[O] [AU] Run.

"I'm always eager. I'm a slut for blonde Ukranian girls, and you're the only one I can find without paying thousands for a mail order bride."

Angela shimmied out of the tight jeans she was wearing at the admittance, and slung them back away from the shower. She could buy those jeans a thousand times over if they got damaged, but she didn't want to waste money for wasting's sake.

"All my fantasies here, beautiful, and you're just not into it." Angela stepped into the shower behind Rai and carefully gathered together her matted hair.

"I think you totally owe me an Angela sandwich with your Iraqi boy toy when you're feeling more like your beautiful self."

Her hands ran gently over Rai's hair, and she began muttering spells. You'd be surprised what magic had adapted to doing in this age of selfish modern pampering. 

As she chanted, the tangles and smaller mats in Rai's long hair began to unravel and straighten out. Some of the mats were too big, sadly. They'd have to be cut out, but most of the hair would survive.

That brought a small laugh from the woman. Thankfully she'd come to Italy of her own free will.

"I'd be more willing if I didn't feel the way I do."

At the moment fullfilling Angela's fantasies was the last thing on her mind.

"We'll have to see about that, Khaliq and I have been apart longer than we were together, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he's move on already."

That thought left a bad taste in her mouth, she'd clung to the memory of him and the desire to get back to him as her one lifeline while she had been held captive. If that was gone now, she didn't quite know how she'd keep herself together.

Still, she wasn't selfish enough to have thought that Liq would have waited around for the chance that she might return, they had all thought she'd died, after two years it would be only natural that he'd move on.

Still... That didn't make it hurt less.

Rai went about rubbing soap against her body, gradually the grime wiped away, her skin coming up shades lighter.

"We've got time," Angela assured as her fingers combed through damp hair, carefully avoiding the few mats she hadn't be able to salvage.

"You're talking out of your arsehole," Angela snorted. "Which is all that's left of that glorious ass you used to have."

"If you think he's actually moved on from you, you don't now him half as well as you fucking should, stupid bitch. You know how much that boy's been hanging around the parlour with that beast of yours? Moping about."

Angela shook her head with a rough sigh. She was almost sick of the ten foot tall child lowering the mood of the shop all the time.

Hell, even Tibor had gotten to the point that he was sick of the moping, and Ti was hurting just as much over her going missing.

"And after you've had all the makeup sex you can stand with him, and gotten that ass of yours back, and maybe your tits, too, I expect that sandwich, nice and hot, to be delivered at my door."

Raisa was grateful for the spray of the shower, it masked the tears that slid down her cheeks as Angela spoke, at this point she didn't know which was worse, the thought that he might have moved on or the fact that he hadn't.

She took no solace in the knowledge that Khaliq had mourned and missed her, it meant that she wasn't the only one suffering over these two years.

Desperately she wanted to see him, Tibor too, she wanted to forget as best she could and go back to the time that it felt like she had everything.

"Thank you Angela..."

She'd repay the woman for this, she'd scooped her off the street and tried to mend her, most of all she was grateful that the woman hadn't tried to ask her what had happened. Reliving it wasn't going to make it any better, Rai already felt haunted by those memories.

"I'll be sure to make good on that special delivery."

Angela snorted. "I don't know what you're thanking me for."

If there was one thing Angela couldn't stand, it was being thanked for her good deeds. She'd seen too much of it in her home life. Too much expectancy for thanks, too much sick bragging and using it against people later. Her father, her mother, her sister. They all did it, and she refused. Angela was more likely to deny that she did anything nice at all than accept thanks for it.

"You damn well better. And if you bring something fun for us to lick off each other? I wouldn't complain."

Rai laughed softly, Angela never could handle gratitude very well, it was good to know that things hadn't changed at all.

She went about set about scrubbing her skin clean, will all that infection pulled out of her body it looked a lot better, once she had something to eat and a rest the wounds would probably heal themselves back up.

The scarring around her wrists, neck and ankles still looked quite raw but that was to be expected.

Still once she was cleaned she stepped out of the shower and moved to sit on the closed toilet.

"I'm so tired." Today had sapped what was left of her energy from her.

Angela pushed her wet hair back out of her face and followed Rai out of the shower, leaning against the cubicle.

"I'm not surprised."

Rai looked like shit, and Angela was sure she felt even worse.

"The guest bed is free, and my bed is open to you if you need the contact."

Sleeping in Angela's room was a tempting offer, she honestly didn't know how she'd handle being alone in a room tonight.

Still, she had to at least try, knowing someone was close by was comfort enough.

"I'll try the guest bed..."

She took a towel and dried herself off, she'd have a long rest then continue this in the morning, she doubted she could sit up long enough to cut the matted dreads out of her hair.

Pushing herself up she padded down toward the guest bedroom and shuffled into bed, leaving the bedroom door wide open so the light from the hallway could filter in.

"Well, if you insist."

Angela watched Rai as she made her way to the guest room, and stood in the doorway for a long moment before heading towards her own room.

She stripped of the last piece of clothing she was wearing - her soaking wet panties, and kicked them aside as she crawled into her large bed. She'd left the bedroom door slightly open, and put her lamp on low, knowing that she'd have Rai in her bed soon, and Rai looked horrified enough that she doubted she'd do well in the dark.

Rai had always been so independent, how she felt now was so unlike herself.

For the first time in years she lay in a comfortable bed but sleep evaded her.

Every shadow seemed to move, th wounds of the house had her on edge, she lay there trying to will herself to sleep unsuccessfully for over and hour.

