Title: The Chosen One

by Susanne and Danielle

New Fic.(WIP)

Author and Email address: Susanne. susanne@zoom.co.uk and Danielle. willow-n-oz@webtv.net

Distribution: Just let me know, I have no idea where this goes.

Rating: PG, nothing that couldn't be on the show.

Category: Story, alternate reality and this reality. (No cross overs with other TV shows, only Buffy and Angel but 2 different realities meet each other.

Spoiler Warning: After Parting Gifts and general season 4 of Buffy (but slight changes are inevitable, you know me.)

Couple Pairings: None at the moment, but wait and see. Giggle

Disclaimer: None of them are mine, they are all based upon the characters from the tv shows, although for the alternate reality I have changed some personalities and stuff but they are still Joss' original ideas.

Summary: Doyle comes back but is it the Doyle you all know and love.

Dedication: To Danielle for agreeing to write this with me, her part will follow in part 2, and thanks for the descriptions of the Oracles. To Emma ( I know you get upset when I don't mention you.:)

Please let me know what you think of this, should it be continued?

"Hi, is this Angel Investigations?"

"Yes, this is Angel Investigations, we help the hopeless. My name's Cordelia, how can I help you?"

"Oh, um, I don't know"

"Listen, we're very busy, either you need our help or not, it's not a hard decision." The strain of the past few days began to show.

"Hi, I'm Angel" Angel appeared in the doorway and gave astern look at Cordelia. "I apologise for Cordelia. We have just lost a dear friend."

"There's an Angel of Angel Investigations?!" The visitor looked Angel up and down, Realising herself she said "Sorry about your friend."

"Thanks, how can we help you? Would you like some coffee?" Angel offered.

"Erm...Yeah sure. I'm sorry I don't really know why I'm here, or where exactly here is"

Cordelia and Angel gave her a puzzled look. She smiled.

"Sorry, I guess I should introduce myself. My name's Doyle. Francesca Doyle."

…………………………..

"Is this some sort of sick joke?" Cordelia demanded

"You know I wish it was, 'cos all I want is to go home" Doyle, Francesca Doyle shouted back.

Recovering himself Angel stepped in between the two. "Please, let's not yell at each other," looking at Doyle he said, "I'm sorry, it's just that, that friend I mentioned, he was called Doyle." Angel continued to look between them as they each backed down.

"Yeah so don't go claiming to be some estranged relative or something, 'cos lady I'm not buying."

"Cordelia!" Angel hissed.

"Look, I'm sorry." Doyle began. She half turned to leave, "It's just that, well, I don't belong here."

"You got that right." Cordelia threw back. A look from Angel silenced her.

"I had a dream, -" Doyle continued, " I saw your sign, out front, Y'know. I figured you could help, that you could send me home, or at least tell me why I'm here."

"Why you're here?" Angel folded his arms trying to figure out what was going on.

"Ok! I don't know what you know about y'know, so well y'know?"

"What!? What do I know?" Cordelia demanded looking wildly around.

"Yeah I know" Angel answered and waited for her to continue.

"Well a few days ago, I was in my house and then suddenly I'm not, I'm here, well not here here, but, in, what do you call it, LA?"

"You'd have to be like totally from a different planet not to know LA" Cordelia retorted, throwing a disgusted look Doyle's way.

"Yeah well I guess I am."

Everyone was silent.

………………………………..

"A couple of days ago - " Doyle began after the shock had worn off and they were seated in Angel's office, "- I was home, just reading, waiting for Cameron to come by and them WHAM, I was surrounded by this blinding light and it was like 'beam me up Scotty.' When I could finally see again I was in an alley, in the pitch black. I had no idea what was going on."

She looked over her coffee mug at Angel and Cordelia, they both just stared at her, she was unsure whether they believed her or not, or just thought she was plain mad. Angel was the first to speak; his confusion was evident, "Other world?"

Doyle half smiled, "You want to know how I know this is another world?" They both nodded. "OK! For starters we have no LA not any more, and we are over run by demons and big ugly things, plus," she glanced at the windows where rays of the bright afternoon sun could be seen filtering through the blinded window, "we don't have half as much sun as you guys do, the light's quite scary."

