Abryxis- I just want to say how terribly sorry I am for your Buffy predicament. Feel the waves of sympathy vibes flowing off me and heading toward you. I can't believe how you were deprived of Buffy's final seasons. Yes that is like a prison sentence. A prison sentence on Death Row. And then to be given hope for Season 6 only to have it dashed by bad quality? I think you need Anyanka's pals (possibly Halfrek) to reap a little vengeance there! But I can see how a station that disapproved of the same sex relations,demons etc would be very against Anya also as she sums all of the above up in a blunt crude form. Onlyfive episodes of season 6 and none of 7 though? I really do feel sorry for you. Here is a virtual hug (and yes, saying Buffy isn't worth it is officially sacrilegious[man that's a word I can't spell) Well, hopefully my little fanfic will help you catch up on the seasons as well (I can't believe you said this was one of your all time favorites. I got all of a dither when I read that. It's all with the blushing...and the ego inflating...you are going to turn me into some crazy ego absorbing monster-demon-thing). And about Tara's death...well, all I will say is that while tragedy will strike in the season finale, I love Tara too much. ;-) Heheh. And yes, Wicked Willow (Darth Willow/Dark Willow) was part of the season 6 finale and she will be in this one. She wasn't a fanfic. Thank you so much for the review- I love receiving them so much, and remember- I have the uber sympathy over your Buffy plight. I'll even put on my sympathy hat (If I had one) (Which I don't) (Man, I'm rambling, I must be tired) (90 minutes is enough sleep, right?) (Nah, never mind. No rest for the wicked...or me...apparently)

Rabidreject-Why tamper with a classic, I always say. If you feel there is no other way to describe my work, but awesome, feel free to say awesome. I will not complain. Hehe. Glad you liked it though and thanks for the review.

Zigpal- Yes, and so shalt the walking around of Joyce begin. So shall it be. And well things will, I think anyway if my plans go to erm...plan, be going wicked differently after Once More With Feeling. Although before then they'll be going off a bit as well. Tganks for the claparized review as always.

Dawn was a bit late home from Janice's. Okay, an hour late her Mother might consider more than a bit. But it wasn't like she'd walked home- Janice's Mom had dropped her off and it wasn't like Joyce didn't like Janice, and she fully trusted Kate.

Still, Dawn walked in with her head hung low, hoping to avoid eye contact with her Mom when she walked in. But closing the front door she saw Joyce wasn't in the front room or the dining room. Dawn frowned in confusion, looking round, but saw neither her Mom nor Giles anywhere and Buffy she just assumed was on patrol again.

"Mom?" Dawn called out, but there was no reply. Instead she heard the sound of voices upstairs. Intrigued, she followed the sound till she reached the top of the stairs where the voices became clear and the words they were saying became decipherable.

"The Council?" She heard her Mom saying from the bedroom Joyce shared with Giles, "You think you...we...should go-why?Why now? You've never shown any agreement with their procedures before"

"Yes, I know," Giles said in a patient tone though Dawn could tell through his voice that he was fast losing it, "But Buffy's is a special circumstance. Her return would require some form of a re-"

"That's it, isn't it?" Joyce cut him off, her voice knowing yet annoyed, "You want to ask the 'Council' about their opinion on the whole thing. You still think there's something wrong with Buffy don't you? We've been through this"

"Apparently not enough," Giles replied, "This isn't natural in the first place Joyce, there's going to be problems. Problems we ourselves don't have knowledge on"

"And they will?" Joyce challenged, "They're useless. You're just in search of finding something substantial to place your ridiculous theories on"

"They' are not ridiculous and you know it," Giles pointed out, "And that's why you're getting so entirely affronted by the suggestion."

"No," Dawn could practically hear her Mom shake her head firmly in defiance, "You, you are just looking for problems where there are none"

"And you are in denial of them where they so blatantly are"

"Can't you just be happy about it?" Joyce pleaded, "Just be glad...enjoy it, be relieved, anything?"

