DISCLAIMER AND AUTHOR'S NOTE: All Buffy The Vampire Slayer stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and Warner Brothers. Twice In a Lifetime doesn't belong to me either. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fiction. All other characters that appear belong to me. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies may be made for private use only and must include this copyright notice and disclaimer. There is some subtext in this story. If this kind of stuff is not legal where you live, if you're under 18 or if you don't like the notion of two women being in love, then you should find something else to read. This is a Buffy/Twice in a Lifetime crossover.
Another Point of View
By Kristjan Brezovnik
After ten years in jail, Faith was finally free. The first thing she did was to go to LA and apologize to Angel, Wesley and Cordelia. That being taken care of, the hard part was still ahead, namely Buffy. And, of course, her friends, but they weren't as important to her as Buffy was. So she boarded the first bus to Sunnydale.
When she arrived, she decided to first get a drink. She realized she was nervous. Hell, she was scared, and it annoyed her. She decided to find the Magic Box first and then go to a bar and wait there for the sunset.
It didn't take her long to find the Magic Box and then she went to a bar. She drank, hoping that if she was a bit drunk, she would have more courage. Of course, with her Slayer metabolism, she barely got a buzz by the time the sun set. She sighed and bought a pack of mint chewing gum.
When the time finally came for the confrontation, she slowly walked across the park, still wondering what to say. She was so deep in her though that she almost didn't notice two Polgara demons. Of course, she had never met a Polgara demon and she didn't know about the spike-in-the-arm things. She managed to kill one, but just as she turned, the other skewered her through the chest.
"Shit," were Faith's last words before she limply slid off the skewer.
Mr Smith appeared and shook his head sadly.
"Talk about bad luck," he said and waited.
A few moments later, Faith's ghost got up and looked around, confused.
"What the fuck?" she said, puzzled.
"Hi," Mr Smith said.
Faith looked at him.
"Who the fuck are you?"
"I'm Mr Smith."
"Okay, what the fuck are you?" She looked around. "And what is going on? Everything looks so… Hey!" she protested when Mr Smith pulled her out of Earth realm. "What the hell?" She looked at Mr Smith. "What is going on?"
"You died."
"What? But I can't die, not yet, I still…" She trailed off when she followed Mr Smith's look and saw her body. "What…" She looked at herself and saw that there was no wound. "Oh fuck!" she said angrily. "Couldn't those fuckers have shown up ten years ago?" She sighed and looked at Mr Smith. "What are you?"
Mr Smith scratched his head.
"The jury's still out on that. I think I'm something between your lawyer and your guide."
Faith raised an eyebrow and sighed.
"So, what's Hell like this time of year?"
Mr Smith smiled.
"I don't know, I haven't been there."
"Oh."
"So you think you're going to Hell?" another voice asked and Faith turned, ready to fight.
"Who the hell are you?" she asked, annoyed that she hadn't heard the man.
Judge Othniel smiled.
"Hell has nothing to do with me, Miss Spencer."
"Don't call me that," Faith said darkly. "My name is Faith."
Othniel snickered as he sat down on a bench.
"An interesting name for someone with so little of it." He looked at Faith. "Hmm," he said thoughtfully, "I never thought I'd have to judge a Slayer."
Faith glanced at Mr Smith, puzzled.
"Who are you?" she then asked Othniel.
"This is Judge Othniel of the heavenly court," Mr Smith explained.
"Oh," Faith said and gulped.
"So?" Othniel said.
Faith frowned.
"So what?"
"The answer."
Faith's frown deepened.
"To what?"
"My question."
"Your question?"
"Yes. You know, do you think you're going to Hell?"
"Oh," Faith said and gulped. "Yes," she said and sighed.
"Why?"
Faith frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Why do you think you're going to Hell?" Othniel clarified.
Faith glanced at Mr Smith, confused.
"I'm a murderer. I betrayed all of my friends and I tortured one of them."
"I see," Othniel said thoughtfully and looked at a poster on the wall, which suddenly became a screen of some sort.
On the screen, images from Faith's life were shown, specifically, the murders and the torture. Faith gulped, suddenly very scared.
"Your honor, she's had a very difficult life," Mr Smith stepped in.
"Oh, I know all about her life," Othniel said with a smile and a series of images from Faith's past appeared on the screen. He looked at Faith, who was staring at the screen uncomfortably. "If you had a second chance, would you do things differently?" he asked her.
Faith looked at him, puzzled. She thought about it.
"Probably not. I mean, I was a total screw up. I've no idea how I got chosen to be a Slayer."
"Apparently someone thought you were special."
Faith snorted.
"Yeah, right."
"Would you like a second chance?"
Faith frowned.
"What for? So I can screw up again? No, thank you."
"No, no, not to just relieve you past," Mr Smith quickly stepped in. "You can go back as someone else and influence yourself."
"You mean my younger self?"
"Yes," Mr Smith said with a nod.
Faith frowned.
"What's the catch?" she asked and looked at Othniel.
"Catch?" Othniel said, amused. "There is no catch."
"There's always a catch," Faith said. "I'm not buying it that you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart. I mean, you're the judge, you judge, right?"
"True," Othniel said, nodding. "I can also give you a second chance."
Faith frowned.
"Why would you?"
Othniel smiled.
"Because, like you said, it's my job. And you have a potential in you to be something more. But, of course, it's up to you."
Faith thought about it. She didn't trust the man, but you didn't get second chances every day. And she wanted to make it up to Buffy.
"So, em, there's no catch? No price I'll have to pay later?" she asked Othniel.
"None," Othniel assured her.
Faith gulped. Then she took a deep breath and nodded.
"Okay."
Othniel smiled.
"You will have three days and three days only to change your past. All your memories will be intact and nobody will recognize you. You are a free agent of the universe. Go with the blessing of God Almighty and His court."
He banged his hammer on his bag and Faith suddenly found herself somewhere else.
She looked around, puzzled.
"What the hell?"
"We're in Boston," Mr Smith said.
Faith jerked and looked at him. Then she looked at herself.
"What happened to my clothes?"
The door bell rang before Mr Smith could answer. Faith looked at him, puzzled.
"Go on, open the door."
Faith took a deep breath and went to the door. She opened it and nearly dropped her jaw.
"Faith," she said, surprised.
"Hi, Mrs H," Faith said and entered.
"Mr H?" the old Faith aka Mrs H said, puzzled.
"You are Mrs Hutchinson," Mr Smith explained. "Faith's Watcher."
"Oh," Mrs H said and closed the door. She frowned. "Can't she see you?" she asked, having noticed that Faith apparently didn't see Mr Smith.
"Not while I'm in these clothes."
"Oh."
"Who are you talking to?" Faith asked, glancing over her shoulder.
"What?" Mrs H said, startled.
"You were talking to someone. You asked him if I can't see him."
"Oh," Mrs H said and looked at Mr Smith for help, but Mr Smith merely shrugged. "To my, em, guardian angel," she said, hoping it didn't sound lame.
"Oh," Faith and plopped herself on the sofa. "I killed four vamps today," she said, changing the subject.
"Really?" Mrs H said, relieved that Faith didn't pursue the guardian angel discussion.
"Yeah." Faith frowned. "I think they belonged to a gang."
"Really?"
"They were talking about some guy named Kasi… Khaki… something."
Mrs H's face went pale.
"Kakistos?"
