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Christmas 2001
The Hyperion's halls were decked with holly. Kinda. There was a lot of hall, and not much plastic greenery to go round.
There were those in Angel Inc (um... that would be almost all of them) that thought it was insane to decorate a vampire's lair for Christmas in honour of a month-old baby. Connor was barely focusing three feet in front of him. He wasn't going to see the sparklies.
But there were also those in Angel Inc that watched Fred rediscovering Christmas. She saw the sparklies, for sure. She smiled at the holly. She looked over at the tree every time she passed through the foyer. She baked Christmas cookies in the Hyperion's vast unused kitchens: finding baking sheets and mixing bowls, even icing decorative Santa hats.
So the hotel was having its first proper Christmas. What with the vampire killing spree and the firing all the staff, Angel Inc hadn't had a season of goodwill in 2000. There was silliness in the air. Christmas songs. And nog. Lots of nog.
*
Which was how Cordy came to be talking to Fred about being a princess. With the shiny, tiny clothes. And the jewels, the minions... okay, the slavery and imminent prospect of death but still, a Cordelia Chase Lifetime Highlight.
"Yeah," said Fred. Holiday cheer not obvious. "They didn't do that for me."
*
Which in turn was how Cordelia ended up playing princesses with Fred. As a minion, which was so not the Chase philosophy of life. But Fred was getting way into this. And it was fun to see her carefree and playing.
"What does your Majesty desire next?"
So far, Her Majesty had desired a soda, a new hairstyle, a taco, some earrings, a footrub, a borrowed dress and a game of chess. Which last wish turned out not so well, as her minion wasn't big on strategic role play with little bits of plastic.
Fred was still giggling over Cordelia's pawn-based aggravation while she considered the question.
"So I'm trying to think of all the things I missed in Pylea. Making up for every last thing I spent five years dreaming of. We had the food and drink, we had the princessy dresses and the minions I never got. I missed physics, when I wasn't trying to make portals, but I don't guess you'd..."
She didn't finish. Whatever Cordelia's face was doing, it wasn't, "Yummy! Physics is Fun!"
So Fred continued "... I missed other people. For talking, and laughing, and just being people together. And the kissing, and the sex and all..." She trailed off, wistful.
Whatever Cordelia's face was doing now, though, it was welcoming enough for Fred to pause, uncertainly. Lick quickly, nervily, across her mouth, where Cordy was suddenly very focused. Give a little nervous laugh and add, "But I don't guess you'd-"
She didn't get a chance to finish this time either. This time Cordelia got out of her chair, walked over to Fred, tipped up her cute little pointy chin, bent and kissed her. Soft mouth on soft mouth.
"Like that?" Which could have meant anything.
Fred took it the safer, duller way. "Yeah, that's what I missed."
But the Cordelia Chase philosophy didn't duck the important things in life. She smiled, full-beam. "No, Your Majesty. I meant did you like that? Because I really, really did. Because I've been thinking about that for months. So if Your Majesty wanted to order her minion to do it again... maybe do some other stuff on those lines... this minion wouldn't find it a chore."
Fred looked at Cordy, her own small smile just breaking, as she considered her newfound power. Just this once (and maybe only because Cordelia said so), Fred was in charge.
***