A.N~ There you go fluffybird, this ones for you

Chapter Six

The following few days passed slowly, without event. Babe stayed with Angel in the Hyperian, her strength returning slowly but surely.

By the third day (after plenty of rest and lots and lots of energy drinks that they all seemed to pile on her), she felt mostly back to herself. Still a little tired and was defiantly not up for anything to strenuous, but for the most part she felt fine. At least Angel didn't have to carry her around all the time like a baby, which even she admitted had gotten old very fast.

She sat behind the counter, at Cordelia's desk, tiredly tapping the mouse of the aged PC, clicking through various websites. Cordelia sat at the counter, head resting in her hand while she flicked boredly through a magazine that she had already read cover to cover. It was just the two of them. Wesley was in his office, Angel was asleep and Gunn and Fred were out for their tradition breakfast together.

Sighing heavily, Cordy flapped the magazine closed and crossed the small space to the coffee machine. Pouring two mugs, she placed one next to Babe and then hovered over the empath's shoulder, sipping at the second. "What you looking for?"

"New apartment," Babe told her, not taking her eyes off the screen. "Angel's been great letting me stay here and he said I could as long as I needed to. He's so sweet, but I think it's high time I get out of his hair."

Cordelia certainly wasn't under the impression that Angel felt like Babe was 'in his hair', in fact she got the distinct feeling that he was enjoying having the woman as close as possible, if his body languish recently was anything to go by. She also hadn't missed the way the pair had been near on inseparable these past few days, or the lingering stares they each gave the other when they thought no one was watching. If they headed down that path it could only led to trouble, for all concerned.

"You could stay with me." Cordy offered sweetly. She didn't really want a flatmate but getting some distance between these two seemed more important at that precise moment.

"Is that in the apartment with the ghost that tried to kill you?" Babe asked, looking fearfully worried.

Cordy reconsidered. It was a fair point. "Why you looking for a new apartment anyway? I mean, I thought you had a place. Why can't you just go back there?"

Babe ignored Cordelia's lack of tact, she was getting used to it. She didn't mean to be rude, it was just who she was. She was just one of those rare people who said what they thought and Babe found it quite admirable. "I can't go back there…Not after what happened with Stan." she answered sadly.

"I hear that," Cordy agreed. "I mean, if my boyfriend had been using me as a fast food restaurant for weeks, I don't think I'd be able to…" She trailed off when she caught sight of Babe's mournfully expression. "…Sorry."

"It's okay," Babe said, quickly brushing it off, while hiding a tear by taking a big sip of coffee.

"Can I ask you something?"

Babe braced herself. If Cordy had to ask permission then this was a biggie. THE big one every woman who ever had found themselves in similar situation asked themselves repeatedly.

"You wanna know why I stayed with him," Babe guessed.

"Yeah."

Babe thought about it for a long while and then answered as honestly as she could. "I don't really know. I guess I was hoping that he would go back to the way he was. I knew on some level that it wasn't really him anymore, but I think I had more faith in him then I did in my abilities and I couldn't give up on him. I loved him. I always will in some ways. It wasn't him in the end anyway."

Their conversation was interrupted when the front entrance was pushed open and a tall dark haired woman walked in from the street.

"Is this Angel Investigations?"

"Sure is," Cordy confirmed, fixing her brightest smile to her face and rising to greet the potential new client. "I'm Cordelia, this is Babe. How can we help you?"

"Amanda Thorpe," the woman said, shaking Cordelia's offered hand. "I've heard - that is, I mean you have a reputation for handling…unusual cases."

"A richly deserved reputation." Cordelia's beam broadened. "Why don't you tell us what happened?"

Snatching up her note pad Cordelia lead Amanda over to the sofa's and they both sat.

The woman took a deep breath and began her tale. She and her husband, Frank, had been at home the night before last, when a group of four demons had burst in. In the struggle that ensued she had been knocked unconscious and when she had come too both the demons and Frank were no where to be seen.

"Did they take anything else?" Cordy asked, scribbling on the note pad balanced on her knee.

