Chapter Text
“It’s weird,” Kathy whispered and looked down at the small body wrapped in the green blanket.
“Yeah,” Jesse was standing next to her, close enough for her to feel his warm breath on her cheek. Kathy rubbed her thumb over the silent heart.
“How’s Daddy doing?” she turned her head and looked over at Liam. Her older brother was pale, he looked tired. Liam’s fingers flexed around the crib bars.
“He’s still sleeping,” Liam’s voice was gruff, “It was pretty rough.”
“Look at those tiny fingernails,” Jesse leant over the side of the crib and gently took the baby’s cool hand in his. He traced each tiny, white fingernail with the warm tip of his index finger.
“She’s beautiful,” Kathy said quietly and removed her hand from the motionless chest.
“She’s perfect,” Liam agreed and tucked the green blanket tighter around the cool body.
The baby gave a jerk as if she had been surprised and opened her eyes. She squinted, her golden eyes trying to focus on the faces hovering over her.
“She’s awake,” Jesse said and looked expectantly at Kathy.
“Why’re you looking at me?” Kathy asked.
“You’re a girl,” Jesse pointed out.
“So?” Kathy frowned at her little brother.
“So you pick her up…” Jesse continued uncertainly.
“Because I’m a girl,” Kathy finished for him. The narrowed golden eyes observed them from the crib.
“You’ve got the whole maternal thing…going…” Jesse took a step back when Kathy’s brow went from smooth to ridged for a split second.
“Man,” Liam grinned at Jesse, “You are so fucked.”
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A loud shriek from the nursery made Angel look over at the stairs.
“What‘s going on?” Cordy asked.
“If they wake the baby up I’ll rip their entrails out,” Angel grumbled and started walking up the stairs.
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“What’s going on here!” Angel demanded to know.
Liam was standing by the crib, a big grin on his face. Angel glared at him and the grin disappeared. Kathy and Jesse were fighting on the floor. Kathy was sitting on Jesse’s back, her hand curled tightly around a handful of her little brother’s dark hair.
“He said I was maternal,” she hissed and flashed her fangs at Jesse.
“She bit me, Dad,” Jesse shrieked and pressed a hand against his neck.
“If you woke up Joyce…” Angel warned and walked past the fighting teenagers and over to the crib. He reached in and lifted the baby girl up. She gurgled and started whining.
“She wasn’t crying before,” Jesse said from the floor, Kathy had him pinned down with a knee to his back, “Honestly…”
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“What’s with all the shrieking and yelling?” Xander mumbled from the pile of blankets and pillows on the bed.
“Jesse called Kathy maternal,” Angel said softly and toed off his shoes before he scooted on to the bed. Joyce was resting against his chest. Her small fingers tangled in the soft fabric of his shirt.
“Wow. Did he survive?” Xander chuckled sleepily.
“Barely,” Angel lifted his arm so Xander could rest his head on his shoulder.
“How’s she doing?” Xander rested his warm hand on the small cool back. The baby wriggled and pushed back against her father’s hand, seeking out the warmth.
“She got cranky when they interrupted her sleep,” Angel whispered as he watched the small golden eyes open and close, fighting to stay awake.
“Poor baby Joyce,” Xander kissed the slightly ridged forehead. She frowned and made a small needy sound just as she finally capitulated and fell asleep.
Xander reached down and pulled the thick blanket over the three of them and curled around Angel and Joyce.
Soon all that could be heard in the room was Xander’s deep regular breaths.