Buffy 'Sciuto' – Part 1
Chapter Summary: When her mom is sick, Buffy finds out she has other siblings.
Challenge: for the livejournal 2017 August Fic-a-Day Challenge
Timeline: very pre-BtVS/NCIS
Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television, et al. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.
Summers home
"Princess, you need to remember that when Mommy comes home, she needs her rest so she can get better faster," Hank Summers admonished his 6-year-old daughter.
Biting her lip nervously, Buffy fought back the tears as she asked, "But she's going to be okay, right? The doctor got rid of all the yucky stuff making her sick?"
Hank gathered her in his arms, wondering for a brief moment if he should be truthful with her or let her stay in blissful ignorance. But he couldn't stand lying to her, so he opted for an optimistic truth. "The doctor felt pretty good about it, but he warned us that the next several months are very important. We need to keep a close eye on her and tell the doctor right away if she seems like she's getting sick again."
"I can watch her," Buffy promised earnestly.
That night, Joyce surprised Hank by dragging out a locked box and asking Buffy to join them on their bed for a talk.
"Are you sure this is the right time, sweetheart?" he asked.
Joyce smiled at him tiredly. "I don't want to hide it any longer…just in case."
"Hide what?" Buffy asked with a little fear in her voice.
Patting the bedspread next to her, Joyce opened the box and pulled out a couple pieces of paper and two small photos of babies. Buffy was confused when her mom stroked the photos in a way that was like how she brushed Buffy's cheek sometimes when she was mushy.
"Who are they?" she asked.
With a sad smile, Joyce answered, "They are your brother and sister, Buffy."
She went on to explain that a long time ago, before she met Hank, while when she was very young, she had a different boyfriend and she got pregnant with twins. She was too young to keep the children and her parents – and her boyfriend's parents – refused to have anything to do with them, forcing her to give them up for adoption. Then her parents moved to keep her and her boyfriend apart.
Joyce finished high school, then went on to college, where she met Hank. After dating for an 'appropriate' amount of time, her father gave his permission for them to get married. A couple years after the wedding, they had Buffy.
"So how old are they?" Buffy inquired once Joyce finished her story.
"They'll be turning 16 this year," Joyce replied wistfully.
"Are we going to meet them?" her baby girl asked hopefully. Having older siblings would be so cool!
"Maybe when I'm feeling stronger, we can look for them," Joyce offered, unsure if she'd actually be there when Buffy met her brother and sister.
A/N: Leaving it there because I'm really tired and would like to get this posted before I crash and miss the deadline. This was MarcusRowland's suggestion (or one of them, anyway).