Family Affair, Part 2
by Cordy's Angel. Contact them here and here
Disclaimer: This is a fan piece. It was not created or distrubuted for profit. The characters, situations, and music mentioned in this fic belong to their respective creators/companies/etc.
Words in between these ~ ~ are song lyrics "Talking In His Sleep? by Toni Braxton
Words in between / \ are song lyrics "Don?t Go Breaking My Heart.? By Elton John and Kiki Dee
Words between *'s are song lyrics from Celine Dion?s "I Want You To Need Me?
Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12
Chapter 6
The hotel was silent, neither one made any effort to break it until Cordelia spoke up.
"Okay, what was that all about?"
"I don't know." he replied as he walked back to the couch and sat down. Cordelia took a seat beside him.
"I think we need to talk about this." she said.
"Okay, you go first."
Cordelia was about to object but decided against it, as she knew Angel far to well. If she didn't get the ball rolling, then they would never discuss this, and, if left up to Angel she was pretty sure that he would rather sit there all night in silence.
"Okay..." she said, not knowing where to begin.
"Why now? Why are you so broody today?"
"Because...because I heard you...last night when you were sleeping."
~My oh my, how can this be, does he know he's talking in his sleep~
"Heard me?"
"Talking in your sleep...you looked so happy and...and you said that you...that you loved someone...and as much as I wish it was...I wasn't the woman in your dream...and that could mean...well, it could mean a lot of things, but mostly it meant...you were gonna leave me."
Angel sat at a loss for words.
Angel POV
Did I really talk out loud last night? Cordelia must have heard me, and thought that I was dreaming about someone other than her. Shows how little she really knows. She was the woman in my dream. The woman in all my dreams lately. And she thought that I would leave her.
"I'm not leaving Cordelia; not for Buffy or anyone else. Like I said before, I have you and Connor and a shot at redemption. Here is where I'm meant to be."
Feeling relieved, she relaxed a little.
"What about you?" she asked.
"What about me?" he replied.
"Why have you been more broody lately? I mean, I thought we were past this."
"I heard you, too." he said, looking up at her.
"What do you mean?" she whispered, her words belying the sinking feeling that she knew the answer to that question.
"A couple of nights ago, when we fell asleep on the bed with Connor...you talked in your sleep, too."
That was the answer that she was pretty sure was coming, but she was still a little shocked. She hardly ever spoke in her sleep. She wondered if it was her subconscious taking hold of the situation.
"What did I say?" she asked quietly, afraid of what might have been said.
"You said that you loved someone, too."
By now, Cordelia was fed up with the situation and the way that it was heading, so she decided to just come out with it. She would face the consequences when and if they occurred.
"Look Angel, I'm tired and I don't want to lie about this any more...you were the person in my dream. In it, you told me you loved me...and I said it back because I meant it...I don't know what this means for us...maybe I should start packing up my stuff..." she trailed off.
"Cordy." Angel said, frantic to get her attention before she did something he'd regret, like leaving.
"...and try and get my apartment back."
"Cordelia!" he yelled, trying to get her to listen.
"What?" she demanded.
Angel POV
This is it. It's now or never. I've gotta tell her how I feel before she walks out of your life forever. And I know that's something I don't ever want to happen. Just gotta tell her how I feel...
"Cordy...my dream...it was about you."
"What?" she asked surprised.
"You, me, and Connor were some place warm, I had Shanshued, and you told me that you loved me...and I said it back, because I meant it, too."
After a few minutes of processing this, she turned to him.
"What does this all mean?"
"I think it means that we both care for each other more than we've let on." he replied.
"But, where do we go from here?"
"It really all depends on you."
"Me?"
"Yeah, I mean, what do you want to do?"
"Well, what do you want to do?"
"I care for you, Cordy. I really care for you, you know that now. But...I don't want your answer to be affected by that." he said.
"Well, it does affect my answer, because I like knowing you feel the same way I do! I love you Angel, and if you love me, too, then I know we can make this work."
They both smiled.
"So...does this mean that we're together now?" he grinned.
"I'd say so." she said as he wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into him.
