Mothers Chapter 31

Building Bridges

Faith's POV

I have no idea what I'm gonna say.

We make our way to the hotel where my mother is staying.

I mean, she basically abandoned me for years. Left me to fend for myself after dad disappeared. How am I going to have a civil conversation with her after doing that to me?

I look over at B walking next to me for a second.

I guess Buffy will stop me if I feel the need to punch her in the jaw. I still have no idea what to talk about though. I know that her dying and maybe being resurrected, if she is who she says she is, wasn't her fault, but knowing that doesn't change the fact that I was alone for more than a few years because of it. It doesn't make it hurt any less. So what exactly do I say to her? How do I talk to her when I know that? I'm just not sure I can. Plus on top of that, B and I have to figure out a way to get her to tell us whether or not she was involved in any bad guy activity since I last saw her. And she may not have even known that it was demonic when she was involved in it. So that makes the whole conversation even harder to have on top of everything else. I don't know that I can do it.

The hotel comes into view about a block away. I stop and stare at it as the sun starts to go down. B stops beside me and I feel a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"You can do this Faith."

I take a deep breath before smiling at her and putting a hand on hers.

"I know it'll be hard but you'll get through it. And I'll be here through it all for you. The same way you've been there for me the past few weeks."

We just stare at each other for a minute. She squeezes my shoulder.

"You can do this."

I smile back and continue to the hotel.

"Let's go..."

We go the rest of the distance and walk through the front doors of my mom's hotel. We head straight for the reception desk.

"Welcome to The Hotel Sunnydale, how can I help you?"

"Uh, hi... we're here to see my mother, Fray Lehane?"

The desk clerk eyes us both as he types stuff into the computer.

"Ah, yes... Mrs. Lehane has indicated that she is expecting guest and I believe she is expecting you in the hotel restaurant. She's reserved a table for three."

B finally speaks.

"Great, where?"

The clerk leans slightly over the table to point the way.

"Just go to the end of this hallway and turn left. You can't miss it."

We both smile at the clerk and make our way to the restaurant.

"This'll be good, right?"

I look to my right at B.

"What will?"

"Meeting in a restaurant and stuff, if things get awkward we can talk about the food or something. And it's not like anything would attack us in a restaurant full of people. Whatever it is probably wants us alone to go after us."

She has a point.

"Yeah, I guess."

We find the restaurant and B stops me before we approach the greeter. She doesn't say anything though.

"What?"

She shakes her head.

"Nothing... it's not important."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah..."

She goes up to the greeter and I follow.

"We're here to meet a reservation, Lehane for three?"

He looks over his list.

"Indeed... your companion is waiting for you. Please follow me."

He brings two menus with him as we follow him into a sea of tables. We pass by a few couples and a few families before we reach our table. My mother looks up nervously from her drink and smiles.

She's drinking again?

"The waiter will be along shortly to take your orders."

He leaves us alone at the table. Mom stands up to meet us.

"Buffy, good to see you again..."

They shake hands.

"Likewise..."

Mom looks at me, nervously trying to decide what to do.

"Faith, how are you?"

My eyes drift to the drink on the table.

"I've been better."

She follows my gaze and a sudden look of panic comes over her.

"Oh god, Faith... it's just ginger ale. Believe me, I haven't touched a drop of alcohol since I got my memory back and realized what everyone thought happened to me. Here..."

She picks up the glass and holds it out to me.

"Taste it if you want."

After a few seconds I take it from her and drink a sip of it.

She was telling the truth.

"It's just ginger ale, see?"

I see both B and my mom smile at each other. I hand the glass back to my mother and she sits down. B and I decide to do the same.

"I understand why you had to taste it firecracker. I wasn't much of a mother back when we were a family, and you have no reason to trust me, back then or now. I've changed though. After everything that's happened it's kind of hard not to end up different then you were before. I know I'll have to earn your trust back, but I'm hoping that with time we'll be able to build at least something. If you're willing, that is."

She watches me for a reaction of some kind. All I can say is...

"I, I don't know."

My mother looks down at her drink, slightly hurt.

"I'm sorry, but that's just the way I feel."

"No, that's all right. I shouldn't expect miracles."

An uncomfortable silence falls over the table for a while. The waiter finally comes over and breaks it.

"Can I get you ladies a couple of drinks to start you off?"

Probably a good idea...

"I'll have a Coke."

B orders her own drink.

"I think I'll have a root beer, if you have it."

The waiter writes down our orders.

"Of course, I will be right back with your drinks."

He takes the wine list from the table and walks off. Again the three of us are left with uncomfortable silence. Buffy decides to fill it.

