:-Heaven Came Down-:
By Bri
Introductory
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Page 2
Disclaimer: Angel and all the characters from his show are the property of Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui Sanddollar, Fox, and whoever the hell else owns them. I don't, that's all I'm trying to say. Distribution: Uh, The Library, all list archives. Anyone else want it? You can have it. Just let me know where you're taking it, please. Classification: Angel/Faith, Wesley/Fred Rating: PG-13 For once, I kept it light on the swearing and there's absolutely no sex. *falls over gasping for air* Summary: Faith plays matchmaker, and Wesley comes to a realization. Spoilers: Uh, this was started after "That Old Gang of Mine," so "Fredless" and "Billy" do not apply. I think really the only spoilers are the Pylea arc from last season-and come on, if you're aware of Fred, you know those eps already. :) Author's Notes: My first full fic in absolute ages. God, it's good to be back. :) Thanks to Jess and Melissa for your constant encouragement and the late-night IM conversations that keep me going. :)
"B-b-b-but, A-a-a-angel, y-y-you-" "Damn! Girl! Please, stop, breathe. Open that hole of yours when you can say a one-syllable word in *one* syllable." Angel gave Faith a dirty look. "Faith, give Fred a break. She's excited." Faith smirked at Angel. "She's always excited when you're around." Angel lost his composure for a second as he glanced at the girl who stared at him adoringly. "Faith," he warned in a low voice. Faith deepened her smirk and swung her legs over the arm of the chair she was lounging in. "Alright, alright, Angel. You listen to that stutter until you're ready to pull an Angelus and snap her neck. I'll just watch in amusement while you play patient." Angel rolled his eyes in exasperation and turned back to Fred, trying to be as calm and understanding as he knew how to be. "Fred, I know I promised I'd go to the Physics of Metaphysics workshop with you, but Faith and I have to go fight this monster. You heard Wesley say how strong it was, right? Faith and I are the only ones who can do it. We have to go." Fred's smile wavered and her gaze fell, but she nodded rapidly. "I understand, Angel. Big ugly demons that hurt people need to be killed. That's your job. I know. You and Faith. You kill things that hurt people like me who can't defend ourselves." She quieted and turned to look longingly out the window. "I guess I'll just go back upstairs to my room-" Angel cut her off. "No!" She looked at him in surprise and he scrambled for something to say. "You don't need to go to your room, you could�" He trailed off, looking at Faith helplessly. Faith looked thoughtful for a moment. "You could take Wes," she suggested. "That boy is way too stuck in paranormal-ville. Get him interested in something that has an organic explanation." Angel smiled a relieved thank-you at her, turning back to Fred. "That's a good idea, Fred. Why don't you take Wesley with you? I'm sure he'd enjoy an intellectual conversation that has nothing to do with the supernatural." Fred flushed slightly and shook her head, her eyes widening. "Oh, oh no. I couldn't do that. Ask him? No. No, I'll just go upstairs, and, and, well, I'll work on my theorems." She nodded to herself, relieved to find an excuse. "Yeah. Yeah, that's it, I'll work on my theorems." Faith stood quickly and extended a hand. "Fred, you're going to the damn physics workshop. I'll ask Wes for you if you won't." Fred's gaze flew up, her eyes focusing on Faith in a panic. "No! Faith, no, it's alright. I don't need to go." Faith dropped her hand, putting it instead on her hip and staring at Faith speculatively. "How `bout Gunn or Cordy?" she asked casually. Fred shook her head. "No, s'okay," she said shyly. "I know Cordy's not the physics type, neither's Gunn." Faith looked to Angel in exasperation, who stared back at her with his hands raised in a helpless gesture. "Fred, how bad do you want to go?" Angel asked softly. Fred smiled tremulously. "Oh good gosh, Angel, I couldn't even tell you," she said softly, reverently. "I haven't been to one in six years. I just know nothing could make me happier. `Cept for being here," she added shyly. Faith nodded, a determined look on her face. "Then you're going," she said with finality. She took Fred's hand and tugged. "Let's get you ready, put on your favorite glasses and find a pocket protector or something, and we'll figure out who's going with you later." Angel smiled as Faith led a protesting Fred from the room. He'd been concerned when Faith showed up, solitary bag in hand and a hopeful, apologetic, wary expression on her face. Fred had been skittish enough as it was; she didn't need the introduction