Set about 9 months after Tried And Tested.
OK this works as a stand alone piece if you read the summary the the bootom of this note. But if you've read Holding On, you'll understand this i hope.
Thanks to Daniel (extraconfused@hotmail.com) for the suggestion of the names as ovious they might be, my trusty 'Name Your Baby' book is fast falling apart due to the amount of names i have pulled out of it.
Disclaimer: i own nothing, i only like to play with them and they all belong to Joss and Davids imagination, oh yeah and the people they belong to!
Summary: Ok Angel took Cordelia out for a Valentines Date after he saw he feeling a bit down in the dumps but he realised that he felt more for her than a friend and things got a little hot and heavy, not too hot and heavy though!!!! Cordelia decided that she couldn't run the risk of Angelus running around after they spent a fully clothed night together so she went to the Orecles and guess who was there, Doyle! He told her that they (PTB) had been watching them and hoping. Angel had proved his love when he refused to let anything happen when they were in bed together. She went through the Three Trials and succeeded. Now Boom everybody is happy families and fluffy bunnies!
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Trama Time.
Cordelia strode happily into the office, shopping in one hand and groceries in the other. she walked through the darkened office, knowing that Wesley had gone home just as she left an hour ago. She struggled to open the heavy wooden door that seperated the apartment from the offices and started down the stairs.
"Honey, i'm home. I bought some food. I know you don't eat but i do. Oh and i got some new clothes, care for a fashion sh..."
Cordelia faded off as she finally rounded the corner into the apartment. She saw Angels back to her, his head hung low and a pair of beige-coated arms around his waist. He slowly let go and turned to her, his eyes sad. She watched as Buffys tear-stained face revelied it's self from behind Angels bulky stature.
"Hi Cordelia, Buffy's here." Angel said in his brooding voice.
Angel felt herheart sink then rise again as she realised that she shouldn't be so quick to judge, after all he had pleaged himself to her.
"Hi Buffy, are you OK?" Cordelia asked in a ginuenly concerned voice as tears continued to fall down the Slayers face.
Buffy looked at Cordelia then at Angel and back to Cordleia. "Angel is there somewhere i can go, just to get myself together?"
"Yeah down the hall and to the right, the guest room. Just make yourself comfortable."
Angel watched as Buffy walked slowly down the hall untill she was out of view before he turned back to Cordelia.
"I know what that looked like but..."
"It's OK Angel, you don't have to explain. What was wrong with her? She looked like she had been crying."
Cordelia depositied her shopping bags on the sofa and walked across towards Angel.
"Um...her mum died three days ago. She had a brain tumour. There was nothing nobody could have done for her."
Cordelia snaked her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest. Angel instinctively put her arms around her waist .
"I know you knew Joyce pretty well. Are you OK?" He asked, feeling a stray tear soaking into his shirt.
"Yeah, i'm not the one who we need to worry about. Did you tell her about your soul?" Cordelia asked her head still resting on Angels chest.
"No i didn't think it was the right time."
"What about us?"
"No i didn't tell her about that either. She's only been here for 45 minutes so i haven't had time to tell her anything. She's been crying ever since."
Cordelia pulled away from him and went to the bags on the sofa. "Can you unpack these?I'm going to find out if Buffy is gonna stay for dinner."
Cordelia swayed down the hall and found Buffy sitting on the bed, tears rolling down her face and a ratty tissue in her hand.
"Buffy, God you must be hurting so much. I couldn't imagine losing any of my parents even though i don't speak to them."
Cordelia sat down beside her ex-nemisis and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. He heart went out to the Slayer. Her life, since turning 16, had never been easy. She was pushed into a decidetion that wasn't her to decide and then left to get on with it. Her father lived two and a half hours drive from her and had no idea what her life was like. She had struggled keeping her secret from her mum for so long then when her mother did find out she had tried to wrap Buffy up in cotton wool. But now she was gone.
"God i must look a state. What must Angel think of me?" Buffy tries to stop the tears as much as possible and stood up, adjusting her hair in the mirror.
Cordelia felt a pang of guilt echo through her as she and Angel hid the secret from Buffy, but she convinced himself that it was for her own good. Telling Buffy that the love of her life had moved on and that he was in a relationship with her arc-enemy would just push her over the edge.
"Well i was wondering if you'll stay for an early tea. I'm gonna cook omelets and your in no state to drive home."
"Yeah, i would like that, but i need to phone Xander to take care of Dawn and find out from Giles how the funeral arrangements are going. For once Sunnydale is having a normal funeral without me having to wait and stake what ever rises."
"Yeah here use this." Cordelia tossed Buffy her cell phone. "It's my phone, it's linked to Angels and Wesley plus it's charged to the business account so talk as long as you like, Angels picking up the tab."
Buffy looked at Cordelia curiosy. "Won't Angel mind? After all he owns the business."
"Nah, he doesn't mind. I use it if i get a vision or if i need a taxi service. Let me know if you need any help."
