Wide Awake and Dreaming

Friday night, Cordelia and Angel walked into Spike's to the smell of popcorn and the sound of Willow talking back to the TV.

"Yeah right. That is so not possible."

"Willow?"

"Oh, hi Angel. Spike'll be out in a minute. I was just watching Sabrina: the Teenage Witch while I waited. This show is so unrealistic."

"Um, Willow, I think it's supposed to be. It's based on a comic book or something lame like that," Cordelia said.

"Yeah but she's supposed to be a witch and so everything is like 'poof, I'm a witch; I'll just make all my problems go away.'"

Cordelia looked closely at the screen at the girl the blonde witch was talking to. "I could do so much better than that and I am prettier too. Aren't I prettier? So how come I never get parts like that? Who is she anyway?"

Willow looked over at Angel with a questioning look and he shrugged. Cordelia's audition earlier must not have gone well. "That's Soliel Moon-Frye. You know, she played Punky Brewster when we were little. She lived with this old guy and a dog and wore all those funky mismatched clothes."

"Well, he fashion sense doesn't seem to have improved much."

Willow looked up and wondered where Spike was. She could smell the popcorn with extra butter like she liked it, but no Spike. "Spike what are you doing? Come on out, I want to start the movie."

Spike came out into the living room with a tray. It had popcorn and soda, but also some of the groups favorite snack foods and two mugs of blood.

"Oh Spike, that's so sweet." Willow wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Cordelia pretended to look over the things on the tray and Angel looked over at them thoughtfully.

"Just one more thing and you can start the movie, luv." He went and got a bottle of tequila and some limes and salt. Then they sat down to watch The Breakfast Club.

"Would you look at their clothes?" Cordelia exclaimed as she licked the salt from her hand and tossed back a shot. "And please like people really acted like that in high school. You were talking about unrealistic."

"I don't know, I could kind of see us in there, well, not detention, but the library." Willow looked thoughtful as she sucked on a slice of lime.

"Really, how is that?" Cordelia asked.

Spike interjected, "Please, princess." He laughed lightly thinking of the seer when he had first met them.

Willow giggled. "He's right, you were a princess. Your name even sounds like hers, Cordelia."

"Yeah, well you were the brainy nerdy guy."

"I'm not a guy!"

"Yeah, she's not a guy." Spike groped her tits as if to prove his point and she playfully slapped him.

"Ooh, Mr. Billy idol wannabe, you're just trying to be a badass like Bender. You even dress like him, ripped jeans, combat boots, unbuttoned shirts. At least you had good sense to trade the denim jacket for your duster. Not that that's any better."

"Hey, don't pick on my boyfriend, besides he didn't hang out in the library. Ohh, I know... Faith. She's the criminal." Willow laughed at her joke.

Angel looked over at her about to defend Faith, but shrugged it off. She wasn't being mean, just truthful.

"So what about the others?" Cordelia asked. "Who's the crazy chick?"

"Xander," Angel deadpanned.

The girl's looked at each other and started laughing harder. Willow had to hold her sides as she rocked on Spike's lap. She could feel his erection stirring under her ass and wiggled for good measure looking up at him coyly.

"Hey," Willow stopped for a minute and got the groups attention. "What about Buffy? You can't have a scooby gang and no Buffy."

"And that's too damn bad, too." Spike said, and Willow elbowed him in retaliation.

"The Jock, you know... all muscles, no brains." This wisdom came from Cordelia.

They all looked at each other a little shocked before laughing heartily with each other.

"I can't believe they told each other all that embarrassing stuff. They just met." Cordelia still picked at the movie, but had admitted it wasn't so bad.

Willow piped up, "I know, let's all tell each other something embarrassing that happened to us."

Angel answered, "I don't get embarrassed.

"Sure you do, everyone does, " Willow replied.

"How about when you have to get up in that karaoke place and sing. I know I'm embarrassed for you." Cordelia gave him a pitying look.

Spike laughed and sputtered out, "Peaches singing."

Willow tried to rescue Angel. "It can't be that bad."

Angel just looked pained.

Cordelia lay her hand on his arm comfortable and turned to Willow, "Trust me, it's bad."

Willow wasn't convinced. "Well, not many people like to get up and sing in front of strangers. You should sing for us Angel. Get on up there and sing." She knocked back another shot.

Spike nuzzled his girlfriend's neck, laughing as the alcohol lowered her inhibitions.

Suddenly, Willow had the solution. "I know. We'll all sing. Spike has a boom box. We'll take turns and everybody will sing and nobody makes fun of anyone else."

"What?" Spike could not believe she expected him to get up there and sing. He didn't do karaoke, he was a demon.

Angel started looking for the nearest exit. "No way, I'm not singing."

"Come on Spike, please... me and Angel and Cordelia are gonna do it."

"No, I'm not," Angel objected.

Soon they were all convinced. they found Spike's portable stereo, but the only CD he had was a Retro 80's compilation. they all looked at him strangely.

"What? It was Harm's. She burned all my stuff."

Willow accepted this, but said, "OK, remind me to burn this later."

They convinced Willow to go first. She had come out of her shell since dating Spike, but was still kind of shy. However, since none of them wanted to go first they used guilt, and the alcohol she had drunk, in their favor.

