Fic: 1/1: Vengeance
Title: Vengeance
Author: xanzpet
Fandom: BtVS, Season Three, AU
Distribution: my website and LJ, Beyond Canon, and FF.net. All others, please ask.
Rating: FRT-13
Feedback: Does Cordy wear Prada?
Warnings: violence, language.
Summary: After Angel rescued Xander from Faith, the Rogue Slayer thought she was going to get away with her assault. So. Very. Wrong.
On a crisp late winter night, the air crackling with violent energy, Cordelia Chase was tearing down one of the side streets of suburban Sunnydale in her snazzy red convertible, in a vain effort to get home before curfew and another one of her father’s painfully boring and snide lectures.
She snorted. As much as he and her selfish mother harped on her finding a “suitable” husband, they should be grateful that she went out on as many dates as she did. It had taken her a long time to climb back atop the social pyramid of Sunnydale High after that debacle with Xander Harris and his adulterous “fluke” with that conniving bitch, Willow Rosenberg.
It wasn’t enough that Cordelia had to endure the not-so-silent jeers and lilting taunts of those she had once arrogantly and mistakenly assumed were her friends, oh no. Now, she had to put up with guys either too scared to approach her, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but also with the wannabe alpha males who had just assumed she and Harris had done the horizontal hula and now thought they held the keys to the kingdom.
So, she was either stuck with losers, or with creeps who thought she was the newest ride at Six Flags. Thanks a lot, Zeppo!, Cordelia thought angrily. Just as quickly, she dismissed all thoughts of Xander from her mind. Thinking of him led to thinking about that night in the factory, which led to unbearable pain, both physical and emotional.
Cordelia sighed.
Another night, another date which sucked.
Danny had seemed nice and sweetly shy when he had stutteringly asked her out yesterday in between classes. She had sensed his none-too-stealthy approach toward her locker and had smiled secretly, anticipating his request and frantically weighing the pros and cons of accepting the invitation.
A mop of curly blond ringlets cut short and a pair of dangerously electric-blue eyes had ensured that, if nothing else, the date would inspire further envy in the vapid titmouse known as Harmony Kendall and the useless drones which had been termed the Cordettes.
Cordelia frowned. Sometimes even she had trouble recalling their actual names.
“Let’s see,” she whispered, “there’s Aura and...and...oh, fuck it!”
Danny was at least a decent dresser - definite step up from Harris, she savagely observed, pressing her foot to the accelerator and flooring it - even if his style was a little preppy. A clean, pressed Oxford shirt, dazzling white, and a nice pair of khakies was Danny’s perpetual outfit. Not very exciting, but workable. He was smart, but wasn’t a brain. He played soccer, but not football. He was popular, but not more popular than she.
All in all, a good prospect.
Until, after the movie, he decided playing tonsil hockey wasn’t enough and the moron tried to go where only one man had gone before.
After landing a pummeling blow across Danny’s glass jaw, Cordelia had pushed him out of her car, as she peeled out of Kingman’s Bluff, uncaring that she had already sped up to twenty miles per hour or that she had dragged him for almost a good hundred yards. Let his lame ass come up to her in school tomorrow and she’d humiliate him again, this time publicly and irrevocably.
Cordelia screeched around corner and too late realized she was heading in the wrong direction. Annoyed with herself for being so easily distracted, she barreled down toward the nearest cross street when something in the periphery caught her eye.
A looming presence seamlessly blending in with the preternatural darkness afforded only by Sunnydale.
Angel?
She began slowing down and taking in the surrounding.
What was the vampire doing around here? There was no one who...
Oh.
Faith’s motel.
Oh.
Cordelia smirked.
So that’s how it was. Apparently Angel had traded in the Madonna for the whore at the Church of the Slayer.
She sat still, her car idling, mind racing with the delicious possibilities this information might present. Definitely some Buffy angst and, by association, Willow pouts. Anything that would cause pain to the redheaded witch-bitch was of the good.
Cordelia smiled predatorily, as she began stretching her arms with feline grace, reveling in the knowledge of possessing juicy and as-yet-undisclosed gossip.
Until she saw Angel unceremoniously drop a wooden baseball bat to the sidewalk, before melding back into the shadows.
Only to return cradling an unconscious boy.
Xander.
Her Xander.
Cold fury descended upon Cordelia’s face, her eyes becoming hooded and narrowed.
*****
Throwing the car into park and turning off the ignition, Cordelia sat and contemplated what this all meant.
Obviously, Xander had been hurt. That was unacceptable. Only she was allowed to hurt Xander, or dictate to others the pain she wanted her ex to suffer. She had earned that right, and no one was going to take it away from her.
As the pieces began coming together, Cordelia’s anger became more focused, more channeled, and more dangerous.
Angel had been carrying Xander out of Faith’s motel room, which in itself was very telling. It’s not like Xander and Angel had the best relationship. Faith obviously had something to with Xander’s injury.
Cordelia supposed she should have been more surprised. The cheerleader was a good judge of people, which was why she didn’t like any of them, Faith included. When the Bostonian had first popped up in Sunnydale, Cordelia had sensed that something was innately wrong with the girl. She tried too hard to impress people who weren’t worthy of that kind of consideration.
After all, who really cared what Buffy thought? Buffy was a freak who’d have been six feet under for two years running if it hadn’t been for Xander. Willow? Cordelia snorted. That fashion disaster and her busy lips had always set Cordelia’s teeth on edge. Anyone that quiet and unassuming was obviously devious and someone not to be trusted; Cordelia had learned that one the hard way. Giles? Well, Cordelia could understand a Slayer wanting to impress a Watcher, but it wasn’t like Giles would ever deign to demonstrate a show of emotion.
Xander?
No, of course not. No woman tried to impress Xander Harris, other than a desire to impress upon him the knowledge that he a was dork of the highest caliber, destined to be alone and forgotten.
Besides, Faith’s only interest in guys was to...
Cordelia release a low, sustained growl.
This simply wouldn’t do.
*****
Cordelia reached into the backseat and pulled forward the pair of sneakers she kept stashed for emergency running. She wasn’t about to sacrifice yet another pair of Prada in the quest of ridding the world of vampires.
