Author's Note: When someone goes through an entire year adoring someone else, they tend to be a little on the high wire of stressed. It gets even worse when those unrequited lovely feelings linger and never go away, especially when you don't know if the other half feels the same way. Congratulations, you now know the emotions of our favorite almost-couple! A year has past and things really haven't changed, but the flashes and the… Well you'll see soon. You know when your at a movie where the couple can't see that their perfect for each other, yet they don't see it? Be prepared to have that emotion right now. But, the anguish will all be over soon for both of them. I'll leave you with that. Oh yeah, the cupcakes and ponies are in the mail.It was hardtraining them to get in the boxes and not eat the cupcakes, well I still have the scars. Enjoy Chapter 10!
To My Reviewers:
Imzadi: Leigh was a horrible person, but he tried to reach redemption. It was just too late for his soul. Well, the Master, who will never have a soul, does have one main objective, but unfortunately, I can't tell you. Sorry! Please keep reading and you'll find out. Trust me, it's a great story if I do say so myself. LOL. Thanks for the reviews!
Nookyfiction : Dear No! There is no tape, that would be really messy. I think we should schedule a "Naughty turn nice" playtime for the Maker. He needs a good yelling. And please Update DDL and FBD…YAY to those stories! Did the pony come for you birthday? I made it do a special dance, and I may have put it a yellow shirt on it. I took it off of Lex, don't ask how. Thanks for the reviews!
Chasing the stars: No why not Topher! Well, I'll give you the un-edited version of the murder. Hee hee! Well, we know now why Wesley is good with guns. And just because I went a little crazy with the songs from the greatest puppet musical of all time, does not mean…well yeah I see your point, but You loved that song! It's the best one about hidden secrets. Oh yeah Rod from Avenue Q, you know what I'm talking about. Thanks for the review. Lylas.
Nala147: Here it is a nice long chapter! Sorry I made you wait, I just made it extra great. And there will be a Wesley asking out Sophia or a Sophia asking out Wesley. But not until, well maybe the next chapter. I know I'm evil, I'm gonna have to make you wait another chapter, but this one will be worth it. Maybe… Thanks for the review!
"Do you trust me?" It was a simple question
"How can you ask that? Of course I do" He reassured her with his strong yes
Sophia Avila and Wesley-Wyndam Pryce were in the middle of a dilemma.
"Then do as you say" she stated firmly
"Sophia" He pouted
"No you either do or don't" she put her hand up in frustration
He sighed as he handed her the device
"Only because I trust you Avila" he flashed those big blues at her
She gave him that dazzling smile and pushed the button
"Here we go"
And then came the noise. The noise like a blast in Wesley's ears.
"Rainbow Randolph!"
On this Thursday night, Sophia made her good friend Wesley watch one of her favorite movies--Death to Smoochy
She laughed giddily and looked at his skeptical face
"Wesley, I know underrated movies. You'll find it annoying at the beginning because I know you, but then you'll love it."
Wesley raised his eyebrow and smirked
"I highly doubt it"
"You thought you'd hate Tuck Everlasting. Now, what Mr. Wyndam-Pryce did you say to me at the end of it? Oh yes." Her British accent came out.
"It was quite an enjoyable movie, I must say"
"I did not" he chuckled
She took the blanket from Wesley's side of the couch.
"Do you mind?" she shyly smiled
"No, no. Are you cold?" He set those amazing blue eyes on her.
"Then why would she need the blanket?"
"Intelligent me forgot my sweater at the apartment" She felt a little stupid but that's why Wesley always had a blanket in his office and at home for her. Sophia was always too warm, but there was that occasional day in the winter when she would spend the night researching and Wesley would cover her on the couch when she fell asleep. The deal went for him too. She would find him asleep on his books. Then would always remove his glasses, tell a sleepwalking him to follow her and guide him to the hotel rooms to lay him down to rest and fall fast into slumber. It was the way they were.
