Part One
"Still think I'm one of the nicest girls you've ever met? Still really like me Dean?"
Dean stood still facing her. He didn't know what to think anymore. He didn't know what to say, what to do. This was totally outside of his experience of life to date.
"I don't know what I feel about you right now." Dean admitted warily. "You'd have to be honest with me."
"How can I be honest with you, when you aren't honest with me?" Faith returned, feeling trapped by the circular nature of their predicament. "I'm going to bed Dean. I need to be up early tomorrow, so I can get away. I guess it was good while it lasted huh?"
"Yeah Faith whatever the hell we had."
Part Two
North Houston Texas
December 25th 2004
Faith sat with Vi's large family round their huge dining table. Aware of the family Labrador begging under the table. This was her second Christmas with Vi's family and less scary than the first.
Vi's Mom and Stepfather were warm, friendly people, if slightly chaotic. In Vi's home she was just another welcome waif and stray that their house was always open to.
Faith made polite conversation over a poinsettia festively decorating the table, with Vi's grandma.
"I here you and Vi are going to a high society New Years costume party." Vi's grandma chatted away excited.
"Yeah, don't know what I'll go as." Faith said. Maybe she should go as a convict. Faith thought to herself. Striped pj's, fake ball and chain with a big sign round her neck, labeled 'murderer'.
"Well hon, seeing you're from Massachusetts and all, I have a darlin' outfit from Halloween two years ago. Vi's cousin wore it, she's you're size. Go as a Salem witch. It would be real cute with your accent."
'Yeah, except I'm a Southey from Boston." Faith could sense the sweet old lady's instant disappointment. Vi's grandma had always been lovely to Faith. She couldn't bear to hurt her feelings. "Thanks it would be wicked." Faith said dispiritedly.
A witch, maybe that was appropriate for her. Perhaps she could wear a big fake nose with a wart, and never touch another man again.
"You're a looker hon." Vi's grandma twinkled. "This dress will look swell on you. Any young fella ya hoping to catch?"
"He'd never be at this party." Faith toyed with her food.
"You all choked up about someone honey?" Vi's grandma sympathized. "You seem different from when we last met. Softer but sadder. Why don't you and Vi come round tomorrow and pick your outfits and you and me have a big old heart to heart?"
Part Three
25th December 2004
Louisiana
Dean got out of bed sneakily, trying not to disturb the red headed girl still sleeping there. Redheaded, big breasted, Indy had been a screamer, not because she was getting off on what Dean was doing to her. The silly girl was under the impression over usage of lung power made her seem more passionate.
God he missed Faith. It had been eight days since he had seen her last. Dean had hoped Indy might wipe Faith out of his head. It just made Dean's longing for his dark haired lover worse.
Dean left the bedroom quietly and entered the main room of the apartment. He saw the girl's roommate in the kitchen sitting at the table. He and his father had been helping the room mate Jemima with a possession she had discovered.
Jemima was a psychic and worked as a tarot card reader over the phone.
"Merry Christmas Dean." Jemima said to him. "You musta had a good time with Indy last night judging by her frickin' screaming. Or ya stabbed her."
"A gentleman never tells." Dean helped himself to coffee from the pot on the stove, and sat down at the table with her. "What are ya doing?"
"Reading ma cards, working out if it's worth ma while turning up to ma folks for Christmas dinner or not." Jemima frowned. "I don't think I'll bother."
Jemima reshuffled her pack and gave them to Dean. "Shuffle and I'll do yours Dean honey. Freebie for helping me out with ma demon infested co-worker. Focus on a question ya want answered."
Dean shuffled indulgently and gave her back the pack.
"So what d'ya wanna know?"
Dean couldn't believe he was doing this. "There's this crazy girl, I keep running into her…will I ever see her again?"
"Hmm, what does she look like?"
"She's…attractive, dark hair, brown eyes, very athletic, medium height. Wears too much eyeliner."
Jemima spread the worn cards on the table. She put her head to her hand and contemplated the backs of the cards and then turned them over rapidly sorting them into a twelve card cross.
"Oh that's mighty interesting." Jemima peered at the cards once more. "Right, this girl you care about her, but you're not in love. You're wary of her. Cautious. She had a dark past and she's awful confused. Ya can make her happy. Ya have a chance to change her life. You'll meet her again soon and then not for a long time. Ya don't have a shared destiny."
