Changing Fate (25/30)
Thank God, I managed to write this on the last day of my vacation.
Here's the next chapter for anyone who's still interested.
Note: Some part of this chapter is written in Cordelia’s POV and it’s her telling of something that already happened. I know it sounds a bit crappy but I couldn’t express it any other way. Hope you still enjoy it.Chapter Twenty-Five
“You’ve done what?” Angel hissed and glared incredulously at his grandchilde.
“I got me a hot date with the Council,” Spike replied calmly and blew a cloud of smoke into Angel’s stunned face. The two of them were seated opposite each other in the hotel’s lobby, Wesley and Cordelia by their sides.
A few other occupants of the lobby shot glances in their direction, some of them curious for the heated conversation, others upset because of Spike’s obvious ignorance of the no-smoking-sign. Wesley noticed the glares and without much effort pried the cigarette from Spike’s fingers to dunk it into his empty tea-cup. Spike didn’t seem to mind, he was too occupied with staring down Angel.
“Okay guys,” Cordelia looked from one vampire to the other. “Let’s go over this again, just to make sure I’m on the right page of this completely crazy plan. So your dad,” she eyed Wesley suspiciously, “is one of the stuffy, not so friendly watchers who has no problems breaking into a house and attacking Henry and his pregnant wife, huh?”
Before Wesley had a chance to reply Cordelia went on: “And this friendly gentleman invites you to the Watcher’s Council’s Headquarters, the very pit of Evil Incorporated, to share a nice cup of tea and a chat about the future and you,” she glared at Spike, “actually want to take him up on the offer? Gee, Spike, I know you’re not the brightest but I thought even you had more sense than that!”
“Hey,” Spike groused offended, “sod off, princess! It’s not as dumb as it sounds!”
“No?” Cordelia shot back unimpressed. “A vampire going to visit a house full of watchers who were trained for years to kill the likes of you? Sounds pretty dumb to me!”
“She’s right, Spike!” Angel nodded and even Wesley was about to agree when a female voice suddenly chimed in from behind:
“No, she is not. At least not if you let us help you!”
All their heads shot up and they looked into the smiling face of a beautiful brunette with a slightly nervous looking Henry by her side.
“Who are you?” Cordelia was the first to have found her voice again.
“I’m the pregnant wife you just mentioned,” the woman answered and offered her hand to Cordy. “Emily Taylor, and you must be Cordelia. Nice to meet you.”
“Ugh, hi,” Cordelia took the offered hand and then looked over to Henry who’d just pulled out two chairs. Without another word the couple sat down, Emily next to Cordelia and Henry to her left and next to Wesley.
For a few seconds the table was wrapped in stunned silence but finally they all came out of their stupor. Angel eyed the woman, not sure if he should introduce himself to her. But Emily took the decision out of his hands. She faced him and, without so much as a blink, offered a smile.
“I never thought I would say this but I am truly delighted to meet the great Angelus at last.”
“Ugh, it’s just Angel these days,” the stunned vampire replied.
“Oh, but of course,” her smile grew even brighter. “I apologize, Angel.”
“So, well…” Henry spoke for the first time, “Sorry for this surprise visit but after what happened last night… we kind of felt obliged to… well, no. Not obliged, that is… we’ve decided to help you.”
“We?” Spike repeated and his eyebrow shot up questioningly.
“Ah, yes,” Henry sent the vampire a brief nod. “I filled Emily in on your… situation, and of course she insisted on being part of the plan.”
“There’s a plan?” Now it was Cordy’s turn to raise an eyebrow at the watcher. “All I got so far is that Spike obviously wants to meet Wes’ dad at the Council and, hey, if he’s looking for a way to get killed I think that’s as good a plan as any but I don’t see how it will help us get that prophecy from the Archive.”
“Oh bloody hell, woman!” Spike spoke up, “I told you, I’m not…”
“Spike,” Wesley put a hand on his lover’s arm to calm him down. “She’s right, it’s not much of a plan to walk in there and get captured!”
“T’is not bloody likely I’ll let myself get captured, luv! But the sodding lost words are in there and so that’s where I’m bloody going. And once inside the building I’m gonna find something to make those poncy watchers look the other way while I sneak into the Archive!”
