Disclaimer: All characters from ANGEL belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. If they aren't on the show they belong to me.

Summary: A different turn of events after Season 1 Episode 12 "Expecting". A/C pairing.

CHAPTER 3

Cordelia was just finishing breakfast as Wesley entered Angel's kitchen.

"Good morning, Cordelia." Welsey said leaning against the wall. "How are you feeling?"

"Ehh, not so good." Cordelia said as she finished her toast. "I was sick since like seven this morning."

Wesley smiled. "Well, that would explain why Angel is asleep. I'm sure you had him up all morning."

"No." Cordelia raised an eyebrow. "He hasn't come home yet. I thought he was with you."

"He was, about eight hours ago. We went after a demon, but I couldn't go in and help him fight it." Wesley stood up straight.

"Well, where the hell is he now?" Cordelia said as she began to get worried.

"I'm sure he is fine, Cordelia. Maybe the sun began to come up so he is hung up somewhere until night fall."

"Or maybe," Cordelia stood. "He is a pile of dust somewhere!" She quickly grabbed her purse.

"Cordelia, where are you going?"

"To find him!"

"Oh no you're not!" Wesley cut her off. "Not in your condition."

"Wesley, I'm going to find Angel. I could give a flip about my condition! I'm not having these babies right now, so right now I need to find Angel." She tried to get around Wesley. "Move, Wes!"

"Cordelia, I'd rather-" He was cut off by a knock on the door. "See, that's probably Angel now." He moved and opened the door to find a young black man in ragged clothes with Angel swung over his shoulder. "Oh dear..."

"What?" Cordelia moved to see who was at the door and jumped back when she saw the scene. "Um...Wes?"

"He belong to you?" The young man asked.

"Um...yes...yes he does." Wesley stammered.

The young man entered with Angel. "I found him in the sewer under this place. Dude was out cold. I checked his wallet and found a card with this address." The young man held up Angel's card.

Cordelia moved foward. "Yes, he lives here."

"Woah! Look at you little momma." The young man said to Cordelia. "Is he the dad because that would explain why I found him in the shape he was in." He pointed to the slashes on Angel's face.

"Oh my God!" Cordelia moved and cupped Angel's face in her hands. "I've got to clean that up! Put him on the couch." Cordelia said as she waddled into the kitchen.

The man did as he was told and set Angel down on the couch.

"Thank you for bringing him home Mr..." Wesley trailed off.

"Gunn." The young man said.

"Excuse me?" Wesley was confused.

"That's me. I'm Charles Gunn."

"Well, thank you Charles." Cordelia said returning with a rag to clean up Angel's face. "We were worried about him." She knelt down and began washing Angel's cuts out very softly.

"It's just Gunn, and not a problem." Gunn smiled.

"If you don't mind me asking, what where you doing in the sewer, Mr. Gunn?" Wesley asked.

"Alright, you got me. I didn't find him in a sewer. I found him in an old apartment downtown. I was out hunting and he was dueling with some big ugly thing. It seemed to be getting the best of him so I decided I'd give him a hand. I beat the thing until it's guts fell out and then I went to stake ya boy over here..." Gunn tilted his head to Angel. "but he managed to come to just in time to tell me his whole damn life story so I figuared I'd let the soulful vamp go when he blacked out again. I dragged his dead ass through the sewers and now, well, here I am."

"Wow." Cordelia said flatly. "Well, that was uh...thoughtful?"

"You say you were out hunting? Hunting what?" Wesley asked Gunn.

"Vamps, man. What else?" Gunn threw out his arms. "All except ya boy here. I guess he's on our side."

"Yep." Cordelia patted Angel's cuts. "He's different alright."

"Well I'm gonna be on my way then." Gunn said moving to the door.

"Oh no, please go grab something to eat. I'm sure Angel will want to talk to you when he wakes up." Cordelia said still concentrating on Angel's face.

"Ok. Thanks...uhh...sorry I didn't catch ya names." Gunn said.

"Oh, of coarse. I'm Wesley Wyndham-Pryce and this is Cordelia Chase." Wesley said as he pointed to Cordelia. "Oh and he's Angel, on the couch."

"Yeah, he told me when we met." Gunn said flatly.

"Oh, well, right this way into the kitchen then." Wesley exited and Gunn followed him.

Cordelia was left alone with Angel. She dabbed at his wounds and cursed him under her breath for how stupid he had been. Then her hand suddenly went to her huge stomach. "Ouch, would you knock it off in there. That hurts." Cordelia said to her unborn children.

"Maybe they're gonna be soccer players?" Angel said weakly with a smile as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Angel!" Cordelia threw herself as best she could around him and then she suddenly, and without warning, slap him as hard as she could in the arm.

"Ouch! Hey, what was that for?" Angel asked grabbing his arm.

"You could have died, buddy!" Cordelia raised her voice at him. "You could have been a big pile of nothing and then I would have been all alone!" Cordelia was on the verge of tears. "You are so selfish, God!"

"Selfish? Cordy, I was doing what I always do. I always almost die, it's like part of my job." Angel said propping himself up on one arm. "But listen to me." He cupped Cordelia's chin in his hand. "You'll never be alone. Not now, not ever. Understand?"

Cordelia nodded. "I'm just a mess. I guess it's the harmones."

