Fred was stretched out on the bed, reading through the latest science journal that had just arrived in the post that day when Rupert's phone rang. Since it wasn't unusual for him to get calls from Andrew or any of the others at the Council at strange hours, she really didn't pay it any notice until she heard him say Spike's name. Sitting up, she furrowed her brow, trying to figure out why the vampire might have been calling.
When her husband hung up the phone and took her hand, she could see that something was wrong. Had something happened at Wolfram and Hart? Had Charles and Angel finally figured out that they had pretty much just snuck off with Lorne without telling them?
She wasn't prepared for what he told her had happened.
Cordelia was dead.
Fred felt tears coming to her eyes as her throat tightened. "Bu--but she was...they said they were going to take care of her," she whispered hoarsely, her voice straining as she tried to keep from breaking down. "They said they were going to give her the best medical care and watch over her and...Angel promised that they were going to find a way to wake her up. Oh, god."
Unable to hold back anymore, she started crying, leaning against her husband. First Wesley. Now Cordelia. The best of them, taken down by the evil that they had been fighting against...and Angel and Charles had joined them. She wasn't sure how long she cried, only that she felt a painful lump inside her at the knowledge that another of her friends - the first of them she had met - was gone.
Giles wrapped his arms around Fred's body and tightly held her as she cried. He wanted to say something but decided not to. He knew he could lie and say things would be all right, but he couldn't. Angel had let her down and part of him wanted to fly to Los Angeles and throttle the git for all the pain he was causing the people around him.
"It's all right, love," he whispered against her hair as he softly rubbed her back. There had been a time when he couldn't stand the sight of Cordelia, but over time he'd learned how to ignore her mouth. Besides, she had grown a lot and was actually quite good with helping them with their research. And she had kept Buffy's secret throughout their high school career.
When Fred said she needed to call Lorne, Giles nodded and pulled away from her. "I need to ring Xander, Willow and the rest of them. They'll want to know also," he quietly said. He pulled a tissue out and carefully wiped the wetness from her face. "I'll make my calls from the hallway and you can speak to Lorne in here." He reached over and picked up the cordless phone and handed it to her before softly kissing her forehead.
Giles picked up his mobile and walked out into the hallway, just as Molly jumped on the bed and snuggle on Fred's lap. He called Buffy and Dawn first. Buffy was out so he spoke to Dawn. The younger Summers seemed to be quite broken up over it, saying she'd always liked Cordy. His next call was to Willow, followed by Xander. Both said they would speak to him in the morning.
When he came back to the room, Giles stood in the doorway and looked at his wife. His thoughts went to how Fred had almost went to the firm. A lump formed in his throat as he thought about life without her. He didn't want to lose her to anything, especially to Angel's stupidity.
Fred gave her husband a grateful but wan smile when he wiped her tears away from her face. "Thank you," she whispered. Part of her wanted Rupert to stay but knew that this conversation with Lorne was going to be hard enough. And he needed to call the others anyway.
As he headed into the hallway, Molly jumped into her lap, whining slightly and snuggling against her, obviously knowing that something was wrong. Sighing, Fred leaned down to rest her cheek against the top of Molly's head for a moment while stroking her back. "I'm so glad I have you and Rupert," she told the puppy.
She really hated to think what might have happened to her had she actually agreed to go to the firm. Somehow, she had a feeling she would be dead too. It was a thought that made her shudder. It made her all that more thankful for the life she had and the wonderful man she had found to share it with.
Sitting back up, she dialed Lorne's number at the Slayer's quarters, swallowing as she waited for him to pick up. After several rings, she heard his voice come on the line.
"--anks, doll. Wondered what that strange ringing was. Hello, this is Lorne."
"Lorne, it's me," she said softly.
"Freddles? Sweetie, what's wrong?"
"Sp--Spike just called Rupert. He...that is, he wanted to tell us...it's...oh God...Cordelia died about an hour and a half ago in Los Angeles." There was silence on the other end of the line for several moments. "Lorne?"
"Do you know how?" His voice sounded as strained as hers now, and she knew he was trying to hold back the tears. "I mean, did Spike say anything?"
She shook her head even though he couldn't see her. "No. Was there any indication that--?"
"No. The last time I visited her, she was stable." He sighed, and Fred wished she was there to give him a hug. "We never should have gone there."
"Stop by my lab at work tomorrow at the end of the day? We can talk some more."
"I will. Tha--thanks for letting me know. And Fred...I love you, sweetie. You mean the world to me."
"I know, Lorne. I love you too."
After they ended the call, Fred put the cordless on the sidetable and leaned down again to nuzzle the top of Molly's head. She then looked over to see her husband standing in the doorway and held her hand out to him, pulling him down to her when he stepped over and took it.
