Chapter Twenty-Eight: Confrontation
"Joy, what time are you coming over tonight?" Dawn asked Joy the following Monday after school.
"Umm, actually, I can't come over tonight." She noticed Dawn's frown and hurriedly tried to explain. "I know I said I would, but something came up! I'm sorry!" She gathered the books she needed for her homework from her locker. "Please apologize to Buffy from me."
"Joy, come on. Why can't you come?" Dawn persisted as she followed her friend.
Joy hesitated. She didn't want to tell Dawn the truth. She felt stupid, besides Dawn didn't understand how her life worked. Dawn didn't understand her aunt and uncle and what they put her through simply for hanging out with Dawn most everyday after school. If she didn't come home again...well, it was just wiser for Joy to say 'no' to Dawn and oblige her aunt and uncle. "I just can't okay?" Joy shook her head to make a point and left in a hurry.
"You're actually home on time today?" Dale greeted Joy as she came in through the front door.
She nodded, "Well cheer season's over and I'm not working today..."
He cut her off, clearly uninterested. "We're going out tonight." He started walking towards the kitchen and she wisely followed him. "Don't get any stupid ideas. We'll be home early."
"Okay," Joy replied blankly.
"You're going to stay home tonight and take care of all your chores that you've been slacking on lately, got it?" Dale ordered. "That means that you're not to have anyone come over and you're not to go out, okay? Stay home and clean up this damn house!"
"Don't worry so much Uncle Dale." Joy sighed and grabbed an apple from the fridge. "Go out and do your thing and don't worry about my night, okay?" She rolled her eyes and fled from her uncle's fierce stare, finding sanctuary in her bedroom. She didn't actually plan to stay home that night. That would have been torture for her. Lately she had been having way too much on her mind to stay home and clean. She needed to go out and take her mind off life.
Joy waited until she heard her aunt and uncle's car drive away before heading to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready to go out. At first she had considered going out to find Angel, but as she remembered what Buffy had said about him, Joy changed her mind not yet ready to confront the possibility of Angel being a vampire. So, she decided to go to the Bronze to dance away her worries. She dressed wildly in red leather pants and a black silk halter-top. She left her hair down and straightened it with a flat iron, making the choppy layers of severe red and black streaks stand out boldly against her long blonde hair.
When she was satisfied with her looks, Joy stepped into a pair of black, stiletto boots and hurried out to her car, driving speedily to the Bronze.
The hangout was crowded as usual, though nowhere near its wildly packed weekends. Joy briefly scanned the partiers, hoping not to encounter anyone from her school, especially Blake and Katie. Luckily, she didn't see anyone that she recognized and so she was able to relax a bit as she glided over to the dance floor, melting into the hypnotic musical beat. She danced alone for quite a while, but she didn't mind. She enjoyed dancing alone; it was definitely better than being a partner to any sleazy jerk who would have offered to dance with her. When she became bored of dancing, Joy strolled off the dance floor and ordered herself a soda from the bar and took it over to a high table to sit, again alone.
I have to talk to Angel sooner or later. Joy contemplated as she sipped her coke. What if he is a...a vampire. That's insane! I can't believe Buffy, how could she actually have dated a vampire? She's a slayer! She frowned, puzzled. It couldn't have been the same Angel. There's no way that the Angel that's been training me is a vampire! She debated silently for a while longer until her peaceful silence was unrepentantly interrupted as a hand touched her bare shoulder. She spun around suddenly and gasped when she realized the intruder was Angel.
"Oh...uh...hey," Joy hesitated, not knowing exactly what to say to the man of her thoughts. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to find you, Joy! I haven't seen you at all this weekend, and I just wanted to see how you've been." He joined her at the table. "How're you getting along with Buffy and her crew?"
"Fine, great actually!" Joy told him. "We spent the weekend getting to know each other." Joy explained. She cleared her throat and carefully asked Angel her next question. "So, I don't think you've ever actually told me, Angel, but how exactly do you know Buffy?"
Angel contemplated not answering truthfully, but he decided that he had known Joy for long enough to be honest with her. "Well, we used to date." He admitted.
"You dated?" Joy exclaimed, louder than she had meant to.
"Well, yea, it was a while ago." He shrugged. "Things didn't work out as well as we'd hoped. There were too many complications."
"Uh-huh," Joy replied softly. "So, when did you two meet?"
Angel thought for a minute before answering. "I think she was about fifteen."