"Yeah, I guess," Faith said. "You know him?" she asked when she noticed that her Watcher's face was white.
Mrs H swallowed.
"He's bad news. We need to get out of here."
Faith frowned.
"Why?"
"Because you can't take him by yourself."
Faith got up, angry.
"I can. I'm a Slayer, remember," she said and started to walk out.
"No, wait," Mrs H said and stopped her. She sighed. "Look, I know you're good, probably even better than Buffy, but Kakistos didn't get his name because he was cute."
Faith hesitated for a moment.
"What do you mean?"
"His name means 'the worst of the worst'. He's so old his hands and feet are cloven."
Faith raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah?"
Mrs H nodded.
"Yes. And I don't want to belittle your skills, but you will need help. That's why we have to go to Sunnydale immediately."
Faith hesitated for a moment.
"What about my mom?"
"Your mom?" Mrs H said, surprised.
"Yeah." Faith shrugged. "I mean, she's a bitch, but she's still my mom."
Mrs H stared at Faith for a few moments, remembering her mother.
"We'll only be gone for a week. She'll be okay. And besides, she's usually drunk and doesn't even know where you are."
Faith seemed uncomfortable about leaving her mother alone.
"Still. Can't you get someone to watch over her or something?"
Mrs H was surprised how much Mrs Spencer meant to Faith. She had forgotten it, especially since Mrs Spencer had died a few days before the real Mrs H. Still, she didn't have the time to worry about her mother, she had to worry about her younger self.
"Never mind her. Go get your bag from the guest room, we're leaving."
"Fuck you," Faith said angrily. "I'm not leaving without her," she said and stormed out.
"Faith!" Mrs H called after her. "Damn," she said when the door closed behind Faith. She ran her hand through her hair. "Now what?" she asked Mr Smith. "How can I help her if she doesn't listen to me? She should be worried about her own survival."
"Maybe that's not what you need to help her with."
Mrs H frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I've been doing this thing for a long time and I've learned a few things. And the first thing is that if something seems obvious, then it's most probably not the thing you need to change. You usually have to change something else."
"What?" Mrs H asked.
Mr Smith smiled.
"I think you know."
Faith walked home, angry. Sure, her mother was a worthless bitch and a drunk, but she was still her mother, the only family she had. And even though there was no love lost between them, a part of her still didn't want to lose her. And just when she finally started to think that Mrs H cared, she wanted her to abandon her mother. Well, screw her and the Council and the whole fucking world.
A vamp attacked her as she was about to enter the building where she lived, but she immediately dusted it, not even bothering to see what he looked like. She went upstairs and into the apartment. It was a place she shared with her mother, but it wasn't a home. She sighed and carefully closed the door, not wanting to wake up her mother. She was about to enter her room when she saw a leg. She frowned and went to the living room. She gulped when she saw her mother lying on the floor. She hesitated for a moment and then kneeled beside her and checked her pulse. It was barely there.
"Mom?" she said, scared.
She felt tears well up in her eyes, but she blinked them away. She thought for a few moments and then called 911.
Mrs H thought for a few minutes and then finally decided to apologize to Faith and try to find someone to watch Mrs Spencer while she and Faith were away. She put on a jacket and went to the building where Faith lived. As she walked down the familiar streets, memories came flooding back, including those of her mother. She realized that a part of her did love her.
When she got to Faith's street, she noticed an ambulance and froze, worried. Then she started to run, hoping that it wasn’t Faith. When she got closer, she saw Faith escorting the stretcher and she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Faith!" she called.
Faith looked at her angrily.
"Leave me alone."
"What's going on?" Mr H asked, noticing a woman on the stretcher. She realized that the woman was familiar. Then her eyes went wide as she recognized her. "Mom?" She looked at Faith. "What happened?"
"Too much alcohol," Faith said and climbed into the ambulance.
"Faith…" Mrs H said, but Faith ignored her.
The paramedics closed the doors and the ambulance drove away.
"My mom. I saved my mom," Mrs H said and looked at Mr Smith.
"Looks that way," Mr Smith said with a smile.
Mrs H thought for a moment.
"And Mrs H was killed three days later," she realized.
"Yes," Mr Smith confirmed.
"So I have to make sure I don't die. I mean, Mrs H."
"Perhaps."
Faith frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Mrs H might die anyway."
"But…"
"Like I said, watch out for the obvious choices."
Mrs H sighed.
"I gotta talk to Faith."
She looked around for a payphone and then went to call a cab.
At the hospital, Faith nervously paced around the waiting room. She hated her mother for what she had done to her, but a part of her was afraid to lose the only family she had. Sure, she considered Mrs H a part of the family, but she was not Mom.
"Faith."
Faith jerked and looked.
"Mrs H," she said coldly.
"I'm sorry, Faith," Mrs H said. "I was wrong. I'll find someone to watch over your mom."
Faith stared at her for a few moments and then sighed.
"Thanks," she said.
Mrs H smiled.
"Where is she?"
"They're pumping her stomach."
"Oh. Come, let's sit down."
"I don't wanna sit."
"I know, but you're making other people nervous."
Faith looked around and then sighed. She went to a chair and sat down.
Mrs H sat beside her.
A few minutes later, Mrs Spencer was finally taken to a room and Faith and Mrs H followed.
"How is she?" Mrs H asked the doctor.
"Are you family?" the doctor asked.
"She is," Mrs H said and pointed at Faith, who was sitting beside the bed. "I'm a family friend."
The doctor glanced at Mrs Spencer.
"She was close. An hour later and she would be dead. We've pumped her stomach and we're cleaning her liver, but she needs to stop drinking. If her liver doesn't recover, she will die."
"I see. Thank you."
The doctor nodded and left.
Mrs H got herself a chair as well and she sat down next to Faith. She quietly observed her mother, trying to remember how much she meant to her. She noticed that she obviously meant a lot to her younger self, in spite of all the anger and hate she also felt. She thought about Mrs Summers, wishing her mother could be like that. She sighed, having no idea about how to proceed. She knew that Faith won't want to leave while her mother was in the hospital. She frowned, wondering if her mother was the key. Would things go differently if she helped her mother? She had no idea.
"Faith?"
Faith jerked and looked at her.
"What?"
"How do you feel about her?"
Faith stared at Mrs H for a few moments, wondering what that was all about. Then she shrugged.
"She's my mom."
Mrs H realized that Faith isn't going to volunteer any information.
"Do you love her?"
Faith frowned.
"Yeah," she said, shrugging.
"Even though she's a bitch?"
Faith glared at her.
"What's our point?" she asked angrily.
Mrs H sighed.
"My point is that you need to help her."
Faith blinked, surprised, and then frowned.
"How?"
"You have to make sure that she stops drinking. And…"
"And what?" Faith asked when Mrs H trailed off.
Mrs H sighed.
"You have to tell her how you feel."
"About what?"
"About her. You have to get things out in the open, make her listen and realize that you love her."
Faith stared at her for a few moments and then looked away, feeling the tears well up in her eyes.
They sat beside the bed for a few hours, both thinking about how they felt about Mrs Spencer.
"Faith," Mrs H finally said, startling Faith out of her reverie.
"What?"
"I need to go to the toilet and then I'm going to get me a coffee. Do you want anything?"
Faith frowned, thinking.
"Mocha."
Mrs H smiled and got up.
