Even though Cordelia had been given a general idea of what was going on courtesy of the Powers That Be, she had not expected this. The destruction of the epic battle in which several of her friends were lost was still evident. Chunks of sidewalk were missing. Large scorch-marks clearly marked the streets. The gorgeous landscape that was Los Angeles was clearly in a dishevelled state. Yet there were also signs of reconstruction. Clearly the citizens of the city were working on rebuilding. That, at least, gave the Seer some hope.
Although nothing, nothing at all, could come close to the happiness she felt when she finally made her way to the Hyperion Hotel. Why the Powers hadn't sent her back directly near the place was beyond her. Perhaps they wanted her to get an idea of what she was facing before getting down to business. Perhaps they just wanted to make her walk after she'd spent the last, well, honestly she wasn't sure exactly how long she'd been gone, annoying them at every available opportunity. Or perhaps they thought that dropping her off in front of the building in front of witnesses who were working on clean-up in the area would cause a panic to erupt. Whatever the reason, the few blocks she'd had to travel were emotionally draining but the sight of Angel Investigations Headquarters standing tall and proud amist the rubble was enough to raise her spirits and put a smile on her face.
Now she just had to find out if the owner was home.
It was night, so there was the possibility he was out. Then again, there was equal possibility he was cooped up in his room and brooding. Or that he wasn't even living there anymore. Cordelia didn't honestly know what to expect but that didn't stop her from making a beeline for the door and pushing it open without hesitation.
Stepping inside, she paused as the door closed behind her. Memories she'd all but forgotten assaulted her all at once and for a second, all she could do was simply stand there. Then she snapped herself out of it, cleared her throat, and made her presence known.
"So... somebody call for a Seer?"
Oh yes. Cordelia Chase was officially back, and this time for good. gameface ANGEL
After Spike had set off to Rome on a mission to confront Buffy and declare his state of not-dead (even though he was, technically, still dead - just currently existing as opposed to not existing), taking Ilyria with him, Angel had gone back to the one place he felt remotely comfortable at within the limits of the city: the Hyperion Hotel. He hadn't been able to bring himself to leave Los Angeles after the dragon had been slain and the battle was over. Angel felt a devotion to this city, a need to protect it, especially after heading a company that had done so much to hurt it. He'd been wrong in agreeing to that, he realized, but there was nothing that could be done about what had already happened. One couldn't change the past, no matter how bad they wanted to.
He'd emerged from his room, walking down the stairs and he headed towards the kitchen to grab a fresh mug of blood, when a very familiar voice made him stop and stare. The white coffee mug that had been held in his right hand by the handle instantly crashed to the ground, the sound of it shattering causing him to snap back into reality.
"Cor--Cordelia?"
No. It couldn't be. He was seeing things. She died, he'd seen personally to her own funeral arrangements, been there when they'd buried her body... She couldn't be back.
Cordelia's smile only seemed to grow brighter at the sight of Angel, acting oblivious to his shock. "Surprise!" she exclaimed, holding her arms up slightly and grinning even more. With a shake of her head, she added, "And you're cleaning that up, by the way. I so don't start clean-up duty until tomorrow. A trip like that? I deserve at least one night off."
Heading past him to the kitchen, she called over her shoulder, "Oh, and if we're going to use this place to start helping people again, we have got to talk decor. I mean, I get you have the whole creature of the night routine to keep up with and that's great and all, but really Angel. This place is a little creepy, even for you. Blood still in the fridge, I'm guessing? And please tell me you have something in the form of human food around here. I am starving." gameface ANGEL
Angel simply stared at her as he almost numbly climbed down the rest of the stairs and followed her into the kitchen. "...huh?" Was all he was able to bring himself to utter, his mind still in shock over her sudden reappearance.
Of all the people he'd expected to show up at the Hyperion unannounced, the last was her. Being that she was, well, dead. He expected Giles to show up and chew him out for what he so-called 'allowed' the Senior Partners to do, or even Andrew to give him such a message. But, Cordelia? No, he hadn't seen that one coming.
