Disclaimer: I do not own either Buffy or Angel; they both belong to the fabulous Joss Whedon.
A/N: This takes place around about Angel season five. Only they don't own Wolfram & Hart, Cordelia never went evil and died and Spike never came back. The amulet that he wore was found by the A.I gang after a lot of research, it was never given by Wolfram & Hart. Connor's pretty much irrelevant in this story so don't ask me where he is, I might put him in later on though.
Angel eyed the book in front of him critically. Wesley had mentioned that he was going to give him a book for some light reading, something to keep him occupied. He forgot to mention that the book was 2345 pages long and was a recount on history – light reading indeed.
The vampire with a soul sighed and kicked back in his seat. God it had been a slow couple of weeks, Cordy hadn't got a vision since last month and all L.A.'s night life seemed to be hanging low. It was unbelievably boring. What he wouldn't give right about now for a good vision.
No sooner had the thought popped into his head then there came a scream from out in the lobby. Without a moment's hesitation he sprang to his feet, nearly knocking over the glass of pig's blood on the desk, and rushed out the office door. He found Wesley and Gunn supporting a shaky Cordelia who was groaning in pain as she held her head. He had clearly missed the passing vision.
"bout time the Powers started getting their asses in ta gear," Gunn commented. "I think I was bout to die from boredom."
Angel was inclined to agree with him, although from the look on Cordelia's face she obviously thought otherwise.
"What did you see?" Wesley asked gently.
Cordelia locked gazes with Angel, her eyes solemn. "Faith. She's in hospital."
Everyone's eyes widened in shock and Angel nearly fell over.
"What do you mean? What happened to her?"
"Are you sure it was 'er, 'cause I mean there's gotta be a lot of people out there who look like 'er? Plus slayer, means they don't usually end up in hospitals-"
"Did you see what happened to her? Was it a demon? Because if it was it must have been pretty powerful to take down a slayer, I'll have to look into it, certainly."
"- also, Faith not so much liking the hospitals."
"Was it an L.A. hospital? What is Faith doing in L.A.? Why hasn't she come and seen me yet?"
"Perhaps it's to do with some new impending apocalypse; it is a Tuesday after all. Yes, I believe I will have to look into this, what did you say the demon looked like again?"
"What's she doing in L.A. anyhow? I thought she was off seeing the world with that Wood guy. Did yah see him too?"
"Wait...she's not in another coma is she?" Angel began slowly. "Because Faith and coma's are just...not good."
"Who's in a coma?" Fred asked, entering the lobby.
"Faith," Gunn supplied.
"Faith's in a coma?"
"God I hope not," Angel muttered.
"Cordelia had a vision," Wesley supplied.
"She did? Finally?"
Gunn nodded. "The Powers that Be finally got their asses in ta gear."
"And she saw Faith in a coma? Oh my god is she OK? What can we do? Was there a demon?"
"We're not too sure. I suspect it has something to do with an upcoming apocalypse, certainly calls for research immediately."
"What is up Jelly Babies?" Lorne asked, entering with a smile.
"Faith's in a coma."
"Kitten's in a coma?"
Fred nodded.
"What? How did that happen?"
"She was attacked by some demon that's going to bring about the apocalypse – Cordy had a vision."
"So the PTB finally sent our golden girl a vision. What'd you see?"
"We need to go to her," Angel muttered. "Cordelia did you see the demon that attacked her?"
"It would have had to be big to bring down a slayer, especially one like Faith."
"I say we go out there and kick its ass – assuming it has one to kick. Does it have one to kick?"
"If it doesn't we can just kick it somewhere else. Every monster can be kicked," the vampire pointed out.
"Except the First," Fred corrected him.
"Except the First."Angel's eyes suddenly widened. "It wasn't the First was it?"
"Hell no, we already kicked that ass," Gunn exclaimed.
"Actually, I think that was more Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies who did that," Fred said, brightly.
"Yeah well, I helped. No way could they have done it without me," Angel grumbled.
"Yes, well, I highly doubt it's the First...still merits investigation though."
"Yeah, I'll get Willow on the phone right away," Fred said.
"I'll start on the research," Wesley said, starting towards his office.
"And I better go see how Faith is," Angel told them, starting to head out of the lobby.
"I'll come with you Angelcakes, you never know when you need someone to sing."
"I'm gonna talk to some contacts of mine, see whether they know anything," Gunn also preparing to leave.
Cordelia who had been watching the exchange incredulously for the past four minutes finally lost it. "EVERYBODY HOLD IT!"
The demons and the three people came to a screeching halt, swinging around to look at Cordelia, stunned. For their part they didn't flinch at the fierce look in the brunette's eyes, although Lorne was looking like an apocalypse right now might be a little better than facing the seer's wrath, he was probably right too.
"Have you all forgotten who in this room actually saw what happened, who was the actually vision receive- e?!" she demanded. " 'CAUSE IT CERTAINLY WASN'T YOU FIVE!"
They all had the decency to look embarrassed and Angel moved to speak.
"Uh, um-"
"I say two words. Two simple words! And then all of a sudden you've concluded that Faith was attacked by some extremely powerful demon and is now in a coma, the world's ending and the First is back. TWO SIMPLE WORDS! HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?"
