Chapter 1

~L.A~

Willow swept into the lobby of the Hyperion clutching a bag on spell components.

"Has Cordelia called yet?", the red head asked the office's sole occupant.

Wesley looked up from his newspaper, his eyes peering at her from above the rims of his glasses.  "Not yet Willow."

The witch nodded, placing the small brown bag on a table.

"Did you find everything you needed?", the former watcher asked.

Willow dug through the bag and nodded.  "Yeah, that new magic shop is great. The dragon's breath was a little pricey, but otherwise it was cool."

Wesley's lips curved slightly.  "Wonderful, so we will be ready to face that Draxxer demon tonight."

The redhead's glass green eyes glittered dangerously.  "Oh yeah, he's so going to be toast."

Wesley turned back to his paper, a large smile on his face.  He did so enjoy his friend's exuberance.

"Where's tall, dark and not so broody?", Willow asked.

The bespectacled man stifled the desire to laugh.  He'd wondered how long it would be before the little witch asked about Angel.

Surreptitiously, he glanced at his watch.  'Hmmm... two minutes this time, new record for her', he thought in amusement.

"Ummm, Wes....Angel?"

Clearing his throat, Wesley answered the young woman's question.  "Your mate is currently downstairs training with Gunn."

'Ohhh', Willow thought, 'Angel sweaty.  Yum!'

The witch skipped off to the basement stairs.

Wesley shook his head and continued to read his paper.

~~~~~

Willow moved quickly down the stairs.  She was just in time to see Gunn falter and have a sword placed dangerously close to his neck.

The demon hunter breathed heavily and gulped.

"See", Angel said evenly, "you did it again.  You lowered your guard on your left side."

Gunn nodded.  The handsome black youth noticed movement out of the corner of his eyes and looked toward the stairs.  "Hey Red."

"Hiya Sexy", Willow replied cheekily.

Angel's eyes flashed.  "Sexy? Is there something I should know?", he quipped.

"No.  Unfortunately", Gunn replied.  "Red only has eyes for you."  Sighing melodramatically, the young man placed a hand on his heart.

Angel smirked and gathered his woman close as she ran into his welcoming embrace.  "Missed you Flame."

His mouth claimed the redhead's in a passionate, searching kiss.

Breaking the kiss reluctantly, Willow looked up into her mate's chocolate eyes.  "Missed you too."

Looking at Gunn over her shoulder, the witch winked at the winded youth. Turning back to her mate, Willow grinned mischievously.

"So how about giving me some pointers lover?"

"Of course", Angel said.  Moving gracefully, the vampire was in a fighting stance on the mat in seconds.

Willow mirrored the dark vampire's actions, across the mat from him.  She placed her right foot slightly in front of her left and stumbled.

Faster than Gunn's eyes could follow, Angel had the hacker safely in his arms.

Willow's grin turned into a full fledged smirk.  And shifting her weight, the redhead used her shoulder as a fulcrum, tossing her Warrior onto the mat behind her.

"Go Red!", Gunn whooped.

Angel groaned.  "Talk about cheating... playing on my weakness like that."

The red witch was still smiling unrepentantly.  "Yup.  I'm learning." Walking toward Angel's prone body, Willow sat astride him and bent to kiss him.

Gunn rolled his eyes.  "And that ladies and gentlemen, is my signal to leave!", he announced.

Angel smirked against Willow's warm lips.  "Bye Gunn", he murmured, preoccupied with the woman in his arms.
 

Chapter 2

~N.Y.~

Cordelia walked slowly up to the apartment building.  She looked up the aging art deco facade, and thanked whatever higher beings there were that she had a place to stay.  She'd had no idea Angel owned a building in New York, but the fact that he did, had been a lifesaver.  The brunette knew that with the way things were going, she and Spike would be on the street otherwise.

But, the Powers that Be had told her in a vision that this was where she and her new Warrior were supposed to be, and here they were.

Sighing tiredly, the Seer walked up the old wooden staircase to the second floor and dug her key out of her purse.  She was exhausted.  All she wanted to do was take off her damned high heels and curl up with a cup of tea.

The lock finally clicked into place and the door swung open.

"Oh my God", she murmured in disgust.  Doing a slow 360 degree turn in the kitchen, Cordelia noted the dirty, blood encrusted mugs.  Walking slowly down the hall, she felt her temper rise.  Clothes, dirty dishes and just plain nastiness was everywhere.

The former May Queen tried to calm herself.  She took a deep breath, and suddenly grimaced.  Spike was smoking.  In the apartment.  'I'll kill him', she thought.

"Spike!!", she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Spike where the hell are you?  You lazy, disgusting... vampire you", the Seer shouted, dropping her purse to the floor and stalking through the apartment to the living room.

As Cordelia had expected, the blond vampire was watching television.  From her vantage point behind the aging dark blue couch, she could just make out
his bleached, almost white hair peeking out from where it rested on the handrest.

"Spike", Cordelia growled between clenched teeth.

"You bellowed Cheerleader?", the vampire drawled cockily, a cigarette dangling between his lips.

"Look you mangy vampire, I'm working so that we don't starve to death while we do the whole evil fighting shtick.  Don't you think you could at the very least, keep the apartment clean?"

Spike sat up on the couch, lazily scratching his stomach as he looked around the room.

"Looks clean to me", he remarked, his blue eyes sliding from the clothes which littered the room back to the TV where a scantily clad blond ran around on a sandy beach.

"Hello.  Over here.", the brunette shouted, noticing the chipped vampire's short attention span.

Anger suffused the tall woman's form.  Stalking stiffly to the television, Cordelia switched the set off and turned to face her roommate.

Spike was lying back comfortably on the couch in tight black jeans and nothing else.  "I was watching that Cheerleader."

"Once again since you seem to not be getting this concept, my name is Cordelia", the Seer hissed.  "I want you to get off your pale ass and pick up your clothes, clean out those disgusting mugs and NOT smoke in the apartment."

The bleached blond blinked.  "Impressive.  I can't believe you said all of that in one breath.  You've got some amazing lung capacity there luv", Spike said, grinning obscenely.

Cordelia stared at him in disbelief.  She was grinding her teeth so hard, she was starting to get a headache.

"Listen to me you waste of space.  Keep this place clean or I'm going to tie you up and leave you out on the balcony to see the sunrise.  Got it?!" Grumbling under her breath, the Seer hobbled towards her room, her feet protesting every step.  'I really need to take these shoes off', she thought.

"Yeah sure, whatever Cheerleader", Spike muttered, moving to turn on the television again.

A high heeled shoe flew through the air, connecting painfully with the blond vampire's skull.

"Ouch.  Damn it!  That hurt you stupid bint."  Spike turned, but Cordelia was gone.

'Damn, but the chit was certainly something else', he thought in appreciation.  He looked around the living room and grimaced.  The place really was disgusting.  He'd never let his crypt in Sunnydale get this bad. Still, it was worth it if it riled Cordelia up so much.  He knew it was corny, but the girl was beautiful when she was angry.

'Well', he amended silently, 'she was always beautiful, she was just more so.'  Smirking thoughtfully, Spike lit another cigarette.
 

Chapter 3

~N.Y~

Cordelia closed her door with a slam, rattling the mirror she had placed over her bureau.  She leaned against the cool wood, her heart racing.

'Damn', she thought, closing her eyes, 'it should be illegal for that vampire to parade around without a shirt.'

The brunette closed her eyes and groaned, an image of Spike's pale, muscled chest immediately rising behind closed eyelids.

"Argh", she growled between clenched teeth, angry at herself.  Bending over, Cordelia took off her remaining shoe and walked barefoot to her bureau.
Opening one battered wooden drawer, the former May Queen dug through the folded clothing, finally finding her favorite pair of comfortable gray sweat
pants and a white tee shirt that had shrunk in the last wash.

She hung her work clothes up in her closet, sniffing at her red, silk blouse.  She wrinkled her nose and wondered if she could get one more wear out of it, before taking it to the cleaners.  Dry cleaning was expensive.

Cordelia sighed in ecstasy as she put on her comfort wear.  "Ahhh."

Finally, she tied her long dark hair into a high ponytail, and stared into the mirror.  She looked horrible.

Her job sucked.  She spent hour after hour, standing in the Macy's department store selling makeup.  She was constantly exhausted. Today she had taken a long lunch and tried out for a bit part in a soap opera.  The Seer had thought the audition had gone reasonably well until she heard the words she dreaded.  'We'll call.'

"Yeah right", Cordelia snorted.  "I've heard that before."

The young woman scowled at her reflection, slamming down her hair brush. Turning decisively, the ex-cheerleader left her room.  She had an apartment
to clean.

