Summary: Continued...
8th in the Cold Summer Series
*~*~*
Cordelia knocked on the motel room door lightly. Xander had gone back to the house to talk to Anya. They hadn't spoken while they were in the car. What was there to say? They both knew that what happened was wrong.
Angel opened the door and looked at her with wide eyes. "Cordy? What happened?" He tugged her inside.
She brought a hand to her eyes and found them wet. She didn't even know she had been crying. "I'm fine. Really." She looked at Faith. "No change?"
He shook his head.
"Where's Chandra?"
"Out. Are you sure you're okay?"
She nodded. "Just... closed a door."
Angel put a hand on her shoulder. "How's Xander?"
Cordy let a few tears fall. "I think we made a big mistake." She kept her eyes on Faith so she wouldn't have to look at him.
He squeezed her shoulder. "It's okay."
*~*~*
Xander walked into the Summers' home to find Dawn asleep on the couch, her head in Willow's comforting lap. Tara, Anya, and Wesley sat across from them quietly. He looked to Anya. "We need to talk."
Anya saw the look on his face and stood. "What is it?
He took her hand and led her to the kitchen. "Anya..." He sighed and let go of her hand, leaning on the counter. "You know I love you. More than anything."
She sat down. "Xander, what happened?"
He bowed his head and closed his eyes. "Anya... I just slept with Cordelia."
Her eyes watered. "What?"
He turned to her, his eyes sad. "In the car. About an hour ago." He swallowed. "Anya, I'm so sorry." He took a step towards her.
She raised her hand. "Don't. Just stop right there." Her tears started to fall. "I think it's best that you go."
He looked down. "Anya, I still want to marry you. I love you."
She stood up and walked out of the room without another word.
*~*~*
Giles knocked lightly on Olivia's door. He had phoned her after Buffy's... incident. She had politely decided to stay back until the smoke had cleared.
When she opened the door she smiled wearing her bathrobe. "Evening, Ripper." She opened the door wider to let him in. "I thought you might be coming by. I bought a bottle of scotch."
He walked in and sat on the bed. "Thank you."
She shut the door and sat next to him. "How are you doing?"
He took a deep breath. "Try losing a daughter twice and see how you feel."
She nodded and rubbed his back. "I'm sorry, Rupert."
He leaned into her touch and closed his eyes. "I miss her."
She wrapped her arms around him. "She was a wonderful girl. But it was her destiny. And she gave her life so that everyone can live."
He held her close. "I know. But that doesn't make it any easier."
She stroked his hair. "Have you cried for her yet?"
He closed his eyes. "I... I..."
She tilted his face up and took off his glasses. "She's gone. It's time to let her go."
He laid his head on her shoulder and finally mourned for the charge, the friend, the closest person he had to a daughter.
*~*~*
Chandra stepped into the hotel room to find Cordelia alone watching Faith. "Where's Angel?" she asked as she tossed the doll she had found onto a table.
Cordelia looked up from her magazine. "He went to the magic shop. He's using the training room there. My guess is he's a little pissed at Darla."
"I don't blame him, but he can't face them by himself." She grabbed a backpack and began to load it up.
"I don't blame you, you know."
Chandra paused. "What?"
"The whole apocalyptic child thing. I don't blame you. There was no way you could have known."
"That's what I kept saying." She smiled. "You aren't bad, Cordy. You try to be all bitchy and shit, but you're not."
Cordelia smiled back. "Don't let that get around."
*~*~*
His eyes were focused on the bag. But he wasn't seeing the bag. He was seeing Buffy's corpse melting in from of him. He was seeing the face of the woman who had created him. Darla was probably laughing at him right now, his childe at her side.
Angel roundhouse kicked the punching bag and sent it flying across the room. He was pushing air in and out of his dead lungs out of rage. He should have made sure Darla was dead that night back in LA. This was his fault and he knew it. He quickly dropped to the ground and began his push-ups. He heard the steps coming but already knew who it was before she spoke.
