Title: Be Still My Heart Author: Becky Email: DoyleWorshipper@yahoo.com Part: 5 Rating: PG Part 5 "Well. Buffy always said he screamed like a woman. I guess she was right." Cordy shrugged off Wesley's little mishap like it it had nothing. "Buffy was right about a lot of things," Angel told her softly. "Angel-" "No.....she was. And at the time, I just couldn't see it all coming. But now...maybe it was good that I left, you know?" "So it was kind of a Romeo and Juliet thing in the end?" "Yeah. Except....only one of us is undead, having been a vampire for a couple hundred years already." He attempted to smile then. She laughed. "True." "And then there was also that part about sleeping with her that would turn me evil again." "Big yes to that," she agreed. "But you only did that one time. Although, according to you, only you seem to remember a second-" "What about you and Doyle?" "Huh?" she was caught offguard. "Me and Doyle?" "Yeah." "What about us? I mean, what is there to tell....really?" "You're not picking up where you left off?" he inquired, doing his best to try the nonchalant approach. "Why would you question that? The whole hidden depths thing is out. The fact that he's half demon and all. Which totally doesn't bother me, if that's what you were curious about." She shrugged. "But I don't know. He doesn't seem to be himself lately." "He's been through a lot, Cordelia." "I know that. All I'm saying-" "Move!!!" "Excuse me?" "Get out of the-" he didn't get to finish. The demon had come out of nowhere. And now it was taking a swing at Cordelia, its long sharpened claws moving in for the kill. Cordy screamed, throwing herself out of its path, but not before it had gotten in a good swipe to her arm. She winced in pain, her hand going over her injury. Angel got in a few good punches before the creature charged him. It had the oddest built that he'd ever seen. And it was indeed very large. Where its feet were supposed to be, they were webbed to a certain extent, complete with claws there as well. It was blue in color, and incredibly strong. But its face..... Spikes protruded from atop its head, looking to slash to pieces anyone who crossed them. The feature almost reminded Angel of Doyle for a minute, only Doyle's demon spikes were directly on his face. The mouth was like an empty black hole, doing nothing but lingering among the rest of its characteristics. The eyes, on the other hand, were a deep piercing red, evil to the core. "Hey flipper," came an Irish accent behind it. "Try this on for size." Doyle and Wesley had arrived. Doyle's hands shook with fear, despite his choice of spoken vocabulary. Quickly, he wasted no time in firing several shots with his crossbow. The demon let out an agonizing howl, its hands going for the newly embedded wounds. "Somehow, I don't think that'll work," Angel called to him from his place on the floor. "Wesley's axe!" Cordy managed. Wesley, meanwhile, had been standing scared stiff, his fingers losing their grip on his weapon. Now, though, the rogue demon hunter raised the axe, preparing to take action. Angel, not seeing this, having gotten up from the previous impact, rushed the demon once again. He performed a good few roundhouse kicks, sending the monster into a wall. Doyle, still in his demon face, tried to defend Angel. But the blue webbed demon got in a good number of scratches and punches to his advantage, before he tossed the half demon off to the side. Doyle landed near Cordelia with a huge thud. Wesley carefully observed the demon getting ready to deal with Angel again. A distraction. Advancing with slow cautious steps, Wesley came up behind it, the axe still raised in the air. With one quick flick of his wrist, the weapon clashed with the monster's head, detaching it from its body. The axe once again had slipped from Wesley's hands, and cascaded into the nearest wall. What was left of the demon's body, dropped to the floor. Only, instead of staying right where it was, it fell through the cheap floorboards, landing in a crumpled heap below them. Doyle groaned, and tried to pick himself up. "You okay?" Cordy looked at him and smiled, despite the pain. "Yeah. Well....I will be." "Wide load, yeah?" he responded, indicating the demon. Cordelia nodded. "You've got that right." "Thanks man." Angel had walked over to Wesley, and gave him a small pat on the back. "Yeah." Doyle approached the former watcher, his eyes remaining downcast. "I guess I doubted you before." "Well," Wesley offered offhandedly. "Appearances can indeed be deceiving." "Uh, that's great, Wesley. But...um...who's going to pick up the head? I mean, it's not just going to disappear into ashes." Cordy looked at all three of them, demanding a reply. Back at the office, Angel and Wesley hit the books, trying their hand at yet another search for the monster they'd just fought. Doyle had since treated his own wounds, and was now patching up Cordelia's arm. Cordy had a clothing magazine spread out before her, and was casually going through her usual award show judging. "Are you sure you're okay?" Doyle asked her again. "I'm fine," she assured him, smiling. "Yeah?" "Yes. Completely. It just stings a little now, you know? From when you put that stuff on it?" Wesley offered a glance their way, clearing his throat in response. "If you don't mind, I would kindly appreciate some quiet in the room. "Then....why don't you go into another room?" Cordy returned cheerfully, some sarcasm attached. "But I was here first," Wesley then protested. "Does it really matter?" Angel spoke up. "Wesley, it isn't that hard to solve. Just go into another one of the office rooms, if you'd like to continue your research." "You're taking their side?" Wesley asked, surprised, indicating Cordy and Doyle with a point of the book he held in his hands. "You 'are' the only one that's complained though, right?" Doyle added. "I-" Wesley began, then paused once again. "I-fine. 'I'll' move to a different location. And while we're still on the subject, have you all forgotten that if it weren't for me-" "We probably wouldn't be alive. Blah, blah, blah," Cordelia threw out. "You've told us about a dozen time already, Wes. We get it. And we're grateful. Aren't we grateful?" she then asked Doyle. "Yeah. Completely grateful," he answered, without looking at Wesley. Wesley just sighed, and headed off into another part of the building. "What's his problem?" Cordelia asked, as soon as he'd departed. "He's obviously really upset about somethin'," Doyle agreed. "Duh." Cordy closed the magazine then. "Angel?" "What?" The good vampire looked up, clearly unaware of what she'd just previously stated. "Wesley!" she hissed, directing her finger outside the room perimeter. "Wesley?" "Yeah. What's wrong with him?" "Wrong? Cordelia. You've been ignoring him since we got back. Maybe he feels a little....left out." "It never seemed to bother him before." "Hey man. Is this my fault?" Doyle got up from his seat, an expression of saddness crossing his face, as he looked at Angel. "No. Hey. Doyle, don't say that," Cordelia told him, putting her hand over his, offering him a bright smile. "But I think I can sense the fact that I'm not wanted here," he muttered. "Doyle-" Cordy tried again. "No. No, I think I'm gonna go home. You know, maybe catch somethin' on the tube, yeah? I mean, it's gettin' late." "Okay," Angel sided. "We shouldn't have anymore close calls tonight. Seeing as you haven't had another vision. See you tomorrow." "Tomorrow," Doyle agreed. "Do you....um....need some company?" Cordy nervously asked him then. He smiled at her, and nodded. "Sure, Princess." "Then I guess I'm calling it a night too then. As if it isn't dark enough out there already," she muttered, then glanced at Angel. "No offense. But this night stuff. It really gets to a person, you know?" Angel didn't even look up from his book. "Bye." "Jeez. Not caring much. You really need to get a life...or an unlife....or...well, whatever it is that vampires have." "Thanks, Cordelia. You always seems to get that honesty thing down." "No problem. Glad I could help."