[Disclaimer: I do not own what Joss created. If I did...well, wouldn't that be something.]

Author's Note:

I don't actually have anything interesting to say here, so I'll just get straight into the story part.

Surprise!

Chapter Three: Not Just A Cheerleader

by Adele Elisabeth

"Hi, is that Cordelia?"

"Speaking."

"Umm...this is Buffy, I was just wondering if I could catch up with you today? And...talk."

"You want to talk to me? You're talking to me right now. I'm sorry, I've got to go, the movie's going to start in a couple of minutes. If you see Angel, would you tell him I need to talk to him? Thanks."

Before Buffy could reply, Cordelia had already ended the call.

"Mommy? Who was that?" Genevieve asked, as she and Willow came back to the table, bearing strawberry frozen-yoghurts and piles of candy.

"That was Buffy, sweetie." Cordelia replied, taking a frozen-yoghurt.

Willow sat down, looking at the bags surrounding the table, bags of things Cordelia had insisted on buying for her. Cordelia was 'shop til you drop' personified, and they had masses of purchases. In the last couple of hours, Cordelia Chase had been more human than Willow had ever known her to be. It was...weird. Particularly considering what Willow and Xander had...oooh, boy, let's not go there...

"Cordelia?" she asked tentatively.

"Yuh-huh?"

"Why are you doing this?"

Cordelia shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Genevieve, honey, you wanna go over and play in the little playground for a minute?"

Genevieve eyed them for a minute, then shrugged, and headed to the playground. It wasn't so far away that Cordelia couldn't see her, after all.

Once Genevieve was out of earshot, Cordelia began. "I hated you, Willow, I really did. Not really because you 'stole' Xander, because in a way, you already had him. There was always somebody else -- if not you, then Buffy. You have a way bigger hold on his heart than I ever could, and that's why I was so mad. Because I finally had to face up to the fact that I really was the second-choice, and normally, that would be the only reason for me getting upset. But I really cared about Xander, and knowing that he didn't feel the same way...well, that hurt way more than the whole getting a big metal bar through my stomach. I've always been jealous of you guys, to tell you the honest truth. And then you had one more thing I really wanted, and it wasn't fair."

Willow didn't know what to say, so she motioned for Cordelia to go on, sure that she wasn't finished.

"But now, now it's like...I get to be the princess, y'know? I get the fairy-tale ending, with a happy family and a handsome prince. It's a long way off, but it's there, and I just thought...what's the point in hating you? We could get on with our lives, and maybe even make friends. I don't have any real friends, but maybe...you could be a good friend, and I'm...I like to think I'm nice when I let people get to know me."

"I didn't know that you felt that way." Willow murmured.

"Well...now you do. Maybe buying you lots of stuff wasn't the best way to win you over, but it's all I got. I get that you're not one to follow me around and tell me how wonderful I am just because I'm rich, and if you were, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"I think that I'd like for us to be friends, Cordelia." Willow said, finally. "And...if you need a babysitter some time? For Genevieve, I mean. I'd be happy to."

Cordelia grinned at her. "I keep doing these whole big emotional speeches lately. You think I'm coming down with something?"

"Whatever it is, it's good, Cordelia."

"Call me Cordy."

"Hello?"

"Giles?"

"Yes -- Cordelia?"

"The one and only. Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Have you ever been in love?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Seriously. Have you ever been in love? I know it's a weird question -- especially coming from me -- but I really want to know. If I hear what it's like from somebody who's been there, maybe I'll be able to work some stuff out."

"What sort of 'stuff'?"

"I asked you first."

"Yes, you did. It's a rather personal question, don't you think?"

"I'm not exactly the queen of tact, here. If you don't want to answer, that's okay. I just didn't want to have to ask Buffy or Angel what it's like. They're not exactly normal, if you get what I mean."

"And I am?" Giles had to admit it, he was slightly amused by that idea.

"Well...not exactly, I guess, but you're way closer to it than a Slayer and a vampire with a soul."

"You may have a point there."

"Of course I do. So, are you going to answer my question?"

"Yes, I have."

"What?"

"That's the answer to your question. Yes, I have been in love."

"I so knew you were human underneath all that tweed. Details, man, details!"

"Cordelia..."

"Okay, okay, I'm backing off. This is me, backing off." She paused. "I wonder what you'd look like in regular-people clothing..."

"Cordelia!"

"That's my name."

"Is there a point to this?"

"Naturally."

"Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"There's about a snowball's chance in hell of that happening." She replied cheerily. "Anyway, Genevieve wanted to come over and visit her 'Uncle Rupert', so I thought I'd ring and see if you would mind having her visit for a while, and then I thought of something and I asked you and got waaay off track."

"So you did."

"Yeah. So I did or whatever. Screw it. That whole line of questioning? Never happened. Would you mind if I brought Gen over for a while?"

"No, I wouldn't mind at all." Giles sighed, admitting defeat. Trying to keep up with Cordelia was not something he felt like attempting this afternoon. It was quarter past four, and he was winding down before he had to go 'Watcher-Mode' for Buffy.

"Brilliant. Now a good time?"

