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Faith: Couldn't see clearly. No, everything was darker in the rain. Think I could see Buffy though. She kept giggling at the end of the hall. I'd try to catch up to her but she'd only run away again and giggle some more. "Where are we going?" I asked carefully, as I continued to follow her through the maze. "You know where you're going, Faith. Jeez." She muttered at me before scampering off again. In a daze, my hands pressed against the smooth cool walls. I couldn't follow her anymore and it made me sad. Why could I never keep up with her. Resting my forehead against the wall I thought I saw something shiny dangling at the end of the tunnel. Just had to follow the rainbow right? That's what the leprechauns told me. Walking to the end of the tunnel, I found the way out. There's always an exit, it was very important to remember that. Exit.
Angelus: I stood in the alley between Wolfram & Hart and the... well whatever the hell other building it was, waiting. Waiting for Faith. Wesley had managed to hypnotize her and then all hell broke loose and Faith went crashing out of his office, his, as usual powerless to help. Smart man though, not too wise to take on a crazed Slayer. Crazed Slayer, that's exactly what she was, and I was going to help make her cross the line between clarity and insanity. I smiled and leaned my back into the brick wall, the sun just dipping in the sky, the shadows protecting me from a dusty death. I heard something bang loudly into the emergency exit door and I stood up straight, it had to be her, although I expected her to come down the fire escape or something more... Faith like.
Faith: My hands pressed against the grainy brick as I escaped from the tunnel. That tunnel was dark and twisted and it hurt from the inside out. I didn't want to go back in there. Wanted home. Didn't know where that was anymore, but I wanted to go there. Smooth silk sheets pressed against bare flesh, women with their angry eyes on the television screen. I licked my lips just thinking about it. Now I just had to go there. It was all about the journey, the path, doing the right thing. Buffy taunting me with her pretty gold hair. She had probably already found the rainbow and left me behind. Leaving the brick I staggered forward, determined to catch up with her.
Angelus: She came out the door and she looked like she wasn't even on the same plane let alone planet. I tipped my head curiously and followed her, trying to determine just how fucked up she really is. Her hands drag along the bricks, sometimes she'd stop and focus her eyes very intently down the alley. I'm not sure what she's looking at but whatever it is must be pretty amazing because she's following like a duck to water. She is about to reach the end of the alleyway and come out into the street, a truck barreling down the road about a hundred feet up, could be a catastrophe. I pick up my pace and lock my arm around her waist just as the truck whizzes by, blowing her hair up in her face. "Careful baby girl." I say quietly in her ear and pull her back to the sidewalk, setting her down.
Faith: The vice gripped around my waist and I was pulled away, Buffy disappearing on the other side. Just one sad wave and she was gone again. Why did she always leave me when I needed her? With my head down, I tried not to cry as I made my way. Think there was something I was forgetting, I just couldn't remember what it was. Why couldn't I remember anything anymore? It reminded me of sandcastles, how I used to build them just outside of the Boston Harbor. Drowning in the Harbor, I always wondered if drowning was painful or not. I stopped suddenly and looked up at the sky. Always with the rain, the rain was like a memory trying to wake back up. Memories were broken shards of a mirror. Mirrors. It's wrong, you can't do that. I forgot about that. Wandering forward I tried not to think about it.
Angelus: She started wandering just as soon as I let her go, not even watching where her feet were carrying her. It was like something internal was gripping her, pulling her, making her act like a magnet in my sick little game. Ahh yes, she was reminding me of Dru in some way. Raindrops started to fall, but it was a few minutes before they caught her attention and she looked up. I stopped and watched her look at the sky strangely and then we were off, moving at the pace of a small turtle on crack. It was pouring now and the only thing keeping me dry was my trench, she was soaked and really getting a bit pathetic. Time to stop the baby and have some fun. I pull my coat off and move up behind her, wrapping the trench and my arm around her body, pulling her a bit closer to me. "Faith, what are you doing out here alone? Don't you know?" I stop us from walking and her body still momentums forward before jerking to a stop, my eyes looking into hers. Her pupils totally dilated and glossy, man... she was smacked out.
