The cartoons continued on and the hours passed, and though exhausted from the hours he had been up and fighting, Hellboy stayed awake, lying next to Angela.

"Good morning!"

"Wha…" Hellboy awoke slowly as agent Myers walked into his room with breakfast.

"Ah..Man..Don't you ever knock." He said as he stretched out and sat up in his bed.

"I have been knocking for an hour, no one answered." He said.

"Hay, Myers its kinda cold in here why don't we kick the AC off the floor a little." Said Hellboy.

Myers looked at him and rolled his eyes. "That's a long story, notice the get up." he said bringing Hellboy's attention to the huge jacket and layers of clothing he had on. "The AC is going haywire, they entire BPRD is under thirty degrees." He said. "They have been trying to fix the problem for hours now."

Hellboy looked over at Angela who was curled up in covers so much that the only part of her still visible was her hair, which draped down over the edge. Nearly all the cats were curled up all around her.

"She must be freezing." Said Myers as he followed Hellboys gaze over to the couch.

"Here," he said tossing Hellboy some extra blankets. "There might come in handy, all the live in staff are getting them, but we had these made extra large and I think one of them is an electric blanket, special for you.." he said

Hellboy caught the folded Blankets; they were huge, and fluffy, very warm. "Thanks Myers, but you know I don't feel cold very much." He said a bit bewildered that they would give him extra blankets at all.

"Yeah I know, it was actually Abe's idea, he read somewhere that Angels are susceptible to cold. And hay, her door was blocked by furniture, I knew she would be here." he said with a smile.

"So these are actually meant for her." Hellboy said, making certain he understood.

Myers smiled, "yep."

"Thanks." He said.

Myers delivered the food and headed for the door. "Oh and one last thing, Manning wants us all in the conference room at two o'clock." He said.

"Right, got it." said Hellboy.

Red glanced over to the clock. It was 1:00. Damn, he had to be ready in an hour.

He stood up and walked as softly over to Angela as he could. Trying not to awaken her. He placed a hand on the bundle of blankets that she was under. It was cold.

Smiling slightly he unfolded the blankets Myers had handed him and covered her with them. Then he lifted the blanket and peered under them at her.

"Hay kid,"

She stirred and stretched out her arm sleepily, searching with her hand for the blanket. She grabbed it from his hand and aggressively wrapped it once more around her. Snuggling back down in the sheets.

"Come on kid." Red said again, lifting the blanket once more. "Time to get up."

Without warning, a wing shot out from under the covers, stretching it self. It hit Red in the stomach and with surprising strength and force sent him tumbling over to the other side of the room. He doubled over and held his throbbing abs.

"I am so tired, can't we sleep later. Owww, I am so sorry." Said Angela as she sat up with the covers around her.

"That's fine." He said, with pain in his voice.

Immediately she snuggled back down in the covers. "It's freezing in here." she said with surprise. "No wonder I dreamt I was in a blizzard."

"There is something wrong with the AC. They are trying to fix it." Said Red getting gup and walking back over to her.

Angela stood from the couch with the blanket still wrapped around her. "its like winter in this room, how cold is it anyhow?" She said.

"Manning wants to see us in half an hour." Said Red. "I think Myers said it was in the thirties."

"Aren't you cold," Angela as her lips began to chatter.

Red walked up to her and wrapped another blanket about her shoulders. "Nah, the cold don't bother me," he said. "You can use my shower, u am certain the hot water still works." He said.

Angela smiled at him. Remembering how frightened she had been last night. But he had made it all seem so distant from where they were. The whole mess had, for a few hours at least, seemed only a far-off nightmare that's memory could no more harm her than he could.

Even in the aftermath of such vulnerability Angela felt no sense of shame, guilt, or weakness. There was no need for her to validate or diminish the terror that she had felt last night. She didn't need to tell him any excuse. It was simply a smile, and an understanding, patient look she received from him. One that told her she was not thought less of for revealing her…humanity. But in fact was respected for it.

"Birdie?"

Angela realized she had been staring at him as he was trying to hand her a towel and she quickly snapped herself out of her thoughtful expression.

"Sorry, what did you say?" she asked.

"I said the shower is right over there, I can go over to your place and get some cloths for you if you like?"

Angela nodded and headed over to the shower.

Hellboy smiled and started for the door.

"Red." She said stopping and walking over to him.

"Yep."

