Cordelia spent the drive eating chocolates and drinking cold Evian.
The chauffer didn't talk to her and she offered no conversation with him.
When they pulled up outside a pink stucco style house she thought they were making a stop first. "What are we doing?"
"We're here Miss Chase." He replied as though she should already know.
"Really? This is my parent's place? She missed out the fact that it was huge! She told me it was smaller than our old one. And nice. This is amazing!"
He nodded and got her bag out of the trunk. "Follow me please."
She followed him up to the front doors. He opened one of them with e key and let her inside.
"Wait here." He instructed, putting her bag down at her feet.
She nodded, in awe of the hall she was in. It had a large open staircase that wound upwards towards the high ceiling and large paintings on the wall. It was decorated in neutral tones.
"Cordelia darling!" Her mother exclaimed, rushing through from a door on the left. "You're here at last!"
"Hi Mom!" She smiled and hugged the older woman.
"How are you feeling? Not too tired? You look a bit peaky."
"I'm fine." She assured her, blocking out the memory of her morning sickness.
"Well, come on through to the conservatory. I've got some excellent Iced Tea that you must try."
Cordelia followed Mrs Chase through a large formal dining room and an airy parlour before going through French doors and into the conservatory. "This place is huge! I thought you said it was smaller than our old house?"
"Oh did I? I must have thought it was because I couldn't see it." She told her and sat down in a soft chair. "It does have fewer bedrooms but we did get a Jacuzzi with it as well as a swimming pool."
"Wow." Cordelia commented. "How many less bedrooms?"
"Only one." Mrs Chase said and then smiled. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling okay, kind of huge." She replied with a laugh. "I've moved into the Hyperion. Angel and I discussed it and we decided that it would be better for when the time comes. That way someone will always be around."
"I agree, that sounds like a wise decision." Mrs Chase nodded. "Do you have a nursery and a nanny all set up?"
"I have a nursery but I'm not getting a nanny. I'm looking after the baby myself."
"Oh, I envy you. I always wished I'd looked after you myself. First we had Elsa, the nanny and then the maids took turns in watching you. It would have been wonderful to bring you up." She told her sadly.
"I'm with you now. And besides, I work at the hotel as well as live there so I'll be near him or her all the time. I'd be paying a nanny for nothing."
"You are going to the Lamaze classes though?"
"Uh, no. I tried them and they're not for me." She explained simply.
"Why not? They're very useful." Mrs Chase told her.
"My doctor is dealing with all the important stuff so I don't need to go." She told her and then decided to change the subject. "Where's Daddy?"
"Oh, he's in meetings all day. But he'll be back for the party, don't worry."
"The party?"
"Oh, I thought I mentioned it to that man on the phone. We're hosting a party tonight. It's only going to be small, just a few friends."
"How many friends?" Cordelia asked dryly.
"Oh, only about a hundred or so." She told her casually. "Which reminds me, I've got you something to wear. It's upstairs on your bed. I hope you like it."
"I'm sure I will." Cordelia assured her. "But you shouldn't have."
"Did you bring anything dressy to wear?"
"Uh, no." Cordelia admitted and then smiled. "You did remember that I've gone up a couple of sizes around the waist area didn't you?"
Mrs Chase rolled her eyes. "Of course I did. I spoke to the salesgirl and she found the perfect dress for you in your condition."
"Where at?"
"Valentino." She replied. "The salesgirl was..."
"Valentino? When am I going to wear a Valentino dress again?"
Mrs Chase laughed. "You'll find somewhere, now how about a dip in the pool?" She suggested.
"I didn't bring a bathing suit."
"I have some shorts you can wear and that vest ought to be burnt anyway so wear that."
Cordelia laughed. "I hope you know that this vest is one of the only things that fits me!"
Mrs Chase laughed and stood up before offering her hand to Cordelia. "Come on, a swim will do you good."
They swam for a while and then relaxed by the pool on loungers in the sun.
A maid brought them out delicate chicken mayo sandwiches and chopped vegetables on platters at four o clock.
At five thirty they went inside to start getting ready for the party.
Cordelia was shown to her room by the maid and she discovered the dress on the bed and a pair of gold sandals on the floor.
She opened the box and a satin dress slithered out. The material was silky soft and shimmered like gold. It was beautiful and she could see from the cut that it would fit perfectly. It reminded her of the dress she had seen Kate Hudson wearing in People.
She put the dress down and went to shower.
By the time she was dressed and had applied her makeup it was time for her to go downstairs for the party.
She walked through to the kitchen to find her mom overseeing the catering. She was already dressed in an aquamarine cocktail dress with matching necklace and earrings.
"Darling, you look beautiful!" She exclaimed. "Your father will be over the moon."
"You did tell him I was pregnant didn't you?" She thought to ask.
"Of course I did."
"Was he okay with it?"
