***
New chapter! Sorry you all had to wait to find out what happened to the gang! No cliff this time, which I'm sure you are all happy about.
My thanks and appreciation go out to those who sent feedback on the last part!
Enjoy,
~Isis
To read the other parts in this series, use the following URL:
http://www.geocities.com/flyersgagne_12/sit.htm
***
Title: A Chance to Survive Today - #3 in the 'Shadows in Time' series
Author: Isis Blue
Feedback: vagabond_angel@comcast.net
Disclaimer: must this be stated every time? But to answer the question, no I don't own them.I'm borrowing them because certain writers are cruel and heartless.
Rating: PG-13 ish?
Pairing: indirectly B/A, C/?, W/O
Series Summary: post-s3 (BTVS) AU.departs from canon after the s3 finale and jumps into my own universe. From there, almost everything will be different. A few characters and concepts will pop-up, but really, this doesn't relate at all to the seasons that followed s3.
Fic Summary: Buffy begins her new life in Seattle with the help of some new, and old, friends.
Spoilers: The first 2 fics in the series, and anything through the end of s3 of BTVS, but mostly the end of s3, and also mild generic spoilers for AtS.
Distribution: my site (Vagabond Soul), and if you already have any of my fics, you may take this one, if not, please ask first.
Author's Notes: This is the 3rd fic in the SiT series, the first 2 can be found here:
http://www.geocities.com/flyersgagne_12/sit.htm
Anyways, this fic starts two months after Buffy left Sunnydale to go to Seattle with Cordy. From here on out, this fic/series jumps way out of canon, *but* there will be things/characters here and there that I've borrowed from the actual shows. You'll know them when you see them. Even so, the things I borrowed may not be exactly as they existed on the show...I made some modifications. Also, the pregnancy is a big part of the fic, but not entirely the focus. I didn't detail it as much as I should have, but it was kinda hard to write because I've never been pregnant and not been around many pregnant woman. Hopefully it's not overly noticeable!
Thank yous: To *Stars* for being a wonderful beta, and also to PigPimping for the help with pregnancy research.
Warnings: mild angst (not as bad as the first 2 fics in the series)
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
Part 6
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
In the blink of an eye it was over...and the Slayer had been saved. Buffy found herself unable to speak after what she had just witnessed. She could only stare at the gruesome sight before her. Her mind couldn't quite register what had just happened. She was still stuck on the belief that she was about to die.
The urge to vomit tickled the back of her throat as she stared down at the dead demon, its head deftly lopped off, mere inches from her. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Had what just happened really occurred? One glance behind the now dead demon assured her it had.
Ever so slowly, Buffy raised her eyes to meet those of Cordelia. The ex-cheerleader stood rooted in her spot, eyes wide in shock. The only movement came from her trembling hands which still tightly grasped the sword she'd taken from the other demon only moments before. Buffy's gaze went from Cordelia to the dead demon and back again. Cordelia hadn't really...had she? Yes, she had seen it with her own eyes. Cordelia had killed the demon.
A low groan from nearby shook both girls out of their stupors. Cordy's borrowed sword clattered loudly to the sidewalk as she rushed to where Doyle lay in a heap to the left of Buffy. Still trying to process everything, the blonde Slayer followed.
"Oh my God, Doyle! Are you all right?" the brunette cried out in worry.
"Wh-...what happened?" a dazed Doyle asked, rubbing his head where it had slammed into the sidewalk. The last thing he remembered was leaping in front of Buffy...then nothing.
"You're alive!!" Cordy shrieked and pulled him into a tight embrace, completely overwhelmed by the feelings of relief and fear for the half-demon.
"I'm fine," Doyle mumbled softly. Well, he wasn't quite fine, but if he could stay there in his Princess' arms for the rest of his life he would be.
"Good, I'm glad," she spoke quickly, hiding the few tears that had formed. Why was she crying anyway? Doyle was just an annoying twerp. And besides, he was fine!