~~~~

Spike watched the tall brunette, a little guiltily as she walked around the apartment picking up his dirty clothing.  He snickered in self disgust.  He couldn't believe how soft he was getting.  'It's bloody pathetic Will', he lectured himself.  Still, the vampire found himself picking up the dishes and mugs which littered the surface of the coffee table, and the floor by the couch.

The Seer ignored the blond, continuing to collect his clothing and dump it into a laundry bag.  Feeling the sudden need to escape, Spike's presence, Cordelia stomped to her room and placed sneakers on her feet.  Tugging open her closet door, she grabbed the laundry bag of her own clothes which lay inside on the floor.

Walking through the apartment holding both bags, she headed for the door. "I'll be back later", the Seer threw over her shoulder, as she left the apartment and her roommate behind, running down the stairs at a fast clip.

There was a laundromat right down the block and this stuff needed to get clean.  'Now was as good a time as any', the brunette thought.  Besides which she needed to get out of the house.  Watching Spike actually trying to help her, was doing strange things to her heart.  Cordelia felt extremely confused.

She pulled open the glass door for the Bubbles Laundromat, and walked to the nearest vacant machines.  She threw her clothes into one, not bothering to
sort the colors.  Then, walking to the next she lugged Spike's tee shirts and jeans over.  The young woman tossed them in, inserting quarters into the machine and adding detergent she got out of a vending machine in the corner.

Settling in, Cordelia sat in one of the laundromat's plastic chairs, staring out the window onto the streets of New York.

'Everyone's always in such a hurry here', she mused, watching as people rushed by.  The sounds of car horns and music filtered through the closed door.

The Seer closed her eyes and leaned back.  'These were the people she was destined to help.', she thought.  And despite how her life in the evil fighting biz had begun, she was glad to do it, glad that she had a greater destiny.  Cause just being Cordelia Chase, former May Queen, former cheerleader, formerly rich, popular girl, really sucked.

But now, she really wasn't sure if this life was all it was cracked up to be.  When she'd left for New York with Spike as his Seer, she had assumed that it would be like L.A. That they'd set up an agency, help people, and make enough to support themselves while following her visions.  It hadn't ended up that way at all.  Spike had bluntly nixed that idea immediately, saying he didn't want to be any more like his bloody poof of a Sire than he already was.

If it weren't for Willow's support and friendship, and Angel's supplying them with housing, Cordelia would've quit weeks ago.

She snorted disdainfully, 'after all Cordelia Chase was not going to live in a cardboard box for anyone.  Not even her new Warrior.  PTB's be damned.'

So there she was, a frustrated actress wannabe, who worked the cosmetic counter at Macy's, living in a building owned by her old boss with a lazy, cocky... gorgeous hunk of a vampire.

'Oh Goddess', she thought borrowing a page from her redheaded friend's book.   'No way, I can't be... I can't be attracted to that, that, that.... vampire.'  Groaning in disbelief, Cordelia slapped her hand to her forehead.

~~~~

By the time Cordelia returned, the apartment was spotless.  Spike had even lit aromatic candles to rid the dwelling of the nasty cigarette stink she hated so much.

The tall woman started in surprise at the sight.  "Wow."

"Like it pet?"

"Spike!", Cordelia shrieked.  "Don't sneak up on me like that."

The vampire's ice blue eyes twinkled mischievously.  "But you like it?", he asked, referring to the apartment.

Cordelia's bright, toothy smile almost blinded the chipped vampire.  "Thanks Spike, I guess I won't be staking you in your sleep after all."

Then, shoving one of the laundry bags she carried at Spike, the Seer skipped off to her room.

Spike stared at Cordelia's retreating figure.  'Nice arse she's got', he noted for the umpteenth time.

The blond vampire looked down at the bag of warm, fragrant laundry he held and tugged the bag open.  His mouth dropped open at the contents.  Gawking,
he snagged a scrap of pink silk, and held it up.  It was a thong, still warm from the dryer.  Spike groaned, picturing his Seer in nothing but the barely there knickers.

He shifted in place, his jeans suddenly feeling a bit tighter than was comfortable.  The British vampire shoved the scrap of silk into his back pocket for safe keeping before moving down the hall towards Cordelia's room.

"Uhhh Cheerleader, you uhh.... gave me the wrong bag you silly chit."
 

Chapter 4

Two weeks later, a depressed brunette came home to another clutter. Cordelia blinked, and then walked through the apartment without saying a word.

A confused vampire sat expectantly in the living room, disappointed that the mess he'd so masterfully created, hadn't had the desired outcome.

'What the hell', Spike thought, 'no screaming or yelling about the mess...bloody hell!  Something must've happened to the chit.'

Taking care to walk quietly toward Cordelia's room, the blond vampire noticed that the door wasn't shut completely.  He could hear the ex-cheerleader speaking on the phone.

"Willow", Cordelia sobbed.  "I just can't do this anymore.  Macy's fired me, I got a pink slip today for being honest with the customers.  Apparently I'm not 'Macy's material'", the brunette said snidely, imitating the tone of her former supervisor.

"And then I get home and the house is a mess again."

The brunette quieted suddenly, her sobs the only sound as she listened to the voice on the phone.

"I know Willow.  Thanks Wills.  Oh come on, that's corny", Cordelia said smiling slightly through her tears.  The little redhead was just a fountain of clichd advice today.

"Still, I'm just so frustrated!", the Seer huffed.  "I've been fired.  My auditions are going no where.  I mean... Spike and I have been in New York for almost two months and I've only had two visions.  If I hadn't practically threatened him, he wouldn't even have tried to help." Cordelia's breath hitched in her throat, as fresh tears coated her cheeks. "Willow, I'm just so tired."

Cordelia fell silent.  Spike couldn't quite make out what his Sire's mate was saying, but soon afterwards Cordelia hung up.

The chipped vampire walked away from the young woman's bedroom door.  His Seer's muffled sniffles echoing in his ears.

Making a sudden decision, Spike grabbed his trusty leather duster.  He was going to patrol.  He had a sudden desire to kill something.