"I am happy," Giles told her, "But you know as much as I that-"

"No"

"You can't live in denial of it Joyce," Giles told her, "I wish I didn't have to be the bearer of harsh reality among this entire group but you and the others, even Buffy herself, are going to have to face up to it sooner or later. That something-"

"No," Joyce cut him off. Dawn, even though their voices were muffled through the door, could tell they were shouting now, "I am not having this conversation again, okay? It's finished"

Dawn quickly ran away from her vigil on the stairs and into her bedroom as she heard her Mom walking towards the door loudly, clearly in a mood with Giles. She closed the door behind her, listening for her Mom walking past and then Giles, before she would walk out of her bedroom.

As she thought on what she had just heard, Dawn felt something that was like childlike-dread in the pit of her stomach. The arguing between her Mom and Giles just then had sounded so like when her Mom and Dad had been arguing all the time. Shortly before the separation. Shortly before the divorce.

"Dawn eat your breakfast," Joyce encouraged as she came into the kitchen with the mail.

"Not hungry," Dawn told her as she looked down at her bowl of cereal and meant every word of what she said. Her worry over her Mom and Giles arguing was seriously ruining her appetite.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Dawn," Buffy told her as she turned on the kitchen tap, "It's unbelievably important," She continued in a trance-like voice as she watched the water pour from the tap and both Joyce and Dawn looked at each other worriedly before looking at Buffy in concern, "You should eat breakfast at least three times a day" Suddenly the water was cut off and stopped flowing from the tap, breaking Buffy out of her chance.

"Has that cut off again?" Joyce asked in annoyance, attempting to sound as though everything was normal, "It's that damn pipe downstairs." She shook her head, resolving to solve the problem in a bit, before returning to shuffling through the mail, mentally dividing them into piles of Bills, Junk and Personal.

It was while she was doing this that Giles walked into the room.

"Rupert, you said you were going to call the plumber," Joyce reminded him without looking up from her task of mail shuffling.

"Oh bugger," He cursed as he realized how he had forgotten completely and seeing this, Joyce put the mail down on the table, looking across at him in exasperation.

"It's been like that for days," She reminded him, "I said I would call a plumber myself at work, but you told me you had it covered"

"I did," He insisted, "It's just with everything-" He sighed, "I will call one today"

"Don't bother," She told him, as she grabbed the cordless off the side, "I'll call one now." She pointed at the sink as she dialed one handedly, "If that water cuts off one more time while I'm using it..." She didn't finish the sentence, but the implication of how mad it would make her was there. "Hello? Yes, I need a plumber...well, right away really" She said into the phone as she walked out of the room carrying on the conversation.

"So Buffy," Giles said, attempting at casual as silence fell on the kitchen, "I was wondering whether you had-"

"Any plans? As in today?" Buffy filled in and she shrugged, "I dunno...it's just weird making day-to-day plans again after...you know"

Giles nodded in understanding.

"Yes, but perhaps it would be best to form some form of routine. Get you back on your feet after-"

"Lying flat on my back?" Buffy finished bluntly, making both Dawn and Giles uncomfortable. "I don't know yet..." Buffy continued, "I guess routine is good...I'm just not sure what I want that routine to be yet"

Everyone was saved responding to this as Joyce's voice got louder as she obviously got annoyed at whoever she was talking to on the phone about the plumbing.

"What do you mean you don't take credit- that's just ridiculous. How am I supposed to have the right amount of money in the house for- set deposit? Right...wait, how much? And that's just the set...well that's completely out of...will it cost me anything for you to merely look?"

"I sense issues..." Dawn commented with a wince and a moment later Joyce came back into the kitchen, clicking the end call button on the phone.

"Well," Joyce stated setting the phone down on the island in annoyance, "Guess that's means I'm taking a trip to the bank today. Set deposit- can you believe that?"

"How much?" Giles asked and Joyce just gave him a look.

"You don't want to know, trust me," She told me, "Well, I guess I'll have to go to the bank in a bit. Before work"

"I could come with you," Buffy suggested with a shrug, "You know...get out of the house...maybe. Or something," Buffy seemed to force herself to smile as she looked at Giles, "See- I already have my first plan for the day"

Giles smiled back at her with a nod, but deep down he wasn't as easily convinced, and he knew, even though she continued to deny it, Joyce wasn't either.

Despite Buffy's almost-enthusiasm about the trip to the bank, earlier on in the kitchen, the drive to said bank was painfully quiet. Buffy didn't appear at all eager for any form of communication and Joyce had no idea what to say.