of a volatile person like Faith in her life. Faith, however, had developed a fondness for the girl who was older in years but younger in life experience. She was protective of the fluttery, nervous girl who talked too much when she was excited and not enough the rest of the time. Angel shook himself from the memories of Faith's return and left the room to seek out Wesley. He found him sitting at the kitchen table, reading a book on� Angel peered closer at the book's cover, unable to read the title. He broke into a grin when Wesley shifted and he saw that the book was on Newton's laws. Maybe Wesley would be more than happy to accompany Fred to the physics workshop. "Good book?" he asked nonchalantly as he came into the kitchen. Wesley hardly looked up from the text. "It's fascinating, really," he said as his eyes quickly passed over the words in front of him. "I've always understood Newton's laws, naturally, but I never really took the time to understand how they came about and look at the evidence that supports them." Angel grinned. "Come on, Wes, you're not fooling me. You couldn't be any less interested in Newton's laws than in listening to Cordelia babble about Prada versus Versace, could you?" Wesley dropped the book and sat back. "It's so bleeding boring!" he exclaimed. "I mean, really, Angel. I considered myself a rather educated man, but one chapter of this book has me screaming for something a little less painful, like repeatedly stabbing myself with a fork." Angel blinked. "A whole chapter? You made it through a whole chapter?" Wesley nodded. "I attempted to force myself to understand it, as I would like to understand Fred. But this is just too much to ask." "Then I take it you probably won't want to accompany Fred to her physics workshop?" Angel remarked off-handedly. Wesley looked up at him. "What do you mean?" he asked in puzzlement. "I thought you were to take her to the workshop." "It's tomorrow. The same day that the Quagnar demon you researched is supposed to arrive at Wolfram and Hart," Angel reminded him. "Faith and I have to be there to take care of it, and we have no idea when it's going to show up. I can't afford to be following Fred around at a physics workshop. Faith and I were hoping you'd be willing to take her, because she won't go by herself. And you know exactly how Cordy or Gunn would react if we asked them." Wesley smiled. "Yes, I can quite imagine the horror on Cordy's face or the blank look Gunn would give us." He thought about it for a second. "I suppose it wouldn't be so terrible to go. I'd like to be able to put a smile on Fred's face. Lord knows she hasn't done nearly enough of it since she's arrived here. And as long as it isn't a three-hour lecture on the origination of Newton's laws, I believe I might even enjoy it." Angel smiled in relief. "Good. She was so disappointed when I told her I couldn't go. Of course, she pretended like she wasn't, but she was. And she's so fragile, I hate to disappoint her too often." "It's the nature of our profession, Angel," Wesley reminded him quietly. "How many times are you going to make promises that you'll inevitably have to break? I would advise against making too many promises to Fred. The rest of us understand when plans change, but she doesn't yet. Eventually she'll stop trusting you at all if you continue to break your word about the little things." Angel nodded slightly. "Which is why I found a replacement for me. So I didn't have to break my word." He stood up and started to leave the kitchen. "Thanks, Wes." Wesley watched as Angel left, a slightly bitter look crossing his face and then morphing to a wistful one. "Replacement, indeed. What has changed?" "I thought I made it so clear/You made a change in my life/I watched you disappear/Tell you the truth I'm not lonely" (Stereomud, "Stepping Away")
"So you think Angel and Faith have killed that Quagnar demon yet?" Fred asked shyly as Wesley opened the door the to the pavilion the workshop had been held in, and led them outside. Wesley laughed. "It's quite possible, unless they killed each other first." Fred joined in his laughter as they walked down the street. "Why were they so angry at each other? They were in such good moods yesterday, and then they weren't. Faith always yells at me, but she smiles or laughs after she's done. This morning she just yelled at me and scowled." Wesley sighed. "You know, Fred, I haven't a clue why Angel and Faith were in such foul moods. But I'm sorry if they took their tempers out on you," he said sincerely. Fred offered Wesley a small grin and pushed her glasses up on her nose. "Oh, it's all right, Wesley," she said. "I know Faith wasn't *really* mad at me, and she'll be all better later, so I'm not too worried about the