Fred blamed herself for not thinking about it right away. She should have. Everyone else had some sort of hang-up about their parents, and after meeting Wesley's father, in a manner of speaking, she understood this somewhat better, but Fred was on the phone with her folks in Texas on a regular basis, and she should have thought about Cordelia's parents. As it was, the idea struck her in the middle of going through Cordelia's clothes for something Cordelia could wear for the funeral. The tiny Hispanic funeral director had pointed out to her this was necessary, which was another thing she was embarassed about not thinking of first. .
"Oh God," she said to Lorne, who had gone with her to the Hyperion where Cordelia's things were still kept in boxes and cupboards. "We can't – someone has to tell Cordy's parents in person. Do you know where they live?"
"Fredikins," Lorne replied, "I don't have the slightest idea. Besides. The fact that they didn't visit during all her months in a coma seems to hint at a certain lack of interest, wouldn't you say? Or it could be worse. Her mother could be like my own dear parent and be preparing a dance of celebration right now."
"You don't mean that," Fred said in Pylean, though she knew he did. Still, not telling Cordy's parents seemed wrong on every level.
Lorne sighed and said, pointedly using English: "Pretty in Pink might know. Didn't she put them on the list anyway?"
"I haven't looked at the list," Fred said, feeling worse by the minute. "I couldn't. It – it made it so real, you know? All that time Cordy was in a coma, I knew she'd wake up again. I just knew it. It wasn't right, her lying so still and all. Not her. And then she woke up, and then she didn't, and now she never will…"
Lorne put his hand on her shoulder.
"I'll find something for her to wear," he said quietly. "Go back to the belly of the beast and ask Harmony."
"Are you sure?"
"As if I would let anyone else dress our Princess for the last time," Lorne said. "Hush."
Fred could have taken a taxi or called a limousine, but she decided to walk back to the Wolfram and Hart building, trying to figure out what to say to Cordelia's parents if Harmony did indeed have their address or at least their telephone number. Then she remembered the last time she had seen Cordelia before the visits to the hospital began. They had cut her skin to use her blood against Jasmine, and it had cured Lorne, Wesley and Gunn, just as Fred had surmised it would, but the memory of the smell of scented candles everywhere and Cordelia's blood dripping still made her feel sick. There had been something else there, someone, but as soon as the idea came it left her again. It was one of the dark areas her mind shied away from on instinct.
She should have figured out a method to wake up Cordelia. That was what she should have been working on all this time. Why was it that she had found a way to materialize a ghost because she had felt sorry for Spike, who had been little more than a stranger, but couldn't find a way to help one of her dearest friends?
The rational part in her pointed out to Fred she was neither a doctor nor a magician, but Fred didn't feel very rational right now.
When she arrived at Wolfram and Hart, Harmony was busy drawing unicorns on the sheet in front of her, so Fred figured she'd have the time for a chat.
"Cordy's parents?" Harmony said. "Sure they're on the list. It wasn't easy to find them, because her father totally went underground after getting out of jail."
"Cordelia's father was in jail?"
Harmony sniffed. "Yeah, and she always acted so secretive about it. Big deal. Like, my father got banned from his golf club, too, when they thought he cheated. He almost wouldn't let me have my car after that, you know? Anyway, I tracked them down. Don't worry, those Fisher guys will deal with them. That's what Angel is paying them for, right?"
"I don't think we should let Cordelia's parents know from strangers," Fred said.
"You never met them," Harmony said matter of factly. "Like, Mrs. Chase never stops talking. And some of us have work to do, you know? But if you want to, call them. Hey, you could call Buffy and the others as well."
"You put Buffy on that list?" Angel's voice interrupted. He was standing in the entrance of his office, staring at Harmony in disbelief. She nodded eagerly.
"Every arch nemesis Cordy ever had," she said proudly. "Even stupid Xander Harris. He completely ruined her life and brainwashed her, you know? He was, like, the Angelus to her Drusilla. But she would want all her enemies to be there and see how she's drop dead gorgeous for the rest of eternity while they start with the beer bellies and the withered boobs and all. I got all the addresses from Tucker's loser brother when he was here the other week."
Fred had seen that look on Angel's face when Spike first showed up via mail. It made her mentally prepare to stop him from staking Harmony. But as soon as it came, it was gone and his face was blank again.
"Angel…" she began.
"I'll go to the funeral home and sort this out," he said. "It's dark now, so that shouldn't be a problem."
"About Cordelia's parents…"
Angel hesitated. Then he said: "Call them."
"You don't want to?"
"Believe me, Fred," Angel said, and there was something in his voice she couldn't identify, "I'm the very last person to tell anyone about the death of their child."