DISCLAIMER AND AUTHOR'S NOTE: All Buffy The Vampire Slayer stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and Warner Brothers. 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.

Scars
By Kristjan Brezovnik

When Buffy Summers got the precinct, she was nervous. Fourteen years ago, she had witnessed her father die a horrible death and now she had finally found the woman responsible. She took a deep breath and approached the front desk.

"Yes?" the uniform at the desk asked.

"Uh, I'd like to see Faith Spencer."

In her cell, Faith Spencer lay on the bench. She felt like she was burning up. She was breathing slowly, trying to calm down and postpone the withdrawal jitters. The fact that she was also worried about the little Stacy, her neighbors' kid, didn't help any.

"You got a visitor. Hey! You got a visitor!"

Faith blinked, startled. A visitor? She had no idea who it could be. Unless…

She quickly sat up, worried that it was Stacy, but it wasn't. She blinked a couple of times, trying to focus.

"You have five minutes," the uniform said and left.

Faith gave the woman a once over and frowned. She had no idea who it was.

"You're Faith Spencer?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah?"

"But… How old are you?"

Faith thought for a moment.

"Twenty-four."

"Oh," Buffy said with a frown. "I think I got the wrong person."

"Oh."

Buffy hesitated for a moment, and then left, confused.

Faith sighed. For a brief moment, she had hoped that the woman had come to see her. She found her gorgeous and she wished she could talk to her, about anything, just to be able to admire her beauty. But then, when did anyone want to talk to her. She sighed and lay back.

When Buffy got to her hotel, she dialed the detective she had hired to find the person who had killed her father.

"Hello?"

"Detective Martins?"

"Ah, Miss Summers. What can I do for you?"

"I think you got the wrong person."

"Really?"

"Yes. The woman is only twenty-four years old."

"Yes, that's right.""

"But… That means she was ten when she killed my dad."

"Yes."

"But…"

"Try talking to Detective Pierce, he was handling her case."

Buffy sighed.

"Thanks," she said and hung up.

She thought for a few moments and then went back to the station.

"Detective Pierce?" Buffy asked when she got to his desk.

Pierce looked at her.

"Yes."

"Hi. Uh, I'm Buffy Summers. There's a case I'm interested in and I was told you handled it."

"Sure. Which one?"

"Well, fourteen years ago, someone killed my dad. It was a hit and run. The detective I hired said her name was Faith Spencer."

Pierce leaned back.

"Yes, I remember."

"How old was she then?"

"Ten."

Buffy tensed.

"Ten? But…" She thought for a moment. "Well, uh, I've been here earlier and you have a Faith Spencer in jail. Is that her?"

"Yes."

Buffy sighed.

"Is she okay? She looked sick."

"She's a junkie."

"Oh." Buffy thought for a moment, trying to calm down. "What can you tell me about the… the case?"

"Nothing."

Buffy frowned.

"But I thought you handled it."

"I did, but Faith was a minor then, so I can't talk about it."

"Oh." Buffy hesitated for a moment. "But I can ask her about it?"

"Sure."

Buffy took a deep breath.

"I'll go see her then."

"She's been released a couple of minutes ago."

"What?" Buffy said, worried that she'd never find her again. "Where did she go?"

"Probably to the left. She lives in that direction."

"Oh. Thanks."

Buffy hurried out of the building. Outside, she looked left and right and then headed left. She didn't have to search long as Faith was slowly walking down the street. She ran to her.

"Faith!"

Faith tensed and turned.

"Faith, wait up!" Buffy called and waved.

Faith frowned, confused. She recognized Buffy, but she had no idea what she wanted with her.

"Hi," Buffy said when she reached her, and took a couple of deep breaths.

"Hi," Faith said, nervous. "You visited me in jail."

"Yes."

"What do you want?"

"Well, it turns out it really was you I was looking for."

"Oh," Faith said, not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. "Why?" she asked, hoping Buffy wasn't looking to hire her as a hooker. Not that she would mind sleeping with Buffy, but she liked her too much to want to remember her as just another customer who used her.

Buffy hesitated for a moment.

"Well, uh, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"Oh," Faith said, relieved and curious.

"Um, fourteen years ago you drove over someone, my dad. I want to know why."

Faith's eyes went wide as she realized what Buffy was talking about. Her hands started to tremble, she paled and her breath became short and shallow. She felt sick as she quickly relieved the event. She quickly ran away, terrified.

"Hey!" Buffy called, surprised. "Wait!" she called and ran after her.

When Faith got to a side alley, she stopped beside a trash container and threw up violently. When she coughed, she noticed that Buffy was following her. She quickly wiped her mouth and ran off.

Buffy followed her, but she soon lost her.

When Faith got to her apartment, she closed the door and locked it. Then she leaned on it and burst into tears. She slid down and buried her head between her knees.

"Faith?" Stacy said, relieved, when she heard someone come in. "Faith," she said, worried, when she saw Faith was crying. She ran to her and hugged her. "Faith?"

Faith hugged her back and kept crying.

Stacy quietly held her, not knowing what else to do.

After a while, Faith finally calmed down.

"Faith?" Stacy asked.

Faith looked at her and wiped her tears.

"Hey."

"You okay?"

Faith nodded.

"You?"

"I'm fine. Did they arrest you?"

Faith nodded.

"Yes."

"Did they hurt you?"

Faith shook her head.

"No."

"Then why were you crying?"

Faith sighed and looked away. She hesitated for a moment.

"I met someone."

"Did they hurt you?"

Faith shook her head.

"No."

"Then why were you crying?"

Faith sighed again.

"She reminded me of something I did."

"What?"

Faith tensed.

"I… I killed someone."

Stacy's eyes went wide.

"Really?"

Faith nodded.

"Why?" Stacy asked.

Faith tensed.

"It… It was an accident." She shuddered as she remembered. "I was taking Mom to a hospital and I drove over someone."

"Oh."

Faith burst into tears again, and Stacy hugged her.

"Hey," Joyce Summers, Buffy's mom, said when Buffy came home a couple of days later.

"Hey," Buffy said.

"Did you find her?"

Buffy nodded.

"Yes."

"And?"

Buffy sighed.

"It turns out she's younger than I am."

"Really?" Joyce said, surprised.

"Did you find her?" Dawn, Buffy's sister, asked as she came downstairs.

"Yes," Buffy said.

"And?"

"She's twenty-four."

"Really? I thought she was older."

"Me too, but the detective who handled the case says it's her."

"What did she say?"

"Nothing. When I told her who I was and what I wanted, she ran away. I ran after her, but I couldn't find her. The detective is still trying to find out where she lives."

"Oh."

"What is she like?" Joyce asked.

"She's a junkie."

"Oh."

A couple of days later, when Faith came home, she found Stacy there, crying.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked as she hugged her.

"They threw me out," Stacy said.

"Who?"

"Mommy and Daddy."

"Why?"

"They said you should take care of me since I spend so much time here."

"Oh."

"I'm scared."

"Shh, it's okay."

Faith quietly held Stacy. She was just as scared. On one hand, she didn't want Stacy to go to a foster home, not only because she knew what it was like, but also because she didn't want to lose the only person who loved her, her only family. On the other hand, she knew she was not capable of taking care of Stacy. She could barely earn enough money to pay the rent and buy some food. She wanted a good life for Stacy.

"Do you want me to take care of you?" she asked Stacy.

Stacy looked up at her, wide-eyed.

"Will you?" she asked hopefully.

Faith hesitated for a moment.

"If you want to."

Stacy smiled.

"Yes."

Faith smiled back and sighed.

"I don't really have all that much money. I can't buy you stuff."

"Mommy and Daddy don't either. They say I'm a waste of money."

"You're not," Faith said, and Stacy smiled. "Do you have your stuff?"

Stacy shook her head.

"No."

Faith tensed.

"Let's go get it then."

"Together?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

They got up and went to Stacy's apartment. Faith rang the bell.

"What?" Stacy's mom asked when she saw them.

"Uh, we came to get Stacy's stuff."

"She don't have no stuff."

"Her clothes and her schoolbooks."

"Oh. Fine." She looked at Stacy. "Go get them and then get lost."

Stacy quickly ran to her room.

Faith hesitated for a moment.

"If you want me to take care of her, I want you to make it legal," she then said and gulped, nervous.

"Legal?" Stacy's mom said, startled.

"Yeah." Faith hesitated for a moment. "I want to adopt her."

Stacy's mom burst into laughter.

"Aren't you two a couple? One a bigger loser than the other. Fine. I'll get our lawyer to draw up the papers."

"Thanks," Faith said, relieved.

"Good riddance."

"Did you get everything?" Faith asked when they got back to her apartment.

Stacy nodded.

"Yes."

"Good." She hesitated for a moment. "Uh, I told your mom I wanted to adopt you and she said okay."

Stacy's eyes went wide.

"Really?" she said, excited.

Faith smiled.

"Yes."

Stacy squealed and hugged her.

Faith tensed as it suddenly hit her that she would be responsible for Stacy from now on. Before, she could pretend that Stacy wasn't her responsibility, even though she took care of her, but that wasn't possible anymore. She knew she would have to change. She was already trying to stop taking drugs, now she needed to become a role model. She wanted to become one. She realized that would mean no more being a hooker. The problem was, she didn't know how to do anything else. She had finished grade school, but that was it. When high school started, her drug problem became really bad and she had dropped out. She had trouble focusing and got tired fast, so she wasn't sure what she could do. But she was determined to find something. And she even considered taking a GED, although it scared her. Still, she would do anything for Stacy.

Stacy looked up at her.

"Faith?"

Faith looked at her.

"Yes?"

Stacy hesitated for a moment.

"Can I call you Mommy?" she asked, wide-eyed.

Faith's eyes went wide as well. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times.

"Uh, if you want," she said, not sure what else to say.

Stacy beamed.

"Cool! Mommy."

Faith blinked and smiled back.

A couple of weeks later, when Faith was going home at night, she passed an alley. She felt sick from the alcohol her customer had bought for her and she needed to throw up. She quickly walked to the trash container and bowed. A couple of moments later, she threw up. When she was done, she felt a little dizzy, so she sat down and leaned her forehead on her knees. She took a couple of deep breaths.

A car drove past her, and she looked up, startled. She took another couple of deep breaths and wiped her mouth. Just as she was about to get up, the car stopped and the passengers came in. She could see their faces due to a streetlamp that actually happened to be working. They were yelling, but they were too far for her to understand. Then one of them pulled a gun and shot another. There was no sound, but Faith knew the man was dead as he fell down.

Faith gasped. She knew she should get the hell out of there.

Then one of the men noticed her. A couple of moments later, the man with the gun started shooting at her. Faith quickly got up and ran away. When she reached the mouth of the alley, she felt a sharp pain as something hit her in the right shoulder. She stumbled, but she quickly got up and ran on. She grabbed the spot and felt a wetness. She looked at her hand and saw it was covered in blood. She gulped and kept running. She hid in the crowd and hoped her followers wouldn't find her.

