AN: Sorry this took so long guys. All my assignments had to be handed in around the same time, but they're all finished now, so I will try my best to update more frequently. Just one note, the words in between these ' ' are the characters thoughts. Well read, review and enjoy!

Chapter 12

Angel had spent the last half an hour wearing a hole in the concrete floor. Josh was still asleep and Cordelia hadn't gotten back yet with their take out. He was pacing because of her; his best friend in the whole wide world had reduced him to this. A stammering adolescent. He was nearly 250 years old, he was way past being a teenager, with all their teenager problems, crushes and bodily progressions he would rather not think about right now. Shaking his head trying to forcibly remove the memories of his own adolescence, he continued to pace. She would be home soon, should he tell her how he felt, or wait and see if she said anything first, or at all. What if she didn't say anything at all? Right, that was it, as soon as they had sat down to eat, he would tell her, he would, he just had to find the right words.

Cordelia tapped her fingers against the steering wheel absentmindedly to the song on the radio. She couldn't even hear the words, she didn't want to hear them. It was one of those ballads that they used in the movies, usually when a couple had had a fight and all they could think about was that one person. It's easy for them, she thought, the hard part is over, they already know that they lover each other, they just have to get over their problems and everything's fine. She had spent the ride thinking about what Xander had said, he had told her to go for it, but what did he know? He was right; she knew that, she just didn't want to admit it to herself let alone to Angel. But if she let it be, things would be awkward between them because she would be nervous around him, but if she did tell him, things would be way more awkward between them, especially if Angel didn't feel the same. She wouldn't just loose some guy, she would loose her best friend, but if she didn't tell him she would be lying to herself, something she had sworn not to do. She had an act around everyone else, she had to stay true to herself or she didn't exist. That's it, she decided at dinner, should the perfect opening arise she would tell him, but how?

Angel heard Cordelia pull up outside the mansion, stopping his pacing, he sat or would standing be better, he thought half way between sitting and standing. Cordelia came through the door and he stood up.

"Hey." He said unable to think of anything else. He had been pacing for half an hour and all he got was 'hey', he inwardly winced.

"Hey." She replied. 'Good one Chase, that's original', she said mentally slapping her forehead.

"So ah, you got the food okay?" 'That's it keep the conversation rolling', he thought pointing to the bag.

"Yeah, you ah, ready to eat?" 'The sooner I do this the better it will be, that is of course in theory.'

"Yeah, I mean if you want to." 'That's it, alert her to your craziness, by acting like a nervous teenager. Look your sounding like her already.'

"Sure, why not, it would kinda make sense of getting it in the first place." 'That's it, gang up on him. Yeah this is the conversation to add sarcasm to, why not just invite Xander over to join in.'

"Yeah." He replied. They walked to the couch and started unpacking the food.

The fire was lit, their only light source, they had a nice meal and Josh was asleep, this was the perfect opportunity he had been waiting for, yet Angel still didn't have the words.

Cordelia found herself facing the same dilemma, how would she start, 'oh I bumped into Xander at the take out, oh yeah and he made me realise I love you.' Not quiet the angle I was looking for, she thought glancing over at Angel. He held a glass in his hand and was staring into the log fire. 'He's probably thinking about Buffy', she thought to herself. She couldn't have been further from the truth.

Staring into the log fire, Angel willed it to answer his questions. 'How am I going to tell her, this is the perfect opportunity and I can't get the words out.'

At that moment they both decided enough was enough.

"We need to talk." They said in unison.

"You first." Angel said.

'This is it Chase, now or never as the old saying goes.' She took a deep breath and started to talk.

"Today, when Josh called you dada, it kinda brought back these feel..." 'Beep beep, beep beep.'

'Damn that phone.' They both thought, as Cordelia reached for her bag.

"I'll just be a second." She said, finally finding the phone, silencing it she spoke.

"Hello?"

"Cordelia?"

"Mom?"

"Where are you dear?"

"I'm at a friend's house, why where are you?"

"I'm at the house with your father."

"Our house, why?" she questioned bitterly.

