Part 11/?

“That is a most…intriguing…story, Cordelia…” The English Watcher, stunned by the bombshell dropped on him by the young woman sitting next to him, remarked as he took off his glasses and cleaned them.

“I told you that you wouldn’t believe me, or that you’d think I was crazy.” The time traveling seer snorted as she sipped her tea. “So, which is it—am I a liar or just plain loony?”

“I don’t think you’re either.” Edmund, slowly recovering his equilibrium, said compassionately as he placed his hand on top of that of the young lady’s. “But you must admit, what you have just told me is rather remarkable, to say the least…”

“This coming from a cat who knows vampires and demons exist?” Cordy said with twinkle in her eye as she slowly relaxed.

“Point taken.” Giles admitted with a wry grin. “But, I’m sure you understand why I’m more than a little…”

“Wigged?” The lithe brunette teased as she refreshed the Englishman’s tea.

“If by ‘wigged’ you mean flummoxed, then yes…you might say that I’m rather…’wigged’…by what you’ve just told me.” Edmund confessed as he sipped his tea. “You must admit, it’s not everyday you meet someone who says she’s part demon and a Seer and that she comes from over thirty years in the future…”

“Yeah…well…I guess I don’t blame you.” Cordelia conceded as she stood up and began to pace. “I was kinda wigged myself when Fred told me that I was the only one that could do this cause of my being half…” The seer then sighed before finishing, “…demon. So, I guess I can imagine what you’re going through.” Then, taking a deep breath and holding it, she asked once again, “So…you believe me?”

Setting down his cup of tea, the Watcher looked up into the hazel eyes of the young woman standing before him, “Yes…Cordelia…I do.” Then, picking up a notepad, he added, “But I do have further questions, and I’d like to enquire further into your…demon…attributes…if I may.”

Edmund, seeing the reluctant look on his new partner’s face, quickly explained, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, my dear…but, I need to know exactly…please forgive me, but I can’t think of a better way of phrasing it…what you are. In other words, exactly what aspect of the demon do you have? Also, I have other questions about the time travel magic used by this young witch—her name was—or will be…” The English Watcher then shook his head in bemusement as he tried to sort out all the ramifications of time travel magic, “…Tara, I believe? What sort of witch is she…how powerful…and, last of all; I need you to tell me everything you can about Angel. You see, the last mention our records indicate of Angelus was a sighting during the Boxer Rebellion where he was still in the company of Darla, William the Bloody, and Drusilla. Now, you tell me that not only is he in Sunnydale, but that his soul has been restored thanks to a gypsy curse. Needless to say, this is a matter of some importance.”

“Yeah, I know…” Cordelia nodded her head and then came to a decision. “Okay, I’ll tell you all I can, but you’re gonna have to promise me something—that you won’t tell anyone else this until…well, until 2002 at least. I mean…I don’t want to mess up the future…if you know what I mean…”

“I understand and agree with your reasons why this should be kept confidential.” The Englishman said in as reassuring a tone as he could muster. “What about this? I promise that anything you tell me will remain in a sealed confidential journal that will only be passed on to my son with the explicit instructions that it not be opened until the appropriate time. Does this meet with your approval?”

Remembering fondly the son of the gentleman seated next to her, the Seer smiled broadly. “Yeah…I know I can trust your son with my life…”

Surprised and astonished by this inadvertent revelation, Edmund asked in a soft voice, “You know Rupert?”

Embarrassed by her lapse, Cordelia stammered, “Yeah…look, I don’t wanna talk too much about what happens in the future, but…” Looking the Watcher straight in the eyes, she then finished, “I guess I can tell you this much—you’ll be proud of what he becomes…I mean…he’s saved my life and the lives of my friends more than once—not to mention helping to save the world…oh…five or six times at least…” Then, flashing an amused grin as she remembered the night of the band candy, she added with a twinkle in her eye, “Just don’t be too rough on him in the next few years—don’t worry, he’ll get it together—just give him time.”

Not quite sure what to say, the elder Giles, his pride in the sort of man his son would one day grow up to be evident in his features, cleared his throat before replying with a sincere, “Thank you.” Then, he commenced his gentle, yet thorough, interrogation of the time traveling Seer.

“Boy…that was some grilling.” Cordelia quipped after Giles had finished his very detailed questioning.

“I’m sorry about that…but, as I said earlier; I needed to know everything possible…”

“Yeah, I know.” Cordelia brightened her smile. “So…you got everything you need?”

