Disclaimer- I do not own the characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They belong to 20th Century Fox, Joss Whedon, and Mutant Enemy. I am using them without permission, however I am not making any money off them so please do not sue me.
Author's Notes- This is the 11th in The Friends series. This one really focuses on Doyle and Cordelia, though Buffy and Angel do show up. From this point on, I'm planning on writing stories for all the couples, though the focus of the series will still be on Buffy and Angel. That's all for now, enjoy.
Feedback- Please! Send feedback but no flames.
Distribution- Buffy's Passion, Daydreams of BtVS, and anyone else who has any of my stories archived at their site has permission, everyone else just ask me first. I'll almost always say yes.
Rating- PG
Classification- Buffy/Angel, Cordelia/Doyle, Willow/Spike, friendship fic, romance, fluff.

Cordelia hung up the phone, feeling kind of numb.

"What's wrong?" Doyle asked when he walked into the living room and saw his wife sitting on the couch in a daze.

"Xander's dead." She said quietly. "Spike had him killed."

Doyle stared at her. "So? You hated his guts."

Cordelia sighed. "I know, but... Doyle, you have to understand, there was a time when I was in love with him."

"Until he cheated on you." Doyle told her, not understanding what she was getting on. "That killed all your feelings, didn't it."

Cordelia looked down at her hands. "No." She said softly.

"What?" Doyle asked in shock. "What do you mean Ono'?"

"I mean that feelings don't die, just like that!" Cordelia told him, standing up to glare at him. "Doyle, he was my first love, was I supposed to just forget about him? There was a lot of history, I couldn't just get over it. You of all people should understand."

Doyle sighed. "Do we have to bring that up? This isn't about me, it's about you?"

"No," Cordelia corrected him, "it's about the fact you feel like you have the right to get upset when I mention my past, but I'm not allowed to get upset about your past!"

"Well, at least I never said I hated Harri!" Doyle screamed at her.

Cordelia glared at him. "She's not dead."

"So?" Doyle stared at her. "Because he's dead, you suddenly like him again?"

"Yes!" Cordelia shouted, then she sighed. "I don't know. I just know that you should be a little more sensitive."

"Sensitive about the death of a guy who just a week ago you said, and I quote, 'I think you should let Spike kill him, serves him right.'"

"Saying it and meaning it are two different things." Cordelia said. "I didn't realise that I would be sad if he died, but I am."

"Why?" Doyle asked. "I don't get it. You hated the guy, now he's dead, good riddance."

"You're such a jerk! I can't believe I married you!" Cordelia exclaimed storming from the room.

"Where are you going?" Doyle called after her.

Cordelia didn't answer, just slammed the door.

Doyle watched her, wondering what he had done. "I am such an idiot." He told himself with a sigh, preparing for a lonely evening while his wife cried on either Buffy or Willow's shoulder.

* * * * *

Two hours later, Cordelia knocked on the door of Buffy's Sunnydale apartment.

Buffy and Angel were staying there for a weeks for a honeymoon of sorts and Cordelia couldn't think of anywhere to go. She wasn't close to her parents and they'd only point out that they hadn't approved of Doyle in the first place, they thought she could do better.

Nor was she in the mood to put up with Spike and, as pathetic as she would have thought it back in high school, Willow and Buffy were her only close friends.

"Cordelia, what are you doing here?" Buffy said finally, looking slightly rumpled.

"Doyle and I had a fight." Cordelia told her quietly. "About Xander. He didn't understand why I feel grief."

"Oh, Cordy." Buffy whispered. "Come inside, we'll talk."

Cordelia nodded and followed her friend into the living room where she preceded to unfold everything that happened.

"Cordy, he's probably just jealous." Buffy said after she was done.

Cordelia stared at her. "Jealous? Of what? Xander and I were over a long time ago."

"I know," Buffy told her. "But look at it this way, Xander was your first love, nothing will ever change that. It's a piece of your heart and your part which doesn't include Doyle and that probably makes him feel a little insecure."

Cordelia nodded after a moment. "You're right. I didn't think of it that way. I guess I should go apologise."

"Probably." Buffy agreed as Cordelia stood up.

"Thanks for listening." Cordelia told her sincerely.

"That's what friends are for." Buffy told her. Cordelia turned at the door and smiled. "I know, you taught me that. You were the first real friend I ever had, thank you."

"You're welcome." Buffy told her before she left, as soon as the door closed behind her friend she stood up and walked back to the bedroom where her husband was reading a book as he waited for her.

"Is she gone?" Angel asked, putting the book down.

Buffy nodded. "She is. I think she saw where he's coming from."

"Thanks to you." Angel said, pulling her towards him. "You're a good friend."

"So is she." Buffy told him. "If the situation had been reversed, Cordelia would have done the same thing I did, and you know it."

"Yeah." Angel agreed. "But it's not and she didn't, so I get to compliment you. After all, I married you not her."

"True." Buffy agreed, kissing him warmly. "That reminds me, weren't we in the middle of something when she came by?"

"Umm," Angel agreed, "that we were."

He kissed her again and no more words were spoken for quite some time.

* * * * *

When Cordelia got home she saw Doyle sitting in the living room with the lights turned out.

"What are you doing in here?" She asked softly, turning on the light.

Doyle glanced up in shock. "Delia, you're home."

"Well, I do live here." She said with a smile.

"I didn't think you'd be back tonight." He told her quietly, standing up.

"Either did I." She said, walking over to him. "But Buffy convinced me I was wrong. Doyle, I should have explained it better. Xander was a part of my past, I guess in a way I'll always care for him, but he's no longer important to me. What we shared was over a long time ago, you're my life now and I life with all my heart."

"Oh, Delia." Doyle whispered, taking his wife into his arms. "I was wrong too, I was a jerk and I'm sorry."

"You're forgiven." Cordelia told him, kissing him passionately.

"Do you realise that this is our first married fight?" Doyle asked with a grin.

Cordelia smiled. "Well, we survived it, now let's go make up."

"Alright." Doyle agreed, taking his wife's hand and leading her to the stairs. "I love you, Delia."

Send feedback to Michelle M.

Back to the Fanfiction Archive