Title: Shadows and Glimpses (1/?)
Author: QueenC
Feedback: [email protected]
Rating: R
Pairing(s): Cordelia/Lucius
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. AtS belongs to Joss Whedon and HP belongs to J. K. Rowling.
Distribution: Anywhere I send it. Anyone else wants it just let me know.
Spoilers: Through 'Birthday' on AtS. The first four books of HP.
Summary: What happens when you mix an amnesic Death Eater with a recently demonized Seer?
Author's Notes: Okay, so I'm changing a few things in the AtS world to make this fic work. First of all, Angel and Cordelia are not in love. They are just extremely good friends. Second, Holtz was never pulled from the past. Connor is still here. He's just a baby and staying that way. And finally, Cordelia's apartment is a two bedroom. I think that's it, for now. I'll let you know if anything changes. As always, Angel is Spike's sire. Words in *'s are emphasized, words in ::'s are thoughts, words in ~'s are dreams, and words in ^^'s are flashbacks. Enjoy!
******
Cordelia held the crossbow tightly in her hand as she walked down the street. Keeping her back straight and her senses on alert, she allowed the slowly fading memory of her vision to guide her. Turning a corner, her grip on her weapon grew stronger as she instantly recognized where she was. This was the place.
This is where she would find him, hopefully still alive.
Wincing as her boots clicked along the filthy ground, she slowly made her way into the darkness, straining for any sign of movement. Finally, just as she neared the end, a soft moan caught her ears.
Glancing to her right, she saw someone lying on the ground, boxes lying over them. Hesitantly, she moved toward them, lifting the cardboard out of the way.
After a moment, a pair of grey eyes peered up at her through long, white- blonde hair. "W-Who are you? What do you want?" the man asked, his voice hoarse sounding.
Cordelia gave him a small smile. "It's okay. My name is Cordelia and I'm here to help you." Offering her hand, she sighed in relief when he finally took it. Helping him to his feet, she turned toward the alley. "Okay, the first thing we need to do is get you cleaned up."
The man frowned at her, licking his dry and cracked lips before he spoke. "Why?" he questioned, not moving when she began walking away.
Cordelia glanced over her shoulder at him. "Because you're in serious need of a bath and new clothes," she responded.
Shaking his head, he stated, "No. Why are you helping me?" he wondered.
The woman smiled. Walking back to him, she peered up into his troubled eyes. "Because I'm supposed to. It's what I do. I help people who need help. And my... bosses told me that you were alone and frightened and in danger. So, here I am," she answered.
Staring at her, he debated his options. He could remain in this alley, alone and confused, or he could believe her and see if she could truly help him. Glancing at the filth that he had been staying in for the past few days, his decision was made. Nodding at her, he said, "Very well. Let's go."
Nodding, Cordelia turned and began walking away. When she glanced behind her to make sure he was actually following this time, she saw that he had picked up something from the alley. Waiting until he'd caught up with her, she questioned, "What's that?"
The man shrugged, glancing at the cane he was holding. "I'm honestly not sure. All I know is, it belongs to me. I can feel it."
Cordelia nodded. Leading him to her car, she waited until they were driving away before she spoke again.
"So," she said, glancing sideways at him. "I've told you my name. Mind telling me yours?"
The man frowned, his eyebrows drawing together as he tried to think. After what seemed like an eternity, he slowly answered, "Lucius. I believe my name is Lucius."
******
Cordelia bit her lip, debating on what she was about to do. She knew she should take this stranger to Angel. He was, after all, the Champion. However, she couldn't shake the feeling she'd gotten from her vision that *she* was the one who was meant to help him. Which was fine with her, really. She didn't mind helping people in need.
She did, however, mind helping strangers with no where to live and no memory.
Staring at her front door, her keys in her hand, she considered turning around and taking him to the nearest Motel 6. But, yet again, that feeling came back that this was where he was meant to be.
"Damn PTB," she muttered, chewing on her lower lip.
Lucius frowned, giving his potential savior a worried look. "Is there a problem?" he asked after a moment.
Cordelia jumped, nearly forgetting he was standing beside her. :: He's almost as stealthy as Angel. :: Sighing, she nodded. "Look, it's not that I don't want you staying with me. Although, I probably should, what with you being some creepy homeless guy and all."
"Thank you," he replied dryly.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Don't get your rags in a bunch. Your creepiness factor isn't the problem. The problem is..." Taking a deep breath, she embraced the knowledge she had that this was *right* and continued. "Look, all that supernatural stuff that you see in movies and convince yourself isn't real...is. Take me, for instance. I live with a ghost. His name is Dennis. I work for a vampire who's been cursed with a soul. One of my friends is from another dimension, and another spent five years as a fugitive slave in that same dimension. I guess what I'm trying to say is..."
