Title: Unexpected
Author: Wildecate
Email: Wildecate@hotmail.com
Rating: R (not this chapter though!)
Summary: Cordelia finds an unexpected dance partner.

Cordelia sat on the fat over -stuffed chair near an open window and found herself wishing for the comfort of her own couch, the reassuring presence of Dennis and I Love Lucy on the TV. For now the only thing that was comfortable was the dress she was wearing. She stroked her hands down it slowly, feeling the shimmering material slip through her fingers. Her first dress. The first dress she had ever bought with her own money, or mostly. Xander had paid for the rest, had respected her enough to know that she had too much pride to turn up to the prom in an old dress she had worn before. Everyone had new dresses for the prom and Cordelia Chase, Ice Queen and Head Cheerleader should be no exception. Except of course she would be. Because her father had been caught out cheating on his taxes and Cordelia had come down to earth with a bump. Wearing this dress always reminded her of that night and the slight feeling of regret that it hadn't been Xander's arm she had been holding but Wesley's. Not that she had anything against Wesley. He had finally grown up a bit and could hold his own with Gunn, could manage to survive in a fight without getting knocked out in the first ten seconds and all his insecurities seemed to have finally ebbed away.

She glanced around the room, wishing that she could see the man in question. It was a museum function he had persuaded her to join him on. He worked occasionally as a consultant to one of the museums in Los Angeles and this also meant socialising. Since Virginia had left him, Cordelia had been his regular partner for these occasions, he could leave her alone knowing that she wouldn't say the wrong thing and even had enough knowledge now to allow her to talk to some of the other guests on an equal footing. Her looks belied her intelligence. After all she had gained entrance to some pretty exclusive colleges, it had only been the money side of things which had prevented her from attending. Cordelia had picked up a lot over the last four years spending her nights researching in Sunnydale and then in Los Angeles with Wes. She caught sight of him on the other side of the room deep in conversation with three others, two men and a woman. She automatically rated the woman's dress sense (low six), hair do (all the curls had dropped out), make up (MAC nowhere in evidence) and shoes (last season's). One of the men was shorter than Wes with neatly combed dark hair and a big smile. He was facing Cordelia across the room and was nodding and grinning enthusiastically. The other man was taller than Wes, topping him by at least three inches, broad shoulders, his tux hanging elegantly on his well built frame. He looked vaguely familiar to her but his back was to Cordelia and she paid him no more attention, instead transferring her gaze to the dance floor where couples were whirring elegantly round to the Celtic style music.

She had always loved this sort of music, neat, classical and ordered but with a lilt to it that made her want to join the dance. The man who had been her constant companion since Wes had wandered off to socialise returned with her glass of white wine. She sipped it, thankful for the coolness of the liquid. He had been seated next to her at dinner and was charming in his own way and it was certainly not a chore for her to make conversation with him. She laughed at his jokes which were amusing but was careful to keep him slightly at length so that he wouldn't think she was available. Her grandmother's engagement ring on her left hand tended to deter anyone and Wes was quite happy to assert himself if she found that she couldn't handle the situation gracefully.

Her devotee (whose name she found she could not remember), seeing her attention diverted by the music, asked dutifully if she would like to dance. Cordelia nodded and set her wine down on a nearby table then followed him through the groups of chatting people to the dance floor. The music and dancing were formal but Cordelia, well trained by her mother, could handle any situation and allowed Lucas Morgan, she remembered his name, to guide her around the floor until she got the feel of the dance and memories of her dance lessons came back to her.

Wes turned slightly to see if Cordelia was still seated by the window. The chair stood empty and he allowed his gaze to travel around the room until he saw her dancing, partnered with her dinner partner, Lucas Morgan. The man was nice enough although had a reputation for ladies but he knew Cordelia well enough to know that she knew what she was doing and that she was more than capable of dealing with a ladies man like Morgan.

"You look like you've lost someone" Caroline Mortimer, the low six that Cordelia had rated, teased him. Wes gave her a quick smile.

"My partner for this evening seems to have captivated Mr Morgan." He answered suavely. The others looked across to where Cordelia and Morgan where spinning slowly round the dance floor, their feet moving precisely and easily to the slow music. There was a stifled gasp from the man beside him and Wes turned.

"Didn't I mention Cordelia was with me" Wes asked innocently.

