Title: Family: Back to Sunnydale

Author: victoriamartynne

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Spoilers: None, I think!

Summary: Imagine if Connor had never been taken by Wesley, Xander and Anya had never split up and Angel had told Cordelia how he felt. Cordelia gets a phone call that leads her back to Sunnydale and back to the past.

They had Angel's car and Gunn's truck loaded up well before six. They waited while sunset before setting off. Angel, Cordy, Lorne and Connor were in the Plymouth and Fred and Wesley travelled with Gunn in his truck.

"Where are we staying once we get to Sunnydale?" Lorne asked.

"In Angel's old mansion. It's not a bad place I suppose. Could do with a bit of light."

Cordelia answered but then added. "But judging by Angel's situation that is not possible. Sorry, honey. I guess I'm a little distracted."

He picked up her hand from where it rested on the seat and gripped it in his own, lacing his fingers through hers. She smiled at him gratefully for not asking any questions.

In Gunn's car, Fred was moaning in her seat. "Charles, I can't believe how awful I feel."

"Alcohol does that Fred. Right now you are suffering the after effects of dehydration and."

"English, if I have to hear one more sentence that sounds like it belongs in a dictionary you're out on your ass!"

Cordelia found a song that she liked on the radio and hummed along, settling down in her seat with her eyes closed.

"Great song." Lorne commented from the back and then gasped. "Princess."

Cordelia jumped as she realised what he had done. "Lorne, no! You are not supposed to be reading me!"

She turned around in her seat to glare at him angrily. "Petal, I hardly had to do a thing! You're aura is screaming right now!"

"Do not say one more word!" She threatened. "We'll talk later!"

"Talk about what later?" Angel asked and looked at her.

"Nothing. I'm just really anxious about seeing my dad again. You know, all the old ghosts and everything." She smiled at him. "It's nothing to worry about. So don't!"

They drove past the Welcome to Sunnydale sign at about nine o clock. Cordelia pulled on her shoes that she'd discarded and started to actually look at the surroundings. "Wow, nothing has changed." She muttered.

The mansion had not changed at all and seemed as though no-one had lived there since Angel. Everyone went inside except Cordy who called her father on her cell. In the middle of the call she noticed Lorne standing in the shadows watching her. She rolled her eyes and ended the call, promising her father that she would meet him at a house near Buffy's at eight the next morning.

"What do you want?" She asked and slipped the phone in her back pocket.

"Honey, have you told him?"

"There's nothing to tell." She said stubbornly. "It's impossible. It cannot be happening!"

"It is though. You have to tell him."

"And say what?" Cordy snapped. "Tell him that something is happening to me and I don't know how? Or I could tell him and then watch him stand there and accuse me of cheating on him. Or maybe I could try and explain to him that it's the second coming!"

"Sweetie, he's got Connor and that was a miracle."

"Yeah, but how many miracles does one vampire get? It's plain and simple, vampires cannot have children! So I cannot be pregnant!"

"What?" Angel asked as he walked out of the door to where she and Lorne were standing. "You're what?"

"Angel, I. I didn't know. Oh God." Cordelia mumbled and then fainted.

She woke up with a damp cloth pressed against her forehead. "Angel."

"It's me baby." He answered and stroked the side of her face. "You're okay, you only fainted."

She opened her eyes and saw that she was on Angel's old bed upstairs. Connor was in his crib next to her. "Hey."

The baby gurgled and smiled in response.

"Cor, we need to talk. About what you said to Lorne."

"Angel, I didn't want to tell you like that. I didn't want to tell you at all until I was sure." She mumbled and wouldn't meet his eyes. "I mean, I wasn't sure if you'd believe that it was yours and then I was scared that you'd break up with me and that I'd lose my job and then."

"Cor, I would never think that about you. I know you love me and that I love you. If you are pregnant then I know that it will be another miracle. Did you do a test?"

"Yeah, and it was positive but you're a vampire and vampires can't have children so I came off the pill and now I'm pregnant and I don't now how! I know Darla got pregnant with Connor but that whole thing was prophesied and this, this is just some big mistake!"

"Do you think this is a mistake?" He looked hurt.

"No!" She shouted. "I don't know. All I know is that I have a child inside of me, your child and that makes me so happy but I know that it is impossible so I'm just so confused! This can't be happening but I want it to so much!"

She started to cry then and he wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay baby. It's okay. It'll be okay now. I'll look after you, I promise." He comforted her.

She lay in his arms for what seemed like hours, until all her tears had dried and all she felt was tiredness.

"What are we going to do?" She asked him.

"I don't know." He told her honestly. "We can get Wes to research how this could have happened, and what it means."

"Maybe it was meant to be." She mused. "I mean, Connor was born to two vampires.

Our baby could be special because it was born to a warrior and a seer. A baby to two half demons, whatever. I guess it could be another prophecy."

"You always wanted a prophecy about yourself." He reminded her with a smile as his hand trailed patterns over her abdomen.

"Or maybe it's just you. You may have this whole 'Every girl I have sex with gets pregnant' thing going on. One way or another it's happening. Lorne sensed it when I started humming to that song in the car. Maybe it's the powers way of giving you a reward or their way of telling you that you're near the end of your redemption."

