"Summers Day care Centre." Cordelia answered the phone in full on snark mode. Xander, Spike and Angel, who got along fabulously now that they were all three, had been running around screaming for the past hour and a half. Doyle claimed they were playing cops and robbers or sheriffs and peasants as Angel and Spike called it. She wasn't entirely sure who were cops and who were peasants but she swore if Doyle 'accidentally' squirted her with that water gun again there would be hell to pay.
The boys had declared that the girls had cooties and refused to play with them and so Cordy had been left to entertain the mini witch and slayer who had insisted they be shut into the hall closet so they could see their light up sandals, light up when they stomped. This had seemed like a grand idea to Cordelia until the two little girls started howling at the top of their lungs that there was a monster in the cupboard.
Cordy, Doyle and Giles had burst into the cupboard brandishing a spatula, baseball bat and axe, scaring the little girls even more than the 'monster', which turned out to be Mrs. Summers' feathered coat. The two announced Cordy was mean and would not be calmed until Giles offered to play tea party with them. The sight of Giles with the feathered coat wrapped around his neck boa style, with a tiny fluorescent pink teacup clasped between thumb and index finger, pinkie pointed straight out almost made the entire day worth it. Almost...except it wasn't even noon yet and it didn't look like the little demons were going to be going down for a nap either.
"Cordelia? School let out early, can you or Giles come pick me up?" Dawn's voice, tinny and scratchy from the payphone came over the line.
A slow sly smile spread over Cordy's face. "Of course Dawnie, I'll be right there." She told the teen.
Hanging up the phone, she grabbed the keys to Angel's convertible. "Dawn needs a ride home from school, I'm gonna go pick her up!" The brunette announced, rushing for the door, waving to baby Angel and Willow who had followed her into the foyer.
"Wait a minute, I'll come with you!" Giles called, rising from the kitchen table.
"Thanks but no thanks. Really not a two person job." Cordy insisted, and was out the door leaving Giles to stare after her with a 'bloody hell, this is so unfair!' expression.
Doyle smiled at the ex-watcher and shook his head. "That's Cordelia for you."
"It certainly is." Giles sighed. "I guess some things never change." He grumbled.
And some things really didn't ever change, like Cordelia's ability to make a person feel as if they were two feet tall.
Cordy watched from Angel's car as a tall blonde girl said something that made Dawn's face fall. The thirteen-year-old quickly took a step backwards and looked around for an escape but none was to be had as the blonde and her two cohorts giggled mercilessly.
"Dawn! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" Cordy exclaimed, exiting the car and ascending the school steps. Dawn's face broke out into a relieved smile.
"Cordelia, hi!"
"And who are your little friends?"
"Melanie, Allison and Kirstie." Dawn introduced cheeks pink with embarrassment as the three tittered among themselves.
"I love your shoes Kirstie!" Cordy gushed facetiously. "Did you skin em yourself?" she added dryly rolling her eyes with Dawn while the third of the dastardly trio blushed and stammered over her leopard print sandals and her friends snickered.
"You ready to go Dawnie? I think the lack of fashion sense might be catching." Cordelia said, staring pointedly at Kirstie's two friends. With a flip of her hair over one shoulder and a hand on Dawn's arm the two marched off. Cordelia smiled widely, it was nice to let out her inner bitch every now and then.
"What do ya say Dawnie, wanna grab lunch before we head back to the baby pit?" She asked, putting the top down on the convertible as she pulled out of the parking lot, enojoying the feel of the sun beating down on her shoulders.
Dawn grinned conspiratorially at Cordelia. "And leave Doyle and Giles to fend for themselves all alone with the little monsters?" Dawn asked her smile belying the innocent tone in her voice.
"And when we get home we'll see if I can't pick out an outfit for you that'll have Kirstie and her minions coming to you for fashion tips." Cordy offered, smoothly pulling into traffic on main street.
"Thanks Cordelia." Dawn replied sincerely.
"And the last one is down for the count!" Doyle whisper exclaimed as he re-entered the living room. Giles smiled tiredly at the young half demon.
"I feel as though I'd like a nap myself." He confessed, cleaning his glasses on the bottom of his shirt.
"Bet you're glad we're not leaving them like this." The half-bracken grinned.