"Angel?" Chandra set her bag aside.
He didn't answer her, just kept doing push-ups.
She sighed. "Angel, you can't take this on by yourself. So I'm here to help you."
He stopped and stood up. "And just how do you plan on doing that? Darla would rip you to shreds then hand the leftovers to Dru."
She scowled. "I'm the slayer. I can take her on. Besides, I won't be alone. You'll be there." She stepped up to him. "We can do this together."
He shoved her back hard. "You think you can take her? You think you can take me?"
She stepped back with the shove but didn't fall or back down. "Yeah. I do."
He laughed at her, actually laughed at her. "And what makes you that?"
"I can take you any day. Because I know your weakness. You don't think I studied your ass?" She went into fighting stance. "I'm a slayer first and foremost. I'm your friend second. A close second." Her eyes narrowed. "I can't let you face this alone."
He growled and roundhouse kicked to her head. She caught his foot and flipped him on his back. But she didn't top there. Quick as lightning, she rolled to her bag and grabbed a stake, returning to straddle his chest and hold the stake over his heart.
"You see?" she yelled at him. "You can't fight like this! You're too emotional!" She threw the stake aside and stood, holding out her hand to him. "Let me help you."
He took her hand and pulled her down into a hug, crushing her to him. "Thank you."
She smiled and kissed him softly. "You're welcome." She stood again and yanked him up. "Now let's find those bitches and kick some vampire ass."
*~*~*
Spike opened one eye, the other swollen shut. He was hanging from the ceiling by chains that he was sure Dru had found. Darla was pacing in front of him in just her bra and some cheap denim shorts. She didn't want to dirty good clothes with his blood. She looked so frustrated, he had to smile.
"Torturing not what it used to be?" he gleamed to her.
She stopped pacing and glared at him. "The things that come to those who wait may be the things left by those who got there first. I see that now, Spike and I realize that I waited too long. I'm sick of waiting. I'm sick of being patient." She picked up a dagger and rammed it into his stomach. "Got any ideas, William?"
He cried out then growled to her. "You could always die again."
She ignored his comment. "You know, I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it left." She roared and ripped the knife from him. "I'll just have to step up my plans. Take out the new slayer."
*~*~*
Angel and Chandra walked side by side as they patrolled the streets. It was all business. He had calmed some and she was receptive to everything around her. There had been no word or sign of Darla's whereabouts. Two hours till dawn found the duo back near the Blue Devil club.
Chandra closed her eyes. "I'm so sorry I couldn't stop them sooner."
Angel stopped and placed his hands on her shoulders. "It wasn't your fault." He pulled her closer to him and rubbed her back. "We can still make it right. Together."
She gazed up into his blue eyes. "We..." She swallowed. "What are... we?"
He leaned in gently and pressed his cool lips to her warm ones tenderly, softly. His hand came up and ran through her hair. He couldn't make out the emotions that were running through him. They were definitely about the girl in his arms. They were definitely...
"Daddy?"
Angel jumped back from Chandra to look into the eyes of his childe. Dru was looking at him curiously with a few shopping bags in her hands. "Daddy? What are you doing with another nasty slayer?"
Chandra quickly got into fighting stance. "This is Drusilla I take it?"
Dru vamped and snarled at the slayer. "I don't think I like you."
Angel slipped his game face on as well. "Where's Darla?"
The Childe looked to her sire and frowned. "She's hurting my Spike. She wants him to learn a lesson."
He stopped Chandra from attacking. "We can save your Spike. Just show us where."
Dru smiled. "Would you?" She looked to Chandra. "She wouldn't. She eats double-speak! Miss Edith would surely disagree with this."
Angel morphed back and let his accent slip out to try and convince her. "I'll explain it to her." He smiled. "You know I wouldn't let my best girl be unhappy, now would I?"
She giggled. "I suppose not unless I've been naughty."
"And I see you've been shopping. You should get those bags back."
Chandra took a step back, understand what mind game Angel was playing with his Childe. She could wait.