Cordelia left the guset room and Buffy followed behind talking somberly to Xander then Giles, who tried to talk her out of staying, if it weren't for the mention of Cordelias name, Giles would have hummed and harred for another 10 minutes before Buffy finally hung up. Cordelia found Angel still unpacking the groceries she had bought, noticing her shopping bags lying on their bed. Cordelia walked over to the cooker and put on the hob. She set a pan on the hob and put olive oil in it.
"What do you think you are doing?" Angel asked, mockingly.
"I'm making omelets brood-boy. What does it look like." Cordelia said pulling the eggs she had just bought out of the fridge.
"You are NOT cooking in my kitchen! I remember last time i left you in the kitchen, you left cheese stuck to the pan and the cooker in a state. NO!"
Cordelia continued cracking the eggs, hiding her smug smile very well.
"Fine, we'll do this the hard way."
Angel lunged forward his fingers poised. He went right for her side. Cordelia squealed out in delight as Angel tickled her to the floor, moving to her sandal-free feet. She screamed again untill finally giving into Angels mercy.
"Fine, fine. I said OK. Let me up. Well if your gonna cook it better be ham and cheese omelets 'cos scrambled eggs is getting boring."
As if suddenly realising that they were being watched both Angel and Cordelia pulled themselves off the floor and continued in the kitchen, swapping duties. Buffy watched confused at what had just happened but having no energy to ask for an explanation she just sat down at the table. Cordelia sat down beside her while Angel carried across the two plates of omelets and a mug to the table. He sat down and handed Cordleia and Buffy the plates. They both began to eat while the Vampire waited for his blood to cool down from it's nuked temperature. Cordelia lifted the fork up to her mouth, feeling the slight thumping in her temnples but feeling it too late to do anything about it. Angel watched in slow motion as Cordelia closed her eyes and began convulsing at the table, He watched the plate smash on the floor followed by Cordelias body. Angel dove to save her head from hitting the slate floor, sending his mug of blood flying in the process. He caught her and gently lay her, still fitting, in his lap stroking her hair in comfort. Buffy rushed to their side, confusion and fear clear in her face.
"What can i do?" Buffy asked in a soft whisper.
"Get a glass of water and the pills in the cupboard above the sink. Oh and grab a pen and paper from the table over there."
He pointed to the coffee table. Angel turned his attention back to Cordelia, whispering in her ear. She slowly came to and her surroundings came back into focus.
"What did you see Cora? Here." Buffy handled the pills to Angel who in turn fed them to Cordleia.
"Oh this one was good, well not good as in no thumping headache but good as in i know what's going on. It was in the city, a woman was dead but there were twin babies, a boy and a girl. We've to rescue the babies, it's too late for the mother, she's already dead. The babies are special, they have the energy like the Oracles did. Phone Wesley and get him over here, we have..." She looked at her watch, "Two hours to sundown, before every vampire and demon sets their sites on those babies."
Angel ran over to the phone and furiouly dialed Wesley cell number. He was there within ten minutes with every text that wasn't in the libary in the apartment and the scroll.
"Right Cordelia tell me what you saw." Welsey asked pulling out the ancient scroll.
"There were two babies, a boy and a girl. Their mother was dead and they were all alone in carriers. I was told that the mother was meant ot be dead, it was all part of the plan they said."
"Who said?" Wesley and Angel asked together
"The voice that was in my head telling me. I've never heard it before, but it told me where to find them and what to do about getting there. It said that 'They are the Keys to Successtion.' what ever that they are and that we've to rescue them for the time being. The voice gave me an address as well."
"Curious. Well i can't find any text using a referance to any twin babies living in LA or at all that are anything special. Are you sure."
"Yes you thick twit. I got the vision...and the pain...oh yeah and the smell. Oh shit, the two hours are up. Come on Angel we have to go now. Buffy you stay here, your in no shape to fight. Wesley summon Dennis over here, he'll take care of Buffy while you research."
With Cordelias orders they left, climbinging into the black convertible. They sped through the city to the apartment Cordelia had seen in her dreams. It was in a nice area but the advanging darkness made it look sinister and uninviting. Angel and Cordelia pulled up to the apartment building that Cordelia had seen in her vision. Angel busted the door open, with a well aimed kick to the handle, to 295 Belmont Street and entered the eirley quiet apartment. He knew that the woman was already dead because of his ability to enter the apartment without invitation. He heard a small cry from a bedroom off to the hallway. Angel started off down the hall, Cordelia followed behind making sure that they didn't pass the wrong room. Angel went into a room and found two cribs lying side by side, one was pink and the other painted blue, each containing a baby. Angel saw the womans body lying beside the pink crib, looking peaceful like she was only sleeping. Cordelia saw Angel crouch down beside the crib and she walked to his side.
"There's no bite marks or bruises from a struggle. I don't know how she died." Angel said, his confusion face in plain view.
