Human Layers by Pat Kelly

Rating: R
Disclaimer: I make no money. All hail Joss and his army of Mutant Enemies. And oh, if you have time, FOX and UPN, too.
Distribution: The Mystic Muse http://mysticmuse.net
Feedback: Thank you.
Spoilers: Season 2.

Pairing: Buffy/Cordelia
Summary: Buffy learns there's more to Cordelia than anyone would have guessed.

"Will, what am I gonna do?" Buffy asked her friend as they walked through the quad.

She felt it; or at least she thought she did. Everything inside of her had been screaming, 'Just Admit It!' When Cordelia had hugged her, showing her support with the 'Ted' thing in front of everybody, that was when it started. He'd been a robot, however...thank god. And a twisted one at that – Parcheesi? Anyway, doubts became certainties, and she was giddy. Which was an odd sensation. Plus, she thought the cheerleader had to be pretty sure too, if that amount of contact was risked in public.

"I think I'm going to." The slayer answered, nearing complete confidence. "Tell her."

"I think 'wow.'" Willow said. "Especially cause I'm not used to being a Cordelia supporter. Hating her with a fiery passion? That I can do. I'd have to be a fool, a big fool, if I didn't see that she cares about you, though." She smiled brightly. "It's still hard to accept a little, but she's surprised me; when the aftermath ensues, I'll be behind you a hundred and ten percent."

"No, and I'm proud of myself. I pretended I had Laryngitis for a week so he wouldn't make me talk, then he went back to the usual." The redhead pouted. "Ogling girls that aren't me."

"You can't spend the rest of your life waiting for Xander to wake up and smell the hottie."

"I know, but..." Willow trailed off, not wishing to have that discussion. "So are you?"

"Speaking of 'Wow' potential, there's Oz over there." The slayer was referring to the guy sitting on the bench strumming his guitar, who played with Dingoes Ate My Baby, and who her friend had been introduced to during Career Week. "What are we thinking, any sparkage?"

The hacker smiled hugely; this was the first time she'd been interested in someone not Xander. "He's nice. I-I like his hands."

"Mm...a fixation on insignificant detail is a definite crush sign." Buffy concluded. "For me, it's Cordelia's mole."

"Oh! That's a good one!" Willow got shy again quick. "I don't know, though; I mean, he is a senior."

"Hey, you're talking to a girl who's about to go 'Alternative Lifestyle' and tell the most popular girl in school that she loves her. So I will hear no excuses. Make a move – do the talking thing." Came the encouragement.

The redhead glanced at Oz, then back at the blonde. "Wh-what if the 'talking' thing becomes the 'awkward-silence' thing?"

As Willow trudged bravely over, Buffy prepared herself, as there would be no turning back.

Harmony, Karen, and some other girl whose name Cordelia didn't remember, were cornering her in the bathroom; presently, a confrontation was low on the list of things she wanted to be subjected to. She had just spent a weekend in Vegas watching her parents gamble, which was incredibly embarrassing. They even had the nerve to call it 'Family Time.'

And following that, now the questions had to come – swell. The hug crossed the line of acceptability, but Buffy had needed it, and she was caring less and less about other people's opinions. A decision hadn't been reached yet, however, so she'd have to think of a lie until they could talk.

"Okay, we're concerned about you – as your friends, we thought it was necessary to have a...a..." Harmony couldn't think of the word.

"See? I told you I knew what it was called!" The blonde snapped at the other two. "Yeah, so we couldn't help noticing your long, guy-less streak. At first we thought it was just a 'Begging Strike,' but you didn't ask any of us to join. Then as if that wasn't horrible enough, Jack saw you with Buffy and Willow in LA; he told Josh, who told Tiffany, then Tiffany told Amber, then Amber told Karen, and then Karen told me. I didn't wanna believe it."
"Sounds like a real reliable system." Sarcasm was used to her advantage, yet again. "Should've heard it through the grapevine instead; at least then you'd have fruit."

"We're worried, sweetie. Cause then we saw you...hug her." Harmony grimaced, causing the girls in flanking positions to copy her. "Spending that much time with losers is obviously unhealthy for you."

"They've brainwashed you into defending them? How tragic!" The ditz squealed. "Come on, there's plenty of guys out there! Tell us how we can help. Ooh! We can go to the health spa across town after school and put this all behind us; my dad knows a guy, who knows a guy that's having an affair with a girl who works there, so we got free passes."

"No, really. You know I went away with my parents, right?" The cheerleader had to think of something fast, while they nodded expectantly. "Well, I got tired of watching them foam at mouth playing their slot machines, so I went up to my room and saw this yummy-looking bellhop." She wanted to gag. "We started talking, but we both knew what it was leading to the whole time."

Cordelia nodded. "He was Mexican, and he quiero me. If it got any steamier..." She fanned herself exaggeratedly. "And south of the border? Whew."

"Mexican? That's *so* exotic!" As the sheep giggled and a string of 'Oh My God's began, she had to remember to tell Buffy it was untrue, because this was going to spread like wildfire. "You have to tell us *all* the details!" Harmony demanded.

What they weren't aware of, was that Buffy had been listening outside the door, and every word felt like a blow a million times worse than any demon had given her. They tore her up inside; she wasn't sure if that was figuratively or not, but she needed air. She hoped Cordelia wouldn't mind her not sticking around for the specifics.

The slayer sat at the library's table, drowning in the 'Moping and Defeated' stage, with the 'Anger and Irrationality' stage not far behind. Leaving school right after she'd heard Cordelia yesterday, she went home and spent all of her unplanned, free time locked in her room for the initial stage – where there was heavy sobbing and crying. Once it was over the shock set in, and she realized she really did love her; it wouldn't hurt this much if she didn't.

Though she was trying not to think it, Willow could've had the situation pegged. Maybe Cordelia manipulated her the entire time, and she hated being strung along. The phone had rung incessantly yesterday, but she didn't answer it, unwilling to take the chance that it might've been her. She vaguely recalled her mother fishing for information, but she hadn't budged – probably because she just hadn't registered another presence.

All of those poets might be right; 'love' might be a grand, wonderful thing, but it also sucked when turned against you: 'All you need is love?' No, what Buffy needed was a backup plan and some ice cream.

Giles was coming down the stairs. "Buffy? I didn't hear you come in; how are you this morning?" His voice wasn't reaching her ears, and he walked up beside her. "Buffy, are you all right?"

"Yes..." He didn't think she was, but didn't press it – he simply smiled. "Well, I believe birthday wishes are in order."

Willow hurried through the doors then, attempting to look calm and casual, but not pulling it off. When she saw her friend's face and knew she didn't have to be the one to break the news, she relaxed considerably. "You heard, didn't you?" She asked, sitting down.

"It's an expression, Will." Buffy thought for a second. "No, maybe I am at name calling. You warned me, and I didn't listen – guess I was setting myself up for this."

"Maybe there's another explanation." Willow's eyes widened. "Oh, but did you hear what she...?" The girl was stared at – screw other explanations. "I'm shutting up." Then she remembered something. "But hey! Sorry, I know I said I was gonna shut up, but this isn't about that, and I won't bring it up again ever, unless you wanna throw darts at her head, cause, uh, I had-had her yearbook picture blown up and I put it on my door sometimes when I'm really mad at her and...Happy Birthday."

Now it was Xander's turn to enter, and he stood behind Willow's chair. "It's the woman of the hour! For she's a jolly good slayer, for she's a jolly good slayer..." Picking up on the fact that his lame jokes were going over worse than usual, he stopped. "How bout that Cordelia, huh? Gotta wonder how much room she's got left on that bedpost."

Buffy suddenly felt the need to leave. "Ya know, I have a class that's starting...or half over." She got up. "I should probably attend. I'll-I'll catch you guys later."

When she was gone, he frowned. "Well, that's not a perky, birthday puppy." Willow slapped his chest. "What was that for?"

"So much for our surprise party." The redhead lamented. "I bought little hats and everything."

"Buffy's surprise party will go ahead as we planned...except I won't be wearing the little hat." The watcher informed them.

"Buffy's turning seventeen just this once and she deserves a party. Something is clearly bothering her, but we'll just have to raise her spirits." He told the children.

"You're a great man of our time." Xander said as he was slapped a second time, raising his suspicions. "'Nother one?"

"Buffy, are you okay?" Angel asked after the vampire she'd been fighting was dusted.

The group, along with Oz who was Willow's date and Cordelia, had come to the Bronze for her party; the redhead wanted to throw the cheerleader out, as she'd been invited before she decided to have sex with someone and break her friend's heart, but that pleasure should be Buffy's. They'd been waiting for Miss Calendar to bring her, when the crashing through windows and slaying went down.

Buffy gestured behind her. "Uh, there were these vamps outs..." She glanced around at all of the decorations and presents. "Wh-what's going on?"

Seeing her, the blonde turned immediately to Angel, flashed him a big smile, and then rubbed a hand along his chest. "You guys did all this for me? That is so sweet."

"Yes, I'm fine." Buffy was pleased when she saw that the brunette didn't like what she was watching – what a shame.

"Yeah. Hey, did everybody see that guy just turn to dust?" The guitarist rightly queried.

"Yep, vampires are real...a lot of them live in Sunnydale...Willow'll fill you in." Xander sighed and walked off.

Cordelia came over to Buffy once the girl had managed to tear herself from Angel. "Okay, why won't you talk to me? And what was with the show?"

The slayer laughed at her nerve; she knew she couldn't avoid this without making a scene. "Please tell me you're joking – like you don't know."

"No, Buffy, I don't know." The cheerleader said, honestly, and was almost believed.

Miss Calendar entered the club then, carrying a large, odd-shaped box. "Hey, can somebody give me a hand here?" Angel and Giles took it from her, setting it on a table, and Buffy used it as an excuse to walk away from her conversation. "Those creeps left this behind."

"Yeah...this looks like a release right here." The blonde got the box open, only to find a severed arm inside, and before she was able to properly voice her disgust, it rose up to choke her.

Angel quickly grabbed it; after a few seconds, he was able to wrench it free from her neck and force it back into the box.

"Well, clearly the Hellmouth's answer to 'What do you get the slayer who has everything?'" Xander, though frightened, tried to quip.

Though she didn't want to, Cordelia stood in the background, showing her concern silently, because she didn't feel all that welcome.

"What, vamps version of 'Snakes in a Can,' or do you care to share?" Xander asked, still with the humor.

"It-it's a legend...way before my time...of a demon brought forth to rid the Earth of the plague of humanity...separate the righteous from the wicked...and to burn the righteous down. They call him the Judge." Angel clarified for the group.

"Um...he, he-he couldn't be killed, yes? Um, a-an army was sent against him. Most of them died...but, uh, finally they were able to dismember him, but, uh...not kill him." The Englishman explained.

