Angelus woke up just as the last rays of sun disappeared from under the crypt's wooden door. He had fallen asleep on Spike's couch, a bottle of whiskey tucked between his body and the cushions.
Getting up slowly, he looked around the empty room.
"Where the hell is everyone?" he muttered to himself. Rubbing his head, he tried to recall last night's events. The last thing he remembered, he and Spike had been playing a game of poker with two demons at Willy's. Apparently Angelus had consumed more than just the bottle of whiskey he had found upon waking, because he couldn't remember anything after that.
Suddenly he remembered Cora. Spike was supposed to get her from Buffy's. What if the idiot had forgotten? Or what if Cora had walked home by herself…?
Angelus went to check the lower area of the crypt. Climbing down the stairs quickly, he was stopped abruptly by the sight that he found.
Spike was asleep on the old armchair beside the bookcase. Cora was curled up in his lap, her head tucked against his shoulder. One of his arms rested lightly around her sleeping body, the other laid on her lap.
Angelus shook his head and let a small growl escape his lips. The growl was enough to wake the sleeping form of Cora. Angelus saw her open her eyes, blinking back the last bit of the sleep she had been interrupted from. She saw Angelus staring at her place on Spike's lap. The blonde vampire beneath her continued to sleep soundly.
Cora got up slowly, nearing Angelus with caution. It shouldn't be that surprising to him, she reminded herself. After all, Angelus had seen her and Spike together before. Angel knew how Cora felt about him—to a degree.
Angelus growled again, and his nostrils flared as the small girl approached him.
"Let's go up," Cora grabbed his arm gently to turn him back towards the stairs, wanting to keep the sleeping Spike out of Angelus' anger.
"Let me kill him first," Angelus made a move toward Spike, but Cora held his arm more firmly.
"Up," she instructed.
Angelus let out a short aggravated sigh and then followed Cora upstairs. He stayed silent until they reached the couch. Cora motioned for him to sit down. Angel declined. He would rather yell at her, actually he would rather beat her senseless, than sit comfortably with her on the couch and talk.
"Angel…" she started, unsure of how to begin. "We didn't…"
Angelus stopped her before she could say more. "I told you last time if I caught him touching you I'd dust him myself," Angel said through clenched teeth.
"Last time? Last time, you had disappeared and left me by myself for a month. Spike was the only one I even knew when you left me in Chicago." Cora wasn't about to let him try and tell her what to do about Spike anymore.
"Cora—" he started again.
"No, Angelus." Cora shook her head firmly. "Our deal is the same, and I keep up with everything that is expected of me. No where was it written that your girl was yours alone. If you get what I'm saying."
"You know what, don't say anything about it then, Cora. I don't want to talk about it. Just wanted to get you away from him."
"But Angel we need to…"
Angelus switched from human to vampire guise immediately and let out a fierce growl. "I said no," he repeated through clenched teeth, his fangs visible.
Cora nodded her head understandably. "Okay, Angel."
Cora and Angelus hadn't noticed that Spike had awoken a few moments after Cora got up. He was standing at the top of the stairs looking back and forth between the two of them with raised eyebrows.
"Don't say a word, boy," Angelus instructed.
Spike's mouth fell into a small twisted grin at Angelus' anger. "Right. So," he addressed Cora, "I was thinkin' love…"
"A first…" Angelus interjected.
Spike ignored him. "I was thinkin' we do some patrolling of our own tonight. You know, get some violence in, some crushin' and breakin'."
"Sounds like fun," Cora smiled. She knew how much Spike loved fighting.
She turned to Angel. "Want to come baby?" she asked him, knowing he would give an excuse. He had made it perfectly clear that, although he was okay with Cora's slaying, he would take no part in what he called 'being a traitor' to his own kind.
"You know what…yeah I think I'll go."
Cora looked at him inquisitively with raised eyebrows.
"Just to watch of course. I love to watch you fight, baby." He grabbed her around the waste and smiled at Spike. "As long as that's okay with you of course Spike."
"No problem, mate. You can just sit back and enjoy the show." Spike had already turned and was heading towards the fridge, getting himself a very late breakfast.
