Chapter 12 Faith

A/N: Angel meets another person on his travels. Like the last time I'm giving you back to back updates. Also in this chapter Angel's killing nature comes back out. Enjoy.

The rain was pouring down not only that it was freezing rain. Angel was freezing he felt so numb and cold. There was no shelter for him to take cover so he just ran. The night settled in and from the days he started counting after leaving the old woman today was Christmas Eve, so much for giving Buffy the best Christmas gift. By the map he was just days from Black Cove and just days from Buffy. He was out of food he's been out of food for three days now. The lightening cracked the sky and then in the distance he saw a house and started for it. There was a light meaning someone was home. He ran up the steps and knocked on the door hoping someone would let him in from the freezing rain.

"I'm a Confederate soldier…!" Angel yelled out hearing movement in the house. "On furlough I need shelter…and food." He stood there freezing not sure if he was going to make through the night if he didn't find a fire then he heard the front door lock and he sighed. No one had to take him in mostly they feared if they took in a deserter they would be killed. Angel started to walk away and decided to keep running that would be the only way to stay warm.

"I've got a rifle!" A woman's voice called out through the door and Angel nodded with a sigh.

"Fair enough," And the front door opened with a young woman standing there holding a baby. She had big brown eyes with brown hair. She looked rather tough but scared as Angel walked into the small home. "I have some beans and corn pone all I got." She stated and Angel nodded removing his wet coat.

"Thank you," He was very grateful for the food but the woman still looked scared as she held her baby close and Angel held up his hands meaning he wasn't going to hurt him.

"I'm alone here as you can see with my baby. I need to believe you mean no harm." The woman said as she stood there and Angel nodded and took out his gun and the woman backed away.

"No," Angel said and handed her the gun giving it up meaning he meant no harm to her or her child.

"I don't want it," The woman said and Angel set it down on the table. "If I had my way they'd take metal altogether out of this world. Every blade, every gun." She said and Angel nodded agreeing. The woman walked away setting her baby in its crib as it looked upset, tired and sweating a little. "It's all right." She assured her little baby. "You're burnin' up little man." And then the woman stood up and then button up her dress a little as she was before a man. Angel sat in front of the fire warming himself and it felt so good. But he couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with the child. He hated seeing sick children.

"Is your baby sick?" Angel asked as the woman was prepping a plate of food for Angel and she nodded.

"My man's dead." The woman said and sighed. "Took his wound at Gettysburg and never saw his boy." Angel felt sorry for her she was alone here and then he wondered how Buffy felt. Was she alone too?

"I'm sorry," Angel was sincere about it as the woman walked over with a plate and a ladle.

"It's pretty much what you'll get if you knock on any door of this war." She scooped some food out of the pot and onto a plate. "Man dead, woman left." She then turned to Angel and he nodded and then she handed him a plate of food and Angel gratefully took it. "It's mean food but it's hot." But Angel didn't care he was just hungry and he started to eat. He could probably eat the whole pot right now.

"There's been no huntin' on the road just cress and roots." Angel explained his situation to the woman and she nodded heading over to the baby's crib and picked up and carried him to her bed. The little baby cried a little because he was rather comfy in his little bed. The woman sat down looking at her baby and then up to Angel. He was a rather very attractive man and she hasn't seen a man in months.

"I need to try and feed this man." And Angel nodded turning away to give them some privacy as he ate his food. The woman pulled down her shirt a little and then tried to feed her baby but he just turned away and cried a little. "Shh," She tried to hush her baby and feed him but he didn't want any of it. "You gotta eat somethin' baby." She sounded helpless her baby hasn't eaten in three days well barely eaten. If and when he feeds it's not much. This just started happening a week ago. The woman looked up wanting to keep talking to Angel. She hasn't talked to anyone in a long time let alone a man. "He won't feed." She sounded nervous and then put her dress back on. Angel turned back a little as the woman sat there with her baby.

"I'm Angel by the way." Angel introduced himself and the woman nodded with a smile. "That's my name."

"I'm Faith," She introduced herself and he nodded. "My baby's Ethan." And she introduced her son and Angel smiled a little.

"Glad to know you both." And he was and then continued to eat by the fire. Faith stood up and placed her baby back in his crib and then went on a hunt for clothes. Angel was soaked to the bone and he needed try clothes or he would freeze and if he didn't freeze he would get sick. Also his clothes looked worn and he needed something new. So she went to her husband dresser and looked for something so Angel could change into. Angel finished his meal and felt better and then Faith walked up to him and handed him a pair of fold clothes.

"You look about his size." She started and Angel took the clean clothes. How nice would it be to wear clean clothes? He knew though he wasn't sleeping inside the home though. "He was another man straight up and down."

"Thank you." Angel said and then got up as Faith handed him a fresh blanket and led him to the shack that was attacked to the house. She then handed him a lantern and then left so he could change. The rain was still coming down but not as heavy. Angel started to change and Faith could see him slightly through the window. She knew she shouldn't watch him change but she's been without a man for months now. She got out of her out dress and now just had on her undergarments and crawled into bed and sat there.

