Who I Am, What I'll Become Fic 19: Beginnings (1-3/3)
Title: Beginnings (1/?): Story 19 in the "Who I Am, What I'll Become" Series
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: All Roswellians belong to Melinda Metz and Jason Katims and Fox Productions and the WB and UPN. All Buffy and Angel characters belong to Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt and the WB and UPN. Nothing's mine. Grr, Arrgh.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Up through and including "Destiny" for Roswell and "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" for Angel, plus the entire "Who I Am" series thus far.
Timeline: Five days after "Strays Like Us."
Summary: The Angel Investigations crew celebrates New Year's Eve with the Roswellians.
Distribution: Any A/C sites that want it, Stranger Things, Jessi's fanfic site. Anyone else, just ask.
Category: Angel/Roswell crossover
Subcategories: Friendship/romance/fluff
Dedication: This one's for Julia, for kindly reminding me that she was wanting to read the next fic in this series. :)
Beginnings (Part One)
"What time is it?" Michael grumbled as he wiped sweat off his forehead with the back of his sleeve.
"6:15," Liz replied as she handed him some orders from table 3. "Only forty-five more minutes 'til close."
"Good. Because--" He stopped mid-sentence and looked past Liz to the people who had just walked into the Crashdown.
Liz turned to look and broke into a wide grin as she saw Cordelia, Angel, Wesley and Kate looking around.
Cordelia spotted her at the same moment and her eyes lit up. "Liz!"
Maria shrieked from across the room. "Cordelia!"
The three girls met halfway, giggling and practically jumping up and down in excitement. Michael rolled his eyes. "Women," he muttered. Then he grinned.
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"So you were in on this whole thing?" Cordelia asked, surprised.
Liz nodded. "Guilty. Angel wanted it to be a surprise for you."
"It definitely was," she said with a grin. She glanced across the room at Angel, who was talking to Wesley, Kate, Max and Michael.
"I can't wait until tomorrow night! This party is going to be a blast!" Maria squealed. "We've been planning forever!"
Cordelia bit her lip. "I don't have a good dress."
Maria dismissed her comment with a wave of her hand. "I haven't been shopping yet, either. Liz and I were planning on going tomorrow morning."
"Going where?" another voice asked.
Cordelia turned and smiled at Isabel and Alex. "Hi."
"Hi, Cordelia!" Isabel said, smiling back.
"Hey," Alex said.
"How have you guys been?"
"Good. Mostly," Isabel answered.
"So, where are you going tomorrow morning?" Alex asked curiously, glancing at Liz and Maria.
"Shopping," they answered in unison. They exchanged amused looks.
"Wanna come?" Liz asked Isabel.
The taller girl's eyes sparkled. "I'd love to."
"What? I'm not invited?" Alex asked, feigning hurt.
"Oh, Alex. You know we love you," Liz said, hugging him briefly.
"But it's a girls only trip," Maria added.
"Besides, I don't want you to see my dress until the party," Isabel added, a hint of mischief in her voice.
Cordelia couldn't help smile at the lovesick expression on his face.
"You know what we should do? We should have a slumber party," Maria said suddenly.
Liz shrugged. "We could do that. I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind."
"I suppose I'm not invited to that, either," Alex joked.
Cordelia laughed with the rest of them, feeling as though a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She hadn't felt this relaxed in weeks. She turned and looked across the room. Angel was staring at her. Her heart rate increased slightly when he smiled at her.
Then she smiled back.
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"Goodnight, Cordelia," Kate said as she walked out of the Crashdown.
"Goodnight!" Cordelia called. She turned her attention to Wesley. "See you tomorrow, Wes."
He smiled at her. "Goodnight." He gave her a quick hug and followed Kate.
Angel hovered in the doorway, hesitant.
She looked up at him. "I'll be okay, Angel."
"I just don't like..." his voice trailed off.
"I know. But we were careful. He didn't follow me here. Kate made sure no one was following the van."
He nodded.
"Besides, I have a feeling that Isabel could probably protect me if it came down to that," Cordelia added with a grin. "And Liz said Michael's apartment isn't that far, so if something happened, you guys could be back in like, five minutes."
Angel smiled briefly. Then he reached down and touched her cheek. "I just don't know what I'd do if anything bad ever happened to you."
The breath caught in the back of her throat. "I'll be okay, Angel," she promised again, meeting his gaze.
He reached out and pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. She closed her eyes and hugged him back. Then he let her go, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
Their eyes met and for a long moment they just stared at each other.
"Goodnight, Cordelia," Angel said softly.
"Goodnight," she echoed.
Then he slid out of the doorway and disappeared into the night.
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"I called Tess. She's on her way over," Liz informed Maria, Isabel and Cordelia, who were gathered around her room. Maria was sitting on Liz's desk, Isabel in the desk chair, Liz was perched on the edge of her bed and Cordelia sat on the floor meditation-style.
She glanced around the room, looking at all the pictures in frames and the ones tacked up on bulletin boards. Snapshots of her and Maria, her and Alex, the three of them together and a few pictures were of Max, Michael and Isabel, as well. For some reason, she truly felt comfortable with this group. She wondered what it would have been like to have grown up in Roswell, to have been friends with Liz and the others all along.
"Cordelia? I'm going downstairs to get some ice cream. Could you come help me out?" Liz asked suddenly.
"Sure." She stood up, followed Liz down the hall, down the steps and into the Crashdown.
"So, what's going on?" Liz asked. "On the phone the other night it sounded like something was wrong."
She hesitated, not really wanting to talk about what had been happening in L.A. lately, but knowing that she needed to let her friend know what was going on. "A couple weeks ago, I was attacked."
Liz froze and stared at her. "Attacked?"
Cordelia ran one hand through her hair. "I'm okay. A friend showed up and helped me out. But since then we've figured out that the guy who attacked me is a serial killer. He...stalks his victims for weeks at a time before he...kills them."
"Oh, my God," she whispered.
"That's why Angel moved back in with me." Cordelia paused. "What about you? Sounded like there was some stuff going on here you couldn't talk on the phone about."
Liz suddenly looked very tired. "One of their enemies is somewhere in town. There was an incident at school, in gym class involving me and an arrow aimed straight for my heart. Tess saved my life." She leaned against the freezer.
"We lead exciting lives, don't we?" Cordelia said sarcastically. "Being stalked by serial killers and evil aliens, running for our lives and battling the forces of darkness."
"Yeah." Liz paused. "Do you ever wish...your life was more normal?"
Normal. How many times had she wished that in the past five years? At one time she would have answered Liz's question without hesitation. Hell, yes. But now? Now, normal would mean that she never would have been friends with Wesley or Oz or Gunn or Doyle or...Angel. "No. You?"
Liz's face broke into a wide smile. "Not for a million bucks."
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"So your roommate is a ghost?" Tess stared at Cordelia uncertainly.
She took a bite of chocolate ice cream. "Yep. His name is Dennis."
"Okay, okay," Maria interupted. "My turn. This one is also for Cordelia. What is up with you and Angel?"
Cordelia froze. She hadn't expected that question. "We're friends. Best friends."
"No way. Uh-uh. I saw you two before he left tonight and there were definitely vibes."
She shook her head. She absolutely, positively could not allow her to think about Angel that way under any circumstances. That road would only lead to trouble. "Nope. You were imagining it. Angel is and always will be hopelessly in love with Buffy until the world ends."
"Who's Buffy?" Tess repeated, confused.
"Vampire slayer," Cordelia and Liz said at the same time. They exchanged a grin.
"No...I agree with Maria," Isabel spoke up. "Those weren't 'just-friends' vibes the two of you were giving off."
"There's nothing going on with Angel and me except friendship." Cordelia felt a wistful pang at her own words, but she ignored it. "My turn. This one's for Liz. What's the scariest thing that's ever happened to you?"
Liz thought for a moment. "I would say that getting shot was the scariest, but it happened so suddenly, there wasn't really time to be afraid..." She sucked in a breath and looked across the room at Isabel. "The scariest thing that ever happened to me was when the FBI special unit caught Max. There was all this time that we didn't know what was happening or where he was...it was terrifying," she said softly.
Cordelia looked at Isabel, who had become very still and silent, her eyes shiny with tears. She suddenly wished she hadn't asked that question.
"My turn," Tess announced, breaking the silence. "Cordelia, what's the scariest demon or evil creature you've ever encountered?"
"That's a tough one." Cordelia considered the question. "There was the mayor of Sunnydale. He turned into this huge snake that tried to kill us all at graduation. Spike and Druscilla were pretty scary. They're vampires. She's insane. Spike's pretty much harmless now. He's actually helping Buffy and the Scooby gang these days...Vocah was terrifying. He was a demon from hell who tried to kill me with never-ending visions." She stopped herself from adding Nasedo to the list. After all, from what Liz had told her, the psycho alien was pretty much like Tess's only father.
She stopped herself from adding another name to the list, the one that really terrified her the most: Angelus. Angel's evil self. One day he had been her friend, Buffy's boyfriend, and then the next day he was an unpredicatable, ruthless, cruel killing machine. The worst part of the whole ordeal was that even though he was evil, he had still looked like Angel, her former-friend.
Okay, so they hadn't really been that great of friends back in Sunnydale, but she had always considered him a friend. Pretty much in the same capacity she had considered Buffy, Willow, Xander and Oz friends back then--at a distance; people who she could count on to save her life, but knew that they secretly despised her.
"Yeah. I guess Vocah was probably the scariest," she finally said, shaking her thoughts of Angel vs. Angelus and things of the past out of her mind.
Liz was looking at her closely, and Cordelia had a feeling Liz knew she hadn't been completely honest. "Okay, Isabel," Liz said, diverting her gaze from Cordelia to Isabel. "What do you think about Alex?"