"I was just thinking," she told him softly, "I'm glad that my life is here with you. I don't know what I'd do without you in my life."
Giles pulled Fred against him again and wrapped his arms around her body. “I was just thinking the same thing, love,” he quietly said. “I don’t want to imagine what my life may be like without you.” He softly stroke her back as Molly nuzzled her head against Fred’s stomach.
“I remember when Cordelia announced she was going to Los Angeles to be an actress. She threw herself a party and announced it then,” Giles said, with a small chuckle as he remembered the looks on everyone’s face when Cordelia told them she was going to become an actress and win an Oscar. “She gave us all cards with words of advice on them. My card said I needed to stop looking at books all the time and find some nice girl and marry her and have a bunch of ‘stuffy little Watcher-type people’.”
Giles nuzzled Fred’s hair as he thought back on Cordelia’s words. She had been there when Jenny had died, offering him her own style of comfort. She knew, even as a bright-eyed teenager, what he really needed in his life. Shifting a little, he looked at his wife and brushed the hair off her face. “I think we should have a baby as soon as possible,” he said, knowing that this was something he wanted. “I’m tired of waiting, Fred. I waited so long to find someone like you and now I want a family, complete with a wife, dog and child. What do you think? Do you think we’re ready?”
Fred closed her eyes as her husband caressed her hand over her back and Molly pressed against her stomach, the love and warmth from both of them spreading through her body. A smile then spread across her face while Rupert told what Cordy had done before she had moved to Los Angeles.
"I can so definitely see her doing that," she told him, the idea that she had told Rupert he needed to get married quite amusing. She wondered what Cordelia would have said had she found out that he had married Fred. "She used to love to give everyone advice on their lives, no matter whether they asked or not. Sometimes I wondered if she shouldn't have been an advice columnist or an afternoon television show host or something."
When he brushed her hair out of her face, she opened her eyes and looked up at him, feeling her heart starting to flutter in her chest as he spoke about them having a baby. "I...I was thinking about that the other day when we were at the shops," she admitted. "I was watching some children playing outside the bakery, and I found myself thinking about you and me having children. I wasn't sure if it was a good time since I just started at the Council so recently, but...I do want it. I want to have a baby with you, Rupert."
She smiled at him, leaning forward to kiss him softly, the pain in her heart at the loss of her friend bouyed by the thought of her and Rupert having a child together. "Yes. I think we're ready."
Giles was relieved to know Fred had been thinking about having children also. He was beginning to wish he hadn't brought it up, considering the news they had just received. When she leaned over and kissed him, and said they were ready, a goofy grin spread across his face. They were going to be a real family and he was going to be a father.
He watched as Molly got off Fred's lap and started to burrow around in the blankets. Giles watched her for a moment, remembering one of the reasons he had gotten her was to see if they were ready for a child. Molly was happy and healthy and he smiled, knowing they would be great parents. "I love you, Fred," he said, looking over at her. He softly cupped her face and gave her a small kiss.
Giles then glanced over at the clock and noticed that it had gotten late. "We should try to get some sleep, love," he said as he turned down the bed. "I'm afraid we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." He knew that the rest of them probably wouldn't be up to doing much work and he wanted to make sure all of them knew they could come to his office if they wanted to talk.
Lying down, Giles reached up and pulled Fred to him. He tightly spooned against her and held her as tight as he could. "Thank you for loving me, Fred, and for promising me forever," he whispered before kissing the top of her head.
Fred smiled up at Rupert after he had kissed her - he really was her light no matter what dark and bad stuff happened around them. As long as they had each other, she knew they could have everything they wanted, including their family. "I love you too."
When he mentioned that they should try to get some sleep, she nodded, knowing that he was right, especially since tomorrow would be their first day back in the office since before the wedding. It was going to be weird, being there again, especially with everything that had happened, but she promised herself that she wouldn't let the loss of her friend affect her.
Once the bed had been turned down, and Rupert had layed down, Fred snuggled up to him, letting him pull her close. She closed her eyes as he thanked her, a smile playing across her lips. "Always, Rupert," she whispered back to him. "Always."
After a while, she fell asleep, her dreams filled with Cordelia and Wesley, almost as if they were watching over her and Rupert and their children. When the alarm went off in the morning, she slowly opened her eyes, realizing that even though she had lost her friends, the family she had gained with her husband would always have guardian angels.
Turning in Rupert's embrace, she hugged him tightly. "Guess we need to get up and get ready for work," she whispered
Giles waited until Fred fell asleep before falling asleep himself. He couldn't recall any of his dreams and when the alarm went off, he reached over and turned it off. When Fred moved in his arms, he smiled and pulled her closer. "I do suppose we do," he whispered back before kissing the tip of her nose. He wanted to stay in bed all day and make love to his wife but he knew they were needed at the Council.
