Prophecy

© Marleena

Chapter One

“What’s going on here?” Buffy asked as she stared at the two lying on the couch in each other’s arms. She never thought she would see Angel with Cordelia. She also never thought that he would throw away his soul for a roll in the hay. She tried to keep her voice calm, but inside she was shaking. Was she too late? Was this how it started? Would he turn? She didn’t want to think about that right now. Right now, all she could think about was what she was seeing before her. Angel and Cordelia together.

Angelus raised an eyebrow at the slayer standing before them. He had no idea that she would come here and little idea why she would. He looked over at Cordelia and could sense the shock inside her. He smiled to himself; this girl could look calm during an earthquake. He held her closer to him, letting her know that he was here for her. Someone to lean on when things got bad. He looked back at Buffy, fighting to narrow his eyes at her. He wasn’t going to let anyone else take Cordelia away from him. Not Darla and certainly not this little slayer.

“We were celebrating Cordelia’s return from the hospital,” Angelus said, his voice calm. “I guess we got carried away.”

Buffy looked around the lobby and saw the cake that was sitting not too far from the couch. Her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t seen it when she came in. She stared at the two before her and folded her arms across her chest.

“I guess you two got cozy in the past two years,” she said, keeping the hurt from her voice.

“We’ve been through a lot,” Cordelia said, not liking that the slayer was here. Why was she here anyway? “You tend to get close when dealing with the same thing day in and day out. You need someone to lean on once in awhile.”

Buffy didn’t like what she was hearing. She shook her head and narrowed her eyes at the two. She was here for a reason and she was going to do it. It didn’t matter if she had to tell them while they were entangled.

“Giles found something while we were looking through his books for some information,” she said, getting down to business. “What he found didn’t sit well with any of us.”

Angelus and Cordelia stared at each other. The seer felt a chill go down her spine at the words. What they found couldn’t be good. She moved closer to Angelus, and he held her tightly against him.

“What did you find?” Angelus asked, not liking that this news was upsetting Cordelia. She just got back from the hospital and now this.

Buffy drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. She closed her eyes and hoped that she was in time. She opened her eyes; calmness surrounding her even though the news she brought scared her.

“What we found was a prophecy about Angelus,” she said, her voice catching on the name. She ran a hand through her hair and forced her uneasiness down. “He’s coming back.”

Cordelia sat up at that and stared at the very vampire sitting beside her. She almost wanted to laugh at that. They were way too late for that warning. So far, he hadn’t done anything harmful. Well, except torture Darla, but that was because he was upset with what she had done. She turned her eyes back to Buffy, a question in her eyes.

“What is the prophecy?” She asked, her voice calm, yet she was shaking. She didn’t want to hear what he was about to do. He had been sweet to her so far. She didn’t want it to end.

Buffy sighed again. She wished Giles were here. He was better at this than she was. He was also her support and comfort in times like these. She wouldn’t be shaking so now, if he were here. She looked back at the two, wishing that they had more clothes on. She closed her eyes, fighting back the tears that this scene was causing. She had a job to do and she was going to do it.

“The prophecy states that Angelus will return when he finds his true love,” she told them. “We can’t let that happen. We can’t let Angelus back into the world. There’s no telling what he will do.”

Angelus and Cordelia stared at each other. That was it? That was the prophecy? They almost wanted to laugh at that. It had come true already. Or had it?

“What else did it say?” Cordelia asked as she looked at Buffy, who was now pacing the floor. “Did it say what he does or anything?”

Buffy looked at them once then went back to pacing. She was thinking. She had to come up with a way to keep Angel from becoming Angelus. She had to find out who this true love was. Was it her? The prophecy wasn’t specific on that part. It didn’t mention her or tell them anything that would clue then in on who the true love was. She had to keep him away from every female, including herself. She couldn’t take any chances.

“It didn’t say who his true love would be,” she said as she continued pacing. “It also said that his true love will be human and the two will become a powerful force.”

The three were silent for several minutes, the words echoing in their minds. What did it mean, exactly? It could be taken so many different ways and the usual way was terrifying. Angelus would much more powerful than he already was and there wouldn’t much to stand in his way.

“Can you two please get something on?” Buffy’s voice broke the silence. “It’s very disconcerting talking to two naked people.”

Cordelia blushed and grabbed her clothes, covering herself. Angelus said nothing, not caring what Buffy thought, but not wanting Cordelia embarrassed. He stood up with Cordelia and led her up the stairs to his room.

“She has some nerve,” Cordelia said when Angelus closed the door to his room. “Coming here and acting like we’re part of her group again. She could have phoned! She could have knocked!”

Angelus smiled as he watched her rant. This was what he loved most about her. She was a spitfire and she didn’t hold back her emotions when something bothered her. She was honest, beautiful and intelligent. Just like Tasia.

“Obviously, she must have thought it was too important to bother with those things,” he answered as he grabbed his shirt and pulled it on. He followed them up with his pants, not his leather ones of course. No sense in making the slayer even more antsy.

“Obviously,” Cordelia said as she pulled on her jeans. She wished Buffy wasn’t here at all. It was so tempting to tell her that Angelus was already here and be done with it. Of course, there was that fact that Buffy would probably kill Angelus. She shook her head at that thought.

“I wonder how long she’s going to be here?” Angelus asked as he leaned against the doorframe. “She obviously is going to make sure I don’t find my true love. She could be here awhile.”

Cordelia growled, not liking the idea that Buffy might be here for a long time. She clinched her hands into fists, wanting to punch something in her frustration. Why did she have to come here now, of all times? She had just found someone that would treat her like she needed to be treated. She had just found someone that would love her for who she was. Now, Buffy had to come and ruin all that with a prophecy that could have come true already. She pushed her hands into her hair, wanting to scream with the irony of it all.

Angelus could sense her frustration and anger. He went over to her and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the top of her hair as he rubbed her back soothingly.

“We’ll figure out a way to get rid of her,” he whispered to her. “I’m sure this prophecy isn’t as bad as she makes it sound.”

“She always thinks the worst where you’re concerned. For once, I wished she wouldn’t take those prophecies so literally.”

He chuckled as he sat down with her on the bed. It was true. They needed to know more about the powerful force and what it applied to before they needed to get up in arms about it.

“Maybe Wesley can find more on it,” he offered as he ran his hands through her hair. “Maybe it’s not as bad as Buffy thinks and she’ll go home.”

Cordelia laughed a laugh that was full of bitterness and frustration. “I highly doubt she would leave. She’ll probably watch you like a hawk, just in case. She doesn’t want you to come back, Angelus. I doubt she would care what the rest of the prophecy implies. All she saw was your name and she high tailed it over here just so that she can stop it.”

Angelus could see the tears forming in her hazel eyes and he kissed her forehead. She was right. Buffy would stay to prevent him from coming back. The strange thing was, he was already here. Good thing he got some practice in playing his other self. He couldn’t let anything slip or it would be over before they found out more of the prophecy.

Chapter Two

Wesley came downstairs, carrying an opened book. He came into the lobby and sat the book down on the top of the desk counter.

“I believe I’ve found something interesting,” he said, not yet looking up. “I think it needs some looking at.”

“What is it?” Came a voice that wasn’t Cordelia’s or Angel’s.

Wesley looked up in surprise, his eyes wide as he stared at Buffy. Several thoughts raced through his head, the main ones were about Angelus and if the slayer had realized it. He blinked and shook his head, plastering a smile on his face.

“Buffy, when did you get here?”

“Just a few moments ago,” Buffy said, coming over to the ex-watcher. She looked at the book, wondering what was in it and if it had anything to do with the reason she was here. If not, she could offer to help. It would let her keep on eye on Angel.

“I see,” Wesley said as he marked his place in the book and closed it. He gave his complete attention to the slayer, his arms folded across his chest. “Is anything wrong?”

The slayer sighed and leaned against the desk. She closed her eyes, wanting to tell him that several things were wrong. She ran a hand through her hair and stared at the couch where she had seen Angel and Cordelia. She closed her eyes again and shook her head. She just hoped, she arrived in time. She didn’t want to think what would happen if those two had gone all the way.

“Giles found a prophecy,” she said, her eyes on Wesley. “It talks about Angelus.”

Wesley stared at her in surprise. Angelus. This did not sound good at all. He sighed and looked up at the stairs. He hoped what ever it was wouldn’t ruin Cordelia’s happiness. It had been so long since she had someone and he hated to see that end.

“What did it say?” He asked, not looking at her. He didn’t want her to see the worry in his eyes.

“It said that he would return when he found his true love,” she answered, her voice soft. “It said that the two would become a powerful force.”

Wesley looked at her then, an eyebrow raised. That was interesting.

“What kind of powerful force?”

Buffy shook her head and shrugged, “It didn’t say. We can’t let him come back, Wesley. It’s too dangerous. There’s no telling what would happen if he and this love were to join forces.”

The ex-watcher looked back up at the stairs, wondering just what kind of powerful force the prophecy was talking about. He hated most prophecies. There was so vague and could be taken any which way. He shook his head. This needed more looking into.

“I think we should find out,” he said, looking at her, his dark eyes determined. “Before we proceed, we need to learn what powerful force is being mentioned. We can’t jump to conclusions.”

Buffy narrowed her eyes at him, “When Angelus is concerned, it’s better to jump to conclusions than not at all.”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. She was right, but it was still better than going against a powerful vampire half-cocked. He shook his head.

“I still want to know, Buffy. We might need a plan and if we know what force is being mentioned, we might have a better chance at defeating him.”

The slayer nodded at that. He was right. They needed a plan and she needed to keep an eye on Angel. She looked up at the stairs to see Angel and Cordelia slowly coming downstairs. She narrowed her eyes, wondering if she was too late. She couldn’t be, she told herself. She had to keep that in mind or she would go insane.

“Wesley,” Angelus said as he entered the lobby. He smiled at the ex-watcher as he brought Cordelia around to stand beside him. “What’s wrong?”

“Buffy just told me about a prophecy that concerns Angelus.”

Angelus stared at Buffy then back to Wesley, “She told us already. Something about me finding my true love.”

Wesley nodded, feeling as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders. He leaned against the desk before he remembered the book behind him. He stood up straighter and brought the book forth.

“I found something that might be of interest,” he said as he opened the book to the marked place and handed it to the vampire. “There’s a demon that makes its rounds every twenty years. It’s due to be in Los Angeles sometime tonight.”

Cordelia leaned over to get a look at the passage Angelus was reading. She stared at the picture of the demon and curled her nose up.

“That has got to be the most disgusting demon we’ve seen, yet,” she said as she took a step back.

Buffy, her curiosity piqued, grabbed the book from Angel’s hands and stared at the picture. Her own nose wrinkled before she read the description. It didn’t get any better.

“Looks like we have some patrolling to do,” she said as she handed the book back to Wesley.

Angelus stared at her, his dark eyes nearly narrowed. He wasn’t going to let her start taking over of his group. This was his city and he wasn’t going to let a slayer tell him what to do.

“You can come along if you want, but don’t get any ideas that you’re going to lead,” he said, his voice calm without a hint of the anger he felt. “We don’t even know what this demon can do, so don’t think this is going to be a quick slay and we go home for pizza.”

Buffy stared at him in shock. She was about to say something when a sound came in front of her. She looked in that direction to see Cordelia holding her head. She stared at the other girl, not knowing what was going on with her.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, not knowing what to do.

Angelus grabbed Cordelia as she cried out in pain. She fell limp in his arms and he gently helped her to the floor. He rocked her as he stroked her hair, waiting for the pain to pass.

“She’s having a vision,” Wesley said as he ran around the desk and brought forth a bottle of aspirin. He ran toward the two and knelt beside Cordelia as he opened the bottle.

“It’s all right,” Angelus whispered as he stroked her hair.

Cordelia closed her eyes, feeling the strength flowing into her from Angelus. She took several deep breaths before she opened her eyes. She smiled at Wesley as he put two of the pills in her hand. She popped them in her mouth and swallowed them.

“That demon we were talking about,” she said, her strength coming back. “It’s about to attack a woman. Two blocks from here, I think.”

Wesley stood up as Angelus helped Cordelia to stand. Wesley placed the bottle on the top of the desk and ran to get some weapons.

“As you said, we don’t know what’s capable of,” Buffy said. “We probably don’t even know how to kill it.”

“You’re right,” Angelus said as he held Cordelia close to him. He looked at the slayer with only concern for Cordelia in his dark eyes. “But trial and error always seems to work for us.”

Wesley came back with the weapons. He tossed a sword to Angelus while he carried his favorite axe. He handed a crossbow to Cordelia and smiled slightly at her.

“I know you’d want to come with us,” he said.

Cordelia returned the smile as she took the crossbow. She took a deep breath as she looked at the people around her.

“Are we ready?” She asked as she put a bolt in place.

