Title: Angels in a Cage: Chapter Twenty-four, Begin Anew
Rating: PG-13 [language, sexual situations, alcohol]

Summary: Chris and Alyssa wake together. Alyssa has family drama; Chris has loner drama. And beer seems to be the answer.





Waking with a warm body curled around his, Chris smiled. His arms tightened slightly about her, pulling her closer. He inhaled deeply, loving her sweet natural scent. He had never expected to find heaven on earth and most certainly not in the form of a beautiful young woman. It was certainly the greatest of all gifts and he understood not why he woke with such in his arms. His fingers reached up and caressed her face, causing her to stir, her eyes to flutter open. With little thought, he leaned forward and kissed her gently. Smiling under his kiss, Alyssa curled her arm around his neck, but did not deepen the kiss.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he muttered softly.

“Good morning, Chris,” she responded.

He dipped down and kissed her once more, “If I could wake every day in your arms…”

Alyssa’s eyes sparkled, “What?”

“I would be the luckiest man in the world.”

She smiled but said nothing. Taking her silence as approval, Chris kissed her again. His hand wandered from her face, gently tracing down her neck. Her lips parted, allowing his tongue to slip into her mouth. She gasped as his hand slid over her breast. His fingers did not linger but settled upon her abdomen. He shifted closer, his right leg crossing over her left. His lips left hers, following the same path his fingers had a moment before.

His hand slipped under the shirt and cupped her breast. Alyssa sighed, her hood eyes glancing down, as his mouth fastened upon the breast he held. Though the cotton fabric of the borrowed shirt barred his lips from actually touching her flesh, a soft moan passed her lips. Hearing her pleasure-filled moan, Chris’s hand slowly caressed down the soft flesh of her belly, inching his way to the band of her panties.

The moment his fingers touched her panties, Alyssa gasped and pushed his mouth away from her breast, “No.”

His green eyes went to hers, wavering slightly. Nodding he slowly rolled away, folding his arm over his eyes. Inhaling deeply he tried to quiet his libido. Glancing at him for a moment, Alyssa slipped out of the bed and hurried into the bathroom. Uncovering his eyes, he glanced at the closed door and sighed.

“I should not have done that,” he muttered. “I should not have touched her.”

The door to the bathroom opened a few moments later. His arm lifted from his face, his eyes going to hers. She met his gaze only briefly, before looking away. Silently she found her clothing and returned to the bathroom. Sighing once more, Chris rolled out of the bed. Though his head told him it was wrong to do as he had, his body, heart, and soul could not ignore the fact it had felt ever so perfect. He could not hurry his future, but oh how he wanted to feel her against him once more.

“I should go home,” her soft voice interrupted his thoughts, drawing his vacant stare from the wall.

“Aly, please,” he muttered. “I’m sorry. I should not have…”

“No,” she shook her head. “You have no need to apologize. I must go. You have much to do today.”

“I shouldn’t have to–”

“I am not ready for that,” she stated. “But that does not mean it was unpleasant. In fact… I think I liked it more than I am comfortable with. I will… I will either come see you again this evening or call. Good luck with your lawyer, Chris.”

“Alyssa… will you ate least have breakfast with me?”

She shook her head, turning to collect her things, “I can’t. I must go. I will get in touch with you this evening.”

Hurrying over to her, he reached for her hand, “I will miss you.”

She glanced over her shoulder and smiled, “I will miss you as well. Tonight, Chris.”



Slowly unlocking the front door of her house, Alyssa slipped in. She slowly crept towards the stairs, hoping to slip up to her bedroom without having to face her stepmother. Halfway up the stairs, Marilyn stepped into the foyer, calling to her. Stopping the teenager turned around and looked down to her stepmother.

“You have been absent for awhile now,” she stated.

“I… I was staying with David,” she responded.

“Your father told me as much,” she replied. “If that is to continue, we must go to the doctors immediately.”

“Excuse me?”

“I have made the appointment for Thursday,” Marilyn declared.

“What?”

“You’re going on birth control.”

She stared blankly at her stepmother. While it was not in the least bit unexpected, as Marilyn had once alluded to it before, the thoughts behind it bothered her. Did her stepmother believe she had spent the past few days hiding from her stalker by being in David’s bed?

“I am not having sex with him,” Alyssa declared defiantly.

Marilyn’s brows rose, “You expect me to believe when the two of you have spent the past four days together, without his parents at home? Lie to your father all you want, but you will not lie to me.”

“I am not lying!” Alyssa declared. “I am not having sex with David. Not now. Not ever.”

“Alyssa,” she warned.

“Ugh!” she threw up her hands. “I am not fucking David. He is my best friend, not my boyfriend, not my lover. I am not a slut.”

