Author's note: Thank you everyone for the reviews. Stepfather is difficult to write and your encouragement keeps me going. You know who you are, but since this is acknowledgement time, here it goes....

*takes deep breath* flystardusterkm, WhiteWolf 3, em, manticore-gurl071134, Anne, Margaret Tranquility, Nat, The Waco Kid, Teri, L-chan, Alex, Pat, okeydokey, and Jenn.

This chapter is dedicated to Nat. Thank you for your reviews and emails. The only thing an author ever wants is to be read, liked, and understood. You have given me all three. Thanks.

-Leanne

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Chapter 6: Gingerbread Part 2

Giles looked around what was left of the Sunnydale City Hall, as he tried to steady his badly shaken nerves. He didn't lose Buffy today. She was fine, as was Joyce, but they would both need him after this ordeal. As he surveyed the destruction before him, he shook his head with amazement. What wasn't damaged by the fire or the smoke, Cordelia took care of with her liberal application of the fire hose. It's going to cost a fortune to fix this, Giles thought. At least I know what my taxes will be going towards for the next couple of years.

Suddenly, the ceiling above Giles gave way. He quickly sidestepped to place even more distance between himself and the falling debris. The latter of which included plaster, fiberglass, a support beam, and two teenaged boys. Xander and Oz looked around the room sheepishly. Oz quickly broke the stunned silence in his usual succinct style. "We're here to save you."

The boys dramatic entrance proved to be the last straw for Sheila Rosenberg. The poor woman fainted dead away. Giles attempted to catch her, but she and Joyce were standing too far away. He had only made it half way before she hit the floor. Giles continued moving and was at her side in an instant. He checked her pulse and found it strong, if a bit fast.

"Mom!" cried Willow.

"It's alright, Willow," Giles assured the girl. He quickly looked Mrs. Rosenberg over for injuries. "She appears to be unharmed. And it doesn't look like she struck her head on anything on the way down. I think she's just in shock. She should be fine when she awakens."

Giles looked around the room. Come on, old man. You're the grown-up. Get it together and get everyone organized. Giles took a deep breath and started issuing orders. "Oz. Xander. Untie Willow and Buffy- quickly." The boys scrambled from the floor and hurried towards the girls. Giles turned to the brunette behind him. "Cordelia, take Mrs. Rosenberg to her car. Put her in the backseat."

"But-"

Giles pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Cordelia! Please, just this once, do as you're told."

"But she looks heavy. There's no way I can lift her all by myself."

Giles looked to see the progress the boys were making. Oz was having some difficulty with Willow's ropes, but Xander was nearly done with Buffy. "Xander, when your finished, help Cordelia.

"But-" began Xander.

"Now!" roared Giles. He turned to his girlfriend who had been silent this entire time. "Joyce..." he began, but stopped when he saw the look on her face. She was extremely pale and the glazed look in her eyes told him she was probably about to join Willow's mother on the floor. "Never mind," he said with a sigh.

Xander finished untying Buffy from the giant stake. The petite girl shrugged off the bindings and rubbed her arms where the ropes had chaffed them. Xander and Cordelia came over and lifted Mrs. Rosenberg. Xander held her arms and Cordelia picked up her feet. The started towards the door and Giles called after them, "Drive her home. Take her inside."

"Wait!" yelled Willow.

"Will, could you make it short," Xander groaned. "No offense, but your mom is kinda heavy."

"Giles, what about Amy?" Willow said frantically.

"Amy?" asked Giles

"Um, when we were all tied up, she turned herself into a rat. To escape."

"A rat?"

"Yeah. And she's here somewhere. And we need to get her before she gets hurt. Oh and so I can turn her back."

"Um, yes. Wait a moment. I need to think."

With a small grunt Oz freed Willow from her bonds. The redhead jumped back from the ropes as though they were poisonous snakes.

Giles cleared his throat and began speaking. "New plan, everyone. Xander and Cordelia will take Mrs. Rosenberg home in her car. You will wait there for Willow to arrive. If Sheila wakes up before Willow gets home, tell her only that she fainted and you drove her home." Xander and Cordelia adjusted their grips on the unconscious woman and headed for the parking lot. Giles turned to Joyce and asked her gently, "May I have your car keys?" Joyce reached into her pocket and fished them out. She handed them to Giles without a word.

