SECOND CHANCES
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for the new ones that I create.
CHAPTER 6-QUITE A FEW UNEXPECTED SURPRISES
Lorne had left only moments earlier, and only after he had to force the green skinned demon to take a knife with him, before Wesley turned his attention back to the slip of paper that he had picked up off of the floor. It was an invitation to a costume party slash fundraiser for that night at the Hyperion, and upon closer inspection he noticed that someone had scribbled a short note on the bottom of the slip of paper. He recognized the handwriting almost immediately as Fred's, but what brought a small smile to his face was the content of the note-Wes.please come tonight.okay.Fred.
He let out a small laugh as he dropped the slip of paper back onto the coffee table and was about to put his feet up when he thought he heard someone knocking at his door. At first he dismissed it as merely one of the many sounds that his old apartment normally made, very similar to the sounds that a house makes as it settles, a creak here and there amongst others. He sighed and shook his head slowly as he went ahead and put his feet up, with the strong and urgent intent on taking a bit of a nap, hoping that it'd make him wide awake for what likely promised to be an extremely eventful and entertaining night in front of him. But just as his eyes grew heavy and he was beginning to drift off into a relaxing slumber there was a knock at the door, and this time there was no doubt that someone was standing outside his door, waiting to see him. Reluctantly he dragged himself to his feet and trudged over to the door and flung it open with a decidedly angry look on his face. One that lasted all of about two seconds as his eyes came to rest on the figure standing, with her back to him, on the opposite side of the hall. He didn't need to see her face to know who she was, for he would recognize her anywhere. He choked on the words as he tried to say her name, but all he could do is stand there and look at the one woman that he, in all honesty, doubted that he'd ever see again after the fight at the bar. It was Faith, the woman of his dreams, in more ways than one. And here she was standing like a terrified child right outside his apartment. "Faith.," he said finally, almost as if the breath had been ripped from his lungs.
* * * * * * * *
She took her time getting up to his apartment, her mind raced as she desperately tried to come up with something to say to him that wouldn't make him fear her, which is what she ultimately expected to see. As she laid eyes on the door of his apartment her heart began to race and her mouth suddenly went dry, both occurrences that had never happened to her before. Cursing silently for acting like a schoolgirl Faith straightened up and walked calmly, if not a little hesitantly, down the hall and stopped just outside his door. Words caught in her throat every time she tried to announce her presence. Her hands became clammy and her heartbeat sped up, all as the thought of running away and never looking back began to look very appealing to her. She almost had to use her left arm to lift her right arm up so that she could knock on the door, and as a result the knock probably sounded more like someone clomping by the door with boots on. As she let her arm drop she took a step back and seriously considered letting her attempt at reconciliation end at that, but the memory of all of those nights in prison that she spent wishing for this chance spurred her on and the next knock was more forceful, and finally got his attention as she heard him get up off of the couch and walk towards the door.
As she heard the door turn the thought of looking him, the man that she had very nearly stolen his life from in her anger and confusion, directly in the eye and doing anything but crying her eyes out filled her with a level of fear that she never thought that she could ever reach. Those thoughts running through her mind, coupled with the thought that if he had a peephole and saw that it was her there was the possibility that he would open up the door armed with some sort of weapon, intent on doing something to her, forcing her to defend herself. And right now the last thing on her mind was to hurt him anymore that she already had. Her fears and insecurities only intensified when she saw the doorknob turn slowly and then the door begin to fly open. But in an almost reflex action she took a step backward and spun on her heel, huddling up against the wall with her back to the door. She would have stayed that way for some time if he had stayed silent, but hearing him say her name sent a chill through her body that both scared and excited her.
Before he could say another words she turned and rushed past him and into the apartment, with the only sound ringing in her ears being the sound of him saying her name, and she liked it. She quickly found a solitary chair and sat down, mainly because she didn't want to sit on the couch and then have him sit down next to her, she wasn't ready for that yet, to be that close to him. She was scared of what she, or he, might do in that situation and until she did she wanted to avoid getting herself into that predicament. He seemed to sense her uneasiness on top of his own and shut the door slowly before walking over and sitting down on the couch a good distance away, all the while not saying a word only studying her. They both sat there in an eerie silence for what felt like forever before he finally spoke. "So.," Wesley muttered slowly, having to summon up all of his courage just to utter a simple solitary word that he had used so many times before but now found it almost impossible to say anything more. To her credit Faith didn't flinch or shy away, although she still couldn't look him in the eye, instead she locked her gaze on one of the volumes that lay on the coffee table, taking in its dark brown color and even the musty smell it was giving off. She remembered the smell of the old books that her first watcher had owned, after his death she had burned them all lest they fall into the wrong hands, that and she didn't want any reminders of her failure to protect him.