~~~~

Spike walked the almost deserted streets of New York in silence.  A cigarette hung from his mouth.  He walked leisurely and without fear.  The few people who were out, seemed to know enough to shy away from him.

'I'm still the Big Bad', the vampire thought smugly.  He forced thoughts of Cordelia away, but found that the brunette had a habit of returning to the forefront of his brain.

Spike growled softly, annoyed with himself.

Back when Willow had first taken off to L.A. to help Paingel and his cronies set up their new offices, Spike had taken to e-mailing the witch.  She was the only one of the Sunnydale crew he had ever liked.  The redhead was honest, accepting and stronger than any of the Scoobies thought.  He respected that.  It wasn't that her sweetness wasn't occasionally annoying, it was.  But he could overlook that little failing, after all she was the only one who didn't continually dig into him about his 'inability to perform' as Slutty called it.  Spike's blue eyes grew hard with remembered humiliation.

The blond vampire turned a corner, suddenly finding himself nearing NYU. Here the number of people on the street seemed to triple. College kids littered the streets, headed to the bars and coffee shops which dotted the area.  Taking a last puff on his fag, Spike tossed the butt aside wandering aimlessly, lost in his thoughts.

So he'd missed Red when she left.  As a result he'd send off the occasional e-mail. Of course at the time she was only supposed to be for the summer. It didn't end up that way though.  Who would have guessed that Willow would have been the missing piece to his Sire's happiness?

Spike sighed.  He'd asked about Cordelia occasionally in the e-mails.  He barely knew the chit, only running into her once or twice before she took off to L.A.  At the time, the chipped vampire had hardly given the girl a second thought, at least not until he saw her again. This time as part of the Poof's little team of avengers in the City of Angels.

The sight of Cordelia training the crossbow at him would forever be imprinted in his brain.  She was magnificent.  Despite being intimidated and scared, there was something in her eyes which had alerted Spike to the fact that she could pull the trigger without batting an eyelid.  He'd known the she was beautiful, but the chit was also tough.  He liked that.

Willow had known that he had a crush on the former cheerleader, but now, since getting to know Cordelia, his feelings towards his Seer were so much more complicated.  He was confused.  He didn't like the tenderness in him she elicited.  She made him weak.

'He was supposed to be the Big Bad.  Wasn't he?', Spike thought.

A muffled scream sounded from behind the bleached blond.  Without a second thought, he ran towards the alley behind one of the college bars, the Watering Hole he thought the name was.

In seconds his fist was headed toward the demonic visage of a vampire feeding from what looked like a co-ed.  The vamp was knocked off the girl, who slid to the ground in an unconscious heap.

Smirking wickedly Spike leveled a roundhouse kick to the ugly vamp's head, sending him reeling into a wall. The vamp growled and stared in shock as the
Spike's face changed.

"Come on buddy, I could've shared."

Furious now, Spike pounded the younger vampire's face with his fists taking perverse pleasure in the yelps his blows elicited.

Fearful for his life the vamp suddenly charged the bleached blond, grabbing him about the waist and tossing him aside.  In seconds Spike was back on his
feet, his amber eyes glowed in the gloom.

The fledgling vampire swallowed and shuddered, backing away from the strange master vampire.

Spike smirked at the cowering vampire before producing a stake from his sleeve.  The younger vamp snarled in fear and backed away, finally turning to run.  He didn't get far before a vicious kick to his kidney tumbled him to the ground.  The pain didn't last long however, the stake in heart ending his ability to feel anything, ever again.

The British vampire dusted himself off and grinned.  'Yeah he was the Big Bad.'
 

Chapter 5

The next morning Cordelia awoke to the sound of a running vacuum cleaner. Moaning unhappily, the brunette flipped over onto her back, turning her head
to stare at the alarm clock on her bedside table.  It was eleven in the morning.

She sighed, tossed back the covers, and sat up.  'I haven't slept this late since we moved here', she mused.  'Well, its not like I have a job to go to anymore', the former cheerleader thought.

The vacuum's whine continued, intruding on her thoughts.  Cordelia shook her head in disbelief.  'Spike couldn't be vacuuming, could he?'  She snickered,
"no way."

Tossing her dark mahogany hair over her shoulder, Delia stood and made her way to the living room where the sound seemed to be coming from.  Her mouth
gaped open in shock.

Spike was vacuuming.

Cordelia placed the back of her hand to her forehead.  'I must be ill', she theorized.  She felt her forehead for a moment.  'Nope no fever.'

The blond vampire looked up and spotted the lovely brunette in the doorway, her hand was to her head and her mouth was open.

He flicked off the vacuum cleaner.  "Did you say something pet?"

Mutely shaking her head no, the Seer managed to close her mouth.

"Uhhhh.... what are you doing Spike?"

"What does it look like genius?", the vampire answered, amusement glinting in his cerulean eyes.

"Oh...."

Silently, Cordelia turned on her heel and walked down the hall to the kitchen.  'Coffee... I need coffee', she thought.  'Maybe after some caffeiney goodness all this will make sense.'

