Title: This is My Life, pt 5
A.N. Still in Faith's POV
I stared in shock at the bundle that the tall, stick thin brunette woman held. He had blue eyes and sprinkles of brown hair and was very cute. "How?"
"Darla." Cordy started.
I looked away from the baby towards Cordy. "Didn't Angel stake her a while ago?" I asked confused.
"Wolfram and Hart." Wesley answered.
"Who?"
"Evil law firm that represents demons and basically anything evil. Angel has taken down a lot of their clients and they're not happy with him, so they brought Darla back."
"Ah." I said understanding a bit more. "Why me?"
"Angel trusts you." The woman holding the baby said.
"Who are you?" I asked, it was a little odd not knowing two out of four people in her private tower.
"Fred Burkle." She answered. "This is Charles Gunn."
"Ah." I said. "Hand me Connor." I said holding out my hands but before the baby was handed to me, I heard my statue moving. I moved towards the door and saw Dumbledore and Snape climbing the stairs. "Albus. Snape."
"Faith." Albus greeted me. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes." I answered running a hand through my hair. "Albus, Snape I'd like you to meet Cordelia, Wesley, Fred, and Charles."
"Gunn."
"What?"
"He likes to be called by Gunn." Cordy answered.
"Right." I said. "Anyways, Angel's up in my rooms but he needs blood."
"How did a vampire get into Hogwarts, Albus?" Snape asked. "What of the students?"
"He has a soul, Severus." Albus informed the potions master. "And I invited him in case he needed Faith's help. The wards will only allow him to see Hogwarts if his intentions are true and his soul is present."
A wale was heard as the bundle began to cry. Loudly. Bless Fred's soul, she tried so hard to calm the baby but nothing seemed to work. I stepped up to the baby and took him in my arms.
Wet yet wide blue eyes gazed up at me as he stopped crying. I wasn't a baby person, I tended to destroy what I had going for me so I didn't usually try. But if Angel could do it, so could I.
"I shall try to find something for Angel to eat." Albus said braking into the silence as most watched me with the small bundle in my hands. "Oh, Faith, I'm sure Mr. Moore would like to see you before the evening ends."
"Of course." I replied staring into the blue eyes.
"If the four of you would like to follow me, I will show you were you will be sleeping." I heard Snape saying to the AI team.
"I'll watch Connor." I say as Fred tried to take him. "And Angel."
"You should rest Faith." Snape tells me.
"I will." I promise looking up and meeting endless black eyes. "Thanks for your help Snape."
"Get some rest." Snape repeated before showing the AI gang out the door to who knew where.
Regular POVFaith fell asleep holding Connor during the night because the next morning she woke up feeling that she was being watched. Opening her eyes she saw Angel watching her and Connor with an unreadable expression. "You should be resting." She yawned.
"So should you."
"I was." She retorted lamely. "So tell me what's going on."
"There's a man from my past who's after Connor." Angel started before explaining exactly what was going on. With Wolfram and Hart. With this guy Holtz and what he wanted Connor for and why he cared so much. What they wanted her to do.
"I don't know if you should leave Connor with me, Angel." Faith replied softly. "There's a war going on here and I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do to help them."
"I believe in you Faith." Angel stated softly. "You can do anything you put your mind to. From what I saw of the great hall you've got people that care about you."
"Only because they don't know what I've done." She contradicted.
"Do you think they'll care?" Angel inquired carefully. "They've seen you, Faith. The real you. Not the one that hides behind guilt and pain. Not the one that carries their demons like its luggage."
"Says the souled vampire." She muttered.
"Exactly." Angel replied. "Who better to agree with than one who's had to carry his guilt and demons for the past century."
"Only you could think about giving me a lesson." Faith mused. "I think I've finally able to move on. I get what I did was bad and that it happened, but that's it. I can't change what happened, but I can try to help other people."
"Good for you, Faith." Angel commented. "Now you see why I trust you with my son."
"Alright, Angel." Faith sighed. "I'll do my best."
"That's all I ask." Angel smiled.
"I'm going to take a shower." She announced. "You spend time with your son because I'm sure you and the AI team are leaving soon."
"Probably tonight." Angel confirmed.
"Right." She said before exiting the room and going to her bathroom. After a quick shower she dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a white pullover that Albus bought her. She put her boots on before joining Angel downstairs only to see Albus and Dante with him. "Morning Albus, Dante."
"Morning Faith." The two greeted.
"Dante this is my friend Angel and his son Connor." Faith introduced the smaller third year boy. "I'll be taking care of him for a while."
"Hello Angel." Dante said before moving over towards Angel to see the bundle called Connor. "Hello Connor." He added smirking at the baby.
"Is everything alright?" Albus asked Faith after hearing about the child staying.
"Yep." She nodded. "Angel's son is in trouble and I'm going to play momma Slayer." She whispered to the older wizard.
Albus chuckled softly. "Come, there is a feast in the great hall." He said louder.
"Umm, Albus." Faith started.
"Oh, no need to worry about the sunshine, Angel." Albus winked at Faith who chuckled.
"You really think of everything don't you?" She asked rhetorically. Laughing Albus led the vampire, baby, slayer and third year student out of the room and down the hallway.
When they entered the great hall, all the students still at Hogwarts, turned to face them. Faith accepted Connor when Angel handed him to her and watched as he joined the AI team. Sighing she walked with Dante over to the students table.
"Morning." Most of the students replied.
"Morning." Faith echoed. "Everyone this is Connor." She said as she sat down with the baby.
Harry smiled at the sight of seeing the brunette holding a small bundle in her arms as she slowly ate her food. When the baby began fussing slightly she turned just in time to catch the bottle that Angel had thrown her.
"Thanks Angel." She muttered checking the bottle warmth. "Harry? A little fire?" She inquired passing the bottle to the boy on her right.
"Sure." Harry said warming up the bottle slightly before handing it back to the brunette that was talking, eating and bouncing the baby in her arms all at the same time.
"Thanks." She said before placing the bottle in the baby's mouth. Connor hungrily began slurping at the nipple drinking at a quick rate that Faith glanced down at the boy.
Blue eyes watched her as he slurped happily. She couldn't help but wonder if she was going to royally screw this baby up and how was she going to take care of a toddler when she couldn't take care of herself.
Wait, she thought, I can take care of myself. I have been for quite sometime. She continued with these thoughts while holding conversations with the students.
Entirely too soon, nightfall fell and Angel was standing on the platform saying goodbye. "Good-bye, Connor." Angel whispered hugging him. "I'll come back for you when things are safe again." He added handing him to Cordelia to say her good-byes.
"See you later, Angel." Faith replied.
"Take care of yourself Faith." Angel said pulling her into a hug. Smiling softly when he felt her return the hug. "Don't worry about how you're doing when it comes to Connor. He'll be stronger because you'll take care of him and quite possibly will love him."
"Take care of yourself, Angel." Faith ordered. "Make sure he still has a daddy to come home to."
"You know I'll try." He said seriously watching her take his baby boy. "Bye Faith."
"Bye Angel." Faith replied. "Bye Wes, Cordy. It was nice to meet you Gunn and Fred."
"You too Faith." Was the collective replied. Then they all boarded the train and left Faith and Connor standing at the Hogsmeade Station.
Sighing she said, "Looks like it's just you and me kiddo." Her response was a gurgle like giggle as he grabbed some of her hair. "You're a miracle you know that?" She asked as they climbed back into the waiting carriage heading back to Hogwarts.
End pt 5