Title: A Return
Author: meagan <nutmeg@serv.net>
Summary: Cordelia returns to Sunnydale and discovers that things are not always as they appear.
Spoilers: Let's say everything plus _Angel_.
Disclaimer: Of *course* they belong to someone else. I could never come up with characters like this. Specifically, they belong to Mutant Enemy, Fox, WB (even though they really don't deserve it after what they did to us this season), and anyone else I forgot.
Rating: G, I think. Maybe PG, but not by much.
Distribution: Bucky's, if Melissa wants it. Otherwise, please ask.
Feedback: Yes, please, of course.
Notes: Just a little something I whipped up for some unknown reason. It just didn't want to end, though, so it's about three times as long as I had expected.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been nearly ten years, but she was finally back in Sunnydale. Angel had been understanding about her refusal to return for a long while, but his patience had finally run out. "*Giles* has forgiven me," he had pointed out. "And I killed Jenny -- left her in his bed for him to discover -- and *tortured* him. Don't you think this long-suffering martyr thing has gone on long enough?" If Broodboy was lecturing her, maybe there was something to what he said.

So she was back. She had managed to time her arrival a bit badly and made it to town after dark. When the vampires were out. But she noticed a bustling Italian restaurant, window cluttered with assorted kitschy stereotypical Italian knickknacks, pictures of Frank Sinatra -- and a rather elaborate crucifix and assorted small, plain crosses. She might as well eat something, and she might as well dine in an establishment that could double as Madonna's jewelry box circa 1985. And make her blood as toxic as possible to vampires.

She realized as she stepped through the door that it wasn't an Italian restaurant. More like a glorified pizza parlor. And -- surprise, surprise -- behind the counter was Xander, frantically trying to juggle order pad, cash register, a long line of anxious customers, and constantly-ringing phone. She smirked. As if it should be a shock that, all these years later, he was working in a pizza place. She stood patiently in line, watching him growl with frustration at the stuck cash drawer and angrily throw the pen down on the counter when it decided to stop writing for him. If he gave her any attitude, she would definitely have to speak with the manager.

Finally, her turn arrived. "So. I always knew this was your destiny." She paused a moment, allowing him to recognize her before she informed him that she would have a sausage and olive calzone, extra garlic, and a large root beer.

"Cordelia." His voice confused her. Not angry at all. A little sad, a little happy, a bit relieved, but not mad. "That will be out in twenty minutes."

Confused by his lack of reaction, she picked up her drink and turned from the order counter, finding a small table in the back of the restaurant, right next to the kitchen door. Then it dawned on her that he had neglected to charge her for her food. She pulled out a book and attempted to read.

After a while, Xander's now-angry voice coming from the door beside her broke into her thoughts. "Well, nice to see you finally decided to join us."

She began to respond, to try to explain her lengthy absence, when she realized he wasn't talking to her. He was reprimanding a teenaged boy who looked quite a bit like himself.

"Sorry, Uncle Xander, but I got distracted..."

"We've been over this before, Josh. If you want to work here and live with me, you will be here before sunset." He sighed, hugging the boy. "I'm sorry. It's just that I get worried about you. Remember, I've lived here my whole life. I know what's out there. The night is just too dangerous for you to be wandering around by yourself."

Uncle Xander? Issuing ultimatums about employment to teenagers? Acting like a concerned, responsible adult? What was going on?

"Hey there, you two. Is my dinner ready?" Willow. A very pregnant Willow.

Xander smiled at her, handing over a bag that fairly reeked of garlic. "Of course. Anything for the woman carrying my baby."

Even though years had passed, Cordelia could still feel the metal rod in her abdomen at those words. Willow and Xander. The bell above the front door sounded, and she turned her attention to the newcomer.

"Hey, baby. Ready to go?" Willow grinned widely and nodded at Oz, wrapping her arm around his waist and resting her head against his shoulder. What the hell? A group marriage or something?

Willow chose that moment to drop the bag of food. "Oz, honey, it's time."

His eyes grew wide. "Now? I thought we had a couple more weeks."

"Guess not."

Cordelia watched the interaction with more curiosity. Okay, so Willow was having Xander's baby, but Oz was the one she turned to when she went into labor? Xander quickly removed his apron, tossing it at his nephew. "Josh, I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't leave this restaurant until I get back." He ducked into the kitchen for a moment, returning briefly with Cordelia's calzone. "It was good to see you, Cordelia. I wish I had time to talk, but --" Oz was gesturing at him to hurry up so they could leave. "Well, um, see you around?" And he was gone.

"Can I get you anything else?" The younger version of Xander was at her elbow.

She stared at him, confused. Why on earth would he need to bring her anything? Oh, wait, she was a customer in the restaurant. "Well, I could go for a refill on this root beer."

"Coming right up."

In the short amount of time it took him to refill the glass and return to the table, she had come to a decision. "So, you're Xander's nephew? He never mentioned you to me."

