Well this is it. I went ahead and posted both the last chapter and the Epilogue, so beware of the length.  I really hope you like it and would love to hear what you think. 

Chapter 17: Two Great Heroes Meet on a Field of Battle and Recognize Their Mutual Fate

Angel turned the car off, smiling at Cordelia as she checked her hair in the mirror. All the evil law firms, scary prophecies, and unexpected pregnancies in the world wouldn't make Cordelia any less Cordy. And she was his.

It was still too new, too bright and shiny to feel real yet. But that was okay. It was kind of nice, the shaky way everything seemed out of a dream right now. Because he had dreamed this, more than once.. Him and her, coming home after a night out together. Cruising down the highway in his car, top down, her hand on his thigh and his occasionally reaching to caress her cheek. They would pull into the hotel and he would be Mister Smooth, cracking jokes and having her wait in her seat while he went around and…Oh shit, she's already getting out of the car!!!

"Woah, wait," he hurriedly called out. She glanced over at him, perplexed, but he just smiled. Then he opened his door, raced around the car, and with an exaggerated flourish, pulled open her door and offered his hand to her. As she placed her hand in his, she bit her lip, blushing, offering him a glimpse of the softer, shier side of Cordelia, the one few got to see. He helped her out of the convertible and for a moment they just stood there, inches apart, her hand still in his.

"I shouldn't get used to that, should I?" Cordelia finally said, in a light-hearted voice.

He could lie, but honestly, how often would they even be in the car alone together? First of all there was Connor. Plus Angel couldn't really picture any of the other members of AI waiting patiently in the back seat for him to run around the car and open the passenger side door for Cordy. "Probably not," he told her with a rueful grin.

Luckily his honesty didn't throw her. She laughed and then, keeping his hand in hers, started to walk towards the hotel. Two feet before the door, she stopped. Since they were still joined, Angel stopped too, looking quizzically at her.

Cordelia turned to face him. This was the man she loved and also her best friend and being with him was wonderful and comfortable but still a bit…new. And she wasn't entirely sure how to proceed. She turned to face him, freeing his hand and reaching up to fuss with the collar of his button down shirt. Finally, she looked up and met his eyes. "Soooo, how do we do this?" she asked.

Angel smirked. "Welll," he drawled, reaching around her lower back to pull her closer, "it goes a little something like this." And then he was leaning down and –

"Woah there cowboy," Cordy said, putting her fingers over his descending lips. "Not how do we do THAT. I know we know how to do THAT. I meant, are we, uh, do we announce something, or, I don't know, do you wanna do the secret love thing for a while?"

Angel sighed but kept his arms around Cordy. "Cordelia. Two hours ago you told the entire Scooby Gang that you were in love with me. I think the secret's out."

Secretly overjoyed that Angel didn't feel the need to hide what they now were from anyone, Cordelia's usually ever-present confidence returned. Even though I'm not entirely sure what we are now.

"Well, I'm glad you feel like telling them. It's probably a really good idea. Especially considering the fact that they're gonna see that thing on your neck and guess what happened anyway," she told him.

"What thing," Angel practically shrieked, running his hand rapidly over his entire neck region.

Cordy ran her tongue over her lips. Angel with a hickey was incredibly funny and after the weekend she had just had, she deserved a good laugh. "Here," she told him, reaching into her purse, fishing out her compact and handing it too him. He stared at it blankly. "Flip it open," she admonished. God he's slow sometimes.

Angel opened the compact, saw the mirror and gave her a pained look. Ohhhhh, right, vampires and mirrors. Forgot about that one. Okay, maybe I'm a little slow sometimes too. "Sorry, my bad," she said. "It's a hickey."

"You gave me a hickey." It was half question and half incredulous statement. Cordy couldn't tell how he felt about it. And ambiguous Angel, that's never good.

"Yeah," she admitted. "Sorry. Believe me, I'm not proud of it. You usually grow out of the whole hickey business around the time you get your braces off. I guess I— Wait, why do you look so absurdly happy about this?" Halfway through her hurried apology Angel had started in with the great big dorky smile.

