Cordelia rolled her eyes and slumped down on the couch.

Doyle caught this motion and glanced away from the television. "What's wrong?"

"Why are we watching this?"

Doyle's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You asked me to bring 'Simply Irresistible'. You said you wanted to see it."

Cordelia shrugged depressed. "The girl in this movie is a freaky clone of Buffy only not as violent. She is in love with a guy who is too pigheaded to go on a fourth date and admits he thinks about sex every four minutes but of COURSE they'll end up together! Happilly ever after and what not. Let me tell you that's not the end. One day she gets mad and throws those plates he bought her right back at his head with her Wiccan powers...do guys really think about sex every four minutes?...do YOU think about sex every four minutes?" she acussed.

Doyle choked on his drink. He punched his chest a couple of times to clear his throat then turned to her. "First off not all relationships end badly." Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Coming from a twenty eight year old devorcee."

Doyle cringed. Way to hit home. "I may not have a perfect past in the love department but I know what I'm saying. When you realize who 'the one' is you'll want to be with them forever. Yes, you will have fights but it'll be worth it...and I'm not going to comment on the sex thing. Too risky." Cordelia smirked at his discomfort of discussing sex with her. "Okay, mushy man. Sounds like you're already in love."

His face paled and he fumbled with the movies he had brought. "Would you rather watch 'The Haunting'?" he asked changing the subject. Cordelia smiled and leaned on his shoulder looking at the movie box. "'The Haunting'. Now there's a movie based on reality. Not like the one we're watching."

She took it off of him and their hands brushed. Cordelia felt electricity shoot down her spine. She was about to complain that he had shocked her when he grabbed his head with a holler of pain.

"Doyle!" Cordelia cried sinking back to the couch beside him. She grabbed his arm and held it to her chest.

When Doyle began to regain his senses and groaned. Cordelia looked at him with wide doe eyes. He blinked several times and his fingers clutched at her shirt in pain.

She soothingly traced her nails over the back of his hand. "Are you okay?" His eyes shot open and looked at the clock. His face paled. "No!" He jumped from the couch and ran outside.

Cordelia rushed after him. "What's going on?! Doyle?!" She skidded to a stop and gasped seeing Doyle slam into a demon.

He grabbed a knife from his pocket and repeatedly stabbed it.

Cordelia gaped in shock at how violently he was behaving.

The demon slumped to the ground, dead and horribly mutilated.

Cordelia cringed. "Doyle, I know they are icky but that is no reason to-" She broke off seeing what the demon had been attacking.

A little girl about seven cowered on the ground. She shivered frightenedly but didn't cry despite the blood covering her right arm.

Cordelia's stomach learched queasilly seeing the thin arm and all that blood. Doyle picked the girl up and craddled her to his body.

The girl's arms wrapped around his neck and she burried her face into his chest.

Cordelia stood frozen.

Doyle nudged her. "Your apartment." She nodded and led the way. Once in the kitchen she stood off to the side.

Doyle sat the girl on her kitchen counter. "Cordy, get a towel." He turned to the little girl. "Hey, sweetie." he said in a gentle voice. "Can you tell me your name?"

The little girl sniffled and wiped a bloody finger across her nose. "My mommy told me not to talk to strangers but you are nice."

Cordelia handed a towel to Doyle.

"My name is Abby. Abby Adams."

Doyle folded the towel. "That's a really pretty name."

The girl grinned.

Doyle gently tugged on one of her curly, brown locks. "Listen to me, Abby. I have to look at your arm right now to make sure it's not hurt too bad. Can you be a big girl and let me see?" He looked at her wide frightened eyes. "You can hold Cordelia's hand if you're scared."

Abby looked up at Cordelia bashfully.

Cordelia offered her hand and Abby took it.

Doyle began to pat the blood away.

Abby refused to cry. She squeazed Cordelia's hand with her tiny one. "I like your hair." she whispered. "It's nice."

Cordelia smiled. "Thank you." She watched Doyle clean Abby's wounds wondering. "Why were you alone in an alley?" She scolded gently. "Where was your mother?"

Abby looked at her lap shamefully. "Mommy didn' know. My kitty was crying. She wanted in the house so I went out to get her then the demon chased me."

Doyle looked up. "You only have a couple of bite marks." He took a deep breath. "Abby, when we take you home you can't tell your mum it was a monster."

Abby nodded. "Mommy doesn't believe that monsters live in L.A. She thinks they belong in stories. I'll tell her it was a doggy."

Doyle raised an eyebrow. "You know about demons?" Abby nodded shyly. She turned to Cordelia her eyes wide. "Cordelia?" she whispered. "He's a demon." She pointed at Doyle.