"He was thrilled!" She promised. "He's upstairs right now getting changed. He came in about ten minutes ago. You only just missed him."
"What time is everyone arriving?" She asked, nibbling on a cheese stick from one on the platters of food.
"About a half hour." Her mother replied and then saw something outside. "I won't be a second honey; one of the caterers is putting the gateaux next to the garlic bread!"
"And that sounds like a crisis." She commented to herself. "Can I do anything to help?" She asked one of the caterers.
She looked shocked by the question. "No, we're fine."
She walked out onto the patio where fairy light had been hung. It was warm and balmy and she wished that Angel could be here with her. She decided to go and ring him before the party started.
She went upstairs and to her room. She quickly dialled the familiar number and waited while someone picked up. It was Angel.
"Hey it's me." She told him.
"Hey, what're you up to?" He asked, glad to hear her voice. It had been strange not having her at the hotel that afternoon.
"Well, I'm sat here in my bedroom wearing an incredibly expensive satin ball gown waiting for a huge party to start." She told him, sounding bored.
"What are you really doing?" He asked, not believing her.
"That is what I'm doing, honestly."
"Really?" He laughed.
"Really. What are you guys doing?"
"Well, Wes is still in his office researching and translating. Gunn and Fred went to clear out a vampire nest and I'm waiting for the sun to go down so I can get out of here."
"I think something is going on with them too." Cordelia told him wisely.
"Who?"
"Fred and Wes."
"Why?"
"It's pretty obvious Angel, open you eyes." She instructed.
He laughed. "Okay. Have you seen your dad yet?"
"No, not yet. He's here though. He came home while I was getting ready."
"Are you okay?" He asked. "You sound quiet."
"I don't like being away from home. Everything is weird here. I'm scared that when I come back home I'll be the same spoilt bitch I was back in Sunnydale. It would be easy to do." She admitted.
"You won't do that." He told her confidently.
"How do you know?"
"Because I know you. You're not that girl anymore. I think you grew a heart."
She laughed. "I guess maybe I did."
There was a knock on the door.
"Oh, I gotta go, I'll call you tomorrow." She promised and hung up. "Come in."
Her father walked in, dressed in a striking black tuxedo. "Hello Cordelia."
"Hi Daddy." She replied shyly and stood up.
"How are you?" He asked awkwardly. "I heard about the baby."
"Are you okay with it?"
He nodded. "Why wouldn't I be? You are well though?"
She nodded and smiled. "I'm well."
Her father looked at her for a moment. "Don't I get a hug?"
When Cordelia came down the stairs on her father's arm her mother's eyes teared up.
"I've waited so long to see that again!" She exclaimed and dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "Honey, that dress looks absolutely divine on you."
"It might look better if I wasn't seven and a half months pregnant but yeah, I could go with divine." She joked.
"Come and meet our friends." Mrs Chase told her and indicated with her finger that they would follow her.
Already the formal parlour was filled with people. Most of them were her parents' age but there were a few guys her age and a couple who looked close to seventy.
Mrs Chase introduced her to a few of her father's business colleagues and some distant relatives and then seated her next to a twenty five year old lawyer.
She made polite conversation with him for fifteen minutes and then excused herself to get a drink.
She found her father in the kitchen talking to an older man. He excused himself quickly. "Are you enjoying the party?"
"It's pretty boring." She told him honestly and he laughed.
"Most of our parties are." He replied with equal honesty. "I know what your mom told you about my old business dealings."
"You don't have to explain about that." She told him quickly.
"I want to." He insisted. "I want you to know that I was in no way connected to that man's death. It was unfortunate that my name was mentioned. I didn't want to leave you but I felt that it would be easier for you to stay in Sunnydale and continue your education. We made arrangements for your grandmother to send you to college. We left enough money with her to get you through Harvard, if you had wanted to. But you never contacted her. We thought you would. I tried to find you when we came back to America. I'll admit not that hard, but I didn't expect you to ever leave Sunnydale. Then again, I never thought your mother and I would. I want to apologise for leaving like that. But the IRS was on my back and the Sunnydale police force wanted to talk to me in association with that guy's murder and it was easier to just disappear. We didn't go bankrupt. That was the reason we could afford to buy this house. I had a number of private accounts that the IRS didn't know about. They were all in different names. There's one for you. I started it the day you were born. On every birthday I added ten thousand dollars. All of it is still there." He let his words sink in. "It's yours now to do what you want with."
Her mouth gaped open in shock. "Ten thousand dollars! But I'm twenty one! That's..."
"Two hundred and ten thousand dollars." He finished. "I kept it updated since we lost touch just in case we'd find each other again."
He put his hand into his inside pocket and pulled out a bank certificate. "Here you go, it's yours."
She accepted it with trembling fingers. "But that's two hundred and ten thousand dollars! What am I going to do with that amount of money?"
