Faith found herself in a field. It was bright and sunny. It seemed vaguely familiar but she couldn't quite place it. She looked around and found that she was sitting on a red plaid blanket next to a picnic basket. Looking down she saw that she was wearing a pink dress. The only time she had ever worn a pink dress had been when she worked for the....
"Hello Faith."
Faith spun around and a big smile crossed her face. In a moment she was up and in the arms of Richard Wilkins III. He looked just the same as the last time she had seen him, before the Ascension.
"I've missed you so much. It's been so hard without you." Faith was crying now.
"I know, Pumpkin. I know. But you've done so wonderful. You learned responsibility, how to survive, and to brush your teeth after every meal. And I see that you've made a new friend." He had his typical grin in place, the one that looked an awful lot like he was about to say welcome to his neighborhood. "Good choice."
"I want to know about that. How come you never told me about him?"
"Well, I just never did. I had the whole ascending, and I also had to deal with those kids. But I was planning on introducing you two. I think you would make such a cute couple."
"Richard, can I trust Ian? Can I trust him with my heart?"
Richard had never seen Faith look more like a little girl. Even from hell he could tell that she needed someone to connect with.
"Pumpkin, I made a great mistake when I hired you." Faith almost broke into tears. "No, no, honey I didn't mean it like that. You were one of only three people I've ever considered family. You surpassed all the things that I put before you. You were the daughter I never thought I could have." Faith's face was now buried in Richard's shoulder. So few people had ever made her feel needed that she just loved hearing such words. "But Faith, I never should have dragged you down to my level. You had so much potential for either side. I knew that I should have just sent you away but I couldn't. I fully admit that I am evil. I wanted to surpass mortality and in the process I became a monster."
"No! You were never a monster. You were my father. You taught me that there are people that aren't out merely for themselves."
"But...."
"No buts. You were the first person in a long time who didn't make me feel like second best, like I wasn't good enough. I will always love you for that, no matter what else. You let me feel like I was part of a family."
Now tears were streaming down Richard's face. In his near century of existence he had let only three people into his heart; his wife, Faith, and Ian. His only real regret at the end of his life was that he hadn't taken enough time to savor being a father. "You will always be my daughter. Now Faith, I have some very important things to tell you." He had her undivided attention. "To answer your question, yes you can trust Ian. Of all the people I have known he is the only one I would trust you with. With him, there is nothing that you need to hide. He might get angry but he will not harm you and he will never leave you. I have looked into his heart and you have found a place in it. He will always stand by your side. But this comes at a price. You will have to accept him as well."
Faith was confused. "But I already do. There's nothing about him I don't love."
"That's not what I mean. Ian gives off the appearance that nothing can faze him. It is a shield that he only ever let down for me. Since my death he has resigned himself that he will be alone for the rest of his life. He doesn't regret anything about his life. He feels, rightly, that he has always done what needed to be done. He is one of the Warriors in the Grey. But his greatest fear is that others will not accept him for himself. The Light sees his methods as too extreme. The Dark sees him as a waste of talent. Ian needs to know that he is needed. When he was with me he fought for me. When he left he fought for an ideal, that some things need to be done. After I died he fought just to fight and it almost killed him. He had nothing to fight for, no view of a reward. Now he will fight for you. He would gladly die for you Faith, just he would have gladly died for me. Don't think that he gave you his heart lightly. He wants to love you and be loved in return. He is actually a very emotional person."
"I will love him. There is nothing about him that I don't trust."
"That's my girl." Richard sat for a moment just holding Faith. Eventually, however, he knew that his time with her was coming to an end. "Faith, I have to go now." Before she could protest he continued. "I will always be watching you. Never feel that I have ever left you. There are just two more things that have top tell you about Ian. First, never ask him about the Jeffreys incident. If he chooses to tell you then you will know. If he doesn't then just accept that he can't tell you."
"Why would he feel that I wouldn't accept it?"
"Because, Faith, that was the only time Ian ever did something that made him feel disgust for himself. He still feels he went too far. It's just a personal thing for him. It doesn't change how you should see him."
Faith nodded her head. She could go for that. "What's the second thing?"
"Ian is the most dangerous man alive. He has been honed to a razors edge. If it was not feasible for him to learn a way to kill I had the knowledge implanted into his head. It was painful for him, yet he never regretted it. He has learned to accelerate his healing process. He has found ways to increase his strength to near your levels. He can stand toe to toe with any vampire or demon and come out ahead, not because he's stronger, but because he will outsmart his enemy. He can live in the wild indefinitely. I take a great deal of pride that I was involved in some small way in his creation. But Faith, even with all this he isn't invincible. Everyone has a breaking point. Everyone reaches a point where it is impossible to go on. Ian's just hasn't been reached." Having said this Richard got up to leave. Right before he disappeared he turned back. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot. You might want to tell Ian that he's about to have three new house guests. Friends from your past. See you Pumpkin." And with that he disappeared.
Faith awoke to find herself in the bed she and Ian shared. I must have been out awhile, she thought. She swung he legs off the bed, slipping her feet into the bunny slippers she kept there and the flannel pants Ian liked to wear. She padded out of the room and down the stairs, searching for Ian. She remembered her dream and was glad that Richard approved of Ian.