“Yes. I believe I do—for now, at least.” Edmund smiled back as he regarded the lithe brunette seated next to him. “So…you say that once you’ve accomplished the task set forth by your visions that the spell Tara cast will bring you back…”

“Yeah…just like a boomerang.” Cordy grinned, then, seeing their teacups empty, offered, “Here…I’ll make us some more tea and we can talk some more if you want…”

But, before the Englishman could answer one way or the other, the pair heard laughter and the sound of the door opening. Cordelia then smiled warmly as she heard her roommate’s cheery voice. “Hey, Cordy!” Then, seeing the Englishman sitting on the couch, Felicia flashed a wicked grin as she appraised the roguishly handsome, yet distinguished looking Watcher, “So…who’s the cool cat?”

Smiling nervously, Cordelia answered, “Ummm…this is Edmund, that friend of my family’s from London I told you I had to pick up today.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The diffident Englishman said as he shook Felicia’s hand. Then, turning to Cordelia, he said, “I’m afraid I must be leaving now, Cordelia…we shall talk more later—perhaps then you can introduce me to Angel…”

“If you wanna meet Angel, Edmund…” Felicia interjected, “Then stick around. We’re all going to the Tom Jones concert tonight and he’s Cordy’s date. He should be here by the time we get dressed.” The strawberry blonde then flashed a wicked grin at her roommate as she held up a bag from the Mod Shoppe. “Oh, by the way Cordy…I got that dress for you—and the other stuff we talked about. And Donny said he was gonna bring his camera.” She smirked as she handed the bag to her roommate and then, glancing down at the Englishman, flashed a triumphant grin. “Hey! I gotta great idea…Edmund can take a picture of all of us and then we can get Donny to take one with just Edmund and you!” Then, turning towards the English Watcher, Felicia grinned once again. “Just make yourself at home, Edmund, and turn on the TV—Ed Sullivan oughta be coming on pretty soon. Donny and Angel’ll be here in a little while and it shouldn’t take us too long to get changed.”

Sighing and shaking her head, Cordy managed an embarrassed grin. “Might as well stick around, Edmund—my roomie can get awful stubborn sometimes.”

“Better believe it!” Felicia smiled as she breezed into the bathroom, calling back, “I got first dibs on the shower!”

***********

Much later, as Edmund sat watching Jack Benny on the Ed Sullivan Show, chuckling with amusement at how the gifted comedian had turned Ed into his straight man, he heard the sound of rapping on the door, soon followed by Felicia coming out of her bedroom wearing, to the proper Englishman’s sensibilities, a rather daring silver mini with a diamond cut out exposing her navel and no small portion of her belly. Putting on her earrings, large white triangles dangling from silver chains, she rushed towards the door. “Coming!” Opening the door, the young strawberry blonde squealed as her boyfriend gathered her into his arms for a hug. “Donny!”

“Hey, babe!” Donny smiled as he stole a quick kiss. “Looking groovy!”

“You too.” Felicia grinned back as she took in the young man’s stylish double breasted sports coat and tie. “Cordy’ll be out in a minute—I think she’s a little shy…” Then, in a teasing voice, she called out to her reticent roommate. “Come on, Cordy! Donny’s here! We gotta hurry or we’re gonna miss the opening act!”

“Okay…Okay…Give me a few minutes!” Cordelia replied and then asked, “Has Angel showed up yet?”

“Not yet, but he’s still got a few minutes.” Felicia called back as she winked knowingly at her boyfriend and the English Watcher.

Angel had in fact just arrived at the door to their apartment just then. As he stood in front of the wooden door, the cursed vampire once again shook his head in disbelief—first at how thoroughly the half demon woman that he had just met had so easily bent him to her will, and second that a small part of him was actually enjoying it! Squaring his shoulders as he resigned himself to his fate, he knocked on the door.

Opening the door, Felicia immediately recognized Angel from their meeting at the Bronze. “Hey, Angel!” The lovely strawberry blonde smiled winningly as she took in the muscular form of the vampire. ““We were just wondering when you’d make the scene—come on in! Cordy’ll be out in just a minute!” As he entered the apartment, Felicia continued with the introductions. “You know Donny…” She then motioned towards the Englishman, who realizing that someone else had entered the apartment, had stood up. “And this is Cordy’s friend from England…Edmund…” She then turned her head towards the distinguished Watcher “Right?”

Edmund, nodding his head, gave the ensouled vampire a cautious look. ‘So…this is the famous Angelus…the Scourge of Europe…’ The Watcher thought as he nodded his head in the direction of Angel. “Angel...” The Englishman barely acknowledged stiffly, barely stopping himself from adding the ‘us’.

The cursed vampire, realizing immediately that the man standing before him had gone to a heightened state of alert, replied in as quiet and unthreatening a tone as he could muster, “Edmund.”

“Cordelia has told me a great deal about you.” The Watcher said meaningfully, maintaining his cautious demeanor as he regarded the ensouled vampire standing only a few feet in front of him with a mixture of fascination and fear.