Buffy was tempted to smile at the exchange. She was well aware of Doyle's feelings for Cordy. How could she not be when the half-demon was always staring at her with a goofy smile on his face? She wasn't all that surprised by Cordy's actions either. The brunette spent a little too much time talking, or berating, Doyle to not be interested. It made her want to laugh at their silliness, but other times, it made her want to...well, it wasn't worth saying. She couldn't have what she wanted anyway.
"Doyle! Your arm!" Cordelia's shrill voice sounded throughout the alley.
"What?" Doyle looked down at his arm, finding his jacket sleeve sliced open and soaked with blood. "Oh...I hadn't even noticed."
"Come on, we need to get back to our apartment," ordered Buffy, worried about Doyle, and wary about what else might be out stalking the streets.
Together, Buffy and Cordelia helped the slightly woozy Doyle stand and supported him as they walked back to their apartment. Luckily, they didn't run into any other demons for the rest of the short trip. None of them were in any shape to have to do any more fighting that night.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
"Cordy? Go get the first aid kit out of the bathroom while I help Doyle get his coat and shirt off," Buffy requested as soon as they had gotten him seated on the couch upon their return to the apartment.
"Ya know...dis is one of those times I wisssh you two kep' sumphin ta drink 'ere," Doyle slurred, feeling the effects of the blood loss and the knock on his head.
Buffy smiled, "well, you're in luck. I had Cordy pick up a bottle of whiskey yesterday for you."
"How'd she git dat?" he wondered outloud, remembering in the back of his mind that she was only eighteen.
"You don't think Queen C made it through her teenage years without a fake ID do you?" she grinned and shook her head.
Buffy went and retrieved the bottle and handed it to Doyle. Carefully, she helped him out of his jacket and shirt. The cut on his arm was nasty, but not as bad as she had expected it to be. Maybe it had something to do with him being part demon, or it could have just been one of those cuts that bled a lot but really wasn't that severe. Either way, she was glad it didn't look like it would need to be stitched up. It would probably hurt for a while, though.
"Here ya go," Cordelia returned to the room and handed the kit to Buffy who quickly set about cleansing the wound and bandaging it. By the time she finished, Doyle was sound asleep with his head laid back on the couch.
Buffy grabbed one of their few extra blankets and covered Doyle up before retreating to her room. She was exhausted, and her mind had yet to face what had gone on earlier. Honestly, she didn't want to face it. She didn't want to think about how close she'd come to dying, to never seeing her miracle child. Some things were just too horrible to face.
Meanwhile, Cordelia sat on one end of the couch just staring at Doyle. Her emotions were in turmoil. First and foremost, they'd all come way too close to becoming demon food. Then there was the fact that she, herself, had sliced a demon's head off. And lastly, there was Doyle. Seeing him put his life on the line to save Buffy, and thinking he was hurt, or possibly worse, had stirred something in her that she didn't know if she was ready, or willing to accept. Hadn't she already learned her lesson by dating one loser? Still...there was something about him. Maybe it would pass...at least she hoped it would.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
The next morning, Doyle awoke to the quiet chatter of Cordelia and Buffy not far from him. Cautiously, his eyes opened and quickly closed again when he was assaulted by the bright, bare bulb, overhead light in the living room. A groan escaped his lips accidentally. His head felt like a sledgehammer was pounding on it repeatedly.
"Aspirin?" a voice broke through his pain. He looked up to find Cordelia standing over him holding out a two pills and a glass of water which he gratefully accepted.
Doyle was about to let himself drift back to sleep when he realized he still had no clue what had happened the night before and how it was the demon ended up dead. "Someone wanna tell me what happened last night?"
"Last night?" Cordy feigned ignorance, not really wanting to talk about how close to death they'd been.
"Yeah, and how the demon ended up dead, and us alive," he clarified, looking to Cordelia and then to Buffy.
"I-I...I saw you dive between the demon and Buffy...a-and I saw the demon about to swing so...I don't know...I just grabbed the sword of the other demon and leapt," Cordy relayed with an uncharacteristic stutter to her voice. "Next thing I knew, the demon was dead."
Doyle smiled at her words, feeling grateful, relieved, and proud all at once. "I knew you had it in you, Princess."