"Now darling is that any way to speak to your mother? Look we need to see you."

"Right now, I'm kinda in the middle of something."

"Yes, right now, it's important, we'll see you in twenty minutes." With that she hung up, leaving a baffled Cordelia hanging on the line.

"Is everything okay?" Angel asked as she hung up.

"Yeah, it's just my parents, they're back at the house, they want me to come home." She said throwing her phone in her bag with some attitude.

"Did they say why?"

"Nope, but seen as they're back it's like they never left, like leaving the country and their daughter doesn't stop them from ordering me around whenever they feel like it."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No I'll be okay."

"Well, I'll watch Josh until you get back."

"Oh my god, they don't even know about him, they don't know anything about what's happened."

"Look, it'll be okay, I'll stay here and watch Josh, and you go home."

"Thanks." She smiled picking up her bag and coat. "I won't be too long." Kissing each other goodbye as they did all the time, made them both stop nervously when it was over.

"I'll see you later." She said heading for the door.

Cordelia stood outside of her house. What could be so important to bring her parents all the way from Hawaii? More importantly, what could be so important that they would interrupt her while she was spending time with Angel? A million scenarios ran through her mind. They were coming back to live in Sunnydale, they were getting a divorce, they had decided to have more kids, that last one made her laugh. She was about to put her key in the door, when her mother opened it for her.

"Cordelia, darling what are you wearing?" she looked down at her jeans, strappy top and jacket. 'And it starts.' She forced a smile.

"Hi mom."

"Well come on in." she said, following Cordelia inside the house with a look of distaste.

"Hi dad." She said as she walked into the kitchen.

"Cordelia." He said hugging her, which shocked her as much as the rest of them.

"So how is Hawaii?"

"It is amazing, you'll not believe the view." 'I'm sure I won't.'

Her mother ran her finger over a shelf. "Well I'm surprised we managed to find our way around in here through all this dust." She said wiping her hands on a piece of material on the sideboard, a piece of material, which happened to be Cordelia's favourite top.

"I'm surprised you know what dust looks like." Cordelia threw back, stating that her mother never cleaned, that's what the servants were for.

"I know dear, I can't believe you let Rosaria go, she was such a help."

"I didn't let her go mother, you took her with you."

"Oh yes, I thought I had seen that maid somewhere before." Cordelia rolled her eyes, okay enough with the family bashing, let's cut to the chase.

"So what was so important to bring you all the way back to little old Sunnydale all of a sudden. Couldn't be me, cause hey I've been here since you left."

"That's right taking care of the house." Her dad spoke up. She smiled a little, maybe they thought she was responsible. "But you could have tried a little harder." And there's the downfall, too bad the ground was made of concrete.

"No one will want to move in with it in this state." "I'm sorry, what?" she said unable to understand what was happening.

"The new owners, they're not going to want to move in with all this junk lying around."

"New owners?"

"That's right, they're moving in this weekend. We just had to stop by to finish signing some paper work. Oh and to tell you to pack of course."

"Pack?"

"Well we thought you'd need a couple of days to find somewhere to stay."

"You're kicking me out?" her anger was starting to show.

"We're not kicking you out, although the new owners might if you're not out by Saturday." This caused both of her parents to laugh.

"Wait so, you just came by to tell me your selling my home?"

"No we have movers coming to take all this stuff to auction." Her father said, pointing around the room.

"So you're taking everything?"

"No dear, we'll leave you something. We must have something around here somewhere that won't make an awful amount of money, we don't want to loose out now." Her mother replied.

"If I can't have the stuff then you're not going to have it either?"

"Oh lord no child, we've a whole mansion in Hawaii full of items much more precious than this. Isn't she sweet worrying about us?"

"Yes she is. Well we'd better go back to the hotel, the auctioneers will be here early tomorrow, so we must go and get some rest."

"We'll see you tomorrow, lock the door behind you." And with that they were gone.

Cordelia was having a hard time understanding what was happening. She sat down on the couch, with her head in her hands, she cried.

TBC