Cordelia glanced at Liz. She was smiling, but her eyes were serious. Cordelia did a quick check at Maria, and realized that she, too, was studying Isabel carefully. It suddenly occurred to her what they were doing. They were looking out for their other best friend at the same time they were trying to make Isabel comfortable with them.
"I like Alex. He's a really great guy," Isabel said, somewhat shyly. "He's easy to talk to and he's very sweet and charming. I guess...I've just been kind of...hesitant to get too involved with him because of who I am. But I don't have any intention to hurt him in any way."
Cordelia noticed that Liz and Maria both seemed satisfied with the answer, and Isabel relaxed a bit, apparently having realized she'd passed their test. Cordelia laid back against Liz's bed and closed her eyes. She was having fun talking with her new friends--she'd never really had any close women friends before and she was enjoying the experience--but she was tired. The trip from L.A. to Roswell had been about 13 hours.
"You know, I think we should all get some sleep," Liz announced, glancing down at Cordelia. "We still have to get up and go shopping and get ready for tomorrow."
Maria yawned. "I'm with Liz. I'm beat. That double-shift nearly killed me. I'm going to choke Agnes the next time I see her."
"If she's so much trouble, why doesn't your dad just fire her, Liz?" Isabel asked, looking puzzled.
"Because then it would be double-shifts for everyone all the time because there'd be no one to replace her."
"Isabel could do it," Maria said with a grin.
Isabel gave her a look, but didn't respond.
"I think this is a good time to end the conversation and go to sleep," Tess suggested.
"Yeah." Liz reached for the lamp on her desk and flipped it off. She crawled into bed, and Maria crawled in next to her. Isabel, Tess and Cordelia laid down on sleeping bags on the floor. "Goodnight, everyone."
There was a chorus of goodnights from all the girls.
Cordelia shifted onto her side and fell almost instantly asleep.
* * *
Part Two
"I don't believe this," Michael muttered. He loosened the tie that was around his neck.
"I don't believe Maria got you to wear a tie," Max replied, amusement obvious on his face.
Alex grinned. "You don't know Maria very well, Max. When she sets her mind to something, there's no talking her out of it."
"I feel ridiculous. And where the hell are they, anyway? This is their party," he grumbled, looking around the already crowded Crashdown Cafe.
"You don't know much about women, do you?" Kyle commented.
"Like you do."
"Allow me to explain the female mind. I have a certain...expertise when it comes to women. You see, right now the girls are all upstairs waiting to make their grand entrance. They have to be late. That way when they do finally show up, all attention is on them."
Angel stifled a smile and turned to see Wesley and Kate walk into the Cafe. Kate was holding onto Wesley's arm, and the two of them looked very...chummy. Wesley was drssed in a gray suit with a black tie. Kate had on a knee-length, pale yellow dress with matching high heels. Her hair was fastened back in a pearl barrette.
They walked over to him.
"Hey, Wes. Kate, you look nice," he greeted them.
"Thank you," she answered.
Wesley glanced around. "Where's Cordelia?"
Angel shrugged. "Still getting ready, I guess."
"Ah."
"That's it. If she's not down here in two minutes, I'm gone," Michael announced.
"Michael--"
"Don't start with me, Maxwell. I'm not in the mood. I didn't even want to be here in the first pl--" Michael cut himself off abruptly, his eyes riveted to the kitchen doorway where Maria and Liz were standing.
Maria was wearing a knee-length lavender dress, her hair cascading gently to her shoulders. She and Liz walked over to the guys.
Alex smiled at them. "You two ladies look beautiful."
"Thanks," they said in unison, smiling back at him.
Max stared at Liz, who was wearing an ankle-length black silk dress, her hair pinned up neatly. "Wow. You look incredible."
"Thank you," she said, feeling shy all of a sudden.
"Would you like to dance?"
Liz smiled and placed her hand in his. "Yes." They drifted away from the group.
Michael and Maria looked at each other.
"You...uh...you wore a tie," Maria said quietly. "Thanks."
He just nodded. "You look great."
She smiled. "You look pretty nice yourself, Spaceboy."
Michael gave her his famous half-smile. "Well, I can't promise I won't step on your toes, but...if you're willing to take the chance..." He motioned to where other couples were dancing.
Maria nodded and glanced over at Alex. "We don't start playing for an hour, right?"
He looked at his watch. "Right."
She took Michael's arm and pulled him onto the dance floor.
Kyle glanced sideways at Alex. "Why am I not surprised that Tess and Isabel are the last ones to finish getting ready?"
Alex grinned, but kept his eyes focused on the door.
A second later, it opened.
Kyle's mouth dropped open and he stared at the gorgeous woman who stood there. "Buddha forgive me, but...who the hell is that?"
"That would be Cordelia," Alex informed him.
At the sound of his best friend's name, Angel turned and saw her. Her dress was long, and midnight blue and held up by thin spaghetti straps. Her hair was curly and trailed down her back. She looked...amazing. Angel swallowed hard.
Cordelia glanced around the room and her eyes lit up when she spotted Angel. He was wearing black pants and a white shirt with a black jacket over it. Despite the fact that he wasn't wearing a tie and probably was the least dressed up of all the guys there, he looked...sexy.
She blinked when the word came to mind. Sexy? That was *not* a word for her to be thinking of in relation to Angel. He was her friend, her best friend, and he was a vampire. Not to mention the fact that he was in love with someone else.
She took a deep breath and walked over to him, feeling a bit anxious all of a sudden. "Hey."
Angel couldn't take his eyes off her. "Cordelia, you look stunning."
Her eyes widened slightly and she smiled. It wasn't often Angel gave out compliments like that. "Thank you."
"Cordelia, you look lovely," Wesley told her.
"Thanks, Wes." Cordelia glanced at him and Kate. "You two look so cute together."
Wesley's face flushed. "Uh, yes, well. Thank you."
Angel couldn't help but smile at his friend's frustration.
"Hi, I'm Kyle Valenti."
Cordelia turned to see a cute younger guy with his hand extended toward her. "Oh, Kyle. I've heard about you. It's nice to meet you. I'm Cordelia." She shook his hand.
"Believe me, the pleasure is all mine." He smiled, then kissed the back of her hand.
"Oh, brother," Angel muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Would you like to dance with me?"
Cordelia didn't really. At least not with Kyle. She had wanted to dance with Angel, but of course, Angel didn't dance anyway. Besides, she didn't want to hurt Kyle's feelings. "Sure."
He took her hand and lead her out onto the dance floor.
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Alex waited, feeling slightly impatient. Where was Isabel, anyway?
As if being given a divine answer, she opened the door and stepped out of the kitchen. Her hair cascaded to her shoulders like a blond waterfall. Thin straps held up a form-fitting, long red velvet dress. It had a split in one side right up to her thigh.
He almost had a heart attack right there.
Somehow he found himself moving towards her, their eyes locked on one another.
Before he could finish closing the distance between them, one of Kyle's friends, Tommy Mattheson, beat him to Isabel. A moment later, he had whisked her out onto the dance floor.
Alex went numb as he watched them together.
Why had he thought he had a shot with Isabel when she could have any guy on any planet she wanted? Why in the world would she pick him?
Oh. Right. She hadn't.
They were just good friends.
Alex turned away and walked across the room. He sat down in a booth and stared at the tabletop.
Sometimes, he thought, life really sucks.
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Liz smiled as she and Max glided effortlessly around the dance floor. It felt so good to just be with him and have fun together. It had been such a long time since things had been semi-normal between the two of them.
As she twirled around in his arms, she smiled as she saw Maria and Michael dancing together, looking happy for a change. She wondered how Maria had gotten him to wear that tie and she reminded herself to ask later. She noted with surprise that Kyle and Cordelia were dancing. She raised an eyebrow as she spotted Angel standing alone in the corner, not looking very comfortable or happy. Could he be jealous? she wondered.
Then she caught sight of Alex, sitting at a booth alone, looking miserable.
Liz frowned and stopped dancing.
"What's wrong?" Max asked in concern. He followed her gaze to where Alex was sitting.
"I think I should go check on him," she said worriedly.
Max nodded. "Tell you what. You go talk to Alex and I'll go get us something to drink."
"Okay," she agreed. They split up and she walked over to her best friend's table and sat down across from him. "What's wrong?"
Alex looked up, startled. "Hey. Where's Max?"
"Off to get something to drink. Are you okay?"
He glanced over at the couples dancing. "Just feeling a bit foolish, that's all."
Liz frowned and looked at the couples. Cordelia and Kyle twirled by, and Michael and Maria did, too. Then she spotted Isabel dancing with one of Kyle's friends. "Go cut in."
He just looked at her.
"I'm serious. She'd much rather be dancing with you."
"Yeah, right."
"Alex, just go ask her."
He shook his head. "I was stupid to ever think Isabel and I could be more than friends. She's never given me any real signs that she's even interested in me that way."
"Alex--"
"I appreciate the advice, Liz. But I need to get ready, anyway. My band starts playing in a little while." Alex stood up and disappeared into the crowd.
Liz sighed.
"Everything okay?" Max asked as he handed her a cup of punch.
"I hope so."
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"You know," Kate spoke up as she and Wesley danced. "I have to admit, I feel kind of out of place here."
"Yes, I know what you mean," he agreed with a slight smile.
She looked around the room. "Cordelia fits right in, though."
Wesley glanced over at his friend, who was still dancing with Kyle Valenti. "Well, she's still young."
Kate raised her eyebrows.
"Not that we aren't," he amended quickly. "I just meant that--"
She laughed. "Don't worry about it. I know what you meant."
They danced in silence for a few minutes.
"Would you like to take a walk?" Wesley asked suddenly, unsure of why he'd suddenly had the notion.
Kate looked at him in surprise. "I'd love to."