"Well, this is going to be fun," Cora observed, releasing herself of Angelus' grasp and following Spike to the fridge to get herself a snack. "Very fun…"
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Cora had spent the rest of the night playing, believe it or not, poker with the two vampires. Considering how much time she had spent with Spike growing up, the partial Slayer was actually very good, showing up both of the centuries old vampires.
Then, around one in the morning, after Cora had successfully beaten them both numerous times, the trio set out to patrol. They started out just circling Spike's cemetery, eventually moving to the edges of it and then criss-crossing different parts of Sunnydale. Angelus spent his time either with an arm possessively around Cora's shoulders, despite her numerous requests that he move it, or lagging behind Cora and Spike. It was clear that he was there to keep an eye on the two, not to help.
When they had entered the second cemetery, Spike stopped a few tombstones in. Cora heard it too. Quiet and persistent chanting lay on the other side of the nearby trees. Although they couldn't see who was doing the chanting, Cora could smell incense and smoke. Spike could smell demons.
"Three of them, love. Can't make out what they're saying, though."
"Maybe we should let the poor guys do their thing…no reason to interrupt," Angelus suggested, leaning against a nearby tree and pulling out a pack of cigarettes.
"Maybe you should have stayed back," Cora rebutted.
Angelus shrugged carelessly, lighting up his cigarette through a small grin. "Want one baby?" he asked suggestively.
Cora made a disgusted face and then turned back to Spike. The blonde vampire looked like he was just waiting to jump in for the fight. Before either of them had a chance to move to the chanting demons, a scream echoed through the woods. A young girl, and she sounded terrified.
Cora didn't hesitate. She pounced out past the trees to confront the demons. The saw the young girl, no more than four years old, lying tied up on a type of stone alter. Around the alter was the cause of the smoke and incense Cora had smelt. They had the child surrounded by fire.
Spike had followed Cora immediately. He jumped into the fight, punching the first demon out of the way. As the first one fell, the other two teamed up to keep Cora and Spike from gaining any ground towards the young sacrifice.
Cora didn't recognize the demons. They were at least seven feet tall, and their faces consisted of what looked like burnt, crinkled leather. Their eyes could hardly be found in their dark face. The only thing that gave away their location was the fire that glowed menacingly in the dark eyes.
Seconds after Spike had punched the first demon out of the way, it had already recovered, and it quickly joined the other two to outnumber Cora and Spike.
Cora ducked from a heavy punch that would have knocked her out, calling over her shoulder as she did so. "Damnit Angelus we need some help."
Angelus had moved to a nearby tree where he could watch the action and was still calmly taking drags from his cigarette.
Spike had taken a kick in the legs and had fallen to his knees. Cora worked at keeping them away from him just long enough for Spike to regain his composure and help her. She landed a strong kick on one of their chests, sending the demon flying backwards. Quickly, she punched the second one, trying to gain ground before the first could recover. Before she had brought her arm back from the punch, the third demon had aimed a powerful punch at Cora's stomach, sending her flying backwards. A scream was heard from inside the fire.
"Angelus, please!" Cora panted, her arm clutching her side. She wiped a small trail of blood from her mouth and got up slowly, using a headstone for support. She could feel her lower ribs cracking as she adjuster her position to stand. Spike had gotten up and had two of the demons beaten back. The fire was getting higher and higher around the alter, and the child couldn't be heard any more.
Angelus looked at Cora inquisitively, one of his eyebrows cocked. He took another long drag on his cigarette and was briefly curious about where the third demon had gone.
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Giles had gone out with Buffy on her patrol that evening. The night had been exceptionally quiet—not a single vamp or demon to deal with. So Slayer and Watcher had been catching each other up on different things, enjoying the quiet night. They had been patrolling for almost an hour when Buffy had heard screaming. Rounding the corner of one of the crypts that was in her path, she ran towards the noise, Giles following behind her.
She covered the distance quickly, glancing over her shoulder to check for Giles. Surprisingly, her Watcher had kept pace with her. She knew she was close to the commotion when she smelt the smoke. Just beyond a nearby patch of trees, she could hear fighting.
