Chapter 24

Angel Hope and Faith

"Get back into the car!" Eddie yelled. Not having to be told twice, Faith did just that.

Taking the car out of neutral Eddie gazed down a very steep, grassy incline by his side, close to fifty degrees, which headed into a small wooded area. He had enough clarity in those precious few seconds to know that the highway was no place to be. Forcing himself to make a decision, he fastened his seat belt and turned sharply, decisively, down the embankment.

The mustang bounced as it slid down the steep slope. Eddie lost control of the wheel, as the car skid across the grass. Seeing that the vehicle was headed towards a tree, Faith suddenly took the wheel and made the car swerve in a different direction completely avoiding the tree.

Stopping the car on a dime, Eddie slumped against the steering wheel as they both heard a titanic boom in the distance. Closing his eyes at the colossal amount of life that was lost and hearing the roar of fire and people screaming in the background, Eddie opened his eyes and looked to the raven haired woman to see his own pain reflected in her face.

"I believe you." he said as he gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. He really hated to admit that fact but he knew that Faith possibly could be the only person in the world that could keep him and his family alive. "I believe everything that you said. Tell me what to do?"

As he asked that question, Faith's eyes widened. For the first time in her life someone was looking to her asking what should be done. Clearing her mind of her own doubt, she started to concentrate on what needed to be done. Going back on the highway would be a death trap. After examining her life and knowing that you couldn't go backwards, like Angel always told her, you could only go forward.

"We need to get off of the streets and regroup, yeah?" Faith started as a plan started to form in her head. "Maybe we can go to your house for awhile and see how bad this thing is. We'll go from there."

"Okay." Eddie agreed as his hand hovered over the ignition switch, before giving Faith a look. "You can stay with me and my family as long as it takes and you're free to go after all of this is over. I just want us to be on an even playing field by me saying that I read your file when you were transferred. I know about your past and you seem like you've changed from what you were then, but if you so much as harm my family, I'll kill you."

"Fair enough." Faith replied as she met his gaze. A man had a right to protect his family. Hell he was taking a risk by having her with him now. As he started the car back up and started to take off she looked back in the direction that they had just came. Knowing that she couldn't help any of those people on the highway now she started to gather her thoughts on her next move.

Iron Horse Apartments

It took nearly three hours for Faith and Eddie to reach the latter's home, because the situation in the city was that chaotic and for the fact that Faith had to stop off and change her clothes. To be honest, with all they had seen, they were lucky to have made it at all. The gated apartment building was quiet. A little too quiet as Faith and Eddie pulled up in the mustang.

As Faith watched Eddie get out of the car and reload his gun it was at that moment that she realized she didn't have a weapon. Feet don't fail me now. She thought to herself. Watching his back, they slowly crept around to the other side of the apartment building and saw some people taking things out of some of the homes. Judging by the look on Eddie's face, the men and women were merely looting rather then moving.

"Hey!" Eddie barked out loudly as the looters gave him a look.

"These people are gone man." one of the male looters said with a shrug. "This is a matter of survival."

Eddie hardly thought that it was as he saw that the other man was carrying a new model flat screen tv. Hearing someone calling his name, he and Faith looked up to see a pregnant woman at the very end of the row of apartments.

"Samantha!" Eddie yelled out, forgetting about the looters, as he ran into his wife's arms. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah... yeah." his wife replied looking slightly in a daze.

"You can do this family reunion crap later." Faith said harshly as she looked to the sky and saw that the sun was coming down. The streets were mostly quiet but she could still hear distant sirens and a few helicopters. "We really need to get inside."

"Who the hell are you?" Samantha asked through narrowed eyes and gritted teeth.

"She's an old friend of mines babe." Eddie cut his wife off with a lie before she could jump to conclusions. "Her name is Faith."

"Why haven't you ever told me about little miss Faith over..."

"Samantha we don't have time for this." Eddie replied as he moved his wife out of the way and walked into his home, Faith following quickly behind him. "Now where is everybody?"

