I raised an eyebrow, looking at Cordelia. And this had been the girl who, only a few minutes ago, had wanted to make sure I wasn't going to go hide back in my room? Now she was trying to kick me out? So much for wanting to check on her friends, plural, I thought idly.
I paused outside the door, watching as Cordelia pulled it shut again, this time shutting it all the way. I briefly wondered if Wes should really be left alone, but then... he was tired. And if he needed us, he would call for us, right? I wasn't so sure about that right now, after dealing with a little bit of his pride, but I hoped that he would call for us if he needed anything.
"So, 'Brood-a-thon'?" I asked Cordelia, as we walked down the hall slightly, moving toward the stairs. Cordelia nodded, crossing her arms as we walked.
"Yes. When you lock yourself away by yourself and refuse to come out, what else would you call it? Well, maybe isolation, like in a psyche ward, but..." She stopped, and I smirked slightly.
"It's called 'mourning', Cordelia," I said softly, only to be met by her eyes flaring sharply.
"No. Mourning iswearing all black... which, really isn't any different from usual, crying, and listening to music and junk. And crying," she added after a minute, then looked at me. "Not locking yourself away."
I glanced away; yes, I had locked myself away, but... what else was I supposed to do? Buffy had died, and I really didn't want to be around anyone else? After a moment, I looked back at Cordelia, and asked, "Can we drop it? I'm out now, alright?" She studied me for another moment, piercing, before nodding slightly.
"Fine. Now you can come make me some food while we let Wesley sleep." She nodded, and I followed her downstairs. "Oh, and make some food for him, too, you know, when he wakes up..."
Thank god, she fell for that. Both. Well, I'm not sure Angel fell for it, since he'd seen how bad off I am. Was. I'm feeling much better. I even could move my hand now, and my head a little. It was progress, even it it was just a little bit. By now I'd learned to take every little bit that was offered to me and my so called life.
Turning said head, I glanced over at the clock on Angel's nightstand. Squinting my eyes, I tried to see what time it was. Or to be more accurate, how much time had *passed*. There just was no way I was able to see it though. Not without my glasses. Who were broken, bugger it all. It's not as though I had money for new ones, and those had been my spare glasses.
Sighing, I closed my eyes and tried to get comfortable. There wasn't even the possibly of me getting any sleep while I was laying on my back. I just wasn't used to it. I sighed again and then started a very long struggle to get over to my stomach. Or at least my side.
By the time I was done, and rolling over to my stomach had been easy once I was on my side, I was panting for air. But at least I'd made it. Even if I did find my face squashed into the pillow and having a hard time actually getting some oxygen into my lungs. Closing my eyes, I tried to catch my breath and some sleep.
I rummaged around the kitchen, pulling out the things to make Cordelia a simple meal, as she sat down, sighing dramatically. She watched me silently for a moment, as I prepared her sandwich, then asked, "So what did you do in your room that whole time? I mean, wouldn't it get boring after a while?"
I snorted slightly, looking over my shoulder at Cordelia. "No, Cordelia. I... read a lot, and thought, mostly." I didn't tell her of all the times that I had been remembering the simple things, like the way the sun had shone on Buffy's hair, creating a halo, the sound of her laughter, the taste of her lip balm. I figured that Cordelia wouldn't want to know about all of that, though...
She wrinkled her nose as I brought her sandwich over to her and sat down across the table from her. "Well, at least you haven't lost your cooking skills," she commented, before taking a bite. I paused, wondering if I should ask what she meant, before she continued, "We all know you lost your mind a long time ago..." She winked at me, and I frowned slightly, unsure if she was kidding or not.
"So what made you decide to come to the land of the living again?" She asked, looking up, and I raised an eyebrow.
"Didn't we cover this?" I asked, confused, and she shook her head as she chewed. "I... I missed you guys," I said quietly. "I miss Buffy, but... I forgot that I had you guys here, too. You were still here." Even after everything I had done to them in the past year... I thought wryly.