"I know it's gonna be hard with the curse and the whole vampire issue, but I know that if we care about each other, then we can make this work." he said looking down to her.
"It will be hard, but, as long as we stick together and talk to one another, we can make this happen." she smiled.
He smiled, too, as they came closer together. He leaned down and captured her in a long passionate kiss. Too occupied by the kiss, neither one of them saw the white light that passed from Cordelia to Angel and then encompassed them both.
Chapter 7
Soon the kiss became too intense and they had to break apart.
"Need air." Angel gasped.
"Me, too." Cordelia replied taking deep breaths.
It was that exact moment when they realized that Angel didn't usually need air. He didn't even need to breath. By now, the light had become unnoticeable.
"Since when do I need air?" asked Angel as he took deep breaths.
"You don't..." she said, confused.
"So why am I breathing?"
"I don't know...hey, try holding your breath." she said, as she put her hand over Angel's mouth.
After a couple of seconds, he realized that he did need oxygen, and, for the moment, he needed it very badly. Cordelia removed her hand when Angel started to turn a funny color. He took some deep breaths to recover and soon found that he was very hungry.
"I need...food!" he said as he ran into the kitchen and started pulling things out of the cupboards.
Blinking, Cordelia followed him. "Are...you okay?"
"What do we have in the fridge?" he asked hungrily.
She opened the fridge and looked inside. "Okay...we have O Pos...some chocolate..."
"I'll take that." he said, leaning over and grabbing the chocolate.
"...and yogurt."
"Nope...no yogurt...don't like yogurt." he said, his mouth full of chocolate.
"What happened here?" she asked.
"I don't know, but the hunger and the intense need for oxygen is pointing towards the fact that I might be human...have we come across any demon's lately like that Morha demon from last time?"
"I don't know, I guess...there's only one way to find out."
* * *
As they made their way into Caritas, the Host greeted them.
"Hey there, cinnamon buns, what brings you to this old neck of the woods?"
"We think he's human." Cordelia spoke up.
"Really?"
"Yes...I don't have to sing do I?" he pleaded.
"Well...yes and no." Lorne said, after taking a sip of his "Sea Breeze'.
"What does that mean?" Cordelia asked.
"You both have to sing."
"What!" they chorused.
"Might I suggest...stay clear of the Manilow tonight, crumb cake."
"Fine, but stop calling me pastries."
"There you go. Happy hunting...strudel." said Lorne as he passed them the Karaoke book.
"Let's just pick a song and then we can get out of here." sighed Cordelia as they looked through the book.
They finally chose a song, and Lorne introduced them.
"Next up we have a duet from a couple of friends of mine, so give them a hand."
They awkwardly made their way onto the stage and waited for the words to appear and the music to start.
"/Don't go breaking my heart.\" Angel began.
"/I couldn't if I tried\" Cordelia replied. They continued the rest of the song each singing their own parts.
/Honey if I get restless
Baby you're not that kind\
/Don't go breaking my heart
You take the weight off me
Honey when you knock on my door
I gave you my key\
/Nobody knows it
When I was down
I was your clown
Nobody knows it
Right from the start
I gave you my heart
I gave you my heart\
/So don't go breaking my heart
I won't go breaking your heart
Don't go breaking my heart\
/And nobody told us
Cause nobody showed us
And now it's up to us, babe
I think we can make it\
/So don't misunderstand me
You put the light in my life
You put the sparks to the flame
I've got your heart in my sights\
When the song ended there was a small round of applause and they both hurriedly left the stage and made their way over to where Lorne was sitting.
"Well?" Angel asked.
"Can I get you two a drink?" he asked.
"No...just answers." Cordy said.
"Okay, let's go find a table." Lorne lead them to the far side of the room, where there were a few empty tables away from the stage. "Oh, by the way," he said, sitting down,"Finding out about each other's feelings for one another, well, yay you. If it took you any longer, I was gonna have to tie the two of you together."
Cordy and Angel smiled at each other.
"Ok, I guess you want to know why you're human."
"Yeah, is it a demon of some kind or maybe a spell?" Angel asked.
"No, you're human. You've Shanshued."