Immediately he tried (unsuccessfully) to hide his grin. "I don't know," he mumbled. "I like it. I think the demon in me is really getting off on you marking me. Sort of claiming me as your own."

Angel rushed on, ignoring her quiet giggles. "And the man in me, well, it just seems very boyfriend-girlfriendy." There he thought. Cordy's gonna love the way I'm opening up. Really sharing stuff with her. Private stuff.

"Boyfriend-girlfriendy?" she exclaimed. "Yeah, maybe if we were in eighth grade and you acquired that during an intense game of Seven Minutes in Heaven." And then she started laughing.

Angel waited a minute for the giggles to stop. Then he had to ask. "Seven minutes in heaven?" Up her eyebrows shot, like she was amazed he didn't know. Sometimes Cordelia seemed to forget that he had been around for 250 years. That was a hell of a lot of trends to keep up with.

"Yeah, you know," Cordy said, trying to swallow the last of her laughter. "Two people locked in a closet for seven minutes. You figure it out."

Angel looked at her appraisingly. "Oh. So is that what you were doing in the closet all the time with Xander?" he teased.

Cordy made the "Ughhh" noise and swatted playfully at his chest.

"Wow, testy," Angel said, smirking. "Just what did you two do when you were alone together in the closet?"

"I am so not telling you that."

"Why not," Angel whined. "Cordy, it's important for people in love to open up and share things." She looked at him oddly. "What?  I heard it last week on 'Oprah.' Dr. Phil is surprisingly insightful."

"Fine," Cordy huffed, deciding she wasn't even going to discuss why Angel had been watching "Oprah." "If you feel like sharing is so important, how about you tell me what you did to pay the Furies for their services?"

Angel gulped. "Ah, you know what, couples really shouldn't share that much." He reached for the door, prepared to rush inside if Cordy kept asking. He looked at her and noticed that her whole face had lit up. "What?" he asked.

"Is that what we are?" she asked, haltingly, as if she were unsure. "I mean, are we a couple?"

Angel took his arm off the door and brought it back around her. HE leaned down and looked directly into her eyes. "We are whatever you want us to be." And then he kissed her, because they were so close, and when your faces are that close and you love each other, it's pretty much unwritten law that you should kiss.

"This feels very coupley," Cordy murmured into Angel's mouth.

"Mmmm, I haven't felt this coupley in a long time," Angel replied, before diving back into her mouth.

All of the sudden, the front door was flung open.

"Hey guys," Xander called out to the other people in the hotel, before he actually saw who was standing at the door, "Chinese is here—Holy world's colliding Batman!" He seemed to freeze in shock. Angel and Cordelia disengaged from each other's arms and waited for Xander to say more. But it seemed, for once, as if he had been rendered speechless. It was indeed a day for miracles.

Finally Cordelia just strolled into the hotel past Xander, not feeling the need to say anything to her ex. Angel, on the other hand, was surprisingly cheerful.

"Hey Xan," he boomed, walking in and slapping Xander on the back (and almost knocking the guy down in the process). Angel kept walking and headed for the stairs, anxious to check on his son.

Xander still stood at the open door. "Xan?" he said quietly to himself. Angel, no, Deadboy, Deadboy hadn't just called him Xan, had he? "Xan?" he repeated.

"No, I'm Ping." Xander blinked and noticed the Chinese food delivery guy was now standing right in front of him. "That will be $49. 23."

While Xander handled the food, Cordelia was being fawned over in the lobby by Fred and Gunn. They smothered her in hugs and insisted on seeing her stitches. Gunn actually offered to make her tea, while Fred gave her a sticker, because "that's what my momma always did when I was brave." They generally avoided the fact that the last time they had seen her she was sprinting out to the cab with tears streaming down her face. And she loved them for it.

"So," Cordelia asked, leaning on the counter, "why, exactly, is Willow standing there staring at the door to the basement?"

Xander, walking up and placing a mountain of Chinese food on the counter, answered her question. "It's not so much a long story as it is a story I'd rather not talk about." He shuddered. "Or think about."

Eager to find out what was going on, Cordelia walked over to where Willow stood. For a moment, she just stared at the door, but not seeing anything out of the ordinary, she finally tapped the girl on the shoulder. "Hey. What exactly are we looking at?" Cordy asked.