"Cor, I--you--"
Still feeling a bit dazed, he reached into the pocket of his draw-string pants and drew out a cell phone, holding out to her. "Order pizza?" cordychase CORDELIA CHASE
Having already placed a new mug of fresh blood in the microwave, she turned to smile at Angel when he came into the kitchen. "Oh, you are my hero," she agreed, plucking the phone from his hand and flipping it open without preamble. "Please tell me that place a few blocks down is still open and not all destroyed from the Apocalypse," she stated as she dialed the number by heart and put the phone to her ear. "That'd be one heck of a way to come back, huh? Find out the best pizza joint in the city is gone and the guy you're back from the dead to help is on a strict liquid diet of the zesty bloody variet- Hi! Yeah, I'd like to order a pizza!" She turned from Angel as she placed her order, pulling his mug out of the microwave.
Closing it with her hip she handed the coffee cup to him with another grin and continued the phone call, hanging up when she was finished and handing him back his phone. "Great. Now that that's taken care of..." She leaned lightly against the table and studied him for a minute, her expression finally growing a little more somber.
"Mind telling me why you're all holed up here doing the Great Broodfest of 2004 instead of being out there, helping the folks put this city back in order?" she questioned directly. Her tone wasn't judgmental, simply curious... with, okay, maybe a little bit of judgement to be found, but really. If ever there was a bad time for him to take a break, this would be it. gameface ANGEL
Angel stood silent as she prattled on about the potential destruction of what he personally knew was her favorite pizza place. She'd ordered from there thousands of times while residing in the hotel with him and he silently thanked the PTBs for not diminishing that place, for he didn't want to see her upset--even if he was still stuck a bit in the zone of disbelieving when it came to her being back. At least she was her happy, perky self. He could be thankful for that.
It was almost like having the old Cordelia back. Before the higher-being-Jasmine nonsense. Before he'd failed to save yet another friend. He'd lost Doyle, then Cordy, Fred, Wesley, Gunn...
He stared at her, unsure of how to answer her question. Angel had been doing some help the helpless work, just...not as much as he knew he should be doing. It was almost as if he felt that he'd screw up something he'd been doing for years, all because of some Apocalypse he felt he'd brought on. He didn't want to get anymore people killed because he was misinterpreting the signs.
Some Champion he was.
"I just--I don't--"
He sighed, shrugging his shoulders and bringing the mug up to his lips and taking a sip of blood.
"It doesn't feel right. Doing this, doing what we used to do, without everyone here. Me doing this by myself, while direct and to the point, feels...empty." cordychase CORDELIA CHASE
Cordelia sighed softly and shook her head. "Angel," she stated, pushing away from the table and moving toward him. She came to a stop directly in front of him, one hand going out to gently touch his. The one that was holding the mug of blood in fact. "You didn't do anything wrong. You really have to stop blaming yourself for the Senior Partners' hissy fit."
Drawing her own hand back, she smiled once more. "Besides, you're not doing it by yourself anymore. I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere. No astral projection this time. And, what's more, we're not going to be the only ones fighting either. The PTB have a plan - don't ask me what it is because they made sure I wouldn't remember until they were ready for me to know - but they do have one. That much I do know."
Her smile turned softer, hazel eyes shining brightly as she peered up at him. "It's good to see you, by the way. Especially back here," she added. gameface ANGEL
Her warm touch to his cold hand distracted him from her words for a moment. It had been months since he'd come into direct skin-to-skin contact with someone living and breathing - and the fact that she felt warm only further proved that she was back in the flesh. Alive. Cordelia was alive. Whatever this new threat was, whatever dangers it was about to present to them...Angel didn't care. He had someone he lost back with him, and for that, he was eternally grateful. He didn't deserve such, but would take what he could get.
A small smile formed on his lips as he reached around her to set the mug of blood on the counter behind her. "I missed you, Cordy," he told her, placing that hand on her hip and taking a step or two towards her so that they were almost touching. Angel brought up his other hand and ran the tips of his fingers along the side of one cheek, sliding his touch down her neck and to her shoulder as he leaned his head down, gently pressing his cold lips against her warm ones. cordychase CORDELIA CHASE
The kiss reminded her of everything they'd missed out on, everything that could have been but wasn't due to the lives they led and the choices they'd made. It hurt, but in a good kind of way, and for a moment Cordelia simply lost herself in his embrace. It felt right, being with him. She felt whole. Home.
One of her hands slid up his muscular arm to rest on his shoulder. The other went to the wrist attached to the hand that was on her hip. Her eyes slid closed and her lips parted, tongue sliding out to taste him. Her heart sped up, nearly skipping a beat, as the desire she felt for him surged to the surface and clouded everything else. She could stay like this forever and wouldn't mind in the least.
And if it weren't for the sudden, sharp pain that shot up her spine and clear into her skull, she might have.
