Actions & Consequences (4/?)
To Faith's relief she didn't pass any of her companions on the way out, meaning she didn't have to think of an excuse for the duffle bag she was carrying over her shoulder or the glazed expression on her face. Her luck held when she reached the front of the hotel, Xander had disappeared somewhere, probably to cry on someone's shoulder about Anya. Anybody but her.
Shoving aside her hurt and bitterness as unimportant now, Faith stalked forward, hurrying towards the car Woodie had hired so they could see some of the sights. She'd send him the deposit money and an explanation once she'd saved her babies. Thank god he'd left his keys on the bedside table. Her usually sure hand missed the car door lock three times before finally sliding the key in. "Where you going Faith?"
* * *
Xander's single eye narrowed as he noticed Faith arguing with Wood by the former principal's car. "Oedipus much?" his lip curled up in disdain. Not that he cared who Faith was fucking and he barely knew Wood, but he thought it was pretty sick for the new teacher to go after Faith as a mother figure. He knew what a great mom Faith wouldn't make. Not that Faith didn't have comforting attributes....
He glanced down at his shopping, a six-pack of beer. After growing up with his drunken asshole of a father he swore he'd never drink, but now with the loss of his eye, his home, and most importantly, his Anya, he couldn't muster the effort to give a shit anymore. Deciding he didn't want to put up with anymore of the bitch's fake concern or the principal's condescension, he began to sneak around them, sticking to the shadows, only to stop when he heard the conversation. His face tightening with rage, he started towards the duo.
* * *
"Fuck," Faith muttered. "Busted." Forcing a smile, she turned to face her boyfriend, her mind racing. "Hi Woodie, I just figured I'd take a drive, blow some cobwebs away you know," she tried for a casual tone.
"You haven't got a licence," Wood pointed out. "And what do you need the bag for?"
Faith's eyes narrowed when her boyfriend pulled a silenced automatic out of his jacket and pointed at her. "Wood, what the fuck are you doing?"
Her lover's face twisted into a sneer. "God, I've hated the last couple of weeks, having to sleep with a slut like you."
Faith felt like she'd punched in the gut. "W...what?"
"Thousands of years ago it was prophesised to the Order of Kali that one day, a Slayer would give birth to children, children that would be pivotal to the world's future. The Order of Kali placed me here to deliver those children to the Order." Wood smiled. "And the Order's waiting, ever since we worked out 'City Of Angels' didn't mean the Vatican or Mecca, we've been based in LA."
Her kids were in a prophecy? "B..but your mom's a Slayer," Faith tried to get her legs to work, to charge her opponent but she seemed to be frozen in place. "I..it must be you."
Wood shook his head. "No she wasn't," he corrected. "I was born 3rd Jan 1970, my Ma wasn't called until just after her 19th birthday in Jun 1974. So she was a potential when she had me. My mother's Watcher," a note of reverence entered the double agent's voice. "Is a double-agent for the Order watching the Slayer line for the children and after my mother's death raised me in the Order to prepare me for the time when I would be needed. My assignment was to get close to the Slayer, be there to grab the kids," the principal barked out a laugh. "God I wish they'd been Buffy's kids. I mean the nights were great," Faith winced at the disdain in the man's voice, the pain cutting deeper than any physical wound. She'd been falling for him, allowing her defences down. "But having to put up with you during the days." The principal shook his head. "And Harris? What were you thinking?"
"I-I loved you," Faith forced back the tears. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
Wood's smirk widened. "More fool you," the tutor pointed towards the car. "Get in, the Order are going to help you get the kids back and then we're going to take them."
Suddenly a cold, hard voice drifted out of the shadows. "You forgot about daddy dearest."
* * *
The fury that had been building in Xander since he'd stumbled onto the conversation exploded. Even as Wood began to turn towards him, Xander swung his arm and under-arm threw his six-pack of beer at the Kalian agent. Before the older man had time to react, the six-pack smashed into his face, exploding on impact, staggering the man.
