Breakdown After Sandwiches
Frozen, Joyce stared at the pile of burned books, then her gaze quickly rose to rest on her daughter who was still tied to the stake. The one she used to impale the demon with. Her brown eyes widened as she stared at her daughter. Horror filling her as she began to realize what she almost did to her only child."Buffy..."
"Did I get it? Did I get it?"she asked repeatedly. Before Joyce could rush forward to untie her child or even to answer her, two figures came crashing down from the ceiling.
When the dust cleared, Joyce saw it was Willow's boyfriend Oz and Xander. Oz cleared his throat."We're here to rescue you."
Joyce heard a strangled sound to her right. She turned and saw Willow's mother, Sheila Rosenburg clutch her throat before her eyes rolled to the back of her head, moaning,"Ohh..."
"Sheila!"Joyce shouted as she saw her friend fall gracefully to the floor. A dull roar was filling her ears as blackness threatened to engulf her mind.
"Mom!"Willow yelled from her position near to Buffy."Mom!"
Joyce clutched her head as spots started to fill her eyes. She suddenly snapped back when she felt some one touch her arm, and ordered her, "Don't faint."
Joyce looked at the arm, then followed it to look at the person it was attached to, Buffy's Watcher. He looked at her, his gentle hazel eyes pleading with her."Joyce, I need you. Buffy needs you...can you help us?"
Numbly, Joyce nodded her head. "I can..."
"Wonderful,"Giles smiled at her. Then he stepped away from her, instantly stepped forward, barking out orders."Oz, untie Willow. Joyce, help me untie Buffy. Xander and Cordelia, move Willow's mother to the other room. We must get this dead demon out if here and retrieve most of my books. Move, now!"
Instantly, the room sprang into life as they started to do what Giles ordered. Then Buffy remembered as Joyce tugged with her ropes."What about Amy? She changed herself into a rat!"
Giles stepped around his precious books, trying to get to his Slayer."We'll get her as soon as we can. Willow, do you know a spell of transportation?"
"I didn't get that far, Giles,"Willow wailed as she tugged at her ropes. Oz took out a pocket knife and started to cut away at her bonds."But I do know how to do a small glamour."
Giles nodded as he struggled with a knot."Great. We'll use it to cover the demon. Then we'll work on a locator spell to find Amy and a way to get my books out of here. Move, we have a little time before the police get here."
"Honey,"Joyce started as she attacked a stubborn knot with shaking hands, her eyes filled with tears as blood from the demon started to run down the stake."Oh, God, honey...I'm so-"
"It wasn't your fault, Mom. And we can talk about this later,"Buffy said quickly as she was tugging at her ropes."I've gotta get free and we've gotta do something with this dead demon that's right now ruining my clothes."
"Yes, Joyce, we'll all discuss this later," said Giles soothingly as he managed to get a knot undone. He and Joyce held on to the heavy stake as Buffy managed to wiggle herself free from the loosened ropes. Giles grunted as the stake became heavier without Buffy's support."Let's move this dead fellow away from my books, shall we?"
"Whew! I feel so much better, and nary a blood spot on my hair. Just have to get this smoke out from my clothes,"Buffy grunted as she helped Giles and her mother move the impaled demon away from the pile of books. When the demon was away from the books, the three let go of the stake. Both the stake and the demon fell to the ground with a sickening thud."Ew! Think he'll leave a stain on the floor? But then again who cares? As long as all this smoke gets out of my clothes I'll be fine."
Joyce's voice caught."I can-I can take your clothes to the cleaners, honey."
"Sounds great, Mom,"Buffy said as she hugged her mother. Then she grinned,"But can I get a new outfit from the mall instead?"
Joyce managed to give her daughter a quivering smile."Anything to go shopping, eh?"
"You know my motto, Mom. 'Shop 'til you drop'. It always works for me,"Buffy quipped as she stroked her mother's arm."Right, Giles? Now what's with the frown?"
