“No problem. I consider it a favor for an old friend, and anyway, Cordelia was pretty insistent that we take the case,” Angel admitted ruefully. Xander’s weak smile turned to a real one.

“Cordelia always had a convincing way about her, didn’t she?” he laughed. “If she wanted something, she got it. Which meant she was always pretty irritated that she couldn’t get rid of her feelings for me.”

Doyle chose that moment to walk in the door, and he glared at the young man. “Mornin’,” he greeted Angel. He moved over to the coffeepot and poured himself a cup of coffee that, he was surprised to note, didn’t ooze out of the pot.

“Doyle, glad you’re here.” Angel stood up. “I don’t think introductions were made yesterday. Xander, this is Doyle, my friend and Cordelia’s fiancé. Doyle, this is Xander Harris. He’s one of the group that helps Buffy.”

Doyle lifted his chin to acknowledge the introduction, and Xander nodded back. “So, how are we goin’ ta go ‘bout this?” Doyle asked briskly, sitting down in his usual chair and taking a swallow of the coffee. His eyes widened. “Angel, man, how come ye let Cordelia make the coffee ever’ mornin’ when ye can make it se much better?”

Xander and Angel chuckled. “It makes her feel useful,” Angel explained with an uncharacteristic grin. “Besides, the sludge she makes keeps me awake all day.”

“Fine then,” Doyle grumbled, “ye can let her make the coffee here, but I’ll be expectin’ ye ta come over in the mornin’s and make me coffee that’s fit fer human consumption. When she makes it here, ye only have ta drink it once. I get it twice.”

Xander laughed again. “Makes me glad that I only dated her, not become engaged to her.” Doyle glared at him and would have made a nasty retort, but Angel shook his head, indicating that he didn’t want Doyle to start a verbal fight.

“Well, Xander, let’s get down to business,” Angel began, and Xander nodded, suddenly serious. “Can you think of anything that you didn’t tell us yesterday?”

“Well, I found out the name of the demon,” Xander began. “I couldn’t find the slip of paper I’d written it on, so I called Mom. She said it’s called a Broken demon, or something. Braggin, maybe?” Xander looked confused at his inability to remember the correct name.

“Brachen?” Doyle supplied quietly.

“That’s it!” Xander exclaimed. He frowned. “How did you know?”

“Sounded familiar,” Doyle mumbled. “Do ye have any other way ta identify this guy ye’re lookin’ fer?” he asked.

“Yeah, my mom said she had some pictures of Dad and the other woman. Dad didn’t want her to burn them, so he kept them hidden. Mom has to find them, and when she does, she said she’d fax them to us here at Angel Investigations. Supposedly the other woman sent Dad pictures of the kid when he was a couple years old. It’s not much, but it’s a start,” Xander said with a shrug. “And I think Mom said the pictures have the kid’s name on the back. So if she can find them, at least we’ll have a first name.”

“Does your mom have any idea how long it’ll take to find those pictures?” Angel asked. “I think I know who it is, but the pictures could be the clincher. I can only guess until we have some proof.”

“She’s been going through Dad’s stuff since the funeral. It should only be another day or two,” Xander promised.

“Angel, why don’t ye just tell the kid what ye suspect,” Doyle burst out suddenly. “He has a right ta know what he’s gettin’ inta.”

Angel looked from Doyle, who was scowling, to Xander, who appeared confused. *Nothing has changed much there, at least,* he thought with an inward chuckle. “Xander, I think Doyle is your brother,” he announced without preamble.

“You’re kidding!” Xander exclaimed. He looked at the frowning Irishman and shook his head. “I don’t see it. You’re just leaping to conclusions,” he accused. Doyle expelled an angry snort and stalked out of the office, leaving Angel to calm Xander down and explain his deductions.

“You wanted us to find him, so why are you upset that I have?” Angel asked mildly.

“I’m upset because it’s too easy. It’s too coincidental. How could Doyle be my brother? I mean, out of all the detective agencies in L.A. that I could have gone to, I happen to go to the one where the guy I’m looking for works? It doesn’t sound right,” Xander objected.

“I have a theory about that,” Angel mused. “Doyle has something to atone for. He won’t tell me what it is, but he does. Think about it. The Powers That Be sent him to me. You already have a connection to me and Cordy, so it’s natural that you would come to us first. Maybe I’m just supposed to be the instrument through which you and Doyle meet. Maybe helping you understand your demon side is how Doyle is supposed to atone for whatever he did. It makes perfect sense. And it would also explain the ease of you finding your brother.”

“How come you think Doyle is my brother?” Xander asked edgily. “What kind of proof do you have?”

“All the details you’ve given us match Doyle exactly. Doyle’s dad was a Brachen demon, so he’s half-demon as well. He’s twenty-seven years old and has the same dark hair you have, and he has the light eyes you described. His dad took off when he was a year or so old, and Doyle hasn’t heard from him since. He didn’t find out he was a demon, that his father was a demon, until he was twenty-one years old, the same age you’ve been told the demon presents itself. All the details added up and pointed to him.” Angel leaned back in his chair. “If Doyle looks at those pictures and recognizes either himself or his mother in them, then that’s all the proof we’ll need.”

“This is too easy,” Xander objected half-heartedly.

“It seems that way, doesn’t it?” Angel commiserated. “But I think there’s a reason why Doyle was sent to me, besides the fact that I need his visions. I could have found people to help without him, although the visions help. I think more than the fact that I need him to help me, is he needs me to help him.”

Xander looked to the door through which Doyle had disappeared. “I guess he isn’t taking it too well?”

Angel sighed. “I don’t think it’s you so much that he objects to. But because Cordelia knows that you’re a demon, if she finds out Doyle is your brother, she’s going to deduce that Doyle is a demon as well, and Doyle hasn’t figured out a way to tell her about that part of himself yet.”

Xander looked shocked. “You mean they’re engaged, he’s going to marry her, and he hasn’t even been honest with her about who he is?”

“Nope. As much as he loves her, he doesn’t quite trust her yet. Or maybe it’s the hand of Fate that he doesn’t trust. He’s afraid that if she finds out he’s a demon, she’ll walk away from him. She hasn’t been the most understanding person when it comes to demons and supernatural beings.”

“Cordelia, not understanding?” Xander scoffed. He sighed and smiled ruefully. “And I thought *I* had problems,” he chuckled.