Author: N-Dawg
Want it - [email protected]
Rating M
Faith no one
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, I just like to play with them
Spoilers: 5th season 'Angel'
Summary: What makes a person who they are?
Authors Notes: This is a WIP.
~~~
The paint on the walls was blotchy, and the once stark white was now a stucco, yellowish sort of colour. It was cracking too, and as she sat in the corner, facing the wall, she reached out a small, and yet graceful hand, and helped the house fall apart, picking at the paint.
She jumped in shock as a bottle smashed against the front door, the wooden frame rattling noisily.
�Get the fuck out of here!�
The little girl suddenly turned from the wall, her stomach flipping over as she got to her feet, and ran out of her bedroom, falling to her knees at the doorway of the next room, peering around and watching the scene play out in front of her.
�Fine, but I�ll take her with me.�
The man�s voice was deadly calm, and the little girl bit her lip, worrying the skin with her teeth.
�You can�t take my daughter away.�
She watched as her mother swayed slightly, still drunk, most likely, and stomped her foot, indicating at her daughter.
�She�s my little firecracker.�
~*~*~*~
�Faith,� Angel said, without looking up from his desk.
�And here I thought I was being sneaky, getting Spike to let me in and all,� the brunette Slayer said, leaning against the doorframe.
Angel just looked at her, no trace of an expression on his handsome face.
�Oh, it�s nice to see you too, Angel. I�ve been well, and yourself?�
�It�s good to see you,� Angel replied.
Faith grinned, stepping into his office.
�You greet everyone like that? Man, no wonder Gunn said people don�t like ya.�
�You spoke to Gunn... people don�t like me?�
There was an expression on Angel�s face now, and it was one of confusion. He indicated for her to take a seat on the couch, as he rose from his own chair and joined Faith on the seats.
�Relax, people like you fine. Nice set up here, little too law abiding for my tastes, but hey, each to their own,� Faith said, settling herself down on the couch, one foot resting on the table.
Angel eyed it, wondering if it were any use telling her that the table she was currently scratching up with her boot had cost more than all of her possessions altogether. He opened his mouth to tell her, when he realised that it would be pointless, seeing as she wouldn�t care anyway.
�Working late, I see.�
�As always. What are you doing here? I thought you were off with Giles and the others in Cleveland.�
Faith shrugged slightly, her other foot coming up and settling next to the first on the table.
�Things got a little too...�
Faith paused, picking her next words carefully.
�Crowded for my liking.�
Angel understood immediately, he�d seen her eyes slide to the floor, and the way her hands had started to fidget.
�Buffy�s back.�
�Yeah... look, I didn�t want to - �
�It�s ok. I�m ok.�
Faith nodded, and he motioned for her to continue.
�I tried to be ok with it, you know? The whole, it�s her turf thing, and it started out alright, but too many things have happened in the past, and I don�t feel right about being there. So I packed my little bags, and got myself here, no worries.�
Angel studied her face for a few moments, trying to guess what she was thinking. He used to be good at reading her expressions, and reading into what she said... or more accurately, what she hadn�t said. But this time... he had the feeling something was bothering her, and he had no idea what it was.
�So...�
�So?� he asked in confusion.
�Can I stay here for a bit? At least until I know what I�m doing.�
�Of course.�
They sat in silence for a long while, before Angel got up, and took Faith back to his apartment, and she crashed on his bed, while he slept on the sofa.
~*~*~*~
�Morning,� Angel said, breezing past her as he headed for his bathroom.
Faith rolled over, grunting a response and pulling the covers over her head.
�Come on, up we get, Faith!�
A small, graceful hand moved out from under the blanket, middle finger extended.
Angel chuckled to himself, and went to shower, while Faith moved the blanket down, yawning and rubbing her eyes as she reached for the jacket she�d flung off during the night.
�Feel up for some breakfast?� Angel asked, coming out of the bathroom, buttoning his shirt up.
Faith just looked at him and he chuckled.
�Ok, stupid question.�
~*~*~*~
The rock was at least 40 feet above the ground, and no one had ever managed to jump off it. They�d climbed up to the top, but everyone had chickened out at the last minute.
From up there, the world seemed different, scarier to most children, as they looked down to see the specks of people and the lake, which looked too shallow from the great height.
�God, that�s high! No one ever jumps from that one,� a girl whispered to the boy next to her.
The little girl folded her arms and shook her long, brown, curly mane of hair. She climbed the side of the rock quickly, swinging herself up with amazing ease, and then, with nothing more than a shrug, she took a running leap off the rock, falling the full 40 feet to land in the lake at the bottom.
