Disclaimer: The characters of Angel the series belong to Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt, Mutant Enemy and the WB. No infringement intended. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

Spoilers: Mentions of events which occurred on BtVS, season 2 ("Surprise" (2x13), "Innocence" (2x14) and "Passion" (2x17).

Author's Note: I know I left a certain scene hanging in the last chapter, so that's where we begin now. Enjoy.

Chapter Nine

It took several minutes to happen, but the rational part of Cordelia's brain eventually kicked in, reminding her of just what exactly it was that she was doing. Reluctantly, she pulled back, ending the kiss that had been heating up by the second. She looked at the manpire sitting across from her and unconsciously reached up to touch her slightly swollen lips.

"Um… Angel, that was…"

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't –"

"You shouldn't – ?"

"Well, I mean…" He trailed off, not sure what to say.

"No. If anyone should apologise, it's me," Cordelia said. "I shouldn't have kissed you. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" he asked, wincing at how pathetic he sounded.

"Well, I mean…" She was flustered, stammering. God she was turning into him! "Not for the kiss itself. I mean it was… wow."

"It was good," he said, trying not to sound smug.

"It was amazing," she said.

"Amazing?" He smiled.

"But it shouldn't have happened."

His smile faded. "Right. No. It shouldn't."

"I mean, who are we kidding here? This is us," she said.

"Yeah, it is, and –" He stopped abruptly, wondering what she meant. "Us?"

"You know, us. You a vampire with a none-to-friendly curse. And me. Shallow, non-superhero Cordy, with her pesky vision headaches. It's not exactly a recipe for perfect bliss." She paused, contemplating. "Which, given the curse, is kind of a good thing."

"Cordelia, you're not shallow," he said. She 'pfft'd' at that. "And as for not being a superhero, what has that got to do with anything?"

"You have a type, Angel. A pretty specific type that involves supernaturally strong women. Blonde women."

He sighed. "Cordy –"

"No, you know what? I don't need to hear it, Angel," she said. "I think I've embarrassed myself enough for one evening. I'm just going to go home, crawl into a tub of double fudge mint chip and forget all about… whatever this was."

She got up and moved towards the door, but he was too fast for her. After a blur of movement, she found him blocking her way.

"Cordelia, we've been avoiding this conversation for a while," he said. "Correction. I've been avoiding it. But I can't let you walk out of here thinking that what just happened was one-sided. It wasn't."

"But –"

"And as for whoever you seem to think my type is…" He smiled. "Well… I'm looking at her."

She smiled back at him, but he still saw fear in her eyes. "This is so not a good idea," she said.

"Probably not. But… I can't help how I feel. And I've felt this way for a while now. Do you –"

"Oh, yeah," she said. "I'm definitely feeling feelings."

"Oh. Well… good. That's good," he said, suddenly feeling flustered again. "So, uh… what do we…"

She ran her hand down his arm, enjoying both the hard muscles she found there and the tingles down her spine from the contact. She smiled. "Now? I go home. We both get some rest and we'll talk tomorrow."

"But –"

"No buts, mister," she said. "We need to be sensible here. I need a little… time. To get my head around all this. I'll be back in the morning. Okay?"

"Okay," he said, taking a step out of her way.

She smiled and moved towards the door again, then stopped. She turned and lightly touched his face. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah," he said, leaning down to capture her lips in a soft, almost chaste kiss. "See you tomorrow."

The electricity they had felt earlier came back with a vengeance now, crackling between them. Helpless to it, they leaned into each other, kissing passionately. Her arms snaked around his neck as he pulled her closer, melding their bodies together.

This time, it was Angel that pulled away.

"Cordy," he said against her lips. "You'd… you'd better go home. Before we, uh… forget the 'being sensible' plan."

"Yeah," she said, a little breathless. "Okay." She gave herself a shake. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye," he said, shutting the door behind her and leaning against it, his body and mind still buzzing from that kiss. His face broke into a wide grin, one that he was sure Cordelia would heartily approve of.

Kathy found the address easily enough. It wasn't terribly far from the hotel, nestled on the edge of Koreatown, near Seoul International Park. She wondered if the close proximity was deliberate or careless on their part.

She watched the building for a few minutes, long enough to ascertain that someone was home but not long enough to know how many. She didn't have her brother's patience when it came to watching and waiting. So instead, she crossed the street and turned the handle of the door. She wasn't sure if it was good luck or a bad sign that it turned easily.

There was a light on towards the back of the house, so she made her way towards it, finding herself in a small but tidy kitchen. Above the counter-top, many jars filled with herbs, both mystical and otherwise, lined the shelves. In one corner, sitting at a table, was a solitary gypsy woman.

"I wondered when you'd come," the woman said. "The runes said you would."

"Then you know why I'm here," Kathy said.

"You think to second guess our clan. Tell us what is and isn't within our rights."

"Your vengeance has gone on long enough. Angel works for the Powers, now. He is reformed."

"The demon killed my kinswoman, Janna, not three years ago!" the woman said. "He is not reformed. He is a vampire. There is no changing that."

"Don't you understand?" she asked, completely amazed at the woman's cold demeanor. "If you had reconstituted Angel's soul without imposing the curse… or if you had just warned the Slayer before it was too late, then Jenny Calendar wouldn't have died."

"Not died. Murdered. Murdered by the same demon who murdered you, Katarina. Murdered your entire family. Or have you forgotten?"

"I forget nothing, old woman," Kathy replied through clenched teeth. "I remember everything that happened - to me and to others. But it is done. It's over. Angel is atoning for his past deeds in the only way he can. He has saved countless innocent lives. He knows that he can never fully make up for what he has done, but at least he is trying. At least he is working towards a better future. Unlike you and your people. You who live in the past, living and breathing injustices and past pains as though they are life's blood."

"Vengeance is what keeps my people alive," the crone replied. "It is a living thing, and it breathes life into us."

Kathy shook her head. "It breathes death into you. You are more worthy of the title 'undead' than Angel ever could be."

The old woman cackled. "This may be true. But it is no matter. We will have vengeance."

"Angel is the champion of the Powers," Kathy said. "He is the only one who can stop the world from falling into darkness at the hands of the Wolf, Ram and Hart. If you continue to stand against Angel, you are siding with them."

"This may be so. But it is the way it must be. The vampire must be destroyed. Along with anything - and anyone - who makes his life bearable."

The old woman's meaning was clear.

"Cordelia is an innocent!"

"She chose her path. She chose to stay with him. If she wishes to be with a demon, to love a demon, she will be tormented as one."

"Tell me what you're doing to her!"

"She is being prepared for her journey into the land of darkness. It is a very long, very painful process. He will watch and he will suffer. It is our right."

"No! You have no rights. Whatever grievance you have with Angelus is paid in full. Angel has given enough suffering to your clan."

"It is already begun and cannot be stopped."

Kathy narrowed her eyes and stepped towards the woman. "I will stop you."

"You will try."

Kathy took a step towards her, feeling the magic tingling in her fingertips. It was all she could do not to unleash her power at the old woman. But already, her eyes were turning black.

"Mark my words, old woman. These people are my family. And I will do anything - anything to protect them. If it means killing you or your entire clan, it's a price I'm more than willing to pay."

The woman looked surprised for a moment, before loathing once again filled her eyes. "At the expense of your own soul?"

"My soul for his?" Kathy replied. "If that's the price, I'll pay it."

"Then you are more like your demon brother than I expected. Do your worst, witch. We are not afraid of death."

The old woman got up from the table and left the room. Kathy looked down at her own hand, surprised to see a fireball forming. She closed her fist and it extinguished.