Angel half smiled "Yeah I know" he muttered quietly to himself.

"Ok, is it just me, or is this really weird? Oh and did I mention weird?" Cordelia put her mug on Angel's desk and began to walk around the room.

"Ok, monsters, demons, huge ugly things I can relate to, I can understand but, - " Cordelia stopped pacing and stood facing the others, "but alternate realities, I'm having a little trouble relating to." Her eyes shifted to Doyle, "And, I think 'she's' a fake, it's sick, really sick!"

Angel rose from his chair and approached Cordelia. She looked at him, tears welling in her eyes. "Make her go away Angel, she's not Doyle, he's gone, gone, he's never coming back is he?" Tears rolled down her cheeks as her big brown eyes met Angel's. He placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her into an embrace.

"I'm sorry if I upset her," Doyle said after Cordelia left the room.

Angel glanced at her, taking his eyes only momentarily off the door Cordelia had just walked through. He could still see her outside sniffling and trying to calm herself. "It's ok!" He forced his attention back on Doyle. His mind was hard at work trying to find a way to help her.

The Oracles.

………………………..

"Cordelia?" Doyle stood in the doorway to the office, not wanting to frighten her by sneaking up on her, and hanging back a little unsure of what to actually say. "I just wanted to,...well I just wanted to apologise for what happened before."

Cordelia half turned away from the filling, her eyes were still red and puffy. "Forget about it ok!"

"Ok, but I am sorry." Doyle started to leave but turned around. "Apart from the name, well, we're not the same person you're right. I can't help having the same last name as him, there are probably a lot of people called Doyle." She gave Cordelia one last look and went back down stairs to wait for Angel. She didn't hear Cordelia when she said,

"Yes, but that 'lot' of Doyles' aren't turning up on my doorstep." A tear ran down her check.

…………………………………….

LATER THAT DAY

Doyle, Francesca Doyle, lay asleep on Angel’s couch. It had been a hectic few days and they had finally caught up with her. Angel had returned from the Oracles to find her asleep, deciding not to wake her he sat on the edge of the coffee table and watched her. Apart from the surname she looked nothing like Doyle, his Doyle. She wasn’t Irish for a start, she had a British twang to her voice, he had noticed that straight away. She was about Doyle’s height but to his short dark hair she had a cascade of red hair with loose curls. She held herself confidently, yet the look in her big green eyes told him that she was barely holding together. Asleep she looked so peaceful. He gave her one last look, then decided that he needed help. The Oracles weren’t much help; the next best thing would have to be Giles.

Francesca’s sleep was anything but peaceful. She dreamt of home, of happy times, but just as everything looked normal and happy again it would all disappear and go dark and in the darkness she would hear thousands of whispering voices repeating the word ‘Destiny’.

Fighting against the darkness Francesca struggled for the light, she tossed and turned on Angel’s couch desperately searching for the light place and an escape from the whispering voices. What she found wasn’t exactly what she was looking for. She felt a sudden jolt of pain in her left side as she fell off the couch with a loud ‘thud’. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around, she expected to see Angel’s apartment, but longed for it to be her own room, however, what she saw was quite different.

Lying heaped on a cold stone floor, the couch now nowhere to be seen she saw two people standing nearby. The room was bare and made of stone, with two stone pillars supporting an archway that led off into the distance.

"Welcome!"

One of the two people spoke to her. For the first time she looked at them. One was male and the other female. The female had her dark hair in a bun on the top of her head with a burgundy headband with gold designs on it. The male had blond, almost gold, short hair. Their skin was white with a gold tint to it. They had blue veins and wore tight blue gowns. They stood together just in front of the pillars.

"Where am I? And who are you?" Doyle asked

"We are the Oracles, we speak for the higher powers" the female answered pressing the palms of her hands together.

"What am I doing here. Angel came to see you earlier?"

"That warrior is now to be yours"

"Mine?! What are you talking about? I don’t want him, I want to go home." Rising from the floor she dusted herself down, although not a speck of dust was to be seen. She was becoming slightly annoyed at their flippancy, the way they expected her to do exactly what they wanted.

"It is your destiny" the male simply replied.

"Wow! Hold on! Destiny? Not you guys as well? Every time I sleep I keep hearing that word whispered over and over again."