�She did it! She did it!�
The little girl resurfaced, feeling the rush of adrenaline from the fall.
She loved it.
And she wanted to do it again.
~*~*~*~
�So, what were your plans on while you were here?� Angel asked, as he and Faith walked through the lobby of Wolfram and Hart.
Faith shrugged.
�Slay, train, and annoy you.�
�The usual then.�
�Snipey bastard. Hey, big guy.�
Faith high-fived the lawyer as he approached and they went in for a quick hug, slapping each other�s backs lightly.
�Yo, Faith. How�s things?�
�Good, how are the robots?�
�Ha, good. Wanna come see them?� Gunn offered, gesturing to his office.
Faith looked at Angel, almost looking for his approval and permission.
The vampire nodded.
�Sure, feel lucky. No one is allowed to touch those robots.�
�I didn�t say touch, I said see,� Gunn clarified, as he and Faith went into his office.
�So, what�s up with tall, dark and broody?� Faith asked.
�I don�t think he�s adjusting very well, to this change,� Gunn replied.
�That�s nothing new. Angel�s still coming to terms with the turn of the century.�
�I think it�s more than that... I think he feels a little helpless these days.�
Gunn looked at Faith and gave her a little smile.
�And you�re looking at me like that, why?� Faith folded her arms across her chest.
�Well... you�re close to him,� Gunn began.
�And you want me to play doctor and work out what�s wrong?�
�Well, I was just gonna ask you to talk to him, but hey, if you wanna play doctor, feel free. Just... don�t let him reach ultimate happiness. Tends to end badly.�
Faith gaped at him for a moment, then punched his arm playfully.
�You know what I meant, Chuck.�
~*~*~*~
The house was dark, as usual. No doubt she�d forgotten to pay the electricity bill, or more likely, she�d spent the money on alcohol. Which meant she�d be passed out on the floor. Hopefully.
The girl opened the gate slowly, hitching her bag higher on her shoulder. She walked quietly up the broken paving, careful to avoid the empty cans, broken bottles and discarded syringes.
As she reached the front door, she heard angry yelling, and the sound of breaking glass, and so she opted to climb in through her bedroom window, rather than have to face a confrontation with her mother. For now, at least.
The girl crept back off the porch, ducking under the dying tree, which stood alone in their lawn, amongst the dead grass. She pushed through the tattered fly screen on her window, and placed her bag carefully inside the room, on the floor, then pulled herself up onto the windowsill. She carefully started to slide through the gap in her screen, as she had done a million times before.
~*~*~*~
Faith delivered a last roundhouse kick to the punching bag, before moving her dam hair from her forehead. She unwound the tape from her hands, cracking her wrists slightly, then reached over to her old worn backpack and extracted her water bottle.
�Training hard?� Wesley asked, from where he�d been watching at the door.
�Hello Faith.�
Faith whirled around, a little caught off guard. She smiled, wiping her face with a towel.
�Aren�t I always? What brings you down here?�
�Angel wants to see everyone in his office.�
�Melodramatic bastard. I bet he broke a nail or something.�
Faith grinned and lifted her bag up, sliding it over one shoulder.
�Ok, let�s go.�
She walked past him, heading for the lift, patting the sweat off her arms with the towel as Wesley followed, stepping into the elevator and pressing the level for Angel�s office.
Faith indicated the security camera with a raised eyebrow, and then folded her arms over her chest.
�Ever feel like you�re in a fishbowl?�
Wesley shrugged slightly.
�Sometimes, but you have to remember that the security team does look after us too.�
The doors opened and Faith stepped out, walking into Angel�s office.
�What�s up, Dark Avenger?�
�Faith, just the person I needed to see,� Angel said, looking up from the file he�d been studying.
�Oh, music to my ears.�
�Thanks, Wesley.�
Wesley nodded and retreated from the office, closing the double doors behind him.
�Ok, Wes said you wanted to see everyone. I�m not everyone. Well, I like to think that my personality is big enough to be... getting off the subject. Why am I the person you needed to see?� Faith asked.
Angel fidgeted slightly, looking back at his files.
�Angel, if you�ve lured me here under false pretences, I will be... surprised.�
�No, it�s not... there�s a demon somewhere.�
�Wow. That was... vague.�
�It�s a big demon, and it might be hard to fight.�
Faith rolled her eyes and flopped into a chair.
�I can tell this is going to be an all nighter.�
�I�ll be here, but this is something you�ll have to do on your own.�
�Angel, drop the insane cryptic rambling, which, by the way, just contradicted itself.�
Angel sighed.
�There�s someone who wants to talk to you.�
�Oh, so it�s like a metaphorical demon. Angel, don�t be Mr Cryptic, tell me what�s going on,� Faith said, standing up.
