Part 3: Unexpected Surprises
Buffy, Dawn, and Willow stood in front of the door to the Hyperion waiting for Xander, who they had assigned to bring all the bags in from the car.
“Does anyone else feel a little weird about this,” Willow wondered. “I mean, I know that they invited us but-”
“No, actually they didn’t,” Dawn interrupted while Buffy pretended to suddenly be very interested in looking at her feet. “Buffy invited herself and dragged us along. Oh wait, that would insinuate that she actually called Angel and said ‘Hey I’m coming for a visit, hope it’s cool.’ Which she didn’t.” Dawn hated to be a tattletale, but this was ridiculous.
Willow stared at her best friend in shock. “Buffy, is she serious? They don’t even know we are coming?”
Buffy hated that Willow looked so appalled. It made her doubt the decision too. “Look, Will, Angel and I.I mean, he forgave me for sending him to hell, I’m pretty sure he won’t be angry about appearing on his doorstep. Hello, I’m the only woman he’s loved in 250 years, I’m pretty sure that gives me the right to pop in when I need to.”
“Wait, I thought we all came cause Deadboy needed you in LA for something?” Xander huffed, having finally managed to drag himself and the bags to the door. “What are we doing here then?
Buffy stared at the other three then lowered her head to avoid their confused glances. Quietly, and without looking up, she said, “I just need to know that some things don’t change.”
Suddenly, everyone looked up as they heard screams coming from inside the Hyperion.
“Well there you go. See, hellmouth or not, things don’t ever change,” Xander smirked.
Suddenly they heard a woman yell, “No, Angel, no, you’re killing me.” With a crossbow that seemingly materialized out of nowhere in hand, Buffy kicked open the door and ran inside. For a minute the other three just stood there.
Willow wrinkled her nose and said, “Does anyone else ever wonder where she keeps the crossbow?” Dawn and Xander just shrugged and they all headed inside. They found Buffy literally frozen in place, staring at the scene before her.
“Okay, I admit, clearly, some things DO change,” Xander mumbled.
***
Angel had sprinted out of the kitchen with Cordy and the menacing loaf of bread on his heels. With an uncharacteristically Xena-like yell, Cordelia jumped onto Angel’s back. He continued to run while she tried to get in a few good hits with the bread (pulling his hair for good measure).
Suddenly Angel’s foot caught on the leg of Connor’s bassinet and they both crashed to the ground. The fall would have stunned two lesser individuals, perhaps finally ending the battle. But not two champions.
By this point, Lorne and Gunn were standing on the stairs cracking up while Wes had emerged from his office shaking his head. Fred pointed at them, telling Connor how silly his Daddy was and then headed back to the kitchen to see just how much damage had been done
Knowing he had to act fast, Angel immediately flipped over so that Cordelia lay on the ground. Angel used one hand to hold both of her hands down over her head and with the free hand, began the worst torture known to man or beast. He started to tickle her. And she went nuts.
“No, Angel, no, you’re killing me,” Cordy screamed, kicking her legs and then raising her hips to try and thrust him off of her.
The feel of her warm center pressing against him sent Angel into shock. The racing heartbeat, the heavy breathing, they were all too familiar.as was the slight scent of..arousal?
Wait, it couldn’t be, I mean, we’re not possessed. His confusion made his tickling hand still and Cordy could feel the pressure holding her down lessen. She took advantage of his distraction by using one of the moves he taught her and flipping him over so she straddled him.
She grabbed for the fallen loaf of French bread and raised it overhead, planning to whack him with it.
Right then the door flew open. Cordelia couldn’t believe who it was. What the hell is Buffy doing here? In ran the slayer with her crossbow raised. Angel and Cordy openly gaped at her, the bread still frozen in Cordelia’s hands and Angel staring from his position on the floor.
For someone who had just burst through the door looking to do battle, Cordelia noted that Buffy looked a little “shocked” too. What the hell is going on here? As usual, Cordelia said the first thing that came to mind.
“Wow, Buffy, do you ever NOT make a dramatic entrance?”
***
Buffy had come barreling through the door, instinct sending her in to slay the demons and save the innocent. But the only demon in front of her clearly had a soul and Cordy and her bread didn’t seem all that innocent.
At first glance she looked like she was bleeding and Buffy kept the crossbow raised until she noted the noodles in Angel’s hair and the fact that a good part of Cordy was covered in.blue. She had busted in to save Angel and Cordelia from a food fight.
“Wow, Buffy, do you ever NOT make a dramatic entrance,” Cordelia said, as Xander, Willow, and Dawn walked in the door. Buffy heard Xander mumble something about things changing and tried to get her bearings. If people would just stop staring at her and be quiet than she was sure she could get a handle on her emotions.
Of course, what were the chances of that happening? Slim to none when I’m dealing with Cordelia.
“Wow, it’s all the scoobies. And Buffy junior. Hey Willow, no bad dying news this time right?” Cordy said, speaking like she wasn’t covered in food atop Buffy’s ex-boyfriend.
“Nope. And you’re not dressed like Princess Leia this time,” Willow commented, trying desperately for the air of nonchalance that Cordelia exhibited so flawlessly.
