Author's notes: This is a small part. And thanks for the great feedback so
far. I just wanted to say: keep it up! :)
Angel's eyes widened again. "What? How much?"
She grinned wickedly. "I don't know. A lot I think. Depends on how much poison I am gonna use, I guess," she teased him. She went serious again. "Now tell me. If I poison you, what will she do?" she asked.
"She'll kill you and use your blood to save me!" he answered directly and harsh.
"Are you prepared to let her do that?" she asked.
"Not much of a choice in that, I think. Me dying and she . . . "
"Yeah, I guess you are right about that. She'd try to kill me. We'd fight, on my terrace. Then I'd let myself get stabbed while standing on the low wall at the edge of the terrace and let myself fall down. Most likely I'd fall on a truck going to the unknown . . ."
Angel looked stunned again, knowing the capabilities of a Slayer he realized that she could pull that off. "What?"
She nodded. "Yes, it will kill me. But I don't wanna live anyway . . ."
Angel tried again. "You don't have to do this! You can come with us and you don't have to kill yourself . . ."
#Wow, those boy scouts never try to stop *or* does he try to save his own life? Or her's? Lets find out.# "Listen friend. I'm not coming with you. I'm evil and I've teamed up with the Mayor. I can't stand your friends! I rather die then to be with them."
Angel opened his mouth and closed it again, realizing it was too late.
"What, not trying anymore? It was your slogan, for god's sake!"
"Not for you anymore. It's too late. You're not evil, Faith! But if your not willing to see it, then I can't help you . . ."
She nodded. "Well, there is still hope, fang. This wasn't the question." She stared at him closely. "Are you prepared to die in agony for *me*?" she asked him while pressing the arrow's tip against his chest. #Instead of B,# she thought, disgust clearly visible on her face.
He looked at the arrow and then to her. "Yes, I would!"
Faith went furious. "You liar! You're Buffy's boy." She kicked him to his side and continued to speak. "If Buffy's blood is the only thing that can save your ass, would you do it? Risking her life?"
"No, I wouldn't!" he snapped back.
She moved away and he immediately stood up.
"No! I wouldn't!" he repeated himself.
"She's gonna beg you for it!" she snapped.
"No!"
"Begging real hard, with tears rolling over cheeks," she made a sad and desperate face, mimicking Buffy.
He sighed, getting tired of this. "Then it's over!"
She continued pushing him. "She demands it from you. Telling you not to give up. That's not over!"
"No! It's over!"
"She is gonna hit you on your face, making you angry! Like this!" she snapped as she punched him in the face. His head snapped around while he stayed on his feet. He turned back to look at Faith and she hit him again. He still didn't go down, but it took him a little longer to come back up. Faith hit two more times and the after the fourth time Angel spinned back with a growl as he was vamped out. He just stood there, stared at her, while Faith pulled him down to the shoulder strap of her shirt behind her leather jacket, then grabbed him by the hair at the back of his head. She pulled him down against her neck and held him there. He looked down and suddenly bit down. Faith ripped him back before he could get a single drop. She just stared at him, controlling him, until he morphed back to his human form. He looked up at her, deeply ashamed.
"See, Angel. You're convinced now?"
Angel didn't react.
She spoke again, softly. "She will risk her life to save yours. You'll in the end risk the life of the woman who loves you to save your own life!"
Angel didn't know where to look out of shame.
Faith spoke for him. "I thought so. It's harsh isn't it. It's not easy to be a real hero. Not as easy as you would like to think so. And you're a Champion! Aren't you? What would you have done if I really had hurt you and Buffy would have killed me? Would you have sucked her blood, risked her life for yours? You don't have to answer for me. Answer that question for yourself and be honest."
She waited, until he finally nodded.
She tilted his head and stared in his eyes. "You wouldn't risk your life even for Buffy! Now I ask you again. Are you willing to save my life above yours?"
Angel stayed quiet. He couldn't answer that question anymore and he didn't need to.
She shook her head. "So you failed . . ."
Angel looked up at her and he saw Faith pointing the arrow at him he realized that he was about to die when she suddenly sighed. ". . . But in the end you answered the question truthfully. So I'll let you live."
