Part 11


Angel sat in his darkened room, sitting in his chair; pretty much brooding his ass off.


As soon as Connor left, he wordlessly traveled up to his room and locked the door behind him. The first thing he did to try to get his mind off the blonde was to go to the bookshelf and find himself a novel to read.


He randomly picked on and out of habit, he leafed through the pages.


Something slipped from the book and fell to his feet. He bent over and retrieved what looked like the back of a Polaroid. Angel flipped it over and that's where it lead him to be in the position he was in now.


The picture was of him and Buffy back in the day when they were care free about their romantic relationship. Before they knew about the curse, before their relationship started to hit rock bottom.


On the bottom of the instant photo was the date it was taken. It was during the time when Buffy was grounded by her mother, so he had to sneak up to have one of their numerous one-on-one sessions.


Somehow, Buffy had managed to reach behind the wicker chair they, or rather Angel was sitting on, and gotten the camera.


The flash and the whirring noise surprised Angel and caused him to break the kiss and look around them frantically. The look on his face made Buffy laugh hysterically.


He was so engrossed in the memories the picture brought, he jumped in surprise when a girl's voice broke the silence of the gloomy room.


"Man, you are the life of the party! No wonder you're so popular."


A teenaged girl sat on his couch across from him. She looked Asian with black hair that was parted into braided pigtails and some strands framed her face. Her eyes were dark brown and her skin was a dark tan. She wore a white sleeveless zip-up hoodie underneath a pair of baggy overalls. White K-Swiss sneakers were on her feet, a leather cuff on her right wrist.


In a flash, Angel instinctively lunged for the girl that intruded into his apartment. When he was about to snatch her neck into a choke hold, the girl held out her two hand defensively and said, "Whoa Buddy. Hold up."


Without thinking, Angel dropped his hand and backed off a bit. She pointed to the spot next to her on the couch and commanded him like he was a dog to sit. He obeyed unhappily, under her control.


"Who are you?," he growled.


The girl snapped her fingers and shook her head, "Darn, during all that hoopla I forgot to mention my name. My bad," she stuck out a small hand to shake, grinning all the while, "Hi. I'm Lynn."


Angel narrowed his eyes at her, staring at her fiercely. She rolled her eyes when he didn't shake her hand, her grin was still intact, and she let her hand fall.


"That's all right. That's okay. I understand, but I swear, I'm not evil."


"How do I know you're not lying?"


"Because Angel, as cliche as this sounds, I would've tried to kill you already."


Angel dropped his glare and replaced it with a questioning look, inquiring her, "What are you doing here? What do you want?"


Lynn's smile got wider, "I was sent here to tell you that the decisions you've been making lately are kinda..." she trailed off as she tried to think of a good word to describe them, "disappointing," she finally came up with, with a mock whisper and a nod of her head.


"Sent? What, you work for the Powers?"


She clapped her hands excitedly in a very Drusilla-like manner, "Wow! You're GOOD!," she jumped up to her feet and stood in front of him, "You're looking at your own personal guide."


"My guide?" she nodded happily. He chuckled in amusement, "No offense, but you look kinda small and young to be my guide," the vampire waved his hand to point out her height of five feet and her teenaged looks.


Lynn's smile turned into a frown, and she crossed her arms in front of her chest.


"That's besides the point. And I seem to remember you taking advice from a little girl that looked younger than me and was not to mention EVIL."


"That was different, it concerned my son!"


"Well this does to, bu the comes later," she sat back down next to the vamp-detective, "Buffy right now, we're focusing on you... and Buffy."


The frown that Angel wore deepened.


"Buffy? What does she-"


"EVERYTHING Angel," Lynn cut him off, "You two are the destined warriors. The bad decisions you're both making now, are effecting you two's future."


"Buffy's making bad decisions?" The girl pursed her lips and squinted her eyes, holding up her hand with her thumb and forefinger an inch apart, "Then who's going to help her?"


"Oh that would be my friend and partner. I believe you'll like him," Lynn looked up to the ceiling, making Angel flinch when she screamed, "EY! YOU CAN COME DOWN NOW!" She looked back at Angel and waggled her eyebrows, a knowing smile on her face.


"No need to shout Darlin'," came a male Irish voice from behind Angel.


Angel gasped and quickly turned around.


"Doyle," Angel breathed out.


"Hey Angel Buddy. Miss me?" The short man said.


"You-You're Buffy's guide?"


"Well, Lynn and I, we're both you and Buffy's guides. We just flipped a coin." Doyle stuck his hands in the pockets of his khaki pants and winked at Lynn.


Angel just stood there, his mouth was open, but no words came out.


"I gotta tell ya," Doyle shook his head with a smirk, "The thing ya have going for 'Delia... It's not right man," Angel was about to say something, but Doyle continued, "S'alright Angel, I'm a spirit, what good am I gonna do her? Plus, I don't like the 'Yay-I'm-A-Saint-Warrior' attitude she's got going on. Lost her unique fire ya know?"


"Doyle, if you would've let me-" Angel started to apologize for his death.


"Ey, it's ok. It was my fate, man. There was nothing you could've done about it. Speaking of fate," he brought his left wrist up so he can see the time on his silver watch, "Gotta go see your girl." He took Angel's hand in both of his and shook it, "Was great seeing you again Buddy. I'll keep in touch," he still gripped Angel's hand in one of his and pointed to Lynn with the other, "You're in great hands. She's good."


With a pat on Angel's back, Doyle backed up a few inches and faded away with is hands in his pockets and a grin on his face.


"Man, I love Doyle. He's the coolest," Lynn commented to Angel. Without a response, angel plopped back down in his previous spot on the couch. "Well let's get down to business shall we?"