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Part 1
For Little A ~ because there's a little Faith hiding in a lot of us.
Faith placed both feet on the floorboard and yanked the chain down from
where it was bolted there. It pulled free and hit her in the shoulder. She
rolled off her back and kicked the window out of the van. She stumbled out
onto the side of the road. The two guards were dead. Shot. She should be
dead too. The bullet meant for her had grazed her temple instead. How
many times had the van rolled before it ended up on the side of the road?
She could feel her head bleeding. Her wrists wren't much better. The
handcuffs had cut into her as she'd been tossed about. She heard voices
and ducked into the shadows of the trees.
"Is she dead?"
"I don't see her. The window's busted out. Maybe she was thrown."
"Maybe. If not, she'll turn up. She always does."
"On to LA?"
"First we torch the van."
"Right."
"Then we go after Wesley and the vampire."
Faith started to shake. She recognized them. Watchers' Council thugs.
They were going after Angel. They were going after her watcher. Well,
she'd get there first. The smell of gasoline assaulted her nostrils. She
watched as one of them struck a match, and she turned to run. She had
people to save. She'd be dead and buried before they got to the people
who'd pulled her out of the darkness she'd been drowning in.
*~*~*~*~*
"ANGEL!"
"What?"
Cordelia was standing completely still, her eyes wide, pointing at the TV.
He looked and sucked in unneeded air. They were showing a large picture
of Faith. He was catching about every other word. Transport. Gunshot
wounds. Missing prisoner. Fire. She'd killed again. He didn't want to believe
it, but the evidence was so very damning.
"D-do you think she'll come here?"
"Either here or to Buffy. Where's Wesley?"
"He went to get us some food. He should be back any minute now."
"I'll call Giles and warn them. From this point on, you and Wesley aren't
more than a few feet from me."
"I have absolutely no problem with that."
*~*~*~*~*
Faith pulled her stolen vehicle up to where Angel Investigations was
supposed to be. Fear clenched her gut as she stepped out of the car. The
handcuffs and chain still dangled from her wrists which were now matted
with dried blood. The wound in her head made her dizzy when she stood,
but she shook it off. She stared at the burnt out building and sank to her
knees. The tears came easier than they used to. She felt a presence
behind her and stiffened. Vampire.
"What have we here?"
"Trouble if you don't back the fuck off." She sniffed.
She was grabbed by the hair and yanked to her feet. The vampire spun her
around and got half his snarl out before she knocked him in the face with
her cuffed hands. He stumbled. She kicked him in the face. He growled at
her, and suddenly a little fear and rage broke free. She roared and
attacked.
*~*~*~*~*
Gunn heard someone screaming and took off running. He stopped short as
he rounded the corner of the burnt building where Angel used to reside.
There was a tiny brunette seriously pounding on a vampire. Her wrists were
handcuffed and a chain dangled between them. The vampire kept getting
that chain in the face. Gunn raised his crossbow and aimed over her
shoulder. Taking careful aim, he let the bolt fly.
Faith jumped when the vampire turned to dust. "Angel?" She spun around
and frowned. There was a tall black guy walking towards her. He stopped
about three feet away from her.
"You ok?"
"No." She turned back to look at the building. "Where is he?" She said to no
one in particular. She stared at the building with unshed tears in her eyes.
There was no doubt to Gunn who she was referring to.
"You looking for Angel, huh?"
"You know... He's ok?"
"Last time I checked."
"You know where he is? Can you take me to him?"
"Sure. My truck's this way." He turned and went back the direction he
came. Faith fell into step beside him. He towered over her. Just like Angel.
"So, what's with the handcuffs?"
"I escaped from prison." She said flippantly.
"Oh."
*~*~*~*~*
Cordelia swung the door open and gasped. Shock all over her face.
"ANGEL!"
"God, Cordelia. Do you have to screech like that? What..." His words died
off as he saw Faith.
She stared at him for merely seconds before she gasped a ragged break
and tears started to fall from her eyes. "Not too late this time." Her lower
lip quivered. She felt like a great weight had been lifted from her. She 'd
been so worried she wouldn't get here in time. She was always too little
too late but not today.
"Faith." It was hissed. She looked over to see Wesley glaring at her.
She let out a pained wail and sank too her knees. "Not too late this time.
Not too late."
"Well, don't just stand there." Cordelia snapped at Gunn. "Bring her inside."
*~*~*~*~*
"Faith? Faith, what happened?"
She hadn't said a word since Gunn had carried her to the couch. Angel was
getting a little frightened. Her head and hands were bleeding. Every time
he tried to clean the wounds, she swatted his hands away. She just kept
staring off into space and muttering 'not too late'. He tried to dab at the
cut on her temple. She knocked him away. He growled and threw down the
kitchen towel he'd had in his hand. Then he stomped out of the living room.
Wesley was sitting across the room in a chair. His eyes hadn't left her the
entire time she'd been in the room. As soon as Angel got up and stormed
off, she shut her eyes. He could see the tears escaping from under her
eyelids. He walked to her and sat down. He took the towel and dipped it in
the water Cordelia had set on the coffee table. He wet the towel and went
to clean her temple. When she swung her hands at him, he grabbed the
chain with his other hand and pulled it down to hold her hands away. He
dabbed at the bloody grove in her head made by the bullet, and she hissed
in pain.
"Sorry." He muttered.
She turned her eyes to him so fast he jumped. Her face screwed up
horribly, and she began to sob loudly. She jerked her hands away from him.
He tried to jump away from her, but she grabbed the front of his wrinkled
shirt. Wesley struggled until she buried her face in his neck and continued
to cry, then he froze. Wesley was stunned. He didn't know what to do, so
he wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair. That just made her
cry harder.
"I-I-I w-won't let them."
"What?" He whispered.
"I won't lose you too. I lost her. I won't lose you."
"Her?"
"My first watcher."
"They're coming after you. I'll die first. I-I know I-I t-tried to, but I'm s-s-
so s-s-sorry. You're mine. They can't have you. I'll die."
"Faith, what are you talking about?"
She pulled away from him. "Did I scar you?" Her eyes were wild with pain.
She put her hands to his chin and turned his head from side to side.
"No."
"Good. Very good. I can't stand it, you know. I can't. I see you in my sleep
sometimes, and B. I see her. I can't. I wake up sweating and screaming. It
hurts."
He stared at the girl who had once held such arrogant confidence. She had
seriously lost it. She was barely coherent at this point. "Faith, who's
coming for me?"
"Those guys from before. The council guys. You and Angel. I won't let
them. I'll die first. Couldn't save her. Can't lose you too. I'll die first."
"The council is after us?"
"They shot me." She touched her fingertips to the wound absentmindedly
and winced.
Wesley grabbed the towel and wet it again. This time she let him clean the
wound. She didn't move at all. Wesley looked up to see Angel standing in
the doorway. There was a look of pure anger on his face. Wesley could see
it. Angel wanted them to come. They'd pay for even trying, but most of all,
they'd pay for turning a rogue slayer into the weeping, bleeding mass she
had become.
*~*~*~*~*
Faith stared at the ceiling. Her wrists were free of the handcuffs and
bandaged. Her head was bandaged. She was in Cordelia's guest room. She
absolutely terrified to sleep. What if something happened while she was
asleep? What if they found them while she was asleep? She could see the
sun peeking in through a slight crack where the heavy curtains hung away
from the wall. She concentrated on it. Light. Light fascinated her now. She
felt like she could never be part of it. She would never be. Light was for
good people, and good she was not. Not by a long shot. But that wasn't
going to stop her from trying to be.
"Why aren't you sleeping?"
She looked up at Angel. "What if they come and I'm asleep?"
"I promise to wake you." He grinned.
"I don't remember you making jokes. Ever."
"It's a recent developement."
