"Hey Wes!" Gunn called, coming out of his office and meeting the Brit in the middle of the lobby.
"Nothing," Wesley replied. "We did another sweep last night."
"Didn't think so," Gunn sighed. "What about Faith? She said anything yet?"
Wesley shook his head. "No. She's just... oddly quiet."
Sam
"Is this a bad time?" Sam asked, catching the end of their conversation as he came in through the front door with a duffel on his shoulder.
Gunn
"You could say that," Gunn said dryly. "But hey, we could use the help."
Wesley turned and nodded at Sam. "Actually, you being here might just make it a slightly less bad time."
Sam
"Sure," Sam shrugged, walking towards them.
"Aything I can do to help. What's the low down?"
Gunn and Faith
"We're just about to go over that," Wesley said. "This way."
Wesley headed in the direction for Angel's office, and Gunn followed along behind.
Faith was standing at the window, staring down at the city.
Sam
"Faith!" Sam exclaimed as soon as he saw her, dropping his bag by the door and making his way over.
"Are you ok?"
Faith and Gunn
Faith turned to see Sam and she smiled faintly. Her knuckles were still bruised from her angry shower.
Gunn closed the door behind them and let Wesley face the group.
"We all know why we're here," he started. "Angelus is back."
Sam
"Aka the vamp lost his soul?" Sam made sure he had his facts right as he leant back against the window near Faith.
Faith
Wesley nodded, careful with the way he worded his next statement,
for fear of angering Faith. "We now know it was Eve who summoned the
shaman to take his soul."
Faith spun around, staring at the group with disbelieving eyes,
before heading for the door.
Wesley caught her arm.
Sam
"Faith?" Sam frowned, standing up straight.
"What is it?"
Faith and Gunn
Faith pulled herself roughly from Wesley's grip and turned around,
shaking her head at the members of Wolfram and Hart.
"I can't believe you people," she said finally.
"Faith, we didn't know - " Gunn started.
"That bitch was your liaison to the Senior Partners," she
cut in, shaking her head in disbelief. "She had access to all
levels of Wolfram and Hart, so you have no idea what she knows, how
much she can do, and then when she disappears without a trace, no one
thought to, I don't know, look into it?"
Fred spoke up. "We didn't think - "
"Yeah, you didn't think. At all. And now I have to clean this mess
up, again."
"Faith," Wesley tried. "We're going to find him, it'll - "
"It'll be ok?" Faith snapped. "Really? Because the last time
Angelus was around, guess who this favourite little plaything was?"
Wesley looked at the ground.
"Yeah, so until Angelus kidnaps you, tortures you
and then rapes you, you don't get to weigh in here, English."
And with that, she turned again to leave the room.
"Faith!" Wesley grabbed her arm again.
"If you want to keep that arm, I suggest you let go of me, Wesley.
I'll find him and I'll bring him alive, but I can't say he won't be
in a tremendous amount of pain."
Sam
"Let me help," Sam insisted, stepping forward again.
"I can help you track him. And while I might not agree with your
methods, at least he'll be off the street. Do you have somewhere to
contain him?"
Faith
Wesley let go of Faith at her comment and turned to Sam. "We do
have a holding cell ready for him. And then we're going to do the re-
ensoulling spell."
"You people, this is where magic gets you," Connor spoke up
finally.
Faith shot a look at Connor. "Listen - "
"No, you listen, Faith, I'm going to track him, and if I do, he
sure as hell won't be getting anything other than dusted," he
replied, closing the distance between them.
"Listen up, junior. When I need a blood hound, I'll call you. If
Angelus needs putting down, I'll be the one to do it, not you. So...
is there anything else you're not ok with? Good." Faith raised an
eyebrow.
"You think you can stop me before I get to him?" Connor asked,
almost smugly. "I'm stronger than you think."
He made a move to get past her and she grabbed him around the
throat, backing him up against the wall. He pulled her hand down and
she blocked his punch, pinning him again.
"I get it, you're a super being," she said.
Connor pushed Faith away roughly, going in to punch her, before
she blocked it and had him pinned again, this time, a knife at his
throat.
"You a murderer kid? Coz I am. If it comes down to you or Angelus,
you haven't shown me a thing to make me want to take your side,"
Faith said, resheathing the knife and stepping back.
Connor rubbed his neck.
Sam
"Faith..." Sam shok his head, flabbergasted.
"We can stand around and argue while this fang runs free, or we
can go hunt the thing down."
Faith
"Yeah." Faith turned and looked at Sam, her expression softening
for a moment.
"I'm coming with you," Connor said.
"Like hell," she said, heading for the door. "Fred, make sure the
kid doesn't leave. Tase him if you have to."
"Uh, he doesn't exactly have a record of doing what he's told,"
Fred said awkwardly.
"He'll do as I say," Faith threw back.
Sam
Sam grabbed his bag as he neared the door, giving Wesley what he
hoped was a reassuring smile as he followed her out.
Gunn
"That went... well," Gunn said, looking towards the door.
Wesley shook his head slightly.