It was about priorities, after all, and if vampires weren’t out every night risking their credit rating, why should she? Besides, she didn’t want to give Faith any advantage in discerning her arrival.
Silently opening her car door, Cordelia slowly stole out into the middle of the street, carefully making her way toward Faith’s door, which was slightly ajar, spilling golden, ambient light out onto the sidewalk.
The closer she got, the more furious Cordelia became.
Who the hell did this Slayer bitch think she was? What was it with Slayers anyhow? Always thinking the world was just to supposed to be at their feet. So they had superpowers. Big woo. Cordelia had a black AmEx.
First, Buffy comes to her town and tries to take over, actually daring to challenge Cordelia’s throne, both figuratively and, with regard to Homecoming, literally. The blonde bitch attacked Cordelia with a stake her first night in Sunnydale, after Cordelia had been gracious enough to extend an invitation into her exclusive circle. Then, Buffy dragged Cordelia into a world of madness which took over when night subsumed the sun.
Well, Cordelia guessed she couldn’t blame Buffy for that entirely. Buffy may have opened up that world, but she hadn’t forced Cordelia to remain in it. In fact, Buffy had done everything to push Cordelia out, which just made Cordelia fight harder to stay. No one told her where to go or what to do. Besides, it’s not like she could just sit back and let vampires control her town or leave their dusting up to an idiot like Buffy Summers.
Kendra had been better, but she was stupid for getting herself killed. What kind of lame-o just stood there and let a vampire dressed like a refugee from an Anne Rice novel slit her throat with a fingernail? Cordelia heard the others talking about Drusilla and her power to “thrall,” whatever that meant. It sounded pretty damn pathetic to her.
Then Faith had shown up in her leather skank gear and an attitude which Cordelia would have admired, had it not been a sham. Cordelia had a right to have attitude because she was rich and beautiful and supremely confidant. Those traits gave her the ability to ferret out bullshit, and the stench of it was coming off of Faith in waves. She suspected the new Slayer knew it, too, because whenever Cordelia came around, Faith was quick to hightail it out of the vicinity. Cordelia really liked that. Maybe Faith wasn’t completely stupid.
Still, Slayers! They were so...bothersome!
Then there was that redheaded sheep, Willow. What a creep. All woe-is-me and baby voice. Cordelia didn’t understand why people didn’t see through the facade, as if anyone that intelligent wasn’t automatically devious and capable of great treachery.
Cordelia wasn’t stupid. She had known for years Willow wanted to ride Xander like a pony. Hell, who didn’t know it? Well, except for Xander, whose continuous cluelessness would have been endearing if it wasn’t so retarded. Wasn’t enough for Willow to have her own pet werewolf, she had to have Cordelia’s boyfriend, too. Like she was entitled or something. Now, Cordelia was regretting not beating the snot out of Willow when she had a chance. Making Xander suffer wasn’t enough; it wasn’t even fulfilling. Willow still needed to pay.
And now Faith had hurt Xander. Who the fuck did this bitch think she was, coming here and damaging Cordelia’s property? And Xander was Cordelia’s property. Just because she had broken up with him didn’t mean that anyone else could have him. Faith was nothing but a yeast infection in cheap leather pants. Cordelia could almost see it play out: coming back from patrol, Faith all sweaty and horny, deciding Xander would do in a pinch.
Christ, she hoped Xander had enough sense to wear a condom. God only knows what kind of crotch-rot Faith was carrying. She supposed the CDC must keep records somewhere. Probably had Faith on a Ten Most Wanted List.
She stepped up to the slightly open door and peered inside.
The first thing Cordelia noticed was the smell.
Damn, it reeked in there! Bad takeout food, cigarette smoke, and booze.
And fear.
But whose?
She saw the bed mussed up, but the covers were still on. That probably didn’t mean anything, though. Christ, did a place this low even have housekeeping? Suddenly, Cordelia wondered what would show up if she had a black light handy.
Faith was lying unconscious on the floor.
Good. That would make things easier.
Well, it would have, had Faith not begun to stir.
Cursing silently, Cordelia gently pulled the door shut and began pacing outside.
What was she going to do now?
Then, she heard Faith began screaming Xander’s name, cursing a blue streak that might have made a lesser person blush.
With a raised eyebrow, Cordelia leaned in more closely to better hear what the whore was bitching about.
So, Xander had said no, and Faith tried to take what she wanted.
Choking?
She had tried to choke Xander? To strangle him? Kill him?
Cordelia saw nothing but red and she bent her knees and picked up the bat abandoned by Angel.
Then she knocked on the door.
*****
Faith was pissed off.
Who the hell did Harris think he was? Didn’t he know how lucky he was that a babe like her would even consider giving him a second go? Sure, she didn’t backtrack, but the big geek had a decent dick and, for a newbie, some surprising moves.
Okay, so maybe she had gone a little far with the choking, but pain could be fun if it was delivered right.
Fuck, what had happened anyway? The last thing she remembered was grinding her shapely ass into Xander’s limp crotch. After that, nothing but darkness. Did he hit her? She was gonna kick his ass.
No, that couldn’t be right, because both of his hands had been on her arms, trying to pry her hands from his throat.
Someone else must have been there.
Shit.
Prolly wasn’t B, or else she’d still be there waiting for Faith to wake up. Same with Wussly. Red? That was possible. All she cared about was the X-Man. Faith snorted. Like she couldn’t figure that out, despite Wolfboy.
Faith paused when she heard a knock at the door.
Smirking smugly, she called out, “Third taste’s the best, Harris.”
The Dark Slayer sauntered over and threw open the door, the light in her eyes discerning considerably when she saw it was Cordelia Chase standing on the threshold. What the hell was Lady Di doing here? Slumming?
More disconcerting was the queer look in Cordelia’s eyes and her abnormal silence, which immediately put Faith on guard.
“Hello, Faith,” Cordelia said slowly, showing more teeth with each syllable.
The Slayer shuddered, and never saw the first blow coming.
*****
Cordelia, with every ounce of strength her rage could muster, punched out with the tapered end of the bad, straight into Faith’s stomach.
