ficyourenotthebossofme

                Title: You're Not The Boss Of Me (1/1)
                 Author: Mary
                 Email: [email protected]
                 Feedback: Always appreciated
                 Disclaimer: If I owned it I wouldn't be writing fan fiction
                 Classification: Cordelia/Gunn
                 Spoilers: Slightly into S2�However in this story Gunn has never seen
                 Cordelia in action�
                 Summary: Cordelia has a vision that Gunn wants to handle alone

                 "I said NO!" Gunn yelled across the lobby of Angel Investigations new offices.

                 "Last time I checked," Cordelia spat back, "you had no say over what I do. I
                 am being nice and letting you come with me. I'm the one that had the vision.
                  I�??m the one that knows what is waiting. I know you can't handle it alone!"

                 "Then send Wesley and Angel when they get back," growled Gunn. "I won't be
                 able to protect you and kill the demon."

                 "Protect me?" laughed Cordelia. "I so do not need you, of all people, to
                 protect me. If you haven't heard yet I grew up on the Hellmouth. I've
                 been helping battle vampires and demons since I was 15! I've done it in formal
                 wear no less!"

                 "You can not come with me!" Gunn bellowed.

                 "As I seem to recall," Cordelia responded snidely, "I didn't ask to come with
                 you. I said you could come with me."

                 "Don't make me laugh," muttered Gunn.

                 "You seem to forget," smirked Cordelia, "only I know where this demon is
                 going to be. So if you want to come with me fine, if not, I'll see you all
                 about it when I get back."

                 Charles Gunn was speechless. Never in his life had he met someone as
                 exasperating as this woman. It was bad enough when he had to go out with
                 Wesley, but he was NOT going to kill a demon with her. He was shaken from
                 his reveries by the sound of the door opening. He looked up to see Cordelia
                 walking out of the building toting an ax and a crossbow.

                 "Do you even know how to use that?" Gunn called after Cordelia.

                 In response Cordelia quickly turned and fired a bolt. It sailed through the
                 air and hit the picture across the lobby between the subjects eyes.

                 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

                 "Are you sure this is where that demon is supposed to show up?" Gunn asked
                 for the 12th time in as many minutes.

                 "Yes," Cordelia said letting out an exasperated sigh. "The visions are quiet
                 vivid in their vagueness. There was a big blue and red demon, a screaming
                 girl and the street sign at the corner of Monroe and Washington."

                 "Maybe it wasn't tonight," Gunn muttered.

                 "Sshh," Cordelia hissed. "That's her."

                 Cordelia gestured to a girl that was just making her way around the corner.
                 She looked to be in her late teens and quite possibly lost by the way she was
                 looking around. Before Cordelia or Gunn could do something the demon from
                 Cordy's vision seemed to materialize behind her.

                 "Look out," Cordelia screamed as she ran from her hiding place towards the
                 girl.

                 Gunn cursed and quickly followed after Cordelia. The girl had turned and
                 screamed and then passed out.

                 "If you leave now," the demon's voice thundered at Cordelia and Gunn, "I will
                 let you live. If you persist in staying I will have to kill you."

                 "I am so scared," Cordelia replied mockingly. "And demons are known most for
                 keeping their word."

                 "Could you try not to make him too angry," Gunn whispered beside her ear as
                 the demon growled menacingly at them.

                 In response Cordelia sent a withering gaze to Gunn as she sent a bolt from
                 the crossbow into the demon's stomach. Gunn returned her gaze and quickly
                 grabbed the ax from her and went on the attack.

                 "I will not be defeated by mere mortals," the demon hissed as the ax blade
                 made contact with it's neck.

                 "There's nothing mere about us," Gunn quickly responded as he plunged the ax
                 into the demon's back.

                 There was a blood curdling scream as the demon collapsed on the ground. Gunn
                 quickly moved to where the young girl had passed out to see if she was okay.

                 "Look out!" Cordelia's cry caused Gunn to turn in time to see the demon had
                 gotten back up and was standing almost over him, his long talons ready to
                 slice into Gunn's skin. Just as Gunn was sure his skin would be shredded the
                 demon fell over, a crossbow bolt imbedded in his back.

