Around two in the morning, I found I was tossing and turning myself in to a minor annoyance of my head. I couldn�t stop thinking, and that was a bad thing when you had a lot to think about and desperately wanted to get some semblance of sleep.
I sat up in bed, and with a sigh, I tossed off the light white covers, and climbed out of the huge bed. I looked down at my ensemble, and thought I looked rather �slutty�. Faith�s clothing had a way of projecting a sexy image that just didn�t seem to be me.
Angel however, had assured me earlier when he was kissing me goodnight that I was plenty sexy, and that if I was any more alluring he�d be locking me in a pair of sweat pants and a jacket and never letting me out of his bedroom. Still though, the pair of extremely short, tight shorts, and the small tank top that hugged my body like a glove made me a little nervous.
I left the bedroom, and gazed around the hallway I was in. The door to Angel�s room was in, and I peaked my head in and discovered that he still hadn�t gone to bed.
I heard voices then, and started down the hallway, following what I heard. There were little streams of light cast around the hallway from the ocean and the lights Faith had outside.
As I neared the place where the voices were, I could hear some form of a conversation. It was Angel and Faith, no doubt. But what were they still up talking about?
I moved a little closer, being careful not to make a sound, and listened carefully. I knew I shouldn�t be eaves dropping like this, but it was a sneaky tactic I just couldn�t resist.
�Faith, we know who it was though!� Angel was protesting to whatever she had said.
�We?� she asked. �Angel, no offence buddy, but your little girlfriend doesn�t seem to understand just what you�ve dragged her in to. She probably doesn�t even know who you�re running from. You may know who and when and how, but she doesn�t even know why.-And I think that�s all she cares to know, if you want my honest opinion.�
�Faith, you don�t understand. I can�t just tell her about Cordelia. If I tell her, then she�ll want to go to the police and file a report and everything, and nothing will be safe back home for my parents, my sisters, my father, or Buffy�s father! Because the second we go to the police, the Chase�s will do all that they can to see that we get hurt just as much as their pride will.� Angel tried to make his point, but Faith would have none of it.
�I know all of this Angel, don�t you remember? I went through this with you, when it was Darla! You just have an awful habit of turning ex-lovers in to psychotic, murderous stalkers with access to all the money in the world to buy you a nuclear warhead. Okay? I�ve been there with you. I knew everything that was happening. Now, you have someone else there with you, and she doesn�t know anything. She doesn�t know why you�re running, or who you�re running from. She�s looking at everyone like they�re going to try to put a bullet in her head.� Faith seemed to be extremely protective of my situation, and my mind began to race as I thought of something she�d said.
�I�ve been there with you�. Huh? Did this mean that Angel has been through this exact situation before? Possibly more than once? Could it be that he did this every year or so to make his life more interesting? Did he go to the trouble of finding someone like me, who�s emotionally distraught, and then go about setting up some big ordeal to make me passionately obsessed with him? Could he be that low?
What he said next, also made me think.
�Faith, you know with you it was different. You didn�t have to run with me. You could have stayed behind. Hell, you didn�t even have to move from Devil�s Gorge after it all happened. It was different with you. They weren�t after you. They were after me.� Angel was silent from then on, letting that sink in to Faith�s head.
�What do you mean?� she asked in a low voice. �What do you mean �they were after you�? Angel, you said they were after both of us!� When he said nothing, Faith continued. �So what about now? Who exactly is Cordelia after? Who�s pissing her off the most?�
Angel took a moment, and then said, �it�s Buffy.�
My eyes widened in sheer horror and fear. So he DID know who this person was after! What�s even crueler, is that he knows who�s chasing us! Worse yet, he�s been through this all before!
