Part 7 – Revelations while Destroying the Glove
.... In the library
Buffy rushed in after seeing the ambulance in front of the school. "Giles!" She shouted rushing up to him as the EMT adjusted the IV attached to the librarian's arm.
"Stand back Miss if you want him to live, we have to get him to the hospital." The EMT said, starting to pull the stretcher toward the entrance to the library.
"Wait," Giles said weakly, turning to Buffy, "use living flame." Giles uttered and then passed out. The EMTs then rushed Giles from the library.
"Xander what happened?" Buffy said, turning around looking at Xander.
"Faith and I came here for weapons and we found Giles in his office unconscious." Xander said, with a guilty look on his face.
"And why were you guys getting weapons?" Buffy did not like the sound of this at all.
"We were going to go take out Angelus, before he killed you or anyone else, and then we found Giles, and Faith took off." Xander said, knowing that Faith was on her way to the Mansion.
"How much of a head start does she have Xander?" Buffy asked, knowing where Faith was going.
"Buff, maybe it is for the best." Xander tried to reason with her.
"How Much?" Buffy demanded this time.
"10 minutes." Xander disclosed, Buffy was already out the door before he even finished his sentence.
...at the Mansion...
"Who are you?" Angel asked the woman who had barged into his house. What was with the whole barging in thing that was going to today?
"Gwen Post, Mister Giles sent me, you have the Glove of Mynhegon?" Faith's watcher asked, looking the young man up and down.
Angel looked at her, surprised that Giles did not come himself. Maybe he couldn't face him after Angelus having killed Jenny Calendar. "It is over here, let me get it. I was just about to conjure living flame to destroy the glove."
Angel turned his back and walked over to the chest by the fire place and removed the ancient glove. He turned back around to feel a shovel smashed into his jaw, knocking him down. The glove clanked to the floor as Angel crashed into the couch, dazed.
Ms. Post picked up the Glove carefully and looked at it awe, walking over to where the cauldron of blue flame was burning and using her free hand she knocked it over, extinguishing the living flame.
"You know, I really don't like it when people hit me with shovels" Angel said, standing up in full vamp face, moving to grab the glove away from Post.
Ms Post snaps the shovel on her knee, creating a large stake, "Well that should have killed you, had you been human, but you obviously aren't. But I am fairly sure that this will work." Ms. Post said, throwing the shovel half aside and holding up the stake.
Angel lunged into the woman, knocking her into the wall causing her to drop the glove and the make-shift stake. Bending down to take the glove away, the door slammed open, again, and Faith ran over to Angel, knocking him hard and away from her watcher. The two started fighting, Faith ready to kill Angel for being what he was, a vampire. The two battled, with Faith starting to win, Angel not at his strongest and she a slayer. Faith was just about to plunge a stake into his heart when her hand was grabbed by Buffy.
"Faith Stop!" Buffy shouted pulling Faith away from Angel, punching her to get her to stop.
"You want a piece of me B, come-on lets go at it." Faith taunted and the two slayers started battling each other.
On the other side of the room Ms. Post had taken the Glove of Mynhegon and placed it on her right hand. The prongs on the glove sunk deep into her forearm, making the glove a permanent addition to her wardrobe. Huge crashes of lightening came through the skylight of the living room, powering the glove and the woman who wore it. Ms Post laughed evilly and then started firing lightening shocks at the battling Slayers. "Faith you stupid stupid girl." The power of the glove knocking both the girls into the court yard.
Willow burst into the mansion at that moment, shouting, "I have the potion for living flam.." She didn't get the word flame out as she saw the mayhem going on around her then Ms Post turn her fully charged gloved hand at her. In the moment before the energy burst left Ms. Post's hand Angel tackled Willow to the ground, saving her from a shocking death.
At seeing Ms. Post go all power hungry the two slayers stopped battling each other. Xander shouted, "Buff –here" and tossed her a battle ax that was hanging on the wall next to him.
Buffy grabbed the ax out of the air and spun around and through it at Ms. Post, taking her gloved arm off in the process. Once the glove was detached from Ms. Post's body, she burst into mystical blue and green flames and disintegrated before their eyes. All that was left was the smoke and the glove attached to the arm, no longer attached to her body.
