Title: New Friends, Old Places

Disclaimer: See prologue.

Rating: PG-13

Author: Supergurl15

Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update. I've been swamped with projects, college stuff, band stuff, etc. Sorry again. I hope you haven't lost faith in this fic. I really do plan on finishing this fic even if I'm dying on my deathbed. Anywho, there's not too much going on in this chapter. A lot of cute, adorable, "Awwww…" inspiring fluff though. Enjoy! With that said, onto the reviews! You guys are awesome!

Shellbell1012- Thanks for the review! Glad you're enjoying the fic!

Imzadi- Uh, I don't know how to put this but… ummm… Chloe and Lindsey were never an "item" in my story. Chloe's little speech in the diner was something like a spur of the moment… what's the word? Excuse? Yeah. Something like that. The whole reason I wrote this fic was because I noticed there weren't too many Chloe/Angel fics on (with the exception of Malana's fic Mind vs. Heart), or anywhere on the net really. Not only that, but I thought the whole idea of a Chloe/Angel fic would be pretty interesting. Everyone's already assuming that this fic will end up being Chloe/Angel. The pairing might seem pretty evident, but I'm willing to bet ten dollars and my new guitar that the ending probably won't be what some of you were expecting. As for Lindsey, he'll get his chance to shine.

Princess Lollipop- Thanks for the luck and I'll be sure to email a copy of our music to anyone that wants it, just don't expect Nirvana or anything. Uh, we're still in the mist of writing stuff and figuring out when and where to practice. Chaotic.

Isn't that so typical of Angel? Especially during season 4 when Cordelia and Angel couldn't figure out HOW they felt about each other and everyone including RANDOM strangers instantly figured it out. Yep, there's going to be some definite denial about the whole 'vampires being real' situation for a while, and then some hostility, probably followed by utter chaos.

Tehzo- Thanks! It's really helpful to know that I'm at least getting the characters, well, in character. I tried to make Lloyd as annoying as possible just so everyone would hate him. (I'm evil, I know.) Lindsey's going to pop up numerous times throughout the rest of the fic just because I think he's awesome. I mean he plays guitar and sings.

Batdz Angel- Thanks for the luck! Don't worry there's more envy causing situations ahead. (Did that even make sense?) It doesn't end well for Clark… I mean, it does but then it doesn't. And I just confused myself, so I think I'm going to end this Author's Note here.

Dragonflame61- Glad to see that you're enjoying the story. Thanks for reviewing!

I own nothing...only the plot idea.

Takes place around season two of Angel.

Thoughts and sometimes titles are in italics.

Chapter 12

"Hey," Pete called to the only two people sitting in the pasty colored hospital waiting room. It was early Wednesday morning so it was usual for the visiting crowd to be pretty slow. "Came as soon as I heard. What happened?"

"Pete, you wouldn't believe us if we told you." Lana said from her seat next to Clark. Clark and Lana had been sitting with Mr. Sullivan all night and most of that morning. Lana had only left for a little while when the painkillers that she had been given for her broken arm had begun to rub off.

"This is Smallville, I'm pretty sure I'd believe you if you told me that cows and pigs were laying eggs."

Lana and Clark looked at each other for a moment and then began retelling the previous night's events.

"Angel, are you sure you want to do this?" Wesley asked as he watched the brown and black bear land on the back seat of the Plymouth. So far there were two giant stuffed animals, a dozen white roses and another bouquet of yellow ones. "It's just barely sunrise and-"

"Balloons." Angel said, suddenly. He knew he had forgotten something. "I forgot balloons."

"I'm pretty sure she'll be happy with the million other things that you got her." Cordelia knew that Angel had a thing for Chloe; she just didn't know that he had a Buffy type thing for her. He was seriously overreacting. One bear, one bouquet of roses, that's what she had originally told him. But no, he had to buy the biggest, life-sized Scooby Doo plushie in the store and the enormous, but innocently cute, black and brown bear. It even had an adorable little bow tie, shirt cuffs, shoes, a cane, and a top hat. Which was sort of the reason why she was holding it, it was just so cute.

