I decided if I was going to trust him, I might as well go all the way.  I took his hand, bracing myself in case he grew claws.  His hand felt perfectly normal.  We shook and then let go.

"This is sort of awkward, you already know my name.  Is Doyle your first name or you last?" I asked.

"Last, but that's what everyone calls me.  I prefer it.  Could we go talk somewhere a bit more comfortable?  I'm not a fan of warehouses," Doyle said.

"Sure, we can go to my office."

I grabbed the book, which Jimmy had left lying open on the floor next to a piece of chalk.  I would send it to Van Helsing.  Then I led the way back out to my car.  Jimmy and Toby were nowhere to be seen.  I hoped they got home ok.  A couple of scared kids running through Pioneer Square could get into a lot of trouble.  Of course with the scare they had they probably took the fastest way home. I got in the car and leaned over to open the passenger side.  Doyle threw the two Cherry Coke cans rolling around on the floor into the back seat and got in.

"Sorry about the mess, haven't had a passenger for a while," I said.

"No problem, I've been in worse," said Doyle with a grimace.  "At least there aren't any bloodstains."

I didn't ask him about that comment.  Some things I didn't want to know about a half demon.  Of course he didn't say he was talking about his own car.  We spent the time in silence. Doyle was busy looking out the window with curiosity on my face.  I was wondering if I dared bother Van Helsing.

What time was it in Holland?  He was probably in the middle of a class.  I parked right in front of my building and we headed upstairs to my office. 

Unlike my car, I keep my office clean.  I want the place clients see to be as professional looking as possible.  I only have one room.  It contains an antique oak desk, two chairs, a number of steel filing cabinets, and a small table with a coffee maker.  On the walls are a couple of certificates of merit from the Seattle PD and two framed Escher prints.  I have the one with the stairs going every which way and the one with lizards.  Doyle sat on one of the chairs, leaned back, and put his feet up on the desk.  I pushed them off as I sat down. "This desk is over a hundred years old, feet don't belong on it," I said.

"Sorry, I haven't done this for a while," said Doyle with a sheepish grin.

"What, been in an office?"

"No, sat in a chair.  I've been on another plane of existence."

"I see, is that part of the Powers that Be thing you were talking about?"

"Yes, it is."

"If you want some coffee, help yourself.  It's from this afternoon, but should still be ok."

"Coffee, that's something else I haven't had in a long time."

I watched as he filled one of my mugs and took a long deep sniff.  He sighed happily and sipped it as if it were ambrosia.  I've never seen someone look so excited over coffee.  I mostly keep it around for clients, I¹m more of a tea drinker. I buy Seattle¹s Best beans from a shop in the Pike Place Market and grind them myself.

"I don't know if it's because I haven't had coffee for a while, or if this is really the best brew I¹ve ever tasted.  What kind is it?" he asked after long minutes of sipping and sighing.

"Seattle's Best House blend," I said.

"Never heard of it."

"I thought they had it in LA, how long have you been gone?"

"Quite some time. I've never been to Seattle, but I would think I would have heard of Seattle's Best if we have it in our Universe."

"Maybe you don't.  What about Starkbucks?"

"Who?"

"Now I know your universe is weird, no Starbucks?  They even have them in Tokyo."

"Well if it's as good as this coffee, we'll have to hope it arrives at some time in the future."

"Enough chatting about coffee.  Why are you here?"

Doyle ignored my question and continued to concentrate on his coffee for a bit.  It seemed he didn¹t really want to get down to business.  Since he wasn¹t talking yet I went back to the paperwork I had abandoned earlier.  I couldn¹t make him talk. 

Finally he finished his coffee and set the mug down on the desk, "First let me ask you, is the TV program abou Buffy still running here?" he asked.

"No, it only went for a season after the TV version of Angel died.  The actor left the show to pursue other options and it just wasn¹t as popular after that," I told him.  "Not enough cute guys to keep it going.  It was most popular with women."

"That's too bad.  It means I¹m going to have to give you the whole story."

"You're a friend of Buffy's, I take it?"

"No, Angel's."

"Wait a minute.  When I met Buffy he was dead, he died the true death. She told me she killed him and sent him to hell.  Was she wrong?"

"No, a friend of hers named Willow brought him back with his soul.  He stayed in Sunnydale for some time after that, but then he realized that he was bad for Buffy."

"No kidding.  I just don¹t see how a slayer and a vampire could be a good couple."

