Trials and Complications

Part 9: Kids

Buffy walked into the kitchen upon seeing her daughter sat at the counter, looking at a bowl of cereal.
"Morning sweetie," the slayer said to her, giving the child a kiss.

"Morning mommy," Joyce replied, poking at her food.

"Did Faith come down yet?"

"Uh-huh. She left already and Uncle Xander told me to tell you he was going to look at some apartments."

Buffy nodded. She walked towards the cupboard and began fishing around for utensils. Turning around to address Joyce, she watched as the youngster hopped off her chair and made her way to the living room. Noticing the food on the counter had remained untouched, Buffy followed her daughter. Seeing her sat on the living room couch, the slayer walked inside and took a seat next to her.

"Come here," she told her child.

When Joyce obliged, Buffy wrapped her arm around her, pulling her daughter into an embrace.
"Joyce, I know something's wrong and if you tell me, I might be able to make it better."

The blonde youngster pondered this before answering. "Yesterday, Tyler called me weird," she told her mother. "He said that I didn't have a dad like the other kids." The child looked up at the slayer. "Why don't I have a dad, mommy?"

Buffy took a deep breath. She tenderly stroked her daughter's golden hair, answering, "you did... have a dad. He's just not around anymore," she thought on the statement, qualifying, "just like Amber's dad or Jason's dad. Joyce, lots of children only have one parent."

"But Amber sees her dad at weekends and Jason's dad came to show and tell. I've never seen my dad."

Buffy gently lifted her daughter's head from her lap and stood up. She walked over to the cabinet where she kept her photo albums and picked one out. Opening it, she flicked through the pages, analysing the various photos of herself, Faith and her friends. Eventually finding one of herself and Riley, she stood up and walked back to the couch. Sitting down, she showed it to Joyce.

"Is that him?" Joyce asked, pointing to the tall marine.

"Yeah," Buffy confirmed.

"He looks a little like me," the youngster pointed out.

Buffy smiled.

"What was he like?" the seven year old inquired, studying the photograph.

"He was great," Buffy remembered. "He loved you so much, even before you were born."

"Where is he now?"

Buffy pointed to the child's chest. "In here," she told her. "He's always watching you. Making sure you do your homework and behave like a good girl. More importantly, he's loving you and protecting you."

The child silently analysed the picture before asking her mother, "did you love him? You look very happy."

"I did. And when he left, I cried for a long time," Buffy recalled. "But do you know how I got through it?"

Joyce shook her head.

"I had Faith. And whenever I cried, she'd tell me that it'd be ok. She reminded me that I had you."

Joyce looked at the picture a last time before closing the album. "I like having a mommy and a Faith," she concluded.

Buffy smiled.

"But I wish I had a brother or a sister. Tyler's brother and sister are fun."

"I'm sure they are," Buffy agreed. She silently held Joyce for a little while eventually looking down and asking her, "Y'know what we haven't done in a while?"

"What?" Joyce replied her.

"Gone to the beach," Buffy answered.

Joyce beamed. "I love the beach, can we go?"

"Ummm." Buffy feigned a pensive expression. "Only if you're ready in thirty seconds," she told her daughter.

"Yay!" Joyce called. She quickly stood up and raced up the stairs.

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"Are we nearly there?" Joyce asked, looking out of the window of the car and still seeing buildings on her side.

"We'll be there soon," Buffy replied, pulling into a parking space. She stopped the car and switched off the engine. "I'm just going to pick up something from my office. Do you wanna come?"

Joyce nodded.

"C'mon," Buffy told her, leaving the convertible. She waited for the youngster to exit the vehicle before locking it. Taking her daughter by the hand, she led her inside the building.

"Oh, hi Dr. Summers," the slayer was greeted by the secretary, almost as soon as she entered. "Didn't know you were working today," the woman added.

"I'm not," Buffy replied with a smile. "I just came to pick up a case file."

"And your flowers," the woman added.

"Flowers?" Buffy asked, walking past and to her office.

"You'll see!" the secretary called after her.

Buffy entered her office to see a bouquet of lilies left on her desk. She picked them up and searched for a card. Finding one, she opened it and read, 'Thanks for lunch. Parker.'

