Previously: 'Wait. Your costumes possessed you?' Faith asked incredulously. And she thought she'd heard and seen it all. Apparently not.

'Yep' Xander chirped. 'I was an army guy. Pretty cool I guess.'

'Wanna tell me this story?' Faith grinned and pulled the most innocent face she could.

'Maybe another time' Buffy said 'Once I've punched a few things perhaps?'

'Wicked' Faith laughed.

Both Buffy and Faith headed towards the training room in the back and so I followed.

Buffy had said punching things. Just what kind of things was she planning on punching?

I was the only one sparring with them.

I took an unnecessary breath as I entered the room and saw Buffy and Faith waiting for me with sparring sticks in their hands.

Chapter 53

Angelina stepped out into the street and looked for her friend. She knew Zoe's wasn't too far from here and that Lorne was wearing bright colours like usual, so he shouldn't be too hard to find. But she couldn't see him anywhere. He was like a shadow; there one minute, gone the next.

Angelina sighed to herself and headed towards the club as she realised how hungry and exhausted she was. She'd heard Dawn whisper to Xander and ask if she was pregnant. She had been shocked to hear something like that come from Dawn, the girl who idolised her, but she guessed when she looked and felt like this, anything was possible.

She'd shaken her head and had walked on, towards Buffy and Willow, who had been working on 'Child' theories.

After hearing what Dawn had whispered, their current activity had put her off completely and she had made the excuse to go home, as she wasn't feeling well. They could think she was pregnant; she however, needed sleep. Not that that came easy.

Her dreams pretty much stopped her from sleeping.

She was more than halfway to the karaoke bar by now, and she still hadn't come across Lorne anywhere. He must walk really fast during the day. It made sense. He was after all, green and had horns.

Angelina noticed that while looking for Lorne, she was getting odd looks herself. She must look pretty bad today. She made a mental note to have a nap at some stage and to dress up as something that had a lot of eye makeup. If she couldn't get rid of the bags and other bits and pieces, she could at least try to hide it.

Angelina put her head down and walked on, faster this time. She desperately didn't want to be out in the open for too much longer.

~**~

Lorne was already inside, glad to be rid of the odd glances, and was already making himself home at the bar. Zoe stood behind it and was making him up a Seabreeze as they spoke.

'So you're cool with tonight?' Zoe asked as she squeezed the grapefruit

'As John Travolta in Grease' Lorne smiled kindly. He had learned that a smile and kindness although mostly overlooked in the showbiz world, went a long way in the real one.

Zoe smiled back and handed him his drink. 'There you are'

'Thank you Puddin' he took a sip 'Amazing' the drink was really good. Almost as good, if not better than the ones Ramone used to make.

'Zoe sweetie, do you mind if I take a look around. Like to get a feel for the place before I perform' Lorne asked.

Zoe nodded her head and the demon set off around the club with his Seabreeze in hand.

He checked out the front of the bar first, then headed to the back, where the storerooms and supplies were kept. There he also found a few thousand different cd's and an ancient cd player.

In the corner of the storeroom he found a stool and decided he'd take a seat for a moment. In order to prep for what he was going to do later tonight.

'Ok Lorne, you can do this. Go walk up to her and tell her how you feel. Just tell her you love her and you'll always be there as a friend or something if she doesn't feel the same way…. Just, tell her…. Ah screw it' Lorne grumbled to himself.

He knew he was going to tell her at some stage, but right now he was just a little afraid. It was kinda weird. The jolly green demon afraid of saying 'I love you' to someone special when he could say all kinds of other similar meaning things to Angel and the Scoobies.

He shrugged his shoulders and stood up, trying to get into his normal frame of mind before going back out front.

He promised himself he would tell Angie at some stage, tonight hopefully. The buzz of performing would help, that's for sure.

Lorne then began to walk back out front.

~**~

Angelina was sitting at the bar with Zoe. She had a martini in one hand and her head in the other. She hadn't seen Lorne yet and was wondering where he could have gone, but it was daylight, so she didn't have to worry… much.

Angelina stared at the martini in her hand. Should she really drink it? What if Dawn was right and she was pregnant?

