Disclaimer: All characters and things from ANGEL and BUFFY belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. If they aren't on the show they belong to me.
Summary: A different turn of events after Season 1 Episode 12 "Expecting" A/C pairing
CHAPTER 37
The wedding had taken place late that summer. It was just a few of their close friends at the hotel, seeing as how Angel really couldn't have it officially done in a church, but Angel and Cordelia didn't care. Wesley preformed the ceremony that was held in the lobby and Gunn walked Cordelia down the "aisle" that Jessica had set up using folding chairs. It was everything Cordelia could have dreamed of. Her whole "family" was there, safe and sound.
For their honeymoon, Angel and Cordelia took a week trip to Vegas, mostly because anywhere in the sun would be pointless, for Angel anyway and Vegas was known for its nightlife. Cordelia felt bad leaving her kids at home, but Jess assured her it would be fine, and that Fred, Wesley, Gunn, and Lorne were around to watch them.
Cordelia and Angel had fun in Vegas, though. They spent most of their nights out at the casinos, and all of their days in their room making love.
They had been on their honeymoon for four days when Angel's cell starting ringing. He and Cordelia were wrapped up in each other under the covers and neither wanted to answer it, but after the fifth call Angel decided to pick it up.
"Hello?" Angel asked.
"Angel? It's Wesley." Wesley said on the other side of the line.
"What is it, Wes?" Angel tried not to sound annoyed as Cordelia tugged him back under the covers.
"Well, we have a little problem back home." Wesley told him.
Angel froze, and Cordelia could tell by his face something was wrong.
"What?" Cordelia whispered.
Angel shrugged. "What? Wes, is it the kids? Are the kids okay?"
"The kids are fine, Angel." Wesley said.
Angel let out a sigh of relief. "Then what is it?"
"It's…well…its Faith." Wesley said.
"Faith?" Angel was confused.
"Yes, she is here, at the hotel." Wesley explained. "Except she seems to have no memory."
"We'll be home as soon as we can." Angel said, and quickly hung up the phone.
Angel and Cordelia arrived back at the hotel later that night. They entered to find Wesley and Fred sitting at the counter.
"Where is she?" Angel asked.
"Faith? Upstairs with Connor." Wesley told him. "She was so disorientated that we decided it would be best to allow her to sleep. Connor's keeping an eye on her."
Angel nodded.
"Where's Jess?" Cordelia asked.
"Out on a case with Gunn." Fred told her. "They left about two hours ago so I'm guessing they'll be back soon."
"You let her go out on a case?" Cordelia was floored. "What if she gets hurt?"
"Cordy…" Angel wrapped an arm around his wife. "She's stronger then me, she'll be fine on a case."
"Plus, that's not exactly the most critical issue right now." Wesley pressed.
Angel nodded in agreement. "How did Faith even get out of the prison?"
Wesley shrugged. "That's the weird part. I called the prison up as soon as she arrived, I told them I was her brother and wanted to check on her, and they said she disappeared right out of her cell about three months ago."
"Disappeared?" Cordelia raised an eyebrow.
Wesley nodded. "Yes, there was no sign of struggle or force used in her exit. She simply just was there one minute and gone the next."
"Maybe she used some kind of magic to free herself." Angel reasoned.
"That's what I thought." Wesley told him. "But the police said she was one of the better prisoners, she never really started anything, only defended herself when she needed too. It was like she almost didn't want to leave there until her time was up."
Angel nodded. "She was working on her redemption."
"Wait, so no one thinks she broke out? Or that this whole loss of memory is a fake just to throw us off?" Cordelia questioned. She remembered what Faith had tried to do to Jessica last time Cordelia had run into the slayer, and she was not going to forget that.
Wesley shook his head. "That was no act. She is so scared and confused. No one could play that off that well."
"Are you sure?" Cordelia asked again.
This time Fred nodded. "I never even met her before this, and I feel sorry for her. She really has no idea who she is."
Angel nodded. "Well in the morning we will have to talk to her."
Just then Gunn and Jess entered, both cut up and bleeding, but laughing.
"Jess!" Cordelia panicked and ran over to her daughter.