“Ready,” Angelus and Wesley said at the same time. With nods all around, the three headed for the exit.

Buffy stared after the three, surprised at the way they worked. They were like one working unit after a common goal. She shook her head and smiled slightly. Maybe she could learn from them and teach it to her own group. It would sure make life easier.

Chapter Three

The four walked down the tunnels, weapons at the ready. Angelus could already hear the sounds of a woman crying out in fear. He could also hear the low growls of the demon they were about to fight. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, anticipation of the coming battle flowing through his body. His dark eyes narrowed as he thought of what he was going to do to the demon. He hadn’t fought anything since his return and he was due. He smiled wickedly as he thought of the fun he was going to have.

Buffy looked at Cordelia as they walked through the tunnels. She was too busy with the fact that she had seen her naked with Angelus to notice that the ex-cheerleader had a vision. She couldn’t believe that the once May Queen was having visions. She couldn’t believe that the girl who would rather paint her nails was holding a weapon and wanting to fight the unknown. She shook her head, wondering how Cordelia got the visions and when. It all seemed so strange to her. She would have to ask them about it later. Right now, there was a demon to fight and she hoped they weren’t too late.

Cordelia could feel Buffy’s eyes upon her and she was beginning to freak out. What was more was that she hadn’t said anything about finding her with Angel. Of course, she could see the surprise in the slayer’s eyes and knew she wanted to rail at them both, but duty always came first to Buffy. It grated on her nerves and she wanted to throw it in the slayer’s face so bad that she could taste it. On the other hand, she didn’t want Buffy to know about Angelus. If she knew that they had gone all the way, she would be waiting for Angelus in order to stop the prophecy. That was more on her mind than anything else at the moment. She just hoped that Angelus could keep up his act as Angel and throw the slayer off guard.

Angelus stopped at a large door, and held up his hand. The sounds were louder here and he knew that they had come upon their target. He looked behind him at the others and jerked his head behind him.

“They’re behind this door,” he whispered as he raised his sword.

“It’s still daylight outside, Angel,” Buffy said as she moved forward. “Let me go first.”

Angelus raised an eyebrow at her, but said nothing. It was still light outside, but he wasn’t concerned about that. He wanted to fight and he didn’t care about the time.

“Then bring it in here,” he said as he gripped the sword tighter. “No one fights alone around here, Buffy.”

Buffy didn’t say anything to that. She opened the door and charged out, her stake held high.

“Attention hungry, isn’t she?” Cordelia said as she watched the slayer fight the demon. She knew that there was no way, Buffy was going to get the demon into the tunnels. She’d forget all about the rest of them as she beat the snot out of the creature. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“I think we should just go home,” she continued as she leaned against the wall.

Angelus went over to her and kissed her on the nose. He smiled at her and shook his head.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered to her as he stroked her hair with his free hand. “She probably bit off more than she can chew. She did say we didn’t know anything about this demon and what it could do.”

“Well, if we weren’t in such a hurry, we could have researched it a bit,” Wesley said as he watched the slayer perform a roundhouse to the demon’s head. “Of course, it was attacking a woman at the time.”

“We can research it later,” Angelus said, “Of course, if you want to do something, you can get the woman out of there.”

Wesley stared at Angelus then in surprise. He hadn’t expected the vampire to suggest such a thing. He shook his head in confusion. Maybe Cordelia was having an effect on him. Which was good. He didn’t want to resort to violence in order to protect them.

“Right, woman. I’m going,” he said as he lifted his axe and went outside.

“Buffy probably needs help,” Cordelia suggested as she stared into the vampire’s dark eyes. She knew she could get lost in them, but that was the beauty of it. That soft look was reserved just for her and she felt privileged to see it. She smiled up at him as she ran a finger along his cheek.

“She can handle herself,” Angelus whispered as he closed his eyes, relishing in Cordelia’s touch. “Wesley can help her.”

Cordelia shook her head and chuckled. If it wasn’t for the slayer barging in and the vision, she knew exactly where they would be about now. She shivered with anticipation just thinking about it. Her finger ran along his jawline and across his lower lip that begged to be kissed. She moved her head forward and touched her mouth to his. She heard him moan and moved his lips across hers to deepen the kiss.

“Haven’t you done that enough for one day?” Buffy’s voice came to their ears and they broke apart.

Buffy stared at them, her green eyes blazing and goo dripping from her hair. If it wasn’t for her disgusted look, they might have laughed. She slammed the door behind her and stepped over to them, stopping a few feet from them.

“I was wondering when you were going to come out and help me,” she said as she glared at them. “I see now why you didn’t.”

Angelus raised an eyebrow and looked at Cordelia, who shrugged. The vampire looked back at the slayer.

“It appeared to us that you were doing fine,” he said as he stepped away from Cordelia to face Buffy. “We didn’t think you needed any help.”

“Well, I did,” she said, feeling hurt that Angel would rather lip lock with Cordelia than help. She folded her arms across her chest, her eyes losing the anger. “I was trying to do two things at once and only when Wesley came out to help the woman was I able to concentrate on the demon.”

“Seemed to me that you were concentrating on the demon all along, Buffy,” Angelus said, not caring that she was upset. “If you needed help, you should have said something. We can’t read you’re mind.”

“Next time, I’ll scream for help,” Buffy said as she narrowed her eyes. She didn’t like the fact that Angel wasn’t concerned at all that she needed help. She shook her head and pushed passed them, wanting to get away from them as fast as possible.

Angelus watched her go then shrugged. It wasn’t his fault that he didn’t know she needed help. He looked at Cordelia and kissed her on the forehead. He could sense her worry and he knew what it was about.

“Don’t worry about a thing,” he whispered as he put his finger under her chin. “I’m not going to give her a reason to suspect me.”

“Just be careful,” Cordelia whispered as she ran a hand through his hair. “She’s going to start to suspect if you keep that up.”

Angelus shook his head. He wasn’t going to give Buffy a reason to suspect him, but neither was he going to be her lap dog. That was where he drew the line.

“I’m not going to let her walk all over me. She’s going to learn sooner or later that you can’t do that to people and think they’re going to respect you later. It doesn’t work that way.”

Cordelia smiled through her worry and kissed him again. She knew that he could handle himself, that she didn’t have anything to worry about, but she couldn’t help it. She was starting to fall for him and she didn’t want to lose him.

~~

The group made it back to the office in the afternoon. Buffy headed for the shower while the other three went to research the demon. Wesley gave a description of what he was able to see as he was more concerned on getting the woman to safety. Cordelia sat in front of the computer as the ex-watcher went to his books on demons.

“You’re saying it was over six foot?” Cordelia asked as she typed in the description once she got to the demon website.

“That’s right. It was also gray-blue in color and had red eyes. I didn’t see if it had horns or anything. I was running in the other direction.”

Cordelia smirked as she typed in the details. She typed in what she could see from her vision and hoped that it would be enough. Now, all they had to do was sit back and wait.

“Have you found anything?” Buffy asked as she came down the stairs fifteen minutes later. She had changed into a pink tank top and black stretch pants and her hair was wrapped in a towel on top of her head. She was surprised to see Cordelia sitting in front of the computer. In all the years she had known the cheerleader, she had never seen her in front of a computer. It was always Willow’s job to do the computer research.

“Nothing, yet,” Cordelia answered as she scrolled down the page. The computer had given her fifteen different demons that matched Wesley’s description and what she had seen in her vision. None of them so far caught her eye.

Buffy looked over at Wesley, who was still searching through his tomes. The two were working almost as if it were a race to see who could find the demon first. She smiled slightly as Wesley turned a page with vigor.

“I can give you a description if you want,” she said as she leaned against the desk. “I have it fused in my memory now. Along with the goo.”

Cordelia wrinkled her nose as she looked at Buffy. She remembered the goo as well. It smelled like sulfur and it shined like oil. She shivered at the thought and shook her head.

“Ok, give,” she said as she scrolled to the bottom of the page where a line was at for another search. She typed in the new description Buffy gave her. It was more detailed and she hoped it would narrow down the search this time. She hit the enter key and waited.

“Where’s Angel?” Buffy asked as she looked around the lobby. “I didn’t see him when I came down.”

“He’s eating,” Cordelia answered as she stared at the screen as if willing it to go faster. “He hadn’t fed since last night. He was famished.”

Buffy nodded at the answer. She was still concerned that he hadn’t joined in the fight. She never had to ask for help when he was around. She had just assumed that he would jump in anytime. Of course, she realized a moment later that the sun was still out. She had also forgotten that he had asked her to bring the demon inside so that they had a better handle on the creature. Less room for it to move and more people would have made the fight easier and faster. She shook her head. She always forgot things when she was fighting. She would have to apologize to him later.

“Here it is,” Cordelia’s voice brought the slayer out of her thoughts. She went around to the other side of the desk as Wesley closed the book and headed for them.

“It was a Tylar demon,” the seer continued as she read from the paragraph. “Nasty thing. It preys on women by capturing them and taking them to their lair. It then feeds on the victim slowly and alive. It then buries the remains and uses them later for rituals.”

“Like you said, nasty things,” Buffy remarked as she stared at the picture that would be in her nightmares for a week. “Good thing we were able to kill it.”

“Right,” Cordelia said as she scrolled down to read some more. “They only come out in the daytime. They don’t like the darkness. Get this, they’re afraid of vampires and will hunt them if they believe one is in the area.”

“Good thing I didn’t lead it inside,” Buffy replied, her voice soft. “Can they sense vampires?”

“They can. I’m surprised it didn’t come after Angel. I guess it was preoccupied with defending itself to notice.”

“Are there anymore?” Wesley asked, concerned for the vampire showing through. He didn’t want to have to start fighting a whole group of these things just to keep Angel safe.

“They’re loners only coming together to mate,” Cordelia answered. “I don’t think we’ll be seeing more of these things. Which is good for Angel.”

The other two nodded. That was at least good news.

“Can this thing look up prophecies?” Buffy asked all of a sudden. “I’m wondering if it would give us more details on it than Giles’ book did.”

Wesley and Cordelia stared at each other in surprise. Would it give more details? Would it tell them exactly who Angelus’ true love would be? There was only one way to find out and hope that it didn’t.

“We can see,” the seer said as she typed in a new search and pressed the enter key.

The search had to be narrowed down, but by the time Angelus returned to the lobby, they had found the prophecy they were looking for. The vampire came over to the desk, a curious look in his dark eyes.

“What’s going on?” He asked as he leaned against the desk.

“We found the demon that attacked the woman,” Cordelia answered as she scrolled. “It wasn’t a very nice creature.”

Angelus nodded and looked around the computer to see that they were doing another search.

“What are you looking for now?”

“I want to see if there is any more on the prophecy,” Buffy answered. “I want to know if it mentions who your true love will be.”

Angelus raised an eyebrow at that. Why was she so curious to know? Did she want to prevent him from finding her? Or was she worried that she might not be that person? He mentally shook his head at that. It didn’t matter what she found, for she was too late. He was here and he wasn’t going to go anywhere. Still, he couldn’t wait to see her face when she learned the truth.

Chapter Four

“Did you find it?” Angelus asked as he looked at the screen to answer his own question.

“It’s here,” Cordelia answered as she looked up at the vampire. Her eyes were pleading with him and he only smiled back. He wasn’t going to go anywhere and she knew it. She could see in his dark eyes that he wanted to be here when Buffy learned the truth. She just hoped that the prophecy here was as vague as the one in the book.

“Let’s see,” Buffy said, moving so that she could see the screen. She skimmed through the prophecy, looking for anything that would tell her what she wanted to know. She hated it when things were vague. It made stopping it all the more difficult.

“It says the same thing,” she said finally, sighing. “You’d think that they would try to translate it.”

Cordelia smiled to herself as she read through the prophecy. It appeared that it had already come to pass. Angelus did mention to her that she could be the reincarnation of Tasia. She had even had dreams about being her and even fighting Darla. Could this Tasia be Angelus’ true love? If so, where did that leave her?

“What about this powerful force?” She asked, looking at Buffy. “What could that mean?”

“Nothing good,” the slayer said. “It could mean that Angelus would be unstoppable with his love beside him. Could it be Darla? I mean, they were pretty unstoppable when they were together in the past.”

“Nope,” Angelus said as he folded his arms across his chest. “I gave her the riot act when she tried to kill Cordelia. She’s not my true love.”

Buffy stared at them then. She looked from Cordelia to Angel and back again, surprise in her eyes.

“Why?” She asked, confusion in her voice. “Why would she want to kill Cordelia?”

Angelus shrugged, not wanting to give away any information that would make the slayer suspicious. He looked at Cordelia and could see the worry in her eyes. He smiled slightly at her and put a hand on her shoulder to soothe her.

“Let’s just say that she believes any female is a threat to her when it comes to me,” he answered as he looked at Buffy. “She’s quite territorial that way.”

