Summary: Faith gets out of jail, things continue going down hill between Spike and Xander.
Disclaimer: Premise and characters borrowed from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel".
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Because you are the Slayer. Into each generation a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world, a Chosen One, one born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires..." - Giles, "Welcome to the Hellmouth"
Faith fidgeted nervously as she waited for the doors to open, doors that hadn't opened for her in six and a half years. It was a big day, parole, a second chance and a friend waiting for her on the other side of those heavy steel doors.
A little better than three month ago the news she had a visitor had been a shock only second to the whole 'you're a Slayer' thing. When she'd seen Angel after so many years her first reaction had been to turn around and walk out, but apparently the anger management classes were actually worth the time she spent in them, because she'd sat down and picked up the phone..
~~~*~~~
."I know," Faith had said sarcastically. "Time just flew, what's half a decade between friends."
Angel had looked away uncomfortably. "Sorry, you know the job's a killer," he'd replied.
"You don't look overly dead," Faith had said.
This time Angel met her eyes squarely through the glass, "You should have seen me seven months ago."
And Faith had seen something that was downright scary in his dark eyes. "Oh screw this, I don't care if everyone thinks I'm crazy. You were dead? As in ashes to ashes, dust to dust dead?"
Angel shrugged. "Lost a fight about five years back," he'd said. "Before that I acted like an idiot for a few months, you probably should be mad at me for not visiting then."
"Wow, I really miss out on the gossip in here," Faith had remarked, in a voice that was more stunned than anything else. "So you died and no one even bothered to tell me. guess I can't really blame them. Still. Damn, now I feel rotten for the year or so I spent hating you. I'm glad you're better now. um is there any other news I've missed out on being in here?"
Angel had looked tired as he considered how to answer that question. "Xander's like me now."
"You mean with the grr?" Faith had asked making what Angel supposed was a human approximation of a vampire face.
"Yeah, and with having a soul," Angel had trailed off for a few moments more. "Buffy died, a few months after I did."
"Damn," Faith had exclaimed. "I bet she was saving the world or something like that."
"She made her death count," Angel had said, a touch of bittersweet pride colored his voice.
"That's B, a real, live hero," Faith had replied. "Have you met the new girl?"
"There was no new Slayer," Angel had said hesitantly. "The line runs through you now."
~~~*~~~
.She'd never intended to become a bad person, Faith thought as the doors began to swing open. And when she'd recognized what she'd become Faith had hated herself. She'd hated the things she'd done.
That was what prison was about, paying for the things she'd done wrong in her life. She'd never expected the news of Buffy's death to hit her like it had.
Faith had looked at herself as being the second string Slayer. Sort of like the spare tire in the trunk of your car, the one you routinely cursed for taking up space and if you ever actually needed it you could only count on it for a handful of miles so you just prayed that it was going to be good enough to hold up until you could replace it with another real tire. Who would ever want her when they could have Buffy?
Faith had never felt the whole Sacred Duty thing. Buffy was the one with a destiny; Faith was just a mistake. Sure she had enjoyed the slaying, not to mention the strength and invulnerability that came with being a Slayer, but the responsibility had never felt like it was hers.
Hearing that she was the only Slayer now, that her mistakes, her past had left the world without any Slayer for the past five years left Faith with a new sort of guilt. Left her with the feeling that people had counted on her and she'd let them down. Angel's visits had been the only thing that kept had kept her sane for the last three months of her jail stay. It'd been hell, living with the knowledge that everyday she was in jail was another day the world suffered for her mistakes.
Well not after tonight, Faith thought with determination. Starting tonight the Slayer was back and she wasn't going to betray the memories of all the girls who'd gone before her, not again.
Carrying a barely filled duffle bad containing everything she owned Faith walked out of the prison that had been her whole world for years.
"Angel!" she exclaimed happily upon seeing the souled vampire waiting for her. Impulsively Faith hugged the man who'd been her only visitor during her entire sentence.
For a moment Angel stiffened then he awkwardly returned her embrace. "Ready to get out of here?" he asked.
"Let's blow this joint," Faith laughed.
"Kate's waiting in the car," Angel said as they left the building. "She pulled some strings and got assigned as your probation officer. She understands about our world, you won't get in trouble for being the Slayer with her." Angel offered Faith a half smile. "Think of her as your new Watcher."
Catching a glimpse of the blonde woman waiting for them Faith asked, "Wasn't she the detective that arrested me?"
"She was. Is that going to be a problem?" Angel asked.
"Naw, it'll be good to see a familiar face," Faith replied with a grin. "So when can I get to work?"
~~~*~~~
"Candles, romantic music, fancy food; I like this," Anya said looking around the apartment.
Xander smiled. "I guess that means I haven't totally forgotten the niceties of dating," he said as he pulled a chair out for her.
"Are we having a special occasion?" Anya asked worriedly, as she sat. "I don't remember today being any sort of anniversary and it would be very bad if I forgot, because woman aren't supposed to forget anniversaries, that's the man's thing. After a century of vengeance I know these sort of stuff."