After hiding in a ladies room of a café for a while, she went out. She had washed and dressed her wound, but it still hurt and she was weak and dizzy from the loss of blood. She tried to walk as if nothing was wrong, hoping the men hadn't seen her face well enough to recognize her. She considered going home, but she didn't know if anyone was following her and she didn't want to endanger Stacy. She decided to go to Detective Pierce. She knew he was working the morning shift, which meant that she would have to wait till morning. She went to the street where Pierce's precinct was and hid in an alley, hoping she would wake up on time.

In the morning, Faith was awoken by the morning noise. She could barely open her eyes, tired from the loss of blood and the cold. She slapped herself a couple of times and then checked her watch. It was still early, but she got up anyway and then stretched herself. She went to the nearby café and got herself something for breakfast. While she waited for Detective Pierce to arrive, she thought about Stacy, hoping that she was okay.

When she finally saw Pierce, she quickly ran to him.

"Detective," she said, nervous.

Pierce looked at her.

"Miss Spencer," he said, surprised. He noticed she looked weak. "You okay?"

"I got shot," Faith said and showed him the wound.

"Oh. Did you have that checked out?"

Faith shook her head.

"No."

"Come, I'll take you to the hospital."

Faith shook her head.

"No, they might be looking for me there."

"Who?"

"I don't know who they are. Last night I saw someone kill someone. They saw me and started shooting at me."

"Well, come in, I'll have someone check your wound and then you can tell me what happened."

"Okay," Faith said and looked around, nervous.

They went in.

"Is Detective Delaney in yet?" Pierce asked at the front desk.

"Yes, Sir."

"Could you go get her and tell her to come to the ladies room?"

"Yes, Sir."

Pierce looked at Faith.

"Come."

They went to the ladies room. A couple of moments later, Delaney arrived.

"You were looking for me, Pierce?" she asked.

"Yeah. I need you to check out her wound."

Delaney looked at Faith.

"Wound?" Faith showed her the wound. "Oh. Come."

"Bring her to my desk when you're done," Pierce said.

"Okay."

"It was a clean shot," Delaney said when she brought Faith to Pierce. "She lost some blood, but she'll recover."

"Okay, thanks," Pierce said. He looked at Faith. "Sit down." Faith sat. "How do you feel?"

"Tired."

"Want something to drink?"

"No, I drank some water in the ladies room."

"Okay. So, wanna tell me what happened?"

Faith nodded.

"I was just going home. I had a lot to drink and I needed to throw up, so I went to an alley and threw up behind a container. I felt dizzy and I sat down. Then a car came by. It stopped under a streetlamp and four men got out. They argued for a couple of moments and then one of them shot another. Then they spotted me and I ran away."

"When was this?" Pierce asked.

Faith frowned.

"Around eleven."

"Did you see the faces of the men?"

"Yeah."

"Would you recognize them if I showed you photos?"

"I think so."

"Hold on." Pierce left and quickly returned with a folder. He took out a photo. "Recognize him?"

"Yeah, that's the guy that got shot."

"Yes."

"Who was he?"

"A drug dealer."

"Oh."

"Can you describe the other three?"

Faith thought for a moment.

"One looked really fancy. The guy in charge looked like he was rich, but he dressed crappy. The killer looked like a… a bodyguard or something." She closed her eyes for a moment. "He wore gloves."

"Okay. I'm gonna get a couple of albums, we'll see if you can identify them."

"Okay."

Pierce left, and Faith looked around nervously. She felt strange, actually helping solve a crime instead of just being another junkie or hooker to be processed. Suddenly her eyes went wide as she saw one of the men come in. She quickly hid behind the table.

"You okay?" Pierce asked when he returned.

"One of them came here."

"Who?"

"The fancy one." Faith peeked from behind the table. "Over there, with the briefcase."

Pierce looked.

"The lawyer?"

"I don't know what he is. The one that just checked his watch."

Pierce looked at her.

"Okay, stay down there. When he's gone, I'll take you to the ladies room. I'll send Detective Delaney to you."

"Okay."

Pierce sat down and pretended he was working. He picked up his phone and called Delaney.

"What's wrong?" She noticed Faith. "Why is she hiding?"

"Because she just spotted one of the men who shot her."

"Really?" Delaney said and looked around.

"Yes. It's the lawyer. As soon as… Okay, he's gone. Faith, do you see anyone else?"

Faith peeked from behind the table.

"No."

"Okay. Delaney, take her to the ladies room, she should be out of the way there. Here, the albums. See if she can identify the other two."

"Okay," Delaney said and took the albums. "Come."

Faith followed her.

Two hours later, Faith was on her way in an armored FBI car to her apartment. She had identified the other two men, and then Pierce called the FBI. Agent Dobson, the FBI agent in charge, decided that she would go into protective custody. Faith told him about Stacy, so they went to her place to pick her up.

"Mommy!" Stacy said, relieved, when Faith came in.

"Hey," Faith said with a smile.

"Are you okay? I was worried."

"I'm fine. Don't worry, these are FBI agents," she explained when she noticed the fear in Stacy's eyes.

Stacy's eyes went wide.

"FBI?"

"Yes. I witnessed a murder last night, so now I have to go into protective custody."

"What about me?"

"You're coming with me. We need to pack quickly. Just a couple of clothes and whatever you think you'll need."

"Okay."

A month later, after she had testified, Faith was put into witness protection program. Stacy, of course, went with her. They were allowed to keep their names, but they had to change their last name.

"This is it," Agent Dobson said when they arrived to their destination.

Faith's eyes went wide.

"The whole house?"

"Yes."

"But I can't afford it."

"Don't worry, it's paid for. And besides, it's not that big."

"But what about the bills? I don't have a job."

"We found a couple of jobs that might be suitable for you, but you'll have to decide which one to take."

Faith gulped, nervous.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Come."

"This is our house?" Stacy asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes."

"Just ours?"

"Yes."

"Wow."

"Come, I'll explain everything inside," Dobson said.

A couple of days later, after Faith got a job and Stacy was enrolled into grade school, they went out to get to know Sunnydale better. When they passed the gallery, the exhibit caught Stacy's eye.

"Can we go in, Mommy?" she asked.

Faith looked around.

"Uh, I don't know if we can afford it."

"Don't worry, it's free," a woman said.

Faith and Stacy looked at her.

"It is?"

"Yes." The woman smiled. "I'm Joyce. I'm the owner."

"Oh."

"You can go in."

"Can we?" Stacy asked.

"Uh, okay," Faith said.

"Cool!" Stacy said, excited.

As they walked around, Stacy admired the paintings, babbling on about how pretty they were. Faith quietly listened to her, smiling a little. She didn't feel too well, but she forced herself to tag along, until she finally couldn't take it anymore.

"Stacy, honey, I need to sit down."

Stacy looked at her, worried.

"Are you okay?"

"I will be."

They went to the benches, and Faith sat down. She breathed deeply.

"Do you want some water?" Stacy asked.

Faith nodded.

"Lots of it."

"Okay," Stacy said and ran to the water dispenser.

When Joyce, who was making a round, checking up on the visitors, saw Faith sitting on a bench, obviously not feeling well, she went to her.

"Are you okay?" she asked, worried.

Faith glanced at her.

"I'll be fine," she said, trying to stop shivering.

"You're shivering," Joyce noticed. "Do you want me to call an ambulance?"

"No."

"Are you…"

"Mommy," Stacy said as she returned with three cups of water.

"Thanks," Faith said as she took a cup and drank it all at once. Then she took another and half emptied it.

"Do you feel better?" Stacy asked.

"A little," Faith said and drank the rest of the second cup. She took the third cup. "You can go look at the paintings, I'll stay here."

"Are you sure?"

Faith nodded.

"Yes. Just, stay where I can see you."

"Okay. Do you want some more water?"

"No, I still have a cup. Thanks."

"Okay. Call me, if you need me."

Faith smiled a little.

"I will."

Stacy took the two empty cups away, and then continued the tour.

"Is there anything I can get you?" Joyce asked.

Faith glanced at her.

"No, I'll be fine. It'll pass soon." She thought for a moment. "Where are the restroom?"

"Over there," Joyce pointed.

Faith looked.

"Okay. Thanks."

Joyce stared at her for a moment.

"Well, if there's anything you need, let me know."

Faith glanced at her.

"Thanks," she said, not used to people being nice to her.

"You done?" Faith asked, when Stacy came and sat beside her.

Stacy shook her head.

"No, it's too big. I'm tired."

"Wanna go home?"

Stacy nodded.

"Can we come here again?"

"Sure."

Stacy smiled.

"Cool. They have great paintings. I like them."

Faith smiled back.

"So, wanna go out for lunch or do you wanna help me cook something?"

Stacy thought for a moment.

"Cook. I wanna learn."

Faith's smile widened.

"You're probably a better cook than I am."

Stacy smiled.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I usually botch things." She got up, picking up the empty cups. "Come."

Stacy took her hand and they went home.

When school started, Faith walked Stacy to school. Stacy was nervous and excited at the same time. When they got to the school, they stared at the building and the people for a while.

"Ready?" Faith finally asked Stacy.

Stacy looked up at her.

"I'm scared."

Faith gently squeezed her hand.

"You'll be okay, you're smart. You can already read and write and you're probably better at math than I am." She smiled encouragingly. "You can do this."

Stacy smiled.

"Okay."

"You know how to get home?"

Stacy nodded.

"Yes."

"Okay."

Stacy hesitated for a moment and then hugged Faith.

Faith hugged her back.

"Okay, go now," she said when they stopped hugging.

"Bye, Mommy."

"Bye, honey."

Stacy took a deep breath and headed to the entrance.

As Faith stared after her, she realized that for the first time in her fucked up life, she was doing something right, for the first time, she was proud of something, of Stacy, and of herself. She smiled sadly to herself and then slowly walked to work.

A couple of weeks later, Faith got called to school, because Stacy was in trouble. She was worried about Stacy, even though she was assured that Stacy was not hurt. When she got to the Principal's office, she first took a deep breath. Then she knocked and entered.

"Hi," she said, nervous.

"Hello, Mrs Winters," the Principal said. "Please, sit down."

Faith looked at Stacy.

"Are you okay?"

Stacy nodded.

"Yes," she said, nervous.

"What happened?" Faith asked.

Stacy looked down.

"I hit someone."

"Why?"

"She was making fun of my clothes."

"Is she your friend?"

Stacy shook her head.

"No."

Faith thought for a moment, not quite sure how to deal with this. Then she remembered an episode of some series she'd once seen. She knew she would've reacted the same as Stacy, but she wanted Stacy to be better than her. And she didn't want Stacy in trouble with the Principal.

"Then what does it matter to you what she thinks of your clothes?"

Stacy looked at her, surprised and confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Does her opinion matter to you?"

Stacy frowned.

"No."

"Then why did you hit her?"

"She was being mean."

"Yes, but now you're the one who's in trouble."

Stacy thought about it.

"Oh," she then said. She thought for a moment. "But what should I do?"

"Ignore her. Or use words to defend yourself, you're smart."

"Okay." She hesitated for a moment. "I'll apologize tomorrow."

Faith smiled, proud.

"Okay." She thought for a moment. "How bad did you hurt her?"

"Just a bruise. Her nose bled a little, but I didn't hit it."

"Good," Faith said and looked at the Principal. "The girl will be okay?"

"Yes," the Principal said.

"Is Stacy in trouble?"