Opening one of the cabinets, the young woman grabbed the can of ground coffee and a filter.  Making a quarter turn to put the items in the coffee maker, she started in shock.

There was a pot of hot, fresh coffee already made.  To top it all off, the dishes were actually clean.

Tears pinpricked behind her eyelids.  Cordelia blinked them away, suspicion already blooming in her mind.

"Spike!", she yelled.

The bleached blond appeared, his customary cocky grin already in place.

"Spike, what's going on?"

"Cor luv you think a Warrior of the Powers That Be could just sit around while his Seer was down in the dumps?"

Cordelia blinked.  "No, seriously...."

The sexy vampire straightened.  His blue eyes bored into hers.

Time seemed to stop.  Cordelia felt her mouth go dry.  Awareness slammed into her body.  A heavy, molten feeling seemed to settle in the pit of her stomach.

Spike licked his lips, taking in the baggy gray sweats the brunette wore. They rested low on her shapely hips, leaving an expanse of skin bare to his gaze.  The white tee shirt she wore was a bit small.  The chipped vampire was acutely aware that his Seer was not not wearing a bra.

He closed his eyes momentarily, and bit back a groan, determined not to lose control.  Shoving aside his body's reaction to the young woman, Spike's eyes
snapped back open.

Cordelia's heart sped up.  She was unable to look away.  'I could drown in those eyes', she thought.

"I came to a realization last night Cheerleader.  We've been here for two months, and I know I'm not any closer to getting this damned chip outta my head, than I was in Sunnydale", Spike began.

"Oh", the young woman said quietly, the spell holding her still and mute, suddenly gone.  Clearing her throat, the former May Queen grabbed a mug and
turned to fix herself a cup of coffee.

The British vampire watched the girl in silence.  'Was that disappointment I heard in her voice?', he wondered.

