Part 3<\/b><\/p>\n
The Present\u2026<\/p>\n
Angel knew the room wasn\u2019t really spinning. The world hadn\u2019t actually turned upside down. And he wasn\u2019t suffocating, because a creature that didn\u2019t need to breathe couldn\u2019t suffocate.<\/p>\n
He stared at his twin, and the baby said twin was cradling in his arms.<\/p>\n
A son. He had a son. But\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t possible,\u201d he said, his voice sounding hoarse to his own ears.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, it isn\u2019t possible,\u201d the Other said. \u201cBut it\u2019s the truth.\u201d And his tone seemed to dare Angel to say otherwise.<\/p>\n
Angel took a step forward, barely hearing his twins\u2019 warning growl. Instinctively, he sniffed at the air.<\/p>\n
\u201cHuman,\u201d he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. How could this\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cGet out!\u201d the Other snapped.<\/p>\n
Startled, Angel looked into eyes that were identical to his own. Eyes filled with anger and\u2026something deeper.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, there you two are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both men turned as Cordelia Chase entered the room.<\/p>\n
The brunette took several steps inside and paused. A small frown marring her brow, she looked from one to the Other. \u201cCould the tension in this room *get* any thicker?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy,\u201d the Other began. \u201cGet *him*\u201d\u2014he directed a contemptuous nod toward his mirror image\u2014\u201cout of here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia gave the Other a long, hard look. Finally, she shook her head. \u201cAngel, did you get *nothing* from our little talk?\u201d<\/p>\n
The Other refused to answer. Mouth pressed into a tight line, he looked down at the squirming child.<\/p>\n
Cordelia sighed. \u201cCome on,\u201d she said to Angel. \u201cThere isn\u2019t much you can do when he gets this way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel hesitated, eyes glued to the baby that couldn\u2019t exist, and the man that couldn\u2019t be its father.<\/p>\n
Cordelia grabbed his arm. \u201cCome on,\u201d she demanded.<\/p>\n
And Angel reluctantly followed her out of the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry about Angel,\u201d she began as she led him out of the suite. \u201cI think he\u2019s freaked out by the whole \u2018another him walking around\u2019 thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel nodded. At the moment, he more than anyone could understand that. But he had a feeling his twin\u2019s hostility was caused by more than uneasiness.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s find you a room,\u201d Cordelia continued. \u201cAs far away from Angel\u2019s as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Angel followed her through the hotel, his mind returned to the hotel. To the nursery.<\/p>\n
Now that his shock was wearing off, he could think more rationally. And his rational mind knew it wasn\u2019t possible. There was no way\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s yours.\u201d<\/p>\n
Surprised, Angel paused. Cordelia was watching him with knowing eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe baby is yours,\u201d she continued, with complete certainty.<\/p>\n
Angel frowned. \u201cBut, how\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot to go into details or anything, but there was some *major* magic mojo involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel nodded. He\u2019d seen the incredible, impossible things magic could do. He imagined it would take a great deal to make a vampire a father.<\/p>\n
Angel almost staggered to a stop when another though slammed into his mind. If he *was* a father\u2014if he could truly make himself believe that\u2014then who was\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not Buffy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pausing, he turned to stare at Cordelia. How did she keep *doing* that?<\/p>\n
Cordelia grinned. \u201cNo, I can\u2019t read your mind. But I remember what you were like three years ago. You pretty much had Buffy\u2014and not much else\u2014on the brain.\u201d<\/p>\n
With a perfunctory nod, Angel started walking again.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou weren\u2019t much of a talker either,\u201d Cordelia muttered as she trailed behind him.<\/p>\n
Angel barely heard her. He was too busy watching his thoughts race.<\/p>\n
If he *was* the father, and Buffy *wasn\u2019t* the mother\u2026<\/p>\n
((No,)) he thought, shaking his head. He loved Buffy. She was everything to him. There was no way he would betray her to be with someone else. Just the thought of doing such a thing seemed as impossible as\u2026a vampire becoming a father.<\/p>\n
Abruptly, he spun around.<\/p>\n
Cordelia let out a startled shriek, barely managing to stop before she barreled into him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho *is* the mother?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n
\u201cGeez!\u201d Cordelia gasped. Hand pressed to her heart, she took several deep breaths. \u201cThat\u2019s one of the things I\u2019m not supposed to tell you,\u201d she finally answered. Then, she pursed her lips into a frown. \u201cI *can* tell you she wasn\u2019t one of my favorite people in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c*Wasn\u2019t* one of your favorite people? So she\u2019s not\u2026around anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia looked surprised, like she\u2019d revealed more than she intended. But she nodded. \u201cHis mother\u2026left right after he was born. And it was probably the best thing she ever did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel waited for her to add more. Realizing she wasn\u2019t going to, he continued down the hallway.<\/p>\n