"Yet you ignore it, that is why you are here."

"Ok, I officially have no idea what you two…Oracles are talking about. If it’s ok with you I’ll just be going now, I can see there’s no help coming from you to get me home." She turned to leave She thought to herself.

"Higher Mortal! You can not ignore your destiny."

"Just watch me" she threw back at them.

"These people need your help. You are the chosen one."

That got her attention. Head snapping back round she glared at them.

"Chosen one! I’m not the bloody slayer you know! I think you made a mistake, His name is Cameron Stephenson. If you meant to take him you were about ten minutes too soon. Sorry for the confusion, I’ll run along now!" Doyle was seething now. Bloody Chosen One, yeah right, she wasn’t some blind mortal, she knew all about the chosen one, - ‘To each generation there is one boy who stands against the forces of darkness with only his three aids to light the way.’ Oh they weren’t going to fool her easily.

"You are correct," the male said raising his voice to bring her back. Doyle smiled despite everything; she’d gotten a rise out of them at least. She stopped, waiting, listening for the rest, her back still to the two Oracles.

"You are not the slayer. Your chosen destiny is of far more importance. You are unique."

Doyle slowly turned around, "Unique?" she half muttered to herself.

"That is correct. There is a slayer in every generation, but you, - " the female Oracle took a step forward, " – you are the one and only in all the known universes’. You can not escape your destiny."

"Unique?!" Doyle was still stuck there, "Giles used to say that to me when I was younger."

The male Oracle now stepped forward. "Your mortal guide was correct, he instructed and trained you well. It is now time for you to finish what he started."

Doyle just stared, < what the Hell is going on here? > She thought. Vaguely she became aware of the female talking to her.

"Angel is the chosen warrior for this world, he is unique too. You are to join with him, it is his destiny just as much as it is yours."

"Angel?"

"Yes, the one you are now staying with."

"If you have Angel, then why do you need me?"

"Higher Mortal you are not listening." The male Oracle said as he turned and walked back to the archway followed by the female. "The reason will become apparent in time. Go now."

The Oracles vanished. Doyle was once again surrounded by darkness. That soon faded as the pain in her left side reappeared. This time when she opened her eyes a worried pair of deep brown eyes and a strong hand helping her back up met her. Looking around she found herself back in Angel’s apartment.

………………………………..

"You saw the Oracles?" Angel asked. They were now sitting in his kitchen drinking tea. Doyle was relaying her ‘dream’ and what the Oracles had told her.

"Yeah. Well that’s who they claimed to be, I didn’t ask for ID or anything."

Ignoring her sarcasm he mentally ran through the conversation he had had with them earlier.

"When I spoke to them they said there was no way for you to return home and that you were to stay with me."

"That’s it?!" Doyle exclaimed. "No ‘This is you destiny’ lecture, no ‘You are the chosen of the chosen’? Jeez you got off easy!"

"Wait a minute, - " confusion was beginning to become a permanent feature upon Angel’s face. "Chosen? You’re a slayer?"

Doyle loudly exhaled. "No! Jeez Angel keep up. The slayer is the chosen of the generation; I’m the chosen of the chosen. Apparently the only one." She stood from the table, realisation hitting her smack in the face. "I’m the last and only line of defence. The fate of humanity is in my hands." She spread her arms out to emphasis the point; her green eyes were wide as she stared at Angel. "Oh, and you as well."

"What?"

"Yeah. Apparently you’re part of the whole deal. Didn’t you know?"

Angel just stared at her. Taking it as a no Doyle continued. "You’re the unique chosen one from this world, as I am from mine o something."

"Or something?" he repeated.

"Well they said I was the only one in all the known universes, then they turned around and said the same about you." "She raised her eyebrow and pointed her finger at him. "I bet they have no idea what’s going on and are just making it up as they go along."

"Chosen one?" Angel quietly said to himself. Doyle was about to reply with a sarcastic comment when the telephone rang.

"Giles!" Angel announced as he leapt for the phone. Doyle stood gaping after him. /‘Giles? Giles GILES? Wasn’t he dead? /

(2)

"Giles?" Doyle’s face was drained of colour as Angel came back into the kitchen.