"So.," Faith finally said under her breath, as she looked away from Wesley, but loudly enough so that he could hear it only as a whisper. He sat in silence for a few seconds as she tensed up, her body and slayer side telling her to get the hell out of the apartment and away from him, but her human side forced her to stay in her seat. The struggle between her two sides ended pretty much in a tie as she started to wring her hand nervously.
"I didn't know that you were.out.how.," he said with a frustrated and nervous tone to his voice that told her that he was having as hard a time with this as she was.
"They got me out.Wolfram and Heart.," Faith said softly as she quickly brushed a stray strand of hair off of her face and then stared at her shoes before Wesley spoke up.
"But why would they.Lilah.," he said slightly confused at first but then the cloud in his head dissipated and his thinking became clear, leaving him with an answer that he dreaded. Shaking his head in both confusion and anger he continued. "Did she give a reason.?"
"Nope.," Faith mumbled uncomfortably as she slowly shook her head and plucked a stray hair from the pant leg of her jeans. She could tell that he was mulling things over in his mind, trying to come up with the fewest amount of questions from which he could gain the greatest amount of information. For his part Wesley only nodded slightly, obviously uncomfortable at even talking to her. She was about to ask the question that was burning a hole in her pocket, the one that had brought her here in the first place, when he surprised her in a way that she never thought she could be.
"I'm sorry.for everything," Wesley stated slowly and calmly before he began to wring his hands with such force that she thought he'd break one of his wrists if he continued for to long. The words hit her hard, hard enough to knock her out of the dark stupor that she had fallen into. She had always expected those words to come out of her mouth, but never his, and now she wasn't sure that she had heard him right. So summoning up all of her resolve she lifted her head and looked him in the eye.
"What.you can't be.you didn't.didn't.," she stammered out now in a state of complete confusion as again in his eyes she saw an amount of pain that she had only seen in her own eyes when she had dared look into a mirror.
"Didn't what.do anything.I acted like I had a bloody stick shoved so far up my ass that I couldn't see straight.and I treated you and Buffy like children," Wesley said so calmly and forcefully that it elicited a small laugh from Faith, something that she hadn't done in years. "You think that's funny do you.," he said with his demeanor visibly darkening at the words.
"Yeah.but only because I always thought that I'd be the first.and only one to say them.after what I did.," Faith said with at first a half smile before the most painful memories of what had happened between them forced themselves into the forefront of her mind and she grew silent. She expected him to then come down on her with all of the rage, hate, and fear that she guessed that he had built up over the years, but for the second time in mere minutes she was taken completely by surprise by his response.
"Forget about it.harboring hatred and fear only breeds more of it and makes you miserable.in the end it's best to forgive.but never.ever.forget," he said, stating the last few short words so emphatically that Faith cringed a bit and wondered if he was going to try and take her by surprise with some sort of physical assault.
"Wes.I'm.s...I'm sorry.for betraying your trust.and.trying to.to.," she said as she felt the tears that she had hoped to keep at bay until after she had left his apartment well up in her eyes and she sniffled slightly. She brought her hand up with the intent to wipe away the tears before he saw them, but she stopped suddenly when she noticed what was in his hand.
"Here.use this," he said with such a look of concern and worry in his eyes that she thought her heart would break, if it were possible. Reluctantly she accepted and nodded her thanks as she took the handkerchief from him and began to wipe away the tears, hoping to catch them before they began cascading down her cheeks. For that was definitely something that she never wanted him to see her do, cry, and now here she was balling like a baby, and for some strange reason she soon discovered that she no longer cared if he saw her cry. In fact she came to the realization that if anyone was to ever see her cry, truly cry, then it should be him. And with that conclusion all the years of pent up feelings of sadness, regret, and fear broke through the dam that she had constructed around her heart and came rushing out in tears and sobs that wracked her entire body. To her surprise she felt him kneel beside her and wrap his arms around her. At first she resisted, but then gave in and buried her head in his chest and let the tears soak the front of his shirt, all the while leaning into him to keep from falling over.