Cordelis noticed a bracelet around the womans wrist and a thin silver chain around her unmarked neck. She turned the womans wrist over and looked at the bracelet. Her eyes scanned the room and settled on the changing table near the crib.
"Some detective you are. She epileptic." She flashed the Medi-Alert bracelet his way. "She had a fit and hit her head on the changing table behind you. I don't think she suffered."
Angel looked at his seer in amazement. "I amit, i'm impressed, but what about the babies? Do we call Kate? Or do we call Social Services?"
"I don't but we can't leave them here. We can take them back to Angel Investigations then decide what we should do about them. I'll grab some clothes and dipers. Their bottles and sterilising stuff should be in the kitchen, go get some. Remember their twins so you'll need at least two of each thing brood-boy."
Angel shock his head at allowing himself to be ordered about by Cordelia but he went anyway. He reappeared again, his arms full of bottles, baby formula, and sterilising fluid. Cordelia took them from him and divided it up between the two bags of clothes, toys and dipers she had already packed. He marvelled at how together she was. He creapt back out of the door to watch Cordelia pick each baby out of their colour coded cribs and into their colour coded carriers. She fussed over their jackets and fiddled around as she tried to put on their tiny bobbled hats on their small black haired heads. The babies, to Angel, both looked identical to each other only seperated by the different coloured jump-suits they were wearing. He walked into the living room looking for any clues to who the mother might have been. He noticed an old opened book lying on her coffee table. Angel picked it up and immediatly noticed it was in Latin. He didn't have to time to read any of it as he heard Cordelia shout out his naem. He slipped the book into the inside pocket of his duster and hurried back through to the babies room. He was greeted by Cordelia swinging a diper bag onto his shoulder and placing a pink carrier into his arm. Angel looked down into the deep chocolate eyes of the pink clad baby on his arm. He lost himself inside the swirling deep of her eyes seeing pure, unconditional love. He had only seen that once since Liam turned 19 years old. He felt inable to draw himself away until Cordelia nuged him in the direction of the front door.
They walked akwardly down the corridor, not used to carrying the four bulky packages they held. Cordelia welcomed the sight of the convertible sitting on the sidewalk waiting for them. Angel placed his persious pink bundle into the back seat and placed the blue carrier that Cordelia had been carrying beside it and strapped them both in. Cordelia pulled over the soft top covering to sheild the babies from the cold. She climbed back in the front and Angel drove away. They had just pulled out of the junction at the end of the road when Angels cell phone went off. Cordelia hastily grabbed it from Angel duster pocket.
"Hello Angel Investigations. We help the helpless. Cordelia speaking." Cordelia played out on answer the phones srill tone.
"Hello Cordelia, It's Welsey. I found some information about the babies in the scroll. It says that they are the Alpathe` twins. One is a boy and one is a girl? Am I right?" The English mans voice asked.
"Yeah, one is a girl in pink and a boy in blue. Their mother was dead when we got there, she had an epiletic fit and hit her head. We couldn't find any sign of the father. We're bringing them back to AI with us. How's Buffy?"
"Buffy's OK. Dennis has been making her coffee and bring her tissues all night. She was a bit worried about having a ghost in the house but when i explained to her about who, what and why he is what he is she warmed to him nicely. She's in the guest room sleeping. She must have took the news about you and Angel rather well, because she hasn't mentioned it."
"She doesn't know yet so don't go saying anything to her. We didn't think that she can handle another blow to the system. We'll be home in 30 minutes. Can you hide my clothes if she hasn't all ready found them. Thanks."
Cordelia hung up the phone and smiled at Angel as they roared across LA.
Meanwhile:
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BUffy stirred from her slunber. It hadn't been a peaceful one, all she saw was her mums face lying their on the ocuch, peaceful yet looking lonely. She had died by herself, without anyone to hold her or support her or just to stroke her hair and tell her that she was going to a better place. Buffy started to cry again but tried to force the tears back so the other wouldn't see her weakness. She walked across the hall to the bathroom. She pulled the light on and smiled at the familarity of the room. She could smell a scent that seemed all around the apartment, and in here was no different, it was stronger. The hint of mint and tea tree swirled around her making her feel light headed. She saw the source sitting on the egde of the shower cubicle, a bottle of herbal mint and tea tree shampoo. She saw Angels gell and moose in the middle of an aray of cosmetics, toners and soaps. Oviously not Angels. Buffy ran her eyes confusingly over the rest of the bathroom. A white silk robe hung on the back of the door and a bottle of midnight blue nail varnish with it's remover sat on the sink. 'God i HOPE their not Angels.' She thought to herself. She was disturned by excited voices in the living room, and since she and Wesley were the only people in the apartment and Dennis couldn't speak that meant Angel and Cordelia were back. The crying of a baby confirmed her thoughts. She wander through to find Wesley still hunched over the scroll, two diper bags hovering in mid air before finally settling on the sofa next to Wesley. Her face turned from confusion to amazement and disbelief at what her eyes were seeing. She watched Cordelia as she picked up a crying blue bundle out of a baby carrier and sway it and her body gently while whispering to the bundle. It slowly quietened down and Cordelia mused over it, gazing into it's eyes. Angel already had a pink bundle in his arms who was now quiet, he too gazed into her eyes, lost until Wesley purposely cleared his throut and Cordelia began to speak in hushed tones.