"Do whatever you want with it." He told her and smiled. "Buy yourself a boat or a car or a horse. It's yours to spend how you like. I'll keep updating it on your birthday every year."
"You don't have to do that."
"But I want to, because I love you." He told her and kissed her forehead. "Now wipe the shocked look off your face and go and mingle. Before the end of the night I want all of my friends to know what a wonderful daughter I have!"
The party was wonderful. The food itself was worth going. Despite her best intentions Cordelia was tired by eleven o clock and went to bed early.
When she awoke in the morning her mother was sat in the conservatory with cucumber slices on her eyes.
"Cordelia? Is that you?" She asked and peeled a slice off so she could see. "Oh good, I've made appointments for us at the Edwardian Spa."
"For what?" She asked suspiciously.
"For massages, pedicures and manicures of course." Her mother replied, slipping the cucumber slice back on her eye.
"But I only had a manicure and pedicure the other day." She protested.
"Oh, you can't have one often enough. Besides, I have a yearly membership. While we're there we're going to have out hair cut and have a facial." She told her. "Now go and put on something nice and we can go."
"You're not even dressed yet." She pointed out.
"I'm not?"
"No."
"Well, I'd better get dressed then." She supposed and sat up, letting the cucumber drop of her eyes. "I can't be seen in public like this! It would lower my reputation!"
Cordelia just rolled her eyes and went upstairs ahead of Mrs Chase to get dressed.
She had to admit that she did look good as she came out of the spa. Her hair had been trimmed and styled so that it fit just under her chin with an asymmetrical fringe. Her nails were all shiny pink again and her skin was really soft after the facial.
Mrs Chase insisted that they do a 'spot' of shopping before they went home and took her to a tiny boutique near to her house.
The boutique was not as tiny as she first thought. They were seated near to the cash desk and plates of sandwiches, salads and potato chips were brought out as soon as they were comfortable.
As they ate salesgirls came out and modelled a selection of their new clothes. Mrs Chase had a quiet word to one of them and they started to bring out maternity clothes.
Some of them were clearly not her style but there were some fashionable things. Mrs Chase insisted on buying her a couple of pairs of boot cut jeans and some floaty tops that would minimise her size. She also selected a pair of comfy looking pyjamas that would be perfect for in the hospital. Cordelia insisted on buying the matching dressing gown herself.
When they left the manageress promised to deliver their purchases that day so they'd be able to go home with Cordelia the next morning. Cordelia called Angel as soon as she got back and told him what time to expect her. She didn't mention the money; she'd rather tell him that to his face.
That night her father took her and her mom to a posh restaurant where they celebrated Cordelia's pregnancy and finding each other again.
Her mother managed to introduce her to 'suitable bachelors' but she just smiled and managed to dismiss them without hurting their feelings too much.
They left early and Cordelia went to bed early, laving her mom and dad downstairs drinking martinis.
The next morning she was up early. She was ready to go home.
She hugged her mom and dad tightly outside before climbing into the car.
"I'll call you soon." Her mom promised and dabbed at her eyes. "We've loved having you here. We missed you so much."
"You'll come back soon." Mr Chase told her confidently. "Have a safe trip."
"Look after yourself!" Mrs Chase called out as the car started to move.
Cordelia settled back into the leather upholstery and slid her sunglasses onto her nose to shut out the morning sunshine.
She pulled a bottle of water out of the cooler and took a sip before taking the bank certificate out of her bag and reading it again. Two hundred and ten thousand dollars! What could she do with that much money? She could get the baby and ten others through college and still be able to live well off. Even if she left it in the bank and didn't touch it then it would gain interest.
She sighed. She'd talk to Angel about it when she got home.
The chauffer took her bags inside and bid her farewell, holding the hotel door open for her until she was inside.
She walked down the stairs and pulled her sunglasses off her nose and looked around.
There was no-one there.
How could no-one be there on a Monday morning?"
She went to the main stairs and went upstairs. She peeked in Angel's room and saw him lying in bed. "Hey."
He lifted his head up and then let out a moan of pain. "Hey."
She rushed to his side. "What happened?"
"We went out on a case last night and got into a fight with an Ungari demon." He told her.
"Aren't they really big and strong?" She asked, her fingers moving swiftly over his chest looking for wounds.
He nodded. "I got my own sword shoved through my stomach."
She pushed the covers down and took a look at the wound. "It looks nasty. Let me get the first aid kit."
She hurried into the bathroom and grabbed the first aid kit from under the sink. "How come you aren't healed yet?"
"Well, I said last night but it was probably about six this morning. The sun was just rising as we came in." He tried to shuffle up the bed.
"Keep still. I'll manage." She told him with a quick smile as she started to clean the wound. "How do you always manage to get hurt?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. Probably because I'm the only one that ever does any work around here."
