FUTURE IMPERFECT
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created like Callie, Nick, and Hope.
CHAPTER 13-I SEE DEAD PEOPLE-BEFOREHAND
Wesley and Faith's return trip home from the hospital had been eventful, having nearly missed being struck by a speeding motorist to picking up some supplies for the influx of old friends that would soon descend on their peaceful home. The checkup had gone well enough and the doctor had given them all of the customary information, prompting Faith to reply that she felt more like a commodity than a pregnant woman. Wesley had politely thanked the doctor before the two left the hospital. In her car seat Hope had mostly behaved but fussed a bit when Faith decided to carry her while Wesley pushed the cart along as they went through the supermarket. They had hastily made a list of things that they were going to need before they had left home, with most of the items being ones that Wesley and Faith could remember Angel and the others liking.
"What time tomorrow are they all coming again," Faith asked with a nervous frown on her face as she shifted Hope from one arm to the other.
"Sometime around ten…they would come sooner except Cordelia has to get Liam ready and Anya and Xander have to get Christopher ready and…," Wesley rambled off with an equally nervous look on his face as he took a loaf of bread off of the shelf and squeezed it lightly.
"That should give us enough time to clean up a bit…," Faith added with a deep in thought look on her face as she lightly brushed some hair off of Hope's forehead.
"And give you the chance to get a few special items out of sight right…," Wesley quipped with a sly smile on his face as he set the loaf of bread in the cart and grabbed another. "Hey…what was that for," Wesley exclaimed with a slightly hurt look on his face after Faith punched him lightly in the shoulder.
"I'm not going to hide anything Wesley…just make sure that everything's picked up and where it should be…and don't give me that look…," Faith started to answer with a calm look on her face before her brows furrowed and she pouted a bit at the look of disbelief that Wesley had on his face.
"Alright…I'll remember to put your knitting supplies in the hall closet and put all of the pictures of us that don't portray your usual image in the shoebox under the bed," Wesley said with a look of calm compliance on his face before he pushed the cart forward.
"Good, I still have a reputation…or sorts, to uphold and…," Faith started to say with a proud and boasting smile on her face before she noticed a young boy staring up at her with the softest brown eyes that she'd ever seen. His hair was almost an exact match to Wesley with the style even being about the same. The young boy opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out, only an eerie silence.
"Faith…Faith," Wesley said with a worried look on his face as he stopped scanning the shelves beside him and stared at his wife, who stood holding there daughter and staring down into empty space.
"Who are you," Faith asked with a troubled scowl on her face as she continued to stare down at the little boy, who simply smiled kindly in return.
"Who's who Faith…who are you talking to…," Wesley asked, growing more concerned as he looked around and saw no one else in the aisle.
"The little boy that's staring at me…," Faith answered softly without taking her eyes off of the little boy, who giggled silently.
"What little boy Faith, there's no one else in the aisle…," Wesley asked with now a worried frown on his face as he took a step around the end of the cart and stepped in front of Faith. Instantly she saw the image of the brown haired little boy dissipate into nothingness. Faith's eyes grew wide and she hurriedly looked up and down the aisle before turning back to Wesley.
"Where'd he go…he was right there…," Faith asked with a look of total confusion, and a small touch of fear, as she looked back and forth between Wesley's face and where the boy had been only moments before.
"Faith…what are you talking about…I didn't see anyone…," Wesley replied with a very concerned look on his face as he took Hope from Faith.
"But he was there…a little boy was staring up at me…he had the softest brown eyes…and then he just disappeared," Faith said with a completely lost and somewhat scared look on her face before she walked to both ends of the aisle and looked around.
"I'm sorry Faith but…," Wesley started to say with a confused frown on his face as Faith returned to the cart.
"I know I saw him Wes…he was right beside me…smiling the whole time…except when he tried to talk…but when he opened his mouth there wasn't any sound…," Faith said with a frustrated look on her face as she ran a hand through her hair.
"I don't know what to say Faith…has something like this every happened to you before," Wesley started to ask before Hope interrupted with a few nonsensical mumblings.
"No…but I swear that there was a little boy…," Faith answered with a slightly scared look on her face as she took a small step closer to Wesley.
"Maybe it was a ghost…and you saw it because you're the slayer…," Wesley said with a hopeful look on his face as he could tell from the look on Faith's face that his words weren't helping any.
"Maybe…can you…," Faith mumbled softly with a nervous look on her face as she stepped behind the cart and started to push it down the aisle.
"Check my books when we get home and look online to see if this supermarket is haunted…consider it done Faith," Wesley replied with a reassuring look on his face before he laid a hand on Faith's shoulder and the two continued on their way down the aisle.
