Have a little Faith, Part 3

"Your treat right?" she said, as soon as she sat down.

Lindsey nodded.  Faith had found a restaurant for them that she could never afford, but he could easily.

She looked over the menu, while he just decided to order a hamburger.  He supposed he should have a good last meal.  Something that he did not usually have. He had not had a hamburger since being hired at Wolfram and Hart.  Something about eating them had become decadent and a reminder of his past.  He
remembered growing up that McDonalds was a big expensive treat.  His father would do the same stupid joke every time they went. How they named the restaurant after their family. But it had been a
refreshing change from the cheap pasta they had almost every night.

"Patrolling takes a lot out of you," she explained, after she ordered almost everything on the menu. It did not bother Lindsey.  He liked Faith.  He liked that she defended him against Buffy. Although he was glad that Buffy's opinion of him changed now that she knew the risk he had to take.

"Don't worry about it.  I was surprised to find out about you.  Angelus said the second slayer was dead and did not know where the replacement was."

"I showed up a little bit after Angelus went to hell.  Though, I wouldn't mind kicking his ass."

"What did he do to them?  If you don't mind telling me.  I have never seen someone get so enraged as Buffy.  Just the mention of his name seems to set her off.  I thought she was going to hit me."

"Don't mind, but you sure you want to hear? It could be previews of what you're up against.  It's pretty sick the stuff he did."

"I'm dead just for coming here."

Faith frowned.  She knew what she had to say would not cheer him up.  "Angelus murdered Giles's girlfriend.  Her name was Jenny.  He snapped her neck, then put her dead body into Giles' bed.  Apparently, she was trying to recreate the curse.  At least that's what Giles thought."

"Curse?" Lindsey said, horrified. No wonder Giles seemed stand offish when he mentioned Angelus.

"I guess this was something Angelus left out.  Guess he did not want to give people ideas. About a hundred years ago, gypsies put a curse on him, gave him back his soul.  He started calling himself Angel."

"He had a soul," Lindsey said, enthusiastic for the first time since he got here.

"Yeah, and he was doing good.  He met up with Buffy when she came to Sunnydale and they, well, got involved.  That's why he hates her so much.  I guess He's probably royally pissed at her now?"

"How did he lose his soul?" he asked and Faith was right.  Angelus was slowly plotting Buffy's long and painful demise.

"Well, part of the curse was that he can never experience true happiness or he'll lose his soul
again.  Well, the rumor mill says love can make your experience that.  That's what happened with him and Buffy.  Jenny, she was a gypsy sent to watch him, but she found out to late about the other part of the curse.  She's apparently kind of like you.  She wanted to make things right.   So she tried to recreate the curse, it was lost or something. Angelus killed her before she could do it."

Lindsey did not respond.  He guessed neck snapping was a quick death.

"Anyway, Buffy apparently went off the deep end for a little while, disappeared for a while after she killed Angelus.  Her mom's still pissed off about it.  She had to kill him, you see.  He had opened up some door to hell or something and only his death could close it-Oh cool, food."
 

"You have an awesome collection, Mr. Giles," Lindsey said, looking over his books.  They were in the
Sunnydale School Library.  They expected Willow, Xander, Faith and Buffy to show up around noon.  That's when their lunch was and Faith tended to sleep in.

"I spoke to the council last night.  They are very appreciative of what you told us.  They are willing to find you a safe house when this is all over."

"I doubt I'll make it that long," Lindsey said and looked down.

"Mr. McD-"

"You might as well call me Lindsey," he said.

"Lindsey, I made a deal with them that just for the information they should get you out You can get out now if you like."

Lindsey shook his head.  "I have a lot of things to atone for.  In a way I'm thankful to Angelus.  He
opened up my eyes to the evil I was doing."

"If it gets to intense, we will get you out."

Lindsey nodded.  But he knew he would never be able to get out.  No matter how bad it got.

"Rupert, Faith told me that Angelus used to have a soul."

Giles nodded, but did not say anything.  "He wasn't always bad, but I try not to think about it.  Angel saved Jenny once, but when he was Angelus, he killed her."

"Yes, Faith told me about her.  I'm very sorry, but I need to know more about Angel."

"Why?"

"Because the same scroll that raised Angelus said that there would be a vampire with a soul that would save the world.  Angel is the first vampire I've ever heard of to have a soul."

"He doesn't have one now," Giles said, trying to keep his anger down since it was directed at Angelus, not Lindsey.

"I know you're upset, but we may need to restore Angel's soul.  Do you know anything about the curse?"

"It's lost," Giles said and looked away.  "Jenny was trying to recreate it, and Angelus killed her for it."

"Angelus is going to kill me too, so I have nothing to lose."

"She was a gypsy, but her clan won't help us.  We've asked.  They want the people who were good to him to suffer."

The door of the library opened and a very attractive brunette entered.  For a moment Lindsey forgot all his problems and concentrated on her.  She was tall, well dressed and wore high heels.  She did not look like a high school student, but she was carrying books in her hands.

