"I would like that," Fred told Wesley when he suggested getting crackers and clear soda. It had always helped her with upset stomachs when she was a child. It couldn't be any different now. "And some peppermint? One of the brochures said peppermint can calm stomachs too." After giving Wesley a kiss goodbye, Fred watched him leave the room and fell asleep.
"Who knew Wes and you would have a baby."
The voice seemed familiar and Fred turned. She was standing in the lobby and when she saw Cordy standing there, she grinned. "Cordy! You woke up!" she cried as she ran over to hug her friend.
Cordy stepped back and shook her head. "Sorry, Fred, but I can't. I'm just here to see how Wes and you are doing. Obviously pretty good," she said with a grin. "I'm happy for you two. And look, I'm sorry about the whole Jasmine thing...didn't know she'd turn out of be such a bitch."
Fred smiled at that and shrugged her shoulders. "You're coming back, right?" she asked, hoping she would. Cordy was the first, and only, female friend she had.
"No. I have other things to do."
Fred could fell the tears springing into her eyes. "But..."
"It's going to be okay, Fred. I'll come and see Wes and you before I leave. Things are going to get bad, but as long as Wes and you stick together, all of you, including your daughter. They're going to need you, especially Gunn. Wes is going have to pull him back."
"Back from what?"
Cordy smiled. "You'll know what when it's time. Now, go back to sleep. Wes'll kick my ass if he knew I wasn't letting you nap," she said before disappearing.
Fred gasped and sat up in the bed. Her cheeks were wet with tears and she looked around the room. "Wesley?" she whimpered, not knowing if he was back or not.
"Of course I'll get you some peppermint as well," Wesley told Fred once he got dressed before leaning over to give her soft kiss. "Now, just get some rest while I'm gone. I won't be long."
Grabbing his jacket and wallet, he headed out of the room and downstairs. Stopping for a moment in the middle of the lobby, he looked around, thinking how quiet it was. But soon there would be the sounds of a baby to fill the place up. He'd have to remember to talk to his contact about some stronger security measures, including some magical. The sanctuary spell had never been installed right - that would need to be rectified.
After stepping out through the front doors and locking them behind him, he hurried down the road, not wanting to be away from Fred for long when she wasn't feeling well. Luckily, there was a convenience shop down about two blocks down, where he found the soda and the crackers. A search for peppermint turned up some Starlight mints - he hoped that would do. If not, he'd find something else for her in the morning.
Once he payed, he took the bag and left the shop, walking back to the hotel. As he did, he got the distinct impression he was being watched and turned to look behind him. He couldn't see anyone there, but he still couldn't shake the feeling. Putting his hand in his pocket, he wrapped his fingers around his gun, just in case. He should probably start wearing his shooter again when he went out at night, especially if they were going to restart the agency.
When he reached the hotel, he stepped through the gate and shut it behind him, making sure it was latched securely before he headed inside. He stopped at the doors and looked down toward the walk. Nothing seemed to be there, whatever he was sensing. So he shut and locked doors and headed up the room.
"Fred," he said softly as he walked in. He kicked off his shoes and was walking over to sit on the bed when she suddenly bolted up, saying his name. Worried, he hurried over and slid in beside her, sitting the bag on the bed before taking her into his arms. "What's wrong, love? Are you feeling ill again?"
When Wesley's arms wrapped around her, Fred clung to him and buried her face against his arm. It took her a moment, or two, to catch her breath before she could tell him what was wrong. "I had a dream about Cordy," she said as she pulled back enough to look Wesley's in the face. "It felt so real, like it was really happening and she was really here."
Fred began to think that was the most disturbing part of the dream - how real it felt. For a moment, she really thought she would be able to reach out and touch her best friend. "She, um, she was in the lobby and she knew about the baby. I tried to hug her but she said she couldn't, and then she apologized for Jasmine," she said before she took a shuddering breath. She hoped Wesley wouldn't think she was being overdramatic.
"I asked her when she was going to come back and she said she wasn't because she had other things to do. Then she said she would come and see us before she left. Then she told me we had to stick together because things were going to get bad, and the others would need us. Especially Charles and she said you would be the one to help him," Fred continued as her hand slipped down to her stomach. "And she said we were going to have a daughter."
She buried herself in his arms again and shook her head. "It was just a dream but it felt so real," Fred said.