The teen looked at her curiously. "You know him?" She nodded. "Well, sort of his nephew. I'm the useless cousin whose parents threw him out when he got caught smoking pot in the girls' locker room for the fourth time. I just call him 'uncle' because he acts more like my uncle." He sighed. "I don't know why he offered to let me move in with him and let me work here. Sometimes I think he's too generous. Like what he's doing for Willow and Oz. Maybe if he could find a girlfriend he could stop with the do-gooder thing for a while, but I think he's still hung up on someone he went out with in high school."

"Willow and Oz?" She wondered if she was ready to hear this, but the kid showed no signs of shutting up. And of the statements Josh made, that was the one that seemed like the one he was most willing to explain to a stranger.

"Yeah. Oz -- the short guy with the weird hair -- has some weird medical problem, so he can't have kids, so Uncle Xander helped with artificial insemination. I guess there was some big problem between them in high school, and he's still trying to make it up to those two." His delivery was so matter-of-fact that she knew this must be common knowledge around town. He probably thought he was doing everyone a favor by delivering the straight gossip-free truth. "Oops, customer. Gotta go. Holler if you need anything else!" And he, too, was gone, off to run the front counter.

Conversation over, she turned her attention to her dinner. Oh, my, yes, there was definitely plenty of garlic in there. As she worked her way through the calzone, she considered the puzzle pieces she had been given. Finally, she made another decision.

~~~~

As she wandered through the halls of the hospital, she recalled the many hours she had spent there in high school. After a few wrong turns, she reached her destination.

"Cordy? What are you doing here?" Xander's voice conveyed confusion. And concern. "Are you okay?"

Silently, she handed Oz a lumpy plastic bag and Xander a small paper bag. They looked inside their respective sacks and ginned -- Oz at the stuffed Scooby Doo and Xander at the donuts. "Thanks, Cordelia." Oz hugged her. Then a nurse appeared at his elbow, telling him that it was time to join his wife in the delivery room. "Are you coming, Xander?"

"In a minute." When they were alone in the hall, Xander gazed at his ex-girlfriend. "Why did you do this? I mean, it's nice -- really, truly, sweet -- but why? What on earth made you decide to do this?"

She was silent for several long seconds, trying to figure out an answer to his question. Finally, she spoke. "I talked to Josh."

"Oh." He opened the bag and picked off a corner of a maple bar. "So he probably told you everything."

"Maybe. I mean, I don't know what 'everything' includes, so I don't know what he left out. But what you're doing for Willow and Oz is really sweet." Even if *I* am the one who is supposed to be carrying your kids, she added silently. Much to her surprise.

Oz popped out from behind the door at that moment. "Hey, you guys, you're going to miss it unless you hurry."

"Thanks." Xander turned to face Cordelia. "Do you want to see this?"

Without thinking, she nodded her head and picked up his hand, allowing him to lead her into the delivery room.

~~~~

Hours (and several vows of childfree life on the part of Cordelia) later, a squalling baby boy joined the group. To Cordelia's horror, she was informed that the child was to be named Wolfgang Vincent Rosenberg. The fact that the names came from two great composers -- Mozart and Frank Zappa -- did nothing to comfort her, but, then again, it wasn't her kid. Willow and Oz would have to deal with explaining to him why he had such a weird name. On second thought, it probably wouldn't even occur to him that his name was weird or that a weird name was a bad thing. After all, his dad's name came from a city in a children's story. And he had taken his wife's last name when they got married. Not to mention the fact that he was a househusband.

Cordelia's voice broke the silence. "So you're a dad now."

Xander turned to her, brow furrowed. "What?"

"Well, Willow..."

He sighed. "No, I'm not that baby's father. I mean, yeah, half his genes came from me, so biologically, I may be a father, but that's it. Oz is his daddy." He picked lint she couldn't see off his shirt. "There's a big difference."

"Oh." Brilliant response. "Hey, what time is it?"

"Um, two in the morning. Why? Did you have someplace you needed to be?"

"Teenaged boy? Looks a lot like you? Left by himself in a pizza place under strict orders to not leave? Ring any bells?"

A look of horror fell over his face. "Oh, no. Josh. Where's Oz? I can borrow his van."

"Or I could drive you two. Don't look so shocked. I can drive very well."

Now he shook his head. "No, it's not that. It's... Never mind. Thanks, Cor. I really appreciate this."

~~~~

The drive back to the restaurant was made in silence. Even the radio was turned off, a highly unusual occurrence in Cordelia's car. By the time they reached their destination, the street was deserted, so she was able to park directly in front of the building. Now that she was taking a second look at the window, it became clear that Xander was the owner. She couldn't understand why she hadn't seen that before. Maybe all the venom had made her blind. She wondered where that bile was now, what magical force had neutralized it. They could see Josh inside, sleeping at one of the tables. "Look at him, Xander." Now, bizarrely, she felt that urge to mother that had been missing during Willow's ordeal. The troubled teenager reminded her of... Well, of his uncle, cousin, whatever. Although that wasn't really the case any more. Xander was clearly different now, and all for the better.

"Cordy..."

With a start, she realized she had picked up his hand and was carefully running her fingers over it, memorizing every line and bump by touch. She dropped his hand, turning her attention to the steering wheel. "Well? You told him to stay there until you came back for him. I'm sure a bed would be a heck of a lot more comfortable than that table."

He nodded and retrieved his charge from the youth's resting spot. And once again, silence filled the car.

