Buffy and Cordelia
"Season 6"
Disclaimer: I don't own it!
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Chapter 31: Into the Dark
L.A. Back allyA woman was running down an alleyway in L.A., which was not the smartest plan in the book. Even is she didn't know about at the horrible things that came out at night you would think she would be smart enough not to go down a back ally anyway.
She ran further down the ally and then she ducked behind a wall. She was running from someone, or something, nonetheless she was still in trouble.
Before she had time to react someone grabbed her from behind and slammed her against the wall. She looked horrified at the person in front of her. She thought she had out ran him, but she had been mistaken.
"Benny, come on we can talk about this," she told the man standing in front of her. "Just tell me what you want and we can handle it." She said.
"You want to know what's wrong!" she shouted. "Your what's wrong, what with all your lying, and sneaking around," he paused as he reached into his back pocket and grabbed a gun. "You know I thought it would be different this time around, I thought we could make it work…but I guess I was wrong," he said as he aimed the gun at her.
"We can make it work, you know you only get like this when…" she trailed off.
"You make me like this…you're the reason I drink and become like this," he said. "I can't take this anymore," he said as he readied the gun as he aimed it at her head.
She huddled next to a garbage can and put her arms over her head. This was it, this was the end and she didn't even have anything to show of it. She was sure that no one would miss her, hell no one even knew who she really was. That was the whole point of L.A. wasn't it, to disappear and just become another face in the crowd.
She slowly removed her arms from above her head when the gun was never fired. She looked up and saw Angel standing there, she had called his agency looking for help, but she never thought he would come and save her.
"You know it's not very nice to point guns at people," Angel said as he grabbed the gun out of the man's hand and threw it in the opposite direction. "And I don't understand who the burden of torturing your girlfriend becomes too much to handle," he said. "I used to love to torture people." He added.
"Whatever man," the guy said and Angel threw him into the wall knocking him out.
Angel turned to the girl as she stood up. "Well, I didn't think you were going to show," she said as she fully stood up. "Thanks."
"I was just doing my job, Rachel" Angel said as he turned to walk away.
"Wait," she called but he didn't turn around.
"Don't worry about it…he always acts like that," a voice came from behind the girl and when she turned around she saw another blonde standing before her. "It's what he does," she added.
"You know him?" the girl asked.
"Who Angel, yeah…we go way back," she said as she extended her hand. "Names Buffy, now what do you say we get you home were your safe," she said as she lead the women out of the ally.
Neither one of them saw the person that was looking at the from the rooftop above. They should have taken noticed because the person on the roof was not himself; there was something different about, something that was dangerous. Something, which that if not taken care of, could kill them all.
Angel InvestigationsCordelia sat in the office with Doyle, she was typing on her computer with a smile on her face. They had just received their first paying client. Angel had gotten back a few minutes ago and was now downstairs dong what he usually did, which was nothing.
Doyle was watching as Cordelia typed away at the computer and he couldn't help the smile that cam across her lips. He knew she was already spoken for but he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be with someone like her…or even someone like Buffy.
They both held this thing about them that just made them seem unreachable to the average man. It was almost like they were to go for any man that attempted to get close to them, he guessed that was way they were so perfect for each other, and he could deny their happiness when the other was around.
"Can you believe it…our first paying client," she said as she turned to the printer and grabbed the paper that she had just printed. When she saw Doyle giving her a look she raised her eyebrow. "What?" she asked as she showed him the paper.
"You do know that is just a piece of paper, not money," he told her. "That tells them to pay an if they don't then they don't" he said as he looked at the paper.
"What are you talking about…they have to pay." She paused. "It is how the system works," she added as she looked at him.
"All I am saying is…"
"Don't say anything about people not paying us. If they don't pay us I will hunt them down myself," she said with a smile.
"You know your kind of scary when it comes to money," he said with a smile.
