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.

Cordelia had no-one to shop with. When she'd gone to past dances she'd always shopped with Harmony or Aura or at Homecoming, with Buffy and Willow. Now, for prom, she was forced to shop alone.

In her dinner hour she ran down to the local dress store, a tiny boutique that sold some pretty clothes. Most of which Cordelia owned.

She opened the door and greeted the store owner, a middle aged woman who Cordelia was familiar with.

"Anything particular Miss Chase?" She asked.

"I'm looking for a prom dress." Cordelia told her, heading to the row of dresses that hung at the back of the shop.

"I've seen something perfect for you." She said, coming to help her. "Not your usual colour but I think you might like it."

She pulled out a pink strapless dress.

Cordelia tried to hide her laugh. "Pink is really not my colour."

She reached out to examine a dark green dress; no she'd done green at homecoming, not like she'd been seen for a long time though, only about ten minutes.

She turned to the owner. "I think. what's wrong?"

"I haven't seen you in a long time." She stuttered. "Your wrists."

"Oh." She pulled her sweater sleeves down so that the scars were hidden. "It's been a rough few months."

"You weren't the girl who was..? Oh my god! I read about a girl in the paper. I had no idea it was you!" Her eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry."

She reached out to hug Cordelia. "It's okay, I'm better now."

She wiped her eyes. "Forgive me dear, I'm an old fool. Anyway, let's get you a pretty dress, huh?"

Cordelia smiled and began flicking through the dresses again.

She selected a red strapless satin, a black chiffon and a gold silk.

After careful consideration she chose the black chiffon dress. If worst came for worst she could wear it again in LA, it could easily pass for Valentino.

"I'll take this one." She told the owner, coming out of the changing area and handing her the dress.

She'd had to take money out of her account to pay for the dress as her father's credit card could no longer be counted on.

"Not paying by card today?" She enquired pleasantly.

"No." She answered simply, not giving anything away.

"Okay, that will come up to three hundred dollars."

She dug into her purse and pulled out several fifties and handed them over.

"Come see me again Miss Chase." She told her, handing her the wrapped and bagged dress.

She walked back to school and stopped for a sandwich at the deli. There had to be some perks of being a senior, off campus lunch was definitely one of them. Lunch at the deli was definitely an improvement over cafeteria food.

"Hello." A voice said to her right.

"Oh, Giles, hi." She covered her mouth. "I just took a bite of muffin."

He smiled. "Quite alright, I thought I might have startled you."

She shook her head. "No. What are you doing off campus anyway? I thought you lived there."

He laughed at her joke. "Only on weekends."

She choked on her muffin. "Wow, Giles, did you just crack a funny?"

He looked puzzled and then his face cleared. "Yes, yes I suppose I did."

They walked along in silence for a few minutes.

"Buffy said something to me yesterday." He told her.

"She did?"

"Yes. She told me that you and Angel are now seeing each other instead of Buffy and Angel." He took off his glasses and started to clean them with his handkerchief. "Is it true?"

"Does it matter if it is?"

"Well, you know I was always against Buffy and Angel being together." He looked at her reproachfully. "I don't want you to get hurt. Despite the strong attitude you're vulnerable, especially since what had happened. Angel could be bad for you."

"I never said I was seeing Angel Giles, he's my friend, and he's been good to me. Like you have."

He looked relieved and they continued walking in silence.

She awoke in the middle of the night, out of breath. She'd had a nightmare. They'd gone to the prom, Angel and her, and everyone had turned to her and thrown bricks at her.

She swung her legs out of bed and tiptoed to Angel's room. She opened the door and crept inside. She found the bed with her hand and pulled back the covers with shaking hands.

She sat down on the bed and pulled the covers back over her. She found his body in the dark, cool and bare-chested. She slid down the bed so she had her head level with his shoulder. She shoved his arm out so she could lay in the crevice on her armpit.

She wrapped her arm around his waist and felt his arm tighten around her, although he was still asleep.

"Goodnight Angel." She whispered closing her eyes.

Within seconds, in his protective embrace, she fell fast asleep.

Angel was the first to wake in the morning. The first thing he realised was that he could hear a heartbeat and the second thing he realised was that Cordelia was curled up around her side.

He watched, mesmerised as her eyes flickered open. She blinked a few times and then she focused on his face.

"Morning." She told him sheepishly.

"Good morning." He smiled and kissed her forehead. "What are you doing here?"

"I can go if." She started to pull herself up but his arm gripping her stopped her.

"No, it's a nice surprise." He promised. "So, what are you doing here?"

"I had a nightmare."

"Like the nightmares you had after I happened?" His forehead creased into a frown.

"No, prom nightmares. Everyone was throwing bricks at me for turning up with you." She grimaced.

