to know when hope dies ` cordelia/closed

[Angelus]

OH DEATH,
• well i am death none can excel •
I'LL OPEN THE DOOR TO HEAVEN OR HELL

Yet another fight. This one was a bad one. This time it wasn't only pottery or dishes that flew around the mansion when they fought, but heads actually rolled. As the fighting stormed inside the old mansion, lower vampires decided to come and take a peek. With a perfect excuse of course; to report that things were alright in Sunnydale and the alfa family still were the dominant family. Angelus hated those low-life leeches who bloody enjoyed watching when he and Darla got into huge fights. Mostly these fights started off with the most silliest things. But not this time. This time it was about power. Or actually who was in charge of the vampires in this small miserable town. It was not a pretty sight at all. Both of them were already grouchy because of the lack of blood. Angelus wasn't sure when it actually started. All he could remember was how the anger had risen from the depths of his guts and next thing he knew, he was growling and telling Spike to get Drusilla out. Dru didn't handle those fights too good and Angelus didn't like that Drusilla saw them fighting. She always got too upset by it and they would hear about for weeks. There was a slight chance that Dru might try to cut in and get hurt. And we didn't want that did we? Angelus didn't want his princess to see that mommy and daddy were fighting. Didn't that sound patronizing? The mere idea of that disgusted him. As the fight elevated into a huge storm, the china were the first ones to fly towards Angelus. Then it was flower pots. He still wore the stain of dirt in his expensive jacket which irritated him even more. After all that shouting and cursing, when the other vampires returned to the mansion and one of them dared to ask something from Angelus, the older, tempered vampire took an ax that was just there for the decorations and literally hacked one of theirs head off. Did that silence Darla? Hell no. The fighting went on and on. For hours the two of them fought about the most idiotic things like how should they rule the vampire community here and about..ugh..feelings. Well, Darla's feelings, not Angelus' of course. Hell the vampire wasn't even sure could he feel any emotions.

The World War III didn't end. It was nowhere near ending yet Angelus walked out. Well, actually he ran out since Darla had literally lifted up their couch on the air and thrown it towards Angelus. He had made it out just in time before it smashed it on the doors. When he inhaled the cold air, his mind was buzzing. Part of him wanted to go back, have the most amazing angry sex, but part of him wanted to strangle anyone who he saw. So, the irritated vampire walked away from the mansion. He was fuming. And he was starting to get hungry. I guess you could call it a stress eating situation. Instead of taking his car, the vampire decided to walk. Not that it would make any difference, he looked good no matter what, but he was positive that if he walked, his head would eventually clear up and he could go back. If Darla let him go back that was. He pulled out a pack of cigarette. Smoking usually did magic when ever he was stressed or annoyed. But when he did light up that cancer stick and took his first inhale, the goddamn feeling of anger didn't subside. He brushed his face and cracked his neck. What the hell was wrong with Darla? What the hell was wrong with women for that matter? Why couldn't they be like in the old days; they followed their husbands and never said a word. No matter how badly their husbands treated them? These days it was all about equality and women's rights. Pffth.

Angelus kept breathing in that smoke and waiting for the anger to go away. He still wanted to punch something. He still felt this urge to massacre this small pathetic town. He wasn't even sure where the hell was he headed to. So, just to make sure he wasn't heading towards the place where the Slayers met up, Angelus sniffed the air. Behind the cigarette's strong scent and the asphalt, Angelus recognized another scent. It wasn't any animal.
It was a human. A woman to be exact.
Angelus, the soulless vampire grinned and let out a sinister chuckle while the cigarette hung in his moist lips. Even though the fight with Darla was freshly imprinted in his mind, he decided to follow this particular scent. Perhaps he could blow off some steam and kill this person. Or torture the human. He grinned to himself and told himself to wait and see who it was. He walked over the street, avoiding the street lights and jumped over the high hedges. Softly like a cat, he landed on the soft grass of Sunnydale's park. He inhaled. He was getting closer. The human had just passed the same spot he was in mere minutes ago. The vampire followed the scent with a twisted smirk on his face.
For the first time today, Angelus got lucky. The person was facing her back on her and he was silent as the grave when he approached her. Instead of grabbing the girl from the back, Angelus simply stood there. Oh yes, he let her scent invade his mind like it was something new. He savored every detail of her and smirked. How long would you think it took the girl to notice that there was someone behind her?