Before Marilyn could say another word, Alyssa stomped up the stairs and her room, slamming the door behind her. A moment later a knock sounded on the door, but Alyssa merely glowered at it, daring her stepmother to open it and enter. The door did not open, though another knock sounded. Picking up her pillow, she threw it at the door in response.

Anger filling her soul, Alyssa stomped into her bathroom and turned the shower on. Tears ran down her cheeks as she stepped into the hot shower a few moments later. Standing under the hot water, she leaned against the tiles. The implications of her stepmother’s words struck her to the core. She was no whore, did not give herself willing to anyone. She thought… she thought…

“If she fucking thinks I’m a slut, she hasn’t seen anything yet,” she growled and pushed away from the tiles.



Looking over the formal document once last time, Chris nodded and handed it back. Shaking the lawyer’s hand, he accepted assurance the matter would be handled quickly and discreetly. With a smile on his face, he left the office three hours after arriving, but quite a bit happier. His life was slowly becoming his own. Before long, he would be rid of Susan, personally and professionally. Life would begin anew – and most assuredly with Alyssa.

With half a mind to find her and tell her the good news, Chris headed to his car. Slipping in behind the wheel, he considered his options, wondering where to go. He had no idea where to find Alyssa, except perhaps at work. However, if she had intended to go to work, she would have mentioned as much. Perhaps he could stop by there and get a better idea where to look for her.

But no, he needed to tell the band of his immediate plans. And he needed to gather his things from Susan’s house. Deciding that the more prudent of actions, he headed to his… soon-to-be-ex-wife’s house. Pulling into the street, he slowed the vehicle down, his green eyes focusing on the car in the driveway. Taking a deep breath, he continued pass the house. He could not go there - not now, not while she was fucking his friend on their bed.

What he needed then was a good stiff drink. Kim’s was the only place that would suit his mood. Speeding down the highway a few minutes later, he lit a cigarette. Two puffs into it, he ground it out and tossed it out the window. The lingering thoughts of that she-bitch made even the best of tobacco taste poor.

Pulling up in front of Kim’s house, Chris hoped to whatever deity was above the guitarist was home. He saw no sign of life as he headed up to the front door and that made his already dark soul sink. He did not expect the door to be answered, as he knocked, not in the least. After remaining there for a few long minutes, Chris sighed and turned back to his car. He glanced once more at the house before opening his car door and slipped in. Sighing again, he decided the only place to go was back to his hotel.

Or else he supposed Alyssa’s coffeehouse.



Shoving a few changes of clothes into her backpack, Alyssa wished for once that her windows faced the front of the house, instead of the back. She slung it over her shoulder and headed out. As she had not heard her father return that evening, she was certain as long as she avoided her younger sister, she would be free to leave as she pleased. Two steps beyond Judith’s bedroom door, she believed she made it – until the door opened.

“Where are you going?”

“Out,” Alyssa stated.

“But you only came home today,” Judith stated.

“I can’t stay here.”

“Why not?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Alyssa replied.

“I’m not as young as you think I am.”

She looked at her younger sister for a long moment, “You’re nine years old, Jude.”

“I’m nearly a young woman,” she stood straighter. “Mother says I might need a training bra soon.”

Smiling crookedly, Alyssa patted the younger girl’s shoulder, “One day I will explain it all to you, Jude. I promise. But for now, I need you to keep my secret. Can you do that?”

“What secret?”

“Don’t tell Mom or Dad that I’ve gone.”

“They will notice your car is gone,” she pointed out.

Alyssa kissed the young girl’s forehead, “Which is precisely why I will not be taking it. Good night, Jude.”

Watching her sister walk away, the young girl muttered, “You’re going to get in a whole lot of trouble, Aly.”

Hurrying down the steps, she slipped out of the front door quietly. Keeping to the shadows, she hurried to the corner down the street. She waited only a few minutes before a car pulled up. With a grin, she climbed in, her eyes meeting the driver.

“If you okayed this with your parents again, why did I have to pick you up here?” David asked, turning away from her block.

“My dad wasn’t actually home,” she stated.

“Ah,” he glanced at her. “And your stepmom doesn’t know?”

Alyssa shrugged.

“I don’t mind lying to your parents for you, Aly. I know you must have reason to be away from there. But you’re going to have to give me something for all my effort,” he stated.

“Would a hand job suffice?”

David slammed on the brakes, “What the fuck did you just say?”

“I’m not going to suck you off, if that’s what you were hoping.”

He stared at her without blinking for a long moment, “Fuck, Aly. You drew the line in the sand. We are not crossing it. I was just hoping you’d at least fucking buy me dinner.”

“Oh… well yes, of course. Where?”