"You have no idea," she said as she placed the piece if paper into a folder on her desk. "When you go from the richest person in your home town to one of the poorest it tends to mess with your mind," she said. "Money isn't everything," she said. "But it is a lot," she added before Doyle could say anything.
"You thinks she's bad you should meet my friend Anya," a voice came from the door way and they all turned to look at Buffy standing there.
"Your early," Cordelia said as she got up from her desk to go meet her girlfriend. "You weren't supposed to get in till tonight," she added.
"Well if you want I can go home and the come back," she said as she started to leave but Cordelia stepped in front of her.
"No! You good, you can stay," she said as she placed her arms around Buffy's neck. "Plus that gives us more time…for you know…us." She said with a wink.
"Did you see that?" Buffy asked Doyle. "She winked at me, the Cordelia Chase I knew in High School would have died before she winked at me," Buffy added with a wink of her own. "I think I kinda like it," she added.
"You better," Cordelia said as she brought her lips to her girlfriends. "So, you got plans tonight?" she asked as she looked at Doyle and then back at Buffy.
"I say we all hit the club and get drunk," Doyle said. "But that's just Me." He said.
"I have to talk to Angel first," Buffy said, as she looked her girlfriend in the eyes. "It's important," she added.
"Okay," Cordelia said as she let her girlfriend go. There is no reason to be jealous, she loves you and only you, Cordelia told herself as she watched Buffy go down to Angel's apartment in the elevator. She knew that things with Angel would always be complicated for Buffy. She would just have to learn to live with the fact that Buffy would always love Angel, or at least apart of her would.
Buffy stood in the elevator as it brought her down to Angel's apartment. She couldn't believe she was doing this, she knew when she gave him this gift it would change everything…but she was ready. She was willing to deal with the consequences of her actions.
Buffy entered Angel's apartment as she immediately saw him walking around with a book in his hand. No matter what was going on with the world you could always find Angel with a book or something, it must have gotten his mind off of things that he didn't want to think about.
"Buffy?" Angel said when he saw her standing in the doorway, which led to the elevator. "What are you doing here? I thought you and Cordy were going to spend the day together?" he asked as he placed the book he was reading on one of the end tables.
"I need to give you something that was found in Sunnydale," she said. "I know what it means and what it does and I just think you should have it," she said as she reached into her pocket. "Plus you need some sun," she smiled as she gave him a ring.
"Is this what I think it is?" he asked as he looked at her and she nodded. "The Gem of Amarra." He said and she nodded once again. "Who was looking for it?" he asked.
"I'll give you three guess," she said as she cocked her head to the side.
"Spike," he said.
"Yeah but he wasn't himself…it was like he was possessed or something," she said as she looked at the ground. "He hadn't been acting the same for weeks…but just figured it was one of his mood swings that he always goes through." She added. "You know he has been helping us out lately," he nodded. "And well this last week we hadn't seen him around, which is hard since he lives in my basement. But when he was around he always seemed distant or lost…it was weird." She said.
"So you think that he was possessed just because he was out of it?" he asked as she nodded. "I am not so sure about this but I could look into and maybe we could find out something," he said and she smiled. "He lives in your basement?" he asked.
"Yes." She said with a smile. "Really Angel jealousy is not a good look for you," Buffy said with a smile as she headed toward the stairs. "He's changed," she said. "He does a lot of good now," she added before she walked up the stairs.
When Buffy exited the door that lead down to Angel apartment she saw Cordelia sitting at her desk with a knowing look. "What?" Buffy asked as she sat across from her.
"What's going on?" Cordelia asked as she looked at her girlfriend.
Buffy crossed her legs and crossed her arms across her chest. "I thought we were going to the club or something. You said Doyle wanted to get drunk or something." Buffy said trying to change the subject.
"Doyle always wants to get drunk," she said. "You are withholding information from me. And that is not supposed to happen in a relationship." She said as she mimicked Buffy position. "Plus your secrete might have to do with the world ending so I kinda want to know what the hell is going on." Cordelia said.
