Something's End This Way Nears...

The Helpless? or The Hopeless?

A/N: For all her future appearances, Future Fred will be addressed as Winifred.

Ok Cordy. Aim carefully now, Cordelia thinks; pointing her crossbow at a set up target in Angel Investigations. She takes a deep breath and fires. The arrow slices through the air and hits the target dead center.

"Bulls eye!" She cheers.

And it only took me 30 arrows this time...a personal best, she sighs in her head when she hears someone opening the front door. Cordelia quickly ducks under the front desk to put away the crossbow.

"Angel Investigations. We help," she starts to say.

"The Helpless right...or was it the hopeless? Been a while since I heard that slogan," the arrival says. Cordelia gasps and stands up.

"Oh my God..."

"Hi Cordelia," Doyle greets with a wide smile; approaching the front desk.

"Doyle? Is it really...oh what am I doing!?" Cordelia goes back under the desk and grabs the crossbow.

"Cordy wait!" Doyle tries to stop her, but she fires a bow. Doyle ducks and runs behind cover.

"Ok, I can't blame you for thinking I'm some impostor, but it's really me!" He yells to her.

"Prove it," Cordelia says and reloads her crossbow. Doyle comes out from his cover; hands raised and walking slowly towards Cordelia.

"My last words to you. Too bad we'll never know," Doyle changes his face to its demon form, "if this is a face you could learn to love." Cordelia's serious look starts to fade and she begins to lower her weapon as Doyle gets closer to her.

"By the way. I'm sorry about passing on those migraine inducing visions-" Doyle starts to say, but Cordelia points the crossbow at him again. "...I'm REALLY sorry," Doyle tries to apologize again.

"Shut up. There's no way you could be him."

Doyle sighs pushes the crossbow aside and kisses Cordelia. Cordelia's eyes widen from the feeling of his lips pressed against hers'. She sets the crossbow aside and her arms go around Doyle's neck as a pink like substance traverses from her mouth into Doyle's...and then back into Cordelia, then back into Doyle, not stopping until they break apart. The substance receding back into Cordelia.

"Do you believe me now?" Doyle asks.

"Yes," Cordelia answers breathlessly; pressing her forehead against his.

"Hey Cordelia," Angel calls from the top of the stairs. "Who are you talking...to? Doyle?" Angel looks down at Doyle and then his face shifts into its vampire form.

"Angel wait! It's really him!" Cordelia quickly informs Angel.

"Prove it," Angel says. Cordelia looks back to Doyle.

"I'm not kissing him," Doyle says.

"What's going on here?" Winifred asks walking into the lobby then freezes at the sight of Doyle.

"YOU!" They shout simultaneously.

Doyle shifts to his demon form and Winifred changes to Illyria. She leaps over the railing down at Doyle who pushes Cordelia to safety. He dodges Illyria's landing and punches her into the front desk. She crashes into it, but jumps at him; kicking his chest and knocking him straight into the weapon cabinet destroying it.

Doyle digs himself out of the wreckage and charges Illyria at the same time she does. Angel runs in between them both and shoves out his hands knocking them away from one another.