Chapter 29

The Call

"Please call him baby. Then he'll stop worrying," Spike's voice was the gentlest Cordy had ever heard it. It made her feel like she was floating on a cloud somewhere high up in the sky. He sat behind her in bed, his arms clasped gently but firmly around her waist.

"He won't understand," Cordelia forced down a sob. "He'll make me come home. But...I can't leave. I love you so much." Cordelia allowed her words to ramble together as wet tears poured down her face and landed on Spike's arm.

"Cordelia Chase listen to me," Spike said turning her around and gripping her shoulders tightly. "I love you more then I could ever love anybody on the face of this earth. You are my sweet, sensitive, gorgeous, little Cordy bear and nothing will ever, could ever, change that. Don't you want your dad and your family to stop worrying?" Cordelia's breath caught in her throat as she reached up and ran one hand through Spike's hair, grabbed on, and held on for all she was worth. Light coming in from the window shone upon his deep, gray, eyes and made them look more sincere then they ever had. She sat there for a good 2 minutes stroking Spike's face and crying.

"I'll call him," she finally whispered.

"That's my girl," he whispered catching her lips into a long kiss. As soon as Spike's soft lips met hers Cordelia felt the same butterflies flutter into her stomach from the first time he kissed her. She felt his strong hands cradle her face as they stopped.

"What if he makes me come home?" she asked, fear now replacing the butterflies.

"Then I'll fight for you," he assured her.

"Could you go? Just until I finished talking to him," she asked.

"Anything for you my Cordy bear," he whispered kissing her head. She heard his feet softly patter against the carpet as he opened the door to Wesley and Fred's room.

"Hopefully they weren't getting too intiment just yet," Cordelia said to Copper who looked up with her with sad eyes. She felt that when she was sad he was too. She smiled slightly and patted the bed next to her. Copper jumped up as she grabbed the phone off of the side table.

"I guess this is your fight too Cop," Cordelia whispered petting his nose as he lay down next to her. She put the phone back on the receiver then picked it back up again. She did this again 4 or 5 times until she finally began to dial her number with shaky fingers. What would he say? Would he be upset? Relieved maybe?

"Hello," she recognized her father's groggy voice from the other end.

"Hi Daddy," Cordelia said clearly, despite the large lump clogging her throat.

"Cordelia!" her father became instantly alert.

"It's me Dad. I'm okay," she said. There was a long pause on the other end.

"Cordelia where are you?" her father asked now sounding more angry then relieved.

"In Chattanooga. I'm at the Tiabins lodge," Cordelia stated simply.

"Chattanooga! Cordelia do even know how dangerous it is traveling alone? You could of been killed with no one their to protect you!" her father snapped.

"I'm not alone. I met these wonderful people. Spike, Angel, Xander, Wesley, Fred, Willow, and Faith. They've become...my family," Cordelia said beginning to cry again.

"Cordelia listen to yourself! You met these total strangers and who you just automatically let into your life?" Her fathers harsh tone of voice made her feel so small and unwanted. She knew deep down her father was just really upset and was just trying to take everything in.

"It's not something I can explain to you over the phone Daddy."

"Yes. That's why you're coming home immediately! I'm going to make reservations for you to take the next flight home," her father cried.

"Daddy no. Don't do that. I can't leave," Cordelia protested sniffling and trying to catch her breath.

"The hell you can't! Give me one good reason why you can't come home!" Cordelia was quiet trying to collect her thoughts and wipe the tears that were still gushing from her eyes and nose.

"I'm in love," she said.

"God Cordelia. Your 17 years old what do you know what it means to be in love?" he asked.

"Enough!" Cordelia cried clearly upset now.

"You know what Cordelia? I'm coming down there and if you like it or not I am taking you home!" Before Cordelia could get in her last word her father had already hung up the phone.

"No," Cordelia moaned and fell over in a pillow where she immediately started to sob. Copper licked away a few of her tears before Cordelia told him to lie down on the floor again.

"Spike," she whimpered. She felt the worst she had ever felt in her entire life and knew that her only chance of calming down was if the only one that loved her, in a way her father never would, hold her in his arms. Spike opened the door a joining their rooms and hurried over to her. She started to sob again as soon as he climbed up on the bed next to her.

"Baby," he whispered cradling her. "It's okay." She sobbed into Spike while he stroked her belly and whispered soft words into her ear. Once she had calmed down enough Spike was able to catch her in a kiss. Once they broke apart their foreheads still touching Cordelia explained to Spike what her dad had said.

"I don't want him to find me Spike. Don't we have enough money for all of us to fly to Los Angeles?" she asked. He got up and got a glass down from a cabinet over the TV. After filling it with ice and water he climbed back up on the bed and had her lean back against him. Then he tenderly put the glass to her lips and helped her to drink the cool liquid. As soon as the cold water rushed down her throat Cordelia felt a lot better.

"We'll talk to Angel in the morning and see about flying to LA," Spike whispered taking the empty glass away and putting it on the bedside table.

"We don't have that long. He's coming on the next flight and I told him where I was," she said.

"Where did you tell him you were?" he asked.

"The Tiabins lodge," she replied.

"Cordy that was the name of the train station. This hotel is a good 45 minutes from there. He won't have a clue," Spike assured her.

"I must look terrible," Cordelia said calming down quite a bit.

"Then we'll just have to fix that now won't we?" Spike smiled at her as he led her to the bathroom. He started running the shower and pulled off his shirt. Cordelia ran her fingers over his abs and started to kiss him up his neck. He gently undressed her and finished undressing himself and the two stepped into the shower. The hot water felt good against Cordelia's skin. Spike snaked his arms around her waist.

"Do you want me to wash your back?" he whispered in her ear. It sent chills up her spine. Good ones that made her forget about her father.

"Mmmm. Yes please," she whispered closing her eyes. "So were Fred and Wesley being intiment?"

"I don't know. There's just something about Fred eating strawberries out of Wesley's mouth that doesn't strike me as intiment but as weird," Spike replied moving his sponge to the opposite hand so he could wash her front.

"I guess that's Fred," Cordelia commented feeling another wave of sadness hit her. What if her dad did find her and she didn't have this sense of security anymore? The type of security where she could just call the one she loved and he would be right there. Or the type of security where she could just think about Fred and have the knowledge that she's right next door. After she washed Spike and the two rinsed off Spike turned off the water and got out of the shower. After wrapping a towel around his waist he wrapped one around Cordelia and lifted her out of the tub. Cordelia pulled on a t-shirt and some sweats and joined Spike under the covers. She laid her head down on his shoulder and let her wet hair tickle his nose.

"I love you my Cordy Bear," Spike whispered kissing her head.

"You need a nickname," she replied closing her eyes.

"Maybe tomorrow," he whispered. She could tell he was getting tired. Soon his even breathing told her he was asleep. But even in the midst of his slumber she still felt his arms tighten around her waist. Even in sleep he wanted to protect her.

At that moment Cordelia realized that she too would fight to stay in Spike's arms for good.