The men's room near the Danger Shop, 5:31 FHT

[fh_jackass]

After waking up from the nightmare in detention, Logan's heart was pounding and his stomach churning. He managed to make it to a toilet before he vomited.

He clung to the porcelin with sweaty, shaking hands as he puked up everything in his stomach and kept on going. At least it wasn't blood, he thought, as a wave of relief and retching hit him at the same moment.

[Conversation is NFB.]

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[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angel was there. Any thoughts of avoiding Logan were so far gone as to not even exist anymore.

"It wasn't you," he said.

[fh_jackass]

Logan's head jerked up and he stared at Angel. "What?!"

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angel took a step back, holding up his hands to show that he was unarmed. "It wasn't - don't blame yourself."

[fh_jackass]

Logan stared at Angel for a long moment, keenly aware of his own breathing. "You... you saw it?" he said finally. "It was real?"

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angel knelt down so that they could be at eye level. "It's not you," Angel repeated, keeping his voice calm and steady. "It's the demon."

[fh_jackass]

Logan stared at Angel in horror. "You were there," he said, then laughed softly, his voice bordering on hysteria. He fumbled in his pockets and pulled out his phone. He stared at it for a moment, then thrust it at Angel. "Find out if Veronica's all right?" he pleaded.

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angel nodded. He dialed the number for Veronica's cell phone, glad that a distrust of speed dial had meant that he'd memorized it.

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

Veronica and Piper were getting ready to leave for dog beach when her phone rang.

She smiled when she saw that it was Logan.

"You miss me already?" she answered.

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angel cleared his throat. "Um, hey, Veronica, something like that. It's Angel."

[fh_jackass]

Realization that Veronica was safe - and had no idea what had happened in his dream - helped Logan relax a little. "Did you have the same dream?" Logan asked. "We were at my old house - then there was an alley in Neptune - then Veronica's room?"

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angel nodded, handing the phone back to Logan. "Angelus turned you."

[fh_jackass]

Logan nodded and tucked his phone away. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Do you often share dreams with other people?"

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angel couldn't help but think back to the Christmas before last one.

"Not often," he said. "But it happens. Certain kinds of dreams, certain kinds of situations. Prof. Dream... he can take someone into the dream world. Or make someone dream the worst nightmare they can imagine."

[fh_jackass]

Logan shuddered. "Remind me not to piss him off again." He looked at Angel. "Is that what it would have been like?"

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"Less with the magically being able to teleport places but... yeah," Angel admitted. "That's what it would have been like."

[fh_jackass]

Logan picked at a crack in the linoleum. "I wanted that," he said softly.

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angel gave a wry smile of understanding. "Everybody does."

[fh_jackass]

Logan grimaced, remembering Angelus's comment about family. "I still felt like me," he said. "I still cared about -" He swallowed, then groaned and slid down the wall into a sitting position. "I would never hurt her," he said vehemently.

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angel came over to kneel on the floor beside him. "No. You wouldn't. Logan, you aren't evil. Angelus never would have cared about you if that was the case."

[fh_jackass]

"But I make other people evil," Logan said bitterly.

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angel frowned. "What do you mean?"

[fh_jackass]

Logan shrugged. "I bring out the worst in people. My dad. Bel. You."

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angel sank down to sit on the floor fully. He clenched his right hand into a fist, wanting to reach out and comfort Logan but not knowing if he'd welcome the contact so soon after the nightmare. "Oh, God - Logan, no. No. It's not you. Not like that. And the things I said last night - I was pissed off. I didn't mean any of it."

[fh_jackass]

"Usually that's when people tell the truth," Logan said. "When they're pissed off."

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"Well... I'm not people," Angel tried for a small smile.