This I Promise You
By Jules
Chapter 7
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
** Halloween **
?Willow, Cordelia, Buffy, your dates are here!? Duncan called up the stairs.
He turned to the two boys, dressed as Romeo and a T-Bird (from Grease), waiting in the living room, ?I?m
sure it?ll be just a moment.?
** Ten uncomfortable minutes later **
?GIRLS!? Duncan called, getting impatient, and feeling uneasy.
?We?re coming! We?re coming!? Buffy yells back, ?We?re just putting on a finishing touches!?
The finishing touches was a bag in which Buffy was putting stakes and crosses, which already secretly
contained Cordelia?s katana, and some knives that Willow had hidden in the bottom, just incase.
The girls then made their entrance downstairs.
Willow had ended up as the Indian Princess, Buffy had decided to go as Robin Hood, so she didn?t look
weird holding the bag, which was disguised as a quiver. Cordelia had chosen Aphrodite, so she looked a
vision in the filmy pink material. [You know the outfit I?m talking about if you?ve ever watched Hercules or
Xena]
?I really think we were worth the wait, don?t you?? Cordelia questions Buffy after there were no
complements.
?Most definitely . . . I feel so . . . ignored!? Buffy agreed.
Oz, the quiet guy with the Technicolor hair who was dressed as a T-Bird stood in front of Willow and quietly
told her, ?You look great.?
Willow blushed deeply, ?You look nice too. I really like your costume.?
Eric took Cordelia?s hand, bowed and kissed it, ?I have never seen true beauty until this night.?
Cordelia smiled at him, ?Why thank you, you make a wonderful Romeo. It was soooooo sweet of you to
wear tights too.?
?There is nothing I wouldn?t do, to please you my enchantress.? Eric tells her, bowing before her again.
Buffy rolls her eyes, then speaks, ?Shouldn?t we get going? We don?t want to be too late.?
?Yeah, let?s party!? Cordelia agrees, ?See ya tomorrow Mac, don?t wait up!?
** Much later that night **
It was around 12:30 a.m. when two of the girls traipsed in, giggling. Buffy and Angel each were supporting
one.
Cordelia stumbled, then leaned against the wall, ?Shhhhhhh, you have to be veeewwy quiet, Mac is
slllleeeeeeeeeping.? She hissed, then slid down to the floor giggling, because the ?buzz? she was getting
because of the other immortal?s proximity made her feel even funnier.
Buffy and Angel looked at each other. Buffy shook her head, then sighed, ?I?ll take Willow, you . . . pick up
Cordy.?
?Right, now what happened again?? Angel questioned.
?The punch was spiked. I noticed right away, but by the time I found Cordelia, Willow and their dates, they
were all plastered, giggling over Harmony who was passed out under the bleachers. I had Xander drive the
guys home, and called you for help, because we ran out of vehicles, and I don?t want to even think about
how hard it would have been to get these two home alone.?
Angel picked Cordelia up.
?Wheee!!!!? Cordelia squealed, then giggled, she turned to Buffy and told her in a serious voice, ?Just so
you know, Willow can sleep in the room three doors down from mine . . . with her clothes!?
?Shhh Cordy!? Willow hissed, ?Your intoc-intox-inc . . . your loopy . . . and you like talk more when you?re
full of punch!?
?Ok!? She wraps her arms around Angel?s neck, ?To my room James!? she ordered, then Cordelia burst
out laughing again, and laid her head against Angel?s shoulder, ?To my room.?
Angel shifted uncomfortably, the close contact making him very uptight, he ignored the feeling in his heart,
and carried Cordelia upstairs. She was too drunk to notice that Angel strangely knew where her bedroom
was.
He set her down on her bed sitting up.
Cordelia cocked her head and looked at him, ?Angel, is this your favorite holiday??
?No, actually, vampires and others things have parties to make fun of the day, because everyone?s more
guarded on Halloween, due to superstition. It?s too dangerous for them to go out, so as soon as the sun
goes down, they all go to secret location and party all night.?
Cordelia stood up and started jumping on the bed, taking off the outside part of her costume leaving her in
only the pink embroidered bra and matching underwear, ?I love Halloween! You get to dress up and
pretend to be someone else!? She stopped jumping and suddenly frowned, and fell to her knees, ?So for
me, it?s just like everyday of my life . . . always hiding who I am and how I feel . . . I have to hide what I am
all the time, cause I?m not allowed to tell.? She explains in a quiet voice.