�Are you sure?� Faith asked him, and I started listening closer to understand what was going on. �Are you sure Cordelia�s after Buffy? I mean�Maybe she isn�t after anyone specifically, Angel. Maybe she�s just trying to hurt you.�
�No�I got a note.� He said, and then I heard the sound of paper. �Someone dropped it in front of me at the hospital. It had my name on it and I picked it up, but with all the events that happened after, I didn�t get a chance to read it after I put Buffy in bed.�
�Okay, Angel, I�m drawing a line,� Faith said. �You either tell Buffy what�s going on first thing in the morning, or I�ll go tell her right now. You can�t just go and risk someone�s life like this, and not tell them that they�re in danger. I love you Angel, but I think Buffy�s a nice person too. And you know how few of them there are left in this world.�
�I know. You�re right, but�How can I just tell her? I just want to�Faith, I will tell her. I promise. I will. Just let me do it.�
She agreed to this, but added then, �Angel, I know you want to �keep� her, and be the only thing she has left, but�Not to be rude or anything, but she deserves more than that. She deserves the truth. I know that�s what I would want.�
There was a moment of silken, and then Angel sounded like he was in a different area of the room, closer to Faith when he said, �I�m sorry, Faith. I�m sorry you went through so much because of me. And now here I am, dragging you in to it all again.�
�Angel, I never blamed you for what happened.� She told him. �What we went through together?-that wasn�t even my main reason for leaving Devil�s Gorge. I left because there was nothing left for me there to keep me. I mean, you were in Palm Beach working at making a change, and I just felt that�It was time for me to make one too.�
�Do you think we�ll ever be what we used to be?� Angel asked, and his voice detected his hope and wishes to go back to being whatever they were.
Faith smiled then and said, �I don�t know Angel-buddy. You�ve got your new girl in there, and she�s pretty dead-set on watching to make sure I watch my own.�
�You�re joking me!� Angel rushed to assure her.
�Kid you not, man. She�s been watching me as much as she can without being intrusive. What�s worse though, is that she doesn�t even know if she�s supposed to be watching other women. She has NO idea what she means to you,� Faith laughed.
Angel stopped laughed. �Of course she knows, Faith,� he said. �I told her exactly what she means to me. IN just two weeks, I've fallen for her completely. I've told her I can't live without her.�
�Angel, this may sound hokey or whatever, but just listen�Actions DO speak louder than words. Remember that.� Now it sounded as if she was right next to him.
�I know. You�re right,� Angel sighed.
Faith grinned, �of course I am. I�m a genius, remember?�
Angel laughed, �how could I forget? This is the person that lit her father's barn on fire with a blow torch. Well, �genius�, I�m heading to bed. Goodnight, and thank you.�
I could hear them exchange a hug, and then Faith said, �Angel, remember what I�ve said. I�m serious. ALL of it.�
�I will,� Angel said.
I knew I�d have no excuse if I was caught, so as quietly as I could, I ran back down the hall to my bedroom. I shut my door with an aching slowness, shutting my eyes to cringe when I heard the metal clasp make a detectable �clicking� noise.
I raced over to my bathroom then, knowing that I sucked at acting asleep. I could never pull it off in my current state, especially now that my heart was beating so fast.
I went to the counter in the large bathroom, and found a hair brush Faith had supplied me. I went about brushing my hair until I heard the door open, and Angel entered the bedroom.
He must have seen the empty bed and freaked out that I�d been kidnapped, because he said frantically after a moment, �Buffy? Oh God. Buffy, where are you?�
I rushed out of the bathroom, making my appearance before Angel called Faith in to look for me. �Angel, calm down. I�m right here,� I said with a faint hint of a loving smile that hopefully didn�t tell him I knew everything that was happening.
�Oh Buffy,� Angel sighed in relief and rushed over to where I was. He pulled me in to his arms and kissed the top of my head. �God, you had me so scared. I thought you�d left or something.�
I looked up in to his eyes, deciding that the guilt he would feel in the morning could be worse if I said one word��Forever,� I whispered and leane dup on my tip-toes to kiss his ear love.
�Remember?�
He froze, his eyes widening. "O-Of course," he stuttered, feeling suddenly nervous. I acted like I didn't notice, and cuddled closer, but inside, I knew how tormented he would be tonight. Good, until he told me the truth-all of what I already knew-he shouldn't have it easy.