Angel considered the new feeling - or rather, the restored feeling - on the link he shared with Faith. Whatever had happened over the last week, the connection was restored and she felt closer than she had been for most of the month. So he was going to try his luck and call her, one last time, before he officially gave up and just let her come back when she was ready.
If she was ever ready.
"Angel," Faith said, her version of a greeting. But then a smile entered her voice. "I'm glad you called."
"You are?" Angel asked, somewhat relieved.
"Oh, I'm still pissed at you keeping secrets from me, but not as much anymore," she went on. "And after being possessed by a demon for most of this month - "
"Wait, what?"
"Oh yeah, it's all good. Sam exorcised it. I'm back to me again. Mostly. I feel a little... violated, for lack of a better word. Do you know it used me to make money? Yeah, I apparently worked a night at a strip club."
Angel snorted. "How is Sam?"
"Seems alright," Faith replied, shrugging. She looked over at him briefly, where he was on his computer. "What's news on your end?"
"Spike's here." It seemed to sum everything up.
"Ah, and here I am worrying about my petty problems," she joked. "Being a royal pain in the ass, I'm guessing?"
"That's one way of putting it. It's actually part of the reason I called - "
"If you think I'm going to put up with him, you have another thing coming."
Angel laughed. "No, I could see that ending badly."
"Although, we do have some unresolved sexual tension..."
"I didn't hear that."
Faith grinned. "Ok, what's the problem with Spike? Well, what isn't the problem is probably a better question."
"Well," Angel said, then sighed. "Look... if cavemen and astronuats got into a fight, who would win?"
The only answer he received was Faith's laughter on the other end of the phone line.
"It's important, stop laughing!"
"How long have you been arguing with him about this?" Faith took a deep breath, trying to stop laughing.
"Since yesterday," Angel admitted. "But really, can you help out?"
"Ok," Faith grinned. "Do they have weapons?"
"No."
"Hmmm," she hummed, leaning back against the bedhead. "Are the astronauts in their suits?"
Angel thought for a moment. "No. Strictly hand to hand."
"Ah, that changes things. See, if the astronauts were in suits, they'd be slower, but more protected. But fighting has progressed a long way since the cavemen..."
"Spike thinks it's cavemen because they're brutal. Savage. Fred agrees because they have fire."
Faith scoffed. "I would consider fire a weapon. And besides, it's not like astronauts can't have fire too. Fire isn't reserved for the cavemen. Also, I can't believe you've been arguing about this. And that Fred is now in on it too."
"Well actually," Angel said, somewhat sheepishly. "Everyone has kind of put their two cents in."
"It is amazing anything actually gets done at that place. Hey, did Xander check in with you?"
"A few days ago. Oh, and we've rehired Lindsey - "
"Random. I thought Tex was off... you know, in Texas?" Faith twirled her hair around her fingers.
"So did I. Apparently the Senior Partners wanted him to make good on his binding contract," Angel explained.
"Things have changed. So you now have Spike, Xander and Tex over there."
"And Robin Wood? He dropped by to see Xander. Said he knew you too," Angel told her.
"Who? Oh... yeah. Met him in Sunnydale. Quite the muffin. He's the son of a Slayer. The second one that Spike killed, actually," Faith replied. "Man, I thought he was... actually, I hadn't really thought about it much. What's he doing in LA?"
"Looking for a change of pace, I think. Not much demon hunting in Washington, he says."
"How skilled would astronauts be in hand to hand combat though?" Faith asked suddenly. "Like, that's not really part of their training, is it?"
Angel was quiet for a second. "I'll look it up."
Faith laughed again. "Ok. Call me later with the answer. And I'll think it over. Maybe ask Sam his opinion. By the way, I can't believe how far this thing has spread."
"I want Spike to lose this argument."
"Ah, don't we all? Anyway, let me know."
"Will do. Thanks for answering."
Faith smiled. "Yeah. Catch ya."
She slid her phone shut and looked over at Sam.
"I have a weird theoretical for you..."
Sam
"Go for it," Sam said absently, more occupied with what was o the screen.
Faith
"If cavemen and astronauts got into a fight, who would win? No weapons, just hand to hand combat," Faith asked.
She pulled her laptop across the bed and opened it up.
Sam
Sam raised an eyebrow, and looked across at her to see if she was serious.
"Cavemen," he shrugged.
"The astronauts would pause to wonder if it was moral, and the cavemen have animal instinct that would snap their necks before they made a move."
Faith
"That's what I think. More primal. Savage."
Faith grinned.
"I think Angel was hoping I'd side with him, but... oh well. Apparently that argument is raging back in LA."
Sam
"So... are things cool between you guys now?" Sam asked, cautiously.
"It sounded like it went ok."
Faith
"Oh yeah, I was over it halfway through the possession thing... but I just couldn't tell him that," Faith said.
She shrugged.
"We argue, we beat the hell out of each other and we make up. All normal in the world of Angel and Faith."
Sam
Sam nodded.
"And not just your world," he chuckled a little, getting back to his computer.
"You're not itching to go see him or anything?"
Faith
"Nah, I think we can use some more time apart."
Faith paused.
"That, and Spike has turned up there. And when we get together, it usually ends up in blood being spilled. And it's not always his."
Sam
"Who's Spike?" Sam asked.
"Another one of the 'LA crew'?"
Faith
"Kinda," Faith said, after thinking for a moment. "Another vampire with a soul. We have a bit of a love hate thing happening."
Sam
"What's up with the souled-vampire thing going around?" Sam frowned a little, more for concentration.
"I mean I've trusted some vamps before, but that's kinda taking it to the next level. Giving them souls."
Faith
"Angel's was a curse," Faith said, tapping her password into her laptop. "From a gypsy tribe. And Spike... I think he actually asked for his back. Had to go through trials or something. Not too sure on that one."
She rested her head against the bed head.
"Angel, I trust with everything. Usually. Spike... well, I don't usually trust him as far as I can throw him. Which," she laughed. "Is actually pretty far."
Sam
Sam nodded.
"The vamps I helped were soul-less, but they weren't killin humans, so..."
He shrugged.
"If they're not killing humans they're not evil as far as I'm concerned."
Faith
"Yeah, they're all about killing demons these days," Faith said, shrugging.
She opened up her internet browser.
"So... what's the what? New case?"
Sam
"Ah.... yeah. Sure," Sam closed a few files.
"There's an obit of a guy with his heart missing. Could be a werewolf - the lunar cycle is about right. Or there's a few missing kids cases that could always just turn out to be human-related."