Title: The Oathbreaker
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 is the
original creation of the author.
                

Chapter 1

"You want another one?" the bartender asked in disbelief.

"Aye, but this time make it a double and don't water it
down," was the reply.

"That's your sixth drink in an hour. I can't give you
any more, not and let you drive away from here."

"I won't be drivin' anywhere. Just give me the drink."

"I'll give you another, but you have to tell me what
you're trying to forget."

"Do you really want to hear my story? It's rather
complicated."

"That's what I do, I pour drinks and I listen. What's
your name?"

"Anna, and you are?"

"I'm Trey. Where are you from, the accent - is it
Irish?"

"No, Scottish."

"Been in LA long?"

"No. Long enough."

"What brought you all the way here from Scotland?"

"A friend was in trouble. I came to try and get him out
of it."

"I hope he's alright now."

"Hmmh, he's dead now. Can I have my drink?"

As Trey poured her the drink, he said, "He must have
been a good friend for you to bury yourself in drink
this way."

"You mean well, Trey, and for that I thank you, but the
whole point of this exercise is not remembering."

"Sometimes talking helps."

"You want to know, I'll tell ya. My friend .."

"What was his name?" Trey asked.

"Doyle. Allen Francis Doyle. I'll tell you, but don't
interrupt. He was here working with a private
investigator, it's a dangerous line of work. I heard a
rumour that something was coming, something that
specifically targets people like my friend. I would
have come sooner but my employers wouldnae let me come
until I finished some business of theirs. When I
finally made it here I was too late, he was dead. I
could do nothing, and now he's gone. He was my dearest
friend. He was the type of person who knew when to be
quiet and when to speak. When you needed to laugh and
how to get you to. And he had the most amazing blue
eyes."

"Did he know you loved him?"

"Aye he knew, we had our moments but we both knew it
wasnae meant to be. We had different paths to follow."

"Why don't you let me call you a cab. Or if you want,
last call is in fifteen minutes, I can drive you home,
no strings attached."

"Haven't been in here long yourself, have ya?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"In L.A., Trey, there are always strings attached."

After having said that she put 200 dollars on the bar
and walked out.

She walked and walked almost aimlessly. Suddenly she
stopped in front of a rather seedy-looking building and
went in. When she arrived at the door she sought, she
hesitated, her hands inches from the doorknob. She
sighed, opened the door, went in and found exactly what
she had expected, and at least one thing she didn't.
She took a deep breath, smelling all the familiar
smells.

"Oh, Doyle," she said softly to herself, "only you
would make the most cursory attempts at a home and yet
have a fully stocked bar." She walked over, grabbed a
rather large glass, and filled it to the rim with
whiskey. She raised the glass to her lips and
whispered," To Doyle." Then she emptied the glass in
one go, and poured herself another.

"Not enough money ever to pay your debts, but only the
good stuff for my Doyle." Then she turned and spoke to
the shadows, "I know you're there, you might as well
come out."

Out of the shadows came a tall, dark-haired man.
Angelus, she thought.

"How did you know... who are you? Why are you here?" He
demanded.

"I'll answer your first question and then go from
there. How did I know you were there? Let's just say
like recognizes like. As to who I am, my name is Anna
McCaig. I suppose I am here for the same reasons you
are, to be closer to him, to remember him. It does you
credit, you know. I thought you two had forgotten him,
replacing him with that poof."

"Who ARE you?" Angel asked again.

"I am Anna McCaig, a friend of Doyle's, and you of
course are Angelus, but you go by Angel now, don't
you."

Angel smelled the air. "You're not human," he said.

"Well that's a bit rude, but you are more or less
correct."

Angel started, hearing the echo of Doyle's words in
Anna's. She smiled, and he realized that she knew
exactly who had used a similar phrase to him before.

"I don't think I've..uh..ever smelled anything like you
before."

"Uncertainty becomes you, Angelus. But if you try hard
enough you'll remember."