Spike shrugged and continued speaking aloud.  "Anyhow pet, things need to change around here....."

~~~~

~L.A~

Later that afternoon, the phone rang in the Hyperion Hotel.

"Don't answer that."

"I have to Angel, it could be important."

Angel growled in annoyance and resumed suckling on the pale, fragranced skin of Willow's lovely neck.

"Gunn and Wesley are downstairs, let them answer it", the dark vampire muttered.

The redhead rolled her eyes.  "Angel, this is our private line.  You know the guys can't answer it downstairs."

Poking her mate in the stomach, to punctuate her point, Willow reached over to grab the handset of the phone on the fifth ring.

"Hello."

"Wills, its Delia, you won't believe this."

"What happened?", Willow asked concerned.  Covering the mouthpiece with one hand, the witch mouth to Angel 'its Delia'.

The dark haired vampire stopped what he was doing.  "Is she alright? What did Spike do now?  You know Flame, if you'd just let me stake his ass this never would--

The ice filled green gaze Willow leveled at Angel, stopped him in midsentence.

"Uhhh, Delia, sorry I wasn't paying attention, repeat that", the red witch spoke into the handset.

Covering the mouthpiece again, Willow informed Angel that his friend was fine.

Relieved, Angel turned his attention back to what he had been doing.  'Now where was I', he thought wickedly.

Willow's breath caught as a large hand slowly crept beneath her nightshirt.

"Mmmm...", she sighed.

Catching herself, Willow tried in vain to ignore her Warrior's actions and her body's response to them.  Desperately, the redhead tried to concentrate on Cordelia's voice.

"Wills, I got up this morning to the sound of the vacuum cleaner.  I thought, I was losing my mind", her friend gushed rapidly.

"Wait", Willow said in amusement.  "Are you telling me Spike was vacuuming?"

"Yes!"

"No way.  How?  Why?"

"Honestly Wills I have no clue, but he told me today that he wants the chip removed so bad he'd make more of an effort to be the Warrior he's supposed to be.  He even said that if that meant being more like 'his bloody Poof of a Sire', he'd actually do it.

Willow started in shock.  "Are you alright Delia?  You didn't fall and hit your head or anything, right?"

Angel quietly listened to the conversation while slowly unbuttoning the nightshirt Willow wore, uncovering creamy, warm flesh to his gaze.

"Spike was even talking about actually trying the detective agency idea, so we could fight evil and still get paid", Cordelia said enthusiastically.

Willow grinned and shook her head in amusement.  Her mouth opened into a little round 'O' as her mate's mouth trailed kisses down her stomach.  She
managed somehow not to whimper, instead she asked Cordelia about her acting.

"To tell you the truth Willow, my heart's not into the whole acting thing anymore.  I thought coming to New York would jumpstart my interest, but it hasn't.  I'm a different person.  My goals are different.  This is WHAT I want now."

The redhead wondered if the former Cheerleader had realized yet that Spike was WHO she wanted.

Aloud, Willow said, "that's great Delia....oh... my....."  The witch trailed off, her eyes shutting of their own accord as Angel's talented mouth neared her core.

"Umm Willow", Cordelia began, smiling knowingly into the phone.  "Are you busy right now."

A gasp sounded loudly in the brunette's ear.  "Call me later girl", she said to her fellow Seer.

Willow barely heard what her friend said, her entire being focused on the delicate flicking Angel's tongue was directing at her sensitive clit.

"Sure", the wiccan managed to say, before all Cordelia heard next, was the dial tone.

'Jeez', Delia thought.  'Those two are like bunnies.'
 

Chapter 6

~N.Y.~

Two weeks later Cordelia looked around at the small office space, envisioning what she could do to make it functional.

Her hazel eyes finally settled on the wooden desk she'd purchased.  She stared at the desk critically, and shook her head.

"No, I don't like it there.  How about you move it into the middle of the room facing the door?"

Spike rolled his eyes and groaned.  "Come on Cheerleader, make up your mind."

Cordelia glared icily at the vampire, and he relented.  Mumbling under his breath, the bleached blond picked up the old wooden desk, hauling it the few steps to the center of the room and dropping it unceremoniously.

The heavy thud echoed through the room.

"Hey", the former May Queen said, "careful with that."

"Cor, Cheerleader its not as if I can hurt it."

"Whatever S- sssspike-- ARrrrgh!!!"

Spike turned at the sudden sound.

Cordelia's head was thrown back, her eyes wide.  The vampire moved quickly, catching the young woman just as her legs buckled out from beneath her.

The chipped vampire held his Seer close as her body convulsed, in the throes of a vision.

Spike hated when this happened to her.  The visions looked agonizingly painful.  He imagined that he probably looked much the same when his chip would go off.  He sighed, and hugged the girl closer trying to lend her some of his strength.

The brunette stopped convulsing and opened her eyes abruptly. Much to her surprise she found herself looking into Spike's ice blue eyes.

"Spike", she gasped.

"You okay, pet?"

Cordelia nodded, despite the pounding headache jackhammering behind her eyeballs.  She realized suddenly that she was in Spike's arms.  Her heart skipped a beat, and she licked her lips nervously, uncertain for the first time in her life as to what to say.

Spike gazed at the woman in his arms, reluctant to let go.  His eyes followed the tip of Cordelia's pink tongue as it moistened her lips.  The vampire's gaze darkened, desire shooting through his body.  He wanted her, he wanted this human girl more than he'd ever wanted a woman in his life. The thought was disturbing.

"Lia?", he rasped questioningly.

He had to know, no, he needed to know what she tasted like.

'Lia?', Cordelia thought in wonder.  'He called me Lia, not Cheerleader, not pet... no one's ever called me that before...'

"Spike?", she gasped, as her Warrior's arms tightened about her, causing her sensitive breasts to press against his hard body.  Almost delicately, Spike's lips moved over her own.

In response to his kiss, Cordelia found herself desperately trying to get closer.  Her hands moved of their own accord, weaving into the short hair at the back of Spike's head.

He groaned as the brunette's nails lightly grazed the back of his skull, her lips parted invitingly.  Spike's tongue lightly traced her lips, before his tongue entered the hot cavern of her mouth.  Cordelia shivered.

The former May Queen had never felt anything like this before.  Her body felt languid, lethargic, as if she was covered in something thick and viscous.  'Like honey', she mused.

"Cor, she was delicious.  Juicy and sweet, like a peach', Spike thought before a sound penetrated his consciousness.  Slowly, the vampire ended the kiss and stared at the woman in his arms.

Cordelia's eyes were still closed, her breath coming in airy gasps.  Spike smirked in satisfaction, taking in the beauty's bee-stung mouth.

"Lia", he whispered.

"Mmmmm hmmmm....."

"Lia, the phone's ringing."

"Oh!", Cordelia said in surprise, backing shakily away from the blond and finally picking up the phone.

"Hello?"

The brunette glanced at Spike.  "It's Angel."

The vampire snarled softly. 'His bloody Sire, that just figured somehow.', he thought in disgust.

Moments later, Cordelia hung up the phone.  She had had trouble concentrating on what her friend had had to say.  Her mind was still reeling from the amazing kiss Spike had laid on her.

"What did Paingel have to say?", the blond vampire asked, a disinterested look on his face.

"Huh? Oh...", Cordelia replayed what she had actually retained from the conversation.  "Nothing really, just wondering if we liked the office, and how things were going."

Spike caught her hesitation and smirked cockily.  He was almost shocked when a blush crept across his Seer's cheeks.

Embarrassed, Cordelia took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heart.   'Shit', she thought.  'Spike kissed me and I kissed him back.'

Pushing the memory of the recent embrace to the back of her mind, Cordelia attempted to get back to business, ignoring the honeyed warmth still steeling through her womb.

"Well", she said finally, "we have work to do."

Spike blinked.  "What?"

"Vision, remember?"

"Bloody hell!", the vampire grumbled, before sighing in resignation.  "So what is it we have to fight this time, Cheerleader?"

'Cheerleader again, what happened to Lia?', Cordelia wondered.  Her heart tightened painfully in her chest.  She closed her eyes and tried to shrug away the hurt.  'Fine.  If that didn't mean anything to him, then it doesn't mean anything to me.'

The brunette opened her eyes and spoke aloud.  "Come on Blondie, we're going to Sloan Kettering."

"The cancer hospital?", Spike asked.

The Seer nodded, "Yup there's some new big ugly hanging around the parking garage eating people.  I think it needs to feed off cancer cells to survive."

"That's disgusting pet."

Cordelia nodded in agreement, a grimace on her aristocratic features.
 

Chapter 7

Forty-five minutes later, Cordelia and Spike sat in an uncomfortable silence in a subway car.  A large, black duffel settled on the floor between them.

The chipped vampire cleared his throat.  He wasn't sure what had happened, but the chit had been as frosty as ice to him since they had kissed.  She'd
barely even looked at him.

Spike didn't understand.  'Was it because he'd kissed her?  He didn't think so, she had kissed him back afterall.  As far as he could tell the attraction was mutual, so why was she suddenly giving him the cold shoulder?'

"What's going on Cheerleader?", Spike asked in frustration.

Cordelia snorted and ignored him.  She had finally figured it out.  Why he called her Cheerleader when he knew her name. Why he called everyone, including her, luv and pet and chit.  It was his way of distancing himself.

The brunette frowned.  The only person she could ever remember him calling by name was Drusilla.  'That bitch.', Cordelia thought furiously, 'His beloved Dru had really done a number on him.  Why do I even care?  Why do I want him to call me Lia like he did before?  When this is over I have to talk to Willow.'

The train stopped, and the Seer looked up.  "This is our stop Blondie.  Lets go kick some ass."

Annoyed, Spike followed in silence.

~~~~

Cordelia hid in the shadows of the hospital parking garage behind a Ford Explorer.

"Where the hell is the ugly thing", she muttered, staring at her watch. "Don't these things follow schedules?"

Spike fingered the axe he held in his hands, itching to bury it in something.

The vampire sniffed the air, and wrinkled his nose, as a rank, disgusting odor reminiscent of rotting meat, suddenly overcame him.

"Do you smell that pet?"

"Ewww...!!", Cordelia hissed.  "What is that?"

The young woman peered around the vehicle, as the elevator in the garage *dinged* open.  In horror, she watched as an elderly couple stepped out and
a large, dark shadow rose up nearby, following them.

"Spike, there it is.  Spike--?", the Seer looked around in confusion, the vampire was gone.

Exasperated, Cordelia bent and grabbed a cross bow.  She fumbled for a moment with the metal-tipped wooden bolt before getting it correctly placed.

A scream rent the darkness.

"Fred! NO!! Help!!!"

Cordelia took a deep breath and ran out from her behind her hiding place, crossbow in hand.

She gasped.  The older woman's husband was being dragged by a long purple tentacle into the impossibly huge maw of what looked like a big slimy octopus.

Suddenly, the brunette spotted her Warrior hacking into the large creature with his axe.  The blows didn't seem to be having much effect.

Cordelia ran toward the elderly woman.  "Run!! Hide!  We'll stop it!", the Seer yelled, before running to Fred's aid.