Giles turned to Buffy. "Do you feel up to burying the demon?" he asked. She nodded in the affirmative. He tossed the keys to her underhand. Buffy caught them easily, her Slayer reflexes not dulled by her recent experience. "Take the jeep- just this once- and drive somewhere remote. Make sure and pick up a shovel on the way. After, drive to Willow's house and meet up with the gang. Call me if there's trouble. Buffy nodded and jogged out the door. Giles then turned his attention to Willow and Oz. "Your van is here, correct?" he asked the boy.

"Yes."

"Good. You two, search this room. When you find, um, Amy, take her home and find a container for her that she won't be able to gnaw through. When you get there, don't try to reverse Amy's conjuration. I want to do some research about the spell she used first. Make sure we don't accidentally harm her. When you get home, wait for everyone else. After that, Xander and Cordelia can go home. I would like it if you kept Buffy there, however."

"Um, Giles?"

"Yes, Willow."

"Can I talk to you... um, over here." She made a small motion with her hand and gestured for him to step away from Joyce."

Giles walked to Willow. He bent over and said softly, "Yes, Willow. What do you need?"

"Um, what about, you know..." She trailed of but pointed at Joyce.

Giles nodded and put his hand on Willow's shoulder. "That's why I want you to have Buffy stay at your house. I think that Joyce and I need to talk and as hard as it's going to be for Buffy to see her mother, it will be even harder for Joyce to be around Buffy."

"I, I understand, Giles. Don't worry. I'll take care of Buffy."

"Thank you, Willow." Giles was just about to go back to Joyce when he looked at Willow closer. She was looking at her dust covered tennis shoes. Giles reached over and lifted her chin so that she was looking up into his eyes. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Um, yeah. I mean.. I'm fine. Go. Mrs. Summers needs you."

"Willow, I'm so sorry. I didn't even think about this ordeal would affect you, or Xander, Oz and Cordelia. I just..." Giles trailed off and looked over at Joyce.

"No, Giles. It's okay. Buffy's your Slayer. She should be your first priority. And Joyce, you two are, um, involved, I guess. It's only natural that they would take precedence...."

Giles reach over and grabbed Willow. He wrapped his arms around the girl in a bone-crushing hug. Willow just couldn't hold back anymore. She burst into tears. Giles continued to hold her as her tiny body was racked with sobs. "Shh. Shhh," Giles whispered into her ear. "It's going to be fine. I'll take care of everything."

"Mrpphglled," said Willow. At least that is what Giles heard with Willow's face buried in his shoulder.

Giles grinned gently at her. "I'm afraid you'll have to repeat that."

Willow lifted her head so that she was once again looking at the older man. "Thank you. I don't know what any one of us would do without you."

"You'd get along. And do a splendid job of it." Giles was gratified when Willow smiled shyly at him. He shook his head at the poor girl. Seventeen years of being ignored by her parents and when they finally notice her, this is what happens. And what of Xander's parents. Giles knew that both of them drank, and fought. The boy had never said as much, but Giles had a strong suspicion that Xander's father hit him. Giles didn't know anything about Oz's parents- except that Oz preferred to be anywhere but home. Jonathan and Charlotte Chase were an equal mystery. All Giles knew of them was that the Sunnydale community had a strong suspicion that Jonathan Chase earned and kept his fortune through less than sterling means.

Giles sighed softly and glanced quickly at Joyce. A woman who had remained willfully ignorant of the world around her for years was the best example of parenting Giles had found since coming to this place.

Giles was pulled out his thoughts by a sensation of pressure on his shoulder. He looked down and saw that Willow had pulled the long sleeve of her shirt down over her hand and was furiously rubbing at his jacket. Giles smiled amusedly and asked her, "What on earth are you doing?"

"Oh," said Willow as she looked up at Giles with a surprised _expression. Quickly her face colored as she tried to explain. "Well, when I was crying, I um, got snot on your jacket."

Giles chuckled as he pulled Willow in for another hug. "Oh Willow. Thank you."

"For messing up the tweed?" Willow said, puzzled.

