Slash Salvatore remembers the exact moment she fell for Angel Faux. It's her favourite story, actually, of the ones she has for Angel. Which is saying something, because she could go on (and on, and on) about Angel's... "horrendous" deeds.

After Angel Faux had stolen rings from a jewellry store, Slash Salvatore flew after her. Upon a chase on a cold night, this was not a difficult task. However, Slash neglected to take care of herself for... oh, maybe three weeks straight. (Long story. Breakup involved.)

And so she didn't notice when her wings simply... gave out from under themselves. And she started to plummet.

The scream didn't even make it out of her lungs. She was too exhausted to.

But then an arm caught her arm, and then she was hauled back up the rooftops.

"Merry!" Angel gasped. "What in the world? Are you feeling alright?"

Slash blinked, then, still not-quite-reconciling with the fact that she was not splat on the ground. Angel was waving a hand up and down in front of her face, like she was trying to make her more awake.

"You scared me there, Slash."

Then it hit.

Slash stumbled away from Angel, suddenly defensive. "Why'd you save me?"

"Oh..." Angel Faux laughed. A full and resonant sound; like Christmas bells tolling. "I may be a villain, Slash, but I'd never let my nemesis die."

Then she was off, and off with her rucksack of rings. Slash never saw those back again. Neither did the designer store. (But in civilian clothes, she saw the rings on the streets, worn by children with clothes gaping with holes, and then by single mothers pawning them off to storeowners with dollar signs in their eyes, and elderly couples who wanted to renew their vows but didn't have the means to buy new rings.)

(She fell for Angel a little more, then.)

Eight years and a day after that day, Angel Faux proposed to Slash Salvatore. Eight years and a day after that day, Slash Salvatore accepted. And after their vows, after the kiss to close the night and their bands, shared hand-in-hand, Slash Salvatore thinks that this is the second time Angel Faux has saved her.

And she may be a hero, but she can't say she hates the feeling, either.