Angela lifted her arm up behind his neck and pulled his face down to her while she stood on her tippy toes and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks." She said heading back to the shower.

Red turned Red, and smiled as brightly as he ever had before. He turned with dazzled eyes and took the doorknob in hand, Swung it open, and fell out the door as he went, the smile still plastered across his face.

A few minutes later he was in her place. He looked around but saw no sign that anyone had been there. Had she imagined it?

The thought circled around in his head and he felt certain she had. Not that he could blame her. he would see things too if he were in her shoes.

He reached the inside of her bedroom and began rummaging through her closet. He never should have volunteered for this he thought as he went through racks of clothing.

There were more shirts; pants, skirts, jackets and everything in between than he knew could fit in a closet. Frustration began to build in him.

Finally giving up he took a huge swipe at the entire rack with his stone hand and brought all of it. He put the huge pile of cloths in one hand and walked to the drawers. Opening the top one he took a moment to mentally strangle himself for volunteering for this assignment once again. In the top drawer were lots of the garments usually kept in top drawers of woman's bedrooms. The entire thing was wall to wall…. women under garment thingies.

Hellboy groaned with agony as he looked the other way and began picking at the drawer with his fingers as though the contents were radioactive.

Finally without any success at actually picking one up he slammed the drawer shut with fury and picked the entire dresser up, tossing it on top of the cloths he had in his stone hand.

Then he whirled around and thought about what else she might need. Hell if he knew. He looked around, once in the bathroom and twice on the kitchen, searching for any sign of things that looked used over and over again.

Aha, a toothbrush. YES! Hellboy mentally rewarded himself for his ingenious thinking as he used his tail to grab her toothbrush and toothpaste from the counter. Boy he was smart. Then taking one last look around the room he headed out the door into the living room.

The furniture was moved over to the door and Hellboy rolled his eyes. If agents had burst into his room while he was sleeping he would put a sofa in front of the door to. Well…he probably wouldn't. He would just freak them out so much they would never want to come back to his room again. But the point was that he could understand her frustration.

Heading out the door he walked, huge pile in hand, over to his door. It was at this time that he really appreciated this little forest Angela had grown, it was so beautiful.

He reached his door and lifted his hand to knock on it. But a second later remembered what had happened the last time she had knocked on his door. The whole naked thing.

A hint of embarrassment crossed his mind.

He didn't want to repeat that again…he thought it over for a moment weighing the pros and cons of warning her he was coming in. Well, in truth this was his room, and he shouldn't have to knock. He decided against it and just barged in. no, he wasn't secretly hoping to catch her in the buff…honest. Hellboy was just being…practical.

Walking in he heard the shower going; she obviously hadn't heard him come in because as soon as he set the clothes down he heard her singing buddy Clark, a singer from the early forties. Her voice echoed around the room, and Hellboy smiled as he heard her sing.

"HAY BIRDIE, I GOT YOU SOME THING, WHEN YOUR DONE YOU CAN COME OUT HERE AND TAKE A LOOK AT THEM." He yelled in to her.

She stopped singing abruptly and then he heard a thug. "o-ok, thanks."

He laughed, knowing she thought he couldn't hear her and probably slipped from the surprise. "Hay, you alright." He yelled to her. "Anything hurt."

"Uh huh," he heard from the bathroom, "my pride."

Hellboy turned to his own dresser and picked out some pants and a shirt. Quickly slipping them on before another embarrassing moment could befall either of them.

Moments later Angela appeared from the bathroom. The towel draped around her body.

She stared in awe at the massive pile of clothes that met her gaze. "I see you brought a selection." She said with a great smile on her face.

"Uh, yeah, thought you would want to pick it out yourself." He said.

Angela laughed slightly and held the towel tightly around her body. She was so cold.

She walked over to the pile and picked out some clothing then opened the drawer and picked out some underwear.

Hellboy amused himself with his cat muffins while she was in the bathroom changing.

"I bet you never have trouble with women like this." He commented to the cat as it purred under his touch.

A moment later Angela stepped out of the bathroom wearing a black sweater and dark navy jeans. She wore a huge jacket over the sweater with a long purple scarf and hat that covered her ears.

Hellboy laughed as she walked out, she looked like an Eskimo, all bundled up.

"What…" said Angela, knowing what he was laughing at. "I am just cold." She said.

Hellboy stopped himself and tried with all his power to remove the grin from his face but failed miserably.