"S-so is there somewhere in particular you want to go after this?" Joyce asked, making an attempt at casual, "I could drop you off...I mean, I assume you won't be wanting to come along to the gallery with me," She laughed a little and was relieved when Buffy smiled back.

"Just home I guess," Buffy told her, "Not really up to doing the hanging thing today. Just wanted to get out of the house a bit"

"Well," Joyce said after making an effort to nod in agreement, "Just as long as you're keeping yourself busy. Wouldn't want you to get bored in that big old house when nobody's home" She joked again, but this time only got a tight strained smile in return.

Thankfully, the bank came into sight and Joyce pulled over at the curb.

"Ooh, look- bank," Buffy pointed out, making to sound like a tourist before she undid her seatbelt and got out of the car at almost exactly the same moment as her Mom.

Joyce almost pointed out to Buffy that she was only going to the bank's ATM outside, so there was really no reason for her to get out of the car also, but she stopped herself just in time as any sort of willingness to do anything on Buffy's part had to be viewed as a good.

"Have you ever noticed that ATMs sound like a drum roll before they give out your money?" Buffy pondered aloud as they walked over, "It's like ta-da! Cash!"

Joyce gave Buffy a wry smile at this comment.

"Sometimes, I swear, I don't know what goes on in that head of yours," Joyce told her with a shake of the head, but really she was ecstatic at Buffy's quirky ramblings. It was how she had been before...well, before everything. She never seemed to be like this when the entire group was around her though and Joyce wondered whether that was the problem. Maybe all that was the matter was that overly large crowds were a little overwhelming for Buffy right now- after all, she'd nearly, well she had, fallen into banter with her Mother. That had to be a good sign, right?

Reaching the ATM, Joyce deflated as she saw the sign that was up on the monitor. MACHINES OUT OF SERVICE. Marvelous.

"Oh darn," Joyce said, pursing her lips in annoyance and peering through the doors of the bank to see the size of the queues inside. They weren't that bad, "Guess we'll just have to ask inside instead. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Buffy shrugged, walking in before Joyce had even started to head in that direction.

Five minutes later and they were still in the queue.

"It seemed shorter from outside," Joyce defended when Buffy glared at her, but yet again she wasn't really tired or annoyed at Buffy's reaction. Glaring was good, glaring was emotion and emotion meant that Buffy was finally getting over her time in...hell. She was getting back to normal. A normal girl who was still a Slayer...but still, normal. Huh, Joyce thought, that'll show Rupert.

Suddenly, as though out of no where, a security guard went flying through the air past Buffy and Joyce and smashed through one of the windows. Ah, there was the not so normal part.

"Oh great," Buffy grumbled with a serious frown as her eyes landed on the tall, green demon (oddly enough who was wearing a red shirt over a black top with trousers. A contrast to be sure) that had barged into the bank creating what could only be described as one hell of a riot. Next the demon picked up a bank customer and tossed him after the security guard. There were screams, but for some odd Sunnydalian reason- none of the other customers actually made a move to get out of the demon's way. They just stood there and screamed. "I'll be right back," Buffy told her Mom as though she were just popping off to the ladies room, before rushing over to the demon.

The demon paused in it's roaring and destruction-causing-activity when Buffy stood in front of him. He looked down at her as though wondering what the heck she was doing there.

"Are you in the wrong line?" She asked him, "That's for deposits, that's for withdrawals and this one? Is for getting kicked in the face" Before the demon could even start to reply she delivered a sharp and powerful high forward front kick, causing the demon's jaw to crack loudly and his head snapped to the side. "Told ya," She said with a shrug.

The demon backhanded her so powerfully in response, she was sent rushing along the floor into one of the barriers. She shook her head for a second, before jumping back up, no worse for wear.

The demon headed for her again, but he could barely touch her before she hit him with three roundhouse kicks in quick succession, sending him staggering backwards. They immediately engaged into a full-on fight, one in which Buffy was quickly gaining the upper hand. That is, until the demon picked her up off the floor and held her in a rib-crushing grip.

"Buffy!" Joyce exclaimed, not quite sure what she could do to help, but knowing she had to do something. She automatically stopped mid-run however when there was the loud sound of a gun being fired into the air. The whole bank seemed to freeze at this sound and the guard immediately became nervous at the fact that everyone, including the wicked looking demon, was paying attention to him.