Angel had a feeling Cordelia was talking about more then just her not really being a snob, and stores it in
the back of his mind.
?Angel?? Cordelia asks in a small voice as he pulled back the covers of her bed.
?Yeah??
?What did you feel after the first time you killed someone, after you got your soul? I mean, you knew they
were evil, but still, you killed them. . . . How did you deal with that?? Cordelia questioned and she curled up
in the spot he?d uncovered for her.
?I felt guilty.? He honestly told her, ?But at the same time, I?d known I had to do it. That if I hadn?t of killed
them, they would have killed lots more people, innocent people.? Angel told her, tucking her in.
?Does the bad feeling that it leaves in your soul go away??
Angel gets suspicious, ?Eventually . . . Cordelia, did something happen??
?Just some vengeance . . .? She motioned for him to come closed, ?I wasn?t supposed to do something
that I did. Adam had made me promise, but I had both my fingers crossed behind my back!? She giggled
again, showing him crossed fingers, then letting her arm fall above her head on the pillow.
Angel couldn?t control himself and he tuck a few curls that were on her face behind her ear and whispered,
?Good-night Cordelia.? As a finality, trying to tell her it was time to go to sleep.
?Night-night Angle, don?t let those vampires on the balcony bite my neck please . . . and tell them it?s rude
to flash their fangs at a girl like that.? She said, pointing to the balcony with her other hand
Angel?s head whipped around to her French door and saw there was in fact two vampires there, he took
two stakes out and opened the door, quickly dusting them.
?They?re gone now Cordelia, they . . . um . . .just came to wish you a happy Halloween.? He told her
closing the doors and her curtains once more.
?That?s so sweet, we usually don?t get vampires in this neighborhood . . . we usually kill them in the
cemetery, right Angel?? She asks yawning, her eyes drooping.
?Yes, Buffy and I find most vampires and demons in the cemetery.?
?Angel, will you lay down with me? I get scared in the dark alone on Halloween.? Cordelia innocently asks,
still very drunk.
Angel silently groaned to himself . . . why did she have to do things like that.
?Please.? She pleaded pouting, ?The sun doesn?t even hit my bed ever. And it?s just for tonight.?
Angel couldn?t say no to her, no matter how much he knew he should not lay down next to her, he did
anyway, for awhile. He?d just lain against the pillows when Cordelia laid her head against his chest and put
her arm around his stomach. She sighed contented, then quickly fell asleep, or just passed out. Angel
wrapped his arms around her upper body, and closed his eyes.
** Many hours later, a little while before dawn **
Angel awoke, from the internal body clock, which alerted him of the approach of dawn was upon him and
the sun would soon arise. He slipped out of the bed and wen to the French doors. He took one last look at
Cordelia, who?d latched onto a pillow in his absence then slipped out the doors.
Angel jumped from the balcony, then ran off to his apartment, only just making it in the door before the first
rays of sunlight rose over the horizon. The moment the door was closed he started banging his head
against the door, ?Stupid, stupid.?
Then he slunk into his room and stripped down to his boxers and crawled into bed, ?How could I have been
so stupid? I?m not supposed to do this kind of thing. I know I could lose my soul and leaving her sleeping
on me is just tempting fate! But feeling her body heat against mine, her smooth skin underneath my fingers,
her arm wrapped around my waist . . . it just felt, so right. But you can?t unfair to her. You don?t have a
permanent soul, and I know just one kiss from her would cause such immense happiness in my heart that I
would definitely turn into Angelus . . . . Oh, and because of Buffy . . .? the last added as an after thought.
** The next day, 8:30 am **
Duncan comes into Cordelia?s bedroom to find the young immortal clutching a pillow, in the underwear of
her costume.
?Up and at ?em Cordy.? Duncan tells her.
Cordelia groans, ?Is it really necessary to be so loud, or be with in buzz range? Ooh, my head!?
Just then Buffy comes in, looking fresh as a daisy.
?What happened to you?? Duncan asks Cordelia, not seeing Buffy.
Buffy answered, knowing Cordelia most likely didn?t remember, ?Someone spiked the punch last night.
