TITLE: Sleepy Time AUTHOR: Ragna (Obsessive-Compulsive Spike - SpikeGrrl1@aol.com; fourstarmaryfan@yahoo.com) RATING: G CLASSIFICATION: Doyle/Cordy SPOILERS: Up to "I Will Remember You"; set seven or so years after that. DISTRIBUTION: Any sites with my fic up; you all have unspoken permission. I write it, you can post it. Everyone else just keep my name on it and let me know. ARCHIVED AT: http://www.angelfire.com/de/hellmouth/myfic.html DISCLAIMER: If you don't recognize it, chances are it's my own creation. If you do, Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kazui Sandollar, FOX and the WB own it or them. I'm just holding Spike and Riley hostage. Carolyn's got Xander, May's got Oz, Cathryn's got Ethan, Melissa has Giles, Shelly has Angel, and Gillian has Doyle. You may see them by appointment only. The first song used is part of Neve's "Absent"; the second song is an Irish folk song. FEEDBACK: Sorry I'm not home right now I'm walking in the spiderwebs so leave a message and I'll call you back...in other words, I want it. Don't care if it's onlist or not. AUTHOR'S NOTES: Mids wanted Doyle/Cordy fic. No one answered my fic challenge yet (I think), so I decided to answer it for her. And I don't know if, technically, this is UC, but I think it is since Doyle's no longer with us ::sob::. ~*~*~*~*~ Cordelia sat at the window, looking out over the beach. It was a calm evening, the waves hit the shore at a regular rhythm, the same rhythm as her heart. It was moments like this, the peaceful moments of her life, that brought back the memories. All of them...the lovely one, the hard ones, and the sad ones. The sad ones almost always came when she heard the sad, depressing songs drifting over the soft sounds of the waves crashing on the shore close by. Doyle...all that time they should have had. He was always the first thing she thought about. When she woke up, when her mind wandered to the place where she held her fondest memories, when she fell asleep... He meant so much. And then, he was gone. [And I don't want to be alone You know I come from a broken home I just can't do without it] It had been quite a while, seven years. Give or take a few days. She always stayed out of Los Angeles during that time. And instead stayed by the water. Fitting, she thought ironically, since he died on a boat, saving everyone. Even those he didn't know. And never would. She didn't know how often she'd cried, how often she'd offered to give everything she had to get him back, how much pain seared through her body as she got up day after day, knowing he wouldn't be there to notice her shoes or tease her or just ask how she was. He just wouldn't be there. [Here I go hear me call out after you Bouncing off of the satellites A few broken words to get me through this Letting out what I'm always holding in Gone away but I'm coming back again Only you can get me though this] And she's tried to move on, trying being the operative term. Life had hurt her, she was scarred. And loosing Doyle was the biggest and worst hurting scar of all. But even those with scars learned to forget them day to day, to move on and pretend they could live like everyone else. She showed her best acting at that time, acting like there was nothing wrong, acting like she was over him, acting like she had moved on. And all she was left with was the Doyle of her dreams, the one who was there, held her as she cried and told her everything would be okay. [I wake up in your arms I know inside it's true Darling do those things you choose I wake up all alone I know inside I'm home But I know it's better Waiting for so long] "Princess?" She looked up and smiled. This was *her* Doyle. It had taken many trips to the Oracles. Many promises, all of which she'd kept. And one very pissed off vampire to help her. But he was back with her, where she belonged. He stood there, the moonlight etching him in the doorway. He was wearing jeans and a button down shirt, a far cry from the clothing he loved to wear. But he loved her, and he wanted her happy. Wanted *all* of them happy. [There she goes And she's right on track I know for now I can't be here] "Hello?" Cordelia snapped to attention. "Yes?" "I was wondering if we should put Brianna to bed. It's been a long evening love," Doyle said, sitting next to his wife. "You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to bother you." He moved out of the moonlight's glow into the shadow, then came out again under the soft glow of the reading lamp. Cordelia nodded. "Yeah...that would probably be best." Doyle held out his hand to her and she stood up, gripping his hand lightly but firmly, almost afraid she would loose him again. Never again, she thought to herself as they opened to door to Brianna's room. The little girl was sitting in her bed. "Mum...Da, sing me a song?" she asked, in a mix between Cordelia's non-existing accent and Doyle's lovely Irish lilt. Doyle smiled, his eyes shining. How 'bout 'Irish Eyes Are Smiling,' Bri?" The little girl nodded, crawling under the covers of her bed. "Do we have to go back home tomorrow?" she asked, her long and curly dark hair falling forward slightly as she looked from her mother to her father. Cordelia nodded. "Yes, sweetie, we have to go back. Your Uncle Angel needs us to go back to work." "Why can't Uncle Wesley do all the work so we can stay here?" Doyle laughed, shaking his head. "Because it's not fair, Bri. Come on...you want the lullaby, dontcha?" His daughter nodded, curls bouncing. "Yup. Da...you sing it? Mum's got a good voice, but you sing best." Cordelia kissed her daughter on the forehead, tucking her in properly. "Promise you'll go to sleep afterwards, all right?" "All right. I'll sleep." Doyle cleared his throat, sitting down next to Brianna. "When Irish eyes are smiling, sure it's like a morning spring. In the lilt of Irish laughter, you can hear the angels sing. When Irish hearts are happy, all the world seems bright and gay. And when Irish eyes are smiling, sure, they steal your heart away." Cordelia watched with pride as her small daughter picked up the last part with her father. They were a perfect match, and she was her father's daughter in almost every way. "There's a tear in your eye, and I'm wondering why, for it never should be there at all. With such power in your smile, sure a stone you'd beguile, so there's never a teardrop should fall." Cordelia put her hand on Doyle's shoulder, pleased when he put his hand over hers. "Can your Mum sing the last part? It's her favorite." Brianna nodded. "Sure! Mum's got a pretty voice." Cordelia smiled, bowing slightly. "Well, thank you." Thinking for a moment, she began to sing, a sweet soft whisper more than an actual song. "When your sweet lilting laughter's like some fairy song, and your eyes twinkle bright as can be, you should laugh all the while and all other times smile, and now smile a smile for me." "And now it's time for my little leprechaun to go to bed," Doyle said, kissing his daughter's forehead. "Sweet dreams." They walked out of the room together, holding hands until they were out on the balcony. Doyle held her lightly, resting his chin on his shoulder. "It's moments like that that make me so glad I was able to come back." "Sometimes I think you love her more than me," Cordelia teased. "I don't think I could love anyone more than you, Princess. Because you got me out of that ridiculous limbo." He kissed her cheek. "Isn't it time we get some sleep, love?" Cordelia nodded. "Yeah. You going to sing me to sleep too?" "Any time you want, Princess. Any time."