Drusilla looked to Chandra as she moved. "And what of this? Of the slayer?"
Angel grabbed Chandra's hand and yanked her closer. "Can't you tell Dru? The child in her? The one to bring..."
"The foretold child!" Drusilla seemed jubilant at this prospect. "I can feel it now!" She swayed from foot to foot. "All the blood that it will shed..."
Angel could tell that Chandra was visibly trying to hold back her tears. He couldn't let on though. "Yes, my darling Dru. She's knocked up all right. She can come to your party. Would you like that?"
Dru nodded. "I would." She turned. "This way."
*~*~*
Olivia tucked Giles into her bed and sat next to him. "You can sleep here for now. You're in no condition to try and drive home."
He slurred as he spoke. "You could say that I'm a bit sottish."
"You drank the entire bottle."
He furrowed his brow. "I did? Bloody hell."
She chuckled. "Ripper, you are incorrigible."
He smiled at her and poked her shoulder. "And you, Miss Olivia… I love you."
Her jaw dropped. "What?"
He closed his eyes and curled up, sleeping.
*~*~*
Drusilla stopped about ten feet from a motel. "Daddy, you have to promise me."
"Promise you what?" Angel smiled to her, keeping up the façade as long as possible.
"Promise me my Spike will be okay?"
Angel's smile turned genuine. "I promise." Before his childe could catch on, he quickly snapped her neck to knock her out. He still couldn't bring himself to kill her. Again.
He turned to Chandra. "We leave her be. We're after Darla." When she nodded her compliance, Angel went about to finding the room that Dru was heading to. It wasn't hard actually. He could smell spilled blood. Chandra followed close behind, a stake in each hand.
*~*~*
Darla licked at a wound on Spike's shoulder. "I can taste the bloodline. Dru's blood… my darling boy's blood…" She sighed. "We were so much together." She looked into his blue eyes. "Don't you want that again? Why are you siding with this scum?"
He locked eyes with her. "I made a promise."
She laughed, throwing her head back. "You? William the Bloody? The great Big Bad Spike? Made a promise?" She picked up a stake. "Oh well. I can always make a new Angelus."
The door burst open before she could lower the stake. "Am I that easy to replace?" Angel didn't let her answer as he tackled her to the ground.
Spike had never been so happy to see the bloody poof in his whole life. Chandra quickly made her way to Spike and released his binds. "We have to get you out of here." She pulled his arm around her shoulder and guided him to the door.
He coughed and sputtered a little, limping and leaning on her for support. "I'll be fine, slayer. Go help Peaches." He leaned on the wall. "He needs you."
She nodded and rushed back into the motel room, stake in hand. The two vampires were throwing each other across the room and back again. It was a tangle of growls and snarls. Chandra kept her distance for a while, watching the two as they dueled for power. Darla threw him onto the bed and straddled his hips, pinning his hands above his head and looking down at him.
"You know, Angelus, this could be a whole lot easier. You could have it all. We could..." Darla face distorted and started to fall apart as she slowly crumpled to dust.
Chandra was standing behind her with her stake raised poised. "This time stay dead, bitch."
*~*~*
Xander stood silently on Anya's doorstep. He hadn't knocked yet and didn't know if he could. He'd never felt so low in all his life. How could he have hurt her like that? What the hell was he thinking? He slumped down the wall across from her door and slid down until he was sitting on the floor.
When Anya had left the Summers' home, Xander had spoken to Willow and Tara about what had happened. They had listened to him during his entire explanation, their expressions growing harder with each word.
Willow had spoken first. "Xander, you really..." She trailed off. "I don't know what to say."
Tara swallowed. "I think you did the right thing telling Anya. I mean, it's better to hear honesty from the one you love."
He sighed. "But is she still gonna want to be with me?"
Neither girl had an answer to that.
So now here he was, sitting across from her door looking tired and worn and praying that the woman he loved would keep him.
*~*~*
"Agh! Bloody hell, poodle! Take it easy!" Spike cursed as Chandra helped him up from the ground. "I'm fragile!"