"I'll take care of Molly while you shower and get ready. I would take a shower with you but I'm afraid we might not leave the flat," he said before leaning down to deeply kiss her. "I'll be back soon." He got out of the bed and whistled for Molly to follow him.
They went down the staircase and Giles let her out while he put fresh food and water down for her. When Molly was finished outside, Giles let her back in and went to the front door to fetch the morning paper. When he opened the door though, there was a box sitting on top of the paper. The box had the flat's address on it but no postage.
Giles' brow furrowed as he picked the box and paper up. He closed the door and took the box to the foyer table. There was a card on top and he opened it. It was a simple wedding card, congratulating Fred and him on their nuptials. Giles then opened the box and watched as a few packing peanuts fell out. Inside was a vase, covered with different symbols and drawings. It almost look Aztecan in nature.
He tucked the vase under his arm, still confused on how might've sent it, and went back upstairs. "We got another wedding present," he said, walking into the bedroom. "But it didn't say who it was from." Giles looked at the vase again. "I think I should research these symbols."
When her husband hung up the phone and took her hand, she could see that something was wrong. Had something happened at Wolfram and Hart? Had Charles and Angel finally figured out that they had pretty much just snuck off with Lorne without telling them?
She wasn't prepared for what he told her had happened.
Cordelia was dead.
Fred felt tears coming to her eyes as her throat tightened. "Bu--but she was...they said they were going to take care of her," she whispered hoarsely, her voice straining as she tried to keep from breaking down. "They said they were going to give her the best medical care and watch over her and...Angel promised that they were going to find a way to wake her up. Oh, god."
Unable to hold back anymore, she started crying, leaning against her husband. First Wesley. Now Cordelia. The best of them, taken down by the evil that they had been fighting against...and Angel and Charles had joined them. She wasn't sure how long she cried, only that she felt a painful lump inside her at the knowledge that another of her friends - the first of them she had met - was gone.
"Lorne...I need to tell Lorne."
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"It's all right, love," he whispered against her hair as he softly rubbed her back. There had been a time when he couldn't stand the sight of Cordelia, but over time he'd learned how to ignore her mouth. Besides, she had grown a lot and was actually quite good with helping them with their research. And she had kept Buffy's secret throughout their high school career.
When Fred said she needed to call Lorne, Giles nodded and pulled away from her. "I need to ring Xander, Willow and the rest of them. They'll want to know also," he quietly said. He pulled a tissue out and carefully wiped the wetness from her face. "I'll make my calls from the hallway and you can speak to Lorne in here." He reached over and picked up the cordless phone and handed it to her before softly kissing her forehead.
Giles picked up his mobile and walked out into the hallway, just as Molly jumped on the bed and snuggle on Fred's lap. He called Buffy and Dawn first. Buffy was out so he spoke to Dawn. The younger Summers seemed to be quite broken up over it, saying she'd always liked Cordy. His next call was to Willow, followed by Xander. Both said they would speak to him in the morning.
When he came back to the room, Giles stood in the doorway and looked at his wife. His thoughts went to how Fred had almost went to the firm. A lump formed in his throat as he thought about life without her. He didn't want to lose her to anything, especially to Angel's stupidity.
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As he headed into the hallway, Molly jumped into her lap, whining slightly and snuggling against her, obviously knowing that something was wrong. Sighing, Fred leaned down to rest her cheek against the top of Molly's head for a moment while stroking her back. "I'm so glad I have you and Rupert," she told the puppy.
She really hated to think what might have happened to her had she actually agreed to go to the firm. Somehow, she had a feeling she would be dead too. It was a thought that made her shudder. It made her all that more thankful for the life she had and the wonderful man she had found to share it with.
Sitting back up, she dialed Lorne's number at the Slayer's quarters, swallowing as she waited for him to pick up. After several rings, she heard his voice come on the line.
"--anks, doll. Wondered what that strange ringing was. Hello, this is Lorne."
"Lorne, it's me," she said softly.
"Freddles? Sweetie, what's wrong?"
"Sp--Spike just called Rupert. He...that is, he wanted to tell us...it's...oh God...Cordelia died about an hour and a half ago in Los Angeles." There was silence on the other end of the line for several moments. "Lorne?"
"Do you know how?" His voice sounded as strained as hers now, and she knew he was trying to hold back the tears. "I mean, did Spike say anything?"
She shook her head even though he couldn't see her. "No. Was there any indication that--?"
"No. The last time I visited her, she was stable." He sighed, and Fred wished she was there to give him a hug. "We never should have gone there."
"Stop by my lab at work tomorrow at the end of the day? We can talk some more."
"I will. Tha--thanks for letting me know. And Fred...I love you, sweetie. You mean the world to me."
"I know, Lorne. I love you too."