"Well. All right then." He offered her his arm and they headed for the door.
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Cordelia pulled away from Kyle as the song ended. "You know, I should probably go talk to Angel before he turns all broody-boy on me."
"Oh." Kyle looked disappointed.
"But you know, there's a certain curly haired blond alien that's been staring at you for the past twenty minutes."
His eyes widened. "Tess! I forgot all about her. Damn."
"Well, I wouldn't tell her that." She turned and walked away from him and headed over to where Angel was standing by himself in the corner. "So, are you intentionally trying to be anti-social tonight?" she asked him cheerfully.
Angel smiled. "Old habits die hard."
"So I've been told."
"I was beginning to think you were going to dance with him all night." He nodded nonchalantly towards Kyle, who was wandering around in the crowd.
Cordelia raised an eyebrow. "Why? Jealous?"
"Well, he was dancing with the most beautiful woman in the entire place."
"You obviously haven't seen Isabel's dress. It's to die for," she answered.
"I wasn't talking about your dress."
She looked up at him, surprised once again by the compliments he was giving her. She searched his face, trying to read what he was thinking but his expression revealed nothing. Cordelia swallowed hard and looked away. Time to change the subject. "Where are Kate and Wes?"
"They took off awhile ago."
"Took off?"
"I think they were going for a walk."
Cordelia nodded. "You know, it's been a long time since I've been to a party where people go to have fun and not just to impress each other."
"Are you having fun?"
"Yeah, I am. Angel, thank you for arranging for us to be here. I really needed this."
"I know," he said quietly. He reached out and gently pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes.
Cordelia's heart skipped a beat. "Angel--"
"Excuse me. Would you like to dance?"
She turned to see some guy with his hand extended.
"Actually," Angel interupted. "We were about to dance," he informed the guy. He took her hand and lead her out onto the dance floor.
"Since when do you dance?"
"Since I don't want all these guys I don't know hogging you all night," he responded, a twinkle in his eyes as he smiled at her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck as he slid his arms around her waist. It was a nice feeling, being in someone's arms that she knew and trusted so deeply. It was a nice, comfortable, warm and fuzzy feeling. One that she vaguely recalled from another time and place, but wasn't sure from where.
"Have you ever been in love
Been in love so bad
You'd do anything to make them understand
Have you ever had someone steal your heart away
You'd give anything to make them feel the same..."
"You really do look amazing tonight," Angel said quietly, gazing down at her.
"Thank you." She suddenly felt like she was about to cry and she rested her cheek on Angel's shoulder so he wouldn't notice.
What the hell was wrong with her these days anyway? Lately the only person she wanted to be around was Angel, and she felt like her emotions were building up behind a dam that was about to burst. She always felt like she was on the verge of crying, which was really unlike her.
It just didn't make any sense.
"Have you ever found the one
You've dreamed of all your life
You'd do anything to look into their eyes
Have you finally found the one you've given your heart to
Only to find that one
Won't give their heart to you
Have you ever closed your eyes and dreamed that they were there
And all you can do is wait
For that day when they will care..."
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Kyle looked around the room. So where was Tess anyway? Cordelia had said Tess was staring at him, but he didn't see any sign of her.
"Kyle?"
He turned to see Isabel standing there. "Hey."
"Have you seen Alex?" she asked anxiously.
"Not lately. Have you seen Tess?"
"Yeah, she was headed for the bathroom a few minutes ago."
"Well, that explains why I can't find her."
"If you see Alex, please tell him I'm looking for him."
"Sure thing." Kyle headed across the room to wait for Tess.
She came out a few moments later and Kyle stared at her. She was wearing a long, forest green dress, her hair in an elaborate twist on top of her head. When he finally looked at her eyes, he noticed they were red-rimmed. "What's wrong?"
"What? Nothing," Tess answered quickly, looking away.
"Don't lie. You've been crying," he said, feeling alarmed. He gently took hold of her arm and lead her into the back room of the Crashdown. "Tess, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. It's stupid." She wouldn't look at him.
"I doubt that. Talk to me."
Tess lifted her eyes to meet his gaze. "It's just...today...it's sort of the day that Nasedo and I used to celebrate as my birthday."
Kyle's eyes widened. "Tess, I'm sorry. I had no idea."
She shrugged it off. "It's okay. I know you didn't."
"Why didn't you say something before?"
She sat down on the sofa. "In case you hadn't noticed, Kyle, everyone here pretty much hates me."
"That's not true." He sat down next to her.
"Really? Then why are you the only one that's even spoken to me tonight?" Her blue eyes shimmered with tears.
Kyle wrapped his arms around her, not sure what to say.
"I miss him, Kyle. I know that probably makes me a horrible person because I know he was evil...but he was the only one I could ever count on. And he was nice to me sometimes. Usually he was distant and cold, but sometimes he was nice to me." She began to cry.
"You're not a horrible person," he told her quietly. "He was like your father. It's okay to cry and to miss him." Kyle kissed the top of her head, overwhelmed by guilt.
He was going to make this up to her. He just wasn't sure how.
* * *
Part Three
"Your love is better than ice cream
Better than anything else that I've tried
Your love is better than ice cream
Everyone here knows how to fight..."
"Wow. She really has an amazing voice," Cordelia whispered to Angel, impressed. They watched as Maria sang with Alex's band, The Whits.
He nodded in agreement.
"Cordelia!" Liz appeared at her side suddenly. "Could you do me a favor?"
"Sure. What's up?"
"Can you help me find Isabel?"
Cordelia frowned. "Is she missing?"
"Yeah, and I have to find her before Maria's done with this song." There was a touch of urgency in her friend's voice.
She didn't quite understand what was going on, but she agreed to help.
"It'll be quicker to split up," Liz told her.
"Okay." Cordelia glanced at Angel.
"Want me to come with you?"
"No, I'll be back."
Angel nodded and she headed off in the opposite direction as Liz. She wandered around the room, scanning the crowd, but didn't see Isabel anywhere. Then she caught a glimpse of red out of the corner of her eye and she turned and made a beeline for the door. "Isabel!" she called, pushing her way through the people.
Isabel turned and gave her a little wave.
Cordelia quickly caught up to her. "Liz is looking for you."
"Liz? Why?" Isabel asked, puzzled.
"I don't know. But it sounded urgent."
"Where is she?"
Cordelia looked around, then spotted Liz and waved at her.
Liz hurried over. "Isabel! I was afraid you'd left."
"Actually, I was just about to. What's going on?"
"I need you to come with me."
"Come with you where?" Isabel asked in confusion.
"To the back of the cafe. Michael's back there and he's had some kind of vision. He says he has to talk to you right away."
"Is he okay?" Isabel asked, her eyes widening.
Cordelia frowned slightly. Something wasn't right about this. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"Yeah, he's okay, but he says he needs to talk to you now."
Isabel nodded and without another word, she turned and headed towards the back room.
Liz gave Cordelia a mischevious smile.
She raised her eyebrows, but before she could ask what was going on, Liz had disappeared into the crowd.
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"Thank you, thank you. That last song was called, 'Ice Cream' and is originally performed by Sarah McLachlan," Maria told the crowd. She looked out at the crowd briefly and spotted Liz, who winked at her, then hurried forward. She rushed up to Maria, pretended to whisper something into her ear, then stepped away.
Maria turned and looked at her other best friend. She covered the microphone up with her hand and said, "Alex, you have an urgent phone call from your mom."
"What?"
"Your mom's on the phone. Some sort of family emergency. Take it in the back of the Cafe."
Alex quickly set his guitar down, looking worried as he headed towards the back.
Maria looked at Liz again, and they exchanged smiles.
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Isabel chewed nervously on her lower lip and re-read Michael's note.
Iz,
Stay put. Went out for air. Be right back.
-Michael
She hoped he got back soon. She wanted to know what was going on. It crossed her mind that maybe she should find Max and Tess, but then she wondered why they weren't already there. She'd seen Max dancing with Liz not that long ago. Surely if Liz knew Michael had a vision, Max did, too.
So why isn't he here? she thought.
Before she could debate the answer to her question, the door opened and she turned, expecting to see Michael.
Instead she saw Alex.
"Isabel, what are you doing back here?" he asked in surprise.
"Michael had a vision. I'm waiting for him." She held up the note and he quickly read it. "What are you doing?"
"My mom's on the phone. A family emergency." His voice was tense and he reached for the telephone that was sitting off its hook. He pressed it to his ear. "Mom?" He frowned and hung up a moment later. "That's weird."
"What?" she asked, concerned.
"It was just the dial tone."
Isabel frowned and looked at Alex. Realization suddenly dawned on her and from the look on Alex's face, he'd come to the same conclusion.
"We've been set up." Alex voiced the shared thought.
She nodded in agreement and looked away, suddenly feeling uncertain.
"About earlier...you know...with you and Tommy...it's okay. I don't want you to feel weird or awkward about anything. I'm completely fine with us just being friends."
Isabel jerked her head up and stared at him wide-eyed. He was looking at the floor.
"I just...want to say that you look really beautiful tonight, Isabel." Alex lifted his gaze to her face. "I should probably get back to my band." He turned to go.
Fear bubbled up inside of her, but she ignored it. "Alex, wait!"
He paused, but didn't turn around.
"I don't know why I agreed to dance with Tommy. I didn't really even want to. It's just...I saw you there and I panicked. I know it's stupid, but...the way you feel about me...it's scary, Alex."
Alex faced her, but remained silent and waited for her to continue.
Isabel took a deep breath. "No one's ever felt the way you do about me. None of the other guys at school see me the way that you do. I've always been able to date them and be around them because I was never afraid they'd get too close. But you're different. You see me in a way that no one else ever has. And it scares me."
"Because you're afraid of getting hurt? Isabel, I would never do anything to hurt you," he said quietly.
