“Shouldn’t you what?” Angel asked, puzzled.

“Tell Cordelia.”

“Tell Cordelia what?” Angel stared at Doyle, completely not comprehending the young man’s meaning.

“Tell Cordelia that me father was a demon,” Doyle explained, exasperated. “That *I’m* half demon.”

“Well, you should have told her before you asked her to marry you,” Angel smirked, “but it’s a little late for that.”

Doyle glared at Angel. “Well, I’m not always known fer the smart things I do,” he retorted. “Except confess ta Cordy that I love her. That was probably the one exception ta the rule.”

“Yeah, who knew that she’d care about you in return?” Angel chuckled.

Doyle looked hurt. “Ye think there’s no reason fer Cordy ta love me? That I shouldna be happy?”

Angel rolled his eyes. “Doyle, you’re too sensitive. I just meant that this is Cordy. Cordy has typically never cared about anyone but herself.”

At that, Doyle became angry. “Now don’t go insultin’ Cordelia,” he commanded, his eyes flashing. “She couldna help that she was raised ta think only of herself. It was somethin’ she learned from the moment she learned ta talk. She’s done se well ta overcome that. She’s improvin’ everaday.”

Angel held up his hands in mock-defense. “I know, Doyle, I know. How about from now on I keep my mouth shut?” he offered with an uncharacteristic grin. “Then you can’t find fault with the way I talk about you *or* her.”

“But then who would I go ta fer advice?” Doyle asked plaintively.

“Doyle, you should have stopped coming to me for advice a long time ago,” Angel replied. “I mean, you asked her to marry you, and she said yes. It’s not like you have to get her attention or impress her anymore.”

“Wit a girl like Cordelia, ye *always* have ta impress,” Doyle said. He sighed. “I just can’t help thinkin’ that me luck is goin’ ta run out one of these days. That I don’t really deserve her an’ someday, someone’s goin’ ta take her away from me.”

“Move up the wedding,” Angel suggested. “Marry her quicker. Then she can’t run.”

“If only I could,” Doyle smirked. He sat back in the chair. “Her mother is insistin’ on a big social weddin’, an’ that means months of plannin’. The new hubby’s goin’ ta pay fer it all, so Cordelia and her mother are goin’ all out fer it. Flowers comin’ out of fountains an’ swans swimmin’ around in the big portable pond they’re settin’ up, an’ ever’ person the Chase’s an’ Wyndham-Price’s ever met.”

“Yes, I’m sure Wesley is eager to make sure everyone knows his stepdaughter is getting married,” Angel chuckled. “Just so that they’re all aware that there’s nothing between them anymore.”

Doyle laughed along with Angel as he recalled Cordelia’s shock when Wesley arrived in L.A. His main mission had been to let Cordelia know that he had fallen in love with her mother and they were planning to get married as soon as the divorce between her parents was final. He remembered Cordelia’s humiliation when she’d run into his arms and blurted out that she and Wesley had once been attracted to each other. “I don’t think Cordelia would ever let ennaone believe that she an’ Wesley still had a thing fer each other. She was so embarrassed when she described their one an’ only kiss, an’ how disgustin’ it was, that if ennaone ever believed they were together, she’d personally stamp the truth inta their little brains.”

“Who has a little brain?” Cordelia asked cheerfully, sweeping into the office. She sat down on Doyle’s lap and gave him her sweetest smile. “Besides you, of course.”

Angel smothered a laugh and Doyle frowned at them both. “Now, now, Cordelia, I thought we agreed that ye’d not be insultin’ me until *after* the weddin’,” he protested.

“You mean until after the wedding *night,*” Cordy teased.

“Ye haven’t had enna complaints so far,” Doyle returned easily, knowing full well that his fiancée didn’t mean a word of what she said.

“Yeah, but I’ve heard that married men tend to get lazy. You better not, or I’ll have Dennis freeze your feet at night,” she threatened.

“Ye’re not invitin’ the ghost ta live wit us,” Doyle stated firmly.

“What are you talking about?” Cordelia asked incredulously. “*You’re* moving in with *us.* I’m not kicking Dennis out just because I’m gaining another roommate. That was his home long before either of us were born. He stays.”

“Cordelia,” Doyle groaned. She glared. “All right, all right, but he stays *out* of our room,” he caved. Cordelia smiled cheerily.

“So, what’s going on at Angel Investigations?” she asked. “Anyone hopeless need helping? Any big bad evil popping up to scare us?”

“Just yer mother,” Doyle muttered under his breath. Cordelia maintained her sunny smile as she brought her palm up and smacked Doyle across the back of the head. “Ow!” he complained.

“Make another crack about my mother, and I’ll crack something of yours that you cherish dearly,” she said sweetly. Doyle and Angel simultaneously grimaced and shifted their legs. “Speaking of Mother, she wanted me to take you to the groom’s shop today. Something about getting your jacket sized.”

“Cordelia,” Doyle groaned. “The weddin’ is months away. What if I were ta get all fat between now an’ then? Fittin’s would be a waste right now.”

“Eww! You better *not* get fat, or this wedding will be off quicker than you can say ‘Jenny Craig,’ ” Cordelia exclaimed.

“But don’t ye love me no matter what I look like?” Doyle asked, gazing into her eyes.

“Yes,” she admitted reluctantly. “But I will so *not* have sex with you if you’re rolling more than the Stones. So you don’t want to get fat anyway.”

Angel stood up and their attention was diverted away from each other. “Doyle, I’m going to go do some preliminary work on that case Kate asked about, so you’re free to go get your jacket fitted.”

Doyle pleaded with his eyes, but Angel pretended not to notice as he turned away. Cordelia stood up, pulling Doyle with her, and he sighed. “We’re eatin’ at Jake’s when we get done with the fittin’,” he stated stubbornly.

“No we’re not. We’re meeting Mother and Wesley at Chez Luc,” she corrected him as they left Angel’s apartment.

“Okay,” Doyle agreed with another sigh, realizing that there was no use in arguing. Walking along hand-in-hand with Cordelia, he wondered if their entire marriage would be based on him obeying her commands. Shrugging, he decided it really didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to give her up for any reason.