Epilogue
The sun had long since faded away below the horizon, making way for the constellations to shine down in all their glory. Cordelia sat in the courtyard of the Hyperion, her blanket pulled tightly around her. The gang had been happy to see her okay; even Gunn had hugged her tightly. Fred had apologized profusely for not watching out after her, which was completely silly as she had been injected and therefore couldn't have done anything anyway. They had all left hours ago with promises to see her tomorrow and well wishes. Once again, Cordelia was left alone. Well, not completely alone. Angel, of course was still around, as he lived there.
Her thoughts turned to Angel. He had smiled at her and offered to make her tea. She had politely refused, saying she just wanted a shower and some sleep. He had nodded telling her to just use his bathroom.
The shower had helped her feel better, washing away the blood that had crusted on her cheek. She felt new again, but not whole. Dressing herself and grabbing a blanket off Angels bed, she had quietly snuck downstairs and out to the courtyard, where she now sat lost in thought.
"Hey," a voice sounded from the doorway.
She looked up at Angel, smiling a tight sad smile. He walked over to her, tapping her leg, gesturing for her to scoot over. She complied and he hefted a sigh, joining her on the bench, handing her one of the mugs he had in his hands.
"Long day," he joked, looking over at her. She quietly nodded and drew her lips into a thin line. She bit down on them, trying to chase away tears that were threatening to come forth.
"You know," he continued, not knowing exactly what to say. "That Oyuk demon you saw in your last vision, well it had attacked that man. Arranged his body to look like a question mark. Wesley believes that Wolfram and Hart paid the Oyuk to do it, or at least forced him to do it. Oyuk's aren't violent, supposedly, and well, hey, it was a question mark. Kind of goes hand in hand with that philosopher, huh."
Cordelia was silent.
"Wesley thinks that they had the Oyuk do that to throw us off, get us away from here while they came in and…" he trailed off, his throat tightening up.
Cordelia sniffled slightly, trying to keep the tears at bay.
Angel looked down at his mug, running his fingers around the rim. "Are you okay?"
She breathed in a deep sigh, looking down into her own mug. The brown liquid caught the starlight in it, making it shine up at her. Keeping her gaze down she answered him quietly. "They broke me, Angel."
He shook his head. Leaning down, he placed his mug on the ground at his feet. He reached up and pulled her to him.
She let a tear roll down her cheek. "For the first time in years, I was completely and utterly afraid. Not of demons or evil things, but of myself, my own insecurities. They got in my head, made me see things that I didn't want to see, believe things I didn't want to believe. Now it's all in my head, and I can't seem to shake it." She trembled in his arms.
"Listen Cordy, I don't know what you saw, or what they did to you, and I don't need to know, not if you don't want to tell me. But," he placed a finger under her chin, forcing her to look in his eyes. "I want you to know, you don't have to be afraid. I'm here for you, you know that. You have all of us here. We all care for you. That will never change Cordy. You are important to us, especially me. I don't know what I'd do without you. You're a valuable member of our team, but more importantly you're my best friend."
She stared up at him, her eyes wide and wet with tears. Slowly, she nodded, and wiped at her face. Brushing the traces of tears from her cheeks, she swallowed. A small smile crept upon her lips, just gracing her eyes.
"Do you want me to take you home?" Angel asked, releasing her.
She shook her head and looked back down at her mug. "No, I don't really want to be alone right now."
He nodded and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in tight at his side. She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. He was being truthful when he said what he had said. She wasn't alone, and would never be alone, as long as he was there for her. She didn't have to worry about the petty insecurities that had gnawed at her soul earlier. He would never treat her the way her vision Angel had. She knew that now, had always known it. Finally, that scared little girl that had lived inside her for such a long time, could be put to rest.
That philosopher man had been wrong.
Things really were what they seemed.
The End.
AUTHORS NOTES: I just want to thank all of you that read this, and sent feedback. That meant alot, as this was my first Angel fic ever. I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Thanks again. You guys rock!