"So Wesley, who are they? You said that you knew that they were a boy and a girl so you must know something."
Wesley noisely spread out the scroll on the coffee table, being hushed by Cordelia to be quiet. "They are twins. Very important twins at that. They are mentioned in the scoll as the Alcalde` Twins or The Keys To Successtion. Don't worry their not demons as in bad demons or even demons with horns. They belong to The PTB. The twins are the next in line to be the leaders of the PTB. The children are born to a human mother so she can teach them the human ways of life and so if need be they can decend to Earth when their older and blend in among people easily. Their mother brings them up as her own until they are 5 years old when their powers begin to show then she must guide them and show them how to use their powers for the greater good and the side of the light. The scroll is very specfic." Wesley stopped a moment just to make sure that Cordelia and Angel were still following him. "She guides them untill they are 21 when they take their place on the 'throne' one might say."
"So why is their mother now dead? And why were me and Cordelia sent to find them?" Angel asked, the babe still in his arms.
"I'm getting to that. Here in the scroll, close to where it tells of Angels Shansu it talks about the Souled One and his Seer of Sights. It says, 'The Souled One and his Seer of Sights must bring the in the new to replace the old, and support the great fight.' and then there is a Latin phrase 'Tempori Parendum' It means Temperory Parent. You have to take the mothers place and bring up the children. It then goes onto say something about 'The Souled One and his Chosen Seer of Sights will be joined. Bound by Trust and Carried by Hope.' I still haven't figured that bit out yet. Congratulations, you've just become parents to the PTB baby boy and girl."
Cordelia and Angel looked at each other in utter disbelief and then at the sleeping babes in their arms. Cordelia stood unusally speechless while Angel just kept staring at the baby he held.
"I guess you will be getting that new apartment together after all." Wesley said, a huge grin on his face. "I'll find a way to move Dennis into it, when you find it, and keep him there. Something tells me your going to need him more now."
"We can't be parents, we don't know anything about children, Cordelia never wanted children. We talked about this when we first found out about the curse and we both knew that Vampires can't have children, only in rare cases. It's just no practical." Angel said, stuttering over his words.
"Angel, i only said i didn't want kids with anybody else but you, not that i never wanted to be a mum. I though if things worked out between us that we could adopted or something. I mean your a Vampire with a soul, you've broke every rule going so you could have broke the infertile one. What is wrong? Don't you want children with me?" Cordelia hushed tears threatening in her eyes.
"Of course i want children with you. It's just i'm shocked, plesently, but shocked none the same. We don't have any cribs or baby stuff. We aren't ready for this Cordelia, i mean Buffy's here and she doesn't know anything about the Shansu, the scroll, the babies, even us. She's been through too much this week to land this on her."
Buffy peeled herself out of the shadows and walked slowly into the living room, silencing the crowd there and making each of them shift uncomtabley, looking everywhere but at her.
"It's too late, Buffy knows everything." Buffy said slowly, as she felt her heart weep but it didn't break like she expected it to do. "I know about what the babies are, i knew when Wesley first found it. I know what the scroll is but i don't understand long lost languages. I kinda guessed about you and Cordelia, i think the nail varnish, the robe and two toothbrushes gave it away. I can't say it doesn't hurt but i know what it's like to love and how you can't forget or do anything about the feelings. It kills you if you don't do something about them. I'm happy for you but i'm worry about the whole curse. Which brings me to my next question; Do you love her Angel?"
Angel looked at Cordelia and smiled, she smiled back at him.
"Wesley, make yourself useful. Grab the carrrier and the diper bag and follow me, Dennis, you to. I think Angel and Buffy need space to talk."
Angel gently lay the baby girl back into her carrier and handed her gundingly over to Wesley. Cordelia and Wesley left the two ex-lovers alone in the middle of the living room.
Cordelia placed the carriers on the bed in their room and montioned for Dennis to follow her. They both went into the bathroom and hushed whispered could be heard from behind the door, well at least to Wesley who was eavesdropping.
"Dennis, i know you like Buffy but you're my ghost. Go spy on them then come back to me and write down what they say. Can you do that for me?"
The hot spurted into life and steamed up the main mirror, and spelt out the letters. 'Y.E.S.A.R.E.Y.O.U.S.U.R.E?'
Cordelia simply nodded her head and the ghost flew out of the now open door.
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OK that's Part One. Part Two in the post ha ha ha. Sorry! Please tell me what ya think and i would be very grateful coss it makes me smile good or bad!
