Redeemed

Chapter 5

This is a Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel fan fiction based on the character, Faith. I do not own any name or reference in this fan-fiction, and all rights concerning Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel belong to Joss Whedon.

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Faith woke up the next morning and completely disregarded what had happened the previous night before. Overnight, her rib had stopped hurting her, and it wouldn't be long before the wound itself healed.

She left her room, making sure she had her game face on as to not show any emotion that might allow people to see into what she had felt the night before. She walked up to Angel's office and walked in, this time without knocking.

She wasn't surprised to see that he was sitting in his chair when she walked in, because it seemed like he was always up. He was a vampire, but even vampires slept. However, if he slept he didn't do it very long. He was sitting there looking over files that had been given to him to look over.

"What's up, Angel?" She asked, sitting in the chair across from his desk. "Have you heard anything new about how to take down the big bad?"

Angel looked up from his work and smiled. "I'm glad to see you're all recovered from last night."

"What's to recover? Five by Five right?" she asked, shrugging.

"That's right." Angel replied.

An awkward silence filled Angel's office as the two of them thought about what had just been discussed. Angel knew that Faith had in fact been hurt in her battle the night before, but at the same time he also understood that Faith would never let on to that. Faith realized that Angel knew she was keeping her pain a secret, but this was going to be a rough ride and she had to be at her fullest if they were going to defeat The First. Thinking of The First again sprung up a question in her mind.

"You knew didn't you?" Faith asked Angel.

"Knew what?" he replied.

"When you talked to Giles and the others, he told you that The First had taken on the form of the mayor didn't he?"

Angel knew in his mind that this question would come up. He had been told by Giles about the form that The First had taken on. He had run the thought of telling her or not through his head the whole time they had been discussing her patrolling that night. He had decided that it would be best if she were confronted with it herself instead of knowing going into it.

"Yeah," Angel said in an apologetic tone, "I knew. I'm sorry, Faith. I thought it would be better if you didn't have those thoughts going through your head."

Faith considered his words for a moment before she spoke again. "Did you think that I would turn again?"

"No, that wasn't it…I mean…" Angel stumbled.

"It's ok." Faith said. "If I had been in your situation, I wouldn't have trusted me either."

"I should have. You've proven yourself numerous times that you are rehabilitated. I should have trusted that you could handle it."

Faith was hurt inside. Angel had been the one person she had expected to be able to trust her the most following the events five years ago. Wesley had broken her out of jail to help Angel when his soul was removed two years ago. She had risked her life to save his, because she refused to take him out unless it was the last resort. However, she wouldn't let on to her distress over the situation.

Suddenly, there was a knock on Angel's door, and following shortly after Angel's phone rang. He picked the phone up first, and after a minute set it back down. He walked over and answered the door. Standing on the other side was Buffy, Willow, Kennedy, Giles, Xander, and a few other slayers.

Buffy walked in first. Her right arm was wrapped up in a sling, and she used the left to support the weight of one leg as the other was in a cast. She wore a shirt that under normal circumstances would show her midriff, but where her stomach would have been only gauze was visible. Her face was bruised, and she had a gash on her right cheek.

Angel was stunned at the sight of her. He knew that she had had a rough fight with The First, but he didn't know that it was to this extent. She looked him straight in the eyes.

"He's strong, Angel." She said, tears welling up in her eyes, "He's so strong…"

She planted her face into Angel's chest and began sobbing uncontrollably.