I don't own BTVS or AtS. I do, however, know the episode 'Once More With Feeling' word for word, so nyuh! *sticks out tongue* I don't own the characters in this story, but I may be striking up a deal soon , where I can rent-to-own them. *nods matter-of-factly* Now, that we have that out of the way, Joss is a genius and I am dunce, in comparison. How's this for something weird, but interesting? I've started scrap booking and I think I may make a BTVS page. Fun, fun, fun! Anyway, this is the portion where I sigh, tip my hat, and say...

On with the show.

::Stuff and Nonsense- I'm Still Standing::

Spike had watched the two men stare at each other, for a while, and then realized that they were most likely going to embrace. He turned his head and looked at Lorne, who was watching the scene with obvious interest. He looked over at Fred and was surprised to find the girl blushing uncontrollably. 'Really, now?' He looked back at the man in the doorway, who stood like a statue, waiting for Angel to make a move.

Angel didn't move, but he did speak. "Doyle? What are you doing here?"

Doyle shook his head and sighed. "Do ya' think we can start on some easier questions? I really would rather have a pint in me, before we get to some of the more difficult parts of things."

Spike sniffed the air and hummed. "You can come in, you know."

"I know." Doyle agreed. "Just like I told tall, dark, and gloomy here, a few years back, I may be a demon, but I'm not a vampire." Doyle took a step in through the doorway and shut the door behind him. "So..."

Angel took a few steps toward the man and looked him up and down. "Something's not right."

Doyle grinned and shrugged. "I'm not wearing a shirt that's fit for a luau. Could that be it?"

Angel shook his head. "You don't smell right."

"I don't smell like beer and pretzels? Gimme half a mo' and I can fix that." Doyle chuckled, when he caught the small smile that Angel was developing. He leaned in and whispered. "I really haven't been back long enough, for you to be sniffing me. It still squicks me, ya' know?"

Angel nodded and sighed. He grabbed Doyle into a strong hug, causing the man to yelp. "We've missed you."

Doyle nodded and gasped. "Hey, Angel, just cause I'm half demon, doesn't mean I don't need to breathe." Angel let Doyle go and smacked his shoulder, with a cupped palm. Doyle rubbed the area and winced. "Don't bruise the body! I gotta return it, when I'm done, here."

Angel decided to ignore that comment and turned toward his childe. "Spike, this is Doyle."

Spike quirked a brow and snorted. "He an ex, or something?"

"Yup. An ex-what, is the question." Doyle chuckled, while Angel muttered something Gaelic, under his breath. Doyle sighed. "You never were good at explaining things." Doyle took a step toward Spike and extended his hand. "I'm Doyle. I used to work for Angel, before I was killed."

Spike took the proffered hand and grinned, sardonically. "That's funny. I only started working for Angel, after I was killed."

Doyle pulled back his hand and smiled, tightly. "William the Bloody?"

Spike made a motion, as if he were tipping an invisible hat, and grinned. "The very same."

"Aye. Yes..." Doyle chewed the inside of his cheek and nodded. "I've heard of you, from the others."

"Who're the others?" Spike asked, arching a brow.



"You'll think I'm crazed, if I just start telling you, now. Give it time." Doyle looked past Spike and caught a glimpse of Lorne and Fred. He grinned at them, both. "Hello." He stated, cheerfully.

Fred grinned and waved, by holding up her hand and letting her fingers fall.

This made Doyle grin and wave back. "And who are you, my bonnie lass?"

Spike rolled his eyes and glared over at Angel. "Don't tell me he really talks like this, all of the time!"

Angel grinned and shook his head. "The accent is good for the ladies. Don't tell me that after living in America for so long, you haven't developed an American accent."

"Huh!" Spike scoffed. He crossed his arms across his chest and muttered. "Like you know anything about picking up women."

Doyle glanced at the two vampires, who were arguing about everything and nothing. He threw a look back at Fred and inquired. "Do they do this often?"