"Yeah. He said he’s managed to talk Anya and Willow. Last year an alternate Willow, - Vampire, - slipped through a fold in the timeline between two realities during a spell they were doing. They managed to send her back, and he believes they can do the same again for you."

"Willow?" Now Doyle’s voice was barley a whisper. Angel looked at her for the first time. Instantly he caught her as she swayed and placed her on a near by chair.

"Are you Ok?"

Doyle blinked a few times and focused upon the worried face looking at her.

"Giles and Willow? I thought….dead!!…..Another reality not world."

"What?"

"I have, … had a Giles and Willow."

It was Angel’s turn to stare and blink. He too had never thought of an alternate reality,

"Well…" He fumbled for words, "We get you over to them, MY Giles and Willow and then you can see yours again."

Doyle looked away, fighting the tears that threatened. "No. They’re…they died not so long ago."

Before Angel could respond, having missed the fact she had just told him that a few moments before, a voice was heard coming from the elevator.

"Hello? Angel? Anybody home? Oh there you are. Cordelia wasn’t upstairs, is…"

Wesley was stopped as he crashed to the floor and had a kitchen knife pressed dangerously close to his neck.

"DOYLE!" Angel shouted as he rushed to pull her off his new employee.

"He’s a demon. I’ve seen him before."

"No, - no he’s not. He’s human, ex-watcher, not a demon, at least not in this reality."

He reached for Doyle’s hand that held the knife and slowly prized it off her.

"Not a demon" she repeated, "sorry" she mumbled.

Wesley gingerly stood up rubbing his neck; he coughed a few times.

"Erm. Well. Yes. Hello. I’m Wesley." He extended his hand to Doyle. Hesitantly she took it.

"Is Wesley a demon in your world?"

Stepping away from Wesley just to be sure she nodded to Angel’s question.

"A pretty brutal one." She continued. "He became fascinated with Willow, which became his weakness, - " she looked away as memories of that fateful night flooded back to her. "We had him cornered, he knew he couldn’t win, so he decided that if he was gonna die he’d take Willow with him. He killed her before anyone could react. Grabbed her from beside me and snapped her neck. Needless to say he paid for her death, slowly, but he paid with his life."

"Oh." Wesley took off his glasses and began cleaning them. "Well, I feel I must apologise for the way I, - he acted. I promise I wou…"

"DON’T!" Doyle shouted. "You’re not him. Don’t apologise for a demon, he was evil and we dealt with it. He's not worth it, no demon is!""

Wesley stood with his mouth open at the outburst and Angel coughed slightly. /Obviously doesn’t know I’m a vampire/ he thought.

"Sorry" She looked at them both, turning she went in to the living room.

Wesley approached Angel. "Well. Erm, Angel, - " he paused, " what IS going on? Who is SHE?"

Angel blinked, "She’s Doyle, from it would seem an alternate reality, we’re trying to get her home, but The Powers have other plans."

He left Wesley to digest the information. Right now he had a few questions about Doyle’s universe.

………………………………

"Doyle"

"I’m sorry, I should have handled it better, I was just trying to save my life and yours. If he had of been a demon you’d be thanking me now, not about to yell at me for attacking your friends." She sat heavily on the couch.

"Actually, I was going to ask you if there was anything else, any other similarities that I, ‘we’ should know about?"

Doyle shrugged her shoulders. "Don’t know. Who are the people you normally see?"

Angel looked at her, "Cordelia and Wesley."

Doyle smiled. "Well, no. Met both already. We had a Wesley and no Cordelia."

/A world with no Cordelia/ thought Angel. /What would that be like? Shopping Malls would go out of business for sure./ "Do you think you’re up to seeing Willow and Giles?" He asked.

Doyle looked at him; he gave her strength and protection. Some how she always felt safer when he was around. She nodded slightly.

"You know, " he continued, "They might be nothing like your friends, I mean you are not like ‘our’ Doyle." He glanced at Wesley, "and he’s not a demon here, there are differences."

"Yeah" Doyle agreed

"ANGEL!?" They heard Cordelia before they saw her. "Angel? Is she gone, that fake Doyle?"

She exited the elevator and the first person that she saw was ‘the fake Doyle’. She exhaled loudly and glared at her.

