A Breed Apart
Chapter 2
November 13th 1999
4875 Sunset Blvd.
Sunnydale Ca.
The first thing Cordelia noticed when she woke up was the sound.
She could hear the breeze blowing through the trees outside, and the distant sounds of traffic. Xander was on the phone with someone named Nick, and she heard her name mentioned. Then she heard a cork being pulled and the smell of blood assaulted her senses.
She dressed quickly, finding clothes from her suitcases in record time, and rushed down the stairs to find one of the dark green bottles of blood waiting for her.
"Evening, Cordy. Heard you waking up and got it ready for you. The first hunger after waking up is pretty powerful for the first few days, then it gets easier," Xander explained.
"I heard you down here. I mean, when I first woke, I could hear all kinds of things: you, the wind, cars outside."
"Yeah, you'll find out that your senses are much more powerful than they used to be. It's one of the things that help us make the 'whammy' work."
"Huh? What do you mean?" She asked.
"When we want to use our hypnotic powers, we listen to the heartbeat of the victim, then time our voice to match the rhythm of it, that helps considerably," he explained.
Cordelia drank enough to relieve her hunger, then sat and listened to Xander explain some things important for her to know about being a Vampyre. He told her about the lack of power that religious icons had against them, and how many of their kind were not affected by crosses and holy water. It had seemed that some of the newer vampires, who had only recently been brought across, just reacted to the items as they always had, without any thought. Some of the older members of the community studied the situation, and believed it to be psychosomatic, purely a result of the younger vampires' beliefs and fears. Some of the elder vampyres were able to actually be able to touch crosses and holy water, but most weren't; it was apparently a matter of mental control and will power.
Cordelia sat entranced by Xander's words, not so much what he was saying, but by the man, er, former man, himself.
Whatever had happened to Xander over the summer had affected him deeply. Gone was the young man who was insecure, gone was the boy who was easily flustered. In his place was Xander the Vampyre, the tall, dark attractive man who had her stomach knotted in a combination of awe and desire.
Cordelia knew he still loved her, she had felt it last night during their 'Blood Kiss." And yet he had turned her down. True, his words didn't totally shut her out, but she *knew* that the old feelings that they had had for each other were still there.
As she sat there, wondering what she could do, Xander just sat and talked about how important her senses would be to her in her new "unlife". How her five enhanced senses could be used to tell many things.
She would be able to tell if a person was drunk, had taken drugs, or if a person were ill. She would also be able to see in the dark, hear well enough to pick out a heartbeat from a great distance.
"Ewwww, that is just so icky, being able to tell if a person is sick. That's just wrong," She stated.
"Cordy, there are times when it is helpful," Xander started.
"Like when," she interrupted. "And how reliable is it? Take me, what can you tell about me by using your vampire senses?"
"Cordy…" he started.
"I mean it Xander, what can you tell about me?"
Xander shook his head, this was *not* going well.
"Okay, if you insist," Xander began. "Well, obviously, you have no heartbeat. You used a little Chanel this morning when you dressed. And…" he paused, not knowing quite how to proceed.
"Come on, Xander, spill."
"Cor, I think that was enough."
"Xander, go ahead, tell me. I dare you!" Cordelia demanded.
"Okay Cordy, but don't get mad at me. Your scent also tells me that you are a virgin, and that you are quite aroused right now," he said.
Cordelia gaped. \\ How could he know that? //
"I told you, the blood never lies. How do you think that Vamps and demons know who to grab for a virgin sacrifice? It's not like there are other ways for them to tell," he said.
The new vampire looked at the table, thankful that she wasn't able to blush.
"Come on. Finish up and then we'll start on some of your training," he said.
She finished up her bottle of blood, she admired him. His hair was quite a bit longer than she had ever seen it before, and it went well with the way he now dressed. His confidence level was amazing, and he seemed to be so sure of himself.
Cordelia rinsed out the glass she had been using and stood waiting for his instructions.
"Follow me," he commanded.
He led her up the stairs to his room, and for a moment, she hoped that he was taking her to his bed, but she also knew that Xander would never do that. Not without any suggestion from her, anyway.
As he stood before the covered French doors, he turned and spoke to her.
"Cover your eyes, Cordy."
"Why?" She asked.
"I want to surprise you with something," he replied.
And of course, she did as he asked.
She heard the doors open, and felt the fresh air of the evening hit her in the face, but she didn't feel the cold. Xander grabbed her hand and led her forward to what she guessed was the balcony.
He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her and spoke softly into her ear.
