THREE STRIKES

Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.

CHAPTER 1-IT STARTS

To say the mood at Wolfram and Hart was sour would have been an understatement.  Lindsey Doyle had returned to the fold but everyone in the building, save the representatives of the senior partners and a few independent contractors, were completely and totally terrified of him.  No one had yet to see him actually leave his office, let alone eat or drink anything, prompting rumors alluding that Lindsey was either no longer human or that the being in the head office formerly occupied by Lilah Morgan was not Lindsey Doyle at all, but some creature that just happened to look like him.  Of course no one in their right mind had dared ask him whether or not he was who he said he was, even though the employees of Wolfram and Hart worked night and day to bring about the apocalypse not a single one wanted to do anything that would jeopardize their standing with the company.  But unbeknownst to almost everyone in the building, and the outside world for that matter, in one of the myriad of false rooms that had been magically created inside the building a weary and bedridden man gasped out for someone to rescue him from the hell that he was being forced to endure.

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"Do they have to do that all the time," Fred mumbled angrily with a small hint of jealousy in her voice as she leaned over the book that she was reading and rested her chin in her upturned palm that was supported by her elbow on her knee. 

"Do what Fred," Lorne chimed in with a less than thrilled look on his face after Angel had forced him to help Fred and Gunn sift through one scroll after another that they had collected from their last job, a job in which the client had died shortly after and left all of his things to Angel and the others. 

"Well…that," Fred forced out with a combination embarrassed and forlorn frown on her face as with her chin she pointed across the lobby of the Hyperion where Faith and Wesley sat on the newly refurbished round couch. 

From his vantage point at first Lorne couldn't see what Fred was getting at, but after sliding over a little bit he thought he saw what she was getting so worked up about.  The former watcher and his slayer were seemingly sitting in their own little world, where only each other and a couple of books existed.  Faith had her left hand jammed firmly in Wesley's left back pocket of his jeans while her right hand was overtop of Wesley's left hand that was slowly skimming down the page of the book on his lap.  Wesley's right arm was draped around Faith drawing her close and Lorne had to admit that it warmed his heart to see two people who were obviously so much in love.  He had heard Angel tell story after story about how Faith had been before her stint in prison and how she was now acting when Wesley was around constantly kept him in awe of the change in her.  The old Faith, from what Lorne had gathered, would never have been caught dead doing what the new one was, however this new Faith seemed to have come to terms with the demons of her past and was now trying to reshape much of her image.  But when she was apart from Wesley Lorne and Angel had both been privy to the new Faith acting very much like the old Faith, however Angel had noticed that Faith didn't allow events to proceed as far as she used to and that whenever any guy went to far she would give him a friendly notice that if he wanted to keep his arm attached to his body that he wouldn't go any further.  More than once Angel had been forced to go to a poor mans aid that hadn't heeded Faith's warning. 

Being that he was an empathy demon Lorne didn't need to have either Wesley or Faith sing to know their feelings and futures.  The few times that either had sung since rejoining Angel Investigations a few weeks earlier had only reinforced the original readings that Lorne had done.  Lorne had been surprised to catch Angel staring at the new couple with a longing look on his face, as if telegraphing his want for a relationship of that nature.  In the beginning Angel had tried to split the two up as much as possible but after a couple of jobs he had given up the fight and now always sent the two out together, many a time being the two were all that was needed, with Faith providing the determination and the strength and Wesley the knowledge and wisdom. 

"Don't worry about it Fred, they're just in love," Lorne mumbled back with a sense of awe and happiness in his voice that Gunn, who had been silent up until that point, seemed to take opposition to.

"Still doesn't give them the right to act like we don't even exist and that we're inferior to them in someway," Gunn started to say with a fed up look of frustration on his face as he set the book down that he had been looking through and shook his head. 

"That's not how they're acting Charles…it's just that…well…you know," Fred stumbled out as she soon began to almost literally trip over her words. 

"Cut them some slack guys…sure they can be…annoying at times…but as long as they're happy and not hurting anyone I can live with it," Angel whispered loudly as he stepped out of the newly rebuilt office and joined the discussion.

"But they're acting like children…," Gunn added with a solemn and slightly angry look on his face as he turned away from Wesley and Faith. 

"They've both been through hell…so what's so wrong with them finding a little bit of happiness huh," Lorne exclaimed with his usual jolly tone of voice and big smile spread across his face. 

"No one can be that happy," Fred stated dryly with a look of disbelief on her face as she slid over on the small couch that she was on so that Angel could sit down beside her. 

