Rollie Tyler walked into the loft, stretching slightly from fatigue. He had worked hard that night, and had stopped off briefly with Francis for a drink. It was one thirty in the morning, at least, and he really felt like a long, hot shower and a couple minutes in the VR chamber.Blue barked as he passed, and he stopped, surprised to see Angela Ramirez, his friend and assistant, still sitting at the computer.

"Angie!" Rollie said with surprise, "You're still here!"

The young blonde spun in her seat with a start. Rollie caught a brief glimpse of a tear running down her left cheek, but she brushed it away quickly with her shirt sleeve.

"Oh, Rollie!" she said in a husky voice, "I, um, what time is it?"

"One thirty or so," Rollie said quickly, "Angie are you all right? What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" she replied quickly, "Nothing at all."

Rollie slung his jacket down across a chair and walked up closer to her, as she shifted, obviously trying to collect herself. Rollie peered at her.

"Angie have you been crying?" Rollie said, noticing her puffy red eyes.

"No, no," she said, shaking her head fervently, "just a little allergic reaction to some, um, olives I ate today."

"Olives?" Rollie said, disbelievingly.

"Yes, olives!" Angie said, sounding slightly annoyed, "I'm allergic to olives, ok!"

"Ok, ok," Rollie said, holding up his hands, "what are you doing here?"

"I got caught up in some work," Angie said, quickly shutting down the program she had on the screen, before Rollie could see it, "I guess I lost track of the time."

Angie got up quickly, grabbing her jacket off of the back of the seat she had sat in.

"Guess I should go," she said.

"Well, it's late," Rollie said, "want a lift?"

"No!" Angie said quickly, then shook her head, "No, that's all right. I'll be fine."

Angie threw her jacket on and headed towards the door.

"Good night, Rol," she said, her back to him, "night Blue."

Bluey barked in reply, and the door slammed shut. Rollie stood for a moment, his mouth hanging open. He scratched the back of his head, frowning.

"Now, what was she up to, Blue?" Rollie said.

Bluey whined, not knowing the answer. Rollie sighed and began to walk away, but he hesitated. He kept seeing her tear stained face in his mind. He walked backwards a few steps and glanced at the computer. It was still on. He sat down quickly and called up the last program visited. He frowned, he didn't recognize it.

"What's this?" he said to himself softly.

The program was simple. A simple menu system, but it was password locked. Rollie ran through the standard passwords they used, but non fit.

"What in the world is this?" Rollie said.

Concerned, he thought quickly. Something Angie would choose as a password. Quickly he typed "Manny." The words 'Password Accepted' blinked across the screen. He clicked the first button. A large grouping of pictures popped up, the date in small bold letters underneath. Rollie smiled softly, they were old pictures, dating back to Angie as a little girl. Several with Manny, he holding her on his knee, playing, in the pool.

He clicked again calling up another grouping of pictures. Pictures where he, she, and Manny were together. On the set of a movie, at a restaurant, laughing somewhere, the loft, he thought.

"Why didn't she tell me about this?" Rollie thought, clicking again, she must have scanned the pictures long ago, wrote the program long ago, never told him...

The last grouping of pictures were of he and she alone, after Manny's death. On the sets of several movies, at a few cast parties. Always together, always smiling. Most he had seen copies of, except for one. One he hadn't, though. One where he had, nonchalantly, slipped his arm around her waist to pose for the picture. She was looking up at him, and he at the camera. The look in her eyes. One of surprise, and, something else. A bit of sadness? A bit of...

Rollie shook his head, he was imagining things. He clicked the next icon. No more pictures, words this time. He started to read, then gasped, and clicked out of the program. It was Angie's personal journal. No wonder she'd had it password locked! Guilt swam through Rollie, and he began to shut the program down, pledging never to look at it again. Then Angie's face flashed in his mind again. The look in her eyes. And something he'd read on that screen, something he'd caught. Tentatively, guiltily, he glanced at the words again, imagining her voice speaking.

"...Rollie went on a date again today. He'd brought her to the loft that night and I was there. I didn't realize he was coming back that early. I was so embarrassed. She was so beautiful, as always, fawning all over him. I was dressed in some rags, my hair all mussed up, I'd been working all night. The look she gave me, looked down at me like they all do. I left quickly, but not before I got humiliated, as always! I just wish that once..."