The woman nodded reflexively, in shock.  She couldn't quite believe what her eyes were seeing.  It was like a nightmare.  Ethel wished she'd wake up soon.  She moved away, her eyes lingering on her struggling husband.

"Please, help him!"

Spike snarled, anger, giving him new strength as he continued to slash and hack at the seven foot tall demon.  The vampire's human facade rippled and
fell way, his true face emerging.

He rammed the axe at what he thought was the demon's head, growling in frustration when it didn't even seem to phase it.  The struggling human was still being slowly dragged toward it.

Cordelia reached the fallen elderly man.  She dug a serrated hunting knife out of her boot.

"Don't move", she told the man, as she started to saw through the tentacle wrapped around the panicking man's ankle.

The Skeith demon howled in pain as its arm was slowly split.  Instinctively, the stupid creature sent its other tentacle to it's twins aid.

Cordelia finally managed to free the man, telling him to run, right before another purple appendage viciously wrapped around her throat, pulling her off of her feet.  They dangled in the air, and in shock, the brunette dropped the crossbow which she had held in her other hand.  She gasped for air.

In satisfaction, the Skeith slowly began to choke the life from the human girl.

"Lia!", Spike yelled.  "Let her go, you bastard!"

The vampire whirled, pulling his axe free from the creature's gelatinous body and swinging it powerfully toward the demon's remaining tentacle in one graceful move.

Cordelia clawed at the tentacle around her neck.  She was choking!

Spike's axe cut through the Skeith's appendage easily, freeing his Seer.

The former May Queen fell to the ground, her mouth open, trying to suck in large quantities of life giving oxygen.  Her vision blurred as she searched the ground for the crossbow she'd dropped.

She spotted the weapon and dove for it, just as the demon's beaked maw came crashing toward the ground she just vacated.

Spike ran towards Cordelia.

"Stay out of the way", he growled angrily.

"Shut up Spike!", Cordelia shouted, watching as the purple demon reared back and roared, its mouth opening wide.

"Go do something constructive", she bit out, as she took aim with her crossbow.  Slowly, she steadied her arm and squeezed the trigger, watching in satisfaction and the metal tipped bolt sailed inside the Skeith's mouth. 'Thank you Angel!', she thought.

An angry, pain-filled scream echoed throughout the parking structure, almost knocking Cordelia and Spike off of their feet.

"Oh shit, that pissed it off Cheerleader."

The dark haired Seer grinned and ran back to where she'd left the duffel. The brunette grabbed a handful of new bolts and placed another in her crossbow. Then, grabbing another weapon, Cordelia ran back to where she'd left Spike.

The vampire was once again trying to hack at the demon with his axe to no avail.  'The axe just wasn't penetrating deeply enough', Cordelia thought.

Almost lazily, the Skeith bucked the blond away from it, causing Spike to slam against a nearby car.

The chipped vampire growled angrily, rolling across the car's hood and coming to his feet gracefully.

"Spike! Here!", Cordelia yelled, throwing a sword to her Warrior.

"Thanks, pet."

After testing the sword's balance and heft for a second, Spike smirked, and darted behind the large, purple creature.

Cordelia shuddered as a roar of pain filled her ears.

She watched as the Skeith's maw gaped open.  The Seer could barely make out the glint of metal in the darkness.  Spike's sword had gone clean through
the back of the demon's throat.

Unhesitatingly, the brunette raised her crossbow and shot another bolt into the cancer eating creature's throat.

Spike pulled his sword free and thrust it in again, growling angrily as a slimy, green substance poured from the Skeith's wound, splattering on him.

'Damn that stinks', he thought.

Abruptly, the octopuslike demon stiffened.  With a last, gasping breath the creature fell forward onto the cement floor of the parking garage.

"Cheerleader?", Spike called.  "Where are you?"

The blond vampire looked around, the garage was eerily silent.

"Lia?!", he roared as panic overcame him, his throat constricted painfully. 'Fuck, if that thing ate her, I'll hack it into little tiny pieces...'

"Spike", a voice called out weakly.

"Lia, where are you?"

"I'm underneath this disgusting thing.  Ewww...", she wailed.  "It stinks."

The chipped vampire grinned in relief.  If his Seer was well enough to complain, then she couldn't be seriously hurt.

Using the sword as a lever, Spike managed to flip the Skeith's corpse over, freeing a disgusted and filthy Cordelia Chase.

Cordelia crawled out from beneath the body and sagged onto the ground, dragging much needed air into her lungs.

"Damn", she groaned, "rotten meat, much?"

Spike helped the young woman to her feet. She stared distastefully at the slimy demon's corpse as it slowly disintegrated.

"Bloody hell, chit.  Don't ever do that to me again", the vampire growled softly, hugging his Seer to him with a desperation he didn't want to identify.
 

Chapter 8

~L.A.~

Willow sat primly on the cold marble tombstone, sipping her strawberry kiwi Snapple through a straw.

Her green eyes followed the fluid, graceful movements of her Warrior hungrily.  Pulling the straw away from her mouth, the redhead spoke, "Roundhouse kick."

She grinned in satisfaction as Angel executed the move perfectly, his long, black coat billowing around his body as his leg snapped around.  His foot
connecting with one of his opponents' ridged faces.

"Oww", Willow winced, in mock sympathy.  "That had to hurt."

"Uppercut!", she exclaimed next, continuing the game.

Angel's lips curved slightly.  Wasting no time, the dark haired vampire's fist caught another fledgling under the jaw, sending it flying.

Willow took another sip of her Snapple.  'This was thirsty work', she mused. She blinked, a bit startled when the cellphone in her pocket rang.

Placing her beverage down next to her, the red witch dug the small phone from her jacket.

"Hello."

"Hey Delia", Willow greeted.  "Wait, wait, wait.  Slow down."

The wiccan listened to her friend intently, watching as two wooden stakes emerged from the sheaths beneath Angel's coat sleeves, dusting two vampires
easily.

"So, Spike kissed you... What's the problem?  Is he a bad kisser?", Willow said into the receiver, amusement evident in her tone.

"Oh, so he's not a bad kisser.  Wait, and that's the problem?  How is that a problem?  Personally, I don't see the problem Delia."

Willow smirked, watching in satisfaction as another stupid fledgling met its dusty end with Angel's help.  Her friend's voice continued wailing in her ear.

A rustling noise came from behind the lithe redhead.

"Hold on Delia", she said, digging a water balloon out of her jacket pocket.   Standing and turning quickly, Willow launched the balloon at the game face
of the vampire trying to sneak up on her.