She put a shocked look on her face. "Come on Angel, you know I'm good with a broadsword."
He laughed but it turned into a groan of pain. "I shouldn't do that."
"No, you shouldn't." She agreed. "Did anyone else get hurt?"
"Gunn took a few punches and Wes got thrown across the room. Fred's okay."
"Did Wes get knocked out again?"
"I don't think so."
She finished her cleaning and dressing of his wound and looked at him. "Did the sword go all the way through?"
He nodded. "Twice, kind of like he was trying to saw through me."
She rolled her eyes. "You do exaggerate sometimes. I'll let you lay there instead of trying, in my weakened state, to lift you and clean the other side. I'll get you some blood though."
He nodded. "Thanks."
She went downstairs and warmed up some blood for him.
He drank it eagerly and she knew it would benefit him more than anything she could do.
"Do you want anymore?" She asked when he'd finished.
He shook his head. "No, I'll be fine."
"You always are." She replied, stroking his hair. "Besides, I think I know something that might make you feel better."
"And what's that?" He asked, trying not to be distracted by her fingers against his head.
"I've just been given two hundred and ten thousand dollars." She told him.
He looked stunned. "You've what?"
"I've been given two hundred and..." She started to recite again.
"I heard Cordelia. From your parents?"
She nodded. "Yep, apparently my dad set up an account for me when I was born and he put ten thousand dollars in it every year on my birthday. I'm now officially rich. Again."
"What are you going to do with it?"
She shrugged and put her hand in his casually. "Make sure that there's enough money for the baby to have a happy life and then I haven't got a clue. Maybe I could buy Tiffany's."
He grinned and squeezed her hand. "As good as that would be, maybe you should think about investing it."
"What do you, Mr Eighteenth Century, know about investing?" She asked, an eyebrow raised.
He poked her in the side. "You might think I'm mentally stunted but I'm really not."
She laughed and caught his finger in her other hand. "Yeah right."
He chose to ignore her. "Did you have a good time this weekend?"
She nodded. "It was nice."
"You don't want to go live there then?" He looked worried.
"No, this is my home." She assured him with a smile. "I promise, I'm not going anywhere. Besides, if I stayed there longer than a weekend then I'd turn into the spoilt little girl I was back in Sunnydale. Somehow I don't think I want to become that girl again."
"I like both of them." He told her, still aware that both of her hands were still in his.
"Really?" She asked, her nose scrunched up. "Even the cold hearted bitch?"
"Even the cold hearted bitch." He assured her. "Maybe I even like her the best." He teased.
She squeezed his fingers. "That's like me telling you I like Angelus better than you."
He looked shocked for a second and then smiled. "Okay, you win. You always do. Is the baby okay?"
She nodded and released one of his hands to pat her swollen stomach. "The bubs is fine. Getting bigger by the day. It almost makes me scared about what's to come."
"Maybe you should have stuck with the Lamaze classes." He told her with a grin.
She pulled a face and lifted his arm up in the air so she could curl up with his arm around her shoulders and her head on his chest. "Somehow I think no."
He laughed softly. "Are you tired?"
"A little." She replied and then yawned as if to prove a point. "I'm tired all the time these days."
"That's understandable." He replied and kissed the top of her head. "Have a couple of hours sleep and then you'll feel better."
She did feel better after a nap. She and Angel got up and went downstairs, by that time everyone else had dragged themselves in. Gunn had a couple of ugly bruises on his head and Wes had no visible wounds. He insisted that all of his injuries were internal.
Cordelia spent the afternoon sat on the floor of the office sorting through old files and throwing away the ones that were finished.
Sitting there she suddenly remembered about the money. She grabbed Angel's arm when he came past her. "Hey, we never did talk about the money."
"No, we didn't." He agreed, dropping to the floor so he was sat next to her. "Have you thought of what you want to do?"
"Well, I did think about one thing." She told him mysteriously.
"You did? What?"
"How much would it cost to buy this place?" She asked, holding her breath for his answer.
"No." He replied instantly. "Not a chance."
"What?"
"You're not buying the hotel!" He told her.
"And what if I want to?" She told him petulantly.
"I won't let you." He insisted.
"How much would it cost?"
"I'm not letting you buy it!" He insisted.
"How much Angel?" She ordered.
"A hundred and seventy." He replied, defeated.
"Why is it that cheap?"
"Because it's a run down hotel and only us want it. It was on the market for thirty years before we moved in. I've already paid twenty on the mortgage so that leaves one fifty left."
"Let me buy the hotel." She whispered.
"No." He replied.
"I'll do it anyway." She told him defiantly, sticking her tongue out.
"Well, let's wait until you have the baby before we argue this out, I don't want you going into labour half way through!"
"Are you anticipating us arguing about it?" She smirked.
"You two? Argue?" Wes said sarcastically as he walked past. He looked down at them. "Never!"
