Wesley for hauntedsouls
Continued from Here
We left Angel's office soon after we'd gotten back the git. Neither Buffy nor Angel seemed terribly enthusiastic to be teaming up, but that couldn't be helped. They were going to find Gunn and Lorne, who were both probably guarded better then Cordelia. Who was in a coma in the medical wing. Not much of a thread, a person in a coma I'd wager. And Charles Gunn was no light weight, especially not when possessed. I have no clue what he'd do, since whatever is inhabiting his body doesn't care about friendships.
We left each other in the lift. They stepped out on one floor in search of the others. I moved down to the basement. It was nearly empty there, just some people and demons in medical coats fluttering about. They hardly paid me any attention, just some strange looks here and there. Which might have something to do with the bruise on my face, thank you Angel. It did give me a good excuse to be here though. I knew where to find Cordelia of course, but was very ashamed to admit I didn't visit her nearly as much as I should. She was after all my best friend.
Carefully, I entered the room where they put her. She looked beautiful, even in a coma. As though she were asleep and would wake up any moment now. Berating us all for being so stupid and fall for the Wolfram and Hart trap. No doubt kicking our arses and then hugging us. She always was very vocal when it came to that. Well, when it came to everything. Silently, I walked over to her bed. She was hooked up to machines and my eyes slid over them. The steady beat of her heart, the hissing of the machine that regulated her breathing. "Oh, Cordy," I whispered, touching her hand.
A white light suddenly enveloped me and I blinked.
"Hey! I'm over here, dumbass!"
The voice was familiar. I glanced down at the figure in bed and then looked up confused. I was almost certain it had been Cordelia I'd heard, but that wasn't possible was it? "Cordy?" I nearly jumped out of my skin when something hit my shoulder from behind. Whirling around, I was quite stunned to see Cordelia standing behind me. "Cordelia? But...but..." Confused, I looked at the Cordelia laying in the bed behind me and then at the one in front of me.
"Hey Wes," she smiled sadly and waved at me. "It's me." Her eyes moved to the body on the bed and she swallowed hard. "Cordelia Chase doesn't live there anymore. Hasn't for some time now," she said.
"What do you mean?" Crossing my arms over my chest, I frowned at her. Cordelia Chase doesn't live here anymore? A cold vice gripped my heart when a thought occurred to me. Dear god... She-she couldn't mean...
"You always were the bright one, wooly boy," she grinned at me, though there sadness did not leave her eyes. "I want you to tell Angel something." She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her pride’s. "He's an idiot. What was he thinking when he took over here!." She stabbed a finger at my chest and I winced when a very real sharp nail pressed into my flesh. "And you! What were *you* thinking?"
Own. Rubbing the spot on my chest, I gave her an uneasy look. "I...well..Uh...What do you mean, you want me to tell Angel that. Tell him yourself." I didn't want to believe it, but deep down I know it must be true. Why else was she at two places at once?
"Oh Wes, you know I can't," she sighed. Reaching out, she rubbed a hand over my arm. It was ice-cold to touch and a shiver went through me.
"I don't want to know," I said stubbornly. "Why?" My voice was barely a whisper and I swallowed hard.
"Why does the sun shine, why does the rain fall from the sky, why is one plus one two, why is the next prada fall line so ugly," she shrugged.
"I don't...prada's next fall line?" Was she making jokes? This was no joking matter! But she was giving me that sad smile again, and I couldn't help but smile back in return. "I'll miss you, Cordy." My throat was tightening as I looked at her.
"Allergies?" she guessed, her laughter floating through the room like a spring breeze. "It's okay Wesley. It's my time. I've done all I needed to do here. It's time to move on. For all of us." She sighed and looked down at her feet for a moment. "Tell...tell Angel that I love him?" she glanced up at me with far to bright eyes.
"I will," I promised quietly. Though, I suspect he already knows that. Even if they never did act on it.
"I'll miss you too, Wes. I mean, who else are you going to argue with about advanced bosom class and push up bras?" her hand smoothed out her skirt as she looked at me thoughtfully. "Though, I have to say. You and little miss likes to fight? Getting good with the snark. Maybe she likes to play Word Puzzle 3D with you," she winked at me.
Little miss likes to fight? I looked at her confused. Oh, she means Buffy. "Well, yes," I shrugged. "You never wanted to play, so maybe she will. And we try with the name calling and the hairpulling." Grinning, I think back to all the bicker matches Cordelia and I have had.
"Make me proud, book boy." Tilting her head, she glanced up and then looked back at me again. "Time to move on," she said sadly. "Tell Gunn to be careful where he sticks his axe. Tell Fred that she's got it right this time, and tell Spike I'll come back and haunt him if he hurts her! Which Lorne all the best..." she rattled off and then took a deep breath. "And...I'm sorry."
I looked at her confused. "Sorry? What are you Sorry...
for..."
I blinked as the white light disappeared and I was back in the room which held Cordelia. The machines which before had been keeping her alive were now dead. There was a flat line on the heart monitor, and the small breathing pump wasn't moving. I looked down at Cordy, knowing full well there were a few tears sliding down my face. "I'll remember you, my best friend," I whispered, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Goodbye, Cordy. I hope you're happy now." Giving her a sad smile, I bent down, I pressed a kiss on her forehead.
