Title: A Sunnydale Tale
Author: victoriamartynne
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Spoilers: None.
Summary: In 1998, Angel befriends Cordelia when the going gets tough.
In the end she'd gotten to the library fifteen minutes after the end of school. The counsellor had been talking rubbish and Cordelia had told her so. After arguing it out Cordelia had told her she was seeing a psychiatrist and that she needed to get home.
She stepped into the library. "Giles?"
There was no answer. "Giles? It's Cordelia! You said I could have a lift home!"
She walked to his office and looked inside. His coat and briefcase were there but he wasn't. "Giles?"
"Who are you looking for little girl?" A voice asked from behind her.
A tingle ran up her spine and she turned around slowly. The amber eyes and ridged forehead confirmed her fears. "Mr Giles, have you seen him?"
He shook his head and grinned, showing his fangs.
"I'll tell you what." She said calmly, feeling for the edge of the door with her hand. "Let me grab my coat from the office and I'll let you help me find him."
"Okay."
She smiled and turned to go in the office. "I'll only be a second."
She walked into the office and slammed the door, turning the key and locking herself in.
She heard the anguished shouts from outside the door.
She stepped back and pressed her back against the wall, terror blocking out her cries. She saw the phone on the desk and practically dived for it as the vampire outside began hammering on the door.
She dialled Angel's number with trembling hands. It rang eight times but nobody answered.
She slammed it down and thought for a second. Who else could help? Whose number did she know?
She picked the receiver back up and dialled again. It picked up. "Xander! It's Cordelia, I'm trapped in Giles's office. There's a vampire outside. Please come help me!"
"I'm on my way!" He shouted back as the phone dropped back into its cradle.
The door started to buckle under the vampire's efforts to get in.
She whimpered as she heard his curses and threats. She closed her eyes and willed herself to think.
Her eyes opened and focused on the set of sturdy wooden drawers. Using all her strength she shoved them against the door. It wouldn't hold there and it only came up halfway but it could buy her valuable seconds. Next she found a wooden stake in a drawer of Giles's desk. Please forgive me for invading your privacy, she thought.
The banging on the door increased and she slumped to the floor in the corner.
"Please hurry, please hurry!" She chanted over and over, her eyes tightly closed and her hands pressed over her ears to block out the angry shouts, the stake resting uselessly in her lap.
Xander called Buffy and arranged for her to meet him at the library, although he suspected with her slayer speed she'd be there first. Running at full speed from his house to the library he prayed they'd get there on time.
Giles hummed a tune as he walked back from the 7/11, a pint of milk for tomorrow's tea in his hand. He was startled when Angel's convertible pulled up next to him, the top up.
Buffy's head poked out of the window.
"Xander just called. Cordelia's trapped in your office with a vamp outside the door!" She told him.
"Get in!" Angel urged and then gunned the engine before the door was even closed. "We haven't got much time."
She's probably scared to death, he thought, God only knows what she's thinking. He looked at his watch, she was early. She shouldn't have even been at the library for another fifteen minutes. And why the hell was there a vampire running around the school?
Buffy and Angel ran down the school corridor, leaving Giles behind.
Running into the library Buffy tackled the vampire while Angel went straight to the badly broken door.
"Cordelia!" He shouted and began trying to force the lock on the door.
He could hear her murmuring inside. "Cordelia! It's Angel, can you open the door?"
Breaking the lock he began shove the door open, finding it sticking on something. Maybe she'd shoved something behind it. "It's Angel!" He told her again.
Seeing the door begin to open she began to scream. "No! Not again! I won't let you!"
Giles came into the library breathless, closely followed by an extremely worse for wear Xander.
Buffy staked the vampire and went towards the office, Cordelia's screams still echoing around the room.
Angel managed to get into the room, climbing over the drawers so he could get near her. "Cordy?"
She had her eyes tightly closed and her hands over her ears. "No!"
He touched her arm gently, ducking backwards as she struck out blinding with her arm.
He pulled her left hand off her ear. "It's Angel."
She opened her eyes and then began to sob, falling forwards into his chest. "Oh God Angel! I was so scared."
"I know honey." He soothed, oblivious to the audience he now had. "But it's okay now."
"I was so scared and he just kept hitting the door trying to get in. I didn't know what to do!" She cried. "I didn't know what to do!"
"You did everything just fine." He told her, smoothing back her clammy hair. "He didn't get in, you're safe."
"I'll never be safe! I should have been safe when Greg went to prison but there's always someone who wants to hurt me! I'll never be safe will I?"
Angel didn't know what to say so he just held her to his chest. "It'll be okay."
For about ten minutes the only sound that could be heard was Cordelia's sobs. Then Buffy suggested to Giles that they get her out of there.