"No, dear girl. For being Willow." Giles took out a handkerchief from his pocket. He looked at Willow's dishevelment. Because of the smoke from the fire, she was covered head to foot in a fine layer of soot. Where the tears had run down her cheeks, they mixed with the soot to from a sort of ashy paste. Giles took the handkerchief and started wiping away the soot from Willow's face. "And you needn't worry," he continued. "After all the years I've been fighting demons, this is the least of the stains. I'm positive that if I bring one more blood soaked suit to the cleaners, the owner will call the authorities on me."

Willow laughed a bit at that, then she reached up her hand and put it on Giles's to still it. She smiled at him. "It's alright, Giles. I can clean up when I get home."

"If you'd rather not spend tonight at home-"

"No, I think I should be there- for my mom. If she snaps out of it and remembers anything, then she'll need answers."

"Are you certain?"

"Yup. Regardless of where we spend tonight, I'm pretty sure the Scooby Gang will spend it together." Willow suddenly brightened. "It will be like a sleepover. A sleepover inspired by terror, but still."

"Well, that's... good," Giles said hesitantly. "First we best find Amy."

"Got her," called Oz as he stood up from behind one of the piles of still smoking books. In his arms he held a trembling brown rat.

"Where was she?" asked Willow.

"Under this," said Oz as her held up a partially charred book. He flipped it over to look at the cover. "Um, The Black Chronicles Vol. 4." Oz looked up at Giles and then down at the book he was holding. "Uh oh."

"What!" cried Giles. He quickly ran to one of the biers of books. He picked up a couple and quickly looked at their covers. "This is MY collection!" he hollered.

"Not all of it," said Willow. "It's too many books just to be yours."

"It's probably everything in Sunnydale that MOO deemed 'objectionable,'" said Oz. "I heard they hit the Public Library pretty hard. And the magic shop downtown."

"Good lord," said Giles. His legs buckled under him and he collapsed to the floor. "Some of these books were priceless- irreplaceable."

"Oh, it will be okay, Giles," called Willow. "Don't worry. We'll come back really early tomorrow and get all the books. And look- they're not all damaged." She grabbed a book off of one of the piles. "See this one's fine. It's..." she trailed off as she looked at the book she was holding, "...probably not one of yours 'cause it's a copy of Harry Potter, but I'm sure there's lot's of your books are fine too."

"What am I going to do?" said Giles staring at the carnage that used to be his meticulously organized demonology library.

Willow marched up to him, 'resolve face' in place. "I'll tell you what you're gonna do. You're gonna get up and take Mrs. Summers to Buffy's house. The you'll come back here at 7:30 tomorrow morning and we'll get started moving these books to your house. Then we'll spend the whole day salvaging what we can and throwing out what we can't. Okay?"

Giles looked up at the formidable redhead in front of him. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good." Willow walked over to Oz. The boy took her hand and together they walked out the door and towards the exit and Oz's van.

Giles stood. He looked over to where Joyce was standing. She was in exactly the same place he had left her, standing stalk still. Giles walked over to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He lead her out of the room and down the hall to the front entrance. Giles's car was parked outside. When they reached it, Giles walked over to the passenger side. He took out his keys and unlocked the door. Joyce got inside and sat down, staring blankly ahead, not saying anything. Giles closed her door carefully, making sure not to catch her clothing or her seatbelt. Giles walked around the car and opened his door. When he sat down, he discovered that Joyce had fastened her own seat belt. That's a good sign, Giles thought. At least, I think it is.

As if sensing it's owner's distress, the Citroen started up with a minimum of coaxing. Giles put it in gear and started down the road. He knew it was going to be a long drive home.

*************************

~Rosenberg Residence

40 minutes later~

Willow, Oz, Xander, and Cordelia were sitting in Willow's living room when the front door bell rang. Willow got up and went to answer it.

"So, then what happened?" asked Cordelia.

Xander shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, then Oz and I went to city hall. We ran into a mob of crazy people, crawled around in the air conditioning ducts for awhile, then we fell through the ceiling. All in all, an event filled evening."

"Yeah," marveled Cordelia. "I just hope I can get all my stuff back from my parents. My mom took this black cashmere sweater that I wanted to wear to the Bronze tomorrow night."

