g120- Hey, you're back! Hehe. Thanks for the review(s) but yes, Lily has gone back to the future (finally) but I;m really glad you liked her. I'm always worried when creating original characters that they'll be flat and/or unlikable but she seems to be successful generally. haha. And ah yes, there will be a little weirdness dealing with a baby Lily after seeing Big Lily, but I think that's only goiung to be a wig factor for her sisters. Her parents can easily get over that sort of thing, haha. And ah, Lily's final task was simple yet has long term effects which I'm sure will reveal themselves in later chapters...

zigpal- thank you for review and accompnying claps. Yeah, Lily reminded Buffy not to be so Slay-Gal focused. She was like Faith, only she said it nicer. haha. And glad you liked drunk Joyce...she was kinda iffy to write drunk because I just couldn't imagine her wrecked, haha. So took a little inspiration from Band Candy, The Evil that Men Do and...something else...damn, can't remember what. But I thought what I wrote was realistically funny, but hey I'm so obviously biased.

rabidreject- Thanks for review and yeah you're on the right track with Lily's set-things-right task, but to balance everything that means something will end up being sent off wrong...durn durn durn!

A/N: Sorry about the latitude in update land. Been crazy busy what with Christmas coming to an end and everything going back to normal, hectic hectic. Anyway, this episode does kinda continue the Joyce Consquences arc, but it doesn't fully finish till next chapter. Then I believe we have a Gilesish/Watcher one coming up...oh yeah, I'm going arc crazy. haha. Enjoy!
Giles lay wide awake in bed. He couldn't fall asleep. His head was too full and overrun by too many worrying thoughts. It had been a few nights since Buffy had been beaten by the Ubervamp and even more nights since the Bringer attacked. Between then and now, Lily and Buffy- after fighting and losing to the Turok-han- Lily had insisted on a Christmas party to cheer them all up and give them time to relax, before she herself had suddenly returned to her own time.

That had been a shock for sure. She had been with them for so long now, that it had begun to feel as though she should always have been there and ever will be. But that wasn't the case. They already had a Lily in their time. One that wasn't yet a year old and so the older Lily had had to eventually return to her own time. Though what had triggered the return no one was sure. Of course, Xander had suggested that perhaps Lily's greater purpose had been to get them all to party, but Giles didn't buy it. It couldn't be something as simple as that. Whatever it was, he was confident it would reveal itself soon.

In the meantime, Buffy was still healing from the onslaught from the ancient vampire and Giles could only hope that his daughter was getting as much care to her wounds in her time as Buffy was in hers. They had both been in extremely bad shape and Buffy still had bruises and cuts all over her. Joyce seemed to visibly whimper every time she saw her.

The same Joyce who had become extremely reserved in past days. Ever since the Bringers attacked. The others hadn't noticed of course. She had played the role of Mother long enough to be able to put on a strong, brave facade to assure them she was all okay. And she had been a little better ever since the party, but only a little. And it was only Giles who ever saw the facade fall- and it wasn't even intentional on Joyce's part. She didn't even let down the facade for him, just kept constantly assuring him she was fine and she was coming to terms with events. However, when she was asleep, she had no control over her subconscious or conscious mind and the brave cover fell involuntarily.

Giles looked at her beside him. She was tossing and turning slightly, her mind working overtime to clear up her thought processes. At the moment she was still fighting, still fighting to remain in control, but Giles knew that as it had been every previous night she would give in, give up and merely reach for comfort, subconsciously moving closer to him.

He just wished she didn't have to go through it all. He knew the reasons for what she did, and in all honesty could not be more proud of her for committing such an act to protect her family, but he knew why it was plaguing Joyce. That sort of act wasn't in her. Sure, before now she had gone to violent lengths to protect those she loved (He himself loved Buffy's retelling of Joyce hitting Spike on the head with an axe), but never anything so severe as that night. Yes, the Bringers were evil but at the core they were human. Soulless perhaps, but human and that was what mattered to Joyce. He wished more than anything that he could make her pain go away, that he had been the one to swing the weapon and not she.

She shifted beside him, no longer tossing and turning, no longer fighting as she lay beside him, closer than before, tucking herself in against him, searching for protection and comfort which he willingly gave.