"Yeah, well your lucky I did it or you wouldn't be here," she told him, regaining some of her bitchiness and ignoring the need to throw her arms around him and tell him she was glad he was okay.
"Princess?" he spoke softly to her. "Thank you."
Cordelia looked at him oddly, a slight blush on her face. "You're welcome."
"So...uh...yer both okay, right?" Doyle broke his gaze with Cordy and asked both females.
Buffy, who had been unobtrusively listening to the pair, walked over to where the two had been sharing their moment. "We're fine. A couple scrapes, a few bruises, but that's it. You got the worst of it."
Doyle looked down at his bandaged arm and winced. "Yeah. That's gonna hurt fer a while."
"You're lucky it doesn't need stitches," the blonde sat down on the couch next to him and began checking the wound. "It should be fine in a week or so, but make sure you keep it clean."
"Yes, Doctor!" he mock saluted the Slayer.
Buffy laughed at his actions before clumsily getting off the couch. It was getting harder and harder to move around with the growing baby inside her, but she loved it. Sure, carrying around so much extra weight was a bit of a hassle, but all she had to do was remember that it was her baby making her look like a whale and all would be good.
For the rest of the morning, the three sat around chatting after having a small breakfast. They tried to steer their conversation away from the events of the previous night, but it had eventually come up. Doyle had apologized for not protecting them like he was supposed to, but the girls would have none of it. There was nothing that could have been done to prevent what had happened. All three did concede, though, that it would probably be best if they stayed away from empty, dark alleys at night.
Eventually, Doyle left to return to his own apartment, leaving Buffy and Cordelia on their own for the rest of the day. He was exhausted despite the fact that he'd slept straight through the night, plus he knew the two had a lot to talk about. Lorne's offer hadn't come up during the morning, but he was pretty sure it was on both of their minds. So he'd left them to talk while he went to get some more sleep, and maybe a stiff drink.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
"So...," Buffy stated for lack of anything else to say.
"So...," Cordelia echoed as they both sat on the couch.
"Ugh! We're not getting anywhere," grumbled Buffy loudly. They'd been discussing all that Lorne had offered them for the past hour and hadn't yet come to a decision.
"Wait a sec," Cordy ordered and got up off the couch, retreating to her room and returning a second later holding a piece of paper and a pen. "Okay, let's make a list of positives and negatives."
"Kay, sounds like a good idea," Buffy agreed, getting more comfortable on the couch which was difficult considering her protruding belly. "Pluses...well, it would be better jobs."
"Yeah, and working in a nightclub at that!" added Cordy gleefully.
"And a better place to live," went on Buffy. "Which is a really, really good thing."
"Second that! And we wouldn't have to deal with our slug of a landlord," she shuddered at the thought of that slimeball.
"Or that creep down the hall who is always leering at me," Buffy's eyes narrowed. She hated that guy. He didn't seem to understand that she wasn't the least bit interested in him.
Cordy looked at the list she'd been recording and shook her head, "so far we have all positives and no negatives."
"I don't really like the idea of that demon part Lorne wants to do," Buffy shrugged noncommittally.
"Why? It would be down in the basement. It's not like they'd be on the main floor," Cordy looked at the blonde questioningly.
"Yeah, but demons and humans that close together is just asking for trouble," the blonde pointed out.
"What about that spell, though? Lorne said he had some spell that kept trouble from happening," interjected Cordy quickly. It was becoming quite obvious what she wanted to do.
"I guess that would help. Do we want to trust magic though?" Buffy sighed tiredly. The deal did sound great, but she couldn't help worry over what could go wrong.
"I'm sure Lorne's witchy friends are a lot more reliable than Will-...umm, some people's," Cordelia quickly caught herself before saying Willow's name. For the most part, the two avoided talking about the people from Sunnydale.
Buffy had heard the slip, but decided to ignore it. That was an issue she just didn't want to deal with at the moment. "Good point. Do you think this Lorne guy is trust worthy?"
The brunette bit her lip slightly, "I don't know, but I mean, Doyle thinks he's a good guy, or demon."
"'Doyle says' huh? Do I see some sparkage between you two," Buffy stated mischievously.
