Panting, I went over to the counter and lifted my water bottle to my lips, taking a big drink before setting it down and looking over to Angel. I had now been staying at his place for a week and a half and I'd found myself feeling all warm and fuzzy when I was around him. It made no sense that I would feel that way about someone I knew was way out of my league. He was a vampire and I was human. More or less. Besides he probably didn't feel anything towards me at all. What significance did I have that would set me apart from everyone else? I was just a plain ordinairy girl who had been sent to an asylum by her mother. So not only was I depressinly ordinairy, I was also considered crazy AKA bad business. And to top it all off, I was expected to kill vampires and other things that I hadn't known even existed before coming to Sunnydale.

Anyways, he'd been training me. His approach was better than the one Giles had and even though we trained everyday, no matter how tired I was, I found that I actually enjoyed Angel's company though I couldn't stop thinking about Buffy and Spike. Angel had obviously known them, but I couldn't bring myself to ask about them. I mean, it's not like I could just suddenly drop it into conversation and I had the feeling that Angel was close to them. Bad or good. Though I definitely knew that he didn't partake in their games or even talk to them when he was in possession of his soul.

"Alright." Angel said, breaking me from my reverie as he looked over at me. "Let's see how much you've learned."

I walked over to him and as he threw a right punch at me, I blocked, simultaneously throwing a left knee at his stomach as I got ready to block another punch with my left arm. He blocked my knee and as he did so I jumped, throwing my right leg at his ear as I landed on my other foot. As I landed, I threw my right hand in a jab at his sternum as he barely blocked my leg. My jab hit and I dropped into a leg sweep, knocking him off his feet before I rolled to grab one of the stakes lying on the ground. Leaping quickly to my feet, I noticed that Angel had already regained his footing and was coming at me with a side snap kick. I spun out of reach before leaping up onto his counter - knocking my water bottle over, but whatever - and jumping in a back flip over him and landing on my feet before I gently, but quickly positioned the stake over his heart.

"Good." Angel said, turning to face me with a smile as I lowered the stake. "At least I know you'll more or less be able to take on a vamp by yourself."

I nodded and went to pick up my water bottle. "Only because of you."

"If you had protested to me training you so hard, then I would have given you a day off." Angel said, his tone soft.

"Yeah, but then I wouldn't have learned much of anything." I said before gulping down some water.

Angel walked up to me and I lowered the water bottle. Frowning, I tilted my head to the side. Angel had a rather serious look on his face or at least I thought it was serious.

After a moment he lifted his hand and carefully tucked the hair that had fallen out of my ponytail behind my ear and after a moment he began to lean in, his gaze going to my lips. I felt my heart stop for a moment before hammering in my chest. I felt my throat close up and I quickly cleared it, effectively ruining the moment.

"Thank you." I said, pulling away from him and setting the bottle I still held onto the counter before I headed for the bathroom, grabbing my bag as I passed it. "I'm going to take a shower. Be out soon."

As soon as I was in the bathroom, I closed and locked the door before leaning against it and sliding down so I was sitting with my legs up against my chest. What the hell? I quickly yanked the rubberband out of my hair, letting my blonde locks tumble down around my face.

Sighing, I forced myself to my feet and started the shower, stripping out of my work out clothes before climbing in, letting the hot water wash over me. That had been the last thing I'd expected from him.

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." Madeline said, appearing in the shower with me. "Come on. He's cute. You haven't even seen any guys for like a year before you came here so what's the deal? Why'd you pull away?"

"Why does it matter to you?" I snapped, turning away from her. It was one thing when they just popped up out of the blue when I was walking down the street or talking to someone, but while I was in the shower? Come on!

"Because Angel is cute. And he seems to be attracted to you. So A plus B equals C." Madeline said, leaning on my shoulder.

I shrugged her off. "Knock it off."

"Come on. If I like him then you definitely like him." Madeline said, leaning against the wall. "After all, I am just a projection of you."

"All you want is pyshicality." I said, rolling my eyes. "And who's to say you like him because my subconscious created you like that? Just because you like him, doesn't mean I do."

"Um, yeah. It kinda does." Jhon said, also appearing in the shower. "You would have to notice him and know what those feelings felt like for your subconscious to be able to make Maddie feel like that about him."

"So, hah." Madeline said, flipping her now wet hair over her shoulder. "Now, finish up in here and go out there and take control of what almost and would have happened earlier if you hadn't so stupidly pulled away."

"I'm not interested in that." I said with a groan. "Now will you guys just let me shower in peace?"

"You're not interested in him, huh?" Jhon said with a chuckle. "That's funny."

"How so?" I asked, glaring at him. "And have you ever heard of privacy?"

"You have a problem with me being in the shower with you?" He asked, frowning. "I'm not attracted to you since you aren't attracted to yourself, which would be really weird."

"Come on, Caroline." Madeline said with a sigh. "You were in the equivalent of a cell for a little over a year. Without any cute guys around at all. Of course you're interested. Now stop lying to yourself and get out there. You've been in here for an hour."

"If I go out there will you stop bothering me?" I asked and they both nodded so I shut the water off and stepped out, wrapping a towel around myself.

After drying off and getting dressed in some jeans, converse, and a light blue blouse I walked out into the living room, setting my bag down on the floor. Angel appeared to have left and I sighed, sitting down on the couch.

Madeline and Jhon had thankfully disappeared and I was now left to my own devices. I shook my head and reclined back onto the couch. Those two always made things so complicated. There was absoloutely no truth in what they were saying though. None at all. Nope.

I rolled my eyes. Yeah, just keep telling yourself that. Maybe you'll believe it.

I curled into a fetal position and just sat there staring at the television - which was off - until I fell asleep.

(So there you have it. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I actually had fun writing it. I really love the action scenes I write in my fanfics. Thanks for the reviews I've gotten, please remember to review because honestly it motivates me to write faster because I really don't like letting people down. If there's anything you would like to see in this story, post in the review and I'll do my best to get it written. And please offer ideas. I'm a little terrible at writing normal interactions with people, though I do my best. Again hope you like it, review, and live long and prosper.)