Author Notes
Joss Whedon owns the characters. I only made up the story. Okay, this story just came to me one day. I wrote it down a while ago, but I forgot about it. I just typed it up. Please review. Enjoy the story.
Daniel 'Oz' Osbourne walked out of his room and down the hallway towards his cousin's room. He knocked on the door, even though he knew it was useless, and walked into the room, and then over to the bed. He then began shaking the figure and heard groans coming from the body of the girl that had been one of his best friends since she was 13 and started living with him and his parents.
"Five more minutes." Came a mumbled reply from the figure.
"Sorry Faith, but if you don't get up now you know your gonna be late." Oz said back to his cousin. Faith rolled over, off her stomach, so she could look at him.
"No I'm not. And besides, what would be so bad about that Danny?" She asked giving a suggestive smirk.
"Danny?" Oz asked.
"Well, since everyone else took my other one I'm trying to find a new one just between us, cousin to cousin." Faith said, throwing the covers off and getting out of bed. She went into the bathroom and Oz heard the shower start.
"If you're not down in twenty minutes then I'm leaving without you." He yelled, walking out of the room and downstairs.
"Yeah, whatever." Faith replied.
Ten minutes later, Faith came down the stairs dressed and ready. She gave Oz, who was sitting at the counter, an I-told-you-so grin and grabbed a bagel and sat down next to him.
"I don't know how you do it." Oz said playfully as he shook his head, smiling.
"I'm just full of surprises, don't ya know?" Faith said, putting the rest of her bagel in her mouth. She jumped off her chair and grabbed Oz's keys. "I'm driving!" She declared, heading out the door.
"Faith!" Oz yelled, taking off after her.
Faith pulled the van into a parking space. She bounded out of the van and met up with Oz on the other side. She dangled the keys in front of his face and then threw them up in the air, Oz caught them.
"You just have to be a smart ass, don't you?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"Yep." Faith simply said with a shake of her head. She grabbed her books and headed for the door. Oz followed after her.
Faith felt something hit her head.
"Faith, psst…Earth to Faith." Her best friend was trying to wake her up.
"Ugh. What is it, Xander?" Faith asked, sounding annoyed.
"New girl, just came in." Xander said, directing his attention at the girl that was at the front of the class, talking with Ms. Barlow, their old, boring history teacher.
"Class this is Buffy Summers." Ms. Barlow said, indicating the blonde. "Buffy, why don't you go sit over there by Willow." Ms. Barlow pointed to the red head sitting on the left of Faith. Buffy sat down and Ms. Barlow started her lecture again, totally oblivious that everyone was talking instead of listening.
"Hi. I'm Buffy." Buffy introduced herself to Willow.
"Hi. I'm Willow. If you want I can help you get caught up on your classes. Or if you don't then that's fine too, but if you need the help…" Willow started her ramblings, but was cut off by Faith.
"Red, you're babbling again." Faith chuckled.
"Sorry." Willow said sheepishly.
"No, that's fine." Buffy assured her, laughing slightly too.
"I would actually appreciate the help. I'm pretty lost."
"Don't worry Will u'll set you up. She must be the best student in the school." Xander bragged about his friend. "Oh, and this one right here has the 'biggest-bad-ass-that-looks-good-being-one' category down." Xander joked, pointing to Faith.
"Xan, shut up." Faith said with a playful punch to the arm. Xander started laughing, but it soon started fading into whimpers.
"Ow, that hurt." Xander whined, holding his arm.
"You're a wimp." Faith said.
"No I'm not." Xander defended himself.
"Both of you stop." Willow said, smiling and holding her hands up. "You guys are acting like kids." Both shrugged and smiled sheepishly.
"Are they like that all the time?" Buffy asked.
"Surprisingly, yes." Willow answered. "That's Faith and that's Xander." She said pointing over to the two. Faith gave a little wave of her hand, while Xander gave a goofy grin. The bell rang and everyone hurried out of the room, almost trampling Ms. Barlow.
"Yo Oz! Over here!" Faith called to her cousin. "Buffy this is my cousin Oz. He's also Red's man. Oz this is Buffy." Faith gave introductions.
"Red's man?" Buffy questioned, confused.
"Oh. Well, Faith gives everyone nicknames. Red is Willow, Oz is well….Oz. That's not his real name though, but Faith started a trend so everybody calls him it. Giles is G-man and G. While I bear many names, Xan, X-man, Xan-man, X, Moron, Idiot, and Stupid." Xander ended his speech smiling. Buffy nodded in response.
"Who's Giles?" She asked.