Angel got up off of Willow and looked down, "Sorry." He said a little sheepishly having knocked the girl to the ground so violently.
"No, it is all good, anytime that a lightening bolt is coming at me you can knock me to the ground Angel. Thank you." Willow said, knowing without a doubt, by the look in his eyes that he was Angel, with a soul and not evil.
"No problem Willow." Angel said, the red head was a good kid and he genuinely liked her, he reached down and helped her stand.
Buffy turned to Faith, "Well it looks like Giles is your watcher again."
"Yep B, looks like." Faith looked around at the destruction in the mansion and smiled. It was a good fight, and while she hadn't killed anything, it was good to be watcher free, as Giles was not exactly one to control her. "Now, excuse me, I have a vampire to stake." She said, pushing past Buffy to get to Angel.
Willow moved in front of the vampire and spread her arms out wide, protecting Angel. "No, you can't Faith, Angel has his soul. I restored it, he is not evil, and you can't kill him." Willow said with force that few in the room were use to coming from the girl.
Angel looked down at the petite red-head in front of him and gained an increasing level of respect for the girl. She came to his defense almost as quickly as Cordelia would have, had she been there.
"But Willow he is a killer." Faith said moving forward ready to move the girl out of her way.
"Angelus was a killer, Angel is not, he just saved my life, and if he was evil he would not have expended the energy." Willow argued keeping her arms up, making sure her head was in front of his chest, protecting his heart.
Xander moved forward and put a restraining hand on Faith's shoulder, "Faith, Willow is right." Xander could not believe he was say what he was saying.
"Whatever...you better watch yourself Vampire, one sign that you are evil and I will take great joy in turning you to dust and then turning on the dust buster." Faith said.
"And I will be right with you Faith, watching Deadboy." Xander concurred. He looked to Willow and waited for her to lower her arms. She held her ground, waiting for the slayer to leave.
"I am outta here." Faith said, walking out of the mansion, knocking over random things as she left as if to make a point to make sure everyone knew she left pissed.
Willow relaxed and looked at Xander, "You did the right thing Xander, we can't kill Angel."
"Well I am sure it won't be long before he slips up and I will have the excuse I need to let Faith stake him." Xander said pissed.
"Let's destroy the glove and then get to the Hospital and check on Giles." Buffy interrupted the argument. She was surprised she herself had not jumped to Angel's defense as quickly as Willow had, maybe she still didn't trust him after so many months of him being evil. Maybe it was because he had not seemed glad to see her when she had arrived at the mansion the first time that evening.
"Sounds good." Willow said. She moved away from Angel and started to set up to perform the ritual.
...after the destruction of the Glove
Everyone had left and the Mansion was quiet, trashed but quiet. Cordy is not going to appreciate the mess in here at all. Angel thought. He looked at the hallway clock and saw that it was close to 11 pm. Where the hell was she, Cordelia should be home by now. Angel thought for a moment and realized that if Buffy found him and they all knew about his existence, the Scoobies must have gotten it out of Cordelia. I wonder if she is afraid that I am mad at her, no Cordelia is not one to be afraid.
Angel thought for a moment and then figured, if Cordy wasn't home, nor here through all the action, she must be at her parent's house. Time to go get Cordelia and bring her home, she belonged with him. Angel went to the foyer closet and pulled out his long black leather jacket. He then pulled open the drawer to the table in the foyer and pulled out keys to his beloved 1968 Plymouth Convertible. Now that was a classic car, and a chick magnet.
Angel went out to the garages and pulled open the middle door. The Plymouth was where he left it and he pulled the protective drop cloth off the car. He smiled to himself, even as evil as Angelus was, he knew how to take care of a beauty like this car.
He hopped in and inserted the key, turning the ignition over and hearing the subtle roar of the powerful engine. He unclamped the roof and then hit the button for the top to go down. This was his favorite way to drive, top down, wind of the night flowing over his body. Off to the Chase residence to collect Cordelia.
