CHOICES- a second chance

SPOILER ALERT: umm, the fact that Angel is in L.A, and Wesley is there.

DISCLAIMER: Joss Whedon, 20th Century Fox, Mutant        Enemy, and/or the WB Television Network own these characters. I've just        borrowed them for this story. No copyright infringement is intended or inferred.

SETTING: 19th Century Williamshire.

THANKS: to everyone who has sent me feedback! you have no idea how much I love you for it!

England 1802 Williamshire

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Angelus mocked the girl who cowered before him.  "Please sir," she pleaded, her high class English accent was no more than a whisper and a sob, for that, at the present moment, was all she could muster.  "Please good sir, I beg of you, and appeal to your mercy.....my father," she whimpered, referring to the elderly man that Angelus now held by the heel of his foot over the edge of the sea vessel that was now quite far out, yet still within the bay for which Williamshire was famous. She stared at the handsome man, searching his eyes for some show of mercy, despairingly she saw none.

"My father," she began "will surely drown if you continue that for he cannot swim!!"

She cried in absolute terror as the handsome man that had proclaimed himself to all as Angelus lowered her father once more into the churning sea almost up to the poor gentry's mid-chest.

"Please," the pathetic creature in front of him whimpered again Angelus decided to finish it, the game was growing dull. "My dear," he said with a chuckle and a merry ol' tone, "you mistake me..... for I am neither gentle, nor could I care less about your fathers well being!"

With that he dropped the old man into the stormy sea, reached over and snapped the girls neck in two.

"Ahh....well would you look at that!" he chuckled, "I was right, the human bone structure is fascinating!" With that he let her lifeless body fall to the floor.  He turned to the other unfortunate passengers who had, like the father and daughter he had just killed, made the tragic mistake of boarding the vessel, "Well then," he began as he took a step forward, "who'll be next?!" He gazed around the other shaking, pathetic passengers, there was nothing really special about them, they were about as amusing as a chipmunk........he knew he would bore of this game, like all others. Angelus knew he had potential, he knew that somewhere out there, was his greatest challenge.......he knew. He just couldn't prove it.

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United States of America Los Angeles~current day.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!!" began Cordelia Chase incrediously as she stared at Wesley, the ex-watcher now assistant detective. "Angel actually told you!!!" she paused, mouth hanging open, "I can't believe it!.....It's not fair, how come he told you where he hides the Christmas presents and not me!!!!" she fumed.  "It's desiptivation!!!!"

"I believe," began Wesley as he adjusted his glasses to a more comfortable position on his nose, "the word you were aiming for is discrimination and I mus-...." he was about to finish when Cordelia promptly cut him off. "Whatever!" she said in an exasperated tone as she admired her flawless nails.  "Wesley, I just ate lunch for crying out loud, I don't wanna spew all over you."  She paused as she thought about the simply horrifyingly "declass'ee" statement.  "EEEWWW!!!" she screeched, "anyway where was I??....honestly trying to get people to ACTUALLY listen to you is impossi- oh yeah spewing that's right, anyway as I was saying I WILL END UP SPEWING IF YOU GIVE ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR POINTLESS ENGLISH LECTURES!!" she cried. "You don't want that do you??" she battered her eye lashes.  "No" began Wesley "but my lectures are not bo-"

"Yes they are" Cordelia cut in once more as she grabbed his arm and proceeded to pull him out the door. "Come on!" she cried!! "Wait one moment I simply must grab a jacket, according to the news it's quite chilly out"

"Whatever," Cordelia stated once again. She had stopped listening after the word "jacket" as she carefully applied her lipstick. When she finished she turned around to find Wesley standing behind her.  "You look lovely" he offered.    "I know" she said off handedly.

Wesley sighed, "Where exactly are we going?" he asked as he opened the door for Cordelia, she started to exit. "Millers, they're having this huge sal-" As she placed her foot outside the door a great burst of light proceeded, Cordeilia screamed as she felt herself begin to fall........

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England Williamshire 1802

"What.....no takers?" Angelus feigned disappointment. "Well then I guess I'll just have to...." his voice trailed off as a bright burst of light flashed across the sky, more powerful than any lightning he had seen. Suddenly Angelus heard the nearing scream of a female.  "What on Ear-" he was about to finish when suddenly a young lady fell from the sky and crashed on the deck with a loud thud. He watched as the lady quickly recovered herself, stood up and brushed herself down.