Buffy raised her eyebrows yet said nothing as she look at her girlfriend. "Don't we have a wedding to plan? I was thinking about having it at night, you know under the stair, and because we have two vampires invited so the church as daytime are out of the question," Buffy said as she put her hand in her chin in the thinking manor.
"That would be changing the subject," Cordelia paused. "Don't." she finished.
"Okay," Buffy said throwing her hands up in the air. "I think Spike is possessed and he is now looking for the Gem of Amarra so he can become un-killable." She said as she looked at Cordelia. "You have been hanging with Willow too much, you picked up her resolve face." Buffy added as she crossed her arms and pouted.
"I know it so come in handy," Cordelia said with a smile. "Spike's possessed?" she asked and Buffy nodded. "It is nice to be kept in the loop." She added.
"I not certain about the possession thing, okay," Buffy said. "But he found the ring and we had a big ol' fight…and you know what we might have to get our own apartment because my house keeps getting destroyed," she added. "Our room needs a total remodeling thing done to it," she said.
"What did you do with the ring?" she asked.
"How do you know he still doesn't have it?" Buffy asked confused.
"Your sitting here," she said with a smile.
"Right," Buffy said as she nodded her head in understanding. "I gave it to Angel, hopefully he can find some usefor it," Buffy said.
"Yeah like get a tan," Cordelia said as she stood up form her desk. "Okay now lets get outta here," Cordelia added and she and Buffy made their way out of the office. They walked along the sidewalk not seeing the person watching over them.
"I will get what I came for," the person said. "That's right…the Big bad is in L.A." Spike said as he turned and walked away from the edge of the building.
Buffy and Cordelia continued walking not knowing who was watching and really not caring.
Angel's apartmentAngel walked around his apartment with the ring in his hand. Should he keep it? Or should he get rid of it? Those were the question running through his head at the moment. If he held on to it than he would be able to help more and more people.
He would be able to go out into the sun and save those that need his help during the day. There was so much that he could do if he would just slip the ring on his finger. But if he wore it he would be a target…to every vamp in L.A.
They would all want it for themselves…he could allow that to happen. Angel walked over to where he had sewer access in his apartment and climbed down into the sewers. He couldn't take the chance of another vamp getting a hold of the ring.
He walked over to where he knew there was a loose stone. When he lifted the stone up he place the ring in the sand that lay under the stone. He placed the stone back in place and then turn and headed back up to his apartment…it was better that no one wore the ring.
Cordelia's apartment (next day)
Cordelia woke up that morning and the first thing she noticed was that Buffy wasn't with her in bed. So she sat up and looked around the darkened room and she saw light coming from underneath the bathroom door.
She got out of bed and walked toward the bathroom. "Buffy?" she called out.
"I'll be out in a minute," Buffy said from the other side of the bathroom door in a hurried voice.
Cordelia caught on to the hurried voice and instead of waiting for Buffy to come out of the bathroom and tell her what was up she decided to go in herself. When she entered the bathroom she saw Buffy sitting on the tube wrapped in a towel. And when Buffy saw her she quickly whipped at her eyes. "Buffy…were you crying?" Cordelia asked as she took a seat next to her girlfriend.
"I told you I would be out in a minute," Buffy snapped. "I'm sorry," she said.
"No sorrys…tell me what's wrong." She said as she put and arm around Buffy.
"I don't think I can," Buffy said as she looked at her girlfriend. "I know I should and maybe it would help me get over it, but I can't." she said as a tear slide down her face again. "I want to tell you, I really do." She added.
"Then tell me," Cordelia pleaded. Buffy hung her head. "You can tell me anything," she said.