She was free now but she was afraid.

Slipping out of bed she peeked out into the hall and made her way to Angela's room, slipping into the woman's bed and curling in against her, wrapping her arms tightly around the woman's frame.

Angela cracked an eye open groggily when she heard the light patter of Rai's footsteps.

She lifted an arm and let Rai curl against her and cling to her.

She nuzzled into blonde hair and settled back to sleep.

It took another hour before Raisa was finally able to settle.

The sound of Angela's steady heartbeat and breathing soothed her, someone was close, she was safe.

Slowly she settled enough to be able to fall asleep, curling in against the woman.

The morning dragged on without her waking, with the sun filtering through the bedroom window she felt much safer.

Dead to the world as Rai was, it was easy for Angela to slip out of bed in the morning, and call in sick to work. She wasn't going anywhere today.

Then she took to cooking; something she only ever did with someone else in the house, but was incredibly good at when she did make the effort.

She cooked up a few thick, fluffy pancakes and some bacon. She didn't want Rai to see all the food and eat until she made herself sick. With how stick thin she was, it would take Rai weeks to be able to eat decently again.

Raisa slept late, not even noticing the mattress shifting a Angela got up. With daylight illuminating the room she felt safe, this that had harmed her couldn't get to her now.

It was nearly noon before she finally stirred, getting her baring took a long moment as she looked around the room wearily.

Everything that had happened last night began to sink in. Rai took a moment to properly appreciate how comfortable Angela's bed watch, stretching out her aching body before slowly getting to her feet.

"Angela?"

She called out, padding out into the hall and toward the sound of the woman moving about.

"Kitchen," she called out when Rai called her name.

When Rai found her way to the kitchen, Angela was sat at the breakfast bar with a mug of coffee in hand. Her plate was untouched but still steaming, as was Rai's, in the spot besides her.

"I'm playing hairdresser today. You wanna go blue again or stay looking like one of my wet dreams?"

The smell of food hit her nose the stomach twisted in pain, she hadn't had the scent of proper cooked food around her for so long.

Already her mouth was watering as she moved a little faster, perching herself in the chair beside the woman.

"This looks so good..."

Before she even completely sat down she had picked up a slice of bacon and stuffed it into her mouth whole. Even after her first mouthful her stomach was churning in protest but she didn't listen, she was starving.

The question about her hair almost went unanswered as she focused on the food.

"Uh...I hadn't thought about it."
Honestly her hair was the last thing on her mind and at the moment she really didn't care how it looked.

"I'll let you choose."

"Don't overdo it. You'll have a lot to clean if you end up puking on my floor."

With Rai sat down and eating, Angela began as well.

Angela licked her lips clean of bacon fat and let her eyes run over Rai.

"Well, as much as I would love for a blonde Ukranian chick in my bed, I think you'd look too much like Avril Lavigne if you stayed blonde. That's a boner killer right there."

Rai gave a nod, she definitely didn't want to end up throwing this up though she knew she would if she didn't slow down.

Instead she began to pick at her food, taking uncharacteristically small bites in order to give her stomach a chance to actually accept it.

"Looking like Avril Lavigne is a big no."
There had been a good reason she always kept her hair a dark shade in the past.

"Then blue you shall be."

Angela pointed her fork at Rai accusingly. "And not with any of that store bought crap. Seriously, you'll make your hair fall out. I don't know how non-witches deal with all the chemicals and shit. And having to touch up! Who has time for that? I don't want people to see my roots and know I dye it. Fuck that shit."

The witches way of dying hair is much easier to maintain.

Rai continued to slowly eat all the food put before her, stopping herself from forging and devouring it all as fast as possible was difficult.

"This is so good."

She had missed real food, she'd forgotten what it was like to ear something that was festering.

The she wolf raised a quizzical eyebrow, she didn't quite know the art of witch hair dying.

"How do you do it then?"

Colour didn't come without chemicals in her experience.

"Faith, trust and pixie dust, dear Fido."

Angela dropped her fork down onto her empty plate and stood, brushing off her thighs.

"Finish up."

She picked up her plate and made her way towards the dishwasher.

She didn't need to be told twice to eat, going about devouring what was left on her plate with a content purr.

Rai practically licked her plate clean before finally setting it into the dishwasher.

Having faith in Angela was easy, in the last twelve hours the woman had done everything to get her back to some sense of normality.

She pulled the length of her hair over her shoulder to get a look at it, it looked better than it had but still had a way to go.

"I'll leave it in your capable hands then."

Angela's green eyes brightened with a malicious sort of mischief. "I'll go get the garden shears. I'll have you looking like Cyndi Lauper circa '85 in no time!"

Angela darted off, and returned a few minutes later with a fabric pouch in one hand, and a pink craft tote bag slung over the other.

"Ready to go blue again, gorgeous?"

"I've suddenly lost all confidence in your ability and taste."

As Angela darted off Rai made herself comfortable and sat back down to wait for her.

Her brow raised as she eyed the equipment the woman brought back this was obviously not going to be like any hairdresser experience that she'd ever had.

"Fuck you, my taste is impeccable."

Angela dumped the tote on the kitchen counter and opened it up, pulling out a book and flipping it open.

Inside were pages after pages of pressed flowers.

She kept flicking through them, looking for one particular flower.

"You wouldn't have taken me on as your young padawan if I didn't have impeccable taste." Rai had pretty much shown her the ropes when she had gotten back into tattooing after getting her doctorate.