Faith had had her share of awkward meetings and conversations in her life, but this one, located in the living room of the Lopez family, with her, Maribel Lopez, and Santana each sitting separately from each other in a different chair, definitely was a top contender.
It was obvious to her that Santana's accustomed lifestyle was considerably different than her own had been at age sixteen. The girl's house was clearly nice, expensive, and located in what was obviously a "good" neighborhood in her hometown. There would be no drug dealing, no gangs or hookers on this street corner, and it was probably considered a capital offense if you didn't regularly mow your lawn. The interior was spacious, tastefully decorated, and clean, and although Santana hadn't invited her to view her bedroom, Faith could only guess that the girl probably had every amenity a teenager girl could want. Her upbringing reminded Faith rather more of Cordelia's than her own; at sixteen, Faith had been living in a sleazy motel room, barely scraping by with vending machine meals.
Santana had been released from the hospital earlier the previous evening; before her release, because she was again being difficult about speaking with Faith, Maribel had caught up to Faith, inviting her to come the next morning to their home for a discussion. Faith had agreed, though she was uncomfortable at the easily affectionate way that Maribel touched her shoulder, and she had spent the rest of the evening fighting her urge to go into a local bar and lose herself in shooting pool, getting guys and girls to buy her drinks, and starting fights with whoever it was that challenged her. Instead, she had checked out the local cemeteries, getting a head start on the slaying that she would eventually have to show Santana how to do, and then checked into a hotel room, calling Cordelia again before attempting to sleep. She hadn't had much of that; between her revved up status from the slaying, her continued thoughts of Santana's familial status and her stubborn refusal to listen to what Faith had to say, she was rather preoccupied. Morning seemed to come all too soon, and with it, the conversations that no one seemed eager to have.
Santana had sat with scowling, ill concealed irritation through her mother's explanation to Faith of her previous relationship with her father and how this connected Santana to Faith. Her glower had only intensified as Faith then explained, for the first time to Maribel and for the second time to Santana, her purpose for coming to Santana and Santana's new status as a Slayer. Afterwards, both of the older women sat in silence, digesting their new understanding, and for a time, neither could think of what to say. It was Santana who broke the silence.
"Right, so you're my sister and I'm a Slayer. Thanks for the info, thing is, I don't want to be, even if it's actually true, which I doubt, and you're not a total psycho. So you can take it back and give it to someone else, or I'll just not do the Slayer stuff, I'll try NOT killing creepy dead things and just return to my normal life. Saves work for you and sounds much better to me."
"Yeah, I wish it worked like that, kiddo, kinda isn't your choice though," Faith shrugged. "I mean, sure, you can say you aren't gonna slay, thing is, you can't just get rid of your powers. If you don't learn to use them right and control them, then that thing that happened with the Hudson kid? It's gonna happen again, and next time your parents and the Council and Angel Inc. probably are gonna be able to make it go away for you so easily. Not to mention, you might not want to go out looking for the creepy dead things, but they are gonna come looking for you, and if you don't know how to fight them, you're gonna become one of them. Trust me, you're gonna want to fight, even if you don't want to be a Slayer. Sorry, kinda sucks for you, but this is your life now, so you might as well get used to it fast."
"This is NOT my life!" Santana exploded, getting to her feet in a near leap and gesturing fiercely with her arms. "This is not my life! This is something that just got forced on me, this is not what I picked, this is not what I wanted, this is NOT going to be what I do with my life! I'm a cheerleader, I'm a dancer and a singer and an actress, I'm going to college, I'm going to be famous, I'm not going to be a damn monster killer!"
"Hey, not saying you can't try for those things too," Faith shrugged again, exhaling. "Buffy goes to college. Or she did for a little bit anyway, before the whole dead thing went down. You can be whatever you want, if you can juggle it. But you gotta be a Slayer too."
"Oh yeah? I don't have to be anything. I quit!" Santana declared, as Faith laughed, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, you think? Good luck on that, kid. Buffy's tried to quit like, ten times, and she's still hanging out in cemeteries on the regular. I ran all the way to LA to try to quit and I'm still going too. You might try to quit being a Slayer, but being a Slayer won't quit you, 'cause it's in your blood now. Literally…since apparently we both share it." Faith tilted her head, a new consideration coming to her. "Hey, if one of us died, I wonder if Buffy's little sis would be the next Slayer called? Higher genetic chance or something?"
"You don't know me, you don't know what I will or won't do, and I'm telling you, I quit!" Santana said heatedly, but Maribel raised a hand, shushing her.
"Wait, wait just a minute, Santanita. Stop a moment, and think. I know this is a shock to you, but it is also exciting, don't you think? You have been chosen, you, over everyone, every other girl in the world. This is special, Santanita…you are special! What does that same about you, that you were chosen over all the other possibilities of every other girl that could have been chosen instead?"
"It says that my life is a damn joke and I'm jinxed, and my genetics suck too," Santana said darkly, shaking her head as her eyes rolled to the ceiling. "If you think it's so exciting and special, Mami, why don't you do it instead? I don't want it, how many times do I have to say that for you two to hear?"
