Things That Go Bump in the Night

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Chapter 32
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Cordelia stirred restlessly beside him, startling Doyle out of a light doze.

"Shhh, it's all right, Princess. You're safe now," Doyle said soothingly, running his fingers softly down the side of her face. "Nothing's gonna hurt you now."

Cordelia's eyes flew open, and she let out a startled scream, immediately struggling to sit up.

"Princess!"

Cordelia's head snapped around, her eyes widening, a soft 'oh!' escaping her lips. Then she slumped against Doyle, silent sobs shaking her body. "I thought I was dead," she whispered hoarsely.

Doyle pulled her closer, his arms holding her protectively. He wanted to keep her there forever, keep her safe from all harm, but couldn't quite stop the words. "I thought you were too."

Cordelia sucked in a quick breath, raising her head to look up at him. The smile he saw there, surprised him -- watery though it was. "But I just knew -- deep down -- that you and Angel would rescue me."

His heart clenching in his chest, and hoping he never, *ever*, failed her trust in him, Doyle couldn't help but return her smile.

"I love you so much, Doyle," she said softly, reverently. "I didn't think it was possible that I could love anyone this much," she contd, gd, gently cupping his face in her hands.

"I love you, too, Princess," he replied, the constriction in his throat making it difficult to say anything at all. "I don't know what I would have done if we hadn't gotten to you in time. I don't think I'd have wanted to--"

"Shhh," Cordelia replied, quickly putting a finger across his mouth. "You did. I'm here."

Doyle grinned, a weak chuckle working it's way out of his chest. He was supposed to be comforting her, not the other way round. "Yeah, we did. You are."

Cordelia's eyes darkened, not with anger, but with something Doyle couldn't quite identify. "Make love to me, Doyle."

Gasping in surprise, a shiver worked its way down Doyle's spine. "Gladly," he whispered, slowly moving forward and softly touching his lips to hers. The kiss, beginning more as a chaste token of devotion than anything else, quickly deepened as Cordelia's sweet mouth opened under his, her tongue darting out to lightly taste his lips.

He groaned quietly, forcing himself to pull back. "Are you sure, Princess?"

Cordelia nodded. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

Heart singing, Doyle leaned forward once more, pulling his Princess toward him.

**

"So, the leader is still out there somewhere?" Joe asked.

Several weary nods greeted his question, but no one spoke. It had already been decided they'd all stay together -- here -- at least until after midnight. No one wanted to leave until there was no longer any reason for Cordelia or Xander to be taken.

Xander shifted in his seat, resisting the urge to try for the stairs again. No one seemed to agree with him that Cordelia might still be in danger. It didn't help that Angel wouldn't let him even check on her. Doyle had gotten her out of that cavern; Xander knew that should be enough, but a lifetime of conditioning was hard to just ignore. Demons equalled evil -- period; that was the truth he lived by. He hadn't let go of it for Angel. He certainly hadn't let go of it for Spike -- the vampire himself affirming his evil nature at every opportunity.

Now, even with the evidence before him, and Giles willingness to believe the half-demon 'not evil', Xander couldn't make himself believe it -- not deep down. Sighing, he stared at his hands lost in his thoughts, and the argument inside his mind, but could come to no satisfying answer -- not really. When the silence got to be too much, he looked around the room. "Do you think he'll tell her?" he asked, not sure who, exactly, he was asking, nor why he asked then instead of what he really wanted to ask.

Angel shrugged. "I don't know, Xander. He waited to tell Cordelia about Harry, and he waited to tell her about his demon half," he said, shrugging again. "I don't think it would be wise for him to wait to tell her this. It might be the final straw. Cordelia might never trust him again."

Xander leapt to his feet, angry again. He didn't understand that. It seemed that lately he was angry at everything and everyone. "Don't you think the risks to her are more important than his *feelings*?"

Angel sighed heavily. "She lives a dangerous life helping me and Doyle, Xander. She could die at any time -- even if she didn't take extra risks--"

Buffy snickered, drawing both his and Angel's attention. "Like Cordelia is the type to take risks. She's more likely to get shin splints from too much shopping."