"One mocha coming up," she said and left.
Faith sighed and looked back at her mother. She wondered if telling her mother that she loved her would work. She hoped it would, but her gut was telling that it wouldn't. She sighed as she realized that she had nothing to lose.
Her mother moaned and Faith looked at her hopefully.
"Mom?" she asked.
Mrs Spencer slowly opened her eyes and looked around, puzzled.
"What the fuck?" she said. "Where am I?"
"Hospital," Faith said.
Mrs Spencer frowned.
"What am I doing here?"
"You nearly died."
"Of what?"
"Alcohol."
"Oh." She coughed and looked at the tubes. "What the hell did they do to me?"
"They pumped your stomach and they're cleaning your liver."
"Oh," she said and looked away.
Faith hesitated for a few moments, gathering the courage to confront her mother.
"Mom?"
"What?" Mrs Spencer growled.
"You have to stop drinking."
Mrs Spencer snorted.
"Not on your life," she said. "At least when I'm drunk, I don't have to look at you."
Faith swallowed, fighting back the tears. She was angry and she wanted to run away, but she stopped herself.
"The doctor said you'll die if you don't stop."
"So?"
"I… I don't want you to die."
"What do you care?"
"You're my mom," Faith said. "A-And I love you," she added quietly, looking away, embarrassed by her own openness.
Mrs Spencer stared at her for a few moments, clearly surprised.
"If you think this little speech is gonna get you some money, you're damn wrong. Now get out of here, I need some rest. I feel like shit."
Faith stared at her, fighting the tears.
"Mom…"
"Beat it, bitch," Mrs Spencer snapped. "I don't wanna see you."
Faith bit her teeth and ran out of the room. She crashed into Mrs H, who barely prevented the drinks from spilling.
"Faith," she said, surprised. "What happened? What's wrong?" she asked when she saw Faith's face.
"Nothing," Faith said and ran away.
"Faith!" Mrs H called after her, worried, but Faith ignored her. "What the hell?"
She went to the door and looked in. She saw that Mrs Spencer was awake and she guessed that Faith had talked to her. Apparently things didn't go well.
"Are you going in?" Mr Smith asked, dressed as an orderly.
"What?" Mrs H said, startled, and looked at him.
"She and Faith had a talk. It didn't go well."
Mrs H sighed.
"What the hell am I supposed to do? Every choice I make seems to be the wrong one. I mean, sure, I saved my mom's life, but things haven't improved one bit."
"Are you giving up?"
"No! I just don't know what to do."
Mr Smith thought for a moment.
"Okay, this advice is contrary to what I usually advise, but in this case, I think it is appropriate. Do what your heart tells you."
Mrs H stared at him for a few moments and then looked into the room again. She took a deep breath and entered.
"Mrs Spencer?" she said.
Mrs Spencer looked at her.
"What? Are you my doctor?"
"No. I'm Faith's… friend," Mrs H said as she approached the bed.
Mrs Spencer snorted.
"I see," she said and grinned. "And just how much is she worth it?"
Mrs H frowned as she put the drinks away.
"What do you mean?"
"How much are her services worth?"
Mrs H's frown deepened.
"What services?" she asked, confused.
"Oh, don't play with me, lady. Sexual services."
Mrs H's eyes went wide.
"What?! You think she's a hooker?" she asked, upset.
"Of course she's a hooker."
Mrs H slapped her.
"Don't ever call her that again, you bitch," she said as Mrs Spencer stared at her, shocked. "Faith is a very special girl, more special than you'll ever know, and she definitely deserves a better mother than you. I mean, look at yourself. You're a worthless drunk." She shook her head disgustedly. "I can't imagine why I… she still loves you." She leaned closer. "If you ever hurt her again, then I'll hurt you," she said menacingly. "Got it?"
Mrs Spencer automatically nodded.
"Good," Mrs H said and stormed out, upset.
"That was… interesting," Mr Smith said as he followed her.
"I can't believe it. She's a real bitch, I should've known." She sighed. "Damn, I shouldn't have advised Faith to talk to her. Now she's hurt and it's my fault."
"It's not over yet," Mr Smith said. "Give them time."
Mrs H glanced at him.
"That's the one thing that I don't have." She sighed. "Now I have to find Faith. Damn."
She thought for a moment, trying to remember her favorite hideouts.
Faith was sitting in one of her hideouts, inside an old, condemned building. She was drinking alcohol, but all she got from it was a bad aftertaste, thanks to her Slayer metabolism. She had forced the tears back, but she still felt like crying. But she was determined not to. Her mother was a bitch and she wasn't worth crying over. She should've known better than to open herself to her, it was a mistake, one that she won't repeat.
Noise of footsteps startled her out of her reverie and she looked up. She was surprised to see Mrs H enter her room.
"I told you she was here," Mrs H said.
"Are you talking to that guardian angel of yours again?" Faith asked.
Mrs H smiled.
"Yes," she said.
"What's his name?"
"Mr Smith."
Faith raised an eyebrow.
"A strange name for an angel."
Mrs H smiled again.
"I know."
"How did you find me?" Faith asked.
Mrs H smiled sadly.
"I know you better than you know yourself, Faith," she said as she walked toward her. She sat beside her. "May I?" she asked and pointed at the bottle.
Faith glanced at it, surprised, and then gave it to Mrs H, who took a long swig.
"Mmm, it's been a while," Mrs H said and sighed. She looked at Faith. "I'm sorry, Faith. I shouldn't have asked you to talk to your mother."
Faith sighed.
"I hoped she would change," she said. "I was wrong."
"I know." She took another swig and then gave the bottle back to Faith. "I hope you're not following in her footsteps."
Faith frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Drinking."
Faith looked at the bottle.
"Oh." She looked back at Mrs H. "I don't get drunk."
"I know, but it's not good for you."
Faith sighed.
"I know. It's just… I don't know what to do anymore. I thought that being a Slayer would be different, but it's not. It's worse. At least before I could get drunk and forget about everything, now I can't even do that."
"I'm sorry," Mrs H said.
She hesitated for a moment and then put her arm around Faith. Faith tensed for a few moments, but then she relaxed.
"It's not your fault," she said quietly.
They sat quietly, both thinking.
"What do I do?" Mrs H asked Mr Smith.
Faith looked at the spot Mrs H was looking, but she could see nothing.
"I don't know," Mr Smith said. "What you want and what you get are usually two different things. Usually. But you have the experience of your whole life. You know what you did wrong."
Mrs H sighed.
"Yeah," she said quietly and thought.
"What did he say?" Faith asked after a few moments.
Mrs H looked at her.
"Just pointing out the obvious that I missed," she said and smiled a bit. She thought for a moment. "I don't know if this is the right advice or the wrong one, because God knows that I've done my share of mistakes, serious mistakes." She sighed. "Do you want your mom to be… normal?"
Faith frowned.
"I don't care about her anymore. She's a bitch," she said bitterly. "Let's pack and then go get Buffy. I want to get rid of Kakistos as fast as possible."
Mrs H hesitated for a moment.
"Look, I know how you feel. My own mother was a bitch too, but unlike you, I never got the chance to tell her that I love her. You still have that chance. I mean, you're a Slayer, she can't hurt you anymore, not physically, anyway." She frowned as a realization hit her. "You need to stop running. Confront her."
"I did, remember?" Faith said angrily.
