Going All Domestic

It was nightfall and thankfully the visions had stopped coming for the evening. Buffy, Willow, Fred, Gunn, Wesley, Giles, Xander and Spike were all at the picture house, Angel's shout. Cordelia was at her apartment but was dropping around any minute. Connor still hadn't settled himself down to sleep yet, teething was proving more of a challenge than he had anticipated. The table was set. His Seer deserved something special for being so understanding about Buffy and the gang being at the hotel, she was also still stress over losing Connor in the Mall. There were a few things Angel knew about Cordelia; a) she liked to shop and b) she liked his cooking. The candles were burning gracefully in the darkened room, the mid-night blue table cloth was pressed with a silver banner down the middle. The crockery matched as Lorne had dropped by the new cutlery he had ordered a while back when more people started staying at the hotel. Angel was casually dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, barefoot. Her favourite flowers were in the vase in the middle of the table. Proper pink roses, he was scared the red roses might remind her of Ms Calendar. He was nervous, it wasn't a proper date, just two friends having a chance to catch up. The last two weeks had been hectic with Conner starting Kindergarten in 2 months and Angel having problems with the apron strings. They had to talk about how Conner was going to get to and from nursery. That was he was cooking her a private dinner...he thought. He heard the door rattle in the lobby as it was being opened.

"Angel? Gunn? Lorne? Fred? Anyone? Don't tell me they all went out without me!" She mumbled to herself. "So you decided to become a total recluse then Angel. She spun around and faced him dead on.

"How did...they all went out to the movies. I didn't fancy 'The Fast and the Furious.' How was...Dennis?"

"Pluease. You didn't want to go and see a movie about gorgeous, fast cars?" She watched Angel's face twitch. "And since when did you start asking about Dennis? Have you gone happy and sadistic again? I warn you, this time I do keep holy water in my purse."

"No I just wanted to discuss Conner with you so i...um...i..."

Cordelia sighed; it had been a long day without Angel stuttering. "Spit it out Brood-Boy!"

Oh boy, now she was getting angry with him, not the road he planned to take. "I cooked dinner, you've had a hard day and deserved a treat."

Her face softened right away. She gazed at the candlelight as he moved away then the roses caught her eyes. "Ah Angel, you're so sweet thank-you." She walked over and gave him a peck on the cheek. Angel turned away embarrassed. "So let me guess. You shouted everyone a night at the movies and dinner before...am I right?" She didn't wait for an answer. "I bet Conner is upstairs sleeping like a lamb and you quietly ran around the kitchen and rustled up a fab feast in oh...30 minutes!"

She knew him too well. He took her bag and her coat, putting them in their room. Then he pulled down the chair and help Cordelia to sit down. Next came the food; for starters it was thick blue cheese soup with crusty bread followed by Guinea fowl with a warm redcurrant Jus. Angel had been the perfect Vampire host, eating small amounts of food so Cordelia didn't feel 'like a porker' as she put it. They were happily talking their way through dark chocolate torte with coffee ice cream when the door rattled again. Buffy strode into the room as bold as brass but stopped dead in the middle of the lobby, horror on her face.

"What the hell is going on here?" Buffy shouted in utmost horror.

Cordelia got up and stood between Buffy and Angel. "Well we have a dining table, candles, dessert, knives and forks and two people sitting at this table. You wanna buy a clue Buffy? And keep your voice down, Conner is asleep." Cordelia yelled in a harsh whisper.

Buffy looked through Cordelia to Angel. "I thought you said you wanted an early night!"

"Well I was going to." Angel smiled. Now Buffy was gob-smacked. "But I guess that flew out the window. Or should I say walked through the door! Why are you home anyway Buffy?"

"I had to...I had...I had to patrol! Giles orders. Just 'cos I'm on holiday doesn't mean I get to slack off." She walked away as if she had won the battle.

"Well I guess that's dinner over." Angel said picking up the plates.

Cordelia took the plate back off him. "No it isn't you grab the coffee while I sit in the lounge and eat my fantastic torte. Then why don't we live dangerously and leave the dishes 'till the morning."

Angel agreed and started the percolator. He frowned when he thought of Buffy. It was great that she was here and the rest of the gang, Xander at a push, but she didn't understand, their lives were very separate now.

Cordelia was just sitting down as the bell rang from the office. She let out a growl, cursing her idea to fit the thing. "Don't worry, I'll get it. Make mine an Irish coffee while you're at it."