Rollie turned away for a moment. What was this? He'd had a date a couple of weeks ago. He'd come home, Angie was there. That had happened before, she left as always. He hadn't thought anything of it. He never thought she felt.... Rollie clicked to another date.

"...I went out with Luce today, on the town. I dressed as best I could, Rollie told me I looked great. I never realized how good that would feel. I didn't think it would make me feel that way. I thought I was over that thing I had for him when I was a little girl. I thought we were just friends. I thought I had buried those feelings with my father. We became family, really, after Papa died, I never thought..."

Rollie took a deep breath, his mind whirling. He'd told her she looked good before, hadn't he? It was nothing really, a small compliment. He hadn't thought she'd cared. Thing for him? Thinking back, she might have had a crush on him early on, he never had thought about it before. She was always Manny's little girl.... Rollie clicked again, randomly.

"...I nearly lost Rollie today. Snake venom. He was lying on the floor, dying, and I couldn't do a thing. I got so panicky, like some sort of frightened kid. I couldn't think straight. He came through, as always, so brilliant. Cool under pressure. When I saw him there, all these feelings came rushing through me. I didn't even really realize some of them were there. Well, ok, I realized, but I shut them out. They're not worth pursuing, I can't lose Rollie as my friend, my family. That would be worse than anything. He is my family. He's all I've got. And yet, when it was done, and he was better, and my life and my heart started coming back, I realized that I lov-"

Rollie shut off the program. He turned away, and stared up at the ceiling. He couldn't read on, he shouldn't read on. It wasn't right. But she had been crying about something. Now he was really concerned. Was it about him? Was he causing something?

He turned back, and begrudgingly called up that day's date.

"...don't know how much more I can take. Can you believe it? Rollie actually told me about where he's taking his date next! Some new place he found. He told me! Like I was one of the guys or something! Well, maybe not quite that, but still. Rollie doesn't think of me as anything more than "Angie"...I guess he never will. I've been thinking about getting away for a while, maybe a long while, maybe permanently, find myself. I'm getting older. I need to understand Angie Ramirez before..."

Rollie shut down the program completely this time. He couldn't take it anymore. Where was all this coming from? How long had she felt like this? He'd mentioned the place, yes, in passing, talking about what they were doing when shooting was over. He'd never thought, she'd never given a hint that... Or had she? Had he just not noticed? Had he not wanted to notice?

Leave? To find herself? Because of him.....

Rollie had his jacket on and was heading out of the door in a heartbeat.

"Lights Blue," Rollie said, "I'll be back."

Blue barked and the lights dimmed. The door slammed shut.

Angie turned on the bath water. The hot water streamed onto the porcelain tub and steam started to rise. She breathed it in and smiled. She needed a long, hot bath, that was for certain. Letting Rollie catch her like that, so stupid of her. What if he'd seen?

Just as she started to take off her robe the doorbell rang. She groaned. Who would be knocking at a time like this?

She went to the door and peered through the peephole. She gasped. Rollie! A worried looking Rollie. Rollie knocked as she stared, looking at him.

"Coming!" she said, checking her robe, and unlocked the several locks on her door.

She swung it open.

"Rollie!" she said, "What's wrong?"

Rollie cleared his throat nervously, glancing away from her attire.

"Nothing, Ang, nothing," he said, "can I come in?"

Angie hesitated, and then shrugged, stepping aside. Rollie walked into her apartment.

"Want something?" Angie said, locking the doors and walking towards the kitchen, "I've got herbal tea, some wheat grain-"

"No, thanks," Rollie said, "Just, uh, could we talk about something?"

Angie walked back into her living room.

"What?" she said.

"Sit down," Rollie said.

Rollie sat in an easy chair, Angie plopped down on the couch.

"So," Angie said slowly, "what's up?"

Rollie took a deep breath, seeming to gather his thoughts.

"Angie after you left," Rollie said, "I was worried. I know you were crying. I thought-"

"You looked didn't you," Angie said, fear and slight anger coming into her eyes.

