Chapter 13: Two is better than one.
Title: A new beginning.
Author: Nikka
Author notes: Hi everyone, If you need to know about summary, rate and all the rest it's all in chapter 1 I'll just remind you that **English is not my native tongue** I want to thank Sarah for all the great works she's done, and to welcome aboard Kelly who from now on will be reproofing my fic. As it is you may still find some spelling & grammar mistakes. You're more than welcome to let me know about them but remember you may find them while you read the story. Have fun.
A special thank you to Kelly for reproofing my story. As of that the upload of the chapters may take longer.
Feedback: I love love love reviews and I'll be sure to mention it at the end of every chapter.
***
"Hi." Angel muttered to Willow and Buffy, who walked in from the garden, without taking his eyes from the newspaper.
"Have you seen Cordelia?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah a few minutes ago." He replied, still not looking at them
"Look Angel. Neither of us meant to hurt her we were just joking, you know." Buffy tried to explain her actions, thinking Cordelia must have told him what happened earlier.
"No I don't know." Angel put down the paper and looked up at her.
"You don't?" Buffy asked surprised.
"No. Cause Cordelia didn't get a chance to tell me what happened." He explained, as Buffy's _expression changed from confusion to embarrassment. She had to go and said we'd talk later." He got up crossing his arms. Buffy was so embarrassed; she wanted the ground to swallow her whole. "What happened out there?" He asked.
"We were just fooling around, she wasn't supposed to hear that." Willow gave it a shot.
"I see." Angel nodded his head. "So you two sat in the garden and had a nice laugh about Queen C, am I right?" Their faces gave him the answer. "Joked a bit about her pregnancy, maybe a bit about her being alone. Hey did you throw in a few jokes about me?" The both of them stared at the floor unable to face him. "Nice, real nice." He turned around and walked towards his office. "And to think she considered you two her friends." He said as he walked in closing the door behind him.
***
"Fred?" Angel was surprised to find her sitting in his office. "When did you get back, I couldn't have been that preoccupied?"
"We got back ages ago, we even said hi to you, remember?" She said confused.
"No, not you and Gunn." Angel smiled, thinking he was losing it all together. "I meant you and Cordy. When did you two get back?"
"Where From, Angel? I've been here most of the morning." Fred had no idea what he was talking about.
"So you didn't go with Cordy to the doctor?" He asked and Fred nodded her head from side to side. "Great."
***
She walked the street like a zombie, trying to remember everything the doctor told her. She knew she had to tell Angel, and of course everyone else. **Great.** She thought to herself. **Those little bitches will sure have something to laugh about now. Hey here comes pregnant Cordy, and look she's twice the size she was only a day earlier.** She knew that when she decided to keep this baby and raise him on her own, that she was in for a big task. And she was ready for it, she honestly was. But than again, she thought she had at least 6 months to let the idea grow on her. And now it seems her time was cut down in half, and who knows if it stops there. Maybe tomorrow she'll awake up and find out she's 9 months pregnant. "Oh god." She was terrified of the notion. She knew her baby was normal, that's what the doctor said. But till now, her record in pregnancies was nothing but normal. **Maybe it was the powers doing.** She thought to herself. **I mean they've [pulled stunts like that... well, not exactly like that, but similar in the past.** She stopped contemplate when she realized she was standing in front of and ice cream stand. **god I need some chocolate.** She thought as she rushed over and order two scoops of chocolate ice-cream. As she was enjoying her ice cream, she realized she has to tell him as soon as she reaches the hotel. She couldn't hide that belly any longer, and she was really starting to sweat.
***
She walked in to find Buffy and Willow sitting in the lobby talking. "Cordelia hi." Buffy stood up quickly and smiled the biggest smile she could muster.
"Where's Angel?" Cordy asked ignoring Buffy's greeting.
"I think he's in the office." Buffy replied. But before you go in there." Buffy ran quickly to intercept Cordelia before she had a chance to sneak into the office. "I wanted... well, we wanted." She corrected herself after Willow kicked her leg. "To apologize to you." Buffy smiled. Cordy seemed less than impressed.
"Is that all?" Cordelia asked impatiently.
"I hope you can accept our apology and know we didn't mean..."
"I don't care Buffy." Cordy interrupted her. "I have bigger issues, than you and Willow's immature thinking. I shouldn't blame you, after all you haven't been around for the past 3 plus years, so I guess you bound to get the wrong impression." Buffy smiled although she knew it wasn't said with the nicest intentions. "And like I said, I don't care." And with that, she passed Buffy and walked towards the office.
"Did you hear her?" Buffy said in anger to Willow.
"I was standing right beside you." Willow replied with the same tone.
"We apologized. What more does she want?" Buffy walked back to the couch and sat down.
"I guess she wanted our support an understanding." Willow sat beside her. "And I hate to say it, but she's right."
"What?" Buffy looked at Willow amazed.
"Come on Buffy. If she and Angel would have come to Sunnydale and pass judgment on your relationship with Spike, Wouldn't you react the same?" Buffy knew Willow was right but found hard to admit.
