Chapter 10
Buffy walked into her house later that night after being at Willow's. She put her bag down when she heard voices coming from the living room. "Hey, mom. Sorry I'm late, I was..." Her voice trailed off when she saw who was sitting on the couch with her mother. An angry and shocked expression appeared on her face. "What the hell are you doing here?" She asked and the man avoided her gaze as Joyce answered her daughter.
"Buffy, is that anyway to speak to your father?" Buffy turned her cold look on her mother and couldn't believe that she could defend him like that.
"I don't have a father. How can you be so calm about this? What is he doing here?" She asked her mother who then stood up and walked over to her.
"Hank is here because he wanted to see us. You should at least let him explain, Buffy." Buffy gave a harsh laugh.
"Let him explain? There is nothing he can say that can ever make things right. He left us, mom. How can you just accept that and let him come back in here like nothing ever happened?" Joyce didn't know what to say when Hank then stood up and walked over to them.
"I understand that you're upset and you have every right to be, but I really only came here to talk." Buffy turned hard eyes on him.
"Oh, now you wanna talk? It's a little late for that; I don't care about anything you have to say!" She exclaimed as she ran out of the house.
"Buffy!" Joyce yelled after her, but she didn't even look back.
"I'm sorry about this, Joyce. I had no idea she would react that way." Joyce closed the door and glared at her ex.
"How did you think she would react, Hank? Your leaving was the hardest for Buffy. She's the oldest and she's the one that got to spend the most time with you, of course she would react like that. Why are you really here? Are you just here to cause problems?" Hank shook his head.
"No, I just wanted to see my daughters. I wanted to make things right. I know that I probably can't, but I had to try. I really missed you and my girls. I'm sorry for everything that I put you through." Joyce walked away from him and sat back on the couch and Hank did the same.
"I really wish I could believe you. Why after all this time? It's been seven years, Hank. We haven't heard anything from you. The girls never got a card on their birthdays or anything on Christmas." Hank nodded.
"I know, I've been traveling a lot and I could never stay in one place for too long. I didn't think you would ever accept anything from me anyway. I did a lot of thinking in all that time. I realize I made a lot of mistakes and I would like to make up for them. I know things could never be the same, but I really have to try. I still love you, Joyce. I really hope that one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me." Joyce looked into his eyes and could tell that he seemed sincere, but she wouldn't get her hopes up.
"I don't know, Hank. It will take a lot more than that. You have a lot to make up for and I'm not the only one you have to make it up to. You can stay here and sleep on the couch if you like. Maybe you can try and talk to Buffy again later, but I can't promise you that it will be easy. She can be very stubborn, which is something she learned from you." Hank nodded and didn't know what else to say. He knew Buffy would be the hardest, but he really hoped that he would be able to get his little girl back.