"ARrgh!!", it screamed, clawing at its smoking face.  Digging a stake from the backpocket of her denim skirt, Willow walked casually over to the vampire and plunged the implement into it's heart.

Sighing, the witch placed the cellphone back to her ear.  "Sorry about that. You were saying?"

"Oh come on Cordelia, Spike likes you, you like him....  Believe me, he likes you."  Willow said, rolling her eyes.  'Goddess that was an understatement', she thought.

"Delia, listen to me, he just has trust issues", she said, taking another sip of her drink.

Angel slammed the remaining vampire against the wall of a nearby mausoleum. Dazed, the fledgling slumped against the cool stone, losing his battle to
maintain his balance.

Finally managing to stand, the vamp froze and glanced down in shock at the piece of wood protruding from its chest.  "Awww, fu--!", it exclaimed, before exploding into dust.

By the time the dust had settled, Angel had already started back to where his mate sat.

She had evidently finished her conversation, and sat sipping her Snapple, a thoughtful expression on her face.

The dark haired vampire settled himself on the grass by Willow's feet, leaning against the tombstone she sat on.

"Who was that?", he asked.

"Hmmm... oh that was Cordelia."

"Problem?"

"In her mind, yes", Willow responded, her fingers idly rifling through the vampire's hair.

Angel closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation.

"So what did my Childe do now?"

"Spike kissed her and she liked it."

The ensouled vampire smirked. "Well, its about time, the Bleached Wonder made his move."

His redhead nodded, grinning in the darkness of the silent cemetery.

"But there's a problem?", Angel prompted.

"The usual", Willow said.  "She ranted and raved about his being a lazy, cocky bastard, before admitting that what was bothering her was the fact that she didn't know if he cared about her."

Angel sighed, "He does, you know."

"I know that", the Seer stated, "but Delia doesn't."

"Oh."

Willow's hand continued petting the vampire at her side.  A soft sound began rumbling from his throat. The wiccan wondered if he knew he was purring.

"Angel?"

"Hmmm...."

"Have you ever done it in a cemetery?", Willow asked innocently.

The ensouled vampire's chocolate brown eyes flew open.

"I'm a vampire Flame, of course I have."

"I haven't", she answered sweetly.

"Oh really, well we're just going to have to remedy that little gap in your education, aren't we Flame?", Angel said, pulling his mate onto his lap.

Willow moved to straddle the dark haired vampire, before pulling his head to her own and initiating a passionate kiss.

Pulling away, the redhead took a ragged breath.  Emerald eyes, met brown.

"I was hoping you'd say that, my Angel."

Small hands fumbled for the zipper at the front of the vampire's trousers, brushing against the rapidly hardening length of his straining cock.

Angel groaned as the zipper was finally lowered and Willow's warm hands slipped him free through the fly of his silk boxers.  She gripped him firmly, stroking him languidly, using her thumb to smooth the small pearl of pre-cum across the sensitive skin at the head of his shaft.

"Willow", he gasped.

The dark vampire's hands trailed up his witch's bare legs, tugging the denim skirt up higher.

He moaned at the discovery that she wore no underpants.  "I can't believe you've been walking around like that all night", he growled darkly.

"Yup", the redhead said, giggling.  The giggle became a startled moan as Angel's fingers traced the folds of her dripping core.

"You're a bad, bad girl, my Flame."

"Angel, please", she pleaded, as a long finger plunged into her cunt.

"Please what, Little One?"

Emerald eyes, gazed beneath long lashes at the face of her mate.  Willow licked her lips.  "Fuck me Angel."

The dark vampire smirked and withdrew his finger.  Willow whimpered in disappointment.

Large hands settle firmly on her hips, lifting the slight woman and positioning her hot core over his turgid flesh.

Slowly, Angel lowered his Seer onto his cock, allowing only its head to enter her heat before lifting her back off.

Willow pouted, "Tease."

The vampire arched a dark eyebrow at his Mate and waited, occasionally moving beneath her so that his arousal came into fleeting contact with the outer lips of her vagina.

Unable to take any more of his torture the small redhead gave in.  "Please, Angel", she whispered.

Quickly now, the ensouled vampire lowered, his Flame onto his cock, her tightness and heat almost undoing him immediately.

Angel groaned, and leaned further back against the headstone as he continued to raise and lower Willow's body.

Willow moaned, unable to withstand the languid pace any longer.  Leaning forward she claimed her Mate's lips with her own before slamming herself down forcefully.  "Oh my...", she gasped as her body stretched to accommodate his girth.

Tongues mated, as she continued to move.  Angel bucked beneath her, meeting her downward thrusts with powerful upward surges.

Their movements became frenzied, all rhythm forgotten as they strained together in mounting pleasure.  Willow keened as she climaxed.  Her core spasming around her lover's cock, milking her orgasm from his body at the same moment his fang's entered her throat.

"Angel!", she screamed, her body spiraling into another dizzying climax.

The couple quieted, and after a few moments, Angel slid his fangs carefully from Willow's throat.

"Mine", he whispered.

"Always", she said.

"I love you Flame."

"And I you."
 

Chapter 9

After her short conversation with Willow, Cordelia was annoyed to discover that Spike had beat her into the bathroom and was taking a shower.

She knocked harshly on the door.  "You'd better not use up all the hot water Blondie!"

"Aww, hold on to your knickers Cheerleader!", Spike yelled back.

Ten minutes later, the brunette stood impatiently by the bathroom door, her foot tapping on the ground.  The door swung open, and Spike strolled out,
cockily walking by the Seer.

"All yours", he smirked.

Cordelia pulled her eyes away from the moisture gleaming on the vampire's pale, sculpted marble chest.  "Did you at least rinse the tub, so I could use it?"

The blond grunted and rolled his eyes, walking away without a word.

"Humpf!", Cordelia snorted.  "Jerk."

To her surprise, Spike apparently had rinsed the tub.  The spray bottle of Tilex shower cleaner was perched on the inside of the old-fashioned claw footed monstrosity.

Cordelia pulled the shower curtain all the way back and tied it back so she could fill the bathtub.  She sighed happily as she ran a hot bath. Searching through the cabinets, she found her favorite scented oil, and added the spicy, citrus scent to the water.

The brunette sniffed appreciatively, adding another capful, this time of bubble bath to the rapidly filling tub.

As it filled, she lit a few of the candles she had scattered about the bathroom.  The Seer smiled happily, and turned off the overhead light. Shrugging out of her robe, Cordelia hung it up on the hook behind the door.

She turned the water off, and stepped gingerly into the tub, settling in the fragrant water.

"Aaaaaahhhh..... Heaven."

