A Noble Death

by: Lissa (Missy Brougher) 

Disclaimers: I don't own any of the Angel or Buffy characters. That's all Joss.
This doesn't start out Doyle and Cordelia, but don't worry, it is. 

Anya looked up as demons stormed into the room.
"Oh, no," she gasped.
Buffy jumped up into action. "We can't have a normal evening, can we?" She picked
up an ax. "Good thing I'm always prepared."
Anya smiled, satisfied. "Me too," she said, picking up a baseball bat.
Xander looked between the two of them. "I knew I forgot something," he said with
a grimace.
Spike rolled his eyes. "Here. I like using my hands better anyway." He tossed
Xander his weapon and jumped into battle.
Xander looked at the odd weapon in his hands.
"Maybe if I knew how to use it." He pressed at buttons that lined the gun. It made
weird noises but did nothing. He hit another button and something flew from the
gun. It hit a demon near Willow, exploding it.
Spike glared at him. "Watch the girl."
Xander nodded. "Trying." As the demons dropped all around him he continued to
fight with the gun. He glanced up to see the worst thing he could imagine.
Anya had her back to a demon. She didn't see the gun pointed at her head.
Xander ran in what felt like slow motion. He watched the demon pull the trigger and
jumped. "Anya!"
he yelled knocking her to the floor. He felt the searing pain that ripped through his
chest as they fell.
Buffy swung her ax at the demon, who was the only one left.
It sliced the demon's head off.
She dropped the ax to the floor and ran over.
"Xander!" she cried sinking to her knees beside Anya.
One look confirmed her worst thoughts. She covered her mouth with her hand and
looked away.
"Is he...is he...?" Willow whispered.
Spike grabbed her shoulders and turned her to look the other way. "Don't look."
Willow burst into tears, burying her face into Spike's shirt.
He looked at her uncomfortably for a second then hugged her back. "It'll be okay,
little witch."
Anya looked at the huge hole in Xanders chest.
"What did they shoot him with?!...that would have been me if he hadn't..." she
broke off her eyes welling with tears. "I've never felt this much pain... I don't think
I've ever inflicted this much pain. I think I'll cry now." The ex-demon cried her first
tears into the shirt of her dead love.

* * *

Xander fell crashing to the ground.
"Hey!" cried the man he almost fell on. "Watch where ye're fallin'."
Xander looked around confused.
The dark-haired man helped him stand. "It's weird but you'll get used to it...name's
Doyle by the way.
Actually it's Allan Francis Doyle but my friends call me Doyle. Well, they did until I
died..." he trailed off pondering that thought.
Xander looked at him in dismay. "Died?"
Doyle nodded. "Yep. Liquefied by a giant, shiny Christmas bulb. Damn the Scourge.
I miss me Cordy."
"Are you saying I'm dead?"
Doyle nodded. "I'd hope so if you're here.
Otherwise that was a really wrong turn you made in Kansas there. So. How'd the
Powers screw you over?"
"A demon shot me..." He trailed off recognizing the name. "Cordy?"
Doyle smiled fondly at the memory. "Ah. Cordelia Chase. What a challenge... if
we're going to start swapping stories about the living why don't we go get a drink.
Alcoholic of course."
Xander looked at him worriedly. "I'm not the legal age."
Doyle put an arm on Xander's back. "Where we are there is no legal age."
Xander stopped. "Where are we?"
Doyle shrugged. "In the realm of the Powers. See, there's like a waiting list. They
can't send you to heaven right away. They have other things to do so they give you a
number. You wait. The number they're on is always posted on the giant clock. You
can see it from everywhere. You still have a chance to rejoin the living. It's a small
chance but it's still there. But once your number is called you can never go back.
I'm 382 and you are?"
"846" Xander said automatically. He looked surprised. "How did I know that?"
Doyle rolled his eyes. "I'll explain it all."

