Chapter Eleven

Joyce watched the four women walk up Revello Drive, not recognizing the two with Willow and her daughter. Since the school library was unavailable on weekends, she had offered her home to the group for their 'Scooby meetings'. She stared at Buffy as she listened to something that Willow was saying with a slight curl of her lips rather than the bright smile that she remembered. The girl, no young woman, walking up the street barely resembled her daughter from just a few months ago. Whatever she had been through had done a thorough job of forcing her to grow up before she should have. Her stride was very controlled, almost predatory. She no longer exhibited the bouncy exuberance that she once had, and that made Joyce sad.

She wondered what it would have been like if she had reacted differently that night. It had only been after her alcohol-fueled anger had cooled, that she recalled her furious ultimatum. She had waited in Buffy's bedroom all night, forcing herself to stay awake, hoping and praying to every deity she could think of that her daughter would disobey her just one more time. It had almost broken her when Buffy didn't return. Forcing back her panic, she had gone to see Willow, knowing without a doubt that Buffy would have gone there first. Her heart felt like it had stopped beating in her chest when she saw the redhead's tear-streaked face. She could still hear the body-racking sobs as Willow told her everything. How her daughter's boyfriend turned into a psychotic monster and the reign of terror that he had put them all through, even killing their teacher. That it had been his 'childe' that had attacked them and killed their Jamaican friend that Joyce had met a few months before, but because the principal hated Buffy, he was using the attack to get rid of her. Willow told her about Angel's, or rather Angelus', plan to open the portal to hell in Sunnydale if Buffy had not stopped him, and about Xander watching the final fight and Buffy disappearing into the closing portal.

It had crushed her. The knowledge that her baby was gone, and that their last words had been her telling Buffy not to come back. That their last interaction had been violent and angry. She didn't remember much after that. The next clear recollection she'd had was almost a month later. Willow told her that after her initial breakdown, she had wandered back home, destroyed every bottle of alcohol in the house, and sobbed in Buffy's bed for days, clutching Mr. Gordo, her daughter's favorite stuffed animal. Willow, Xander and Giles had taken turns staying with her. When she finally pulled herself back together, she demanded to know everything. Everything that they had kept hidden about her daughter's life. She demanded to know how Giles, a man whom she had trusted because Buffy had respected him, in her own oblique way, could not only advocate, but encourage, her child to go out, night after night, to fight demons and monsters. It took some time to wear him down, but he finally told her. Everything. The true origin of the world, the making of the First Slayer, and the Organization that would have taken Buffy long ago if she had been tracked as a child. Joyce didn't speak to him for over two weeks. Then she was attacked by one of of her employees that had missed work for three days, and was saved by a wild, dark-haired girl who ran up and stabbed the man in the chest without even hesitating. She almost screamed, until the man disintegrated into dust.

She glanced over at Faith, who was lounging on the couch watching television. That had been her first introduction to the wild Slayer. Faith had been closed up in a shell so tight, it had taken almost a week to make even the smallest dent. But Joyce had persisted until Faith finally agreed to join her for a thank-you meal. The girl had definitely looked like she could use it. Buffy had also eaten very healthily, especially in the last few years, and Giles had admitted that being Called severely escalated a Slayer's metabolism. After introducing her to Giles, she continued to talk Faith into coming over for dinner, until she discovered where Faith had been living. She had almost driven the girl away, demanding that she move out of that dump of a motel and into the spare bedroom at her house. It had taken some fast talking and serious cajoling, but she'd done it. Now, she was trying to get Faith to go back to school.

"Yo, Mrs. S, you okay?" Faith's voice interrupted her thoughts. She blinked as the leather-clad form breezed past her, and with a start, she heard the knocking at the door.

"Wassup, Red." Faith said, swinging open the doors. "Hey, B, who are your friends? And why do they feel sorta like you?"

"This is Sera and her guardian, Callista. They work for me, and I wanted you all to meet them." Buffy told her. "They feel like me because they bear my Mark."

"What are they?" Faith asked, stepping aside to let them in. Even though they were unfamiliar demons, she knew well enough that Buffy wouldn't bring danger to her mom's house.

"They are Na'Gash demons." Buffy unconsciously placed her hand at the small of Sera's back as they turned into the living room. "They're relatively peaceful until provoked. Their clan will be coming into Sunnydale soon, to work for me as well."

"Well, hello, I'm Joyce." She introduced herself. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Would anyone like drinks?"

They all asked for water, and Buffy followed Joyce into the kitchen. "Did you think about what I asked you?"

"About the marks?" Joyce said. Buffy nodded. "I don't know, Buffy. Will I be infected with this demon like you are? I don't think I'd like that."

"It's not like that, mom." Buffy shook her head. "It won't affect you in any way. It will simply make it so that other demons can feel my power around you, like Faith felt it on Sera and Callista. Most demons will avoid any contact with you at all, and if one is brave enough to ignore it, I can remove you from danger if necessary."

"Will it hurt?"

"I don't know." Buffy admitted. "Your mark will be different than theirs. No one has ever complained."

'Probably because they were servants or slaves and already accustomed to high levels of pain.' Lillith said. Buffy could hear the smirk in her voice.

