AN:I own nothing.
He waited till she had to take a breath for the next bout of screaming when he spoke, he clamped his free hand over Cordy's mouth.
"'M not Angelus, nor am I Angel." A slight Irish brogue evident. Cordy's eyes widened and she bit his hand as hard as she could. Angel jumped away and glared sucking the wound on his hand, which was bleeding sluggishly. While he was looking at it Cordy saw her opportunity and went for it, she charged him stake held high. But once again she was stopped, this time by Breena. One second she wasn't there and the next she was directly in front of Angel, before Cordy could stop herself Breena's hand hit her fully in the chest and she went flying backwards hitting the wall and sliding down it to land in a crumpled heap, the stake rolled away from her stopping at the edge of a desk. Lorne rushed forward and helped her up, Cordy went to yell at Breena and Lorne clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Don't bite me," He said, "Let it be." He warned her. They both looked to Breena and Angel. She held the hand Cordy bit in her own, smiling at Angel she brought his hand to her mouth and gently kissed the spot, when she looked back up at him the wound was healed, he smiled warmly back. Breena turned and faced Cordy, Lorne who saw lots of things others never did, saw how pale she was and the light sheen of sweat on her brow. He also saw her start to tremble as if her body at any moment would give out. Apparently Angel did as well, he wrapped a arm around her waist and pulled her gently against him. Breena smiled and patted the hand on her waist.
"All right Cordelia Chase," She said voice going huskier than normal, eyes not completely black but still swirling with bits of color.
"Enough of this. I have tried to be nice and give you the benefit of a doubt but no more." Breena walked a little closer to Cordy and Lorne who had finally taken his hand off her mouth. "I see Lorne my dear friend has told you who I am. So let me say this last bit before I go and take a nap." She gently took Angel's arm from around her waist and started to walk towards the other woman, only to be stopped by Angel.
"You're exhausted, you need sleep." He said pleadingly a hand cupping her cheek.
"I'll be fine." She whispered. He nodded sharply.
"When you're done, don't argue, I am taking you upstairs and you are taking a nap." She nodded once and faced Cordy. Leaning in close she looked her directly in the eyes and Cordy watched as they seemed to swirl rainbow in their own storm.
"You are not to try and kill him, get others too, or in any way harm him." Breena said voice low in warning. "This is your last warning, next time I won't be so nice." Breena stood erect once more and went to walk to Angel when she stumbled to a halt.
"Liam..." She whispered he eyes lost all focus and closed beginning to slump her hands went out as if to steady herself, Angel blurred forward and swooped her into his arms, cradling her close. He turned quickly and began walking back up the stairs precious cargo in his arms. Lorne and Cordy watched them go.
Walking into his already open bedroom door, Angel kicked it shut gently behind him, Breena never stirred. Walking over to the settee he gently laid her down and placed her arms on stomach. Of its own accord his right hand came up to caress her cheek. From the moment of first meeting her in the magic shop his feelings had started growing. But he had held them in check, because he knew that if he were to start anything his chance of loosing his soul was 100%, with her, it would be magic. He would have that moment of pure happiness, but now with his soul intact he could. And he wanted nothing more in the world. Standing still he searched his mind and couldn't hear the whispers of Angelus that used to be so frequent, his yellings, his discomfort at being caged with a soul. Now there was nothing, they were merged. It hadn't been easy, Angelus was determined to make sure he fought the entire process of it, but in the end through sheer force of will on Breena's part and determination on Angel's, and reluctant admittance Angelus had agreed. Just before coming back to reality, Breena had warned him she would be tired and completely spent of magics, it wasn't easy what she did, she told him he would have to help her. He had agreed, so the next thing he knew he woke up naked in his bed with Breena sitting at his side, elbows resting on her knees head hung. Angel had sat up quickly and laid a hand on her shoulder.
"You okay?" He asked, voice raspy with his Irish brogue. She turned weary eyes towards and him and nodded.
"For now," She stood and faced the bed. "I have to go downstairs and let them know what's going on." She began walking out the door.
"Them?" Angel asked sweeping his legs out from under the covers and standing, completely at ease with his nakedness not like before, when he would have stayed covered.
"Cordy and Lorne, but make it quick getting dressed, Cordy is going to freak." Before he could ask what she was talking about she had walked out the door. So he strode quickly over to his armoire and pulled out the first thing his hand landed on, a faded pair of blue jeans that had seen better days and opening another drawer a black v-neck shirt. Slipping them on he didn't even bother with shoes.
