A/N: Sorry, I should have mentioned this earlier. I changed some parts of Chapter 222, please read that Chapter before continuing on to read this chapter. Cheers.

Colorado Springs, Colorado.

As Faith leaned back against her car's trunk, wiping her red eyes as cars whizzed with a chill wind close behind, she shook her head and wiped her nose. The memories with Eileen were ones that were best left buried, 'buried in a landfill, and then burned, before collecting the ash and flinging it into space.' Faith closed her eyes and took a very deep breath. She was aware that Willow sensed something through their psychic link, but she hoped that the redhead hadn't seen what happened between closed doors.

'She's here?' Faith thought as she turned around and walked over to open the passenger-side front door, 'she's here? Why is she here? Why?!' Faith bit her lower lip as she continued thinking, 'why the hell would make her think that I would ever… ever what to see her. After everything she did to me, why the hell would I ever want to welcome her in my life?!' Stopping herself from punching her hand through the trunk of her car, Faith instead picked up the box of food- the young woman could see the condensation rising from the small openings in the take-away box covers- and then placed it on the passenger side seat. Faith closed the door shut, and once the door was closed, Faith saw her own reflection on the window looking back at her. She gulped as the image of the person on the reflection turned into a version of her younger self. The young Faith seemed to be looking back at her older self with a look of resignation on her face, 'I remember those eyes,' the older Faith thought as her eyes went down to the girls' torn clothes after the beatings by her mother, and then the older Faith closed her eyes.

It was as if memories were flooding back into her mind – but Faith wielded enough control for the memories not to travel down the link she shared with Willow. Faith didn't remember her father that well, all she knew about him was that he was Patrick 'Pat' Lehane, a hardy stout man, about six feet tall with black hair and brown eyes; he was an enforcer for a big-time Loanshark in South Boston. He was also an alcoholic, but one day he left and never came back. And Faith never forgot that day.

And then there was Eileen Lehane. The nightmare that plagued Faith when she was just a child, a nightmare that is plaguing her once again. Faith stared at her reflection and recalled how Eileen would beat her, verbally abuse her, and even threatened to kill her once. She told Faith that it was Pat's disappearance that started the abuse, but that was a lie.

'She beat me even when Pat was around… when he was at work,' Faith thought to herself, "when he was out drinking. Oh, Eileen took every opportunity she could to screw with me.' Faith recalled her mother looking down at her as how one would stare at a cockroach before stamping down on in it with a foot. Eileen once even told Faith in one of her drunken tirades that she would beat Faith and then dumb her into the trash.

'But she couldn't,' Faith thought as she turned and leaned back against the car door while putting her hands into her jacket pocket, 'if she did, then who else would she slap and punch until they bled and had bruises all over their bodies.'

Sometimes she would off for no reason, especially when she was drunk. Faith recalled one moment, years after Pat left, that Faith cautiously walked out of her room. She strode past the passed-out Eileen on the couch with several empty bottles of beer and liquor on the coffee table – some were standing and the others were lying in their side. Faith could smell the stench from her room – but she didn't come out to tell her mother she stank of cheap booze. No, Faith left the relative safety of her room to get some lunch for herself.

And as she prepared a sandwich for herself, she hummed a song. She didn't know where she heard it, but it was soothing. So, she continued to hum it while Eileen slept. A few minutes later, she had already put the ham on the bread, and then the cheese, and then the mustard before she was suddenly pulled away. Faith was slammed into the side of a counter on the opposite side before she felt a kick to her side. She screamed in pain, begging Eileen to stop as the latter kicked her another two time before bending down and slapping her.

"Don't you ever, ever hum that tune," Eileen yelled out as she continued to slap Faith while the latter cried out that she would not ever hum that tune again. It would be a few seconds later that Faith lay on the floor of the kitchen in the foetal position. She was crying from the pain of the kicks and the slaps while Eileen staggered back to the couch while rubbing her forehead. Faith remembered her life as a series of beatings and abuse. The bruise on her chest, abdomen, arms and legs were trophies for Eileen… all easily hid by wearing jeans and long sleeved shirts.

'Then I turned fourteen,' Faith thought to herself as she shook her head while closing her eyes, the cold of the breeze brushing the tear stains on her cheek as she leaned back against her car door, 'she ground her teeth as she remembered the men who would come to the apartment after Eileen leaned about the joys of the internet. The woman placed an ad on a non-descript website, and the next day she had men coming to see her.

Faith would be in the room, and she would hear grunts, screams, followed by a man yelling out at God. During the entire time, she would stay in her room – but at least Eileen hadn't been beating her as much. Heck, she wasn't talking to Faith much since she began her business. Every time there was a knock on the door, Eileen would run to the door with a half open robe that showed off her cleavage.. it was something Faith saw when she would open her door very slightly – enough to peek at the type of men who were coming to her apartment.