In the beginning , Sophia always thought she and Wesley had something special, but she got scared and he was too afraid to get hurt. They both needed each other, but neither were prepared to deal with possible love matches. So they settled for being co-workers and great friends. From one winter to the next the two were an unbeatable pair. The Undercover and research team that everyone wanted and everyone could get, for a price. Of course, it was mainly them because neither had a love life. The rest of the Angel Investigations team was married or engaged. Cordy, Angel and 4 year old Connor were always busy. Fred and Gunn were trying for a baby, and Faith and Lorne had recently gotten engaged at Thanksgiving. It was all work, friends, and dinners at Wesley's every Thursday night for Sophia. The dinners weren't romantic. It was more a rented video and a fabulous dish made by Sophia or Wesley, they alternated every week. Finally, Sophia went out with a former client named William Boyd for a date, but then she discovered she never had any feelings for him. She realized she would never love Will or anyone because something was missing from her life. That's when her musical epiphany occurred.
She was trying to figure out why she couldn't make it work with Will when she cast a spell. Well, to say the least it went a little crazy. She wished to know the "way of her heart" and apparently, Sophia had song in her. Everywhere she went she heard a song being sung by her and her friends.
Sophia was walking down the street and suddenly started to sing a song about an unknown person in her life.
"Tied up in ancient history, I didn't believe in destiny. I'd giving up and giving in, I just couldn't take the hurt again. I look up your standing next to me. I'm yours and suddenly your mine What a feeling in my soul. Love burns brighter than sunshine."
"Aqualung?" she was confused and ran to the Hyperion to see Cordy, Fred, and Faith pulling a The Supremes look.
Cordy and the Cordettes--Fred and Faith sang backup.
"Whishin and hopin and thinkin and prain. Plainin and dreamin each night of his charms, that won't get you into his arms"
Scarily, it had chorography.
"When did I switch lives with Ally McBeal?" she thought as she was being serenaded. She closed her eyes for a second and was greeted by another odd sight.
Angel and Gunn sang double on a song while dressed in matching powder blue suits. Yee scary she thought.
"How long must you wait for it, how long must you pay for it?"
Then a fast switch to the hoozey by piano man Lorne
"Your lovely just the way you look tonight. Mr. Tony Bennett everyone!"
Actually, Lorne had an encore. A very interesting encore
"Your body is a wonderland. Your body is a wonderland I'll use my hands. Yeah Sophie"
After Lorne's unique set, Sophia was suddenly in an empty jazz club. She was dressed in a black evening gown and was romantically serenaded by a certain gentleman. His songs and voice made her feel alive in herself. She felt liberated and let her heart open to the possibility of happiness with him.
"Blued boy meets a brown eyed girl. Oh the sweetest thing. Baby's got blue skies up ahead. Ain't love the sweetest thing"
That song was for half the message…but it was that message that was the reason.
"Wait, that's not really uplifting if you hear all of it. But it is realistic and crazily true" she thought
"This is my call I belong to you. This is my call to sing the melodies of you. I can do nothing else. I love you"
By the dear Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. Three songs, each of value and strength.
"Waves of joy are drifting through my open mind possessing and caressing me. "
The last one hit Sophia so hard she cried when she heard his voice. The line that reminded her of her past and future. Wesley stared to cry with her as she fell into his arms and they kissed for the first time. It felt right in every way. Their souls seemed to mold into one as they were in each other's arms. They were both consumed by each other's love for the other. She broke away and embraced him tightly. Suddenly she looked down and saw a child, a little girl. The biggest bright blue eyes looked at her while her raven black hair swished as turned her head and smiled.
"Mommy? Daddy?"
Sophia's tears awoke her. The spell was all a dream. She dreamt of her own personal feelings and secret yearlings
"One normal dream. That's all I want" She told her ceiling.
That was one month ago. She never told anyone about it, but everyone could tell she was hiding something. She got extra jumpy around Wesley and blamed it on her coffee craze.
Sophia eventually forgot about it and everything went back to normal. Well as normal as paranormal work could be.
As for Wesley, he became comfortable around Sophia, but never lost his romantic feelings for her. All those dinners were between friends, but one was hopelessly in love. He waited for the perfect opportunity to tell her his feelings, and it blew up in his face. On the night he arranged a romantic dinner at his apartment, Sophia was called by a client to help him on an emergency. Turn out that the client was lying and actually wanted ask Sophia if she wanted to have dinner sometime. William Boyd came to the Angel team as a rich young entrepreneur who had hauntings in his house and Sophia and Wesley were hired to exterminate the sprits. Wesley always showed his distaste for Will when he would come to the hotel and flirt endlessly with Sophia. She never flirted back, but that was because she was too enthralled in the work. But Wesley always saw it and it made him sick. That was when he realized he needed to do something so that they could finally fall in love. He planned the whole event and knew exactly what to do, with the help of Cordelia, to woo Sophia. Unfortunately, he got a call from her 30 minutes before the dinner saying that she was needed at the Manderhal Mansion. She was so apologetic, it made Wesley feel more crushed than before. She promised to take a rain check and told him she would see him the next day.