"No, not this time." She looked at Stacy. "I'll let you go with a warning. I hope you've learned your lesson, young lady."

"Yes, Ma'am," Stacy said.

"Good."

"Thanks," Faith said, relieved. She looked at Stacy. "Come, let's go home."

Stacy smiled and got up. She took Faith's hand and they left.

"Mommy," she said outside.

Faith looked at her.

"Yes?"

"Am I in trouble?"

Faith smiled softly.

"Not with me. We'll talk about this when we get home. Or on the way home."

"Okay."

Faith hesitated for a moment.

"I would've acted the same as you did," she then admitted.

Stacy looked at her.

"Really?"

"Yes. It doesn't mean it's the right thing to do though."

"Oh."

"Let's go get your stuff now."

As they got out of the building, they came across Buffy. Buffy and Faith stared at one another for a few moments, shocked.

"Hello, Miss Summers," Stacy said.

Faith nearly stared hyperventilating, but she pulled herself together and quickly started walking away.

"Mommy?" Stacy asked, confused. "Are you okay?" she asked when she noticed how pale Faith was.

Faith swallowed and nodded.

"Yes," she croaked.

Stacy looked back at Buffy.

"Do you know Miss Summers?"

Faith nodded curtly.

"Yes."

"Really?"

Faith hesitated for a moment.

"I killed her dad."

Stacy's eyes went wide.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

Buffy quickly pulled herself together and ran after them.

"Wait!" she called, but Faith ignored her. "Faith, wait!" She caught up with them and slowed down. "Wait, please, I just want to talk. I just want to know why."

Faith tensed.

"I can't. I'm sorry," she said without looking at Buffy, and kept walking.

Buffy stared after them, confused. She had guessed the topic was painful to Faith. She had been angry with Faith for killing her father, but now she was confused. She knew so little about her, but she wanted to know more. Then she remembered Stacy. She had spoken to her because of the incident earlier, so now she guessed that she must be related to Faith. She decided to ask the Principal about it.

"Buffy," the Principal said when she entered.

"Hi," Buffy said. "Was Stacy just here?"

"Yes, her mother just picked her up."

"Her mother?" Buffy said, startled.

"Yes, Mrs Winters."

Buffy frowned.

"Winters?"

"Yes."

"Is her name Faith?"

"Yes."

Buffy was confused.

"Hmm."

"Is something wrong?"

"I don't know."

When they got home, Faith ran to the bathroom and threw up. Stacy ran after her.

"Mommy?" she asked, worried.

Faith breathed deeply to calm down.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

Faith nodded.

"Yes." She wiped her mouth. "It just caught up with me. The memories."

"Oh."

Faith went to the sink and washed her mouth and her hands.

"I'm okay," she said as she dried her face and her hands.

Stacy hugged her, and Faith hugged her back.

"I need to call Agent Dobson."

"You okay, honey?" Joyce Summers asked Buffy when she saw Buffy's face when Buffy got home.

Buffy looked at her.

"I just saw Faith."

"Faith?" Joyce frowned. "That woman?"

Buffy nodded.

"Yes."

"Here? In Sunnydale?"

"Yes."

"What was she doing here?"

"I don't know. I think her daughter is going to my school."

"Really?"

"Yes. And she has a different last name."

"Maybe she married?"

"I don't know. The Principal did call her Mrs."

"Oh."

When Stacy got called to the Counselor's office the next day, she was nervous, because Buffy was the Counselor. Faith had told her what to tell Buffy, but she was still nervous, because she didn't want to get Faith into trouble.

"Hi, Stacy," Buffy said with a smile when Stacy entered.

"Hello, Miss Summers."

"Sit down." Stacy sat. "Are you in trouble about what happened yesterday?"

Stacy shook her head.

"No. I talked to Mommy about it. And I apologized to Jenny."

Buffy smiled.

"Good." She hesitated for a moment. "Where are you two from?"

"LA."

Buffy frowned.

"LA?"

"Yes."

"Aren't you from Boston?"

"We lived there too."

"Oh."

"Why do you want to talk to Mommy?" Stacy got straight to the point.

Buffy blinked, startled.

"Uh, there was something she did before you were born and I want to ask her about it."

"She killed your daddy."

Buffy's eyes went wide.

"She told you?" she asked, surprised.

Stacy nodded.

"Uh-huh."

"Oh."

"She doesn't like talking about it, it makes her cry," Stacy said. She hesitated for a moment. "And she has nightmares about it."

"Oh."

"She's not mean," Stacy said protectively.

Buffy smiled a little.

"I didn't say she was. I just want to understand." She hesitated for a moment. "I was there when it happened. I also had nightmares."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Buffy sighed.

"Me too." She thought for a moment. "Thanks." She hesitated for a moment. "Tell your mommy I'd like to talk to her someday, I'd really like to understand."

"Okay."

Buffy smiled a little.

"You can go now."

"Mommy, Miss Summers called me to her office today," Stacy said when she got home.

Faith tensed.

"What did you tell her?"

"That you have nightmares about it."

"Oh."

"She said she really wants to talk to you. She just wants to understand."

Faith took a deep breath.

"I see."

"She said she was there when it happened."

Faith's eyes went wide.

"What?"

"Mommy?" Stacy said, worried, when Faith started hyperventilating. "Mommy!" she called and hugged her.

Faith automatically hugged her back.

"Mommy?"

Faith looked at her and took a deep breath.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

Faith nodded.

"Yes," she said and took another deep breath.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Faith smiled.

"No, I'm okay."

"Okay. But if you wanna talk…"

"I know where to find you."

Stacy smiled.

"Okay."

A couple of days later, on Saturday, Faith and Stacy went to the gallery as usual.

"Hello," Joyce said with a smile.

"Hi," Stacy said.

"You're persistent."

"I like paintings."

"She keeps drawing at home," Faith said and ruffled Stacy's hair. "On anything she gets her hands on."

Joyce smiled again.

"Mom, we're done with the crates," Buffy said as she approached from the back.

Faith turned, recognizing her voice.

"Thank you, honey," Joyce said. Then she noticed that Buffy and Faith were staring at one another. "You two know one another?"

Faith paled, suddenly feeling very sick. She moaned.

"Mommy?" Stacy asked, worried. "Come, sit," she said when Faith started hyperventilating, and took her to a bench.

Faith sat down, her head between her knees, and Stacy ran to get some water.

"Buffy?" Joyce asked.

"That's her," Buffy said.

"Her?"

"Faith. The woman who killed dad."

"Oh," Joyce said and looked at Faith, shocked.

"Mommy?" Stacy said when she returned with water. "I got water." Faith didn't respond. "Mommy?"

Faith finally sat up, but her gaze was blank.

"Is she okay?" Joyce asked Stacy.

"I don't know," Stacy said, worried. "Mommy?" she asked and shook her gently.

Faith blinked.

"Huh?" she said and looked at Stacy.

"Are you okay?"

Faith stared at her for a couple of moments and then looked around, confused.

"Where am I?"

"At the gallery."

Faith looked at Stacy.

"Gallery?"

"Yeah. We come here often."

"We?"

"You and me."

"Who are you?" Faith frowned. "Who am I?"

Stacy glanced at Buffy and Joyce.

"Uh, you're Faith and I'm Stacy, your daughter."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. You just felt sick. But when I shook you, you didn't know who you were."

"Oh."

"How about we go home? I'll tell you more about you at home."

"Okay."

"Do you want me to drive you?" Joyce offered.

Stacy shook her head.

"No. I want her to get familiar with the town."

"Oh. Okay."

"Mommy?"

They got up, and Stacy took her hand.

"What just happened?" Buffy asked after they were gone.

"I'm not sure," Joyce said.

"This is our home?" Faith asked when they got home.

"Yes," Stacy said.

"Nice."

"Come on, let's go to the living room, I'll tell you about you and me."

"Okay."

"Mommy?" Stacy asked when she was done with her tale.

Faith looked at her.

"It's just… a lot."

Stacy smiled encouragingly.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you."

Faith smiled a little.

"Thanks."

"Do you have any questions?"

"Probably. I need to think this over first."

"Okay. I'll be in my room."

"Okay."

Stacy left.

Faith looked around, thinking over what Stacy had told her.

On Monday, Buffy looked up Stacy.

"Stacy."

"Hi, Miss Summers," Stacy said.

"How is your mother?"

"She's okay. A little confused."

"Oh."

Stacy hesitated for a moment.

"I didn't tell her about your daddy. I didn't want to overwhelm her."

"Oh. Okay." Buffy thought for a moment. "Thanks."

In the afternoon, Stacy convinced Faith to take her to the gallery again. Faith was a bit nervous, but she agreed.

"Hello," Joyce said when she saw them. "Feeling better?" she asked Faith.

"Yeah," Faith said, a little nervous.

"Good."

Faith looked at Stacy.

"I need to use the toilet. You go ahead."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I just need to pee."

"Oh. Okay."

Faith left.

"Is she okay?" Joyce then asked Stacy.

"Yes, but she doesn't remember," Stacy said. "I told her about us, but I didn't tell her about your husband."

"Oh."

"I didn't want to overwhelm her."

"Okay."

"When will you make a new exhibition?"

Joyce smiled.

"Soon."

"What will it be about?"

"I'm not sure yet. There's a couple of possibilities."

"Really?"

"Yes. The most likely is tribal art."

"Cool."

Joyce smiled.

After tagging along for a while, Faith got tired. She sat on a bench and let Stacy look at the paintings.

"Is everything okay?" Joyce asked when she saw her sitting.

Faith looked at her.

"Yeah, I'm just tired."

"Oh." Joyce thought for a moment. "And how are things at home?"

"A bit weird."

"Weird?"

Faith smiled a little.

"Yeah. Now she's mothering me around," she said and glanced at Stacy.

Joyce smiled.

"She seems very smart."

"Oh, she is," Faith agreed. "She's smarter than I am. She's helping me study for the GED."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I have a problem concentrating. But she's patient."

"Hi, Mom," Buffy said as she arrived.

Joyce and Faith looked at her.

"Hi, honey," Joyce said. She looked at Faith. "Faith, this is my daughter Buffy."

"Yeah, I know," Faith said.

"You do?" Buffy asked.

"Stacy told me."

"Oh."

Faith stared at Buffy, curious. She found Buffy gorgeous, but there was something about her that scared her. She had no idea what it was.

"Are you okay?" Joyce asked her.

Faith blinked, startled, and looked at her.

"Yes. I'm not in a very good shape and I tire quickly."

"Oh."

"You want some company?" Buffy asked her.

Faith tensed.

"If you don't have anything else to do," she said, shrugging.

"Not at the moment," Buffy said and sat beside Faith.

Joyce raised an eyebrow, but she didn't comment.

"I'll be in my office, honey," she said.

"Okay, Mom."

"What did you two talk about?" Stacy asked Faith as they left the gallery.

Faith glanced at her.

"Stuff."

"Did she ask you about you?"

"A little. I told her what you told me. I mean, not the fact that we're in witness protection program."

"Okay."

Faith thought for a moment.

"I like her, but there's something about her that… freaks me out."

"Oh," Stacy said, guessing what it was.

"I don't know. Anyway, she told me a little about you."

"She did?" Stacy said, surprised.

