Buffy was convinced that her aunt Mona Keller was a very miserable lady.
Mona stayed at the Summers' residence for the next week. Several times Buffy wanted to kick the woman out, but this was her mother's sister. She had no idea how the two women could ever have been related, but they were. They were on two completely opposite ends of the rainbow.
Mona seemed to criticize everything her niece did. They got in an argument at least once every day. Several times it was over Buffy's duties as a Slayer ("you're neglecting your sister," Mona would say), but other times it was over things that were none of Mona's business.
"How can you let Dawn have anything to do with this Anya Emerson woman?" Mona asked on the first day. "Dawn tells me this woman is an ex-demon who has eviscerated thousands of men in her lifetime. For the life of me, I can't figure out why you haven't chopped off the woman's head and sent her packing on a one way ticket to wherever demons go when they die."
Buffy tried to explain that Anya was no longer a demon, and even if she were she was no longer intent on causing the pain and destruction she once had. Mona argued that Anya should still be punished for her past crimes, but Buffy argued that Anya deserved redemption, just like anyone else.
"Dawn has told me that you've had some sort of a relationship with a vampire," Mona said on the second day. "Your mother told me you're a vampire slayer. So why is it you haven't slayed this vampire yet? It all seems rather simple to me. You find a vampire, you stake him, you come home and make sure your sister has done her homework. It's relatively simple, is it not?"
Again, Buffy tried to argue that Spike was a souled vampire on the road to redemption. Not that she was entirely sure her aunt didn't have a point; with Spike's recent actions, perhaps it would be best to drive a stake through his heart. But she couldn't do that. The damage he had done wasn't entirely his fault. He had helped Buffy more than she could ever say, even when he was evil; surely she should give him a chance to grow with his newfound soul.
"I'm not sure I like this Xander fellow coming around all the time," Mona said on the third day. "I mean really, what good does he do? He doesn't have any special powers. So why do you associate with this man? Are you two seeing each other? Dawn says he never went to college. I'm not sure I approve of a man that obviously has no ambition."
This time, Buffy had to explain that Xander may not be the most powerful member of the group, but he was just as important as any of her friends. He was also a dear and trusted friend who would give his life to protect everyone in the group (except Spike, of course). And there's nothing wrong with a man and woman having a strictly platonic friendship. Mona looked at Buffy as if the Slayer were a crazed woman.
"I'm not sure if I like this Willow," Mona bemoaned on the fourth day. "I mean, why does she have to stay here? I know she's a witch, but can't she cast a protection spell around the place and go live somewhere else? To be entirely honest, I'm starting to think she might be, well, a bit unladylike, if you catch my drift."
Buffy did catch her drift, and explained that Willow was in fact a lesbian. This, of course, freaked Mona out. At first she assumed Buffy and Willow were lovers (as if it's impossible for heterosexual and homosexual women to have a close friendship), and then she worried that Willow was trying to "corrupt" Dawn.
"Jesus, what is your problem?" Buffy asked that morning. "Why are you picking on all of my friends? Anya and Spike have done a lot of bad, but that's in the past. They've been a big help to me lately and have both become decent human beings." Buffy could tell that Mona wanted to interject and mention that Spike isn't human, but Buffy kept going before her aunt could get another word in. "Xander has put his life on the line for each of us, and I wouldn't even be here if not for Willow!" She neglected to mention the fact that Willow also recently attempted to send Buffy back to her grave.
Mona had been visiting a week before she said the thing that pissed Buffy off the most.
"Buffy, I have to tell you the truth," Mona remarked at breakfast that day. She shot a look at Dawn, who was eating a celery and tomato omelet. "I didn't come here just for a visit. The truth is, I think it would be best if Dawn were to come live for me a while."
Buffy and Dawn's mouth fell so far to the ground, that it was quite easy to see why the two were related.
Mona stayed at the Summers' residence for the next week. Several times Buffy wanted to kick the woman out, but this was her mother's sister. She had no idea how the two women could ever have been related, but they were. They were on two completely opposite ends of the rainbow.
Mona seemed to criticize everything her niece did. They got in an argument at least once every day. Several times it was over Buffy's duties as a Slayer ("you're neglecting your sister," Mona would say), but other times it was over things that were none of Mona's business.
"How can you let Dawn have anything to do with this Anya Emerson woman?" Mona asked on the first day. "Dawn tells me this woman is an ex-demon who has eviscerated thousands of men in her lifetime. For the life of me, I can't figure out why you haven't chopped off the woman's head and sent her packing on a one way ticket to wherever demons go when they die."
Buffy tried to explain that Anya was no longer a demon, and even if she were she was no longer intent on causing the pain and destruction she once had. Mona argued that Anya should still be punished for her past crimes, but Buffy argued that Anya deserved redemption, just like anyone else.
"Dawn has told me that you've had some sort of a relationship with a vampire," Mona said on the second day. "Your mother told me you're a vampire slayer. So why is it you haven't slayed this vampire yet? It all seems rather simple to me. You find a vampire, you stake him, you come home and make sure your sister has done her homework. It's relatively simple, is it not?"
Again, Buffy tried to argue that Spike was a souled vampire on the road to redemption. Not that she was entirely sure her aunt didn't have a point; with Spike's recent actions, perhaps it would be best to drive a stake through his heart. But she couldn't do that. The damage he had done wasn't entirely his fault. He had helped Buffy more than she could ever say, even when he was evil; surely she should give him a chance to grow with his newfound soul.
"I'm not sure I like this Xander fellow coming around all the time," Mona said on the third day. "I mean really, what good does he do? He doesn't have any special powers. So why do you associate with this man? Are you two seeing each other? Dawn says he never went to college. I'm not sure I approve of a man that obviously has no ambition."
This time, Buffy had to explain that Xander may not be the most powerful member of the group, but he was just as important as any of her friends. He was also a dear and trusted friend who would give his life to protect everyone in the group (except Spike, of course). And there's nothing wrong with a man and woman having a strictly platonic friendship. Mona looked at Buffy as if the Slayer were a crazed woman.
"I'm not sure if I like this Willow," Mona bemoaned on the fourth day. "I mean, why does she have to stay here? I know she's a witch, but can't she cast a protection spell around the place and go live somewhere else? To be entirely honest, I'm starting to think she might be, well, a bit unladylike, if you catch my drift."
Buffy did catch her drift, and explained that Willow was in fact a lesbian. This, of course, freaked Mona out. At first she assumed Buffy and Willow were lovers (as if it's impossible for heterosexual and homosexual women to have a close friendship), and then she worried that Willow was trying to "corrupt" Dawn.
"Jesus, what is your problem?" Buffy asked that morning. "Why are you picking on all of my friends? Anya and Spike have done a lot of bad, but that's in the past. They've been a big help to me lately and have both become decent human beings." Buffy could tell that Mona wanted to interject and mention that Spike isn't human, but Buffy kept going before her aunt could get another word in. "Xander has put his life on the line for each of us, and I wouldn't even be here if not for Willow!" She neglected to mention the fact that Willow also recently attempted to send Buffy back to her grave.
Mona had been visiting a week before she said the thing that pissed Buffy off the most.
"Buffy, I have to tell you the truth," Mona remarked at breakfast that day. She shot a look at Dawn, who was eating a celery and tomato omelet. "I didn't come here just for a visit. The truth is, I think it would be best if Dawn were to come live for me a while."
Buffy and Dawn's mouth fell so far to the ground, that it was quite easy to see why the two were related.