"Oh he's the school librarian." Willow answered.
"Yeah, he's the only cool teacher…and that's a lot coming from me." Faith stated.
"Speaking of library, where is it? I'm kinda lacking in the book area." Buffy explained.
"We can show you. I have to return my Geometry for Whizzes book anyway." Willow told them. It was silent for moment, then everyone started laughing. "What? What'd I say?" Willow asked, not getting it.
"Ah….here is Geography in Countries. I believe you're all set Miss Summers." Giles said, handing her a stack of books.
"Thanks Mr. Giles." Buffy said, grabbing the books.
"Hey B, forget the 'Mr.' part. Just Giles, right G?" Faith said, putting her arm around Buffy's shoulders.
"Well, um…ah…." Giles tried, but was interrupted.
"See? He don't mind. Now come on B, everyone else left a half hour ago. Even Willow, and this is like her home away from home." Faith said, leading Buffy out of the door with a, "See ya later G-man." And they were out the door. Giles looked around in bewilderment.
"B?" Buffy questioned. "Is that my nickname?"
"Yeah. And hell no, I'm not changing it. I don't make requests." Faith said with a laugh. Buffy shook her head.
"That's not what I meant. Does this mean you consider me a friend?" Buffy asked, smiling.
"Um…yeah, I guess. Hey, I don't do this often so don't get used to it, but yeah. You're officially part of our little group now that I have named you. Just as long as you stay away from Cordelia. Then we're cool." Faith said.
"Cordelia? Who's that?" Buffy asked.
"The school bitch." Faith said nonchalantly.
"So Faith, do I get to give you a nickname?" Buffy asked, changing the subject.
"Nope, nada, never, not, not a chance, and hell no." Faith said, stopping and shaking her head.
"Oh, okay." Buffy said, somewhat amused by Faith's answer. The bell rang, indicating that it was lunch.
"Come on. I'll show you our spot." Faith said, taking Buffy's hand and dragging her down the hall.
Faith and Buffy saw the others at a fountain, Faith gave them a wave.
"Hey guys! What's up?" Faith asked calmly.
"Ah…so Faith has finally decided to show. We thought you found somebody cooler than us." Said a tall, dark haired guy sitting next to Xander.
"Well, you never know, Buffy here is pretty cool." Faith joked, indicating the blonde. "Buffy this is Jesse, Anya, Spike, and Angel." Faith said pointing to, first the one sitting next to Xander, then the girl on the other side of Xander, then the two guys sitting on the grass. "Guys, this is Buffy." Faith said and then the two took a seat; Buffy next to Willow on the fountain edge, and Faith, on a short enough wall to jump on, next to Jesse. "Fang, what's up?" Faith asked Angel.
"Faith, how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?" Angel asked annoyed.
"Jeez. Okay." Faith said, hurt, but not showing it.
"Don't worry about the bloke. He's just being an ass as usual." Spike said, receiving a punch from Angel.
"Nice Blondie." Faith said laughing as Angel stood up.
"You know what Faith? I'm so sick and tired of this. Just because we hang out with the same friends doesn't mean we have to talk to each other. That's why I broke up with you in the first place." Angel shouted angrily, everyone else, but the two, being quiet.
"You're right. We do have the same friends. I'm just trying to make it less awkward." Faith defended herself.
"Awkward? Wow, that's in your dictionary? I woulda thought you wouldn't know a word like that." Angel laughed harshly. Xander tried to get up, but Jesse held him down.
"It's their fight man. They need to get it out, okay." Jesse whispered.
"I'm not stupid, unlike the bitch you were doing." Faith said.
"Don't you dare talk about Cordelia like that." Angel threatened.
"Or what?" Faith asked, standing up.
"I'll do this." Angel slapped her so hard it sent her to the ground and drew blood. At this, everyone stood up.
"Oh, you really have changed." Faith said, touching her face.
"Hey, stay away from her." Oz said, walking in between Angel and Faith.
"Oh yeah? And what're you gonna do Oz?" Angel asked.
"We're gonna kick your ass if you don't leave her alone." Xander said, walking up beside Oz.
"I can take both of you." Angel said.
"But not all of us." Jesse said, walking up with Spike.
"You're lucky you got friends bitch, but pretty soon I'll have an army. I don't need any of you. especially YOU." Angel said, pointing to Faith.
"Angel, get out of here!" Oz yelled.
"Fine!" Angel said, walking away.
"Here." Xander offered Faith a hand.
"I'm fine." Faith said, getting up on her own.
"Faith, let me see it." Oz tried to look at the cut.
