Title: Innocent Child 3/7
Author: Kate R.
Rating: Hard R to NC-17
Pairings: G/E, Wes/A (us) (Eventually)
AN: Dark Fic in the beginning. Written for Shawna who asked for a fic where
Angel rescues Wesley from Wolfram and Heart.
Summary: Saving Wesley is only the first step.
Disclaimer: own nothing and no one used herein. All of them belong to Joss
and I make no money.
She had come originally to kill them all. But now---now she couldn't. She was watching and she couldn't do it. She was watching Xander lead Wesley by the hand. He was talking to Wesley like he was a child and when he answered Xander, Faith realized to her horror that he was a child.
"Oh, hell," she muttered. "What happened to my prissy Watcher?"
She heard Wesley laughing as Xander told him silly stories as they walked around the back lot of Angel's building. Wesley was a child in a man's body. And she couldn't for the life of her hurt him. Nor could she let anyone else hurt him. He was so innocent as he sat playing in the dirt with Xander watching over him. Faith was watching as Xander and Wes rolled a ball back and forth. Last night Angel ahd been playing catch with him. Giles was watching and Faith had nearly fallen off her perch when she heard Wesley call Giles "Daddy" and hug him. Giles had returned the hug fiercely. Faith saw pain when Wes ran back to play more with Angel. What had happened? What caused this? Why was Wesley a child in a man's body?
She was watching later that night, listening in, hen she heard the story. It made her sick. Then she listened further.
"It was our fault," Giles was explaining to Ethan and Doyle. "We caused the Failure that resulted in this punishment. God I didn't know. I forgot the punishment for Failure. All of us who made his life hell in Sunnydale? We are responsible in part for what was done to him. We made sure he would not succeed. I feel ill thinking about it. So does Xander. I hear him crying in his room at night. He hurts for his part in this. His wasn't nearly as big as Buffy's and mine though. Faith we knew was wild. Buffy was supposed to be the good girl. Buffy hated him and she made sure he failed and she disgusts me right now. She and Willow refuse to come and apologize. They refuse to accept any culpability."
"Oh, god Wes," Faith whispered as tears slid town her cheeks. "I'm sorry Wes. I'm sorry."
She looked in his window and watched him whimper in his sleep.
"It's okay, little guy," faith whispered. "Faith is here. You have Faith on your side now."
She went back to her post not seeing him smile in his sleep. She was still bonded to him though and she opened the bond now. Her Wes---Her Watcher, would know she was there and that she would protect him. Her Watcher. Not Buffy's, Hers. And she would make him better. Somehow.
Three days later, Faith felt a sharp stab of fear form her little Watcher. She was moving without thought, running to the building and when she got there, she saw a woman who spoke with a British Accent trying to grab Wes. He was screaming in fear. She ahd gotten him outside and the sun was out. Ethan and Giles were on the floor. As were Cordelia and the Irish guy. Faith made her choice. No more hiding. She ran at the woman and kicked her in the back.
"Get off my watcher," Faith hissed at the woman as she knocked her across the lot. The woman looked at Faith and ran. Wes lunged into her arms and clung, sobbing in fear. Faith got them inside and sat on the floor holding him as he clung to her.
"I'm here Wes," Faith said. "I'm here. You Have Faith now. She'll take care of ya. Yeah. It's okay now. Faith is here. Faith is here with you."