At first when Fred told him that she had dreamt about Cordy, Wesley's brow furrowed, wondering if she had dreamt about everything that had happened with their friend being possessed and giving birth to Jasmine. It had been a rather horrifying thing to see happen, especially in retrospect. But then as Fred continued talking, he realized that Fred was talking about the dream more as though she had received a visitation.
Tightening his embrace, he continued to hold her as she told him everything about it. Visitations, to his knowledge, were always intense, personal moments, so he didn't blame Fred for being so shaken.
"Charles...?" he asked softly, wondering what exactly would happen that he would need to help him with. "But he--a daughter? We're going to have a daughter?"
Running his hand over her hair, he kissed the top of her head. "I think it was real, love," he told her. "With everything that's happened to us, I'm sure it had to be her."
He nudged her face up to look in her eyes, thinking about something she had said. "She said she wasn't coming back?"
Fred kept her arms wrapped around Wesley. When he brought up that they were going to have a daughter, she nodded her head. "She said a daughter and that if we all stick together, then we would be okay," she whispered as she buried her head against his chest. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this upset.
When Wesley nudged her face up, and asked his question, Fred slowly nodded. "She said she had other things to do but she would come back and visit before she left," she whispered. Her chest tightened up as she realized what Cordy had meant by that. "She's going to die, isn't she?" A fresh round of tears started to fall down her face.
Her stomach started to flip and she took a deep breath. Fred was suddenly feeling sick and tired. She knew part of it was because of the baby, but another part was because of Cordy's "visit". "I need to lay down," she told Wesley as she slipped out of his arms and laid down on the bed. "Lay with me?"
When Fred confirmed that Cordelia had indeed said she wasn't coming back, Wesley felt his throat tighten. Cordy had been his friend for several years now, and even though she wasn't there at the moment, at least he knew that she was somewhere nearby, getting help. Now...now they were finding out that they'd probably never see her again?
"I...I think she is," he whispered softly, holding her tightly, wishing that there was something they could do. Should he call Angel? What if this was something that Wolfram and Hart could stop? What if this was something that Wolfram and Hart were causing? Angel wouldn't allow anything to happen to Cordelia. Would he?
When Fred said she needed to lay down, Wesley nodded, letting her go. Once she was stretched out, he joined her, wrapping his arms securely around her. "I'm here, love," he told her. "It'll be okay. Somehow..."
He held her while she relaxed, worry for her and for their friend running through his mind. He was sure that he wasn't going to be able to sleep, but finally, he did.
And found himself standing in the lobby.
"You can't stop this, Wes," Cordelia's voice told him. He looked up to see her standing on the stairs, looking down at him with a smile. "Angel can't stop it either. This was going to happen from the moment I stepped out of my car on the freeway."
"But..." he tried to protest.
"No buts. You have other things to worry about - like your soon-to-be wife and daughter. They're the ones you have to concentrate on and protect because you're going to need each other to get through this." She walked down toward him, Wesley watching her. When she stopped in front of him, she smiled and...picked up a book from the top of one of the boxes to sock his arm. "About time you finally got off your ass and made a move with her."
"Hey! Dreams aren't supposed to hurt!"
"This isn't a dream, doofus. Would have thought a brain trust like you would have figured that out." Cordelia shook her head and put the book back down. "Look, I'm sorry I freaked Fred out like that. I didn't mean to. But I needed to warn you guys and I wanted to apologize."
Wesley rubbed his arm as he looked at his friend. "You really won't be coming back?"
"At least not the way you hoped I would. But I'll see both of you again at least one more time. I promise. Focus on getting married and taking care of your daughter for now, okay?"
"Cordy?" Wes said softly.
"Yeah?"
"I miss you."
She smiled. "I know."
Wesley woke with a start, realizing that it was still dark out. Cuddling closer to Fred, he closed his eyes again, waiting for morning to come.
Fred knew she had to believe Wesley's words. They were going to be okay. They had to be okay. "I love you so much, Wesley," she whispered as she relaxed in his arms. It didn't take long for her to fall into a dreamless sleep. She slept the entire night through and when she woke up, Wesley was still asleep so she slipped out of his arms.
She saw the bag he'd gotten from the store and picked it up after slipping into her nightgown. It was still early and there was no way clients would be showing up this early, but just in case, she took the back stairs down to the kitchen to put the things away. She was a little hungry but didn't know what she should eat. Finally settling on some dry toast, and milk, she started her breakfast as she put a pot of tea on for Wesley.