The chauffer didn't talk to her and she offered no conversation with him.
When they pulled up outside a pink stucco style house she thought they were making a stop first. "What are we doing?"
"We're here Miss Chase." He replied as though she should already know.
"Really? This is my parent's place? She missed out the fact that it was huge! She told me it was smaller than our old one. And nice. This is amazing!"
He nodded and got her bag out of the trunk. "Follow me please."
She followed him up to the front doors. He opened one of them with e key and let her inside.
"Wait here." He instructed, putting her bag down at her feet.
She nodded, in awe of the hall she was in. It had a large open staircase that wound upwards towards the high ceiling and large paintings on the wall. It was decorated in neutral tones.
"Cordelia darling!" Her mother exclaimed, rushing through from a door on the left. "You're here at last!"
"Hi Mom!" She smiled and hugged the older woman.
"How are you feeling? Not too tired? You look a bit peaky."
"I'm fine." She assured her, blocking out the memory of her morning sickness.
"Well, come on through to the conservatory. I've got some excellent Iced Tea that you must try."
Cordelia followed Mrs Chase through a large formal dining room and an airy parlour before going through French doors and into the conservatory. "This place is huge! I thought you said it was smaller than our old house?"
"Oh did I? I must have thought it was because I couldn't see it." She told her and sat down in a soft chair. "It does have fewer bedrooms but we did get a Jacuzzi with it as well as a swimming pool."
"Wow." Cordelia commented. "How many less bedrooms?"
"Only one." Mrs Chase said and then smiled. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling okay, kind of huge." She replied with a laugh. "I've moved into the Hyperion. Angel and I discussed it and we decided that it would be better for when the time comes. That way someone will always be around."
"I agree, that sounds like a wise decision." Mrs Chase nodded. "Do you have a nursery and a nanny all set up?"
"I have a nursery but I'm not getting a nanny. I'm looking after the baby myself."
"Oh, I envy you. I always wished I'd looked after you myself. First we had Elsa, the nanny and then the maids took turns in watching you. It would have been wonderful to bring you up." She told her sadly.
"I'm with you now. And besides, I work at the hotel as well as live there so I'll be near him or her all the time. I'd be paying a nanny for nothing."
"You are going to the Lamaze classes though?"
"Uh, no. I tried them and they're not for me." She explained simply.
"Why not? They're very useful." Mrs Chase told her.
"My doctor is dealing with all the important stuff so I don't need to go." She told her and then decided to change the subject. "Where's Daddy?"
"Oh, he's in meetings all day. But he'll be back for the party, don't worry."
"The party?"
"Oh, I thought I mentioned it to that man on the phone. We're hosting a party tonight. It's only going to be small, just a few friends."
"How many friends?" Cordelia asked dryly.
"Oh, only about a hundred or so." She told her casually. "Which reminds me, I've got you something to wear. It's upstairs on your bed. I hope you like it."
"I'm sure I will." Cordelia assured her. "But you shouldn't have."
"Did you bring anything dressy to wear?"
"Uh, no." Cordelia admitted and then smiled. "You did remember that I've gone up a couple of sizes around the waist area didn't you?"
Mrs Chase rolled her eyes. "Of course I did. I spoke to the salesgirl and she found the perfect dress for you in your condition."
"Where at?"
"Valentino." She replied. "The salesgirl was..."
"Valentino? When am I going to wear a Valentino dress again?"
Mrs Chase laughed. "You'll find somewhere, now how about a dip in the pool?" She suggested.
"I didn't bring a bathing suit."
"I have some shorts you can wear and that vest ought to be burnt anyway so wear that."
Cordelia laughed. "I hope you know that this vest is one of the only things that fits me!"
Mrs Chase laughed and stood up before offering her hand to Cordelia. "Come on, a swim will do you good."
They swam for a while and then relaxed by the pool on loungers in the sun.
A maid brought them out delicate chicken mayo sandwiches and chopped vegetables on platters at four o clock.
At five thirty they went inside to start getting ready for the party.
Cordelia was shown to her room by the maid and she discovered the dress on the bed and a pair of gold sandals on the floor.
She opened the box and a satin dress slithered out. The material was silky soft and shimmered like gold. It was beautiful and she could see from the cut that it would fit perfectly. It reminded her of the dress she had seen Kate Hudson wearing in People.
She put the dress down and went to shower.
By the time she was dressed and had applied her makeup it was time for her to go downstairs for the party.
She walked through to the kitchen to find her mom overseeing the catering. She was already dressed in an aquamarine cocktail dress with matching necklace and earrings.
"Darling, you look beautiful!" She exclaimed. "Your father will be over the moon."
"You did tell him I was pregnant didn't you?" She thought to ask.
"Of course I did."
"Was he okay with it?"
