The Hyperion Hotel

"Okay, now who's this?"

Connor looked at the homemade flashcard, studying it. "Mrs. Claus?"

"No, it's Frosty the Snow Man," Kristen sighed.

"I'm sorry. I guess I still don't get everything that you mentioned about this Santa Claus demon..." Connor started to say.

"Hey! Santa Claus is not a demon, buddy!" Tom told him quickly.

The son of two vampires shrugged in confusion. "You're telling me that a human his size flies around on a sleigh being pulled by deer, and can travel across the entire planet in one night? With no one seeing him? He has to be a demon!"

Kristen sighed again, as she handed Tom the flashcards. "I'm tapped. So, you try for a while, I need a break here..."

A few minutes later, Kristen was walking down the hallway with Julie towards the hotel's kitchen.

"Give it up, Kristen. You're never gonna teach him all this stuff by the time you have to be at your parents' place," Julie told her with a laugh.

"Yeah, well, I have to try. You know how my sisters are gonna demand that he watch the Snoopy Christmas special with them! And if he doesn't even know the basics, my parents might get suspicious."

"Okay," Julie said, giving up. "But you honestly think they'll get any idea of where he really came from?"

"Well, no, but I don't want them thinking Connor believes how many things he's killed today is polite conversation, either! And you know how my dad is with the guys I bring home..." She leaned against the wall, "I'm telling you, though, it will be nice to relax in a little in Vermont. I haven't been home in far too long. Aren't you excited to be going back for a visit?"

Julie sighed. "Yeah…just for a visit."

"You sound really excited about it," Kristen said sarcastically. "Are you still having problems?"

Her friend nodded. "Yeah, it's just getting to be too much. I'm feeling overwhelmed, I swear – I don't know you handle it! I mean you're the Slayer, and you still have time for the schoolwork crap. But then, you've always been good at that stuff."

"Well, I am only going to college part-time at the moment. Maybe that's what you should do..." Kristen trailed off, as she realized something. "Oh my God! 'Just for a visit', my ass! You're thinking of staying there, and not coming back to LA!"

Julie looked down. "Well, yeah. Look, Kristen, I wouldn't mind going part-time like you; but I don't know if I could pay for the dorm and other stuff. You know my parents can't afford to send me to school forever! I mean my waitress job here sucks, my dorm roommate is a total weirdo, and most of the classes that I want to take are full already!"

"But you can't stay in Vermont!" Kristen pleaded. "I need my friends here!"

"Hey, I want to stay too – but let's face it, there aren't exactly many places that'll hire me so I can support myself! I mean, I'm not certified and I am not going to keep waiting tables for the rest of my life..."

***

December 18th 2004

Xander and Cordelia's new residence

The very large third floor main bedroom of the Chase mansion was the only room that was fully furnished, as yet. And the incredibly large four-post bed was the only thing that was still the same, as the day they'd first moved in.

The room was big enough to have several pieces of furniture in it, but still have a large enough area to move around in. Plus the view of the city a few miles away from the large patio, was normally breathtaking. But the thick curtains were closed tonight. And the only light in the room was from the dozens of large candles all placed in strategic positions.

Cordelia had been planning for this night, as soon as she'd found out she would have it off. It was the last working night before her Christmas break, which was a welcome relief; as the shooting schedule of her show had had quite a few night shoots, and it was wearing her out.

Between her work, Xander's work, and the babies…she and Xander had hardly had more than five minutes together, as of late. And last night at the club was the first time in ages they had seen each other for more than two hours! So, Cordy was going to make sure that this night went off with out a hitch.

The girls were at the hotel, being watched over by Gunn and Fred. And even Angel was getting into the baby spirit again; which was tough, granted, after what had happened with Connor way back when...

It had taken the former cheerleader two days, to come up with something to make this night special for her and her man. And it still shocked her to the core, that she'd gotten the idea from a 'Star Trek' movie, of all things.

Xander had left "Generations" in the VCR; by coincidence Cordy had arrived home early that day, and gotten bored out of her mind after Erica and Kelsey had finally fallen asleep. So she'd watched it. And the woman had thought in amazement as the closing credits rolled, That's how they actually killed Captain Kirk? After all that crap for 30 years, he just falls off a bridge!?