Angela walked out the door with Hellboy behind her as they headed for the conference room.

"Did Myers say what Manning wanted?" asked Angela.

"Nah, but I would bet good money it has something to do with business, either with the monsters, or your tests, or the ritual." the last words slid off his tongue and Hellboy knew he shouldn't have mentioned them as Angela's face turned from care free to the beginnings of panic.

They continued to walk and Hellboy placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "If Manning is bringing us here to tell us something not serious or smile proof, ill pay you a dollar." He said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Angela smiled. "Ill hold you to that." she said,

A moment late they were with Manning who unsurprisingly looked as though he had bad news to deliver. Professor Broom sat in the chair next to Manning's and both he and Hellboy avoided glances. Abe stood to the right, leaning against the wall.

"We are waiting for Myers and Clay then we can get started." Said Broom, standing up.

Angela and Hellboy both stood to the left of the room, while the entire group silently waited for Myers and clay.

Hellboy kept his grasp on Angela's shoulder, who took long deep breaths, afraid of the outcome of there meeting.

Had they found out something more about the ritual? Was it bad news? And if it was were they going to divulge everything in front of everyone?

Her heart beat faster and Angela tried to think about something else as Myers and Clay walked into the room.

"Ah, ok, now that everyone is assembled Hellboy would you be so kind as to debrief us all on the events of last nights mission, how did it go? No casualties I see." Said Manning,

"The mission was pretty straight forward, kill the Sammy's that were last reported seen on Brook Street." He said stepping forward. "They were hard, kept on regenerating, but we got em, lured em to a warehouse, they were fried in a fire." He said. "End of story"

"We have a report now of seven more of these creatures in the downtown area." Said Manning, "we don't know where they are coming from." he said.

"These demons can reproduce at a rapid rate. I am not surprised they would have laid eggs before you got there." Interrupted Angela.

Everyone turned their attention to her as she continued, "they are also A sexual, meaning they can reproduce without a mate."

"Where's the fun in that." said Hellboy.

"It is a very effective way of population a region with thousands of demons in a very short period of time." she said. "But something bothers me about this whole situation. Samaielle was captured in a reliquary. He could not have escaped." She said.

"What are you saying." Said Clay.

"Someone had to release him purposefully. He has been set free for a reason, make no mistake." She said.

"Why would someone release him on purpose, he seems to be nothing more than a monster, he has no real strategy." Said Myers

"A distraction perhaps." Said Broom. "This could all be tied in with Rasputin."

"Or a way to kill Hellboy and thereby remove all obstacles to Rasputins goal." Said Manning as he stared as Angela.

"I don't care why its here. How do we kill It?" said Hellboy.

"We are working on that." said Abe.

Hellboy rolled his eyes, a lot of good 'working on it' was.

"Even angels never found out how, certain types of heat can kill it but we could ultimately only bind him in the salt of our tears." Said Angela.

"No matter, Hellboy, you are going out again and this time kill them all, we don't have time to wait any longer on this. You will head out in six hours, that's when we will have the equipment defrosted. Which brings me to the next order of business… The AC is still broken and it looks like it is going to get colder, now I know we are all miserable with this temperature, but be patient. If it reaches past a certain point we will have to relocate to another facility." Said Manning. "For health reasons. But we are looking into the problem and don't anticipate it will come to that."

Hellboy scoffed, he didn't want to go out on another mission again, but knew he would have to.

"Angela, we are taking advantage of the cold in here and are going to run all your drills without weather protection, got It." he said, "ok, that's it people, and good luck." He finished getting up and replacing his glasses.

Angela looked shocked; she was freezing as it was. She really didn't want to take the coat off.

Everyone began piling out of the room and as he exited, Angela pulled Manning aside.

"Mr. Manning, I understand the need for research into my abilities, but the cold is something I don't do well with. I have asked this organization for very little and have put up with a great deal without complaint while I have been here including being shot at." She said with a stern voice. "Not to mention the one thing I have asked for…information about my daughter, has thus far been ignored. So I would really appreciate it if you would hold off on testing my in the cold, I can tell you without performing any tests that I will be useless." She said.

Her voice was assertive and yet had some sense of pleading in it as she spoke. Angela had always disliked the cold; it reminded her of Germany, of her husband and the day she received news of his death. It had been a hard last couple of days and she didn't think she could take another blow now.

