*****

He couldn't hear the movement of the water or the noises of the

creature of the deep - his only companions in his prison, assuming

that they made any noise at all that could travel through the murky

water. The coffin was airtight, no sound entered at all. It made the

scene before him seem a little like a silent movie, one that went on

forever and had no plot, simply endless repetition. Fish swims past,

hides in the weeds, darts out and eats the smaller fish. He supposed

it could be considered a down scaled Shakespearean tragedy, the

struggle of the everyman to overcome destiny. He supposed that in

life he had turned into the smaller fish.

That was, of course, when he allowed himself to suppose anything.

Most of the time his mind was carefully blank, the years spent

practising meditation put to good work as he forced himself to forget

it all. Wesley's betrayal, his son's eyes filled with hatred, the

hope Lorne had given him... he might never know now, might never hear

what she would have said. Because this time he really was trapped, no

escape that he could see.



It was a feeling he'd never encountered before, even after Buffy

had sent him to Hell there had been something to fight, even at his

lowest point he had been able to do something. Okay, so by sleeping

with Darla he had risked losing his very soul, but at least he'd been

able to take action even if that action had been to almost destroy

himself. He had wanted to feel, and felt he had, and from that

despair had come the most precious thing he knew. Or had known. The

ache in his chest returned. He couldn't even move enough to

effectively throw himself against the walls of his cage. In the

beginning he had screamed with frustration, that had been a mistake,

a big mistake, it used air and the air in his coffin was becoming

stale, foul smelling. It led to the gut reaction of nausea from the

part of him which would never fully accept that he didn't need oxygen

to survive. He was beaten. Truly for the first time: he was really

beaten.



Sometimes he dreamed. Simply groups of pictures floating across his

brain, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Always the sound of his son.

His son! The one thing he'd always known he couldn't have as a

vampire, the one thing that even Angelus had wanted. A child to carry

it on, something that was his which would grow in the world. He had a

son, and when he slept the only thing he could hear was the boy's

hatred as he proclaimed him a liar. And his own voice hopelessly

promising his love, love the child didn't want. Love that never

seemed to do anyone any good. He was always glad to awaken and then

wished again for sleep so he could hear that voice.



He was sure that he must be asleep now, though this dream was unlike

any that he'd had in the goodness knows how long since he'd been down

here. The dim light that filtered down from above seemed to lighten a

little more, painting the picture before him a little more brightly

so that he could distinguish the colors. He was looking down at the

sand, the sand which the bottom of this coffin was embedded in, the

sand which rested at the bottom of the ocean. There were human feet

walking across it. Or at least he assumed they were human, encased as

they were in scuffed black shoes. His eyes drifted upward over dark

trousers, seemingly completely dry, as if the water around them were

an insignificant detail.



He looked further, oddly calm when confronted with the impossible,

recognition was dawning. He looked past the flare of red which was

the new comer's short sleeved shirt. It opened wide at the collar

revealing a grey T-shirt, chest hair, a tiny cross around a familiar

neck and a knowing grin.



"Angel man. Long time no see."



"Doyle.", he searched for words, the thing to say which would

communicate his shock and joy at seeing his friend again, "you're

dead.". That probably wasn't it.



"No fooling you is there? Though considering your crowd of late I

could understand it if you felt the need to check."



"You know about that?". He was asleep again, that was the only

explanation for this. It was the only way Doyle could be there at

all, let alone bone dry and carefree. The ghost, or dream or vision

or trick, reached out of Angel's eyeline and grabbed a stool which

he, it?, swung across the seabed and underneath himself, itself?, in

one quick and causal movement.



"They give you a crash course in recent history before they put you

out again. The Powers that Be giving out more information than they

need to. Weird right? Hardly seems like their style.". Then Doyle,

suddenly he was sure that it really was Doyle, smiled his chancer's

grin. "But then I for one am not gonna argue with them."



"It does seem alittle strange." Angel's voice sounded stiff and

restrained even to his own ears. But what was he supposed to say, I'm

sorry I let you die? God, I'm sorry I let you die.



"Angel, like I always said, you really need to loosen up. Not so much

as to release the big guy but come on..."



"Well, things have been better." . And the Understatement of the year

award goes to...