Angelina snapped out of it instantly and downed the drink. She hadn't been intimate like that with anybody since Jace, who had left her for a slut in Australia. And she couldn't be pregnant, because that was over ten months ago. She was perfectly fine. And glad she wasn't a mother. She had no idea how to cope with kids, let alone cope with kids and being a slayer, which also meant protecting her children as well. It was going to be hard. And right now it was too hard for her. Thank god she wasn't.

She smiled at her fortune and began to hum. Zoe heard this and told her to get up on stage.

'You look like a wreck right now, but people don't see that here. They see the voice' Zoe was honest with her customers, but she almost never said something that the person didn't already know themselves.

'You're kidding? You want me up there?' Angelina gestured to the stage and Zoe nodded.

Angelina sighed, 'Do I get a free drink afterwards?'

'We'll see' was the reply.

Angelina slipped off the stool and started to make her way to the little stage with the waiting mic and peroxide blonde guy. At first glance she thought it was Spike, but then heard the song he was singing and thought twice. Since when did Spike sing 'Let's Get It On'?

Angelina watched the blonde for a few seconds but as soon he pointed to her when he said 'Let's get it on' she was gone. She bypassed the stage in order to avoid the guy on it and headed straight for the toilets.

That was where she stayed for the next five minutes, hoping the guy wouldn't be able to find her.

When the five minutes were up, she casually walked back to the bar and noticed that the guy was now sitting there, next to her drink.

'Why I do attract all the friggin 'tards?' Angelina thought to herself.

She approached the bar and picked up her drink as the guy turned around. He was quite attractive, well apart from the gap toothed grin, the oily hair, missing shirt under his jacket and the bloody big parasite burrowing round in his stomach.

'Hi' he smiled.

'Hey' his breath smelled of week old alcohol and Angelina was sure she was about to lose the lunch she never had.

He spent the next ten minutes trying to hit on her. She kept trying to refuse him in the most polite way by saying she was seeing someone. He said what they don't know cant hurt them. She was being backed into a corner and she couldn't do anything about it. She wasn't good at using words to get out of things. Her mum had always busted her with this sort of stuff. In panic she looked over the guy's shoulder and saw her way out.

'Lorne!' she cried startling both demon and blonde guy.

She waved and gently eased passed the blonde guy, the parasite thing gave her the jeebies and approached her friend.

'Hey. Where did you come from?' Lorne asked

'Explain this later' Angelina said.

'Explain wha-' Lorne was cut off with a passionate kiss.

'Ok this is odd' Lorne thought.

Angelina broke the kiss and held onto his hand 'Lorne baby, I would like to you to meet…' she couldn't remember the blonde guy's name.

'James' the blonde guy said.

Now Lorne understood. She was trying to get away from this guy.

'Hey James. I see you've met my Angel Cake'

'Yeah I have. Sorry but I have to go. It was nice meeting both of you' James made his goodbyes and left. Angelina breathed a sigh of relief. He was finally gone, and she had found Lorne.

'Where were you?' she quirked an eyebrow. 'I've been looking for you for ages'

Lorne pulled her into a hug 'Checkin out backstage. The usual'

'Uh huh' Lorne figured it was now or never. He knew he wouldn't be able to do it later. He would be busy trying to make everyone happy, not just himself.

'Hey Angelina?' he pulled her away a little so he could see her face.

'Mmm?' Angelina was tired and didn't feel like using words right now.

'I was wondering if, well you know, we've known each other for some time and I was wondering…' Lorne stopped. 'This sounded so much better in my head' He gave a nervous laugh.

Angelina got the gist of what he was trying to say though.

'Are you asking me out Krevlorneswath of the Deathwok Clan?' she crossed her arms over her chest.

Lorne looked sheepish but nodded.

'Then yes' Angelina laughed and embraced him in a hug.

Lorne was surprised and relieved, and he hugged her back just as tight as she was hugging him.

He nestled his face into her hair, which wasn't that hard because she had a fair bit of it and mumbled 'I finally did it'.

'What?' Angelina giggled. This was a weird turn of events for her. but it was a good turn nonetheless.

'Nothing' Lorne pulled out of the hug and took her hand. 'Let's get you home. You look like you're about to drop dead Princess'

Angelina didn't want to admit it, but he was right. She let him lead her out of the bar and towards home.

And for once, in what seemed like forever, she felt like she could actually sleep. That is, if she didn't fall asleep on the way.