"So, you like it?" Angel asked, glancing at Faith.
Faith tore her eyes away from the table full of things Angel had bought for her. "I do. It's awesome. Thanks."
"Then why'd you seem more excited when Spike left a severed head in your car?" Angel smiled faintly.
"Sorry," Faith said, lifting up the digital camera box from the table. "It's just that there's this chance that maybe my calling is like... sorry, wrong number. And I'm freaking out a little."
"That's understandable," Angel replied, touching her shoulder lightly. "Hence the gifts."
"I'm glad we're superficial sometimes." Faith paused, then looked at him. "Angel, what if I have lost my power."
Angel thought for a second. "Well, you lived a long time without it, you can do it again."
"Maybe... you didn't know me before," she said quietly. "I was... becoming a Slayer, that gave me a purpose, it gave me the hope that there was something out there for me, bigger plans... what if I can't live without them?"
"Hey, it's not like we're going to abandon you if you're not the Slayer," Angel reassured her. "At the very least, you'll always have me."
"I've seen too much, Angel," Faith continued, ignoring him. "I know what goes bump in the night... not being able to fight it... I can't be helpless like that. I can't just be a girl."
"First off, I don't think you'll ever be helpless, not even if you tried. And second, you'll never just be a girl either," Angel replied. "You're too independent, too annoyingly stubborn."
"Comfort, remember, comfort?"
Angel smiled. "What I'm saying is... take away your powers and hey, you're still a little firecracker. So you won't be able to fight, but you will still be a part of this team. Always."
"As what, research? You know as well as I do that my brain isn't really my strong point. Angel, if I'm not the Slayer, what do I have to offer? Why would anyone even care about me?"
"'Cause the people that matter, they can see what I see. As tough as you are and the barriers you put up... Faith, the first time I saw you, I understood you. I could see your heart. You held it before you for everyone to see. And I watched it get bruised and torn, and I couldn't stop that. And more than anything, I just wanted to help you keep it safe, repair it."
Faith gave a small smile. "That's beautiful. Or... taken literally, extremely gross."
"I was just thinking that."