Saturday came faster than expected. Angel had wanted to stay far away from
any and all wedding preparations, but that was nearly impossible. Cordelia
had begged him to let her have the wedding in the lobby of the Hyperion,
and after a few hours of her begging, he had said yes. And since Cordelia
had planned the wedding for late in the afternoon, this meant that Angel
had to spend the day with wedding planners, caterers, cleaners, flowers,
and open windows surrounding him and his home. Cordelia was in and out most
of the day, and remembering what he'd told his son, he tried to catch her.
He even stood at the top of the stairs for a while, hoping to catch her. He
stood there long enough to watch the chairs being set out. For the groom's
side, nearly fifty chairs were set out; for the bride's side, only five.
Angel turned and went slowly back upstairs.
*
A few hours later, Cordelia knocked on room number 312 and opened the door. "Angel, are you in here?"
"Yeah." She saw him sitting in a chair that faced the darkened windows.
Cordelia stepped inside. "Where the heck is Journey?"
"I sent him to Wes and Fred's."
"Well, I'm sure he was happy."
"No, not really. But I had to send him away. He was upset about the wedding."
"Oh, did one of the workers yell at him? 'Cause I'll fire whoever it was."
"No one yelled at him." Angel turned to face her. "He's upset that you're getting married."
"Why is he upset?"
"'Cause he's losing his 'mommy'."
Cordelia closed her eyes. "Oh, Angel, I'm sorry. I just told him that he could call me that because those evil kids and he looked SO sad and -"
Angel put up a hand to stop her. "It's all right, Cor. I can understand why you did it. I guess. But I wish you would have told me. I mean, I really do believe that Journey thinks you're his mother."
"I'll talk to him." Cordy told him. "Will he be back before the wedding starts?"
"Yeah."
"Good, because he'll be the ringbearer and Charlotte can be the flower girl! It'll be so great! I mean, they'll look-"
"He's not coming to the wedding."
"Do you HAVE to keep interrupting me??" Cordelia sighed. "Wait-why not?"
Angel sighed. "Well, we got into this huge fight, he yelled and me, and I-I grounded him."
"You grounded HIM?"
"Yes."
"You GROUNDED him?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Well. because I can."
"That's no reason to ground the poor boy. In fact, that's the worst excuse in the book. That's not what you told him, is it?"
"No." Angel closed his eyes. "Who knew raising a kid would be this hard?"
"Dr. Spock." Cordelia told him, matter of factly. "But nevermind, maybe I can help. Why'd you ground him?"
Angel thought for a moment. "He was hell bent on stopping your wedding."
"Really?"
"Yes, he was thinking up all these crazy schemes, saying, 'she shouldn't marry this man'."
Cordy lowered her head. "And you GROUNDED him?"
"I thought you'd be proud of me for putting my foot down!"
"But Angel, what Journey's doing is so. sweet."
"Sweet?!"
"Yeah." Cordy glanced at her watch. "Ooh. Almost late for my hair appointment. Can I please PLEASE pick up Journey from kiddie hell on my way back?"
Angel let out an exasperated sigh. "I guess."
Cordy ran to him and gave him a quick hug. "Thanks, Angel. You're the best."
"I know." He said softly as she rushed out the door.
* * *
Later that afternoon, Angel heard the guests slowly trickle in as he dressed in his black tuxedo. Someone knocked at his door as he tried helplessly to tie the black bow tie that went with his suit. "Come in." He called.
Cordelia and Journey blew into the room like a hurricane. Journey, already dressed in a black tuxedo of his on, ran and jumped on to Angel's bed. "Hi ya, Dad."
"Hey, Journey."
"Journey, don't get your suit wrinkled." Cordelia scolded. Journey abruptly stopped squirming and glared at Cordelia. "Journey Alan Chase," Cordelia began in a stern voice, placing her hands on her hips. "Don't make me. FLOOR you!" They both exploded into giggles.
Angel shook his head. "Okay, you know what? Laugh all you want. OUTSIDE of my room."
Cordelia tried to hold in her laughter. "Hey! We're here to help!"
"Help? Help with what?"
"Well, you know, since mirrors are totally useless to you, I thought I'd help with your hair, tie.. you know, your whole general appearance."
Angel glanced at the clock. "Cordy, your wedding starts in twenty minutes. When are you going to get dressed?"
"Calm down, it doesn't take me five minutes to slip a dress over my head. Besides," Cordy smiled mischievously. "A wedding can't start without a bride!" She looked over at Journey. "Am I right, J-man?"
"Absolutely."
