False Claims

Chapter Sixteen





The edge of oblivion is a warm place. It’s the first day of spring, it’s the last day of school, it’s your grandmother’s cookies and a fire on a stormy day. It’s the precipice on which you stood and gazed into the welcoming abyss of slumber. And as the nothingness washed over you...some stupid tapping craps it up.



What is that? Cordelia’s brain screamed as she tried to shake of the early stages of sleep.



Cocking her head to the side, she listened carefully to the night’s sounds in the hopes of identifying those which ripped her so callously from her mandatory 8 hours of beauty sleep.



Tap Tap Tap



Snapping on the small bedside lamp, Cordelia made a careful survey of her room. Creepy closet noises? No. Creepy under the bed noises? Nope. Creepy balcony noises? Ding Ding Ding!



Even in her drowsy state, Cordelia knew that whatever was out there, and in Sunnydale it couldn’t possibly be anything good, would have either come in and killed her already or was mystically barred from entering. Demon or vampire? Vampire or demon? It was hard to know which to root for. Of course, since vampires couldn’t come in without an invite, they tended to be the frontrunner. However, if her visitor was who she thought, she would seriously consider rooting for the demon with a free pass to kill her horribly.



Hearing the tapping again, she realized that she wasn’t going to get any sleep unless she dealt with this. Dammit, she spent Lord knows how many hours a week with the stupid Scooby Gang. Why could he never bother her when she was “on duty”?



Sighing as she climbed out of bed and made her way to the window, she pondered how odd her life was that she was longing for a normal, home grown serial killer right now, instead of the supernatural mass murderer she knew she would see when she opened the drapes.



Bracing herself for the unpleasantness sure to follow, Cordelia let her fingers caress the heavy, golden fabric separating her from the face that recently haunted both her nightmares and her dreams. Never one to postpone the inevitable, she curled her hands into the material and pulled it aside.



The jolt of electricity that rushed through her system caught her off guard. She had no doubts that it would be Angelus at her door, so the flutter of what she assumed was surprise seemed out of place.



The vampire standing on the other side of the tangible, fragile glass, and the intangible, unbreakable barrier was also unprepared for the frisson of energy that shot through him at her sudden appearance.



As Cordelia came into view, backlit by the muted bedside light, Angelus couldn’t stop the sensual smile that curved his lips. Admittedly, Cordelia Chase was always a desirable woman, but somehow, standing there still slightly overheated from her bed in her baby blue tank top and matching cotton shorts, she embodied a vulnerability that was as genuinely erotic as the confidence she normally projected.



As his strong hands traced patterns known only to himself on the transparent panes, his voice eased past the glass, through the magic and would it’s way around every nerve ending in her body.



“Open the door, Cordelia.”



Dark and erotic, his voice pulled at her as if the sound were in fact, mystical tendrils overriding her freewill. For that very reason Cordelia was shocked to see her hand on the handle of her balcony doors. Pulling it back as if she’d been burned, she shot a sharp glare at the vampire.



Not remotely deterred, Angelus simply leaned in closer and let his eyes slowly caress the golden skin his demon eyes had no trouble seeing, even in the dim light.



“Cordelia, don’t be difficult. We both know I’m stuck out here until you invite me in.”



Opening the door she informed him, “Well then I guess you’ll be out there ‘til Satan needs to break out his snow shovel, huh?”



Although Cordelia knew that this was Angelus’ morning, it was still her night and she wasn’t sure if she was up to another confrontation with the pesky vampire, especially since it was avoidable what with her be inside the house and him not.



Emptying her lungs in a sigh of resignation she ran a hand through her tousled hair while she gathered her thoughts to put an end to this interlude.



“Look, Angelus, as much as I appreciate this little social call, you can’t be here.”



Normally opposition roused his demon instincts and brought no end of pain to those standing against his whims. But seeing Cordelia standing there, sweet and sleepy, with the illusion of nothing but air between them, he couldn’t help but smile as he was heated by the fire burning from her spirit.



“I can’t?”



The smirk was clear in his voice as was his obvious humoring of her.



Cordelia’s mouth tightened and her jaw clenched as she recalled exactly why the vampire shouldn’t be anywhere near her, much less on her balcony.



“No, you can’t. Giles told me what you did. The only good that came out of the most humiliating experience of my life. I don’t get it, you’re good looking, you’re like king of the Hellmouth or something, you’re a real catch for a dead guy. Can’t you find another way to get women than the whole hypno-hickey thing?”







“Geez, this is worse than when Jason Einertson gave me mono in 8th grade.”



The smile slowly slid off of Angelus’ face as he began to comprehend the meaning behind Cordelia’s nonsense.



