CHAPTER SEVEN
Joy had sat with her father for a long time, just sat quietly while he explained about his life and his unlife. When he had finished his story he was tired and nearly asleep, Joy had crept out of the room and started to walk out of the motel.
She had decided while Spike was telling his story that she had to go and see Buffy, it was probably the only chance she would have to see her dad truly happy and she wasn't about to let that slip away.
So now Joy was on Revello Drive by Buffy's house, it had taken her a while to find it again, but not long enough because she had no idea what she was going to say.
She leaned against a large tree in front of the house willing her mind to work. Finally she gave up with that and went up to the door and knocked on it.
~*~
Buffy heard the knock on the door and walked towards it, she hoped that it was Will so that she could talk him out of getting married. But as she reached for the handle she felt a familiar sensation run through her, Spike.
Buffy let out a deep breath that was all she needed right now, Spike turning up for round two. She knew that she had to answer the door to him or he'd just stay there knocking all night.
"God Spike do you ever give up?" She shouted as she pulled the door open.
Instead of finding a cocky looking Spike on the other side of the door she found his daughter.
"Come in." Buffy said with a half smile.
~*~
Joy looked at Buffy, she noticed that the older woman looked sad and tired, just like her father. I seemed too perfect well apart from the fact her dad was stubborn and from what Will had said so was Buffy.
"I'm not trying to be rude but what do you want?" Buffy asked walking into the kitchen motioning for Joy to follow her.
"I just thought that we should talk, this afternoon didn't really go as well as I'd hoped." Joy said hoping that Buffy would buy that.
Buffy nodded, it was true and she had to make an effort. She had spoken to Dawn about breaking up the engagement but she knew her son too well, it wasn't going to happen.
"Would you like a drink?" Buffy asked the young woman in front of her.
"Yes please, hot chocolate if you've got it." A broad smile came across Buffy's face, "Let me guess with mini marshmallows?"
Joy liked this woman, she was strong and independent just like her dad had always wanted her to grow up and seeing Buffy she could understand why he loved her. Buffy handed her a mug.
"So then Joy are we going to start again." Buffy asked.
"I hope so."
"Right well I'm Buffy."
"And I'm Joy."
The two woman just looked at each other, neither one knowing where to take the conversation from there. Joy thought that now would be a really good time to have had a plan!
"Did your dad know who Will was?" Buffy asked sheepishly, not really sure if she wanted to know the answer.
"No, could you not tell by his reaction to finding me here." Joy said hoping that she hadn't just said the wrong thing.
"Then why did he come here?" Buffy asked more to herself than to Joy.
"He wanted to make sure that you were still alive and to check up on Dawn." Joy offered, she had expected to have to talk a bit about Will before she could start on her dad.
"Oh." Was all Buffy said in answer, the sadness in her eyes growing deeper.
Spike had come back, she had missed him over the years although she couldn't understand why. She had never loved him, yeah she had liked him a lot but that night when she told him that she didn't trust him enough to love him she wasn't lying. And now she was sat in her kitchen talking with his daughter while her sister listened from the stairs pretending not to be there, could her life get anymore complicated?
"Did your dad tell you why he left?" Buffy said keeping her straight not wanting Joy to see the pain.
"No he said he did something that I should never know about and I don't want to." Joy stated clearly.
Buffy was glad, she hated the fact that anyone knew about what Spike had tried to do to her. It was good that Joy didn't know.
"I know that my dad did a lot of bad stuff when he, well in the past, but that wasn't my dad that was something else." Joy said hoping that Buffy already knew that and had accepted it.
"I know and that's why thing are falling apart now." Buffy said. "He still loves you."
Joy saw the anger flash in Buffy's eyes, it was the same sort of anger her father use to get when she would ask about his old girlfriends.
"I thought he might." Buffy spat, not being able to hide the anger.
"I sorry but I don't understand." Joy told her slightly bothered by the ex- slayers display of anger.
"Well then let me explain, your dad is an arse and leaving was the best thing he could have ever done, but now he has to come back and stir up old ghosts!" Buffy shouted, not knowing who she was shouting at.