whole thing, because Faith strikes me as the type of person who'll really tell you when she's mad and she didn't tell me she was mad so she must not be-" Wesley smiled as he raised a finger to her lips. "Shh, Fred. I'm sure you're correct. If Faith was mad at you, for whatever reason, she would certainly tell you." He lowered his hand and Fred gazed at him in awe. "Y-you touched my l-lips," she said shyly. "With your f-finger." Wesley smiled again. "I believe I did," he agreed. He looked around at their surroundings, which had gone unnoticed as they walked. "Say, would you care for some ice cream?" he asked. "I know it's your and Angel's special treat, but since Angel isn't here today�" Fred smiled up at him eagerly. "I'd love some ice cream," she said enthusiastically. "Y'know, Angel always gets the same thing. It's so dull! Chocolate peanut butter, every time. But me, I like to experiment. One day I might try peach, the next I might want mocha swirl. It's always so interesting to me how I can have all these different cravings. Ice cream is ice cream, it's made up of the same components; sugar, milk, ice, stuff like that. But I always want a different kind, even though essentially I'm eating the same thing. And I always wonder how my stomach can be fooled into thinking it's different if my brain knows it isn't�" Wesley laughed as Fred chattered all the way into the ice cream parlor. He scanned the offerings, glancing from time to time at the lively brunette standing next to him. He grinned as the kid at the counter asked Fred what she wanted, and she was off on another ramble. Finally she decided on raspberry chocolate chip and the kid, grateful, made her cone and handed it to her. When the kid looked at him, Wesley, his mind still on Fred's special style of rambling, unthinkingly replied, "I'd like a scoop of Fred with chocolate sprinkles on top." He only became aware of what he'd said when the kid laughed and he glanced to his side to see Fred staring at him, wide-eyed, her ice cream cone frozen halfway to her mouth. Flushing darkly, he hurriedly amended his order. "What I meant to say, is that I would like a scoop of what Fred's having, only with chocolate sprinkles on top." The kid shook his head and made Wesley his cone. Wesley shoved some money at him and ushered Fred out of the parlor. He found it difficult to make eye contact with Fred, so he fell into step with her, but remained silent. They'd walked two blocks before Fred finally spoke up. "So do you think I should talk to Faith?" she asked suddenly. "Maybe she and Angel had a fight. Although I can't imagine why anyone would get mad at Angel," she mused. Wesley sighed irritably. "Angel is not near as perfect as you have imagined him to be, Fred," he said, somewhat sternly. "He's bound to disappoint you. Why, look at the fact that it's *me* here with you today, and not him." Fred's smile faltered and Wesley cursed himself. "I know he's not perfect, Wesley," she said softly. "But he saved me." Wesley reached out and took her hand. "You saved *yourself*, Fred. You lived in Pylea for five years before Angel ever arrived, and you saved yourself every single day." Fred's eyes brightened. "I did, didn't I?" she said, a hint of pride creeping into her voice. She pushed her glasses up again and smiled warmly at Wesley. Wesley smiled back down at Fred affectionately. "You're very extraordinary, Fred," he admitted. "I find that I admire you very much." Fred blushed, casting her gaze down. Her eyes locked on her hand, still entwined with Wesley's. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. She darted a look upwards, blushing more when she saw that Wesley's gaze was still steadily fixed on her. "Oh, look, we're here," she said, exhaling in relief, when she looked up and saw that they'd reached the Hyperion. Wesley smiled slightly at her eagerness to get inside. "Maybe Faith and Angel are back. Should we go see how things went?" he suggested. Fred smiled, relaxed once again. "We should," she agreed. The opened the doors and were greeted with the sounds of Angel and Faith shouting. "God damn it Angel, when I tell you to get out of my way, then get the hell out of my way!" Faith screamed. "Maybe if you didn't say it with every other break you take, it would be easier to know you mean it!" Angel yelled back. "I always mean it!" she hollered, slamming something. Wesley and Fred looked sideways at each other, identical worried frowns appearing on each of their faces. The followed the sounds of the fighting until they saw Angel and Faith in the kitchen, glaring mutinously at each other, Faith armed with a knife. The two were completely oblivious to the arrival of Fred and Wesley. "You always mean it, because you always want to take care