"I know." She said in despair. "So what can we do now?"
"Nothing." Willow replied. "We wait, and hopefully she'll be able to forgive us. Or at least talk to us."
***
"Angel hey." Cordy said nervously as she closed the office doors behind her, not realizing Fred was sitting on the couch. "I'm glad you're here, we need to talk."
"You think?" He said as he glanced over to where Fred was sitting.
Cordy turned and looked to her side to see Fred sitting there smiling, obviously feeling awkward. "Uh." Cordy said and lowered her look.
"Uh. That's all you have to say to me?" he got up as Fred tried to make her way out, but Angel stooped her. "No Fred stay, it concerns you as well.
"Actually I'd prefer to stay out of this." Fred mumbled.
"It's okay Fred, you can go." Cordy said, knowing it was her that Angel was mad at and there's no point in dragging poor Fred into this. Fred didn't wait for a second opinion; she walked out as fast as she could, closing the doors behind her. Cordy turned and locked them, making sure they wouldn't be interrupted.
"So..." Angel was leaned against the desk. He was obviously pissed. But Cordy knew that would change soon enough.
"I'm sorry I lied to you, but I had to go on my own." She replied. Her coat was still on.
"Why?" Angel asked. He seemed less angry and more confused.
"Cause something happened to me last night Angel, something weird."
"Weird how?" he asked worriedly. "Was it when you woke up screaming? Were you lying to me then as well?"
"I wasn't sure what was happening, and when I did..." She took a big breath. "I wanted to make sure everything was okay before I say something."
"About what?" Angel raised his voice. "You're making no sense. You're breaking promises. You're being irresponsible. You...."
"Five months pregnant over night." She cut him off. He looked at her stunned and confused. She slowly unbuttoned her coat, and lifted her sweater to revile a swollen belly.
"Oh my god." Angel almost fell to the ground. "You're... you're..." He stammered trying to find words. "You're huge!" That came out wrong.
"Nice Angel. Couldn't think of anything better to say." Cordy said in a snappy tone.
"I'm sorry, but you caught me off guard." Angel tried to explain his behavior. When Cordy realized he was still staring at her belly she covered it up. "Then imagine how I felt, waking up in the middle of the night to find you just went up 3 sizes, I think." She sat on the couch behind. Angel quickly sat beside her.
"So, what the doctor say? He asked worried something was wrong with the baby.
"He said everything is normal... for a five months old fetus." She sighed in despair. "I don't get it. If everything is normal, then how come it happened over night? And why five months, Why not nine? And how come it happened after 3 months of morning sickness and back pains, and running to the bathroom every five seconds? Ha?"
Angel had no answers for her. "I'm sorry Cor, I wish I knew." He put his hand around her shoulder as she placed her head on his. "But we'll find out. I promise you that. We'll get to the bottom of this."
***
"Thanks." She said as she raised her head and faced him.
"But before we do that, I want to know what happened between you and Buffy." Angel said to her surprise. Did he really think this is a priority, especially now, was he for real. "And before you start yelling. I didn't get my priorities wrong. I know this is important. But my first concern is the welfare of you and your baby. And I don't consider you running out of here in tear, something that is in your best interest. Do you?"
He had a good point. After all, the baby was okay and safe, At least for now. But the idea of going into the whole Sunnydale issues with Angel wasn't the great idea he ever had. "We had an argument." She summed it up.
"I know they said things, hurtful things. That you overheard." Angel said.
"Well if you already know, why are you asking me for details?" Cordy was getting aggravated. She got up and walked towards the desk, her back facing him.
"Cause they got to you. Like people rarely do." He stood up and walked towards her.
"I just couldn't believe it." She turned to face him.
"Couldn't believe what? They'd say those things about you?" Angel tried to understand.
"Oh no. That I could easily believe." Angel looked even more confused by her response. "It's the nerve I couldn't believe."
"The nerve?" Angel asked.
"I mean, how dare they." She paused for a moment. "How do they get the nerve to say those things about me when they don't even know who I am." Her words were starting to make sense to him. "They came to my home... at least my temporary home." She smiled. "True they came to help, but that doesn't give them the right to pass judgment on mean. To criticize my life, to make fun on them." Her voice cracked and he knew she was more than just pissed she was hurt, really hurt.
"Just ignore them. They don't know anything." Angel tried comforting her.
"I can't Angel. Cause beside the audacity that pissed me off. Underneath it all, I still, for some unreasonable and unexplainable reason, need their approval, their acceptance." She backed away a few steps creating a space between them.
"Why? They're not even a part of your life anymore." Angel tried to understand but found it hard.
"I can't explain it. It's just the way I feel." She sighed. "I wish I didn't care too much about what the Scoobies think about me or my life, but I do. I just do." Her eyes sparkled from the tears forming in the side of her eye.
"Okay okay, calm down." Angel saw she was getting agitated, and didn't want anything happening to her. "Lets sit down and take a few minutes to calm down." He reached out his hand but she pushed him away.