"I have?"
"He has?"
"Yes."
"I can't believe it." he, said turning to Cordy who embraced him tightly in a hug.
"I'm so happy for you."
Then, thinking over the events of the last couple of years, he asked,"How?"
"You see," Lorne replied,"this little lady here..." he pointed to Cordy.
"Me?" she asked.
"Yeah, by admitting your true feelings for one another and Cordelia here accepting every part of you, you were then able to accept who you are and vice versa."
"So this is my Shanshu...I'm human now...nothing will change that, right? The Powers can't take it back?" he asked.
"Nope, you're 110 percent human."
"But, what about my visions?"
Chapter 8
"I'm not your guide for this vacation, honey. He'll present himself when he's good and ready." Lorne said, picking up his glass and taking another mouthful.
"So there's nothing else you can tell us about the visions?" Angel asked.
"Only that you won't receive any more until you have spoken to your guide, who should be by any day now."
"Thanks." replied Cordy.
"Now, why are you sitting in here wasting your time for? There's still a few hours of daylight left, and I'm sure little Connor would like to spend some time with you!" Lorne grinned.
"He's still asleep in your room?" Angel asked Lorne.
"Yep, sleeping like the baby he is."
* * *
Cordelia, Angel, and Connor were all in the car; the hood was down and Cordelia was driving. Angel sat, resting his head back with his eyes closed, and soaked up the sun.
Cordy pulled into the parking lot of the mall.
"Why are we here?" he asked.
"I've just gotta pick something up; I'll be five minutes." she said, getting out of the car and going into the busy mall.
She returned five minutes later carrying three shopping bags, which she placed in the trunk.
"What did you get?"
"You'll see." she grinned as she drove them back to the Hyperion.
"Okay, take this bag upstairs and get changed." she said, handing him one of the shopping bags.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Just wait, and you'll see."
Angel went up to his room and emptied the contents of the shopping bag onto the bed. To his surprise, there was a pair of knee length beige shorts and a plaid shirt. Chuckling to himself, he was reminded of a conversation between the other members of Angel Investigations.
*********************************
"...then I found out it also meant to live. It meant to die and to live." said Wesley
"So - which is it?" Fred asked.
"Both. In his case it meant that some day the vampire in him might die, but the human in him might live."
"So he would be like a normal man?"
"Yes."
"Wow. What would we do if that happened?"
"I'd buy him some plaid shirts and take him to the beach. The boy needs some color." Cordelia spoke up.
***********************************
Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he got dressed and made his way downstairs. Cordelia and Connor weren't in sight.
"Cordy." he called.
"I'll be down in a minute, I'm just changing Connor."
"Okay."
She came down the stairs two minutes later wearing a red spaghetti strapped dress and a large summer hat. Lying her arms, Connor was wearing a t-shirt with matching shorts and a colorful beach hat to protect his head.
"Wow, look at you! You're wearing colors!" she smiled at him.
Looking at what Connor, was wearing he turned to her.
"Is that outfit new?"
"Yeah, I just got the two of you a little beach wear, seeing how we are gonna be beaching it every chance we get now."
"Thank you...for the clothes."
Cordelia smiled again and handed Connor over to Angel.
"Are you two ready to go to the beach?" she asked.
"Hey, Connor, you wanna go to the beach?" Connor gurgled and they took it as a yes.
* * *
They pulled up at the beach, laid a towel down, and got comfortable. There were still a few hours of sunlight left, and they sat on the beach until the sun had set. As it began to get dark, they packed up their things and made their way back to the Hyperion. After putting Connor to bed, they headed down to the lobby to talk.
They had not been talking long when a big flash of white light filled the room. Angel grabbed Cordelia to shield her from whatever was about to appear. However, just as quickly as it had arrived, the light disappeared and a demon stood in its place.
"Skip?" Angel asked.
"Yep, me again."
"Who's Skip?" Cordy asked.
"Remember I told you about that guy, Billy, and the demon protecting his cage? Well, that's Skip." Angel filled her in.
"Oh, that Skip."
"Are you guys done? I'm a very busy demon." Skip interrupted.
