Fueled Enchantment

Chapter 11

Angel slammed his car door and shoved the key into the ignition. He rammed the gas pedal down
and the car blazed out of the driveway of the Council's country house.


Cordy gave him a Look. "Tantrum much? What exactly is your problem? And why do we need to
stay in some drafty hotel when we could be staying-for free, mind you-in that lovely house?"


"The whole place reeks." He said through clenched teeth.


"Reeks! It does not! It's a gorgeous house!"


"Sex, Cordy. It smells like sex."
"
"Ah." Cordy narrowed her eyes. " Buffy and Spike sex? Well, jeez Angel, get over it. You left
her. She found Spike, and they've been together for years. Get over it."


"Reeks! All the Spikes and all the Buffys are having sex!" He thundered.


"So what business is it of yours? Maybe there's some kind of chemical attraction thing with them.
And turn this car around and take mck. ck. I've changed my mind, I'm staying at the council
house."


"What?"


"I am not forking out my money when I can stay for free at the house."


"I'm paying for the room. Like I always do."


"You think I'm staying with you? In the same bed? While you obsess about Buffy boffing Spike? I
hardly think so!" She folded her arms over her chest, and stuck her nose in the air. "Take me
back."


With a growl, Angel turned the car around. "All right. I'll stay there, too."


"Maybe you should get your own room. So you won't have any interruption in your Buffy and
Spike sex obsession."


They entered the council house. Giles looked up at them in surprise.


"We decided to stay here after all," Cordy announced in her sweetest voice. "Angel, go get the
luggage."


Angel got the luggage. Cordy said nothing when they were put in one room.


None of the couples that caused the spat between Cordy and Angel were around. After the
training session in the field the Council's High Coven had determined would be the location where
the portal opened, all three pairs had disappeared.


Cordy got ready for bed in a frosty silence, so Angel went downstairs to find a little alcoholic
warmth. He found Willow and Tara in the large living room, watching TV.


"So, what do you do for fun around these parts?" he asked in a false hearty voice, helping himself
to a large glass of scotch.


"Well, sometimes we play cards, or watch videos," Willow said.


"Yeah, but since the others paired up, not so much." Tara said.


"And how long since the others all paired up?" He asked.


"Well, our pair were already married. And the other two couples-I don't know. Maybe day five?
No one made announcements, so we didn't figure it out right away."


Angel nodded and knocked back his drink, then poured another. Willow snickered, "Yeah, that's
pretty much how Giles reacted."


"Doesn't it bother you? Spike with Buffy?"


Willow shrugged. "They seem happy...they are art hut hurting anyone...what business is it of ours?
I still remember when the council set that team to kill Buffy. It was the worst day of my life, since
I'd started the whole thing. I'm glad to see her happy and healthy."


"And the other Buffys and Spikes," Tara commented in her soft way. "They were very lonely.
And that's not good for anyone."


The witches went left him to his drink, and Angel decided to see if Cordy was still mad at him.


She was in bed, her back to him. Her nightgown was one of his favorites, soft white cotton with
lace in all the right places, and she smelled of sweet musk and flowers, a perfume he'd given her
as a gift. He climbed into bed and buried his nose in the hair at her neck. Now he'd be able to
sleep.


She rolled over and he pillowed his head on the soft lace covering her full breasts. "When this is
over we're going to New Orleans. Married Buffy told me about a swamp witcht cat can restore
your soul, no curse. Then we can have a normal sex life." Her hand drifted through his hair and
she went to sleep.


Angel was a wake for a long time, pondering her words. Cordy, she was always on his side. She
loved him, he knew, and didn't idolize him one bit. She was good for him. Kept him humble. He
fell asleep nestled against her.

***


The following night the sky cackled with pops and sparks of colored lights. A vertical slit opened
in the night sky above the field the High Coven had divined as the opening of the portal.
Lightening shot through the slit in the sky, and vapor poured out of it.


Far below, in the field, the teams of slayers and champions gripped their weapons and prepared to
battle, trying to clear their minds of the thoughts that crowded them, to concentrate on the
mission.


The Queen emerged, three stories high, thousands of bulbous tentacles whipping around. She
emitted a shriek, the sound so loud and harsh the teams froze.


Angel fell, his irritation at the Buffy/Spike sexathon at the council house forgotten, as was his
regret in making Cordy upset. He curled on the ground, covering his head in agony.


Unsouled Spike fell, his delight in having the Counci cre credit card tucked into his pocket and
plans for a swift get away with his Buffy wiped from his mind.


Married Spike fell, his concern for his wife and this battle erased by the pain.


LA Spike fell, his joy in the new understanding he had with his Buffy wiped away by the stabbing
pain.


"They're down! All the vampires are down!" Cordy screeched, night vision binoculars plast
ag
against her face. "Well, do something!" She yelled at the High Coven.