Part 1<\/b><\/p>\n
Connor knew the UPS man very well. His name was Harold. He was married with three kids. He liked to listen to Sinatra and he loved \u201cThe Godfather.\u201d He didn\u2019t like paparazzi or the shorts he was forced to work in.<\/p>\n
Harold was at the hotel every day. For the past month, like clockwork, he showed up a little before five with an armful of packages, which Connor would inevitably have to pick up and move to several locations inside the hotel.<\/p>\n
Harold the delivery guy was now in the best shape of his life and he\u2019d earned enough overtime money to take his family to Hawaii. Connor now had a violent hatred for the color brown and was almost positive he was developing a hernia.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, Saturday\u2019s the big day,\u201d Harold noted as Connor signed for the delivery.<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess,\u201d Connor commented distractedly.<\/p>\n
\u201cBet you can\u2019t wait. You know, I\u2019m gonna miss this place. You and I should go out, grab a beer sometime,\u201d Harold said as he handed Connor a gigantic pink-and-white package covered in bows and ribbons.<\/p>\n
\u201cSure. Yeah. Definitely,\u201d Connor mumbled, gritting his teeth at the familiar pressure in his lower back. He kicked the door shut without waiting for a response. He felt bad about being rude, but rationalized that he was entitled to be. The wedding was, after all, only two days away.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordelia,\u201d Connor shouted. No response. \u201cSomeone? Anyone?\u201d Typical. The lobby always seemed to miraculously empty out whenever something large had to be moved or carried. Any other time of the day and he was practically tripping over people. Wedding coordinators. Clients. The odd group of weirdos the agency employed. But when Harold\u2019s truck rolled up the place turned into a ghost town.<\/p>\n
He should leave the stupid present right here in the middle of the lobby. Make someone else take care of it. But that meant risking the wrath of both Cordy and Fred. Connor was smart enough to know what that entailed. He started up the stairs. Maybe one of the girls had some Advil.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordelia,\u201d he called again when he reached the second floor. They better be here. He knew they were storing a lot of presents up on the fourth floor. He wasn\u2019t sure he could make it to the fourth floor. He readjusted the package and started down the hall.<\/p>\n
This floor was considered Cordelia\u2019s private residence. Formal living room. Less formal den. A gourmet kitchen (that she never used). A training room. It was all part of the renovations Angel had initiated right after they got married. Cordelia had cried when she saw all that he had done for her.<\/p>\n
She still slept in the same bedroom suite she had shared with Angel. Connor once pointed out that that indicated she had lot of unresolved emotions about her divorce. Cordy had kicked him in the shin. She wasn\u2019t big on self-analysis these days.<\/p>\n
He found her and Fred in the living room. The room itself was lovely, impeccably decorated in warm neutral tones. However, it was impossible to miss the presence of the heavy drapes on the windows. Connor thought the lack of natural light in the hotel was also very telling, but was wise enough to keep that notion to himself.<\/p>\n
Cordelia sat scribbling thank-you notes on the couch, surrounded by a huge array of gifts. She hadn\u2019t changed much in the two years since Angel left, in the sense that she was still as youthful and beautiful as ever. But she wasn\u2019t the same. Cordy looked a lot like those pictures Connor had seen of her from high school, and not just because she\u2019d grown her hair long.<\/p>\n
There was a glossy sheen to her beauty, a placid perfectness in her Shiseido lipstick and her haute coutour uniform. Connor missed the old days, when he\u2019d catch her racing barefoot through the hotel wearing nothing but a sweatshirt and Angel\u2019s boxers, her husband hot on her heels.<\/p>\n
Her appearance had ceased to be a mere weapon\u2014it was full-fledged suit of armor now, protecting her from demons of all sorts. Connor was thinking of doing his senior thesis on the subject. But right now, he had more pressing concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere do I put this?\u201d he asked impatiently from the doorway.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you spell omelet?\u201d Cordelia asked, not looking up to sympathize with his plight and effectively ignoring the question. The dull ache in Connor\u2019s back was starting to get stronger. If they would just tell him where to put the stupid thing\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cFred?\u201d he called out meekly.<\/p>\n
\u201cNinety-three, ninety-four, ninety-five\u2026\u201d Fred mumbled to herself.<\/p>\n