"Oh, yeah, sorry." Cordy replied.
"What are you doing here?" Angel asked.
"Well, I'm your guide. You were told that someone would be coming to inform you of the changes made by the powers." They both nodded.
"Great, so let's get going."
"Where are we going? Connor is asleep upstairs. Who's gonna look after him?"
Cordy asked.
"Don't worry, it's all taken care of." said the demon. And, with a flash of light, the three of them disappeared, leaving the lobby in an eerie silence.
Chapter 9
They arrived in a dark, circular cave, which appeared to have no doors or exits. It seemed to be lit only by several torches placed on the walls. The ground was soft under foot, and, when they looked, they found it to be sand. The only other thing visible in the cave was a large stone in the center of the room.
"Where are we?" Cordy asked.
"We are here." Skip cryptically replied.
"Where is here, and why are we here?" Angel asked.
"We are here to see The Conduit."
"Who...or what...is The Conduit?" Cordy asked, more confused than ever.
"The Conduit is connected to The Powers That Be; they are who you will speak with."
"Well, where are they?" said Cordy looking around the room.
"They are unseen." replied Skip. "Now I shall leave you and return when The Conduit are finished.
"You're not staying?" frowned Angel.
"This meeting is for the seer and the warrior only; it is of great importance. It holds and shapes your future. It isn't just anyone who can see The Conduit, only those who have been called." With that, Skip faded into the darkness, leaving Angel and Cordy alone in the cave.
They held hands and awaited this mysterious Conduit.
"Lower beings." A male and female voice both spoke at the same time. As the sound echoed around the cave, Cordy and Angel tried to find the source before remembering that they were speaking with unseen beings.
"You have been called before The Conduit. You are looking for answers, yet, do you know the question?"
"Yes..." Angel spoke up.
"What is the question that you are seeking answers for?" The male and female voice boomed forth again.
"I have become human...why, after all these years, why now?" he asked.
"You already know the answer." Pausing for a moment, they spoke again. "She is your humanity."
Cordelia finally decided to speak up. "What are going to happen to my visions?"
"The warrior and the seer are to carry on protecting the innocent. You shall receive your visions without pain or death, and the warrior will still retain his strength and immortally to a certain extent. You are both to stay on your path and shall find yet another form of redemption."
"Angel will be immortal, but to what extent?" Cordy asked.
"If he were to die, it would not occur while protecting the innocent for The Powers; it would be a normal death, just like anyone else's. He is now human and has a permanent soul; nothing can change that."
"What is this redemption you speak of?" Angel asked.
"That is the future and no more is to be told. You will be aware of it soon enough." And with that Skip reappeared in the cave and The Conduit were gone.
"Are you ready?" Skip asked. They nodded and with a flash they reappeared in the lobby of The Hyperion.
"Thanks for all your help Skip." Angel said.
"My pleasure. Well, I'd better be going; I've still got to pick up my dry-cleaning." he waved and, with a flash of light, he disappeared.
"Hey...I wonder who they got to look after Connor?" Cordy asked.
"I don't know." Angel frowned.
They made their way upstairs to Angel's bedroom where they found Connor in his crib and Lorne sitting in a nearby chair flipping through a magazine, singing the baby a lullaby.
"Oh, hey kids, how'd it go?" Lorne said turning to them.
"Good. I'm human, but still have the strength to work for The Powers, and Cordy will still get the visions, but they won't hurt or kill her."
"Plus, they said something about a new redemption, but they wouldn't tell us anything else about it." Cordy spoke up as she looked down on the sleeping baby.
"Well, that all sounds like good news. I'd better skid-addle; I've gotta get the club ready for tomorrow. Toodles." he said, leaving the room.
"Ohhhh...I'm so tired." groaned Cordy, muffling a yawn and sitting down on the bed.
"Me, too." Angel said as he sat down beside her.
"You wanna go to bed?" she asked.
"What?!"
"Not like that...not yet anyway."
They both smiled. However, completely exhausted, they hurriedly got changed, said goodnight to the sleeping Connor, and climbed in the bed. Snuggling up to each other, they fell into a peaceful sleep.