"The pieces were scattered...buried in every corner of the Earth." The Irishman continued.

"By Druscilla – the vamps outside were Spike's men." Buffy revealed to everyone.

A plan was formulated, by Miss Calendar of all people. Angel was going to board a cargo ship, and try to take the box as far away from Sunnydale as possible, tonight. She volunteered to drive him to the docks, and Buffy wanted to go along to say goodbye, because no one knew when he'd be back. Also, this was a great opportunity for her to get back at Cordelia; she couldn't pass it up.

Buffy followed Angel into his apartment later that night, her arms wrapped around herself, shivering from the rain they'd just run through. Everything had been going off without a hitch; at the docks he was going to get on the boat, but they were ambushed by more of Spike's men, and the box was stolen. While that was transpiring, she had ended up in the water somehow, with Angel diving in after her.

Miss Calendar had dropped them off at the library and then went home, frustrated with something. Everyone was researching, hoping to find a way to stop the Judge, but all the books called him un-killable – Cordelia was up in the stacks, hiding the entire time they were there. Angel eventually recalled that one of his contacts had recently tipped him off about how many vampires liked to hang around the old factory the Anointed One had used.

Deciding that she and him would scope out the factory and the Judge, she momentarily debated whether to speak with the prom queen before leaving, but she was firmly in the 'Anger' stage, so the impulse faded fast; it was nice being able to dodge her emotions. Getting to the factory, they saw that Druscilla was having a party of her own, and that the Judge was assembled. Coming close to having the humanity burnt out of them, they barely managed to escape and run here, through the storm.

As she watched him get her clothes from his armoire, the only thing she could think was: 'Angel would never sleep with a bellhop.' Something was wrong with that thought, though.

"Put these on – get under the covers, just to warm up." He said to her, and she sat on his bed. When he didn't turn away, she stared at him until he got the message. "Sorry." Taking off her top shirt, she winced. "What?"

"Oh, um...it's okay. I just have...a cut or something." Was it her imagination or was it warming up in here?

Angel turned to face her, and sat on the bed as well. He touched her back softly, inspecting the cut. Uh oh...dangerous territory. Her body was conflicting with her brain; if she did allow something to happen, would she really be in the wrong? Cordelia slept with someone, why couldn't she? Perfect rationale. They'd be even – no harm, no foul. And it wasn't like he wasn't attractive...but, she didn't love him. She'd be using him to as revenge, and she couldn't do that to him.

"It's already closed; you're fine." Angel said with relief, and she leaned back into him, letting their faces touch as he put his arms around her. "I..."

It was so tempting – to make her hurt like she was hurting. Would Cordelia even be affected?

"I love you. I try not to, but I can't stop." He said it with such meaning, such emotion, and she was hit with it.

They began kissing feverishly. This was the 'Irrationality' stage; she was supposed to be irrational. But...did he say he loved her? Why'd he have to do that? This wasn't her. She was better than Cordelia; she wasn't the kind of person who could just...pulling back abruptly, she ended the stage. Just in time – before making a mistake she would've regretted. Probably.

He stood up, putting distance between them as he tried to calm himself down in more ways than one. "Because you don't."

"Cordelia." The vampire said while the girl slipped on the dry sweater he'd given her.

"Willow told me at the party before you got there." He revealed. "She was upset, and talked...*really* fast, but I think I got the general idea."

"For a second, I..." Angel lost the words, because saying them would've made it even more difficult. He just smiled sadly. "If you love her, hear her side."

"I know it's not the same, and I know this'll sound like a line...but could we possibly be friends?" She was hopeful.

"I wouldn't mind." Though the likelihood of finding someone like Buffy again, someone to love, was low, he masked his sadness. She deserved to be happy, and as the Slayer, needed it more than he did. "You should stay here until the storm blows over. And then – "

"And then I'll go talk to her." She finished for him. "So...wanna play Go Fish?"

Back at Sunnydale High, Cordelia had moved to the library table with Willow, switching places with Giles and Xander. She was trying to discover how to save the human race, but her ability to concentrate wasn't that impressive, currently. What was up with Buffy? One day they were fine, the next, the slayer couldn't stand to be around her for more than two seconds. She had tried calling her a dozen times – and that was a low estimate.

Willow was giving her dirty looks; her fears were coming true. The blonde had disappeared on her, and now she was stuck. Well, she could go back to being 'Queen of the Ditzes,' but it wouldn't be the same; she'd seen the other side. On the surface she could fake it, as they had certainly bought her lie.

It was all falling into place now. Buffy had heard, which set in motion the typical, chain reaction. Why didn't she see it sooner? The avoidance, the silence, the flirting with Angel...and the final stage of revenge was...

Xander poked his head out from behind a shelf. "Did you just say what I think you said? And I didn't get it on tape? Damn."

"Cause if somebody I thought I was on the verge of...something with, had sex with a person not me, I know what I'd do." Cordelia didn't like the feeling in her stomach.

"No!" The hacker had been holding it in – not anymore. "How could you do that to her? I mean, we all knew you were evil, but even I didn't think you could stoop this low!"

"I'm not finished! She can't confront you, but suddenly I'm feeling brave, so I guess I'll hafta do it! I've got a whole, sixteen years to complain about; I can go for a long time, trust me!" Willow liked this, getting an evil thrill. "It's not like she found out from some random person, either; she heard it from you! Rumors are one thing, cause you can't prove them, but-but...you suck! And I hate your shoes!" Whoa, she said 'suck.' "She was coming to tell you that she loves you, and you were going on and on about your new, hay-rolling guy: 'Mr. Macho, Indian Desk Clerk Man!'"

"She what?" Xander and Cordelia echoed, and she hated that her timing had sucked so bad.

"I love her, too!" Cordelia exclaimed. Then her words registered – she did. Wow. "There was no desk clerk, or a bellhop, or a room service guy...there was nobody. Harmony grew part of a brain, so I made it all up; meaning it's *false*. I have way higher standards than that. I was gonna tell her, but I never got the chance, okay? Now tell me where the damn apartment is."

"Dayton Street. Two blocks b-before the Bronze." Willow was stunned as the girl bolted out the doors. "Darn, I feel like a big meanie. And I'm pretty sure my throat's all red now."

"Willow, you might want to see if you can fetch some water." Giles advised. "Xander appears to have fainted."

"Do you have any, um, threes?" Buffy asked, looking at her cards as she and Angel sat on the floor of his apartment.

"This is sad." She shook her head. "You've been around two-hundred years, and you can't even play Go Fish."

"Oh." She hid her embarrassment well. "Think I should call the library and see if they got anything on Grouchy Smurf yet?"

Just then, someone started pounding on the door, and before either of them could react, it flew open.

A drenched Cordelia came charging in. "Get your vampy hands the hell off my girlfriend!" She ordered, not surveying first. The slayer and the vampire were too confused to do anything. "Oh God, I'm too late!" She saw the cards in their hands. "That's...different. Most people smoke after sex."

"There was no sex." Buffy finally spoke. "There was going to be, but we...came to our senses." She smiled slightly, amused by the little spectacle. "We decided to play cards instead. Talk about two, completely unrelated...did you say 'girlfriend'?"

Angel had gotten up and grabbed the blanket off of his bed, which he gave to the brunette. "Here, you're soaked. I...don't have any towels."

He looked up the stairs and past his door, listening. "I think the rain's letting up. I'm gonna make sure they aren't still searching for us." He smiled at them.

They watched him leave, and then it was awkward. "Haven't got a clue on the Judge." Cordelia put the blanket around her shoulders.

"Our only option is panicking? Great, there goes my reputation as a superhero." The blonde grumbled, discontentedly. "He's connected and powered up now, Spike and Dru aren't dust, and they're working with him."

"You didn't sleep with him?" The cheerleader wanted to make sure, and when the other girl shook her head, she exhaled, relieved. "None of it's true; I just had to get Harmony off my back. I didn't know you were listening."

Cordelia wasn't lying – the slayer's eyes grew wide, and then she looked guilty. So she'd almost endangered what they had by jumping to a faulty conclusion?

It made her feel lower than scum. "You know what this means, don't you? It means I'm a jerk. Some of the things I was thinking, *saying*..." She was prepared to put herself through hell.

"How bout we just forget this happened?" Cordelia requested as the physical gap between them was closed.

Buffy brought two of her fingers together and twisted them in front of her mouth, like someone would a key. "Locked away forever."

The brunette smiled. "There is one thing I wanna remember, though. Willow, um, said you loved me." Then her mouth smirked. "But don't ever tick her off."

"Well aware of the consequences." The slayer smiled back, but she was nervous. "So how'd you take it? When she told you."

Cordelia's expression was indiscernible, as she drew out the wait. "Pretty sure I told her it's reciprocated. Or, for the dictionary-challenged, that it goes both ways."

"Doesn't it?" The cheerleader wrapped her arms around Buffy's neck, and as the blanket fell to the floor, she leaned in. "You don't wanna get Willow to help us with this next part, do you?"

She let Cordelia make the initial contact. After all, she'd started the first one; it wasn't her turn. This time was significantly better because of the mutual participation; they savored for as long as possible before they had to come up for air. This kiss had taken too damn long to get to, and they weren't going to waste it – not a second. Separation only allowed them to place lighter kisses on lips.

Buffy gently caressed the dark, rain-matted hair, and examined the brunette's less than perfect state. Makeup had smeared and washed away, her lengthy strands weren't blow-dried or conditioned, and the hairspray had failed. This was the true Cordelia Chase – lacking all masks – and she was still beautiful. Capping this fun step on a high note were words that the girls spoke in unison:

It wasn't that they had anything against Willow; they just had to actually say it to *each other* to get the full effect.

Then they hugged tightly. "Everybody has a part that's a jerk, even me – " Cordelia began.

The brunette sucked on the bottom lip doing all the movement, teased it, in order to get her to can it. "Cause it's like a side-effect...of being a person. That's why it's a good thing I'm interested in all the parts; the good, the bad, and the – "

"Let them say whatever the hell they want; I'm hotter than all of them combined, and beyond caring." They proceeded to make out some more, their tongues instantly becoming the best of friends. "You should go save the world." The cheerleader said during a break. "Nobody else is gonna get off their ass and do it."

"Yeah, Batman's really let himself go." Buffy quipped. "Could use some help figuring out the 'how.'"

They grasped hands, heading out into the night. The music had been faced, and the tune was pretty amazing. (Gonna listen to me more often now? Buffy's rational side gloated.)

"Not if you're gonna brag." The slayer muttered, drawing attention. "So, uh, where's my present?"