"Oh I'm not looking at anything," Willow said matter-of-factly. "I'm listening."

"Well, then what are we listening to?" Cordy asked. Suddenly, from the basement, came a series of banging noises. Then one loud crash. And something that sounded an awful lot like glass breaking. "What the hell was that?" Willow didn't answer. Then from the bowels of the basement came a moan. "It sounds like someone's in pain."

"Actually, that one sounded like someone in fun," Fred corrected from the lobby, through a mouthful of Hunan Shrimp. She considered herself something of an expert, ever since that night at the ballet.

"Willow, what is going on down there," Cordy asked, starting to get frustrated.

"Buffy and Spike," Willow told her, still not looking away from the door. "It was yelling for the first hour or so. Now, it's just—" BANG.

"Banging?" Cordy said, eyes going wide with shock.

"Part of me is all, I hope it means what I think it means," Willow admitted. "But the other part of me—"

"Doesn't want to think about what it means," Cordy filled in.

"Exactly. I think I might do the denial thing for a while," Willow said sheepishly.

"Hey," said Cordy, encouraging. "A little healthy denial never hurt anyone."

"Sweetie, the last thing this little group needs is more denial," came a voice from above. Walking downstairs with Dawn, Lorne continued. "You're looking better Miss Chase. Why you're positively *glowing*. Please tell me I didn't just leave the baby upstairs with an evil vampire."

"Please," Cordelia snorted. "Did you see what he was wearing? He definitely still has a soul."

"Hey Cordelia," Dawn said, beckoning Cordy over. "Guess what. Lorne read my aura. He says I'm the only one here with an ounce of sense. And he's going to help me pick a song to do for the talent show."

"Oh sweetie, that's great. You know, I sang in the talent show when I was your age," Cordy bragged.

"Yeah, um," Dawn lowered her voice and leaned toward Cordelia. "Listen, you might want to tell Angel that showing off a nasty suck mark on your neck like it's a prize, well, it's not really hickey etiquette."

Cordelia giggled. "I tried. God, he's such a dork."

"You've always had a soft spot for the dorks." Cordy and Dawn turned to see who had added the commentary. There, in the doorway to the basement, stood a very rumpled looking slayer.

"Buffy," Cordelia drawled evenly. It's okay. She's not going to kill me. She can't kill humans. OH shit. Only half human. Does that mean she's allowed to beat me up a whole lot, but not kill me? Or what, can she only kill me a little? I really need to get a look at the Slayer Rule Book one of these days.

Buffy strolled over to where her sister and Cordelia stood. It took every ounce of willpower Cordy had not to take any steps backward. She did make sure to pinpoint the nearest emergency exit. Just as a precaution.

"Cordelia, I was wondering if I could talk to you. Outside?" Buffy asked. Dawn tactfully went over to get some food, leaving the two women to talk.

"Outside," Cordy stammered. "Alone outside? Where one can cause all sorts of pain under the cloak of darkness?" Damn. I sound all stammery and afraid. Like Fred. No, not like Fred. Oh Christ. I sound like Xander.

"Yeah, outside," Buffy said. Unlike Cordelia, she seemed calmer than ever.

"Um, okay. Great. Let's go." Both women started heading over to the doors to the courtyard. All of the sudden, Cordy got an idea. "Hey, you go ahead. I'll be right behind you."

* * *

When Cordy came outside a couple of minutes later, Buffy was sitting on a bench directly across from the door. When the Slayer got a good look at Cordelia, who had come outside, crossbow in hand, she gave a sharp, dry chuckle.

"You're going to shoot me?" Buffy asked.

"Oh. No. I mean, only if I have to," Cordy said. "This is for when you attack me. You are the Chosen One Buffy. I think I deserve something to even the odds."

"Cordelia," Buffy said with a sigh, "I didn't bring you out here to beat you up."

"No?" Cordy said, cautiously sitting down next to the slayer—but making sure the crossbow was still in reach.

"No. I came to do something much less fun. I, well I owe you explanations and apologies. I came way too close to hitting you and I said things about you that were untrue and out of line."

