Title: Family: Wedding in LA

Author: victoriamartynne

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Spoilers: None, I think!

Summary: Sequel to Family: Back to Sunnydale, Family: Forward to LA, Family: Return to Sunnydale and Family: On to LA. As Cordelia and Angel's wedding approaches, old friends reunite.

A half hour later Cordelia had her makeup and hair done and everyone had left her while they got ready in their own rooms or in Fred's case her old room.

She took a deep breath and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Xander's voice came over the line.

"Get Angel for me." She told him nibbling on her newly painted nails.

"Cordelia, aren't you not supposed to make contact with the groom before the wedding? I mean, we don't want to jinx it do we? I mean, the curse thing could come back and then that would be bad luck and probably wouldn't end that well. Maybe you should think about."

"Xander!" She interrupted angrily. "The groom is not supposed to see the bride before the wedding! It says nothing about talking to her. So if you don't get him for me right now I swear I will be round there faster than you can blink you kick your ass and then there will be some bad luck if I happen to bump into Angel! So, please get him!"

Xander gulped and went to get Angel.

"Hey, you okay?" Angel asked down the phone. "Xander said you were kind of freaked."

She took a deep breath. "Nerves I guess."

"Do you still want to go through with it?" He asked, sounding worried.

Her voice softened. "Of course I do, I'm just nervous. I think Willow called it performance anxiety."

He laughed. "You'll be fine baby; I'll be up there with you."

She nodded and swallowed hard. "I love you."

"I love you too, now go get dressed." He ordered.

She smiled and hung up, feeling a lot better.

The dress looked better on now than it had when she tried it on in the shop. Willow and Tara had curled Cordelia's hair around the tiara and left a couple of tendrils to fall around her face. Buffy had used blush to accent her cheekbones and only a little highlighter, mascara and lipstick to enhance her other features. Overall it was a soft finish that worked well with the pale cream dress.

"Well, it looks like all those hours at the tanning salon paid off." She said flippantly.

She smiled. "I'm getting married guys."

"Who'd have thought Queen C would have been the first of us?" Faith said.

Cordelia picked up the small bunch of cream coloured lilies. "Let's go, who's got Ashleigh?"

"Me!" Dawn replied. "Can I keep her?"

The clearing looked beautiful.

Trees and shrubs surrounded it with plants with bright flowers. As Cordelia had wished there was music playing softly from a portable CD player. Fairy lights were hung from the trees and sparkled in the twilight. The weather was warm and balmy with a slight breeze. The priest was stood back, out of the clearing, waiting until Cordelia arrived before stepping forward.

Angel stood with Giles, Wesley, Gunn, Lorne, Xander and Spike. Lorne had hold of Connor who was dressed in a pair of pants and a shirt and tie. Angel wore a suit while the other men had opted for pants and a shirt except for Giles who had worn his usual tweed suit.

The women began to arrive. Cordelia had decided not to have a maid of honour as she simply wouldn't be able to pick one from all of her friends and they were all going to be at the wedding anyway so she had opted against bridesmaid's too.

Willow and Tara arrived first, both wearing pants and floaty vest tops. Anya followed wearing a red print dress that she kept insisting drove Xander wild with Dawn, who looked very grown up in a pair of pants and a white shirt. Fred followed her with Ashleigh in her arms. Fred wore a skirt and floaty top, the only top that would fit over her cast, while Ashleigh was dressed in a dress the same colour as her mother's dress. The two slayers followed Fred. They both wore pants but wore shirts with them instead of the vest style that Willow and Tara had opted for.

Angel took a deep breath that he didn't need. Cordelia would be next.

When she appeared, had he needed to breathe he would have lost all ability. She looked absolutely perfect. Her hair was piled on her head and her make up was applied perfectly. She'd applied a little glitter on her cheek bones and the fairy lights caught it, making it shimmer, as it did to the diamante on her dress and tiara.

She moved across the clearing to stand next to Angel. His fingertips brushed hers, sending electricity up his arm. This was it.

She smiled up at him and nodded. This was it.

The priest, who had no idea that Angel was dead, conducted the service and then they said their vows.

Cordelia went first.

"Angel, you've given me so much that sometimes I wonder what I can give you. I've given you my body and that wasn't enough. Now I've got this chance to give you my heart and my soul. You made me a better person and I'll always be grateful that I got the chance to have you in my life. I love you so much and I want you to know that I'm yours, forever. No matter what."

"Cordelia, when I'm lost you're the one that finds me. When I'm alone you're the one that keeps me company. When I am scared you make the fear go away. I've had a lot of darkness in my life but now everything is bright and that is because of you. No one can reach me like you do. Thank you for loving me and accepting my love. You're my princess."

Cordelia felt a tear slip down her cheek and she brushed it away quickly.

"Cordelia, will you take Angel to be your husband?"

"I will." She slipped a ring on his finger.

"Angel, will you take Cordelia to be your wife?"

"I will." He slipped a ring on her finger.

"I now pronounce you man and wife." He declared. "You may kiss the bride."

She smiled and then his lips caught hers.

Everyone clapped and cheered but they didn't notice.