Who was this girl???

Cordelia looked around, suddenly two men grabbed her and dragged her across what appeared to be the deck of a ship. "What the hell...who do you think you are buddy!! Get your hands off m-"  Just as she was about to finish the men threw her to the ground. She stood up and whipped around to face them. "You!" she declared.  "You will SO be hearing from my lawyers!!" 'If I live...' she thought to herself, she gulped.

"Who are you?" shouted a familiar voice from behind her, she whirled around and, recognizing the face of her friend, ran over and hugged him.

"Oh Angel, boy am I glad to see you, you have no idea what just happ-" she stopped suddenly and looked at him, "Whoa! Angel okay you may be from the 17 hundreds or whatever but PULEEASE that look does SOOO not work for your complexion!!" She placed her hands on her hips, "I thought you of all people-I mean GRR's," she placed her hands in the appropriate places on her face to emphasize fangs and horns, "You would have...." Cordelia trailed off, at a loss for words.

"I mean honestly Angel what is wrong with you?? even you know that look is soooo 200 years ago!!"

"You speak" began Angel as he sauntered towards her cockily, "as if you know me...that however, I know is not possible, as I no longer socialize with pathetic little humans like you."

Awestruck, gobsmacked, and yet tactfully as ever, Cordelia gave Angel a hard poke in the ribs.

"Hey, just who do you think you're talking to!! I may be your employee, but so! I'm also a person, Angel what the hell is wrong with you??" She looked into his eyes and it hit her, "Oh man!, I can't even turn my back on you for one minute!! You did it with Buffy again didn't you!! I'm telling you, where she leads, dark forces follow and now I'm going to die... great I didn't even get to dry clean my dress.  I wonder if they'll choose the right dress......" she grabbed Angelus by the collar, "Oh God, what if they choose the wrong dress!" she paused in absolute horror. "What if when they put my picture in the paper they choose a bad one!" she looked away, "okay so I've never taken a bad picture but some are better than others! What will my parents say? Oh God!!" with that Cordelia Chase did the most pathetic thing she'd done in years, she burst into tears.

Angelus watched in amusement as the young woman mumbled to herself. She then suddenly burst into tears, "Well" she cried between sobs, "at least I have one comfort...when you kill me I can come back and haunt Buffy to death!!" She started to cry again.  He stared at her, his eyes boring into her like knives, "You," he said in confusion, "you speak to me like you know me! I told you I do not know you and still you persist! Tell me child," he sneered, "where do you know me from? How do you know me?"

Cordelia composed herself, at once her tear filled eyes immediately darkened, "How do I know you?? How do I know you!?" she cried in disbelief. "How do I know you?" she stated again. "How?...I'll tell you how! You-me slayerettes REMEMBER! You losing your soul REMEMBER? Buffy and you sleeping together REMEMBER??? All of us restoring your soul REMEMBER? And oh, not to mention the fact that you've tried to kill us thousands of times," she began to advance on him.          "I've fed you blood, I've done an exorcism with you, I've worked for you, I've made you cups of coffee," as she moved toward Angelus she counted the things of on her fingers "I've been donut girl, I have MIND NUMBING VISIONS FOR YOU FOR A WHOLE YEAR GODDAMIT AND WHAT DO I GET?? I get HOW DO I KNOW YOU!!!" By now she had reached Angelus, she leaned in close "Well, and let me tell you, BUDDY, I predict a horrible and painful staking from the slayer for Y. O. U.!!" She spelled out the last three letters and emphasized the threat by pushing him.  Hard.