“Are you comparing my claim to a communicable disease?” The incredulous question rasped through his lips.



“Well, if the infectious overbite fits...”



Cordelia’s dismissive shrug made clear that even with the watcher’s help she was no where near grasping the seriousness of his hold on her.



Angelus was brought out of his possessive thoughts by Cordelia’s new and yet equally inflammatory, words.



“Seriously, Angelus, you have to leave. Giles was specific about how much time I should spend with you - a big gigantic none.”



As she turned to close the door she was surprised by the lack of grumbling from the vampire. In fact, all she heard was...what was that?



Turning back to the open doorway to identify the sound she saw Angelus, lounging against the invisible barrier flicking a sliver lighter open, igniting the flame, and then smothering it with the cover. He repeated the action a number of times, watching the fire disappear and reemerge.



Catching her eyes following his movements, he smiled at her.



“No, I understand Cordelia. Go back to bed. I’m sure that we can talk in a little while, outside while we wait for the fire department.”



No matter how tired she might be, Cordelia grasped the threat to burn down her house instantly. God, would she never have control of her life again?



“What do you want, Angelus?”



Seeing that she understood that there was no option but submission, he slipped the lighter back into his pocket. Sliding down the unseen wall, he stretched out his legs and, to Cordelia’s dismay, seemed to make himself comfortable.



“Sit down, Cordelia, relax. I only want to talk to you. This can be a painless process, and for once the choice to make it so is up to you.”



“Aren’t these supposed to be your special Buffy stalking hours?” She asked bitterly as she complied with what she had no doubts were Angelus’ orders.



Choosing to sit facing him in the opposite corner of the doorway, Cordelia’s legs were nowhere near as relaxed as those that rested along side hers on the other side of the thin veil of magic.



While Angelus seemed satisfied to just sit and enjoy the enticing picture presented by the scantily clad brunette, Cordelia was less pleased by the ongoing silence.



“Well, if you’re not gonna go, the least, and I emphasize least here, you can do for me is explain this whole claiming thing. I mean, Giles sort of did, but it involved a lot of stuttering and historical references, so not so much with the curiosity satisfaction.”



“I always thought you grr guys were supposed to want to eat us, not date us. After all, I don’t eat a Big Mac and then ask Bossy the cow to the prom.”



Every moment spent with Cordelia was a new and unexpected experience for the vampire. Which was probably why he was here with her once again, despite his better judgment. Sure, he’d told himself that he needed to make sure that the girl understood and accepted the limits that he had set and that the watcher had explained. But being here now, enjoying simply sitting in her flustered company, he had to wonder just how much he’d been kidding himself.



“Don’t believe everything you hear from the Watcher’s Council, Cordelia. Really, with their vested interest in the slayer how unbiased do you think they can be?”



“Are you kidding?” Cordelia almost laughed at his apparent accusation of Council propaganda. “I don’t need a bunch of uptight, tweedy, old men to tell me that vampires want to eat me. ‘Cause hey - Hellmouth resident here. Do you think that I spend most nights running for my life because I need the exercise? Because clearly I don’t.”



Her eyes dared him to deny that her body was anything but perfect, and although he would certainly have no basis for that assertion even should he chose to make it, he took his time surveying her form as if giving the thought careful consideration.



“While it’s true that humans are the drink of choice in blind taste tests, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t entertaining in other areas.”



Cordelia’s disgust was clear in that endearing crinkling of her nose. “Yeah, I bet we’re just great for the beating and the torturing and hey, when you get that multiple homicide urge, who’s better than those oh so convenient humans. On behalf of my fellow homo sapiens, let me just say that we’re sooo glad we could entertain you.”



Angelus’ laughter at Cordelia’s none to subtle sarcasm cracked like a whip across the silence of the night. She couldn’t begin to understand the boredom inherent in immortality. True, his fellow demons generally regarded humans as a relief for their momentary desires, but every once in a while you met one who was more than that. A human who promised to hold the tedium more continuously at bay. As Angelus studied the girl sitting warily across from him, he had a sneaking suspicion that she was one of that small minority of mankind.



“Well, I can’t in all good conscience - ” Angelus paused for Cordelia’s snort of disbelief at his reference to having any type of conscience, “I can’t say that all of the activities which you so ably catalogued aren’t tremendously fun. But you just don’t get vampires. Too much running and not enough conversing. Not that you need to be talking to any vampires other than myself.”



Cordelia was surprised as the light joking tone turned menacing so quickly. Not knowing the cause of the abrupt change she could only look at him in confusion.



“You’re kidding, right? I don’t even want to be talking to you. I’m definitely not going out to find other psycho vamps to pester me endlessly.”