Willow, Cordelia, Oz, and Eric all drank a whole lot of it. I brought back two very wasted girls.?
Cordelia puts the pillow she was clutching over her face and muffledly begs, ?Please, leave me to deal with
this hangover, since committing suicide would be futile.?
Duncan rolled his eyes, then left her in peace, knowing that when she was cranky, you did not want to mess
with her if you valued a life without constant pain.
Buffy followed him out, a little confused about Cordelia?s last comment.
** Hours later **
Cordelia finally got dressed, and trudged downstairs.
She found Willow in the kitchen, head down on the table. Not speaking, Cordelia filled the kettle with water
and put it on the stove when she?d turned it on, then joined Willow, keeping her head up by propping her
elbow on the table and placing her head on her hand.
The only sound was off the clock ticking. Several minutes later the kettle whistled, signaling its readiness.
Cordelia shuffled to the cupboard, got up two cups and her tea. She made two cups, then went back to the
table, giving one to Willow.
Willow finally lifted her head, and smiled in thanks. Cordelia just slightly nodded her head, then messaged
her temples in pain. She got back up and soon returned with four extra strength Tylenol gelcaps. Both took
the pills, then simultaneously let their heads fall on their left arm, which was resting on the table.
`
That was exactly how Duncan and Xander found them twenty minutes later.
?Aww, the poor things.? Xander quietly said, then he sat down between the two and rubbed their backs, ?I
heard you?re the victims of a spiked beverage at the Bewitched Ball.?
?What gave it away? The comfortable clothes, the ?I feel like shit? look on our faces, or our heads that
refused to be raised above this point?? Cordelia asks glowering.
?Would you like me to kill you so it will go away?? Xander asks teasing her.
?Would you, please?? Cordelia pleads hopeful.
?No, he won?t.? Duncan ordered, ?How much punch did you have??
?Don?t know, but we liked it, a lot. Everyone at the dance did. After five glasses, things get fuzzy. I?m
thinking it was some Jack Daniels that was added, from the taste.? Cordelia told them.
?And how would you know young lady?? Duncan asks his young ward.
?Oh come on Mac, get with the times. High school parties are full of alcohol . . . my father?s office contains
every expensive alcoholic beverage known to man. If you don?t think I?ve gotten plastered before . . . you
are very naive.?
Duncan raises his eyebrow then changes the subject, ?You know, you and I have some research to do,
remember? The stuff about the anchoring??
Cordelia raises her head, ?Oh my God, you?re right. It completely slipped my mind.? She gets up, thanking
God the Tylenol was kicking in, ?See ya later guys, you can watch some movies if you want on the DVD
player. The movies are those disks on the shelf, they?re all labeled. Duncan, I?m going to change, where
do you want to meet??
?The library.? He tells her.
?Be down in like, 20 minutes.?
Cordelia runs upstairs and takes a shower to clear her head, wishing she could remember the night before.
She brushes out her hair, puts in some gel. Then quickly dresses in a pair of tight black leather pants and
a crimson red shirt, and ties a black do-rag in her hair to keep her hair out of her face. She slips on a pair
of black platform strappy sandals, then quickly goes down stairs.
** The Library **
Cordelia walked into the two-story room to find the place transformed. It was completely updated,
computers, huge screens, the walls which used to contain law texts and other boring things now held every
text on demon lore, prophecies, mythology, spells, watcher journals and other things supernatural, known
to man. Some books were hundreds of years old.
Comfortable chairs, couches, and other things were all over the huge first floor, up the spiral stairs were
more books, the weapons, and more chairs and things. Duncan had also added some high tech gadgets
up there too.
?Oh my gosh, this place is amazing! I?d always wondered what the heck was going on when we?d heard
those noises through the ballroom doors.? Cordelia gasps.
Duncan turns to her, even though he?d been made aware of her arrival by the ?buzz? moments before,
?Well, I thought if we were going to be doing this, I would bring all the books I always thought were legends,
most of them are Adam?s though.?
?This has to be the most complete collection of demonology and things known to man!?
?Well, Mac?s watcher Joe also stole some books from the Watcher headquarters.? Adam called out from
over the balcony in the second floor loft.
?Cool! Now I do have those skills.?
?What skills?? Adam asks coming down.
