Chapter Twelve

There was silence, broken immediately by the Slayer.

"Who the hell are you?" Buffy burst, walking up to him, her blue eyes flashing.

Rupert Giles walked into the room. "Buffy." He said, raising a hand to ward her off. "Please."

She turned, her eyes widening. "Giles?"

He gave his Slayer a fond look, and nodded. "Hello."

With a sob she threw herself in his arms, he held her close, releasing her after a minute to smile at the rest of the group.

"I'll dispense with the catching up when we have more time." He remarked.

"How, how... "

"I called him." Oz said, coming forward. "I didn't think you'd get here so quickly."

"Sammis has a private jet. Forgive me." Rupert said immediately, turning to the older man who was waiting patiently to be introduced. "This is Dr. Sammis, a close colleague of mine, he specializes in Druid's, and is familiar with this particular sect."

"Where is Angelus?" Sammis asked immediately. Cordelia crossed her arms, and indicated he should follow her. He did.

"He's going to help?" Buffy asked hopefully.

Giles gave her a tender smile. "He's going to try."

He didn't get close, he merely looked at Angel, who growled, only allowing Cordelia to get close enough to touch him.

Cocking his head, he studied the interaction as Cordelia went forward.

"Shh. It's okay, Angel." Her whisper was soft, but he could still hear her, making no expression when the demon face receded immediately at the sound of her voice.

He nodded shortly. "I've seen enough."

She nodded, kissing Angel's forehead once and disentangling herself. Angel look more himself even then, instead of growling he only stared at her beseechingly, his human face staring at her with pleading eyes.

"He's getting stronger." She didn't allow too much hope to enter her voice, it was merely an observation, even when Sammis raised an eyebrow.

She bit her lip, and went outside. Sammis followed her.

"I was told Buffy was a blonde."

Cordelia gave him a strange look, but nodded. "She is."

"I see." He looked lost in thought, and then nodded to her. "And you are?"

"Cordelia Chase. Hi."

"You seem rather attached to this." He remarked, his British voice remarkably softer "More so than the others."

"I am." Was all that she allowed, she didn't say another word as they walked back into the living room where the others were waiting.

Cordelia gave Xander an appreciate gaze when he slid a comforting arm around her. Sammis saw this and frowned.

Cordelia saw none of this, merely turned to him. "What did you say? About Angel dying?"

Sammis nodded, turning to address the group who were each watching him intently. "You used this spell, am I correct?"

Willow took the outstretched piece of paper, and glancing over it, nodded. "It was the only thing we could find."

Sammis nodded. "It's not enough. It won't reverse the spell, merely give him strength. Druid's blood isn't all that potent, it's not innocent, even if it's the casters. No amount of blood of a person will work unless-"

"Unless what?" Xander asked.

"The only one that can save him is his Bound." Sammis remarked.

"Bound?" Oz asked, coming forward.

"A soul mate, some one that has a piece of him within their own bodies, a part of him, someone he has loved."

All eyes, including Cordelia's, turned to Buffy who rose immediately.

"I'll do it."

Sammis turned curious eyes on Buffy. "You believe you are his Bound?"

"I have to be." Buffy said quickly, "I was the first woman he loved. We went through...so much.... I sent him to hell."

"How is that of any significance?" Sammis asked quickly. "From what Rupert told me, all you ever brought each other was misery and death."

The words were like a slap in the face to Buffy, who stood stock still. "It has to be me." She whispered.

Sammis scoffed. "You think finding the one bound to him as easy as.... that?" He said, snapping his fingers. "Just because he loved you, or you loved him means nothing, There has to be more than that."

"It was more." Cordelia spoke up from her position on the couch, her hazel eyes glittering. "I remember Angel always called Buffy his true love, before." Buffy turned suprised eyes on Cordelia, who merely shrugged. "Don't make it more than it is." She told her stiffly. "I just want to save him."

Giles turned, his eyes on Cordelia, his face tight and closed. "But you were engaged to him for a time."

Sammis turned, eyes on Cordelia. "You were his lover too?"

