Disclaimers: Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon own it all. I'm just doing this for fun, and hopefully entertainment
Reviews: Welcomed and appreciated
Cordelia eyed her boyfriend over her latte. "So, how did it all go? I left not long after the witches fired up their little cauldron." She took a sip, wrinkled her nose and added another packet of sweetener.
Xander cocked his head at her in wonder. He loved everything about this girl, including the way she made faces. How did he end up with her? "Actually, it all went well. I mean, the spell worked and Tara wrote a new spell to implant false memories. That girl is a Wicca wonder. So, here's the new reality, Gwendolyn the bitch and Ethan the bastard lured Travers, the other bastard, to Sunnydale under false pretenses in an attempt to kill him and blame the slayer to cause dissention in the watchers ranks. And I am so totally quoting Giles." He smiled at her. "Okay, except for the bitch and bastard part. And they were so thinking it."
"And I so totally knew that." She handed him the coffee she ordered for him.
"The only fly in the ointment, so to speak, was Travers." Xander stirred his coffee.
"Was?" Cordelia lifted a perfectly waxed brow in query.
"Yeah, well seems Giles, Angel and Spike thought it was best that Travers not wake up from his coma." He paused to gauge her reaction.
"I'm sure that didn't sit too well with Buffy the perfect and Will. Go on."
"Well, here's the thing. The undead duo were all set to go, Buffy trying to talk them out of it, not very convincingly I might add. I mean, the doctors were all pretty sure he was never going to wake up anyway and even if he did we'd be calling him Mister Potato Head. Then Giles got the phone call from the hospital. Seems Travers didn't make it through surgery. Buff and Will were still pretty freaked that they were coming to terms with killing a regular old human person." Xander finished his coffee. "I think the fact that Spike was so into it really brought home the fact to Will that her fella is soulless."
"Oh please. As if killing a human being means you have to be soulless." She rolled her eyes. "How do you feel about it? I mean if you had to, would you?"
Xander shrugged. "I'd do it to save you, I'd have to. Just hope I never have to. I mean it's not like people go up in a puff of dust or gelatinous goo when you kill 'em. They're still there, only dead."
Cordelia smiled at him. "You'd kill for me? Wow. So, it would appear my dad's in deep shit with the IRS and he took all my credit cards away, will you smoke him for me?" She laughed at his expression. "You know I'm joking, not about the IRS but about by dad. If I want him dead, I'll do it myself."
"We need to talk." Angel took Buffy's hand and pulled her with him into the garden. She allowed him to lead her, trying to sort though her feelings. The guilt at her relief overwhelming.
"Buffy, you have to stop this. We discussed this long ago. I told you I wouldn't let anything or anyone come between us. That more than included Travers. If you continue to hold this against me I don't know where we can go from here." He lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes, which were filled with tears.
"I'm not, at least not against you. God Angel, I wanted him dead. I tried to muster up my slayer morality and all I could bring up was lies. False concern. I hated him for bringing all this to our door. And when that call came…it was like an answer to my prayers." She hid her face in his chest. "Is it my demon?"
"Gods baby, no. You have a soul, your human. You're only human. Of course you'd feel relief. If you didn't, now that would be strange." He held her close to him. "I would've killed him Buff, and without a second thought. And I'll kill anyone that threatens us. Remember that." His voice was firm and resolute.
Buffy reached up and touched his cheek. "I'll remember."
Buffy and Angel entered the room together. Willow sat next to Spike, her head near his as he spoke to her. Probably telling her just what Angel had just told me, Buffy thought with a small smile. Time to grow up, I guess.
Giles leaned over and pulled up an old leather satchel with copper buckles.
Buffy and Angel went to him. "Is that what I think it is?" Buffy ran her hand over it.
"Yes. The journals Post was so determined to have. Travers left it at my apartment when Wesley drove him to his hotel." He lifted one out and handed it to Willow. "It's filled with all sorts of codicils that need to be deciphered. I'm afraid I don't have enough faith in the council just yet to trust them with these. And perhaps the person who should have these should be the current slayer's watcher anyway. Either way, we are holding onto them." He pulled out a few more and laid them on the table.
"Considering they concern me and Kendra, I think it's only fair. But what if the council comes looking for them"
"From what I can ascertain, only the head of the council and his predecessor know about them. They aren't for the general watcher populous." He cast a conspiratorial look at Willow. "We'll have our work cut out for us it would appear."
"Oh goody, research!"
Spike laughed. "That's my Red."
Christmas time at the mansion turned into quite an event. Angel just wanted the two of them to decorate a tree, unwrap a few presents, make love for days. But Buffy had other ideas.
"Okay, so the lights are on the tree and it's ready to decorate. This is going to be so much fun. Remember our tree trimming party last year?" Angel nodded, it was the first time he had really accepted his place in her life, their life, and accepted the fact that her friends were a part of that. So, here it was a year later and their lives were everything he could've only imagined.
"Think I'll go up and change. Xander would never forgive me if I didn't have leather on." He kissed her deeply, soaking up all things Buffy.
"That was nice." She dug a little deeper into his arms.
