***
Thank you to all of you wonderful feedbackers! Your comments on this fic have been amazing!
Isis
***
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^ Part 7 ^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
Slowly, Buffy drifted back to consciousness. She felt like she'd been run over by an eighteen-wheeler. Her eyes remained closed as she tried to remember why she felt so utterly horrible. Hadn't she been walking to the motel? What had happened?
Searching her memory she remembered feeling exhausted.and then.she tripped. Hadn't she? Was she still lying on the pavement? No, she realized suddenly. She was lying on something soft. That little detail worried her. If she wasn't still on the pavement where the Hell was she? Growing worried, she swiftly shot up in the bed.
"Jesus Christ! Give me a fucking heart attack!" Buffy heard someone yelp to her right. When she looked in that direction she found herself in complete shock.
"Cordelia?" she yelped in surprise.
"The one and only," Cordelia answered, her hand clutching over her still pounding heart from Buffy's sudden movement.
"W-what's going on?" Buffy asked nervously as her eyes flittered around the room. What was she doing in what looked to be a motel room, with Cordelia, of all people?
"You decided it would be fun to pass out in the middle of a parking lot and I had to drag your ass in here," stated Cordelia exasperation, hiding the small detail that she'd had help carrying Buffy.
Buffy looked at her strangely. That was not the answer she'd been expecting. Since when did Cordelia Chase give a damn about her? They'd pretty much always hated each other. But she was immensely grateful that the obnoxious brunette had not just left her lying there.
"Umm, thanks," she spoke softly as her hand moved to rub her throbbing head. "How long was I out?"
"About two hours. Here," offered Cordelia, holding a hand out that contained two aspirin and in the other a glass of water.
"Thanks," Buffy mumbled as she took the pills and swallowed them down with the water.
"I was going to call an ambulance, but I didn't think you'd have liked that very much," she relayed, eyeing the blonde who looked like she might fall apart at any second.
Buffy shivered at the suggestion. The hospital was definitely somewhere she didn't want to go. "I'm glad you didn't."
"You look like Hell," Cordy stated in typical bluntness.
"Thanks, I hadn't noticed," Buffy snorted indignantly. Trust Cordy to point out the obvious.
Cordelia sighed and took a seat on the bed next to Buffy. "No, I'm serious. What's going on?" she questioned, her voice holding an unusual gentleness to it.
Buffy looked up at her, surprised at her concern. She considered the question, her mind flashing back to the horrible events of that day. Tears unwillingly welled in her eyes causing her to look away from Cordelia. The last thing that she wanted to think about was the rejection of her Mother and her friends. The memories were still too vivid in her mind.
The brunette frowned at the action. Something was seriously wrong, she was sure of that. The look in Buffy's eyes had made her shudder. She knew that look all too well. The look of feeling totally and utterly alone and lost. She saw it every time she looked at herself in the mirror these days.
Sensing that Buffy wasn't quite ready to spill her story, Cordelia changed the subject. "Why don't you go take a shower? You look like you could use one and it might make you feel better."
"Yeah, a shower sounds nice," Buffy answered absentmindedly, happy to avoid the subject of her current situation for the moment.
"I'll order a pizza while you do that. You look like you could use some food," Cordelia nodded at Buffy's gaunt body.
Buffy cringed at the thought of eating, but a little voice in the back of her head reminded her that she needed to eat, that her baby was depending on her. "Ok, thanks."
She got up and rustled through her bags, looking for her shower items. Once she retrieved them, she mumbled a 'be right back' to Cordelia before making her way to the bathroom.
Once inside, she slumped against the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. Cordy was right, she did look like shit. Turning on the shower, she climbed underneath the hot water. She wished the pounding spray would wash away her recent horrors, but she knew it wouldn't. Nothing would ever make her forget what had happened.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
An hour later, Buffy sat on the bed wrapped up in her terrycloth robe, her hair still wet. A half empty pizza box sat between her and Cordelia. As they'd eaten, she'd just told the brunette everything that had transpired that had caused her to be trekking across town with all of her belongings in duffel bags. It was strange, but somehow she felt better talking to someone who wasn't so close to the situation. And Cordelia, for her part, seemed to be truly shocked about the others actions.
"I'm sorry," Cordy blurted out after a minute of silence.
