~*~
Sara sprinted through the entrance of the building onto the busy sidewalk. She stood in the middle of the bustling crowd, her frantic eyes falling onto unfamiliar faces and figures passing by. Slightly relieved that not one were recognized as members of the White Bulls or Nottingham. Though the sense of danger still lingered heavily in the air. The blade grew hotly on her wrist and Sara's already racing heart started to beat faster with panic. Her eyes darted left and right, searching for an escape. What was she going to do? Where was she going to go?
The loud roar of a bus screeching to a halt pulled Sara out of her disquiet reverie. Without a second thought, she rushed for the bus and got on. Quickly taking a seat near the back and cowered from sight. She stared at the doors, waiting in anticipation for it to close. Only when she heard them hiss shut did she let out a sigh of relief. Soon the bus slowly rolled down the street, leaving behind the Bulls who had just vacated the very spot Sara stood moments ago.
Up above the building rooftop, Faith watched as the small group off Dante's men fruitlessly searched the area for Sara. Unbeknownst to them that the number eleven bus had just whisked their prey away. Faith focused her attention on the bus and began her pursuit on foot.
Sara straightened up in her seat and looked contemplatively out the window. Thinking how in the past couple of days her life had completely turned upside down. She didn't know what to do, where to go, and worst whom she should trust.
"Boo!" A familiar voice broke through Sara's thoughts. She looks up to see Danny walking up the aisle towards her. "Ghost joke," he teased, sitting down besides her. "Don't act surprised or anything."
"Nothing could surprise me any more." Sara replied.
"Not true."
"You're right," She said shaking her head reliving all the events of the past couple of days.
"One is enriched through unfortunate events."
"Confucius?"
"Nah, I Ching, Book of Changes. Appropriate reading for you right now.
"Yeah, I'll say." She turns to her ghostly partner, "You know, you got a fat nerve being dead right now. I could use someone like you."
Danny looks here as if she's blind, "I'm right here."
"Someone alive….Danny" Sara lowers her voice after catching some woman staring at her strangely. Forgetting that she was speaking to her dead partner that only she could see. Danny looks over his shoulder and laughs. He turns back to Sara, "There is someone you can trust, Pez?"
"Oh yeah, who, Danny?"
"Mind if I join you?"
Sara looked up, surprised to see Faith standing in the aisle. "Surprise to see me, Detective?" Sara's mouth started to move but no words were uttered.
"Well, while you're thinking about that I'm going to sit down. My feet are killing me."
Sara was about to protest but stopped herself. What was she going to tell Faith? 'No, my dead partner is sitting here.' It didn't matter Danny had long disappeared. Faith sighed as she sat down. "Much better. So, Detective, where are you going?" Sara didn't answer. "You know sooner or later we'll have to get off this bus." Faith said while staring straight ahead, noting the bus route.
"Before we go anywhere, I want to know just who the hell are you?" Sara finally said. Especially, after witnessing Faith's incredible figthing skills against Nottingham and her uncanny way of surviving after being shot not once but twice by Jake.
Faith grinned at the question. She eyed Sara speculatively, "Before I get into detail about myself I have to ask you something. Back there in that alley you said you were going to 'roll the dice on me'. Does that mean you trust me, Detective?"
Sara ran a frustrated hand through her hair. She looked out the window watching as nameless faces blurred as they passed by. "I don't know who to trust anymore but," turning to look at Faith, "So far you've been the only person who hasn't tried to kill me in the past 48 hours. Not to mention you have saved my ass a couple of times already. I don't completely trust you, Faith. How can I? I don't even know you."
"You will in time," Faith added.
Sara nodded her head, content that she was going to get some questions answered. "But you're the only person I got. So yes, I trust you."
"Good, now with that settled," Faith stood up and signaled for the next stop. On instinct, Sara reached forward and grabbed Faith's arm. Afraid that she was going to disappear. "Relax, Detective and just trust me. We need to get off this bus."
Sara's eyebrows shut up, "Where are we going?"
"Somewhere safe, of course." The bus slowed down and stopped.
Faith quickly waved down a taxi soon after getting off the bus. They got in and the driver, with his heavy New York accent asked, "Where to ladies?"
"Just drive. I'll navigate you." Faith answered rather sternly.
The driver turned around and said, "Hey look lady I'm the driver, aight. I don't tell you how to do your job and you don't tell me how to do mines. So, where tooo…."