Spike stepped out of the darkness and watched Angel drive away in the Plymouth. He took a drag on his lit cigarette and then took a deep drink from the alcohol bottle in his other hand. "Wonder where Peaches was off to in such a rush...probably his cheerleader. God Damn It, why does he always get the girl and I don't get crap, not even his scraps." Spike, not falling down drunk, but close, took another drink and emptied the bottle. "Need to get me another bottle." Spike said to no one and then wandered away from the mansion back toward town.
...across town at Cordelia's house
Cordelia swam for what must have been the thousandth lap of the night. She had gotten to her parents house and talked to Rosario, the Chase family house keeper. She had had a good vacation and was glad to be back. Rosario also relayed the message to Cordelia that her parents had phoned and have decided to spend the Thanksgiving Holiday in the Islands and won't be home. Cordelia wasn't surprised. She hadn't spent a holiday with her parents in ages, unless it involved a party to support her father's business. It had been strange, but it almost seemed as though her parents had made a point of being out of the country quite a bit for the last few months. Oh well, she was fine on her own, had been fine on her own for quite some time.
Cordelia did a flip in the water and floated on her back, staring up at the stars and the chilly night. She listened to the quiet strains of jazz playing on the poolside stereo. She was happy that even though her parents were not there they had been nice enough to get her a heated pool. Her thought floated over to the discussion of the day in the library and being confronted by everyone. She held back a tear when she thought of Buffy going to Angel. They were star crossed lovers, surely by now they were embraced in kisses, and all was right with them, especially since the curse had been lifted.
Those kisses belong to me. Cordelia thought wistfully.
Angel walked down the back path to the pool having seen the lights from the road, and knowing for some reason that Cordelia would be swimming. He had luckily remembered the pass code to the gate from the other evening so that he hadn't had to alert her to his presence. He came up to the pool and saw Cordelia floating in the pool on her back, this time wearing a little, very little, bikini, it was hard to tell from that distance what color it was, but he could see a great deal of her flesh. He didn't want to disturb her swim; she looked so comfortable floating in the pool, like a mermaid with her hair floating around her.
Angel quietly and quickly pulled off his jacket and shirt, and then pulled off his shoes and pants. He decided that he would keep his black silk boxer's on in deference to Cordelia's modesty, as he did not have swim trunks here. With stealthy vampire speed he quietly got into the water, and swam across the bottom of the pool until he came up just underneath Cordelia's relaxed body.
He let himself float up to the top and rested his head on her bare stomach.
"EEEKKK" Cordelia tried to jump out from the thing next to her shocked at something touching her in her pool that was supposed to be empty of all things but here. Then she looked down and saw the dark hair and the chocolate brown eyes of Angel and splashed water at him.
"Angel, remind me to get a bell for you." Cordelia chastised him. Angel dunked under the water and came up and slicked his hair back, he was smiling at her, glad to see her.
"You should be more careful, what if I was an intruder?" Angel teased, floating around her in the pool. Taking in her beauty, glad that she was happy to see him.
"Well, I thought I could trust the security system to this place, how did you get in anyway?" Cordy asked, Angel had a mischievous look on his face and if she didn't know better, he was trying to figure out a way to dunk her.
"I remembered the code from the other night. Aren't you going to kiss me hello?" Angel asked innocently, swimming a little closer to Cordy, hearing her heart beat faster.
"I wasn't sure," Cordelia started, how was she going to say it...wasn't sure he wanted her now that Buffy knew he was back.
"Well then, let me make you sure, Miss Chase." Angel said and reached through the water pulling her into his arms and a deep kiss. A kiss that said I missed you a lot and need you all in one action. Cordy moved her arms around to rest on his shoulders and loved the feeling of him kissing her in the night with the steam rising up around them from the cool air hitting the pool water. It seemed so magically. Just like every time he kissed her. Angel finished the kiss and pulled away from her, "Better?" he asked.
"Yes." Cordelia smiled, yes she felt secure being held by him, she always wanted to feel this way. "Did Buffy find you?" Cordelia asked needing to know.
