zigpal- Ah yes, Spike is back But only get a cameo from him this chapter, but more is to come soon. Haha. Thanks for review and obviously the claps
rabidreject- Aw, I'm touched you've been waiting for this. Gives me a happy, haha. And rest assured, you can always say it's awesome. haha. Thank you for the review.
A/N: End of Joyce Aftermathy arc. And whoa, a reference to Maggic Walsh. haha. Enjoy
"Instinct. What does it tell you? Well, it tells you absolutely nothing really. Except what you already know," Buffy looked evenly at her audience, "You just don't know it yet"
"I'm-I'm confused," Vi admitted, raising one hand. The Potentials were all outside sat on the grass in the garden of the Summers/Giles residence. They were listening with rapt attention as Buffy, with machete in hand, paced in front of them and lectured.
"Of course you are," Buffy sighed, "Right now, it doesn't really matter. All that matters is that you listen to me Rachel, Kennedy" As she said their names, Buffy threw the machete without much effort and it spun violently in the air, embedding itself in the tree trunk between Rachel and Kennedy's heads. They jumped a little in surprise, cutting off their conversation as they looked at her, "Don't talk over me" She told them calmly. "Now, any of you here ever taken Psych?"
"Psychologie?" Natasha asked
"P-see what now?" Buffy frowned, "Oh yeah, psychology. Right. Yeah. That. Anyone here ever taken it? High school, college if you're old enough?"
A few of the Potentials raised their hands tentatively.
"I did. In college. I mean it was taught by a crazed scientist who like made this wicked evil demon hybrid thing that made Frankenstein look attractive and the Terminator friendly but she did tell me something about instincts. We all have it- just in our everyday modern lives we've forgotten to listen to it, never mind trust it. But instinct is what keeps a Slayer alive, it tells you what you want, what you need to do to keep going, to be one step ahead. And a Slayer's instinct is better than anybody's; sharper, keener. A Slayer's way more aware of everything in her because she has to be, If she doesn't know herself'; she's dead"
"But w-we're not Slayers yet..." Again Vi spoke up. Buffy kinda liked her. She may not be as sharp or as well adapted as the others, but she wasn't afraid to ask questions to learn and usually her questions were useful ones and were worth the time to answer them, "We don't...I mean, how can we tap into instinct we don't have?"
"You do have it," Buffy told her, "We all do. Yours is more fine-tuned than everyone else's- the Potential is there to be as great as mine. But what I'm telling you is listen. I mean if I pick up this-" Buffy turned and lifted up a heavy throwing axe with extreme ease, "And toss it around in front of you. What do you want to do? What does your instinct tell you to do?"
"To get the hell out of the way before I lose an eye?" Rona asked and Buffy just smiled.
"Exactly. Simplistic? Totally. But instinct? Definitely," She looked at them all, "You have it in you. You have to always remember that"
"So The First has gone into hiding?" Jac asked, checking over all the information they had gotten together about The First, including the information Anya and Giles had gotten from Beljoxa- albeit they had edited some parts.
"Well, that's good right?" Xander asked from his seat at the dining room table, "A First in hiding gives the Buffymaster General time to get the troops together"
"B-but the First is probably doing the same," Tara told him
"Yes," Giles nodded, Lily on his knee, presently looking inquisitively at all the papers on the table, "We have to presume that while uh, Buffy's slaying of the Turok-han will have undoubtedly set him back a few paces, hiding can only mean a, uh, new plan is forming. One that is more than likely just as deadly"
"Let's just hope it's better looking..." Xander said and Cassandra threw him a disapproving look.
"Must you joke so often in the face of such serious matters?" She asked him, "Really, Rupert I don't understand how you allowed the Slayer's friends to become involved"
"Hey," Anya protested, "Xander has always been helpful to the group. He goes for snacks and everything," She paused, "And he used to get clothes for people"
This was met with silence.
"He does a lot more than that," Willow assured The Watchers.
"Yes," Giles nodded, "His contribution to the ah, cause as it were, has been very helpful over the years"
Xander gave the table a self-pleased grin and Lily clapped, prompting him to only smile some more.
"Don't take this the wrong way Rupert," Jac said, "But do you think it's really appropriate that your daughter be here while we're talking about all this?"
"Ted is"
"Ted's seventeen," Jac pointed out, "She's just a child. To hear all this--"
"Is something she will no doubt have to deal with her whole life," Giles said, "Besides she's just fine and her Mother's out at the moment"
"Ah yes," Xander nodded knowledgeably, "The Notorious Food Shop with Dawn. Can't wait. Hope they bring back Twinkies"
"Never gonna happen dude," Willow grinned, "You know Buffy's Mom's rule on Twinkies"
"As in be they not allowed?" Xander sulked, "Yeah I know. But I thought if I asked enough she'll slip up"
"Not a chance," Willow smiled.