"Yes, all right."

"'Kay, see you in a few."

With that, she hung up, and Giles was left with the feeling that he'd missed a very important part of that conversation.

"I don't get why you're not married with kids of your own. I mean...was your dad a Watcher?"

Cordelia hadn't dropped the subject of Giles and relationships, much to his dismay, rather she'd approached it from several different directions so far. "Yes, yes he was." Giles sighed. Genevieve had fallen asleep on the couch, but Cordelia was finishing her coffee, and just...talking. It seemed to help her, and since she'd been under such stress, he'd let her. He was starting to regret that.

"My point exactly. He was a Watcher, and he had kids. You gotta make more Watchers somehow, right? Family trade and all that. So why aren't you married? You said you were in love. Being in love, to me, suggests that the other person loves you too. Otherwise your not in love, not really."

"Could you possibly consider discussing something else?"

"Nope."

"I didn't think so."

"Glad we're clear on that. So, gonna answer my question?"

"Do I have to?"

"Yup."

"It didn't work out." He said, curtly.

"And there was nobody else in the whole wide world you'd want to marry? I find that hard to believe. It's not like you're a troll or anything, I bet if we got you out of that tweed you'd look great. So, what was it, you got your heart broke and you didn't want to risk it again?"

"Cordelia, is there a reason you want to disect my love-life?"

"Or lack-thereof."

"Cordelia, please."

"I'm just curious. I'll bet if Buffy asked, you'd tell her." Cordelia didn't mean to sound so spiteful, but it came out badly. She cursed inwardly.

"I don't think--"

"That she'd ask? Neither do I. She's too busy saving the world and all that crap to care if her Watcher's happy. I just thought that you might want more from life than catering to whiny teenagers. Specifically a certain blonde slayer."

"I am quite happy with my lot in life." Giles replied, a little stiffly, perhaps.

"I'll bet you aren't always. Life? Pfft. You're like..." Cordelia groped for the right words, then shrugged. "Forget it. I was just being my usual annoying self."

"You sounded remarkably thoughtful, if tactless."

"Thanks, I think."

"Perhaps you'd best take Genevieve home." The Watcher suggested, taking his glasses off to wipe them.

"Yeah, guess I'd better. I know you're not a parent or anything, so calling you if I screw up with Gen's probably a stupid idea, but would you mind awfully if I did? Y'know, call you if I screw up. Seriously don't want to call Angel and say 'hey, I can't handle the kid, a little help?'."

Giles thought about it for a moment. "Yes, of course you can."

Next Day, evening.

Buffy entered Angel's apartment, expecting to find him, but it seemed he was out. There was a note on the table.

Buffy,

Cordelia, Genevieve and I are out to dinner. Family outing, Genevieve's idea. I don't know exactly when we'll be home. I wasn't sure if you'd come by or not, so Cordelia suggested I leave you this note. I'll see you tomorrow, or maybe on patrol later.

Angel.

Cordelia suggested he leave her a note, did she? Precious little Genevieve wanted to go out for a 'family outing'? Buffy fumed, tearing up the note. Everything had been shot to hell ever since that little brat turned up.

"Did you like the food?" Cordelia asked Genevieve, a little worried that her choice of restaurant had been in error.

"It was delicious, Mommy." Genevieve assured her. Angel gave them both encouraging smiles, and it wasn't for the first time that evening. It had been a real Get To Know You evening, and it wasn't over yet. They were in Cordelia's car, heading to Angel's apartment, with popcorn, diet coke, videos and, yes, you guessed it, frozen yoghurt.

"Are we almost there?" Genevieve inquired from the back.

"Pulling in now," Cordelia told her cheerfully.

When they got in the door, Buffy greeted them. Coldly.

Cordelia resisted the urge to groan, so just acted...natural. "Hey there, Buffy. Angel, me and Genevieve'll sort out the videos and stuff."

Buffy retreated into the kitchen, and Angel followed her, perhaps a little reluctantly. Cordelia and Genevieve were already in the living room.

"What is with you and spending all this 'quality time' with Cordelia Chase?" Buffy demanded.

"It's what's best for Genevieve, and Cordelia is a nice person, in her way. Why can't I have friends, Buffy?"

"Female friends, no less."

"Pot calling the kettle black. Know anyone by the name of...Xander?"

"I wouldn't go around having kids with Xander!"

"Oh, I see. You're jealous."

"Should I be?"

There was a painful silence.

"I thought as much." Buffy whispered harshly, moving past Angel and out of the apartment.

After a few minutes, Cordelia entered the kitchen quietly.

"Are you okay?"

His eyes caught hers, and held them. She looked away.

"I'm sorry, this is probably all my fault...maybe I should just take Genev--"

"No, no, Cordelia, this isn't your fault." Angel assured her quickly, moving forward. "Let's not let this ruin Genevieve's evening too. Movies await."

She regarded him searchingly for some time, then shrugged, and headed back into the living room. Angel hesitated, and then followed her.

"...and Princess Cordy and Prince Liam lived bumpily ever after." Cordelia finished, kissing Genevieve's forehead and tucking her in. "Good night."

