Chapter 1

Angel's thoughts drifted away into silence as the front door to the Hyperion Hotel open and briskly closed as the voices of his team mates began to fill the lobby as they returned from their sweeps of the city. He listened intently as he separated the voices. Three different voices: Spike, Gunn, Illyria.

All three, Angel thought with relief. These days every sweep mission out on the city was a challenge. It wasn't like the good old days with the usual run ins with the lowest of the low of the demon class. These days things were different.

Despite narrowly avoided death and dismemberment by the hordes of Wolfram & Hart, Angel would had thought that things would go back to normal when Angel and his comrades returned to their roots. Well all except for Illyria and Spike. If they had returned to their routes, Illyria would be sanctifying live sacrifices and Spike would be pining over a certain vampire slayer.

Angel walked around the corner to see the trio unloading and checking their weapons. He stood at the corner of the hall as he could see the three interacting. The team had come a long way recovering from their fight against Wolfram & Hart. And Angel could not had been more prouder to see how well the team had adapted with one another.

As he walked towards the lobby he realized that one of the few things he missed from his days as the CEO of the Los Angeles division of Wolfram and Hart were the many times he saw Illyria kicking the shit out of Spike in the down below research labs of the building.

"I bloody had him," Spike rambled as Angel approached.

"You had your ass surrounded," Gunn returned as Illyria silently checked her weapons: her trusted axe that was still stained by the blood of her enemy.

"If I hadn't stepped in, we'd be bringing you back in a ash tray," Gunn remarked as he began checking his cross-bow.

"Charming thought," Angel remarked as he stood before his team.

"Sod off, peaches" Spike said as he light a cigarette and puffed the air and enjoyed the smooth nicotine in his system. Nothing' like a smoke after the deal's done, Spike always said.

"I thought I said no smoking," Angel said as he pointed to a no smoking sign.

"Yep, certainly looks that way," Spike exhaled a puff of smoke and walked off leaving Angel shaking his head at the insubordination. How the hell do I live with him?

"How was the night?" Angel asked.

"A good night for spilled blood," the proud ex ancient-goddess exclaimed as the adrenaline of the sweep continued to diminish. "I wish to return into the night and do more damage. Inflicting harm on that vehicle was enjoyable."

"Enjoyable?" Spike asked as he returned from the kitchen with the cigarette in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other. "You murdered a Desoto ,you ex ancient goddess."

"It was, enjoyable," she said as a smile formed.

Angel stood off as he laughed silently to himself. He saw the bond that the team shared. Yes, even a bond with Spike. Even though Angel would never admit it. Not even if his un-dead life depended on it.

The phone in the Hyperion lobby rang as the ringing echoed off the walls in the now silent air.

Illyria walked over to the ringing phone and picked up the receiver. This act causing Spike's eyes to roll in the back of his head as he remembered the last time she played operator.

"Angel Investigations, what may we slaughter for you."

Angel rushed over to grab the extension from Illyria as Spike and Gunn looked on laughing uncontrollably as Spike finished downing his beer.

"Angel Investigations, how can we help you?" He said as he motioned for Illyria to relinquish her hold on the phone. Now, Angel mouthed to her as she reluctantly obeyed.

Illyria moved to stand by Spike and Gunn. "Why am I not allowed to respond to that contraption."

"You're a little forward, luv. Even for me." Spike said as he looked on to see the fearless leader taking on a new case no doubt. "No rest for the wicked."

Later on, Angel returned to his office as the rest of the gang ordered pizza from the local pizza delivery joint that was in fact two blocks away. Even though the distance was small, the pizza would arrive cold and Spike would threaten to bite the pizza delivery boy when he asked for a tip. "Yeah," Spike would say. "You want a tip you little git, get a life and leave the Dungeons and Dragons in grade school.."

Angel listened intently as to what the person on the receiver was telling him. "So your telling me that she was grabbed off the streets in broad day light?"

"Yes," the voice on the other end replied.

"So what do you need from us?" he asked as he grabbed a pen and a piece of paper from his desk. He was immediately concerned about the event that was carried out no less than a day ago.

As Angel continued to write down on paper what the person on the line was telling him, he began to draw a mental picture as he could see her being snabbed off the side of the street in the middle of the day as if he was standing there witnessing the event. Minus the smoke and spontaneous combustion.

"We'll start looking into this immediately. I'll get back with you in a few days to let you know what we've found, Andrew."

"Thank you, Angel. Any help you can provide us, will be extraordinarily appreciated," Andrew responded from his office in the heart of London, England in the new Watcher Council headquarters.

"Oh, and one more thing Andrew," Angel paused as he grabbed the young Watcher's attention.

"Anything, Angel."

"Does she know your asking for our help?"

The line on the other end was dead silent as he would had sworn the connection was broking until the sound of Andrew clearing his throat sounded.

"Who do you think asked me to call, Angel?" Andrew asked. "She understands the bond that you and Faith once had. She knew that you would want to help in any way possible. And with intelligence pointing to your neck of the woods, there was no one better."

"Andrew, one other thing. Does she know about him?"

"No, Angel. I've always kept my vow to conceal that Spike lives on."

"We've got the situation covered on this end. Ill be in touch."

"We'll talk to you soon, Angel. Cherio!"

Angel rolled his eyes, "Good bye, Andrew," as he hung the extension up and gathered his thoughts of what to tell the team. He immediately stood up and proceeded towards the lobby as he saw Spike standing at the front door as the pizza delivery boy was delivering yet a cold pizza once again.

"Get out of here!" Spike roared at the delivery boy who was no more than seventeen. The boy tucked tails and ran as Spike closed the door and Angel entered the lobby. A moment later the sound of wheels peeling out as the pizza car drove off.

"Oh yeah, stone cold pizza. God's gift to man, and vampires alike," Spike announced as he headed towards the rest of the team.

"Why don't we check out the other joint on the corner of fourth?" Gunn inquired as he grabbed a piece of cold pepperoni and extra cheese pizza.

"Because, they'll show up on time and we'll have to fork out full charge," Spike announced the obvious.

Angel approached as Illyria as always began to toy with her pizza. "I can not describe the taste of this pizza sauce."

"That's why you shut the thought process down and enjoy it, luv" Spike said as he gulped down yet another beer.

"We've got a situation," Angel announced as he attracted the team's attention.

"Oh, what is it we have this time around, fearless leader? Another boogie man closet infestation?" Spike snapped in between gulps of his beer and bites of his pizza.

"Faith's been kidnapped."

The light-heartedness in the room sucked out of the room as time seemingly slowed down from the announcement of the startling revelation.

"The Watchers think she'll be headed to LA."

Spike was the first to rise from his chair, leaving the pizza and beer on the coffee table. "What's the game plan, boss man?