Note: Transmitter/receiver, I didn't know what to call the device. Just a little confusing to me too. I hate electronic devices, except for my computer. This is the last, last chapter of this first part. It's a series now. I have to find out if there is a happy ending. I like happy endings, unlike some big shot guy in Hollywood who likes to kill off all the good characters in his universe. Not like I'm complaining. Please read and enjoy.

I wanted to post this yesterday, but they were having problems at the site. Oh, well. Glad those guys fixed it.

Chapter Thirty-Three – Same Old Faith

Wesley reached for the backpack with the weapons. He handed Faith the other gun, taking the shotgun in his hands.

"How many shells do you have left for that thing?" Faith inquired.

"Two."

"Here, you take the handgun. You're the better shot."

"Not now, I'm not." Faith shook her head no, like she understood, but didn't want to believe it.

"Did I take that from you?"

"I don't know. I don't want to take that chance."

Connor looked confused by the two's conversation.

"You're going to need to go quickly with Dawn, Connor," Wesley pointed out to him.

"Not a problem."

Since it wasn't completely dark yet, Wesley could see off in the distance a shape moving towards them in the sky. He just hoped they had a lot of firepower.

"Let's just hope they don't fire on us," Faith answered, without having touched him. She was becoming just as linked to him as he was to her. What would happen if that link were abruptly cut off? "Not gonna happen. Need your head in the game on this one."

"I'm here." Barely.

Faith reached over to drag his mouth to hers. When they finished, both Dawn and Connor stared at them, mouth agape.

"What? Adults can't kiss in front of other people?" Faith said to the two.

"No. I just didn't think they could kiss like that," Connor finished.

Wesley chuckled. He really had to have a talk with the boy after this was over. Who knows what Angel told him about love and sex, if anything at all? Not like he was an expert. But with Faith around now, he felt he knew even more about the subject.

Faith abruptly turned to look at him, eyes wide. "We really are going to have words."

And a lot more, he thought.

Dirty, old man, he heard in his mind.

They could still hear the demons off in the distance, but they had gotten closer to their position. The helicopter would get to them in time. It had to.

Dawn smiled at him weakly.

"Get her ready, Connor."

Faith stuffed a knife in the front of her pants, and a short axe at her back, loaded the handgun with the last of the ammo, giving a thumbs up. Connor already had the other gun ready.

"If you have to shoot, make it count."

Faith took out the receiver from her bra and pressed another button. The green light now stayed constant. That was the signal. The helicopter was coming in for a landing, running dark as to not make itself as much of a target.

As soon as it hit the ground, the shooting started. The four took off for it as fast as they could, with Connor carrying Dawn. The helicopter was between them and the demons.

Or so they thought. A demon popped up from the tall grass directly in front of them. Faith took it out with one shot.

"Behind," Connor shouted, prompting Wesley to spin and fire the shotgun, taking out another. The helicopter's weapons were firing at unseen forces on the other side. Were they being surrounded?

They almost made it to the copter when a demon jumped out of nowhere and took Wesley down. Faith waved Connor on, and proceeded to join the battle. Until Connor was taken down too.

Both Faith and Wesley swung out at the demon, connecting, but not slowing it down. Then it hit Wesley's hurt hand, making him grunt in pain.

"Go help Connor," Faith yelled, taking the demon down with a flying kick. Then she threw the receiver to Wesley. Their calling card. The only way to approach without getting shot.

Connor had dropped Dawn on the ground. She was trying to stand up and help without much luck. Wesley screamed for Connor to duck. Just before he yelled, he heard a bone-grinding crunch, sending Connor to the ground anyway.

With one shot left, he took out the demon. Grabbing Connor, he ran for Dawn to lead them to the waiting copter. Now where in the hell was Faith?

As they approached, a door opened to reveal someone with an automatic rifle pointed directly at them. Wesley stopped and held up the prize in his hand. The man lowered the weapon and waved for them to climb in.

The helicopter was now taking fire from at least two sides. In the distance, Wesley thought he saw Faith coming, but without much light it was hard to tell.

"One more coming," he yelled as he climbed aboard, but the man ignored him. He shoved Wesley aside and signaled to take off.

Wesley lunged for the door, but the man dragged him away with the help of another. And then they rose from the ground. His stomach leapt to his throat not only from the acceleration of the helicopter, but the thought they had just left Faith to die. The two military men tried to strap him in, but Wesley slugged one and tackled the other.

Working on pure rage, he grabbed the guy he tackled and banged his head against the floor a few times. When he felt the first man's hands on him, he braced for another attack. The hands suddenly disappeared. He turned to see Connor grin.

Wesley then took out the second man's sidearm and strode over to the cockpit, thrusting the gun into the pilot's neck.

"Go back," he yelled to the pilot.

"It's suicide," the pilot answered back.

The co-pilot started to move, but Wesley shook his head no, to not even try it.

"Someone else is down there," he yelled back.

The co-pilot held up three fingers. Wesley shook his head no and mouthed the number four. They were only expecting three. Now they understood. The co-pilot handed him a headset.

"Where?" he asked Wesley.

"About twenty yards from where you touched down."

"Get ready. Don't worry. We've been under worse situations. Let's get him out of there."

"It's a her."

The co-pilot's eyes widened.

"We never leave a man or woman down."

Wesley turned to face Connor. He handed the gun to him, picking up the automatic rifle.

"Get ready," he yelled to the boy, knowing he would be of little help with one of his arms dangling the way it was. A bone was protruding out. Not a clean break. But Connor just shook his head.

Wesley clicked off the safety as they landed. Wrenching the door open with his good hand, he jumped out to search for Faith. The pilot had turned on the floodlights, lighting up the field so he could see. Faith was to his right, running toward them, demon hot on her heels.

Wesley motioned to her to duck and got ready to fire. Then the lights went out. He fired. He knew that Faith was OK. He could feel it to his very bones. So when she slammed into him and knocked him over, that was the happiest moment of his life.

They scrambled up and over to the waiting copter, which was now taking heavy fire from the demons.

The two men that Wesley had taken down were now doing their jobs, blood and all. As the door was shut and they took off, the co-pilot looked back to flash a thumbs-up sign. His eyes went wide when he saw Faith.

Wild-eyed, tank top ripped, bloodied lip, face swollen, all Wesley could think was same old Faith.

Faith laughed and collapsed into him.

FIN

Hope you enjoyed. I am now working on the sequel, which I will start posting shortly. Let's just say, all is not happy in their world. Thanks so much for all of your comments and suggestions.