The Quickening

Notes: Again, busy weekend. Thanks for all of the reviews.

Previously:

"So you think I should do it then? Let him become my legal guardian," Faith said, looking up at Xander.

"Absolutely," Xander replied. "But don't just listen to me. You have to make the choice." Faith nodded. She had a choice to make and she was not entirely sure how to make it.

Chapter Thirty:

"Remember, you don't have to do this if you don't want to," Giles said, watching as Faith stared at the adoption papers sitting in front of her. She had approached him earlier in the week, agreeing that having him become her legal guardian would be for the best. However, Giles was not entirely sure if she was really ready for such a step.

"I know," Faith replied. "So, is my last name gonna be Giles now?" Faith asked.

Giles smiled. "If you want," he replied. "Or you can retain your original last name…. what is it, by the way? I don't think you've ever said."

Faith smirked. "Doesn't matter now," she said, picking up the pen in front of her and signing the papers.

"So Faith Giles it is?" Giles asked, taking the papers as Faith slid them across the kitchen table to him. He picked up the pen and signed them as well.

"Yeah," Faith replied. "It's got a ring to it."

"I agree," Giles replied. "I suppose you know this already, but Christmas is rapidly approaching."

Faith looked up and nodded slightly. "Yeah, I guess it is," she replied. Christmas had never been a happy event for her family. When she would watch television, she would see families exchanging presents and decorating their houses. Everything seemed so perfect at Christmas. Even in shows where there was always drama and intrigue, the Christmas episodes brought everyone together. Real life had never been that way for her. Christmas was just another excuse for her mother to buy a case of beer and get wasted. It was another excuse for her to get beaten for wanting something more than her mother could afford. Christmas only meant yelling and fighting to Faith. Though most people eagerly watched the calendar for the approaching holiday, Faith liked to pretend that it didn't exist.

"I thought that we could do something special, to celebrate your first Christmas in Sunnydale," Giles said, watching Faith's reaction closely. He had seen the way she had casually brushed off his reference to Christmas and he had a vague idea as to why.

"Sure," Faith responded, flashing Giles a fake smile to hide her growing apprehension. She knew that things in Sunnydale were different – better than they had been in Boston. However, she was still waiting for the bottom to drop out. It seemed as if everything was starting to change for the better in her life, but she knew better than to trust a hope. It would only deceive her in the end. She was lucky enough that the incident with Gwendolyn Post hadn't ruined things for her. She didn't want to take any more chances with fate.

"Good. Perhaps you could invite Xander to come over on Christmas Eve," Giles answered.

"Yeah, I don't think he really has anywhere to go," Faith replied. "What with moving out and all."

"How is his apartment search going?" Giles asked.

"He's looking at a place today he likes well enough," Faith replied.

"I'm glad," Giles said. "I think living on his own will be good for him."

Faith nodded and glanced up at the clock in the kitchen. "I gotta motor," she said, standing. "I'm meeting Buffy for patrol tonight."

"Right," Giles replied, rising to his feet as well. "Be careful."

Faith grinned and looked back at him. "I wouldn't worry about me, G-man. I'd be worried more about them."

…………………………..

Faith walked down Sunnydale's main drag. The street was empty, as all of the stores were closed. It was nearing midnight and Faith seemed to be the only living person walking around. She could hear the pop of the street lights above her as she walked, the slight buzzing of bugs flying around the glass that protected the bulb from the night air and any would be vandals. Faith was about to turn around and head back home when she heard someone shouting in the distance. Picking up her pace, she sprinted toward the noise.

The sounds grew louder as she neared an alley between two stores. Slowing, she crept up to the entrance of the alley and waited. She could only hear one voice. "Daniel!" She heard the voice yell. It was a male voice and it sounded distinctly familiar, though she couldn't quite place it. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be dead."

Faith slowly drew her stake and began to advance into the alley. She could only see one person, standing by the back wall. "Hey!" Faith called down the alley. "Are you okay?" As she neared the person, her slayer senses began to tingle, alerting her that she was approaching a vampire. The figure turned and stepped closer to her.

"Faith?" Angel asked, peering at her out of the shadows of the alley.

"Angel," Faith replied, disappointed. She had been hoping to get some action. Her patrol had been nearly a bust. She had only dusted one vampire – a newbie crawling out of his grave.

"What are you doing out here?" Angel asked, shoving his hands in his duster.

"I'm on patrol, you know, trying to dust people like you," Faith replied. "But I could ask you the same question. Who the hell were you talking to?"

"I don't know what you mean," Angel replied, trying to dismiss her casually.

"Don't play that shit with me, dead boy. I heard you talking to someone. But there's no one here. So either he or she darted off into the night before I got here or you're starting to go nuts," Faith replied heatedly.

"You can't see him?" Angel asked, surprised. Faith looked at him closely. The vampire seemed unusually agitated. Instead of looking her in the eyes when he spoke to her, he kept looking over her shoulder, as if there was something behind her. Turning, Faith saw nothing but the empty alley.

"No, I don't see him," Faith replied slowly. "Is he here now?"

"Yeah," Angel answered. "He's standing just behind you."

"Who is he?" Faith asked, getting more freaked out by Angel's behavior every second.

"Daniel," Angel replied. "A person I used to know."

"Used to know?" Faith asked, stepping closer to Angel and away from the imaginary person behind her.

"He's dead," Angel answered. "He shouldn't be here."

"He's not here," Faith responded. "If he was, I would know."

"But I can see him," Angel protested.

"Yeah, and I think you've got a screw loose, dead boy," Faith replied.

Angel looked down at her soberly. "Faith…I don't want to ask you this, as I already know how you feel about me, but I need your help."

Faith looked up at him, a sarcastic reply dying on her lips. She knew something weird was going on and she would kick herself later if she turned down her one opportunity to find out what it was. "Fine," Faith replied curtly. "But we're going to see Giles."

"Fair enough," Angel answered, following Faith as she led him out of the alley. He looked down at the ground to avoid having to meet eyes with Daniel, who was watching him walk away sadly.

"Does Buffy know about all this?" Faith asked, as they walked.

"No," Angel replied quickly. "And I'd rather she didn't."

"Oh," Faith replied, raising an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"She's got enough to worry about, without me starting to see things," Angel answered.

"But you think it's more than that, otherwise, you wouldn't have asked for help," Faith shot back.

"Yeah, I think it's more than that. But if it turns out that I can handle it by myself, I'd rather not get her involved. Like I said, she's got enough going on," Angel replied.

"What do you think it is?" Faith asked, looking over at him. She could tell from Angel's silence that whatever he had in mind wasn't going to be pleasant.

"I don't know exactly. But I've been reliving things from the past. Not just in dreams anymore, but when I'm awake as well. Only something powerful could enable me to do that. I need to know why I came back," Angel said softly.

"Why you came back from Hell?" Faith asked.

"Yeah," Angel clarified. "I need to know why I came back from Hell. And I think we all need to know soon."