Chapter 11 Cordy with the Eyes that Sparkle

A/N: Here's Buffy chapter as we check in on her. Also they get a visitor from Cordelia's past. Enjoy.

Buffy sat in a room Kendra and Charles' old room with Willow. She and Cordelia kept her here to keep her safe and to make sure she was ok. Willow was depressed and barely spoke a word. She had every right to be this way. Her husband was dead and her two brothers all done right in front of her. Also her hands weren't quite done healing and until they healed she couldn't do any work with them. Buffy sat at Willow's bed side and read her a book to pass the time. Willow seemed to be soothed by the reading as she could imagine she was in the book. But then Buffy heard her name being called.

"Buffy!" The voice called for her and Buffy set the book down and walked over to the window. "Buffy!" It was Cordelia calling for her and Buffy opened up the window and the woman pointed behind her. "It's a man!"

"What is?" Buffy asked back as Cordelia still pointed holding a rake. She looked upset as if this disturbed her day completely.

"Raidin' our corncrib! Got him in the trap! That's him yelpin'!" She explained and Buffy left the window to come help Cordelia. Buffy headed downstairs and picked up the shot gun and walked outside and felt the chilly air as she met up with Cordelia. Cordelia led Buffy around the back side of the corncrib and they both could hear a man screaming in pain. They peered over the corner seeing the man on his knees and his hand stuck.

"Help! Help! Damn!" He called out and Buffy had the gun pointing to him ready to fire at him if he posed a threat.

"Listen up!" Cordelia began about to give him warning. You got…aim!" She called out. "You got a barrel trained on your rear end!"

"Get me outta this dang thing!" The man pleaded.

"You got a weapon?" Cordelia asked as the two girls rounded the corner getting closer to the man still not letting down their guard. Buffy kind of hoped it was Riley but she could tell from this angle it wasn't one he was too fat and his voice was all wrong that's not how Riley would scream. No Riley came off a squealer and she hoped the day Angel came home he would find Riley and make him squeal like the true coward he was.

"No ma'am, I'm…my fists are about to drop off," The man said as now the two girls were now standing over the man and Cordelia just stood there in shock and Buffy lowered the gun seeing Cordelia's reaction.

"Unbelievable," Cordelia started and the man looked up and his eyes widen too. "Kline Chase or also the Whistler!" Cordelia stated and Buffy's jaw dropped.

"Cordy?" The man asked and then Cordelia kicked him in the stomach and he let out another cry of pain and laid there. The Cordelia turned around to Buffy looking she wanted to cry but also looked furious.

"That's my daddy." And that was Cordelia's way of introducing her father to Buffy and she stomped away. Buffy set down the shot gun and helped out the man before all the bones in his hands were crushed. She then helped into the house as sat him down at the kitchen table as Cordelia was making a meal. Buffy went and got some bandages and started to wrap up his hands.

"Just so's you know I can eat while she's doin' this." Kline or better known as Whistler said to the girls as Cordelia pulled the chicken out.

"Just so's you know you ain't eatin' inside," Cordelia held up the big knife pointing it at her father. "Number one they hang people round here for takin' in deserters." Cordelia started to cut the chicken as Buffy wrapped up his hand. "Number two even if they was givin' out prizes you'd still eat outside." Cordelia more or less muttered under her breath.

"You're scarred," Whistler said and Cordelia looked up at him.

"I'm what?" She asked.

"Your heart scarred I did wrong to ya." Whistler said to her.

"You'd be scarred," Cordelia sounded annoyed and angry. She thought her father was dead and all this time he was alive and never let her know until he was trying to steal from her. "You'd be real scarred if I hadn't wrapped them trap teeth in sackin'," Cordelia informed her father and went back to cutting the chicken.

"Which was my idea," Buffy spoke up.

"Which was her idea," Cordelia gave credit to Buffy as she continued to wrap his hand up.

"I hurt you," Whistler went on.

"Good God," Cordelia muttered under her breath again she just wanted him to shut up.