“You won’t have to sneak in, Spike,” Emily addressed the determined vampire. Her face twisted into a sly smirk when she continued: “I know just the right kind of distraction to draw our colleagues’ attention long enough away for Henry to lead you down to the Archive.”
“Do you now?” Spike smirked back. “And what distraction would that be, huh?”
“One of the magical kind,” the brunette answered simply.
“You’re a witch?”
“Well, no. Not per se,” Emily replied and sat up a little straighter. “But I happen to be Head of the ‘Mystical Spells and Artifacts’ division and I have trained the students at the Watcher’s Academy in the basics of magic for three years. I think I can come up with a commotion or two.”
Spike grinned back at the woman. He was beginning to quickly like her for she seemed to be thinking along the same lines as him, despite her being one of the Council and being married to Henry.
At first Spike had taken Henry for a bit of a wuss but then… maybe he wasn’t so bad after all. Spike had to admit that once Henry had gotten over his initial shock of coming face to face with two of the most dangerous vampires, he’d quickly warmed up to the company. And he’d held himself up all right in the fight with Wes’ father, Spike had to give him that. He’d even proven to be a quick thinker, coming up with an impromptu plan to lure the watcher in.
No, all in all Spike had to admit now that being related to a human in general (and to these two in particular) wasn’t as humiliating and bad as he’d initially thought. In fact he was coming round to think of it as rather nice, having some family ties beside those to the great poufter.
Maybe, Spike thought further on, when he was back in his own time, if he’d ever make it back, he’d look up Henry and his wife, see what they’d be like four years in the future. There’d even have to be a small addition to their family by then, Spike thought with a glance at Emily’s prominent stomach.
“Boy or girl,” Spike asked suddenly, not caring for now that he interrupted the other’s conversation. He’d ceased to follow it through his musings but it seemed he hadn’t missed all that much.
“Huh?” Henry shot him a frown.
The vampire caught sight of several stunned looks thrown his way and he tried to feel not too embarrassed when he nodded towards Emily’s belly and repeated: “What’s the sprog gonna be? Boy or girl?”
“Ugh, both actually,” Henry answered after a shared smile with his wife. “In about five weeks we’re having twins.”
“Twins, huh?” Spike grinned.
“Yes,” the watcher stated proudly. “Aurelia June and Liam Milo.”
“What?” Spike exclaimed and nearly choked on it. He heard Angel utter a stunned cough and threw a dark glare his way. “Shut it, Peaches!”
Turning his blazing gaze back to Henry Spike sputtered: “That’s… you can’t… you’re bloody better not be! You can’t name him Liam!”
“What’s wrong with… oh!” Cordelia nudged Angel’s side. “Wasn’t that your name?”
“Bloody right it was!” Spike growled and shook his head. “And I won’t have any relative of mine named after him! If you follow through with that,” the enraged vampire eyed his human relative with fire in his blue eyes, “you’re gonna be disowned right away!”
“Disown? Spike, you don’t have anything to pass on to them anyway, do you?” Angel stared at the other vampire in open curiosity.
“Sod off, it’s none of your business, Angel!” Spike shrugged off and glared at Henry and his wife as if he was still waiting for them to reassure him they’d been joking. “Tell me you’re not gonna name the kid after him!”
“Ugh, we… we haven’t decided for good,” Henry hurried to say at last. “We don’t even know if it’s not perhaps two girls we’re having, so…”
“Well, good,” Spike leaned back in his chair, satisfied for now. “As long as it’s not sodding Liam!”
“Hey,” Angel tried to defend his human name but Wesley suddenly pulled everyone’s attention back to their former topic by reminding them: “Look, as fascinating as this discussion is. Shouldn’t we be talking about our plan to get into the Archive?”
“You’re right, pet!” Spike took hold of Wesley’s shoulder, pulled his lover close and gave him a quick peck on the lips. He noticed Henry’s eyes widen comically and looked across the table into the stunned human’s face.
“Anything on your mind, Henry-boy?”
“No,” Henry shook his head but a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth when he added: “Nothing apart from the sudden revelation that it’s kind of a miracle I even exist, is it not?”
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“Tell me again why I agreed to do this for Spike?”
Angel’s hushed complain was followed by an exasperated look from the brunette by his side.
“Because,” Cordelia finally answered and patted the vampire on the back, “you want to help Spike get back to his time just as much as the rest of us. Because if you don’t then you’ll have to get used to the bleached wonder making out with Wesley right in front of you, day by day, for the rest of your life. And I know that you won’t like that sight!”