Buffy looked at Cordelia, who shrugged. She turned her gaze to Angel, wondering what he meant by that. Then again, maybe Darla wanted to get back at Angel and Cordelia was the one that got in the way. She sighed and leaned against the desk. At least that was one person that wouldn’t make the list. She closed her eyes in frustration.

“We have to figure out what the powerful force would be first,” Wesley suggested. “Maybe when we find that out, we’ll know who his true love is.”

Buffy opened her eyes and looked at the ex-watcher. It made sense. If they learned that then maybe everything else would be brought to light. She nodded as she felt a surge of energy flow through her.

“Then we’ll find out about this force,” she announced. “With all of us searching, maybe we’ll find out in no time.”

Angelus and Cordelia looked at each other as Buffy made her way to the books that Wesley had on the couch. They both saw the concern in each other’s eyes. Cordelia took the vampire’s hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. He smiled in return and hope sparked in her hazel eyes. Maybe something would come out of this search. Maybe they’ll learn that the powerful force wasn’t something to be feared. At least, she hoped so.

“We better get started,” Angelus whispered as he squeezed her hand. He had seen a flash of hope flare in her eyes, and he wanted to make it stay there. He knew, though that it wouldn’t be possible until they learned more about this prophecy. For her sake, he wanted it to be something good.

She nodded and turned toward the computer screen. She typed in another search and waited. Thoughts went through her head as the screen changed to the results. She didn’t want anything to happen to Angelus. She had grown used to having him around and safe. She had felt that with Angel, but she didn’t feel it as strongly as she did now. She knew it had something to do with her growing feelings. The feelings had started with Angel and had blossomed with Angelus. She loved him and she would fight anyone and anything to keep that love. The only thing that worried her more than this prophecy was not knowing if he loved her. She wanted to know, but had no idea how to ask that would not give everything away to Buffy. Maybe she would ask when no one was around. That way, if he didn’t love her, no one, but him would see her cry. If he did, no one but him would see her laugh with joy.

“Here’s something,” Wesley’s voice brought her out of her thoughts. Cordelia looked up from the screen to the ex-watcher.

“What is it?” She asked, hoping that the worry was out of her voice.

“It says here that there are two types. One for evil and one for good.”

Cordelia looked at Angelus, who shrugged. The Seer turned her eyes back to Wesley, annoyance in her hazel eyes.

“Could you be any less specific?” She asked, the annoyance now in her voice.

Wesley stared at her with a raised eyebrow then back to the book. He knew that she wanted something good to come out of this. He wanted to give it to her for her sake. He had a feeling that if this turned out ugly, she would be left with the scars and the tears. He also knew that she had the power to keep Angelus under control. For some strange reason, the vampire had been very civil. He was surprised that Angelus hadn’t killed him when he had more than many opportunities to do so. He could only guess that Cordelia was what kept him from doing so.

“The good force,” Wesley began, eyeing Cordelia, “is like your visions, Buffy’s slaying abilities, and Willow’s powers.”

Cordelia cocked her head to the side, wanting to disagree with that. She put her hands on her hips and stared at Wesley.

“I beg to differ,” she said as she folded her arms across her chest. “My visions feel like someone wants to pound my head open with a hammer. I don’t think that qualifies as good.”

She felt Angelus smiling beside her and she glared at him, but he didn’t stop smiling. She rolled her eyes and went back to staring at the screen, hoping she could find something that would tell them more.

“Your visions help Angel find the people that need the most help,” Wesley said, his voice soft. “The pain is a drawback, I know, but without the visions, we’d be chasing our tails.”

Cordelia nodded, but she didn’t say anything. She felt Angelus’ hand on her shoulder and she looked up to see the concern in his dark eyes. She offered him a small smile and he squeezed her shoulder.

“I wish I could take it away,” he said softly to her. At that moment, he looked more like Angel than Angel. She smiled at him, knowing that everything would be all right then.

“I know you would,” she whispered to him.

Wesley’s voice interrupted their peaceful moment, “The evil force is like the demons, vampires and those that use their powers for evil.”

“Let me guess, they always want to take over the world,” Buffy said as she paced the floor in front of the desk. “So, this powerful force is either going to be evil or good depending on who Angelus’ true love would be.”

“I think that about covers it,” Wesley said as he watched the slayer pace.

“His true love has a power then,” the slayer said, her thoughts coming faster as did her pacing. “We just have to find that person and keep her away from him.”

Angelus shook his head. The slayer was so close in answering her own question that she missed it. Or maybe she didn’t and she was just avoiding it. A smile came to his lips and he looked at Cordelia.

“What?” She asked, looking from him to the pacing slayer and back. “Why are you smiling.”

“Because I think she figured it out, but she’s afraid to admit it. It’s actually funny when you think about it.”

Cordelia’s eyes widened and she stared at the slayer, fear flowing from her. She stood up and stepped closer to Angelus as if she was going to protect him from Buffy. She clasped her hand around his arm to move him behind her.

“It’s all right,” Angelus whispered in her ear. “I don’t think she’s realized it, yet. It’s a subconscious thing.”

“I don’t want her to figure it out. She could take it the wrong way and hurt you.”

“What are you two whispering about?” Buffy asked, looking at them with a question in her eyes. She put her hands on her hips as if she had caught too small children with their hand in a cookie jar.

Angelus smiled, “Cordelia is just worried. She doesn’t want me to get hurt.”

Buffy looked to Cordelia and raised an eyebrow. Something was going on between them and she had a sinking feeling that it had something to do with the way she found the two this afternoon. She didn’t want to analyze it for fear of what she would find. She sighed and went back to pacing.

“He won’t be hurt,” she confirmed as she paced. “If I can find out who his true love will be, I can keep him away from her. We just have to find her.”

Angelus shook his head, he couldn’t stand it anymore. He wanted to see the look in Buffy’s eyes when she knew the truth. At this rate, she would never learn. He ran a hand through his dark hair as he contemplated this. If he told, then Cordelia wouldn’t forgive him. He closed his eyes, frustration raging with the need to protect Cordelia.

“You said this woman would have a power,” he said, eyeing the slayer. “I see two people in this room who have a power.”

Buffy stopped her pacing and Cordelia stared at him with fear in her hazel eyes. He didn’t want to look into those eyes, but he did anyway. His own eyes told her that everything would be all right, but she shook her head. He took a step closer to her, giving her his strength.

“Are you saying that your true love could be either of us?” Buffy asked, not believing what she was hearing.

“I’m saying that both of you have powers.”

Buffy looked at Cordelia then Angelus. She had seen how close they were even after she had caught them with their pants down. Angel even told her that he had given Darla the riot act for hurting Cordelia. Could it be? She shook her head. She didn’t want to believe that. They were just close. She ran a hand through her hair and began to pace again. Close enough to sleep with each other.

“You didn’t,” she said, looking at them. Her eyes fell on Angel, begging her to deny what she had seen.

“Didn’t what?” Angelus asked, his face innocent.

“Sleep with her,” Buffy said, pointing to Cordelia, who was staring at the vampire. “You didn’t go all the way did you?”

Angelus raised an eyebrow then looked down at Cordelia. The fear was evident in her eyes now and he could feel it flowing off her in waves. He wrapped his arms around her and held her to him, hoping that his strength would help her.

“I think that’s quite obvious, Buffy,” he said, his dark eyes boring into the slayer. “You saw us. Make your own conclusions.” Buffy’s eyes widened in disbelief and terror. She shook her head as if to deny everything she saw and heard. She looked to Wesley, who just shrugged. She ran her hands through her hair and began to pace, her strides full of the turmoil she felt.

“No,” she said as she paced. “It couldn’t be. You wouldn’t risk your soul that way, Angel. How could you?”

“You don’t know that,” Angelus said as he stroked Cordelia’s back, glad that it was soothing her. “The fact is, slayer, that you’re too late. I found my true love way before you found that prophecy.”

Buffy stopped in her tracks when she heard him say “slayer”. She stared at him with wide eyes as he continued. She looked at Cordelia held tightly in the vampire’s arms. It took her a moment for her shocked mind to register what he was saying. She continued to stare at Cordelia before her eyes slowly moved up to the vampire’s face. A face that had never left her dreams or her mind. A face that now belonged to a vicious vampire.

“Angelus,” she whispered before she slowly sat down on the floor.

Chapter Five

Cordelia paced Angel’s room, her steps full of worry and fear. She didn’t want to think of what Buffy would do once she got out of the state that she was in. Cordelia looked to Angelus, who was sitting quietly on the bed watching her. She continued to pace.

“She’s going to kill you,” she said as she turned to face him. “You know that, don’t you?”

“She can try,” Angelus said as he leaned back against the headboard. “She won’t, though.”

Cordelia ran a hand through her hair and paced again. She wanted to cry, to shout, to make him leave before Buffy comes after him. She knew he wouldn’t run, though. He was enjoying seeing the slayer squirm. She was surprised he wasn’t downstairs making it worse. She looked at him and could see the concern hidden in his dark eyes. It was because of her that he was up here. He wanted to make sure she was all right. She was grateful for that, but she couldn’t keep the worry at bay.

“I don’t want to lose you,” she whispered as she looked at him. She felt the sting of tears, but she blinked them back. There was no sense in crying. It wouldn’t help.

“You won’t, Delia,” Angelus said as he sat up. He could sense her turmoil and he wanted to take it away. He stood up and went to her, wrapping his arms around her. He kissed the top of her head as he rocked her.

“She doesn’t know what we’ll be able to do together,” he whispered as he stroked her back. “She doesn’t know about the powerful force. As long as that’s in the air, she won’t try anything. If she does, I’ll kill her.”

Cordelia looked up at him and he smiled gently. He ran a finger along her cheek as he stared deep into her eyes.

“I’m not letting anything come between us, not even her,” he said softly. He wasn’t going to let anything take her away from him again. Nothing. She was his Tasia, his true love. He was going to fight to keep her.

“I love you,” she whispered as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

~~

“You knew he was Angelus all along and you didn’t tell me?” Buffy said as she paced the floor before Wesley. “You didn’t stop him yourself?”

Wesley sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he watched the slayer pace before him. He took off his glasses and pinched his nose with his fingers. He was getting dizzy watching her pace and he could feel a headache coming on. It had been ten minutes since Buffy came out of her stupor. Angelus and Cordelia had gone upstairs before that, leaving him along to face the slayer’s anger.

“He didn’t hurt us,” he said, putting his glasses back on to look at Buffy. “He had ever opportunity to, but he didn’t. I believe it has something to do with Cordelia.”

Buffy glared at the ex-watcher, not liking the words one bit. She stopped in front of him, her hands on her hips, her green eyes blazing.

“You’re saying that Cordelia has some kind of control over him?” She asked, not believing any of this. Angelus never let anyone control him or rule him. How could Cordelia have that kind of affect on him?

“I’m not saying that, Buffy,” Wesley said, feeling the headache growing. “I’m saying that somehow, he doesn’t want Cordelia to be upset with him. He even stopped torturing Darla when I mentioned how it might sit with Cordelia.”

Buffy raised her eyebrows at that. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. She shook her head and continued to pace, not knowing what to say to that. It was all so strange. A vicious vampire stopping what he loved to do most just because it might upset Cordelia? She couldn’t believe it, but she saw how protective he was of Cordelia when she had accused them of sleeping together.

“If Cordelia is Angelus’ true love then what of the powerful force?” She asked, changing to subject. “What kind of effect will she have on it?”

Wesley sighed, glad that they were getting back to something that he knew about. He picked up the book he had been reading and opened it to the page he had found. He adjusted his glasses and read.

“We are already seeing the effect,” he said as he looked at the passage. “She is his conscious and they will grow powerful as they grow closer.”

Buffy shook her head and began to pace again, “Will he turn her? Is that what the powerful force is? Two unstoppable vampires wrecking havoc?”

Wesley looked at the slayer then back to his book. “That isn’t what this is saying, Buffy. The force will evolve with them. If they do evil it will become evil. If they do good it will become good. That’s what this book is saying.”

“What is the prophecy saying, Wesley?” Buffy asked, staring at him as if he was talking in a different language. “What will they do once it is in effect?”

Wesley sighed again and went to the computer where the prophecy was on the screen. He read it over again.

“Angelus found his true love in Cordelia,” he said in review. “Cordelia is the reincarnation of a woman he turned over a hundred and fifty years ago. She was killed by Darla and Angelus was cursed with a soul.”

“Why did it take so long for him to realize that?”

“A lot of things. His obsession with wanting to kill you. His wanting to take over the world. Maybe he needed something else to realize it before it could happen. Maybe a memory that needed to be triggered.”

Buffy looked up at the stairs and sighed, “Can we stop it?”

Wesley raised an eyebrow at her, “It’s already happened, Buffy. You can’t stop it. Especially when you don’t know anything about it.”