"He was thrilled!" She promised. "He's upstairs right now getting changed. He came in about ten minutes ago. You only just missed him."
"What time is everyone arriving?" She asked, nibbling on a cheese stick from one on the platters of food.
"About a half hour." Her mother replied and then saw something outside. "I won't be a second honey; one of the caterers is putting the gateaux next to the garlic bread!"
"And that sounds like a crisis." She commented to herself. "Can I do anything to help?" She asked one of the caterers.
She looked shocked by the question. "No, we're fine."
She walked out onto the patio where fairy light had been hung. It was warm and balmy and she wished that Angel could be here with her. She decided to go and ring him before the party started.
She went upstairs and to her room. She quickly dialled the familiar number and waited while someone picked up. It was Angel.
"Hey it's me." She told him.
"Hey, what're you up to?" He asked, glad to hear her voice. It had been strange not having her at the hotel that afternoon.
"Well, I'm sat here in my bedroom wearing an incredibly expensive satin ball gown waiting for a huge party to start." She told him, sounding bored.
"What are you really doing?" He asked, not believing her.
"That is what I'm doing, honestly."
"Really?" He laughed.
"Really. What are you guys doing?"
"Well, Wes is still in his office researching and translating. Gunn and Fred went to clear out a vampire nest and I'm waiting for the sun to go down so I can get out of here."
"I think something is going on with them too." Cordelia told him wisely.
"Who?"
"Fred and Wes."
"Why?"
"It's pretty obvious Angel, open you eyes." She instructed.
He laughed. "Okay. Have you seen your dad yet?"
"No, not yet. He's here though. He came home while I was getting ready."
"Are you okay?" He asked. "You sound quiet."
"I don't like being away from home. Everything is weird here. I'm scared that when I come back home I'll be the same spoilt bitch I was back in Sunnydale. It would be easy to do." She admitted.
"You won't do that." He told her confidently.
"How do you know?"
"Because I know you. You're not that girl anymore. I think you grew a heart."
She laughed. "I guess maybe I did."
There was a knock on the door.
"Oh, I gotta go, I'll call you tomorrow." She promised and hung up. "Come in."
Her father walked in, dressed in a striking black tuxedo. "Hello Cordelia."
"Hi Daddy." She replied shyly and stood up.
"How are you?" He asked awkwardly. "I heard about the baby."
"Are you okay with it?"
He nodded. "Why wouldn't I be? You are well though?"
She nodded and smiled. "I'm well."
Her father looked at her for a moment. "Don't I get a hug?"
When Cordelia came down the stairs on her father's arm her mother's eyes teared up.
"I've waited so long to see that again!" She exclaimed and dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "Honey, that dress looks absolutely divine on you."
"It might look better if I wasn't seven and a half months pregnant but yeah, I could go with divine." She joked.
"Come and meet our friends." Mrs Chase told her and indicated with her finger that they would follow her.
Already the formal parlour was filled with people. Most of them were her parents' age but there were a few guys her age and a couple who looked close to seventy.
Mrs Chase introduced her to a few of her father's business colleagues and some distant relatives and then seated her next to a twenty five year old lawyer.
She made polite conversation with him for fifteen minutes and then excused herself to get a drink.
She found her father in the kitchen talking to an older man. He excused himself quickly. "Are you enjoying the party?"
"It's pretty boring." She told him honestly and he laughed.
"Most of our parties are." He replied with equal honesty. "I know what your mom told you about my old business dealings."
"You don't have to explain about that." She told him quickly.
"I want to." He insisted. "I want you to know that I was in no way connected to that man's death. It was unfortunate that my name was mentioned. I didn't want to leave you but I felt that it would be easier for you to stay in Sunnydale and continue your education. We made arrangements for your grandmother to send you to college. We left enough money with her to get you through Harvard, if you had wanted to. But you never contacted her. We thought you would. I tried to find you when we came back to America. I'll admit not that hard, but I didn't expect you to ever leave Sunnydale. Then again, I never thought your mother and I would. I want to apologise for leaving like that. But the IRS was on my back and the Sunnydale police force wanted to talk to me in association with that guy's murder and it was easier to just disappear. We didn't go bankrupt. That was the reason we could afford to buy this house. I had a number of private accounts that the IRS didn't know about. They were all in different names. There's one for you. I started it the day you were born. On every birthday I added ten thousand dollars. All of it is still there." He let his words sink in. "It's yours now to do what you want with."
Her mouth gaped open in shock. "Ten thousand dollars! But I'm twenty one! That's..."
"Two hundred and ten thousand dollars." He finished. "I kept it updated since we lost touch just in case we'd find each other again."
He put his hand into his inside pocket and pulled out a bank certificate. "Here you go, it's yours."
She accepted it with trembling fingers. "But that's two hundred and ten thousand dollars! What am I going to do with that amount of money?"