"NO!" Cordy denied a bit too quickly.
"Uh huh, sure!" Buffy chuckled.
"He's just so...so...ugh...have you seen the way he dresses?" the brunette frowned.
Buffy's face instantly took a serious expression, her mind thinking back to events in Sunnydale. "Cordy?" she waited until she had her friend's full attention. "Let me give you some advice: don't let little things get in the way. The only thing that matters is if you are happy. If you think that Doyle could make you happy, forget about everything else."
Cordelia regarded Buffy and the solemn look on her face. She knew exactly what the blonde was thinking about. Maybe she was right, maybe everything else was inconsequential if, in the end, she was happy. Still, Doyle?
The two sat in silence for long moments, both a bit distracted by the sudden turn of their conversation. It was Cordy who spoke first, taking them back to the issue at hand. "So do we accept Lorne's offer?"
The blonde's eyes wandered around their shabby apartment. Was this any place to raise a baby? Not really. And she doubted they'd be able to find something better on their own before its birth. Her baby deserved a nice place to live, and she had promised herself she would do whatever was best for her baby.
"I guess we do," Buffy smiled slightly. She still had her reservations about how it would all work out, but it was worth a try.
"Great!" exclaimed Cordy happily. "I'll call Doyle and let him know!"
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
~later that night~
"Lorne, here," the green-skinned demon spoke into his telephone.
"Hey, Lorne. It's Doyle," came a voice from the other end.
"Doyle! I didn't expect to hear from you so soon. Why so glum sounding?" Lorne spoke in mild surprise.
"Long night. We got attacked by demons on the way home...," began Doyle and then told his friend about their close all.
"Wow. Gotta admit that you knew it would happen sooner or later, though," Lorne added dismally.
"I know. I'm just glad that they are both okay. I don't want anything to happen to 'em," sighed Doyle.
"Why Doyle. If I didn't know any better I'd say you were sweet on one of them," chirped Lorne teasingly. "You're not chasing after the Slayer are you? Cuz I don't think your bosses would like that much."
"No! No, I'm not after Buffy. She's a sweet kid, had it rough, but I don't like her like that. And even if I did, I'd never have a chance. I don't know if she'll ever be over the vampire," relayed Doyle, thinking about all that he knew of their relationship.
"Mmm, gotta agree with you there. I was getting serious sad vibes from that one," Lorne shook his head even though Doyle couldn't see it. "So that leaves the lovely brunette I met last night.
"Cordelia," Doyle supplied a little too quickly.
"Uh huh. Looks like I hit the nail smack dab on its proverbial head," laughed Lorne. "Good luck with that. That one's a firecracker. I can tell."
"Don't I know it!" concurred Doyle with a chuckle.
"So anyway, I'm guessing you didn't call to talk about your love life," Lorne spoke, anxious to hear what else the half-demon might have to tell him.
"Yeah, yeah. You got me. I was callin ta tell ya that I guess ya gave the girls an offer they couldn't refuse because they called me a little while ago ta say that they'd do it," Doyle relayed, rubbing his still sore head.
"Oh! That's just peachy!" Lorne replied cheerfully. "I'm so glad they agreed. I've been wanting to get this club going for a while now."
"Yeah, I know. I'm glad too. This is a good thing for them," agreed Doyle, happy that they'd be getting themselves into a better situation.
"Yes, I think so too, from what I've heard," said Lorne sadly. He didn't know a whole lot about them, but what he did was heart wrenching. "I'll go ahead and start making plans then. I think we should get them moved in as soon as possible. I've got some old debts I can call in to get the ball rolling on some renovations for the upper floors.
"Great. Gimme a call in a few days ta let me know what's up," requested Doyle, already making plans for the upcoming move.
"Will do. Talk to ya soon!" babbled Lorne before hanging up the phone. He had lots to do to get things moving on everything to come.
Doyle smiled as he placed the phone back in its cradle. Things were definitely looking up. Buffy and Cordelia would be moving to a nicer place and be working better jobs soon. And if he wasn't mistaken, maybe he did have a chance with Cordy after all. Yes, life was definitely looking up.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
TBC!!
