"A baby?" Xander didn't know how to feel. Happy? Yes. Terrified? Oh Hell yes! "But we've always been careful."
"Are you happy?" Cordelia asked.
"Yes, that's mixed in there too. Along with sheer, mind numbing terror. I don't know how to be a Dad, Cordy. What if I mess up?"
"You're going to mess up. As loathe as I am to say it, I probably am too. But I'm absolutely going to love this baby very much, we both are."
"I'm scared, Cordy. But I've never let being afraid stop me from trying." He pulled her down on the couch and held her. "A baby, we made a baby. A tiny Cordy. Oh my gods, that means boys some day!"
"Some day. That's a long way away though." Cordelia assured him, smiling at him. "For now, there's the growing the baby part to get though. Cravings. I wonder what I'll crave?"
"Just tell me and I'll get it for you, even at three o'clock in the morning." Xander promised. "I'll take care of you both, I promise."
"The best thing you can do is keep your goofy ass in one piece, Xander." Cordelia insisted. "You make sure you're actually alive to be a dad, the rest we'll work out as we go along."
"Full protections and caution, I promise. Oh gods, your Dad's going to kill me!"
"My Dad loves you, Xander, he's not going to kill you." Cordelia tried to reassure him.
"I got his daughter pregnant and we're not married. His first instinct is going to be to reach for a gun, I guarantee it!"
"Do you want to get married just to keep him from trying to kill you?"
"We've never even discussed marriage, Cordy. Just loving each other, wanting to grow old together. Getting married because you're pregnant isn't the right reason to get married. Do you want to get married?"
"Truth be told, it's not something I've thought about either. I like how we are, Xander. And I don't want to feel pressured into getting married. And you're right, using the baby as a reason to get married isn't right either. I say we talk about it over time and when we're ready and know it's for the right reasons, then we get married."
"So marriage eventually as a goal. I can do that. How far along are you?"
"I don't know, I didn't even realize I was pregnant. I took a pregnancy test as soon as I got home."
"Why? What made you think you were pregnant?"
"The Angel of Destiny told me I was and that whether my sisters and I stayed the Charmed Ones or not wouldn't change mine and your personal destiny. We made this baby before he made his offer. I need to make an appointment with an OBGYN and get an exam."
"An Angel of Destiny told you we're having a baby? Given how rare he said a visit from one of them is, I bet it's extremely rare that one's ever made that announcement." He put his hand over her stomach. "Whitelighters can sense life forces, can you sense our baby's?"
Cordelia closed her eyes and concentrated and then smiled. "Yes, there's a life force separate from me."
"You sense life and I sense death. Death is coming nowhere near either of you." Xander swore fiercely.
"I just realized how unique that makes our baby. Witch, whitelighter and necromancer, three powers that may never have been joined together in one being before." She put her hand over his. "Xander, unique can attract trouble. Dangerous trouble."
Xander's face went hard as his body went still. She was right, they lived in a very dangerous world with creatures that preyed on humans and humans, like Wolfram and Hart, that worked with and served evil. This baby could be a tempting prize. But this baby was also guarded by the Executioner, the Slayer and the Charmed Ones. Anyone who tried would die.
"Than they'll regret it." He swore. "We've already got a lot of protections on the house and the Foundation and the Manor. Those are the places you go most often. But as much as it might chafe, Cordy, you're going to have to let us look out for you two."
"I know, nothing can be allowed to happen to this baby." Cordelia was normally unflappable, but she was worried, she couldn't help but be. But there was something else to be concerned about. "This is going to be hard on my sisters, Xander. Piper wants a baby, she's been trying for over a year and hasn't gotten pregnant yet. The specialist's findings mean her chances are small. We weren't even trying and here I am, pregnant. And then there's Phoebe, demons tried to force her to have a baby, a demon child, against her will. And here I am, with a baby on the way. The reminders are going to hurt."
"But shutting them out would hurt more. Let them be Aunt Piper and Aunt Phoebe, let them love our baby too. And the doctor didn't say it was impossible for Piper, just difficult. She could still have a baby."
"You're right, excluding them would hurt worse." Cordelia nodded. "Trying to spare pain would cause pain and I need my whole family around me. Our baby needs her family."
"Her, we're talking like it's a done deal it's a girl, but then I remember your family has only ever had girls. For centuries, yeah chances are, this is a girl. Are you sure I can't start panicking about boys?"
"What if she likes girls?" Cordelia teased. "Or both, like Faith?"
"As long as no ever hurts her and she's happy. You're not going to let me spoil her, are you?"
"I was spoiled, Xander and I wasn't a nice person for a long time."
"But you're not that person anymore, anymore than I'm Tony Harris 2.0. We made each other better people."
"And our baby is going to be a good person too."