Angel looked up at her, his eyes widened.
Faith grinned. "It was just a test. I just wondered how far you would go. Don't be ashamed of yourself Angel. Yeah, you tried to help me and you have helped the gang. You even saved Xander's life from when I was strangling him. I owe you big for that. But this . . . this is just too much for you . . ."
She shook her head and continued. "You know, Xander . . . Xander wouldn't have done it if he was faced the same situation. That's the way a hero works. If you're a wannabe, then you need to change, real fast. You showed some merit today, but the road is long . . ."
He looked at her, surprised. "Xander?"
She smiled at the expression on his face. "Yeah, Xander . . . He brought me back. You see, he never failed. He didn't even care about their opinion on him. He never did. A hero doesn't care. He even wanted to poison you in his silly plan to take the Mayor down . . ."
Angel's eyes widened.
". . . Risking their friendship and even his life in the process: he does what needs to be done when things look grim!"
She sighed. "I'm glad I could convince him to change his thoughts." She smiled. "Well, it's not that he had much choice in it . . ." she said as she showed him the arrow again.
She closed the distance a bit, staring the vamp straight in the eyes. "And let me tell you something else! He went way, waaay further then what you should have done if you wanted to rescue me today!" She sighed. "Look, I realize you mean it well and I know you're a vamp, but I did give you an honest chance. Xander didn't get any."
Angel simply stared at her, speechless.
"You better lay low now, you're supposed to be dead or heavily injured. So don't keep galivanting around, if the Mayor is going to find out you're still up and about, he'll know too early that I've betrayed him."
Angel continued staring at her and nodded slowly.
Faith sighed and reached into her jacket, pulled out her daily planner and opened it to today's list. Some of the things included are:
Greet Girl Scouts with the Mayor
Poison Angel
Have fun with Wuzley
Buy dress
Dinner with the Mayor
Prom
She put a check mark next to "Poison Angel" and put the planner away. She smiled wide and laughed. "Gosh, I'm feeling chipper!" she quipped and walked away. She frowned. #Damn, the Mayor has too much influence on me!"#
Angel's eyes widened again. "What? How much?"
She grinned wickedly. "I don't know. A lot I think. Depends on how much poison I am gonna use, I guess," she teased him. She went serious again. "Now tell me. If I poison you, what will she do?" she asked.
"She'll kill you and use your blood to save me!" he answered directly and harsh.
"Are you prepared to let her do that?" she asked.
"Not much of a choice in that, I think. Me dying and she . . . "
"Yeah, I guess you are right about that. She'd try to kill me. We'd fight, on my terrace. Then I'd let myself get stabbed while standing on the low wall at the edge of the terrace and let myself fall down. Most likely I'd fall on a truck going to the unknown . . ."
Angel looked stunned again, knowing the capabilities of a Slayer he realized that she could pull that off. "What?"
She nodded. "Yes, it will kill me. But I don't wanna live anyway . . ."
Angel tried again. "You don't have to do this! You can come with us and you don't have to kill yourself . . ."
#Wow, those boy scouts never try to stop *or* does he try to save his own life? Or her's? Lets find out.# "Listen friend. I'm not coming with you. I'm evil and I've teamed up with the Mayor. I can't stand your friends! I rather die then to be with them."
Angel opened his mouth and closed it again, realizing it was too late.
"What, not trying anymore? It was your slogan, for god's sake!"
"Not for you anymore. It's too late. You're not evil, Faith! But if your not willing to see it, then I can't help you . . ."
She nodded. "Well, there is still hope, fang. This wasn't the question." She stared at him closely. "Are you prepared to die in agony for *me*?" she asked him while pressing the arrow's tip against his chest. #Instead of B,# she thought, disgust clearly visible on her face.
He looked at the arrow and then to her. "Yes, I would!"
Faith went furious. "You liar! You're Buffy's boy." She kicked him to his side and continued to speak. "If Buffy's blood is the only thing that can save your ass, would you do it? Risking her life?"
"No, I wouldn't!" he snapped back.
She moved away and he immediately stood up.
