S is for Savior

Author note: This one may offend some people…it was not intended to be sacrilegious. Keep in mind that the child in this story has been raised with basically no religion and it is her innocence talking. I myself am not saying anything of the kind that the people in the story say is my own personal beliefs, and they are not.

"Hey…can Jesus be a girl?"

Buffy and Faith glanced at each other, somewhat startled, over their daughter's head. She was seven years old, and even though she was going to play the Virgin Mary in her class's Christmas play this year- irony of all ironies- she hadn't expressed much of an interest in the people she and the other children were representing, or even the story they were, among other non-specifically-Christian ones, performing. Callie had seemed to regard it was just that, a story.

But still…they should have figured that sooner or later she'd start asking questions…

"Um, why do you want to know, Callie?" Buffy asked casually, stalling for time. Her daughter's religious education was not something she and Faith had often, if ever, discussed… on her part, Buffy had hoped to sidestep it entirely, let Callie decide on her own. And Faith seemed to feel the same.

"Can there be more than one Jesus?" Callie asked next, her tone just as earnest as before as she looked up at them both. "Can there be a whole, whole lot of Jesuses?"

Buffy and Faith looked at each other again, once more not having a clue as to what to say to that. Buffy tried for a smile, even as she fumbled for what to say.

"You have a lot of questions today, Callie…any particular reason?"

Callie shrugged in the quick, careless fashion that was pure Faith, even as she absent-mindedly pushed back a strand of blonde hair that more closely resembled Buffy's. "Well we're doing that play and all and Mrs. Reed was talkin' about it…and she said Jesus was a savior, that he came to save everyone. The whole entire world. So I was just thinking…you and Mama and Uncle Angel and Uncle Spike and Aunt Willow and Aunt Kennedy and Uncle Xander, all you guys, and all the Slayers everywhere…doesn't that mean you're all saviors too? 'Cause you all saved the world… and this Jesus only did the one time, you and Mama did a LOT. So does that mean you're even bigger saviors?"

The two women stared at their daughter in astonishment, utter shock in their expressions. For several moments neither could react in any sense. But then Faith started to laugh loudly, going on so long and forcefully that her eyes watered. Callie stared at her with something between confusion and hurt, not understanding her reaction.

"Oh man," Faith gasped at last, shaking her head. "I've been called a devil or a demon more times than I could count…but I never thought I'd live to see the day where I'd be compared to Jesus…and where I came out on TOP of Jesus…"

"Well, aren't you?" Callie demanded impatiently, and Faith started up all over again, barely able to take in a breath.

My child is such a heathen, Buffy thought in near horror, but also undeniable amusment- and she had no idea whether she should be upset or pleased over this.

"Callie, sweetie," she said finally, and she reached out to take her by the wrist, pulling her into her arms. "We're not Jesus…that's something different. We're just women with powers, and we use them to help people, is all. And PLEASE don't say anything about us being saviors to anyone, they really wouldn't like that."

"But a savior is someone who saves people…right?" Callie persisted. "And you and Mama save people…so that makes you saviors. Right?"

Buffy shot a pleading glance at Faith, who just shook her head, still snickering. "Kid has a point, B…you're on your own with this one…"

"Callie," Buffy tried again, taking in another breath. "Jesus is different than us, okay? Just…just trust me."

"Why, 'cause he's a man?" Callie frowned. "Then are Uncle Angel and Uncle Spike and Uncle Xander saviors? Are they? 'Cause they're all men…"

Buffy squared her shoulders, sending Faith another helpless-yet-increasingly-pissed-off look at Faith's continued lack of help, but Faith just grinned.

"Okay, Cal…can we talk about this later?" she said at last. "Tomorrow, next week, next year…maybe in the next three years…"

Surely by then she'd get it, right?