Sunnydale, CA Summers house, 1999:
Shaking her head, Buffy tried to let go of the memory fragment and rejoined reality as it were. Willow was just explaining how Immortals worked to Cordelia and Oz, apparently telling them why it was so important that if there ever were Immortals to come to Sunnydale, why they were not to indicate that they knew of Immortals, or that they specifically knew Buffy, Faith, and Joy.
"Because Cordelia," Willow stressed, "this Game that all of the other Immortals out there are playing would try and kill them. And if they knew that we knew them, they would have absolutely no qualm about killing us to get to them. You remember Larva man?"
Cordelia was confused for several seconds, as evident on her face, before responding, "What does that have to do with anything? And by the way, ewwww for the bad visual memory. I had to shower for two days after that," she whispered to Amy.
"Well, he was an assassin sent by the Order of Teraka to kill Buffy. And I don't think he had any problems with killing you to get to her, am I right Xander?" Willow proved her point.
His face blank for a moment, Xander then turned to his girlfriend and translated, "OK Cordy, if you want to live and keep your head intact, Buffy, Faith, and Mrs. Summers are who they've always been, otherwise you'll be thought of as insane and if you breath a word of any of this to anybody else, chances are good that you'll lose your head. As in Decapitation."
Cordelia mulled over that for all of two seconds before sarcastically responding, "Well duh! I do know how to keep a secret dork face. I've managed to keep the whole Slayer one a secret. Besides, who wants to be hanging out with really old people all the time? Ewwww much?"
Looking up, she saw Giles and all three Immortals staring at her. "No offense."
"None taken," Buffy and Faith immediately responded. Joyce just smiled in that motherly way that said she was trying not to yell, while Giles started clucking his tongue like he did.
Amy suddenly started, causing both Buffy and Faith to start. "What's wrong Sabrina?" the Dark Slayer asked, tense.
Seeing the reaction she had started, Amy just waved it off and relaxed a little. "Oh, it's nothing. It's just that I remembered that my aunts are going to be visiting this weekend. And aunt Alison is going to be bringing her fiancée. I just wondered if that might end up being a problem."
Buffy shook her head saying, "Believe me, it's no problem at all. It's been nearly thirty years since I last saw John. Don't worry Amy, the most you'll have to worry about is Faith if Alison gets her hands on her. After finding out about her and John's past…"
"Wait a freakin' minute here!" Faith loudly interrupted. "John, as in John Carter?"
Frowning a bit, Buffy nodded and answered, "Well yeah, back then. Now he's using the name John Madison. At least that's what his last letter said. And Amy, you do know that John knows about vamps, demons and stuff, right? I mean, he obviously knows about witches…"
"Witches?" Willow chirped.
Smiling, despite herself, Buffy shook her head and looked at Willow saying, "Not now Wills."
Amy nodded to the affirmative, but then asked, "But he doesn't believe you about the whole Game thing not really true, does he?"
Buffy shrugged and muttered something nobody could understand. "No, no he doesn't. I will tell you this, not many of the Immortals still alive today like playing the 'Game', but very few of them know of any other way to live. Most that take up our position on it just remain on Holy Ground for their entire lives, living as little more than hermits. There are a few who actually take to it with a passion and do little else other than hunt for new or easy heads. I suppose we could name a few right of the bat, but we don't want to scare anybody."
"Why not?" Oz asked.
Looking surprised, Buffy stared at him for a moment. "Because it scares us, Oz." Came the quiet reply from Joyce.
Everybody did a double take and blinked off their shock after that single sentence statement. Xander then felt it prudent to try and lighten the mood once more, "Well, first, I'd hate to ever actually see what could ever scare you and Faith, and second, if that's scary, what's terrifyingly cute?"
The three Immortals shared a look with each other before saying in unison, "The Teletubbies singing the Barney song, with Muppets as back up."
The room was briefly filled with laughter once again, but it was far too short lived.
Joyce looked at the clock on the wall and compared it to her watch, surprised at how late it was. Thankfully it was still…well it had all started anyway, on Friday night, and it was now nearing 6 AM on Saturday morning. And being the unofficial, while still prophetic, mother of the group, Joyce thought it time to get everybody home. They could finish any other conversations and explanations later this afternoon, but for now, they had to get mortal kids back home.
"All right Buffy, it's getting late, and I'm sure that we're all more than just a little tired." Joyce pointed out as she stood, "Amy, Willow, if you wouldn't mind, I'll drive you home. Buffy, I want you to go with Cordelia in her car, just to make sure that she makes it home all right. Rupert, I'm sure that you are more than capable to safely drive home, and Faith…"
"With the Oz-man!" the dark slayer crowed. Joyce, hiding her smile, nodded silently.
"Good idea, Mom. Come on Cordy," Buffy fit back into her role as a teenager so fast that some were left with their heads spinning.
"Uh, yeah…" Cordelia trailed off as she grabbed her keys and purse, following the blond Immortal Slayer out the door.
Outside, Cordelia and Buffy quietly walked to the former's cherry red convertible. Cordelia quickly got in on the driver's side, while Buffy jumped over the door and easily slide into the passenger's seat.
Once they were more or less on their way, Cordelia finally asked the question that Buffy knew had been bugging her for some time. "All right Buffy," Cordelia's use of the blonde's name told her how truly pissed the cheerleader/prom queen/Ms. Popularity was. "What is the deal? I know how you think, and this is so not the way that you usually work! My father has been begging and pleading and all around bribing me to hang with you bunch of losers since you first show up. When I actually start doing it, he starts pestering me about everything, and I mean everything, that you and your mom do. You know something about that, and you are going to tell me now, or I am going to throw you out of my car, right now!"