"Oh? your motto? I thought it was 'Avoid training as much as possible,' Buffy,"Giles said absently as he looked at his books and started to pick them up. His poor and defenseless books. His precious books. "I'm more concerned about what the fire and water did to my books. Some of the volumes that were taken away were irreplaceable. But let's deal with getting rid of the demon first, shall we?"
"Okay, G-man, Mrs.Rosenburg is in the other room and she's not awake just yet. Plus, Willow's with her and Cordy is looking for Amy,"Xander reported as he and Oz came closer to the trio and the dead demon."So now what? How do we get rid of the demon? What do we tell Mrs.Rosenberg? And what's the cover story?"
"I have no clue on how to do any of that,"said Giles as he ran his fingers through his hair."Joyce, do you have your car? We need figure out away to get this demon out of here, my poor books and a cover story for-"
Joyce shook her head as she determinedly pushed her horrifying actions out of her mind."Um, these aren't your book, at least I don't think that most of the books here are. Most of-most of them should be in the other meeting room, Mr.Giles."
Dumbfounded, Giles stared at her as Joyce reached into her pocket with tremblng fingers and handed it to him."Here's the key to it. Conference room C. They're all the way in the back. At least they were there the last I saw of them."
Joyce couldn't look at him just yet. Her voice shook as Joyce tried to think of what she could do to make amends. She smiled faintly at her daughter."Buffy, I can-I can-Just leave the cover story and Sheila to me. All of you just get that demon out of here. And-and I'll make sure that you get your books back tonight, Mr.Giles. You kids help him gather the books while I handle the police."
Giles stared at her."What do you mean that most of my books are in the other room?"
Buffy hesitated,"Mom, are you sure-"
"How is it that Giles's books aren't the ones that got toasted and bathed?"Xander demanded.
"I'll-I'll explain later, just get your stuff from the back of the room and get the demon out of here while I delay to the police," said Joyce as she made shooing motions at the gaping four."Now move. Shoo!"
The four moved to do as she ordered as Joyce made her way towards the front steps of city hall.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Shifting the small box in her hands, Joyce managed to unlock the door to the Summers home as Mr.Giles, Buffy and her Slayerettes, all loaded with boxes of books, made their way into her home."You can all pile these where you can find the space. I think on the dining room table. Just don't knock anything over."
As the small group made frequent trips from the dining room to the Giles-mobile, the Oz-van and the Summers jeep, Joyce made herself busy by making several sandwiches and pouring out drinks.
When Joyce laid the last plate of food out on the kitchen island, the tired teens and Watcher wandered into the kitchen. She gave them all a small smile."Hi. I made some sandwiches and drinks."
"Oh, great, Mom! I'm starving!"Buffy said as she pounced on a ham and cheese sandwich. Xander mumbled his agreement as he stuffed a pastrami and cheese sandwich into his mouth.
Giles said a quiet thank you as he reached for a roast beef and cheese sandwich as Oz said his thanks through a mouthful of salami and cheese.
"Anything fat free here?"Cordelia asked as she looked over the sandwiches."And do you have any cranberry juice?"
Joyce pointed to another plate as she went to the fridge and pulled out a plastic bottle."Turkey sandwich with lettuce and low fat mayo. No cranberry juice, but we do have grapefruit juice. I think Xander already discovered the orange juice and milk."
Xander grinned as he toasted his cup of orange juice at her. Cordelia shrugged as she picked up a turkey sandwich."Grapefruit is close enough. Thanks."
"Is there any more ham and cheese?"Giles asked as he polished off the last of his sandwich."Oh, do I smell some biscuits?"
Joyce nodded as she headed towards the toaster oven and pulled out a batch of biscuits."I popped in some frozen buttermilk biscuits just in case the sandwiches weren't enough. I also have some bread that I baked from scratch two nights ago. They're in the bread basket."
"Take some bread, please. She made *only* four loaves,"Buffy quipped as she talked around a mouthful. She merely smiled angelically at her mother when she was given a slightly admonishing look. Joyce shook her head as she took out the loaves of bread and placed them on the island."Thanks, Mom."