"Oh Gunn!" Fred panicked as well and ran to Gunn.
Wesley and Angel just looked at each other.
"You're hurt!" Cordelia told Jess.
Jess grinned. "Well it's good to see you too. But I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" Cordelia asked, as she kissed Jessica on the head.
Jess nodded. "Good to go."
"What happened?" Fred helped Gunn to the couch.
"Junior over here decided to go piss those demons off, so instead of them just trying to kill us, like demons normally do, these ones wanted to eat us alive." Gunn tried not to laugh.
"But we killed them." Jess said, making her way over to Wesley and Angel. "So where is the big, bad slayer?"
Connor sat in the chair in the spare room that Faith was sleeping in. He watched as the slayer slept soundly, her chest rising with each breath. She was beautiful, a little older then him, but gorgeous nonetheless. He reached out and touched her hand very carefully, and she jumped at the feeling of their hands colliding.
"Sorry." Connor was startled as the slayer shot up out of bed.
Faith let out a sigh of relief. "It's just you. Um…Connor? Right?"
Connor nodded. "Yeah. I'm Connor. You're Faith."
Faith looked down at her hands and nodded. "I guess, you guys keep telling me that, anyway."
Connor laid a hand on Faith's shoulder. "Hey, you'll get your memory back soon." He stood.
"Where are you going?"
"Downstairs for a little. You should rest. I'll be back to check on you, if you want."
Faith nodded as she watched Connor exit the room. Once he was gone she sighed and flopped back down onto the bed, confused and lost in a world she could not remember.
Connor descended the stairs to find Angel, Cordelia, and Jess sitting at the counter.
"You're back." Connor said to Angel and Cordelia.
Cordelia gave Connor a hug. "Yep, miss us?"
Connor shrugged. "I guess."
Jess grinned and whacked Connor in the back. "He missed you. He cried like a baby."
"I did not." Connor said, and tackled Jessica off of her chair.
Jess countered, and tossed Connor across the room, then ran and tackled him as he got up. He in turn, grabbed her by the arm and threw her into the stairs, jumping at her, but was deflected as she grabbed him in midair and threw him to the ground.
Wesley, Gunn, and Fred rushed in from the kitchen when they heard all the noise.
"What's going on in here?" Wesley asked.
Angel ran over to his kids, trying to break them apart, but failing miserably.
Gunn just laughed. "Those two going at it again?"
"Again?" Cordelia raised an eyebrow as Angel finally broke Jessica and Connor apart.
"Yeah." Fred nodded. "They've been going at it all week."
"ALL WEEK?" Cordelia gave Jessica and Connor a stern look.
"Yeah." Jess said, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth with a grin. "Well, until the deranged slayer showed up. Then he got all lovey-dovey."
"I did not!" Connor tried to grab Jess, but Angel held his son back.
Jess just snickered, moving closer to Connor and wiping the blood off his forehead. "You look a little beat up, bro."
"Yeah, so do you!" Connor yelled as Jessica sat back down at the counter.
"All week they fought?" Cordelia crossed her arms, giving Angel a look to help her.
"Uh…all weekend?" Angel tried to sound as stern as Cordelia.
Jessica just laughed. "Good try, Dad. Maybe next time you'll almost sound mad at us." She then hopped off the chair and made her way into the kitchen.
Angel sighed at Cordelia. "I tried."
Cordelia just rolled her eyes and flopped down on the couch next to Angel and Connor, inspecting the cut on Connor's head. "You okay?"
Connor looked down at his hands. "I'll be fine."
"Plus, we got more important things to worry about right now." Gunn looked at Connor. "Like why you ain't up there keeping an eye on her like we said to."
"Faith?" Connor stood. "She's awake now. I think she needed some time alone."
"She's awake?" Angel stood as well.
Connor nodded. "Yeah."
"I should go talk to her." Angel said.
"No need." Faith's voice echoed as she descended the stairs. She looked lost and misplaced as she approached Angel and Cordelia. "You're Angel, right?"
Angel nodded. "Yeah."
"They told me about you." Faith indicated to Wesley and the others. "And you're Cordelia?"
Cordelia nodded also, entwining her fingers with Angel's. "That's me."
