Silver Cloud, Bitter Lining (12/?)

Author- Midnight Faith

Spoilers- none

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

Pairing- Lilah/Lindsey, Lilah/Gunn undertones

Rating- R

Summary- Lindsey and Lilah make up

Disclaimer- not mine… yadda, yadda

Notes- sequel to 'Southern Comfort.' You'll probably want to read that first…

Lilah turned the handle on the front door and cautiously stepped inside.

"Hello?" She called, shutting the door behind her, "Buffy? Dawn?"

"Hey," came Lindsey's slightly awkward, apologetic voice from the living room.

"Oh hey," she said back, surprising herself with her indifference, "Where is everyone?"

"They took a road trip to the beach. They were gonna wait and see if you wanted to go but you've been gone a while…"

"I've just been walking around… thinking."

"Me too…"

She sat beside him on the sofa.

"And what did you find?" He asked her.

"What?"

"In your head… what did you think about?"

"Just… stuff…"

"Did you think about us?" he asked her, all causal tone gone from his voice.

"A little… and I feel calmer than I did this morning…"

"Me too… I didn't mean anything I said…"

"I know… it’s forgotten."

"I was out of line… and I want to make it up to you…"

"How?"

"I never did cook that dinner I promised you one time…"

"I'm not really into food right now…"

"So I'll make snacks… and we can hire a movie…"

"And where's the blockbuster card coming from? Besides, we're in someone else's house…"

"Then we'll borrow Cordy's card and give them twenty dollars to go out…"

"I'll go out and get the movie… I can pick up stuff from the store on the way…"

"We don’t have a card yet…"

"Cordy left her purse on the dresser in the hallway… what kind of movie do you want?"

"I don’t mind… I want what you want…"

"What kind of snacks then? Nacho cheese? Buttered popcorn? I'm kind of craving watermelon…"

"Watermelon it is…"

"There's a 7-11 three blocks down. I won't be long…"

"Lilah…" Lindsey said, gently touching her arm as she got up from the sofa, "I'll go with you."

"No I just want some space…" she told him, shrugging him off and without a backward glance headed for the door…

*****

It was less of a shock the second time she saw him.

The warehouse was except for Gunn when Lilah returned just before sundown, clutching a brown paper bag.

"Hey," she said tentatively to Gunn, hanging back a little.

"It's OK…" he told her, "Gavin gave me a tonne of shots of that soul crap before he left…"

She moved a little closer to him, handing him the paper bag.

He looked inside.

"It's just blood…" she reassured him, "Some kind of animal. From the butcher. I didn't what Gavin was feeding you… or if he was…"

"He is but… human. So thankyou."

"I should go…" she said, "Before the sun sets…"

"Did you tell Cordelia?" he asked her, referring to himself.

"I haven't told anyone… I'm not sure they'd understand…"

"I heard Gavin say Lindsey's here…"

"He is… but not with me… we're not together…"

"You should be… after all… you're having his baby…"

"I didn't want you to find out like this… from someone else… I was going to tell you."

"Congratulations…"

"Gunn…"

"Just go!" He morphed into his vampire face. Lilah gasped when she saw the true face of what he'd become…

*****

The light was a little dimmer than usual and the music mellow when Lilah returned to the Summer's house.

She saw Lindsey sat on the sofa and she set down a carrier bag containing several packets of watermelon slices, salted popcorn and their rented movie in the hallway.

"What's going on?" she asked him a little cynically.

"Don't say anything…" he told her, "I know you said don't cook but I made pasta. Only if you feel like it. Oh and I have cabernet sauvignon… I know you're not really supposed to be drinking but one glass can't hurt much and…"he got up and walked over to the CD player, picked up three CD cases and handing them to her, "I bought these. I know you had the two Sarah Mclachlan ones before your apartment got incinerated but the Nickelback one is new…"

"Lindsey…" tears began to pool in her eyes as she walked over to him.

"Don’t melt on me…" he said, taking her hand and leading her over to the sofa.

"You're going to make someone really happy someday…" she told him.

"I hope so…"