By the next day Wesley had lost his nerve. She walked in with a smile of insecurity and he was automatically worried. Now, over the last couple of months Wesley and Sophia talked about everything, but family because that was too personal for both, and Sophia confided in him over matters both were involved in. But this time, for some reason in her stomach, she didn't want to tell him the truth about why Will called her. She also felt like she was betraying Wesley by even thinking about going out with Will.
She did tell him. She felt she needed to.
Wesley actually accepted it, for about a minute.
"You could do so much better Sophia"
That outraged her. For some reason, she got so angry at him. She ranted on and on about how Will was a great guy.
"Plus, I can't around forever for--" he was hanging on her every word
"On you Wesley. Yeah I can say that. He doesn't even think of me in that way"
"For someone else to come along. We're not all as lucky as our friends"
"Because you never moved, she lost faith." He wanted to embrace her and tell her everything, but instead he lost his temper. Well, as much as a British man could
"Fine Sophia, do whatever pleases you. Just know this Boyd is not who you think he is" he looked her straight in the eyes, which surprised her.
She scowled at him and slammed the door to his office. She went on the date that night to prove Wesley wrong. Will was a nice guy, but all she could think about was how she fought with Wesley and how furious she was with him.
Wesley went home and irately flipped through the channels of his TV thinking about how Sophia wasn't on a date with him, but with the James Spader-the-only-reason-he-knew-was-because-Sophia-made-him-watch-Pretty in Pink-and-not-Secretary-because-she-was embarrassed-look-a-like Boyd. He sighed in disgust at the thought.
"I'll just retire for the evening"
He went through the motions of his late night routine, even though it was 7 at night, and went to bed. Sleep was not part of the deal for him that night. He ended up back on his couch watching BBC America where Coupling was on
"You won't admit you love me and so how am I ever to know. You only tell me perhaps perhaps perhaps"
"Bloody Hell" Even a show's theme song about endless relationships was screaming at him.
He decided to go over some cases. He picked up the suitcase that he used on the Wood/Olivetti case and was swarmed with images of him and Sophia.
"You never stop" he thought unhappily.
He opened the case and saw the pen Sophia had bought him for his birthday. It was a beautiful dark blue Armani pen she spent, as she said
"Next to nothing, so don't even try to return it"
It had his initials on the side and the year at the top. He wrote with it everyday and she smiled when she saw him with it.
Tonight, he picked it and grabbed a piece of loose paper from the briefcase. He wrote what he was thinking.
"Memories of the past, emotions of the present, loves of the future"
"I'm must be a loon" he said tossing aside the paper. It was out of nowhere, but he needed to get it out of his system. Back to business for Wesley as he read his old research books and drifted into sleep. The next thing he knew he was awoken by his cell phone. He rubbed his eyes and yawned while he picked up the phone. He flipped it open in one swift motion.
"Wyndam-Price"
"Wesley, find the --- You both need to--" static overcame the phone call.
He knew the voice well, or thought he did. It sounded too familiar
"Sophia, I can't understand you!"
"I'm--" the woman dropped off and hung up.
"Sophia! Sophia!" he tried to talk to her but he failed
He woke up screaming her name. Then he realized his own mind was playing tricks on him.
"A bloody dream?" he was thoroughly annoyed by that fact. Seeming insane, Wesley walked to his kitchen to fix some coffee.
"Oh…" he looked at the coffee pot in his hands and dropped it in the sink out of frustration.
Even coffee reminded him of her. Her obsession with caffeine, her pen, and now her voice. She was haunting him and he could find no escape.
Sophia didn't have any luck either. She couldn't pay attention to Will for the life of her. He was talking about his business or bunnies, she had no idea. All she thought about was how Wesley was wrong and how he wasn't.