With only a slight frown passing fleetingly over his lips, Angelus ignored her reminder that she didn’t want him there and concentrated on her original question.



“Vampires are different than humans in more ways than those musty research books of Rupert’s will tell you. Youth, the preferred state for humans is often the enemy of the vampire.”



“Most minions die relatively young. They are created to serve and their ability to be easily replaced makes their deaths inconsequential. They, like all new vampires, are driven by instincts, the demon drive to kill and feed overwhelms what little good sense they may have, and their carelessness in pursuing those desires tends to make them vulnerable to those who hunt our kind.”



“Childer also tend to die young, but the percentage who do is much lower than with minions. Childer aren’t created to serve, they are turned for companionship. As such much more effort goes into their creation and early years and the fact that they are almost constantly at their sire’s side gives them a certain amount of protection.”



“For a vampire, power comes with age. Not just the strength that the passing of the years brings, but the ability to see long term. That existence isn’t merely for the moment, but an eternity. Delayed gratification isn’t always fun, but it is effective. Learning to savor the anticipation that makes whatever you’re doing just that much sweeter is a lesson wasted on newer vampires.”



“However, the power of age has its price. After the first century or so, boredom begins to set in. Sure, the first thousand people you kill are fun enough, but then you start to want more.”



Cordelia’s face was once again arranged in an expression of disgust. Angelus knew he wasn’t garnering any sympathy for his kind, but that really wasn’t his intention. He didn’t want her understanding; he just wanted her to understand.



“Eventually the lack of limitations leaves one jaded. The killing escalates, not necessarily in numbers, but in cruelty, each death having to top the last to maintain that feeling. But as the years pile up the endless, random killing begins to loose its allure. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s still pleasurable as hell. But the newly developed patience tends to lead to more directed, useful killing.”



“Take young Harris for example. Even the soul wanted to kill Xander every time he saw him. So you can imagine how much more difficult it is for me to refrain. But I know that if I wait the satisfaction will be that much greater when I break every bone in his body and leave his corpse propped up on the slayer’s porch. See how I’ve denied myself the immediate pleasure of ripping out his throat for what I know will be the far greater pleasure of killing him as part of my goal to destroy Buffy?”



Cordelia didn’t even try to hide her shudders of disgust at the picture painted by his gruesome words.



“If telling me exactly how much joy you get out of killing humans was supposed to demonstrate how you manage to like people I gotta say you probably weren’t captain of your debate team in school...if they had debating back then...oh, or school. Did they have school?”



And the strangely appealing oddness continued.



“Yes, Cordelia. We had school when I was a boy. We also had fire and the wheel.”



Even with their bloody topic still fresh in her mind, Cordelia couldn’t prevent the smile tugging at her lips at the exasperation in his voice.



“Cordelia, you need to understand that to me, people are merely a way to accomplish my goals. A means to my end. As objectives change over time, so do my use for the humans around me.”



“When I was young and almost constantly driven by my instincts, I killed because that’s what satisfied me. As I grow older I want different things. I want to be entertained for more than an instant. In adjusting my perspective to include the long term, I’ve found there’s value in anything that breaks up the monotony of immortality, even if it comes in human packaging.”



“There have been plenty of humans I’ve enjoyed over the years. And I don’t mean as a snack. It doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have killed ‘em if the mood struck me, but there have been people that I’ve genuinely liked.”



Pausing for a moment, Angelus waited until Cordelia’s eyes lifted to meet his own.



“I like you.”







Chapter Seventeen





“I like you.”



Cordelia’s mouth formed a small O of surprise as she tried to figure out which idea bothered her more - that he liked her, or that he thought that would make this situation more tolerable for her. Either way, he was clearly a dumbass.



Sarcasm once again heavy in her voice, Cordelia made her feelings on that particular statement known.



“Well gee, doesn’t that make me feel safe.”



Although Angelus smirked at her attitude, his eyes darkened with the intensity of his words.



“Safe isn’t a feeling, Cordelia. It’s a lack of feeling. It’s an absence of fear, of anger...of love. After all, does love make you feel safe? No, it makes you feel passionate, and possessive, and vulnerable. But not safe. Never safe.”



Stilling the shivers caused by his smoky voice, Cordelia covered her confusion at the effect he had on her by lashing out.



“What do you know about love? Demons can’t love.”



Angelus looked at her the way one looks at a child who still believes in fairytale endings simply because he hasn’t lived long enough to see his dreams crushed under the unrelenting heel of reality.



“Humans; you think that everything begins and ends with you. There are more beings in existence than you can imagine Cordelia, and more realities than you can begin to comprehend.”