"And you both knew me?" Faith questioned.
Cordelia nodded. "Back in high school. We'll not you're high school because you quit, but mine."
Faith was stunned. "I quit?"
Angel could tell this was no joke. Faith had no idea who she was. "It doesn't matter. What matters is helping you remember." He told her.
Faith nodded slowly. "I hope so."
"Why don't we go for a walk?" Angel suggested. "Out in the garden?"
Faith looked at Connor who nodded his head at her. "Okay." She then followed Angel out the door.
"Well, I think I'm going to have a little chat with that daughter of mine about picking on her brother." Cordelia said.
"Don't!" Connor said quickly. "It's fine. It's always been this way."
"Well not anymore." Cordelia touched his cut and watched him wince. "She hurt you. I'm not having that in my house." She then quickly made her way into the kitchen.
Angel sat down on the bench outside and watched as Faith slowly took the seat next to him. She seemed a little uncomfortable around him, but it didn't bother Angel. For the better half of his existence people had felt uncomfortable around him.
"What did Wesley and them all tell you?" Angel asked.
Faith sighed. "Just that I'm Faith, and you guys are my friends."
"We are." Angel assured her.
Faith nodded. "I believe you. I think anyway." She looked down at her hands. "I'm just so lost right now."
Angel couldn't believe it. There was no sign of the Faith he knew anywhere in this scared girl. "We are going to try and help you fix that."
"How?" Faith asked.
Angel thought for a moment. "I don't know, but we will. I promise." He took her hand. "We would never do anything to hurt you, Faith. You're like family to us."
Faith nodded. "Thanks."
Just then the door to the hotel swung open and Connor came trudging out.
"Connor?" Angel questioned.
"Yeah. You're being paged inside. Jess is having a fit." Connor said, folding his arms at his father.
Angel sighed and stood. "Okay…" He then walked into the hotel.
Connor took the seat next to Faith. "Nice night out."
Faith nodded. "It is."
Connor studied her face for a moment. "Are you sad?"
Faith laughed at his question. It was as if she was trying to hold onto something she couldn't even remember. "I'm confused, and lost…and yeah, I guess sad." She turned to face him. "I can remember numbers and important dates and car companies, but I can't remember my hometown, or family, or even my own name."
"But we are going to help you so that you can." He took her hand. "I promise."
"Angel said the same thing."
Connor bit his lip at the mention of his father's name. Sure, he and Angel were okay, but Connor still cared about Holtz in the bottom of his heart, and he would never forget the warnings he had given Connor as a boy about Angelus.
"You okay, yourself?" Faith asked.
Connor nodded. "Yeah, fine. You want to go grab something to eat?"
Faith smiled slightly. "Actually, that sounds good."
Angel made his way into the kitchen to find Jessica sitting up on the counter with her arms crossed and Cordelia across from her with her hands on her hips. Both women had the same look of anger on their face. Angel already knew when he entered that whatever argument was taking place neither of them would win. They were too much alike.
"What's going on?" Angel asked.
"Please!" Jess snorted. "She's getting all angry over the little brawl outside I had with Connor!"
"They shouldn't be fighting." Cordelia argued back.
"Only because the little baby got a little scratch on his big, fat head." Jessica said in a mocking child's voice.
"That's exactly right!" Cordelia shot back. "He's your brother, you don't hit him."
"He hit me first!" Jessica argued.
"And he knows it was wrong to do." Cordelia told her. "Now I don't want you fighting again. I go away for four days, four days I'm supposed to spend relaxing and not have to worry about you guys, and I come home to fighting? It that fair to me?"
Jessica just rolled her eyes and hopped off the counter. "Fine. Whatever. I'll be down in the basement, I need to hit something before I hit someone." She blew past Angel.
Cordelia sighed, massaging her own forehead. She looked drained.
"Well, you sounded like a mother." Angel smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist.
Cordelia leaned back into him, closing her eyes. "She'll hate me after that."
"No, she'll respect you."
"You think?" Cordelia opened her eyes.
"I do." Angel kissed her neck gently.
"How's Faith?"