"Hi, Rona, right?" Joyce smiled as Buffy brought in the latest Potential to arrive in Sunnydale.

"Yeah," Rona nodded, shaking Joyce's hand.

"Rona, this is my Mom, Joyce Giles," Buffy introduced her, "And this is her husband R-" She looked at Giles apologetically, "Sorry, I can't say your first name. It sounds funny on my tongue. And saying it makes me laugh"

"Well, thank you very much," Giles' voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Anyway," Buffy said to Rona, choosing to ignore Giles' reply, "This is her husband Giles, erm, Mr. Mr Giles. Her husband, but like not my Dad. He's a Watcher type person. Anyway, the others are upstairs- my sister, Dawn- she's like sixteen and then my other sister Lily and she's like baby age...eight months. And, erm everybody, this is Rona. She just got here. And was welcomed to Sunnydale by some dark clothes wearing people if ya catch my drift"

"Yeah," Rona nodded, "These freaky guys with knives and stuff. I was told I was gonna be safe here"

"Oh you are," Giles assured her before adding, "Reasonably. I'm afraid we can only offer you the sofa to sleep, but it is, er, just for the one night"

"Why?" Rona asked, "What happens then?"

"Well, there's this inn place not too far from here where these other Watchers and Potentials are staying." Buffy told her, "And you'll be kinda staying there with them" Rona didn't look too happy so Buffy hurried to assure her, "It's cool. Really. It's like a sleepover. With weapons."

"Weapons?"

"Why don't we get the couch set up for you, huh?" Joyce said, before any more things could be said by either Buffy or Rona.

"Hey! Keep the chatter down in there! I'm trying to sleep!" Andrews voice came from where he was tied up in the dining room. Rona looked over at the boy before looking at the family wide-eyed.

"We also have a hostage," Buffy said, trying to keep her smile.

Joyce had just helped Rona get settled- or as settled as she could be given she was going to be sleeping in the living room- when she headed into the kitchen where she could hear both Rupert and Buffy were talking.

"The First knows Potentials are coming here Giles. It's sending it's No Eyes Guys to do more than Spike Collection now"

"I'll have to warn the coven to be more cautious," He said.

"Is that the one in England?" Joyce asked, walking over to him and he nodded.

"Yes. Their, uh, their seer is finding Potentials telling us where they are and then sending them here for protection."

"Protect them how?" Buffy asked incredulously and her Mother reprimanded her.

"Buffy"

"No, Mom, the First is always going to be one step ahead of us. I need to know how to stop it-" She paused a moment in consideration before deciding to rephrase, "No, not stop it. Hurt it. I wanna hurt it real bad. Tell me how. Possibly an option where it gets chopped into little pieces"

At this, Joyce visibly seemed to become a little shaken and before things could become any worse, Giles put his arm around supportively as she leant against his chest, and over Joyce's head, he gave Buffy a silent glare. It was only then that Buffy remembered that in recent days her Mother didn't react too well to any mentions of extreme violence. But with everything that was happening at the moment, Buffy hoped she got over this consequential quirk fast.

"She looks like she's doin' better mate,"

"Hmm?" Giles started a little at the sound of his friend Daniel's voice. He had been previously absorbed in research as regards to the Turok-Han, but Dan's comment drew him out of it, "What?"

"Yer wife,"

"Again, pardon?"

Dan nodded in the direction of Joyce, who was at present, seeing if any Potentials were hungry or wished to have anything while she was making something for Dawn.

"Since the night of the attack. Looks like she's gotten better- gotten over most orit"

"Oh, erm, yes. Quite" Giles nodded, "She's uh, dealing"

"No she isn't"

"What?" Now Giles really was confused, "But you just said--"

"I said she looked like she was doin' better, not that she actually was" Dan pointed out knowingly.

"Ah," Giles now saw where his friend was going with this

"She's goin' through everyday and to be honest me heart goes out to 'er- putting on a brave face an' all that, being the dotin' mum. But it's not how she is inside"

"Since when exactly did you come to the belief that you can read people so well?" Giles asked, putting on a front that the man was clueless, as he wasn't sure Joyce would be entirely happy with the two of them discussing what could only be called her 'situation'.