Rollie sighed.

"Angie, hold on," he said, "I wasn't sure what was wrong, so I-"

"Oh my God, you looked!" Angie yelled, and jumped to her feet, "How could you do that? That was personal!"

"I didn't realize that at first, Ang," Rollie said, "I didn't know what it was! I didn't realize until-"

"Until you started reading," Angie said, in shock, "You read it?"

"Well," Rollie said uneasily, "Just small parts. I saw it at first, an entry, caught a glimpse of a few words and-"

"Oh God," Angie said again, walking behind the couch and beginning to pace, "Oh my God. I don't believe this."

"Angie, just calm down," Rollie said, "I-"

"I know what you're thinking!" Angie said, holding up her hand, "I know! Listen, I have a lot of stupid thoughts that come up, stuff I don't really mean-"

"Angie," Rollie said firmly, standing up, "don't lie to me. You wouldn't write those things if you didn't mean them."

"How much did you read?" Angie said after a long pause, her arms crossed in front of her.

"A few entries," Rollie said, "in particular the last one. Angie, I don't want you to leave."

"Rollie," Angie said, sadness in her eyes, "If you don't want me to leave, I won't-"

"No, Ang," Rollie said, "Love, I don't want you, to want to leave. I want to know why you'd want to."

"You read," Angie said softly.

"I want you to tell me," Rollie said, walking up to her.

Angie walked away and sat back down on the couch. She groaned, and put her head in her hands. Rollie walked over and sat next to her.

"Angela," he said softly, "talk to me."

Angie looked up at Rollie, her eyes piercing through him. For the first time, he understood what was there.

"Oh Rollie," she said softly, "I, how can I explain to you?"

"Just say whatever it is you want to," Rollie said, "say what you feel."

"What I feel," Angie mumbled, then looked intently at him, "how can I? You don't understand, for so long-"

"Then help me understand," Rollie said.

Angie shook her head and sighed.

"Rol," she said, "you've been everything to me for so long. After Papa died, you were my world, my life, my family. You have been since then, and you are now. I love you."

"And I love you, Ang," Rollie said earnestly.

"No," Angie said, shaking her head, "you don't."

"Ang-" Rollie started.

"Not that way!" Angie interrupted, "Not that way."

Rollie paused at that. Reading it was one thing. Hearing her say it was another.

"So," he said slowly, "you mean-"

"Yes Rollie," Angie said impatiently, "that's what I mean."

She groaned again, and looked down.

"I don't believe this," she mumbled, then slammed her hand down on the couch, "Why did you have to read that?"

"Angie," Rollie said, "Listen to me, love. I never realized. You're my family too. I love you more than anything, I have for a long time. I just never thought of you, well, I mean-"

"I'm Manny's little girl, right?" Angie said.

"Right," Rollie admitted, softly.

"I haven't been a little girl for some time, Rollie," Angie said, "for quite some time."

"Yeah," Rollie said, "I know."

Events, memories, flashed through Rollie's mind. Occurrences, words spoken, that never meant anything to him before, now he realized had meant something. Double meanings, hidden feelings.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Rollie breathed.

"I couldn't," Angie said, "I could just imagine. Your mouth dropping to the floor, your eyes bulging, fainting."

"Angie," Rollie said, as if to dispute.

"Come on, Rol," she said, "You would've died. You should've seen the look on your face when you were at the door tonight. I could tell right then."

"Yeah, it was a shock," Rollie said, "but I didn't faint. I wanted to kick myself about a thousand times before. Angie I'm so sorry-"

"Don't say you're sorry!" Angie said firmly, "Don't! Please."

"Ok, ok," Rollie said, "but, well, Ang I never knew. I never thought. But now that I look back, now that I'm thinking-"

"I don't want you to look back, or think," Angie said, "I don't want to lose you, Rol. I don't want to lose you by trying to make you change. Everything's ruined."

"Angela!" Rollie said, "Nothing's ruined. And no one is losing anyone. I couldn't bear that. That's why I came tonight, when I read that. I couldn't bear losing you Ang. You are all that I've got."

Angie looked up at him, hearing him repeat her words back at her.

"I need you Ang," he said, "where would I be without you?"