[Cordelia Chase]

FORGIVE HIM,
when his tongue lies through his brain
EVEN AFTER THREE TIMES HE BETRAYS ME

Angelus wasn’t the only one who had been stuck dealing with power struggles on that particular day and he certainly wasn’t the only one who was prepared to get ugly the mood they were in. Oh she had plans to make the bitch who had tried to steal her place as the queen of Sunnydale pay, but first she had to deal with one of the girl’s accomplices. She had to give it to them their attempt was definitely different from what she was used to, but if they really thought that was enough to outwit her. Then they clearly did not know who they were dealing with.

The high school bitch walked through the park her high heels clicking against the ground the only sound breaking the silence that prevailed through the empty park. Why the hell had she agreed to meet him here again? Oh yes he had said something about it being a romantic spot and she had pretended to go all love struck not yet wanting him to know the true purpose of this particular meeting. Besides no one ever went to the park at night so it would be the perfect location for them to have this particular meeting without anyone seeing them. Oh yes Cordelia Chase knew a lot about dealing with issues far from the public eye when needed. She hadn’t become the youngest leader of the cheerleading squad and effectively the school for nothing you know.

It was after nearly ten minutes of this casual walking that Cordelia found the spot that she had agreed to meet him. Rolling her eyes in disgust she grumbled to herself “Actually has the nerve to make me wait on him. This guy’s going down.” Her tone was dark and it would have been quite clear to anyone listening that the brunette meant business. It was just as she finished this muttering that the guy she had been waiting for, Kevin came into the scene. He was tall, well built and the overall vision of handsomeness exactly the type of guy Cordelia was known for dating. Schooling her features into a happy grin she let out a delighted squeal racing over to him enveloping him in a hug. “I’m so glad you could make it...” She proceeded to give him a passionate kiss on the lips before dragging him by the hand. “Come on let’s sit on the bench over there.”

When she sat them down in the bench she smiled at him before picking up a brown envelope from her Marc Jacob’s handbag. Handing it over to him she gave him a few seconds to look at the contents inside before smacking him full on in the face the sound of it reverberating throughout the air. “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out your dirty little secret?” She grinned as he stared at her in stunned silence his hand on the area of his face that was bound to turn red in the moment.

She leaned in closer to him her features now cold and emotionless the perfect face for a girl who held the title of ‘vicious bitch’. “Now Kevin here’s how it’s going to work...” Her words were low spoken with a hint of malice to them “Unless you want the content of that envelope getting out and ruining all chances you have of getting that sport scholarship. You’re going to follow these instructions.” She merely looked at him coolly as he glared at her clearly contemplating hitting her. She ignored this however knowing that if she showed the slightest bit of fear rather than calling his bluff this game would be lost.

“Tomorrow morning I’m going to dump you in front of the whole school.” He squirmed in his seat quite uncomfortable at this point just imagining the embarrassment. Although Kevin seemed to agree with Cordelia it was a lot better than her blackmail material getting out. “Then later in the day you’re going to stage a scene with dearest Tiffany... Yes that’s right I know about your joint plot to screw me over.” And there ladies and gentlemen was what this entire thing had been about.

“You’re going to make it seem like she was trying to ask you out and more importantly you’re going to make it clear that just because I had cast you away doesn’t mean you would lower yourself to go with her... Then I’ll take it from there.” She simply smiled at this point watching his expression which had now moved to disgust. She rolled her eyes when he called her a bitch simply smirking “Tell me something I don’t know... Now you’d better be going. I’ll see you in the morning honey.”

She watched him leave grinning and it was only then when she was alone and unfocused that she recognised that creepy feeling that came with knowing someone was watching you. She turned to face them her expression murderous “Yes what the hell do you want?” It was when she saw him however that her features changed to a slightly more friendly one as she looked him up and down. “Why hello salty goodness, and who might you be?”