"I don't suppose it's ever occurred to you to eat at your own house?" Giles suggested mildly to Xander.
"But Joyce can cook..." Xander argued quietly and Anya glared at him.
"I cook," She said to him, "Don't you like my cooking?"
"You can cook pasta, Ahn." He told kindly, "And that's it. A man needs on occasion, more than the foods of Italy. And I freely admit that my own cooking is of the sub par variety"
Tara didn't bother to ask what exactly it was the couple survived on- she had a feeling the question would lead to an extended answer that would make her regret asking in the first place so she just let it be.
"I need to invest in some PayLess clothing," Buffy grumbled as she walked back into the house that night after meeting the latest Potential to arrive in town and taking her to the inn whee the others were staying, "That way I won't be bothered about blood du bringer splattering over my top. I mean c'mon, it's totally ruined. I really shouldn't have worn white..."
"Oh erm..." Joyce grimaced as she looked at the blood stains on her daughter's top, "I'll see what I can do. I mean I'm sure I can get it out..."
"Thanks," Buffy smiled gratefully, "Who's still here or has everyone gone home now?"
"Well, Willow and Tara are still here...they are um, doing some some spell in your room-"
"My room?" Buffy frowned and her Mother nodded.
"Something to do with position and elements...or something."
"What exactly is the spell supposed to like do?" Buffy asked.
"Find more Potentials?" Joyce asked in answer, "I have no idea. And erm Rupert and Daniel are in the dining room looking over their research. They just won't put it down," She sighed, "They'll probably both be there till the early hours of the morning."
"And find nothing anyway?" Buffy guessed with a slight defeatist smile.
"Perhaps," Joyce smiled back, "Why don't you go upstairs and change-" She remembered that Willow and Tara were in her daughter's room, "-in my room and I'll see what I can do about that top. It shouldn't be too hard"
"Hmm..." Joyce looked at the white top in disapproval. It still had the blood stains on it, though they were now slightly faded, "It's because it's white..." She murmured to herself. She had done everything. Soaked it in cold water, before putting it in the washing machine. She had done both twice. And yet. It looked like she may have to resort to bleach. She placed the top down on the side and turned to get the needed item from the opposite cupboard and walked right into someone's chest, "Ah!" She sighed with relief when she saw who it was, "Oh Daniel. Hi, sorry about that. But you shouldn't erm, sneak up on people you know?"
"Sorry. Just wanted to see how you were doing?"
"Doing?" She asked, eyes wide, "Fine. Perfectly fine"
"Oh." Dan did not sound convinced.
"What? I am." She slid past him to the cupboard holding the bleach.
"Oh you're a lot better than you were last week, yes," He agreed, "You're not uh guilt-tripping yuh way through life that's for sure but..."
"But?" Joyce challenged, turning to face him with one hand on her hip as though daring him to say what he was planning to. He went ahead and did so.
"You're still conflicted" He said, "You haven't made a decision like I told you to"
"Decision?" She frowned.
"On what part of the fight to be involved in." He elaborated, "You're still jumping from one to the other. You need to choose"
"It's not that simple," She sighed, turning away from him and focusing on the task at hand- cleaning Buffy's top. "I can't just decide whether-"
"There is a way you could," Dan told her, cutting her off.
"Really?" She sounded highly skeptical.
"It's just a little thing. That gets yuh to find out what yuh really want"
"And this thing is...?"
"A Vision Quest you could call it. Travel through your subconscious to find out what yuh want. Then you'll know. It'd really help yuh I think and I can do it no problem. Done it many a time"
"And this Vision Quest would involve...magick I suppose?"
"Yes," He nodded, "It's a ritual of sorts...cast on you, 'course. And you go intuh a sleep, once you've found yuh answer yuh wake up"
She looked at him, deeply considering what he was telling her...for two seconds.
"No. Not a chance"
"Why not?"
"If Joyce has said no, then that means no, Daniel." Giles told him, "You can't come hoping to get a different answer from myself. You're not a child Daniel asking for a toy from your parents for god's sake"
"But I think-"
"But Joyce doesn't. End of"
"I did it for you when you returned to the Council," Dan reminded him, "To help you deal with your past and your present decision. And if I recall, you were begging for me to do the Vision Quest ritual, so desperate were you to make sure everything would be okay and that you'd made the right choice"
"Yes," Giles nodded in agreement, "And if I recall I spent the week immediately after that in a constant state of nausea. And it didn't help with any confirmation of decision making on my part"
"That's because you came out of the Quest before you were meant to," Dan argued, "If you'd gone through it all instead of...of...wussing out at an earlier point, things would have been cleared up. But you backed out halfway through- which I told you was a bad idea before began- and that's more than likely the reason for why you threw up constantly for the next week or so"
"Hmm" Giles did not sound convinced or happy of the reminder of the past event.
