Lost and Found
Rating: R (for language and sex)
Genre: Romance/Drama
Summary: Faith helps Angel protect Connor from Wolfram & Hart, and she must convince Lindsey to fight his own demons for the cause.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, except for the insignificant ones. Spoilers through the end of season 4. Feedback always welcome.
Lindsey kept his attention between the white striping as he flew over the empty country road, the only light emanating from his mud-encrusted headlights. The old pickup let him know with every jolt that he was driving well above the speed limit, but it was comforting, somehow. When was the last time he'd been comfortable, he wondered? Jumping from one bar to the next with nothing but a guitar and pocket full of change wasn't a comfortable way to live, but neither was spending his days watching over his shoulder for the Wolfram and Hart ax to fall.
Now he was wandering aimlessly in a truck twice as old as he was, wondering what the hell to do next. He could have gone back to law, but the idea filled him with a dread he couldn't explain.
As he contemplated his next move, Lindsey spotted something metallic moving between the trees on the side of the road. Suddenly, the metallic object jumped onto the road, attached to a figure dressed in black. He swerved, but not in time to avoid the thud of a body hitting his bumper, then his windshield. He slammed on the brakes, and the body rolled off his car and onto the street.
He jumped out of his cab and slammed the door shut behind him. What the hell was someone doing out at two in the morning? And what possessed them to run into the street?
He absorbed the details as he approached the prone form. A woman, definitely, and the metallic glitter he'd spotted from within the trees had been caused by the flashing of her steel-tipped boots. Tight, black leather pants and a denim jacket completed the look, but that was all he could make out until he turned her over. Then his breath caught in a space between his tonsils and his larynx.
Faith.
It had been years since he'd seen her last, but she had the same trademark wild brown hair and the same cynical eyes that seemed to be taking in everything at once.
"Faith," he started. "What the hell-"
"Duck," she interrupted.
He blinked with incomprehension, and Faith knocked him to the ground with one arm. With the other, she launched a stake through the air and into a target somewhere behind him. Lindsey heard the inimitable sound of a vampire collapsing into dust.
"How many more are there?" he asked.
"About two dozen. I found a nest about a half mile from here."
"And you went in with only a stake?" He didn't remember Faith being stupid.
"I didn't know it was a nest until I got there, jerk-off." She winced as she lifted herself to her knees, then to her feet. "Either fight or get the hell out of my way, McDonald."
She gritted her teeth and launched herself into the path of another vampire. Lindsey spotted two more behind it, and he knew it would be moments before the others converged. He backpedaled toward the truck.
Faith tried to ignore the stabs of pain in her side and in her right leg as she battled the three vampires that surrounded her. She'd already taken a bit of a beating -- and was making a hasty retreat -- when skanky lawyer-boy had creamed her with his pickup of doom. Now she was cornered, and all she could do was fight like the street brawler she was. She felt Lindsey back steadily away, but she couldn't take the time to be pissed that he was leaving her there. Maybe later, after she dusted these vamps, she'd track him down and make him choke on his own tongue.
Faith whipped out a stake from inside her jacket and dusted the vampire rushing at her. Another clocked her from behind, and she pitched forward to her knees. The vampire kicked her in the ribs and grabbed her by the hair. She instinctively reached out and grabbed it, and both fell backward onto the pavement. They rolled around, neither gaining the upper hand, and she cursed herself. If she'd been at full power, this sorry excuse for a vampire would never have landed a single blow.
Faith was starting to worry that she might have run out of gas when, just as suddenly as the fight had started, it was over. The vampire on top of her burst into dust, and, once again, she was surrounded by the sounds of night. She looked up and spied Lindsey standing on top of his truck, crossbow in hand. Several piles of ashes littered the ground nearby, already beginning to dissipate in the light summer breeze. He jumped down from the truck and smirked at her in a way that made her want to make him eat his arrow.
Lindsey offered her a hand, which she ignored as she once again climbed to her feet.
"Aren't you going to thank me?" he asked.
"For what?" she said. "For hitting me with your car, or for not running like a coward after the fact?"
His smirk melted into a narrow line, and they stared at each other for a few long seconds. "It's almost ten miles to the nearest town," he said tightly.
"I know."
"Where's your car?"
"I don't have one."
"You walked all the way out here?"
"It wasn't a problem before."
"Before you got your ass handed to you," he finished. She flipped him off none too discreetly. He began to pace back and forth in front of the truck.
"I'm NOT giving you a ride," he said. He gripped the crossbow in his hand and stared downward as he paced.
"I didn't ask you to," she replied.
"I mean it. No rides with psychos, even if they are hurt. It's a policy of mine."
"What's your fuckin' problem?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. "I didn't ask you for a ride. I'll get back on my own."