Joy froze. That was the same year that Buffy had told her. He had to be the same person, or vampire. Joy didn't know what to do. She felt her throat turning dry as she realized that the man sitting across from her, the man who she had been spending so much time with lately, was a vampire! She slowly moved out of her chair and headed towards the exit.
"I've got to go now, Angel," She explained lamely as he stood to follow her.
"Well, why don't we try and get some quick slaying in tonight before you go home? You haven't done any training with me for a while!" Angel reminded the nervous girl.
"I'd love to, really I would, but..." Joy tried to think of an excuse.
"Come on Joy, why're you acting so strange?" Angel grabbed her arm to stop her as they exited the club.
"I'm not acting strange at all!" Joy defended herself. "I've just got to go and you're not letting me." She frowned. "Let go of me, Angel!" She demanded more harshly than she meant to. Angel didn't release her arm. With her free hand she punched him hard in the face and then shoved him off of her.
"Whoa, calm down Joy!" Angel immediately withdrew his hold from her. "I don't get what's bothering you, but I'm pretty sure that it's something to do with me." He frowned and stared at her pointedly, waiting for an explanation for her ferocity.
Joy felt tears burning her eyes. She knew what she would have to do if she wanted to know the truth once and for all. She pulled a long silver chain out from inside of her loose shirt where it always hung, almost down to her belly button. Grabbing hold of the cross pendant at the end of the chain, Joy pressed it hard against Angel's face. His face instantly contorted into a wrinkled and distorted face and his sharp fangs became evident. Tears streamed down Joy's face as she pulled the cross away from his face.
Taking a few steps backwards Joy tried to stop crying. "That's what's bothering me Angel!"
Angel tried to cover his vampire face with his hands but he knew it was useless. In less than a second he had lost her trust. He didn't know what to say. What could he say to make her understand? After this he doubted if she would ever want to be around him again. She doubted if she'd want to let him live. Joy had become quickly and firmly set in her slayer beliefs of all vampires being evil and therefore fated to be slayed. He let his face calm and return to its human state before trying to talk to Joy.
"Buffy told you didn't she?" Angel asked but Joy didn't respond. Her hands were clenched into fists and her eyes were shining fiercely with pained anger. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you myself Joy, I just didn't think you'd understand! If Buffy told you about me, she must have explained that I'm not dangerous!" He tried defending himself. "I swear Joy! I haven't fed on humans in years! I live on pigs' blood for god's sake!" He was becoming frantic and he was afraid that he was losing Joy's interest. "Joy, please believe me! I never meant to deceive you, I was just afraid that if you knew the truth about me that you'd never..."
Joy cut him off quickly, "Trust you? Good guess!" She started walking away from him but he quickly followed her.
"Joy please!" He touched her arm and she slapped at him hard in response. He quickly moved away from her but continued to beg her forgiveness. "Don't hate me for this!"
"Get away from me Vampire!" Joy glared menacingly and sprinted at full speed away from her old friend and trainer. Joy continued running the entire way to her car and then sped home. When she pulled into her driveway she grimaced as she noticed her aunt and uncle's car already there. She hadn't meant to be gone for so long but encountering Angel had distracted her. She anticipated her punishment bitterly as she parked her car and walked slowly up to the front door.
She didn't even have to knock on the door before her uncle opened it, letting it slam against the wall. She bit her lip as she entered the house, avoiding eye contact with her aunt and uncle who were waiting for her.
"I lost track of time..." Joy stated dumbly.
Dale grabbed Joy by both shoulders and threw her hard against the wall before she had a chance to say anything else. Her head smacked hard against the mirror hanging on the wall and it smashed instantly. That only made her uncle more upset and he let her know it as he pulled her up by her hair and shoved her down against the stairs. Joy shut her eyes tightly against the instant pain and tried to block out the rest of her uncle's punishment. She gritted her teeth and bared it but it wasn't over soon enough. Eventually though it ended, as it always did, with Uncle Dale heading into the kitchen to finish off another bottle of beer, Aunt Jo dropping on the sofa in front of the television, and Joy lying on the floor miserably, too sore and exhausted to move but wanting nothing more than to take a hot bath to soothe her sore muscles.