Cordy turned back to Angel and shrugged. "See, even he agrees. So, let's have a look at you." After giving him a quick once over, she clucked her tongue. "Your tie is crooked." She stepped close and began to fix his mis- tied bow tie. As she moved from his tie to his jacket to his hair, Angel couldn't help but notice how close she was to him. So close he could smell the flowery scent of her perfume. So close he could see the glitter flecks sprayed into her elegant updo. So close he could hear her eyelashes brushing together everytime she closed her deep brown eyes.
Angel had almost decided that he wanted to kiss her, when she stepped back abruptly, nodding in approval. "All right, now, you look good."
Angel frowned. "I didn't look good before?"
"Well.. sure you did." Cordy trailed. "You just weren't.. um.. Cordelialized, that's all." She nodded. "Am I right, J-man?"
"Absolutely." Journey responded, without even looking at his father.
"See, even he agrees." Cordy glanced at the clock. "Okay, Cordy must get dressed. One can't be late to her own wedding, now can she?"
Journey and Angel looked at each other, but said nothing about her previous statement. Cordy went on.
"Journey, head downstairs in the next couple of minutes, and make sure that Charlie's there too, okay? Angel, you meet me at my room in 10. Got it?"
"Got it." Angel replied.
"I don't got it." Journey called out. "Cordelia, do I really have to link arms and walk with Charlie?"
"Yes, Journey, you do. It won't be for long and plus, you'll look SO adorable." She looked at Angel. "Am I right, Angel?"
Angel shrugged. "Absolutely."
"See, even he agrees. Now, I'll see you two in a few." Cordy walked out, shutting the door behind her.
"DAD!" Journey yelled, hopping off the bed.
"What?"
"You were supposed to back me up! I could've gotten out of walking with Charlie!"
Angel shook his head. "No. No, you couldn't have."
"Yes, Dad, I-"
"Journey, you're misunderstanding something. She. Is. Cordelia. If she wanted you to walk down the aisle in a dress, you would have, regardless of who'd try to stop her."
"I guess." Journey walked over to the nearest curtained window. "I'm also guessin' that since we're all attending a wedding today, you never spoke to her like you said you would."
"No."
Journey nodded. "Well, Father, I must say I'm very disappointed in you."
"Excuse me?"
"Like they say, when you want something done right, you do it yourself. I guess that's what I'm going to have to do. Take matters into my own hands."
"Oh, no." Angel shook his head. "No, you most certainly will not."
"Oh, yeah. I think I will."
"I'll beat your butt so hard."
Journey shrugged. "You'd have to catch me first, old man."
"Old man? OLD MAN? I'm not an 'old man'."
"Sure, whatever, Grandpa."
Angel had heard enough. He stalked over to the door and threw it open. "Out. Now."
Journey snorted and walked to the door. Angel grabbed him before he could get into the hallway. "If you do anything to ruin Cordy's big day, I promise you that I will floor you. I will chain you to the floor and literally, FLOOR you. And then, I'll invite Milo and Charlie over to play and annoy you for several days. Do you understand me?"
Journey shrugged. "I understand you, all right. But excuse me if I don't believe you follow through with your little 'threat'. After all, you told me you'd talk to Cordelia about this, and uh, you didn't."
Journey wriggled free from his father's grasp and took off down the hall. Angel leaned his head against the doorframe. "How did he get so disrespectful and RUDE! I don't know where he gets that." He sighed and closed his eyes.
Down the hall, Cordelia opened the door to her room and stepped out into the hallway. "Angel, are you coming or not? I've been waiting for five minutes! All right?! Get your vampire butt over here now!"
Angel opened his eyes and stood up. "Now I know." He muttered to himself as he walked to her.
"So, what do ya think?" Cordy asked, holding out the sides of her dress, and twirling around. As Angel watched her, twirling in her beautiful, traditional, yet pure Cordelia white wedding gown and the glitter from her hair catching in the lights, a smile grew on his face.
"Beautiful." He told her.
"All right." Cordelia said, beaming at him. He offered his arm, and she linked hers through his. "Ready to walk me down the aisle?"
"Ready as I'll ever be."
They walked together, down the hall and to the top of the stairs. As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, Journey and Charlotte started down them. The plan was for Cordelia and Angel to walk down the stairs as soon as Charlie and Journey took their places at the front of the room. But as Angel watched the two children step into their places, and heard the wedding march begin to play, he found that he couldn't move forward.
Cordelia, still smiling, asked, "Angel, what are you waiting for? This is the part where we walk, remember?"