"It's Angel," he said under his breath, trying to
remember. "I do know you, don't I?" He said
unbelieving.

"I spent several dozen years in London keeping you away
from a certain girl, an ancestor of someone very close
to your heart."

Angel stood there flabbergasted. "I ... don't
understand."he said finally.

Anna chuckled. "There are all manner of things you
don't understand, and I don't have time to explain it
all, so I'll try and be brief. Who I am is irrelevant,
what I am is a warrior for the powers, the same as you,
although I have been one a bit longer."

"How did you know Doyle?" Angel asked.

"When he found out about his family inheritance, so to
speak, he did things he wasnae proud of. The powers saw
in that an opportunity to gain another flunky so they
sent me to bring him around to doing the right thing.
Or should I say, into doing what they wanted him to do,
which of course for them is the right thing."

"Why you?" he asked.

"What better way to bring Doyle around than with a
pretty girl who has the same fondness for the bottle as
he. Or maybe it was because we share a common Gaelic
heritage. Who can ever say why the powers do anything?
I came here to try and stop the Scourge, but I came a
day too late. Now I am trying to think of a way to
bring him back. You do want him back, don't you?"

"Yes," Angel cried, and she raised her eyebrows,
recognizing the sincerity in his voice.

"I tried, but the Oracles refused, they said there was
no way."

"Good thing I am a bit more persistent than you are. I
WILL find a way to bring him back."Anna said
stubbornly.

Then she added under her breath,"Even if I have to give
up everything."

She walked to the door and said,"I think it's time for
me to go and get to it then. Goodbye, Angel."

"Anna," Angel called to her as she was leaving, "Good
luck."

She said nothing, only thought to herself morbidly,
Aye, the luck o'the Irish maybe.

She walked again, yet this was not the aimless
meandering of before. There was purpose in her gait,
making the pavement ring with every step. She knew what
she had to do, where she had to go. There was only one
place to go.

She went to see the Oracles.



Chapter 2


When she walked in, the room was empty. They would make
her wait for coming unsummoned.

One second she was alone, and then the next they were
there. One woman and one man, the Oracles.

"We know why you are here, Anna," the woman said.
Anna stood up straighter, pulling danger and readiness
about her like a cloak. They all three knew it was a
ruse, she would do nothing to harm them even if she
could. It was instinct for her when surrounded by
superior forces to put on as strong a front as
possible.

"Then answer me this," Anna said quietly,"If his
sacrifice was foreseen, why send me a day too late,"
and with this her voice grew quieter still, "a day too
late to warn him, a day too late to save him."

The man began, and as was the way with the Oracles,
they passed the speech to and fro between them.

"The half-demon, Doyle, gave the ultimate sacrifice."

"We no more would stop that than we would have let you
prevent him from finding atonement."

"Atonement be damned," Anna replied, "he did not
deserve death."

"We think it unlikely you would seek again the confines
of hell."

"You think correctly," Anna sighed, "but why send me to
him when all that is left of him are memories? And
those memories seem to fade with each and every passing
day. Those that should hold his memory dear seem to
have forgotten him."

"It is not your place to ask us why. Your atonement is
not complete," the man said.

"Another task must you complete."

"Of course," Anna said, "there is always another task
followed by another and another. I implore you, I
beseech you, if I do this thing let me ask of you one
favor."

"Your task is this. There is something disrupting the
balance of nature."

"You must try and find a way to return this balance."

"I will do whatever is necessary."

"Go to Sunnydale, seek out the Slayer, the imbalance
begins there."

"Tell me what you want destroyed and I shall destroy
it."

"You will need brains, not strength, to bring the
balance back. The ones who do this are not evil they
are simply misguided."

"Do you mean the rumours are true?"

"Yes, that is what you must find and stop."

"I can but try. If I go to them, show them what they do
is wrong, then can I have but one thing?"

"Name it and we shall see."

"I want one day. I want you to send me to where Doyle
is for one day."

