To herself, it seemed Angel had walked forever, and though she had walked quite a distance it still didn't seem far enough for her. The tears that had flowed from her eyes now seemed like just a memory, though every now and again she would find herself wiping one away.

Looking up now, Angel began to wonder where she was at. In her frenzy of walking, she hadn't even really paid attention to where she was going. The sky had begun to grow dark, making the light from the convenience store shine bright against the blackness. A sigh escaped Angel's mouth as she stared up at the sign, the words alone bringing back yet another flood of sad memories.

"P.J's," she whispered as she started toward the small store. As she came upon the gas pumps, she looked toward the one she had parked beside that fateful day, and once again images of Jack rushed back to her mind.

Quickly, she rushed on inside, staring across the way at the guy that worked the counter. He offered her a smile, but she only slightly returned it as she went over and took a seat at the very booth Jack had been at that day. Sliding in-between the table and the seat, she leaned in and allowed her head to rest upon the table top. Sighing, she heard his voice ringing in her ears, "Please, help me."

Finally letting out a low whimper, Angel's tears found her once again as she began to cry. She knew the whole time, that she was wallowing in her own self-pity, but at the moment, she really didn't care. However, she was eventually distracted by a tap on her shoulder. Rapidly wiping the tears away, she looked up at the attendant, his smile having been replaced with worry as he asked, "Are you okay Miss?"

"I," she could no longer look at him, "I'm fine. Just stopping in for a moment's rest." She told him. He merely nodded at her, and then left her alone, though she didn't have plans on staying much longer. Getting up, she knew she must do something to ease the pain soon, or the feeling inside would eventually rip her heart to shreds. Without a word, Angel then headed back out the door, and across town again to visit an old friend she hadn't been to see in quite sometime.

The clock read 1:08 a.m. as Raimundo stared at it from the couch. Though he was tired, he was finding it very hard to sleep since Angel had yet to come in. Changing his position on the couch, he began to wonder why her mother hadn't been more worried for her own daughter.

Finally sitting up fully, Raimundo stared at the mocking hands of the clock, every second that ticked away seeming like an eternity. Leaning forward, he placed his head within his hands, and whispered lowly, "Oh Angel… where are you?"

The silence of the room and the monotonous ticking of the clock were finally shattered, however, when the sharp sound of the phone ringing broke the quietness. Out of desperation, and fear of the others waking up, Raimundo swiftly picked the receiver up and placed it to his ear. Breathing gently into the speaker by his mouth, he called lowly, "Angel?"

"Raimundo," he could hear the tears in her voice as she spoke.

"Angel" he questioned concerned, "Where are you? Are you alright?"

"Please," she seemed to beg, "Please come get me!"

"Angel, I will," he told her, "But you have to tell me where you are first."

"I'm in a phone booth," she sobbed, "Across the street form where we met."

Raimundo's heart sand as he listened to her sad voice on the phone. To clarify, he asked, "Where we met?"

"Yes," she cried harder, "Will you come!?"

"I'm… I'm on my way." He assured her, "Just wait right there."

"Okay," she whispered, "okay."

Gently, he placed the receiver back in its spot and then quickly grabbed up the keys and went out the door into the cold night.

Angel sat within the phone booth, her arms wrapped tightly around herself for warmth when the bright shine from the headlights of the car shone upon her. Her face felt stiff from all the crying she had done, and her eyes ached behind their sockets.

Slowly her eyes rolled upward when the phone booth door opened, and though she had sworn she couldn't cry another tear, more poured down as she looked up at Raimundo there. He was devastated at her condition, so mush so it brought a tear to his own eye.

"Angel," he knelt down in front of her, his hand coming out and grazing her arm. It hastily retreated though when he felt how cold her skin was, "Angel," he expressed his concern, "You're freezing."

"Raimundo!" she cried out, "Please get me out of here!" she grasped at his hand, though her action was clumsy due to the cold and the alcohol she had consumed. Raimundo blinked as he stared at the large, almost empty, bottle beside her and his stomach suddenly felt sick. Reaching out, he touched her seemingly frozen face as he asked, "What did you do to yourself?"

Picking the bottle up now, she stared at it, and then without warning she tossed it over his head where it then shattered upon the concrete there.