Faith rolled her eyes, unimpressed. She flashed the driver a hundred dollar bill. That quickly changed the cabbie's attitude. "As I was saying, where to lady?"
Sara just shook her head; "You certainly have a way with people, Faith."
"What can I say, Detective. I'm a people person." Faith informed the driver where to go and they were off.
Sara was silent throughout the ride. Trying to memorize the route, they were taking. Sara soon recognized the run down area. Not many visited here; of course, no one sane would want to. The place was full of abandon warehouses, empty lots, and condemned buildings. Danger lurked at every corner. Doubts were starting to rise, wondering if trusting Faith was really a good idea.
"Stop right here," Faith ordered. The car pulled up in front of an old abandon church. Sara got out of the cab and impatiently waited on the sidewalk for Faith to finish up paying the taxi driver. Faith got out of the car and walked over to the driver side of the cab. Sara didn't hear what Faith had told the driver but moments later the taxi was speeding away, tires screeching as it rounded a corner.
"What the hell was that all about?" Sara asked once Faith joined her.
Faith just shrugged her shoulder, waving the question aside. "Oh nothing, important. Come on let's go."
"Where?" Sara spreads her arms out, "We're in the middle of a nowhere."
Faith walked down the block, "If you'd shut up and stop complaining you'll find out." She yelled over her shoulder.
Sara sighed in frustration and ran to catch up with Faith. They turned right, down an alley and stopped at a dead end. Faith reached into her pocket and pulled out a small device. She aimed it at an old rusted metal door and a side panel appeared out of nowhere. After punching in the appropriate keys, the door hissed open with ease.
Faith ushered Sara inside and locked the door behind them. They walked up the long flight of stairs until finally they came up to a door. Sara pushed it opened and stepped into a well-lit hallway. She pointed at the elevator; "You made me walk up those stairs when this place had an elevator this whole time?"
Faith amusingly grinned and shrugged her shoulders. She walked passed Sara over to the double doors. "Where are we?" Sara asked. Faith pushed opened the doors and admitted Sara inside.
The beautifully decorated loft took Sara aback. "Welcome to my home, Detective."
"Faith?!" Someone called out. Sara immediately knew who it was. She started at Faith who only smiled. "In here, Angel." She answered back.
Sara's eyes widen when Gabriel appeared through the archway. She rushed towards him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "Thank God you're all right. I have been so worried. I thought the White Bulls might have…" She trailed off, tears threatening to fall. Gabriel hugged her back, giving Sara the reassurance that he was indeed all right. "I'm so sorry, Gabriel. I should have known better then to have asked you to help me. I mean it's my fault that they almost…." Sara couldn't say the words. She had been so close to losing him.
"Hey, I'm okay, Chief. A bit banged up but all right. And you got nothing to apologize for."
"But it was my fault all this happened. I shouldn't have asked." Sara added.
"Yes you should have and I'm glad you did. You're my friend, Sara. That's what friend's do. They help each other out. So, don't think for one minute that this was your fault. Its not. Okay?"
Sara nodded her head and wiped the tears away. Before she was able to ask what had happened Faith spoke up, "Look before we get down to discussing the details, Sara why don't you go freshen up a bit, get some rest." Faith held her hands up to stop Sara's protesting. "You're more then welcome to use my room and bathroom if you want. You will find that there is a duffle bag full of your stuff near the closet." Sara was about to ask how she managed that but stopped herself.
"The best thing to do right now is to try and calm down our racing nerves and relax. We've all had a long day, Sara. When the time is right, we'll talk. And all the questions you have will be answered….later." Faith said leaving no room for arguments.
Sara acquiescently nodded her head, "All right." She did feel drain and a shower did sound appealing. Faith guided Sara to her room and showed her where everything was. She closed the door behind her and returned to the living room.
Faith walked over to the couch Gabe was sitting on and plopped down next to him. She exhaled a long sigh and dropped her head back onto the couch. Covering her eyes with the back of her arm. "What happened?" Gabe finally asked his curiosity was getting to him.
Faith removed her arm and stared at the ceiling. "All hell broke loose, Angel."
"Now that we have more time, care to fill me in on what's going on?" Gabe asked. Faith sighed once again and turned her head to look a Gabe. "All right, Angel." She said and started to explain everything.
"Whoa," was all he could say after she was done.
"One question. Does Sara know about Ian?"
"Not exactly," she answered.
"What do you mean not exactly?"
"She knows that he's alive…."
"But she doesn't know you were the one that saved him and that Ian is here, right?"
"Exactly."