Silver Cloud, Bitter Lining (15/?)

Author- Midnight Faith

Spoilers- 'I will remember you,' 'Sanctuary.'

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

Pairing- Lilah/Lindsey, Lilah/Gunn undertones

Rating- R

Summary- It's the morning after the night before…

Disclaimer- not mine… yadda, yadda

"Are you going out?" Dawn asked.

Lilah jumped visibly turned around to face Dawn pressing her finger to her lips. She shut the door quietly between the hallway and the living room.

"What are you doing up?" Lilah whispered, "And why are you dressed? It's six fifteen…"

"I heard you sneak upstairs… well I figured it would be you anyway. Buffy and Willow aren’t home yet, and why would Cordy be spending the night on the sofa with Lindsey?"

Dawn made her descent down the last of the stairs, as the faint signs of a blush spread its way over Lilah's cheeks.

"I couldn't sleep," Dawn continued to explain, "I mean Xander's missing and… I thought I might as well get dressed and see what you were doing up… see if you were OK…"

"I'm fine I just have some things I have to do… I'll be back soon."

"Can I come with you?"

"I…"

"Please? Being stuck in this house is driving me crazy."

Lilah sighed, looking into Dawn's eyes. Gunn could wait to be told she was leaving Sunnydale. Sometimes she felt as if she owed Dawn everything.

"Come on… we can stop by Denny's for a 'healthy' breakfast before the drugstore opens."

"People are going to start thinking you live there…"

"I'm about one morning sickness cure away from the herbalists…"

"Did I hear 'Denny's?'" Cordelia asked quickly sneaking down the stairs.

Lilah groaned inwardly. With Dawn, Cordy *and* Lindsey on her case she'd never get to say goodbye to Gunn.

"We were just going out for breakfast," Dawn told Cordelia, "Wanna tag along?"

"I'm there…" Cordy said, picking up her jacket from the coat stand in the hallway, "It beats staring at the ceiling some more…"

*****

"Ugh! How can you drink that first thing in the morning?" Cordelia asked Dawn, gesturing to her thick, strawberry shake, "It's barely liquid."

"It lines the stomach," Dawn pointed out, "It'll be a nice starter to the chocolate sundae."

"Are you OK with this?" Cordy asked Lilah, across the table of the booth.

"With the food? I'm fine. I'm gone past sickness right to cravings… I think today its chicken on bagels," Lilah told her.

"And you think my food combos are weird," Dawn told Cordy, "What's next? Melted cheese fondue and sardines?"

"Doesn't sound bad…" Lilah teased.

"So what's with the junk food for breakfast?" Dawn asked Lilah, "I figured you felt guilty over something… so you're either leaving soon or wanting to stay another week…"

"Actually, we've decided to leave tomorrow…" Lilah told Cordy.

"We've?" Cordy asked.

"I'm going back to LA with Lindsey tomorrow… and I… you're welcome to come back with us…" Lilah told Cordy awkwardly.

"I don't blame you guys for bailing," Dawn told them, "Things are horrible… er. With Xander and Anya both AWOL."

"We're not bailing, Dawn," Lilah said, "Maybe you and Buffy can come and spend Christmas vacation with us…"

"I don't think that's a great idea…" Dawn told her.

"Buffy and Angel… in the same room together. Last time she visited LA… the time he wasn't busy being arrested, he moped… more than usual for a week." Cordy explained.

"Anyway you're using a lot of plurals," Dawn said to Lilah.

"What do you mean?" Lilah asked, innocently taking a sip of her Evian.

"Like 'us' and 'we' in relation to you and Lindsey," Cordelia teased, "And since you didn't sleep in your bed last night… I want the full story… Dawn, close your ears."

"I'm old enough to listen," Dawn defended, "We do sex ed you know."

"So starting from yesterday…"

"I feel really uncomfortable talking about this…" Lilah said, embarrassed.

"Not listening…" Dawn said.

"Come on, Lilah. Your problem is your *too* quiet. You're supposed to tell people who's love lives are less exciting than yours what's going on in yours…" Cordy said.

"We were fighting…" Lilah began.

"About what?" Dawn asked.

"The usual… Darla… again. And the next thing I know he's kissing me and we're…"

"Ewww…" Dawn cut in, "Do I have to go douse my room in disinfectant? Or gamma radiation…"

"No," Lilah reassured her awkwardly, "We didn't… not in your room… we wouldn't… bathroom. It has a lock on the door… It was safe…" She told Cordy, "That means something right? That he was thinking? Or maybe he planned it all along…"

"You know he wouldn't do that…" Cordy reassured her, "It means Lindsey cares… that he's matured a lot…"

"And then what?" Dawn asked.

"Then he found some old sheets, and wrapped us up in them and we just held each other…" Lilah said with a slight smile at the memory.

"So you guys are back together?" Dawn asked.

"We're taking things slowly," Lilah told her, "We're getting an apartment… but one with lots of bedrooms so we can give each other space until the time is right…"

"Maybe you guys really will make it after all…" Cordy said.

Lilah smiled again.

"Maybe we will…"