Summary: Angel cares for Faith after she tries to kill him in an alley.
Author's Note: I wanted to do a fanfic for each season of Angel but I never got around to doing much more than NFA fanfics. I have quite a few of them going now lol. Anyway, this is my fanfic for season one of Angel, hope you like it. Read and review, feel free.
Angel knelt on the wet ground in the alley, Faith held tightly in his arms as the rain fell lightly around them. She began sobbing into his chest, feeling nothing but guilt for everything she had done.
Wesley stood a few metres behind them, the knife resting in a puddle at his feet. He looked on, almost in shock. He wasn't sure what to think, but he saw Faith in pain and Angel tending to her lovingly and wasn't sure if she desrved it. But what could he do?
There before him was Angel, kneeling with Faith in his arms. He was conforting her for everything she had done to make her want to die, because he too had been on a road to redemption. He was still on his road to redemption, the ever long rock road that takes a lifetime to walk.
Angel and Faith finally finished and Angel led Faith to the side of the alley where he sat her down on a doorstep.
'Faith.' He began. She didn't look up at him because she felt such guilt inside of her that she didn't think she could face him. 'Faith, it's it's alright.'
'Why didn't you kill me?' She asked finally after a long silence.
'Because redemption is not that easy.' Angel told her. 'There's more to life than dying.'
'Yeah, but what do you do when your life isn't worth living?' Faith shot back. She was unsure of her future at this stage, not wanting to move from her tiny little spot in the doorway or go anywhere.
'Make it worth living.' Angel answered, extending his hand down to Faith. She took hold of his hand and let him lead her away.
Wesley hadn't moved from his place in the middle of the alley and he waited for Angel and Faith to walk by before he joined them. Fatih couldn't look Wesley in the eye because of what she had done to him. She felt so guilty, just wanting to be sucked into a black hole to never be seen again.
He watched Angel lead Faith past him and inside before he slowly made his way in after them, eyeing Faith as she slunk past.
Inside, Angel lead faith down the hall to the lift. Wesley hung back.
'Angel!' he called ahead, grabbing both Angel and Faith's attention.
'Wesley.' Angel responded. Wesley signalled for Angel to come back down the hall. He left Faith beside the lift and wandered back down to Wesley.
'Angel, are you seriously going to help her?' Wesley asked angrily, fighting back his true emotions.
'Wesley, she needs help.' Angel answered. 'I'm not going to abandon her. Not now.' He turned to head back to Faith who was quicetly tanding beside the lift, her arms folded as she stared at her feet.
'Angel, she is a disturbed person. She doesn't need your help, she needs psychiatric help. She needs the law. Angel disagreed.
'Let me have a go first'
'Angel, you don't know what you're getting yourself into.' Wesley warned.
'Wesley, I know Faith. And I also know that I need to help her.' Angel replied. 'She's troubled, but so was I once. I can help her through this, just let me'
'Angel, she can't be trusted to come through for you. What you're trying to do, it may not work. Just be careful.' Wesley regretted Angel's choice to help Faith, since his wounds were still fresh, bleeding and every inch of his body ached.
'Are you going to be alright Wesley?' Angel asked as he turned around to face Faith.
'What do you think?' Wesley replied angrily as hebit his lip to stop himself from saying anything else. He brushed past Angel and then walked past Faith, heading for the stairs.
Faith watched him go past, not saying a word as she kept her eamrs folded in her silent fortress of solitude.
Angel held open the doors to the lift and gently ushered Faith inside. He stepped in after her then pulled each metal door across and pressed the UP button. Up they went, in silence. When they reached Angel's apartment Angel opened both doors again and let Faith out.
'Faith.' he said. 'Come on.' He stood back, allowing her to make her way out of the lift and into his home. She was welcome, as far as he was concerned.
She slowly made her way out, her arms still crossed but held close to her body. Her body language said (ITALICS) I'm sorry. I'm scared. I feel guilty. What am I meant to do?
Angel led her over to his bed and she sat down cautiously. 'It's okay.' He assured her. He paced across the room and collected a blue blanket which he preceeded to wrap around her shoulders. 'Rest here'
Faith curled up on the bed and tried to get comfortable as Angel spread another blanket over the lower half of her body. His expression was caring yet worried; concerned was more like it. He wanted to help, but he knew that it would take some time.
'You rest now.' Angel whispered. 'I'll put your stuff here.' He picked up her bag of gear from on the floor and placed it on the chair beside the bed. 'I'll be close.' He turned to leave.
'Angel.' she said, calling him back.
'Yeah?' She pictured herself attacking him viciously in the middle of the room where he stood, but instead of saying anything about it, she just whispered back, 'nothing'
He left the room, leaving her to rest in peace and quiet. He wandered out to his chair to think.