She caught him staring at her, so she smiled.  Their eyes caught for just a moment, she smiled again, then she headed towards the desk.

"Hey, Giles, Book me. Psychology. "

Giles nodded.

So, who is your friend?" she said and smiled again.

"Best to not say," Giles says.

"Giles," the woman said, a little whinny.  "I've kept like tons of secrets, I can keep one more."

"I'm Lindsey McDonald," Lindsey said, before Giles had a chance to think it over.

Giles sighed. "Lindsey has discovered that a law firm in LA has raised Angelus."

"Angelus?" she asked and remembered all that had happened earlier in the year.  "Big mean Angelus?"

Giles nodded.  "No one is to know that Lindsey has been here.  It would cost him his life."

"Oh.  I promise I won't tell a soul.  I mean it."

"Lindsey, this is Cordelia Chase."

Lindsey smiled and shook her hand, and for some reason wanted to kiss her, but then he told himself she was a high school student, under 18.  Also he did not have time to get involved with anyone.

"I like your suit," she said and smiled.  "Is that a real Armani?"

Their moment was interrupted when Buffy, and what Lindsey assumed with Willow and Xander entered. Willow was an attractive red head that seemed shy.

Xander seemed more confident.

"Hello Xander, it's 12 noon and you're still a loser," She said, walking out without waiting for a
response.  Lindsey immediately realized that the two of them had gone out.

"Good to see you to Cordelia," Xander said, then he turned to Giles.  "Buffy told us," Xander said a
little deadpan.

"Yes, evil murderer is back," Willow said, pouted, then took her seat.

"You must be Lindsey," Xander said.

Lindsey nodded. He suddenly felt embarrassed being around all these high school students.

"I'm Xander, this here is perky Willow."

"Nice to meet you."

"Where's Faith?" Giles asked.

"I am not the other slayer's keeper," Buffy replied. She still seemed upset, but Lindsey could understand. She probably hoped to be rid of Angelus.

"Um, hi," Willow said.

Seeing Xander made Lindsey understand why Cordelia seemed so embarrassed by him, especially when it was obvious he dumped her.  She was obviously a rich popular girl and he was not.  Lindsey probably suffered the same fate as Xander in high school, but he was a lot poorer.  Most of the classmates did not want anything to do with him.  Trailer trash was not supposed to go to school and get straight A's.

A few minutes later, the door opened and Faith came in.  She did not say anything.  She just went to sit on the back of the chair.

"We're all here," Buffy said. "What's the deal?"

"I've spoken to the council.  The good news is that when Angelus is taken care off, they are willing to help Lindsey hide from Wolfram and Hart."

"That's good," she said.  "When are we heading to LA?"

"They are also dispatching Faith to stop Angelus, but not Buffy."

"What?" Buffy demanded.

"They think you are too personally involved," Giles explained.

"I killed him once," she said "I can do it again."

"They also think that having Lindsey as an insider is valuable.  If you show up, Angelus will become
suspicious and that will endanger Lindsey."

Buffy did not say anything.  It was obvious to Lindsey that she really wanted to kill Angel.  Maybe
it had something to do with the fact that she had killed him once before.

"And getting to Angelus may take some time.  We need you here.  What with The Mayor and all."

Buffy still did not respond.

"Buffy?" Giles said.

"Yep, I understand.  I show up, Lindsey gets killed."

"Don't worry, B," Faith assured her.  "I'll bring the ashes back so you can stomp all over them."

Buffy nodded, but that did not seem to cheer her up.

"I also found a spell that will give the mind readers false thoughts.  The only problem with it is that it gives the same thought.  You should redo the spell once or twice a month so that they don't get
suspicious."

"Thanks," Lindsey replied.  He looked down.

"Hey," Faith said.  "I'll stop Angelus long before he can get to you."

"If you can."

"He'll be dust soon enough."

"I'm not too sure about that," he said.

"Are you talking about Aberjian again?" Giles asked. "About the vampire with a soul?"

Lindsey nodded.

"What is that?" Buffy asked.

"In the scroll of Aberjian there is a passage about a vampire with a soul.  He will aid in saving the world.  Angelus is the only vampire I know that had a soul."

"Too bad he don't have one anymore," Xander commented.  "So Faith will just have to kill him."
 

"Think he'll be okay?" Buffy asked Giles as they watched Lindsey's car go down the road.

"You want an honest answer?"

"I'm not to sure, but maybe you better tell me one anyway."

Giles looked down.  "He said that Angelus hates him. Even if the mind readers can't find out-- if Angelus even suspects that Lindsey has a responsibility towards bringing Faith, he'll have no problems killing him.  It's obvious that Angelus is more important to Wolfram and Hart than Lindsey.  They probably would not even care.  If Angelus ever find out about this meeting, Lindsey would be as good as dead and it may not be a pretty death."

Buffy sighed.  "Next time I want a lie."

Continue on to Part 4

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