The Hyperion was quiet when Catherine returned that afternoon. Gunn was sitting at the desk, apparently talking to a client about some demon problem. Angel stood at the front desk with his back to the front door looking over some old books. The distant clanging of weapons let Catherine know that Connor and the other Slayers were training in the back room. Angel lifted his head when she entered the lobby. He could feel her presence pushing against him. He slowly turned around when he heard her heels clicking on the floor towards the desk. Her usually bright blue eyes were now dark and red-rimmed from the tears she had obviously shed for her dead friend.
"Hey girlie. You feelin' okay? Want me to make you some cocoa or something?" Gunn asked lightly as he hung up the phone and wheeled over to her. Catherine bent down to receive the hug offered by him.
"I'll be fine, but thanks. I think I got all my crying out today, which I needed to do. She wouldn't be happy if I kept on being sad," Catherine said as she straightened back up. Gunn caught Angel's eye over her shoulder. The look on the vampire's face was one saying he wanted to be alone with the girl and Gunn was happy to oblige.
"I think I'll go make that cocoa anyway. Can't let a fine woman like you get dehydrated, now can we," Gunn said with a wink and headed down to the kitchen. Catherine watched him leave and let out a heavy sigh. She was hoping she could avoid Angel for the day and work on a plan to rid herself of Adrian, but that hope was soon dashed by the look in his eyes.
"You look like you wanted to say something, so hurry up and say it. It's been a really long day," Catherine said curtly. Her voice was sharp with a pain that matched the look in her eyes. Angel hung his head a little before replying, hurt tingeing his voice.
"I just wanted to tell you that we're here for you and how sorry I-"
"Just stop right there Angel. You didn't know her and you already decided you didn't like her because she was Rom. You're not sorry that one of them died, so don't feed me a bunch of crap about how sorry you are. All that's going to do is piss me off even more than I already am. So please, stop."
Angel stood in the lobby and watched her run up the stairs in both anger and hurt. Dammit, he thought, way to patch things up.
Dawn looked at her watch and realized she was going to miss her bus. For some reason she didn't care. Dawn still didn't feel like talking to Connor about their blow up from the other day. At lunch, Dawn had kept thinking of him. David had been doing most of the talking and Dawn realized she had been in such a dream state she had no real idea what was being said to her. Not a nice way to act someone who could use a friend, she thought. Oh well, she'd treat him to coffee another day. She was almost to her stop when she saw the bus pull away. Letting out a heavy sigh she slowed her pace when David showed up by her side..
"Where were you going in such a hurry?" he asked.
"I was trying to catch my bus but my stupid Psych professor made me late. Now I have to wait another hour," Dawn grumbled.
"My car is just parked over there. I could give you a lift if you want?"
"Are you sure? I mean, if its to much trouble-"
"It's no big deal. Come one." And with that, he led her by the hand towards his car.
Angel watched as Catherine talked to Gunn about the new demon case and expressing her desire to go out and patrol with the other Slayers that night. Catherine thought she might have narrowed down where Adrian was staying and hoped that maybe a few demons could help point her in the right direction. Plus she wanted to burn off some steam. Connor was cleaning some weapons and glancing at the door, waiting for Dawn's return. He was hoping that tonight he could patch things up with her before Catherine spoke with his dad. He wanted to make sure it was worth it.
"She probably missed her bus or something," Gunn said looking at the boy.
"You're right. I know one of her professors has been holding her up lately," Connor said lamely trying to cover up his worry. Catherine shifted nervously as she glanced at the clock. She didn't like this. Something was wrong.
"Caty, what is it?" Angel asked.
"Something's wrong. Something's very wrong," was all she could say when a window smashed in. Catherine ran to the front door where a window had been smashed. Angel stayed back out of the deathly sunlight. A stone lay on the ground with a note and some blood.
"Its got Dawn's blood on it," Connor said sniffing. Anger started to radiate from his eyes.
"It says 'Come and find me'." Catherine looked up at Angel, then dropping the stone ran up to her room. This is not good, Angel thought.
