Title: Secret Garden
Author: Wildecate
Email: Wildecate@hotmail.com
Rating: G
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss and not to me ya de ya de ya....
Song by Bruce Springsteen
Summary: A little scene with Angel and Cordelia - after "Expecting".

It was still early and Cordelia was seriously considering heading home, no matter how trendy the club. Serena and Karen were out on the dance floor and she found herself sitting alone. This was by choice and she ignored the hopeful looks she was getting from a group of lads who looked about fifteen. She couldn’t believe it, she was bored. How could she possibly be bored? She pretended not to see Serena beckoning her on the dance floor and instead headed over to the bar.

"Do you have a phone?" she asked the barman.

"Sure lady" the barman smiled at her and passed it over "Be quick OK?"

Cordy nodded and dialled a number which rang twice before being answered.

"Hello"

"It’s me. Listen, can you come and get me?"

"Are you OK?"

"Fine, just...." Cordelia was about to say bored but changed her mind. "I’m just tired."

"OK"

Cordy handed the phone back and smiled at the barman who had listened to the phone call shamelessly.

"That your brother?" he asked.

"What makes you say that? It could have been my boyfriend." Cordelia was mildly offended at that.

"Honey, I see a lot of girls come and go - the ones with boyfriends, smart boyfriends anyway, are here with them. You’re on your own with those two" he nodded in the direction of her friends "Anyone with you wouldn’t let you out of their sight for more than two minutes. At least not if they’re smart. So I figure your brother."

Cordelia gave him one of her dazzling smiles "I’ll take that as a compliment."

"It was meant to be one." the barman disappeared off down the other end of the bar to serve someone and Cordelia made her way through the crowd of gyrating people to make her goodbyes. Karen and Serena weren’t particularly bothered about her leaving.

About ten minutes later a black car pulled up outside and Cordelia walked out through the entrance, ignoring the queue of people waiting to get in and saw him waiting for her. The car was parked by the side of the road, right in front of the club. He was waiting next to the passenger door and when he saw her, he opened it and helped her get in. He closed the door behind her and walked around to his side. Cordelia pulled her scarf around her hair as the top was down and noticed that she was being watched by all the people in the queue, all wondering who she was. She smiled to herself and looked at the handsome dark haired man sitting next to her. There were benefits to having an employer who was brought up when manners were introduced. He was courtly and polite, always opened doors, always pulled out chairs, always stood when she entered the room.

Angel pulled away from the side of the kerb and on to the street. He gave the girl sitting next to him a quick sideways glance.

"You look better now."

"Better than when?"

"You looked thoroughly pissed off when you came out the club." Cordelia knew she couldn’t hide anything from him for long. She sighed and fiddled with her bag.

"I was bored. I was surrounded by all these wonderful people who I should be getting to know if I ever want an acting job in this town, and I was bored."

Angel laughed.

"What’s so funny?" she asked hurt.

"You. When I first met you I couldn’t do enough to get away from you. You were shallow and there was nothing there."

"And now?"

"You know what they say - still waters run deep. You’ve changed Cordelia. What makes you happy has changed as well."

There was silence for a moment and then Cordelia said thoughtfully "Nope, money still makes me happy."

"I bet I could take you to one of the bars on the dock for a meal and a drink and you’d be happier there than at that club" the word were out of Angel’s mouth before he knew it, he hadn’t intended to say it out loud but now he had and she was looking at him curiously.

"You’re on." she said.

"What?" Had he heard her right?

"I haven’t eaten anyway."

Angel took her to one of the not so seedy restaurants down on the waterside, not the docks at all really but certainly not the kind of place she was used to going. Cordy kept her coat on, not wanting to show off the designer dress she was wearing and followed Angel in. They got a table near a window and Cordelia settled herself comfortably arranging her coat so that it wouldn’t get in her way when she ate.

"Aren’t you going to get hot in that?" Angel asked trying not to laugh.

"Well yeah, but I’m not exactly wearing the normal run of the mill dress underneath this."