"Yes actually everyone did." Angel said, moving a hand down to rub her back under the water, teasing the strings holding her top in place.
"What do you mean everyone Angel?" Cordy asked, just a little curious as to what the events of the day had brought.
"Would you like the short version or the long version?" Angel asked, if she wanted lots of words he was prepared to give them, but hoped she would go to the short version.
"Short."
"Faith tried to kill me, then she attacked Buffy. Gwen Post was evil and after the Glove of Mynhegon, now she is dead, Willow protected me against Faith and Xander and then we destroyed the glove." Angel said, summing up the evening.
Cordy thought for a moment, and then asked the one question that she really wanted to know the answer too more than anything, "And you and Buffy?"
"We talked; it was strange, awkward really." He didn't know how to put into words what it was like talking with Buffy, and didn't really want to dwell on it, it was not a pleasant experience.
"So you guys are getting back together then." Cordelia blurted out, her worse fears vocalized.
Angel looked into her hazel eyes and realized they were wet with tears and confusion. Did she think he would dump her just because Buffy showed up on his doorstep, after everything they had been through? He smiled slightly and moved his head forward and captured her lips in a deep passion filled kiss. He pulled her warm body close to his and held her tightly. He wanted her to know how important she was to him. Angel pulled away slightly and looked at Cordy as she opened her eyes, filled with passion and wanting.
"So are you getting back together?" Cordy teased, not sure what to say after that kiss.
"After that kind of kiss you have the gall to ask me if I am getting back together with another woman." Angel was shocked, she could not be serious.
A big smile spread across Cordelia's lips and she looked at Angel's soul filled chocolate eyes. She moved her hand up and caressed his cheek. "I guess you aren't, are you Big Guy." Cordelia leaned in and gave his kiss back to him, amazed at how much love she put into it.
Angel couldn't help laughing as he kissed her, Cordelia had brought more joy to his long life in six short weeks than he had ever experienced.
"Angel, if I am in here any longer, I am going to turn into a prune. Take me home." Cordelia said.
"Your wish is my command Cordy." Angel had not heard better words than those all day long.
.... In the library
Buffy rushed in after seeing the ambulance in front of the school. "Giles!" She shouted rushing up to him as the EMT adjusted the IV attached to the librarian's arm.
"Stand back Miss if you want him to live, we have to get him to the hospital." The EMT said, starting to pull the stretcher toward the entrance to the library.
"Wait," Giles said weakly, turning to Buffy, "use living flame." Giles uttered and then passed out. The EMTs then rushed Giles from the library.
"Xander what happened?" Buffy said, turning around looking at Xander.
"Faith and I came here for weapons and we found Giles in his office unconscious." Xander said, with a guilty look on his face.
"And why were you guys getting weapons?" Buffy did not like the sound of this at all.
"We were going to go take out Angelus, before he killed you or anyone else, and then we found Giles, and Faith took off." Xander said, knowing that Faith was on her way to the Mansion.
"How much of a head start does she have Xander?" Buffy asked, knowing where Faith was going.
"Buff, maybe it is for the best." Xander tried to reason with her.
"How Much?" Buffy demanded this time.
"10 minutes." Xander disclosed, Buffy was already out the door before he even finished his sentence.
...at the Mansion...
"Who are you?" Angel asked the woman who had barged into his house. What was with the whole barging in thing that was going to today?
"Gwen Post, Mister Giles sent me, you have the Glove of Mynhegon?" Faith's watcher asked, looking the young man up and down.
Angel looked at her, surprised that Giles did not come himself. Maybe he couldn't face him after Angelus having killed Jenny Calendar. "It is over here, let me get it. I was just about to conjure living flame to destroy the glove."
Angel turned his back and walked over to the chest by the fire place and removed the ancient glove. He turned back around to feel a shovel smashed into his jaw, knocking him down. The glove clanked to the floor as Angel crashed into the couch, dazed.
Ms. Post picked up the Glove carefully and looked at it awe, walking over to where the cauldron of blue flame was burning and using her free hand she knocked it over, extinguishing the living flame.