Faith instantly doubled over, releasing a long, painful breath. Before she could capture an inhalation, Cordelia struck again. Holding an end of the bat in either hand, she brought the weapon up across the Slayer’s throat, effectively clotheslining her, while simultaneously kicking out a leg and shattering Faith’s left kneecap, causing the younger girl to fall to the ground.
Even as she was attacking, Cordelia knew that Faith would most likely kill her. After all, the cheerleader was no Slayer, and no matter how much she dished out, Faith’s body was acclimated to taking punishment from much stronger opponents than Cordelia. Still, all she could think about was vengeance for Xander.
“You bitch,” Cordelia seethed, as she drove her foot into Faith’s head, just beneath the girl’s ear.
Faith grunted and released a soft moan.
“Does that hurt?,” Cordelia demanded. “Really? Good. Are you scared? Like Xander was scared when you wrapped your hands around his throat and squeezed? Fucking Slayers ruin everything!”
Faith tried to focus, trying to muster her reserves, but Cordelia’s assault was taking a bigger toll than it should have. Her ears were ringing, and the single overhead light was, for some reason, blinding. Concussion, the Slayer realized. Whoever had gotten Xander out of here and had knocked her out must have used some real force. Her head pounded; she could feel the blood rushing throughout her skull as tiny stars exploded behind her retinas. The damage Cordelia was inflicting was compounding the previous injury, and it hurt like fuck.
“What the fuck do you care?,” Faith roughly rasped. “You fuckin’ hate X. What, you jealous ‘cause I gave him a taste?”
Cordelia’s only response was to slam the wide end of the bat straight down into the small of Faith’s back.
The Slayer screamed, but followed quickly with a peal of mirthless laughter.
“It must just eat you up that I got there first,” Faith taunted, even as tears began to leak from her eyes. “That he came back for a second helping.”
“Shut the hell up, you cheap whore,” Cordelia commanded.
Faith surprisingly did as she was ordered.
“You know you’re a whore, don’t you?,” the cheerleader sneered in a peculiar voice. “So you gave Xander a ride, big deal. You think I care about that? It’s all you’re good for anyway.”
Faith scowled, and tried to push herself up off the floor, only to screech when Cordelia delivered a sharp kick to her kidney. Say what you wanted about the vapid, but Faith had to give Cordelia credit for knowing where to strike, both physically and verbally.
“You’re so fucking stupid, Faith,” Cordelia barked. “You have no idea what it means to have a man like Xander stand beside you. How much stronger and more capable he makes you. How his love can transform you and make you better than you ever thought you could be.”
She paused long enough to bring the bat down on a Slayer ankle, before continuing her testimony.
“I could have felt sorry for you. You think I can’t see through you, Faith? To who you really are? Your Slaying stories don’t impress me. Your body is far inferior to mine, and you’re dumb as a rock. You may be cunning, but that doesn’t equal intelligence. You’re so quick to go for the instant gratification, too stupid to see the big picture. It could have been so different. I see how Buffy treats you. You think I don’t know she’s a bitch? I understand better than you can even imagine. I see how that sheep Willow looks at you with scorn, so jealous that Xander was sniffing around you.”
Faith couldn’t help it. She laughed.
“Shut up. I’m talking now,” Cordelia reprimanded sharply, as she drove her foot into Faith’s ribs. “You don’t know anything about Xander. He may have been attracted to you, but more than anything, he wanted to be your friend. That’s who he is. He wants to help people, he wants to help the world. I know how to read people, Faith, and I had you figured out the moment I first caught sight of you. As much as you try to hide it, your eyes give it away. Pain. Incredible pain. The way you always look behind you to see who might be coming. The small jumps you make when a noise startles you. The way you look at everyone with suspicious burning bright in your eyes, afraid they might hurt you. You think you’re you so special, so unique? If you had pulled your head out of your ass, you’d have seen someone else with eyes just like yours. Someone who only wanted to help you.”
Faith gasped for breath.
“Xander’s father beats him,” Cordelia declared. “He thinks I don’t know, that I couldn’t tell. What’s really sad is that his best friend Willow and Super Slayer Buffy can’t. They’re worthless. Too wrapped up in what they want and need to look beyond their own self-importance. Too concerned about getting laid to see his bruises and the haunted look of being hunted which lights his eyes. Too busy teasing him about his grades to realize he’s dyslexic. Too busy making fun of his clothes to figure out that he wears them because he can’t afford anything else. Did you know he’s been buying his own clothes since he was eight? Same for haircuts, school supplies, food.”
“I don’t know who makes me angrier,” Cordelia thoughtfully observed. “Buffy and Willow, or Giles, because he should know. He’s a Watcher. They’re trained, presumably, to watch. I thought you might have been different. That’s the only reason I didn’t interfere when I saw him trying to get close to you. He wasn’t after your pussy, you dumb bitch. He was after a soulmate. Someone who would look at him and finally see him. And you’re so deficient, you thought it was all about sex. Well, you moron, after living your life between your legs, are you honestly surprised that when you offer up your big does eyes and C-cup to a seventeen-year-old boy he doesn’t have the wherewithal to resist? Bullshit. You knew it, and you went and fucked him anyway. So don’t whine about it now.”
At that moment, all Faith could hear was the prissy cheerleader using vulgarity. And she did it so easily. That was surprising.
Cordelia, however, continued unabated. “You honestly think you were his first?”
Faith started. “Certainly seemed like it,” she drawled, choking on her own blood.
Cordelia flipped her over with her foot and swung the bat down across Faith’s solar plexus, causing the girl to involuntarily buck before sinking back to the ground and staring up at her.
“I was his first,” Cordelia stated frostily, “and he was mine. Unlike you, sex means something to me. It meant a lot with Xander.”
Her eyes took on a faraway look and her voice dropped an anguished octave, even as she kicked Faith between her legs.
“He was so sweet, so gentle,” Cordelia dreamily recalled. “I actually had to talk him into it. I had to seduce him. He was confounded, and his innocence was so...charming. The whole time, everything he did was designed to bring me pleasure. I was the only thought in his mind. Over and over he whispered how much he loved me, and I reveled in it, because I knew it was true. He could have been with other girls, he had the opportunities. Hell, all he would have needed to do was snap his fingers, and Willow would have been on her back in the time it takes to flush a toilet. But he chose me.”
