Title: Family: Forward to LA
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. Sequel to Family: Back to Sunnydale. The Scoobies visit the Fang Gang.
Cordelia cradled the sleeping Ashleigh to her as she sat on the bed. Angel had cleaned the room up pretty good. He'd brought in the crib that had previously been in Connor's room ready for her. She put Ashleigh in it and then tiptoed next door to Connor's room. She opened it slightly and peered in. When she saw no-one was there she went in. He was sleeping soundly. He stroked his cheek and kissed him and then left.
She went back to her room and then lay down on the bed to sleep.
Angel burst in Lilah's office.
"An imitation spell." He stated. "You're losing your touch."
"Don't for on minute think that I had anything to do with that." She warned and held up her hand.
"So, you're not denying it, you had something to do with it." Angel caught her out.
She cursed. "I told them not to."
"If Cordelia does not come back then I am holding you responsible and I will kill you." He threatened. "If anything happens to my baby because of the spell then I will kill you. Do you understand me?"
She nodded mutely. A threat coming from the only man, or rather vampire, that she knew wanted her head was a pretty big thing.
He flew out of the office, duster flying and took out two security guards in one go.
"Cordelia." He knocked on the door gently.
There was no answer. He suspected that she was still awake but he didn't want to annoy her anymore.
I'll just have to wait while the morning, he thought.
He went in to check on Connor before he went to bed. Work was quiet so the others had left early, leaving only him and Cordelia in the hotel. Before their argument they'd have taken advantage of the situation, but not now. He wrapped the blanket around him a little tighter and then caught a sound in the next room. He wanted to respect her privacy but he did have vampire hearing. He went a little closer to the wall and listened a little harder. She was crying, he could hear her sniffing and the occasional sob.
He left Connor's room and went back to her door.
"I know you're awake and I'm coming in." He announced through the door and then proceeded to do just that.
It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dark room. He could see a small shape curled up on the large bed and his heart ached to hold her.
"Cordy, please talk to me." He pleaded and moved closer.
"There's nothing to talk about." She said her voice husky from crying.
"I know you think that I kissed Buffy and in a way I suppose I did. But Giles and Wes have been researching and I went to Wolfram and Hart to find out what was going on. They cast a spell on me so that Buffy looked like you. So when I kissed her I thought I was kissing you." He edged closer to the bed and sat down.
"Why would they do that?"
"They've been spying on us. And researching. They saw Buffy and found out that it was her that made me lose my soul and become Angelus. It was an attempt for me to become evil."
"Why didn't it work?" She sat up a little.
"Because I'm a vampire and the spell didn't last long enough on me for me to have a moment of pure happiness. They thought that it was Buffy that gives me that moment. They didn't research enough to know that that wouldn't happen. It's you that makes me happy and if there wasn't a loophole in the curse then I would have been Angelus years ago!"
He heard her heart start to race and she blushed, although he couldn't see.
"So, you really don't want to get back with Buffy? Did they cast a spell on her too so that she would like you too?" She asked him and moved her head to look at him.
"No, I don't want to get back with Buffy. I love you." He took her hand in his and threaded his fingers with hers. "But they didn't cast a spell on her. She kissed me back because she wanted to." She pulled her hand away but he grabbed it back. "But there's nothing to worry about, I'd never have kissed her if she was her. I only kissed her because she was you. She can try all she wants but I am yours."
She burst into tears.
"Hey, hey, there's no need to cry." He soothed and pulled her into his arms, lifting her up into a sitting position.
"I thought I'd lost you, and I love you so much!" She sobbed. "I thought seeing you with her would kill me and it didn't and I just felt worse and worse thinking about what would happen now. Would you let me see Connor? Would you want to see Ashleigh? Would I have to move away? Would I still have a job?"
He cut her off by kissing her. They broke apart breathless, which was saying something as he didn't breathe.
He wiped away her tears and kissed her forehead. "Are we okay?"
She nodded and wrapped her arms around his back for a hug.
Right on cue Ashleigh began to cry. Angel jumped up eagerly to pick her up. Cordelia smiled as she watched him with his new baby.
He brought her back to bed with him and sat down next to her. "Have you been breastfeeding?" He asked, almost shyly.
She nodded and then took her from him. Angel watched her breastfeed their baby and felt tears well up in his eyes. It felt good to be with them.
"That has got to be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." He stated and stroked the baby's cheek.
She snorted. "I can think of more attractive things. Like the scar on my stomach, for instance." She said sarcastically.
"Does it hurt much?" He asked, concerned.
"Not really, I prefer it than the other way she could have come out."
He laughed but then sobered. "You could have lost her though. I could have lost both of you. That car was travelling pretty fast."
"Well, you know me; I had to get away from you somehow!" She smirked. "And obviously I chose the most dramatic way possible. You know what makes the best point?"
"What?"
"I got to punch the slayer!" She laughed and then stood up to put Ashleigh back in her crib. She turned to look at him.
"Come here." He said and held out his arms to her.
She lay down net to him and pulled the covers over them both. He tightened his arms around her and they fell asleep.
Angel moved Ashleigh's crib into Connor's room the next morning while she took a shower in their room. She dressed in a pale summer dress that accented her tan but didn't aggravate her stitches.
"Are you ready to go downstairs?" He asked her when she re-emerged.
"You take Connor, I'll take Ash." She said brightly and picked her up.