Faith: "Alone?" I blinked at him in front of me. Terror, and butterflies all swirled up together in one big bloody thorny gory mess inside my chest. My savior, my angst, my love...it all flickered before my eyes until I was pretty sure I couldn't see straight anymore. Toppling forward I fell into his cold chest, why was everything so cold? "Am I cold?" I asked him, looking up into his face. I was dead and cold and empty inside. Like sifting through a box of fruit loops desperate for the toy surprise at the very bottom. Except there wasn't any toy surprise, at least not the good wholesome plastic kind. He would know the answer, he knew all about dead cold things.
Angelus: She falls against me, her little hands clutching at the fabric of my shirt, her nails gripping my flesh. She looks at me and asks me if she's cold. Cold? I look at her oddly for a moment and then I smile down at her, brushing the wet hair back from her forehead. "No angel, you're not cold. You're alive still, you're not dead. Dead things are cold. Do you want to be dead Faith?" I watch as thin small black lines of mascara run down the side of her face, falling onto her jacket. I brought my thumb up to her lower lip and ran it across the full pout, smiling sweetly at the insanity in front of me. "Remember I told you... all you have to do is ask, you do remember don't you Faith?" I rested my hand on the side of her neck, rubbing the skin softly, the rain running down her neck sliding my fingertip with ease across her pulsing vein. "And yes, you're alone. I'm here, but am I real?" I felt two small, raised scars on her neck. My mark. My mark and I loved how she closed her eyes when I ran my fingertip over them.
Faith: His fingers were cold and wet, like two snakes slithering across my skin. I closed my eyes as he ran them against the scar. The place where he made me his. Except that was wrong becuase it wasn't him, it was the other him. The one who stood in the shadows of my bedroom and taunted me at night when I'm sleeping. It was his- and I wondered briefly if that made me his too. "You have to know where the exit is." I stammered pulling away from him as if in silent agreement with everything he had ever said. "Have to...remember. Remember where the exit is and find it. Gotta find it." Turning away from him I headed stright into the rain again. Wash this all away...
Angelus: Exit? Exit... I wondered if that meant her exit out of this life, the one I offered her and all she had to do was ask. Hmm... I look at her again as she starts walking, my long coat falling off from her to the wet ground. I bend down and scoop it up and follow her around a corner into another round of alleyways. She was mumbling but none of it made sense, which was music to my ears. I knew the car wasn't far from here, my house wasn't to far from here... her apartment was down the street. Choices choices. "Faith, Faith stop... we've got to get inside, the exit is this way, I'll show you." I put the jacket back over her shoulders and started leading her toward the car, coaxing her with one simple word. Exit. It seemed to be Seasame Street's word of the day. We approach the car and I move us toward it. "The exit's this way, follow the white rabbit Faithy." I pulled the door open and waited.
Faith: Exit. He was leading me to the exit and somehow I always knew this was the way things had to be. Some things just happen, jeez even B knew that. Hellfire and all that crap they were always tryin' to shove down your throat. I hated those angry eyes when they turned on me. Getting inside the car it didn't feel like the exit at all, my hands slowly moving to press against the cool glass seperating me from the outside world. I can hear the rumbling of the beast underneath me until the scenery changes again. It keeps changing and won't stop, leaving me dizzy and confused. Leaning back I closed my eyes and tried to will it all away. It wouldn't go away, it kept coming. "Hey!" I pulled on his arm hard and the beast swayed, lurchign to the side. "Let me out!" One fist punched through the glass to outside, that was the exit.
Angelus: We're driving, driving toward my house and she had her hands pressed up against the glass like a monkey in a cage. Finally she relaxed as we drove, tossing her head from side to side, her hand lashes out and grabs mine. The car swerves violently and as the tires squeel on the wet pavement, I hear the sound of breaking glass. My head snaps to the side and I reach over, grabbing a hold of her and pushing her back into the seat. "Ah ah ah... that's not the exit. Bad girl." My hand holds firm across her chest as I slow the car down and pull off to the side, throwing it in park. "I'm trying to let you out and you go and grab my arm, breaking the window... look at your hand." I grab her bloody hand and hold it to her face. "No wonder Wesley can't help you, you're too far gone. Can you just hurry up and continue dying please?" I let go of her hand roughly and put the car in drive, pulling back onto the road.
Faith: The snake wrapped itself around my wrist like a vice and I tried to pull it away. Didn't want it bite, cause that would hurt. But it held fast and my lips moved over silent curses. Couldn't see anything, just wanted out. Out of this car, feeling too much like a caged animal in a space too small for it to breathe freely. "Let me out!" Grabbing a shard of glass from the window I lashed out with it, and watched the snake recoil and hiss at me. I didn't stop though, I dug the glass in harder hoping that it wouldn't bite.