And so they stayed like that, the ex-watcher cradling his slayer in his arms as she sobbed away all the pains from their collective souls, with Wesley even shedding tears himself until their tears combined into one solid stream of joint sorrow. They were finally separated by the annoying sound of a kitchen timer. Wesley was the first to do so as he slowly took his arms from around Faith and stood up before heading for the kitchen.
"Do you want some tea," he said with a calm tone to his voice as he poked his head around the corner and stared blankly at her still hunched over form.
"N.yeah.sure.why not.," she said with a feeling of a very burdensome weight finally being lifted off of her shoulders. She lurched to her feet and wiped away her tears as she then joined him in the kitchen. She spent several minutes just leaning up against the counter and watching him as he prepared the tea. Even though she tried not to she couldn't keep her gaze from returning again and again to the jagged scar that marred his throat. It took until he was almost done with the tea for her to build up enough courage to ask the one simple question that had brought her here in the first place. "What happened between you and Angel.?"
He stood in an almost stunned silence for a time before he sighed sadly and responded as he took two cups out of the cupboard. His voice was soft at first but then it steadily grew until it was at its normal tone. "It's a long story.one best left for another time.."
"Well there's no time like the present," she said with a smile as she stepped up beside him and almost instantly regretted it as she felt him tense up. She was about to apologize and step back when he continued.
"Fine.here goes.a few months ago Darla showed up at the Hyperion pregnant with Angel's child," he started with a firm tone to his voice before he noticed the slightly confused look that Faith was giving him. "I'm still not sure exactly how two vampires produced a child, it has something to do with an ancient prophecy.anyway we took care of Darla until it was time for the child to be born.but there were complications.," he said with a frustrated scowl on his face as he poured himself and Faith a cup of tea and then sat down opposite her and continue in earnest after seeing the look on her face. "She finally staked herself," he said and paused for dramatic effect as he saw her eyes first grow wide and then squint in confusion before beginning again, "and so the child was born and Angel named him Conner, because in his words it was a good Irish name for a boy." "Time passed and Angel and the rest of us grew attached to Conner, that is until I translated a prophecy that hinted that Angel would kill his son.and for a time I tried every avenue available to me to determine whether or not the prophecy was true, and I always ended up back at the same spot, so I finally decided to do something about it."
He eyed the woman sitting across from him at the table as she blew the steam away from the tea and took a sip before nodding her head for him to continue. He cleared his throat and took a small sip of tea before continuing. "But a cosmic fork was thrown into the middle of my plan.mainly in the form of a woman named Justine that was working with an old enemy of Angel, she double-crossed me and.," he said with a hesitant tone to his voice as he lifted a finger and lightly brushed the ghoulish scar on his throat and was encouraged when he saw the look of anger that spread across her face. He started up again just as she was about to say something. "After that I nearly bled to death in the park.until I was found and brought to the hospital.since then I've discovered that the prophecy was a lie.and Angel tried to suffocate me with a pillow while I was still recovering in my hospital bed," he said with now a sad and empty look on his face as he sat quietly for a second and took another large sip of tea.
Across the table Faith could barely contain her anger as she listened to him explain how he had gone from one of Angel's closest friends to a virtual outcast from society all in the span of four short years. She made a mental note to find the woman who had inflicted the neck wound and make her pay dearly for hurting him. Her anger at the woman was almost equaled at her anger at Angel, she decided quickly that she'd have to pay him a visit and sort it all out. Her human side was begging to cry but her slayer side squelched that and began to come up with ideas of its own for Angel, most of them contained Angel and sharp wooden stakes. He seemed to sense her thoughts from across the table and gave her a stern look. Struggling to keep her temper under control she breathed deeply before launching into the next subject of which she was confused about. "Okay I won't stake him.just yet.but you say Angel has a kid now.so where is he.and where's the cheerleader.and who are the two newbie's?"
He tensed up again at the mention of Conner and Cordelia and for a second she almost regretted asking the question, but she needed to know. "That's another lengthy story that I doubt you'll like any more than the one that I just told you, but you want.no you deserve to know what's going on now that you're out," he said with a sigh as he tiredly rubbed his eyes and then launched into the tale, with Faith now sitting Indian style on the large chair and listening intently to his every word. The story, and the discussions that followed, lasted through a full pot of tea and half of another, which she had insisted that he let her make, before Faith left suddenly, but only after telling him all that Lilah had said to her at the Hyperion the day before, even going so far as to show him the card before she left, leaving him to finish off the rest of the tea, a small feat in and of itself, and contemplate the events of the long day.
