“Well, would you like to build us a nice cottage? Oh, wait, you can barely make a house of cards in your condition,” Angelus mocked.

“I wouldn’t quit your day job, Angelus, those jokes are getting quite stale.” Spike spat.

“Careful what you say, try to remember who is a guest of whom now. Okay, pet?” Angelus winked.

“I can feel my strength coming back every day,” Spike seethed.

“Spike, I was never afraid of you before, why should I start now?” Angelus teased. “Ah, Dru. Looking lovely as ever.”

“Angel, you are too sweet. Has Spike been snippy again? You know how he hates it when we have to move. Right, Spike?” Dru asked.

“I don’t mind moving by choice. The Slayer is getting too close, and pretty boy won’t just kill the bitch and get it over with. Now that you’ve killed her friend, she isn’t going to hold back any longer.” Spike said.

“Yes, she is frisky. I’m starting to enjoy this. Have you ever met a Slayer that you could hurt in so many ways? Now who should I kill next?” Angelus wondered.

“I suggest the Slayer,” Spike added.

“You’re no fun, Spike. He wants to kill her soul and her spirit before he kills her.” Dru turned to Angelus and continued. “Why don’t you start on the outside. I’m sure she isn’t as close to some friends as others.” Dru flashed Angelus a wicked grin.

“Ah! Cordelia. Though Buffy might want to thank me. She annoyed me when I was cursed. She looks tasty though. A lovely neck.” Angelus grinned back at Dru. “Tonight should be fun.”

"*"

Xander and Cordelia walked out to her car at the end of school. She parked away from where her friends did so she could better avoid them seeing her with Xander. As they reached the car, she turned to him.

“So, it’s now your duty to watch over me tonight. Think you can handle it?” She grinned.

“Well, luckily, they can’t come into your house, so as long as you’re there, I don’t have to worry,” Xander replied.

“Gee, thanks for the concern. So, do you actually worry about me when I’m not home?” She asked, slightly annoyed by his last comment.

“Well yeah, I do,” he said.

“And Willow and Buffy, too?” she added.

“Of course I do. They’re my friends,” He said, confused.

“So what exactly am I then? You seem to care about them more than me,” she asked.

“Cordelia,” Xander tried to explain, “Willow’s my best friend. We’ve been friends for as long as I can remember. And Buffy, well, she’s special. She’s saved my life, and I hers many times. I can’t explain that, but we have a bond there. Yeah, I like her, I always have, but it’s not like I have a shot with her.”

“But what am I?” she asked again.

“You...you are...well...you’re my girlfriend,” he practically mumbled out.

“Oh, you say that with conviction. You make such a big deal over who Buffy or Willow is with, or where they are and what they are doing. Other than that spell, it’s like you just aren’t there when you’re with me. Am I wasting my time with you?” Cordelia asked, getting visibly upset.

Seeing this, Xander grabbed her arms just below the shoulder and pushed her gently up against the side of the car. “No. No, you’re not wasting your time with me. I care about you, I really do. It’s just that I’m not used to this. I’m used to us fighting and hating each other.”

“I never hated you,” she was practically crying now.

“Excuse me?” He said with a raised eyebrow.

“OK, so maybe I did. But I don’t anymore. I’m sorry,” her tears stared to well up again.

“Hey, don’t be sorry. Remember, I hated you too. I think Willow might hate you even more now than then,” he said with a wink. “But I don’t think she likes me that much anymore either.”

“See, we can’t have a conversation without it turning to your feelings for Willow or Buffy. Why?” Now the tears started coming.

“I don’t know. But I do care about you,” he tried to find an answer.

“No you don’t. You don’t care about me,” she was bawling now. “You don’t love me. Not like I love you. And you don’t know how much that hurts.” She tried to turn away from him.

“What? What did you say?” He took her right hand in his left, and tilted her face up towards his gently with his right hand under her chin. A state of shock on his face, and streaks of eyeliner on hers from her tears. “I’m not sure if I heard you right.”

Cordelia pulled her face away. “See, you don’t care. You don’t. I’ve never felt like this before, and it really hurts that you don’t feel the same. I want to go home.” She cried.

“I do care. I don’t know if I love you, but I really care about you. I didn’t know you felt this strongly about me.” He tried to hold her but she pushed him away to try to get in and drive. “And I will drive you home. You drive bad enough when you’re paying attention. I’ll stay with you as long as you want.”

“No. My mom, she’s sick. Just drop me off.” She was trying to compose herself, but she did give in and give him the keys.

“Well, you’re more than welcome to come over my house. We can order Chinese or pizza or maybe get some ice-cream or something.” He saw how hurt she was, but didn’t really know what to do. After what she said, he didn’t want to just drop her off. “What do you say? My treat?”

“You have money?” Cordy looked at him, somewhat shocked.

“Well, my mom will treat. You know, I would have gotten a job if it weren’t for the slaying.” he tried to defend himself.

“Don’t talk about slaying, ok? Just don’t say anything.” She got in the car.

He realized what she meant, and quietly got behind the wheel. “So where am I going?”

“To get ice-cream. Chocolate.” She looked at him and tried to smile, then just stared off out the side window.

“Chocolate it is,” he said and drove off.