Xander scooted her chair in then leaned down to hug her, resting his cheek against hers for a long moment. "Relax, enjoy, it's not that kind of a special occasion," he said then kissed her and took his own seat. "I just wanted to do something to show you how I felt about you."
"I. um" Anya smiled brilliantly. "I feel all warm and mushy. I'd forgotten warm mushies, they're very pleasant."
Xander started to reply when a small chest crashed through the window followed by several large demons.
"Not now!" Xander exclaimed, pulling Anya protectively behind him.
The lead demon opened the chest, "It's not here," the demon exclaimed, a confused expression on it's face. Then a cloud of dust glowing with magic rose from the open box to surround the demons. They roared in mindless fury and turned to attack Xander and Anya.
~~~*~~~
"Here they are, safe and sound," Kate announced once they arrived at the office. Faith rolled her eyes at the way the former detective delivered her into Wesley's custody then was surprised to catch a similar expression of frustration on Angel's face.
"Thank you. Um. Faith. welcome," Wesley stammered uncomfortably.
"Hey." Faith said. Then she took a deep fortifying breath, glanced at Angel for reassurance and plunged in. "I'm sorry about last time, with the. you know. um torture. I really am sorry. and about hitting you," Faith tagged on with a glance toward Cordelia. "I know I don't deserve this chance, so well, thanks for letting me have it."
"Water under the bridge," Wesley said graciously. "I would like to discuss some ground rules and expectations with you however."
"Sure thing," Faith replied eagerly. "It's good to know the rules, helps keep you from breaking them. I want to be a good Slayer now."
Wesley ushered Faith into the inner office. She took a chair, squirming slightly.
"Angel Investigations is a team," Wesley started off. "And I expect you to behave as a part of that team. That means no going off on your own to kill things."
"Okay, I can handle that."
"Initially I intend to keep you paired with either Gunn, Cordy or myself. You've been out of the game for years; it will take time to re-establish your judgment in combat situations. You will respect our decisions; if we decide to call in reinforcements or to withdraw, you won't argue. We will set the objectives for your missions as well."
"Why don't you pair me with Angel?" Faith asked, trying not to be challenging.
Then it was Wesley's turn to fidget uncomfortably. "At times, frequently in truth, the entire team will be working as a unit, in which case you will be working with Angel," Wesley equivocated. "But in situations calling for smaller teams it makes sense to pair the two of you with a human so that the teams are more balanced."
"Okay, whatever," Faith said trying not to frown. She didn't know why Wesley was so opposed to her working with Angel, but that wasn't it. She liked patrolling with Buffy. The two of them, together, it had made her feel invincible. She'd imagined working with Angel would be the same. With a normal person she'd have to look out for them. Still Buffy had teamed with the Scoobs and she was turning over a new leaf. "I'm five by five with it," Faith concluded in a less sulky tone.
"Good to hear," Wesley replied. "Now on to the lesser matters. We open the office at."
~~~*~~~
Xander surveyed the remains of his romantic dinner, the three demon corpses and the damage to the apartment in general. "And so goes another typical date on the Hellmouth," he sighed.
"It's the thought that counts," Anya said poking cautiously at a trace of shimmery green powder in the bottom of the chest. "Colme powder," She said analytically. "No wonder they were so violent. It's odd, I received an order of the stuff by mistake at the magic box the other day. I was going to send it back. The last thing Sunnydale needs is a substance that makes most demons go nuts."
"What happened to it?" Xander asked.
"I don't know. It turned up missing before I had the chance to get it re-boxed for shipping."
~~~*~~~
"Is this how it always is?" Faith complained. "I'm just asking for some action."
Gunn shrugged sympathetically and handed her a sword and a polishing rag. "Something'll come up, eventually."
"I just feel like I should be doing something. Back in Sunnydale I could have probably counted the number of quiet nights on my fingers," Faith said. " B and I found something worth fighting damn near every time we went for a walk, here we don't even bother to patrol."
"In LA it's hard to tell the integrated demons from the legitimate targets until they started stirring up trouble," Gunn replied.
"Still if I were out there." Faith protested.
"Then there's the whole human bad guy element," Gunn continued. "We ain't vigilantes, can't go out and kill 'em. We have to settle for foilin' they're plans."
"How do you know what's going on if you're always holed up in here?" Faith asked.
"Cordy watches the net and now she's gettin' the visions again, Wes has his prophecies and I maintain contacts around town," Gunn said.
"And what about Angel?" Faith asked.
"Angel hasn't been back long," Gunn said.
~~~*~~~
"You're sure that's what it says on the order form?" Anya asked. ". Thank you for checking."
"The order wasn't a mistake was it?" Xander asked.
Anya shook her head, frowning. "He swears it was all spelled out, colme powder was the order, they even paid for it with the store's credit card.
"Who could have gotten access to that? As if I didn't know," Xander said.
Anya looked uncertain. "But Spike couldn't throw the chest through the window, I might have gotten hurt, the chip would have stopped him."
