Author: Idnac
E-mail: idnac@hotmail.com
Rating: R
Summary: Angel has an opportunity to get his soul back, but there is the inevitable loop hole.
Disclaimer: Not mine, I wish! If they were mine I'd get my 'ships, not to mention Angel and Xander in much leather. Mmm-Hmm.
Again, in a useless search he went though his enclosure slowly, still finding nothing that would be an effective weapon, finally, he decided it really didn’t matter, he liked to use his hands anyway.
“Hey, Doyle, come here, man.”
“What is it?” He asked, his eyes still glued to the screen, which was now featuring a pre-implant removal Pam Anderson running along the beach.
“Just come here,” he said, detesting he had to repeat himself, detesting the person that made him do it.
“Geez, man,” getting up he threw the remote down and walked over to the cage, “What is it?”
“Nothing,” he said calmly before reaching out through bars and grabbing Doyle.
Angelus gripped the shorter demon’s shirt tightly ramming him against the iron. Doyle fought back but it was no use while Angelus was full of anger. He slammed him once again into the metal, smiling as a trickle of blood appeared on his forehead.
Doyle let out a gurgle as he was let go, he slumped limply, leaning on the cage, then, as quickly as he was released he was grabbed up again. A strong hand gripped him around his throat, squeezing. As the pressure made his head throb white spots invaded his vision.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!” Cordelia screamed as she entered the loft and ran over to the violent scene before her.
Grabbing at Angelus’ arm she desperately tried to separate him from a gasping and flailing Doyle who had knocked over the small in-table causing it’s contents to fall across the room.
“LET GO!” Finally, smiling at her as he did, Angelus relinquished his grip on Doyle.
Sagging to the ground Doyle dragged him self away to rest against the couch. Cordelia, much to Angelus’ disdain, hurried over to the couch and began checking over Doyle.
“I don’t see what the big deal is, he’s a demon, it’s not like I hurt him,” he complained.
“It doesn’t matter, you know you would have killed him if you could.”
“And that’s a problem because . . .”
“Damn,” Doyle gasped. “Sorry to leave you now, Cordy, but I gotta get to the agency and I’d rather not be here right now.” Getting up he made his way to the door, weaving slightly, as he left.
“Why the hell would you do that?” Cordy screamed.
“Shh, calm down, it was just Doyle, he’s insignificant.”
“He’s your friend!”
“No. He _was_ a friend, a friend of that spineless little disappointment,” he told her angrily.
“But . . .” she couldn’t finish, as tears came to her eyes her stomach turned knowing that a true evil filled the body of the man she cared for more than her own life. But the thought that made her heart ache in pain is that even if he stayed like this forever she would still want him, still desire him, still love
him.
Angelus just smiled.
“Just go to bed,” she whispered, heading for the dark solace of her room.
“Why, you aren’t going to,” he called to her as she walked away. “You’re just going to do what you do every night. Eventually, you’re just going to think of me.”
Cordelia’s froze in her spot, he knew she was wondering just how much he knew, he just smiled.
“You really thought that I don’t know? I mean, *come on*, Cordy, you really don’t think I’m *that* clueless do you? I’m a *vampire*, Cordy, you think I don’t sense your change in breathing when I lay in the very next room? You think I don’t hear my name being said, even if it is just a whisper? Well, if you really believe that, I don’t know what to say, I’m offended, ” he told her with an evil smirk.
Cordy still just stood, rigid and ashamed he was aware of her solitary activities, she hadn’t even bothered to turn. What would be the point? To give him more pleasure at his deed when he saw the stricken look on her face and tears spilling down her cheeks? No, she wouldn’t do it.
Calling up all her inner strength she raised her chin, tossed her hair behind her shoulder and started to her room again. She wouldn’t let the anguish over take her, she wouldn’t let the demon affect her and cause her break down, not here. She knew though, that once inside her retreat she wouldn’t be able to stop
the pain.
“Been nice talking to you,” he grinned.
Her door slammed and Angelus laughed. He bathed in the afterglow of the grief felt by Cordy. Suddenly he felt disgustingly strange for a fleeting moment; slowly he realized it was odd feeling of regret.
Anger overtook Angelus as he slammed his fist into the white-bricked wall, taking little satisfaction at the small, dusty crumble it caused.
The spell is starting to work, he thought, that fucking bitch, it’s only the second night and my emotions are kicking in like a fucking Hallmark card. I have to find a way out of this damn cell.
Sweeping his eyes along the cage he saw, as expected, nothing. As he sighed in frustration something glinted, catching his eye.
The tiny, black object was right outside of the cage; he reached through the bars and easily picked it up. Holding it in between his fingers he saw it was a hand off of the broken clock Cordy had placed on the table earlier.
A smile slowly spread over his face in realization. He moved to the entrance of his cage and grasped the heavy lock, sure Angel had checked it, but he hadn’t thought that Angelus might find something to open it with. Placing the slender piece of metal inside of the keyhole he moved it slowly, grinning as he heard
the click of release.
He took the lock, carelessly throwing it onto his air mattress. With one little nudge the door swung open and he was free.