Joy sat still on the stool in the kitchen not really want to say anything else, all she wanted to do was leave.
Within seconds of Buffy's little outburst Dawn had come flying into the kitchen, "Buffy stop it you don't mean that!" She shouted at her sister.
"Oh don't I?" With that Buffy stormed out and banged all the way up the stairs.
~*~
Dawn looked at Joy who was just sat on a stool not daring to even open her mouth, Dawn felt sorry fro her. Most girls grow up and fall in love and when they get married it is the happiest time of their life, well not in Summer's house.
"You ok?" she asked her soon to be niece-in-law.
Joy nodded, Will had said his mother had a temper but Joy had never seen anything quite like that display. Dawn could see how shocked the girl was.
"Don't worry about her, she's been like that since she hit puberty. So how is Spike?" Dawn inquired.
She was desperate to know how Spike was, he had left so long ago and even though it was under bad circumstances she still loved him like a brother. That's what he was to her an older brother and she he had missed him like hell, Buffy had driven him away once before she wasn't going to let that happen again.
"I think he'd rather not be here, but he was so glad to see you." Joy told her, hearing the excitement in her voice when talking about her dad.
"I'm gonna go over and see him tomorrow, he is staying right?"
"Yeah I told him he had to, he doesn't really want to see Buffy again because he's kinda scared about what she'll say to him. I hurts my heart to see him like this, he still loves her so much."
Dawn nodded in understanding, it hurt her to see how much Buffy wanted to go to Spike and cry on his shoulder. After Spike left the vampires and demon got easier and eventually she got to retire but the personal stuff got harder and harder. Spike had been her pillar of strength and then he was gone.
The grin spread across Dawn's face, Joy nearly started to laugh it was obviously a grin learnt from her father.
"So you are pro Spike and Buffy then?" Dawn asked lowering her voice.
Joy smiled and nodded her head, in fact there was nothing more she could want for her dad.
"Good, but it's gonna take some work because those two are major league stubborn."
TBC.
Joy had sat with her father for a long time, just sat quietly while he explained about his life and his unlife. When he had finished his story he was tired and nearly asleep, Joy had crept out of the room and started to walk out of the motel.
She had decided while Spike was telling his story that she had to go and see Buffy, it was probably the only chance she would have to see her dad truly happy and she wasn't about to let that slip away.
So now Joy was on Revello Drive by Buffy's house, it had taken her a while to find it again, but not long enough because she had no idea what she was going to say.
She leaned against a large tree in front of the house willing her mind to work. Finally she gave up with that and went up to the door and knocked on it.
~*~
Buffy heard the knock on the door and walked towards it, she hoped that it was Will so that she could talk him out of getting married. But as she reached for the handle she felt a familiar sensation run through her, Spike.
Buffy let out a deep breath that was all she needed right now, Spike turning up for round two. She knew that she had to answer the door to him or he'd just stay there knocking all night.
"God Spike do you ever give up?" She shouted as she pulled the door open.
Instead of finding a cocky looking Spike on the other side of the door she found his daughter.
"Come in." Buffy said with a half smile.
~*~
Joy looked at Buffy, she noticed that the older woman looked sad and tired, just like her father. I seemed too perfect well apart from the fact her dad was stubborn and from what Will had said so was Buffy.
"I'm not trying to be rude but what do you want?" Buffy asked walking into the kitchen motioning for Joy to follow her.
"I just thought that we should talk, this afternoon didn't really go as well as I'd hoped." Joy said hoping that Buffy would buy that.
Buffy nodded, it was true and she had to make an effort. She had spoken to Dawn about breaking up the engagement but she knew her son too well, it wasn't going to happen.
"Would you like a drink?" Buffy asked the young woman in front of her.
"Yes please, hot chocolate if you've got it." A broad smile came across Buffy's face, "Let me guess with mini marshmallows?"
Joy liked this woman, she was strong and independent just like her dad had always wanted her to grow up and seeing Buffy she could understand why he loved her. Buffy handed her a mug.