Manning searched her eyes. He could see she was hurting, he was not unfeeling towards her, and understood her request was very important and as much as it pained him to put her through these tests he knew they might give them the edge they needed to defeat Rasputin when the time came.

"Im sorry, we must proceed," he said, he strained to get the words out of his mouth.

Angela sighed. Shit. She really didn't want to do this.

Hellboy glanced at her. Seeing the distress in her eyes.

She followed Manning to the training yard where she took off the jacket, scarf, hat and sweater until she wore only a tank top and her jeans. She gritted her teeth and felt ready, building confidence in herself.

For the next two hours she went through all the combat and weapons, training she had the day before. She learned more about knives and taught the staff a thing of two about the swords. It came time for the guns training and Hellboy more than once wrapped himself unnecessarily around her to warm her up.

"Slowly now," he said as he steadied her grip. "Ease up on the trigger." He said again, this time rubbing her arms to warm them. As she aimed the weapon at the target.

"ya know if Manning sees you he's gonna yell at you. He wants this experiment to be an endurance test. See how I do in the cold alone." she said with a smile. Grateful he was warming her up.

Hellboy smiled at her and then peered at manning. He looked as though he was going to say something classically insulting about the man. "Aww. Shows how much he knows. he should know better…." He said before turning to look at her again. He got closer to her, so she could feel the heat from his face. "…Than to think you would ever be left out in the cold alone." he whispered to her as he warmed her shoulders.

Another two hours went by and Angela did every kind of test imaginable. From endurance, to strength, she performed Arial acrobatics, weight lifting while flying, everything in the book to see how much and how hard they could push her before she would crack.

By the end of the fourth hour without a jacket, or even a sweater on in thirty degree weather Angela could no longer feel her hands. so it was with great relief when Manning told her she would only have one more short test to perform, before they were through for the day.

Minutes later they were in the testing room where a huge tank of freezing water rested.

"In this experiment we are going to see how your body responds to cold water submersion. A normal human can withstand three minutes before the blood freezes up and they die." said Broom as he cleaned his glasses. "But your bones are nearly hollow like that of a birds, aiding in your flight, and therefore your body may succumb to this more quickly. However, your natural body temperature is at least three degrees higher than a humans and your circulatory system is much more complex so who knows how your body will respond." He said holding up some wires.

"Have you read that Angels are more vulnerable to cold." She said.

"Yes, which is why we will be connecting these electrodes to your body to monitor your heart and circulation during the procedure, don't worry my dear, you will be perfectly safe." He said.

Angela sighed and began to undress, until she wore only her undergarments.

Broom placed the wires to her and she climbed the latter to get into the pool.

"What the hell are you doing!!?" yelled Hellboy as he entered the room.

"This is unacceptable you get out of here." yelled Manning.

"Damned right unacceptable," Hellboy responded. "Its thirty degrees and you want to put her in a vat of water that's freezing." He yelled.

"Its only an experiment, she will be fine." Said Abe.

"Then you get in the tank, I bet you wouldn't last thirty minutes." He said walking up and touching the water. It was cold, real cold.

Angela grasped his hand. "Red, its alright, you don't have to defend me." She said.

"But,,"

"I will be fine." She interrupted him.

"Its only for a few minutes," she said. Angela was so cold, colder than she ever had been in her life, as she stood there in her underwear.

Without another word she dipped into the water. Yawza!! the water stung at her like knives as she submerged herself completely. Her body began to shake violently as the cold hit her. She tucked herself into a ball unconsciously and held her shoulders with her hands.

"She is freezing, get her out of there." Said Hellboy as he saw her body shake and her lips chatter.

Her heart rate shot up, as the beeps on the monitor were closer together. "She is alright, this is a natural reaction to these temperatures. The body shivers and tires to produce as much heat as possible and then slowly the shivering stops on the limbs as the body abandons the effort to heat them and focuses on the heart and organs. Then Hypothermia sets in and eventually the heart stops as the chest and midsection stop." Said Broom.

"oh well that's comforting" said Hellboy sarcastically.

"Oh, of course. We will take her out before Hypothermia" Said Broom looking seriously at Manning. "Right, Mr. Manning."

"Uh..Yes of course." he responded.

The minutes went by slowly, and Hellboy looked at his watch a thousand times, feeling that for certain they were longer than usual. One minute, and Angela's arms and legs stopped shivering. Not a good sign as her heart rate slowed down.