He continued to stare at her, “Tell me where I’m taking you.”

“Just leave me downtown. I’ll find my way from there.”

“No. I will not fucking do that. Not with that fucker stalking you out there,” David argued. “I have half a mind to take you back home right now.”

“So that she can ask you how good it felt fucking me? Very well then.”

He remained silent for a moment, “She thinks we’re fucking?”

“She does. Probably thinks I’m fucking all our other friends too.”

He ran his hands through his hair, “Fine. We won’t go back there. Where am I taking you?”

“The coffeehouse then. I’ll call Chris from there and you can wait until he arrives to make sure I’m safe,” Alyssa offered.

“You’re going to fuck him, aren’t you?”

“It’s none of your business.”

He leaned over, “Don’t be stupid, Aly. Please.”

“Just take me to the coffeehouse.”



Dipping biscotti into his coffee, Chris sighed. The particular barista working that evening was not one he knew and that complicated matters greatly. How was he to locate Alyssa if the person did not know he meant her no harm? But he did not want to go back to the hotel and drink alone for some reason. Therefore, he ordered a coffee and a sweet biscuit, slinking into the booth near the window. Just as he crunched on the biscotti, the door opened and in walked two young people. Though he did not see the girl’s face, he knew instantly it was her with the way his heart halted. Setting the rest of the food down, he got to his feet and slowly approached the two.

“Aly?”

The girl quickly turned around, her eyes lighting up, “Chris! I didn’t expect to find you here. I was just going to call you.”

His eyes flicked to the young man who turned as well, “Is everything… okay?”

She nodded, noticing his stare, “Chris, this is my best friend, David. David, this is my boyfriend, Chris.”

Chris held out his hand, “Nice to meet you.”

“Uh, you too,” David shook his hand.

“And now you’ve met. And you can see Chris is here, so you can go,” Alyssa stated.

He looked to her, a thousand questions in his eyes. Nevertheless, he did not utter even one, merely pulled her aside. He hugged her tightly for a long moment.

“Don’t be stupid,” he whispered in her ear. “And you can call me any time if you need help.”

“I’ll be just fine,” she pulled away. “Thanks for the ride.”

He nodded and headed towards the door, glancing once more at Chris. Shaking his head, David left her there, although worry firmly lodged itself in his mind.

Alyssa turned back to Chris, “How was I supposed to get a hold of you here?”

He smirked, “I don’t know. I just… didn’t want to go to the hotel alone.”

Concern instantly lit in her eyes, “Did the meeting with the lawyer not go well?”

“No no. That was fantastic. I just… went home to get some of my things and he was there,” he muttered softly.

She glanced at the table with the coffee cup on it before meeting his eyes again, “Do you want to go back to the hotel?”

“Definitely.”

The couple quickly left the café, climbing into Chris’s car. He did not ask about her bag, but presumed it did not have homework in it. Reaching the hotel in little time, they headed up to his suite. She tossed her bag into a chair near the door, while he retreated to the phone to call up room service. Pulling two ridiculously expensive beers out of the mini bar, he sat beside Alyssa on the couch, holding out one of the beers.

As Chris recounted the meeting with his lawyer, she nursed the beer. By the time their ordered dinner arrived, his story reached the end of the lawyers and her head spun slightly. She listened quietly as he continued to tell how he drove back to his house while they ate, focusing more on how it made him felt than the actual action. Setting the dirty dishes in the hallway, Chris opened two more beers before finishing his tale with meeting her at the café.

“And your day?” he finally asked.

Alyssa set down her empty bottle and hiccupped, “It doesn’t matter. We’re together now. That’s all that matters.”

Setting down his bottle as well, he reached and tucked hair behind her ear, “I’m glad you found me. I was already antsy to see you again.”

“I could not wait to be with you either,” she declared and leaned forward to kiss him.

Letting her lead the kiss for a moment, Chris leaned back before it deepened, “I am sorry about this morning. I… let myself get away from me.”

“I was merely… not expecting it. But now… now…”

He looked into her eyes, “Now?”

Alyssa hiccupped again, “If you want me, you can have me.”

As he continued to look at her, he could not believe she was offering him such a gift. The question was not whether he wanted her, because he did. But not right then, not like that. He did not want her to regret it when she sobered up – or worse, not remember it. Leaning forward he kissed her softly once more.

“When the time is right, that will happen,” he muttered.

Her eyes widened, “You don’t want me?”

Chris grasped both of her hands, “I want you. I want you very much, Aly. But not tonight. Not when alcohol muddles your choices and darkens your eyes. I want you when you come to me completely and fully in charge. I want you when it is right.”

“But… but…”

He leaned forward and kissed her softly, “When the time is right.”