The young man standing in the lobby looked terrified, his face resembling Angel's unnatural shade. His hands were twisted in and out each other, nails bitten to the quick. Cordelia knew how to handle the anxious. She approached him carefully and quietly, not too quietly as to make him jump.

"Can I help you?" She asked as quietly as she approached.

He spun around to face her, his eyes darting from one direction to the next. "Um…I don't know. My problem is kinda weird. It involves…" He leaned in close, his eyes scanning the room. "…Scary stuff!"

Cordelia took a step back. "Oh we're good with the scary stuff. Just give us a brief description and we'll all get right on it. On the left-hand side of that form you should find a pricing plan if you would care to take a look at that."

The man was guided to a sofa and Angel slowly thrust a cup of warm coffee with a shot of brandy, into the man's hand and left him to it. The others weren't due back for another hour at least and Wesley, Gunn and Fred had agreed to stay away from the hotel that night and Willow, Buffy, Spike and Xander were going clubbing until the late hours. Giles was staying at Wesley's for a 'change in scenery'. Maybe he was just better at reading the signs better than the rest of the Sunnydale Gang. What ever was going on with the guy in the suit it was left to himself and Cordelia to deal with.

The man handed Cordelia the piece of paper and watched as she scanned it, waiting to see if her eyeballs popped out of her head but they remained firmly in place. She guided him softly over to the couch and set him down and turned to him.

"Now I have to ask this Mr…Foln, have you ever received any medical treatment for a mental condition?" The woman asked in a soft, gentle voice.

He stood up wobbly. "See I know you would think I was crazy as well. I tell you it's true."

"I was just checking." Cordelia answered in a more fustrated voice this time. "Now you say this whispering voice follows you where ever you go. Is it a husky sort of voice or a clear voice? Male or female?"

"What does it matter?" The man asked, a cup of coffee now in his hands.

Cordelia stood up and walked towards the library. "Well if it is clear or whispery then it is likely to be someone that has died and is just trying to say hello....or scare the living daylights out of you. Now if it a husky voice then it is usually a demon or some other hell beast trying to drive you mad or trying to kill you." Cordelia muttered as if bored already.

"It started when I moved into my apartment. I thought it was just nightmares but then it started to follow me around. I've tried garlic, four-leaf clover and a rabbits foot..." He stumbled at Cordelia's guff. "So I guess you guys are my last hope."

Cordelia popped the pen down into her lap. "Do you have any idea what it looks like?"

"Yeah, taller than me, a pallet on top of his head like the dinosaur with three horns in Jurassic Park. It had a green-blue face and a huge red clock. He looks like he is floating."

Cordelia stood up and reached for the phone. "Well Mr Foln there is a room here if you don't feel safe in your apartment. I'll call in our team and you'll soon be free of your monsters, of the demon kind."

The phone was tossed from hand to hand. To call in the gang would spoil the cosy evening, not that Buffy hadn't did that already. A voice filled the phone asking her to enter a numeric message…911.

20 Minutes Later:

7 frantic faces ran through the large doors of the hotel, sending their new client scattering across to the other side of the room.

"So what did we get this time?" Gunn asked. "A cult? Scaly water beast? Or baby puke on Cordy's best silk shirt?"

Cordelia threw Gunn a frosty look. "It sounds like the thing that was here when that drove the other people crazy. Mr Foln here needs some help so hit the books and the training room." Cordelia instructed gently.

The group deemed to take her commands and seated at the table the books already flying off the shelves. Buffy and Angel went to the training room while Spike was told and forced to 'SIT DOWN'. Cordelia realised that Angel and Buffy had a past and fighting was the way they sorted everything else out.

Half and Hour Later:

"So then Cordy, what do you think Angel and Buffy are up to down there? Buffy always gets horny when she fights. If I remember, so does Angel. One time he came home and chased me around the house. When he caught me, he pinned me up against the wall and…" Spike ducked as Cordelia threw her little block nail file at him. "Hey, that bloody nearly hit me. As I was saying, I get they're getting pretty damn hot down there." Spike turned and started to walk away. He didn't see the 10 volume demon book that hit the back of his head and he landed on the floor beside the book. "That bloody hurt you bloody yank." He muttered, looking up to find Cordelia standing over him, her hands on her hips and a smirk playing on her lips.