“Oh great,” Angel grimaced. “Thanks, Cordy, for giving me an image to haunt me forever!”
“You’re welcome,” the cheerleader replied with a smile and followed Emily around another corner, Angel making the silent rear for now.
How big was this place anyway?
For fifteen minutes now the three of them had been walking endless stairways and corridors of the Watcher’s Council’s Headquarters, all of them looking exactly the same. Each hall they’d passed on their way down to the Archive had been paneled in the same dark wood, plain and nearly empty. Apart from two or three tweed-clad watchers who’d hurried along the halls not sparing them a second glance they’d encountered no one.
And what’s with the tweed anyway? Was that somehow part of the job requirement? Was there a job description that said: ‘Never wear anything besides stuffy scratching tweed suits!’?
Cordelia let out a slight huff and tried to steer her thoughts away from silliness like that. But… God, she just couldn’t believe how… boring this whole mission had turned out to be so far!
This afternoon in the hotel lobby, when she’d listened to Henry and his wife explain the plan on how to smuggle them into the Archive, she’d thought that it had sounded a bit too easy for it to be true. She’d been sure that, once inside the belly of the Beast, they would encounter some kind of unknown danger because… Hello-o! Two vampires breaking into the Watcher’s Council to steal something here!
But… nothing.
The only half-exciting thing that had happened so far had been meeting Wesley’s stuffy watcher-dad right after they’d walked through the inconspicuous front door of the building. And, boy, was that man a total ass!
Roger Wyndam-Price had been waiting in the main hall when Henry had led Wesley, Spike, Angel and her inside earlier. He’d thrown an obvious glance at his watch as if to say that they were late (which they hadn’t been! They’d entered exactly at half past seven, just like planned!)
And then his pale blue eyes had slid over her so briefly and uninterested that Cordelia was sure the man had no living cell in his body at all. Because she knew she looked hot as hell and Wesley’s dad hadn’t even batted an eyelash at her.
Instead he’d put on a frown, had ignored Henry completely and had let his eyes graze over Wesley’s casual outfit instead (blue jeans and the dark gray wool-jacket buttoned up to his throat). Without so much as a hello his gaze had then come to rest on the two vampires.
“Spike and… Angelus,” he’d sneered the last part, to mask his surprise Cordelia assumed.
Spike had been his usual cocky self when he’d smirked: “Yeah well, I thought I’d bring some company. Didn’t think you’d mind, Roger, with what good friends we’ve become!”
“No, I do not… mind at all,” Roger had drawled back and without another word had turned around and motioned for them to follow.
He’d led them into some sort of conference room, all stuffy and watcher-like with dark paneled walls and a ceiling so polished that you could see your image upside-down. Heavy wooden furniture had completed the room and Wesley’s dad had nodded towards the sturdy chairs on one side.
“Wait here. The committee should arrive shortly,” the man had ground out and had turned on the spot.
“Father, why don’t you…” Wesley had tried to address his dad but he’d only gotten another condescending look and a sneered “I don’t expect you to remember, Wesley, but some people have actual work to do here. So you will have to excuse me for not staying around longer. I am sure you will find something to occupy yourself with while I go and alert Mr. Travers of the vampire’s arrival.”
Wesley’s dad had strode up to the door and in walking through had added: “And I would advise you not to touch anything in here but… you’ve never listened before so why should I waste my breath now? And besides, every movement in this room is being taped.”
With that he’d closed the door behind him and the group had been alone for now.
“Bloody uptight prick!” Spike had scoffed and, with an apologetic look in Wesley’s direction, had added: “No offence, luv, but that’s what he is!”
“You don’t hear me disagree, do you?” Wesley had forced a smile onto his face but it had come out rather strained.
“Are you sure you weren’t adopted, Wes?” Cordelia had walked up to her friend and had given him a gentle smile. “Cause I can’t see how even one shred of your good qualities could be coming from that… man!”
“Thanks, Cordelia,” Wesley face had lit up in genuine surprise.
“I mean, he didn’t even throw one look at my skirt or my legs! Can you believe it?” she’d complained further. “Not that you’ve been eyeing me up much lately, mind you. I guess you have that in common after all. But okay, I can understand why you’d suddenly stop being interested now that you’re all gay and in love with Mr. Bleach-Head here. But any other man should at least risk one glimpse, don’t you think?”