"That's a pretty indirect form of harm, he might not have even know you were home," Xander replied. "We don't know exactly what the chip's limits are."
~~~*~~~
"Why didn't Angel come with us?" Faith asked.
"Faith please," Wesley said offering her his cupped hands.
Faith shook her head; took a few running steps then jumped up to the air vent then pulled herself in.
"He came up with the plan, He's got to be as bored as Gunn and I were," she argued as she squirmed back around and gave Wesley a hand up.
"Angel was the best person to translate that text," Wesley replied. "Now could we deal with this nest?"
"I was just thinking, you're the Watcher," Faith pointed out with a grunt as she pulled him into the vent after her.
"And Angel is the one who actually speaks Gaelic as a native language," Wesley sighed waiting for Faith to get turned back around in the narrow confines of the vent. "Please concentrate on the task at hand."
"We're the distraction right?" Faith asked crawling through the vents.
"Yes, we need to lure the adult Zekary off," Wesley said following her.
"I think Angel should have gone with Gunn," Faith said. "Which way?"
"Take a left," Wesley replied. "Vampires and fire aren't really a good mix."
"Like humans so much safer with it," Faith replied. "We're getting closer."
"How can you tell?" Wesley asked.
"Can't you smell it?" Faith asked drawing a knife. "If that stench is natural then I'm a graduate of finishing school."
Faith punched out a grating and dropped into the room below. "Hey ugly!" she yelled.
Wesley dropped besides her, pulling a short-handled battle-ax from his belt just in time to see the purplish alligator-looking demon swing its snout toward Faith.
"Yeah, I'm talking to you!" Faith taunted. "Come on, catch me if you can."
The demon took a step toward them. Faith threw her dagger; it's sunk to the hilt in the shoulder joint of the creature's foreleg.
"Time to go," Faith said as she and Wesley turned to run.
About a hundred yards further down the tunnel Faith skidded to a stop. "Oh screw this," She said. "Slayers don't run away."
"Faith!" Wesley protested stopping as well. "What about the plan? What about your promise?"
"I'm the * Slayer *, I can handle this," Faith replied darting in and ripping her dagger free of the demon's body, then dancing back out of range of it's teeth.
"We will be discussing this later," Wesley said moving to join the fight.
~~~*~~~
"No," Dawn said shaking her head. "Spike wouldn't have done that."
"Because he's such a fine upstanding citizen?" Xander asked sarcastically.
"Because I told him to leave you alone!" Dawn snapped.
"That's hardly proof of his innocence," Anya said.
"You don't understand," Dawn cried. "Spike needs me."
"And Xander's been trying to take you away from him," Willow pointed out. "If you two showed me the chest I have a spell that might clear things up a little."
~~~*~~~
"Ribs?" Angel asked, noting how Faith moved.
"Cracked, at least three of 'em," she replied.
"I'll go get the tape," Cordy said.
"The Zekary caught up with you before you got to the ledges?" Angel asked frowning. "I should have come."
"We would have been fine if Faith had stuck with the plan." Wesley said glaring at Faith.
"Oh," Angel said. "Gunn how did things go on you're end?"
Gunn grinned and wiped the ash off his face. "Toasted 'em." he said unshouldered the flame-thrower.
"Good to hear," Angel replied helping Faith to a chair.
"Don't worry Angel, Slayer healing remember?" Faith said. "I'll be good by morning."
"Slayers can still die," Angel said quietly.
"Slayers are meant to die," Faith replied. "I'll be twenty-six in a few months. No Slayer's ever lived that long, not in the entire history of the Council. Course I'm the only Slayer in their history to take a five year state enforced vacation. I'm already on borrowed time."
"Doesn't mean you need to be in a hurry to get killed," Angel said. "Making amends takes time."
"All the time in the world doesn't do me any good if I don't use it," Faith said. "I've been living like I'm dead for seven years, now I want to be what I was meant to be before I really am dead."
"I understand that Faith," Wesley interjected. "But you agreed to do things our way."
"I'm sorry but."
"No buts Faith," Wesley interrupted. "There was a plan, you were supposed to follow it. Instead you endangered both yourself and me for no reason."
~~~*~~~
"Deduco Apertum!" Willow commanded the little chest.
For a moment nothing seemed to be happening then a faint image of Xander and Anya peering into the chest appeared, a few seconds later their images were replaced by that of the demon that had opened the chest. Then Spike appeared, running with the chest tucked under his arm.
Slowly the other three turned to look at Dawn.
The girl's lips compressed into a thin, angry line. "I'll deal with Spike," she said.
"I think this is going to be a team effort," Xander said ignoring Dawn's statement. "I can't take him by myself."
"You're both vampires," Anya said frowning in confusion and worry. "Why aren't you as strong as he is? Is there something wrong with you? Did I do something wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong," Xander replied. "It's just that I'm less than a decade old and he's a hundred and thirty, in vampire terms that means he has an edge."
"What about Angel?" Willow asked. "Didn't you and . the other me."
