged from the bathroom, hastily dressed, hair messed and make up smudged, he smiled. He had never seen anyone look so scruffy and yet beautiful at the same time. Argh! Yet another cheesy thought in his head. That was the one downfall of love, he decided. It made you turn into a rambling idiot. Although, if he had someone like Cordelia Chase, it didn't bother him.
Argh! Another one right there!
She gave him another small smile as she said, "The bathroom's free, I'll be back later," she said as she turned towards the door. He nodded and moved to hold her one last time before she left, but she was gone before he had the chance, and the worry was back in full force.
Outside the room, Cordelia let out a deep breath and leant against the wall. How could she let this happen? How could she be so stupid? Cordelia smiled at a passing couple, who whispered to each other when they walked past her. Firstly, she had to get out of this dress and get cleaned up. Then, it was time to come clean.
She dreaded that. She wished she didn't have to. She wished that she could stay here with him for the rest of their lives and not have to face the real world. But, alas, it could not happen, and she was bound to lose both him and her fiancé.
By some miracle, she managed to get to her room and get into the shower. She wanted to wash away all the bad things. She wanted to go back to the way it had all started....*before* she was engaged to Groo. She wanted to meet Angel *before* she'd met Groo.
And again, she knew it could never happen. The tears started to fall and she sobbed for the next 20 minutes, allowing the water to drown out her cries and wash away the bitterness.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Gunn straightened himself up, PI style, as he knocked on the door. This was going to be one VERY interesting conversation and he knew it. He knocked hard on the door several times. He was so angry with her.
He KNEW he should have forced the issue with Angel, but oh no, that guy just HAD to follow his.... er.... well, whatever it was, it wasn't his head..not the one on top of his shoulders, anyway.
Cordelia finished the last coat of her lip-gloss and groaned as several raps on the door echoed through her room. She opened it, surprised to see the young black man towering over her, "God, what were you going to do, break down the door?" she sniped. She didn't want to be mean to him, she just wasn't in the mood.
He glared at her and pushed his way in, not saying a word. Cordelia hit the wall behind her with a soft thud. She frowned.
"Rude!" she said getting irritated with Gunn's behaviour. "Do you mind?" She asked closing the door and crossing her arms over her chest.
He looked her in the eye and snorted derisively. "Not really. No."
She arched an eyebrow up and then sighed. "I'm really not in the mood. I know you don't like me-" Cordelia was cut off as Gunn spun around and snarled.
"I hate you. You're right. And I don't give a damn if you're in the mood or not to be honest." He shot back at her.
"What's this all about?" Cordelia asked. She didn't want Gunn to be in her room long. She wondered if Angel had told him about what happened last night, "If this is about last night, I don't think it's any of your business," She said firmly.
He stopped and grinned at her, his eyes flashing with cruelty and a world of hate. "When you screw with my best friend, literally and not, I *make* it my business." He stated, thrusting a handful of papers into her hands. "You messed with the wrong man *princess*" He hissed.
Cordelia snatched the papers away from Gunn's hand and looked at them, her mouth fell open. Private emails sent to her sister and details about Groo and her family filled the pages, "T-t...y-y-you've been looking me up?!" she asked with a mix of disbelief and fear.
He tilted his head to the side and rolled his eyes. "Hell yeah. Didn't think that wouldn't get caught when you were messing with a *PI* did you?" his grin grew wider as he realised she was scared.
"I can't believe you'd do this to your best friend...unless Angel told you to look it up when even then its-" Her voice quivered as she tried to calm herself down. She noticed that her hands were shaking slightly. She put down the papers, and stuffed her hands in her back pocket.
"HAH! Angel ask me to look up on you?" He snorted again, cutting her off. "That's rich. I mean, he sees you through these damn rose-coloured glasses and I can only imagine how hurt he's gonna be when you tell him." He stopped and smirked. "You *are* going to tell the man you've been leading on the truth right?" He said, offering her a chance to redeem herself slightly. Girl must have *some* morals, right?
Cordelia looked at him, "I..I don't know..." she stuttered, regretting not coming clean straight away.
His eyes widened in faux disbelief. "Girl....You're kiddin' me. So it's okay to go out, have a fling, lead some poor soul on but not-"
"Look, it wasn't supposed to be like this!" she snapped. She sighed and flopped down on her bed, a sudden sense of fatigue washing over her. She picked up the papers that she'd discarded on her bed. He had photos of stuff from her hotel room..her engagement ring....the photo of her and Groo..
Her eyes flashed at him when she looked into his eyes. "You went through my stuff?!" She screeched. "That's invasion of privacy! That's-"
"That's called 'finding out the truth'" Gunn retorted. He was doing what was best for his friend, whether it was legal or not.
"You can't do that!" Cordelia protested, making a mental note to get to her lawyer. But then she realised if she did that, her 'fling' with Angel would be exposed.
"Can too!" Great Gunn, sound like a 3rd grader! She rolled her eyes and held the documents firmly.