And what she saw crushed her head. Police officers, firemen, even some teachers from her school, and one day she even saw her school's principle. And when the clients went into Eileen's room which, as Faith would rush past to get to the kitchen for some food, stank of booze and sweat. The additional smells were something that Faith didn't want to concentrate too much on.

As she rushed back into her room, Faith would hear the sounds of Eileen's bed as she grunted. Faith just ran back to her room; she was glad that her mother wasn't hurting her. That changed one day when she was fifteen. One of Eileen's clients, bored with the older black haired woman, stumbled into Faith's room after returning from the restroom. Faith remembered waking up… everything was dark… and then she saw the hulking mass at the foot of her bed staring her down while licking his lips.

She was still… she was terrified… she couldn't scream out. Faith's eyes went wide in horror as she felt his weight on her. Then, after a few seconds, she screamed. For the first time, Faith yelled out for her mother to help her. She struggled with the larger and heavier man who was pawing at her, and she screamed for help. Faith heard a bump from the other room, and then she heard the door to Eileen's room opening, and then she heard her own door slamming open.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Eileen yelled out. The man on top of Faith stopped and looked over his shoulder at the nude woman staring at him, and then her eyes shifting down to her crying daughter.

Faith remembering begging Eileen to help her. Faith remembered blubbering out that she was afraid.

"You bitch!" Eileen rushed into the room and pushed the man off Faith. He tumbled off the bed and fell onto the floor as a crying Faith covered herself up as best she could. It was then t hat she remembered Eileen calling someone a 'bitch'. Faith stared with terrified eyes as Eileen began slapping her on her cheeks, slapping her arms, her legs, and then she punched her gut. Faith yelled out in pain while Eileen yelled out, "he's mine. He and the other guys I fuck bring in the cash to keep your hide in this apartment. The welfare checks I get because of you is the only reason you're here. And now, you try to fucking take him from me? You?"

"Mommy," Faith cried as she went to her side, "please…."

"How much for the girl?" the man said in a gruff voice. Eileen looked up at him as he stood up naked on the other side of the bed, "how much? I already fucked you…"

Faith's eyes went wide in horror as she stared up at Eileen when she looked back down at her and said, "time you earn your keep."

Faith closed her eyes and sobbed when Eileen replied, "four thousand."

It would be a year later, after doing what she had to do to survive, she was being slapped by one of Eileen's clients. It was then, unknown to Faith, that the Slayer, Kendra, died by the hand of the mad vampire, Drusilla. After she died, the power of the Slayer was transferred to her. Faith felt a rush of energy go through her body – she felt so powerful that she beat the guy who was slapping her to an inch of his life.

She let the creep go running off to his family. And from that day, Faith swore to have no one ever hurt her again.

The next day, she met Professor Dormer who came to her apartment to take her away to a better life – at least better than what she had at that point in time.

Then one day, Faith encountered Kakistos; He murdered the Professor in front of her.

Then one day, Faith met Buffy, her rival and fellow Slayer. Faith was jealous of her life.

Then she met the rest of the Scoobies; who tried to be friends with her, but ultimately never understood her. And Faith betrayed them.

Then one day, she met Sunnydale's Mayor; a father figure to her. One that she knew in her heart wouldn't betray her. And Faith wanted to simply belong somewhere… to be a part of his plans for Sunnydale. In the end, Faith betrayed Buffy and ended up in a coma.

Then one day, she encountered Angel again in Los Angeles; and under him, Faith went on the road to redemption – eventually joining Buffy at the Slayer Council.

And then, one day, Faith encountered Willow again; Faith betrayed her again. But eventually the two of them got closer, and then became lovers, and then they were married. And Faith finally felt as if she truly belonged somewhere.

Wiping her eyes as she turned around after leaning on the trunk, Faith saw her reflection on the rear window – she was older, a little more mature, and with more scars that couldn't be seen. But Faith felt as if she was on the way to being healed - she felt the emotional scars around her heart start to close during the years she spent with Willow as her friend, and then her lover, and now her wife. But after speaking to Eileen once again, Faith felt the scars being ripped open once again.

Faith then sighed, and reached down to gather the box of still steaming food in her arms. She then walked over to the rear driver side door, placed the box of food on the roof, and opened the door. Faith reached for the box, placed it on the soft rear seat, and then closed the door once again. Walking over to the driver side door, Faith wondered, 'Why is she here? And how did she get my number?'

As she opened the door and stepped in, Faith wondered what would she say to Eileen if she ever saw her in person. 'I don't wanna see her, at all.'

Faith then drove away from the restaurant and towards Cheyenne Mountain as Faith mentally contacted Willow through their link.

Faith: "Red, can you hear me?"

Willow was drinking some apple juice in a plastic cup that she picked up from the table in front of her. She placed it back next to her laptop after taking a sip when she received the mental call from her wife. Putting down the cup, she leaned back on the raised rear portion of her bed and answered.

Willow: "Yeah, babe. I can hear you."

Faith: "It's my mom, she's here."