After they ended the call, Fred put the cordless on the sidetable and leaned down again to nuzzle the top of Molly's head. She then looked over to see her husband standing in the doorway and held her hand out to him, pulling him down to her when he stepped over and took it.
"I was just thinking," she told him softly, "I'm glad that my life is here with you. I don't know what I'd do without you in my life."
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“I remember when Cordelia announced she was going to Los Angeles to be an actress. She threw herself a party and announced it then,” Giles said, with a small chuckle as he remembered the looks on everyone’s face when Cordelia told them she was going to become an actress and win an Oscar. “She gave us all cards with words of advice on them. My card said I needed to stop looking at books all the time and find some nice girl and marry her and have a bunch of ‘stuffy little Watcher-type people’.”
Giles nuzzled Fred’s hair as he thought back on Cordelia’s words. She had been there when Jenny had died, offering him her own style of comfort. She knew, even as a bright-eyed teenager, what he really needed in his life. Shifting a little, he looked at his wife and brushed the hair off her face. “I think we should have a baby as soon as possible,” he said, knowing that this was something he wanted. “I’m tired of waiting, Fred. I waited so long to find someone like you and now I want a family, complete with a wife, dog and child. What do you think? Do you think we’re ready?”
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"I can so definitely see her doing that," she told him, the idea that she had told Rupert he needed to get married quite amusing. She wondered what Cordelia would have said had she found out that he had married Fred. "She used to love to give everyone advice on their lives, no matter whether they asked or not. Sometimes I wondered if she shouldn't have been an advice columnist or an afternoon television show host or something."
When he brushed her hair out of her face, she opened her eyes and looked up at him, feeling her heart starting to flutter in her chest as he spoke about them having a baby. "I...I was thinking about that the other day when we were at the shops," she admitted. "I was watching some children playing outside the bakery, and I found myself thinking about you and me having children. I wasn't sure if it was a good time since I just started at the Council so recently, but...I do want it. I want to have a baby with you, Rupert."
She smiled at him, leaning forward to kiss him softly, the pain in her heart at the loss of her friend bouyed by the thought of her and Rupert having a child together. "Yes. I think we're ready."
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He watched as Molly got off Fred's lap and started to burrow around in the blankets. Giles watched her for a moment, remembering one of the reasons he had gotten her was to see if they were ready for a child. Molly was happy and healthy and he smiled, knowing they would be great parents. "I love you, Fred," he said, looking over at her. He softly cupped her face and gave her a small kiss.
Giles then glanced over at the clock and noticed that it had gotten late. "We should try to get some sleep, love," he said as he turned down the bed. "I'm afraid we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." He knew that the rest of them probably wouldn't be up to doing much work and he wanted to make sure all of them knew they could come to his office if they wanted to talk.
Lying down, Giles reached up and pulled Fred to him. He tightly spooned against her and held her as tight as he could. "Thank you for loving me, Fred, and for promising me forever," he whispered before kissing the top of her head.
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When he mentioned that they should try to get some sleep, she nodded, knowing that he was right, especially since tomorrow would be their first day back in the office since before the wedding. It was going to be weird, being there again, especially with everything that had happened, but she promised herself that she wouldn't let the loss of her friend affect her.
Once the bed had been turned down, and Rupert had layed down, Fred snuggled up to him, letting him pull her close. She closed her eyes as he thanked her, a smile playing across her lips. "Always, Rupert," she whispered back to him. "Always."
After a while, she fell asleep, her dreams filled with Cordelia and Wesley, almost as if they were watching over her and Rupert and their children. When the alarm went off in the morning, she slowly opened her eyes, realizing that even though she had lost her friends, the family she had gained with her husband would always have guardian angels.
Turning in Rupert's embrace, she hugged him tightly. "Guess we need to get up and get ready for work," she whispered
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"I'll take care of Molly while you shower and get ready. I would take a shower with you but I'm afraid we might not leave the flat," he said before leaning down to deeply kiss her. "I'll be back soon." He got out of the bed and whistled for Molly to follow him.
They went down the staircase and Giles let her out while he put fresh food and water down for her. When Molly was finished outside, Giles let her back in and went to the front door to fetch the morning paper. When he opened the door though, there was a box sitting on top of the paper. The box had the flat's address on it but no postage.
Giles' brow furrowed as he picked the box and paper up. He closed the door and took the box to the foyer table. There was a card on top and he opened it. It was a simple wedding card, congratulating Fred and him on their nuptials. Giles then opened the box and watched as a few packing peanuts fell out. Inside was a vase, covered with different symbols and drawings. It almost look Aztecan in nature.
He tucked the vase under his arm, still confused on how might've sent it, and went back upstairs. "We got another wedding present," he said, walking into the bedroom. "But it didn't say who it was from." Giles looked at the vase again. "I think I should research these symbols."
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