That Thursday Cordelia and Angel went to a Lamaze class at the community centre. There were eight couples, not including themselves and the 'leader' Emily. She started off by making them introduce themselves and their partners and say when their due date was. Most of them were due around the same time as Cordelia and all of them were with their husbands.

"Right, now that we all know each other we'll start the class. We always start by watching a video of a woman giving birth. This is just so you know what you will be facing when the time comes." Emily smiled, slipping a tape in the VCR. "Now, don't be alarmed at this point. In the coming weeks I'm going to show you some breathing exercises and I'm going to tell you all about the different kinds of pain relief you can have. Okay, let's get started."

"So, this means that the tape is going to freak me out, huh?" Cordelia whispered to Angel.

"Of course not." He whispered back.

"Don't start on the giving birth is a wonderful thing again." She warned. "And give me your hand to squeeze if I freak out."

He obligingly gave her his hand and stared intently at the screen.

By the time the woman in the video was ten centimetres dilated Cordelia was early green. The screams and the panting and the stretching were bringing into reality what she was going to have to do.

By the time she'd given birth Angel's hand was almost boneless.

"Are you okay?" He whispered as Emily turned the lights on.

She shook her head.

"Do you want to go outside?"

She nodded, still clinging to his hand.

"We're just going to get some air." Angel announced and led Cordelia out of the room.

"What the hell was that?" She almost screamed when they got outside. "I mean, that was the beautiful thing? Uh huh."

"Uh huh what?"

"I'm not doing that." She informed him.

He almost laughed. "What do you mean you're not doing that?"

"There is no way I am doing that! All the pain... and the pain! I don't think so!"

"Well what are you planning to do?"

"It's gonna have to stay in there!" She decided. "Problem solved!"

"Cordelia..."

"I know!" She snapped. "Do not make this worse! That was not a beautiful thing! That was pain and torture and stretching of places that don't really want to be stretched!"

"But you get a baby in the end." He pointed out, trying to soothe her.

"I could get a baby off Ebay Angel!" She shouted. "I can't do that." Her voice faltered.

He came towards her and put his arms around her. "Yes you can."

"No, I can't." She argued, her voice muffled against his coat.

"Yes, you can."

"Do it for me?"

He laughed. "I would if I could."

"Really?" She turned her head upwards so she could look at him.

He nodded. "I would."

"Wow, that means a lot."

He kissed her forehead gently. "I'll be there for you. I promise."

As she looked into his brown eyes, she knew he was telling the truth. He would be there for her. "Thank you."

He smiled.

She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Really. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Angel took Cordelia to a small café to calm down before they went back to the hotel.

He held the door open for her and they went inside.

"How was Lamaze?" Wes asked.

Cordelia winced. "We're not going back."

"Why not?" Fred asked.

Cordelia looked up at Angel desperately.

"It's not for us." He replied, urging her to sit down.

"Okay." Wes knew to drop it.

"I'll get you some water." He told her, shrugging off his coat.

"Thanks."

"So, what happened?" Wes asked Angel when they were in the kitchen and out of ear shot of Cordelia.

"They made us watch a birthing video and it freaked her out." Angel explained.

"Oh." Wes replied.

"Have you seen one?"

"Yes, I saw one on the Discovery Channel one night. It was... graphic."

"Yeah, it was. They really shouldn't show one of those to women who are going to have to do it." Angel fumed. "She was completely freaked out, really scared. I spent half an hour calming her down in a café."

"Don't you think she should go back?"

"She's refusing."

He filled a glass with water. "And to be quite honest, I don't blame her."

Angel took Cordelia to her favourite restaurant Saturday night. They hadn't spoke of the Lamaze class since Thursday night but Cordelia had told her she planned to talk to her doctor about forms of pain relief so she didn't have to go to any more classes.

They'd decided to go out because Wes had to go and meet a Shaman to discuss protection spells for the hotel for when the baby was born.

He'd given everyone else the night off.

Cordelia made an effort to get dressed up and had put on a pair of black pants and one of her new designer shirts.

To her surprise Angel had also got dressed up. Or rather, he'd got dressed up compared to what he normally wore. He's put on a cranberry coloured short and a pair of black jeans.

He made sure she was comfortable before sitting down himself.

"You look really pretty tonight." He told her.

She smiled. "Thank you, you don't look too bad yourself. I told you that colours suited you."

He shifted uncomfortably. "I thought I'd make an effort."

She touched his fingers. "I like it."