Lucius cut her off, holding up his hand to silence her. "Cordelia, stop," he said calmly. "I know that vampires are real, as well as werewolves, various other demons, and even ghosts. I'm not certain *how* I know this. I just do."
Cordelia stared at him for a few moments, her mouth hanging open in shock. "Okay..." she finally said slowly. "So, let me get this straight. You don't know your last name, where you're from, or how you ended up in that alley looking like some Renaissance reject. But you can tell me all the ways to kill a vampire?"
Seeing his nod, she laughed. "Well, Lucius, welcome to my world." Then, she turned to face her door. "Dennis, open up! It's me."
Lucius watched as the door swung open. Following Cordelia into the apartment, he stopped when the lights began flashing rapidly.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Dennis, stop it. This is Lucius. He's a friend of mine and he's going to be staying here for a while." Raising an eyebrow, she watched as she lights flickered a few more times. "Dennis, I'm warning you. Any funny business and I'll have Wesley over here with that containment spell so fast you won't know what hit you. Now *behave*."
Looking at the blonde man, she shrugged. "He's kind of protective of me." Grinning, she said, "Okay, let me give you the grand tour. This is the living room. Make sure to use a coaster if you put a drink on the table. The kitchen is in there, the bathroom is there, that's my room, and this..." Walking into the guest room, she flipped on the light. "Is your room."
Lucius entered, his eyes widening at what he saw. A large room with two large, bay windows greeted him. A door to the right revealed a large closet, already filled with clothing. The bed was full-sized and covered in black and green silk sheets, with a night stand that held a clock and lamp. A nine drawer dresser was against the far wall, with a vase of flowers placed on top.
Granted he could only remember the last few days, but he was quite certain it was one of the nicest rooms he had ever seen in his life. Looking at her, he shook his head. "I can't stay here," he said softly. "I..."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Pfft. Nonsense. This is a *guest* room, and that's what you are. So, this is where you're staying." Studying him, she glanced at the closet. "Most of those clothes are Angel's and Wesley's from when they were staying here. I'm not sure how well they'll fit you, but they'll have to do until we can go shopping tomorrow."
"Shopping?" he repeated, shaking his head again. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't have any money." He felt humiliation wash over him as he said the words.
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Lucius, relax. I know that you don't have any money. Most amnesiac homeless men don't. The company I work for will pay for your clothes. We have a...fund for this kind of thing." She didn't bother mentioning that the 'fund' she was referring to was her Christmas bonus. For some reason, she didn't want him to feel indebted to her, specifically.
Clapping her hands, she smiled widely. "Okay. So," grabbing an outfit from the closet, she handed it to him and then led him down the hallway to the bathroom. "I'll just get you some food while you get yourself showered and dressed. Everything you need is in there, and if you can't find something just ask Dennis. He'll help." Not waiting for him to reply, she practically shoved him into the bathroom and shut the door.
Lucius stared at the closed door for a few moments, puzzled. Had he done something wrong? Was that why she had so abruptly sent him to shower? Shaking his head, he decided he would apologize to her once he was changed. Turning, he moved toward the bathtub.
Catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror over the sink, he froze, his eyes widening in horror. No wonder the girl hadn't wanted to waste time idly chatting with him! He was surprised she hadn't run screaming in terror when she had first laid eyes on him.
His face was filthy, covered with large clumps of dirt and what looked to be blood, although Lucius couldn't figure out where it could possibly have come from. His hair, which was a white-blonde color and hung halfway down his back, was covered in tangles and matted to the sides of his head.
Shaking his head in disgust, he turned away from the mirror, unable to take the sight of the stranger staring back at him. Stripping from his clothes, he pulled the shower curtain back and stopped, frowning in confusion.
He didn't know how to make the water run.
Closing his eyes, he groaned softly. This was humiliating. As Cordelia had pointed out earlier, the gaps in his memory were odd, to say the least. Why was it he could remember his first name, but not his last or where he came from? Why could he remember all of the facts and myths about the supernatural, yet couldn't run his own bath?
Sighing in defeat, he picked up his clothes, which looked more like rags than garments a person would wear, and began pulling them back on. "It appears I'll have to ask Cordelia to assist me with this, as well," he muttered, heading toward the door.
Suddenly, the lights flickered and Lucius paused, his hand on the doorknob. Turning back toward the tub, he watched as the knobs seemed to turn on their own accord and water began pouring from the shower head.
"Thank you, Dennis," he murmured softly, quickly stripping and then stepping under the water. He smiled when the lights flickered once more, assuming that was Dennis' way of saying 'You're welcome.'
