Chapter 5.
"Door was open," says Faith.
"How are you?" asks Angel, still keeping his distance.
"Five by five. Well, not so much."
"Your pocket is vibrating." Angel hears her cell phone and detects that it's coming out of her pocket.
Faith pulls out the cell phone and puts it on a table nearby. She looks down at her feet for a long time, then back at Angel, who is very quiet.
"I'm going to step forward. Is that okay?"
"As long as you're not planning my second funeral to be today, I'm fine by that."
"I'm not here to kill you."
"Then why are you here?"
"I kind of want to get back on track. I figured you'd be the only one who could help me."
"You want me to help you?"
"Yeah, I need redemption. You know."
"Okay."
Faith walks up to Angel and hugs him. Angel doesn't immediately embrace her, but then holds her close. He feels her cry a little on his chest and he decides to let her get it out. After their little moment, Angel decides to lead her downstairs.
"Alright, Angel, we're go…" says Cordy, then she stops when she sees Faith. Wesley turns around to see her as well and is equally in shock.
"It's not too late, Faith," says Wesley, calmly as he approaches her. "It's not too late to let us help you."
"Wes, I'm ready to reform," says Faith. "I want to reform. I guess I kind of need all the help I can get."
"Oh."
"That's great," says Cordy with enthusiasm. Faith smiles at her. She starts wondering what Xander ever saw in her, except for a big chest, okay, she just got her answer.
"Cordy, could you take her and get her some clothes?" says Angel.
"Sure."
Faith walks over to Cordelia as she grabs her purse and jacket. Angel goes over to his room and gets one of his jackets. He puts it on Faith.
"It's pretty cold out."
"Thanks," replies Faith as she pulls the jacket on and heads out with Cordy.
"You're not going to kill me, are you?" asks Cordy as the two head to the elevator.
"No," says Faith in a soft tone.
"Wesley, I need to talk to you," says Angel.
"What is it?" asks Wesley.
"I need your help, but you have to follow my lead, okay?"
"Alright."
Faith grabs the cell phone on the way out and sticks it into her jacket pocket. She follows Cordy's lead over to the covered parking lot. She gets into a black convertible and Faith sits on the passenger seat.
"So, why did you move to LA?" asks Faith.
"Wanted to become an actress," says Cordy. "Still working on that."
"How did you end up with Angel?"
"LA, you think it's large, but it's not. We met at a party and well, stayed in contact and stuff. Now I work for him to pretty much pay the bills, which isn't much for saving the helpless."
"I see."
"The helpless can be so cheap."
Back in Sunnydale, Giles gets a phone call from Angel telling him that Faith is nowhere in the city and that they are wrong that she is headed to LA. Giles explains this to the gang later when they arrive at his place.
"Then where else could she have gone?" asks Xander.
"I think they're not looking hard enough," says Buffy. "I'm going to LA."
"You can't drive," says Giles.
"I'll take the bus," says Buffy. "Giles, I have to find her. I don't know what's up with her. It's not safe for her to be out there doing who knows what."
"Exactly," says Xander, trying to make a point. "Buff, I'll give you a ride."
"Buffy, what if you find her and…" says Willow.
"Willow, I can handle her," says Buffy trying, to make her feel less worried. "Let's go, Xander." The two leave the house.
Meanwhile in Cordy's apartment, Cordy opens her door and lets Faith in. She drops her keys and jacket on the table.
"Oh, if you see things moving around, that's just my roommate, Dennis," says Cordy. "Follow me."
"Huh?" says Faith as she sees a soda can fly across the room. "Your roommate's a ghost?"
"Yeah." Cordy opens her closet door and searches for something Faith could wear. "He's good at scaring bad dates."
"Oh."
"How about this?"
"Nice." Faith takes the outfit Cordy gives her.
"You can change in here. Dennis, no peeking."
"He's a perv, too."
"He's a guy."
"Right."
Cordy leaves Faith alone in her room. Faith takes her jacket off and the cell phone falls to the floor. She picks it up and tosses it over to the bed. Then she continues to undress herself and get into the new clothes Cordy gave her. She heads over to a mirror and sees herself wearing blue jeans and white shirt. It is not at all Faith's style, but she likes it.
Faith walks over to the kitchen where Cordy is. Cordy looks at her and actually sees that Faith can be a normal girl once she is dressed like one.
"Wow," says Cordy.
"What?" asks Faith.
"You're a girl."
"I thought I always was."
"Well, never mind. Want something to drink?"
"Sure…"
Suddenly a soda comes out of the frig and floats to Faith. Faith backs away from it, but then takes the soda. Cordy takes a soda of her own and smiles at Faith.
"I guess Dennis likes you, or he peeked."
Faith smiles at that as she opens her soda. Then her cell phone vibrates again in her pocket.
"You have a cell phone?"
"I sort of borrowed it."
The girls head back to Angel's building and on their way, the phone keeps vibrating every five minutes. Faith rolls her eyes and looks at the phone. It's driving her crazy. She decides to pick it up.
"Hello," says Faith.
"Faith," says Riley.
"Riley," says Faith in a little girl's voice. "Sorry I took your phone and your money."
"You took my money?" Riley pulls out his wallet and sees that it's empty. "You're a pretty good thief."
"It isn't the best way to thank you, but when I win the lotto; I'll be giving you a call."
"I should hope so."
"So, you going to ask?"
"Ask what?"
"Where I am."
"No."
"Good, cause I'm not telling."
"That's okay." Riley parks his car on the curb. "I gotta go. I've got a girl I need to meet with."
"Oh, Buffy."
"No. You." Faith turns around and sees Riley, with a cell phone to his ear.
"How did you…"
"Saw you at the bus station."
"He's your boyfriend?" asks Cordy. "Girl, you work fast."
"No, he's B's…Buffy's boyfriend," replies Faith.
"It's a long story," says Riley. "Hi, I'm Riley Finn."
"Cordelia Chase," replies Cordy, shaking Riley's hand.
Suddenly, Riley starts to breathe heavily and he starts to sweat uncontrollably. He leans on a post, then his sight is failing on him and he can barely see Faith.
"Riley, are you okay?" asks Faith.
"No…" Riley collapses and Faith catches him as she falls with him on the ground.
"Oh my gosh," says Cordy.
"Call an ambulance," says Faith as she hands her the cell phone she has. Cordy takes the phone and dials 911.
"Hello, we need an ambulance," says Cordy. She tells them the street address that they are at. "Please hurry."
"Riley, hang on," says Faith as she is holding him close to her.