A little too real (Angel, Jesse, Claude, Aberto)

[Lovely]

May 21, 2008
7pm
The Hotel

The distant sound of voices seemed to pull her up and closer to them, starting as murmurs and mumbles and gradually growing louder to be actual words she could make out here and there. Her eyelids felt heavy, as did all her limbs, it was an effort to blink and finally keep her eyes open to look around her. What she found was a strange room, looked kind of like a fancy hospital and two men standing at the end of her bed talking... about her maybe? she made a small noise, trying to speak but it was more like a groan. Both men had dark hair and came up on opposite sides of her bed to check on her. The one to her right hada kind face while the one to the left seemed more withdrawn and stern. The one to the right smiled and touched her hand, speaking quietly to her to keep her as relaxed as possible and offered her a small cup of water with a straw, which he held while she took a sip.

"Hello Angel.. I'm Dr Requiem and this is Dr Veinna, you can call me Claude though, I'm not too formal." Claude smiled at the girl still quite perplexed by her condition that had been discovered only shortly before she woke up. He wasn't sure if she was aware of it yet but he started to speak to her quietly about what had happened and how long she'd been there, finally coming to the part about her current condition... there was really no delicate way to tell her but he did his best... "... and you're.. pregnant.. about four months along from what we can tell." He explained that she had not been when she was brought in and that left both doctors quite confused, looking at each other funny. Neither one was responsible for it but they also didn't know how it had happened.

Aberto snorted a little when she asked how and who. "I didn't do it." He replied with a slight scowl and arched an eyebrow at Claude.

"Well I didn't do it." Claude retorted, giving the other man a look as if to say, how could you even suggest such a thing? "So.. who the hell did it?" He asked for them all, and made it clear they were all confused, though he realized that this poor girl was probably only going to be more upset by their obvious lack of answers.

The shadows in the corners seemed to breathe and watch as the girl woke, listening to the banter and discussion. Small sparks darted through the dark spaces as the discussion became more interesting and flickers formed eyes, pale, green and bright and around them a silhouette though not quite a solid form. If it was answers they wanted, he probably had them. "Um... hello," his voice rasped out partly of wind and echo and partly of soft bass of a young man.

Claude actually jumped a little, startled by the sudden voice from the corner of the room. "Aahh shit!" He turned partly and wasn't exactly put at ease by what he saw there. "What the.. um I mean hello.." He was a kind and together kind of guy but he tended to be very nervous when he was baffled, like now. "Did you do it? I mean... I'm just asking, not assuming.. but you know you're here all of a sudden.." He kind of stammered, not knowing what to say, do or think about all of this. "Hi, I'm Claude..."

What stepped out of the shadows was a tall, clean-cut and sharply dressed man with black, polished boots. Sunglasses were slipped into his pocket. "I know," he said gently. He was familiar with who each of them were, especially the girl. "I'm Jesse." He watched her the closest, wondering what she could recall now.

Angel had mainly been sitting there, laying there completely speechless and stunned by the information she'd been given and the lack of other answers. "Hello?? Someone want to tell me what's going on here? Who's he? He's ho.. howdy!" She waved from where she started to push herself up to sitting, struggling a little but determined.

Claude reached out a hand toward the handsome younger man who appeared. "You know? Have we met? .. um Well, nice to meet you Jesse.. do you have some insight on this or do you just like to make an entrance? Nice one by the way, I like that."

[Lovely]

The tall stranger smiled a little shyly, taking the man's hand. "Thanks. No, we haven't met - not directly. I just know who you are.. what you do here..," he said, looking around approvingly. "Insight? I'd like to think I do, but you won't like the answer." He let go of Claude's hand and leaned on the back of the chair behind him.

"I won't? I'm not the father in some twisted way am I? I mean really.. I only touched her professionally and this is just .. odd. Any insight at this point, like it or not, will be helpful." He licked his lips and studied the young man, wondering 'who' he was and how he knew.

"Any time someone wants to fill me in... that would be great.. cause I'm.. very lost.." Angel waved her hands at the men who spoke to each other and pointed to herself and the tummy that was not huge but not the flat one she remembered. "Who.." She started to ask Jesse who he was but trailed off looking at him as if she knew him but couldn't place him.

"It's nice to see you again in the light, Angel." He smiled for the girl though it dimmed as she stared without recognition. He nodded... he expected as much. "You're not the father," he glanced at Claude to put him at ease, casting the same reassurance at the doctor who'd said nothing. "Or you. The one who is... sends his apologies and wants to help you remember."

"Wait.. responsible.. so you mean to tell me.. what they just said is true? I'm.." She looked down at her tummy and tried not to panic. "I can't be.. it's not possible.. I mean I.. Who is he? Cause I'm gonna knock his ass out.. and why are you here apologising for him? Why isn't the coward here himself? Huh?.. he got me all.. all... this! while I was in a coma.. but he can't face me?" The tremor vibrated through her voice as the panic rose in her that this was really happening.

Claude folded his arms the look on his face nearly one of anger though he was usually a very mild mannered man. "I.. you know I think she's right.. I'll accept whatever information you are willing to share so I can help her.. but the last thing she needs is to be more upset and confused by a messenger sent to deliver.. no pun intended, you get my meaning anyhow?"

Aberto folded his arms and sighed moving toward the door. "I wasn't worried that it was mine.. I have some labs to run and I'll check back with you once I'm done." He nodded to Claude, Angel, and the strager Jesse, confident that his associate would handle things.

