Previously: She was almost asleep, when an arm pulled her into a tight embrace.

'Thank you' he breathed, but she had no idea whether it was directed at her or if it was meant for someone in his dream.

She pretended it was for her and was soon peacefully asleep in his embrace. Lorne also peacefully asleep, only just aware that he had his arms wrapped tightly around his slayer friend.

Chapter 32

I'd fallen asleep on the couch while seething. I woke up early in the morning dreading what the day could bring. Angel was in town, Willow wasn't and Buffy was so caught up in making Angel comfortable, I would probably be forgotten for a while.

I rolled off the couch and searched for blood. There was none. Damn.

I tried to put off going to Buffy's as long as my stomach would let me. Which wasn't long, but at least I got to have a shower beforehand.

I traipsed down the hall and knocked on her door. Angel answered. He looked shocked for a second, then calm appeared on his face.

What had the prick been doing? Actually scratch that. I didn't wanna know.

'Peaches' I greeted him politely, only because Dawn had walked into the room behind him.

'Spike' he gave a smile and moved aside, letting me enter. 'Breakfast?' he asked.

I nodded once, but didn't actually expect him to make anything. He ducked around the corner and appeared with two mugs of blood. Who was this git? This wasn't Angel.

He offered me one and I took it from him, checking first to make sure he hadn't poisoned it. Once I found it was good, drank deeply.

'Oh Spike!'

'Yea Bit?'

'I was wondering if you could help me with my homework?'

'What about him?' I pointed my thumb to the vampire on the couch.

'I asked Angel but he wasn't in Italy in the 50's' Dawn pulled a face at Angel and he grinned and shrugged.

'Got a soul remember Spikey?'

Spikey? 'I remember' I growled.

'Please Spike?' Dawn pleaded.

I couldn't leave her hanging. She was like a little sister to me. 'Alright. What do you wanna know?'

We sat down at the kitchen table, Dawn asking the questions, and me doing my very best to give her the 'not so gory' facts. I could tell her how many people I ripped apart or how many children Dru drained easy, but I had to try really hard to give her the information she was looking for.

I could hear Angel snicker from the couch.

'If you don't like the answers I'm giving the girl Angel, you're more than welcome to do it!' I yelled.

Angel was clearly amused 'Nah. It's ok. I was going to go explore the sewers today though. Tell Buffy for me will you Dawny?'

'Sure Angel'

'Thanks Doll'

Dawn blushed. Since when did Dawn blush around Angel? I was missing so much vital information right now.

'Where is Buffy by the way?' I turned back to Dawn

'Down at the store. Giles had something to show her' Dawn shrugged.

'Anyway, back to my homework… How many people died?'

'Normally? Or with help pet?

'Let's go normally first. Then you can tell tales'

It was boring sitting here. I would much rather be hitting something, but at least I was here with Dawn instead of being stuck with Angel.

~**~

The sun trickled in through between the curtains, which she'd forgotten to close. It wasn't too bright yet, but it was bright enough to disturb her. Angelina was like a bat. She liked the dark and the bright sun in the morning was just too much for her sleepy eyes. She could never sleep during the day, unless she had a completely dark room and a comfy pillow.

Angelina could still feel herself being hugged. She didn't pay that any attention, she just wanted to get away from the sun and the quickest way to do that was to hide under her pillow. Normally when she did this, she ended up with her head under the pillow next to her, rather than the one she was meant to be sleeping on.

She tried to duck her head under the pillow but collided with someone's chest. It blocked the sun, so she snuggled in closer. She was fine for a moment until she realised she couldn't hear a heartbeat. Where was the heartbeat?

Thinking she was mad, she lay there and listened. She could hear Lorne breathing, she could feel him breathing; his chest heaved up and down as he breathed in and out. But she couldn't hear a heartbeat. Weird.

She didn't want to move, she was comfortable. But she knew she would have to at any moment because Lorne was starting to stir. The arms around her loosened slightly and then were gone. He yawned and stretched his arms out above his head. He had slept rather well, considering what had happened last night.

He lay there for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the morning light that was filtering through the window. Then he felt a body next to him. Had she fallen asleep with him? And how did he end up in the bed?

He rolled his head to face her, but her face was nowhere to be seen. She had tried to bury it in her pillow. All he could see was her hair in front of her face.

He chuckled and then gently swept the hair from her face. She groaned and slowly opened one eye.

'Morning Angel Cake' he said.

So was he back to his normal self after that night? She sure hoped the following nights wouldn't be so bad. Lorne had begun to writhe in his sleep afterwards and so, to stop him from kicking her, she had pinned his legs down with hers. It was a weird way to sleep, but it could have been worse. She could have actually pinned him still, using a couple of daggers or something.

'Morning Sunshine' she mumbled into her pillow. She wasn't ready to be awake yet.

'Sleep well?' he asked. What kind of dumb question was that?

'Kinda. It depends on what you call 'well'. It was either pin your legs down, or get kicked half the night. The other half was fine. What about you?'

Lorne then recalled the dreams. He had been trying to get to his friends, who were being attacked. They were being killed one by one and he had been trying to fight his way through a group of demons to get to them. He had kicked and punched and called to his friends, but they never heard.

When it was just Angel and Illyria left standing, Gunn and Wes's lifeless, broken bodies laying at their feet, they had turned on each other, swords on hand. Illyria had put the sword through Angels' heart and with his last effort had decapitated Illyria.

The demons holding Lorne back had vanished to dust and he had sprinted towards them, trying to find any signs of life. There were none.

He had sat there mourning the loss of his friends, when a bright light had appeared. The light morphed into two beings, Cordelia and Fred.

They had taken the gang in their arms and had told Lorne they would keep them safe and that he would be able to visit them when his time came. Fred had touched his face, telling him it would be alright. He had relaxed at her touch and had said 'Thank you' to the two for taking care of their friends.

'So it was you' he breathed. He'd thought it had been Fred, but it was Angelina.

'What was me?' she asked sleepily. Angelina gave up on further sleep and sat up on the mattress. She still had the white t-shirt on, but half way through the night, because of Lorne's thrashing, the bed had heated up a fair bit and the pants she had been wearing just became unbearable. She had taken them off and thrown them to the floor. She obviously had forgotten, for now she sat there in white t-shirt and lacy red underwear.

Lorne noticed the lack of pants, but had been too gentlemanly to actually look, instead had looked her in the face and began to explain his dream, hoping she could forgive him for kicking her.

After his story Angelina could tell just how much pain he had been in. She was going to try and prevent that.

'Want breakfast?' she asked suddenly determined and chipper.

'Sure. Whatcha cooking?' Lorne joked.

'Hmm…' Angelina got up off the bed and headed to the kitchen. 'Oh shit!' she remembered the lack of pants.

Lorne laughed. 'Nice red. Almost matches my suit!'

'What?!' Angelina's face popped around the wall. It was bright red.

'I meant your face' he couldn't stop laughing 'Empath Demon remember. I saw this coming'

'I didn't sing' Angelina stated.

'That was my attempt to make you feel better' he admitted.

'Thanks ever so' She grumbled as she picked up her trackies and began pulling them on.

'They are a nice red though' Lorne confessed.

'Shut up!' Angelina called after him as Lorne walked to the bathroom.

'Today might be all right' thought Lorne.

At least, he hoped it would be. Angelina's underwear had just been a bright red highlight.