CHAPTER SIX

A/N: I should have said in the first chapter, that this will be a very dark Lorne fic. You have been warned!

Fred stared at the closed door and shook her head. " Poor Lorne. He's still taking her death really hard. He's so unstable."

" Which is why we have to keep him away from faux Abigail," Angel said, " I'll tell Spike to guard her at all times."

" You don't think he'd try and kill her again?" Fred asked him.

" The way he's behaving at the moment, I wouldn't be surprised." Gunn said, collapsing into a chair, " I miss the old Lorne."

" Fred, you and Wes go and research Abigail's dimension…"

" We can't do that until we ask her some questions," Wesley answered.

" No. I don't want you two near her."

" Wes is right, the more we know about her dimension-"

" We already know we're all there, except evil. And for some reason still at the hotel." Angel paused, " That makes me wonder…"

" What?" Gunn prompted.

" If Connor is there too. And evil."

" Can't hurt to ask," Wesley said, heading for the door.

" All right. Just be careful. And remember to keep Lorne away from her." Angel said.

" I'll go see how he is." Fred decided, " I'll meet you later Wes." She followed Wes outside and went to find Lorne. She checked his office, he wasn't there. She found his assistant, and was told Lorne had left the building.

" In a very black mood," Lorne's assistant said, " Man, I've never seen him like this before."

" He must have gone home. I'll try his cell." Fred did so but got no reply. She found Wesley and told him she was going to Lorne's place to check up on him.

" Are you sure that's wise?"

" C'mon Wes, he won't hurt me." Fred objected.

" He's very unstable."

" I won't be long." Fred promised and left.

~**~

Lorne got out of bed and found his pants which had landed in the middle of the floor.

" Leaving so soon?" Chrissy asked, leaning against a pillow and watching him getting dressed. She had gotten a call earlier and ended up in a familiar place, his bed. It had been a little wild and rougher than usual.

" I'm not the one who'll be leaving, this is my place," Lorne replied.

" Are you angry about something?" Chrissy asked, not moving from the bed, hoping he'd changed his mind and rejoin her.

" What do you mean?" Lorne asked.

" What we did wasn't tender love making-"

" Are you saying it wasn't good?" Lorne interrupted.

" No, I'm not saying that at all-"

Lorne took off his pants and rejoined her, just as she hoped. He kissed her, hard, " Then what are you saying?" he whispered, grabbing a fistful of blonde hair.

" That was angry sex. You're angry at something. Or someone."

" You should mind your own business." Lorne said before his mouth came crushing down onto hers.

~**~

Fred approached Lorne's house when the door opened and a woman she's never seen before walked out, buttoning her blouse and running a hand through her shoulder length blonde hair. The woman looked up at Fred.

" You here to see Lorne?"

" Uh. Yes." Fred replied. She could be a client, she told herself but why was the woman buttoning up her blouse?

" Be careful. He's in a very black mood at the moment." The woman warned.

" Oh…thanks."

" Are you a friend?"

" Yes, we've been friends a long time." Fred nodded.

" Then maybe you can answer this, is he always like this?"

" Like…what?"

" Moody. Dark."

" No, but he's going through something at the moment. His girlfriend died and he's heart broken and-"

" His girlfriend?" the woman interrupted, " How long has it been?"

" Not long. Nearly a month." Fred said.

" Oh," the woman's eyes narrowed a bit, " Okay then." She got into her car and drove off.

Fred rang the doorbell but nobody answered. She opened the door and went in.

" Lorne? I know you're home."

Lorne came downstairs, buttoning his own shirt, " Oh, hi Fred. What are you doing here?"

Fred knew something was going on between the woman and Lorne. But she didn't want to believe it. How could he? Only after a month!

" I was worried about you," Fred said, " I called…"

" Oh, I was kind of busy."

" I can see that. Who was that woman?"

Lorne stopped, so Fred saw her. Damn.

" Uh…a client."

" A client," Fred sounded dubious," She was buttoning up her shirt when she left just like you are now. What's going on Lorne?"

" Nothing…I mean, its none of your business now is it?" Lorne snapped heading for the kitchen with Fred hot on his heels.

" Lorne, are you….sleeping with her?" Fred persisted. And tried to reassure herself. People did crazy things during traumatic times and this was obviously one of them. Lorne wouldn't betray Abigail's memory like this.

" Even if I was, it has nothing to do with you." Lorne replied coldly and made himself a Seabreeze, " Look Fred, Chrissy means nothing to me. It's only happened this once," he decided one little lie wouldn't hurt, " and will never again."

" But its only been a month,"

" I know that," Lorne said, " But you don't understand. I killed the woman I loved…"

" So…you're punishing yourself?"

Lorne didn't answer but they both knew Fred was onto something.

" I better go, but if you want to talk-"

" I don't." Lorne said. Fred sighed and to his relief left.