"I just don't know, honey. Let me think about it little more."

"All right, but I still intend to put up the wards." Buffy told her. "You won't feel them, but I'll make it so that Faith can pass through with no problems."

'You know, we should just make her ours.' Lillith said as Buffy and Joyce returned to the living room with the drinks. 'She could be our General. Her job would not change from what she does as a Slayer, to patrol and cull those who do not belong in our territory, and we would have others to administer our justice and punishments. As an incentive, you can offer her the use of the Na'Gash to satisfy her battle lust.'

"Battle lust?"

'I have seen your memories. I know that you have felt it. The need for food and sex after battling the demons. It is natural for warriors, but exceedingly so for you since your power comes from me. It astounds me how you were able to resist your needs for so long.'

"I wanted it to be special."

'And was it?'

"It was." Buffy realized after a moment. This was the first time she had thought about that night in a long time and, with the fading of the mental and emotional scars, she could see it clearly for the beautiful night that it had truly been. "It was everything that I'd imagined it would be. Angel was very gentle and very caring. It was the aftermath that made everything seem so wrong."

'Well, from the scents that constantly surround the girl, it does not seem as if she has the same desire.'

Buffy had to admit that Lillith was right about that. Even now, she could smell fresh scents of alcohol, cigarette smoke and sex. Male and female. 'Well, at least she had fun.'

Lillith's chuckles had the corners of Buffy's mouth curling up in an unconscious smirk. Buffy rejoined the conversation when Willow asked her question, and they all talked comfortably until Joyce declared dinner to be ready and everyone gathered at the table. As they ate, Joyce turned the conversation to more important things, like school and their futures. After learning that Sera was in some of Willow's classes, she immediately wanted to know how she could consider working full-time when her education was much more important.

"Her job is not all that time-consuming." Buffy assured her mother. "She's more of a personal assistant than anything else. I promise that it won't interfere with her schoolwork. Her mother already knows and has approved, and the rest of their clan are coming to Sunnydale to work for me as well."

As they were finishing with dinner, Buffy nodded to Callista, who disappeared into the living room and returned a moment later with a manila folder. She handed it to Buffy and took her seat once again. Willow, Faith and Joyce stared at them curiously. Even more so when Buffy turned around and handed the folder to her mother.

"What's this?" Joyce asked, opening it.

Buffy smirked, without answering, and a moment later, her mother's eyes got comically wide and her mouth dropped open in pure shock.

"Mrs. S.?" "Mrs. Summers?"

"I hope you enjoy it." Buffy said softly. Then she grunted when she found herself engulfed in a fierce hug.

"What is it, Buffy?" Willow asked, nearly bouncing in her seat in curiosity.

"It is the leases to this house and the art gallery." Callista answered her, since it seemed that her Mistress was otherwise occupied.

"No shit?" Faith gaped.

"Language, Faith." Joyce said, but the admonishment was ruined by the huge smile on her face. She began to read through the papers, only looking up when Callista left the room to answer her ringing cellphone.

~~~ BtVS ~~ AU ~~ BtVS ~~~

Willy tossed back the shot of his special blend, 120 proof, pure grain whiskey. It was the stuff that he kept for his 'truly honored' patrons, meaning his and his alone. He stared at the telephone as if it were a particularly vicious customer, maybe someone who he owed money to. He didn't want to make the call. Gods above and Demons below, he really, really didn't want to get involved in whatever was about to go down.

He tossed another shot, closing his eyes against the burn. He had always known which way the wind was blowing when it came to the local powerhouses. Even buried, the Master had been the undisputed 'Man In Charge', and nothing happened without his knowledge. There was a slight vacuum after he was destroyed by the Slayer, which had been temporarily filled by the mysterious Anointed One. After that, had come the vampire Spike and his crazy girlfriend, Drusilla. During all of it, Angel had been in the shadows. Then, suddenly, they were ALL gone. Angel, who had suddenly turned into a very dangerous, psychotic Angelus, had disappeared with the Slayer, and rumor had it that Spike and his batty girlfriend had been seen driving out of town not long before that.

Now, there's this new power on the block, that has him trapped in a corner. He usually liked to stay out of the power plays, garnering his 'snitch' title honestly by being willing to give up information to anyone, if the incentive was right. Most simply paid him, but some, particularly the Slayers, would rather beat it out of him. Taking a deep breath, he finally picked up the phone, pulled the napkin out of his pocket and dialed the number quickly before he changed his mind and ran out of town.

"Yes." Callista answered.

"Um, if you're busy, I can call back later." He tried. He could hear other voices in the background.

"It's fine." Willy's heart sank. He imagined that he could hear the smirk in her voice. "You have information?"

Willy took a deep breath before answering. "A vamp named Trick was in here, looking for info on the Aurelius clan, the Slayer, and he wanted to know who was in charge."

"Is he trying to make his mark, or has he come ahead of someone else?"

"He said that his boss is coming into town to take care of business with the Slayer."

"What did you tell him?"

"That I didn't know who, if anyone, is in charge, since I don't know, and I told him everything that I knew about the Slayer. I'll admit that I don't know much, though."

"Tell me everything." Callista ordered.