Los
Angeles, California
Ashling walked to the dingy apartment that she found in the phone book to be her brothers. She knocked on the door. A blond woman who looked like she was in her forties, trying to be thirty answered the door.
"Umm…hi, I'm Ashling Doyle I was looking for Allen?"
"You mean that little Irish dude?"
"Yes," Ashling answered.
"He disappeared about a year and half ago," she exhaled from the cigarette she was smoking. Ashling sighed a disappointment.
"Do you know where I could find out where to find him?"
"I remember he use to go to this office about two blocks from here, umm here," the woman went into the apartment and came back out with a card. "This was left here with is stuff." She handed Ashling a card with an angel on in. "A few months after Allen disappeared, some tall guy with an over bearing forehead and spiky hair took all the junk away. I'm guessing that's where he is."
"Well thank you," the door closed on her face and Ashling left. The streets of LA were busier than her small Irish town. She didn't mind the two-block walk. It was nothing compared to the long walks her and Allen would take as kids. God I miss him.
Twenty minutes later Ashling arrived at 'Angel Investigations'. It was nothing more than a pile of rubble. "Great." She muttered. "Now what am I suppose to do?" she sat on the curb and looked down the neon lighted street. Bars and such. One caught her eye. "I could go for some scotch." She said to herself. She got up walking across the street and entered the bar. It was amazing to her. Inside was full of demons of all shorts. Ugly ones, horned ones, blue, red, green ones. But she didn't see the Bracken face she was looking for. She walked to a stool next to the bar and sat resting her head on the surface of the polished wood.
"Plan on polishing the bar for me honey?" Ashling looked up to the new voice coming from behind the bar. It was another demon like herself no a Bracken but still a demon. He had green skin and dark red eyes that resembled her demon side. His two red horns barley reached his orange-blond hair.
"Huh? No, sorry," she wiped her hand across where her forehead was.
"You're new aren't you?"
"Yeah,"
"Can I get you anything?"
"Scotch on the rocks,"
"You sure you're old enough?" the demon asked as he started making the drink.
"Where I'm from I am,"
"Ireland right?"
"Yup," he handed her the drink. She sipped it. "How much?"
"On the house. What brings you to LA?"
"My brother,"
"Really? Gambling debts?" he joked.
"No," she laughed back. "He's been missing for almost two years and I needed his help. I just found out I was half demon."
"Its not so bad," he said. He placed his own drink down for a moment. "I'm Lauren."
"Ashling," she sipped again. "I went by his apartment and the lady living there gave me this card." She reached in her pocket and placed the card on the bar. "But it was brunt to the ground."
Lauren looked at the card. He knew the symbol and he knew who worked there.
"I know this guy," he said.
"My brother?"
"No, the guy who runs the business. He's helped me before. Come on I can take you there."
"Hold on," she finished her drink in one gulp and they left.
* * *
"Nice place," Ashling said as they approached the door to the hotel.
"Personally I think its still a fixer-upper," Lauren said as he opened the door for her and they entered.
"Who is it?" they heard Cordelia Chase yell from behind the desk
"Just me sweetheart," they walked up to the desk. The girl came up.
"Lauren, hey, what brings you around?" Cordelia caught site of Ashling. "A new customer?"
"No…this is Ashling-"
"And I'm Cordelia, how can 'Angel Investigations' help you?"
"I'm looking for one of your employees. My brother,"
"You're brother?" Cordelia finally took notice of Ashling's thick Irish accent. "And what's your last name?"
"Doyle," Cordelia placed her hand over her mouth as her eyes welled up. "What's your brother's name?"
"Allen…Allen Doyle,"
"Oh God…umm…your brother…Lauren can you…?"
"Sure, kiddos, I'll see you later. Ash, be sure to stop by the bar again," Lauren left.
"Ashling… sit down," Cordelia came out and they sat on the couch. "Your brother...he, he,"
"Who was at the door?" Ashling turned to see a man walking down the steps. He had brown spiky hair and was wearing all black.
"Angel! Ashling this is Angel, Angel this is Ashling," Angel reached the bottom and approached the couch. He shook Ashling's hand.
"Hi, do you need help with something?"
"Ashling is Doyle's little sister,"
"What? Does she…"
"No she doesn't,"
"I have the strangest feeling I'm missing something," Ashling stood up. "I really need to see Allen. I haven't heard from him in a year and a half. I need to see him."
"You can't," Angel said.
"Why not?" Ashling demanded.
Cordelia reached for Ashling's hand but she jerked away. "Doyle is dead."
"What?"
"Last year…a lot of people were in trouble, a lot of demons…and there was this thing that would kill anything with human blood and he sacrificed his life to save, millions of half-demons,"
Ashling felt like someone had punched her gut. "What do you mean…when?"
"November thirtieth,"
Tears started to fall out of Ashling's eyes. "That's why we haven't heard from him." She sank to the ground. Soon she started crying/sniffling. As she sniffled her demon side showed.
"Is that why you need to see him?" Angel asked. Ashling nodded.
"Our mother never told me…does he have a headstone?"
"We put one up," Cordelia said quietly.
"Can you take me there?"
"Of course," Cordelia helped Ashling up. She shook her head and went back to her normal face.
Graveyard
Angel's car pulled up to the graveyard. Cordelia looked at it. She hadn't been there since they had their mini funeral for him. She never visited it; it was too painful for her. Bus she couldn't imagine the pain Ashling was going through now.
"I'll show you where it is," Cordelia got out of the car and walked to the grass. Ashling followed.
Cordelia had been in lots of graveyards before. After all she use to be a slayerette. This was different. She never had a dead friend. "There." Cordelia stopped when she saw it.
Ashling walked up to the tombstone. She was shaking. When she reached the stone she read it aloud. "Allen Francis Doyle, saved the lives of millions. Always remembered." She shank to the ground in front of the stone. Her fingers grazed the letters. "Always remebered. Allen…I need you Allen. I'm…I'm a demon. Allen..." she broke down crying. "I'll get you back Allen I promise." She rested her head on the cold stone. "I promise." She stood up. "I'm bringing him back." She said to Cordelia.
"What?"
"I'm going to bring him back," Ashling headed back to Angel's car and got in.
"What do you mean you're gonna bring him back?" Cordelia got in too.
"I'm going to bring my brother back to life. He wasn't meant to die!"
"I don't think…"
"We already went to the oracles." Angel explained. "They said they couldn't."
"They couldn't. I'm going to find a way. You say you help the helpless. I'm helpless. I am not going back to my mother in Ireland to tell her that her only son is dead! Now are you going to help me or not?"
Cordelia wanted to bring Doyle back. She missed him a lot. She even thought she loved him, maybe she still does. "I know someone." She said. "A witch. She's powerful. She could do it."
"Thank you Cordelia,"
Angel started the car. "Who do you know?" he asked quietly.
"Willow,"
"Willow isn't going-"
"Angel I miss Doyle, I know you do too. And think of Ashling. We have to try,"
"We will, but I think we should see Lauren first,"
"Ugh," she grunted. "Does every decision we make have to involve a trip to a karaoke bar?"
