Chapter 5 - 'The Good, The Bad and the Ugly'
The hotel lobby seemed crowed than usual but then again there was 9 people now milling around in the area. The couches were filled by Willow and Tara cuddled up on one, whispering and giggling at baby names. Xander and Buffy sat on the other, Buffy resting her head on Xanders shoulder while he gently stroked her arm in comfort. They both felt betrayed by their friends and ex-lovers. They thought that Angel and Cordelia would be the last people to get together. Giles and Fred sat side by side in Wesley's office, trying to decipher more of the scrolls. Gunn sat by them, watching them carefully. He wasn't so keen on Giles and Fred being this close. He could see the electricity crackle between them. He could cope with Wesley but this Giles guy worried him. You could never trust the English. Cordelia and Angel were in the corner, arms wrapped around each other, Angel's hand constantly stroking her stomach. It was like some kind of barrier had been lifted between them and they had been given permission to explore new territory. Any time Angel whispered something sweet in her ear, Cordelia let out a small giggle and everyone turned to look giving them varying looks. Cordelia simply scowled at Buffy and Xander and smiled an Oscar winning smile at Giles. Fred and Gunn were now relieved that the dance between Vampire and Seer had finally reached its finale.
"So when are we gonna go shopping for baby stuff?" Cordelia asked in a sickly sweet voice.
"Cordelia, you know I hate shopping with you. Can't you get Buffy or Willow to go with you? I mean they will know more about booties and bottles than I will." Angel had the look of a man, who would rather go back to Hell and back again than go shopping, desperate and terrified.
"Oh come on Angel. In three months we'll have a bouncing baby boy and I want to be able to say to him, 'yes your daddy picked that for you.' I mean it's only a trip to the Mall and we can go to the 24hour one so you don't turn into a blazing fireball. Please." Cordelia was now whining. "We could pick up some maternity clothes for me and some colourful clothes for you. I don't want this baby to grow up thinking it's dad is a black shadow. Just think in a month I will start looking like a beached whale and the baby will start to kick. God, Angel you will have to start tying my shoelaces and doing the buckles up on my shoes. I will get so fat!" Cordelia looked close to tears.
"I'll still love you when you're fat." Angel joked. 'Love' seemed to roll easily from his tongue. He looked down at Cordelia, now looking expectantly at him. "OK I'll come shopping on one condition, I get to see your maternity clothes."
Cordelia smiled glad of her victory. She rewarded Angel with a peak on the cheek before hauling herself up and heading into her office to phone the mid-wife. It had not been easy to find a mid-wife who wouldn't question why the pregnancy only took 3 months. They had used Angels 'doctor' whom they went to every time they couldn't explain what was wrong with Angel anytime he got ill and she was female which made a huge difference to Cordelia. She booked her first scan, desperate to see her baby for a second time. She was verging on '3 months pregnant'.
"I'm just going out. I'll be back in about an hour." Cordelia shouted to the congregation.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Angel asked.
"Oh yeah. What are you going to do? Protect me with you big blazing fireball? It's half past two in the afternoon Angel. You maybe soul-sealed but that doesn't mean you can go getting a suntan!"
One Month Later
The End was coming and Angel could feel it. They were inundated with cases; they ran into more Vampires and demons each night. The evil Evil was growing and Cordelia was getting anxious. She was due in another month and she was scared what the future might hold for any baby never mind one that was to be the Powers's light. She was into her maternity clothes and the 'bump' was growing. The Scooby Gang were still in residence, taking up their own rooms in various parts of the hotel. Buffy, who was in the room next to Angel, was now at the other side of the hotel. Giles took a room half way between Fred's and Buffy's. The Slayer trained with Angel, grudgingly, for 5 hours a day until they were both too tired to stand or snipe at each other. Willow and Tara practised their magick relentlessly, never knowing what was going to be expected of them. The baby was getting agitated as well causing countless sleepless nights. The tension in the air was thick, the grunts and groans emanating from the training room. Willow and Tara looked drained from last night's ritual, and Giles was nursing a large bump on his forehead. Wesley had stayed with Cordelia to make sure that nobody tried to attack the hotel while they were gone. Cordelia had found her haven: the blue nursery that had been painted by her and Angel. The paint fight that ensured had left them both varying shades of blue and yellow. Everything was ready except for the crib. They hadn't picked one out yet as Cordelia insisted that it was bad luck but she had convince Angel to come with her, via tunnel access, to come shopping with her. People frightened Angel. They stared and they whispered and made him feel even more inhuman but this was important to Cordelia. They had looked at 20 different cribs but they couldn't agree.
"I like this one." Angel tried to reason with a large looking Moses basket.
"It reminds me of Sunday school. What about this one?" She pointed to an oak framed crib with a white muslin canopy over the top half. "It reminds me of a crib I had for my dolls when I was little. Mum and dad bought me it as a bribe because they hadn't been there for my birthday."
Angel stared at it. It seemed to draw him to it. He looked in at the white silk sheets and tried to picture his baby in it. It seemed almost heavenly. "I like it too."
Cordelia smile. "At last. If I had, had to drag you around one more shop I think I would have demanded stressful conditions pay."
"Cordy, you are already on Maternity leave and high risk pay, what else do you want out of me?"
Cordelia smiled wickedly at him, "I think that can wait until later. So. ..um. . .this going on your credit card or should we see about getting a joint one?"
"You can only get a joint one if you are married Cordy." Angel explained.
