***24th December***
Angel looked around the lobby and smiled sappily. The Christmas tree was being decorated by Xander and two toddlers who wanted to put the sparkling Christmas balls everywhere but at the places Xander picked.
Richard, the little girl's father, laughed at the children's antics. He was seated in one of the many comfortable chairs in the lobby, watching Liza and William. The children had become bestest friends and never left each other alone for very long.
Richard and Liza were now both living at the Hyperion as Angel's guests. Two weeks after Halloween their home had been thrashed by demons and they had been saved by the AI team. After this incident, Richard had found out about the demons and monsters that lurked in the night. He had also accepted that not all demons were dangerous after Xander's explanation about Angel. Having lost most of their possessions, Angel had offered Richard and Liza a place at the hotel and they had never left. They became part of the family.
The others were spread around the lobby watching the two children giving directions at Xander, who obeyed to their demands where to place the Christmas balls. At Christmas time demon activity always decreased and gave them the opportunity to enjoy a quiet night of relaxation.
Giles and Cordelia were seated on the couch across from Xander and Angel. The British man was reading Dickens' Christmas Carol aloud to his girlfriend, still appalled by the young American's statement that she had never read the original story but had watched the movie many times. Fred and Andrew were snuggled on another couch, listening to the older man reading the classic tale in his rich accented voice.
Wesley and Gunn were seated on some pillows near the tree. Gunn was playing some Christmas tunes on his guitar while trying not to get distracted by the teasing words Wesley whispered in his ear from time to time.
"Mommy!" William called out.
Angel looked at his son, stood up and walked towards the toddler. "What is it, William?"
"Tree pretty!" William exclaimed while pointing his finger at the decorated tree.
"Yes, the tree is beautiful. You and Liza did a good job," Angel responded and hugged the toddler before sitting on the couch.
"Are you okay?" Xander asked worried. Angel hadn't responded very enthusiastically about the tree. He sat next to Angel on the large couch and placed his right arm over the vampire's shoulders.
"Just a bit tired and dizzy," Angel responded, his eyes already closing. Angel snuggled into Xander's embrace and leaned his head on Xander's shoulder before falling asleep.
"Angel?" Xander said softly, surprised when he witnessed Angel falling deeply asleep. He shook his lover gently; however, Angel wouldn't wake up. "Angel?" Xander started to panic, shaking the vampire more vigorously but without any success.
"Xander, what's wrong?" Giles questioned when he heard Xander's panicked voice.
"Angel won't wake up. He just fell asleep on my shoulder and he never sleeps at this hour," Xander explained very worried.
Wesley picked up William before the toddler would cry. The boy always cried when something happened to one of his parents even if they just hit their toes against the furniture or accidentally bumped their heads.
"Mommy?" William whispered tearfully. He had sensed his father's panic and looked at his mommy. Angel was fast asleep and the boy felt scared. His mommy was usually a light sleeper, a soft word or a cry from William were usually enough to wake him up.
"Mommy will be fine. He just needs his sleep, like you do at night," Wesley said, trying to reassure him.
Xander placed Angel's head on his lap and waited impatiently for his father to call Dr. Mitch Hunter. Dr. Hunter was an experienced doctor, qualified to deal with human and demon illnesses. After one of Cordelia's nastier visions, Giles had called for the doctor and the man had accepted to become their family doctor. Mitch arrived quickly and walked straight towards Angel.
"Xander, has he fought any unusual demons lately?" Mitch asked curiously, after examining the sleeping vampire. He had never seen a vampire in this particular condition before. However, he knew Angel wasn't a run-of-the-mill vampire and that he was protected by the PTB. Maybe the impossible was possible after all.
"Yes, we fought a Kran demon one month ago. A particular vicious demon but few reports on his species are available. I've been researching ancient scrolls and books but they have not been very forthcoming," Wesley answered instead.
"What have you found about Kran demons so far?" Mitch questioned, curious to know what the group knew about this demon. He already knew what the effects on another demon were.
"Nothing much, only some vague references to it being an ancient species with unspecified magical properties. " Wesley replied.
"Besides Angel, has anyone else been in contact with this demon's blood?" Mitch questioned.
"Uhm...Giles, Wesley and I did," Andrew answered curiously.
"Did you have intercourse after that?" Mitch continued questioning.
The couples turned bright red at that question and it answered the doctor's questions before he bluntly stated, "Kran demon's blood is fertile!"
Silence.
"Angel is pregnant?" Xander questioned softly when he realised what the doctor was implying.
Mitch chanted a few words and everyone witnessed the dot above Angel's lying form.
"Good Lord!" Wesley and Giles muttered in unison.
"Does that mean one of us could be pregnant as well?" Gunn asked curiously, already looking at his lover's stomach and gently placing his hand on it.
"Only male couples. The blood only has effect on gay couples. We don't know why yet, but so far only male couples have ended up pregnant after getting the demon's blood on them," Mitch responded. "Do you want me to check you as well?"
Wesley looked at Gunn and smiled. Would they be so lucky? "Yes, please," Wesley answered and watched with fascination how a blue screen appeared above Wesley and Gunn's stomach.
William looked from his uncle's stomach to the screen and didn't understand what he was seeing. He looked at his dad and wanted to be with his parents. He tapped on Wesley's stomach to get the man's attention.
Wesley looked from the small dot on his screen to William and noticed the teary eyes of the little boy. He stood up and carried William to Xander.
