Sweeter Than Ambrosia
Author: Prism
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: They all belong to Acid-Trip. Like he's ever going to read this.
Summary: It was going to be a long serious thing, but it got shortened to a piece of fluff. Doyle comes back, of course.

*****

Ever had that perfection dream? Where everything is bright and happy and sitting in a too bright field?
Welcome to the afterlife of demons, heroes, or half demon heroes *in this case*. The most current resident of this special land was a certan half Brachen hero of Irish decent.

Allen Francis Doyle was currently spread out under a tree taking the longest nap of his afterlife. It wasn't to last though.

Doyle was in the middle of a wonderful dream with his dream Cordelia, when the pain started rolling in. A dull ache, worse and worse, until finally it hit three times as bad as one of his old visions.

But the pain wasn't his; it was Cordy's. He couldn't move as he watched her wither on the ground in agony. Whatever she was seeing was really horrible because she kept alternating groans of pain with screams of terror. The fact that nothing he did could help her made him feel like his guts were being ripped out.

"What 'da 'ells going on here?" he yelled to no one in particular. "Why am I seeing and feeling this? I thought this was heaven! I'm not supposed to feel pain or see my Delia twitch in misery!"
It was then he noticed her screams had stopped, and she was mumbling something at his feet. As he stooped down to pick her up, a long, pain-filled moan left her lips.

"Dddooooyyyylllleee"
When he touched her arm, he jerked back in surprise. She was burning! Just like he had. Her skin was slowly melting as her muscle was revealed.

He yelled, a horse, dry cough sound escaping his lips.
"NOOOO....
He jerked awake.
"Delia"

******

The Temple of The Powers. It truly made any other temple on Earth look small, cheap, and...well...small and cheap.

Too bad you had to be dead to admire it.

Doyle was currently standing in the middle of this great hall, facing the assembly of the nine highest Powers. Funny, he had always thought of the Powers as a faceless enemy, to him at least, but they were truly there to help mankind. Guess the Oracles just kinda messed up the chain.

"Hello Allan, what have you need of today?" asked the Power in charge. They had no names, as far as Doyle knew.

"Nothing, except an explanation!" Doyle barked at them. This disturbed the Powers; they hadn't seen him this angry since he had found out that Cordelia had received his visions.

The first to speak was a Power who took the shape of a small child. "What do you need to know? We will answer."

Doyle ground out, "This is heaven, right? No pain, right? All fancy free, RIGHT?!? All I want to know is why I'm havin' dreams of pain and suffering? And the one suffering is someone I loved? Cordelia? I thought ya said ya had lessened the pain! Well, this looked a lot more painful than anything I've ever experienced! So tell me! What the 'ell is going on?!?"

Out of breath from his rant, he sank to the floor and covered his face.

The Powers were disturbed by his outbreak, but even more by his news. They quickly gathered and discussed this event.

Doyle only caught brief pieces of their conversation.

"Truly strange."

"Great danger."

"Must be done."

"End this."

Doyle had just staggered to his feet when the Powers broke and turned to him. "There has been a mistake. A message will come to explain all."

Then, before Doyle could protest, move, or even ask anything, the head Power raised his arm, and Doyle was gone from the Temple.

******
At an empty dock of the L.A. harbor, where a memory of a ship, demons (or half demons), and heroes is slowly fading, a man appeared over the water.

No flash, no noise. A blink, if someone had been there to blink, and a young Irishman feel from the sky to land with a loud splash in the water.

Doyle swam to shore and pulled himself out.

Coughing, he sputtered, "Damn Powers. Erratic as 'ell. Yuck, Los Angelus water."

Shaking the water out of his trademark leather coat, he walked to the side of a building nearby and sat down.

The shock finally hit him. "I'm back,” he muttered. Than shouted," I'M BACK!"

And then promptly fainted.

********************

Angel bent over Cordelia, who was lying on her floor, unmoving. She had been talking to him on the phone, telling him that she would be late, when she had just started screaming.

"Cordelia? Are you alright?" came the peevish voice of Wesley. Angel winced. He should never have let Wesley tag along.

"Of course she's not alright you idiot! She's passed out on the floor for God's sake!" Angel yelled. Wesley whimpered, than slunk off, looking like he was about to cry. Angel couldn't care less.

"Ohhhhh." A low moan came from Cordelia. "Not passed out anymore. But wishing I was." Angel was at her side in a second.

"Cordy, don't move. We don't know what happened."

She sighed," Yes, I do. Vision. Big, bad, Monster vision! Worse than any. Even before they got less pain-filled."

Angel frowned, worried that the visions might be returning to their usual strength. A few months before, the pain that came with the visions seemed to drastically reduce, so that a dull headache was all Cordelia got along with the vital messages. Now, it seemed that the pain might me coming back, three times as bad.

That was why he was a little shocked when Cordelia, still laying on the floor and rubbing her head, let loose a huge grin, one Angel hadn't seen before Doyle...well...

"What are you so happy about?" he asked.

Still smiling, she whispered, "He's back." And shouted, "HE'S BACK!" bringing Wesley from the kitchen.