Cordelia was silent for a moment, and when she spoke again, she surprised me by changing the subject. I guessed she didn't know what to say to that, for once. That was kind rare in and of itself... Cordelia usually knew what to say for everything that happened.
"Oh. So, you wanna go check and see if Book Boy is sleeping yet? Because I'm willing to bet you didn't even think to feed him or anything, did you?" I didn't answer, and she nodded triumphantly. "I knew it! He's probably hungrry from being sick and everything..." I just nodded, and she scooped up the other sandwich I had made, before shooing me up the stairs.
As she went to open the door, I listened carefully, and nodded to myself. I could hear Wesley's heartbeat from inside... as Cordy pushed open the door, I could see that he was on his stomach, and I smiled; good, he could move again...
"Is he sleeping?" Cordy whispered, and I listened carefully. He was just barely asleep, and he really needed it. I nodded to her, and she backed out, leaving the door half open. "Fine. I'll put this in the fridge, then go try and get some sleep myself. You can... go do whatever it is you do at this hour, okay?"
I nodded, then watched as she slipped into the room she usually used on late nights, disappearing. I stayed there for a moment, before slipping into my room, sitting in the chair. I sighed, then slowly relaxed, drifting off to sleep myself as I watched Wesley.
It was odd, but when I woke up, I knew right away that the bed I was in wasn't mine. For one thing, I didn't have silk sheets. For another? My bed is not this big. Not even close. This wasn't even my room. Which would make sense, since this wasn't my bed. And I needed tea, because my brain was most definitely not making much sense.
Slowly, I peeled my eyes open. My body felt at though it weight about ten tons and ached all over. I frowned and tried to remember what the hell happened. Why was I in a strange bed feeling like this? I felt as though I'd walked the New York marathon, ten times.
It was when I opened my eyes further that I realized I was in Angel's room. And Angel's bed. Good lord! I froze when I noticed the vampire in question sitting on a chair. Thank god he was asleep. Bloody hell, this was so embarrassing. Especially when my memory of last night flooded back.
Me, shower, naked. I'd been paralyzed and Angel had to fish me out of there. And then he'd dressed me. Oh Christ, how could I ever look him in the eye again? Trying to squash down on the panic that was starting to overtake me, I just stared at him with wide eyes while I tried to figure out a way to get out of here. Without waking him up.
I watched, unable to move, as Buffy threw herself off of the tower, into the gaping hole torn in the sky. I pushed forward, yelling, but I wasn't fast enough-
And I wasn't there in the first place. I was sitting in a huge courtroom in Pylea, staring into a mirror at a face I hadn't seen in over two and a half centuries. Had my hair always stuck up that way?
And while I was here, staring into a mirror like a fool, Buffy was dying, and-
And I turned, drawn by the sudden scent of blood, to see that the demons were attacking my friends again. I tried to move, to go help them, only to watch uselessly, helplessly as Fred was thrown into a wall; she didn't move. Cordelia's scream was abruptly cut off, and I struggled against my sudden paralysis, the feeling I was being held back, as I saw Gunn being dragged from the room. It was suddenly silent, too damn quiet, and I was afraid to turn and see what had happened to-
"Wes?" I jerked slightly, and inhaled sharply as the darkness clouded my eyes for a moment. I blinked, then relaxed slightly as my room came into focus. I sat up in the chair, and let out a slow, deep breath, even though I didn't need to. It felt good, so I took another deep breath, trying to relax.
After a moment, I looked over at the bed, and forced a small smile when I saw that Wesley was awake. He didn't need to know what I had been dreaming about; I had been having that dream for the past two months now. Not for the first time, I was glad that I wasn't psychic like Dru had been. I had enough to worry about, without having to worry whether or not my dreams were going to come to pass.
Frowning, I watched Angel for a moment. It would seem he was dreaming. For a moment, I don't know why, I was reminded of the time he'd been dreaming about bloody Darla. The time he'd fired us all. The time he went half crazy. The time he jumped on me naked.
