Title: Keep Your Friends Close

Author: Tonya (tigerlily1998@hotmail.com)

Disclaimer: The usuals. No own. No sue.

Rating: PG/PG-13 (?)

Spoilers: Pretty much ALL of Season 3 AtS…

Summary: Wesley finds a new purpose in his life in the last place he ever expected. (Kinda AU because Connor has not returned which means that none of the events of "Tomorrow" have occurred *except* Lilah and Wesley sleeping together.)

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Wesley stepped out of the scalding shower with a sigh.

He had taken a shower the night before, trying to rid himself of the scent of Lilah, but even now, as he stepped out of his third shower within hours, he still couldn't lose her. She clung to him and wouldn't let go.

Wesley had felt low before, and he had believed that it could not have gotten any worse… He had been wrong. Last night, when he had found himself in the lawyer's arms, it had gotten worse. Apocalypse kind of worse. The worse that a person could not return from.

He needed to return. Wallowing in his guilt was getting him nowhere. He needed to find a purpose in his life again. Something to keep him going. Something to keep him from drinking himself into an alcoholic coma. He couldn't allow Lilah to drag him down, no matter how much he believed he deserved it.

His bath towel wrapped around his waist, Wesley stepped into his bedroom, glancing momentarily at the morning's newspaper that lay open on his bed.

A small headline in the corner caught his attention—"Female Inmate Released Today".

Wesley finished the small article before heading towards his closet, confident that he had just received the first glimpse of his renewed purpose.

**********

Good behavior.

That had been the parole board's last words to her, and Faith still had a hard time comprehending what was happening to her.

They were letting her go. She had served merely part of her time, but she had served it well. Now, they wanted her to return to a normal life. Of course she would have to check in with her parole officer periodically, but for the most part, they had given her her life back.

She was relieved, ecstatic, but at the same time, she was crestfallen. Prison had at least given her one thing she had always needed in life, whether she had wanted it or not—stability. Every morning when she woke up, she knew exactly what was on the schedule—when she would eat, what she would eat, where she would sleep.

Now, it was different.

She had told the board that she would be staying with her friend until she could get on her feet. She had given them the only address she had had stored away in the far corners of her mind—Cordelia's apartment. There had been no way in hell that she would have shown up on the girl's doorstep, but that was the only address she could think of.

If push came to shove, she supposed that she could appeal to Cordelia in order to find Angel. He would be happy to give her somewhere to live… Of course, Faith hadn't even heard from Angel since his last visit a few years ago so maybe he wouldn't be as welcoming to her as she had hoped…

With a frown, Faith adjusted her duffel bag as she walked out of the prison gate. As the guard locked the gate behind her, Faith looked back towards the facility, her frown deepening. When she looked back up the paved road, she saw a male figure standing off in the distance, watching her.

Faith glanced over her shoulder for a moment to make sure she was the only one leaving the facility. Finding that she was in fact the only inmate released, she adjusted the duffel bag strap again before crossing her arms over her chest and approaching the person, trying her best to exude confidence.

Only when she was within an arm's reach of him did Faith finally recognize him.

Giving Wesley the once over, all Faith could do was laugh. This was not her former Watcher. The jeans. The snug black T-shirt. The tousled hair and slight beard. The lack of glasses. She wasn't quite sure who this man before her was, but he definitely was not the Wesley Wyndham-Pryce that she had known.

"Well," she laughed quietly, "Look who went and got an attitude."

"Hello, Faith," he replied, casually crossing his arms over his chest.

Faith couldn't help but smirk. "Hi." She glanced around for a moment, looking for the rest of the entourage. "So, where's the rest of the gang?"

"Just me," he shrugged.

"Oh," she replied, trying to hide the slight disappointment in her voice. She didn't know what or who she had expected to be waiting for her on the other side. She had entered prison alone, and it was only appropriate that that would be how she would leave. "So, what's the deal here? Come to get your revenge on me since I'm finally out?"

"No, I was actually coming to offer you a haven."

Faith fell silent at his words.

A haven. She had spent a lot of time imagining what her first encounter with Wesley post-release would be like. She had imagined a hateful glare, even a few vicious words. She definitely expected a "piss off" to come her way, but she never in a million years expected this. Wesley, the man she had teased and tortured for her own enjoyment, offering her a sanctuary.

She raised an eyebrow at him, suspicious. "Why?"

"Do you have anywhere else to go?" he asked simply.

Faith shifted uncomfortably, silent.

"That's what I thought," Wesley replied, turning and making his way towards his SUV.

Faith remained where she stood, her arms still crossed over her chest.

His back still towards her as he made his way to his car, Wesley called over his shoulder, "Are you coming sometime today or not?"

A slight frown on her face, Faith gave her hair a confident toss over her shoulder with her head and started towards Wesley's car.