Pairings: C/A Implications...
Spoilers: All S3 etc...
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Cordelia sits down to get with the research on Warriors... "Waiting In The Wings" Spoilers!
Disclaimer: If they were mine would I *really* be writing fan fic? Not mine!!
Feedback: Love it, need it, crave it... "It's like a Sickness..."
Dedication: To all the people who give me feedback - you guys, rock!!!
Prophecy stuff, like this...
Italics are Cordy's thoughts... Ohhh, aren't
YOU lucky?
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"Great. Research party." Grumbled Cordelia, playfully and took the book from the pile, "What am I looking for?"
"General information on Kostov, his tribe, where they hid... Where they like to feed."
"Would it be too much to say Pizza Express?" Asked Cordelia, hopefully. "Okay, okay!" She held her hands up in the international 'I Surrender' fashion and sighed, stretching her legs on the couch and smiled as Angel came in, holding Connor. The smile quickly faded however, when she realised something, "Hey! How come he gets out of research?!"
Angel, wearing a smirk, passed his son's bottom in the general area of Cordelia's nose. "Ooohh-kay then!" Said the brunette, "What am I looking for again?"
"Kostov." Said Wesley through gritted teeth, "K-O-S-T-O-V..."
"Sarcastic much? I can spell, Wesley." Flipping through the open pages, Cordelia came to a stop at a page entitled 'Warriors'.
"Gee, looks like someone born before the 12th century knew HOW to label their pages, what a treat for Research Girl." She mumbled, glancing down at the page.
A Warrior is born with Three Things,
A Body, A Mind, and A Spirit...
With these three things a Warrior is to build
a Life,
A Life of Balance, A Life of Peace, A Life
of Will.
And what a body that is. Cordelia promptly blushed as that thought popped into her head. Things had never been the same since Groo had left and Cordelia had that itching feeling that there was something she was supposed to have said to Angel but had... Forgotten? No... Repressed? Oohhhh yeah... Repressed Angel related feelings. Those were fun. Not.
Glancing up, Cordelia watched as he bounced Connor (in a recently changed diaper) on his lap. Three years ago, and Cordelia *didn't* love that spirit. She was fond of the body, not too interested in the mind and didn't care what the spirit was like. The man was a hotty! Scrunching up her nose, Cordelia frowned, "Ewww..." Angel, a hotty? Nuh-uh.
"Cordelia? Did you find something? Asked Welsey, breaking his attention away from the book on Sumerian vampiric cults.
"Oh... No..." She waved her hand, "Just uhm... Demons that eat..." She glanced down at her silver nail polish on her toes, glinting in the comparitive light of the hotel. "Demons that eat toes..."
"Cool!" Gunn stood up and went to her side, "Gimme a look..."
Cordelia clamped the book on her chest, knowing if he EVER went there, he'd lose a hand... At least an arm. "No! Get your own book!" She said, petulantly.
Gunn frowned, "Gee, Barbie, didn't your folks ever learn you to SHARE?"
"No, but that's 'cause I had two of everything and didn't need to." She sniped, "Back off!"
Angel raised an eyebrow in her direction, "You okay?"
"Fine." She said, blushing slightly and looking back at her book...
With these three things a Warrior is to build
a Life,
A Life of Balance, A Life of Peace, A Life
of Will.
A Warrior is born with Three Things,
A Body...
Speed, Dexterity, and Reflexes, these are the
gifts of the Gods to
A Warrior. Skills can be learned, but the
gifts are rare, and are
to be honed to the sharpest of edges and used
to build...
A Life of Balance.
Balance? Pfft! Angel's a... Okay, well maybe not a eunuch, but he doesn't have all that much balance or stability in his life. For one, he slept with Darla. How completely UN-balanced can you get? Okay, so the produce of that little 'unbalance' was the cutest kid I've ever seen in my natural life and my unnatural life to put it bluntly but... Come ON... He slept with an evil, blonde bitch. And no, we're not talking Buffy. Can you say "Past that, much?"
Dexterity? Angel's kind of a... Dork sometimes... Take when Connor first arrived, for example, while Angel was making him a bottle, trying to do about ten things at once, as usual. I was holding Connor (a rare reprieve for son from panicky father) while Angel set about trying to answer the phone, take the trash out and take Connor's bottle from the pan he was heating. He ended up wrapping the phone wire around his legs, tripping, spilling the trash all over the floor (and my new shoes!) and knocking Connor's bottle from the pan to the floor. The floor was CLEAN, I had just swept it and instead of panicky father changing the teat of the bottle, he made him a whole new one. Like I said, a dork.
