| Have a Little Faith, Chapter 19 | |
Lindsey went home after meeting again with Holland and Lilah about Drusilla’s demise. They all agreed to put it off for as long as possible.
He felt powerless. It was 1am and soon Angelus would be heading to the hospital. Lindsey had learned that Faith had been badly beaten and now lay in ICU. He knew she would recover quickly, but not if Angelus got to her first.
All he wanted to do was race to the hospital and stake Angelus. Angel may be the vampire that will save the world, but right now Faith was worth more.
He wondered if he should try Alex again. In case she did not believe the message or understand it, but debated against it. He had already done too many things to get him in trouble—
But this was what he was here for, to give Faith inside information and keep Angelus at bay until they could find the curse.
He did not care anymore. He had to risk everything to make up for what he had done. He dialed the phone, hoping that Alex would pick up.
“Umm—Do you know it’s 1am?” said a voice that he immediately knew was not the same voice that picked up before.
“Cordelia?” Lindsey asked.
“Yep—“ she paused. “Oh my god, Lindsey?” there was a squeal of excitement in her voice.
“Yeah it’s me. What are you doing on Alex’s phone?”
“She’s at the hospital, she lent it to me.”
“I called her—“
“Yeah, I know. I only know one guy with a sweet mid-west accent. That I would love to listen to more than once or twice a month if I’m lucky.”
“Yep, listen, I wanted to make sure you got all of the message. You know that Angelus is coming for Faith, right?”
“Yep, don’t worry, hon, we got it all handled. We’re making Faith’s room into her home. I got a spell from Willow-- boy was she acting like a bitch.”
“You better hurry.”
“Don’t worry,” she said. “We got it covered. Angelus ain’t gonna touch her. We promise.”
“I was so worried. How are you holding up?”
“I’m not the one with Angelus breathing down my back. Wesley is close, but he’s just not as scary. Did Faith tell you I am moving into a new apartment. It’s right upstairs from Alex’s office. I guess I’ll never be late for work.”
Lindsey laughed. He loved talking with her. He did not want to end the conversation, but he knew the more he stayed in her world, the more likely he would regret never seeing it.
“Honey, I got to go.”
Cordelia did not say anything for a moment.
“Cordelia?”
“Do you believe in love at first sight?” she finally asked.
“Not until last February. Reaffirmed on a cool October night.”
She laughed. “I know they may catch up to you, or Faith may fail. I know I have to work on the spell and I’m being selfish, but can you just speak with me for five more minutes.”
Lindsey smiled. Five more minutes to be human again.
“I want to be with you,” she said.
“Me too—“
“Can we maybe just for a few minutes?”
“I can’t—“ he said and choked up a bit. “Angelus caught your scent last time. Luckily he didn’t recognize it as you, but he thought it was familiar.”
“But—“ she said and started to get choked up. “I want to feel your arms around me again.”
“Cordelia—don’t cry, please.”
“It’s just that I want to be with you and that might never happen.”
“Listen—we had our one night. Let’s
think on that. It was wonderful. It was the happiest moment
of my life. Nothing will ever compare to it. That night—it
has given me the ability to keep going despite the pain and death around
me.”
“You were surely taking your time,” Wesley said. “I had to wake up five shop keepers before I could find someone to give me the herbs.”
“Sorry Wesley, Willow was being a bitch, it’s not like she hadn’t broken up with Oz before.”
Wesley was surprised that Cordelia made no nasty or sarcastic comment. After all the first time Willow and Oz broke up, it had been because Xander had been caught kissing Willow. He also knew that despite Willow being difficult, it would still not explain why it took her so long.
He decided not to say anything. They were all here and could get started. Kate had nailed up several crosses and Alex and put a ring of Garlic by the wall. Wesley had brought in several weapons just in case the spell did not work or Angelus caused any problems with the staff.
Wesley was sorting through some herbs to put them together for the spell, when the doctor entered the room.
“What the hell are you all doing here?” he
asked. “Visiting hours are over, it’s 2 am.”
Kate quickly took over the situation.
“I’m Detective Kate Lockely, and you are?”
“Dr. George Kates—“
“Well, Dr. Kates, I’m here to guard this patient. She may be at risk against being attacked again. Do you really want me to leave?”
“No one can get up here—It’s a secure area.”
“I don’t care,” Kate replied. “I am not leaving this woman until she wakes up, do you understand?”
The doctor looked frustrated, but beaten. “Don’t talk too loud and leave her alone. She needs to rest.” was all the doctor could say.
“Thank you,” Kate replied. The doctor went over to Faith to look her over. When he was satisfied that nothing had changed, he quickly left the room.
“Thank you,” Wesley said to her and smiled. Kate smiled back.
“Alright, here’s everything,” Cordelia said.
“Cordelia, I think it might be better if you go.”
“Go? But I thought I was part of the team.”
