A/N: This is turning out to be more complicated than I originally intended. I know where it ends, but the path is long and winding. And I plan to have Wesley baby-sit soon, anyone have ideas of books he'd read for Fiona?

Chapter 4.

January 12, 2001. Caritas.

Christmas was over.

And Cordelia had no idea of what she was going to do.

Unemployed, with a baby to take care of.

A baby that was currently sleeping her very sound sleep in a carrier on Cordy's chest as she walked through Caritas.

So she was desperate. Should she take David's offer of a job, or would something better come along?

For once Cordy didn't just have herself to think about.

It was the most terrifying thing there was.

A little human being depended on her. Faith trusted her to take care of Fiona. Or rather Faith had trusted Angel to take care of his daughter. We all know how well that turned out.

"Steady on, Wesley. Perhaps something by - Cat Stevens." Cordelia turned around at the familiar voice at the bar. Great, just what she needed tonight. Nagging because she'd brought Fiona to a bar instead of lulling her to sleep and staying home with her.

"Wesley."

"Cordelia, with Fiona. How - odd to see the two of you, here at Caritas, a bar. After bed-time," his voice sounded strangled.

"Us? Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Me? Oh, I just came in for a drink," Wesley said and lifted the glass of Bloody Mary.

"Ah. Because only demon Karaoke bars serve those red drinks," Cordelia pushed him. "You were going to sing."

Wesley blushed. "Sing? Oh, dear lord, no. No. Uh, I merely - what are you doing here?"

"Oh. Ah, well... We were, uhm... strolling around in the neighborhood trying to get Fiona to sleep?"

"You live fifteen miles away."

"Yeah, well, you know L.A. It's all one really big neighborhood. And Fiona wouldn't sleep."

"I see," Wesley smiled as they sat down at the bar. "Come to find your destiny, have you? And who's going to help you with that?"

"Shania Twain or Madonna. I haven't decided," she absently stroked the carrier with Fiona in.

"I suppose we're both rather at lose ends now that Angel has..."

"Pulled a total wig?"

"Quite. I must admit, I'm somewhat embarrassed."

"How do you think I feel?"

Wesley turned around at the barstool, Cordelia only looked in the direction of the voice.

"Gunn. What are you…? What happened to 'this was just a side gig?'"

"Hey, I got a rep to maintain, alright? I can't have you all seeing through my brusque and macho exterior," he leant over and stroked Fiona's dark hair. She didn't awake.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Oh, heavens forfend!"

"So, I'll assume it's not Madonna, but what song were you going to sing?" Wesley asked, curious.

Gunn patted him dismissively on a shoulder. "You wouldn't know it."

Cordelia signaled at the bartender. "Well, I for one, would just like to point out the patheticness that is us. This is all Angel's fault. I hope he's happy now. All alone in his demon world with no one to talk to."

*@*

Later.

They were on stage, singing. The host had taken Fiona from Cordelia and was showing her around to the clientele like a proud father. The fact that most of the clientele looked like the monsters that hide under the bed in children's imagination didn't seem to face the three-month-old baby. She grabbed fingers and tentacles that were dipped in front of her eyes.

Some of the clientele wouldn't normally get this close to a baby without thoughts of sacrificing it, but since this was Caritas they keep a tight rein on those impulses. Simply taking Fiona wouldn't necessarily be violence, but the effects of taking her would, and so they stayed clear.

Lorne winced. How could someone butcher a song like that? He bowed over Fiona and cooed a bit, vowing that she would never be allowed to sing like someone murdering a cat. He'd personally see to it.

Lorne widened his eyes as the trio made their way off stage. He quickly dumped Fiona in the lap of the nearest demon and made his way towards Cordelia.

"Lorne, hi. Have you come to tell us our for-ouch."

She fell backwards, and Lorne caught her, just before her head hit the edge of the stage.

"A girl in an alley, a demon."

"Well, let's go," Gunn looked relieved to finally have a fight. "Eh, Host-man, you wouldn't happen to have a battle axe or something lying about?"

Cordelia looked around. "Fiona? Where's Fiona?"

The lilac demon that had possession of the baby grinned as he put the girl back in the carrier. "If you ever need a baby-sitter…"

"Yeah, I'll come to you, but now we've got to go. Lives to save, you know. Wesley? Did you get Angel on the phone?"

Wesley shook his head. "He's not answering."

"Well, we'll just have to do without him then, won't we?" Gunn said, impatiently.

The four of them made their way to the exit, just as Lorne returned with a battle-axe that looked new. "Do you want me to baby-sit…" He looked around in the locale, no trace of the impatient group. "Are you sure that dragging an innocent baby to fight a demon would be a good thing…" he muttered to himself.

*@*

Cordelia looked up at the blood-traces up the building. "How the hell are we supposed to get in? It's an abandoned building, for crying out loud. The front door was chained shut."

Gunn looked at her.

"What? I'm a Sunnydale gal, we have to keep our eyes open."

"I suppose," Wesley looked worried at Cordelia. "I suppose we'll have to climb up."

"Fine, I'll sit here and wait with the sleeping baby… I'll sit and wait with the sleeping baby… why did we bring the baby?"

Wesley looked at Gunn, who held up his hands. "Don't look at me, man. I'm not the one who's connected to it at the moment."

He sighed.

"Cordelia, you and Fiona will just have to find a way into the building on the ground floor. Or wait. We can't risk the baby."

"Sure, fine. Maybe I'll save one outfit from Demon goo."

*@*

Cordelia hadn't managed to find an open window to get in, so she settled for waiting. It was times like this she wished that Angel had been with them, but Wesley and Gunn were probably all right, she reasoned. They would save the damsel in distress, like Angel would have done, if he were quite himself at the moment.

The planks over one of the windows flew off, and Gunn jumped out. He put out his arms and Wesley leant out of the window and deposited the girl from Cordelia's vision in them.

"Cordy, go get a cab. We need to get Ms. Krum to the hospital," Wesley urged, faintly.

*@*