The Three of Us

This Chapter is unbeta'd, I apologize for any errors.
Reviews are welcome.
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Faith stood across the street from the gallery. Shifting from foot to foot, the slayer tried to will herself into the building. ‘Fuck, how do I end up in situations like this? Buffy says not to worry, but shit, if she don’t like me its back to the crypt, or some other lame ass town. Well it ain’t the first time I’ve been given the bums rush. Might as well get it over with.’ She stepped off the curb and crossed the street. She walked into the air conditioned gallery and removed her sunglasses. As she was looking around at the various displays in the collection, a young woman walked up to her. “May I help you?” she asked in a slightly cold tone. Faith felt her eyes run over her. Smirking, she said, “I have an appointment with Mrs. Summers at 11:30. Let’s not keep her waiting?”

The woman blinked, then recovered. “Follow me please.” She turned and walked away. Faith followed. The sound of the woman’s heels on the hardwood floor echoed around the gallery. She led Faith behind a wall that opened into office space. The woman turned to Faith, “Wait here please, who should I say is here?”

“Faith.” The woman paused for a few seconds, realizing that nothing else would be said she turned, “I’ll announce you.” and walked off. Faith smiled after her, ‘Don’t think yer better than me bitch, I’ll hurt ya.’

The woman returned a few moments later, “This way please.” Faith followed her to an office door. The woman opened it and stepped aside to let Faith pass. “Thanks.” she said on the way by. She stopped inside the office and the woman closed the door behind her. Joyce was busy at her desk and Faith didn’t know what to do.

“Have a seat Faith. I just have to finish this.” Faith sat in one of the comfortable chairs in front of the desk, and looked around the office. There was a small sitting area with a couch and chair around a coffee table and two chairs in front of Joyce’s desk. “There.” Joyce said a few moments later. She stood and walked around the desk and sat in the chair beside Faith. “Did you sleep well last night?” she asked.

“It’s the best I’ve had in awhile.” Faith replied with a smile.

“I’m sure.” Joyce paused for a moment and looked at Faith. “There are some things I need to know about you. My daughter has a large heart and tries to help everybody. If you’re going to be staying with us, I need some answers first. I need you to tell me the truth, no matter how unpleasant it is. If you can’t do that then you should leave now.” Her voice had a steel edge to it. Faith sighed and said, “I’ll do it, but there are some things I don’t want to discuss.”

“Faith, that won’t be good enough. Anything you say will stay in this room. Because you’re a slayer, I’m trusting you with my daughter’s life. I need to know exactly who I’ve given that responsibility to.”

Faith bit her lower lip, and looked at her hands folded in her lap. Sitting up she looked straight into Joyce’s eyes. “Okay, but a lot of it ain’t pretty.” Joyce nodded and patted Faith’s arm. “We’ll be okay Faith.” She sat back in the chair and looked at Faith. “Where are your parents?”

“I dunno. My father left when I was three. So I don’t really remember him. I suppose my mom might still be in Boston, then again, she might be dead, I don’t know.”

“How old were you when you left home?” Faith looked at Joyce, “Eleven.” Joyce’s eyes shot straight up. “My God! How old are you now?”

“Old enough.” Joyce looked away for a moment, then turned back to Faith. “Why did you leave?” Faith sat there, quiet, not moving, or breathing. “Faith, I need you to tell me.” She reached out and put her hand on Faith’s arm again. “This is important.”

Faith blew out the breath she had been holding, and looked at Joyce. She moved Joyce’s hand off of her arm and put it on the arm of the chair. In a flat, cold tone, she started to speak. “After my dad left, my mom started drinkin’ and doin’ drugs. She’d drag anythin’ home from the bar that bought her more than two drinks. She went through a number of boyfriends and when they left, she’d always blame me. She’d get tanked up and if she wasn’t happy I’d get beaten.” Faith snorted, “Actually I’d get beaten if she was happy. I tried to please her and look after her, but it didn’t help. When I was nine, her boyfriend decided that he liked me.”

Joyce blanched, “My God Faith, I’m so sorry.” Faith shook her head, “It’s not your fault.”

Faith continued. “He waited ‘til my mom passed out, then he came into my room. I tried to fight him off but I was too small. I told my mom the next day, but she just called me a whore and beat the crap out of me for trying to steal her boyfriend. Like all the rest of the winners she dragged home, he left a coupla months later. The next few were no better. Some gave her drugs to use me. Others just used me. When I was eleven I left.”