"Well, there's a mood killer." Angel rested his head on her shoulder. "She's fine. She has no idea who she is, but she's fine. Everyone seems relatively okay."
"Good." Cordelia said.
"Are you?" Angel asked.
"What?" Cordelia was confused.
"Are you okay? We did have to leave the honeymoon early and all."
"Duty called." Cordelia said, almost sarcastically.
"And you are perfectly fine with that?"
Cordelia turned, wrapping Angel's hands around her waist as she faced him. "Well no. I would have much rather had a perfectly normal wedding with my perfectly normal husband. Then I would have loved a perfectly normal honeymoon, and perfectly normal kids a few years later."
Angel looked down at his hands. She wanted everything he couldn't give her.
"But…" Cordelia lifted his chin and he was met by her beautiful smile. "We don't live in a perfectly normal world, so I'm okay with it." She kissed him. "Plus, who's to say we can't finish the honeymoon tonight in our own room?"
Angel grinned. "We could do that." He kissed her and then picked her up, carrying her up to their bedroom.
Connor and Faith exited the pizzeria two hours later. Faith had a nice time out, and for some reason, she felt comfortable around Connor. He felt the same way for her. Of course, he felt comfortable around Cordelia, but she was practically his mother, and Fred was like his aunt. Faith was the first girl he had met that he had real feelings for. He thought she was gorgeous.
"I had a nice time." Faith told him as they walked back to the hotel. "Thanks for taking me out."
"Anytime." Connor told her.
Just then two vampires jumped out of the shadows. Connor immediately flew in front of Faith, ready to protect her at all costs, but to both his and her surprise, she immediately jumped forward, taking both vampires on at once, and killing them both rather quickly.
"What the hell…" Faith was astonished.
Connor grabbed her by the hand. "We need to get back to the hotel."
"What was up with those guys?" Faith asked. "And why did I attack them?"
"Don't worry about it. It can be explained, I'm sure." Connor began walking. "We've just got to get back to the hotel."
Connor and Faith barged into the hotel five minutes later to find Gunn, Wesley, and Fred sitting around playing cards. Gunn had his arm wrapped around Fred who was leaning into him. Wesley seemed uncomfortable and was glad to see their game interrupted. He still had feelings for Fred whether she was with Gunn or not.
"What's going on?" Wesley stood.
"We got attacked." Connor told them. "By…well…"
"By what, kid?" Gunn asked.
Faith shrugged. "Some ugly dude, funny looking faces if I do say so. I, for some reason, kicked their butts."
"Funny looking faces?" Fred questioned.
Faith nodded. "Big teeth too."
"Oh dear." It clicked for Wesley. "We need to get Angel down here."
Cordelia and Angel were not exactly happy about being bothered while they were spending the evening in their room, but once Wesley explained the situation, they both came downstairs.
They explained everything to Faith, demons, vampires, her past, what she was. When they finished they all sat around, waiting for Faith's reaction.
Faith stood and let out a deep breath. "Personally, you're all insane."
"Not insane." Angel told her. "We are telling you the truth."
"Yeah. Monsters are real." Faith said, sarcastically. "I'm sure. And I'm sure I've got some super strength-"
"How else would you explain being able to hold off those vampires earlier?" Wesley asked. "You yourself said they were weird looking."
Faith shook her head and it reminded Angel of the old Faith. "No way."
"Don't believe us?" Jess questioned.
"No. I mean…it's too weird." She looked at Angel. "Didn't you say you were a vampire?"
"A good one." Angel insisted. "But yeah, I am."
"Let me see." Faith said.
"See what?" Angel asked.
"The fangs? The blood you drink? I don't know, something." Faith said.
Angel sighed, holding Cordelia's hand. "Fine…" He then vamped out.
Faith was taken back a moment. She couldn't believe it.
"Now do you believe us?" Angel asked, as he transformed back into his human face.
Faith nodded slowly.
Then the phone rang. Jess jumped up from her seat. "I'll get it." She then went into the kitchen. A few minutes later she returned. "That was Lorne."
"The demon?" Faith asked.
Angel nodded, then turned to his daughter. "What did he say?"
"He said he's got a plan to get Faith's memory back." Jessica grinned. "He'll be by tomorrow."