Ah. That's why it came to me. Bugger it all. I'm never going to be able to look him in the eye again am I? He'll know, he'll just know. I thought I'd gotten over that. Exactly around the time he fired us. I really did. But yesterday made it quite clear to me that I wasn't. Not yet. But if I played it right, I could hide it.
Angel was rather confused anyway. It didn't feel right to use it. But him knowing wouldn't do any good either. None at all. In fact, it would only make things worse.
"Angel?" I looked at him startled, my reply automatically. My frown deepened as I shifted a little. My muscles ached like hell, but lord it was so good to be able to move freely again. A long hot bath would be heaven. Pity I don't have one. A bath, that is. Cordelia had one, I remembered that from when we stayed at her. But it would hardly be normal to ask her if I can soak in there.
"Are you alright?" I asked softly. "You seemed to be having a nightmare."
I blinked again, focusing on Wesley, before rubbing my eyes slightly. "I... uh, yeah." I leaned forward, elbows on my knees as I propped my face in my hands, still rubbing at my temples.
After a moment, I pulled myself together, looking up again. "It was a nightmare," I confirmed, then sighed slightly. "I... how about you? Are you feeling better?" I asked, abruptly changing the topic. I could see that he was moving again, and he looked a hell of a lot better than he had only... a few hours ago, I thought, after I glanced at the clock.
I tilted my head slightly, before I stood up. I had had that dream almost every night for almost two months now... and nothing I did would make it go away. The same thing, every night, where I would see Buffy jump, see Fred dragged away, hear Cordelia's screams for help cut off while Gunn was dragged away, and Wes... where was Wesley? I had never seen him in any of the dreams, had always woken up before I could find him, could see what had happened to all of the others.
"Are you hungry?" I asked after a moment, glancing over at him. "Because I can make breakfast or something," I added. I mentally started running through what was in the kitchen, and thought briefly that if I made breakfast, I would also have to wake Cordy up, because she would want to eat with us, and a pissed off Cordy isn't what anyone wants to deal with first thing in the morning.
How familiar. Changing the topic. It's not as though I ever did that. In fact, I do that a lot lately. So it wasn't really hard to recognize the tactic. Tilting my head, I glanced at him and shifted a little in his bed. Thank god, I'm already dressed. Or this would've been doubly embarrassing. I don't think my brain was fully functioning yesterday.
Angel stood up and I frowned. He obviously didn't want to talk about the dream at all. Which was something I respected, having nightmares myself. But since the whole Darla thing, you'll forgive me if I'm a little weary of Angel's dreams. I'll keep a close eye on him. That much is certain.
"Hungry?" I blinked, struggling to sit up in bed. Good lord, after last night I didn't find myself hungry at all. Then again, I suppose that since it's morning, my stomach is rather used to not being very hungry. "Not really," I shook my head. "But some tea might be nice. I think I'll go make some."
Swinging my legs over the edge, I sat on the bed for a few moments longer, running yesterday through my head. At least only Angel had seen me this way. It had been most embarrassing and humiliating. I don't think I could've handled....
"Oh good lord, Cordelia knows," I groaned when realization hit. Putting my face in my hands I sighed deeply. She's never going to let this go. Dammit.
I glanced over my shoulder at Wesley, frowning. Yes, Cordelia knew... about him being sick, about my finding him under the shower, but... I didn't know which part had him so embarrassed. The part that Cordy knew that he had fallen? Or that Cordy knew he had been naked? She didn't know that I had had to... dress Wesley; that hadn't come up in discussion, but then, maybe Wesley didn't know that.
"Wesley?" I asked after a moment, watching him just sit there. I paused in the doorway to the small kitchen in my room, then glanced at the stove. I moved over, filling a kettle with water and putting it on to boil. I quietly moved back out into my room, and came within a few steps of Wesley, not wanting to crowd him.