After laying still for almost a full five minutes, Joy slowly started to feel her senses returning and she managed to struggle to her feet, pulling herself up using the banister of the stairs. She whimpered softly as she stumbled up the stairs, trying to ignore the fierce pain that seemed to be encompassing each and every one of her limbs. At the top of the stairs she nearly tripped over the top step but she caught herself and eventually made her way into the bathroom at the end of the hall. Locking the door, Joy ran the bath water before carefully and slowly stripping off her club clothing and inspecting her body in the mirror. Her wrist hurt as she undressed and she assumed that she had twisted it. There were various darkening marks along her arms, legs, and stomach and she knew that in the morning they would be black bruises. There was a welt growing on her head from where she had hit the mirror. Her head stung with pain and when Joy reached up to feel the painful spot on her head she pulled her fingers away with blood. Her eye had already swollen shut after receiving multiple punches. She was sure that this was the worst punishment she had had, possibly ever, even that time that she crashed her dad's new Jaguar into the garage door and he had broken her ankle throwing her down the stairs. This was the worst pain that Joy had felt. She didn't think that she deserved such a giant punishment just for going out. She slowly eased her aching body into the bathtub and shut her eyes. The hot water stung her open cuts but also soothed her sore body.
Joy remained soaking in the bathtub for almost forty minutes before crawling out and wrapping her worn out body in a large towel before stumbling into her bedroom and clumsily dressing in her underwear and a loose tank top before collapsing onto her bed. She slept restlessly, tossing and turning the entire night trying to find a comfortable position that didn't cause her any pain.
"Joy, what happened to you?" Dawn practically screamed across the classroom when she entered the door and noticed her friend's black and swollen eye.
Joy had debated not attending school that day after she had woken up and realized how completely pathetic she looked, but she didn't want to try her uncle's patience by missing classes and so she forced herself to get out of bed and to drag her still aching body to school. Now as Dawn hurried over to her, with obvious worry on her face, Joy started doubting her choice to attend school that day.
"Joy, are you okay?" Dawn asked again as she sat in the desk behind her friend.
"Yea I'm fine," Joy lied as she tried to cradle her hurt wrist inconspicuously beneath the desk. "I just had a bad fight with the undead last night. You know how it is."
"Sure, but Joy you've been in some pretty bad fights before and I've never seen you this beat up! What happened last night?" Dawn wasn't as easily convinced as Joy had hoped she would be.
"There were a few, it's no big deal really. I'll heal soon enough." Joy shrugged. "Don't worry about me Dawn, it's worse then it looks!" She tried assuring her friend with a confident smile, but Dawn still seemed worried.
"Maybe you shouldn't go patrolling alone anymore. At least not for a while. I know Buffy said you were ready, but..."
"Dawn! I've been patrolling many times by myself, it's never been a problem for me before and it's not now! Things just got a little out of hand last night, okay? I promise there's nothing to worry about. Can you please let it drop?"
Dawn sighed. "Okay, fine, it's dropped." Dawn was quiet for a minute. "So, what're you telling everyone else who asks?"
Joy rolled her eyes. "I got in a fight. I don't like to lie."
Dawn didn't bring up the subject again. She could tell that her friend was in no mood to discuss the matter and she didn't want to upset her anymore so she stayed respectfully silent for the rest of the class. Although, her mind never stopped reeling with the possibility of Joy having lied to her. She hated to think that Joy would have, but she felt almost positive that something was wrong with Joy's story of a serious vampire fight. She knew that Joy was a good fighter, almost as good as Buffy. She would never let herself get so beat up. Would she?
After school Dawn begged for Joy to come home with her but Joy wasn't in the mood to receive any of Buffy's pestering questions. Then she would just have to lie all over again to try and persuade Buffy into believing her story. It was hard enough persuading Dawn, but Buffy was a Slayer. She would probably easily realize that Joy's bruises and cuts couldn't have come from one simple vampire fight. Joy was also in a hurry to return home just to make sure that her uncle could have nothing to blame her for again. So after apologizing to Dawn, Joy drove home and retired immediately to her room to begin her homework. Halfway through her History, her aunt interrupted her and sent her on a grocery run. Joy's body throbbed as she drove to the grocery store and shopped for her aunt's requested items. But, she didn't hurry. She shopped slowly, not very anxious to return to the house.
"Joy?" Her shopping was disturbed as a hand tapped her covered shoulder. Joy's entire body was mostly covered, strange for Joy's usual attire. She wore sweatpants and a long sleeve t-shirt to cover up all of her bruises. "Hey Joy, how're you doing?"
Joy turned around slowly and sighed when she realized the intruder was Buffy. "Oh, hey!"
"Dawn said that you'd gotten hurt last night in a fight," Buffy analyzed Joy's face wounds. "She wasn't kidding! God Joy, how'd you manage to get so banged up? I've never seen you look this bad!"