"Then do it again. And again and again and again. For as long as it takes. Do what is necessary."
"Like what?"
"I don't know, Faith," Mrs H said and sighed, "that's up to you. But you need to stop running or one day you're gonna realize that you weren't running, you were falling." She paused for a moment. "And you might not survive the crash," she finished quietly.
Faith stared at her for a few moments, surprised. She thought for a few minutes and then got up.
"I need to sleep this over," she said and Mrs H nodded.
"Good night, Faith."
"Night," Faith said and left.
"Oh, Faith!" Mrs H called after her.
Faith turned.
"Yeah?"
Mrs H hesitated for a moment.
"Don't be afraid to cry."
Faith stared at her Watcher, surprised, especially when Mrs H wiped a tear of her own. Then she turned and quickly left.
Mrs H looked at Mr Smith.
"Did I do the right thing?"
"I don't know," Mr Smith said.
"What do you know?" Mrs H asked, annoyed.
"Not as much as I'd like and sometimes definitely too much."
Mrs H stared at him for a few moments and then sighed.
"I need to go to bed."
Faith quickly walked home. Once inside, she looked around and tried to imagine what it would be like without her mother. She sighed as she realized it would be lonely. She shuddered and went to the kitchen. She opened the fridge to get herself something to eat and saw a bottle of alcohol. She stared at it for a few moments and then remembered her conversation with Mrs H. She made a decision. She took the bottle and poured out the alcohol. She threw the bottle away and then searched the entire apartment.
One hour later, she was pretty sure that she had gotten rid of all the bottles. Now all she had to do was wait for her mom to come home and confront her. She gulped as she imagined the quarrel. She definitely didn't look forward to confronting her mother again, but she knew Mrs H was right. She sighed and undressed to take a shower.
The next morning, Faith got up a bit later as usual. She went out for a jog and then went to the store to buy some groceries. When she got back, she heard noise in the apartment. She entered quietly, ready to beat the shit out of the robber. But she found her mother instead.
"Mom," she said, surprised. "What are you doing home already?"
Mrs Spencer looked at her furiously.
"Where are my bottles?" she demanded.
Faith gulped and put the groceries down.
"I threw them away."
"What?! You little bitch!"
She wanted to slap her, but Faith easily caught her hand. They both stared at their hands, both surprised that Faith had dared to stop her. Faith then took a deep breath and looked at her mother angrily.
"Don't ever touch me again," she said menacingly and Mrs Spencer backed off, scared. "I'm not a little girl anymore and I can defend myself."
"Let go of me, bitch," Mrs Spencer said as she tried to extricate her hand from Faith's iron grip.
Faith slapped her.
"Don't call me bitch!" she screamed.
"You little slut!" Mrs Spencer said and hit her back.
Faith then lost it.
"You don't know me!" she screamed as she and backhanded her and then pushed away.
She started to hit her fast, but somehow she still controlled her strength, so that she didn't break any bones. Mrs Spencer collapsed to the floor and Faith started to kick her.
"You're the bitch here! You worthless drunk!" she screamed as Mrs Spencer slowly turned into a bloody pulp. "I hate you!"
All energy seemed to leave Faith a few moments later and she fell to her knees, sobbing, and buried her head in her palms, which were resting on the floor.
"I hate you," she whispered between the sobs. "I hate you."
She was crying, but she didn't notice that.
Mrs Spencer was crying too, although she was crying from pain.
Faith was the first to calm down and she sat on her knees. She noticed that her vision was blurry and she rubbed her eyes. She noticed that her palms were wet and she realized, surprised, that she was crying. She took a deep breath to calm herself and then wiped her eyes. She stared at her mother, who was cuddled up like a fetus, crying. A part of her felt guilty over what she had done, but a part of her was pleased. She got up.
"I hate you," she said. "Bitch," she added and left the apartment.
Mrs Spencer didn't move. Her whole body hurt like hell and she soon passed out.
Mrs H waited till noon, but when Faith still didn't show up, she got worried. She called, but nobody answered. So she went out in search of her. She ran into Mr Smith.
"Where is she?" she asked him.
"I'm afraid I don't know."
"Damn. I called her place, but nobody answered." She thought for a moment. "Hospital," she then realized.
But when she got to the hospital, she found out that Mrs Spencer had been released. She was lost for a few moments, but then decided to check the bar where her mother worked. Only Mrs Spencer didn't show up for the day. Mrs H got a bad feeling and she went to Faith's apartment.
She rang the bell, but nobody answered. She hesitated for a moment and then tried to door. It was unlocked, so she entered.
"Faith?" she asked. "Mrs Spencer?"
There was no answer, but when she saw the groceries on the floor, she got worried.
"Faith? Mrs Spencer?"
Again, there was no answer and Mrs H went farther into the apartment, tense as she relieved the bad memories. Then she saw Mrs Spencer lying on the floor, beaten up.
"Oh no," she said. "Faith!" She looked at Mr Smith, who was still following her. "Look around and see if Faith's in."
Mr Smith left and Mrs H kneeled beside Mrs Spencer. She checked her pulse and was relieved that she was still alive. She checked the bones and found out that none of them was broken. She picked her up and lay her on the sofa.
"She's not here," Mr Smith reported when he returned.
"Damn," Mrs H said. She looked at him. "What do I do now?"
Mr Smith looked at Mrs Spencer.
"Seems she needs some help."
"I don't care about her," Mrs H snapped, "I need to find Faith."
"It's a big city."
"So what?"
Mr Smith shrugged.
"It's your choice. Help your mother or search the whole city for Faith. And you know how many places there are to hide."
Mrs H sighed.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" she screamed, frustrated, and looked back at the unconscious Mrs Spencer. She sighed. "Okay, help me out."
"I'm invisible," Mr Smith pointed out.
"Then make yourself visible," Mrs H snapped.
Mr Smith smiled a bit and complied.
"Get some ice from the fridge and I'll get the first aid kit from the bathroom."
Faith aimlessly wandered around Boston for a few hours. The part that was glad that she had beaten up her mother was slowly losing its power and the part that regretted it was gaining the upper hand. She knew she should have better control than that, but at least she didn't break any bones. Small relief. Not. She sighed and looked around to get her bearings. She realized she was pretty far away from home and she stopped. She thought for a few minutes about what to do. She knew she needed to talk to Mrs H, but she was afraid to. She knew she would tell her what she had done and she felt ashamed. But, like Mrs H said, she needed to stop running. So she took a deep breath and went to Mrs H's place.
But Mrs H wasn't home. She took her key and let herself in. She found a note and sighed when she saw that Mrs H was looking for her. Since she had nothing else to do, she sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV.
When Mrs Spencer awoke several hours later, he whole body hurt.
"Faith?" she asked, fear in her voice, when she saw a blurry shape.
"No," Mrs H said.
Mrs Spencer recognized the voice and when her eyes focused, she saw that it was indeed Faith's friend.
"Oh, it's you," she said.
"Yes," Mrs H said coldly. "Where's Faith?"
"How the fuck should I know? The bitch beat me up and…"
"If you ever call her bitch again, I'm gonna continue where she left off," Mrs H said threateningly.
Mrs Spencer gulped.
"She should be in jail."
"No, you should be in jail. You never cared about her and you neglected her. It's a miracle she didn't turn out a loser like you."
Mrs Spencer regarded Mrs H for a few moments, angry.