Fred nodded. "They like to make each other mad, for some reason."

Doyle nodded, acceptingly, and smiled over at Lorne. "Hello, friend, why so green?"

Lorne shrugged. "Bad genes, but I've learned to deal."

"Know what you mean." Doyle glanced at Lorne's drink and sighed. "What cha' got there?"

Lorne raised his glass to his nose and sniffed the contents. "Bourbon."

Doyle shivered. "I haven't drank *anything* for a good three years... or is it three and a half? It's been too long, that's for sure!"

Lorne grinned. "Would you like a drink? I have more."

Doyle nodded. "Just water, thanks. All joking aside, I need to keep my wits about me."

Lorne smiled and nodded. "I'll go get you some water." Lorne turned and headed for the kitchen.

Doyle looked over at Fred, appraisingly. "So, where did you come from. You can't tell me that you lived in L.A. and I never caught a sight of you, when I was here, before."

Fred shook her head. "I'm from Texas, but I ended up being sucked through a portal into a place called Pylea. Lorne's from there."

"But you can't hold that against me, because I am nothing like my kin." Lorne sauntered back into the room carrying a glass of ice water. Hiss own glass had been topped off. He handed the water to Doyle and clinked their glasses together. "Welcome back."

Doyle lifted his glass and nodded. "Thank you." He downed it, as fast as he could and shuddered when he was finished. "That was horrible." He choked.

Lorne scowled. "I'm sorry. It was from the tap."

Doyle shook his head. "It's not that. I never have been one for water."

Fred giggled and watched, as the new man sputtered. "So, you were dead." She stated, with obvious interest.

Doyle chuckled. "Are you always so matter-of-fact? I'm not criticizing. It's just that most ladies would be bothered about that."

Fred shrugged. "You know, people come back from the dead a lot, around here."

Doyle nodded. "They *do* do that." He sighed and stretched his arms above his head. "It always seems to be a little short of a miracle, though. There are always consequences, when you are messing with the natural order of things." Doyle dropped his arms to his sides and sparred a quick glance over at Spike and Angel, who were still snapping at each other.

Fred nodded. "What is the consequence of you coming back?"

"I'm of no consequence." The man said with a small, almost sad, smile. "I'm just here to lend a hand. It's a kind of... favor."

"We won't be needing any favors, ta." Spike snarled at the Irishman. He was still mad at Angel. 'The stupid pouf.' He thought with a sneer. "What is it with you having your ex-companions coming back from the dead!?"

Angel quirked a brow. 'What was that, again?' He thought to himself. "I don't..."

Spike shook his head. "Rhetorical question, Angelus." Spike shot Doyle a look. "Do you remember him being this stupid, when he was your boss?"

Doyle shrugged. "Stupid? No. Slow? Sometimes." He took another sip of his water and watched Spike nod, slowly. The vampire was turning back to his usual shade of pale. "Don't you even wonder what sort of hell is about to be thrown at you?"

Spike shook his head. "I like surprises."



"Well, if I remember correctly, Angel does not like surprises. They throw off his delicate balance." Doyle put his drink down on a coffee table, nearby, and walked toward the front desk. "What sort of case are you working on, Angel?" He stopped and looked over the counter, looking for something.

Angel made his way toward the man and sighed. "There is no case. There hasn't been a case since two weeks ago."

"Why is that?" Doyle asked, giving the vampire a smirk.

Spike growled under his breath. "Well, I suppose you would know better than us, you silly Mick!" Spike stomped over to the couch and plopped down, next to Fred. "Didn't those sparkly, shan-shu promising, wankers send you or not? They must have told you why all this is happening! Why else would dead people be plaguing us?"

Doyle smiled and shrugged. "Think of it in the terms that..." Doyle sighed and thought for a moment. "Angel Investigations is sick and you are being given medicine to remedy your illness. Now, the doctors were looking doubtful, but they hope the medicine is going to take."

