Angel had carried her mostly back to the Summer's home, the tears on the Slayer's face drying as she lay in his arms, stunned. As the Vampire glided up the walkway, she dropped from his grasp. Wiping her face, and looking up to him, she whispered, "Oh, God."
Faith turned from the vampire, and he held her hand as they entered the threshold.
It was almost like a party. Many people were there, some Faith didn't even recognize, and she looked behind her at Angel, who nodded her on. Looking down at the ground, Faith let go of his hand and made her way through the crowd to the kitchen.
The room was deserted, a pie simply sitting in the middle of the island. She closed the door, immediately letting out short gasps of breath that she'd been holding in. The Slayer opened her eyes and wiped the tears away with the sleeve of her shirt, looking around the kitchen with watery vision. Her eyes fell on the pie.
Immediately, the Slayer grabbed the dessert, throwing it across the room and glass flying back in all directions. She hated this. The door flew open by one of the visitors and she quickly exited past them towards the stairs, then to her bedroom. Faith passed Buffy's on the way, seeing a figure on the bed. She pushed the door open, searching the face of the figure.
It was Jillian.
"Hey, baby." She whispered, walking in and sitting on the edge of the bed. She pulled a few strands back from Jillian's face and stroked her head. Clearly the child was asleep. Faith picked up her body in one strong arm and pulling back the bedspread and sheets with the other. She placed Jillian back down onto the bed, covering her up.
She just stood there for a bit, watching her before standing up and leaving from the room.
The Slayer collapsed onto her bed, knowing that they probably heard the noise from the old bed downstairs. Oh well, she didn't care. Faith hadn't gotten a wink of sleep in the past week, implying that she was exhausted. She closed her eyes, waking at the sound of her door creaking open. It was a tall, brooding, body that she couldn't make out.
It turned out to be Angel, who was just up there to check on her. He pulled the comforter up from underneath her and over her. Faith's eyes drifted closed, she falling back into what she hoped was a coma. But it couldn't be a coma. Not now. She had to take care of Jillian, the house, Slaying…
"Shhh," Angel said, stroking her head. She opened her eyes once more. Had she been whimpering in her sleep again? Angel tried to make eye contact with her, which he knew she hated, but he just had to see if the old Faith was still in there. She caught his sight, looking back at him through cold, dead eyes.
"I-I can't do this alone." She whispered harshly. Her tone was of one Angel had never heard her speak in. It was cold. Dead. But it still had sorrow and sadness locked up in it.
"Faith," Angel said, rocking her body. "We'll all be here. Xander, Willow, Giles…"
"And you?" she said, same tone as before. "You'll be back in Los Angeles with Wolfram and Ha-"
He looked in her chocolate brown eyes. "I'm only a telephone call away." And with that, the vampire leaned down and kissed her forehead, stroking her hair until the Slayer fell asleep.
But Faith couldn't fall asleep. Still.
When the Slayer opened her eyes, Angel was gone. She cried.
It wasn't dark, and it wasn't light. The cloudiness was muffled to the point that she couldn't see out the window. She wondered how Jillian was. Actually, Faith wondered how many things were. She rolled over onto her side, burying her head into the pillows. Her head collided with something hard.
"Angel?" she called softly, only to find that she'd hit her head on the headboard.
The Slayer wasn't read to get up. She needed her backbone. Her strength. The man who'd always been there for her. She needed him now.
"Angel." She called once more, knowing he wouldn't respond.