And promptly fainted again.

Angel sighed as he watched Cordelia slump back to ground. "Here we go again," he muttered.

This was seriously cutting in on his brooding time. He did wonder who Cordy had been talking about being back. There was always the small hope in the back of his mind, but if it wasn't Doyle, it was best not to get excited.

"Wesley," he yelled. "Bring a glass of water. Cordelia passed out again."

Wesley came running out of the kitchen carrying a glass of water. "Oh dear! Are you sure we shouldn't take her to the emergency room?"

Angel gave him a long suffering look and asked. "And tell them what? She passed out while having a vision of otherworldly things that I have to hunt down and kill?"

He sighed again and reached up to take the glass from Wesley. But, as the wimp had tripped over his own feet and was now watching the glass fly through the air. Even Angel was to slow to catch it now.

As if planned (probably by Dennis) the glass's contents dumped out on Cordelia's face, hair, and the floor beneath her. The glass landed harmlessly on the floor behind her.

Cordelia jerked off the floor and screamed, "My makeup! My hair! *gasp* My floor! You dumbass!" She leapt for Wesley; instinctively knowing it was his fault. Angel grabbed her waist and pulled her to the couch while said dumbass scampered out of the room.

"Not now Cordy, you have to tell me about the vision." Angel tried to calm the seething girl down.

At the mention of the vision, Cordelia sat bolt upright, grinned, than a look of fear crossed her face. "Oh my god. Angel! You have to go to the docks. Doyle's there."

If Angel's heart had been beating, it would have stopped. Cordy didn't notice his shock though and just kept going.

"He's hurt, or passed out, or something. I saw it. I saw myself, through his eyes. I was hurt. Than a big temple, with lots of people in nightgowns. And then, falling into the water. And then...nothing. Find him Angel! He hurts so much. Find him!"

*******************

As Angel screeched out of the parking lot with Wesley scrambling to shut the door, he failed to notice the shadow creeping towards Cordelia's door.

*******************

Doyle didn't know where he was going, but apparently his feet did. All he wanted to do was find a place to lay down and pass out again. But his feet carried on.

He couldn't take it anymore. "Have to stop. Have to sleep." His mind yelled at him.

He sank down against a door, not familiar to him in his pain-drunk stage.

All he remembered after that was his head hitting the door with a solid 'thump'.

******

Angel got in his car, slammed the door, and rested his head on the wheel. He hadn't found Doyle. There had been no sign of the Half-demon.

So, either Cordelia was wrong, or Doyle had been here and was now walking out there in the huge city.

After sitting there for about five minutes, brooding up a storm, he realized his cell was ringing.

He sighed (he seemed to be doing that a lot tonight) figuring it was Wesley, who he had dropped off at the office. He picked it up anyway.

"Hello?"

"Angel! Oh my god! The door...and...a knock...on the porch" It was Cordelia. She was whispering, but he could still make out that she was crying.

"Cordelia. What's the matter? Why are you whispering? Is someone there?"

"Yeah Angel, someone's here. A demon."

Angel's eyes went wide. He was just about to throw down the phone and do the hero thing, when he noticed Cordelia was still talking.

"Actually, he's only a half demon. Dark, curly hair. Ugly clothes. Leather jacket. If he was awake, I'm sure he would have blue eyes and an accent when *sob* he called me Princess..."

This time Angel really did throw down the phone and burned rubber out towards Cordelia's apartment.

*******

Angel was just to the door when it swung open for him. He didn't even stop to thank Dennis as he ran in.

He stopped at the site before him. Cordelia kneeling by the couch, tracing the lines of his face. His face. Doyle's face. Doyle was really back. He smiled in joy as Cordelia turned towards him.

"Shhh, he's asleep." she said in the same tear filled voice from the phone.

He noticed that she hadn't cleaned up the water mess. She had wiped the smeared makeup off, but she hadn't reapplied it.

"Are you sure it's him?" Angel wasn't sure why he asked her, he was supposed to be the one able to identify the supernatural, but he had a feeling she would know better than him.

"Yep, smells like him", she replied with a small smile.

Angel couldn't help but grin. "You smelled him?" His grin got bigger when she blushed.

"Yeah, well, I had to make sure it was him! And what are you grinning about? You never grin! It's Angelus!" she replied in mock horror.

Even the mention of his evil half couldn't bring Angel down. It was good to have Doyle back, and it was also good to see Cordelia happy again.

She got up and headed towards the kitchen.
"Want some blood while we wait?" She had taken to stocking her fridge with blood for him.

He nodded and she disappeared into the little kitchen and came right back with a warm mug of blood and a diet Pepsi. They both took a seat with their drinks and waited for Doyle to wake up. Then they would get their answers.

Tick tick tick. Each second was an hour.

Cordelia drained the last of her pop and glanced at the clock.

"Okay Doyle, time to wake up." She said, crushing her pop can.

"Cordy, it's only been 5 minutes." Angel laughed. The laugh died out when he saw the sadness in Cordelia's eyes.

