"Okay! Enough about my personal life!" Angel was getting tired of playing peacemaker.
"We're here to save the world alright? If some of you can't handle that, well, then the
rest of us'll take care of it." There was a fierce glint in his eyes. "We've got backup on
the way, we just thought that we should let y'all in on the plan since you live here and,
well, silly us, we thought you'd care." He turned to leave, but Cordelia placed her hand on
his arm.
"Angel," she said softly, and he stopped. She faced the group. "Look- we couldn't just
leave Connor alone in LA, Darla did us a favor by stopping Angel's downward spiral, Connor *is* their son, Spike that's too much information, Angel is the leader again, and," she
turned back to Angel, "what the hell do you mean we have backup?"
"I called Lindsey. He had more to offer than just advice on how to get Faith out of prison."
"Speaking of Faith," Gunn glanced around the room, "where is she?"
"Oh God!" Wesley shook his head. "She's loose."
"I'm sure we can find her before she kills anyone..."
"And it's not like we need you people. We've got enough..."
"Hey, quality not quantity!"
"And we've got more coming too..."
A flash of light announced the arrival of Anya and Giles.
"Speak of the devil..." muttered Xander.
*
Buffy stepped out onto the porch and found Faith standing there, leaning on the railing
looking up at the stars. She straightened up warily when she noticed Buffy. "Sorry B, I
just had to get out of there. Too many people talking and nothing getting done."
"Tell me about it." Buffy leaned against the house. "They're debating whether or not
you're off on a killing spree. Interestingly enough, next to Spike, Gunn is your biggest supporter." She frowned. "Is that really his name?"
Faith laughed, shortly and harshly. "Charles Gunn. Guess I should get back in there and
show them my blood free hands." She went to the door, but paused a moment. She turned back to Buffy. "Thanks," she said. Buffy nodded.
Faith continued inside, and Buffy moved forward, taking here place against the rail looking
up at the stars. "Go away," she said.
"But I just got here." Angel took the place she had just vacated, against the house. "How
are you?" he asked, hesitantly.
She laughed, and it surprised her how much she sounded like Faith. "I'm not sure I know.
The world is turning upside down, and I don't... I dont know how to make it stop. Or how to find my way in it."
He hesitated again. "So... How's Spike?"
She looked at him. "Do you really care?"
He sighed. "I... want you to be happy."
"You what?"
"Buffy look," he stepped forward, his words unable to be said while he was standing still.
"We didn't work out. I've... accepted that. If Spike... if he can be for you what I
couldn't... I'm... working on accepting that."
"How generous of you. What about Darla?"
"I was lost and lonely; I didn't care anymore, and she was there. She showed me something I don't think she wanted me to see, but I did and I'm stronger now for it. Connor... Darla
said, before she killed herself, that he was the only good thing we had ever done together.
I..."
The door slammed rather loudly, and Spike came toward them. He looked ready for a fight as he cast his eyes over the pair alone in the moonlight. "What's going on out here?"
"We're here to save the world alright? If some of you can't handle that, well, then the
rest of us'll take care of it." There was a fierce glint in his eyes. "We've got backup on
the way, we just thought that we should let y'all in on the plan since you live here and,
well, silly us, we thought you'd care." He turned to leave, but Cordelia placed her hand on
his arm.
"Angel," she said softly, and he stopped. She faced the group. "Look- we couldn't just
leave Connor alone in LA, Darla did us a favor by stopping Angel's downward spiral, Connor *is* their son, Spike that's too much information, Angel is the leader again, and," she
turned back to Angel, "what the hell do you mean we have backup?"
"I called Lindsey. He had more to offer than just advice on how to get Faith out of prison."
"Speaking of Faith," Gunn glanced around the room, "where is she?"
"Oh God!" Wesley shook his head. "She's loose."
"I'm sure we can find her before she kills anyone..."
"And it's not like we need you people. We've got enough..."
"Hey, quality not quantity!"
"And we've got more coming too..."
A flash of light announced the arrival of Anya and Giles.
"Speak of the devil..." muttered Xander.
*
Buffy stepped out onto the porch and found Faith standing there, leaning on the railing
looking up at the stars. She straightened up warily when she noticed Buffy. "Sorry B, I
just had to get out of there. Too many people talking and nothing getting done."
"Tell me about it." Buffy leaned against the house. "They're debating whether or not
you're off on a killing spree. Interestingly enough, next to Spike, Gunn is your biggest supporter." She frowned. "Is that really his name?"
Faith laughed, shortly and harshly. "Charles Gunn. Guess I should get back in there and
show them my blood free hands." She went to the door, but paused a moment. She turned back to Buffy. "Thanks," she said. Buffy nodded.
Faith continued inside, and Buffy moved forward, taking here place against the rail looking
up at the stars. "Go away," she said.
"But I just got here." Angel took the place she had just vacated, against the house. "How
are you?" he asked, hesitantly.
She laughed, and it surprised her how much she sounded like Faith. "I'm not sure I know.
The world is turning upside down, and I don't... I dont know how to make it stop. Or how to find my way in it."
He hesitated again. "So... How's Spike?"
She looked at him. "Do you really care?"
He sighed. "I... want you to be happy."
"You what?"
"Buffy look," he stepped forward, his words unable to be said while he was standing still.
"We didn't work out. I've... accepted that. If Spike... if he can be for you what I
couldn't... I'm... working on accepting that."
"How generous of you. What about Darla?"
"I was lost and lonely; I didn't care anymore, and she was there. She showed me something I don't think she wanted me to see, but I did and I'm stronger now for it. Connor... Darla
said, before she killed herself, that he was the only good thing we had ever done together.
I..."
The door slammed rather loudly, and Spike came toward them. He looked ready for a fight as he cast his eyes over the pair alone in the moonlight. "What's going on out here?"