?Oh, just burglary. I can pick pockets, any lock, override security systems, crack safes . . . you know, stuff
like that. How the hell do you think I used to get anything in this house, or into this house after midnight.?
?Great, I?m training a junior Amanda who just hasn?t started stealing things yet.? Duncan groans.
?Who?s Amanda?? Cordelia asks in a sing-songy voice.
?Never mind that. Where on earth did a rich girl . . . that isn?t important. Let?s get to work. I think Adam
has found something.?
?I have," Adam informs them. " I found two spells, but we can only do one of them because with the other
one, we need something that doesn?t exist anymore. We can do the second one, but we need an atheme,
and it will take a few hours. It?s the only thing we don?t have that?s needed.?
?A wizard?s dagger? Easy, Jack?s Magicks Shoppe, three doors down from the Bronze.? Cordelia chirps.
?Get a couple of them.? Adam instructs, ?We really should all have one. It?s one of the only ways to kill
wizards.?
?I?ll get as many as possible . . .? She walks over to the desk and flips over the lank, where there is a
keypad and she punches in a code. A bookcase swings back and reveals a secret vault, which Duncan and
Adam had had no knowledge of.
?What the hell is in that?? Adam asks.
?The Chase family jewels, gold bars, and a few million dollars in cash, which the government has no
knowledge of existence. Plus the usual, documents, deeds to properties, blackmail material of most of the
leaders of foreign counties, politicians in this one . . . the same things every socialite family keeps in their
secret safes. The truth is, the legacy of the Chase family is a long line of very successful, rarely caught
thieves. I mean, once we got rich about 200 years ago, our cover was secure. Who would suspect the
richest family in town? My grandfather was the last true thief in a long illustrious line. My father passed on
the lessons every Chase learns as a child, but he never committed burglary himself, at least not since his
20?s. No, he preferred other illegal activities. Insider trading, over charging his clients, suing people to
steal their money instead of just outright taking it. I have bank accounts in the Caribbean and Switzerland
that hold more money then we?ll ever need.? Cordelia explains taking a stack of money, ?My grandfather
made sure that the Chase family would never have to work again . . . . Of course he didn?t expect my
cousin Derrick and me would be the last ones since his wife had three boys and a girl, but Uncle John and
Uncle Bo never had children and had heart attacks. Aunt Veruca blew her 22 million on eight divorces, 12
lovers, and stupid business ventures that left her broke at 47 and then she committed suicide in Beverly
Hills. Anyway, Derrick is younger by one month, so he only gets 15 million, plus whatever Uncle Caleb
leaves him when he dies. I got everything else, the net worth of the whole Chase estates is more then Bill
Gates could dream of, but because most of it?s secret, thought still legal, we?re kept quiet. Just the way we
like it. And now you know, so shhh!? She shoves some of the money in her purse, then gives Duncan the
rest, ?This should cover what it cost to do everything in here. See ya later!?
** Jack?s Magicks Shoppe **
Cordelia walked up to Jack, ?I need to see all your athemes.?
?I?m not sure we carry that item Miss . . .? Jack, the handsome owner told her.
?Please, don?t give me that bullshit. I have a nasty hangover and you will show me your athemes now or I
will kick your ass.?
Jack smiled at her condescendingly, ?What are you, 15??
Cordelia grabbed his shirt lapels and slammed him into a wall, ?NOW!? then she dropped him.
?Alright! Alright! They?re in the room behind the love potions, push the 3rd black tiles from the left.?
Cordelia smiled at him kindly, ?Thank you!?
Cordelia opened the door to the hidden room and she was in heaven. She got the necessities first, she
chose 10 beautiful athemes, then went around looking. She chose a few staffs, two enchanted swords that
would only work properly for the use of good, six crossbows with wood and silver arrows. A couple axes,
and a couple of orbs that could come in handy some day. And she got a couple pounds of all the
ingredients for spells that he had.
Jack followed closely behind packaging all the items she wished for. He nearly had a heart attack at his
young age when he paid him in cash, with a $1,000 tip to never tell anyone who had bought all his stuff.
Plus they made an agreement to keep her notified of all shipments of weapons, rare books, and real
potions, none of the shit he sold to everyone else.