Whatever she'd expected Buffy to tell her, this was definitely not it. She could understand the other's anger, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Buffy. She knew all too well what it was like to be abandoned and to lose everything. Yes, that was definitely something she was familiar with.
"Thanks," Buffy replied, staring down at her hands.
"I just.wow. I can't believe they'd all do that. I can understand being angry but to do.that.it's just.," she trailed off, having no idea what to say. She wasn't used to feeling so concerned for someone else.
"I know," Buffy whispered softly as she willed herself not to start crying again. Not wanting to talk about herself anymore, she quickly changed the subject. "So, umm, what are you doing.well.here?"
Cordelia's eyes flashed with emotion for a second, the look not lost on Buffy, before she answered. "I've been here since graduation."
"What? Why?" Buffy asked in surprise. Why on earth was Queen C, the rich bitch of Sunnydale High, living in a ratty motel?
"I, umm, well it turns out that Daddy had this little problem with his taxes, as in he didn't pay them.ever," she answered, no longer able to make eye contact with Buffy. She knew what people thought of her now, and she hated it.
"So.," Buffy started, trying to figure out what that meant.
"The government took everything. The money, the house.everything. And wouldn't ya know, Daddy decided he'd rather run than go to jail. Unfortunately, he thought it would be too much of a hassle to take his daughter with him," Cordelia tried to joke, but the hurt was evident in her voice.
Buffy stared at her in shock. At one point she might have found Cordy's situation funny considering how much they tended to hate each other, but after what she had been through that day.well, it wasn't the least bit funny. She knew just what it felt like to suddenly have nothing.
"I'm sorry, Cordy. That must have been awful for you," Buffy said genuinely. She just couldn't help but feel sorry for Cordelia despite how horrible she'd always been to her.
"Yeah, well.," Cordy said, trying to brush off the concern. She hated feeling, and seeming, weak.
For a few minutes, both girls just sat there having no idea what to say to the other. The situations they were in were entirely strange to both. Almost since day one when Buffy had arrived in Sunnydale, they'd hated each other. Now, suddenly, they were finding that they were in almost exactly the same boat...with no oars...and water rapidly leaking in.
"So, uh, what are you going to do now?" asked Buffy, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"I plan on getting out of this Hell-hole town, probably in a day or two. I can't stand being here any longer. Harmony and everyone won't even talk to me because I'm not rich anymore, and my family could care less about me. So I figure, why stay?" Cordy explained with a shrug.
"Makes sense," Buffy agreed, understanding the need to leave all to well.
"What about you?" the brunette asked.
"Same. No one wants me around. They made that perfectly clear. And I don't want to raise my baby anywhere near them." told Buffy, her hand unconsciously moving to her abdomen.
"Yeah, I think that's probably smart. I mean it sounds like Xander's totally lost it." conceded Cordy as she internally wondered what she'd ever seen in that moron.
Buffy only shrugged in response, not really wanting to talk about Xander. "Thought about where you are going to go?" she questioned curiously.
"I was originally thinking LA, but I decided that's still too close to Sunnydale," Cordelia answered.
"Yeah, I don't think I even want to be in the state of California," agreed Buffy, taking a sip of her Sprite that had been sitting on the table.
"Where did you want to go?" Cordy asked, wondering why exactly she cared.
"Dunno. Hadn't really thought about it. I was thinking about places on my way to the motel. I always wanted to go to Seattle," she stated, the idea gaining credence in her head.
"Hmm, Seattle. Crappy weather, but doesn't sound like a bad place," pondered Cordy, thinking about the possibilities.
"Huh?" Buffy mumbled, confused at the statement.
"Well, I mean, we both want to get out of here. We could, ya know, leave together, or something," she replied, surprising herself at the offer. Maybe all this time she'd spent by herself for the last two months was getting to her.
Buffy stared at her, mouth hanging open. Her first instinct was to say 'Hell no', but then as she thought about it, it didn't sounds quite so horrible. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. After all, she was pregnant and she was the Slayer. It would probably be smart to not travel alone. And really, Buffy didn't know if she wanted to be completely alone, even if it meant she had to be with Cordelia.
Buffy thought about the offer for another minute before answering. "So I guess we're going to Seattle."
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
TBC!