Angelus: I heard her scream for me to let her out again, my hand struggling to keep her in check, then I felt a slashing pain across my arm. The little bitch cut me, and she was actually pushing with all her might to get it to dig in harder, deeper. I stomped on the breaks and pulled to the side of the road again, reaching up and shoving her back to the other side of the car. I dug the piece of glass out of my arm and growled. "God damn you you little bitch." I grabbed her by the front of her shirt and pulled her up to my face before lauching her back across and watching her head smack the already broken window. "Why do you always have to be so bad!" I lean forward and yell at her. I feel my face vamp. I just want to kill her right now, fuck the changing.
Faith: Tears edged sharply at the corners of my eyes as I felt my head connect with the cage. Then he's in front of me again, yelling at me, taunting me. It's a tired game and I already know that I'm on the losing side. Small stars floated in the corners of my vision and it made it hard to focus on the demon, but it was hard to not focus on it either. My teeth had clacked together hard and now I could taste copper on my tongue, sharp and bitter like the tears threatening to spill. "Bad." I agreed with him, nodding weakly and coughing. Everything ached, hurt, and I wanted to tear it out and show it to him. Offer it to him like a present. Just as I was about to do that, the stars surrounded me and I gave into them.
Angelus: I watched as she nodded and said bad and then her body slumped backwards into the seat. Blacked out, damn she's always blacking out. I do suppose it might have something to do with the fact I keep smacking her head against hard objects. I pull into the garage area and carry into the house, everyone scattering about because they didn't expect me to bring home a wild animal. I roll my eyes and head back toward the spare room and prop her up in a chair, duct taping her wrists and ankles to the arms and legs of the chair, and then actually binding the tap around her torso and lower legs. Like a fly in a web. I was going to put duct tape over her mouth, but it might be prettier to hear her screams. I grab the back of the chair and tip it back, dragging her across the room toward a closet, propping her up inside it and shutting the door. I turned out the room lights and sat on the couch on the far side of the room, running my finger over my lips in anticipation. Bad girl.
Faith: When I first woke up it took me a few minutes to realize I was slumped over and the only thing holding me up was tape. Lifting my head up, my lower lip trembled. Everything hurt so bad I didn't know if I could even get out of this chair if I wanted to. My muscles felt tense and useless and my head was throbbing something wicked. On top of that? I was in the closet. I could tell just by looking at the doors. Tied to a chair with duct tape and in the closet. What did I do this time? I was good, I went and saw Wesley like he wanted me to. I was good! Fuck, it hurt to panic. Hurt to do pretty much everything. "Angel?" I called out in a low voice. "Angel? Let me out?" My voice was pleading as I leaned back in the chair and tried to pull one wrist free from the duct tape that was wound around it.
Angelus: Angel? Angel? Let me out? I heard her voice from behind the door, small and so very afraid. A shit eating grin colored my face and I moved to the door, jiggling the handle. "You want out of that mean ol' closet Faithy poo?" I listen to her whimper and if I had a heart that might have been cute, but I don't and it was nothing but a turn on to hear the big bad rogue slayer whimper to be let out of a closet. I pulled the door open and looked at her before I reached out and gripped the chair turning it sideways before leaning it on the back legs. I stop in the center of the room and let the legs fall forward loudly, jolting her body as it did. "There, happy now? No, now I suppose you're going to whine and cry for me to cut me loose Angel, cut me loose." I mocked her whimper and smirked as I started walking around and around her, taunting her with my words, bumping the chair every now and then and making her feel off balance. "I don't want to let you loose Faith, you'll just kill another guy. You're safer all tied up."
Faith: I bit down hard on my tongue again as the chair landed up right on the hardwood floor. More copper filled my mouth and I swallowed hard, looking up at him with worry. "What did I do? Did I hurt someone else?" I asked, fear filling me up everywhere. From my fingernails to my toes, guilty. Maybe it really was better like this, tied up to the chair so I couldn't escape again and hurt someone. But I couldn't live like this, and it was whack that he'd expect me to. Didn't he tell? Don't give up. Don't let them win? Isn't this letting them win? Cause me? I definitely don't think I'm winning in this situation at all. "Let me out." I demanded again, glaring at him angrily. I was gettin' a cramp in my wrist and I pulled on the duct tape hard, trying to tear free from it.