"Cordelia" Angel met her, "Is everything ok?"

"What? Oh yeah" She withdrew her eyes from Doyle and flashed a smile at Angel. "I just thought you’d have got rid of her by now."

"Giles has away, to send her home that it. We’re heading to Sunnydale now. It turns out this is an alternate universe for Doyle not ju…"He stopped, Cordelia was glaring at him giving him her best Fire Dragon glare, the only fault was the welling tears in her eyes.

"SHE’S NOT DOYLE!"

"Cordy, I…"

"It’s ok" Doyle cut in. "I can see it’s hard for you Cordelia. Call me Frannie. Everyone does anyway, only Cameron calls me Doyle."

Angel thanked her with his eyes, looking back to Cordelia he saw her soften a little, she smiled.

"So,…You’re leaving? Bummer!" Cordelia acted all upset. Angel could see where this was headed and did his best to stop it.

"So, Cordy, wanna come?" That got her.

"As if! *Please* see looser Xander Harris, not thank you!"

"Ok. You and Wesley stay here, take care of the business, I’ll probably be gone a day or so."

"You can count on us boss. We’ll keep everything ship shape, no need to worry, eh, Cordelia?"

She rolled her eyes and looked at Angel, they shared a smile and he mouthed, ‘Take care of him.’ She nodded.

"Doy…Frannie, are you ready?"

Frannie drew a deep breath, "Let’s go"

"Cherio!" Wesley called and waved them off much to Angel and Cordelias' amusement.

In the elevator Frannie turned to Angel. "Xander?"

He looked at her, "Oh, just an old friend, he dated Cordelia"

"And he’ll be there?"

"In Sunnydale? Yes. You know him?"

She shook her head. "I thought it was just Willow and Giles and…." The name escaped her.

"Anya. Yes, plus their friends. Do you know a Buffy?" She shock her head, "Well that’s everyone then. I guess there aren’t that many parallels after all, we should be grateful."

They walked in to the parking lot a few minutes after sunset and began the drive to Sunnydale.

…………………………..

Frannie went to sleep within minutes after she was in the car.

She saw a black haired guy standing at the end of a long tunnel. She walked curiously and cautiously toward him, she felt a strange connection to him, there was no fear.

"Hello, Frannie," Doyle said.

"Uh. Do I know you," Frannie asked.

"No. I'm Doyle. The Doyle from this reality, Cordelia and Angel spoke of me."

"Oh." Frannie said coming to realisation. "Why are you here?"

"I came to ask you to pass a message to Angel and Cordelia."

"Ok. What is it?"

"Tell them I miss them." Frannie couldn't think of anything to say. Doyle continued "I was sent by the Oracles, I speak for them to you, also I’m your connection to your world."

"Huh? I thought I would never get back there."

"I didn't say you would get back there. I said I'm your connection."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I can let you know what's happening, but I can't get you back."

"Oh." Frannie said quietly.

"What's wrong aren’t you happy about that?"

"It’s just that, well I miss everyone. I never got a chance to say, … to say goodbye, I have, well unfinished business.

"I'm sorry I had no control over your leaving." Doyle said.

"So, are you like my mentor?" She said trying to change the subject

"That's one way of putting it. I’ll fill in the gaps for you when need be. It's time for you to wake up now, and remember, this isn't a dream. It's reality."

Frannie was confused. A few seconds later, she was laying in the back seat of Angel’s car once again. She sat up, confused by the "dream". Angel looked in the mirror and saw she was awake.

"Hey,"

"Hi," was all she said. She didn't know how to tell Angel what she just saw.

"Did you have a good sleep?"

"Yeah, I guess..." There’s only one way of telling him. "I, … I saw Doyle," she said quietly.

"Doyle?" Angel asked. A surge of feelings flew over him. /Just what the hell was going on here?/

"Yeah. He said he missed you guys and that he's my connection to my world. He just can't get me back there though."

Angel was silent. Just as he thought he had everything figured out things changed again. He pulled in front of Giles' apartment building. "We're here." /I just hope Giles has some answers./

(3)

"Where are they? Shouldn’t they be here by now?"

"Xander they will be here when they get here. You do not have to stay. Willow is the only one that I really need to perform the spell."