"Could always read people, mate, just don' like tuh brag, y'know?" Dan grinned, "Besides, it's obvious to any dolt in this case. When we did the meet and greet deal she was, well, a little outta place in that pub- okay, a lot outta place- but she was smiley and lively. A great cure for your bloody brooding-jittery-nervous-don't-talk-to-me-about-my-past attitude. And now she's bleedin' like you. Jumpy all the time, not likin' any reference to violence, even if it's demons, she smiles sure, but y'know, it's just not there. She--"

"I trust you do have a point to be getting to here," Giles cut in, "Besides detailing everything that has recently happened in our lives"

"My point is that she's fallen into the same attitude you have when anyone talks about your bleedin' past only I know for a fact that she's got nothing to be ashamed of. But you're just lettin' her fall into pit of nervous guilt-ridden despair"

"What?" Giles was shocked by that insinuation, "I have not. I've been there for her every step of the way, telling her-"

"Assurances, yeah, sure, I know. But have you actually talked about it? Like really talked? Or are you lendin' her a page from yer own book and lettin' her repress and indulge in the guilt?"

"But I told her- she has nothing to feel guilty about"

"Don't think that's how she feels about it though, tuh be honest"

Giles was about to respond, perhaps even get up to speak to Joyce, when Xander walked into the house with Anya, the latter looking very proud of herself.

"Anya may have come up with a way to find out more about why The First wants us on a demony platter." He paused a moment, "Besides the duh reason"

"Yes, Anya?" Giles prompted.

"Well, we want answers, right?" She asked and when the people listening in- who had slowly become more than just Xander, Giles and Dan- nodded, she continued, "And we want them kinda now. Well- we haven't actually asked any oracles. I mean there are thousands of them out there; one of them must have the answer and be willing to well, give it to us"

"The Turok-Han is so old and, and rooted in myth Anya, it would have to be a very old and powerful oracle for them to have the answers..." Giles replied, though he still seemed to be considering all his options, thinking over what Anya had suggested, "There is one..."

"Then go to that one," Anya cut in with a nod, but her positive smile soon faded when Giles named the option he was considering.

"Beljoxa"

"And this is?" Buffy asked, having heard only a little of the conversation as she had been busy re-bandaging some of her wounds in the bathroom.

"An oracle like creature. May have some of the answers we're searching for. It exist in a dark dimension"

"More like an eternal vortex," Anya added with a grumble, "You can't seriously be thinking of going there. I mean besides being pretty much a risk taker of a lifetime in the fact of it will be your last risk, only demons can open it. And last time I checked no one here is." She paused, "Anymore"

"Anya, you still have friends- well, murderous acquaintances- in the fold"

"Rupert, you can't be seriously considering this," Jacqueline said, looking at her brother in utter disbelief, "Even demons dislike going there. And who's to say he'll even have the answers anyway?"

"How dangerous are we talking here?" Joyce asked warily, looking at Anya and the Watchers as they seemed to be the only people who knew anything about this eye thing.

"No one knows," Cassandra told her honestly, "All we know is that only demons can open it, they highly dislike going there themselves and any human who has gone there has never come back out. Or at least, if they have, it has never been recorded."

"Rupert-" Joyce said worriedly, walking over to him, "I don't want you doing this, if it's, if it's this much risk. I mean, what if you don't come back?"

"I will," He assured her.

"Don't patronize me"

"What?" He spluttered in shock, "I'm not. Why would--"

"You can't know for sure that you're going to come back, in fact, from what I've heard the odds that you aren't are a lot higher and by telling me you are going to come back is patronizing me because you don't know that for a fact and you're just saying it to stop me complaining and worrying."

"Well, then technically that is, uh, pacifying you, not-"

With a small yell of complaint and a hit on Giles' arm, Joyce stormed off, picking up Lily- who had till now been busy being paid attention by the Potentials in the living room- as she headed for the stairs, taking the child up with her.

"Ow," Giles said in reference to his arm, before sighing, "I'm afraid she's very mad. More so than she usually is at me"

"How can you tell?" Anya frowned.

