Snapshots of Eternity
by Slinkyspychokit


Chapter Twelve:
The Devil’s Playground

A/N: For Cordykitten & Nia. Thank you for the wonderful support and for your kind words. Some dialog taken from AtS S5 episode “You’re Welcome”


Eyes glittering with aggravation, breasts heaving, face flushed, Cordelia faced him from across the room. Everything within her wanted to lash out at him in retaliation for the stupidity of his callous decisions. The arrogance he’d displayed in making choices, which affected the group at large. He’d been so determined to do what was best for Angel while masking it as what was best for everyone around him, that he had trapped them all in Hell.

That’s exactly where they were, too. Hell. He’d sold them all down the line to the wolves they’d valiantly beat from their door for years. And he’d done it either under the pretense that he’d had no other option or under the false illusion that, by signing them all up for eternal damnation, they could destroy the beast from within its belly.

Doesn’t he get that this is one battle that can’t be won?

“I understand just fine,” she flung out at him and turned to gesture to their surroundings, frustration mounting the more she looked at the swank furnishings provided by the evil empire. “They seduced you with all their fancy facilities, man power. They threw a whole bunch of money at you!”

She spun on her heels and paced away angrily as the vampire rose to follow. “They plied you with all these expensive toys, penthouses with spectacular views…” her words trailed off as her dark-eyed gaze fell upon said view. “Really spectacular…what was I saying?” she asked when she realized that she’d become distracted.

“I’ve been seduced,” Angel offered helpfully as he folded his arms across his chest.

Cordy pointed at him.

“That’s right, Pal,” she accused and returned to her regularly scheduled ranting. “Dazzled you with shiny objects! Expensive--” She resolutely turned her back on an obviously valuable abstract gracing the wall of his living room and once more faced the object of her frustrations. “There is no reason you can give me--”

“Connor,” he said quietly while avoiding her gaze.

The name took some of the wind out of her sails, though not for the reasons he would expect. When she spoke again, her voice was gentler, “Where is Connor? Why did Gunn ask…”

“They don’t remember him,” Angel interrupted before she could finish the question. “It’s part of the agreement for me to take over this place. The Senior Partners altered reality. They gave Connor a life. A real family and a childhood. Something I could never give him. He has no memory of us, and no one remembers him.”

Angel had moved past her as he spoke, and therefore missed the extreme heartbreak that washed over Cordelia’s lovely face before she thrust it beneath a mask of friendly compassion. He sat down on the arm of a sofa, bracing his hands on his knees and heaved a sigh. “Except you and me.” He looked down and muttered, “and Eve, for some reason.”

Taking a deep breath in an effort to bring her inner turmoil under control, Cordy looked away briefly before returning her attention to her old friend.

“So…,” she drawled as she moved closer to him, “not only did you strike a deal with your worst enemy to give up your son, you let them rape the memories of your closest friends who trust you?”

Angel flinched at her blunt words as well as the accusatory tone. “He was about to kill you,” he told her defensively, “and himself. He was so torn up. I didn’t know of any other way to stop him. No way to help him. Connor’s happy now.”

The vampire stood abruptly and began to pace. “We’re doing fine here. We’ve done some good work here.”

“Don’t give me that ‘we’re doing fine here’ company line!” the Seer snapped angrily. “I’m not buying it and neither are you. Neither are do the Powers That Be! Why do you think I’m here? Why do you think they’ve sent me back with a vision? Truth is, you’ve fallen off your path, and I’m here to put you back on it.”

“You’re wrong about the Powers,” Angel argued. “They’re not in my corner anymore.”

*************************************

The argument had become even more heated after Angel’s announcement of no longer being the PTB’s choice for Champion. No matter how hard Cordelia had tried to convince the ensouled vampire of his own self worth, she’d eventually reached the limits of her carefully wrought patience. Even though she remained somewhat a higher being deep down despite her earthbound status, Cordelia’s patience and control were not endless.

So she’d left the great glass and chrome tower of Hell, Inc. There were things that needed to be seen to and one place she felt she needed to visit for what could possibly be the last time.

The door to her old apartment opened the moment she’d come to a stop. A smile of pure pleasure stretched across her face, and Cordelia stepped inside, opening her arms. As a weight settled against her, she didn’t need to see the presence enveloping her to know what it looked like.

“How I’ve missed you, my ghostly friend,” Cordy whispered into the seeming emptiness of her former abode. An invisible kiss gently placed against her forehead was the answer she received. She was finally home; welcomed lovingly by her ghost, Phantom Dennis." Did you miss me?” she asked the apparition and could have sworn that she felt a slight rumbling laugh vibrate against her cheek. The door closed behind her, and Cordelia was tugged down a short hallway where a door lay open to reveal a bathroom. Dennis released her for a few moments in order to turn on the taps and drop a stopper into spotlessly clean tub. Steam rose on the still air.

A moment later, a bottle of rose-scented bubble bath floated into the room along with a light blue bathrobe, a couple soft, fluffy towels, and other assorted sundries. Everything was laid out lovingly before Dennis carefully peeled away his mistress’ garments. If she could have seen him, Cordelia would have seen a man completely besotted with the most beautiful woman he’d ever met.

A good hour passed as Cordelia allowed herself to be thoroughly pampered by Dennis’ gentle ministrations. All the tension and frustrations from her argument with Angel melted away with every glide of ghostly hands, leaving behind utter contentment that she knew would come to an end all too soon.

As though he had read her thoughts, the loofah sponge was dropped into the water, and unseen hands began kneading the tense muscles of her neck and shoulders.

Clean, dry and relaxed, Cordy returned to the unfurnished living room lit with the soft glow of white votive candles placed atop the mantle over an unused fireplace. Where Dennis had gotten them, she didn’t know. That was just Dennis. He had always taken very good care of her. And as much as she would have loved to bask in his unwavering devotion, she had things she had to do. People she needed to contact.

Seating herself upon the creamy beige carpet, Cordelia Chase closed her eyes and focused on the faces of Tara Maclay and Anya Jenkins.

*****

“About time you got here,” Anya told the Seer. “Any idea how boring things are when your only charge refuses to remain sober for any length of time? Sheesh! You’d think he had nothing better to do besides live at the bottom of a whisky bottle.”

“Anya,” Tara admonished the other spirit. “He’s heartbroken and empty. He lost nearly everything he ever cared about when the hell mouth collapsed. Now everyone’s gone their separate ways and he’s hurting.”

“Ladies, please,” Cordelia interrupted the other two. “We’ve got more important things to discuss than a Watcher’s self-embalming. If you two could focus for a minute?”

Sheepishly, both female spirits turned resolutely from their individual charges to offer Cordelia their undivided attention. “Yes, ma’am,” and “whatever,” were the replied assurances the earthbound woman received as she quickly took a seat on a nearby boulder.

For a moment, Cordelia breathed in the picturesque landscape. They had left behind the cemetery and traversed the Other Realm. The new setting was one out of some classic fairytale. Behind them, a large sparkling castle arose high and proud. The garden in which they sat was edged by boulders on which one could sit and look out upon a glittering ocean beneath billions of stars and an eternally full moon.

Cordelia sighed after a moment and returned her attention to the other two.

“It has begun.”


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