An Interesting Evening

An uncomfortable silence was thick in the air as Bree tried to formulate some sort of sentence. For once, she was completely at loss of what to say. Faith was looking at her expectantly, her eyes glowing with determination and even a slight smugness. Andrew was staring at her as if she had grown another head. Bree was relieved when she felt her mouth begin to move but was horrified once again when no sound came out.

"Hey why are you just standing out here? What's going on?" Danielle said as she entered the room. This situation was getting worse and worse for Bree who now had to explain herself to both children.

"Hey Faith, what are you doing here?" Danielle smiled at Faith questioningly. Bree looked between the two of them, confused.

"You two know each other?"

"Sorta. We all hang out in the cafe she waitresses at. Faith's cool," Danielle said, smiling at the brunette in question. Frown lines soon appeared on her forehead.

"How come you're here?" she asked Faith curiously. Faith turned to Bree and waited expectantly.

"What's she doing here? She's sticking her tongue down mom's throat that's what!" Andrew exclaimed loudly.

"Wait what!"

Bree felt the room begin to close in around her. She couldn't believe this was happening.

"I have no idea what she's doing here! I barely know the woman!" Bree hurried to say, regretting her words as soon as they left her mouth. Faith's face hardened and the soft glow quickly faded into a darkness that Bree was unfamiliar with. She nodded once at Bree and then at Andrew and Danielle before marching out of the house. Before she left, she turned to Bree.

"I'm sorry for this misunderstanding. Don't worry, it won't happen again," she said coldly, looking pointedly at Bree who got the message loud and clear. Panic rose up inside her as Faith began to walk away.

"Faith wait! Come back here," she found herself shouting after the slayer. Meanwhile her children looked on completely and utterly confused. Faith stopped and slowly turned back around.

"Andrew, Danielle - I have to admit that I was not being honest just now. I do, in fact, know Faith quite well," Bree began, her eyes on Faith. She then took a deep breath and turned to face her children.

"This may come as quite a shock so I apologise in advance. The truth is, Faith and I are dating and...I care for her a great deal."

Faith's entire self seemed to light up as she returned back inside the house. Andrew and Danielle, on the other hand, had gone slightly pale and looked at their mother dumbly. Andrew's face soon began to redden as his anger rose.

"You fucking hypocrite," he swore at his mother who flinched in shock. Faith's attention also snapped to her lover's son.

"Andrew!" Bree exclaimed in horror.

"No I mean it! I finally get the balls to tell you I'm gay and you fucking tell me I'm going to hell for it! In your perfect little head it obviously didn't register that that killed me inside. It fucking KILLED me! And now here you are all high and mighty with your new girlfriend and suddenly being gay isn't such a problem! I hate you!" Andrew continued, all of the built up venom and resentment spilling out.

"You little-"

"-Faith stop," Bree said quickly, stopping Faith from saying things she might regret. Meanwhile Danielle was still staring at her, disbelief and slight disgust written on her face.

"You're a LESBIAN?"

Andrew's outburst seemed to have gone unnoticed by her. "And with HER? She's practically my age! And she's like a super slut! Just look at her!" Danielle continued to exclaim, eyeing Faith with disdain. Faith looked down uncomfortably, realising that perhaps she hadn't gone about this necessarily the right way.

"Now wait a minute you two!" Bree said firmly, asserting her authority. "I'll have you know that I love this woman very much and, whether you like it or not, we are in a relationship. Andrew, I'm very sorry for how I acted when you came out to me. How I used to be...I was immature and old fashioned, unable to see the truth- that a loving relationship is right whatever the sexes of the couple in question are. I see that now. I don't expect you to forgive me, just to believe me when I say that I am sorry and I admit that I was wrong."

She looked at Andrew with sincerity and regret, relating all of her emotions to him. He looked at her for a few moments before nodding slightly and stepping forward.

"I...accept your apology, Mom," he said hesitantly. Bree closed the distance between them, gasping in relief as she hugged her son. Faith looked on, touched by the scene, but kept getting distracted by Danielle shooting daggers at her. Bree felt herself glowing. She had formed a truce with her son and brought Faith into her children's lives all in the same night.

"Faith, we've just started dinner so how about you join us?" she asked Faith, eyeing Danielle warningly. Danielle scowled as Faith accepted Bree's offer.

Andrew and Danielle watched in amazement as Faith practically inhaled her food. She was on her seconds before the rest of them had even eaten half of their first serving. Bree coughed, trying to send Faith some sort of message. Faith looked at Bree, her forehead furrowing. Shrugging, she continued her devouring of Bree's food. Danielle gave her mother a look, not being able to fathom why on earth Bree would go for someone so completely different to her. She then returned her eyes to Faith, staring at her in disgust. Faith soon caught on. She paused eating and eyed Danielle wearily.

"What?" she questioned, getting irritable.

"Faith, dear...it's nothing really but, perhaps, you could eat a little more...slowly..." Bree said to Faith politely. Faith swallowed her mouthful and tried to slow down, her face heating up a bit. She just wasn't used to 'polite' or 'formal' dinners. Normally her and Buffy would grab something to eat after slaying and they would be so hungry that the content of their refrigerator would be emptied in ten minutes flat. And it wasn't as if she had grown up with nice dinners either. Faith eyed the Van Der Kamp family as she gingerly picked at her food as they were doing. Bree smiled, happy now, and tried to start up some small talk. Just as she was commenting on the unexpected heat wave, she was interrupted.

"So Faith, how the hell did you manage to turn my mother into a lesbian?" Andrew asked matter-of-factly, causing Bree to splutter in shock. Faith decided the best way to go was to be absolutely honest.

"Not much to tell really. Saw something I liked and went for it. It's what I always say - want, take, have," she said, grinning sexily.

"Gross," Danielle said, suddenly not hungry anymore. Bree turned to Faith and shook her head in disbelief. 'Tact' was not a word to be associated with Faith.

"Fair enough," Andrew said, merely nodding his head and carrying on eating. The rest of the meal was mostly spent in silence.

When dinner was over, Danielle was only too quick to lead Faith to the door.

"Hey, aren't I staying over?" Faith asked Bree, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Danielle gagged and ran upstairs cringing at the thought that Faith had just so kindly put in her head. Andrew only chuckled in disbelief.

"No I don't think that would be a good idea," Bree answered wearily. Faith nodded, very aware that the evening had not gone necessarily as planned.

"See you, Bree, and thanks for having me over," she said gratefully. Bree felt her heart swell as she smiled at the slayer who waved goodbye. Suddenly, a dark figure emerged behind Faith and the sound of handcuffs clicking shut could be heard. Bree watched in confusion as Faith's face turned a deathly white.

"Miss Lehane, you are under arrest for escaping the Los Angeles prison facility five years prior to your release," a deep voice boomed into the silence.

"You've got to be kidding me," Andrew murmured.