New chapter! Sorry you all had to wait to find out what happened to the gang! No cliff this time, which I'm sure you are all happy about.
My thanks and appreciation go out to those who sent feedback on the last part!
Enjoy,
~Isis
To read the other parts in this series, use the following URL:
http://www.geocities.com/flyersgagne_12/sit.htm
***
Title: A Chance to Survive Today - #3 in the 'Shadows in Time' series
Author: Isis Blue
Feedback: vagabond_angel@comcast.net
Disclaimer: must this be stated every time? But to answer the question, no I don't own them.I'm borrowing them because certain writers are cruel and heartless.
Rating: PG-13 ish?
Pairing: indirectly B/A, C/?, W/O
Series Summary: post-s3 (BTVS) AU.departs from canon after the s3 finale and jumps into my own universe. From there, almost everything will be different. A few characters and concepts will pop-up, but really, this doesn't relate at all to the seasons that followed s3.
Fic Summary: Buffy begins her new life in Seattle with the help of some new, and old, friends.
Spoilers: The first 2 fics in the series, and anything through the end of s3 of BTVS, but mostly the end of s3, and also mild generic spoilers for AtS.
Distribution: my site (Vagabond Soul), and if you already have any of my fics, you may take this one, if not, please ask first.
Author's Notes: This is the 3rd fic in the SiT series, the first 2 can be found here:
http://www.geocities.com/flyersgagne_12/sit.htm
Anyways, this fic starts two months after Buffy left Sunnydale to go to Seattle with Cordy. From here on out, this fic/series jumps way out of canon, *but* there will be things/characters here and there that I've borrowed from the actual shows. You'll know them when you see them. Even so, the things I borrowed may not be exactly as they existed on the show...I made some modifications. Also, the pregnancy is a big part of the fic, but not entirely the focus. I didn't detail it as much as I should have, but it was kinda hard to write because I've never been pregnant and not been around many pregnant woman. Hopefully it's not overly noticeable!
Thank yous: To *Stars* for being a wonderful beta, and also to PigPimping for the help with pregnancy research.
Warnings: mild angst (not as bad as the first 2 fics in the series)
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
Part 6
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
In the blink of an eye it was over...and the Slayer had been saved. Buffy found herself unable to speak after what she had just witnessed. She could only stare at the gruesome sight before her. Her mind couldn't quite register what had just happened. She was still stuck on the belief that she was about to die.
The urge to vomit tickled the back of her throat as she stared down at the dead demon, its head deftly lopped off, mere inches from her. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Had what just happened really occurred? One glance behind the now dead demon assured her it had.
Ever so slowly, Buffy raised her eyes to meet those of Cordelia. The ex-cheerleader stood rooted in her spot, eyes wide in shock. The only movement came from her trembling hands which still tightly grasped the sword she'd taken from the other demon only moments before. Buffy's gaze went from Cordelia to the dead demon and back again. Cordelia hadn't really...had she? Yes, she had seen it with her own eyes. Cordelia had killed the demon.
A low groan from nearby shook both girls out of their stupors. Cordy's borrowed sword clattered loudly to the sidewalk as she rushed to where Doyle lay in a heap to the left of Buffy. Still trying to process everything, the blonde Slayer followed.
"Oh my God, Doyle! Are you all right?" the brunette cried out in worry.
"Wh-...what happened?" a dazed Doyle asked, rubbing his head where it had slammed into the sidewalk. The last thing he remembered was leaping in front of Buffy...then nothing.
"You're alive!!" Cordy shrieked and pulled him into a tight embrace, completely overwhelmed by the feelings of relief and fear for the half-demon.
"I'm fine," Doyle mumbled softly. Well, he wasn't quite fine, but if he could stay there in his Princess' arms for the rest of his life he would be.
"Good, I'm glad," she spoke quickly, hiding the few tears that had formed. Why was she crying anyway? Doyle was just an annoying twerp. And besides, he was fine!