"Angel can't see this!" She snapped, pulling them to her chest. "I won't let you show him,"
"Then tell him. Tell him, so *I* don't have to..cos I sure as hell don't want to break his heart." Gunn said. It was strange. He wanted Angel to know the truth, but he also could bear to see him go through all that pain..again.
She held back her tears and looked to the ground. "I can't." She said weakly. "I love him you know." She looked up at him, her eyes glistening sadly, pleading with him to understand. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this. I wasn't supposed to have a fling.I wasn't supposed to do anything like this...I wasn't supposed to fall in love...."
He looked away. Damn that girl was a good actress.
Almost had him fooled for a second.
Almost.
"You're good, girl. He told me you were an actress. I don't care if you 'love' him or not. I just want him to know the truth and get on with his life.without you."
"Actress?" She asked, puzzled, before reality clicked. She looked back at him furiously. "You think I'm *acting*?!"
"Well isn't that what an actress does?" Gunn asked mocking her. "I mean, another performance like that, and you'd get an Oscar. I liked the thing with the tears. Very Meryl," His lips curled into a smile.
"I'm not acting!" She cried. "I really do love him. I don't want to hurt him! I don't want to lose him!"
"Then why did you play him in the first place?" Gunn asked. He felt no sympathy for the girl in front of him. They all did that, Darla, Buffy...
Although Darla had never proclaimed love. She'd openly admitted that she was only in it for the sex, and it was to his understanding that in that particular relationship, Angel had held a mutual opinion. Not that it mattered of course.
"Why did you do this in the first place? For the kicks? The sex?" Gunn asked harshly.
"NO!" She screamed, on the verge of breaking down. "I didn't....it wasn't supposed to happen. I really do love him!"
"Maybe that's what you think, but be assured he won't feel the same way after I show him this." He picked out papers from his bag. Copies. Cordelia looked at the worthless documents in her hands. Tears fell and stained the black ink.
"You can't." She declared helplessly. "Please.. don't.."
"Well, are *you* going to tell him?" Gunn asked, hoping she'd take up the offer.
She paled even further, but her grip never loosened. "I can't.." She wailed helplessly. "I was going to.. I really was, But I can't...."
There was a brief silence before Gunn straightened and cleared his throat. "You have until noon," he said. "Or I do it,"
She watched him leave and collapsed onto the bed, weeping again and wondering what she was going to do.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Angel grinned to himself as he remembered the events of the previous night. He hadn't seen Cordelia yet, but he wasn't too doubtful things had been ruined. After all, she'd looked happy when she'd woken up. A knock on the door made Angel's heart flip. Assuming it was Cordelia, he opened the door with a huge grin on his face.
Gunn watched as Angel's face fell.
"Oh, it's you," Angel said disappointedly. He expected sarcastic a remark from his friend, but none came.
"Yeah," the younger man replied solemnly instead. "It's me." He pushed his way into the room and sat down on the couch, deliberately avoiding the nearest bed.
"What's up with you?" Angel asked, "Get turned down again?" He smirked, trying to engage in some playful banter.
Gunn scowled at the comment and remained silent, turning to pull a wad of documents from his bag instead. It was past noon, and it seemed as if Cordelia had forfeit her right..or, rather, *obligation* to come clean. He sighed and extended the folder of incriminating evidence towards the other man.
Angel looked at them. "Gunn, we're on holiday, I don't want to work!" He proceeded to ignore the files.
"This is important."
Angel took them from him, reminding himself to look at them later.
Gunn noticed the way his friend placed them aside and rolled his eyes. "Now man." He hissed. "And, I hate to say it, but....you'll be shocked." He stood up and deliberately looked into Angel's eyes. "I'm sorry bro...."
Angel peered into the file as he scanned through various emails and photos of Cordelia and another man, "What is *this*?" He demanded, panic trying to squirm into his voice, but his anger made it go by unnoticed.
Gunn straightened to full height, not allowing Angel to intimidate him. "I checked up on her. THAT-" He pointed towards a picture of Groo, "Is her fiancé and-"
"Her *fiancé*?" Angel repeated in disbelief, taking every detail of this man in. Somewhere at the back of his mind an itch of recognition kicked in, although he was at a loss as to why.
Gunn nodded, still prepared for the explosion that Angel was saving up. He knew the other man well enough to predict what he would say and do in this situation, so he was prepared to defend his actions. "Yeah. Listen man, I'm so sorry....I didn't want to be right but-"
"I don't believe this," Angel cut in. "I cannot--" he groaned as he sat on the bed. Suddenly his head whipped up and he glared at Gunn.
'Oh here we go....' The black man thought as the other man snarled at him. "Listen Angel-" He began.
"How could you do this?" Angel growled. After all the bother at the beginning, Gunn was *still* on Cordy's back.
"How could *I* do this???" The younger man echoed in amazement. "Shouldn't you be asking *her* that question? Or better yet-"
"You've had it in for her since the first time you met her! You can't honestly believe that I'll believe this shit that you've produced!" Angel exploded, just like Gunn had predicted - although for the wrong reason.