END OF CHAPTER SIX
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for the new ones that I create.
CHAPTER 6-QUITE A FEW UNEXPECTED SURPRISES
Lorne had left only moments earlier, and only after he had to force the green skinned demon to take a knife with him, before Wesley turned his attention back to the slip of paper that he had picked up off of the floor. It was an invitation to a costume party slash fundraiser for that night at the Hyperion, and upon closer inspection he noticed that someone had scribbled a short note on the bottom of the slip of paper. He recognized the handwriting almost immediately as Fred's, but what brought a small smile to his face was the content of the note-Wes.please come tonight.okay.Fred.
He let out a small laugh as he dropped the slip of paper back onto the coffee table and was about to put his feet up when he thought he heard someone knocking at his door. At first he dismissed it as merely one of the many sounds that his old apartment normally made, very similar to the sounds that a house makes as it settles, a creak here and there amongst others. He sighed and shook his head slowly as he went ahead and put his feet up, with the strong and urgent intent on taking a bit of a nap, hoping that it'd make him wide awake for what likely promised to be an extremely eventful and entertaining night in front of him. But just as his eyes grew heavy and he was beginning to drift off into a relaxing slumber there was a knock at the door, and this time there was no doubt that someone was standing outside his door, waiting to see him. Reluctantly he dragged himself to his feet and trudged over to the door and flung it open with a decidedly angry look on his face. One that lasted all of about two seconds as his eyes came to rest on the figure standing, with her back to him, on the opposite side of the hall. He didn't need to see her face to know who she was, for he would recognize her anywhere. He choked on the words as he tried to say her name, but all he could do is stand there and look at the one woman that he, in all honesty, doubted that he'd ever see again after the fight at the bar. It was Faith, the woman of his dreams, in more ways than one. And here she was standing like a terrified child right outside his apartment. "Faith.," he said finally, almost as if the breath had been ripped from his lungs.
* * * * * * * *
She took her time getting up to his apartment, her mind raced as she desperately tried to come up with something to say to him that wouldn't make him fear her, which is what she ultimately expected to see. As she laid eyes on the door of his apartment her heart began to race and her mouth suddenly went dry, both occurrences that had never happened to her before. Cursing silently for acting like a schoolgirl Faith straightened up and walked calmly, if not a little hesitantly, down the hall and stopped just outside his door. Words caught in her throat every time she tried to announce her presence. Her hands became clammy and her heartbeat sped up, all as the thought of running away and never looking back began to look very appealing to her. She almost had to use her left arm to lift her right arm up so that she could knock on the door, and as a result the knock probably sounded more like someone clomping by the door with boots on. As she let her arm drop she took a step back and seriously considered letting her attempt at reconciliation end at that, but the memory of all of those nights in prison that she spent wishing for this chance spurred her on and the next knock was more forceful, and finally got his attention as she heard him get up off of the couch and walk towards the door.
As she heard the door turn the thought of looking him, the man that she had very nearly stolen his life from in her anger and confusion, directly in the eye and doing anything but crying her eyes out filled her with a level of fear that she never thought that she could ever reach. Those thoughts running through her mind, coupled with the thought that if he had a peephole and saw that it was her there was the possibility that he would open up the door armed with some sort of weapon, intent on doing something to her, forcing her to defend herself. And right now the last thing on her mind was to hurt him anymore that she already had. Her fears and insecurities only intensified when she saw the doorknob turn slowly and then the door begin to fly open. But in an almost reflex action she took a step backward and spun on her heel, huddling up against the wall with her back to the door. She would have stayed that way for some time if he had stayed silent, but hearing him say her name sent a chill through her body that both scared and excited her.
Before he could say another words she turned and rushed past him and into the apartment, with the only sound ringing in her ears being the sound of him saying her name, and she liked it. She quickly found a solitary chair and sat down, mainly because she didn't want to sit on the couch and then have him sit down next to her, she wasn't ready for that yet, to be that close to him. She was scared of what she, or he, might do in that situation and until she did she wanted to avoid getting herself into that predicament. He seemed to sense her uneasiness on top of his own and shut the door slowly before walking over and sitting down on the couch a good distance away, all the while not saying a word only studying her. They both sat there in an eerie silence for what felt like forever before he finally spoke. "So.," Wesley muttered slowly, having to summon up all of his courage just to utter a simple solitary word that he had used so many times before but now found it almost impossible to say anything more. To her credit Faith didn't flinch or shy away, although she still couldn't look him in the eye, instead she locked her gaze on one of the volumes that lay on the coffee table, taking in its dark brown color and even the musty smell it was giving off. She remembered the smell of the old books that her first watcher had owned, after his death she had burned them all lest they fall into the wrong hands, that and she didn't want any reminders of her failure to protect him.