"I'm fine." Joy demanded.
"You don't look fine," Buffy leaned closer to Joy. "Where were you fighting last night?"
Joy hesitated, "Around the Bronze."
"You went to the Bronze last night, alone?" Buffy frowned.
"Yea, so?"
"Why?"
"I was feeling a little stressed. I needed to blow off some steam! It's no big deal Buff, okay?" Joy rolled her eyes and continued to shop.
"Joy, are you sure there's nothing wrong?" Buffy asked again. "You don't seem...well...I'm not sure exactly but you seem like something's wrong."
Joy sighed. "I'm fine Buffy! Can you please just leave me alone! I already told Dawn that I wasn't in the mood to come over tonight, so just back off, alright?" She turned her shopping cart in the opposite direction and headed away from Buffy.
"Joy, I thought we were friends now!" Buffy called after her. "What's going on with you?" But Joy didn't answer. She continued away from Buffy until she was out of sight.
By the time Joy left the grocery store the sun had already gone down. As she was loading the groceries into the trunk of her car she sensed someone behind her. Turning around she glared at Angel.
"What do you want Vampire?" Joy demanded through clenched teeth.
"What happened to you Joy?" Angel's hand reached to her face but she pulled away.
"It's none of your business anymore, Angel."
Angel sighed and let his hand drop to his side. "Please don't hold a grudge against me Joy."
"It's not a grudge Angel, I'm bigger than that! I've moved on to complete hate and disdain and never wanting to see you again!"
"Well at least you're not mad." Angel tried to smile. She didn't find it amusing. "Come on Joy, please don't hate me! I know I should have told you the truth earlier, but like I said before, I was afraid to lose your trust and well, your friendship..."
"Angel we're not friends okay. Since the day we met, you've done absolutely nothing but lie to me and that is not something that friends do!" Joy's voice was raising continually. "Look, I've already told you that I don't want anything else to do with you! I do not associate with vampires!"
"Well Buffy doesn't seem to have any problems with it!"
"She kicked you out of her life Angel, remember?"
"She didn't kick me out, I left her!" Angel retorted angrily. Joy was bring up an unpleasant subject for him and he was not in the mood to discuss it. "Besides, she knew I was a vampire for years before we broke up! She also knew that I was harmless and so she trusted me! Why can't you do the same?"
"There's no such thing as a harmless vampire Angel! You're all the same! You're all blood-thirsty demons and I don't want anything to do with you or your kind!" Joy was nearly screaming now.
"You'd be lost without me Joy!" Angel reminded her.
"If it wasn't for your kind I would never have been in this situation in the first place!" Without thinking she punched Angel hard in the face. He stumbled backwards in surprise.
"What the hell are you doing Joy?" He regained his composure quickly. She didn't answer. Instead she punched him again and shoved him hard. When he tried to duck her punches she swung her leg around hard and kicked him in the face. He didn't fight back though. He didn't want to. She was obviously angry about something more than just the fact that he was a vampire. He could tell that she was hiding something and that she had a lot of pent up anger to release and so he let her. Finally he reached for her arms to stop her and managed to take hold of them pinning them down to her sides. "What's going on Joy?"
She tried to wriggle her arms free but she was still in pain and so he was easily stronger than her. "Nothing's wrong Angel, I just don't like you and I wish you would leave me alone." She was wincing from the searing pain in her arm from Angel's strong grip.
He noticed her struggling but didn't release her arm. Instead he pushed up the sleeve of her arm instinctively. When he noticed the dark marks on her arm he shook his head. "Joy what happened?"
"I got in a fight with a few of your kind." Joy told him with a frown.
"Okay, I know you better than that Joy. This isn't the kind of bruising that you would get from a fight with a few vampires! What's going on?" Angel demanded.
"Like I said, it's none of your business anymore." Joy pulled her sleeve down. "I've got to go now. I'm already way later than I should be." She got in her car before Angel had a chance to say anything else. She drove away quickly, letting the tears roll down her eyes.
Angel however, immediately utilized his vampire speed and followed Joy on foot, leaping from building to building. When she pulled into her driveway, Angel hid behind a tree waiting for her to take the groceries inside and close the door before he snuck over to the window to spy on her better. What Angel hadn't realized though was that he and Joy hadn't been alone when they were having their debate in the grocery store parking lot. And he wasn't alone now. The onlooker had also chosen to follow Joy and Angel back to Joy's house and was now waiting in the bushes, at a good distance from Angel, not quite sure how to approach his sire.