"Most of our neighbors went to those shelters they were talking about on tv." she answered as she took her eyes off of the other woman and back to her husband. "Hope and I are getting packed now."

"You guys can't go there." Faith interjected. "It's going to be a death trap."

"And who the hell gave you the right to decide what's good for my family?" Samantha whirled on her as Faith and Eddie gave each other a look.

"Daddy!" they heard a little voice yell out. As Faith looked to the hallway of the apartment, her heart almost melted as she saw the cutest little four year old girl with her arms outstretched. Quickly walking over to her, Eddie picked her up and hugged her tightly.

"Daddy's here." Eddie told the girl as he whispered into her curly hair. Turning around he looked to his wife and then to Faith. "I think you two need to have a long talk. Tell her everything you told me, while I go and talk to the manager about closing off the front gate." he said to the Slayer as he walked out of the room with his daughter.

"Daddy, whose that lady?" the girl asked sleepily as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"She's a friend." Eddie told her as they walked into one of the back bedrooms.

As only Faith and the very pregnant Samantha was left alone, the Slayer indicated with her eyes that she wanted the other woman to sit down. For the second time that day, she had to tell the same story over again.

Later That Night

Faith sat on the couch in Eddie's living room, watching TV. She had just told Samantha about the real world of monsters and demons a couple of hours ago and the other woman didn't take it well. In fact she didn't believe her at all until she folded a cast iron skillet up like a burrito, to show her of Slayer strength.

For a moment she laughed as she heard Eddie and Samantha in their bedroom arguing. It seemed that Samantha believed that Eddie was cheating on her. So that's why she's being a bitch. Faith thought darkly to herself with another chuckle. A chuckle that died in her throat as she flicked through the news channels on TV.

Footage of mayhem, tragedy, and zombies on the move. The zombies wreaked havoc in the streets of what looked like New York; others tore apart a TV news room. Various news people and voice overs issued conflicting warnings and reports as she scanned all the channels.

"... The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta does not yet know how this apparent flu virus is being transmitted so quickly." as she said that the TV showed footage of zombies pulling down stands in a Bangladesh bazaar to get to some people. "Officials said they are treating this as both an international health hazard and a military concern."

Faith then flicked the channel to another report. "... may have begun three days ago and is spreading rapidly." Flicking the channel again she saw a press conference with what she believed was a top US scientist. "Next question?"

"Mr. Thomas are they living, or are they dead?" a reporter asked.

"I...I... can't say." Thomas lied as camera bulbs flashed in his face. Annoyed Faith changed the channel. One where a confused reporter was arguing with someone off camera. "What do you mean don't cause a panic? I'm going to read it, yes I am... I am... okay... listen to me. What we keep hearing... it's what it says. This virus is all across the world. If you're home, stay inside and stay tuned."

Flicking the channel yet again, she saw American soldiers shooting at a line of zombies outside of a military base. In the background she heard a reporter saying. "...where they were met by marines that tried to invade Camp Pendleton. So far they have been unarmed..."

Changing the channel for the final time she saw a short blond female politician standing on the rooftop of a building, beneath a helicopter, wind whirling around her. Taking in the scene, she was about to leave a group of reporters behind as she turned to address them.

"I just heard from Washington and it's true that the President and Vice President are dead." the woman said with what seemed to be genuine sadness. "As it stands now, as the Speaker of the House, I am now President and I can assure the American people that this situation should take no more then a few days to control. It's over."

"Yeah right, bitch." Faith mumbled as she shut off the TV. She then thought about how dire the situation was if the entire US and possibly the world would be taken under. At the moment all she could think of was the only person who had never given up on her. She needed guidance. Picking up the phone, she dialed his number from memory and wasn't surprised when Cordelia answered the phone.

"Look, I don't know who this is but..."

"Queen C..." the Dark Slayer cut her off. "It's me."