Connor abruptly dropped the package at his feet. There was a noise that sounded suspiciously like glass shattering. That got their attention. He shrugged haplessly and flopped down on the couch next to Cordelia.<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks a lot,\u201d Fred said. \u201cYou made me lose count.\u201d Fred hadn\u2019t changed much either. By turns wacky and brilliant. Pretty in that quiet, delicate way of hers. She was too skinny though. Ever since she\u2019d moved back into the hotel. \u201cWas I on ninety-seven or ninety-eight?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes it matter?\u201d Connor told her. \u201cThe wedding\u2019s in the courtyard. If extra guests show up we\u2019ll just grab some more folding chairs. Problem solved.\u201d In Connor\u2019s opinion, Fred was taking this whole thing much to seriously. She didn\u2019t look like she had slept in days, and it wasn\u2019t like she didn\u2019t have her own problems to worry about.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still think we should have the ceremony in the lobby,\u201d Fred said, standing up. She would need to call the caterer again. The man was incredibly temperamental. Telling him the headcount had changed was not going to be fun. \u201cCordelia, I don\u2019t get why it\u2019s so important to get married outside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor snorted. \u201cOh, yeah, I can\u2019t begin to imagine why she wants to have this wedding at 12 noon under all that bright sun.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a puzzler,\u201d Cordy mumbled, staring down at the note she was writing. O-M-E\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know, a therapist would have a field day with you,\u201d he told her. Cordy glared over at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not kidding Connor. If you take one more psych class, I am SO cutting you off,\u201d she warned. His increasingly pointed (and accurate) remarks were really starting to piss her off.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut what are we going to do if it rains?\u201d Fred worried, oblivious of the tension.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh it won\u2019t rain,\u201d Connor assured Fred, who was already dialing the weather service and wasn\u2019t paying him any attention. \u201cIt won\u2019t rain because Cordy won\u2019t let it. Nothing and nobody is going to ruin this wedding, isn\u2019t that what you said Cor?\u201d<\/p>\n
She shot him an icy glare that Connor couldn\u2019t help but be slightly afraid of. Sometimes he was glad that she lost all of those superpowers of hers. Even as plain old Cordy, she could be pretty scary.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know how to spell omelet or not?\u201d she asked him again impatiently.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t have a clue. \u201cI think there are two M\u2019s,\u201d he guessed.<\/p>\n
Cordy frowned down at the note. \u201cI thought there were two L\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor peeked over her shoulder at what she had written. \u201cI don\u2019t get it. Who gives someone an omelet anyway? That\u2019s a pretty crappy present, if you ask me. Unless it\u2019s a really big omelet with like three kinds of cheese and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a pan to make an omelet in, sweetie,\u201d Fred explained as she hung up the phone. The forecast was predicting clear skies. Thank God. She glanced down at her gigantic To-Do list and then at the two people sprawled on the couch. \u201cConnor, why are you just sitting there? Why don\u2019t you go unpack all your things?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlready done,\u201d he told her smugly. They had agreed that it would be easier if he spent the entire weekend at the hotel. \u201cI\u2019m all moved into the poolhouse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell good,\u201d Fred said. \u201cCause all these presents need to be taken up to the fourth floor.\u201d Connor\u2019s face fell. \u201cNow,\u201d Fred added. Her voice left no room for argument. Fred could be scarier than Cordy when she wanted to be.<\/p>\n
Connor stood up gingerly. \u201cFred, my back really hurts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cQuit whining,\u201d Cordelia told him. \u201cSuck it up,\u201d she advised, stuffing the card into an envelope. She\u2019d finished five. That left, what, 250 to go?<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know Cordy,\u201d Fred said, \u201cwe could use an extra hand.\u201d Cordelia did not look pleased at the suggestion.<\/p>\n
Connor couldn\u2019t help but laugh<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
The fourth floor looked like a department store. Piles and piles of presents. Everywhere you stepped there was china and crystal and a whole bunch of other very breakable looking stuff. It made Connor nervous. He quickly put down his load and followed Fred and Cordy into the epicenter of the wedding planning. Cordy called it \u201cthe War Room.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was a mess. Charts and diagrams everywhere. The seating chart for the reception took up an entire desk. Books on flower arranging, magazines devoted solely to the bride\u2019s hair, a Martha Stewart Wedding Planner that seemed to be roughly the same size as Fred.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m exhausted,\u201d Cordy said. \u201cI can\u2019t wait until this wedding is over.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t wait,\u201d Connor exclaimed. \u201cI\u2019m in serious pain here. I think I slipped a disk.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t even know what that means,\u201d Cordy shot back.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo? I know it hurts. I know I hurt,\u201d he pouted. Cordelia rolled her eyes. It was a little hard for her to believe Connor\u2019s complaints. He\u2019d really filled out since he\u2019d returned home to them. Gone was the lanky awkward boy and in his place was a strapping young man with a much better haircut. Sometimes Cordy would catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye and she\u2019d swear it was\u2026well, that was beside the point.<\/p>\n