Buffy looked at her. "I know that but this is something that I can't tell anyone…not even myself. I is something that I don't want to believe," Cordelia didn't say anything she just listened. "I don't want to believe it, not because it is bad, but because I am not there anymore," she said going off into her own mind, forgetting that she was talking to someone. "I was ripped from that place by my friends. When I should have stayed there, I was happy there…my mom was there," she said softly but Cordelia heard. "I think…I think I was in heaven…and now I'm not." She said as she had a lost look in her eyes as she looked at the ceiling. "It was beautiful there, I was happy, and complete." She hung her head. "I was finished."
Cordelia looked away from Buffy and at the wall in front of her. Willow and everyone had all thought the worst. That Buffy had been sucked into some hell dimension…none of the thought that she might have went to heaven. But why didn't any of them think that? She had saved the world countless times, so why would she go anywhere else but heaven? Cordelia turned to look at Buffy…for the first time she noticed that Buffy looked lost in this world. She also noticed that when Buffy was in L.A. away form her friends she was more open…in Sunnydale she was closed off.
The only question that was running through Cordelia's head now was, 'Does the gang know?' Cordelia looked away from Buffy and down at the floor giving herself enough courage to ask the question. "Does anyone else know?" she asked.
Buffy's head snapped up at looked Cordelia as if seeing for the first time that someone else was in the room. "No, no one else knows," she said. "I don't want them to know," she finished.
"Why?" Cordelia asked confused.
"Because," she said. "They think they saved me…I don't want they to know they took me from a happy place," she said as another tear ran down her face.
Cordelia took Buffy in her arms and held her. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she held her. Buffy for the first time since she had been back broke down into sobs. Not caring if Cordelia thought she was weak, because she knew that she didn't. Cordelia was always there for her and that was what Buffy loved the most about her.
Angel's apartmentAngel was down in his apartment doing the exercise that he used to do with Buffy back in Sunnydale. He needed to do something to help get his mind of the ring. Sure it could change his life forever, but the question was, did he want that?
He was happy with his life; he was doing well…so why would he want it to change? Before he could answer his own question his phone rang.
"Hello?" he asked when he picked it up. "Rachel?" he asked.
"Angel?" she asked into the phone. "Can you come over…they let Benny out of jail." She said with a sob.
"No problem, I'll be there as soon as I can," he said as he hung up his phone, grabbed his jacket and ran upstairs. When he reached the top floor he saw Buffy, Cordelia and Doyle sitting in Cordelia front office. They were laughing about something. He walked out into the office. "Morning guys," he said.
"Hey," Cordelia said. "Goin out?" she asked.
"Rachel called and said they let Benny out of jail," he said.
"Do want me to call the police?" Cordelia asked.
"No, I'll take care of it," he said and then he was gone.
Cordelia looked at Buffy and then at Doyle. They were all thinking the same thing, which happened to run along the same lines as, 'what do he mean he'll take care of it?'
Angel walked out into the garage where he keeps his car. As he walked over to his car he felt a certain tingle in the back of his neck that he only got when Spike was around, but as Angel looked around there was no one but him so he ignored it.
As he went to open the call car down the tingle grew stronger and when he looked to his right he saw Spike standing there with some plywood in his hand. "Well if it isn't my sire," he said as he swung the wood at Angel causing him to fall to the ground.
"Spike," he said. "I heard something happened to you," he added and he swung at Spike successfully knocking him into the car. "If you needed help all you had to do was ask," Angel said sarcastically.
"Where is the ring?" Spike asked getting right to the point. "It's mine and I want it back," he said.
"You took from a grave site…how does that make it yours?" Angel asked as he ducked another swing from Spike.
"Because I went through all the hassle of digging it up and stealing it," Spike said as he swung and missed and Angel took that to his advantage by taking his arms and pinning them behind his back and slamming Spike into the car.
"Spike, my boy, you always rush into things…sometimes you need a well thought out plan," Angel said. "Wait I forgot who I was talking to never mind. Plans and Spike do not go in the same sentence together." Angel said.
"I had a plan!" Spike yelled. "A good plan…but I got bored," he said.
