The Net: Nightmare On The Highway: Chapter 9

A/N: I know people are reading this, but there are no new reviews or comments. I'd really like to know how I'm doing! It would mean a lot to me to get a comment or suggestion or whatever. If I got something wrong, let me know that too! Thanks! And by the way, this nightmare is hardly over!

"Jacob..."

"Yeah?"

Angela snuggled closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything. For being Sorcerer and helping me through the Praetorians the first time, for being you and just being here with me. No one else has ever stuck by me like you have. And...and I just don't know what I would have ever done without you."

Jacob took her chin in his hand and turned her head to face him.

"Angel, when I first met you I had this feeling in me that something was going to happen. I don't know what but I couldn't leave you. It was like there was glue between us. And after the Praetorians went down, that glue was still there. And I can sense that whatever was going to happen still hasn't happened yet. And it's not that I can't leave you. I just don't want to."

"What are you saying Jacob?"Angela asked, her face just an inch from his.

"I..." Jacob stammered and looked back towards the old television set as he gulped down the wad of spit that had collected in his mouth. He turned back towards her and said the words he'd been holding back for so long. "Angel, I love you."

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared into his beautiful blue eyes, great pools letting her into his soul. And she knew he was telling the truth.

"It's too much to hope for," she whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"I always wanted you to. Right from the start. Even when I hated you when I found out who you really were. But I kept telling myself that it was too good to be true. Too good to hope for."

"Well, it's true Angel. I do love you. And I would do anything for you."

"I'm not hearing this. Jacob, I love you. I love you. I love you. But this is just a dream. This whole thing is a nightmare. Just Trelawney's plot to lure me out or something. But..."

Jacob leaned in then and kissed her. Cradling her head in his hands he didn't let go for a while. When he did Angela's head was spinning.

"It's true. This is happening. This is real," she breathed. "Sean is back."

"Was back, hun. You killed him pretty good with that crow bar, remember?"

"But he was killed with a bullet once before and he managed to rise from the grave after that. What makes you think he won't come back after some beating. We didn't even bury him this time."

Jacob kissed her gently on the lips. "Don't worry. The nightmare is over. Why don't we both just try to get some sleep. I'm sure that will help. We're tired and we've been through a lot. That's not going to help our brains."

"I'm not sure I can sleep after everything that's happened tonight."

"Just get comfortable. I'll turn on the TV for awhile and I'm sure it won't take long for you to fall asleep."

"Yeah, OK, sure," Angela said, getting comfortable, leaning against Jacob as he switched on the TV.

A young woman with shoulder length brown hair was on the TV sitting in front of a tiny laptop, apparently having a conversation with someone else:

"Jacob, that can't be. Sean Trelawney knows where I am. All the time he manages to find me. You've got to stay away. If he were to find you and figure out who you are..."

"Angel, it wouldn't matter either way. I'm here to help you and I'm not backing down from them!" A young teenage voice came across the computer as his words came onto the screen.

In the room, Angela turned to Jacob and they looked at each other with quizzical expressions on their faces. Angela wrapped her arms around him and stared at the TV. Jacob didn't even try to change the channel, wondering what was going on.

On the TV Angela packed up her T46 laptop and left the small diner she'd been in. Walking down the street, backpack slung over one shoulder, she was careful to look around her and keep an eye on her surroundings.