But the idea came about, during the scene with the commissioning ceremony for the Enterprise-B. And it didn't take long for Cordelia to find a good bottle of wine for the ceremony.

After Xander had showered off the demon guts when he came home from work that night, she'd taken his jacket off of him, and then blindfolded the guy. Cordy had then led him up the wide staircase, and into the candle-lit room; and when she'd let him remove the blindfold, Xander had seen the plastic tarp on the floor near the brick fireplace, and the two bottles of wine.

And of course the framed "Janitor Closet" sign leaning on the mantel, that he had salvaged from the old Sunnydale High campus.

Cordelia had then explained to him that one bottle was for them, and the other was for him to christen the room. So she gave him the second bottle, and the young man smashed it against the fireplace.

The glass and the liquid fell safely onto the plastic. To their friends and houseguests, the room would be the master bedroom; but to them, it would be called something else in private.

The Janitor Closet.

For this particular couple, just having a piece of their passion-filled teenage years that would be with them as they grew old and grey was very comforting, to both. Although they didn't relish having to explain the meaning of the words to their daughters, if they ever asked about it...

Xander got over his sentimental feelings quickly, when Cordelia went into the large bathroom to put on something special she had bought the other day. And he lost the ability to form full sentences, when the female TV star came out and explained just what she wanted to do for that night...

***

Three and a half hours later found Xander and Cordelia very exhausted, in their bed. Both of them were naked, save for the leather collar that the young woman had put around her neck; and the little heart-shaped metal tag with her name on it was cold against his chest, as Cordy laid her head against his.

"How do you come up with these things, Cor?" Xander asked with a grin.

The brunette girl took a second to answer, as she enjoyed the feeling of his hand going through her hair. "Oh, I've been doing some research. You'd be surprised the ideas you can find online, these days."

"Online?" the U.S. Air Force officer asked.

Cordy nodded, "I have plenty of time to kill in my trailer during the set preparations, so with the new laptop I bought I sometimes surf the 'Net."

Xander moved a strand of dark hair from his betrothed's face. "But how can you get an Internet connection from your trailer?"

"Oh, Willow showed me how to hack into the studio's connection. And according to her, it's a very fast connection." She frowned, as he started to chuckle. "What's so funny, my love?"

"It just occurred to me that I'm laying here – buck naked, and all sweaty, mind you – with Cordelia Chase. And I'm actually talking about computers! Do you know how many guys we went to school with would kill me, right now?"

Xander was surprised, when her expression darkened a bit. "Yeah, I do..." Cordelia looked away.

"I'm sorry, Cordy. Bad memories?"

"Yeah, a few..." she sighed. "Practically all of the loser jocks I dated in school before you were just jerks, and I put up with them because I just had to be popular. But if I could, I'd go back in time and really beat the shit out of Jason Thomlinson."

"Wait, Thomlinson? That asshole senior who was the school quarterback, during our freshman year?" he asked her.

Cordelia snuggled closer to her lover. "Yeah, during tryouts for the freshman cheerleader squad, he told the senior cheerleader captain that he wanted to – and I quote…he wanted to 'try us freshmen out'."

She shuddered at the memory, but relaxed as Xander hugged her even closer to him. "He thought it was his damn right to use us as his playthings!" The former cheerleader then looked back up at the guy next to her, "And Xander, that bitch of a captain almost let him do it!"

"Cor, he didn't try to…" the former Zeppo began to ask.

"Trust me, Xander; he couldn't do anything, after my metal-tipped designer Boracchis nailed him right in the crotch!" She smiled at the memory.

Xander winced in involuntary sympathetic pain. "Sorry I made you think about that now, hon," he sighed heavily. "Man, do I know how to kill the mood or what? Idiot Jed, king of romantic screwups here…"

He was cut off, by Cordy putting her hand over his mouth. "Xander…honey. You know how I don't like it, when you talk about yourself like that..."

The guy nodded, and she removed her hand. "Sorry Cor, old habits are hard to break. And you know that's why I wanted a very quick wedding, and all..."