"The water's on," I said after a moment, then said easily, "And yeah, Cordelia knows you are... were... sick," I stumbled, not sure if he was still sick or not. "But she doesn't know about the whole paralyzing thing." Or the part where I had to help you get dressed, I thought to myself. Catching that thought, I wondered if that was why Wesley wasn't getting up just yet.
Really. Stupid vampire and his relaxed and then nervous attitude. Not to mention dense. And I'm really, really cranky right now. Nothing is going as it should go. And Angel is still dense. He may not have any problem with the nakedness, which I know. What with the hole 'let's jump on Wes naked while dreaming of Darla' thing.
But I do.
And now Cordelia knows that he had to pluck me from under the shower. Because I'd gotten ill there. And one usually doesn't got around taking a shower naked! Good bloody god. "Well good, that's at least something," I grumbled, mood plummeting even further down. She knew and she wasn't likely going to make me forget about it any time soon.
Marvelous. Just...bloody marvelous.
Heaving a deep sigh, I scooted out of bed and got up. I just wanted to go home. Lay in my own damn bed for a century or so. Not getting disturbed, not even for the world ending. I needed some time alone and not get badgered by Cordelia, made fun of by Gunn or... Angel being clueless. Or Fred being... well, Fred.
But the moment I stood up, the room started spinning and my legs felt like rubber. I fell back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling for a moment. Trying to figure out what just happened. Well, it was pretty obvious, now that I thought about it. One just, apparently, can't expect to just literally walk away after being paralyzed for hours.
"Yeah," I agreed, starting to turn back to the kitchen. "I mean, Cordy's nice and all, but sometimes she-" gets a little overprotective wsa what I was trying to say, but I stopped when I heard a faint thump behind me, and I turned, just in time to see Wesley falling back onto the bed after obviously trying to stand up.
"Wes?" I asked, moving over to the bed, looking down at him concernedly. He couldn't have been hurt by falling onto the bed, but I had thought he was better... hadn't the paralyzation gone by now?
I glanced at him for a second, then muttered, "And Cordelia's coming. She has good timing, I'll give her that." Good timing, meaning for whatever it was that she wanted to find out. I could hear her footsteps coming down the hallway toward my room as we spoke, and turned just as the door opened, and Cordelia walked in.
"It's about time you two were- Oh, god," she said, looking between where Wesley was lying on the bed and I was standing over him. "Angel? What are you doing to him?"
"I- what? Why do you always think I'm the one doing something?" I asked, then flinched when I realized what I had said. "And everything's fine," I added belatedly.
"Yeah, because this just has 'fine' written all over it," Cordelia said, waving me aside as she came over. "Wes? Are you okay?" She gave me a look like she was just waiting for Wesley to say I had been doing something wrong, and I sighed. Well, now that Cordy was here, she would know what to do; more than I did, anyway, seeing as how she was our 'in-residence nurse' as she had said once.
Confused I looked at Cordelia while I hauled myself up from the bed. I had no idea what on earth she was blathering on about, or what she might be thinking.
"What are you nattering on about?" I wanted to know. Swaying a little when I finally stood straight, I ignored her worried look and the thought that I looked utterly ridiculous in Angel's clothes.
"No need to get with the snide wooly boy," she huffed, poking a finger against my chest. "Just want to make sure Angel wasn't doing any funny business. Couse he was standing...with the funny and all that." She looked up to glare at Angel and then wiped her head back to me.
"Fu- what? What do you mean?" Sighing, I rubbed a hand over my forhead. There was already a headache building there from yesterday and really, Cordelia wasn't helping at all.
Cordelia gave me a stunned look, and the turned said stunned look at Angel. "Geeze? Oblivious much? Even fangboy here got what I meant? I guess that means you're just fine."
Snorting, and really, was that needed? She took a step away from me. There was still some worry in her eyes, but she tried to hide it. Just as I tried to ignore it.