Feeling somewhat self conscious at the unwanted scrutiny, Cordelia merely nodded.

"For how long?" He said, coming forward.

"Five years." She said shortly, crossing her arms quickly and looking away. "We were best friends for ten."

"He never lost his soul?"

"No. We convinced the council to put a spell to stop that." Doyle said quickly. "Angel's soul became permanent."

"I see." Sammis turned to Buffy, "And he lost his soul with you?"

"Look, can we stop it with the twenty questions already?" Cordelia burst, her face becoming red. "She's his bound, okay? We got that-" Suddenly she stopped, her face frozen. "Oh, God." She breathed, turning and walking out of the room.

Sammis, looking curious, motioned to Rupert, and followed her out.

He walked into the sight of Cordelia holding up Angel, who had cut himself on the bottle that had been forgotten. She had sank down on the floor with him, and was now holding him, rubbing her hand along his damp hair. One hand was holding a cloth as she wiped at his cuts. He remained still, allowing her caresses, seeming to even cherish them, sometimes helping her as he rubbed at her hair. She didn't notice anything but Angel. Sammis pursed his lips, crossing his arms and walking out, back into the room.

"Buffy is not his bound." He said finally.

Shocked faces went onto the faces of the other group, Buffy's included. "What?!"

"Buffy is not his bound." He repeated mildly.

"How can you say that?" Cordelia walked into the room, her eyes wide with fear. "She has to be!!"

"She lacks one thing that is extremely vital to the definition of a Bound."

"Which is? The part where he drank my blood or the one where I brought him back from hell?"

"The ability to sense the other's presence. Like a magnet." Silence filled the room, and Sammis turned to Cordelia , who had frozen.

"You can *sense* him?"

"Yeah. So?" She swallowed.

This time Giles joined him, his eyes searching Cordelia's intensely. "And you never thought that that was unusual?"

"Well, yeah." She admitted, "But lots of things around here are weird, pretty soon they become normal."

"When did this start?"

"About eight years ago." Doyle answered, walking up behind Cordelia, his hands on her shoulders. "I always thought it was stranger than anything."

"Wait, I know what you guys are thinking and there is no way." Cordelia shook her head. "I'm not Angel's Bound, I'm not anyone."

"Why not?" Sammis asked. "Is it so improbable? We do not pick our Bounds, they are chosen. You love him?"

Cordelia felt herself stiffen but she responded immediately, "More than anything."

"He loves you." The statement was not a question, and Buffy felt her lower lip tremble when Cordelia nodded, her gaze not wavering from his.

"What happened eight years ago, that might have triggered this?" Rupert asked, his features furrowed. Buffy sank down, in a chair, her knees suddenly weak, all gazes centered on Cordelia. Cordelia turned to look into Doyle's eyes, who merely shrugged.

"We almost died, that year, some guy was going to try and create a hellmouth here, I was almost a sacrifice, Kate and Angel and Doyle saved me. That was it."

"How." Sammis pressed.

"Angel blocked the passage with his own body." Doyle answered. "I thought he was friggin' insane, but he covered her with his body, lettin' the magic roll over him, through 'im, blocking it."

Sammis snapped his fingers. "First incident, triggered the event. And when did you consummate the relationship? Was there another incident? Cordelia, did you risk your life for him?"

"By boinking him?" Xander scoffed. Murderous glances told him to be quiet, and he obeyed.

"I... I guess I did. I mean, we weren't sure if it was going to work.... I was prepared to die."

Sammis was quiet for a moment, and then he came forward, gently taking Cordelia's two hands and pressing them together. "You are his Bound, little girl. The magic bound you to him, your love for each other cemented it, and the consummation, his true happiness, made it irreversible. You must believe it, if you don't, he will die."

Cordelia's eyes watered as she stared at him. "Not... not... not Buffy?" She whispered.

Sammis turned to the blonde in the corner, who was watching them both with unreadable eyes. "She might have been, however, she has been Chosen already, as a Slayer. Her destiny is that of a Slayer, and that is all. Yours, child, is with him."