Chapter 11
Summers Residence Revello Drive
As Xander entered the house Joyce turned around to head into the kitchen, assuming Xander would follow, which he did. Xander couldn't believe his luck. He could either turn Joyce, or better still use Joyce as a trade off for Buffy. Then he could turn Buffy and getting Willow would be no problem. All these thoughts raced through Xander's mind in the split second before Joyce's largest frying pan came slamming down on Xander's head.
Mrs Summers turned in shock. "My God! Buffy what have you done! You said you were playing a trick on Xander, not trying to kill him."
"Mum, I promise I will explain everything, but now we need to get something to tie Xander up with. He's not himself and he could hurt someone" said Buffy, trying to avoid the real explanation if possible.
But Buffy's Mom was having none of it. "Honey whatever you think may be wrong with Xander, hitting him over the head with my best frying pan is not going to help. I'll call an ambulance."
"No" shouted Buffy and Willow at the same time, "that really wouldn't do any good." Willow continued. She turned to Buffy and said with resignation "I think we need to tell your Mom."
"Yes I think an explanation would be a wonderful idea" said Joyce, now exasperated.
"Mom" said Buffy impatiently. "Do you trust me? I mean really, really trust me" asked Buffy seriously.
Joyce, sensing Buffy's change in tone only got more worried, but kept calm and answered "Yes dear, I trust you."
"Good" replied Buffy. "Trust me that we need to tie up Xander NOW, and then I'll sit down and tell you everything. After that if you think I've been too harsh on him, you can ground me till I'm 21."
"Alright then. I have some masking tape in the closet, and then I can't wait to hear what you've got to say for yourself" said Mrs Summers. Meanwhile Willow went into the lounge room to make a phone call.
Buffy spent the next few minutes using two rolls of thick masking tape to tie Xander firmly to the kitchen chair, and at the end he looked like a shiny version of an Egyptian mummy.
Buffy turned to Willow "Ok, here goes. This is the tough part" and sat down on the lounge to begin the explanation.
"Mom, I have just one request. If you think I'm crazy or talking garbage, just hear me out ok?" asked Buffy.
"Anything you say dear" said Joyce, who really couldn't wait to see where her daughter was going with this one.
"Mom, do you know how to feel for a pulse?" asked Buffy.
"Yes, you know I did a first aid course before we moved here" replied Joyce, now a little confused.
"Alright, feel my pulse then" said Buffy, reaching out her arm.
Joyce pulled up Buffy's sleeve and immediately felt a strong, steady pulse. Buffy nodded and then said, "ok, now feel Xander's pulse."
Joyce went over to Xander who was still unconscious and felt for a pulse on his right wrist, which extended beyond the arm of the chair.
"I can't feel one. Maybe it's because you've got him trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey" said Joyce.
"Or maybe it's because he doesn't have one" said Buffy with a straight face.
"Don't be silly dear, he has to have a pulse or he'd be dead" explained Joyce.
"You don't know how right you are Mom. Xander IS dead" said Buffy.
"Buffy please, don't talk nonsense" said her Mom.
Buffy turned to Willow again "looks like phase two then. Have you got the Holy Water?"
"Sure Buffy, it's right here" said Willow, and handed over the bottle.
"Ok Mom, hold out your hand" asked Buffy. Joyce duly held out her hand and Buffy splashed some Holy Water on it, then did the same to her hand and to Willow's hand.
"Now watch this" said Buffy, and splashed some on Xander's hand. Immediately there was the acrid smell of burning flesh and a sizzling noise like sausages on a barbeque.
"Oh my goodness" said Joyce, shocked. "What did you do to Xander's hand?"
"Mom, we sprinkled Holy Water on it, just the same as our own hands" said Buffy, hoping her Mom would start to catch on.
Just then Xander began to regain consciousness, and Buffy thought to herself 'here's where the real fun begins'.
Xander looked over at Mrs Summers and said innocently "Mrs Summers, please help me. Buffy and Willow have gone nuts, please help me out of here."
To Joyce it sounded like what Xander was saying made more sense than her daughter, but before she could reply Buffy rose from her seat and put a cross up to Xander's face. Joyce watched in amazement and fear as she saw Xander's face transform into a hideous visage not out of place in a monster movie. Finally she believed her daughter that at least there was something seriously wrong with Xander.
Willow moved to sit next to Buffy's Mom. "Mrs Summers, vampires are real. Xander is one of them." Just then the doorbell rang, and Buffy ran to get the door.
Joyce slumped down in the sofa. "Oh dear Lord, I don't think I can take much more of this"
Giles and Jenny entered the living room and looked at Xander tied up and growling, and then looked at Buffy's mom who looked like she was a few seconds away from a nervous breakdown. Buffy turned to Giles and said "thank goodness you're here. You need to do your spiel about the earth and the demons, cos I'm having NO luck explaining it."
Giles was taken aback that Buffy had decided to tell her mother the truth, and looked at her as if to say 'are you sure?'
Buffy caught Giles' meaning and said "well we've got a vampire in our living room. What does the handbook tell me I should do?" asked Buffy sarcastically, shrugging her shoulders.
"Alright then Buffy, no need to be narky" said Giles with a forced smile, and sat down next to Joyce to begin what would be a lengthy explanation.
Meanwhile, Willow and Jenny began their preparations in the kitchen to cast the spell that would return Xander's soul.
