Redemption, Resurrection, and Revenge
by Phoenixstitch 01/28/2001

This is a second season Angel story following "Reunion". Actually it is a companion, parallel piece to "Hate and Love" my 5th Season BtVS story. This is what is going on in LA during the events described in the other story. The main characters are Angel, Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn, Faith, Darla, Drusilla, Linslay, Riley Finn, and introducing Keith Stuart, Faith's new Watcher. This takes place roughly after "Reunion" after Darla has been turned by Dru. In my universe Buffy and Spike have gotten together, after Buffy finds out Riley has been letting vampires suck in him. Dru comes to Sunnydale looking for Spike, finds he's with the Slayer, gets rather upset and finds Riley and she turns him. Instead of having a battle of the ex's, Riley and Dru go to LA to meet up with Darla and Lindsey. Angel has still gone rogue, and fired everyone. Wesley and Giles have been in touch with the Watcher's Council over the vampires and Glory, and their response has been to spring Faith, and assign a new more aggressive Watcher to her.

This will be rated NC-17 due to very strong language, violence and sex.

This is not intended to impinge on anyone's copyrights, or is this for profit, etc.. The characters belong to Josh Wheldon, Mutant Enemy, the WB, UPN, FX, etc., just borrowing them and adding a few of my own.

Comments to vbmacky1@yahoo.com

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Part 1

"Grab your gear, you're being released," the guard told the dark haired girl sitting in the jail cell on her bunk reading a trashy paperback book.

The dark brown eyes narrowed, and looked up in disbelief and suspicion from what she had been sort of reading, wondering what sick joke Mel was playing on her today—god, how she hated that fucking bitch of a guard. "Joke right? Pay back for the other day?" the girl sneered not moving.

"I wish. No, your royal sluttiness, you're getting sprung. Someone managed to get you released. How they managed I don't fucking know, but you got fifteen minutes to pack your shit," the guard threw back standing outside of the cell enjoying the range of emotions playing across the young girl's face.

"I still don't fucking believe you, Mel. Who in the hell would want me out of here?" Faith asked, panic creeping into her voice as her mind began turning over the possibilities of who would have that much clout and power, and who would want a rogue ex-slayer and for what reasons. The only ones she could think about off the top of her head were either that group of lawyers Wolfram and Hart or the damned Watcher's Council. Though there might be some powerful demons or mob guys that might be interested in her talents and abilities.

"Look kid, I don't know. All I know was I was sent to get your sorry ass, and take you downstairs for release. I do what they tell me to do. I don't ask, but tell you the truth I am as curious as you as to who managed this piece of legal magic," the older blonde woman told her as she saw the girl move around the small cell and gather up her few belongings she had acquired in her year of serving time in the Women's Correctional Institute.

'Magick, yeah, that has to be it, or heavy duty lawyers which means I am going to be further in debt to those asshole lawyers. I do not want to be owned by them—no fucking way.' Faith thought to herself and she finished up her packing. "Okay, Mel, I'm done here," she announced.

The guard looked, and nodded and Faith stepped back, standing by her bunk, and the guard unlocked her cell door. The guard brought out a pair of plastic tie handcuffs, and put them on the waiting girl's wrists. Even though the girl was going to be released it was still standard procedure for all prisoners to be handcuffed until they were actually released downstairs after all their paperwork was processed. This prisoner was one she was glad to see go. The girl just barely acknowledged her presence and was strangely silent with out her usual sharp barbed insults. The only time this was quiet was when she was sacred or unsure about an unknown situation—which this did qualify as.

The young woman had always freaked her out because of her inhuman super strength, highly trained fighting skills, and the ability to heal quickly from any injury. She wasn't even sure whether the girl was human. But the attitude, and that mouth, the guard was not going to miss at all. This one was flat out bad news, and if it were up to her she wouldn't want this one released back into the larger world—ever. The young woman was just too dangerous, a born killer, with no heart, no soul, no compassion for anyone, or anything. She had an impenetrable wall around herself that allowed no one near, no one to reach her, because of her brutal life experiences. She had had it rough from the get go and it went downhill from there from what background they had been able to dig up on her which was very damned little. There were very big gaps missing, years worth that gave no indication where she was or who she had been with. Somehow Mel it hadn't been on the streets, but involved with something where the girl had acquired her martial art skills. This girl was a trained, deadly assassin like nothing she had ever seen before.