"I made up fifty tunes with you in mind. Cordy this, Cordy that, Cordy with the eyes that sparkle," He tried to sound nice and sincere but Cordelia knew better than that.

"Hey! Let's agree," Cordelia started as she was still trying to cut the chicken but found it difficult to do so with her father here. "You beat me, you abandoned me, you ignored me, then you beat me some more. And all of that is better'n 'Cordy with the eyes that sparkle,'" She said with anger and Buffy was done with the bandage.

"I'm changed people change," He was trying to defend himself but all her childhood Cordelia was neglected by this man in their kitchen. "War changes people somethin' terrible." Then Whistler turned to Buffy. "Cordy's told you I've no doubt I wasn't always the best,"

"You were an asshole!" Cordelia screamed reminding him what he did.

"I can't disagree with that I was," He admitted and Cordelia threw down her knife and fork in frustration and turned her back she wanted nothing to do with him at the moment. Buffy sat quietly feeling sorry this was how it ended up for them. She could never know how Cordelia feels because Giles her father loved her and never laid a hand on her. For Cordelia that was a different story.

"Would you get him outta here?" Cordelia asked but Whistler had to tell her he was different now.

"Music's changed me," He argued and Cordelia crossed her arms nodding but not agreeing at all. "I'm full of music Cordy," He explained smiling thinking about music. "I wish I'd brung my fiddle. Hey Cordy, I got a new fiddle," But Cordelia ignored him as she packed him some food. "Oh, it's a beautiful fiddle. It's full of tunes Cordy. I didn't know I had it in me," But then she cut him off as she slid the bowl to him and then crossed her arms.

"You're all set." And that was Cordelia's way of saying get out and Buffy handed Whistler's hat to him and he sighed taking it.

"Bless you both," He got up and looked to the two young girls rather amazed they were running this farm together and probably better than most men. "All right then," And he started to head to the door but Cordelia noticed his clothes were less than adequate for the vastly approaching winter.

"Ain't you got a proper coat?" Cordelia asked her father and he came back inside smiling.

"Aw darlin', I'm fine you know. And you just say the word I won't come back neither. Don't wanna put you or your mistress here in any bother." He said smiling but Buffy crossed her arms.

"I'm not Cordelia's employer." Buffy stated and inside Cordelia she smiled a little what Buffy said was they were friends something they both truly never had.

"Oh beg pardon," Whistler said looking at the two.

"Nobody is." Cordelia told her father and he nodded.

"Oh," And then he went to left but then came back in. "You know who really needs a coat darlin'? My partner Oz," Whistler started to explain. "We're hidin' up in a cave with a singer from Georgia well his name is Doyle. But Oz, he feels the cold like a thin man," And Cordelia nodded a little but stood still fighting back tears. Whistler nodded knowing he needed to leave and then looked to his daughter and only child. "I love you Cordy," He said and Cordelia lowered her head to hide the tears. "In case the sky falls on our head. You always were a good girl." And he turned away and walked off. Cordelia stood there for a moment and wiped a tear away and Buffy didn't know what to do for her. But then the moment was gone.

"Ooh! He's so full of manure that man." Cordelia said trying to laugh a little. "We could lay him in the dirt and…grow another one just like him." She joked and turned around heading into the kitchen to finally finish cutting the chicken. Buffy knew she was trying to brush it off that her father didn't care about her but Buffy could tell from his voice he did. What she didn't know was the Whistler saw Angel just months ago but he didn't know who Angel was or what he meant to Buffy. Buffy headed back upstairs to check on Willow.

A week or so later a small and thin layer of frost was on the ground in the morning. It was a Sunday morning meaning the girls slept in. Buffy was warm and comfortable she held a pillow and would pretend it was Angel she fell asleep on. A book was on her bed as she fell asleep reading it and Angel's picture was on the pillow maybe she fell asleep staring into his picture not by reading the book. But the sound of a fiddle and a banjo was playing and it woke her. Buffy sat up slowly hearing the music. Also Cordelia was woken up by it and it was coming from her window and she headed over there and saw her father and Oz standing here playing. Buffy came into Cordelia's room and looked out the window as they danced. Buffy smiled seeing this and she could tell Cordelia was amused but trying to hide it.