"Come with me." He rubbed her lower back, bringing her very close so she could feel him.
"We do not have time for that now." She pushed away from him. "But later…" Buffy stroked him through his pants. "…Oh yes, later."
"I don't know about this whole Christmas thing Willow. Kinda wonky for a group of vampires to have all this stuff about." Spike turned his head toward the CD player. "And this music…I mean really, Charlie Brown?"
"Holiday thing, okay? Remember, Jewish here." Willow chided him as she climbed a ladder to hang a holly and red berry ball.
"More vampire than Jewish now. You do drink blood, remember?" Spike handed her a large red ribbon. The whole seasonal event the girls were working on was making him cranky.
"Okay, so does the fact that you are a vampire make you any less English? I don't think so." She jumped down off the ladder and landed in front of him, stopping long enough to plant a kiss on his nose before dancing off to find more decorations.
Cordelia walked into the main salon and looked all around. "My god, it looks like Martha Stewart threw up in here." Holly berries, evergreen wreaths, taffeta and twinkle lights surrounded her. She would never admit it, but it was beautiful and most certainly put her in a Christmas spirit. After all the disappointments with her father and her lack of financial resources, she needed this. She looked over at Willow and Buffy, she really needed her friends too, and all these people appeared to be just that.
"I think it looks great!" Tara came in after Cordelia carrying a tray of cookies as her contribution to the tree trimming party. "It's all so happy."
"You're right babe, it's a happy room." Oz had his hand on her waist. "Let's get this into the kitchen. Buffy decorated in there too."
"Oooo…let's go see." She gave him a dazzling smile.
"So, looks like wolf-boy and witchy-poo are a definite item. Kinda sweet, huh? We must've inspired them with our true love." Xander nuzzled Cordelia's neck.
Cordelia shivered and laughed. "Xander, you are such a…a…I love you." She was amazed at how quickly he could affect her."
He pulled her close. "I love you too. You keep me sane."
"How can you be something you never really were?" She laughed.
Giles handed Angel a brandy as they surveyed at the assembled group. The tree had been trimmed, copious amounts of food and drinks had been consumed and they were now all properly engrossed in watching A Christmas Carol.
"Come with me." Angel looked curiously at Giles and followed.
Giles opened the old satchel that held the watchers diaries, pulled out a particularly old one and handed it to Angel. "Recognize the language?"
Angel gently flipped through it and looked up at him. "No, not really."
"Aramaic. Very old. Obviously." Giles rubbed his forehead.
"What does it say?" There was concern in Angels' voice.
"There's a prophecy. Naturally. I have part of it translated, but we have to be very precise in the deciphering. If we are off by one word, well… Willow, Wesley and I are continuing to work on it. The gist so far? 'Two warriors, drinkers of life. One dark, one light will come together. Their issue will produce the incandescent light that will redeem the universe by returning to the source'."
"Okay, so what does it mean?" Angel hated all that nebulous shit that came out of these kinds of books.
"Not sure yet. But I am sure it concerns you and Buffy. And your issue." He waited for a response from the vampire.
Angel snorted. "We're vampires Giles. No issue coming out of my seed or her womb. Dead. Remember?"
"You are also both vampires with souls. And Buffy is a slayer. All unprecedented circumstances. Who knows what will happen over the centuries?"
Angel shook his head. "Centuries? I'm just trying to get through Christmas. When you have something definitive, let me know."
"I will, but this is something big Angel. It may not occur for a while, years, decades, centuries. But face it, the two of you are going to be around for awhile. And you need to know what to expect."
The two men looked at each other. "I know Giles. And I will take proper care of her after you're gone." Angel looked at his hands, at the ring. "She's my reason for existence Giles. Decipher the books and I'll use them to the best of my ability to protect her."
"I know you will."
Buffy sat on the edge of her bed and brushed her hair as she watched Angel undress. "It was a great party, wasn't it? And Christmas is gonna be so great with mom and Kendra coming." She paused and looked up at him. "So, where did you and Giles take off to tonight?" She tried to keep her voice nonchalant, but she was dying of curiosity.
"He wanted to tell me of another prophecy he discovered in one of the journals."
"Oh." She was so tired of the journals. "So, another prophecy? It must be Tuesday." She dropped her brush on her nightstand and took off her robe. "Come over here and do your husbandly duties."
She lay on her side, the candle light radiating off her luminous skin. Angel felt his non-beating heart skip. She looked so beautiful, angelic. He removed the last of his clothing and joined her. Taking her into his arms he looked deeply into her eyes. "This is all that matters Buff. You and me. Together. And we have an eternity to spend it anyway we choose." He drew her into a deep kiss. When he pulled away he saw the tears in her eyes. "What is it babe? What's wrong?"
"Wrong? Nothing. Everything's perfect. So perfect. I never thought I was destined for this. For complete happiness, satisfaction. But everyday with you Angel. It's everything." She kissed him.
"Oh babe. This is just the beginning. We have so much to do. And so much time to do it all. Everyday is a new day filled with all our possibilities." He rolled over with her in his arms. "And it's just going to go on forever."
"Ummm, I can do that."