"Somebody's full of herself. Just cause you're hot, you think you..." Buffy faltered as if just getting it. "...And I'm talking to a Chase, so why am I shocked by this?"

"Summers, you better run. And while you're at it? Pray. Because when I catch you..."

Xander was discussing a plan to defeat the Judge with Giles and Willow, as Buffy and Cordelia came running through the library doors. A plan he had come up with all by himself. He thought it was brilliant; by the looks he hoped he was receiving, they thought so too. Who said being the victim of an evil, British sorcerer's magick spell couldn't be useful?

"Are you positive you'll be able to – ?" Giles started, but was distracted by the cheerleader and surprisingly joyful slayer.

"That's what everyone always says after they win; you'll just have to..." The blonde grinned, thinking of something. "No, ya know, a reward's definitely been earned, bet or no bet."

"S'not money, but I think you'll like it." Buffy drew nearer and nearer to her mouth.

The boy felt faint again and the librarian looked down at a book, but the hacker just smiled. And Cordelia pointed to the group, reminding her partner that they weren't exactly alone.

Buffy blushed accordingly. "Right. Fully-functional Judge, Spike on wheels, healthy Druscilla...mass annihilation of humanity. I'm on task, I'm focused, I'm ready to do the duty."

"The Judge is complete? And Spike and Druscilla survived? You're certain?" Giles was glad that they were back on a topic he could contribute to.

"Could ya be any less confident in me?" Xander wondered, hearing the not so enthusiastic tone.

"It's a sound course of action, and there's no foreseeable reason why it shouldn't work, however, the most crucial part is all very much dependent on your acting skills." The watcher tried to appease him. "And if I remember last year's talent show correctly..."

"Thanks for opening up old wounds, Giles." The blonde said, then she and Willow whimpered. "It was a dumb play, anyway. There – gone." She had killed the memory. "Well, since we had zip before Xander's plan, whatever it is, um..." She was attempting to come up with something inspiring, but was falling short. "Isn't anything better than zip?"

"I love all the support in this room. It's way too much; for the love of God, hold back." The young man sarcastically quipped.

It didn't matter; soon they'd be thanking him for saving their hides and feeding him grapes whenever he so desired. Hmm – maybe not the grapes, but he could dream.

"Me too! And I was supporting, just...in a quiet way." The redhead chimed in. "I thought you knew."

"Slow down – Xander has a plan? *That* Xander?" Cordelia found it difficult to disguise her shock.

"And guess what, Cordy? You get to be a major player." The male teen smiled, cryptically.

She felt Buffy embracing her around the waist at the news, in congratulations. "Care to let me in on the plan I'm a part of?"

All three girls raised their eyebrows. "When d'you think they'll attack?" Willow asked the slayer, as he wasn't divulging.

"I can still 'Clouseau' my way onto the base tonight." Xander offered, and the leader realized she had missed something. Then he became aware of his slip. "I *so* shoulda picked a different role model."

"It'd be wiser...strategy, to wait until tomorrow, Xander." Giles interjected. "The less time we illegally possess property owned by the military, the more comfortable I shall feel."

"The Council doesn't like to get entangled in governmental affairs, especially the affairs of this country, and I'm afraid I'm not high priority enough for them to deviate from that attitude." Came the admittance.

They all smiled at him, in fact, and with a clearing of the throat, the adult took off his glasses and rubbed them on his jacket of tweed. "It's simply my belief that the world would be far better off if you all were, not incarcerated."

"I'll suffer till tomorrow, Giles; I really don't wanna see those knickers get bunched." Xander joked, and was ignored by the addressee. "But all that tempting firepower..." They thought he was going to drool.

"Since I'm apparently gonna end up on America's Most Wanted, I think I deserve details." Cordelia believed. "Like now."

"We'll rendezvous," He had always wanted to say that, "with Oz and Willow at her house, then a'weapon-hunting we will go." Her figure got scanned. "You'll have to wear something trashy...er. And not so wet. Unless..."

He'd blocked out his knowledge of their budding relationship as best he could, but it came rushing back. Though unsure of his stance, the images in his brain weren't bad – weren't bad at all. "The mind wanders to crazy places. I try to control it, but – "

"I'll call Oz later and ask him if we can use his van." Willow said, glaring at her friend.

"I'm thinking it'd be better if I didn't know this stuff, and just stuck to killing the slimy, ugly things." Buffy told the gang. "That way, if I get questioned by association, I can deny."

"Back off, Monkey Boy." The brunette warned him, turning to the blonde. "The odor I'm inventing says I need a shower. And I'm gonna collapse in about two minutes."

The slayer pouted. "K, but call when you get home. So I know you're safe." She kissed her then, despite the audience.

"You're gonna be freakishly overprotective now that we're going out, aren't you?"

Buffy didn't hesitate. "Hell yes." Then they kissed – again. This was one aspect they were going to get a whole lot of enjoyment out of. "Talk to you later?"

In a happy daze, the blonde watched her exit the library and then turned to Xander, whose jaw was hanging open. "If you didn't know before, ya do now, and no matter how you feel about us dating, you hafta promise me one thing."

"I won't, Buff." He was able to see how deadly serious she was just by looking into her eyes.

Willow knew her oldest friend didn't want to be on the receiving end of a 'Slayer Ass-Whooping' – he meant what he said. And she smiled, as things must've worked out.

"Okay, what was that? And who are you?" Cordelia questioned Xander the following night.

He had just talked their way past a guard and into 'Weapons Storage.' Of course, she had to be a brainless, sex object, but it had gone smoothly enough.

Searching for what they'd come for, he answered. "Remember Halloween I got turned into a soldier?"

"Yeah." She didn't want to reflect on that night of horrors, but he'd taken charge and helped them all live through it.

"Well, I still remember all of it. I know procedure, ordnance, access codes...everything. I know the whole layout for this base...and I'm pretty sure I can put together an M-16 in fifty-seven seconds." He wasn't above tooting his own horn.

She was momentarily stupefied. "Well, I'm sort of impressed. But let's just find the thing and get out of here."

"Allow me to rephrase – why you and Buffy?" Xander corrected himself. "Is it for real, or...?"

"Yeah, Xander, it is." Cordelia sighed. "Probably the first real thing I've ever had."

He turned to see the sincerity on her face. "You don't have a problem with – ?"

"Dating a girl? Giving up the throne? Breaking every social rule that's been in place since the beginning of time?" She paused. "Surprisingly, I'm problem-free; I've always set the new trends, maybe this'll catch on."

Alternative couples didn't bother him really, but he enjoyed his orientation. His blockage with Buffy and Cordelia had more to do with the fact that instead of choosing to go for him, they swore off men. Unless they didn't last, but he'd never wish that on the slayer. If the cheerleader was whom she wanted, and she was happy, then that was that.

"No, dork-head." She hit him. "The dissolving of the groups – the Jocks, the Goths, the Band Nerds, the Computer Nerds, the Audio-Visual Nerds, the Yearbook Nerds..." There were many sub-categories. "A school where people can hang with whoever they want to. Without fear of, you know, persecution or whatever."

The brunette could see it in her head. "Cars, cash, class...wouldn't be a factor. I'm like a pioneer."

"You're dreaming – if it didn't work for Marx, it ain't gonna work for you. Especially not on a Hellmouth." Xander was forcing her to face reality.

"I said *maybe*." She reminded him, nearly growling. Puncture her vision? How dare he. "Did you find it yet?"

She was still the girl he'd known his entire life, but he couldn't deny that she had undergone a noticeable transformation. "This mean the war's over?" He cautiously asked.

"Just because I'm involved with someone who in a moment of insanity chose you for a friend, it doesn't automatically change things." She told him, pointedly.

"Then I'll...cave." There was no way around it. "Until that happens though, I'm sure you'll still act like a complete retard, and I'll be right there to tell you how cool and witty you're not." She promised with a grin. "But if you wanna admit you're a loser..."

"Never!" The very idea that he would do such a thing was ridiculous. "It's on, baby."

The gang walked confidently out of the elevator and into the mall a couple hours later, with Buffy leading and Cordelia beside her. Angel was behind them, followed by Giles and Xander (who were carrying the weapon's crate), and behind them were Willow and Oz. The guitarist suggested that this was where the Judge might go, and he'd been right.

"Everybody keep back – damage control only. Take out any lesser vamps if you can, I'll handle the Smurf." The slayer instructed her group.

The Judge was on the second level, but then it took a few steps down. Druscilla was overseeing at the top, and her security was blocking the exit doors. A man came walking by one side of the ancient demon, and a couple by the other. It then extended its hands out, and bolts of energy emanated from them, striking the people. They froze while the energy connected to every person in the surrounding area.

Suddenly, a projectile hit the Judge in the chest, breaking its concentration and halting the killing; it yanked the offending object out. "Who dares?"

Standing on a refreshment stand that they had made their way to, Buffy had a crossbow in hand, and her friends were ducking while Xander opened the crate. "Think I got his attention." She said, evenly.

Angel, seeing the enemy begin to raise his arm again, decided that he had to buy Xander and Buffy more time, so he leapt over the stand before they could stop him.

The energy hit him full force and he went rigid, as the demon obeyed the command.

"Hey!" The blonde was given a rocket launcher, which she rested on her shoulder. "That 'no weapon forged' thing? That was then – this is now."

She powered it up and set her sight, opening the trigger guard. The others took cover, and Druscilla jumped the railing – the insane vampire was still sane enough to know what it was. The Judge saw the strange device, however, and stared in confusion, which released Angel. Despite the fact that he was still very much in pain, he scrambled backwards.

"What's that do?" It wondered, and then Buffy pulled the trigger – a rocket flew right into its chest, exploding it into several hundred pieces.

Druscilla unraveled as they rained down upon her, and she tried to escape, but her sire tackled her to the ground. Struggling to get the upper hand, a stake fell out of Angel's coat – they both lunged. Each getting a hold on it, he won the 'Who's Stronger?' test; gritting his teeth as he got over her, he turned the sharp end towards her chest.

"I can hear Mummy calling to me from the moon; she wants me to play with her, Angel." She smiled, contentedly. "In the stars."

Buffy came over as the sprinklers switched on, dousing the smoke – getting drenched was quickly becoming a habit. "You okay?" He said he was, but his eyes told her he needed a minute. "We'll be, uh...separating the pieces. Chip in whenever."

The mall-goers were vacating fast, and the Slayerettes were dealing with the dismembered Judge.

As she walked away, the vampire's eyes darkened. "You just destroyed our best work – she was art. What is it with you?"

His face softened then, his eyes widening in disbelief. "No...it...you can't..."

