Like a whisper she was gone
I was kinda wantin' to throw down with that blonde chick, Britney I think, but I didn't bother. Mostly all I could think about was gettin' the hell out of Alyx's little Zoo for Wayward Slayers. Bein' trapped in that little cage in her bedroom was about the second closest thing to hell I could imagine. No. That'd be Angelus. Alyx ranked second. Sure
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Angel's son.
I held my breath and tucked myself further into the shadows hopin' he'd think he was hallucinating or gettin' a big old whiff of some other slayer. Wasn't ready to talk to anybody yet and I was especially not ready to get a welcome back party from Angel's son.
Was about to try and sneak off when a strong grip settled around my elbow and I glanced up to see familiar pale eyes. Kid had totally snuck up on me. How did he do that? That was cheating. Angrily I pulled my arm out of his grip and started walkin' down the alleyway.
"Sorry, Kid. Don't know who you're lookin' for but I'm not her." I hid my face with my hair as I tried to stay one step ahead of him but he was just as fast and caught up to me easily.
"Leave me alone, Connor." I hissed out at him.
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No heart beat. My blood ran cold as I realized that whatever this was, it wasn't a vampire, but it wasn't Faith as she had been either. "What happened to you? How are you back?"
Not a vampire and maybe not a demon. I was thrown off by her slayer essence, but I knew she was different. If only she would look at me and then she did and I stepped back. Haunted eyes that made me want to know how to fix her.
"Faith, what are you? Not a vampire, I know, but your heart isn't beating."
Brilliant, Connor, tell her what she is well aware of. Fuck. This was so messed up and I was really pissed off at my father. Another mess that he made that he didn't bother to fix. Did he bring her back? He brought me back and he gave me a new life, but my heart was still beating.
"Did Dad bring you back? Is that why you're hiding?"
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He had the same questions I did in the end. Fat lot of good this little conversation was doin' me.
"I don't know. This doesn't have anything to do with your Dad." I said in a cold voice, crossing my arms over my chest defensively. Go away. The way he was lookin' at me alone made me realize how much I just couldn't face Buffy yet. He was disgusted with what I'd become.
"You should go home....and don't tell anyone you saw me." I said sharply before turnin' my back on him and walkin' quickly down the alleyway again.
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Right. Who was I kidding? This had Dad's work written all over it. Ever since he took over at Wolfram and Hart he made these bad choices even those his intentions were good. I mean, I got where he was coming from, but still he couldn't keep playing God like this with the people he loved and well killed.
"Faith, stop." I called out, running to catch up with her. I stopped in front of her and gave her a pointed look. "Stop and talk to me or I run back and scream from the roof tops that I saw you."
Well, that got her attention. I was half expecting to be tossed into the nearest wall. In fact, I was pretty sure it may come down to that before this conversation was over. Whatever. I was always up to fighting with a slayer.
"How long have you been back? Who brought you back?" I asked, questions rambling out of my mouth and only annoying her, but hey this was kind of freaky. She was supposed to be dead. "What can I do to help you?"
Right. Offer to help the beautiful brunette before finding out if she was evil or not. You'd think I would learn my lesson or something.
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"I don't know." I shook my head and moved my eyes away from him for a moment before lookin' back at him. "Guess...a few days I been back. Look, it's not important! And...I don't need....any help."
Okay, that sounds lame and like a total lie even to my ears and I was used to the sound of my own lies. Connor was gonna see through that shit in five seconds flat. "It's confusing." I finally offered weakly but he still didn't say anything.
For the first time I let myself be vaguelly comforted by his familiar presence. An alleyway with Connor sure beat out the cage in Alyx's room.
"Angelus...he's...is he....he's not around anymore, is he?" I finally asked, switching the topic from me onto the one thing I never ever wanted to see again.
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"The only vibe I get off you is slayer." I said in a quiet voice hoping that would set her at ease a little. "No vampire vibe, no other kind of demon vibe either, so I guess there is that."
I shook my head at her question about Angelus. I ran away from the city right after they shoved the soul back into him. Couldn't deal with the fall out, especially when everyone was freaking out about Faith. Especially when Cordelia was falling apart and I knew I was the wrong person to help her.
"He had the soul put back in right after you died. I'm sorry I wasn't able to get to you...I didn't know it was him. When I met in the hallway that night, I thought it was Dad. I mean, I guess..." I let my words trail off because this wasn't about me, it was about her.