"Do whatever you want with it." He told her and smiled. "Buy yourself a boat or a car or a horse. It's yours to spend how you like. I'll keep updating it on your birthday every year."
"You don't have to do that."
"But I want to, because I love you." He told her and kissed her forehead. "Now wipe the shocked look off your face and go and mingle. Before the end of the night I want all of my friends to know what a wonderful daughter I have!"
The party was wonderful. The food itself was worth going. Despite her best intentions Cordelia was tired by eleven o clock and went to bed early.
When she awoke in the morning her mother was sat in the conservatory with cucumber slices on her eyes.
"Cordelia? Is that you?" She asked and peeled a slice off so she could see. "Oh good, I've made appointments for us at the Edwardian Spa."
"For what?" She asked suspiciously.
"For massages, pedicures and manicures of course." Her mother replied, slipping the cucumber slice back on her eye.
"But I only had a manicure and pedicure the other day." She protested.
"Oh, you can't have one often enough. Besides, I have a yearly membership. While we're there we're going to have out hair cut and have a facial." She told her. "Now go and put on something nice and we can go."
"You're not even dressed yet." She pointed out.
"I'm not?"
"No."
"Well, I'd better get dressed then." She supposed and sat up, letting the cucumber drop of her eyes. "I can't be seen in public like this! It would lower my reputation!"
Cordelia just rolled her eyes and went upstairs ahead of Mrs Chase to get dressed.
She had to admit that she did look good as she came out of the spa. Her hair had been trimmed and styled so that it fit just under her chin with an asymmetrical fringe. Her nails were all shiny pink again and her skin was really soft after the facial.
Mrs Chase insisted that they do a 'spot' of shopping before they went home and took her to a tiny boutique near to her house.
The boutique was not as tiny as she first thought. They were seated near to the cash desk and plates of sandwiches, salads and potato chips were brought out as soon as they were comfortable.
As they ate salesgirls came out and modelled a selection of their new clothes. Mrs Chase had a quiet word to one of them and they started to bring out maternity clothes.
Some of them were clearly not her style but there were some fashionable things. Mrs Chase insisted on buying her a couple of pairs of boot cut jeans and some floaty tops that would minimise her size. She also selected a pair of comfy looking pyjamas that would be perfect for in the hospital. Cordelia insisted on buying the matching dressing gown herself.
When they left the manageress promised to deliver their purchases that day so they'd be able to go home with Cordelia the next morning. Cordelia called Angel as soon as she got back and told him what time to expect her. She didn't mention the money; she'd rather tell him that to his face.
That night her father took her and her mom to a posh restaurant where they celebrated Cordelia's pregnancy and finding each other again.
Her mother managed to introduce her to 'suitable bachelors' but she just smiled and managed to dismiss them without hurting their feelings too much.
They left early and Cordelia went to bed early, laving her mom and dad downstairs drinking martinis.
The next morning she was up early. She was ready to go home.
She hugged her mom and dad tightly outside before climbing into the car.
"I'll call you soon." Her mom promised and dabbed at her eyes. "We've loved having you here. We missed you so much."
"You'll come back soon." Mr Chase told her confidently. "Have a safe trip."
"Look after yourself!" Mrs Chase called out as the car started to move.
Cordelia settled back into the leather upholstery and slid her sunglasses onto her nose to shut out the morning sunshine.
She pulled a bottle of water out of the cooler and took a sip before taking the bank certificate out of her bag and reading it again. Two hundred and ten thousand dollars! What could she do with that much money? She could get the baby and ten others through college and still be able to live well off. Even if she left it in the bank and didn't touch it then it would gain interest.
She sighed. She'd talk to Angel about it when she got home.
The chauffer took her bags inside and bid her farewell, holding the hotel door open for her until she was inside.
She walked down the stairs and pulled her sunglasses off her nose and looked around.
There was no-one there.
How could no-one be there on a Monday morning?"
She went to the main stairs and went upstairs. She peeked in Angel's room and saw him lying in bed. "Hey."
He lifted his head up and then let out a moan of pain. "Hey."
She rushed to his side. "What happened?"
"We went out on a case last night and got into a fight with an Ungari demon." He told her.
"Aren't they really big and strong?" She asked, her fingers moving swiftly over his chest looking for wounds.
He nodded. "I got my own sword shoved through my stomach."
She pushed the covers down and took a look at the wound. "It looks nasty. Let me get the first aid kit."
She hurried into the bathroom and grabbed the first aid kit from under the sink. "How come you aren't healed yet?"
"Well, I said last night but it was probably about six this morning. The sun was just rising as we came in." He tried to shuffle up the bed.
"Keep still. I'll manage." She told him with a quick smile as she started to clean the wound. "How do you always manage to get hurt?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. Probably because I'm the only one that ever does any work around here."