OK this works as a stand alone piece if you read the summary the the bootom of this note. But if you've read Holding On, you'll understand this i hope.
Thanks to Daniel (extraconfused@hotmail.com) for the suggestion of the names as ovious they might be, my trusty 'Name Your Baby' book is fast falling apart due to the amount of names i have pulled out of it.
Disclaimer: i own nothing, i only like to play with them and they all belong to Joss and Davids imagination, oh yeah and the people they belong to!
Summary: Ok Angel took Cordelia out for a Valentines Date after he saw he feeling a bit down in the dumps but he realised that he felt more for her than a friend and things got a little hot and heavy, not too hot and heavy though!!!! Cordelia decided that she couldn't run the risk of Angelus running around after they spent a fully clothed night together so she went to the Orecles and guess who was there, Doyle! He told her that they (PTB) had been watching them and hoping. Angel had proved his love when he refused to let anything happen when they were in bed together. She went through the Three Trials and succeeded. Now Boom everybody is happy families and fluffy bunnies!
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Trama Time.
Cordelia strode happily into the office, shopping in one hand and groceries in the other. she walked through the darkened office, knowing that Wesley had gone home just as she left an hour ago. She struggled to open the heavy wooden door that seperated the apartment from the offices and started down the stairs.
"Honey, i'm home. I bought some food. I know you don't eat but i do. Oh and i got some new clothes, care for a fashion sh..."
Cordelia faded off as she finally rounded the corner into the apartment. She saw Angels back to her, his head hung low and a pair of beige-coated arms around his waist. He slowly let go and turned to her, his eyes sad. She watched as Buffys tear-stained face revelied it's self from behind Angels bulky stature.
"Hi Cordelia, Buffy's here." Angel said in his brooding voice.
Angel felt herheart sink then rise again as she realised that she shouldn't be so quick to judge, after all he had pleaged himself to her.
"Hi Buffy, are you OK?" Cordelia asked in a ginuenly concerned voice as tears continued to fall down the Slayers face.
Buffy looked at Cordelia then at Angel and back to Cordleia. "Angel is there somewhere i can go, just to get myself together?"
"Yeah down the hall and to the right, the guest room. Just make yourself comfortable."
Angel watched as Buffy walked slowly down the hall untill she was out of view before he turned back to Cordelia.
"I know what that looked like but..."
"It's OK Angel, you don't have to explain. What was wrong with her? She looked like she had been crying."
Cordelia depositied her shopping bags on the sofa and walked across towards Angel.
"Um...her mum died three days ago. She had a brain tumour. There was nothing nobody could have done for her."
Cordelia snaked her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest. Angel instinctively put her arms around her waist .
"I know you knew Joyce pretty well. Are you OK?" He asked, feeling a stray tear soaking into his shirt.
"Yeah, i'm not the one who we need to worry about. Did you tell her about your soul?" Cordelia asked her head still resting on Angels chest.
"No i didn't think it was the right time."
"What about us?"
"No i didn't tell her about that either. She's only been here for 45 minutes so i haven't had time to tell her anything. She's been crying ever since."
Cordelia pulled away from him and went to the bags on the sofa. "Can you unpack these?I'm going to find out if Buffy is gonna stay for dinner."
Cordelia swayed down the hall and found Buffy sitting on the bed, tears rolling down her face and a ratty tissue in her hand.
"Buffy, God you must be hurting so much. I couldn't imagine losing any of my parents even though i don't speak to them."
Cordelia sat down beside her ex-nemisis and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. He heart went out to the Slayer. Her life, since turning 16, had never been easy. She was pushed into a decidetion that wasn't her to decide and then left to get on with it. Her father lived two and a half hours drive from her and had no idea what her life was like. She had struggled keeping her secret from her mum for so long then when her mother did find out she had tried to wrap Buffy up in cotton wool. But now she was gone.
"God i must look a state. What must Angel think of me?" Buffy tries to stop the tears as much as possible and stood up, adjusting her hair in the mirror.
Cordelia felt a pang of guilt echo through her as she and Angel hid the secret from Buffy, but she convinced himself that it was for her own good. Telling Buffy that the love of her life had moved on and that he was in a relationship with her arc-enemy would just push her over the edge.
"Well i was wondering if you'll stay for an early tea. I'm gonna cook omelets and your in no state to drive home."
"Yeah, i would like that, but i need to phone Xander to take care of Dawn and find out from Giles how the funeral arrangements are going. For once Sunnydale is having a normal funeral without me having to wait and stake what ever rises."
"Yeah here use this." Cordelia tossed Buffy her cell phone. "It's my phone, it's linked to Angels and Wesley plus it's charged to the business account so talk as long as you like, Angels picking up the tab."
Buffy looked at Cordelia curiosy. "Won't Angel mind? After all he owns the business."
"Nah, he doesn't mind. I use it if i get a vision or if i need a taxi service. Let me know if you need any help."