******
Author: QueenC
Feedback: [email protected]
Rating: R
Pairing(s): Cordelia/Lucius
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. AtS belongs to Joss Whedon and HP belongs to J. K. Rowling.
Distribution: Anywhere I send it. Anyone else wants it just let me know.
Spoilers: Through 'Birthday' on AtS. The first four books of HP.
Summary: What happens when you mix an amnesic Death Eater with a recently demonized Seer?
Author's Notes: Okay, so I'm changing a few things in the AtS world to make this fic work. First of all, Angel and Cordelia are not in love. They are just extremely good friends. Second, Holtz was never pulled from the past. Connor is still here. He's just a baby and staying that way. And finally, Cordelia's apartment is a two bedroom. I think that's it, for now. I'll let you know if anything changes. As always, Angel is Spike's sire. Words in *'s are emphasized, words in ::'s are thoughts, words in ~'s are dreams, and words in ^^'s are flashbacks. Enjoy!
******
Cordelia held the crossbow tightly in her hand as she walked down the street. Keeping her back straight and her senses on alert, she allowed the slowly fading memory of her vision to guide her. Turning a corner, her grip on her weapon grew stronger as she instantly recognized where she was. This was the place.
This is where she would find him, hopefully still alive.
Wincing as her boots clicked along the filthy ground, she slowly made her way into the darkness, straining for any sign of movement. Finally, just as she neared the end, a soft moan caught her ears.
Glancing to her right, she saw someone lying on the ground, boxes lying over them. Hesitantly, she moved toward them, lifting the cardboard out of the way.
After a moment, a pair of grey eyes peered up at her through long, white- blonde hair. "W-Who are you? What do you want?" the man asked, his voice hoarse sounding.
Cordelia gave him a small smile. "It's okay. My name is Cordelia and I'm here to help you." Offering her hand, she sighed in relief when he finally took it. Helping him to his feet, she turned toward the alley. "Okay, the first thing we need to do is get you cleaned up."
The man frowned at her, licking his dry and cracked lips before he spoke. "Why?" he questioned, not moving when she began walking away.
Cordelia glanced over her shoulder at him. "Because you're in serious need of a bath and new clothes," she responded.
Shaking his head, he stated, "No. Why are you helping me?" he wondered.
The woman smiled. Walking back to him, she peered up into his troubled eyes. "Because I'm supposed to. It's what I do. I help people who need help. And my... bosses told me that you were alone and frightened and in danger. So, here I am," she answered.
Staring at her, he debated his options. He could remain in this alley, alone and confused, or he could believe her and see if she could truly help him. Glancing at the filth that he had been staying in for the past few days, his decision was made. Nodding at her, he said, "Very well. Let's go."
Nodding, Cordelia turned and began walking away. When she glanced behind her to make sure he was actually following this time, she saw that he had picked up something from the alley. Waiting until he'd caught up with her, she questioned, "What's that?"
The man shrugged, glancing at the cane he was holding. "I'm honestly not sure. All I know is, it belongs to me. I can feel it."
Cordelia nodded. Leading him to her car, she waited until they were driving away before she spoke again.
"So," she said, glancing sideways at him. "I've told you my name. Mind telling me yours?"
The man frowned, his eyebrows drawing together as he tried to think. After what seemed like an eternity, he slowly answered, "Lucius. I believe my name is Lucius."
******
Cordelia bit her lip, debating on what she was about to do. She knew she should take this stranger to Angel. He was, after all, the Champion. However, she couldn't shake the feeling she'd gotten from her vision that *she* was the one who was meant to help him. Which was fine with her, really. She didn't mind helping people in need.
She did, however, mind helping strangers with no where to live and no memory.
Staring at her front door, her keys in her hand, she considered turning around and taking him to the nearest Motel 6. But, yet again, that feeling came back that this was where he was meant to be.
"Damn PTB," she muttered, chewing on her lower lip.
Lucius frowned, giving his potential savior a worried look. "Is there a problem?" he asked after a moment.
Cordelia jumped, nearly forgetting he was standing beside her. :: He's almost as stealthy as Angel. :: Sighing, she nodded. "Look, it's not that I don't want you staying with me. Although, I probably should, what with you being some creepy homeless guy and all."
"Thank you," he replied dryly.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Don't get your rags in a bunch. Your creepiness factor isn't the problem. The problem is..." Taking a deep breath, she embraced the knowledge she had that this was *right* and continued. "Look, all that supernatural stuff that you see in movies and convince yourself isn't real...is. Take me, for instance. I live with a ghost. His name is Dennis. I work for a vampire who's been cursed with a soul. One of my friends is from another dimension, and another spent five years as a fugitive slave in that same dimension. I guess what I'm trying to say is..."
