Angel looked up as Faith walked into his office, one of her hands bandaged, and a large bruise the right side of her face.
"Are you ok?" he asked. "I was worried..."
Faith nodded. "I needed some air."
Angel indicated her hand.
"Ok, ran into some trouble. But, I'm ok. Sam and Dean found - "
"Dean?"
Dean & Sam
"Hey sweetie!" Dean exclaimed, walking in with his arms out, "good to see you!"
Sam walked in behind him, giving Angel a silent nod as he closed the door behind them.
Angel and Faith
"I thought you were in Hell," Angel said, folding his arms.
Faith grinned slightly, enjoying the show.
Dean & Sam
"Yeah... got out. No air conditioning, you know how it is," Dean shrugged, "so, did you miss me?!"
"I think we have a more pressing issue here," Sam frowned seriously, stepping up to Faith and putting a hand on her shoulder.
Angel and Faith
"Yes," Angel agreed, glad to not be conversing with Dean for the moment. "Faith. No change?"
"Hmm, well, had to run away from a simple vampire, then almost attacked by a random normal guy," Faith said, shaking her head. "No change. Did you guys find anything?"
Angel shook his head. "I have Wesley's whole department on it, and Gunn's dropped his caseload to look into it. Medical found nothing from your analysis. Maybe Xander is right. Maybe it's a flu bug."
"Angel, you don't seem to get the big picture here," Faith said. "I'm a girl. A normal girl. Spike beat me up. When was the last time that happened?"
Angel paused. "Never, really."
"Exactly."
Sam & Dean
"Is there even the slightest chance that maybe any tests that were undertaken were botched, or that someone here is actually behind what's going on?" Sam asked sincerely.
Dean meanwhile had wandered over to Angel's desk, picking up a fancy paperweight to study.
Angel and Faith
"I couldn't think of anyone who would do that," Angel replied, shaking his head.
"Or rather, who'd risk you finding out," Faith said, shrugging. "But maybe it is something to look into?"
"Lorne's doing a staff reading," he told her. "If someone is hiding something, he'll know."
Faith nodded, glancing out the window. "Not to state the worst, but... what if there's nothing causing it? What if I'm just... not a Slayer anymore?"
"As far as I know, that's not really something that can happen," Angel said. "I've gone through the Slayer handbook and - "
"There's a Slayer handbook?" Faith asked incredulously. "What's in it? I didn't get a handbook."
"It's protocol for Slayers. You're meant to be issued one when you're called. It's got everything you need to study up on and... well... maybe your Watcher decided that the handbook wouldn't benefit you."
Dean & Sam
Dean put the paperweight down on the other side of the table, smirking as he picked up a company pen and slid it into his shirt pocket.
"And you're sure that Lorne is that reliable?" Sam went on, "what if whoever's in charge has him under their wing too?"
Faith and Angel
"No," Faith and Angel said at the same time. She glanced at the vampire and smiled.
"Lorne's been with us from the beginning," Angel told Sam. "He wouldn't betray me. If anything it would be - "
"Wesley," Faith interrupted. "I mean, historically speaking. But he wouldn't have had the chance to do it. I've only spoken to him after I lost it all."
"Did Xander speak to Giles?" Angel questioned. "Maybe something like this happened to... before."
Faith nodded. "Giles wasn't much help, from what I've heard. He's busy with the school."
"Watcher's Council?" Angel suggested. "We could get in contact directly."
"Need I remind you of my past dealings with the Council?" Faith put in. "You know, the trying to kill me thing?"
Sam & Dean
"Then so far, all arrows point to the Council. Do they happen to have Xander wrapped around their corporate finger?" Sam asked.
A bang was heard from the other side of the room, and Dean stooped to pick the statue up not even bothering to make eye contact with anyone.
Angel and Faith
"Xander and Wesley are out this morning," Angel told Faith. "It's possible..."
"Anything is possible," Faith pointed out. "But I mean, after everything... I don't think Xander would do anything. He's too loyal to the Sunnydale crowd, and that... technically includes me. And the only time I've seen him this week was when we did some training. Nothing weird."
Angel turned his attention to Dean briefly, then decided against an argument.
Sam & Dean
"Don't let friendship cloud judgement," Sam cautioned her, "you don't know if they might have blackmailed him even. He might feel overwhelmingly bad about it, but he still might be doing something..."
Something smashed in the background.
"Oops..."
Angel and Faith
Angel closed his eyes for a moment.
"Dean, isn't there somewhere else you can be? Somewhere that's at least 100 miles from me?"
"It's not like him though," Faith said to Sam. "He's... well, too afraid. Maybe of the Council. But more of me."
Dean & Sam
"Nope," Dean gave him a charming smile, "I'm all yours, baby!"
"But what if they're somehow controlling him?" Sam suggested, ignoring his brother - his focus on Faith, "you know, like..."
He didn't want to say like himself.
"Like a telepath or something."