"Aww, did I hurt the little Spikey puppy…Good!" She deadpanned. "Anyway, Angel knows the 'No-Other-Female' rule, where as Buffy is a proper little Vamp Layer." She watched in satisfaction as Spike frowned. "Aww, now you're not the happiest chipped Bunny in the field."

Spike's frown increased as Angel came back upstairs, sweaty and a smile on his face as he saw Spike on the floor with Cordelia standing over him.

"I'll get you back Cheerleader." Spike promised in an unconvincing fight-back.

Cordelia snubbed. "Ohh, I'm scared Spikey. What ya gonna do Spikey? Snarl at me until I die from laughter, Spikey?"

Cordelia walked away as Spike began getting back on his feet, Buffy watching in discontentment as Cordelia tried to tame another one of 'her' men.

Wesley, who had been too engrossed in his books to notice the tension in the room got to his feet and punched the air. "I think I have it. A simple spell to summon the demon here and then an incantation to send him back to the hell dimension from which he came. Quite easy really." Giles nodded as if the group needed his approval before they could do anything. "I'll go to the store and pick up the relevant herbs ect and then we can sort this out. Shouldn't be too long Mr Foln and you can safely back to your apartment again."

"Do you need me Wes?" Cordelia asked, feeling the day's events catching up with her.

Wesley looked at their drawn Seer and smiled in comfort. "Sure Cordelia, let Angel take you upstairs and Virginia will bring you up some tea later, if you're awake."

Angel took Cordelia in his arms as he carried her upstairs, under Buffy's scrutinous glare. The gang set to work on the spells while Wesley and Willow went to the shop down the block to the old lady's magic shop.

Angel settled Cordelia onto the bed, her eyes already beginning to droop as he sat down beside her. She was still smiling at him, her grin was contagious.

"Thank-you for dinner Angel, I don't deserve you sometimes." She smiled at him again, as her eyes closed. "Don't worry, I'm just resting my eyes."

Angel took her hand in his. "No Cordy, I don't deserve you. I know how much you wanted a normal life after Sunnydale and I know I can be a reminder of Sunnydale, you know of Miss Calender, but I just wanted to say thanks for staying, you know after Darla. It was all going great until Buffy showed up."

"I know that you think of me as a reminder too, of Buffy and the eternal torment that is the Angel and Buffy saga. I'll understand if you ever want to go back to Sunnydale, you know when you shooy. I can finally see about that acting career and come through every now and again to see the little guy. You will have to tell Buffy that Conner isn't mine but I am sure she will be glad." Cordelia was rambling to herself as she drifted deeper into her sleep. "And we will always love you, you know that. We're family. "She laughed to herself before finally the sleep claimed her.

"And I'll always love you Cora." Angel whispered as he pulled away from the bed and headed downstairs.

Downstairs:

Buffy looked up as she heard Angel descend the stairs, a grin on his face which she had never seen before. It was a contented grin. Whatever had happened upstairs had left him pretty happy. Geez, this was all she needed…Cordelia trying to give Angel happies.

"You look rather happy mate." Spike muttered. "I think that someone has been getting some. Well done, about time." Spike slapped Angel forcefully on the back, in congratulations or in jealousy he couldn't tell.

Buffy huffed up to Angel and started poking him in the chest. "We're trying to sort out your business problems and you're upstairs boning Cordelia."

Angel stood speechless and desperate to merge into the shadows as the Scoobies stared at him, daring him to deny Buffy's claim. None of the small gathering heard the door open behind them.

"Oh, Angelcakes hasn't been getting any, well not in the last 6 years anyway. Nope, my little Spikey apple strudel here is the only Vampire who has been getting some recently. Angelcakes regularly grins when his Seer is involved.

Willow grinned at Lorne's description of Spike and joined Xander in trying to hide her innocent laughter. "Lorne, good to see you again. So why is Spike an apple strudel?" Willow asked, having became good friends with the demon after she had visited Angel after Buffy's 'death'.

"Well hello there my favourite redhead. Spike is an apple strudel because his pastry outside hide his deliciously sweet stuffing!" They all chuckled. "Now since this 911 isn't so 911y, Angel here is going to cook us one of his special omelettes and I'm going to rustle up some Sea Breezes."

Angel looked at Lorne in uncertainty. "Nope, I've got laundry to do. A baby in the house means a lot of smelly clothes." Angel muttered backing away from the group.

Buffy saw here chance. "I'll do your laundry…you can't deny this people your cooking. Just save some for me." Angel watched in confusion as Buffy ran up stairs to his room.

