Spilling Tea
Spoilers:After Lovers Walk (This was before I found out that the two didn't meet before "Gingerbread".
Summary: Joyce and Giles meet at a cafe near the art gallery to discuss a bit about Buffy...
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Rupert Giles sat inside his booth of the open door cafe as he waited for Joyce Summers to meet him. His hands tapped restlessly as he waited for her to show up. When she walked in, he smiled in relief. He stood as she scanned the small cafe, and saw her greeting smile as she walked over to him.
“Hallo, Joyce,”he said as he helped her into the booth. He hailed a waiter and then sat across from her.”So...how are you doing?”
“I’m fine, Mr.Giles,”Joyce said as she put her bag down.”I’m really glad that you agreed to meet me. I have some questions to ask you.”
Giles frowned at her.”I had thought we had agreed to call me Rupert.”
“Uh, well, yes. I’m sorry, I forgot for a second,”Joyce said, apologetic.”I’m just a little pressed for time, you see. I’ve got to ask you a few things, by the way, how was the retreat you went to?”
“Oh, it was...interesting,”Giles said as he cleaned his glasses.”The ceremonies of the Druids are really quite fascinating...I’ll speak to you of it another time. What was it that you wanted to ask me?’
“First off, did you know that Angel was back?”Joyce asked bluntly. Giles gave a startled look. Joyce glared at him.“So you did know that he was back? And you were going to tell me this when?”
From Joyces’s shoulder a voice asked,”May I take you order now?“
Startled, Joyce looked at the waiter blankly, then at her daughter’s Watcher. Giles quickly ordered for them both,”A plate of scones, please. A cup of Earl Grey tea with cream and sugar on the side. Cappuccino, Joyce?”
She nodded, and then the waiter left. Giles looked at her.”I found out only recently myself, Joyce. A few days ago, in fact.”
“And *no one* bothered to even tell me this?”Joyce asked him furiously. Giles winced at her tone.”Buffy didn’t even let me know that he was back. That psychotic stalker is near my daughter again! I *won’t* have it! I’ll put up with her slaying, but I will *not* have her hurt by a man that’s absolutely out of his mind!”
“Technically, he’s not a man, but a vampire,”Giles said. Joyce stared at him and he winced.”I suppose that Buffy didn’t tell you that part, either.”
Joyce shook her head. Giles sighed and then related the story of Angel/Angelus to her. By the time he was done, the waiter had arrived with the tea, cappuccino and scones. Joyce stared at Giles as the cars nearby honked at each other. Giles squirmed a bit as Joyce looked at him. Finally she spoke.”Bloody Hell!”
Giles winced. Her voice grew louder.”Bloody, Jesus H. Christ Hell! Are you telling *me* that he was the reason *why* my daughter ran away from home? That this maniac was torturing my daughter mentally? That this-”
“Joyce, your voice!” Giles said sharply. Then he said quietly,”Yes, he is. But from what Buffy had said, he’s supposed to be much better.”
“And do you believe this?”Joyce asked bluntly. Giles remained silent. “Mr. Giles?”
“I’m not sure. But I trust Buffy...and so far, that’s enough for me,”he said slowly. Joyce thought about it, then nodded.
“Fine, but I still want her away from him. Mr.Giles, I assume that you know her SAT scores,”Joyce began. Giles nodded.”I want her away from Sunnydale. I want her to go away to college, have a bit of a normal life.”
“Have her away from Angel,”Giles concluded. Joyce nodded slowly.
“That especially. Buffy may love him, but if he ever reverts to losing his soul again...I wouldn’t mind if he was sane like Spike-”
“What?!?” Giles shouted as he jostled the table abruptly. His action had his tea cup overturned, and Joyce quickly gather up the napkins to start soaking the hot liquid up.”Ow! Damn!”
Joyce quickly left her seat and started using her napkins to dry off the front of his tweed vest.“Here! The spilt tea will set if you don’t soak it up now. Waiter! More napkins here please! Thank you.”
Giles stood stoically as Buffy’s mother wiped the front of his chest of the tea stains. Then he grabbed her hands, and sat her down.”What’s this about Spike?”
Joyce looked at him puzzled.”Spike came into the house, that’s how I knew that Angel was back. He was ready to attack Spike and me.”
Giles’s head swam dizzily.“Spike was in the house? With you. And he didn’t attack you?”
Joyce shook her head.”No. Instead he had a cup of cocoa with marshmallows at the counter with me and he was telling me about how his girlfriend Drucilla dumped him. Poor boy. He loves that girl so much.”
“Er, ah, yes, he does. And he didn’t try to bite you?”Giles asked again. Joyce looked at him, puzzled.
“No, why would he bite me? In fact he tried to protect me from Angel,”Joyce said slowly as she saw Giles eyebrows lift and his jaw drop.”What’s wrong?”
“Spike tried to protect you from Angel. Then what happened?”he demanded. Joyce thought again.
“Buffy came in, threw him on the counter, then invited Angel in. And both pinned him down. It was all very confusing, all that I could get out of it was that Willow and Xander are witches and that Spike had them,”Joyce said with a frown.”Did you know that Willow and Xander are witches?”
Giles shook his head.”No, but I’ll speak to them about that. Then what happened?”
“Spike kissed my hand good-bye. Very politely, and then he left with Buffy and Angel,”Joyce concluded.”Now what’s going on?”
Before Giles could answer, the waiter came and asked if he would like a refill. Impatiently, the two waited until the waiter left. Joyce asked again.”What is it that going on? Mr. Giles?”
Giles cleared his throat.”Ah...Spike’s a vampire. And he’s Angel’s worst enemy.”
Joyce stared at him.”But he helped Buffy!”
“What? When?”Giles asked, his mouth gaping like a fish.”How come I never heard of it?”
“On the night that Buffy ran away. He and Buffy hammered out a deal to help save you, and he helped her!”Joyce said, surprised. Giles stared at her.”That’s why she invited him into the house!”
“What?!?”Giles said as jostled the table again. He jumped up as the cappuccino that Joyce had knocked into his new tea and spilled over. Joyce quickly gathered up some napkins and started sopping up the liquids again. Giles stared at the mess that he made again and sighed heavily. Joyce looked at him as she signaled the waiter.
“I think we’d better discuss this in my office, the library or some place that doesn’t have drinks, Mr.Giles. You seem to be spilling tea more than usual today. Any more and you’ll never be able to salvage your clothes.”
Giles sighed as he asked for the check.”It seems that spilling tea is the least of my worries right now, Joyce.”
~Fin.