Part 11
Buffy heard the door shut and sank to her knees, letting out a scream
of anger and pain. She hadn't thought it would hurt so much when
Angel left again. Losing Riley had hurt her more than she'd imagined
it would, but losing Angel always hurt worse. No matter how many years
they had spent apart, he was still a part of her.
She realized Jack was barking frantically. Her scream had agitated
him. She pulled herself to her feet and made her way to her office,
opening the door. "I'm fine," she said. She sat on the couch,
curling into a tight ball, as Jack sat next to her. She laid there,
staring at the wall, feeling too emotionally drained to even cry.
*********
Angel made it back to his hotel room, but decided he couldn't think
about driving back to L.A. The only thing he could think about was
the pain. The pain of losing Buffy again. "You'd think I'd get used
to it by now. I've been here so many times before." He dropped his
keys on the floor and shrugged out of his duster, falling into bed.
His cellphone rang and he pulled himself out of bed to retrieve it
from his coat pocket. Years of habit made him answer it. Cordelia, Wes
and Gunn only used that number for important situations. "Yeah."
"Angel, it's Wesley. I'm sorry to bother you so early, but Cordelia
insisted that I contact you."
"What's wrong?" Angel stopped to look over at his clock. It _was_
early, just six a.m. "Is everyone okay?"
"Cordelia had a vision an hour ago," Wesley said. "We tried, Angel,
but..."
Angel sat up, getting more worried now. It must have been bad,
whatever it was. "What happened, Wes? Just tell me, this night can't
get any worse."
"I wouldn't wager on that," Wesley warned. "I hate to be the bearer
of bad news," he sighed.
"WES!"
"Fine. Cordelia's vision, it wasn't detailed enough for us to get to
her in time. She was attacked by a group of Chaos demons. We arrived
too late to help her."
"Her? Who's her?" Angel asked, but he already knew the answer.
Silence on the other end.
"Wesley--"
"I'm so sorry, Angel. It was Faith. She's dead."
Angel pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it for a
moment in shock. He pressed the button to end the call. It rang
again, but he turned off the phone instead of answering again. He
knew it would be Cordelia and he wasn't in the mood for her fussing
over him.
He felt unbearable regret that he hadn't been in L.A. He SHOULD have
been there. He could have stopped the attack and saved Faith. She'd been
out of prison for ten years and had truly tried to change. She'd come
a long way and had even returned to Slaying.
She'd done it her way, though, insisting she always slayed better
alone, despite Angel's protests that it wasn't safe. Faith hadn't
cared about safe though, she'd needed danger in her life. He'd always
suspected she had a death wish deep down; he was quite familiar with
that feeling. Apparently she'd finally gotten her wish.
****************************
Buffy heard the door shut and sank to her knees, letting out a scream
of anger and pain. She hadn't thought it would hurt so much when
Angel left again. Losing Riley had hurt her more than she'd imagined
it would, but losing Angel always hurt worse. No matter how many years
they had spent apart, he was still a part of her.
She realized Jack was barking frantically. Her scream had agitated
him. She pulled herself to her feet and made her way to her office,
opening the door. "I'm fine," she said. She sat on the couch,
curling into a tight ball, as Jack sat next to her. She laid there,
staring at the wall, feeling too emotionally drained to even cry.
*********
Angel made it back to his hotel room, but decided he couldn't think
about driving back to L.A. The only thing he could think about was
the pain. The pain of losing Buffy again. "You'd think I'd get used
to it by now. I've been here so many times before." He dropped his
keys on the floor and shrugged out of his duster, falling into bed.
His cellphone rang and he pulled himself out of bed to retrieve it
from his coat pocket. Years of habit made him answer it. Cordelia, Wes
and Gunn only used that number for important situations. "Yeah."
"Angel, it's Wesley. I'm sorry to bother you so early, but Cordelia
insisted that I contact you."
"What's wrong?" Angel stopped to look over at his clock. It _was_
early, just six a.m. "Is everyone okay?"
"Cordelia had a vision an hour ago," Wesley said. "We tried, Angel,
but..."
Angel sat up, getting more worried now. It must have been bad,
whatever it was. "What happened, Wes? Just tell me, this night can't
get any worse."
"I wouldn't wager on that," Wesley warned. "I hate to be the bearer
of bad news," he sighed.
"WES!"
"Fine. Cordelia's vision, it wasn't detailed enough for us to get to
her in time. She was attacked by a group of Chaos demons. We arrived
too late to help her."
"Her? Who's her?" Angel asked, but he already knew the answer.
Silence on the other end.
"Wesley--"
"I'm so sorry, Angel. It was Faith. She's dead."
Angel pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it for a
moment in shock. He pressed the button to end the call. It rang
again, but he turned off the phone instead of answering again. He
knew it would be Cordelia and he wasn't in the mood for her fussing
over him.
He felt unbearable regret that he hadn't been in L.A. He SHOULD have
been there. He could have stopped the attack and saved Faith. She'd been
out of prison for ten years and had truly tried to change. She'd come
a long way and had even returned to Slaying.
She'd done it her way, though, insisting she always slayed better
alone, despite Angel's protests that it wasn't safe. Faith hadn't
cared about safe though, she'd needed danger in her life. He'd always
suspected she had a death wish deep down; he was quite familiar with
that feeling. Apparently she'd finally gotten her wish.
****************************