* * * * * *
After Dawn had finished telling Buffy and Spike everything that Faith and Wesley had told her, along with Giles's help, she and Spike had left so that she could show him her dorm room. Dawn had asked Buffy if she wanted to come along but the elder slayer had said that she was a little to tired and wanted to talk to Giles about a few things. Dawn kept quiet almost the entire way back to her dorm room, with Spike using the time to try to come to terms with what she had told them. When they got back to the dorm the guard almost wouldn't let Spike in because the guard thought that he looked a bit like a mugger that had been wanted in the area. It had taken Dawn a little while to convince the guard that Spike wasn't the mugger before she was able to show him up to her room. As they went Spike felt a little nervous at all of the lustful stares that he was getting from some of the young women that he passed.
"We almost there Bit…I hate being the center of attention," Spike asked with an uncomfortable frown on his face as he followed Dawn around a corner and started up another flight of stairs.
"Yeah…and I thought that you loved to be the center of attention," Dawn called back with a noticeable amount of amusement in her voice.
"That was back when I was undead luv…now that I've got Buffy and the baby to worry about it's best for me to lay low and stay off of most people's radar," Spike replied with a bored and uncomfortable frown on his face as the two finally got to Dawn's floor and turned down the long hall, filled with giggling freshman.
"That's smart…but was this idea yours…or did Buffy…," Dawn asked with the beginnings of a sly smile on her face as she half turned back to Spike, who was politely smiling and nodding his head at everyone that he passed by.
"It was all my idea Bit…the slay…Buffy just makes it easier to handle…," Spike answered with a tired yawn before Dawn jumped to the side of an old door and smiled proudly. Acting very proper Dawn slowly opened the door and walked inside before turning back to Spike, who stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets and a nervous frown on his face.
"What's wrong…," Dawn asked, a bit of worry creeping into her voice, as she took a step back towards Spike.
"Could stand an invitation pet…," Spike mumbled with a nervous look on his face as he looked first at Dawn and then back down the hall.
"But you don't need one do you…since you're not a vampire anymore," Dawn asked with a confused and concerned look on her face.
"No…I don't need one but…," Spike mumbled back as an answer as he shuffled his feet and fought back a nervous smile.
"Okay Spike…I invite you into my dorm room," Dawn said with a fake aristocratic accent as she bowed low and bade him to enter her room.
"Thanks luv…," Spike said back with a calm smile on his face as he walked into the room and looked around. It looked a lot like Dawn's room back in Sunnydale, except that it was a lot large and that she shared the space with at least two other young women.
"So…what do you think…," Dawn asked with a pleading look on her face, as if she were desperately in need of his approval.
"I like it Dawn…I do… course it could stand to have a bit better choice of a music selection but…," Spike mumbled back in his best fatherly tone of voice as he sifted through the cd's on top of Dawn's bed.
"Hey…those aren't mine…Alyson left those on my bed this morning while she was making her bed," Dawn replied with an argumentative teenager like tone to her voice and stance as she crossed her arms and glowered at Spike, who after taking the scene in burst into a short fit of merry laughter. Dawn tried her best to keep from laughing but she had always found Spike's laughter contagious and soon the two were laughing like they hadn't in quite some time.
* * * * * *
Angel's kiss left her shell shocked for several seconds, unable to do anything but stand there like what she would later describe as a stupid little girl. She hadn't been expecting the kiss, although in the back of her mind she had been hoping and praying for it ever since the two had left California. Angel only stared back at her with the same look on his face that she saw reflected on her face in his eyes. The kiss hadn't been the best that she had ever received but in her silent euphoria she decided that it wasn't necessarily the quality or length of the kiss that mattered but just the fact that the kiss had happened at all that was most important. Angel chuckled a bit with a nervous smile on his face before saying anything.
"Guess I finally found a way to leave you speechless," Angel said with a sly smile on his face as he kept one arm on Gwen's side and the other around her slim waist.
"You wish pal…," Gwen teased back with a mock look of anger on her face as she poked Angel lightly in the chest before the vampire pulled her back into another kiss that was much deeper and had more feeling behind it. When asked about it later Gwen would lie and say that if that particular kiss had lasted but longer her knees would have given way. "That…that was…," Gwen said with a slightly overwhelmed smile on her face before she and Angel broke into a short fit of quiet laughter.
"Great…," Angel replied with a nervous smile on his face before he noticed the pout on Gwen's face. "What's wrong…," Angel asked with a concerned frown on his face as Gwen bowed her head a bit.
"It's nothing…," Gwen started to say as Angel was able to catch a quick glimpse of a single solitary tear sliding down her cheek. "This is great and all but…this is as far as we can go and…," Gwen sputtered out with an angry look on her face as she balled a fist up and pounded Angel lightly on the chest.
"The curse…yeah…one moment's true happiness and I lose my soul and turn back into Angelus…," Angel finished for her with a very sad frown on his face before he noticed that Gwen had started crying softly and pulled her closer.
