"Okay, hold on to me." Angel carefully wrapped her arm around Danny and helped him stand. "Come on, you can do it." She grinned."

Turning deathly pale, he gasped, "Some things are easier said than done." Wrapping his arms around Angel's shoulders, he braced himself against her, panting heavily.

"I know." Angel looked up at him mischiviously. "I believe you can do it though. That fall really tore you apart, you are healing abnormally fast."

"Thanks." He smiled tensely. "Much is possible when you achieve peace with one's self."

"Huh?" Xiwang raised one eyebrow at them from across the room as she tried to digest the obscure comment. "Did you get that?" SHe asked her bother.

"Ignore them." Daniel waved his hand distractedly, staring at the cards he was holding. "Have any fours?"

The numbers had been raised on one side of the cards so that Xiwang could play. Tracing her hand over the numbers, she shook her head. "Go fish."

Without seeming to have heard her children, Angel laughed at Danny and nodded. "But the greatest peace comes not from one's self but from the Lord who holds us."

Wrinkling his nose, Danny shook his head. "It's hard to trust something you can't see."

His sad green eyes met her joyful ones and she sighed. "Many can see him, if they care to look. You have closed yourself off because of fear."

Daniel's voice interrupted their conversation. "Dang it! I had three twos! How are you so good at this game?" Frowning, he waved his hand in front of Xiwang's face and she batted it away.

"I can feel you doing that." She snapped. "Now gimme all your twos!" She laughed triumphantly as he disgruntedly handed them over.

Using the interruption to change the subject, Danny asked. "So, how did you get out of that coma? What happened while you were out?"

"It's hard to explain." Angel frowned and rubbed her hand through her long hair as she tried to figure out how to explain. "One moment I was on the mountain, the next, I was the mountain. I was a part of it and could hear everything spoken to the wind. One such comment is what woke me up."

"What was it?"

Turning her frightened eyes upon him, Angel bit her lip. "It was one of your friends at SHIELD. A Mrs. Cage. She is planning on tearing Steapridge apart piece by piece until she finds you."

"What?!" Danny gasped. "But… Why?"

Shrugging, Angel glanced at the floor, acutely aware that his arms were still around her. "She loves the way she loves her own son. She is angry, I suppose for good reason. But she is taking her frustration out on this place. They have been unable to find the scorpion, that has made everyone nervous."

Clasping her hand in his own, Danny said veminatly, "I will save your home Angel! You can count on me."

"I believe you." She grinned. "Now the next step is making you strong enough to go back."

"Angel," Danny asked hesitantly, "WhenI return to New York, will you go back to SHIELD with me? Please? You can help me find Scorpion, and join the team. It would be perfect."

The two children glanced up and yelled at the same time, "No!"

"Momma can't leave." Daniel growled.

"You two could come as well." Danny protested.

"You don't understand," Angel helped Danny sit and sat cross legged next to him. "I'm part of the mountain, I can't leave. I have an obligation and things I must do. I can't go."

"When you say can't, does it have something to do with your connection with Fury?" Danny asked kindly.

Biting her lip, Angel turned away. "You will never understand." Feeling his gentle hand on her shoulder, she let him pull her around so that they were sitting knee to knee, staring into each others eyes.

Wiping a tear out of her eye, Danny whispered, "What won't I understand?"

Feeling like she was trapped in his dark eyes, she struggled not to cry. "I… I can't tell you! Please Danny, you asking that only hurts me. Please don't ask. I only wish to forget. I only want to be left alone in my mountain top sanctuary. Where no unwanted thing or hidden memories can reach me."

Without a word, Danny brushed her hair behind her ear and leaned close to her, gently brushing a kiss to her cheek.

Gasping Angel pulled back, one hand pressed to her cheek. Daniel was staring at them, slack jawed. And Xiwang had no idea what had just happened.

"Why… Why would you do that?" Angel's eyes were wide with shock.

Holding her hand, he carefully traced the callouses and blemishes in her palm and arms. Without answering her question, he whispered. "Angel, did you know that I am from a mystical city? It is called 'Kun 'Lung. It is there that I got the power of the Iron Fist. But my training was not only in martial arts. We were taught how to read people, how to track anything through by simple perception. What different reactions or marks may mean."

Fear flashed in her eyes and she tried to pull her arm back, but Danny kept a tight hold on her so that she could not get away. Seeing this, Daniel jumped up, balancing on what was left of his legs as he fumbled for a dagger which was tied to his waist.

"Let her go." The child growled.

"Daniel, it's okay." Angel whispered, forcing herself not to panic in front of her children. Turning back to Danny, she gulped, ignoring the looks her children were giving each other. "In that case, you already know, don't you?" She whispered.

"No, I don't know what your connections may be." Danny frowned, his blond hair falling in his face as he ran a finger along the thick callouses and scars along her wrist. "But I have a good guess as to what happened to you. You were in sha-"

"Stop." She commanded. Breathing heavily, she turned to her children. "Daniel, Xiwang, to the caves. Now."

Eyeing Danny warily, Daniel protested. "But Momma-"

"No buts!" She interrupted. "Go."

"Will you be okay?" Xiwang gulped.

Voice softening, Angel nodded. "I'll be fine baby, go. Come back in the morning, but not until then."

"But why Momma?" Xiwang gulped.

"What's going on?" Daniel added.

"Nothing, I just need to talk to Danny in private. Please go."

Nodding, albeit with worried expressions, the children pulled on their warm clothes and left.

As soon as the door shut, Danny looked at Angel with shining sad eyes, still holding on to her wrist. "They don't know. Do they?"

YIKES! Hehehehehehe :) so, sorry it took a while to update! Next chapter we may (or may not) discover at least part of what happened to Angel in the past? :) Why is she so mysterious? And honestly- she can be kinda creepy ;)

Just a note, I LOVE Xiwang. She never has any idea whats going on! ^_^ hehehehe

It is super late, thanks for reading and I will update soon (hopefully) Paka, paka!