Author: Idnac
E-mail: idnac@hotmail.com
Rating: G
Summary: Angel has an opportunity to get his soul back, but there is the inevitable loop hole.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, nothing, nada, not a thing. Not Cordy, Angel or even Hallmark which I mention once. NOTHING. As most everyone knows, if I did own them I'd get my 'ships and Angel and Xander would wear alot o' leather :)
"So can you do it?" Cordelia's small voice asked the elderly woman.
"Yes, my dear," the gypsy woman said in a heavily accented voice. "You have returned Kalsia, saved her from the evils that wished to hurt. You have made my only granddaughter safe once more and for this, I shall help you, but there will be sacrifices . . . "
Hours later, the door slammed in the loft Cordelia shared with Angel, she walked quickly through the living room calling for him, the urgent tone clear in her voice.
"Cordy? What's wrong?" Angel asked in a calming tone as he came out of his bedroom and approached his best friend, placing reassuring hands on her shoulders he stared at her, hair wild from the windy night and eyes shining with something he could only describe as hope.
"Well," she began, already pausing to take the breath she had been neglecting. "I have good news and then I have bad news."
"Do I wanna hear either?" Angel said, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Yes!" She yelled, getting so frustrated she pushed him away, the extra strength learned from training sessions doing little but to let his hands drop from their place.
"Alright, calm down," he told her, a little hurt by her action.
"Okay, okay," she said, seeing the hurt in his eyes she moved back to him placing her hands on either side of his face she stared into his eyes. "Angel . . . I can get your soul back."
"What?" He whispered in disbelief, searching her eyes for affirmation.
"I said I can--"
"How?" he breathed.
"Geeana."
At the mention of the old woman's name Angel sucked in unneeded air.
"How do you know her?" he said, still looking into her eyes.
"Kalsia, her granddaughter, I was walking past the ally near the agency on my way here and I heard a girl scream. I saw the vamps holding her near the dumpster so I just pulled out my holy water squirt gun, don't leave home without it, and I just went in there shooting away." She said in one long breath.
"And?"
"And I took her back to her home, to her grandmother, Geeana. I knew who she was Angel, I've heard you and Doyle talk, those hushed conversations where you tell each other she's so close as you stare at the pictures in the society page."
"So what did you do Cordy?"
"I asked her, I asked for a favor, for help and she said yes. I thought I would scream when she said it but she did, she wants to do this, to help."
"I'm gonna have a soul?" Angel smiled.
"Yep," Cordy said, obviously proud of herself.
"Wow." He said, a grin still plastered on his face. Slowly Angel backed up until his legs met the chair, upon which he promptly fell onto with a whoosh.
Cordelia face didn't falter, her smile stayed in place as he sat basking in the knowledge. She wanted to let him go as long as she could before telling him the bad news, even though she knew she had to.
After making herself comfortable on the couch Cordy faced his chair, staring into his happy face she dreaded telling him, but she knew she had to, it would just be to dangerous to let it happen without warning.
"Angel?"
"Yeah?" he smiled.
"It's time for the bad news."
His face dropped.
"This has to be done, to rid the demon, to exorcise the strongest of its wills," she said, quoting what the gypsy woman had told her.
"What is it, Cordy?"
"You have to become Angelus for three days."
His response was a blank face, then a flicker of pain when he realized he couldn't go through with the spell.
"We can't," he whispered, "it is too dangerous."
"No," she said jumping a bit and moving closer to him. "I have it all figured out, all we need to do is . . . build a cage."
"A cage?" He asked, his brows furrowed, "great."
"No, no, it is, just listen, and don't give me that 'what-are-you-talking-about-your-freaking-nuts' look. All we need is some cage stuff, bolts or whatever and we can build it right against the brick wall. Little bit of time and that's it, bang, your done, free, and when you sulk you can be sure your guilt will stick with you permanently," she smiled, poking him as she tried to get a reaction.
"Okay," he said looking at her.
"Okay?" she repeated, surprised that she didn't have to convince him a lot longer then this. When he nodded his head she was happy with the approval. "Okay! Let's go get the stuff now."
Getting up she pulled him off the chair and headed for the door, eager to get started.