Xander laughed harshly. "Angel almost stopped the Harvest, he's the reason why there were so few old vampires in Sunnydale. The Master was really upset about that, when he rose he went after Angel personally."
"Oh," Anya said. "So you were saying, team effort?"
"Right. Spike can't hurt you because of the chip, you can help me stake him."
"We aren't staking him!" Dawn yelled.
"Dawn, I understand you can't think clearly about him," Xander said. "But this isn't like what your sister had with Angel. Spike, the only version you've ever known, is evil. He can't be trusted, no matter how much you may think he loves you, he'll always look to his own interests first."
"Yeah, well I am his own interests," Dawn said. "Without me Spike dies. I think that's reason enough for me to trust him."
"What?" Xander asked.
Willow shrugged, "He's addicted to her blood. It's a key thing. We figured that the withdrawal would kill him."
"How did he get addicted to Dawn's blood?" Xander demanded.
"I bit my lip while we were making out, geez, it's not a big deal or anything," Dawn said rolling her eyes. "Spike wouldn't be Spike if he hadn't tasted."
"He started getting sick a week later," Willow said, picking up the story. "It took Dawn and I two months to figure out what he needed, by that time he was bleeding internally, his convulsions were literally tearing him apart."
"Why didn't I know any of this?" Anya asked.
"It was during your hermit stage," Dawn said shrugging.
"Alright, maybe you can trust him with your life," Xander said. "But what about the rest of us, he still tried to kill Anya and I."
"I'll take care of it!" Dawn insisted. "He won't do it again."
"Why give him the chance?" Xander asked.
Dawn looked at him sadly. "Do you think I could sleep with a guy for three years and not get attached?" she asked.
~~~*~~~
"Angel, this is a surprise," Lorne said "You're looking a lot more together these days."
"Thanks," Angel said.
"Where are the others?" Lorne asked.
"Not here."
"They let you out on your own?"
"Please, not you too," Angel sighed. "I'm not a child."
"'Course not Angel-cakes. Come on, sit down, we'll catch up," Lorne invited.
As they settled themselves Angel began humming softly under his breath. Lorne stiffened in shock. "You did that on purpose," he said.
Angel shrugged, "I hate singing and your patrons hate it when I sing."
"You already knew, why'd you come here? I don't want to know this," Lorne said.
"I didn't know," Angel replied. "I've been having a feeling, then Faith said something that just resonated."
"What are you going to do?"
"Quit wasting time."
~~~*~~~
Spike looked around the townhouse, "Gang's all here, what's the deal?"
"We know what you did," Dawn said solemnly. "They're here to be certain I deal with it."
"What is it I'm supposed to have done," Spike said with a smirk. "It's not as if I can get into much trouble with my chip."
"You know what you did," Dawn said. "So do I. I don't want to see you for four weeks."
Spike's head snapped up, a trace of fear showed in his eyes. "You can't do that, you love me."
Dawn's expression turned hard and angry. "We don't have that kind of love," she said. "Ours isn't the sort of relationship where anyone says 'I love you, I'd never hurt you.' We have the kind of relationship where I say 'I love you, but if you break your word, if you even try to hurt someone, I'll leave you to die'."
"So that's the way of it then," Spike said sounding grievously wounded. "Six years I look out for you. I love you, but now you've got him to protect you, so you toss me out with the trash."
"Oh grow up Spike!" Dawn exclaimed. "Four weeks will hurt, it wouldn't be much of a punishment if it didn't, but it won't kill you. I don't want to kill you. I want to keep pretending that what's between us is something prettier than this. But don't push me, I will stand by and watch you slowly die if it comes to that. Now get out of my sight!"
Dawn stood there and watched, her face hard as stone as Spike opened his mouth to protest only to turn and walk away when he saw her eyes held no room for compromise.
Once he had gone Dawn trudged slowly up to her room, tears trickling down her cheeks.
~~~*~~~
Faith sat in the main office organizing some files and trying not to look like she was sulking.
Following orders had never been a strong suit and even her new outlook on life couldn't change that.
Being scolded and made to do busy work for not following orders wasn't easy either, but she wanted to stay here, so obviously sulking or throwing a temper-tantrum then storming off to kill something weren't really options.
She didn't see what she'd done that was so bad anyway; she just wanted to act like the Slayer. Wesley didn't agree.
Faith took the files and moved back into a secluded corner where she could scowl and curse under her breath with no one the wiser.
"Wes, could we talk?" Faith's ears perked up at the sound of Angel's voice. She looked around for the souled vampire, and then noticed the air vent over her head. She considered the office's lay out and realized that her corner shared a wall with Wesley's office.
"What is it Angel?" Wesley asked.
"When are you going to quit finding excuses to keep me doing 'safe' jobs?" Angel asked.
"I don't," Wesley protested. "It was simply the most efficient division of labor."
"Stop doing that," Angel exclaimed. "There's always something. Every time we get a case something comes up that, just by coincidence, keeps me out of the fight. I'm tired of you manipulating me, of being treated like I can't handle reality."
"Very well Angel, no games. You don't handle reality well. I simply don't feel that you're ready to be placed into battle yet," Wesley said firmly.
