Title: The Heart He Gave Back to Me
Author: Rebecca Michelle
Fan fiction based on the WB television series Angel. All characters 
other than Anna belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy Productions, Warner 
Brothers and/or Twentieth Century Fox, including Doyle. Anna, 
introduced in The Oathbreaker, is the original creation of the author.



Cordelia walked in and gave Doyle his clothes. His eyes
were red, she could tell he'd been crying, but didn't
know what to say to him. She walked over to Angel,
thankful that Doyle was still caught up in his
thoughts.

Thankful, and maybe a little jealous of this girl who
Doyle obviously cared a great deal about. She handed
Angel what looked like a book wrapped in brown paper,
it had FOR ANGEL ONLY written on it. "I found this in
her car."

He turned it over in his hands and then looked at
Doyle.

"Take him home, or better yet take him back to your
place," he said softly to Cordelia."Try not to let him
dwell on it too much."

Cordelia walked over to Doyle and touched his
arm. "Doyle, why don't you take me home."

After they had left Angel went to his place and sat
down at the kitchen table. He unwrapped the book almost
reverently. How many years had she seen? he thought in
awe. When he opened the book a note fell out.


Angel,

This is my life story, such that it is. I've been
writing it for awhile.

I wasn't really sure why until now. Maybe it will help
Doyle, maybe it won't. I don't profess to know. I'm
leaving that up to your discretion. When he's ready
give it to him, if he's never ready send it to Rupert
Giles. He's actually the reason I wrote this. He has so
many questions regarding the four of us. I also thought
you'd like to know more about me. About me and Doyle.

I'm sure I left more questions than answers. Don't let
Doyle go to the Oracles for me, they'll get angry. Once
again I've gone my own way for my own reasons. They
never seem to like that. I have one regret where you
are concerned, I regret not getting to know you better.
Anyone that can get Doyle out of the bottle and into
life deserves some reward.

It's something not even I could do completely. Some
might even say I contributed to it. Don't let him crawl
back.

Anna


Angel opened the book again and was only mildly
surprised to see a table of contents. He turned to the
section marked Doyle and began to read.



It was the summer of 1996 when the Oracles told me to
find a half-demon named Allan Francis Doyle. They
hadn't given me a lot of clues, but they're like that
most of the time. I knew he had done something the
powers thought they could exploit, either that or I was
supposed to kill him. Why else send me to find him?
When I arrived in Dublin it didn't take me long to find
him, not a lot of places to hide really. After I found
him I waited for the Oracles to give me further
instructions. I was a little irritated when I got them.
My orders were to get him to agree to work for the
powers. I didn't understand why they were sending a
warrior to acquire a messenger. True, I had known other
warriors who had been given this task, Alex had been
exceptionally good at it, but I wasn't, not really. I
have neither the charm nor the patience Alex did. I
followed him for a few days, to get a feel for him so
to speak. I could tell he was into drinking, gambling,
and really good at running. He ran from everything,
debts, women, life. I had a feeling this was not going
to be easy.

I followed Doyle for almost a month before I approached
him for the first time. I think one of the reasons was
because he was so closed. He had shut himself off from
everything except drinking, gambling, and anything else
to put him further down the hole he was digging for
himself. One thing I can say for him is he never did
anything harder than drink alcohol. I approached him
one night at his local pub. I sat down next to him and
ordered my drink of choice, Scottish whiskey. I downed
two doubles before I turned to him.

"George Best was shit at football. He had nothing on
Kenny Dalglish."

He turned and looked at me like I had just said the
moon was made of cheese.

Which in a way I had. I didn't know how else to get him
out from behind the wall he had built around himself.
What better way than to disparage one of Ireland's
greatest footballers. I am of course talking about real
football, not that strange game the colonists play.
Well, no Irishman would put up with that. I also had a
feeling that Best may hold a special place in Doyle's
heart, all that potential, all that talent wasted at
the bottom of a bottle.

This was the first conversation I ever had with Doyle.

"Ya've got t' be jokin wit' me." Doyle said."How can
you compare a master wit' a journeyman?"

"Are you calling Dalglish a journeyman? Best was a
boozer, he couldn't keep his hands off the birds."

"So he drank a little, he was still the best no.7 Man
United will ever have."

"What about that new kid coming through what's his
name, Beckham, he may be English but he has potential."