"P-put the girl down," He stuttered, pointing the gun at it. The demon roared and threw Buffy into the security guard and the two went crashing to the ground from the impact. Buffy quickly told the security guard that the weapon wasn't exactly helpful in these situations, tossed it aside (causing it to go off again) and jumped back up to attack the demon. She got in a few good solid punches to the demon's jaw, arms, and torso, before it seemed to decide it was fighting a losing battle and it ran out of the store.

"Chicken," Buffy muttered, before looking around for her Mom, who although had been on the floor moments ago after the sound of the gunshot, was now up and helping others get their balance back as well, "So," Buffy said, walking over, "Should we go get that withdrawal now?"

"A demon? At the bank?" Giles asked incredulously at the Magic Box later on. Almost immediately after the 'little' event at the bank, Joyce and Buffy had got in the car and canceled out any plans for the gallery or home and instead headed straight to the magic shop.

"Big, green, scaly- and wicked-strong," Buffy told him.

"Hmm," Giles said thoughtfully, before saying, "Surprisingly, that doesn't seem to narrow the demonic society down too much"

"Does this mean we're hitting the books?" Xander asked from where he stood with Anya. He paused, looking at everyone questioningly, "I just got way too excited about that didn't I?".

Giles nodded, "I suppose research is our best course of action now"

"But all of us?" Anya whined, but smiled tightly when she saw Giles' look, "I mean yay- research party..." And she wandered off to the table with Xander.

"I think I'm gonna sit this one out," Buffy told them all, "Might be better if I train. Giles?"

"What?" Anya yelped, "You make us research and then you don't. You can't do this to us," Anya told Giles firmly, "It's unethical and...unamerican"

"Yes, I'm sure," Giles said sounding not at all convinced, but more as though he were merely pacifying Anya, "Well, c-call Tara and Willow- see if they can help"

"Fine," Anya grumbled in acceptance before heading over to the phone.

"Giles?" Buffy called. She was already at the training room door.

"He'll be there in a minute," Joyce told her and she nodded in acceptance before walking into the back room.

"I will?" Giles asked Joyce, "Why?"

"I just wanted to talk to you a moment"

"Yes?"

"About Buffy," She told him, "Today at the bank, she was almost her old self again. Making jokes and she fell into the Slaying with ease- no complaints. See, she's adjusting fine"

"Why are-"

"Because you keep saying that she's not adjusting. That there's something wrong with her," Joyce replied before he could even finish asking his question, "And today just showed that there isn't."

"Why are you telling me this?" Giles asked in a not unkind way and Joyce frowned.

"Because you've been saying that Buffy isn't okay and I just wanted to show you that she was...oksy tha is, and after today, she showed she was okay and so I wanted to tell you what happened...and I have now told you..." She stomped her foot slightly in frustration, "Stop making me babble"

"I'm not doing anything," He protested calmly.

"Yes you are," She insisted, "You've got that look you get, when you think your view's the right one and you believe everyone will just have to catch up to you soon. But no- this time, I'm right- I know Buffy's fine"

"No, you want to know Buffy's fine," He countered, "The only one of us who can truly be sure is Buffy and as she has stated numerous times she doesn't wish to talk about it...which is worryingly enough really."

"I-"

"Joyce, you said today she fell back into Slaying with ease," He said and she nodded, "And she wants to train now, but it all seems to be terribly methodical. And that's not Buffy"

Joyce didn't say anything in reply for a moment, but he could see her frustration mounting.

"I've got to get to work," She told him, grabbing her purse and walking out the front door.

"Hey," Dawn smiled as she got in the car when her Mom picked her up at the end of school.

"Hi, sweetheart, have a good day?" Joyce asked the usual Mom-questions as she pulled away from the front of the high school. She remembered when Buffy was in High School, she hadn't picked her up everyday in the car, but that was because Sunnydale High had been so much closer to home that Dawn's High School. Dawn's was a little out of the way and the only way to ensure she got home safely was to pick her up and drop her off personally. Not that Dawn ever complained. A ride was a ride.

"Yeah, well, Siobhan was a total bee-otch in Art today...but otherwise all a good."

