Angel half ran up the stairs to Zac's house and knocked rather forcefully on the door.
"Come on, answer the door, come on..." he muttered.
Zac
Zac peered out the window and was mighty surprised by the person he saw out there. He opened the door.
"Angel?" he asked curiously. "Don't take this the wrong way, but what are you doing here?"
Angel
"I have that effect on people."
Angel shook his head.
"Look, I need to take Tru. Faith's... Faith's in a bad way."
Zac
"Oh... oh sure..." Zac said, stepping back to call up the stairs. "Tru! There's someone here to see you!"
He turned back to Angel.
"What's wrong?"
Angel and Tru
Angel rubbed his eyes.
"She's dying, Zac. She needs a liver donor now, and it's not looking good. She has a rare blood and tissue type, and Airlia isn't a match. None of Wolfram and Hart is a match. They're searching out her birth father, but not even she knows who she is. I need Tru to be tested, and if you want to as well... just in case?"
Tru came bounded down the stairs and launched herself into Angel's arms.
"Uncle Angel! Where's mommy?"
"Your mom's not feeling too good, and I'm going to take you to her, ok?"
Zac
"A liver?" Zac frowned. "But you only have one of those..."
He wondered how liver donation worked... he always thought the donar was dead first. But then, he was no doctor, so how would he know?
Ella appeared then and Zac asked if she would mind if he left with Tru and Angel for a bit.
"It's fine," Ella replied agreeablely.
Angel and Tru
"Ok, here's what happens. You have three kinda lobe things in your liver, and in the transplant, only one comes out to give to someone else. I'm not sure the technical terms, but the doctor will explain it if you're a match."
Angel sighed.
Tru ran back and got a bag, then came back down.
Zac
"Ahh, I see," Zac nodded, not really understanding.
He waited for Tru to go outside and then closed the door behind them.
"Say, there's an interesting question... will my being Dathrian have any impact? Y'know, Faith being human and all?" Zac mused about transpecial transplants.
Angel and Tru
Angel ushered the two to his car, then continued talking once they were driving.
"It shouldn't. Our specialist at Wolfram and Hart is certain that the different species will have no effect on the transplant, just the blood types."
"Is mommy really sick?" Tru piped up from the backseat.
"She's... she's just not feeling very well," Angel replied tactfully.
"We'll take my jet over to New York. She's in Dr McCoy's care at the moment. I think she'll be glad to see you two."
Angel paused, trying to find a way to say nicely that Faith looked pretty bad, as she was dying.
"Try not to be shocked at the way she looks."
Zac
"That bad huh?" Zac said.
Then he paused, realising that that was probably not what Tru would like to hear.
"Well, Faith's come through a lot of stuff before. And Hank's a good doctor, so I'm sure she'll be fine."
Angel and Tru
Angel pulled up at the tarmac, and Tru bounded out to the plane.
"I don't think she will. Unless a donor comes up now, she hasn't really got much chance of making it," Angel said quietly to Zac.
Zac
"That's... not good..." Zac said, shaking his head.
He headed up the steps onto the plane. Faith was going to be okay, right? They were going to find a donar soon, weren't they?
Angel, Faith, Airlia and Tru
They arrived at the mansion and Angel ushered them all down to the medlabs, where Faith lay on her bed, her face ashen.
Airlia sat on a seat near the bed, sniffing every so often.
"Mommy?" Tru said, running over.
"How is she?" Angel asked Airlia.
"She's sleeping."
Faith's eyes opened slowly.
"Hey."
Zac
Zac followed them in quietly.
"Hi," he said softly.
He wasn't sure if this was better or worse than the last time he had seen her in hospital, when she was in a coma.
Angel, Airlia, Tru and Faith
Angel put his hands on Airlia's shoulders, as the young girl sniffed again.
"Mommy, are you going to be ok?" Tru asked.
"Of course I am," Faith replied weakly.
Angel looked at Tru and Airlia, then at Faith, and then at Zac.
"How about I take you guys out for a bit? Get some ice cream?" Angel asked the kids.
"Ok," Airlia answered.
"Come on Tru."
Tru kissed Faith's cheek.
"I'll be back later, mommy."
Angel and Faith exchanged a long look before he took the two children away, leaving Faith and Zac alone.
"How've you been?" Faith asked.
Zac
"I'm good," Zac replied, sitting down on the chair next to her. "And what have you managed to do to yourself this time?"
He gave her a half-hearted cheeky grin.
Faith
"Oh you know, the usual."
Faith smiled back at him.
"I'm glad to see you."
Zac
"Glad to see you too," Zac nodded. "Gladder to see you get better."
He hoped that someone would turn out to be a match.
Faith
Faith gave another half smile.
"We'll see."
She coughed suddenly, the force of the cough racking her frail body.
"How are the kids?"
Zac
"They are good," Zac nodded. "Tru and Saku have formed a formidable, mischevious pair. The stuff they've been getting up to... Okay so mostly it involves tormenting the dogs next door or Kylie, but that's not the point."
He grinned broadly.
Faith
Faith raised an eyebrow.
"Who's Kylie?"
