Dealing With the Problem

"Wait! Stop!" Bree shrieked in desperation as Faith was shoved into a police car. Everything was happening so quickly and Bree felt her world crumbling around her. Before she could form another sentence, Faith was taken from her. Somehow, in the midst of everything, the fact that Faith was a wanted fugitive had escaped her mind. Numbly, she stumbled back into her house.

"Mom! What the fuck just happened!"

And then everything went black.

"Hello?"

"It's Bree."

"Bree? What's go..."

"They've taken Faith."

Buffy felt her heart clench in panic. All bitterness at the woman who Faith had chosen over her vanished, being replaced by a much harsher emotion: cold hard fear. She tried to calm her voice and deal with the situation rationally.

"Who, Bree? Who's taken Faith?" Buffy cursed herself silently as her voice betrayed her, cracking when she said Faith's name.

"The police. T-they just arrived a-and then she was in a car. Now she's gone." Bree felt like she was filled with lead, her voice stony and cold. After regaining consciousness, Bree realised that she was definitely out of her depth. Faith's world wanted her back and used her past to get her. Somehow her leadened mind managed to come to the conclusion that she needed someone who knew Faith's past and would know what to do. That person had to be Buffy.

"No, no, no...that's not possible. The council sorted out all of Faith's problems with the police. T-that can't be..."

"Buffy it was the police, I assure you, I was there," Bree interrupted, her voice becoming more and more tense. She could practically hear the wheels turning in Buffy's brain as she tried to come up with some sort of explanation. Bree sighed in exasperation. "Well are the council normally trustworthy?" she felt she had to ask. There was a long pause.

"I need to make a call," Buffy said quietly before hanging up. Bree felt the lead begin to melt inside her as it became something much more bearable. Anger flooded through her veins and, before she could stop herself, she threw the phone at the wall.

Faith marched around her cell, trying to walk off her restlessness. Oh, not to forget that mind-numbing fear. She couldn't believe she was back here again, and by the looks of it, not about to leave any time soon. She wasn't even allowed her phone call. What really shocked her though, was her total lack of concern for herself. All Faith could think about was Bree and what must be going through her head.

"Lehane!"

Faith turned sharply to the guard who was unlocking her cell door. His jaw was fixed in annoyance.

"You got a visitor."

As Faith followed the guard to the visiting room, she half expected to see a red head on the other side of the glass. She was surprised how relieved she was when she saw that it wasn't Bree. She didn't want Bree to see her like this. Faith nodded to her visitor as she wearily sat down and picked up the phone.

"Faith."

"Angel."

Faith noted how Angel's eyes somehow looked older. She was surprised that she meant enough to him for this to be causing the vampire so much stress.

"I don't want you to worry, Faith. I'm going to get you out."

"How...?"

"Buffy called. It appears that Bree told her what happened and she called me to get you out. I'm very sorry about all of this."

Faith nodded in understanding. She had forgotten how reassuring it was to have Angel on her side. She would always be in debt to him because of that.

"Angel, what happened? I thought the council and me were buddies now," she said, her voice tinged with disdain.

"It appears not. They seem to have...well they seem to have turned their back on you after the Buffy incident." Faith couldn't help but note Angel's own unhappiness with that particular incident.

"What, the council's sore because I hurt their chosen one's feelings? Wow...they're freakier than I though," Faith grumbled. A look passed in Angel's eyes that Faith didn't miss.

"It wasn't so much that that bothered them. More the messing with their plans for Buffy to be in Fairview being ignored. It turns out, they aren't too keen on rebellious slayers."

"I'm sorry but you're telling me that the reason I'm in this shit hole again is because Buffy left Fairview and they blame me? Sons-of-fucking-bitches..."

"Lucky for you, I run a law firm. You'll be out in a couple of weeks tops."

Faith felt immediately lighter as relief swept over her. She felt the sudden urge to kiss Angel.

"Angel...I'm not great with the whole 'thank you' deal but, uh, thank you," Faith said with as much sincerity as she could put into her voice.

"After what you did for me...anytime," Angel smiled. Faith chuckled.

"Okay well I'm gonna go before this gets too mushy," she said warmly.

"I'll see you soon, Faith."