"Welcome to our world, Cordy. You can open your eyes, now."
The young woman opened her eyes and looked out into the clear California night.
Her first perception was of how sharp and bright everything was, how easily she picked out details of everything. Far off down the street, she saw a bat catching insects. Then she saw a cat stalking a mouse three houses away, and these houses were not that close together.
She could pick out individual insects a block away, and she could feel how everything hummed with life.
And yet, she was dead herself.
She turned to Xander and hugged him.
"Thank you, for not letting me die. For allowing me to share this with you. You do still want me, right?" She asked, feeling strangely insecure.
"More than you know, Cordy. More than you know," he replied softly, still holding her.
"Now, for your first lesson in flying. Just stand there and think about rising, don't physically try to do anything, but just think about it. Not too high or too fast, just think about gently rising up into the air," he told her.
She relaxed, closing her eyes and listening to the hypnotic tone of his voice, and felt herself rising a little bit into the air.
When she opened her eyes, she was more or less hovering about level with the top of the roof, and Xander was right in front of her. He reached out and grabbed her hand, then said softly, "Just follow me, babe."
Cordelia didn't begrudge him the 'babe' endearment, she actually enjoyed hearing him call her that. With a smile on her face, she followed him up into the night sky.
December 9th 1999
4875 Sunset Blvd.
Sunnydale Ca.
The past several weeks were a blur to the two young vampires. Cordelia's training had been going very well. Xander thought that it was probably because her personality was so well suited for it.
Cordelia had mastered flying, and had become fairly adept at using the "Whammy" as Nick called it, the ability to hypnotize mortals, and weaker vampires.
She had changed in other ways as well; she still dressed as stylishly as always, but now it was in dark, subdued colors, and she had developed a strong liking for leather.
With a small smile, Xander fondly remembered the shopping trip he had been pushed into taking her on. It didn't turn out to be so much a trip; but more a private fashion showing for him and Cordelia. Nick had let him know of a few places in LA that catered to the Community. Xander had contacted one of the shop owners and asked her come to visit their home in order to outfit Cordy with a new wardrobe. Cordy and the vampyre from the shop had argued long and hard about her clothing selections, but they finally had agreed on the majority of choices. and Xander had to agree, Cordelia most certainly did look good when they were done.
Tonight was going to be a special night for them: he was taking Cordelia for a night out to celebrate her nearing the end of her training.
The two climbed into the sleek black Dodge Stealth that Xander had purchased when he first got back in to town and drove through the night to the outskirts of LA, to a club called "Le Lion de l'été." Nick had recommended it, and suggested that it be a place to take Cordy out.
Since most of the patrons would be his kind of Vampyre, she would not be as tempted as she might be in a more normal setting, and he would be able to check her restraint.
The two entered the club together, but all eyes were on Cordelia. The tall brunette had dressed for the occasion; she had added dark red highlights to her hair, and she wore a knee length, black skirt and a dark maroon silk blouse. Strappy high heels encased her feet, and a short leather jacket topped off the outfit.
Xander looked just as good with a dark blue silk dress shirt, black slacks and black Italian loafers. His black leather duster topped his outfit.
They sat near the dance floor and Xander ordered them both some of the Raven Cellars Merlot.
Cordelia was surprised when she discovered just how good the Bloodwine was, and she smiled at Xander.
"This is nice, Xand. How did you hear about this place?" she asked.
"Nick told me about it, said he hadn't been here in years, but that it was a nice place."
The two sat enjoying the music, and Xander was thinking of asking Cordelia to dance when a very beautiful woman who appeared to be in her late thirties came over to their table.
"Alexander Harris?" she asked.
Xander turned to her, surprised, and said, "Yes, but my friends call me Xander."
"I'm Isabella Constantine, I'm the owner here. Nicholas told me you might be visiting soon, and when I saw the two of you come in together, I knew that it was you just by the description."
"Well, Nick told me nothing at all about you, but he did mention your name as someone to call if I got into trouble," the former Zeppo replied.
"That sounds like Nicholas, always the gallant knight," she said with a fond smile. "Well, I won't bother you anymore tonight. Please, just let me know if you need anything, and have a good time while you are here."
As she walked away, Xander looked at Cordy, then leaned close and spoke to her.
"Want to dance?"
Cordelia gave him one of her thousand watt smiles as she gracefully flowed to her feet and let him lead her to the floor. The two danced several times that night, Cordelia was not only surprised that Xander had finally learned to dance, but also how graceful he now was. Xander was pleasantly surprised at how wonderful the brunette felt up against him, as they dance to some slow, romantic numbers.