"Night, Mommy." Genevieve yawned, and closed her eyes.

Leaving only a dim lamp on, Cordelia left the room silently, and sighed, leaning against the door when she closed it behind her.

Genevieve's dramatic entrance into her life had thrown everything upside down and inside out, and though she had tried to cope, inside, she wasn't succeeding so well. She shouldn't have to deal with this. She wasn't a Slayer, or a Watcher, or a souled vampire. She was just a cheerleader, for the love of god! Okay, not just a cheerleader, but still.

"Miss Chase?"

It was Daniel. A genuine English butler, one of her mother's flights of fancy, back when her father still indulged them. He'd been with the Chase family for as long as Cordelia could remember, and she always regarded him as a grandfather-figure.

"I'm just thinking, Daniel." She said quietly, straightening. "Do you think you could check in on Genevieve for me every now and again tonight? I'm going out. Just...out. I'll be home soon enough."

"Of course, Miss Chase." He nodded, ice-blue eyes soft as he watched the young lady he considered to be as family. When she was a little girl, she had been quiet, serious, often watching him with that discomforting gaze that had never failed to unsettle him. It was as though he were a book, and she were reading it. As she grew, she tried to fit the mould her parents had set for her, the perfect Chase. He'd watched as she changed, retreating within herself and becoming the epitome of everything they thought a Chase should be. It had pained him, that last time he called her CC and she'd looked at him with those dark eyes and said very politely, 'I would prefer it if you didn't call me that anymore.'

A light tap on his arm drew him out of his reverie. "Daniel?"

"Just...thinking." He smiled at her. "Of course I will, Miss Chase. Enjoy your night."

In a surprising, uncharacteristic, and spontaneous show of affection, Cordelia hugged him, and pressed a granddaughterly kiss against his age-wrinkled pale cheek. "See you later." With that, she was on her way out of the house.

Daniel shook his head, smiling faintly.

"Oh, for the love of..." Cordelia, an older, more mature Cordelia, slumped against the wall of the Bronze. "This whole time travel thing, Angel? So not loving it."

"I got that, hon. Let's go find Giles." Angels began to move towards the exit.

"It's not like time is of the essence, Angel. We could be here from 24 hours to a week." Cordelia pointed out, reasonably. "Let's just find myself, and sort things out, and then just wait for Wesley's big portal thing to open up."

"And myself." Angel put in.

"Yep, you too. First stop, my place."

"Where? Oh, you're old house."

"Right."

"Miss Chase?" Daniel looked surprised. She'd told him she would be going out, and he'd assumed from her attitude she would be a while. It had barely been half an hour. Then he took a closer look. She looked...older, years older, but in a way...timeless? And she was wearing a completely different outfit.

"Daniel!" Cordelia threw her arms around the elderly Englishman. The last time she'd seen him, was attending his funeral, the week before she left for L.A.

"Oh, umm, Daniel, this is Angel, my...umm, my boyfriend, and Angel, this is Daniel, my butler." Cordelia made the hasty introductions, before heading up the stairs. Angel followed her, and Daniel just shrugged. He had learned to get used to Cordelia's whimsical nature.

"Hi, this is Cordelia."

"So is this."

"Excuse me?"

"It's me, you. Okay, that didn't come out right. I'm the Cordelia from the future -- or the present, depending on your perspective. Anyhoo, we're here to pick up Genevieve. Unfortunately, we're not actually sure when exactly we'll all get home, so at the moment me, my Angel, and Genevieve are at Giles's place. I picked her up from...our house? Can you get here soon?"

"Sure, sure. This is truly bizarre."

"Can't argue with you there. Oh, and can you get Angel? The Angel of this time, I mean. Thanks."

a/n: to make things easier, future Cordelia will be referred to as Cordy, while the past Cordelia is just Cordelia.

Cordy hung up the phone after they said their polite goodbyes.

"Your Uncle Spike and Aunt Niamh say hi, Genevieve." Cordy told her daughter, who was curled up in her lap. "So do everybody else. We were really worried about you."

"I'm sorry, Mommy. I promise I won't ever peek again." Genevieve vowed.

In the kitchen, Angel (of the future) was talking to Giles. "Wesley assures me it's fine to say anything about the future, as we've got a memory spell to wipe this entire episode out of your memories. Is there anything you'd like to know?"

"Wouldn't that defeat the purpose, really?"

"I suppose, but aren't you curious?"

"I am, rather."

"Live a little, as Cordy loves to say. Ask me anything."

They were interrupted by the Cordelias, Angel of the past, and Buffy. "I've got a few questions of my own..." Buffy muttered grimly.

"Buffy, Cordelia, Cordelia, my past self..." Angel smiled, before moving to Cordy's side, putting one arm around her waist.

Buffy glared. Cordelia...Cordelia looked at a loss, and Angel? He just looked confused.

Giles sighed. It was going to be a long night. Week. Month. Whatever.

***

Author's Note:

I get the feeling this story isn't going to have half as many chapters as most of mine, but still, it seems to be doing okay. Hope y'all like it.

~ Your Devoted Author