Angelus: She was getting angry and pulling at one of her wrists, I shrugged and pulled out a knife from my boot and set it against the center of her chest over the duct tape. "Stay still and I'll let you out." I started cutting through the duct tape, freeing her torso and her lower legs, leaving her wrists and ankles bound. "Now... be a good girl, we're at the house, only good girls get treated nicely in the house. Bad girls... get locked in closets, right? Isn't that what mommy said?" I move behind her and slowly slice the duct tape from around her wrists, flicking the knife closed and returning it to my boot. "Undo your legs, I'm not going to get risked getting kicked in the face." I leaned against the door frame and watched her.
Faith: Sitting still, my eyes widened for just a split second when he held up a knife. Then he started cutting through the duct tape that was holding me in place. I hurt all over wicked bad, I musta had another blackout, just couldn't remember. Why could I remember some stuff and not others. Like this? Was this even really happening right now? It could all be something my fucked up brain created, or Angel could just really like playing games with me. I really didn't have any idea anymore, last thing I remembered was Wesley's office, and now we were back in the house. Swallowing hard I gave him a look before bending down and tearing the tape off of my ankles. Stretching my wrists out slowly I stood up gave him an apologetic look.
Angelus: I looked at her when she gave me that puppy dog face and I moved toward her, lifting her to her feet by the outsides of her arms. I tip my head down and look at her. "You can feel it can't you? Buffy felt it... she knows you're dying. There is nothing they can do, none of them... don't trust them. They will only push you away." I say in my best sympathetic voice before pulling her into a hug and rubbing her back. "They will find a way Faith, they will kill you because you will drive them all crazy." I move back from her and pull her to the bathroom, pushing her inside. "Take a hot shower... you're all cold and dead. After that... I'll take you back to where you belong, far away from the exit. You know why? This is the exit Faith.. right here." I hold my hands out and look around the room.
Faith: "What?" I could barely utter as he pulled me up and said a whole bunch of crap about me dying and not to trust anyone but him. I already knew not to trust anyone but him, but I thought he wanted me to fight. Wanted me not to let them win, whoever the fuck they are. Before I could say anything else I was bein' pushed into the bathroom. When he finally let go of me I backed into the opposite side of the bathroom and looked at him confused. "The exit? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I demanded, my voice coming out harsh and dark. Why was he forever turning on me? Couldn't figure out what way was up and what was down around him.
Angelus: I let out an annoyed sigh and ran my hand down my face. "The exit Faith, the thing you were looking for this whole time. Here it is, this is your exit. But you can't stay this time, you're not ready. You're not good enough yet." I move to the shower and turn it on, stepping back to the door frame. "Take a shower. Then we leave. And drop that tone with me before I beat it out of you." I point my finger at her and head into the room, moving the chair back to the corner.
Faith: "What the hell are you talking about?" I narrowed my eyes at him, scanning my memory for anything about an exit but coming up with nothing. Was I dreaming this? Or was Angel really being like this? Fuck, I wanted Buffy, she'd explain it to me. Tell me that this was what it was like to be with a vampire, to be with him. But it just didn't seem right, it seemed wrong and hot and bad and I wanted to own it and make it mine. But by the look in his eyes I could tell he already thought he owned me. I might be fucked up, and crazy and about to kick the bucket. But he didn't own me, I was still me...somewhere. I hadn't felt like myself in so long I wasn't sure I could muster any of that tough chick up anymore. Glaring at him for a second I bunched my fists up angrily, feeling the nails dig into the flesh of my palm. Fuck him. Before all my resolve disappeared I stormed up to him and brushed past him out the door. I was gettin' the hell out of this house and gettin' the hell away from him. Maybe B was right, I shoulda went with her. Cause I couldn't take this anymore, him turning on me all the time. I was already confused enough as it was, and if I really was imagining this then I was just hurting Angel by staying by his side.