"Everything fit?" She asked through the thin wall. Angel was dressed in his new clothes and they did fit and it was nice to wear new clothes.

"These boots are good boots." Meaning yes everything fit of course he was going to take it off and wrap up in the two blankets she gave him.

"Well I'll say good night then." Faith said through the wall and Angel nodded as he stripped back down to a thin shirt and pants.

"Good night." Angel said and the light in the house went out. Angel climbed up on the corn trying to get comfortable. The rain would put him to sleep and at least this place was dry. He was still cold but not nearly as cold as when he first stepped inside the house. Angel then closed his eyes to get some sleep. He would leave Faith and Ethan tomorrow and head home.

It had to be hours that went by but Angel barely got any sleep when he heard the door open. He could barely sleep these days and he sat up seeing Faith standing there with a lantern. Angel was wondering if she heard something. He would defend this little family if Home Guard was coming or Yankee raiders. This was an innocent family and felt he could be bringing death to their doorstep.

"Will you come inside?" Faith asked one she felt bad for making him sleep out here when he was a solider fighting. Angel slowly got up with the blanket wrapped around him and walked inside. Faith sat on her bed and looked up she looked rather nervous too. "Would you do somethin' for me? Do you…think you could…lie here next to me and not…need to go further?" She asked she needed to sleep next to someone she missed it. Angel nodded understanding her request and thought there was no harm in it. She scooted over as Angel got into the warm bed and they laid there in silences. But the silence was broken as Faith started to cry. She was so alone here and her baby was sick there was no one to take care of her or her baby.

"I'll go," Angel was about to get up.

"No I don't want you to." She sobbed she just wanted to feel warmth from another person. She missed her husband she loved him and when she found out he was dead she could barely go on. Not only that just days after his death she found out she was pregnant and gave birth to her son alone. She just wanted warmth.

"Thing is…I love someone." Angel said as he thought about Buffy. "I love someone very much." And Faith nodded understanding. Whoever that girl was she was lucky that her man was not only alive but on his way home to her. But Angel knew she just wanted warmth so he put his hand under and brought her over as she sobbed and held her. They were just two people holding each other missing the ones they loved. Faith cried on his chest wanting to thank him for this. If she could find a way for him to stay then she will but knowing he was on his way home she couldn't do that even though she wanted to. "Try and sleep." Angel said and felt her nodded against him and he would try to sleep too and closed his eyes.

Faith rose early before the sun. She woke up on her side and rolled over and Angel was still there asleep. She woke up finally feeling warm but she knew it was to end. She slipped out of bed not wanting to wake Angel and knew he needed to sleep. She got dressed and grabbed a blanket as she was off to check in on her ever dying livestock. Angel was in a deep sleep and his body ached for it. It helped to sleep as he was warm in a soft bed.

"Get up!" Angel was jolted out of sleep as Faith shook him and she looked panicked as he rolled over trying to wake up. That's not how she planned to wake him. She was going to make him breakfast before he left sending him off with hot food in his belly. "Get up! Get out of here quick! The Yankees are coming!" Angel got out of bed as Faith ran and got his clothes and Ethan started to cry. Faith was panicked as she was shoving Angel out. "The Yankees they're here. If they find you here things'll go bad on all of us." Angel didn't want to leave them alone.

"I can try and fight 'em." Angel insisted and Faith shook her head no shoving him out the back window.

"No my baby please no. Just…please just get!" And Angel crawled out the window half naked in the cold and he ran with his things up the side of the hill and saw the Yankees riding up.

"We're Union army! We're lookin' for food!" One man cried out and Faith ran to her front door to lock it trying to keep herself safe. "Come on, open up! We're hungry!" Then a man broke in through the thin door and grabbed Faith pulling her outside.

"I got nothin'! I got nothin'!" She cried out as the man took her to a wooden post and grabbed both her hands holding them together.

"We'll see about that there's a baby inside get it." The leader order and one man walked in and grabbed the baby and Faith started to cry.

"Please he's sick don't hurt him please." She begged the men. Up from the hill side Angel saw this all unfolding and he wasn't going to run away from it. It was wrong they were about to commit theft, rape and possibly murder something Angel wasn't going to stand for.

"Please I got nothin'!" Faith cried as one man started to raid the chickens in the fence. "That's right take the chickens take the chickens they're all I got." Faith cried and the man holding her baby was all she was focused on.

"Says she's only got chickens." One man said ready to take the chickens and run.

"You lyin' Southern trash," The leader said. "We're hungry we got all day." And he nodded to the man holding her baby and he set the baby down on the ground unwrapping him. "See those birds won't get you through the winter." But Faith didn't care she was too worried about her son.

"Please cover up my boy." She begged as Ethan started to cry and so did she as the men did nothing.

"Just tell us where the food is we'll pick him up." The leader said giving her the offer.