Seeing that the Slayer was too dazed to be of any help and that his opponent, although stunned, was still upright and dangerous, he lunged forward, one hand grabbing the wrist of his adversary's gun-arm, while driving a knee into the rocked man's groin. Instantly his rival's eyes glazed over in shock and his bloodied face greyed as he doubled up. Before the man had chance to straighten, Xander drove a downward chop into the back of his neck, hastening the man's downward descent. As soon as the man hit the ground, he leaned down, scooped up the gun, and turned to Faith, pointing the gun at the Slayer. "You want to tell me," he kicked the principal in the head, best to make sure his adversary wasn't getting up again. "What the hell is going on here?"
* * *
Faith stared in disbelief at Wood's crumpled body. "What the fuck?" she muttered. She figured maybe Gunn or Wes could beat her ex in a fight, but Xander? And with a six-pack of buds against a gun? Gathering her thoughts, she looked up. "Lover's tiff," she tried for a bluff. "The asshole's real possessive, I wanted to go clubbing, he told me no, pulled a -."
"Bullshit," Xander said flatly. "I overheard the conversation, didn't make much sense mind, but enough to know that my kids are in trouble. Wanna explain?"
Faith took a breath. She didn't think Xander would shoot her but after what she'd seen she couldn't be sure, and that left her with only two choices, take him down hard or risk confiding in him. And she didn't want to have to hurt him, it was bad enough she was going to have to kill Angel, hurting Xander too. "Five by five," she swallowed. "I got a letter from Wolfram & Hart, saying they've kidnapped our-," Faith's mouth dropped open as realisation hit. "Wait! How do you know?"
Xander shook his head. "Uh, uh. You do the explaining."
After a second she nodded reluctantly. "Five by five. I get this letter telling me they've kidnapped the kids and taken them to LA. If I sign a contract to work for them, I get our babies back unharmed. Otherwise...."
"Right," Xander had paled. "How do you know it isn't a bluff?"
"T..they sent me a photograph of the twins."
Now Xman looked like she was carrying the Holy Grail. "You got the phot-," her companion shook his head. "Later, get in the car. We're leaving."
"You're coming with me?"
Xander stared her dead in the eye. "You think I'm going to let my babies be slaves of an evil corporation? Get in the car."
Faith glanced down at the crumpled body between them. "What about Wood?"
"What about him?"
"Five by five," Faith shrugged. The bastard had been lying to her and threatened her kids.
Faith turned towards the car. "No you don't," she turned back to the man. "First lose your weapons, I'm not risking getting stabbed."
"Xman, I wouldn't hur-."
"That's not how I remember it," Xander waved at her with the gun. "I'm tempted to shoot you now and deal with W&H myself except for the messy questions. Do it."
"Five by five," she pulled her hunting knife out and dropped it on the road. "The rest of my weapons are in the bag."
"Right," Xander nodded. "Throw it on the back seat," Xander nodded towards her before walking round the back of the car. "Get in."
She obeyed. "Xman," her voice shook as she turned the car ignition on. "Please, you don't need the gun." She could take it off him if she had do, at this distance he wouldn't even see her coming, but she didn't want to hurt him. After a second the man nodded and put the gun into his jacket pocket. "Thanks," she nodded her appreciation. "How do you know about our babies?"
Xander's eyes filled with bitterness. "How do I know?"
* * *
Sept '99, Sunnydale
Xander strode down the hospital corridor, his heart thundering with a nervous mixture of anticipation, excitement, and fear. He'd been away for four months, working various jobs including a highly memorable, however much he tried to forget, night spent as a stripper. But now he was back in Sunnydale, and after catching up with the others last night he had one person left to see.
Finally he reached the room. After taking a breath and uttering a silent prayer that she wasn't waiting behind the door to garrotte with a coat hanger or strangle him with an iv line he pushed the door open. "Hi Faith," he whispered, his heart breaking at how tiny and helpless she looked.