Jesse bowed his head, seeming to chuckle a little though there wasn't any sound. He looked up at Angel with the same dark sparkle she'd seen in his eyes that night. "He's here and he's not a coward," he said softly. "He's sad that you don't remember and moreso that you might not believe him... me."

"Okay then.. now we're getting somewhere.." Claude murmured backing down some and even stepping aside a little to let Jesse address Angel though he did hover close, watching over her.

Angel stared at the handsome young man for a long time, biting at her lower lip and trying to make sense of things, trying to understand. He was so familiar, it was like she knew him, like she should remember only it was just out of her reach. "I'm sorry.. I don't remember, how can I when I was.. gone?" She froze for a moment taking in a sharp deep breath as something flashed in her memory an image of him, a feeling... She swallowed and leaned back against the pillows, running her hands up and into her hair at the sides of her face. "Right about now... I might believe anything.. "

Jesse didn't move and didn't dare. Not in this place with this man and the others with their defences at the ready. He rolled his eyes with the amusement of his thought, his gaze landing on Claude as he blushed faintly. "I'd show you and see if that reminds you of anything, but I don't think it would appropriate at the moment."

"I'm not sure it was appropriate to begin with.." Claude muttered under his breath, watching the man and the woman who had not yet gotten out of bed but might to kick this guy's ass.. which was fully amusing to imagine.

"I.. " She started and stopped, biting at her lip again as she tried to sort out the small flashes she kept getting. It was the sparkle of his eyes, the curve of his smile, his voice, that way he looked at her.. all of it made images surface but they were jumbled and out of order. "Everything about you reminds me of... but I don't understand.. I was here in a coma.. I was.. well they said I actually died for a few moments.. how can I know you? How can I remember anything.. I mean did you sneak in here while no one was watching and... " Her head shook and she felt nearly sick in suggesting it at all, that didn't feel right to her. "You didn't.. somehow I feel that you didn't force me or.. anything like that."

He shook his head slowly and continued to speak softly. "No. No, I didn't and you weren't dead. You were... I displaced you. You were here... well, there... in your mind," he nodded to the bed where she sat. "But, your essence was with me in another place."

[Lovely]

"A diner!" She sat up a little more in sudden burst of knowledge, something that she knew for certain. "It was a diner.. I remember ... I.. You.. oh my god, you're the one who.. 'killed me'! I remember.. the diner.. You were there.. only it was after... We had.. ohh.. in the bathroom?"

"Wait.. he's the one who attacked you? You're the one who 'put her here' and you're the father of her child? And she's not as pissed as I would expect.. I need a drink." Claude sat down in the closest chair, this was more complicated than he'd thought which was kind of amazing.

"Hey, I never said I was a decent, mortal being, either.Yes, that was me, but it was only to get her to a safer place than where she was," Jesse shrugged, moving away from the chair toward the darkest corner of the room. "Yes. The diner."

"I'm lost again.. what do you mean to get me to a safer place than where I was?" Angel bit at her lip and looked over at him as he moved toward the shadows. The shadows.. she could see him fading in and out of them in her memory. "What about this.. and do you mean the bathroom was just to get me.. to a safer place?" She motioned to her tummy and what appeared to be the fruit of his labor.. or her labor, soon enough.. and what was inside of her if it was created in some warped reality?

Putting his hands into the pressed pockets of his dark pants, he shrugged a little. "It was meant to help you hold on to something real. Guess I made it too real and a little too much to hold onto for longer than either of us planned. The coma was an accident... wrong place, wrong time, but I kept you from actually dying."

"I see." She said softly, her voice quiet as she curled into herself a little, one arm wrapped around her middle. Angel felt so lost at the moment, what was she supposed to do? "You're... leaving aren't you? You just came to tell me.. and now you're going..?" He gave every appearance and impression of doing just that, he didn't care.. he spoke of it all as if it were an impersonal transaction. "Thanks for not letting me die.. there."

Claude didn't say anything, he didn't feel it was really his place to interfere in their emotions and sorting this out between them. His place was to help her and the child she carried, which he promised silently that he would do. His gaze drifted to the young man, wondering if that was truly his intent or if he might surpise them.

"I have a job or two to finish. I just heard the question on my way by. I mean... c'mon. Do you think I dress like this on my own time? I'll be back." He bit his lip a little. Claude didn't trust him, but then why should he? Jesse was part of the reason some never made it here at all.

She smiled faintly and stared at him. "No.. I don't think you do." They had a normal room for her in the hotel, which if her vitals checked out, she was going to be moved there. "You.. You'll be able to find me.. I don't think I'll be right here when you're finished." Somehow she seemed to think he could, that he would... "Try not to work too hard, okay?"

Claude smiled himself, ever so gently and sighed, pushing himself out of the chair, her comments to Jesse, reminded him of work he had to do... with her and then on to other affairs.

"I will... and don't worry, I won't work too hard. I really don't have to. I'm just a guide," he clarified, giving her another look and nodding to Claude who'd let him stay longer than he thought he would without pushing him out. "Don't let him drink too much. You need his help until I can come back," he reminded them both, stepping into the shadow as if the wall it clung to wasn't there.

She watched him go, letting out a sigh... she was still confused and she hoped he would come back and maybe help her sort all of this out. There was so much going on in her head from the shock of waking up, to the news she'd gotten, to the broken and fuzzy memories dancing around in shadows. She'd been asleep for who knew how long and she was exhausted being awake for this short time.