Walking the streets after a long night of fighting Angel made his way to the street where he lived. The sun was not even close to rising but he'd spent most of the dark hours killing as it was and he could only hunt so much coming up with nothing before he got bored and retreated home. He paid no attention to the people that bustled about on the same street he walked on, just continued up to the building where he stayed. With his hands stuffed in his pockets he walked inside. Closing the door behind him he made his way down a few steps to his 'office' and unlocked the door before continuing inside. Without flicking on any lights, a pointless exercise considering his vision was much stronger in the darkness, he made his way to the back office and straight into the elevator that took him to the basement level. His home. It had everything he needed, a fridge for the pig's blood he drank to survive, a big cupboard for the weapons he used to fight evil, no windows to allow sunlight to evaporate him to dust as he slept the day away and easy access to the tunnels below the ground that he used to get about before sunset.

Shedding himself of his long black coat he undid the leather harness' he had strapped to each arm, which held stakes that retracted just with the tension of muscle movement. As he took off his black shirt he felt the presence of someone or something else behind him. Looking over his shoulder he saw a male dressed in 70's style clothing. But he didn't get a chance to speak before the intruder did.

"Well, I like the place. Not much with the view but it's got a nice bat cave sort of air to it." The intruder said, his thick Irish accent dripping with sarcasm.

"Who are you?" the vampire requested simply, not caring to get into discussions of his décor.

"Doyle." He replied.

Angel turned to face him, ready to fight if need be, "You don't smell human."

"Well that's a bit rude. As it happens I'm very much human…" he managed to say before the urge to sneeze took over and revealed his demonic form. Quickly the stranger shook it off and appeared back in human form, "…on my mother's side." He paused before walking deeper inside the room, "Well I come in uninvited so you know I'm not a vampire like yourself." He went on to say.

Angel sighed, he could tell this demon fancied himself as a bit of a wise guy but he was unimpressed, "What do you want?"

"I've been sent… by the Powers That Be."

Angel was getting impatient, he wasn't in the mood for games, "The Powers That Be what?"

Walking away from him over to the desk in the lounge area of Angel's living quarters Doyle offered an explanation, "Let me tell you a little bedtime story."

Angel's shoulders sagged, all he wanted to do was sit in the dark, undisturbed for a couple of hours but something told him this reject from the 70's wasn't gonna give up until he'd been heard out. But he had to try to get rid of him somehow, "But I'm not sleepy."

Doyle wasn't listening, "Once upon a time there was a vampire and he was the meanest vampire in all the land…"

Suddenly the visions of his past had Angel uncomfortable.

Screaming in terror as she realised she was about to die the young girl in his grasp tried to break free but it was no use, he had her and he wasn't letting go until he fed. Gaining easier access to her neck by forcing her head to the side he sunk his fangs into the vein running with her sweet blood. The red fluid flowed into his mouth and bathed his tongue before sliding gracefully down his throat and satisfying him.

150 years of screams went through his head within seconds but pulling himself back to the reality before him he continued to listen to Doyle, "I mean, other vampires were afraid of him he was such a… bastard. Then one day he's cursed by gypsy's…"

He remembered that day…

Standing tall, victorious in another kill he was suddenly over come with a pain in his chest bringing him down onto the floor next to the still warm body. Looking up, wondering what was happening to him something took over his body. His soul was restored and he relived every moment of every terrible thing he'd done. Instantly guilt consumed him.

Doyle's voice brought him back from his memory immediately, "They restore his human soul and all of a sudden he's mad with guilt, you know 'oh, what have I done… ah, ah'. He's freaked."

Rubbing his neck Angel lowered onto the nearby couch, "Ah okay, now I'm sleepy."

"Yeah well, it's a fairly dull tale. Needs a little sex is my feeling, so sure enough - enter the girl. Pretty little blond thing…" He stopped long enough to whistle but was quick enough to continue, "Vampire Slayer by trade and our vampire falls madly in love with her…"

Fighting side by side with the Slayer had its advantages, their strength's combine could take out half the town's vampires, trouble was she was a much stronger force than Angel. Which, considering he was a vampire, was a good thing. But for him being with the Slayer day in day out had its disadvantages too. He loved her with all his soul.

"But eventually the two of them... well, they get fleshy with one another and the moment he... well I guess the technical term is 'perfect happiness'."

Their clothes fell to the floor and they tumbled onto the bed wrapped in each other's arms and attached to each other's lips. Moment by moment the passion between them built and soon enough they were making love.

"But when our boy gets there, he goes bad again. He kills again, it's ugly. So when he gets his soul back for the second time he figures hey, he can't be anywhere near miss puppy thighs without endangering them both so what does he do? He takes off…"

The school was up in flames, the Mayor defeated… it was time for him to leave. Standing between the fire engine's that had arrived shortly after the explosion he watched as Buffy and her friends took in the sight of the burning building. Without saying goodbye he turned around and walked away.

"… Goes to LA…" Doyle continued walking over to the cabinet behind where Angel sat, he picked up a weapon and admired it before resting it back down, "to fight evil, atone for his crimes. He's a shadow." Doyle didn't let up as he leaned over Angel's shoulder, "A faceless champion of the half less human race..." Angel sat just listening; he was far from happy that a total stranger had arrived in his home to tell him his own life story. But he had listened, simply because Doyle hadn't stopped talking since he'd walked in. "Say you wouldn't have a beer of any kind in here would ya?"

The thought's of the past Doyle had just relived in him had him so consumed he almost didn't hear the little Irish man speak but unfortunately he had. Shaking his head he replied with an emotionless 'no'.

But Doyle wasn't going to take just his word for it, "C'mon." He said making his way into the kitchen and helping himself to the fridge, "You must have something besides pig's blood."

That was it. Doyle was beginning to piss Angel off, first he entered his dwellings without an invitation, then he proceeded to bring up painful memories and now he was helping himself to whatever he could find. Following after him to the kitchen Angel made it aware he wasn't eager for the demon to stay, "Okay, you've told me the story of my life which, since I was there, I already knew... why aren't I kicking you out?" He asked leaning on the table in the centre of the room.

"Because now I'm gonna tell you what happens next." He replied taking in the appalling emptiness of the vampires fridge and closing it, "You see this vampire, he thinks he's helping… fighting the demons, staying away from the humans so as not to be tempted, doing penance in his little," Doyle paused long enough to gesture to the building around him and continued, "cell. But he's cut of… from everything, from the people he's trying to help."

Angel couldn't see the point Doyle was trying to get across but he had a feeling it wouldn't belong before he explained himself. Straightening and walking around the table Angel sighed, "I still save them, who cares if I don't stop and chat?"

"When was the last time you drank blood?"

"Buffy." He whispered licking his lips. He could still taste it, the sweetness of her blood as it pumped into his mouth and…

Doyle stopped his train of thought, "Left you with a bit of a craving didn't it?" Angel didn't answer but Doyle could see it had, "Let me tell you something pal, that craving's gonna grow and one day soon one of those helpless victims that you don't really care about is gonna look way too appetizing to turn down and you'll figure, 'hey, what's one against all I've saved, might as well eat them, still ahead by the numbers'."

Angel's chest rose and fell rapidly at the thought of tasting human blood, warm human blood… but again Doyle brought him out of it.

"You know I'm parched from all this yakking man, let's go treat me to a Billy D!"