"Good morning, Joe," Angelic whispered in Joe's ear. Joe's eyes popped open and he shrank back against his pillow.

"It wasn't a nightmare?" he asked, his lips turned up at one corner, giving him a sardonic expression.

"Tsk, tsk," Angelic berated him. "It's a beautiful morning and you shouldn't get up in a bad mood."

"How would I know if it's a beautiful morning or not?" demanded Joe, staring up into her eyes. "I'm locked up in a dark basement."

"And here I thought you would want the light out when you sleep," she pouted.

"That isn't the issue and you know it," he told her. "I should be outside...or at least in school."

"School, bah!" she snorted. "You were having trouble in history; you disliked your Spanish teacher and you thought English was boring. Why bother? You don't need too. I'll take care of you. I am rich, you know."

"I never told you about Spanish or English," Joe said, looking at her curiously.

"You didn't have too," Angelic told him. "I've been watching you. I know how you feel about things."

"You were only at Bayport High for one week...less than..." Joe stated. "How could you know so much about me? I've changed since the last time you knew me."

"Yes," agreed Angelic. "But only for the better," she added. "I have been in Bayport for a month," she continued. "I only managed to get everything ready for you this past week."

"So we are still in Bayport?" Joe asked, pleased to have obtained this much information.

"We are," she readily admitted. "Don't look so surprised. You're safe here. No one will find you and there is no way you could get any information to anyone outside, so I see no reason not to tell you everything you want to know."

She pushed a lock of blond hair off his forehead and sat up. "Besides, you are supposed to be getting to know me better. How can you do that if you don't ask me questions and I don't answer?"

A contemplative look came over Joe and she stood up straight. "I hope you are hungrier this morning than you were last night," she said. "I made strawberry Belgian waffles." She picked up a plate from the table and a fork as Joe sat up. "Open wide," she urged, cutting off a bit and holding it up.

Joe reached for the fork but she backed up, shaking her head. "Last night I gave you the opportunity to eat by yourself. You refused, so this morning you get fed."

"How long is my punishment going to last?" Joe asked, gritting his teeth. He so wanted to take the plate and toss it against the wall, but he was starving.

"If you eat all of your breakfast, you'll get a chance at lunch," she promised.

Joe opened his mouth and let her put the waffle filled fork into his mouth. Involuntarily he moaned in pleasure as he swallowed. "I knew you would like my cooking. That silly hospital they put me in insisted I take up a hobby to get my mind off of you." She giggled. "Those morons really thought cooking would help me forget you. But after the way you bragged about your aunt's cooking, I knew you would want your wife to be able to cook for you."

"Angelic, we will never get married," Joe told her truthfully.

"You'll fall in love with me," she responded confidently.

"Even if that were the case, after you ahd kidnapped me and held me captive, my family would have you arrested," Joe tried to reason with her before she put another bite in his mouth. "My parents would never allow the wedding to take place."

"Then you will just have to get me pregnant before we see your parents," she replied. "They wouldn't want their grandchild to be born in prison."

"You would share me with a child?" Joe asked her, amazed. Hadn't she killed her own father to keep from sharing him with her mother?

"No, of course not," she admitted. "But after the baby were born we could give it to your folks to raise."

Angelic reached over and handed Joe a glass of orange juice which he finished half in one gulp before she took it away and began feeding him again.

"You said we were still in Bayport. Where exactly?" Joe asked.

"On the outskirts actually," she answered. "The previous owner was going to turn this place into some kind of museum but his health prevented it. I gave him a cashier's check for the asking price and he headed south."

"Who was the owner?"

"Emile Grabb." Joe couldn't believe it! He was in the basement of one of the weirdest mansions he had ever visited. He, Frank and Chet had been prisoners in the dungeon once before but not until after they had discovered a lot of the rooms had secret passages. He wondered if the basement had one. But...he was still trapped in leg irons.

Angelic finished feeding Joe his breakfast, let him finish his juice, then stood up, picking up the empty dishes. "I bought you some clothes," she told him. "They are lying on the clothes hamper in the bathroom. I'll give you some time to freshen up and then we can talk some more." With these words, she left the cage, locked it, and headed toward the door of the basement.

"Wait a minute!" Joe shouted. "How am I supposed to get these pants off and the other ones on with these leg irons on?" he asked.

She giggled. "Oh my," she said. "You do need to get those off first, don't you?" She looked at him thoughtfully for a minute. "Stay there. I'll be right back," she promised. Leaving.

True to her word, she was back almost immediately with a pair of scissors. "Here," she said, passing them through the bars into the cage. "Cut off your things and give me the scissors back before you go into the bathroom. Might as well go ahead and take off the shirt too."

"And if I don't?" Joe asked rebelliously.

"Then you will wear the same clothing, no matter how badly you smell, from now until you fall in love with me," Angelic answered, not in the least bit upset.

"How will I get the other clothes on?" he asked her.

"Oh, you'll figure out something, I'm sure," she answered, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Now, cut them off. You can use the sheet to hide behind if you like. I'll even turn around until you are through."

Joe waited until she had turned around and began cutting his clothing, grumbling that these had been his favorite pants. When he had finished, he wrapped the sheet around his waist. "I'm finished," Joe said.

Angelic turned around and smiled appreciatively at Joe whose chest and abdomen rippled. "I'll take your clothes too," she said as he passed her the scissors. Joe retrieved his useless clothing and handed them to her.

"See you in a little while," she said, turning and leaving. Joe dropped the sheet back onto the bed and entered the bathroom. One look at the hamper and he let out an angry roar!