* * * * * *
Even though they had the money to fly first class Fred had gotten everyone to agree to fly coach, thereby saving money for the hotel rooms and other expenses in New York City. They were lucky enough to catch a flight that was booked very lightly and so there were few other passengers on board. Gunn had been able to get them seats so that they were all together on either side of the aisle. Connor and Cordelia sat the furthest back with a noisy and rambunctious Liam between them while Fred and Gunn sat a couple of rows ahead on the other side of the plane. Lorne had tried his best to hide the fact that he was a demon and had taken the window seat beside Gunn and Fred. The Angel Investigations group had been about to leave for the airport when Xander had called from Sunnydale and at the end of the conversation Fred had done a little hacking into the airports mainframe and arranged it so that Xander and Anya could sit just ahead of Cordelia and Connor with Christopher in between them. Willow sat silently by herself just ahead of Gunn and Fred, trying her best to calm her frayed nerves.
"I still can't believe that they've been in New York this whole time…," Fred said with a pent up look of frustration on her face as she began to nervously wring her hands.
"I'm sure that they had their reasons Fred…," Lorne replied in his best tension alleviating tone of voice as he patted Fred lightly on the shoulder.
"Yeah…and telling us that they were alive and doing well wasn't very high on their list…but what I don't get is that after the final battle Willow did like a hundred locater spells and not one of them worked, it was like they vanished off the face of the earth," Xander added softly as he stood beside Gunn and leaned over a bit.
"Hey cut it out Xander I tried my best…I did…I can't help it if all of those locater spells fizzled out and went poof…," Willow mumbled sadly before she became demonstrative and mimicked the act of the spells exploding in her face.
"No one's blaming you Will…," Xander said softly trying his best to calm Willow down and keep himself from blushing with embarrassment.
"Well it sure sounded like it…but now that we know that they're alive and everything what are we going to do when we see them…," Willow mumbled sadly at first before she picked her head up and looked back at Gunn and Xander with a worried look on her face.
"I don't know…probably alternate between a little terribly righteous anger about them not telling us that they were okay and the happy crying and the reminiscing…," Xander said at first with a slow shrug of his shoulders before he looked down at his shoes and started to ramble.
"Honey…you're rambling again…," Anya whispered loudly as she leaned over and poked Xander in the side.
"Oh…uh…sorry," Xander mumbled with a nervous look on his face as he walked back over and sat down in his seat beside a smiling Christopher.
"Well I'm going to give Wesley a piece of my mind about making us worry all this time before…," Cordelia started to say with a very serious and important frown on her face before Gunn leaned back and interrupted with a sly smile on his face.
"Before you spend the rest of the time spoiling their daughter rotten…," Gunn said back with a happy look on his face, completely ignoring the look of death that Cordelia was giving him.
"And no doubt trying to keep Gwen and Angel apart…," Fred mumbled softly under breath to Lorne, who only smiled politely and nodded his head in silent agreement.
"I still don't see why we're all going…they didn't want us to know that they were okay so…," Connor started to say with a look on his face that seemed to say that he could care less about Faith and Wesley.
"Because they're our friends Connor…that's all the reason that we need…," Willow said with a very serious and forceful look on her face as she sat up and gave Connor a slightly warning look before she turned back around and tried to get some sleep as the airplane continued its trek towards New York City.
* * * * * * *
"I don't think he was a ghost Wes…he seemed almost…familiar…like I knew him," Faith said with a slightly worried look on her face as Wesley pulled back into their driveway.
"But how is that possible…," Wesley asked with a nervous and concerned look on his face as he brought the vehicle to a stop after backing it in towards the house.
"How the he…heck should I know…all that mystical stuff is still your department last time I checked Wes…I'm still way to new at it to even hazard a guess other than a ghost," Faith replied with an equally nervous frown on her face as she gazed up into the sky as the sun slowly slipped beneath the tops of the row of trees that lined their property.
"I know dear…but I'm just having a hard time figuring out why the little boy only appeared to you and not me," Wesley said with a serious scowl on his face as he opened the back door and got Hope out of her car seat.
"Again, that's not my area…but right now getting hounded by ghosts is the last thing we need before our house becomes ground zero," Faith said with a slightly bitter and unhappy tone to her voice as she opened the back hatch and began to get the groceries out.
"No argument here…but Faith here take Hope…I'll get the groceries into the house while you can go and see how Angel and Gwen are getting along," Wesley said with a slightly watcher like tone to his voice as he took a step to stand directly in front of Faith.
"You don't have to coddle me Wes…I'm not that far along, and besides even nine months pregnant I could still dust a vamp without breaking a sweat," Faith said defiantly with a very serious scowl on her face before she took Hope from Wesley and turned on her heel and headed off towards the converted barn.
"I know…it was the only thing that kept you from tearing the house apart…," Wesley mumbled under his breath as he watched Faith walk away before returning to carrying the groceries into the house.
"Daddy's worried about mommy Hope…he thinks that I'm going to work to much and do something stupid…but I wouldn't do that would I…," Faith said softly to Hope in a joking tone of voice as the two walked towards the barn. In reaction Hope only giggled a bit and took hold of some hair that came close enough for her to grab. "Hey Angel…Gwen…how'd you two make…out…," Faith started to say with a slight snicker as she opened the door of the barn only to find a very startled Angel and Gwen staring back at her, tightly woven in each other's arms.
END OF CHAPTER 13