"I've done everything you asked of me," Angel argued. "I've talked more to Jeanie in the last six months than I talked at all in the previous century. I've all but beaten that damn video game. I'm going out socially. It's been better than two months since the last time anything went wrong. When are you going to quit coddling me?"
"You agreed to abide by my judgment in this," Wesley reminded Angel.
"I expected you to be fair about it," Angel replied. Faith heard the door shut behind Angel a little harder than needed as he left the office.
~~~*~~~
"Angel?" Faith asked, nervously peering into the warehouse. Tentatively she wandered in.
Faith smiled at the warm welcoming air of the kitchen, "I've heard the kitchen is the heart of a home, but that shouldn't apply to a vampire's lair," she said talking loudly hoping to draw Angel's attention.
To her disappointment Angel didn't appear at the sound of her voice.
She found an office suit remodeled into a sitting room/bedroom combo, but was certain that it didn't belong to Angel.
On the far side of the warehouse's heavily cluttered main area Faith began sensing a vampiric presence.
She followed the sense up to a loft area about the main floor. Faith subconsciously noted that the narrow, open stair would be easily defensible from above.
The most noticeable thing about the loft itself was the emptiness. A few piles of books sat by a box alone the front wall, other than that it was barren of personal effects. Angel sat curled on the bed, which was pushed against the back wall, deeply enthralled by the book in his hands. The walls and the floor of the room where blank and the bed was the only furniture.
"Hi," Faith said awkwardly.
Angel glanced up then set the book aside. "Faith," he said.
"Nice place, very. uh. Spartan?" Faith made the last word a question, obviously uncertain if she had the right phrase.
Angel looked around himself as if he'd never noticed the room before. "I suppose, it keeps the sun out," he said.
"It's different from you old place," Faith commented.
"I'm not interested in getting attached," Angel replied. "It's just a place to stay until I get a few things taken care of, then I'll go home."
"Home?" Faith asked.
"Where the heart is," Angel replied, an odd smile tugging at his lips.
"Sorry I asked," Faith said a touch defensively.
"Don't mind me," Angel said. "Sometimes my old cryptic guy routine crops up. Was there something you wanted to talk about?"
"Yeah," Faith said. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to patrol."
Angel looked doubtful. Faith held up her hand silently asking him to let her explain. Angel waited.
"I feel useless sitting on my butt all the time," she said. "Slayers are supposed to patrol, take the fight to the bad guys. I feel like the clean-up crew, not the protector I'm supposed to be. I know what Wes and the other do is important, but it's not my place. I even know why Wes doesn't want me on my own; he's afraid I can't keep control, that something like what I did to Allen Finch 'll happen again. I get that, so I'm asking you to chaperon."
"I know you used to patrol with Buffy, I know you have to miss it as much as I do. Takin' the offensive, not waiting for victims to come to us, but saving them even before they know they need it. The Agency's great, don't get me wrong. You guys do a lot of good, but I don't contribute much, I don't have a place there. What Wes'll let me do isn't enough to make things right. Come on Angel, I just want to do what I'm supposed to. Please give me a hand?" Faith pled.
Angel looked at her for a long moment. "We'll meet here," he said finally. "A half hour after the Agency shuts down for the night. That'll give us several hours to patrol before dawn. Neither of us needs as much sleep as a normal human would so Wes and the others shouldn't suspect anything."
~~~*~~~
"It's about time you started getting back into things," Buffy had announced once Faith left. "But with her? You'd really be better off on your own."
"You just don't like Faith," Angel said with a sigh. "Cordy and Wes would be really upset with me if I froze up in a fight and got killed, Faith can watch my back."
"I wouldn't count on it, or her," Buffy replied. "But really Angel, you won't freeze. And if it did come to that I could snap you out of it. Still you're right about Cordelia and Wesley; how are you ever supposed to get back in the swing of things it they keep being so over-protective."
Angel smiled a little. "They're going to drive me crazy, but it's nice to know that they care."
"Friends," Buffy said warmly. "You know they're real when they won't let go no matter how much you beg them to."
Angel laughed softly standing up and stretching.
"It's too bad you had to die for them to learn you were worth fighting for," Buffy said to herself, looking at the bands of slick scar tissue encircling Angel's wrists.
"About Faith though," Buffy pressed. "You never worked with her, I have. She get so caught up in the killing she forgets everything else, you can't trust her to watch your back."
"I'll be careful Buffy," Angel promised. "But it'll still be good to have someone else with me to check my decisions."
"Angel!" Buffy exclaimed in frustration. "Your judgment is like a hundred times better than Faith's and don't you forget that!"
~~~*~~~
Faith could have laughed; out here, moving through one of LA's darkened cemeteries, her senses open and alert she felt at home for the first time in years.
For the first time since her original Watcher's death she believed in what she was doing. Slaying wasn't just an outlet for her fear and rage; it wasn't just an adrenaline rush that washed away all the uncertainties and pain in her life; those things were under her control now. Slaying was the mission not just an excuse.