"Quite," I sighed, still having *no* idea what she was going on about. I glanced at the floor and then my bare feet. "Errr...Angel? Where are my shoes? I'd really like to go home now."
I watched as Cordelia started poking Wesley in the chest,and raised an eyebrow. I thought she had been concerned because he was sick, not trying to intimidate him, or whatever she was trying to do. I shrugged at Wesley when he looked at me, unsure myself what Cordy meant about 'funny business'... even though she thought I knew what she was talking about.
"I think your shoes are still in the bathroom," I said, starting to move toward the bathroom to get them; he didn't look all that steady on his feet, and for that matter, how was he planning on getting home, then? His bike just wasn't going to cut it if he could barely stand up straight...
"Hey, mister!" Cordelia snapped, and I froze as she pointed at me, then at Wesley. "You're just going to let him go home? It's time for work, buddy, and the boss can't just wander off!" She paused, tilting her head slightly, then said, "Well, you could... but then you would have to give everyone else the day off, too, and give me a paid vacation day..."
"Paid vacation?" I asked incredulously. "For what? There's been hardly any work that qualifies you for that, and I thought you said we weren't exactly raking in the money, Cordy." She winked at me, and I got that sinking feeling again.
"We have enough for me to get paid," she retorted. "And besides, do you think Brit Boy here will even be able to make it home without falling over? I bet you haven't even fed him yet..."
"He's not a pet, Cordy," I reminded her patiently, and she rolled her eyes. "And yes, I did offer him food, right Wes?" I asked, appealing to him for help.
"Yeah, fine," Cordy said. She looked at me, waiting for something, and I looked at her blankly. After a moment, she huffed, "Well? Aren't you making breakfast?"
I paused outside the door, watching as Cordelia pulled it shut again, this time shutting it all the way. I briefly wondered if Wes should really be left alone, but then... he was tired. And if he needed us, he would call for us, right? I wasn't so sure about that right now, after dealing with a little bit of his pride, but I hoped that he would call for us if he needed anything.
"So, 'Brood-a-thon'?" I asked Cordelia, as we walked down the hall slightly, moving toward the stairs. Cordelia nodded, crossing her arms as we walked.
"Yes. When you lock yourself away by yourself and refuse to come out, what else would you call it? Well, maybe isolation, like in a psyche ward, but..." She stopped, and I smirked slightly.
"It's called 'mourning', Cordelia," I said softly, only to be met by her eyes flaring sharply.
"No. Mourning iswearing all black... which, really isn't any different from usual, crying, and listening to music and junk. And crying," she added after a minute, then looked at me. "Not locking yourself away."
I glanced away; yes, I had locked myself away, but... what else was I supposed to do? Buffy had died, and I really didn't want to be around anyone else? After a moment, I looked back at Cordelia, and asked, "Can we drop it? I'm out now, alright?" She studied me for another moment, piercing, before nodding slightly.
"Fine. Now you can come make me some food while we let Wesley sleep." She nodded, and I followed her downstairs. "Oh, and make some food for him, too, you know, when he wakes up..."
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Turning said head, I glanced over at the clock on Angel's nightstand. Squinting my eyes, I tried to see what time it was. Or to be more accurate, how much time had *passed*. There just was no way I was able to see it though. Not without my glasses. Who were broken, bugger it all. It's not as though I had money for new ones, and those had been my spare glasses.
Sighing, I closed my eyes and tried to get comfortable. There wasn't even the possibly of me getting any sleep while I was laying on my back. I just wasn't used to it. I sighed again and then started a very long struggle to get over to my stomach. Or at least my side.
By the time I was done, and rolling over to my stomach had been easy once I was on my side, I was panting for air. But at least I'd made it. Even if I did find my face squashed into the pillow and having a hard time actually getting some oxygen into my lungs. Closing my eyes, I tried to catch my breath and some sleep.