The others, Will especially, would freak if they knew he was here, but it was the right thing to do. Faith had done plenty of wrong stuff, but if they were just expected to accept Angel back after what he'd done, they could give a second chance to a scared kid who'd been manipulated into doing most of what she'd done. No matter what, she deserved a second chance, and he'd stand by her. Even if it meant turning his back on Buffy and the others. "I'm sorry I haven't been to see you before but I've been away," he was about to say 'too scared', but changed it in case the doctors were right about a comatose patient being able to hear. "I brought some flowers," he looked around the room, his heart tightening with pain at what he saw.
It was so bare, no get-well cards or flowers to brighten the room, or to say anyone cared about the room's patient. Right there and then he decided that no matter what else was going on in his life, he'd pop in every day to see her, she had to know that at least one person cared. After putting the flowers in the vase, he opened the get-well card he'd bought and put it beside the vase before smiling down at the girl. "There you go," he brushed a stray hair off the pale-faced beauty's face. "Looks a little better now, and," his smile widened. "I know what will make it even better." Turning he hurried out of the room.
Twenty minutes later he returned carrying half a dozen helium balloons and the biggest cuddly toy they'd had in the gift shop, a black bear with a red ribbon tied around its neck. Moving over to the bed, he placed the cuddly toy on the bed, hooking Faith's arm around it. "There you go Faith, when you wake up, even if I'm not here you'll have a friend with you."
* * *
"Y..you bought the bear?" Faith stared at Xander's tight face. When she'd awoken, she'd found the bear in one of her lockers but had always thought it had been a present from the boss before he died. She remembered the tears that had welled up at it, proof that the boss had really cared, but now...
Xander glared at her, there was none of the warmth in his remaining eye that she saw when he looked at Red, Pip, and the others. The only person she could ever remember him looking at like that was Fang. The look made her want to shrivel up and die. "You want to hear this?"
"Yeah," Faith nodded, she didn't especially want to hear it but she needed to, to know how much she'd hurt him.
* * *
Sept '99, Sunnydale Hospital
After ensuring the bear was secure, Xander turned his attention to the balloons and started tying them to the bottom of the bed. "'Course me coming here has an ulterior motive," he admitted cheerfully even as he tied a knot. "If I didn't come here and tell you about my road-trip I'd only bore the others stupid. You, you," Xander's voice trailed off. He was about to say 'don't have a choice'. "You need someone to hang with," he finished lamely before striding to the other side of the bed.
As he did so, his knee caught on the clipboard hanging off the end of the bed, knocking it to the floor and scattering the notes contained on it. "Damn it!" he swore before kneeling and starting to pick up the papers. Suddenly his world turned on his axis as he idly read one of the sheets.
"9/14/99 Babies delivered successfully," Xander looked up from the paper to the childlike figure lying on the bed. His shell-shocked mind fumbled through the maths to come to one undeniable conclusion. "You bitch," he grated. The papers dropped from his shaking hands as he stood and made his way over to the head of the bed. Grabbing a pillow, he positioned it over the helpless Slayer's face before shaking his head. "No, no. I'm not going to kill you," he muttered. "You know why? I don't want our kids to have two murderers for parents." He dropped the pillow on the floor as his eyes blurred with tears. "But, but you can go straight to hell."
* * *
Shocked, Faith risked a side-glance at Xander. Fuck, he'd nearly killed her? Not that she blamed him, after what she'd done... "X, I'm sorry."
"I tried to track them down," it seemed that her companion hadn't heard her whispered apology. "But I didn't know where to start. Maybe Will could have helped but she already thought I was an idiot for wasting my time trying to help you. What would she think if she found I'd have been dumb enough to get you pregnant. Besides, I was living in the basement of my drunken parents' house, what sort of life could I have given them? But you took that choice away from me," Xander's eye burnt into her. "If you'd have come to me, I'd have stood by you, we could have managed. Why did you do it?"