"Please my baby's sick. Please just cover him up." Faith kept begging but they did nothing and Ethan started to cry as the cold wind start to pick up. "Please I'm beggin' you! Please! Have mercy!" She cried knowing it wasn't going to stop. "I got a hog! I got a hog!" And one man stood up. "He's hid out behind the house!" And she hoped they would take the hog and go.

"Take a look." The leader order and one man was off to see as Ethan laid there in the cold.

"Please!" Faith cried out to the man sitting near her baby. He wanted to cover him up the baby did nothing wrong but the baby was to stay unwrapped until they got what they came for. "Please sir please. He's just a baby! He's shaking! Please just cover him up." Faith begged some more but they did nothing as Ethan sat there cold and crying. "What's wrong with you? What's wrong with you?" Faith demanded and then the third solider came out with the hog. It was a fat hog and that could get her through the winter. "I ain't got nothin' else I swear." But the leader smiled.

"That ain't necessarily so." He said and Faith knew what he wanted she was alone and defenseless and she thought Angel was gone.

"Yes," Faith said she would do anything to save her baby boy. "Take me inside we'll do whatever you want. Take my baby inside let's all go inside! Please!" She then ran for her son but the leader picked her up and dragged her inside as she fought to get to her son. "Please! Please! You take that hog! I'm as good as dead! Take that hog 'cause I'm as good as dead!" She was inside her home and the man slammed the door and then slammed Faith on the table and started to kiss her.

"Shut up!" He demanded and kept going and Faith knew if she fought it they would kill her baby. But what both of them didn't know was Angel snuck back into the house and head behind the door. He walked up slowly as the man was about to rape Faith and he pulled his head back and slit his throat. Faith looked up and wanted to jump into Angel's arms but he placed his hand over her mouth and got close to her ear.

"Shh," He said and she nodded knowing the plan now. Outside the other two soldiers sat around waiting as Ethan cried.

"You know he's gettin' ready to take a fit." One solider seemed concerned over the little baby as he sat there crying.

"What do you care?" The other solider asked sitting there looking at the house. He got up to see where the captain was he wanted to be with the woman too. The man walked away and the solider on the ground got close to the baby and started to wrap him up.

"Shh…Shh..." He wrapped up the blankets tightly around him and the baby seemed to quiet down just a little. "That's better shh that's better." The other solider walked into the house smiling seeing the captain on Faith as she cried a little.

"Hey, come on leave some for the rest of us." He said and placed his hand on the captain but he fell over and was dead. The solider was about to turn away and run when he walked right into Angel. Angel reached out and twisted the man's neck quickly and heard it snap. The man fell to the floor and Angel picked up his gun and walked out the front door holding the gun ready to kill the last solider.

"Get away from the baby!" Angel yelled out the order Angel didn't stand for men coming in and hurting an innocent family who might live through the next four months. This was a good woman to take her him, feed and clothe him and he was on his last nerve with men like these Yankee soldiers and the Home Guard. The solider did what he was told and held up his hand showing Angel he meant no harm to the baby. Angel had his finger on the trigger ready to blow this man's head clean off his shoulders. "Towards me!" Angel demanded as Faith ran outside to get her baby.

"Don't shoot we just wanted food." The solider explained.

"Take off your boots take off your pants, take off your shirt." Angel demanded wanting this man to the feel the cold like Ethan had to.

"Don't shoot me please." The solider begged and Faith ran into the house with Ethan and they were both safe now. "We're starvin' we haven't eaten in days." He tried to explain.

"Come on," Angel demanded and the man started to strip down.

"We're starving we haven't eaten in days." The man was taking too long to get rid of his clothes and Angel's patients were wearing thin these days.

"Come on!" Angel screamed and the man finally was down to his under clothes and he started to shake from the cold. Angel then lowered his weapon and wash of relief was seen on the man's face.

"Thanks thank you." The man said to Angel but Angel wasn't done.

"Now you get runnin'." Angel said and the man nodded not knowing if this was the woman's husband or brother but he wasn't going to stick around and find out. He could see that Angel was upset pissed off whatever you want to call it.

"I will." The man assured him and started to walk away.

"And keep runnin'." Was Angel's last order and the man ran off. Faith then came out of the house with her rifle and pointed it at the man. Angel didn't stop her and she pulled the trigger and the man went down. Angel just stood there looking out into the cold distance as Faith went back into the house. Angel turned back to Faith as she held her son. "I'll get going." He said and she nodded.

"Thank you we're forever grateful." Faith said and Angel nodded and picked up the other gun from the other dead solider. But before he left he dragged the two dead soldiers out of Faith's house and fetched the other third one. He put them in a pile and torched them. Faith didn't let him leave without a small meal and once again said thank you and good bye Angel left the little farm and headed home. He hoped Faith and Ethan would survive the winter but he could tell it was going to be a mean one.

Poor Faith and Ethan at least Angel saved them from the soldiers and they have a chance to live. Angel is close to home hope you're all getting excited for his return because I am. Next chapter will be up shortly. Thanks for reading comments and reviews are welcomed.