Prologue: Peace...
Location: Remains of the former United States of America, California Island
I stand in the pouring rain. It falls down steadily around me, my clothes are soaking wet and my hair is plastered to my face. I look down at the grave in front of me. The flowers I had set there are now covered in mud. I set them there on the grave hours ago, since dawn had broken through the night. I have come here every year and stood at this grave for a day to honor and remember those who were responsible for getting me to this day. I slowly sucked in a deep breath as I looked skyward. I sighed heavily again and as I had done every year prior to this I thought back to why I really was standing here. The memories flooded my senses and they consumed me before I could stop them. I had no choice but to succumb to the memories of my past once again.
**********
L.A. Summer 2000
"I'd like to make a confession," I told the blonde cop as she came into the station with Angel in handcuffs. I was placed into a cell to await my trial and my sentencing. I sat alone in that jail cell, leaning back against the wall as everything I had ever done wrong was slowly coming back to me.
Elsewhere Wesley and Angel talked as Faith settled into her cell.
"I hope she is strong enough to make it. Peace is not an easy thing to find," Wesley says to Angel.
"She has a chance," Angel responds.
**********
Peace. Peace was all I had ever wanted. I was finally alone with my memories to try to figure out where exactly I had gone wrong. I had wanted this, I had asked for this, so why was it harder than I thought that it would be? I used to give Angel such hell for being "soul boy" but he had it harder than any one of us. He lives each day knowing what destruction he caused and yet each day he makes it through to see the next night knowing that he was the cause of so many innocent deaths. I only killed a few, nothing compared to the numbers Angelus had, but one or a million, the guilt is still there. I took a human life and I reveled in it. I got off on killing; I told B that once before, but I never thought that it would ever apply to a human being. So here in this cell I sit and everyday relive each experience of every person I have beaten, tortured, and ultimately killed. Sometimes I just want to escape and go back to the way it was before I let Angel talk some sense in me – it was simpler then. But then Angel comes to visit me and all those thoughts of fleeing leave my mind. I concentrate on everything he has to say to me. I memorize the entire conversation so I can replay it over and over again when I need that extra strength that I have yet to find in myself. I walk away from my meetings with Angel feeling stronger than the last. I realize now as I sit in my cell that I am finally healing, finally acknowledging and accepting what I did, and I think that I might actually have a chance at redemption.
**********
L.A. Spring 2001
Angel had better pray that he is dead or else when I get my hands on him he is going to wish it with everything he has in him. He hasn't been in to see me for months now. I have no idea what I did to him for him to decide not to come back. The last time he came in here he was telling me how he was singing karaoke, "Mandy" of all songs, so some fortune teller type demon could tell him his future. I personally found Angel singing "Mandy" beyond amusing, but I give it to him. He does what he has to do to make sure that he gets the job done. I just wish someone would come in to visit. In the future I need to be more careful what I wish for.
Story Notes:
Story Background and Notes...
TITLE: the vulnerability of faith
AUTHOR: Demona
EMAIL: Demona_The_Dark_One@yahoo.com
SUMMARY: She was chosen for a reason. To protect and save the world from evil. She shunned her calling and welcomed the darkness. Who knew she was the one that could save the world from the evil that actually could end it; evil that had a face of a friend. Faith/Angel pairing primarily, others included; rated R.
SPOILER WARNING:
For Buffy: Up to the end of Season 5
For Angel: Up to the end of Season 2
For Highlander: none really
RATING: R for graphic language and content, adult themes—slash pairings
WARNING: character deaths
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and/or Angel the Series, they belong to Fox, the WB/UPN, Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc. The characters of Highlander: the Series belong to Davis/Panzer Productions, Inc./Rysher Entertainment. The ideas and concepts in this story are mine entirely. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. Joss Whedon is God…
NOTES: As I was writing this fic I had no idea how Buffy would end in Season 5. I had no idea how Angel would end in Season 2. I didn't know at the time that I finished this fic, around August, early September of 2001 that the events in Season 6 of Buffy and Season 3 of Angel would take place, etc, etc.
Also, Angel is Spike's Sire in my Universe, Angel created Drusilla, but Dru didn't create Spike.
The events in my fic go in a different direction than the events that are portrayed in the actual series.
**In Buffy they are affected and change by the following episodes:
Important Episodes of Season 5:
--"Fool for love” ": "dance" comment where Spike admits his love for Buffy and she shoots him down
--"Into the Woods": Riley leaves for good
--"The Body": Joyce dies
--****"The Gift"****: Buffy doesn't die but Glory/Ben dies by Giles' hand. Spike rescues and saves Dawn though.
The events of Season 6 are not in my universe.
**In Angel they are affected and change by the following episodes:
Important Episodes of Season 2:
--"The Thin Dead Line": is altered to fit my universe
**"Reprise" and "Ephipany" didn't happen, etc.
The events of Season 3 are not in my universe.
**In Highlander: The Series:
**"Archangel" where Mac kills Richie didn't happen, Richie is alive still in my universe.
TITLE: the vulnerability of faith
AUTHOR: Demona
EMAIL: Demona_The_Dark_One@yahoo.com
SUMMARY: She was chosen for a reason. To protect and save the world from evil. She shunned her calling and welcomed the darkness. Who knew she was the one that could save the world from the evil that actually could end it; evil that had a face of a friend. Faith/Angel pairing primarily, others included; rated R.
SPOILER WARNING:
For Buffy: Up to the end of Season 5
For Angel: Up to the end of Season 2
For Highlander: none really
RATING: R for graphic language and content, adult themes—slash pairings
WARNING: character deaths
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and/or Angel the Series, they belong to Fox, the WB/UPN, Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc. The characters of Highlander: the Series belong to Davis/Panzer Productions, Inc./Rysher Entertainment. The ideas and concepts in this story are mine entirely. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. Joss Whedon is God…
NOTES: As I was writing this fic I had no idea how Buffy would end in Season 5. I had no idea how Angel would end in Season 2. I didn't know at the time that I finished this fic, around August, early September of 2001 that the events in Season 6 of Buffy and Season 3 of Angel would take place, etc, etc.
Also, Angel is Spike's Sire in my Universe, Angel created Drusilla, but Dru didn't create Spike.
The events in my fic go in a different direction than the events that are portrayed in the actual series.
**In Buffy they are affected and change by the following episodes:
Important Episodes of Season 5:
--"Fool for love” ": "dance" comment where Spike admits his love for Buffy and she shoots him down
--"Into the Woods": Riley leaves for good
--"The Body": Joyce dies
--****"The Gift"****: Buffy doesn't die but Glory/Ben dies by Giles' hand. Spike rescues and saves Dawn though.
The events of Season 6 are not in my universe.
**In Angel they are affected and change by the following episodes:
Important Episodes of Season 2:
--"The Thin Dead Line": is altered to fit my universe
**"Reprise" and "Ephipany" didn't happen, etc.
The events of Season 3 are not in my universe.
**In Highlander: The Series:
**"Archangel" where Mac kills Richie didn't happen, Richie is alive still in my universe.