She rolled her eyes. "You're a vampire. You're not fragile." To prove her point, she dropped him to the ground again.
Angel grinned a little, the first sign he was coming back from whatever land he had chosen to go into for the past forty-five minutes while Chandra calmed and tended to some of Spike's wounds. She had checked for Drusilla beforehand though and found that the vampiress was gone. Vanished into the stars that she kept talking about maybe. Chandra didn't care about that at the moment.
Spike rolled over and coughed, spitting out some blood. "I need to feed. And soon."
Angel jumped alert to this. "We can get you a blood pack but you're not feeding from her so just forget it."
The blonde vampire rolled his eyes. "I can't you bloody poof. I'm fixed, remember?"
"We get your blood packs, we get you to your crypt, and then we're going back to LA." He stood and marched out the door.
Spike watched him go and turned to Chandra. "What got into him?"
She looked to the door. "His past is gone. He's worried about his future." Her hand immediately went to her stomach.
Spike looked to her stomach. "Uh, I meant to, you know, wish you congrats?"
She glowered at him. "Oh you're just loving the apocalyptic thing, ain't you, bleach boy?" She walked by and kicked his arm before leaving.
*~*~*
Cordelia woke when she just about fell out of her chair. Wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth, she blinked a few times and focused on Faith. A still comatose Faith.
Groaning, she stretched and stood, working out the kinks of falling asleep sitting up. She wobbled into the bathroom and looked at her reflection. The circles under her eyes were only outdone by the pasty color of her skin. Some coffee and breakfast would help with that. She ran a brush through her hair and straightened her shirt. Good enough to grab a McMuffin. She flashed a smile to her reflection one last time.
As she exited the bathroom she glanced down and found Angel and Chandra asleep beside the bed. He was cradling her protectively in her arms, keeping her safe. Cordelia smiled and left the room quietly, getting into Angel's car. She adjusted the mirror and turned on the ignition before she heard the gun cock.
8th in the Cold Summer Series
*~*~*
Cordelia knocked on the motel room door lightly. Xander had gone back to the house to talk to Anya. They hadn't spoken while they were in the car. What was there to say? They both knew that what happened was wrong.
Angel opened the door and looked at her with wide eyes. "Cordy? What happened?" He tugged her inside.
She brought a hand to her eyes and found them wet. She didn't even know she had been crying. "I'm fine. Really." She looked at Faith. "No change?"
He shook his head.
"Where's Chandra?"
"Out. Are you sure you're okay?"
She nodded. "Just... closed a door."
Angel put a hand on her shoulder. "How's Xander?"
Cordy let a few tears fall. "I think we made a big mistake." She kept her eyes on Faith so she wouldn't have to look at him.
He squeezed her shoulder. "It's okay."
*~*~*
Xander walked into the Summers' home to find Dawn asleep on the couch, her head in Willow's comforting lap. Tara, Anya, and Wesley sat across from them quietly. He looked to Anya. "We need to talk."
Anya saw the look on his face and stood. "What is it?
He took her hand and led her to the kitchen. "Anya..." He sighed and let go of her hand, leaning on the counter. "You know I love you. More than anything."
She sat down. "Xander, what happened?"
He bowed his head and closed his eyes. "Anya... I just slept with Cordelia."
Her eyes watered. "What?"
He turned to her, his eyes sad. "In the car. About an hour ago." He swallowed. "Anya, I'm so sorry." He took a step towards her.
She raised her hand. "Don't. Just stop right there." Her tears started to fall. "I think it's best that you go."
He looked down. "Anya, I still want to marry you. I love you."
She stood up and walked out of the room without another word.
*~*~*
Giles knocked lightly on Olivia's door. He had phoned her after Buffy's... incident. She had politely decided to stay back until the smoke had cleared.
When she opened the door she smiled wearing her bathrobe. "Evening, Ripper." She opened the door wider to let him in. "I thought you might be coming by. I bought a bottle of scotch."