Buffy stared at Wesley, “Nothing good comes when Angelus is loose. He could get a wild idea such as turning Cordelia and we’d really be in serious trouble.”

“What makes you think I’d turn her?” Angelus’ voice came to them.

Buffy turned around and saw Angelus and Cordelia at the foot of the stairs. She was unnerved by his sudden appearance and the fact that he had heard what they were talking about. She looked at Wesley, who only shrugged.

“You’d probably want her back in full, wouldn’t you?” The slayer asked. “That is what you want, isn’t it? The woman you turned so many years ago, but Darla killed.”

Angelus raised an eyebrow at the slayer and shook his head. He looked at Cordelia, the thought in her mind. He glared at the slayer for putting it in her head. He closed the gap between him and Buffy and wrapped his fingers around her throat.

“Listen here, slayer,” he growled, his eyes flashing yellow. “I’m not going to turn Cordelia unless she asks me to. I was given a gift and I’m not going to throw it away.”

Buffy saw the anger in his yellow eyes and was surprised by his words. She would have thought he would have turned Cordelia, all the better to have his love completely back. She looked at Cordelia, who stared at her then at Angelus.

“I thought you didn’t care about anything,” she whispered, “I’m surprised.”

Angelus growled and shoved Buffy away from him. He took a moment before he faced the slayer again, his face normal.

“Maybe I just needed to find the right person,” he said as he took Cordelia in his arms again. He stroked her back, glaring at the slayer. He then turned his attention to Wesley.

“I suppose she wants to stop the rest of the prophecy from happening,” he stated.

“Yes,” Wesley said, adjusting his glasses. “She doesn’t know what will happen once that part of the prophecy is triggered.”

“Typical,” Angelus said, shaking his head. “Has no idea, but will jump in with both feet.”

“I’m trying to find out about what will happen. I don’t think it will be anything good. Not when you’re concerned.”

Cordelia shook her head at the words that were exchanged. It was just like Buffy to jump into a situation without really knowing what was going on. It almost seemed like she didn’t want to know anything about the rest of the prophecy. She wanted to stop it before it started.

It was then that Cordelia grabbed her head and leaned against Angelus. She felt his arms wrap around her as the pain hit her with the force of a brick wall. She cried out as she held her head, thinking it would explode this time. Flashes of light and dark appeared before her as well as an image of Angelus. The image disappeared and she found herself on the couch, Angelus kneeling beside her, his dark eyes filled with concern.

“I saw you,” she whispered as she reached out and touched his cheek. “You were fighting in an alley. It was dark and I didn’t see who you were fighting.”

“Could you make anything else out?” Wesley asked as he came with a bottle of water and pills.

Cordelia took the pills and washed them down with water. She swallowed, relishing in the cool taste of the water as it flowed down her throat. She opened her eyes and looked at Angelus.

“There was a light coming from one of the buildings, but it didn’t light the alley very good. I couldn’t see who he was fighting.”

Angelus ran a hand through Cordelia’s hair, sensing her pain. He bent down and kissed her on the lips, wanting her to relax.

“I’ll stay away from alleys then,” he said with a slight smile. His dark eyes brightened when he saw Cordelia smile.

“Good,” she whispered as she ran a finger along his jaw. She wanted him safe and she had a bad feeling about the vision she just had. She closed her eyes, trying to bring back the vision. She wanted to know more, so that she could tell them more.

“Don’t strain yourself, Cordelia,” Wesley said, seeing what she was doing. “We’ll keep Angelus safe. Don’t worry.”

Cordelia opened her eyes and smiled slightly at Wesley. She then slowly sat up with the vampire’s help. She leaned into his strength and rested her head on his shoulder.

“You didn’t see anything else?” Buffy asked, “Was there anyone else around?”

Cordelia shook her head as she took another drink of the water. She looked at Buffy, wondering if she really heard anything that she had said.

“It was dark. No one else was around. It was just Angelus and who ever he was fighting. I do recall music from one of the buildings. Maybe it was near a club or something.”

“Then I’ll just stay away from alley with clubs nearby,” Angelus said, his voice soothing her nerves. She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling at his humor.

“Good. And if you go anywhere I want to go with you,” she said, her eyes serious.

“I’ll go as well,” Buffy said, her voice firm and brooking no arguments. “If he does run into trouble, I want to be there.”

All three of them stared at the slayer in surprise. They hadn’t expected that to come out of her mouth. They raised their eyebrows and Buffy sighed.

“Well, someone has to be back up,” she said, “There could be more than one.”

Chapter Six

An hour later, Wesley was back at the books while Angelus paced the floor. Cordelia was at the computer trying to look up anymore of the prophecy in hopes that something would make it clearer as to what the force was and what it had to do with them.

Buffy was sitting on the couch watching the vampire pace. She didn’t trust him anymore than she could throw him. She had seen the affect Cordelia had on him, but she knew it wouldn’t last. Sooner or later, he would turn Cordelia and the prophecy would come true. She had to stop that before it happened before this force made him too powerful to stop.

“I’m not finding anything,” Cordelia said as she leaned back from the computer. “It just says the same thing. Angelus, true love and the force. I’m thinking we’re jumping to conclusions here.”

“You just don’t want to search anymore, Cordy,” Wesley said as he came up to her and put the book down.

Cordelia shook her head at him and smiled, “I think we’re looking for answers when we’ve already got them. I don’t think it can be any clearer than it already is. I’m betting that the force is going to be good.”

“We don’t know that for sure,” Buffy said, coming up to them.

“You need to stop being paranoid,” Angelus stated as he stopped pacing and stared at them. “I think we should just let this thing work itself out. If anything happens, it happens and we can’t stop it.”

Buffy glared at him, her eyes flashing, “If I can stop it, you better believe that I’m going to. I’m not letting you run amok when I have something to do about it.”

Angelus shook his head and went back to pacing.

“What if it is a force for good?” Cordelia asked, eyeing Buffy dangerously. “What if you stopped something that could help a lot of people? What if you ruined their chance to have a worry free life?”

Buffy looked at Cordelia as if she was thinking about it then shook her head. “It’s too great a risk. I’m not going to sit by and wait for it to happen and find out that it’s evil. I’m going to stop it.”

“How are you going to stop it? By killing him?”

“If that’s what it takes.”

Cordelia shook her head and narrowed her eyes at the slayer. She clinched her fists to keep from hitting the blonde.

“You’re not getting within ten feet of him, do you hear me? I’m not going to let you destroy the only happiness I’ve had in a long time. I’m not going to let you destroy a chance for some good to come out of this.”

Buffy stared at Cordelia, seeing the fire in the hazel eyes. She turned around and saw that Angelus was staring at them, his own eyes flashing. She looked between the two and could see the force that the prophecy had foretold. It was already happening right before her eyes. She understood it now. There was a bond between them that no one could break without harming the other or getting oneself harmed in the process. They would protect each other with their very lives if necessary. She had never seen anything like it before and it amazed her and scared her.

“I think you better leave her alone, slayer,” Angelus said as he stepped closer to her. “We’ve all had a trying time and your accusations aren’t helping any.”

Buffy looked from one to the other and back again. She felt caught in the middle of something that would burn her if she didn’t get out of the way. She backed away from Cordelia and ran into Wesley. She turned around and looked at him, concern in her green eyes.

“It’s started,” she whispered to him. “I can see it in their eyes. Feel it pouring off them. I don’t know what to do.”

Wesley smiled and shook his head, “Let it go, Buffy. I don’t think they’ll let you stop it.”

Buffy turned and looked at Angelus and Cordelia. They’re heads were together as they looked at the computer screen. Cordelia smiled and laughed as Angelus nibbled on her earlobe. The slayer shook her head and turned back to the ex-watcher.

“Sometimes I wish prophecies weren’t so damn vague,” she said. “Maybe then my job would be a bit easier.”

Wesley laughed as he followed the slayer into the kitchen, “It wouldn’t be half as challenging, though.”

Cordelia relaxed when Buffy and Wesley left the lobby. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, sighing as she felt Angelus’ hands on her shoulders.

“Alone at last,” he said as he began to massage her tight muscles.

“Did you see the look on her face when we ganged up on her? It looked like she was about to bolt.”

Angelus chuckled, “I think she finally got the hint. I also think she found out what the prophecy was talking about. I could see realization in her eyes. I think she finally got it.”

Cordelia smiled as she ran her hands up and down his sides. She could feel it as well as they stared at Buffy. A bond that couldn’t be broken. They shared something few people ever get to experience and it sent a wave of anticipation through her. What would happen now? Would they continue to do what they’ve been doing, only stronger? Would her visions be worse than they already are? What ever happened, she knew they would stand by each other and protect each other.

“I love you,” she said as she turned around and stood up. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“I know,” Angelus whispered as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. “I wouldn’t anything to happen to you, either. You’re precious to me and I’m not going to let you go again.”

Cordelia felt herself melt as she stared into his dark eyes. She knew he was telling the truth and she felt safe and loved. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him with all the passion she felt. She opened her mouth to let his tongue explore inside. She moaned into the kiss as he deepened it, felt the sensations down to her toes. She wanted to be closer to him, wanted to touch him, feel him inside her.

“Angelus,” she whispered as his lips moved down her throat. She tilted her head back, her eyes closed as she felt the feelings run through her.

“Shall we go upstairs?” Angelus asked as he pulled her shirt off her. “I don’t want interruptions this time.”

Cordelia smiled, her eyes dark with passion as she looked at him. She didn’t want any intrusions either.

“Upstairs it is,” she whispered as she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him. She chuckled when she heard him growl.

Angelus picked her up and carried her up the stairs. He growled into the kiss as his tongue dueled with hers. He pushed the door open and stepped inside his room, heading for the bed. He tossed her onto it, smiling when she cried out in surprise. She was a beauty as she lied there before him. He loved her more than anything or anyone and he wanted to make her his forever.

He pulled off his shirt and pants, tossing them aside onto the floor. His eyes darkened as he looked at Cordelia. He could hear her blood pulsing through her veins, smell her excitement and it nearly sent him over the edge. He growled low in his throat as he pushed her back onto the bed and took her mouth once again. He heard her moan into the kiss as his hands moved down her body. He wanted all of her, wanted to taste every inch of her, feel her around him as he pleasured her. He never felt this way before, but he liked it.

“Delia,” he whispered as he kissed his way down to her breasts. He removed the bra, tossing it aside with the other clothes. He took one into his mouth, growling as his tongue twirled around a nipple. He heard her moan his name and it sent shivers of excitement down his spine.

He removed her pants and underwear before he took of his own briefs. He smiled down at her as he spread her legs and began to kiss his way up her body. Her moans urged him on as he kissed and licked her inner thigh. He pressed his lips to her mound, causing her to buck up against him. He chuckled then moved on to kiss the inner thigh of her other leg.

“Angelus,” Cordelia moaned as she grabbed his dark hair and tried to tug. He removed her hands from his hair and shook his head.

“Not, yet, sweet,” he whispered.

He then flicked his tongue at her center, causing her to cry out and raise her hips to him. He smiled as he pleasured her, bringing her nearly to the brink before stopping. He looked at her, hearing her pant and the expression on her face. She looked as if she had be pleasure completely. Her hair was a mess and her eyes were nearly black with desire. It aroused him to no end.

Angelus gently turned her over onto her stomach and lifted her hips up. He kissed her back as he reached under and began to massage her. She moaned and thrust against his hand. He removed his finger and entered her. He moaned softly then began to move inside her. She met his thrusts, rocking back against him as she clinched the pillows in her hands. His thrusts increased in pace as he felt her muscles tightening around him. He could feel himself drawing closer to the edge. He reached around under Cordelia and began to massage her tender nub as he thrust into her.

Cordelia moaned his name then cried out, not caring who heard her. She felt Angelus thrust in her twice more before he released inside her. She then collapsed onto the bed, he on top of her. She closed her eyes and let the sensations wash over her, calming her. She smiled softly as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him.

“That was wild,” she whispered. “I’ve never done anything like that.”

Angelus chuckled as he kissed her earlobe then the back of her head. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Maybe we’ll do it again.”

Cordelia laughed and turned over to face him. She kissed him on the lips then his forehead. He looked like an angel lying beside her. It was hard for her to believe that he was a dangerous vampire.

“I can’t wait,” she said as she ran a finger along his jawline. “I would love you show me all kinds of pleasure.”

Angelus turned his head and kissed her finger, not taking his eyes from hers. He smiled, glad that she wanted to be shown.

“It will be my pleasure,” he whispered. “I can even show you now.”

Cordelia smiled as she saw his eyes darkened with desire. She knew hers must also be dark as she returned the passionate kiss he was giving her. She wouldn’t mind staying in this bed forever with him. It seemed like heaven compared to the reality that lied outside this room.

