Southern Comfort (21/?)

Author- Midnight Faith

Spoilers- none

Distribution- FF.net, AOH anyone else just ask :)

Pairing- Lilah/Lindsey

Rating- R

Summary- Lilah has a confession to make… part II

Disclaimer- not mine… yadda, yadda

"Hey… who wants coffee?" Cordy said with horribly fake optimism, a huge false smile plastered across her face.

She walked into the office but stopped within inches of the doorway.

Lindsey and Lilah were sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by witness statements, legal briefs, photos and other various sources of legal material. Cordelia noted that Lilah looked tired and close to tears, inky smudges from old newspapers were across her cheeks and Lindsey just looked furious.

"Whoa… what's going on in here?" Cordy asked. "I thought you ordered and sealed everything last night."

"Yeah well that was before Lindsey ordered everything in preference leading September 15^th when we want the case in order September 12^th…"

"First of all you were here when I ordered it… and second it was an easy mistake to make… anyone could've done it… including you," Lindsey snapped at her.

"No because I always double check a date on a case!"

"I'm sorry if I don't live up to your perfect standards!"

"OK," Cordy jumped in. "Before World war III breaks out… Lilah, can you give me a hand in the kitchen?"

"Sure," she said, getting off the floor and wordlessly following Cordelia into the kitchen, feeling Lindsey scowling at her.

"I take it you didn't tell him yet?" Cordelia asked gently but firmly.

"How can I? The case is tomorrow. If he runs off now I have no second chair and the case completely falls through."

"And there are more important things in the world than if we win this stupid lawsuit or not…" Cordy told her. "Besides, I think the way you two are fighting I think he's more likely to run off… which he won’t if you tell him…"

"We were like this at Wolfram and Hart…" Lilah told her, "If it was hell then… I don't know what this is… it feels worse now…"

"Just walk in there and tell him…"

"It's easy for you to say…"

"No it's really not. I can't stand to see my family like this…"

"Family?"

"You know I think of you guys as family…" Cordy told Lilah.

"No… I really didn't…" Lilah told her, visibly moved, "But anyway, I can't do this to him… he's working so hard on this case… and to have it all fall to pieces…"

"OK so alternative…" Cordy said, "You know I hate saying this but never even has to know… you just get rid of it…"

"I can't do that either…" Lilah said.

"I knew you'd say that…" Cordy told her, "You have to put yourself first this time… Yesterday, I saw the look on your face when you came out of the bathroom and told me that test was positive… you were so scared… but all I could think was, this should be Lindsey… not me. You need him…"

"I know…" Lilah said. She turned around, silently and walked back into the office, stepping over files as she went, sitting down in the leather chair behind the desk. Lindsey didn't look up at her once.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, her voice brimming with emotion.

"Me too." He looked up at her, abandoning his pile of paperwork, walking over to her and taking her hands in his, "I hate it when we fight."

"So do I."

"I'm dreading tomorrow…"

"I know…"

"So this is what all the biting my head off has been about? Because you're scared about tomorrow? Because I hate it when you don't tell me stuff, and you act so moody and you expect me to guess and…"

"I'm not moody, Lindsey I'm pregnant…" she told him angrily, pushing him away from her and standing suddenly, moving away from him to the other side of the office.

There were a few seconds of shocked silence.

"Okay…" Lindsey said, willing his voice to stay neutral.

Lilah felt her knees buckle beneath her and she sank slowly to the floor.

On instinct, Lindsey walked over to her and was on the carpet by her side.

"I don't understand…" he told her weakly, "We always used… stuff."

"We were mostly careful… there's a difference between mostly and always… there were times where we just… didn't."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She nodded.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked him.

"Keep it," he told her with no hesitation, "I want to keep our baby."

"As simple as that right?" she asked him, adversely.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Because there are other options…" she trailed off, "Come on Lindsey. Be realistic. We've got no money, no stable business…"

"Come with me…" he said, taking her hand and leading her upstairs to his room, silently and slowly.

He opened the wardrobe door to reveal a full-length mirror.

"See, this baby is half you, and half me…" he began, "I just have this picture in my head of how she'll look…"

"Why she?"

"I just have this funny feeling it's a girl… anyway she has your eyes. And my nose and your mouth… and she looks more like you than like me which makes her really pretty…"

She leaned her head back against his shoulder for support, letting his arms gently encircle her waist.

"You're so beautiful…" he told her, "And I really want to make this work… as a family."

"I love you," she told him suddenly, unexpectedly feeling guilty.

"I love you too… and it'll be OK… I promise… you look really tired…"

"I am."

Arms still around her waist he moved her gently into his bed pulling the covers over her.

"Get some sleep…" he told her.

"What about the case?"

"I'll finish it… god I'm sorry about yelling at you earlier…"

"My fault… will you stay for a while?"

"Always…"