Thank you to all of you wonderful feedbackers! Your comments on this fic have been amazing!
Isis
***
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^ Part 7 ^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
Slowly, Buffy drifted back to consciousness. She felt like she'd been run over by an eighteen-wheeler. Her eyes remained closed as she tried to remember why she felt so utterly horrible. Hadn't she been walking to the motel? What had happened?
Searching her memory she remembered feeling exhausted.and then.she tripped. Hadn't she? Was she still lying on the pavement? No, she realized suddenly. She was lying on something soft. That little detail worried her. If she wasn't still on the pavement where the Hell was she? Growing worried, she swiftly shot up in the bed.
"Jesus Christ! Give me a fucking heart attack!" Buffy heard someone yelp to her right. When she looked in that direction she found herself in complete shock.
"Cordelia?" she yelped in surprise.
"The one and only," Cordelia answered, her hand clutching over her still pounding heart from Buffy's sudden movement.
"W-what's going on?" Buffy asked nervously as her eyes flittered around the room. What was she doing in what looked to be a motel room, with Cordelia, of all people?
"You decided it would be fun to pass out in the middle of a parking lot and I had to drag your ass in here," stated Cordelia exasperation, hiding the small detail that she'd had help carrying Buffy.
Buffy looked at her strangely. That was not the answer she'd been expecting. Since when did Cordelia Chase give a damn about her? They'd pretty much always hated each other. But she was immensely grateful that the obnoxious brunette had not just left her lying there.
"Umm, thanks," she spoke softly as her hand moved to rub her throbbing head. "How long was I out?"
"About two hours. Here," offered Cordelia, holding a hand out that contained two aspirin and in the other a glass of water.
"Thanks," Buffy mumbled as she took the pills and swallowed them down with the water.
"I was going to call an ambulance, but I didn't think you'd have liked that very much," she relayed, eyeing the blonde who looked like she might fall apart at any second.
Buffy shivered at the suggestion. The hospital was definitely somewhere she didn't want to go. "I'm glad you didn't."
"You look like Hell," Cordy stated in typical bluntness.
"Thanks, I hadn't noticed," Buffy snorted indignantly. Trust Cordy to point out the obvious.
Cordelia sighed and took a seat on the bed next to Buffy. "No, I'm serious. What's going on?" she questioned, her voice holding an unusual gentleness to it.
Buffy looked up at her, surprised at her concern. She considered the question, her mind flashing back to the horrible events of that day. Tears unwillingly welled in her eyes causing her to look away from Cordelia. The last thing that she wanted to think about was the rejection of her Mother and her friends. The memories were still too vivid in her mind.
The brunette frowned at the action. Something was seriously wrong, she was sure of that. The look in Buffy's eyes had made her shudder. She knew that look all too well. The look of feeling totally and utterly alone and lost. She saw it every time she looked at herself in the mirror these days.
Sensing that Buffy wasn't quite ready to spill her story, Cordelia changed the subject. "Why don't you go take a shower? You look like you could use one and it might make you feel better."
"Yeah, a shower sounds nice," Buffy answered absentmindedly, happy to avoid the subject of her current situation for the moment.
"I'll order a pizza while you do that. You look like you could use some food," Cordelia nodded at Buffy's gaunt body.
Buffy cringed at the thought of eating, but a little voice in the back of her head reminded her that she needed to eat, that her baby was depending on her. "Ok, thanks."
She got up and rustled through her bags, looking for her shower items. Once she retrieved them, she mumbled a 'be right back' to Cordelia before making her way to the bathroom.
Once inside, she slumped against the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. Cordy was right, she did look like shit. Turning on the shower, she climbed underneath the hot water. She wished the pounding spray would wash away her recent horrors, but she knew it wouldn't. Nothing would ever make her forget what had happened.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
An hour later, Buffy sat on the bed wrapped up in her terrycloth robe, her hair still wet. A half empty pizza box sat between her and Cordelia. As they'd eaten, she'd just told the brunette everything that had transpired that had caused her to be trekking across town with all of her belongings in duffel bags. It was strange, but somehow she felt better talking to someone who wasn't so close to the situation. And Cordelia, for her part, seemed to be truly shocked about the others actions.
"I'm sorry," Cordy blurted out after a minute of silence.
