Chapter Five: Remember, Cordy, Remember [Remember the movie Hocus Pocus. "Remember, Winnie, remember."]

Faith was covered in sweat. She was groaning and moaning. Her back arched off the bed as she tried to alleviate the pain somehow. "Oh, My God. Faith," with those words Cordy seemed to spring into action. She pulled off the covers only to see that the bed was covered in blood. The stench of it permeated the room. "Fred. Get Spike in here. Finish cleaning Connor off, and then take him somewhere. I don't care where, just not here. Get him some ice cream or something. Robin, get me some towels. Angel go get my purse, in it is a small plastic first aid kit, get it for me. Ok. Faith, it's going to be okay. I'm going to help you."

Cordy took a breath, closed her eyes and tried to remember the things that she knew she could remember from her studies. Her face showed strength and determination that they would not die. First she placed the towels in between to attempt to slow the blood or at the very least clean off the most of it so she could see. "Angel, is the baby's heart still beating?" "Yes." "How many beats in 30 seconds? Count it and tell me." Angel, listening with vampire hearing said 60 beats. Mentally doing the math in her head she found it to be acceptable, for now. Now, she checked internally trying to feel the baby's position. Damn, it hadn't turned all the way, yet. It was breeched. "Spike, get me a very sharp knife from the shopping bag near the door. Faith, listen to me, I've got to get the baby out. It's not turned all the way, its bottom is stuck and it can't turn. I'm afraid that I'll have to do a c-section. Do you trust me? Will you let me help you?"

Faith, crying now, nodded yes. "Please, help. Please, help my baby." She touched her face, said "I'll try," and then continued with the orders.


Cordy ordered Spike to hold her shoulders down, while Angel held her legs to keep her from moving. Only a vampire could hold the slayer down when she was in that much pain. Due to the excitement and fear at that time, no one really understood that Cordy really knew what she was doing. They just reacted. She ordered them to get her more towels, to get alcohol from the first aid kit, to get the needle and thread ready and watched her as extracted the baby from her womb.

Working efficiently, Cordy cut the baby's cord, turned it over so that it's head was facing the floor and gave it three somewhat light, yet forceful pats on the back with the heal of her hand until the mucus was released and the baby started crying. Grabbing another towel, she wrapped the baby and gave it to the shocked father. "Robin, here hold your son. Congratulations, mommy and daddy, it's a boy." Robin stood stiffly as the crying child was placed in his arms. He seemed afraid to move, afraid of dropping or jarring in any way the new member of the family.

For a moment, they all smiled, before Cordy returned to the task of stopping Faith's bleeding. All the while, talking to her charge in a soft gentle tone about how proud she was of her and how she would be a wonderful mother. It took longer to stop the bleeding than to take the baby out, but in three hours the entire ordeal was forgotten as Faith held her son in her arms. No longer was she veiled, her emotions clearly on her face. Love, hope, joy, and pride were evident in the new mommy's face. "Thank you so much Cordy. God, I can't believe it." 

"You're welcome, Faith. Like I said, you're going to be a wonderful mommy and Robin's going to be a great daddy. Congratulations." Cordy had tears in her eyes; she couldn't believe that she had done it. SHE, Cordelia Chase-Angel, had done it. She actually remembered how to do a C-section and it worked. They were all fine now. The relief flooded her body as the tension gained in working for three hours became evident. Her own pregnant body was stiff and she really needed a hot soak in the tub and a nice massage from her husband.

Now came the hard part of naming the little bundle of joy. The two new parents quietly argued about names, while the others cleaned up and went over the plans again, this time excluding the slayer from the break in.

Cordy excused herself to take a shower in order to relax. Well, the point was to relax. Instead, it brought more tension as Cordy realized what she had done. They saw her; they'd soon figure it out. Oh. God. She silently cried in the shower, tears not apparent as the water flowed down, tears disappearing into the drain, never to be seen to anyone.

But through my tears breaks a blinding light
Birthing a dawn to this endless night
Arms outstretched, awaiting me
An open embrace upon a bleeding tree