"So.," Faith finally said under her breath, as she looked away from Wesley, but loudly enough so that he could hear it only as a whisper. He sat in silence for a few seconds as she tensed up, her body and slayer side telling her to get the hell out of the apartment and away from him, but her human side forced her to stay in her seat. The struggle between her two sides ended pretty much in a tie as she started to wring her hand nervously.
"I didn't know that you were.out.how.," he said with a frustrated and nervous tone to his voice that told her that he was having as hard a time with this as she was.
"They got me out.Wolfram and Heart.," Faith said softly as she quickly brushed a stray strand of hair off of her face and then stared at her shoes before Wesley spoke up.
"But why would they.Lilah.," he said slightly confused at first but then the cloud in his head dissipated and his thinking became clear, leaving him with an answer that he dreaded. Shaking his head in both confusion and anger he continued. "Did she give a reason.?"
"Nope.," Faith mumbled uncomfortably as she slowly shook her head and plucked a stray hair from the pant leg of her jeans. She could tell that he was mulling things over in his mind, trying to come up with the fewest amount of questions from which he could gain the greatest amount of information. For his part Wesley only nodded slightly, obviously uncomfortable at even talking to her. She was about to ask the question that was burning a hole in her pocket, the one that had brought her here in the first place, when he surprised her in a way that she never thought she could be.
"I'm sorry.for everything," Wesley stated slowly and calmly before he began to wring his hands with such force that she thought he'd break one of his wrists if he continued for to long. The words hit her hard, hard enough to knock her out of the dark stupor that she had fallen into. She had always expected those words to come out of her mouth, but never his, and now she wasn't sure that she had heard him right. So summoning up all of her resolve she lifted her head and looked him in the eye.
"What.you can't be.you didn't.didn't.," she stammered out now in a state of complete confusion as again in his eyes she saw an amount of pain that she had only seen in her own eyes when she had dared look into a mirror.
"Didn't what.do anything.I acted like I had a bloody stick shoved so far up my ass that I couldn't see straight.and I treated you and Buffy like children," Wesley said so calmly and forcefully that it elicited a small laugh from Faith, something that she hadn't done in years. "You think that's funny do you.," he said with his demeanor visibly darkening at the words.
"Yeah.but only because I always thought that I'd be the first.and only one to say them.after what I did.," Faith said with at first a half smile before the most painful memories of what had happened between them forced themselves into the forefront of her mind and she grew silent. She expected him to then come down on her with all of the rage, hate, and fear that she guessed that he had built up over the years, but for the second time in mere minutes she was taken completely by surprise by his response.
"Forget about it.harboring hatred and fear only breeds more of it and makes you miserable.in the end it's best to forgive.but never.ever.forget," he said, stating the last few short words so emphatically that Faith cringed a bit and wondered if he was going to try and take her by surprise with some sort of physical assault.
"Wes.I'm.s...I'm sorry.for betraying your trust.and.trying to.to.," she said as she felt the tears that she had hoped to keep at bay until after she had left his apartment well up in her eyes and she sniffled slightly. She brought her hand up with the intent to wipe away the tears before he saw them, but she stopped suddenly when she noticed what was in his hand.
"Here.use this," he said with such a look of concern and worry in his eyes that she thought her heart would break, if it were possible. Reluctantly she accepted and nodded her thanks as she took the handkerchief from him and began to wipe away the tears, hoping to catch them before they began cascading down her cheeks. For that was definitely something that she never wanted him to see her do, cry, and now here she was balling like a baby, and for some strange reason she soon discovered that she no longer cared if he saw her cry. In fact she came to the realization that if anyone was to ever see her cry, truly cry, then it should be him. And with that conclusion all the years of pent up feelings of sadness, regret, and fear broke through the dam that she had constructed around her heart and came rushing out in tears and sobs that wracked her entire body. To her surprise she felt him kneel beside her and wrap his arms around her. At first she resisted, but then gave in and buried her head in his chest and let the tears soak the front of his shirt, all the while leaning into him to keep from falling over.