"What are you wearing?" his voice was low and a shiver ran up Cordelia spine when he said it.

Reluctantly she slid the coat off her shoulder to reveal the black dress, tiny spagehetti straps with an modest neckline showing the smallest hint of cleavage. Not the sort of dress Cordelia usually wore to go out clubbing. He smiled his approval and ordered the wine.

"Are you actually going to eat?" she asked glancing down the menu.

"Yeah, I do eat you know."

"What do you eat?"

As if by magic the waiter appeared and Angel ordered for himself and for Cordelia without asking her. She didn’t mind. Whatever he ordered would be delicious and his rare steak would suit him.

The evening rolled on and became night. They talked and laughed, remembering things, Sunnydale, Buffy, Xander and briefly they talked about Doyle although Angel changed the subject when he saw the hurt shadowing in Cordelia’s eyes.

"So we’ve done it all - we’ve drunken and eaten. Have you had a better time yet?" Angel asked.

"I haven’t danced yet" Cordelia said gazing out the window at the reflected lights on the water.

"Well, let’s remedy that." Angel stood up and held out his hand and she took it without really thinking.

Halfway to the dancefloor she remembered something.

"Angel, you can’t dance"

The music was slow and soft and Angel took Cordelia gently in his arms and they started to move. They drifted around the dancefloor with the other couples and soon Cordelia started to feel very comfortable in Angel’s arms. The song changed and without even being aware of it, Cordelia entwined her fingers with his and laid her head on his shoulder. He rested his cheek on her forehead and they moved on together in perfect accord.


"She’ll let you in her house
If you come knocking late at night
She’ll let you in her mouth
If the words you say are right
If you pay the price
She’ll let you deep inside
But there’s a secret garden she hides"


Without speaking they were moving closer to each other, letting go of each other’s hands. Angel slid his hands down Cordelia back, feeling the warmth of her skin through the dress and Cordelia slid her arms around his neck, breathing in deeply. She could smell a faint trace of whatever cologne it was he used, something spicy - she liked it. She could feel him all the way down her body, incredible strength under even more incredible control. The only strange thing about this was that of course he had no heartbeat, nothing at all, she could only hear him breathing softly in her ear. Cordelia found herself smiling and wondered when she’d last felt this safe and this happy.


"She’ll let you in her car
To go drivin’ around
She’ll let you into the parts of herself
That’ll bring you down
She’ll let you in her heart
If you got a hammer and a vice
Into the secret garden don’t think twice.

You’ve gone a million miles
How far’d you get
To that place where you can’t remember
And you can’t forget."


It was late and Angel pulled up outside Cordelia’s apartment. Cordelia was asleep, her head pillowed on Angel’s shoulder. He smiled down at her and touched her cheek gently. Her dark eyelashes fluttered for a moment and then she was awake, looking up at him with those huge brown eyes.

"We’re home." he said and Cordelia sat up a little straighter, trying to wake herself up more. Angel got out the car and went round to her side of the car and opened the door. Cordelia got out but was still half alseep and she staggered a little. Before she knew what was happening, Angel lifted her off her feet and swung her into his arms. Cordelia was too tired to object and just let her head fall back against his shoulder.

Phantom Dennis opened the door for him and Angel went through to Cordelia’s bedroom and set her down on the bed. She rolled on to her back and looked up at him, sleepy eyed. God, he thought, how did she still look so beautiful after being out all night dancing and no make up on and her hair all mussed up. He sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked her hair back from her face. She really was beautfiul, even more so with this soft dreamy eyed look than her usual hard edged beauty. He felt a sudden urge to kiss her but quelled that thought quickly, a strength of mind which instantly went out the window when she took his hand and said "Stay."


"She’ll lead you down the path
There’ll be tenderness inthe air
She’ll let you come just far enough
So you know she’s really there
When she look at you and smile
And her eyes will say
She’s got a secret garden
Where everything you want
Where everything you need
Will always stay
A million miles away"