A/N: Sorry for the long break between chapters, guys! Life has been hectic. But to make up for it, expect the next part by Friday!

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"I knew it was a bad idea to tell you," Fred complained as she bandaged Angel's shoulder. She sighed. "Hold still."

Angel simply sighed as he sat back on the settee, Fred taping down the gauze over his wound.

"Didn't know Wes was such a good shot." Gunn crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Fred bandage the wounded vampire.

"Wesley didn't shoot me," Angel admitted as Fred stepped away, gathering all the items from the first aid kit. He buttoned up his shirt as he continued, "Faith did."

"Faith?" Fred asked.

"She's a Slayer. She was in jail for murder. Must have gotten out on parole."

"So a Slayer-- a girl who spends her whole life killing vamps-- shot you in the shoulder?" Gunn asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It was a warning shot," Angel replied. "I didn't think she'd actually pull the trigger."

"Well, looks like you assumed wrong," Fred frowned as she made her way towards the office to return the kit.

Gunn watched Fred disappear into the office before he turned his attention back to Angel. "Let me get this straight-- she was protecting Wesley?"

"Seems that way."

"Why?"

"I don't know. A lot of things aren't making sense right now," Angel sighed. "We need to find out why Wesley is working for Wolfram and Hart and what exactly he's telling them, and we need to find out how all of this involves Faith...."

"Because if Wolfram and Hart got a Slayer on their team, we're in deep shit," Gunn concluded.

"Exactly."

**********

"Thanks."

Faith retrieved the towel and T-shirt from Wesley's hands. She tossed the shirt onto his bed as she wiped her face dry and then moved to her hair, squeezing out as much water as she could into the towel.

"I have a pair of sweat bottoms here somewhere that you can borrow," he said as he made his way to the dresser.

"Maybe next time I have an epiphany, I should have it inside, huh?" Faith laughed from over his shoulder.

"I think that would be in everyone's best interests, Faith," he smiled as he tugged at his own wet shirt that continued to cling to him like a second skin.

There was silence for a moment before Faith said, "I'm sorry I didn't trust you."

"I gave you no reason to trust me," Wesley admitted as he continued to search the drawers.

"No, you didn't. You should have told me what was going on in the beginning."

Wesley looked up to respond and caught Faith's reflection in the mirror. Her back to him, she peeled her wet shirt from her body.

No inhibitions. She didn't care that he was in the room with her, didn't care that he could be watching her. If he wanted, he could probably walk right up to her, grab a handful of her damp hair, and kiss her, and she probably wouldn't object. Hell, she'd been locked away for nearly two years, she'd probably welcome the attention…. Even if it was from her former Watcher. They could peel off the rest of their damp clothes and warm each other far into the night….

Where the hell did that come from, Pryce? he thought to himself.

With that, Wesley slammed the drawer shut on his fingers.

"Son of a bitch!" he hissed as he instinctively pulled his hand away from the drawer. He growled at himself as he shook his injured hand.

"You okay?"

Wesley looked up into the mirror to see Faith fully dressed again and watching him.

"Fine," he grunted.

Faith walked up to him, a slight smile on her face. "Next time, take your hand out of the drawer before you close it."

"I'll keep that in mind," he replied as he pulled open the bottom drawer. Sitting on top of the pile of clothing in that drawer, were the sweats he was looking for. He retrieved them with a sigh and handed them to Faith.

Faith took them from his hand, and as she made note of the bruise, her smile faded. "Sorry about that."

Wesley shrugged in response. "I shouldn't have snuck up on you. It was a mistake."

"Yeah, because you're not dead. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a mistake. Then it'd be murder, wouldn't it?"

It took a moment for Faith's words to register with him. "Oh. Faith, I…. It completely slipped my mind. That's why you freaked out, wasn't it?"

"First of all, I don't freak out, okay? And secondly, it took you this long to figure it out? Not as perceptive as I thought you were, Pryce."

Wesley frowned. "I'm sorry I tried to send you away, Faith. I shouldn't have acted so brashly. I was following the rules, what I believed to be proper protocol. I was naïve."

"You were a jackass," Faith replied, walking towards his bed and sitting on the corner.

"Maybe I was that, too. Either way, I was wrong. You needed me to be your Watcher, to be your mentor-- not your executioner. And I'm sorry."

Faith laughed quietly in response.

"What?" Wesley asked.

"You're the first person who has ever apologized to me for anything. After all I've done to you, you still apologize to me." She grinned. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"People have been asking me that question a lot lately," he chuckled.

"So what now?" Faith sighed. "With the prophecy. What now?"

"I keep trying to find answers and hope that I can find them before Wolfram and Hart can."

"And if they beat you to it?"

"It all depends which side the text says you'll be on. If you're not on the side they want…."

"Then I won't have to worry about the apocalypse, huh?" she replied as she stood and approached him.

Wesley did not reply.

Faith stared at him for a moment before reaching out to touch his throat. "You never did tell me what was up with the scar."

Wesley reached up and gently grabbed her hand, her cool fingers brushing against the warm skin of his neck. "It's a long story."

"I got time."

"Okay," he said, releasing her hand. "I got my throat slit trying to do what I thought was best for a friend." He stopped and smirked slightly. "I suppose it wasn't such a long story after all."

"Guess not," Faith yawned.

Wesley glanced over her shoulder towards the window as a bolt of lightning lit the sky. "The weather appears to be getting worse. You're welcome to stay the night. I'll just sleep on the couch."

"You're actually going to let me stay the night," Faith chuckled.

Wesley shrugged and grinned. "I could always use the protection."

Faith smiled and gently poked Wesley in the chest. "And if your girlfriend decides to stop by for some midnight fun?"

"Let her," he replied quietly.

"Well, aren't you the changed man?"

With that, Wesley wrapped an arm around Faith's waist and pulled her roughly towards him. "Very changed," he smiled.

Faith stared at him for a moment, shocked, before leaning in for the kiss.