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Cordelia closed the front door behind her, humming a tune under her breath. She opened the car door of the black Jaguar parked in the driveway. She had had Willow’s car returned the last night by her father’s chauffeur. He had been given strict instructions to just deliver the car to her house without saying who had “borrowed” it. Cordy didn’t need it anymore. As soon as her father had heard that his little princess had decided she finally wanted a car, he had insisted in letting her have his Jag until he could get her one of her own. With customized plates, of course. Queen C. It was nice being Daddy’s little girl.
* * *
She decided to stop by the mansion where Angel was staying before heading off for school. She thought back at the success at the Bronze the night before and smiled to herself. < I know I’m acting like a total airhead about this whole thing, but I’m just so happy! If being uber cheerful means I become popular AND get Xander in the end, then I guess this is the New Cordelia Chase. Funny. I don’t mind all that much. The bitch act was getting old. >
She reached the mansion and shut off the ignition. Opening the front door with no thought about the sunlight streaming in, she stuck her head in and called. “Angel? Are you awake?” She heard scrambling from the other room and walked towards it, leaving the door wide open behind her. She wondered nervously if she should have brought a cross or something. Soul or no soul, it was still better to be safe than sorry.
She cocked her head as she heard voices, and a loud thump, then Angel opened the door from what she guessed was his bedroom. He looked ... rumpled. And he was wearing only his pants. With the top button undone.
“Uh, good morning, Cordelia.”
She raised her eyebrow in question to his appearance. “And I’ll bet you just had a good morning,” she said teasingly. “Was that Buffy I heard climb out the window?”
“Um ...”
“Uh huh. Making with the happy already?” She lost her smile as a thought suddenly occurred to her. “Happy is bad. If you two had sex, how do I know you’re not the evil you again?” She took a wary step away from the vampire.
“Buffy said my soul was restored permanently.” Angel smiled crookedly. “Apparently you and Jenny Calendar worked together and gave it back to me with no clauses.” He bowed deeply then straightened with a grin on his face. “And for that, I thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” said Cordelia, smiling at his gallantry. “Wait. Did you say Jenny Calendar? As in that computer teacher you killed back home?”
He rolled his eyes at her thoughtlessness but answered with no trace of anger in his voice. “That’s the one.”
Cordelia shook her head in amazement. “Wow, this world really is way better than ours. I mean, if you think about the fact that you’re good and have a soul and stuff. And that the computer lady is still alive. Everything’s going great, isn’t it? Oh, no, it isn’t. Not yet. I’m still officially a dork, but by the end of today, I know I’ll be cool again. And Harmony and Willow will be sorry that they ever dissed Cordelia Chase.”
Angel seemed distracted, and he wasn’t paying much attention to her words. “That’s nice. Listen, Cordy, could you do me a favor? Could you close the front door?”
Cordelia stopped talking and glanced at him, slightly irritated at the interruption. “What? Oh, sure.”
Once the door was safely closed against the sun’s rays, Angel became more relaxed. He walked back into his room and motioned for Cordelia to follow him.
“Come in for a minute while I put on my shirt,” he said, walking into the adjoining bathroom with a shirt in his hand.
“Oh, I don’t mind seeing you this way ... but if you insist.” She entered his room and looked around with interest, surveying the pillows that were scattered haphazardly on the ground. She picked up an item she saw on the floor and smiled, tucking it in her bag. Angel appeared, dressed for once in a blue silk shirt instead of his usual black. He saw Cordelia sitting casually on his bed, swinging her legs.
“New color, huh? It looks good. You know, the all-black gothic look went out years ago.”
He smiled and took a seat next to her on the bed. “Thank you for the advice. I’ll make a note of that.” She looked at his face suspiciously to see if he was being sarcastic, but saw only a genuine smile on his face.
“I take it that you’re pretty satisfied with the way things are going on here, then?”
“Buffy doesn’t hate me, I never killed Ms. Calendar, my soul has been permanently restored ... oh yeah, I’d say I’m having a good day.”
“That’s great! Me too. Xander didn’t seem to mind the new me at all. In fact, the way he reacted to all those guys who asked me to dance, I’d say he was even jealous.” She giggled. “And he turned down Harmony and those other girls who wanted to dance with him too. I’d say he preferred this new me. Who could blame him? The old one was really tasteless. I swear, there was nothing in her room that I would ever wear, even if all my designer things were at the dry cleaners. They were that bad.” Cordelia hugged a pillow to her chest and wrinkled her nose in disgust.
Angel smiled in amusement. Cordelia was a bit self-centered, but she was not bad as far as companionship went. He’d even go as far as to say she was fun. Or at least funny.
Cordelia was still musing about her alternate personality. “Do you think I’m like a member of the chess club or something? I don’t know if I’d be able to pull myself out of that one. The whole pocket-protector chess thing would be the unwashable frappucino stain on my social status, don’t you think?” She looked at Angel for his opinion.
“I’m sure you, of all people, could get the stain out,” he said, laughing.
Cordelia nodded, satisfied. “You know, Angel, you’re a better listener than Harmony and the sheep ever were. I really do think you mean it.”
Angel’s eyes were warm as he pulled Cordy into a quick embrace. “I do mean it. Things are working out great for the both of us. I think, somehow, we both got what we wanted.”
She was slightly surprised at the gesture of affection, but she hid it well under a poised demeanor. “Warn me next time you want to give me a spontaneous hug, Angel,” she said mildly. “This outfit crumples easily.” Her eyes crinkled around the edges as she spoke, showing him that she didn’t mean what she said.
“Whatever you wish, your highness.”
Cordelia laughed then glanced at the digital clock next to the bed. She sighed regretfully. “I’d better go. It’s not like I mind being late for class usually, but this is sort of a first day for me, and I need to make an entrance.” She paused, winking at him. “And I have to find Xander.”
“Then I mustn’t delay you any longer. No reason why you should waste any more time with me.”
Cordelia stood up, and she smiled fondly at the vampire. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to, Angel. It’s weird, but I think you’re the only person I’d ever met who actually understands me. And talking with you is not what I’d consider wasting my time.” She walked out of the room and closed the door behind her quietly. Angel stared after her, surprised at the sudden show of sentiment. He was even more surprised to realize that he felt the same way.
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