Anya cleared her throat

"Oh and Anya’s help would be appreciated." Giles tried to backtrack.

"There y’go then, where Anya goes I go." He put his arm around his girlfriend and kissed her check.

"Giles are you sure about this? I mean, what Wesley told us on the phone. We’re supposed to be dead to her."

"Willow if she wants to get home then she will have to get past those feelings. Now is everything ready?" Giles looked around the cleared room. The sofa and chairs had been pushed against the far wall and the coffee table was standing on its end in another corner. Large candles surrounded the room and made a circle in the middle of the room. Willow nodded, also surveying that everything was in place.

"They’re coming" Buffy said as she sat up straighter. "I can feel Angel."

The knock on the door removed all doubt. Slowly and nervously Giles went to the door.

……………………..

Angel could sense the fear and anticipation coming from Frannie as she stood next to him on the doorstep. He gave her a small smile trying to reassure her that it would be ok. The door opened and immediately he heard her gasp as Giles’ body filled the doorway.

"Angel. You must be, um, Doyle. Nice to meet you."

"Hi Giles" Angel greeted. He put his hand on Frannie’s shoulder. "This is Francesca Doyle. Frannie." He looked at her and saw her wide eyes. To her this man was back from the dead.

"Oh, Frannie, what a lovely name. My great aunt was called Francesca. Won’t you come in." He steeped aside and the two entered. Frannie still said nothing.

Once in the room her eyes fell on Willow who was trying hard to blend in with the décor. Her gasp was heard by the whole room. Angel tightened his grip on her shoulder, she looked at him with unshed tears in her eyes.

"It’s ok" He reassured her. He gestured to Willow to come forward.

"Hi" She said brightly and nervously "It’s nice to meet you." She looked around nervously. She pleaded with her eyes to Buffy for her to say something.

"Oh, Hi, I’m Buffy." She gave a slight wave of her hand. Frannie looked at her, she was standing on the other side of Angel and she felt Angel tense at the closeness of her. "And this is, " Buffy continued gesturing to the others, "Xander and Anya" They both wave, Xander giving her a goofy grin that reminded her of Cameron.

Smiling she looked at him. "Hi."

Giles cleared his throat. "Well, shall we,… get on with it?"

"Yes. Frannie’s been torn apart from her friends and family for long enough." Angel replied.

"Ok then. We need to create a circle. Buffy could you and Xander light the candles? Anya you need to take the head of the circle. Frannie you need to, … to hold hands with Willow and myself."

Nervously she looked at him. < He’s so much like my Giles, and Rupert. He seems to be everything Rupert said he wanted his Dad to be. Not a bit of tweed in sight. > He eyes fell on Willow as she made her way to the circle. < And Willow, she is just the same, only her hair is shorter, she suits it. You can see the kindness and love that surrounds her, the same at my Willow, right before Wesley … > A tear fell down her check and she pulled away from Angel who was guiding her to the circle. She ran to the front door and flung it open. Standing in front of her with his hand raised about to knock was Spike. She gasped, forgetting herself and the fact that this wasn’t her world she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"Spike, oh God." She sobbed against his neck. She felt his arms gently around her waist, but there was no real love in his contact.

"Spike!"

She pulled away as she heard the threatening tone from Angel. She looked at him and saw amusement in his eyes. They were not the eyes of her Spike. He looked the same, even smelt slightly the same but they eyes were not. He smiled and chuckled at her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Angel demanded.

"’Ello peaches. You know if you treated ‘em right they would have to find comfort in my arms." He gestured to Frannie who had now completely released her hold on him.

"Angel it’s alright. Spike behave." Giles warned. "Spike is staying here. He can’t hurt anyone."

Angel never took his eyes off his childe as he stepped inside the house without an invite and sat himself down on the chair in the corner. "I don’t understand."

"A few months ago Spike was caught by a group of commandos called the Initiative and they put this chip in his head and now he can’t bite people. I’m proof." Willow said with a slight smile as she moved closer to Spike.

"You’re proof?"

"Yeah, he tried to bite me but couldn’t. He’s telling the truth Angel."

Angel looked at them all and turned back to the door. Frannie was gone.

end part 3