A/N: One more chapter left ...
* ~ * ~ * ~
The kitchen was only ever quiet at this time in the morning. Before Jess, Gabby, Faye, Starr, Lorne, Fred, Gunn, and Cordy were awake. Normally, Connor would be asleep too, but since the bundle of skinny eight year old had landed on him at six that morning, he was up.
Jane was playing with her oatmeal, as gloomily, he watched. Her eyes lifted, and met his, and then lowered. The little girl was always silent the day after one of her nightmares.
As she finished, he asked, awkwardly, "Do you want to play hide and go seek?" It was the only game Jane liked, apart from tea-party, and that was never a good suggestion to make. She smiled suddenly, and nodded.
"I wanna hide," she stated. He put his hands over his eyes, and began counting, as she slid off her seat, and scurried away.
At fifty, Connor uncovered his eyes, and stood up. As he walked into the lobby, Gabby was walking down the stairs, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
"Hey, Connor," she yawned. "What're you doing?"
"Hide and seek, with Jane," he answered, shrugging. "Know where she'd hide?"
"No idea. She's good at that game," Gabby grinned. "Doubt you'll find her."
* ~ * ~ * ~
Jane crouched under Wesley's desk, and hugged her knees. Connor would never find her here!
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Starr stretched sleepily, and hugged her pillow tightly. The shard of sunlight that had woken her played across the comforter.
"Faye? You awake yet?" she asked, her eyes still shut. No answer.
She opened her eyes, and looked across at the other bed, a puzzled frown crossing her face.
It was made, with the pillows neatly fluffed, and the comforter smoothed. But one corner of the comforter had been flipped up, and tucked under the pillow, creating a crease in the spread, exactly as Starr had made it, yesterday.
Yanking on her dressing gown, Starr made for the stairs, hurrying down them. Faye hadn't been there last night.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"Angel, have you seen Faye?" Starr gabbled, her eyes wide, and desperate as she stared at the vampire. Angel shook his head.
"No, I thought she was-"
"Has Cordy, Lorne, Gunn, Fred, Wesley-" she tried, but at Angel's look, she flung herself towards the door, and ran through the small garden to the street, a frantic expression on her face.
She stopped at the gate, looking around wildly at people crossing the street. Finally, her eyes settled on a small square of white, a few yards away. She moved quickly to it, and then swallowed, her eyes big, and scared, tears prickling in them.
Lindsey's daughter's face was sketched painstakingly in Faye's distinctive hand, and an arch of droplets, in a dark red colour had fallen across it. She bent, and as if in a dream, picked up the book, and walked back to the hotel.
"Starr?" Angel questioned as she walked towards him. Her eyes lifted, and met his.
"Faye's dead," she said, in a monotone, holding out the book. Cordelia walked down the stairs, and paused there, looking at Starr.
"Starr? What's the matter?" she asked, concernedly. Starr sat down heavily on the couch, and began to sob.
"What's happening?" Faith asked, at the top of the flight of stairs. She looked down at Cordelia trying to comfort Starr, and then at Angel. "What's going on?" she repeated.
They checked the place, walking out, Angel keeping to the early morning shadows, the shade of a wall, the shadow of a truck, standing back as they stood around the spot.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Jane clambered into Wesley's big chair, and whirled around, bored. Connor had been ages finding her. As the chair spun, she knocked a pile of papers to the floor. Sliding out of the leather chair, she bent to pick them up, and uncovered a photograph. Her eyes widened as she focused on the image of the dead child.
"Are you in here?" Connor called, his hand on the knob of the office door. The last place the little girl could be was inside. Suddenly, her unearthly shriek rang out, and he burst into the room. She looked up at him with big, frightened eyes, and then someone hit him, and he fell forwards, seeing a man inject Jane in the arm as she struggled to get free.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
As they ran through the streets the entire crew of AI pursuing the van containing Connor and Jane, it veered sharply around a corner, and then a door opened, and Connor was flung out, bumping along the road until he rolled to a stop, unconscious.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
A/N: Uber-long chapter up next, and the ending of Silent Reverie, with a twist in the tail! Remember to R/R!