~ Mana
The sun had long since faded away below the horizon, making way for the constellations to shine down in all their glory. Cordelia sat in the courtyard of the Hyperion, her blanket pulled tightly around her. The gang had been happy to see her okay; even Gunn had hugged her tightly. Fred had apologized profusely for not watching out after her, which was completely silly as she had been injected and therefore couldn't have done anything anyway. They had all left hours ago with promises to see her tomorrow and well wishes. Once again, Cordelia was left alone. Well, not completely alone. Angel, of course was still around, as he lived there.
Her thoughts turned to Angel. He had smiled at her and offered to make her tea. She had politely refused, saying she just wanted a shower and some sleep. He had nodded telling her to just use his bathroom.
The shower had helped her feel better, washing away the blood that had crusted on her cheek. She felt new again, but not whole. Dressing herself and grabbing a blanket off Angels bed, she had quietly snuck downstairs and out to the courtyard, where she now sat lost in thought.
"Hey," a voice sounded from the doorway.
She looked up at Angel, smiling a tight sad smile. He walked over to her, tapping her leg, gesturing for her to scoot over. She complied and he hefted a sigh, joining her on the bench, handing her one of the mugs he had in his hands.
"Long day," he joked, looking over at her. She quietly nodded and drew her lips into a thin line. She bit down on them, trying to chase away tears that were threatening to come forth.
"You know," he continued, not knowing exactly what to say. "That Oyuk demon you saw in your last vision, well it had attacked that man. Arranged his body to look like a question mark. Wesley believes that Wolfram and Hart paid the Oyuk to do it, or at least forced him to do it. Oyuk's aren't violent, supposedly, and well, hey, it was a question mark. Kind of goes hand in hand with that philosopher, huh."
Cordelia was silent.
"Wesley thinks that they had the Oyuk do that to throw us off, get us away from here while they came in and…" he trailed off, his throat tightening up.
Cordelia sniffled slightly, trying to keep the tears at bay.
Angel looked down at his mug, running his fingers around the rim. "Are you okay?"
She breathed in a deep sigh, looking down into her own mug. The brown liquid caught the starlight in it, making it shine up at her. Keeping her gaze down she answered him quietly. "They broke me, Angel."
He shook his head. Leaning down, he placed his mug on the ground at his feet. He reached up and pulled her to him.
She let a tear roll down her cheek. "For the first time in years, I was completely and utterly afraid. Not of demons or evil things, but of myself, my own insecurities. They got in my head, made me see things that I didn't want to see, believe things I didn't want to believe. Now it's all in my head, and I can't seem to shake it." She trembled in his arms.
"Listen Cordy, I don't know what you saw, or what they did to you, and I don't need to know, not if you don't want to tell me. But," he placed a finger under her chin, forcing her to look in his eyes. "I want you to know, you don't have to be afraid. I'm here for you, you know that. You have all of us here. We all care for you. That will never change Cordy. You are important to us, especially me. I don't know what I'd do without you. You're a valuable member of our team, but more importantly you're my best friend."
She stared up at him, her eyes wide and wet with tears. Slowly, she nodded, and wiped at her face. Brushing the traces of tears from her cheeks, she swallowed. A small smile crept upon her lips, just gracing her eyes.
"Do you want me to take you home?" Angel asked, releasing her.
She shook her head and looked back down at her mug. "No, I don't really want to be alone right now."
He nodded and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in tight at his side. She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. He was being truthful when he said what he had said. She wasn't alone, and would never be alone, as long as he was there for her. She didn't have to worry about the petty insecurities that had gnawed at her soul earlier. He would never treat her the way her vision Angel had. She knew that now, had always known it. Finally, that scared little girl that had lived inside her for such a long time, could be put to rest.
That philosopher man had been wrong.
Things really were what they seemed.
The End.
AUTHORS NOTES: I just want to thank all of you that read this, and sent feedback. That meant alot, as this was my first Angel fic ever. I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Thanks again. You guys rock!
~ Mana