"Don't you get it?" She raised her voice. "I spent almost 18 years in Sunnydale, and from all that time the only true friend I have to show for myself, the only people I can refer to as friends, are those people. The same people who make fun of me, the same people, who no matter what I do, still and always see me as Queen C and nothing more." She tired holding back the tears but couldn't.
"I'm so sorry Cor." He took a few steps closer and took her into his arms. He held her as she cried, letting her find comfort in him, her friend. The person who really knows her and knows what she is, the person who cared when no one else did.
***
They stood there hugging for a while longer till they heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Angel asked still not letting her go.
"It's Wesley; I think there's something you'd want to know about. Can we come in?"
"We?" Cordy asked.
"Yeah we're all here." They heard Gunn's voice.
"Great." Cordy said knowing she'd have to face everyone and tell them what happened.
"You know what?" He pulled back. "You stay here, I'll go face the crowd. I'll tell them everything and once they've calmed down from the shock and me from the barrage I'll come and get you." As if Angel read her mind, he knew exactly what she feared and knew exactly what to do and say to make it all better.
"Thank you." She said with a smile.
"My pleasure." He replied as he opened the door and walked out closing the door behind him.
"Is everything okay?" Fred asked and tried to peep in before Angel closed the door, but with no luck.
"Kind of, but first what you got?" He walked away from the office, preventing them from entering.
"What do you mean kind of?" Lorne inquired. "Is Cordy alright?" he asked suspiciously. Buffy who still thought it was about her and Willow lowered her look and avoided eyed contact with Angel.
"I'll tell you in a minute. Right after you tell me what you think I'd want to know." Angel avoided the subject, and it was noticeable.
"Okay man, what are you hiding from us?" Gunn asked.
"Nothing really." Angel played the innocent
"Bloody hell broody, just tell them what you know, and lets get this done with." Spike had enough of Angel dodging the question.
Spike." Buffy snapped at him.
"Just cause you fell guilty for the way you treated Cordelia, that now you want to be all nicey nice, doesn't mean I should to." Spike intended that for Buffy's ears only, but apparently everyone else heard as well.
"You did what?" Gunn got all defensive.
"It was a misunderstanding." Buffy replied with a guilty expression.
"The hell it was." Angel couldn't believe he just said that.
"You guys don't you think we're going off tracks here." Lorne tried to calm everyone down. And it would have possibly worked, that is if anyone had listen to him, which they didn't. They were to busy fighting and putting blame. The yelling grew and grew till Lorne found himself standing on the side watching them argue. Everyone, even Wesley got into the fight. Finally when he had enough he knew there was only one thing to do. "I I I I I I I I I .........................'m every woman it's all in me...." he sang as loudly she could. Loud enough for everyone to stop fighting and cover their ears. The high notes were really high. Gunn could have sworn he heard a glass been shattered. "Now that I have your undivided attention." Lorne said with a smile.
"Why you did that for." Spike asked while rubbing his ears.
"I tried it the old fashion way, but when can I say, only Whitney can make an angry and annoying crowd like you, shut up for two minutes.
"So you got our bloody attention. What do you want?" Spike was defiantly angry, so was everyone else.
"I think he wanted you to look towards me." Cordelia was standing in front of the counter without her coat and sweater. She changed in the office to a blouse she had, with all the cloths she kept there for emergencies. Little did she know that this awkward situation would count as an emergency one day.
***
"You're..." the mumbling started. The ones she recognized so well.
I'm five months pregnant. It happened last night. I felt a sharp pain and when I woke up I saw it."
"But the baby..." Fred began to panic.
"The baby's fine, sweetie." Cordy assured her. "I went to see the doctors and he assured me its normal for a five months old fetus. The only weirdness in this situation is that it happened over night with out any side affects. The doctor also mentioned this baby appears to be human. As much as it can be." Cordelia finished off. She decided to give them a few moments, but after a few pasts and no one spoke she decided she'd keep going, till she interrupted again. "So, right now Angel and I were about to start investigating it, cause that's what we do. We investigate. Cause we're an Investigation agency..." She sighed. "Oh for crying out loud, could you stop staring at my belly long enough to say something." She yelled at them. And all at once they looked up at her. No one dared to look at her belly, not now.
"I think they're just shocked as I was." Angel explained.
"But you already knew last night?" Fred asked confused.
"How could he?" Buffy chuckled. "We all saw her last night and she looked normal. So unless he spent the night with her I don't see how he...." Buffy stopped when realizing from the expressions of Gunn, Fred and Lorne, that that's' exactly what happened. "Uh, I see." She said embarrassed.
"I only found out today, when Cordy came back from the doctor. She hid it from me as well." Angel explained trying to ignore Buffy's shocked expression.
"Okay, so now that we all know. What did you want to tell us?" Cordy moved on as if nothing happened.
"I forgot." Wesley said in confusion. "I think we should start working on this right away."
"But Wes, you're thing. The thing you wanted to tell us?" Cordy said.
"It can wait. This can't. What if skip a few more months tonight. You can deliver by tomorrow." His reply really freaked Cordy out. She didn't think that far ahead.