Giles shook his head as he took one hot biscuit."No, no, these are fine. Ow, hot. Any butter?"
Joyce frowned slightly as she headed towards the refrigerator again."I'm not really sure, I'll see. I think I have some other spreads than butter."
"Why is there so much bread?"Oz asked as he picked a loaf and started to slice it.
Buffy shrugged."Mom has lots of excess energy to work off at night. So until I come home, she acts like a Ginsu knife with accessories. She slices and dices. She cooks, bakes and preserves. She especially bakes. Especially loaves of bread. Right, Mom?"
"Well, honey, until I find a way to get rid of all my 'excess energy', cooking, baking and preserving will help me just fine,"Joyce retorted out from the refrigerator.
"Maybe she just needs a man to help her work off her excess energy,"Xander quipped, then gave a 'Don't Hurt Me' smile to Buffy's and Giles's ferocious glares.
Though his face was slightly flushed,Giles narrowed his eyes at the boy."Xander, that was an extremely distasteful-"
"Right, got it, Giles,"said Xander with a sheepish smile and then asked as he munched on his sandwich,"So, Mrs. Summers, now that we've found almost all of Giles's unburnt and precious volumes, I've got a question."
"Aha! Here's some herb butter, raspberry preserves, grapefruit marmalade and apple chutney that I made a couple of nights ago," Joyce said as she placed the four containers on the counter."And what question is that, Xander?"
"Herb butter? Apple chutney? Grapefruit marmalade?"Giles echoed as he eagerly searched the containers, a huge grin on his face when he finally found the chutney and marmalade. "Aha!"
Then, with more enthusiasm than grace, he slathered a healthy amount of chutney on his biscuit, took a large bite from his biscuit, closed his eyes, and moaned happily when the sweet-tart flavor danced on his tongue. "Heavenly."
Finally noticing the silence, Giles opened his eyes and found everyone staring at him. He lifted an eyebrow at everyone."Yes?"
Xander looked at him with wide eyes."First, it's the Frisky Watcher's Chat Room. Now you're orgasmic over chutney. Giles, I think that you're turning into a sexual beast. If this keeps up, we may have to lock you into Oz's cage with some primed up lady."
His face flushing, Giles started to sputter when Buffy made a face."Image there was so not needed Xander. Like some lady would want to get happy with Giles in a cage. Jeez. Talk about some hormonal bondage fantasies."
Cordelia agreed with a grimace."That's like getting a happy in the back of a police car. Though Lara Hannigan said it wasn't so bad when she did it two years ago with Brad Green."
Her face extremely red and definitely not looking at Giles who was coughing up a storm, Joyce scolded,"Buffy, Cordelia, the both of you are embarrassing Mr.Giles. So-what-what was your question Xander, assuming that wasn't it. Was it?"
Buffy gave her flushed Watcher an apologetic look as Xander said,"No, it wasn't, but we can continue that line of thought-"
But at Giles's red-faced glare, Xander,without missing a beat, quickly changed the subject."On a later time. I just forgot my question, what was it? Oh, yeah. Why were the library books in the other room and not being burned?"
Joyce gave him a slight smile."Oh, that. Well, we were going to burn those books, but they were spared by chance, distance, an antique book collector and, I think, greed."
Everyone looked at her, puzzled. Joyce sighed as she closed her eyes and shuddered."Well, after the books from the school library were confiscated, they were put into that conference room, which happened to be farthest from the main courtroom. The books were in the back of the room, because M.O.O. had-ah, raided several other libraries. And then the demon influenced us-me to have a book burning in the courtroom."
Joyce wrapped her arms around herself as she shuddered again."I was about to get Mr.Giles's books when John Vanderhoff, the owner of the bookstore, saw Mr.Giles's books and came up with the idea to sell them to a private organization to promote a state-wide campaign against the practitioners of the occult. Sarah Lawson, the head of the Sunnydale Middle School P.T.A., suggested that we burn the newer books first, then use the older ones as examples. And before you ask, examples of what, I have no clue. Abigail Mathers wanted to use them as bait to capture more witches or witch sympathizers in town. That's when things someone suggested a witch burning and things started to get-get-"
Silently, Giles put his biscuit down as Joyce squeezed shut her eyes and wrapped her arms around her torso tightly. He was ready to go to her, to hold her. Help her get through the memory that was tormenting her."Joyce..."