Finally, at about 3 am, the two headed for home, the hour and a half drive was spent talking and really getting to know each other. That was something that had been previously missing in their relationship.
~~~~~ ***** ~~~~~
Over the next week, Cordelia's skills and abilities grew to the point where Xander was confident that she would be able to control herself out in the public. As a more or less final test, they drove a little ways toward LA to a roadhouse that was known throughout the surrounding area for its sleazy reputation. Xander figured that if Cordy could control herself in a situation where someone was pretty much guaranteed to piss her off, that she would be okay.
December 17, 1999
The Rockpit Bar & Grill
Xander walked in behind Cordelia to a noisy, smoke filled bar. Everyone present, male and female, was checking out the leather clad brunette while she looked around for a place to sit. A few of the women were checking out the man dressed all in black as well. The two finally found a place near the back where it wasn't too crowded.
"Tell me again why we are here?" Cordy asked sarcastically.
"I wanted to bring you to a place to test your control which was not likely to have anyone from the Community around to hear about it, if you lost control and killed someone. I don't think I could stand that Cor," Xander said, looking into her eyes.
Cordy shuddered at the intensity of that gaze and looked quickly away. Over the last few weeks, she had most definitely fallen in love again with Xander. His caring for her and his thoughtful attention to her needs had really hit her hard. Then there were also the looks that he gave her and the love she could see in his eyes. She suppressed another shiver and looked at her man.
She could tell by his relaxed stance that he had picked out all the potential troublemakers within a few minutes of sitting down, and was casually keeping an eye out for new threats. That was just part of who he was now, and she accepted that.
"What'll you have?" asked a bosomy blond, wearing too much makeup and not nearly enough skirt, in Cordy's expert opinion.
"Two SoCo, on the rocks. Mineral water back," Xander ordered.
"Be right back, hon," the blonde promised as she walked away, swinging her hips.
Xander looked bored, and Cordy had to stifle a giggle.
"What?" he asked.
"She wants you," the undead brunette replied.
"Yeah, right."
"Trust me Xan, I know. Check out her scent when she comes back. She wants you bad."
"I'll pass. There's only one woman for me," he answered, looking in her eyes.
"Good," Cordy said smugly. If her heart could still beat, it would have sped up quite a bit after hearing his answer.
Their drinks were delivered and they sat quietly, sipping at the alcohol, and occasionally at the water.
They talked quietly and really didn't think about what was going on around them. That is, until someone had a little too much to drink and decided to show just how stupid they actually were.
The two of them had been talking about leaving, having been there for a couple of hours. Cordy was showing excellent control and Xander really wanted to be alone with her. It was at that point that the waitress returned.
She placed a pair of shots in front of Cordy, and a beer in front of Xander.
"From the table over there," she smiled, indicating a table off to one side of the room.
Xander and Cordy both looked over at the three burly cowboy wannabees, who all leered at Cordy, and then back to the waitress.
"Take them back with our apologies, please. We were just leaving," Cordelia told the blonde.
The woman gave Xander one long look before picking the drinks up and taking them back to the other table as she was told. The three men listened to the barmaid, then started to get up.
"Oh shit," muttered Xander, resignedly.
"Hey, don't worry about it, we're tough, remember?" Cordelia said to him with a smile.
"Yeah, but we can't reveal ourselves, either, Cor. So keep it cool babe," he said.
Cordy smiled at the endearment, and let it slide once again. "Like ice. Xan," she promised. "Like ice."
The three large men swaggered over to their table and grinned evilly at the dark pair.
"That was mighty rude there, to refuse our drinks, little lady," the tallest of the three told Cordy, as he tried to stare down the front of her blouse.
"Sorry, but we were getting ready to leave," Said Cordy flashing him a polite smile.
"I think you should still accept our hospitality," the fattest of the three suggested, as he pulled up a chair and sat down at the table, uninvited.
"Yeah," the bearded one agreed, as he and tall one sat down as well. "We were just trying to be friendly, like. You know, having a little drink before we started talking price."
"Price?" Asked Cordy carefully, her eyes flashing.
\\ Oh Lord! // thought Xander. \\ This is going to get *ugly*.//
"Yeah," Fatty agreed again. "So, do we discuss it with your man here, or deal with you directly?"
"You are more than welcome to deal with me," Cordy said, her eyes boring into the fat ones' liquor-filmed ones.