Jemima looked at him shrewdly. "Ya seem disappointed honey. I told ya, ya care about her Dean, but you're not in love with her. Remember that. When the time comes don't be selfish Dean."
Part Four
3Oth January 2004
Beaumont Texas
The two attractive girls disembarking from the Greyhound bus, were getting many appreciative glances from the men waiting round at the Beaumont bus terminal.
A BMW up pulled up and a handsome man in his late twenties stepped out. Military bearing stamped all over him. He pulled his sunglasses off and walked over to the girls.
"Seasons greetings ladies." Miller hugged them briefly. "I'm glad you could make it."
"A big fancy party before Bolivia?" Vi said pecking him on the cheek. "Wild horses couldn't drag me away."
"What about you Faith?" Miller took the girls bags out of ingrained habit. He knew they were stronger than him and his arms almost dropped off under the weight of their bags. He slung them in the back of his car.
"It's nice of your folks to have us." Faith said trying to be polite. "And I don't have to dress up as a naughty nurse so I'm good."
Miller let the chance to tease Faith about the comment slide. "My mom is looking forward to you girls stay. Three sons, no daughters don't let her corral you."
Faith and Vi weren't quite expecting the huge two storey house Miller pulled up in front of. They'd heard Millers father was a successful corporate lawyer, but the place screamed money.
Miller led them to the front door and unlocked it. "Mom," he called. "I've bought the girls."
"In here sugar" came a well bred southern drawl. "Bring them through."
Faith and Vi were led to a small cosy room, where an attractive woman in her late fifties was knitting by a fire place. She got up and shook their hands.
"Why aren't you two a picture? I can't imagine you both in the army."
"They're not Mother they're independent contractors." Miller re-explained patiently.
"Let me show you your rooms." Mrs Miller led them upstairs, past walls framed with family photos going back to the civil war. "I found the cutest towels on sale the other month, you have to tell me what you think."
Faith felt uncomfortable already. Vi's mom was a harried social worker, her husband a firefighter and their house was small and shabby. Faith had shared Vi's room, sleeping on her floor the past week. She didn't want to be offend Millers Mom, but how was going to avoid it in the next two days?
"You'll want to freshen up I'm sure after your long bus journey." Mrs Miller said. "I've never been on a Greyhound. Always fly. Here's your room Vi."
"Oh cool!" Vi danced round the pioneer themed room in ecstasy. "My own en-suite!"
Miller put Vi's bag down gratefully. He was sure it was laden with weapons, possibly a small Japanese car as well.
"Do you like the towels honey?" Mrs Miller inquired. "I think the shade matches the bathroom exactly don't you?"
"Yeah and the toilet paper and soap. I guess you're an artist into colors and stuff?" Vi suggested.
"I dabble, went to art school. It was where I met Graham's father at a party in my dorm." Mrs Miller smiled romantically. "He was a very handsome, idealistic law student. My daddy didn't approve."
Mrs Miller showed Faith to her room. It was done in an oriental style.
"This is great Mrs Miller." Faith said genuinely impressed. "I love this."
"The way Graham described you, I thought you would." Mrs Miller said satisfied.
Faith glanced at Miller. Described her?
"I'm putting the Finns in my oldest boys Donald's room." Mrs Miller went on. "They're only here one night tomorrow and we only have two guest rooms."
Vi winked at Faith. Only two guest rooms? Dear lord the deprivation.
Faith and Vi 'freshened up' and went down for afternoon coffee.
"You girls have to try this cake its my grandma's recipe. Do you like baking?" Mrs Miller poured them coffee.
"Um, I don't think I've ever done any, apart from Home Economics in Middle School once." Faith confessed, picking at her frosting. "I forgot to put the baking soda in." she'd been stoned on marijuana that day, Faith remembered and had burnt her hand getting her flat cake out of the oven.
"My mom and I hate baking, but we like other people's." Vi, said taking another slice. "This is great." She mumbled with her mouth full.
"Graham likes baking don't you dear?" Mrs Miller said. "Don't be shy darling you have a light hand. He's very good."
Miller shook his head in embarrassment. "Thanks Mom. Don't share that with Riley okay?"
"I just love Riley and Sam." Mrs Miller went on, "Such a lovely young couple. So you two girls have a beau?"
