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.

Angel took Cordelia to collect her things that night.

"Do I need to invite you in?" She asked at the door.

"No, you already did. Once I'm invited in I stay that way." He explained.

"Good."

She pushed open the door and called out to her parents. "Mom? Dad?"

There was no answer. "I guess they went out."

She saw a note on the table next to the door. She opened it and read it aloud. "Please leave your key, your stuff is boxed up, please take it all. Mother and Father."

"When did they go to Mother and Father?" Angel asked.

"Probably when you told them to get the hell out of your house. Either that or when I refused to come home with them."

She climbed the stairs, beckoning him to follow her. "My room's upstairs."

She pushed open one of the solid wooden doors.

He whistled. "Wow."

She shrugged. "They liked to spoil me."

The room was plain white, everything was white. From the curtains to the pristine makeup bottles still perched on the white dressing table.

She walked across to them and picked one up. "Does this mean I'm not allowed to take them? Screw that."

She picked a couple up and opened a box to put them in.

"I'll start putting some of these in the car." He offered and picked up the heaviest. "Take your time."

"Thanks." She murmured, picking up more of the bottles and putting them in boxes where they couldn't break.

She'd never really liked her room that much. It looked way too sterile. She preferred vivid, rich colours like emerald and vermilion. Some of her personal effects, now in the boxes had those colours in them but her parents were very into white. The whole house was white. Way too show house- y for her. White reminded her of the dentist, or more recently of the psychiatrist's office.

She sighed and looked around her room again. She wouldn't miss it, not really.

Despite all that had happened Cordelia went to school the next day.

She walked up to Buffy in the hall awkwardly before first class.

"Hi, you said the other day that when I came back."

"You could hang with me." Buffy finished. "Of course."

"Thanks. I was feeling a little bit like a lost sheep."

Buffy smiled. "It's okay; we've both got history next anyway. You want to come sit in the courtyard? I'm supposed to be meeting Willow and Xander."

"Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't know you were meeting your friends. I'll."

"It's okay; they were your friends once anyway. They won't mind." She reassured.

"You're sure?" She checked.

"Come on."

They walked down the hall together, both seemingly not noticing the looks either Cordelia or both of them were receiving, but they both did.

"Are you catching up okay?" Buffy asked.

"I think so, I kind of missed a decade in history but I'm sure it'll work out."

"If you need any help." Buffy offered.

"Thanks, but I think Angel's on it. He was alive back then so."

Buffy nodded. "You two have gotten close, huh?"

She nodded. "I don't know how I would have survived all this without him."

"So, you're going to keep on living with him?"

"I guess. He told you about my parents coming back?" Buffy nodded. "They were pretty mean to me. Angel said I could keep living with him. It was really kind of him."

"Angel's a kind guy." Buffy agreed. "You don't mind if I call round to see him tonight after patrol do you?"

Cordelia shook her head. "Of course not, he's your boyfriend."

"Great."

They walked out into the sun and headed to where Xander, Willow and Oz were sitting.

"Hi guys." Buffy greeted and sat down. "What's up?"

"Nothing much." Willow told them both. "You want to sit down Cordy?"

She smiled and sat down. "Thanks."

"Are you okay?" Xander asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, I guess it was the shock of what happened that made me lose it like that."

He nodded. "Nobody blames you, you know? There's nobody looking at you and thinking Cordy got hers."

She smiled. "Thanks, I'm starting to realise that."

"Good." He smiled.

"Are we going to the Bronze tonight?" Oz asked no-one in particular.

"I have to patrol but I could stop by after." Buffy told him.

"Sure, I think I could Bronze it." Xander added. "How about you Will?"

"I'm in." She agreed. "Do you want to come Cordelia?"

"I don't know." She said quietly. "I'll see what Angel's doing and then I'll decide."

"Okay." Willow told her. "Do you want to go through my notes I made in history. I made extra once I found out what happened because I thought you might find it easier to catch up if you had class notes to look at."

Cordelia looked up and smiled. "That was so kind of you, thanks. You can't believe how worried I've been about catching up."

Buffy watched Willow pull out a sheath of paper and hand it to Cordelia and found herself thinking about what Cordelia had said. Why did she have to check with Angel before deciding whether or not to come to the Bronze? And why was she going to be living with him? She sees him more than I do! That is so not fair!

"Willow invited us to the Bronze tonight." Cordelia told Angel when Giles had dropped her off after school. She flopped down on the couch.

"I didn't know you had to have an invite." He joked.

She pulled a face at him.

"Do you want to go?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I used to love it there, but now, I'm not sure anymore."

"It was where it happened." Angel stated.

She nodded. "I don't know if I'm ready for that just yet."

"You could go and see how you feel. If you don't feel right then we could come home." He suggested.

"I guess that could be alright." She ventured warily.

"It's up to you." He got up from his chair. "I made you a salad if you're hungry."

She nodded and smiled. "I could get used to this."

"Then let yourself." He said quietly.

Cordelia, for the first time in months, made an effort with her appearance. She selected a comfortable pair of jeans and a pretty vest top. Feminine and classy, not her usual style of brash and forward.

