Title: Out of the Loop
Author: LadyCallie (LadyCallistar@yahoo.com)
Distribution: Umm ask first if you want to post it elsewhere (it's already at "The Kitten, The Witches and the Bad Wardrobe (http://pub106.ezboard.com/bthekittenthewitchesandthebadwardrobe36671) ), but print and link away.
Disclaimer: Joss the Shipper Slayer owns all, but since he doesn't seem to give a flying F*** about them, I think it's only fair that I get to borrow them. Ha!
Rating: G…this time :grin Angst free Kitties!!
Spoilers: Not a one, unless you're Joyce.
Summary: Joyce finds out something new about Willow and Tara.
Author's notes: This fic was written solely for my darling girlfriend Kat (MissKittyFantastico) because all I ever want is to make her happy. Love you my angel.
Enjoy!
Joyce glanced up from her newest issue of "O". Reaching out she clicked the TV remote to mute. Listening with the trained ear of a mother with a very sneaky child, she caught the tale end of the Slaying Party making plans for the weekend. It sounded like it was only the original three members outside. Willow's bright voice blended with Xander's slightly louder tone, and Joyce couldn't help smiling. Buffy had never had any close friends before the move to Sunnydale, and the few she had had weren't what Joyce would call friends. Even though Sunnydale had a higher mortally rate then their old suburb, Joyce had decided long ago that it was worth the risk. Being a single mother of two had often forced her out of opportunities that most woman her age had, but she socialized enough for her tastes at the gallery and even went out on an occasional dinner date.
Keys jangled and one slid into the lock as a foot kicked the door open. Joyce winced as it hit the doorstop with a thud. Buffy, toting her favorite axe on her back, was followed by Xander and Willow, who were both loaded with weapons.
"Hi, Mom!" Buffy swept by her mothers spot in the recliner and dropped a quick kiss on her head.
"Hi, Hunny. How was slaying?"
"Great! Two vamps bit the dust and Xander scored big time with the Guck demon."
"Guck demon?" Joyce set her magazine down. "Sounds messy."
"Oh it was." Willow chimed in, her flame coloured locks falling in her face as she placed her compact crossbow back in Buffy's weapon chest. "But it wasn't a Guck demon. It's pronounced G-u-y-u-u-k-k."
Xander strutted in front of Joyce, displaying the large orange goo stain the covered his entire shirt front and one side of his pants. "You say "Guyuuk" and I say "Guck", you say "potato" and I say "patato". All that matters is that we kill the same one." He tossed Buffy his sword. The blade made a clear shhh sound as it cut through the air before Buffy caught it and settled it in its spot in her 'toy box'.
The threesome moved back toward the door.
"So you and Reily are for sure going?" Willow questioned, brushing out her skirt.
"Totally. I promised him a date this weekend. All I have to do is tell him when and where." She turned to the only male member of the group. "Is the Xand-man driving?"
Xander's chest poof'd up in male pride at the mention of his vehicle. "Yessss ma'am. Anya and I'll be here about seven thirty." He held up a hand. "Minus the lovely orange goo that graces me now."
Both girls laughed as Xander attempted to pull his shirt away from his body and only succeeded in making a sticky slap as the goo made the fabric cling to his skin. Sighing in defeat he offered Willow his arm and proceeded to escort his best friend to the car.
Willow turned and called back to the house as Xander kept walking, "Bye Buffy! See you tomorrow night!"
The blond standing in the doorway giggled as Willow and Xander paraded down the sidewalk. "Bye guys!" Still chuckling she turned and shut the door, making sure to lock it again. Thinking a Post Slayage snack sounded good Buffy headed into the kitchen.
Her mother's voice trailed after her. "Buffy?"
"In the kitchen Mom."
As the Chosen One raided the refrigerator, her mom peeked her head into the kitchen. "So what's going on tomorrow night?" Joyce leaned on the doorframe.
"Oh!" Buffy quickly swallowed the chunk of cheese she'd been munching. "The Bronze is having something called 'Couples Night'." She grabbed the orange juice bottle and placed it on the island, then set a cup of yogurt beside it. "Supposedly if you come as a couple one of you gets in free." She opened the freezer door and glanced in. "Hey, do we still have any of those frozen strawberries left?"
"Second shelf, behind the peas." Joyce walked around the island and bent down to find her daughter the blender. Buffy had discovered a love for smoothies as a bedtime snack and Joyce was never one to deny her kids fruit, in any form. Setting the machine on the countertop she caught Buffy giving the bag of frozen green peas a face that definitely said "Ick".