"You need to listen to her, Santana," Maribel reproved, her voice growing stern. "You heard what she has said. She will make sure you stay alive. She will make you stronger, and she will teach you what you need to know, whether you want to know it or not, it is now necessary that you do. This is not like refusing a certain brand of clothing or joining a club at school. This is your life and your body that we are discussing here, and you do not get to choose. Not to mention, Santana, she is your sister. It is about time that you two met and began to form a relationship of sorts, and her return to your life at this time, when you need someone the most, well, it is fortunate, whatever you may disagree, and if you ask me, it is likely an act of God himself to bring you together in this way. For both of you to be special in this way, for your sister to be the only person who can help you exactly how you need? It is his will, Santana, and you will do it. That is not an option."
It just figured, Santana thought to herself, barely restraining herself from rolling her eyes, that Maribel too was into the whole God scene. Between Earl and her mother, maybe they were right; maybe Santana didn't stand a chance with the stubborn stance.
"How long are you planning on staying to help Santana, Faith?" Maribel was asking, turning to Faith and touching her shoulder lightly. The woman seemed to kind of thoughtlessly touchy in that way, but Faith didn't mind it. At least it seemed to be genuine gestures rather than some kind of act.
"Didn't really have a time period in mind," Faith shrugged, even as thought to herself that her preference was getting out of dodge ASAP. "As long as it takes to teach her and as fast as she decides she's actually gonna learn, I guess."
"Where are you staying?" was Maribel's next question, her eyes bright with apparent interest at her reply. It was a little odd to Faith; it was rare for an adult to show her such seemingly genuine interest and respect, and so she shrugged again, though she didn't pull back from her continued touch.
"Hotel, that's where I checked in at. Gonna have to renew it day by day, I guess."
"Oh no, that has to get expensive, even if your company is paying for it, hotels are so impersonal. I don't know that I've ever slept well at one, and not just because I rarely go to one alone," Maribel proclaimed emphatically, shaking her head, even as Faith blinked at her, wondering if she was deliberately making innuendo. "No, it's much better to stay in an actual home, and our home certainly has the room for you. Of course you are invited to stay here with us, it will make it so much more convenient for you and so much cheaper as well."
Right…basically the worst idea Faith could think of, as far as what she wanted to do. Being stuck in this rich person's house, with their rich person stuff, with this kid who couldn't look at her without scowling, unable to get a breather from her even when she wanted to? With this nice and well-meaning woman who nevertheless was kind of suffocating her with her questions and enthusiasm and whose judgment was more than a little questionable, seeing as she had once slept with Faith's father? Having to explain to Santana's adoptive father her presence in his house and just how it was that she and Santana were connected? Awkward and ten thousand shades of no. But how was she supposed to extract herself from the invitation in a way that made it seem like she wasn't a total bitch?
And when exactly was it that she had started to care whether she was thought of as a bitch anyway?
"Um, thanks, that's really cool of you, but I've got a place, so it's all good," Faith tried, but she had barely finished the words before Maribel was shaking her head, her hand still resting lightly on her shoulder.
"Oh, no, Faith, I insist. We have room, you will not have to pay the overinflated prices for those rundown things Lima calls hotels, and you and Santana, whatever she is saying to the contrary, really do need this time to get to know each other."
"Seriously, um, that's really nice of you, but-" Faith tried, but even as she shifted her gaze towards Santana, she realized, to more irritation than surprise, that Earl was now standing just behind her, eyebrows raised, arms crossed over his chest as he regarded her. He didn't speak a word, but the look on his face said plenty about what he thought of the offer Maribel was making and Faith's attempts to refuse it, and Faith knew without even trying to buck him and what he obviously wanted her to do that she didn't want whatever it was he was going to do to screw with her if she kept resisting.
Faith heaved a sigh, addressing Earl rather than the other two humans present.
"Let me guess. I don't have a choice with this, do I?"
Earl shook his head, a trace of a smile on his lips. But Maribel, unaware of his presence, interpreted her words as directed as her and hastened to reassure.
"Oh, of course it is your choice, Faith, I do not have control of you and you are a grown woman, of course. But it does appear reasonable for all concerned, and if it was up to me, you would. You wait and see, it will help. Already you girls act like sisters, and not in the best meaning of the word. That should and must be overcome if you are to be of help with Faith's situation, and time together is the best way."
So it was settled, at least in Earl's and Maribel's minds, and Faith was somewhat resigned to it too. As she finally nodded, Santana sighed considerably more dramatically than Faith had, turning an irritated stare in her mother's direction.
"Mami…why are you doing this."
"For you, Santanita. For you," was Maribel's reply, much to her daughter's teeth gritting irritation. "Now, why don't you show Faith to the guest room and make sure that whatever she needs that she does not have, we can provide for her?"
Although it was voiced as a request, her expression indicated that it was not. It took almost a full minute, but eventually Santana half stomped towards the hallway, not looking to see whether Faith was following her or not. Faith looked towards where Earl had been standing, but he was already gone, apparently his influence having already completed his will and no longer requiring his presence. Already counting the seconds until she could skype Cordelia again, Faith followed after the girl. At least the bed here was bound to be more comfortable than whatever any hotel had to offer.