Angelus: Her body brushed by mine and she stormed out into the hallway, determination on her face. I discouraged the men from moving in, waving them off with my hand, following her as she looked for a way out. "Faith, are you looking for the exit?" I smirked and sat on the back of the couch, crossing my arms over my chest. The doors were pretty much hidden in this place, purposefully of course, and it was fucking hysterical watching her frantically search. "You want to go back to your bed, where you can sleep all day and watch Judge Judy? I can take you back there, you'll be here soon enough." I walk over to her and grab a hold of her arms, pulling her in front of me. "Fight it Faith, fight against the feeling in your body that tells you you're not crazy. The sooner you realize you are, the sooner we can get things moving." I moved her to the wall and set her hands on it, pushing them against it. The wall gave and opened, I pulled it open and looked at the door. "This what you want?"
Faith: What the hell was goin' on? I was looking around everywhere and I couldn't find one fucking door in this whole place. What was going on? I must be imagining this whole crazy scenario, because it wasn't Angel. Wasn't like him at all...I think. "I might be crazy, but I'm sick of being your bitch. Whatever you are." I could feel his fingers digging into my skin as he pulled me around to face him. Looking up into those dark eyes I almost felt myself cave in again, that was the face that I loved. Pretty much always had, or at least for as long as I could remember. Before I could say anything my hands were on the wall and I could feel a switch underneath it move. Suddenly there was a doorway staring me in the face. Giving him another look I pulled the door open and strode outside. I was done playing the puppet. Angel said it, he said don't let them win. Fight them, cause I'm stronger or some shit like that. And I felt like I wanted to curl up and die under some rock but it wasn't the way I was supposed to go out.
Angelus: She looked at me and walked right out the door, men from every dark corner in the room emerged and were standing behind me asking too many questions. "Shut the fuck up and get away from me." I growled and stepped outside and watched as she stood at the bottom of the driveway, her hands on the wrought iron gate. I put my hands in my pockets and look at her as she looks over her shoulder at me, a defeated look on her face. "Get up here and let me take you back there, you're boring and whiney tonight... I can't stand you. Get in the car, I won't hurt you." I move back up to the car and drive it slowly down to the end of the driveway, leaning over and opening the passenger door. "Only way you get out of here is through me. Go or stay." I sit back in the driver's seat and wait.
Faith: "Fuck you!" I practically spat on him, and I had no idea where all this resolve was comin' from, but I was so sick of this. All this shit, feelin' weak all the time, not knowin' which way I was heading. I was sick of crying and brooding and pouting and I just wanted my fucking life back. Hell, I'd take going back to prison over this slow cruel torture any day of the fucking week. Sighing I looked up at the wrought iron gate and then back at him, like I was debating whether or not to get in the car with him. Putting my head down I started to walk to the open passenger door. Right before I would have set foot inside, I hopped up on top of the hood of the car. Every fiber in my body protested as I jumped up and grabbed onto the top of the fence. With a frustrated groan I hauled myself up on top of it. Jumping to the ground again, I landed unsteadily before picking myself back up again. I didn't need him to leave. It was about time I started doin' for myself.
Angelus: I watched as she landed on the other side of the fence after leaping onto the hood of my car to get over. I blinked and shook my head, opening my door and clicking the gate, waiting for it to open enough for me to slip through to retrieve my bitchy little Slayer. She's moving pretty quickly but I also know she has no clue where she is, not to mention she was kinda whacko. I am right behind her now and I kick my foot out, hooking her ankle and sending her to the concrete. "Where ya going pumpkin pie?" I say viciously as I jerk her up from the ground and toss her back in the direction of the house, I had forgotten how uncaring pavement can be when I see her elbow bleeding. "Aww see, now you have a boo boo... only if you would have listened. Been good. Now... I just have to either hurt you or drive you back home and well, you made that clear on the whole going home thing when you jumped the fence." I cracked my knuckles and backhanded her to the ground again. "So... ready for the hurt?"
Faith: I hadn't gotten very far when I was sent to the ground hard. I knocked my chin hard on the pavement and felt even more warm blood in my mouth. I spit a mouthful of it onto the pavement right before I was jerked back up to my feet. I glared into his dark eyes, screaming my hatred at him. How could I love something and hate it so much at the same time? Well, guess I been doin' that almost my whole life. Shoulda known he'd come for me, he always comes for me. Never lets me go. I was about to spit right in his face when I felt his hand smash into the side of my face. Next thing I knew I was on the ground again, glaring up at him. He hurt me, cause he wanted me to be his. You gotta hurt the ones you love right? You'd think I'd get that philosophy better than anyone. Clenching my jaw, I didn't make a move to stand up from the pavement. "Why can't I just go, Angel? Why do you have to take me?" I bit out at him. I knew why though, I might hurt people if he didn't. Then again, did I imagine all of that? If I did, how come I saw the dead guy on the news in Angel's office? None of it added up at all and maybe that was just cause I was crazy.