"No! I wouldn't!" he repeated himself.
"She's gonna beg you for it!" she snapped.
"No!"
"Begging real hard, with tears rolling over cheeks," she made a sad and desperate face, mimicking Buffy.
He sighed, getting tired of this. "Then it's over!"
She continued pushing him. "She demands it from you. Telling you not to give up. That's not over!"
"No! It's over!"
"She is gonna hit you on your face, making you angry! Like this!" she snapped as she punched him in the face. His head snapped around while he stayed on his feet. He turned back to look at Faith and she hit him again. He still didn't go down, but it took him a little longer to come back up. Faith hit two more times and the after the fourth time Angel spinned back with a growl as he was vamped out. He just stood there, stared at her, while Faith pulled him down to the shoulder strap of her shirt behind her leather jacket, then grabbed him by the hair at the back of his head. She pulled him down against her neck and held him there. He looked down and suddenly bit down. Faith ripped him back before he could get a single drop. She just stared at him, controlling him, until he morphed back to his human form. He looked up at her, deeply ashamed.
"See, Angel. You're convinced now?"
Angel didn't react.
She spoke again, softly. "She will risk her life to save yours. You'll in the end risk the life of the woman who loves you to save your own life!"
Angel didn't know where to look out of shame.
Faith spoke for him. "I thought so. It's harsh isn't it. It's not easy to be a real hero. Not as easy as you would like to think so. And you're a Champion! Aren't you? What would you have done if I really had hurt you and Buffy would have killed me? Would you have sucked her blood, risked her life for yours? You don't have to answer for me. Answer that question for yourself and be honest."
She waited, until he finally nodded.
She tilted his head and stared in his eyes. "You wouldn't risk your life even for Buffy! Now I ask you again. Are you willing to save my life above yours?"
Angel stayed quiet. He couldn't answer that question anymore and he didn't need to.
She shook her head. "So you failed . . ."
Angel looked up at her and he saw Faith pointing the arrow at him he realized that he was about to die when she suddenly sighed. ". . . But in the end you answered the question truthfully. So I'll let you live."
Angel looked up at her, his eyes widened.
Faith grinned. "It was just a test. I just wondered how far you would go. Don't be ashamed of yourself Angel. Yeah, you tried to help me and you have helped the gang. You even saved Xander's life from when I was strangling him. I owe you big for that. But this . . . this is just too much for you . . ."
She shook her head and continued. "You know, Xander . . . Xander wouldn't have done it if he was faced the same situation. That's the way a hero works. If you're a wannabe, then you need to change, real fast. You showed some merit today, but the road is long . . ."
He looked at her, surprised. "Xander?"
She smiled at the expression on his face. "Yeah, Xander . . . He brought me back. You see, he never failed. He didn't even care about their opinion on him. He never did. A hero doesn't care. He even wanted to poison you in his silly plan to take the Mayor down . . ."
Angel's eyes widened.
". . . Risking their friendship and even his life in the process: he does what needs to be done when things look grim!"
She sighed. "I'm glad I could convince him to change his thoughts." She smiled. "Well, it's not that he had much choice in it . . ." she said as she showed him the arrow again.
She closed the distance a bit, staring the vamp straight in the eyes. "And let me tell you something else! He went way, waaay further then what you should have done if you wanted to rescue me today!" She sighed. "Look, I realize you mean it well and I know you're a vamp, but I did give you an honest chance. Xander didn't get any."
Angel simply stared at her, speechless.
"You better lay low now, you're supposed to be dead or heavily injured. So don't keep galivanting around, if the Mayor is going to find out you're still up and about, he'll know too early that I've betrayed him."
Angel continued staring at her and nodded slowly.
Faith sighed and reached into her jacket, pulled out her daily planner and opened it to today's list. Some of the things included are:
Greet Girl Scouts with the Mayor
Poison Angel
Have fun with Wuzley
Buy dress
Dinner with the Mayor
Prom
She put a check mark next to "Poison Angel" and put the planner away. She smiled wide and laughed. "Gosh, I'm feeling chipper!" she quipped and walked away. She frowned. #Damn, the Mayor has too much influence on me!"#