Trying to be generous, Cordy told Buffy, "What you said wasn't that bad."

"It got worse after you left."

"Oh. Well in that case…"

Buffy cleared her throat. "I also need to thank you," she ground out. "For taking a hit that was meant to for me. And more importantly, for saying things that needed to be said."

"Being a tactless bitch, you mean?"

"Hey, it's not the first time that your patented Queen C charm has been able to give me a reality check when no one else could," Buffy told her.

Cordelia didn't know what to make of that. "I do what I can," she replied.

"You do. You do so much. You've done so much." For a moment, Buffy stopped. She didn't enjoy saying this, but it had to be said. Even though it was seriously making her stomach hurt. One of these days being so honorable is going to give me an ulcer. "You've accepted all this pain. You've got the mothering thing down pat. And you seem to work the demon thing pretty well too." Buffy forged on. "And you've made Angel so very very happy."

Cordelia flashed that brilliant smile and wonder of wonders, Buffy smiled back. Then all of the sudden Buffy frowned. "You haven't made him TOO happy, right?"

"Oh no," Cordy assured her quickly. "No, no happy-happyness."

"Kay. Just checking."

Feeling better about where this little chat was going, Cordy relaxed her grip on the crossbow and laid it on the ground at her feet.

"Buffy," Cordy said, "are you okay with this? I mean, I could tell, when you came here—"

"That I wanted Angel and I to refresh our memories?"

"So to speak."

Buffy gave an almost embarrassed laugh. "Yeah. I thought I did want the two of us to, I don't know, be what we were. I think I was just looking for someone to cling to." She sighed. "Someone that wasn't Spike."

"Oh, yeah, how, um, how's that going by the way," Cordy asked, trying not to laugh at the memory of the noises coming from the basement.

Buffy mock-glared at her, but for once it seemed like there was no real venom behind her eyes. "Cordelia, Spike heard you and Willow. I know you two were hanging out by the door to the basement."

"Okay, yes, we're eavesdroppers. Big shock there. And yes, we heard the noises and assumed that you two were—"

"Oh we were," Buffy announced with a broad smile. "Twice."

"Stop," Cordy said, holding her hand up as if that would prevent Buffy from sharing anymore.

"There are times when being with a vampire comes in very handy," Buffy added, once she saw how much Cordelia DIDN'T want to hear.

"Okay, so don't want to go there."

Buffy continued. "Obviously there's the 100 plus years of experience."

"Please. I beg you. Stop talking."

She went on, seemingly oblivious to Cordy's pleas. "The super strength is fun too."

"Nooooo," Cordy cried out, putting her hands over her ears like a five year old. "This is gross."

Buffy smiled wickedly. And now for the grand finale. "And you know Cordelia, vampires don't need to breath." She threw in an eyebrow wiggle, for effect.

Cordy shot up out of her seat like a rocket and started pacing. "Thank you. Thank you very much. I will never be able to train down there again. The mental pictures will haunt me for eternity." All of the sudden she stopped walking and looked over at Buffy. They both burst out laughing.

As soon as they realized that they were laughing, that they were both laughing, that they were LAUGHING TOGETHER, they stopped. And frowned. Cordy started in with the pacing again and Buffy put her head between her legs, like she was dizzy.

"Oh God," Cordy said, clearly distressed. "We're going to end up being friends, aren't we?"

"I'm not any happier about it than you are," Buffy said between deep even breaths. The idea of being buddies with this woman was more terrifying than those swim team monsters. She sat up. "Maybe, maybe it won't be so bad. I live two hours away. I—"

"No," Cordy cut her off. "That won't help. I can see me calling you. Late night three hour conversation calls."

Buffy groaned. Because she could picture it too. Curled up on the couch, eating everything in sight, and laughing hysterically while talking on the phone with the devil himself—err, herself.

Cordelia wasn't finished. "Plus I've gotten way more into email. I need to get your address. We've started taking all these digital pics of Connor—you're gonna love them."

That was it then. They would be friends. Probably never best friends. In some ways, they were too similar to be that close. But they would be friends. It was inevitable. Both women looked somewhat pale and more than a little nauseous at that conclusion.