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I snorted slightly, looking over my shoulder at Cordelia. "No, Cordelia. I... read a lot, and thought, mostly." I didn't tell her of all the times that I had been remembering the simple things, like the way the sun had shone on Buffy's hair, creating a halo, the sound of her laughter, the taste of her lip balm. I figured that Cordelia wouldn't want to know about all of that, though...
She wrinkled her nose as I brought her sandwich over to her and sat down across the table from her. "Well, at least you haven't lost your cooking skills," she commented, before taking a bite. I paused, wondering if I should ask what she meant, before she continued, "We all know you lost your mind a long time ago..." She winked at me, and I frowned slightly, unsure if she was kidding or not.
"So what made you decide to come to the land of the living again?" She asked, looking up, and I raised an eyebrow.
"Didn't we cover this?" I asked, confused, and she shook her head as she chewed. "I... I missed you guys," I said quietly. "I miss Buffy, but... I forgot that I had you guys here, too. You were still here." Even after everything I had done to them in the past year... I thought wryly.
Cordelia was silent for a moment, and when she spoke again, she surprised me by changing the subject. I guessed she didn't know what to say to that, for once. That was kind rare in and of itself... Cordelia usually knew what to say for everything that happened.
"Oh. So, you wanna go check and see if Book Boy is sleeping yet? Because I'm willing to bet you didn't even think to feed him or anything, did you?" I didn't answer, and she nodded triumphantly. "I knew it! He's probably hungrry from being sick and everything..." I just nodded, and she scooped up the other sandwich I had made, before shooing me up the stairs.
As she went to open the door, I listened carefully, and nodded to myself. I could hear Wesley's heartbeat from inside... as Cordy pushed open the door, I could see that he was on his stomach, and I smiled; good, he could move again...
"Is he sleeping?" Cordy whispered, and I listened carefully. He was just barely asleep, and he really needed it. I nodded to her, and she backed out, leaving the door half open. "Fine. I'll put this in the fridge, then go try and get some sleep myself. You can... go do whatever it is you do at this hour, okay?"
I nodded, then watched as she slipped into the room she usually used on late nights, disappearing. I stayed there for a moment, before slipping into my room, sitting in the chair. I sighed, then slowly relaxed, drifting off to sleep myself as I watched Wesley.
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Slowly, I peeled my eyes open. My body felt at though it weight about ten tons and ached all over. I frowned and tried to remember what the hell happened. Why was I in a strange bed feeling like this? I felt as though I'd walked the New York marathon, ten times.
It was when I opened my eyes further that I realized I was in Angel's room. And Angel's bed. Good lord! I froze when I noticed the vampire in question sitting on a chair. Thank god he was asleep. Bloody hell, this was so embarrassing. Especially when my memory of last night flooded back.
Me, shower, naked. I'd been paralyzed and Angel had to fish me out of there. And then he'd dressed me. Oh Christ, how could I ever look him in the eye again? Trying to squash down on the panic that was starting to overtake me, I just stared at him with wide eyes while I tried to figure out a way to get out of here. Without waking him up.
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And I wasn't there in the first place. I was sitting in a huge courtroom in Pylea, staring into a mirror at a face I hadn't seen in over two and a half centuries. Had my hair always stuck up that way?
And while I was here, staring into a mirror like a fool, Buffy was dying, and-
And I turned, drawn by the sudden scent of blood, to see that the demons were attacking my friends again. I tried to move, to go help them, only to watch uselessly, helplessly as Fred was thrown into a wall; she didn't move. Cordelia's scream was abruptly cut off, and I struggled against my sudden paralysis, the feeling I was being held back, as I saw Gunn being dragged from the room. It was suddenly silent, too damn quiet, and I was afraid to turn and see what had happened to-
"Wes?" I jerked slightly, and inhaled sharply as the darkness clouded my eyes for a moment. I blinked, then relaxed slightly as my room came into focus. I sat up in the chair, and let out a slow, deep breath, even though I didn't need to. It felt good, so I took another deep breath, trying to relax.