"I drank it," she slurred; "I drank every bit of that shit!" she seemed to grow angry with herself. Taking note of this anger, Raimundo only nodded as he stated, "It's okay Angel. You'll be alright, but we have to get you out of this cold. Okay?"

"I am," she shivered, "I am so cold Raimundo." She rubbed her arms with her hands to try and warm herself, but it was like rubbing ice upon ice. Without another moment's hesitation, Raimundo quickly reached around, removing his white pullover and began to slide it on over Angel's head.

Though she still shivered profusely, Angel seemed to take in the warmth of the sweater as sigh escaped her mouth. Then, she took the offer of Rai's help as he helped her to her feet and towards the car.

Both car doors slammed as the two teenagers climbed within the warmed car, both of them shivering. Angel, her arms pulled up into the sleeves of the sweater, sat silently feeling quite ashamed at all that had taken place. As her large, sad, and drunken eyes made it toward Raimundo, she now gasped out as she took note of his shirtless upper body, "Raimundo, where is your shirt?"

He only looked at her shocked as he pointed, "You're wearing it."

"Oh," she felt embarrassed she had forgotten, "I'm sorry."

"Angel," he warmed himself with the heater, "Why did you do this?"

Allowing her arms to slide out of the shirt, her head hung as she informed him, "I couldn't take the pain anymore."

"Angel," his eyes now looked sadly at her, "Alcohol isn't the answer; it's only a temporary fix."

"I know," she smacked at how dry her mouth was, "but… at least it helped for a while." She finally looked over at him, tears still coming from her eyes, "I'm so sorry Raimundo. I'm sorry for yelling at you this afternoon, and I'm sorry for not listening to you when you told me how…" she paused and shook her head, "I am so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Angel," he reached out and wiped the tears with his thumb, "I was never so mad at you that you have to ask for forgiveness. Please stop apologizing."

"I'm so sorry," she cried harder as her hand now made it to his, pressing it harder to her face. Rubbing her cheek across the palm of his hand, a serene look crossed her face, "Your hands are so warm."

"Your face is cold." He told her as he once again caressed her skin. Without warning, Angel leaned in toward him, resting her head upon his shoulder as she stated, "Your sweater is warm, and it smells good." She turned her nose to his skin as she sniffed him, "You smell good."

Raimundo could feel his heart beats rising as she moved in closer to him, and though he tried to tell himself it was the alcohol talking, he still allowed his arm to come up and make its way around her shoulders. Slowly, Angel allowed her eyes to roll upward where she looked into his. Green eyes that at the moment seemed so confused and worried; it caused her to look him full on. Her mouth opened, allowing a whisper to escape as she said, "Raimundo, I do love you."

He came around, now looking her straight in the face as he replied, "No, Angel. I don't think this is you talking at all."

"But," she allowed her eyes to fall away, "It is. How can I convince you of this?"

"I don't know that you can." He told her, but knew the moment her lips pushed onto his, he was now playing her little game.

Surrounded by darkness, Jack looked around for something he knew, but most of all the face he could seek now only in his dreams. Starting to walk, he had no idea where he was headed, but continued onward as he called out, "Angel!" only to have his own voice echo back to him.

Stopping, he looked down at his feet, wondering if she had somehow slipped away from him in her slumber, but looked up once again as he called out, "Angel!"

A warm gentle breeze seemed to blow his way, as the strange illuminating light came once again, surrounding him. At first, as though a whisper, he heard her sweet voice as it spoke, "Jack, where are you?"

"I'm here." He called out, still not seeing her.

"I can't find you." She replied. Closing his eyes, he tried to concentrate on her face as he spoke softly, "Just follow my voice."

"I will," she stated as her breath now touched him as she spoke. Jack's eyes popped open, a surprised but mournful look coming over his face as he now stared into her deep brown eyes. Angel's smile lacked as she looked at him, though her eyes held a softness that spoke every word for her.

"Angel," he felt his heart ache as he looked at her.

"Jack," she returned, "Why… why did you leave?" her sadness grew more prominent. Deciding to take a chance, he reached out and took her hand, "I had to."

"No… more… tell me more. Please… before I wake up." She seemed to cry, "I want to believe this, but I'm not sure what to believe anymore."

"Angel," he tried to explain as best as he could, "If I had stayed, you would have been hurt. That ugly cat lady would have hurt you to get to me, and… I…" he ducked his head, "I ended up hurting you anyway."

"What are you talking about?" she questioned, "What cat lady?"