“I’m a vampire, true. But that doesn’t mean that I lack feelings. I just lack a conscience - the unending burden of regret to temper my desires. If I want something, I take it. If I want to do something, I have no internal motivation to refrain. And if I choose not to do something, not to take something that I want, it’s not because I’ll regret the action, it’s because I’ll get something I want even more by the denial.”



“So when I love, as with everything else I do, it’s about me, about what I want and my satisfaction. It’s obsessive in nature because the object of my affection is simply the means to fulfill my needs.”



“Human love, when true, is selfless. It’s about being happy because your partner is happy. It’s about wanting what’s best for them even when that conflicts with what is best for you. And in that, it’s a weakness.”



“A demon’s love, by contrast, is a strength. It’s ultimately one more way of achieving my goal of my own enjoyment of existence.”



Leaning forward in an eagerness to share these truths with the girl in front of him, Angelus’ voice deepened with the sincerity of his words as he continued.



“Do you know what the greatest part of being a vampire is? It’s not the power, the immortality, or the endless youth. It’s the lack of restriction. Humans spend all of their short, pathetic lives denying their own happiness to do what’s “right”, or to ensure the happiness of those they love.”



“With every decision you make, no matter how selfish, a part of you still wonders how it will affect other people. Even if you decide to do it anyway, some place deep inside of you still questions.”



“I don’t suffer those delicate sensibilities. I understand that every action I take is for myself, and no part of me, no matter how small, is bothered by that. In fact, I revel in the thought that, ultimately, no one matters but me.”



“But that doesn’t mean that I don’t feel. It’s just that all of my feelings are self-oriented. When I love it is real, it is passionate, and it does hurt when it’s taken away.”



To her credit Cordelia sat silently and allowed Angelus’ words to slowly filter through her mind, weighing each idea as she turned it over and examined it from all sides. Knowing that most people would reject that idea out of hand as not being “real” love, he was impressed by her ability to reserve judgment and analyze new concepts.



Cordelia wondered if Angelus was right. A thought she hoped to never entertain again. Just because demons felt differently than humans, was it right to dismiss them entirely as being incapable of emotions? Sure, she was still all for the human way of doing things, but the vampire way seemed to work for them, so who was she to diminish its importance.



Curious despite her internal warnings, she questioned the vampire, not knowing why she wanted to understand, but knowing that she did all the same.



“Is that how you felt about Darla?”



Angelus seemed surprised by the inquiry. Even though Cordelia appeared to be giving the ideas he had laid out fair thought, he still expected her first verbal reaction to be one of denial. But if she was going to be open about this, then he would do no less.



Thinking over her question, he gave a small chuckle. “Love? Not exactly.”



“Darla was my sire. That’s a bond all its own. I was Darla’s choice, but she was never mine. She chose to turn me for all of the reasons I’ve given, and she did love me. But as I’ve said, that was about her, my feelings didn’t enter into her decisions.”



“I didn’t stay with Darla for so long because I loved her, I stayed because the bond between sire and childe is compelling. It forces a response from the childe who, being younger, is the weaker of the two. And though in some small way the childe resents it, it’s impossible to resist when one is young and difficult at best as one grows older.”



“For that reason I’m glad that Darla’s gone. Although it leaves that place in me that longs for my sire unfulfilled, it also frees me from her control. It allows me to be my own master with no interference.”



“But don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed a lot of my time with Darla.” Angelus’ voice took on a reminiscent quality and his eyes unfocused as he was drawn into the past. “She was a sadistic bitch, there’s no denying that. She was feared with good reason.”



“But she was limited. She had no creativity, no vision. She always wanted to rush things, to hurry things up. Never wanted to stop and kill the roses.”



“Do I miss her viciousness? Sure. But I don’t like submission. Not to Darla, not to the Master, not to anyone.”



Well that was something Cordelia could easily understand. She, also, hated to be dictated to. It always brought out her rebellious nature, even when she gave in as she often did with her parents.



So as easy as it was to see how a sire might be a problem, it seemed like children were the exact opposite.



“So, if your children -”



“Childer.”



“What?” Questioned Cordelia, confused at the interruption.



“Childer, their not called children. Children are between meal snacks. Childer are our offspring.”



“Okay, first of all, ewww. Thanks for the therapy requiring mental picture there. And secondly, if your childer are so dependent on their sire, why don’t you just turn the humans you like and then have a great vampy relationship with them?”



Angelus smirked at the thought that Cordelia had no idea what she was asking, but with a glint of humor in his beguiling eyes he made it perfectly clear.



“Are you asking me to turn you Cordelia? Would you like to be my childe? To feel my fangs slide deep within you and know that they would only leave you as your life ebbed away? Would you like to be eternally connected to me, to share a timeless bond as we carved out our bloody place in the world?