"If he would just admit how he doesn't feel that way I could just get rejected and move on. But for 1 year, I've been uncertain about all his emotions. I thought I let it go six months ago. He didn't move forward and I was too scared. You know, it's my fault. Why the hell am I complaining? It's my fault too. I should have said something, but no I wanted to "be pursued" by a wonderful guy. High expectations lead to higher disappointments. "
"Sophia are you ok?" Will's green eyes stared at her questionably
"I'm great Will, go on" she nodded her head and tried to go on with the date.
Wesley tossed and turned after a second attempt at going to bed. He couldn't place his body in a well enough position for rest. His thoughts were like a marching band playing inside his room. Finally after exhausting himself with worry, he fell into slumber. It wasn't a smooth dream, but the next morning he didn't remember. It had become a normal occurrence for him. He got ready that morning determined to not show his sleepiness and anxiousness.
Sophia had felt guilty about ignoring Will after he was a complete gentleman on the date, but she knew her heart wasn't in it . He asked if they could date again and she declined. He took it well and kissed her on the cheek. He dropped her off at her apartment and left. Her lovely apartment had a Mediterranean feel and was blocks away from Wesley's.
"I have to let go of Wesley" she thought getting dressed for bed. She went to sleep that night with thoughts flying left to right. She tried to keep her eyes closed, but they would open in seconds after closing them. She put allusions in her head about Wesley and her in her aunt's house in Spain. Or she and Wesley in Paris for the weekend for work and then they would go sightseeing for fun. With those thoughts comforting her, she fell asleep. As with Wesley, she didn't remember her dream the next morning and thought she didn't have one.
The next day Wesley was at his desk working on the Dolman case when he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in"
The door opened and he saw Sophia in her red skirt and a light red shirt.
"Oh, hello Sophia" he said softly
"Hey Wesley" he smiled slightly
"Wow this is uncomfortable" she thought
"I should go first" He said to himself
"Wesley I--
"I just--"
They interrupted each other then smiled at the awkward situation. The two had fought but over work, never over a personal matter.
"I insist" he motioned her to come forth, sit down, and say what she wanted to say.
"It's ok Wesley, you go first" He saw her persistence and decided not to argue
"I just wanted to apologize for my rude behavior yesterday and they way we left it. I always incredibly out of line with my comments, and hope you forgive me"
She took one look at his bright blue eyes and melted.
"I accept your apology Wesley" then she pulled herself away from his beauty
"You were a prick, but a lovely prick"
"I know you just want what's best for me. And I'm sorry for snapping at you, it was uncalled for. I'm sorry" Now her big brown puppy eyes entranced him
"No need Sophia. Let's just forget it"
He got up from his chair and walked over to her.
He did what he always did with her. He held her hand and she smiled. Then they pulled into each other with a hug.
"Friends again?" she needed to say it for it to stay that way
"Just friends" she thought while she pulled away from him.
She had decided long ago to never use her empathic powers on her friends for her own personal gain, even when it hurt. She never knew how Wesley felt because of the promise to herself.
"Friends" he said reluctantly
"And that's the way it's going to be, so accept it Pryce. It's the only way for you two to go on"
So they both agreed to it, even though both never followed it. Sophia never went out with Will or anyone and Wesley was still single in the city.
It was a couple months after that when she cast the spell and she knew she had to confront her feelings or let them go once an for all.
She got her answer. It was so blatantly obvious to her heart all along, yet somehow it was never made known. That Monday morning after the dream, she was so uncomfortable at work. She bumped into Wesley a lot, she dropped everything, and she drifted off in thought. She explained to him that it was a bad reaction to some food and lack of coffee. He nodded his head and led her to the couch to sit down. That was when Sophia had a flash and saw a tired Wesley smiling at her.
"Darling , she won't sleep unless you leave her alone. I warmed the bottle, so you rest… Oh I love you" he took her hand
"What?" she was shocked by every word of that sentence. She snapped out of whatever she was in and heard him clearly
"Sophia, you need to sleep and stop drinking coffee so heavily" he really did have her hand, it was just held in a 'Hey kid, your all right' kind of way.
"I need to relax" she thought instantly
"Sure Wes, just don't worry. I'm ok" she gave him a look of assurance and tapped his hand
"Friends, God, why didn't I just say how I felt back then" she thought getting off the couch and heading into his office.