Xander looked at Oz and said, "Beware, man. We've now entered the Queen C Zone. Where priorities include Cordelia's hair, Cordelia's wardrobe, and Cordelia's make-up."

Oz let out a small chuckle and Cordelia looked up from where she was examining the state of her manicure. "Hey. That is not all I think about. You know, it's not like anyone is dead or anything. The Scoobies are all fine."

"Yeah," said Oz. "Except for Amy. She's kinda still a rat." he pointed over to the Tupperware container where they put Amy until they could find a cage for her. Oz had used his pocket knife to poke a few holes in the container's lid, forever ruining it, but Willow had assured Oz that her mother wouldn't miss one piece of Tupperware. Besides, Xander had argued, Amy needed air a lot more than Mrs. Rosenberg needed a place to store leftovers.

Just then, Willow came back into the living room followed immediately, by her tired and bedraggled best friend. Xander looked up at them from his place on the couch and said, "Hey, Buff! How'd the burial go? Did you a saw a few nice words?"

"Does swearing count?" asked Buffy as she sank into and arm chair. "Cause, Big Ugly, he was heavy."

"So, where'd you bury him?" asked Willow.

"Well, it wasn't so much a burial as a body dump." Buffy caught Willow's disapproving look and quickly rushed to explain her actions. "Don't worry. I'll tell Giles in the morning. I'm sure he'll understand. It's not like anyone's going to find him. Remember that empty crypt from last week?"

"The one that's empty, 'cause you and Faith killed all the vamps living in it?" asked Xander.

"Yeah, that one," said Buffy. "Anyway, I stuck him in there. I figure the smell of decomposing demon will keep the vamps away."

"Good plan," remarked Willow.

"Yeah, Buff," said Xander. "Very two birds with one ugly stone."

"I thought so," said Buffy looking pleased.

Suddenly Cordelia stood and said, "Well, this has been a barrel of joy, but everyone came back safe, so I'll be heading home now."

"Cordelia, I don't think that's a good idea," Willow said.

The brunette turned towards her. "Why not?"

"We don't know how long this demonic influence is going to affect people. You said your parents had succumbed to it."

"Willow, do you really think my parents would try to kill me?"

"Depends. What did your MasterCard bill look like this month?"

"Xander, that's not helping. Listen, Cordy. If you want to leave, I can't stop you. Buffy probably could, but I can't. I just- I think we should stick together tonight."

Cordelia slumped back in her chair. "Oh, alright. I'll stay here. But I want it noted that I'm here under duress."

"Wait a minute," said Xander. "Cordelia's staying here? Then I am definitely going home."

"Xander! It's not safe."

"Wills, my parents weren't in the mob. You have no proof that they were even affected by this spell or whatever."

"And you don't have any proof that your dad isn't sitting at home waiting for you with one of his shotguns," Willow countered.

Xander pressed on the sofa as if testing it and said, "So, this couch pulls out, right?"

Oz looked at Xander and said, "I'm with you, man. My parents don't know I'm a werewolf, but in case they figured it out, I think I'm better off here."

Buffy stood as if to leave. Willow saw her and snapped, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Willow," began Buffy, "as great as a slumber party sounds, I have to get home. My mom needs me."

"Buffy, Giles thinks it's a good idea if you stay here tonight."

"Well, that's great for Giles, but I need to be with my mom. She's just been through this totally traumatic experience and she doesn't have anyone."

Willow took a deep breath. She knew Buffy was not going to like this next part. "Yes, she does. She has Giles."

Buffy looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"I- I think he's going to spend the night at your place?"

"Oh." Buffy slid back into her chair.

Willow looked worriedly at her. "Buffy, are you okay."

Buffy waved off her question. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just... he's never stayed over before. I mean, they always go out for their dates. I've only really seen them together, like twice since they started dating."

Willow was quick to try and help her best friend. "I'm sure nothing's going to happen."

"Yeah, he's probably just going to help her and make sure that she'll be fine," said Xander.

"But that's my job!" exclaimed Buffy. "It's my responsibility to protect her from the supernatural evil. Remember, Slayer here. Part of the oh so fabulous job description."