"Third time's a charm."
We left Angel's office soon after we'd gotten back the git. Neither Buffy nor Angel seemed terribly enthusiastic to be teaming up, but that couldn't be helped. They were going to find Gunn and Lorne, who were both probably guarded better then Cordelia. Who was in a coma in the medical wing. Not much of a thread, a person in a coma I'd wager. And Charles Gunn was no light weight, especially not when possessed. I have no clue what he'd do, since whatever is inhabiting his body doesn't care about friendships.
We left each other in the lift. They stepped out on one floor in search of the others. I moved down to the basement. It was nearly empty there, just some people and demons in medical coats fluttering about. They hardly paid me any attention, just some strange looks here and there. Which might have something to do with the bruise on my face, thank you Angel. It did give me a good excuse to be here though. I knew where to find Cordelia of course, but was very ashamed to admit I didn't visit her nearly as much as I should. She was after all my best friend.
Carefully, I entered the room where they put her. She looked beautiful, even in a coma. As though she were asleep and would wake up any moment now. Berating us all for being so stupid and fall for the Wolfram and Hart trap. No doubt kicking our arses and then hugging us. She always was very vocal when it came to that. Well, when it came to everything. Silently, I walked over to her bed. She was hooked up to machines and my eyes slid over them. The steady beat of her heart, the hissing of the machine that regulated her breathing. "Oh, Cordy," I whispered, touching her hand.
A white light suddenly enveloped me and I blinked.
"Hey! I'm over here, dumbass!"
The voice was familiar. I glanced down at the figure in bed and then looked up confused. I was almost certain it had been Cordelia I'd heard, but that wasn't possible was it? "Cordy?" I nearly jumped out of my skin when something hit my shoulder from behind. Whirling around, I was quite stunned to see Cordelia standing behind me. "Cordelia? But...but..." Confused, I looked at the Cordelia laying in the bed behind me and then at the one in front of me.
"Hey Wes," she smiled sadly and waved at me. "It's me." Her eyes moved to the body on the bed and she swallowed hard. "Cordelia Chase doesn't live there anymore. Hasn't for some time now," she said.
"What do you mean?" Crossing my arms over my chest, I frowned at her. Cordelia Chase doesn't live here anymore? A cold vice gripped my heart when a thought occurred to me. Dear god... She-she couldn't mean...
"You always were the bright one, wooly boy," she grinned at me, though there sadness did not leave her eyes. "I want you to tell Angel something." She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her pride’s. "He's an idiot. What was he thinking when he took over here!." She stabbed a finger at my chest and I winced when a very real sharp nail pressed into my flesh. "And you! What were *you* thinking?"
Own. Rubbing the spot on my chest, I gave her an uneasy look. "I...well..Uh...What do you mean, you want me to tell Angel that. Tell him yourself." I didn't want to believe it, but deep down I know it must be true. Why else was she at two places at once?
"Oh Wes, you know I can't," she sighed. Reaching out, she rubbed a hand over my arm. It was ice-cold to touch and a shiver went through me.
"I don't want to know," I said stubbornly. "Why?" My voice was barely a whisper and I swallowed hard.
"Why does the sun shine, why does the rain fall from the sky, why is one plus one two, why is the next prada fall line so ugly," she shrugged.
"I don't...prada's next fall line?" Was she making jokes? This was no joking matter! But she was giving me that sad smile again, and I couldn't help but smile back in return. "I'll miss you, Cordy." My throat was tightening as I looked at her.
"Allergies?" she guessed, her laughter floating through the room like a spring breeze. "It's okay Wesley. It's my time. I've done all I needed to do here. It's time to move on. For all of us." She sighed and looked down at her feet for a moment. "Tell...tell Angel that I love him?" she glanced up at me with far to bright eyes.
"I will," I promised quietly. Though, I suspect he already knows that. Even if they never did act on it.
"I'll miss you too, Wes. I mean, who else are you going to argue with about advanced bosom class and push up bras?" her hand smoothed out her skirt as she looked at me thoughtfully. "Though, I have to say. You and little miss likes to fight? Getting good with the snark. Maybe she likes to play Word Puzzle 3D with you," she winked at me.
Little miss likes to fight? I looked at her confused. Oh, she means Buffy. "Well, yes," I shrugged. "You never wanted to play, so maybe she will. And we try with the name calling and the hairpulling." Grinning, I think back to all the bicker matches Cordelia and I have had.
"Make me proud, book boy." Tilting her head, she glanced up and then looked back at me again. "Time to move on," she said sadly. "Tell Gunn to be careful where he sticks his axe. Tell Fred that she's got it right this time, and tell Spike I'll come back and haunt him if he hurts her! Which Lorne all the best..." she rattled off and then took a deep breath. "And...I'm sorry."
I looked at her confused. "Sorry? What are you Sorry...
for..."
I blinked as the white light disappeared and I was back in the room which held Cordelia. The machines which before had been keeping her alive were now dead. There was a flat line on the heart monitor, and the small breathing pump wasn't moving. I looked down at Cordy, knowing full well there were a few tears sliding down my face. "I'll remember you, my best friend," I whispered, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Goodbye, Cordy. I hope you're happy now." Giving her a sad smile, I bent down, I pressed a kiss on her forehead.
"Third time's a charm."