And so they stayed like that, the ex-watcher cradling his slayer in his arms as she sobbed away all the pains from their collective souls, with Wesley even shedding tears himself until their tears combined into one solid stream of joint sorrow. They were finally separated by the annoying sound of a kitchen timer. Wesley was the first to do so as he slowly took his arms from around Faith and stood up before heading for the kitchen.
"Do you want some tea," he said with a calm tone to his voice as he poked his head around the corner and stared blankly at her still hunched over form.
"N.yeah.sure.why not.," she said with a feeling of a very burdensome weight finally being lifted off of her shoulders. She lurched to her feet and wiped away her tears as she then joined him in the kitchen. She spent several minutes just leaning up against the counter and watching him as he prepared the tea. Even though she tried not to she couldn't keep her gaze from returning again and again to the jagged scar that marred his throat. It took until he was almost done with the tea for her to build up enough courage to ask the one simple question that had brought her here in the first place. "What happened between you and Angel.?"
He stood in an almost stunned silence for a time before he sighed sadly and responded as he took two cups out of the cupboard. His voice was soft at first but then it steadily grew until it was at its normal tone. "It's a long story.one best left for another time.."
"Well there's no time like the present," she said with a smile as she stepped up beside him and almost instantly regretted it as she felt him tense up. She was about to apologize and step back when he continued.
"Fine.here goes.a few months ago Darla showed up at the Hyperion pregnant with Angel's child," he started with a firm tone to his voice before he noticed the slightly confused look that Faith was giving him. "I'm still not sure exactly how two vampires produced a child, it has something to do with an ancient prophecy.anyway we took care of Darla until it was time for the child to be born.but there were complications.," he said with a frustrated scowl on his face as he poured himself and Faith a cup of tea and then sat down opposite her and continue in earnest after seeing the look on her face. "She finally staked herself," he said and paused for dramatic effect as he saw her eyes first grow wide and then squint in confusion before beginning again, "and so the child was born and Angel named him Conner, because in his words it was a good Irish name for a boy." "Time passed and Angel and the rest of us grew attached to Conner, that is until I translated a prophecy that hinted that Angel would kill his son.and for a time I tried every avenue available to me to determine whether or not the prophecy was true, and I always ended up back at the same spot, so I finally decided to do something about it."
He eyed the woman sitting across from him at the table as she blew the steam away from the tea and took a sip before nodding her head for him to continue. He cleared his throat and took a small sip of tea before continuing. "But a cosmic fork was thrown into the middle of my plan.mainly in the form of a woman named Justine that was working with an old enemy of Angel, she double-crossed me and.," he said with a hesitant tone to his voice as he lifted a finger and lightly brushed the ghoulish scar on his throat and was encouraged when he saw the look of anger that spread across her face. He started up again just as she was about to say something. "After that I nearly bled to death in the park.until I was found and brought to the hospital.since then I've discovered that the prophecy was a lie.and Angel tried to suffocate me with a pillow while I was still recovering in my hospital bed," he said with now a sad and empty look on his face as he sat quietly for a second and took another large sip of tea.
Across the table Faith could barely contain her anger as she listened to him explain how he had gone from one of Angel's closest friends to a virtual outcast from society all in the span of four short years. She made a mental note to find the woman who had inflicted the neck wound and make her pay dearly for hurting him. Her anger at the woman was almost equaled at her anger at Angel, she decided quickly that she'd have to pay him a visit and sort it all out. Her human side was begging to cry but her slayer side squelched that and began to come up with ideas of its own for Angel, most of them contained Angel and sharp wooden stakes. He seemed to sense her thoughts from across the table and gave her a stern look. Struggling to keep her temper under control she breathed deeply before launching into the next subject of which she was confused about. "Okay I won't stake him.just yet.but you say Angel has a kid now.so where is he.and where's the cheerleader.and who are the two newbie's?"
He tensed up again at the mention of Conner and Cordelia and for a second she almost regretted asking the question, but she needed to know. "That's another lengthy story that I doubt you'll like any more than the one that I just told you, but you want.no you deserve to know what's going on now that you're out," he said with a sigh as he tiredly rubbed his eyes and then launched into the tale, with Faith now sitting Indian style on the large chair and listening intently to his every word. The story, and the discussions that followed, lasted through a full pot of tea and half of another, which she had insisted that he let her make, before Faith left suddenly, but only after telling him all that Lilah had said to her at the Hyperion the day before, even going so far as to show him the card before she left, leaving him to finish off the rest of the tea, a small feat in and of itself, and contemplate the events of the long day.
END OF CHAPTER SIX