Zac
"Oh she... She's an old friend of our who moved to Canada. And then we caught up a few months ago, and we were bored and... well... she's expecting... And she moved in. Saku and Tru don't like her all that much. I have to admit," and Zac frowned. "She's not... not really the person I remember..."
Faith
"People change, I guess."
Faith reached out to hold Zac's hand.
"I hate being here."
Zac
"Yeah..." Zac replied.
He took her hand and gave it a squeeze.
"I'm sure everything's going to work out."
Faith
Faith laughed hollowly.
"It won't. But thanks for saying so. And thanks for coming. Well, not coming, but visiting."
Zac
"I can do that too, if you insist," Zac joked. "But seriously, you've been in worst situations, I'm sure."
He put his other hand over her hand as well.
"You'll be fine."
Faith
Faith shrugged slightly.
"There's not much of a chance. If I don't get a donor in the next 48 hours, it's not looking good."
Her face fell.
"Promise me you'll look after Tru. Airlia too?"
Zac
"I promise," Zac replied solomnly. "But I don't think it'll be neccesary. A lot can happen in 48 hours."
Zac didn't like the way Faith was being so pessimistic.
Faith
"They won't find a match."
Faith looked at Zac.
"My dad's the best chance of a match and they won't find him. I can't even find him."
Zac
"Best chance, maybe, but not your only chance," Zac answered. "There's still Tru. And me. And anyone else they've managed to conjour up."
He was getting a little concerned.
Faith
"I'm not going to get better."
Faith looked away from Zac.
"I don't want to raise false hopes."
Zac
"Better false hope than none at all," Zac replied. "I don't want you to give up. And I won't let you give up."
He looked at her sternly.
"Understand? You're not giving up. And you're not going to die either."
Faith
"Even if you are a match, I won't let you do it."
Faith turned and looked at him.
"Promise me you won't do it."
Zac
Zac gave her an incredulous look.
"What... why? Why not? I don't want you to die, Faith. And neither does Tru, or Airlia, or any of your friends."
Faith
"It's too risky Zac. So many things can go wrong in the procedure and I won't put any of you at risk like that. Especially not you."
Faith blinked back tears.
"I don't want to die, but I won't risk your life to save mine."
Zac
"Isn't that my decision to make?" Zac asked. "Damn it Faith, if I turn out to be a match, I couldn't in good conscience not take a chance just because I might die too. That's what friends - good friends - do. They risk their lives for each other. Well, amongst other things. It comes with the territory anyway."
Faith
"No, I won't let you do it."
Faith sighed.
"Zac, I've asked you for so much already. I've taken so much from you. I hurt you. I lied to you. I cheated on you. Of course, you did cheat on me first, but that's not the issue... I'm getting off track. Basically, I've screwed your life up so much already, that I wouldn't do this to you."
Zac
"Yeah, well, I've cheated and hurt you, and got you pregnant and screwed your life up too, so we're even. So at least let me have the chance of making it up to you," Zac replied.
He couldn't believe they were having this argument.
Faith
"Shut up. You are not using this to make it up to me."
Faith nodded.
"I forbid it."
Zac
"So, what you're saying is that you would rather than I felt guilty about not saving your life for the rest of mine, rather than let me donate, should I turn out to be a match?"
Zac looked up at Faith with innocent, puppy-dog eyes.
Faith
"No, I would rather not let you die to help me."
Faith shook her head.
"No means no, Zac."
Zac
"I have no intension of dying," Zac replied. "I have too many kids to look after."
Why, oh why was she being like this?
Faith
"Good, then you won't be a donor if it comes down to that."
Faith sat up as carefully as she could.
"I won't let you, and what I say goes. Ok? Good, I'm glad we're agreed. Now, how's your family?"
Zac
Zac decided not to comment on her change of the subject.
"Family is good," he replied. "B'E and Tom turned one a week or so ago. Tru and Saku have become fast friends and like teasing the neighbours, like I told you eariler. Dee Dee got her first tooth the other night. Actually, of all my kids, I think I have a bit of a soft spot for Dee Dee. She's the only one of my kids I've actually raised from birth myself. I mean, living in other states - or other dimensions - I haven't been in on any of the cool parenting moments for Saku or Tru or B'E and Tom or Brett. And I probably won't have any for Briar either."
He shrugged.
"Ike is good. Tay is good. We all is good."
Faith
"And your mom? Should I try and make an effort to reconcile that relationship now that I'm on my death bed?"
Faith grinned in spite of herself.
Zac
Zac really wished that she would stop talking about dying.
"Mom is good too. And I honestly think she would be more receptive to you - death bed or not - anyway, now that she's not infected with Verizik disease."
Faith
"Good to hear."
Faith grinned.
"Or maybe she'd be more receptive because I'm no longer sleeping with you."
Zac
Zac poked his tongue out at her.
"But you are the mother of my child - or one of them. And she likes Tru. Even if she is a tad weirded out that she was only conceived this year, and yet is already three."
Faith
"It's hard not to like Tru, she shares genes from you and me. It's like... the perfect human. Alien. Slayer. Hybrid. Whatever."
Faith grinned.
"And as for her already being three... well you knew I was impatient when you met me."