The owner of the mansion sighed. "Xander, I know you want to do it as quickly as possible, so you that you don't get cold feet or anything – like what happened in Sunnydale. But I am not getting married in some quickie Vegas ceremony! You'll do fine, when the day comes. I have total faith in you, okay?"

He nodded simply, as the young man tried to dismiss painful past memories. Cordelia suddenly giggled then straddled his chest, leaning in so that her face was again close to his. "Enough of this depressing talk. Let's the change the subject..."

Xander grinned back. "Fine with me. What do you want to talk about?"

Cordelia hesitated, as Xander put his arms around her and she lay down fully on top of him. The military officer noticed the woman quickly closing her mouth and said, "You can ask me anything, Cor. It's part of the whole 'till-death-do-us-part' thing, remember?"

Cordy hesitated again. "Actually, that's exactly what I've been wondering about."

"Huh?"

"We haven't talked about it, and I wasn't gonna say anything, but – but Xander, death did do us part. I lost you, and at the time I-I thought it would be permanent. I guess what I'm asking is...what was it like for you? What was...Heaven like?"

There was a silence, and Cordelia was afraid she had pushed her beloved too far. But then Xander started talking, almost to himself.

"I don't know if Buffy's ever told you about her experience, but I gotta admit – she had it nailed, right on the head! And I can really understand now what she must have felt like, after Willow, Tara, Anya and me pulled her out of there..."

A sigh. "It was pure bliss, Cordy. Your demon Yoda Skip, he once said there's a reason why no one ever comes back from Paradise – and now I know it, first-hand. Sweetheart..." he hesitated, as the dark-haired woman nodded at him to finally let it out. "I, I hate to admit it – but if God hadn't told me to go...I don't know if I'd have had the strength to leave, to come back to you."

He then looked into her eyes, "And if you'd been there with me...there is no way I'd have ever left willingly. They would have had to drag me out, kicking and screaming..."

Cordelia was quiet for a while, as they stared at each other. Then she said, "I'm sorry..."

He cut her off at once. "No, Cordelia, don't be. It's okay, I'm not sorry they sent me back! Because I don't want to be anywhere but here, with you and the kids. And hell," Xander recovered his trademark grin as he leaned forward to make out with her, "you can't do this in Heaven!"

A short while later, Cordelia giggled again and pulled away. "Okay, hold it mister! I've been waiting for this night for over a week; I've had to go without playing with you, for what seemed like forever..." She got a mischievous grin, "It's been dark out, for a while now. I can grab the leash, and you could take me for a walk around the garden outside!"

Xander looked at her for a moment, to see if she was serious. "You know Cor, I might just do that – but first, I want to ask you something."

"And what's that, my love?"

"Well – I have come to accept the monster I've created in you by suggesting the whole role playing thing, back in the summer of '99! But I've noticed most of your ideas lately have you taking the more…submissive roles. It just kind of surprises me, is all."

She leaned in, kissing him again. "I trust you. And don't worry; my next little idea definitely switches things around."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I found those old pictures of your time at that club in Oxnard."

"Really? Hmm, so you want a little show?"

"Well, you might have to do a little research first."

"What kind of research?" he asked, getting worried.

"Actually – Fred, Willow, and I are taking you to the Chippendales club, so you can get some pointers," Cordy smiled at him.

Xander swallowed nervously. "You…you want me to…to go to a male strip club with you?" He shook his head, "Nooo. No-no-no, Cordy, I love you, but no way – I had to wash dishes in one of those places for over a month! Not counting my one night on stage…and you know, I still get nightmares about those two 80-year-old women waving that g-string in my face!" he shuddered in terror.

Cordelia smiled a very sweet smile at him, the kind that made the guy ultra-nervous. "Xander, when are you ever going to learn that I know how to make you do whatever the hell I want you to do?" she asked in a sultry voice.

"And just how are you going to do that?" he asked, worried.

"Oh, I have my ways..." the woman grinned before her body disappeared under the covers, and Mr. Harris learned quickly what her ways were.

***

Two hours later found them back in the bed, but this time dressed in half a set of pajamas – Xander the pants, and Cordy the shirt. Cordelia snuggled into her fiancé's arms as she slept, and then she trembled a little when the dream began.