Eventually, she put in the back of her mind. The month passed and there they were normal again and getting used to the whole friends thing. They went back to the routine they were used to. The dinners and the movies that lasted them the whole Thursday evening. The research books and weekly discussions on Sophia's magical progression. With Sophia, Wesley got to stretch his watcher muscles by, what else, watching and advising her. With Wesley, Sophia got the best guidance and support a witch and girl could have. They complimented each other in a way everyone else saw but couldn't explain.
It was that November that a mystery from their past came into their present. After Sophia and Wesley discovered that Leigh Pearson had fled the country, Angel found a demon that fit the description of the monster that killed the employees of Cabrel. Gunn, Angel, and Faith all hunted it down and killed it after it confessed to all the murders. They all assumed Pearson and the demon were in alliance. The demon would get his soul count and Pearson would get more power in the company. At least that was what the demon told the Investigations gang before he went poof. Cordelia officially closed the case and filed it away with the other solved cases. It was forgotten and everyone went back to life as usual. Now the case had to be reopened with the fact that the murders were happening again. But that was work and Sophia and Wesley now were in his apartment watching a movie about conspiracies in the children's television.
"Only you could make me watch this" he thought while her eyes were fixed on the screen.
He saw Edward Norton dressed as a big fuchsia rhinoceros and decided to lay down. He wondered what was the best position to put himself in that would disturb Sophia.
"If I move my leg to the side and to the right, maybe she won't notice" He worked it out in his head and tried to maneuver himself. This miscalculation ended with Wesley's legs on Sophia's lap. She looked at him for a minute while he was still trying to move around.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry" he said blushing
"Well Wes, it could have been worse. You could have kicked me in the head. It's ok. Don't worry" he said with a slight laugh
"Is he still so uncomfortable with me? I should ask him after the movie"
Wesley tried his best to get back into the regular position. Wesley's maneuver ended in embarrassment when Sophia lost her balance trying to help him and she grabbed on to him. They both ended up on the floor tangled in the blanket. If it weren't for Wesley's quick reaction, Sophia would have hit her head on his coffee table. He held on to her as they rolled on the carpet. She landed on top of him and was breathing heavily.
"Oh …God" she thought as she realized she was on top of her friend and boss
"Oh My" He thought as he noticed that the woman he loved was on top of him
She was in shock for a moment and then quickly got off of him. She stood up and went to the other end of the living room . She stood there while she looked at the door.
"I'm so sorry Wesley. " She then noticed the movie was still going. The happy music of Smoochy the rhino and friends was playing in the background while her face had to be the brightest shade of pink.
"Because the dream wasn't enough, now we have to go through another couple of days of uncomfortable looks and mannerisms" She was so mad that things usually got ruined when she and Wesley were finally getting to a point of comfortableness.
"What are we to do now? I've never had a moment like that." It felt right and uncomfortable at the same time.
"No Sophia, it was an accident. There's no reason to apologize. We both fell off of that sofa, odd as it was. I blame it on the movie" he walked over to her and took her hand.
"Nice joke" She thought unhappily
"It's ok Soph" His deep blue eyes dove into her big browns
She looked at him and sighed
"I love when he makes me forget" Sophia smiled
"I think It's time that--" Sophia was going to suggest they have dinner or watch the movie.
At that moment Wesley's cell rang the usual standard ring. Sophia put her hands on her hips
"How many times have I told you there are other ringtones in the world" she jabbed at him
"Well parting is such sweet sorrow" He told her jokingly while he headed for the phone.
"Shakespeare's rolling in his grave Wes" She was glad to see they were back in friend mode
He picked it up without looking at the ID
"Another thing I warned you about" Sophia always warned him one day he would regret not checking to see who was calling
"Wyndam-Pryce. Angel? What happened? Oh, well next time don't say it like that, you frightened me. No she's here with me" At that point Wesley excused himself and walked into his bedroom
Sophia nodded to him while she stopped the movie and cleaned up the mess. She had the distinct impression that she and Wesley were needed at the Hyperion.
"No you didn't interrupt a date Angel"
"Well, Wes, what was I supposed to think. It's night and you have Sophia over for a dinner, and you took a long time to answer the phone" He told him in a sly manner
"Angel, we are just friends. I don't understand why you think otherwise"
"Because you've been in love with her since she came to us" He stated to his hopelessly romantic friend
"Well, I'm not anymore. Anyway why did you call?" Wesley was concerned with the case
"Gunn and Fred were out tonight and found a dead body in the alley matching the description of that case Sophia first did. "
"The Olivetti/ Wood case? But we closed that a year ago."