Faith let out a rattling gasp, she hated talking about this stuff but he deserved to know why. "When I was a kid, my ma ignored me, never gave a shit about me. No birthdays or Christmases for this girl, ma was always too busy with the booze, drugs, and johns to worry about her kid. When I got to thirteen I saw how some of her guys were starting to look at me, so I ran away," she shook her head, forcing the memories away. "My kids weren't going to have that. I figured I'd be like her, treat them like crap too. I know better now, I'm gonna get my babies back and be a great -."
Xander snorted. "You, you think I'm going to let my kids be raised by you?"
"I'm their fucking mother," Faith growled, some of her usual spirit returning. She'd lost her babies once before, no way was she going to let them be taken again.
"What court would be dumb enough to give you custody?" Xander asked, his tone scathing. "Escaped murderess who's only character witness is a homicidal vampire vs. a man with a pile of money, a trade, no criminal record, and a ton of references. Even you can do that math."
Faith felt the onset of panic. "Please X," she pleaded. "Don't take my babies away from me. You want custody? You got it," she bargained desperately. "I just gotta be part of their lives. I'll do anything you want, name your terms."
Xander sighed wearily. "You got that photo?" She passed the photograph over, her hand shaking as she did so. Xander smiled, the smile she'd always secretly liked seeing on her first run through Sunnydale, before speaking. "She looks a lot like you, what did you call them?" "She's Hope," Faith hesitated. "He's Alexander."
Xander looked up from the photograph. "You named him after me?"
"You were a good guy, no-one I'd ever been with had ever been so respectful towards me, I wanted him to be good like his dad, have something that was part of you. I made it a condition of the adoption."
The man's face softened. "Faith -," the male Scooby shook his head. "Let's just concentrate on kicking the shit out of W&H and getting the kids back. Then we'll work something out."
Her heart filling with newborn hope, Faith nodded. "Five by five."
* * *
Kennedy hurried back towards the hotel, taking the occasional glance at her watch. "Damn it Willow's going to turn me into a frog, late again," she muttered. Suddenly she stopped as she noticed a crumpled body in the parking lot. Her eyes widened as she recognised the figure. "Wood?"
To Faith's relief she didn't pass any of her companions on the way out, meaning she didn't have to think of an excuse for the duffle bag she was carrying over her shoulder or the glazed expression on her face. Her luck held when she reached the front of the hotel, Xander had disappeared somewhere, probably to cry on someone's shoulder about Anya. Anybody but her.
Shoving aside her hurt and bitterness as unimportant now, Faith stalked forward, hurrying towards the car Woodie had hired so they could see some of the sights. She'd send him the deposit money and an explanation once she'd saved her babies. Thank god he'd left his keys on the bedside table. Her usually sure hand missed the car door lock three times before finally sliding the key in. "Where you going Faith?"
* * *
Xander's single eye narrowed as he noticed Faith arguing with Wood by the former principal's car. "Oedipus much?" his lip curled up in disdain. Not that he cared who Faith was fucking and he barely knew Wood, but he thought it was pretty sick for the new teacher to go after Faith as a mother figure. He knew what a great mom Faith wouldn't make. Not that Faith didn't have comforting attributes....
He glanced down at his shopping, a six-pack of beer. After growing up with his drunken asshole of a father he swore he'd never drink, but now with the loss of his eye, his home, and most importantly, his Anya, he couldn't muster the effort to give a shit anymore. Deciding he didn't want to put up with anymore of the bitch's fake concern or the principal's condescension, he began to sneak around them, sticking to the shadows, only to stop when he heard the conversation. His face tightening with rage, he started towards the duo.
* * *
"Fuck," Faith muttered. "Busted." Forcing a smile, she turned to face her boyfriend, her mind racing. "Hi Woodie, I just figured I'd take a drive, blow some cobwebs away you know," she tried for a casual tone.
"You haven't got a licence," Wood pointed out. "And what do you need the bag for?"
Faith's eyes narrowed when her boyfriend pulled a silenced automatic out of his jacket and pointed at her. "Wood, what the fuck are you doing?"