"What if they do not heed your warning?"

"Then when my day is done I will go back and try and
convince them again. If that does not work, I will try
and save as many as I can from the armies descending
upon their heads."

"You have fought for us a long time, Anna," and this
time only the woman spoke.

"I know my sins as well as you, I know all of the
innocent lives I've taken, all the innocent blood I've
spilled," Anna replied.

"Yet,"the woman began,"that is not the only reason you
seek redemption."

Ah, Anna thought, they will make me pay for my request,
and then she spoke as if the words were being ripped
out.

"Aye, I pay and fight for absolution not only for the
lives I joyfully took but for the pleasure I took in
turning my back on every oath I made. Every oath to
protect, I broke. Every oath to do no harm to innocents
I blissfully rent asunder. My crimes, as you are so
intent on reminding me, are of the soul and of the
flesh. Did you not name me Oathbreaker? I will not turn
my back on my oaths again."

"Yet," the woman said, " all know why you made that
choice, why you embraced darkness and turned your back
on the light. Was it not because of the death of one
you loved? Do you not see the remarkable similarities
between then and now?"

Anna shrugged,"You're the Oracles, you are the ones who
can see the future. Why ask me?"

"We see what can be and what may be; where freedom of
choice is involved, we cannot see what will be. Yet
that does not answer the question. You have had lovers
and friends die before, and with the exception of
Alessandro and now Doyle you have never asked us for
anything."

"Doyle was my dearest friend," was Anna's reply and
then she hesitated,"you didn't know Doyle was going to
die?"

"I have had enough of this," the man said, "you are a
warrior, you go where the powers send you, you obey the
orders that the powers give you. It is not your place
to come here and ask us to change the past for your
selfish reasons."

"Of course not," Anna replied," you and the powers
would never change things, would never say turn back
time to stop something you didn't want happening from
coming to light. No, you would never do that not even
so as not to lose, oh I don't know, one of your
greatest warriors."

With that the man disappeared in disgust.

"He is not an enemy you should actively seek. But you
are correct, we did not know Doyle would choose to
sacrifice himself. Everything we saw pointed to the
sacrifice being Angel's."

"You sent me to LA to take Angel's place?"

"That is why you were ordered to Los Angeles. Go, your
terms are acceptable, tell them of their danger, use
your not inconsiderable talents of persuasion and you
will have your day."

Anna turned to go and began walking to the entrance but
was stopped halfway by the reappearance of the man.

"You have not left your offering," he said coldly.

"I have never had to bring an offering before," Anna
answered, confused.

"You have never before come unsummoned. Is it not our
right to receive a gift for what you request? Or maybe
for rescuing you from the atrocities of hell."

Anna laughed. "Oh, that was a truly altruistic gesture,
wasn't it, bringin' me out of hell, nothing in it for
you or the powers."

"That is enough from both of you," the woman said,

"Anna, you may go."

After Anna left, the woman looked at the man and
said,"Your time of service is ended, another will take
your place."

"What are you saying?"

"You must take the next step in your journey to
enlightenment."

"No," the man said horrified, "you can't mean...."

"Yes," the woman replied firmly, "you have lost your
objectivity. It is your time to become mortal, to live
among them, be faced with the choices they must face
with no more knowledge of what lies behind the veil
that separates our lives from theirs than any other
mortal. So the powers have ordered, so shall it be
done."

With a clap of her hands, the man disappeared.




Anna arrived in Sunnydale that afternoon in search of
the Slayer.

She waited outside the main building of the university,
knowing that the Slayer would pass by soon. Mucking
about with the Oracles has its advantages, she thought.

When the Slayer appeared she was not alone. A tall
light-haired boy walked beside her. Anna walked in
front of her, causing her to either stop or run into
her.

"You are Buffy Summers," she said, more statement than
question.

"Yeah, do I know you?" Buffy asked.