Her makeup, previously unused for the last month or so, was light but effective. She strapped on a pair of sandals and went into the living room to Angel.

"Wow." He exclaimed.

"I look okay?" She asked nervously, crossing her arms and pulling her top down with her fingers.

He smiled. "You look beautiful."

Her face broke out in a wide smile. "Really?"

He nodded. "Really."

"I don't look too.you know?" She worried.

"No! Not too." He reassured. "You look beautiful. Honestly."

She nodded. "Okay, maybe I should tie my hair up, or put a coat on or something?"

"Cordelia, you look perfect. Beyond perfect." He reassured again. "Look, nothing is going to happen to you while you're with me. You know that. I've promised to keep you safe and I will. You don't have to worry. Okay?"

She nodded. "Okay. We are driving there though right?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, come on."

He put his arm around her shoulders and walked her to the door. "So, how do I look?"

Her laughter broke the tension she'd been feeling. "Come on Mr Vain."

Angel kept his arm around her as they went into the Bronze. He deliberately kept her eyes away from the alleyway and ushered her inside quickly. The bouncer on duty recognised either him or her from that night and nodded to Angel as they went in.

He kept his hand on the small of her back and directed her to where Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies were sat.

"Hey!" Buffy greeted, noticing instantly the hand on Cordelia's back. "Glad you could come."

She pulled out the chair next to her. "I saved a chair for you." She told Angel.

"You take that." Angel told Cordelia. "I'll grab one from another table."

She nodded and sat down.

"You look really pretty." Xander, who was sat on the other side of her, told her.

She blushed and looked down. "That's what Angel said."

"No." He corrected, pulling a chair up in between them. "I told her she looked beautiful."

She refused to look up. She could practically feel the iciness emanate off Buffy.

"The band is really good." She said instead.

"Better than us anyway." Oz decided.

"I don't think so." Willow told him.

"Our number one fan." Oz announced. "Or more like our only fan. The Dingoes aren't exactly the band of choice by youth today."

"Do you want a drink?" Angel asked Cordelia.

She shook her head. "I'm fine, thanks."

He squeezed her arm under the table.

"How did patrol go?" He asked Buffy.

She smiled brightly. "Two vamps and I scared off a creepy looking demon from the parking lot."

"Pretty good."

"Not for the vamps." Xander added.

"Ooh!" Willow squealed. "I love this song! Dance with me?" She asked Oz.

He nodded and they got up and went to the dance floor.

"Well?" Buffy asked Angel. "Want to dance?"

"I don't dance." He stated.

Her face faltered for a second.

"I'll dance with you Buff." Xander offered, holding out his hand to her.

She took it with a quick smile and they left.

"Could that have been more awkward?" She asked him.

He smiled. "I guess not. We could dance if you want."

She shook her head. "I'm not really in a dancing mood."

He nodded acceptance. "Are you sure I can't get you a drink?"

She smiled. "Some water might be nice."

"I'll be right back." He stood up and turned to go. "Will you be okay by yourself?"

She broke into a grin. "I'll be fine."

He smiled boyishly and went to the bar.

She watched Buffy, Willow, Xander and Oz dance for a moment and then jumped when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Aura, Harmony, hi." She waved slightly.

"Cordelia." Harmony addressed her. "Good to see you."

She simply smiled.

"What's happened to you?" Aura asked.

"Yeah." Harmony added. "I mean, look at you."

"What's wrong with me?" She asked warily.

Harmony turned up her nose. "You're practically turning into one of them."

"One of them what?"

"One of the freaks." She said in disgust. "And we hear you're living with one of them. A male one of them. I know we gave you a hard time about Xander and mocked you when you broke up but you're still one of us. Of course, to fit back in you'll have to get rid of those hideous scars."

Cordelia stuttered. "Get rid of those hideous scars? You know what? I like them!"

Angel came back to the table with two bottles of water and the Scoobies came off the dance floor at the first hint of raised voices.

"You like them?" Aura asked in disbelief. "They're disgusting!"

"I like them." Cordelia told her defiantly. "They remind me that I was strong. I was a survivor. They remind me of a bad time in my life and that I got through it."

Harmony laughed scornfully. "That's what they remind you of?"

She nodded.

"I think they remind everyone else how much of a loser you had to be to cut yourself like that."

Cordelia blinked slowly. "Then everyone else is an idiot."

"What?" Harmony stuttered.

"Look Harmony, I was raped by a man outside this club and I was strong enough to fight back and survive it. You are not going to be even a hundredth of that to me! So why don't you go and be yourself and let me be myself. Because I can tell you, even though it was me that was raped, I'd rather be me than be you."

Harmony stared open mouthed until Aura dragged her off.

"Are you okay?" Angel asked, touching her elbow with his fingertips.

She nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I am."

They stayed at the Bronze until closing. They didn't dance; they just sat together and talked.

Angel noticed Buffy shooting him either icy glances or jealous looks. But he was planning on doing something about that anyway.

As he watched Cordelia laugh with Willow he realised just what that something was going to be.