"You know, I really don't like it when people hit me with shovels" Angel said, standing up in full vamp face, moving to grab the glove away from Post.
Ms Post snaps the shovel on her knee, creating a large stake, "Well that should have killed you, had you been human, but you obviously aren't. But I am fairly sure that this will work." Ms. Post said, throwing the shovel half aside and holding up the stake.
Angel lunged into the woman, knocking her into the wall causing her to drop the glove and the make-shift stake. Bending down to take the glove away, the door slammed open, again, and Faith ran over to Angel, knocking him hard and away from her watcher. The two started fighting, Faith ready to kill Angel for being what he was, a vampire. The two battled, with Faith starting to win, Angel not at his strongest and she a slayer. Faith was just about to plunge a stake into his heart when her hand was grabbed by Buffy.
"Faith Stop!" Buffy shouted pulling Faith away from Angel, punching her to get her to stop.
"You want a piece of me B, come-on lets go at it." Faith taunted and the two slayers started battling each other.
On the other side of the room Ms. Post had taken the Glove of Mynhegon and placed it on her right hand. The prongs on the glove sunk deep into her forearm, making the glove a permanent addition to her wardrobe. Huge crashes of lightening came through the skylight of the living room, powering the glove and the woman who wore it. Ms Post laughed evilly and then started firing lightening shocks at the battling Slayers. "Faith you stupid stupid girl." The power of the glove knocking both the girls into the court yard.
Willow burst into the mansion at that moment, shouting, "I have the potion for living flam.." She didn't get the word flame out as she saw the mayhem going on around her then Ms Post turn her fully charged gloved hand at her. In the moment before the energy burst left Ms. Post's hand Angel tackled Willow to the ground, saving her from a shocking death.
At seeing Ms. Post go all power hungry the two slayers stopped battling each other. Xander shouted, "Buff –here" and tossed her a battle ax that was hanging on the wall next to him.
Buffy grabbed the ax out of the air and spun around and through it at Ms. Post, taking her gloved arm off in the process. Once the glove was detached from Ms. Post's body, she burst into mystical blue and green flames and disintegrated before their eyes. All that was left was the smoke and the glove attached to the arm, no longer attached to her body.
Angel got up off of Willow and looked down, "Sorry." He said a little sheepishly having knocked the girl to the ground so violently.
"No, it is all good, anytime that a lightening bolt is coming at me you can knock me to the ground Angel. Thank you." Willow said, knowing without a doubt, by the look in his eyes that he was Angel, with a soul and not evil.
"No problem Willow." Angel said, the red head was a good kid and he genuinely liked her, he reached down and helped her stand.
Buffy turned to Faith, "Well it looks like Giles is your watcher again."
"Yep B, looks like." Faith looked around at the destruction in the mansion and smiled. It was a good fight, and while she hadn't killed anything, it was good to be watcher free, as Giles was not exactly one to control her. "Now, excuse me, I have a vampire to stake." She said, pushing past Buffy to get to Angel.
Willow moved in front of the vampire and spread her arms out wide, protecting Angel. "No, you can't Faith, Angel has his soul. I restored it, he is not evil, and you can't kill him." Willow said with force that few in the room were use to coming from the girl.
Angel looked down at the petite red-head in front of him and gained an increasing level of respect for the girl. She came to his defense almost as quickly as Cordelia would have, had she been there.
"But Willow he is a killer." Faith said moving forward ready to move the girl out of her way.
"Angelus was a killer, Angel is not, he just saved my life, and if he was evil he would not have expended the energy." Willow argued keeping her arms up, making sure her head was in front of his chest, protecting his heart.
Xander moved forward and put a restraining hand on Faith's shoulder, "Faith, Willow is right." Xander could not believe he was say what he was saying.
"Whatever...you better watch yourself Vampire, one sign that you are evil and I will take great joy in turning you to dust and then turning on the dust buster." Faith said.
"And I will be right with you Faith, watching Deadboy." Xander concurred. He looked to Willow and waited for her to lower her arms. She held her ground, waiting for the slayer to leave.