"She's going to come," he looked about seeming paranoid, "If I talk too much of it, she'll come and make this dream bad. Let it stay good… Angel. I don't want to scare you in your dreams anymore. I want you know me how I am."

"That's the only way I've ever known you." She told him, but felt his hand slipping from hers. Tears fell from her eyes, "Jack! Where are you going!? Don't leave me again!" she called as his fingertips slipped away from her own. Looking down at her hand he had held to, she then looked to where he had been, "Give me something to believe in."

Jack's eyes slid open as he once again stared at the strange room he now held refuge in. His eyebrows drew downward in anger as he thought of the dream and how it was just that… a dream. Jumping up from the bed, he walked over to the nightstand where he picked up a small metal object and tossed it at the door, the two things coming together with a loud CLACK!

Before long, the door slid open and Catterina stood there looking at him across the room. Jack angrily walked to where she stood and pushed past her into the main room as he raged, "You can't keep me here forever! I'm never going to do what you want, so you should just let me go!"

Catterina only watched him as she waited for his tantrum to pass. Wuya, who sat in the corner of the room in a chair, looked up as he made his loud entrance. Walking over, Jack's hand reached out and touched the crystal that sat in the middle of the room, his interest suddenly arousing as he mentioned aloud, "I can see her from this." His mind seemed to be off in its own world, "I can see her and see how she's doing." Shifting his gaze, which turned to that of a glare, to Catterina, he demanded, "Show her to me! I want to see Angel!"

"That is not a toy you impudent little fool," Catterina informed him, "And most certainly not a window into the life of your girlfriend."

"I said show her to me!" he brought his fist down upon the top of the dark bluish colored crystal. The cat woman's eyebrows dropped as she went over and snatched his hand up from the object, "Keep your hands off my things!"

Wuya got up from the chair and walked over jerking Jack's hand from Catterina's grasp as she told him, "Go back to your room Jack. You have no business out here."

"I have just as much business out here as you two!" he still shouted and ripped his arm from Wuya's grasp. Turning, he stared hatefully at Catterina again as he growled, "The least you could do is let me see her for a minute."

"And just why should I do that? I'm thinking that by looking into the crystal, you may not like exactly what you see." She warned him.

"Don't play jokes on me," he shook his finger at her, "I'm not feeling up to comedy at the moment."

"Who said I was joking." She hissed at him.

"NOW!!" he demanded again. A hideous smile crossed the woman's face as she then got a smug look upon her face; "Very well," she finally gave in, "I will let you take one peek into it, but…"

"Yeah, yeah," he walked over and stared into it, "It will be my last."

"More like," the malicious smile remained, "You will want it to be your last."

"Enough with the intimidation games," he told her, "Now make it work!"

Without another word, Catterina slowly began to circle her hands around the crystal ball, chanting a set of words in a strange language as she did so. Black smoke seemed to fog the glass of the ball, but soon subsided leaving only an image of Angel within her room.

Jack's grin suddenly fell, however, as he now saw Raimundo in the picture with her and laying Angel upon her bed. His stomach grew ill as he watched Angel then reach out to him, bringing him closer as she placed a kiss upon his lips. A huge lump formed within Jack's throat and his head dropped as he turned away stating lowly, "I don't want to see anymore."

"Hmmm…" Catterina passed a crooked grin in his direction as she stated, "I somehow thought that you wouldn't. Now," she reached out and placed her clawed fingers upon his shoulder, "how would you like me to explain a little more about this sacrifice to you."

"No," he stated confidently as he shrugged her hand from him, "Leave me alone."

Catterina only watched him leave, then turning her attention to Wuya who had stepped up to her side now. Wuya seemed confused as she now watched the door to the room close. Looking to Catterina, she asked, "Why not just get it over with yourself?"

"It's not that simple," Catterina explained, "For you see, he must sacrifice himself. If the blood comes from my own hands, it is no longer pure."

"I see," Wuya's eyebrow raised, "what an interesting… but Jack will never agree to that." She seemed skeptical for once about him.

"Never say never," Catterina grinned, "For it may take a little wearing down, but soon enough his will to live will be gone, and with it… his life."

"And what about the remaining part of our deal?"

"Soon enough you will have the items you seek," Catterina nodded and then went over polishing the top of the crystal with a dark rag she had pulled from her pocket.