"Well yes.  At any rate Angel moved to LA and I was sent to him by the powers that be. They gave me visions of people in trouble.  Then we would go and help them.  He became a champion for them.  Then Cordelia joined us."

"Wait a minute, Cordelia Chase.  Didn't she go to Buffy's high school? Buffy said she was a real bitch."

"She changed quite a bit in the short time I knew her, and after I died she changed even more.  In our world there is a group of demons who hate all half demons like me, or like vampires.  They came to LA and Angel fought them.  They were trying to cast a spell to destroy all who were not full demons.   We realized that someone of demon blood had to throw themselves into the spell to destroy it.  Angel wanted to be the one, but I knew that he had to keep up the fight, so I did it instead.  I kissed Cordelia for the first time before that and the Powers that Be caused my visions to be passed on to her.  She went through a lot of pain and suffering because of it.  I wish that I could have prevented it, but it was the will of the Powers. When she almost died because of the visions, they made her part demon as well."

"That's quite a story," I said, trying to take it all in.  "When you say you were on another plane, you mean you were dead?  You don¹t seem like a ghost. I've met ghosts before."

"I'm not a ghost here, but I will be when we return to my universe.  Only you will be able to see me."

"Great, people can just call me Elwood."

Doyle did not get the reference, "I'm sorry?"

"Elwood P. Dowd, from Harvey, the movie with the invisible rabbit?" I prompted.

"With Jimmy Stewart?"

"Right.  Everyone will think I'm insane since I'm talking to an invisible man."

"We will be able to communicate mentally."

"Ah, good I can just be slightly weird and stare off into space.  You still haven¹t explained why the Powers need me to go to your universe."

"Did you ever hear of Darla?"

"No, can't say that I have."

"She was Angel's sire.  He killed her to protect Buffy, but a law firm named Wolfram and Hart brought her back as a human.  She convinced Angel to turn her again and they had sex.  By a miracle that had been prophesized she became pregnant with Angel's child."

"What!" I exclaimed.  "I mean I survived my mom's being bitten by a vampire, but a vampire being pregnant?"

"That's why it was a miracle.  While she was pregnant she shared her son's soul, but she realized she couldn't give birth normally so she staked herself so that Connor would survive," said Doyle calmly.

"So Connor is Angel's son?"

"Yes, and he is fully human, as far as any one can tell.  A man named Holtz, whose family was killed by Angelus over a century ago was put into a sort of suspended animation by a demon.  When he was woken and found out about Connor, he decided to torture Angel by taking his son.  There was another prophecy saying that Angel would devour his child.  Wolfram and Hart caused this to happen by secretly feeding Angel Connor¹s blood.  Wesley, another of Angel's friends, didn't know this and he decided to steal Connor and bring him to Holtz to keep him safe.  Holtz found a way to bring Connor to a demon dimension.  Angel went rather crazy and almost killed Wesley.  It turns out that time flowed differently in the other dimension.  Although a few weeks passed in our world, Holtz and Connor found a way back 15 years later in their own time."

"This is hard to believe. What am I saying, I'm sitting here talking to a dead guy about how impossible his story is.  Except he doesn't seem dead."

"It is confusing."

"I'm still not clear on what you want me to do."

"Angel is missing.  We need you to find him and help him reconcile with his son."

I gaped at him, "Excuse me, you've been dead, but you know all this stuff. Are you telling me that the Powers that Be don't know where Angel is?"

"They do know, but they can't interfere in this affair."

"Yet they sent you to find me."

"You are in a unique position to help Connor and Angel.  Connor has been raised to believe all vampires and demons are evil, but you and I know they¹re not."

"Maybe you do.  I personally haven¹t had much experience with demons, and I¹m a mutant vampire.  I never died.  None of the vampires I've met have been good."

"I can't really explain it.  The Powers want you there, and now you¹ve only to decide if you want to go.

"If I find Angel and help him talk to his son, do you think I'll have time to visit with Buffy and catch up on things?  It won't just be business, will it?"

"I'm sure you'll have time.  Buffy may show up in LA at some point.  Will you do it?"

I thought for a moment.  Van Helsing says I'm impulsive, and I guess he's right.  I've met people from other universes, but I've never traveled to one myself.  This was the opportunity of a lifetime.  I'd get to see Buffy and maybe Giles again.  Then there was Angel, a vampire with a soul.  It'd be interesting to get his point of view, and Connor's.  A human born of vampires?  Almost like me.  You take what you can get.

"All right, I will come with you.  When do we leave?" I asked.