"It's a good thing you're going out tomorrow." Buffy arched an eyebrow at her mom. "Those," Joyce pointed at the peas still in Buffy's hand, "are on the menu."
The slayer shuddered. "Gah, yes going out. Very good thing." She tossed the found bag of strawberries beside her other ingredients.
As Buffy hunted for the right sized measuring cup, Joyce set up the blender, making sure that the bowl was attached tightly to the base. " 'Couples Night'?"
"Yuppers. You think I could add extra sugar or would that not be a good idea?" Buffy bumped her mom out of the way and proceeded to pour the components into the blender.
Joyce handed Buffy a knife from the block, and she started slicing a banana from the bowl on the counter into chunks.
"So you're going with Reily, and Xander's taking Anya…" Joyce ticked off couples on one hand, "Who's Willow going with?" As far as she knew the redhead had been single since Oz had left mid-term.
Buffy glanced at her mom, "Duh, Mom. Who do you think she's going with?" She tossed the dirty knife in the sink and reached for the lid.
Joyce blinked, "I don't know. Willow's dating again?"
"Uhh, yeah Mom."
"Who?"
Buffy pressed the blend button and shouted over the loud noise. "She's going with Tara, Mom."
Joyce leaned in, "What?"
Buffy tried a little louder, "She's going with Tara, Mom."
"What?" Joyce's voice raised. "I can't hear you!"
Sighing Buffy flipped off the blender. "She going with Tara, Mom." The slayer popped the lid off and nodded, satisfied at the texture of her drink. She turned to find a cup. "Who else would she take?"
"But you said it's couples night…?"
"Yeah? So?" Buffy snatched a cup from the cupboard and turned back to her mom. Joyce's mouth was slightly open, and her forehead was wrinkled as she tried to make sense of everything.
"Willow's taking Tara?"
Buffy nodded.
"Tara, the other witch, Tara? Tall, blond, quiet Tara? The one Dawn's always chattering about?"
"Ummmhmm." Buffy poured her pink smoothie into her favorite Winnie the Pooh glass.
"So they're just going as friends?"
"If you call gay type lovers 'just friends', I guess so."
"Willow's gay?" Joyce sputtered.
Buffy's blue eyes met her mother's over the top of her glass as she paused mid gulp. "Since last spring mom."
Joyce's voice rose, "What?"
"She came out a while after the whole Faith thing. Remember? I know I told you." Buffy headed back to the living room.
Her mother followed her, totally at a loss, desperately attempting to grasp at a concept that continued to elude her. "She's a lesbian? This whole time? What about Oz?"
Buffy settled herself on the sofa, pulling a blanket over her legs, and silently marveling at her mother's ability to remain clueless in the face of such a major development. "She met Tara in one of her classes and started hanging out a lot. I guess things just happened after that. I didn't know until she told me. Hand me the remote?"
Joyce sank down into her chair, and blankly handed Buffy the controller. "Why didn't she tell me?"
Buffy stopped channel surfing and put the TV on mute. "Mom she kinda came out at a not so great time. Remember when I said that Oz came back for a couple of days?" Joyce nodded. "She had to choose between them. She was so uncertain and confused. I'm not even sure she realized exactly what she felt for Tara until Oz wanted her back. That's when she told me. And I somehow managed to give good advice even with my foot in my mouth and told her to follow her heart. And her heart led her straight to Tara."
Joyce inhaled; she knew how deeply hurt Willow had been when Oz left her. If she chose Tara over Oz then… "She really loves her doesn't she?"
Buffy had gone back to the TV. "Willow?" Her mom nodded. "Yeah, she really does." Buffy looked at her mom seriously, "And that's what matters right?"
Joyce leaned back in her chair, "Yeah, that's what matters." She picked up her magazine and Buffy returned to the screen.
"Does Dawn know?"
"Yes, Mom."
"Oh." She flipped a page. "Does Mr. Giles know?"
"Yes."
"Oh." Plaintively, "Am I the last to know?"
Buffy laughed, "Yes, Mom."
"I am so out of the loop!"
****
Buffy's Smoothie recipe
1 cup orange juice
1 cup hulled and quartered fresh strawberries, FROZEN
(I use the sugar covered ones that come in a box already frozen)
2 fresh bananas, FROZEN and SLICED (Buffy cheats)
1 cup low-fat strawberry yogurt (for extra smoothieness)
Toss in blender, making sure top is very much on, then BLENDY BLENDY BLENDY!!!