The only known visitor, outside of the court appointed lawyer, she ever got was a youngest, tall, good looking guy with dark brown hair, and eyes. Mel had seen him a few times when she had brought the girl down for her visitor. The only thing she knew about him was that his name was Angel, and he was a friend, not a boyfriend. But he too radiated the same sort of deadly menace and danger that the girl did. After the guy's visit the girl would be somehow calmer for days afterward. But even he hadn't been around for awhile. Mel had even asked about when his next visit was going to be and she had only gotten a tired, dead shrug in reply, and a mumbled, "I guess he's busy being super hero," from the girl.

Now none of that was her concern, her worry. After today she wouldn't have to deal with her ever again. She just felt sorry for who ever had gone to the trouble of springing her because already the she could tell the girl was not going to be appreciating it. She figured, three months maximum, and the kid would be back or dead. Her kind always was.

After gathering up her merger belongings, Faith followed the guard down the hall, and past the three sets of doors and checkpoints to the elevators. Another guard joined them for the elevator ride down to the floor where the holding area and prisoner release was located. Faith was processed through and what was left of her street clothes were given back to her. She opened the package and looked inside and made a face. The only things useable were her coat and shoes, the rest was fairly well toasted from all the fighting she had done prior to being arrested. Since she didn't have anything else to wear she put the old clothes on, trying to suppress the memories of that time a year ago when she had woke up out a coma after fighting with Buffy, her sister Slayer.

Due to a present from Mayor Wilkins she was able to briefly switch bodies with Buffy which had been fun, especially fucking Buffy's boyfriend Riley, who hadn't known the difference. Buffy had almost be taken back to England by the Watcher's Council thinking she was Faith Somehow Buffy had found an identical amulet and they have been switched back. Escaping from Sunnydale, she had ended up in LA and had gotten hired by Wolfram and Hart to take out Buffy's ex-boyfriend, Angel, the vampire with a soul. She had also tortured her old Watcher, Wesley, and that smart mouthed bitch, Cordelia, to draw Angel out. She and Angel did battle, but in the midst of it he forgave her and she had crumbled. He thought she had worth, value as a human being, that she wasn't the piece of shit she thought she was. The goddamned vampire understood her, knew what was going on in her sick twisted mind. Just like he had tried to help her in Sunnyhell years ago. She could fall for the stud hard if she let herself, but she wasn't ever let anyone get that fucking close to her—screw them—hell yes, love them—hell no, Things would have been cool if Buffy hadn't come in, and got all upset that Angel was helping her. So she, and the other Slayer had fought, and in the end she had been convinced to turn herself in, so she had spent the year cooling her heels in jail.

She still wasn't sure whether she was the true Chosen One, or Buffy. Buffy had died for a minute or two after a battle with the Master, and Xander had brought her back to life through CPR. Since Buffy had really died a new Slayer named Kendra and been activated. Then Kendra had been killed by Drusilla, Angel's insane childe before Angelus/Angel was sent to hell by Buffy. And that was how she had gotten the call and been activated. Instead of the curse it always been for Buffy it had been a blessing for her, a goddamned miracle that had brought some semblance of meaning into her life. So now because of Buffy's death and revival there were two slayers, maybe permanently or not, after she died she didn't give a damn anyway. Though after the initial fun of it wore off she found out how bad this being chosen sucked, especially with Saint Buffy around for all to throw in her face as the example of the perfect slayer that had everything a slayer wasn't supposed to have—a real life, friends, family, and for a while a vampire with a soul for a boyfriend until he left, and she attached her perky ass to some demon fighter commando dude. And she had had them both just to irk Buffy, to really rub it in her face, especially Riley who wasn't able to tell the difference between the two of them when she had switched their bodies. Then there was Angel who had known the difference, and screwed her anyway. Cold meat was not half bad, she thought with a smile, and Angel knew how to hurt so damned good. She quickly clamped down her thoughts along that line and focused again on both the past, present and future.