"Faith?" Cordelia asked after a few moments of stunned silence. After a second her voice was replaced by his.

"Faith?" Angel asked. "Where are you? How..."

"I'm... I'm fine." Faith cut him off. "I had to break out of jail but I'm some place cool."

"Good... good." Angel replied in relief. "I'm happy to hear your voice."

And I'm happy to hear yours. Faith thought to herself, as she curled up on the couch and cradled the phone closer to her ear. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. "Angel I... I need to know what to do?"

"The same thing you've been doing all of your life Faith." Angel told her if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You survive. The world... the world is falling apart around us and you have to help defend it. You were given your power for a reason."

"So... so do you want to meet up somewhere?" she asked hopefully. "Maybe... maybe you, me, and B can get together somewhere and start our own thing?"

"I'd like that..." Angel replied, but Faith could hear a but in his voice. "... but I've tried calling Buffy and I didn't get an answer on her phone. We've been taking in people at our hotel so I can't go and check on her."

"You don't think..." Letting those words die in her throat she changed what she was going to say. She honestly didn't know if she'd ever see Angel again but she had to let him know. "I... um... I just wanted to say thank you for... everything. I mean... I've had people try to give me a chance before but you never gave up on me. I... ummm... I love you man."

Angel didn't say anything for a moment and Faith wondered if he heard her or if she had lost connection. When she had heard Angel speak again, she could have sworn that there was a hint of amusement in his voice. "I love you too, Faith. Take care of yourself."

"You... you too." Faith said nervously. She'd never told anyone that she loved them before and meant it. "Take care of the others and... and tell Wesley I'm sorry."

"I... Hey!" Angel shouted at someone as the phone signal was cut.

"Angel! Angel!" Faith yelled into the phone. But it was no use, so she just hung up the phone. Taking a moment, she sat there stunned, not knowing what to do or say. In the pit of her stomach she wondered if the only person she ever truly cared about had been swallowed up by the new world that was being created. The thought of not seeing Angel again truly haunted her. It haunted her to the point where she did something she hadn't done since she had begged Angel to kill her. She started to cry.

"Why are you crying?" Faith heard a little voice ask. Looking up she saw Eddie's pretty little girl, Hope, wiping sleep out of her eyes and watching her.

"I ain't crying." Faith replied defiantly as she wiped at her tears with both hands. "My eyes were just getting a little wet."

For the most part ignoring her weak excuse, Hope sat on the couch next to Faith and kept asking the most innocent of questions. "Who's Angel?"

As she asked that Faith froze. How could she explain to a four year old what Angel was and what he meant to her. Finding her voice, she looked to the girl and cleared her throat. "Angel... he's.. he's kinda like my bro."

"Your brother?" the little girl asked happily as she got closer to Faith. "I want a brother. I hope my mom has a boy. She said I'm gonna be a big sister."

"I hope your ma has a boy too." Faith replied, being out of her element when talking to kids.

"My mom said something bad is happening out there." the little girl suddenly said as she looked to the living room door to emphasize her point. "I wouldn't want to leave my brother out there by himself. Do you think he's lonely?"

"I... I don't know." Faith mumbled as her mind went back to the older man.

"I like your hair." Hope went on, snapping her out of her thoughts as she reached out and touched her raven locks.

"This old thing?" Faith asked with a sad smile as she touched the other side of her head.

"I hope mine grows out that long." Hope said sleepily as she laid down on Faith's side before finally cuddling up on her and falling asleep. Caught off guard that someone was still so innocent and was able to be so gentle with her the last of the ice around Faith's heart melted.

Pulling the little girl closer and sharing her cover with her, the Dark Slayer, closed her eyes. And I'm going to make sure you live long enough to see your hair grow this long. Faith thought to herself. Right after I go check on Angel. Not wanting to disturb her new friend, she laid back herself and went to sleep. If she would fight for anything in this world now it would be for this little girl and her innocence.