"Not anymore, Buffy," said Willow, gently. "I mean, yeah, it's your job to protect your mom, like you'd protect anyone else. But it's not your responsibility to take care of her when something does happen. That's Giles's job now. He's the guy she's going to go to when she's scared or upset. And, umm, that's how it's supposed to be."

"Yeah," Buffy said with a far away look in her eye.

Willow looked at her with concern. "Are you okay, Buffy?"

"Yeah. I just need to go to bed. I'm kind of tired. Where do I sleep?"

Willow pointed up the stairs. "You can sleep in my room. We'll share the bed. If you need a shower or pajamas-"

"I know where everything is." Buffy turned to the group and said, "I'll see you all in the morning." Slowly she turned and headed up the stairs.

Willow watched her go, her expression worried. She turned to Xander. "I think I'd better check on her. Can you get everyone situated?"

"Yeah, Will. No problem. I practically grew up in this house."

"Good. Me and Buffy in my room. Cordelia in the guest room. You an Oz on the couch. Towels are in the linen closet. Only use the guest bathroom."

"Whoa, Will. Looks like your train of thought lost it's brakes. Just make sure Buffy's coping. We'll be fine."

"Wait," interrupted Cordelia. "Are we going to be safe here? 'Cause our Slayer appears to be out of commission."

Willow waved her hand at Cordelia's question. "My dad is out of town and my Mom is passed out upstairs. We'll be fine."

"Probably safer here than anywhere else in town," agreed Oz.

Xander looked up and said, "We could stay at Giles place. It's not like he's going to be there."

Cordelia looked at him with disbelief. "The five of us in his dinky little apartment. I don't think so. Willow's guest room will be fine." She turned to Xander. "Show me where it is."

"Yes, your Majesty," said Xander under his breath. The two of them headed up the stairs.

Willow and Oz watched them go. Suddenly, Willow said, "Wait! Before everyone goes to bed, we have to get up early tomorrow."

Xander looked at her with feigned horror. "But it's Saturday!"

Willow winced at him. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. But you know all those books that MOO built the bon fires on." Xander and Cordelia nodded. Willow continued, "Well, they were everything that MOO confiscated, so..."

Cordelia was the first to get it. "Giles's books," she breathed.

"Yeah," said Willow with a pained expression

"Oh man," whispered Xander. "How's he taking it?"

"Not well. We need to go in early. Get there before the cleaning crew."

"Good idea," said Xander. He and Cordelia turned and started towards the guest room.

Willow, at last, turned to her boyfriend. She smiled shyly. "Goodnight," she said.

Oz smiled a little back. "'Night." Willow leaned over and kissed him softly. Then she turned and when up to her room. Oz watched her retreating form until she turned the corner at the top of the stairs.

**********************

Giles pulled into the driveway of the Summers' house. He turned the key and the Citroen's engine shuttered and died. He looked over at the woman in the passenger seat. Joyce was staring down at her hands. She wore a ring on one of her fingers. She twirled it around and around. As she did so, Giles noticed how badly her hands were trembling. He reached over and took her left hand in his right. Joyce finally looked up at hi. He eyes were an angry bloodshot red. They were pink from where she had been crying. The tears left thick tracks down her cheeks. Giles was surprised to see them. He hadn't heard her cry.

"Joyce," he said softly. "You're home now. Do you want to get out?" Joyce nodded shakily. "Good." Giles said. He unfastened his seatbelt and got out of the car. He walked over to the passenger side. He opened Joyce's door and held her hand as she stepped out of the car. Giles supported her trembling frame as they walked to the front door. As they stepped up to the door Joyce started fumbling around in her pockets. When she didn't find what she was seeking, she began to claw desperately through her purse. After a few minutes, she looked up at Giles and started crying again. "My keys. I-I gave them to Buffy. I..."

Giles was quick to comfort her. "Shhh. It will be alright, luv." He fished in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. "Look. I have mine." He flipped through the keys on the ring to find the right one. When he located it, he unlocked the front door. They went inside and Giles was careful to lock and deadbolt the door behind them. He led Joyce to the couch. She sat down while Giles remained standing. "Is there anything you need?" he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I guess- could you get me a glass of coke?"

"Certainly," he said.

