Joyce now sat in the kitchen at the island. William and Buffy had explained to her what had been going on. She couldn’t believe after everything Faith knew about William that she had cheated on him. Joyce just wasn’t sure about her daughter anymore. Oh, she loved her- nothing could ever change that- but she also knew that sometimes love wasn’t enough. She wondered whether she had somehow done something wrong in raising Faith. Joyce knew that once again her daughter had been using. She hadn’t said anything to Buffy yet. She had found out two weeks back. Faith had shown up on the doorstep high again. Buffy had been over at Willow’s and Joyce had been glad for that. She knew that she couldn’t have done what she had if Buffy’d been there.
*Flashback*
“Faith, what are you doing here so late?”
“Hey mom, can I come in?”
Joyce just stood there, staring at her daughter; she could tell that Faith was high again. She knew what she had to do, because Faith had left her no choice. “No Faith, I will not let you in the house. I told you last time you went clean if you ever showed up here again high, that you wouldn’t be allowed in. I meant it then and I’m enforcing it now.”
Faith had continued to stare at her for several minutes, not understanding. Then all of a sudden Joyce saw that it had clicked. Faith automatically went on the defensive. “What? How can you not let me in? Please, mom, I need someplace to sleep. Please, please, please.” Faith started crying in earnest then. “Mommy, I need your help... please let me in?”
Joyce’s heart broke as she watched her daughter. She didn’t want to have to do this, but she knew she had to. “Faith, I love you and I always will, but I can’t help you. You have to want this yourself, I’m sorry. I will take you back to your apartment, okay?”
The expression on Faith’s face went from pleading to anger. “Forget it ” she screamed. “I don’t need your help anyway. I can get back to my apartment on my own, thank you. I just thought you loved me, but I guess I was wrong. You know, I hate you. I bet if this was precious little Buffy you wouldn’t turn her away. Oh no, couldn’t hurt poor Buffy, Buffy must be protected at all cost. Does she even know, have you even thought about telling her, that she isn’t actually your daughter?”
At that, the look on Joyce’s face became one of shock. “What are you talking about Faith, you really have lost it this time haven’t you?” Joyce could hear the venom in her voice but she didn’t care at this moment. Faith was right; she had protected Buffy all these years, but she couldn’t let on to that.
“Oh what, mom, didn’t think I remembered about Buffy, did ya? I’ve known for years, but it never mattered then. I knew daddy loved me, I knew she wasn’t even on his radar screen. She was the mistake that he had wanted to disappear; instead he faced it everyday. That’s why he left. I know it and so do you. You probably knew that when you brought her into our home. You knew that dad would get fed up seeing his little bastard child so he’d leave. Well, I’m sick and tired of pretending. How can you love someone else’s child more than your own?”
Joyce knew then that all of her promises to give Buffy a happy normal life had probably flown out the window. She had tried so hard to keep her promise and now most likely her jealous daughter would break it. “Faith, I don’t love her more, and if Buffy showed up like you are now I probably wouldn’t let her in either. I love you but I can’t watch you throw your life away like this. You are my flesh and blood and nothing could ever change that, but I also love Buffy. Maybe you can’t understand that, but I do. I’m sorry it had to come to this, but if you want to come back in the morning when you're not high we can talk then. Now, do you need me to drive you to your apartment?”
“No, I don’t, thank you very much.” Faith said snidely. “Oh, and tell the precious I said ‘hi’.”
*End Flashback*
Faith had walked away then, and Joyce hadn’t heard anything from her since. She had figured that Faith would go straight to Buffy and tell her the truth, but after three days had gone by with no questions from Buffy, she had deemed it safe for now. Joyce knew she would have to tell Buffy sooner or later. She just didn’t know how. How do you tell your daughter that she isn’t really your daughter? Joyce was brought back from her contemplative state by Buffy’s waving hand.
“You didn’t go catatonic on me there, did you?” Buffy giggled at her own joke then continued. “Listen mom, I know this is surprising news about me and William, but I love him. I’ve loved him for years, but I was resigned to the fact that he’d never love me. As for the Faith thing-- I love her I really do-- but she is the one that lost out. I doubt she will like this but I’m not sacrificing my happiness for her. I hope you can be happy for us?”
Joyce looked into Buffy’s eyes and could tell that she really wanted this, and that she was truly happy about it. “I’m not saying I like this, but I’m happy for you. I would think it appropriate though if you went and explained it to Faith. Don’t let her find it out from a third party, okay?”
“Sure mom.” Buffy went to leave then.
“Buffy, wait we need to talk. I have something I need to tell you.” Joyce knew she had to tell her now or she might never get to.
Buffy turned around and started to say something when there was a knock at the front door.
*******************************************************
William stood in the doorway which led from the kitchen onto the back porch. Tara sat on the swing, softly humming. He listened to her sweet voice as it hummed to their mother’s favorite song. When she had finished, she turned her head and smiled at him.
“Are you going to stand there all day William, or does your little sister get a hug?”
“I’ll give you one better.” William scooped Tara up into a hug and kissed her on the cheek. He took a step back and just looked at her. Then he hugged her again.
“So how have you been?”