"I couldn't believe I had to sit back while you killed Darla." A scowl. "She made us the man we are today...remember what she felt like?" He didn't want to remember, because this wasn't possible. "And why'd you do it? For her. Yeah, now look where you are; she picked a cheerleader over you, which is just...pathetic." His voice laughed, but it wasn't him. "Hey, you know what you need? A break. I'm a nice guy, I'll take over for ya."

"Go ahead, keep being a choirboy for now; we don't want them getting concerned, now do we? But you gotta learn to share – things are about to get *very* interesting." Angelus promised.

The gang sat on the bleachers in the gym, dressed in the appropriate attire along with the rest of the class – the same, red, T-shirt with 'SUNNYDALE' in yellow lettering on the front, and gray shorts or sweatpants. It allowed the teachers and administration to delude themselves into believing that students had School Spirit. Cordelia and Willow were sitting on either side of Buffy, and Oz and Xander sat a row behind, listening to the coach ramble on about self-defense.

"Sunnydale is becoming more dangerous all the time. And a full moon like tonight tends to bring out the crazies, but with some simple basics of self-defense, each of you can learn how to protect yourself."

Smiling, the hacker spied the slayer fingering the gold, id bracelet she'd been wearing for the past two weeks, which she said was Cordelia's birthday present to her. It was engraved on the back, but the meaning escaped the outside observer: 9/7/97 - Thank You

The coach wasn't done. "What you wanna do is gain advantage of the situation as quickly as possible."

Oz reached forward and put the visible tag inside his girlfriend's collar; yes, they were officially a couple. She had a musician boyfriend, and 'ecstatic' didn't even begin to cover how happy she was. When she looked at him questioningly, he patted her back. "Tag."

"Your attacker may have the benefit of surprise, but if you plot ahead, then you can turn that advantage to yourself. By being prepared, you have the power. Okay – everyone get into your assigned groups." Were the day's instructions.

The blonde got up, flashing a smile at the brunette when the woman responsible for their grades gestured to her bracelet. "You'll have to take that off, Summers; I'm sure you don't wanna risk it getting broken."

Buffy shook her head. "Nope, don't want that." She didn't want to remove it either, but she'd rather not upset a woman with chest hair.

"I've got pockets." Willow offered, as she was wearing a sweat-jacket overtop of her shirt.

"Thanks, Will." The slayer removed it from her wrist carefully, handed it over, and then walked onto the mats.

Cordelia saw the redhead attempting to decipher, and whispered to her, "First time she kissed me." Then she moved to where she was assigned, and waited for Xander.

He was going to be the attacker, she was going to get to hurt him – finally a class she could enjoy.

Willow's mouth formed an O – that was uncharacteristically sweet. She placed the bracelet in a pocket while going to wait for Oz, her partner for the exercise, thinking about how she and Cordelia had put the 'yelling incident' behind them. Having gotten off easy, she planned to use the forgiveness as fuel to establish a friendship. Aside from being a cheerleader, the girl was one of the outcasts now, though she was adjusting well; nevertheless, the hacker wanted her to feel accepted.

"Oh, last week some huge dog jumped out of the bushes, and bit me – thirty-nine stitches." Larry explained. "They oughta shoot those strays."

"I've been there, man." Oz held up his finger. "My cousin Jordy just got his grownup teeth in? Does not like to be tickled."

"So, Harris, that thing going around about Buffy taking our best meat off the market, it true? Cause that's a damn shame; Cordelia was Grade-A of the highest quality. And here I always just thought you couldn't close the deal." The football player smirked.

If he had about fifty or sixty more pounds of muscle, Xander would've decked him, but he didn't, so he kept his cool. "You wanna know, Lar? Ask her." The beefier male appeared somewhat frightened. "Or not." He exchanged smirks with the guitarist before they headed to where they were supposed to be.

Larry approached a girl doing stretching exercises. "Theresa!" The girl straightened. "Be still my shorts – we're in the same group." He chuckled. "I may have to attack you."

Buffy joined them. "And I'm one of the few – something you wanted to ask me?" She had overheard everything. "It's not my opinion on the O-Zone, is it? Cause you don't wanna get me started." He just stood there. "Come on, you have a burning desire to learn; I can tell these things."

Willow dragged her away from him, then. "Don't forget, you're supposed to be a meek, little girlie-girl like the rest of us."

The blonde watched the redhead go back to her spot, pouting slightly. "Spoil my fun."

A few minutes later the coach had explained the procedure, and Larry had his arm around Buffy's neck, for some reason feeling more powerful now. She was faking her attempts to flip him over, adding in a few grunts for good measure – everyone was stopping to look in their direction.

"Why doesn't she just – ?" Cordelia began to ask Xander, but then the athlete grabbed her girlfriend's backside. There was rage. "If she doesn't, I will."

Within a second, Larry was groaning on his back; he might not have gotten what he'd been looking for, but he sure got a message. "Meat's bad for you, didn't you know?" The slayer spoke to him from above. "Vegetables are a lot healthier – see what they've done for me?"

He backed away from her immediately, not really requiring or wanting, a demonstration.

"It woulda been a hell of a lot more satisfying, and probably permanent – because you're a superhuman freak." Cordelia was reiterating for the Chosen One as they walked into the library ahead of their friends. "That's all I'm saying."

Buffy brushed aside the venom-less 'insult,' only mock-gasping. "I already kinda knew that, but thanks for the refresher...Veruca. And four words – Snyder, my life, unbearable." She succinctly said while the brunette feigned innocence. "This is the longest I've stayed below radar; few more weeks and I'm up for a medal. Least that's what the janitor told me."

"Hey, I've got no love for Larry, but I wouldn't wish *that* on any registered male in the gender." Xander cringed at the mere thought. "Except Angel." A blonde glared in his direction, this time for real. "You're, uh, with me on this, right, Oz?"

The slayer raised her brows at the strength of the statement; it had just hit home that the cheerleader was apparently unforgiving to people who hurt or upset her, and she made a mental note of that, vowing to avoid causing her pain at all costs. She loved her and enjoyed her company – why would she want to throw that away? Giving her a quick kiss she said, "I'm glad you're on my side."

"They sell cups to non-athletes?" Xander wondered, the glint in Cordelia's eye worrying him.

"I-I...I need a book. Ooh, like," The redhead blurted, suddenly, "See Spot Run, or...The Cat in the Hat!" They were looking at her strangely, but she needed memories of innocent, childhood books with no talk of...boy stuff. Or girl stuff. "Remember how his hat was real long and big and had lots of stuff insi..." She swallowed then, her eyes bugging out – when did her mind become so corrupted? "Look, a globe!" She pointed, diverting their gazes, and then proceeding to bite her fingernails.

Buffy gulped. "A globe?" She backed up to the doors, Xander following her lead, and reached for Cordelia's hand while glancing around. "There diagrams?"

They had to get out; continuing to reverse, the trio unfortunately bumped into a returning librarian.

"Giles!" The blonde exclaimed in surprise, whirling to face him. "We were just, um...hoping to run into you…weren't we, guys?" Her friend and girlfriend nodded along. "You know, this being the library and all..." She gave her watcher a weak smile. "But the literalness was..."

"An unexpected bonus." Xander accepted the task of doing a schmooze job with a nervous laugh. "Have I told you lately how much I think 'librarian' is a fantastic career choice?"

Giles eyed the children. "I found something in the paper this morning; it may only be a coincidence, but I have a theory you'll all want to hear." He announced. "And I should accompany you on patrol tonight, Buffy – I suspect you'll need the aid."

The trapped, superhuman freak clung desperately to her significant other. "Save me."

Books scattered all over, table smashed to bits, pictures and paintings torn, and their frames broken. The statue that he kept locked in its own glass case, was in pieces; the fridge was lying open on the floor with all the packets inside, drained. Blood had splattered everywhere, and his desk, chair, and armoire were shoved up against the door. Also, the cord for his phone had been ripped from the wall.

In the bedroom, he sat with covers around him shivering, his back to the wall, his face ashen. A couple days from now, his cheekbones would be visible beneath the skin, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd fed; though he wanted to, he knew he couldn't. He had destroyed his home, barricading himself inside of it, not understanding why the curse had lost the grip it'd once had – it was no longer keeping his demon at bay.

So he had to fight alone, fight for control of his own body, because it wanted to kill again, and far worse. He was using every ounce of strength he possessed to prevent that from happening, spoiling his blood supply and starving himself in an effort to weaken the evil thing. There was no other choice.

"This doesn't belong to you anymore, Soul Boy; you gave up the deed when you asked her to let me in."

"This was clever in theory, but it backfired. We both know you don't have the energy to keep this up, and when the sun goes down, I'm gonna bleed the first girl I see. Gotta admit, I hope she's blonde – I hear they go down easy." Angelus loved being free. "Oh yeah, I forgot...this is the 'Wind Tunnel Capital of the World.' Course she will be." He hummed happily. "California."

"You haven't seen her in weeks, she hasn't taken any time out of her busy schedule to pay you a visit...isn't she supposed to care? Here's a thought – she doesn't give a crap about you. But wait, that doesn't matter; because you're the big, tortured hero." It was annoyed, tired of the 'Good Fight.' "Get over yourself already."

"She's living her life." Angel argued. "She's got more important things...to worry about."

"Damn, I didn't think you were this whipped. Just because she's the Slayer, because she saved the world...what? Once or twice, it has to revolve around her? Open your eyes – they're all the same, and you bought the act. Now she's too wrapped up in her new toy to see anything else." He grinned. "What a bitch, huh?"

He knew what it was trying to do, and he would never hate Buffy – he knew what kind of person she was. If she'd been happy with Cordelia these past couple weeks, good; she should take advantage of the time she had. "If you go out there, he'll hunt us down."

"Ooh, I'm getting chills." It was sarcastic. "Spike'll be spinning his wheels for a while, and his lackeys? Please...they're a joke. I bet he hasn't even finished 'grieving' yet." There was disgust in his voice. "He's got the worst taste in women; kinda like you. Sure, Dru and I had our games – "

He laughed. "Knew he was gonna be a problem from the beginning. Too much..." It wasn't going to say the 'L word.' "Like a human. He slaughtered when he had to, usually to make her nice and creamy, but never had a passion for it – I mean, the railroad spikes were my idea. I gave him his reputation, and all he did was give me plenty of reasons to tear out his throat."

"You still don't get it? Well, guess I shouldn't be surprised; you are human...more or less." Angelus acquiesced. "Funny, you seemed smarter before; this separation between us is really enlightening. But hey, don't worry, cause I've got time for a lesson.