He walked in and sat on the bed. "Thank you."
She shut the door and sat next to him. "How are you doing?"
He took a deep breath. "Try losing a daughter twice and see how you feel."
She nodded and rubbed his back. "I'm sorry, Rupert."
He leaned into her touch and closed his eyes. "I miss her."
She wrapped her arms around him. "She was a wonderful girl. But it was her destiny. And she gave her life so that everyone can live."
He held her close. "I know. But that doesn't make it any easier."
She stroked his hair. "Have you cried for her yet?"
He closed his eyes. "I... I..."
She tilted his face up and took off his glasses. "She's gone. It's time to let her go."
He laid his head on her shoulder and finally mourned for the charge, the friend, the closest person he had to a daughter.
*~*~*
Chandra stepped into the hotel room to find Cordelia alone watching Faith. "Where's Angel?" she asked as she tossed the doll she had found onto a table.
Cordelia looked up from her magazine. "He went to the magic shop. He's using the training room there. My guess is he's a little pissed at Darla."
"I don't blame him, but he can't face them by himself." She grabbed a backpack and began to load it up.
"I don't blame you, you know."
Chandra paused. "What?"
"The whole apocalyptic child thing. I don't blame you. There was no way you could have known."
"That's what I kept saying." She smiled. "You aren't bad, Cordy. You try to be all bitchy and shit, but you're not."
Cordelia smiled back. "Don't let that get around."
*~*~*
His eyes were focused on the bag. But he wasn't seeing the bag. He was seeing Buffy's corpse melting in from of him. He was seeing the face of the woman who had created him. Darla was probably laughing at him right now, his childe at her side.
Angel roundhouse kicked the punching bag and sent it flying across the room. He was pushing air in and out of his dead lungs out of rage. He should have made sure Darla was dead that night back in LA. This was his fault and he knew it. He quickly dropped to the ground and began his push-ups. He heard the steps coming but already knew who it was before she spoke.
"Angel?" Chandra set her bag aside.
He didn't answer her, just kept doing push-ups.
She sighed. "Angel, you can't take this on by yourself. So I'm here to help you."
He stopped and stood up. "And just how do you plan on doing that? Darla would rip you to shreds then hand the leftovers to Dru."
She scowled. "I'm the slayer. I can take her on. Besides, I won't be alone. You'll be there." She stepped up to him. "We can do this together."
He shoved her back hard. "You think you can take her? You think you can take me?"
She stepped back with the shove but didn't fall or back down. "Yeah. I do."
He laughed at her, actually laughed at her. "And what makes you that?"
"I can take you any day. Because I know your weakness. You don't think I studied your ass?" She went into fighting stance. "I'm a slayer first and foremost. I'm your friend second. A close second." Her eyes narrowed. "I can't let you face this alone."
He growled and roundhouse kicked to her head. She caught his foot and flipped him on his back. But she didn't top there. Quick as lightning, she rolled to her bag and grabbed a stake, returning to straddle his chest and hold the stake over his heart.
"You see?" she yelled at him. "You can't fight like this! You're too emotional!" She threw the stake aside and stood, holding out her hand to him. "Let me help you."
He took her hand and pulled her down into a hug, crushing her to him. "Thank you."
She smiled and kissed him softly. "You're welcome." She stood again and yanked him up. "Now let's find those bitches and kick some vampire ass."
*~*~*
Spike opened one eye, the other swollen shut. He was hanging from the ceiling by chains that he was sure Dru had found. Darla was pacing in front of him in just her bra and some cheap denim shorts. She didn't want to dirty good clothes with his blood. She looked so frustrated, he had to smile.
"Torturing not what it used to be?" he gleamed to her.
She stopped pacing and glared at him. "The things that come to those who wait may be the things left by those who got there first. I see that now, Spike and I realize that I waited too long. I'm sick of waiting. I'm sick of being patient." She picked up a dagger and rammed it into his stomach. "Got any ideas, William?"