Once everything was finished, she placed it on a tray and carried it back to the room. Fred sat the tray down on the bedside table and got back into the bed. "Wesley, sweetie?" she quietly said as she leaned down and kissed his cheek. "I made you some toast and tea. I was thinking when we're done with breakfast, we can maybe pick a date for our wedding. Then I can call my parents and tell them about it."
Fred didn't want to put off their wedding plans because of what happened the night before. They needed to move on with their lives.
When Wesley felt Fred's lips on his cheek, he stirred and opened his eyes, raising his head to look at her. "What time is it?" he asked, blinking.
Looking over the clock, he saw it was later than the time he normally got up. And there was a tray with a plate of toast and a pot of tea sitting in front of it on the table. He sat up, his brow furrowed - he hadn't even felt her get out of bed and he never slept that heavily. It went against all his training, everything that he had learned in order to survive.
Then he remembered the "dream" he had. "Fred...Cordy visited me too last night," he told her. "She said she was sorry for, I believe she said, freaking you out. And she said it was about time I made me move with you."
He looked over at her, reaching over to cup her face and smiling softly. Cordy's visit had reminded him both how much time they had lost because he hadn't made his move when he should have and also how easy it was to lose the things he cared about. He wasn't going to let that happen now that he had Fred.
"I don't want to waste anymore time. We should set a wedding date. And I hope you don't mind if I say the sooner, the better. Would next month be too soon?"
Fred gave Wesley an amused look as he sat up, confused. It was a rare thing for her to wake up before him. Usually, when she woke up, he was already awake and watching her sleep. "It's pretty late, I guess all of us needed some sleep," she said as she placed her hand on her still-flat stomach. She furrowed her brow a little when Wesley said he had been visited by Cordy too.
Suddenly, Wesley was talking about the wedding and Fred grinned. "I think that's a great idea, sweetie." She looked over at the calendar for a moment and shook her head. "Since it's Tuesday, my parents won't be home until later. I can talk to them and see what day would be good for them." Fred knew her parents would drop anything for her but she didn't want to impose on them.
She reached over and handed Wesley a cup of the tea. Her stomach was doing a few flips and she took a deep breath. "This morning sickness..." she muttered as she shook her head. Gently rubbing her stomach she looked over at him. "Do we have anything important to do or can we stay in bed all day? I love being pregnant with our baby but it's really draining me."
They decided to take it easy that day, but after that, things went into a blur. Wesley got some contractors he trusted in to work on the flat on the top floor - contractors with certain...skills that meant that their new home in the hotel would be ready in about one-quarter of the time that normal builders usually took. They also started getting the agency ready for its grand reopening with a new website and new cards.
But a great deal of their focus over the following month went towards getting ready for the wedding. As Fred wanted, they made plans to go to Texas, to get married at her parents' farm. That took a bit of the burden off them as Trish threw herself in to getting things sorted for them that they couldn't do from Los Angeles, but they still had several things to do before they could head down.
A few days before the day they had scheduled for the wedding, they flew down to San Antonio. Trish and Roger picked them, and Trish chattered all the way back to the farm about what she had been doing for their wedding. Roger, however, was rather quiet.
Until they got back.
"Fred, baby, you'll be in your own room. Your momma's done it up for you." He then turned to Wesley and smiled. "Wes, you'll be in the attic 'til the night of the wedding."
Wesley looked over at Fred, having not expected that, but not wanting to say anything, especially since the Burkles were being so kind as to host them. Fred was their daughter, yes, but Wesley still wanted to respect their wishes. "All...all right."
"Oh, and you wouldn't mind helping me clear out the barn, would you?" he asked. "We were thinking we could have the reception in there, but it needs a good cleaning."
"Who knew Wes and you would have a baby."
The voice seemed familiar and Fred turned. She was standing in the lobby and when she saw Cordy standing there, she grinned. "Cordy! You woke up!" she cried as she ran over to hug her friend.
Cordy stepped back and shook her head. "Sorry, Fred, but I can't. I'm just here to see how Wes and you are doing. Obviously pretty good," she said with a grin. "I'm happy for you two. And look, I'm sorry about the whole Jasmine thing...didn't know she'd turn out of be such a bitch."
Fred smiled at that and shrugged her shoulders. "You're coming back, right?" she asked, hoping she would. Cordy was the first, and only, female friend she had.
"No. I have other things to do."
Fred could fell the tears springing into her eyes. "But..."
"It's going to be okay, Fred. I'll come and see Wes and you before I leave. Things are going to get bad, but as long as Wes and you stick together, all of you, including your daughter. They're going to need you, especially Gunn. Wes is going have to pull him back."