More than the fear of the bond they already shared growing, this was the subject that caused Cordelia no end of dread. And although she knew the actual choice was out of her hands, this kind of thinking needed to be nipped in the bud.



“Absolutely not. I’ll take growing old, losing my looks, and living out my final years drooling as an anonymous patient in a nursing home over the whole living dead thing, thank you.”



Angelus wasn’t sure why, but that thought disturb him on a deeper level than it should. Maybe it was just the thought of the loss of such an endlessly surprising personality in an undeniably alluring package.



At the frown on Angelus’ face, Cordelia wondered if she had bruised his recently revealed feelings. Deciding not to open that can of worms, she redirected the conversation to its original course.



“I just meant that if the sire/childe thing is so great for the sire, why even bother with humans at all?”



Angelus thought about how best to answer her question. These were things that were intrinsic to his demon nature, not thought about, but automatic responses born of ingrained drives. Normally he wouldn’t even bother to explain such things, but Cordelia’s genuine desire to understand the things he was telling her pleased him and to reward that he would satisfy her curiosity as best he could.



“When a vampire loves another vampire, it’s an endless battle for domination, because both parties are only focused on what they want. With a sire it’s a given that the childe will consistently loose the struggle, but the conflict is still always there.”



“That’s why human pets can be so intriguing for a vampire. It’s rare to find a human that seems worth the effort, but when you do it can be a sublime experience.”



“As Giles obviously made you aware, claiming a person creates a bond between the vampire and the human. That bond will eventually engender love like feelings in both parties if they didn’t exist to begin with.”



“For the vampire these feelings involve self-satisfaction and being with their “pet” is a way to achieve that. As in all relationships the vampire has, it’s about getting their own needs met regardless of how that affects anyone else.”



“For the human, these feelings are an expression of human love. Selfless and devoted, the human can only find fulfillment in the joy of their partner. When two humans love that devotion is returned and creates a balance for the participants. But in a vampire/human bond the focus becomes solely centered on the vampire’s needs. After years of fighting for dominance with other vampires, the results can be intoxicating.”



No matter how open minded Cordelia was attempting to be, that just sounded horrible and disturbing. Giles was definitely in the right when he set the zero tolerance policy on her spending time with her inferior half in this bonded wretchedness.



But since she seemed unable to enforce that policy and, short of Buffy showing up and staking his ass, which apparently came in under “sex with” on her list of things to do to vampires, she couldn’t force him to leave, she might as well find out as much as she could about this bizarre world she’d been thrust into.



“What about Spike?”



Cordelia swallowed her laugh at the look of distaste that comically twisted Angelus’ features.



“What about him?” Angelus definitely did not want to waste time talking about his obnoxious grandchilde. Even thoughts of the slayer were less annoying. Of course those thought usually involved killing her, so that could be the difference.



“Well,” Cordelia continued, “Spike loves Drusilla and he seems to want her to be happy. He’s a vampire so why isn’t he all on board the demon love train?”



“First of all, Spike isn’t a very good vampire, so he’s never effective as a vampiric example. But that aside, I think you may have misunderstood me earlier. A vampire’s love isn’t about making the other person unhappy. It’s about making sure you’re happy. If your happiness is at the expense of the other person’s happiness then that’s not really a bothersome fact. But often a happy partner is even more attentive to one’s needs, so if their unhappiness isn’t required then ensuring their happiness can often be a step in securing greater pleasure for yourself. And really, that’s what it’s about - maximizing your own pleasure.”



“As for Spike and Dru, don’t fool yourself that Spike is selfless in his devotion to Drusilla. Spike gives in to her desires to get what he wants - her to stay with him. As her childe, Spike is in the submissive role as Dru could leave whenever she chose, whereas Spike is still somewhat bound to her whims. But Spike’s love for Dru is completely selfish.”



“Drusilla is my childe, and as such she’s utterly devoted to me. It’s always her preference to be with me. Even when I had the soul, Dru would have stayed.”



“Now if Spike’s love for Dru was so altruistic in nature, he wouldn’t have a problem with her being with me. He’d simply want what she wants. But make no mistake, if Spike thought he had a chance of killing me he’d take it in a heartbeat. It wouldn’t matter that Dru would be inconsolable by losing her heart’s desire, because he’d be gaining what he wants - Drusilla all to himself.”



“Spike’s love for Drusilla is real, but it’s not selfless. Even if he’s pathetic enough to want to believe so.”



The couple sat silently, each on one side of the doorway, lost in a world of their own thoughts. Cordelia was the first to surface, and she took the opportunity to study the distracted vampire.