"So then Joy are we going to start again." Buffy asked.
"I hope so."
"Right well I'm Buffy."
"And I'm Joy."
The two woman just looked at each other, neither one knowing where to take the conversation from there. Joy thought that now would be a really good time to have had a plan!
"Did your dad know who Will was?" Buffy asked sheepishly, not really sure if she wanted to know the answer.
"No, could you not tell by his reaction to finding me here." Joy said hoping that she hadn't just said the wrong thing.
"Then why did he come here?" Buffy asked more to herself than to Joy.
"He wanted to make sure that you were still alive and to check up on Dawn." Joy offered, she had expected to have to talk a bit about Will before she could start on her dad.
"Oh." Was all Buffy said in answer, the sadness in her eyes growing deeper.
Spike had come back, she had missed him over the years although she couldn't understand why. She had never loved him, yeah she had liked him a lot but that night when she told him that she didn't trust him enough to love him she wasn't lying. And now she was sat in her kitchen talking with his daughter while her sister listened from the stairs pretending not to be there, could her life get anymore complicated?
"Did your dad tell you why he left?" Buffy said keeping her straight not wanting Joy to see the pain.
"No he said he did something that I should never know about and I don't want to." Joy stated clearly.
Buffy was glad, she hated the fact that anyone knew about what Spike had tried to do to her. It was good that Joy didn't know.
"I know that my dad did a lot of bad stuff when he, well in the past, but that wasn't my dad that was something else." Joy said hoping that Buffy already knew that and had accepted it.
"I know and that's why thing are falling apart now." Buffy said. "He still loves you."
Joy saw the anger flash in Buffy's eyes, it was the same sort of anger her father use to get when she would ask about his old girlfriends.
"I thought he might." Buffy spat, not being able to hide the anger.
"I sorry but I don't understand." Joy told her slightly bothered by the ex- slayers display of anger.
"Well then let me explain, your dad is an arse and leaving was the best thing he could have ever done, but now he has to come back and stir up old ghosts!" Buffy shouted, not knowing who she was shouting at.
Joy sat still on the stool in the kitchen not really want to say anything else, all she wanted to do was leave.
Within seconds of Buffy's little outburst Dawn had come flying into the kitchen, "Buffy stop it you don't mean that!" She shouted at her sister.
"Oh don't I?" With that Buffy stormed out and banged all the way up the stairs.
~*~
Dawn looked at Joy who was just sat on a stool not daring to even open her mouth, Dawn felt sorry fro her. Most girls grow up and fall in love and when they get married it is the happiest time of their life, well not in Summer's house.
"You ok?" she asked her soon to be niece-in-law.
Joy nodded, Will had said his mother had a temper but Joy had never seen anything quite like that display. Dawn could see how shocked the girl was.
"Don't worry about her, she's been like that since she hit puberty. So how is Spike?" Dawn inquired.
She was desperate to know how Spike was, he had left so long ago and even though it was under bad circumstances she still loved him like a brother. That's what he was to her an older brother and she he had missed him like hell, Buffy had driven him away once before she wasn't going to let that happen again.
"I think he'd rather not be here, but he was so glad to see you." Joy told her, hearing the excitement in her voice when talking about her dad.
"I'm gonna go over and see him tomorrow, he is staying right?"
"Yeah I told him he had to, he doesn't really want to see Buffy again because he's kinda scared about what she'll say to him. I hurts my heart to see him like this, he still loves her so much."
Dawn nodded in understanding, it hurt her to see how much Buffy wanted to go to Spike and cry on his shoulder. After Spike left the vampires and demon got easier and eventually she got to retire but the personal stuff got harder and harder. Spike had been her pillar of strength and then he was gone.
The grin spread across Dawn's face, Joy nearly started to laugh it was obviously a grin learnt from her father.
"So you are pro Spike and Buffy then?" Dawn asked lowering her voice.
Joy smiled and nodded her head, in fact there was nothing more she could want for her dad.
"Good, but it's gonna take some work because those two are major league stubborn."
TBC.