"Rol. Rol. Rollie!!" Angie swerved from her chair.
        "Uh?" Rollie smiled
        "Puhl--eezze STOP! I can take care of this myself..." Angie stared at Rollie, fire in her eyes...
        "I was just making sure ya' ok.."
        "I'm fine. Fine. Just let me get this done. Stop breathing down my neck. Jessh" Angie sighed and turned her attention to the glow of the computer.
        Rollie slunk off, his shoulders slumped "I was jus' making sure ya alright" he mumbled.
        From the reflection on the screen Angie glared at Rollie. Finally. Two weeks of this had been too much for her. Rollie watched her every move! He was her shadow and quite frankly, it was getting on her nerves. Angie typed frantically. Rollie had agreed to allow her to work 'only a little'... Yeah, right, Angie thought. Somehow, Rollie had let the whole place go to pot... including all the files on the computer. Rollie kept an exact record of items ordered, shipped, sold and received.
        Although Rollie had shut the place down during and after her kidnapping [why?], everything from paper cups (Rollie, in all his tecno-know how, still used them to hold paint) to electrical wires had shown up at the doorway. Angie sighed... Rollie had let everything just sit... and the files were backed up a full three weeks. So here she was.... four years of tech school down the
drain to organize the Aussie's computer. Angie rubbed her neck giving only a slight glance at the gauze still wrapped around her wrist. Stretching her arms Angie stopped...  eyes. Eyes were watching her.
        "Rollie?"

        "Rol?" Angie's eyes flicked around the room. It was so dark. Angie strained her ears she heard {laughter} nothing. It was so quiet. "Stop being silly," she thought. Angie stood up and let out a yelp. She looked down, her leg had fallen asleep sending a rush of pins and needles up and down. Rubbing her leg, Angie went to move and was thrown back by a wave of dizziness. Angie let out a moan. A loud crash filled the room, Angie let out a muffled scream.
        "ANGIE?!"
         A form rushed towards her. Pushing back in her chair, Angie held her breath. The form came closer and the face of Rollie Tyler filled her eyes. Angie let out a hushed "Rollie" and then took a deep breath. Rollie turned on a lamp and looked at Angie, concern filling his face, sympathy in his eyes. "What happened?" Rollie kneeled down.
        "Uh... I'm fine." Angie let out a nervous chuckle.
        Rollie stared at Angie. Her face had blanched. Her eyes filled with... fear?
        "No. No you're not. You look awful."
        "Thanks."
        "Now what happened?"
        Angie searched the Aussie's face. Time and time again she had tried... tried to lie? No, not lie... just. Hell! she hated it when people gave her that 'look of sympathy' and she always told everyone 'I'm ok... see?' but Rollie? He always ALWAYS knew... ....knew she was lying... Sometimes he would grudgingly smile... but the look on his face told Angie that there was no use telling him 'I'm ok'
        Angie sighed... "My leg just fell asleep and.... a-and I got dizzy... I'm just tired."
        "Damn it, Angie. I told you! Listen, did you take those pills?" Rollie looked around the desk.
        "No. I HATE them... they I, I can't concentrate when I take those things..." Angie rubbed her forehead.
        Rising from the floor, Rollie looked straight into Angie's eyes, "Exactly!"
 

        "What do you mean? 'Exactly' " Angie frowned.
        For the first time since entering the room, Rollie took note of the dark circles under Angie's eyes and the tiny frown lines that creased her forehead. The vibrant energy he always associated with Angie had faded away, replaced by a weary air that marked her every movement.
        "Well look at you!" Rollie glared at Angie. "Every flipping day its 'I'm fine - I'm fine' but you're not fine. Y-y-." Rollie took a deep breath. Kneeling down, he gently grasped Angie's face in his hands. "I almost lost you."
        Confusion crossed Angie's features.
        "I almost lost you to that monster."
        Dumbfounded, Angie just stared.
        "Just look at you. Your sitting here white as a ghost. You come in only three days after being discharged Ang."
        "B-but"
        "No. No buts. I let you here cause. Cause. Hell!" Rollie stood up, his arms flying in the air. "Why... I let you here so I could....! Why the bloody hell are you here? Those files can wait a year if they have to. You say to me 'I'll go crazy if I have to sit at home. Let me do something.' I say 'Sure' I SAY SURE!! And l-l-LOOK at you! You almost fainted when I saw you! "
        "I'm just-" Angie whispered.
        "You shouldn't be here. Take a vacation."
        "I don't need a vacation." Angie looked determined.
        As if not hearing her Rollie sputtered "You haven't been sleeping. Have you?"
        Angie stared.
        "HAVE YOU!! You don't sleep. You don't eat. Stop being so damn stubborn. Stop worrying about ME, take care of yourself before...." Rollie was yelling. His face beet red.
        Angie sat up "I-I can't take a vacation."
        "Why??" Rollie ran his hand through his hair, he then pointed to the computer "because of these precious files" Rollie laughed, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
        "Rollie. Please." Angie pleaded
        "Don't. Don't you do that." Rollie stood silent. Angie could only lower her head.
        "Ya know what!" Rollie gave Angie a somber smile. "You're- YOU'RE FIRED!!"
 