* * *

Doyle sat down at the bar. "I'll have a margarita."
The bartender handed him his drink and turned to Xander.
"Original wine cooler?" he asked uncertainly.
"A woman's drink." Doyle commented as the bartender handed Xander his drink.
Xander reached for his wallet.
Doyle stopped him. "It's free when you're dead."
Xander put his wallet back into his pocket.
"Okay..."
They sat down in a secluded booth.
Doyle looked confused. "Kid, what's your name?"
"Xander."
Doyle gasped. "Xander as in..."
Xander nodded. "Cordelia's ex. Don't hit me."
Doyle chuckled taking a gulp of his drink. "I won't hit ye. You did some dirty things
to Cordy but she forgave you. She talked about you like a brother."
Xander looked pleased. "Really?"
Doyle nodded. "God, I miss being alive. I miss Cordelia. I miss the way she smells.
The way she talks. I even miss the way she would yell at me."
Xander looked at him pityingly. "There's nothing like ticking Cordelia Chase off. It
only turns her on more... tell me about the two of you."
Doyle shook his head. "Someone who actually cares.
That's a change...we met at Angel Investigations. You knew Angel, right? Vampire.
Had a bicentennial? We talked, became close. I was crazy about her from the start
but you know how stubborn Cordelia is when she's falling for someone she thinks is
a 'nerd'. Luck has it she realizes she likes me. She finds out about me being half
demon. Amazingly enough she still likes me so she tells me "Will you ask me out to
dinner already?""
Xander smiled. "Sounds like Cordy."
Doyle sighed sadly. "Angel ran up before I could.
The Scourge was going to kill everyone. They had a machine that could kill anything
with humanity. It was almost to full power. Angel was going to unplug it but
I couldn't watch him die so I hit him and took his place. I kissed Cordelia and died."
Xander took a sip of his drink. "She misses you."
Doyle looked up hopefully. "Yeah?"
Xander nodded. "She never told me what happened but she was shaken up. She
cried in front of me which I've never seen. Not even when she lost all her money.
She loved you in her own way."
Doyle looked into his drink sadly. "I loved her...
how did you die? You said a demon shot you but why?"
Xander sighed. "I'm friends with Buffy."
"The hurting slayer? Enough said."
Xander chugged his drink. "Anya, my girlfriend. She was a demon, Anyanka. This
demon was going to shoot her so I jumped in the way...does it get easier?"
Doyle shook his head sadly. "It only gets harder."

* * *

Cordelia sat on the office couch, tears running down her cheeks.
Wesley walked into the room. "Cordelia, good lord.
What's wrong?"
Cordelia muttered incoherently, waving a letter in her hand and motioning to the
flowers in her lap.
Wesley sat down next to her. "I can't understand you."
"Doyle." she whispered. "Today's my birthday. He sent me flowers." she sobbed.
Wesley took her hand. "Cordelia, he's dead. He couldn't have..."
Cordelia squeezed his hand. "It was a present. I called the florist. It was prepaid.
He ordered them two weeks before he died. It came with this letter..."
She opened it and reread it to herself.

Cordelia,
Happy Birthday. You've made it to 19. Our lives are so unstable that I didn't know
where I'd be. Plus if I forgot your birthday you'd kill me. Eh, Princess?
I just wanted you to know that no matter what happens between us or where I am, my
thoughts are with you today.
Love, 
Doyle

Rereading it she broke into a fresh round of tears.

Weslsy put an arm around her shoulder. "Come on.
I'll take you home."
Cordelia pulled away. "Where's Angel?" she asked like a frightened child.
Angel stepped up behind Wesley. "Right here." He knelt in front of her. "Cordelia,
let Wesley take you home. I would, but I don't want to burst into flames.
When the sun goes down I'll come and check on you. I want you to lie down, okay?"
She nodded and stood up. "Thanks."

* * *

Anya looked at the crying faces of Xander's friends.
Even Spike looked upset. "Wait! Stop crying." she said. "Xander's dead. That
doesn't mean anything."
Spike glared at her. "Have you lost your bloody mind? I don't have a soul and I
know better than that."
Anya jumped up with a grin on her face. "Nope."
Willow looked at her in puzzlement. "Maybe she's in shock."
Anya shook her head. "No. Not shock either." She grabbed Xander's feet and
began dragging him the door.
"Help me. Let's take him to Giles."
"Anya, stop!" Buffy cried. "What are you doing?!"
Anya sighed, dropping Xanders feet. "When I was a demon D'Hoffryn showed me
this spell. A revival spell.
If a person is still in limbo and hasn't passed on you can bring them back. I'm
doubting Xander got through this quick. Tale goes if a person dies a noble death for
others they may be able to come back. If someone on earth finds them worthy and
does the spell. I find Xander worthy so...let's go to Giles'. He has the supplies. I
have the knowledge."
Willow nodded. "I've heard of that. I never knew it could be carried out."
Anya nodded. "I can do it but I need your help. All of you. Now help me get him to
the car."
Buffy grabbed his arms. "Someone help me."
Spike grabbed his feet. "Power girl, try not to dent the boy."
Anya waved him off. "It doesn't matter. His body'll turn to the way it was before the
accident. We don't even need it."
Buffy groaned under the weight. "So why are we taking it?"
Anya shrugged. "We can't just leave it. Plus what if it gets lonely?"
Spike looked up a question in his eyes. "So does anyone care if I drag him?"