Angelus: Just go, not take her? Did she realize how far from Kansas she was right now? I laugh and walked over to her and looked at her. "Do you realize how far away you are? Do you even have a clue where you are? No, you don't and I'm not about to let you go walking and be a snack for some asshole vampire. Just... get in the car and I'll take you back to the nice yoda." I turn her gently toward the driveway, the car sat with the engine running and lights on, I edge her forward. "Just be my good girl and get in the car, then you will wake up safe and snug in your little bed."
Faith: He pulled me to my feet and started steering me towards the car. He did have a point with the whole me not knowin' where the hell I was. But it didn't matter. Alls I had to do was find a phone, still had B's numbers tucked into my pocket. Could call her from home too, it didn't really matter either way. I did wanna go home, get some stuff, if I was gonna end up stayin' with Buffy for awhile. Was about to get in the car when something he said struck me the wrong way. Turning around I looked up at him curiously. "What do you mean wake up in my bed?" I remembered the last time I was here, needle marks in my flesh only to wake up back home. What was he giving me?
Angelus: She stopped at the car and asked me what I meant about waking up in her bed. I set my arms on the top of the car and look at her. "Faith, am I ever home? No, always at the office working, working, working. You sleep in that bed more than me, and with this whole crazy thing.. gotta say sometimes the couch looks really inviting. Just get in the car." I get in and sit down, closing my door, looking at her through the open door just standing there. I let out a groan and run my hand down my face, she's thinking far too much for my liking right now and it's pissing me off. "Faith." I say sternly as I reach over and grab her arm, pulling her down in the car. "Close your door and we'll go home."
Faith: I didn't even get a chance to do anything, no he's too busy pullin' me around like I'm his little bitch. Fuck, why did I love him so much? Cause I hated him so much I could scratch his eyes out. Maybe it wasn't even him, my own brain. Either way I hated whatever this was. Landing in the passenger seat I resign myself to doing what he says, mostly because I'm tired and now my face is bloody and I don't have the energy to fight anymore. Think more than him, I hated myself for lettin' myself get this weak and pathetic. Closing the passenger seat door his fingers grip down onto my arm even harder for just a second before letting me go. Rubbing my arm with my free hand I turned my eyes onto the broken passenger seat window, least I wouldn't have to roll it down to have a smoke. Fishing the cigarettes out of my pocket I realized that they were all soggy and rainsoaked. Fuck. With an annoyed sigh I shoved them back in my pocket.
Angelus: I reached over and flipped the glove box down, revealing a pack of smokes, my eyes locking back on the road. It's a quiet ride back to the apartment, she mostly just smokes and I watch her as she thinks about everything that just happened. Blood is running all down her chin where she face planted into the ground she idly wipes it with the back of her arm. We pull up in front and I look at her, nodding my head. "I'll park, same as always... don't detour, straight upstairs with you." I reach over and push her door open, giving her a slight nudge.
Faith: When he nudged me I grabbed onto his arm hard, digging my fingers into him the way he'd done to me a few minutes ago. "Why? Why do you always drop me off first? So you can go up there and pretend that none of this ever happened? That I just dreamed this whole entire fucking thing. Is that why?" I demanded, glaring angrily at him. I wanted an answer, I wanted to figure out what this whole fucking thing was. Wanted to fix me, wanted everything to go back to being the way it was when it only sorta made sense. Cause now? Nothin' at all made sense.
Angelus: I pry her hand off of my arm and shove her back closer to the open door, placing my hands back on the steering wheel. "No Faith, I am never upstairs before you, what are you talking about? I park the car and come up, most of the time you are already sleeping. Been waking up in your clothes a lot lately? Gee I wonder." I look at her rather annoyed. "Faith go upstairs and take a shower or something, I'll be up in five minutes or less, as usual. Go..." I give her another push, gentler and more... Angel like.