Faith curled on her side. “So fuckin’ what? He made a play for Red anyway.”
Cordelia laughed.
“You’re so fucking stupid,” Cordelia charged. “She used magic on him. That’s the only reason he kissed her, and she knew it was the only way she could get him. She didn’t care that she had a boyfriend, or that Xander and I were happy together. Yeah, Willow’s such a fucking martyr, so innocent and naive. Bullshit!”
Faith looked up dubiously at her attacker, shuddering when Cordelia stared back with hard eyes and a menacing smile.
“So why didn’t you take him back?,” Faith demanded, now desperate to know the answer.
“Because it still hurts too much. Because I’m scared that no matter how much I love him, I might still lose him. Because when I woke up in the hospital after they pulled that re-bar from my gut,” Cordelia began, “all I could think of was the baby I had lost.”
*****
Cordelia cooly regarded the Slayer’s obvious confusion.
“I was pregnant,” Cordelia snapped. “I walked into the factory with Oz, saw them on the bed, and I backed up, not wanting to believe it. Before I realized what was happening, I fell through the floor and then all I knew was pain. I looked up and saw Xander staring back at me, the horror on his face more painful than anything else. He knew what he had done, but not why he did it. But when I looked at her, I knew.”
“He was so ashamed he couldn’t face me, and you better believe that, at first, I did blame him. I cursed his ass for being stupid and weak. I burned all of his pictures, threw out everything he ever gave me, made sure the entire school put him on a cross. And he endured it all. He was so ashamed. He continued to apologize, to try and make amends. He took all of my abuse, didn’t fight back when his so-called friends froze him out of their little group, accepted all of the cruelty forced upon him, believing it was nothing he didn’t deserve.”
“Then, I thought about it a little more. Willow has been in love with Xander since we were in kindergarten. He never noticed or, if he did, chose to ignore it. So why, all of a sudden, did he give in? Just a moment of weakness? Please. We face death every night; it was nothing new. He and Willow were kidnapped by Spike because he wanted Willow to do a love spell for him, and Xander was the insurance. The pieces started falling into place. She had the knowledge, the power, and the opportunity. I knew what she did. The fact that she still can’t even look me in the face only confirms it.”
“So why not tell the wolf?,” Faith wanted to know. “Why not tell X?”
“What would be the point?,” Cordelia blithely asked. “It’s much more fun to watch Willow stew in her own juices. I don’t know if she realizes that I’ve got her number, and I don’t care. Let her have Oz; if he’s dumb enough to still want her, that’s his deal. It’s enough for me that she’ll never have Xander. And why would I destroy his memory of his oldest friend just to hurt her? She’s so not worth it. Now, every time she sees me, it reopens the wound. She’s forced to remember what she did, how she hurt both me and Xander, how she used her magic to subvert his will and take away his choice. Now, whenever she looks in a mirror, she’ll know that she violated all of her ethics and morals for an illicit kiss. Her relationship with Xander is forever changed, and the only one she has to blame is herself. And I didn’t even have to lift a finger.”
A gleam of respect entered Faith’s gaze. Cordelia was a stone-cold bitch. Faith could appreciate that.
“Here’s the bottom line,” Cordelia concluded. “By tomorrow, you’ll be healed. If you ever come near Xander again, I’ll kill you. I might not be strong enough to have a go at you when you’re at full strength, but let’s see how well you do against bullets.”
For the first time, a glimmer of true fear invaded Faith’s being.
“By tomorrow,” Cordelia continued, “I’ll have a full dossier compiled. I’ll know every move you’ve ever made, every person you’ve ever hurt, every law you’ve ever broken. You’re still underage. I’ll have you arrested for truancy and put in foster care. If that doesn’t work, I’ll have you arrested for attempted murder. I don’t really want to involve Xander in this because, even after what you did to him, he’d still probably want to help you.”
“If that happens, I’ll go to Wesley. He doesn’t trust you, and I have him wrapped around my finger. I wonder what the Council would do to a homicidal Slayer? I know they have drugs to rob a Slayer of her strength; they used them on Buffy.”
Faith released a soft whine.
“That would really be hell, wouldn’t it?,” Cordelia cooed with mock sympathy. “That the one thing which gives you a sense of power could be so easily taken away? Of course, they might just kill you and take a chance with the next Slayer. There will always be a new Slayer, Faith. You’re nothing special.”
“Or maybe I’ll forgo Wesley and just tell Buffy and Willow what you did. Angel already knows, and he’ll back me up. More importantly, I’ll tell Giles. See, I may think they’re worthless sacs, but they always manage to come together when one of their own is threatened. If Buffy doesn’t kill you, Giles will. I’ve met Ripper, you see, and if you think that man will suffer your stupidity, think again.”
“And just in case you decide to try and feel your oats and opt for a little revenge at my expense, let me remind you: Money and power buy a lot of favors, Faith, and, as of right now, I own you.”
With that, Cordelia flounced out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Faith went fetal and finally gave in to her tears.
*****
Cordelia parked her car in the ambulance bay and raced into the hospital.
Damn, she hated this place. She’d spent far too much time here as of late.
She made a beeline for Trauma, where she saw Angel pacing restlessly in the waiting room.
Stalking up to the vampire, Cordelia tapped him hard on the shoulder.
Angel spun around in surprise, eyeing the girl warily.
“Cordelia,” he said slowly, nodding.
She rolled her eyes. “How’s Xander?,” she demanded.
Angel’s eyes widened. “How did you know?”
“I saw you carrying him out of Faith’s room,” the girl answered dismissively.
“He’s still unconscious, but he’s going to be fine.”
Cordelia nodded.
“Did you call the others?,” Angel questioned.
She just gave him her patented Ice Glare of Death, and Angel valiantly suppressed the shudder it evoked.
“If Xander wants to tell them, that’s his choice,” Cordelia stated.
Angel nodded. “And Faith?”
“She’s a nonissue,” was the response.
Angel stared briefly.
“What did you do, Cordelia?,” he finally asked.