Amanda looked startled. "No. I mean, I don't think so. I didn't think to look. What else could they have wanted?"

"Well that all depends on what demons they were. We'll have to look into it, but they could have been after anything. They don't always want blood or organs sometimes…"

"Cordelia."

The call of her name paused her and she turned to see Angel coming down the stairs, looking less than happy.

Realising just a tad too late that for the second time that morning she had said too much. Sometimes it was hard for someone who grew up on a hell mouth to remember that not everyone was used to the gory detail as she was.

She smiled guiltily at him and introduced him to their new client.

Angel shook her hand and Cordelia quickly filled him in on the details.

"Well, I think we can get started on the descriptions you gave us. Is there anything else you can think of? The smallest detail may be important."

"N-no. I-I told you everything." Amanda stammered.

"Okay," Angel said with a nod. "Well if we need any further information we will call you."

Angel rose and lead Amanda to the door. She seemed shocked that Angel was holding the door open for her, but with one final glance back to where Babe and Cordelia were seated, she left without another word.

"Well that was just plane rude." Cordy griped at Angel. "Do you think you could be at least polite to our paying customers. They're not exactly breaking down the door."

Angel ignored her. His attention was focused on Babe. It hadn't escape his notice that she hadn't said a word since he had come downstairs. In fact, she hadn't even acknowledged him. She had been staring at Amanda, completely focused on the new woman, her expression one of confused fear. Now Amanda had gone she was staring at the door.

Angel stepped up to her cautiously and touched her lightly on the arm. "Babe?"

Startled she snapped her face up to his.

"Are you okay?"

Babe's eyes flicked around the room while she regained her composure, then she nodded slowly.

"What is it?" he asked, unconvinced.

"She wasn't what she seemed." she answered.

"Who is nowadays," Cordelia replied nonchalantly, joining the pair.

"No, it was more than that. She was hiding something. I couldn't tell what, but she can't be trusted." She shook her head and sighed in frustration. "God, I really can't wait 'til I get my strength back."

…

"Here," Angel said, handing Babe a glass of orange coloured liquid. "Drink this."

Babe wiggled herself up onto the pillow and made room for Angel to perch himself on the side of the bed.

"What is it?" she asked, taking the glass from him and sipping carefully.

"Some sports drink. High energy stuff. Cordy left it for you."

Angel waited for her to finish, then asked how she was feeling.

"Good," she told him nodding keenly. "A lot better than I did this morning. That nap must have really helped. Did you find the demons?"

Despite Babe's uneasy feeling the group had decided to take Amanda's case. Mr. Thorpe could be in very real danger and they couldn't risk that, especially as Babe's sixth sense was not up to its full potential at present. Babe agreed with them, but remained unconvinced and curious.

"A few leads but nothing concrete," Angel told her, taking the now empty glass and placing it on the side.

When he turned back he noticed Babe was looking at him rather strangely. "What?"

"You don't trust her either?" she replied. It was only now that they were alone and in such close proximity that she had noticed his feeling of unease.

"No point lying to you I suppose." Angel grinned. "There is something off about her…and she seemed familiar somehow."

"You sure it's not just me freaking you out?"

"No," Angel said, his brow pulled low. "I was suspicious of her before you mentioned anything."

"Anything on these red demons?"

"There's more than a dozen that match her decryption," Angel said getting comfortable. "I've managed to narrow it down to five likely culprits, but I'm going to need her to make a positive I.D. She's on her way here now to look through the photos. I want you to come down and speak to her with me. See if you can figure out what she's hiding. You up for it?"

"I think so," Babe told him, unsurely. "Where are the others?"

"They've gone home. There was no point us all being here. Plus I don't want her to feel intimidated."

He offered his hand, which she gratefully took, and helped her out of bed. He kept tight hold of her while he escorted her down the stairs. She was still far too weak for his liking after her time with Stan, but he was impressed at just how quickly her strength was returning. He doubted she would need him for much longer, although he hoped he was wrong. He was not looking forward to the day when she would leave the hotel. He was already too fond of having her around.