"Not yet," was Anna's reply, "but there are things we
need to discuss. Something unpleasant is coming and I
think you can help me. We cannot speak openly here. I
will meet you at the home of Rupert Giles. Please come
alone. In an hour, is that acceptable?"

"Wha..uh..who..wait a minute," Buffy stammered.

"Alright then, in an hour," Anna said and strode away.

As she drove to Giles' house she thought to herself: At
least she seems smarter than the last slayer. That can
be both a good and a bad thing. How in the bleedin'
hell am I going to convince her about this Initiative
when I don't know more than the name? If only I could
get the Oracles to share more than they feel is
necessary. If wishes were wings. Maybe the Watcher will
know more. I hope the hell I know what I am doing.
Walking up to Giles' door, she was still beset with
indecision. She knocked once, twice, and then the door
was opened and she smiled at the man who opened it.

"Rupert," she said and the smile could be heard in her
voice, "It's been too long, you old English bastard."

"Anna?" Giles said, startled. "What brings you to
Sunnydale?"

"The same reason I saved your arse twenty years ago, I
was sent. Are you going to invite me in or am I going
to stand out here all day?"

"Oh I am terribly sorry, come in please, how stupid of
me."

As she walked in someone was walking out of the
kitchen, complaining loudly,"Hey you bloody wanker you
ate all the wheatabix." And then he stopped, mouth
open, eyes bulging.

"Hello, William, I hear you've been neutered."

"Honest, Anna, Spike plays nice with the other puppies
now," he stammered.

"I told you it would happen, William. My way would have
been less painful. But as much as I like reminiscing,
not to mention the fact that Rupert has been struck
speechless, I came here on business. Buffy should be
here soon. I told her an hour but she seems to be one
who doesn't care for such things as timelines. What do
you know of the Initiative? All I know is the name and
that I have to convince Buffy to stop them."

Both Giles and Spike started speaking at the same time.

Anna held up her hands, "Please, only one at a time.
William, you go, from what I understand you've had
personal experience with them."

Spike told her about being abducted by the commandos
and what they had done to him.When he was finished
there was a knock on the door.

"That would be Buffy," Anna said. As Giles went to the
door she grabbed Spike's arm. "William," she said
hurriedly, "Hide, she's not alone, the soldier boy is
with her, I don't want you falling into their hands
again."

After Spike had gone to the bedroom upstairs, Giles
opened the door and let Buffy and Riley in.

"I told you to come alone, Slayer." Buffy shrugged,

"I'm a bad, bad girl," she said innocently. Then she
aimed a crossbow at Anna and said, "I know you're not a
vamp because I saw you in the daylight. I don't know
what you are, but I know this can hurt you. So you
start answering my questions or I'll shoot."

"Buffy, no," Giles began but Anna interrupted him.

"It's alright Rupert. Go ahead Buffy, if it will make
you feel better, shoot."

"Don't tempt me," Buffy said warningly.

"Do it, Slayer, if you have the bollocks. Do it or put
down your little toy."

Buffy pulled the trigger and the bolt flew straight and
true to rest in Anna's heart. Anna looked down at it
and smiled then she nonchalantly pulled it out and
dropped it on the floor. The three humans stood with
their mouths hanging open, looking from the arrow to
Anna and back again, all noting the complete lack of
blood on both her and the arrow.

"Now that was unpleasant," Anna said.

"You didn't even bleed," Buffy murmured, the first to
get her voice back.

"Handy, that, innit. Now we can get down to business.
Do you know about the Powers That Be?"

"The Powers that what?" Buffy asked, still visibly
shaken.

"The Powers That Be," Anna explained,"they run this
whole wacky world. Well, I work for them. I am a
warrior for the powers the same as you are, the same as
Angel. They have sent me here to redress a wrong, to
fix what is broken, blah,blah,blah." For the first time
she smiled at Buffy, but it was a cold smile. "I was
told to seek your help."

"You're on our side?" Buffy asked.

"Let's just say we're on th' same side," Anna said.