“Yeah, I gave up my crown when the slaves revolted. Oh my gosh, Buffy, you cut your hair. I LOVE it. Have you thought about adding some lowlights? That should give you some added depth-volume is so important when your hair is shorter,” Cordy said.
“Actually, a stylist did recommend that but I wasn’t sure,” Buffy answered.
Wait, how did this turn into a discussion on my hair? Hair that Cordelia actually said looked nice. And why is she still lying on top of Angel. And why does he still have that silly nervous grin on his face.
Wesley walked forward, looking a lot more scruffy and, well, sexy. What was it Willow said he was calling himself these days? A rogue demon hunter? Well it worked on him. “Cordy, you might want to let Angel get up and greet his guests,” Wesley said evenly. He turned to the group from Sunnydale, saying “Well, don’t just stand there. Shut the door and come in.”
Cordelia leaned down and whispered in Angel’s ear “I will get you for the pie thing later. Know that, and fear me.” Then she slid off him and stood, walking over to Xander. “So, I hear someone’s marrying an ex-vengeance demon and forgot to invite me, the woman who brought you two kids together.”
Xander laughed nervously. For all the blue and purple stains and the messy hair and the disturbing smell of…Parmesan cheese, Cordy still looked regal and confident and somehow, still, intimidatingly beautiful. “Uh, must have gotten lost in the mail,” he offered.
Cordy laughed. “I’m just kidding you jackass. Seriously, congratulations.” Angel walked over to Cordy and Xander.
“Well, since he didn’t invite us, that means we don’t have to send presents, right Cordy,” Angel said. He brushed more of the cheese out of her hair and used his thumb to wipe a smudge of blueberry off of her cheek.
I’m just doing this to mess with Xander’s head, he thought. Not cause I’m really trying to stake a claim or anything. And not cause I just wanted to keep touching her. Nope, not cause of that.
Buffy stared around the room. There was a black man and a green man coming down the stairs. Neither of them seemed at all perturbed by the unnatural amount of touching between Angel and Cordelia. And now they were talking about the wedding.
She still needed answers and she was going to get them. “Would someone please tell me what happened here?” Gunn, Lorne, and Fred all raised their eyebrows. It was very odd to hear that tone of voice from anyone besides Cordelia.
Angel tried to focus on Buffy and the unexpected appearance of the Scooby Gang. Helping Cordy clean up could wait for later. That has potential to be very fun. Okay, images of licking blueberry pie off of Cordy is so not something I need to be thinking about right now.
“Hey Buffy,” Angel said, shuffling over to the slayer (and telling himself not to look back at Cordy). “This is a surprise, uh, a nice surprise.”
“Angel,” Buffy said, going to hug him and wondering why it felt so very awkward. Maybe that’s because he’s covered in noodles. And he smells like salad dressing. “Care to explain?”
Angel abruptly turned and pointed at the bassinet. “Uh, I tripped,” he said sheepishly.
Willow, Dawn, and Buffy all had those confused, O-o-o-o-kay looks on their faces.
“But how did Cordy end up on top of you?” Willow asked.
Angel hurriedly said, “Oh, she was on top of me before I trip-uh, that’s not important.”
Cordy looked over from where she was trying to calculate how much weight Xander had gained. Angel had a painful expression on his face. He glanced quickly over to her with pleading eyes. It really was amazing how many times she had to rescue her champion. Cordelia motioned for the gang from AI to come closer.
“So I guess introductions are in order. You four remember Wesley I’m sur-”.
“Wait,” Dawn interrupted. She turned back to Angel. “You tripped over that?” she asked, pointing to the bassinet. “But, um, that’s for a baby. Right?” As if on cue, sounds of a baby crying appeared out of nowhere. Angel gulped.
“Yeah, like Cordy said, introductions are definitely in order,” he said.
***
There was a brief moment of silence before Xander’s mouth took over. “That was a baby.” He pointed towards a kitchen. “Did you guys know that you had a baby back there?”
Gunn snorted, Cordelia rolled her eyes, and everyone else frowned at his obtuseness. Fred came out of the kitchen and walked over to everybody else, said baby in her arms. “See,” Xander said, still pointing, “that is definitely a baby.”
“Good to know you still have an appalling talent for stating the obvious Xander,” Cordy said, trying once again to get the rest of the cheese out of her hair. Fred walked up to where Angel and Cordy stood, saw Cordy’s hands were occupied and handed the baby to Angel.
“I think someone’s a little out of sorts,” she noted. Angel bounced in place, trying to sooth the fussy baby while Buffy and her friends stood staring, mouths agape. After a minute, Fred noticed the uncomfortable silence and realized there were several strangers in the room, all staring at her with their mouths agape.
“Hey, I didn’t know we had visitors. Hi y’ all, I’m Fred.”
The baby was screaming now and started reaching out his hands toward Cordy. Without saying a word, Angel and Cordy turned to each other and passed the baby off, in that way that parents do. This did not go unnoticed by the newcomers.
Their shock didn’t go unnoticed by Cordy either, but she had a cranky baby and shoes full of pie to take care of first. “Angel, you handle the introductions, I’m going to go upstairs, get Connor settled, and see if I can do anything about the fact that I seem to be wearing most of dinner.”
With that, Queen C excused herself and ascended the stairs, with a bearing that could only be described as royal, despite the noodle clinging to her butt and the baby gnawing on her hair.