William then proceeded to tell her what had happened the day before when he had arrived. She just sat there and took it all in; then she slapped him.
“Hey, what was that for?”
“Being a dumb butt and drinking. You know how I don’t like that.”
“Well I sorta hoped you missed that part.” William said with a chuckle.
“Well I didn’t miss it and I still think it was a stupid thing to do. Oh, and I will be talking to Lorne when I see him next; he should know better.” Then a wry smile crossed Tara’s face. “Oh and also... I.told.you.so ” She then got up and walked back inside, leaving William wondering what she was getting at. He walked into the kitchen where she was standing at the sink.
“Hey, what do ya mean told me so?”
“Think back to the first week we moved in here. What did I....” Tara trailed off when the phone rang. William picked up the phone and heard Xander’s voice.
“Hey buddy what’s up... you still pining over Cordy?”
“First of all, no, I’m not- but this isn’t a social call. It’s business.”
William felt his stomach drop. If this was business it couldn’t be good. “What do you mean business? Xander, has something happened to Giles?” Although Giles and William still disagreed on a lot of things, William had grown to look at him as a father now. However, he still refused to call him that.
“Nothing is wrong with the G-man. But I think you should get over to Buffy’s ASAP. I can’t tell you what’s going on but you need to be there.”
“Ok, we’ll be there.” William hung the phone up and told Tara to get her coat they were leaving.
*******************************************************
While William talked with Tara, Buffy sat in the kitchen waiting for her mom, who had gone to answer the door. She wondered what her mom had wanted to talk about. Before she could put anymore thought to it, she heard her mom calling her.
“Buffy, Buffy come here now.”
“Mom what is it?”
“Your boyfriend of two months is standing on our front porch with a smile. Let me guess-- you haven’t had a chance to break up with him, huh?”
Buffy realized that while dealing with all the commotion with William, she had totally forgotten about her ‘Normal all American Boyfriend’. They had only been dating for a short time, but he was a nice guy. She had to tell him-- she knew that-- but she was sorry that it would hurt him. She quickly walked out onto the porch. She looked around at first and couldn’t find any sign that there was anyone there. Then he came around from the side.
“Oh. I was beginning to wonder if you had skipped town.” The young man chuckled.
Buffy just smiled and walked over to him. She gave quickly hugged him and stepped back. He gave her a bewildered look and she knew this was it. “Riley, we need to talk.”
*******************************************************
As William parked in front of Buffy’s house, Tara’s eyes were drawn to the front lawn. There she could see Riley yelling something at Buffy, but couldn’t hear it. She saw William’s jaw tighten. She reached out and put her arm on his to calm him down.
“That’s Riley Finn. Remember he’s in the same year as Buffy, Willow, and me. Buffy and he were dating. I guess she’s breaking up with him. He’s a nice guy, but a little boring at times. You don’t think this is why Xander wanted us here?”
“I doubt it. Xander made it sound like it was police business.” Tara raised her eyebrows at that.
She could tell he was probably thinking the same thing as she was, but voiced her thoughts anyway. “Faith is in trouble again, isn’t she?”
“I’m pretty sure. Xander sounded off though, and I can’t figure out why. I mean this isn’t anything new. Faith has been getting picked up by the police a lot in the last two years.”
Tara had her suspicions, but she would keep them to herself. She hoped that this ominous feeling would go away. She didn’t want to be right about this. Tara watched as William exited the car, and then followed him. They walked across the lawn towards the fighting couple. *******************************************************
Buffy saw them coming across the lawn. She wasn’t sure how this would end, but she figured not well. She had been standing there fighting with Riley for a little over ten minutes. He had gone through the whole ‘we can work this out,’ until she had landed the final blow. She’d told him that she was in love with someone else. That’s when Riley had accused her of cheating on him. Now that William was there though, she was done with it all. She had spoken her piece and done the right thing. Now she had to get Riley out of there before he made a complete jerk of himself.
“Riley, I think you should go home now. I’m sorry if I hurt you, but what was between us is over. You know it wasn’t working, just like I do. Now, if you would please leave.”
She watched as Riley turned around and came face to face with William. “Is this who you left me for?” He asked incredulously, then shook his head and started to walk off. Then suddenly he turned around and decked William, which then started an all out brawl. Both Tara and Buffy tried to get them to split it up, but neither of the men were listening.
“Hey, hey, break it up right now.” Buffy looked up and found Xander and two other familiar looking cops breaking the fight apart.
Buffy quickly walked to William and started checking him over, making sure he was okay. Then she looked at Riley and said, “Get out of here, Riley. I told you we’re over.” She watched Riley huff off and prayed that would be the last time she ever saw him again. Then she turned back to everyone in her front yard. That’s when she got the off feeling that something was wrong. She knew then that Riley had been the least of her problems today.
*******************************************************
Joyce was on her way to the front yard to see how the conversation was going between Riley and her daughter. She reached the front door, but before she could open it she heard a scream that she would never forget for the rest of her life.
“Oh God, NO MOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!”
A/N: Hi all. First I want to thank my wonderful beta Lana. Next I hoped you liked this chapter. If you did please leave a review I would appreciate it. Even if you didn’t like it let me know why. Well ttyl
[Reviews - 10]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 2441 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +