Title: Runaway

Chapter 3: Meanwhile Back in Sunnydale . . .

Disclaimer: All the characters and places, blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda. you get the idea. just see chapter 1.

First thing is, sorry everyone who cares. i didn't mean to be so long updating but what with going on holiday and fanfic.net being down i haven't updated. here goes another chapter:

Willow sighed and closed her eyes as she gratefully sank back deep into the sofa at home. She had just been for another long interview with the police about Buffy. She, Xander and Giles had tried to tell the police that Buffy was innocent but even they admitted that with a dead body and then Buffy running away from the police it all looked pretty incriminating.

Each interview was harder than the one before as they tried to explain that they didn't know where Buffy had gone or would go. And also to stick to the story they'd agreed on about how Kendra got murdered. The police in Sunnydale may be absolutely rubbish, but this time they seemed determined to put someone behind bars.

Willow was positive that she must have contradicted herself at least eight times in the half hour interview. She just hoped she hadn't said anything too stupid. She felt that that was pretty likely. Joyce wasn't holding up well either. Of course, she didn't know what had really gone on that night, and none of the Scooby Gang cared to explain, letting her believe that it was some kind of gang war.

~

At the Summer's Residence there was a single light on in the whole house. Joyce Summers sat at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee, now cold, clutched tightly between both hands. She stared blankly ahead, a half empty box of tissues at her side, and salty marks where tears had stained her face.

Over and over again the angry scene before Buffy left replayed in her mind.

~~FLASBACK~~

Buffy walks into the room, her arms folded. She doesn't look at all happy. Spike and Joyce leap to their feet instantly.

"I, Is Willow alright?" Joyce asks

Buffy glances at her. "Yeah. She's fine." She turns to Spike. "Alright, talk. What's the deal?"

"Simple. You let me and Dru skip town, I help you sort Angel."

Joyce looks confused. "Angel? Your boyfriend?"

Buffy ignores her. "Forget about Drusilla. She doesn't walk."

"There's no deal without Dru."

"She killed Kendra," Buffy says shortly.

Spike looks surprised and mildly impressed. "Dru bagged a Slayer?" He chuckles. "She didn't tell me! Hey, good for her!" She glares at him and he looses the smile quickly. "Though not from your perspective, I suppose."

Buffy looks at Spike with contempt. "I can't believe I invited you into my house."

Joyce, meanwhile, looks relieved. "So you didn't kill that girl after all!"

"Of course not."

Spike pulls Buffy to one side and lowers his voice. "Look. This deal works for me one way. Full stop. Me and Dru for Angel. I'll take her out of the country. You'll never hear from us again, I bloody well hope."

"Fine. Get back to the mansion. Make sure that Giles is all right." Joyce was meanwhile babbling something in the background. "Mom!" Joyce stops babbling and Buffy carries on. "Be ready to back me up when I make my move." Spike moves around her towards the front door, but Buffy isn't done. "If Giles dies . . . she dies." Spike had stopped to face her and now he gives her a final glare before heading out.

Joyce was still trying to make sense of the very, at least by her standards, weird night. "It's because you didn't have a strong father figure, isn't it?"

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

Joyce heads for the kitchen. "We should call the police."

"No," says Buffy forcefully. "We're not calling the police."

Joyce stops and turns, smiling slightly. "Well, now that we know that you're innocent, it's -"

Buffy freezes totally. "What? You thought I was guilty? Jeez, feelin' the love in this room!"

"No! I didn't think that!" she replies, just a little too quickly. It's just . . . now that we have proof."

The girl sighs in exasperation. "We have my word, mom. No proof."

But Joyce heads for the kitchen again. "Look, I am sure that they will understand."

She follows her mom closely. "Get them involved and you'll get them killed."

"Well, you're not gonna hurt them, are you?" Buffy slaps her hand onto the switch hook when Joyce lifts the phone. "Cops can't fight this. I have to do it." She takes the phone from her mom and puts it back on the hook.

"Do what?" Joyce demands. "Buffy, what is happening?"

"Just have another drink." She starts to walk away and Joyce throws aside her glass in anger. It shatters as it hits the floor, broken shards of glass scattering everywhere.

"Don't you talk to me that way!" Buffy stops in her tracks but doesn't turn. "You don't get to just dump something like this on me and pretend it's nothing!"

She looks over her shoulder. "I'm sorry, mom, but I don't have time for this." She starts for the door again.

"No! I am tired of 'I don't have time for this' or-or 'you wouldn't understand'." Buffy faces her mom again. "I am your mother, and you will make time to explain yourself."

"I told you. I don't have the time."

"Well, I just don't accept that!"

Buffy steps closer to her. "Open your eyes, mom. What do you think has been going on for the past two years? The fights, the weird occurrences. How many times have you washed blood out of my clothing, and you still haven't figured it out?"

"Well, it stops now!!"

"No, it doesn't stop! It never stops! Do, do you think I chose to be like this? Do you have any idea how lonely it is, how dangerous? I would love to be upstairs watching TV, or gossiping about boys or . . . God, even studying! But instead I have to save the world - again."

"No. This is insane." She grabs Buffy by the shoulders. "Buffy, you need help."

Buffy throws off Joyce's arms. "I'm not crazy! What I need is for you to chill. I have to go!"

Joyce shakes her head. "No. I am not letting you out of this house."

"You can't stop me."

"Oh yes I . . . ." she says, grabbing hold of Buffy. But Buffy shoves her back into the island, knocking things over as she hits. The girl walks to the door and steps out.

"You walk out of this house, don't even think about coming back!"

Buffy stares at her for one very, very long moment before leaving, not bothering to shut the door behind her. Joyce sighs in frustration and leans on the island with her head in her hands.

~~END FLASHBACK~~

It was like that each time as it ran through her head, as if she was there, watching the whole thing. In a way the first part was the worst. It all started so normally, but she'd know that soon she's drive Buffy out.

Joyce didn't know much about what had happened that night, but one thing she did know was that she had driven Buffy, the thing that she cared most about in the whole universe, out of her house and her life. Maybe forever.

There was a clap of thunder, a flash of lightning, and as outside, the rain started to fall, Joyce Summers, sitting all alone in the house, fought to hold back her tears.

~

Whew! That's was pretty angsty wasn't it? I had no idea it was going to turn out like that. This story has a mind of it's own. sorry if joyce knows about the secret or something but i couldn't really remember. sorry about the age it's taken to update but with the site going down and then going on holiday it was pretty much impossible.

And be patient, Angel will come back. Just not very soon. I'm going to try and update again tomorrow.

PennyC