Willow: "You saw her?"

Faith: "She called me. No idea how she got my number though."

Willow: "What do you wanna do? Wait a sec, how did she get your number?"

Faith sighed as she continued to drive. What Willow asked was the same question going through Faith's mind. How did Eileen get her number? What could she do next? In her anger, she didn't ask Eileen where she was or how she got her number. 'Maybe I could ask Hank if he knows anyone who can trace the call,' Faith thought to herself before she shook her head again and thought to herself, 'no. I don't care how she found me. She comes anywhere close to me and I call the cops.'

Faith: "No idea how she got my number. But what I do know is that I'm gonna get a restraining order against her, Red."

Willow nodded before she took another sip of her apple juice.

Willow: "I'll support you on that, Faith."

Faith: "Can we go to the observation deck on the top of the mountain? I mean just for some alone time – just you and me?"

Willow: "I can go for that. Just need to ask the nurse for some crutches."

Faith: "After dinner then?"

Willow: "Cool with me."

Faith: "How about you call the guys? I'm fifteen minutes away."

Willow: "I'll call them, Faith. See you soon."

Faith: "See you soon."

Willow knew her history with Eileen, Faith thought to herself. The redhead had seen everything that happened when they established their link for the first time. She felt her anger, her sadness, and her rage. Of all the people in the world, only Willow truly knew what Faith had really gone through as she grew up – and Faith was glad that the redhead would b by her side during this time.

Willow and Faith's Apartment, 2200 hours.

Eileen Lehane told herself that prison changed her. She beat her daughter numerous times, and then she sold her to her clients for extra cash. When Eileen started getting sober in prison, she was hysterical as the memories of what she did rushed back into her mind. She screamed – the walls of her cell seemingly amplifying her screams as she winced at every slap, kick, and punch she delivered to her daughter's body.

In her periods of calm, Eileen would lie on her bed and close her eyes – she would see herself grinning while her baby girl lost her virginity for the first time.

'No, I watched as he raped her,' Eileen thought as she covered her ears as she heard Faith's violent sobs and calls for help to help get the man off her. But all Eileen did was watch. She could still hear Faith's screams in her thoughts. Eileen could hear Faith's screams for help when she sent in more men into her room. All that was important to Eileen was that her clients would pay a premium for Faith… and the former would use that money to good use. The money went to good quality liquor.

And then came the woman who took Faith off her hands. As Eileen reached the door to Faith's apartment, she remembered the woman who came to her own apartment so many years ago. She wanted to take Faith away. Eileen knew she would be losing a lot of money, and so she refused the woman who introduced herself as Professor Dormer. The latter was unhappy, she told Eileen that Faith had a very important destiny.

Eileen remembered leaning in close to Dormer and whispering, "she gets me good money. Why would I ever want to let her go?" As she stepped back, Eileen could see Faith peeking out of her room… she was staring at Dormer. Eileen smirked when she saw the smile from Dormer to Faith.

"A hundred thousand dollars," Eileen said staring at the disgust on Dormer's face before she shrugged her shoulders and said, "you're taking my meal ticket, honey. Momma's gotta eat and drink." Eileen smirked as Dormer set her jaw before reaching into her purse and taking out a cheque book. Eileen saw the woman write a check for a hundred thousand dollars before, just while she was signing the check, she looked up.

"If you ever, and I mean ever, set your eyes on Faith again?" Dormer said tearing the check with anger etched on her face and then handing it to Eileen, "I will personally ensure you get what's coming to you."

The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds before Dormer turned and faced the door to Faith's room while she walked away staring at the numbers on the cheque. Her mind was whirling at what she could drink with this amount of money as she went into her room, slamming the door behind her.

It would be a few minutes later that Dormer took Faith away from her. Neither said goodbye. That night, Eileen called over several of her clients and had a party where the only things served were beer and liquor, and herself. A year later, Eileen would be arrested for child endangerment, drug possession and trafficking, child prostitution, and solicitation.

As she knocked on Faith's door, Eileen recalled her time at prison once again. It was not a good experience, not at all. When no one answered the door, the dark haired older woman suddenly gasped as she placed one hand on her chest while her forehead rested against the door. She was struggling to breathe while she stuffed her left hand into her left jeans pocket and fished out a tube of pills.

Opening the cap with trembling hands, she saw the long sleeves covering her arms fall slightly back and revealing marks along her arm. But she wasn't concerned about that now, she took out two pills and then quickly popped them into her mouth before swallowing them.

The pain in her chest was immediately gone, and Eileen could breathe. She turned and leaned back against the door to Faith's apartment before she started to slide down. Once she was sitting on the floor, she closed her eyes and she took in several deep breathes.

'Regrets," Eileen thought to herself as she opened her eyes and stared up at the stars in the sky, 'I have so many regrets. So many mistakes.' Eileen felt exhausted as she closed her eyes again with only one word on her mind, 'Faith.'

TBC.