Title: The Long Road Home
Author: Alysonfan/Melissa
Summary: Joss-god was on another bad acid trip when he killed 
Doyle. This is Melissa's answer to that situation. 



It was a rainy midnight in Los Angeles when Angel's supernatural
hearing first picked up the faint tapping at the door. As he got
closer, he could smell that whoever was on the other side of the
door was injured badly, and moved even more quickly when he
registered who the smell belonged to.

He opened the door to the pouring rain, and the man on the other
side fell through the doorway, landing on the floor with a soft
moan. Angel turned him over gently, wincing at the burns on his
face and hands. Blue eyes opened with great effort, and a barely
recognizable voice rasped, "Angel..."

"Easy- you're safe now," Angel said softly. "Welcome back,
Doyle."

Doyle blacked out from the pain.

Cordelia Chase rolled over with a groan as the phone rang, and
glanced at her clock. 12:30 AM.

"Hello?" she said sleepily.

"Cordelia, it's Angel. Doyle's back. He's been hurt pretty badly.
His hands..."

"I'll be right there," she said, jumping out of bed and throwing
on a pair of designer slacks and a cream blouse, and quickly
running a brush through her hair.

She'd dreamed about this moment for weeks, keeping alive the hope
that Doyle might be able to return from wherever he was. She just
hoped it hadn't been Hell-from what Angel had revealed, Hell was
a pretty nasty place. Grabbing her purse and an umbrella, she ran
out the door.

Angel opened the door to his apartment below the agency, and
said, "He's in and out of consciousness-he's been asking for
you."

"Is he- okay?" Cordelia asked, a little breathlessly.

"He'll live, but his hands will be scarred," Angel said. "I was
able to get the name of a doctor who treats demons, and he gave
him some antibiotic cream and painkillers. More than anything
else, he just needs rest and quiet for several weeks." He paused
at the door to the bedroom. "The painkillers are strong- he'll be
pretty out of it."

"I just need to see him," Cordelia said, and walked into the
dark, quiet bedroom. The pale, bandaged figure on the bed brought
tears to her eyes. She had never been good with sick people since
the death of her grandmother when she was six, but she forced
herself to approach the bed, and touched his cheek lightly.

"Doyle?" she asked softly.

"Cordelia," he whispered, with a ghost of a smile.

"You're alive," she said.

"You're not gonna hit me again, are you?" he said, and she bit
her lip to hold back the tears.

"I was so afraid you were dead," she said.

"I'm alive- I hurt too much to be dead," he replied weakly.

"I'm glad you're alive," she answered. "We need you alive. Me and
Angel both." She kissed him softly. "I love you, Doyle."

               ---------------------------------

The blinding pain of the migraine ended, and chained and burning
in the pit of Hell, Allen Francis Doyle smiled.

He was going home.

               ---------------------------------

A Month Later…

It was a rainy midnight in Los Angeles when Angel's supernatural
hearing first picked up the faint tapping at the door...


               ---------------------------------

                        The Beginning

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