Buffy returned to the hall.

"Faith is so romantic, huh?" the secretary asked, placing her hand on her heart as if in admiration.

Buffy faked a smile before asking, "Dina, is Dr. Abrams in today?"

"He's in his office," the secretary informed the psychiatrist.

"Thanks," the slayer replied. She looked to Joyce. "Honey, c'mon," she told her daughter. Hand in hand, they headed down the corridor to Parker's office. The door wide open, the slayer looked inside to see the brunette sat reading at his desk. Buffy knocked on the door.

"Hey," Parker greeted, looking up and seeing the two females at the door. He dropped his reading material, stood up and walked over to them. Looking to the child by Buffy's side, he smiled crouching down. "Hi," he said, offering his hand. "Are you a doctor?"

Buffy smiled as her daughter answered. "I'm Joyce."

"Hello Joyce," Parker replied her. "Is this your patient?" he asked, motioning to Buffy.

Joyce laughed. "No, she's my mommy. She's a psychatrist. Are you a psychatrist too?"

Parker laughed at the youngster's innocence. "Yes," he replied with a nod. "I'm a psychatrist too. So, we're all psychatrists."

"No," Joyce replied, laughing at the man's mistake. "I'm not a psychatrist. I'm only seven."

Feigning disbelief, the brunette replied, "Seven!?! I would have thought you were at least... seven and a half, eight."

"I'm almost eight," Joyce replied. "It's my birthday soon."

"Really?" Parker replied. "Are you having a party?"

"I dunno," Joyce looked up at her mother. "Mommy, can I?" she asked.

"We see see," Buffy replied. She smiled at Parker, who stood to full height.

"So, what can I do you for?" he asked his colleague.

Having forgotten the reason she had come, the slayer replied, "How come you're here today?"

"Oh, I’ve got a report that's due in next week I thought I'd finish. You?"

"I just came to pick up a file," Buffy replied, showing him the file she had acquired. "Then Joyce and I are off to the beach."

"There's a beach here?" the brunette asked.

"Not so much a beach," the slayer replied. "More like a giant sandbox."

Parker smiled. "That's great I haven't been to a good beach for a while, being from Chicago and all."

"Why don't you come with us?" Joyce interjected.

"Only if you can take a break from work," Buffy added.

"I might just do that," Parker replied, causing the slayer to smile. "Then we'll hopefully see you there," she replied, motioning to leave.

"Yeah," Parker replied with a slight wave, watching as the blondes left his office.

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"Faith!" one of the assistants called into the brunette's office.

"What?" Faith called back.

"People," the reply came.

Faith sighed and stood up. Leaving the back room, she went out into the store.

"She's in a bad mood," she heard as she approached the counter to see a worker in conversation with Buffy who was stood on the other side.

"Rob, shut up and get back to work," Faith told the assistant.

"See," the man told Buffy, leaving to do as he was told.

"'Sup?" Faith merely asked her girlfriend. She looked down to see Joyce standing beside the slayer. Her smile widened as she picked up the child and balanced her on her. ". "Hey kiddo, how was your day?" she asked her.

"Fine," the youngster replied.

Faith looked to her lover, who spoke. "Didn't hear you leave this morning," Buffy told her.

"Yeah, I had to rush off," Faith excused. "What's up?"

"Nothing. Joyce and I were just heading to the beach, wanted to know if you could come with us."

"I can't. We just got a shitload of orders that have to be shipped off tonight. I dunno if I'll be able to get it done."

"C'mon Buffy coaxed. "I packed the blue bikini."

"I can't," Faith restated.

"Ok," the older slayer replied, sensing tension. She left a moment for Faith to speak and when not taken, proceeded to say, "I'll see you at home."

"Yeah," the brunette replied.

"Ok," Buffy accepted, a little hurt.

Faith set Joyce down. "Later kiddo," she said to her, smiling. She looked to Buffy adding. "Bye."

"Bye," B rep replied. Confused, she took Joyce's hand and led her out of the store.

Disappointed, the brunette slayer watched her family leave, before returning to the back of the store.

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"Mommy, look!" Joyce called pointing at the piles of sand she had created.