"She took Lily upstairs with her," He pointed out but this only confused the people around him so he was forced to explain further, "When she is extremely mad at me, she seems to believe that Lily shouldn't be allowed in the same vicinity as me. I suppose it's some form of subconscious punishment for me"

"She'll get over it," Buffy said in patiently, "But right now Giles we kinda have more important things to deal with- Botox's Eye."

"Beljoxa," Giles corrected with a patient sigh.

"Okay, but is this going to be a trip made or what?"

"I don't..." Giles answered unsurely, looking in the direction Joyce had headed and Buffy knew he was reconsidering the whole thing.

"She'll get over it." Buffy repeated firmly, "Giles, this is bigger. If we don't find out more about The First, we're all screwed"

Giles knew that, unfortunately, Buffy did have a point. He just hoped that Beljoxa did have the answers they were searching for. And that one of Anya's demon associates would be willing to open a portal for them.

"Don't the Potentials have somewhere else to erm train?"Joyce asked walking into the living room, "Why does it have to be in my basement? Doesn't the place they're staying at have a basement?"

"It's not that bad Mom," Buffy as she struggled with untying the ropes tying Andrew to a chair. She hadn't realized how tight and intricate she had done the knots. Huh, and she had never even joined the girl scouts.

"Buffy, every time I go down there to get something, they all pause and look at me as though I don't belong here." She pointed out in complaint, "They seem to have forgotten it's my house"

"And therefore, your basement, I know," Buffy nodded in agreement, "But just be thankful they're not living here. Now that would be stressful. Twenty/four seven Kennedy and the British Invasion? Make anyone go insane," Buffy returned her attention to a now untied Andrew, "Okay, listen up Andrew; I don't exactly know what to do with you yet. Except we don't have time to babysit a hostage"

"Especially one that's gotten more than a little ripe" Xander added and in reply both Joyce and Buffy instinctively took a step back from the boy.

"And I kinda need the chair back..." Joyce admitted. Things had been a tight squeeze as it was with everyone constantly coming over to research or train or whatever was required at the time. Joyce barely felt like the house was her own anymore. Sure, Buffy's friends had practically lived here for seven years, but that was different. This time it was people she mostly didn't know and a lot of the time didn't like.

"But I'm here to tell you," Buffy said, leaning in close to Andrew for maximum intimidation, "If you do anything or try to run..." She thought for a moment, "Have you ever seen the movie, Misery?"

"Six times. But the book was scarier 'cause instead of crushing his foot with a sledgehammer, Kathy Bates chopped it off with--" Andrew gulped audibly as he realized the point Buffy was making, "Erm, I'll be good"

"Buffy," Joyce suddenly said, glancing around the room and into the dining room, "Where's Rupert?"

"Oh erm..." It was Buffy's time to do a gulp of her own, "Out. He went out.,,"

Joyce just looked at her, "With Anya..." Buffy added.

"He went to that Oracle thing didn't he?" Joyce demanded and Buffy really hoped the anger was going to be channeled at Giles when he returned, and not at herself. "He just left, without even--" Joyce paused and took a deep breath to calm herself, "Right." She said tightly, "Fine. He's just..."

"I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to shout at him when he gets back," Xander pointed out with a grin.

"Plus, he'll have info on how to stop the Ubervamp..." Buffy added, hoping to subtly reason with her Mother. Although she could understand where she was coming from, Buffy just wished she could see the bigger picture here. Yes, going to the eye thing was a risk for both Anya and Giles, but it was there only hope of finding out how to stop The First. Xander had accepted the fact that Anya had to go (because of her demon contacts) and Buffy wished her Mother could do the same of Giles. Guess, some things never changed though. Which, in the face of all this change and fear and panic, Buffy found kinda nice in it's own weird, god dammit way.

"Guys..." Willow said, walking into the room, "Word from the underground. Another Potential arrived the day before yesterday. She's at the Sunspot Motel, near the highway"

"Day before yesterday?" Xander asked, "Why are we only finding out about this now?"

"Bringers killed her Watcher before he could tell anyone he sent her. If it wasn't for a particular powerful Seer in the coven, we wouldn't even know now"

"Okay," Buffy nodded, "Still a couple of hours of daylight left. You guys should be safe. I'll got get her"

"I'll go with you" Xander said, following on.