"People leave a lot behind when demons move in. More than they think. And seeing as how most of us lean toward maiming, destruction, and occasionally torture – *my* favorite pastime – we trash whatever we find. Whole 'Evil Makeover.' The thing is, how bad it gets all comes down to who they were. For example, Druscilla – the model, Christian girl of her day. Loving, obedient, devout...not one, sinful bone in that young, innocent body. Except, oh no, only a heathen in league with the Dark Prince would be able to see into the future." He rolled his eyes, spouting, "Humans...what a bunch of morons." Then his mouth curved into a nasty smile. "What kind of man would I be if I didn't take her away from all that? And she had one hell of a gift – had to have it for myself." Angel's blood boiled at the memory. "But to make her the best vampire she could be, needed to loosen those screws; I'd just fed, so I was feeling experimental. Plus, ya know, in the mood. Then she woke up, amorous as ever, and couldn't get enough of me. Kept yammering about her parents, though..."

"Yeah, her mind was full of surprises." He smirked. "Yours wasn't; you just didn't care. Made relocating a snap...thanks. Spikey cared too much, but you...you were ready to let the rage free – was a real fun century and a half." His face shifted to vampiric form, and he licked his lips. "Can't wait to give this one a whirl."

"I think it should go left twice, right three times, and then finish with a V." Kelli demonstrated with her pom-poms.

Cordelia was co-captain of the squad this year, alongside Joy. They were having a night practice in the gym, and she'd been very let down by the lack of talent and creativity. Cheerleading did require skill, though some refused to believe that, and the girls who tried out had none – but they had to go with them. If they didn't, Sunnydale High and the Razorbacks wouldn't have a cheering section.

Scanning the group, she saw the stares; some were disgusted, others indifferent, but generally, she was being looked down upon. A few of them were part of her once flock, who now thought they were better than her – that was a laugh. No, Larry hadn't been the first to bring up her 'change.' In the beginning it was uncomfortable; presently it was just annoying.

It was sad when she'd rather be werewolf hunting in the dark with her girlfriend and an old, English guy.

"We need a new routine, but the game's tomorrow, and..." Cordelia began, as Kelli glared at her. She could hear muffled giggling. "That's it, I've had enough."

"You've heard the rumors, right? Well, they're all true. There – it's out in the open." The brunette waited for the gasps to subside. "Buffy Summers and Cordelia Chase are a thing. We've kissed, we've gone on a few dates, and who knows? We might even have sex."

"Ashley? Your mouth? Close it." She ordered. "I'm sure you have issues, but you talking? Mistake. I'm happy with my life, and if you wanna pretend I don't exist anymore, you better not expect me to think it'll be a huge loss, cause it won't be. I've got friends, *actual* friends, so I could seriously care less."

"I'm still a captain of this squad; I've earned it, so if I don't like something, tough. Deal. Out there you can ignore me all you want, but in here, I call the shots. Maybe I've grown a little," She had; by short leaps and small bounds, "but if you think you can mess with me and get away with it, think again – and yeah, that is a threat."

Cordelia was in control, and she loved it. "Relax, I'm not gonna molest you in the showers or check out your ass, because...yuck, but if I hear anybody saying anything about me and Buffy, and I mean *anything*, I will shove my foot in it. You all owe her big time, and you know it." She paused for a moment or two, seeing that they grasped the consequences. "Do what I say, and you'll be safe. But I'm not putting up with this, damn it – are we clear now?"

"This is all so weird. I mean, how are we supposed to act when we see him?" Xander was asking Buffy as they walked into the lounge two days later.

Oz had turned out to be the werewolf, but thankfully, he hadn't hurt anyone. Willow ended up shooting him; it was no secret that they had a lot to discuss. She hoped for her friend's sake that they could work through it, because they seemed good together, and she didn't want the redhead to lose that.

However, Xander wasn't talking about the guitarist. He was referring to Larry, who he had interrogated about his dog bite; things had been learned that he hadn't intended to learn, and also, wrong impressions were given.

"Well, it's gotta be weird for him, too. Now that we know so much." The slayer said in response.

"He's still a human being." She said in defense of their laconic friend. "Most of the time."

They stopped at the vending machine, and he realized they weren't quite on the same page. "Who are we talking about?"

His eyes found Larry and Friends by the stairs; one of them knocked books out of a girl's hands. While they laughed, the ex-asshole picked up the books and gave them back to her. The blonde watched the somewhat befuddling scene, staying calm as he came over.

"It's really nothing we should be talking about." Xander said to her, and then turned to the other guy. "Ever."

"I know, I know. It's just, well," The jock smiled gratefully and patted him on the back, "thanks."

"That was weird." Buffy commented as he left, and she and Xander went to a table.

"What? It's not okay for one guy to like another guy just because he happened to be in the locker room with him when absolutely nothing happened...and I thought I told you not to push." He babbled, apparently having caught Willow's habit.

Xander fidgeted with his hands, smiling. "Oh-oh, yeah, that's-that's the weirdness."

"Weirdness abounds lately – maybe it's the moon." She rationalized as Cordelia entered the lounge, pulled up a chair, and joined them. "Does stuff to people." A 'Hello' kiss was bestowed upon her.

"What's with the public display?" The slayer smiled at the cheerleader, welcomingly. "Not that I'm minding or anything."

"I'm the Queen, Buffy; they may not like it, but my subjects know to obey." Cordelia stated with a self-assured grin. "Oh, guess what? Larry apologized to me after second period. Which in itself was bizarre, but then he said he was gay and that he'd always be 'available to talk.' Do we have to bond and make a secret pact or something? Cause if we do..."

"He's...? My God. Really? Man. You see a guy every day, and then – " Xander's ranting was cut short.

Larry's gratitude was making sense suddenly, and the blonde was smirking up a storm. "Something you wanna tell us, Xand?"

He sighed in defeat. "There were mixed signals, okay? It's girls all the way for me. My, 'You Two Naked and Chocolate-Covered' fantasy gets me dreaming, and the mother of all hopes – that it'll be a seeable reality someday – is what gets me goin' in the morning." He saw their angry, appalled faces. "In a totally, *not* sexual way."

While they attempted to banish his hormonal, wet dream from their minds, the conversation was put on hold. Though the girlfriends did sort of enjoy mentally picturing the image, he wasn't going to get to know that. Besides, where would they get that much chocolate?

Upset that it wasn't doable, Cordelia searched for a distraction, and quickly wished she hadn't – people were placing flowers by a girl's locker. "So a vampire killed Theresa? We're sure?" She asked in a whisper, frowning.

"That's what bite marks on the neck usually mean." Buffy confirmed sadly. "The one who did it is still out there."

The cheerleader had a strong urge do some holding, but that was one line Snyder wouldn't let any couple cross. She could see how hard it was on her, though; every victim stuck around in her head long after they died. To make it even worse, Buffy had talked to Theresa in class only days ago, saving her from one beast, but not able to save her from another.

"But think about it." Xander jumped in, happy that they weren't going to badger him. "I mean, what life could they possibly have together? We're talking obedience school, paper training, Oz is always in backyard burying their things...and that kind of breed can turn on its owner."

"I don't know," The slayer thoughtfully disagreed, "I kinda see Oz as the loyal type."

Cordelia stopped listening as soon as Xander had spoken, thinking to herself about the more pressing problem, and now she re-entered the discussion with a suggestion. "Get Angel to find it. The vampire. They all like, inbreed, so he oughta know..." She got an odd look from the petite girl, and chose to end her jab right there. "Anyway, I swear I don't feel threatened anymore."

Buffy smiled at that last part. "I could...maybe. I haven't seen him in a while; figured he needed some alone time."

"To cope with the fact that Cordy won?" He asked, grinning evilly. "Again, that decision is applauded by me."

"He's a grown vampire; he can take care of himself." Her friend was unconcerned for his nemesis, which was no big revelation. "Damn it, Buff, you're a slayer, not a babysitter!" Blank stares were the worst. "Star Trek – classic viewing."

"Not me." The brunette said without warning. "Why should I waste brain cells just to sink down to your low, *low* level?" She questioned rhetorically. "If you have any layers, and the chances aren't that great, I'd rather avoid knowing what they are."

Xander's sarcasm came through in a pinch. "Ho, that was jam-packed with hilarity." He received a quiet challenge, 'What, no comeback?' Then he gestured to the table's other occupant. "Hello? Glare, anyone? Ain't that brave."

Buffy was indeed glaring – their bickering got on her nerves. "If I avoided *your* layers, we wouldn't be here."

"But he's – " Cordelia wanted to protest, but crumbled due to a second, public display.

The cheerleader did have a good idea though, because she couldn't let that vampire live.

Spike heard his men enter the factory trying to be slow and quiet. There were only four now; he was losing people fast. In his wheelchair, he sat facing a wall, biting back the tears and turning weak emotion into rage. Tomorrow was Valentine's Day – he'd be reminded of Druscilla often, and the pain would come back just when he thought he could function without her. He reminisced, remembering how they used to seek out happy couples in the middle of romantic, midnight strolls. The hunt had been a Valentine's Day tradition.

The sight of those in love pleased her; she had a childlike fascination with the silent communication they shared, while being blind to the world around them. The eyes revealed so much, so many stories, and they were always easy prey. Though she was sickened by the goodness out of which the love was born, the blood was sweeter. It wasn't like her and her Spike – their love was dark, painfully erotic, eternal. At least her lover and childe had thought that once.

She would make the victims' deaths special, as was fitting for tradition. The neck didn't get punctured, oh no. The area of the chest – the flesh that shielded the heart – she drained the life from there, sinking her teeth in and moaning all the while. She insisted that she had sucked the love right from their hearts, and that she could feel the sensations wash over her; the pureness made her cry out, but her demon blood soon warped the offensive emotions, and she made that love hers.

Then when she and Spike retired for the night, they would pleasure each other almost until noon, being so high from the energy.

Now Druscilla was dead, those nights lost, and he could look forward to several lifetimes of loneliness – if the Slayer and his Grandsire didn't put a stake in him first, of course. Angel was where he placed the blame. He'd sent vampires night after night to kill him, and fewer and fewer returned each time; the ones who escaped said Angel was ruthless, brutal...that they weren't prepared. He had dusted them, angry and frustrated. At this point he would've take the matter into his own, usually capable hands, but was unable to do so at the moment.

Which was the Slayer's doing – she came up with the plan and Angel executed it, so they'd both die for Dru. That was a promise.

"How successful were we tonight?" He asked in an even tone, still staring at the wall.

"Is that right?" Spike wheeled around. "There's only three of you – where's Lenny?"

"That was kinda rude, don't you think? I would've expected at least two weeks notice." He pushed himself onto the speaker's foot. The vampire winced, and he crooked his finger. "What's your name, mate?"

"Th-thanks." Rick tried to maintain his composure, as his boss yanked him by the shirt.