After a moment, I looked over at the bed, and forced a small smile when I saw that Wesley was awake. He didn't need to know what I had been dreaming about; I had been having that dream for the past two months now. Not for the first time, I was glad that I wasn't psychic like Dru had been. I had enough to worry about, without having to worry whether or not my dreams were going to come to pass.
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Ah. That's why it came to me. Bugger it all. I'm never going to be able to look him in the eye again am I? He'll know, he'll just know. I thought I'd gotten over that. Exactly around the time he fired us. I really did. But yesterday made it quite clear to me that I wasn't. Not yet. But if I played it right, I could hide it.
Angel was rather confused anyway. It didn't feel right to use it. But him knowing wouldn't do any good either. None at all. In fact, it would only make things worse.
"Angel?" I looked at him startled, my reply automatically. My frown deepened as I shifted a little. My muscles ached like hell, but lord it was so good to be able to move freely again. A long hot bath would be heaven. Pity I don't have one. A bath, that is. Cordelia had one, I remembered that from when we stayed at her. But it would hardly be normal to ask her if I can soak in there.
"Are you alright?" I asked softly. "You seemed to be having a nightmare."
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After a moment, I pulled myself together, looking up again. "It was a nightmare," I confirmed, then sighed slightly. "I... how about you? Are you feeling better?" I asked, abruptly changing the topic. I could see that he was moving again, and he looked a hell of a lot better than he had only... a few hours ago, I thought, after I glanced at the clock.
I tilted my head slightly, before I stood up. I had had that dream almost every night for almost two months now... and nothing I did would make it go away. The same thing, every night, where I would see Buffy jump, see Fred dragged away, hear Cordelia's screams for help cut off while Gunn was dragged away, and Wes... where was Wesley? I had never seen him in any of the dreams, had always woken up before I could find him, could see what had happened to all of the others.
"Are you hungry?" I asked after a moment, glancing over at him. "Because I can make breakfast or something," I added. I mentally started running through what was in the kitchen, and thought briefly that if I made breakfast, I would also have to wake Cordy up, because she would want to eat with us, and a pissed off Cordy isn't what anyone wants to deal with first thing in the morning.
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Angel stood up and I frowned. He obviously didn't want to talk about the dream at all. Which was something I respected, having nightmares myself. But since the whole Darla thing, you'll forgive me if I'm a little weary of Angel's dreams. I'll keep a close eye on him. That much is certain.
"Hungry?" I blinked, struggling to sit up in bed. Good lord, after last night I didn't find myself hungry at all. Then again, I suppose that since it's morning, my stomach is rather used to not being very hungry. "Not really," I shook my head. "But some tea might be nice. I think I'll go make some."
Swinging my legs over the edge, I sat on the bed for a few moments longer, running yesterday through my head. At least only Angel had seen me this way. It had been most embarrassing and humiliating. I don't think I could've handled....
"Oh good lord, Cordelia knows," I groaned when realization hit. Putting my face in my hands I sighed deeply. She's never going to let this go. Dammit.
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"Wesley?" I asked after a moment, watching him just sit there. I paused in the doorway to the small kitchen in my room, then glanced at the stove. I moved over, filling a kettle with water and putting it on to boil. I quietly moved back out into my room, and came within a few steps of Wesley, not wanting to crowd him.
"The water's on," I said after a moment, then said easily, "And yeah, Cordelia knows you are... were... sick," I stumbled, not sure if he was still sick or not. "But she doesn't know about the whole paralyzing thing." Or the part where I had to help you get dressed, I thought to myself. Catching that thought, I wondered if that was why Wesley wasn't getting up just yet.
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But I do.
And now Cordelia knows that he had to pluck me from under the shower. Because I'd gotten ill there. And one usually doesn't got around taking a shower naked! Good bloody god. "Well good, that's at least something," I grumbled, mood plummeting even further down. She knew and she wasn't likely going to make me forget about it any time soon.
Marvelous. Just...bloody marvelous.