"I am outta here." Faith said, walking out of the mansion, knocking over random things as she left as if to make a point to make sure everyone knew she left pissed.
Willow relaxed and looked at Xander, "You did the right thing Xander, we can't kill Angel."
"Well I am sure it won't be long before he slips up and I will have the excuse I need to let Faith stake him." Xander said pissed.
"Let's destroy the glove and then get to the Hospital and check on Giles." Buffy interrupted the argument. She was surprised she herself had not jumped to Angel's defense as quickly as Willow had, maybe she still didn't trust him after so many months of him being evil. Maybe it was because he had not seemed glad to see her when she had arrived at the mansion the first time that evening.
"Sounds good." Willow said. She moved away from Angel and started to set up to perform the ritual.
...after the destruction of the Glove
Everyone had left and the Mansion was quiet, trashed but quiet. Cordy is not going to appreciate the mess in here at all. Angel thought. He looked at the hallway clock and saw that it was close to 11 pm. Where the hell was she, Cordelia should be home by now. Angel thought for a moment and realized that if Buffy found him and they all knew about his existence, the Scoobies must have gotten it out of Cordelia. I wonder if she is afraid that I am mad at her, no Cordelia is not one to be afraid.
Angel thought for a moment and then figured, if Cordy wasn't home, nor here through all the action, she must be at her parent's house. Time to go get Cordelia and bring her home, she belonged with him. Angel went to the foyer closet and pulled out his long black leather jacket. He then pulled open the drawer to the table in the foyer and pulled out keys to his beloved 1968 Plymouth Convertible. Now that was a classic car, and a chick magnet.
Angel went out to the garages and pulled open the middle door. The Plymouth was where he left it and he pulled the protective drop cloth off the car. He smiled to himself, even as evil as Angelus was, he knew how to take care of a beauty like this car.
He hopped in and inserted the key, turning the ignition over and hearing the subtle roar of the powerful engine. He unclamped the roof and then hit the button for the top to go down. This was his favorite way to drive, top down, wind of the night flowing over his body. Off to the Chase residence to collect Cordelia.
Spike stepped out of the darkness and watched Angel drive away in the Plymouth. He took a drag on his lit cigarette and then took a deep drink from the alcohol bottle in his other hand. "Wonder where Peaches was off to in such a rush...probably his cheerleader. God Damn It, why does he always get the girl and I don't get crap, not even his scraps." Spike, not falling down drunk, but close, took another drink and emptied the bottle. "Need to get me another bottle." Spike said to no one and then wandered away from the mansion back toward town.
...across town at Cordelia's house
Cordelia swam for what must have been the thousandth lap of the night. She had gotten to her parents house and talked to Rosario, the Chase family house keeper. She had had a good vacation and was glad to be back. Rosario also relayed the message to Cordelia that her parents had phoned and have decided to spend the Thanksgiving Holiday in the Islands and won't be home. Cordelia wasn't surprised. She hadn't spent a holiday with her parents in ages, unless it involved a party to support her father's business. It had been strange, but it almost seemed as though her parents had made a point of being out of the country quite a bit for the last few months. Oh well, she was fine on her own, had been fine on her own for quite some time.
Cordelia did a flip in the water and floated on her back, staring up at the stars and the chilly night. She listened to the quiet strains of jazz playing on the poolside stereo. She was happy that even though her parents were not there they had been nice enough to get her a heated pool. Her thought floated over to the discussion of the day in the library and being confronted by everyone. She held back a tear when she thought of Buffy going to Angel. They were star crossed lovers, surely by now they were embraced in kisses, and all was right with them, especially since the curse had been lifted.
Those kisses belong to me. Cordelia thought wistfully.
Angel walked down the back path to the pool having seen the lights from the road, and knowing for some reason that Cordelia would be swimming. He had luckily remembered the pass code to the gate from the other evening so that he hadn't had to alert her to his presence. He came up to the pool and saw Cordelia floating in the pool on her back, this time wearing a little, very little, bikini, it was hard to tell from that distance what color it was, but he could see a great deal of her flesh. He didn't want to disturb her swim; she looked so comfortable floating in the pool, like a mermaid with her hair floating around her.