Whatever she'd expected Buffy to tell her, this was definitely not it. She could understand the other's anger, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Buffy. She knew all too well what it was like to be abandoned and to lose everything. Yes, that was definitely something she was familiar with.
"Thanks," Buffy replied, staring down at her hands.
"I just.wow. I can't believe they'd all do that. I can understand being angry but to do.that.it's just.," she trailed off, having no idea what to say. She wasn't used to feeling so concerned for someone else.
"I know," Buffy whispered softly as she willed herself not to start crying again. Not wanting to talk about herself anymore, she quickly changed the subject. "So, umm, what are you doing.well.here?"
Cordelia's eyes flashed with emotion for a second, the look not lost on Buffy, before she answered. "I've been here since graduation."
"What? Why?" Buffy asked in surprise. Why on earth was Queen C, the rich bitch of Sunnydale High, living in a ratty motel?
"I, umm, well it turns out that Daddy had this little problem with his taxes, as in he didn't pay them.ever," she answered, no longer able to make eye contact with Buffy. She knew what people thought of her now, and she hated it.
"So.," Buffy started, trying to figure out what that meant.
"The government took everything. The money, the house.everything. And wouldn't ya know, Daddy decided he'd rather run than go to jail. Unfortunately, he thought it would be too much of a hassle to take his daughter with him," Cordelia tried to joke, but the hurt was evident in her voice.
Buffy stared at her in shock. At one point she might have found Cordy's situation funny considering how much they tended to hate each other, but after what she had been through that day.well, it wasn't the least bit funny. She knew just what it felt like to suddenly have nothing.
"I'm sorry, Cordy. That must have been awful for you," Buffy said genuinely. She just couldn't help but feel sorry for Cordelia despite how horrible she'd always been to her.
"Yeah, well.," Cordy said, trying to brush off the concern. She hated feeling, and seeming, weak.
For a few minutes, both girls just sat there having no idea what to say to the other. The situations they were in were entirely strange to both. Almost since day one when Buffy had arrived in Sunnydale, they'd hated each other. Now, suddenly, they were finding that they were in almost exactly the same boat...with no oars...and water rapidly leaking in.
"So, uh, what are you going to do now?" asked Buffy, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"I plan on getting out of this Hell-hole town, probably in a day or two. I can't stand being here any longer. Harmony and everyone won't even talk to me because I'm not rich anymore, and my family could care less about me. So I figure, why stay?" Cordy explained with a shrug.
"Makes sense," Buffy agreed, understanding the need to leave all to well.
"What about you?" the brunette asked.
"Same. No one wants me around. They made that perfectly clear. And I don't want to raise my baby anywhere near them." told Buffy, her hand unconsciously moving to her abdomen.
"Yeah, I think that's probably smart. I mean it sounds like Xander's totally lost it." conceded Cordy as she internally wondered what she'd ever seen in that moron.
Buffy only shrugged in response, not really wanting to talk about Xander. "Thought about where you are going to go?" she questioned curiously.
"I was originally thinking LA, but I decided that's still too close to Sunnydale," Cordelia answered.
"Yeah, I don't think I even want to be in the state of California," agreed Buffy, taking a sip of her Sprite that had been sitting on the table.
"Where did you want to go?" Cordy asked, wondering why exactly she cared.
"Dunno. Hadn't really thought about it. I was thinking about places on my way to the motel. I always wanted to go to Seattle," she stated, the idea gaining credence in her head.
"Hmm, Seattle. Crappy weather, but doesn't sound like a bad place," pondered Cordy, thinking about the possibilities.
"Huh?" Buffy mumbled, confused at the statement.
"Well, I mean, we both want to get out of here. We could, ya know, leave together, or something," she replied, surprising herself at the offer. Maybe all this time she'd spent by herself for the last two months was getting to her.
Buffy stared at her, mouth hanging open. Her first instinct was to say 'Hell no', but then as she thought about it, it didn't sounds quite so horrible. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. After all, she was pregnant and she was the Slayer. It would probably be smart to not travel alone. And really, Buffy didn't know if she wanted to be completely alone, even if it meant she had to be with Cordelia.
Buffy thought about the offer for another minute before answering. "So I guess we're going to Seattle."
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
TBC!