"He's a tosser he'll never challenge Best as United's
greatest midfielder."

"What about Denis Law then, or if you want to stick
with Irish how about Roy Keane."

"Roy Keane's a hardman, Best was flair."

We went on like that for most of the night, he'd say an
Irish player, I'd say a Scottish one who I thought was
better. It's something we argue about to this day even
though I told him I never really thought Best was shit,
but he was a boozer. The argument did have its
advantages I knew he wouldn't let it end in a stalemate
which it inevitably did. He invited me to his flat and
of course I graciously accepted. I had fought demons
galore but this one half-demon Irishman was to be the
hardest task I was ever given. I don't remember how
many passes he made that night, every time he did I
just poured a couple more drinks. Sleeping with him was
not the way to get to him, others had tried that route
and failed miserably, but honestly I didn't know how to
go about it.

Fighting evil has its advantages. It's a lot bloody
easier. Somehow I managed to convince him I was as down
on my luck as he was. After that first night he offered
me the use of his couch, I think in part because he was
shocked I could match him drink for drink. His place
wasn't much, it reflected him in many ways, they had
both seen better days. Even then he was bloody
charming, smelly, but charming. I think he had lost
count of how many bookies he owed money to, I know I
did.

It was a little more than a week later when I saw him
have a vision for the first time. It was horrible to
watch him go through that. When it was over he looked
at me daring me to say something but I couldn't. The
pain in his eyes was more than I could bear. Words had
abandoned me. All I really wanted to do was to take him
in my arms and comfort him. Try and take some of his
pain away. I understood why i had felt so close to him
in such a short time. I too felt pain like that. I knew
what it was to have everything ripped away, to lose
everything, and not know how to face it. I wanted to do
anything I could to ease his suffering but I knew
whatever I said or whatever I did he would take it as
pity. So I did nothing. I poured him another drink and
turned back to the card game we had been playing.

"Come on Doyle. I just put down a tenner, throw in
yours or fold. One of us has to go out we're runnin
low."

"I'll see your tenner,"he said shaken and a little
grateful,"and I'll raise you five quid."

"Okay show em to me. I have a pair of eights."

"Read em and weep. A full house."

"Then its your turn to go stock up. Doyle this time
remember its about quantity not quality."

"But if ya get quality,darlin, ya don't need quantity."

"Whatever, I trust you."

When I said this he stumbled a little, shook his head
and left. I couldn't believe had said it myself. I only
trusted one other person still living and that was
Caelan. As soon as I said it though I knew I meant it.
I'm a real believer in the fact that people don't
change, that people always stay true to their nature.
It wasn't in me to trust people so soon, but I did. He
has what he calls an unpretentious kinda charm. He
means it as a joke. But when you spend a lot of time
around demons who have a rather high opinion of
themselves, charm like Doyle has is refreshing. We
spent several weeks like that, drinking, playing poker,
getting comfortable with one another, but not really
getting to know each other. Until that fateful day he
caught a cold. I still think the powers had something
to do with it. Maybe they thought I was taking too
long, maybe they were right. I was enjoying myself with
Doyle and I like to think he was finally emerging from
the funk he was in. Needless to say it was a bit hard
for him to hide the fact that he wasn't completely
human. Every time he sneezed his demon face would pop
out, and he did a lot of sneezing.

"I think you should go, Anna." He said between sneezes.

"Why, because you're a demon?"

"HALF. I'm half demon."

"Which means you're half human."

"Dincha hear me, can't you," *SNEEZE* "see this." And he
kept his demon face on, to frighten me I think.

"Oh Doyle, do you think I've lived with you this long
and not known?"

That shocked him out of the demon face.

"I know Doyle. I've known from the very beginning. Why
do you think I started talking to you that night at
Fitzgeralds?"

"You, you knew?"

"Are you listening. I KNEW, Doyle! I know and I didn't
run screaming, I didn't feel pity for poor, pathetic
little half-demon Doyle. Get over yourself."

"But I'm half DEMON."

"Doyle, what do you think I am?"

"I thought I knew, but now...I don't know."

"I'm a demon, Doyle. Once a long, looong time ago I was
human but I was chosen along with three others to
become something more."

"You're a demon?"

"Relatively harmless, I assure you. Have another drink,
I know I need one."

We sat there for awhile. I knew he needed time to get
everything straight in his mind.