"What do you care about her?" she then asked.
"I'm her friend," Mrs H said. "But I don't think you know what the word means."
"Fuck you."
"Yeah? Fuck you too," Mrs H said and got up. "You don't deserve a girl like her."
The phone rang and Mrs H quickly picked up the receiver.
"Faith?"
There was a brief silence.
"Mrs H?" Faith said, surprised.
"Yes. Where are you? I've been worried sick."
"I'm at your place."
Mrs H breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are you okay?"
Faith sighed.
"I'm five by five." She hesitated for a moment. "How's Mom?"
"Better than she deserves. I patched her up and she's fine now."
"Okay."
"I'll be right over, okay?"
"Yeah."
"Good. I'll see you soon. Bye."
Mrs H hung up.
"Where is she?" Mrs Spencer asked quietly, having overheard one side of the conversation.
Mrs H looked at her coldly.
"My place," she said and left.
Mrs Spencer sighed, her consciousness finally resurfacing.
"Faith?" Mrs H said when she got home.
"Here!" Faith called and turned off the TV.
Mrs H smiled when she saw her.
"How are you?"
Faith shrugged.
"Five by five." She looked down. "I know I shouldn't have beaten her up," she said quietly, ashamed.
Mrs H stepped closer and hugged her.
"She deserved it."
Faith was surprised, but she slowly put her arms around Mrs H.
"Still, it wasn't right."
Mrs H let go of her.
"Perhaps." She hesitated for a moment. "How do you feel about her?"
Faith sighed and turned away.
"I hate her." She hesitated for a moment. "But I miss her." She turned around again. "I was watching TV and I remembered that she wasn't always like that."
Mrs H frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"I remember when I was little, about three years old, I think. I remember us going to the park and we rode the carrousel and we ate ice cream." She thought for a moment. "Strawberry, my favorite." Tears started to well up in her eyes. "And I remember when I fell and she was there for me. And she held my hand until I fell asleep, because I was afraid of the monsters under the bed."
She turned away and took a deep breath to calm down.
Mrs H also remembered and she wondered what had happened to change that. She sighed.
"You're gonna have to ask her."
"What?" Faith asked, facing away from her.
"What happened that she became a drunk."
Faith tensed for a few moments and then nodded.
"Yeah," she said and took a deep breath. "But not right now."
"Are you hungry?"
Faith turned around.
"Yeah."
"Then I'll make us something to eat." She sighed. "Oh what the hell, I'll just order us a couple of pizzas."
Faith looked at her, surprised.
"You sure you want to eat junk food?"
Mrs H smiled a bit.
"Not really, but I'm not in the mood for cooking."
Faith smiled a bit.
"Okay."
"So, what were you watching? Cartoons, I bet."
After lunch, Faith trained for a while. Mrs H didn't mind as she had no idea what to do. She knew that Faith wouldn't leave until she cleared things with her mother. Which meant that they had to avoid Kakistos. She didn't like the arrangement, but she knew she wouldn't be able to convince Faith to leave. And even though she knew her mother was a bitch, a part of her remembered the same things as Faith had remembered, the brief time when she and her mother were happy.
"Am I doing the right thing?" she asked Mr Smith when Faith went to the bathroom.
"I don't know," Mr Smith said sympathetically.
Mrs H sighed, frustrated. She didn't know if what she was doing was the right thing, but she decided to stand by Faith's side no matter what. Because, she knew, she was the only one that cared about Faith.
In the evening, Faith went out on patrol. She knew she needed to concentrate, but she couldn't help thinking about her mother. She tried to remember more of the good times that they had together, but those memories were old and she only remembered bits and pieces.
Suddenly she heard a scream. She looked around and saw two vamps drag a woman into a dark alley. She took her stake and ran to help the woman. But when she got to the alley, she suddenly got a strong feeling that it was a trap. She took a deep breath and ran into the alley, hoping the victim wasn't a vamp.
As it turned out, she was. Faith growled, angry, kicked the two male vamps aside and then attacked the bait. She quickly pummeled her face and then broke her spine and crushed her ribs. By then the two attackers came back and Faith was forced to defend herself. She quickly dusted one, but the other one then backed off a bit and waited for his comrades to come closer. Faith knew she was in trouble. She considered running for it, but there were quite a few vamps in her way. She looked around and quickly located a sign post. She gave the remaining attacker a kick in the stomach and then ran toward the post. She jump kicked it and it broke. She picked it up and weighed it. It was a bit heavy and unbalanced, but it would do, even though it was made of metal.
She spun it over her head and then ran to face the horde of vamps. She wiped the floor with them, managing to behead one and seriously wound another, but the vamps quickly recovered and ganged up on her again. Faith wielded the post over her head, using is as a staff. She was fast and the post long and heavy and that combination didn't prove to be conducive to long life, as the vamps quickly found out. Still, they were more afraid of their master, Kakistos, than of a Slayer. Which was unfortunate for Faith, who was seriously outnumbered. The only good point seemed to be that the vamps were young, by vampire standards, and this attack seemed to be a sort of initiation for them.
Faith also kept an eye on the bait vamp, making sure that she was always down for some reason. She wanted the vamp to pay. But the longer the fight lasted, the less vamps there remained and the more wounds Faith had. She ignored the pain and concentrated on survival. Survival instincts finally got the better of the vamps, who had been decimated, and they ran away, unaware that it would probably have been better if they had let the Slayer kill them. The only exception was the bait vamp, who had broken legs.
Faith then dropped the post and fell to her knees. When she calmed down, she got up again and went to the bait vamp. The vamp tried to back off, scared.
"I hate smart vamps," Faith growled menacingly.
She considered several ways of torture for the vamp, but her body demanded attention. Faith groaned and realized that it probably be better to get the hell off the street since she was an easy target.
"Damn," she said.
She quickly staked the vamp and then left.
"Faith!" Mrs H said worried when Faith showed on her doorstep, all bloody. "Come in. What happened?" she asked as she closed the door after Faith.
"Kakistos sent some vamps after me. They set up a trap and I fell right into it."
"I see. Let's take care of your wounds first, you can tell me all about the fight tomorrow."
Faith nodded, groaning, and they went to the bathroom.
Back in the apartment, Mrs Spencer felt sick. She had had done some serious thinking during the day. She had tried not to, but her body hurt so much that she could barely move, which forced her to lie still. And since she couldn't move, all that she could do was think. She remembered Faith's attempts to talk to her and she was still shocked that not only had Faith dared to hit her, she had seriously beat her up. And while a part of her was angry, another part was worried that Faith might become like her. And as much as she tried to convince herself that she didn't care, the more that part reminded her of what she was. A nobody, a pathetic, worthless drunk with a daughter that might one day follow in her footsteps.
She cringed at the thought and tried to think of something happy, but the only happy times were after she had given birth to Faith. And that only lasted until Faith was three years old, until her parents found out that she had a baby. She had given up money and comfort for Faith and now Faith was paying for it, even though none of it was Faith's fault. Tears started to run down Mrs Spencer's cheeks and she wiped them, surprised.
She remembered Mrs H, whatever that meant, and she realized that she was jealous that Faith had found someone who cared about her. The realization that Faith meant more to some complete stranger than to her didn't sit well with Mrs Spencer. At the moment, her life was in shambles and her daughter hated her. She remembered seeing Faith cry after she had beaten her up and it disturbed her. She didn't like being disturbed, but she knew that it meant that she was starting to care again. She was relieved at the thought, but she was also scared. She knew it would take a lot of work if she wanted to patch up things with her daughter and gain her trust again.