* * *

Wesley walked Cordelia into her apartment. As he walked her back to the bedroom
the door automatically opened. "Thanks, Dennis." Wesley said, pulling back the
covers. He helped her into bed. "Now, Cordelia, rest up-" He stopped as a blanket
fell over his head.
Cordelia laughed sadly. "Thanks, Dennis."
Wesley pulled the blanket off his head. "I think he wants you to have this." He lay it
on top of her other covers and pulled them up to her chin. He was hit in the back of
the head with a pillow, knocking his glasses to the bed. He grabbed the pillow and
handed it to Cordelia. He quickly put his glasses back on. "A warning would be
appreciated when throwing things." Another pillow was tossed to him and he caught
it. "That's better." He handed Cordelia the pillow.
"Get some sleep. I'll stay for awhile to watch over you. I'll be fine. I'll play scrabble
with Dennis."
Cordelia nodded. "Thank you."

* * *

Xander nudged Doyle's arm. "You know Cordelia and Anya are alike. They both
cause unbelievable pain to most men they come across."
Doyle chuckled. "How true is that. Why is it that the most deadly things are so
sweet?"
Xander shrugged. "It's a curse on guys like us....but then again it happened to
Angel so maybe it's just men in general."
"Heaven sounds great. "Doyle said with a sigh. "but it won't be the same without
Cordy. God, I want back."
Xander nodded. "I really miss Anya's blunt rudeness."

* * *

Anya chanted by Xander's body.
Giles looked at her uncertainly. "Are you sure this is going to work?"
Anya looked up in his eyes. "It has to." She began to chant in a duet with Willow
while Spike and Buffy lit candles and drew symbols on the floor.
Wind blew around the closed room and the ground began to shake.
Anya and Willow's eyes locked and they chanted louder.

* * *

Wesley sat idly at Cordelia's kitchen table. 
A cup of hot tea was slid across the table to him.
"Thanks," he said, sounding depressed.
The chair across the table from him slid out and he presumed Dennis had sat down.
"Poor Cordy," he
whispered so not to disturb her. He looked at her through the open bedroom door.
"She's really hurting over this guy, huh? Was he good?...He loved her, didn't he?"
Dennis was silent as usual but he didn't bang anything angrily so Wesley knew the
answer.
"Poor girl."
Cordelia began to fidget in her bed. She whined. Her whining turned into a sob.
Wesley sat up in his chair. "Is she awake?"
In her sleep Cordelia began to mumble. "Doyle." she sobbed. "Doyle." She kicked
frightenedly. "Doyle, no!" she cried out.
Wesley looked worriedly to where Dennis sat.
"Should I wake her?"

* * *

Doyle looked up at the clock. "My number's next. I don't want to go."
Xander looked at his hands not knowing what to say.
"I'm frightened, Xander. I don't want to go on. I want Cordy."
They were interupted by a man in a black robe.
"Alexander Harris?"
Xander nodded. "Yes?"
The man stood over their table. "You are being summoned in the world of the
living. You may return if you please. You must go to the Oracles." The man walked
away without another word.
Doyle looked at Xander jealously. "Go. Have a good life."
Xander stood to leave.
"Can you do me a favor?"
Xander looked at his new friend. "What?"
"Tell Cordelia that I love her."
Xander stared at the table for a moment then looked Doyle in the eye. "You tell
her."
Doyle looked at him confused. "What?"
"Tell her yourself." Xander stated. "You're coming back with me. I'm not going
without you."
Doyle shook his head. "Xander..."
"Get up. We're going to the Oracles."

* * *

Angel walked into Cordelia's room to see her kicking and screaming. Wesley was
holding her down trying to wake her up.
"Doyle!" she screamed. "Don't leave me!" 
Angel rushed over. "Cordelia!" He looked at Wesley.
"What's wrong with her?!"
Wesley shrugged. "I'm not sure."
"Don't leave me! Don't leave me!" She jumped awake her eyes wide and
frightened. She saw Angel and fell into his arms. "Angel."
"I'm here. I'm here." he said soothingly.
She cried into his shoulder clutching his shirt.
"Angel, it's Doyle. Something's happening. He's scared, Angel. He's really scared."
Angel let go and sat beside her bed. "Calm down.
Sweetie, he's dead."
Cordelia sniffled back tears. "No, he's afraid. He needs us."
Kleenex floated across the room and Dennis gently wiped her tears away.
"We can't help him where he is," Angel said sadly.