“What I had to,” she answered.
Author: xanzpet
Fandom: BtVS, Season Three, AU
Distribution: my website and LJ, Beyond Canon, and FF.net. All others, please ask.
Rating: FRT-13
Feedback: Does Cordy wear Prada?
Warnings: violence, language.
Summary: After Angel rescued Xander from Faith, the Rogue Slayer thought she was going to get away with her assault. So. Very. Wrong.
On a crisp late winter night, the air crackling with violent energy, Cordelia Chase was tearing down one of the side streets of suburban Sunnydale in her snazzy red convertible, in a vain effort to get home before curfew and another one of her father’s painfully boring and snide lectures.
She snorted. As much as he and her selfish mother harped on her finding a “suitable” husband, they should be grateful that she went out on as many dates as she did. It had taken her a long time to climb back atop the social pyramid of Sunnydale High after that debacle with Xander Harris and his adulterous “fluke” with that conniving bitch, Willow Rosenberg.
It wasn’t enough that Cordelia had to endure the not-so-silent jeers and lilting taunts of those she had once arrogantly and mistakenly assumed were her friends, oh no. Now, she had to put up with guys either too scared to approach her, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but also with the wannabe alpha males who had just assumed she and Harris had done the horizontal hula and now thought they held the keys to the kingdom.
So, she was either stuck with losers, or with creeps who thought she was the newest ride at Six Flags. Thanks a lot, Zeppo!, Cordelia thought angrily. Just as quickly, she dismissed all thoughts of Xander from her mind. Thinking of him led to thinking about that night in the factory, which led to unbearable pain, both physical and emotional.
Cordelia sighed.
Another night, another date which sucked.
Danny had seemed nice and sweetly shy when he had stutteringly asked her out yesterday in between classes. She had sensed his none-too-stealthy approach toward her locker and had smiled secretly, anticipating his request and frantically weighing the pros and cons of accepting the invitation.
A mop of curly blond ringlets cut short and a pair of dangerously electric-blue eyes had ensured that, if nothing else, the date would inspire further envy in the vapid titmouse known as Harmony Kendall and the useless drones which had been termed the Cordettes.
Cordelia frowned. Sometimes even she had trouble recalling their actual names.
“Let’s see,” she whispered, “there’s Aura and...and...oh, fuck it!”
Danny was at least a decent dresser - definite step up from Harris, she savagely observed, pressing her foot to the accelerator and flooring it - even if his style was a little preppy. A clean, pressed Oxford shirt, dazzling white, and a nice pair of khakies was Danny’s perpetual outfit. Not very exciting, but workable. He was smart, but wasn’t a brain. He played soccer, but not football. He was popular, but not more popular than she.
All in all, a good prospect.
Until, after the movie, he decided playing tonsil hockey wasn’t enough and the moron tried to go where only one man had gone before.
After landing a pummeling blow across Danny’s glass jaw, Cordelia had pushed him out of her car, as she peeled out of Kingman’s Bluff, uncaring that she had already sped up to twenty miles per hour or that she had dragged him for almost a good hundred yards. Let his lame ass come up to her in school tomorrow and she’d humiliate him again, this time publicly and irrevocably.
Cordelia screeched around corner and too late realized she was heading in the wrong direction. Annoyed with herself for being so easily distracted, she barreled down toward the nearest cross street when something in the periphery caught her eye.
A looming presence seamlessly blending in with the preternatural darkness afforded only by Sunnydale.
Angel?
She began slowing down and taking in the surrounding.
What was the vampire doing around here? There was no one who...
Oh.
Faith’s motel.
Oh.
Cordelia smirked.
So that’s how it was. Apparently Angel had traded in the Madonna for the whore at the Church of the Slayer.
She sat still, her car idling, mind racing with the delicious possibilities this information might present. Definitely some Buffy angst and, by association, Willow pouts. Anything that would cause pain to the redheaded witch-bitch was of the good.
Cordelia smiled predatorily, as she began stretching her arms with feline grace, reveling in the knowledge of possessing juicy and as-yet-undisclosed gossip.
Until she saw Angel unceremoniously drop a wooden baseball bat to the sidewalk, before melding back into the shadows.
Only to return cradling an unconscious boy.
Xander.
Her Xander.
Cold fury descended upon Cordelia’s face, her eyes becoming hooded and narrowed.
*****
Throwing the car into park and turning off the ignition, Cordelia sat and contemplated what this all meant.
Obviously, Xander had been hurt. That was unacceptable. Only she was allowed to hurt Xander, or dictate to others the pain she wanted her ex to suffer. She had earned that right, and no one was going to take it away from her.
As the pieces began coming together, Cordelia’s anger became more focused, more channeled, and more dangerous.
Angel had been carrying Xander out of Faith’s motel room, which in itself was very telling. It’s not like Xander and Angel had the best relationship. Faith obviously had something to with Xander’s injury.
Cordelia supposed she should have been more surprised. The cheerleader was a good judge of people, which was why she didn’t like any of them, Faith included. When the Bostonian had first popped up in Sunnydale, Cordelia had sensed that something was innately wrong with the girl. She tried too hard to impress people who weren’t worthy of that kind of consideration.
After all, who really cared what Buffy thought? Buffy was a freak who’d have been six feet under for two years running if it hadn’t been for Xander. Willow? Cordelia snorted. That fashion disaster and her busy lips had always set Cordelia’s teeth on edge. Anyone that quiet and unassuming was obviously devious and someone not to be trusted; Cordelia had learned that one the hard way. Giles? Well, Cordelia could understand a Slayer wanting to impress a Watcher, but it wasn’t like Giles would ever deign to demonstrate a show of emotion.
Xander?
No, of course not. No woman tried to impress Xander Harris, other than a desire to impress upon him the knowledge that he a was dork of the highest caliber, destined to be alone and forgotten.
Besides, Faith’s only interest in guys was to...
Cordelia release a low, sustained growl.
This simply wouldn’t do.
*****
Cordelia reached into the backseat and pulled forward the pair of sneakers she kept stashed for emergency running. She wasn’t about to sacrifice yet another pair of Prada in the quest of ridding the world of vampires.
