YELLOW BRICK ROAD

By: Lisette (lisette@chaletian.co.uk)

Rating: PG-13 so far - might change later on.

Distribution: Want, take, have. Just e-mail me first.

Summary: Faith is released from prison - but there's a catch.

Feedback: God, please.

Angel, Buffy, the whole lot, belong to JW, Mutant Enemy, and anyone else who officially owns them. I don't. Big surprise.

Okay, a few notes. Firstly, I haven't seen any of season 3 yet, though I know vaguely what happens. So, definitely after "Billy", and Fred and Gunn are getting with the happy, but "WITW" never happened.

Thanks again for all reviews.

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Chapter Forty - Coming Home

"Go away."

"Why?"

"I - I don't want to see you."

"That's funny. I was under the impression that I was your watcher."

"I don't need a watcher."

"That's not what you said before."

"I don't need anyone."

"You need me."

"I don't -"

"You need all of us." There was a pause.

"You almost died. You were bleeding to death. There was nothing I could do, and it was my fault." Wesley looked at her, his heart breaking for what he knew she was feeling. But sympathy was not going to work with Faith. Not in this.

"So I nearly died. Big deal, as Cordelia would say. It's hardly the first time." Faith looked up at him, pleading with him to understand.

"Wesley, it…I - I'm the slayer. My life is one long danger fest. I - I can't face it if you're going to get hurt."

"Faith, I assure you, I am more than capable of getting hurt under my own steam. I am the head of Angel Investigations, remember? You're not the only one in the fight against evil."

"Wesley, I understand that you…"

"No, Faith, you don't understand anything. This is the life I have chosen. I want to be doing these things. I put my life in danger for you, yes, but I would do the same for anyone else, because that's the person I am, and that's the path I've decided to take. So whether you stay or you go, I will probably get hurt again."

"But not by me."

"Faith-" She whirled away from him, her breathing agitated. Then she turned and faced him.

"I couldn't stand it, don't you understand? The possibility that I might hurt you. I saw you lying there, and all I could think was I did that. Oh, I didn't make the cut, but… I have hurt you before. More than once. And the thought that I might do it again is killing me." She was crying, all the pain and worry of the last month spilling out, mixed with the relief at seeing him standing there. She had known he was all right, had called the hospital more than once to find out, but she hadn't seen him. And now he was there, offering her what she wanted, and she couldn't take it.

"Faith, you have to-" Wesley approached her, his hands on her shoulders, but she pushed him away.

"No! Just go away, Wesley!" She shoved harder, and half turned, blinded by the hot tears in her eyes, so she wasn't ready for the body that slammed into hers, pushing her hard against the wall of the bus shelter.

"Grow up, Faith! We're all in this together; you, me…Angel, Cordelia, Buffy, Giles. We're all fighting the same fight, and we have stick together. You belong with us, so cut the crap about not needing anyone, about being a danger to us. Our lives are dangerous because of what we are, what we do. You can't back away every time you might become involved with people. You can't live in a vacuum.

"Come home, Faith."

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In Angel's car, four pairs of eyes watched the couple in the bus shelter anxiously.

"He is so going to pop his stitches," muttered Cordelia, and Angel peered at Wesley more closely.

"You think?"

"Oh yeah."

"You think it'll work?" The query came from Gunn, and Cordy gave him a disbelieving look.

"With Wes on the case? Of course it'll work. He - Hey, look! They're coming."

"Shit!" There was a frantic scuffling as the four of them tried to make it appear that they hadn't been glued to the scene unfolding a hundred yards away. The car door opened.

"Hey, Faith," Cordelia offered nonchalantly.

"Cordelia." There was a moment of silence, and the six occupants of the car sat, the uncomfortable tension that came with sentiments unexpressed filling the small space. Finally, Gunn broke the disquiet.

"So, we're all up for tacos, right?"

THE END

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Wahey! And I'm done! Thanks for all the encouragement everyone has offered whilst I wrote this. And look out for the sequel coming soon! Lisette x