Chapter 5 Hungry?

Katie finally found her way around L.A,'s tunnel system and miraculously arrived at the underground entrance of Angel's apartment. She quietly entered the living room and gave a soft knock on the doorframe. The walls were all brick with a hardwood floor. It gave the apartment a rustic look, and true to his word, there was a distinct lack of windows. Katie noticed quite a few antique pieces scattered about the room; paintings, vases, sculptures, and even some antique furniture. It gave the apartment a strange kind of homey feel. Must be mementos he collected over the years.

A shuffling noise caught her attention. It sounded like it was coming from behind the beat-up leather couch facing away from her. Katie crept over to investigate and found Angel tossing in his sleep. She laughed to herself, but stopped to catch the mumbles Angel had just started up.

"No…don't…don't take her…no…what…what have I done…"

"Angel, wake up," Katie whispered. "You're having a nightmare."

"Katie…don't…," Angel mumbled, still fully asleep. "Katie…KATIE!"

"Angel!"

"Katie?!" Angel sat up in sleepy confusion and proceeded to slide off the couch landing on the floor with a thud. He pulled himself back up and shook his head to clear it. "Katie?"

"Yeah, that's my name, and you're wearing it out," she smiled with a mischievous grin. "Time to get up, sleepyhead!"

Angel looked around. "How'd you get here?" he asked, now semi-coherent.

"Through the tunnels. It's a miracle I found my way here. I hope you don't mind me letting myself in."

Looks like I have to secure that entrance a little better. "No, that's fine," he said while standing up and stretching. He gave Katie a sidelong glance. "How long were you standing there watching me sleep?"

"Ah, just long enough to hear all of your big secrets, and see just how big of a dork you really are. Some things never change!" Katie teased. She was already feeling their real-life relationship growing again, and for the first time in a very long time, Katie smiled and really meant it.

"Ha ha," Angel narrowed his eyes at her jokingly. After a moment he asked, "Hungry?"

"Oh, breakfast sounds wonderful!" Katie responded enthusiastically and bounded toward the kitchen.

"I'll be right there, just let me get cleaned up a bit first," Angel yelled from the living room. "There are fresh containers of…well, you'll see…in the fridge. Grab a pot and boil some water if you like yours warm."

"Ok," Katie called back as she was searching the cupboards. Finding the mugs in the last section she looked in, she set two on the small kitchen table and set the pot on the stove to boil. She then went to the refrigerator to grab two containers of animal blood that Angel had gotten from the local butcher. He had known that Angel was a vampire for a while now, and would call him anytime a new shipment had arrived. What surprised Katie when she opened the door wasn't the sight of numerous blood-filled plastic containers packed into the small refrigerator, but the presence of human food too. There was milk (fresh not spoiled), eggs, bacon, butter, several containers of Chinese take-out, and even a leftover slice of cheese pizza.

"Angel?" Katie yelled as she grabbed two containers of blood and shut the door.

"What's wrong?" Angel said as he entered the kitchen. He had changed his clothes and from the looks of his wet hair, he must have quickly showered too.

"Nothing really. I was just wondering, why do you have food in your fridge?" she asked curiously.

"Isn't that what's supposed to be kept in there?" Angel said with a slight grin. Then added thoughtfully, "I could go get my axe and swords. They should fit."

"You know what I mean," Katie replied, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, I know," Angel said with a small laugh. "It's for Cordelia and Wesley. We have this tradition where we all come back here and I make them breakfast after an all-nighter of fighting and such."

"You… make them breakfast? And they actually eat it?" Katie asked in disbelief.

Angel nodded with pride, "Cordelia loves my scrambled eggs and occasional omelets. Wes has an odd craving for toast," Angel shrugged his shoulders. "Cordy once told me that I was an excellent cook especially for someone on a 'liquid diet'."

Katie and Angel both started to snicker, and then is escalated to roaring laughter. The comment really was not that funny, but it had been so long since either had done that and it felt so good, neither seemed to be able to stop. Laughter filled the kitchen and echoed throughout the apartment. Katie hugged her arms around her stomach and was hunched over in hysterics. Angel was busy holding himself up on the counter and banging it lightly with his palm. Their laughing fit would have gone on for a while yet, but was interrupted by the sound of water boiling over the pot. Angel reached to turn the burner off while Katie, through tears, set the two containers in the pot to warm up. Neither one looked at the other for fear of the breaking into giggles yet again.

After breakfast, Katie flopped down on the couch while Angel cleaned up in the kitchen. He walked into the living room drying his hands off with a towel. He noticed that Katie was wearing the same clothes as the day before. In fact, he guessed, they were the some clothes she had been wearing for several days. He knew what living in the gutter was like. He'd been down there for many years after the gypsy curse, right up until he managed his way into Sunnydale. No, don't think about that place. Once you start, you don't stop. Katie needed clothes. Clothes meant mall, mall meant shopping, and shopping meant Cordelia.

"I will be right over," Cordelia said though the telephone. "Wait, do I have to pay for this?" she asked hesitantly.

"Company expense," replied Angel.

"I will be right over!" She squealed so loud that Angel had to move the receiver away from his head.