Note: Thanks so much for the reviews so far. I love you guys and gals so much. It made my Monday to read them. Here are Faith's thoughts. Not as long as Wes's, because he just thinks way too much sometimes. Also, some more characteristics show up between the two. The italics are internal conversations only the two can hear. I will use this throughout the fic. Please enjoy.
Chapter Two – Same New Wes
As the helicopter started to land, Faith decided that it was time to open her eyes. Thank God she was so good at faking unconsciousness. Wesley'd kill her if he knew she'd been listening in on his mental conversation with himself.
At first, she thought the man's a fucking loony psycho. Then she concluded, damn how can he be so right, the peeling layer part aside. Too much like bananas. Made her too hungry.
So the man didn't think he could be redeemed, that she had that market cornered. Thought he was a total fuck-up. Something she thought about herself constantly. Oh man, did he have relationship issues. Well, she'd never had a real relationship to speak of, so how was she to judge.
She was glad they hadn't stayed in that watcher/slayer mode. Even back then she had felt the urge to throw him up against a wall somewhere and take him just to see his reaction. She had never thought of Giles that way. And he thought that his change of demeanor had done it for her. Helped a little, but he had started doing it for her long before.
What to do now, she thought? Get the guy's big ole' brain back on track, find B and live happily ever after? Not that simple. Just as their so-called relationship, as he put it so well, would ever be. She'd be bored and out of there if it was that simple.
But now, reality was back. Warm shower, warm bed, hot sex with a man that had great hands. What more could she want?
As she moved around a little to wake up her muscles, Wesley's hand clasped hers tightly.
"Back to reality," he mouthed to her.
The copter landed and the door was opened. Several people stood at the end of the tarmac, waiting for answers. With the mission incomplete, all she could do was laugh.
Oh man, this would not be what those guys would want. And damn, was she screwed with Giles.
Wesley gave her a squeeze of the hand, but didn't let go. The military unloaded Dawn and Connor first to get them medical attention. Then Wesley jumped off, helping Faith down to the ground. And he never let go.
I'm your lifeline, buddy. We're in this together, she thought.
In more ways than one, he answered silently.
Giles ran out to her, searching for Buffy.
"Where is she?" he asked as he saw Dawn being wheeled by. "Dawn?"
"Will live," Faith assured him.
Then his eyes focused on the man firmly attached to her side. "Wesley?"
Too late she'd seen the rage in his heart. He let go of her and sent his fist into Giles' face, knocking him down. Several of the military men moved forward to intervene on Giles' behalf, but she stepped in front of Wesley. Not only to stop him, but to protect him. Besides, it was kind of funny watching Rupert get knocked to his ass every once in a while.
"I didn't send my guys out after you Faith to have some wild-eyed mercenary deck Giles for no reason." Faith turned to see Riley Finn walk toward her. And by the looks of things, he was a very important man in these parts.
Giles had gotten up, but hadn't gotten any closer to the ex-watcher, glaring from a distance. Lots of animal themes ran through her mind at the moment like, "Don't stick your hand in the cage, or you might get bitten," or something like that. Wesley did kind of look like a wild animal at the moment.
"Hey Giles. Sorry about the greeting, but we'd like to check on Dawn and Connor. And Marlboro man here probably needs stitches somewhere. Although I'm not sure where at this point considering all the dried blood."
Wesley's eyebrow shot up.
"Hey, Willow's analogy, not mine."
Faith took Wesley's hand to follow Riley, who had taken off to see where they'd wheeled the teenagers. As soon as they gotten to that building, the metal detectors went off noisily.
"You know, I don't think crazy-ass psycho man'll want to give up his weapons," she pointed out to Riley as the two guards stood at attention.
"You're civilians."
Oh man, she really had to get that expression off of Wesley's face or he'd be decking Finn at any moment. Then the guards would draw their weapons.
"Faith, ladies first," Wesley managed to get out.
So she started to unload her weapons. Ax, gun, stakes, knife, piling them on the table. The guards' eyes got larger.
"Come on, Wes. I showed you mine, now where's yours? I don't want to have to frisk you." Well, at least she knew the shotgun wasn't hidden on him. Too big.
Ax, oh nice one too. He smiled at her. Gun, his. Must have gotten it back from Connor. Another gun, military. When'd he lift that? Knife from one boot, bigger knife from the other. Faith tapped her foot.
"Sleeve?" she asked.
Wesley rolled his sleeve up to reveal the stake contraption that had saved them in that dark alley.
"So, you clean?"
"Going to frisk me and see?" he challenged.
"Oh good God man," Giles said from a few feet away.
Wesley just laughed and dug another, much smaller knife out of his boot.
"Feel better?"
"Not in the least." Finally a civilized answer. But the flame in his eyes wasn't tame at all.
"Where are the kids, Finn?" Faith turned to ask the military man.
The two went through the detector again and were waved on. No beeps.
"You better not have lied to me," she whispered to him as they strode down a sterile corridor.
"What they can't detect, Faith."
Faith took his hand to steady him. Finn directed them to the room where Dawn and Connor were being evaluated. The doctor walked over to Riley and saluted.
