Buffy's POV

I turn the corner to catch our stalker just as Faith slams them against the wall of the crypt. She grabs what I think is a person by the throat to keep them at bay. Whatever it is looks like an older woman with brown hair and is about a foot taller than Faith. I stop as I see Faith's eyes go wide at the sight of the person in front of her.

"MOM!?"

What? Did she say mom? She thinks this person is her mom?

I look back and forth between them.

There is a little bit of a resemblance I guess. They have the same nose, the same eyes, and I think the same cheekbones.

Faith is just staring right at her with a blank expression.

"Faith?"

I don't really know what else to say.

All of the sudden, Faith's look turns ice cold and she pulls out a stake from her jacket. I close the gap between us as she raises the stake to stab her mother. The woman puts up her hands in fear.

"Faith, sweetheart I'm sorry..."

I grab Faith by the wrist as she's about to strike. She looks at me like I've gone nuts.

"What are you doing B?"

What am I doing?

"I was gonna ask you the same question. You just called this woman your mom."

"That's because whatever this thing is, it looks like her."

"I'm sorry Faith... I didn't want it to happen like this."

Faith lets go of her mother's neck but keeps her stake at eye level to attack if she has to.

"Happen like what?"

"Our meeting again... I wanted it to go better, but he said you spent a lot of time in cemeteries and I had to know why. What was going on with those people and what happened to them?"

Faith and I look at each other for a second. After a second Faith steps forward, thrusting her forearm against her mother's throat and grips her stake tighter.

"None of your business, and who is HE exactly?"

This woman is obviously scared of the way Faith's acting towards her. I can see it on her face. Faith shouldn't be treating her mom like this.

"I... after so many years I, I wanted to know if you were okay. I h-hired a private detective to track you down, he told me where to find you and I came to talk."

She came looking for Faith? Whoever this is, she must really care about Faith to come looking for her like this. Of course she cares, she's a mother.

"Why?"

"Faith, come on..."

"Stay out of this Buffy..."

Faith leans into her forearm a bit more.

"Why? Why come looking for me?"

Isn't it obvious?

"Because you're my daughter and I was worried about you. I love you firecracker."

Firecracker?

"That must be a new experience for you."

What's Faith talking about?

"What do you mean?"

"Caring about me, that's a new thing for you."

What?

"Faith, I always cared about you. You're my daughter."

She steps back from her mother and takes her arm away from her neck.

Well, that's some progress I guess.

Faith scoffs and rolls her eyes at the woman in front of her.

"Bull..."

Or not...

"I do love you Faith. I tried to take care of you as much as I could. I know I didn't do everything I should've, and I'm sorry for all the things I didn't do, but I'd like to try and make up for it, if I can."

Whatever happened, she obviously feels really horrible about it. Maybe if I help, they could build something.

"And what about dying? Are you gonna make up for that too?"

Dying?

I look between them.

"Faith, what are you talking about?"

She looks at me.

"My mother's dead B. This THING, whatever it is, can't be my mom."

I stare at Faith's mom for a second.

She doesn't give off the vampire vibe, she feels human. So what is she if she's supposed to be dead?

"Are you sure?"

"I found her dead on the kitchen floor when I was 14. Dad and I buried her a week later. He disappeared on the one year anniversary. I'm pretty damn sure."

She looks at her mother for a second before speaking again.

"What did you do to him?"

Why is she assuming her mother did something?

"I'm sorry firecracker, I didn't know. I don't know what happened to him. I started looking for you by looking for him. I was hoping I'd find the two of you together. But the detective couldn't find any record of him after 1996. So I came looking for you."

Faith's mother glances at me at my question but then brings her focus back to her daughter.

"And what about the fact that she buried you?"

There are a few moments of silence.

"I... I don't know. I can't remember what happened. I remember... getting drunk one day and passing out, and then the next thing I remember is waking up in a town outside Boston with no memory. I only got it back about a month before I hired the private detective to find you. I was so worried about what might've happened to you all those years. I needed to find you to make sure you were okay."

God, I can't imagine spending that many years not knowing who you are. It must have been horrible for her. And then when she got it back, knowing her daughter was out there alone for so many years.

"So what the hell are you then?"

The older woman gets this hurt look on her face.

"I'm your mother firecracker, you know that."

Faith all of the sudden lunges at her mother, forcing her up against the side of the crypt, pressing her stake to her mother's chest.

"But what are you REALLY?"

Oh for god's sake...

"Vampire? Demon? Some kind of zombie?"

I get in Faith's face.

"She's just a woman Faith. Can't you see that?"

There's gotta be a way to prove it for sure.

I turn to the older woman and look at her fear-stricken face.

Wait, that's it.

Reaching into my pocket, I pull out the bottle of holy water I keep with me. I pop the top off and splash it on the woman's face. Faith and I stand waiting for something to happen, but nothing does.

"There Faith... nothing happened. If she were some kind of demon or something, the holy water would've hurt her. It's not. She's not evil. You can let her go now."

Faith slowly pulls back from her mother, the angry look still there. Her mother keeps breathing heavily in fear. She waits a few moments to see if Faith will do anything else before wiping the holy water off her face.

"Faith, whatever's going on I hope that it will help you trust me enough for us to talk. I know you have no reason to trust me, but I'm not going anywhere until we can talk. I'd like us to try and..."

"Go back to where you came from Mom."

Faith turns around and starts walking away.

"The next time I see you, you won't live long enough to say hello."

She keeps on walking. I start to go after her.

"Faith..."

"I'll see you tomorrow or something B..."

I come to a stop after a few steps.

I should probably give her a little space to deal. I'll go by her motel tomorrow and talk with her. I don't really know what I'll say, but I'll think of something.

The woman Faith called mother not too long ago comes up beside me. I look over at her and she has this somber look on her face.

"I'm sorry..."

She looks at me and smiles thankfully.

"It's all right. She has every right to feel the way she does. I abandoned her for 8 years, even if I didn't know I was doing it. I wasn't the greatest of mothers when I was there either. I was hoping things might have gone better, but I guess I can't do anything about that now."

She puts out her hand and there's a small piece of paper on it.

"My hotel address and cell phone number are on the back."

I take the piece of paper and look at the writing on it.

This is all the way on the opposite side of town from Faith's motel.

"Please let her know that I'm available to talk if she wants to."

She really wants to try and make up for everything. She's not some evil monster trying to hurt us. She's just a mother.

"I will Ms. Lehane..."

"Call me Fray... I understand that it will take time, but I hope that eventually she will want to work things out. I really do love my daughter."

"I can tell. I'll do what I can."

"Thank you, um..."

I hold out my hand to shake hers.

"Buffy, my name is Buffy."

She shakes my hand.

"All right then Buffy. Thank you very much."

"No problem."

She starts to walk backwards and our hands part.

"I hope we talk again."

"I hope so too."

I turn and head off towards home.

I'd go see Faith and make sure she's all right, but I think she's too angry right now to talk about what's bothering her. I'll see her tomorrow.