She could see why he took a name so evocative of Heavenly beings. He was truly beautiful. “The face of an Angel” was no understatement when applied to the being before her.



The pallor of his skin, so unappealing in most vampires, served only to heighten his dark good looks, deepening the fathomless pools of his eyes and the dusky sensuality of his sculpted lips.



He was exquisite in every way, from his powerfully muscled form to the innate magnetism that surrounded him both as Angel and Angelus. He was almost a justification of vampiric turning as, although the demonic process were surely a crime against God, it would be one far greater that the beauty He created were allowed to be ravaged by time.



Angelus felt the fine hairs on his neck prickle in awareness as the predator in him sensed the intense scrutiny which he was currently under.



Glancing up he found himself trapped in the smooth, liquid caramel of Cordelia’s gaze. He hadn’t been lying when he told the girl that he liked her. It wasn’t just her beauty, although she had that in abundance. No, it was her spirit.



Cordelia was the strongest of all humans - she was a survivor. There was nothing life could throw at her that would break her. Though circumstances may briefly overpower her resolve it could never completely annihilate that confidence that was an integral part of her make-up. Sure, sometimes she may appear more confident in a situation then she truly felt, but that deep down belief in herself was so much a part of her that it could never really be stripped away.



And that, honestly, was what would make her such an excellent pet. If it weren’t for her association with Buffy he would give serious thought to exerting his claim over the girl. But right now his priorities were consolidating his power and breaking the slayer.



Because as sure as he was that Cordelia could never be completely undone, he was just as certain that Buffy could. Slayers, as a rule, worked alone and died young. One would think that Buffy’s refusal to accept that was a sign of strength, but it wasn’t really.



Although not much for conversation, Angel had been an excellent listener. As such, Angelus knew that even with the divorce of her parents, Buffy had always had tremendous support through her mother. Once called, that need for affirmation transferred itself to her slaying and she created a support system for herself in that endeavor, too.



Buffy was not, and never would be, a loner. And therein lay her weakness. Her fundamental need for people made her ultimately vulnerable to their loss. The Council knew this, that’s why slayers worked alone. His plans to kill all of her friends and family weren’t about pleasure, although there was no denying that it would be an almost orgasmic undertaking. No, stripping away her support system would leave Buffy with no one but herself. And since she didn’t believe that was enough, why should he?



Cordelia broke the silence, asking, once more, her original question in the hopes of drawing this peculiar evening to a close.



“What do you want, Angelus? ‘Cause as informative as out chat has been I don’t think you Romeoed yourself up to my balcony just to run down the finer points of vampire romance.”



Shaking off thoughts of the slayer in favor of the more pleasant undertaking of speaking with Cordelia, Angelus recalled his original intentions in visiting the young woman before him.



“Actually, I came to make sure that you had a firm understanding of the things Giles explained to you last night. He seemed to believe that you had been made sufficiently awa-”



“What?!” Cordelia straightened up in panic almost leaving the safety of her room in her fear for the librarian’s safety. “You promised. You said that it I told Giles you would leave him alone. What did you do? If you-”



“Cordelia!” In a voice that would have awakened her parents, had they been home, Angelus stopped the cheerleader’s rambling. Although he had been the one to use the watcher’s safety as a motivation for Cordelia’s compliance, he found himself increasingly irritated by her continuing concern for the man. As Angel he hadn’t sensed anything between the two, but then the bumbling soul hadn’t seen much beyond the slayer. Disregarding thoughts of his own age, he reasoned that the watcher was far too old for Cordelia. Although authority often impressed young women.



A low growl was building in his chest as the brown of his eyes was slowly being overtaken by rings of amber. If the watcher was touching what was his then he’d die slowly, plans for the slayer be damned.



Oddly, seeing Cordelia face, filled with fear, allowed Angelus to regain some control over his wayward emotions. Knowing Cordelia to be innocent and Rupert Giles to be an uptight prude, he could allow that it was most likely his possessiveness that was sparking his wrath, rather than any inappropriate interaction on their part. True, her obvious concern for the watcher was upsetting, but it also afforded him greater control in her life, so it was worth the aggravation.



Forcing a more reasonable tone, he addressed her urgent inquiries so that they could return to the topic at hand.



“Cordelia, I spoke with good old Rupert last night. As you most likely saw for yourself today, he’s in perfect shape. Well, as perfect as his shape can be. I didn’t hurt him; I just wanted to make sure that he and I were on the same page when it came to my expectations of you. Of course, being Giles, he was very reasonable regarding my requirements and took great pains to put my mind at ease as to your compliance.”