" Yeah but the body was mutilated in a way only the demon in that case killed his victims"
"Last my sources heard Pearson was missing. Angel, you killed that demon, unless it was revived by a mystic cult of some kind"
"That's the guess. Anyway, I need you and Sophia over here, if it isn't too much trouble" he laughed
"We'll be right over" Wesley said with an annoyed tone. He closed his cell phone and walked out of the room to see a bright flash and Sophia in an odd look.
She was pregnant, 6 months it seemed.
"Why are looking at me like that? God, you have your husband's child and all you get is a glare. I think it kicked! Come feel!" she rubbed her enlarged tummy
"Sophia? How…?" he swallowed roughly
"Well, as I recall you and I were very happy it was our anniversary and you covered the apartment in roses and had champagne waiting. That led to this happy occasion" she smiled at him
He closed his eyes ad opened them to see a non knocked up by him Sophia staring worriedly.
"What did Angel say? And why were you mumbling about champagne and roses?" she walked over to him
"Your not pregnant!" He said softly trying to absorb it
"Ok that was random" she felt his forehead and he took her hand and put it to her stomach
"Sophia, your not pregnant." he said happily
"Neither are you. God Wes, what did you get hit with? Oh what did you get hit with?" she was worried that he was hit with some kind of spell whammy.
"No, no. But this is reality and your not pregnant and I'm not insane" he hugged her and then let go. She wanted to kiss for his concern and slap him silly for everything else , mostly the slap part .
"I'd beg to differ" she told him
"What's going on?" she was too lost in his madness
"Wesley what happened to you?" Sophia motioned him to sit down. It was then he noticed he was rambling about Sophia being pregnant and not pregnant.
"All right, she finds you mad, who wouldn't at this moment. Save her sanity Pryce"
"I'm sorry. Nothing, sleep depravation. Oh Angel needs us"
"Why didn't you tell me before?" The kissing yearning was gone and the slapping part was perfectly playing in her mind
"Were you too busy seeing flying fairies?"
" It slipped my mind. We need to leave"
"All right We'll take my car, or do you not want me to drive because of my fragile condition?" she joked
"I will explain later. Right now we need to leave" He opened the door for her
She rolled her eyes and told him fine. They took Sophia's car while she drove, she didn't trust him behind the wheel, and they arrived at the Hyperion.
Sophia guided Wesley through the doors as the rest heard Wesley say
"My lord Sophia, I'm quite fine, it was a flash of something"
"Flash? That's weird. I--" she opened the door fully to see everyone starting at the couple
"Hey Everyone, we came as soon as we could" she smiled
"Yes, what's new on this case?" he went straight to Angel and Gunn. Lorne came out of the backroom
"Oh yeesh, Vibes of unrequited love. Will Jude Law and a Spanish wide eyed Catherine Zeta-Jones ever marry? Well I know the answer but still."
"Uh, all right work sure. Sophia can I talk to you a minute" Cordy gave her friend a look while she set a sleeping Connor down in his play area.
"What for Cordy?" she seemed to want to move forward on the case
"Oh you'll see. Real quick" She smiled that "Oh wow do you have to explain" smile
"OK Cord" Cordelia led Sophia to Wesley's office
While Fred and Faith were comparing old and new police reports, Angel, Gunn, and Lorne were trying to search Wesley for clues.
"The Magnash Demon seems the most accurate match for this series of murders in the--. Now what?" He was annoyed at how many of those looks he got over the past year.
"Oh your gonna pretend that you didn't spend the night with Soph?"
"Gunn for the fifteenth time, nothing happens. We've done this for a year. This dance of lost emotions and false hopes. I know what it all means now"
"Oh, butter buns, there's no false hope. I, well--"
"Lorne, there are people being savagely murdered in Los Angeles, may we please focus on that?"
"And not on the fact that she'll never love me back" It broke him to say that
They all understood and got back on task.
Cordelia closed the door to Wesley's office and turned to Sophia
"Blood pressure…well the British are good with the nonchalant but you aren't. Do you mind telling me what the hell is going on between you two?"
"Why won't anyone accept the fact that Wesley and I are just friends? It's not a foreign concept" Cordelia knew well enough when Sophia was lying.