"Alex, there are so many reasons...what if I have to leave someday? It doesn't seem like a reality right now, but it is a possibility. And we know are enemies are close, but we don't know who they are yet. If we go forward with this and I have to leave...I'm not sure I could leave you behind, Alex." Tears shimmered in her eyes. "And what if you get hurt because of me? If anything ever happened to you because of who I am...I'd never be able to forgive myself."
He stepped closer to her. "Isabel, you're talking about a lot of 'what ifs.' This is life. Life is a risk. Anything could happen at anytime. One of our good friends could turn out to be evil and go on a killing rampage. We don't know. But if you live your life according to your fears of something bad happening...yeah, you might avoid some bad and unpleasent experiences, but you'll also be missing out on all the happy ones."
Isabel stared at him for a long time. Was he right? Was she denying herself the chance at happiness for something that might not even happen? She thought about how much happier Max was when he was with Liz. And even though he'd probably deny it, Michael was happier with Maria than without her.
And if they could be happy, even if it was just for a little while...wasn't she entitled to that same happiness?
She was pretty sure Alex could make her happy.
At that moment, Maria's sultry voice floated into the back room.
"Touch my skin and tell me what you're thinking..."
Isabel made her choice and stepped closer to Alex. "I'm willing to try...if you'll still have me," she said softly.
"Take my hand and show me where we're going..."
"No ifs, Isabel. Don't ever doubt that you're the one I love, that you're the one I want to be with," Alex said seriously, gazing at her.
An unfathomable amount of joy burst inside her at his words.
He reached his hand out and waited for her to place her hand in his. "May I have this dance?"
Isabel nodded and slid her hand in his wordlessly.
"Lie down next to me
Look into my eyes
And tell me, oh tell me
What you're seeing..."
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"It's a beautiful night," Kate commented.
Wesley looked up at the brightly lit night sky. "Yes, it certainly is."
"One of the things about living in a big city is you forget what it's like to see stars. Not that they're not there in the city, but they don't seem quite as bright somehow."
"I know exactly what you mean." He glanced around the virtually empty street. "It's also nice to be able to walk around at night and not have to worry so much about...well, vampires and demons."
Kate's forehead wrinkled. "Why is that, anyway?"
Wesley thought for a moment. "You know, I'm not really sure. But as there are certain places such as Sunnydale that attract evil, I'm sure there are other towns like Roswell that just...don't, for one reason or another."
She looked at him sideways. "How did you get to be involved in all of this stuff?"
He paused for a moment. "Cordelia and Angel have probably mentioned to you about vampire slayers?"
Kate nodded.
"You see, every vampire slayer is assigned a watcher. Someone who trains her and does research on various demons and the like. From a very young age, the watchers are chosen and are placed in the care of a council of former watchers. They're trained on what it is to be a watcher and when a new vampire slayer is called, one of the chosen are sent to be the girl's watcher."
"You're a watcher?" Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Was," he corrected her quietly, old guilt resurfacing. "I made some mistakes...big mistakes. And I was fired by the watcher's council."
Kate looked at the ground as they walked along. "Everyone makes mistakes," she said softly. They walked in silence for awhile, until she turned and said, "Thank you...for having me along on this trip. Cordelia said that it was your idea."
For a brief moment, Wesley was confused. Then his mind put the pieces together and realized what Cordelia had done. "You're welcome." He hesitated, but then quickly added, "I enjoy spending time with you."
Kate looked at him, pleasently surprised. "I enjoy spending time with you, too."
They smiled at each other.
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"Thanks for the dance, Kyle," Tess said sincerely as they pulled apart.
"No problem. Hey, do you want something to drink?" he offered.
"Yeah, that'd be great."
"Okay, you stay here and I will be right back." Kyle turned and disappeared into the crowd.
Tess glanced around and caught sight of Max and Liz, still dancing to their own silent music. For some reason it didn't bother her as much as it would have a few months ago. She saw Cordelia and Angel standing over in the corner by themselves. She found herself agreeing with what Isabel and Maria had said the night before--there was defintely a vibe between the two of them that was more than friendly.
"Can I have everyone's attention, please?"
She looked up, startled when Kyle's voice was suddenly amplified by a microphone and speakers. He was standing on top of the counter, microphone in one hand, looking slightly apprehensive.
"What the hell are you doing?" she muttered under her breath.
"Today is a very special day. Not just because it's New Year's Eve, but because someone that we all know--someone who is here tonight--is celebrating her 17th birthday." Kyle gazed at her. "She's someone whom I've come to care very deeply about and who means a lot to me. Give me a big hand for my best friend, Tess Harding!"
Tess stood, rooted to the floor, stunned as everyone in the cafe turned to smile at her and applaud.
"Let's sing happy birthday to her!" Kyle said. At his request, they all did, with him leading.
She stared up at Kyle with tears in her eyes as he gazed down at her. "Thank you," she whispered.
He smiled.
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"I had no idea it was your birthday. I'm really sorry," Liz said honestly awhile later.
Tess shrugged. "No one did. It's okay." She looked at Kyle.
"Well, happy birthday," Cordelia said with a bright smile.
"Yeah, happy birthday," Max said quietly along with their other friends that had gathered around.
Isabel gave her a quick hug, as did Maria and Liz.
"Thanks, everyone." She glanced around at the group until her gaze settled on Kyle again. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but there's a half hour until midnight and I'm in the mood to dance. Kyle?"
Kyle grinned and pulled her back onto the dance floor.
Alex looked at Liz and Maria, then at Isabel. He leaned close and whispered something to her. She nodded and smiled at him. He draped an arm around each of his best friends. "Ladies, I need to talk to you for a moment." He pulled them away from the others. "I know what you guys did for me and Isabel and...I just want to say thanks." He hugged each of them.
"So how are things going with the two of you?" Liz asked curiously.
"Yeah, because you've been pretty inseparable all night," Maria agreed.
He nodded. "We're going to try it."
"Alex, that's great! I'm so happy for you!" Liz beamed.
"What about you two? What's going on with Max and Michael?" Alex questioned, looking back and forth between the two of them.
"Max and I are together. But we're taking things slowly," Liz informed him.
"Michael and I are still together, amazing as that seems."
"How'd you get him to wear a tie?" Liz asked suspiciously.
Maria batted her eyelashes and grinned cheekily. "I'll never tell."
Liz and Alex both laughed.
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"Only one minute until midnight!" Maria announced enthusiastically into the microphone. She stepped down off the counter and walked over to Michael. "So, Spaceboy. Have any New Year's resolutions you care to share?"
"I don't do New Year's resolutions. I'd just break 'em anyway."
"Somehow I figured that."
"Why's that?"
"Because a New Year's resolution is a form of committment and we both know that you fear that C-word."
"Hey, I'm here, aren't I?" Michael asked defensively.
"Yeah, for now," she retorted.
"They're at it again, aren't they?" Max commented, jerking his thumb towards Michael and Maria.
Liz smiled. "The day they stop fighting is not something I personally look forward to."
"Why?"
"Because it would be the end of the world."
He grinned.
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"Only thirty seconds until midnight!" Alex informed Isabel, watching the clock on the wall.
She nodded and moved towards him. "Why don't we have that New Year's kiss now?"
"You don't want to wait until--"
"I don't want to waste anymore time, period." Isabel wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Alex didn't protest.
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"It's not midnight, yet!" Kyle protested as he caught sight of not only Alex and Isabel locked in a passionate embrace, but Maria and Michael, as well. He turned to look at Tess. "Weren't they just fighting a second ago?"
"All that frustration leads to really great sex," she told him.
His mouth dropped open and he stared at her.
"What? I read it in Cosmopolitan!" Tess rolled her eyes.
"10, 9, 8, 7..."
Kyle closed his mouth and looked at her. "Uh, Tess?"
"Yeah?"
"6, 5, 4..."
Without another word, Kyle leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.
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"3, 2, 1..."
Liz and Max looked at each other somewhat uncertainly. Then she smiled at him and he smiled back. Then he leaned down and kissed her softly.
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Kate paused mid-step as a distant church bell rang, announcing the arrival of midnight. She took a deep breath, ignoring the twinges of nervousness that were in her stomach. "You know, it's an American tradition to kiss the person you're with at midnight on New Year's Eve."
"Oh?" Wesley answered.
"Yep."
"Well, we wouldn't want to break tradition now, would we?"
"Of course not." Kate looked up at him, her heart beating double-time.
Wesley swallowed hard and cupped her face in his hands. Then he brushed his lips over hers gently.
Electricity.
Kate moved closer, stood on her tip-toes and pressed her lips against his more firmly. The kiss deepened, their tongues touched and dueled.
After a moment, they broke apart, panting heavily.
"What a wonderful tradition," Wesley commented, dazed.
"Yes," she agreed breathlessly.
They looked at each other and kissed again.
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Angel smiled at Cordelia as confetti rained down on them. He reached out and gently brushed a few of the sparkly papers out of her hair.
She was smiling her beautiful smile and looking around at all of the couples kissing.
Angel tore his eyes away from her long enough to realize they were the only two people in the room *not* kissing. His eyes dropped to her lips and he wondered again if they were as soft as they looked.
He told himself it was a bad thought--he and Cordelia were friends. Best friends. They could never be anything more.
But God he wanted to kiss her. Just once to see what it was like. And he could do it now, under the guise of New Year's tradition.
He swallowed hard, debating.
Before he could make a decision, Cordelia looked up at him, reached up with one hand and touched his cheek. Then she very gently pressed her lips against his.
For a second, he was stunned. Then he applied just the slightest pressure on his own lips and kissed her back.
Cordelia pulled away a moment later, her eyes a stormy hazel sea of unreadable thoughts and emotions. "Happy New Year, Angel," she said quietly.