Buffy still needed to make sure that her earlier point had been made.

"Cordelia. I am sorry. I'm sorry you heard me say all those things, I'm sorry for the meaner things you didn't hear me say, and I'm even sorrier because none of them were true. I know that, and so do Willow and Xander."

"Buffy, I know I'm not everyone's favorite person, it's not big de—"

"No. It is a big deal Cordelia. You've been there, with us, from the beginning. Do you realize that? I don't think I did until I sat down and thought about it. And however much fun you and I had pretending to hate each other, was there ever a time when one of us needed something and the other said no?" It was super mature compliment. Buffy had never been prouder of herself. And Cordelia, well, she was staring at her like she had two heads.

Finally Cordy smirked. "Wow. Buffy. All that basement-Spike-lovin certainly has made you…well, nice."

"Hey, I'm not the only one who's considerably mellower. Could the new improved Cordy have anything to do with the hickey I heard Dawn talking about?"

"I'm taking the fifth on that one," Cordy pronounced as solemnly as she could while trying to control her beaming smile.

"Well, since clearly there was neck suckage, I hope I can assume that Angel's talk with you went well." With Buffy's veiled question, Cordy lost control of the smile and out it came. Cordelia's cheeks took on a rosy blush and it was beautiful. Buffy had never seen Cordelia in love before. It was better than she had ever looked with expensive cosmetics and high-fashion outfits.

"I never saw you smile like that in Sunnydale," Buffy said without thinking. "I barely saw Angel smile at all—I'm starting to wonder what the hell we did besides talk about the world ending and make out angstily. You're good for each other."

Cordy shot a questioning glance at the slayer. "Was that you giving me your blessing or something?"

"Yeah. I kinda think it was," Buffy told her. Both girls stared at each other uncomfortably.

Cordelia cleared her throat. "Okay, so clearly, the warm fuzzies don't really work on us."

"Oh no they don't,' Buffy said, vigorously nodding her head.

Having reached that agreement, both girls stood and headed back inside.

Epilogue:  The Anti-Joss Whedon (a.k.a. "Happy") Ending

When Cordy and Buffy walked back into the hotel, Willow was once again staring at the closed door to the basement. Only this time, Fred, Gunn, and Lorne were standing there with her. Xander was still eating and Dawn was rocking Connor.

When the two women got closer, they could hear more crashing noises coming from the basement.

"Geez," Cordy huffed. "Who's down there banging now?"

Buffy smirked. I know who was banging down there twenty minutes ago!

"It's Angel and Spike," Gunn told them. Both girls made faces.

"Uh, Spike came upstairs a little after you two went outside," Willow explained. "And I guess Angel, he, um, smelled something."

Cordy laughed. "I thought he already knew about Spike and Buffy and the hot monkey sex."

"Hey," Buffy cried out. "It is not monkey sex."

"He did know," Fred told her. "He was mad about it happening in the basement." Buffy and Cordelia started to giggle. Fred continued with the story. "He started yelling about how if he couldn't have sex in the basement like he'd wanted to for the past six months, than there better damn well not be other people having sex down there." Giggles turned into full blown laughter. Because let's face it, a frustrated Angel is a funny Angel.

"And then he went downstairs and saw the mess you two had made," Gunn told Buffy.

Suddenly more bad sounds emerged from below, along with some yelling they couldn't really make out.

"Should we go down there and break it up?" Willow asked.

"No, no, it's good for Angel to work off some of his 'tension," Cordy told the group as she walked over to Dawn and took the baby from her. "It's not like I can help him with that one." When she turned back around, the group near the stairs was staring at her. They all had huge dorky smiles on their faces. "What?" she asked, even though she knew.

"So, it's official," Fred asked. She looked like she was going to hyperventilate.

"Official? Well, I didn't sign any papers," Cordy said, stalling for effect. You can take the Drama Queen out of Sunnydale…but she'll just move to LA and become a bigger Drama Queen.

Willow sighed, frustrated. "She means, did you both finally admit the mutual crushage?"

Cordy smiled in what she thought was an enigmatic way. The group didn't have much trouble figuring out what she meant.

"Oh yeah girl," Gunn drawled.

