Summary: Wesley thinks back on the changes in
his life
Rating: PG
Pairing: Faith/Wes
If you have any questions, email me at jaderozegirl@yahoo.com
Spoilers: Mentions up to "Tomorrow," AU after
that
Feedback: The constructive kind is much appreciated
Disclaimers: Joss, Greenie, ME. "Angel"
et all only belongs to them, 'kay?
Distribution: My site, the Fire and Ice Archive,
ff.n, Unbroken, and the imperfect list. Any others please ask
Notes: This fic takes place about ten years
in the future
"Wes?" Wesley Wydam-Pryce was stirred from his reverie by his wife's voice. He turned to face her, placing the picture he was holding on the table in front of him.
"Faith," he greeted her. "Why are you up at this hour?"
"Your daughter was hungry. She wanted to be fed," she told him simply.
"I'm sorry, love. I didn't hear Zoë cry…" Faith shook her head.
"It's okay, Wes. She's been fed and she went back to sleep." Faith casually sat down next to him as she spoke. "But what really worries me is what her Dad's doing in the living room all by himself a four in the morning. Hon, I know something's bothering you."
"Nothing gets past you, does it, Faith?" she shook her head as he continued. "I… couldn't sleep. I was just thinking about… last night."
"About the party?" Wesley nodded. "About Connor." Wesley nodded again, and Faith begun to understand. Seeing the young man, Angel's son, brought back so much for Wesley. Faith knew the story. How Connor had been kidnapped from him as an infant and Wes nearly dying in the attack, how Wesley had been trying to kidnap Connor himself in an attempt to protect him from his vampire father, the false prophecy that caused it all, how Holtz had taken Connor into the Quortoth, a hellish dimension, and raised him, how Angel had blamed Wes for Connor's kidnapping and betraying him, telling him to never come back to Angel Investigations again. Then there was Connor's miraculous return a short time later, this time as a young man thanks to the difference in how time moved between this dimension and Quortoth, and Wes downward spiral in the months following. He had begun to work with the lawyers at Wolfram and Hart, even taking with one of the firms top lawyers, Lilah Morgan. Ultimately, with Cordelia, Fred, Gunn, and Lorne's help, Angel and Wes were forced to settle their differences and he once again rejoined his former crew, where Faith found him after her parole four years later.
"Seeing him last night… he's only supposed to be a boy, Faith. Not a man celebrating the birth of his first child. So many things have happened to him, some of them great, some terrible, and I know that it's all my fault," Wesley explained in a low voice.
"Perhaps it is, Wes. Maybe you did set Connor on his path, wherever it's going to take him, but things are looking up for him. He and Paulina are having the baby, they're happy, and Angel is going to be a grandfather. You know he's going to spoil the kid." He gave a small smile at that.
"I suppose that he will," he agreed with a smile.
"Angel and Cordelia seem happy," Faith went on. "Not perfect happiness, of course, but they've managed." Wesley smiled again as he thought of the vampire and Seer. "They fought heaven to be together, literally, so I'd say it's about damn time." Wesley nodded, remembering hearing about the battles Angel and Cordelia had fought against the Powers That Be, the time they had been separated and eventually reunited while he was going through his own private hell. "Fred and Gunn are as happy as ever."
"Indeed they are."
"And then there's us," she added breathily.
"How could I forget?" She gave him on of her rare, genuine smiles. "That's the best part."
"Don't you forget it." Wes gave a small laugh.
"It's just… it all fades so easily. All the things we've worked for, they can be taken away just like that. As if they never existed in the first place." The was a heaviness in his voice, a sadness that he carried. A sadness she was familiar with. Faith picked up the picture from the table. She sighed when she looked at it. The photograph was taken almost ten years ago. It was of him, and he was surrounded by two men and a woman wearing expensive suits. Lawyers.
"You should have gotten rid of this picture a long time ago, Wes," Faith replied. "You're not that person anymore."
"It's a reminder, Faith. Of what I did. Of what I'm capable of. Of how close I came to losing everything."
"But you didn't."
"No, perhaps not. I only betrayed the only people who trusted me, nearly got them all killed, almost sold my soul to Wolfram and Hart, helped them in an attempt to destroy the world, which was thankfully avoided, and let's not mention my extremely poor choice in spending one moment with Lilah Morgan."
"Let's not," Faith agreed with a smirk as Wesley sighed.
"God, I was such a fool, Faith. I threw it all away."
"You managed to get it back, Wes, and them some," she answered in a serious tone. "You came back from it. You were stronger than that."
"Yes, I somehow managed to regain some semblance of myself, for which I will always be grateful, love. The things I did, though. I can't take them back," he replied as he sat back on the couch. "I can't change what I've done."
"Hon, you're looking at the poster child for things you can't take back."
"I'm sorry…" Faith shook her head.
"Don't be. We've all done things we're not proud of, Wes." She placed her hand along his face. "You know, in my time, I have hurt so many people, you included. I made some very foolish decisions, to say the least, and I paid for them. But that doesn't mean that I can take them back. I can't go back and make your scars not exist." She took a long look in his eyes, taking in the moment. "What I can do is move on. Make this life worth something. I've paid for what I've done, and learned from it, and moved on. So have you. You have paid for those mistakes many times over. You've proved to me and to the others that you're not the same person who did those things. You're a good father, and a good husband," she said with a smile. "That's the Wesley I know." He gave a wane smile as he took her hand.
"Sometimes, it feels … that part of me doesn't feel so far removed as I would like."
"I know," Faith answered. "One thing I've learned about life is that it's a work in progress. The bad's never far away, Wes, yet the good is right in front of us." Wesley gave a sigh.
"I think I needed to be reminded of that, Faith," he said in a low voice as he kissed her on the head, holding on to her.
"There are times when we all do, hon," Faith replied wryly as Wesley held her tighter.
"Who would have believed ten years ago we'd be here, now?" She snuggled back into his embrace, reveling in the warmth.
"I still thought I'd be in prison myself," she admitted wistfully. "And yet here I am, married to a somewhat dorky, yet wicked sexy, British guy with a shady past who happens to love me, we have the most beautiful daughter, and I actually have friends who give a damn about this world. I'd say that's an up."
"Yes, and we fight vampires and demons on practically a daily basis, have to avert the occasional apocalypse, we both have criminal records we're not proud of, some of our friends aren't exactly human, and one day our daughter is going to ask why Angel never ages and Cordy glows from time to time. Domestic bliss at it's finest."
"Wouldn't have it any other way."
"Me either." He looked into Faith's eyes, then slowly pressed his mouth to hers in a kiss. They lingered for a few moments, enjoying the stillness between them, the moment. Far to soon, however, it was over and they parted.
"See, we don't have it too bad, Wes," Faith reminded him coyly.
"It's all so fragile, Faith. Everything."
"Then I say we enjoy what we've got. Maybe even make room for more," she added with an arched eyebrow. Wesley gave a short laugh.
"The eternal optimist."
"Nah," she disagreed. "Just wanting to get my husband back in bed."
"By all means," Wesley replied with a grin as they rose from the couch and headed back to their bedroom.
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