He was settling her on one of the sofa's in the lobby when Amanda Thorpe tapped on the door and entered.

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Not at all," Angel assured the woman. Gesturing for her to take a seat opposite, Angel sat alongside Babe. "Thank you for coming down so late. You've already met Babe." he said, deliberately introducing the woman again.

"Yes, hello again." Amanda reply and shook Babe's offered hand.

Angel kept his expression neutral, as did Babe, but Angel could tell from the way she stiffened beside him at the moment of their contact, that his plan had been successful. He knew due to her weakened state that Babe needed a physical connection to those she was trying to read, and thank to his subtle introduction, she had had it.

"How can I help?" Amanda asked, turning her attention back to Angel.

"We've found a number of possible matches to the demons you described and need you to make an identification," Angel told her, opening the folder he had ready. Pulling out the contents he showed each one to her carefully one at a time.

As she looked through them Angel questioned her on her husband business and social life, all the while keeping half an eye on Babe searching for any signs of discomfort or weariness. The team had searched but there had been no other reports of missing people with any similarity to Mr Thorpe's case. So they had had to assume that the demons had gone after him personally. Angel just needed to know why.

Half an hour later, they were still no closer to singling out the type of demon or finding a reason for the attack and kidnapping. Noticing Babe was fading with exhaustion, Angel thanked the woman and escorted her out once again.

Locking the door behind him, Angel quickly returned to the sofa's and a weary looking Babe.

"So, what do you think?" Angel asked, already scooping her up in his arms. He didn't want her up when she was looking so tired.

Babe knew the drill and draped her arms around his neck, allowing him to carry her back to the bedroom. "Nothing about her husband," Babe told him, sounding more tired than she looked.

"Don't worry. It was a long shot at best." he said sympathetically. "Maybe when you're feeling stronger-"

"No you don't get it," Babe interrupted. "I got nothing from her at all about him. All the time you were talking about her husband and she had no feelings about it whatsoever. He could be dead and she didn't seem to care."

"If she doesn't care why would she be hiring us?"

"Exactly. She defiantly lying about something. Also she wasn't scared of those demons you showed her, but she was scared of you."

Angel gently lowered her onto the beds soft surface and pulled the covers up. "D'you think she knows about me?"

"That's what I was thinking. You said she looked familiar. Could you have met her before?"

Angel absently got himself comfy beside her while he intensely concentrated. There defiantly was something about the woman that troubled him. He knew he had seem her before somewhere, he just couldn't put his finger on where. He fisted his forehead in frustration. "I can't remember."

"I can help you, if you like." she offered.

Angel looked across to her, his frown shifting to one of intrigued confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I was too weak before, but I think I can manage it now." she rambled.

"I still don't know what you mean." Angel said, looking slightly nervous. After all the last time she had 'tired' something on him hadn't exactly been safe.

"I can help you remember," Babe said. Still not understanding what she meant Angel waiting for her to continue.

Wiggling out from under the blankets, she shifted over making room for him and patted the now empty space beside her on the bed. "Lay down."

Despite his apprehension and did as asked.

She smiled down at him trying to be reassuring. His nervousness would be obvious to her even without her empathic ability.

"Over time our memories fade and they can get blurred with others." she explained knowing the main cause of anyone's fear would be the unknown. "I can bring them back into focus for you. But I need you to be relaxed."

"I'm not sure about this," he said. "You've obviously never done this on a vampire before and you're not up to full strength."

"You don't have to worry. The worse that can happen is it wont work, in which case we're no worse off then we are now."

With nothing holding him back other than his own fear, Angel laid his head back down on the pillow and wriggled his shoulders, getting comfy. "Will it hurt?" he asked.

Babe smiled and shook her head. "No," she said softly, sensing his worry. It was only natural, but in order for this to work she needed him in a completely relaxed state. Talking him through it would help put him at ease. "I'm going to put you into a trace. It'll be just like falling asleep. Assessing your memories is similar to assessing your emotions, just more difficult. Which is why I need you to relax and trust me. The memories will come back to you as if in a dream."