The past was over, as long as no one kept rubbing it in her face constantly. She had changed a little while she was in. Lots and lots of time to think, and hate herself. Going back, and forth as to whether she really did feel remorse, and if she really did want forgiveness for her actions. The verdict was still out on that. For Angel she had been trying the redemption path, but for it to work she needed him to tell her everything was okay. Tell her what to do, how to live with herself, how to fight the darkness of her soul and her mind. But he had abandoned her like everyone else in her fucking, screwed up life. Not even a damn message to let her know anything.

Though the few times she had been allowed access to the Internet recently, she had seen some strange shit reported on the local news webpages involving Wolfram and Hart, a rash of savage killings by two very pretty girls that eyewitnesses had said changed their features before their eyes. Faith immediately thought vampires, but most vamps weren't that open about their kills unless they were doing it for show. And her gut was telling her that Angel was involved in this, and those vamps on the loose might be the reason for his dropping off the face of earth. Hopefully, she would be able to check on him and find out what was really up with him. Though she was not looking forward to running into either that dweeb ex-Watcher of hers, or that smart mouthed Cordelia. She really hated that stuck up bitch, but she helped Angel so she was off limits.

Dressed she looked at herself in the small polished metal bathroom mirror. Haunted, dark brown eyes stared emptily back at her, framed in a pale drawn face, and limp dark brown hair. Yeah, she was a year older going to nineteen in a couple of months, if she made it that long. With old, tired eyes, she thought staring at her reflection. She had lost her innocence many years before she had even been called. Pain, hurt, rage, and fear were all the emotions she allowed herself. The knock on the door made her jump as a voice asked if she was ready. She yelled back, "yeah," and came out.

Released from her handcuffs she followed the guard to the outer door and was let out into the world again. She was actually released from jail. It wasn't a fucking joke. From one of the chairs in the waiting room a tall, good looking, powerfully built, long red haired man dressed in fashionably black casual clothes and a trench coat stood up, and came her way, looking her over as much as she was checking him out. She didn't know him. It was just him and her. She felt like running, but she had to know--why. Why and who had did this.

"You're Faith?" he asked with an English accent, and she went into defensive mode with his first words.

"Yeah, and you're a damned Watcher," she shot back, wary now, her muscles tightening and her eyes searching for an escape route.

"Right, I am. They told me you would not be easy to work with. But I like hard luck cases, keeps me on my toes. I'm Keith, Keith Stuart. I am your new Watcher. You're out because your skills are needed right now and there isn't enough time to train another girl. Plus you have had personal experience with some of the current problems," he told her enigmatically, and not wasting words with her. "The Council got you released, and cleared up all your records. You have a job to do, and you will do it," he told her firmly, ignoring her raised eyebrow, and the attitude that went with it.

"What super-Buffy couldn't handle the job? So they sent for the second string?" Faith sneered, with her arms folded staring at him.

"She has larger problems than you do to deal with, and the crisis here is also tied in with hers. This will also be a test of your abilities, your skills. I do know you have been keeping up with some exercises. but not all during your time here." Skillfully changing the subject away from the other slayer and her problems. For now he wanted his charge to focus on her own and leave the other mess for when they did have to deal with it.

"Yeah, working out with a stake and knives don't go. After I put one gal in the hospital for jumping me, I couldn't get any volunteers to spar with me," she told him truthfully. Still trying to get a handle on this guy. He was neither Wesley, or Giles, or any of the other Watchers she had dealt with. She wasn't sure what he was, except he radiated danger, and 'don't fuck with me' back at her. Good, she could deal with that better than the ones that let her run over the top of them. Power and strength she could respect.

Keith nodded, she at least was being truthful with him for the moment. He was going to have his hands full with this untamed wildcat. "You will find that you will be able to keep up with me, Faith. Now the first order of business after we leave here is going to be getting you a decent meal and new clothes, not necessarily in that order. Is that acceptable?" he asked.

"Yeah, I could use some new threads," she admitted, going along with him for the moment. Yeah, let him buy her a wardrobe, and the minute his back was turned then she could split and get out of this. This time out of the fucking country and stay gone so no one could hook her into their stupid save the world games again. She didn't want to save the world, she just wanted to be left alone and forget that vampires, demons, and weird shit really did happen.

"Good, thought you might like some new things. As to what is happening and why, I will explain in the car. There are some things better not said around bloody norms," he said lightening up a bit.