"Daddy, Angel come mommy?" Liza asked her father. Her sweet voice seemed loud in the silent room.
"Yes, I believe that's what the doctor is telling us. And not only Angel, but Wesley as well," Richard responded while staring in awe at the magic screens.
"Mommy!" William suddenly cried out. He didn't understand what the conversation was about, but his mother still hadn't woken up.
Xander looked up and took William from Wesley. "William, you have to be quiet. Mommy is sleeping," Xander said.
"Mommy sleeping?" William whispered while petting his mother's hair.
"Yes, mommy is sleeping," Xander replied.
Gunn hugged his lover. They were going to become parents. He gently placed his hand on Wesley's stomach and smiled. "We're going to be parents."
Wesley laughed softly, already seeing a little boy or girl playing with Angel's youngest.
*****
Angel woke up and was surprised to see his family and the doctor hovering around him. "What happened?" he asked curiously.
"Mommy sleeping!" William answered and hugged Angel.
Angel sat up and took William in his arms before hugging his son tightly. "I was sleeping? Why? I didn't notice anything?" Angel asked his lover.
"Angel, I have examined you and explained to the others what's wrong with you," Mitch answered instead.
"Something's wrong with me?" Angel asked in a panic, before looking at the doctor.
Xander took Angel's hand in his own and squeezed it softly before telling his lover the 'good' news. "Angel, sweetheart, you're pregnant. We're going to have a child."
"Huh?"
"You're pregnant, " Xander repeated, still finding it hard to believe the news himself.
Angel laughed loudly, amused by this ridiculous notion. " Xander, I'm a vampire. A male vampire, that is. Male vampires don't get pregnant."
"Remember the Kran demon?" Xander questioned.
"Yeah? What about it?" Angel replied, convinced his family was just playing some elaborate joke on him. Cordelia and Xander were always complaining he didn't have a sense of humour.
"Kran blood makes their victim fertile for three days. You must have had intercourse with someone in order for you to get pregnant, which seems logical to me," Mitch explained, trying to choose the right words because of the two smart toddlers in the room.
"Angel come Mommy!" Liza exclaimed happily again, seated on her father's lap.
William looked at his mother and still didn't understand what Liza was talking about. He was worried about his mommy; his grandfather had called the doctor, which meant something was wrong.
Angel noticed his little boy looking at him sadly and finally realised the faint heartbeat he was hearing didn't belong to William. A tiny heartbeat reverberated inside him. He was pregnant! William was going to have a brother or a sister. "William, you're getting a baby brother or baby sister."
"Baby?" William questioned while looking at his mother's belly. He and Liza had heard the older children at the babysitter's house explaining where babies came from.
"Yes, mommy has a baby in there," Xander replied before placing his son's hand on top of Angel's belly.
"When out?" William asked curiously.
"He is due in August," Xander replied and kissed his lover deeply before pulling back.
"We're going to have a baby!" Angel whispered in awe. Besides Connor and William, he was going to have another child.
"I want brother!" William exclaimed, happily bouncing on his mommy's lap.
**Midnight**
Liza and William were sitting next to each other, waiting for Santa Claus to come. Their fathers had explained that the man would only show up at midnight to deliver the presents. So here they were, sitting sleepily on the couch with their family watching them with a smile.
"HO, HO, HO!" Suddenly a loud voice echoed through the lobby and the two toddlers' eyes widened when a white bearded man came into sight. The stout man entered the lobby with a heavy bag on his shoulders and placed it next to the Christmas tree before turning around.
"Santa!" Liza called out.
"Santa?" William whispered, getting a bit scared by the large man towering above him.
"You must be William and Liza. Why aren't you in bed?" Santa asked, looking sternly at the family who was delighted by the children's reaction.
"Want see you," Liza answered, while William continued staring at the man, mouth and eyes wide open.
Xander stood up and placed William in his lap where the little boy snuggled against his father's side. "Don't be afraid, William. This is Santa," Xander introduced his son.
"William, I can't place the presents under the tree if you aren't asleep yet," Santa said, while crouching in front of the boy.
William found the man less intimidating now that he was almost at his eye level. He leaned forward and touched the beard, causing several family members to laugh as they remembered how William used to do that with D'Hoffryn.
Xander watched William playing with Santa's beard until he heard Liza telling her father she needed to go to bed.
Angel noticed how William looked up at that and leaned back against Xander. "William, are you ready to say goodnight?"
William nodded his head and softly whispered 'Goodnight' to Santa Claus. He giggled when his mother swept him from his father's arms and carried him upstairs, closely followed by Xander, Richard and Liza.
While the parents with their children were upstairs, Cordelia stood up and walked to Santa Claus. "Thanks for doing this, Ethan."
Ethan chanted a few words and he was himself again. "You're welcome. Thank you, Ripper for helping me," he answered, smiling shyly.
Giles had found Ethan badly injured on one of their patrols and had taken him into his care. He had explained Cordelia about their former friendship and she had agreed to take the man under their wing. The man they were looking at was nothing compared to the chaos worshipper they had met in Sunnydale.
*****
"Dave, the male vampire is pregnant as well as the human male. If we get them, we will be stocked for about three years," Lia whispered to her husband while she watched through the window.
"And how are you planning to get them into our house? They're never alone," Dave whispered back angrily.
"We'll use the little boy," Lia said calmly. She had it all planned out.
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