He knew that he?d just found a new regular customer who would keep him in business for the rest of his life
if he treated her politely.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
By Jules
Chapter 7
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
** Halloween **
?Willow, Cordelia, Buffy, your dates are here!? Duncan called up the stairs.
He turned to the two boys, dressed as Romeo and a T-Bird (from Grease), waiting in the living room, ?I?m
sure it?ll be just a moment.?
** Ten uncomfortable minutes later **
?GIRLS!? Duncan called, getting impatient, and feeling uneasy.
?We?re coming! We?re coming!? Buffy yells back, ?We?re just putting on a finishing touches!?
The finishing touches was a bag in which Buffy was putting stakes and crosses, which already secretly
contained Cordelia?s katana, and some knives that Willow had hidden in the bottom, just incase.
The girls then made their entrance downstairs.
Willow had ended up as the Indian Princess, Buffy had decided to go as Robin Hood, so she didn?t look
weird holding the bag, which was disguised as a quiver. Cordelia had chosen Aphrodite, so she looked a
vision in the filmy pink material. [You know the outfit I?m talking about if you?ve ever watched Hercules or
Xena]
?I really think we were worth the wait, don?t you?? Cordelia questions Buffy after there were no
complements.
?Most definitely . . . I feel so . . . ignored!? Buffy agreed.
Oz, the quiet guy with the Technicolor hair who was dressed as a T-Bird stood in front of Willow and quietly
told her, ?You look great.?
Willow blushed deeply, ?You look nice too. I really like your costume.?
Eric took Cordelia?s hand, bowed and kissed it, ?I have never seen true beauty until this night.?
Cordelia smiled at him, ?Why thank you, you make a wonderful Romeo. It was soooooo sweet of you to
wear tights too.?
?There is nothing I wouldn?t do, to please you my enchantress.? Eric tells her, bowing before her again.
Buffy rolls her eyes, then speaks, ?Shouldn?t we get going? We don?t want to be too late.?
?Yeah, let?s party!? Cordelia agrees, ?See ya tomorrow Mac, don?t wait up!?
** Much later that night **
It was around 12:30 a.m. when two of the girls traipsed in, giggling. Buffy and Angel each were supporting
one.
Cordelia stumbled, then leaned against the wall, ?Shhhhhhh, you have to be veeewwy quiet, Mac is
slllleeeeeeeeeping.? She hissed, then slid down to the floor giggling, because the ?buzz? she was getting
because of the other immortal?s proximity made her feel even funnier.
Buffy and Angel looked at each other. Buffy shook her head, then sighed, ?I?ll take Willow, you . . . pick up
Cordy.?
?Right, now what happened again?? Angel questioned.
?The punch was spiked. I noticed right away, but by the time I found Cordelia, Willow and their dates, they
were all plastered, giggling over Harmony who was passed out under the bleachers. I had Xander drive the
guys home, and called you for help, because we ran out of vehicles, and I don?t want to even think about
how hard it would have been to get these two home alone.?
Angel picked Cordelia up.
?Wheee!!!!? Cordelia squealed, then giggled, she turned to Buffy and told her in a serious voice, ?Just so
you know, Willow can sleep in the room three doors down from mine . . . with her clothes!?
?Shhh Cordy!? Willow hissed, ?Your intoc-intox-inc . . . your loopy . . . and you like talk more when you?re
full of punch!?
?Ok!? She wraps her arms around Angel?s neck, ?To my room James!? she ordered, then Cordelia burst
out laughing again, and laid her head against Angel?s shoulder, ?To my room.?
Angel shifted uncomfortably, the close contact making him very uptight, he ignored the feeling in his heart,
and carried Cordelia upstairs. She was too drunk to notice that Angel strangely knew where her bedroom
was.
He set her down on her bed sitting up.
Cordelia cocked her head and looked at him, ?Angel, is this your favorite holiday??
?No, actually, vampires and others things have parties to make fun of the day, because everyone?s more
guarded on Halloween, due to superstition. It?s too dangerous for them to go out, so as soon as the sun
goes down, they all go to secret location and party all night.?
Cordelia stood up and started jumping on the bed, taking off the outside part of her costume leaving her in
only the pink embroidered bra and matching underwear, ?I love Halloween! You get to dress up and
pretend to be someone else!? She stopped jumping and suddenly frowned, and fell to her knees, ?So for
me, it?s just like everyday of my life . . . always hiding who I am and how I feel . . . I have to hide what I am
all the time, cause I?m not allowed to tell.? She explains in a quiet voice.