Zac
Zac laughed.
"I wasn't critising. I'm just saying it takes a little getting used to. I mean, Saku was younger than Tru when I first met him, yet he had only been conceived a couple of weeks before."
Faith
Faith smiled weakly.
"Well, us supernatural types... we take a bit of getting used to."
Zac
"Actually - and I know this is going to sound weird, seeing as I'm known them all my life, but I think it's harder to get used to humans than to supernatural types," Zac said. "I mean, I love 'em, but no offence, they are terribly limited. I just can't imagine what life would be like with no powers at all."
Faith
"Hmmm, I know. I don't think I could live without my strength."
Faith's face fell as she remembered where she was.
"But I guess living isn't really up for debate anymore."
Zac
"You're not going to die," Zac frowned stubbornly.
He folded his arms across his chest.
Faith
"Ok, but if I do, I'm coming back to haunt you, just to say 'I told you so'. Deal?"
Faith laughed.
Zac
Zac eyed her steadily.
"I can agree to that without fear of losing sleep," he replied solomnly.
Faith
"You know, haunting you wouldn't be half bad. I'd watch you shower..."
Faith grinned.
Zac
"And I'd have the satisfaction of knowing that you don't have the privlage of showering with me," Zac replied. "And what's more I could bring a few girls home and shower with them, knowing you're watching. Except that you're not going to die, so you aren't going to be haunting me, so there goes that plan."
Faith
"Hmmm, ok let's make a bet. If I die, you have to sing at my funeral. And if I don't... well... then that's cool."
Faith shrugged.
Zac
"And since you won't," Zac said. "I have the satisfaction of saying 'I told you so'. And I'm sure I could probably think of something you could do for me..."
He considered this.
Faith
"I could lend you some leather pants so you could match Taylor!"
Faith's eyes sparkled.
Zac
"I know that I need to curve this habit of producing kids, but I don't think Taylor's method is the best way of going about it," Zac replied.
He winked at her.
Faith
"But come on, you'd look so good in leather."
Faith grinned.
Zac
"Well," Zac considered. "As long as they're not too tight. Breathing. Breathing is very important. Also I need no help singing high."
He nodded.
Faith
"If you wanna sing higher I could squeeze your... oh the weather's nice, isn't it?" Faith said cheekily.
Zac
Zac shook his head in amusement.
"Weather's great," he replied. "And how has the galivanting been going, anyway? Prevent anymore apocolypses recently?"
Faith
"Nah, but Angel took me to a masquerade ball. Got to get all pretty," Faith said, nodding.
Zac
"Aww, like you need a special occasion to do that. You're always pretty," Zac found himself saying. "Actually, you're always beautiful, but that's not the point."
Faith
"Flirt," Faith teased.
"You're just hoping there's a spa around here."
Zac
"Yes, well, only with you would I ever do the spa thing," Zac nodded. "It just wouldn't be the same with anyone else."
He wondered how it was the conversation had taken this turn. But then, it was he and Faith that were having said conversation.
Faith
"Mmm."
Faith moved her arm and made a face.
"I hate needles. Demons, vampires and the world being sucked into hell I can handle. But needles? Forget it."
Zac
"Well, that's because needles suck," Zac agreed. "They're pointy and stick into you. And worse yet, they inject stuff into you. Except for the ones that take stuff out of you. I mean, it can't be natural, right?"
Faith
"Yeah they're bad. And horrible. And painful."
Faith smiled wryly.
"Again, another weird point. I've been knocked out, stabbed and everything else really, but a tiny jab from a needle and I'm howling in pain."
Zac
Zac nodded.
"This is true, yes. But then, the most common fear - of all things - is of public speaking. Figure that out."
Faith
Faith made a face.
"Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of that."
She looked at Zac.
"You're alright at it. Well, I guess that's more public singing rather than speaking..."
Zac
"True," Zac nodded. "But I mean, there are all the interviews and stuff... Anyway, I was always such a psycho I loved playing up to an audience anyway. It was just a bigger auidence."
He smiled mischeviously.
Faith
"I noticed," Faith replied dryly.
"You're quite a showman."
Zac
"Showman," Zac mused. "Well, that's one of the more polite ways I've heard to describe it."
He grinned cheekily.
Faith
"Ah, well I'm a polite sort of person."
Faith brushed hair away from her face again.
"So, love interests?"
Zac
"Love interests?" Zac replied.
He pondered this for a moment.
"No... there are plenty of women I'm somehow attached to - usually because of kids, but no one I'm particularily interested in at the moment. You?"
Faith
"Not really, dying puts a dampener on the love thing."
Faith paused.
"I don't really want to tie Logan down to this, and I kinda want to know that I can be independent again. Well, I will be when I die, I guess."
Zac
"You're not going to die," Zac said stubbornly. "You're not allowed. I'm not going to let you."
He folded his arms across his chest.
Faith
"Hmmm," Faith replied in a non committal tone.
"Anyway, I need sleep, so..."
Zac
"Okay," Zac said.
He considered kissing her cheek, but changed his mind.
"I'll see you later. Have a nice sleep."
And he left the room.