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.
"Buffy." He began. "We need to talk."
"I agree."
"You do?" He looked surprised.
She nodded. "This whole thing with Cordelia, it has to stop. I understand what she's been through and that she thinks she needs you but I'm your girlfriend and I deserve."
"You deserve to know the truth." He interrupted.
"The truth?" She was confused.
"The truth. I'm not in love with you anymore."
"You're not. How?" Her forehead wrinkled in confusion.
"I don't know how or when it happened but I just realised that you're not the one I want anymore. I'm sorry!"
Buffy's eyes welled up. "Is there someone else?"
He shrugged. "I'm not sure at the moment. Maybe. But that's irrelevant. I just don't want to be with you anymore. I stopped loving you." He told her gently.
A tear rolled down her cheek. "You stopped loving me? How can you have stopped loving me?"
"I don't know." He admitted.
"It's Cordelia isn't it? You fell for her!" She accused. "I knew there was something wrong with her living with you! Are you sleeping with her?"
"No!" He assured her. "This is nothing to do with Cordelia; this is between me and you."
"Yeah right!" She said bitterly, tears coursing down her cheeks. "You live with Queen C for a couple of months and you ditch your girlfriend, the woman you love, to be with her!"
"Buffy, calm down." He urged. "I think."
She slapped him hard across the face. "Don't you dare tell me to calm down! You don't have the rights to that anymore!"
He stepped back. "What do you want me to do? I said I was sorry!"
She stepped away from him and began to walk down the darkened street. "I want you to leave me alone!"
"Buffy, wait!" He started to follow her.
"No!" She ordered. "Just leave me alone!"
"Hey." Cordelia greeted as he came in. "What have you been up to?"
"Nothing much." He shrugged off his coat and hung it up.
"I made popcorn if you want some." She pointed to the bowl on the coffee table. "I've been watching Letterman."
"Any good?" He sat down next to her.
"Which? The popcorn or Letterman?"
"Letterman." He smiled.
She shook her head. "Not really."
"I've got a good film in the cupboard. It's an old one, called "Love's End." I think you might like it." He suggested.
She nudged him. "Go on then."
He got up and put the video in the machine.
By the end of the film Cordelia was asleep. She'd rested her head on his shoulder but eventually she had slipped so that she was on his lap.
He stroked her hair and then felt a shiver so he covered her with a blanket of the back of the couch. "Goodnight Cordelia." He whispered.
She woke up to a stiff neck and major bed hair.
"Ugh!" She exclaimed, feeling her head.
"Morning." Angel told her, looking down on her.
She let out a scream and jumped up, clutching the blanket to her chest. "Jesus Christ Angel! Give a girl a heart attack!"
"Sorry." He smiled. "You fell asleep last night and I didn't want to wake you."
"Oh, okay. What time is it?"
"Eight thirty."
"Whoa, I have to get going! Giles will be picking me up in a half hour." She jumped up and flung the towel down on the couch. "I have to shower and change."
She trotted into the bathroom to shower while Angel went to make coffee.
She came out ten minutes later wearing a towel. "Great, you made coffee."
He shifted uncomfortably. "Cordy, your towel?"
She looked down and saw it was about to slip. "Oh, sorry. Let me go get dressed."
"You want toast or eggs?" He asked her back, or rather her legs.
"Toast could be good." She shouted back. "At least if I'm late I can eat it in the car. I don't think Giles would be too happy with me eating eggs in his car."
"I guess not." He murmured, already putting bread in the toaster.
She came out seconds later fully dressed in a pair of jeans and a shirt.
He handed her the toast. "Thanks. You're an angel, you know that?"
He smiled. "I've been told on occasion."
She smiled over her coffee as she blew on it. "I'll come straight home tonight. Will you be in?"
He nodded as there was the sound of a horn from outside.
"Oh, I gotta go!" She took a quick drink of the coffee and then thrust him the nearly empty mug. "I'll see you?"
"You will." He told her retreating back.
Cordelia sat down next to Buffy in their history class. "Hey, how's it going?"
"Is that supposed to be a joke?" She snapped.
"Not really." She shrugged and opened her textbook.
"You have some nerve just coming in here and acting like everything is okay. Well, of course it is for you!" She raised her voice, making the other students turn around, including Xander.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Cordelia told her frowning. "Has something happened?"
Buffy snorted. "Yeah, something has happened and I know about it so you can stop sounding so innocent. Angel broke up with me, your secret is no longer is a secret!"
"Angel broke up with you? Why?" She exclaimed.
"Because of you! He broke up with me because of you!" She yelled.
"What do you mean? There's nothing happening between me and Angel. We're just friends." She told her honestly. "Really."
"You lying little."
"Okay." Xander interrupted. "Perhaps this is not the best time to do this."
"No Xander, let her finish." Cordelia told him. "Let her call me all the names she wants to, they can't be worse than what I've been calling myself for the past few months."