"Let's do it," Andrew attempted macho, following on also, but stopped immediately in his tracks when everyone looked at him. He sighed, "Or maybe I'll just go wash up" He left the room.

"We'll be back soon," Buffy said, before she and Xander left the house.

"What's up?" Dawn asked, walked into the room and seeing her Mother's worried expression and that Willow was biting her lip in nervous thought.

"Oh nothing, sweetie," Joyce assured her, pulling her over for a small hug "Just the usual, I-wish-our-lives-were-normal, things. And everyone seems to be leaving today"

"L-leaving?" Dawn asked worriedly.

"They're coming back," Willow told her quickly, "Your Mom just means everyone is off on Danger Missions. Buffy and Xander just left to get another Potential"

"More Potentials?" Dawn asked.

"The more the better I figure," Willow admitted, "We need all the help we can get"

"Help, sure" Dawn sounded very uncertain.

"What is it, hon?" Joyce asked, immediately picking up on it.

"I'm just not sure more scared, Slayer wannabes counts as help"

It was an hour later and Rupert and Anya were not yet back, but Buffy and Xander were, Buffy bursting in through the front door at a quick panicked pace as rushed straight through the hall, into the kitchen, before pulling the basement door open and tearing down the stairs.

"Buffy, what are you-" Joyce didn't even have a chance to finish her question as Buffy went out of sight down the basement steps, so the woman turned to Xander for answers, "What's going on?"

"Eve," He said in reply, before heading down to the cellar himself, "She's dead"

"What?" Joyce was thoroughly confused, "But she's-"

"That's The First"

At this proclamation Joyce, and Willow, Tara and Dawn who had walked over to see what was going on and so had listened in, headed down the stairs after Xander.

"What's the problem, officer?" 'Eve' was smiling inquisitively.

"Why are you laying into Eve?" Kennedy asked.

"That's not Eve," Said somberly, keeping his eye on the First.

"Eve's dead," Buffy told them, and just like Xander, never taking her eyes off The First Evil.

"I-I don't understand..." The newest Potential to arrive admitted,

"Oops, one more down," The First said, realizing the game was up, "Oh well, can't save 'em all can ya Buffy?" She turned to look at the now terrified Potentials, "Thanks for the slumber party, girls. It's been real fun these past coupla nights. Learned a whole--"

"Shut up and get out," Buffy ordered, her voice low and quiet yet extremely threatening and menacing.

"Or you'll do what?" Eve challenged, knowing full well that there was nothing Buffy or anyone in the room could do. "Oh and Chloe honey," The First turned yet again to face the Potentials, "You don't have to worry about being called to be the Slayer before you're ready. You'll be dead long before that happens. All o' you." She turned back around to look at Buffy, her Mother and sister, Xander, Willow and Tara. "And all o' you too. Even you Buffy. I'm sending a guest over to visit y'all tonight. After the sun goes down 'course. Try to make him feel welcome," She smiled brightly, "Before he rips y'all to pieces." She gave a little girly and cheery wave, "See ya" And blinked out of the basement, as though a television set had just been switched off, leaving everyone in the room stunned into fearful silence.

"We should run and--," Vi suggested, but was cut off with a glare from Cassandra

"We don't run," She said firmly.

"Well, you don't but we do." Rachel argued, "We're not Slayers. Or even Watchers. We're just a bunch of girls being picked off one by one"

"Still," Jacqueline said patiently, "Running is not how we are to deal with all of this"

"It'll just run after you anyway," Her son, Ted, added, "Run after all of us..."

"We're safer here," Buffy said firmly, "Safer here than outside"

"How can you say that?" Molly asked, "It was here Buffy. In the house. At the inn. Living with us for days..."

"And you didn't even know it" Chloe said in accusatory tone that was aimed at Buffy.

"None of us knew," Joyce pointed out, but had a strong feeling that Chloe was only lashing out of Buffy because of her own fear. After all, it was true. None of them had know it was The First which made everything a lot more dangerous than it had been originally, and that had been deadly enough in itself.