He gripped her fingers in his. "I like it too."

Suddenly, she realised he wasn't talking about clothes anymore. "Angel, you know how much I love you, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I do. You know how much I love you?"

"Probably the same amount as I love you." She smiled. "I hope nothing changes between us when I have the baby."

"It won't." He promised.

"How do you know that?" She asked, looking worried. "I really don't want to stop working or lose you. I don't want things to change just because I have a baby with me. I want to work and see you guys and do everything I already do."

"You can do that." He assured her.

"But what if I can't? You know the danger we face everyday. I don't want to put my baby in danger. But I don't want to have to leave." He realised that there were tears in her eyes and tightened his grip on her fingers. "I'm so scared that my life will change because I have a baby. And I really don't want it to."

"If you don't want it to then it won't. We'll all help look after the baby and keep it safe. Wes is out looking for spells to cast to keep it safe right now. Fred was looking through a baby book yesterday and Gunn practically brought up his sister. Me, well, I ate mine but..." She smiled as a tear ran down her cheek. "I'll learn and I'll be there for you. Does that make you feel better?"

She nodded and brushed the tear away. "I don't know what's wrong with me! I keep crying all the time!"

The waiter, who had been hovering for the last five minutes, came across and handed them menus.

Angel let go of her hand. "Don't worry, okay?"

She nodded. "Thank you. Again."

He grinned. "My pleasure."

They ended up having a really good time. Cordelia chose a salad and Angel picked at a pasta dish, making an effort to eat part of it.

They stayed on after the meal drinking coffee and talking and then he took her home.

He walked her to her door. "I was thinking of something earlier." He told her and she slipped her key in the lock.

"You were?"

He nodded. "I was thinking that maybe you would be more comfortable living at the hotel until the baby is born. So if something happens then there'll be people close by."

"Something happens? Something happens like what? What could happen? Do you know something that I don't?" She asked, panicked.

"No!" He reassured her, a smile on his face. "I meant that if you go into labour early then there'll be people nearby to get you to a hospital. Or if you slip and fall or something then I'll be there."

"That sounds like a good idea." She mused. "I could start packing my things and move in for the end of the week. Is there a room I could use?"

"I could clear out the room next to mine." He offered. "There's not much work to do." He lied. In truth, the room was a disaster site.

"That would be good. All of the baby stuff is being delivered there next week anyway."

"I'll get started then." He promised her and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I had a really good time tonight." She told him truthfully. "It made a change to go out rather than sit in and do nothing."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." He told her, his hand lingering on her arm. "Maybe we could do it again sometime?"

"I'd like that." She replied.

Cordelia moved her things into the hotel as soon as Angel had cleared a room for her. The baby furniture had been delivered the day before and Gunn and Wes had set it up for her in the tiny adjoining room.

She spent the better part of the day unpacking her bags and adding the finishing touches to the bare room, like putting up photographs and arranging flowers.

There was a knock on the door at two thirty. "It's me." Angel told her through the door.

"Come in!"

"Are the drapes shut?" He asked.

She leapt up to close them. "Yes!"

He opened the door slowly. "They are now."

She grinned sheepishly. "What do you think?"

"I think it looks pretty good. Here." He handed her a bag. "I ordered you some food. And a cappuccino."

"Thanks, I was just about to come down." She opened the bag and took out the takeout coffee. "I just wanted to finish now while I was into it. If I took a break then I wouldn't finish."

He sat down on the edge of the bed. "I like the flowers."

"They're artificial." She admitted, taking a bite of her sandwich and sitting down on the floor cross legged in front of him.

"They look real. You appreciate them a lot more when you know you can't go out and see them in the sunlight. Real flowers die when you bring them into this much darkness. It's nice to see flowers again. We should get some for downstairs." He suggested.

"I like them. You can't kill them." She smiled.

He rubbed his hands together, as if he was cold. "Your mom called."

"She did?" She asked brightly, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Yeah, she said she was having a party next weekend and she'd love you to go down and meet 'everyone'. She wants you to call back."

"I'll call her later on. I have a few things I need to do first."

"Like what? The room looks perfect."

"I see you haven't remembered!" She pointed her finger at him.

"Remembered what?" He asked, looking worried.

"It's Wes's birthday tomorrow. I have to go out and get him a card and a gift." She told him, finishing off the last of her food.

"Since when is it his birthday?" He asked. "He didn't mention anything."