* * *

Xander and Doyle stood in front of the Oracles.
"You may not take the messenger with you." the male said as a portal began to
open. 
Xander stared him down. "My friend needs him."
"An act of love." the female stated.
Xander nodded. "It is."
The male glared. "Leave this realm, now. His fate is already decided! A noble death
is being revoked. ONE.
Yours."
Xander stepped forward. "But anyone can go through the portal? Just one person?"
"Leave!" the male yelled.
Xander looked at the number on the clock. It was changing meaning the end for
Doyle. No more Cordelia.
With a burst of energy he grabbed Doyle and shoved him through the portal.

* * *

Doyle fell to the ground in the center of Anya's circle.
She stopped chanting and looked at him strangely.
"You're not what I wanted at all."
Spike looked at him in shock. "Cordelia's nancy boy?"
Buffy's eyes widened in recognition. "Doyle?"
Doyle jumped up. "Keep chanting!"
Anya jumped. "He's crabby."
Doyle began relighting all the candles. "If you want Xander back KEEP chanting!"

* * *

The phone by Cordelia's bed rang. She shakily answered it. "Hello?"
"Cordelia!" Giles cried. "I can't explain what's going on but get here now. Get
Angel and come to Sunnydale."
Cordelia hung up the phone and jumped out of bed.
Angel followed her worriedly. "Who was that?"
Cordelia turned to him her hands shaking. "Giles...
I...I...I'm not s-" She grabbed her head screaming.
She fell to the floor in pain.
Angel knelt beside her holding her hand until the vision passed. "What was it?" he
asked as she sat up.
She looked at him her face pale. "It's Xander. He's dead."
Angel helped her to her feet. "We're going to Sunnydale."

* * *

Xander stared at the Oracles. "Oops. Well, I'll be going."
The male glared. "No, you won't. Only one can pass through and you gave Doyle
your place."
Xander looked at them piteously. "Can't you make an exception? Just this once?"
"No!" the male cried.
Xander's shoulders sagged. He would never see Anya again.
The female looked at Xander. "Go back to the waiting realm." She took the male's
arm and began walking away. "He'll find his way back to the waiting realm We have
more important matters to deal with." A few feet away she turned to look at Xander.
She winked and nodded to the portal then went back to talking with her brother.
Xander didn't have to be told twice. He turned and jumped through the closing
portal.

* * *

Doyle abruptly quit chanting as someone fell on him. He jumped to his feet to see
Xander. "Watch where 'yer fallin'." he said mimicking the way they met.
Xander grinned. "It'll take some time to get used to."
Doyle pulled him into a hug.
Anya looked horrified at them. "Oh, no." she cried.
"Being dead made him gay."
Xander pulled away from Doyle giving Anya a weird look.
The door to Giles' place flew open and Cordelia rushed in followed by Angel and
Wesley. She stopped dead in her tracks, seeing Doyle.
Doyle looked at her speechless. It was Cordelia. He rushed forward hugging her.
He wept into her shoulder.
She stood frozen in shock as Doyle hugged her. She speechlessly let him hold her,
tears running down her face.
"Aw, how sweet." Xander cooed.
Doyle pulled away. "Hey, watch it, buddy." he warned jokingly.
Xander placed his hands on Anya's face and kissed her. "We couldn't have done
this without you."

* * *

Cordelia walked up to her apartment with Doyle. She opened the door. "You can
come in if you want."
Doyle shook his head. "No. It's too new for that."
Cordelia looked at him in surprise. "You don't want to..."
Doyle picked up her hand and kissed the back of it.
"If it's okay with you I'd rather wait." He kissed her cheek and gave her a last
charming smile before going back out to his car.
Cordelia shut the door and the lights automatically turned on. A wide smile broke
across her face as Dennis excitedly hung up her coat. Cordelia spun in a ahppy
circle then flopped to the couch. "Okay, okay.
I'll give you details." She took the bag of chips he ofered her and sat Indian style on
the couch. "Okay, here's what happened..."

* * *

Xander sat in his basement with Anya. "Thank you for... getting me alive."
Anya smiled. "I like you alive. You're more lively."
Xander nodded. "So I've heard." He stopped, lost in thought. "Doyle's a really nice
guy. He cares a lot for Cordelia."
"How about you care for me?" Anya asked seductively.
Xander kissed her and pulled her to lie beside him on the bed.
They lay there for a few minutes in the silence until Anya broke it. "Was that good?
Are my romantic conversation skills improving?"
Xander just chuckled and rolled his eyes.


The End