Disclaimers and story info live at Chapter 1, although at this point I'm
adding a F/B 'ship warning. This fic may end up heading in that direction,
and I don't want to get flamed if I forget later, so here it is.
"Yeah. I'm having a girl."
"A slayer?"
"Don't know. But the doctor tells me that genetically, there's a good chance."
"So this is why Quinton is involved." Statement instead of question: things starting to fall into place. Sort of.
"Partly."
"God, this is like putting together a puzzle, only it has a million pieces and no edges. Can we drop the cryptic?"
"All right." Faith repositioned herself on the bed, settling into her original position. "Let's start with Father Ted."
"Who?"
"The baby's father. He was the prison chaplain."
"Huh. You didn't actually, you know, do it in the confessional, did you? Not that I'm religious or anything, but that would just be wrong."
Brief smile. "No. We don't have the little bare-your-soul-booths here. Just an office."
"So the priest here isn't exactly a holy man. What a shocker."
"No. He's a seer. And he's Council."
"I know I must sound like a broken record, but what?"
"They wanted to know if and when I would be back on the front lines, so they sent some kind of psychic here to track my progress. Of course, I didn't know that until after I fucked him."
"How did you manage to sleep with a Watcher's Council psychic?"
"What, you don't remember my various charms?"
"Yeah, smart move on their part, sending somebody who would be able to see through the Faith bravado."
"Believe me, I'm fresh out of bravado. Have been for a while now."
"Then what do you call it? You've had a brave little front going since I got here, making jokes and casually mentioning the council. So let's cut through the bullshit. What's really going on?"
The younger slayer shifted uncomfortably in her bed. Painfully short fingernails itching at the tape which secured the IV to her hand. And the look Buffy hadn't seen in years, the one that indicated secrets behind the eyes, words dying to be spoken. She had never gotten past that look. No great revelations; always forced to guess at what lay hidden beneath.
"They want my baby."
"Who?"
"The council."
"I don't understand."
"As long as I'm in prison, the courts won't find me fit to be a mother. They'll let me have a week with her, while I'm in recovery, but that's it. I have to give my baby up. And the council… they want to adopt her."
"Adopt your child? Faith, they'll teach her to be-"
"Like us. I know. But she's the child of a slayer and a powerful psychic. What're the chances she won't be like us; have some kind of powers? The council may be shady, but they would never make her feel like some freak of nature. She would get training and education, the best of everything. They have power and influence, B. They can make it happen."
"Then why can't they get you out? Giles said they're the best at 'pulling the political strings'. Why can't they get you early parole or something?"
"They can. Quinton offered to take me and the baby back to England."
Buffy stood up quickly, pushing the chair back. "Then why don't you go? This is… I mean, this is your chance to be free! To raise your child and be happy! Why don't you take it?"
"How could I be a mother now? What would I have to offer a child? What if the old me came creeping up, looking to have a good time? This isn't a vacation, Buffy, I'm working at redemption, and I'm not even close." Faith wiped her eyes angrily before the tears could escape. "Diapers and bottles and tucking her into bed would make me forget everything I've done, and I don't deserve it."
Stunned silence. Buffy lowered herself back into the chair, struggling for her next words. "What about a normal couple? Why not let some anonymous couple adopt her?"
"What would happen the first time she read someone's mind? Or came home one night going on about vampires? Not everyone's parents can be Jonathon and Martha Kent."
"I know that. But the council? There's got to be another option."
"There is one more option." Faith said slowly. "It's actually Quinton's suggestion. I told him it was a long-shot, but he didn't think so."
"What?"
"You, Buffy."
"Me what?"
"You could adopt my baby."
TBC
And remember – feedback nourishes the writer's soul!
"Yeah. I'm having a girl."
"A slayer?"
"Don't know. But the doctor tells me that genetically, there's a good chance."
"So this is why Quinton is involved." Statement instead of question: things starting to fall into place. Sort of.
"Partly."
"God, this is like putting together a puzzle, only it has a million pieces and no edges. Can we drop the cryptic?"
"All right." Faith repositioned herself on the bed, settling into her original position. "Let's start with Father Ted."
"Who?"
"The baby's father. He was the prison chaplain."
"Huh. You didn't actually, you know, do it in the confessional, did you? Not that I'm religious or anything, but that would just be wrong."
Brief smile. "No. We don't have the little bare-your-soul-booths here. Just an office."
"So the priest here isn't exactly a holy man. What a shocker."
"No. He's a seer. And he's Council."
"I know I must sound like a broken record, but what?"
"They wanted to know if and when I would be back on the front lines, so they sent some kind of psychic here to track my progress. Of course, I didn't know that until after I fucked him."
"How did you manage to sleep with a Watcher's Council psychic?"
"What, you don't remember my various charms?"
"Yeah, smart move on their part, sending somebody who would be able to see through the Faith bravado."
"Believe me, I'm fresh out of bravado. Have been for a while now."
"Then what do you call it? You've had a brave little front going since I got here, making jokes and casually mentioning the council. So let's cut through the bullshit. What's really going on?"
The younger slayer shifted uncomfortably in her bed. Painfully short fingernails itching at the tape which secured the IV to her hand. And the look Buffy hadn't seen in years, the one that indicated secrets behind the eyes, words dying to be spoken. She had never gotten past that look. No great revelations; always forced to guess at what lay hidden beneath.
"They want my baby."
"Who?"
"The council."
"I don't understand."
"As long as I'm in prison, the courts won't find me fit to be a mother. They'll let me have a week with her, while I'm in recovery, but that's it. I have to give my baby up. And the council… they want to adopt her."
"Adopt your child? Faith, they'll teach her to be-"
"Like us. I know. But she's the child of a slayer and a powerful psychic. What're the chances she won't be like us; have some kind of powers? The council may be shady, but they would never make her feel like some freak of nature. She would get training and education, the best of everything. They have power and influence, B. They can make it happen."
"Then why can't they get you out? Giles said they're the best at 'pulling the political strings'. Why can't they get you early parole or something?"
"They can. Quinton offered to take me and the baby back to England."
Buffy stood up quickly, pushing the chair back. "Then why don't you go? This is… I mean, this is your chance to be free! To raise your child and be happy! Why don't you take it?"
"How could I be a mother now? What would I have to offer a child? What if the old me came creeping up, looking to have a good time? This isn't a vacation, Buffy, I'm working at redemption, and I'm not even close." Faith wiped her eyes angrily before the tears could escape. "Diapers and bottles and tucking her into bed would make me forget everything I've done, and I don't deserve it."
Stunned silence. Buffy lowered herself back into the chair, struggling for her next words. "What about a normal couple? Why not let some anonymous couple adopt her?"
"What would happen the first time she read someone's mind? Or came home one night going on about vampires? Not everyone's parents can be Jonathon and Martha Kent."
"I know that. But the council? There's got to be another option."
"There is one more option." Faith said slowly. "It's actually Quinton's suggestion. I told him it was a long-shot, but he didn't think so."
"What?"
"You, Buffy."
"Me what?"
"You could adopt my baby."
TBC
And remember – feedback nourishes the writer's soul!