Angelus' mouth hung open, not only was this young woman a beauty, but she also stood up to him, and refused to be cowered by authority....perhaps this was the challenge he had been waiting for, he would have to test her a little further.... "Well, well, well little girl it seems you've proved the impossible, your words are actually as big as your mouth!" Angelus threw his head back as he burst out laughing, 'the look of indignation that crossed the girl's face was hilarious!' he thought.  Suddenly he felt a stinging blow to his face, he stumbled back in shock, 'the young lady actually punched me!' his mind screamed in amazement, 'and it wasn't too bad a punch either, had I been human that probably would have knocked me unconscious!' he thought. To her, however, he said, "Can you do no better than that!" The young lady glared at him, seething, when suddenly a strange look passed across her face........ Cordelia leaned in really close, Angelus was about to get a taste of his own medicine, Cordelia hadn't been the "slayer" of boys for most of her life to have learnt nothing. She was about to hit Angelus where it hurt. "Actually I probably can," she replied. "Tell me Angel, have you stalked enough girls already to know what they talk about?" she asked him. A look of confusion crossed Angelus' face, it was, she noticed, quickly hidden, but it had been there none the less. 'Bingo!' she thought. She looked around and noticed that she had almost everyone on the ships undivided attention. 'Oh yeah,' she thought to herself, 'revenge is sweet.' "Well," she asked again, "have you?" She began again before Angelus even had a chance to answer, "Well I'm guessing not by the cocky grin on your face," she whispered knowing the others couldn't hear. "Just yesterday," she began again, her voice regaining it's usual level of projection, "I had the most detailed chat with Buffy," she trailed off letting the suspense of the others build, "and let me tell you," she said to Angelus, "she didn't have a good word to say about," Cordelia raised her fingers to form quotation marks she used them as she said the last part of her sentence "THE NIGHT."

Cordelia noticed that now, if she hadn't before, she had EVERYONE's undivided attention.  'Presto,' she thought. Although Angelus would never admit it, he had a bad feeling about the way in which this young lady was addressing everyone. He had never heard a lady speak of such things, but back when he was mortal "the night" had usually stood for sleeping with someone. 'Is that what this young girl is implying?' he wondered. 'If so,' he thought, 'she had better cut to the chase, I'm growing bored.' He promptly passed a look to his minions who, equally as promptly, daring not upset their master, stalked towards her carrying wepons of all sorts and sizes. Cordelia had seen the look Angelus had directed undoubtedly to one of his "goons." She didn't know exactly what the look had meant, but she did know that it undoubtedly had something to do with her well being. 'All right,' she said to herself, 'you wanna play hard ball..ha!' She spurred herself on, 'I didn't lose my social status thanks to Buffy, to go and learn nothing from it.' Silently she ran through all her limited, (but still, enough to do impending damage) knowledge of the martial arts. 'Ohh ohh,' she silently thanked God as she discovered the ever so essential stakes, holy water and crosses that had, over the past 3 or so years, earned a permanent position in her handbag.  There as always. 'Time to kick some bad guy butt,' she thought. 'Ok, so the tough guy thing doesn't work for me- mental note-never become a bikie.' The goon vampires started to circle and close in on Cordelia. One of the vampires who wore a red tie, black jacket and blue...'well,' thought Cordelia, 'they vaguely resemble pants I can live with that......UGHHH!' Cordelia almost shrieked, 'This dude, vampire or no, has totally lost it.' She looked around her, 'Ok, so has everyone here,' the vampire grabbed a handful of Cordelia's hair and proceeded to attempt to throw her.

"YOOWW!" she shrieked, "this isn't a hammerthrow competition you know!"

With that a sudden adrenalin rushed through her, with all her might she managed to kick him straight between the legs. He howled in pain, hands rested on his knees, Cordelia reached into her bag, pulled out a stake....what was left of the vampire settled on her clothes and hair, or drifted out to sea to meet the dawn that would come in less than a few hours. Angelus stared on in momentary awe, he knew he should be angry, the vampire Keaune that she had just 'dusted' had indeed been new and stupid, but had shown early signs of potential, 'as a minion of course' he reminded himself, he refused to share his title as master with anyone, he even resented the fact that Darla was as equally ranked as he, 'never mind that,' he chided himself as he brought his mind back to more immediate matters, this woman was slaying his minions one by one, as if swatting flies. He had run into many a slayer, killed some, injured all..he knew what they tasted like, smelt like and this woman neither smelt, nor acted like one. 'And yet she knows what we are,' he concluded to himself, trying to put the remaining pieces of the puzzle into place, but, to no avail.