"I tried to tell you, Buffy," Giles retorted.

"Maybe I should go," Riley finally managed to get out.

"No, soldier boy," Anna said, "you stay. Apparently
you're one of the idjits I came here to talk to."

"What? Huh? I don't understand," Riley replied.

"Sit down, I'll talk slow and use little words," she
said to Riley, and then she turned to Giles and said,

"Do you have anything to drink around here? I'm parched
from all this yakkin'." She smiled to herself, though
no one else present knew why. "Whiskey preferably."

Once Anna had a glass and the bottle of whiskey, she
sat down and began to talk.

"Now, it's my understanding that you are a member of
the Commando group known as the Initiative."

After she said this, Riley started spluttering denials,
until Anna slammed her glass down on the table,
spilling most of its contents.

"Now ya went and made me spill me drink, sod it all, I
know the truth. You go out, round up demons, and play
like Dr. Frankenstein."

"They're demons, for crying out loud," Buffy
interjected.

"I am a demon slayer, and I've been fightin' for the
powers, fightin' the good fight for over a thousand
years with only a slight hitch in the late 17th and
early 18th centuries. Angel's friend Doyle, he was half
demon." Anna saw Buffy's startled reaction to that, but
did not pause. "There are good and bad demons, just as
there are good and bad mortals. These commandos work
without even a rudimentary understanding of the history
and lore of the things they hunt down for sport."

"There are good demons?" Buffy asked, unbelieving.

"Yes," Anna answered, "Brachen demons to name but one.
There are almost as many races of good demons as there
are of evil. As you can understand, they keep a
decidedly lower profile. There are those that you label
demon that would fight at your side if given the
opportunity. There are demons who only want what any
sentient being wants, to live and love in peace. Not
only that, what they are doing, Buffy, is upsetting the
balance. The balance of nature is way out of whack, and
it can be laid at your boyfriend's combat boots."

"Tell me, boy," she went on as she turned to the
increasingly distressed Riley, "Can you spot the
difference between a Brachen demon and a Mogran demon?
They're surprisingly similar in appearance, but one is
blue, the other is more of a teal color. One is good,
the other would eat out your liver. You are operating
in a part of this world that you know nothing about.
How long do you think you can go on without attracting
the attention of one of the larger demon nations? The
ones who don't run when you say boo to 'em? There are
rumours all over the demon underground about the
Initiative and something called Room 314. They're
building armies as we speak. And when they come down on
you, do you really think they are going to bypass any
innocents to get to you? They'll kill anything in their
path to get to you."

"I kill demons all the time," Buffy said.

"They come here, they do bad things, you kill them.
That is the natural order of things. If they stay
hidden or are just passing through. you don't. If a
demon walked up to you tomorrow and asked for help
you'd consult books, see if it was good or bad and act
accordingly. He and his kind don't. They track them
down with little gizmos, shoot first and ask no
questions. They are no better than the Scourge."

"The what?"Buffy asked.

"The Scourge are the biggest, baddest race of demon
warriors ever to come out of hell. Their whole mission
in life is to hunt down half breeds and any demon with
a soul. They are ruthless and they are bloodthirsty. I
know for a fact you commandos have captured at least
three of the scouts the Scourge leader sent here, I
also know they are not at all happy at Scourge HQ. The
armies of hell are coming, if you don't stop this,
they're coming and they are ticked. If you had set up
shop in LA or New York they might have sent maybe a
legion or two against you. But noooo, you had to pick
Sunnydale."

"Why is Sunnydale any different?" Riley asked.

"Are you barkin' mad or what? Sunnydale, the Hellmouth,
ring any bells?"

"Buffy's mentioned it before, but how am I supposed to
know what a hellmouth is?"

"Bingo, mentally challenged one! I'll tell you what the
hellmouth is, it is the mecca for all the
mean-and-nasties of the world, they come here like
mortals go to Disney World. And you, boy, are screwing
with their mecca."