Xander jumped as Angel let out a short growl. "Buffy! You haven't bothered to look beyond your nose since we've been back, have you? Cordelia's *not* the same person you knew, and you'd know that *if* you took the time to really notice her."

Buffy reared back, and Xander opened his mouth, a scathing retort ready, but Buffy's reply took him by surprise, stealing his anger out from under him.

"You may be right, Angel" she said softly, frowning uncertainly. "I'm sorry."

**What just happened?** Xander thought incredulously, his anger returning so swiftly it was startling. **Buffy apologizing -- to him?**

As he watched Angel nodded, not meeting the slayer's eyes. "So am I. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"We're all tired, a little strung out. I think perhaps we should table any important discussions until we've all had some sleep," Giles offered quietly.

Everyone nodded, except Xander; he simply glared at Angel. Angel stood for everything that had ever hurt him. Angel had gotten Buffy -- when *he'd* wanted her. Angel was a vampire; one of the creatures that had forced him to kill his best friend. He didn't *want* to forgive and forget. It was too much like forgetting Jesse had ever lived. It was bad enough that Angel, by his very existence proved that Jesse didn't *have* to die at all.

"Xander," Spike said suddenly, impatience coloring his tone, snapping Xander out of his thoughts. "Anya used to be a demon, but you're dating her now. Can't you see that not all demons are evil?"

Xander glanced at the vampire turned Immortal in shock. *Spike* was trying to convince him?

"Present company excepted of course," he added, straightening his posture and throwing his shoulders back."

Everyone else laughed, and Spike frowned indignantly. "Well, I *am* evil. You all never seem to remember that anymore."

"Yeah," Buffy quipped, "as dangerous as a hang nail."

"Oi!" Spike exclaimed, jerking around to face the slayer. "Take that back!"

"I remember" Xander replied flatly, glad to finally have someone to this his anger out on -- someone that no one would object to.

"Good," Spike replied firmly, casting one last glare at the slayer before returning his attention to Xander.

Xander stood slowly, setting his stance. "Since you're so adamant about it, maybe I should just kill you now. I mean, we kill evil demons."

"Hey now!" Adam snapped. "That's *my* body you're threatening to kill. Sit your bloody arse down!"

Spike snickered as Xander sat back down, embarrassingly aware that he'd just made an absolute idiot of himself. It didn't help his mood any.

"That's okay," he replied quietly, staring at the dark haired Spike. "You won't be wearing his body much longer."

Spike looked impressed. Why did Spike look impressed? Xander carefully thought over the recent conversation and couldn't figure it out.

"Im proud of you, Xander," he said.

"What?" Xander exclaimed, shock once again flooding him. **Just great! I've made a vampire proud,** he thought sourly. **Why am I *so* not happy with this picture?**

"You're really threatening to kill me when I still can't fight back . . . sounds like you're developing into a right proper bully to me," Spike smirked.

**Asshole!** Xander thought vengefully, glowering at the ex-vampire, but he couldn't stop the tendrils of uncertainty from creeping into his thoughts. **Is that what I'm becoming? A bully?** He didn't like the sound of that. Frowning, he wasn't quite sure how to respond to the accusation.

Spike grinned, and leaned forward, both of them ignoring everyone else around them. "I'll tell you what, *Xapper*, soon's that chip in my old head is out, you'll be the first person I visit. We'll see you you're made of then, shall we?"

Before Xander could form a reply, Giles stood suddenly.

"Spike! Xander! Do I *really* have to separate the two of you?" he asked disbelievingly. "Or are you two adult enough to stop behaving like *children*?"

Xander settled back into his seat, still furious at Spike, but realizing that Giles had a poinIt wIt wasn't as if either of them could carry through on their threats any time soon -- so what was the point?

Unnerved, however, by Spike's dubious praise, Xander couldn't still his thoughts. The tense silence from everyone else certainly didn't help distract him, either. Was it being a bully to hate vampires simply because they were vampires? Vampires were evil. They were corpses animated by the parasitic demons that inhabited them . . . right?