~~

Several minutes later, Cordelia and Angelus came down stairs to see Wesley and Buffy waiting for them. One looked like she could kill and the other was trying not to look at them at all. Angelus wrapped an arm around Cordelia as he glared at Buffy.

“I see you’ve finally decided to join us,” the slayer said, her arms across her chest. “The whole world could have blown up while you two were doing who knows what.”

“I’m sure you would have stopped it,” the vampire said, not really caring one way or another what Buffy thought.

He then turned his gaze to Wesley. “Anything happen?”

Wesley looked at him then, a blush on his face. He adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat before beginning.

“Nothing to get the world blown up, but Kate came by. She said that there was a body found in an alley two blocks from here. It looked like we have a demon on the lose.”

At the mention of an alley, Cordelia moved closer to Angelus. He squeezed her against him, telling her he knew her concern.

“What makes her think it was a demon?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Wesley cleared his throat and handed the vampire a folder, “It appeared to be in the middle of burying the woman. It could be a Tylar demon.”

Angelus stared at Wesley then at Cordelia. “I thought you said there wasn’t going to be another one. And I thought you said it only came out in the daytime.”

The ex-watcher shrugged and sighed, “Obviously, it was caught trying to bury its victim at night. It was also probably the mate we killed. They do run in pairs during mating season.”

The vampire nodded as he looked at the pictures. He raised an eyebrow and shook his head. He handed them back to Wesley and folded his arms across his chest.

“Let’s go find this Tylar demon and put a stop it.”

“Their lairs are hard to find,” Wesley said. “And there’s no way to track it.”

“Yes, there is. You said it doesn’t like vampires. Well then, I’ll be the bait.”

“No,” Cordelia said, her apprehension taking form. She shook her head, her eyes pleading with him. “You could have been fighting that thing in my vision. Please, don’t go.”

Angelus could sense her fear, but he knew there was no other way to find this thing. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.

“There’s no other way, Delia. This is the best chance we have at finding it. I’m taking it. I’ll be careful, I promise.”

Cordelia shook her head and stared at him. Her eyes were determined as she spoke.

“I’m going with you, Angelus. I’m going to make sure nothing happens to you.”

He smiled, admiring her spirit. He knew he couldn’t argue with her, so he nodded and turned to the others.

“We’ll start by looking where the body was found. It shouldn’t be too long before we find ourselves a Tylar demon.”

Chapter Seven

The black car pulled up to the curb near the entrance to the alley where the woman’s body was found. The four piled out of the car and entered the alley, on guard and watching for the Tylar demon to show itself.

“I hear music,” Cordelia whispered as she looked around her. “I don’t like this. It’s just like my vision.”

Angelus looked at her and smiled. He could sense her worry and concern. “There’s no need to worry, Delia. There’s more of us than there are of it.”

That didn’t reassure her as much as she had hoped. Her vision had been vague at best, so there was no telling if he was alone or with them. She closed her eyes and wished it had shown her more. She sighed and opened her eyes. All she could do was hope that they could help him in case the demon decided to attack.

“Here was where the body was found,” Wesley said, shining his flashlight in an empty corner. “If there demon is still around, it shouldn’t be far from here. They don’t come out at night often and they don’t travel far from their lairs when they do.”

Angelus looked around, his dark eyes narrowed as he stared at the alley’s entrance. His gaze then moved up toward the top of the buildings, just in case the demon was above them. He shook his head as he looked at the others.

“I guess we wait,” he said as he leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest.

“If it likes to attack women maybe I should walk up and down this street and see about getting its attention,” Buffy said. “I could have it chase me here and trap it.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Wesley said, walking up to her. “You don’t know how fast it can run.”

“I do know how to fight it, remember? I fought one earlier. I can handle it.”

Without another word, Buffy turned and headed down the street, leaving the other three alone in the alley. Wesley looked at the other two and shook his head.

“Slayers,” he mumbled as he leaned against the other wall across from Angelus. “They’re all stubborn. Can’t tell them to do a bloody thing.”

Cordelia laughed and Angelus chuckled at the ex-watcher’s complaining.

“You sounded like Giles, Wesley,” Cordelia said as she tried to stop laughing. “I had to look at you twice to make sure you were Wesley.”

Wesley smiled, but said nothing. Sometimes, he missed being a watcher, but then he looked at Cordelia and the vampire and knew he had found a place for himself. He still did what he loved best, researching. He wouldn’t trade it for the world.

“I hear something,” Angelus said as he straightened and stared at the entrance to the alley.

“What is it?” Cordelia asked as she came to stand beside him. She put her hand on his arm to calm both him and herself. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and she knew that something evil was nearby. She squeezed his arm, letting him know that she was here.

Wesley stood still as he strained his own hearing. He could pick up only the music coming from across the street. He reached into his coat, wrapping his hand around the hilt of the battleaxe that he carried with him. He wasn’t going to be caught off guard if he could help it. He looked over at Angelus and could see the tension as the vampire stood reading for an attack. He just hoped that it didn’t come from behind or above.

The ex-watcher looked up at the roofs of the buildings, but he didn’t see anything. He looked further down into the alley, narrowing his eyes against the dimness. He gripped the handle tighter as he felt the hairs stand on end.

“It’s behind us,” he whispered as he backed away, staring at the large form.

Angelus slowly turned around and stared into the darkness of the alley. He narrowed his eyes and could see a dark form crouching in the corner. He moved Cordelia behind him as he moved to remove the sword in his coat.

A low growl sounded from the form and Angelus slowly removed his sword, knowing that the creature would attack at any moment.

“Get ready,” he whispered to Wesley, who nodded, his battleaxe at the ready.

“Let’s see how well you fight,” Angelus said as his eyes flashed yellow.

A roar came from the darkness, causing Wesley to jump. Angelus bared his fangs as he took a swing at the charging demon. The demon blocked the weapon with an arm then shoved the vampire into the wall. It eyes burned at Cordelia as it blocked an attack from Wesley.

“Oh no,” Cordelia said as she backed away. “I’m not dinner.”

She brought forth a small crossbow that was tucked into her pants. She aimed and fired at the creature before it could take a swing at her. The bolt hit it in the neck, causing it to scream loudly.

Angelus took that moment to strike with his sword. It imbedded itself in the creature’s back, causing it to cry out again. It swung around, taking the weapon out of the vampire’s hands. It slammed it clawed hand into Angelus, sending him flying back into the wall. It turned back to Cordelia as it ripped the bolt from it’s neck. It snarled at her and backhanded Wesley, who was about to attack.

“I have plenty more where that came from,” Cordelia said as she reached behind her and armed the bow again. She aimed, but the demon smacked it out of her hand. She backed away, her eyes wide with shock.

“Ok, that wasn’t good,” she said as the demon crept closer to her. She looked around her for something to use as a weapon, but all she saw was garbage.

“Leave her alone,” a growl came from behind the creature. It spun around, giving Cordelia its back.

Cordelia saw that the sword was still in the demon’s back. An idea came to her and she hoped that Angelus could distract the demon long enough for her to remove it. She walked up behind the demon and grabbed the hilt of the sword with both hands. Closing her eyes, she yanked on the weapon. It didn’t move.

“Damn it,” she whispered as she tried again.

The creature spun around, taking Cordelia with it. She cried out as she was flung back around. She let go of the weapon and landed on her back at the end of the alley.

“Delia!” Angelus shouted.

He turned back to the demon, his yellow eyes glowing with anger. He snarled and took a swing at the demon. Its head was snapped to the side, but it didn’t back away. It growled at the vampire and took a swing. Angelus ducked and punched the creature in the stomach.

“Angelus, here!” Wesley shouted as he handed the vampire his battleaxe. Angelus grabbed it and took a swing at the demon as the ex-watcher went to check on Cordelia.

“You’re not getting her,” Angelus growled as he swung the axe in an arc, hoping to connect with something. The demon took a step back and swiped it clawed hand at him as if he was an annoying insect.

Angelus ducked the blow and jabbed at the creature’s stomach. It blocked the attack by grabbing the weapon and yanking it out of his hands. It smiled down at him, which only made him angrier. He snarled and kicked the creature where he thought it would hurt the most. He was rewarded with a roar of pain and the dropping of the axe.

“I’ll take that,” he said as he picked the axe up. He was then sent flying back into a wall, the axe falling from his hands.

The demon growled as it stalked over to the vampire. Its eyes glowed red as it picked the axe up. It stared at the weapon then again at the vampire. It then lifted the axe above Angelus, planning to bring it crashing down upon him.

“Leave him alone!” Cordelia shouted from her position on the ground.

The demon looked over at her in surprise. It growled low in its throat as it tossed the weapon aside and stalked over to her. Wesley stood up between it and Cordelia, but he was shoved aside out of the way.

“Angelus,” Cordelia whispered as she looked up at the demon. She moved back as far as the wall would allow her, but it still wasn’t far enough. The demon loomed over her, it red eyes taking her in.

The creature’s claws slowly came toward her and she made herself as small as possible, hoping that it wouldn’t be able to get her. She closed her eyes against the sights and sounds of the creature, hoping Angelus would wake up. She heard a terrible scream and she looked up to see the creature rearing back. She could see the black pants of Angelus and she smiled in relief. She stood up as the demon spun around, trying to take a swing at the vampire.

“You should have killed me when you had the chance,” Angelus growled as he swung the sword at the demon. It roared as the weapon connected with flesh.

“Wesley, take Cordelia and get to the car,” he shouted as he ducked away from a swiping claw.

Cordelia didn’t need to be told twice. She climbed to her feet and followed the ex-watcher out of the alley. It was then that they saw Buffy running down the street toward them.

“The demon,” the Seer said as she pointed into the alley. “I think it bit off more than it can chew.”

Buffy looked into the alley and saw Angelus attacking the demon with his sword. She thought about going in there, but she could see that the vampire was holding his own. She leaned against the car and watched as the vampire and demon fought it out.

Angelus ducked another blow from the demon, swinging his weapon in answer. It cried out again as he connected with flesh. He smiled wickedly as he took a step back to get a better angle the next go around.

“You’re oozing a lot of it,” he said as he twirled his sword. “You’re going to slip and then I’m coming in for the kill.”

The demon growled and took a swing at him again. He laughed as he spun away from the blow. He swung his weapon and sliced into the demon’s side. It cried out and it was music to Angelus’ ears. He hadn’t heard that sound in ages. His eyes glittered with mirth, loving the fact that the demon was prolonging its own torture.

“I haven’t had this much fun in years,” he said as he pulled the weapon out of the demon and prepared for another attack.

The demon blocked the next blow that Angelus made. It growled dangerously and ripped the weapon out of the vampire’s hands. It tossed the weapon behind it and grabbed Angelus by the throat.

“No,” Cordelia whispered as she saw the demon lift Angelus off the ground. She spotted the sword the demon had tossed aside and made a break for it.

“Cordelia!” Buffy and Wesley shouted after her.

She didn’t hear them as she picked up the sword and ran up behind the demon. Fear and anger coursed through her as the demon tried to kill Angelus. She lifted the large sword back and called out to the demon. It spun around, it glowing red eyes staring at her. She smiled evilly as she swung the sword at the demon’s head.

The creature was too surprised to make a move. The sword sliced through flesh and the creature dropped Angelus to the ground. A moment later the head followed then the body hit the ground with a thud.

“Angelus!” Cordelia cried out as she dropped the sword and went to him. She cradled him in her arms as she rocked him.

“Delia,” he whispered as he opened his eyes and looked up at her. He then smiled and touched her cheek. He then frowned as he felt its wetness.

“I thought I lost you,” she whispered as the tears came down.

Angelus shook his head, “You’re stuck with me. I’m not going anywhere.”

She laughed through her tears as she bent over and kissed him. They were unaware that Buffy and Wesley had come up to them. It was only after they pulled away that they noticed they had an audience. Cordelia blushed, but Angelus only smirked.

“What are we going to do about the body?” Buffy asked as she looked at it. She was surprised that Cordelia could do such a thing. She could just image how much strength it took to weld the sword and swing it against a demon with a thick hide. Then again, maybe love is a stronger force.

“I’m not touching it,” Cordelia said as she helped Angelus to his feet. “I’m too tired and Angelus needs tending to.”

With that, she helped Angelus to the car and got in beside him. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him again. Glad that he would be all right.

Before Buffy could say anything, the body of the demon began to cave in on itself. Soon it was nothing more than a puddle of black ooze. The slayer shook her head and looked at Wesley.

“I think it’s time to call it a night,” she said as she turned around and headed back to the car.

“I could sleep for a week,” Wesley said as he followed the slayer to the car.

Chapter Eight

The four entered the hotel just as the sun was beginning to rise. Cordelia and Wesley helped Angelus to the couch and slowly eased him onto it. He looked like he had just been through a hell. His cuts and bruises were slowly healing, but Cordelia knew that the worst wounds were underneath his clothes.

“I’ll get the first aid kit,” Wesley said then left the two on the couch.