of things yourself!" Angel insisted loudly. "Because everyone else will just screw things up!" Faith shouted back. "I'm the only one I can depend on!" Angel scowled so darkly that Wesley and Fred were afraid that his face was going to cave in on itself. "You can depend on me, Faith, and you know that!" he exploded. "I won't ever let anything happen to you!" "That's what they've all told me!" Faith screamed. "Right before they all left!" She broke down into tears, but turned away from Angel, hunching her shoulders over and trying to shut him out. Angel's face fell. He walked over to Faith and turned her around, pulling her into his arms. "I won't leave you," he promised. "I'm just so damn scared that you're going to get yourself killed, Faith. How do you expect me to live if you're not?" Faith sobbed into Angel's shirt. "I told you to get out of my way because I was afraid that demon was going to decapitate your ass," she explained tearfully. "Angel, I've never had to worry about anyone else when I was fighting. I never cared if the other person lived or died, just as long as I kicked some ass and got the hell out in safety. Angel, god, how was I supposed to watch you get killed right in front of me? Of course I wanted you the hell out of the way, so I could take care of it myself." She pulled back and Fred and Wesley watched in amazement as Angel leaned down and kissed her. "We're a team now, Faith. You have to let me take some chances, because I can't let you take all of them." Faith smiled, getting a hold of herself, and nodded. "Just as long as you let me watch out for you," she agreed. Angel smiled and held her tighter. "I wouldn't expect anything less of you," he affirmed. Wesley and Fred glanced at each other and by silent agreement, tiptoed quietly away from the now non-explosive atmosphere of the kitchen. "Well. That was�" Wesley trailed off, unable to voice a comment. He wasn't sure his brain had settled on just one. Suddenly, concern for Fred took precedence above all else and he turned to her, a worried expression on his face. "Fred, are you all right?" Fred looked up at him, a smile on her face. "Sure, why wouldn't I be?" Confused, Wesley searched for the most tactful way to say what was on his mind. "Well, we had all assumed you had a certain, err, attachment to Angel�" Fred nodded. "I did. But I know he doesn't see me that way. And I'm happy that he and Faith are together. Really," she insisted when Wesley cast her a doubtful glance. "So you're not upset that you can't be with Angel?" Wesley persisted. Fred grinned shyly at him. "I really haven't been thinking about Angel today, so I guess I'm not *too* upset," she confessed. Wesley smiled brilliantly at her. "Then may I suggest we go tell the happy couple that their cat is out of the bag?" Fred stood up and waited for Wesley to follow suit. "I think that's a really good idea."
"So did he go for it?" Faith asked when Angel appeared in her room later. Angel nodded. "It wasn't too hard. He wants to get to know Fred better and I think he saw this as a good opportunity to do so." Faith threw herself down on her bed, picking up a stake from her bedside table and toying with it, aiming it at a pretend target and then dropping it to the bedspread. "To tell you the truth, I think Wes has the hots for Freddie. That's why I suggested him in the first place." Angel's brows rose in surprise. "You're kidding." Faith rolled to her side and propped herself up on one elbow, gazing at Angel. "Actually, I'm dead serious. A girl can tell these things, no matter how psychotic and out-of-touch with reality she may be," she added with a smirk. Angel sat down on the bed with her. "You're not psychotic," he scolded sternly. "Quit talking about yourself like that. You haven't been the old Faith since the day you stepped inside the Hyperion's doors. I don't want to hear you talk like you're still that same girl." Faith sat up and slid herself into Angel's lap. "There's still parts of me that are the old Faith," she said with a wicked grin, leaning in to nip at Angel's jawline. Angel groaned. "Faith, come on, you know better," he said in a strangled voice. "I can deal with a million different kinds of hell torture, but I can't handle it when you start playing with me like that." Faith laughed as she swung one leg up, her ankle just clearing the top of Angel's head, bringing it back down and wrapping them both around Angel's back. She looped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Sorry, lover," she said with a grin. "You know how torture is one of my fortes. And I love seeing how long you can hold on to that iron will of yours." Angel laughed and kissed Faith again. "Evil temptress," he said teasingly. Faith unhooked her arms and legs from