Title: Baby Blues

Author: Settiai

Disclaimer: "Angel" and other related characters are all properties of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and other related corporations. No infringement is intended. This story, such as it is, was written as a sign of respect and love for the characters, the show, and their creator. I claim no ownership of the aforementioned show and characters.

Rating: PG

Explanation: This is my story for the Baby!Verse Ficathon on LiveJournal, and it was written for msdollsome.

Summary: When Lilah gives Wesley some unexpected news, his life is changed forever.

Feedback: Comments and helpful criticisms are always appreciated.

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"You're what!?"

Wesley could feel his mouth hanging open, but at that moment he couldn't care less. Lilah stood before him, a casual smirk on her face that seemed fake even to him. He took a few deep breaths, hoping against hope that he was merely hallucinating due to lack of oxygen. The kiss that he had just broken away from had been more than a little breathtaking, so it was possible that his mind was playing tricks on him.

That hope lasted approximately two seconds.

"I'm pregnant," Lilah repeated with a vaguely annoyed glint in her eyes. "And asking me to repeat those two words won't change the fact."

"B-but how?" Wesley questioned weakly as he sank down into a nearby chair.

Lilah gave him a real smirk this time as she leaned back against the wall. "If you don't know that, then the two of us really need to have a little talk."

"You know damn well what I meant!" Wesley snapped.

Lilah shrugged as she walked over to where he sat and leaned down so that they were face to face. "Six weeks ago," she said matter-of-factly, "right after Cordelia Chase regained her memories and, after his father refused to let him take her with him, Angel's son disappeared."

"Oh," Wesley said softly, before his eyes widened and his voice raised in volume. "Oh!"

His gaze moved slightly so that he was staring directly into her eyes, and in that moment he choked back the words that were gathering in his throat. Though outwardly she still appeared calm, her eyes were a raging storm. Fear and uncertainty, two things he had never even thought possible to exist in Lilah, shone brightly from deep inside of her.

"So now what?" Lilah asked after a moment, and Wesley couldn't help but notice that her voice was shaking just a bit.

He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them there was a much calmer quality to his face. "I guess that's really up to you," he said finally, his gaze not moving from Lilah's face.

"I thought you might say that," she said with a shuddery smile.

"I figured as much," Wesley said quietly. "And I assume your mind was already made up before you showed up at my door?"

Lilah merely shrugged, but the hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

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"I think this is what we were looking for," Wesley said excitedly, his eyes flashing in Lilah's direction. The slight bulge of her stomach was apparent to him now, though someone who didn't know she was almost four months pregnant might not notice. Yet.

"Really?" Lilah asked enthusiastically, causing Wesley to smile briefly before dropping his gaze back to the papers that spread out on the table in front of him.

Wesley nodded as he glanced up once more, and he couldn't help but let his smile grow even wider when he saw the shocked, yet elated, expression that had appeared on her face.

"Really," he replied softly. "I've found the loophole that should allow you to keep the baby out of Wolfram and Hart's hands. According to this, you only have to give them your firstborn if both of the parents signed an agreement before the child was conceived."

His eyes twinkled slightly as he paused, and he couldn't help but shake his head slightly before continuing.

"Apparently, you never thought it worth your while to bring me any such paperwork."

Lilah's mouth twisted into a smirk as she quietly replied to his unspoken question. "Check your desk sometime, lover. I know that I laid them there sometime when you weren't looking."

Wesley shook his head, and a wry grin appeared on his face. Before he could say anything though, Lilah leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss. "Thank you," she said softly.

"For what?" Wesley asked innocently, though the twinkle in his eyes anything but. "For finding the loophole that you were somehow certain existed? Or for knocking you up?"

Lilah merely raised an eyebrow before leaning back in her chair. "Which do you think?"

He merely shook his head and went back to studying the papers that lay before him. He glanced back up after a few moments though, and he was startled by what he saw on Lilah's face.

Her gaze wasn't focused on him, but he could still read the expression on her face like a book. Wesley couldn't help but notice just how young she appeared at times--something he had began observing more and more ever since she had appeared on his doorstep and announced her pregnancy. Every so often she would let her mask slip, and in those moments he was allowed a glimpse at what he was certain was the real Lilah Morgan.

Wesley was drawn out of his musings when she finally glanced back over at him, and he merely shrugged sheepishly in answer to the curious stare she aimed at him. She stared for a few more seconds before sighing and muttering several phrases under her breath in regards to him that didn't sound extremely flattering.

But for the first time, Wesley didn't even bother telling himself that he was imagining Fred there instead of Lilah.

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Wesley could feel everyone's gaze on him, and it took all of his restraint not to look and meet their stares. He needed their help, and he knew that--though he had regained at least most of the lost trust between them--he had yet to earn it back completely.

"I need your help," Wesley said softly as he carefully lifted his gaze upwards.

"For what?" Angel asked firmly, though slightly suspiciously, as he took a few steps toward the former Watcher. Before Wesley had a chance to respond, however, the vampire paused and seemed to sniff the air ever so slightly. Within seconds, he glanced back at the Englishman in surprise.

"I'll be damned," he said in a amazed voice.

"You've seen her?" Wesley asked quietly as understanding dawned in his eyes, drawing confused looks from the others and a slight nod from Angel.

The others shared yet another perplexed look before Cordelia finally sighed. "Wesley, what's going on?"

"Yeah," Gunn put in curiously. "What's up?"