“I’ll help you take off your shirt,” Cordelia said as she took the coat off him.

She stared at the large three slashes through the red silk shirt and winced. She could see blood oozing from the wounds as she fought back the anxiety that built within. She had patched him up many times over the course of nearly two years. Still, it hurt her to see him like this.

She looked at Angelus and saw that he was studying her. She smiled slightly as she helped him take of the shirt. She couldn’t help the wave of desire she felt as she removed the shirt. It was too erotic the way she slowly removed it and the way he was looking at her. She knew he could smell the arousal coming from her and it only increased her desire more. She forced herself to focus on what she needed to do.

Thankfully, Wesley returned with the kit just as she placed the shirt on the couch. She took the kit from the ex-watcher and opened it.

“We’re going to need more gauges soon,” she mentioned as she picked up a bottle of antiseptic and some cloths.

She poured the liquid on one of the cloths and dabbed at one of the worst of the wounds. She heard Angelus hiss and stiffen, but she continued on. The wounds needed to be cleaned.

“How where you able to lift that sword and take off the demon’s head?” Buffy asked of a sudden, bringing Cordelia back to reality.

Cordelia shrugged as she worked on patching Angelus up. She didn’t want to be reminded of the fight in the alley. It was too much like her vision and Angelus was nearly killed.

“Angelus was in danger,” she answered as she put a gauge and tape on one of the wounds. “I had to do something.”

Buffy shook her head and looked at Wesley, who shrugged. The slayer turned her gaze back to Cordelia then to Angelus. She shivered as she saw the dark look in his eyes. It was a warning for her to leave Cordelia alone. She turned away from both of them and began pacing.

“It was probably just adrenaline,” Cordelia offered as she put another bandage on Angelus. “He was in danger and I didn’t want him to die. I love him.”

Buffy stopped and stared at Cordelia’s back. She looked at Wesley, who had went to reading his books.

“You love him?” Buffy asked in disbelief.

“Leave her alone, slayer,” Angelus growled in warning. “You’re treading on thin ice as it is.”

Cordelia placed the last gauge on him and wrapped his chest with tape to hold it in place. She then sat down beside him and took his hand in her own. She looked at Buffy as she spoke.

“I love him,” she repeated as she squeezed Angelus’ hand. “This prophecy, this force, is going to be good. I know it is, I can feel it. What happened in that alley was it. I felt it running through me as I took up the sword and killed that demon. It was for him that I was fighting. If that’s what this force is all about then I’ll gladly accept it.”

Buffy shook her head and began to pace. Was that what the force was? Did she see it happen right before her eyes and not realize it. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to think. Nothing good ever came from Angelus being around. She didn’t know what to make of it, though. Maybe it was just a fluke that Cordelia was able to kill a demon that was even hard for a slayer to kill. She shook her head and looked at the couple.

“I’ll need more proof than that,” she said. “One incident like that isn’t going to convince me.”

Angelus shook his head and leaned his head back against the couch. He wasn’t in the mood for a fight with the slayer. It had been a long night and he was ready for a nap. He was already hungry, but he wasn’t going to leave Cordelia alone with Buffy. No telling what the slayer would do to her. He vowed that he wouldn’t leave her alone ever again.

“Give it a rest,” he said as he opened his eyes and glared at her. “We’re all tired and I’m starving. If you don’t drop it, I might have to bite you.”

Buffy took a step back, “You can try.”

“Enough both of you,” Cordelia growled as Angelus chuckled. “I’m taking you to bed, Angelus.”

Angelus wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately. He didn’t care who saw. He wanted the world to know that Cordelia was his and would always be his.

“You can take me anywhere,” he whispered as he stared into her eyes.

“I’m still here,” Buffy’s voice broke what ever spell the two conjured.

Angelus lifted Cordelia into his arms and carried her up the stairs. He would continue what he stared without the slayer getting in the way.

Buffy watched the two walk up the stairs. She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. She looked at Wesley and sighed. This was getting more complicated by the minute. She should just have staked Angelus the moment she realized that he was back. She probably would still be able to. All she had to do was find him alone and stake him. It would be the way to stop the prophecy before it could be completely fulfilled.

She walked over to Wesley and sat down beside him.

“Do you think it coming to pass?” She asked. “This prophecy? Do you think Cordelia killing the demon was part of it? Of the force that is supposed to happen?”

Wesley looked at Buffy through his glasses. He leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. He stared at the page he had been reading and sighed.

“It appears to be happening,” he answered. “The skin of that demon was thick. I could barely scratch it with my axe and Angelus’ sword became stuck in the demon’s back. It would have taken some strength to take its head of like that. Angelus’ sword is not light either.”

“She said that she didn’t want Angelus to die. It could have been adrenaline that caused her to do that.”

Wesley nodded, “That could be it. Then again, she did say that she felt something go through her as she lifted the sword.”

“Adrenaline,” Buffy put in.

“Could be. Then again, it could have been the power.”

“I just want to be sure that this power is for good. If we let it go, the world could be in danger.”

Wesley shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. They were taking a risk that the power would be good. Only time would tell and he hoped that they were right. He still couldn’t find anything that would give them an idea of what kind of power it would be. At least, Angelus hadn’t done anything evil, maybe that was a sign.

“Let’s wait,” he said quietly. “I’m sure more proof will be coming soon.”

“I hope you’re right,” the slayer said as she turned her gaze to the stairs. She didn’t want to wait, though. She had to stop it, she had to save them all from Angelus.

~~

Angelus placed Cordelia on the bed and lied down next to her. He ran his fingers through her hair, loving the feel of the locks against his skin. He trailed soft kisses along her face and neck. He inhaled her scent, finding himself growing aroused just by being near her.

“You smell wonderful,” he whispered as he nibbled on her ear.

Cordelia laughed softly as her hands explored his back, “Are you sure you want to do this? Those scratches aren’t going to go away anytime soon. You could reopen them.”

“I’ll be fine,” Angelus said as he removed her shirt and tossed it aside. He took her mouth with his as he rolled over onto his back. He massaged her breasts, his dark eyes black with desire. He ran his hands up her thighs, smiling as he heard her moan. He went up her waist and cupped her breasts, causing her to sign.

“Angelus,” Cordelia whispered as she bent down to take his lips with hers.

She planted kisses over his body, causing him to moan her name. She smiled as she moved down his body, nipping or kissing as she went. She then sat up and began to remove his pants. She tossed them to the floor as she stared at him. His dark gaze was piercing, exciting her to no end. He growled low in his throat as she slowly removed the rest of her clothes, tossing them onto the floor. She then sat there, admiring the beauty that was beneath her. He was all male and all hers. She smiled softly at him and he raised an eyebrow.

"You going to sit there all night?" He asked after a moment.

In answer, Cordelia attacked his lips with hers. They kissed each other with a rough passion that neither of them wanted to deny. They growled as they egged the other on.

Angelus then suddenly flipped them over to where Cordelia was on her back, still kissing her. She gasped in surprise as he entered her. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he began to move inside her.

"Angelus," she moaned as she felt herself move closer to the edge.

He could feel her getting closer, and he picked up speed. He felt himself nearing the edge as her muscles tightened around him.

"Delia," he whispered in her ear.

She moaned in response as she ran her hands into his hair. Her moans became louder and her grip on his hair tightened as his thrusts came faster.

Suddenly, Cordelia's moans became a one-word scream as she tumbled into the abyss. Angelus thrust once more before releasing into her, crying out her name.

A few moments later, Cordelia slowly opened her eyes to Angelus softly kissing her. She smiled as she wrapped her arms around him and returned the kiss.

“I hope you didn’t reopen the wounds,” she said after they parted. “I’d hate to be the cause.”

Angelus shook his head as he looked down at his chest. The bandages were red, but it appeared that everything was fine. He smiled down at her and touched her neck, bringing a bloody finger to her.

“I told you I was hungry,” he said as he licked the blood away.

Cordelia shook her head and laughed. They would have to get him something to eat before he made a meal out of her.

“I can go downstairs and get you a bag if you want,” she offered him.

Angelus rolled off her and laid down on his side looking at her. She was a sight to behold with her dark hair and her hazel eyes. Her skin was soft to the touch, inciting him to caress her all night. He didn’t want her to leave, but he knew if she didn’t, he would end up taking more of her blood. He sighed and kissed her on the lips.

“You better do so,” he said as he caressed her. “I’ll be waiting for you to get back.”

Cordelia smiled and kissed him before she got out of bed and put a robe on. She looked at him one last time as she put her hand on the doorknob. He looked incredible lying on the bed, staring at her with his dark eyes. She loved the feel of his body against hers. It made her feel safe and loved in ways she never had before. His hard body aroused her to no end even if she just looked at him. She didn’t want to leave him, but he needed blood. Sighing, she opened the door and walked into the hallway.

Buffy saw Cordelia coming down the stairs in nothing but a robe. She could just imagine what the two were doing. She shook her head and watched as the Seer went into the kitchen. She knew then that Angelus would be alone. Her green eyes narrowed as she realized that this was the one opportunity that she needed. She was going to take it before it was lost to her. She looked around and saw that Wesley was deep in his reading. Slowly, she got up off the couch and headed for the stairs.

“Off to bed, Buffy?” Wesley said, not looking up from his book.

“Yep. I’m feeling tired and I think a good night’s sleep will do me good.”

“Good night, then.”

“Night.”

Buffy headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time. She went down the hallway, wondering where Angelus would sleep. She would just have to try every door until she found the right one. She stared with the first one she came to. It was locked. She moved down to the next one then the next. Until she came to one that was unlocked. She opened it and found it empty. Grumbling, she closed the door and moved to the next one.

“Where are you?” She whispered as she tested another door. She smiled as she found it unlocked. She pushed it open and stepped inside.

“That was fast,” Angelus’ voice came to her. “I knew you couldn’t stay away for long.”

Buffy remained quiet, knowing that he was expecting Cordelia. She closed the door behind her and removed the stake that had been in her pants pocket since the alley fight. She went over to the bed, her eyes adjusting to the darkness of the room.

Angelus was lying on his back, staring up at the figure that loomed above him. Something wasn’t right. The figure wasn’t the right height. He narrowed his eyes then widened them when he realized who was in the room with him.

“Buffy,” he growled. “What are you doing in here?”

“I’m here to stop the prophecy from coming true,” she said as she raised the stake. “It’s too dangerous to let this thing play out.”

“You don’t even know if that’s what will happen, slayer.”

“I’m not taking any chances.”

“You won’t be just destroying me, you’ll be destroying Cordelia,” Angelus said as he slowly got out of bed and stalked over to her. He wasn’t going to let her stake him.

“She’ll get over it. She’ll find someone better than you.”

“You’re wrong. So very wrong,” Angelus said as he backhanded her, sending her flying into the far wall of the room.

The air was knocked out of the slayer, but she stood up and kicked the vampire as he came at her. She took a swing at him with the stake, but he backed away. She knew Angelus was weak from blood loss and hungry. She thought he would be easy to take, but it seemed that he had a strong sense of survival. She didn’t want to fight him, for she knew the nose would bring Cordelia and Wesley up here. She had to kill him before they arrived.

She spun around and her foot connected with his head. He fell back against the bed and she attacked. She brought her stake down upon him, but he grabbed her wrist before she could connect. Her eyes narrowed as she used her strength to force the stake down. He counted by trying to push her wrist up. They stayed like that for several moments until he was able to push her away.

“You’re not getting up,” Buffy said as she punched him in the face.

Angelus growled and glared at her, his yellow eyes flashing in the darkness. He returned her punch with one of his own, sending her back on her butt. He slowly stood up, staring down at her as he stalked over to her.

“You’ve made a big mistake, slayer,” he said as he reached her. “I’m going to have to teach you a lesson. One you’ll never forget.”

He grabbed her by the hair and lifted her to his feet. He yanked her head back, baring her neck to him. He could hear the blood flowing through her veins and it called to him. He growled low in his throat as he lowered his fangs to her neck.

“I don’t think so,” Buffy said as she thrust the stake into his chest.

Chapter Nine

Wesley looked up from his book when he heard what sounded like a scream of pain. He looked around the lobby only to find himself alone. He stood up as a chill went down his spine.

Cordelia came running into the lobby, obviously she had heard the scream as well. Her eyes were wide and full of concern as she looked around. He could see that she went a shade paler.

“Where’s Buffy?” She asked, her voice full of concern and on the edge of fear.

“She told me she was going to bed,” Wesley said as he looked up at the stairs. He then realized that she didn’t even ask for a key or a room at all. He closed his eyes then opened them again when he heard Cordelia running up the stairs.

“Cordelia,” he said as he hurried after her. There was only one place she would go. Angelus. He hoped that the vampire was all right, for Cordelia’s sake.