"OK, fine!" he shouted. "Just get in the truck and shut up already!" He tossed the crossbow into the bed and tossed a blanket over it, all the while trying to ignore the pointed stare of the Slayer. Faith climbed into the cab and shoved her duffel bag beneath the seat. She closed the door carefully and watched Lindsey mutter to himself under his breath.
This was a bad idea, she thought. She was accepting a ride from someone who had nearly managed to get her to kill the only friend she'd ever had, and he was clearly crazy. But her ribs ached at the mere thought of walking ten miles. Besides, even in her current state, she could handle Wolfram & Hart trash.
He started up the truck, and Faith pulled a cigarette from her pocket.
"Mind if I smoke?" she asked.
"Yes. No smoking in my truck."
She lit the cigarette and took a long, slow drag.
"Aren't you supposed to be in prison?" he asked. "You know, with the other convicted murderers?"
"As opposed to working at a law firm full of unconvicted murderers?" That earned her a glare.
"Speaking of which," she continued, "aren't you supposed to be there right now? What are you doing out in the middle of nowhere, doing your Marlboro Man impersonation?"
He wondered how much he should tell her - how much he wanted to be bothered telling her. Why did it even matter?
"I don't work for Wolfram & Hart anymore," he explained. He told her about the human parts factory and his brand new hand, and how Angel had finally convinced him to leave Los Angeles.
"So, Angel got to you, too," she said. He spotted her glance at his hand and then look away.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, his fingers tightening on the steering wheel.
"Down, boy. Just making a point that Angel has a way of getting under your skin, making you a better person."
"Not me," he said simply.
She quirked her eyebrow. "So that's why you stuck around to help me out? And why you offered me a lift?"
"What the hell are you?" he asked, "the patron saint of reformed criminals?"
Faith allowed a small smile but didn't reply. Instead, she told him about her latest trip to LA and her Orpheus trip with Angelus. As she wound up her story, Lindsey pulled into the parking lot of a Motel 6. They got out of the truck, and he made sure to slam the truck door as violently as possible.
"What's the purpose of all this?" he asked. "To show me the light of almighty Angel?"
"No," she replied, her voice deep and low. "I just thought you might enjoy spending a few minutes not being the loneliest bastard in the universe."
She walked toward the lobby, leaving Lindsey to wonder what the hell she'd meant by that.
-- More on the way.
Rating: R (for language and sex)
Genre: Romance/Drama
Summary: Faith helps Angel protect Connor from Wolfram & Hart, and she must convince Lindsey to fight his own demons for the cause.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, except for the insignificant ones. Spoilers through the end of season 4. Feedback always welcome.
Lindsey kept his attention between the white striping as he flew over the empty country road, the only light emanating from his mud-encrusted headlights. The old pickup let him know with every jolt that he was driving well above the speed limit, but it was comforting, somehow. When was the last time he'd been comfortable, he wondered? Jumping from one bar to the next with nothing but a guitar and pocket full of change wasn't a comfortable way to live, but neither was spending his days watching over his shoulder for the Wolfram and Hart ax to fall.
Now he was wandering aimlessly in a truck twice as old as he was, wondering what the hell to do next. He could have gone back to law, but the idea filled him with a dread he couldn't explain.
As he contemplated his next move, Lindsey spotted something metallic moving between the trees on the side of the road. Suddenly, the metallic object jumped onto the road, attached to a figure dressed in black. He swerved, but not in time to avoid the thud of a body hitting his bumper, then his windshield. He slammed on the brakes, and the body rolled off his car and onto the street.
He jumped out of his cab and slammed the door shut behind him. What the hell was someone doing out at two in the morning? And what possessed them to run into the street?
He absorbed the details as he approached the prone form. A woman, definitely, and the metallic glitter he'd spotted from within the trees had been caused by the flashing of her steel-tipped boots. Tight, black leather pants and a denim jacket completed the look, but that was all he could make out until he turned her over. Then his breath caught in a space between his tonsils and his larynx.
Faith.
It had been years since he'd seen her last, but she had the same trademark wild brown hair and the same cynical eyes that seemed to be taking in everything at once.
"Faith," he started. "What the hell-"
"Duck," she interrupted.
He blinked with incomprehension, and Faith knocked him to the ground with one arm. With the other, she launched a stake through the air and into a target somewhere behind him. Lindsey heard the inimitable sound of a vampire collapsing into dust.
"How many more are there?" he asked.
"About two dozen. I found a nest about a half mile from here."
"And you went in with only a stake?" He didn't remember Faith being stupid.
"I didn't know it was a nest until I got there, jerk-off." She winced as she lifted herself to her knees, then to her feet. "Either fight or get the hell out of my way, McDonald."
