Chapter 18: Little marshmallows.
The drive home from the hospital had been an unusual one. Buffy and Spike were so deep in thought they had hardly spoken a word to each other the whole ride home.
Buffy had practically ran into the house. She desperately needed to tell someone and of course, this time, Spike was the only person she couldn't talk to.
"Mom!" She yelled the minute she got home, "Mom! Mom!" Joyce came rushing in from the kitchen and she took one look at her daughter, "I'll get the little marshmallows," she said instinctively.
Buffy nursed her hot chocolate, unsure of what she wanted to say. Eventually she looked at her mother, "Granny Lilly said something in the hospital and she confused me, she scared me a little actually and I don't know what to do."
Joyce considered what her daughter had said, "I wouldn't think on it too much Buffy, they had her on some pretty strong pain killers…I found her counting her toes when I went in, apparently she has 27," Joyce smiled, "and she told Dawn she had to return the panda before any of the doctor's saw it!" Joyce laughed at the memory. Buffy laughed as well, she was sorry she'd missed out on that, she must have been in the toilet or still asleep. 'Asleep', she thought, 'you were asleep in Spike's arms, Granny Lilly thinks he's in love with me, we nearly kissed in LA, I was a wreck and he'd been drinking but…'
"Buffy, honey," Joyce's voice came through interrupting her thoughts, "what did she say to you?" she asked as she gathered up the cups and placed them in the sink.
"Nothing really, I guess you're right, just ramblings," Buffy said not quite sure why she couldn't say it. Instead, she took a different approach, "how… how do you know if…if you love someone?" Joyce had her back to Buffy, so she wouldn't see the smile. "I mean I thought I loved Angel and well… it wasn't love, if he loved me he couldn't have done… that… could he? I'm talking about the real thing, like…like Granny Lilly and Grandad John, how did they know it was real, how did they know it would last?"
Joyce returned and sat opposite her daughter, "oh real love," she said as Buffy nodded eagerly, "well the thing is Buffy, love is strange and it affects everyone in different ways and sometimes you don't know if it will last but that's a risk that you take; like me and your father. Believe it or not, we loved each other once. It didn't work out for us, but Granny Lilly and Grandad John," Joyce sighed at the memories, "I used to think they were a fairy-tale, 82 and still holding hands and the way he looked at her…" Buffy's ears really perked up at this, eager to see what her mother would say, "…like she was the most important person in the world. It's not love that makes a relationship complicated it's the people. They weren't just married Buffy they were partners, equals, they were each other's best friend. I can't tell you how you'll know if you love someone, you'll just know, you'll feel it."
Joyce stood and left Buffy alone, silently processing what her mother had just said. In the hallway, Dawn held an excited squeal, she had a feeling Spike's plan would work better than either of them initially thought.