"Yes."

"What did she say?"

"Nothing new."

Stacy frowned.

"I thought you lost your memory."

"I did. But I already figured out that you're really smart and very responsible for your age."

Stacy smiled.

"Really?"

"Yes."

During the next couple of weeks, Stacy noticed how more relaxed Faith was. She liked it and she was glad that she didn't tell her about the accident. She knew Faith would remember eventually, but she wanted her to have at least some happy time.

The day Stacy feared finally arrived about three weeks after Faith lost her memory. They were at the gallery again and Stacy escorted Faith to the bench. Then she left to get her some water, and when she came back, she saw Faith staring at Joyce, hyperventilating. She ran to her.

"Mommy?" she asked, worried, and put the water on the bench.

Faith looked at her.

"Stacy?"

"Yes."

Faith stared at her for a moment and then ran to the restroom.

Stacy ran after her. When she got to the restroom, she saw Faith throwing up in the basin.

"Mommy?" she asked, worried. She ran to her and helped her keep the hair out of her face. "Mommy, are you okay?"

Faith didn't seem to hear her, as she just stared at her vomit. Finally, she opened the faucet and washed her mouth. Then she washed away the vomit.

"Mommy?" Stacy asked, really worried.

Faith looked at her.

"I… I remembered," she croaked, as tears came to her eyes.

Joyce, who had noticed that something was wrong with Faith, was on her way to her when Faith ran to the restroom. She hurried up, but was stopped by a guest. She quickly dealt with the man and then hurried on. When she got to the restroom and saw Faith sitting on the floor, crying in Stacy's arms, she stopped. She quickly guessed that Faith had remembered. She'd actually grown to like Faith, even after she found out that she was responsible for the death of her husband. And seeing how Faith was crying, she guessed that her husband's death still haunted Faith. She quietly closed the door and gave them some privacy. She sat on the bench close to the restroom door and thought about it.

When Faith calmed down a little, she wiped her tears, and then she and Stacy went home. Joyce saw them leave, but she let them go, guessing that Faith was not ready to talk.

At home, Faith lay on the sofa. Stacy fetched a blanket and then turned on the TV and tuned it into a cartoon channel, because Faith liked cartoons. She was a little lost as to what to do, so she settled for Faith holding her hand.

The next morning, Buffy came to Stacy.

"Stacy."

"Uh, hi, Miss Summers."

"How is your mother?"

"Depressed. She wanted to stay home today, but I convinced her it would be better if she went to work."

Buffy smiled a little.

"I see." She hesitated for a moment. "My mom said she remembered."

"Yes. She really is sorry, you know."

Buffy sighed.

"Yes. Thanks."

When Faith and Stacy didn't come to the gallery for a couple of weeks, Joyce asked Buffy to find out if everything was alright, so Buffy went to see Stacy again.

"Stacy."

"Hi, Miss Summers."

"Is everything okay? My mom says you haven't been to the gallery in a couple of weeks."

"Oh. We're okay." She hesitated for a moment. "Mommy's afraid of meeting you."

"Me?"

"And your mommy. She feels guilty and she gets all sad when she thinks about it."

"Oh. Uh, I hope she gets better."

"You do?" Stacy asked, surprised.

Buffy thought about it and then nodded.

"Yes. I mean, she was ten then. I was angry with her for so long… I just want to understand, you know?"

Stacy nodded.

"Uh-huh."

Buffy sighed.

"Thank you," she said and left.

Stacy stared after her, a bit confused.

A couple of days later, Stacy finally convinced Faith to let her go to the gallery by herself. And while Stacy was excited, Faith was worried. She knew Stacy was a responsible child, but she was afraid of someone hurting her, in spite of the fact that Stacy came from school all by herself everyday.

When Joyce saw Stacy all by herself, she got worried.

"Hello, Stacy."

Stacy smiled at her.

"Hello, Mrs Summers."

"Where's your mother?"

"At home."

"At home? Why?"

Stacy hesitated for a moment.

"She's afraid of meeting you."

"Oh. Is she okay?"

"She's better. She's not as bad as she used to be."

"I see." Joyce thought for a moment. "You're on foot?"

"Yes."

"How about I drive you home when you're done."

Stacy shook her head.

"Uh-uh. Mommy's afraid of meeting you."

"I know. I want to tell her that I'm not mad at her."

"You're not?"

Joyce sighed.

"It's been fourteen years and your mother was only ten then. I don't think she did it on purpose. But I would like to know what happened, when she's ready. And I think talking about it will help her deal with it."

Stacy thought about it. On one hand, she was worried about how Faith would react when she saw Joyce, but on the other, Joyce had a point, and she did want Faith to get better.

"Okay," she agreed.

Joyce smiled.

"Good. You know where my office is?"

Stacy nodded.

"Uh-huh."

"Come by when you're done here."

"Okay."

"I'll see you later then."

"Okay."

When Joyce brought Stacy home, she looked around, curious. It seemed like a nice house, but that didn't tell her much. She followed Stacy, who entered the house.

"Mommy!" Stacy called.

"In the kitchen!" Faith answered.

"Can you come here?"

"Is something wrong?" Faith asked as she came from the kitchen.

"I'm fine. I brought a visitor."

"Who?"

When Faith saw Joyce, she stopped and just stared at her.

"Mommy?" Stacy asked.

Faith started to hyperventilate, so Stacy ran to her and hugged her.

"It's okay, Mommy, she's not mad."

"It's okay, Faith," Joyce said. "I'm not mad. I know it was probably an accident. When you're ready, I'd really like you to tell me what happened." Faith calmed down a little. "And don't be afraid to come to the gallery," Joyce added with a smile. "I'll go now. Bye, Stacy."

"Bye, Mrs Summers," Stacy said. Joyce left. "Mommy?"

Faith blinked a couple of times, and then looked down at Stacy.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?" Stacy asked, worried.

Faith looked at the door.

"Just… surprised."

"She's not mad, Mommy, and Miss Summers either."

"Yeah," Faith said quietly.

"It'll be okay, Mommy."

Faith looked at her and smiled a little.

"What would I do without you?" she said and ruffled her hair.

Stacy smiled.

"Does that mean you'll go to the gallery with me? They opened a new exhibition and it's really cool."

Faith's smile widened a little.

"Maybe. Just not tomorrow. Maybe the day after. I need to think this over."

"Okay."

Faith kneeled and hugged Stacy.

"I love you so much."

Stacy hugged her back.

"I love you too, Mommy."

Three days later, Faith finally gathered the courage to go to the gallery with Stacy. She kept glancing around, looking out for Joyce, but Joyce was not around, so Faith relaxed and enjoyed Stacy's company.

It wasn't until the next Monday that they first came across Joyce. Joyce understood that she made Faith nervous, so she merely smiled at them when their eyes met, and stayed away.

It took Faith two weeks until she gathered enough courage to face Joyce. She didn't actually want to face her, but she felt the need to apologize. It was eating at her and she hoped that apologizing would make her feel at least a little better, although she doubted it. Finally she saw Joyce go to her office. She took a deep breath.

"Stacy, I'll be right back."

Stacy looked at her.

"Where are you going?"

Faith hesitated for a moment.

"To Mrs Summers' office."

"Oh."

Stacy didn't quite understand, but she didn't ask.

Faith took a deep breath and went to Joyce's office. When she reached it, she hesitated for a moment and then knocked.

"Come!" came Joyce's voice through the door.

Faith gulped and entered.

"Faith," Joyce said with a smile.

Faith nearly ran away, but she took a deep breath instead.

"I… I… I'm… sorry," she stammered, trying to meet Joyce's gaze.

She hesitated for a moment and then quickly left, before Joyce could say something. Outside, she leaned on the wall and took a couple of deep breaths. As she'd suspected, she didn't feel much better. She sighed and went back to Stacy.

In her office, Joyce stared at the door, surprised. She hadn't been really mad at Faith and she didn't think she gave that impression. She understood that the accident was weighing heavy on Faith and she wished she could help her, because Faith didn't strike her as a bad person.

"Mommy?" Stacy asked when Faith returned.

Faith smiled at her.

"I'm okay."

"Okay," Stacy said and took Faith's hand.

Faith smiled at the gesture and gently squeezed Stacy's hand.

During the next couple of weeks, Faith slowly got used to Joyce's presence, but Buffy's still freaked her out a little. She remembered what Joyce had told her, about wanting to understand, and she started to feel the need to explain it to her, she felt she owed her, and Buffy, but it terrified her, she didn't want to remember. The memories were always there and she had nightmares about it. The only time she had told someone about it was after she first met Buffy, to Stacy.

When she finally gathered enough courage, she told Stacy where she was going and then went to Joyce's office. She knocked softly, a part of her hoping that Joyce wouldn't hear.

"Come!" came Joyce's voices and Faith sighed.

She gulped and then entered.

"Uh, hi," she said, nervous.

Joyce smiled.

"Hi. Come."

Faith entered and then closed the door.

"Uh…"

"What can I do for you?" Joyce asked when Faith just stood and looked around nervously.

Faith swallowed.

"I… Uh… I… I mean, uh, you, uh, wanted to know what happened," she said, nervous.

"Yes," Joyce said and leaned back. "Are you ready to tell me?"

Faith nodded.

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?"

Faith nodded again.

"Yeah."

"Why don't you sit on the sofa. Would you like some water?"

Faith shook her head and went to the sofa. She sat down and looked at her hands, trembling.

"I, uh…" She thought for a moment. "My, uh, mother was a junkie and I was a junkie baby. When I was ten, she overdosed. I wanted to drive her to the hospital." She tensed and trembled as she remembered. She started to hyperventilate, but she forced herself to stop. She gulped. "When… When I got out of an alley, I hit someone. My mom had stopped moving and… and I was scared. I… I pushed the pedal…" She shuddered and wiped the tears that started to run down her cheeks. "I heard screaming and the car slowed, but I kept pushing the pedal. It… It rocked a couple of times, like I was going over a… a speed bump." She shuddered again. "When… When I got to the hospital, the doctors took Mom in. They… they tried to revive her, but she was already… dead."

She started to sob, so Joyce went to her and put her arm around her. Faith burst into tears, so Joyce pressed gently to herself and let her cry. Se used the time to think about what Faith had told her.

When Faith calmed down a couple of minutes later. She tensed when she realized that Joyce was hugging her. Joyce let go of her, and Faith wiped her tears.

"Feeling better?" Joyce asked softly.

Faith nodded a little.

"What happened to you afterwards?"

Faith shrugged.

"I was sent to juvie."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Faith swallowed.

"I… I didn't mean to… to kill him."

"I know, honey. You were only ten and your mother was dying. You were scared." She hesitated for a moment. "I forgive you."

Faith looked at her, surprised.

"What?" she asked, wide-eyed.

Joyce smiled softly.

"I forgive you."

"You… You do?"

Joyce nodded.

"Yes. Thank you for telling me."

Faith swallowed.

"Thanks," she croaked, feeling relieved. Tears threatened to spill again. "I… Uh, I should go. Stacy's waiting."

Joyce nodded.

"Okay." They got up. "Would you like me to tell Buffy, or do you want to tell her yourself?"

Faith frowned. She wanted Buffy to know, but she didn't want to relive the ordeal again.

