Title: Temporary Insanity
Author: Lissa

Disclaimers: I don't own any of the Angel or Buffy
characters.

This takes place during the Buffy episode 'Super Star'


   Cordelia leaned back against Doyle's couch. She
tried to look disinterested as he sat down beside her.
"It still smells like Bong water in here. You'd think
that after coming back from death you'd enjoy the
cleaner things in life."
   "The only way I'm getting clean is if I move outta
here. How about moving me into your place to give me a
crack at clean living?" He said this sarcastically.
   Cordelia shrugged. "That's actually not a bad
idea."
   Doyle gasped and turned to her. In the process he
kicked over his drink. He quickly uprighted it.
"Wh...what? Why?" He searched her face for a sign that
she was kidding. He was still madly in love with her
and she had to know it. Since he had come back he had
been trying to get up the nerve to ask her out. So far
they were still just friends because he was too
terrified she'd turn him down. Some things never
changed.
   Cordelia shrugged. "It could be a good learning
experience. What it's like to have to share a place
with a roomate. Plus, it would force you to shape up."
   Doyle grinned.
   She seemed to think it was a good idea. She was
doing it for a learning experience.
   He had other thoughts in mind. Spending evenings
with Cordelia. Eating meals together. Just being
around her was reason enough for him. "Ya, think it
would work?"
   Cordelia smiled back at him. "Y-" She paused as if
something hit her. It was as if her whole world had
just changed but seconds later she had no recollection
of this feeling. "Of course you know if Jonathan shows
up and asks for my hand in marraige I'll have to boot
you out." She said jokingly.
   Doyle paled. "Jonathan?" He felt like he was going
to be sick. Was she seeing someone? "Who's Jonathan?
Are...are you dating this fellow."
   Cordelia giggled. "Don't I wish. And what do you
mean who's Jonathan? He's only the most famous person
in the world."
   Doyle wracked his brain for the name. It didn't
ring a bell. "What does he do? Is he an actor? A
singer? What?"
   Cordelia rolled her eyes. "You know. Come on.
Remember when we rented the Matrix? He was the lead
actor."
   Doyle thought for a moment. "I thought that was
Keanu Reaves."
   Cordelia looked puzzled. "The guy from Speed? He
wasn't even in that movie." She sighed moving on to
another one of Jonathan's achievments. "He invented
the internet?"
   Doyle sent her a look as if she were crazy. "Sorry,
Princess, that was Bill Gates."
   "Bill who?"
   "Gates. Bill Gates."
   Cordelia shrugged. "Never heard of him." She
rustled around boredly. "Forget Jonathan for a moment.
Are you moving in?"
   Doyle completely forgot about the mysterious
Jonathan. "Absolutely."

* * *

   Cordelia sat on Doyle's floor cleaning out his
nightstand. "You are such a packrat." She picked up an
old newspaper and threw it into the trash. "Now,
really. What purpose did that serve?" she asked
pointing to a Victoria's secret catalogue.
   Doyle shrugged. "Not sure where it even came from."
   Cordelia flopped onto his bed and looked over the
egde. "I'm afraid of what I'll find under here."
   Doyle grimaced. "So am I."
   Cordelia began pulling out rumpled clothes. "The
only thing not damaged in war Doyle was your copy of
Angela's ashes." She paused as if thinking. "And I'm
sure the fact that the main character is an Irish boy
named Francis had nothing to do with it."
   Doyle looked up surprised. "You've read Angela's
ashes?"
   Cordelia smiled softly. "For a couple weeks there I
was bored with no one to talk to. I turned to your
favorite book to help time pass."
   Doyle sent her a grin and grabbed a box from the
floor. "This is the last box that will fit in your
car. Ready to start moving me in?"
   "I sure am."

* * *

               Later that night

   Cordelia yelped and covered her eyes with a
blanket. 
   Doyle glanced at her with a chuckle. "You've seen
so much death and destruction yet a little horror
movie has you freaked."
   Cordelia pouted defensively. "I'm scared."
   Doyle rolled his eyes. "Poor baby. Come here." He
held his arms open jokingly
   Cordelia fell into them. After a moment she
realized how comfortable he was. She snuggled into his
arms. 
   Doyle didn't find this odd at all. 
   She was his best friend.
   He found nothing wrong with watching a movie
together. He lovingly held her close to him. That was
where he had a problem. He didn't want to  just be
friends with her but he didn't know how to initiate
the going out part. As she fell asleep in his arms he
decided to save it for another night. He had many now
that they were living together.