Buffy was quiet for several seconds, just staring out the windshield, the wind blowing her golden locks behind her. "Your father is my Watcher."
Cordelia was confused by the answer, enough that she actually started going the speed limit again. "What do you mean? I thought Giles was your Watcher? And like I said, I know how you think. If you've got something to hide about this, I'll know it, and you…"
"Cordelia, there are things in this world that you may never know about or understand, but please, try to understand. Giles belongs to the Council of Watchers. They belong to a very large and dangerous worldwide organization. This conglomerate corporation stems from a place in Africa that while today might be very known, a long time ago it was as hidden as anything can ever get in the world. The force that controls all of this calls itself the "Triumvirate". They own or control, or at the very least influence most of the "secret" organizations that exist today. The Council of Watcher's being one of them." Buffy outlined for the dark haired driver.
"What does that have to do with my dad?" Cordelia asked.
"There is another set of Watchers out there. Because of the Council, they chose to dub themselves the 'Society of Watchers'. They watch and record the activities of Immortals. Unlike the Council, the Society never interferes in the least. They just watch us and record our activities. No Cordy, your dad is not a voyeur. Think about it, you just found out tonight that the Greek gods, and Xena are all real. I have lived through more history than you'll ever read about in school, and I've also influenced some of it. The Watchers make sure that we aren't forgotten when, or if, the Game actually kills all of us. But that's not all."
"I figured that," muttered the cheerleader.
"The Society of Watchers is also controlled by another force element. This other organization stems from several places, not really one in particular. It is called the Illuminati. They have more or less placed themselves in the preservation of mankind and place themselves under the side of light in the war of good and evil."
"Soooo, my dad's a good guy?" Cordy asked.
Buffy smiled and nodded as they came up to the Chase mansion gate. "Ofcourse he's a good guy. So is Giles. But the Triumvirate is as close as they can get, while still being human, to evil. The Illuminati, while with its faults, really is on the side of light, or they are the good guys. Any more questions Cordy?" Buffy asked as they stepped out of the car.
"Um, yeah," Cordelia answered, looking nervous as Buffy patiently waited for the query. "Is my dad gonna go ga-ga or something when he sees you?"
Buffy smiled and mused, 'Probably,' while out loud saying, "Hopefully not."
Five minutes earlier"Mrs. Summers…" Amy began.
"Joyce, dear," Joyce corrected.
Smiling sheepishly and blushing slightly, Amy amended, "Joyce." The elder driving the jeep nodded approvingly. "Do you know John? And how did Buffy and Faith meet him?"
Joyce smiled openly as she tried to explain a situation that her "daughters" had gotten themselves into, a long time ago, and how complicated it became when John Carter tried to step in and be the boy-scout hero.
"No, I've never met John before," Joyce answered. "But I do know the story. It was back in the 1930's, roughly about 1934 I think. Buffy and Faith were still living in the North East, but had moved out of Boston because of Faith. They were actually staying in New York, trying to lay low and keep out of the Watcher's eyes. Everybody was still on the upswing from the depression, so life in New York City was pretty glum, therefore making it a virtual paradise for the vampires."
"Buffy was running a club that I had set up there a while back, and Faith had taken to the Newsie route. Meaning she sold newspapers on the streets. We had enough money saved up in bank accounts to live decently enough through the Depression, but for that time, I had gone out of the country to make some foreign investments. Covering all our bases. So while I was in Africa…"
"You've been to Africa?" Willow interrupted.
Joyce nodded, holding back some giggles. "Yes Willow. I've been just about everywhere on the face of the world. Antarctica and the North Pole included. I haven't climbed Mt. Everest yet, but Buffy has. Faith was hoping to do it before the turn of the Millennium."
The two teenagers stared at each other, then turned as one to stare back at the Immortal.
"I know I'm gonna regret asking this," Amy started, "but where in the world haven't you been yet?"
Joyce slowed down the car some as she thought of her answer. "On the world, or in the world?" she asked surprising the two. "On it," they said together.
"Well, aside from Mt. Everest, the Congo, and Cuba…" Joyce paused as she thought. "I'd have to say Disney Land and Euro-Disney land."
The two teenagers gaped at the Immortal mother. "You've never been to Disney land?" Willow asked, shocked, from the back seat. Joyce nodded confirming her answer.
Slowly, Joyce pulled into a driveway on a lonely street. It was still mostly night, but the eastern horizon was beginning to brighten, speaking of how early in the morning it was. "Good night Willow, sleep well. I guess we'll see you later this afternoon at the house?" Joyce bid farewell.
Getting out of the car, Willow nodded and turned to Joyce. "Thank you Joy. And how does three sound?" Joyce grinned at the name that only Buffy ever called her anymore and nodded saying, "Three's fine dear. See you then!" "Bye Amy!" Willow shouted from her door. Amy just waved.
Joyce waited until Willow was safely inside before putting the Jeep into reverse and driving away down the street.
It wasn't a minute after they had left Willow's house that Amy started asking Joyce for the answer to her question. "Well? Come on Joyce! How did Buffy and Faith meet John?"
Joyce just laughed and shook her head. "Well, it's a bit complicated Amy, but it all started…"
TBC