"Would you?"

Joyce smiled.

"Sure."

"Okay." Faith looked away, nervous. "Do… Do you think she'll ever forgive me?"

"Buffy?" Faith nodded. "Probably."

Faith sighed.

"I should go."

"Okay. Thank you."

Faith nodded and quickly left.

"Mommy?" Stacy asked when Faith came back. "Are you okay?"

Faith smiled a little.

"Yeah."

"Did you cry?"

Faith nodded, sighing.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Faith hesitated for a moment.

"I told Mrs Summers what happened… that day."

"Oh."

Stacy took her hand, and Faith smiled.

When Faith and Stacy got to the gallery a couple of days later, Joyce called Buffy, so she could talk to Faith. However, before Buffy arrived, Stacy came to her office.

"Mrs Summers," she said as she burst in.

Joyce smiled at her.

"Hi."

"Mommy's feeling really sick. Can I bring her here so she can lie down?"

"Sure," Joyce said worried.

Stacy hurried away, and Joyce followed her.

When they got to Faith, Stacy gently coaxed her to get up. Joyce stepped closer and supported Faith, who was clutching at her stomach, obviously in pain.

They slowly walked to Joyce's office, where Joyce helped Faith lie down on the sofa. Faith immediately balled up in the fetal position, not even noticing the tears that were streaking down her cheeks.

"I'll call an ambulance," Joyce said and went to the phone.

"No!" Stacy said as she sat beside Faith.

Joyce looked at her, startled.

"But she's sick."

"She'll be okay. It's just withdrawal," Stacy said and caressed Faith.

"Oh. Are you sure?"

Stacy nodded.

"Uh-huh."

"Is she often like that?"

"Not this bad."

"But she's been this bad before?"

Stacy nodded.

"Uh-huh. Twice. She'll pass out soon."

"Oh."

Then Buffy came in.

"Hi, Mom. Where…" She trailed off when she saw Faith lying on the sofa, trembling. "Is she okay?"

"Withdrawal," Joyce said.

"Oh. Have you called an ambulance?"

"No. Stacy says she'll be okay."

"Oh." Buffy stared at Faith for a few moments and then looked at Stacy, who was gently caressing Faith. She went to her and kneeled beside her. "You okay?"

Stacy looked at her.

"Uh-huh," she said, nodding, but Buffy could see that she was scared.

"Does this happen often?"

Stacy shook her head.

"Uh-uh. She often just shakes and sometimes cries. She's only been this bad twice before."

"Oh." Buffy hesitated for a moment and then caressed Stacy. "She'll be okay."

Stacy looked at her and smiled a little.

Faith finally stopped trembling as she passed out. Buffy checked her pulse, just in case, and was relieved that it was strong and steady.

"She's okay," she said. She looked at Stacy. "How long will she be out?"

Stacy shrugged.

"An hour or two."

"Are you going to stay here?" Joyce asked.

Stacy nodded.

"Uh-huh." She frowned. "Can I?"

Joyce smiled.

"Sure." She thought for a moment. "Do you want something to read? I have some art books here."

Stacy's eyes went wide.

"Really? Yes."

During the next hour and a half, Stacy leafed through various art books, and Joyce answered her questions. Buffy quietly watched them, as well as Faith. She'd gotten worried when Faith had a nightmare, but Stacy had insisted to let Faith sleep and rest. Listening to Faith cry in her sleep erased whatever resentment she might have harbored towards Faith. Seeing her like that made her realize that Faith was as much a victim as she was. But there was something different, she had her mother to help her through the pain, Faith had no one. Not to mention that Faith had been a junkie. That she had managed to overcome her addiction and take care of Stacy showed just how much Faith loved the girl. And Stacy loved her too, there was no doubt about that. Her heart went out to both of them, to Faith, who had to deal with her addiction, as well as raising a child, and to Stacy, who had to deal with her mother's pain. She wished there was some way she could help them. She'd gotten to know Stacy, but Faith was still very much surrounded by walls of distrust, and she had no idea how to get past them.

Finally, Faith moaned.

"Mommy?" Stacy said.

"Mmm?" Faith moaned.

Stacy gave the book to Joyce, and then rant to the sofa.

"Mommy?"

Faith slowly opened her eyes. She was confused for a couple of moments, but the she remembered what had happened, and her eyes went wide.

"Stacy?"

"I'm okay, Mommy," Stacy said.

Faith sat up and looked around, nervous. She blushed a little when she saw Buffy and Joyce.

"Uh…"

"Are you okay, Mommy?" Stacy asked, worried.

Faith looked at her and smiled a little.

"Yeah." She frowned. "How long was I out?"

Stacy glanced at the clock.

"About an hour and a half."

"Oh."

"How do you feel?" Stacy asked when Faith took a deep breath.

Faith shrugged a little.

"Okay."

"Are you thirsty?" Buffy asked.

Faith looked at her.

"Uh, yeah."

"I'll get you some water," Buffy said and left.

Faith stared at the door for a couple of moments and then looked at Joyce.

"Uh, thanks for letting me, uh, crash here. And, uh, watching over Stacy."

Joyce smiled.

"You're welcome."

"She showed me some really cool books on art," Stacy said.

Faith smiled at her.

"So, you weren't bored."

Stacy shook her head.

"Uh-uh."

"You can borrow them, if you'd like," Joyce said.

Stacy looked at her, wide-eyed.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Stacy looked at Faith.

"Can I, Mommy?"

Faith glanced at Joyce, a bit uncertain.

"Uh, sure."

Stacy beamed.

"Cool!"

"I'll give you one at a time and when you read it, you bring it back and I'll give you another," Joyce said.

"Okay," Stacy agreed. "Can I take that one first?" she asked and pointed at the book Joyce was holding.

Joyce smiled.

"Sure."

Then Buffy returned with two cups of water.

"Here you go," she said.

"Uh, thanks," Faith said as she took the cups from her.

Faith quickly drank one and then took a couple of slow sips from the second.

"Feeling better?" Joyce asked her.

Faith nodded.

"Yeah." She hesitated for a few moments and then looked at Buffy. "I… I'm sorry," she said, forcing herself to look into Buffy's eyes for a few moments before she looked away again, ashamed.

Buffy stared at her for a few moments. She considered what to say, but there was really only one thing that mattered.

"I forgive you."

Faith looked at her, surprised.

"What?"

Buffy smiled a little.

"Mom told me what you told her. I understand now." She sighed. "I used to be so angry, but not anymore. I think… I think understanding gave me… peace." She hesitated for a moment. "I hope you find your peace too."

They stared at one another for a few moments and then Faith looked at her hands, trying not to cry. She swallowed hard and quickly took a long, slow sip to hide what a wreck she was.

Stacy noticed that Faith was upset.

"Can we go home now, Mommy?" she asked.

Faith looked at her.

"Sure."

She took a deep breath and got up.

Stacy went to Joyce.

"Here you go," Joyce said and gave her the book.

"Thank you," Stacy said with a little smile. She returned to Faith. "Mommy?"

Faith got up, and Stacy took her hand. They went to the door, but there Faith stopped. She looked at Buffy, nervous.

"Thank you," she said.

Buffy smiled.

"You're welcome."

Faith looked away, and then she and Stacy left.

"That was very nice of you, honey," Joyce then said.

Buffy looked at her.

"I meant it." She thought for a moment. "Seeing her like that… She's as much a victim as I am, but I had you, she had no one."

Joyce smiled.

"Yes." She looked at the door. "I hope she finds her peace."

"Me too."

A week later, Buffy found Stacy in the library again during her free period. Only this time she wasn't studying or reading, she was looking at a newspaper. She went closer, curious.

"Hi," she said.

Stacy looked at her and smiled a little.

"Hi."

Buffy looked at the newspaper.

"Ads?"

Stacy nodded.

"Uh-huh."

"What are you looking for?"

"A tutor for Mommy."

"Tutor?"

Stacy nodded.

"Uh-huh. For GED. I can't help her anymore." She looked at the ads. "But we can't afford anyone expensive."

Buffy thought for a moment.

"I can ask my friend Willow, she loves to help."

"How much does she charge?"

Buffy frowned.

"I don't know. But I'm sure she's not expensive."

Stacy thought about it.

"Okay. I'll ask Mommy."

Buffy smiled a little.

"Okay."

"But I want to talk to her first."

"I'll tell her."

"Okay."

Stacy put away the newspaper, and Buffy noticed drawings.

"What are you drawing?"

"For Mommy's birthday."

"Birthday?"

"Uh-huh," Stacy said, nodding.

"When is it?"

"Next Monday."

"Hi, Mommy," Stacy said when Faith came home.

Faith smiled.

"Hi."

Stacy slid off the sofa.

"Mommy, I talked to Miss Summers today and she said she can ask her friend Willow to tutor you."

Faith frowned.

"Tutor?"

Stacy nodded.

"Uh-huh. I can't help you anymore."

Faith smiled a little and ruffled her hair.

"I don't need a tutor."

"You do. You know you have trouble concentrating."

"We can't afford one."

"Miss Summers said she's cheap."

Faith sighed.

"Stacy…"

"You need one, Mommy. You know you do."

Faith stared at Stacy for a few moments. She really didn't feel comfortable with any strange people helping her, especially any friends of Buffy. Still, she knew she needed help, and the cheaper the better. She sighed again.

"Okay."

Stacy smiled.

"I'll tell her tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Can I sleepover at Sammy's tomorrow? It's Friday."

Faith smiled.

"Sure."

"Really?" Willow said, surprised, when Buffy told her about Faith needing a tutor. She thought for a moment. "Sure, I can do it. I think. I'd have to go through her plan and see where she is."

"Okay."

"And if I can't do it, I'm sure Tara could."

"And how much would it cost? They're not exactly very well off."

"Don't worry about it."

"Stacy says she wants to talk to you first."

"Sure, no problem."

"Okay. I'll talk to her tomorrow, see if Faith even agrees with it."

"Okay."

"I'll call you."

The next day, after Buffy found out that Faith had accepted her proposal, she called Willow and told her when Stacy had a free period.

"Hi, Stacy," Buffy said as she and Willow came to the library, where Stacy was reading.

Stacy looked up and smiled.

"Hi, Miss Summers."

"Stacy, this is my friend Willow. Willow, this is Stacy," Buffy introduced them.

"Hi," Willow said with a smile.

"Hi," Stacy said.

Buffy smiled.

"I'll leave you two alone," she said. "I'll be in my office, Willow."

Willow glanced at her.

"Okay." Buffy left, and Willow looked back at Stacy. "So, your Mommy needs help?"

Stacy nodded.

"Uh-huh. I've helped her so far, but it's getting too complicated for me."

Willow smiled. She looked at the book Stacy was reading.

"Isn't that a little over your head?"

Stacy glanced at the book.

"A little. But it's interesting."

"You like learning?"

Stacy smiled and nodded.

"Uh-huh."

"Me too. In fact, I'm a professor at the university."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Cool."

Willow smiled again.

"So, your mommy is studying for the GED?"

Stacy nodded.

"Uh-huh." She hesitated for a moment. "She has trouble concentrating."

"I see."

"And sometimes it takes her a while to understand stuff. But she's not stupid."

