This chapter has a little bit of an Angel/BtVS crossover in it. If you've never seen the show Angel, Cordelia is part of the "Angel Investigations" team. Their motto is "helping the hopeless." I think you'll be able to understand what goes on here from that statement. Remember that Spike has been in LA with Angel, Darla and Drusilla. Again, thanks for reading!

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Faith's Point of View

Wow, scoring for Mrs. S!

That's odd. Did I really leave my motel room unlocked? I don't remember doing that but-

"WOAH!" I yelled and screeched to a halt in the doorway. I looked at the lopsided number on the door; yeah this was definitely my room. But that guy on the bed with that chick – never seen 'em. I've seen more than enough of them in the last five seconds than I needed to see of them in a lifetime. When I yelled they both looked up at me, startled. Ok, what the hell.

"Hey! What the hell? This happens to be my motel room! Get your own! The nice, fat, smoky-smelling bastard in the dirty tank top down the hall will be more than happy to rent you a room for twenty bucks a day. I'm sure you could earn that by just doin' whatever it is you're doin' and charging people to see it." I shuddered and went over to the dresser and dug out my duffel bag and started throwin' my shit into it.

I've been around B too long already – I'm partially scandalized by this. I finished throwin' my stuff in my bag and gave the couple a parting wave.

"Not good to see ya; feel free to never enter my life again. Bye," I said and slammed the door, successfully knocking the drooping number clean off.

I got out to the car and realized that I had forgotten to empty one of the drawers. Shit. It's probably not even worth it, but I'm going back in there. I threw my bag in the back of the Jeep and told Mrs. S that I had forgotten something. She looked puzzled but didn't say anything.

I got up to the door and decided to knock this time. "Hey, crazy kids, I'm coming in again – I forgot something, so find something to cover up with!" Damn I really don't want to go back in there. "Three, two, ONE!" I said and opened the door. Thankfully, they heeded my advice this time. In fact, the guy already had his pants on, and the chick had the guy's shirt on 'cause it went down over her knees. Guess I kinda ruined the mood with my last entrance. Heh.

I walked over and opened the bottom dresser drawer – couldn't forget my favorite pair of leathers. I was just about to walk out the door when two flaming blanket-covered bundles barreled into the room. Damn, was this some kind of bordello that I didn't know about? The flaming blanketed bundles proceeded to stamp out their flames. Joyce decided that then was the perfect time to come in the room; she looked surprised.

After a minute of wondering what the hell was going on, I realized who the supposed bundles of fire were – Spike and Angel. I knew there was some kind of karmic bite in the ass that I had missed along the way. Now the perfect little demon twins were here to ruin my life. Great.

"Bloody hell!" Spike yelled.

"Hey!" Angel said, addressing the boy, "What do you think you're doing? We're trying to help you and it doesn't work when you start banging-" he was abruptly cut off by the chick vamping out.

"You had us worried sick!" Cordelia said gesturing between her and Angel and entering the room behind Joyce. What the hell was this? Cordelia didn't even flinch at the vamp.

"Look," the boy started, "I'm not hopeless or whatever, and I don't need help!" Cordelia and Angel looked like they were about to say something but I interrupted.

"Uh-uh. No. I am not doing this. You aren't really here, and you aren't going to ruin my life. Fang – the broody one – stay away from Buffy, you bastard. And you," I started in on the boy, "I don't have one effing clue who you are, but you stay away from everyone that I love too. I don't know how you know these…things," I said, gesturing to Cordelia, Angel and Spike. "But if you know them you're probably here to ruin my life in some way so just stay far fricken away; got it?" I didn't wait for an answer – I grabbed Joyce by the elbow and dragged her out of the room, slamming the door behind us once again.

We got back to the car and I put my seatbelt on and glared out the windshield at the motel room that I had just exited. If looks could kill, the fang boys would be dust by now. Joyce came in the car and cautiously stared at me for a moment before putting her seatbelt on and starting the car.

"Did you get everything that you needed?" Joyce asked. No, I could have staked two dead boys in there and then I would have gotten everything that I needed.

"Yeah. I got all my stuff. Look, Mrs. S, I don't want to mention this to B, ok? If they make themselves a nuisance, they can count on being food for the vacuum in about two seconds, but for now, I don't think that B needs that – needs to know."

"I agree completely. I think they'll leave you two alone," Joyce said encouragingly as she pulled out of the motel parking lot. Then she continued under her breath, "Then again, they do enjoy making Buffy's life miserable."

"Well hey, maybe you can help me fight them off," I said and smiled a little.

"Mm. I hit that blonde one in the head with an axe one time."

"Damn, Mrs. S! You are just full of surprising talents," I said and she blushed a little.

"Yes, well. Buffy doesn't need to know about anything that's happened today," she said. I nodded.

"Agreed. So where are we off to?" I asked – Mrs. S was taking a different route than the way we came.

"Oh, well that little episode landed me a little late, so Ru- ahem – Mr. Giles will have to give you a ride home from the shop."

"You know, it's ok to call him Rupert," I held back from saying that no one would really care or notice what name she used anyway. "I mean, I obviously prefer G-man, or Rupe but," I trailed of as she laughed a little. Summers women were easy to please once you got them figured out a little.

"Thank you, Faith. I suppose I'll start doing that," she said, still chuckling.

"Right. If I hear you calling him Ripper though, I'm not going to be positive if he's gone all magic-crazy on you or all crazy-sex crazy on you – so know that I won't be the one to save you if it is the magic-crazy Ripper," I said and laughed a little harder. Joyce turned a little redder, but laughed a bit too.

"Thank you, Faith. It's kind of nice that someone else knows. Rupert gets awkward about seeing me sometimes."

"Oh, have no fear, Mrs. S. We'll fix him. Well, fix him as in – you know, not like puppy-fix him hehe…um, how did I suddenly catch the Buffy babble?" I said, slightly confused at my previous statement.

"I knew what you meant," Mrs. S said understandingly and laughed. "And if you've caught the Buffy-babble disease after just a day, I'm not sure there's any hope of helping you speak normally ever again," she said. I laughed and we rode for a ways in comfortable silence. It was nice – having a mom-like person around. One who didn't drink herself silly and OD so she didn't have to listen to her kid anymore.

"Thanks for the talk, Mrs. S. I appreciate it," I said as we pulled into the Gallery parking lot.

"Of course. I said so before, and I meant it – I really think of you as another daughter." Damn, this is one amazing lady. I smiled – I don't think that I could have managed and adequate response. "Could you help me carry the crates in?" she asked me.

"Sure, I'd be glad to," I said and hopped out of the Jeep.

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