The next thing the two vampires knew Buffy, Cordelia and Doyle came running out of the building. All three of them stopped when they saw Angel had it all under control. "Spike…what are you doing here?" Buffy asked.
"I came for the bleeding ring you took from me," he said. "I was going to use it to help you," he said and Buffy crossed her arms and looked at him. "Okay so I wasn't." he finished. Before they could stop it Spike twisted out of Angel's grasps and took of running.
Buffy went to chase after him but Angel stopped her. "What are you doing?" she asked as she looked at him. "We need to stop him," she said.
"I know and we will…we need a plan," he said as he looked at them. "First I need to go handle some business so I will be back in a little bit and then we will start the Spike hunt. In the meantime Cordelia, take these guys back to your apartment and start researching for a demon that came possess a vampire. Buffy give her details that could help narrow it down. I will meet you guys there," he said as he got in his car and drove off.
Cordelia's apartment (later that night)
Cordelia was sitting at her kitchen table as Buffy and Doyle sat in the other room looking through the books. Book were never really Cordelia's strong point so she usually stayed away form them.
Buffy came walking out of the living room and over to where Cordelia was sitting. She raised an eyebrow as she looked at the computer and then back at Cordelia.
"What?" Cordelia asked.
"I never pictured you as a computer person," Buffy said.
"And I never pictured you as a book person," Cordelia said.
"I'm not," Buffy said with a smile. "Find anything?" Buffy asked becoming serious. Cordelia shuck her head.
"You sure he was possessed, I'm he is evil," Cordelia told Buffy.
Before Buffy could answer Angel came walking through the door and into the kitchen. "Find anything?" he asked and Cordelia suck her head again. Then Angel turned to Doyle. "You?" he asked.
"Nothing on the whole possession thing but I know where you can find him," Doyle said as he looked at his little black book.
"Where?" Both Buffy and Angel asked.
"Lenny told me that he didn't know anything about Spike," he said and Buffy and Angel just stared at him. "Well he said that before I even told him who I was looking for," he said as he looked at the two in front of him.
"Buffy…can we talk," Cordelia said as she looked at her girlfriend.
"But I have to go," Buffy said.
"It will only take a minute." She said as she walked toward her bedroom. Buffy shut the door behind her and looked at Cordelia who was now sitting on the bed. "I know what your doing," Cordelia said as she looked up at Buffy.
"Huh?" Buffy asked confused.
"I said I know what you're doing," she said. "Your fighting anything you can to get your mind of your own problems," she said.
"What if I am…who cares," Buffy said.
"I care, Buffy why don't we talk about stuff anymore?" Cordelia asked.
"We talk," she said.
"Not like we did before…before…"
"Before I died?" Buffy asked. Cordelia looked at her. "I'm sorry if my problems are bothering your…but this…is not something you can help me with," she said. "I need to get over it myself…and I will do that however I please," she said as she turned and walked back to the door.
"I love you," Cordelia said.
"Yeah," Buffy said as she walked out of the room. Cordelia let tears fall from her eyes. It was the first time since they started their relationship that Buffy never said 'I love you' back. Cordelia knew something was wrong with her, but if Buffy didn't want help then there was no way to help her.
Back allyBuffy and Angel walked down the ally way that Lenny told then Spike was in. Buffy knew that she had hurt Cordelia back at her apartment but she didn't mean to. She just didn't want to talk about her problems, she wanted to deal with them on her own.
Coming back from heaven was not something that she could get over so fast…it was something that she had to deal with herself. No one knew what she was going through so it was something that no one knew what was happening to her.
"He's this way," Angel said as he looked back at Buffy and saw that she was following him but she wasn't really into it.
Should she talk to Cordelia about this, would it help her cope with what was happening? All the trouble she was having coming back to life and having to live in this world. The world that she believes to be hell. Would Cordelia understand?