"Mom? Mom? It's okay,"whispered Buffy as she hugged her mother. She stroked her mother's rigid shoulders until she loosened."It's okay, Mom. It's okay, I'm good. Giles is good. Willow's good. The books are good."
"And Amy's a rat,"Xander quipped."There's always a downside to these happy Hellmouth endings."
"Right."said Joyce as an involuntary chuckle burst out of her. Then she gave Buffy a watery smile."So, can you get Amy back to being a girl soon?"
"Willow's working on it. As soon as she's sure that her mom's not going to question the cover story,"Buffy smiled as she answered lightly."Which, I must say, was a pretty good story, Mom. So how come I never got your lying genes?"
Joyce gave her daughter a small smile."I think that they're dormant. And I'm hoping they'll stay that way."
As she polished off the last of her sandwich and picked another one, Cordelia asked,"So what was the cover story that you guys made to the police, Giles?"
"I didn't make the cover story,"Giles said as he generously spread some grapefruit marmalade on a hot biscuit, sniffing it in appreciation."Joyce did. Whatever she said, it seemed to work."
"I told the police the truth, that while there was a M.O.O. meeting in the other room, a fire somehow got started in the courtroom where some of the books were stored,"Joyce smiled weakly as she looked around the small group."And while most of the people ran to safety and Sheila fainted from terror, while Mr.Giles, Cordelia and the boys were trying contain the fire. Willow, Buffy and I were trying to get everyone to safety and look for a working phone. I thought it best to tell the police that you girls were with Sheila and me the whole time...the two of you were helping us organize and set up the meeting."
Buffy looked at her mother in admiration."Good thinking, Mom. Very worthy of the Sunnydale Excuse for the Paranormal Society."
Joyce smiled faintly as a gleam of tears made her eyes shine."It-it was noth-nothing. Considering the amount of trouble that I caused, it was only right that I make the cover story."
Buffy looked at her mother, then came over to hug her again."Now, Mom. I told you, it wasn't your fault. It was the demon that was controlling your mind. Making you do things that you normally wouldn't think of doing."
"Really?"Joyce sniffed as she looked at her daughter hopefully.
Xander patted Buffy's mother's shoulder."Really. It was like the Mother Bezoar using her hatchlings to control us last year. That sort of mind control. Right, Giles?"
Giles, who has also came around the kitchen island to assure at Joyce, offered her a supportive smile."Yes. I believe that its control started as soon as you saw the supposedly dead children's bodies. And, unlike the Mother Bezoar the demon worked on your fears until you were completely under its control."
"Oh,"Joyce said in a small voice."I see. Well, I'm glad that demon is dead. Does anyone want-"
Cordelia munched on her sandwich."The Mother Bezoar? Was that the yuck thing that made us use pick axes to go after Buffy? The one that had the whole school down in the basement?"
As the circumstances of that particular moment occurred to him, Giles nodded quickly, hoping to avert the disaster that could possibly spew forth from Cordelia's brand of tact."Yes, I believe it is. Now, I must say that I have a question myself. What was the reason that you gave-"
"Hey! Now, I remember it,"Cordelia beamed as she looked at the others."It was the night where I whacked Xander on the head and you guys were all trying to kill Buffy."
Joyce stared at the other girl, then looked down at her daughter in horror."I tried to kill you last year also?"
"Thank you, Cordelia,"Buffy said through gritted teeth."No need to make a comfort situation in a hysterical one."
Cordelia stared at her."What'd I do? I just told her the truth. Everyone that was in the school that night was trying to kill you, not unlike what happened tonight. Only difference is that it was the parents doing it this time, and not us students. With the exception of few possible adults that were in the school."
