Willow sat in the basement of the Hyperion Hotel and stared at her best friend, she desperately wanted to release her, she hated to see her friend chained up but after staring into the black holes, that were Buffy's eyes she knew that there was no one home and her heart broke, hoping and praying that they would be able to get her back. A tear fell from her eye, she wanted her friend back, she needed her.
The redheaded witch reached out and took hold of Buffy's hand. She frowned and looked closer as she noticed a small tattoo on it. Willow knew that Buffy had never gotten a tattoo.
"What the hell?" She whispered but knowing that there was one person that could figure it out. Willow stood and ran up the stairs to the lobby. "WESLEY!" She yelled at the top of her voice.
Wesley turned to her, his face full of confusion and worry, afraid that something more had happened to Buffy.
"What is it Willow?" He asked as he got to her side.
"There something on Buffy's hand, a tattoo." Willow explained.
"When did Buff get a tattoo?" Xander asked.
Willow and Wesley turned and glared at him, they shook their heads. Wesley grabbed a pen and paper and headed towards the basement.
Xander stood looking around. "What?" He asked not understanding.
Gunn walked over to him. "How did you ever get the chance to date someone like Cordy is beyond me?" He paused for a moment. "She didn't get a tattoo. Whoever or whatever did this left it behind, which means we now have a clue something we can use to research and help get your friend back." Gunn told him as simply as he could, then turned and headed towards the basement to join the others hoping that they maybe they could find other clues that would help to save her. Gunn just hoped that when she was back she was going to leave Angel and Cordy alone. His two friends deserved to be happy and he was going to make sure that they were, the two of them had been through so much and they deserved it now they had finally found their way to each other.
Xander watched the black man walk away. He hoped that they could help Buffy. If she had been so alone why couldn't she have come to them? Why here to the vampire that broke her heart and it seemed he had done it again. Angel and Cordelia. Xander shook his head it boggled the mind, not as much as the thought that Cordy was going to be a mother. Cordelia Chase, Queen C, the bitch of Sunnydale High, was going to have a little helpless child. Ok, that he was still having problems with.
Angel sat on a chair besides Cordy's hospital bed and just watched her sleep. He had never been more proud as he was of her then at this moment. He reached out and gently moved a piece of hair off her face and she had never looked more beautiful and his heart swelled with love. Angel was never going to let her go again; they had been through so much, they had fought many obstacles and because of it their love had grown. As long as they were together and they had their family nothing was going to stop them.
He softly stroked her cheek, her skin smooth beneath his fingers. The vampire could just sit here for an eternity and be perfectly happy just watching her, memorising every small detail. Someday he knew that she would die and he would be left alone but he wasn't going to think about that he was going to love her with everything he was, for as long as he could. Cordy was his heart; his soul, his sun and she warmed him from the inside. She made him more human, Cordy helped him become the man, the vampire he was now and there was no way he could ever show her how much that meant to him, how much she meant to him but he was going to try.
"Angel." A voice whispered.
Angel stared into her beautiful hazel eyes. He had been so deep in thought that he never even heard her heartbeat change and didn't realise that she was waking up.
"Hey." He whispered back. A smile gracing his face and his chest aching as she smiled the sweetest and the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.
"Beautiful isn't she?" Cordy whispered as she leant into Angel's touch.
"Yes, she takes after her mother." Angel bent forward and kissed her gently, he closed his eyes, and her smell and taste overwhelmed his senses until there was only her.
Cordy sighed and fell into the kiss, she felt as if she were drowning. Her mouth parted beneath his. Angel's tongue swiped across her lips and then entered the cavern of her mouth, touching, tasting and caressing everything, imprinting it all on his mind.
Angel pushed her further back onto the bed and without stopping the kiss he laid next to her. One hand tangled in her hair, the other hand skimming up and down her side.
Cordy didn't want to stop this kiss but breathing was becoming a bit of a problem, so she pulled back and took a gulping breath of air. She cupped his face in her hands and stared at him.
"Angel I love you and that is not going to change but I need to make sure that you are happy that me, my child and Lindsey are going to be there. If you aren't tell me now, I can't." She lowered her head. Cordy didn't know how to tell him that if he couldn't be happy like that, it wouldn't work between them and it would kill her if he ever started to hate her. If he was forced into something he didn't want to do.
Angel could hear her heart pound, he could smell her fear he placed his hand under her chin and forced her to look at him.
"Cordy listen to me. I love you, more than I have ever loved anyone. You know me inside and out. I will love your daughter as my own, she will have two fathers." He sighed and took a deep breath. "I can't promise anything about Lindsey, all I can promise is that I will try ok. He's done so much to hurt us, to try and kill us. But" he placed a finger over he lips before she could interrupt him. "I can see how he cares about you and that does mean he is trying and I know you wouldn't put us or your child in danger. Let's see how that one goes but for everything else I want you here. Cordy I can't, I won't let you leave me again I would never survive without you knowing now that you love me."
Cordy smiled at him, it seemed as if the weight of the world had now been lifted from her shoulders. She moved across so Angel could lay flat on his back and she laid her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.
Lindsey stared through the glass in awe. He couldn't believe that there was his child. She was so small and delicate and could be hurt so easily. Anger coursed through him at the thought of anyone trying to hurt his family, he would do whatever he had to do to protect them. But his family had grown there was Cordy, his daughter and now the rest of Angel Investigations and Lindsey knew that they would all protect his daughter with everything they had, but they would also show her love of a strong family.
"So how does it feel being a dad?" A timid voice asked.
Lindsey turned around and smiled at Fred.
"I don't think it has really sunk in, all I feel at the moment is terror. I'm so afraid that I will fail her somehow." He whispered.
Fred laid a hand on his chest a smile on her face as she gazed up at him.
"We'll be here to help you and I think you'll be a great dad." The petite Texan told him honestly.
"I've done so many horrible things." Lindsey stuttered a little suddenly feeling nervous.
Fred giggled and his eyes whipped to hers.
"Angel has done a lot worse then you and he is a great dad to Connor." With that she kissed him on the cheek, but as she pulled their eyes locked together, everything seemed to slow down as Lindsey lowered his head and kissed her softly, chastely. But that delicate kiss ran through their bodies like electricity and curled their toes.
As they pulled back Fred looked shell-shocked the same expression was on his face as well. This was something that neither of them expected and they had no idea what to do they just stood their staring at each other for just a little longer and suddenly Fred smiled a shy smile at him and looked down at the floor.
Lindsey's heart started to beat faster as he watched her for a moment longer.
"Me, a dad." He said with a laugh as he turned his gaze back to his daughter, he could see from the corner of his eye Fred do the same. He reached out and entwined his fingers with hers and they just stood their staring at the beautiful little girl who had just been born into their family.
"Eureka." Wesley said to himself as he stared at the picture of the demon that had done this to Buffy. He frowned something seemed odd to him, this isn't a demon that would go after them or the slayer. It was time that they found out some information.
"So we have a way to cure Buffy then?" Willow asked hopefully.
"Not quite we do need to get some more information. Gunn stay here and keep an eye on things. Spike your with me let's go and see what information we can get shall we." Wesley ordered.
Gunn nodded and Spike just grinned, he was looking forward to this.
TBC