"It could still be here..." Vi said nervously, "It could be anyone of us"

"It can only take the form of someone who has died," Willow reminded the Potentials and then seeing Buffy, Joyce and Dawn across the table from her she faltered, "Okay, so you know, all three of them have died at some point...so,you know, not so sure...but they're solid so it's okay. The First can't touch anything. It can't become, well, you know, corporeal"

"Well, we can't keep asking people to touch objects can we just to check?" Kennedy challenged.

"I mean what if it isn't them one day and we're like talking about stuff we don't want the bad guys to be hearing?" Molly asked.

"I mean maybe we should just not talk in front of them- just in case I mean-"

"Hey!" Buffy yelled out, cutting into the escalating arguments, "Look, I know you're all scared. Me too. But Giles and Anya should be back soon," At this comment she looked over at her Mother and Xander slightly, aware that it was their partners with their lives on the line, "Hopefully with the information we need to stop The First. In the meantime, we have to stick together. We're stronger that way. We can't afford to come apart now."

"She's right!" Andrew suddenly exclaimed forcefully and everyone looked over at him in surprise, Xander even eliciting a little startled jump. "Where would the Justice League be if they hadn't put aside their difference to stop the Imperium and his shapeshifting alien horde?"

"Don't help me," Buffy told him simply.

Daniel Wright was slowly developing a headache as the arguments among everyone quickly started up again. He'd trained Potentials before, more than one at a time at one point but this was something entirely different and something he couldn't and didn't want to deal with. Any moment now he was just going to snap, stand up and scream for them all to shut the hell up whining.

Dan, you too. Kitchen, now.

Dan jumped in his seat in surprise at the female voice whispering in his head. He looked around in confusion and saw several people going into kitchen, at the very back was Willow giving him a meaningful look. So she had sent the telepathic message. Intrigued, he got up and headed into the kitchen.

When he walked in her found Buffy, Xander, Joyce and Tara there along with Willow.

"Can we all hear each other?" He asked in his head and smiled in mild confusion when he got replies from all of them- the tone in each of their voices was so different. Tara and Willow both thought with a confidence in their ability, Buffy was straight to the point, military-like,Xander sounded pleased and intrigued with the concept while Joyce just sounded confused. Understandably so.

"What's going on?" She asked silently, clicking on to what was going on enough to know to ask the question in her head and not out load.

"We're losing them," Buffy said, "I need to save Spike from the Neander-vamp, but I need the girls to see me do it. But I need Mom and Lily out of the way first"

"What? I can't just-"

"Yes you can," Buffy insisted, "This vampire isn't regular. It's too dangerous and I can't risk you or my baby sister getting hurt" She turned to look at the only Watcher in the room, "Which is where you come in Dan"

"I do?"

"Yes. We don't know when Giles and Anya will be back so tonight, before the sun starts to set I want you to take Mom and Lily to that hotel all of you have been staying at. The Potentials are here so the vampire won't even head in that direction. Just keep them safe, that's your only job, got it?"

"Got it," He nodded.

"And don't either of you mention any of this to the others" Buffy thought pointedly, "No one can know or they'll figure out what we're up to"

"Buffy, I know I can't stop you from facing this thing, no matter how much I want to," Joyce 'said' and her daughter looked at her sympathetically, understanding, "But I have to take Dawn with me as well. I can't leave her behind"

"You have to," Buffy insisted and carried on, cutting off any potential arguments, "If she goes as well as you three those out there will realize somethings up," She looked at her Mother earnestly, "I won't let anything happen to her. I promise. Xander will look after her as well. And Will. And Tara"

"Of course," Tara smiled softly, an instant and unexplainable reassurance.

"We'll all be there watching her," Xander added.

The sun was down, night had fallen, Lily was smiling in Daniel's oblivious to all that was going on in the adult world, while her Mother paced in front of her going from one end of the room to the other.

"Joyce, you're makin' me nauseous," Dan told her, "For the love of god sit down"

"I can't," She told, continuing to pace while waving and wringing her hands nervously in front of her, "If I sit down it allows me the time to think. And I can't think. I can't think of what's happening. I can't-" She sighed in frustration, giving in and taking a seat beside him, "I can't just, just sit here waiting around to see what happens. Knowing what she's fighting and not being able to help..."

"Would you want to be there helping? If you could I mean?" Daniel asked.

