Something to Remember Me By

                      “SOMETHING TO REMEMBER ME BY”

Cordelia stood in that doorway, watching with a breaking heart as Angel listened to that phone call. His long overhanging forehead hung over even more as he just stood there in disbelief.

ANGEL
Hello. Yes, I know. She’s…but that’s impossible. She’s standing right-I’m sorry. Yeah. When did she die? Did she, um…she never did wake up? I see. Thank you.

     He hung up the phone, and Cordelia wished with all her soul that she could return to just collapse to him, reach out to him, just one more time. But now it was too late. The Powers That Be let her have her one chance, and she did what she was sent out to do. She helped her guy get back on track. Now was her time to let go and remind herself that heroes give up a piece of themselves for the greater good.
     She walked through that doorway, the one glowing in warm alien light. Cordelia shaded her eyes with her hand. She continued to walk, and walk, and walk some more...

CORDELIA
I better get someplace soon. I can’t go back, I can only go forward. Go forward, Cordy…just keep walking. I’ll get someplace soon.


                          CUT TO “NOT FADE AWAY”…
     Angel wanted to fight the dragon. He pulled out the double-bladed sword from its sheath and attacked at full force. In the moment, he forgot himself and fought like a demon bloodthirsty for carnage. It was his finest, shining moment.

*                *                  *                     *                       *
     Cordelia, walking in oblivion, could feel him. His selfless courage, his cunning agility, his determination. She wished she could help him. But her time was up. She reached the end of the white tunnel. It felt like she had walked for eternity, as if her feet were burning off. She wasn’t even sure if her feet were there anymore they were so numb. She entered what looked like a shopping mall. A tall, sinewy silver demon stood by the entrance.

CORDELIA
Where am I? Hey, I’ve seen you before! Skip, is that you?

SKIP
Hey, Cordelia! Haven’t seen you in ages. How ya been?

CORDELIA
I’ve had better days.

SKIP
I can tell, all that mopey droopiness on your face. So tell me, what are you doing    here?

CORDELIA
I wish you could tell me. One minute, I’m awake, putting Angel on the right path again. And I would give anything to be back there. Now I’m here…the same place I was on my birthday a few years ago.

SKIP
Yeah, nice place, isn’t it? We figured it would be the kind of place you would find comfort in. You deserve it after all you’ve been through.

CORDELIA
So…this is my version of Heaven?

SKIP
Yep.

CORDELIA
Will I be here long?

SKIP
You can stay as long as you want. It’s your afterlife after all. I mean you don’t have to be anywhere, and you don’t have to worry about anything. If you wanted to, you could go shopping for a couple years here. Whatever floats your boat.

     Cordelia pondered the thought. Usually, she would be jumping with the joy of the thought of shopping in a mall for that long. Instead, she smiled weakly, wishing she could just go back to Los Angeles and finish her business with Angel. She couldn’t buy time with him, no matter how much money she had. Her time with Angel was a priceless commodity. More rare than anything she could ever buy.

CORDELIA
Thanks, I think I’ll take a look around. I just have a Q; can I leave this place? Like, is there an ‘outside world’ or anything like that?

SKIP
Of course, just walk out the entrance. Whatever you want, it’s out there.

        With that, Skip snapped his claws and vanished in a red ball of flame. Cordelia figured she had all the time in the world, so she began walking around the mall. Store after store was filled with beautiful clothes and sparkling gems that Cordelia would have cried over if she saw them when she was alive. Glamourous things, things that caught her imagination and brought back memories of her Glory Days back in Sunnydale, California.
    Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough. Her perfect vision of Heaven was filled with not just things, but the people she loved. Angel still had a life (as a vampire) to live, as well as the rest of her companions from Angel Investigations. Cordelia could own anything she wanted in the mall, but she would have no one to share it with.
After a couple hours of window-shopping, Cordelia headed for the exit.

CORDELIA
I can’t believe I’m actually leaving a mall before I have to. Heaven is making me act totally weird. Normally I would’ve stayed there the whole day.

     Cordelia walked out into freedom. The sun was warmer than she ever remembered, giving an angelic, soft glow to the city around her. It was Los Angeles, but calmer. Brighter. Friendlier. Familiar, yet shown in a new light. She walked for a few minutes, when she saw a Karaoke Bar named "the Blarney Stone" that reminded her of Caritas. Cordelia shrugged her shoulders and walked in. She opened the door to a charming room, similar to an old-world Irish pub. It just felt comfortable to her.
     There was a small stage, lined with a green velvet curtain and soft white spotlights. There was a man up on stage, with a vintage microphone from the 50s in his hands. He was singing an old Irish/Gaelic song, and his voice was soft and comforting. Cordelia was mesmerized. She walked over to where the other on-lookers were, and sat at one of the café tables. She ordered a drink.
The singer looked slightly familiar. She couldn’t put a finger on it. He had black hair, blue eyes, and a bit of a brogue to him. He had the oddest oufit on…

CORDELIA
Oh my God.

