The Unexpected.

Spoilers- general spoilers for S5, specific spoilers for S4 episode 'Players'.
Disclaimer- None of the characters or settings used in this piece of fiction belong to me, I have simply borrowed them off the Joss-god for a short time and will be returning them in a good condition at a later date.
xxx

Chapter 3

Fred clapped her hands together silently. "Okay, standing around here isn't going to get things done. Spike, Doctor Bradley wants to run some tests on you. Knox, I want you to pull up those plans for L.I.S.A. and have them on my desk so I can start the modifications. Hopefully we might be able to find a way to improve it. Wesley, if your secretary has to page you one more time your beeper is going to explode. Lorne, why don't you take Gwen here up to one of the VIP rooms? Angel, I'm sure you have some paperwork to do. And, Charles, I'd like to see you in my office for a second."

Fred turned on her heel and marched up the stairs that lead to her office. Immediately Knox moved to his computer. Wesley pulled out his beeper and cursed under his breath; he gave the others a vague wave and dashed out of the room.

Angel scowled. "I'm supposed to be the boss here." He shoved his hands in his pockets. After a minute he sighed and turned.

"Where are you going?"

"I've got paperwork to do," Angel called back over his shoulder.

Spike smirked. "Whipped."

Fred leaned around her door. "Spike, Doctor Bradley."

Spike opened his mouth to protest, but Fred fixed him with a glare.

"Fine." Spike stomped over to a white coated man. He crossed his arms and glared at the cowering scientist.

Lorne chuckled. He looked to Gwen. "Well, sugar pie, lets see about getting you settled. They have the most glorious suites here. You'll just plutz."

With sad eyes Gunn watched Lorne lead Gwen out of the laboratory. She didn't even look back. Gunn sighed heavily and started up the stairs to Fred's office. For a second, Gunn stopped in the doorway, leaning against the frame and watched his ex-girlfriend riffle through a very thick, and intimidating, file.

Fred glanced up at him, quickly returning her attention to her work. "Come in and shut the door, would you?"

Gunn pushed off the frame. "We gonna need the door shut? Uh oh."

Fred clenched her jaw. "Just shut the door."

A small grin tugged the corners of Gunn's lips. "Yes, ma'am."

Gunn closed the door behind him and pulled out one of Fred's chairs, making himself at home. He rested his feet up on her desk.

"What, the hell, do you think you're doing?" Fred asked him quietly.

"Huh?"

"I may not like Gwen all that much, but you must have-"

Gunn straightened in the chair, his feet sliding back onto the ground. "Oh, nah-uh. I'm not having this conversation." He got to his feet.

"Yes, you are. What's wrong with you? You adore kids. You always told me you wanted a whole passel of 'em. Did you suddenly change your mind?"

Gunn rubbed a hand over his closely cut hair. "Fred, this isn't something I really want to go into with you-"

Fred slammed a hand against the top of her desk. "Dammit, Charles! I don't care. That woman is hurtin' and she's havin' your baby and she's here for help. You're actin' like she's some stray dog that followed you home for supper. This isn't like you, Charles. What's goin' on?"

Gunn sunk back into the chair and rested his head in his hands. "She lied to me."

"By omission. But then, have you tried to get in touch with her?"

Gunn huffed. "No."

"Do you-" Fred swallowed hard. "Do you think this baby isn't yours?"

"No!" Gunn looked up sharply. "We were careful, but Gwen hadn't- she'd never- I don't think she's like that."

"Has something happened, apart from this, to make you dislike Gwen?"

"No."

"Then what's wrong with you?" Fred cried out.

Gunn sagged into the chair with a slump. "If that device hadn't been fried I never would have known. She wouldn't have told me. My flesh and blood would have been out there and I wouldn't- This isn't the way it was supposed to be, Fred. Even a brother from my side of town can dream of a picket fence."

Fred sat on the edge of her desk and laid a small hand on his shoulder. "When have our lives ever gone as planned?"

Gunn chuckled bitterly.

"Do you love her?"

"No."

"Could you?"

"I- I don't know. Maybe. Probably. She isn't always so… prickly. She can be funny, and sweet, and she never made feel like I was less, you know?"

Fred softened. "Charles, we never meant to make you feel-"

Gunn shook his head. "It's not your fault you got that big squishy frontal lobe."