Seeing that her Mom was ready to do a powerful freak out thing, Buffy gave her mother a soothing smile."Now, Mom. You weren't in control of yourself that time either. It was the-"
"Oh, God. Buffy, I tried to kill you twice,"Joyce cried in horror. Then she burst into tears.
Oz looked at Cordelia."Well, that's certainly one way to thank her for the food."
"Great going, Cordy,"Xander muttered as he glared at her."Just keep hitting her with a mallet until she can't get up anymore. Why not just shoot her and be done with it?"
Giles lifted his hand up to stop the retort that Cordelia was about to say."Enough of this. I think you all should leave now while Buffy comforts her mother."
As the three teens were quietly filed out by Giles, Buffy held her crying mother."Now, Mom. This was before you knew that I was a Slayer. And I know that you were under control of that demon-"
Joyce hugged her daughter tighter as she cried harder and her shoulders started to shake."I tried twice to kill you, baby. Oh, God, I should be shot! What kind of a monster am I?"
Buffy hugged her mother as she tried to comfort her."Mom! Stop. Stop this. It wasn't your fault. That bezoar thing was only trying to stop me from killing it. And the demon tonight was doing the same thing, and see? Other than smoke damage to my clothes, I wasn't hurt!"
Hugging her daughter tighter, Joyce cried harder at that."Oh, God. I nearly killed you. Oh, God, baby. What kind of mother am I? What did I do? Oh, God. Oh, God. What kind of monster am I?"
Nothing she was saying was getting through to her mother, Buffy then joked desperately as she shook her mother slightly,"Mom, if you want to make me feel better, you can get me a new outfit. Mom...Mom, you're not a monster..It wasn't your fault. Mommy..."
When he re-entered the kitchen, Giles hesitated at the doorway as he saw his Slayer's face. She was almost in tears trying to comfort Joyce. Then he looked at Joyce, and quickly came over to them, it was painfully obvious that Buffy had never seen nor handled her mother when she was, in what Willow had called, Joyce's "total breakdown mode".
Cursing himself for an idiot as he approached the two crying women, Giles should have recognized the signs that Joyce was showing. The need to keep busy, the rigidness of her body, the tremble of her lips. The unsteadiness of her voice. Her large brown eyes wider than usual.
"Giles. Giles, she won't stop crying. I can't make her stop crying. Make Mommy stop crying, Giles,"Buffy whispered desperately as Giles walked into the kitchen. Tears filled her eyes as her face crumpled when she looked at Giles.
Giles should have known that this would happen, he had taken cared of Joyce too many times when she broke down like this over the summer. And with each break down she had, with her sad, empty brown eyes and sobbing cries, she broke a little bit of his heart. And added to his guilt in keeping Buffy's secret.
If truth must be told, it was also her tears that helped fuel his determination to find her daughter for her, if only to make her stop crying. He looked at Buffy as he pulled Joyce from her arms."Buffy... Buffy, come, let me-let me talk to your mother. I can-I can help... Joyce... Joyce... look at me."
When Joyce vacantly looked at him through tear-filled eyes, a lump formed in Giles's throat as he as he smiled at her. For a moment, Joyce looked at him. Then squeezed her eyes shut as she clutched her head with her hands, her body shaking. Her throat making a low, mournful animal sound. Giles grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly."Joyce, it's all right, I'm here...Buffy's here. It's all right, Joyce. It's all right. She’s fine, Joyce, she’s fine."
Buffy looked at him helplessly as Giles pulled her crying mother from her arms. For a spilt second, Buffy thought that her Mom had stopped crying, instead her mother had gripped her head as if she were in pain, and made a low-inhuman sound. Then Giles quickly pulled her mom into his arms, bent down and then lifted her. Before Giles swung her mother up into his arms, Buffy saw that her mother's wide brown eyes were tightly shut and her one arm were creeping over her head as she buried her face in the crook of Giles's neck.
Buffy could barely make out her mother's voice as she buried her face at the crook of Giles's neck and whispered a strange mantra in a childlike voice, over and over again."Don't look. All gone. Don't look. All gone."