But she gave thumbs up nonetheless.

At two minutes Hellboy panicked for a moment when Angela closed her eyes. He was about to reach in and smash the tank open if necessary when her wings began to flap underwater. Her heart rate came up a small bit.

"Fascinating." Gasped Broom as he peered at the monitors and then at Angela.

"What, what's going on." Said Manning.

The water in the tank sloshed around as her wings beat furiously.

"She is compensating for the cold in her blood by producing heat through her wings." He looked again at the tank like he had just found the formula for astrophysics. "She was storing warmth in her wings for when she needed it, she could last another…three minutes in there, a new record." He said with wonder in his eyes.

Another minute went by and Hellboy began to loose his worry, she looked like she would be fine. She was alert and staring at them, a small smile crossed his face and she smiled at him through the glass. He tried to look her only in the face. And kept on reminding himself not to stair at her nearly naked body. But he had to admit she was the sexiest woman he had ever seen.

He looked down at his watch, another thirty seconds and she would have been in the tank for six minutes. Was his watch working, that couldn't be right, distracted he tapped his stone hand on the dial, and heard a long high-pitched noise through the room.

"Oh my god." Gasped Manning as he practically jumped to the top of the tank and reached his hand down into it. "I can't reach her." he yelled.

Angela floated down to the bottom of the tank without any sign of life.

Hellboy ran and jumped to the top and dove down into it with his whole upper body, his legs hanging off the side. He grabbed her and pulled her up out of the water.

"Here, give her here." said Broom as Hellboy laid her on the floor.

"Did her monitor come off?"

"Is she breathing?"

Broom searched for the heart monitor on her chest. As Abe searched for a heart beat. Broom found the wire that had been connected to her chest and stuck it back on her. "She's breathing." He said as a faint slow pulse sounded in the room.

"We have to warm her up quickly." He said "I have some portable heaters I can plug in, but they are at my office."

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE A CONTINGANCY PLAN IF THIS HAPPENED!" yelled Hellboy.

"Manning run to my office, get the heaters. You can carry them two at a time." said Broom frantically.

"What will happen if we don't warm her up?" asked Hellboy.

"Brain damage. Coma, death." He said.

"CRAP!!" yelled Hellboy As he scooped her up and rushed out the door. "Tell Manning to bring the heaters to my room." he said as he ran out the door.

He rushed down the hallway. Angela's face was white, and blue. She was ice cold and dripping wet.

He didn't know much about hypothermia but the last he checked the hot water heaters were working just fine.

He swung open his door and jumped over the mountain of cloths, papers, and cats that lay riddled around his room as he headed for the bathroom. Then turning on the hot water he held he close and felt for it to warm up. A second later it was hot and he stepped inside with her, allowing the hot steaming water to run down both their bodies.

"Come on kid." He said as he moved some hair from her face. She was still white and lifeless and had he not known otherwise Hellboy would think she was dead.

He moved his stone hand touching her face. He felt the cold from her skin and moved his hand to her shoulder. He rubbed her shoulder with his hand. Trying to generate some heat under his touch. He continued for a few minutes and felt no change in her.

His heart raced faster as panic started to build. He picked her up more and held her close to him, letting her head rest on his shoulder. "Come on Birdie." He whispered to her. "Wake up."

Steam rose from the bath as he spoke draping him in water. "Birdie." He whispered again. But she remained limp and lifeless.

Broom and Abe came into the bathroom. Abe stepped forward and placed a Hand on her heart.

Hellboy looked at him, searching his face for any sign of his findings.

"She is alive." He said. " Her heart beat is very slow, dangerously slow."

He backed away, knowing there was nothing more he could do.

Hellboy looked at his father.

"Will she be alright?" asked Hellboy.

Broom heard his son speak, his voice filled with a pain he though he would never hear from his Hellboy. Broom shook his head. "Here." he said Handing Hellboy the wire so they could monitor her heart. "Abe and I brought the equipment, and if in the next half hour her heart rate increases she should be fine." He said.

Manning and Abe walked in carrying the heaters. They set them up in silence, filling the small bathroom with them.

They laid out at least twenty blankets on the counter near Hellboy. "the water heater wont work forever. These will help."

"I thought you said she had a few minutes. What the hell happened?" asked Hellboy as the hot water beat down on them.

"That was quick thinking with the water son, I think you may have saved her life." He said, ignoring his son's question.