It was about priorities, after all, and if vampires weren’t out every night risking their credit rating, why should she? Besides, she didn’t want to give Faith any advantage in discerning her arrival.
Silently opening her car door, Cordelia slowly stole out into the middle of the street, carefully making her way toward Faith’s door, which was slightly ajar, spilling golden, ambient light out onto the sidewalk.
The closer she got, the more furious Cordelia became.
Who the hell did this Slayer bitch think she was? What was it with Slayers anyhow? Always thinking the world was just to supposed to be at their feet. So they had superpowers. Big woo. Cordelia had a black AmEx.
First, Buffy comes to her town and tries to take over, actually daring to challenge Cordelia’s throne, both figuratively and, with regard to Homecoming, literally. The blonde bitch attacked Cordelia with a stake her first night in Sunnydale, after Cordelia had been gracious enough to extend an invitation into her exclusive circle. Then, Buffy dragged Cordelia into a world of madness which took over when night subsumed the sun.
Well, Cordelia guessed she couldn’t blame Buffy for that entirely. Buffy may have opened up that world, but she hadn’t forced Cordelia to remain in it. In fact, Buffy had done everything to push Cordelia out, which just made Cordelia fight harder to stay. No one told her where to go or what to do. Besides, it’s not like she could just sit back and let vampires control her town or leave their dusting up to an idiot like Buffy Summers.
Kendra had been better, but she was stupid for getting herself killed. What kind of lame-o just stood there and let a vampire dressed like a refugee from an Anne Rice novel slit her throat with a fingernail? Cordelia heard the others talking about Drusilla and her power to “thrall,” whatever that meant. It sounded pretty damn pathetic to her.
Then Faith had shown up in her leather skank gear and an attitude which Cordelia would have admired, had it not been a sham. Cordelia had a right to have attitude because she was rich and beautiful and supremely confidant. Those traits gave her the ability to ferret out bullshit, and the stench of it was coming off of Faith in waves. She suspected the new Slayer knew it, too, because whenever Cordelia came around, Faith was quick to hightail it out of the vicinity. Cordelia really liked that. Maybe Faith wasn’t completely stupid.
Still, Slayers! They were so...bothersome!
Then there was that redheaded sheep, Willow. What a creep. All woe-is-me and baby voice. Cordelia didn’t understand why people didn’t see through the facade, as if anyone that intelligent wasn’t automatically devious and capable of great treachery.
Cordelia wasn’t stupid. She had known for years Willow wanted to ride Xander like a pony. Hell, who didn’t know it? Well, except for Xander, whose continuous cluelessness would have been endearing if it wasn’t so retarded. Wasn’t enough for Willow to have her own pet werewolf, she had to have Cordelia’s boyfriend, too. Like she was entitled or something. Now, Cordelia was regretting not beating the snot out of Willow when she had a chance. Making Xander suffer wasn’t enough; it wasn’t even fulfilling. Willow still needed to pay.
And now Faith had hurt Xander. Who the fuck did this bitch think she was, coming here and damaging Cordelia’s property? And Xander was Cordelia’s property. Just because she had broken up with him didn’t mean that anyone else could have him. Faith was nothing but a yeast infection in cheap leather pants. Cordelia could almost see it play out: coming back from patrol, Faith all sweaty and horny, deciding Xander would do in a pinch.
Christ, she hoped Xander had enough sense to wear a condom. God only knows what kind of crotch-rot Faith was carrying. She supposed the CDC must keep records somewhere. Probably had Faith on a Ten Most Wanted List.
She stepped up to the slightly open door and peered inside.
The first thing Cordelia noticed was the smell.
Damn, it reeked in there! Bad takeout food, cigarette smoke, and booze.
And fear.
But whose?
She saw the bed mussed up, but the covers were still on. That probably didn’t mean anything, though. Christ, did a place this low even have housekeeping? Suddenly, Cordelia wondered what would show up if she had a black light handy.
Faith was lying unconscious on the floor.
Good. That would make things easier.
Well, it would have, had Faith not begun to stir.
Cursing silently, Cordelia gently pulled the door shut and began pacing outside.
What was she going to do now?
Then, she heard Faith began screaming Xander’s name, cursing a blue streak that might have made a lesser person blush.
With a raised eyebrow, Cordelia leaned in more closely to better hear what the whore was bitching about.
So, Xander had said no, and Faith tried to take what she wanted.
Choking?
She had tried to choke Xander? To strangle him? Kill him?
Cordelia saw nothing but red and she bent her knees and picked up the bat abandoned by Angel.
Then she knocked on the door.
*****
Faith was pissed off.
Who the hell did Harris think he was? Didn’t he know how lucky he was that a babe like her would even consider giving him a second go? Sure, she didn’t backtrack, but the big geek had a decent dick and, for a newbie, some surprising moves.
Okay, so maybe she had gone a little far with the choking, but pain could be fun if it was delivered right.
Fuck, what had happened anyway? The last thing she remembered was grinding her shapely ass into Xander’s limp crotch. After that, nothing but darkness. Did he hit her? She was gonna kick his ass.
No, that couldn’t be right, because both of his hands had been on her arms, trying to pry her hands from his throat.
Someone else must have been there.
Shit.
Prolly wasn’t B, or else she’d still be there waiting for Faith to wake up. Same with Wussly. Red? That was possible. All she cared about was the X-Man. Faith snorted. Like she couldn’t figure that out, despite Wolfboy.
Faith paused when she heard a knock at the door.
Smirking smugly, she called out, “Third taste’s the best, Harris.”
The Dark Slayer sauntered over and threw open the door, the light in her eyes discerning considerably when she saw it was Cordelia Chase standing on the threshold. What the hell was Lady Di doing here? Slumming?
More disconcerting was the queer look in Cordelia’s eyes and her abnormal silence, which immediately put Faith on guard.
“Hello, Faith,” Cordelia said slowly, showing more teeth with each syllable.
The Slayer shuddered, and never saw the first blow coming.
*****
Cordelia, with every ounce of strength her rage could muster, punched out with the tapered end of the bad, straight into Faith’s stomach.
