TITLE: Underworld (1/1)
AUTHOR: Tink <tinklepaw@hotmail.com / tori@cyberspace.org>
DISCLAIMER: Everyone belongs to Joss Whedon and all those XF folk who write, produce and direct A:TS, wisely defected to the show that is, from the show that was.
FEEDBACK: is manna from heaven, PLEASE
RATING: PG-13
SPOILERS: None
CATEGORY: D/C, but more A/C really.
SUMMARY: C&D are dating, this is my first experiment with that whole notion of having a 'plot'.
DISTRIBUTION: anywhere, ask first?
AUTHOR'S NOTES: The event at the end of "Hero" doesn't take place in my universe, hence neither does "Expecting". This is part of a series but works as a standalone too, but some small references to previous events in my story "Luna Riviera."
DEDICATION: To XPFC and their prayers which got me into grad school and a work visa :>
"And when the woman lies
you don't believe her
rolling and unrolling
coiling, emerging
running free running through
the underworld
into your room"
Tori Amos "Lust"
----------------------------------------------------------
Angel and Cordelia stepped inside the club, hand in hand. They were instantly assailed by deafening dance music and a blanket of smoky, suffocating heat.
"Hey, I thought it was illegal to smoke in bars in California!"
Angel bent down close to her lips to catch her words.
"It's illegal to smoke *this* stuff anywhere."
He pulled Cordy in close as three inebriated young guys pushed past them. Then he steered her over to a dark corner, out of the way of the throngs of people; this place was jumping all right. Angel failed to understand how anyone would willingly come here, much less pay a small fortune for the privilege. Even Cordelia looked a little uncomfortable. A frenetically energetic couple, gender indeterminate, were dancing near them, unaware of their surroundings apparently, eyes unnaturally glazed. They were getting closer and closer to the vampire and his young assistant. Angel moved so he had placed himself between the dancers and Cordy, silently thanking TPTB that dancing was not involved in this particular assignment.
Cordelia stood on tiptoe, putting a hand on Angel's cheek to draw him down so he would be able to hear her over the din. "Where's Doyle?"
Something slammed into Angel's back, throwing him against Cordelia, into the corner. She grabbed for his jacket to keep from falling, and he just managed to keep his balance enough to keep them both upright. He whirled around, arms extending out at his side, keeping Cordy behind him. He fully expected to see a demon or two in full demon-rage.
Instead it was just the frenetic-couple, who mouthed something at him, grinned and moved away. Angel straightened up from his fighting stance and turned back to Cordy. His hands settled feather-light on her arms. He leaned in to ask if she was ok.
She nodded. "Hey, keep your hands there, it's cooling!"
He smiled. Leave it to Cordy to make him feel good, for once, about his unnaturally low body temperature. He turned her around and arranged himself so she was ensconced within his frame and his hands rested on her bare shoulders, while they both scanned the club for their colleague. Familiar with the establishment, Doyle had specified that Angel should act as if Cordelia were his while they were there, even before they made the rendezvous, to protect her from the trawling clientele. It was the only part of this assignment that Cordelia liked so far. It hadn't sounded difficult - wait in the Underworld Club for Doyle to show with some dealers, pretend to be potential customers...and hopefully find out just what was on the market. Buy a sample, establish another meeting, get Wesley to analyse it and find out what they were dealing with (the tip-off had been vague) and use the second meeting to bring the bad guys in. Or down. She decided she preferred 'bring the bad guys down'. Simple. Assuming it wasn't a set-up, which had been Angel's first instinct. Hence he felt decidedly ambiguous about the decision to bring Cordy - but the dealers had been clear - couples only. Strange stipulation, but an unnecessary detail if it _was_ a set-up. Doyle had felt a little funny about being the other half of the couple, and it had been Angel's idea for him to partner her instead of Doyle. It made sense - since Doyle had the dealer contacts already, it involved the three of them rather than just Cordy and Doyle - better odds against the afore-mentioned bad guys. So where _was_ Doyle?
"Angel." He bent his head to hers. "Shouldn't we be dancing or something? Trying to blend in?"
"I can't hear you." Angel was very glad when he suddenly spotted Doyle across the room. He wove his way through the crowd toward them, trailing three tall men, all wearing black turtlenecks and smoking something. They reached the couple and signaled that Angel and Cordelia were to come with them.
Keeping Cordelia close, Angel followed the men across the writhing sea of a dance floor, through the bar and down a spiral staircase into a catacomb of rooms. Thankfully the pulse of the music was muted down here. They were led to an alcove at the end of a corridor.
Then nothing. They just stood.
"So, guys, what's going on - are we gonna get some stuff or what?"
The three turtlenecks looked at her and then indicated that Doyle should answer her.
