In this story, after Angel helps out with the Chumash Indian, Buffy didn't go to L.A. to confront him. That whole turn back time thing never happened.

Angel's POV

"So what do we do now?" the girl asked Xander as I watched from the shadows by the side of the street.

"We could stay here and stand watch, or I just don't-"

I stepped out in front of them. "Xander."

He looked taken aback and instantly weary and irritated. Good to see you too. "Angel?"

"So this is Angel. He's large and glowery, isn't he?" the girl commented.

I furrowed a brow. "He's evil again."

"I'm not evil again." I said quickly, feeling slightly irritated. "I'm here to protect Buffy. I haven't been evil for a long time."

"Why aren't you talking to her then?" Xander asked, peevishly.

"I don't want her to know I'm here."

"Well, do you have something for us to know?" Xander asked, his eyes wide in a 'get on with it' way.

I sighed. "Yeah. All the chumash weapons are missing from the cultural center. Something's up. Where's Buffy?

"At Giles'. She sent us to check on Dean Guerrero."

"Why the Dean?"

"We think he's going after someone in charge. A leader?"

I sighed again. With Xander, it was a regular thing. Like hating him. Wierd that I hated him when he was so much like Doyle. I understood why him and Willow and Buffy were so close. I felt a pang and pushed the redhead from my mind. I tried not to think of her unless I was somewhere alone to think. "He's a warrior. To a warrior, the leader means the strongest fighter."

Xander grunted in frustration. "Buffy."

"He's formed a raiding party."

"We gotta get over there." Xander exclaimed.

"I'll call her. You get back fast." I told him. He was already running with his girlfriend or whoever in tow. I think that was the most civilized conversation we ever had, especially with nobody around to break up the bickering.

Doyle's POV

"What does that thing do?" I asked, motioning to the beacon.

Angel looked grim. "Its light kills anything with human blood."

I sighed, a knot forming in my gut. "Well, it's getting brighter and that doohickey - it's fully armed, isn't it?"

"Almost. If I pull the cable, I think I can still shut it off."

I furrowed a brow. "How're you gonna do that without touching the light?" The realization came even as I was still asking the question.

Cordy gasped. "Angel, that's suicide."

"There's got to be another way." I told him seriously.

Angel looked at the demons in the hold then at Cordy. "It's all right." His tone said that it definitely wasn't.

Cordy shook her head frantically. "No!"

Angel put a hand on my shoulder and I put a hand on his arm, the idea forming in my head. The world still needed Angel. "The good fight, yeah? - You never know until you've been tested. - I get that now."

I hauled and arm back and hit Angel with a hard right to the chin, knocking him down into the cargo hold. Turning to Cordy, I started in to plant a kiss on her lips before diving to disarm the beacon. Something stopped me. I opened my eyes against the searing blue light that was growing around the beacon.

Shaking off the wierdness, I morphed into my demon face. "Too bad we'll never know if this is a face you could learn to love."

I can hear Angel trying to hurry up the ladder and yelling my name. I take a deep breath, prepared to try the kiss again. I can't take the visions with me.

Then there is another light, brighter and purer that pushes me and Cordy down into the cargo hold where I landed on top of my friends.

Suddenly, the eery light from above goes out. Someone disconnected the cable. 'Self sacrifice.' a gentle, soft voice said in my mind. Definitely not my own thoughts. 'That was noble. Glad I could save a good guy. Tell Cordy to give you a chance.'

Willow's POV

Trans-locating back into Mickey's livingroom, I stumbled onto the couch. "Willow! I told you not to go!" she admonished, rushing into the room from the sound of my ungraceful entrance. She was close to tears. "I know you've been excelling at your studies but you're still eight months pregnant! That isn't good for you."

"That dream was for a reason, Gran." I told her seriously. "I was meant to save him." I grinned widely. "And I did. I saved him." And then I passed out.

Cordy's POV

"Why are you so quiet?" I asked, setting down the shot glass on the small bar. Angel had insisted we celebrate. Doyle had almost died. Had been prepared to sacrifice himself for us. Had tried to do it.

Doyle glanced up to me, entirely more sober than you'd expect a semi-alcoholic to be when celebrating life-saveage. "Who was she?" she whispered.

"She?"

"Whoever saved us. She spoke into my mind." He shook his head a little, like he didn't believe it.

"What'd she say?"

"That I was noble and she was glad she could save someone like me." He grinned then. "And that you should give me a chance."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't fight the smile. "I already told you I'd go on a date with you. You don't have to make stuff up."

He frowned then and shook his head. "She really said that. She said 'And tell Cordy to give you a chance' like she knew us personally."

"Did you see her?" Angel asked, getting Doyle's attention.

Doyle shook his head. "I didn't see anyone. Something physically stopped me from kissing Cordy, then it shoved me down into the cargo hold and then she was in my head." He looked to Angel. "What could have done that?"

Angel sighed. "There are too many things to count."