Completely Different

Title: Completely Different (2/?)



Author: QueenC



Rating: NC-17



Pairings: Spike/Cordelia, Angelus/Cordelia. Mentions Spike/Dru, Angelus/Dru, and Cordelia/Xander



Disclaimer: I assure you I'm not Joss Whedon in disguise.



Distribution: Anywhere I send it. Anyone else wants it, just ask!



Spoilers: Anything and everything is possible.



Summary: What if Buffy had staked Angel the moment she learned he was a vampire?



Author's Notes: This fic takes place in Season Two of BtVS. It's my first *ever* Spike/Cordelia fic, so please be kind. As in all my fics, Angel is Spike's sire simply because I refuse to believe differently. Words in *'s are emphasized, words in 's are thoughts, words in ~'s are dreams, and words in ^'s are flashbacks. This story also deals with two different realities. One of them is the Buffyverse that we all know. The second is similar to the Wishverse...just not. For purposes of this story, I'm going to refer to it as the What-If-Verse. *g*



WARNING: THIS FIC CONTAINS CHARACTER DEATHS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF TORTURE. (FROM BOTH THE BUFFYVERSE AND THE WHAT-IF-VERSE.) IF THIS SORT OF THING BOTHERS YOU, THEN READ NO FURTHER!!!





******



Sunnydale: Buffyverse



Cordelia wasn't certain how long she stood in the library, completely in shock. There were books. And computers. And weapons. Lots and lots of weapons.



As if in a trance, the vampiress entered the cage area, staring at the various swords, axes and crossbows that littered the small area. "It's like this place was never destroyed, like Giles is still alive and living under the guise of being a librarian," she muttered, picking up a stake and rolling it around in her hand.



Suddenly, she snarled, her true demonic face appearing. "Where's the rubble? The piles of bones and bodies? Where is *Spike*?!" she growled, tossing the stake to the ground and storming out of the cage. She marched back to the office, searching the area where she had appeared. However, nothing caught her eye. Just books and more books.



Yelling in frustration, the former cheerleader grabbed the edge of the desk, easily tipping it on its side. However, watching the contents scatter across the floor did little to appease her.



"All right. It's obvious that I'm not going to get any answers here. So, I guess I'll just go beat the answers out of someone." A small smirk filled her features at the thought of torturing some unsuspecting Scooby. Humming softly, she exited the library, strolling down the hallway. She took her time, staring at the darkened classrooms and brightly colored posters that littered the walls.



"Looks like school is still in session here. What, did I go back in time?" she wondered. Suddenly, she stopped walking, her grin spreading. Slipping back into her human mask, she inhaled deeply. "Principal Snyder."



Snyder stared at the back of the young woman, a frown on his face. "Ms. Chase, you have exactly three seconds to get yourself back into that library before I lose my temper," he ordered.



Rolling her eyes, Cordelia turned to face him. Looking him up and down, she laughed softly. "Ooh. I'm truly frightened. I can just *imagine* what you would do to little old me," she breathed. Running her hands down her ler-cer-clad body, she locked eyes with him, her ruby-red lips curling into a seductive smile.



Swaying her hips back and forth, she sauntered towards him, stopping directly in front of him. Licking her lips, she leaned forward, her mouth inches from his ear. "I bet you're thinking of all sorts of punishments for me *right* now, aren't you?" she whispered. Taking handhand, she placed it on her butt, hissing in pleasure and pressing herself against him. "You're probably wishing that you could turn me over your knee and spank me, make me pay for every little rich snob that ever snubbed you in high school."



Snyder swallowed, his brain screaming at his body to turn and run. However, his libido had other ideas. Slowly, he nodded. "You think you're so much better than everyone else. Always running around in your little skirts and skin-tight shirts, showing off your bodies, using them to get what you want. It doesn't matter who you step on or hurt in the process. You just look down your stuck-up noses at us and go on your merry little way," he snapped. "Well, not here and *not* now. This is *my* school. I'm in charge here."



Cordelia grinned, taking a step back and staring at the little man. "It's sad, really," she said, rug heg her fingers over his bald head, lightly scratching her nails against his scalp.



"What is?" the principal replied sharply.



Grabbing the hair at the back of his neck, she yanked his head back, gazing into his wide eyes. "All this time on this planet, and you never once got laid," she responded, her game face sliding into place. She smiled around her fangs, reveling in the scream that erupted from him. "Shh," she whispered, placing her fingers against his lips. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I promise to be gentle." Then, she lowered her head and ripped his throat out.



Dropping his dead body on the ground, Cordelia let her human façade return. She stared at the corpse for a moment, a smile on her face. "Oops. Looks like I lied," she said. Laughing, she stepped over Snyder and walked through the doors, exiting the school.



Standing on the steps, she inhaled deeply, focusing her senses on the only person she was interested in finding. Suddenly, her eyes flew open and she turned her head. "Sire," she whispered. Fading into the shadows, she went in search of her creator and mate.



******



Sunnydale: Buffyverse



"So then Cordelia tells him 'Well, if the school would fix the potholes in the student parking lot, then those of us with *nice* cars could park there.' And, after Snyder's face returned to its normal shade, she ended up with detention for the next month," Xander stated, sighing.