"Well, sweetheart, I think we're waiting for someone. Nothing happens til then."
Doyle added a leer to the word 'sweetheart', keeping a patronising tone that fitted a go-between only briefly acquainted with the couple.
"And then what - I mean what IS this stuff, must be pretty special to warrant all the mystery, right?"
"Maybe." Doyle tried to sound curt but they could tell he still knew no more than they did.
Cordelia tossed her hair over her shoulder and smiled widely.
"Can't we just - y'know...have a tiny peek?"
Doyle returned her smile with another confident leer.
"Not a chance darlin'. Not till I've got what I want from you."
Cordelia's smile faded as she suppressed a shiver. Angel put his arm around his would-be girlfriend, his brow furrowing. He didn't like this, didn't like it at all.
"What exactly DO you want, from us?"
His question was directed at the taller men, but again they motioned for Doyle to answer. Doyle looked to Angel, he was clearly as confused as the vampire was, but he kept up the show.
"All in due time."
"And that time is now."
From nowhere a fourth turtleneck had joined them. This one however, spoke. And he was carrying what looked like a small video camera, unobtrusively kept low.
"Children, how nice of you to visit. I'm sorry you have had to wait, you must have been losing faith in our friend Doyle here. He did a good stalling job, but really he knows nothing. Safer that way. There is a room available for us now, this way please."
They arrived in a small room without windows, curtains covering two entrances, a lamp on a low stone table and leather couches. Their newfound friend motioned for them to sit, and they sat. They had left Doyle behind with the three mute men, but Angel had a feeling they weren't far away.
Cordelia was getting antsy, she didn't like being messed with, and this set-up was very much tilted in the bad guys favor. No way out, numerous hired muscle, enemy territory, separated from Doyle, she squirmed beside Angel. Time to get a sample and get out of here.
"Okay, so can we do this now? Where is it?"
Turtleneck smiled at her. "Where's what?"
"Y'know - what we came here for?"
"First I need something from you - a show of faith as it were, would you be so kind as to oblige me with a small demonstration of your affection for each other?"
They stared at him, completely thrown by this development. "What?"
Cordelia's tone was incredulous.
"A kiss would do. Surely that's not a lot to ask, young lady."
"You want us to...kiss?"
"Humor me."
Cordelia opened her mouth to retaliate but found she was at a loss. Her unease was growing with every passing second. It was Angel who spoke next, his entire body on edge, his voice filled with tension, and not a small amount of anger.
"Why?"
"This is a risky deal children, we're not small time here, there is a lot riding on our potential arrangement, this is just a little reassurance. I don't know you. The people I work for don't know you. You may not be suitable. This is all I ask before we make a deal, and it will be worth your while."
"You still haven't told me why."
He smiled. But his expression contained a trace of unpleasantness.
"Doyle said you were serious. I am beginning to think you are wasting my time here. I do not have a lot of time young Sir. Why is this a problem - you _are_ a couple?"
Cordelia swallowed nervously. She risked lifting her eyes to meet Angel's. The intensity she saw there only frightened her more and she studied her hands instead. She tried to work up the nerve to say something, to let him know it was okay to kiss her. She was a professional after all, and it was really a very small thing. And she knew they'd be stuck at this impasse if she didn't give him permission somehow. She swallowed again.
"It's okay darling, it's not like we've never kissed!"
She tried to laugh lightly, but it trailed off as she met his eyes again. They were dark, darker than usual it seemed, and questioning. Cordelia nodded slightly, Yes it really was ok she silently promised. She knotted her hands in her lap so their observer wouldn't notice how they trembled.
Angel lowered his face to hers, slowly, ever so slowly, eyes locked with hers, giving her a chance to change her mind. His hand came up to her face as if he wanted to shield her from the prying eyes of the smiling man in the turtleneck. He touched his fingertips to her cheek, then very lightly brushed his thumb over her lips. In response her lips parted slightly and he brought his face to hers.
Angel's mind raced as he closed in on Cordelia. An exchange with Doyle just a few hours earlier that evening flashed before him...
///
"Tellin' ya man, tonight's the night! What do you think? Old Spice or Brut?"
He'd held up two bottles.
"Are you sure?"
"About the aftershave?"
"About tonight."
"I can feel it - what's it been? *Months* already...I'm not used to that - the waiting thing, most of the women I've been with aren't into that. Cordy's worth it though."
Angel had tried to choose his next words carefully.
"Have you talked about it with her?"
"Not exactly. She's a lot more... relaxed with me lately though."
Angel had been silent for a moment then. Doyle picked up on the tension in the vampire.
"What, Angel? Spit it out."
"You're quite a bit older than her."
Doyle had stared at him.
"Uh...can we say pot calling the kettle black? And Cordy's young, granted, but she's not *sixteen*."