"Happy New Year," he echoed.
They stared at one another.
The End
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: All Roswellians belong to Melinda Metz and Jason Katims and Fox Productions and the WB and UPN. All Buffy and Angel characters belong to Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt and the WB and UPN. Nothing's mine. Grr, Arrgh.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Up through and including "Destiny" for Roswell and "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" for Angel, plus the entire "Who I Am" series thus far.
Timeline: Five days after "Strays Like Us."
Summary: The Angel Investigations crew celebrates New Year's Eve with the Roswellians.
Distribution: Any A/C sites that want it, Stranger Things, Jessi's fanfic site. Anyone else, just ask.
Category: Angel/Roswell crossover
Subcategories: Friendship/romance/fluff
Dedication: This one's for Julia, for kindly reminding me that she was wanting to read the next fic in this series. :)
Beginnings (Part One)
"What time is it?" Michael grumbled as he wiped sweat off his forehead with the back of his sleeve.
"6:15," Liz replied as she handed him some orders from table 3. "Only forty-five more minutes 'til close."
"Good. Because--" He stopped mid-sentence and looked past Liz to the people who had just walked into the Crashdown.
Liz turned to look and broke into a wide grin as she saw Cordelia, Angel, Wesley and Kate looking around.
Cordelia spotted her at the same moment and her eyes lit up. "Liz!"
Maria shrieked from across the room. "Cordelia!"
The three girls met halfway, giggling and practically jumping up and down in excitement. Michael rolled his eyes. "Women," he muttered. Then he grinned.
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"So you were in on this whole thing?" Cordelia asked, surprised.
Liz nodded. "Guilty. Angel wanted it to be a surprise for you."
"It definitely was," she said with a grin. She glanced across the room at Angel, who was talking to Wesley, Kate, Max and Michael.
"I can't wait until tomorrow night! This party is going to be a blast!" Maria squealed. "We've been planning forever!"
Cordelia bit her lip. "I don't have a good dress."
Maria dismissed her comment with a wave of her hand. "I haven't been shopping yet, either. Liz and I were planning on going tomorrow morning."
"Going where?" another voice asked.
Cordelia turned and smiled at Isabel and Alex. "Hi."
"Hi, Cordelia!" Isabel said, smiling back.
"Hey," Alex said.
"How have you guys been?"
"Good. Mostly," Isabel answered.
"So, where are you going tomorrow morning?" Alex asked curiously, glancing at Liz and Maria.
"Shopping," they answered in unison. They exchanged amused looks.
"Wanna come?" Liz asked Isabel.
The taller girl's eyes sparkled. "I'd love to."
"What? I'm not invited?" Alex asked, feigning hurt.
"Oh, Alex. You know we love you," Liz said, hugging him briefly.
"But it's a girls only trip," Maria added.
"Besides, I don't want you to see my dress until the party," Isabel added, a hint of mischief in her voice.
Cordelia couldn't help smile at the lovesick expression on his face.
"You know what we should do? We should have a slumber party," Maria said suddenly.
Liz shrugged. "We could do that. I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind."
"I suppose I'm not invited to that, either," Alex joked.
Cordelia laughed with the rest of them, feeling as though a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She hadn't felt this relaxed in weeks. She turned and looked across the room. Angel was staring at her. Her heart rate increased slightly when he smiled at her.
Then she smiled back.
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"Goodnight, Cordelia," Kate said as she walked out of the Crashdown.
"Goodnight!" Cordelia called. She turned her attention to Wesley. "See you tomorrow, Wes."
He smiled at her. "Goodnight." He gave her a quick hug and followed Kate.
Angel hovered in the doorway, hesitant.
She looked up at him. "I'll be okay, Angel."
"I just don't like..." his voice trailed off.
"I know. But we were careful. He didn't follow me here. Kate made sure no one was following the van."
He nodded.
"Besides, I have a feeling that Isabel could probably protect me if it came down to that," Cordelia added with a grin. "And Liz said Michael's apartment isn't that far, so if something happened, you guys could be back in like, five minutes."
Angel smiled briefly. Then he reached down and touched her cheek. "I just don't know what I'd do if anything bad ever happened to you."
The breath caught in the back of her throat. "I'll be okay, Angel," she promised again, meeting his gaze.
He reached out and pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. She closed her eyes and hugged him back. Then he let her go, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
Their eyes met and for a long moment they just stared at each other.
"Goodnight, Cordelia," Angel said softly.
"Goodnight," she echoed.
Then he slid out of the doorway and disappeared into the night.
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"I called Tess. She's on her way over," Liz informed Maria, Isabel and Cordelia, who were gathered around her room. Maria was sitting on Liz's desk, Isabel in the desk chair, Liz was perched on the edge of her bed and Cordelia sat on the floor meditation-style.
She glanced around the room, looking at all the pictures in frames and the ones tacked up on bulletin boards. Snapshots of her and Maria, her and Alex, the three of them together and a few pictures were of Max, Michael and Isabel, as well. For some reason, she truly felt comfortable with this group. She wondered what it would have been like to have grown up in Roswell, to have been friends with Liz and the others all along.
"Cordelia? I'm going downstairs to get some ice cream. Could you come help me out?" Liz asked suddenly.
"Sure." She stood up, followed Liz down the hall, down the steps and into the Crashdown.
"So, what's going on?" Liz asked. "On the phone the other night it sounded like something was wrong."
She hesitated, not really wanting to talk about what had been happening in L.A. lately, but knowing that she needed to let her friend know what was going on. "A couple weeks ago, I was attacked."
Liz froze and stared at her. "Attacked?"
Cordelia ran one hand through her hair. "I'm okay. A friend showed up and helped me out. But since then we've figured out that the guy who attacked me is a serial killer. He...stalks his victims for weeks at a time before he...kills them."
"Oh, my God," she whispered.
"That's why Angel moved back in with me." Cordelia paused. "What about you? Sounded like there was some stuff going on here you couldn't talk on the phone about."
Liz suddenly looked very tired. "One of their enemies is somewhere in town. There was an incident at school, in gym class involving me and an arrow aimed straight for my heart. Tess saved my life." She leaned against the freezer.
"We lead exciting lives, don't we?" Cordelia said sarcastically. "Being stalked by serial killers and evil aliens, running for our lives and battling the forces of darkness."
"Yeah." Liz paused. "Do you ever wish...your life was more normal?"
Normal. How many times had she wished that in the past five years? At one time she would have answered Liz's question without hesitation. Hell, yes. But now? Now, normal would mean that she never would have been friends with Wesley or Oz or Gunn or Doyle or...Angel. "No. You?"
Liz's face broke into a wide smile. "Not for a million bucks."
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"So your roommate is a ghost?" Tess stared at Cordelia uncertainly.
She took a bite of chocolate ice cream. "Yep. His name is Dennis."
"Okay, okay," Maria interupted. "My turn. This one is also for Cordelia. What is up with you and Angel?"
Cordelia froze. She hadn't expected that question. "We're friends. Best friends."
"No way. Uh-uh. I saw you two before he left tonight and there were definitely vibes."
She shook her head. She absolutely, positively could not allow her to think about Angel that way under any circumstances. That road would only lead to trouble. "Nope. You were imagining it. Angel is and always will be hopelessly in love with Buffy until the world ends."
"Who's Buffy?" Tess repeated, confused.
"Vampire slayer," Cordelia and Liz said at the same time. They exchanged a grin.
"No...I agree with Maria," Isabel spoke up. "Those weren't 'just-friends' vibes the two of you were giving off."
"There's nothing going on with Angel and me except friendship." Cordelia felt a wistful pang at her own words, but she ignored it. "My turn. This one's for Liz. What's the scariest thing that's ever happened to you?"
Liz thought for a moment. "I would say that getting shot was the scariest, but it happened so suddenly, there wasn't really time to be afraid..." She sucked in a breath and looked across the room at Isabel. "The scariest thing that ever happened to me was when the FBI special unit caught Max. There was all this time that we didn't know what was happening or where he was...it was terrifying," she said softly.
Cordelia looked at Isabel, who had become very still and silent, her eyes shiny with tears. She suddenly wished she hadn't asked that question.
"My turn," Tess announced, breaking the silence. "Cordelia, what's the scariest demon or evil creature you've ever encountered?"
"That's a tough one." Cordelia considered the question. "There was the mayor of Sunnydale. He turned into this huge snake that tried to kill us all at graduation. Spike and Druscilla were pretty scary. They're vampires. She's insane. Spike's pretty much harmless now. He's actually helping Buffy and the Scooby gang these days...Vocah was terrifying. He was a demon from hell who tried to kill me with never-ending visions." She stopped herself from adding Nasedo to the list. After all, from what Liz had told her, the psycho alien was pretty much like Tess's only father.
She stopped herself from adding another name to the list, the one that really terrified her the most: Angelus. Angel's evil self. One day he had been her friend, Buffy's boyfriend, and then the next day he was an unpredicatable, ruthless, cruel killing machine. The worst part of the whole ordeal was that even though he was evil, he had still looked like Angel, her former-friend.
Okay, so they hadn't really been that great of friends back in Sunnydale, but she had always considered him a friend. Pretty much in the same capacity she had considered Buffy, Willow, Xander and Oz friends back then--at a distance; people who she could count on to save her life, but knew that they secretly despised her.
"Yeah. I guess Vocah was probably the scariest," she finally said, shaking her thoughts of Angel vs. Angelus and things of the past out of her mind.
Liz was looking at her closely, and Cordelia had a feeling Liz knew she hadn't been completely honest. "Okay, Isabel," Liz said, diverting her gaze from Cordelia to Isabel. "What do you think about Alex?"
