A Friend In Need
During the summer Buffy ran away, Pat wasn't the only friend Joyce made, but that wasn't a story she could tell Buffy.
That summer, just as Joyce's grief over losing Buffy was settling in around her, preparing to take hold of her entire being and send her on a downward spiral into her own private hell, a new woman moved into the neighborhood.
Joyce couldn't help her curiosity as she looked out her window at the moving van unloading all her new neighbor's belongings. Then, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the smaller, younger woman, who got out of a tiny compact car. Not knowing what she was doing or why, Joyce left her house and went outside to greet the woman. "Hello," she said offering her hand, as she approached the new arrival, "I'm Joyce Summers."
"The smaller woman took the offered hand and smiled eagerly. "Emma Pillsbury."
000
Over the next few days, Joyce got to know Emma a lot better. In fact, she thought that she was becoming somewhat of an expert on the younger woman. Joyce even knew why Emma couldn't eat dairy. Most people would assume that was lactose intolerant or simply too fussy to eat any but Joyce knew all about her trip to the dairy farm and her brother's trick. She didn't mind that Emma didn't eat any or even want to be near anyone who ate any, in fact, she found it one of the qualities that endeared her to the other woman.
Shaking herself out of her reverie, Joyce wondered when the term "endear" come define what she felt for the other woman. It seemed an odd term to describe someone who only a friend and yet that was what Joyce felt.
"Hey, Joyce," Emma called out as she entered Joyce's home. There was no need for knocking between the two women now. "All set for the museum tour today?"
Joyce smiled as Emma came up behind her and touched her lightly on the back. "Sure, Em," she said, "Just let me get my keys." One of the things that had help spawn her relationship with Emma was their shared love of art and Joyce was grateful for that fact. Art had certainly not been something she could discuss with Buffy, not that she could discuss much of anything with Buffy since moving here, she realized with a sigh.
Without even need to know what was wrong, the younger woman moved over to touch Joyce again, this time on the shoulders. "Don't worry, Joyce, she'll come home."
000
Emma smiled a little at the thought of the woman she'd just spent the day with. Joyce was lovely, a true force of nature, but she wasn't overly aggressive, that was something Emma simply couldn't stand, but she stood firm in what she wanted and little by little, she would get it.
Emma drew in a sharp breath as she thought of what she wanted from Joyce, she wasn't sure she *should* want it or that she could handle it if she got it. Emma wasn't particularly experienced in sex with *men,* let alone women. What if Joyce wanted to do something she wasn't comfortable with? Could she really run and never look back? Worse yet, what if Joyce didn't want what she wanted? Surely, Emma thought slowly, she could ask Joyce herself. Then another thought occurred to her, causing Emma's heart to sink. What if she asked and Joyce laughed straight in her face?
000
Joyce sat comfortably in her favourite chair, looking at the window at the dark California night. The sky itself was beautiful, a full moon blazing and giving the impression that there was nothing to dread for the young people out walking the streets. Joyce knew differently though. She shivered, suddenly feeling cold and reached for a nearby blanket, wrapping it tightly around her shoulders.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door and she let out an irritated huff. *Who could it be at this hour?* she wondered. Going to the door and opening it, Joyce was surprised to see Emma there.
Emma took in Joyce's glare. "I hope I haven't come at a bad time." Emma said biting her lip, nervously.
"Not at all, come in." Joyce said, suddenly feeling shaky in her grief.
Joyce headed back to her chair and motioned for Emma to sit down, but she couldn't hold her tears back any longer. They exploded from her eyes in a torrential outpouring of emotions.
"Oh, Joyce." Emma felt lost as to what to do but before long, she was embracing the other woman slightly as she cried.
Slowly, very slowly, Emma brought Joyce's face to her own and kissed her softly. Joyce eventually started kissing back and the two women spent the rest of the night like that, kissing and talking softly. And not a word about a more physical relationship came up between them, that night or ever again.
000
As the days went by, the two women fell easily into their newly defined relationship. Just the slightest touch or hug from Emma thrilled Joyce and warmed her heart beyond words. And Emma simply *lived* for Joyce's kisses. Often they would stay up late into the night, lights off and tongues dueling.
They were like a pair of teenagers, Joyce thought, and she couldn't have enjoyed it more. She might have felt differently, had she known that all that would change shortly.
000
Emma frowned as she looked at the piece of paper in her hand. She'd just received an offer to return to her hometown of Lima to be a guidance councilor. It'd been awhile since she'd had a permanent teaching job and from what she could gather the life expectancy of teachers in Sunnydale was close to nil, and that wasn't really something she wanted to experience. She blinked slowly as she realized she had already made her decision. But Joyce, a small part of her mind nagged at her. What will you tell Joyce? This *was* a very small part of her brain however, so Emma managed to push the thought back and continue her celebrating.
000
This was the third time this had happened. This was the third time she'd stopped by Joyce's house intending to tell her about the job offer, but had found herself unable to do so. Looking at the door one last time, Emma raised her fist to knock, sighed, dropped her fist and left.
000
Joyce woke to the breaking dawn. She could hear some noise on the street and she wasn't sure what it was, but it was breaking through her sleep and disturbing the hell out of her. Heaving a heavy sigh, Joyce pulled a dressing gown over her nightclothes and moved slowly to the living room window.
She had to blink to be able to see in the bright morning, light and then she blinked again. That couldn't be a moving van. Not at Emma's house! Pulling her robe more tightly around herself, Joyce ran out of her house and practically flew next door.
"Hey, wait! Stop!" she called out, but the moving van was just pulling out of the driveway and there was no sign of Emma.
Joyce practically dragged herself back to her front lawn with a weary sigh. She was in too much shock to cry, or even to admit to herself what had happened. Joyce was about to turn and go back into the house when she stopped herself, the red flag on her mailbox was up, someone had left something for her. Intrigued, Joyce opened the mailbox and withdrew the letter. She had to stop herself from crying out in pain when she read the first line. It was from Emma. As Joyce read further unable to stop herself, she learned that Emma had received a job offer to teach in Lima, Emma's hometown. Joyce virtually shock with rage. Why couldn't Emma tell her? Did she really think Joyce would've stopped her from taking the job she'd really wanted? At the very least, they could've spent Emma's last days in town together. Joyce couldn't stop the tears now and she didn't care who saw, as she stood in front of her house, crying in rage.
000
Eventually Buffy came back and there were other things attend to. There was the adjustment to being a Slayer's mother to contend with, a certain dark haired Slayer who was so ad, but seemed compelled to cause trouble and then that whole thing with the Mayor and a giant snake at the high school that Joyce never quite understood completely. But through it all Joyce never forgot Emma and the joy she'd brought her at time she'd needed it most