Angel had a feeling Cordelia was talking about more then just her not really being a snob, and stores it in
the back of his mind.
?Angel?? Cordelia asks in a small voice as he pulled back the covers of her bed.
?Yeah??
?What did you feel after the first time you killed someone, after you got your soul? I mean, you knew they
were evil, but still, you killed them. . . . How did you deal with that?? Cordelia questioned and she curled up
in the spot he?d uncovered for her.
?I felt guilty.? He honestly told her, ?But at the same time, I?d known I had to do it. That if I hadn?t of killed
them, they would have killed lots more people, innocent people.? Angel told her, tucking her in.
?Does the bad feeling that it leaves in your soul go away??
Angel gets suspicious, ?Eventually . . . Cordelia, did something happen??
?Just some vengeance . . .? She motioned for him to come closed, ?I wasn?t supposed to do something
that I did. Adam had made me promise, but I had both my fingers crossed behind my back!? She giggled
again, showing him crossed fingers, then letting her arm fall above her head on the pillow.
Angel couldn?t control himself and he tuck a few curls that were on her face behind her ear and whispered,
?Good-night Cordelia.? As a finality, trying to tell her it was time to go to sleep.
?Night-night Angle, don?t let those vampires on the balcony bite my neck please . . . and tell them it?s rude
to flash their fangs at a girl like that.? She said, pointing to the balcony with her other hand
Angel?s head whipped around to her French door and saw there was in fact two vampires there, he took
two stakes out and opened the door, quickly dusting them.
?They?re gone now Cordelia, they . . . um . . .just came to wish you a happy Halloween.? He told her
closing the doors and her curtains once more.
?That?s so sweet, we usually don?t get vampires in this neighborhood . . . we usually kill them in the
cemetery, right Angel?? She asks yawning, her eyes drooping.
?Yes, Buffy and I find most vampires and demons in the cemetery.?
?Angel, will you lay down with me? I get scared in the dark alone on Halloween.? Cordelia innocently asks,
still very drunk.
Angel silently groaned to himself . . . why did she have to do things like that.
?Please.? She pleaded pouting, ?The sun doesn?t even hit my bed ever. And it?s just for tonight.?
Angel couldn?t say no to her, no matter how much he knew he should not lay down next to her, he did
anyway, for awhile. He?d just lain against the pillows when Cordelia laid her head against his chest and put
her arm around his stomach. She sighed contented, then quickly fell asleep, or just passed out. Angel
wrapped his arms around her upper body, and closed his eyes.
** Many hours later, a little while before dawn **
Angel awoke, from the internal body clock, which alerted him of the approach of dawn was upon him and
the sun would soon arise. He slipped out of the bed and wen to the French doors. He took one last look at
Cordelia, who?d latched onto a pillow in his absence then slipped out the doors.
Angel jumped from the balcony, then ran off to his apartment, only just making it in the door before the first
rays of sunlight rose over the horizon. The moment the door was closed he started banging his head
against the door, ?Stupid, stupid.?
Then he slunk into his room and stripped down to his boxers and crawled into bed, ?How could I have been
so stupid? I?m not supposed to do this kind of thing. I know I could lose my soul and leaving her sleeping
on me is just tempting fate! But feeling her body heat against mine, her smooth skin underneath my fingers,
her arm wrapped around my waist . . . it just felt, so right. But you can?t unfair to her. You don?t have a
permanent soul, and I know just one kiss from her would cause such immense happiness in my heart that I
would definitely turn into Angelus . . . . Oh, and because of Buffy . . .? the last added as an after thought.
** The next day, 8:30 am **
Duncan comes into Cordelia?s bedroom to find the young immortal clutching a pillow, in the underwear of
her costume.
?Up and at ?em Cordy.? Duncan tells her.
Cordelia groans, ?Is it really necessary to be so loud, or be with in buzz range? Ooh, my head!?
Just then Buffy comes in, looking fresh as a daisy.
?What happened to you?? Duncan asks Cordelia, not seeing Buffy.
Buffy answered, knowing Cordelia most likely didn?t remember, ?Someone spiked the punch last night.
