~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She flipped ideally through the channels, not really concentrating. There was too much on her mind to really care about the mindless fluff latenight TV had to offer. It was just an old habit, come home, grab a cup of mocha and watch TV. No reason to change routine. Just because all your beliefs in how the world worked had been shattered, just because someone you cared about had the absolute ultimate seedy past, just because your life had just taken a trip into the Twilight Zone, no that wasn't reason to change your routine.

She hadn't thought she cared that much. I mean yeah, he looked like a Playgirl model, and those eyes...you could drown in those eyes. Puppy dog eyes. She shook her head to clear the traitorous thoughts. Not after what she had learned. She couldn't. Or could she?

He was sweet, a true gentleman. A knight in shining armor. Hell, the books hadn't given him an age, maybe he was a knight. Yeah, that'd be fun. Hey dad, here's my new boyfriend. No, he hasn't done anything remarkable lately, but he was at the battle of Hastings. Can't beat that. Sighing she turned off the TV and walked into the kitchen for more mocha. The first time she had seen him, she had dismissed him offhand. Freelancer, wanna be detective trying to run with the big dogs. But slowly he had proven himself to be more. He helped people even when he knew no money was forthcoming. He solved cases she'd have called hopeless. He was good at his job, maybe better then her. Of course the supernatural powers would come in handy. How many things was he involved in she would never know of? Maybe it was better that way, maybe it wasn't.

Grabbing the bottle of raspberry syrup from the top self, she poured twice the recommended amount in her cup. It was the one luxury she afforded herself, raspberry mocha. Heaven on earth, and more calories then a stack of cheesecake. She settled own in a kitchen chair with a sigh. She hadn't been this torn up over a man since Jack, back in college. His drinking problem had been with beer however, not blood. What did she feel for Angel? There was no doubt she was attracted to him in a physical sense, any woman would be, and knowing this town, most men. She liked his personality, what little she knew. And it was very little. This whole dark side of him she hadn't know existed. What else was he hiding? Did she want to know. Her rolodex was sitting in front of her, and she flipped through. There it was, Angel Investigations. She didn't have a private number, but surely he could be reached through this. Did she want to reach him?

Almost of their own will her hands reached out to pick up her cell phone. For a several long minutes she just sat there, warring with herself. Did she want to call? Was it worth the risk? It came to her in a rush, the lightbulb over her head finally sputtering to life. She had just found out what he was, and she was still considering a relationship. That alone spoke of her true feeling. Without further delay, she dialed the phone.