"That's it, throw what happened to you in my face! Use that as an excuse for what you've been doing with my boyfriend. You've probably been screwing him anyway, like half the other guys in this school." She spat.
Cordelia stood up. "Look Buffy, I have no idea what your problem is but don't you ever talk about me like that! You don't know me so don't try to! Your problems with Angel are nothing to do with me, so don't bring me into it. I only live with him. That's with him, not with him in me. Okay? Don't blame me for something that I haven't done. Instead, think about why he decided you weren't good enough for him. First go with the clothes and then with the makeup, okay?"
She grabbed her bag and textbook and left the room, ignoring the teacher as he stood out of her way.
She flung open the door of the mansion. "Okay Dead Guy, get your ass in here, you have some explaining to do!"
He hurried out of the bedroom where he had previously been dozing. "What?"
"Think Buffy, or more like ex girlfriend. Care to tell me why that happened?"
He shifted uncomfortably. "It didn't feel right anymore."
"Is that it? I get yelled at in front of the whole class because it didn't feel right anymore?" She asked incredulous. "She seems to think I had something to do with it. Which, I have to say pretty much confused me!"
He couldn't meet her gaze. "She just assumed."
"And you didn't put her straight?"
He shook his head. "I didn't get the chance. She sort of yelled at me, hit me and marched off."
Her face softened slightly, but not much. "So, she thinks that I've stolen you from her, is that it?"
He sort of nodded and shrugged at the same time. "I tried to tell her it just didn't feel right anymore but she didn't want to listen."
"It was easier to let her believe that something was going on between us than explain that your relationship didn't feel right." She concluded. "That's a load of bullshit."
She took her jacket off and hung it up.
"That was harsh." He countered.
"Angel, I've been out with a lot of guys, I know bullshit when I hear it. I thought you might actually be different. Maybe because you're a vampire, maybe because you're old fashioned. But a good guy. That what you just told me was bullshit. You let her believe it was me she was supposed to be hating, not herself or you. That was wrong! You've helped me all these months and I love you so much for that but you've just gone and hurt me Angel. Buffy and I were getting to be friends. I'd been hanging out with Willow and Xander and Oz. now I won't be able to anymore. So, thanks a lot Angel."
She stepped around him and went to her room, slamming the door.
Angel scratched his head. What the hell had just happened? He'd broken up with Buffy, which was a good thing. Wasn't she pleased? Then again she had said she loved him, sort of. Well, there was only one thing he could do now.
Author: victoriamartynne
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Spoilers: None.
Summary: In 1998, Angel befriends Cordelia when the going gets tough.
"Buffy." He began. "We need to talk."
"I agree."
"You do?" He looked surprised.
She nodded. "This whole thing with Cordelia, it has to stop. I understand what she's been through and that she thinks she needs you but I'm your girlfriend and I deserve."
"You deserve to know the truth." He interrupted.
"The truth?" She was confused.
"The truth. I'm not in love with you anymore."
"You're not. How?" Her forehead wrinkled in confusion.
"I don't know how or when it happened but I just realised that you're not the one I want anymore. I'm sorry!"
Buffy's eyes welled up. "Is there someone else?"
He shrugged. "I'm not sure at the moment. Maybe. But that's irrelevant. I just don't want to be with you anymore. I stopped loving you." He told her gently.
A tear rolled down her cheek. "You stopped loving me? How can you have stopped loving me?"
"I don't know." He admitted.
"It's Cordelia isn't it? You fell for her!" She accused. "I knew there was something wrong with her living with you! Are you sleeping with her?"
"No!" He assured her. "This is nothing to do with Cordelia; this is between me and you."
"Yeah right!" She said bitterly, tears coursing down her cheeks. "You live with Queen C for a couple of months and you ditch your girlfriend, the woman you love, to be with her!"
"Buffy, calm down." He urged. "I think."
She slapped him hard across the face. "Don't you dare tell me to calm down! You don't have the rights to that anymore!"
He stepped back. "What do you want me to do? I said I was sorry!"
She stepped away from him and began to walk down the darkened street. "I want you to leave me alone!"
"Buffy, wait!" He started to follow her.
"No!" She ordered. "Just leave me alone!"
"Hey." Cordelia greeted as he came in. "What have you been up to?"
"Nothing much." He shrugged off his coat and hung it up.
"I made popcorn if you want some." She pointed to the bowl on the coffee table. "I've been watching Letterman."
"Any good?" He sat down next to her.
"Which? The popcorn or Letterman?"
"Letterman." He smiled.
She shook her head. "Not really."
"I've got a good film in the cupboard. It's an old one, called "Love's End." I think you might like it." He suggested.
She nudged him. "Go on then."
He got up and put the video in the machine.
By the end of the film Cordelia was asleep. She'd rested her head on his shoulder but eventually she had slipped so that she was on his lap.
He stroked her hair and then felt a shiver so he covered her with a blanket of the back of the couch. "Goodnight Cordelia." He whispered.