"So, what have you been up to since you, left Boston? I was able to pretty much wrestle Faith's entire life story out of her when she first came to Sunnydale. What about you?"

My mother sighs heavily and plays with the straw in her ginger ale.

"Well, I still haven't been able to figure out how I got there, or why everyone thought I was dead, but I woke up one afternoon in a park in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. A man named George found me and took me to the hospital. The police tried to track down who I was but my fingerprints lead to a dead person, so they were stumped. They were suspicious of me for a long time but after a while of not knowing who I was and whether I'd ever get my memory back, I decided to name myself Laura and got a job as a waitress at a truck stop. George got it for me because he knew the manager and we became friends after the hospital. I think he kind of took pity on me at first because of my situation. The doctors said there was a 50/50 chance I'd get my memory back, and after a few years I'd kinda given up hope. But I finally did a year ago after I fell down some stairs while carrying some groceries. When I woke up in the park a few hours later, I remembered everything and came looking for you and Frank."

She pauses for a moment.

"And now I'm here firecracker... with you."

I look down at my sweaty hands.

"Right..."

The silence quickly comes back for a second.

"What about you?"

Me?

"The P.I. told me he could only find out a few vague details about where you've been since Boston."

Hmm...

I look over at B for a second and she looks back.

"What kind of things did he find?"

"Well... oh..."

My mom stops when the waiter appears out of nowhere with a tray of drinks. He puts one down in front of me and another in front of B.

"That's a Coke for you, and a root beer for the beauty."

Buffy smiles at the waiter.

"Thank you..."

I give him my own smile.

"Yes, thank you..."

"Are you ready to order?"

The three of us look at each other. My mom turns to the waiter.

"No, not yet..."

"All right then, I'll be back in a while. If you decide you're ready, feel free to flag me down."

He goes to serve his other customers. I turn back to my mother.

"So what did he find?"

"As I said, he only found a few things. He said he tracked you down to a town called Sunnydale. According to what he found, when you first came to town you were living in a motel across town. Then you went to live somewhere else while working for The Mayor. He couldn't figure out how you ended up working for him, or where you were living during that time though, or how you apparently ended up in a coma for several months, but like I said, things started to get vague once he found out you were here. Apparently the records around a lot of Sunnydale residents are incomplete, especially when it comes to the government... I think he said something about corruption. And then he said ever since you woke up from the coma you've been living here."

I take periodic sips of my drink while we talk.

"Just from that I can tell you've had an interesting life. I'd like to know more about it if you're willing to tell me."

I glance at B for a second and she looks just as nervous as I do by my mom's question.

I've never really thought about explaining this to someone who didn't know. I think she figures out it's a touchy subject though.

"We don't have to if you don't want to. I'm just interested in the part of my daughter's life I wasn't around for. If you're not comfortable talking about it with me though, I understand. We can talk about something else."

Her statement is followed by dead silence. After a few minutes, B and I look at each other and I'm pretty sure I know what she's gonna do.

"Well, it really wasn't anything all that exciting."

Lie...

"Faith and I met not long after she came here and became friends. One night, we were having a girl's night out and we happened to hear a noise in an alley we were passing. Apparently The Mayor wanted to walk home alone that night and we happened to walk by while he was getting mugged. Faith stepped in and saved him."

My mother looks at me and smiles.

"You did?"

I kinda shift in my seat and take an extra long sip of my coke.

"Yeah well, I started taking self-defense classes when I came to Sunnydale, which is actually how Buffy and I met, and I felt I had to help. After that, The Mayor decided to hire me as his personal assistant."

"That was very brave of you."

"I guess..."

I point at B.

"Buffy was there too, she did her part."

"Maybe I was, but I wouldn't have if you hadn't insisted we do the right thing Faith."

I look at Buffy.

She really doesn't have to talk me up to my mom this much, I'm not out to impress her.

"Yeah but..."

All of the sudden I feel really light headed.

"Damn..."

"Are you all right firecracker?"

I shake my head and I feel better.

"Yeah, I think so."

I feel B's hand on my shoulder.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Anyway..."

The light headed feeling comes back stronger. I try to shake it off but it doesn't work.

"You know, there's patio seating over there. Maybe we should get you some air."

I shake my head but it still doesn't help.

"Good idea..."

I go to stand up but only get about half way to my feet before my hand slips on the edge of the table and I fall flat on my face. B rolls me over and looks at me.

"Faith? Are you okay?"

I'm a little too out of it to answer. Just then, B's eyes roll back in her head a little and she falls on top of me, passing out. Everything starts to go black.

End of Chapter 31