\u201cHmm, that\u2019s interesting,\u201d Fred commented, standing over the seating chart.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Cordy asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell it looks like someone has been messing with the seating arrangement cards. Again.\u201d They both turned accusing eyes on Connor.<\/p>\n
He put up both hands as if to ward them off. \u201cHey, don\u2019t look at me. There must be a ghost loose in the house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, Dennis knows not to touch anything in this room,\u201d Cordy said in a low voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell maybe it\u2019s another ghost,\u201d Connor said, fumbling for an excuse. \u201cMaybe it\u2019s the ghost of bridegroom number one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t say that,\u201d Fred admonished, \u201cit makes it sound like Angel\u2019s dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel is dead,\u201d Cordy pointed out.<\/p>\n
\u201cI meant dead dead,\u201d Fred clarified.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe might as well be, for all SOME people seem to care,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, Connor, I wouldn\u2019t say that,\u201d Fred told him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would,\u201d Cordy announced in a perfectly serious voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy,\u201d Fred warned her. They had discussed this. Cordelia was not supposed to bad-mouth Angel in front of Connor. Regardless of the fact that he\u2019d essentially been MIA for two years, the man was still his father. \u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t what?\u201d Cordy said, as she wandered back over to the presents. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, but if I never see that stupid vampire again it will be\u2026what the hell is this?\u201d she asked, distracted from her rant by a particularly ugly piece of sculpture.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt came yesterday,\u201d Fred told her.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hideous,\u201d Cordy picked it up. It was hideous and heavy. \u201cWho\u2019s it from?\u201d<\/p>\n
Fred looked at the card. \u201cI think they\u2019re some of Wesley\u2019s associates. This is the address for Wolfram and Hart\u2019s New York office.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh that\u2019s just perfect,\u201d Cordy whined, shoving the sculpture at Connor, who\u2019s knees nearly buckled under the weight. \u201cPut this with the rest of the presents that are most likely cursed.\u201d Connor hobbled over to a growing pile of suspicious gifts on the far side of the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy, I doubt they would\u2014\u201d Fred started.<\/p>\n
Cordelia immediately cut her off. \u201cThey would and they probably did. They work for Wolfram and Hart Fred. They could be devil worshipping flesh-eaters for all we know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s hardly fair,\u201d Fred said.<\/p>\n
Cordy sighed. \u201cHaven\u2019t we had this talk before?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Connor practically shouted. \u201cYes, trust me, you have.\u201d He was beyond tired of hearing this argument.<\/p>\n
Fred was undeterred. \u201cWes and Angel manage to do a lot of good things at Wolfram and Hart.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen they aren\u2019t off doing evil\u2019s bidding, you mean?\u201d Fred\u2019s eyes shot way up at Cordy\u2019s remark and she gestured in Connor\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n
For a moment, Cordy really did feel guilty. It\u2019s not like she was trying to poison the kid against his father. After that awful year, she had sworn she would never purposefully come between the two again. Once she married Angel, he and Connor had actually started to slowly repair their shattered relationship. She knew that Connor missed him. He wasn\u2019t the only one.<\/p>\n
Fred stepped closer and started talking in a low voice so that Connor wouldn\u2019t overhear. \u201cWhat\u2019s gotten into you lately? After the divorce you were barely able to say Angel\u2019s name. You never talked about him. Now suddenly you\u2019re tearing him down every chance you get. And don\u2019t think I don\u2019t notice the way you\u2019re always attacking Wesley either.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just need to face the facts like I did,\u201d Cordy whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe we both need to face the fact that neither of us were all that great at being wives,\u201d Fred said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s ridiculous,\u201d Cordy waved off the concern. \u201cWe just picked the wrong first husbands, that\u2019s all! Come on, let\u2019s not fight about this. You did the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou wanted me to take a stand and I did,\u201d Fred told her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell duh. What else could you do? I mean, a girl has to have some self-respect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fred snorted. \u201cYeah, look at me now. I\u2019m overflowing with self-respect and yet I seem to sadly be lacking a husband.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFred, you had to leave. Don\u2019t you remember? All those super-secret cases he would never talk about? That new Dark Magic hobby? Those late night meetings with Lilah?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know Cor, I\u2019m starting to think that maybe if I had just trusted him more\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordy slowly inhaled, trying to keep her cool. \u201cTrust has to be earned and neither of the men in our lives seemed to want to bother with that. You know, you\u2019re starting to sound like you actually want the asshole back.