She put a shocked look on her face. "Come on Angel, you know I'm good with a broadsword."
He laughed but it turned into a groan of pain. "I shouldn't do that."
"No, you shouldn't." She agreed. "Did anyone else get hurt?"
"Gunn took a few punches and Wes got thrown across the room. Fred's okay."
"Did Wes get knocked out again?"
"I don't think so."
She finished her cleaning and dressing of his wound and looked at him. "Did the sword go all the way through?"
He nodded. "Twice, kind of like he was trying to saw through me."
She rolled her eyes. "You do exaggerate sometimes. I'll let you lay there instead of trying, in my weakened state, to lift you and clean the other side. I'll get you some blood though."
He nodded. "Thanks."
She went downstairs and warmed up some blood for him.
He drank it eagerly and she knew it would benefit him more than anything she could do.
"Do you want anymore?" She asked when he'd finished.
He shook his head. "No, I'll be fine."
"You always are." She replied, stroking his hair. "Besides, I think I know something that might make you feel better."
"And what's that?" He asked, trying not to be distracted by her fingers against his head.
"I've just been given two hundred and ten thousand dollars." She told him.
He looked stunned. "You've what?"
"I've been given two hundred and..." She started to recite again.
"I heard Cordelia. From your parents?"
She nodded. "Yep, apparently my dad set up an account for me when I was born and he put ten thousand dollars in it every year on my birthday. I'm now officially rich. Again."
"What are you going to do with it?"
She shrugged and put her hand in his casually. "Make sure that there's enough money for the baby to have a happy life and then I haven't got a clue. Maybe I could buy Tiffany's."
He grinned and squeezed her hand. "As good as that would be, maybe you should think about investing it."
"What do you, Mr Eighteenth Century, know about investing?" She asked, an eyebrow raised.
He poked her in the side. "You might think I'm mentally stunted but I'm really not."
She laughed and caught his finger in her other hand. "Yeah right."
He chose to ignore her. "Did you have a good time this weekend?"
She nodded. "It was nice."
"You don't want to go live there then?" He looked worried.
"No, this is my home." She assured him with a smile. "I promise, I'm not going anywhere. Besides, if I stayed there longer than a weekend then I'd turn into the spoilt little girl I was back in Sunnydale. Somehow I don't think I want to become that girl again."
"I like both of them." He told her, still aware that both of her hands were still in his.
"Really?" She asked, her nose scrunched up. "Even the cold hearted bitch?"
"Even the cold hearted bitch." He assured her. "Maybe I even like her the best." He teased.
She squeezed his fingers. "That's like me telling you I like Angelus better than you."
He looked shocked for a second and then smiled. "Okay, you win. You always do. Is the baby okay?"
She nodded and released one of his hands to pat her swollen stomach. "The bubs is fine. Getting bigger by the day. It almost makes me scared about what's to come."
"Maybe you should have stuck with the Lamaze classes." He told her with a grin.
She pulled a face and lifted his arm up in the air so she could curl up with his arm around her shoulders and her head on his chest. "Somehow I think no."
He laughed softly. "Are you tired?"
"A little." She replied and then yawned as if to prove a point. "I'm tired all the time these days."
"That's understandable." He replied and kissed the top of her head. "Have a couple of hours sleep and then you'll feel better."
She did feel better after a nap. She and Angel got up and went downstairs, by that time everyone else had dragged themselves in. Gunn had a couple of ugly bruises on his head and Wes had no visible wounds. He insisted that all of his injuries were internal.
Cordelia spent the afternoon sat on the floor of the office sorting through old files and throwing away the ones that were finished.
Sitting there she suddenly remembered about the money. She grabbed Angel's arm when he came past her. "Hey, we never did talk about the money."
"No, we didn't." He agreed, dropping to the floor so he was sat next to her. "Have you thought of what you want to do?"
"Well, I did think about one thing." She told him mysteriously.
"You did? What?"
"How much would it cost to buy this place?" She asked, holding her breath for his answer.
"No." He replied instantly. "Not a chance."
"What?"
"You're not buying the hotel!" He told her.
"And what if I want to?" She told him petulantly.
"I won't let you." He insisted.
"How much would it cost?"
"I'm not letting you buy it!" He insisted.
"How much Angel?" She ordered.
"A hundred and seventy." He replied, defeated.
"Why is it that cheap?"
"Because it's a run down hotel and only us want it. It was on the market for thirty years before we moved in. I've already paid twenty on the mortgage so that leaves one fifty left."
"Let me buy the hotel." She whispered.
"No." He replied.
"I'll do it anyway." She told him defiantly, sticking her tongue out.
"Well, let's wait until you have the baby before we argue this out, I don't want you going into labour half way through!"
"Are you anticipating us arguing about it?" She smirked.
"You two? Argue?" Wes said sarcastically as he walked past. He looked down at them. "Never!"