Cordelia looked up, seeing them for the firs time. "I ruined your office, I'm sorry." Her voice was empty of all emotion but her face was a mask of pain.
"Quite alright Cordelia, all that matters is that you're okay." Giles told her smiling. "Do you want to get out of here?"
She nodded.
Angel stood up first and then helped her stand up. "I've got you."
He held onto her with one arm and moved the drawers out of the way of the door with the other. She saw Xander. "Thanks." She whispered.
"Anytime." He told her.
"I want to go home." She told Angel. "Can we go home?"
He nodded and turned to Buffy. "Want a lift?"
She shook her head. "I think I'll stop here now I'm here."
He nodded.
"Feel better okay Cordy?" Buffy told her. "If you decide to come to school tomorrow come find me, okay? We could hang out."
Cordelia nodded. "I'll do that."
With a quick smiled they left.
Xander whistled. "Wow, that was pretty intense."
"That was the mother of intense." Buffy agreed.
"And look what the bastard did to my door." Giles exclaimed.
Buffy and Xander looked at each other in amazement. Did Giles just swear?"
Angel got Cordelia into bed and then went to make her a cup of tea. He added extra sugar.
He came back to sit on the edge of her bed. He handed her the mug but noticed her hands were shaking so he took it off her.
"Are you okay? Really."
"Really?" He nodded. "No."
"I get that. It was bad luck that you bumped into him and even worse luck that nobody was there."
"How did you get there?" She asked. "I called here but you didn't answer."
He suddenly felt even guiltier, knowing that she had relied on him being here. "I was at Buffy's. Xander called her telling her to get to the library. I drove there."
She nodded. "I'm glad you turned up."
"Me too." He agreed. "I'm sorry I wasn't here."
"You are allowed a life Angel." She told him.
He smiled. "I guess so. But you're in my life now and you needed me. Knowing I wasn't there for you when you needed me made me feel so bad. And you know what the worst part was? You had to ring Xander to come save you!"
She laughed. "Yeah, but even he had to ring the slayer."
He smiled again and held the mug to her lips so she could take a drink. She pulled a face.
"How much sugar did you put in there?"
"Only four tea spoons."
"Why?"
"It's good for shock."
"I'm not in shock." He looked like he was going to argue but she continued. "I had a shock but I feel okay now. I mean, I'm still a bit shaky but I feel safe with you so I know I'll be okay."
"I'm glad you feel like that. Now drink your tea."
She pulled a face but decided to humour him.
Author: victoriamartynne
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Spoilers: None.
Summary: In 1998, Angel befriends Cordelia when the going gets tough.
In the end she'd gotten to the library fifteen minutes after the end of school. The counsellor had been talking rubbish and Cordelia had told her so. After arguing it out Cordelia had told her she was seeing a psychiatrist and that she needed to get home.
She stepped into the library. "Giles?"
There was no answer. "Giles? It's Cordelia! You said I could have a lift home!"
She walked to his office and looked inside. His coat and briefcase were there but he wasn't. "Giles?"
"Who are you looking for little girl?" A voice asked from behind her.
A tingle ran up her spine and she turned around slowly. The amber eyes and ridged forehead confirmed her fears. "Mr Giles, have you seen him?"
He shook his head and grinned, showing his fangs.
"I'll tell you what." She said calmly, feeling for the edge of the door with her hand. "Let me grab my coat from the office and I'll let you help me find him."
"Okay."
She smiled and turned to go in the office. "I'll only be a second."
She walked into the office and slammed the door, turning the key and locking herself in.
She heard the anguished shouts from outside the door.
She stepped back and pressed her back against the wall, terror blocking out her cries. She saw the phone on the desk and practically dived for it as the vampire outside began hammering on the door.
She dialled Angel's number with trembling hands. It rang eight times but nobody answered.
She slammed it down and thought for a second. Who else could help? Whose number did she know?
She picked the receiver back up and dialled again. It picked up. "Xander! It's Cordelia, I'm trapped in Giles's office. There's a vampire outside. Please come help me!"
"I'm on my way!" He shouted back as the phone dropped back into its cradle.
The door started to buckle under the vampire's efforts to get in.
She whimpered as she heard his curses and threats. She closed her eyes and willed herself to think.
Her eyes opened and focused on the set of sturdy wooden drawers. Using all her strength she shoved them against the door. It wouldn't hold there and it only came up halfway but it could buy her valuable seconds. Next she found a wooden stake in a drawer of Giles's desk. Please forgive me for invading your privacy, she thought.
The banging on the door increased and she slumped to the floor in the corner.
"Please hurry, please hurry!" She chanted over and over, her eyes tightly closed and her hands pressed over her ears to block out the angry shouts, the stake resting uselessly in her lap.
Xander called Buffy and arranged for her to meet him at the library, although he suspected with her slayer speed she'd be there first. Running at full speed from his house to the library he prayed they'd get there on time.