***

Cordelia's Dream

There are two kinds of dreams, for most people. There are the ones where you can control what happens, and others where you're just along for the ride. And this was one of the latter.

Cordelia Chase found herself in her old apartment, the one she'd had when she'd first moved to LA. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, a pile of letters and printed emails lying on the covers next to her. They were the correspondence that she had read and reread several times now.

Because they were letters from one Xander Harris.

From his last letter, Cordelia knew that the guy was back in Sunnydale. And just yesterday, he had helped Buffy fight some bimbo vampire named Wednesday or something like that.

The former bitchy queen of Sunnydale High tried to hold back the jealousy she'd felt, when she thought of him giving Buffy a pep talk at the Bronze. Some Slayer she is nowadays, if she can't even beat one lousy vampire! Then she quickly took a few deep breaths.

Calm down, Cor, the new arrival in LA told herself. Now's not the time for that, and besides – I might have to get along with her again, soon...

A loud ding pulled her out of her thoughts. Third time's the charm... Cordy then mentally laughed at herself, Like you don't know what it's going to say!

She turned on the light of the bathroom, and picked up the plastic strip lying on the sink's edge. Its color was what she knew it would be. Blue. The brunette teenager then tossed it next to the small pile of other tests on the counter.

She went back out and sat on the bed, her mind swimming with the thoughts of what her next move should be. I can't believe this! I'm pregnant with Xander Harris's baby!? Okay...deep breaths, Cor...Cor? Oh my God! I'm even calling myself by that nickname he has for me now!

Cordelia fell back, so she was lying down on the bed. Okay, let's examine the options. Abortion? Forget it! Adoption? No way. Going back to the damn Hellmouth? Oh, for...what am I supposed to do? Just show up and say...'Hi, Xander. I know I told you I wanted to be just friends now, but you see I've been missing you a lot. And it's more than just missing a friend. And then wouldn't you know it, I started to throw up non-stop. Plus, I'm very late. So I guess that means you're going to be a Daddy...'?

She snorted. I already know he's going to like faint straightaway, the wuss... The girl reached over to grab the picture by the letters.

Her picture of Xander, standing next to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Cordelia looked at his face, and tried not to smile. "You think we can get through this, Dweeb Boy?"

***

The Chase Mansion

She was awoken by a noise. Still half asleep, Cordy lifted her head slightly. But it was enough for Xander to see... "Sorry, Cor. Didn't mean to wake you..."

She squinted in the low morning light, to see him dressed in U.S. Air Force fatigues and coming out of the bathroom. "What time is it?"

"A little after seven," Xander told her, as he sat down on the bed to put on his boots.

Cordelia moved up and wrapped her arms around him from behind, while resting her head on his shoulder. "I sure wish you didn't have to go into work today..."

He turned halfway, and took her in a small hug. "I know, but it's only for a bit. Then we'll both be on Christmas vacation." He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Now go back to sleep, Ms. Chase. After last night, you do need your rest..."

"Slave driver," the young woman joked as she lay back down. Xander just tucked her back in, and gave her a kiss goodbye. "See you at the hotel later. Night, Cor."

"Bye baby," she whispered, before drifting off back to sleep.

***

The Hyperion Hotel. Later that afternoon

"So, it felt real? Well, a lot of dreams are like that Cordelia," Wesley told her, as they sipped some herbal tea from their mugs.

"Yeah," Fred told them. "When I was a little girl, I felt for sure that I owned a pony in one of them. I was so mad, when I woke up and realized it was just a dream."

Cordy shook her head. "No, guys, you don't understand. It didn't just feel real, I got the impression that it was real." At their questioning glances, she groaned. "Hey, I did have visions for quite a few years. I think I can tell the difference between what's real and what's not!"

Wes set his mug down. "Okay, then, let's go over it all fully. First off – what were you doing, before you fell asleep?"

"Well, I...I mean, Xander and me, we…" the woman blushed.

"I see," Wesley said in understanding, trying not to look at anyone. "Well, uh, then let's move on to what the dream was about."