"Oh god, you're right. We have to do something and now." She started to panic.
"Cordy calm down! Think of your a baby." Angel tried to calm her down. He led her to the couch and sat her down.
"I think I know where would be a good place to start, but I cannot go." Lorne said.
"Where? And why can't you go?" Willow asked intrigued.
"I think it's the powers doing, princess." Cordy looked at him confused. "If the baby is okay and normal as you say he is, than it ahs to be the powers. They're the only one with that kind of power." Lorne explained.
"So why can't you go? Is it, cause last time you almost lost a horn? Fred asked ion a sympathetic tone."
"No pumpkin. As much as I "love" to relive that experience, that's not the reason." Lorne looked at Angel. "The place I'm sending you to can only be reveled and opened to champions. And I mean in plural."
"So I need to go and take another champion with me?" Angel asked confused. Lorne nodded.
"Okay, then I'll go." Buffy jumped in eager to help and by that redeem herself.
"No can do." Lorne cut her off.
"Why? Is it a boy's club, no woman allowed?" She asked sarcastically.
"Oh no, they're not discriminating in any way. It's just that the air will probably kill you in a second. It's not cut out for those of us who likes to breath H2O with they're morning paper." He smiled.
"So you need another champion, who doesn't mind not breathing air for a couple of hours. Well cheery-oh I think it's me." Spike said in a less than enthusiastic tone.
"Wrong again big fellow." Lorne interrupted him. "The definition of Champion is someone who fights for the good guys and cause he has to, like you, cause of your little chip, but cause he wants to. And a soul is a requirement. So I'm afraid..."
"I qualify." Spike cut him off.
"Have you gone deaf thorough the years." Angel scorned him. "The man just said you need a soul, so unless there's something I don't about, I think we should..."
"But there is." Buffy cut him off. "I didn't tell you cause I didn't think it was my right to tell you without Spikes permission, but he... well..."
"I have a soul." Spike completed the sentence.
"No way. He's lying." Angel refused to believe.
"No he's not." Buffy said. "He has a soul."
"I'll believe it when I see it." Angel said.
"You can't see a soul dumb ass." Spike mocked him. "Would you like to see god as well?"
"Well I don't know about god, but I can see your soul, if you let me?" Lorne stepped in before Angel had a chance to response.
"Of course." Wesley cried out. "You sing and Lorne can read your soul, or see if you have one." Wesley tried to explain.
"I'm not doing the-dancing-in-the-bloody-rain-routine again. Once was weird twice is disturbing." Spike said.
"I concur." Xander said. "I don't want to see him sin, dance, or do any theatrical gesture."
"Relax boys." Willow smiled. "I think he only needs to sing a line or two, nothing more. Am I right?" She asked.
"Yeah a line or two should be enough." Lorne replied.
"See, it's all normal. No bursting into a musical." Willow assured them, while the A.I. just stared at them confused.
"I don't even want to know, what was that all about." Cordy said and the rest of the A.I. nodded.
"Fine." Spike came around. "But only a line or two." Spike straightened and cleared his throat.
"Would you sing already? You're not Manilo." Angel said in sarcasm, but got the looks cause of the Manilo crack.
"~~I would hold the hand of the one who could lead me places. And kiss the lips of the one who could sing so sweet...~~" (**Author remark: for those of you who don't know, that's the theme song of the TV series "Passions", that Spike loves to watch**)
"Hi is that the theme of..." Lorne said smiling.
"Stop yammering and read me already." Spike stopped sinning and yelled and Lorne.
"Sorry I was just surprised of your choice of song. Go on." Lorne apologized.
"~~And I would fly on the wings of the bird I knew could take me higher...~~" Spike looked at Lorne who singled him he needed more. "~~Breathe in, breathe out you keep me alive. You are the fire burning inside of me...~~" Spike looked at Lorne again who seemed focused.
"Don't stop now." Buffy whispered to him. "Get it done already."
"~~You are my passion for life.~~"
"Bravo, bravo." Lorne couldn't stop clapping. "That was the best performance of this song I ever heard."
"Really?" Spike asked fluttered.
"Oh give me a break. So he sang a little theme song. It's not like he sang the national anthem." Xander laughed.
"That depends who you ask." Lorne said with a big smile.
"Well...?" Angel was impatient. "Does he or doesn't he have a soul?"
"He definitely does. And bran new." Lorne replied.
"See." Spike chuckled. "I guess we're going on a filed trip, Broody."
***
TBC
Hi ppl,
I know I haven't answered the question I presented at the end of ch 12, but the truth is, I simply haven't decided yet. So hang in there, answers will follow.
As for this ch, I hoped you liked it and laughed a bit, I did while writing it. It would be nice to know I do have some sense of humor, and it's not all in my mind. LoL. :)
So... read, laugh, cry, whatever, but above all don't forget to review. I know most of you reviewed this story time after time and you get sick of it, but come on, it takes five minutes tops, so just think of me smiling as I read your wonderful reviews, while writing them.
Thank you as always for you last reviews and your tremendous support.
