between friends

Rating: PG
Posted: April 15, 2001
Notes: A series of letters between Angel and Cordelia and, occasionally, Wesley. Cordelia has had to leave the US to look after her mother. I began jotting down the format for these on one of my recent train trips to Perth. At the time the letters made total sense - I hope they still do! More to come this weekend.

Spoilers: Almost forgot... for Australian viewers of Survivor, there is mention of an upcoming ep in the last letter!

Dear Cordelia,

How are you?

I hope your mother is doing well.

Thank you for telephoning as soon as you reached Perth.

I was pleased to hear that you had a good trip and arrived safely.

We are all well.

I will write again soon.

Take care of yourself.

Yours sincerely,

Angel

Tuesday

Dear Angel,

Okay, this is my first full day and I told myself I would wait until you wrote me, but I’ll start writing things down now anyway. I need something to fill the time.

I went to the hospital today for the first time. Seeing Mom again was kind of a shock. How long is it since I saw her? Two years? She looked a lot thinner - especially around the face. Older even. I guess she was pleased to see me or maybe I am confusing relief with pleasure. Hard to tell with Mom.

Thankfully she isn’t in too much pain. They are giving her three doses of paracetamol/codeine tabs each day. I’m hoping by the time she is released she will at least be able to tolerate being touched without moaning!

Mom’s cousin Margo is - unusual? I’m trying to be kind here. No that’s mean - she is nice enough - but odd - or she has odd ideas - especially with her children. There are four of those running around (or crawling) and one on the way! The eldest is a boy, Crispin. He’s 8. Followed by Isadora 5, Peregrine (!) 4, Jocasta 1 and the next one is due any day. Margo thinks it will be a boy and plans to name him Phineas or if her ‘mothers instinct’ is wrong (God forbid!) a girl will be named Phyllida. Poor kids. At least she doesn’t use their full names all the time - it is usually Cris, Issy, Perry and Jo. I suppose Phineas will be Phin (or Phyllida will be Philly). The only one I like is Cris. Not sure *why* I like him - I mean, he's a kid!

Margo’s husband is a quiet man with an ordinary name, Paul. Apparently, we don’t see much of him. I suppose he has to work hard to support his expanding brood - he’s a builder. Comes in handy when you need to tack on an extension for another child.

Speaking of - the house is big and roomy. Margo said she and Paul built it themselves ten years ago. Only the one level and its made of timber and mud-brick with lots of windows for the morning sun and a really high aluminum roof. Cool in summer and warm in winter - so they say. It was originally four bedrooms and one bathroom but Paul added on another two bedrooms with a shared en-suite two years ago. One of the bedrooms is huge - this was where Mom was staying before she had the accident. I am staying in the room on the other side of the en-suite. Margo made some noises about wanting to put Phin/Philly in there but so far I am playing deaf. I do not intend to share a room with Mom, even if it is as big as the Hyperion lobby! And a screaming! new born next door? No thanks!!!

Aargh - there’s no cable! Margo doesn’t ‘believe’ in it? What’s there to believe? Entertainment is evil?!? Right. No computer either. Geesh. And flipping through the tv channels consists of four hits of the button. Cable withdrawal is not pleasant. I’ll spare you the details.

Wednesday
Obviously I haven’t seen much of the area yet - only the narrow corridor I travel from the house (in the hills) to the hospital. I walk up to the bus stop at the end of the road, take a thirty minute ride to the train station which gets me there just in time to jump aboard the city train - another half hour. From the city station I can take a free “City Cat” bus around to the hospital. After a few hours I do the trip in reverse. Except, on the way back, I walk around the stores and the out-door mall and sit and have a coffee to fill in some time. Nothing to hurry back for.

I try not to get too miserable about not having any money to spend in the stores, after all, simply because Daddy is sunning himself in Bimini or Cat Cay and wiping away the perspiration with a handful of tax-free greenbacks, doesn’t mean I think he should be sending me any money. Not at all. Do I sound bitter? Well, I’m not. He paid for my ticket over here, didn’t he? And Mom says Daddy has organised to pay all the medical bills - how is this generous? So he damn well should!

I have to try and arrange for a stylist to come to the hospital and do Mom’s hair. Looks all kind of limp. I need her to look like my Mom used to look. Pathetic, much?

Thursday

It’s late already. Paul brought home one of his “mates” to have dinner with us. I managed to ignore Issy and Perry’s whining long enough to actually enjoy the conversation. Afterwards we sat outside and had a beer. Very relaxing!