Faith: Just like usual? The usual was I walk upstairs and Angel is either there already or comes in right after. Then he demands to know where I was and freaks out when I tell him I was with him. That's where he denies everything and I'm left one really fucking confused vampire slayer. Whatever. Shaking my head I slam the car door closed behind me before striding towards the front door of our building. Walking up the stairs, I used my key to get in. Looking around I didn't see Soul Boy anywhere, didn't get any kinda sense of him. Good, didn't feel like dealing with it right now. Striding straight into the bedroom I walked to the closet. Fuck, I hated closets. Reaching inside I grabbed my old duffel bag. The one I'd first shown up with in L.A. on Wesley's doorstep. Throwing it on the bed, I started pulling my clothes out of the closet. Time to pack up and get the hell out.
Angelus: I parked the car this time actually, and decided to go up for a change. I knew Angel was still at Wolfram & Hart and no doubt they were searching the building for Faith. I strolled up and entered the apartment just in time to see Faith lugging a huge bag down the hall. "Where you going?" I ask raising a brow and putting my hands in my pockets. "Ohh I bet I know. Buffy's right?" Yeah cuz she'll save you, only not. I wonder if I could have them both, that'd be hot. Focus. Maybe after I turn Faith... focus. "Faith... let me take you where you need to go, you need to feel safe. Obviously being here is not feeling safe for you right now... I'm sorry. Let me take you." I move to her and pick up her bag, slinging it over my shoulder.
Faith: "I just..." I spun around to look at him as he waltzed in. At least he wasn't all with the where the fuck have you been this time. How was it that he knew I was goin' to Buffy? Right vamp hearing and he'd been lurking in the hallway when I was talkin' to B. "I have to go away for a little while, figure shit out. I can't do that here, not anymore. Things are wicked confusing." I straightened up as he slung the duffel bag over his shoulders. His eyes were downcast and sad again and I immediately felt my heart wrench, cause I was makin' him sad. I was goin' away. "It's not gonna be forever. Just a coupla days." I offered quietly, still tasting the coppery blood on my tongue that wouldn't let me trust him completely.
Angelus: I look up at her and offer a slight smile at her guilt, telling me it was only going to be a couple of days. Hell I didn't care if it were two months, just let me visit and, mmm two Slayers. "That's fine, I understand... it's what you need and what you need now is to feel safe." I lug the bag up on my shoulder a bit more and head back to the door. "Come on then, let's get you to Buffy's... stay as long as you need." I pull the door open and watch her walk toward me, I pull her into my arms and kiss the top of her head. "I'm sorry this is so rough for you." I run my hand along her back. I can't wait until this lovely dovey shit is over, I much prefer making her suffer.
Faith: He was being nice again whch was good. I'd rather leave him this way then with another fight. My body fit into his perfectly as his hands ran up and down my back in a soothing way. This was the Angel I much preffered, I think. The one who was nice, and didn't try to possess me. Except I think he did, just in a totally different way. "Okay." I relented, agreeing to let him take me to Buffy's apartment. Reaching into my jacket pocket I dug out the address and handed it to him. "That's where I'm goin'."
Angelus: I looked down at the paper she gave me, already knowing where Buffy was. Plaza Hotel. I hooked her up. I nod and hand her the paper back moving us both out in the hallway and locking the door. We walk outside and thankfully it's stopped raining, I toss the duffel into the trunk and unlock her door. I close it behind her and walk around climbing in and start our journey toward Buffy's place. I look over at her and she's staring out the window blankly. "Hey... it's going to be okay. I'm sure Buffy is on the job, so you've got a lot people on your side." Too bad none of them would save you, except me... I was going to save her. Save her from a life of being second best and always behind Buffy... she could have her cake and eat it too. "Hey... I love you." I smiled and pulled her over toward me, watching as the Plaza sign came into view. "Almost there." I pulled into the vallet and we got her things out, I stood by the car looking at her. "You want help up, or you want to go on your own?"
Faith: His arm was around me, strong and cold pulling me towards him. So weird how I just fit right into him, like interlocking puzzle pieces. "I..." He just said he loved me? He'd never said that to me before. Always made it known that he cared about me, but neither of us ever threw the L word around. Don't know why, cause I did love him. Just wasn't comfortable saying the word outloud. Like that one little naughty part of myself that I could never scratch out long enough to pretend to be well adjusted. "You can come up if you want." It was a double edged sword, cause I dind't like Angel around Buffy. But Angel was like my security blanket and I didn't wanna walk in there on my own. I hated myself for it, but I didn't wanna be alone. Angel grabbed my duffel bag and the two of us took the elevator up to Buffy's room. Looking at Angel quickly I knocked on the door.