"Dawn..." Joyce said warningly.

"Well, she was," Her daughter shrugged in response, before falling into contemplative silence as she looked out the side car window as they drove past the southern Californian homes. Joyce knew something was wrong. Dawn was never this quiet. She was never quiet full-stop.

"What's wrong?" Joyce asked kindly and mom-all-knowingly.

"Nothing," Dawn told her, not taking her eyes away from the 'sights' she could see through the car window.

"C'mon, you can tell me anything," Joyce told her sincerely and Dawn seemed to relent.

"Mom...areyouandGilesgettingdivorced?"

It took Joyce a moment to decipher the jumble of words, but she eventually figured out what Dawn was asking.

"What? What on Earth gave you that idea?"

Dawn shrugged.

"You're just arguing a lot lately." Dawn pointed out, not looking at her Mom as she said it.

"Couples argue Dawn. It just happens sometimes. It doesn't mean...it doesn't mean anything"

"It did with you and Dad," Dawn countered, clearly uncomfortable saying it, but saying it nonetheless.

"That...that was different," Joyce told her simply. She had never told Dawn of Hank's 'activities' in the office with his secretary (talk about living the cliché) and she never intended to. "Rupert and I...we're just...we just disagree on a few matters lately. That's all."

"So you're not getting divorced?" Dawn checked and Joyce shook her head.

"No"

"And you're not gonna like have a 'separation' like Jennifer's parents?"

"Dawn..." Joyce said tiredly and Dawn stopped asking questions. But what really worried Dawn was that while her Mom had said no about divorce, she had chosen not to answer as regards to separation.

"You're not doing research Dawn,"

"But Mom-" Dawn whined as a pile of books were slid along the table by her Mother, out of her reach.

"No, buts. I said we could stay at the Magic Box, while everyone's here researching. But you don't take part in it. Are we clear?"

Dawn, not to be defeated so easily turned to Tara.

"Tara, aren't I so old enough to be doing research?"

"Uh-"

"Don't bring Tara into this," Joyce reprimanded, "I've said no and that's final"

"Tara?" Dawn asked, purposely ignoring her Mother.

"Well, erm..." Tara searched around for a compromising answer to say, "I think you're very mature for your age...but you're still only fifteen"

"There, happy now?" Joyce asked Dawn, feeling slightly smug, "Now go finish your homework," Dawn went to sit down at the table, "Away from the books" Dawn sighed and headed over to the far table near the counter.

"I still don't get it," Xander announced, "What type of demon robs a bank?"

"The kind that wants money," Anya replied

"Absolutely atrocious," Giles murmured, looking up from the book he was reading through, "Demons wanting money instead of kittens, plane tickets out of Sunnydale instead of the still beating heart of a virgin...the decline of a society"

"Mmm," Joyce murmured not in entire agreement, but she frowned mid-mmm, "Wait, kittens?"

"Ooh! Ooh!" Willow exclaimed, "I think I found your demon Buffy" She held out the book to her friend, "Mmm...Fashnik. Or Muh Fashnik, or even Em Fashnik. I'm not sure. But is this him?"

Buffy squinted for a moment at the image, before nodding.

"That's him. Big, bad...this thing was strong guys. No weapons that I could see, but...what do you think Giles?"

Giles gave Joyce a pointed look which she chose to ignore, before he took the book from Buffy.

"M'Fashnik," Giles said, pronouncing it like Mmm Cookies, "Ah yes"

"You know it?" Tara asked.

"By reputation," Giles told her, "It comes from a long line of mercenary demons, known to perform acts of slaughter and mayhem for the highest bidder"

"Well, it is the American way," Xander joked, "Still, it doesn't exactly fit your typical bank robber"

"Unless it wasn't him who robbed the bank, but the people who hired him," Willow suggested and Giles nodded.

"Exactly. Which begs the question, who in Sunnydale is powerful enough to control one of these things?"

No one had the answer.

Another argument. And Joyce knew Dawn had been listening in at the bedroom door. Lately all the married couple seemed to do lately was argue. And now it wasn't even restricted to just arguments about Buffy any longer. The plumbing, which was only half-way fixed and still costing (Though Xander had kindly done some haggling for them with his friend Tito) had been a huge source of discord lately as well. Maybe Dawn was right- maybe they were heading in the same direction she and Hank had. This most recent of arguments had ended with Giles refusing to talk about it anymore when Joyce apparently 'wouldn't listen' and he had headed off downstairs. Now Joyce debated whether to storm off after him, or just pretend like she didn't care and just go on about her night. She eventually decided to storm after him.