The silence stretched on for a few moments, Joyce just looking at Faith wanting to hug her. Straightening her jacket, she looked at Faith, “How did you survive?”

“I was pretty tough, and pretty quick. I was also smart. I ran numbers for a bookie, ran some drugs, whatever I could do to get by.” Joyce’s face hardened. “Did you ever use drugs?”

Faith’s laugh was hollow. “I used to smoke pot occasionally, and I drink, but my mom was a terrific role model. I didn’t want to end up like her so I made my money but didn’t use the stuff. I’ve had some brushes with the law, but nothing in the last two years.”
“Is that when you became a Slayer?”

“Yeah.”
“Buffy told me what happened to your watcher. What did you do? Where did you go?”

“I already had some fightin’ skills, so I improved on ‘em. I looked for the vamp that killed my watcher. I spent about eight months with a Sensei in Denver. He taught me a lot about discipline and control. I left after he died.”

“Was it ...?”

“Nah, he was eighty-three. It was just old age.” Joyce looked relieved. She checked her watch, “Faith it’s after twelve, did you want to get some lunch? There’s a small cafe up the street that’s quite good.”

“Sure, Mrs. S, that’d be nice.” Faith relaxed a little. “I’m not really all that comfortable talkin’ about my past. If I could forget it, I would.”

“Faith, our past is a large part of who we are. It’s what we do with it that makes us good or bad. I can see where you’ve made good choices, despite the things that have happened.” She patted Faith on the shoulder. “You are a really remarkable person. You just have to quit selling yourself short all the time.” The two of them stood and walked out of the office. “April,” Joyce said to the woman who had brought Faith in, “We’re going out, call me only if it’s an emergency. I’ll return later. Thank you.” She whispered to Faith, “The things you can do when you own the place.”

They were seated on the patio of the cafe. The waiter that seated them had explained the lunch specials and left them with their menus. Joyce looked across the table at Faith. “I do want you to stay Faith, but we still have to agree to the ground rules.”

Faith smirked at Joyce, “That’s the one thing I was afraid of Mrs. S.”

“Yes, but the key word is ‘agree’. I know from what you’ve told me, that you’re very independent, and I want to accommodate that within reason.”

“That sounds fair.” Faith sat back as the waiter returned to take their order. “I’ll have the Mediterranean Salad with a multi-grain roll and a coffee please.” Joyce ordered. Faith requested the double Cheeseburger Platter with extra fries and a Coke. The waiter quietly raised an eyebrow, “Will that be all?”

Faith smiled up at him, “Are you a gambling man? ‘Cause if you are, when I finish it, you pay. I don’t, it’s a ten dollar tip?” The waiter looked at Faith’s cocky grin, “It’s tempting, but no thanks.”

Joyce smiled at Faith, “Do you pay for a lot of meals that way?” Faith laughed. “Yeah, it cuts down on the grocery bill.”

“So,” Joyce said, “back to our conversation. Buffy usually has to be home by midnight, unless it’s something extraordinary. In that case all she has to do is call.” Faith nodded as she listened. “Does that sound reasonable to you?” Joyce asked. Faith nodded her assent. “I will assume that you have been sexually active.” Joyce half whispered, looking around at the other tables. Faith snorted at Joyce’s slightly embarrassed look. “That would be a good assumption.”

“I’m sorry I have to ask this. Are you seeing anyone?”

“No. I don’t do relationships.” Faith looked away, “Get some, and get gone. That’s my line of thinkin’.” Joyce had a puzzled look on her face. “I’m not sure I understand.”

Faith took a quick look around, then leaned forward to Joyce, “Umm, I don’t believe in, uhh, overnight guests. Kinda, get what you want, then send ‘em away.” She whispered.

“OH!” Joyce exclaimed, “We should have had this conversation in the office.” Joyce sighed, “What was I thinking.” Faith shrugged her shoulders, “We can wait if you want to.”

“No, it’s okay, we’ve gone this far.” Joyce replied. The waiter returned with their orders. They sat in silence while he served them. After a few moments, Joyce put her fork down. “Faith,” she started, “I have two daughters to think of. Will you understand if I ask you not to have any ‘guests’ over to the house?”

“I understand.”

“Thank you. I can’t tell you what you can and cannot do in respect to that, but please be careful?”

“Always am.” They ate quietly for a few minutes, enjoying the afternoon sun on the patio.

Joyce placed her fork down and used her napkin. “Faith, you left home when you were eleven, correct?”

“Yeah.” Faith replied.

“Did you continue with school or was that it?”