"I'm a....I'm a monster."He said finally.

"Doyle, look at me, am I a monster?"

"You don't,"SNEEZE,"have this face either."

"What's on the outside has no bearing on the MAN you
are inside. How many people have you killed Doyle? How
many? Monsters do that, they kill people for no other
reason than that they can. How many people have you
destroyed?

Taken everything they loved, everything they held dear
for the sheer pleasure of witnessing the pain that you
can inflict? These are the things that monsters do. You
are not a monster Doyle. You're a drunk, you're a bad
gambler. You could also use a shower, but those aren't
reasons to call yourself a monster."

"I've done things. things I'm not proud of. You
wouldn't understand."

"I understand a lot more than you think I do."

"How could you? You say I haven't destroyed anybody but
I destroyed two people's lives. You say I haven't
killed anybody but I have.

Maybe I didn't spill their blood myself, but I killed
them all the same. How could you ever understand that?"

"I'll tell you if you'll listen, but then you have to
tell me your story."

"I'd like to hear it. I'll tell you."

"When I was 22 I was taken from my family, I was chosen
because I was one of the four best warriors in my clan.
We were taken to the top of a mountain they, I guess
you'd call them sorcerers, we called them wise ones,
performed a ritual that changed us. They called forth
four demon spirits to anchor themselves in our bodies.
When I went up the mountain I was normal, I was human.
When I came down my own brother was afraid of me. They
struck our names from all the clan records, forced us
to live apart from them. They were afraid of us, we all
took oaths, but they were afraid of the power we had.
They weren't above using us for their own needs, but
they feared us. There is nothing more important to a
Highland Scot than clan."

"Why did they do it?"

"A few clansmen had killed a few demons, causing the
demons to send an army against the clan. Men were
dying, they thought they had to fight fire with fire.
Faced with the destruction of the clan, or the
destruction of our humanity, well, I'm sure you can
figure out which choice they made."

"They didn't ask you?"

"Of course they asked us, maybe you'd call us fools but
we agreed. The clan was in danger,four warriors no
matter how good are never more important than the clan.
We took the oaths, we made the journey, we just didn't
truly know the consequences."

"What oaths did you take?"

"I swore to protect the clan. I swore to protect
innocents, and never do them harm. I swore to serve the
powers that ruled the world. I swore to destroy evil in
whatever form it took."

"You have always been good, I told you you wouldn't
understand."

"You don't know the whole story. We four fought that
army, we went and hunted down evil. We did it for more
years than you'd believe. We became our own clan. But
one day in 1676 we were called to protect a young witch
who had great potential. The powers wanted her to work
for good. So the four of us went to protect her until
she came into her full power. They said she was an
important part of a plan to seriously hurt the powers
of hell. We decided that Alessandro should be the one
to contact her."

"Alessandro isn't a Scottish name."

"No it's not, Alex was Roman, that's a story for
another time. We knew Alex could get her to trust him,
what we didn't count on was her falling in love with
him."

"That was bad?"

"That was the worst thing that could have happened
short of her death.

Alex loved me and I loved him we had been soulmates
before we were changed.

When he told her his affections lay elsewhere she got
very angry, you know how witches can get. She cast a
spell to send his soul to the netherworld. I begged the
powers to bring him back but they refused,
they sent me on my way to protect the little witch."

"They expected you to protect her, after she had sent
the man you loved to the nether regions?"

"Aye, they did. Apparently she was quite important to
them."

"What did you do?"

"I killed her, and then I killed her family. I killed
everyone they sent against me. One by one I broke all
the oaths I had taken, until it was easier walking with
evil than fighting the evil in myself. I was a monster,
I did all the things that monsters do and I did them
with a song in my heart and a smile on my lips. I was a
monster, that is how I know you aren't."

"But you're not evil now."

"No I was captured in 1710 by Lochlainn and Caelan,
they were part of the four, they had a mortal send me
to hell."

"But you're here now."

"I spent several years in hell until the powers decided
I had suffered enough, that I was sufficiently
contrite. They pulled me out, I took my oaths again.
Now I fight to in some way atone for the evil I did."

"Can you atone for it?"

"I believe so, yes."