Willow smiled.

"That's good to know. I'll make sure I make it easy and interesting for her."

Stacy smiled.

"Okay."

"When do you want me to come?"

Stacy thought for a moment.

"Can you come this afternoon?"

"Sure. When?"

"Uh, four?"

"Okay."

"Oh, um, how much do you charge?"

Willow smiled again.

"Tell you what, today is gonna be free of charge. I'll see where your mom is and what she needs to learn and we'll make a plan. I won't charge much, I like helping people."

"Okay."

"Good. I'll see you in the afternoon then."

"Okay."

"How did it go?" Buffy asked when Willow came to her office.

"Okay," Willow said, smiling. "She's a nice kid. Smart too."

Buffy smiled.

"Yes."

"She just gave me some tips regarding her mother."

"Oh."

"I'll go over this afternoon, see where Faith stands."

"Okay."

As four o'clock approached, Faith became more and more nervous. Stacy had told her that Willow was a nice person, but that didn't help much. When the bell rang, Faith nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Are you gonna get it, Mommy?" Stacy asked.

Faith looked at her and sighed.

"Yeah."

She got up and went to the door.

Stacy followed her.

"Hi," Willow said with a smile when Faith opened the door.

"Hi," Faith said.

"I'm Willow, Buffy's friend."

"Oh."

"Hi, Stacy," Willow said when she noticed Stacy.

"Hi," Stacy said.

"Uh, come on in," Faith said.

Willow entered, and Faith closed the door.

"I'll go get ready for the sleepover, Mommy," Stacy said.

Faith looked at her, startled.

"Uh, okay."

Stacy flashed them both a smile and then went to her room.

Faith looked at Willow.

"Uh, this way," she said and led the way to the kitchen.

Willow followed her, looking around the apartment curiously.

"Would you, uh, like anything to drink?" Faith asked, nervous, when they got to the kitchen.

"Oh, no, thank you," Willow said.

"Oh." Faith hesitated for a moment and then pointed at her books. "Uh, these are my books," she said nervously, worried that Willow would mock her.

"Okay, let's see what you got," Willow said and sat down. "I did some research myself, so if anything's missing, we'll figure it out."

"Okay."

"How did it go, Mommy?" Stacy asked after Willow left.

Faith smiled a little.

"Okay. She's nice."

Stacy smiled back.

"Uh-huh. She's a professor at the university."

"I know, she told me."

"Oh. How much does she charge?"

"Nothing."

"Really?" Stacy said, surprised.

"Yeah. She said it's been a while since she really tutored anyone and that she was doing a favor to Buffy."

"Oh. Okay. Cool."

"Hey, Buffy," Willow said as she and her partner Tara came to the Bronze.

Buffy smiled at them.

"Hey. How was it?"

Willow and Tara sat down.

"Okay," Willow said. "She's very shy and nervous. And she has trouble concentrating. She's a bit of a challenge, but I like challenges," she said with a smile. "She's very nice, I like her."

"How much did you charge her?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Buffy said, surprised.

"Yes. I looked around the apartment while I was there and I could see it in Faith's eyes that she was worried about it. And I do want to help her, so I'll do it for free."

Buffy smiled.

"Thanks."

"No problem." She looked at Tara as a new song started. "Wanna dance?"

Tara smiled.

"Sure."

They got up, and Willow looked at Buffy.

"Could you get us something to drink? The usual?"

"Sure," Buffy said.

When Faith came home on Monday, Stacy ran to her.

"Happy birthday, Mommy!" she called and hugged her.

Faith smiled and caressed her.

"Thank you, honey."

When Stacy let go of her, Faith kneeled and hugged her.

"I drew a picture for you, Mommy," Stacy then said.

Faith let go of her and took the picture Stacy was holding.

"Thank you," she said. She looked at the picture. "Wow, this is really cool," she said. "You sure improved."

Stacy beamed.

"You like it?"

Faith smiled at her.

"You bet."

"I learned a lot from the books Mrs Summers gave me."

Faith caressed her.

"Tell you what. Next time we go to the gallery, we'll go out and get us a couple of cakes and ice cream, what do you say?"

"Okay," Stacy said, excited.

"Have you thought about where I could hang this?"

Stacy shook her head.

"Uh-uh."

"How about somewhere in the living room?"

"Okay."

For Christmas there was a play at school and afterwards there was a party. As Stacy's mother, Faith had to attend. She didn't know any of the other parents since she'd only seen them around a couple of times and never spoken to any. She stood by herself while Stacy mingled with her friends, waiting for the play to start.

When they were finally let in, Stacy sat with Faith. They quietly watched the play. Faith didn't think much of it, but then it was a play for children and Stacy seemed to like it, so she didn't comment.

When it was over, Buffy came on stage with the children, and Faith realized that Buffy was involved in the production.

Then it was party time. They moved to another hall, where there were drinks and some snacks. As the children ran around, dancing a little, the parents stood in groups and talked. Since Faith didn't know anyone, she stood by herself, nursing a glass of water, and watched Stacy play.

"She's a happy kid," Buffy said, startling her.

Faith looked at her.

"Yeah," she said, slightly nervous. She hesitated for a moment. "Nice play."

Buffy smiled.

"Thanks."

"Did you direct it?"

"No, Mrs Benson did, I just helped."

"Oh."

Buffy looked around.

"So, how do you like the party?"

Faith shrugged.

"It's okay."

"Not really your type, huh?"

"I don't go to parties."

"Oh." Buffy hesitated for a moment. "Want me to introduce you to some of the parents?"

Faith tensed.

"Uh…"

"It would be nice if you knew them. For when Stacy wants to sleep over at someone's or she wants someone to sleepover at yours."

Faith thought about it. She was nervous about meeting new people, but she had to admit that Buffy had a point.

"Okay."

Buffy smiled.

"Come."

At the beginning of February, Faith started feeling sick. She thought it was just the withdrawal, but the next day at work, she passed out.

"Come!" Buffy called when there was a knock on the door.

The door opened and the Principal came in.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"I just got a call that Stacy Winters' mother is in the hospital."

"Faith?" Buffy said, surprised and worried.

"Yes."

"Is she okay?"

"I don't know. Apparently it might be appendicitis."

"Oh."

"Will you tell Stacy?"

"Yes." Buffy glanced at the clock. "I'll wait till her classes end."

"Okay."

"You wanted to see me?" Stacy asked when she entered Buffy's office.

Buffy smiled at her.

"Yes. I have some bad news. Your mother is in the hospital."

Stacy's eyes went wide.

"Really?"

"Yes. Apparently she has appendicitis."

"What's that?"

"Her appendix burst."

"Is that bad?"

"It can be."

"Can I go now? I wanna go see her."

"Sure. Want a ride?"

"To the hospital?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

When they got to the hospital, Buffy quickly found out where Faith was. When they got to her room, Stacy ran to the bed, wide-eyed.

"Is she okay?" she asked, worried, when she saw all the tubes.

"I think so," Buffy said.

"She looks so… weak."

"Yes."

Stacy looked at Buffy.

"When will she wake up?"

"I don't know."

Stacy looked back at Faith.

"Is she in pain?"

"Probably not."

Then a doctor entered.

"Hello," she said.

Buffy and Stacy looked at her.

"Hi," Buffy said.

"Are you her family?"

"Yes."

"Is she gonna be okay?" Stacy asked.

The doctor smiled at her.

"Yes." She looked at Buffy. "She had appendicitis. We had to operate to clean her up, but she's gonna be okay."

"When is she gonna wake up?" Stacy asked.

"Hopefully, tomorrow."

"How long does she have to stay here?"

"At least a day or two. And after that, she needs to rest for at least a weak."

"Oh." Stacy looked at the tubes. "What are these tubes for?"

The doctor smiled.

"Some feed her, some give her drugs."

Stacy's eyes went wide.

"Drugs?"

"Yes."

"You have to take them out," Stacy said, worried.

"Why?"

"She doesn't takes drugs."

"That's good," the doctor said with a smile.

"But she was a… a… a junky baby."

"Oh."

"She gets… withdrawal jitters. Sometimes they get so bad that she passes out," Buffy explained.

"Did she take drugs?" the doctor asked, her face serious.

Stacy nodded.

"Uh-huh. She stopped three years ago."

"I see." She smiled a little. "Don't worry, she won't get addicted. These drugs are there to help her heal."

"Oh."

"But thank you for telling me, it's good to know."

"Okay."

The doctor looked at Buffy.

"Um, there's a matter of her insurance."

Buffy nodded.

"I'll take care of it. Can we do it right now?"

"Sure."

"Okay. Hold on." Buffy looked at Stacy. "Are you hungry?"

Stacy frowned.

"A little."

Buffy took her wallet out of her purse.

"Here," she said and gave Stacy some change. "Get something from the vending machine. After that, we can go to my mom and she'll make us dinner."

"Okay."

Buffy looked at the doctor.

"Let's go."

"Hey," Buffy said with a smile when she got back. "I wasn't too long, was I?"

Stacy shook her head.

"Uh-uh."

"Good. Wanna go now?"

"Can't I stay longer?"

"You can, but she's not gonna wake up today. At least at home, you can draw some pictures for her and we can hang them up tomorrow, if she doesn't wake up yet."

Stacy's face brightened.

"Okay."

"Come."

"Wait! I need to leave her a note. She'll be worried when she wakes up."

Buffy reached into her purse and pulled out a post-it note block and a pen.

"Here," she said and gave them to Stacy. "Tell her that you're okay and that I'm taking care of you."

"Okay."

"And that the bills have been taken care of her."

"Bills?"

"Medical bills."

"Oh. Okay." Stacy quickly wrote down the message. Then she pulled the top post-it note off. "Where do I put it?"

Buffy thought for a moment and then smiled a little.

"On her forehead."

Stacy looked at Faith, frowning.

"Forehead?"

"Yes. She'll be worried when she first wakes up, so it's important that she sees the message as soon as possible. She won't be able to miss it, if it's right in front of her eyes."

"Oh." Stacy smiled. "Okay," she said and stuck the note to Faith's forehead.

"Good," Buffy said. "Come."

Stacy went to Buffy.

"We're gonna come back tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

Buffy thought for a moment.

"Do you want to stay over at my house or do you want me to come over? Or do you want to stay by yourself?"

Stacy thought about it. She'd never been to Buffy's house, so she was a little nervous about it, plus all her stuff was at home. She didn't really feel like staying alone and she really liked Buffy, so the decision wasn't hard.

"Can you come over?"

Buffy smiled.

"Sure. First, we'll go to my mom. She already knows we're coming and she's making dinner. You can do your homework there. I'll pack my stuff and we'll go to your house after dinner."

"Okay," Stacy agreed.

"Mom!" Buffy called when they got to her house.

"In the kitchen!" Joyce called.

"Hi," Dawn said with a smile as she came.

"Hi," Stacy said, a little nervous.

"Stacy, this is Dawn, my little sister. Dawn, this is Stacy."

"So, you're Stacy," Dawn said. "I heard a lot about you."

"Really?" Stacy said, surprised.

"Hello," Joyce said with a smile as she came from the kitchen.

"Hi, Mom," Buffy said.

"Hello, Stacy," Joyce said.