Heaving a deep sigh, I scooted out of bed and got up. I just wanted to go home. Lay in my own damn bed for a century or so. Not getting disturbed, not even for the world ending. I needed some time alone and not get badgered by Cordelia, made fun of by Gunn or... Angel being clueless. Or Fred being... well, Fred.
But the moment I stood up, the room started spinning and my legs felt like rubber. I fell back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling for a moment. Trying to figure out what just happened. Well, it was pretty obvious, now that I thought about it. One just, apparently, can't expect to just literally walk away after being paralyzed for hours.
Bugger.
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"Wes?" I asked, moving over to the bed, looking down at him concernedly. He couldn't have been hurt by falling onto the bed, but I had thought he was better... hadn't the paralyzation gone by now?
I glanced at him for a second, then muttered, "And Cordelia's coming. She has good timing, I'll give her that." Good timing, meaning for whatever it was that she wanted to find out. I could hear her footsteps coming down the hallway toward my room as we spoke, and turned just as the door opened, and Cordelia walked in.
"It's about time you two were- Oh, god," she said, looking between where Wesley was lying on the bed and I was standing over him. "Angel? What are you doing to him?"
"I- what? Why do you always think I'm the one doing something?" I asked, then flinched when I realized what I had said. "And everything's fine," I added belatedly.
"Yeah, because this just has 'fine' written all over it," Cordelia said, waving me aside as she came over. "Wes? Are you okay?" She gave me a look like she was just waiting for Wesley to say I had been doing something wrong, and I sighed. Well, now that Cordy was here, she would know what to do; more than I did, anyway, seeing as how she was our 'in-residence nurse' as she had said once.
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"What are you nattering on about?" I wanted to know. Swaying a little when I finally stood straight, I ignored her worried look and the thought that I looked utterly ridiculous in Angel's clothes.
"No need to get with the snide wooly boy," she huffed, poking a finger against my chest. "Just want to make sure Angel wasn't doing any funny business. Couse he was standing...with the funny and all that." She looked up to glare at Angel and then wiped her head back to me.
"Fu- what? What do you mean?" Sighing, I rubbed a hand over my forhead. There was already a headache building there from yesterday and really, Cordelia wasn't helping at all.
Cordelia gave me a stunned look, and the turned said stunned look at Angel. "Geeze? Oblivious much? Even fangboy here got what I meant? I guess that means you're just fine."
Snorting, and really, was that needed? She took a step away from me. There was still some worry in her eyes, but she tried to hide it. Just as I tried to ignore it.
"Quite," I sighed, still having *no* idea what she was going on about. I glanced at the floor and then my bare feet. "Errr...Angel? Where are my shoes? I'd really like to go home now."
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"I think your shoes are still in the bathroom," I said, starting to move toward the bathroom to get them; he didn't look all that steady on his feet, and for that matter, how was he planning on getting home, then? His bike just wasn't going to cut it if he could barely stand up straight...
"Hey, mister!" Cordelia snapped, and I froze as she pointed at me, then at Wesley. "You're just going to let him go home? It's time for work, buddy, and the boss can't just wander off!" She paused, tilting her head slightly, then said, "Well, you could... but then you would have to give everyone else the day off, too, and give me a paid vacation day..."
"Paid vacation?" I asked incredulously. "For what? There's been hardly any work that qualifies you for that, and I thought you said we weren't exactly raking in the money, Cordy." She winked at me, and I got that sinking feeling again.
"We have enough for me to get paid," she retorted. "And besides, do you think Brit Boy here will even be able to make it home without falling over? I bet you haven't even fed him yet..."
"He's not a pet, Cordy," I reminded her patiently, and she rolled her eyes. "And yes, I did offer him food, right Wes?" I asked, appealing to him for help.
"Yeah, fine," Cordy said. She looked at me, waiting for something, and I looked at her blankly. After a moment, she huffed, "Well? Aren't you making breakfast?"
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