Standing in the crowded Logan airport waiting for her friend, Buffy was nearly jumping up and down with excitement. She needed to see him. She loved all her friends, but there was a special little something that Doyle gave her that she needed. He just made her feel good. She figured that perhaps it was because he was the only straight guy that had never hit on her and for that reason; her trust in him grew and grew to immeasurable heights.
When she saw the people filing out, she clapped her hands together excitedly and when she saw his black hair, and then his blue eyes, she pushed her way through the throng to get to him.
“Buffy!” he exclaimed excitedly when he saw her, smiling broadly, lighting up his whole face.
“Doyle!”
When she finally got to him, she threw herself in his arms, hugging him tightly. “I missed you so much,” she gushed.
He laughed, “I missed you too, lass. I’m sorry I missed your arrival back.”
“Hey, I know how important it is for you to visit the mother country once in a while,” she grinned. “How is Ireland these days?”
“Perfect, and Boston?”
“Could be better.”
Doyle groaned. “Already?”
“Already.”
“Come on, lass. We’ll get my luggage and you can tell Doyle all about it.”
“Why do you talk about yourself in the third person?” Buffy asked, giggling and linking arms with him as they headed for baggage claim.
“I reckon it makes me sound important, that’s why. You tell me, Doctor Summers, Professor of English.”
She laughed, “It sounds pretentious to me.”
“Pretentious is kind of like important.”
“Yes, but when you’re pretentious, it’s usually just all in your head.”
“Lass, you’ve known for a while that I’ve had delusions of grandeur.”
“This is true.”
“So, catch me up.”
“Ah, Doyle, I don’t want to…you just got off a plane, just came back from vacation. Why do you want to hear my drama?”
“Why not just jump right in the thick of it, eh?”
Buffy giggled, “It’s just one of my stupid misadventures…”
“Yeah, but it’s upset you a bit, yes?”
“Yeah,” she agreed sadly.
“So, tell me.”
“All right,” she said on a sigh. “You asked for it.”
“Damn,” Doyle said when she was done and they were on their way to his apartment via cab. “How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Find the drama. Does it find you, or do you look for it?”
Buffy giggled, “It finds me. And then sometimes I walk into it. I never go looking for it…well…”
“All right, this is what we’re going to do.”
“I’m all ears.”
“We’re detoxing the drama right out of you.”
Buffy quirked a brow. “How?”
“No men.”
“I’ve already figured that, Doyle.”
“Well, I’m stressing it. Seriously, Buffy, you need a break.”
“I know,” Buffy sighed.
“Work and your friends. Find a hobby. Write that book you keep talking about.”
“Not like I don’t have a lot to write about,” she muttered.
“I’m not trying to pass judgment on you.”
“I know.”
“I’m just concerned is all.”
“I know.”
“Buffy…those things he saw in you, you know before he insulted you? He was right. You are brilliant and sweet and you are a good girl. You just somehow make horrendous choices.”
“Way to make me feel good, Doyle.”
“I’m not…I’m sorry. But it’s true.”
“I know it is, I just…God! I just wanted…I wanted him to be the guy, you know? The Guy.”
“The chances of finding a guy in a one-night stand are slim to none.”
“Doyle, you’re not helping.”
“I’m sorry, but he’s an asshole!”
“Yeah, but you’re making me feel like one!”
Doyle sighed. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make you feel like one. You’re not an asshole, I just…I just want you to be happy, Buffy and you haven’t been for quite some time.”
“You don’t know the half of it.”
“I know some, but not all. Enough to tell me that you’re not happy and that you don’t want to live the crazy lifestyle anymore.”
“I haven’t wanted to for some time.”
“So then what happened?”
“Spike.”
“He single-handedly fucked it all up for you?”
“Yeah, imagine that,” she said dryly.
“He must be some guy.”
“He is…was.”
“Well, fuck him. Put him out of your head.”
“I’m trying.”
“Look, here’s what it comes down to. You’ve got a great new job, you’re back in Boston which is your home, you’re with us, your friends, again, you’ve got what you’ve said is a fabulous new apartment. You’re smart, sexy, and you do have a head on your shoulders, and a big heart to boot. You’re worth all those things you want, Buffy. You just have to start believing it.”
Buffy started to tear up. I know, I just…I guess I just want to feel…loved.”
Doyle cupped the side of her face and looked at her, searchingly. “You are loved, Buffy. Just got to learn to love yourself a bit more, yes?”
She nodded, the tears spilling down her cheeks.
“You know what?”
“What?”
“I’m so proud of you for nearly lopping his dick off.”
Buffy giggled and pulled back, resting her head on the back of the seat. “I am too. I couldn’t help it. The angrier I got, the more I squeezed.”
“I really like the bit where you told him he couldn’t please one woman, too.”
Buffy giggled. “You want to write these down for later?”
“I might. Get car sick, you know, can’t do it here.”
Leaning across the car, Buffy rested her head on her friends shoulder and wrapped an arm about him. “I’m so glad you’re home.”
“I’m glad you’re home too,” Doyle whispered and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Two months later
“Doyle?” Buffy called from her bedroom.
“Yeah?” Doyle called back, flipping through one of her books.
“I’m pregnant.”
Doyle’s head popped up from the book he was perusing. “What?”
“I’m pregnant.”
Jumping up, Doyle bounded into her now fully furnished bedroom. “Buffy…you came in here to get a jacket. How did you get pregnant from that?”
Buffy sat on the edge of her bed, a pregnancy stick in her hand, and she was staring at it. “I went to the bathroom too,” she said, nodding towards her bathroom.
“And just decided to take a pregnancy test before we went to dinner? Why? To see if you could have wine or not?”
“Because I haven’t gotten my period in over a month.”
Doyle’s eyes bugged. “And you’re just now checking?”
“Well it’s not unusual for me to not get it for a month, and I just remembered…”
Doyle narrowed his eyes. “Remembered what Buffy?”
“That I hadn’t used protection with Spike,” she said so softly he had to strain to hear her.
“You just now remembered?”
“Well, okay, that’s a lie, but I was thinking with the stress and all…it was just a fluke.”
“Aren’t you on the pill? Why aren’t you on the pill?”
“I ran out before I moved and just never bothered to get it filled since I was coming back here…”
“Jesus Christ, Buffy!”
“Stop yelling at me!”
“I know a great doctor in my building, he’s an OBGYN, you’re going to see him. I will get you his number, hell I’ll make the appointment for you.”
“Doyle…”
“What?”
“I’m scared.”
Doyle sat down next to her, “I know you are, Buffy, I know you are. What do you want to do?”
“I can’t get rid of it, Doyle, you know that. I already did that once and I can’t do it again.”
“I know.”
“But I’m scared.”
Doyle pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll be here every step of the way, Buffy. “
“Thank you,” she murmured, burying her face in his shoulder.
“Are you…are you going to tell Spike?”
She looked up at him, her brilliant green eyes meeting his. “No.”