"Yeah." Angel slowly got up. "That'll probably do it to you." He bent over to help Cordelia up and when he stood he was face to face with a man he didn't recognize. "Who the hell are you?"

"Are you kidding me? I saved your life and all I get is a 'who the hell are you'? That's crap." Gunn said.

Angel sighed and gave a nod. "Gunn. How could I forget you."

"I don't know. Seeing as how I kicked that demon's ass for you." Gunn folded his arms.

"I could have taken him." Angel said.

"Oh, I'm sure. You looked it when he was, ya know, killing you and all."

"He wasn't-" Angel crossed his arms, mimicking Gunn. "I'm already dead."

"Yeah, I know. I also know you got a soul, and ya only drink pigs blood, and ya got a thing for blondes."

"How did you kno-"

"You told me, remember?" Gunn asked.

"Oh, yeah."

"Well now that you're awake I'm gonna be on my way. Thanks for the food, Cordelia." Gunn said holding up two cookies.

"No problem." Cordelia called after him as he exited and then she changed her attention to Angel. "Well, that was rude. He only, like, saved your life and you just get nippy with him."

"I wasn't nippy." Angel said sitting on the couch. "He saved me, I thanked him, but he shouldn't have been there. He could have gotten himself killed."

Cordelia sat next to Angel. "Just like you could have. It's part of his job."

"Yeah, he told me, and let me tell you how much I don't like him doing that job." Angel said.

"Well, what can you do---" Cordelia doubled over and got a worried look on her face.

"What is it, Cordy?" Angel helped sit her back up.

"I don't know. Maybe a kick?" Cordelia doubled over again. "Or something else." She doubled over once more and cried out in pain.

It took Angel and Wesley about five minutes to have Cordelia at Dr. Everets' office and another two minutes to have her in the exam room.

"Well..." Dr. Everets chuckled to himself. "She's perfectly fine."

"What?" Angel was shocked. "Trust me she isn't. I was there when-"

"When she had a fake contraction." Dr. Everets said simply. "It's very common at this stage." He turned his attention to Cordelia. "Were you on your feet a lot?"

Cordelia shrugged. "A little, I guess."

"Well, no more of that. You stay in bed." The doctor told her.

"What!" Cordelia said angrily. "I can't-"

"Cordelia, just listen to the doctor." Wesley tried to calm her down.

"Here's a plan, Wes. You get pregnant with seven demon-spawn and then you listen to the doctor!" Cordelia snapped as she got up and exited.

The doctor saw the dumbfounded looks on Angel and Wesley's face and chuckled. "Relax boys, all women get like that at the end."

"It's like she's possessed." Wesley said.

"Yeah, it would seem that way." Dr. Everet's laughed again. "But she'll be better once they are born, just try and be there for her right now."

"That's your mission, Angel. I'm going to try and stay out of her way as much as I can." Wesley said.

"What? Wes, we're a team." Angel tried to weasel his way out. "And if I recall you had the hots for Cordelia back in Sunnydale."

"And if I recall she had the hots for you so that means you win this." Wesley walked to the door. "I'll be at home if you two should need anything." And with that he exited.

Angel looked up at Dr. Everets who just smiled at him. "Well, out of the two of you, I'd say the English guy was the smartest."

"I know..." Angel said under his breath as he followed the doctor out of the room.

"Well, home sweet home." Angel said as he placed Cordelia down on his bed and pulled the covers up around her.

"Angel, this is silly. I'll be fine at my apartment." Cordelia smiled at him. "Dennis is there and-"

"Cordy, you heard the doctor. No walking around for you, so you're staying here with me." Angel sat on the bed next to her.

"I don't want to put you out."

"You're not."

"This is your bed! And i just took it over." Cordelia said looking away as her eyes filled with tears.

"Hey." Angel took her hand. "I'm a vampire. I don't need that much sleep. Plus, I like my couch. It's...comfy."

"Why are you doing this?" Cordelia asked as tears fell down her cheeks. "I don't deserve this. I don't deserve you and Wes taking care of me like this."

"Of course you do, Cordy." Angel said wipping her tears away. "You're my best friend."

Cordelia smiled at Angel who smiled back and then got up and turned the lights off.

"Angel?" Cordelia called out in the dark room. "Don't leave me in here."

"Alright, I'll be right here in the chair, Cordy." Angel said as he moved some books to sit down.

"No, Angel. Come lay with me. I...I don't want to be alone." Cordelia stammered and Angel could tell she was crying.

"Uhh, ok." Angel said climbing into bed next to Cordelia.

Cordelia turned and buried her head in Angel's chest. She cried for what seemed like hours and all Angel could do was hold her close to his cold body. He smelt the salt in her tears and felt the warmth of her skin. When he was sure she had fallen asleep he gently moved her over so he could go make himself more comfortable on the couch. As he was getting up though, Cordelia grabbed his arm.

"Angel?" She called out weakly. "Where are you going?"

"No...nowhere Cordy." Angel said sliding back next to her.

She inched up so that they were face to face. "Thank you. For everything." And without hesitation she gently kissed him on the lips and then pulled her head back to study his face. She could see nothing in the dark so she decided to just nuzzle back down into his chest and get some rest.

Angel was unable to sleep the rest of the night.