Angel and scooted backwards, out of his lap. "You know it!" she said cheerfully. She rolled off the bed and headed for her closet. She disappeared inside and came back out holding up a low-cut halter top. "What do you think? Too daring?" she asked with a laugh. Angel groaned. "Faith!" he complained. "You can't keep doing this to me!" "Why not?" she asked as she pulled her shirt off and slid into the top. Angel closed his eyes against the sight of Faith's bare flesh and swallowed hard. "Curse, evil Angelus, lots of death and carnage?" he reminded her. "Quit teasing me. You won't like who comes out to play." Faith paused in her dressing and looked at him steadily. "I won't let Angelus out," she said seriously. "As much as I love you, Angel, I'll never chance him. I can wait until you become human again. If you don't become human in my lifetime, I'll at least have known what it's like to be loved by you. But I'll remember *your* love, not the fear of Angelus or my pain when I stake *his* ass and watch *your* face crumble into dust." Angel swallowed again. It never ceased to catch him off-guard when Faith said she loved him. She'd only been at the Hyperion for four months, but everything that had happened between them, Buffy's death, and Faith's change in behavior and determination to atone for her past sins, all of that had forced them closer and opened their eyes to the feelings that had always been there between them. Faith had finally admitted to Angel that she loved him a month ago. He was thrilled to have found love again. He never thought he'd love after Buffy. And as odd as it seemed that Faith was the one he'd fallen in love with, somehow, it was right. She understood him better than anyone, even Buffy, ever had. She knew what it was like to be swallowed up by the darkness, and have to fight to escape it. She knew what it was like to spend every day fearing that she'd fall into it again. The only thing that scared Angel was that she would be the one to make him fall. "Angel? Babe?" Angel shook himself out of his thoughts and smiled at Faith, who was looking at him in concern. "Just thinking," he said quietly. "Not too hard, I hope," she joked. "I've heard it's bad for you." She disappeared into her closet again and emerged wearing a pair of leather pants. "There. I didn't dress in front of you. Happy now?" "No," Angel said petulantly. Faith laughed. "But for the sake of all our souls, it's a good thing you didn't." Faith searched for the stake she'd dropped earlier. She finally found it underneath the edge of the bed, where it had fallen when she'd rolled over. "So what are we going to do about Wes and Fred?" she asked when she'd grabbed the stake and stood up. "What do you mean?" Angel asked in confusion. "Well, it's obvious that he's interested in her," Faith said with a shrug, sitting back down on the bed. "And I think she likes him a little, too. But she needs to get over her crush on you before she'll see it," she added with a smirk. "Jealous, Faith?" Angel teased. Faith glared at Angel. "Hardly. I just don't like that she dotes all over you. It isn't healthy, and we both know nothing will ever come of it. And I really don't want to see her hurt." Angel frowned. She'd struck the one sore spot in their relationship. "Well, if you'd let me tell everyone that we're together, Fred would have to see that there's no chance of anything happening between us." Faith sighed in exasperation. "Angel, you know why I don't want everyone to know!" she cried. "They all think I'm B Junior, anyway. And since everyone knows about your curse, they'll do everything they can to keep us from being happy or comfortable with our relationship in order to keep you from going Angelus. I don't want to live with them breathing down our necks all the time!" Angel shook his head. "I don't think you're giving them enough credit," he protested. "They know me better than that. They know that I won't risk it." "Yeah, just like they knew that you would never betray them and risk everything in order to defeat Darla and Drusilla," Faith snapped. "They knew you would never fire them because they were too close to your conscience. They knew that you would never allow the D and D duo to feast on a ton of people, whether they were lawyers or not. Yeah, they knew *all* that. And look how right they were." Angel stared at Faith in disbelief. "But you know that I won't risk Angelus coming out," he said angrily. "Yeah, *I* know," Faith admitted. "But they don't." She stood up and headed for the door. "I gotta go patrol. See you later." Angel got up and strode out of the room. He either needed to talk to Wesley or he needed to polish off that bottle of tequila in his office. Right now he wasn't sure which one appealed more.