Cordelia left the guset room and Buffy followed behind talking somberly to Xander then Giles, who tried to talk her out of staying, if it weren't for the mention of Cordelias name, Giles would have hummed and harred for another 10 minutes before Buffy finally hung up. Cordelia found Angel still unpacking the groceries she had bought, noticing her shopping bags lying on their bed. Cordelia walked over to the cooker and put on the hob. She set a pan on the hob and put olive oil in it.
"What do you think you are doing?" Angel asked, mockingly.
"I'm making omelets brood-boy. What does it look like." Cordelia said pulling the eggs she had just bought out of the fridge.
"You are NOT cooking in my kitchen! I remember last time i left you in the kitchen, you left cheese stuck to the pan and the cooker in a state. NO!"
Cordelia continued cracking the eggs, hiding her smug smile very well.
"Fine, we'll do this the hard way."
Angel lunged forward his fingers poised. He went right for her side. Cordelia squealed out in delight as Angel tickled her to the floor, moving to her sandal-free feet. She screamed again untill finally giving into Angels mercy.
"Fine, fine. I said OK. Let me up. Well if your gonna cook it better be ham and cheese omelets 'cos scrambled eggs is getting boring."
As if suddenly realising that they were being watched both Angel and Cordelia pulled themselves off the floor and continued in the kitchen, swapping duties. Buffy watched confused at what had just happened but having no energy to ask for an explanation she just sat down at the table. Cordelia sat down beside her while Angel carried across the two plates of omelets and a mug to the table. He sat down and handed Cordleia and Buffy the plates. They both began to eat while the Vampire waited for his blood to cool down from it's nuked temperature. Cordelia lifted the fork up to her mouth, feeling the slight thumping in her temnples but feeling it too late to do anything about it. Angel watched in slow motion as Cordelia closed her eyes and began convulsing at the table, He watched the plate smash on the floor followed by Cordelias body. Angel dove to save her head from hitting the slate floor, sending his mug of blood flying in the process. He caught her and gently lay her, still fitting, in his lap stroking her hair in comfort. Buffy rushed to their side, confusion and fear clear in her face.
"What can i do?" Buffy asked in a soft whisper.
"Get a glass of water and the pills in the cupboard above the sink. Oh and grab a pen and paper from the table over there."
He pointed to the coffee table. Angel turned his attention back to Cordelia, whispering in her ear. She slowly came to and her surroundings came back into focus.
"What did you see Cora? Here." Buffy handled the pills to Angel who in turn fed them to Cordleia.
"Oh this one was good, well not good as in no thumping headache but good as in i know what's going on. It was in the city, a woman was dead but there were twin babies, a boy and a girl. We've to rescue the babies, it's too late for the mother, she's already dead. The babies are special, they have the energy like the Oracles did. Phone Wesley and get him over here, we have..." She looked at her watch, "Two hours to sundown, before every vampire and demon sets their sites on those babies."
Angel ran over to the phone and furiouly dialed Wesley cell number. He was there within ten minutes with every text that wasn't in the libary in the apartment and the scroll.
"Right Cordelia tell me what you saw." Welsey asked pulling out the ancient scroll.
"There were two babies, a boy and a girl. Their mother was dead and they were all alone in carriers. I was told that the mother was meant ot be dead, it was all part of the plan they said."
"Who said?" Wesley and Angel asked together
"The voice that was in my head telling me. I've never heard it before, but it told me where to find them and what to do about getting there. It said that 'They are the Keys to Successtion.' what ever that they are and that we've to rescue them for the time being. The voice gave me an address as well."
"Curious. Well i can't find any text using a referance to any twin babies living in LA or at all that are anything special. Are you sure."
"Yes you thick twit. I got the vision...and the pain...oh yeah and the smell. Oh shit, the two hours are up. Come on Angel we have to go now. Buffy you stay here, your in no shape to fight. Wesley summon Dennis over here, he'll take care of Buffy while you research."
With Cordelias orders they left, climbinging into the black convertible. They sped through the city to the apartment Cordelia had seen in her dreams. It was in a nice area but the advanging darkness made it look sinister and uninviting. Angel and Cordelia pulled up to the apartment building that Cordelia had seen in her vision. Angel busted the door open, with a well aimed kick to the handle, to 295 Belmont Street and entered the eirley quiet apartment. He knew that the woman was already dead because of his ability to enter the apartment without invitation. He heard a small cry from a bedroom off to the hallway. Angel started off down the hall, Cordelia followed behind making sure that they didn't pass the wrong room. Angel went into a room and found two cribs lying side by side, one was pink and the other painted blue, each containing a baby. Angel saw the womans body lying beside the pink crib, looking peaceful like she was only sleeping. Cordelia saw Angel crouch down beside the crib and she walked to his side.
"There's no bite marks or bruises from a struggle. I don't know how she died." Angel said, his confusion face in plain view.