Tears still in her eyes, Buffy followed as Giles carried her to the couch. Then, to her surprise, Giles settled her mother on his lap as his arms held her in place. All the while, murmuring soothing noises in her ear, his hands massaging her rigid back, shoulders, arms.
"Shh, Joyce. It's not all gone. It's all right, Buffy's fine. Shh, it's all right. Buffy's here, Buffy's fine,"repeated Giles over and over again against as he motioned for Buffy to come closer to her mother. Buffy took her mother's limp hand gingerly as her eyes filled with tears.
When the rigidness was lost, Joyce whimpered as she buried her face against his neck. Giles then started to hum some old tune while he stroked Joyce's hair with his free hand. "It's all right, Joyce. Buffy's here. We're all here."
As her mother finally quieted down a bit, Buffy looked at him, looking a bit calmer and puzzled. He smiled faintly at her."I was doing this for a good part of the summer."
"Oh...I see,"Buffy said in a little voice. Her eyes filled with tears again and her mouth trembled. She had never seen her mother break down like this before. When she came back and everything was cool between them, Xander said that her mother was such an emotional wreck that he, Willow, Oz and Giles were seriously worried about Mom Summers's sanity while she was gone. At the time, she thought he was exaggerating. He wasn't. "Mom...I'm so sorry, Mom."
Joyce's eyes remained tightly shut as she buried her face against Giles's neck. Buffy's eyes teared up as she heard her mother whispering again,"Gone..all gone...everyone's gone..."
Giles gripped Joyce tighter as he made out her words. He shook her slightly."No, Joyce. Not gone, here, sweet. I'm here...I'm here, not gone, Joyce...And Buffy's here..."
"Mom...I'm not gone,"Buffy whispered, her voice hitching."I'm here. Right here, Mom."
Giles eyed Buffy worriedly as Buffy's lower lip started to wobble violently and new tears started filling her eyes. One emotional Summers woman was, to say delicately, difficult to handle. To handle the two of them together..."Buffy? Buffy? Are you going to start to cry?"
"Not gonna cry,"came back a sniffing little voice. Giles lifted his left arm and Buffy immediately went under it. Her head was against his chest as it rested on her mother's breast."Mommy, I'm here. I'm not gone. I'm never gonna run away again."
"Buffy's here, now, sweet, she's right here. Buffy's here, Joyce,"said Giles as he stroked Buffy's hair. Kissing Joyce's forehead softly and speaking in a low, coaxing tone, he whispered, "Joyce...Joyce, sweet, look at me. Buffy needs you. Buffy's here and she needs you. Joyce...sweet... Joyce..."
Slowly, Joyce heard something, and started to realize some one was crying. And some one was calling her. Focusing on the sound, she was startled to know that she recognized those voices. It was Ripper, no, not Ripper...it was Rupert...not Rupert, it was Giles that was calling her, and vaguely she was aware that a part of her was embarrassed. She listened some more and again was vaguely startled to know that she knew who was crying. It was her daughter was crying. Buffy was crying.
Joyce lifted her head. Her daughter was crying. Anger started to fill her. Who hurt her baby? Why was her baby crying? Joyce slowly opened her eyes and saw Buffy's head lying on her chest, crying. Calling for her. Calling for her Mom. Buffy was crying. Because of her. Because her own mother tried to kill her. What kind of horrible mother was she?
Tears filled her eyes again as Joyce reached out and brought her daughter closer to her, and her trembling hands stroked her baby's golden head. "Oh, honey. Baby, I'm so sorry. It was all my fault, I never wanted to hurt you-I should have fought those demons harder. I never should have tried to go patrolling with you. I should have-"
Her eyes filled with new tears, Buffy lifted her head from her mother's soft hands."It wasn't your fault, Mom. You didn't know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I hurt you when I ran away, Mom. I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry. I'll never do that again..."
Joyce's lower lip wobbled as she gently kissed her daughter's forehead and wiped the tears from her daughter's eyes."I know, baby. I know. Shh, I know. I'm so sorry for hurting you too, honey. So very sorry. I love you, honey. More than the entire world, I love you."