Willow, Cordelia, Oz, and Eric all drank a whole lot of it. I brought back two very wasted girls.?
Cordelia puts the pillow she was clutching over her face and muffledly begs, ?Please, leave me to deal with
this hangover, since committing suicide would be futile.?
Duncan rolled his eyes, then left her in peace, knowing that when she was cranky, you did not want to mess
with her if you valued a life without constant pain.
Buffy followed him out, a little confused about Cordelia?s last comment.
** Hours later **
Cordelia finally got dressed, and trudged downstairs.
She found Willow in the kitchen, head down on the table. Not speaking, Cordelia filled the kettle with water
and put it on the stove when she?d turned it on, then joined Willow, keeping her head up by propping her
elbow on the table and placing her head on her hand.
The only sound was off the clock ticking. Several minutes later the kettle whistled, signaling its readiness.
Cordelia shuffled to the cupboard, got up two cups and her tea. She made two cups, then went back to the
table, giving one to Willow.
Willow finally lifted her head, and smiled in thanks. Cordelia just slightly nodded her head, then messaged
her temples in pain. She got back up and soon returned with four extra strength Tylenol gelcaps. Both took
the pills, then simultaneously let their heads fall on their left arm, which was resting on the table.
`
That was exactly how Duncan and Xander found them twenty minutes later.
?Aww, the poor things.? Xander quietly said, then he sat down between the two and rubbed their backs, ?I
heard you?re the victims of a spiked beverage at the Bewitched Ball.?
?What gave it away? The comfortable clothes, the ?I feel like shit? look on our faces, or our heads that
refused to be raised above this point?? Cordelia asks glowering.
?Would you like me to kill you so it will go away?? Xander asks teasing her.
?Would you, please?? Cordelia pleads hopeful.
?No, he won?t.? Duncan ordered, ?How much punch did you have??
?Don?t know, but we liked it, a lot. Everyone at the dance did. After five glasses, things get fuzzy. I?m
thinking it was some Jack Daniels that was added, from the taste.? Cordelia told them.
?And how would you know young lady?? Duncan asks his young ward.
?Oh come on Mac, get with the times. High school parties are full of alcohol . . . my father?s office contains
every expensive alcoholic beverage known to man. If you don?t think I?ve gotten plastered before . . . you
are very naive.?
Duncan raises his eyebrow then changes the subject, ?You know, you and I have some research to do,
remember? The stuff about the anchoring??
Cordelia raises her head, ?Oh my God, you?re right. It completely slipped my mind.? She gets up, thanking
God the Tylenol was kicking in, ?See ya later guys, you can watch some movies if you want on the DVD
player. The movies are those disks on the shelf, they?re all labeled. Duncan, I?m going to change, where
do you want to meet??
?The library.? He tells her.
?Be down in like, 20 minutes.?
Cordelia runs upstairs and takes a shower to clear her head, wishing she could remember the night before.
She brushes out her hair, puts in some gel. Then quickly dresses in a pair of tight black leather pants and
a crimson red shirt, and ties a black do-rag in her hair to keep her hair out of her face. She slips on a pair
of black platform strappy sandals, then quickly goes down stairs.
** The Library **
Cordelia walked into the two-story room to find the place transformed. It was completely updated,
computers, huge screens, the walls which used to contain law texts and other boring things now held every
text on demon lore, prophecies, mythology, spells, watcher journals and other things supernatural, known
to man. Some books were hundreds of years old.
Comfortable chairs, couches, and other things were all over the huge first floor, up the spiral stairs were
more books, the weapons, and more chairs and things. Duncan had also added some high tech gadgets
up there too.
?Oh my gosh, this place is amazing! I?d always wondered what the heck was going on when we?d heard
those noises through the ballroom doors.? Cordelia gasps.
Duncan turns to her, even though he?d been made aware of her arrival by the ?buzz? moments before,
?Well, I thought if we were going to be doing this, I would bring all the books I always thought were legends,
most of them are Adam?s though.?
?This has to be the most complete collection of demonology and things known to man!?
?Well, Mac?s watcher Joe also stole some books from the Watcher headquarters.? Adam called out from
over the balcony in the second floor loft.
?Cool! Now I do have those skills.?
?What skills?? Adam asks coming down.