* * *

   Doyle and Cordelia walked into the office the next
day to see Angel frantically dusting.
   "What's goin' on?" Doyle asked confused.
   Wesley walked in holding the morning paper. "It's
amazing really." His voice was cool and suave.
   Angel turned and looked excitedly at Cordelia. "You
won't believe it!" he cried.
   Cordelia sent Doyle a frightened glance.
   "Jonathan is coming here! To see-"
   "Cordelia."
   Cordelia spun around to see Jonathan standing in
the doorway. "Jonathan?!" she squealed. "Oh, my gosh!
I don't believe it!"
   Jonathan swaggered into the room. "So nice to see
you again."
   Cordelia could barely contain her excitement. "You
too!"
   Doyle felt his spirits sink. Jonathan. He glared at
the guy. Something about him wasn't right.
   Wesley nodded in his direction. "Hey, Jon." He
turned nonchalantly as the door was flung open.
   "Wesley!" a girl cried.
   Wesley shifted his weight nonchalantly. "Carrie."
   The leggy blond attached herself to him. "You
really do know Jonathan! You are so cool." She wrapped
her arms around his waist. "You are every woman's
dream."
   Wesley casually put his arm around her shoulder. "I
know."
   Doyle sent him a look. Every woman's dream. Now he
knew something was up.
   Angel stared at Jonathan in admiration. "You and
Wesley are too cool. I am so happy to work at Jonathan
Investigations."
   Doyle's eyes widened. Very wrong.

* * *

   Jonathan grabbed the demon that had charged into
the office and flung him out the window. 
   It yelped but came back at them.
   Doyle watched unimpressed. 
   Wesley kicked back on the couch with four girls
surrounding him. "Looks, Dolls. This is the way my
daring life goes. Not a safe moment."
   A red head fed him a grape. "You are like James
Bond or something."
   Wesley shook his head. "James Bond never looked
this hot in a suit."
   Angel screamed and ran to his hiding place behind
the door. He had his fingers crossed. "Save us,
Jonathan!" he cried.
   Jonathan grabbed a aword and stabbed the thing. 
   It fell down dead.
   Cordelia ran over to Jonathan. "Oh, Jonathan.
You're the greatest." she gushed.
   Jonathan chuckled and put his arm around her
shoulder. "I know."
   Wesley raised an eyebrow. "I could have done that."
   His girls giggled. "What a man."
   Angel nodded. "I've seen you do that!" He shrugged.
"It's different when it's Jonathan though."
   Cordelia grabbed Jonathan's arm. "Jonathan, would
you like to come to my place tonight? Maybe we
could..." she trailed off running her hands over his
shirt. "You know."
   Jonathan laughed deep in his throat. "I know." He
wrapped his arms around her waist. "I would enjoy a
night of..."
   Doyle growled angrilly. "That's it!" He stormed
over to them. "Cordelia come here." He took her arm. 
   She yanked it away. "Leave us alone. This isn't
your business."
   Doyle felt his heart drop. "Cordelia, you're under
some kind spell. Don't do this."
   "Why?"
   Doyle couldn't stop the tears of desperation that
were threatening to spill. "Cordelia, I love you.
Please, please don't do this. I am so in love with you
and I don't want you to do something like this with
someone...someone else. Someone who doesn't care about
you."
   Cordelia looked at him for a moment then burst into
tears. "Go away." she begged. She sobbed into her
hands.
   Doyle went to touch her shoulder.
   "Leave me alone!" she yelled.
   Doyle nodded. "Fine." He left the room and walked
up to Jonathan. "Listen to me very closely." He
grabbed him and slammed him against the wall. "Stay
away from her. I don't want you around her at all. I
catch you even looking at her I'll tear you apart. I
don't care who you are. Understand?"
   Jonathan seemed to lose some of his cool. "I...I
understand."
   Doyle violently let go. "Good." He stormed out of
the office slamming the door after him. The others
were left staring at their hero who was shaking in
fear.
   Wesley chuckled evilly. "You sure took care of
him."
   Angel looked worried.
   Jonathan put his hands in his pockets trying to
look tough. "I should get going. There's a crisis in
Sunnydale and they need my help."
   Angel nodded. "Come back."
   Jonathan nodded. "Once I avert another tragedy I'll
drop in." He grabbed his coat. "I'll see you later."
   