A tear began to trickle down Angie's cheek, and she looked down again.

"Rollie," she said, her voice choked, "I-I don't want, couldn't bare for you, to say things you don't mean-"

"Angie," Rollie said, taking her chin with his finger and raising her head, "I never say anything I don't mean. I won't tell you I thought about, about 'us' all this time. But, the idea isn't necessarily revolting you know-"

"Oh, that's good," Angie said, rolling her eyes.

"You know what I mean!" Rollie said, and smiled slightly, "You've grown to be a beautiful woman Ang. You think I don't notice the way guys on the set look at you? I have to admit, I've been a little jealous before-"

"You," Angie said in disbelief, "jealous."

"Yes, me!" Rollie said, "Jealous. It happens you know."

Angie smiled in spite of herself, sniffing and wiping away the tear with her hand.

"I'm just a mess," she sniffed, "look at me."

Rollie's jaw tightened.

"I think you're beautiful," he said, "and seeing you cry has always made me feel like I was dying."

Angie sucked air through her teeth and hit Rollie softly with her fist.

"Why do you have to say things like that?" she said in a grumbling tone, "Why?"

Rollie smiled, and did his best Sean Connery impression.

"Because, my dear," he said, "that's what I do."

Angie laughed, and Rollie joined in a moment later. They softly chuckled, and Rollie leaned over her, taking a stray lock of hair and brushing it back away from her eye. Angie stopped laughing and stared at him, a heartbeat away.

A force, unknown to both, drew them slowly closer together, and their lips interlocked for a moment. Rollie came back quickly with a gasp.

"Oh, Ang, I'm sorry," he said quickly.

"No," Angie said, "no. That's, that's all right."

Angie reached up slowly, and grabbed the back of Rollie's head, pulling him closer. Eyes darting slightly, taking in each other's faces, they kissed again, longer this time. They parted. Rollie breathed out slowly.

"Bad?" Angie said.

"No," Rollie said, his eyebrows raised, "Not at all."

They stared at each other for a long moment. They both started to lean forward, then stopped.

"Too fast," Rollie mumbled.

Angie nodded.

"I should probably go," Rollie said, "it's late."

Angie nodded again.

"We'll talk more," Rollie said, "tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," Angie said.

Rollie got up, grabbed his coat and went to the door. Angie followed and unlocked it.

"Good night, Ang," Rollie said.

Angie smiled.

"Good night Rol," Angie replied.

Rollie left and Angie closed the door behind him. Angie locked the door, turned, and leaned back against it, taking a deep breath. Outside, Rollie did the same.

Time: Five days later. The beginning of "Red Storm."

They got back late from the party. She and Rollie had talked, extensively, over the next two days after all had come out. But he hadn't talked much these past couple of days. She was beginning to wonder if he was getting scared. They'd talked about getting serious, about the past, about their future. About a lot of things. He hadn't mentioned one in the past two days. Was something wrong?

Rollie had poured them some champagne.

"I feel like celebrating," he said.

Angie took the glass, and they drank "to them", to Angie's surprise.

"Give us a hug," Rollie asked, before she left, "come on, I'm feeling sentimental."

Angie shook her head, still surprised, and hugged him tightly, closing her eyes.

"What would I do without you Ang?" Rollie said.

"I have no idea," Angie said jokingly.

"No, I mean it," Rollie said, stroking her head, "What would I do without you?"

Was he pushing things along? Angie was shocked. He had wanted to slow down, needed to slow down. Now this? He came close to her, and their lips connected. A single thought rushed through Angie's mind a moment later:

This is not Rollie.

It shocked her, and she pushed herself away. His kiss. It wasn't his kiss. She had felt his kiss. This was a different man.

"What's wrong?" Rollie asked, looking confused.

Angie backed up, unable to speak.

"Angie," Rollie said, putting down the glasses and walking towards her, "Angie, hold on!"

"No," Angie said, and began to back towards the door.

"Angie," Rollie said more forcefully, "I said hold on."

"No!" Angie screamed, and turned to run.

Rollie leapt forward and grabbed her by the arm, spinning her around.

"I said no!" Angie yelled, trying to pull away.