Fred clapped her hands. "Kyerumption conquers all!"

Xander walked over with a carton of Moo Shoo Chicken. "Kye-what?" he asked Fred.

"It's when two great heroes meet on a field of battle and recognize their mutual fate," Fred told him.

"It's also a grog made out of ox dung," Willow informed the group. "But I believe that definition is considered slightly archaic." Willow picked up on the fact that most of the room was staring at her. "What? Look, I've been researching for six years. You pick a lot of stuff up in six years."

Shifting Connor so she held him with one hand, Cordelia reached over and started picking at Xander's Chinese food. "This is pretty good. Who paid for all this?" Cordy inquired.

"Wesley. OR at least Wesley's company credit card," Gunn said.

Speaking of Wesley… "Where is Wes by the way?" Cordy said. "I haven't seen him since yesterday afternoon."

Fred gulped and her eyes darted nervously around the room. "He got a lead on something he was researching. He had to drive to San Francisco to meet with some shamen in order to verify it."

Cordy was confused. "What was he researching? We don't even have a case right now?" Fred just gave a tense smile and shrugged.

* * *

Spike sat down on the basement stairs. He was breathing hard (it was a force of habit rather than necessity). Every bone in his body was aching. God he'd missed quality time with his sire. The first couple punches had been fun. Family bonding. But enough was enough.

"Christ man, are we done yet?" Spike whined, mopping up the blood dripping from a cut over his eye. "You know you're not really mad."

Angel leaned against the wall. "Spike," he stated matter-of-factly as he tried to asses his own injuries, "you fucked my ex-girlfriend in my basement."

"Twice mate," Spike corrected. "Twice in your basement. And you know you're not mad."

Angel glared at Spike for a moment before slumping to the floor. Spotting a scrunchie of Cordy's, he picked it up and fingered it. "Fine, I'm not mad," he admitted. I guess I just needed to…"

"Work off some of the cheerleader?"

Angel grimaced at the way Spike had phrased it. "Yeah," he agreed, because Spike, while crude, was right. None of his anger had been about Spike, or Buffy, or Spike and Buffy. IT had been coming back from Cordy's and realizing the very strict physical limits their relationship would have. It was going to be very hard. I'm going to be very hard.

Spike cleared his throat to get Angel's attention. "So I'm guessing all your newfound tension means you two crazy kids worked things out?"

"Not the way that you and Buffy got to work stuff out," Angel said petulantly, gesturing around at his destroyed training room.

"And what a work out it was," said Spike, who wasn't above rubbing a little salt in Angel's wounds.

Instead of getting annoyed, Angel just looked at Spike with a half smile on his face. "She loves me," he told his childe in what could only be described as a shy voice.

Spike rolled his eyes. "To quote our favorite half-demon, 'Well duh."

The two sat in comfortable silence. Spike watched as Angel's face subtlely grew darker and darker. He knew something wasn't right. He didn't look like the guy who'd just gotten the girl.

"So, if you love her and she loves you, why aren't you happier? I mean, I know why you aren't perfectly happy. But still, shouldn't you be more, I don't know, cheerful? I know if I just had that woman licking on my neck, I wouldn't be wasting time beating the crap out of a dear old chum and sulking in the basement."

Angel looked down at his hands. "I am happy. I was happy. But now that I've had more time to think, to realize…I don't deserve this. I don't deserve her."

"This is another time where I could use the chit's 'well duh,' but since I love you, I won't."

The faint scent of Cordy drifted up from the hair band in Angel's hand and his throat got tight. "I'm not just a vampire, I'm a cursed vampire Spike. I can never really show her how I feel. I can't give her sunlight or picnics. Or babies. Or anything she's gonna want someday."

"Well by that theory, I don't deserve Buffy either," Spike said indignantly.

"I'm not arguing with that one," Angel said, looking back up and raising his eyebrow.

Spike leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees. "Angel. Do you know how many times Buffy has left me bleeding and broken—and I don't mean in a good way, the way she has recently? That girl, she put me in a wheelchair. She brought your alter ego back into my and Dru's life. She broke my robot and never gave her back." Spike stood up. "I don't just deserve that woman. I've earned her." Walking over to his sire, Spike added, "And you've earned Cordelia."