Faith looked directly into Joyce’s eyes. “I wasn’t goin’ anywhere near someplace they could find me.”

“I understand. What grade did you finish?”

“Seven. I actually skipped a grade before everything, uhh, changed.”

Joyce raised an eyebrow at the statement. “I’m proud of you Faith, but if you’re going to live in my home, you’ll have to return to school.”

“Go back to school? Yer insane, right? Like I’d be, five years older ‘n anybody else! I’d be expelled inna week!”

“Faith!” Joyce quietly snapped. “Let me finish please.” Faith leaned back in her chair, defiantly looking at Joyce. ‘Man, I knew this was too good to be true. There’s always somethin’ that fucks it up.’ she thought to herself.

Joyce took a calming breath, and started again. “There is a school here for people in your position. You won’t be going back to Grade Eight. It’s to get your GED. It’s the equivalent of a High School Diploma. You do it at your own speed and after that you can think about college or a trade school.” Faith blinked at her.

“So, what yer tellin’ me is I go to this school and there’s people my age, takin’ like Grade Eight and shit?”

“Faith, please, your language.” Joyce reprimanded her. “Actually you’ll probably find most of them are older than you.”

“Oh.” Faith pondered the implications for a few minutes. “Supposin’ I do this, why would I want to?”

Joyce cocked her head as she looked at Faith, “You need an education if you want to do anything with your life. To get a decent job, to run your own business,” she looked around conspiratorially, then leaned forward and whispered, “to be a better Slayer.”

“Well, ‘cause of the slayer bit, I ain’t gonna live that long, so why bother?”

Joyce’s jaw dropped. Icily, she said, “I cannot believe you just said that. Do you have a death wish?”

“No, but it’s my reality.”

“I understand it’s dangerous and I live with that everyday. The fact that my daughter may not come home. However that doesn’t mean I don’t want her to have dreams and aspirations. That I want her to make something of herself, and if it helps with her slaying, then that’s something that will prolong her life. Faith, I want the same things for you that I want for my daughters, and a long life is one of them. I want you both prepared for that.” Faith looked around at the other tables. Only one or two people seemed to have noticed the change of tone in their conversation.

“Can I have some time to think about it?”

“It’s Friday, let me know by Tuesday and then we’ll make the arrangements.”

“You sound pretty confident.”

Joyce smiled and patted Faith’s hand, “I know my girls make the right decisions.”

Shaking her head, Faith replied, “Man, no wonder the gallery is so successful.”

Joyce grinned at her, “I’ll take that as a compliment.” The waiter appeared, “Anything else ladies?”

“No thanks.” They both replied. He placed the bill on the table and left. Joyce checked the bill, then opened her purse and paid the tab. “Let’s go back to the office and we’ll finish up there. Okay?”

“Sure.”

When they returned to the Gallery, Joyce asked, “Would you like something to drink?”

“Just some water, thanks.”

“April,” she asked, “Would you bring two bottles of water to my office please.” Joyce ushered Faith into her office and they quietly sat on the couch. April brought the water in and placed it on the table. She closed the door on the way out. “So Faith, are you comfortable with this so far? You haven’t said much about it.”

“I’ve been thinkin’, and I don’t know why, but you know more about me than anyone else. I ain’t ever told anyone that much about me ever. Usually it’s just what they need to know, and that’s that.”

Joyce nodded, “How does that make you feel?”

Faith held out her arms in front of her, “Don’t see no scars.” She smiled. Joyce laughed, “That’s what happens when you trust someone.” She shifted on the couch to face Faith, “I have another question, if you don’t mind.”

Faith looked at her, “After what I’ve told you so far, there ain’t much left.”

“Yes, well, just one more thing. Your duffel bag and your knapsack.”

“Yeah, what about them?”

“Umm, those are your only possessions?” Faith was quietly looking at the floor. Finally she whispered, “Yes.”

“Tomorrow is Saturday, I’ll give Buffy my card and she’ll take you to the mall and you can buy a new wardrobe.”

Faith groaned and her head lolled onto the back of the couch, “You hate me don’t you?”

Joyce looked quizzically at Faith, “Why would you say that?”

“’Cause I hate shoppin’ and she’s gonna make me buy all this girlie stuff.” Joyce laughed, “Only if you let her Faith.”

“Yeah, but we both know she’s gonna try real hard.”

“Not my problem Faith, you’ll have to deal with her.” Joyce stood and extended a hand to Faith. She took it as she got off the couch. “Welcome to the family Faith.”

“”Thanks Mrs. S.”