�Is this really any way to great me?� she asked with a slight laugh. �I mean, come on, Angel! It�s been a long time!�
�Not long enough,� Angel said under his breath.
The tension that formed in the room in those brief words, made me want to run from the room. All eyes were on Angel and Cordelia now, and I found myself stepped back unconsciously.
�Angel, you can�t tell me you�re still mad at me,� she sighed. �I mean, tell me what honestly has you so upset about it. Is it that you got a taste of your own medicine? Or is it that I didn�t care?�
I looked from her to Angel, realization setting in. Angel and Cordelia must have dated! But �taste of your own medicine�? That could only mean that Cordelia hurt Angel like he�s apparently done to so many other women�And to not care? It didn�t make any sense.
�Cordy, can we not do this here?� Angel seemed to have a hard time checking his anger. �All of your guests. You should be entertaining them right now.�
�Oh, I think we are,� Cordelia laughed slightly. �I mean, here you are, a year after it all went down, and you�re still mad at me!� She laughed at the irony of the situation. �Come on, Angel. You�ve got to see some shred of humor in all of this.�
�The only humor I see is that you think I care,� Angel shot back.
Cordy raised an eyebrow, her mood changing to one of defense and resentment. �You don�t care?� she asked as if she found it impossible to believe. �You honestly expect me to believe that you don�t care?�
�This isn�t the time, Cordy,� Angel tried again.
But Cordy was too upset now. �Not the time? It�s never the time, Angel! I�m not working on your schedule anymore. And honestly I don�t care what everyone hears. I can tell you one thing though. If they hear it from me, it�s going to be the damn truth!�
It was Angel�s turn to laugh now. �The truth?� he asked as if he couldn�t believe she had said it. �From you? You mean to tell me that you don�t lie so much that your great grandchildren�s children will be paying for your sins in Hell?!�
�You think I lie all the time?� she asked ecstatically. �When was the last time you told the truth, Angel? Or can you even remember that far back?� She glowered at him like he was a bug on her freshly-cleaned, Mercedes windshield.
�I don�t have time for this, Cordelia,� Angel said, and turned his back to her to walk away.
She didn�t miss the insult. �Don�t you turn your back on me, Angelus!� Cordelia pointed straight at him. �You just can�t stand it that one woman could ruin your life!�
Angel came over to me and offered his hand. I looked in to his eyes, and he seemed to be almost pleading with me not to desert him in the middle of all of this. He desperately needed someone with the guts and the nerve to stand by him.
�Come with me?� he asked softly.
�Buffy,� Hank stepped to Cordelia�s side. �Buffy, come here. Right now. Get over here.� His voice was stern as he made his order.
�She�s not going to go with you, Angel,� Cordelia said, crossing her arms over her chest smugly. �She�s got a brain.�
I looked at her, and hated her. I looked to Angel then and said, �that�s right. I have a brain.�
He looked heart broken right there, like he thought for sure that I meant I would never speak to him again, let alone go with him.
How could he know what I was about to add.
I turned to face Cordelia and my father. �You,� I pointed at Cordelia, and she smiled brightly at me.
�You must be Buffy!� she said with a big smile on her face. She was all too ready to have someone there to gossip about Angel with her. �I�m Cordelia Chase.�
�Yeah I know,� I smiled. �As you mentioned before, I have a brain.� She laughed at my little joke, thinking I was really as cute and innocent as I was acting at the moment.
�Buffy, please come here, darling,� my father said with a soft yet firm tone in his voice.
I smiled at him and asked, �father�When was the last time I listened to you?�
Everyone�s faces fell.
I turned then, and I asked Angel with a hopeful expression, �are you going to ask me again?�
He smiled and held out his hand, which I gladly took. I smiled back at him, and in a flash, we were exiting the ballroom together.
My father, having recovered from his heart attack, started after us. �Buffy Anne Summers!� he exclaimed. �You get back here this instant! I mean it! You get back here!�
But Angel was already helping me in to the waiting limousine. As the limo drove off, I called out the window with a laugh, �don�t worry! I�ll be back home before curfew, daddy!�
He watched me drive off, and there was nothing he could do to stop me.
I sat back against the leather seats and sighed, �I can�t believe I just did that. I just ruined my reputation.� The idea of it all was too much to take in at the moment.
Angel slid closer to me and grinned, �how did it feel?�
I smiled, �surprisingly relieving. I was wondering how long it would take me to mess up. It makes me feel a little bit better to have it done and over with on my own terms.�
�Where do you want to go?� Angelus asked me after a moment.
I glanced out the window at the world passing me by. I truly hated Devil�s Gorge. It was no mystery to me now, why it was called Devil�s Gorge. This is the place where all of the devil people in the world came out to play with their fortunes.
I looked at Angel and smiled softly. In the pale moonlight, he looked so mysterious. I couldn�t think of anything I wanted more than to discover the mystery that was Angelus D�Aestas.
I slid closer to him, and placed a gentle kiss on his lips, nibbling on his lower lip for a moment. Then I leaned in closer to his ear and whispered, �anywhere but here�As long as I can take you with me.�
"Sounds like paradise," Angelus said, pulling me into his arms and devouring my lips.