Cordelis noticed a bracelet around the womans wrist and a thin silver chain around her unmarked neck. She turned the womans wrist over and looked at the bracelet. Her eyes scanned the room and settled on the changing table near the crib.
"Some detective you are. She epileptic." She flashed the Medi-Alert bracelet his way. "She had a fit and hit her head on the changing table behind you. I don't think she suffered."
Angel looked at his seer in amazement. "I amit, i'm impressed, but what about the babies? Do we call Kate? Or do we call Social Services?"
"I don't but we can't leave them here. We can take them back to Angel Investigations then decide what we should do about them. I'll grab some clothes and dipers. Their bottles and sterilising stuff should be in the kitchen, go get some. Remember their twins so you'll need at least two of each thing brood-boy."
Angel shock his head at allowing himself to be ordered about by Cordelia but he went anyway. He reappeared again, his arms full of bottles, baby formula, and sterilising fluid. Cordelia took them from him and divided it up between the two bags of clothes, toys and dipers she had already packed. He marvelled at how together she was. He creapt back out of the door to watch Cordelia pick each baby out of their colour coded cribs and into their colour coded carriers. She fussed over their jackets and fiddled around as she tried to put on their tiny bobbled hats on their small black haired heads. The babies, to Angel, both looked identical to each other only seperated by the different coloured jump-suits they were wearing. He walked into the living room looking for any clues to who the mother might have been. He noticed an old opened book lying on her coffee table. Angel picked it up and immediatly noticed it was in Latin. He didn't have to time to read any of it as he heard Cordelia shout out his naem. He slipped the book into the inside pocket of his duster and hurried back through to the babies room. He was greeted by Cordelia swinging a diper bag onto his shoulder and placing a pink carrier into his arm. Angel looked down into the deep chocolate eyes of the pink clad baby on his arm. He lost himself inside the swirling deep of her eyes seeing pure, unconditional love. He had only seen that once since Liam turned 19 years old. He felt inable to draw himself away until Cordelia nuged him in the direction of the front door.
They walked akwardly down the corridor, not used to carrying the four bulky packages they held. Cordelia welcomed the sight of the convertible sitting on the sidewalk waiting for them. Angel placed his persious pink bundle into the back seat and placed the blue carrier that Cordelia had been carrying beside it and strapped them both in. Cordelia pulled over the soft top covering to sheild the babies from the cold. She climbed back in the front and Angel drove away. They had just pulled out of the junction at the end of the road when Angels cell phone went off. Cordelia hastily grabbed it from Angel duster pocket.
"Hello Angel Investigations. We help the helpless. Cordelia speaking." Cordelia played out on answer the phones srill tone.
"Hello Cordelia, It's Welsey. I found some information about the babies in the scroll. It says that they are the Alpathe` twins. One is a boy and one is a girl? Am I right?" The English mans voice asked.
"Yeah, one is a girl in pink and a boy in blue. Their mother was dead when we got there, she had an epiletic fit and hit her head. We couldn't find any sign of the father. We're bringing them back to AI with us. How's Buffy?"
"Buffy's OK. Dennis has been making her coffee and bring her tissues all night. She was a bit worried about having a ghost in the house but when i explained to her about who, what and why he is what he is she warmed to him nicely. She's in the guest room sleeping. She must have took the news about you and Angel rather well, because she hasn't mentioned it."
"She doesn't know yet so don't go saying anything to her. We didn't think that she can handle another blow to the system. We'll be home in 30 minutes. Can you hide my clothes if she hasn't all ready found them. Thanks."
Cordelia hung up the phone and smiled at Angel as they roared across LA.
Meanwhile:
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BUffy stirred from her slunber. It hadn't been a peaceful one, all she saw was her mums face lying their on the ocuch, peaceful yet looking lonely. She had died by herself, without anyone to hold her or support her or just to stroke her hair and tell her that she was going to a better place. Buffy started to cry again but tried to force the tears back so the other wouldn't see her weakness. She walked across the hall to the bathroom. She pulled the light on and smiled at the familarity of the room. She could smell a scent that seemed all around the apartment, and in here was no different, it was stronger. The hint of mint and tea tree swirled around her making her feel light headed. She saw the source sitting on the egde of the shower cubicle, a bottle of herbal mint and tea tree shampoo. She saw Angels gell and moose in the middle of an aray of cosmetics, toners and soaps. Oviously not Angels. Buffy ran her eyes confusingly over the rest of the bathroom. A white silk robe hung on the back of the door and a bottle of midnight blue nail varnish with it's remover sat on the sink. 'God i HOPE their not Angels.' She thought to herself. She was disturned by excited voices in the living room, and since she and Wesley were the only people in the apartment and Dennis couldn't speak that meant Angel and Cordelia were back. The crying of a baby confirmed her thoughts. She wander through to find Wesley still hunched over the scroll, two diper bags hovering in mid air before finally settling on the sofa next to Wesley. Her face turned from confusion to amazement and disbelief at what her eyes were seeing. She watched Cordelia as she picked up a crying blue bundle out of a baby carrier and sway it and her body gently while whispering to the bundle. It slowly quietened down and Cordelia mused over it, gazing into it's eyes. Angel already had a pink bundle in his arms who was now quiet, he too gazed into her eyes, lost until Wesley purposely cleared his throut and Cordelia began to speak in hushed tones.