?Oh, just burglary. I can pick pockets, any lock, override security systems, crack safes . . . you know, stuff
like that. How the hell do you think I used to get anything in this house, or into this house after midnight.?
?Great, I?m training a junior Amanda who just hasn?t started stealing things yet.? Duncan groans.
?Who?s Amanda?? Cordelia asks in a sing-songy voice.
?Never mind that. Where on earth did a rich girl . . . that isn?t important. Let?s get to work. I think Adam
has found something.?
?I have," Adam informs them. " I found two spells, but we can only do one of them because with the other
one, we need something that doesn?t exist anymore. We can do the second one, but we need an atheme,
and it will take a few hours. It?s the only thing we don?t have that?s needed.?
?A wizard?s dagger? Easy, Jack?s Magicks Shoppe, three doors down from the Bronze.? Cordelia chirps.
?Get a couple of them.? Adam instructs, ?We really should all have one. It?s one of the only ways to kill
wizards.?
?I?ll get as many as possible . . .? She walks over to the desk and flips over the lank, where there is a
keypad and she punches in a code. A bookcase swings back and reveals a secret vault, which Duncan and
Adam had had no knowledge of.
?What the hell is in that?? Adam asks.
?The Chase family jewels, gold bars, and a few million dollars in cash, which the government has no
knowledge of existence. Plus the usual, documents, deeds to properties, blackmail material of most of the
leaders of foreign counties, politicians in this one . . . the same things every socialite family keeps in their
secret safes. The truth is, the legacy of the Chase family is a long line of very successful, rarely caught
thieves. I mean, once we got rich about 200 years ago, our cover was secure. Who would suspect the
richest family in town? My grandfather was the last true thief in a long illustrious line. My father passed on
the lessons every Chase learns as a child, but he never committed burglary himself, at least not since his
20?s. No, he preferred other illegal activities. Insider trading, over charging his clients, suing people to
steal their money instead of just outright taking it. I have bank accounts in the Caribbean and Switzerland
that hold more money then we?ll ever need.? Cordelia explains taking a stack of money, ?My grandfather
made sure that the Chase family would never have to work again . . . . Of course he didn?t expect my
cousin Derrick and me would be the last ones since his wife had three boys and a girl, but Uncle John and
Uncle Bo never had children and had heart attacks. Aunt Veruca blew her 22 million on eight divorces, 12
lovers, and stupid business ventures that left her broke at 47 and then she committed suicide in Beverly
Hills. Anyway, Derrick is younger by one month, so he only gets 15 million, plus whatever Uncle Caleb
leaves him when he dies. I got everything else, the net worth of the whole Chase estates is more then Bill
Gates could dream of, but because most of it?s secret, thought still legal, we?re kept quiet. Just the way we
like it. And now you know, so shhh!? She shoves some of the money in her purse, then gives Duncan the
rest, ?This should cover what it cost to do everything in here. See ya later!?
** Jack?s Magicks Shoppe **
Cordelia walked up to Jack, ?I need to see all your athemes.?
?I?m not sure we carry that item Miss . . .? Jack, the handsome owner told her.
?Please, don?t give me that bullshit. I have a nasty hangover and you will show me your athemes now or I
will kick your ass.?
Jack smiled at her condescendingly, ?What are you, 15??
Cordelia grabbed his shirt lapels and slammed him into a wall, ?NOW!? then she dropped him.
?Alright! Alright! They?re in the room behind the love potions, push the 3rd black tiles from the left.?
Cordelia smiled at him kindly, ?Thank you!?
Cordelia opened the door to the hidden room and she was in heaven. She got the necessities first, she
chose 10 beautiful athemes, then went around looking. She chose a few staffs, two enchanted swords that
would only work properly for the use of good, six crossbows with wood and silver arrows. A couple axes,
and a couple of orbs that could come in handy some day. And she got a couple pounds of all the
ingredients for spells that he had.
Jack followed closely behind packaging all the items she wished for. He nearly had a heart attack at his
young age when he paid him in cash, with a $1,000 tip to never tell anyone who had bought all his stuff.
Plus they made an agreement to keep her notified of all shipments of weapons, rare books, and real
potions, none of the shit he sold to everyone else.
He knew that he?d just found a new regular customer who would keep him in business for the rest of his life
if he treated her politely.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
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| NEX T |