"Sir, these two have extensive injuries. The female has been shot once in the thigh, significant blood loss. Luckily someone stopped it. The male's arm has been shattered. May need surgery."
"No," Wesley spoke up. "Set it. See if it heals on its own."
"Sir. You're not a doctor."
"The boy heals as fast as a slayer. Didn't want to waste your time."
"How on earth was Dawn so badly injured Faith? You were supposed to protect her and find Buffy." Giles wanted answers. "And if you had anything to do with it," he directed toward Wesley.
Connor was watching the byplay and started to get up. Wesley motioned for him to stay put. Thank God for small favors, Faith realized. They had no idea what they were dealing with in Connor.
"We'll talk Giles. But Wes needs medical attention, so it'll have to wait."
Riley directed Wesley over to another bed. Giles put a hand on her to stop.
"Is she alive?" Faith could see the grave concern on the watcher's face.
"Yeah. Wes seems to think that she is. And Dawn, she did good Giles. Buffy'd be proud of her." Faith started to walk away. "Oh and Giles, bad plan."
"That's quite obvious, now isn't it," Giles admitted, rubbing his sore jaw.
"Yeah, even you can screw up royally sometimes."
"Not been the first time."
Wesley sat down gingerly on the medical bed. When he briefly had seen his reflection earlier in the mirror, no wonder people backed off from him. Ax-murderer indeed.
"I know you," he spoke to Riley.
"Have me at a disadvantage." The man before him was tall, lean, military through and through. He saw what Buffy would see in him. Normal in a way. Much more normal than Angel that was for sure.
"Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. We have a mutual . . . ." He had wanted to say friend, but that didn't fit. Angel had told him he despised the guy. "I worked for Angel."
"Oh, ohhhh." Riley shook his head.
"So, how is he?"
"Dead."
"Not just undead?"
"No, dead as in dust dead."
"Sorry to hear that. Buffy?"
"Alive, as far as I can tell."
"How do you know?"
"You'll have to wait your turn, now won't you?" Wesley hadn't wanted to tweak the man, but he did anyway.
"Now, honey, no antagonizing the nice man with the gun," Faith said as she walked up to the bed. "As I have said many times before. You look like hell."
Wesley knew she was sort of kidding. Giles had followed her, waiting patiently.
"If you must know, I performed a locator spell to find Buffy. I saw her, but something blocked me from seeing her location."
"You can do magicks? When did this happen?"
"Always did do them, Rupert. You just never asked."
Faith grabbed his hand again. "Hey, if you do what you just thought . . . ."
"I don't quite get your meaning," Giles looked at the two.
"See. And I could have shown him, Faith."
"There will be no showing, only talking. Got it, buster?"
"Or what?"
"You'll pay. That's what." Faith smirked a little. Dammit, she'd read his mind again. The gutter it was.
"Like to see you try."
And Giles looked as if he wanted to twist Wesley's head off. Who could blame him? He had baited everyone in the room, including Faith.
"Now, if you two are done being children."
"For now," Faith answered.
Faith took a big breath to calm herself. Giles needed to know the whole story.
"Giles, it was really bad. But there are pockets of resistance. We still have a fighting chance to score big time. Take out the leader and we might be able to take them all down."
Faith thought, "thank you Wes for the deduction skills to figure this out."
Wesley came alive now. "They're way too organized. They knew exactly which infrastructure to take to make a city come to its knees. There were demons that had blood vengeances that have last a millennia that were working together." Research guy now.
"Coordinated attacks? We weren't sure," Riley added.
"Unless you knew the way the demons worked, it wouldn't have been apparent. Take over one of the most powerful cities in the world to be your base of operations. Bloody brilliant plan. It would take someone charismatic and powerful to pull it off."
"Yes. I'll start to research which demons could have the potential to do this," Giles answered.
"Could be human?" Faith pointed out.
"That'll be my homework then," Riley said.
The doctor had started tending to Wesley's injuries. The man hadn't flinched the entire time. They slowly were cutting through his shirt during the whole conversation. All the cuts that had dried made it difficult to just take the shirt off.
"So, we'll need a place to clean up and get some sleep. Food too."
Giles and Riley didn't say a word, but Faith knew they wanted to ask about all of Wesley's scars. Both knew some of the story, especially the torture part. Not her business to say a word.
"Looks like you've been through combat," the doctor mentioned as he checked Wesley over.
"You could say that. Lots of it as a matter of fact." Not blaming her entirely. That was a good thing.
"Surprised the one on the neck didn't kill you."
"Guess I must be lucky," Wesley answered. He reached for Faith's hand.
"Or have a guardian angel," Faith joked.
"Cordelia always called me Timex man." Faith laughed. Giles was not amused.
"Faith, I'll need a full report after you've rested. One more question. Who is the boy?"
Willow never told Giles? That little sneak. She never thought to mention it. Buffy must know. Giles had been gone a lot that last year or so before Sunnydale went bye-bye.
"Connor. Angel's son," Wesley whispered.
Giles' eyes widened in disbelief. "Lots and lots to talk about, Faith."
TBC
Hey, I couldn't remember who knew about Connor. I'll just assume Giles didn't.