Doyle's earlier comment about bigotry suddenly rang through his mind. He didn't like the sound of that any better than bully. His thoughts giggled. In his mind it was a sound just shy of complete hysteria -- 'a bigoted bully'. He swallowed convulsively. **What am I becoming? Is this what I want to be?**

Glancing around the room, he tried to *really* think about what he felt toward the others. He replayed scenes in his mind -- scenes of what they'd all been through together. He'd never bothered to do that before, and what he discovered startled him.

**

Doyle lay quietly, nearly half asleep, his arms wrapped around Cordelia. He grinned in spite of his sleepiness. She felt so . . . right laying in his arms. He wondered why they'd waited so long, at the same time wondering if it had really happened -- if it was real. He had dreamed this so many times before, only to wake up in the morning -- alone.

"Mmm," Cordelia murmured.

"Yes, Princess?"

"Hap she she sighed, snuggling closer.

His heart melted. He couldn't remember a happier moment in his life. "Me too."

But everything wasn't, quite, right. He was keeping a secret from her -- an important secret. He sighed. "Cordelia?"

The lightest of snores answered him, and he had to chuckle. *That* was a secret he'd take to his grave. There was no way he was going to be the one to tell Cordelia Chase that she snored.

Running his hand lightly down her back, he considered waking her up, then shook his head. **No,** he thought, **it can wait. In the morning, I'll tell her in the morning.**

**

Buffy watched as Joseph Dawson disappeared down the hall, Willow and Tara having long since gone up to bed, Giles following to his own room shortly thereafter. Only four remained sitting in silence. Midnight had come and gone with no further surprises, and Buffy, for one, was very relieved. One more crises averted -- without losing anyone else she cared about.

To her left, Xander rose. Half-way to the stairs he stopped and stared at the front door.

"Not yet," Richie said, his eyes only half open. "I'm too tired to go with you, and you're not going out without me."

Xander turned to face his Immortal teacher, looking like he was going to protest. To Buffy's surprise, however, he simply nodded and trudged up to his room.

Richie wearily rose to his feet, leaning down to kiss Buffy's cheek. "I'm going up, too. You coming?"

Buffy smiled slightly. "Yeah, in bit," she replied as quietly as she could, all too aware that Angel had probably heard anyway.

Richie nodded, then he too left.

Now it was just the two of them . . . her and Angel. She watched him for long moments. Sitting here, like this, wrenched her back in time. So many times, on nights just like tonight, the two of them would sit in this room savoring the fact that both of them were still alive. Tonight, however, it simply made her heart ache. It ached for should haves, could haves, and might have beens. It ached for lost chances and for the promise that never was.

It was times just like this that usually made her stop and wonder -- wonder what would have happened if they'd stayed together. Like tonight, it still hurt sometimes, and she wondered, also, if that would ever stop being so. Finally she rose, wanting to say something, anything to Angel, but not sure what. Finally, deciding that silence, as usual, was best, she turned.

"Buffy?"

"Yeah, Angel?" she asked, hoping maybe *he* knew what to say.

"I," he stopped, glancing down a moment. "I don't know if it'll mean anything to you, but *this* time, I approve."

"Huh?" she asked in confusion. That wasn't what she'd expected. **Approve? Approve of what?**

"You and Richard. I'm . . . I'm happy for you. I really am."

Buffy grinned hesitantly, glad it was out in the open now. "Thank you, Angel. That means a lot to me." Quietly crossing to the souled vampire, the being who had once been the center of her existence, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Without saying another word she turned and headed for the stairs.

Hand on the railing, however; she hesitated, then turned. "If it means anything to you, I do still love you," she softly. "I think I always will." Swallowing nervously, she forced herself to not look down. "You taught me what true love is. I'll never forget that."

Angel smiled sadly. "Aye, Buffy," he replied, his voice a faint whisper. "The same for me. I'll never forget you."

Buffy's throat closed and she could only nod in reply. It was with a feeling of finality, of a bridge collapsing behind her, that she turned away and slowly walked up the stairs.


TBC