"Are you sure they're coming, Anna?" Giles asked.

"Oh, they're coming alright, and when they come, pray
to whatever God you believe in, because it will be like
nothing you have ever seen. They're coming, and unless
we can shut down the Initiative and bring back the
balance, there is no guarantee that our side will win."

She looked at them one by one, "I hope you are suitably
impressed. It is of the utmost importance that you stop
for your sake, for Buffy's sake, for the sake of the
whole bloody mortal world."

Then Anna looked up at the ceiling and listened as the
Oracles told her she had done all she could, she had
completed her part of the bargain.

"It's about bloody time,"she said,"think about it. It's
time for me to go, my work here is done. It is up to
you now."

Then Anna got up and walked out the door, leaving three
very worried people behind.

As soon as the door closed behind her, there was a
flash of light and she disappeared, only to reappear in
front of another door.



Anna knocked on the door and after a second Doyle
opened the door. "Anna? Is it really you?"

"It's me, and pardon the pun, but you look dead sexy.
Heaven must agree with ya." She walked through the door
and Doyle closed it behind her.

"This looks like your old apartment, the one where we,
um, well, you remember. So I hope they're treatin' ya
good here."

"Well, whatever I want is always on hand, but there's
no horse racin', no dog racin', no footy on the telly,
nothin' involvin' a little wager now and again. To top
it all off, no matter how much I drink, I never get
pissed."

Anna laughed. "Only you, Doyle, would get bored in
heaven."

"Bored ta tears."

"Well, we can fix that," Anna said wickedly as she
began undressing him," we can fix that unless they
don't allow this sort of thing either."

"Only one way ta find out for sure," was Doyle's reply
as he began to do the same to her.

Several hours later, sitting over drinks, Anna told
Doyle how she came to be there.

"I made a deal with the Oracles," Anna told him.

"I didn't know you could make a deal wit' th' likes o'
them."

"There are certain advantages from havin' worked for
'em for so long. They allow me a wee bit a' leeway.
I've gone where they said go, done what needed to be
done. And I think they were just a wee bit proud of
what you did. It's not every day a lowly messenger
sacrifices himself like a warrior."

"So what was the deal?"

"I went to Sunnydale and talked to the Slayer. Tryin'
to get 'em to rethink this whole Initiative thing,
using my unique talents."

"You mean you put the whammy on 'em. It must be nice
makin' people do whatever you want 'em to."

"Doyle," Anna said in a shocked tone, "I can't make
people do whatever I want. There are limits to what I
can do. I can't make people go against their nature."

"But you can usually get people to do what ya want 'em
to."

"Only if the desire to do it is already there, even
just a little. If they've thought about doin' somethin'
then I can just kinda ease 'em to it."

Then she hesitated. "Okay, you're right, I put the
whammy on 'em, hopefully it'll be enough. It's a bad,
bad thing that's coming. But by going there and doing
that, I got to come here for 24 hours and see you."

"I'm touched."

"You should be. Have you been visited by your near and
dear?"

"Not yet."

"I thought that was the first thing that happened."

"Me guide said I had to get used to bein' here. Until
then I'm a disruptive influence."

"So you haven't seen anybody you know?"

"I haven't seen anybody I know, but I did meet
Alessandro. He's shorter than I thought he'd be."

"Doyle! How...How is he?"

"He misses you. I don't think he's forgiven you though."

"Forgiven me? He has no right to be angry with me."

"He does, you know. He gets a fair amount of stick
because of you. He wasn't happy with the things you did
after he died. It's not easy livin' here bein' in love
with somebody who's been to hell. Especially since it
was his death that caused your fall from grace."

"I see you two had a rather deep conversation."

"He's me guide, the only one I get to see until the
powers decide I've given up wantin' to go back."

"What else did he tell you?"

"Not a lot I didn't already know."

"Does he...never mind."

"He still loves you."

"I'm the last one, Doyle. Of the four who were called
forth that night in the Highlands. I am the last one
left still fightin'."