Cordelia glanced at Liz. She was smiling, but her eyes were serious. Cordelia did a quick check at Maria, and realized that she, too, was studying Isabel carefully. It suddenly occurred to her what they were doing. They were looking out for their other best friend at the same time they were trying to make Isabel comfortable with them.
"I like Alex. He's a really great guy," Isabel said, somewhat shyly. "He's easy to talk to and he's very sweet and charming. I guess...I've just been kind of...hesitant to get too involved with him because of who I am. But I don't have any intention to hurt him in any way."
Cordelia noticed that Liz and Maria both seemed satisfied with the answer, and Isabel relaxed a bit, apparently having realized she'd passed their test. Cordelia laid back against Liz's bed and closed her eyes. She was having fun talking with her new friends--she'd never really had any close women friends before and she was enjoying the experience--but she was tired. The trip from L.A. to Roswell had been about 13 hours.
"You know, I think we should all get some sleep," Liz announced, glancing down at Cordelia. "We still have to get up and go shopping and get ready for tomorrow."
Maria yawned. "I'm with Liz. I'm beat. That double-shift nearly killed me. I'm going to choke Agnes the next time I see her."
"If she's so much trouble, why doesn't your dad just fire her, Liz?" Isabel asked, looking puzzled.
"Because then it would be double-shifts for everyone all the time because there'd be no one to replace her."
"Isabel could do it," Maria said with a grin.
Isabel gave her a look, but didn't respond.
"I think this is a good time to end the conversation and go to sleep," Tess suggested.
"Yeah." Liz reached for the lamp on her desk and flipped it off. She crawled into bed, and Maria crawled in next to her. Isabel, Tess and Cordelia laid down on sleeping bags on the floor. "Goodnight, everyone."
There was a chorus of goodnights from all the girls.
Cordelia shifted onto her side and fell almost instantly asleep.
* * *
Part Two
"I don't believe this," Michael muttered. He loosened the tie that was around his neck.
"I don't believe Maria got you to wear a tie," Max replied, amusement obvious on his face.
Alex grinned. "You don't know Maria very well, Max. When she sets her mind to something, there's no talking her out of it."
"I feel ridiculous. And where the hell are they, anyway? This is their party," he grumbled, looking around the already crowded Crashdown Cafe.
"You don't know much about women, do you?" Kyle commented.
"Like you do."
"Allow me to explain the female mind. I have a certain...expertise when it comes to women. You see, right now the girls are all upstairs waiting to make their grand entrance. They have to be late. That way when they do finally show up, all attention is on them."
Angel stifled a smile and turned to see Wesley and Kate walk into the Cafe. Kate was holding onto Wesley's arm, and the two of them looked very...chummy. Wesley was drssed in a gray suit with a black tie. Kate had on a knee-length, pale yellow dress with matching high heels. Her hair was fastened back in a pearl barrette.
They walked over to him.
"Hey, Wes. Kate, you look nice," he greeted them.
"Thank you," she answered.
Wesley glanced around. "Where's Cordelia?"
Angel shrugged. "Still getting ready, I guess."
"Ah."
"That's it. If she's not down here in two minutes, I'm gone," Michael announced.
"Michael--"
"Don't start with me, Maxwell. I'm not in the mood. I didn't even want to be here in the first pl--" Michael cut himself off abruptly, his eyes riveted to the kitchen doorway where Maria and Liz were standing.
Maria was wearing a knee-length lavender dress, her hair cascading gently to her shoulders. She and Liz walked over to the guys.
Alex smiled at them. "You two ladies look beautiful."
"Thanks," they said in unison, smiling back at him.
Max stared at Liz, who was wearing an ankle-length black silk dress, her hair pinned up neatly. "Wow. You look incredible."
"Thank you," she said, feeling shy all of a sudden.
"Would you like to dance?"
Liz smiled and placed her hand in his. "Yes." They drifted away from the group.
Michael and Maria looked at each other.
"You...uh...you wore a tie," Maria said quietly. "Thanks."
He just nodded. "You look great."
She smiled. "You look pretty nice yourself, Spaceboy."
Michael gave her his famous half-smile. "Well, I can't promise I won't step on your toes, but...if you're willing to take the chance..." He motioned to where other couples were dancing.
Maria nodded and glanced over at Alex. "We don't start playing for an hour, right?"
He looked at his watch. "Right."
She took Michael's arm and pulled him onto the dance floor.
Kyle glanced sideways at Alex. "Why am I not surprised that Tess and Isabel are the last ones to finish getting ready?"
Alex grinned, but kept his eyes focused on the door.
A second later, it opened.
Kyle's mouth dropped open and he stared at the gorgeous woman who stood there. "Buddha forgive me, but...who the hell is that?"
"That would be Cordelia," Alex informed him.
At the sound of his best friend's name, Angel turned and saw her. Her dress was long, and midnight blue and held up by thin spaghetti straps. Her hair was curly and trailed down her back. She looked...amazing. Angel swallowed hard.
Cordelia glanced around the room and her eyes lit up when she spotted Angel. He was wearing black pants and a white shirt with a black jacket over it. Despite the fact that he wasn't wearing a tie and probably was the least dressed up of all the guys there, he looked...sexy.
She blinked when the word came to mind. Sexy? That was *not* a word for her to be thinking of in relation to Angel. He was her friend, her best friend, and he was a vampire. Not to mention the fact that he was in love with someone else.
She took a deep breath and walked over to him, feeling a bit anxious all of a sudden. "Hey."
Angel couldn't take his eyes off her. "Cordelia, you look stunning."
Her eyes widened slightly and she smiled. It wasn't often Angel gave out compliments like that. "Thank you."
"Cordelia, you look lovely," Wesley told her.
"Thanks, Wes." Cordelia glanced at him and Kate. "You two look so cute together."
Wesley's face flushed. "Uh, yes, well. Thank you."
Angel couldn't help but smile at his friend's frustration.
"Hi, I'm Kyle Valenti."
Cordelia turned to see a cute younger guy with his hand extended toward her. "Oh, Kyle. I've heard about you. It's nice to meet you. I'm Cordelia." She shook his hand.
"Believe me, the pleasure is all mine." He smiled, then kissed the back of her hand.
"Oh, brother," Angel muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Would you like to dance with me?"
Cordelia didn't really. At least not with Kyle. She had wanted to dance with Angel, but of course, Angel didn't dance anyway. Besides, she didn't want to hurt Kyle's feelings. "Sure."
He took her hand and lead her out onto the dance floor.
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Alex waited, feeling slightly impatient. Where was Isabel, anyway?
As if being given a divine answer, she opened the door and stepped out of the kitchen. Her hair cascaded to her shoulders like a blond waterfall. Thin straps held up a form-fitting, long red velvet dress. It had a split in one side right up to her thigh.
He almost had a heart attack right there.
Somehow he found himself moving towards her, their eyes locked on one another.
Before he could finish closing the distance between them, one of Kyle's friends, Tommy Mattheson, beat him to Isabel. A moment later, he had whisked her out onto the dance floor.
Alex went numb as he watched them together.
Why had he thought he had a shot with Isabel when she could have any guy on any planet she wanted? Why in the world would she pick him?
Oh. Right. She hadn't.
They were just good friends.
Alex turned away and walked across the room. He sat down in a booth and stared at the tabletop.
Sometimes, he thought, life really sucks.
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Liz smiled as she and Max glided effortlessly around the dance floor. It felt so good to just be with him and have fun together. It had been such a long time since things had been semi-normal between the two of them.
As she twirled around in his arms, she smiled as she saw Maria and Michael dancing together, looking happy for a change. She wondered how Maria had gotten him to wear that tie and she reminded herself to ask later. She noted with surprise that Kyle and Cordelia were dancing. She raised an eyebrow as she spotted Angel standing alone in the corner, not looking very comfortable or happy. Could he be jealous? she wondered.
Then she caught sight of Alex, sitting at a booth alone, looking miserable.
Liz frowned and stopped dancing.
"What's wrong?" Max asked in concern. He followed her gaze to where Alex was sitting.
"I think I should go check on him," she said worriedly.
Max nodded. "Tell you what. You go talk to Alex and I'll go get us something to drink."
"Okay," she agreed. They split up and she walked over to her best friend's table and sat down across from him. "What's wrong?"
Alex looked up, startled. "Hey. Where's Max?"
"Off to get something to drink. Are you okay?"
He glanced over at the couples dancing. "Just feeling a bit foolish, that's all."
Liz frowned and looked at the couples. Cordelia and Kyle twirled by, and Michael and Maria did, too. Then she spotted Isabel dancing with one of Kyle's friends. "Go cut in."
He just looked at her.
"I'm serious. She'd much rather be dancing with you."
"Yeah, right."
"Alex, just go ask her."
He shook his head. "I was stupid to ever think Isabel and I could be more than friends. She's never given me any real signs that she's even interested in me that way."
"Alex--"
"I appreciate the advice, Liz. But I need to get ready, anyway. My band starts playing in a little while." Alex stood up and disappeared into the crowd.
Liz sighed.
"Everything okay?" Max asked as he handed her a cup of punch.
"I hope so."
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"You know," Kate spoke up as she and Wesley danced. "I have to admit, I feel kind of out of place here."
"Yes, I know what you mean," he agreed with a slight smile.
She looked around the room. "Cordelia fits right in, though."
Wesley glanced over at his friend, who was still dancing with Kyle Valenti. "Well, she's still young."
Kate raised her eyebrows.
"Not that we aren't," he amended quickly. "I just meant that--"
She laughed. "Don't worry about it. I know what you meant."
They danced in silence for a few minutes.
"Would you like to take a walk?" Wesley asked suddenly, unsure of why he'd suddenly had the notion.
Kate looked at him in surprise. "I'd love to."
"Well. All right then." He offered her his arm and they headed for the door.
