Author: Domino
Email: zahfat@yahoo.com
Summary: The Scoobies visit LA, and discoveries are made.
A/N: This is set before Cordy becomes a demon. Connor is still a baby. F/G are dating, and Groo hasn’t returned. I’ve messed with the timelines a bit.
It was a bedraggled group that stood outside, rain dripping miserably of them. They banged on the doors, but the place was silent, silent except for the uncharacteristic storm whose loud sounds drowned out any shouts.
“This is ridiculous. I am breaking in,” an English accent sounded out, sounding irritated.
“I wonder where they are,” a young red-head said, sounding calm despite the circumstances.
“Well, if someone had bothered to phone and let them know we were coming…” a voice trailed of, and a brunette glared at a blonde girl.
“I thought we could surprise them. Besides we all could use a vacation,” the blonde girl replied, defensively.
“Surprise them, please, you just wanted to…”
“Everyone calm down,” a man’s voice interrupted. He sounded tired, and resigned, like he had done this many times before. “Spike!” he sounded, as he watched the vampire pull out something from his duster and focus on the lock.
“What exactly do you think you are doing?” another voice cut in. They all turned in unison, to see a crossbow aimed directly at them. A black man and a young woman stood there. The man held the crossbow, his face resolute while the woman stood slightly behind him, peaking anxiously over his shoulder at the group in front of the hotel. Suddenly she started jumping up and down, and her arm pushed the weapon down.
“Look, Charles. Its her. The girl who came last time,” the girl said, excitedly running towards the red-head. And to the surprise of the group hugged her. She hugged back awkwardly.
“Fred?” the man was slower to react, but he did put the crossbow away.
Fred ran back towards him. She pointed to the people around, talking in almost one breathe, “That’s Willow, remember Charles. She’s Cordy’s friend, Cordy says I’m like her, and that’s the B-word,” her voice lowered slightly, “You know the one that died, and that’s Dawnie…Cordy says she’s cool and she’s the key and that she’s really great to go shopping with,” the girl pointed to the others and continued, “And that’s Xander…he’s the one Angel gets mad at, cos he cheated on Cordy, and she cried that once, and that’s Giles, Angel says he’s like Wes and Cordy says he only wears tweed – she’s right, that is tweed, and that’s…” she stopped for a second, when she realized the weird stares she was getting from the bemused faces watching her in shock.
“Maybe we could take this inside, chit,” the blonde vampire standing at the door said quickly before the girl could start again, “where it isn’t raining,” he added pointedly.
“Oh, of course, Charles why didn’t you tell me? Look at all of us, soaking wet. Although I do like the rain…” the girl added. Luckily for all of them, ‘Charles’ moved forward and giving a glare at Spike, causing the blonde vampire to move back, used his keys to open the front doors of the hotel.
“So, what - it didn’t occur to you’ll to ring the bell,” the man called Charles aimed over his shoulder as the group hurried inside to get out the rain. He didn’t seem overly friendly, as eyed them all with distrust.
“Of course, we did. There’s no one home,” Xander replied scornfully.
“Don’t be silly, Angel and Cordy are home,” Fred replied quickly, and then added, “Oh!”
“Oh what?” Buffy asked, curious despite herself.
Fred exchanged a look with Gunn and then to surprise of the group, the man broke out laughing.
“Oh is right, Fred,” he said, and then at the pointed curiosity of the others began to explain.
“Well, Angel won the bet so…” he trailed of, seeing the confusion on their faces.
“Well, that was real helpful,” Spike said sarcastically and turned to the willowy girl. At least when she talked, even if it made no sense, she gave information, he thought.
Fred picked up the story, “Last time Cordy won, and she made Angel watch the Matrix and so when he won he insisted on Charleton Heston. That’s his favorite, and Cordy hates it. He always picked it for movie nights and Cordy always tries to avoid watching them. I don’t know why, I kind of like them, but Wes and Charles don’t either. Tonight, Angel insisted Cordy sit and watch, and Wes made some excuse and me and Charles had a date, so we left, and that’s why.”
Xander looked at each person in the room pointedly before saying, “So am I like the only person in the room that didn’t get that?”
“Maybe you start again,” Dawn suggested, ignoring the panicked looks on their faces.
“Its simple, really,” Fred said, taking no offense, “Cordy probably fell of to sleep to avoid watching, and Angel got bored since he didn’t have Cordy to bug so he’s sleeping as well.”
They group still wore disbelieving looks.
“Angel likes Charleton Heston?” Willow asked finally.
“Movie night?” Buffy questioned.
“So they’re sleeping together,” Anya put in.
“He always was a boring poof,” Spike added.
“No way,” was Xander’s contribution, although if it was in reply to Anya, Willow or Fred, no one was quite sure.
“Come with us, if you don’t believe me,” Fred said, and led the way into another room. They all followed slowly, unable to think of a reason not to.
There on the sofa, curled up together lay Angel and Cordelia. Their legs were a tangled mass and her head rested on his chest, with his arms wrapped tightly around her. In the corner of the room the TV was softly playing, unnoticed by the sleeping forms.
They all stared. It wasn’t merely the position that held them, but the expressions on their faces. Cordelia had a slight smile, mysterious, secretive and happy on her face and none of them had seen Angel look so calm, so at peace before.
And then simultaneously all turned to look at Buffy to see her reaction. She had a surprised look on her face, and something unreadable. Their attention was distracted again when Fred walked up to the two of them, and reached into what looked like a bassinet.
Expertly the young girl picked up a baby and walked quietly out the room up the stairs, Charles following her, after leaning over his two sleeping friends and covering them up with a blanket lying on the edge of the sofa.
The group backed out of the room, almost tripping over each other in their haste to leave and once in the lobby again, they all avoided each other’s eyes until Xander who couldn’t take the silence anymore, blurted out, “I saw a baby, right. A real live baby.” When no one answered he added, “that wasn’t rhetorical question.”
TBC