"I was 21 when my demon side manifested. I was married.
I was in love and I was really, really happy. When I
found out I wasn't entirely human I couldn't accept it.
I started pushing people away. I wasn't always the
stereotypical drunken Irishman that I am today. I never
touched the stuff before then. I had had such big
plans. Harry 'n me, we were gonna have a big family, be
the best parents, we were gonna be married forever. I
taught 3rd grade and I was good at it. When this
happened I got angry. Everything I knew, it was all
lies. When Harry looked at me instead of love like I
had seen before, I saw pity and shame. She was ashamed
of what I had become. I was ashamed of it. I started
drinkin', stayin' out all night. I let her think I was
wit' other women. I never did but I let her think it. I
came home after a two day binge and she was gone. I
couldn't blame her, i was only surprised she had stayed
as long as she did. I sold what I could, and started
betting on just about everything. When I lost I'd
borrow money to pay 'em and then I'd conveniently
forget and place a bet wit' somebody else. I shagged
just about every tart that crossed my path.

But that wasn't the worst thing I did. I was visited by
another Bracken demon by the name of Lucas." He stopped
and took a long drink from the bottle in front of
him."I've never told this to anybody."

I walked over and sat next to him and put my hand in
his.

"You can stop now if you want."

"No. I...I want to tell you. This Lucas he just showed
up out of the blue so to speak. I still hadn't accepted
it, bein half demon. I wasn't ready for any family
obligations with the more colorful branch of the family
tree. He said he needed help, he and his family were in
trouble. The Scourge was huntin' them. Do you know who
the Scourge are?"

I nodded."I've run into em a time or two."

"I turned him away. I refused to help him. That's when
I got the visions. I thought I was having a coronary.
You've seen me have a vision, it feels a hell of a lot
more painful than it looks. I saw Lucas butchered,
surrounded by other Brackens. Men, women, children all
dead. Dead because I punked out.

I went to the place I saw in my vision, I had to know
if it was real or just the booze messin wit' my head.
It was real alright. I could have done something. I
should've tried to help them. I got other visions,
always of somebody in trouble.

All I did was get pissed. Sometimes I'd hear what
happened to the people in the visions I saw. None of it
was ever good. I still didn't want to get involved. I
may not have killed anybody, but I've let enough people
die. People I probably could have saved. Their blood is
on my hands."

I reached over and put my arms around him and stroked
his hair.

"Doyle, they won't go away. The visions. They won't go
away."

He buried his face in my hair."I know, I've been
picklin' my brain for almost two years and the visions
still keep coming."

I just held him close to me. We sat there like that for
a few minutes and then he began to cry. I knew he
needed to do it. He had to get it out of his system. It
was heartbreaking. He was finally letting out all the
shame and guilt he had built up for the past two years.

"I'm something worse than a monster," he whispered,"I'm
a coward."

Nothing I said would get through to him. I could feel
his body shaking against mine. I held him closer, but
nothing worked. I pulled away from him a little, I took
his face in my hands and looked into his eyes. He kept
whispering,"I'm a coward, I'm a coward." So I did the
only thing I could think of. I kissed him, softly at
first but then he started returning them.

He picked me up and carried me over to the bed.

"Are you sure? I'd understand if you wanted t' stop."

"Shut up, Doyle."

I grabbed his shirt and pulled him onto the bed with
me. We made love for hours, and let me tell you what
they say about Bracken demons and stamina, well, Doyle
has it in spades. Afterwards he held me in his arms and
for the first time since Alex died I felt close to
someone.

"Anna, I think I'm fallin' in love with you. You have
to know that a part of me will always love Harry."
"I...I...I think I love you too Doyle. but I'll always
love Alex. It's like the Poe poem 'Nothing will ever
sever my soul from the soul of the beautiful Annabel
Lee.' Alex is my Annabel Lee."

"We are a pair, aren't we."

"That we are."

"I think the fates sent you to me."

"They did."

"Remind me to thank them."

"I will."

We fell asleep in each other's arms that night as we
did for several nights after. I don't know if Doyle
realizes that I had needed him as much as he had needed
me. It wasn't long before he got another vision.

Instead of ignoring it or trying to drink it away, he
told me about it. There was a vampire in town. He did
his part, I had to do mine. I went and staked the vamp
and he stayed at the flat. It was strange for me I had
never had a messenger before. I had been consecrated
directly to the powers therefore I had always gotten my
orders directly from them. I understood why, he needed
somebody he could trust to help him come to terms with
things. After I staked the vampire I knew it was time
for Doyle to go and see the Oracles.