Angel quietly and quickly pulled off his jacket and shirt, and then pulled off his shoes and pants. He decided that he would keep his black silk boxer's on in deference to Cordelia's modesty, as he did not have swim trunks here. With stealthy vampire speed he quietly got into the water, and swam across the bottom of the pool until he came up just underneath Cordelia's relaxed body.
He let himself float up to the top and rested his head on her bare stomach.
"EEEKKK" Cordelia tried to jump out from the thing next to her shocked at something touching her in her pool that was supposed to be empty of all things but here. Then she looked down and saw the dark hair and the chocolate brown eyes of Angel and splashed water at him.
"Angel, remind me to get a bell for you." Cordelia chastised him. Angel dunked under the water and came up and slicked his hair back, he was smiling at her, glad to see her.
"You should be more careful, what if I was an intruder?" Angel teased, floating around her in the pool. Taking in her beauty, glad that she was happy to see him.
"Well, I thought I could trust the security system to this place, how did you get in anyway?" Cordy asked, Angel had a mischievous look on his face and if she didn't know better, he was trying to figure out a way to dunk her.
"I remembered the code from the other night. Aren't you going to kiss me hello?" Angel asked innocently, swimming a little closer to Cordy, hearing her heart beat faster.
"I wasn't sure," Cordelia started, how was she going to say it...wasn't sure he wanted her now that Buffy knew he was back.
"Well then, let me make you sure, Miss Chase." Angel said and reached through the water pulling her into his arms and a deep kiss. A kiss that said I missed you a lot and need you all in one action. Cordy moved her arms around to rest on his shoulders and loved the feeling of him kissing her in the night with the steam rising up around them from the cool air hitting the pool water. It seemed so magically. Just like every time he kissed her. Angel finished the kiss and pulled away from her, "Better?" he asked.
"Yes." Cordelia smiled, yes she felt secure being held by him, she always wanted to feel this way. "Did Buffy find you?" Cordelia asked needing to know.
"Yes actually everyone did." Angel said, moving a hand down to rub her back under the water, teasing the strings holding her top in place.
"What do you mean everyone Angel?" Cordy asked, just a little curious as to what the events of the day had brought.
"Would you like the short version or the long version?" Angel asked, if she wanted lots of words he was prepared to give them, but hoped she would go to the short version.
"Short."
"Faith tried to kill me, then she attacked Buffy. Gwen Post was evil and after the Glove of Mynhegon, now she is dead, Willow protected me against Faith and Xander and then we destroyed the glove." Angel said, summing up the evening.
Cordy thought for a moment, and then asked the one question that she really wanted to know the answer too more than anything, "And you and Buffy?"
"We talked; it was strange, awkward really." He didn't know how to put into words what it was like talking with Buffy, and didn't really want to dwell on it, it was not a pleasant experience.
"So you guys are getting back together then." Cordelia blurted out, her worse fears vocalized.
Angel looked into her hazel eyes and realized they were wet with tears and confusion. Did she think he would dump her just because Buffy showed up on his doorstep, after everything they had been through? He smiled slightly and moved his head forward and captured her lips in a deep passion filled kiss. He pulled her warm body close to his and held her tightly. He wanted her to know how important she was to him. Angel pulled away slightly and looked at Cordy as she opened her eyes, filled with passion and wanting.
"So are you getting back together?" Cordy teased, not sure what to say after that kiss.
"After that kind of kiss you have the gall to ask me if I am getting back together with another woman." Angel was shocked, she could not be serious.
A big smile spread across Cordelia's lips and she looked at Angel's soul filled chocolate eyes. She moved her hand up and caressed his cheek. "I guess you aren't, are you Big Guy." Cordelia leaned in and gave his kiss back to him, amazed at how much love she put into it.
Angel couldn't help laughing as he kissed her, Cordelia had brought more joy to his long life in six short weeks than he had ever experienced.
"Angel, if I am in here any longer, I am going to turn into a prune. Take me home." Cordelia said.
"Your wish is my command Cordy." Angel had not heard better words than those all day long.