"Back from what?"
Cordy smiled. "You'll know what when it's time. Now, go back to sleep. Wes'll kick my ass if he knew I wasn't letting you nap," she said before disappearing.
Fred gasped and sat up in the bed. Her cheeks were wet with tears and she looked around the room. "Wesley?" she whimpered, not knowing if he was back or not.
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Grabbing his jacket and wallet, he headed out of the room and downstairs. Stopping for a moment in the middle of the lobby, he looked around, thinking how quiet it was. But soon there would be the sounds of a baby to fill the place up. He'd have to remember to talk to his contact about some stronger security measures, including some magical. The sanctuary spell had never been installed right - that would need to be rectified.
After stepping out through the front doors and locking them behind him, he hurried down the road, not wanting to be away from Fred for long when she wasn't feeling well. Luckily, there was a convenience shop down about two blocks down, where he found the soda and the crackers. A search for peppermint turned up some Starlight mints - he hoped that would do. If not, he'd find something else for her in the morning.
Once he payed, he took the bag and left the shop, walking back to the hotel. As he did, he got the distinct impression he was being watched and turned to look behind him. He couldn't see anyone there, but he still couldn't shake the feeling. Putting his hand in his pocket, he wrapped his fingers around his gun, just in case. He should probably start wearing his shooter again when he went out at night, especially if they were going to restart the agency.
When he reached the hotel, he stepped through the gate and shut it behind him, making sure it was latched securely before he headed inside. He stopped at the doors and looked down toward the walk. Nothing seemed to be there, whatever he was sensing. So he shut and locked doors and headed up the room.
"Fred," he said softly as he walked in. He kicked off his shoes and was walking over to sit on the bed when she suddenly bolted up, saying his name. Worried, he hurried over and slid in beside her, sitting the bag on the bed before taking her into his arms. "What's wrong, love? Are you feeling ill again?"
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Fred began to think that was the most disturbing part of the dream - how real it felt. For a moment, she really thought she would be able to reach out and touch her best friend. "She, um, she was in the lobby and she knew about the baby. I tried to hug her but she said she couldn't, and then she apologized for Jasmine," she said before she took a shuddering breath. She hoped Wesley wouldn't think she was being overdramatic.
"I asked her when she was going to come back and she said she wasn't because she had other things to do. Then she said she would come and see us before she left. Then she told me we had to stick together because things were going to get bad, and the others would need us. Especially Charles and she said you would be the one to help him," Fred continued as her hand slipped down to her stomach. "And she said we were going to have a daughter."
She buried herself in his arms again and shook her head. "It was just a dream but it felt so real," Fred said.
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Tightening his embrace, he continued to hold her as she told him everything about it. Visitations, to his knowledge, were always intense, personal moments, so he didn't blame Fred for being so shaken.
"Charles...?" he asked softly, wondering what exactly would happen that he would need to help him with. "But he--a daughter? We're going to have a daughter?"
Running his hand over her hair, he kissed the top of her head. "I think it was real, love," he told her. "With everything that's happened to us, I'm sure it had to be her."
He nudged her face up to look in her eyes, thinking about something she had said. "She said she wasn't coming back?"
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When Wesley nudged her face up, and asked his question, Fred slowly nodded. "She said she had other things to do but she would come back and visit before she left," she whispered. Her chest tightened up as she realized what Cordy had meant by that. "She's going to die, isn't she?" A fresh round of tears started to fall down her face.
Her stomach started to flip and she took a deep breath. Fred was suddenly feeling sick and tired. She knew part of it was because of the baby, but another part was because of Cordy's "visit". "I need to lay down," she told Wesley as she slipped out of his arms and laid down on the bed. "Lay with me?"
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"I...I think she is," he whispered softly, holding her tightly, wishing that there was something they could do. Should he call Angel? What if this was something that Wolfram and Hart could stop? What if this was something that Wolfram and Hart were causing? Angel wouldn't allow anything to happen to Cordelia. Would he?
When Fred said she needed to lay down, Wesley nodded, letting her go. Once she was stretched out, he joined her, wrapping his arms securely around her. "I'm here, love," he told her. "It'll be okay. Somehow..."
He held her while she relaxed, worry for her and for their friend running through his mind. He was sure that he wasn't going to be able to sleep, but finally, he did.
And found himself standing in the lobby.
"You can't stop this, Wes," Cordelia's voice told him. He looked up to see her standing on the stairs, looking down at him with a smile. "Angel can't stop it either. This was going to happen from the moment I stepped out of my car on the freeway."