"Won't even think about the balloons." Gunn said nonchalantly leaning against the car.

"Yep. So we might want to go before the sun comes out in its full effect." Cordelia said sliding into the back seat, the giant bear still in her arms.

With that, everyone piled into the car and headed to the hospital.

Angel knocked quietly on the room door, waited, then knocked again. After not getting a response the second time, he pushed open the door to Chloe's hospital room. He could hear the TV blaring before he even entered the room. Angel walked over to the person lying in the first bed from the door. It wasn't Chloe.

"Oh no dear. She's the next one." A sweet, kindly, old voice said from the bed. The gray haired woman turned down the volume on her TV and eyed the flowers and bear in the man's arms with a smile on her face before speaking again.

"Sorry about that, I'm a little hard of hearing." She said clearly meaning the television. The woman noticed the other three people that had followed the man into the room. They all had the same worried look on their faces but the young man in the dark coat face was stricken with an intense, guilt-ridden look. Such was the thing with young lovers; they were so enthralled with each other that nothing else seemed to matter when something like this particular scenario happened to either of them. Looking in the young man's eyes she saw only love for the injured girl, for a moment her eyes clouded over, her mind wandering back to a time when she was young and in love.

Angel left the woman with a 'thank you' and a 'that's all right', then walked over to the next bed. "Chloe?"

He hated seeing her like this. Lying there with the blankets smothering her almost frail looking form she didn't look like Chloe. She didn't look like the girl that he had come to know over the past three years. The girl lying underneath the crisp, white hospital sheets looked so helpless, breakable and even a little lifeless. He placed the giant dog on the floor next to her bed and the flowers on the maple table.

"I'm going to stay here for a while, so if you guys wanted to…" Angel said, his forlorn gaze returning to the sleeping girl.

"We'll come back later." Dragging Wesley and Gunn out of the door before they could utter any thing that would disagree with her proposition to leave, Cordelia only came back in the room to give Angel the teddy bear that she had forgotten she was still carrying. "Besides we can research and uh, shop."

Angel heard a muttered 'bloody hell' from Wesley and a somewhat muddled 'damn' from Gunn before they all disappeared from the doorway.

Pulling up a chair next to Chloe's bedside and taking a seat, he watched her for a few moments before covering her I.V. free hand with his own, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. His eyes wandered back to her peaceful face. She was extremely pale from the loss of blood and she sported a large white bandage on her neck. A couple of other small cuts and bruises lined her face and he wondered briefly where they had come from. Angel slowly and tenderly brushed a wisp of dark blond hair from her face, leaned back in the plush recliner and waited for Chloe to awake.

"Take a picture it'll last longer." Chloe sat up slowly and somewhat painfully, then turned her head to look at the new visitor. Clark, Pete, Lana, her father had already been in her room at least six times that morning to see if she needed anything or just to try and talk to her. Needless to say she welcomed the new change.

"Hey." Her voice was quiet and hoarse from a variety of different things, and she felt like crap. She was without her make up, her hair was strewn this way and that, and she could tell without a mirror that she was deathly pale.

"Hey." Angel said softy, sympathetically. "How are you doing?"

"Besides the fact that I've got a killer head ache and a couple of leg cramps, okay." She smiled weakly at him, "What about you?"

"Good." Angel said, his attention once again drawn to the giant bear by the bed. "This is for you." He didn't understand why he was so… nervous? It didn't make any sense. In the little time that he had known her he couldn't ever remember being nervous around her.

"He's so cute." Chloe ran her fingers through the black and brown bear's fur.

"And… this one." Angel handed the other plush toy to the bedridden girl.

"Angel!" She smiled brightly, her hand reached to touch the stuffed dog's large black nose. "You didn't have to do this."

But the smile on her face told him otherwise. Just seeing her smile was like watching the first snowfall of the year in Galway with his sister when he was younger, refreshing, beautiful, and blissful in a way.

He definitely wasn't expecting her to throw her arms around him and crush him in a hug.

"Thanks." Her head was resting on his shoulder and he could feel her breath on the side of his face.

