TITLE: I'll Remember
AUTHOR: Ragna (writinggoddess@aol.com)
RATING: FRT
CLASSIFICATION: Angel/Cordelia. Re-writing of "Lovers Walk": the double breakups were amicable, and Xander and Willow stayed together.
SPOILERS: None.
DISTRIBUTION: Sure, just keep my name on it and let me know.
DISCLAIMER: If you don't recognize it, chances are it's my own creation. If you do, Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kazui Sandollar, FOX and the WB own it or them. I'm just holding Spike, Xander and Oz hostage. You may see them by appointment only. The song is "I'll Remember" and is performed by Madonna.
FEEDBACK: Sorry I'm not home right now I'm walking in the spiderwebs so leave a message and I'll call you back...in other words, I want it. Don't care if it's onlist or not.

***

Cordelia rambled only a little as she and Angel walked towards the better area of town. It was strange, the connection that they had, and both were lost in heavy thoughts.

"You know, I'm surprised," Cordelia said as they approached the Sunnydale playground.

"By what?" Angel asked.

"The fact you're not brooding as much as usual. Especially after tonight's events."

Angel shrugged. "Really? It's not worth it. We never could have had anything anyway."

Cordelia nodded, then spied the swings. "You know what I used to do when I was younger, and I had a lot to think about? I used to swing." Smiling, she ran to the swings, sat down and started to swing.

Angel smiled and sat in the empty swing next to her, not moving, and listening to the song playing out of one of the surrounding houses.

"You know," Cordelia said, "you really are no fun."

"Yeah?" Angel said. She nodded, a look of challenge in her eye.

"Yeah."

"Well, then we'll just have to see about that," he said, pushing himself off the ground as Cordelia watched.

Finally, he slowed down. "You know, I do feel a bit better," he said.

"And your hair's all messed up," she said calmly, taking a good look at him.

"Well, so is yours."

"I'll get you, Mr. Care Bear with Fangs."

"Anything's better than Dead-boy...except that."

"Well, I'll just keep that nickname for a while."

"Is this the night for depressing songs or what?" Cordelia said, listening to the song, and swinging just a little.

"Well, this one's not so bad. As I've said earlier, there are worse."

Cordelia laughed. "Yeah."

"You seem a lot nicer now."

"You seem less cryptic."

"Maybe I shouldn't have said anything."

"I have to get home soon," Cordelia said.

"Oh, well...we can go now, if you want." Angel said, starting to stand up.

"Now wait a minute. I decided to come over here, and I decide when to leave." Angel looked at her, a determined expression on her face, and her hair tangled up by the wind. And he started to laugh.

"Gee, you'd expect maybe a cryptic response, or even a shrug. You wouldn't expect a laugh."

Cordelia pushed herself off the ground and started to swing again, ignoring Angel for the moment. As she slowed down, she felt someone grab the swing's chains and slow her down even more, almost like her father had done when she was a young child.

"Truce?" Angel asked, looking down at her.

"Fine. Going to let me go?"

"I was thinking more of giving you a push."

She nodded, then grinned as he started to push the swing back and forth, almost in the way her father had done so many years ago. She wasn't aware of how comforting it was until he stopped.

"You looked peaceful...that's a new look for you, Cordy."

"Eh, I was thinking about my dad. He used to push me on swings when I was younger." She hopped down off the swing and grabbed her purse. "And now I have to get home."

The song faded as they walked away, not entirely going back to the way they had been before doing the childlike, carefree act.

It was as though, by being friendly, a layer of the shield they each erected around themselves had fallen, their truer selves showing.

As they approached Cordelia's house, the conversation had returned to it's somber tones, though both of them wore slight grins. "Well," Angel said, "you're here in one piece."

Cordelia laughed. "You know, I'm kinda glad tonight turned out the way it did. Thanks, Angel."

"For what?"

She kissed his cheek quickly. "For being a friend." And with that, she let herself in and shut the door behind her.

Angel looked at the door for a moment and then, smiling, walked back home.