"They hope? Doesn't sound very promising." Spike muttered and he crossed his ankle over his knee. He leaned back into his seat and narrowed his gaze at the half-demon.

Doyle nodded. "That's because there is no promise. Only hope."

Spike grunted. "What's is there to hope for?"

Doyle smiled. "Well, I hope you start liking me soon, because I may end up being here for a little while."

Spike looked at the Irishman, in surprise. "Who said I didn't like you. I don't even know you."

Lorne laughed. "You're emitting, dear."

"Eww..." Spike scrunched up his nose. "Am I?"

Doyle chuckled and threw a glance over at Angel. "You made him?"

"No." Angel smirked. "But I probably would have, if Dru hadn't."

Doyle frowned, slightly, and scratched the back of his head. "Hmm..."

Spike looked at the Irishman and grunted. "What?"

Doyle shrugged. "I just had a vision." He sighed. "I haven't had a vision in so long, I forgot what they were like."

Angel quirked a brow. "Nothing like that. You used to be knocked off your feet, because of how intense your visions were."

Doyle nodded and frowned. "Yeah, that's true. Well, I guess I better tell one of you about it."

Angel smiled. "Finally, we have some insight with The Powers, again."

Lorne sniffed and took a sip of his drink. "I'm doing the best I can, Angel cakes."

"Angel Cakes?" Doyle grinned. "All right, I'm going to be saving that laugh for a rainy day. Now, about that vision." Doyle closed his eyes and concentrated. "I see a man, being attacked by a hideous looking beast." Doyle opened his eyes. "The beast is pink and has a lot of appendages. Kind of like an octopus with hands and feet."

Angel nodded and sighed. "Where is it?"

Doyle closed his eyes and pictured it all again. "It's at a street called Samona and it connects to Maple."

Spike and Angel exchanged looks. Spike frowned. "I don't know which street Samona is, but Maple is only a few blocks down. When is this supposed to happen?"

Doyle made a face. "I think it's going to happen very soon." Doyle gasped. "Okay, there is more than one."

"More than one demon?" Angel ran over toward his weapons case and threw the door open. He grabbed a sword, for himself, and pulled out an axe, for Spike. He threw the axe to Spike, who caught it deftly.

Doyle shook his head. "There is only one demon, as far as I can tell. There are three men, though. The man I saw, a younger man, and then, a black man."

Spike swung his axe around and smiled. "Of course, there is." Spike grinned at his sire, as he headed toward the doorway. "This is all just peachy, Peaches. You have your own little psychic to tell you about every time that Connor steps in it and I get to watch that little vein in your head... which is supposed to be inactive, by the way... pop out."



Angel growled under his breath and pushed past his childe, and out the door.

Spike grinned over at Lorne and shrugged. "You might want to take the car and go buy a six pack. We'll probably need it, when we get back from bailing out little brother and those other two idjits." Spike smirked at Doyle and sighed. "So, do you fight, also?"

Doyle made a face and shrugged. "I don't know. Last time I took it upon myself to fight, I ended up dying."

Spike nodded and pointed his axe at Doyle. "Then, you should stay here and man the fort. Maybe, keep an eye on princess, there."

Doyle looked over at Fred and smiled. "How about two?"

Spike frowned and nodded. "Yeah, well, don't be watching too hard, friend." He muttered, as he turned toward the door and headed after Angel.

Doyle watched the vampire leave and smirked. "Well, keep your eyes peeled... friend."

TBC

-UGH! I had the worst case of writers block and this chapter was utter crap, but it should be getting better from here on out. Thanks for sticking around. Oh, and I'm glad to see that Doyle is pleasing the masses. He is precious, is he not? Hehe... Well, love you guys. Please review.-

--The subtitle to this was I'm Still Standing, which a song by Elton John. Go Sir Elton! Whoo hoo!-