"Spinsterhood's working out for me just fine." Faith said putting her plate back.
"A girl as pretty as you? Hard to believe," Mrs Miller said. "The young men must be blind."
"Oh they notice her." Miller said taking in Faith's figure hugging red sweater and tight blue jeans. Hell he noticed her all the time.
Part Five
The Millers took the girls to their country club that evening to meet the locals as they put it.
Faith had a hard game of squash with Miller's brother, who had his nose severely put out of joint to find himself thrashed by her.
"I thought you never played before!" he accused her petulantly.
"Beginners luck." Faith tried to explain away her victory. She had had to borrow a pair of shoes from Mrs Miller and her big toe was beginning to blister.
She limped to a bench surrounded by miniature palms and overheard Mr and Mrs Miller talking about her and Vi.
"He's sweet on one of them, and I think it's Faith." Mrs Miller argued with her husband.
"She has a tattoo on her arm Sandy! I saw it in a snapshot he sent us from Ecuador. It must be the bubbly one instead."
"Maybe it's one of those wash off ones." Mrs Miller suggested. "Faith seems shy."
"Can you imagine a girl like that in the family?" Mr Miller chuckled amused. "She's just keeping quiet, she's not shy."
I am freakin shy! Faith thought indignantly. She had barely opened her mouth that afternoon and evening, because she hadn't wanted to put her foot in it. Worried she was going to swear or offend. Faith wasn't in to shocking peoples parents. She had always wanted Mrs Summers to like her. Faith had always wanted to be approved of, right from the time she was a little girl because no one, especially her mother seemed to.
Faith limped off, the last thing she wanted them to think was that she was an eavesdropper as well as white trash.
Miller came over to her, noticing her hopping along. "Mom's shoes too tight?"
"Yeah. How long are we staying?" Faith wanted to know. Let this hell on earth end soon, she prayed.
"Well its drinks now, don't get too tanked." Miller warned her. "You're in for heavy drinking tomorrow."
Faith put her hand on Millers shoulder for balance and carefully took off her shoes. She didn't care if Miller was exposed to her sweaty feet, she was always comfortable around him. "I think my toes bleeding."
"You're right." Miller confirmed dismayed. The poor girl, it looked painful. "You can't go barefoot, go get changed. I hear you kicked Douglas the Fourth's ass at squash."
"Is that okay?' Faith checked. "Does it blow our cover?"
"Dougie's a retard even if he is my brother." Miller grinned. "I wish I coulda seen it."
Part Six
Beaumont Texas
Dean and his father sat in a servant's room in a mansion, their allocated quarters for the next two days. Going over the facts of their latest project. This rich oil baron wanted them to break a curse on a haunted picture, coming to life at midnight, New Years Eve.
The guy had inherited the portrait of a Confederate Colonel from his cousin. The female slave in the picture, was the one that came to life. Apparently she would kill someone if a party was being held. The Colonel was an ancestor of the oil baron and the Oil Baron didn't want to get rid of the picture.
Texas on New Years Eve. Dean wandered what Faith was doing tomorrow night? Where was she?
Part Seven
Beaumont Texas
Kate sat in her hotel room brooding, at last she had managed to track down her targets whereabouts. Kate would be confronting them tomorrow on New Years Eve. The shit was going to hit the fan then.
Part Eight
"You all feel like a round of golf today?" Mr Miller said to everyone at breakfast that morning. "Can you girls play?"
"I'm good at mini-golf." Faith passed Dougie the milk. "Is it kinda the same?"
"In principle." Miller supposed. "Dad's a pro, paid his way through college playing competition golf."
Vi and Faith trailed round the golf course together. "I wanna whip Mr Millers mean old ass today." Vi said to Faith.
"You don't like him?" Faith said surprised to her. "He seems to like you."
"He's so patronizing Faith. Mrs Millers nice but the rest of Millers family is kinda gruesome doncha think?" Vi asked her. "I think Mr Miller thinks I'm after Miller, as if, he's way too old for me. Mr Miller should be worried about you."
"Me?" Faith pulled their golf bag along. "Why the hell would Lawyer-dad be worried about me?"
"I've always thought Miller was sweet on you. Where are you're slayer senses girlfriend?" Vi laughed. "He's always looking at you, when he thinks you're not looking at him."