She'd been born to protect the world from the monsters and this time she wasn't going to run when things got tough. Faith knew better than that now.
When Kakistos had brutally murdered the first person to believe she was important Faith had ran. If the truth were told, she'd never really stopped running until the day she'd turned herself into the police.
This time when the big bad came Faith was going to stand her ground and fight, the way a Slayer was supposed to, and if she lost. well that was how it was supposed to work: One Slayer falls another is called. Dying of old age wasn't really part of the deal.
But maybe it wouldn't come to that, at least not for a few years, Faith thought glancing toward her silent shadow. She had someone she could trust to watch her back.
Angel ghosted through the graveyard, letting Faith take the lead. They'd taken on two newly risen vampires that night, he doubted they'd find anymore, even in a city the size of LA, even with it's proximity to the Sunnydale Hellmouth. It was probably time for them to move on to the more populated areas, where the various evil demons would have their actual hunting grounds. On the other hand it couldn't hurt to let Faith's instincts guide them.
~~~*~~~
"Wyndom-Pryce here," Wesley said as he answered the phone.
The other person hem-hawed uncertainly for a moment. "This is Quentin Travers," he said finally. We. lost a Slayer-in-waiting, She and her Watcher's last known location was the LA airport. The police just contacted me, Matthew's body was found there. there was no sign of the girl. We have no other operatives near LA, I realize we aren't on the best terms, but Melissa isn't old enough to defend herself, every second may count."
"I'm already on it," Wesley replied seriously. "Tell me everything you've learned."
~~~*~~~
"I think I got something," Faith said. "This way."
Angel nodded, noting the leaves stripped from the bushes along the path. He could smell blood on the branches, whoever had torn away the leaves had clung so tightly to them branches that blood had been drawn as they'd been drug away. Together Angel and Faith followed the trail across the cemetery into a crypt.
Faith skidded to a stop just inside the door. A heavy-set man in a wizard's robe held a knife to a wiry, ten-year-old boy's throat.
The boy's eyes were white rimmed; they could hear his ragged panicky breathing from across the room.
Two other children, both bound and gagged, were tossed on top of a sarcoughagus. A third child lay nearby, still and dead. Faith made a soft choking sound as her eyes fell on the murdered child. "You're dead you bastard," she snarled.
"Stay back," the wizard said pressing the point of his knife into the boy's flesh. "I'll kill him if you come closer."
Angel stepped out of the shadows behind Faith, already in game face. "Let the boy go. and I'll let you turn yourself into the police."
"Why would I do that?" the wizard asked.
"Because your other choice is to stay here, with me. until I get hungry anyway. I've always thought evil people tasted better."
Faith glanced over at Angel then grinned, picking up on the game. "You ate just before we left. I suppose we could entertain ourselves by torturing him for a few hours first."
"Stay away from me!" the man shouted. "I'll kill the kid!"
"You do that and what'll stop me for getting to you then?" Angel asked reasonably.
The man's eyes slipped to the left. Angel turned to see a shadowy vortex opening in the corner of the crypt.
"I've already summoned the first one," the man laughed. "I think you'll have more to worry about then threatening poor, little, old me."
A paw the size of a dinner plate came out of the vortex, followed by a feline muzzle.
"Damn, that thing stands as tall as I do," Faith exclaimed.
The wizard slipped around the Slayer and out the door with his hostage as they stared at the emerging demon.
"Faith, go after him," Angel ordered. "I'll deal with this."
Faith nodded and sprinted out the door. Angel faced off against the large cat thing. Finally, Angel thought, there was no division, no voice screaming that he would, inevitably, fail. This wouldn't go on forever, Puppy knew that now and that part of him was willing to accept that they had to act because it was through action that they'd find an end.
Behind the demon the vortex closed, much to Angel's relief. "Just one of you to deal with, I think that's enough don't you," he said as he moved between the cat and the two bound children.
The cat feinted forward and Angel struck it across the muzzle. It responded with a scream.
Once he was sure the demon's attention was firmly focused on him. Angel began circling, gradually drawing it out of the crypt.
When it leapt at him, Angel ducked. He grabbed its tail as it passed overhead. Both of them landed in a sprawl.
Angel rolled to his feet only a beat slower than the cat, they snarled at each other.
The demon-cat took a swipe at Angel; he estimated its claws were about long enough to span his palm. Angel dodged then spun and kicked it in the head.
The cat-thing shrieked. Angel fell back toward the fence of metal poles surrounding the cemetery.
About two years short of the fence Angel turned and ran. He wrenched one of the metal bars free, spun back and let the cat impale itself on his makeshift spear as it leapt at him.
~~~*~~~
Faith held back, hoping the mage would let the boy go once he felt safe.
Several blocks later she was still waiting. "He's just going to keep the kid and sacrifice him later," Faith though. "I've got to do something."
Faith picked up a fist sized rock and, carefully judging her strength, threw it. It struck the man in the back of the head. He fell forward, his hostage beneath him.
Faith had a horrifying vision of the boy being killed by falling on the knifed, of him being dead because of her.