Summers Residence Revello Drive
As Xander entered the house Joyce turned around to head into the kitchen, assuming Xander would follow, which he did. Xander couldn't believe his luck. He could either turn Joyce, or better still use Joyce as a trade off for Buffy. Then he could turn Buffy and getting Willow would be no problem. All these thoughts raced through Xander's mind in the split second before Joyce's largest frying pan came slamming down on Xander's head.
Mrs Summers turned in shock. "My God! Buffy what have you done! You said you were playing a trick on Xander, not trying to kill him."
"Mum, I promise I will explain everything, but now we need to get something to tie Xander up with. He's not himself and he could hurt someone" said Buffy, trying to avoid the real explanation if possible.
But Buffy's Mom was having none of it. "Honey whatever you think may be wrong with Xander, hitting him over the head with my best frying pan is not going to help. I'll call an ambulance."
"No" shouted Buffy and Willow at the same time, "that really wouldn't do any good." Willow continued. She turned to Buffy and said with resignation "I think we need to tell your Mom."
"Yes I think an explanation would be a wonderful idea" said Joyce, now exasperated.
"Mom" said Buffy impatiently. "Do you trust me? I mean really, really trust me" asked Buffy seriously.
Joyce, sensing Buffy's change in tone only got more worried, but kept calm and answered "Yes dear, I trust you."
"Good" replied Buffy. "Trust me that we need to tie up Xander NOW, and then I'll sit down and tell you everything. After that if you think I've been too harsh on him, you can ground me till I'm 21."
"Alright then. I have some masking tape in the closet, and then I can't wait to hear what you've got to say for yourself" said Mrs Summers. Meanwhile Willow went into the lounge room to make a phone call.
Buffy spent the next few minutes using two rolls of thick masking tape to tie Xander firmly to the kitchen chair, and at the end he looked like a shiny version of an Egyptian mummy.
Buffy turned to Willow "Ok, here goes. This is the tough part" and sat down on the lounge to begin the explanation.
"Mom, I have just one request. If you think I'm crazy or talking garbage, just hear me out ok?" asked Buffy.
"Anything you say dear" said Joyce, who really couldn't wait to see where her daughter was going with this one.
"Mom, do you know how to feel for a pulse?" asked Buffy.
"Yes, you know I did a first aid course before we moved here" replied Joyce, now a little confused.
"Alright, feel my pulse then" said Buffy, reaching out her arm.
Joyce pulled up Buffy's sleeve and immediately felt a strong, steady pulse. Buffy nodded and then said, "ok, now feel Xander's pulse."
Joyce went over to Xander who was still unconscious and felt for a pulse on his right wrist, which extended beyond the arm of the chair.
"I can't feel one. Maybe it's because you've got him trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey" said Joyce.
"Or maybe it's because he doesn't have one" said Buffy with a straight face.
"Don't be silly dear, he has to have a pulse or he'd be dead" explained Joyce.
"You don't know how right you are Mom. Xander IS dead" said Buffy.
"Buffy please, don't talk nonsense" said her Mom.
Buffy turned to Willow again "looks like phase two then. Have you got the Holy Water?"
"Sure Buffy, it's right here" said Willow, and handed over the bottle.
"Ok Mom, hold out your hand" asked Buffy. Joyce duly held out her hand and Buffy splashed some Holy Water on it, then did the same to her hand and to Willow's hand.
"Now watch this" said Buffy, and splashed some on Xander's hand. Immediately there was the acrid smell of burning flesh and a sizzling noise like sausages on a barbeque.
"Oh my goodness" said Joyce, shocked. "What did you do to Xander's hand?"
"Mom, we sprinkled Holy Water on it, just the same as our own hands" said Buffy, hoping her Mom would start to catch on.
Just then Xander began to regain consciousness, and Buffy thought to herself 'here's where the real fun begins'.
Xander looked over at Mrs Summers and said innocently "Mrs Summers, please help me. Buffy and Willow have gone nuts, please help me out of here."
To Joyce it sounded like what Xander was saying made more sense than her daughter, but before she could reply Buffy rose from her seat and put a cross up to Xander's face. Joyce watched in amazement and fear as she saw Xander's face transform into a hideous visage not out of place in a monster movie. Finally she believed her daughter that at least there was something seriously wrong with Xander.
Willow moved to sit next to Buffy's Mom. "Mrs Summers, vampires are real. Xander is one of them." Just then the doorbell rang, and Buffy ran to get the door.
Joyce slumped down in the sofa. "Oh dear Lord, I don't think I can take much more of this"
Giles and Jenny entered the living room and looked at Xander tied up and growling, and then looked at Buffy's mom who looked like she was a few seconds away from a nervous breakdown. Buffy turned to Giles and said "thank goodness you're here. You need to do your spiel about the earth and the demons, cos I'm having NO luck explaining it."
Giles was taken aback that Buffy had decided to tell her mother the truth, and looked at her as if to say 'are you sure?'
Buffy caught Giles' meaning and said "well we've got a vampire in our living room. What does the handbook tell me I should do?" asked Buffy sarcastically, shrugging her shoulders.
"Alright then Buffy, no need to be narky" said Giles with a forced smile, and sat down next to Joyce to begin what would be a lengthy explanation.
Meanwhile, Willow and Jenny began their preparations in the kitchen to cast the spell that would return Xander's soul.