"Right, "Cordy began. "Okay. Well, I was back at that roach-infested craphole of an apartment that I was living in, when I first moved to LA. My hair was a bit longer back then, and I could feel the ponytail against my back. I was on my bed, looking over the letters."

"Letters?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, the letters I'd gotten from Xander when he was on his road trip after Graduation."

"Please continue," Wesley told her, intrigued.

"Well, I remember being pissed off at Buffy for something or another; and then I heard an egg timer go off. I went into the bathroom, and picked up the…" she trailed off.

"Picked up the what?"

"The – the home pregnancy test. And it had this blue line, down the middle. I just tossed it next to two others, that were on the counter! Then I went back out to the bed, and looked at a picture of Xander. I started to think of how I was missing him, and wondering how he was gonna react when I showed up at his doorstep, pregnant and all. Then I woke up, when I heard Xander getting ready for work."

Fred leaned in. "Were you thinking of Erica and Kelsey, when you were with Xander last night?"

Cordy nodded. "Yeah, when we were out in the garden last night enjoying, uh...the night air. I was thinking of how lucky I was to have had kids with him. You, um, you think that could be it?"

"Maybe not."

The two women looked at Wesley. "Why do you say that?" asked the former refugee from Pylea.

The Watcher took another sip from his tea, before answering. "Well, I'm just remembering what you said happened, the last time you went to the realm of the Powers That Be. When that Metatron chap gave you your memories back. You did say that you remembered some things you couldn't remember before, yes?"

"Yeah, like the night of the Harvest," Cordy shrugged.

"What was the Harvest?" Fred asked her in confusion.

"Oh, that was when Buffy first moved to Sunnydale. I guess you could call it the first ever Scooby mission! The big boss guy of the bloodsuckers back then, with the way- unimaginative name of 'The Master', he was stuck in this abandoned church under the town; and some sort of force field or something was holding him in..."

Cordelia leaned forward, "So he sent this big steroid pumper-looking vamp to feed on the people at the Bronze. I was told later that every time he fed, that the Master got power from the killing, enough to try to get loose. I was brought up next to be killed, when Xander and the others broke in and fought them off," the former seer told the physicist.

"But I didn't remember it afterwards. I thought it was some kind of gang fight or something! Giles told me the next year that my brain couldn't handle the concept of vampires then, so it just forgot what it couldn't understand."

"And you said the same was true with your memories regarding Dawn?" Wes asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. Like, I remember one time Xander and I wanted to go see that movie 'Armageddon', but we ended up watching Dawn for Mrs. Summers instead. But now I can remember how we actually went to the movie, since Dawn wasn't really there. Hell, I even remember how Xander got jealous when I said Ben Affleck looked hot! It took two hours of making out in my bedroom, to get him to forget that I ever said that."

"I'll consult my books to see what I can come up with," Wesley sighed at the excess information. "But I think what happened to you up there, might be a very rare event. So finding any information on your, um, experience, might be hard to accomplish. You will tell me, if it happens again?" he looked at her.

"Of course, Wes," Cordy glanced down at her watch. "Damn. It's time for my little session with Alex! It still unnerves me that I have to be taught by a teenager." She moved to leave, but turned back. "Guys, how about we keep all this just between ourselves for now, okay?"

The other two both nodded their heads.

"Thanks."

***

Michael moved back to join the others at the couch, his body language indicating that he was troubled by something.

"What's wrong, Michael?" Maria asked him, after seeing his face.

He just looked back towards Gunn, who by the weapons cabinet. "That guy – is definitely getting on my nerves. He just keeps looking at me! It's like he never saw an alien before."

"Well, he hasn't," Liz said with a shrug.

"But that Willow chick, she said they fought some space demon a few years ago. Something about it attacking crazy people?" Michael told her.

"And you believed her?" Kyle asked, surprised.

Michael nodded. "Hey, after she went all black-eyed on me and made me float ten feet off the ground? I was ready to believe whatever the hell she said."

They looked up, as Max came back into the lobby from the pool area. "How's Isabel doing?" Liz asked, right away.

The alien lowered his voice, so only the gang could hear his words. "Not good. She wants to get Alex to come home with us to Roswell for Christmas, but he'd have to stay in our parents' house and not go anywhere. I mean heck, he's dead to everyone there! Not to mention her feelings for him..."