Her breath caught in her throat as she rolled the man's body off his prisoner. The boy wailed in terror. Faith sighed with relief. The knife had made a long shallow cut across the boy's chest, but it was nothing that a bandage wouldn't set to right.
Faith slipped out of her jacket, she pressed the material to the boy's cut. "Just hold it there," she told him. "I'll call a doctor and they'll fix you up, it'll be five by five, trust me."
As she walked past the downed wizard Faith kicked him in the ribs. "No," she told herself sternly as she drew her foot back for a second kick. "Call the cops, let them take care of him. He's human, you don't kill humans, even ones that deserve it."
~~~*~~~
Angel loosened the gag around the first child's mouth. The tow-headed four-year-old immediately began to wail.
"Sh, sh," Angel soothed untying the boy. "It's alright. I've got you."
As soon as the child's hands were free he wrapped his arms around Angel's neck, clinging with a strength that surprised the vampire.
Angel continued making calming noises as he moved on to the other child, a seven or eight year old girl with long ebony hair and huge blue eyes. There was something about her that Angel couldn't quite place.
It was awkward to untie one child with another in his arms. Angel shifted the boy more to one side then sat the girl up and turned her so he could work on the gag. As it came loose he was able to make out the words the girl was muttering. "I'm a big girl, I have to be brave," she was saying over and over.
Angel turned her to face him and wiped the tears off her cheeks. "You were very brave," he told her.
"Are you my new Watcher?" the girl asked.
For a moment Angel didn't know what to say. "I'm not you're Watcher. Faith and I were closer, so we rescued you."
The little girl nodded solemnly. "Matthew said I had to be brave. That he was going to go away for a bit and if he couldn't come right back the Council would send another Watcher to take care of me. I tried to be brave and not cry, but it was scary."
Angel untied her hands, noting the deep slashes across her palms. "You were the one who grabbed the branches," he said. "That was smart. That's how we found you. You did a good job."
"I tried to fight like I'm supposed to, but he was too big," the little girl cried.
"You did everything right," Angel reassured the girl. "Now we've got to finish rescuing this little one and get him back to his parents. You're going to help me aren't you?"
The little girl nodded firmly. Carefully not looking at the third child, the one Angel and Faith hadn't been able to save, the Slayer-to-be took Angel's hand and together they left the crypt.
"I knew a girl very like you once," Angel said as they walked. "She was brave and beautiful and she fought monsters too."
~~~*~~~
Faith sat beside Kate watching the police swarm over the cemetery as dawn broke.
One officer approached to them, cutting an unnecessarily large circle around the 'mutant mountain lion' Angel had killed. "Your friend and the other two children are gone," the officer said accusingly.
"Did you expect him to just sit around in a cemetery with two kids who were probably scared out of their minds?" Faith demanded.
"I expect him to call us," the officer replied.
"Angel's a good guy," Kate assured the officer. "But he's a PI, he's a little bit independent minded, probably figured he should get the kids home first."
"Then I think you should find him," the officer growled.
"I'll take Faith with me," Kate said. "You're finished taking her statement right."
The officer frowned at Faith, "I don't like her being mixed-up in this."
"You heard the kid," Kate snapped. "Faith and Angel are the heroes here, not suspects. Now I'm going to go find Angel for you so he can give you his statement. After that I'm taking Faith home, she's got a job to go to tomorrow."
"I'll be coming with you," the officer said.
~~~*~~~
". Then the spell broke and Buffy was herself again," Angel was saying as Wesley walked into the agency, a small girl leaned against his arm staring up at him utterly enthralled. "Spike didn't have a chance against her, so he ran away."
"And were her friends okay too?" the girl asked.
"They were fine," Angel told her. "Hi Wes, I'd like you to meet Lissa."
"Angel said you were a Watcher," Lissa said respectfully.
"Lissa? Melissa?" Wesley asked. The girl nodded. "Oh thank the PTB. Angel how did you? Wait. You're not supposed to."
"Later," Angel said glancing past Wesley.
"Hey Angel," Kate said. "I hear you had a busy night."
"I take it you're Angel," an irritated voice said. Wesley turned to see a man flashing a badge at them, as he pushed past Kate. She offered them a sympathetic face. Faith trailed after them looking uncomfortable.
"What do you want," Wesley said stepping protectively in front of Angel.
"Look, you may think you're some hot-shot private eye, but when you stumble across a murder you call the cops. You don't just wander off with two kidnapped children!" the man yelled at Wesley.
"Johnny's parents came and got him," Lissa volunteered. "I helped call them."
The police officer came further in and crouched down to bring himself to Lissa's eye-level. "Are your parents coming too?" he asked gently.
Lissa bit her lip and looked away.
"Her guardian was Matthew Travers," Wesley said quickly, he gestured to Angel. "This is his cousin, Wesley Pryce, he's her only family in the States."
Lissa hid her face against Angel's shoulder. "The bad man killed Matthew then he took me," she said. "I tried to fight."