"Hi," Stacy said and smiled.

"How is your mother?"

"Okay. The doctor said she'll wake up tomorrow."

"That's good."

"Uh-huh."

"Well, why don't you get comfortable. Dinner will be in half an hour or so."

"Okay."

"Wanna watch cartoons?" Dawn asked.

"I can't," Stacy said. "I got homework."

"Oh. Well, come, let's go to the living room, you can do it there."

Stacy looked at Buffy.

"Go," Buffy said and smiled.

"Okay," Stacy said and followed Dawn.

"Is Faith going to be okay?" Joyce asked when she and Buffy were alone.

"I think so. I had to take care of her insurance."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm going to stay over at her house with Stacy until Faith comes home. Maybe longer, depending on how Faith feels."

Joyce studied her for a couple of moments.

"You're very involved."

Buffy blushed a little.

"Yes, I know." She thought for a moment. "Honestly, I don't think I'd be doing this for anyone else. I mean, I would do it for my friends, but Faith is not exactly a friend and we don't really know one another all that well." She sighed. "I don't know."

Joyce smiled.

"You like her."

Buffy blushed again.

"Yes." She took a deep breath. "I'll go pack."

"Okay."

After dinner, Buffy and Stacy went to Stacy's house. Buffy noticed that it wasn't a big house, it only had one floor. Still, she wondered how Faith could afford it. From what the detective had learned about her, Faith was a junkie and a prostitute, so it wasn't likely that she had the money to buy or even just rent a whole house. She wanted to ask Stacy about it, but she decided against it, guessing that Faith would be upset about it.

As they entered, Buffy noticed the drawings on the walls.

"You made these?" she asked.

Stacy looked and smiled.

"Uh-huh," she said, nodding. "We don't have any photos, except the four from a photo machine at the mall, so Mommy put my pictures on the walls."

Buffy smiled.

"Nice."

"We only have two rooms, so you'll have to sleep in Mommy's room."

"Okay."

"Come." Stacy led the way to Faith's room. "Here."

Buffy entered and looked around. It was a simple room, but there were Stacy's drawings everywhere.

"Nice," she said as she put her bag down.

"Mine is next door."

Buffy looked at her.

"Why don't you show me where everything is, okay?"

"Okay."

"And we can start with your room."

"Come."

They went to Stacy's room.

Buffy noticed that it was as simple as Faith's. There's were a couple of Stacy's drawings, but not as many as in Faith's room. And it was tidy, which surprised Buffy, because she remembered that hers and Dawn's rooms were never this tidy. Then she realized that Stacy probably didn't have all that many toys.

"Nice," she said with a smile.

"I'm going to bed," Stacy said in the evening.

Buffy was surprised that Stacy had decided to go to bed on her own. She remembered that her mother always had to tell her and Dawn several times before they listened.

"Okay."

Stacy went to her room, and Buffy followed her.

When Stacy lay down and covered herself, Buffy sat on the edge of the bed.

"Who's that?" she asked as Stacy hugged a stuffed doll.

"Miss Sunshine."

Stacy smiled.

"Nice name. Your mommy made it?"

Stacy shook her head.

"She found it and fixed it."

"Oh. I have a stuffed pig named Mr Gordo."

"Really?"

"Yes. He keeps me company when I'm sad," Buffy admitted. Stacy smiled a little. "You okay?" when Stacy hugged Miss Sunshine tighter.

Stacy hesitated for a moment.

"I'm scared."

Buffy caressed her.

"Don't worry, she'll be okay."

Stacy nodded.

"Will we go see her after school?"

"Sure. Come to my office when your classes are over."

"Okay."

Stacy yawned.

"Good night, sweetie."

"Night."

When Faith woke up the next day, she was disoriented at first. She felt pain and at first, she thought it was withdrawal, but then she remembered passing out. She had no idea how long she was out. She opened her eyes and noticed she was in a strange room. She also noticed the post-it note. She took it off her forehead and looked around. When she saw she was in a hospital, she got worried. She looked at the note and was relieved when she saw that Stacy was okay. She was a little uncertain about the fact that it was Buffy who was taking care of her, but also relieved, because she believed that Buffy was a good person.

She wanted to get up and go home, but she felt weak. She was nervous about the bills, even though Stacy had written that they were taken care of. Still, she decided to rest and ask a doctor about it.

"Mommy!" Stacy called, excited and relieved, when she and Buffy came to visit in the afternoon, and she saw that Faith was awake. She ran to the bed and hugged her.

"Hey," Faith said, relieved.

"How do you feel?" Stacy asked.

"Weak. The doctor said I'll be okay." She looked at Buffy. "Uh, hi."

Buffy smiled.

"Hi."

"I drew you some pictures," Stacy said and looked at Buffy. Buffy took her bag. She took out the pictures and gave them to Stacy. "Look."

Faith took the pictures and looked then through.

"You're getting better," she said with a smile. "Thank you."

Stacy beamed.

"When are you coming home?"

Faith sighed.

"The doctor said I have to stay here for a day or two."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of Stacy," Buffy said with a smile.

Faith looked at her, a little nervous.

"Thanks." She hesitated for a moment. "Uh, about the insurance…"

"Don't worry, it's been taken care of."

"I know. I mean…"

"We'll talk about it when you get home."

Faith sighed.

"Okay."

Buffy hesitated for a moment.

"Uh, do you want me to give you some time alone?" she offered.

Faith glanced at Stacy and then shook her head.

"No, it's okay."

"Okay."

When Faith was finally released two days later, Buffy drove her home. At home, Buffy helped Faith to the sofa. Faith leaned back and closed her eyes.

"Mommy?" Stacy asked, worried.

Faith opened her eyes and smiled at her.

"I'm okay." She sighed. "I need a shower."

"Do you need help?" Buffy offered and quickly blushed.

Faith looked at her, startled.

"Uh…"

"I mean, I can do your back," Buffy quickly said. "And I can wait outside, in case you need help."

Faith thought about it. On one hand, the thought of Buffy seeing her naked made her nervous, but on the other hand, her side still hurt and she didn't think she could do her back on her own.

"Okay," she agreed.

"Wait here, I'll go see how the water is."

Buffy went to the bathroom, and Stacy sat on the sofa.

"Does it still hurt?" she asked.

Faith looked at her.

"A little," she said, and Stacy smiled. "Was everything okay while I was gone?"

Stacy nodded.

"Uh-huh. Miss Summers was really nice."

Faith smiled a little.

"Good," she said and put her arm around Stacy, who leaned on her.

"I was really scared," Stacy admitted quietly.

Faith sighed.

"Me too."

When Buffy returned from the bathroom and saw them quietly sitting, she considered leaving them alone for a few minutes, but she decided against it, she wanted Faith to get into something comfortable.

She dragged her feet, so that Faith and Stacy heard her.

"Okay, the water's okay," she said when she saw that they noticed her. "I got everything ready."

Faith tried to get up, but was in pain. Buffy quietly offered her hand. Faith stared at it for a moment, and then took it. Buffy helped her up and then walked her to the bathroom.

"Stacy, why don't you get your mom some comfortable clothes," she told Stacy, who followed them.

"Okay," Stacy said, glad that she could do something.

"I think I have a dress somewhere, see if you can find it."

"Okay," Stacy said and ran off.

"Dress?" Faith said with distaste.

Buffy looked at her.

"Yes. You don't want the waist of your pants rub all over your wound, do you?"

Faith thought about it. She hated dresses, but Buffy had a point. She sighed.

"Okay."

Buffy smiled a little.

They entered the bathroom.

"Can you undress by yourself?" Buffy asked.

Faith looked at her shirt.

"Help me take off the shirt."

"Okay."

Buffy helped Faith take off the shirt.

Faith covered her breasts with it, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

"Thanks," she said.

Buffy smiled.

"Just leave your clothes on the door, I'll take care of them later."

"Uh, okay."

"I'll wait outside. If you need anything, let me know."

Faith nodded.

"Thanks."

Buffy left.

Faith stared at the door for a couple of moments, feeling strange that someone was helping her. She sighed and dropped the shirt.

"I can't find the dress, Miss Summers," Stacy told Buffy, when Buffy entered the room.

"It's a summer dress. It should be near the t-shirts."

Stacy looked.

"Oh. I thought it was a shirt."

Buffy smiled.

"Put this back and then go to the living room and make sure that your mom will be sitting comfortably. Find her something she can put her feet on."

"The little table?"

Buffy thought about it.

"Okay, but find something soft or the edges are going to hurt her feet."

"Okay."

When Faith was done in the shower, she dried herself as best as she could. Her hair was still wet and she couldn't really dry it all that well. She hesitated for a moment and wrapped herself in the towel and went to the door.

"Uh, Buffy," she said when she saw Buffy leaning on the wall.

Buffy smiled at her.

"You done?"

"I need help with drying my hair."

"Sure."

Buffy went in. She fetched another towel and started drying Faith's hair.

"Okay, done," she said a minute later.

"Thanks," Faith said.

"The clothes are in your room." Buffy thought for a moment. "You might need help putting the dress on."

"Oh."

"You go ahead, I'll start cleaning up here."

Faith stared at her for a moment and then left.

When Buffy got to Faith's room, Faith had her panties on and was trying to figure out how to put on the dress.

"Need help?" she asked.

Faith looked at her, holding the dress in front of her, obviously shy. Buffy found it strange that a prostitute would be so shy.

"Yes," Faith said.

She gave the dress to Buffy and covered her breasts. Buffy quickly pulled the dress together and then helped Faith put it on.

"There you go."

"Thanks."

Buffy gave her a once over.

"You look pretty in a dress," she said, blushing a little.

Faith blushed as well. She looked at herself, but she couldn't really tell. She felt awkward.

"Come, let's go to the living room," Buffy said and went to the door.

Faith followed her.

"You look pretty, Mommy," Stacy said when they got to the living room.

Buffy smiled, and Faith blushed.

"Sit on the sofa," Buffy said.

"I got you a pillow, so you can put your feet on something soft," Stacy said as Faith sat down.

Faith smiled a little.

"Thanks."

She leaned back and rested.

Stacy sat beside her and leaned on her.

Buffy hesitated for a few moments, thinking. A part of her wanted to stay. Not just because Faith would need help around the house, but because she liked Faith and Stacy. She was a little nervous about it, because she wasn't sure if she was falling in love or what. She didn't think she was gay, but, she realized, she also wasn't averse to being with Faith.

"So, um, do you want me to stay?" she asked.

Faith looked at her, startled.

"Uh-huh," Stacy nodded enthusiastically just as Faith was about to say no.

"Faith?" Buffy asked Faith, nervous a little.

Faith sighed. She liked Buffy, but Buffy also made her nervous. Not only because she reminded her of the accident, but because she liked her. And that scared her. Caring about Stacy was stressful enough. She didn't regret it, but it did scare her, because she was terrified of losing Stacy. She didn't want to fall in love.

"I don't know," se said.

"Please, Mommy," Stacy said. "Doctor said you need to rest, and Miss Summers can help you."

"She's right," Buffy agreed.

Faith knew they were right. Still, she hated relying on someone else. Then again, she remembered the pain the mere act of showering and dressing caused her. She knew that she wouldn't be able to go to work anytime soon, nor would she be able to do any work around the house or cook. Or go shopping. She sighed.