     The martini glass dropped from her hands, but it did not crash when it hit the floor. Her jaw dropped, her hands shook, her gut shivered. She knew him. He kissed her passionately, that first (and last) time before he gave up his life for the greater good…giving her his painful, mind-splitting Visions. At first, she found it hard to forgive him for that. But eventually, Skip showed her the truth. He never meant to give her the Visions.The man loved her, and simply gave her the most valuable thing he had. Something for her to remember him by.

CORDELIA
D-D-Doyle!?

     The singer stopped mid-song, and squinted his eyes. He was very much the same man/demon, only dressed slightly different. He wore a white suit, complete with wide lapels of course, and a blue dress-shirt, with the collar over the lapel. Classic Allen Francis Doyle style. Doyle’s jaw dropped when he distinguished Cordelia from the audience. He dropped the microphone and ran-as fast as he could-he stopped mere inches from Cordelia.

DOYLE
Cordy! I…

     In that second, Cordelia wrapped her arms around him so tight, like she hadn’t hugged someone in years. Doyle did the same, holding her and petting her soft curly hair. They embraced and simply stood there, in front of the audience, in that simple reunion. A spotlight shone down on them from above.

DOYLE
Wan’ ta get out o’ here?

CORDELIA
Oh God yes.

     Cordelia smiled with her whole face, her eyes glistening and dewy. Doyle took her by the hand and walked her out into the sun. Both of them were still in shock to see each other. For so long Cordelia wished he hadn’t gone out like that, all brave and hero-like. Now she finally had a chance to say all those things…

DOYLE
Princess, I, I can’ hardly believe it! I’mean, after all these years…

CORDELIA
I know. You have no idea how good it is to see you, Doyle. I mean the last time I saw you, you were melting and all, disappearing into that light…

DOYLE
I didn’ mean ta give ya the visions. Cordy, when I kiss’d you, I weren’ tryin’ ta cause ya any harm. Ya gotta understan’, I would never hurt ya. Not nev’r.

CORDELIA
Yeah, Skip told me. Don’t worry; I let go of that long ago. I know you just wanted to give me something to remember you by. In fact, the visions made me stronger, crazy as that sounds. I’m half-demon now, by the by. Plus, it helped Angel to keep fighting. And I know that’s why you did it…and you did it for me too.  

DOYLE
It was tha right thing ta do. Couldn’ stan’ ta see ya hurt. I knew it’d be painful, me leavin’ an’ all, but there weren’ no other way.

CORDELIA
It’s in the past. Anyway, now we finally have a chance to pick up after all these years. I still owe you a mochaccino. It’s the least I can do for you, ya know, with you saving my life, and then sacrificing your own to save the world.

     Cordelia smiled again, picking up her old, girly/giddy attitude that Doyle saw as a light at the end of the tunnel. He smiled in return. They both could lean on each other. They had an eternity to share.

DOYLE
There’s a Starbucks a’ tha end o’the street there…

CORDELIA
Perfect! I really could use some caffeine. Does coffee taste better in Heaven?

DOYLE
O’yea, but I prefere a wee little bit o’ Guinness meself…

     Cordelia giggled and took Doyle’s arm as they walked in the street, fearless. They felt like skipping. If they wanted to enough, nothing would stop them. Together, arm in arm, they entered Starbucks and had their mochaccinos. They were over five years overdue. Together they sat, trading stories, news, and raw emotions they had built up over the years absent from each other. There were so many ends of threads to tie back together, and they finally had the chance.
     Cordelia informed Doyle of Angel’s plight, with him being ‘C.E.O. of Hell Incorporated’ (aka Wolfram & Hart), of Angel’s son Connor, of Illyria the God-King, of Spike the Champion, and more. Doyle almost looked like he himself were about to get a Vision his head was in that much pain.

CORDELIA
I know, I know. It’s a lot to take in. Angel has been fighting hard; he knew he had to keep fighting. For a while it looked like money and power was raping him and turning him over to ‘the dark side’, but the Powers That Be let me interfere. I helped him to get on the right path one last time before I died. I remember what you said, ya know. The good fight?