"I remember." Angel responded. "It's just."
"Just what?"
"I can't." By now, all the guests were staring.
"Yes, you can. All you do is put one foot in front of the other."
"No, I can't. I can't let you get married. I-" Angel swallowed. "I love you, Cordelia."
"I love you too, Angel. Now, c'mon, let's go."
"No, Cordelia. I LOVE you."
*
A few hours later, Cordelia knocked on room number 312 and opened the door. "Angel, are you in here?"
"Yeah." She saw him sitting in a chair that faced the darkened windows.
Cordelia stepped inside. "Where the heck is Journey?"
"I sent him to Wes and Fred's."
"Well, I'm sure he was happy."
"No, not really. But I had to send him away. He was upset about the wedding."
"Oh, did one of the workers yell at him? 'Cause I'll fire whoever it was."
"No one yelled at him." Angel turned to face her. "He's upset that you're getting married."
"Why is he upset?"
"'Cause he's losing his 'mommy'."
Cordelia closed her eyes. "Oh, Angel, I'm sorry. I just told him that he could call me that because those evil kids and he looked SO sad and -"
Angel put up a hand to stop her. "It's all right, Cor. I can understand why you did it. I guess. But I wish you would have told me. I mean, I really do believe that Journey thinks you're his mother."
"I'll talk to him." Cordy told him. "Will he be back before the wedding starts?"
"Yeah."
"Good, because he'll be the ringbearer and Charlotte can be the flower girl! It'll be so great! I mean, they'll look-"
"He's not coming to the wedding."
"Do you HAVE to keep interrupting me??" Cordelia sighed. "Wait-why not?"
Angel sighed. "Well, we got into this huge fight, he yelled and me, and I-I grounded him."
"You grounded HIM?"
"Yes."
"You GROUNDED him?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Well. because I can."
"That's no reason to ground the poor boy. In fact, that's the worst excuse in the book. That's not what you told him, is it?"
"No." Angel closed his eyes. "Who knew raising a kid would be this hard?"
"Dr. Spock." Cordelia told him, matter of factly. "But nevermind, maybe I can help. Why'd you ground him?"
Angel thought for a moment. "He was hell bent on stopping your wedding."
"Really?"
"Yes, he was thinking up all these crazy schemes, saying, 'she shouldn't marry this man'."
Cordy lowered her head. "And you GROUNDED him?"
"I thought you'd be proud of me for putting my foot down!"
"But Angel, what Journey's doing is so. sweet."
"Sweet?!"
"Yeah." Cordy glanced at her watch. "Ooh. Almost late for my hair appointment. Can I please PLEASE pick up Journey from kiddie hell on my way back?"
Angel let out an exasperated sigh. "I guess."
Cordy ran to him and gave him a quick hug. "Thanks, Angel. You're the best."
"I know." He said softly as she rushed out the door.
* * *
Later that afternoon, Angel heard the guests slowly trickle in as he dressed in his black tuxedo. Someone knocked at his door as he tried helplessly to tie the black bow tie that went with his suit. "Come in." He called.
Cordelia and Journey blew into the room like a hurricane. Journey, already dressed in a black tuxedo of his on, ran and jumped on to Angel's bed. "Hi ya, Dad."
"Hey, Journey."
"Journey, don't get your suit wrinkled." Cordelia scolded. Journey abruptly stopped squirming and glared at Cordelia. "Journey Alan Chase," Cordelia began in a stern voice, placing her hands on her hips. "Don't make me. FLOOR you!" They both exploded into giggles.
Angel shook his head. "Okay, you know what? Laugh all you want. OUTSIDE of my room."
Cordelia tried to hold in her laughter. "Hey! We're here to help!"
"Help? Help with what?"
"Well, you know, since mirrors are totally useless to you, I thought I'd help with your hair, tie.. you know, your whole general appearance."
Angel glanced at the clock. "Cordy, your wedding starts in twenty minutes. When are you going to get dressed?"
"Calm down, it doesn't take me five minutes to slip a dress over my head. Besides," Cordy smiled mischievously. "A wedding can't start without a bride!" She looked over at Journey. "Am I right, J-man?"
"Absolutely."
Cordy turned back to Angel and shrugged. "See, even he agrees. So, let's have a look at you." After giving him a quick once over, she clucked her tongue. "Your tie is crooked." She stepped close and began to fix his mis- tied bow tie. As she moved from his tie to his jacket to his hair, Angel couldn't help but notice how close she was to him. So close he could smell the flowery scent of her perfume. So close he could see the glitter flecks sprayed into her elegant updo. So close he could hear her eyelashes brushing together everytime she closed her deep brown eyes.
