Disclaimer: If I owned it, I would have done something extravagant with it by now. Trust me.

A/N: I wasn't totally happy with the way this turned out the first time, so I decided to spin it a different way. Let me know what you think.

When the hammering on her door started, Faith jumped six ways to Sunday, leaving a jagged streak of black eyeliner from her eyebrow to her ear. Attacking it briefly with makeup remover, the Slayer swore. She hadn't expected the Mayor to show up this soon.

"Coming!" she shouted over her shoulder. Whewf. The heavy dark line was almost gone. Good. She'd hate to hear what the Mayor would have said about it. He always did like his girl to look as neat as possible.

After running a comb through her messy hair, Faith raced to the door. She yanked it open breathlessly, then froze. It wasn't the Mayor.

"Hello, Faith." Angel stared down at her coolly. "Mind if I come in?"

Faith stepped back from the door and mumbled a short expletive. He was the last person she'd expected – okay, maybe the next to last – but she probably should have. She had finally stopped thinking about earlier that night, and now here he was, bringing it all back again.

"We need to talk." The vampire watched her panic without a twinge of sympathy. "Either you invite me in, and we talk inside, or I wait for you to come out, and our talk won't be half as pleasant. What'll it be, Faithy?"

"Come on in," she said grudgingly. There wasn't any other option, not really. At least this way they might not be overheard, and she could decide what to tell the Mayor later.

Free to enter, Angel strode into the middle of the room and surveyed the apartment. Faith shut the door and locked it to prevent any of the Mayor's flunkies from wandering in on the conversation. If she or Angel wanted out, a locked door was no obstacle. And if he wanted to kill her, she was as good as dead already.

Angel finished looking at the room and turned to Faith. "Nice place," he observed ironically. "What'd it cost you? Your soul? Was mine part of the deal, too?"

"Nah. That was gonna get me the penthouse suite with the Jacuzzi, but now?" Faith shrugged. "No Jacuzzi."

He almost laughed. They had ousted her as a traitor not two hours before, and she had the nerve to make jokes about it. Angry as he was, Angel admired her tenacity. He sprawled comfortably on the expensive couch. "I take it you aren't sorry, then?"

"You lied to me," Faith growled bitterly, taking the seat opposite. Somehow, he had waltzed into the room with the upper hand, and she didn't have a clue how to get it back.

"Hate to break it to you, Faith, but you lied to all of us first. Not that we couldn't see through it – we just had to know for sure." He cocked his head to one side, smirking. "Although I must admit I had no idea you wanted me so badly."

Faith flushed, a dark, ugly red that crept up her neck and splattered across her face. "Screw you."

"That was the plan, wasn't it?"

"Get out. Get out, get out, GET OUT!"

He ignored her. "I'm curious – why me?"

"Already tried Xander once, didn't I? And Giles is a bit gray for my tastes. Your buddy Spike already left town. Who else was left? Red? Not hardly."

Again Angel fought back the urge to laugh. This little intervention was not going at all the way he'd planned – but then they never did. He had come to make Faith see the error of her ways and bring her back to the fold of White Hats and good Slayerness. Instead, she was making him want to laugh. Suddenly part of her words sunk in, and the vampire frowned petulantly. "Wait . . . You know Spike?"

"We had drinks once." Faith shrugged. "He's a pretty cool guy, for a vamp. Good taste in smokes."

Eyes bulging, Angel wondered vaguely if this was what apoplexy felt like. Faith drinking with Spike. Spike drinking with Faith. Was it just him, or was the world going to hell in a handbasket?

"Angel, you okay?" Faith got out of her chair and waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello? Earth to Angel. You were lecturing me about not being evil, remember? Well, I think you were going to get there eventually, but I don't have a lot of time, so let's cut it short, shall we?"

The vampire shook himself like a wet dog. He blinked several times, then refocused on Faith's face.

"Lecture time, big guy." She sounded deadly serious. "Have at me."

"Sit down," Angel ordered brusquely, taking her arm and towing her down on the couch beside him. Then he let go, as if her skin burned him. Faith moved away, leaving a foot of empty couch space between them. Touching was not a good idea at the moment.

"Yes, Teacher," the rogue Slayer mocked, leaning back and stretching her legs out in front of her.

"Right then. Faith, I've been where you are, and I know what you're feeling. But it won't last. The rush, the adrenaline – it all goes away, sooner or later, and you'll be left feeling empty, hollow, and lost. Trust me; I've been there. And when you're alone in the darkness, it seems like there's no escape, no help, nothing. You don't want to be there, Faith. Trust me."

"I used to."

Angel groaned. "Faith! This is more important than tonight. You know that. You're not an idiot; don't act like one."

Faith gave him the ghost of a smile. "You want me to say I'm sorry? To repent and apologize and come home to be Little Miss Goody Two Shoes? Ain't gonna happen, princess. I'm just fine the way I am. Besides," her voice dropped a tiny bit, "the Mayor needs me."

"He needs you to kill people."

"So?"

"Faith, you're not a killer. You're a Slayer."

"What's the difference?" she demanded fiercely. "Just a bunch of words about what side you're on. My hands were covered in blood long before I ever came anywhere near the . . . the . . "

"His name was Allan Finch."

"It doesn't matter. I don't care." Faith jumped up off the couch and fled to the other side of the room.

Angel half-rose from his seat "Faith – "

"Didn't you hear me? I. Don't. Care."

"I do."

She stared at him, confused by his sudden change in tone and the strangely intense look in his eyes. Before she could say anything, however, someone rapped smartly on the locked door.

"Faith!" It was the Mayor. "I hear voices. I'm getting my key out."

White with panic, Faith barely managed to call back, "It's just the TV. I'll be there in a second! I just need to get dressed." She grabbed Angel's hand and dragged him into her bedroom, making sure to shut the door loudly.

"You have to go," she whispered, stealthily opening the window.

"Faith." The vampire looked down at her. Faith's whole body was tensed, as if awaiting some blow.

"Just go," she hissed and pushed him towards the window.

Angel took Faith's hand and squeezed it. "I'll come back," he promised quietly.

With a soft, hysterical laugh, Faith shook her head. "It's too late for that. Thanks for trying, though. I'll remember it. Now go!"

Admitting defeat, he stepped closer to the window. Suddenly Angel turned and planted a quick kiss on the girl's forehead. He climbed out the open window and vanished into the night.

Faith watched him go. It felt like part of her was disappearing with him. To steady her nerves, she pulled back her hair and took a deep breath. Then she went out to meet the Mayor, confident that neither he nor anyone else would learn of Angel's visit from her. After all, Faith Lehane was the world's second-best actor.

Fin.