"To come straight to the point, once we factor in the ugly quotient, add in the dirtiness factor, and include the redneck clause and the grossness tax, there isn't enough money in LA for me to even touch you," she stated, loudly enough for the people at the surrounding tables to hear above the music.
Xander started to cough, to keep from laughing out loud.
The tall one put his hand on Cordelia's leather clad leg and started to speak. "Aww, hon, there ain't no need for – erk!"
The tall cowboy chopped off his words, in too much pain to even scream. The ravishing brunette that he and his buddies had been eying all night had grabbed his hand and was squeezing with far more strength than any person should have, let alone a pretty little thing like her.
Xander smirked as the guy froze in the middle of a sentence from the pain, his face having a weird grin on it, while tears filled his eyes.
"Look, asshole, I am not someone who performs sexual favors in exchange for monetary gain. I don't like the insinuation, and I do NOT like the thought of you even thinking of me like that. Now, get the hell out of here before I tear it off, shove it somewhere you wouldn't like and you never need a woman again," she said, a bit more quietly. Cordy's tone was definitely bordering on dangerous and her use of the "Whammy" getting stronger.
There was a sharp stink of ammonia as the tall one lost control of his bladder.
Fatty started to get up, but sat down when Xander stood and leaned over the table, right in this face.
"Look, we just wanted to have a quiet drink before going home. We didn't ask for any trouble, nor do I want to deal with the likes of you. So, why don't you just sit here, have a drink and think about how close you came to dying," he said, a flash of gold present in his eyes.
The young couple stood up and Xander tossed a couple of bills on the table. He signaled the barmaid and gestured for another round for the three still sitting. Xander held up another twenty and tossed it down, then the two left.
The three men had several more drinks before finally being able to look at each other.
"Am I the only one who thinks we should go to church in the morning?" asked the bearded one.
The other two shuddered as they remembered the look that the couple had given them, and the fat one actually crossed himself.
4875 Sunset Blvd.
Sunnydale Ca.
When the two entered the house, Xander tossed his keys on the counter and turned and grabbed the leather clad beauty. He lifted her up and swung her around in a circle.
"I am so proud of you, Cordelia Chase! You have come so far in such a short time. Now, your training is pretty much complete. A day or two and you can go out on your own," Xander told her, looking lovingly in her eyes.
"I had a good teacher, Xan," she said softly. Then as the two looked at each other, they kissed for the first time since before they had broken up. After a minute, they pulled back and looked at each other.
"Cordy –" he started to say.
"Xan," she interrupted putting her finger on his lips. "I never stopped loving you, and I know you never stopped loving me. I was hurt when I saw you and Willow, and when you never tried to explain why.
I know the truth now, and I want this!"
"Are you sure, Cor? Because I love you, and I want this too, but I won't play games. I want this forever," he answered.
"Oh Xan," she said, kissing him again.
Her tongue thrust in his mouth, and he dropped his fangs and pushed her tongue up against them, drawing the lightest drop of blood. Then the full effect of their passion hit them, and clothes flew off as they literally flew upstairs to the bedroom.
If anyone would have been in the yard that night, they would have heard loud cries of passion, something unheard of in that neighborhood. But before long, the sun came up and the two slipped off into sleep.
The Next Evening.
For the first time ever, Cordelia awoke in someone's arms. She liked the feeling, she decided, as she snuggled deeper under the arm wrapped around her.
Turning to face her lover, she found him looking at her. Silently, he let his eyes speak to her, let her know the depth of his feelings for her.
The former prom queen looked in his eyes, saw the love there, and kissed him long and hard. Once again, they satisfied their passion, then lay quietly in each other's arms, just enjoying the gentle contact with each other.
Xander jumped when the phone rang. Only two people had his number, Nick and Lucien. He hoped it was Nick.
"Hello," he said.
\\ Good evening, Alexander. //
"What's up, Nick? You usually only call on Mondays."
\\ I just wanted to congratulate you on the test of your Childè. //
"Oh, so you have had someone watching me. I thought someone had been following me, just wasn't quite sure."
\\ It wasn't me, Alexander, it was at the council's insistence. No sane vampyre ever brings someone across as early as you did. I understand why you did it, I just didn't think you would be able to train her successfully. But you did, and from what I understand from our observer, she is almost as powerful as you are. //
"Yeah, she did turn out well," Xander agreed, gazing lovingly at her as he spoke. "So, am I off the hook now?"
\\ As long as you don't start building an army of them, yes. We were only concerned, Alexander. We are not trying to interfere with your life, but bringing a Childè across when you, yourself, were less than a year old was risky. //
"Yeah, I know, but I loved her too much to just let her go, Nick."