"You'd be surprised…but enough about them, anybody having any luck," Angel said with an almost nostalgic look on his face at first before it changed to one of boredom. 

"None whatsoever," Fred said with a frustrated frown on her face as she sighed and set the book that she was looking through on the small table in front of her before she rubbed the tiredness out of her eyes.

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Wesley and Faith had been fully aware that the others were staring at them the whole time.  Much of their public displays of affection had been purely for show.  Although that didn't mean that they wouldn't have done it otherwise the pair had begun making it a game between them to annoy the hell out of anyone and everyone, but always in good taste.  Wesley had come up with the idea of having Faith put her hand in his back pocket but Faith had certainly had no qualms about doing it

"You think they're freaking out yet," Faith said in a low voice as she couldn't contain a smile that spread across her face.

"Not yet…you know, I think that we've been looking at the same page for the past twenty minutes," Wesley said with a bemused tone to his voice before he stifled a chuckle and tossed a casual glance over at Faith.

"I think you're right Wes…maybe we should stop studying and go look for some action, all work and no play makes Faith a dull girl," Faith started to say through a yawn before the yawn slipped into a smile as she gave Wesley a playful squeeze with her left hand and then pulled away from him and stood up. 

"You're never dull Faith…but I agree, researching tonight has gotten us nowhere, maybe a change of scenery would do us both good," Wesley said with a polite smile on his face as he shut the book that he had been half reading and laid it on the couch after standing up. 

"I think a change of scenery would do us all good…sorry but…vampire hearing and all," Angel said with a slight shrug of his shoulders as he stood up and approached Faith and Wesley. 

"You guys find anything," Faith asked with a hurried look on her face, as if she were itching to get out of the Hyperion and didn't like that she had to stop and talk to Angel. 

"Other than a to do list that I lost about a year ago no…," Lorne answered back with a sad frown on his face before he sighed deeply and stood up.  "Who's up for ice cream," he continued with a much more chipper look on his face, obviously trying to change the mood. 

"Ice cream…what's that," Connor asked with a confused look on his face that only grew when he noticed the odd looks on everyone else's faces. 

"You don't know what…oh yeah, I guess they didn't have any Dairy Queen's in Quartoth," Gunn started to say with a combination confused and shocked look on his face before he calmed down and shrugged his shoulders a bit. 

"Well then I'd say that it's about time that you found out what ice cream is, c'mon kid let's go," Lorne exclaimed loudly with a hint of excitement in his voice as he lightly clapped his hands together and took a step forward, straightening his suit as he did so.  For a moment Connor seemed unsure of what to do, so against his better judgment he turned and silently looked for help from Angel. 

"It's okay Connor, don't worry about it…Gunn, Fred, maybe you two should go with them to make sure that they don't kill each other," Angel said with a slightly unsure look on his face as he turned first to Connor and then to the couple who were still seated. 

"Sure…come on Charles…," Fred said softly and nervously as she grabbed Gunn by the arm and led him towards the door, followed somewhat closely by a reluctant Connor, who as he went looked back at Angel with a confused and unsure look on his face, and Lorne, who just looked happy to be doing anything other than researching. 

"I'd say that's our cue to leave, c'mon Wes," Faith said with a flash of excitement in her eyes as she laid a hand on Wesley's shoulder and the two started off towards the doors. 

"Not so fast guys…while the others are taking Connor out I thought that the three of us could get some real work done, hit a few demon bars…you know that kind of thing," Angel said with a nervous look on his face as Faith and Wesley slowly turned around and Faith mouthed to Wesley, "The three of us…." 

"But Angel, you usually work alone, why the sudden interest in working with us," Wesley asked with a slightly worried look on his face as he shoved his left hand into his jeans pocket, fishing around for his keys. 

"I just have a bad feeling about tonight, a feeling that we're going to run into something big and ugly, and I thought it best that if we were to run into something like that I have two of the people that I trust most in this world with me," Angel said with a very nervous look on his face as he pulled on his duster and fixed the collar. 

"Nice speech Angel…now what's the real reason that you want to go with us…what the rigors of being a dad getting to be to much for ya," Faith exclaimed with a playful smirk on her face and an energized glint in her eye as she nodded her head slightly and looked up at Angel. 

"Something like that…look we haven't really talked or worked together for awhile now…I'm just trying to relive some old times," Angel said as he started and stopped awkwardly in his explanation of his reasoning's. 

"Angel, the three of us…," Wesley started to say with a frustrated and unsure scowl on his face as he pulled his keys out of his pocket and threw Faith a hurried look. 