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. Sequel to Family: Back to Sunnydale. The Scoobies visit the Fang Gang.
Cordelia cradled the sleeping Ashleigh to her as she sat on the bed. Angel had cleaned the room up pretty good. He'd brought in the crib that had previously been in Connor's room ready for her. She put Ashleigh in it and then tiptoed next door to Connor's room. She opened it slightly and peered in. When she saw no-one was there she went in. He was sleeping soundly. He stroked his cheek and kissed him and then left.
She went back to her room and then lay down on the bed to sleep.
Angel burst in Lilah's office.
"An imitation spell." He stated. "You're losing your touch."
"Don't for on minute think that I had anything to do with that." She warned and held up her hand.
"So, you're not denying it, you had something to do with it." Angel caught her out.
She cursed. "I told them not to."
"If Cordelia does not come back then I am holding you responsible and I will kill you." He threatened. "If anything happens to my baby because of the spell then I will kill you. Do you understand me?"
She nodded mutely. A threat coming from the only man, or rather vampire, that she knew wanted her head was a pretty big thing.
He flew out of the office, duster flying and took out two security guards in one go.
"Cordelia." He knocked on the door gently.
There was no answer. He suspected that she was still awake but he didn't want to annoy her anymore.
I'll just have to wait while the morning, he thought.
He went in to check on Connor before he went to bed. Work was quiet so the others had left early, leaving only him and Cordelia in the hotel. Before their argument they'd have taken advantage of the situation, but not now. He wrapped the blanket around him a little tighter and then caught a sound in the next room. He wanted to respect her privacy but he did have vampire hearing. He went a little closer to the wall and listened a little harder. She was crying, he could hear her sniffing and the occasional sob.
He left Connor's room and went back to her door.
"I know you're awake and I'm coming in." He announced through the door and then proceeded to do just that.
It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dark room. He could see a small shape curled up on the large bed and his heart ached to hold her.
"Cordy, please talk to me." He pleaded and moved closer.
"There's nothing to talk about." She said her voice husky from crying.
"I know you think that I kissed Buffy and in a way I suppose I did. But Giles and Wes have been researching and I went to Wolfram and Hart to find out what was going on. They cast a spell on me so that Buffy looked like you. So when I kissed her I thought I was kissing you." He edged closer to the bed and sat down.
"Why would they do that?"
"They've been spying on us. And researching. They saw Buffy and found out that it was her that made me lose my soul and become Angelus. It was an attempt for me to become evil."
"Why didn't it work?" She sat up a little.
"Because I'm a vampire and the spell didn't last long enough on me for me to have a moment of pure happiness. They thought that it was Buffy that gives me that moment. They didn't research enough to know that that wouldn't happen. It's you that makes me happy and if there wasn't a loophole in the curse then I would have been Angelus years ago!"
He heard her heart start to race and she blushed, although he couldn't see.
"So, you really don't want to get back with Buffy? Did they cast a spell on her too so that she would like you too?" She asked him and moved her head to look at him.
"No, I don't want to get back with Buffy. I love you." He took her hand in his and threaded his fingers with hers. "But they didn't cast a spell on her. She kissed me back because she wanted to." She pulled her hand away but he grabbed it back. "But there's nothing to worry about, I'd never have kissed her if she was her. I only kissed her because she was you. She can try all she wants but I am yours."
She burst into tears.
"Hey, hey, there's no need to cry." He soothed and pulled her into his arms, lifting her up into a sitting position.
"I thought I'd lost you, and I love you so much!" She sobbed. "I thought seeing you with her would kill me and it didn't and I just felt worse and worse thinking about what would happen now. Would you let me see Connor? Would you want to see Ashleigh? Would I have to move away? Would I still have a job?"
He cut her off by kissing her. They broke apart breathless, which was saying something as he didn't breathe.
He wiped away her tears and kissed her forehead. "Are we okay?"
She nodded and wrapped her arms around his back for a hug.
Right on cue Ashleigh began to cry. Angel jumped up eagerly to pick her up. Cordelia smiled as she watched him with his new baby.
He brought her back to bed with him and sat down next to her. "Have you been breastfeeding?" He asked, almost shyly.
She nodded and then took her from him. Angel watched her breastfeed their baby and felt tears well up in his eyes. It felt good to be with them.
"That has got to be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." He stated and stroked the baby's cheek.
She snorted. "I can think of more attractive things. Like the scar on my stomach, for instance." She said sarcastically.
"Does it hurt much?" He asked, concerned.
"Not really, I prefer it than the other way she could have come out."
He laughed but then sobered. "You could have lost her though. I could have lost both of you. That car was travelling pretty fast."
"Well, you know me; I had to get away from you somehow!" She smirked. "And obviously I chose the most dramatic way possible. You know what makes the best point?"
"What?"
"I got to punch the slayer!" She laughed and then stood up to put Ashleigh back in her crib. She turned to look at him.
"Come here." He said and held out his arms to her.
She lay down net to him and pulled the covers over them both. He tightened his arms around her and they fell asleep.
Angel moved Ashleigh's crib into Connor's room the next morning while she took a shower in their room. She dressed in a pale summer dress that accented her tan but didn't aggravate her stitches.
"Are you ready to go downstairs?" He asked her when she re-emerged.
"You take Connor, I'll take Ash." She said brightly and picked her up.