“But somehow hearing Rupert’s reassurances aren’t the same as hearing them straight from you. We both know that you can tell the watcher one thing and then go on your merry way planning to do exactly what you want. I’m here to make sure that’s not what happened. It’s not, is it Cordelia?”



The menace was back in his voice and the danger that oozed out of his every poor seemed to blanket her in a suffocating layer of threat.



“No, that’s not what happened. Giles explained to me why it would be in the best interest of the group for me to lay off the bait thing and I agreed with him. So no, you won’t be seeing me running around Sunnydale wooing demons anymore. Happy?”



Was he happy? She was doing what he wanted, but she was doing it for the benefit of their little do-gooding group. He wanted her to do what he said simply because he had spoken. So while the results pleased him, the process of attaining them left him agitated and unsatisfied.



No, he needed to remember that this was not the relationship that he wanted with this girl. Their connection was merely a necessity of circumstance and she was nothing more than a tool to help destroy the slayer. Anything else was just the fallout from the bond and he needed to stop obsessing on why he was feeling that pull and she still seemed untouched.



True, he wanted his mere wishes to compel her obedience, but in this instance he would settle for her compliance no matter how it was obtained.



Slowly rising to his feet, Angelus brushed the dust from his snug leather pants. Sometimes it was easy to forget that the vampire before her was not the creature cursed with a soul. This, however, was not one of those times. As a look of evil intent transformed his features into a sinful and yet in no way unattractive expression, Cordelia knew that whatever sprung next from his lips was not going to be to her liking.



She was absolutely correct.



“Happy? Not quite.” And reaching out a hand to the still seated girl he revealed what would induce a more joyous state. “Kiss me goodnight, Cordelia.”







Chapter Eighteen





Angelus wasn’t sure where the idea had come from, but once the words had left his lips he knew that nothing would remove him from that balcony until she acquiesced to his demand.



Cordelia, for her part, was in a far less anticipatory state. If he thought for one instant that she was leaving the safety of her home to swap spit with the undead, then the theory that wisdom came with age was being soundly disproved.



Seeing the directions in which her thoughts were quickly traveling, Angelus decided to put a stop to the useless rebellion before it started and further annoyed him.



“Cordelia, understand this. In this, as in all things to do with us, you have no choice. I may, at times, allow you the illusion of control, but for your own sake you must accept that is at my whim and not because of any power you hold. My willingness to do anything to achieve my own ends combined with your concern for others in your life ultimately ensures that, in the end, you will accede to my wishes.”



“Now if it helps you I can threaten to burn your house to the ground or to rip out the watcher’s throat, but I think that you already know that not only am I capable, but that I’m more than willing to do those things. So why don’t we save me the time of saying them and you the trauma of hearing them. In the end, you will obey me, and in the only choice I’ll allow you to have with any regularity, you can choose how painful a trek it is to your compliance.”



Knowing that what he said was true and despising him all the more for it, Cordelia slowly passed her arm through the protective barrier and grasped Angelus’ extended hand.



Before she had time to gasp in surprise she found herself spun off of the ground and into the vampire’s cool embrace. Trapped between his large, unyielding frame and the iron railing of her balcony, Cordelia could only gape in shock at the position in which she now found herself.



Now that he had her in the confines of his embrace, Angelus felt comfortable moving at a more leisurely pace as he brought his mouth down to caress her still slightly parted lips.



Feeling the warmth of her breath escaping from her mouth into his, a rumble deep in his chest expressed his pleasure at the sensation. The taste of her floating on that whisper of air tantalized his senses and drew him in to search out the source.



Running his tongue over her plush lips, Angelus gently eased into the awaiting warmth. The spicy flavor, like crisp, heated apple cider, exploded on his questing tongue, rushing over his enhanced senses. The sensation burned through his body with erotic flames that licked at his nerves and settled in his loins.



Far from unaffected, Cordelia began to tremble as large hands pulled her impossibly closer to the hard body encompassing her. Settling her against him until all distance was eliminated, those commanding hands began long, smooth sweeps up and down her spine, learning her curves and ensuring her closeness.



Cordelia’s moan was swallowed by Angelus’ demanding mouth as the arms embracing her wrapped tightly around her allowing his hands to run gently up her sides and cup the outer sides of her breasts.



Moving his hands back down the path they had just traveled, they ascended once more but this time with no barrier between her inflamed flesh and his unexpectedly tender caress. Reaching her breasts once again, it was his turn to moan as their weight filled his hands.



Freeing his right hand to tangle in her hair, holding her mouth steady for his renewed assault, he eased his left hand further across the satiny skin brushing the tips of his fingers gently across her nipple, brining the sensitive flesh to a straining peak.