Chapter 10
Cordelia walked into the hotel lobby, sorting through the mail she had just collected, and made her way over to the couch where Angel sat feeding Connor.
"Morning." she said as she greeted Angel with a kiss.
"Anything interesting?" he asked.
"Plenty from where I'm sitting."
Chuckling, he answered. "I mean the mail."
"Oh yeah, me, too." she said, smiling. "Bill, bill, letter from Wesley, bill..." she trailed off.
"Wait, a letter from Wesley." she said as she opened it.
"What's it say?"
"He says...everything is great. He and Ben are getting along really well, and he misses us."
"It's good to hear from him."
Cordelia moved the letter in her hands and a piece of paper fell out. She leaned over and picked it up. "Oh, and a picture of him and Ben. Aawww, don't they look cute? He's a mini version of Wesley."
"I'm glad things are going well for him."
"Me, too. Let's see...what else do we have besides bills?" she asked as she went through the rest of the mail.
"Hey, look, the postmark on that one says Miami." said Angel as he pointed with Connor's bottle to one of the envelopes in Cordy's hands.
She opened the envelope and started to read it. "It's from Fred and Gunn, they say that they're enjoying Miami and the mission is basically the same as we have going on here. Oh, and Gunn and Fred are together."
"Yeah, they both went to Miami."
"Not like that, doofus. Fred and Gunn are dating. Oh, they have a condo on the beach and they want us to come visit. Wesley will be there, too, with Ben--they're arriving next week." Cordy almost squealed, she was so happy.
"I take it you wanna go." Angel laughed.
"Please, Angel, I'm sure the powers would allow us a little time off of work. I mean, it's been like three years."
"Okay, we'll go next week."
"Thank you." She smiled and they shared a long, passionate kiss.
"Let's put Connor to bed."
"Good idea." Cordelia said as they rushed up stairs and put Connor in his crib.
Angel's room was only across the hall, but, unable to wait, they stumbled through the door, their hands all over each other.
"Just...next door." Cordy said.
"Yep...hurry." Angel said, as they both gasped for breath.
They stopped outside of Angel's room, while continuing to kiss passionately, reached for the door handle. As they went into the room, Angel kicked the door closed behind him. A few seconds later, a hand appeared and placed a "Do not disturb" sign on the door handle, just in case someone showed up. The door closed again and only giggles and moans were heard from behind the large, solid door.
* * *
Cordelia awoke and smiled, looking up into Angel's dark chocolate brown eyes which twinkled back at her.
"Hey." she said.
"Hey."
They smiled and he leaned down and captured her in a delicate kiss. "So do you want something to eat?" he asked her.
"You know me so well...ice cream! I feel like ice cream!"
"I'll be right back." he kissed her, put his boxers on, and made his way out of the room.
"Don't forget the chocolate sauce!" she yelled after him.
"I won't." he called back.
They spent the remainder of the day in bed, talking and eating ice cream. However, the peaceful tableau was interrupted when Cordy had a vision, this time pain-free. A demon was causing trouble in an alley behind a club, so Angel took care of it. The rest of the night was pretty quiet...demonwise.
The rest of the week was the same, only a few demons here and there. All in all, it had been a quiet week. Cordelia had taken Angel shopping for clothes for their vacation, while Lorne watched Connor.
Finally, the long-awaited day arrived and they left for Florida. Cordelia had phoned earlier in the week to sort out directions to the condo and to let Angel tell them about his Shanshu. However, they had decided they wanted to tell their friends face to face about the fact that they were now a couple. They headed for the airport, after making Lorne promise to stop by every now and then to collect the mail and check on the hotel.
* * *
It took awhile, but they finally arrived at the condo. As they knocked on the door, Wesley opened it, Ben hiding behind his legs until he turned and picked Ben up.
"Wesley!" Cordy said as she gave him a hug.
"Cordelia." he smiled, hugging her back.
"Good to see you, Wes." said Angel, shaking his hand.
"You, too."
"So, this must be Ben." she grinned at the toddler in Wesley's arms.