Cordelia was determined not to show it but she was tiring- and quickly, 'I don't know how much longer I can keep this up,' Cordelia muttered between gritted teeth.  A vampire charged at her, she stepped aside and he landed on the railing of the side of the vessel.  Cordelia charged over to the vampire, not giving him time to recover, grabbed his legs and tipped him over the edge into the wild sea which was churning dangerously.  She turned around, preparing for the next attack, to her surprise it never came. The only vampire still within current fighting length was the fiend of the fair himself Angelus. Cordelia took a few steps forward predicting his attack. His face usually God-like was now horrifying, distorted with uncontrollable rage. Cordelia was frozen with fear, 'Ok- mood equals heavy, say a witty remark-....like what- good one Cordelia your mouth which has never failed you before is going to let you down right when you need it the most,' she realized. 'Oh whoopie bang doo I might as well leap into the arms of de-' she was almost finished concluding her will when Angelus' anger seemed to melt and he burst out laughing. To Cordelia's further shock, Angelus' display of good humor was then followed with clapping. She knew he wasn't humored and that this was one of his sick twisted games, she just couldn't figure out which way the dice were rolling- in his favor or hers?  Angelus couldn't stop laughing, this mortal had dispatched all of his most powerful minions, and also to add to his humiliation it was a MORTAL WOMAN. Perhaps if she was a great slayer the humiliation could have been lessened.....'but she is A WOMAN! A mortal woman no less.' He couldn't stop laughing, if he did the others would know something was wrong, he had to admit he was quite impressed. He was now, if he hadn't been before, convinced that she was the challenge he had been waiting for.  Cordelia couldn't figure out why Angelus, who should have steam practically pouring out of his ears, was suddenly full of humor. 'Well maybe a couple of years in hell can do that to a guy,' she reasoned, 'nah who am I kidding, something is majorly up.' Angelus decided to test the young woman, he moved forward to prepare to attack. He noticed her reaching into what appeared to be some sort of bag designed to go on one's shoulders. She suddenly whipped out a black object, pushed a button, and with one click he was in a beam of light, brighter than he remembered even the sun having been. There was an object painted on where the light was coming from. 'A cross,' he realized, 'clever girl.' "What sort of witch have we here?" he whispered to himself. He knew now that he would have to make her one of his minions, this one was too pretty, and too full of such spirit to let die. Cordelia didn't like the look Angelus was giving her, it was as if he were evaluating a possession, it's worth and such; and Cordy was no-one's possession, especially a blood sucking bad guy.  Cordelia had a bad feeling about this.  A very bad feeling.

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Part 2

Silken sheets. Cordelia groaned. "Argggh, mmmmm," she attempted to sit up, only to be met with a sharp pain in her head. "Ohh, what did I get up to last night, I curse whoever invented alcohol!"

"Well, well, well," came a voice, "lookie here who's up!"

Cordelia looked to where the voice was coming from, to see an elderly lady wearing one of those black and white maids outfits that you see in movies set in the olden days.  "It's a wonder you're alive, from what I heard about your rendevous upstairs I'm surprised Angelus didn't have a human barbeque party with you as the main course!" The woman chuckled at her own joke. "Yeah right, whatever" began Cordelia, "where am I anyway?" "Oh you're in the masters cabin, he was up with all the other males on deck all night"

"Oh... ok, you do realize you work for a vampire don't you?"

"Well yes I do, but as my father always said, it is better to be the right hand of the devil than to be in his path...my father was a very smart man." "Um yeah, sure, listen am I like a prisoner or can I go already?" "Well certainly, although there's not very many places you can go from here, unless your dream is spending the rest of your life in the belly of a shark!"