Rollie grabbed both of her arms tightly, and kissed her, hard. Angie struggled away from his face, and smashed her foot down on his. He howled, letting her go. Frantic, she started again for the door, but Rollie skidded in front of her. Angie dashed up the stairs.

"Blue!" Angie yelled, "Dial 911!"

Rollie leapt up the steps two at a time and caught her two-thirds of the way up the stairs, tackling her. He bore her down painfully onto the steps, turning her over, and pinning her arms down.

"I said," Rollie growled, "what would I do without you? You can't leave!"

He kissed her hard again, Angie was unable to pull away. Her mind spinning, she brought her knee up into his groin. He groaned and let go slightly. Bringing her leg fully up, she kicked him off of her. Arms flailing, Rollie yelled as he fell backwards. He tumbled end over end down the steps, and landed with a thud at the bottom. The yell, hadn't been Rollie's.

The 911 operator was asking what was going on. Angie gave her address and said she'd caught a burglar. Carefully, cautiously, she made her way down the stairs. She reached the figure, lying at the bottom, his legs propped up across the bottom step, he head laying to one side. She reached down, and, instinctively, grabbed his face.

She gasped as a small surge of electricity sent a tingle up her hand, and Rollie's face morphed away, to be replaced by a plastic mask. She pulled it away, and gasped even harder. The unconscious face of Victor Loubar sent a chill down her spine.

* * *

"Where could he be, Mira?" Angie said.

They had interrogated Loubar all night, to no avail. He wouldn't tell what he'd done with Rollie. Angie feared the worse. She sat on the step, her head in her hands. After all this time, finally, it had come out, and now he might be dead.

"It's all right, Ang," Mira said, "I'm sure Rollie's fine. Loubar would've wanted him alive to accomplish, what he was trying to accomplish."

Angie nodded, and suddenly the door burst open.

"Angie!" a familiar voice yelled.

Angie's head shot up.

"Rollie!" she yelled.

Leaping off the steps she ran to him, and threw her arms around his neck. Rollie wrapped his arms around her waist and hung on.

"I thought you were dead!" she cried.

Rollie pulled her arms away and looked her over.

"Did he hurt you?" Rollie asked.

"No," Angie said, "Rollie, he was you. He pretended to be you. He, he tried to seduce me, to, to-"

Rollie drew Angie close again, and they embraced each other tightly.

"It's ok, love," Rollie said softly, "it's ok."

The day came and went. It was discovered quickly, Loubar's deception. Rollie's name was cleared easily thanks to the mask. Mira had said that evidence would easily account for the killings. Rollie and Angie sat on the couch in the loft, drinking some soda.

"Long day," Angie said softly.

"Yeah," Rollie said, "Long day."

"Suppose you want to turn in," Angie said, "I should probably go home."

"Yeah," Rollie said again, "long day tomorrow."

"Shooting to do," Angie said.

Rollie nodded. Angie started to get up, and then Rollie grabbed her arm.

"Angie wait," Rollie said, "I want to say something."

Rollie set down his drink.

"When I woke up," Rollie said, "and I figured out Loubar was the one who kidnapped me, when I remembered being kidnapped, I immediately thought of you. I realized I'd been out for a long time, and I, I couldn't bear the thought of what he might have done to you."

Rollie looked intently at Angie.

"I couldn't bear the thought of losing you," he said, "and, I guess, the things you can't bear the thought of losing, are the things you love."

Angie didn't reply to that. A tear formed, and began to fall gently down her face.

"Oh man," she said, "I'm crying again."

Rollie laughed, and put his hand to her cheek, wiping the tear away with his thumb.

"That's ok," Rollie said.

Angie took his hand, and rested her face in it.

"I do love you Rollie," Angie said, "You should know that. I want you to know that."

Rollie leaned back, and pulled Angie close. She lay across his chest.

"Oh, everything's changing," Angie said softly.

"I know," Rollie said, his voice a whisper, "but, love, sometimes change is a good thing. Yeah?"

Angie smiled.

"Yeah."

Rollie took a deep breath, and pulled the blanket across them.

"Blue," he called, "Lights."

The light faded in the loft, and the two slept there all night, together, in peace.