Nikka.
Title: A new beginning.
Author: Nikka
Author notes: Hi everyone, If you need to know about summary, rate and all the rest it's all in chapter 1 I'll just remind you that **English is not my native tongue** I want to thank Sarah for all the great works she's done, and to welcome aboard Kelly who from now on will be reproofing my fic. As it is you may still find some spelling & grammar mistakes. You're more than welcome to let me know about them but remember you may find them while you read the story. Have fun.
A special thank you to Kelly for reproofing my story. As of that the upload of the chapters may take longer.
Feedback: I love love love reviews and I'll be sure to mention it at the end of every chapter.
***
"Hi." Angel muttered to Willow and Buffy, who walked in from the garden, without taking his eyes from the newspaper.
"Have you seen Cordelia?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah a few minutes ago." He replied, still not looking at them
"Look Angel. Neither of us meant to hurt her we were just joking, you know." Buffy tried to explain her actions, thinking Cordelia must have told him what happened earlier.
"No I don't know." Angel put down the paper and looked up at her.
"You don't?" Buffy asked surprised.
"No. Cause Cordelia didn't get a chance to tell me what happened." He explained, as Buffy's _expression changed from confusion to embarrassment. She had to go and said we'd talk later." He got up crossing his arms. Buffy was so embarrassed; she wanted the ground to swallow her whole. "What happened out there?" He asked.
"We were just fooling around, she wasn't supposed to hear that." Willow gave it a shot.
"I see." Angel nodded his head. "So you two sat in the garden and had a nice laugh about Queen C, am I right?" Their faces gave him the answer. "Joked a bit about her pregnancy, maybe a bit about her being alone. Hey did you throw in a few jokes about me?" The both of them stared at the floor unable to face him. "Nice, real nice." He turned around and walked towards his office. "And to think she considered you two her friends." He said as he walked in closing the door behind him.
***
"Fred?" Angel was surprised to find her sitting in his office. "When did you get back, I couldn't have been that preoccupied?"
"We got back ages ago, we even said hi to you, remember?" She said confused.
"No, not you and Gunn." Angel smiled, thinking he was losing it all together. "I meant you and Cordy. When did you two get back?"
"Where From, Angel? I've been here most of the morning." Fred had no idea what he was talking about.
"So you didn't go with Cordy to the doctor?" He asked and Fred nodded her head from side to side. "Great."
***
She walked the street like a zombie, trying to remember everything the doctor told her. She knew she had to tell Angel, and of course everyone else. **Great.** She thought to herself. **Those little bitches will sure have something to laugh about now. Hey here comes pregnant Cordy, and look she's twice the size she was only a day earlier.** She knew that when she decided to keep this baby and raise him on her own, that she was in for a big task. And she was ready for it, she honestly was. But than again, she thought she had at least 6 months to let the idea grow on her. And now it seems her time was cut down in half, and who knows if it stops there. Maybe tomorrow she'll awake up and find out she's 9 months pregnant. "Oh god." She was terrified of the notion. She knew her baby was normal, that's what the doctor said. But till now, her record in pregnancies was nothing but normal. **Maybe it was the powers doing.** She thought to herself. **I mean they've [pulled stunts like that... well, not exactly like that, but similar in the past.** She stopped contemplate when she realized she was standing in front of and ice cream stand. **god I need some chocolate.** She thought as she rushed over and order two scoops of chocolate ice-cream. As she was enjoying her ice cream, she realized she has to tell him as soon as she reaches the hotel. She couldn't hide that belly any longer, and she was really starting to sweat.
***
She walked in to find Buffy and Willow sitting in the lobby talking. "Cordelia hi." Buffy stood up quickly and smiled the biggest smile she could muster.
"Where's Angel?" Cordy asked ignoring Buffy's greeting.
"I think he's in the office." Buffy replied. But before you go in there." Buffy ran quickly to intercept Cordelia before she had a chance to sneak into the office. "I wanted... well, we wanted." She corrected herself after Willow kicked her leg. "To apologize to you." Buffy smiled. Cordy seemed less than impressed.
"Is that all?" Cordelia asked impatiently.
"I hope you can accept our apology and know we didn't mean..."
"I don't care Buffy." Cordy interrupted her. "I have bigger issues, than you and Willow's immature thinking. I shouldn't blame you, after all you haven't been around for the past 3 plus years, so I guess you bound to get the wrong impression." Buffy smiled although she knew it wasn't said with the nicest intentions. "And like I said, I don't care." And with that, she passed Buffy and walked towards the office.
"Did you hear her?" Buffy said in anger to Willow.
"I was standing right beside you." Willow replied with the same tone.
"We apologized. What more does she want?" Buffy walked back to the couch and sat down.
"I guess she wanted our support an understanding." Willow sat beside her. "And I hate to say it, but she's right."
"What?" Buffy looked at Willow amazed.
"Come on Buffy. If she and Angel would have come to Sunnydale and pass judgment on your relationship with Spike, Wouldn't you react the same?" Buffy knew Willow was right but found hard to admit.