"Maybe." He said and then kissed her. "Do you want something to eat? I think the guys ordered pizza."

"Sounds good to me." She got up off the bed and stretched. "What did you tell them when I fainted?"

"That you were really tired and that you just collapsed."

"Great excuse." She teased but then turned serious. "Are we going to tell them?"

"I guess we have to. We need their help in researching." He told her and watched her straighten her clothes and hair. "But we could wait while we get home if you want."

"I really want to tell them now that you know. I mean, Lorne already knows so the others might as well." She looked at him shyly.

"It's up to you baby. Whatever you want to do is fine by me. Although I might scream it from the rooftops later on!" She laughed. "I'm serious!"

He suddenly grabbed her and lifted her off her feet. He twirled her round and round and then hugged her to him. "I love you so much!"

"Hey Cordy, are you feeling any better?" Fred asked as they came down the stairs.

"Yeah, tanks Fred." Cordelia smiled. "Have you got any pizza left, I'm starving!"

"Sure girl, we saved your favourite." Gunn opened the box and pushed it towards her.

Angel sat down on the one remaining chair and pulled Cordelia into his lap.

She nibbled at the pizza. "This tastes really good." She admitted.

"Not as good as the one in LA." Gunn grumbled.

"Ignore him." Wes said. "He's homesick.

"Already? We've only been gone about four hours!" Cordelia laughed. "Is there anymore lying around?" She asked, meaning the pizza.

"Girl, you must have been hungry!" Gunn said and handed her another slice.

"Sure, I'm eating for two now." Cordy said and then watched the reaction of her friends. Angel tightened his grip on her waist and Lorne smiled. The others just looked confused but one by one their eyes grew as realisation set in.

"How is it possible?" Wesley asked and cleaned his glasses.

The gesture reminded her so much of Giles that is brought tears to her eyes. "I have no idea!"

"So you're going to be a mom?" Fred asked shyly. "Again."

Cordy nodded.

"Not to be dissin' y'all." Gunn said, looking at Angel and Cordelia. "But it is his, right?"

Fred hit his arm and Cordelia threw the crust of her pizza at him. "Okay, okay! Just checking! You know, before I met y'all I was normal! There were no mystical pregnancies or souled vampires or nothin'." He shook his head but everyone could see that he was excited.

"Wes, do you think when we get back home we could research this, see what the hell is happening?" Cordy asked.

"Of course." He smiled. "Congratulations! Both of you."

Cordelia reached across and hugged the ex-watcher, both of their eyes tearing up.

"Okay, I know I'm crying because of the hormones, but what's your excuse?" She teased.

"Oh, Cordy!" Fred exclaimed. "Another baby! How wonderful!" She came rushing around the table to hug both Angel and Cordy at the same time. "I guess this means that you can't drink anymore doesn't it?"

"Wait a minute!" Angel interrupted. "You went out drinking last night when you knew you were pregnant? What were you thinking?"

"I didn't know for sure. I only took the test this morning." She told him.

"She's telling the truth kitten." Lorne joined in. "And the bubs will be fine. Hell, my mom jumped off the cowshed twice trying to get rid of me and I'm still here. A couple of drinks are not going to hurt it."

"They better not." Angel almost growled.

"Oh here we go again with the protective dad thing! I knew there had to be a bad point to all this. We get to see Angel go all psycho, scary dude." Gunn complained but it was clear on his face that he was happy, they all were.

"Oh no, no way is putting me through all that again!" Cordelia announced.

"You tell him girl!" Lorne encouraged.

"Okay, so I may have gone a tiny bit overboard last time but this time it will be different." Angel told them all. "It won't be as new or different."

Upstairs, Connor began to cry. Cordelia got up and went to him insisting that she wanted to go and told them she would go to bed after settling him.

"She'll make a great mom." Wesley told Angel. "Again."

"Yeah, I know she thinks of Connor as her own but this baby will be hers and no-one will be able to take that from her. She's going to have my baby!" Angel grinned and they all laughed at him.

"Pretty soon you're going to have a little baby brother or sister." Cordelia said to Connor upstairs. She didn't see Angel stood in the doorway. "But that doesn't mean that we are going to love you any less. And when you get older you're going to have a playmate that you can go to school with and go to parties with and talk with. And you've got to know that mommy and daddy will always love you both exactly the same." She put Connor down in the middle of the bed and lay down next to him. "We will always love you, yes we will."

She kissed his forehead softly and then closed her eyes with a sign.

She woke at six the next morning. Angel and Connor were still asleep so she got out of bed without waking them and took her bag into the small bathroom. She took a quick shower and then slipped herself into the white dress she'd brought to wear for her father's wedding. At least with all the commotion last night, she thought, she didn't have time to think about the wedding and the hurt she'd been feeling. She put on her make-up using the small compact she'd brought with her and cursed Angel for having no mirrors in the place. At least she'd convinced him to put some up in the hotel back home. She crept out of the bathroom and left a note on the table downstairs, trying not to wake up the guys who were sprawled out in sleeping bags on the various chairs and sofas.