Angel had almost decided that he wanted to kiss her, when she stepped back abruptly, nodding in approval. "All right, now, you look good."
Angel frowned. "I didn't look good before?"
"Well.. sure you did." Cordy trailed. "You just weren't.. um.. Cordelialized, that's all." She nodded. "Am I right, J-man?"
"Absolutely." Journey responded, without even looking at his father.
"See, even he agrees." Cordy glanced at the clock. "Okay, Cordy must get dressed. One can't be late to her own wedding, now can she?"
Journey and Angel looked at each other, but said nothing about her previous statement. Cordy went on.
"Journey, head downstairs in the next couple of minutes, and make sure that Charlie's there too, okay? Angel, you meet me at my room in 10. Got it?"
"Got it." Angel replied.
"I don't got it." Journey called out. "Cordelia, do I really have to link arms and walk with Charlie?"
"Yes, Journey, you do. It won't be for long and plus, you'll look SO adorable." She looked at Angel. "Am I right, Angel?"
Angel shrugged. "Absolutely."
"See, even he agrees. Now, I'll see you two in a few." Cordy walked out, shutting the door behind her.
"DAD!" Journey yelled, hopping off the bed.
"What?"
"You were supposed to back me up! I could've gotten out of walking with Charlie!"
Angel shook his head. "No. No, you couldn't have."
"Yes, Dad, I-"
"Journey, you're misunderstanding something. She. Is. Cordelia. If she wanted you to walk down the aisle in a dress, you would have, regardless of who'd try to stop her."
"I guess." Journey walked over to the nearest curtained window. "I'm also guessin' that since we're all attending a wedding today, you never spoke to her like you said you would."
"No."
Journey nodded. "Well, Father, I must say I'm very disappointed in you."
"Excuse me?"
"Like they say, when you want something done right, you do it yourself. I guess that's what I'm going to have to do. Take matters into my own hands."
"Oh, no." Angel shook his head. "No, you most certainly will not."
"Oh, yeah. I think I will."
"I'll beat your butt so hard."
Journey shrugged. "You'd have to catch me first, old man."
"Old man? OLD MAN? I'm not an 'old man'."
"Sure, whatever, Grandpa."
Angel had heard enough. He stalked over to the door and threw it open. "Out. Now."
Journey snorted and walked to the door. Angel grabbed him before he could get into the hallway. "If you do anything to ruin Cordy's big day, I promise you that I will floor you. I will chain you to the floor and literally, FLOOR you. And then, I'll invite Milo and Charlie over to play and annoy you for several days. Do you understand me?"
Journey shrugged. "I understand you, all right. But excuse me if I don't believe you follow through with your little 'threat'. After all, you told me you'd talk to Cordelia about this, and uh, you didn't."
Journey wriggled free from his father's grasp and took off down the hall. Angel leaned his head against the doorframe. "How did he get so disrespectful and RUDE! I don't know where he gets that." He sighed and closed his eyes.
Down the hall, Cordelia opened the door to her room and stepped out into the hallway. "Angel, are you coming or not? I've been waiting for five minutes! All right?! Get your vampire butt over here now!"
Angel opened his eyes and stood up. "Now I know." He muttered to himself as he walked to her.
"So, what do ya think?" Cordy asked, holding out the sides of her dress, and twirling around. As Angel watched her, twirling in her beautiful, traditional, yet pure Cordelia white wedding gown and the glitter from her hair catching in the lights, a smile grew on his face.
"Beautiful." He told her.
"All right." Cordelia said, beaming at him. He offered his arm, and she linked hers through his. "Ready to walk me down the aisle?"
"Ready as I'll ever be."
They walked together, down the hall and to the top of the stairs. As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, Journey and Charlotte started down them. The plan was for Cordelia and Angel to walk down the stairs as soon as Charlie and Journey took their places at the front of the room. But as Angel watched the two children step into their places, and heard the wedding march begin to play, he found that he couldn't move forward.
Cordelia, still smiling, asked, "Angel, what are you waiting for? This is the part where we walk, remember?"
"I remember." Angel responded. "It's just."
"Just what?"
"I can't." By now, all the guests were staring.
"Yes, you can. All you do is put one foot in front of the other."
"No, I can't. I can't let you get married. I-" Angel swallowed. "I love you, Cordelia."
"I love you too, Angel. Now, c'mon, let's go."
"No, Cordelia. I LOVE you."