"Well, uh, you see, there's a very good explanation I assure you. And, it um, well..." the vampire trailed off at the former cheerleader's glare. "That was a rhetorical question wasn't it?"
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Look, I know things have been a bit slow lately but inventing your own apocalypse, isn't that a bit far?"
Everyone shifted uncomfortably and Cordy's eyes raked over them. "Now are you ready to find out what actually happened?"
"Quite," Wesley said, taking a seat along with Fred who was blushing beyond belief.
There was pause in which everyone else nodded under her appraising stare. After a while Angel cleared his throat.
"So, um, what'd you see?"
"Well first of all, no demon, no apocalypse and no First."
"No coma?" the vampire asked helpfully.
"Sorry Tall, Dark and Broody, there's coma. It's a drug induced one though, she should be awake soon," Cordy told him.
He sighed in relief before his expression took on one of concern. "What happened to her?"
"She was chasing a demon and got ran over by a bus–" the brunette's face screwed up at the memory "– looked real painful. That's all I know though . . . Funny, usually I only get visions of people getting attacked by demons, not buses."
"That is strange," Wesley agreed. "Perhaps there's some hidden meaning. Then again it could just be because you're close to Faith and that in her time of need she was able to call out to you."
Angel ignored this. "But she's OK, right?"
Cordelia sighed, in truth she didn't know the answer to that, visions only went so far after all, so she wrote down an address on the back of an envelope.
"Why don't you go find out yourself," she said, handing it to him.
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Angel looked in on the hospital room through the window, concern plastered clear across his face. In the centre of the room was a white bed that held an unconscious brunette. He couldn't help but think about how fragile and helpless she looked, her pale angelic face surrounded by a halo of silken brown hair giving off a very innocent appearance, she looked young. It shocked Angel to realize that he didn't even know how old the dark slayer was, he wondered whether anyone did. He doubted it.
According to the doctor the only injuries she really had (much to the doctor's bafflement) was a fractured arm and some head trauma. It was the head trauma that worried Angel, last time she had had that she'd been in a coma for 8 months. Even if the doctor had assured him that this wasn't the case and she was only in a drug induced coma to help her, he still couldn't help but worry. Seeing her there, so much like when she had been in her first coma, a part of him couldn't help but think that she may never wake up.
It was ridiculous, he knew that, but it was still there.
Shaking his head vehemently he entered the room and took up a seat beside the unconscious Faith's bed side. Looking down at her still form he couldn't help but think back to the last time he'd seen her.
"So, you and the principle are heading out?" Angel asked leaning on the balcony beside Faith, the same place they'd both been last time they'd said goodbye.
The brunette nodded. "Going to do a little world seeing, B offered me a place in Rome with her and the Pint Size, almost accepted it too."
"Why didn't you?"
"Not ready for that yet I guess – too many old wounds ready to come undone."
He nodded in understanding. "So you decided to take a trip with Wood. What happened to your whole 'Get Some, Get Gone' routine?"
Faith smirked at him. "Still got it, Robin tried to convince me otherwise though. Almost did, but I think I can only ever be his friend. His great company though, 's never judged me on the whole turning evil thing, it's a rare thing to find, and I'm grateful for it."
"Me too," Angel agreed, looking down at her. "You deserve it."
"Maybe," she agreed, and then shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever deserve it though."
Angel looked down at her, the girl that had both seen and done so much, had faced so much. And knew that this wasn't true, knew it better than anything else he had ever known.
"That's not true and you know it."
"Isn't it?"
She sounded so helpless; it was something that he hardly ever got to see. He didn't know whether he hated it or whether he cherished the fact that Faith allowed him to see it.
"No."
And that's when it happened, how it happened he'd never know though. One moment they were staring at each other and the next they were kissing. Who had started the kiss was a mystery, he suspected it may have been him but he couldn't be sure. All he could think about was the feel of Faith's lips against his own, slowly massaging them.
Eventually they both had to pull away for air. And then, well, to put it simply, they both freaked.
Angel sighed, coming out of the memory. Neither of them had known what to think of that, it had been so spontaneous. In the end they had just avoided each other until she left and as much Angel tried to tell himself that it had been a mistake and that he didn't think that way about Faith, he'd hardly been able to get her out of his head since.
"Angel?"
The vampire nearly fell out of his seat in surprise before he turned to look at who had spoken. Faith blinked at him, trying to clear the cobwebs from her mind.
"It's me," he said, watching her in concern.
The brunette frowned in confusion. "What are you doing here – where is here?"
"You're in a hospital in L.A.; you were attacked by a demon."
Faith's confusion deepened. "L.A.? What the hell am I doing in L.A.? And where's B and the rest of the Scoobies?"
Now it was Angel's turn to look confused. "Buffy and Dawn are in Rome, remember? And Xander's in Africa, Giles is England and Willow and Kennedy are in Brazil."
Faith's eyes widened. "What are they doing there? What happened to Sunnydale, I just saw G-man in the library?!"
'OK Angel, don't freak out, she's just joking around, that's it just joking around. Oh who am I kidding?' he thought to himself.
"Faith what year is it?" He asked, dreading the answer.
The slayer looked at him as if he were in insane. "1999, why?"
Oh crap.
A/N: So what do you think? Reviews are much appreciated even if they're just to point out something bad.