"Yes. Cordelia, Angel, this is Ben. Ben, this are Daddy's friends Cordy, Angel, and his son Connor."
"Hi." The toddler lisped shyly.
"Hi, there." Cordy said.
"Oh, come on in. Fred and Gunn are out the back. Gunn is trying to light a BBQ, while Fred is getting the food together."
"Cordy, you made it." said Fred, running up to her and embracing her.
"It's good to see you, too."
"Gunn, how's it going?"
"Hey, man! It's going good. You?" he said as they shook hands and hugged, very manly, of course.
"Wes says you're trying to light this thing?"
"Yeah, we're getting there."
"Let me give you a hand with that."
Cordy got Connor inside, leaving him sleeping in his car seat, while Ben took a nap on the couch. Angel, Gunn, and Wes were outside getting the barbecue going and catching up with old times, while Cordy and Fred chatted in the kitchen and got the food ready.
"So, tell me everything about you and Gunn." Cordy said as she made a salad.
"Well, we haven't been going out long, but, with only us, we've become a lot closer."
Cordelia smiled. "So you're happy?"
"Yes, things are going better than I ever expected." Fred grinned.
Out in the back, the three men had managed to get the barbecue started and were just waiting for it to heat up enough to start cooking.
"So, Angel, how's it been? Being human, I mean." Gunn asked.
"It's great. What about you, Wes? How are things?"
"They're very good. Ben and I get along really well and we're thinking of moving back to the States soon."
"That's great news."
They carried on talking even as Fred and Cordy came out carrying the food and started getting the table ready.
A couple of burnt sausages later, the food was ready. Thankfully, not everything was burned, so they enjoyed their meal. As everyone was brought up to date on what was happening, Angel and Cordy decided it was time to tell their news.
"So, what about you two? What's been happening? Apart from Angel's Shanshu, of course." Wesley asked.
Angel and Cordy looked at each other.
"Well, Angel and I...we're..."
"We're together. Like together, together." They awaited the shocked expressions that they were sure they would receive.
"I already knew." Fred said.
"Good for you." Wesley nodded.
"It's about time." Gunn said. Angel and Cordy looked at each other.
"You...already knew?...it's about time?" Cordy blinked.
"Yep, we've known for ages." grinned Fred.
"It took you long enough." Wesley added.
After talking late into the night, the gang headed up to bed. Fred and Gunn had already assigned the rooms. Angel, Cordy, and Connor had the double guest room, while Wesley and Ben had two single beds in the other spare room.
* * *
As Angel awoke the next morning, he noticed Cordy's side of the bed was empty. Frowning, he got up and went out to the living room just as Cordy walked in through the front door, a brown paper bag in her hands.
"Cordy, where have you been?" he asked.
"I went to the store; I needed to get something."
"Couldn't it have waited until later?"
"Not really."
"Cordy, are you all right? What's going on?"
"Angel, I'm late."
Chapter 11
"Angel, I'm late." Cordelia replied to the now silently stunned Angel. After a couple of minutes he looked up at her.
"What?" he asked, as if he hadn't heard her the first time.
"I'm late. I went to the store to get a pregnancy test." he walked over to her.
"You mean, we might be having a baby?" he smiled and looking at her stomach.
"We might. That's why I got a couple of home pregnancy tests so we could find out."
"Are you gonna do it now?"
Looking at the paper bag in her hands, she nodded and made her way to the bathroom. "No time like the present."
"I'll be right here." Angel said, as she closed the door behind her.
About two minutes later, she reappeared.
"I did two tests. You know, just to make sure."
"What do they say?"
"I haven't checked yet; I wanted you to know the moment I do."
"Okay, you ready?"
"As I'll ever be." she said as they looked at the first test. Her face dropped slightly: it said she wasn't pregnant.
"Okay, not pregnant yet." she said.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Let's check the other one."
They both looked down at the test and became confused. "Okay, that one says you are pregnant, right?"
"Yeah." she said, slightly teary-eyed.
"So, which one is right?"
"I think we should make an appointment with the doctor, just to find out one way or another."
"That's a good idea."
"Angel, do you want this?"
"What?"
"I mean, do you want me to be carrying your baby?"