* * *

   Cordelia sat on her bed her knees hugged to her
chest. She cried softly. She was so confused. She
wanted Jonathan but she had no idea why. Something
powerful that she had no control of told her to go
after Jonathan but her heart and something stronger
told her that Doyle could maybe be the one for her. 
She wanted to find him and let him hold her but the
Jonathan thing wouldn't let her. She just needed time
to think.

* * *

   Doyle shifted on the uncomfortable bed in his old
place. He had spent the last few days here. He hadn't
been to the office nor back to Cordelia's which was
bad because all his stuff was there.
   He slowly rolled off. It was time to face the music
and go to Cordelia's. He didn't know how she would
react but it was time to find out.

* * *

   Angel was following Wesley around when something
hit him. "Oh, gosh." He looked at Wesley. "We were
under some sort of spell."
   Wesley slowly nodded as the girls on his arms
looked confused an walked away. 
   Angel ran a hand over his face. "Tell me the last
few days never happened."
   Wesley looked in the direction the girls had went
in. "Tell me it did."
   Angel hung his head ashamed. "I don't want to 
believe it."
   Wesley sighed. "I was so cool."

* * *

   Cordelia gasped as her thoughts seemed to clear
instantly. She groaned. She had acted so foolishly.
Throwing herself at Jonathan.
   And poor Doyle. 
   The was a knock on the door. It opened and Doyle
walked in. "Cord?" he asked softly.
   Just seeing him brought on the tears. "I am so
sorry." she whispered between tears.
   Doyle walked over and sat beside her. "Is this
okay?" he asked gently stroking her hand.
   She nodded. After a second she started crying
again. "Doyle, I am so stupid. I feel horrible."
   Doyle ran his hand through her hair. "You're not
stupid. You were under some sort of spell. You
couldn't help your behavior. Plus, it was none of my
business."
   Cordelia shook her head. "I want to make it your
business...the thing that has me so upset is the fact
that I almost made love to the wrong man again."
   Doyle jumped startled. "The wrong man? You have no
feelings left for Jonathan?"
   Cordelia shook her head. "Nope. All that's left are
feelings for you. I'm sorry I've put you through so
much. I'm going to make it up to you some how, some
time because I love you too."
   Doyle stared at her amazed. "Saying that makes up
for a thousand wrong doings, Miss Chase."
   Cordelia blushed and glanced away. "Do you think...
do you think that we could...go out? Together? Like a
date?"
   Doyle nodded. "I thought that day would never
come."
   Cordelia smiled. "Me either."
   Doyle brushed her hair away from her face. "I want
to take it slow with you. I don't want to make any
mistakes that can be fatal to our relationship. What
do you say you and I stay in tonight watching movies
in our apartment...that is if you still want me here."
   Cordelia's smile widened. "Do I ever. That sounds
great."
   Doyle flicked on the tv and wrapped his arm around
her. "Besides I think we should leave Angel and Wesley
a night to recover. Angel needs to rediscover his
strength and Wesley needs to come down from his high."
   Cordelia gasped with a giggle. "Oh, my gosh! Wesley
and Angel!" She began laughing. "They were so funny.
If only I could have gotten that on film." 
   Doyle laughed. "Don't we all...they have to feel
pretty stupid right about now."
   Codelia nodded. "They sure do."

* * *

   Angel sat at his desk with his head in his hands.
"I was a loser. I am never a loser. I'm Angel. I'm
cool guy. I just don't do things that aren't cool."
   Wesley looked sadly at the door. "Where are my
girls? I want the girls back."
   Angel looked up darkly. "They're gone, Wes. It's
over."
   Wesley shook his head vigorously. "No. It can't be.
I want it back. I wanna be cool Wesley!"
   Angel glared at him. "You can't be cool Wesley. You
are just regular Wesley. You can never be cool
Wesley."
   "Why not?" Wesley whined. 
   "You just can't. It's not right."
   Wesley pouted. "Fine but can I have one of the
girls back?"
   Angel shook his head. "No. Those were cool Wesley's
girls."
   "Can we just pretend I'm cool Wesley?"
   Angel shook his head. "It's over."
   "But-"
   "Shh. No more. It's over."



                   The End