Buffy raised her sunglasses onto head. ad. "That's great, sweetie” she she replied. She smiled and watched Joyce play in the sand.

Alarmed when the youngster went further away, she sat up, calling, "Honey, do go out to far, ok?"

"Ok, mommy," Joyce told her, gathering sand from nearer to the strand line. She came back to her sandcastle and deposited the sand at the top.

Watching, Buffy was interrupted when a shadow cast was upon her.

"Room for one more?" the slayer heard. She looked up. "Parker, you made it," she acknowledged, almost immediately noticing his slender physique.

"Yeah," Parker replied, sitting on the sand beside her.

"I almost didn't recognise you without your lab jacket," she told him.

"Right back at you," Parker replied. "That is a *very* nice bikini."

"Thank you," the slayer replied him. "So, did you get the report finished?"

"Yep, all done."

"What was the case study?"

"Er, drawing links between patients with psychological disorders to do with witnessing traumatic events."

"What did you conclude?"

"That, er, it-" he started, distracted. "Hey, who's that Joyce's talking to?"

Buffy followed her colleague’s gaze to see Joyce seemingly in conversation with a stranger. Her expression answering the brunette, he stood up and charged over to them.

"Hey Joyce," Parker said to the youngster, upon reaching and taking her by the hand. "Who's this?"

"Oh, hey man," the stranger answered for the seven year old. "We were just talking."

The expression on the brunette’s face became an angry one. "You make a habit of talking to little girls?" he inquired.

"Nah, man, I was just-"

"Leaving?" Parker completed for him.

The stranger took a defiant stance. "I don't have to leave, it's a public beach."

"You're right," Parker replied, his tone clear but light. "But if I see you here again, I'm gonna have to pound your child-molesting face into the sand."

Unnerved, the other man threw his hands up as if surrendering, saying, "screw this," before walking away.

"What's going on?" Buffy asked, arriving.

"Nothing," Parker maintained as the man left. The brunette looked to Joyce. "Hey Joyce," he told her. "We're not supposed to talk to strangers. Not everyone out there is as nice as you and me and you gotta be careful, ok?"

Joyce nodded.

"Thanks," Buffy told her colleague.

"No problem," Parker replied. He looked to Joyce again. "Friends look out for each other, right?"

"Right," Joyce agreed. She looked to the sandcastle she had been building, to see another child approaching it. "My castle!" she exclaimed, running towards it.

Parker and Buffy walked behind the youngster, keeping her within their sights.

"You're great with her," Buffy observed. "She's known you a few hours and already she likes you."

Parker smiled. "I love kids," he explained. "One day I just want to settle down and have lots of 'em," he motioned with his hands, "just running around."

"Sounds...headachey," Buffy told him.

"True," Parker agreed. "But deep down I'd love it."

"How many?" the slayer further inquired.

"Two or three," the brunette replied. "Maybe four."

"Again with the headache," the slayer joked. "Do you not ever want to get any sleep in the future?"

"Is it that rough?"

"Ugh," Buffy replied him, strongly agree "First few months after Joyce was born, I was a wreck. Bags under my eyes and everything."

"But that was for a few months and you've got a beautiful daughter out of it."

"That's true," the slayer agreed.

"So wouldn't you do it all again?"

"No. One's enough for me."

"But don't you want Joyce to have a little sister or brother? Someone to play with?"

Buffy thought about it.

Feeling intrusive, the brunette attempted to withdraw. "I'm sorry," he said. "I guess I'm just biased 'cause I grew up an only child and I always wished I had someone."

"Me too," Buffy agreed, remembering how lonely she had felt before Dawn came into her life.

"What does Joyce's father think?"

"He passed away," Buffy returned.

Parker paled. "Oh God, Buffy, I'm so sorry. I didn't know-"

"It's okay," Buffy assured him. "It was a long time ago. Before she was born."

The two of them reached the place where they had set up base. Sitting down, not knowing what else to say, they stayed in silence and watched Joyce play.

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"Hey Faith, is Rob here?"

"He's out back," Faith answered the woman enquiring. She added, "He'll be out in a few."

"Ok. Could you tell him that I'm waiting outside in the car."

Faith nodded. She continued to put up the remainder of the Christmas decorations around the store.