A physical battle is quite simply an exercise,
in which A Warrior
is given the opportunity to use the gifts
of the Gods, and test the
skills learned on this plane. It will at times
be necessary to use
the gifts and the skills known to A Warrior
to build...
A Life of Peace.
Through training, the development of the gifts
and skills combined can
become a formidable weapon. Perfect Balance,
Peace of Mind, and An
Indomitable Spirit are necessary for A Warrior
to build...
A Life of Will...
Cordelia looked up, "Angel?"
"Hmmm?"
"Y'know when I train with you, don't I... Put you off?"
"Huh?"
"Well, I mean... A warrior has to be able to develop his gifts and stuff - doesn't my being there make you all uncomfortable and not... Indomitable?"
Raising an eyebrow, Wesley glanced at Cordelia, "Indomitable?"
"That's what I said!" She said, tetchily.
"And that means.. What? Try speaking English..." Said Gunn, shaking his head.
"Unyielding." Said Wesley, "It means unyielding. And she *was* speaking English."
Angel shook his head, "No, if anything your being there makes me better. Because I know that you're good at fighting. And it makes me want to be better."
"Ohhh..." Said Cordelia, "So that's a good thing then?"
Angel smiled, "Yes, that's a good thing."
"Okay."
A Warrior is born with Three Things,
A Mind...
Intellect, Creativity, and Common Sence, these
are the compasses and
maps given A Warrior to help in navigating
this existance. In life
A Warrior will make mistakes. The way these
mistakes are handled
will set the tone of countless lives determining
the measure of
A Warrior's steel. A Warrior will accept responsibility
for the
actions taken, learn from them, and use the
experiance to build...
A Life of Balance.
And I say again, HUH? Intellect and Common Sense? Where were those when he slept with Darla? Where were those when he let Darla and the other one feed on Wolfram and Hart's finest? He's even teaching Gunn at the "Angel University of Unprecedented Thinking" and Gunn's a GOOD learner!
Ahhh, okay... "In life A Warrior will make mistakes... Will accept responsibility for the actions taken, learn from them and use the experience to build."
"Angel?"
He looked up again, raising an eyebrow, "Cordy?"
"Y'know when you went through that 'beige period'?" She asked.
Angel visibly winced but nodded, "Yeah, what about it?"
She watched as he rocked Connor to sleep, "Well, you made a mistake right, but... Connor came from that mistake so it couldn't have been that big a mistake, right?"
"It was a mistake. I hurt you and the people I love... But I got my son out of it, and I found my friendships were stronger for it. Why?"
"Oh, no reason..." She said, glancing back at her book.
A Warrior must constantly endeavour to learn
all that is to be learned
of the path ahead, always drawing inspiration
from the path which
lies behind. For strength is the knowledge
drawn from the past, and
discretion is the wisdom of the future which
empowers the Warrior
to build... A Life of Peace.
He's always saying stuff that... Well, that matters, y'know? I mean, when he jumped into that whole other dimension for me, he came back with my only painful visions, a smile and a couple of friendly words. And he's always been one for the wisdom. He's learned from Buffy. He's learned what love can do and built a wall accordingly only... It feels like it's coming down now. With me. Which, okay, pretty scary. "For strength is the knowledge drawn from the past, and direction is the wisdom of the future." He's a lot saner than his beige period. He knows his direction. He knows not to get cocky and keep score of the demon count. He's Wise...
A Warriors mind is to be constantly
sharpened, for the mind alone
IS the most formidable weapon the Warrior
will ever posses.
The balance of knowledge and wisdom is the
tempering of the steel
that makes A Warrior, lending the strength
necessary to build...
A Life of Will.
I never know what he's thinking. I think maybe that's a good thing, because a) he's still male and b) he could have Angelus thoughts and both of this figure high on the 'ew' factor. I mean, look at when 'Billy' the jerk was around, what he said to me.
"You're not the one who broke him out and put him back on the streets. I did that"
"For me. You did it to save me."
"And I'd do it again..."
"Angel..." I knew it was wrong even as he was saying it.
"Hey - Hey, whatever's happening now, you're not responsible for this and neither am I. But I know who is." Okay then, I'd go along with that. Lilah's a bitch, so why not?
"Angel?"
Cordelia wasn't aware that all her friends had been watching her.
"Yes, Cordy?"