As she reached the hallway she saw he wasn't in the dining room or living room, but she heard his voice coming from the kitchen so she wandered over to the kitchen door, but stopped herself from walking in when she heard the person he was talking to was Willow. What was Willow even still doing here at night?

"Talk to me?" Willow asked.

"Yes," Giles replied, "With all that has happened recently, I haven't quite had a chance to discuss with you how it happened"

"Oh," Willow said, suddenly sounding eager to chat, "You wanna know what I did"

"Yes, tell me about the spell you performed,"

"Well," Willow began, "Okay, first of all it was so scary. Like the Blair Witch would have had to watch it like this," Joyce, listening through the door, could only assume that Willow was covering her eyes with her hands, "And this giant snake came out of my mouth and then there was all this energy crackling and then this pack of demons interrupted- you know the ones who were like trying to take over Sunnydale- but I totally kept it together and the next thing you know...Buffy" Willow finished proudly.

"You're a very stupid girl," Joyce barely heard Giles say, he said it so quietly and sadly and Joyce was as puzzled by this comment as Willow sounded.

"What? Giles..."

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Giles asked, controlled anger building in his voice, "The forces you've harnessed? The lines you've crossed?"

"I thought you'd be...impressed or something," Willow said, sounding deflated and sad.

"Oh don't worry, you've made a very deep impression," Giles assured her, his anger mounting, "Of everyone here- you are the one I trusted the most to respect the forces of nature"

"Are you saying you don't trust me?" Willow asked, hurt.

"Think what you've done to Buffy," Giles told Willow and Joyce, at this sentence, became even more rapt with attention.

"I brought her back!" Willow almost-shouted at him.

"At incredible risk," He countered.

"Of what? Making her deader?"

"Killing us all. Unleashing a hell on Earth. Shall I go on?"

"No, Giles," Willow protested, "I did what I had to do. I did what nobody else could do"

"Oh there are others in this world who could do what you did," Giles told her, "You just don't want to meet them"

"Okay, probably not..." Willow admitted, "But they're bad guys. I'm not a bad guy. I brought Buffy back to the world and maybe the word you should be looking for is congratulations"

"Having Buffy back in the world makes me feel indescribably wonderful," Giles said and Joyce couldn't help but smile. Those were the words she'd been encouraging him to say for weeks and now...he had finally said it. But why to Willow and never to her? "but I wouldn't congratulate you if you jumped off a cliff and happened to survive" Giles continued, sounding extremely frustrated.

"That's not what I did Giles!" Willow protested.

"You were lucky," He told her, plain and simple.

"I wasn't lucky, I was amazing," Willow said and Joyce thought she sounded a little too self-assured in her abilities for her own good, "And how would you know? You weren't even there"

"If I had found out I would have bloody well stopped you!" Those words almost made Joyce's heart stop beating in shock. He would have stopped them bringing back Buffy if he could have? He would have willingly left her in hell? All for the 'Greater Good'? "The Magicks you channeled are more primal and ferocious than you can hope to understand," Giles continued, "And you're lucky to be alive, you rank, arrogant amateur"

"You're right," Willow replied calmly, "The Magicks I used are incredibly powerful. I'm incredibly powerful," And suddenly the sweet red-head's voice became deadly menacing, "And maybe it isn't a good idea for you to piss me off"

Joyce didn't want to hear anymore. She didn't want to hear Willow sound like that. And she didn't want to hear any more of Buffy's resurrection. She backed away and headed into the living room, taking a seat on the sofa.

Giles had sounded so concerned in the kitchen. Not just about Buffy, but about the consequences her being back could have brought to everyone. He was so busy being concerned for everyone else's safety, he didn't even have time just to be happy himself that Buffy was back.