Faith instantly doubled over, releasing a long, painful breath. Before she could capture an inhalation, Cordelia struck again. Holding an end of the bat in either hand, she brought the weapon up across the Slayer’s throat, effectively clotheslining her, while simultaneously kicking out a leg and shattering Faith’s left kneecap, causing the younger girl to fall to the ground.
Even as she was attacking, Cordelia knew that Faith would most likely kill her. After all, the cheerleader was no Slayer, and no matter how much she dished out, Faith’s body was acclimated to taking punishment from much stronger opponents than Cordelia. Still, all she could think about was vengeance for Xander.
“You bitch,” Cordelia seethed, as she drove her foot into Faith’s head, just beneath the girl’s ear.
Faith grunted and released a soft moan.
“Does that hurt?,” Cordelia demanded. “Really? Good. Are you scared? Like Xander was scared when you wrapped your hands around his throat and squeezed? Fucking Slayers ruin everything!”
Faith tried to focus, trying to muster her reserves, but Cordelia’s assault was taking a bigger toll than it should have. Her ears were ringing, and the single overhead light was, for some reason, blinding. Concussion, the Slayer realized. Whoever had gotten Xander out of here and had knocked her out must have used some real force. Her head pounded; she could feel the blood rushing throughout her skull as tiny stars exploded behind her retinas. The damage Cordelia was inflicting was compounding the previous injury, and it hurt like fuck.
“What the fuck do you care?,” Faith roughly rasped. “You fuckin’ hate X. What, you jealous ‘cause I gave him a taste?”
Cordelia’s only response was to slam the wide end of the bat straight down into the small of Faith’s back.
The Slayer screamed, but followed quickly with a peal of mirthless laughter.
“It must just eat you up that I got there first,” Faith taunted, even as tears began to leak from her eyes. “That he came back for a second helping.”
“Shut the hell up, you cheap whore,” Cordelia commanded.
Faith surprisingly did as she was ordered.
“You know you’re a whore, don’t you?,” the cheerleader sneered in a peculiar voice. “So you gave Xander a ride, big deal. You think I care about that? It’s all you’re good for anyway.”
Faith scowled, and tried to push herself up off the floor, only to screech when Cordelia delivered a sharp kick to her kidney. Say what you wanted about the vapid, but Faith had to give Cordelia credit for knowing where to strike, both physically and verbally.
“You’re so fucking stupid, Faith,” Cordelia barked. “You have no idea what it means to have a man like Xander stand beside you. How much stronger and more capable he makes you. How his love can transform you and make you better than you ever thought you could be.”
She paused long enough to bring the bat down on a Slayer ankle, before continuing her testimony.
“I could have felt sorry for you. You think I can’t see through you, Faith? To who you really are? Your Slaying stories don’t impress me. Your body is far inferior to mine, and you’re dumb as a rock. You may be cunning, but that doesn’t equal intelligence. You’re so quick to go for the instant gratification, too stupid to see the big picture. It could have been so different. I see how Buffy treats you. You think I don’t know she’s a bitch? I understand better than you can even imagine. I see how that sheep Willow looks at you with scorn, so jealous that Xander was sniffing around you.”
Faith couldn’t help it. She laughed.
“Shut up. I’m talking now,” Cordelia reprimanded sharply, as she drove her foot into Faith’s ribs. “You don’t know anything about Xander. He may have been attracted to you, but more than anything, he wanted to be your friend. That’s who he is. He wants to help people, he wants to help the world. I know how to read people, Faith, and I had you figured out the moment I first caught sight of you. As much as you try to hide it, your eyes give it away. Pain. Incredible pain. The way you always look behind you to see who might be coming. The small jumps you make when a noise startles you. The way you look at everyone with suspicious burning bright in your eyes, afraid they might hurt you. You think you’re you so special, so unique? If you had pulled your head out of your ass, you’d have seen someone else with eyes just like yours. Someone who only wanted to help you.”
Faith gasped for breath.
“Xander’s father beats him,” Cordelia declared. “He thinks I don’t know, that I couldn’t tell. What’s really sad is that his best friend Willow and Super Slayer Buffy can’t. They’re worthless. Too wrapped up in what they want and need to look beyond their own self-importance. Too concerned about getting laid to see his bruises and the haunted look of being hunted which lights his eyes. Too busy teasing him about his grades to realize he’s dyslexic. Too busy making fun of his clothes to figure out that he wears them because he can’t afford anything else. Did you know he’s been buying his own clothes since he was eight? Same for haircuts, school supplies, food.”
“I don’t know who makes me angrier,” Cordelia thoughtfully observed. “Buffy and Willow, or Giles, because he should know. He’s a Watcher. They’re trained, presumably, to watch. I thought you might have been different. That’s the only reason I didn’t interfere when I saw him trying to get close to you. He wasn’t after your pussy, you dumb bitch. He was after a soulmate. Someone who would look at him and finally see him. And you’re so deficient, you thought it was all about sex. Well, you moron, after living your life between your legs, are you honestly surprised that when you offer up your big does eyes and C-cup to a seventeen-year-old boy he doesn’t have the wherewithal to resist? Bullshit. You knew it, and you went and fucked him anyway. So don’t whine about it now.”
At that moment, all Faith could hear was the prissy cheerleader using vulgarity. And she did it so easily. That was surprising.
Cordelia, however, continued unabated. “You honestly think you were his first?”
Faith started. “Certainly seemed like it,” she drawled, choking on her own blood.
Cordelia flipped her over with her foot and swung the bat down across Faith’s solar plexus, causing the girl to involuntarily buck before sinking back to the ground and staring up at her.
“I was his first,” Cordelia stated frostily, “and he was mine. Unlike you, sex means something to me. It meant a lot with Xander.”
Her eyes took on a faraway look and her voice dropped an anguished octave, even as she kicked Faith between her legs.
“He was so sweet, so gentle,” Cordelia dreamily recalled. “I actually had to talk him into it. I had to seduce him. He was confounded, and his innocence was so...charming. The whole time, everything he did was designed to bring me pleasure. I was the only thought in his mind. Over and over he whispered how much he loved me, and I reveled in it, because I knew it was true. He could have been with other girls, he had the opportunities. Hell, all he would have needed to do was snap his fingers, and Willow would have been on her back in the time it takes to flush a toilet. But he chose me.”