Angel and Cordelia posed for a few photographs alone, with everyone and with just the children before everyone left them alone.

Gunn had left his truck so they could still have the lights and music off the battery. Wes had put a blanket under a large blossom tree and put up a very thick tent further into the trees so Angel could stop there without bursting into flames in the morning. They'd left champagne and strawberries in the trunk of the truck for when they wanted them.

The music was Eva Cassidy, whom Cordelia loved and though incredibly romantic.

Buffy and Faith had packed her the nightgown Fred had bought her and a couple of other necessities she might need.

"Well, we've done it." He said, breaking the silence.

She looked at him shyly. "I guess we did."

"Are you happy?"

She nodded and then leaned up to kiss him. "I love you so much."

"I love you." He replied. "And you look absolutely beautiful."

She smiled up at him. "Thank you, but I know."

He laughed. "So, do you want to dance?"

"I thought you didn't dance?" She teased.

"I think I could manage it."

He grabbed her hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her towards him. Slowly they began to move to 'Over the Rainbow'.

"This song will always remind me of this night." She murmured, leaning into his embrace.

They danced for a little while and then sat on the blanket eating strawberries and drinking champagne. Cordelia's dress was flowing around her and she reminded Angel of a swan.

He told her so and she laughed.

"I look like a bird? How flattering."

"Swan's are beautiful birds. So graceful and majestic and perfect." He murmured, stroking her cheek. "Beautiful."

She shivered as his lips met her neck in a delicate kiss.

"You drive me crazy."

"I try."

"Maybe we should go under the tent before we get carried away. I'd hate to be honeymooning with a pile of dust." She grinned.

He smiled and stood up. "I see the reasoning with that."

She stood up and shrieked when he swung her into his arms. "What are you doing?"

"I'm carrying you over the threshold."

"The threshold is a tent." She said doubtfully.

"Humour me."

She nodded. "I think I can do that."

They made love under the stars for what seemed like hours. They lay sated gazing at each other.

He stroked her arm lazily.

"This is nice."

"What is? Being married?" He asked her and kissed her forehead.

"That and being here with you like this. I like being with the children and the guys but I like it being just us."

"Being alone is nice." He supposed.

She snorted. "This coming from the guy who could spend weeks at a time on his own brooding."

"Ah, but I'm not brooding when I'm with you." He said and kissed her neck. "I'm happy when I'm with you."

"Good."

"I like it up here. It's quiet and we're alone and we haven't been jumped by a passer-by yet."

She laughed softly. "I guess that could happen. They might want to join in."

He rolled his eyes at her. "You're unbelievable."

"You haven't seen what Faith and Anya have bought me for my bachelorette party." She reminded him.

"Did you bring it?"

"No, I only brought Fred's. Which you won't let me wear, I might remind you." She poked him in the side. "I thought it was pretty. And it looks good on me."

"There was too much of it." He argued.

"Angel, it's a baby doll nightgown. There isn't exactly much of it."

"It covered too much."

She smiled at him and tightened her grip on his chest. "I never want to leave your side."

He kissed the top of her head gently. "You won't have to baby, I promise."

They eventually fell asleep in each other's arms but woke early when dawn broke. It was warm under the tent but Cordelia wouldn't have suggested that they take it down. Otherwise she really would be honeymooning with a big pile of dust. Willow and Tara had packed a breakfast for them in a cooler in the trunk of the truck so Cordelia went to fetch it while Angel stayed away from direct sunlight.

She brought it back and handed Angel his blood and sorted through the mass of things they'd packed.

There were pastries, fruit, yoghurt and a can of cream. Fred had tacked a note to it saying that they should do with it as they please. Cordelia nibbled on a pastry while Angel put his blood near the sunlight to take the chill out of it.

Angel watched her as she ate naked nearer to the sunshine but still by his side. The rays caught her hair, making it shine.

She caught him watching her. "What?"

"I was just noticing how beautiful you are."

She came to him, both forgetting about their breakfast.

When the sun set that night Cordelia and Angel packed away their belongings and Angel drove them back to the Hyperion.

She climbed out of the car looking sleepy but beautiful.

Angel came around the truck to put his arm around her shoulders and lead her into the hotel.

Everyone seemed to see them at once but it was Connor who came forward first and hurtled himself into Cordelia's arms.

"I missed you." She exclaimed and planted a kiss on his head.

"Daddy." He said happily and Cordelia passed him to Angel.

"How's it going C?" Faith asked raising an eyebrow. "Have a good night?"

"Absolutely perfect." She replied and sat down on the couch. "Thanks guys."

"Here." Lorne said and handed her Ashleigh. "I think she missed you."

Ashleigh smiled as soon as she saw whose arms she was in and began gurgling.

"Did you miss your mommy? I missed you too honey." Cordelia cooed and then turned to everyone else. "What's been going on here then?"

"Nothing much." Wes answered. "We killed a demon this morning in the sewers."

Cordelia nodded. "Still nothin much happening huh?"

He nodded.

"Well we'll just have to have a quiet night in then." She suggested and squeezed Angel's leg as he sat down next to her with Connor.