"But..." he tried to protest.
"No buts. You have other things to worry about - like your soon-to-be wife and daughter. They're the ones you have to concentrate on and protect because you're going to need each other to get through this." She walked down toward him, Wesley watching her. When she stopped in front of him, she smiled and...picked up a book from the top of one of the boxes to sock his arm. "About time you finally got off your ass and made a move with her."
"Hey! Dreams aren't supposed to hurt!"
"This isn't a dream, doofus. Would have thought a brain trust like you would have figured that out." Cordelia shook her head and put the book back down. "Look, I'm sorry I freaked Fred out like that. I didn't mean to. But I needed to warn you guys and I wanted to apologize."
Wesley rubbed his arm as he looked at his friend. "You really won't be coming back?"
"At least not the way you hoped I would. But I'll see both of you again at least one more time. I promise. Focus on getting married and taking care of your daughter for now, okay?"
"Cordy?" Wes said softly.
"Yeah?"
"I miss you."
She smiled. "I know."
Wesley woke with a start, realizing that it was still dark out. Cuddling closer to Fred, he closed his eyes again, waiting for morning to come.
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She saw the bag he'd gotten from the store and picked it up after slipping into her nightgown. It was still early and there was no way clients would be showing up this early, but just in case, she took the back stairs down to the kitchen to put the things away. She was a little hungry but didn't know what she should eat. Finally settling on some dry toast, and milk, she started her breakfast as she put a pot of tea on for Wesley.
Once everything was finished, she placed it on a tray and carried it back to the room. Fred sat the tray down on the bedside table and got back into the bed. "Wesley, sweetie?" she quietly said as she leaned down and kissed his cheek. "I made you some toast and tea. I was thinking when we're done with breakfast, we can maybe pick a date for our wedding. Then I can call my parents and tell them about it."
Fred didn't want to put off their wedding plans because of what happened the night before. They needed to move on with their lives.
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Looking over the clock, he saw it was later than the time he normally got up. And there was a tray with a plate of toast and a pot of tea sitting in front of it on the table. He sat up, his brow furrowed - he hadn't even felt her get out of bed and he never slept that heavily. It went against all his training, everything that he had learned in order to survive.
Then he remembered the "dream" he had. "Fred...Cordy visited me too last night," he told her. "She said she was sorry for, I believe she said, freaking you out. And she said it was about time I made me move with you."
He looked over at her, reaching over to cup her face and smiling softly. Cordy's visit had reminded him both how much time they had lost because he hadn't made his move when he should have and also how easy it was to lose the things he cared about. He wasn't going to let that happen now that he had Fred.
"I don't want to waste anymore time. We should set a wedding date. And I hope you don't mind if I say the sooner, the better. Would next month be too soon?"
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Suddenly, Wesley was talking about the wedding and Fred grinned. "I think that's a great idea, sweetie." She looked over at the calendar for a moment and shook her head. "Since it's Tuesday, my parents won't be home until later. I can talk to them and see what day would be good for them." Fred knew her parents would drop anything for her but she didn't want to impose on them.
She reached over and handed Wesley a cup of the tea. Her stomach was doing a few flips and she took a deep breath. "This morning sickness..." she muttered as she shook her head. Gently rubbing her stomach she looked over at him. "Do we have anything important to do or can we stay in bed all day? I love being pregnant with our baby but it's really draining me."
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But a great deal of their focus over the following month went towards getting ready for the wedding. As Fred wanted, they made plans to go to Texas, to get married at her parents' farm. That took a bit of the burden off them as Trish threw herself in to getting things sorted for them that they couldn't do from Los Angeles, but they still had several things to do before they could head down.
A few days before the day they had scheduled for the wedding, they flew down to San Antonio. Trish and Roger picked them, and Trish chattered all the way back to the farm about what she had been doing for their wedding. Roger, however, was rather quiet.
Until they got back.
"Fred, baby, you'll be in your own room. Your momma's done it up for you." He then turned to Wesley and smiled. "Wes, you'll be in the attic 'til the night of the wedding."
Wesley looked over at Fred, having not expected that, but not wanting to say anything, especially since the Burkles were being so kind as to host them. Fred was their daughter, yes, but Wesley still wanted to respect their wishes. "All...all right."
"Oh, and you wouldn't mind helping me clear out the barn, would you?" he asked. "We were thinking we could have the reception in there, but it needs a good cleaning."
"Of...of course."
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