"Where are you staying?"
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I turned my eyes away from him when he started doin' that apology thing. So not what I wanted to hear from anybody. Sorry I couldn't save you. Fuck. Sorry I couldn't save myself. I shoulda been able to. Shouldn't let myself get snagged by Angelus so easily. Stupid.
At least Angel was back in town instead of his evil annoying other half. It was surprising cause I was pretty sure that B woulda killed him after all the crap he pulled this time around. Guess none of us slay types could ever manage to kill Angelus. We just kept stickin' him back inside Angel and hopin' that he'd stay there this time around.
Shrugged when he asked me where I was stayin'. "Dunno. Not really anywhere. I guess. Hadn't....I was lookin' for somewhere."
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Like she needed this explanation? She had her own stuff going on and it was a lot more important than me dropping out of an Ivy league school that I never should have gotten into. Got to love the fake life. Maybe Dad didn't have anything to do with Faith being back. He would have probably set her up with the cushy perfect life like he did me.
"I have cash and stuff. I could hook you up with a place to stay while we figure out how to help you. I'm guessing since you were trying to avoid me, you aren't ready to face anyone yet."
I understood that feeling all too well. When I killed Sahjahn and got my memories back, I wanted to hide away from everyone. I told Dad I was going back to the other life, but it was a lie. I gave the Riley's some lame excuse about needing to stay in LA to have more tests done at Wolfram and Hart and I disappeared from everyone for awhile. Too many memories and the real stuff was making me sick. It took me awhile before I had enough of a grip on my emotions to face anyone. Came back to help Dad in that final battle and that was that. I tried to go back to the lie.
"It's okay to take the time you need. I understand."
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"Doubt it." I said before pressin' my lips into a thin line. Alright, so I was bein' kind of a bitch to the kid I just hadn't banked on gettin' spotted this early on. Damn. I really suck at this lurking stuff. Or maybe Connor was just wicked good at it. I mean, his Dad was the king of all things lurky.
"A place." I finally relented noddin' my head at him. "Maybe just for the night, or a couple nights. Til I figure out what to do next."
It wasn't like I had anywhere else to go unless I wanted to hole up in one of these nasty moldy demon infested old warehouses. Not exactly top on the list of places to stay but all in all I'd stayed in worse.
The thing was? I knew that eventually it was fucking inevitable and I just wanted to put it off for as long as I could. Eventually? I was gonna go crawlin' on back to Alyx. The thought of it alone made my stomach do flip flops.
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I shrugged and looked away for a minute. There was a difference of course. I deserved to die and didn't deserve the second life. Faith shouldn't have died. It wasn't fair, but hey if there was thing I knew in all my lives it was that life wasn't fair.
"My car is parked just up the street. You hungry? I can drive through some place or I'll get you a hotel that has room service and stuff. Whatever you want."
Cause you see Faith, in my new life, my parents had lots of cash so I'm a spoiled brat with too much cash on my hands. I looked back at her and looked her over, trying to get a read on what she was feeling. It was hard to tell, but it seemed like maybe she was a lot pissed off and a little scared.
"I could stay with you if you want. Like I said, they don't know I'm back so no one is expecting me to check in. I'll keep watch or whatever so you can catch some sleep"
I knew that look in her eyes because I used to have it too back in Quor'toth. It was the look of a hunter being hunted. I wasn't sure who was after her or if she was just feeling kind of paranoid with the being back but not exactly back thing, but whatever it was she was freaked. That was a good enough reason for me to offer to watch her back.
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"I think that...I could get you in a lot of trouble if I did that. I mean, if you stayed with me. They're gonna be lookin' for me soon and I know you're wicked strong but...I don't think you're strong enough." I set my jaw, suddenly not really caring if that bruised his ego or whatever. Besides, it was like admitting that I wasn't strong enough. Neither was Angel or B. Who the hell could go up against Alyx?
Hmmm. Maybe Spike? Well, no. I was just lookin' for some excuse to see his ass fried but in the end? I couldn't even really wish Spike dead. Deader. Mostly I just didn't wanna think about Spike or Buffy or anyone else. Sleep. It felt like I'd been sleeping for months again, but I was still exhausted.
"You promise you won't tell any of them?" I asked him again, grabbing his elbow and forcing him to meet my eyes. I needed to know that he really wouldn't tell or else...I dunno what I'd do. Something.