"Ow!" she yelped, jumping back from Angel and bumping against the counter. Her hand went to her head, her brow furrowed as she turned her gaze toward the ceiling. "All right, all right, I got it. Geez." With an annoyed shake of her head she sighed and, rubbing absently at the spot where the back of her neck and the back of her head met, she looked back to Angel.
"There's a catch," she said flatly, simply. "I'm back. I'm very much alive and definitely plan on staying that way. But..." She sighed again, a pained expression shining in her eyes.
"We can't be together, Angel. Not like that. We can't be... a couple. I'm your Seer. I'm your friend. I'm here for you, no matter what. But if we get too touchy-feely and start making with the bedroom eyes?" She slid one finger across her throat. "That's it. Game over and I'm gone. PTB's orders."
Oh how she hated saying those words. Hated the PTB for making her agree to those terms before allowing her to return. Logically, she understood their reasoning - both she and Angel needed to be focused on the work ahead and not each other - but emotionally it hurt like hell. "I'm sorry," she added lamely. "It was the only way they'd even think about letting me back into the fray." gameface ANGEL
Angel let out a long sigh as he took a good step back from Cordelia, feeling like a complete ass for up and kissing her like that. Of course the was a catch. There was always a catch. And a catch like this? Pissed him off to no end. But like Cordelia, he couldn't help but understand why the PTB did this.
They didn't want their Champion being distracted by his Seer. Not in that way. If his years of following Buffy around taught him anything, it was that the thin line between fighting side by side and lovers was indeed very, very thin. There were countless times when he jeopardized both his and Buffy's safety by seeing her as a lover and not a fighter, even though she was the Slayer.
As much as he hated to admit it, the PTB had a point.
"No, no," he told her. "It's okay. I get why they did it and why you agreed. Don't feel bad about it, Cor. It's just," he shrugged, "part of the life we lead." cordychase CORDELIA CHASE
Cordelia snorted. "Yeah, the really sucky part," she agreed. She would have said more but there was a knock at the door and her eyes instead lit up. They were early. Extra tip money for that, definitely. "Pizza!" she exclaimed, heading out of the kitchen. She got a few steps before she stopped, and quickly poked her head back into the room.
"Uh, you wouldn't happen to have any cash on you, would you? I kinda forgot my wallet what with the dying and all," she said sheepishly. The knock sounded again and she half-turned toward the front of the lobby.
"Coming!" she called out then looked back at Angel with a hopeful grin on her face. gameface ANGEL
Angel let out a long sigh, running a hand through his spiky brown hair. He shook his head, thinking about that stupid catch that just had to make some lick of sense. He hated it, yet understood it. It would seem that perhaps he and Cordelia were just not meant to be, despite how much they cared for one another. Their lives were far too complicated and dedicated to protecting the world around them. If they got too wrapped up in each other, there was the chance they'd forgo the task at hand. And that was never a good thing.
Following Cordelia to the door, Angel drew out his wallet and handed a few bills to her, before wandering back into the kitchen to finish his mug of blood. cordychase CORDELIA CHASE
A few moments later Cordelia returned to the kitchen with a pizza box filled with a large pizza. Her mouth was watering already in anticipation. If there was one thing she'd missed the most while dead (besides Angel, and her friends, and fighting the good fight, and shoe sales, of course) it was eating. Not doing so had been strange and had made her wonder on more than one occassion how Angel had ever gotten used to it.
"Stop it," she stated flatly as she placed the pizza box on the counter and opening it, pulled out a piece. She glanced over at Angel, one eyebrow arched slightly and a firm look on her face. "No brooding for at least the next 24 hours. I mean it. I'm here. With a sucky clause, true, but I'm here. Trying being happy about it." Taking a bite of the food, she eyes slid closed and she chewed slowly, savoring the flavors. Once she swallowed, she re-opened her eyes and looked to her Champion again. "Just not too happy," she teased lightly before turning and hopping up on the counter beside the food.
Another bite (complete with another look of pure ecstasy) and Cordelia spoke again. "So, the Senior Partners are at it again," she stated simply as she pulled a bit of cheese off the slice of pizza she was holding. Keeping it held firmly between two fingers, she offered Angel a small smile that she typically gave when faced with yet another Apocalypse they had no choice but to avert. "I guess they decided they didn't like you guys actually beating them. Word is, they're pretty pissy and rebuilding Evil, Inc. as we speak."