Giles nodded emphatically, even as his mind strayed to the pulse pounding at baby Spike's wrist and little Angel's red cheeks. Should they leave them like this he wondered.
"Giles?"
The messy haired little blonde trailing a large pink blanket behind her startled the watcher out of his ruminations fifteen minutes later.
"Buffy! What are you doing out of bed?" He asked the child, who shrugged and climbed up on the couch. He had been so lost in his thoughts he hadn't noticed Doyle slip out of the room or when Buffy came in.
"I had a nightmare." She explained, sleepily rubbing her hazel eyes as she settled into his lap. Curling trustingly into him, she laid her head on his shoulder. "Is it okay if I sleep here with you?" She asked, already halfway there.
"Of course Buffy," he responded, circling an arm around her.
"Cool." She said, closing her eyes and snuggling deeper into his shoulder. She was soon off in dreamland, leaving Giles once again, alone with his thoughts. Absent-mindedly he settled the blanket around her more snugly and brushed a wisp of golden hair away from her cheek.
Giles looked down at the sleeping toddler in his arms and was slightly awed by how small she truly was and yet how perfect, every single little fingernail and eyelash complete in minute detail. Yes, he'd viewed all the scoobies as his kids, especially Buffy, but it was now, putting her to bed that he realized how much he wasn't their father. He hadn't been the man who'd done this night after night, who'd read the bedtime stories and changed the diapers and gotten up for midnight feedings and it was just hitting him how much he'd missed out on. Oh sure he could still have kids but who would he have them with and did he really want to bring such a fragile life into this dangerous, uncertain world.
The front door opened and Cordelia and Dawn came in, deep in conversation the two didn't even notice the watcher. Giles stayed silent watching them, taking note of how much nicer Cordelia was although the girl had always had a soft spot for Dawn. Doyle came up to the pair and they started discussing what to make for lunch, smiled at Doyle's indignation when the two girls informed him they'd already had lunch. Saw the way Doyle looked at Cordelia, saw Cordy gently brush a hand through Dawn's long caramel coloured hair in a genuine gesture of affection and smiled. Maybe some things did change after all.
Buffy mumbled something in her sleep and Giles shook his head. Enough thinking for right now he decided, rising from the couch and making his way up the stairs to deposit the little girl on her bed, next to a slumbering Willow.
The boys had declared that the girls had cooties and refused to play with them and so Cordy had been left to entertain the mini witch and slayer who had insisted they be shut into the hall closet so they could see their light up sandals, light up when they stomped. This had seemed like a grand idea to Cordelia until the two little girls started howling at the top of their lungs that there was a monster in the cupboard.
Cordy, Doyle and Giles had burst into the cupboard brandishing a spatula, baseball bat and axe, scaring the little girls even more than the 'monster', which turned out to be Mrs. Summers' feathered coat. The two announced Cordy was mean and would not be calmed until Giles offered to play tea party with them. The sight of Giles with the feathered coat wrapped around his neck boa style, with a tiny fluorescent pink teacup clasped between thumb and index finger, pinkie pointed straight out almost made the entire day worth it. Almost...except it wasn't even noon yet and it didn't look like the little demons were going to be going down for a nap either.
"Cordelia? School let out early, can you or Giles come pick me up?" Dawn's voice, tinny and scratchy from the payphone came over the line.
A slow sly smile spread over Cordy's face. "Of course Dawnie, I'll be right there." She told the teen.
Hanging up the phone, she grabbed the keys to Angel's convertible. "Dawn needs a ride home from school, I'm gonna go pick her up!" The brunette announced, rushing for the door, waving to baby Angel and Willow who had followed her into the foyer.
"Wait a minute, I'll come with you!" Giles called, rising from the kitchen table.
"Thanks but no thanks. Really not a two person job." Cordy insisted, and was out the door leaving Giles to stare after her with a 'bloody hell, this is so unfair!' expression.
Doyle smiled at the ex-watcher and shook his head. "That's Cordelia for you."
"It certainly is." Giles sighed. "I guess some things never change." He grumbled.
And some things really didn't ever change, like Cordelia's ability to make a person feel as if they were two feet tall.