"Answer the question father."

Broom sighed.

"I will have to review the data but, it appears the energy it took to warm her body with her wings was only a swift temporary solution and could only delay the inevitable."

" Which was what? Why was it so abrupt, she was fine just a few seconds ago." Asked Hellboy.

"Her bones are nearly hollow, like that of a birds, the effect of the cold acts similar to a birds body. The circulatory system is so complex that hypothermia set in all at once." Said Broom, "I should have seen that this would happen." He said. "We never intended to keep her in there long enough for there to be any real risk, it just all happened so fast."

"Well no more of this, no more tests, how much more do you want to put her through." Said Hellboy.

Manning looked away, as guilt crept through his chest. A sour pain. He backed away and turned leaving the room.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," said Hellboy. "Just get out." He said.

Broom approached him and placed a hand on his son's arm. Hellboy looked away from him. He had never known his father to be a cruel man. But the BPRD had shown nothing but its most deceptive side since Angela had arrived. He considered this place his home, filled with the only people who had ever treated him with any semblance of respect and humanity. He thought all were welcome here, all the 'freaks' all of the unique. But it was becoming painfully obvious that there was only acceptance for those unique individuals who served a purpose. Who posed no threat. It seemed like they were treating Angela more as one of the monsters they routinely sent Hellboy out to kill than one of their own, and it tore him up inside.

"Father, I can't talk to you now." He said with a sad voice.

Broom understood, he too was ashamed at the way they had treated her, and knew it would take a while for their rift to be healed. "Call me if her heart rate falls." He said. Pointing to the numbers on the monitor so Hellboy could see. Then he headed for the door.

"Professor, shouldn't we stay, what if something happens, what if…" said Abe. As he followed Broom and Manning out the door.

Professor Broom turned to Manning with an expression on his face that Manning had never seen before. " Mr. Manning, I have been working with the paranormal since before you were born." His face filled with anger, "and in all my years I have never seen such disrespect handed to anyone. You have badgered and toyed with that girl since the moment you got a hold of her like she were some sort of laboratory animal. It will not happen again. And I am ashamed to say I ever allowed It." he said. "Now leave her alone, we have done quite enough." he finished as they left and closed the door behind them.

Hellboy heard the door close and he sunk down to the tile floor of the shower. She was so cold, even in the midst of the steam that rose up from their bodies she was freezing.

He glanced over at the heart monitor. It was beating so slowly. But it wasn't slowing down. A good sign.

She lay on tip of him as he sat there running his hands through her wet hair.

The heaters were working well and the room sweltered. Hellboy could feel beads of sweat dripping from his brow but he never paid mind to them. Her head rested on his shoulder and he closed his eyes. There was nothing he wouldn't give to see her awake again. He lifted her from his shoulder, and turned off the water. The water heater was failing and he reached out to grab a bunch of blankets from the counter. He wrapped them around her. Draping their warmth over them both. The heaters were jammed in the tiny bathroom, heating the air around them.

The room was like a sauna damp from the steam and hot from the heaters and blankets. Hellboy closed his eyes once more and placed his stone hand on her head, stroking her hair. "Please wake up,"

How long had it been? He couldn't tell. The steam filled room was foggy and just as he peered at the monitors to see how she was doing Hellboy felt a hand wrap around under his chest under his arm. His eyes went wide and he sat up peering at her face. She was still pale and here eyes were closed but he made out a small word.

"Cold." She whispered as her teeth chattered and she tried to snuggle deeper into him and wrap the blankets around her more.

He was incredibly excited and grabbed all the rest of the fuzzy blankets to wrap around her as much as possible. He didn't car if he was burning up, as he laid every blanket over every inch of her.

They looked like a mound of dirty laundry as so many blankets were placed over them.

Hellboy closed his eyes, and snuggled down with her. Then opened his eyes again. "His was all a big ploy to sleep later wasn't It." he whispered top her with a smile before closing his eyes again and holding her tight.

I know this chapter was kind of boring but it sets up the scene for the next chapter. And Hold onto your hats people, the next chapters are going to really take off in the action. Romance, plot twists and everything else we love about HB.

Also I know Angela's character is getting a lot of Mary sue, damsel in distress feeling about her. But never fear. There is a reason for this and it will become an important tool in her characters development. I am all for women taking care of themselves and being competent and all of that, so just hang tight, it will all be explained as the story develops.