It had been another day and barely another dollar. Forget the old saying about another battle won. This one was another battle survived. Here, in Lorne’s they sat, dirty, beaten, and drinking. No one talked. What do you say when you find out that your client, who had become a friend, turns out to be the one who actually wants to have you all for dinner. Dinner, as in you are the main course. The real reason no one is talking is because they are afraid of what
one dark slayer will say if they let loose on Angel for not doing a better job of checking out the ‘client’. He could have gotten them all killed if it hadn’t been for some last minute ***** kicking by Faith. Hence another reason for silence, no one wants to have to admit that she came through for them and saved all their lives. None
of them have made it easy on her being here except Angel and Cordelia had come around a couple of months ago. Here they sat just drinking listening to the juke box as Lorne had shut down the singing when they came in looking like last nights left overs. He just watched as the group eyed one another warily. It wasn’t his problem, but he wished there was something he could say that would ease the tension they brought in with them. It was killing his take in now for the night.

"So," Angel breaks the silence, "I guess I should apologize not that it stops what happened. I know I don’t always keep you guys out of situations that I could or should, but…"

"Just stop, Angel. Not right now." Gunn interrupts.

"Yes, not right now. We are alive and lets not talk about it right now." Wes adds taking another drink.

"Oh. uh..Okay." Angel lowers his head back into sulking position.

No one else says anything, but Cordelia’s mind is running a mile a minute. She knows that no one, not even herself is going to be big enough person to thank the dark, lanky slayer sitting in the dark corner of the table looking at her hands. Her hands..those hands had personally pulled the ‘client’ off of Cordelia tonight. That whole body (and what a ***** of a body it is) had fought all out to save her. Of course, she had fought for the others as well, but it seemed that she had paid particular attention to Cordelia’s well being or so it seemed to one healthy seer. Cordelia has noticed that over the past few weeks that Faith has been very protective over her. It hasn’t gone unnoticed by her that she has been the one doing all of the slayer’s wound repair either. She knows she is attracted to the
slayer, but it wasn’t until tonight when she heard Faith screaming for her that she realized she had fallen for the extremely annoying, antagonistic, and quite gorgeous younger woman. She thought Faith felt the same way, but how could she know for sure? Faith rarely talks about her feelings, and when she does it is only to Cordelia
until she gets uncomfortable and shuts down again. She is so exasperating (hey score one for the queen on vocabulary) and yet so loveable if she would only let someone. She was rapidly feeling the need to express herself to this lovely, lonely dark woman. How do you tell someone they are your…your what? Suddenly, Cordelia has an idea. She goes to Lorne and requests a specific song on the Jukebox. Lorne smiles as he looks into Cordelia’s eyes knowingly.