"Since when did Buffy do laundry?" Angel asked the Sunnydale crew.

"Never!" They all chorused.

Angel simply shook his head and headed for the kitchen. He could already hear Lorne seating his spectators around the bar in the other part of the West wing. He smiled, the hotel was once again full of life as it always should have been.

Meanwhile:

Buffy threw her head from side to side, looking for a pile of laundry. In the corner of the nursery she spotted what looked like a pile of dirty baby-grows and white shirts. She gathered them in her arms and rushed down to the basement where Angel kept the washing machine and tumble dryer, well a Vampire couldn't hang out clothes to dry in the sun could he? She guessed the amount of detergent, thinking that you could never have too much and then in with the fabric softener. She closed the door and turned the dial to boil. As Buffy stood up, she clasped her hands together and smiled. Angel would see, she could be a great mom too. The smell of eggs drew her up from the plastic-flower decorated basement and back into the dimmed light of the hotel.

"Um, something smells good. Angel must be cooking again." The Fang Gang turned around to find a sleepy looking Cordelia standing at the top of the stairs with a very much awake Conner in her arms.

"Angel, darling. Didn't you hear our son calling for you?"

Angel stood mid action with the plate about to be set on the table. "I didn't hear the baby monitor go off." He stares at the modern piece of technology that Cordelia had made him buy.

"Oh it was making all these hissing noises that were bugging me so I turned it off." Buffy said simply carrying her plate over to the table.

Angel went to give Buffy another lesson on child care but instead Cordelia put a finger to his lips and walked calmly over to Buffy.

"You see Buffy, this little scale her…" She pointed to a arc in the monitor with green and red lights flashing. "…the green lights mean that Conner is breathing and the red ones…" She pointed to the alarmingly bright red lights, "…means that Conner has stopped breathing for more than 20 seconds. Now if this happens, an alarm sounds but only when it's TURNED UP." She muttered sternly through gritted teeth. "Also it tells us if he's crying so you see…if you ever touch this monitor again I WILL PERSONALLY MAKE YOU PAY. Do I make myself clear?"

Buffy still stood there with her hands on her hips, not quite sure why she was wrong or why Angel was letting Cordelia talk to her like that. "Yeah, sure whatever." Buffy turned back around and sat down to eat.

"Looks like you've been put in your place Slayer, by the Peaches chit." Spike laughed softly. "Ouch that bloody hurt. I really wish you would stop hitting me."

Cordelia walked away from the neutered Vampire after slapping up-side the head. "Spike, stop stirring things. Now do you want your blood with or without cinnamon?"

"Um…what? With, I think." Spike muttered, not too sure what the cheerleader was up to.

A minute later she was back with two tall glasses of warmed blood, sprinkled with a brown looking substance on top.

"Hey chit, I think this blood is off." Spike said handing Cordelia the glass back.

"Nope, that's just cinnamon. It takes away some of the bitterness." Angel answered him grinning.

"Stop grinning at me. It's scaring me." Spike raised the glass up to his lips and drunk. "Yum. Oh this is good and a body temperature. God, can I take the chit home with me?" Angel glared. "Hey Slayer, think you could do this for me when we get back to Sunnyhell?"

"In your dreams!"

"Always Slayer. Always."

Later:

Gunn, Wesley and Fred had disappeared to Mr Foln's apartment to banish the demon while Spike, Buffy, Angel and Giles trained down in the basement. Xander was sleeping on the couch in Wesley's office. Willow and Cordelia were sitting in the lobby while Conner squirmed happily in his mother's arms.

"You are a natural mother Cordelia. I mean you and kids…I never thought. I mean…"

Cordelia interrupted to save the redhead some embarrassment. "Yeah well things have to change at some point Will, and call me Cordy, everyone else does."

"Ok, Cordy." Willow tried it out. "I was thinking about your visions earlier and when Giles went to the bookshop I asked him to pick up some reference material. It was a book written on the Powers That Be. Wesley told me that they were your bosses, if you like. Anyway this book told the story of a human who had visions about 200 years ago. She had a Champion just like you but they fell in love, but denied all knowledge of it to each other. It kinda got me thinking so I read some more. I know the visions are killing you Cordy. They were killing Emily as well, the girl 200 years ago. Anyway she was rendered catatonic by a sever vision and as her Champion sat by her bed, he finally told her how he felt. He told her everything, how long he had watched her longing to kiss her, how he blamed himself every time she received a vision, everything. So he bent down to kiss her goodbye and as he went to leave, she sat up and called his name. The Powers had linked them in a bond. As long as the Champion was alive, the Seer would be too. I kinda reminded me of you and Angel and I th…"

"Woe, woe Willow, back up a little. Me and Angel aren't in love with each other so there goes your theory."