"Cordy, I love you, and the thought that you could be carrying our baby is just so overwhelming. I'm incredibly happy for both of us; now we can truly become a family!" Then he paused. "It is what you want, right?"
"Of course it is, but...I just don't want us to be disappointed if I'm not pregnant."
"Like I said before, I love you, and if you are pregnant, that's great. If not, that's fine. There's plenty of time. What matters is that we love each other. Okay?" he asked as he took her in his arms.
"Okay." She replied.
At that moment, Fred, Gunn and Wesley came out for breakfast.
"What's going on?" Fred asked, wondering what they had all missed.
"You gonna tell them, or should I?" Cordy asked.
"You go ahead." Angel replied.
"I think I'm pregnant."
Fred could hardly keep still, and she ran over and embraced both Angel and Cordy in a hug.
"I'm so happy for you guys, when did you find out?"
"About five minutes ago, but we're still not sure. We're gonna make a doctor's appointment to find out either way." Cordy said smiling.
"I can't believe it, I'm...we're so happy for you guys!!" Fred grinned as Wesley and Gunn offered their congratulations.
* * *
The week went by quickly. They watched Disney movies with the kids, took Connor and Ben to the zoo, and they were now spending their last day on the beach.
Suddenly, Cordy realized that the scene playing before her was a lot like her dream. There were a few difference: Connor was still a baby and their friends were with them. However, thinking this over, she decided that either way was perfect for her. In her dream where she had been alone with Angel and Connor, but here she had the best of both worlds: she was with her friends...her family.
Finally, the time to leave arrived. Saying their goodbyes and already planning the next gathering, they made their way back to L.A. Once home, they checked in with Lorne and went to bed, ready to make the doctor's appointment in the morning.
Due to a cancellation, the doctor was free right after lunch, so they made their way to the hospital. After waiting for what seemed like forever, they were able to see the doctor. A few tests later, he confirmed that Cordelia was pregnant. Ecstatic, they happily left, after scheduling another appointment for a few weeks time.
* * *
A few months had passed, and both Cordelia and Connor were getting bigger with each new day, while Cordelia and Angel's feeling for each other grew stronger.
Cordelia sat on the couch in the lobby, flicking through a pregnancy magazine, and Connor slept in his crib by her seat. Angel had been gone for a couple of hours, saying there were a few errands that he needed to run, and, when he arrived home, he had a surprise for Cordelia.
"Hey, honey, where've you been?" Cordy asked as he strolled into the lobby.
"Oh, I just had a few things to take care of."
"Like what?" she said, giving him a kiss.
"Like these." he replied, pulling a bunch of roses from behind his back.
"Oh, Angel! They're beautiful!"
"Yep, just like you."
"Awww." She said and gave him another kiss.
"Oh, and one other thing: you, me, tonight, dinner. Lorne's baby sitting."
"Really? Where are we going?"
"You'll see. The reservation is for eight o'clock."
"Well, I'd better find some thing to wear." she said.
"How about this?" Angel said, handing her a bag that was sitting on the floor, hidden by the couch. She opened it, and, with a smile, pulled him into a hug and placed yet another kiss on his lips.
"I think she likes it." he said.
"She does." Cordy replied as she held up the midnight blue dress. "Thank you. I'd better go get ready."
Angel, dressed in a tux, waited for her in the lobby. Lorne had already arrived, they idly chatted while he waited for Cordy. As she appeared at the top of the stairs, Angel was unable to keep his eyes off of her.
When she descended, he realized how much this reminded him of one of the Disney movies that they had watched. What was it? Ah, yes: Beauty and the Beast, that was the name. The scene where the Beauty had walked down the staircase in her fabulous dress and danced with the Beast.
Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he offered her his arm and they departed.
* * *
They spent the evening dining at a very expensive restaurant. It was then that Angel finished his glass of wine and turned to Cordy. "There was one other errand that I had to run today."
"What was that?" she asked.
"I had to pick this up." He said, removing a small velvet box from the pocket of his tux.
Cordelia was extremely surprised; she hadn't seen this coming...well, not tonight anyway, but that didn't mean that she hadn't wished for it.