                 "Grab her and let's get out of here before he decides to get up again,"
                 Cordelia said as she loaded the crossbow again and walked over to Gunn, never
                 turning her back on the demon.

                 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

                 "You're welcome, by the way," Cordelia said as she and Gunn made their way
                 back to Angel Investigations.

                 "For what?" Gunn asked, even though he knew the answer. Since they had
                 dropped the girl off back at her house he had been trying to find a way to
                 thank Cordelia for saving his life without actually thanking her.

                 "Oh I don't know," she replied. "Maybe for saving your sorry ass from
                 becoming a scratching post."

                 "I could have handled it," Gunn retorted.

                 "Sure you could," Cordelia laughed. "And I am the heir apparent to the
                 thrown of Monte Carlo."

                 "Well, then," Gunn retorted, "Your Highness, when do you return home to the
                 castle?"

                 "You can't do it, can you?" asked Cordelia.

                 "Do what?" answered Gunn wearily.

                 "You can't admit you needed me back there," she replied.

                 "I did not then, nor will I ever need you," Gunn grumbled.

                 "Go to hell!" Cordelia yelled at him as she ran the rest of the way to the
                 office.

                 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

                 "You should apologize."

                 Angel's quiet voice startled Gunn out of his thoughts.

                 "Can't you wear a bell or something?" he snapped. "And I am not going to
                 apologize to her. She should have stayed here where she would be safe."

                 "Then you and that girl would be dead right now," Angel asserted. "She isn't
                 your sister, you know."

                 "What are you talking about?" Gunn asked tiredly.

                 "Cordelia is strong," Angel replied. "She is independent and knows how to
                 take care of herself. You can't try to keep her locked up in the offices
                 because of what happened to your sister. All that is going to do is push her
                 away from you and possibly get you both killed."

                 "I can't take care of her out there," insisted Gunn.

                 "You don't have to take care of her," explained Angel. "We all take care of
                 each other. We watch each others back. It's what we do. I know it seems
                 hard. It took me quite a while to get used to it, but we are a team. When
                 that whole thing with the scroll, Wesley getting caught in the explosion at
                 the old offices and Cordelia's never ending visions all I wanted to do was
                 lock them away somewhere where they would be safe, but I couldn't do that to
                 them. The things that Cordelia saw, all the pain and anguish changed her.
                 She is devoted to the idea of her place in this team. She wants to fight the
                 good fight and all that stuff. Don't push her away. It will only hurt the
                 both of you."

                 With that said Angel left Gunn to his thoughts.

                 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

                 "I'm sorry."

                 It was said almost so quietly that Cordelia thought she had imagined it. She
                 turned towards the door to see Gunn standing there staring at her.

                 "Did Angel make you say that?" Cordelia asked with a mild tone of bitterness
                 in her voice.

                 "No," Gunn replied as he moved into the room. "He just gave me some stuff to
                 think about and left me to make my own decision."

                 "Don't you hate when he does that?" Cordelia chuckled softly.

                 "It's better then a lecture," Gunn maintained. "And I really am sorry. I
                 guess I just, you know, was being a bit sexist and overprotective. I would
                 look at you and see what happened to my sister, but you aren't my sister.
                 She was never really into the fight. She did it for me. You do it for you
                 and that makes a big difference."

                 "Apology accepted," Cordelia smiled reassuringly at Gunn. "And if I never
                 told you before I am sorry about your sister."

                 "Thanks," Gunn replied sadly.

                 "Can I tell you two things?" Cordelia cautiously asked.

                 "Sure."

                 "You know when I fired that crossbow earlier," Cordelia grinned sheepishly.
                 "That wasn't where I was aiming. I meant to hit the vase on the table
                 underneath it."

                 Gunn just stared at her and laughed.

                 "And you don't know the self restraint it took to not just yell You're not
                 the boss of me at you at the top of my lungs, but I thought that would be a
                 bit childish," grinned Cordelia. "So, partners?"

                 "Partners," Gunn agreed as he put his arm around Cordelia's shoulders and
                 squeezed lightly. "I think we'll make a good team."

                 "Me too," Cordelia sighed as she closed her eyes and laid her head on his
                 shoulder.

                 THE END