Sniffing, Buffy's eyes teared up again."I love you, too, Mom. I'm sorry that I ran away-I just-you weren't-it wasn't-you didn't make me run away, Mom. After all that happened...after all the pain I caused...I was hurting, Mom...I didn't know what to do. Where to go. It was everything that happened that made me do it, Mom. I won't ever do that again."
"I know, honey. I know,"Joyce soothed as she pulled Buffy into her arms. She gave her daughter a wobbly smile and a maternal look."Listen to me, I love you more than anything and no matter what you do or what I say or whatever God knows what will happen in Sunnydale, nothing will ever change that fact. Is that understood Elizabeth Anne? You're my baby and I love you."
Buffy smiled faintly."Understood."
Joyce then gave her a half-serious glare."Good. Now, let it be known that you had better not do that again, else I'll hunt you down and whip your little butt. Okay?"
"Okay, Mom,"Buffy sniffed as she gave her mother a watery smile. "I guess that we're both okay, now."
Tears still in her eyes, Joyce smiled back."I guess that we are. I love you, honey. More than anything."
"I love you, too, Mom,"Buffy said as she rested her head against her mother's chest. Joyce's hands came up to hold her daughter's head against her beating heart.
Joyce heard a small cough in her ear."I hate to break this-uh-up. I mean, this is-this is--wonderful. But if you're both all right and you two know that you love each other, can I get up now?"
Startled, Joyce half-turned to look into a pair of hazel eyes. It took her a second to realize that she was sitting comfortably on Mr. Giles's lap. Again."Oh. Oh! I'm so sorry, Mr.Giles!"
He was vaguely aware of Buffy struggling to get off the couch and not for the first time, Giles watched a fiery blush spread from Joyce's porcelain cheeks to her throat as she scrambled to get off of his lap. Then he grunted when her hand slipped, and landed near a sensitive part of his anatomy.
With some embarrassed amusement, Giles saw Joyce freeze the second she realized where she her hand was, and then bolted up off the couch. He bit his inner lip as he noticed that Joyce's face was a deeper red than before. The imp in him urged him to see just how much deeper her blush could be. He winced as if he was in pain as he rose off the couch and stuttered,"Oh, that was- was...my legs are feeling much better now."
Her face a deeper red than before and not looking at him, Joyce ran her fingers through her hair, making her look more delightfully disheveled than before."I'm so sorry. About that, Mr.Giles. I-I don't know what came over me. Again. I don't remember how I got-I'm-I'm so sorry-"
"Sorry, Giles. Didn't mean to use you as a pillow,"Buffy added as she smiled at him sheepishly. Then she looked at his shirt, and grimaced."Or as a handkerchief."
Joyce's brown eyes widened as she noted a huge wet stain on his shoulder as Giles looked at it and shrugged."It was not a problem, Buffy. Not a problem at all."
With the imp in him not fully reined in, Giles looked at Joyce and smiled gently at her."I sort of got used to being used as a kerchief over the summer."
"If-if you would give me your shirt, I could wash and iron it for you, Mr.Giles,"Joyce smiled hesitantly at him. Her face was growing redder by the second, and her brown eyes still avoided looking at him directly."Especially since I was the one that made a mess of it. I'm so sorry..."
Taking her fluttering hands in to his, Giles smiled gently at her."That's quite all right, Joyce. I can wash it myself. Uh, but if you're willing...can I have a container of apple chutney the next time you make it?"
Joyce looked at how his hands engulfed hers for a moment before pulling them away from him, then smiled shyly at him, her brown eyes shining."Sure. I'll-I'll be sure to make some extra just for you, Mr.Giles."
"I'd like that, Joyce,"Giles said softly as his gaze caught hers. "Thank you."
Looking from her mother to Giles and back again, Buffy frowned at her mother."Mom? I think that you can call Giles 'Giles', now. 'Specially since he's calling you by your first name. Especially after what the two of you have been through. Between the summer, the Band Candy thing and tonight."