Angel and Faith
"I really can't kill him, can I?" Angel asked Faith, distracted for a moment.
"It'll stain the carpet," Faith replied.
"Well, from what we know about the Council," Angel refocused on Sam. "It's not likely."
Faith raised her hand. "Actually, from what I know of the Council, it's kind of extremely likely. Just because you decided to adopt the Rogue doesn't really stop them claiming their jurisdiction. Technically, I am their property, as loathe as I am to admit that."
Sam & Dean
"Excuse me, property?" Sam's eyebrows rose.
"Since when does a life become someone else's property? Not including demon dealings-"
"Hey, keep me out of this," Dean insisted, before going back to inspecting an expensive-looking glass ornament.
Faith and Angel
"Technically," Faith said, shrugging. "They created us, they trained us, they're responsible for us, really."
"And a fine job they've done of that," Angel muttered. He looked at Dean, then walked over, taking the ornament away as he walked back to his desk.
"Look, in most matters, I do... ok, I am meant to report back to them," Faith went on. "I don't like it anymore than you do, but it is what's required of me. I generally don't, but you know... it is expected."
Dean & Sam
"Screw that," Dean smirked, unphased by Angel and simply moving onto the next object - and African looking mask.
"Sorry, I just... It's not like we're employed to do what we do, so the whole chain-of-command thing is very confusing," Sam sighed dejectedly.
Angel and Faith
Angel picked up an envelope opened from his desk and briefly thought about stabbing Dean with it.
"It's complicated," Faith said to Sam, touching his arm lightly. "It's just... the way it's been done for centuries."
"Need I point out that you're not conventional?" Angel asked.
"Well, no, but technically, I'm on active duty. I'm hunting vampires, and I've accepted a new Watcher," Faith replied, shrugging. "The only real contact I have in terms of the Council is through Xander, and even then, that's limited. Or when I screw up."
Dean & Sam
Dean hovered the mask over his face, making some exaggerated growling noises.
"Why do you even bother with them?" Sam asked her, confused.
Angel and Faith
Angel glanced at Dean.
Faith shrugged. "It's just... well, I don't really have much choice in the matter, because you can't really quit the Council. If you do, you're considered inactive."
"And inactive is as good as dead," Angel finished. "I remember the deal. You were - "
"Yes, I know," Faith sighed. "I was the problem one."
Sam & Dean
"So... what? If you quit they kill you?" Sam asked incredulously.
Dean put the mask down and moved on to a nearby swivel chair, sitting down with a loud groan and spinning himself around until his eyes caught sight of his next target.
Faith and Angel
"Well..." Faith shrugged.
"An inactive Slayer is as good as dead," Angel said again. "If you're not working for them, you're rogue. And they can't have that."
"Mmm, think of the damage I could cause."
Sam
"But what are they gonna do?" Sam shrugged with a frown.
"You never thought of just taking off and doing your own thing? It's not like you need a babysitter Faith. And if they want to fight the good fight then let them get their own hands dirty instead of sacrificing pawns."
Faith and Angel
"I tried, Sam," Faith replied. "They sent the elite team over to get me. And not just me. Angel got dragged into it as well."
"Faith, I can take care of myself," Angel interjected.
"And I don't doubt that, but I'm not having you under attack because of me."
Sam & Dean
"So disappear," Sam said, as if it were as simple as that.
Another crash came from behind them, and Sam turned to his brother with a stern look.
"Dean-"
Angel and Faith
Angel spun around and his jaw clenched.
"Dean. I'm going to ask you to leave, rather than throw you out the window, only because Faith holds misguided affection for you."
Faith snorted. "Oh wait... ooh. That was... ooh. Dean, you should go."
Dean & Sam
"Good, I'm hungry anyway. And as much as I'd love to stand here and listen to you go on about whether Faith is an object to be owned or not, my stomach has priority."
"What a shocker," Sam said condescendingly.
"Ciao!" Dean grinned, walking out the door backwards and pulling it closed behind him.
Angel and Faith
"There's not much we can find out with Xander and Wesley being here," Angel pointed out.
Faith nodded. "Yeah. Then we can see which one went all Judas."
The vampire cracked a smile. "And you'd be Jesus?"
"Yes."
Sam
"What can you do? Just stamp up surveillance or something? On top of having Lorne do his thing?" Sam asked.
Angel and Faith
"I can have them monitored," Angel offered. "I'll get Gunn to see the big cat upstairs, see what they know."
"And I'll play possum, I guess," Faith shrugged.
Sam
"And that's it," Sam shrugged, looking ready to leave.
Faith and Angel
Faith turned to Sam and reached up, kissing him lightly.
"Hey, you go, I'll catch up. I have something I need to do here."
Angel nodded. "Ok, did you need me to come with?"
She shook her head. "Nah, just going to do some... some yoga. No laughing."
"Didn't even crack a smile."
Sam
"No problem," Sam kissed her back.
"Bye Angel," he waved as he left.