Back at the mansion later that night, Angel walked into the former ballroom
of the mansion to find Faith there stretching. She finished her routine
before looking up at him shyly. "Hey. I uh… just wanted to thank you for
standing up for me earlier today. It meant a lot. Nobody has really done
that for me before."
He smiled reassuringly at her. "Anytime. I'm proud of you for keeping your temper and apologizing. I know that was hard for you."
"Yeah it was. I've never been sorry for stuff before, and other than you, Queen C and Wes, I've never apologized to anyone before. Too bad I couldn't apologize to Mrs. S and B though. Especially B, I hurt her more than anybody else. And I really didn't want to. I just couldn't stop." She took a deep breath to steady herself.
"Faith, can I ask you a question?"
"Seems like you just did, big guy," joking even though she didn't feel it. "Sure. Go for it."
"About what the blonde witch said today."
"What about it?"
"Who do you love?"
"Shit Angel. You really have to ask the one question that I don't want to answer."
"If you don't want to you don't have to, I was just kind of curious."
"Ah, hell, since you asked and it won't do any damage now. I'll just tell ya. It's B. It was always B. I've loved her since the day I met her. Hell probably even before that. My watcher told me about this little blonde girl that had used a rocket launcher to kill a demon, and I couldn't help thinking that she was my kind of girl. Then I came to Sunnydale and I fell into those green eyes and I couldn't get away from her. Mrs. S was right. Everything I did centered around Buffy. You want to know why? Because she was the only thing that want, take, have couldn't get me." For only the second time since she heard the news, Faith broke down and cried. Angel came over and put his arms around the vulnerable girl. Faith continued to sob into Angel's chest. "I would have died before I hurt her again, and she's dead now, and she doesn't even know that I'm sorry. She didn't deserve to die. I didn't even get to say goodbye. That's what hurts."
"Shh… I know it hurts. But it will get easier. What did I tell you about the road to redemption?"
"That it's steep as hell, but the view's a lot better from the top."
Angel chuckled softly, "Close enough. Now go wash your face and we'll go for a patrol."
Faith gave him her trademark half grin as she started toward the door, "Nothing like kicking vamp ass to make a girl feel better. Soulless vamp ass that is. Couldn't kick the ass of my favorite souled vamp."
"Um Faith, I'm the only vampire with a soul in the world."
"That's why you're my favorite," she tossed over her shoulder as she left the room.
Angel was left standing in the middle of the room shaking his head as the young girl left. 'So Buffy was it for her too… I know how it feels to want the one thing you can't have. But at least I got a chance.'
He smiled reassuringly at her. "Anytime. I'm proud of you for keeping your temper and apologizing. I know that was hard for you."
"Yeah it was. I've never been sorry for stuff before, and other than you, Queen C and Wes, I've never apologized to anyone before. Too bad I couldn't apologize to Mrs. S and B though. Especially B, I hurt her more than anybody else. And I really didn't want to. I just couldn't stop." She took a deep breath to steady herself.
"Faith, can I ask you a question?"
"Seems like you just did, big guy," joking even though she didn't feel it. "Sure. Go for it."
"About what the blonde witch said today."
"What about it?"
"Who do you love?"
"Shit Angel. You really have to ask the one question that I don't want to answer."
"If you don't want to you don't have to, I was just kind of curious."
"Ah, hell, since you asked and it won't do any damage now. I'll just tell ya. It's B. It was always B. I've loved her since the day I met her. Hell probably even before that. My watcher told me about this little blonde girl that had used a rocket launcher to kill a demon, and I couldn't help thinking that she was my kind of girl. Then I came to Sunnydale and I fell into those green eyes and I couldn't get away from her. Mrs. S was right. Everything I did centered around Buffy. You want to know why? Because she was the only thing that want, take, have couldn't get me." For only the second time since she heard the news, Faith broke down and cried. Angel came over and put his arms around the vulnerable girl. Faith continued to sob into Angel's chest. "I would have died before I hurt her again, and she's dead now, and she doesn't even know that I'm sorry. She didn't deserve to die. I didn't even get to say goodbye. That's what hurts."
"Shh… I know it hurts. But it will get easier. What did I tell you about the road to redemption?"
"That it's steep as hell, but the view's a lot better from the top."
Angel chuckled softly, "Close enough. Now go wash your face and we'll go for a patrol."
Faith gave him her trademark half grin as she started toward the door, "Nothing like kicking vamp ass to make a girl feel better. Soulless vamp ass that is. Couldn't kick the ass of my favorite souled vamp."
"Um Faith, I'm the only vampire with a soul in the world."
"That's why you're my favorite," she tossed over her shoulder as she left the room.
Angel was left standing in the middle of the room shaking his head as the young girl left. 'So Buffy was it for her too… I know how it feels to want the one thing you can't have. But at least I got a chance.'