"Fine, I'll do it, but you all are going to get up here too, and you better not make fun of me. And none of that Judd Nelson stuff either. I'm a witch, remember. I can make you really sorry." Her words slurred slightly. She was a bit tipsy. She had to have been to suggest this.

"OK, my song is for Spike, but also kind of for Angel."

Spike growled a bit and Willow looked at him with her best schoolteacher look. he smiled to let her know he was teasing.

The song began and Cordelia was the first to lose it. Between the alcohol and the song, she couldn't help it.

"Help me make the most of freedom and of pleasure. Nothing ever lasts forever. Everybody wants to rule the world."

Even the guys started to join in the laughter. Willow glared at them, but ruined the effect by giggling herself.

"There's a room where the light won't find you. Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down. when they do I'll be right behind you." She continued to sing the song, laughing every time she came to the chorus, "Everybody wants to rule the world."

Angel and Spike realized the joke was on them.

She finished and took a little bow. She reached out for Spike. "You're next."

"Why me? Why not Peaches or the cheerleader?"

"'Cause I sang, so I pick. Besides, do you really want to tell me know?" She asked with a lolita-like look of seductive innocence.

Cordelia and Angel started to laugh at the way Spike was manipulated, but Willow looked pointedly at Angel with her eyebrows raised as if to ask if he was any better where Cordelia was concerned.

Spike kissed his witch and then stood up in front of them posing, his legs wide and his arms crossed across his chest in his "I'm-a-bad-ass-vampire" look. On his face was a teasing grin.

The song began and groans and laughter emitted from the group as they realized the song he had picked.

"I'm on the hunt, I'm after you. Mouth is alive with juices like wine and I'm hungry like the wolf." he strutted around the room, as if stalking willow and flashing his teeth at Cordelia and Angel.

They were all rolling in laughter as he put on a show for them, hamming it up to the crowd.

He ended it by pouncing on Willow as if to bite her. She squealed as in fear, but more in amusement as he licked her neck and began tickling her.

He looked over at Angel, "Your turn, poof."

Willow giggled against him as they got settled. "You are such an exhibitionist."

"I'm a bloody Transformer, Red. There's more to me than meets the eye."

They laughed as Angel picked his song.

Angel knew he was bad. that is what started this whole thing. In some ways it was worse. In the karaoke bar everyone was a stranger, a demon and most of them sang badly. he let out a slow almost sigh and realized it was better, too, because he loved everyone in this room, even his childe's mate. Granted he loved them all differently, but they loved him too. Suddenly, he knew what he was going to do. ever since the chicken incident he had thought about it. he looked at them all and thought that they would understand. he hoped so.

"Time can never mend, the careless whisper of a good friend. To the heart and mind, ignorance is kind. There's no comfort in the truth. Pain is the heart you find."

He continued to sing, off-key and badly, but with honesty that struck them all.

Spike shifted in his seat a bit uncomfortable, even more so than when he was singing. he was not the focus of his Sire's song. It was a song of friendship and love and an apology.

Angel was trying to make things right between them, to reawaken their bond. he was offering to make things right, just like Spike had when he bared his neck to Angel.

The song ended and Angel looked deeply into Spike's eyes, waiting. Spike looked back at the dark vampire and slowly nodded his head a fraction, in acceptance.

Now it was Cordelia's turn. Everyone's giggles slowed for a minute while they waited for the cheerleader to start her song. The Bangles melody drifted among them, another slow song.

Cordelia began to sing. "Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling."

Suddenly the room and its occupants were quiet as if they had sobered under a spell.

Cordelia sang with a husky charm, raising her hand to Angel, then to herself. "Do you feel my heart beating? Do you understand?"

Demons could have barged into the room and none of them would have flinched as the seers voice flowed over them, enchanting them with her obvious love for the dark vampire.

"Do you feel the same? Am I only dreaming?"

If it was a dream, they were all lost in it. Willow snuggled closer to Spike. His fingers ran caressingly through her hair as he watched Cordelia bare her love for his Sire. For a moment even his demon was calmed and he felt truly blessed.

Angel could only stare as the woman he loved shared her soul with them all. he was frozen in place, unable to move or speak. The intensity of his emotion tore through him in a mirror of the agony he felt when his soul had been ripped from him, but this was different. This was pushing into him, filling him like the flame she sang about. His heart was on fire and the woman before him glowed.

"Am I only dreaming? is this burning an eternal flame?"

The song ended and everyone froze. Cordelia seemed to collapse in on herself. Her head dipped and her shoulders bowed.

Angel broke his paralysis and went to her, gathering her tightly in his arms, then kissing her deeply. Passion flowed through him as he drank an elixir more precious to him than the blood he needed to survive, her love.

After a moment, she struggled a bit and pushed away, flushed and disheveled, but glowing. "Air," she gasped. "I still need to breathe, you know." She laughed lightly breaking the spell and they all laughed with her.

She and Angel moved back to the couch to sit down. Willow held out her hand from her seat on Spike's lap. Cordelia grasped it and looked to willow.

Willow smiled sweetly and Cordelia answered in kind. It was a night none of them would forget.

End.

Further Notes and Disclaimers- Songs included were: Everybody wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears, Hungry Like a Wolf by Duran Duran, Careless Whisper by Wham!(George Michael), and Eternal Flame by The Bangles.