"Well, I'm guessing that since he's thirty three tomorrow he doesn't really want it broadcasting."

"How do you know how old Wes is?" He asked, a smile tugging at his lips.

"He told me once, back in Sunnydale, and I kept count." She replied, almost looking proud. "I left it to the last minute, as usual, so I'm going to go to go into town and see if I can get something nice for him. Maybe a pen, or a bookmark."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Here, get him something from both of us." He handed her a fifty.

"Angel, I don't want your money." She argued. "I've got enough money to buy him something. Despite what I say, you do pay me a good wage."

"Yeah, but I forgot, so pool our money and get him something from both of us." He suggested, making sure she took the money.

She smiled. "You really are a good person Angel."

"I try." He smiled back.

"Give me a hand up or I'll never get up off this floor." She held out her hand and gripped his so he could pull her up. "God, I feel huge!"

"You don't look it." He assured her.

"I will do soon." She assured him. "I've seen the pictures of pregnant women at my doctors. Scary!"

After spending two hours shopping she eventually decided on a silver pen and a dark wooden photo frame which she was planning on putting a picture of the AI gang in before she wrapped it.

When she gave them to him the next night he was speechless.

Both Gunn and Fred hadn't known it was his birthday and decided to take him out for a drink.

Wesley had kissed her cheek and looked completely touched at her, and Angel's, gifts before leaving.

Angel sat down at his desk as Cordelia went to hers to phone her mom.

They made arrangements for a car to be sent and Angel made her go to bed early after catching her yawning continuously for twenty minutes.

By the time he went to bed Cordelia was fast asleep, a comforter wrapped tightly around her shoulders and a hand resting on her abdomen.

The week went by quickly. Wes, Angel and Gunn wouldn't let Cordelia go out on cases but she made up for it by doing most of the paperwork.

By the time Friday came Cordelia didn't want to go to San Francisco and Angel had to spend three hours Friday night talking her into it.

He even insisted on packing her bags for her while she sat in bed eating Ben and Jerry's.

He drew the line only at packing her underwear which he insisted she could do in the morning.

"Sit with me?" She asked as he was about to leave.

He smiled and came to sit next to her on the double bed. "What's wrong? You've been quiet all night."

She shrugged. "Nothing, I guess. I'm going to be seeing my dad again after a long time. I know a lot more about him now than I did back then. It might be strange. Plus, I don't know if my mom told him I'm pregnant. I wouldn't put it past her to let him find out when I step out of the car."

"Surely she wouldn't."

"Oh, she would." She replied and put her empty dish on the nightstand. "I guess I'm just nervous."

"I think you deserve to be."

She dropped her head onto his shoulder and curled into his side. "I get so tired these days."

"That's understandable." He replied, dropping a gentle kiss on her head. "There are two of you."

She yawned. "Maybe four or five by the way I'm feeling."

He laughed and closed his eyes.

When he opened them again it was morning and Cordelia was curled up under his arm still fast asleep.

He managed to manoeuvre himself out of bed without waking her but she woke when he opened the bathroom door.

"I meant to get that squeak fixed." He told her apologetically.

"It's okay; I should probably finish packing and get something to eat before the car gets here anyway."

She tried to put on a pair of her favourite jeans but she found they wouldn't fit so she was forced to put on a comfy pair of sweats and a stretchy vest. It wasn't exactly her mother's style but she was comfortable. She was about to go downstairs when she felt the need to be sick.

She reached the toilet just in time and she spent the next twenty minutes slumped over the bowl.

Angel found her there and sat on the edge of the bath, smoothing her hair back. "I thought the morning sickness had stopped."

"It comes on and off." She replied, retching again. "There's nothing left to bring up." She told him.

When she felt better again she stood up and let him help her downstairs. She looked pale and felt weak.

Wes shot her a worried glance but Angel waved his hand, meaning that he should leave it.

The car came for her around lunchtime and a stuffy looking British man took her bag.

"He reminds me a little of you." She teased Wesley s she hugged him goodbye.

Gunn and Fred both hugged her briefly and told her to have a good time and then she turned to say goodbye to Angel.

"I'll call you, I promise." She told him.

He hugged her and then let her go quickly. "Have a really good time, okay? I'll see you Monday morning."

She nodded and followed the chauffer to the car. "See you all in two days."

They waved and watched her leave.

"She'll have a good time." Angel told them all, partly to reassure himself. "She won't decide to go live there. No, definitely not."

Wes rolled his eyes and went back into his office.