Giles stared at Buffy, his face turning beet red as Joyce stared at her daughter."Wha-what?"
Buffy shrugged as she smiled at her mother and Giles."Well, from what Xander told me, you spent the whole summer doing a waterworks display, and from the way that you were sitting on Giles's lap, he was the hankie that dried you up."
Biting her inner cheek to keep from laughing, Buffy watched the two adults in her life look like they had a hand in the cookie jar. She added,"Then there's that whole teenage and tonsil hockey thing you two had when you ate the candy. And the whole book and burning fiasco thing that happened tonight. So I guess after all this, you can call him 'Giles' or 'Rupert' now, Mom. Which, now that I'm thinking about it, don't call him by his first, it's a real weird name. so just call him 'Giles', Mom."
Her face red, Joyce smiled tightly at her daughter."Ah-I'll give that a thought, honey."
"Uh, 'tonsil hockey'?"Giles asked, trying to dechiper what Buffy was saying.
Buffy rolled her eyes."Yeah, you know, 'tonsil hockey'. It's the night I'm still trying to repress 'cause it's the night when you and Mom were under the influence and couldn't keep you hands and lips to yourselves. You know, finding you two like that, still gives me the wiggins. Sure glad that I caught you before you two got to home plate. Anyway, after the waterworks tonight, think you can drop the 'Mister' part, Mom."
Her face still red, Joyce nodded her head as she smiled stiffly at her daughter."Like I said, Buffy. I'll keep that in mind. Mr.Giles, good-night. Buffy, I'll run the bath for you."
Buffy winced when her mother disappeared upstairs."Uh-oh. Think I'm in for a motor-mouth lecture."
Giles smiled faintly at her."Is that the lecture where she gives you the maternal look that evokes guilt at the words that weren't supposed to be said? How could you know?"
"That's the lecture,"Buffy grimaced as she walked Giles to the door."And I know, 'cause she didn't call me 'honey' or 'sweetie' or 'baby'. She calls me those when she's happy with me. If she calls me 'Elizabeth Anne' at anytime, I know for sure that's a sign for either a serious lecture or that my bottoms's gonna be tanned but good."
Giles nodded."Ah. And what does 'got to homeplate'-"
"Doing the whole pelvic thing. Getting the happy, Giles,"Buffy said with a red face."And, let's drop the subject. The thought of you and Mom almost doing that-I'm repressing. And from the looks of it, Mom is repressing. Well, better get it all over with. Night, Giles."
Giles froze at that."She's-she's- You think that she's repressing the night we-uh-hung out together?"
Buffy stared at him incredulously."Duh. Wouldn't you? Acting like an irresponsible teenager and getting caught at it by your kid doesn't exactly give you leverage in parent-kid arguments. You must be more burnt out than you know if you're slow like this, Giles. Go home, tomorrow's Friday. You can come over and pick up the books then. Night, Giles."
"Yes. Yes, I-I-I suppose that I am,"Giles said with a faint smile as he started to walk out the door."Good night, Buffy."
"Hey, Giles, wait a minute,"Buffy called out. Giles stopped and looked at her quizzically. Buffy narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. "It just occurred to me...Was I imagining it or did you call Mom 'sweet'?"
Giles lifted an eyebrow at her, hoping that his face was registering surprise."Why would I call your mother 'sweet'? I called her 'Joycie', Buffy. She responds to that name quicker than 'Joyce' when she's in that highly agitated state."
"Oh, I could've sworn that you called her 'sweet'. Sorry,"Buffy said, mollified."Well, that's okay then. Night, Giles."
"Night, Buffy,"Giles said as quickly walked out the door."I will see you tomorrow."
"Bye."
Giles walked slowly to his ancient Citroen parked in front of the Summers driveway. When he reached his door, he looked up at the Summers house. His gazed zeroed in at a light. At the light on the second floor. In the room that he knew to be Joyce's."Are you repressing that night, Joyce? Are you repressing the time when you called me 'Darling'?"
Then the light in her room simply winked out. Not giving him any answers.