He kissed her head again. "No-one is going to throw stones at you."

"I know that."

"You do?"

"Of course, I have an overactive imagination." She grinned.

He rolled her eyes at her. "But you still felt the need to come in here in the middle of the night?"

She nodded and hoped her voice wouldn't waver when she spoke. "I just wanted to be with you."

He smiled. "I just want to be with you too."

She looked at her watch and pulled a face. "I'll have to be with you later, I need to get to school."

He nodded and released her. "You know, if you want company tomorrow night." He told her retreating back.

She leant against the doorframe and turned her head. "I know where you'll be."

They drove to LA Friday night. They stayed in a cheap but decent hotel where Angel phoned up a real estate office to organise Saturday night viewings for several apartments.

Cordelia spent Saturday studying for finals while Angel pretended to read the paper.

Instead he simply watched her.

After viewing the apartments that night they both fell in love with a two story apartment.

The living area was downstairs in the basement which was good because it meant no sunlight. The upstairs was an office with plenty of indirect sunlight which would be perfect for setting up their business.

Cordelia signed all the paperwork so they could secure the property until after graduation and so they could move in and start renting.

The real estate lady left them for a moment so they could spend time alone looking around the place.

"It's really pretty." She exclaimed, looking around the downstairs.

"I'm glad you like it."

"Can we afford it?" She worried.

He nodded. "I have some money and maybe we'll end up making money from the business."

"Well, we have to charge people."

"We do?"

She nodded. "People are going to need our services and they'll be willing to pay."

"You think so?"

"Uh huh, if not we don't help them."

He laughed uncertainly. "We have to help them."

She waved her hand. "I know that, but we don't want them to think that. We have to earn a living as well as saving innocent people."

He considered her words. "I guess, as long as we don't ask too much."

"Well, we could do case histories and find out how much money they can afford and charge differently on a case by case basis so that we get some money but not enough to damage our clients financially. That way we both win. Of course, if the problem is very bad or dangerous or scary then we could charge a little extra."

He smiled. "You're going to be great at this."

He came across to her to wrap his arms around her. "No." She corrected. "We're going to be great at this."

They arrived back in Sunnydale Sunday ready for finals Monday.

She stressed until one am Monday morning when Angel ordered her to put her books down and go to bed.

"How the hell am I supposed to pass them if I don't study?" She shouted in frustrated, flinging a book onto the floor.

"You won't pass them if you make yourself ill." He told her sternly. "Now go to bed and leave the books here."

"You can't tell me what to do! If I want to study I goddamn will!" She yelled.

He picked her up by her arms so she was now stood up. "Go to bed."

"No!"

"You'll make yourself ill!" He reasoned loudly.

"So what? I don't care as long as I pass them! I've missed too much school for me to be not studying all night."

"Cordelia, you will pass them. You missed some time at school but before that you got straight A's. You told me that yourself. You might not do badly but if you do the least you'll get is a B."

"That's not the point." She scowled. "The next thing you'll be telling me is that it doesn't matter because it's not like I'm going to be going to college!" She stomped across the room to get coffee from the kitchen.

"Fine! But I'm going to bed. Do whatever you want!" He shouted after her. "It's not like I'm going to be able to stop you anyway."

There was no answer.

Half an hour later he heard her slip into his bed. She hugged his back. "I'm sorry we fought. I just want to do well in my exams. They're the last ones I'm going to be taking. I want to do well in them."

He reached up to hold her hand. "I know."

He kissed her fingers gently.

"I'm glad you're so understanding."

"I love you Cordelia." He told her lovingly.

"I love you too." She whispered, pressing her cheek against his back.

"Get some sleep; you'll be up early in the morning."

She was up early the next day, as she was the next four days when she had finals.

She came home Friday afternoon exhausted but excited about the prom that night.

"Did you get your tux?" She asked, coming into the mansion, which was littered with half packed boxes, ready for their move.

"On Wednesday." He told her, looking up from his book.

"Oh, you told me that right?" She looked sheepish.

He nodded and smiled. "It's okay; you've been preoccupied this week. Which reminds me, how did it go? The last one."

"Okay I think, or rather I hope." She smiled. "It feels good to get them over though."

"I'll bet."

"You never took exams back in your day?" She came to sit on the side of his chair.

"Not very important ones." He shrugged.

She looked at her watch. "Wow, I have to get ready."

"For what?" He looked up.

"The prom." She looked at him like he was stupid.

"It four o clock."

"I know."

"The prom doesn't start while nine." He pointed out.

"I know." She told him again and got up off the arm of the chair.

She began to walk to the bathroom when she heard his voice. "I'll never get women."

She giggled. "You already got me, vampire."