Her lover's face twisted into a sneer. "God, I've hated the last couple of weeks, having to sleep with a slut like you."
Faith felt like she'd punched in the gut. "W...what?"
"Thousands of years ago it was prophesised to the Order of Kali that one day, a Slayer would give birth to children, children that would be pivotal to the world's future. The Order of Kali placed me here to deliver those children to the Order." Wood smiled. "And the Order's waiting, ever since we worked out 'City Of Angels' didn't mean the Vatican or Mecca, we've been based in LA."
Her kids were in a prophecy? "B..but your mom's a Slayer," Faith tried to get her legs to work, to charge her opponent but she seemed to be frozen in place. "I..it must be you."
Wood shook his head. "No she wasn't," he corrected. "I was born 3rd Jan 1970, my Ma wasn't called until just after her 19th birthday in Jun 1974. So she was a potential when she had me. My mother's Watcher," a note of reverence entered the double agent's voice. "Is a double-agent for the Order watching the Slayer line for the children and after my mother's death raised me in the Order to prepare me for the time when I would be needed. My assignment was to get close to the Slayer, be there to grab the kids," the principal barked out a laugh. "God I wish they'd been Buffy's kids. I mean the nights were great," Faith winced at the disdain in the man's voice, the pain cutting deeper than any physical wound. She'd been falling for him, allowing her defences down. "But having to put up with you during the days." The principal shook his head. "And Harris? What were you thinking?"
"I-I loved you," Faith forced back the tears. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
Wood's smirk widened. "More fool you," the tutor pointed towards the car. "Get in, the Order are going to help you get the kids back and then we're going to take them."
Suddenly a cold, hard voice drifted out of the shadows. "You forgot about daddy dearest."
* * *
The fury that had been building in Xander since he'd stumbled onto the conversation exploded. Even as Wood began to turn towards him, Xander swung his arm and under-arm threw his six-pack of beer at the Kalian agent. Before the older man had time to react, the six-pack smashed into his face, exploding on impact, staggering the man.
Seeing that the Slayer was too dazed to be of any help and that his opponent, although stunned, was still upright and dangerous, he lunged forward, one hand grabbing the wrist of his adversary's gun-arm, while driving a knee into the rocked man's groin. Instantly his rival's eyes glazed over in shock and his bloodied face greyed as he doubled up. Before the man had chance to straighten, Xander drove a downward chop into the back of his neck, hastening the man's downward descent. As soon as the man hit the ground, he leaned down, scooped up the gun, and turned to Faith, pointing the gun at the Slayer. "You want to tell me," he kicked the principal in the head, best to make sure his adversary wasn't getting up again. "What the hell is going on here?"
* * *
Faith stared in disbelief at Wood's crumpled body. "What the fuck?" she muttered. She figured maybe Gunn or Wes could beat her ex in a fight, but Xander? And with a six-pack of buds against a gun? Gathering her thoughts, she looked up. "Lover's tiff," she tried for a bluff. "The asshole's real possessive, I wanted to go clubbing, he told me no, pulled a -."
"Bullshit," Xander said flatly. "I overheard the conversation, didn't make much sense mind, but enough to know that my kids are in trouble. Wanna explain?"
Faith took a breath. She didn't think Xander would shoot her but after what she'd seen she couldn't be sure, and that left her with only two choices, take him down hard or risk confiding in him. And she didn't want to have to hurt him, it was bad enough she was going to have to kill Angel, hurting Xander too. "Five by five," she swallowed. "I got a letter from Wolfram & Hart, saying they've kidnapped our-," Faith's mouth dropped open as realisation hit. "Wait! How do you know?"
Xander shook his head. "Uh, uh. You do the explaining."
After a second she nodded reluctantly. "Five by five. I get this letter telling me they've kidnapped the kids and taken them to LA. If I sign a contract to work for them, I get our babies back unharmed. Otherwise...."
"Right," Xander had paled. "How do you know it isn't a bluff?"
"T..they sent me a photograph of the twins."