"Okay," she agreed, hoping Buffy won't charge her too much.

Stacy smiled.

"Cool!"

Buffy smiled as well.

"Stacy, you make sure your mom rests, I'll go shopping."

"Okay."

In the afternoon, Faith sat on the sofa, staring at the TV, remembering the lunch. It was almost as though Buffy was a part of their family. A part of her liked the idea, but the rest of her was scared.

Then Buffy joined her.

"How do you feel?" she asked. "Still in pain?"

Faith shrugged.

"It's manageable."

"Good. You sure you don't want the painkillers?"

Faith shook her head vehemently.

"No."

"Okay."

Faith hesitated for a moment, realizing that it was time to find out how much Buffy's help would cost her. Buffy, however, was quicker.

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

Faith frowned.

"Uh, okay."

Buffy thought for a moment.

"Um, when I was looking for you, I hired a private detective to find you," she said. Faith tensed. "Anyway, he never mentioned that you were married or that you had a child," Buffy continued. "So, uh, I guess I'm curious about that. Plus, I mean, you're a little young to have a daughter Stacy's age."

Faith looked at her hands, wondering what to tell Buffy. She didn't know how much Buffy had found out about her. She didn't want to lie to her, but she also didn't want to tell her everything.

"I adopted her," she admitted.

Buffy frowned.

"Really? And they let you?"

Faith frowned.

"Who?"

"The social services. I mean, with your past, I don't think they'd let you adopt a child."

Faith tensed.

"Oh."

"Don't get me wrong, you can be proud of what you've achieved, but when we first met, you were, well, a… a wreck. Now you have a house, a decent job and a daughter who adores you. And you're not a junkie anymore. That's one hell of an achievement."

"Oh," Faith said, feeling strange that someone thought she could be proud of herself. She sighed. "The social services had nothing to do with it."

"Really? How did you get her then?"

Faith thought for a few moments, remembering.

"She lived in the same building as me. I mean. I didn't really live there, but there was a trashed apartment that the owner of the building never fixed, and I often crashed there for the night. I don't know when Stacy's parents moved there, but I first met her when she was three. She spent most of her time out on the hallway, playing with her doll, or she was in that apartment. We spent a lot of time together and I sometimes brought her food and stuff, and I guess she got attached to me."

Buffy smiled.

"And you to her."

Faith blushed a little, nervous.

"Yeah. Anyway, I managed to get myself a decent job, so when someone died, I rented his apartment. I knew it wouldn't be for long, but I guess I didn't want Stacy to live in the trashed apartment. We were lucky though, because the owner left the dead man's stuff there. I pawned what we couldn't use or didn't need and we got some decent cash. We also found some cash in one of the chairs, so we were lucky. When I went out, I left the key in a hole in the wall, so Stacy could get in, if she didn't want to stay at home." She thought for a moment. "Anyway, one day, after we met, Stacy told me that her mom threw her out."

Buffy's eyes went wide.

"She did? Why?"

"Stacy's parents were real bastards. Her dad was dealing drugs and I think he abused her."

"Really?"

"Yes. That's why she spent so much time away from home."

"Oh."

"Anyway, I didn't want the social services to take her away, so I decided to adopt her."

"Just like that?"

"Yeah," Faith said, a bit nervous. "I told her mom I wanted to adopt Stacy and she said okay. Her dad was pissed, but he was a bit afraid of her mom."

"Well, she is better off with you. But how did you adopt her? I mean, didn't you have to go through social services?"

"No, they had their lawyer take care of it."

"Oh." Buffy thought for a moment. "How come you came here?"

Faith thought for a moment. She didn't want to tell Buffy that they were in the witness protection program, but she didn't want to outright lie to her either.

"I wanted Stacy to grow up in a less dangerous place. We ended here by chance," she said.

"Lucky chance," Buffy said with a smile.

"Yeah."

Then Stacy came from her room and went to the kitchen.

"Having fun?" Faith asked her as she came back with a bottle of juice and a pair of glasses.

"Uh-huh," Stacy said with a smile and continued to her room.

Faith sighed, hesitating. She wanted to get the subject of payment cleared fast. She thought for a moment, searching for the right words.

"Um, how… how much do you want for your, uh, help?" she asked, nervous.

Buffy frowned.

"Want? Want what?"

"Money."

Buffy blinked.

"Money?"

"Yeah," Faith said, now feeling even more nervous.

Buffy finally understood that Faith wanted to pay her for her help.

"Oh! No, nothing."

Faith frowned.

"Everybody wants something."

"You didn't want anything from Stacy, did you?"

"Uh, no."

Buffy smiled.

"See?"

Faith thought for a moment, confused.

"Then why are you helping me?"

Buffy thought for a moment.

"Probably for the same reason that you helped Stacy."

Faith blinked, startled. She cared about Stacy, that's why she took her in. She frowned. Did Buffy care about her?

"Look," Buffy continued, "it's okay. I forgave you, remember? I like you and I want to help you. We can be friends. If you want."

Faith stared at her. The closest thing she'd ever had to a friend was Detective Pierce. And of course Willow and Tara. She wasn't quite sure what Joyce was.

"Uh, okay," she said, and Buffy smiled.

"Great." She hesitated for a moment. "You know, I really admire you."

Faith looked at her, wide-eyed.

"You do?" she said, surprised.

Buffy nodded.

"Yes."

"But… I'm nothing special. A loser…"

"You're not a loser, Faith. Yes, you had a bad childhood, you were a junkie and you were a prostitute, not to mention that you were haunted by the accident," Buffy said, "but look at you now. You got your own house, you have a wonderful daughter who loves you, you got a job and you're studying for the GED. Sure, you're struggling, but you've come a long way and you can be damn proud of yourself." She waved her hand. "I know you probably don't have much money, but look at Stacy."

"What about her?" Faith said with a frown.

"She's happy. I don't know what she was like before, but I'm guessing she wasn't like this, was she?"

Faith shook her head.

"No."

"What was she like?" Buffy asked, curious.

Faith thought for a moment.

"Quiet." She hesitated for a moment. "Sometime she sat next to me and I didn't even notice her." She thought for a moment. "She was scared."

"And now she's not. See? She opened up because you were there for her, because she trusts you. I know you're worried about making a mistake, but trust me, every parent makes mistakes. But if parents are judged by their kids, you're one hell of a mother. And trust me, I've met a lot of kids. Stacy is very mature for her age."

Faith sighed.

"She shouldn't be."

"Perhaps. I know she's experienced more bad stuff than the rest of her friends, but that doesn't stop her from being happy. And a little maturity is not bad." She smiled a little. "I'm pretty sure Mom wouldn't have minded if Dawn and I had been that mature when we were Stacy's age." She hesitated for a moment and touched Faith's hands for a few moments. "You can be proud of yourself, Faith."

Faith stared at her, feeling strange. All her life, people had been looking down on her, like she was just some object to be used and thrown away. The only two people who'd cared about her were her mother and Stacy. The fact that someone actually admired her simply boggled her mind.

Buffy noticed that Faith was obviously unused to being praised, so she decided to give her some space. She got up.

"I'll be in the kitchen, if you need me, I got some cleaning up to do."

"Uh, okay," Faith said, startled.

Buffy smiled and left.

Faith stared after her, not sure what to think. In her head, she went through everything Buffy had said. She had to admit that Buffy was right, but she'd never thought she was doing anything special, she just did what she thought was best for Stacy. But, she realized, she had indeed come very far from the junkie she'd been. Mostly thanks to Stacy, as well the fact that she had witnessed a man die. Still, hearing it from someone else and being admired for it was a new experience for Faith, especially since that someone was the girl whose father she had killed. Buffy's niceness was confusing Faith. In her world, if you hurt someone, they hurt you back. But she wasn't complaining. In fact, strange as it was, she actually liked having Buffy around, in spite of the fact that every time she looked at her, she remembered that fateful day.

A little later, Willow and Tara came to visit.

"Hi, guys, come on in," Buffy said.

"Thanks," Willow said. "We came to see Faith."

"She's in the living room."

Buffy closed the door and followed her friends.

"Hi, Faith," Willow said as they approached Faith.

"Hi," Faith said, not used to having people come over for a visit.

"How are you?"

Faith shrugged.

"Okay."

"Do you want anything to drink?" Buffy asked.

"No, thanks," Willow said.

"No, thank you," Tara said.

"Faith?" Buffy asked.

"No. Thanks."

"Okay," Buffy said and went to Stacy's room. "Hey," she said as she entered.

"Hi," Stacy said, looking up from the book she was reading. "Who was it?"

"Willow and Tara came to visit your mom."

"Really?"

"Yes." Stacy got up. "Why don't you give them some time alone first, so your mom can get used to talking to people by herself."

"Okay. How long?"

"I don't know, five, ten minutes."

"Okay. And where will you be?"

"In the kitchen."

"Okay."

Buffy smiled and left.

"How do you feel?" Willow asked after they sat down.

Faith shrugged.

"Okay," she said, a little nervous because she wasn't good at small talk.

"Sorry we didn't visit you at the hospital, but we were both busy the past couple of days."

"It's okay."

"Are Buffy and Stacy pampering you?" Tara asked with a smile.

Faith smiled a little.

"Yeah."

"Well, when you get bored and feel you're strong enough, give me a call and we'll continue your lessons," Willow said.

"Okay."

"You okay?" Buffy asked Faith in the evening when she saw her staring at the TV but not really watching the program.

Faith blinked and looked at her.

"Just thinking?"

"Heavy thoughts?" Buffy asked and sat beside her.

Faith shook her head.

"Not really. Just… Thinking about my life, is all."

"Oh."

Faith took a deep breath, hesitating.

"Thanks. For helping me out even though I… You know." She took another deep breath. "Even though I killed your dad."

Buffy reached over and took Faith's hand in hers.

"It was an accident, Faith."

"Yeah," Faith said, staring at their joined hands. "Still."

"You're welcome," Buffy said, smiling softly.

She considered asking Faith out, but she decided against it, she didn't want Faith to jump to the conclusion that dating was the price for her help. She decided to just be there for Faith and act as though they were a couple. Sort of. She knew that Faith wasn't dating, so she wasn't worried about competition. Right now, the only problem was Faith herself. She needed to find a way to boost Faith's self-confidence first, so she wouldn't be afraid to be loved.

Faith, on the other hand, was feeling all tingly. Buffy was still holding her hand and she didn't know what it meant. Buffy didn't say anything, so she didn't either, she just enjoyed the contact. It was confusing her that she'd made so may friends in spite of her past, but she wasn't complaining. She liked having friends who were there for her and didn't demand anything in return. And being praised for being such a wonderful mother to Stacy meant the world to her, especially since the praise was coming from Buffy. She liked Buffy, a lot, in spite of the fact that the mere sight of her kept bringing back the memories of that fateful day. But she was starting to deal with it, she didn't feel sick anymore every time she looked at Buffy. In fact, she enjoyed the contact. She felt attracted to Buffy and a small part of her felt that Buffy liked her too, but she was too afraid to do anything, she didn't want to ruin their friendship. She decided to wait and see. As far as she was concerned, things could only get better.

The End