Buffy was tempted to smile at the exchange. She was well aware of Doyle's feelings for Cordy. How could she not be when the half-demon was always staring at her with a goofy smile on his face? She wasn't all that surprised by Cordy's actions either. The brunette spent a little too much time talking, or berating, Doyle to not be interested. It made her want to laugh at their silliness, but other times, it made her want to...well, it wasn't worth saying. She couldn't have what she wanted anyway.
"Doyle! Your arm!" Cordelia's shrill voice sounded throughout the alley.
"What?" Doyle looked down at his arm, finding his jacket sleeve sliced open and soaked with blood. "Oh...I hadn't even noticed."
"Come on, we need to get back to our apartment," ordered Buffy, worried about Doyle, and wary about what else might be out stalking the streets.
Together, Buffy and Cordelia helped the slightly woozy Doyle stand and supported him as they walked back to their apartment. Luckily, they didn't run into any other demons for the rest of the short trip. None of them were in any shape to have to do any more fighting that night.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
"Cordy? Go get the first aid kit out of the bathroom while I help Doyle get his coat and shirt off," Buffy requested as soon as they had gotten him seated on the couch upon their return to the apartment.
"Ya know...dis is one of those times I wisssh you two kep' sumphin ta drink 'ere," Doyle slurred, feeling the effects of the blood loss and the knock on his head.
Buffy smiled, "well, you're in luck. I had Cordy pick up a bottle of whiskey yesterday for you."
"How'd she git dat?" he wondered outloud, remembering in the back of his mind that she was only eighteen.
"You don't think Queen C made it through her teenage years without a fake ID do you?" she grinned and shook her head.
Buffy went and retrieved the bottle and handed it to Doyle. Carefully, she helped him out of his jacket and shirt. The cut on his arm was nasty, but not as bad as she had expected it to be. Maybe it had something to do with him being part demon, or it could have just been one of those cuts that bled a lot but really wasn't that severe. Either way, she was glad it didn't look like it would need to be stitched up. It would probably hurt for a while, though.
"Here ya go," Cordelia returned to the room and handed the kit to Buffy who quickly set about cleansing the wound and bandaging it. By the time she finished, Doyle was sound asleep with his head laid back on the couch.
Buffy grabbed one of their few extra blankets and covered Doyle up before retreating to her room. She was exhausted, and her mind had yet to face what had gone on earlier. Honestly, she didn't want to face it. She didn't want to think about how close she'd come to dying, to never seeing her miracle child. Some things were just too horrible to face.
Meanwhile, Cordelia sat on one end of the couch just staring at Doyle. Her emotions were in turmoil. First and foremost, they'd all come way too close to becoming demon food. Then there was the fact that she, herself, had sliced a demon's head off. And lastly, there was Doyle. Seeing him put his life on the line to save Buffy, and thinking he was hurt, or possibly worse, had stirred something in her that she didn't know if she was ready, or willing to accept. Hadn't she already learned her lesson by dating one loser? Still...there was something about him. Maybe it would pass...at least she hoped it would.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
The next morning, Doyle awoke to the quiet chatter of Cordelia and Buffy not far from him. Cautiously, his eyes opened and quickly closed again when he was assaulted by the bright, bare bulb, overhead light in the living room. A groan escaped his lips accidentally. His head felt like a sledgehammer was pounding on it repeatedly.
"Aspirin?" a voice broke through his pain. He looked up to find Cordelia standing over him holding out a two pills and a glass of water which he gratefully accepted.
Doyle was about to let himself drift back to sleep when he realized he still had no clue what had happened the night before and how it was the demon ended up dead. "Someone wanna tell me what happened last night?"
"Last night?" Cordy feigned ignorance, not really wanting to talk about how close to death they'd been.
"Yeah, and how the demon ended up dead, and us alive," he clarified, looking to Cordelia and then to Buffy.
"I-I...I saw you dive between the demon and Buffy...a-and I saw the demon about to swing so...I don't know...I just grabbed the sword of the other demon and leapt," Cordy relayed with an uncharacteristic stutter to her voice. "Next thing I knew, the demon was dead."
Doyle smiled at her words, feeling grateful, relieved, and proud all at once. "I knew you had it in you, Princess."
