Part 15

Buffy keeps looking over at Spike sure that this is a trap of some kind but can't quite seem to make her mind work. She's lost Angel, Willow, Kendra and probably Xander and Giles. She's numb and has been since Angel turned to Angelus. "Xander? Is Xander at the mansion?" Buffy asks.

Spike had to work hard from grinning and laughing out loud. His grandsire Angel and Willow knew their Slayer. She is acting exactly how they both predicted. This a little too easy, like shooting fish in a barrel. Oh well, soon Sunnyhell will be there's and no Slayer to protect it. That mantra got him through playing nice with the Slayer. That and the thought of how Angel and Willow were going to make it up to him. "Sorry pet. Haven't seen him." Spike looks out of the corner of his eye to see Buffy's reaction to that.

Buffy sighs and hopes that Xander got away but fears he probably didn't. Buffy walked towards her house and saw her mother pull into the driveway.

Joyce rolls down her window when she sees Buffy, "Buffy? I've been looking all over for you. The police were here." She gets out of the car and hugs Buffy, "Are you okay?"

Buffy steps back out of her mom's embrace and looks at Spike and then back to her mother, "Let's go inside and I can explain."

Joyce looks over at Spike, "William? Aren't you Willow's friend? Buffy, terrible things have happened. Where were you?"

Spike smirked as he realized that this is too good an opportunity to pass up. "What? You're mother doesn't know?"

Buffy glared at Spike who was having a hard time keeping an innocent look on his face.

"Know what? What's going on?"

"I'm in a band ... with Spike."

Biting the inside of his lip Spike said, "Yeah, she plays the triangle."

Buffy glares at Spike, "Drums. I play the drums."

"And you? What do you do?"

"Oh, I sing."

"Hmm."

"You know what, mom? We should go inside."

Buffy doesn't wait for her mother to answer but starts toward the door. Before she can get there a vampire leaps out of the shadows and pushes Buffy out of the way. He makes a lunge for Joyce who screams and tries to back out of the way.

Spike grabs the minion by the shoulder and spins him to face him. He punches him, which sends him into Buffy. By this time, Buffy has her stake out and when the vampire turns her way she stakes him in the heart. He turns to dust in front of Joyce's shocked gaze.

Spike says a silent farewell to the minion that volunteered for this duty as he leans over the pile of dust. "Hmm, one of Angel's boys."

"Yeah, probably watching me . . . Or you."

"Yeah. He won't be able to report back to Angel now."

"Buffy! What...Is... Going...On?"

Buffy realizes she'll have to tell her mother the truth.

"Mom, I'm a Vampire Slayer."

Joyce just blinks and mumbles, "Uh, huh." She follows Buffy inside the house.

Buffy turns and looks at Spike. He just stands outside the invisible barrier and lifts an eyebrow at her. Buffy rolls her eyes, "Spike, come in."

Joyce and Spike sit in the living room. Buffy stands glaring at him with her arms crossed.

"Okay, what's the deal?"

"Simple, you let me and Willow leave and I help you with Angel."

"Willow? What does Willow have to do with your boyfriend Angel?"

Buffy starts counting to ten before turning to her mother. She really couldn't deal with all the questions she knew her mother had. Angel was going to suck the world into hell and was probably right now torturing Giles. Spike, her worst enemy, was offering a deal to take Willow away. Willow who probably was the one that killed Kendra and took Giles and probably Xander. She was being hunted by the police for a crime she didn't commit and her mother was asking stupid questions.

"Mom, Willow's changed lately." Buffy turned back to Spike. "She killed Kendra."

"Willow bagged a Slayer?" Spike beamed. "Not even a year old and bags a Slayer. She didn't tell me that."

Buffy glares, as Joyce looks confused "It was Willow that killed that girl? Not you? Is Willow a Vampire Slayer, too?"

"Of course I didn't kill her. No, Willow's not a Slayer."

"Did the girl at the library explode like that man out there?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and Spike had to look away so he wouldn't start laughing. "No mom. Kendra was a Slayer. Like me."

Spike had to hurry this along so he stood, "Look, this works for me only one way. Me and Willow for Angel."

Buffy just looks at him. It was going to be hard enough dealing with Angel she wasn't sure she up to killing the demon that had her best friend's face as well. She could always go after them later.

"Fine. Get back to the mansion and make sure Giles is all right. Be ready to back me up when I make my move."

Spike nods as he opens the door to leave.

Joyce hasn't been following their conversation at all, "Are you sure you're a Slayer, honey."

Spike couldn't contain himself any longer. He had to laugh.

"MOM!"

"Have you tried not being a Slayer?"

Buffy heard Spike's laughter getting louder as she shut the front door.

"It's just fate, mom. Accept it."

"Well we need to call the police. Tell them that you're innocent."

Buffy just looked at her mother, "What are you going to say, mom? My daughter's the Slayer, her best friend was turned into a vampire and killed the other Slayer. Oh we have no proof, can't you just take my word for it?" Buffy turned to go upstairs and gather weapons.

Joyce follows her upstairs. "Don't take that attitude with me young lady. I am still your mother and you will show me respect." Joyce paused, "Willow's a vampire?"

Buffy moves things out of the way to get to her weapon's box. Joyce stares in disbelief as she sees stakes, holy water and crosses. Buffy grabs some stakes and turns. She sees her mother's look.

"What do you think has been going on for the past two years? The fights? The weird occurrences? I mean how many times have you washed blood out of my clothes?"

"Well it stops now."

Buffy pushed passed her mother. "No it doesn't. It never stops. It's my destiny to fight the darkness and save the world . . . again."

Joyce looks at her pleadingly, "Buffy you need help."

"I'm not crazy mother. It's what I am. I have to go."

"You're not going anywhere." Joyce yells as she follows her down the stairs.

"You can't stop me."

Joyce grabs her shoulder. "Oh yes I can."

Buffy pushes her mother away and Joyce looks at her daughter as she opens the door. "If you go out that door don't come back."

Buffy looks at her mother for a long time before turning away and heading over to Giles house for a sword to fight Angel with. She's sure they took the sword of Anktuth from the library when they attacked.