Flesh and Blood (9/25)

Author- Midnight Faith

Pairing- Lindsey/Lilah with Cordy/Angel on the side… some Lindsey/Kate

Spoilers- none

Distribution- ff.net, Ace of Harts, Neurotica… anyone else just ask :)

Rating- R

Summary- The jealousy bug bites…

Notes-' Part 3/3 of a trilogy. Which also contains 'Southern Comfort' and 'Silver Cloud, Bitter Lining.'

"Wow… aren't we bright 'n' breezy this morning?" Lorne greeted Lindsey, carrying Hannah, and Lilah as they walked into the kitchen of the Hyperion the next morning.

They both looked bleary-eyed and were clearly exhausted.

"We were up with her nearly every hour," Lilah explained drowsily.

"Doesn't parenting come in a version that includes sleep?" Lindsey asked Wesley.

"Apparently not…" Wesley told him, standing to offer Lilah his chair, "Coffee?" he asked her.

"As strong and as black as you can make it," she told him as he filled the kettle from the faucet.

"Lindsey?"

"No, I'm good…"

Lilah lay her head on her arms rested on the table. Connor, sitting on Angel's lap in the chair next to her instantly began pulling at the strands of her hair, spilling over her lilac shirt.

"Ow," was all she could manage to say, half-heartedly.

"Stop pulling your Aunt Lilah's hair," Angel gently scolded him.

"She knows how to sue," Kate added, earning her a smile from Lindsey.

"Don't call me 'Aunt Lilah…' it makes me feel… when he's older he just has to call me Lilah… like everyone else."

"Except you're not 'everyone else…'" Angel told her, "You're not to me… and definitely not to him."

"That's sweet…" Lilah said, smiling at him, "You didn't get much sleep last night either did you?"

"How's my little nameless darling today anyway…" Cordy said, getting up from the table to walk over to Lindsey. He gently handed Hannah to her.

"She's no longer nameless…" Lilah told her.

"Really?" Cordy asked, "What'd you pick?"

"Hannah," Lindsey told her.

"It's pretty…" Cordy said with a smile.

"Hannah…" Angel mused, "It's nice… I like it."

"Hannah Morgan… It goes well…" Wesley said.

"Actually its Hannah Morgan-McDonald," Lilah corrected him, "She has both out names."

"She's so good…" Cordy said, looking at Hannah asleep against her shoulder.

"As witnessed by our pacing up and down the hallway at four a.m." Lilah told her.

"When's it my turn?" Wesley asked Cordy a little impatiently, "When do I get to hold my…"

"Family?" Cordy finished, handing Hannah to him, "So I guess you're not good for training today?" Cordy asked Lilah.

"Actually… I am," Lilah told Cordy.

"I don't want you to…" Lindsey told her imperiously.

"Since when do you control my life?" Lilah asked him, her voice turning sour.

"I don’t want you getting worn out… that's all…"

"You don't have the right to tell me what to do…"

"OK… fine. Do what you want…" Lindsey said turning to Kate and asking her, "Do you have plans for today?"

"Not so much…"

"We I thought maybe we could go to Griffith Park or something… grab an ice cream… play some Frisbee."

"Sure… it sounds like fun."

"Who's going to look after Hannah?" Lilah asked him icily.

"We'll take her with us…"

"I don't think so… she's two days old, it's over a hundred degrees out there and that park's right in the middle of the San Fernando valley… she could pick up anything…"

"She lived inside you… I'd say she's immune to everything…" Lindsey bit back, finally snapping.

"You did not just…"

"OK… timeout people," Cordy said, over their voices, stepping between them, "Compromise. Lindsey… you and Kate can take Hannah outside… in the courtyard which is big enough to play frisbee in, in the shade with the factor forty. I'll get ice cream from my apartment and pick up cones on the way…"

"No Cordy… it's OK… I'll go…" Lindsey said, practically storming out of the kitchen.

Lilah was instantly springing up after him and following him into the foyer.

"Lindsey…"

He stopped walking and turned back to her, his face almost neutral.

"You know I hate apologising…" she told him.

"You don't have to…"

"I'm sorry…," she cut him off, "I'm just tired…"

"Me too…" he told her, taking her in his arms and kissing her hair lightly…

*****

"Gotta admire you…" Cordy said, as Lilah sprung from the basement floor, "A hundred sit ups without a break."

"No pain no gain," Lilah told Cordy, settling down on the bench beside her and taking a bottle of water from Cordy's hand.

"Not just that… look at you… you had a baby three days ago and you can barely tell…"

"Well most of my clothes are skin tight…" she told Cordy, "Anyway… let's do something tonight… something… girly. Like 'Clueless' and deep conditioner."

"Lilah," Cordy said gently, "Don't you want to spend some time with Hannah? You remember… your daughter."

"She kept me up most of last night… and probably all of tonight… I can spend time with her then…"

"I meant quality time… like Lindsey is now."

"I like her best when she's asleep… she's doesn't cry then…"

"She's three days old… it'll get easier."

"I'm not naïve, Cordy. I remember what Connor was like when he was teething… and now she's probably upstairs being as good as gold for Lindsey and Kate while the play Happy Families…"

"Wow… jealous much?"

"I'm not jealous," Lilah said defensively, "What possible reason do I have to be jealous?"

"Could it be that maybe you're in love with Lindsey…"

"Could be…"

"So tell him… talk to him."

"I don't think so… I love him but I'm not looking to date him… again. Besides, he likes Kate…"

"He doesn't like Kate… he's on a serious rebound…"

"Maybe I should go on one of those… it's nearly Christmas… people get depressed and go on rebounds at Christmas…"

"Talking of… do you have plans yet?"

"No… you?"

"I'm staying here… Wesley too. We'll do the traditional Christmas thing… could be fun. It's both the kid's first Christmas… we'll get a huge tree and decorate it… and have eggnog and Christmas MP3's… unless you're spending the holidays in Nevada…"

"Yeah right… I can just see that. I call my sister and say 'Hey Erin… it's Lilah. Sorry for not calling in the last six months, how are you? Oh and by the way I had a baby…' I just want to get used to Hannah myself first before I get the lecture from my mother and younger, perfect sister about how stupid I am…"

"You're not stupid… Hannah's beautiful… so don't go home. Spend the holidays with us… I guarantee it'll be at least tolerable…"

"I hate Christmas…"

"Grinch… I promise you no re-runs of the Snowman… much. You can cook…"

"I don't think so… even pancakes were a disaster…"

"Do you know what Lindsey's plans are yet?"

"No… he might want to go back to Oklahoma… if he wants to take Hannah with him… I'll probably say yes."

"Seriously?"

"She's his baby too… I trust him… and he's better with her than I am…"

"He's so not… you're her mom."

"That doesn't automatically make me good with her…"

"It'll get easier…"

"I hope so…"