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"No one will know. I promise I'll keep your secret. It doesn't matter if I am strong enough to take on whoever is after you. I'm stronger with you, right? So that means you're stronger with me. I'm helping you."
I was being stubborn, but she would have to deal. She should know by now that genetics alone ensured that the moment she said I wasn't strong enough I was going to have to help her just to prove her wrong. Or get my ass smacked down, but hey the beast did that and I was still standing.
I tilted my chin up at her defiantly, waiting for her to try and fight me. She wasn't going to win unless she beat me down totally which could happen since I was really out of practice. Maybe the defiance thing wasn't the way to go about this.
"Faith, you have to trust someone. Why not me? Give me a chance to do something right." I smiled a little at her hoping that would ease the tension a bit. "Besides, I have this thing about beautiful brunettes who are really powerful and maybe need to make me their bitch for awhile."
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Whatever. It was his funeral.
Finally I just nodded at him, repressing the urge to take a deep unneeded breath. I was sure I'd get used to not breathing soon. Even if it was really fucking weird. The corner of my mouth twitched up into an almost smile at his words and the feeling felt alien. Couldn't remember the last time I'd tried to smile or grin or smirk.
"Alright, fine. But if you die? I'm sayin' I told you so." Besides, havin' a bitch around might be good, especially if he had cash. Not like I had any money and I wasn't sure how this bein' dead thing worked but I was pretty sure I might have to eat at some point. Maybe. Actually, I had no idea.
I guess just havin' someone around to watch my back wasn't such a bad idea. Especially since the only other person who really knew I was back was Alyx and she was more inclined to stab me in the back then to watch it.
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"Come on. You get to decide what kind of hotel you want. Something with room service or something kind of cheap to give the feeling of us really being on the run."
I walked with her to my car, looking around for any signs of demons just in case. I wouldn't mind a fight, but I'd rather get her some place safe. I'd even be a total gentleman and not make a move on her. Because dead or not, Faith was still fucking hot. Right, I needed to stop thinking like that.
Seriously, what was with me and the brunettes? I started the car and eased into traffic. Not sure where Faith was wanting to go. "We staying in town or are you wanting to put a little distance between you and everything while you figure out a plan?"
Because I had a feeling that was all she wanted right now. A chance to figure out her next move. Deep down, Faith was a lot like me, and we weren't the type to keep hiding. Way too stubborn and cocky for that. We liked to see the fight through to the end.
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Connor just nodded at me and kept drivin' as I lit up a smoke that tasted stale and old but alive. I savored the grey smoke as it curled around my tongue and out the window into the night air of L.A.
"I don't really care how much it costs as long as Alyx doesn't find us for awhile." I thought about that for a second. Alyx really wouldn't be expectin' me to be stayin' at some high class swanky joint. She'd expect to find me at some dive of a motel probably givin' truckers head just so I could pay for my room. Bitch.
"You really didn't have to do this but....thanks." I finally said, with that half smile in his direction again before turnin' to stare out the window moodily.
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I thought about the hotel options and figured what the hell, let's go big and expensive. Faith could use a little spoiling before she had to deal with everything that happened. I mean, sure she was technically dead, but that didn't stop her from having needs right?
I pulled over at a gas station and filled the car up. Left Faith in the car while I went inside and used the fake id to buy a case of beer and a carton of fresh cigarettes. Picked up some snacks and stuff too. The Four Seasons would have room service, but you couldn't get cheetos and candy bars from them. At least I didn't think you could.
I had enough cash on me to pay for a couple of nights without having to use the charge card. First thing in the morning I'd go to the bank and withdraw the rest of the money from my account and let Faith use that as she needed. It was going to freak the Riley's out, but their memories would be fixed soon enough and this was the right thing to do. Faith needed me and honestly I was a sucker for being needed.
Paid for everything and made my way back out to the car, setting the beer and bags in the back seat. I handed Faith the carton of cigarettes.
"We're going to stay at the Four Seasons and I can pay in cash. Won't be easy to track us and I'll make sure to register us under fake names. Usually they don't ask to many questions and you're pretty enough that they will probably think you're some actress or a singer or something trying to keep your identity a secret. Let me do the talking and grab the sunglasses in my glove department box to help give the impression you're a star under cover."
I was really glad that I stopped in and bought the ounce of weed from Jake before I headed to LA. I had a feeling I was going to need to calm my nerves and chill Faith out. Here I just thought I'd need to try and get Dad high so he wouldn't freak about Stanford.
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