Gun looked up at Fred. "Never even thought I'd have kids, I shoulda died a long time ago. I wanted-"

"Charles, this isn't about what you want anymore. This about what's happening. Gwen's pregnant; you're going to be a dad."

"I missed so much."

"So why are you missing more? Stop being such an ass and make up for it. You do want to be a part of this child's life, don't you?"

"Of course!"

Fred expression became determined. "Then you should talk to Gwen. Everyone should know their parents, you told me that."

Slow smile spread across Gunn's face. "You're right, as usual." The smile fell from his face. "What if I can't?"

Fred frowned. When couldn't Charles talk?

Gunn ran a hand over his head. "I mean, I like her, a lot, but that doesn't mean that we'll work as a couple."

Fred sighed. Men, they always jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"I'm not saying sweep Gwen off her feet and marry her. Just get to know her, be her friend; be civil at the very least. For the baby's sake. Look, I'm organizing Wes's house warming party for Saturday. Why don't you invite her?"

xxxxx

Gunn stood outside the room Lorne had picked out for Gwen. It turned out Wolfram and Hart had rooms prepared for all sorts of creatures, they even had one that contained absolutely no conductive materials.

He raised a hand to knock. The hand stopped an inch away from the door. Gunn drew in a deep breath.

"Just do it, man," he muttered to himself. "Suck it up."

Decisively, Gunn knocked rapidly on the door and then stood fidgeting as he listened to the bumps and noises of a person moving around.

The door was pulled open. Gwen's eyes widened. She tugged self consciously on her overly large sweat shirt and worn plaid pj pants.

Gunn rubbed his hands together. "Hey, um, can I come in?"

xxxxx

Gunn stretched out his neck, the back of his head rubbing against the blanket covering the bed. "So, we okay?"

Gwen propped her head up, one hand rubbing soothing circles on her sweatshirt clad stomach. She pulled her legs up, her knees brushing against Gunn. "Are we?"

"I hope. I want be there."

Gwen smirked. "You're just one big softie."

Gunn squirmed. "You know," he said, trying to change the subject, "for a place that can afford to have their own dungeon, their chairs leave a lot to be desired."

"Why do you think we're on the bed?"

"My chair is way better than these. Less lumpy too. I'll get my secretary to find some other chairs for you."

Gwen scowled. "I don't need you to look after me."

"Gwen, please. Do you want to spend all your time in bed?"

"No."

"Then my secretary will find some comfortable chairs for you."

"Gunn-"

"They're chairs, Gwen, not your life. I'm not asking you to marry me."

"I wouldn't accept anyway."

"Why are you being so prickly?"

Gwen's eyes narrowed. "You got me pregnant!"

"You were there too. It's not my fault condoms are only 98 per cent effective." Gunn sighed. "I thought you were happy about this."

"I am," Gwen admitted, settling down. "So, 98 per cent huh?"

"Apparently."

"Now you tell me."

xxxxx

Gunn started as he felt something drop onto his chest. He picked it up. "What's this?"

"It's a photo of the baby," Gwen told him, attempting to be casual. "You can keep it if you want. I have more copies at home."

Gunn stared at the picture, turning it around to view it from several angles. "This is our child?"

"I could have sworn I just said that."

"Are you sure that's a baby?" Gunn asked. "It looks more like an alien."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "I had forgotten how funny you think you are."

"Hey, I am funny, smooth, smart and handsome."

"And oh so modest."

Gunn grinned. "You know it." His grin faded and he plucked uncertainly at the bedcovers. "So, ah, Fred's throwing this house warming thing for Wes on the weekend. Do you wanna go?"

"With you?"

"Well, Fred's got her eye on Wes, so I suppose you'll be stuck with me. It's a just friends thing so there won't be all that many people from here."

"Friends? Are we friends?"

"I'd like us to be."

Gwen looked thrown. "All right then."

xxxxx

The phone was lifted carefully out of its cradle.

"It's me. Yeah, she's here. No, the device is still malfunctioning. Winifred Burkle is looking into modifying it."

There was a low silky chuckle.

"I told you those recording devices would come in handy. We'll wait for the new L.I.S.A. before we attempt to retrieve her."

There were a few moments of silence.

"I know we only need the baby!" The echo in the empty room caused a wince. "I know that. All right, we'll wait, but only until the baby is born. Then the child will belong to us."

xxx

end chapter.

I'd be really interested to see who you think the plotting person is.