She looked down at him, trying to show confidence and ran her fingers through his hair. "Close your eyes and relax. Just concentrate on your breathing."

"I don't breath." Angel replied. "Remember?"

"Right," she nodded, with a shy smile. "Well, okay uh, just relax then."

Still slightly hesitant, Angel closed his eyes and after rolling his too tense shoulders, laid still.

He felt Babe place her hands on him. One on his chest, as if feeling for a heartbeat, and the other she rested lightly on his forehead.

Minutes passed silently. Angel tried to force himself to relax. He started off listening to Babe's breathing, but as she grew calmer herself her breathing got quieter, until it was impossible for even his vampire hearing to pick up without straining. So he just concentrated on her touch. Her gently hands giving a warm comforting weight on his chest and forehead.

And then he felt a sudden tiredness start to drift over him. Slightly unnerved, he urged himself to not panic and go with it as it covered him like a blanket. Starting at the pit of his stomach and pleasantly creeping over him. All his limbs began to ache nicely and his eyelids grew increasingly heavy.

Babe concentrated, trying to see, to feel deeper than she had. It was more difficult than she had assumed, but then again, as he had pointed out, she had never tried this on a vampire before. She felt the trace take him and forced herself to concentrate harder, to go with him into the same state so accessing him memories would be possible…But it was tricky…more than tricky. She strained harder, throwing all she had into it. It was draining…

Floorboards in the hallway outside the room creaked, snapping her focus.

She turned towards the sound and called, "Wesley?…Cordy?…"

The noise stopped immediately.

"Fred?…Gunn?"

Someone had been walking in the hallway, she was certain of it. Why they hadn't answered her she had no idea, but she decided to find out. She wouldn't be able to help Angel if they were disturbed.

She looked down at Angel, still deep in his trace, and decided not to pull him out of it. It had taken an enormous effort to get him into that state in the first place and she doubted she would have the strength to do it again.

Slowly, she ease herself off the bed and padded out into the hallway.

It was empty.

"Hello?" she called, heading off towards the stairs to the lobby.

"Hold it right there!"

The firm voice was female and came from close behind her, followed by what was unmistakable the click of the hammer of a gun being pulled back.

With her heart in her throat, Babe slowly turned on the spot, raising her hands in the air.

Amanda Thorpe stood a few feet from her. A small hand gun, gripped tight, aimed straight for Babe's chest. "Where is he?"

"W-who?" Babe stammered, knowing full well who, but wasn't about to lead her into him while he was still in his trace. She only hoped she could stall the woman long enough for him to come to natural. Of course that all was dependant on how deep into the trace he had allowed himself to go. For the first time, she prayed he hadn't fully trusted her.

"Don't play dumb with me! Where is he?" Amanda insisted, re-aiming the gun to Babe's face.

"He's not here." Babe lied, fighting to keep the tremble from effecting her voice.

Amanda smiled cruelly. "That's what you would say whether he was here or not." She took a step forward, looking serious. "Last chance."

Babe's lips thinned at she stubbornly stood her ground, refusing to answer.

"Fine. Then we'll just have to go on a little tour."

Pushing the gun into Babe's temple, Amanda lead her back down the hallway the way she had come. It didn't take long for the woman to check the five rooms between them and the room that Angel was in and before Babe could think of anyway to stall the woman further she was pushed inside.

All Babe could do was hope he had had enough time, but as she was pushed into the bedroom area he hopes were dashed.

Angel lay exactly where she had left him, still peacefully oblivious to the danger they both were in, deep in his trace.

"Well isn't this cosy?" Amanda smiled. "You two got a little office romance going here I see."

Desperate to rouse him, Babe master all her energy and shouted at the top of her lungs "ANGEL!"

Pain flashed through Babe's head when Amanda slapped her hard across the face. She fell heavily to the floor.

Angel, however didn't stir.