"Yeah, well your lucky I did it or you wouldn't be here," she told him, regaining some of her bitchiness and ignoring the need to throw her arms around him and tell him she was glad he was okay.
"Princess?" he spoke softly to her. "Thank you."
Cordelia looked at him oddly, a slight blush on her face. "You're welcome."
"So...uh...yer both okay, right?" Doyle broke his gaze with Cordy and asked both females.
Buffy, who had been unobtrusively listening to the pair, walked over to where the two had been sharing their moment. "We're fine. A couple scrapes, a few bruises, but that's it. You got the worst of it."
Doyle looked down at his bandaged arm and winced. "Yeah. That's gonna hurt fer a while."
"You're lucky it doesn't need stitches," the blonde sat down on the couch next to him and began checking the wound. "It should be fine in a week or so, but make sure you keep it clean."
"Yes, Doctor!" he mock saluted the Slayer.
Buffy laughed at his actions before clumsily getting off the couch. It was getting harder and harder to move around with the growing baby inside her, but she loved it. Sure, carrying around so much extra weight was a bit of a hassle, but all she had to do was remember that it was her baby making her look like a whale and all would be good.
For the rest of the morning, the three sat around chatting after having a small breakfast. They tried to steer their conversation away from the events of the previous night, but it had eventually come up. Doyle had apologized for not protecting them like he was supposed to, but the girls would have none of it. There was nothing that could have been done to prevent what had happened. All three did concede, though, that it would probably be best if they stayed away from empty, dark alleys at night.
Eventually, Doyle left to return to his own apartment, leaving Buffy and Cordelia on their own for the rest of the day. He was exhausted despite the fact that he'd slept straight through the night, plus he knew the two had a lot to talk about. Lorne's offer hadn't come up during the morning, but he was pretty sure it was on both of their minds. So he'd left them to talk while he went to get some more sleep, and maybe a stiff drink.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
"So...," Buffy stated for lack of anything else to say.
"So...," Cordelia echoed as they both sat on the couch.
"Ugh! We're not getting anywhere," grumbled Buffy loudly. They'd been discussing all that Lorne had offered them for the past hour and hadn't yet come to a decision.
"Wait a sec," Cordy ordered and got up off the couch, retreating to her room and returning a second later holding a piece of paper and a pen. "Okay, let's make a list of positives and negatives."
"Kay, sounds like a good idea," Buffy agreed, getting more comfortable on the couch which was difficult considering her protruding belly. "Pluses...well, it would be better jobs."
"Yeah, and working in a nightclub at that!" added Cordy gleefully.
"And a better place to live," went on Buffy. "Which is a really, really good thing."
"Second that! And we wouldn't have to deal with our slug of a landlord," she shuddered at the thought of that slimeball.
"Or that creep down the hall who is always leering at me," Buffy's eyes narrowed. She hated that guy. He didn't seem to understand that she wasn't the least bit interested in him.
Cordy looked at the list she'd been recording and shook her head, "so far we have all positives and no negatives."
"I don't really like the idea of that demon part Lorne wants to do," Buffy shrugged noncommittally.
"Why? It would be down in the basement. It's not like they'd be on the main floor," Cordy looked at the blonde questioningly.
"Yeah, but demons and humans that close together is just asking for trouble," the blonde pointed out.
"What about that spell, though? Lorne said he had some spell that kept trouble from happening," interjected Cordy quickly. It was becoming quite obvious what she wanted to do.
"I guess that would help. Do we want to trust magic though?" Buffy sighed tiredly. The deal did sound great, but she couldn't help worry over what could go wrong.
"I'm sure Lorne's witchy friends are a lot more reliable than Will-...umm, some people's," Cordelia quickly caught herself before saying Willow's name. For the most part, the two avoided talking about the people from Sunnydale.
Buffy had heard the slip, but decided to ignore it. That was an issue she just didn't want to deal with at the moment. "Good point. Do you think this Lorne guy is trust worthy?"
The brunette bit her lip slightly, "I don't know, but I mean, Doyle thinks he's a good guy, or demon."
"'Doyle says' huh? Do I see some sparkage between you two," Buffy stated mischievously.
