"I wonder what's keeping them." Fred pondered, her chin propped up in the cup of her hand, elbow on the counter. Gunn and Wes looked at her, still flipping through the channels on the miniature television that Wes had stashed. It had been three days since Angel set up the appointment for Cordelia and she went kicking and screaming all the way there. She didn't want to go, let alone believe that it was true. But then again, Angel had his super vampire hearing and could hear almost anything and everything.
"Fred, stop wondering and just call." Gunn told her, stopping at the classic Road Runner vs. Wile E. Coyote rivalry cartoon on television. It was small, but it was still funny.
"I'm not going to call. I'll probably interrupt." She told him, swirling in her chair and starting at him.
"Interrupt what?"
"Their fight."
"How do you know they'll be fighting?"
"When have you ever known Cordelia and Angel not to fight and hello, kyerumption."
"Sugar pie..." Lorne called to her, sipping his sea breeze and looking over the latest entertainment magazine that had come in the mail only yesterday.
"Oh, sorry. I used that word again."
"You can use it around us. Just not them." Lorne told her, smiling his bright white teeth and red lips over at her. It was strange really, when Cordelia and Angel weren't fighting they were joking with each other. As long as Fred had known them, and that wasn't for long, she had come to know that they were the best friends, the unbreakable duo that stood through everything together and whenever possible, liked to play practical jokes on Wesley and Lorne. It was funny, she remembered, when Cordelia had volunteered herself to cut Wesley's hair. Using Angel as a witness, Gunn, Fred and he watched as the scissors skimmed across Wesley's then curly hair and made it into a Mohawk.
"I just hope she's okay." Fred said aloud, returning to her book and dismissing the fantasy in her mind that Angel and Cordelia were back at her apartment making out like a couple of teenagers.
Black leather coat hung on her shoulders, followed by a man's strong hand and the small of her back. It felt good having him there with her, and also unnerving knowing that he knew even before she did. How could this be possible? Well, she knew how-how, but not how. Pregnant. Eight Weeks. Heartbeat. Another life. In her body. How was she going to do this? How the hell was this possible? She couldn't be pregnant, she just couldn't. What on earth was she going to do? Dennis opened the door two seconds before Angel's hand reached to open it for them. She walked in slowly, head hung down as she headed straight for the couch. Angel followed her, staying close and true to his seer that she thought he really didn't need anymore.
"Cordy..."
"You can't save me now, can you?" Her tearful eyes looked up into his sympathetic chocolate ones, hoping for a way; a way to make everything alright. He didn't say anything, but just pulled her body into his and kissed her forehead. Then more tears came, and he wanted to make it go away if she wanted it to go away, he wanted to make it all better, like a champion was supposed to do. But all he did was hold her, because that's what she wanted and that's all he could do for the moment.
It was nonsense, right? Complete and total nonsense. She shouldn't even be thinking about it. But she was. She knew she wasn't ready to have a baby, let alone raise one. It had been a different deal with Connor, she was an 'aunt' not a 'mom'. She packed up a few more things and shut the suitcase tight. She was just going to visit this grandmother, she reminded herself. Visit. With Angel. Boy, would that go over well when she would ask her 'grandmother' to close all the drapes and blinds, covering the sun from burning her champion to bitter dust. Then would come the discussion of 'what have you been doing with your life?' and 'what kind of job do you have?' and the big one, 'are you seeing anyone?'
"Whatcha doing?" Cordelia jumped a little, not expecting to hear Fred's petite voice behind her. Turning, she saw her apprentice with a great big smile on her face and questions on her mind. She couldn't do this. She couldn't.
"Hi Fred." Cordy whispered up to her, sitting on a bare space of floral comforter that was placed upon her bed. Planting her head and welling up tears in her hands, she absolutely knew she couldn't do this; having a baby, visiting a long-lost grandmother and asking for money. She needed Angel, wrapping his big strong arms around her, telling her everything will be alright. At least that made it more bearable.
"Do you need any help?" Fred took a seat beside Cordelia, placing her skinny little hand upon the back of her shoulder, consoling her friend like a sister.
"I'll be fine, Fred." Cordelia pulled her hands to the edge of the bed and forced out a smile, not really meaning any of the words that had come out of her mouth.
"Cordy, everything will be alright."
"How do you know Fred? How could you positively know that everything is going to be alright?" She asked the slender brunette, sitting beside her. Fred scooped her legs up on the bed, sitting Indian style and facing her. She grabbed Cordelia's hand and squeezed them tight.
"Because you're Cordelia Chase, the strongest, most beautiful woman in Los Angeles. And you can get through anything."
Although her words were encouraging, Cordelia still felt uneasy and unsure of everything. And why shouldn't she? Groo left her pregnant, a long-lost grandmother suddenly appears and wants to see her, and...she didn't know what else, but as long as things were like this, she knew there would be something else.
"How do you know that Fred? How?" Cordelia dipped her head back down, cradling her noggin with her hands.
"Because if you can get through almost three years with Mr. Broody, Captain Research, and the Fast Fingers Gunn, then you can get through anything. And you want a bonus?"
"What's that?"
"You got me." Fred assured her, brushing over Cordelia's chestnut hair and taking her in a hug. She wasn't going to let her role model down. And she was right, she knew she was. Cordelia Chase could get through anything.