Giles turned to go to the kitchen. "Rupert," Joyce called. "Could you put some rum in it?"

Giles smiled at her. "Be right back, luv."

Giles returned from the kitchen with Joyce's rum and coke and a scotch neat for himself. He set Joyce's drink on the coffee table in front of her and sat next to her on the couch. He took a sip of the single malt and then set it down. Joyce picked up her drink and took a large swallow. The shaking of her hand caused the ice in her drink to make a musical tinkling sound as it struck the side of the glass. Giles reached over and took the glass from Joyce. He set it down gently on the table. Then he gathered Joyce up in his arms. She crawled into his lap like a frightened child. Giles just held her as she cried, rocking her and soothingly rubbing her back.

***********************

Willow walked out of her parents bathroom still toweling her hair dry from her shower. She paused a moment to bend over and wrap the towel around her head. She straightened and tugged on the bottom of her night shirt. She walked past the guest bathroom on the way to her bedroom and heard Cordelia taking a shower. Willow paused in front of the bathroom door. Cordelia was singing- if it could be called singing- some light rock ballad. After listening for a moment, Willow shook her head and kept moving.

Willow got to her bedroom and knocked on the door. She opened it slowly and peeked her head inside. "Hey, Buff. You dressed?"

Buffy was lying in Willow's bed. She didn't looked up from the magazine she was flipping through. "Yeah." Willow stepped inside the room. Buffy looked up at her. "You took a shower?"

"Wanted to wash the smoke smell off. You know."

"Do you want me to-" Buffy said as she gestured towards the hall.

"Oh, no, it's okay." Willow grinned. "If you don't mind, I don't." Willow climbed into the bed next to her best friend. She saw the magazine in Buffy's hands and asked, "Whatcha reading?"

Buffy gave Willow a small smile. "Scientific American. Will, you have got to get some better reading materiel. You don't even have People."

Willow grinned mischievously. "You want some real entertainment? Remember that song Cordelia performed at the talent show sophomore year? Well, she's in the bathroom butchering it right now. We could stand outside the door and make fun of her.

"Hmm. Sounds like fun, but nah. I don't think we can afford anymore Cordelia bad will."

"Spoil my fun."

Buffy laughed. "We should probably get some sleep."

"Oh. Sleep. I forgot, we've got to get up at seven tomorrow."

"You want Xander to get up before noon on a Saturday?"

"No, well yeah. It's just, our parents, when they were going to-"

"Burn us at the stake?"

"Um, yeah, that. Anyway, the bon fires. They were books."

"Books...?" Buffy thought for a moment. Suddenly, hey eyes widened in shock and she let out a little gasp. She raised her hand to her mouth. "Not..." she said. "Not Giles's collection."

Willow nodded gravely. "Yeah. All the magick and demonology texts."

"Giles wasn't flipping out was he?"

"Not really. I mean he wasn't all Whoopee! Oh happy day, either. I don't think the concept's quite set in yet?"

"Man, Giles is going to be a wreck." At the thought of Giles, Buffy's expression dimmed.

Willow noticed and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Don't give me that. You're wearing Buffy-sad-face."

"Yeah, I was just think about Giles and Mom. They're at my house right now."

"I'm sure there's nothing-"

"It's not that."

"Then what?"

"I'm still kind of wigging about their coupledom. I mean what if Mom decides that she likes having Giles around and she asks him to move in or something?"

"Wow. I never even thought about that. But your mom wouldn't do anything like that unless she knew that you were going to be comfortable with it."

"I know. I guess I know. It's just, it's been the two of us for so long. I mean, my dad moved out about a year before the divorce. And even before that, he wasn't home much. There were business trips and I- I think he cheated. I think that's why they split up."

"Buffy, Giles wouldn't-"

Buffy waved her hand. "No. I just- Mom and I have this thing. We take care of each other. We go shopping together. And she cooks dinner and I do the dishes. And every Sunday night, we watch an old moving starring people that aren't famous anymore." Buffy shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm not explaining it right."

"No," said Willow. "I get it. You guys have this routine."

"Yeah. And if Giles moves in, what if he does the dishes?" At Willow's blank look Buffy quickly thought of another example. "Or what if Sunday night stopped being Movie Night and became Battle Strategy Night?"