He cried out then growled to her. "You could always die again."
She ignored his comment. "You know, I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it left." She roared and ripped the knife from him. "I'll just have to step up my plans. Take out the new slayer."
*~*~*
Angel and Chandra walked side by side as they patrolled the streets. It was all business. He had calmed some and she was receptive to everything around her. There had been no word or sign of Darla's whereabouts. Two hours till dawn found the duo back near the Blue Devil club.
Chandra closed her eyes. "I'm so sorry I couldn't stop them sooner."
Angel stopped and placed his hands on her shoulders. "It wasn't your fault." He pulled her closer to him and rubbed her back. "We can still make it right. Together."
She gazed up into his blue eyes. "We..." She swallowed. "What are... we?"
He leaned in gently and pressed his cool lips to her warm ones tenderly, softly. His hand came up and ran through her hair. He couldn't make out the emotions that were running through him. They were definitely about the girl in his arms. They were definitely...
"Daddy?"
Angel jumped back from Chandra to look into the eyes of his childe. Dru was looking at him curiously with a few shopping bags in her hands. "Daddy? What are you doing with another nasty slayer?"
Chandra quickly got into fighting stance. "This is Drusilla I take it?"
Dru vamped and snarled at the slayer. "I don't think I like you."
Angel slipped his game face on as well. "Where's Darla?"
The Childe looked to her sire and frowned. "She's hurting my Spike. She wants him to learn a lesson."
He stopped Chandra from attacking. "We can save your Spike. Just show us where."
Dru smiled. "Would you?" She looked to Chandra. "She wouldn't. She eats double-speak! Miss Edith would surely disagree with this."
Angel morphed back and let his accent slip out to try and convince her. "I'll explain it to her." He smiled. "You know I wouldn't let my best girl be unhappy, now would I?"
She giggled. "I suppose not unless I've been naughty."
"And I see you've been shopping. You should get those bags back."
Chandra took a step back, understand what mind game Angel was playing with his Childe. She could wait.
Drusilla looked to Chandra as she moved. "And what of this? Of the slayer?"
Angel grabbed Chandra's hand and yanked her closer. "Can't you tell Dru? The child in her? The one to bring..."
"The foretold child!" Drusilla seemed jubilant at this prospect. "I can feel it now!" She swayed from foot to foot. "All the blood that it will shed..."
Angel could tell that Chandra was visibly trying to hold back her tears. He couldn't let on though. "Yes, my darling Dru. She's knocked up all right. She can come to your party. Would you like that?"
Dru nodded. "I would." She turned. "This way."
*~*~*
Olivia tucked Giles into her bed and sat next to him. "You can sleep here for now. You're in no condition to try and drive home."
He slurred as he spoke. "You could say that I'm a bit sottish."
"You drank the entire bottle."
He furrowed his brow. "I did? Bloody hell."
She chuckled. "Ripper, you are incorrigible."
He smiled at her and poked her shoulder. "And you, Miss Olivia… I love you."
Her jaw dropped. "What?"
He closed his eyes and curled up, sleeping.
*~*~*
Drusilla stopped about ten feet from a motel. "Daddy, you have to promise me."
"Promise you what?" Angel smiled to her, keeping up the façade as long as possible.
"Promise me my Spike will be okay?"
Angel's smile turned genuine. "I promise." Before his childe could catch on, he quickly snapped her neck to knock her out. He still couldn't bring himself to kill her. Again.
He turned to Chandra. "We leave her be. We're after Darla." When she nodded her compliance, Angel went about to finding the room that Dru was heading to. It wasn't hard actually. He could smell spilled blood. Chandra followed close behind, a stake in each hand.
*~*~*
Darla licked at a wound on Spike's shoulder. "I can taste the bloodline. Dru's blood… my darling boy's blood…" She sighed. "We were so much together." She looked into his blue eyes. "Don't you want that again? Why are you siding with this scum?"
He locked eyes with her. "I made a promise."