Chagrined, Angel fumbled for the words. He thought briefly of pointing out that Buffy had been seventeen, actually, by a few hours anyway. As arguments went though, that one was pretty weak. So he was a hypocrite. It didn't change the fact that Angel didn't trust the Irishman as far as Cordelia was concerned, that the overtones of sex in Doyle's attraction to her had bothered him from the start, and that two months was too short a time.
"Just...go slow, ok? Make sure she's ready too."
Doyle scowled.
"I'm not some bleedin' sex-fiend, pal. I get the message. Nice to see what you think of me."
He snatched up the aftershave bottles and stormed out of the room. Angel had sighed. That had not gone as he would have liked. He supposed it was none of his business, and the fact that he was privy to the knowledge that Cordelia was...inexperienced, that should also have been none of his business. But the fact that he did know, and the manner in which he had found out, compounded both his guilt and his sense of responsibility. As if he could somehow make up for what happened in Sunnydale by protecting her from Doyle. It was twisted, he knew, he should have just keep silent. And now this.
///
His lips brushed hers. Angel froze, then when Cordelia didn't pull away, he deepened the kiss, agonizingly slowly. She still didn't resist him and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, almost shuddering at her warmth. Hesitant at first, Cordelia parted her lips a little more, letting him in. Her eyes closed, and adrenaline pumping, she felt herself dissociate from everything but his embrace, and she began to return Angel's ministrations. Her head tilted back as he moved in closer. His hand snaked around the back of her head, entangling in her curls as he pulled her closer still.
"What do you need?"
The words infiltrated their clinch and broke them apart. Angel pulled back gently, anxiously searching Cordelia's face for her reaction, suddenly afraid he had gone too far. She opened her eyes and smiled weakly at him. Out of the corner of his eye his peripheral vision registered the movements as turtleneck snapped the shutter closed on his 'camera' - he had recorded *something* from the last few moments. The smile on his face appeared satisfied. More than satisfied. He continued.
"Money? Drugs? Connections? Whatever you need, that's what we'll pay you."
Cordelia blinked a few times, coming back to reality. She opened her mouth to protest this latest strangeness, but Angel placed his hand on her arm. The contact was electric and stole her words away. Angel spoke instead.
"We came here to buy from *you*."
"See that's the twist. Really we are the ones buying from you."
Angel shifted uneasily. He glanced to Cordy, her soft curls were a little mussed, she still had a hypnotized haze to her eyes and a breathless sigh. He tore his eyes away, afraid of being this vulnerable in the presence of an enemy.
"Oh come on kids, you were expecting a twist, there's always a twist."
"What are you buying?"
"You two. Let me explain. Doyle told you we only deal with couples -right? People in an established relationship, but who haven't...well who haven't consummated that relationship as yet. And that's you."
Cordy gasped.
"We pay extra for certain situations. My boss has an appetite, I mean, a certain penchant, for girls who haven't consummated any previous relationship yet."
He looked at Cordelia who blushed deeply and turned away from Angel.
If he'd had any doubt that whoever they were dealing with wasn't human, it was gone now. And whatever these people were, they must be more supernaturally sensitive to such things than vampires. Even Doyle didn't know that about Cordelia, and the only reason Angel did was because of how close he had gotten to her as Angelus. Angel stopped that thought and stood, convinced now that what was going on here needed to be stopped, but that his first priority was to get Cordelia _out_ of it. She followed him up, still reluctant to look at him. He took her hand.
"We aren't interested."
"I thought that would be your first response. Take some time, think about it. When you change your mind, you can ask Doyle to set up another meeting."
"Thank you, but no."
The man in the turtleneck lifted his hands.
"As you wish."
He offered no further comment, but his smile was still there. When they made to leave through the curtain where they had entered they found it blocked. A sliding door had become a wall there, the join barely visible, with no handle. Her stomach dropped in fear and Cordelia tightened her hold on Angel. Turning away from the door with a distinctly murderous look in his eye Angel advanced toward the man, whose smile did not waver.
"Relax. We simply prefer that you exit through the other door. No-one will try to stop you."
Angel didn't drop his gaze for a moment, measuring this man. His delay in telling them which door to leave by had been quite deliberate, and now his tone suggested that they were privileged by being allowed to leave unharmed. Such threat tactics were puerile, but bothered Angel because he could sense the fear it had instilled in the young girl at his side.
Gathering her close, Angel pushed the other curtain aside and they stepped into a dimly lit corridor. There were other doorways with heavy curtains, and one actual door at the end. He escorted Cordy towards it, keeping a wary eye on the other doorways. Doing her best to quell the unease which urged her to escape as fast as possible, Cordy leaned into Angel and whispered,
"Shouldn't we try to find out more - like what's behind the other curtains? And what about Doyle?"
