CHAPTER 29

"Do you think he's alright?" Cordelia whispered worriedly as they lay awake together in bed an hour later.

"I hope so, princess." Doyle told her softly, kissing her forehead and holding her closely to him.

"Why did he have to go? I don't understand. He didn't tell me anything about leaving." She whined. "It's like one of your beat-up old jackets just got up and left without consulting me first. I don't want to lose any parts of you."

Doyle chuckled quietly at her comparison. "Everything's gonna be fine, love." He told her, though he hated that he didn't know if it was the truth. He really didn't want to consider that this might be his last night with her…again. "So've you thought of any names yet?" He asked, hoping to distract her mind.

"Well you like Shaughnessy for a boy – Shaughn for short." She began and he laughed and shook his head that she already knew that. "And I like Selia for a little girl. Your evil tells me that's an Irish name and that it thinks I just have a taste for all things Celtic."

"I'd have to agree with him on tha." Doyle said with a smile.

"You know we'll change the names a hundred times before they're born." She said, grinning up at him.

"It's still fun to think about." He told her. "Aeden is nice, means 'little fire' – could use it for a boy or a girl and if they've got their mother's temperament it would fit perfectly."

Cordelia laughed and shoved him playfully. "Shut up." She said with a smile. "So if we name a boy that takes after you we could call him 'Whisky'?"

"Hey – you might be on to something there." He told her, struggling to keep a straight face, "Maybe Bushmills or Jameson. Nah, that'd never work. I'd get thirsty every time I called the bugger."

Cordelia rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I definitely want them to have original names. No John or Jane or anything – I always loved having a name that set me apart. Besides, they should sound important because…and I know this is gonna sound weird…I think they might really be important, you know, beyond just being our babies." She said quietly, scrunching up her face and waiting to see if he'd call her crazy.

"Hey, being our babies makes them as important as they can get in my mind, princess…but you mean…since Wolfram & Hart is so interested in them…?" He asked, looking down at her worriedly.

"Why would they want them so bad? The prophecy Wesley is translating had stuff in it about you being resurrected, Doyle. It's gotta say something about the twins, too. I'm not sure if I want to know, though." She whispered.

"Doesn't matter what it says on paper; no matter how old the paper happens to be. They'll be fine, they're gonna have a great life, you'll see." He soothed.

Cordelia smiled and nodded, sighing and resting her head on his chest again. "Why isn't he back yet?" She asked.

"I don't know, love…I don't know." Doyle whispered to her.


In the center of the room the flames jumped and flashed, symbols around the base of the pit glowing in warning. The demons were all chattering in that booming nonsensical language and Lindsey looked over for a translation from one of the associates.

"They say the evil is coming." The woman told him and he nodded, smiling triumphantly.

An impact filled the air like thunder and one of the demons fell backward, clutching its chest as the others huddled around it talking excitedly.

"It's taken the host offering," the translator told Lindsey and he walked over to the eight foot tall demon as the others helped it back onto its feet.

"Welcome back." Lindsey said with a smug grin. "I take it you're feeling a bit differently about the firm now?"

The demon nodded slowly, still looking dazed.

"Good. We're going to escort Cordelia to her new quarters – the senior partners are understandably anxious to have her in their custody after that stunt you pulled. Let's try not to screw this up a second time." Lindsey said heatedly, turning and leaving the room and motioning for the demons to follow.


"Cordelia, Doyle – wake up." Angel said as he opened the door. "We've got trouble." He said, rushing to the window and looking outside.

Doyle's heart leapt into his throat. "What kinda trouble?" He asked as they climbed from the bed.

"Well…" Angel began but an explosion rocked outside the shields and cut him off, the foundation of the hotel quaking as Cordelia cried out and clung to Doyle.

"What the hell! Don't they know this place is protected?" She asked angrily as they rushed out into the main room of the suite.

"Miss Chase." Luvisutto called as he stepped off the elevator and she looked at him in surprise hearing her real name. His eyes fell on Doyle, looking at him appraisingly for a moment before back at her. "The entity that inhabited this man a short time ago requested that we keep you under our highest level of protection. I'll need you to follow me."

"I'm going down there." Angel said, grabbing an axe from his bag hurriedly.

"Yes, we're…wait, what?" Wesley asked in shock.

"Doyle, you stay with Cordelia." Angel instructed as he continued loading up on weapons.

"Like hell, man! You're not going down there fighting alone." Doyle said angrily as he took a step toward him but Cordy yanked him back.

"And like hell you're going anywhere near fighting!" Cordelia told Doyle, her grip on him tightening severely. "I'm not losing you again!" She screamed determinedly.

"And I'm not for the idea of losing Angel, princess!" Doyle told her before spinning back to face his friend. "Angel, man – don't do this, just come with us – please? The hotel has its own defenses; you don't need to go down there. I just got back; I can't do this sacrificing for the good fight thing from a second standpoint. You're not gonna go dying on me for no reason!"

"You're right, I'm not…but I am going down there to fight." He said, putting a hand on Doyle's arm and trying not to let the pleading look in his friend's fearful eyes cut him too deeply. "It's alright. I'll be back; you just need to take care of Cordelia and those babies." He told him, trying to keep his mind on what was important.

"We must leave now." Luvisutto said sternly as another explosion rocked the building's foundation. "Whoever is coming with Miss Chase is welcome to follow but we've made a promise to protect her and can't do that unless we move."

Doyle swallowed back tears as he gazed up into the face of his friend and grudgingly turned away from him.

"Wesley, you go with them." Angel told him.

Wesley glanced over his shoulder for a second and caught Doyle's eyes, each giving the other a meaningful look and he inclined his head to Doyle slightly. He sighed, picking up a sword and shaking his head. "No, Angel. I'm coming with you." He said quietly.


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