Work Text:
Posing For A Photograph
by Ragna
writinggoddess@aol.com
"A photograph is a portrait painted by the sun."
- Anonymous
Faith sat on the balcony of Buffy's apartment, watching the sun move across the horizon. She was sipping the coffee Dawn had gotten her earlier.
It was times like this that she tended to think about all sorts of things. Mostly she thought about her mother and how much she missed her. She thought about what little childhood she had and how carefree it was.
Sometimes she thought about what she termed her "badass years," which was pretty much the six or so months before she arrived in Sunnydale and all the time she spent there, either conscious or in the coma, and then the time she was in Los Angeles before she went to jail.
Not all the memories were bad, but most of them were.
"So, whatcha thinking about?" Dawn asked from behind her. Faith jumped a little, letting some coffee slosh over the side and onto her hand.
"Stuff," she said.
"Stuff like...what?"
"My life kind of stuff, that's what." She patted the chair next to hers. "Sit down."
Dawn sat, careful not to spill any of her own coffee. "So...what were you like before?"
"Before what?"
"Being a Slayer."
Faith thought for a moment. "I was young. Both my parents were alive. I don't talk about my dad much, but that's because I don't remember him much; he died when I was really young, maybe six. All I remember is the smell of his aftershave. He wore Old Spice. And I remember he sang to me, but I don't remember what he sang. And we play wrestled..." She stared into the distance. "I guess I remember more about him than I thought."
"What happened to him?"
"Car accident. He saw one and was helping the driver when someone else headed towards them. Dad pushed the injured driver out of the way but he didn't have enough time to move. Mom, she wouldn't let me see him at the hospital, it was that bad."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm not. He was a good guy. He was doing something good, and he saved the other driver. He was a hero, you know?" Faith leaned back and shut her eyes. "And Mom...man, did she have a lot to deal with. We didn't have much money, even though the driver my Dad saved helped us out when he could. He felt so bad, you know? And I was becoming a little terror. That lasted a few years. And then, I got called. Things were getting better until I got the double punch."
"What happened?"
"Mom ODed. The coroner said it was suicide, but I know it was an accident. She was so stressed all the time, she was taking pills. I think she got the wrong amounts, that's all. And then Kakistos showed up and got my Watcher. Then I ran. Ended up in Sunnydale."
"What happened when you got there? Buffy doesn't talk about it much."
"I didn't think she would." Faith took a long sip of her coffee. "I joined the dark side of the Force. Worked for the Mayor. He treated me like a princess. It wasn't a sexual thing, it wasn't even close to that. I was like the daughter he never had." She smiled slightly. "He was always trying to get me to wear dresses. I think he got me into one just for a picture, and I always did like that dress. It was red, with a bit of a skirt. It was tasteful, but even though that isn't my style, I did like it."
"He got a picture of you?"
Faith nodded. "When I was in the coma, someone ransacked his belongings. The pictures gone. But I remember the day. We were at one of the parks, and I was sitting on a bench in the dress, looking to the side. I wasn't really posing that time. He'd tried to take pictures earlier, but something was always wrong. Anyway, he just snapped the picture. I got to see it. I looked really nice." She sighed. "I won't wear a dress again if I can help it, though. Too many memories."
"What if you get married?"
"Maybe then."
"Do you miss him?"
"Yeah, in a way I do. I mean, now I realize he was evil and I was pretty much a puppet, but then, I was a princess. I've never been treated like a princess before. It was nice." She set the half-finished coffee down. "You know what, Dawn?"
"What?"
"Maybe I would like to wear a dress again after all. Let's go get one."
Dawn grinned and set her cup down. "Sounds like a plan."
"Only, no red ones. A nice, simple black dress, something I can wear the next time Robin takes me out to a nice restaurant."
"That'll shock him."
"That's the point, Dawn." Faith smiled. "Come on, let's get going before I change my mind."
end