How do all of you feel about bi-weekly updates? I don't want to drop to once a month status, but as many of you have probably correctly assumed, weekly is becoming unmanagable. With classes and everything, it's a bit of a rush. Would anyone object to this?

Also, I want to kind of wind this particular story down and turn this into a series. I'm not trying to have one story have 100 chapters, so I'm trying to find a good place to cap this at. I think I'm getting there mentally, the only thing is writing it. So with that in mind, even when this story ends (and it won't end in a way that everyone wants something tells me...) there will be a sequel in the works. Is that okay with everyone? Yes? Good! Don't forget to check my tumblr for updates and news if I have any.

dakenzinator dot tumblr dot com

The small gang sits around the dinner table that evening, Amanda rattling away about something with Faith only half listening.

"I still can't believe we found a gym! Andy! We're going rock climbing soon!" she squeals, shifting the topic back to her excitement. Cordelia catches herself smiling, pushing the dinner rolls in Faith's direction. Faith nods her thanks, taking a sip of her soda.

"I know, it's gonna be amazing." Andrew agrees with a grin. He stands at the end of the table, one hand on his hips and the other holding a salad bowl. "Who wants salad?" he asks. Faith simply swallows down part of a dinner roll and decides to check back into the conversation.

"Yunno what would be more amazing? Getting the Half-Pint registered. How are those records comin' along Andy?" she asks. Andrew perks up.

"Amazingly! I should have everything no later than Saturday morning, so you can go and get everything in motion on Monday." He says. Faith nods; that was good.

"I wanna patrol." Amanda says looking at Faith. Cordelia pauses with her glass halfway to her lips; as far as she knew they hadn't discussed patrolling.

"I'm sure ya do." Faith says with a shrug.

"So, can I?" Amanda questions. Faith hesitates. "C'mon Faith! I'll be super duper careful and you can even come with me to make sure I'm not doing anything dumb!" she practically begs.

"Who's going to keep an eye on Faith?" Cordelia asks. "No offense." She cringes. Faith glares in her direction, a little stung.

"Faith can handle it! Can't you Faith?" Amanda asks, looking at Faith with pure trust. Faith feels her heart squeeze a little and sighs; she can't lie to this kid.

"I'm not sure I can." She admits softly. Amanda deflates instantly.

"Oh," she says softly. "Okay then." She says. She seems so defeated and Faith instantly feels guilty.

"I could take her." Cordelia speaks up. Amanda and Faith both face her slowly, their brows furrowed. She rolls her eyes. "What? I've patrolled with Angel plenty of times and even on the off occasion, Buffy and her band of misfits." She says, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Amanda's pleading eyes shot too Faith's.

"I-"

"They'll have walkie talkies." Andrew says. HE moves to Faith. "You remember the ones I was telling you about?" He asks Faith. She nods, one eyebrow rising as she looks at Amanda. She clinches her jaw.

"I've gotta learn sometime." Amanda tries. Faith takes a breath; she didn't like this one bit.

"One hour." She says. Amanda jumps up and hugs her before she can add any rules. "I mean it, one hour and don't take on any groups." She says firmly. Her eyes shoot over to Cordelia who nods; she understands completely. "And you have to stay in range of these walkie talkies that Andy's over here drooling about."

"I am not drooling!"

"And check in every…" At this point, Amanda doesn't care what rules she has to follow; she's finally going out to patrol.

Patrick sits back on his bed, flicking through the television channels rapidly. Annie hadn't been able to pick him up so he'd found a hotel relatively close to the airport. Now, he's sitting in his room waiting for her to call him back after leaving her a quick, but to the point voicemail. He sighs, checking his watch and settling on a random movie of the week on one of the basic channels. He wants to get in touch with his associate so that he can find Faith quicker, but he also doesn't want to move until Annie contacts him either. Faith was her daughter as much as his; they needed to be in agreement on this.

Annie looks at her phone, biting her thumb nail lightly. She doesn't actually want to call Patrick back, knowing he's going to try and talk her into finding Faith. She wants to see her daughter, heavens knows she does but she doesn't want to interfere with her life. If the scene she remembered in the hospital was anything to go by, Faith had what looked like a small little family; she didn't want to mess any of that up.

Amanda quietly walks beside Cordelia that night, twirling her steak around. She keeps dropping it, but she's determined to twirl it completely. She's on alert, but there isn't much activity so she's not wound too tightly.

"Did you volunteer because you felt guilty?" she asks. Cordelia blinks.

"Guilty about what?"

"About asking who's going to watch Faith." Amanda elaborates. Cordelia shakes her head.

"No." she says honestly. "I volunteered because I kind of miss hunting down the evil uglies." She says openly.

"But you do feel guilty?" Amanda prods. Cordelia turns to eye her. Amanda shrugs. "I dunno, I just think it was kind of a low blow, yunno? She's trying." She says defending Faith. Cordelia huffs.

"Why didn't you say any of this back at the apartment?" she asks; she did feel a little guilty.

"Because Faith would have my head on a platter if she thought I was trying to fight a battle for her."

"There is no battle." Cordelia rolls her eyes. Amanda scoffs.

"Everything is a battle with our dear Faith." She says. Cordelia doesn't respond, instead thinking over what she does know about Faith.