On the way back I bought an offering for him to take
them. When I walked in he was drinking.

"I just had th' strangest vision."

"Somebody else in trouble?" I was shocked I had just
gotten orders to send him to the Oracles why give him
another vision.

"It was me. I got th' impression I had to go see some
sparkly people, and if I didn't somethin' bad was gonna
happen."

"The ones you saw in the vision are the Oracles. They
are the voice of the powers."

"What do they want wit' me?"

"They are the ones who gave you the visions."

"Do I get t' give em back?"

"It is a great gift they gave you."

"If you see head-splittin', mind-numbin', nauseating
visions as a gift."

"They gave you the gift of atonement. It's your way to
find redemption, maybe your only way. If you want it."
"What do I have t' do?"

"Come with me."

As we walked I handed him the offering I had bought.

"What is this? It looks expensive."

"It was."

"Is this real?"

"Yes Doyle it is. Real gold, real emeralds, it's all
real."

"This must've cost a fortune."

"Only a small one."

"How can you afford this?"

"No one is what they appear to be, Doyle, you should
know that. When you go in, the first thing, offer the
ring to the woman."

"Aren't you coming?"

"No, Doyle, you have to do this alone."

When we arrived at the gateway to the Oracles I could
tell he was nervous.

He looked like a naughty little boy called before his
school's headmaster, which in a way he was.

"Come on, Doyle, I'll go in with you but if they make
me leave don't say I didn't warn you."

We walked into the place of the Oracles, Doyle held out
the offering and it flew into the woman's hands.

"Your offering is acceptable Allen Francis Doyle. As is
yours, Anna."

When she said that Doyle looked at me with a
questioning gleam in his eyes.

I felt like kicking her.

"Thank you, Oracle, it is my duty and honor to serve.
The half demon Doyle wishes to speak to the voice of
the powers, if it pleases them."

"Formality, Anna? After all these years."

"I felt it appropriate for the situation. I have never
before brought an offering this worthy."

"Step forward, Allen Francis Doyle. Step forward and be
heard."

Doyle took a step forward and I took a step back.

"So you're th' ones that gave me these visions?"

"We are."

"Your th' ones that sent Anna t' me?"

"We are."

"Thanks."

That shook them up a little. Not many people are lining
up to thank the Oracles. They tend to get what they
want a lot in ways that people are more likely to curse
them rather than thank them.

"Your gratitude is an offering even more worthy than
this trinket."She said,"Why do you seek the Oracles?"

"I come to seek atonement for the sins I have
committed."

"Atonement cannot be given freely,"the man said," why
do you think you are worthy."

I can admit it now but I was nervous if Doyle said the
wrong thing all hopes of his ever finding atonement
would be dashed. I have to add that I can't stand that
male Oracle. The woman seems to understand but he
always acts as if he has something more important to do
and you're interrupting. But Doyle surprised me, and
them, I think.

"I don't think I'm worthy, but I'd like to be."

"You accept the visions you are given?" The woman
asked.

"I don't seem t' have much choice."

That was the Doyle I knew.

"There are always choices,"she said,"now is the time
for you to make yours. The visions can be returned. Do you accept them?"

"I accept the visions so that I may in some small way
atone for the harm I allowed to happen."

"Will you be a messenger for the powers?"

"Do I have to go out and kill demons like Anna?"

"The one you call Anna is a warrior. Her calling is not
your calling. You are to be a messenger to use your
visions to instruct warriors intheir fight."

"I'll be your messenger and help, what was it you said,
the one I call Anna."

"You do not pick your warrior,"the man said with
distaste,"the powers will send you were you are
needed."

"I don't understand."

"That is obvious,"the man retorted.

He began to say something else but the woman silenced
him with a touch.

"We will allow you to stay with this warrior for a
short time, so you may learn what is necessary of a
messenger. Know this now, your time with her will be
short, use it wisely. Leave us now."

As we were walking back he looked at me.

"Well?" He said.

"Well what?"

"When were you gonna tell me that you only came here
and spent all this time with me because they told you
to?"

I stopped and grabbed his arm forcing him to stop and
turn toward me.