"Which is why I'm not gonna hold this little, bump in the road against you – Angel didn't make it two centuries by being an idiot. He was also camp as a row of tents, but the point is, he's not easy to scratch. So I'm givin' you a new job; forget the poof. You can't destroy the instrument, you destroy the brains behind it." The bleached demon paused then, fuming silently. "The Slayer – put the bleedin' bitch in the ground!" He growled. "This is an opportunity very few fellas get...*Rick*. The publicity alone should be motivatin' enough, cause if you don't, you better hope she does you before I hear about it. Do we have an understanding?"

Spike rolled off of the foot, and Angelus left the scene from his vantage point outside. Buffy was his, and he didn't want his 'Coming Out' party spoiled.

The following morning the bell rang, signaling the end of American Literature for Buffy, Willow, and Xander. The romantic holiday was upon the three friends, two of which had dates, while the other one didn't. And being a sensitive guy, Xander was slightly depressed about that – Willow and Oz, Buffy and Cordelia, Xander and...The Air. He sighed, having faith that a solution to his dilemma would reveal itself.

As he got up from his seat, the teacher, Ms. Beakman, spoke. "Papers on my desk. Anybody tries to leave without giving me a paper is looking at a failing grade."

Assignment in hand and bag on his shoulder, he walked down the row behind his friends. "Ha, ha, ha – this time I'm ready for you. No 'F' for Xander today. No, this baby's my ticket to a sweet D-minus."

Willow saw their childhood friend, Amy Madison, and stopped beside her. "Hey, Amy."

"Hey." The girl responded, adjusting the strap on her backpack. "Are you guys going to the 'Valentine's Day Dance' at the Bronze? I think it's gonna be a lot of fun."

The redhead turned to Buffy with a huge smile, who gave amused permission. "Go ahead, you know you wanna say it."

"Oh, Valentine's Day is just a cheap gimmick to sell cards and chocolate." Buffy came off sounding nonchalant, then walked up to the teacher's desk with the girls, to hand her paper in.

She headed out, followed soon by Willow, who gave her paper and received a 'Thank You' as well.

Xander was still behind Amy, watching as she and the teacher seemingly got into a staring contest. A few seconds passed, and then the older woman made a gesture like she was accepting a paper. She smiled, gave Amy an automatic 'Thank You' just like she had for everyone else, and waited on him – her student left as if nothing happened.

He stood in shock for a moment and then relinquished his paper, in a hurry to catch up with Buffy and Willow. They were currently making their way downstairs with Amy, and spotted Cordelia standing at the bottom.

"She poo poo's it, but she's spoiling her rotten." Willow whispered to Amy, attempting to glance at the brunette discreetly, who was quickly joined by a happy, petite blonde.

Amy smiled at the pair when they stepped onto the first floor, and then went into the lounge.

"I never said it was a *bad* gimmick, I just said it was cheap." Buffy defended herself, smirking at her friend's, 'How did you hear that?' look.

"And you better not be." The cheerleader interjected, putting an arm around her girlfriend's neck.

The slayer just smiled sweetly; there were plans, all right. She looked away as Xander arrived, having finally reached them through the mass that continued to give the occasional glare her and Cordelia's way, but that was about it.

"And an amateur psycho." Buffy added. "Amy's the last person that should be messing with that stuff."

"Heck if I know." The blonde shrugged. "She zapped herself, then presto, no more Evil Mom."

"Willow's right. Cause you have other, more important things to focus on today." Cordelia told her girlfriend. "Me, for instance."

Half-listening to begin with, an idea had sprung to Xander's mind. "Maybe I should go talk to her."

The happiness was too much for him to handle; he ran up to the suspected magick user without another word and pulled her aside, away from the crowd in the lounge.

"I'm thinking it runs in the family. I saw you working that mojo on Ms. Beakman." He started to glance behind himself. "Maybe I should go tell somebody about – "

"What do you want?" She crossed her arms, defeated, and not hating him enough to turn him into something.

"What do I want?" He rubbed his hands together. "Of all the questions, you had to pick that one – heh. Sorry, wasn't a good choice, Amy; in fact, it was very, very wrong. Because now you're under my control. So much power, so many options. What to choose, what to choose..." His confident expression faded, becoming suddenly shy. "Go out with me?"

At the Bronze, Dingoes Ate My Baby was playing onstage, and Willow was sitting behind the people on the dance floor, at a table with Xander and Amy. She didn't understand why the two were there together, but she was too engrossed in her guitarist boyfriend to care, moving her head to the beat, a big smile plastered on her face.

"Oz has his cool hair today." She announced, somewhat proudly. "I think I'm a groupie!"

Xander looked at his date. "You can go mingle, ya know; you've suffered, and I thank you for it."

"I didn't have to come at all, Xander – I could've just removed your tongue or given you never-ending athlete's foot." Amy told him, truthfully.

A short distance away, Buffy and Cordelia were standing behind a couch, drinking cups of soda. They'd danced during the last song, though had decided to sit the current one out. The brunette rolled her eyes at Willow's enthusiasm, but was very interested in what she was seeing develop between Xander and Amy. It made her wonder where he got the guts to face possible rejection – she always thought if he asked a girl out his head would explode, and she kind of wanted to see if Amy would do it.

"They've got potential." The blonde was observing the same thing her girlfriend had been.

"I've seen worse." Cordelia admitted. "If he keeps her away from cauldrons and black cats, they have a shot." Then she slowly broke out into a grin. "Oops, that was *just* her mother."

The sarcastic tone not lost on Buffy, she gave the cheerleader a light thwap on the arm. Then she checked her watch, which caused her eyes to widen; they were on a schedule, and she'd nearly forgotten. Snatching Cordelia's drink right from her hand, she found a place for trash and dumped both their cups. The other girl was left trying to figure out what was going on, when she saw Harmony enter with her entourage. In that instant, the slayer reappeared and began pulling her towards the doors.

"Hey! Girl wearing heels here! I told you – you should've stuck to Diet." The brunette admonished, having almost tripped.

As they were going, the ditsy blonde glared, so Cordelia made it a point to show her a certain finger; Harmony then huffed, hurriedly summoning everyone to the bathroom to complain. The sheep were unaware that they had just brushed past a vampire, who watched as another followed the couple outside, leaving from the back to alert others. He quickly and stealthily made his own exit, trailing the competition.

They were a block from her house when Buffy stopped walking. Every muscle in her body tensed; she'd felt like she was being tracked even in the Bronze but ignored it, being too distracted by what non-supernatural things could go wrong with the evening. It figured that since she was finally in a relationship, something would want to interrupt the first important date on the 'Couple Calendar.' She didn't have time for a newborn wanting to make a name for himself, she really didn't.

Cordelia knew what that look meant, and she also knew she should've brought her car; walking might've been romantic, but driving equaled vampire protection. Her girlfriend wordlessly motioned her to stay close, and then the slayer leapt into action, turning quickly to deliver a kick to the vampire that had come up behind them. Foot hit stomach, and the victim hunched over.

"Have you ever heard of 'Hello'?" The brunette asked him. "It's a pretty well-known word – learn it. Unless you like having your insides rearranged..."

Something didn't feel right. Was his face...different? Harder or...and that didn't matter, because three vampires appeared out of the shadows, circling them. She got into a fighting stance – good thing she hadn't chosen to wear a dress tonight, or there would've been a stake-carrying issue. Getting one out of the pocket of her pants, she stood back-to-back with Angel, keeping Cordelia next to her.

"I followed them from Willy's to the Bronze." He explained. "They've been watching you."

"I need to get you in the house; we can make a break for it if Angel holds them off." Buffy spoke to her girlfriend, surveying the situation. "I'm not taking any chances. Once you're inside, I'll – " The cheerleader wanted to interrupt, but she forcefully said, "*No.* No one's gonna spoil tonight for me."

From the second they'd been discovered, Angel had been battling with his demon for control – he had allowed it to feed on too many people already. Fighting back was becoming increasingly more difficult, but it wasn't going to get her, or Cordelia. Using all he had, the man in the body pushed it down, ignoring the inner growl of protest.

"She's right – help me." He said, a touch of desperation in his voice. "Help me split them up, then run. I can handle it."

With that, the slayer round-housed the one in front of her and Cordelia, while he took the one on the left. Seeing the hole, they booked it for the house, but not before she tossed him her stake.

As the girls went off and distanced themselves from the scene, Angelus broke free, showing its anger through vampiric eyes. "You always get in my way."

The two, fallen attackers were standing again, joining the third – it was him they wanted, anyway. William the Bloody was a damn cripple; his orders and threats didn't mean a damn thing. Watching their foe talk to himself caused slight hesitation, but they were quickly doing their best to beat him down. Unfortunately for them, however, demon and man had just decided (at least for the time being) to cooperate with one another.

Even though a part of Angel wanted to die, he couldn't get rid of his survival instinct. He knew that every time he gave into the demon, let it have its fun, a piece of him slipped away; but it was too strong an instinct, and with both halves working together, no prey could survive.

"She has this big, 'romantic dinner' thing planned at her place. Cordy didn't know." He revealed to her. "I would've done something like that too, but..." This was kind of new.

"I'll give it the old, college try." Cracking his knuckles, they walked out onto the floor where Willow and Oz were already dancing – the band was taking a break between sets, so a DJ was handling the music. "And if there's toe crushing, don't panic; I've got the hospital bill covered. Do they, um, accept Monopoly money?"

After some awkwardness, they settled in nicely to the slow-paced song. His arms around Amy's neck, and hers around his waist, Xander found the hacker in the crowd – the best friends shared a smile. Willow wasn't the only one who'd had a crush on him.

In the Summers' home finally, Cordelia removed her shoes, as they were no longer salvageable. Placing them by the door, she trailed Buffy barefoot into the living room, where the girl switched on a lamp, and proceeded to look out of the large window. She'd noticed that the Jeep wasn't in the driveway, and as she sat on the couch thinking about that, it raised suspicions. "Your mom go out?"

"Yeah, she met this guy, came into the gallery...they went somewhere..." The slayer was still distracted by the view outside.

"I had Willow check. Medical records, police record...he's got all the right organs and one speeding ticket. From when he was twenty, but I still made Mom promise to drive." Buffy debated with herself, then. "Should I...?"

The cheerleader shook her head. "He wants to be macho? Let him. Besides, he was stalking you."

"When doesn't he? That's all he has to look forward to; it's not like he has friends or a hobby...that isn't gross." Came the jibe, and she was chastised quietly.

"His place looked like a tornado blew through it." Cordelia completed the sentence. "You told me."

"He didn't know anything about who got her, but the reason his apartment was a total mess was cause Spike's guys were trying to get payback for Druscilla." Buffy elaborated. "Now they're after me because they couldn't take Angel out."