Angel met his childe's eyes. His expression was thoughtful, as he recounted all the trials and tribulations he had faced for the woman he loved. "Well, I did go shopping for her. And I went to another dimension. Twice."

"Now see," Spike said in a firm voice, offering Angel a hand and pulling him up off the floor. "You've put your time in. You've more than earned the right to a smart, bossy, incredibly flexible brunette—err, blond." Spike frowned at the thought of the sad turn Cordelia's hair had taken. "By the way, you should really talk to her about her hair—but be careful. The last time I mentioned Buffy's hair she went and chopped it all off," Spike warned.

Angel smiled. I never dreamed Spike would prove so helpful in the advice department. HE went back over what Spike had just said. Then he frowned.

"How do you know that Cordy is incredibly flexible? I'm in love with her and *I* didn't know she was flexible, let alone INCREDIBLY flexible. And what exactly constitutes being 'incredibly flexible'? I don't think you…..

* * *

ON the stairs, eavesdropping, a slayer and a seer giggled into their hands as the two vampires they loved started pushing each other again.

"My hair isn't that bad, is it?" Cordy whispered to Buffy.

Ignoring the question, Buffy whispered back, "Cordelia, how does Spike know you're so flexible?"

* * *

"Cordelia?" Angel called, walking out into the courtyard. The Scoobies had taken off around nine and the whole hotel seemed calmer now. It was the perfect opportunity for a little one on one time with his…my girlfriend. Cordy, Cordelia Chase is my girlfriend. Okay, a vampire with over two centuries doesn't need to be running around giggling about having a girlfriend. I've got to stop acting like this. "Cor?" Angel called again. He scanned around the garden, he knew she was out here, he could smell her when he had opened the door. "Fred said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Over here," she cried out.

And there she was. Lying on her back on a blanket in the grass, propped up on her elbows. She wasn't exactly dressed for seduction—she wore the blue jeans and tee shirt she had changed into at her place—and yet nothing had ever been more inviting.

There was a basket with a bottle of wine sticking out of it and there was his son, also lying on his back, sucking noisily on his bottle. His entire world lay there on that blanket. Angel prayed the happiness clause didn't kick in right there.

"What's all this?" he asked quietly. Scooping Connor up, he placed him in the baby carrier next to the basket and took his son's place on the blanket next to Cordelia.

"Isn't this nice?" Cordy gushed. "This night is perfect, don't you think? You can see the stars. You can hardly ever see the stars in this city. Wine?" she asked.

Angel nodded absently. It was nice. But he didn't get it. "Seriously Cordelia, what is all this?" Not that I mind being wined and dined by a beautiful woman.

Cordy studied the man before her. He looked pleasantly surprised, but more than a little wary. She could tell he had spent way too much of the time thinking since they had returned to the hotel. Not thinking. Brooding. Brooding and creating reasons to not enjoy this.

"I heard you with Spike today," she told him. She sat up and reached for the wine glasses. "I heard you, when you said how you couldn't give me sunlight or picnics or babies. That you couldn't give me anything." She said all this calmly, handing Angel a glass of wine.

He didn't bother taking a sip, instead placing the glass on the ground next to him. He waited until Cordy had poured a glass for herself before taking her cup and putting it down too.

"Well, it's true Cordy," he said, reaching for both her hands. He loved her hands. They were soft and feminine, manicured perfection. And yet, underneath the parrifan wax treatments and the pink polish and the lotions, there was strength. Strength often overlooked by beauty, but strength just the same. That's how it was with Cordelia. That's why he cherished her. That's why he respected her. And because he respected her, he felt he owed her the truth. "There's so much you'll be missing out on, giving up, to be with me. I'm not sure it's worth all t—"

"Angel, look around."

He quickly whirled his around, making sure there were no intruders in the courtyard.

"No silly," Cordy said, unsuccessfully trying to hold back a snort of laughter. "Here. What do you see here?" Angel gave a blank look, and Cordy realized she would have to fill in those blanks. "Picnic," she said, tapping the basket. "The best baby in the whole entire world," she told him, reaching over his body to tickle Connor's foot.