'Hey, he cusses, not as stiff a prick as I was beginning to think he was,' she thought to herself as she let him lead the way out the final sets of doors. "Not too bad looking either. Cute ass, and was that a diamond stud in his ear? Moves pretty good too. He does martial arts, she thought, watching how gracefully he walked down the tiled hallway in his Doc Martins. They stepped through the final door and the bright midday sun hit her full force in the face. She had to shade her eyes to see where she was going. She found a pair of wrap around sunglasses thrust into her hand.

"I think you'll be needing these," Keith told her with an innocent smile.

She was surprised but took them, "thanks, man. We might be able to deal after all." She told him and saw him nod. They had a truce for the moment.

He led her to a shiny black, convertible, sports car. It looked lean and lethal, not fussy, or sensible like she would have expected. On it's back bummer were a number of rock band bumper stickers, though there were two that really stuck out: "Magick doth occur and chaos ensues!" and the other read "Warrior On the Edge Of Time" with a strange double headed eagle symbol next to it with the name Hawkwind in smaller letters under it.

'Cool, a Watcher that's not afraid to flaunt it.' Though how many people would believe that either one of them existed or what all there was supernaturally going on around them. "Neat bumper stickers," she commented as he let her into the car.

"I try. It's my way of thumbing my nose at the bloody Council. We are supposed to be invisible. Men in Black or in their case, Men in Tweed, but this is bloody American, not England, and one needs to adapt. 'Hide in plain sight,' is a motto I've always believed in. Besides, it's a way a give some friends of mine a bit of advertisement for their bands."

"You actually listen to, and know some of the ones I saw on the stickers?" Faith asked impressed, as she buckled up.

"That I did, lassy, used to hang, and party with a lot of them and still do. Amazing how many of the guys are into the same bit of stuff that we are. As well as how many of the demons, and vampires hang around backstage, and like rock music. You learn a lot more being friendly with the lot them, then just killing outright because someone is a demon and all," Keith told her and saw her just stare at him behind her sunglasses as they left the prison grounds and headed towards downtown LA.

"Giles, or Wesley would wigg out hearing you say that."

"Wesley would, the pounce, but not Ripper, at least not in his younger days. He's the one that recruited me years ago. We met at a concert, and got to talking after I tried to do a simple love spell on a girl I was interested in, and it backfired," he grinned.

"So you know Giles and Wesley. Did you know my first Watcher?" she asked, her voice more subdued, as they turned on the freeway.

"Yes, I did. Actually we were both up to take you when it was decided you needed a woman's touch rather than a man's for your initial training. I was in Australia when I heard she had gotten killed and Wesley was assigned to your case. I was bloody furious that they had sent him, and knew it would end badly, which it did. Then Quentin decided to send his bloody goons after you and bring you to England for trial. They made a soddin' mess out of the whole deal with you from start to finish. For that I apologize as you're the one that got the bloody shaft in all of this. It's hard enough in these times for a young girl to find out she's a slayer and then expect bloody blind obedience out of her is asking too much. Damned, old codgers," he commented, and Faith's opinion of him was steadily rising.

"So Keith, I take it you asked for this assignment?" she asked him point blank.

"Aye lassy, I did. You have the potential to be a very powerful slayer. That you've survived the way you have proves your worth. You shouldn't have had to go through what you have, and I should have been handling this right from the start. But don't start thinking I'm an easy mark, girl. I'm going to make you work, and I don't take shit, you'll find that out. I want you to be able to think on your own like you have been doing, but not be a bloody loose cannon either. When I give you an order it is for a reason, and I will expect you to follow it, or give me a bloody good reason why not. Then we are also going to be working on your schooling. You've got a brain, and you are going to use it. You're going to be reading something besides comic books and trashy paperbacks," he told her and saw her frown at that idea. "I don't expect you to trust me. I wouldn't," he said and got a slight smile out of her.

"Okay, so you got all these plans for me, and have laid down the rules, so why was I sprung?" faith asked, watching him.

"I know you know Angel, are you familiar with Drusilla and Darla or know who they are?" Keith asked her.