"Then it's a good thing you're here, and they're...someplace that's else, getting their asses kicked." The brunette said, giving her honest opinion. "I know I'm happy about it."

"Buffy? Shut up." The girlfriends kissed then, and that kissing transformed into the more advanced form, which involved tongue exploration. Finishing off with some light hand roaming, they broke contact to enjoy the oxygen that the air had to offer. "Making out on a couch," She managed to sigh, "how cliché can you get?"

"You started it." Buffy wasn't ready to stop, either. She nipped along Cordelia's neck, and worked her way back up to the mouth before a finger tapped her on the back.

"Green Eggs and Ham? Ick." Cordelia made a face to go along with her word of disapproval. "Seriously, there's a bear holding a box of...are they chocolates?"

"Valentines Day, chocolates...I've heard they go together or something." Buffy started to grin, but then her expression became one of uncertainty. "Uh...oh. That's cliché, isn't it?"

"Clichés? Who cares about clichés? I don't even know what they are." Cordelia said, excitedly.

This resulted in the grin resurfacing. "And since I'm the only one who knows about the 'Cordelia Chase Secret Teddy Bear Collection'..."

"Needs a good home. With his own species – pigs aren't his thing." The blonde followed her over to the chair. "Feel free to bond while I get dinner ready."

"I'm gonna try to, yeah." Buffy sat her chin on Cordelia's shoulder from behind. "If I fail miserably, you'll still love me for making the attempt...won't you?"

Angelus had considered going back across town to the Bronze, maybe to kill one of the members of the unsuspecting Scoobies, but his desire for violence had been placated...until the next sundown. The 'Trio Attack Squad' hadn't died easily, putting up quite a fight – only made impaling them all the more satisfying. But it was a commendable effort, which left him thirsty.

He'd have to head in the direction of the club to get home, and draining one of Buffy's usually be a breeze, but the area would be crowded now, because love was in the air – probably the heat of several people screwing their brains out in the alleyways, too. No dark corner would be quiet enough; there was always the chance that one of them would see and escape to break the news.

The kill had to be anonymous – he wanted to send the pieces to the slayer with a nice card.

Walking past the high school, he spotted a woman in the parking lot, cell phone in hand, heading to her car. A teacher working late? Didn't they know better? She looked familiar, though. Like...oh. He didn't just recognize her face; he recognized the scent of her blood. It was of a deep lineage. This was someone special, someone perfect. Better than the children, and he smiled.

She would be the way to reveal everything, but more importantly, she was revenge.

Willow, Amy, and Xander were onstage as Oz and the band packed away their instruments. After two sets, all of the songs began sounding the same, but that didn't slow up the dance and its related activities, any. Full gear or not, the two couples were calling it a night – party animals they weren't. Thankfully, the part-time werewolf had his van, so they could ride in relative safety.

Xander had enjoyed himself more than he'd expected to. The main motive behind asking Amy out had been a simple one – so he wouldn't look like a loser standing alone in a corner. It wasn't that he hadn't noticed her attractiveness, but before she'd only been a friend he saw once and a while. Though he was finding out that he liked her, and she seemed to like him...a lot. No, he wouldn't object to seeing her in a place not school for a second time, possibly even a third.

The drum-set was currently being carried off in its separate pieces, and he couldn't help but eye the base drum with a raised brow. Gone were the band name and logo – it had been replaced by a phrase that, while he understood its meaning, it still struck him as funny: 'HAPPY VD' was written along the top and bottom, with a heart in the middle. In the spirit of things, true, but it was also open to his unique brand of interpretation.

"'Happy Venereal Disease'?" He questioned, smirking. "Actually, if ya think about it, it's sorta gutsy. It's you guys saying, 'We know how your night's gonna end, and we plan to celebrate it. We're a progressive, non-shunning, groove machine – go crabs!'"

"Gotcha...Devon never learned how to stay between the lines." The singer shot him a look. "Love those vocals! Major improvement! Almost totally understandable."

The girls pulled him outside, each holding onto an arm. He got the impression that this didn't swing the odds of there being another outing, in his favor.

"No, really – where'd you get it?" Cordelia asked, walking into the kitchen and recognizing the aroma.

"It's a present." Buffy turned, gripping the wooden spoon she was using to stir the mixture of sauce, garlic, basil, olive oil, white wine, and clams. "You don't ask that about a present...and why are you wearing my sweatpants? And my sweater?"

"Uh, cause they're comfortable? All right, they're a little small on me, but they're better than that damn dress." The cheerleader was angry. "It ripped! I knew it wasn't worth the retail."

"Whoa, whoa...where'd it rip, how come I wasn't shown," The cook rambled, disappointed, "and could you look any cuter? You're all snug and homey."

"That's a bad thing, Buffy; it's like I'm the 'little woman,' when I'm clearly so not. I mean, you've got the role locked up already – the apron, the recipes...just need a potholder to complete the look."

The slayer's eyes were mad, her lips pursed. "I was gonna let you taste the sauce, but now you'll just have to wait."

"Go change, too, cause I want a romantic setting. Candles are involved, and with candles, mood is created – sweats aren't moody." The blonde realized how goofy that sounded. "You know what I mean."

"So it'll be casually romantic." Her girlfriend shrugged. "And you said I looked cute."

"'*Could* you look any cuter'...I said '*could*.' Hey, you almost made it." Buffy grinned, and hands went on hips in disbelief. "Plus, *you* said I was the 'little woman.' So damn it, keep me happy."

"Excuse...? No...you didn't." Cordelia played 'offended' and 'shell-shocked' very well. "I'm not the man here; I'm all woman, sister, and thanks to people who had nothing better to do in the 70's than burn B-cups, I have these things called 'equal rights' – heard of them? Nobody bosses me around but me."

"You can't make up new definitions every five seconds! It means 'wife'; you know it, I know it, and the eighty-year-olds who think it's still today's slang, know it." Buffy punctuated each point with a flick of the spoon.

"Whatever." The cheerleader breathed dismissively. "It's not my fault you were born a midget. When did we get married, anyway?"

The blonde looked determined as she held out the spoon. "Changed my mind...taste this."

"Taste, Cor." A negative response wasn't going to be tolerated, and the brunette stepped up to the wooden object, giving it one, long, sensual lick – Buffy wanted to be in charge? Right, that'd happen. Her throat was feeling dry. "Well?"

"Mm..." That was the perfect reaction, and she was kissed instantly; they both could taste the seasoned, clam-filled sauce, which added a whole new level.

Then the hysterical fits of laughter began, just as the buzzer went off for the Chicken Parmesan. "'*Sister*'? Where the heck did...?" The intrusive noise overpowered Buffy's giggling, and she slipped back into her task with relative ease. "Ahh! Sit!" She commanded. "I'll be done in a few. Stay like that; what do I care?"

"He's coming." Jenny Calendar told her uncle, Enyos, as she paced in his apartment.

The gypsy had recently moved to Sunnydale to keep a closer eye on things – they didn't trust her to stay impartial. "I suppose you were looking forward to an evening with this man." He was sitting in his chair.

That had been the original plan. She realized how she'd been acting, and they'd made amends. Tonight was going to be a reconnection of sorts – in other words, she was all set to send the tweed flying right off of him. Unfortunately, her duty to her people took precedence over her personal life; though Jenny never thought she'd have to deal with the problem that had arisen. She knew the rules of the clause, and there had been no catalyst for its activation.

The older man nodded in approval. "Can your friend be trusted with the knowledge of our cause?"

She had called him as she left the school, and just hoped that he didn't hate her after he listened to their story. How do you tell the man you love that you were sent to the town where he lived, to watch a vampire your gypsy clan had vengefully cursed with a soul? The same vampire who'd helped them all over the past year and a half? That it was also your job to make sure a moment of true happiness wasn't achieved, as it was the only thing that could make him revert to his evil ways? Or so they had believed.

"Understand, Janna, that I do realize your life has been saved by this creature. However, its soul is no longer dominating the flesh it inhabits." He explained to her. "The monster that slaughtered our beloved daughter has broken free, and is winning the inner struggle. Soon, the humanity will be completely destroyed – steps must be taken."

"Why did this happen? That's what I don't understand; his habits haven't changed. Nothing changed."

"I'm afraid I do not know the reason. But 'why' is unimportant to us; the solution is our focus. The Elder Woman has written a new incantation, which will restore what needs to be restored. It is stronger, permanent." He wasn't enthusiastic about that.

"Yes – if it is successful, he will not have to fear the loss of his soul. Some have argued that with an eternity to live, it is possible that he could obtain happiness, and that his suffering would end. If his pain is not going to be infinite, many say he should die...yet she will not hear the protests." Enyos sighed. "The Elder Woman may have grown soft with age, but we still must respect her wishes. It has always been that way, and so it shall continue."

"Because she is weak, and the strength to perform such magick has left her. The distance is too great, as well." He further detailed. "Her parchment will arrive at your home as quickly as possible – the task falls upon your shoulders, child. She has felt great power around you."

Preparing herself, she went to answer it, and something unexpected was waiting – the small shriek came out before she could stop it. Rupert was here, but unconscious, with Angelus gripping him by the throat. No...she should've warned him. But she had to relax, because Angelus couldn't enter a private residence. How'd he know where to find her, though?

"Hiya, Jenny. Guess who I ran into on the way up?" The demon smiled. "Looks like it's turning out to be my night after all."

"You know, that's a good point." Angelus shook his head. "Gosh, I should've thought this through. I mean, you probably don't care about my buddy Giles," He looked down at the watcher, "and forget how she feels about the guy, right?"

Jenny hated her relative at that moment. Life was expendable – just as long as that life didn't contain Kalderash blood.

"You wanna get rid of me at any cost – wow, *that's* dedication. Not giving me much to work with here; and I came all this way, too. Believe me, there's lots of other things I could be doing with my time, so it would be a shame to hafta waste this whole trip. But, damn, what choice do I have? Oh, hold on..." Embarrassment quickly turned into a dark confidence. "Now I remember."

In his other hand Angelus held a knife, yet within an instant it was gone, the sharpened end of the blade now protruding from the other side of Enyos' neck. Blood escaped down his bottom lip as the Romanian fell to the floor, his nearly dead eyes wide with shock. Jenny covered her mouth – her brain was having trouble registering anything.

When the vampire looked at her again, it was with his true face. He ran his fingers along the weakening barrier that temporarily prevented his entry into the apartment. "I'd say you've got about two seconds, Teacher, then you and Rupert can be together. Nobody should be alone today...it's just not right."

"So since I'm doing you a favor, just struggle for me. Struggling is always more fun...especially when you really get into it. Try and give it your all." He crossed the threshold. "Let's make this last, Jen, whaddaya say?"