I want to mail this in the morning on my way to the hospital. Write soon.

Cordelia.

PS. I hope you are making sure Wes gets his daily bicker!

Another PS. Remember to check on Dennis now and then. Write!

You call that a letter? Where’s the AI update? Did you talk to Wes about Virginia? I want the details, gossip, inside info! Make it newsy! How’s Dennis?

C

Dear Cordelia,

My apologies for my lack-luster writing. It has been a long time since I wrote anything that you could describe as a "newsy" letter.

1. Last Thursday, Gunn and I killed two Aklish. That now makes a total of eleven over two weeks. We think there is a den of them under the Warner Brothers Studios and we are planning a raid tomorrow night.

2. I attempted to talk to Wesley. He appears resigned to a split with Virginia.

3. Gunn is dividing his time between his ‘kids’ and helping out here. He also seems to spend a lot of time at the East Hills centre.

4. I called on Dennis last night. I think he might miss you already. We watched “The Maltese Falcon” together. I watered the plants again. They are still alive.

Still no visions?

My best regards to your mother.

Yours,

Angel

Dear Angel,

Now that is one heck of an improvement! You know what, I think you should lose the item numbers and maybe work on making the information a bit chattier.

Thanks for keeping an eye on Dennis and the apartment for me.

Are you sure about the Aklish under the WB lot? They aren’t extras are they, getting into the role with some ‘atmosphere’?

The specialist was with Mom when I arrived at the hospital today. He says she is doing okay but needs to put more effort into her physio. Once Mom is cleared to travel big-time, I’m going to try and encourage her to get straight back to Bimini. Then *I* can come home! But Mom will still be in a wheelchair for several weeks after she is released. Paul is going to make a ramp so as she can get in and out at the side door of the house.

I will be relieved not to have to sit and ‘chat’ to her for two hours a day. How come I can’t talk to my own mother? Once we get past ‘did you sleep well’ and ‘what did you have for lunch’ there doesn’t seem to be much else. I tell her about Margo’s kids but she isn’t interested in them. (What can I say? Neither am I!) Exactly what can I tell her about life in LA? My acting career update took all of five minutes and gee, Mom, the guys are still busy killing demons and saving the world while I loll around in Australia! By the way, I don’t *precisely* pass on your best wishes. A bit awkward. I simply say ‘all my friends send you the best.’ *All*. Yeah. She thinks I’m talking about Sunnydale of course. ‘And how are Harmony and Aura doing?’ Great, Mom, just great. Mom will ramble on about life in the Bahamas but there is only so much I can take of the big-game club set before I tune out and find myself watching Judge Judy on the overhead tv.

Still no visions. Weird, huh?

I must remember to do some touristy type things in the City in case I don’t get the chance once Mom is discharged. There’s this bell-tower on the foreshore that the free bus stops at on the way to the Mount (the hospital, if you hadn't guessed). I can get out, climb up to the top and catch the next bus. I hope the view will be worth the climb!

Oh, and the good news? Mom gave me her Amex and Visa cards today! She wants a couple more nightgowns for hospital and leisure suits to wear around the house. Daddy has deposited more money into her card accounts. Yes! Yes! Yes! I went shopping on my way home! Our dollar goes a lo-o-ong way over here. Shopaholics paradise!.

I went to a ‘pub’ on Friday night. It isn’t an activity I particularly feel the need to do again, but it was interesting. Cam, Paul’s friend (the one that came to dinner) took me out for a ‘counter meal’ and a ‘couple of cold ones’. There wasn’t much more to it than going to a bar at home. Just different accents. Belches sound the same in any language. Tomorrow he is taking me to the local dam.

I was honored at the weekend to have been asked to accompany Cris (Margot’s eight year old) when he went fishing. There is a creek at the bottom of the ‘block’ (a really, really gi-normous yard), a stumble-hop over the boundary fence and there you are. Two rock holes with water. Golly gee. Cris set up his rod and quite seriously lowered his line into the first - well, I’d call it a small muddy pond. He never catches anything! Perches himself on a rock and sits staring at the water or the trees for an hour. He’s a really quiet, intelligent kid with great big, expressive brown eyes. I think ‘fishing’ might be his way of getting out of the mad-house he lives in. I like him. If I am invited fishing again, I shall accept!