Lucius cut her off, holding up his hand to silence her. "Cordelia, stop," he said calmly. "I know that vampires are real, as well as werewolves, various other demons, and even ghosts. I'm not certain *how* I know this. I just do."
Cordelia stared at him for a few moments, her mouth hanging open in shock. "Okay..." she finally said slowly. "So, let me get this straight. You don't know your last name, where you're from, or how you ended up in that alley looking like some Renaissance reject. But you can tell me all the ways to kill a vampire?"
Seeing his nod, she laughed. "Well, Lucius, welcome to my world." Then, she turned to face her door. "Dennis, open up! It's me."
Lucius watched as the door swung open. Following Cordelia into the apartment, he stopped when the lights began flashing rapidly.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Dennis, stop it. This is Lucius. He's a friend of mine and he's going to be staying here for a while." Raising an eyebrow, she watched as she lights flickered a few more times. "Dennis, I'm warning you. Any funny business and I'll have Wesley over here with that containment spell so fast you won't know what hit you. Now *behave*."
Looking at the blonde man, she shrugged. "He's kind of protective of me." Grinning, she said, "Okay, let me give you the grand tour. This is the living room. Make sure to use a coaster if you put a drink on the table. The kitchen is in there, the bathroom is there, that's my room, and this..." Walking into the guest room, she flipped on the light. "Is your room."
Lucius entered, his eyes widening at what he saw. A large room with two large, bay windows greeted him. A door to the right revealed a large closet, already filled with clothing. The bed was full-sized and covered in black and green silk sheets, with a night stand that held a clock and lamp. A nine drawer dresser was against the far wall, with a vase of flowers placed on top.
Granted he could only remember the last few days, but he was quite certain it was one of the nicest rooms he had ever seen in his life. Looking at her, he shook his head. "I can't stay here," he said softly. "I..."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Pfft. Nonsense. This is a *guest* room, and that's what you are. So, this is where you're staying." Studying him, she glanced at the closet. "Most of those clothes are Angel's and Wesley's from when they were staying here. I'm not sure how well they'll fit you, but they'll have to do until we can go shopping tomorrow."
"Shopping?" he repeated, shaking his head again. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't have any money." He felt humiliation wash over him as he said the words.
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Lucius, relax. I know that you don't have any money. Most amnesiac homeless men don't. The company I work for will pay for your clothes. We have a...fund for this kind of thing." She didn't bother mentioning that the 'fund' she was referring to was her Christmas bonus. For some reason, she didn't want him to feel indebted to her, specifically.
Clapping her hands, she smiled widely. "Okay. So," grabbing an outfit from the closet, she handed it to him and then led him down the hallway to the bathroom. "I'll just get you some food while you get yourself showered and dressed. Everything you need is in there, and if you can't find something just ask Dennis. He'll help." Not waiting for him to reply, she practically shoved him into the bathroom and shut the door.
Lucius stared at the closed door for a few moments, puzzled. Had he done something wrong? Was that why she had so abruptly sent him to shower? Shaking his head, he decided he would apologize to her once he was changed. Turning, he moved toward the bathtub.
Catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror over the sink, he froze, his eyes widening in horror. No wonder the girl hadn't wanted to waste time idly chatting with him! He was surprised she hadn't run screaming in terror when she had first laid eyes on him.
His face was filthy, covered with large clumps of dirt and what looked to be blood, although Lucius couldn't figure out where it could possibly have come from. His hair, which was a white-blonde color and hung halfway down his back, was covered in tangles and matted to the sides of his head.
Shaking his head in disgust, he turned away from the mirror, unable to take the sight of the stranger staring back at him. Stripping from his clothes, he pulled the shower curtain back and stopped, frowning in confusion.
He didn't know how to make the water run.
Closing his eyes, he groaned softly. This was humiliating. As Cordelia had pointed out earlier, the gaps in his memory were odd, to say the least. Why was it he could remember his first name, but not his last or where he came from? Why could he remember all of the facts and myths about the supernatural, yet couldn't run his own bath?
Sighing in defeat, he picked up his clothes, which looked more like rags than garments a person would wear, and began pulling them back on. "It appears I'll have to ask Cordelia to assist me with this, as well," he muttered, heading toward the door.
Suddenly, the lights flickered and Lucius paused, his hand on the doorknob. Turning back toward the tub, he watched as the knobs seemed to turn on their own accord and water began pouring from the shower head.
"Thank you, Dennis," he murmured softly, quickly stripping and then stepping under the water. He smiled when the lights flickered once more, assuming that was Dennis' way of saying 'You're welcome.'
******