"Anna, have another drink. This is supposed to be
festive."

They reminisced for a little while longer. She filled
him in on all the football(soccer)news,and about an
unfortunate night the Republic had in Turkey. They
spent hours just enjoying each other's company. Both of
them making a point not to get back into anything more
serious than whether or not the Irish national team was
better than the Scottish. But like all good things it
was coming to an end. A few minutes before her time was
up, Anna looked at Doyle, suddenly very serious.

"Doyle, you do want to go back, don't you?"

"Go back ta bein' alive? I'd love it. Can ya do it?"

"There is a way. Do you love Cordelia?"

"I care about her, love may be a bit strong this early
in the runnin,' but I could see it headin' that way."

"If I bring you back, you have to promise me you won't
feel guilty no matter what I have to do."

"Now, wait a minute, Anna."

"Promise me, Doyle. No guilt."

"I promise," he finally said, albeit very reluctantly.

And then she vanished.




Anna stood in front of the Oracles once more, noting
that the male Oracle was different. "The agreement is
completed," the man said.

"So do I have to go back to Sunnydale?"

"No,"the woman answered, "the powers feel that you
deserve a break. You will be called if you are needed.
You may go."



That was remarkably easy, Anna thought, as she drove to
Angel Investigations. She parked her car in front of
the building and went in the building to Angel's
office. "Hello," Anna called out as she opened the
office door,"is anybody here?"

"Hi. Can I help you?" Cordelia asked from behind her
desk.

"Yes, I need some help. I was told you could help me."

"Angel will be back this evening, if you would like to
wait or come back. If you tell me what you need help
with, we can discuss the fee for whatever services we
will provide."

"I can't wait. I need YOU to help me. Trust me, you
will be richly rewarded."

While saying this, Anna handed Cordelia a slip of
paper. "I need you to read this."

"I can't understand this."

"It's in Latin, you don't have to understand it, you
just have to read it."

Cordelia began reading from the paper. When she was
finished, a hole opened in the floor. "What in the
world?"

"You just opened a portal to hell. Don't look so
shocked, it's the only way my kind can die. A mortal
has to open a gateway." Saying this, Anna started
putting things on the desk. "These are my keys, it's
the green Rover in front of the building, give them and
this letter to Doyle. And do me a favor, stop hidin'
from him, he cares for you and he has a good heart. Not
to mention a few other noteworthy talents."

Then she stepped through the portal back to hell.

Giving up any thoughts of atonement or going to a
better place, everything she had fought for for so
long. As soon as the portal in the floor closed,
another opened in the ceiling, and out fell Allen
Francis Doyle, without a stitch of clothing on.



When Doyle fell from the ceiling Cordelia was in shock,
she couldn't believe it. She had given up hope that he
would come back.

The paralysis lasted only a second and she rushed to
Doyle's side.

"I need a drink," were Doyle's first words immediately
followed by "Where are me clothes?"

Cordelia got up from Doyle's side, saying, "I'll get
you something of Angel's. Don't move."

Doyle gave her a wobbly grin. "I'm not goin' anywhere,
princess."

While Cordelia was downstairs desperately trying to
find something that would fit Doyle, the door to the
office opened, and in walked Wesley. "Who are you? What
have you done with Cordelia? Where is your clothing?"
Wesley demanded. "Answer me, damn you. If you have hurt
Cordelia..."

"Too many questions," Doyle answered a little
breathlessly, "not enough drinkin'."

Cordelia came running in with a towel. "This was all I
could find that would fit. Do you need anything Doyle?
Are you cold? Are you hungry? Do you need anything?"
She knelt once more at his side, so caught up in the
fact that Doyle was here, alive, she didn't see Wesley
at all. She had eyes only for Doyle.

"Could ya help me up? This floor's a bit cold on me
bum."

