Story: A Normal Life: What You Make of It

["Femvamp " <femvamp000@xxxxxxxxx>]

TITLE: A Normal Life: What You Make Of It
AUTHOR: Femvamp
E-MAIL: femvamp000@xxxxxxxxx
FEEDBACK: Yes. Yes. YES! 
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? It's yours. Just tell me where it goes.
DISCLAIMER: Joss Wheadon and many others own the characters of BtVS 
and Angel (lucky bastards). 
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What You Make Of It

Cordelia was in her element. That was the thought that kept going 
through Kate's mind as she watched the woman she loved plan the 
wedding of Giles and Joyce. It had been pure genius to ask Cordelia 
to plan the party.

Not that there was much to plan. There weren't many guests. Neither 
Joyce nor Giles had anyone outside of Sunnydale and LA that they 
wanted to invite. Giles had some aunts that he was fond of and Joyce 
wanted to invite a friend of the family that she always considered to 
be her grandmother. Besides them, the only others to be invited were 
the Scooby gang. Which now included Kate and Doyle.

The actual wedding was going to be simple. And most definitely in the 
daytime. Angel and Spike would have to watch the taped footage, which 
Xander promised to make. Kate had found that funny. Both Angel and 
Spike had been disappointed to miss such an event. Spike had even 
stormed out and gotten drunk with Doyle, who was always up for another 
game of "I can drink you under the table". 

The wedding was just a week away. Giles' Aunts would arrive in 
Sunnydale the next morning and Joyce's "grandmother" would arrive the 
day after. Everything was set. And yet, there was something, or more 
to the point, someone missing.

Oz had called Giles they day after Willow had arrived in Wolfton. 
Since then there had been no word on either of them. Kate had heard 
stories about Oz and Willow and their breakup. She had never met the 
werewolf but she knew she would like him. Hell, she liked everyone 
else in the odd little family she had managed to become a part of.

"Kate would you mind coming with me to the gallery and help me with 
something?"

Kate was shaken out of her musings and saw Joyce standing by the door 
holding a big box. Kate immediately jumped up and helped carry the 
box to the car. After a few moments she consented to go to the only 
art gallery in Sunnydale.

"How long have you been a police officer, Kate?" Joyce asked trying 
to make conversation.

Kate smiled, "Just about all my life. My father was a cop."

"Oh." 

"I know you don't have much faith in cops." Kate smiled, "From what 
I've heard the police in Sunnydale are either very stupid or blind."

"Maybe a little of both." Joyce paused, "Buffy's been arrested more 
times then I can count."

"I know." When Joyce looked at her funny Kate continued, "When Angel 
showed up in LA I did a background check on him. Not much to find, 
but I did find a connection to your daughter."

"Must be an interesting read?" Joyce snickered.

"Oh yeah it is. Almost as interesting as the read on Angelus."

"Have you ever met, Angelus?"

"No. I haven't had the pleasure."

"I have." Joyce paused, "Definitely not someone I would want to meet 
again."

The conversation drifted for awhile. When they arrived at the gallery 
Kate helped Joyce move some boxes and some artifacts. They worked for 
a good hour before either of them spoke.

"I guess you are wondering why I asked you to come with me?"

"It crossed my mind."

Joyce paused, "Sunnydale is a strange town. In some ways everything 
about this town goes against the basic order of things. "

"What do you mean?"

"When Buffy and I arrived in this town I noticed one or two things." 
Joyce smiled, "I may not have known that my daughter is the slayer but 
I did realize that her two best friends didn't have a stable home 
life. Later, when Cordelia became a friend I realized she didn't 
either." Joyce paused, "I guess since most people don't live very 
long in this town, parents don't form strong attachments to their 
children. None of them had parents that cared much about them."

Kate didn't say anything. Cordelia never talked much about her 
family. Kate had always assumed it was because her father was in 
jail. Now Kate realized it was because Cordelia never really had a 
family to begin with.

Joyce continued, "Somewhere along the line, Rupert and I became their 
parents. I'm not exactly sure when it happened, but it did." Joyce 
paused again. "I guess I am telling you this, because I care about 
Cordelia and I wanted to make sure...."

"I love her Joyce." 

Kate finally understood why Joyce had asked her to along. Joyce 
wanted to know what her intentions were with Cordelia. 

Joyce smiled, "I just wanted to hear you say it. Cordelia is an 
interesting girl."

"Yes she is." Kate smiled.

"Its funny. I always wanted a large family, and now I have it. I 
guess the old saying is true."

"What old saying?"

"That a family is what you make of it."

Kate could do nothing but agree. Especially since she had just been 
formally excepted into this very strange family.