Mrs Miller came out of the bush with her golf ball. "Sorry about that girls." She apologized. "I swear, Graham's father just likes to win at all costs. That's why he suggested girls against boys today. He knows I'm just hopeless at this darn game."
"Gee." Vi said smiling evily. "Guess we'll just have to channel girl power huh Faith?"
"Didya have to whip our asses so thoroughly?" Miller complained to Faith late that afternoon back at his home. His parents were having a lie down to be fresh for the party. Vi and Dougie were out in the garden playing totem tennis.
Faith put down the family photo she'd been looking at, on the piano. "It was Vi's idea."
"You've been awful quiet. Don't you like it here? Dad being a pain?" Miller asked worried. He had wanted his parents and Faith to get on. "He gets these prejudices."
"He has my number that's all." Faith played idly with the piano keys. "Criminal white trash."
"Don't be plain dumb." Miller said crossly. "I'm picking up Riley and Sam, come with?"
"Yeah sure," Faith moved to go.
"Hold on, you've got a twig in your hair from golf." Miller removed it. His hands gentle. She had such lovely long brown hair. He had always admired it. One day he intended to run his fingers through it.
Part Nine
Everyone came down stairs in their costumes at eight. Mrs Miller had her housekeeper take photos.
Mrs Miller was a southern belle, all the Miller men Confederate officers.
Vi was a Dallas cowboy cheerleader.
Sam and Riley, Snow White and Prince Charming. They were truly nauseating as a couple sometimes.
Faith looked like no puritan that had ever lived.
"Does that outfit show enough cleavage for you?" Riley asked. "You look precarious." Sam slapped him playfully on his arm.
"I'm meant to look witchy." Faith protested. "Vi's grandma altered this for me. She had to take up the hem."
"Did she take up the bodice too?" Miller teased. "You look great Faith." He quickly reassured her, straining heroically not to stare too closely at her breasts.
"Well group photo." Mrs Miller insisted. "Boys take the girls arms."
"Your Mom said arm, not ass Dougie." Vi hissed, at Miller's college stud brother.
Part Ten
Vi and Faith wandered round Mrs Millers 'Daddy's' house trying not to look like sightseers at the White House.
"Shit this place is huge." Faith commented. "He made it all on oil apparently. But his family goes way back around these parts apparently. They used to keep slaves yuck." Faith's family hadn't liked 'Negroes' much but they had been ardent trade unionists.
"I'd keep that opinion to myself at this party." Vi suggested. "Why do you think Rona turned down the invite? Do you see any black guests here?"
"No. You're family's not like that Vi."
"My grandparents used to belong to the N.A.A.C.P., we're screaming liberals didn't ya figure that out?"
"I did kinda suspect." Faith grinned, why was she bothering to feel inferior to these people? She linked her arm through Vi's and led her younger friend back to the main party room. "We're hot chicks with super powers baby. Let's party huh?"
The two slayers came up to Sam alone by the punch bowl with an expression on her face the girls had never seen before.
"What's up Sammie?" Vi helped her self to punch.
"I've just been snubbed!" Sam shook her head in disbelief. "My grandmother came from this county and was black. I mentioned her family, and Dougie and his friends just cut me. Cut me! It was so weird. My Granny was a passer and I can see why. I feel horrible, not for me but for Granny. They were just so mean."
"Sam that's bullshit!" Faith was furious. Sam was the nicest woman she had ever met. A true friend like Vi. Faith wasn't screwing up her female friendships like she had with Buffy. It was as if she'd been given a second chance at everything the past two years since Faith had got out of prison.
"Who were the people that did that?" Vi said angrily.
"They're over there on the dance floor." Sam gestured. "Dougie, Trip and their gal pals Bonnie and Heather. The girls were the worst, little bitches."
The four young people were dancing together without much rhythm to R.E.M.. The girls dressed as southern belles, were busy flirting with the boys dressed as Confederate Army officers.
Faith and Vi looked at each other and smiled. They put their heads with Sam's and hatched out a scheme.
"Payback's a bitch. You five by five with this Vi?" Faith checked with Vi six minutes later as they walked onto the dance floor.
"I'm just going to ask the DJ to put on something more appropriate to our plans." Vi giggled.