"You're welcome." Angel said softly. Trying not to focus on the lack of distance between them or the fact that her face was practically buried in his neck.

Her arms loosened and she finally released him from her bone-crushing embrace.

"And now I realize why I probably shouldn't have done that…" Chloe said with a quiet chuckle as she brought her hand to her neck, rubbing her fingers across the white gauze grimly.

But it was definitely worth it. She thought, remembering the feel of resting her cheek against Angel's shoulder, her nose buried in the crook of his neck. She hadn't meant to originally, he was just so… cuddly? Comforting? Since she had been brought to the hospital she found herself desperately missing her new friends, especially Angel. He was constantly on her mind twenty-four/seven. With the exception of Clark she had never thought about any guy that much before. For the sake of preserving a friendship she didn't want to believe it, but the more she thought about it the more it made sense… she was falling head over heels for her friend, a good friend, possibly best friend.

"Angel," She said, leaning in to whisper to him quietly, as to not attract the elderly woman's attention who was only a few feet away. "You do know that sun rise is at seven… which is in twenty minutes?"

"Uh, about that…" Angel turned away from the intense green eyes that were bearing down into his chocolate ones. He fiddled with the edge of the hospital blanket uneasily. "You wouldn't mind if I stayed here for a while… most of the day?"

Shaking her head slowly, Chloe smiled lightly at Angel's boyish antics.

"I have a stuffed bear in a top hat and a mystery solving Great Dane for company. Do you even have to ask?" She managed, before bringing a hand over her mouth to stifle a yawn.

"When you put it like that I guess not." Getting up from the chair, Angel walked across the room to shut the curtain closest to Chloe's side of the room.

The graying woman, Ms. Johnson, hadn't seemed to notice the lack of light on her roommate's side of the room and if she did she didn't seem bothered by it. Chloe figured she was probably too engrossed in her soaps. She had never been able to understand how anyone could watch those. They were so clichéd, drawn out, and exaggerated.

The morphine that was being continuously pumped into her arm began to take effect, as she felt her eyelids slowly closing against her own will. "Angel?"

"Yeah?" Angel looked at the drowsy girl that was getting even drowsier by the minute. The green of her eyes fading as her eyelids descended over her eyes. He was a little more than surprised when he felt Chloe's smaller hand clasp his.

"Thanks for not leaving." She whispered, not relinquishing her grip on his hand.

He was speechless for a moment, astonished at Chloe's thanks. Maybe it was the medicine they were giving her, maybe he was reading too much into the innocent gesture, or maybe…

He sat back in the chair, his eyes transfixed on the sleeping girl. The single stream of light peeping through the curtained window tousled her blond hair, making her appear angelic.

Or maybe he would read the paper and let her sleep.

"Another." Lindsey pushed the empty shot glass toward the bar tender, as another glass of vodka was placed in front of him.

He was beginning to like the little town. Its friendly hospitality, courteousness, and simplicity reminded him of home. A little too much maybe. Without another thought, he downed what would be his sixth shot of vodka that night.

Lloyd had found him after confronting Angel.

Damn. He could have staked the vampire, set him on fire for all he cared, but he didn't have to hurt the girl.

"Hooray for hospital dining." Chloe said, disdain shining through her statement as she peeled the aluminum top off of the orange jello. The dietary clerk that had brought her tray smiled at the sarcastic comment before leaving the room.

"Wow." Chloe picked at the pile of less than scrumptious looking macaroni and cheese, then placed the fork back on the tray. "Suddenly my dad's cooking seems like high quality cuisine."

"It doesn't look that bad." Angel added eyeing the tray with interest.

"Angel, you were born during a time when crap like this didn't exist yet." Chloe pushed the food even farther from the bed. "Hell, you were born during a time when hospitals didn't exist yet."

"Funny. Very funny."

Angel glanced at the clock above the window. It was almost five o'clock. That meant that he had an hour or so until sunset. Cordy, Gunn, and Wes would be back soon.

"What can I say?"

Angel smiled lightly at Chloe's comment.

"Angel," Meeting his gaze Chloe clutched the teddy bear in her only good arm. "I really appreciate this but you CAN leave you know."

