Standard disclaimer: no recognizable characters are mine, and no money is made from using the ones that are recognizable.

Author's notes: This multi-chaptered fic takes place immediately after the team drives away at the end of "Two Dates". It contains an overly-reactive Hannibal, a sensitive Faceman, a Murdock who may be OOC, and a B.A. who gets some comfort and who mostly wants to lay low.

There is also an OFC, because I apparently have a complusion that I can't control. I figured B.A. needs a girlfriend: a fiesty, too-smart-mouthed-for-her-own-good girlfriend; hence, Angel became. I've never written her and B.A.'s backstory, so I apologize that she just seems dumped in here with no forewarning. Here's some info: she's physically short, she's a free-lance computer programmer/hacker (depending on what side of the law you're on), she's got a Mexican mother and occasionally speaks Spanish. Now you know as much as I do, and this intro is closing in on being longer than the chapter.

Thanks for your patience, and I hope you enjoy!

The drive was tense. What few words were shared were terse. No one had any opinions they wanted to voice aloud as to where they should be driving to, not even Hannibal, so when B.A. announced he was heading towards Chicago, no one commented.

They could read between the lines when he made that decision. Even though everyone knew Hannibal's thoughts on stopping at loved ones' houses when there was a very real possibility that they were being followed, no one said anything as he pulled the van around the back of Angel's place. As uncomfortable and awkwardly silent the van became after he got out, the other three did let him go to the door first.

That was only polite.

B.A. knew he should have called, and would have given anything for a few minutes alone to make that call. But with what went down within the past few hours, and how Hannibal seemed to be handling the situation, he didn't want to risk World War Three breaking out inside his vehicle.

He wasn't worried she'd be asleep, even at this late hour, and knocked on the door.

He was right. In only a few minutes he could tell she was at the peep-hole, and in just a few seconds after that the lock was disengaged and she opened the door to him.

"Hi baby," he said quietly. He let her pull him into a hug. "We need a place to lay low for justa day or two."

"Of course!" she agreed immediately. She offered her cheek, expecting a kiss, but received only a despondent half-smile. "What's wrong?"

"You're the best, baby," B.A. replied instead of answering, and motioned over his shoulder for the other three to come in.

She wasn't deterred. "B.A., what's wrong? What is going on?"

His plan worked out though; he didn't have time to answer because his teammates were already coming up the sidewalk.

"I'll explain, Angel, I promise," he whispered to her. "Trust me, okay?"

"Of course I trust you—" she managed to say reproachfully before he finally kissed her.

The other three waited behind him until he finished. Angel composed herself and looked around B.A. to them.

"Come on in, fellas."

She stepped back into the house to let them enter.

After B.A., Hannibal was first. A hard set to his features puzzled her. Murdock was next, looking glum; then Face, who was radiating a contradictory mix of anger, dismay and grief. He was hunched in on himself, which was odd and disturbing.

Angel kept an eye on him before opting to be tactful. "You two look very nice," she said, indicating Murdock and Face. "You go on a double date or something?"

A chill dropped into the room. B.A. barely contained a groan as Hannibal seemed to swell with hostility. Face almost deflated in front of them, and unexpectedly, Murdock straightened himself and didn't flinch as he stared at Hannibal. The older man scowled, then turned on his heel to Angel.

"Thank you for your impromptu hospitality," he said to her. She could tell he was working very hard to keep anger out of his voice. "If you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

She managed to mutter, "Sure. You know where the towels and everything are."

With a curt nod and no other word to anyone else, Hannibal left the room.

The stress flooding the area abated somewhat, although not completely. Angel mentally kicked herself; this is what she got for being trying to be diplomatic! Stick with what you know, chica! Whatever is going on between these four, you managed to kick it right back in their faces and piss them off!

"You guys can sleep wherever you want," she said, trying to pretend that everything was fine. Who knew? Maybe by tomorrow it would be. "There's plenty of space in the spare bedroom—"

Face vigorously shook his head. "There is no way I'm sleeping in there with . . ."

Murdock muttered an agreement. "Rock, paper, scissors for the couch?" he asked.

Angel sighed. Maybe this wouldn't be finished by morning. Then she'd still have four disgruntled ex-Rangers in her house. "Whatever. I was just about to get to bed when you showed up, so I'm going now. B.A., you joining me?"

"Uh . . ." He looked at the other two. ". . . yeah. Sorry, guys."

Murdock gave a half-shrug and managed a half-smile. Face continued to look less than his typical self.

B.A. left them standing awkwardly in the living room as he followed Angel.