She woke up to a stiff neck and major bed hair.
"Ugh!" She exclaimed, feeling her head.
"Morning." Angel told her, looking down on her.
She let out a scream and jumped up, clutching the blanket to her chest. "Jesus Christ Angel! Give a girl a heart attack!"
"Sorry." He smiled. "You fell asleep last night and I didn't want to wake you."
"Oh, okay. What time is it?"
"Eight thirty."
"Whoa, I have to get going! Giles will be picking me up in a half hour." She jumped up and flung the towel down on the couch. "I have to shower and change."
She trotted into the bathroom to shower while Angel went to make coffee.
She came out ten minutes later wearing a towel. "Great, you made coffee."
He shifted uncomfortably. "Cordy, your towel?"
She looked down and saw it was about to slip. "Oh, sorry. Let me go get dressed."
"You want toast or eggs?" He asked her back, or rather her legs.
"Toast could be good." She shouted back. "At least if I'm late I can eat it in the car. I don't think Giles would be too happy with me eating eggs in his car."
"I guess not." He murmured, already putting bread in the toaster.
She came out seconds later fully dressed in a pair of jeans and a shirt.
He handed her the toast. "Thanks. You're an angel, you know that?"
He smiled. "I've been told on occasion."
She smiled over her coffee as she blew on it. "I'll come straight home tonight. Will you be in?"
He nodded as there was the sound of a horn from outside.
"Oh, I gotta go!" She took a quick drink of the coffee and then thrust him the nearly empty mug. "I'll see you?"
"You will." He told her retreating back.
Cordelia sat down next to Buffy in their history class. "Hey, how's it going?"
"Is that supposed to be a joke?" She snapped.
"Not really." She shrugged and opened her textbook.
"You have some nerve just coming in here and acting like everything is okay. Well, of course it is for you!" She raised her voice, making the other students turn around, including Xander.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Cordelia told her frowning. "Has something happened?"
Buffy snorted. "Yeah, something has happened and I know about it so you can stop sounding so innocent. Angel broke up with me, your secret is no longer is a secret!"
"Angel broke up with you? Why?" She exclaimed.
"Because of you! He broke up with me because of you!" She yelled.
"What do you mean? There's nothing happening between me and Angel. We're just friends." She told her honestly. "Really."
"You lying little."
"Okay." Xander interrupted. "Perhaps this is not the best time to do this."
"No Xander, let her finish." Cordelia told him. "Let her call me all the names she wants to, they can't be worse than what I've been calling myself for the past few months."
"That's it, throw what happened to you in my face! Use that as an excuse for what you've been doing with my boyfriend. You've probably been screwing him anyway, like half the other guys in this school." She spat.
Cordelia stood up. "Look Buffy, I have no idea what your problem is but don't you ever talk about me like that! You don't know me so don't try to! Your problems with Angel are nothing to do with me, so don't bring me into it. I only live with him. That's with him, not with him in me. Okay? Don't blame me for something that I haven't done. Instead, think about why he decided you weren't good enough for him. First go with the clothes and then with the makeup, okay?"
She grabbed her bag and textbook and left the room, ignoring the teacher as he stood out of her way.
She flung open the door of the mansion. "Okay Dead Guy, get your ass in here, you have some explaining to do!"
He hurried out of the bedroom where he had previously been dozing. "What?"
"Think Buffy, or more like ex girlfriend. Care to tell me why that happened?"
He shifted uncomfortably. "It didn't feel right anymore."
"Is that it? I get yelled at in front of the whole class because it didn't feel right anymore?" She asked incredulous. "She seems to think I had something to do with it. Which, I have to say pretty much confused me!"
He couldn't meet her gaze. "She just assumed."
"And you didn't put her straight?"
He shook his head. "I didn't get the chance. She sort of yelled at me, hit me and marched off."
Her face softened slightly, but not much. "So, she thinks that I've stolen you from her, is that it?"
He sort of nodded and shrugged at the same time. "I tried to tell her it just didn't feel right anymore but she didn't want to listen."
"It was easier to let her believe that something was going on between us than explain that your relationship didn't feel right." She concluded. "That's a load of bullshit."
She took her jacket off and hung it up.
"That was harsh." He countered.
"Angel, I've been out with a lot of guys, I know bullshit when I hear it. I thought you might actually be different. Maybe because you're a vampire, maybe because you're old fashioned. But a good guy. That what you just told me was bullshit. You let her believe it was me she was supposed to be hating, not herself or you. That was wrong! You've helped me all these months and I love you so much for that but you've just gone and hurt me Angel. Buffy and I were getting to be friends. I'd been hanging out with Willow and Xander and Oz. now I won't be able to anymore. So, thanks a lot Angel."
She stepped around him and went to her room, slamming the door.
Angel scratched his head. What the hell had just happened? He'd broken up with Buffy, which was a good thing. Wasn't she pleased? Then again she had said she loved him, sort of. Well, there was only one thing he could do now.