~~~~

Cordelia stared at his living room. Not what she had envisioned for his living space. Instead of a dive apartment, it was a small but comfortable house. Instead of a dilapidated couch obtained from a second-hand store, he had a sturdy oak futon that matched an elaborate entertainment center and bookcase. And instead of a mangy mutt, a sleek gray cat and a pudgy brown tabby trotted out to greet their person, loudly complaining that he had neglected to properly worship them that evening. Bemused, she teased him, "Cats, Xander?"

"They're Josh's. They came with him when... Anyway, for some strange reason, they decided that I was the one they needed to follow around, harass, and shed all over." He frowned at the feline rubbing against Cordelia's legs. "Well, great. I'm sorry. I've got a lint brush roller thing for that." He started to hand over the device, but Cordelia shook her head.

"No, don't worry about it." She bent down to scratch the cat behind its ears, laughing when it chose that moment to flop over and roll onto its back, exposing its stomach for affection. "Oh, sweetie, don't these people pay attention to you? I find that hard to believe."

Xander stared. Cordelia Chase, in his living room, cooing at the cat. The cat hated *everyone* except Josh, Xander, Oz, and Willow. Those four humans were merely tolerated. Now the critter was all but curling up in her lap purring, but he had a feeling that would happen if she just sat down. "Would you like to sit down?"

"Um, maybe I should get going. Find a motel room somewhere."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea? I mean, this is Sunnydale. Who knows who has been invited in those rooms before." He carefully studied his shoes. "You could stay here. I mean, I have an extra room, so it's no problem. Unless you would feel too uncomfortable."

Considering how weird the rest of the night had been, she might as well add this to the list. "Sure. I just need to grab my bag out of my car."

"What do you need? I mean, I really don't want you going out there right now. Outside. I have shampoo and stuff you could wear, if that's okay."

His clothes. His shampoo. His smell. Thoughts she shouldn't be thinking. She was too tired to argue. "Yeah, it's okay."

He showed her to the guest room and attached bathroom. After she showered and pulled on the t-shirt and sweat pants (thank goodness for drawstrings, she noted absently) left for her, she went back to the living room, not quite sure what she was hoping for.

She found it as soon as she saw it. Xander, sitting on the futon, legs stretch out in front of him on a low table, deep in thought, stroking the cats sitting on his lap. "Xander? Can we talk for a few minutes?"

He sighed. "No, Cordy, there are no strings attached to this."

"What do you mean, 'No, Cordy?'" She could feel her stomach plummet to somewhere around her feet. She *needed* to talk to him. If he was going to push her away, at least he could explain why.

"Just what I said. There are no strings attached here. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable staying in my house. You could stay at Willow and Oz's tomorrow, if you want. I just don't want you in some random hotel or motel room."

She smiled. "That's not what I wanted to talk about." She carefully studied her fingers, pushing back the cuticles. "Xander, I'm sorry. For everything. When I saw you in the restaurant, I had a flashback to high school. I thought you were the loser I always said you would end up being -- working in a pizza place, living a generally sucky life." She sat on the other end of the futon, not sure what she was about to say but convinced that she had to say it. "But when you saw me, and I was snotty to you, you didn't do anything. No snide comeback. And I didn't understand it at first. Then Josh showed up. You ended up like I had always imagined. Kind of. I never told anyone this, but I always had a feeling that you would make a great dad. And you are a father to that boy, whether you realize it or not. And then I jumped to conclusions when Willow showed up, and then Oz -- well, his appearance just confused me. But when I talked to Josh, things started falling into place." She smiled, finally turning to face him. "You're a grown-up, Xander. A man. And if it's okay with you, I would like a chance to get to know you again." His jaw tightened. "Or if it's not okay, I can be out of here as soon as the sun comes up."

"Cordy, damn it, this isn't fair." She looked at him, confused. Then when he embraced her, the confusion turned to bewilderment. "I'm the one that owes you the apology. I've owed it to you for ten years. And now you're being so nice that I'm going to cry."

She kissed him gently on the cheek before turning to stretch out along the length of the futon, resting her head on his chest. "Well, I'll wait until you can make it up to me, okay?"

~~~~

Josh found them in the morning, wrapped together on the futon. He stared at them for a long moment before realization dawned. So this was Cordelia. His uncle had never mentioned her, but Willow and Oz had told him all about her some time ago, complete with pictures. No wonder she had asked about them at the restaurant.

Then he noticed that the two weren't on the futon alone. Those silly cats were curled up next to them. He smiled. Another thing that Willow had taught him was to read signs. He always wanted an aunt. And it looked like he would be getting his wish if the animal portion of the house had anything to do with it.

~~~ the end ~~~

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