Wesley didn't move his gave from Angel's face, though the look on his face showed that he had heard their questions. After a few more seconds of silence, the vampire finally spoke once more. "How long have you been..."

"Not quite a year," Wesley cut in softly.

Angel nodded, and a hint of emotion shone in his eyes for a moment. Before Wesley could see what emotion it was, however, he spoke again. "And how far along..."

"Four months," Wesley replied before Angel even had a change to finish his question.

"Someone want to tell me what the hell's going on?" Cordelia asked suddenly, her voice raising in both intensity and volume.

Wesley flinched slightly, but he still kept his gaze focused on Angel's face. The vampire glanced in Cordelia's direction before grimacing slightly himself and gesturing with eyes for the man to answer her question.

"There's not exactly an easy was of saying this," Wesley said reluctantly as he turned back toward the others, and he was careful not to glance at Fred. "I-I'm... You see, it's like this..."

"Spit it out, English," Gunn said with a hint of exasperation, but his tone of voice was friendlier than Wesley had heard it in quite a while.

"I'm going to be a father," Wesley finished in a rush, mentally cursing as a stunned silence filled the Hyperion.

Angel's face didn't change, though an unreadable expression flashed in his eyes for a moment. Then, like the first crack in the dam, Cordelia let out a loud gasp. "Oh my god!"

Before he even knew what was happening, Wesley found himself victim to a giant hug courtesy of Cordelia. When he finally was able to glance down at her face, he was surprised to find a broad grin on it. After a moment though, the grin faded and was replaced by a calculated expression. "This is a good thing, right?" she asked curiously.

"Y-yes," Wesley replied slightly hesitantly, "it's a good thing."

She grinned again and tightened her hug, and with that the dam of silence burst. Though Angel still stayed to the side, that same indecipherable expression on his face, Gunn, Fred, and Lorne all made their way over to him.

As Cordelia finally pulled away from him, Lorne reached over and gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Congratulations, sweetie."

"Please don't call me that," Wesley said pleadingly, but his attention was drawn toward Gunn rather quickly. The African-American man had made his way up beside him, and there was a hesitant grin on his face.

"Congratulations, Wes."

"Thank you, Gunn," he replied with a slight grin of his own.

Before Wesley could say anything else, Fred stepped into his view. There was a cheerful smile on her face, but--when he looked closely--he could see a slightly hurt expression in her eyes. "That's great news," she said softly. "Who's the lucky woman?"

Wesley paused for a moment, and the uncertain expression on his face drew curious stares from his friends.

"It is a woman, isn't it?" Gunn asked worriedly, his eyes traveling toward the nearby weapons cabinet.

"Of course she's a woman," he retorted indignantly. "It's just that..."

He trailed off for a moment, and his gaze moved back toward Angel. The vampire merely stared back at him, waiting for the name to finally escape his lips.

"It's Lilah," Wesley said with a quiet sigh. "Lilah Morgan."

"What!?"

"Lilah!?"

"Tell me you're joking!?"

"Are you out of your mind!?"

Wesley ignored the other's outbursts and instead focused his attention on Angel. The vampire stood there a moment, apparently deep in thought, before he said anything.

"You said you wanted our help?" Angel asked quietly, bringing the room to silence once more.

Wesley nodded.

"Once the baby is born, Wolfram and Hart will most likely want to take him or her."

He noticed the curious looks on most of their faces, and he was quick to explain.

"Due to Lilah's contract with them," he said hurriedly. "There is a loophole, but I... we believe that they most likely will try to ignore that fact."

"And you want our help?" Cordelia asked softly.

Wesley merely nodded, and for a moment an uncomfortable silence filled the room.

"Then our help is what you're going to get," Angel replied softly, a strange light in his eyes. "This is your child we're talking about."

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"So they're going to help?" Lilah asked softly as she rested her head on Wesley's lap.

He nodded, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "It took a little while for them to get used to the idea, but they're going to help. Once the baby is born, he or she will be protected."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate it," Lilah whispered, smirking slightly as she waited for her words to sink in.

It only took a few moments for realization to strike him.

"She?" Wesley asked, the word coming out in a rush. "It's a girl?"

Lilah nodded, and she smiled as Wesley's mouth split into a wide grin. Before he had a chance to say anything though, she gave him a curious look.

"Why is Angel helping you? I mean, I understand why the others might... but not Angel."

His grin faded a bit, but he still managed to keep it in place. When he spoke, however, it was barely more than a whisper. "I'm not completely certain, to tell you the truth."

"Since when have you told me the truth?" Lilah asked, raising an eyebrow as she did.

Wesley shook his head slightly before reaching down and unconsciously running a hand through her hair. "Funny. Very funny."

Lilah merely smiled back up at him, but there was a curious light in her eyes. "Then why do you think he's helping you? I'm sure you've put at least a little thought into it."

"Well," he began quietly, "I think that he might be trying to make up for Connor."

The only answer Lilah gave him to the statement was another raised eyebrow. He smiled sadly, more to himself than anyone else, before finishing.

"He thinks that helping our baby will somehow make up for losing his."

Wesley paused for a moment before adding in one last statement. "But it's only a guess."

"It sounds like a good guess," Lilah whispered as she slowly pulled herself up into a sitting position once more. She gently leaned in and pressed her lips against his for just a moment. "Don't you think?"

"I hope so," he answered softly as he stared into her eyes for just a moment. "I truly hope so."