Cordelia held his arm and helped maneuver him to the
couch, still only looking at Doyle's face. When Wesley
realized that she had not seen him he began to clear
his throat softly at first and them a bit louder until
Doyle said,"I think your friend needs a drink too."

Then Cordelia finally noticed Wesley. "What are you
doing here, Wesley?" she asked, still only looking at
Doyle.

"Angel asked me to meet him here to do some research. I
am a bit early. I wanted to see you.. uh..how you were
feeling."

"Whatever, Wesley." Cordelia responded. They sat like
that for a moment, Doyle staring at Cordelia and vice
versa. When the door opened, and Angel came in, neither
one had moved an inch.

"Doyle? Is it really you?"

Angel rushed to Doyle, pushing Wesley aside in his
haste to get to his friend. He grabbed him by the
shoulders and hugged him roughly.

"Hey big fella," Doyle said laughing,"I'm as happy to
be here as you are but I did just come back from the
dead. And I, uh, just dropped me towel."

Cordelia got up and handed Doyle his towel and sat back
down.

"Cordelia," Angel said, "why don't you go to Doyle's
apartment and get him some clothes. You can take my car
if you want to."

"I'd rather take Doyle's car."

"Cordy, I don't have a car."

"You do now. Some weird girl came in the office, she
said she needed help. What she really needed was a
fashion consultant, she was doing that all-black thing,
maybe she shops at the same place you do, Angel."

"Cordelia," Angel interrupted, "what girl?"

"I don't know, she came in here, had me read some Latin
and, I still don't know why I did it, apparently it
opened some portal thing, she gave me keys and a
letter, told me to give them to Doyle. I thought she
was nuts."

Wesley walked over to the desk and picked up the paper.

"Is this what you read, Cordelia?" When she nodded, he
read from it." A life for a life, a soul for a soul.
One to hell to replace one from heaven."

"Someone just came in and told you to read something
and you did it?" Angel asked.

"She said there would be a reward, I thought she meant
money, there are bills, you know."

"Cordy," Doyle said,"This girl, she was about my
height, black hair, green eyes?"

"That sounds about right, do you know her?"

Doyle looked at Angel. "It was Anna, she said she could
do it. I should have...Can I have my letter?"

Cordelia got the letter and handed it to Doyle. He held
it for a moment looking at his name on the front,
almost afraid to open it. When he did open it, his
hands were shaking.


Doyle,

I've lived too long. I'm tired. Lately I feel like I've
seen too much, witnessed too many horrors. I tried to
do what I could, what I thought was right. This feels
right to me. You deserve a longer life. You deserve to
find out whether or not Cordelia could be your soul
mate. I ask of you two things. One, never forget the
promise you made. This was my choice. I know the
consequences. Secondly, when you make it to heaven
again, tell Alex I won't be coming. Tell him I love him
and I'm sorry. Remember also, this is the first day of
the rest of your life. Whatever sins you committed
before have been atoned for. What you do from now on
determines your fate. I know you will make your choices
wisely. I never doubted you, even when you doubted
yourself. Have a good life, you do deserve it.

Anna


He read it and reread it. When he finally looked up he
was surprised to find himself alone, but not as
surprised as he was when he realized there were tears
streaming down his face. Angel came and stood in the
doorway.

"She sent herself to hell," Doyle said, "She sent
herself to hell because I wanted to come back."

"Cordelia went to your place to get you some clothes.
Wesley is researching that spell or whatever it was. I
still can't believe Cordelia would just do that without
question. Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't think I'm worth it, Angel, not of what she
did."

"She thought you were."

"I don't think the Oracles are going to like this."

"Do you think they'll try and reverse it?"

"It's not likely, they could just send me back, but
she'll stay where she is. When they brought her out of
hell the first time they told her if for whatever
reason she was sent back they would not interfere.
You've been to hell, Angel, tell me..."

"If you're trying to make yourself feel better, don't
ask that question. The best thing you can do is be
grateful. She thought you were worthy enough to make
this sacrifice. Be grateful, and live a good life."