Cordelia smiled. "Doyle?"

Abby nodded.

Cordelia laughed softly. "Let's get you home...I have to get my coat."

When Cordelia left the room Abby turned to Doyle. "You're a good demon, right?"

Doyle was astounded by this little girl who knew so much. He nodded. "I'm good."

She smiled. "I knew you were. You're not like the other demon. It ate Timmy."

Doyle almost choked. "Timmy?"

"In my class. The monster eats kids. It ate Timmy Denver last week. It's bad. A bad demon."

Doyle was going to ask her to continue when Cordelia walked back in. "We about ready? I'm sure your mother is worried about you."

Abby nodded hopefully. "I wanna see my mommy."

* * *

Doyle and Cordelia had just given Abby back to a greatful mother.

Abby's mother had cried and offered to pay them but to Doyle's surprise Cordelia had refused the money. Cordelia sighed. "That's what I want."

He turned to her questioningly. "What?"

"A kid like Abby."

Doyle tripped over his feet at the thought of Cordelia having a baby. "You want a baby?"

Cordelia laughed and slapped him playfully. "Not now but when I do have a baby I want it to be like Abby." She grinned. "She sure is cute. And her thinking you were a demon. Kids are funny." Doyle took a deep breath. He couldn't hide his secret from her forever. "She was telling the truth." Cordelia flung her arms around his neck in a happy mood. "You amuse me. Playing a little girl's dillusion. How childish are you?"

Doyle looked at her shamefully. "It's true, Delia. I am half demon. Brachen demon. I don't know how she knew but she did."

Cordelia's hands slid off his shoulders hearing the serious tone in his voice. "Are you joking? Because that's not funny."

Doyle shook his head sadly. "I wanted to tell you. I just didn't know how to bring it up."

Her hand hovered over her mouth in a classic damsel in distress look. "Oh, god."

"I'm sorry..."

"Oh, Doyle, I am so sorry." She pulled him into a hug. "All those times I insulted demon's and you were one of those icky, disgusting creatures." She ran her nails up his back. "I didn't mean to pick on you...I still think demon's are gross though." She pulled back with a intrigued sparkle in her eyes. "Can you do anything cool?"

* * *

Angel sat watching Cordelia go on and on over the little girl she and Doyle had saved.

"She was SO cute!" Cordelia cried.

Doyle walked in from the kitchen and handed Cordelia a bottled water. "Here ya'r, Princess."

"And here is my best friend the Brachen demon!" She took the bottle from him. She looked at Angel proudly.

"I saw his demon face. It's so cute! I just want to pinch him!"

Angel's eyebrows shot up in alarm. "She knows?" Cordelia nodded. "I found out last night." She turned to Doyle with pleading eyes. "Will you do something cool?"

Doyle opened his mouth to protest when the door flew open.

An older man walked in. "Is there anyone here named either Cordelia or Doyle?"

They looked at each other. "That's us." Cordelia said cautiously.

The man nodded. "I am Mr. Jones from the elementary school. One of our students, Abby Adams, said you killed a demon that attcked her last night?" Cordelia coughed.

Doyle chuckled nervously. "You know kids."

Mr. Jones held out his hand. "If you did as the girl says we need your help."

Angel sat forward. "What's wrong?"

The man sighed wearilly. "A demon has been eating the students. There has been no way of protecting them no matter how hard I try. You are an Investigator. You deal with this sort of thing?"

Angel shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry. I can't take your case. I am also a vampire and can't go out in the sun."

Doyle shrugged. "We could do it."

Mr. Jones brightened. "Could you?...I don't know how to keep you around the children though." Doyle glanced at Cordelia. "We could pose as teachers. That was my previous job so I would be able to do it...if you let Miss Chase be my assistant." Mr. Jones sighed in relief. "Oh, thank you. Thank you. The children will be so greatful."

Cordelia sent Doyle a confused look. Teachers? Her a teacher?..."Will we get a teacher's salary since we will be doing the actual teaching?"

Mr. Jones nodded. "You'll get double what our teachers make for doing both jobs."

Cordelia sent Doyle an excited glance. A teacher's salary?! She had to keep from squealing.

Doyle squeazed her elbow. "We'd be glad to."

Mr. Jones turned to exit. "Good. You both start Monday."

Doyle's eyes widened in panic. "Monday?"

Mr. Jones nodded. "Monday. See you then." With that he sauntered out.

Cordelia turned to Doyle in shock. She had to learn how to be a teacher in a measly two days. She adjusted her skirt. "We have a lot of work to do, demon boy. Let's get hopping."

Part 2
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