Stepping out of the shadows at the end of the corridor, there was Doyle.
"How'd it go?"
His words were guarded, aware they were probably being listened to, he was really echoing Cordelia's question - shouldn't they be using this opportunity to investigate what was going on here?
"We're leaving. Now."
Angel's tone brooked no argument. The door led outside, into a dark alley. Angel kept his hold on Cordelia and left through it without looking back. He didn't let her go even as the three hurried to the car, where Doyle parted company with the couple. They would head back to the office separately, mindful of being watched even as they left.
Angel started the car and pulled away from the curb.
"Angel?"
He glanced at her and took one of his hands from the steering wheel to rest it on the edge of her seat.
"I'm sorry Cordy. You alright?"
"I'm okay." She caught herself before adding that she was very okay, actually.
"I don't think Doyle overheard, do you?"
"No. I don't think that's their style. They like to keep information at a need-to-know level, and they don't know Doyle, not directly."
She took his cold hand in hers.
"Angel, can we not tell him? Please? I can't handle him freaking out."
Angel's forehead wrinkled.
"Cordy...we have to tell him something, he'll want to know why we have no sample for a start."
"But we don't have to tell him- well..._everything_ do we?"
She gave him a trademark questioning half-shrug half-smile look. Angel knew it was hopeless to pretend to himself that he could resist her right now, he'd give her anything. This was a particularly dangerous proposition though - the kind of secret that shouldn't be.
"Cordelia - the only way we did anything that would hurt Doyle is if we keep this from him - it will look like there is something to hide."
She gave him another meaningful look but didn't speak again for several blocks. Angel tried to concentrate on driving but he was in no hurry to get back to the office.
"It's just, Angel, Doyle kinda has this hang up, it's not a big deal or anything, and normally I wouldn't mention it, but..."
Angel looked at her, and pulled over to the side of the road. They were close to the office, and hence to Doyle, and they would have to sort this out before then.
"What hang up?"
She looked up at him, her eyes large against her pale complexion in the light of the moon.
"He can sometimes get a little bit jealous."
"Well, that's only natural-"
"...Of you, Angel."
"Oh."
"Yeah, so I don't know how he's gonna handle the news that we..."
She gestured hopelessly and ducked her head, peering up at him again, her eyes pleading with the vampire.
"He'll get mad, Angel, I know him."
"Ok, it's ok Cordy, we won't tell him that we had to kiss, just what they were looking for, and that we said no, and left."
Cordelia breathed out in a rush.
"Thank-you."
"We should get going, Doyle will be wondering."
She nodded. For a long moment neither of them moved.
--------------------
"Get lost or somethin'?"
"Took a long route to shake anyone following us."
More lies. Doyle accepted it blithely, moving to slide an arm around his girlfriend's waist and pull her into his lap. But when he tried to kiss her she moved away.
"I'm all smoky and gross Doyle. Angel - can I use your shower?"
She didn't wait for an answer and practically ran from the room.
Doyle stood and went over to a brown bag he had brought back with him.
"Wanna join me?"
He held up a bottle of Black Bush.
"You've already been drinking tonight."
It wasn't a question.
"Had to, lubricate the set-up, wasn't easy y'know, those guys are wound tight. Could do with a drop of the hard stuff though, get shot of the taste of whatever they were plying me with."
Angel couldn't argue with needing something to dull the tension of the evening. He joined Doyle in a generous double.
Angel filled him in on what had happened, or most of it anyway. Doyle was disgusted at the type of merchandise turtleneck had propositioned them for, but not as surprised and outraged as they had been.
"I've been in LA for a while man, it's not uncommon. The question is - what do we do now? I can arrange another meeting, but that set-up - don't fancy our chances of taking them out. And seems like there's little chance of us being anywhere near the actual important players. Smart."
"I would have thought a bigger problem is that we don't have what they're buying."
Doyle looked at the vampire, pouring himself another shot.
"Well, we have the promise of it at least, right?"
"No, Doyle we don't. I can't go back in there with Cordy, it's too big a risk, and besides...I think they um...they're looking for more than a promise."
"You mean - they'd want to see stuff?" Doyle shuddered, "Ok, yuck. What if we lured them somewhere - you could pretend like you'd only be comfortable if you could do it in your own home."
It was Angel's turn to shiver.
"No."
There was the sound of the elevator as Cordelia returned. Doyle stood up, indicating the end of their conversation. "Hey - a shower's a good sign right?" He nudged Angel, who took a minute to realise what Doyle meant. His heart sank. He stood powerless as Doyle and Cordelia left, promising to discuss the problem of the turtlenecks in the morning.
He clicked off the lights and fell into his chair. The dark offered little comfort tonight. Maybe a cold shower.
His shower smelled of her.
---o0o---