“Ugh,” Wesley had blushed, throwing a pleading glance at the other males in the room. “Of course, Cordelia. You look absolutely stunning and I cannot fathom how my father could miss that, ever!”
“I have to agree, pet,” Spike had smirked with a leer down Cordelia’s long legs. “It’s a rather nice look you’ve got going there. If it weren’t for the fact that I prefer Wes’ legs that are a bit more muscled and with a whole lot more between them…”
“Eww, thanks Spike,” Cordelia had waved off and had sat down at the table, “I don’t need to hear more about Wesley’s… projecting advantages.”
“Me neither,” Henry and Angel had agreed in unison and Wesley had blushed even more and had tried to steer the conversation away from him.
“Right, thanks. Now that we’ve discussed Cordelia’s outfit and my… legs, can we please get back to the matter at hand? What is it we do now?”
“Now we wait for Emily,” Henry had sat down at the table as well and one after one the others had followed.
A short time later there’d suddenly been a loud bang and people outside the conference room had started screaming. And then Emily had dashed into the room from behind a wooden panel that turned out to be a secret passage.
Without a word she’d thrown some blue powder into the air, had muttered a few incomprehensible words in whatever language and had rushed them back with her into the secret passage.
They’d silently made it into another small room, this one without the paneled walls but completely carved out of stone, and there Emily had handed Wesley a torch and a book, had kissed her husband goodbye and had opened another secret way by muttering some spell.
Wesley had followed Henry into the entrance hole with a slight nod towards Cordy and Angel and Spike had lingered in the doorway a moment longer, searching around for the right thing to say, before he’d uttered a simple “Thanks, you lot, for… you know,” and had disappeared after Wesley.
Cordelia hadn’t known what the big deal was, they’d meet up in the Archive later anyway, wouldn’t they?
Because that’s the plan as far as she’d understood it: They’d join Henry, Wesley and Spike in the Archive after she and Angel had helped Emily lay the foundations to their safe exit. Cordy had to admit that Emily, who with her small form (apart from the pregnancy of course) looked as if she’d never crossed any rules, had a few good tricks up her sleeve.
She’d have done well fighting demons instead of working for the stuffy Council.
The tiny brunette had led her and Angel into the security room where she’d performed another spell to put a lockdown on the entire building. So now nobody would be able to open a door as long as the spell was in place (nobody who didn’t have the counterspell at hand, like she and Wesley had, that is).
So all the watchers were trapped in whatever room or hall they were in.
And that’s why nothing even bordering on exciting had happened in the last fifteen minutes. Emily had led them out of the security room and back into one of the endless halls and now the trio was on its way down to the Archive.
The others had to have been down there long enough by now to have found what they’d come for.
The case that held the lost words veiled.
Cordelia just hoped that, whatever those words said, they’d be written in plain old English. Otherwise she wouldn’t be able to understand any of it, much less be of any help in their quest of sending Spike back to where he belonged.
If the words were written in some unknown demon language and Spike’s fate would therefore depend on Wesley’s skills alone…
Well, then they’d be stuck with Spike forever.
Because, honestly, Cordelia wouldn’t put it past Wesley to screw things up on purpose, just to have Spike stay with him.
No matter that, on one of the earliest days of their research, Wesley had once said: “Cordelia, if we don’t manage to send Spike back to where he belongs the space time continuum will very likely be broken and the fate of the entire world will change. We can’t risk that!”
Now the facts lay a bit differently, Cordelia knew that. Oh, the world would probably still spin off its axis if they’d fail and everything would still fall to pieces, sure.
Cordelia simply wasn’t sure if Wesley cared for the fate of the world as much now as he’d done before he’d fallen in love with Spike.
For what sense did saving the world’s fate make if you’d lose the love of your life in the process?
Cordelia knew that they couldn’t save both, Spike and the world. So it would fall onto her to be the bitch that would have to make sure Wesley would choose the world over his lover (if it’d come to that). And she’d also be the one who’d pick up the pieces of his broken heart afterwards.
Wesley would need a friend at the end of the day and Cordelia swore there and then that she’d be a good one.
Whatever Wesley would have to go through, Cordelia would not let him suffer alone.
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TBC
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