If only Faith would come home. She realized that she was worried about Faith, for the first time since… She had no idea when was the last time she was worried about Faith. She took a deep breath and shuddered. She realized she needed a drink, but she pushed the craving away, knowing that if she didn't stop drinking, she would never be able to patch up things with Faith. And she wanted to. She took a deep breath, hoping that she would have the strength to quit drinking and that Faith would help her.
"Morning," Mrs H said with a smile when Faith came to the kitchen in the morning.
"Morning," Faith said.
"How do you feel?"
Faith flexed her muscles.
"Better."
"Still in pain?"
"No, not really," Faith said as she sat down. "My muscles are a bit sore, that's all."
"Good. Hungry?"
"Starving."
Mrs H smiled again.
"Breakfast will be in a few minutes."
"Okay."
When Mrs Spencer woke up late, she felt sick and tired. She had waited past midnight for Faith to show up, but Faith didn't come. Her body finally took over and she fell asleep. Now, however, she was worried again. Her body didn't hurt so much anymore, but it wanted alcohol. Or at least her mind did. But she resisted the temptation and got herself some juice instead. She went to Faith's room, but the bed was untouched. She thought for a few moments and then went to the apartment door. It was unlocked, which meant that Faith hadn't come home since she had left after beating her up.
Mrs Spencer suddenly felt worried. Just when things started to look up, when Faith finally managed to get to her through the alcohol, she disappeared. Mrs Spencer hoped that she was with Mrs H. She wanted to call her, but she had no idea who the woman was, where she lived or why she was friends with her daughter. The only thing she knew was that the woman was obviously British, judging by the accent. She hoped that Faith was okay.
"So, what happened last night?" Mrs H asked when she and Faith were eating.
Faith sighed.
"I saw two vamps drag a woman into an alley. I followed them and I knew it was a trap, but I didn't know whether the woman was a part of it or not. So I went in to save her. Unfortunately, she was a vamp."
"I see."
"I knocked down a sign post and beat the vamps with it. They were new and Kakistos probably sent them out to test me or something. Only a few got away."
"Good," Mrs H said, nodding. She hesitated for a moment. "Look, I know you have things going on with your mother, but we'll need to go get Buffy's help soon."
"Why don't you just call her?"
"Because we need to lure Kakistos away from Boston. He has too many lackeys here." She thought for a moment. "We'll make a map of where you encountered his servants after breakfast. Hopefully, we'll know approximately which parts you should avoid during your patrol. Then you'll go out and examine the area during the day. Okay?"
Faith nodded.
"Okay."
As the day passed, Mrs Spencer got more and more worried. She considered calling the police, but she doubted they would be able to find Faith. So she waited and thought.
After she scouted out the area within which she and Mrs H figured Kakistos had to have his headquarters, Faith went back to Mrs H and reported. Then she stayed with her, training a bit, studying a bit, reluctant to go home.
Mrs Spencer finally couldn't take it anymore. Faith still hadn't showed up and she was worried sick. It was a disconcerting feeling and she didn't like it. Further more, her body still hurt from the beating and she was starting to tremble. She decided to go out and buy a bottle.
After the sun set, Faith finally gathered the courage to go home. She was glad that Mrs H didn't force her to confront her mother, but she knew that she would have to eventually. She was just thinking about what to say when she heard a scream. She cursed and ran to help.
She quickly spotted three vampires trying to get a bite from a woman.
"Hey!" she yelled, distracting the vamps.
One vamp went to capture what he thought was another morsel, but Faith quickly dusted him. The other two vamps realized that she was dangerous. They pushed the woman to the ground and then attacked Faith. They circled around her, but Faith wasn't in the mood to play games. She attacked the closest, turning his face into a bloody pulp. She felt the second vamp approach and she kicked backwards. The vamp doubled over in pain and Faith quickly turned around and kicked him in the face. She quickly ran after him and staked him. The first vamp was back on his feet by then. He considered for a moment whether to fight, but he realized he was in way over his head. He turned around to flee, but Faith threw her stake after him, dusting him in mid run. Then she took a deep breath and turned toward the victim.
"Are you o…" She trailed off when she recognized the woman. "Mom."
Mother and daughter stared at one another for a few moments and then Mrs Spencer slowly got up, moaning in pain. Faith winced when she saw the bandages. A part of her wanted to apologize, but a part of her didn't. The second part won.
"What are you doing out at this hour?" Faith asked her mother.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
"I was going home." She hesitated for a moment. "You?"
Mrs Spencer hesitated for a moment, nervous for the first time in a very long time.
"I was going to the liquor store."
"I knew it," Faith said, disgusted. "I should've known better."
She turned and went back the way she came.
"Where are you going?" Mrs Spencer asked and looked around, worried.
"Back to Mrs H. I've had it with you."
Mrs Spencer gulped.
"Faith, wait!" She hesitated for a moment. "Please."
Faith stopped, surprised, and turned around. She stared at her mother for a few moments.
"What?" she then asked.
Mrs Spencer hesitated.
"I… I'm sorry."
Faith was shocked. She had wanted to hear that for so long, but now that she had, she wasn't sure if she believed her.
"Yeah, right."
"I am." Mrs Spencer sighed. "I didn't want to… I mean, I want to stop… drinking, but it's… hard. I… I feel the need and I can't help it. But I don't want to anymore."
Faith stared at her for a few moments with conflicting emotions.
"Why should I believe you?"
Mrs Spencer shrugged.
"I don't know."
Faith thought about it. She wanted to run and hug her mother, but she didn't want to open herself yet, she didn't want to risk being hurt again. She decided to take her mother home and then take it from there.
"Let's go home," she said.
Mrs Spencer sighed a breath of relief and quickly followed her.
"Faith," Mrs Spencer spoke after a while.
"What?"
Mrs Spencer hesitated for a moment.
"What… What were those… things that attacked me?"
Faith glanced at her, wondering what to tell her. She decided on the truth.
"Vampires."
Mrs Spencer frowned, surprised.
"Vampires? But…"
"I know, I know. They do exist."
"Oh."
That fact was a lot for Mrs Spencer to think about, especially when she remembered how Faith had dispatched them.
Suddenly Faith senses started to tingle and she stopped.
"What is it?" her mother asked.
"A demon," Faith said, her senses alert.
Mrs Spencer looked around, scared. Faith suddenly started to run toward a dark alley and Mrs Spencer reluctantly followed her. She didn't want to be anywhere near a demon, but she didn't want to be alone either. She was surprised when she realized that Faith actually made her feel safe.
Then the demon came into view and Mrs Spencer stopped, shocked. The demon was a grizzly thing almost two meters high with brown scales and red eyes. Mrs Spencer watched as Faith attacked it. It was a strange sight, a young girl, her daughter, versus a giant monster. And what was even more surprising was the fact that Faith was winning. Mrs Spencer stared, astonished by Faith's speed. And probably strength as well, because the monster looked tough, but Faith was still hurting it.
Finally Faith grabbed it from behind, suffocating it, and then broke its neck. And even though Mrs Spencer wasn't that close, she could still hear the bones snap. Faith then rammed a stake into the demon's head and looked around.