"Buffy?" Angel called to her breaking her out of her thoughts. "What's wrong?" he asked as he looked at her.
"Nothing," Buffy said.
"Well stay focused," he said and when he turned around Spike was standing right in front of him. "If you get hurt Cordelia will kill me," he said.
When Spike turned to look at them Angel instantly saw that there was a lost look in his eyes. Something that said he had not been in his body for a while.
"Spike," Angel said as he slowly approached the vampire. Spike didn't even register that Angel was there instead he looked toward where Buffy stood. "Spike." Angel said again and still no answer.
"Buffy," Spike said as he walked past Angel and over to Buffy. "Buffy I don't know what happen…I was so lost," he said.
"Spike what's wrong?" she asked.
"I couldn't deal," he said. "When you died, I could handle it. I needed to do something, something that would make my life worth something," he paused. "You always made it worth something. When I would fight side-by-side with you I would feel alive. Now don't get me wrong I love fighting with Faith, but she isn't you," he said. "I need something…so I made a deal with a demon," he said. "This demon could help me get the ring and in return he would take away my humanity." Spike said. "But he only last a week, unless I was able to keep the ring and then it would last forever." He finished.
"So let me get this straight. You sold you humanity so you could have some importance…even if it was for evil?" Buffy asked and he nodded. "You're an idiot," Buffy said. She turned and looked back at him. "So are you…you know…you again?" she asked and he nodded. "Good because I have somewhere else to be." She paused. "Hurry back home, Dawn has been going crazy without you." She said as she took of in a dead run back to Cordelia apartment.
Angel stood there totally confused as Spike left the ally and Buffy ran out of the ally, leaving him there wondering what the hell just happened. "I figured it was going to be a tougher fight than that," Angel mumbled.
Cordelia's apartmentCordelia sat in her apartment alone. Doyle had long ago gone home leaving her by herself to think about what had happened between her and Buffy. She knew she should be mad at the way Buffy acted but she was and she didn't know why.
Buffy was supposed to talk to her about stuff, stuff that she could tell anyone else. That was and is the bases of their relationship…nothing is ever hidden. And Cordelia can't seem to bring herself to understand why she would talk about this latest problem…it's not like it is worse than all the other ones…okay so it is.
It is something about me that just makes her not want to talk about things? Do I push her away form me when she needs me most by pushing her to talk about things she isn't ready to talk about? I mean I know I can be pushy at time but I never thought I was that pushy to where she didn't want to talk about anything with me.
We haven't had a good-sold conversation in a long time and I miss those. Those nights that we would just stay up and talk about stuff that didn't make any sense. We would talk about things that were happening in every ones lives that they didn't think we knew about. For instance we know about Xander and Anya, but we like to let them have there secrete and we will act surprised when they tell us. I saw her playing with her ring a while back…trust me I know the feeling of want to show it off. I show everyone the ring Buffy gave me because I want everyone to know that I am in love.
But when if I ruined that all tonight? What is she doesn't want to talk to me anymore because I am too pushy? If she ever left me I don't know what I would do…I would be so lost.
Cordelia was sitting on her chair when they door burst open and in walked Buffy, all out of breath. She looked at Cordelia and smiled.
"Buffy…what happened?" Cordelia asked and she stood up from her chair.
"I had a epiphany." She said and Cordelia looked at her like she was crazy. "What…am I not aloud to have one?" she asked.
"No…that was a big word for you," Cordelia said with a smile.
Buffy ignored her comment. "I realized that the reason that I am not talking about my experience is because I am not ready to admit that I was there…in heaven." She paused. "But I am now…and I want to talk," she said as she pulled Cordelia into her arms. "I need to talk about this because it is eating me up inside, taking everything away from me, my feeling…my life." She said. "I need to talk." She said.
"I'll listen," Cordelia said as she took Buffy to the bedroom…to have one of those sold-conversations that she missed so mush.
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AN: I hope you liked it!