The former May Queen closed her eyes.  She was determined to relax.  She was not going to think about Spike or the fact that he'd just walked by her
wearing nothing but a small towel wrapped about slim hips.  She groaned. 'Damn, why does that he have to be so damned sexy!', she thought in exasperation.  Realizing with dawning comprehension, that there was no way for her to not think about the vampire, Cordelia gave up trying.

The bleached blond vampire had practically ignored her since the desperate hug he'd given her at the parking garage after they had defeated the Skeith
demon.

The young woman shook her head and slumped further under the warm water.  It lapped against her skin pleasantly.

Sometimes she really did think that Willow and Angel were right, and that Spike did care for her.  His occasional acts of thoughtfulness made her heart swell with joy. Like when he made her coffee in the mornings sometimes, or how he had actually begun to smoke out on the balcony instead of in the apartment.  And of course, there was The Kiss.

Cordelia sighed quietly.  She couldn't believe that she now thought of The Kiss in capital letters.  'Oh well, it had been on hell of a Kiss!', she thought.  Her toes wanted to curl simply in remembrance.

Did it mean anything to him though?  Or was she simply dealing with a horny, desperate vampire?  'I mean, he had actually slept with Harmony, after all',
she thought.  The brunette wrinkled her nose in distaste.

The Seer didn't know.  Her track record in the love department sucked.  She didn't want to be hurt again. Spike could hurt her.

Cordelia's eyes flew open.  'Wait, did I just think about Spike and love, as in not separate thoughts, but together?'  The dark haired girl groaned, "Oh no..."

But she could no longer deny it.  She Cordelia Chase was in love with a vampire, and not just any vampire, but William the Bloody, part of the Scourge of Europe and also known as Spike.

"Shit.  I need my head examined.', she thought bitterly.  'Why couldn't I have fallen for Angel?'  That thought almost caused her to laugh
hysterically.  'Willow would skin me alive.'

The brunette shivered suddenly, and realized that the water had begun to cool.  Reluctantly, Cordelia stood up in the tub and reached for a towel on the nearby rack.

She had almost reached it, when a vision came rapidly upon her.  The Seer's body jerked in reaction, as pictures, emotions and pain slammed into her
mind with agonizing force.

Cordelia never realized that she screamed as she lost her balance and fell, never realized that her head had glanced painfully against the rim of the tub.  She was unconscious when her body slid into the cool, citrus scented water.
 

Chapter 10

Spike had been pacing around his room, when he heard the noise.  It had barely been audible above the sound of his cd player, but he was sure he'd heard something.

Curious, the blond vampire tugged a black tee shirt over his head and walked out into the hall.

"Cheerleader?", he called.

Upon receiving no answer, Spike walked quickly down the hall.  He knocked on Cordelia's bedroom door.

"Cheerleader, you decent in there?", he asked, secretly hoping he'd walk in on her naked.  He smirked, but frowned suddenly when no answer was forthcoming.  Knocking again, Spike turned the knob and opened the door. The room was empty.

'Where the hell was she?', he thought, becoming slightly alarmed. 'Maybe she was still in the bathroom... '

The vampire turned back, and walked in the other direction.  He stopped at the bathroom door and knocked.  The silence was now truly deafening.  Spike
tried the knob.  The door was locked.

"Cheerleader?", he growled, becoming angry, "Are you ignoring me or something?.....  Damn it, chit, are you okay in there?!"

If it turned out the girl was ignoring him, he swore to himself he'd skin her alive.  Enraged, tendrils of fear wrapped themselves around his dead heart.

Snarling, Spike's human facade fell away leaving his demon's true face.  The wooden door splintered, as he slammed his shoulder against it.  Backing up,
the vampire crashed into the door again, causing it to buckle inward and burst open.

The sight that greeted him killed the rage instantly.  Cordelia's leg was somehow thrown over the edge of the tub, while the rest of her body was submerged.  Long dark hair fanned out, floating about her.

"Lia!", he shouted.  "Fuck!"

In an instant, Spike pulled the young woman from the tub.  Her heartbeat was faint and she didn't seem to be breathing.  Still, he felt a small surge of relief that he could hear her heart at all.

For a moment, the blond simply held her.  Fear and uncertainty gripped him. He wasn't sure what to do.

Suddenly he remembered something he'd seen on the telly.  Carefully, he laid Cordelia on the cold bathroom floor and began to press the palms of his
hands against her stomach.

'Okay gently now Will', he reminded himself, 'humans are bloody fragile.'

He continued to apply pressure to Cordelia's abdomen, pressing inward and slightly upward.  Spike thought this would force any water she'd inhaled out
of her lungs.  Nothing was happening.  The brunette's heart was slowing, and he was beginning to panic.  'If she dies.... don't die....I can't even turn her... fuck...please...'

Still in his game face, Spike didn't even realize he had begun to growl, a steady stream of words pouring from his mouth.  "Fuck Lia, please don't do this to me!"

For the first time in his unlife, he regretted the fact that he didn't breath.  All he could do was continue pressing on her stomach.

"Lia!!  Damn it girl, you're a fighter!  Fight, damn you!", he shouted.

As if she'd somehow heard him, Cordelia suddenly coughed.  Water spurted from her mouth and nose.  Instinctively, she turned her head allowing the water to pour out of her lung and throat unimpeded.

Spike closed his eyes in relief.  "Thank you", he said quietly, to whatever higher power had actually been listening.

The blond held the wet, shivering woman in his arms as she continued to wretch and cough.

Finally able to breathe, although slightly painful, Cordelia looked at her savior.  Amber eyes met her gaze.  She blinked, and brought her hand up to his face.  Unthinkingly, the Seer caressed the ridges noting the smoothness of his skin.  Beneath her questing hands, Spike's face regained its human countenance.

"Spike", she said breathlessly.  "What happened?"

Shifting Lia's body in his arms, Spike buried his face in her hair. "Shhh... you're okay. Its going to be okay", he soothed, murmuring quietly against the dark silken strands.

Cordelia nodded, instantly calmed by his words.  She coughed again and moaned at the pain in her throat, and the throbbing of her head.  Seeking comfort in their nearness, she held onto the chipped vampire for dear life, sobbing against his neck.

"Shhh, Lia, my beautiful Queen."

The Seer's sobs stopped abruptly as Spike's words penetrated her consciousness.  Pulling her face away from his neck, Cordelia looked up. Her gaze met the vampire's crystal blue eyes.  Her lips parted in wonder. 'He's looking at me like-- like he loves me', her mind whirled.

"Spike?", she whispered.  But, the sound was swallowed by his kiss.
 
 

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