Cordelia ran down the hallway and came to the door that led to Angelus’ bedroom. She flung the door open and cried out as the light flowed over Angelus’ prone form. She rushed to his side, tears threatening to fall. She cradled his head in her lap as she stroked his hair.

“Stay with me,” she whispered as she pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I can’t lose you. Not now.”

She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and she looked up to see Buffy standing over them. She narrowed her eyes as she looked up at the slayer, a bloody stake in the blonde’s hand.

“You didn’t have to do this,” Cordelia said, her voice low and filled with pain.

“I couldn’t take the chance,” the slayer said, looking at Angelus’ form instead of Cordelia. She didn’t want to see the pain in the other woman’s eyes. She didn’t want to see the anger for doing something she knew was right.

“You’re too afraid to take risks, aren’t you?” Cordelia asked, anger in her voice. “You can’t stand to have the unknown all around you. You have to get rid of it, even though it might do some good to have it around.”

Buffy turned her gaze to Cordelia, who had stood up at that time. She could see the anger in the hazel eyes, but there was a hint of pain, of hurt.

“I’m not going to take the chance that the prophecy will destroy the world,” she said, her eyes narrowing. She had to make Cordelia understand what she did. Some things were just more important.

“You don’t even know if it will destroy the world, Buffy,” Cordelia said as she took a step toward the slayer. “You just wanted an excuse to stake Angelus. This has nothing to do with the prophecy, does it? You just want to rid yourself of him once and for all. Who cares if anyone loves him or not.”

“How can you say that? You know him, you’ve seen him in action. He’s evil and I’m the slayer. It’s my job to kill vampires.” “Then why don’t you go out and kill some and leave us alone!” Cordelia shouted and before she knew what was happening, she backhanded Buffy. The slayer went flying into the wall, knocking a painting to the floor.

Cordelia stared at the slayer then her hand. She could feel the sting, but that was nothing compared to the shock at what she had done. She blinked and looked over at Wesley, who had come into the room.

“How…what?”

“Let’s talk about that later,” Wesley said as he knelt beside Angelus. “He needs to be looked at.”

Cordelia turned around and knelt on the other side of Angelus. She ran a hand through his hair as Wesley turned on the lights. She blinked back the brightness and then felt pain flow through her as she looked at the wound in his chest. She closed her eyes, fighting back the tears that stung her eyes. She couldn’t lose him. He was everything to her. Without him, she didn’t want to live.

“She missed the mark,” Wesley said, bringing her attention back to the present. She could see that he was right. The hole where the stake had been was in the left side of his chest, far from his heart. Still, it was a nasty wound and he needed blood.

“He needs blood,” she said as she rolled up the sleeve of her robe. “You get the first aid kit.”

Wesley didn’t argue as he stood up and headed out of the room. Cordelia took a deep breath and placed her wrist over Angelus’ mouth. She stroked his hair off his forehead as she leaned down and whispered in his ear.

“Drink. You need to drink, please, Angelus. For me.”

She rubbed her wrist over his lips then gasped when she felt his fangs sink into her flesh. She closed her eyes and sighed as the most erotic feeling came over her. Blood was flowing from her veins, yet she felt peaceful, aroused. She could only image what he was feeling.

She looked down at him and saw that his eyes were still closed, but color was slowly returning to his face. She smiled and looked at his wound. It was slowly closing and she began to relax.

“You can let go now,” Cordelia whispered as she gently removed her wrist. She felt dizzy and light headed, but good now that Angelus was going to recover.

Angelus opened his eyes to see Cordelia looming over him. He could sense her concern and he smiled up at her. He still felt too weak to move, even though he wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her. He heard movement to his right and he looked to see Wesley coming into the room with a first aid kit in his hands.

“Again?” He asked as he looked back to Cordelia. “What happened?”

“That’s what we were going to ask you,” Wesley said as he knelt beside the vampire and opened the kit. “We heard a scream and came running up here. Buffy was standing over you with a stake in her hand.”

“Buffy,” Angelus growled, his eyes narrowing. “Where is the little…” “Behind me, unconscious,” Cordelia answered, a bit embarrassed. “I hit her hard enough to send her flying into the wall.”

Angelus stared at her in surprise. He looked over at Wesley, who nodded in confirmation. If only he could lift his head to see the result. If only he had been awake at the time. It probably was a wonderful sight to see.

“Thanks,” he whispered as he looked at Cordelia. “I’m sure she would have finished me off if you hadn’t arrived. She was determined to get rid of me.”

“She thinks you’re going to destroy the world,” Cordelia scoffed. “I think being the slayer has made her paranoid.”

Angelus shook his head, then gasped as Wesley put some antibiotics on his wound. He growled to keep the pain at bay as Wesley worked. He closed his eyes, trying to relax against the pain.

“I don’t think it was adrenaline this time,” Cordelia said. “Even when I’m at my most angry, the only thing I can toss is my purse. I think it has something to do with the prophecy.”

Angelus opened his eyes and saw the truth in her eyes. He reached up and took her hand in his, giving it a squeeze. It had started and he could just bet that it began with the demon in the alley. She was becoming stronger than she ever thought possible. Could that be what the force was all about? If it made her strong, what would it do to him?

“There, all better,” Wesley said as he sat back on his heels. “I suggest you stay away from slayers for awhile. Get some rest, too.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll stay far away from her as I can get.”

Cordelia smiled and helped Angelus to his feet. Two close calls in one night was grating on her nerves. She didn’t think she could handle another one. She might go on a rampage.

They helped the vampire onto the bed and Cordelia kissed his forehead. She climbed into bed beside him, wanting to make sure he stayed there and safe.

“What are we going to do about her?” Wesley asked, pointing at Buffy.

The two on the bed looked over at the slayer, who was still unconscious. They knew they wanted her out of the room, but from there, they didn’t care.

“Take her downstairs,” Angelus answered as he looked at Cordelia. “We’ll figure out something later.”

Wesley shook his head and went over to the slayer. He picked her up and carried her out of the room, bringing the door shut with his foot.

Once the door was closed, Angelus heard Cordelia sobbing. He raised a hand to her back and stroked her in a soothing gesture. He pressed his lips to her temple and whispered to her.

“It’s all right. I’m fine. You don’t need to cry.”

“She nearly killed you,” Cordelia sobbed. “I shouldn’t have gone downstairs. I should have stayed with you. She wouldn’t have come up then.”

“You wanted to get me something to eat. You didn’t know she had anything planned like that. You shouldn’t blame yourself.”

Cordelia shook her head and he knew that it would take more convincing. He narrowed his eyes as he rubbed her back. He was going to kill Buffy for this. He was going to make sure she knew the pain she had caused the one person in the world that he cared about. It was almost as worse as what Darla did to him. He closed his eyes as he thought of what he would do to the slayer. No more mind games, this time. He was going to show her what pain was all about and then some.

~~

Buffy woke up to find herself on the couch in the lobby. She sat up and winced as pain shot through her head. She groaned softly, her eyes closed at the onslaught. She then opened her eyes as it slowly ebbed away. She looked around at her surroundings and found Wesley sitting where she had last saw him, researching.

“What happened?” She asked as she got up and went over to him.

Wesley looked up, adjusting his glasses as he did so. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, regarding her.

“You staked Angelus. Cordelia retaliated and sent you into the wall.”

“She what!?” Buffy said, her eyes wide with surprise. “How could she do that?”

“The same way she took off that demon’s head. It has to be the force in the prophecy. There’s no other explanation.”

Buffy shook her head, not wanting to believe that she was knocked out by Cordelia. She began to pace as her memory slowly came back to her. She stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes against a groan. It was Cordelia who had hit her. The force of the blow sent her backwards into the wall.

“Where’s Angelus?” She asked as she looked at Wesley.

“He’s upstairs with Cordelia. She got to him in time.”

“He’s alive,” Buffy said, her voice soft, almost drained of emotion. She shook her head again and sighed.

“Before you try to kill him again, let me show you something.”

Wesley closed one of his books, revealing an old piece of parchment. Curious, she went over to the table and looked down. She frowned as she looked at it.

“What is it?”

“This parchment tells of Angel’s return to humanity. He has a long way to go, but I’ve read and translated something that deals with this prophecy.”

“I hope it doesn’t say the same thing,” Buffy groaned.

Wesley shook his head and pointed to the passage he had translated.

“It says here that the vampire will lose his soul to his true love. With an act of self-sacrifice, they will be bonded and produce a powerful force that will rid the world of its evil.”

“Oh, my God,” Buffy whispered as she sank to the floor. She stared at nothing as the realization of what she nearly had done sank in. She closed her eyes and groaned.

“Luckily, Cordelia came in before you nearly destroyed the world’s chance.”

Buffy said nothing as she continued to mentally berate herself. She had almost killed Angelus and in doing so she had nearly destroyed Cordelia’s happiness and the world. She began to rock back and forth as it dawned on her. She was paranoid when it came to Angelus. She couldn’t get the memories out of her mind of what he did the last time she had seen him. She couldn’t believe that he was capable of anything other than evil. She shook her head and looked up at Wesley.

“What have I done?”

“You didn’t do anything, thanks to Cordelia,” Wesley said. “I’m not going to punish you even more by saying you nearly ruined Angel’s chance at being human again. I think you’re kicking yourself enough.”

Tears threatened Buffy’s eyes at hearing that. Movement caught her eyes and shook looked up to see Angelus and Cordelia on the last step of the stairs. She suddenly couldn’t look at them. She couldn’t face what she nearly did to them, to the world. She stood up and went to the couch to grab her things.

“And where do you think you’re going?” Angelus asked from beside Cordelia. “Do you think you can just make a mistake and leave without being punished?”

“Leave her alone, Angelus,” Wesley said, realizing that the vampire was angry enough to kill. “She’s realized what she nearly done and she’s beating herself up over it. I think that’s punishment enough.”

“I don’t,” the vampire growled as he came down the last step. His eyes glittered with anger as he stared at the slayer.

“You’re not going to punish her like you did Darla,” Wesley said, getting up and going over to him. “You need to rest. You could open that wound up again. Then where will Cordelia be?”

The vampire stopped at that and glared at Wesley. He looked over at Cordelia and could see that her face was pale. He went over to her and knew then that she had given him blood. He wrapped his arms around her and held her to him. He didn’t want to do anything that would hurt her or upset her.

“She should go back to Sunnydale and say that the prophecy is being fulfilled and that there isn’t anything to worry about. It’s a good thing.”

Angelus raised an eyebrow at the ex-watcher, “Just let her go when she cane phone Giles and tell him then?”

“It would be better in person,” Buffy spoke up. She wanted to get out the hotel, away from Angelus. She could see that he was angry. She knew that he wanted to kill her, punish her for hurting Cordelia. For a moment, she thought they would let him, but Wesley came to her defense. She didn’t dare question it.

Angelus glared at her, a low growl coming from him. She didn’t take a step back or show her fear. She didn’t want to give him a reason to attack her. For all she knew, he could be stronger than he was before thanks to this force. She didn’t want to test it anytime soon.

“I’m not through with you, slayer.”

“Yes, you are, Angelus,” Cordelia said as she pulled him to her. “I’m not letting you out of my sight again. You need to rest and heal before you do anything resembling fighting.”

Angelus closed his eyes and they could see that he was fighting his own battle right then. They held their breath, waiting to see the outcome. Slowly, he opened his eyes and growled again.

“Fine, go. If I see you here again, I will make good on my threat to finish it.”

Buffy didn’t wait to be told twice. She gathered her things and ran out of the hotel. Glad to escape Angelus’ wrath, for now.

Chapter Ten

Angelus and Cordelia sat on the couch in the lobby as Wesley went over the prophecy in the scrolls again. Cordelia rested her head against the vampire’s chest, glad that it had started healing nicely. A couple bags of blood along with her own blood was doing just the trick to see him well again. She ran her hand over his chest, causing him to sigh softly.

“So you’re saying that both of us will rid the world of evil?” Angelus asked, a brow raised skeptically.

Wesley adjusted his glasses to look at the vampire then back at the paper he had written on.

“Well, not all of it,” he said. “Just enough to make a dent.”

“You could have told Ms. Kill-Happy that before she tried to stake Angelus,” Cordelia said, her eyes narrowed at the ex-watcher.

“I was still translating the scrolls. How was I supposed to know she would go after him.”

“Well, let’s see,” Cordelia said as she sat up, a thoughtful expression on her face. “She’s a slayer, he’s vampire that has tried to kill her before. She thinks he’s up to no good as usual. I think you can take it from there, Wesley.”

Wesley shook his head as Angelus chuckled. He wrapped his arms around the Seer and brought her closer to him. He placed a kiss on her temple and nibbled her earlobe. He felt her shiver and it sent a wave of desire flowing through him.

“Still, I couldn’t have predicted it even if I knew she would,” the watcher said in defense of himself. “Besides, you saved him and she’s gone.”