"They sent me here to find you I can't deny that. I was
ordered to tell you why you had the visions and what
that meant. Everything else I did, I did because I
wanted to. Not because anybody forced me to, but
because I wanted to. Nobody told me to trust you, but I
do. No one told me to fall for you, but I did."

He put his hand on the side of my face and looked into
my eyes. His eyes searched mine, and they did that
thing that always fascinates me. They seemed to change
color shifting between the blue that was his own to a
green I knew to be a reflection of mine. The powers
know how I love his eyes.

"This is all happening so fast, I'm glad they sent you
to me. How can you look so young yet have such pain and
understanding in your eyes?"

I took his hand in mine and started walking again.

"I could ask the same of you. Come on let's go to
Fitzgeralds I need a drink or two."

"Sounds brilliant to me. Tell me why you're the one I
call Anna."

"I've lived a long time and had many names. Anna is
just the latest."

"What is your real name?"

"Do you know names have power? Knowing the true name of
someone gives you power over them."

"I didn't know that."

"My name, my true name is Kiara."

We got to Fitzgerald's and sat down. I had a few drinks
but he only had one with his dinner. He was changing.

"I can give you a summoning spell, use it with the name
I gave you and I will know you need me and come to you,
wherever you are."

"I'd like that."

Three months later a warrior named Vieri came to claim
Doyle as his messenger.

"You have my messenger,"he said.

"He went out for a minute, he'll be back soon, tell me
where you're staying, we'll be there."

"You are the one demons call the Hunter?"

"I am the one."

"I have heard of you."

"Obviously."

"It would be great honor if you would accompany us to
America."

"The colonies? I think not. You're taking my messenger,
don't expect me to thank you for that."

"He is MY messenger."

I gave him the V sign and told him to leave the name of
his hotel. He left rather reluctantly. It's bloody hard
being a legend. You can't really live up to
expectations.

I wanted to run away with Doyle, forget all about honor
and obligation. But I knew I couldn't, we were both
promised elsewhere.

Doyle returned and I sat him down with a drink.

"It's time for you to go, Doyle."

"What?"

"A warrior has come to claim you."

"I'm not some bloody piece of lost luggage."

"We both knew this was coming."

"I just didn't know it would be so soon. What if I
don't go?"

"When you agreed to be a messenger you agreed to go
where they sent you.

With whoever they sent you. Here, take this, your
warrior's name is Vieri, that's where he's staying.
This is the summoning spell. My name goes in the blank
space, you can understand why I didn't add it. This is
the number of my accountant in Paris, his name is
Arsene. If you need money or anything, call him, he has
instructions to help you. He'll ask you who sent you,
tell him Alana gave you the number. I don't know
anything about this Vieri but I have heard some don't
use their immortality in the same financially
beneficial way that I do. I took the liberty of packing
you a bag. Go, Doyle, I have my own orders to be
about."

He took the things I gave him, got up, and stood by his
bag.

"I guess this is it then."

I got up, walked over and put my arms around him.

"This isn't it, Doyle. This is not the end of our story
only the beginning of a new chapter, for both of us. If
you ever need me, I'll be there. I promise you that."

He left and I drank. Things went back to the way they
were before Doyle. The only difference was, I had
changed. He had changed me.


I know he doesn't realize what he did for me. The world
today has changed so much, it is unrecognizable as the
world I knew for so long. He helped me connect to it.
I've been criticized for not trying to get him to stop
drinking, but as I sit here writing this, a bottle on
one side and an oft refilled glass on the other, it
would have been a little hypocritical.

I haven't seen Doyle for a while, he calls and tells me
where he is and what he is doing. Of course I always
know already, but he doesn't know that. There is no
easy way to tell somebody that you keep tabs on them to
keep them safe. I don't want to be found wanting again.
I don't want what I let happen to Alex happen to Doyle.

I honestly don't know what I would become if I lived in
a world without Doyle in it. I know he's safe in LA
working with Angelus, odd how the monster I knew is
replaced with such a strong warrior for good. I'll
never forget or be able to repay Doyle for the things
he taught me. That love and caring aren't always
weakness, and something more important that I had
forgotten long ago. There is more to life than killing
and death.

He's never called Arsene, nor has he ever used the
summoning spell. But I know, in the heart Doyle gave
back to me, that I'll be there if he ever needs me,
whether he calls or not. Every night I raise a glass
and toast, "To Doyle."