Rupert Giles coughed after swallowing too much whiskey at the sight of Cordelia Chase. She had grown up a lot since he had last seen her at Buffy's funeral. But then, she had always been older than the rest of them, her attitude, her knowledge of the real world and her place within it that of someone five years older. He had been vaguely aware that she was in Los Angeles and that she worked for Angel but had not kept in touch with her. He felt quiet stirrings of guilt at this. Wes had mentioned to him that she had had a traumatic year but here she was, head held eyes, in the arms of one of the museum's top benefactors. He supposed she was aware of that and had turned on her special brand of charm for the rich man. Still, he mused, she was beautiful. Buffy and Willow never seemed to grow up, not really but by comparison Cordelia had matured into a strikingly lovely woman, and any signs of her childhood had vanished. Her hair, once long and luxuriant falling over her shoulders, was now trimmed to shoulder length but still the gorgeous deep chestnut colour remained. Her dress showed that she had dropped several pounds since he had last seen her but not through starving herself. Her body was that of an athlete, trim and slender and he could see the strength in her figure, the way she held herself.

"Another drink Mr Giles?"

Caroline Mortimer shook him out of his reverie and he realised that he had been shamefacedly staring at Cordelia while the conversation about Wes working permanently part time for the museum had flowed around him. At this point Giles was never quite sure what came over him. He declined the drink, set down his now empty glass and moved through the crowd until he was at the edge of the dance floor.

He watched as Cordelia tipped her face up to Lucas', laughing at a joke he had whispered in her ear. She had a blissfully happy smile on her face. Before he knew what had happened, he was standing behind Cordelia and had tapped Lucas' shoulder. Lucas Morgan looked into the eyes of Rupert Giles and didn't even hesitate. He simply nodded at Giles and then smiled down at Cordelia.

"I think it's time for a change of partners."

He spun her round firmly into Giles' arms.

Cordelia's arms automatically went up around Giles' shoulder and stretched out to meet his waiting hand before she had even looked up at him. When she did, it was just as well that Giles was holding her so firmly as she nearly fainted from shock.

"Giles!" she whispered, "what are you doing here?"

Cordelia could not believe it. The other man, the owner of the broad shoulders and elegant tux was Rupert Giles. Of course, he would be here. He was, as Wes was, an expert and consultant on artefacts and he had been asked to consult by several of the museums in the area over the last few years. She had not expected to see him at the function and the sight of him took her by surprise. It was as though she was seeing him with new eyes away from the school library and Sunnydale. Gone was the tweed and although she had seen him in formal clothes before, surely they had never fit quite so well? She would have remembered, wouldn't she?

The music changed and turned into a waltz. Giles led her surely and firmly round the floor and Cordelia found herself relaxing trustingly in his arms. Her feet followed his automatically as if they had always danced together.

Giles' hand on the lower part of her back was hot through the dress and she could feel the press of his body, he was holding her so close. It was so easy, so natural, as the music changed again to a slower more intimate tune, to allow him to pull her closer still, to lean her head on his shoulder. It was if the world had fallen away and it was just the two of them moving in time with the music.

Giles couldn't help but tighten his hold on Cordelia as the seductive beat of the music carried on. She moved softly against him, her delicate perfume assaulting his senses, her body warm and pliable against him. Cordelia's head dropped to rest on his shoulder and she moved her arms so they wrapped around his waist. His common sense usually so reliable in moments like this screamed out to him once before being well and truly trampled by his instinct.

His instinct drew his arms around her, stroking the soft bared skin of her back and he felt her catch her breath at his gentle touch. He could not believe that this was happening, perhaps it was a dream after all.

Cordelia stared up at him, her eyes smoky with longing and her gaze moved involuntarily from his eyes to his mouth. Reflexively and probably without even realising she was doing it, her tongue came out and moistened her lips. Giles looked down at her and couldn't help himself. He lowered his head and brushed soft lips across her own. Her soft moan at the intimate touch of him was lost in the heat of his kiss and, for a moment, they stopped moving, just stood entwined on the dance floor.

"Is this a dream?" Cordelia whispered finally, as they began to move again.

"Not a dream Cordelia" he answered, saying her name as if it was the greatest compliment.

"A spell then?" she asked quietly, "I'm not really sure what's happening. One minute we're dancing and the next, we're kissing and now…" she hesitated but looked up at him and saw the hungry look in his eyes.

"Yes" he agreed, running a hand down her spine.

"Is this just tonight?" she asked, uncertainly, like a child again.

"I don't know" Giles answered, "it's certainly…unexpected."

Cordelia lifted a hand and with tender fingers, traced the line of his cheekbone, the curve of his cheek and then stroked her fingers along his jaw.

"I don't want this to end. But it has to."

"I don't want to leave you again" Giles found himself saying, "I lost you once."

"You knew were I was. You just didn't come and find me."

Ah yes, that was his Cordelia, unafraid to face or speak the truth. There was no spell at play here, this was no dream, simply a surrender to the inevitable, a response to the atmosphere of the evening and the situation and the welcome discovery that there was something more to their relationship other than tight arsed school librarian and dappy cheerleader.

"Come home with me" Cordelia touched his lips again with her own and suddenly it was very difficult to say no.

So he said yes.




Next Chapter