“She has?” Angel, maintaining his calm exterior, asked as his eyes scanned the room and the occupants within it.

“Oh, yes.” Edmund replied, “She told me everything.”

Felicia, sensing the growing tension between the two men, moved quickly to break the ice, “Hey Cordy! You coming out or not?”

“All right…all right already!” The seer answered back as she opened the bedroom door. “Here I am!” She pronounced as she strode with as much confidence as she could muster into the room, smiling with smug satisfaction as she saw all three men’s jaws drop upon seeing her in her see-through mini.

“All I gotta say, Cordy is…WOW!” Donny exclaimed as Felicia playfully jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.

“Ah…ahem…yes…quite…” Edmund stammered as he tried, not completely successfully, to avert his eyes from the young seer’s shapely breasts, her nipples barely visible beneath a translucent horizontal stripe when the light hit just so, her white lace panties clearly visible beneath the transparent dress.

As Angel drank in the loveliness of the woman standing before him, he silently gave thanks to the God that he had long ago abandoned for the fact the was unable to blush, otherwise, he admitted to himself, his face would have been as crimson as that of the Englishman standing next to him.

Cordelia, seeing her future partner’s discomfort, flashed an amused smile as she teased. “So…Angel…you like?”

“Ummm…” The vampire, at a loss for words as his eyes strayed to Cordelia’s breasts, stammered, “Uhhh…yeah…you look…”

“Outta sight.” Donny interjected, coming to the rescue of his fellow male.

“Yeah.” Angel quickly added, then muttered a whispered, “Thank you” to the young man next to him.

“Don’t mention it, man.” Donny whispered back, and then flashing a quick leer, took out his camera. “Ok, chicks and cats…picture time!”

“Hold it!” Cordelia then ordered with a wicked grin. “First, Angel’s gotta get changed!” She said with a wink.

“Changed?” The cursed vampire, not liking where this was going, protested as his future seer arched an eyebrow.

“Yep.” The lithe brunette confirmed. “Changed. I’m wearing this…” She then pirouetted, giving everyone in the room a good view of her charms beneath the see-through mini, “…cause you couldn’t even make it to the Bronze on time…”

“I explained why…” Angel stammered weakly, but Cordelia quickly cut him off.

“I don’t care if LBJ came by to personally draft you!” The Seer jibed, much to the amusement of everyone else in the room, including Edmund, who cracked a slight smile of his own at the vampire’s obvious discomfiture. “No one…I mean NO…ONE…ever…EVER…stands me up—and gets away with it! You got that buster?”

Flashing a self-satisfied grin as the wayward vampire weakly nodded his head, Cordy commanded, pointing towards her bedroom. “Now, get in there and get changed. Your clothes are all laid out on the bed waiting for you. Then, smirking, she added, “Me and Licia chose ‘em just for you.”

Several minutes later, a different, and obviously uncomfortable, Angel emerged from the bedroom wearing a peach Nehru jacket with gold chains and love beads around his neck, white slacks, black shoes, and peach tinted Ben Franklin style sunglasses.

As both of the ladies took their time appraising him, the cursed vampire shifted nervously. Seeing his discomfort, Cordelia managed a warm smile. “You look groovy, Angel.” She said as she grazed the arm of his jacket.

"Yeah, Angel." Felicia added. “You look outtasight.” She then turned towards the Englishman and smiled broadly, “Edmund? Think we can get you to take a pic of all of us?”

“But of course.” The Watcher, taking the camera, replied as Felicia herded everyone together—Angel and Donny in the center, their arms around the waists of their dates for the evening. “Very good then…what is it you Americans are supposed say at times like this…Cheese?” Then, as everyone smiled he took their picture, the flash temporarily blinding everyone.

“Great!” Felicia smiled. “Now…how’s about one of me and my roomie?” She said as Cordy and the lovely strawberry blonde posed together in an imitation of a Vogue layout that they had just seen. “All right!” Felicia grinned. “Angel—it’s yours and Cordy’s turn…then me and Donny…and then Donny you take Cordy and Edmund’s picture, ‘kay?”

Finally, after the roll of film in the camera had been exhausted, Donny grinned. “That’s it! Then looking at his watch, he added, “If we’re gonna make it to the concert, we better blow this pad now!”

“Yes…” Edmund added, “I must be going too.” Then, turning towards Cordelia, he smiled as he took her hand. “I’ll look into what we discussed and get back with you tomorrow.”

“Thank you.” Cordy grinned back as she kissed the diffident, and slightly embarrassed, Watcher on the cheek.

“Ok, cats!” Donny exclaimed, “Let’s split!”

TBC...