She laughed, throwing her head back. "You? William the Bloody? The great Big Bad Spike? Made a promise?" She picked up a stake. "Oh well. I can always make a new Angelus."
The door burst open before she could lower the stake. "Am I that easy to replace?" Angel didn't let her answer as he tackled her to the ground.
Spike had never been so happy to see the bloody poof in his whole life. Chandra quickly made her way to Spike and released his binds. "We have to get you out of here." She pulled his arm around her shoulder and guided him to the door.
He coughed and sputtered a little, limping and leaning on her for support. "I'll be fine, slayer. Go help Peaches." He leaned on the wall. "He needs you."
She nodded and rushed back into the motel room, stake in hand. The two vampires were throwing each other across the room and back again. It was a tangle of growls and snarls. Chandra kept her distance for a while, watching the two as they dueled for power. Darla threw him onto the bed and straddled his hips, pinning his hands above his head and looking down at him.
"You know, Angelus, this could be a whole lot easier. You could have it all. We could..." Darla face distorted and started to fall apart as she slowly crumpled to dust.
Chandra was standing behind her with her stake raised poised. "This time stay dead, bitch."
*~*~*
Xander stood silently on Anya's doorstep. He hadn't knocked yet and didn't know if he could. He'd never felt so low in all his life. How could he have hurt her like that? What the hell was he thinking? He slumped down the wall across from her door and slid down until he was sitting on the floor.
When Anya had left the Summers' home, Xander had spoken to Willow and Tara about what had happened. They had listened to him during his entire explanation, their expressions growing harder with each word.
Willow had spoken first. "Xander, you really..." She trailed off. "I don't know what to say."
Tara swallowed. "I think you did the right thing telling Anya. I mean, it's better to hear honesty from the one you love."
He sighed. "But is she still gonna want to be with me?"
Neither girl had an answer to that.
So now here he was, sitting across from her door looking tired and worn and praying that the woman he loved would keep him.
*~*~*
"Agh! Bloody hell, poodle! Take it easy!" Spike cursed as Chandra helped him up from the ground. "I'm fragile!"
She rolled her eyes. "You're a vampire. You're not fragile." To prove her point, she dropped him to the ground again.
Angel grinned a little, the first sign he was coming back from whatever land he had chosen to go into for the past forty-five minutes while Chandra calmed and tended to some of Spike's wounds. She had checked for Drusilla beforehand though and found that the vampiress was gone. Vanished into the stars that she kept talking about maybe. Chandra didn't care about that at the moment.
Spike rolled over and coughed, spitting out some blood. "I need to feed. And soon."
Angel jumped alert to this. "We can get you a blood pack but you're not feeding from her so just forget it."
The blonde vampire rolled his eyes. "I can't you bloody poof. I'm fixed, remember?"
"We get your blood packs, we get you to your crypt, and then we're going back to LA." He stood and marched out the door.
Spike watched him go and turned to Chandra. "What got into him?"
She looked to the door. "His past is gone. He's worried about his future." Her hand immediately went to her stomach.
Spike looked to her stomach. "Uh, I meant to, you know, wish you congrats?"
She glowered at him. "Oh you're just loving the apocalyptic thing, ain't you, bleach boy?" She walked by and kicked his arm before leaving.
*~*~*
Cordelia woke when she just about fell out of her chair. Wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth, she blinked a few times and focused on Faith. A still comatose Faith.
Groaning, she stretched and stood, working out the kinks of falling asleep sitting up. She wobbled into the bathroom and looked at her reflection. The circles under her eyes were only outdone by the pasty color of her skin. Some coffee and breakfast would help with that. She ran a brush through her hair and straightened her shirt. Good enough to grab a McMuffin. She flashed a smile to her reflection one last time.
As she exited the bathroom she glanced down and found Angel and Chandra asleep beside the bed. He was cradling her protectively in her arms, keeping her safe. Cordelia smiled and left the room quietly, getting into Angel's car. She adjusted the mirror and turned on the ignition before she heard the gun cock.