Chapter 16: Meet the parents
"Mom, does this dress make me look fat?" Buffy asked, stepping into the kitchen.
Joyce stood at the small counter sipping some tea. "No, honey, the dress doesn't make you look fat because you aren't fat. You look beautiful."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "C'mon, mom, be serious. I really need to know if I'm going to achieve maximum appreciation from Spike."
Joyce looked at her daughter again. "Buffy, really, you don't look fat; you are really almost too skinny." The minute the words were out of Joyce's mouth she wished she'd just kept her mouth shut.
"What!" Buffy yelled and ran back into her room. "Oh no! I look like a walking skeleton, talk about ooky." She immediately began to dig through her massive amount of clothing to find something else to wear.
That morning Willow had called and told Buffy that she would take over her sets for the night, repaying Buffy for Thursday. Buffy immediately called Spike's cell phone and reported that she was going to be free all evening, just in case he wanted to do something. Spike said that he'd stop by after work and they'd make plans from there. Buffy was thrilled, an evening with just Spike.
Joyce was thrilled as well, but for a completely different reason than Buffy. She would finally have the chance to meet and perhaps question the boy a bit. With a name like Spike, could anyone blame her? Maternal instincts flared bright with anyone trying to take a daughter out, even more so with Joyce. We'll see what he's made of, Joyce thought gleefully.
Buffy pranced out in yet another outfit, this time a black skirt and a shimmering purple top. The dark purple complemented Buffy's bronze complexion and pulled subtle highlights out of her hair. Joyce looked at her daughter and felt a small amount of emotion well up within her.
"Oh, honey, you look beautiful," she said and sniffled.
Buffy immediately became alarmed. "You're not crying, are you? Oh, mom, don't cry. Please, there's no need to cry and if you do then I will and my war paint will run."
Joyce sniffled again. "No, Buffy, I'm not crying. I'm fine. When will Spike be here to pick you up?"
Buffy looked at the clock. "Umm, around six-thirty, I think."
Joyce nodded her head and pulled up a stool to sit on. "So, Buffy, how did you meet Spike?"
Buffy tried not to flush, and looked away from her mom. "Umm, just met him, why?"
Joyce was not amused or fooled by her daughter's behavior. "Either you answer me or I'll ask him when he gets here. Now, where did you meet him?"
Buffy looked at her feet and intently studied her red toenails poking out from the black heels. "At the club," she muttered.
"What? Speak up, Buffy, it sounded like you said at the club," Joyce replied, looking at her daughter intently.
Buffy flushed and Joyce's mouth dropped open. "You are dating someone you met at the club!" she said amazed.
Buffy nodded. "Well, yeah, but don't wig out, mom. He's really nice and sweet and we have the best time together. I know you'll like him, just give him a chance, please?" she begged.
Joyce sighed. "I suppose so, I mean, what the hell do I have to lose."
A knock sounded at the door and Buffy ran to answer it. She gave her mom a warning look before she pulled it open. Joyce answered it in kind; she was positive that she needed to question this man. What kind of man picks up on strippers? Joyce conveniently forgot that it was her daughter that was stripping. Hey, mom's have the right to be blind to their children's little faults.
Buffy opened the door and it was all she could do not to drool on the carpet. Spike was wearing black slacks and a dark blue shirt, opened carelessly to reveal a tight black shirt underneath. And, as always, he was covered by his long black duster.
"Gonna let me in, luv?" he asked quietly, and Buffy flushed and stood back.
"Welcome to Casa de Summer's, one visit and you'll never be the same," she joked as he walked in. "I'm going to go get my coat, try not to be overwhelmed by us and our craziness," Buffy said and walked toward her room.
Spike chuckled and looked around the small living room. It was covered with pictures of the small family, at the beach, at Disneyland, and Buffy's high school graduation. One could follow the progression of lives just by looking at the pictures on the wall. It made him ache, just a little, inside to see such a loving and close-knit family, a little envious, as well.
Joyce walked from the kitchen and apprised the young man who was staring at the pictures on the wall. She could see the naked longing on his face as he gazed at the pictures of her and her children. Joyce cleared her throat and Spike jumped three feet into the air.
He recovered quickly. "Sorry, I didn't know anyone else was here. But, judging by your eyes, you've got to be Buffy's mum."
Joyce noticed the polite manners and was impressed by them. Still, one could never be too sure. "Nice to meet you, Spike, is it? Yes, I am Buffy's mom, you can call me Joyce."
She held her hand out, and Spike shook it firmly. "Nice to meet you, Joyce. And, just for the record, my real name is William, but everybody calls me Spike."
Joyce nodded. "Okay, Spike, then. So, Spike, Buffy tells me that you two met at the club," she said and raised her eyebrows.
Spike had the decency to flush. "Um, I can explain that. Well, you see, I had just been dumped by my girlfriend and I was feeling pretty down, so my best friend, Xander, decided that a night out would help cheer me up, so he kinda strong-armed me into going with him. I usually don't frequent places like that, Joyce, but I am supremely glad that I met Buffy, no matter how indecent it may seem."
Joyce finally broke down and smiled. He was so earnest and trying so hard to impress her. Joyce finally let her guard down and decided that Spike may be worthy to date her daughter, for now. Maybe he could be an ally in her 'get Buffy back in college' campaign.
Buffy stepped into the living room with a flourish and she and Spike took their leave. Joyce watched them go, then shut and locked the door. She was going to take a bubble bath and read a book. She still had not heard from Rupert Giles yet, though he said it may be a few days.
Shrugging her shoulders at the thought, Joyce turned to step into the kitchen when she heard a knock at the door. Buffy must have forgot her keys. Mentally sighing at her somewhat flighty daughter, Joyce opened the door.
Nobody was there.
Joyce looked out and around, but she could see no one. You're getting senile in your old age, Joyce. She chided herself and closed the door. She was almost to the kitchen when another knock sounded at the door. Okay, definitely heard a knock this time.
Again, Joyce opened the door and again, nobody was there. Stepping into the narrow hallway that separated the apartments, Joyce crept down to the end and looked around the stairs, no one. She walked back to the other end, by the fire escape, no one. Joyce shook her head and walked to their apartment door, situated somewhat in the middle of the hall.
Joyce stepped inside and shut the door behind her. She turned the lock again and sighed as the lock clicked into place. Shrugging at the strangeness of it all, Joyce fixed her tea and headed toward the bathroom. The phone rang and she answered it. A.J asked to stay at a friend's house for the night and Joyce agreed. Now, Joyce had the whole place to herself.
Time to relax without the children, she thought as she ran a bubble bath. Humming, Joyce grabbed a book from her room and slipped into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
She got out later, when the water turned cold and she had wrinkled from being in water for such a long duration. Joyce slipped on a robe and went to the kitchen to rinse her mug. She saw the front door and frowned.
It was unlocked.
Joyce specifically remembered locking the door when she stepped inside from her exploration of the hallway. She ducked into Buffy's room, but Buffy wasn't home. On her bed, though, Joyce caught sight of a rose. How sweet. Spike must have given her that. Joyce didn't remember Spike having flowers in his hands when he picked Buffy up, but where else could it have come from?
"You need to just go to bed and sleep, you're getting crazy in your old age," Joyce said to herself out loud. Cripes, talking to myself now, nursing home here I come.