Cordy watched from Angel's car as a tall blonde girl said something that made Dawn's face fall. The thirteen-year-old quickly took a step backwards and looked around for an escape but none was to be had as the blonde and her two cohorts giggled mercilessly.
"Dawn! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" Cordy exclaimed, exiting the car and ascending the school steps. Dawn's face broke out into a relieved smile.
"Cordelia, hi!"
"And who are your little friends?"
"Melanie, Allison and Kirstie." Dawn introduced cheeks pink with embarrassment as the three tittered among themselves.
"I love your shoes Kirstie!" Cordy gushed facetiously. "Did you skin em yourself?" she added dryly rolling her eyes with Dawn while the third of the dastardly trio blushed and stammered over her leopard print sandals and her friends snickered.
"You ready to go Dawnie? I think the lack of fashion sense might be catching." Cordelia said, staring pointedly at Kirstie's two friends. With a flip of her hair over one shoulder and a hand on Dawn's arm the two marched off. Cordelia smiled widely, it was nice to let out her inner bitch every now and then.
"What do ya say Dawnie, wanna grab lunch before we head back to the baby pit?" She asked, putting the top down on the convertible as she pulled out of the parking lot, enojoying the feel of the sun beating down on her shoulders.
Dawn grinned conspiratorially at Cordelia. "And leave Doyle and Giles to fend for themselves all alone with the little monsters?" Dawn asked her smile belying the innocent tone in her voice.
"And when we get home we'll see if I can't pick out an outfit for you that'll have Kirstie and her minions coming to you for fashion tips." Cordy offered, smoothly pulling into traffic on main street.
"Thanks Cordelia." Dawn replied sincerely.
"And the last one is down for the count!" Doyle whisper exclaimed as he re-entered the living room. Giles smiled tiredly at the young half demon.
"I feel as though I'd like a nap myself." He confessed, cleaning his glasses on the bottom of his shirt.
"Bet you're glad we're not leaving them like this." The half-bracken grinned.
Giles nodded emphatically, even as his mind strayed to the pulse pounding at baby Spike's wrist and little Angel's red cheeks. Should they leave them like this he wondered.
"Giles?"
The messy haired little blonde trailing a large pink blanket behind her startled the watcher out of his ruminations fifteen minutes later.
"Buffy! What are you doing out of bed?" He asked the child, who shrugged and climbed up on the couch. He had been so lost in his thoughts he hadn't noticed Doyle slip out of the room or when Buffy came in.
"I had a nightmare." She explained, sleepily rubbing her hazel eyes as she settled into his lap. Curling trustingly into him, she laid her head on his shoulder. "Is it okay if I sleep here with you?" She asked, already halfway there.
"Of course Buffy," he responded, circling an arm around her.
"Cool." She said, closing her eyes and snuggling deeper into his shoulder. She was soon off in dreamland, leaving Giles once again, alone with his thoughts. Absent-mindedly he settled the blanket around her more snugly and brushed a wisp of golden hair away from her cheek.
Giles looked down at the sleeping toddler in his arms and was slightly awed by how small she truly was and yet how perfect, every single little fingernail and eyelash complete in minute detail. Yes, he'd viewed all the scoobies as his kids, especially Buffy, but it was now, putting her to bed that he realized how much he wasn't their father. He hadn't been the man who'd done this night after night, who'd read the bedtime stories and changed the diapers and gotten up for midnight feedings and it was just hitting him how much he'd missed out on. Oh sure he could still have kids but who would he have them with and did he really want to bring such a fragile life into this dangerous, uncertain world.
The front door opened and Cordelia and Dawn came in, deep in conversation the two didn't even notice the watcher. Giles stayed silent watching them, taking note of how much nicer Cordelia was although the girl had always had a soft spot for Dawn. Doyle came up to the pair and they started discussing what to make for lunch, smiled at Doyle's indignation when the two girls informed him they'd already had lunch. Saw the way Doyle looked at Cordelia, saw Cordy gently brush a hand through Dawn's long caramel coloured hair in a genuine gesture of affection and smiled. Maybe some things did change after all.
Buffy mumbled something in her sleep and Giles shook his head. Enough thinking for right now he decided, rising from the couch and making his way up the stairs to deposit the little girl on her bed, next to a slumbering Willow.