“I’m going to ask Kate to leave, too. Angelus knows about Alex and me, but not about you and Kate. It’s best that we leave it that way.”
Cordelia did not say anything.
“Do you really want Angelus after you?”
She finally shook her head.
“Good, now head home. We’ll take care of it from here.”
“Okay,” she said, a little deadpan.
“Cordelia,” Wesley said following her into the hallway away from Alex. He tried to keep his tone serious. “I know you like Lindsey, but you should not be blind to the damage Angelus can do.”
“I know what he can do. He killed Ms. Calendar. He’s a bad evil dude, okay. I know. I’m not stupid.”
“I never said you were.”
“I know you all think I’m an idiot, pining for a man I barely know, but well, I’ve kind of changed from the person you knew in Sunnydale. I love Lindsey, honest to God, but I’m really doing this to help not just him, but all of you.”
Wesley smiled. “Thanks,” he said. He watched her leave. He had a feeling that Cordelia and Lindsey were secretly spending time together.
They were interrupted by a groan and someone screaming: “Fuck!”
“Wesley, come quick,” Alex yelled out.
It was Faith she had woken up. Wesley came back into the room. Alex was already by the bed. Wesley quickly joined her. Kate stood in the back. She guessed Alex and Wesley were closer to Faith.
“Faith,” Wesley said, holding her hand. “Faith can you hear me?”
“Ow,” she replied, opening her eyes. “Lindsey-- Wes— fucking Nazis.” Finally she opened her eyes.
“You’re in the hospital,” Wesley told her.
“Hospital?” she said, weakly.
“Yes, you were beaten up very badly by the Scourge, but the doctors think you’ll be all right.”
“Had to—jump through the window—to many.”
“Don’t worry,” he assured her. “You’re safe now.”
She nodded, then went back into unconsciousness.
Around 2:50AM, Alex and Wesley sat next to
Faith’s bed. Doctors said she was doing better so much they would
probably move her out of the ICU in the morning. Wesley and Alex stood
by Faith’s bed.
Faith was sleeping. She would wake
up every once in a while and then go back to sleep.
“I can’t believe she’s recovered like this,” Alex commented. “The doctors said she had internal bleeding and broken ribs.”
“Slayers are fast healers,” Wesley explained. “She’ll be fine.”
Alex smiled. “You don’t like this.”
“Like what?”
“Faith and you working for me.”
“The council went ballistic,” Wesley said. “But I told them I was able spend more time training Faith than working. They aren’t too happy. They lost Buffy, they want to put a leash on Faith.”
“Who’s Buffy?” Alex asked.
Wesley chuckled. “Buffy Summers is the vampire slayer. About 3 years ago, she was killed by the Master, he’s a very powerful vampire, but was quickly revived. The powers that be thought the slayer was dead and called the new one—“
“Faith?”
Wesley shook his head. “Kendra. She was murdered by a vampire named Drusilla, very nasty. Then Faith was called more than a year ago.”
“So she’s playing second fiddle,” Alex joked.
“It does bother her,” Wesley said. “Or should I say did. Working for you, for the powers that be directly has distanced her from Buffy. It has taken a good portion of that jealousy.”
Alex nodded.
Suddenly they were interrupted by a crying at the door of “oh fuck.” Alex and Wesley rushed to the doorway, but were careful not to go over the threshold. On the opposite side was a very unhappy looking Angelus.
“See this,” Wesley said holding up a form. “This says this is Faith’s room, her residence. She lives here for now. That means that you can’t enter.”
Angelus did not say anything, but he looked so mad, Wesley took a step back, despite Angelus could not come in.
Wesley looked him over. “You are not getting anywhere near her tonight, Angelus.”
“You really think so?” Angelus asked.
“You can’t get in this room.”
“But I can get into other rooms,” he said. “And kill whoever I want. Do you think you can live with that?” Angelus did not get a chance to finish because a wooden arrow hit him right near the heart.
Faith was up in bed and had fired the crossbow that Wesley had brought for protection. She fired another one. It also landed again near his heart.
“Next one is in your heart if you hurt anyone.” She shot again and again got him near the heart.
Angelus ran off before she could fire again. When she could no longer see him, she collapsed back into the bed.
“Faith,” Wesley cried out.
Angelus ran down the stairs and knock two people down to get out of the hospital, both who looked in shock at the man running with what looked like three arrows in his heart.
When he got outside he stopped. He yanked one of the arrows out and repressed the screams. Faith could have killed him, but did not. What was she planning to do? It was almost like she was trying to torment him like he wanted to torment her.
It was the curse. Did they want to restore the curse?
“You’re going down, bitch,” Angelus muttered to himself and yanked the second arrow out. Angelus nearly fell to the floor. “And you are going to suffer all the way down.” He had no intention of becoming a whiney do-gooder again.