Giles hummed a tune as he walked back from the 7/11, a pint of milk for tomorrow's tea in his hand. He was startled when Angel's convertible pulled up next to him, the top up.
Buffy's head poked out of the window.
"Xander just called. Cordelia's trapped in your office with a vamp outside the door!" She told him.
"Get in!" Angel urged and then gunned the engine before the door was even closed. "We haven't got much time."
She's probably scared to death, he thought, God only knows what she's thinking. He looked at his watch, she was early. She shouldn't have even been at the library for another fifteen minutes. And why the hell was there a vampire running around the school?
Buffy and Angel ran down the school corridor, leaving Giles behind.
Running into the library Buffy tackled the vampire while Angel went straight to the badly broken door.
"Cordelia!" He shouted and began trying to force the lock on the door.
He could hear her murmuring inside. "Cordelia! It's Angel, can you open the door?"
Breaking the lock he began shove the door open, finding it sticking on something. Maybe she'd shoved something behind it. "It's Angel!" He told her again.
Seeing the door begin to open she began to scream. "No! Not again! I won't let you!"
Giles came into the library breathless, closely followed by an extremely worse for wear Xander.
Buffy staked the vampire and went towards the office, Cordelia's screams still echoing around the room.
Angel managed to get into the room, climbing over the drawers so he could get near her. "Cordy?"
She had her eyes tightly closed and her hands over her ears. "No!"
He touched her arm gently, ducking backwards as she struck out blinding with her arm.
He pulled her left hand off her ear. "It's Angel."
She opened her eyes and then began to sob, falling forwards into his chest. "Oh God Angel! I was so scared."
"I know honey." He soothed, oblivious to the audience he now had. "But it's okay now."
"I was so scared and he just kept hitting the door trying to get in. I didn't know what to do!" She cried. "I didn't know what to do!"
"You did everything just fine." He told her, smoothing back her clammy hair. "He didn't get in, you're safe."
"I'll never be safe! I should have been safe when Greg went to prison but there's always someone who wants to hurt me! I'll never be safe will I?"
Angel didn't know what to say so he just held her to his chest. "It'll be okay."
For about ten minutes the only sound that could be heard was Cordelia's sobs. Then Buffy suggested to Giles that they get her out of there.
Cordelia looked up, seeing them for the firs time. "I ruined your office, I'm sorry." Her voice was empty of all emotion but her face was a mask of pain.
"Quite alright Cordelia, all that matters is that you're okay." Giles told her smiling. "Do you want to get out of here?"
She nodded.
Angel stood up first and then helped her stand up. "I've got you."
He held onto her with one arm and moved the drawers out of the way of the door with the other. She saw Xander. "Thanks." She whispered.
"Anytime." He told her.
"I want to go home." She told Angel. "Can we go home?"
He nodded and turned to Buffy. "Want a lift?"
She shook her head. "I think I'll stop here now I'm here."
He nodded.
"Feel better okay Cordy?" Buffy told her. "If you decide to come to school tomorrow come find me, okay? We could hang out."
Cordelia nodded. "I'll do that."
With a quick smiled they left.
Xander whistled. "Wow, that was pretty intense."
"That was the mother of intense." Buffy agreed.
"And look what the bastard did to my door." Giles exclaimed.
Buffy and Xander looked at each other in amazement. Did Giles just swear?"
Angel got Cordelia into bed and then went to make her a cup of tea. He added extra sugar.
He came back to sit on the edge of her bed. He handed her the mug but noticed her hands were shaking so he took it off her.
"Are you okay? Really."
"Really?" He nodded. "No."
"I get that. It was bad luck that you bumped into him and even worse luck that nobody was there."
"How did you get there?" She asked. "I called here but you didn't answer."
He suddenly felt even guiltier, knowing that she had relied on him being here. "I was at Buffy's. Xander called her telling her to get to the library. I drove there."
She nodded. "I'm glad you turned up."
"Me too." He agreed. "I'm sorry I wasn't here."
"You are allowed a life Angel." She told him.
He smiled. "I guess so. But you're in my life now and you needed me. Knowing I wasn't there for you when you needed me made me feel so bad. And you know what the worst part was? You had to ring Xander to come save you!"
She laughed. "Yeah, but even he had to ring the slayer."
He smiled again and held the mug to her lips so she could take a drink. She pulled a face.
"How much sugar did you put in there?"
"Only four tea spoons."
"Why?"
"It's good for shock."
"I'm not in shock." He looked like he was going to argue but she continued. "I had a shock but I feel okay now. I mean, I'm still a bit shaky but I feel safe with you so I know I'll be okay."
"I'm glad you feel like that. Now drink your tea."
She pulled a face but decided to humour him.