"I'm sorry," The officer said backing away. "Next time, call the police," he said to Wesley. "I'm going to need a statement from both you and the girl."
"I'll go first," Lissa volunteered walking into the inner office.
"She's very well trained," Wesley commented once the door shut. "Now what were you thinking!"
"I don't need you to protect me," Angel hissed.
"Well it's done now," Wesley said. "What do I tell him?"
"Faith and I, or should I say you, were looking into a case. We saw signs of a struggle, followed the trail to the crypt. We interrupted the killer; one kid was dead when we got there. The guy took a hostage and ran out. That's when the demon, make that a tiger escaped from the zoo, showed up. Faith went after the guy. I stayed to protect the other two children."
"You weren't supposed to be out on your own," Wesley sighed. "Neither of you were supposed to," he added looking to Faith.
"Lissa's done," Angel said a few seconds before the door to the office opened. Lissa hurried straight to Angel, he lifter her into his arms.
Wesley went to give 'his' statement to the officer.
"Come on," Kate said. "I'll take everyone home."
~~~*~~~
"I could get technical and say you broke parole," Kate said as she drove away from the warehouse. "And you could get technical right back and say Angel was with you. Then we could have a huge discussion over whether or not you were aware of the changes in Angel and that's he's not ready for this sort of thing, but we're not going to. Those kids would have died tonight plus who knows how many others if the bad guy been allowed to loose several of those demon's on the city. It's good thing you and Angel were out there, so I'm not planning on doing any reprimanding. Next time though, I expect to be informed of what you're up to. before you get up to it."
"I did everything wrong and I got there too late," Faith said unhappily. "That one kid was already dead. Brian got cut because I couldn't think of anyway to get the knife away from the bad guy."
"As I understand it Slayer's aren't really prescient. You got to the kids as soon as you could," Kate replied. "I don't think Brian or his parent are complaining about you saving his life. You did the best you could."
"Buffy would have done better," Faith said.
Kate exhaled impatiently. "You helped save three kids' lives tonight, stop belittling that."
~~~*~~~
"Where's Melissa?" Wesley asked when he arrived at the warehouse.
"I gave her Xander's room, she needed some sleep," Angel said.
"Good to hear. Now we can talk," Wesley said. "Angel, what were you thinking? You know better! You could have been killed!"
"I'm fine Wes," Angel said.
"Nevertheless!" Wesley exclaimed. "Don't you remember last time?"
"Forget about the last time," Angel said. "Think about this time."
"How am I supposed to forget about that?" Wesley yelled. "You almost died, you haven't even really recovered from the last time that happened."
"I hadn't then. I know, I shouldn't have tried to go after Kelly's tormenter alone. I should have gotten help. I wasn't ready," Angel replied. "But I'm alright now. Besides living forever isn't actually a goal of mine."
"So you're going to get yourself killed?" Wesley asked.
"No," Angel reassured him. "I've tried dying for nothing, it's at the top of my list of mistakes I don't want to repeat, but living for nothing isn't that much better of an option."
Wesley rattled around the kitchen for a few minutes, gathering up the things for making tea, generally giving himself time before diving back into the conversation.
"I've spent the last six months dealing with the things that went wrong that night," Angel said. "It's time for me to start living my life again."
"After everything that's happened it's hard to see you the way I used to," Wesley said.
"Good," Angel replied. "Now try seeing me the way I am right now instead of the way I was when Anya first brought me here."
~~~*~~~
"She really went to school and dances and had friends?" Lissa asked Angel.
"It was hard for her," Angel said. "Balancing her normal life and being the Slayer wasn't a walk in the park, but she had some of the best friends you could ever hope to find. She had dreams to live for when another Slayer would have given up and died."
"Matthew told me friends are a distraction and I'd only get them hurt," Lissa confided.
"They can't be just anyone," Angel warned. "You have to look for the special ones, the ones who need to make the world better as much as you need to. It doesn't matter that they won't have your special powers, they'll find their own ways to make a difference."
"Pizza's here!" Cordy said nudging the door open. "I don't know why they won't deliver out here. Anyway, I put it in the kitchen if anyone's interested." Lissa hopped up from the stairs where she'd been sitting and with a wave to Angel, ran for the food.
"The Council won't thank you for filling her head with stories about Buffy and her friends," Wesley commented looking up from his book.
"Lissa might, that's more important," Angel replied.
"Come on Angel, do you really think you can change years of brain-washing in just a couple of days?" Cordy asked. Wesley frowned at her choice of words.
"I think we all need friends," Angel said. "Even if you're told you're supposed to be alone for your whole life. I hope when Lissa starts feeling lonely she'll remember that there was one Slayer who didn't buy that she had to do it all on her own."
"At least you're not thinking about maintaining contact," Wesley said. "The Council's official position is that it doesn't recognize the distinction between normal vampires and souled ones."
"And Lissa's more of a long-term commitment than I can make," Angel said to himself.
"What did you say?" Cordy asked, frowning.
"Maybe Xander will be able to make them change their minds," Angel said. "He doesn't have my history to overcome."