Chapter 7
After much discussion, it was finally decided that Katherine would most enjoy a cartoon. The initial explanation that everything she saw on the screen was merely a computer generated image would cut down on her number of questions and on the inevitable "shushing" from those around them.
Katherine did indeed like the cartoon once she was assured that nothing in it was real in this world. She also liked the popcorn, nachos, M&Ms, Raisinettes, and soda her father bought for her.
After the movie, Cordelia suggested they go to the mall for a bit. Cordy wanted to have her foot measured for some tennis shoes. She had settled for flip-flops last night since she didn't want to guess on size when it came to shoes. At the mall, Katherine tried on pair after pair until Cordy was satisfied she had the best fit in the most stylish pair in the store.
Walking through the mall, Katherine noticed a crowd gathered around something she couldn't see.
"What's going on over there?" she asked and pointed to the crowd.
"Let's check it out," Gunn suggested and took her by the hand.
They got to where the crowd was gathered and Gunn lifted her up onto his shoulders. From there, she could see a boy about 10 jumping up and down on a black mat connected to springs. He had cords attached to a harness around his stomach.
"That looks fun!" she exclaimed. "Can I do that?"
"I don't know," Cordy began.
"Sure you can," Angel said enthusiastically.
He helped her down from Gunn's shoulders and led her over to the lady taking money.
"My daughter would like to jump, please," he said as he reached for his wallet.
"I bet that wallet sees more action today than it has in the past 10 years," muttered Cordelia.
The boy on the trampoline finished jumping and was helped down. "Next!" called the man who worked there. His smiley face nametag read "Hal."
Angel led her over to Hal and he adjusted the harness on her and lifted her up. "Ready, little lady?"
Katherine nodded and began jumping. At first, she was jumping approximately the same height as the boy before her had. But soon, she was jumping so high that the bungee ropes were strained to their limit. Hal looked nervous.
"Hey," he called up to her. Take it easy there little lady. Don't want you shootin' right through the ceiling." He laughed nervously.
Angel wasn't laughing. A few more bounces and she would go right through the ceiling. He hopped up onto the trampoline and slowed Katherine down. When she had finally stopped bouncing completely, he unhooked the harness and handed her down to Hal.
"I don't get it. I've never seen anyone go that high before. She some kind of gymnast or something?" Hal asked as he put her down.
"Or something, I guess," Angel told him.
Cordelia, Fred, and Gunn walked over to where Angel and Katherine were standing.
"What was that?" Cordy asked.
"What do you mean?" Angel asked blankly.
"You know what I mean. Don't you think that was a little…over the top…so to speak?"
Angel shrugged her off. "She's just really enthusiastic. Don't make a big thing. Where to now?"
"I want to do that again!" Katherine squealed.
"Not today," Angel said quickly, guiding her in the other direction. "One turn per customer."
They walked toward the escalator and Cordelia decided to let it drop. Maybe Angel was right. She just got carried away and jumped a little harder than kid a normally would. Normally. A normal kid. Is that what Katherine was, she wondered.
"Come on, Aunt Cordy," Katherine called.
She pushed the thought away and hurried to catch up.
Their next stop was the Santa Monica Pier. The sun had just gone down and the Pier was all lit up. Katherine ran from one thing to the next, full of questions. She rode rides, played games and, of course, ate. She ate cotton candy, caramel apples, funnel cakes, all of which was washed down with can after can of soda. Angel happily forked over whatever amount of money was required at each new booth.
"I never thought I'd see Angel so happy about spending money." Fred said to Gunn.
"Guess all it takes is a woman. Even a little bitty one," Gunn joked and Fred punched him in the arm.
Katherine had been trying without success to throw a ball and knock over a stack of milk bottles. "I can't do it," she said sadly.
Angel handed a bill to the boy behind the booth. "Set 'em up again," he told him.
The kid reset the bottles and handed Angel three balls. He only needed one.
"A winner!" the pimply faced kid announced. "Which stuffed animal would you like, little girl?"
"That one!" Katherine said and pointed to a puppy wearing a brightly colored clown costume.
The boy pulled it down and handed it to her.
"Thank you," she told him. She turned to Angel. "And thank you. I love him!"
Angel beamed but tried to play it cool.
"What should I name him?" she asked her father.
"Hmmmm. Let's see," Angel mused, "a mutt and a clown. How about Spike?"
Fred chimed in, "After the little dog in the Our Gang shows!"
Angel tried to look innocent. "Sure, of course."
"Spike," Katherine repeated. "I like it."
That he could be hearing that name every day of the foreseeable future suddenly occurred to Angel and he quickly tried to undo the damage.
"I was just kidding, sweetheart. Spike's no name for a cute little doggie like this. How about Fluffy? Or Taffy? Or Princess?"
"I like Spike," she said with finality. Angel hung his head.
"Serves you right, funny guy," Cordy laughed.
After two more ice cream cones and three more rides on the carousel, Cordelia noticed that Katherine was looking a little green.
"Are you okay, baby?" she asked her.
"I don't think I feel so good," Katherine admitted.
Cordelia shot Angel an accusing look. "I wonder why?"
Two seconds later the six-year-old was throwing up on Gunn's shoes. Gunn tried to jump out of the line of fire but wasn't quite quick enough.
"Oh, man. That's nasty," he groaned.
Cordelia held the little girl's head and patted her back, all the while glaring at Angel.
He turned his palms up defensively, "What? This is my fault? She asked for more ice cream."
"Children don't always know what's good for them," she informed him. "That's why they have parents. To set limits. Does it every occur to you to Just Say No?"
Angel looked pathetic. "I just wanted her to have fun."
Gunn looked up from trying to clean his shoes in the grass. "Does this look like fun to you? Cos, I'm willing to share some of this fun," he said as he approached Angel with his gooey shoe.
Angel ducked around behind his daughter. "Thanks, but I really need to take care of my kid, here."
Gunn nodded. "Later man. Later," he promised.
"We'd better get her home," Cordelia told Angel.
Katherine perked up. "I don't want to go home yet. I'm feeling better now. Please, can't we stay just a little while longer?" she begged.
"Not tonight, I'm afraid," Cordelia answered.
Katherine turned to Angel. "Please?"
Angel was mush. "Well, maybe just for a little while."
Cordelia crossed her arms and stared at him.
Angel took Katherine by the hand and said loud enough for Cordelia to hear, "Come on. Let's go try to win Aunt Cordy a puppy. You can name him Xander."