"When you fight - would you say your mind has to constantly sharpened?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because if you go into a fight guns or... Fangs in my case... Ablazing, you're gonna lose."
"Oh."
"Why do you ask?"
"No reason."
A Warrior is Born With Three Things,
A Spirit...
A Warrior will carry a shield of Honour. The
strength of which
is in perfect balance with the Honour of the
Warrior.
The Warrior will carry a sword of Truth. With
an edge that mirrors the
inner peace and honesty of the Warrior.
A Warrior will wear a helmet of Integrity.
With power matched only
by the will of the Warrior.
Honour, truth and integrity. Okay, so he's lied in the past but even this prophecy states that people make mistakes. Sometimes, it's hard to see Angel as a vampire, even when he's wearing his 'Grrrr' face. He's human to us. He makes mistakes but he carries all those things. He's a true Warrior, and I guess I never saw it before... I thought he was just all protectory and everything but... He's not...
"Angel?"
He smiled, she was definitely adorable when she was trying to be coy. "Yes?"
"What would you say is more important, Honour, Truth, or Integrity?"
"All three. Honour, because it's what's right. What I fight for. Truth because... Well, we all know where lying got me - it hurt you guys." He said gently, "And integrity because that's also what I fight for." Gently, he spoke the words he'd spoke months ago, "It's not about winning, it's about what's at stake."
Cordelia smiled, satisfied with her answer and turned back to her book, her friends watching her intently.
While battles can be fought and won with the
well trained body.
While wars can be waged and won with the tempored
and sharpened mind.
The most perilous test A Warrior will face
is the test of the Spirit.
Here the Gods give no gifts. A Warrior will
have only the strengths
of the spirit that have been developed in
the short life on the physical
plane.
A Warrior is born with Three Things,
A Body, A Mind, and A Spirit...
With these Three Things A Warrior must build a Life,
A life Eternal...
"Angel?"
The group of friends started to laugh, making Cordelia look up from her book, puzzled, "What?"
"You!" Chuckled Wesley, "Cordelia, you're reading from the Book of Warriors."
"Yeah, so?"
Fred smiled, "It's a statistical probability that everything *in* that book is written about Angel or his kind... And you've just spent the last 9 minutes and 22 seconds debating over whether it's true."
Cordelia frowned, "You guys just did that, didn't you?"
Angel smiled, "Guys, can I talk to Cordelia alone for a second?" He asked. Fred took Connor from him and nodded, stepping out of the room along with Wesley and Gunn.
"Why did you do that? Make a fool out of myself, much?"
Angel smiled and shook his head, "Because I had to know."
"You had to know what?"
"How you felt."
"About?"
"Me. Us."
"There *is* no us." Said Cordelia, frowning.
"But I want there to be," Said Angel, "Cordelia, what I was *saying* was, we've GROWN closer over the past few months and... I love you." He said softly.
Cordelia frowned, "This isn't right!"
"Huh?" Angel was crushed. "Why?"
"Because..." She picked up the book to prove her point and jabbed her finger at the point she was illustrating, "Look!"
A Warrior must constantly endeavour to learn
all that is to be learned
of the path ahead, always drawing inspiration
from the path which
lies behind. For strength is the knowledge
drawn from the past, and
discretion is the wisdom of the future which
empowers the Warrior
to build... A Life of Peace.
"Yeah, so?" Said Angel.
"Well... Learn from the past! Buffy! You can't love again, because of the whole 'I Love Buffy' thing."
"You're right, I do love Buffy..." Said Angel gently, watching as Cordelia's face fell slightly, "But I'm not *in* love with Buffy any more. Cordelia, read what it says..."
"I did! I read it," Said Cordelia, "I read it and..." Angel pressed a finger to her lips silencing her, "Listen." he said gently, "Strength is the knowledge drawn from the past and discretion is the wisdom of the future which empowers the Warrior to build a life of peace." Angel smiled, "I loved Buffy. I learned from the knowledge of the past that I can be happy, I can be happy with someone else. You *are* my future, Cordelia Chase." He whispered, leaning close to her, so close their foreheads were touching. "I find peace with you, I find hope, I find love."
"A Warrior is born with Three Things." Whispered Angel, "And the best? Comes when he falls in love with the beautiful, wilful, stubborn girl who just won't stop asking questions."
Cordelia smiled, "You're still a dork, Warrior or not." She whispered, her eyes glazed over with tears.
"And who am I to disagree?" Asked Angel, gently placing his lips upon hers.
*End*