Faith curled on her side. “So fuckin’ what? He made a play for Red anyway.”
Cordelia laughed.
“You’re so fucking stupid,” Cordelia charged. “She used magic on him. That’s the only reason he kissed her, and she knew it was the only way she could get him. She didn’t care that she had a boyfriend, or that Xander and I were happy together. Yeah, Willow’s such a fucking martyr, so innocent and naive. Bullshit!”
Faith looked up dubiously at her attacker, shuddering when Cordelia stared back with hard eyes and a menacing smile.
“So why didn’t you take him back?,” Faith demanded, now desperate to know the answer.
“Because it still hurts too much. Because I’m scared that no matter how much I love him, I might still lose him. Because when I woke up in the hospital after they pulled that re-bar from my gut,” Cordelia began, “all I could think of was the baby I had lost.”
*****
Cordelia cooly regarded the Slayer’s obvious confusion.
“I was pregnant,” Cordelia snapped. “I walked into the factory with Oz, saw them on the bed, and I backed up, not wanting to believe it. Before I realized what was happening, I fell through the floor and then all I knew was pain. I looked up and saw Xander staring back at me, the horror on his face more painful than anything else. He knew what he had done, but not why he did it. But when I looked at her, I knew.”
“He was so ashamed he couldn’t face me, and you better believe that, at first, I did blame him. I cursed his ass for being stupid and weak. I burned all of his pictures, threw out everything he ever gave me, made sure the entire school put him on a cross. And he endured it all. He was so ashamed. He continued to apologize, to try and make amends. He took all of my abuse, didn’t fight back when his so-called friends froze him out of their little group, accepted all of the cruelty forced upon him, believing it was nothing he didn’t deserve.”
“Then, I thought about it a little more. Willow has been in love with Xander since we were in kindergarten. He never noticed or, if he did, chose to ignore it. So why, all of a sudden, did he give in? Just a moment of weakness? Please. We face death every night; it was nothing new. He and Willow were kidnapped by Spike because he wanted Willow to do a love spell for him, and Xander was the insurance. The pieces started falling into place. She had the knowledge, the power, and the opportunity. I knew what she did. The fact that she still can’t even look me in the face only confirms it.”
“So why not tell the wolf?,” Faith wanted to know. “Why not tell X?”
“What would be the point?,” Cordelia blithely asked. “It’s much more fun to watch Willow stew in her own juices. I don’t know if she realizes that I’ve got her number, and I don’t care. Let her have Oz; if he’s dumb enough to still want her, that’s his deal. It’s enough for me that she’ll never have Xander. And why would I destroy his memory of his oldest friend just to hurt her? She’s so not worth it. Now, every time she sees me, it reopens the wound. She’s forced to remember what she did, how she hurt both me and Xander, how she used her magic to subvert his will and take away his choice. Now, whenever she looks in a mirror, she’ll know that she violated all of her ethics and morals for an illicit kiss. Her relationship with Xander is forever changed, and the only one she has to blame is herself. And I didn’t even have to lift a finger.”
A gleam of respect entered Faith’s gaze. Cordelia was a stone-cold bitch. Faith could appreciate that.
“Here’s the bottom line,” Cordelia concluded. “By tomorrow, you’ll be healed. If you ever come near Xander again, I’ll kill you. I might not be strong enough to have a go at you when you’re at full strength, but let’s see how well you do against bullets.”
For the first time, a glimmer of true fear invaded Faith’s being.
“By tomorrow,” Cordelia continued, “I’ll have a full dossier compiled. I’ll know every move you’ve ever made, every person you’ve ever hurt, every law you’ve ever broken. You’re still underage. I’ll have you arrested for truancy and put in foster care. If that doesn’t work, I’ll have you arrested for attempted murder. I don’t really want to involve Xander in this because, even after what you did to him, he’d still probably want to help you.”
“If that happens, I’ll go to Wesley. He doesn’t trust you, and I have him wrapped around my finger. I wonder what the Council would do to a homicidal Slayer? I know they have drugs to rob a Slayer of her strength; they used them on Buffy.”
Faith released a soft whine.
“That would really be hell, wouldn’t it?,” Cordelia cooed with mock sympathy. “That the one thing which gives you a sense of power could be so easily taken away? Of course, they might just kill you and take a chance with the next Slayer. There will always be a new Slayer, Faith. You’re nothing special.”
“Or maybe I’ll forgo Wesley and just tell Buffy and Willow what you did. Angel already knows, and he’ll back me up. More importantly, I’ll tell Giles. See, I may think they’re worthless sacs, but they always manage to come together when one of their own is threatened. If Buffy doesn’t kill you, Giles will. I’ve met Ripper, you see, and if you think that man will suffer your stupidity, think again.”
“And just in case you decide to try and feel your oats and opt for a little revenge at my expense, let me remind you: Money and power buy a lot of favors, Faith, and, as of right now, I own you.”
With that, Cordelia flounced out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Faith went fetal and finally gave in to her tears.
*****
Cordelia parked her car in the ambulance bay and raced into the hospital.
Damn, she hated this place. She’d spent far too much time here as of late.
She made a beeline for Trauma, where she saw Angel pacing restlessly in the waiting room.
Stalking up to the vampire, Cordelia tapped him hard on the shoulder.
Angel spun around in surprise, eyeing the girl warily.
“Cordelia,” he said slowly, nodding.
She rolled her eyes. “How’s Xander?,” she demanded.
Angel’s eyes widened. “How did you know?”
“I saw you carrying him out of Faith’s room,” the girl answered dismissively.
“He’s still unconscious, but he’s going to be fine.”
Cordelia nodded.
“Did you call the others?,” Angel questioned.
She just gave him her patented Ice Glare of Death, and Angel valiantly suppressed the shudder it evoked.
“If Xander wants to tell them, that’s his choice,” Cordelia stated.
Angel nodded. “And Faith?”
“She’s a nonissue,” was the response.
Angel stared briefly.
“What did you do, Cordelia?,” he finally asked.
“What I had to,” she answered.