DOYLE
Ya Nev’r know ‘til you’re tested.

CORDELIA
That was my last test. I can assure you, Angel is on the right track now. In fact, right now, he and our comrades are fighting a whole demon army. It looks pretty bad. Some people are dying, or are going to die very soon. I can just feel it.

     Doyle gave her a look of concern and sighed.

DOYLE
Unfortunately, I know all ‘bout this. There’s a tele’ a’ the center o’ tha mall. When I want ta know some news in Mr. Long Flowin’ Coat’s world, I jus’ go there. It’s like my own news channel. I’heard o’The Circle o’ the Black Thorn-now that’s scary stuff right there. Enough to make me want ta hide underneath my bed screamin’ like a wee lil’ lass.

CORDELIA
I wish there was some way we could help them.

DOYLE
Ah, there might jus’ yet. Hold tha thought, Princess.

     Cordelia missed being called that. She sipped her mochacinno and lapped up the last of the whipped cream with her straw as Doyle pulled out a snazzy cell phone out of the pocket of his perfectly white stud suit. He looked like an angel himself, yet still with that goofy collar thing he always wore. Cordelia silently laughed to herself. He was always such a badly-dressed superhero. She listened as Doyle dialed the number quickly and spoke in a hushed tone, nodding here and there.

DOYLE
Yeah, I need ya to do a favor for me. Yes, they’re hopeless! Can I hold? D’oh…ah, ok! Can you hear me now? Ah, yeah I need ta help out my friend Angel. In a bit o’ a stiff. Yeah, Circle o’ the Black Thorn. That’s right. Five minutes? Great, thanks ol’chum.

Doyle hung up his cell phone and smiled.

DOYLE
I got connections. See, after I died an’ all, they labeled me ‘hero’ an’ so I got a bit of an emergency backup team up here, jus’ in case anyone needs some savin.’ I gotta tell ya, up here I feel almost like one of those celebrities. I even sing a' pubs now.

CORDELIA
I see you still dress like yourself though (laughing).

DOYLE
Hey! This is one stylin’ suit here! Makes me kinda studly, if I say so myself. Ah anyway, I sent down some help ta Angel an’ everyone there. If we go ta the mall we can see it all happen from there.

CORDELIA
We’ll see the end of it all.

DOYLE
It’s not the end. I can promise ya that.

CORDELIA
Doyle—I don’t know if this is the greatest timing, but, can I tell you that I’m terrified? If Angel doesn’t win this fight…I don’t know what I would do. When I first came here to Heaven, Skip told me I had nothing to worry about. But I find that my friends back in Los Angeles are about to face the fight of their lives- and I can’t do anything but worry. I’m completely upside down. You know, I used to picture Heaven as that shopping mall, with all the shoes I could possibly want. But I got something irreplaceable…I get to see you again. My hero. I never had the chance to tell you, I think I could love you, demon and all. No more secrets at all.  

     Cordelia smiled sadly, yet she had a glimmer of hope in her voice. Doyle’s eyes were soft, like a doe’s, and his chest dipped in and out heavily with each breath. He was completely focused on her and took in her every word. The Powers That Be finally granted him the one wish he carried with him for several years...he finally saw his Princess again. He never wished her dead, not ever, but just to see her in the brightness she was brought him a glimmer of hope.

DOYLE
Your'e right, no more secrets, Princess.

The two half-demons embraced as they watched the climactic battle on the television, the one portal to the human/vampire world of Los Angeles. They bled, they fell, they sliced apart demons and dragons like steaks, and the two companions were tied together in hope that could never be cut apart. This time there was no Scourge, no beaming light, nothing to atone for. They had their soft gleaming world, and Angel had his world of violence to bask in for comfort. Cordelia wondered how many years it would be until they, too, would reunite. But Cordelia was happy in that moment, for she finally had Doyle, and they kissed passionately while it seemed like everything else was Fading Away.

      Suddenly, the mall’s floor tile began to tremble. Earthquakes in Heaven? It seemed very unlikely. Doyle clutched Cordelia and wrapped his strong arms around her as the ground gave way beneath them.

“The Powers That Be are letting me fight again. They owed me a favor. Thank goodness they finally answered my phone call,” Doyle thought. Within an instant, he and Cordelia were standing right beside Angel, Illyria, Gunn, and Spike, and a whole horde of demons. Angel, in that second, nearly passed out. He literally saw two come back from the dead. They all just stood there for a second in complete stillness.

CORDELIA/DOYLE
Uh…hey guys…

And the battle began again.