"What are you talking about? Of course I would They're my children" Joyce looked at him as though he were crazy

"And that would be all of them would it?" He asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Well, not the Potentials..." She smiled, "but yes, I suppose so...yes..." She admitted.

"So, of course you feel an instinctive protectiveness over all of them?" He asked, "An inexplainable need to keep them away from all that they're facing tonight"

"Well of course, who wouldn't want to keep them away from it? They're just kids--"

"Well, Buffy and her friends are all in their twenties now so I think we can safely say they're no longer children, but I understand what yuh saying but-"

"But what?" She asked him challengingly, "What point are you trying to make here?"

"That you can look after them, it's what you feel you have to do, probably how you'll always feel," He smiled slightly, "But when you were last in the fight- properly- you were traumatized and I know it's only been a little time since, but yuh still not over it. No- don't argue. You're not. You're jumpy and nervous and...well, guilt-ridden about it. I can see it in your eyes. But that's the war they're fighting Joyce. Key word: War. There will be losses on both sides, it can't be helped. But you have to take solace in the fact that when you-" He looked hesitant for a moment, as though he wasn't going to say the word for her sake then he seemed to realize that would defeat the objective so he said the word anyway, "killed that Bringer. He was evil, barely human and would have gone on tuh kill many more 'ad his life not been taken. Now I will respect and understand your decision if you realize that that isn't your fight, that your place in all of it is pacifist, but the one that will always be there for them. But personally, correct me if I'm wrong here, I don't think yuh 'appy with that decision"

"What do you-"

"You've done nothing but pace and worry since we got here, goin' on about how you wish you could be there and help, and that kinda contrasts against the original theory don't it?" He looked at her intently, not allowing her to avoid his words or the point he was making, "Not to paraphrase the 60s or 70s or whatever but you've gotta make a choice Joyce: whether to be a mother or a fighter"

"A mother is a fighter," She instantly replied, knowing that gut feeling inside of her telling her that she would do anything to protect her children.

"I agree," He nodded, "But what kinda fight? The fight on the sidelines, the one who protects before and after. Or the one in the center of it all- the one that protects during the event itself." He watched her as she looked down at her lap, clearly thinking deeply about what he was telling her, "Neither's more important than the other. They're just as vital. The only thing that's important is knowing and choosing which is the right one for you"

"Oh you're alright! Buffy! Oh! Dawn!" The moment they (that is Joyce, Dan and Lily) returned to Revello Drive, the next day when it was broad daylight, Joyce laid eyes on her other two daughters and was ecstatic to find them perfectly safe without a scratch on them- at least in Dawn's case. She hugged them both tightly. Dawn wriggled out of her hug, slightly embarrassed in front of the Potentials, but Buffy gave a warm hug back, seeming to need the reassurance of her survival as much as her Mother did right now.

"Yeah," She nodded, "Vamp is dust and everyone just seemed to decide to crash here last night and-"

"And what honey?"

"Spike's back. I erm...got him out of this cave where The First was keeping him. He's in the basement now...actually...I should probably go check on him..."

"Okay," Joyce nodded with a small smile as Buffy turned and left the room in the direction of the basement door. Once she was gone, and with Dawn hurried out of hugging range, Joyce was able to turn her attention to Giles, who until now had been pretty much ignored.

"And you?" She walked over to him, "You're okay? Nothing happened while you were...wherever you were?"

"Absolutely fine," He assured her with a smile, slipping his arms around her supportively. For a moment though his eyes nervously flitted over to the direction of Anya as he remembered what the two of them had been told by the demon oracle; that Buffy being alive was the reason The First was able to do all this. It was a fact Anya and Giles had both agreed and vowed never to tell anyone, especially Buffy or Joyce, "No trouble at all"

"Good," She smiled back, giving a light kiss on the lips, keeping it minimal as she was aware that there were numerous Potentials and other people around them, "Because if you'd gotten hurt..or died...it would have...been a huge inconvenience for me"

"Well you know how I hate to be ah, inconvenient," He replied, prompting a laugh from Joyce and there was a flicker of her old self there- as the previous nervous state she'd had since The Bringer attack washed away. He looked over at Dan quizzically; what on earth had he said to his wife to cheer her up so much? Curiosity would no doubt force him to ask.