Now standing next to his friend, for the lack of a better term, future lover? He shook himself and strode over to the bed and pulled the ruby duvet off and let it drop to the floor next to him. Then he began taking the sheets off and tossing them in the hamper in his bathroom, walking back out he went to the end of his bed and opened up the trunk that sat there. Inside were several sets of sheets, pulling out a beige set he shook them out and began setting his bed to rights. Thinking as he did so, that for her duration of stay he would like Breena to stay in here with him. He wasn't even thinking about her in a sexual way, he couldn't explain it, he just wanted her close. She calmed him. Placing the pillows back at the head of the bed he then shook out the duvet and flung it out over the bed, smoothing out the rumples he pulled back the side that wasn't his and walked back over to the couch.
Once more he picked Breena up gently in his arms and carried her over to the bed, setting her down, he remembered her bag that he saw sitting on the counter downstairs. He knew without knowing that there must be some clothes in it so he turned to go and get it and saw Lorne standing in the door, he growled out a warning low in his chest, his eyes turning yellow, hands merging into claws.
"Whoa, easy big guy. Just bringing her her bag. No harm." Lorne said holding up his hands in surrender. Angel sniffed once and his eyes melted back to their normal brown, hands once more human like, walking over to the door he took the bag from Lorne, clearly stating without words the Empath demon was not to come in any further.
"Am I talking to Angelus or Angel?" Lorne asked leaning in the doorway. Angel glanced up from removing Breena's shoes to look at Lorne.
"I am neither," He gently placed her shoes by her side of the bed and pulled off her socks. "I am mixture of both, I have all my memories and all of his, but there is a different man behind the wheel." He grinned up at Lorne as he gently lifted Breena's upper body and slipped off her tank. Lorne shivered at seeing that smile, it wasn't evil, and it wasn't good. They would have to see which it was, only time would tell. Watching Angel removing Breena's clothes he saw a gentleness a creature like Angel shouldn't be able to show, he watched as he opened the bag and dug around for a second before sighing. He closed the bag, obviously not finding what he wanted, and set it on the floor next to Breena's shoes. Walking past Lorne at the door he once again opened his armoire and pulled out a pair of burgundy silk pajama pants and another v-neck shirt this one white. Striding over to the bed he looked at Lorne.
"Would you mind getting me a mug of blood?" Lorne was silent almost in shock, Angel being embarrassed by drinking blood in front of others, always got his own. Now Lorne knew for sure a different man was steering the wheel.
"Sure." Lorne said smiling, turning he left, leaving the other two alone. Passing Cordy on the stairs going up he stopped her and forcibly turned her around and pulled her with him downstairs.
"Wait, what are you doing?" She demanded. "I want to go see them, see if Breena's all right."
"No you don't," He said steering her around the bottom of the stairs towards the kitchens. "With the stake in your pocket you want to finish what you started." Cordy had the grace to look guilty.
"I am just positive that's Angelus, no way would he try and hurt me if that was Angel."
"Honey, that is Angel." Lorne said frowning at her. "And if you're not careful not only will you piss him off, you will piss of Breena, and then you would be in deep, excuse me, shit." Lorne finished setting in a chair at the table and walking over to the fridge he listened to Cordy huff as he got the blood out and poured into a mug, setting in the microwave he set the timer and turned to face his friend. She was pouting and mumbling to herself.
"I've known Breena for a long time, and if she wanted this, and made this happen, she did it for a reason. She wouldn't harm an innocent." The microwave dinged. "And if you care for Angel at all, you'll leave them alone, and let Breena work her magic and help our friend." His voice held reprimand and reproach making Cordy feel guilty and like a little girl. She nodded and long after Lorne left the room, she sat thinking in the dark kitchen.
Making his way upstairs and reaching Angel's room Lorne paused in the doorway and watched Angel. He was sitting next to Breena on the bed and singing a old Irish song to her, stroking her brow and caressing her cheek.
Lorne smiled...all would be well. It would be a bumpy road to get there, but in the end his friends would be okay and the world would have its greatest champion.
AN: The next few chapters are going to go in order but jump time and are basically drabbles in the Soul Reader Verse. Reviews are not a priority but would be nice:D