"Are the only three here that see the big picture…that know what's really going on out there, something big is happening…don't tell me that you two don't feel it…the others are clueless, except for Cordy, but she just knows that something's off," Angel exclaimed with a look of humble acknowledgment on his face as if he felt good to finally say his fears out loud.  Wesley and Faith took a few seconds to let Angel's words sink in before Wesley looked over at Faith, who sighed and shrugged her shoulders before nodding her head.

"You're right Angel, there is something big coming, Faith and I have felt it even back before the party, but neither one of us knew exactly what to make of it, but now with Lindsey…or whatever that thing was back to menace us…I think the problem is beginning to take shape," Wesley said slowly with an unhappy scowl on his face as Faith laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it in solidarity. 

"I'm still not exactly sure what to do about it, researching has turned up absolutely nothing and so far none of my contacts have heard anything…which leads me to believe that either they truly don't know anything…or they're lying to me," Angel said with a frustrated scowl on his face as he walked back to the newly rebuilt weapons room, and took out two swords and an axe, before returning to Wesley and Faith and after keeping the longer sword for himself gave Faith the short sword and tossed Wesley the axe.

"What do you expect Angel…they're all demons…," Faith said jokingly as she quickly did a few practice swings with her sword before she nodded in approval. 

"Which is why I didn't kill any of them…yet," Angel replied with a slightly annoyed scowl on his face as he walked in between Faith and Wesley and headed for the door. 

"Why do I get the feeling that we're never going to be able to wear these clothes again after tonight…," Wesley said after sighing deeply and rolling his eyes as he turned around and started to follow after Angel. 

"Why do you say that," Angel asked with a slightly confused scowl on his face as he stopped in the doorway and turned around to face Wesley and Faith. 

"I think he means that pretty soon we're going to be up to our armpits in demon blood and guts…amongst other things," Faith said, slightly wrinkling her nose in disgust, as she looked back and forth between Wesley and Angel. 

"Well then, what are we waiting for…," Angel said with a fake smile on his face before he quickly turned back around and rushed out of the hotel.

"You know…I hate it when he's like this…it always ends badly," Wesley said with a frumpy frown on his face as he turned to Faith and tried to look upbeat and positive, but he failed horribly. 

"As long as it ends badly for the demons it's fine by me…you ready," Faith replied with an amused smirk on her face before she leaned up and planted a quick kiss on Wesley before looping her free arm around his waist. 

"Five by five…," Wesley said jokingly as he noticed the look of mock anger that Faith flashed him before he put his free hand on the back of Faith's head, pulled her close, and crushed his lips against hers.  The two kept kissing, and probably would have gone further, had Angel not gotten bored and come back into the hotel to see what was the holdup and interrupted them.

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The man didn't know how long he had been in this predicament, but he did know that it had been at least a few weeks.  He gauged the passing of time by the number of times the person that came in to treat him changed his bandages.  He didn't know the extent of his injuries as he had found that try as he might he found it extremely difficult to move even the slightest degree.  His first memories upon waking up had been of strangers in white coats working feverishly to try and repair his cuts and taking many samples of his blood and tissue.  He didn't know who these people were but he thought he noticed, during one of his more lucid moments, one of the men that had been the cause of his injuries, standing guard out in the hall.  After several weeks of rest he had finally been able to turn his head enough to look around the room, and upon doing so he noticed that he wasn't alone in the room.  A few feet from him there was another man in a bed similar to his.  This man however looked several years younger and far less of a warrior, a champion.  The man saw that the stranger looked to be no older than his early twenties, an observation that a few months earlier he would not have been able to make.  The other man in the room had long and dirty red hair and looked almost frail.  Thinking that was all there was to see the man readied to slip back into unconsciousness but he was interrupted as the door to the room burst open and several technicians rushed into the room, pushing someone on a bed in front of them.  The man waited until the technicians had hooked the new person up to several machines and then left the room before he opened his eyes and studied the new arrival.  Unlike the man on the other side of him this new arrival was a woman, and from the slightly dim light in the room he could see her beauty, along with the fact that she was nearly nude, save for only a few strategically placed sheets.  Pondering that matter the man looked down at himself and noticed that he was in almost the exact same predicament.  Wondering if something was wrong he quickly flipped his head back around and noticed that the other man in the room was in a very similar position.  The man was about to try and say something to either one of the other two people in the room but was interrupted by a weak and pitiful voice that echoed from the long red haired man, "Willow…help me…I need you."

END OF CHAPTER 1