Miller walked into the main room with his grandfather and Riley. His grandfather had insisted on showing Riley his Civil War collection of firearms. Riley had been impressed. His ancestors had been in the Union army during the civil war, and his dad was a Re-enactment buff like Millers grandfather.
Billy Idols Rebel yell was playing and Faith and Vi were draped all over Dougie and Trip in a major slut fest. Dougie and Trip's two female companions were looking majorly pissed. Probably at the comments Faith and Vi were obviously shooting at them, as they danced with the young co-eds beaus.
Vi let out a Rebel yell with Billy Idol in time to the music. People were staring. A lot of young men had now moved onto the dance floor and it was very crowded.
"What the hell?" Miller said amazed to Riley. "Why is Faith all over my kid brother like a rash?"
"I hope it's not costume possession." Riley said worried. "That can happen."
Faith let Dougie's hand wander over her butt, confident in the knowledge it was for the greater good. "I can't see property of Bonnie on your uniform Doug baby." Faith said unbuttoning his jacket.
The music suddenly switched to 'The Tennessee Waltz.'
"Leave her to the big boys bro." A calm male voice suggested to Dougie.
You heard me, scram Douglas." Miller announced cruelly to his brother. He had come up behind them unawares and proceeded to take Faith firmly in his arms.
Dougie's eyes narrowed in anger, but he knew Miller could take him out in a fight in a minute. He walked off impotently, deciding his New Year's resolution would be to drop squash and take up Karate.
Faith spotted Riley waltzing with Vi.
"What the fuck are you playing at?" Miller whispered furiously, leading Faith round the dance floor and smiling at his family's neighbors and friends.
"Dougie was a bastard to Sam because her Grandmother was black." Faith told him, letting her self being led. "Vi and I had a good scheme going."
"To what, utterly humiliate him?" Miller guessed correctly. He held her tightly. "Dougie's just in with a bad crowd at the moment."
"Oh right, the rest of your family isn't like that I suppose. Would Rona have got invited to the country club?" Faith asked. He was hurting her waist. Miller noticed and softened his grip immediately. He didn't let her go.
"Seeing my Dad was instrumental in the seventies at getting the rules changed to that club, so Jews and Blacks could join, yeah Rona would have been welcome." Miller hissed at her, outraged at her unfairness. "If you just made a god damn effort to speak to my parents, you'd see they aren't as bad as you think. They probably think you're a cheap slut now."
"What the hell do you care if your parents and me like each other or not! Did ya invite me down here for some kind of fucking compatibility analysis?" Faith confronted him.
"Good leg work son." Miller's grandparents waltzed by them. "You maneuvered the little filly under the Mistletoe, house rules you can't leave till you've kissed her good." Miller's grandfather cackled with glee.
Faith had wondered why that spot on the dance floor was always occupied with a young couple making out.
Miller snorted impatiently. His grandparents would just stand there till he kissed her. Making people stare. Oh for Christ's sake. He gathered Faith's hair in his fist angrily and plunged his lips down on hers.
They both instinctively shut their eyes.
It was heaven, Faith decided. If kissing Dean had been like coming home, she was home already with Miller, lying naked on a rug in front of a burning, raging fire.
Miller's lips pressed against hers firmly, possessing her. Their mouths opened involuntarily. Their tongues met, circling, exploring urgently, tasting the punch and beer in each others mouth.
Miller ran his fingers through her hair, just like he had always hoped to, caressing her head. His hand pressed against the small of her back, pushing her body hard against his. He had been wanting this, wanting Faith for months.
Oh god, so this was what it was all about? Kissing someone you knew and cared about, trusted and respected, who obviously felt the same about you? Faith had never dreamed it could be so wonderful. No wonder the Finns were so puke-some.
Miller and Faith could have gone on kissing forever, if some idiot carrying a heavy mirror through the crowded dance floor hadn't crashed into them. Miller exclaimed in pain, as the mirror cut into his back.
Faith and Miller pulled slightly apart and peered breathlessly at the moron who had nearly pushed them over.
Dean rebalanced the mirror and stared in shock at Faith in Miller's arms.
"What the hell are you doing here?" All three of them burst out angrily at once.
AN: This is the last chapter part one in a way. It took more space than I thought.
I do not think all Texan's are racists or the Irish working class of Boston. This story is fiction remember. Fiction.
