________Resurrection - Chapter 6c
The two sat in silence for some time in the filthy room, their heavy breathing
subsiding gradually. Eventually, Angel spoke.
- Faith. I'm.
"Don't say it. Don't say you're sorry. Just let me harbour this happy idea that
you meant it all."
Angel was so unsure as to whether or not Faith was being sarcastic, he left it
there. A little later, she asked him;
"So what's the plan? I mean, if you're not going to tell the others til the
ritual's in action, what the hell are we going to take back?"
- I know the echo is said to be a kind of vessel. So we're just going to
have to go find some kind of vessel to give them all.
Something occurred to Faith.
"Angel? They read something about the echo coming from the south."
- LA. South of Sunnydale. But I don't think they imagined it would be
quite as close south as that. We have to get some rest. Sun's almost up.
Faith went over to the mattress and, removing her boots and bra, flung herself
onto it. She coughed as a cloud of dust and damp rose up about her.
"Hey. Any chance of you lending me that great coat of yours? Not exactly warm
here."
Angel complied with the request, laying the garment across her.
"You joining me here? Plenty of room for two."
- No, no, I'll sleep.
Angel looked around him for an alternative, but could not see a single space,
even on the floor, that was not so covered in debris that he would be in danger
of being staked every time he turned over. Reluctantly, he arranged himself on
the edge of the bed, careful not to touch Faith. She sighed at his decision.
However, her upset did not last long. Angel was still running over his impending
death in his mind as he heard her begin to snore.
_____________
Both Faith and Angel slept badly that night. Angel awoke several times to hear
Faith moaning, apparently to herself, and at one point she clutched at his arm,
drawing herself close to him, as if for some kind of reassurance. He didn't feel
he could push her away, and he also felt, with more than a shade of guilt
attached, that he didn't entirely want to.
Then he was suddenly completely awake. Faith was flailing around on the
mattress. She hit him across the face several times as he tried to pin her down.
Her eyes were rolled and she was muttering unintelligible streams of something
Angel couldn't recognise. Her fit went on for longer than the others had, and
she seemed more agitated than she was on previous occasions. She also appeared
to be fighting something she couldn't control. After an hour or more of this,
Angel was exhausted. His limbs were strained and hurting from the pressure he
was exerting on her. The weight of his body prevented her from doing any damage
to herself, the building, or for that matter, him. Her body went limp, and he
relaxed a little, sure that at last, it was over. He lay over her, attempting to
relax his frozen muscles. Then she opened her eyes, and laid a hand over his
cheek.
'Angel.'
He stayed, dead still, unsure of what she was doing. Her hand turned his face to
look into her eyes. Then she kissed him, softly. Only for a second. Before she
went limp as she had been, and returned to sleep.
________
That evening, Faith either could not, or would not tell him anything that she
had seen or felt during her fit. He tried to coax information out of her, in the
hope that it would explain the fear and anger she had appeared to feel, and also
what she had been thinking when she kissed him. But that last was something he
didn't really want to know. She maintained she remembered nothing, and after
some talk, during which Faith became more than a little cross with his
persistence, he decided to drop the matter, and leave for LA.
".where we're going to pick up some kind of vessel, right?"
- Right. I have a few.antiques, souvenirs.I'm sure we'll find something
amongst them. And we need to have a cover story. Do I still have your word you
won't tell anyone what I've told you here?
"I told you before, yes. I won't break my promise to you. Got it?"
There was a slight falter in her words. But Angel didn't catch it.
- I appreciate this. I know it won't be easy. You think I want to die?
But it's what must be done. Once we've got the vessel, I think we can return to
Sunnydale. It's time we got going.
____________
The two sat in silence for some time in the filthy room, their heavy breathing
subsiding gradually. Eventually, Angel spoke.
- Faith. I'm.
"Don't say it. Don't say you're sorry. Just let me harbour this happy idea that
you meant it all."
Angel was so unsure as to whether or not Faith was being sarcastic, he left it
there. A little later, she asked him;
"So what's the plan? I mean, if you're not going to tell the others til the
ritual's in action, what the hell are we going to take back?"
- I know the echo is said to be a kind of vessel. So we're just going to
have to go find some kind of vessel to give them all.
Something occurred to Faith.
"Angel? They read something about the echo coming from the south."
- LA. South of Sunnydale. But I don't think they imagined it would be
quite as close south as that. We have to get some rest. Sun's almost up.
Faith went over to the mattress and, removing her boots and bra, flung herself
onto it. She coughed as a cloud of dust and damp rose up about her.
"Hey. Any chance of you lending me that great coat of yours? Not exactly warm
here."
Angel complied with the request, laying the garment across her.
"You joining me here? Plenty of room for two."
- No, no, I'll sleep.
Angel looked around him for an alternative, but could not see a single space,
even on the floor, that was not so covered in debris that he would be in danger
of being staked every time he turned over. Reluctantly, he arranged himself on
the edge of the bed, careful not to touch Faith. She sighed at his decision.
However, her upset did not last long. Angel was still running over his impending
death in his mind as he heard her begin to snore.
_____________
Both Faith and Angel slept badly that night. Angel awoke several times to hear
Faith moaning, apparently to herself, and at one point she clutched at his arm,
drawing herself close to him, as if for some kind of reassurance. He didn't feel
he could push her away, and he also felt, with more than a shade of guilt
attached, that he didn't entirely want to.
Then he was suddenly completely awake. Faith was flailing around on the
mattress. She hit him across the face several times as he tried to pin her down.
Her eyes were rolled and she was muttering unintelligible streams of something
Angel couldn't recognise. Her fit went on for longer than the others had, and
she seemed more agitated than she was on previous occasions. She also appeared
to be fighting something she couldn't control. After an hour or more of this,
Angel was exhausted. His limbs were strained and hurting from the pressure he
was exerting on her. The weight of his body prevented her from doing any damage
to herself, the building, or for that matter, him. Her body went limp, and he
relaxed a little, sure that at last, it was over. He lay over her, attempting to
relax his frozen muscles. Then she opened her eyes, and laid a hand over his
cheek.
'Angel.'
He stayed, dead still, unsure of what she was doing. Her hand turned his face to
look into her eyes. Then she kissed him, softly. Only for a second. Before she
went limp as she had been, and returned to sleep.
________
That evening, Faith either could not, or would not tell him anything that she
had seen or felt during her fit. He tried to coax information out of her, in the
hope that it would explain the fear and anger she had appeared to feel, and also
what she had been thinking when she kissed him. But that last was something he
didn't really want to know. She maintained she remembered nothing, and after
some talk, during which Faith became more than a little cross with his
persistence, he decided to drop the matter, and leave for LA.
".where we're going to pick up some kind of vessel, right?"
- Right. I have a few.antiques, souvenirs.I'm sure we'll find something
amongst them. And we need to have a cover story. Do I still have your word you
won't tell anyone what I've told you here?
"I told you before, yes. I won't break my promise to you. Got it?"
There was a slight falter in her words. But Angel didn't catch it.
- I appreciate this. I know it won't be easy. You think I want to die?
But it's what must be done. Once we've got the vessel, I think we can return to
Sunnydale. It's time we got going.
____________