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Cordelia pulled away from Kyle as the song ended. "You know, I should probably go talk to Angel before he turns all broody-boy on me."
"Oh." Kyle looked disappointed.
"But you know, there's a certain curly haired blond alien that's been staring at you for the past twenty minutes."
His eyes widened. "Tess! I forgot all about her. Damn."
"Well, I wouldn't tell her that." She turned and walked away from him and headed over to where Angel was standing by himself in the corner. "So, are you intentionally trying to be anti-social tonight?" she asked him cheerfully.
Angel smiled. "Old habits die hard."
"So I've been told."
"I was beginning to think you were going to dance with him all night." He nodded nonchalantly towards Kyle, who was wandering around in the crowd.
Cordelia raised an eyebrow. "Why? Jealous?"
"Well, he was dancing with the most beautiful woman in the entire place."
"You obviously haven't seen Isabel's dress. It's to die for," she answered.
"I wasn't talking about your dress."
She looked up at him, surprised once again by the compliments he was giving her. She searched his face, trying to read what he was thinking but his expression revealed nothing. Cordelia swallowed hard and looked away. Time to change the subject. "Where are Kate and Wes?"
"They took off awhile ago."
"Took off?"
"I think they were going for a walk."
Cordelia nodded. "You know, it's been a long time since I've been to a party where people go to have fun and not just to impress each other."
"Are you having fun?"
"Yeah, I am. Angel, thank you for arranging for us to be here. I really needed this."
"I know," he said quietly. He reached out and gently pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes.
Cordelia's heart skipped a beat. "Angel--"
"Excuse me. Would you like to dance?"
She turned to see some guy with his hand extended.
"Actually," Angel interupted. "We were about to dance," he informed the guy. He took her hand and lead her out onto the dance floor.
"Since when do you dance?"
"Since I don't want all these guys I don't know hogging you all night," he responded, a twinkle in his eyes as he smiled at her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck as he slid his arms around her waist. It was a nice feeling, being in someone's arms that she knew and trusted so deeply. It was a nice, comfortable, warm and fuzzy feeling. One that she vaguely recalled from another time and place, but wasn't sure from where.
"Have you ever been in love
Been in love so bad
You'd do anything to make them understand
Have you ever had someone steal your heart away
You'd give anything to make them feel the same..."
"You really do look amazing tonight," Angel said quietly, gazing down at her.
"Thank you." She suddenly felt like she was about to cry and she rested her cheek on Angel's shoulder so he wouldn't notice.
What the hell was wrong with her these days anyway? Lately the only person she wanted to be around was Angel, and she felt like her emotions were building up behind a dam that was about to burst. She always felt like she was on the verge of crying, which was really unlike her.
It just didn't make any sense.
"Have you ever found the one
You've dreamed of all your life
You'd do anything to look into their eyes
Have you finally found the one you've given your heart to
Only to find that one
Won't give their heart to you
Have you ever closed your eyes and dreamed that they were there
And all you can do is wait
For that day when they will care..."
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Kyle looked around the room. So where was Tess anyway? Cordelia had said Tess was staring at him, but he didn't see any sign of her.
"Kyle?"
He turned to see Isabel standing there. "Hey."
"Have you seen Alex?" she asked anxiously.
"Not lately. Have you seen Tess?"
"Yeah, she was headed for the bathroom a few minutes ago."
"Well, that explains why I can't find her."
"If you see Alex, please tell him I'm looking for him."
"Sure thing." Kyle headed across the room to wait for Tess.
She came out a few moments later and Kyle stared at her. She was wearing a long, forest green dress, her hair in an elaborate twist on top of her head. When he finally looked at her eyes, he noticed they were red-rimmed. "What's wrong?"
"What? Nothing," Tess answered quickly, looking away.
"Don't lie. You've been crying," he said, feeling alarmed. He gently took hold of her arm and lead her into the back room of the Crashdown. "Tess, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. It's stupid." She wouldn't look at him.
"I doubt that. Talk to me."
Tess lifted her eyes to meet his gaze. "It's just...today...it's sort of the day that Nasedo and I used to celebrate as my birthday."
Kyle's eyes widened. "Tess, I'm sorry. I had no idea."
She shrugged it off. "It's okay. I know you didn't."
"Why didn't you say something before?"
She sat down on the sofa. "In case you hadn't noticed, Kyle, everyone here pretty much hates me."
"That's not true." He sat down next to her.
"Really? Then why are you the only one that's even spoken to me tonight?" Her blue eyes shimmered with tears.
Kyle wrapped his arms around her, not sure what to say.
"I miss him, Kyle. I know that probably makes me a horrible person because I know he was evil...but he was the only one I could ever count on. And he was nice to me sometimes. Usually he was distant and cold, but sometimes he was nice to me." She began to cry.
"You're not a horrible person," he told her quietly. "He was like your father. It's okay to cry and to miss him." Kyle kissed the top of her head, overwhelmed by guilt.
He was going to make this up to her. He just wasn't sure how.
* * *
Part Three
"Your love is better than ice cream
Better than anything else that I've tried
Your love is better than ice cream
Everyone here knows how to fight..."
"Wow. She really has an amazing voice," Cordelia whispered to Angel, impressed. They watched as Maria sang with Alex's band, The Whits.
He nodded in agreement.
"Cordelia!" Liz appeared at her side suddenly. "Could you do me a favor?"
"Sure. What's up?"
"Can you help me find Isabel?"
Cordelia frowned. "Is she missing?"
"Yeah, and I have to find her before Maria's done with this song." There was a touch of urgency in her friend's voice.
She didn't quite understand what was going on, but she agreed to help.
"It'll be quicker to split up," Liz told her.
"Okay." Cordelia glanced at Angel.
"Want me to come with you?"
"No, I'll be back."
Angel nodded and she headed off in the opposite direction as Liz. She wandered around the room, scanning the crowd, but didn't see Isabel anywhere. Then she caught a glimpse of red out of the corner of her eye and she turned and made a beeline for the door. "Isabel!" she called, pushing her way through the people.
Isabel turned and gave her a little wave.
Cordelia quickly caught up to her. "Liz is looking for you."
"Liz? Why?" Isabel asked, puzzled.
"I don't know. But it sounded urgent."
"Where is she?"
Cordelia looked around, then spotted Liz and waved at her.
Liz hurried over. "Isabel! I was afraid you'd left."
"Actually, I was just about to. What's going on?"
"I need you to come with me."
"Come with you where?" Isabel asked in confusion.
"To the back of the cafe. Michael's back there and he's had some kind of vision. He says he has to talk to you right away."
"Is he okay?" Isabel asked, her eyes widening.
Cordelia frowned slightly. Something wasn't right about this. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"Yeah, he's okay, but he says he needs to talk to you now."
Isabel nodded and without another word, she turned and headed towards the back room.
Liz gave Cordelia a mischevious smile.
She raised her eyebrows, but before she could ask what was going on, Liz had disappeared into the crowd.
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"Thank you, thank you. That last song was called, 'Ice Cream' and is originally performed by Sarah McLachlan," Maria told the crowd. She looked out at the crowd briefly and spotted Liz, who winked at her, then hurried forward. She rushed up to Maria, pretended to whisper something into her ear, then stepped away.
Maria turned and looked at her other best friend. She covered the microphone up with her hand and said, "Alex, you have an urgent phone call from your mom."
"What?"
"Your mom's on the phone. Some sort of family emergency. Take it in the back of the Cafe."
Alex quickly set his guitar down, looking worried as he headed towards the back.
Maria looked at Liz again, and they exchanged smiles.
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Isabel chewed nervously on her lower lip and re-read Michael's note.
Iz,
Stay put. Went out for air. Be right back.
-Michael
She hoped he got back soon. She wanted to know what was going on. It crossed her mind that maybe she should find Max and Tess, but then she wondered why they weren't already there. She'd seen Max dancing with Liz not that long ago. Surely if Liz knew Michael had a vision, Max did, too.
So why isn't he here? she thought.
Before she could debate the answer to her question, the door opened and she turned, expecting to see Michael.
Instead she saw Alex.
"Isabel, what are you doing back here?" he asked in surprise.
"Michael had a vision. I'm waiting for him." She held up the note and he quickly read it. "What are you doing?"
"My mom's on the phone. A family emergency." His voice was tense and he reached for the telephone that was sitting off its hook. He pressed it to his ear. "Mom?" He frowned and hung up a moment later. "That's weird."
"What?" she asked, concerned.
"It was just the dial tone."
Isabel frowned and looked at Alex. Realization suddenly dawned on her and from the look on Alex's face, he'd come to the same conclusion.
"We've been set up." Alex voiced the shared thought.
She nodded in agreement and looked away, suddenly feeling uncertain.
"About earlier...you know...with you and Tommy...it's okay. I don't want you to feel weird or awkward about anything. I'm completely fine with us just being friends."
Isabel jerked her head up and stared at him wide-eyed. He was looking at the floor.
"I just...want to say that you look really beautiful tonight, Isabel." Alex lifted his gaze to her face. "I should probably get back to my band." He turned to go.
Fear bubbled up inside of her, but she ignored it. "Alex, wait!"
He paused, but didn't turn around.
"I don't know why I agreed to dance with Tommy. I didn't really even want to. It's just...I saw you there and I panicked. I know it's stupid, but...the way you feel about me...it's scary, Alex."
Alex faced her, but remained silent and waited for her to continue.
Isabel took a deep breath. "No one's ever felt the way you do about me. None of the other guys at school see me the way that you do. I've always been able to date them and be around them because I was never afraid they'd get too close. But you're different. You see me in a way that no one else ever has. And it scares me."
"Because you're afraid of getting hurt? Isabel, I would never do anything to hurt you," he said quietly.