Cordelia turned away, not really knowing a response to that.
The hotel lobby seemed crowed than usual but then again there was 9 people now milling around in the area. The couches were filled by Willow and Tara cuddled up on one, whispering and giggling at baby names. Xander and Buffy sat on the other, Buffy resting her head on Xanders shoulder while he gently stroked her arm in comfort. They both felt betrayed by their friends and ex-lovers. They thought that Angel and Cordelia would be the last people to get together. Giles and Fred sat side by side in Wesley's office, trying to decipher more of the scrolls. Gunn sat by them, watching them carefully. He wasn't so keen on Giles and Fred being this close. He could see the electricity crackle between them. He could cope with Wesley but this Giles guy worried him. You could never trust the English. Cordelia and Angel were in the corner, arms wrapped around each other, Angel's hand constantly stroking her stomach. It was like some kind of barrier had been lifted between them and they had been given permission to explore new territory. Any time Angel whispered something sweet in her ear, Cordelia let out a small giggle and everyone turned to look giving them varying looks. Cordelia simply scowled at Buffy and Xander and smiled an Oscar winning smile at Giles. Fred and Gunn were now relieved that the dance between Vampire and Seer had finally reached its finale.
"So when are we gonna go shopping for baby stuff?" Cordelia asked in a sickly sweet voice.
"Cordelia, you know I hate shopping with you. Can't you get Buffy or Willow to go with you? I mean they will know more about booties and bottles than I will." Angel had the look of a man, who would rather go back to Hell and back again than go shopping, desperate and terrified.
"Oh come on Angel. In three months we'll have a bouncing baby boy and I want to be able to say to him, 'yes your daddy picked that for you.' I mean it's only a trip to the Mall and we can go to the 24hour one so you don't turn into a blazing fireball. Please." Cordelia was now whining. "We could pick up some maternity clothes for me and some colourful clothes for you. I don't want this baby to grow up thinking it's dad is a black shadow. Just think in a month I will start looking like a beached whale and the baby will start to kick. God, Angel you will have to start tying my shoelaces and doing the buckles up on my shoes. I will get so fat!" Cordelia looked close to tears.
"I'll still love you when you're fat." Angel joked. 'Love' seemed to roll easily from his tongue. He looked down at Cordelia, now looking expectantly at him. "OK I'll come shopping on one condition, I get to see your maternity clothes."
Cordelia smiled glad of her victory. She rewarded Angel with a peak on the cheek before hauling herself up and heading into her office to phone the mid-wife. It had not been easy to find a mid-wife who wouldn't question why the pregnancy only took 3 months. They had used Angels 'doctor' whom they went to every time they couldn't explain what was wrong with Angel anytime he got ill and she was female which made a huge difference to Cordelia. She booked her first scan, desperate to see her baby for a second time. She was verging on '3 months pregnant'.
"I'm just going out. I'll be back in about an hour." Cordelia shouted to the congregation.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Angel asked.
"Oh yeah. What are you going to do? Protect me with you big blazing fireball? It's half past two in the afternoon Angel. You maybe soul-sealed but that doesn't mean you can go getting a suntan!"
One Month Later
The End was coming and Angel could feel it. They were inundated with cases; they ran into more Vampires and demons each night. The evil Evil was growing and Cordelia was getting anxious. She was due in another month and she was scared what the future might hold for any baby never mind one that was to be the Powers's light. She was into her maternity clothes and the 'bump' was growing. The Scooby Gang were still in residence, taking up their own rooms in various parts of the hotel. Buffy, who was in the room next to Angel, was now at the other side of the hotel. Giles took a room half way between Fred's and Buffy's. The Slayer trained with Angel, grudgingly, for 5 hours a day until they were both too tired to stand or snipe at each other. Willow and Tara practised their magick relentlessly, never knowing what was going to be expected of them. The baby was getting agitated as well causing countless sleepless nights. The tension in the air was thick, the grunts and groans emanating from the training room. Willow and Tara looked drained from last night's ritual, and Giles was nursing a large bump on his forehead. Wesley had stayed with Cordelia to make sure that nobody tried to attack the hotel while they were gone. Cordelia had found her haven: the blue nursery that had been painted by her and Angel. The paint fight that ensured had left them both varying shades of blue and yellow. Everything was ready except for the crib. They hadn't picked one out yet as Cordelia insisted that it was bad luck but she had convince Angel to come with her, via tunnel access, to come shopping with her. People frightened Angel. They stared and they whispered and made him feel even more inhuman but this was important to Cordelia. They had looked at 20 different cribs but they couldn't agree.
"I like this one." Angel tried to reason with a large looking Moses basket.
"It reminds me of Sunday school. What about this one?" She pointed to an oak framed crib with a white muslin canopy over the top half. "It reminds me of a crib I had for my dolls when I was little. Mum and dad bought me it as a bribe because they hadn't been there for my birthday."
Angel stared at it. It seemed to draw him to it. He looked in at the white silk sheets and tried to picture his baby in it. It seemed almost heavenly. "I like it too."
Cordelia smile. "At last. If I had, had to drag you around one more shop I think I would have demanded stressful conditions pay."
"Cordy, you are already on Maternity leave and high risk pay, what else do you want out of me?"
Cordelia smiled wickedly at him, "I think that can wait until later. So. ..um. . .this going on your credit card or should we see about getting a joint one?"
"You can only get a joint one if you are married Cordy." Angel explained.
Cordelia turned away, not really knowing a response to that.