* ~ * ~ * ~
The kitchen was only ever quiet at this time in the morning. Before Jess, Gabby, Faye, Starr, Lorne, Fred, Gunn, and Cordy were awake. Normally, Connor would be asleep too, but since the bundle of skinny eight year old had landed on him at six that morning, he was up.
Jane was playing with her oatmeal, as gloomily, he watched. Her eyes lifted, and met his, and then lowered. The little girl was always silent the day after one of her nightmares.
As she finished, he asked, awkwardly, "Do you want to play hide and go seek?" It was the only game Jane liked, apart from tea-party, and that was never a good suggestion to make. She smiled suddenly, and nodded.
"I wanna hide," she stated. He put his hands over his eyes, and began counting, as she slid off her seat, and scurried away.
At fifty, Connor uncovered his eyes, and stood up. As he walked into the lobby, Gabby was walking down the stairs, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
"Hey, Connor," she yawned. "What're you doing?"
"Hide and seek, with Jane," he answered, shrugging. "Know where she'd hide?"
"No idea. She's good at that game," Gabby grinned. "Doubt you'll find her."
* ~ * ~ * ~
Jane crouched under Wesley's desk, and hugged her knees. Connor would never find her here!
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Starr stretched sleepily, and hugged her pillow tightly. The shard of sunlight that had woken her played across the comforter.
"Faye? You awake yet?" she asked, her eyes still shut. No answer.
She opened her eyes, and looked across at the other bed, a puzzled frown crossing her face.
It was made, with the pillows neatly fluffed, and the comforter smoothed. But one corner of the comforter had been flipped up, and tucked under the pillow, creating a crease in the spread, exactly as Starr had made it, yesterday.
Yanking on her dressing gown, Starr made for the stairs, hurrying down them. Faye hadn't been there last night.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"Angel, have you seen Faye?" Starr gabbled, her eyes wide, and desperate as she stared at the vampire. Angel shook his head.
"No, I thought she was-"
"Has Cordy, Lorne, Gunn, Fred, Wesley-" she tried, but at Angel's look, she flung herself towards the door, and ran through the small garden to the street, a frantic expression on her face.
She stopped at the gate, looking around wildly at people crossing the street. Finally, her eyes settled on a small square of white, a few yards away. She moved quickly to it, and then swallowed, her eyes big, and scared, tears prickling in them.
Lindsey's daughter's face was sketched painstakingly in Faye's distinctive hand, and an arch of droplets, in a dark red colour had fallen across it. She bent, and as if in a dream, picked up the book, and walked back to the hotel.
"Starr?" Angel questioned as she walked towards him. Her eyes lifted, and met his.
"Faye's dead," she said, in a monotone, holding out the book. Cordelia walked down the stairs, and paused there, looking at Starr.
"Starr? What's the matter?" she asked, concernedly. Starr sat down heavily on the couch, and began to sob.
"What's happening?" Faith asked, at the top of the flight of stairs. She looked down at Cordelia trying to comfort Starr, and then at Angel. "What's going on?" she repeated.
They checked the place, walking out, Angel keeping to the early morning shadows, the shade of a wall, the shadow of a truck, standing back as they stood around the spot.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Jane clambered into Wesley's big chair, and whirled around, bored. Connor had been ages finding her. As the chair spun, she knocked a pile of papers to the floor. Sliding out of the leather chair, she bent to pick them up, and uncovered a photograph. Her eyes widened as she focused on the image of the dead child.
"Are you in here?" Connor called, his hand on the knob of the office door. The last place the little girl could be was inside. Suddenly, her unearthly shriek rang out, and he burst into the room. She looked up at him with big, frightened eyes, and then someone hit him, and he fell forwards, seeing a man inject Jane in the arm as she struggled to get free.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
As they ran through the streets the entire crew of AI pursuing the van containing Connor and Jane, it veered sharply around a corner, and then a door opened, and Connor was flung out, bumping along the road until he rolled to a stop, unconscious.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
A/N: Uber-long chapter up next, and the ending of Silent Reverie, with a twist in the tail! Remember to R/R!