That night Wesley sat on the edge of his bed watching the eight potentials of Faith's who she'd instructed for him to keep in there until she and Gypsy gave the signal from outside.
Montoya was watching with a glint of knowledge in her silver eyes, laid on his bed, while the others looked around the room asking him questions about how he and Faith had got along when he'd been her watcher. Obviously Faith hadn't told them about the little torture session she'd done to him in LA a few years ago, or how he'd helped her escape from Jail to fight Angelus. But then again she did have to keep some parts of her closed off from them.
Just then Wesley heard what sounded like a whistle from below his window and went to the window to see Faith and Gypsy stood below it.
"Ok girls looks like we're ready to go." Said Wesley opening the windows as wide as they would go and moving to one side as Clarity, indigo, Jaquelle and Serenity moved toward the window.
He watched as Indigo went first shimmying down the drain pipe, making it look as easy as jumping off a cliff.
Clarity went next followed by Serenity, Jaquelle was scared and between him and Faith they managed to coax her down.
Shanay was bold and just jumped out the window landing smoothly on the grass with the reflexes of a cat. Nirvelli and Aderes both used the drainpipe leaving Montoya and himself to go last.
"Bright eyes can I ask you a question?" asked Montoya as Wesley watched Aderes go down slowly.
"Sure, but can't it wait till we're down there?" asked Wesley, ignoring the nickname that the Brazilian had dubbed him with, in a way it was as bad as when Faith called him Princess Margaret.
"Um, I some how doubt Faith would appreciate me asking you this." Said Montoya.
"Ok. Just give us a while Faith, Montoya needs to change her shoes." Said Wesley down to Faith before looking at her.
"Bright eyes are you and Faith a couple?" asked Montoya, a grin appearing on her face as Wesley shook his head.
"Why do you want to know?" asked Wesley curiously.
"I just have a feeling that you two really care about each other and was just wondering if you two were that close that's all." Shrugged Montoya.
Wesley was about to reply when Faith called what was taking so long.
"We'll talk about this later Montoya. You go down first, I need to make it look like I haven't left or else Giles will have a go at me." Said Wesley.
The Brazilian nodded before clinging to the pipe like a fireman and sliding down it, leaving Wesley to ponder over the Brazilian's question as he stuffed spare pillows under his blanket.
Wesley then slid down the drainpipe moving to the side of the house where Faith and the girls were hiding just as Spike and Buffy immerged, Buffy holding a garbage bag while the vampire spoke to her.
Wesley watched as Faith ushered the girls quietly passed the talking couple, only the slayer and ex-watcher remained there when the vampire and blonde slayer began to make out against the nearest wall.
Wesley looked at Faith's expression of disgust as the two began to make noises Wesley hadn't heard since Fred and Gunn were together. But the ex-watcher saw something in his slayer's eyes, like longing or something much deeper…. Jealousy.
Faith waited until spike began to nibble on Buffy's neck to distract her before running to where the girls were hiding, Wesley following after a while.
Faith led Wesley and the girls down to the bottom of Revello drive and the girls split up into threes leaving Wesley and Faith to walk mindlessly around the town making sure the younger girls didn't get into trouble.
"Well this is an interesting night I must say." Said Wesley with a sigh as the two walked toward the main part of town.
"Something wrong Wes? Intimidated by all the girls stronger than you?" asked Faith with a wicked grin that tricked the male for a little while into believing he was with the old faith he knew. But he knew by the weariness in her eyes and the lines on her face that faith was no longer who she used to be, she was more mature and had more responsibilities.
But with the responsibilities she also had the problems to even out the balance and the problems seemed to be the things having the toll the most on the slayer.
"No, It was just something Montoya said to me before…" said Wesley stuffing his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket.
"Oh really and what was that?" asked Faith buttoning up her leather jacket.
"I don't think she'd appreciate it if I told you…I think she was some how under the impression you'd be mad if you found out." Said Wesley.
"Well tell me anyway and I'll pretend I don't know." Said Faith with a shrug.
"She wanted…. she wanted to know if you and me were a couple." Said Wesley.
"She what? Ohmigod that girl has some weird ideas." Grinned Faith, though Wesley could tell there was something in the slayer's eyes that didn't think that the idea was so weird after all, she looked like she almost wished they were a couple.
"Yeah weird right…" said Wesley with a fake yet weak smile.
"I mean seriously Wes, can you imagine me and you together? Its like…. like…Xander and me…we get along ok…but there is never anyway in hell that we'll be together in any other way." Said Faith.
"Yeah but if I remember correctly didn't you sleep with Xander?" asked Wesley with a small grin.
Faith narrowed her brown eyes at him trying to hide the fact that she longed to do with him what she'd done to Xander more than anything that moment. But unknown to the slayer she wasn't very good at hiding her expressions. Her feelings were like her heart. They were always on her sleeve unguarded and bare for everyone to see.
It was no surprise that she had been used so many times before. If her heart was really on her sleeve it would be covered in scratches, bruises and ripped down the middle.
"Did Montoya say why she wanted to know?" asked Faith in a small voice that made the ex-watcher wonder if he had insulted her.
"Not really…she just said something about us caring about each other and that we seemed close…" shrugged Wesley.
He saw Faith's teeth begin to chew her bottom lip as the two began to walk to the graveyard that Spike's old crypt was situated in.
Wesley heard his cell phone ring in his pocket and fished it out, before looking at the caller ID. Seeing it was Angel, reminded him that he hadn't called his boss that day to tell him about needing to stay for a month.
"Hello Angel." Sighed the ex-watcher causing Faith to cross her arms over her chest and her gaze to look at the ground as they continued to walk through the graveyard.
"Wesley what happened to you getting back to me? I was waiting for your call all last night and today." said Angel, Wesley could hear from the sound of the vampire's voice that the stress and strain of being the boss of wolfram and hart had finally caught up with him.
"Sorry Angel, I've been a little busy. But I asked Giles about the time I'd be needed and he said about a month at the most." Said Wesley avoiding looking at Faith, which the slayer was grateful for. She didn't want him to see the sad look on her face over the fact he wouldn't be there longer.
"A month? I don't know if I can spare you that long Wes…" said angel and Wesley sighed irritably.
"Look angel I can't leave in the middle of training it will mess with the girls' heads. How about you email me the stuff you need me to do and I'll see if I can work through it." Said Wesley noticing Faith's presence was no longer beside him.
He looked around and saw the slayer sat on the wall on the boundary of the graveyard, watching him silently.
"You sure you could handle doing both Wes? I thought you were supposed to be on vacation." Said Angel.
"Like that's gonna happen here. Just send me the stuff and I'll check my email when I get back from patrol with Faith." Said Wesley.
"Ok Wes. Call me if you have any enquiries." Said Angel before the ex watcher heard the sound of the tone.
Wesley put the phone away before approaching faith.
"So what did brood boy have to say?" asked Faith quietly looking up at the older male with a weak smile that made Wesley bite his lip.
"Nothing really. He's just having trouble with my temporary replacement, wants me to do some work…" shrugged Wesley hoisting himself up onto the wall beside the rogue slayer.
Faith nodded absentmindedly crossing her arms over her chest, against the cold wind that was blowing through the night.
Wesley was about to ask Faith a question about the unfamiliar emotion he'd seen in her eyes when he'd been talking about what Montoya had asked when Faith slid down from the wall.
"We'd better go check on the baby slayers…you know in case they need us…" said Faith in a quiet voice that seemed completely out of character for the Faith he knew.
Wesley nodded and the two began to walk, Faith leading since she had a fair idea of the three places the groups covered.