"I know." She said in despair. "So what can we do now?"
"Nothing." Willow replied. "We wait, and hopefully she'll be able to forgive us. Or at least talk to us."
***
"Angel hey." Cordy said nervously as she closed the office doors behind her, not realizing Fred was sitting on the couch. "I'm glad you're here, we need to talk."
"You think?" He said as he glanced over to where Fred was sitting.
Cordy turned and looked to her side to see Fred sitting there smiling, obviously feeling awkward. "Uh." Cordy said and lowered her look.
"Uh. That's all you have to say to me?" he got up as Fred tried to make her way out, but Angel stooped her. "No Fred stay, it concerns you as well.
"Actually I'd prefer to stay out of this." Fred mumbled.
"It's okay Fred, you can go." Cordy said, knowing it was her that Angel was mad at and there's no point in dragging poor Fred into this. Fred didn't wait for a second opinion; she walked out as fast as she could, closing the doors behind her. Cordy turned and locked them, making sure they wouldn't be interrupted.
"So..." Angel was leaned against the desk. He was obviously pissed. But Cordy knew that would change soon enough.
"I'm sorry I lied to you, but I had to go on my own." She replied. Her coat was still on.
"Why?" Angel asked. He seemed less angry and more confused.
"Cause something happened to me last night Angel, something weird."
"Weird how?" he asked worriedly. "Was it when you woke up screaming? Were you lying to me then as well?"
"I wasn't sure what was happening, and when I did..." She took a big breath. "I wanted to make sure everything was okay before I say something."
"About what?" Angel raised his voice. "You're making no sense. You're breaking promises. You're being irresponsible. You...."
"Five months pregnant over night." She cut him off. He looked at her stunned and confused. She slowly unbuttoned her coat, and lifted her sweater to revile a swollen belly.
"Oh my god." Angel almost fell to the ground. "You're... you're..." He stammered trying to find words. "You're huge!" That came out wrong.
"Nice Angel. Couldn't think of anything better to say." Cordy said in a snappy tone.
"I'm sorry, but you caught me off guard." Angel tried to explain his behavior. When Cordy realized he was still staring at her belly she covered it up. "Then imagine how I felt, waking up in the middle of the night to find you just went up 3 sizes, I think." She sat on the couch behind. Angel quickly sat beside her.
"So, what the doctor say? He asked worried something was wrong with the baby.
"He said everything is normal... for a five months old fetus." She sighed in despair. "I don't get it. If everything is normal, then how come it happened over night? And why five months, Why not nine? And how come it happened after 3 months of morning sickness and back pains, and running to the bathroom every five seconds? Ha?"
Angel had no answers for her. "I'm sorry Cor, I wish I knew." He put his hand around her shoulder as she placed her head on his. "But we'll find out. I promise you that. We'll get to the bottom of this."
***
"Thanks." She said as she raised her head and faced him.
"But before we do that, I want to know what happened between you and Buffy." Angel said to her surprise. Did he really think this is a priority, especially now, was he for real. "And before you start yelling. I didn't get my priorities wrong. I know this is important. But my first concern is the welfare of you and your baby. And I don't consider you running out of here in tear, something that is in your best interest. Do you?"
He had a good point. After all, the baby was okay and safe, At least for now. But the idea of going into the whole Sunnydale issues with Angel wasn't the great idea he ever had. "We had an argument." She summed it up.
"I know they said things, hurtful things. That you overheard." Angel said.
"Well if you already know, why are you asking me for details?" Cordy was getting aggravated. She got up and walked towards the desk, her back facing him.
"Cause they got to you. Like people rarely do." He stood up and walked towards her.
"I just couldn't believe it." She turned to face him.
"Couldn't believe what? They'd say those things about you?" Angel tried to understand.
"Oh no. That I could easily believe." Angel looked even more confused by her response. "It's the nerve I couldn't believe."
"The nerve?" Angel asked.
"I mean, how dare they." She paused for a moment. "How do they get the nerve to say those things about me when they don't even know who I am." Her words were starting to make sense to him. "They came to my home... at least my temporary home." She smiled. "True they came to help, but that doesn't give them the right to pass judgment on mean. To criticize my life, to make fun on them." Her voice cracked and he knew she was more than just pissed she was hurt, really hurt.
"Just ignore them. They don't know anything." Angel tried comforting her.
"I can't Angel. Cause beside the audacity that pissed me off. Underneath it all, I still, for some unreasonable and unexplainable reason, need their approval, their acceptance." She backed away a few steps creating a space between them.
"Why? They're not even a part of your life anymore." Angel tried to understand but found it hard.
"I can't explain it. It's just the way I feel." She sighed. "I wish I didn't care too much about what the Scoobies think about me or my life, but I do. I just do." Her eyes sparkled from the tears forming in the side of her eye.
"Okay okay, calm down." Angel saw she was getting agitated, and didn't want anything happening to her. "Lets sit down and take a few minutes to calm down." He reached out his hand but she pushed him away.