\\ I understand, Alex," Nick told him. "Natalie said that she was all you thought of while you were here, and of how much you had hurt her.
\\Well, I'll let you go now, I just wanted you to know that we are very proud of you, and that we will be visiting right after the first of the year. I'll let you know the details when we are sure exactly when it will be. //
"Okay, Nick, we'll be waiting to hear from you. Give my best to Natalie. Talk to you later. Bye."
Xander hung up the phone, and then turned to his lover.
"Guess you heard huh?" he asked.
"Yeah. I didn't realize you were risking so much by bringing me across. Would they really have killed us?"
"Yeah, they would have, Cor. If you had lost control and did anything to put the Community at risk, they would have put you down, and me for creating you. The Community won't tolerate exposure."
"Well, how about we go get something to 'eat,' then take a shower together?" The former cheerleader suggested with a lascivious smile.
"Sounds good to me, then how about we hit the Bronze? Buffy is at her father's this weekend, and Willow and Oz are in LA, so none of the Scooby Gang will be there," Xander agreed. "We won't have to worry about meeting anybody there, and we can just relax and enjoy a quiet evening out."
Cordy slid out of bed and Xander watched her naked form as she padded across the floor to his closet, which she opened and pulled out his bathrobe. She tossed him a pair of sweatpants, then left the room.
They fed and then showered. The shower took a considerable amount of time considering their level of passion.
Finally they made it to the Bronze. They found it pretty crowded, however, and ended up sitting in the far back section, near the door to the alley. The two new lovers still managed to enjoy themselves, dancing and having several drinks.
They were seen by several of their former high school acquaintances, and managed to be pleasant and not get caught up in any "What are you going to do" conversations.
Cordelia was glad that no one had brought up anything about her disastrous trip to LA, and she remained very vague about what her plans for the future.
It was after midnight and things were quieting down when they were first noticed by Angel, who was standing in the shadows under the stairway.
As far as he knew, Xander was still on his road trip, and no one in the Gang had heard anything from Cordelia.
Then his eyes widened in surprise, when his ears couldn't detect their heartbeats. Could it be true that they both had no heartbeats? He wondered.
He started to move closer to them, as they rose and headed toward the exit themselves. He moved closer, trying to keep others between himself and them. They couldn't be vampires, he thought, they were both still tanned.
He reached out with all of his senses and still was unable tell what they were. Finally, in a fit of frustration, he approached them directly.
"Xander, Cordelia," he greeted when he was next to them.
"Deadboy," Xander said, surprised. "Thought you went to LA."
"I did, just came back for a visit. So, how long have you been home? Buffy didn't tell me you were back," asked the brooding vampire.
"Not too long. And she doesn't know I am back," Xander replied.
"So, keeping secrets now?" Angel tried to bait the youth who had never hidden his dislike and distaste for the vampire.
"Not really, it's just none of her business. None of yours, either, for that matter," Xander shot back, starting to turn away.
"What's the matter, boy? Still holding a grudge cause I got there first?" Angel sneered, trying to get a reaction from his one-time competitor for the blonde Slayer's affections.
At this cheap shot, Xander stopped and merely looked at the Demon Breed facing him.
Angel felt distinctly uncomfortable at the stare of the "White Knight" and broke eye contact.
"Why is it that everyone still thinks I care for Buffy that way?" he asked. "I got over Buffy a long time ago. That was at the same time I came to my senses and realized how lucky I was, to have the most beautiful woman I ever met dating me," he said, glancing over at Cordy with a wide smile. The smile disappeared as he looked back at Buffy's former love. "Hell, Angel, I wanted her to let you die instead of getting you any Slayer's blood. If it was up to me, you would have been dust a long time ago," Xander said coldly.
Finished speaking, he turned away and put his hand on Cordelia's back to guide her out, when Angel grabbed his am and started to spin him back around.
The former Scourge of Europe suddenly found himself spinning away from the couple and had to fight to keep his balance. When he looked for them again, they were opening the door. Cordelia stepped through the door first, a smirk on her face.
Xander looked at Angel, and smiled, his eyes turning a green-gold color and glowing for a moment as he stepped out the door.
Angel snapped out of the shock of seeing the young man's eyes change and rushed to the door. Flinging it open, he stepped out onto the street and used all of his vampiric senses to try and locate the two.
He found nothing, and he stalked off down the street, frustrated anger evident in his every movement.
On the roof of the Bronze, the two young lovers watched him walk away, a small smile of satisfaction on each face.
TBC