She gritted her teeth and launched herself into the path of another vampire. Lindsey spotted two more behind it, and he knew it would be moments before the others converged. He backpedaled toward the truck.
Faith tried to ignore the stabs of pain in her side and in her right leg as she battled the three vampires that surrounded her. She'd already taken a bit of a beating -- and was making a hasty retreat -- when skanky lawyer-boy had creamed her with his pickup of doom. Now she was cornered, and all she could do was fight like the street brawler she was. She felt Lindsey back steadily away, but she couldn't take the time to be pissed that he was leaving her there. Maybe later, after she dusted these vamps, she'd track him down and make him choke on his own tongue.
Faith whipped out a stake from inside her jacket and dusted the vampire rushing at her. Another clocked her from behind, and she pitched forward to her knees. The vampire kicked her in the ribs and grabbed her by the hair. She instinctively reached out and grabbed it, and both fell backward onto the pavement. They rolled around, neither gaining the upper hand, and she cursed herself. If she'd been at full power, this sorry excuse for a vampire would never have landed a single blow.
Faith was starting to worry that she might have run out of gas when, just as suddenly as the fight had started, it was over. The vampire on top of her burst into dust, and, once again, she was surrounded by the sounds of night. She looked up and spied Lindsey standing on top of his truck, crossbow in hand. Several piles of ashes littered the ground nearby, already beginning to dissipate in the light summer breeze. He jumped down from the truck and smirked at her in a way that made her want to make him eat his arrow.
Lindsey offered her a hand, which she ignored as she once again climbed to her feet.
"Aren't you going to thank me?" he asked.
"For what?" she said. "For hitting me with your car, or for not running like a coward after the fact?"
His smirk melted into a narrow line, and they stared at each other for a few long seconds. "It's almost ten miles to the nearest town," he said tightly.
"I know."
"Where's your car?"
"I don't have one."
"You walked all the way out here?"
"It wasn't a problem before."
"Before you got your ass handed to you," he finished. She flipped him off none too discreetly. He began to pace back and forth in front of the truck.
"I'm NOT giving you a ride," he said. He gripped the crossbow in his hand and stared downward as he paced.
"I didn't ask you to," she replied.
"I mean it. No rides with psychos, even if they are hurt. It's a policy of mine."
"What's your fuckin' problem?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. "I didn't ask you for a ride. I'll get back on my own."
"OK, fine!" he shouted. "Just get in the truck and shut up already!" He tossed the crossbow into the bed and tossed a blanket over it, all the while trying to ignore the pointed stare of the Slayer. Faith climbed into the cab and shoved her duffel bag beneath the seat. She closed the door carefully and watched Lindsey mutter to himself under his breath.
This was a bad idea, she thought. She was accepting a ride from someone who had nearly managed to get her to kill the only friend she'd ever had, and he was clearly crazy. But her ribs ached at the mere thought of walking ten miles. Besides, even in her current state, she could handle Wolfram & Hart trash.
He started up the truck, and Faith pulled a cigarette from her pocket.
"Mind if I smoke?" she asked.
"Yes. No smoking in my truck."
She lit the cigarette and took a long, slow drag.
"Aren't you supposed to be in prison?" he asked. "You know, with the other convicted murderers?"
"As opposed to working at a law firm full of unconvicted murderers?" That earned her a glare.
"Speaking of which," she continued, "aren't you supposed to be there right now? What are you doing out in the middle of nowhere, doing your Marlboro Man impersonation?"
He wondered how much he should tell her - how much he wanted to be bothered telling her. Why did it even matter?
"I don't work for Wolfram & Hart anymore," he explained. He told her about the human parts factory and his brand new hand, and how Angel had finally convinced him to leave Los Angeles.
"So, Angel got to you, too," she said. He spotted her glance at his hand and then look away.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, his fingers tightening on the steering wheel.
"Down, boy. Just making a point that Angel has a way of getting under your skin, making you a better person."
"Not me," he said simply.
She quirked her eyebrow. "So that's why you stuck around to help me out? And why you offered me a lift?"
"What the hell are you?" he asked, "the patron saint of reformed criminals?"
Faith allowed a small smile but didn't reply. Instead, she told him about her latest trip to LA and her Orpheus trip with Angelus. As she wound up her story, Lindsey pulled into the parking lot of a Motel 6. They got out of the truck, and he made sure to slam the truck door as violently as possible.
"What's the purpose of all this?" he asked. "To show me the light of almighty Angel?"
"No," she replied, her voice deep and low. "I just thought you might enjoy spending a few minutes not being the loneliest bastard in the universe."
She walked toward the lobby, leaving Lindsey to wonder what the hell she'd meant by that.
-- More on the way.