"This coming from the girl who worried and over analyzed over that man for a whole year and during that year said 'Men and woman cannot be friends unless one is a relationship' Cordelia walked around the desk to sit in Wesley's chair.
"I only said that after I saw When Harry met Sally. That movie screws up your comments" Sophia stood standing as to stand her ground.
" You saw it with Wesley!" Cordy jabbed at her
"Because he never saw the ending and it was on. Your reading too much into this" Sophia was now talking with her hands. Something she only did when she was happy, excited, or extremely frustrated.
"All I'm saying is if you two keep this up you'll burn out. And fast"
"You really think it's just that easy to say 'Hey, I like you. No not like a friend. Oh Wesley don't get uncomfortable. Don't take off the glasses. All right you like me as a friend. You know that was joke? Yeah. I'm hilarious'. Well Cordelia. I'll say it once. Wesley and I are just friends" The words were wrong but she needed to get used to it
"Look I know your scared, but when has that ever stopped you. When you were in that office almost exposed, you risked your life to see if Wesley was ok. That was your first day at work and you knew then that you had a connection."
"I wasn't going to let him die. That day had a lot of unexplained occurrences. For instance I faint and next thing I knew we were in a weird cuddle"
"Yeah, and that was a sign by the powers that be" she pointed to her friend.
"Did they tell you that?' she skeptically crossed her arms.
"No but that does mean--"
"Then there's your answer" she walked toward her friend and sat on the edge of the desk
"How can I put this?"
"Cordelia, it's been a year and nothing whatsoever has happened between the two of us. He would have wanted it, he would have acted. To your knowledge did he ever?"
At this point, Cordelia could have told her about the dinner before Will, or about all those talks she had with Wesley about how to tell someone you have feelings for them. That one conversation she remembered.
"Wesley just tell her"
"What?"
It was a Friday afternoon after work when Cordelia caught Wesley lovingly looking at Sophia.
"Coy isn't a color that fits you. Look, if you want to ask her out, then do it. What's to loose?"
"She's Rupert Giles's daughter and my colleague"
"Wesley she's a big girl, her daddy doesn't control her love life. The colleague thing? What are the rest of us doing?"
"That's different"
"How. Please enlighten me on the hows"
"Well, for one your all married or engaged"
"Right, your point?'
"Your in stable relationships. If Sophia and I try and it doesn't work out, I don't think I'll be able to pretend that everything's jolly"
"Who said that love isn't a risk? Plus I don't think you two won't marry"
"Marry? What--you had a vision"
"What? No! Just a girl's instincts. Anyway, here I'll help you instigate the whole thing. You will call her for dinner. It'll be a romantic "lets get together forever" kinda thing. And you'll have the greatest planner ever" She bowed gracefully. Wesley pulled her into a hug and laughed.
"Thank you so much Cordy"
"I want to see you happy, and Sophia is your soul mate"
"Soulmate?"
"So I got a little vision"
"I didn't hear that"
"Of course" They looked at each other and smiled.
"Oh they both really need me. Besides who else can plan a wedding in less than a year?" She was already thinking of what kind of cake she should get.
Now was when Cordelia should have said something, but she didn't. It was the feeling that she should let the two lovebirds write their own destiny.
"Well Cordelia?"
She changed her mind and was about to tell her what Wesley had done for her when the man himself knocked on the door.
"I was wondering if you two had finished. Terribly sorry but we need Sophia"
"You mean I" Thought Cordy annoyed. She shook it off and nodded to Sophia.
"We'll finish later. Go on"
"Ok" she smiled and went with Wesley.
Cordelia was left in the room to think about what she could have said and what the outcome would have been.
"So these are the bumps in the road to ecstasyland, they both are in love but neither will say anything and I have to but out. Why me?"
She got up off the chair and walked out of the office to hear the gang talking.
"Oh did you guys forget to inform me about the impromptu meeting"
"I thought it was best you rested honey" Angel had noticed Cordelia had been restless lately
"I'm fine Angel. Bring me up to speed"
"Basically the murders of the Olivetti/Wood case have been copied or have continued"
"Yes, the murders match the same M.O. of that case. The demon may be the Speincal demon. This creature drains the life out of the victims, but doesn't kill them instantly. It keeps the heart pumping until it feeds off all the energy of the person and then strikes the heart to insure the death." Wes informed
"Oh lovely long death" Fred squirmed because of the thought
"So how do we stop this life obsessive thing?" Faith was ready to rumble. Wesley looked for his research book, when Sophia handed it to him.