Xander hopped out of the passenger seat of the van, and slid open the side door when they parked in front of Amy's house. Once the blonde had exited and said her goodbyes, she headed for her porch – Willow pushed her friend to walk his date up, and felt a small pang of jealousy. But she had Oz now, so she'd be happy for him if he and Amy went somewhere couple-wise.

The two people were standing awkwardly on the porch. "Thanks for blackmailing me. It was...fun." The witch smirked.

"Thanks for not running away." He was very much grateful. "I gave you many opportunities, oodles even, so either you found my wily antics amusing, or you're just looking forward to mocking me endlessly tomorrow."

"Appreciate that." He smiled, genuinely. "Hey, if your vote happens to swing toward the 'I like that guy' area, would you, I dunno...wanna do something remotely similar to tonight, uh...again? But with the possibility of a movie and fast food being involved? Feel free to shoot me down."

"It's not the classiest offer ever...but I can't see why I'd say no. Maybe I'm drawn to you."

"Drawn? To me? That's great!" He cleared his throat. "I'm masculine – yeah." She was still smirking at him. "This is me leaving before your brain comes back, and you stop being temporarily insane."

"With compliments like that, it's hard to believe that girls aren't falling all over you." Amy joked.

"Oh, they fall." Xander corrected her. "They fall so hard there's usually casts and restraining orders shortly afterwards."

Jenny was scrambling to get out to the fire escape while trying to ignore her newly broken leg, but it wasn't working. If she lived through this with only that and the numerous bruises she'd received, she wouldn't complain. And some of the floor's other residents must have gotten nosy, because she could hear and see the sirens coming closer – hooray for people who couldn't mind their own business. She and Giles just had to hold on a little longer; Angelus would be removing the bullets from his body for a month if he had to face cops.

The Englishman had come to several minutes ago, finding himself lying next to a dead man. Miss Calendar had given him directions to her uncle's building, and the last thing he remembered was getting out of his car. When he saw what the vampire was doing to his girlfriend, all questions left his mind; pure unadulterated hatred coursed through him as he got to his feet, and he sucker-punched Angelus. But the demon quickly turned, putting his back to the watcher.

"Come on, was that really necessary? Isn't it obvious that you're not the goal here? I don't want *you*, I want *her*. And it woulda been less painful if you'd only stayed down, but..." He was facing Giles in a split second, delivering a direct uppercut to his chin – his victim went reeling. "If this is the way you want it, I'm more than happy to oblige."

Bad word; she was growled at, and then the vampire went to her uncle's body to yank the knife loose. "Ssh...don't wake him up. He already earned his brownie points for tonight, and he's kinda tired." He brought a finger to his lips, and after a moment, slid it down the blood-covered blade, gathering some on the tip, before tasting with a grimace. "Think it's gone stale; I prefer the younger generations myself. Like your ancestor – talk about sweet."

He grabbed her with the same hand he was using to grasp the knife, pulled her over to Giles, and lifted his head. "Still there, Rupert? Wouldn't want you to miss the show." The hurting librarian groaned in response. "You've gotta help me choose – do I drink or carve, first?" Giles spit blood in Angelus' face, and looked horrified as it licked its lips. "You're right, you should watch me cut her."

She looked at the monster with tears in her eyes, as he dragged the knife in a circle on her shirt. "They'll be here any minute."

"Good thing I'm pretty efficient at this, then." He was ready, but then she watched anger flash across his features as they turned human; Angel's eyes were as frightened as hers were. "Oh God..."

He pushed her aside and hurried out of the window. Jumping off the fire escape, he fell hard to his hands and knees in the alley; they both knew things were going to get complicated now. Unbeknownst to anyone, in a factory across town, Spike rose from his wheelchair.

Cordelia was taking her last bite of the home-cooked meal, very impressed. Her girlfriend obviously wanted to make the night a pleasant one, and as far as she was concerned, it had been. Slowly chewing, she still wanted to torture the novice chef for a few seconds. Eventually she put her fork down, and wiped her mouth on the napkin that was beside her plate. "Did I like it, you mean?" She asked in return, sighing with false disgust. "Well...the food was eatable, it passed that test...and the box of wine was a nice touch."

The blonde chucked her napkin at her guest. "It was the only thing in the house; when my mom finds out I invaded her supply, I'm dead." She paused, shaking her head in confusion. "Why did I risk the rest of my adolescence for you? Tell me, please – because I haven't got a clue."

"Maybe you love me." The brunette smiled at her from the other side of the dining room table.

"Maybe I'm like a goddess to you, and you want me to be happy so you don't have to face my wrath." Cordelia considered that. "And as long as we're on the subject, I think the next step should be building a shrine that has a wall devoted to pictures of me. Except...if it gets too big, then we enter Psychoville, and that's not what I'm going for. Simple, but still classy – is that asking too much?"

The cheerleader grinned, caught. "It's like a switch. On, off...whenever. Julia Roberts? Give me a break." Her grin became a smile. "It was great, Buffy – way to make me feel guilty."

"What? Why d'you...?" The slayer looked up in the direction of the ceiling then, having remembered something crucial. "Uh...can you close your eyes and halt the guilt-trip for a sec? Be right back." She made a beeline for her room, and came back holding a long, thin jewelry box. "Are they closed?"

"I can't see anything, so I'm gonna go with...'Yeah'." Cordelia answered, sarcastically.

Buffy opened the box, removed its contents, and then sat it on the table. Going behind the recipient's chair, she gently brushed her hair aside to slip on the necklace she'd bought. "Open 'em."

The gold chain had three objects on it – a 'B', a 'C', and a heart that was just a smidgen larger than the letters surrounding it, because it was meant to be a locket. Inside the heart was a picture of them Willow had taken several weeks ago outside of school, the first day she'd purchased her camera, because she wanted to do candid shots for the yearbook. To branch out into other areas of Nerd-dom (especially because Eric, the young, Dr. Frankenstein who usually took them, had been expelled).

The couple had been caught off guard; by the time the flash went off, it was too late to object. But it wasn't complicated or mushy: Cordelia's head was turned towards Buffy's, and they were just talking, smiles on their faces. It was chosen because, one, they hadn't really built up a large collection of photos yet; two, there was something unguarded and natural about it; and three, it captured one of the main parts of their relationship. Which was conversation...openness. They talked constantly, even before they were official.

"You shouldn't...I mean, this is..." The brunette whispered, looking for words and lifting the gift to get a better look. "Thank you."

The blonde smiled. "Welcome." Then the doorbell rang, and she went to see who would show up now – surely Jehovah's Witnesses had to sleep?

Cordelia blushed as Buffy reappeared in the dining room a minute later, carrying a dozen, red roses. "I didn't think I'd be here; I thought you'd be just getting off work. Didn't see the point in having one of those little cards, either – I'm not Hallmark."

"I told you that you didn't have to do anything. I just got a girlfriend *and* a bracelet for my birthday – I was set for at least six months."

"It's Valentine's Day." The brunette shrugged. "And if I'd known you were gonna get me chocolates, Sir Sno-Paw, and make me dinner, I would've done a lot more."

"Exactly why I kept it a secret, Cor." Buffy told her, pointedly. "That why you feel guilty?"

"I have all this money, but when I can finally spend it on someone *else* and have it mean something, I'm not allowed to."

"You call this splurging? I just wanted to give you a tiny surprise; I could've gone for broke and gotten you the twenty other things I saw," The slayer frowned, "but I didn't...and now I feel guilty."

"If I can't, you can't." Buffy got the brunette's nod of acceptance on that, and went to complete her point. "I don't need my fabulously wealthy girlfriend to spoil me just because she can. Gifts are nice and all, but – 'sap warning' time – I've already got the best one there is."

"They're beautiful." She smelled the twelve flowers as her girlfriend got up. "So how long have you been waiting to use 'Sir Sno-Paw'?"

"Years." No one had ever done anything like this for her; silently, Cordelia walked over to Buffy and hugged her. "Thanks – I mean it." She kissed her lightly when they separated. "Love you."

"Love you, too." The blonde said with a smile. "I should put these in some water."

It was still hard to believe sometimes, but here they were...best feeling in the world.

"What, I'm not obvious enough?" No answer. "Then I guess I'll have to try harder."

"Sure, ya know, if you have to." The slayer conceded without a fight. "But *after* I put the dishes in the sink and deal with the roses."

Cordelia went and stretched out on the living room couch, while her generous partner cleaned up. She grabbed the remote off of the coffee table, and flipped through the channels for several, long minutes. "There's crap on TV."

"Good crap or bad crap?" Buffy questioned, coming to join her on the sofa and managing to fit just right, allowing them both to lie down.

The brunette draped her arm around the blonde. "There's no such thing as good crap. It's...that word we learned in English – an 'oxymoron.'"

Cordelia smirked. "Uh huh, and it doesn't matter that you're Buffy Summers, the Chronically Absent Delinquent."

"And it doesn't matter that you're Cordelia Chase, the Hollow-Brained, School Spirit Slut." The delinquent in question had been prepared.

The cheerleader was tracing her nails in slow circles around the outside of the slayer's ear. "It's nice to know we're comfortable with our flaws, isn't it?"

As they watched the various commercials, one caught Buffy's eye, which reminded women to get 'Breast Cancer' checkups. "Whoever came up with 'mammogram,' anyway? Every time I hear it, I think I'm supposed to put my breast in an envelope and mail it to someone."

"Probably the same, 'Hugh Heffner' wannabe who somebody let name a bird, 'Woodcock.' And that lake." While Buffy chuckled, Cordelia bit her lip, thinking quietly to herself about a plaguing issue. "Have you...?"

Why did being a teenager mean you were turned on by everything? Here she was, only making a tiny, semi-suggestive joke and doing some innocent, non-suggestive cuddling that was raising the heat level. And with her mouth right next to the back of the blonde's neck, remaining composed was a chore.

"What?" Buffy wanted to pry, but the phone rang – though it was on the table, so she could reach it and not sacrifice her position.

"Nothing." The cheerleader said as the 'Power' button was clicked, relieved and disappointed all at once.

"Hello?...This is her...What happened?" The slayer sat up as the person on the other end continued to talk, her face turning white. "I know...Yeah...Sunnydale General?...No, I'll be there soon." She hung up, eyes fearful.

"Giles and Miss Calendar...they were hurt or...I dunno. I was a contact person, I have to – "

"I'll run home and get my car." Cordelia told her, having sat up as well. "Call Willow and Xander – we'll pick them up then go to the hospital."

"Don't argue, I'll be fine; just give me some holywater, and leave a note for your mom."

Her survival techniques were apparently top notch, because a short time later they were on their way, vowing from then on to drive everywhere.

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Human Layers

By Pat Kelly

Copyright © 2003

pat2082@verizon.net