"So Wesley, who are they? You said that you knew that they were a boy and a girl so you must know something."
Wesley noisely spread out the scroll on the coffee table, being hushed by Cordelia to be quiet. "They are twins. Very important twins at that. They are mentioned in the scoll as the Alcalde` Twins or The Keys To Successtion. Don't worry their not demons as in bad demons or even demons with horns. They belong to The PTB. The twins are the next in line to be the leaders of the PTB. The children are born to a human mother so she can teach them the human ways of life and so if need be they can decend to Earth when their older and blend in among people easily. Their mother brings them up as her own until they are 5 years old when their powers begin to show then she must guide them and show them how to use their powers for the greater good and the side of the light. The scroll is very specfic." Wesley stopped a moment just to make sure that Cordelia and Angel were still following him. "She guides them untill they are 21 when they take their place on the 'throne' one might say."
"So why is their mother now dead? And why were me and Cordelia sent to find them?" Angel asked, the babe still in his arms.
"I'm getting to that. Here in the scroll, close to where it tells of Angels Shansu it talks about the Souled One and his Seer of Sights. It says, 'The Souled One and his Seer of Sights must bring the in the new to replace the old, and support the great fight.' and then there is a Latin phrase 'Tempori Parendum' It means Temperory Parent. You have to take the mothers place and bring up the children. It then goes onto say something about 'The Souled One and his Chosen Seer of Sights will be joined. Bound by Trust and Carried by Hope.' I still haven't figured that bit out yet. Congratulations, you've just become parents to the PTB baby boy and girl."
Cordelia and Angel looked at each other in utter disbelief and then at the sleeping babes in their arms. Cordelia stood unusally speechless while Angel just kept staring at the baby he held.
"I guess you will be getting that new apartment together after all." Wesley said, a huge grin on his face. "I'll find a way to move Dennis into it, when you find it, and keep him there. Something tells me your going to need him more now."
"We can't be parents, we don't know anything about children, Cordelia never wanted children. We talked about this when we first found out about the curse and we both knew that Vampires can't have children, only in rare cases. It's just no practical." Angel said, stuttering over his words.
"Angel, i only said i didn't want kids with anybody else but you, not that i never wanted to be a mum. I though if things worked out between us that we could adopted or something. I mean your a Vampire with a soul, you've broke every rule going so you could have broke the infertile one. What is wrong? Don't you want children with me?" Cordelia hushed tears threatening in her eyes.
"Of course i want children with you. It's just i'm shocked, plesently, but shocked none the same. We don't have any cribs or baby stuff. We aren't ready for this Cordelia, i mean Buffy's here and she doesn't know anything about the Shansu, the scroll, the babies, even us. She's been through too much this week to land this on her."
Buffy peeled herself out of the shadows and walked slowly into the living room, silencing the crowd there and making each of them shift uncomtabley, looking everywhere but at her.
"It's too late, Buffy knows everything." Buffy said slowly, as she felt her heart weep but it didn't break like she expected it to do. "I know about what the babies are, i knew when Wesley first found it. I know what the scroll is but i don't understand long lost languages. I kinda guessed about you and Cordelia, i think the nail varnish, the robe and two toothbrushes gave it away. I can't say it doesn't hurt but i know what it's like to love and how you can't forget or do anything about the feelings. It kills you if you don't do something about them. I'm happy for you but i'm worry about the whole curse. Which brings me to my next question; Do you love her Angel?"
Angel looked at Cordelia and smiled, she smiled back at him.
"Wesley, make yourself useful. Grab the carrrier and the diper bag and follow me, Dennis, you to. I think Angel and Buffy need space to talk."
Angel gently lay the baby girl back into her carrier and handed her gundingly over to Wesley. Cordelia and Wesley left the two ex-lovers alone in the middle of the living room.
Cordelia placed the carriers on the bed in their room and montioned for Dennis to follow her. They both went into the bathroom and hushed whispered could be heard from behind the door, well at least to Wesley who was eavesdropping.
"Dennis, i know you like Buffy but you're my ghost. Go spy on them then come back to me and write down what they say. Can you do that for me?"
The hot spurted into life and steamed up the main mirror, and spelt out the letters. 'Y.E.S.A.R.E.Y.O.U.S.U.R.E?'
Cordelia simply nodded her head and the ghost flew out of the now open door.
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OK that's Part One. Part Two in the post ha ha ha. Sorry! Please tell me what ya think and i would be very grateful coss it makes me smile good or bad!