Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me, except for Bethany's daughter.

A/N: This is a repost of "Saving Faith", from my Darth Chelios penname.

Chapter 1: Old Friends

Bethany, ever the watchful mother, studied her daughter as she played outside, on the swing set. She finished rinsing her dishes and put them in the dishwasher, before calling ten-year-old Faith in for dinner.

"Mom, I'm not hungry," Faith complained, as Bethany sat her down at the kitchen table and tied a napkin around her neck. Her mother only snorted, softly.

"I was once ten, believe it or not, and I know you're hungry." Bethany spooned out some peas onto her daughter's plate and cut up her meat for her. Faith pouted.

"I can cut my own food, Mom. I AM ten." The girl took her knife and fork from her mother and began to cut her own food, and Bethany, contented, turned to her own.

Bethany lived a quiet life ever since she saved humanity. Her exploits never saw the light of day, and she didn't really have much of a problem with that. She only wanted a normal life for her daughter Faith. She didn't want any demons, renegade angels or foul-mouthed prophets to be dropping in on the girl as they did to her.

Faith had Bethany's brown hair and eyes, and had her father's spirit. Her father. Bethany laughed at the absurd thought. The girl was obviously too young to know her father was really a woman, and that She was the Creator, THE Creator. Bethany had had various minor romances over the years, but nothing serious. She had bigger things to worry about than men.

"Mom, you're letting your steak get cold," pointed out Faith, her mouth full of food. Bethany smiled at her daughter sadly, and put some steak in her mouth to appease the young girl.

"I know, dear. I was just thinking," Bethany said, softly, her eyes heavy with sadness. Faith knew something was wrong, and pursued her mother.

"About my dad?"

Bethany started. Faith usually NEVER asked about her father. "What makes you think THAT, honey?"

"Girls at school. They call you a slut because I don't have a dad. They say I'm a bastard," Faith whispered, her voice small.

"Honey, you are NOT a bastard," Bethany said, pushing aside her plate. "Your father...well, he's a very complicated person. We couldn't marry when you were born, but we both love you very, very much. Your father will always love you."

"But why doesn't he want to SEE me," asked Faith, leaping out of her seat and coming to her mother's side. "Doesn't he think about me, sometimes?"

"Of COURSE he does," Bethany said, hugging her daughter. "Your father DOES see you. All the time. Only when you don't think he's there."

"Why can't he just come home and see us? Didn't he love YOU, once?" asked Faith, resting her cheek on Bethany's shoulder. "Why didn't he want to marry you?"

"Honey," Bethany sighed, "it isn't as easy as that. We COULDN'T get married. There were many circumstances that kept us apart. But don't ever doubt that your father loved you."

Faith sighed, sadly. "I wish I could see him, Mom." Pulling out of Bethany's arms, the despondent little girl stormed up to her room and slammed her bedroom door.

* * *

Bethany knelt down beside her bed and prayed. She hadn't prayed since LONG before Faith's birth. The last time she'd prayed was on the eve of Metatron's first visit. Bethany bowed her head, wiping her tears from her eyes.

"Please, God. I know you can hear me, but my daughter, OUR daughter, needs you. She needs to know she has a father that cares about her, and I don't think she would believe me if I told her that her real father is the woman who created our existence. If you could maybe think something up, I'd be forever grateful." Bethany crossed herself and climbed into bed, punching her pillow and closing her eyes.

"Bethany..."

Bethany opened one eye and leaned over, reaching under her bed for her baseball bat. "Who is it?" she called out. "Metatron?"

"Sorry, I'm not the Metatron," came the voice.

"God?"

"Do I sound like a woman?"

Bethany flipped on the light switch and waved her bat in the air, blindly. A hand closed around the wooden shaft and pulled it from her hand. "Who are you?"

The strange spectre laughed, softly. "I can't believe you don't remember." He removed a burgundy hood from his face and smiled at her.

"Bartleby?!"

* * *

TBC

Alex