�The Watcher�s Council is here.�
~*~*~*~
The little girl sat cowered in the corner, coving her face with her hands, whimpering in fear. The light above flickered out, casting strange shadows across the planes of her mother's face, but even in the dark, the little girl couldn't hide. In her mind, she wasn't there; she was a million miles away, climbing back up that rock and jumping into the lake, being cheered on by all the kids around her.
She wasn't there, wasn�t curled up in the corner, hiding her face and biting her tongue.
This wasn�t happening.
She wasn�t there..
~*~*~*~
Faith blinked, looking at Angel.
�What?�
�The Watcher�s Council is here,� Angel repeated.
�See, that�s what I thought you said,� she replied, running a hand through her long brown hair as she thought about the ramifications of that statement.
�So, what do they want?�
�I�m not sure.�
Something in Angel�s tone didn�t ring true to Faith. She didn�t know what he was holding back, but she knew it had to be big, otherwise he wouldn�t have felt like he had to hide it from her. It was part of their deal, no secrets, where it could be helped.
�You do know. Angel, I�m a big girl now, just tell me.�
There was a long pause while Angel groped for the right words to tell her what he could scarcely believe for himself.
�They�re not happy with this situation and they want you back on active duty.�
Faith stared at Angel for a moment, blinking occasionally.
�And they want you to go to trial for - �
�No,� Faith said firmly, hardly recognising her own voice.
�I know I did something wrong, Angel, ok, I get it, and don�t you think that I haven�t beaten myself up enough about it? I killed people, and I�m not saying my redemptions over, but the Watcher�s Council? No. It�s not for me.�
�Faith, there is no choice here. Look, Giles and Wesley are both doing everything they can to keep you out of this, but with them both not being - �
�Make them try harder, Angel, because I�m never going to answer for them again.�
Faith shook her head, turned and walked for the door, throwing it open and slamming it behind her as she left Angel�s office.
This wasn�t happening.
She wasn�t there.
~*~*~*~
Cross, block, kick.
The girl went through the motions, body moving effortlessly. A thin line of perspiration appeared on her lip and she wiped it away with the back of her hand, before continuing in her movements.
Cross, block, kick.
�That was good.�
The girl nodded and stretched her arms across her chest. She cracked her neck from side to side, then grabbed her water bottle, taking a long swig from it.
�We can leave that there. Do a quick patrol tonight and I�ll see you at the same time tomorrow?�
�Sure.�
~*~*~*~
�Faith, wait!� Angel called, chasing after her.
�You can�t run from this!�
Faith turned and raised an eyebrow.
�Oh yeah? Watch me.�
She spun around and started walking again, moving quickly for the elevator.
Angel ran forward and grabbed her arm, pulling her back.
�You run, you�ll just be looking for trouble.�
�Angel, I don�t look for trouble. It finds me,� she replied, struggling out of his grasp.
�Faith, we�ll fight this,� Angel said, letting go of her arm.
Faith rubbed her arm gently, looking at the vampire with hard eyes. Her expression was unreadable as she folded her arms over her chest.
�I promise we�ll get through this.�
�Hope so,� she said, stepping into the elevator.
~*~*~*~
The rain fell heavily, soaking the girl and her companion as they ran into the alley, breathing hard, and looking over their shoulders, in fear of who was following them. Lightning lit up the sky for a split second, before plunging the world back into darkness.
It didn�t bother the girl though. The darkness would provide some cover for them. At least until they found their way out of the mess they�d wound up in.
The girl pushed through the rafters at the end of the alley, and stepped through into an old abandoned warehouse. She turned and helped her companion through, then moved cautiously through the building, swiping at the spider webs she couldn�t see, but could feel.
�Wait, stop,� her friend said, sounding worried.
�What? We can�t! We�ve gotta find a way...� the girl trailed off, looking around her and seeing the bodies littered across the floor.
She immediately felt her stomach tighten as she realised where they were.
�This is his place.�
~*~*~*~
The city of angels was busy, people as far as the eye could see. Couples holding hands, large groups of kids, laughing, running and enjoying their youth.
The way Faith should�ve been.
As she walked through the crowds of people, Faith rubbed her eyes tiredly, wondering how she was going to get out of this new mess.
Angel wanted to help, but he�d already done so much for her... and she wasn�t going to risk getting him killed by the Council.
�Excuse me,� a girl said, pushing past Faith.
Faith moved out of the way, then stopped as her neck started to sting.
She lifted her hand to her neck to feel a dart.
�Oh. Damn.�
~*~*~*~
TBC