Cordelia walked through the half lit courtyard outside the hotel, looking up at the pitch black night sky that wasn't revealing any stars tonight. Diverting her attention to the lawn chairs and bench that Gunn had set out earlier all for Lorne, so he could get a "tan", she took a seat and gazed up into the emptiness. Los Angeles was too bright a city for any stars to seep through. A couple of nights ago though, she remembered seeing a few sparkles in the lack wink back at her. It was a treat to see them, since the last time she actually saw a night sky filled with glittering galaxies was...never, actually as she thought about it. She had never seen a sky filled with tens upon thousands upon gazillions of stars. She wondered why she ever listened to the childhood rhymes taught to her by her mother's housekeeper. They were very silly, especially to say it in Los Angeles. Starlight, Star bright, first star I see tonight... Silly. As she closed her eyes, she could hear Lorne's tune in the background and his feet slowly stepping down the stairs into the courtyard. Peaking through her lids, she saw him sit down next to her and look up at the night sky.

"Looking for something darling?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest and looking across the two centimeters between them to her.

"Nothing really. I guess I just needed some fresh air."

"We all need that sometime." Lorne said, pausing and looking back up into the great unknown with her. Black. It was pitch black and there she was just staring into it, hoping, searching for something that wasn't there at the moment. "Cordy, the other day, you wanted to ask me something. You wanna talk about it now?"

"I wasn't really wanting to but I guess I should, right?" Cordelia looked over at him and shifted her position, gearing up the courage to talk to him about the aching that was still in her heart. She knew she should probably talk to Angel about it, but everytime she tried, the words just wouldn't come out. "Me and you, we have a connection."

"How so pumpkin?"

"With the powers and stuff. A connection."

"Yea, I guess we do. But I hardly think that that's what you wanted to talk about." Lorne rotated his chair and scooted closer to her. Taking her light hands in his deep green ones, he tried to make eye contact but knew that she would have to do that on her own. "Honey, you know I can see the bright light around you, but you have to talk to get it out."

"I know." She sniffed away the tears she knew would make a cameo appearance in a bit. "I know this sounds pathetic but I miss the morning sickness." Brushing her hair aside, she looked up into the green demon's crimson eyes and he watched as her lips quivered in a way that only Cordelia could. "I miss the life inside of me, swirming around. I know this sounds crazy as I was only what, twenty one weeks along, but I could feel that baby move and...and...I miss him."

"Pumpkin, it's not pathetic. And don't you ever think that." Lorne whispered as he watched her cry her worries out again. It had been a month and a half since the surgery and she still hadn't got any closure from it. Who would? Twenty one weeks into a pregnancy, building a special bond and then, for some unknown cause, you lose the baby only to leave a vacant spot in your stomach, mind and heart. "Keep talking." He pleaded with her.

"I miss the kicks, I miss the nausea, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually miss everyone coming up to me and touching my stomach." Her sobs became louder and longer as she went on with the bottled up emotions that she had been keeping inside of her for this long. Her head finally caved in and she pressed it against Lorne's chest as he silently rubbed her back, consoling her and spotted Angel making his way out of the dark corner.

"Tell me more sweetie."

"I'm angry." She took another deep breath and shook her head that was still leaning against his chest. "Why did they take him away from me? Why?"

"Okay, look at me. Look at me." Lorne pulled Cordelia's chin up so he looked right back into her gold tinted eyes that were drenched with tears. "I can't tell you why you lost the baby, but I do know that you are strong and you can get through anything."

"Lorne..."

"He's right you know." Angel came up behind them as her head spun around and looked up at him. Sitting down next to her on the bench, Angel slid his arm around her as she leaned into him, her tears now soaking into his black shirt. "You are strong and powerful and deep and I honestly don't know what I would do if you weren't here beside me." He whispered into her ear just loud enough so only her and Lorne could hear. Placing a kiss atop her forehead, he leaned back on the bench, taking her with him. "I think we need to talk." He suggested, hearing the cries getting louder and longer.

Clasping her hands in his, he sat across from her on the floor of his room and watched as she took her time talking about the subject at hand again. He remembered that when they first came home from the hospital, she didn't want to talk about anything. She just wanted to get back to her 'normal routine': paying bills, handling clients with good credit reports and having visions. But he knew in his heart that she was just avoiding talking at all, about anything at all. He squeezed a little tighter as she lifted her head a bit and looked into his eyes for a moment.

"Do you want me to talk?" He asked seeing her nod her head in return. "Okay, I'll talk." He paused for effect as he tried to recollect his moments with the Connor ordeal and how he first felt when the news of her loss. "You remember how I was with the Connor situation. I was devastated, depressed and wanted my son back. You remember that. Then when I knew of you being pregnant, I kind of looked at that as a second chance." She looked up then, seeing the sincerity in his eyes and scooted closer to him. "I saw this as a new opportunity to have a second child. And raise it with you. I wanted to be a father and you to be the mother."

"Angel..." Her lips quivered again as she felt and he saw the tears coming. "I...I wanted this to be your child...I wanted..." She wiped away the tears that were escaping her eyes and wiped them upon her jeans.

"Sssh." Angel let go of her hands, scooted a little bit close to her and cupped her face with his hands, placing a much needed kiss for the both of them on her lovely lips. Kissing her had never felt so right before, not until now. He needed her, she needed him. He felt the intensity deepen with every minute that they spent attached to each other, moving their lips to caress the others.

The night still lingered outside, a sky remained pitch black and two people were finally starting to learn how to cope.

The gang sat side by side on the round sofa waiting for Angel to stop pacing before them. He was wearing a whole in the floor that they had spent tons of money fixing. The red stained pentagram was finally gone and the sparkle of the inlayed swirl of the marble floor was in its greatest glory. Wesley was the first one to roll his eyes, which was not normal at all and started to get up off of the sofa.

"Sit down Wes." Angel ordered, standing right in front of him. Wesley sat back down and took off his glasses, ready for this 'speech' to end. Angel had told them all that he and Cordelia had an announcement to make and everyone had to be there. The only thing missing was Cordelia. They had decided on this together and wanted every one to know and be a part of it, but where the heck was she?

"Angel..." Fred started to say something but stopped seeing the get-up-and-move-and-you-are-dead expression on his face. She decided to forgo that yell-fest for the moment and diverted her attention to the stair well that Cordelia was finally descending after a half hour of Angel yelling her name for her to come down. She walked up beside Angel and grabbed onto his hand, praying for the courage to say what they were going to tell them in one breath and keep from breaking down in the process.

"Okay, so, you all know that I've been kind of depressed lately..." Cordelia started to sniffle up and quickly dismissed it, putting on her biggest smile and repressing the tears while Angel took over the speech for her.

"We're gonna have a little ceremony on Friday." He paused, looking down at her head that was buried deep in his shoulder now. "For the baby."