It’s late. Give Dennis a hug for me. I miss you all. Boy, soppy. I *must* be tired!

Write soon. Don’t over water the cactus in the kitchen.

Hugs and kisses to you all,

C

Late post - Number five is on the verge of making an appearance. Why did no-one tell me this Earth-Mother wannabe was planning a home birth? No way am I going to be ‘part of the experience’. Aaargh! Hide me!

PS. What is happening on Survivor? They must be a few weeks behind over here. Jerri has just been voted off - again.

Cordelia -

Were you extremely attached to that particularly ugly house-plant in the blue tub at the end of the hallway? Dennis sends his best.

Angel

Dear Cordelia,

How are you? I trust you and your mother are both well?

I wonder if you would do a favour for me and ask Angel to refrain from stalking around the office, notepad and pen at the ready! He insists that he is only providing you with information, but really! Yesterday he asked me to repeat my conversation with Gunn so he could write it down, but the last straw was this morning! There we were, swords drawn on a pair of Wucip in a particularly malodourous section of the sewer when Angel put his sword down against the wall, pulled out his notebook and asked how to spell Wucip! Fortunately Gunn and I were able to hold them off while Angel completed his notations.

This new obsession of Angel’s has been going on for over a week. A respite would be inordinately welcome!

Angel reads your letters out to us over morning tea. The office is certainly quiet without your presence! Hearing your comments - even though in Angel's voice - helps to fill the void.

Best wishes,

Wesley.

PS - not to tell tales, but I think Angel has been playing with your perfumes. He came in a few minutes ago wafting an exceedingly familiar scent! I shall have some fun with this!

Dear Cordelia,

Sorry about the numbers. I thought it would make it easier to remember the news I had to tell you. Now I am writing it all down in a note-book as it happens.

No, the Aklish weren’t actors. Wesley, Gunn and I were able to get rid of seven of them in the one raid. We are fairly sure that we have cleaned out the Warner Brothers sewers - of Aklish demon at any rate.

We had to deal with a couple of nasty Wucip on Tuesday. (Wucip is said woo-chip ... like wood chip without the ‘d’. Bet you didn’t know that!) Wesley said the Wucip only breed once a century and are most vulnerable during courtship when they hide out in really smelly places and gaze into each others ears. They have five ears each. The fifth ear is the one they use to which they sort of court with. Anyway, we killed them.

So, who is this ‘Cam’ guy?

Has Margo had her baby? Was it a Phin or a Philly? Are they both well? I hope you are managing to sleep through the noise at night.

Survivor - Gunn doesn’t think you are far behind at all. I made a point of watching the program at your place last night and the girl called Amber has just been eliminated. Gunn said Nick went last week. But you have probably seen that by now. You enjoy this show?

To make up to Dennis for Survivor, I got Casablanca from the video shop. By the way, Mel at your video store said you still have a movie out - Evita. I couldn’t find it and Dennis didn’t seem to know what I was talking about.

Your Mom. I don’t know what to say about you and your Mom. I’m not one to be able to offer much advice in that direction. Have you tried reminiscing? Maybe talking about shared memories from your childhood might open the way for you? You can probably tell I don’t have a clue. Sorry. I am happy to listen though, if you need to vent on paper.

Your father is big game fishing in the Biminis and you and Cris are fishing in a mud hole? I like it.

This Cam, he’s an older guy? It is kind of him to do Paul and Margo a favor and take you out and about while they are busy with the new baby. That’s what he is doing? Right?

I know it can’t have been important to you (or you would have taken it to Australia) but that small bottle of perfume on the vanity - sort of broke. Must have been Dennis’ fault. From what I can work out, he was sniffing at the perfume (to remind himself of you he said) when the phone rang (it was Wesley) and startled him so much he dropped the bottle on the tiles. Dennis is most apologetic. The bathroom smells very exotic, very you.

I was restless last night. Probably the spate of demons we have had to deal with after such a quiet lull. I went looking for a person to rescue or an evil to kill. Do you ever feel that way? Not the killing - but the need to get out and *do*? I scared off a mugger. Didn’t even get to ruffle his hair. He just ran away.

I am relieved you are having a holiday from the visions and all the pain that comes with them. I know you were only going to call me (or Wesley) if you had a vision, but if there is anything else at all - your Mom - whatever, please call.

Is Cam a

I’d better finish off now - Wesley is going to mail something, hopefully he will take my letter with him.

Look after yourself,

Always,

Angel

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