        Angie glared at Rollie. "What?"
        Grabbing the edge of the table, Rollie leaned towards Angie "You heard me."
        "F-Fired? What do you mean fired?"
        "I mean that you no longer have a job here."
        Angie swallowed hard. "Rollie."
        "No. Angie. Don't say anything. I can't have you working here if... " Rollie let out a sigh. Running his hand across his face, Rollie leaned back. "...You're Fired.."
        "I don't understand, Rollie."
        "Yes you do, Ange..."
        "But I've..." Anger flicked across Angie's eyes
        "You've what? WHAT!!"
        Angie just continued to stare. All that betrayed her emotions was a single tear that hung in the corner of her eye.
 

        During her stay at the hospital, a 'therapist' Dr. Emma Kildate had come to speak with Angie about her kidnapping. Angie was the classic 'strong' victim. Strong victims were determined to prove that they were 'tough' enough to deal with the situation without the need for support they weren't sure was really there for them. For the strong victim, it was much easier to convince themselves that the support they needed was not available to them and to insist that they HAD to be self-reliant in order to cope. The therapist had told Rollie this.

        Softly cursing himself, Rollie looked at Angie. He did not mean to hurt her. He had meant to help her. At first he thought that having her at the shop would be helpful, that he could talk to her. But now... kneeling down again, Rollie gently cupped Angie's chin in his hand. He took a deep breath.
       "Three weeks," he whispered. "For the next three weeks, you are fired. Please. Rest. Eat. Just...... Talk with Dr. Kildate. If, If you-" Rollie closed his eyes and let out a sigh. Raising his hand to brush her cheek, Rollie opened his eyes. "Everyone is here for you Ang. Mira, Francis. No one is going to leave you. Least of all me."

        The anger drained away from Angie's countenance and was replaced with a  tenderness and a need that forced tears from her eyes. Her tears fell down her face and onto the floor between them. Rollie raised his right hand and touched Angie's hair, gently pulling her into his arms. She didn't want to... but she couldn't stop it. She just couldn't stop it. The sobs seemed to well up from her very soul. She clung to him. It was a torrent of pain and anguish that she feared would drown her. There was no escaping it. All she could do as it poured out of her was hold on to him for dear life.
 
 

        Angie closed her eyes, relishing the feel of the cool ocean breeze on her face as it swept through her hair lifting it, caressing it, sending the soft strands dancing about her shoulders. With no visual distractions, the sound of the waves seemed that much louder now. The distant roar increasing in volume, the waves gathering speed in their inevitable race to the shore, ending in a
soft hissing sound as the water reached out across the sand and almost touched her feet. She could swear she even heard the foam bubble and pop as a new batch was left behind by each retreating wave, only to vanish as quickly as it appeared. The darkness behind her closed eyelids lifted a bit as she raised her face to a brilliant sun suspended high overhead. Angie smiled as she looked back on all the summer vacations she had spent at the beach. Not here, of course, but a
place very much like it. Those warm and glorious childhood days when she had combed the beach, scooping up colored rocks and an endless array of seashells as they washed ashore. Chasing friends up and down the sandy stretch, giggling and shrieking as they ran in carefree abandon, the waves tugging at their ankles and nipping at their heels. They were so precious to her, those memories. She'd tucked them away for so long, preoccupied with other things. She'd
almost forgotten. But now she called them forth again, playing them over and over in her mind, longing to recapture that joy - that sense of absolute freedom and contentment.

        Angie smiled. Rollie had insisted she go on a vacation. The day after..... Well the day after everything, Rollie had shown up at her doorstep.
 
 

        "'Aye.... So how ya feeling?" Rollie stared into Angie's face.
        "I'm better," Angie sighed.
        "Good. So where ya going?" Rollie looked around the apartment.
        "Huh?"
        "Well..." From behind Rollie, two large suitcases appeared. "...Ya see you called me here for these... So where are ya going?"
        Angie pointed at the suitcases. "I di-"
        "Oh yes, you did." Rollie dropped the suitcases and smiled. "You called me and you told me," Rollie proceeded to bat his eyes and speak in a hushed, falsetto voice, "OH! Rollie, PUhlleezze come over here. I can't fit all my BEAUtiful things in such a small suitcase. Pulezzze."
         Rollie thrust his arm across his forehead and 'fainted' to the floor. Angie let out a laugh. Sitting down, she stared at the suitcases. Rollie sat up.
       "So. Where ya going?"
        Angie thought a moment. Looking around she said "Someone will have to watch the apartment and feed-"
        "It's all taken care of." Rollie smiled.
        After a while Rollie left. They had talked. Angie felt even better. Three full weeks. Angie had told Rollie that she wanted to go on a 'road trip', but she had no clue where she was going. No, she knew where she was going, she just didn't know how she was going to get there. The next morning, Angie awoke to a loud honking. Throwing her pillow, Angie sat up... ready to kill whoever was making that racket. Throwing the window open, Angie stuck her head out.
        "SURPRISE!!!!"
         Below her was Rollie, Mira and Francis. And a large, bright, turquoise convertible. It turned out that a friend of Francis's 'owed' him a favor. Thus.....

        Two days later Angie packed 'her' car with three suitcases. Two of them from Rollie. Sitting behind the wheel, Angie looked at the rising sun, a smile crossing her features.
        "Well," she thought to herself, "If a hero can ride off into the sunset, a maiden can ride off into the sunrise."

                                                               THE END