Willow nodded, patting her friend's shoulder. "It'll be ok. She'll be out of trouble and you two will be back in the closet before you know it," she said softly. Then, her green eyes widened. "I mean..."



Buffy laughed, glancing over her shoulder at the redhead. "I think we all know what you meant, Will. There's no reason for a visual, really," she teased.



Giles sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, his glasses in his other hand. "Buffy, do pay attention to where you are walking. It's at moments like this, when you have your focus elsewhere, that you are at your weakest," he reprimanded.



At that moment, a vampire jumped from the bushes, running at the small group. The Slayer pulled a stake out and drove the wood into the demon's chest, her eyes never leaving her Watcher.



"You were saying?" she asked, an innocent look on her face.



The English man sighed again, choosing not to respond. Xander and Willow, however, weren't nearly as silent.



"Wow! That was *so* cool!" Willow exclaimed, grinning broadly. "You just made him go 'poof' without even looking!"



Xander nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's a shame you can't do that with all of the baddies. It would sure make for some short patrols."



Buffy shrugged, a large grin spreading across her face. "That was pretty neat, huh? Look at me and my bad self!" she replied. Then, she suddenly froze the smile disappearing. Slowly, she turned her head, her eyes studying the foliage that surrounded them.



"Buffy, what is it? Do you sense something?" Giles asked in alarm, quietly pulling out a cross. He motioned for Willow and Xander to move behind him.



Not answering him, the blonde raised her hand, clutching the stake tightly. She then began moving slowly towards the bushes, her footsteps silent on the grass. Reaching her destination, she pulled the leaves back, revealing a small clearing. No one was there.



Frowning, the young woman shrugged, turning to face her friends, who collectively were releasing breaths they hadn't even realized they were holding.



"That is *so* weird!" Buffy stated. "I could have *sworn* I sensed a vamp. And a powerful one at that." Shrugging, she smiled, continuing on her path through the cemetery. "So, what was that I heard about shorter slaying time? Because that would equal longer play time, which is always of the good."



Chatting aimlessly, the three teenagers, along with an out of place Watcher, disappeared into the maze of tombstones and mausoleums. Once their voices had faded into the distance, Cordelia dropped out of the tree she had been perched in, staring after them.



Raising an eyebrow, the vampiress smirked in amusement. "So I'm still alive here, huh? Oh, *this* is going to be fun," she murmured. Then, she turned on her heel, going in the opposite direction of the group. "All I have to do now is find my sire, wherever he is," she stated. As an afterthought, she added, "But first, I need to get something to eat. I am *starving*."



Giggling, she decided to go to the one place that she had always enjoyed feeding at. The Bronze.



"Who knows? Maybe Spike will be there, too. Then the games can *really* begin."



******



Sunnydale: What-If-Verse



Cordelia was in shock. As she numbly followed the bleached blonde vampire through the streets of Sunnydale, she couldn't seem to wrap her mind around what he had told her.



They were dead. The small group that she had begun to call friends was gone. Although, apparently some hadn't *stayed* dead. Willow and Xander had both been turned by the Master and were apparently *incredibly* strong. However, according to Spike, they were most certainly *not* her friends. In fact, they worked for Mayor Wilkins and tried to kill her at every opportunity.



Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Angel!" she exclaimed. She flinched slightly when Spike growled, glaring at her. Yet, she refused to back down. Meeting his gaze, she continued, "What about Angel? He's probably here somewhere, lurking and brooding."



The Big Bad shook his head, his blue eyes filling with pain. "Angelus is gone. The Slayer staked him before she died," he replied.



Cordelia nodded, not too surprised at that revelation. "So that's why Drusilla isn't here, too," she mused, "Because, if Angel is gone, then you couldn't have used him to help her when she got sick. Right?"



Spike nodded sharply, not saying anything. Although he was happy with *his* Cordelia, he still missed Dru. When she had died, a part of him had gone as well. Of course, it hadn't helped that his Sire had been dead too. In fact, he was the only remaining member of the Fearsome Foursome that still existed.



Shaking his head, the blonde refused to think about such depressing things. Right now, he had a job to do. Find Wilkins, force him to undo whatever it was he had done, and then kill him. Simple plan, really. However, the human currently trudging alongside him was just one of the unknown factors that could send his plan to hell.



Growling, he thought about the fact that Cordelia could be in trouble right now, and he was helpless to stop her.



As images of her being tortured and staked flashed before his eyes, he picked up his speed. "Hurry up, pet. We need to swing by the lair and pick up some things before we head to City Hall," he called over his shoulder.



Cordelia gave him a dark look, yet forced her aching legs to move faster. "Where is this lair of yours?" she questioned irritably. "The next town over? I feel like I've been walking for hours!"



Spike rolled his eyes. "Well, the main place is at the Hellmouth itself. But, you, I mean, Delia and I have a private home, away from the general population. Only our most trusted minions stay there. That's where we're going," he replied.



The young woman nodded, not certain if she liked the idea of that or not. However, she realized that she really didn't have a choice. So far, she hadn't passed one single human, hadn't seen one store or home with lights on. In all actuality, she was on her own, with only a soulless demon to rely on.



******