Happily Ever After Part 2 : Forgiveness Is The Key To Your Unhappiness

AUTHOR: Harker De Grace (Sugar N' Spike)
EMAIL: [email protected]
DISTRIBUTION: Please ask. I won't bite unless you ask before dinner
SPOILERS: Season 1 Angel
RATING: NC 17
CONTENT WARNING: Gratuitous sex and bad language in later parts
RELATIONSHIPS: Angel/Faith/Cordelia
FEEDBACK: Yes please even if it's hatemail. Just so I actually GET some mail.
SUMMARY: Mushy bollocks. (Ouch. Was that a Slayer-Strength kick?!)
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, not even my mind. I think Joss has that too.
DEDICATION: To Tess De Bont. I don't want a gypsy for my birthday.

He rubbed his eyes again, transferring the rubbing upwards to massage his sculpted brows and finally running his fingers through his sleep-ruffled hair. This was not the sort of thing he intended to wake up to when he'd been enjoying a relaxing sleep on the sofa listening to piano sonatas by Mozart. He'd intended to wake up to a glass or three of Cabernet Sauvignon and a hot shower. He could have anticipated that tonight, while he was still recovering from eight days with no sleep after tracking a particularly arduous case, Cordelia would decide to come over and "cheer him up" - something which always made him even more depressed. He fully expected that Wesley would decide since Angel would be home all night, why not drop round to work on translating some obscure text? In fact, any number of possible disturbances had already crossed his mind and he just knew something had to interrupt his resting, after all, how often did Angel take a night off to recuperate? What he could never have anticipated however, was to wake and look up into the pain-streaked eyes of a Slayer.

From that first time she'd toyed with him, Angel had wanted her. From the moment she'd first turned up at the mansion with demon gore all over her hands, and put those bloody arms around him, he'd wanted to take her for his own, and her advances had been tempting. To protect the feelings of someone he was still besotted with even after she'd abused his love for months, he'd said no to Faith. Denied what they both needed. The faked removal of his soul however, though his grip on the evil side of him remained as strong as ever, had given him the opportunity to loosen the reins that held the beast. Under the pretence of being a soulless monster, he'd gloried in sliding his hands over her firm young body, in tasting her lips, sharpened by the tang of the blood she drew from his own lips with her blunt teeth. Afterwards he'd assured Buffy it had all been a sham, that Faith had meant nothing to him, but the memory of those fevered kisses when he'd allowed his control to slip just a little would keep him awake long after the sun rose. Often he would wake with his body screaming for Faith to kiss the passionate sweats away from his taut muscles He ached and burned for the touch of her skin on his, and even after she had committed her act of betrayal by poisoning him, he hadn't forgotten how he felt for her.

For weeks after the incident where Faith had fled into the night, Buffy had tracked her and almost been assured that she was gone for good. Angel knew better. He knew that every day as he slept Faith would creep to his side and would touch his face so softly. If it happened that he woke, she would climb into bed beside him for him to hold her, protect her. They never did anything but hold one another - the guilt of keeping this from Buffy was enough without true infidelity to add to it - but Faith wanted more. When Angel refused her advances, she'd become incensed and had beat her fists into him until he finally broke under her onslaught, kicking him while he was down before vowing she would hunt him and make him suffer, and fleeing once more.

Walking away without knowing Faith was safe and well had been suffering enough for him, let alone the intractable pain and sickening delirium she brought him with a poisoned arrow. She kept her vow; even in LA she'd hunted him until that pathetic night when she'd broken down in his arms. Now she was back, and he could see his own tormented soul reflecting back from her dark eyes.

The young Slayer who had left him six years ago had been sent out to help the unfortunate wherever she might wander, and he'd not see or heard from her since. Though the separation had hurt him, he'd felt better knowing she was now working towards her own redemption.

She lowered her eyes, not feeling as if she deserved the warmth and concern that radiated from Angel's gaze; and yet this is what she'd wanted al these long years, to know that even after all she'd done before, someone could still care for her.

"What's wrong Faith? Why did you need me?" he asked her softly, gently pulling her chin up so he could look into her eyes again, dismayed to see that once again they glistened with tears. "Did something go wrong, did you slip a little? Because it's not to be ashamed of. You're a mortal, all you can do is make up for your mistakes. Never undo them" he told her quietly. "I helped them" she stated flatly, "The whole time, saved lives, never took one. Starting feeling the tables might tip my way"

"And that's good, so why so sad?" he brushed her thick dark hair away from her face as she went on;

"Everywhere I went, didn't matter if it was Rome, Paris, London, Sydney. There you were. You followed me and you never even left here"

"You missed me that much?" He was puzzled, wondering what influence he must have had on her. To his surprise Faith turned and leaned down against him, slipping her arms around his waist. He yielded, and heard her sigh a little as he folded his huge hands around her shoulders.

"I wrote you more that 100 letters and I burned 'em all, called you but I hung up before I was through dialling. I can't face being away from you anymore. I told myself so much, you've got Buffy, you're happy with Buffy. I'm all wrong for you - I'm Faith the bad Slayer, Faith the Slut. I told myself you didn't want me. Three weeks ago in Toronto I realised I didn't care if you wanted me or not, because I wanted you so badly"

Her face was jewelled with tears that had splashed down over Angel, and as he brushed them away, he was astounded by her honesty, the lack of guile in her pretty face;

"Faith, Buffy and I are over. We aren't even friends, she's married - can't stand the sight of me anymore" he told her, stroking her hair, "she didn't even invite me to her wedding, I went as Cordelia's guest. For a long while after I couldn't do my job for being so hurt and even though Spike helped me through, there was only one person I really needed. I'll give you a clue, it wasn't Buffy"

"Cordelia?"

"No, though she was a great help. It was always you, Faith. A long time ago I told you even if you never loved me, I'd never forget you. It's still true"

"Then say it" she demanded desperately,

"I need you"

"Not that, I know that"

"I love you?"

"That too. You love everyone who needs it because nobody ever really loved you"

"I want you"

"That's better" She smiled a little, and pressed her lips to his.