"I told you, I'm fine. I don't need you butting in on my fights, okay. I can handle myself." Faith said, backing away from Oz.
"Faith, we're just trying to help." Xander said.
"I don't need it." Faith said.
"Faith, calm down, it's alright," Jesse tried.
"I am calm!" Faith exclaimed.
"Faith, it's alright. I know it hurts, but you've got to calm down." Willow said from behind Faith, where she, Buffy, and Anya had moved to at some point.
"Yes, I know your ex-boyfriend just hit you and told you harsh things in front of your friends, but you have to get over it." Anya said with a smile and nod.
"Anya…luv, not helping right now." Spike said.
"But she can pay someone to seek revenge. I could do it. I like money AND vengeance." Anya said.
"Anya, shut up!" Willow yelled.
"I'm just trying to help." Anya defended herself.
"Well, you can stop 'cause I don't need it!" Faith intervened.
"Faith…" Oz tried, but Faith stopped him.
"No Oz, don't." Faith demanded and walked away with Oz trailing close behind.
"Uh…classes…yeah! We better get off to 'em or we'll be late!" Spike tried to change the subject.
"Yeah, Spike's right!" Jesse went along with it.
"But I don't have my next class until ten minutes." Anya started, not understanding.
"Anya, yes you do. Remember?" Jesse tried in a not-so-convincing way, receiving a confused stare from Anya.
"No." Anya said flatly.
"Well, you do." Spike said as he and Jesse dragged Anya off. The others were silent for a few moments.
"Well…um…I'm gonna go. Catch you guys later." Xander said dejectedly.
"Okay, bye Xander." Willow said to the retreating form of Xander, sympathetically.
"Bye." Buffy said in the same tone.
Buffy had the same free period as Willow did, so the two of them decided to 'study' together in the library.
"So…stop me if it's none of my business, but….what's going on with Faith and Angel?" Buffy asked, hesitating.
"Oh well, it's a long story, but….well Faith doesn't want a lot of people to know about her past, but that's where I have to start for you to understand the story, but I'm not sure if I should. I don't think she'll like me to, but I think you can keep a secret…I think, but I don't know that for sure…." Willow started, but Buffy stopped her.
"I won't tell." Buffy swore.
"Okay, well…..when we were about five or six, Faith's dad, Eric, would bring Faith here from Boston. Oz's mom was Eric's older sister. Anyway, Faith and her dad were really close, and since she came here a lot, we all hung out. She was the youngest, but only by one year, and she always seemed our age. Well, when she was eight, she just stopped coming. Eric was killed in a car accident. She was in the car with him when they were hit and sent off the road. The car went on ice and soon the ice gave way. The car started sinking and Eric saved her, but he died doing so…..Her mom didn't care for her, she let her boyfriends take…advantage of her, and was a drunk and junkie. When Faith was thirteen, she came back to her apartment to find her mom shot and dead. She came back here to live with Oz, but she wasn't the same little girl she was. I don't think she's been the same since her dad died. I guess Angel brought back some bad memories from her mom and her old life." Willow finished, taking a deep breath.
"Wow….If Faith doesn't want people to know about her past, how do you know?" Buffy questioned.
"Oz told us when Faith told him. He thought she was fragile and didn't wasn't anyone saying the wrong thing. It took forever for Faith to open up to him." Willow explained.
"So, who knows?" Buffy asked.
"Oz, Xander, Jesse, Spike, you, me, and Anya. Yeah, Anya is just stupid." Willow said after receiving a confused look from Anya's name.
"Did Angel know?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, he did. I don't know what hot into him. He changed so much, he used to be so sweet. I think Faith really loved him, but she found him with Cordelia one night. I just hope she's gonna be okay, she's been through so much all ready." Willow prayed.
"Yeah, I just met her and I already feel the urge to comfort her." Buffy explained
"She has that effect on people once you get to know her." Willow agreed, smiling and shaking her head.
"Yeah, I guess she does." Buffy said.
"She just needs all the help she can get, even though she denies it." Willow explained.
"Well, she's got my help." Buffy guaranteed, smiling.
Author Notes
Okay, I know it seems a bit rushed, but I just wanted to get the story line out there. I bet a lot of you are wondering why Angel acted that way. Well, it'll all be explained eventually. I'm not really sure as the pairs go. I'm willing to do the following: Faith/Xander, Faith/Spike, Faith/Jesse, or Faith/Buffy. I need some help from you guys, so tell me what you want to see. Alright, everyone knows the drill. Please review.
FaithandAngel