Willow had spoken to him so harshly, she hadn't even sounded like her usual self. She had sounded menacing, dangerous, powerful. In all honesty, it had scared Joyce. She suddenly didn't feel in the mood at all to continue her argument with Giles. Her thoughts drifted back to Dawn referring to Jennifer's parents having a separation. Joyce hadn't said whether or not she and Giles were heading that way, because truth be told, she really didn't know herself. She did know that she and Hank had had a separation, before shortly after they had decided to start the proceedings for divorce.

Looking around the room, Joyce caught sight of what she was searching for under one of the side tables. She pulled it out and started flipping through the directory.

It was late at night , Willow was now long gone, and Joyce had ripped out the number and advertisement she needed out of the Yellow Pages and was just about to head up to bed, when Dawn came down the stairs.

"Dawn, what are you doing up?" She asked, getting up off the sofa.

"Couldn't sleep," Dawn replied, "Gonna try mixing all the cereals together"

"In an attempt to vomit yourself to sleep?" Joyce asked with a raised eyebrow and Dawn shrugged.

"Worth a try,"

"Well, I think Rupert's still in the kitchen, so you may to warn him of your little experiment before you begin"

"Warn me of what experiment?" Giles asked, walking out of the kitchen.

"Cereal plans," Dawn said knowledgeably, but before Giles could reply, he was interrupted by the front door being knocked through and crashing down off it's hinges. There stood the demon Joyce and Buffy had come across at the bank.

Dawn, stood directly in front of the demon, screamed incredibly loudly and incredibly high-pitched and Joyce grabbed a hold of her hand, pulling her daughter behind her protectively.

Giles took a step towards the demon, but before he could do anything, M'Fashnik swatted him aside and as he fell, his head hit the banister, knocking him out cold. Joyce couldn't help but roll her eyes at the fact he'd been knocked unconscious again.

"You're not the Slayer," The M'Fashnik demon taking a step towards Joyce who was still stood protectively in front of Dawn, "But you'll do for a start"

He lunged towards them, but suddenly stopped cold. Buffy had a hold of him and she yanked him away.

"Y'ever heard o' knockin'?" Buffy asked the demon, glancing down at the detached door, before punching him so hard he went flying past Joyce and Dawn and into the table. He got up quickly, outstretching his arms as he roared in frustration, causing him to knock over a table lamp with a loud smash.

"You have cost me Slayer!" He yelled at her, but Buffy was incredulous.

"I cost you? That's a designer lamp you mook!"

She swung round and hit him with a roundhouse kick that sent him spinning into the sofa, but before he could land she grabbed him and hurled him in the direction of the dining room where he was caught by...Spike.

The fight was fairly simple and straight forward with both Spike and Buffy exchanging blows with the demon, before Buffy, after being slid along the dining room table, came across a box of items from the gallery that Joyce was inventorying at home and pulled out what appeared to be a wicked looking knife. She stabbed the demon directly in the heart with it and it's light blue blood oozed over the weapon and Buffy's hand as the demon fell to the floor, dead.

"Ew," Buffy grumbled, shaking the blood off her hands.

The demon's body lay there motionless and taking up a hell of a lot of room.

"Anyone else waiting for it to go 'poof'?" Dawn asked in puzzlement as her Mother gingerly took the knife from Buffy's hands. It was a 15th-century French Athamé. Very rare, very pricey and so very non-valuable and useless now as the demon's blood caused it to erode and melt. Joyce sighed in resignation at the terrible sight, before placing the athamé back down on the table.

The next morning, in the living room, Joyce held out the advertisement she had ripped out of the directory to Giles.

"Marriage Counseling?" He asked, incredulously.

"Yes," She nodded, taking a seat beside him, "You and I both know that things have been...well, less than perfect between us lately. And maybe...we just need a little help"

"But marriage counseling?" Giles asked in disdain, "Joyce-"

"I know some of the things going on in our lives are definitely too supernatural to be discussed with a counselor," Joyce reasoned, "But our problems are more normal than para so...please? Can't we just try it? You never know"

Giles sighed as he looked at Joyce. It was true, things had been, tense between them lately, for lack of a better word. And they weren't getting better anytime soon. In fact, they just seemed to be getting worse. So maybe...but marriage counseling? Still, there was no harm in trying.

"I suppose we could try it," He admitted, but before Joyce could reply, Buffy walked into the room wearing serious face.

"Buffy, what is it?" Joyce asked, concerned.

"Angel just called"

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