"Thank you. We need to kill it the same way it kills. A large sword through the hearts"
"Hearts?" Gunn had a very gruesome visual in his head
"It possesses two"
"I know I'm gonna regret this but where exactly are they?" Lorne put down his sun breeze to prevent a bad reaction.
"Nowhere odd. " Wesley tried to remember where it was. For some reason it alluded him
"It's in it's chest and head" Sophia chimed in to save him
"Wicked. When do we strike?" Faith looked at the weapon's cabinet, probably to get first pick on a weapon
"It attacks in the morning when people have the most liveliness" Wesley informed them
"Tomorrow morning then. We pump it for information" Angel had the strategy in his head
"Well, Speincals aren't known for their intelligence I'll have to research more"
"I should help" Sophia knew her knowledge was of use on this case.
"I think I read a passage that lists a way to bring out--" Sophia headed towards the table
"The truth in them. So you can get all the information. Which book?" Wesley finished her sentence and followed her.
"The Verum Luminarium." She searched the table covered in books and found the book with the red covering
"Yazoo!"
"Here it is. I think I need the inscriptor. Where it is?"
"In the office. Do you need us for anything else?" He was about to turn when he asked.
"Uh…well" Angel was about to tell them to stay when Cordelia pinched him. He winced in pain.
"No, you two go. Decode and such" They saw her smile and walked to Wesley's office
"The memory of the Spenical does not usually--" Wesley opened the door for Sophia while she read from the book. He closed the door and they all saw them sit down next to each other.
Cordelia turned her eyes from the window to see the entire team looking at the same sight.
"When will they see it? Perfection in a bottle and they don't see the coupon to a free jug. You guys are sick of the will won't they thing too?"
"Not sick, just why can't they happy? I mean this is too much, one whole year of the two thinking the looks they give each other don't mean love? They need each other so badly, and they could really be happy." Angel had become a love softy since he married Cordy. Cordelia was touched by his words and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her head.
"They have this connection. Do y'all feel it? I don't know the electricity in the room heightens. I don't think it's subatomic particles." Gunn smiled at his wife and took her hand. She put her arms around his waist and rested her head on his back.
"Sophia and Wes just need some more time. It took us all years to find each other." Gunn actually waited for about 1 year for Fred to discover his feelings for her. They fell in love because of Wesley's instance for Gunn to tell her. He still remembered the speech
"When there is someone that makes this world that's full of evil and destruction, seem beautiful and full of love, that is a feeling that will grant you eternal happiness. Be glad you found it, most of us don't" Gunn smiled at the fact that Wesley found his happiness and couldn't see it
"The two smartest people I know, next to Freddy, and they can't even see when they found what they need" Gunn thought
"Chucks right. But they'll eventually realize their genius stupidity and come around to each other" Faith stated as Lorne came behind her and kissed her cheek. She giggled, something Faith never did before she found her happiness in Lorne.
"Those two cuddle bunnies will cha-cha to the rhythm of their hearts. It'll be soon, if they just see the truth"
"And my visions are never wrong. They'll go to the chapel and there gonna be in wedded bliss"
They all sighed.
The three couples who were deeply in devotion and love stared at the one who was still trying to find their way.
By the Way: I do not own any songs used above. They belong to the record companies and the artists. I borrowed the following songs:
Brighter Than Sunshine by Aqualung
Wishing and Hopin by Ani DiFranco
The Way You Look Tonight by Tony Bennett
In My Place by Coldplay
Your Body Is A Wonderland by John Mayer
The Sweetest Thing by U2
Melody Of You by Sixpence None The Richer
Across The Universe by The Beatles
In the Next Chapter: It's Cordelia and Angel's 5 anniversary, and both are complete wreaks. It's up to Sophia and Wesley to give them the "Breathe in and now exhale" pep talk. After a mission accomplished for the two, Sophia plays mommy to Connor and Wesley discovers a secret from the missing files of one Wood and Olivetti. You can thank you lucky cell phones that Wesley eventually comes to the apartment. A Christmas feeling of love is in the air. What will happen while Connor is asleep? And what is with this yummy cake? Well I don't know, I guess you have to read the next chapter. Oh yeah didn't expect that did ya! Please Read and Review!