Now Xman looked like she was carrying the Holy Grail. "You got the phot-," her companion shook his head. "Later, get in the car. We're leaving."
"You're coming with me?"
Xander stared her dead in the eye. "You think I'm going to let my babies be slaves of an evil corporation? Get in the car."
Faith glanced down at the crumpled body between them. "What about Wood?"
"What about him?"
"Five by five," Faith shrugged. The bastard had been lying to her and threatened her kids.
Faith turned towards the car. "No you don't," she turned back to the man. "First lose your weapons, I'm not risking getting stabbed."
"Xman, I wouldn't hur-."
"That's not how I remember it," Xander waved at her with the gun. "I'm tempted to shoot you now and deal with W&H myself except for the messy questions. Do it."
"Five by five," she pulled her hunting knife out and dropped it on the road. "The rest of my weapons are in the bag."
"Right," Xander nodded. "Throw it on the back seat," Xander nodded towards her before walking round the back of the car. "Get in."
She obeyed. "Xman," her voice shook as she turned the car ignition on. "Please, you don't need the gun." She could take it off him if she had do, at this distance he wouldn't even see her coming, but she didn't want to hurt him. After a second the man nodded and put the gun into his jacket pocket. "Thanks," she nodded her appreciation. "How do you know about our babies?"
Xander's eyes filled with bitterness. "How do I know?"
* * *
Sept '99, Sunnydale
Xander strode down the hospital corridor, his heart thundering with a nervous mixture of anticipation, excitement, and fear. He'd been away for four months, working various jobs including a highly memorable, however much he tried to forget, night spent as a stripper. But now he was back in Sunnydale, and after catching up with the others last night he had one person left to see.
Finally he reached the room. After taking a breath and uttering a silent prayer that she wasn't waiting behind the door to garrotte with a coat hanger or strangle him with an iv line he pushed the door open. "Hi Faith," he whispered, his heart breaking at how tiny and helpless she looked.
The others, Will especially, would freak if they knew he was here, but it was the right thing to do. Faith had done plenty of wrong stuff, but if they were just expected to accept Angel back after what he'd done, they could give a second chance to a scared kid who'd been manipulated into doing most of what she'd done. No matter what, she deserved a second chance, and he'd stand by her. Even if it meant turning his back on Buffy and the others. "I'm sorry I haven't been to see you before but I've been away," he was about to say 'too scared', but changed it in case the doctors were right about a comatose patient being able to hear. "I brought some flowers," he looked around the room, his heart tightening with pain at what he saw.
It was so bare, no get-well cards or flowers to brighten the room, or to say anyone cared about the room's patient. Right there and then he decided that no matter what else was going on in his life, he'd pop in every day to see her, she had to know that at least one person cared. After putting the flowers in the vase, he opened the get-well card he'd bought and put it beside the vase before smiling down at the girl. "There you go," he brushed a stray hair off the pale-faced beauty's face. "Looks a little better now, and," his smile widened. "I know what will make it even better." Turning he hurried out of the room.
Twenty minutes later he returned carrying half a dozen helium balloons and the biggest cuddly toy they'd had in the gift shop, a black bear with a red ribbon tied around its neck. Moving over to the bed, he placed the cuddly toy on the bed, hooking Faith's arm around it. "There you go Faith, when you wake up, even if I'm not here you'll have a friend with you."
* * *
"Y..you bought the bear?" Faith stared at Xander's tight face. When she'd awoken, she'd found the bear in one of her lockers but had always thought it had been a present from the boss before he died. She remembered the tears that had welled up at it, proof that the boss had really cared, but now...
Xander glared at her, there was none of the warmth in his remaining eye that she saw when he looked at Red, Pip, and the others. The only person she could ever remember him looking at like that was Fang. The look made her want to shrivel up and die. "You want to hear this?"
"Yeah," Faith nodded, she didn't especially want to hear it but she needed to, to know how much she'd hurt him.