"Alex, there are so many reasons...what if I have to leave someday? It doesn't seem like a reality right now, but it is a possibility. And we know are enemies are close, but we don't know who they are yet. If we go forward with this and I have to leave...I'm not sure I could leave you behind, Alex." Tears shimmered in her eyes. "And what if you get hurt because of me? If anything ever happened to you because of who I am...I'd never be able to forgive myself."
He stepped closer to her. "Isabel, you're talking about a lot of 'what ifs.' This is life. Life is a risk. Anything could happen at anytime. One of our good friends could turn out to be evil and go on a killing rampage. We don't know. But if you live your life according to your fears of something bad happening...yeah, you might avoid some bad and unpleasent experiences, but you'll also be missing out on all the happy ones."
Isabel stared at him for a long time. Was he right? Was she denying herself the chance at happiness for something that might not even happen? She thought about how much happier Max was when he was with Liz. And even though he'd probably deny it, Michael was happier with Maria than without her.
And if they could be happy, even if it was just for a little while...wasn't she entitled to that same happiness?
She was pretty sure Alex could make her happy.
At that moment, Maria's sultry voice floated into the back room.
"Touch my skin and tell me what you're thinking..."
Isabel made her choice and stepped closer to Alex. "I'm willing to try...if you'll still have me," she said softly.
"Take my hand and show me where we're going..."
"No ifs, Isabel. Don't ever doubt that you're the one I love, that you're the one I want to be with," Alex said seriously, gazing at her.
An unfathomable amount of joy burst inside her at his words.
He reached his hand out and waited for her to place her hand in his. "May I have this dance?"
Isabel nodded and slid her hand in his wordlessly.
"Lie down next to me
Look into my eyes
And tell me, oh tell me
What you're seeing..."
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"It's a beautiful night," Kate commented.
Wesley looked up at the brightly lit night sky. "Yes, it certainly is."
"One of the things about living in a big city is you forget what it's like to see stars. Not that they're not there in the city, but they don't seem quite as bright somehow."
"I know exactly what you mean." He glanced around the virtually empty street. "It's also nice to be able to walk around at night and not have to worry so much about...well, vampires and demons."
Kate's forehead wrinkled. "Why is that, anyway?"
Wesley thought for a moment. "You know, I'm not really sure. But as there are certain places such as Sunnydale that attract evil, I'm sure there are other towns like Roswell that just...don't, for one reason or another."
She looked at him sideways. "How did you get to be involved in all of this stuff?"
He paused for a moment. "Cordelia and Angel have probably mentioned to you about vampire slayers?"
Kate nodded.
"You see, every vampire slayer is assigned a watcher. Someone who trains her and does research on various demons and the like. From a very young age, the watchers are chosen and are placed in the care of a council of former watchers. They're trained on what it is to be a watcher and when a new vampire slayer is called, one of the chosen are sent to be the girl's watcher."
"You're a watcher?" Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Was," he corrected her quietly, old guilt resurfacing. "I made some mistakes...big mistakes. And I was fired by the watcher's council."
Kate looked at the ground as they walked along. "Everyone makes mistakes," she said softly. They walked in silence for awhile, until she turned and said, "Thank you...for having me along on this trip. Cordelia said that it was your idea."
For a brief moment, Wesley was confused. Then his mind put the pieces together and realized what Cordelia had done. "You're welcome." He hesitated, but then quickly added, "I enjoy spending time with you."
Kate looked at him, pleasently surprised. "I enjoy spending time with you, too."
They smiled at each other.
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"Thanks for the dance, Kyle," Tess said sincerely as they pulled apart.
"No problem. Hey, do you want something to drink?" he offered.
"Yeah, that'd be great."
"Okay, you stay here and I will be right back." Kyle turned and disappeared into the crowd.
Tess glanced around and caught sight of Max and Liz, still dancing to their own silent music. For some reason it didn't bother her as much as it would have a few months ago. She saw Cordelia and Angel standing over in the corner by themselves. She found herself agreeing with what Isabel and Maria had said the night before--there was defintely a vibe between the two of them that was more than friendly.
"Can I have everyone's attention, please?"
She looked up, startled when Kyle's voice was suddenly amplified by a microphone and speakers. He was standing on top of the counter, microphone in one hand, looking slightly apprehensive.
"What the hell are you doing?" she muttered under her breath.
"Today is a very special day. Not just because it's New Year's Eve, but because someone that we all know--someone who is here tonight--is celebrating her 17th birthday." Kyle gazed at her. "She's someone whom I've come to care very deeply about and who means a lot to me. Give me a big hand for my best friend, Tess Harding!"
Tess stood, rooted to the floor, stunned as everyone in the cafe turned to smile at her and applaud.
"Let's sing happy birthday to her!" Kyle said. At his request, they all did, with him leading.
She stared up at Kyle with tears in her eyes as he gazed down at her. "Thank you," she whispered.
He smiled.
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"I had no idea it was your birthday. I'm really sorry," Liz said honestly awhile later.
Tess shrugged. "No one did. It's okay." She looked at Kyle.
"Well, happy birthday," Cordelia said with a bright smile.
"Yeah, happy birthday," Max said quietly along with their other friends that had gathered around.
Isabel gave her a quick hug, as did Maria and Liz.
"Thanks, everyone." She glanced around at the group until her gaze settled on Kyle again. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but there's a half hour until midnight and I'm in the mood to dance. Kyle?"
Kyle grinned and pulled her back onto the dance floor.
Alex looked at Liz and Maria, then at Isabel. He leaned close and whispered something to her. She nodded and smiled at him. He draped an arm around each of his best friends. "Ladies, I need to talk to you for a moment." He pulled them away from the others. "I know what you guys did for me and Isabel and...I just want to say thanks." He hugged each of them.
"So how are things going with the two of you?" Liz asked curiously.
"Yeah, because you've been pretty inseparable all night," Maria agreed.
He nodded. "We're going to try it."
"Alex, that's great! I'm so happy for you!" Liz beamed.
"What about you two? What's going on with Max and Michael?" Alex questioned, looking back and forth between the two of them.
"Max and I are together. But we're taking things slowly," Liz informed him.
"Michael and I are still together, amazing as that seems."
"How'd you get him to wear a tie?" Liz asked suspiciously.
Maria batted her eyelashes and grinned cheekily. "I'll never tell."
Liz and Alex both laughed.
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"Only one minute until midnight!" Maria announced enthusiastically into the microphone. She stepped down off the counter and walked over to Michael. "So, Spaceboy. Have any New Year's resolutions you care to share?"
"I don't do New Year's resolutions. I'd just break 'em anyway."
"Somehow I figured that."
"Why's that?"
"Because a New Year's resolution is a form of committment and we both know that you fear that C-word."
"Hey, I'm here, aren't I?" Michael asked defensively.
"Yeah, for now," she retorted.
"They're at it again, aren't they?" Max commented, jerking his thumb towards Michael and Maria.
Liz smiled. "The day they stop fighting is not something I personally look forward to."
"Why?"
"Because it would be the end of the world."
He grinned.
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"Only thirty seconds until midnight!" Alex informed Isabel, watching the clock on the wall.
She nodded and moved towards him. "Why don't we have that New Year's kiss now?"
"You don't want to wait until--"
"I don't want to waste anymore time, period." Isabel wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Alex didn't protest.
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"It's not midnight, yet!" Kyle protested as he caught sight of not only Alex and Isabel locked in a passionate embrace, but Maria and Michael, as well. He turned to look at Tess. "Weren't they just fighting a second ago?"
"All that frustration leads to really great sex," she told him.
His mouth dropped open and he stared at her.
"What? I read it in Cosmopolitan!" Tess rolled her eyes.
"10, 9, 8, 7..."
Kyle closed his mouth and looked at her. "Uh, Tess?"
"Yeah?"
"6, 5, 4..."
Without another word, Kyle leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.
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"3, 2, 1..."
Liz and Max looked at each other somewhat uncertainly. Then she smiled at him and he smiled back. Then he leaned down and kissed her softly.
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Kate paused mid-step as a distant church bell rang, announcing the arrival of midnight. She took a deep breath, ignoring the twinges of nervousness that were in her stomach. "You know, it's an American tradition to kiss the person you're with at midnight on New Year's Eve."
"Oh?" Wesley answered.
"Yep."
"Well, we wouldn't want to break tradition now, would we?"
"Of course not." Kate looked up at him, her heart beating double-time.
Wesley swallowed hard and cupped her face in his hands. Then he brushed his lips over hers gently.
Electricity.
Kate moved closer, stood on her tip-toes and pressed her lips against his more firmly. The kiss deepened, their tongues touched and dueled.
After a moment, they broke apart, panting heavily.
"What a wonderful tradition," Wesley commented, dazed.
"Yes," she agreed breathlessly.
They looked at each other and kissed again.
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Angel smiled at Cordelia as confetti rained down on them. He reached out and gently brushed a few of the sparkly papers out of her hair.
She was smiling her beautiful smile and looking around at all of the couples kissing.
Angel tore his eyes away from her long enough to realize they were the only two people in the room *not* kissing. His eyes dropped to her lips and he wondered again if they were as soft as they looked.
He told himself it was a bad thought--he and Cordelia were friends. Best friends. They could never be anything more.
But God he wanted to kiss her. Just once to see what it was like. And he could do it now, under the guise of New Year's tradition.
He swallowed hard, debating.
Before he could make a decision, Cordelia looked up at him, reached up with one hand and touched his cheek. Then she very gently pressed her lips against his.
For a second, he was stunned. Then he applied just the slightest pressure on his own lips and kissed her back.
Cordelia pulled away a moment later, her eyes a stormy hazel sea of unreadable thoughts and emotions. "Happy New Year, Angel," she said quietly.
"Happy New Year," he echoed.
They stared at one another.
The End