"Like my breaking down?"
"I liked that. Not that you broke down, but that you could."
"Yeah."
"You shocked Wesley a little."
"How?"
"He's yours? You can't lose him too?"
"Buffy was to Giles as I should have been to Wesley. I failed him.
Miserably. The way I fail everyone. I honestly don't know why you put up
with my shit."
"Faith-"
"I'm sure it was on the news. I'm sure you thought I'd killed those guards."
"Faith, I-"
"Don't. You have nothing to apologize for. I deserve it. I would have
thought I'd done it too."
"Faith-"
"Just go. I'm going to try to sleep."
He closed the door and sighed. He could almost feel the pain coming off of
her.
*~*~*~*~*
"All these little cuts and bruises, just bring out the mother in me."
She opened her eyes and saw the room as it must have been. She saw
herself sitting on Wesley. He was battered and bound. She watched as the
other her slapped him lightly. She looked down and noticed she was
wearing a white cotton dress that hit below her knees and no shoes. Her
head snapped when she heard the other's voice.
"Come on. Now now, don't poop out on me, dammit. Otherwise this is all
gonna be over too fast. And you'll be dead, and I'd be BORED."
Faith cringed as she watched herself yank back on the gag causing Wesley
to gasp a little.
"Come on, Wesley. Where's that stiff upper lip?"
"Get off him!"
The other her whipped around. "Cute. White's SO you, killer."
"Shut up."
"Or what? What are you gonna do, sweetheart?
"Kill you."
"Oh?"
"Buffy beat you. I can too."
"Comparing ourselves to B these days. Is that what the white dress is
about? You and I both know you'll never be her."
"Fuck you."
"Nice. Let's see who lands on top." The evil version lunged at the one in
the white dress.
*~*~*~*~*
Something jarred Wesley out of sleep. He sat up on the couch. He noticed
Gunn was wrapped in a blanket on a chair. He walked to the bathroom. As
he passed the guest room he heard Faith moan in her sleep. He pushed
open the door and saw her thrashing around in the bed. Without even
considering what she might do, he rushed over and grabbed her arms.
"Faith. Wake up." He shook her.
"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BITCH!" Her fist swung out catching Wesley in the
mouth. He lost his balance and pitched backwards off of the bed. But he
still had a hand on her. Faith tumbled to the floor landing on top of him.
Her eyes snapped open. She was laying on top of Wesley.
"She didn't get you." She laid her head on his chest.
Angel slammed in the door in a pair of sweat pants. He grabbed Faith and
pulled her off of Wesley.
"She had a nightmare." Wesley rubbed his jaw. His lip was bleeding.
Faith stared at him. "You're bleeding. What happened?"
"You hit me."
"Oh God." Her eyes teared up.
"No, Faith, you were having a nightmare. It was an accident."
She struggled in Angel's grasp, but he held tight. "THERE ARE NO
ACCIDENTS WITH ME! I AM THE ACCIDENT! I WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE! I
SHOULDN'T BE HERE! I DON'T WANT TO BE! I CAN'T EVER WIN! I'LL NEVER
BE GOOD! I CAN'T TAKE IT! IT HURTS! I SHOULD HAVE LET THEM KILL ME!
YOU SHOULD HAVE LET THEM TAKE ME!"
Wesley slapped her across the face. She was stunned.
"I don't care for talk like that. No matter what the council says, I am you
watcher. You are MY slayer. You will not speak of rolling over and dying.
You used to have such fire, Faith. Why did you let it burn out? You CAN
and WILL take it. You won't lose me? Well, I won't lose you either. How do
you like that?"
Angel was impressed. With both of them. Faith had come to save them,
and Wesley was going to save her from herself.
Faith stared at Wesley. He'd called her his slayer. After all she had done
and said to him, he'd called her HIS slayer. He wasn't going to let her give
up. A slow smile spread over her face. Maybe she could make amends too.
She leaned back into Angel's embrace and looked into her watcher's eyes.
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