\u201d Her voice was getting progressively louder but neither woman seemed to notice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell even if I did want him back, he probably wouldn\u2019t come,\u201d Fred said despondently.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s better this way,\u201d Cordy patted her on the back. \u201cYou\u2019ll see. We just need to move on. Forget about the past.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s easy for you to say, you\u2019ve got Spence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordy laughed. \u201cHey, I offered to send Dennis up to your room the day you left Wes and moved in. The things that ghost can do with a loofah\u2026\u201d From across the room Connor coughed loudly to remind them of his presence. Both women blushed. \u201cErrr, as I was saying, you need to move on. You deserve a man who is willing to make you his top priority\u2014and who\u2019s not afraid to tell you that once in a while. A man who can have money and power without the aid of the dark arts. A man\u2026like Spence. Who, clearly, is perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRight. Perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordy did not seem to notice the heavy sarcasm in Fred\u2019s voice, or the way that Connor rolled his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, the guy\u2019s insanely gorgeous, and he doesn\u2019t need brooding puppy eyes and a color-free wardrobe to make him that way. He\u2019s smart. Popular. He\u2019s always nice to waiters and valets,\u201d Cordelia gushed. She wasn\u2019t entirely sure why she constantly needed to review all Spencer\u2019s attributes. It was almost like she was afraid if she didn\u2019t remind herself, she might forget just why she was marrying the guy. Which was ridiculous. Wasn\u2019t it? \u201cCome on, admit it, my fianc\u00e9e, is seriously hot.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel was hot,\u201d Connor blurted out. Cordy and Fred gave him a strange look and he hurried to explain. \u201cI mean, not to me. But people said he was hot.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat people?\u201d Cordelia wanted to know.<\/p>\n
\u201cUh, people. Some girls we saved. His secretary at the office.\u201d Connor didn\u2019t like the way Cordy was looking at him. All suspicious. \u201cUh, Fred said he was hot,\u201d he said, pointing a finger at her, eager to get the heat off of him.<\/p>\n
Fred ignored the accusing stare Cordy sent her way. She wasn\u2019t going to deny it. \u201cHey, say what you want about the guy Cordelia, even you have to admit that Angel is an attractive man. A very attractive man.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordy wanted to laugh. As if she wasn\u2019t aware of what her ex-husband looked like. She was married to the guy. She\u2019d seen a lot more of him than Fred ever had.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell,\u201d she told them calmly, \u201cif you two think Angel is so great, maybe you should just figure out a way to postpone the wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow would we do that?\u201d Connor asked, completely missing the sarcasm in her voice.<\/p>\n
Cordy pretended to think for a second. \u201cGosh, I don\u2019t know. You could lose a limb. Get a fatal illness. Dig up some crazy world-ending apocalypse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease don\u2019t give him any ideas,\u201d Fred requested. Connor was the kind of guy who was willing to do extreme things when the pressure was on. He was like his father that way. This worried Fred.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh Connor knows better than to mess with my wedding plans,\u201d Cordy warned, as she checked her watch. \u201cHmmm, I wonder where Spence is. He\u2019s never late.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCause he\u2019s so perfect,\u201d Fred muttered under her breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was that?\u201d Cordelia asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, nothing,\u201d Fred said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSpence is probably waiting for you,\u201d Connor told her.<\/p>\n
Cordy was confused. \u201cWaiting for me? Where?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe called about an hour ago. Said he\u2019d meet you for drinks at Caritas. Oh, did I forget to tell you that?\u201d Connor asked, attempting to feign innocence and failing miserably.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou little\u2026\u201d Cordy said, lunging in his direction.<\/p>\n
Fred jumped in to separate the two. \u201cI\u2019m sure it just slipped Connor\u2019s mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordy didn\u2019t believe that for a second. \u201cIf you\u2019re not careful little man, you\u2019re not going to make it until Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWould THAT postpone the wedding?\u201d Connor wondered aloud.<\/p>\n
\u201cNope,\u201d Cordelia assured him.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy!\u201d Fred yelled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe caterers are non-refundable,\u201d she reminded Fred.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrue,\u201d Fred agreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cFred!\u201d Connor exclaimed. \u201cyou\u2019re supposed to be the nice one!\u201d Fred merely shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich Caritas is he at? The one on Sunset Boulevard?\u201d Cordelia asked.<\/p>\n