“For now,” Cordelia said, her voice faint. She didn’t want to see Buffy again. She didn’t want to know that Angelus would be in danger everytime the slayer decided to come down. She shook her head and looked at the vampire’s hands around her waist. She smiled as thoughts of what those hands could do flashed through her mind.

“Naughty, naughty,” Angelus whispered in her ear. “You keep that up and we’ll just forget that Wesley’s standing right there.”

Cordelia blushed. She should have known that he could smell her desire. She looked over at him and she could see his black eyes held the same for her. She smiled and turned back around as Wesley spoke again. They had plenty of time to sate themselves later.

“I’ve translated the rest of the prophecy,” he said as he looked at them. “It seems that the books only had a piece of it. There’s a lot more in store for both of you.”

“Besides my becoming human again,” Angelus said, an eyebrow raised.

“Yes. It all happens before you become human. The part we know has already happened. Angelus returns with his true love and a bond is formed between them. Since she gave you her blood to save you, the bond has formed. Cordelia has already shown that the force is beginning to take shape. She has the strength of a slayer as we’ve seen. Angelus will grow stronger as the bond grows stronger.”

“Does that mean, the visions will get stronger?” Cordelia asked, hoping that they didn’t.

“No,” Wesley answered, causing her to sigh in relief. “They will become more clearer to you.”

“That’s something at least.”

“Anything else, Wesley?” Angelus asked as he stroked Cordelia’s back.

“Yes,” Wesley said as he adjusted his glasses again.

Angelus could tell that the ex-watcher was getting nervous. What could there be in the prophecy that would make him nervous? Was it bad? Was it something he didn’t want to tell them?

“Spit it out, Wesley,” the vampire said, not wanting to be kept waiting. He really wasn’t good with patience. He didn’t think he ever had any.

Wesley cleared his throat and looked at the two. Angelus could see the man blushing. He smirked at that and shook his head. He could only guess what could cause a grown man to blush.

“It says that once the bond as strengthen enough, the Scourge and his true love will have a child.”

Angelus stared at Wesley as Cordelia shouted her surprise. The vampire blinked several times before it finally sank in.

“We’re going to what?” He asked, still not believing it. “A child? I can’t. It’s not possible.”

“This says it is,” Wesley said, handing the paper to him. “I’ve checked and re-checked several times. I’ve even translated it in a different language then translated it in English. It comes out the same.”

“You’ve screwed up before, Wesley,” Cordelia said. “You thought his Shanshu meant he’d die before you fixed it.”

Wesley shook his head as Angelus took the paper from him, “I’m right this time, Cordelia. You’re going to have a child.”

Cordelia sat back in the cushions as the words sank into her mind. How could a vampire have a child? Was the Powers going to give him that ability? She shook her head and put her head in her hands. It was overwhelming and she didn’t doubt that Angelus was reeling with this bit of news. She looked up over at him and could see he was reading and re-reading the translation. He shook his head and handed the paper back to Wesley.

“The child is going to take up where we left off,” Angelus said as he turned to Cordelia. “It’s going to rid the world of the evil.”

Cordelia shook her head and closed her eyes. She felt his arms wrap around her and she sank into them. She felt safe in them. The outside world and its troubles couldn’t reach her when she was wrap up in his embrace. She sighed softly as she ran her hands over his arms. “Does it say when it will happen?” She asked as she opened her eyes and looked at Wesley. “An exact time.”

Wesley shook his head and looked at the paper, “I haven’t translated that far. I’m guessing you still have a few years before this will happen.”

She nodded and closed her eyes again.

Angelus kissed the top of her head. He could sense that she was confused about all of it. He was as well, though surprised would be a better word. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what a child of his would be like. He could already guess that the child would be part vampire, there was no question about that. The child would more than likely be a combination of both of them; a Seer with vampire abilities.

He never thought he would ever have children. It was a shock that he would be having one. He shook his head and breathed in Cordelia’s sent. It was comforting and it put him at ease.

“Until then, we’ll be the ones kicking demon butt,” he said. “Sounds like what we’ve already been doing.”

“You’ll be stronger now,” Wesley said.

“Does that mean I can train with you now?” Cordelia asked Angelus, her voice innocent, but her eyes full of mischief.

Angelus shook his head and chuckled. It would be interesting to see how she could handle herself. He already saw how she could handle a sword when the need called for it. He smiled at the memory of her knocking Buffy up against a wall. He wouldn’t mind seeing that again. He kissed her temple then her lips before answering her.

“I’m game if you are,” he said. “I think you would be a force not to be trifled with.”

“Good,” she said and kissed him. Before it could become anything else, she winced and grabbed her head. She cried out, barely feeling the vampire’s arms holding her.

“Delia,” Angelus said, his voice full of worry as she thrashed against him. He held her tightly to him, hoping to lessen the movements.

Wesley went to the kitchen to get what was needed as Cordelia began to relax against Angelus. Her eyes were still closed, but her breathing was returning to normal. He moved some hair off her face as she opened her eyes.

“What did you see?” He asked as Wesley came back with the water and pills.

Cordelia sat up and took the pills and water. She swallowed the aspirin and caught her breath before she turned to Angelus.

“I saw a vampire,” she answered, her voice soft, afraid to talk any louder cause of the pain. “He was stalking a woman. They’re not far from here. I saw a street sign.”

Wesley handed Cordelia a pen and paper and she wrote the street down. She then handed it to Angelus.

“Then let’s go,” he said.

The three gathered what they needed and headed to the car.

The three arrived at the street in Cordelia’s vision and they could see a woman walking alone down the street. Cordelia pointed her out to them then looked behind them for the vampire.

“I don’t see him,” she whispered as she looked around.

“That doesn’t mean he’s not here,” Angelus said as he climbed out of the car and stepped onto the sidewalk. Cordelia and Wesley followed him, there weapons at the ready.

Angelus stared at the woman as she walked further away from them. Maybe the vampire would begin following her later down the street. He narrowed his eyes and began walking after her.

“What he’s doing?” Wesley asked as he watched the vampire head after the woman.

Cordelia followed the ex-watcher’s gaze and shook her head. “Maybe if he follows her, he might run into the vampire.”

“Or something worse,” Wesley said as he took off after Angelus. Cordelia followed after him, her crossbow in hand.

Angelus followed the woman a few steps behind her. He kept his sense on alert for any sign of another vampire. So far, he hadn’t sensed anything. He narrowed his eyes as he wondered if Cordelia’s vision had been wrong. He shook that thought away, though. She had never been wrong before. Off maybe, but never wrong.

“All right, where are you?” He whispered as he looked around, searching for another vampire. Could he have scared it off? Was it waiting further down the street?

Suddenly, a black shape jumped out in front of the woman. She screamed and was hit against the head, sending her into a wall. It wasn’t a vampire, but a werewolf. He raised an eyebrow at that as the creature turned and glared at him.

“A puppy,” he said as he walked up to it. It growled at him and he smiled. “I think you’re in the wrong part of town. Did the pound let you out?”

The werewolf growled again, causing the woman to whimper. The creature bared its teeth at her and she screamed. Angelus rolled his eyes and took another step toward the werewolf. He stopped when it turned its yellow gaze to him. It sneered and Angelus raised an eyebrow.

“Why don’t you be a nice doggy and go find a bone to bury,” he said, his voice calm even as it was sarcastic. He could hear the blood pounding through the woman and it was causing his hunger to rise. If the werewolf didn’t leave soon, they would probably fight over who got to eat her.

“That’s a good dog,” he whispered, making a mental note to put silver bullets on the things to get list.

He sensed Cordelia and Wesley behind him, but he made no move. He didn’t want the creature to make any moves toward them. He kept his attention on the werewolf.

Cordelia looked at the werewolf then at the woman. She then understood what she had seen in her vision. She had seen Angelus following the woman. They were here to stop her from being killed by a werewolf. She looked over at Wesley and motioned for him to get to the woman while Angelus distracted the creature. She then turned her attention to the creature as she stayed behind Angelus, keeping out of sight.

Wesley took a deep breath and cautiously moved toward the woman. She looked over at him and he could see the change in her eyes. She was frightened, he could see that, but she was also relieved. He smiled at her and motioned for her to come over to him. She looked at the werewolf then at him. He nodded, not wanting to get the werewolf’s attention. She nodded in return and slowly moved toward Wesley.

Angelus could see the woman moving away out of the corner of his eye. He relaxed slightly as he kept his gaze on the werewolf. He didn’t want the woman near when he started attacking. With any luck, the creature would never know that its meal was getting away.

“Now be a good dog and go home,” he said as he took another step toward it. “I’m sure you’re owner is worried about you.”

The werewolf growled and swung its paw at him. He ducked and punched the creature in the ribs. It cried out and backed away, it fangs bared. Angelus smiled and bared his own fangs, getting the creature riled up again.

“Aren’t you missing something?” He taunted.

The werewolf looked in the direction the woman had been to see that she was no longer there. It looked up and behind Angelus to see two more had joined the vampire. They also had its prey and they were smiling at it. It growled low in its throat and took another swing at the vampire. He caught its paw in mid-punch.

“You should have gone home,” he said as he began to crush its paw. It began to whimper then cry out in pain. Angelus smiled, his yellow eyes glittering at the pain he brought the creature.

The werewolf sank to its knees, whimpering at the pain. Angelus let go and took a step back. The werewolf looked up at him and growled. It jumped up and smacked him across the face, sending him into the wall. It growled louder as it swung again, this time Angelus caught the paw. It swung out with its other paw, hitting Angelus in the side of the head. He hissed and lifted his knee between the creature’s legs. It howled in pain, sinking to its knees again.

“You’ve asked for it now,” he growled as he lifted the creature to its feet and spun around, slamming it against the wall. It didn’t cry out this time as it sank to the ground, leaving a blood trail where its head it the wall.

“I think you don’t know your own strength,” Cordelia said as she came up beside him. She put a hand on his arm as she stared at the proof that he was getting stronger.

Angelus nodded and looked over at Cordelia. He smiled down at her and put his hand over hers. He squeezed her hand, glad to have her beside him.

“The woman’s going to be fine,” she whispered as she looked over where Wesley was talking with her. “I think Wesley’s going to take her home. Why don’t we do the same.”

“Good idea,” the vampire said, his voice seductive.

Cordelia smiled at him and shook her head. The two made their way to Wesley, who nodded to them.

“I’ll be by after I drop her off,” Wesley said.

“Take your time,” Angelus said with a smile as he led Cordelia back to the car.

The two arrived at the hotel ten minutes later. It had gotten colder, so Angelus put his coat over Cordelia’s shoulders as he led her inside the building. They stepped inside and a strange feeling came over both of them. The stood in the lobby, looking around their surroundings as if seeing it for the first time.

“It’s quiet,” Cordelia whispered. “It’s almost as if it’s a tomb.”

Angelus went over to her and wrapped his arms around her, placing a kiss on her temple.

“I’m sure there’ll be noise soon,” he said. “Right now, let’s just enjoy the fact that we’re the only ones here.”

“And no interruptions. No Buffy to ruin the solidtude.”

“The perfect night,” Angelus whispered as he took of her coat and placed it on the couch. “You know, that’s the second time you had a vision of me.”

Cordelia looked at him then away. She realized that fact the moment he took off after the woman. She nodded and sighed.

“Do you think they will all be like that?” She asked, looking at him again. “Is that what the bond is about?”

Angelus shrugged and took her into his arms. He wasn’t sure about anything, except the fact that he wanted her, desired her, and loved her. It was strange that she had become more like Tasia as the prophecy came to light. She had vampire abilities and her visions would become stronger. He looked into her eyes and could still see his lost love looking back at him. If he wasn’t soulless, he would start crying at that moment. Instead, he kissed her with all the passion he felt for her.

“I think it’s more,” he whispered when he pulled away. “I think it’s a bond that has been between us since I found Tasia. I think the visions you have are you’re way of protecting me. There telling you to watch out for me even as they give you the information to save someone.”

Cordelia wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest. If it did go all the way back to Tasia then could it mean that she was the one that was destined to be with him? To share this bond and prophecy? Then again, she did remember the scrolls mentioning the Seer. She
was that. Maybe she was more, though. Maybe she was Tasia, his true love and Seer all in one. She smiled at that thought.

“I guess that makes me your protector as well,” she said, humor in her voice.

Angelus chuckled and kissed the top of her head, “You’re everything to me, Delia. Everything and more.”

Cordelia looked up into his dark eyes and could see the love shining in them. She was amazed that someone like him could love. Then again, he had loved Tasia. She smiled at him and brought his head down for a kiss. He was everything to her as well and she would protect him. Just like
she protected him from the demon and Buffy. They would be there for each other and the child that was to come.

“I love you, Angelus,” she whispered against his lips.

“I love you,” he whispered in return. “My past and my future. Forever.”

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