Chloe instantly wished she could have taken back the last five words that came out of her mouth the moment she saw the pained and confused look on Angel's face.

"No! No. That's not what I meant." Without meaning to Chloe chuckled, "I meant that's it's late and I thought that you might have been hungry. So I was just trying to suggest that you should go out and get something to eat."

"Did someone mention eating?" Cordelia, Gunn and Wesley stood at the edge of Chloe's bed, a tightly tied bag with a yellow smiley face on the front.

"Thank God." Chloe instantly began delving through the bag, her senses already confirming her suspicions as she removing a white Styrofoam box. "Two more minutes of having to even think about eating that food and you guys would be attending my funeral." In a less sarcastic voice she added, "I love you guys."

"If you're going to throw all that away let me at least get the jello cup." Gunn said, eyeing the orange jello on the makeshift table.

"Sure, knock yourself out. It's the only edible thing on the entire tray." Chloe handed the small orange cup to Gunn, happy to be rid of the dreaded hospital tray.

"Here." Cordelia removed the other white bag from her arm handing it to Angel. "I thought you might be starving."

"What would we do without you guys?" Chloe carefully opened the carton of Chinese food, a smile illuminating her face.

Pete sat back in the blue plush hospital chair. His face still held the same blank expression that he had sported while listening to Clark and Lana retell the events of the previous night.

"A monkey?"

"A really large, talking monkey." Lana added, confirming Pete's question.

For some reason the predicament didn't strike Pete as "strange", he had the town of Smallville to thank for that. But a giant talking monkey man? That was a little odd even for Smallville's standards; he was willing to bet that the primate/human mutation probably wasn't the effect of a Kryptonite infestation. No. The situation seemed a little more than the usual Scooby Doo/Veronica Mars mystery driven by the effects of the cursed meteor rocks.

"I wouldn't be surprised if there were little green rocks tied into the sudden rise of the monkey king." Pete whispered, not to be overheard and labled insane by any noisy passerbys. "But then again, I wouldn't be surprised if the Luthor name was somehow attached to this either."

"Okay, now you're starting to sound like Chloe." Grinning widely, Lana added "How is Chloe?"

Clark's drifting gaze eventually found its way to Chloe's closed hospital door. Closed? Normally the doors in the hospital were left open for patients without visitors. He couldn't recall seeing a nurse or a doctor enter the room and both patients were too immobilized to close the door themselves. His face remained calm but the warning bells were sounding in the back of his mind. Would the ape man be so bold as to go after Chloe in the middle of the day? Yes.

"Clark?" There was a slight tap to his shoulder, finally looking away from the rather ugly lavender colored door Clark noticed Lana's baffled stare. "We were going to go check on Chloe."

Clark nodded his agreement before following Lana and Pete across the hall to Chloe's door. His eyebrows raised in confusion when he heard a chorus of laughs coming from the room. Slowly and quietly Lana pushed open the heavy steel door.

"Probably shrivel up and die." Cordelia's fingers reached out to touch the velvety red of the roses' petals. "I mean, more than two days on THAT food…!"

Chloe snickered a little, then knitted her eyebrows together, her eyes centered on the three people standing in her doorway. She was momentarily happy that Ms. Johnson had left the room for more tests and exams a little after Angel had arrived. She wouldn't have wanted to disturb the sweet, old woman any more than she had to.

"Hey." Plastering a smile to her face, Chloe cheerfully waved at Lana, Pete, and Clark. She remained smiling even though she wanted to scream and yell for them to get out. Not even Pete would be exempt from her brewing rage, not after he had purposefully betrayed her. "Lana, Clark and Pete…" She gestured to each group as she said their names, "Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn, and Angel."

Only Angel could see the faux smile slip from her face, her friendly, sunny expression unnoticeably becoming glum and desperate before she pulled on the mask once more. He felt his heart drop with just that one barely visible expression.

Pushing aside the taunting whispers telling her just to tell them off and be done with it she waved them over to her bedside. She hoped that keeping up her current front wouldn't be too… difficult.