"No Angel. It's been 5 months! Five months thinking he was dead. Five months not hearing him call me Princess. Five months not knowing what that dinner would have been like! So I think it is due time he woke up!"

Finished, she walked over to the couch and kneeled next to his head again. Bringing her mouth right next to his ear, she breathed, “Doyle, wake up. Wake up little Irishman."

Later, she would probably think that had been what woke him up. But Angel had seen the drop of water fall out of her still-wet hair and hit Doyle smack on the forehead. Either works.
Cordelia leaned back as Doyle opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"Hey Princess."

**********

Doyle was in pain. Big PAIN! He had concluded quickly that he had a few broken ribs. Who knew falling from a different dimension could do that?

But that pain was quickly being replaced by a warm feeling of being back. That and the distracting thought that Cordelia was the one bent over him, wrapping his chest. *Some girls get all the fun*

Angel sat across from them, asking questions now and then.

"And they said 'what' before they sent you back?"

Doyle groaned as he sat up on the couch. Cordelia scowled at him, finished up with the bandages, and sat up next to him.

"They said, as far as I can remember, 'We will send instructions' or something like that."

"Great!" came the cry from Cordelia. "That means another head-splitting vision!"

Doyle instantly looked downfallen. He hated the fact that his pain had gone on to Cordy. He hated the fact that the kiss, which was supposed to be the ultimate good-bye, had turned out so damned wrong!

Cordelia smiled and leaned against his shoulder.

"But, I guess this time it's worth it."

Angel smiled at Doyle's shocked expression and shrugged his shoulders.

Doyle finally grinned and leaned back a little. But the sudden movement caused a few strands of Cordelia's hair to float upwards, and brush the end of his nose.

Before he could even react, he sneezed. The spikes popped out instantly and his eyes and skin shifted color.

Filled with horror at the thought of Cordy seeing him like this, he shook his head to change back. It didn't work.

"Oh, no. Please no!", he begged. "Why can't I change?"

Angel thought for a second. "You're stronger in that form, right? Maybe this is your body's way of recuperating faster. Calm down."

Doyle yelped, " I look like a big blue pincushion here, man! How da 'ell am I supposed to calm down?!?"

He momentarily quieted when he felt Cordelia's soft touch pushing him down.

"By shutting up and resting. Just lay down, and I'll get you some water." she said in her best mother hen voice.

Doyle grabbed her wrist. "You're not afraid, Princess? Not afraid of this?" He made a sweeping gesture to his face.

As she got up, she simply said, "Of you? Never."

It was a beautiful moment. Of course it had to end.

There was a loud pounding at the door, and then it flew open as Wesley came bursting in.

"Did you find hi..." Wesley trailed off as the scene sunk into his mind. There was a spiky looking demon on Cordelia's couch. Holding her wrist. And Cordelia was pulling away.

He didn't give himself the time to get the rest of it to soak in. Like, the fact that Angel was sitting in a chair across from them with one of his few happy faces on. Or that the "evil demon" obviously had a wound and wasn't keeping Cordelia from moving away.

No, he just jumped into "action". If you could call it that.

He ran towards the couch as fast as he could. Which gave Cordelia plenty of time to get to her feet.

"Don't worry, Cordelia", he said "I will vanquish that..." He was promptly cut off as Cordy's fist met with his teeth. He whimpered slightly and slumped to the ground.

Cordy shook her aching hand and snorted down at the fallen Brit. "Over my ruined Guccis."

She turned towards the kitchen and met with the rather stunned faces of Doyle and Angel. Doyle had changed back to human form in his shock. Not that he noticed.

"What? It's not like you wouldn't do it given the chance, Angel. And Doyle, lay back down, change back to pincushion form, and GET BETTER!" With that she stomped off through the door, ignoring Doyle's "Yes, General!"

*********

Two hours later, after a good night of catching up and swapping stories, Angel left, dragging the still unconscious Wesley behind him. Cordelia sat curled up against Doyle, who had recovered enough strength to change back to human form with no pain.

He grinned as she yawned so hard that her jaw popped. She smiled slightly, "Guess I'm more tired than I thought."

"Maybe we should go to bed, Princess. No, I'm not implying anything." he replied to the sharp look she gave him. "Just that you should get some sleep."

She smiled once more and stretched her back, than settled right back in next to him.

"Not till you tell me what the ambrosia tasted like."

"Well," Doyle risked it and leaned in to give her a small kiss. "Like that, only a little sweeter."

She was just about to pounce him and demand another kiss when the world faded out.

**********
The sound of Angel yelling swam to the surface of her mind. Something about her being passed out. She said something that didn't register, but was familiar, none the less.

When he asked what was the matter, she described the pain this recent vision had given her. Now it was time for the part where it was pulled to the forefront and she wrote the damn thing down. She pulled at it, and the pictures came.

She grinned like a moron and whispered to Angel, "He's back." Louder, not like she was going to hide it. "HE'S BACK!"

Oops, wrong thing to do. The pain rushed back and she felt the blackness creep in. But this time, being passed out was a good thing. Her dream was sweet. And reality was going to get even sweeter in the next few hours.

****************

The End