"Mom, help me out."
"How?" Mrs Spencer asked, reluctant to get any closer.
"Open that trash container."
Mrs Spencer hesitated for a moment and then quickly walked to the containers and opened one. Then she watched as Faith dragged the monster to the container.
"Is it dead?" she asked anxiously.
"Yeah," Faith said and lifted it up. "Man, this is… heavy," she said as she dropped the demon into the container. "Okay, close it."
"You're just gonna leave it here?" Mrs Spencer asked.
Faith shrugged.
"It's trash," she said and continued home.
Mrs Spencer quickly followed her.
"What was it?"
Faith shrugged.
"I've never seen its kind before."
Mrs Spencer thought about it as they quietly walked home.
"Are you hungry?" Mrs Spencer asked when they got home.
"No, I ate at Mrs H."
"Mrs H? That's your… friend, right?"
"Yeah." Faith took a deep breath. "I'm gonna take a shower."
Mrs Spencer nodded.
"Faith?"
"Yeah?"
Mrs Spencer hesitated for a moment.
"Do you think we could… talk tomorrow?"
Faith stared at her mother for a few moments, surprised, and then nodded.
"Yeah," she said and smiled a bit.
Mrs Spencer smiled back.
"Okay."
When Faith woke up the next morning, she first thought that she had a weird dream where her mom apologized. But then she realized that it wasn't a dream. Something had happened and her mother seemed to have… changed. Hopes resurfaced again, but she pushed them down, she didn't want to take any chances. She wrote a note and then went out for a jog.
When she returned, her mother was still asleep. She called Mrs H and told her that she and her mother were going to have a talk and that she would be late. She considered what to do and then decided to make a breakfast. She wasn't exactly a good cook, but she felt she could make a decent breakfast, which might help smooth things between them.
Her mother came into the kitchen fifteen minutes later, holding her head.
"Mom?" Faith asked.
Mrs Spencer groaned.
"I need a drink," she said and Faith bit her teeth, disappointed.
Mrs Spencer sat down and buried her head in her hands, trying to stop the craving.
"Can you get me some water?" she then asked.
Faith fetched a glass, filled it with water and gave it to her. Mrs Spencer drank it and then took a deep breath.
"That's better," she said and shuddered.
Faith quietly put the plates on the table and Mrs Spencer looked at her, surprised.
"You made this?" she asked. "For me?"
"For us."
Mrs Spencer smiled.
"Thanks."
Faith shrugged.
"You're welcome."
"What's wrong?" Mrs Spencer asked, noticing Faith's serious face.
"Nothing."
"Faith. Talk to me. Please."
Faith hesitated for a moment.
"You said you needed a drink," she then said.
"Oh." Mrs Spencer sighed. "I do, but I'll do my best not to start drinking again." She hesitated for a moment. "I promise."
Faith stared at her for a few moments and then nodded.
"Okay."
Mrs Spencer smiled a bit and then tried the food.
"Mmm, not bad. I didn't know you could cook."
Faith shrugged.
"I'm not very good, but I can make a breakfast," she said and started to eat as well.
Mrs Spencer nodded and thought for a few moments.
"Em, are you ready to talk?" she then asked nervously.
Faith looked at her for a few moments and then nodded.
"Yeah."
Mrs Spencer smiled a little.
"We'll talk after breakfast. Unless you have something to do?"
Faith shook her head.
"No. I called Mrs H that I'll be late."
"You go to Mrs… H?"
"Yeah. She helps me… study."
"Oh."
Faith thought for a moment.
"Don't you have work today?"
Mrs Spencer shook her head.
"No, I called in sick leave."
"Oh."
They finished the breakfast in silence, both feeling a little awkward. Then Mrs Spencer helped Faith clean up and after that, they went to the living room and sat on the sofa. They were quiet for a while, neither quite sure how to begin.
"Why did you start drinking?" Faith finally broke the silence.
Mrs Spencer sighed, thinking.
"My parents were very religious, but they were also rich. They traveled a lot and left me to nannies and maids. Then I went to college and I knew nothing about sex and stuff. But I learned quickly and too much. I got pregnant with you. I tried to tell my parents, but they were always so busy and I never knew where they were. I didn't even have their phone numbers since they didn't want to be disturbed during their business trips." She paused for a moment. "I was afraid of their reaction, but I decided to have you, even though some of my… friends suggested abortion. I didn't know what that was, but when they explained it, I was against it." She thought for a moment. "I tried to get your father to help me raise you, but he wasn't interested and he claimed you weren't his." She sighed. "He died in a car crash a few years later." She hesitated for a few moments. "You were three years old when I finally came across my parents. They were… appalled when they found out I had a bastard child." She looked at Faith, realizing how that sounded. "No offense, but that's how they thought of you."
Faith nodded, understanding.
Mrs Spencer took a deep breath and continued.
"They wanted me to give you up, but I refused. So they disowned me and took away all the stuff they bought me. Dad even got me fired and he made sure I couldn't get another job. So I moved away and ended up in Boston. I tried to get a job here, but my dad's influence was too great. I couldn't get a job, except as a waitress." She paused for a moment. "I started drinking, trying to forget the life that I had. And the more I drank the more I needed to drink. And since I couldn't punish my parents, I took it out on you." She sobbed and looked at Faith. "I'm so sorry, Faith."
Faith looked at her and was surprised that her mother was crying. Then she realized, surprised, that she was crying as well. She quickly wiped her tears.
"You and your friend, Mrs H," Mrs Spencer continued, "you said some things that made me think, especially after you beat me up."
Faith felt like crying, but she held back.
"I'm sorry, Mom, I shouldn't have."
"No, I deserved it." She smiled a little. "And besides, it made me think."
Faith smiled back a bit.
"I love you, Faith, and I'm sorry I made your life so miserable."
"Oh Mom," Faith said and hugged her.
She started to cry, unable to hold back the tears anymore.
Mrs Spencer hugged her back and cried as well.
When they stopped crying a few minutes later, Mrs Spencer slowly let go of Faith and caressed her. Faith captured her palm and pressed it to her cheek, her eyes still wet.
"I missed you, Mom," she said.
Mrs Spencer smiled.
"I missed you too, honey," she said and Faith smiled a bit. "Tell me about yourself. I've missed out on all your life and I want to catch up." She hesitated for a moment. "Especially that part about the… the monsters."
Faith raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure you want to know that part?"
Mrs Spencer nodded.
"Yes. I want to be a part of your life, all of it."
Faith took a deep breath and nodded.
"Okay." She thought for a moment. "Well, now that I think of it, all the things that matter about my life are connected to the monsters. I mean, before, I was a nobody. I drank, I smoked and I had sex. But after I got called, I slowly quit smoking. I also don't drink as much anymore, because I can't get drunk."
"You got called?" Mrs Spencer asked, confused.
Faith sighed.
"Yeah. Every generation, someone up there chooses a girl to fight the demons," she said pointing up. "She's called the Slayer. She's faster, stronger, has better senses and heals faster. Well, I'm the Slayer. Actually I'm a Slayer, since there are now two." She hesitated for a moment. "When a Slayer dies, another is called. Needless to say, our life spans aren't exactly very long. There's this organization called the Watchers' Council. They monitor all potential Slayers and when one of them is chosen, she is assigned a Watcher. Mrs H is my Watcher."
