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."
"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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