"Don't you get it?" She raised her voice. "I spent almost 18 years in Sunnydale, and from all that time the only true friend I have to show for myself, the only people I can refer to as friends, are those people. The same people who make fun of me, the same people, who no matter what I do, still and always see me as Queen C and nothing more." She tired holding back the tears but couldn't.
"I'm so sorry Cor." He took a few steps closer and took her into his arms. He held her as she cried, letting her find comfort in him, her friend. The person who really knows her and knows what she is, the person who cared when no one else did.
***
They stood there hugging for a while longer till they heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Angel asked still not letting her go.
"It's Wesley; I think there's something you'd want to know about. Can we come in?"
"We?" Cordy asked.
"Yeah we're all here." They heard Gunn's voice.
"Great." Cordy said knowing she'd have to face everyone and tell them what happened.
"You know what?" He pulled back. "You stay here, I'll go face the crowd. I'll tell them everything and once they've calmed down from the shock and me from the barrage I'll come and get you." As if Angel read her mind, he knew exactly what she feared and knew exactly what to do and say to make it all better.
"Thank you." She said with a smile.
"My pleasure." He replied as he opened the door and walked out closing the door behind him.
"Is everything okay?" Fred asked and tried to peep in before Angel closed the door, but with no luck.
"Kind of, but first what you got?" He walked away from the office, preventing them from entering.
"What do you mean kind of?" Lorne inquired. "Is Cordy alright?" he asked suspiciously. Buffy who still thought it was about her and Willow lowered her look and avoided eyed contact with Angel.
"I'll tell you in a minute. Right after you tell me what you think I'd want to know." Angel avoided the subject, and it was noticeable.
"Okay man, what are you hiding from us?" Gunn asked.
"Nothing really." Angel played the innocent
"Bloody hell broody, just tell them what you know, and lets get this done with." Spike had enough of Angel dodging the question.
Spike." Buffy snapped at him.
"Just cause you fell guilty for the way you treated Cordelia, that now you want to be all nicey nice, doesn't mean I should to." Spike intended that for Buffy's ears only, but apparently everyone else heard as well.
"You did what?" Gunn got all defensive.
"It was a misunderstanding." Buffy replied with a guilty expression.
"The hell it was." Angel couldn't believe he just said that.
"You guys don't you think we're going off tracks here." Lorne tried to calm everyone down. And it would have possibly worked, that is if anyone had listen to him, which they didn't. They were to busy fighting and putting blame. The yelling grew and grew till Lorne found himself standing on the side watching them argue. Everyone, even Wesley got into the fight. Finally when he had enough he knew there was only one thing to do. "I I I I I I I I I .........................'m every woman it's all in me...." he sang as loudly she could. Loud enough for everyone to stop fighting and cover their ears. The high notes were really high. Gunn could have sworn he heard a glass been shattered. "Now that I have your undivided attention." Lorne said with a smile.
"Why you did that for." Spike asked while rubbing his ears.
"I tried it the old fashion way, but when can I say, only Whitney can make an angry and annoying crowd like you, shut up for two minutes.
"So you got our bloody attention. What do you want?" Spike was defiantly angry, so was everyone else.
"I think he wanted you to look towards me." Cordelia was standing in front of the counter without her coat and sweater. She changed in the office to a blouse she had, with all the cloths she kept there for emergencies. Little did she know that this awkward situation would count as an emergency one day.
***
"You're..." the mumbling started. The ones she recognized so well.
I'm five months pregnant. It happened last night. I felt a sharp pain and when I woke up I saw it."
"But the baby..." Fred began to panic.
"The baby's fine, sweetie." Cordy assured her. "I went to see the doctors and he assured me its normal for a five months old fetus. The only weirdness in this situation is that it happened over night with out any side affects. The doctor also mentioned this baby appears to be human. As much as it can be." Cordelia finished off. She decided to give them a few moments, but after a few pasts and no one spoke she decided she'd keep going, till she interrupted again. "So, right now Angel and I were about to start investigating it, cause that's what we do. We investigate. Cause we're an Investigation agency..." She sighed. "Oh for crying out loud, could you stop staring at my belly long enough to say something." She yelled at them. And all at once they looked up at her. No one dared to look at her belly, not now.
"I think they're just shocked as I was." Angel explained.
"But you already knew last night?" Fred asked confused.
"How could he?" Buffy chuckled. "We all saw her last night and she looked normal. So unless he spent the night with her I don't see how he...." Buffy stopped when realizing from the expressions of Gunn, Fred and Lorne, that that's' exactly what happened. "Uh, I see." She said embarrassed.
"I only found out today, when Cordy came back from the doctor. She hid it from me as well." Angel explained trying to ignore Buffy's shocked expression.
"Okay, so now that we all know. What did you want to tell us?" Cordy moved on as if nothing happened.
"I forgot." Wesley said in confusion. "I think we should start working on this right away."
"But Wes, you're thing. The thing you wanted to tell us?" Cordy said.
"It can wait. This can't. What if skip a few more months tonight. You can deliver by tomorrow." His reply really freaked Cordy out. She didn't think that far ahead.