"Hey boss, sign these," Rob asked, coming out of the back room.

Faith took the pen the man offered her and signed on the dotted line.

"Thanks," Rob replied. He dropped the form and began to unload the box he had been carrying, stocking the store's shelves with its contents.

"Tanya came in” Faith told her co-worker. "She's waiting for you in the car."

"Cool," the blonde replied, finishing the stocking of the shelves.

The two fell silent for a little while, before Faith asked, "Rob, how long you been with Tanya?"

The blonde thought about it. "A couple of months, why?"

"You go down on her?"

Rob paused for a moment, taken aback. He told her, "Ok, random question, but yeah – she loves it."

"What about you?"

"I love that she loves it." Seeing Faith's expression change, he continued, "If you're talking taste wise? Then again, yeah, I like the Tanya taste right now."

"Whaddya mean, 'right now'?"

"Y'know," he replied. When finding Faith unresponsive, he continued, "Ok, well for me, anyway, I find that when I stop liking the taste of a woman, it's 'cause I wish I was tasting another woman." He paused, adding, "Y'know like 'the grass is always greener'? The pussy's always sweeter." He laughed to himself, his laughter subsiding when he noticed his boss' unappreciative expression. Rob cleared his throat asking her, "Why all the curiosity about my girl? You interested? 'Cause say the word and I could hook the two of you up. With my supervision, of course."

"Dude, I've got a girlfriend, remember?" the slayer, eventually replied him.

"Buffy doesn't have to know," Rob told her. He thought about it and then added, "Unless she wants to join in too," smiling hopefully and waiting for Faith's answer.

Ignoring the statement, Faith grabbed her jacket. "Lock up when you're done," she told the man, leaving the store.

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Faith entered her bedroom. Slowly undressing, she lay her clothes in a pile at the side of the room, before entering her bed. The brunette slayer lay still and replayed events over in her head reminiscent of past events in her relationship. Jaded, she dismissed the ideas and decided she was over-thinking the situation. Almost giving in to sleep, she found herself alerted by Buffy's entrance into the room.

"Didn't know you were back," Buffy stated. Fully dressed in her night-clothes, she entered the bed and cuddled next to her fellow slayer. "How was work?" she asked.

"Alright," Faith replied.

"Faith, is everything ok?" the blonde psychiatrist asked. "You seemed a little... off today."

"I'm good," Faith replied, leaning to kiss her girlfriend. Her hands almost roving down Buffy's body, she broke the kiss when the older slayer grabbed and stopped them. "Did you forget the date?" Buffy asked.

Faith shook her head. "I don't care," she answered.

Buffy swatted at the brunette's arm. "Gross, Faith. I do," she replied, causing the brunette slayer to recoil.

An awkward silence upon them, Buffy asked, "Why don't I just do you?" in effort to lighten the mood.

"That's ok," Faith replied. "Wouldn't want you to do something you don't wanna do."

"What do you mean?" the blonde asked. "Of course I want to."

"It's cool," Faith replied her, attempting a more lax tone. She lay back.

Buffy shook her head in confusion. Lying back against the brunette, she lifted Faith's arm and wrapped it around herself closing her eyes.

Faith reached across and turned off the bedroom light. Looking up, she let moments pass before she closed her eyes in attempt to get some sleep, opening them when Buffy called her.

When the brunette replied, the older slayer continued, "What do you think about us having more kids?"

"What?" the brunette asked.

"Y'know, give Joyce a little brother or sister."

Enraged, the brunette turned on the light, asking, "You meet another guy who's kid you wanna have?"

Buffy sat up, stunned by the outburst. "I can't believe you just said that," she told Faith.

"What? Am I not allowed to be pissed off that you're talking about having kids with another guy?"

"I didn't say anything about another guy, Faith. You didn't even give me a chance to explain," Buffy tried.

"Explain what? You knocked up again?" the brunette sarcastically returned, memories from the past clouding her judgement.

In disbelief, Buffy merely looked at her, speechless. "I can't talk to you when you're like this” she decided, getting out of their bed and leaving the room. Taking a deep breath and fighting back emerging tears, Buffy walked downstairs.

TBC....