Connor shook his head. \u201cThe Caritas on Sunset got sucked into a hell dimension last week. Spence said he would meet you at the one in Santa Monica.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s so confusing now that Lorne\u2019s a chain,\u201d Fred pointed out as she sat down at the desk. \u201cHe could at least number them. Caritas 3. Caritas 4. Caritas 5.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSpeaking of five, I\u2019m leaving in five minutes,\u201d Cordy said as she headed out to the hall. \u201cAnyone who doesn\u2019t want to stay and sort presents with Fred is welcome to join me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be down in a sec,\u201d Connor told her. Cordelia nodded and left.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s so mean about Angel,\u201d Connor said to Fred after a minute.<\/p>\n
Fred pursed her lips. \u201cWell Angel was pretty mean to her. Those two\u2026I mean, they\u2019ve always been very different.”<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he really hit her?\u201d Connor asked abruptly.<\/p>\n
\u201cConnor!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he?\u201d the young man asked again, sitting down on top of Fred\u2019s desk.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did you hear something like that?\u201d Fred asked him.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter Angel left the papers were full of innundo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFull of what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInnundo. You know, stuff about how Cordy was always attending charity events alone and pictures of Angel in an alley with a mysterious blonde. And how the day he left he hit her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fred nodded. \u201cOh, you mean innuendo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what I said.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, you\u2026nevermind,\u201d Fred said, shaking her head. \u201cThose papers were wrong. I think that\u2019s what I regret most about all of us joining Wolfram and Hart. I miss the days when we weren\u2019t in the media’s spotlight.\u201d Of course that wasn\u2019t the only reason why Fred missed the old days. But that was neither here nor there. \u201cThe papers always make stuff up. Remember what they were saying when Wesley consulted on Jennifer Garner\u2019s possession?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo my dad never hit Cordelia?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Fred said with conviction. Because pushing someone into shrubbery wasn\u2019t technically hitting. \u201cAnd yes, Cordy attended some parties by herself. Because Angel was busy WORKING.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut what about the blonde?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure someone told you about that little visit from Buffy. It was about a month after Wes and I got married.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the other thing.\u201d Connor frowned. \u201cShe won\u2019t even invite Wesley to the wedding. I mean, I can see why you would be mad at him, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCordelia just has very definite opinions about certain things,\u201d Fred said, as if that explained anything. In truth, she was just as concerned as Connor.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s so different. Every since Angel left, and even before that\u2026ever since she came back she\u2019s been sorta, I don\u2019t know, hard. Cold,\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh Connor I wouldn\u2019t call her\u2026well, and even if she is, it\u2019s because she had to be. You have no idea how difficult it was for her to recover from that year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was difficult for all of us,\u201d Connor said simply.<\/p>\n
Fred nodded. \u201cCordelia sets incredibly high standards for herself. She gets upset when other people don\u2019t quite live up to her expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s crazy,\u201d Connor said. It didn\u2019t make sense. None of it made sense. \u201cI mean, she wasn\u2019t perfect. WE all forgave her. But Cordy\u2026I mean, it\u2019s almost like she hates my dad. She gives Gunn shit constantly. And she\u2019s been weird around Wes ever since\u2026well ever since I\u2019ve known her.<\/p>\n
Fred couldn\u2019t disagree with that. Connor had none of the memories that she had, of the days when there was nothing but comfort and affection between Wesley and Cordelia. Since the moment Wesley had chosen to kidnap Angel\u2019s infant son, things were never right between him and Cordy again.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fucked up,\u201d Connor pronounced solemnly.<\/p>\n
Fred leaned up and brushed his hair out of his eyes. \u201cYeah. Yeah it\u2019s pretty fucked up.\u201d They shared grim smiles. \u201cNow get out of here. I\u2019ve got work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going, I\u2019m going.\u201d Connor slid off the desk, the gracefulness he had mystically inherited apparent in every move he made. He was growing up before their eyes. Sometimes Fred wondered if it was hard for Cordy to maintain such a close friendship with him, when everyday the young man seemed to resemble Angel more and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Fred?\u201d Connor called from the doorway.<\/p>\n
\u201cHmmm?\u201d Fred was already searching her Rolodex for the caterer\u2019s phone number.<\/p>\n
Connor paused. \u201cIf someone wanted to start an apocalypse, how would they go about doing that?<\/p>\n
\u201cConnor!\u201d<\/p>\n