"Oh god, you're right. We have to do something and now." She started to panic.
"Cordy calm down! Think of your a baby." Angel tried to calm her down. He led her to the couch and sat her down.
"I think I know where would be a good place to start, but I cannot go." Lorne said.
"Where? And why can't you go?" Willow asked intrigued.
"I think it's the powers doing, princess." Cordy looked at him confused. "If the baby is okay and normal as you say he is, than it ahs to be the powers. They're the only one with that kind of power." Lorne explained.
"So why can't you go? Is it, cause last time you almost lost a horn? Fred asked ion a sympathetic tone."
"No pumpkin. As much as I "love" to relive that experience, that's not the reason." Lorne looked at Angel. "The place I'm sending you to can only be reveled and opened to champions. And I mean in plural."
"So I need to go and take another champion with me?" Angel asked confused. Lorne nodded.
"Okay, then I'll go." Buffy jumped in eager to help and by that redeem herself.
"No can do." Lorne cut her off.
"Why? Is it a boy's club, no woman allowed?" She asked sarcastically.
"Oh no, they're not discriminating in any way. It's just that the air will probably kill you in a second. It's not cut out for those of us who likes to breath H2O with they're morning paper." He smiled.
"So you need another champion, who doesn't mind not breathing air for a couple of hours. Well cheery-oh I think it's me." Spike said in a less than enthusiastic tone.
"Wrong again big fellow." Lorne interrupted him. "The definition of Champion is someone who fights for the good guys and cause he has to, like you, cause of your little chip, but cause he wants to. And a soul is a requirement. So I'm afraid..."
"I qualify." Spike cut him off.
"Have you gone deaf thorough the years." Angel scorned him. "The man just said you need a soul, so unless there's something I don't about, I think we should..."
"But there is." Buffy cut him off. "I didn't tell you cause I didn't think it was my right to tell you without Spikes permission, but he... well..."
"I have a soul." Spike completed the sentence.
"No way. He's lying." Angel refused to believe.
"No he's not." Buffy said. "He has a soul."
"I'll believe it when I see it." Angel said.
"You can't see a soul dumb ass." Spike mocked him. "Would you like to see god as well?"
"Well I don't know about god, but I can see your soul, if you let me?" Lorne stepped in before Angel had a chance to response.
"Of course." Wesley cried out. "You sing and Lorne can read your soul, or see if you have one." Wesley tried to explain.
"I'm not doing the-dancing-in-the-bloody-rain-routine again. Once was weird twice is disturbing." Spike said.
"I concur." Xander said. "I don't want to see him sin, dance, or do any theatrical gesture."
"Relax boys." Willow smiled. "I think he only needs to sing a line or two, nothing more. Am I right?" She asked.
"Yeah a line or two should be enough." Lorne replied.
"See, it's all normal. No bursting into a musical." Willow assured them, while the A.I. just stared at them confused.
"I don't even want to know, what was that all about." Cordy said and the rest of the A.I. nodded.
"Fine." Spike came around. "But only a line or two." Spike straightened and cleared his throat.
"Would you sing already? You're not Manilo." Angel said in sarcasm, but got the looks cause of the Manilo crack.
"~~I would hold the hand of the one who could lead me places. And kiss the lips of the one who could sing so sweet...~~" (**Author remark: for those of you who don't know, that's the theme song of the TV series "Passions", that Spike loves to watch**)
"Hi is that the theme of..." Lorne said smiling.
"Stop yammering and read me already." Spike stopped sinning and yelled and Lorne.
"Sorry I was just surprised of your choice of song. Go on." Lorne apologized.
"~~And I would fly on the wings of the bird I knew could take me higher...~~" Spike looked at Lorne who singled him he needed more. "~~Breathe in, breathe out you keep me alive. You are the fire burning inside of me...~~" Spike looked at Lorne again who seemed focused.
"Don't stop now." Buffy whispered to him. "Get it done already."
"~~You are my passion for life.~~"
"Bravo, bravo." Lorne couldn't stop clapping. "That was the best performance of this song I ever heard."
"Really?" Spike asked fluttered.
"Oh give me a break. So he sang a little theme song. It's not like he sang the national anthem." Xander laughed.
"That depends who you ask." Lorne said with a big smile.
"Well...?" Angel was impatient. "Does he or doesn't he have a soul?"
"He definitely does. And bran new." Lorne replied.
"See." Spike chuckled. "I guess we're going on a filed trip, Broody."
***
TBC
Hi ppl,
I know I haven't answered the question I presented at the end of ch 12, but the truth is, I simply haven't decided yet. So hang in there, answers will follow.
As for this ch, I hoped you liked it and laughed a bit, I did while writing it. It would be nice to know I do have some sense of humor, and it's not all in my mind. LoL. :)
So... read, laugh, cry, whatever, but above all don't forget to review. I know most of you reviewed this story time after time and you get sick of it, but come on, it takes five minutes tops, so just think of me smiling as I read your wonderful reviews, while writing them.
Thank you as always for you last reviews and your tremendous support.
Nikka.