"Oh," Mrs Spencer said, trying to absorb the information.
"I basically go out on patrol every night and kill vampires and other demons I come across."
Mrs Spencer thought the information over.
"She was right," she finally said.
"Who?" Faith asked with a frown.
"Mrs H. She said you were special, and you are."
Faith fell herself blush.
"It's no big deal," she said, shrugging, not used to being praised by her mother.
Mrs Spencer smiled.
"I'm proud of you, Faith," she said and Faith looked at her, surprised. "I'm glad you didn't become like me."
"You weren't that bad, except when you were drunk."
"Which was most of the time." She sighed. "So Mrs H took care of you?"
"After I became a Slayer, yes. She was there for me…"
"When I wasn't," Mrs Spencer finished Faith's thought. "I'll have to thank her for that." She took a deep breath, thinking. "Do you still like strawberry ice cream?"
Faith flashed a big smile, glad that her mother remembered.
"Yeah, it's my favorite."
Mrs Spencer nodded.
"I remember. I usually bought it when we went to the carrousel."
"You remember?" Faith asked, surprised.
Mrs Spencer nodded.
"It was the happiest time of my life. We would go out and ride on the carrousel. I remember one time when it broke down and you got your ice cream all over your face."
Faith chuckled.
"I remember, yes. I tried to lick it off, but my tongue wasn't long enough."
Mrs Spencer nodded, smiling.
"Yes." She sighed. "I hope we'll have more memories like that."
Faith nodded.
"Me too."
Mrs Spencer hesitated for a moment.
"I've decided to stop drinking, but I'm gonna need your help, Faith. If the vampires hadn't stopped me tonight, I would have drunk again."
Faith nodded.
"I'll help you, Mom."
Mrs Spencer smiled.
"Thank you."
In the afternoon, just before sunset, Faith finally went to Mrs H.
"Faith!" Mrs H, glad to see her. "How are you?"
"I'm great," Faith said, absolutely beaming, as she walked past her.
"Did you two have a talk?" Mrs H asked as she closed the door.
Faith nodded.
"Oh yeah. She told me about herself and I told her about me."
"How much?"
Faith turned.
"All of it."
"All of it?" Mrs H said, surprised.
"Yes." She took a deep breath and sat on the sofa. "I saved her from some vamps yesterday and then we came across some ugly demon I've never seen before."
"I see."
"I can show it to you, I think it's still in the trash container."
"Okay. And how did she react to you being a Slayer?"
Faith beamed again.
"She said she was proud of me."
Mrs H smiled, tears welling up in her eyes.
"I'm so happy for you."
"Yeah. Come on, let me show you the demon."
"Hold on a moment."
Mrs H put on a jacket and then they left.
"Here it is," Faith said when they got to the trash container.
She opened it and they peeked inside.
"Disgusting," Mrs H said and covered her nose.
"What is…" Faith trailed of. "Damn."
"What is it?"
"Vamps. A lot of vamps."
Just then a small group of vampires approached from down the alley.
"Let's get out of here," Faith said.
"You're not gonna confront them?"
"They're not alone," Faith said. "And I also have you to watch. Shit," she said when she saw more vamps come from the main street. "Let's get them. As soon as you get clear, run."
"What about you?"
"I'll stall them until you're safe. Then I'm gonna run too."
Mrs H didn't like the idea, but she wasn't a Slayer this time.
"Okay," she said.
They ran toward the main street and the vamps started to run as well. They quickly engaged the vamps who were approaching from the main street and they managed to kill four before their comrades caught up with them.
"Run!" Faith called when she saw an opening.
Mrs H hesitated for a moment and then ran, knowing that she would only slow Faith down if she stayed. But just when she reached the corner, a cloven hand grabbed her by the neck.
"Oh fuck," Mrs H said.
"Going somewhere?" Kakistos asked.
"Fuck you, you ugly piece of shit."
Kakistos chuckled.
"An interesting attitude for a dead woman," he said and ran a dagger across her cheek, leaving a trail of blood behind. He looked at Faith. "Slayer!" he called.
Faith looked at him and froze when she saw that he was holding her Watcher.
"Let her go," she said, and Kakistos chuckled.
There was no menace in Faith's voice and Mrs H guessed what Faith was thinking. She also knew that she couldn't let Faith surrender to Kakistos, which meant that she either had to escape from Kakistos' grip or kill herself. She had quickly discovered that the first option was impossible to achieve, which meant the second. She really hated getting stabbed, but this was the only way.
"Shit," she said as she grabbed Kakistos' hand with the dagger…
…and suddenly found herself facing two Polgara demons. She quickly killed the one in front of her and then turned, knowing that the other was in behind her, ready to skewer her. And he almost did, but his arm got kicked aside. Faith looked to see who had saved her life and saw that it was Buffy. She stared at her, too shocked to help her dispose of the second Polgara demon. But Buffy didn’t have any problems with it and she quickly killed it. Then she approached Faith and Faith tensed, confused. Buffy hugged her and Faith nearly freaked out, surprised.
"God, I'm so glad you're alright," Buffy said.
"You are?" Faith said, surprised.
"Oh course I am," Buffy said and let go of Faith.
Faith was about to ask something, but was interrupted by Buffy's lips on her own. She stood still for a few moments, shocked. Buffy was kissing her? What the hell was going on?
"Are you okay?" Buffy asked. "You're tense."
"I… I'm fine," Faith said.
"Come on, let's go home," Buffy said and took Faith's hand.
Faith frowned.
"Home?"
"Yes. I promised your mom we'd be home by nine."
"My mom?"
"Yes. She's babysitting Debbie."
Faith had no idea who Debbie was, but she followed Buffy nonetheless.
When they got home, a little girl, about eight years old, came running to greet them. She stopped when she saw the state Faith was in.
"Are you okay, Mommy?" she asked.
Faith frowned, especially since she realized that the girl meant something to her. And Mommy?
"I'm fine," she said. "Honey."
The girl smiled and hugged her legs. Faith found herself caressing her.
"Is everything okay?"
Faith looked at the newcomer.
"Mom," she said, surprised.
Mrs Spencer smiled.
"Why don't you take a shower first," she suggested. "Come on, Debbie, let Mommy clean herself first."
Faith glanced at Mr Smith questioningly.
"Mrs H was killed, but you and your mother made up and came to Sunnydale," Mr Smith reported. "You and Buffy killed Kakistos and then soon became a couple. It was a bit tense when Angel came back, but she chose you over him. You helped her defeat the Mayor, Adam and Glory and Buffy never died the second time. Your mom helped Buffy take care of Dawn after Mrs Summers died, which was her second chance at being a mother. You and Buffy got married and you adopted little Debbie."
"Thank you," Faith said, on the verge of tears.
"No problem, honey," Mrs Spencer said, thinking that Faith was talking to her.
Mr Smith smiled.
"You'll forget everything that happened during the last three days, only your new memories will remain. Have a happy life."
Faith smiled and nodded and Mr Smith vanished. A strange wind washed over her and she looked around, startled. Then she looked at Debbie and kneeled, smiling. She stared at her for a few moments and then caressed her.
"I love you, honey," she said and hugged her.
She picked her up and Buffy joined them in the hug.
Mrs Spencer smiled.
"You too, Mom," Faith said with a smile.
Mrs Spencer's smile widened and she joined them in the hug.
The End