Michael nodded grimly. "Yeah, even I can tell she still wants the guy. Having her first real boyfriend come back from the dead, and being married to a guy in Boston…and oh crap, he's going to be there in Roswell – isn't he?"

"Yeah."

They all turned, when they heard the basement door open up. Out came Alex Whitman, and a sweat-soaked Cordelia. He came over to his friends, while she went for a cold water bottle from the fridge under the counter.

"My God, Alex," Maria exclaimed. "What the hell were you two doing down there? She looks like she just ran the Boston Marathon, twice!"

"It took a lot of her concentration just to do the little stuff," Alex told them, as he plopped down on the couch.

"Little stuff?" Max inquired.

"Yeah, I just had her practicing teleporting to various sides of the room, without the huge ritual she had to use the last time she did it."

"She can actually teleport?" Maria sat up, stunned.

"Oh, yeah," Alex told her with a shrug. "Someday, she'll be able to do it like without thinking. But up until now, it's all been reflex moves. Taking some anger out of that Connor guy, teleporting to find Xander, even stopping all those inter-dimensional bugs that infested this place..."

"Inter…what bugs!?" Kyle demanded.

"Yep, this place was swarming with 'em a few years ago."

"What did these bugs do?" Max asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

Alex shrugged. "Nothing big, really."

"Well, thank God," Maria said in relief.

"They only took over your body slowly like a parasite, and drank all your bodily fluids till there was nothing left. One guy actually collapsed into dust."

"Like what we saw a vampire does?"

Alex shook his head. "Nope. More like what happens, if you drop a hard chunk of baking flour from a fifth-storey window."

"OH MY GOD!" Maria cried out, looking like she might be sick.

"Alex, knock it off," Max ordered.

"What's going on?" Isabel then asked, as she came in from the pool area.

***

Cordelia grinned, as she heard Alex messing with his friends. God, Xander and him are going to get along great. And speaking of Dweeb Boy, he's half an hour late!

"Hey Fred," Cordy called out, leaning over the counter. "Has Xander called?"

Fred shook her head. "No, he..." they both looked when Xander came through the lobby doors. "...he's here."

Cordelia went right over to her intended, and kissed him. And it took her a long moment to realize, that he was not returning the kiss. She looked up to see a stunned look on her fiancé's face, and so moved him over to the round couch. "Baby, what's wrong?"

Xander just stared off into the void as he answered, "Everyone wants it…so they're pushing through funding for three more now, since it's out in the open..."

By now, everyone in the lobby was listening. "What are you talking about, Xander?" Cordelia asked again.

He turned to look at her. "The X-303…the Prometheus."

That piqued Max's interest. "They're making more of those spaceships? The one that's a replacement for the space shuttle fleet?"

Xander looked at him, still slightly stunned. It was obvious that he was just repeating a cover story, when he next spoke, "Yeah…replacing the shuttle, that's what they're for…no other reason at all..."

Cordy grabbed his head, and turned it back towards her. "Xander, what is freaking you out so much? The fact that they're building more of those things?"

He shook his head, "No, no, that was always the plan. But…they've got names picked out for them now. The X-305 is the, uh, 'Columbia'. The X-306, that's the 'Francis R. Scobee'."

"Who?" Gunn asked.

"The mission commander of the shuttle 'Challenger'," Alex answered him.

"Wait a minute, Xander," Wes said. "The Prometheus from TV, that was the X-303.And you named the 305 and 306. What's the 304's name going to be?"

Without a word, Xander turned and opened the briefcase he had with him. The fact that he didn't normally carry one, instantly tipped Cordy off that something was going on. The woman then watched as he handed her a framed pencil-and-ink drawing of a Prometheus-class ship.

She saw the ID number on the bottom as the X-304, but what made her gasp was the same thing that had surprised Xander.

"Cordy, what is it?" Fred asked coming over.

Cordelia handed her the framed drawing of the ship. "It's the X-304…the 'Alexander Harris'," she said, stunned.

"What!?" Max yelled, as he grabbed the drawing.

Xander just kept looking at Cordelia. "There's actually gonna be a fricking starship named after me!?"