She slowed her speed, wanting to approach the situation cautiously instead of rashly. Together, her and Giles walked through the dense trees into the clearing ahead. They both stopped in their tracks when they heard someone shout.
"Angelus, please!"
Buffy looked for the source of the voice. She saw Cora on the ground, her arm grabbing at her injured side. Nearby, Spike was taking on two very creepy looking demons at once. Then, Buffy saw who Cora had been pleading with. Angelus was casually smoking a cigarette by a tree not ten feet from Cora.
Just then, the old vampire seemed to realize something. All of a sudden, cigarette still in hand, he reached to his side and drew out a small dagger.
"Cora, behind you," he shouted as he tossed it to her.
Cora followed his direction instantly and without hesitation. She grabbed the dagger in midair and, without pausing to look behind her, swung her arm back. The dagger met the tall demon right in the gut, and he swaggered backwards a step or two before falling. Cora allowed herself to give Angelus one short look of gratitude before forcing herself up from the ground.
Without a thought, she jumped through the fire and onto the stone alter that lay in the middle, searching for the child in the thick smoke.
Buffy and Giles had watched Cora kill the demon. As Cora jumped through the flames, Buffy made her way swiftly towards Spike to take out the other two demons. Together, vampire and Slayer killed them both. Spike snapped one's neck, while Buffy—following her own traditional methods—staked the other one, leaving not dust, but blood and a body.
Giles was torn between watching the battle and keeping his attention on the young brunette girl he had watched jump through the fire.
Cora had barely been able to find the small child. Her mouth was still filled with the taste of blood from the knockout hit she had received from one of the demons. After a few desperate minutes, she had found the little girl, who was curled up not on the alter but behind it, leaning against the hot stones. Cora tried to pick the young girl up, who couldn't have weighed very much, but found that she could hardly do it thanks to what felt like many broken ribs.
She bit her bottom lip, considering her situation. Smoke was consuming all of the oxygen in the air surrounding her, and she found herself gasping. She covered the child with her own body and tried once again to move her, but found that she could barely lift herself up.
"Angel," she called as loud as she could.
Angelus had thrown his cigarette down the second the stupid girl had jumped through the flames. Spike and the Slayer were still battling the two demons, and Angelus was cursing Cora for what she was about to make him do. He had heard her call to him, and he could feel her desperate need for oxygen—for life. He quickly glanced around the clearing. The Slayer's Watcher was watching him with a curious expression. Angel growled and then moved quickly and purposefully toward the fire.
His only concern had been Cora—he didn't care at all if the kid lived or died—but she pushed him away when he tried to pick her up, insisting that he carried the little girl instead. Finally, Angelus had thrown the unconscious child over his shoulder and then scooped up Cora in his arms. It was unbearably hot where the flames met the alter, and although Angelus didn't need to breathe, even he could understand the desperate need for clean air.
Angelus crossed out of the flames just as Spike and Buffy had finished killing their respective demons. Angelus was ready to dump the young girl on the ground, but the Watcher was already there, catching the child in his own arms and carrying her a few feet away from Angelus and Cora.
Angel kneeled on the ground, Cora still in his arms. The girl was unconscious, but a small trail of blood leaked from the side of her mouth.
He was definitely going to kill her when she woke up.
He brushed one hand across her face, wiping her hair out of her eyes. "Cora?" he asked quietly. He spent what seemed like an unbearably long time just looking Cora over—her clothes were singed and her face was black and sweaty from the flames. Her arm was burnt. He could nearly feel her breaking in his arms. So Angelus didn't even notice the Slayer walking up behind him.
"We need to get her inside somewhere," she instructed. "Giles already left with the little girl in his car to take her to the hospital. His house is the closest though—"
Angelus growled violently.
"We should get there the same time as him," Buffy finished, ignoring him. "Come on." She turned away from Angelus and Spike and led the way through the clearing towards the outer part of the cemetery.
Spike watched her walk off and then reached toward Cora.
"Don't," Angelus said.
"Let's get her to the Watcher's, mate. He'll know what to do."
Without question, Angelus got up and followed Spike out of the clearing.
"Damnit Cora," he muttered under his breath again, pushing her closer to his body in a protective manner and following Spike out of the cemetery.