"No sunlight though," Angel stated, almost automatically looking up at the night sky.

"Ughhh," Cordy groaned in frustration. "Okay Mr. I'm President of Pessimists Anonymous." She reached for him, placing her hand on his cheek and pulling him back to meet her gaze. "I'll have you know that moonlight is ten times more romantic than the sun."

"Yes, it's nice Cordelia, but there's so much I can't give y—"

"Angel!" Cordy moved to sit on her knees in front of him. "Look at me. Who I am? You gave that to me. You gave me the chance to become the woman you could fall in love with. You do love me right?" she teased.

"You know I do." There was no joking in his tone.

"Well, most of me, the best parts of me, are you. What you've taught me, how you've changed me. You don't need to worry about giving me anything. Because you've already given me everything." She brushed a soft dry kiss on his lips before leaning back. "Well, except for the boat. And you never did come though with the ski condo."

His expression never changed and Cordelia was slightly disheartened. Maybe he just wasn't going to get it. Maybe her assurances wouldn't be enough, would never be enough.

All of the sudden he yanked her into his lap and kissed her breathless. Kissed her beyond breathless. Kissed her until she was mindless.

Angel hoped it would always be like this. That even if they were together for the next 70 years, it would always be like this. That his whole life would be divided into "kissing Cordy" and "everything else."

He heard his name being called. Good, I'm glad one of us is still functioning because speech is pretty much beyond me. He caressed the soft exposed skin of her lower back, between where her shirt ended and her jeans began, and felt her shake. Feeling that, feeling what he could make her feel, made him even hungrier. In the distance he heard his name again. Wait a sec. That's not Cordy's voice..

He pulled away slightly and shook his head, trying to gain focus. Cordy buried her face in his neck, panting, trying to catch her breath.

"Angel, Come ON! Get yo ass in here." It was Gunn. Yelling from inside the hotel.

Cordelia started to pull away and Angel growled, pulling her back into his arms. "I don't think so. It can't be that important. You would have had a vision," he told her, his lips preparing to descend again.

"Dawg, it's important," Gunn called. "You get your punk ass in here too Barbie."

"Arrhhh," Cordy groaned, putting both hands on Angel's chest and pushing him away.

"Seriously you two. Wesley just got home. He really needs to talk to you about what he's been researching," Fred added.

Cordy staggered and stood up. Her legs still felt weak. To calm her heart, she reached for Connor, bouncing him in her arms and kissed his head, letting the perfect baby smell combat the frustration that was racing through her brain. She turned to Angel.

"You know, I'm happy we finally found each other. Overjoyed. Floating in air. Well not literally. But, really, very happy. At the same time, you have to admit, we have incredibly bad timing," she told the vampire, who was standing up rather…cautiously.

Suddenly, Fred's voice cut through the quiet night air. "You guys, Wesley says it's about Angel's curse."

"I don't know Cordelia," Angel drawled, unable to hide the excitement shining in his eyes. "Sounds like pretty good timing if you ask me." They both turned and raced inside.

Neither one aware, that as Wesley explained what he had learned, as perfect happiness seemed more and more likely for Angel and Cordelia, a plane was landing at LAX. Neither aware as they climbed into bed that night, cradling Connor between them and dreaming about all that would soon be possible, a message was being left on Cordelia's answering machine.

"Cordelia, honey. Guess who!!! It's Mommy and Daddy. We have business on the west coast and thought we'd pop in to see our little baby. It's been too too long darling. We're staying with friends in Brentwood. I heard the strangest little tale from Aura's mother, about you working in a hotel. I guess we'll just run by there tomorrow morning. See you then!"

Talk about bad timing.

End.

So that's it. That's all she wrote. I do want to apologize to the people who were expecting a big S/B scene and are disappointed. I wrote this primarily to be a C/A story – the S/B storyline just happened because I felt like there's something so undeniable between those two and it would be ridiculous to pretend otherwise. Spike was never actually intended to play such a large role, but I just loved writing him so much, particularly his scenes with Cordelia.  Again, I am sorry for not spending equal time on the two couples and I hope you still enjoyed the story.