"So I see. I'd have called to give you a chance ta neat the place up

first but ya didn't seem to be in the book for some reason." From

his pockets Doyle produced a packet. Angel eyed it hopefully as Doyle

unwrapped the paper around it. He had always been able to count on

Doyle... Okay, so maybe not to pay his bills but this was a time of

crisis and his friend had returned from beyond the grave. Anything he

had brought with him would surely be useful.



"I'll have to get that seen to. The Powers sent you back?" One more

layer to go...



"Sorta, apparently I died a noble death and the Powers, being kinda

sentimental, reckon that gives me rights. If you call being ripped

outta heaven for one final astral tour a right.", he took the

contents of the packet and raised it to his month, biting into it

wholeheartedly and speaking from then on with his month full and

crumbs escaping every which way. "I'd call it one hell of a pain in

the arse myself."



"Doyle. What are you doing here? What is that? And can you get me out

of this damn box?" Angel practically screamed.



"These? These are ham sandwiches, what did you think they were?

Unfortunately the having no physically solid hands kinda gets in the

way of opening things... As to what I'm doing here, well that should

be obvious. I'm having dinner with you."



"You're eating ham sandwiches. You came back from the dead and that's

all you're going to do?"



"They say it's all I need to do, that and talk. I'm good at that."

Man had a point, but still...



"Ghosts eat ham."



"Nah, astral projections eat ham. Your usual ghost prefers cheese...

though I'm not exactly sure I should be breaking bread with you

seeing as you've been moving in on my girl and all."There was a look

of mild reproach on his friend's face. Angel felt it like a punch to

the stomach.



"Cordelia and I... Doyle, things change and after you died... I don't

even know if she likes me.." He didn't know if there was a way to

explain how he'd come to feel the things he did.



"What are you? Twelve? Of course, she likes you. Any fool, even this

one, could tell you that. Didn't the green fella tell you that?" The

reproach had gone, this was the gentle chiding of a friend who

thought he was being an idiot.



"You believe what he said?"



"Course I do. If you can't trust a bartender then who can you trust?

Listen man, look after the princess right?" Doyle's voice had slipped

into that serious tone he had learnt to always pay attention to,

after all, you didn't hear it that often.



"I'm not much use to her down here."



"Then don't be down here. That''s what I came to tell you man, you've

gotta stop feeling sorry for yourself and figure out a way to get up

there. Broody suits you but it helps no one. Especially not

Cordelia." He pushed away the stool, and marched toward Angel.



"And how exactly do I get up there then?"



"Dunno. Not my department. Heroics is your gig remember?" An angry

Doyle was almost intimidating.



"Not exclusively" Angel said it gently, remembering his friend's

final moments. They both stood there, eyes locked, both recalling a

bright light. Doyle broke contact first, finishing the sandwich crust

with a satisfied gulp and turning back to take his seat again. A fish

swam past and into the weeds.



"You know they made her a real princess?"



"Didn't I always say?"



"You really can't help me?"



"Nope. No, what ya call it?, no physical presence. No magic powers.

Just light and sound. Nothing I can do to help."



"So why did they send you? What's the point?"



"The point is hope. You have hope. Everything you need to do, I'm

here to tell you that you can do it. My time is past. You've got your

own little family going up there. They'll give you what you need.

Even the ones you aren't talking to right now. Even that English guy

you found to replace me."



Angel swallowed the bile that rose in his throat when he thought of

Wesley, "No one replaced you."



"Then who's been keeping up the drinking and gambling part of the

battle against evil?" the Irishman cracked.



"Somehow we've done without it." He tried to keep his face deadpan.



"Charming" Doyle laughed and then his face was serious again. "I've

got to go."



"You've only just got here." Angel could feel his friend being ripped

away from him again, and the feeling of helplessness returned to his

stomach.



"I'm going back somewhere safe and warm, you gonna stay here?"



"No but I don't see how.."



"Well then I've done my job. I hope I don't see you for a very long

time my friend. Tell Cordy... tell her it's okay when it's over."



"I will", there was something else he had to say before it was too

late, "Doyle? I'm sorry I let you die."



But he was already alone again. All he could do was vow it wouldn't

be for long.



A little fish darted out of the weeds again, this time though, it was

the one doing the chasing.

****

Thank you for reading.