"You think that I made this up?!" Gunn exclaimed, completely horrified. "Angel, man, I would *never* want to see you get hurt-"
"That's bullshit and you know it! If you didn't want to see me hurt you could have stopped belittling Cordelia! You could have just accepted that we were together!"
"And let *her* hurt you? No, bro. This way you know what you're dealing with." He reasoned in response.
Angel couldn't think of a suitable response. Finally he slumped his shoulders. "So, she has a fiancé?" He asked glumly. Gunn nodded and another argument escaped his lips. "Then why hasn't she told me anything about him?"
"Would you have slept with her if she had?" Gunn tossed back. He didn't allow any time for Angel to reply. "No. And, unfortunately, she's a player. I know you liked her but she's just like you and Darla were...." He trailed off, knowing that the last part wasn't gonna help things in any way, shape or form.
"Don't bring my past into this!" Angel blew up again, although he was starting to believe Gunn was right. Which made him even more furious. It wasn't possible. "Cordy would never lie to me!" He added defiantly.
Gunn let out a short, cruel laugh. "Don't fool yourself bro. That's all she's been doin' since you met her."
"I know Cordy, alright! And she's never had an engagement ring or even a picture of that guy in her room!" Angel pointed to the picture of Groo, screwing up his face slightly. Why did he feel like he knew him? Why did that even matter? He shook his head to clear his thoughts.
"You mean things like these?" The black man produced the surveillance photos he'd taken of the picture of her dresser with the objects lying on top, vaguely hidden by hair brushes and things.
Angel closed the file; feeling defeated and violated, and handed it to Gunn. "Just get out."
"Angel I'm sorry." The younger man said, while Angel grabbed hold of his shirt and dragged him towards the door. "I really am."
"You should be," Angel said as he closed the door in his best-- no, EX-best friend's face. Somewhere deep down he knew that this wasn't Gunn's fault, but it was so much easier to blame others than just accept things....The pain wasn't quite as bad when there was someone to blame.
Gunn frowned at the door. What was he supposed to do now? He knew that Angel would simmer down, but until he did, there wasn't much he could do for his friend but wait. Unless he could find Wes and Lorne..They'd know what to do. So long as they weren't still fighting over that cute Texan chick..
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hours later, Angel looked at the door. The sharp raps from the other side had brought him out of his thoughts. He hoped it wasn't room service. He didn't feel like going out of his room. Then again, a walk down by the pool would do him good.
After a few more seconds, the person knocked again. He groaned and heaved himself up. "I'm coming."
Opening the door, he came face to face with the woman that had led him on for the last week or so, "Angel," she sighed "We need to talk."
He frowned harshly at her, a thousand different emotions flowing inside him. He wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. He wanted to slam the door in her face. He wanted to scream at her for toying with him. He just wanted to kiss her and hold her as he had the previous night..It was all so damn hard. Why couldn't he just *know* how to react?
And there she stood, wanting him to just slam the door in her face and reject her, or call her a name. But more than anything, she wanted him to take her into his arms and tell her it would be all right.
However, Cordelia Chase knew that none of the above was really possible.
Angel shook himself from his stupor and silently moved aside, waiting for her to enter and make the first move. After all, he had come to him. She could start the conversation.
"I know you're mad...." she began, her eyes scanning the floor. The tears she'd shed had been roughly wiped from her eyes before she'd knocked on the door, but she couldn't do anything about the ones that were already forming. Especially not if she looked at him.
He forced back the snide comments that were forming on his tongue. 'Give her the benefit of the doubt' his mind repeated, over and over. It was rapidly becoming his mantra. 'Give her the benefit of the doubt'. Those few words alone were all that was preventing him from blowing up in front of her. He wondered if she even realized this as she forced herself to look up at him.
"Look, I don't want to do this here. Can I come in?" she asked, voice shaking.
He *had* moved aside, had he not? Well, maybe she was too upset with getting caught out to notice. Angel, once again, bit his tongue and stepped away from the doorframe. His mantra was still in full effect, although he didn't know how long he could keep it up.
Cordelia entered the room, making careful note to come in quickly and stay far away from him. There was something about his demeanour that gave her the heebie-jeebies. Then again, he had every right to be angry. She would be if she were in the same situation. But she wasn't, and she had no idea exactly what he was thinking or feeling. She could only wait to see how he would react. An educated guess told her that it would be far from an enjoyable experience.
After Cordy entered, Angel closed the door and turned to face her, arms crossed over his chest. "Talk." He growled. "I'm listening." He could feel his resolve slipping as he spoke. His mantra was definitely beginning to lose its effect.
Cordelia frowned when she heard the tone in his voice. 'May as well get to the point' she thought silently. "I'm engaged," she said, cringing as she watched him flinch. She hadn't meant to hurt him..Was it too late to make amends? Of course it was. The only thing she could do now was try to explain, and somehow she knew it was going to be more difficult than she first thought. Steeling herself, Cordelia took a deep breath and prepared for his reaction.
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Well, there's another chapter. (Gotta love these cliffies, huh? *winking*) We apologise *again* for the long delay and hope you'll stick around for the next chapters.
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