A son. He had a son.<\/p>\n
Cordelia believed it. And his twin believed it. So, maybe\u2026<\/p>\n
Angel felt something squeeze his heart. It wasn\u2019t the usual, oppressive weight that rested there. This was something new. Something uncertain but\u2026good.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s his name?\u201d he muttered, a catch in his throat.<\/p>\n
Cordelia cast a sharp look in his direction. Then, a gentle smile curved her lips. \u201cConnor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cConnor,\u201d Angel whispered. It was a good name. A good, Irish name.<\/p>\n
Finally, Cordelia opened the door to a clean, sparsely furnished room.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of interesting d\u00e9cor to distract you,\u201d she said. \u201cSo it\u2019s perfect for resting. Or brooding.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you hungry? Want me to toss some O pos in the microwave?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Startled, Angel stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cBlood,\u201d she said slowly, tone a little patronizing. \u201cDo you want me to get you some?\u201d<\/p>\n
Uncomfortable, shook his head. He never discussed his diet with anyone. Not even Buffy. When he was hurt, and she had to bring blood to him, he\u2019d always been too embarrassed to feed in front of her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, if you change your mind,\u201d Cordelia said, and she started to leave the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordelia,\u201d he called.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah?\u201d She gave him a questioning look.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you doing here? With\u2026him?<\/p>\n
Her smile was bright enough to rival a sunrise. \u201cThat\u2019s another one of those things I can\u2019t tell you.\u201d With an apologetic shrug, she closed the door.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
For two hours, Angel tried to sleep. He *was* tired. Every second, weariness seeped further into his bones.<\/p>\n
But his mind wouldn\u2019t rest. There were too many questions.<\/p>\n
He wanted to know about Buffy. The fact that he didn\u2019t filled him with frustration.<\/p>\n
Was she here in LA?<\/p>\n
She had to be. He couldn\u2019t imagine his future self being here otherwise. There was no way he would have left her in Sunnydale.<\/p>\n
He couldn\u2019t imagine betraying her, either. But he obviously had. He\u2019d been with\u2014had a child with\u2014another woman.<\/p>\n
He had obviously hurt her deeply. Hurt her so much that she had left him\u2026<\/p>\n
Feeling the stirrings of panic, Angel sat up in the bed. He wasn\u2019t going to *think* about this. It was pointless. And frustrating. And there wasn\u2019t a damn thing he could do about it!<\/p>\n
Restless, Angel stood. He really wanted to be alone right now. To think. But he couldn\u2019t stay trapped in these four walls, with nothing but questions that didn\u2019t have answers.<\/p>\n
So, leaving the room, he began to roam around the hotel.<\/p>\n
He found that, for the most part, the building was empty. He found a fully furnished room here and there, even a few that felt lived in. But most were filled with broken furnishing, if any at all, and in serious need of repair.<\/p>\n
He paused at the top of the steps and looked down at the lobby. The only person he saw was Fred. She was sitting at a desk, on the computer. Smiling happily as her hands flew across the keys.<\/p>\n
Frowning, he wondered where everyone else was.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s when he heard it.<\/p>\n
Singing.<\/p>\n
Really bad singing.<\/p>\n
Turning his head towards the sound, he listened. And finally identified the song as\u2026a lullaby.<\/p>\n
Curious, he followed the song. Into the suite he\u2019d visited earlier. Pausing outside the door to the nursery.<\/p>\n
Cordelia Chase held baby Connor in her arms. She was swaying from side to side, singing the lullaby with gusto, unmindful of the occasional flat note.<\/p>\n
When she finished, the sound of baby-laughter filled the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd your Uncle Lorne says I have no talent for singing,\u201d she scoffed.<\/p>\n
When she turned towards the door, Angel found himself stepping back so she wouldn\u2019t see him. He didn\u2019t know why. He just\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cMy little Connor Wonnor,\u201d she crooned. \u201cYou are just the sweetest, cutest, handsomest baby in the whole world. I could just eat you up.\u201d There was a thoughtful pause. \u201cI guess I really shouldn\u2019t say stuff like that around here, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n
The baby giggled in response.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think you\u2019re having fun now, wait \u2018til your daddy gets back. If beating up on slimy, virgin sacrificing demons doesn\u2019t cheer him up, maybe a night of Disney will. What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n
And, again, she started to sing.<\/p>\n
Angel edged forward, so that he could see *into* the room without being seen himself.<\/p>\n
Cordelia was dancing gently around the nursery. Swaying and spinning. Making the baby laugh even more.<\/p>\n
Watching them, Angel felt the same squeezing in his chest. But stronger this time. Deeper.<\/p>\n
Cordelia Chase might not have given birth to that baby.<\/p>\n
But Angel suddenly knew exactly who Connor\u2019s mother was.<\/p>\n