"Yeah, I got the history lesson. Darla was Angel's sire, but she got dusted by B when she first got to Sunnydale. Drusilla was Angel's childe, along with Spike, whom I ran into once. Vampire with a chip in his head—that's still hilarious," she said with a laugh.

"Spike has a chip in his head? For what purpose? I was not aware of that," Keith told her, the surprise evident in his rich voice.

"Yeah, when I ran into him I was borrowing B's body. He was the one coming on to me, pissed that I was ignoring him, not that he isn't a hotty, but I wasn't into doing him. But we were trading insults and he was getting madder and madder, going on and on about the some damned chip in his head, and that now he couldn't bite anyone more, and was helpless. That was last year. I don't know whether he still has it or not. But I got the impression that he and B were close, and he wanted to get close still," she told him and saw him file all the information away. She still wondered what the hell had been going on between the vampire and B? By the time she had got through with him he had wanted B bad that night, and she had only enflamed the already horny vampire worse, then walked away. If she hadn't been looking for Riley she might had test ridden the studly vamp. She would have at least gotten her rocks off as Riley had been as lame as Xander. She pulled her mind back from the gutter, and listened to what her new watcher had to say.

"This may change things," Keith commented to himself, and then went back to what he was going to tell her, why she was there. "Anyway, I will check with Giles on Spike's condition, and what he is up to. We do know that while Buffy was sending Angelus to hell, Spike and Drusilla left town and eventually ended up in Brazil. She stayed and then he left and never returned to her. Recently, Wolfram and Hart had her brought here to reunite her with Angel, and for a secondary reason to turn Darla back into a vampire should Angel fail to do so. Somehow, using an ancient spell they managed to resurrect Darla, brought her back as a human woman with a soul like she was before she was originally turned by the Master. That also meant she was also dying of the same illnesses and was beyond even modern medical help. Her choices were to either die a painful mortal death or be turned, she very willing wanted to be turned, by Angel refused to do it. Said he'd rather see her die with a soul than let her become a killer again. Drusilla did not have this moral problem, and turned her, I understand before Angel's eyes. Since this has happened the two females have been on a killing spree. They went to a wine tasting party that one of the Wolfram and Hart executives was hosting in his home and killed everyone there. Now this is where it gets weird. Angel supposedly tracked them there with the intention of stopping them, instead he closed and locked the doors, then walked away knowing what was going to happen and not trying to save anyone at the party," Keith told her and he could tell she was shocked.

"Angel did that? That is way too weird. Angel doesn't do stuff like that. At least the Angel I know," Faith said visibly shaken. "He's like Mr. Undead Justice. I thought his soul wouldn't let him do shit like that?" she asked, shaking her head.

"That's what everyone else thought too, unless somehow Angelus has returned. But Wesley assured me, he thinks Angel is still Angel, but he's not completely sure since that night Angel fired his staff and told them all to get out," he also told her.

"Man, that is way too harsh. Unreal. Angel sounds like he's wiggin' for some reason. Need to talk to the dude and find out what is up with his undead ass. So what are we doing about this?"

"Our job is to take out Darla and Drusilla before they can do any more damage. Either with or without Angel's help. If Angel is deemed a threat, and has become Angelus, and joins them then he is to be killed as well," her new Watcher told her.

"And who is handing these orders down from on high? The two chicks no problem. I can waste them in a heartbeat, but Angel…it'd have to be dire…," Faith told him looking down at her hands in her lap. Shit! Angel? She didn't think she could waste him, not even if he were that prick Angelus she had heard he was for a while from everyone, including Angel, himself. He had stood up to her when she had been nothing more than a death seeking rapid dog bent on destroying everyone including herself. He had saved her soul, helped her regain her lost humanity. She owed him big time. They owed each other. "Watcher, I am not going to waste Angel. I'm going to have to talk to him first—see what's up—that's the deal. In fact after we do the clothes thing, I'm seeing him tonight," Faith said determinedly, flashing him a look that even he could see despite the dark sunglasses.

Keith had already prepared for this eventuality. In fact he had been counting on it. If she had said 'no' to going he would have been very surprised. "I guess, we can," he told her in agreement, and saw her marginally brighten. They turned off the freeway and headed for a mall he knew. Now to get his slayer dressed for the part she was going play.

End of Part 1

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