"NO!" Cordy denied a bit too quickly.
"Uh huh, sure!" Buffy chuckled.
"He's just so...so...ugh...have you seen the way he dresses?" the brunette frowned.
Buffy's face instantly took a serious expression, her mind thinking back to events in Sunnydale. "Cordy?" she waited until she had her friend's full attention. "Let me give you some advice: don't let little things get in the way. The only thing that matters is if you are happy. If you think that Doyle could make you happy, forget about everything else."
Cordelia regarded Buffy and the solemn look on her face. She knew exactly what the blonde was thinking about. Maybe she was right, maybe everything else was inconsequential if, in the end, she was happy. Still, Doyle?
The two sat in silence for long moments, both a bit distracted by the sudden turn of their conversation. It was Cordy who spoke first, taking them back to the issue at hand. "So do we accept Lorne's offer?"
The blonde's eyes wandered around their shabby apartment. Was this any place to raise a baby? Not really. And she doubted they'd be able to find something better on their own before its birth. Her baby deserved a nice place to live, and she had promised herself she would do whatever was best for her baby.
"I guess we do," Buffy smiled slightly. She still had her reservations about how it would all work out, but it was worth a try.
"Great!" exclaimed Cordy happily. "I'll call Doyle and let him know!"
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
~later that night~
"Lorne, here," the green-skinned demon spoke into his telephone.
"Hey, Lorne. It's Doyle," came a voice from the other end.
"Doyle! I didn't expect to hear from you so soon. Why so glum sounding?" Lorne spoke in mild surprise.
"Long night. We got attacked by demons on the way home...," began Doyle and then told his friend about their close all.
"Wow. Gotta admit that you knew it would happen sooner or later, though," Lorne added dismally.
"I know. I'm just glad that they are both okay. I don't want anything to happen to 'em," sighed Doyle.
"Why Doyle. If I didn't know any better I'd say you were sweet on one of them," chirped Lorne teasingly. "You're not chasing after the Slayer are you? Cuz I don't think your bosses would like that much."
"No! No, I'm not after Buffy. She's a sweet kid, had it rough, but I don't like her like that. And even if I did, I'd never have a chance. I don't know if she'll ever be over the vampire," relayed Doyle, thinking about all that he knew of their relationship.
"Mmm, gotta agree with you there. I was getting serious sad vibes from that one," Lorne shook his head even though Doyle couldn't see it. "So that leaves the lovely brunette I met last night.
"Cordelia," Doyle supplied a little too quickly.
"Uh huh. Looks like I hit the nail smack dab on its proverbial head," laughed Lorne. "Good luck with that. That one's a firecracker. I can tell."
"Don't I know it!" concurred Doyle with a chuckle.
"So anyway, I'm guessing you didn't call to talk about your love life," Lorne spoke, anxious to hear what else the half-demon might have to tell him.
"Yeah, yeah. You got me. I was callin ta tell ya that I guess ya gave the girls an offer they couldn't refuse because they called me a little while ago ta say that they'd do it," Doyle relayed, rubbing his still sore head.
"Oh! That's just peachy!" Lorne replied cheerfully. "I'm so glad they agreed. I've been wanting to get this club going for a while now."
"Yeah, I know. I'm glad too. This is a good thing for them," agreed Doyle, happy that they'd be getting themselves into a better situation.
"Yes, I think so too, from what I've heard," said Lorne sadly. He didn't know a whole lot about them, but what he did was heart wrenching. "I'll go ahead and start making plans then. I think we should get them moved in as soon as possible. I've got some old debts I can call in to get the ball rolling on some renovations for the upper floors.
"Great. Gimme a call in a few days ta let me know what's up," requested Doyle, already making plans for the upcoming move.
"Will do. Talk to ya soon!" babbled Lorne before hanging up the phone. He had lots to do to get things moving on everything to come.
Doyle smiled as he placed the phone back in its cradle. Things were definitely looking up. Buffy and Cordelia would be moving to a nicer place and be working better jobs soon. And if he wasn't mistaken, maybe he did have a chance with Cordy after all. Yes, life was definitely looking up.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
TBC!!