"Ummm yeah, see you!"  Cordelia was out the door and was immediately greeted with a salty spray.  She yawned, 'Well good morning to you too,' she thought. Now that it was daytime the ship and surrounding areas didn't look as dank as they did before, they looked like something out of Loch Ness, the movie. Beautiful green cliffs met her as she stared over the ships railing. "So where am I anyway?" she said to herself. She continued her walk along the deck until she came to a door. She had an overwhelming urge to open it. When she did she was immediately met will a strange feeling, an air of power and evil, she realized with a start.  She whirled around preparing to leave, when a voice stopped her. "Ahh I see you're awake, good." She turned back to face him, "My we are daring aren't we, exploring. Most girls would sit around whimpering or praying. But you.....you are much different, from California, in America. My I had heard the girls over there were a lot more bold, but really I had no idea.......there was another thing that bothered me," he took something out of his pocket. 'My wallet' she realized. "The date on this....drivers license?" It was a question, she realized. "Forgive me," he began again, "but would you care to explain what exactly a drivers license is? And,.... what would a such a pretty young lady such as yourself be doing with one?"  Cordelia leaned forward and promptly snatched the small card out of his large hands. "None of your bee's wax, and just what do you think you're doing going through my personal stuff, even James Bond wouldn't have done that. Sheesh, what is your childhood trauma!"

Angelus looked at her, "And James Bond would be who exactly?"  Cordelia stared at him in disbelief, "That is supposed to be funny how??"  Cordelia sent him her best look of utter disdain.  Angelus suddenly burst out laughing and smoothed a tendril of hair from her forehead, "We certainly are quite the character aren't we?" he drawled. Cordelia, who was by now very unimpressed, mimicked his giggle, and with the same tone that you would use on a child, that Angelus had had the audacity to use on her she responded, "What is your deal with speaking in the third person already?" "Speaking in the third person well really, I suppose it is a habit. All my minions, only the ones I'm close with of course, have commented on it also."  Cordelia looked at him, "Yeah, and strangely enough, even though I was around you most of the time, I never noticed." Cordelia pointed out to him. Angelus looked at her, she looked at him, an awkward silence filled the room.  Angelus was the first to break it.  "Mmmmm," he said, taking an un-needed breath as he began to circle her. She noticed now that he had another object in his hand, he began to tap each finger with it. 'Oh my God,' she realized with a start, 'It's a knife , he's going to gut me!!' "Yes," he began, pausing, "you were speaking last evening of such an absurd thing as I, myself knowing you, but I really do think you are mistaken, for I am certain I would remember such lovely young lady with hair like that of a raven."

Fanfiction Main

By now Cordelia was in striking distance, her hand reached out to the door knob. "Well thanks for the fabulous accommodation and all but hey, you know, there's no place like home-"  She grabbed the door knob, turned it and pushed with all her might - only to find that luck and fate were against her. She whirled around, trying to break the lock or kick open the door, only to have a firm pair or arms, cool as ice, to lock around her waist and hurtle her onto the desk, which thankfully had nothing but her small purse on it. "Locked I'm afraid," he said giving her a cringe of sympathy. She got up off the desk, looked him straight in the eye and suddenly burst out laughing.

"You...know what-" she said in between giggles as Angelus moved closer, "the funniest thing is.....that there is absolutely no humor in this and here I am, laughing- right before I die."

Angelus by now had reached her, and was looking in her eyes almost tenderly. Cordelia stopped, and composed herself, automatically sliding into the persona of the airheaded cheerleader that she had perfected over 18 years. Angelus leaned in close, "Let me kiss you," he whispered.

"What?" Cordelia cried, "here, now?"

"Yes," he whispered. "If not here where, if not now when?" he continued.

Cordelia frowned, "You're confusing me, where?"

"Here," he answered quickly.

"When?" she asked hesitantly.

"NOW!" he yelled, his impatience getting the better of him.  "But......why?" Cordelia stuttered.  A look of confusion crossed his features. "I honestly don't know." He looked at her, she was beautiful, undoubtably, but she would grow to be so much more glorious than the vision she was before him today. He had over the years of his life and unlife watched many a lady, he knew, and had seen the way women age. True she was a beauty, and to the untrained and unattuned mortal male, her current beauty would be all they saw. But Angelus saw, in his minds eye, the goddess, that in 5 or so years would stand before him and he would be damned if he would share either her current beauty or future goddess-like state with anyone, be they male or female, mortal or immortal, human or demon.  'I will make sure that she stays mine and only mine,' he thought savagely, before promptly flicking his hand out to her throat, and pushing at the pulse point. The movement, as he knew it would, immediately rendered her unconscious. "Wesley," she muttered before slipping into the arms of Angelus as darkness enveloped her.

To Be Continued...