"Buff-"

"What if he goes grocery shopping with mom and only buys that nasty British food that he eats? What then?"

"Okay. Buffy, this is probably not the time to talk about this."

"Why not?"

"'Cause you're hysterical. And when you're all panicky, then I get all screechy and jumpy and shouty."

"And we don't want you to get shouty."

"Right." Willow said with a firm nod.

"Maybe we should get some sleep and worry about this in the morning."

"Good idea." Willow reached over and turned off her bedside lamp. "Goodnight, Buffy."

"Goodnight, Will."

************************

"Joyce, please talk to me."

"Oh God. Rupert." Joyce dissolved into tears again. "How will Buffy ever trust me again?"

"Joyce it will be alright. I promise you."

"I don't know. I'm not going to be able to fix this. I tried to kill my own daughter."

"Shh." Giles continued to rock Joyce in his arms. "Look here. I don't hate you. Neither does Buffy. She knows what happened wasn't you fault. That you were being controlled by something else that wasn't you."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes. You can hardly live in this town without being possessed at least once. Did I ever tell you about the time Xander was possessed by the spirit of a hyena from the zoo. It's a-" Giles broke off as he looked down at Joyce's tired face. "-story for another time, perhaps."

"Rupert, how can you stand looking at me?"

"Joyce, what in heavens name are you talking about?"

"I was so weak. I just gave in."

"Joyce, look at me." When she didn't look up, Giles raised her chin so her blue eyes looked into his green ones. "Joyce, I have done some truly horrific things in my life. Some of it so disdainful that you can't possibly imagine it. And yet here I am. What does that tell you?"

"Rupert, I saw you on the band candy and I was no picnic myself. You weren't-"

"No!" Giles said vehemently, cutting her off. "You saw nothing. Ripper at sixteen was a punk. He picked ladies pockets and smoked and drank, but he was basically harmless. But when I was twenty-five..." Giles shook his head at the memory. "Casual sex with anonymous partners. The drinking gave way to drugs. And when heroin and LSD weren't enough to dull the pain, I turned to magicks. Blacker than you can even conceive. Spells that required blood- human blood. I stole, I dealt, trafficked in the black market. Any kind of contraband I could get my hands on. Drugs, guns, illegal spells. I took what I wanted with no regard to anyone or anything else. It took killing a good friend of mine to make me realize what my life had become."

"Rupert. I had no idea."

"No one does. The kids have a general idea of what my life was like then, but, fortunately, few details."

"I-"

"Joyce, when you love someone, you want to help them, as much as you can."

"You- you love me?"

"I do, Joyce. Very much so. You are the most caring woman I've ever met. You have all this love and compassion. And it seems to know no bounds. Plus, you are intelligent, and capable, and beautiful. I have to admit, after losing Jenny, I wasn't certain when I would be ready to love again. I mourned her, for months. But then you were there. And the pain in my heart lessened. Every day. Now, I can look back on my time with Jenny with fondness instead of sorrow. And I can look forward to my time with you."

"Rupert, I love you too. I just don't know- you always speak so beautifully."

"There's no need. I know you've been hurt before. I just want- I want you to know that I'll never hurt you. Not intentionally." Giles leaned over and brushed his lips softly over Joyce's. Joyce deepened the kiss, bringing her hands up to his chest. She slowly started loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. Softly, she broke this kiss as the need for air made itself known.

"Rupert," she said her voice husky from the crying. "I know we've never... Would you like to spend the night?"

Giles took both her hands in his. "Darling, there is nothing I would like more. But not like this. Not when you've been so upset all night. I want to make sure were both ready for what that would mean."

Joyce nodded. "I understand. I think I should go to bed."

"That would be a good idea. If you'd like-"

"Would you stay. Here, on the couch, I mean."

Giles smiled at her. "Of course."

"I'll just be upstairs then. If you need anything."

"And I'll be down here."

"If I need anything."

"Right."

"Goodnight, Rupert."

"Sweet dreams, Joyce." Joyce turned and went up the stairs. Giles watched her for a moment. Then he sighed deeply and started reading himself for bed.

To be continued....

A/N: Next chapter: Gingerbread Part 3