"Cordy with the eyes that sparkle!" He father sang and Buffy giggled and Cordelia's face turned red and they played a little more and then stopped and Buffy clapped.

"Get on back where you came from!" Cordelia yelled out to them as they gathered their stuff smiling.

"Thank you for my coat!" Oz yelled out as they started to run off.

"Thanks for the food!" Her father called out.

"Get!" Cordelia yelled again and Buffy smiled it was an innocent moment and really needed moment for all of them.

"Cordy with the eyes that sparkle!" Her father called back out as they ran away and Buffy went to close the window smiling.

Sundays were always quiet just a day to relax and do almost nothing. These two walked to Willow's place and she was doing ok for herself. She would speak but it was short sentences and it would be a long time before this pain would ever heal. This was such an awful thing to happen to her and all they could do was be there when she needed it.

The cold night came and Buffy and Cordelia were together by the fire light. Buffy was laying it her bed reading a book and Cordelia was there too also on her bed closer to the foot of it listening as Buffy read out loud. It was nice to hear a story by fire light.

"My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods." Buffy read from the book and thought of Angel as she read it. "Time will change it, I'm well aware as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath. A source of little visible delight but necessary." Buffy then looked to Angel's picture. "'He's always…always in my mind,'" Buffy was getting tired knowing the hour was late.

"She ain't gonna marry Linton is she?" Cordelia asked as Buffy paused and she looked up smiling because Cordelia was interested. "You can't say that about Heathcliff and then marry Linton." Cordelia argued that was just wrong in her mind. Buffy looked to Angel's picture wondering where he was and what he was doing.

"Hmm," Buffy agreed but she was too tired to find out at the moment and placed Angel's picture to mark the page. "We'll find out tomorrow." And Buffy closed the book and set it aside wanting to sleep. Cordelia didn't like that she wanted to know now and she reached of the book.

"I'm not waitin' till tomorrow!" And she opened the book setting aside Angel's picture.

"Cordy…" Buffy protested as she was falling asleep and wanted sleep. But Cordelia was a persistent woman and she didn't always take no for an answer.

"'A source of…little visible delight but…necessary,'" And Cordelia smiled and turned to Buffy. "I like that." And she went back to reading. Buffy reached out and grabbed Angel's picture and looked into it. She knew Cordelia would fall asleep reading the book and probably fall asleep here. Buffy continued to look at the picture as the man in looked back at her. She wished he would just come home and be here with her. This war needed to end not just so he could come home but so everyone could come home. She brought the picture closer to her and closed her eyes. The candle light would go out on its own and the fire would keep them warm thought out the night. The first snowfall could come any day now and Christmas was just around the corner.

Ah Angel and Buffy are getting closer to each other. Makes you happy right. Well I might give a teaser, for those who might have seen the movie four more chapters and it's possible our couple will finally see one another you already have an idea. And for all of you that haven't should I give a teaser anyways? Oh fine I will here's a sneak peak:

"You were ploughing a field." She said and Angel looked to her and a small smile tugged at him.

"You were carrying a tray." He added and she smiled nodding. It seemed so long ago that happened.

"You wouldn't come in." She stated and he nodded standing by that choice.

"No, I wouldn't go in."

"So that's why I had to carry a tray. So I could come out to see you." She finished looking into his eyes that seemed to dance in the fire light. He changed war does change people he looked worn and tired.

"That kiss," He remember their first kiss and she smiled again. Her green eyes sparkled in the fire light like green gems that he could look into forever. "Which I kissed every day of my walking,"

"Every day I was waiting," She added and he nodded she was still waiting. "Longing, longing to see your face again."

"I'm not the same person Buffy." He warned her.

And there's your teaser yes I am mean. Thanks for reading comments and reviews are welcomed.