* * *
Sept '99, Sunnydale Hospital
After ensuring the bear was secure, Xander turned his attention to the balloons and started tying them to the bottom of the bed. "'Course me coming here has an ulterior motive," he admitted cheerfully even as he tied a knot. "If I didn't come here and tell you about my road-trip I'd only bore the others stupid. You, you," Xander's voice trailed off. He was about to say 'don't have a choice'. "You need someone to hang with," he finished lamely before striding to the other side of the bed.
As he did so, his knee caught on the clipboard hanging off the end of the bed, knocking it to the floor and scattering the notes contained on it. "Damn it!" he swore before kneeling and starting to pick up the papers. Suddenly his world turned on his axis as he idly read one of the sheets.
"9/14/99 Babies delivered successfully," Xander looked up from the paper to the childlike figure lying on the bed. His shell-shocked mind fumbled through the maths to come to one undeniable conclusion. "You bitch," he grated. The papers dropped from his shaking hands as he stood and made his way over to the head of the bed. Grabbing a pillow, he positioned it over the helpless Slayer's face before shaking his head. "No, no. I'm not going to kill you," he muttered. "You know why? I don't want our kids to have two murderers for parents." He dropped the pillow on the floor as his eyes blurred with tears. "But, but you can go straight to hell."
* * *
Shocked, Faith risked a side-glance at Xander. Fuck, he'd nearly killed her? Not that she blamed him, after what she'd done... "X, I'm sorry."
"I tried to track them down," it seemed that her companion hadn't heard her whispered apology. "But I didn't know where to start. Maybe Will could have helped but she already thought I was an idiot for wasting my time trying to help you. What would she think if she found I'd have been dumb enough to get you pregnant. Besides, I was living in the basement of my drunken parents' house, what sort of life could I have given them? But you took that choice away from me," Xander's eye burnt into her. "If you'd have come to me, I'd have stood by you, we could have managed. Why did you do it?"
Faith let out a rattling gasp, she hated talking about this stuff but he deserved to know why. "When I was a kid, my ma ignored me, never gave a shit about me. No birthdays or Christmases for this girl, ma was always too busy with the booze, drugs, and johns to worry about her kid. When I got to thirteen I saw how some of her guys were starting to look at me, so I ran away," she shook her head, forcing the memories away. "My kids weren't going to have that. I figured I'd be like her, treat them like crap too. I know better now, I'm gonna get my babies back and be a great -."
Xander snorted. "You, you think I'm going to let my kids be raised by you?"
"I'm their fucking mother," Faith growled, some of her usual spirit returning. She'd lost her babies once before, no way was she going to let them be taken again.
"What court would be dumb enough to give you custody?" Xander asked, his tone scathing. "Escaped murderess who's only character witness is a homicidal vampire vs. a man with a pile of money, a trade, no criminal record, and a ton of references. Even you can do that math."
Faith felt the onset of panic. "Please X," she pleaded. "Don't take my babies away from me. You want custody? You got it," she bargained desperately. "I just gotta be part of their lives. I'll do anything you want, name your terms."
Xander sighed wearily. "You got that photo?" She passed the photograph over, her hand shaking as she did so. Xander smiled, the smile she'd always secretly liked seeing on her first run through Sunnydale, before speaking. "She looks a lot like you, what did you call them?" "She's Hope," Faith hesitated. "He's Alexander."
Xander looked up from the photograph. "You named him after me?"
"You were a good guy, no-one I'd ever been with had ever been so respectful towards me, I wanted him to be good like his dad, have something that was part of you. I made it a condition of the adoption."
The man's face softened. "Faith -," the male Scooby shook his head. "Let's just concentrate on kicking the shit out of W&H and getting the kids back. Then we'll work something out."
Her heart filling with newborn hope, Faith nodded. "Five by five."
* * *
Kennedy hurried back towards the hotel, taking the occasional glance at her watch. "Damn it Willow's going to turn me into a frog, late again," she muttered. Suddenly she stopped as she noticed a crumpled body in the parking lot. Her eyes widened as she recognised the figure. "Wood?"