"But Fred told me about Kyrumption. About you and Angel. When the souls of two warriors come together in love. She said you had it. I just…baby…dinner…"

"I mean, I…love Angel but he doesn't love me back. He still loves Buffy" Cordelia admitted sadly.

Willow cocked her head to one side. "It doesn't look as if he loves Buffy anymore from where I have been sitting. I seems that He stopped loving Buffy a while ago. The way he cares about you, the way he stares at you when you aren't looking and when you are how he takes swift glances in your eyes. I've been here just two days and I can see that, that Vampire in the basement, the one with brown hair I mean, loves you head over feet."

Cordelia sat back on the chair, holding the now sleeping Conner close to her. Angel…love…her. Nah, impossible. He loved Buffy, they had this eternal 'Let-Torture-Ourselves-And-Each-Other' vibe going on. Sure she knew he stared at her, sure dinner was nice tonight, sure there was that one time on the pier when they nearly kissed, sure… "Oh my god, Angel loves me!"

"Yep and all you have to do is get him to admit it then have True Love's First Kiss. But I doubt you'll turn into a troll like in Shrek."

Cordelia placed Conner gently in Willow arms and stormed off across the lobby towards the basement.

The butterflies in her stomach weren't going away but there was no may in hell she was backing out of this now. She could see Angel sparing against the punch bag while Spike kept a good hold.

"Why. Didn't. You. Tell. Me?" Cordelia yelled while poking him on his sweaty, naked chest with every word.

"Huh? Um…didn't tell you what? What didn't I do?" Angel stuttered, backing away from the advancing Seer.

"Why. Didn't. You. Tell. Me. You. Loved. Me?"

The whole basement sunk into a silence as all eyes were on Angel. He looked anywhere but Cordelia's eyes. He was scared. Really, really scared now. How did she know? The only on that knew was Conner and Lorne. Lorne was unable to contact him and Conner…Oh had Conner started talking? "I um…"

"Spit it out Brood-Boy."

Cordelia was still standing there with her hands on her hips. It wasn't meant to be like this. They were meant to be alone, there was meant to be candles and soft music. Not in smelly basement with Cordelia angry and all-in-sundry watching him.

"Snap out of it." She took a step closer to him. "Willow thinks we're in love with each other and she says if it's true you could stop me dying, so tell me already."

Angel scuffed his feet along the ground as he took a step closer to her. "Cordelia, Cordy…This is hard for me, I mean I'm scared that it's unrequited."

"Oh believe me Angel, I'm right there with you. I love you too." She waited for Angel to answer her but instead he just looked dumbfounded by the whole thing. "I. Love. You. Too! So do something spontaneous for once in your undead life and tell me how you feel." Geez how much pushing sis a dead man need?

Angel took a deep breath. An unneeded action but one to quell the butterflies in his stomach. "I love you Cordelia Chase." He matched towards her, scooping her up into his arms and pulling her to him. Her scent was intoxicating, flooding his senses. He lifted her chin gently upwards and connected his lips with hers. The heat seared him but still he pushed further. I was almost too much for him. Inside he could feel a connection with his Seer forming inside his heart, filling him with so much love he felt he would burst. Quickly he pulled away.

"No, this is too much…too much happiness. We have to be careful"

Cordelia swatted him across the chest. "I anchor your soul just like you anchor my life. "

He pulled her into a kiss again and there was the connection. Some how he didn't need her to explain it all, he just knew. "So where now?"

"Well Conner is running out of clean laundry so why don't I get the washing done?"

Ah domestic life. Angel smiled. "Oh Buffy already started it."

Cordelia walked over to the machine and peered into the drum. "What colour wash is in the machine?"

"White why?" Angel asked walking towards her.

"So why is the water pink?"

"BUFFY!"

Wow that was so long, like nearly 5000 words. Cool.

Ok do I continue with a chapter dealing with Buffy and the pink water + The scoobies finally leaving? Or is that a good enough ending? I really can't decide.

Flames Welcome as always.