While they sat, caught by the moments, a soft song playing in the the background lilted past them. As he heard the words, Angel realized it said everything he couldn't.
*I want to be the face you see when you close your eyes
I want to be the touch you need every single night
I want to be your fantasy
And be your reality
And everything between*
*I want you to need me
Like the air you breathe
I want you to feel me
In everything
I want you to see me
In your every dream
The way that I taste you feel you breathe you need you
I want you to need me
Like I need you*
*I want to be the eyes that look deep into your soul
I want to be the world to you
I just want it all
I want to be your deepest kiss
The answer to your every wish
I'm all you ever need*
*I want you to need me
Like the air you breathe
I want you to feel me
In everything
I want you to see me
In your every dream
The way that I taste you feel you breathe you need you
I want you to need me
Like I need you*
*More than you could know
And I need you
To never never let me go
And I need to be deep inside your heart
I just want to be everywhere you are...*
"Cordelia, we've been friends now, for what seems like my whole life. I've watched you grow and you've become a truly extraordinary woman. I love you so much, I want to be with you forever, because, for me, there is no one else. I guess what I'm trying to say is: Cordelia, will you marry me?"
Chapter 12
Smiling, she leaned over and embraced him in a hug.
"Yes, of course I'll marry you."
* * *
It was hard to believe that Angel had proposed over seven months ago. Cordelia was heavily pregnant and fast approaching her due date. She had been keeping herself busy planning the wedding. She would still receive the odd vision, but they grew few and farther between as the due date grew closer. However, Angel, still the brave champion, continued to defeat whatever was thrown at him.
It was already the day after Cordelia's due date and there was still no baby. She sat in the lobby, while Angel, Lorne, and Connor played on the floor, when she suddenly started having contractions.
"Angel?" she said.
"Yeah?" he replied, not noticing the contractions.
"I think it's about that time."
"Are you sure?"
"Aarrrrggggghhhhh. Yes, I'm sure!"
"Okay...um...okay...ah, Lorne?"
"Yeah, Angel?"
"Help me out here!"
"Look, just relax, this will take awhile. Now, Angel, you go and get Cordy's bag. I'll watch her and Connor."
"Okay." he said, running upstairs.
"He's so nervous. I guess, it's 'cause he never really went through this before." Cordy said as she tried to stand up.
"Neither have you; why so calm?" Lorne asked.
"Well, this is the redemption that The Conduit talked about, right?"
"You worked it out, huh?"
"You knew all along, didn't you?"
"Let's just say I had an inkling."
"So, how I see it, they must be watching over us and taking care of this baby." she said, placing her hand on her stomach.
At that moment, Angel came pounding down the stairs, bag in hand.
"Are you okay? Did I miss anything?"
"No, but here comes another one." She groaned, leaning over in pain.
Once it passed, they made their way out to the car. As they raced to the hospital, arriving in just over five minutes, a some more contractions hit. After a few unbelievably long hours, Katie Angel Chase had arrived into the world. Cordelia sat in bed, while Angel faced her, holding Katie in his arms.
"I'm so proud of you." Angel said to Cordy, who smiled and kissed him.
Lorne appeared a few minutes later with Connor. Placing Connor on the bed with them, he excused himself to go and get some coffee, leaving the family together. He arrived back some ten minutes later, carrying a disposable camera.
"How about a picture of the happy family?"
"Sure." Cordy said as they all turned and faced the camera. With a flash, the moment had been captured forever.
* * *
Four Months Later
Angel stood at the alter with Gunn, his best man, beside him. Fred, the maid of honor, walked down the aisle holding Ben who dropped rose petals on the ground. Fred took her space at the front as Ben sat with Connor and Lorne, who was holding Katie.
Then Cordelia appeared, Angel turned to look at her, smiling as she came closer. She looked at him, as Wesley gave her hand to Angel then took his place next to Gunn. It was a small ceremony. A few close friends were all they needed, and the hall had been decked out with white lilies.
"Cordelia, do you take Angel to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do."
"Angel, do you take Cordelia to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do."
"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
End
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