Cordelia wasn’t sure if it was the play of his fingers or the thrust of his tongue that caused the whimper to escape from where she was sure she had secured it.



The erotic sounds coming from Cordelia were shooting darts of electricity to rapidly hardening parts of his anatomy. The feel of her, quivering in his arms was fast undoing him and without even realizing he’d moved he found that he’d balanced Cordelia on the iron railing in front of him, forcing her to bring her legs around him to maintain her balance.



If her warmth had infused him previously, nothing could have prepared him for the blast of heat that swept through every cell of his being as his hips thrust upwards, bringing him jutting into her core. The leather of his pants was no barrier and certainly the laughably thin material of her cotton shorts was no protection from the straining proof of his desire.



A sound that could only be described as a purr issued from the vampire’s throat as he tore his mouth from hers, leaving a moist trail as he worked his way down her throat, honing in on his marks, beckoned by their mingled scents.



As his demon features flickered across his face he could feel his fangs elongate and scrape gently against her sweat-slickened skin. The urge to bite was fast approaching overwhelming, the need to reestablish his claim, declare his ownership of the enchantress in his arms was pushing all other thoughts from his mind.



With a jerk of the hand still buried in her hair he exposed her neck to his hungry gaze. Even through the haze of desire that enveloped her, Cordelia’s survival instincts warned her that something potentially lethal was occurring. As her small mew of protest hit his ears Angelus stilled.



What the Hell was he doing?



It was a given that Cordelia was the epitome of desire with her lush, lithe body seared with need and burgeoning lust. But this was the one woman with whom he couldn’t afford involvement. Their unwanted bond and her importance to the slayer made her a better hands off investment than hands on. Even though hands on felt so amazing.



With his single, remaining shred of willpower, Angelus untangled himself from the dazed brunette. Turning towards the doors he punished them both by sliding her slowly down his body, pressing his rock hard length into her abdomen before stepping back.



“Go inside, Cordelia.”



The gravelly timber of his voice brought home to him just how razor thin the edge was on which he now teetered. Cordelia wasn’t helping him to maintain that balance as she continued to stand there looking at him with her swollen lips and heavy lidded desire.



Giving her a gentle push, Angelus sent her back through the barrier trying desperately to forget how easy it had been to breech.



Once she was back in the illusory safety of her room, reason began to return to Cordelia. Shaking off the quaking tremors of need still pulsing through her body she slowly reached forward as if moving through molasses and closed the doors, pretending that was enough to keep her monsters at bay.



As the door closed Angelus grasped the ornate railing and launched himself over, landing easily on the ground below.



He was tempting fate with these interludes with Cordelia. It had been almost impossible to leave this time, who knew if he would even make the effort next time.



And that was precisely why there couldn’t be a next time. He had been honest with Cordelia about humans being tools to achieve his goals. Cordelia, just like the slayer and all of her slayerettes were simply pawns in his game and he couldn’t forget that Cordelia already had an assigned part in this play.



No, no matter how many brunettes he had to fuck and kill to get his mind off this one, he’d do it. Because this definitely had to stop.



As Cordelia switched off her lamp and slowly crawled between her covers for the second time that night, she realized that, despite being outside she was warmer than she’d been when she first got up to confront Angelus.



And why wouldn’t she be with all of the physical activity they’d engaged in? Cordelia cringed with the realization that once again she’d been in a compromising position with Angelus. Worse, she acknowledged, was the fact that she’d been in any position with Angelus.



Giles had spelled out precisely why she couldn’t be around the vampire and the dangers that even the smallest of exposures could create. While she didn’t have his books on the subject, Cordelia was pretty sure that her big ol’ ho routine counted as a major exposure.



And that was the very worst part of all. ‘Cause a part of her was hoping that the bond had taken at least a minor effect. Cordelia may have indulged in a few make out sessions with Xander, but she was no slut. She’d lost interest in Angel as soon as his lack of life was revealed. So she couldn’t possibly be acting like this on her own. Could she? This had to be some sort of mystical whammy. Didn’t it?



At least Angelus hadn’t told her she had to tell Giles about this latest adventure. The natural optimism that kept her grounded through even the greatest of trials reasserted itself to pick out the one decent thing about the night. After all, she wasn’t sure how she could explain to the concerned watcher how the plan to spend no times with Angelus turned into spending lots of time with Angelus - necking. No, that was a conversation that ranked right up there with “Mom, Dad, meet my boyfriend, Xander.”



Emptying her mind of thoughts, Cordelia tried to will herself to sleep. But even her best attempts were thwarted by a single thought that resurfaced again and again - This absolutely had to stop.





TBC - A Bronzin’ We Will Go