Dan was positive he was right. And out of all the reasons, he mostly wanted to do it as a favor to Joyce. He knew that more than anything she was woman who would have been just happy with a typical, normal Californian family life on the west coast with a husband and 2.4 children. The husband no doubt working happily in some business while she was running her own small town gallery- no pressure on her to be the sole supporter of the family. And there would be office parties at her husband's work and she'd happily drink the drink dress the dress and chat the chat. Unfortunately that was not what she had got. Her first daughter turned out to be a Vampire Slayer, the savior and protector of mankind, her second daughter turned out to be some mystical key- at least according to what Giles had told him- she had gotten divorced, only to remarry to someone as equally involved in the supernatural as her daughters, had a third daughter who was doubly involved in the spooky side of things and from what he had been told by the others, Dan gathered that Joyce had had more than her fair share of attacks by the supernatural bad guys. Rupert himself being one of them at one point. And yet here she was, getting on with it despite the dozens of Potentials around along with all the Watchers, appreciating and loving everything she had even if it had never been what she had planned.
So yeah, when he saw that confliction in her eyes and unsurity, yes he wanted to help her. Was that so wrong? And that was exactly why he was going to do the spell anyway.
He had got the appropriate ingredients and had retained the spell from a page in a book at the Magic Box, the store Rupert and Anya co-owned. Everything was ready. He just needed a place to do the spell. Now the requirements of the spell stated that while it was preference to be in the same room as the person whom the spell was being cast upon, but he had to at least be in the same house. Which was why he was 1630 Revello Drive with spell ingredients in his bag, wondering where the hell he could cast the spell and not get caught. There was only one possible answer; the basement. But that presently had a bleach blond London vampire residing in it. How exactly was he going to get rid of him?
"Bugger off"
"What?" Spike looked up in surprise.
"I need the room, and you're in it so...bugger off," Dan explained.
"What? You can't be bleedin' serious," Spike protested, but the look in Dan's eyes told Spike he was. He sighed and with an impatient roll of the eyes got up off his makeshift bed and headed up the basement stairs to the ground level, Daniel was rather surprised the vampire had given in so easily- Spike was stubborn at the best of times apparently.
Deciding to just thank the gods, that the rare grace of Spike was on his side today, Daniel settled down on the basement floor and began preparing the spell. He lit the two candles, each representing one side of Joyce, he mixed the herbs together that would bring about the vision quest. He cast the circle, called the elements and began to chant the words written on the paper in front of him.
"Duos pectus pectoris sedeo qua sententia-" He heard the basement door open again- "shol existo" people started walking down the stairs towards him, "tamen unus" He saw Spike point him out casually to someone before taking his seat back on the bed, "Is ques-grah!" Dan yelped as he was hauled up by his collar, coming face to face with Giles. "Why- hello"
"Why do I have a feeling I'm not going to like what you're doing down here?" Giles asked, still holding onto Daniel's collar.
"I may be- garg- off base here but uh...wouldn't be because I'm doin' what you and Joyce told me not tuh?"
"That'd be it," Giles nodded letting him go and his friend stumbled back a few paces, knocking over the candles.
"Look, I just wanted to help okay?" He defended himself as he cleared up the now useless ingredients and props.
"We both told you not this way," Giles reminded him.
"I know but I..." Dan sighed, "Doesn't matter now anyway. You stopped me before I could finish the spell."
"Good," Giles, "Now you are going to clear this up, forget about the entire idea and apologize to Joyce after I've told her what you tried to do"
"Two things. One: Don't tell Joyce. Two: Stop acting as though you're me parents"
"Act like a child Daniel and you'll find yourself treated like one," Giles told him.
"Being a parent has changed you mate," Dan sighed with a shake of the head,
"Oh Rupert, where've you been?" Joyce asked, walking over to him as he walked back into dining room from the basement, "The guys here think they have realized what we all need to be looking for. First-Wise."
"We have? We? Erm what?" Giles said,slightly thrown by the proclamation and also increasingly distracted that while Joyce had slipped her hand into his when she had reached him, that same hand had started to wander to different places. "A-a-and what, what are they?" He asked the group, trying to ignore the subtle attention Joyce was paying to him.
"The incorporeal...erm ness of The First," Willow said, "Means it can't do anything itself. Like actually him doing it"
"No, I suppose-oh-not"
His sister frowned at him and at his 'oh'.
"Are you okay?" She asked, sounding concerned.
"Yes, I'm fine," He assured her, pulling away from Joyce subtly and while she did look a little thrown and hurt by this she soon sighed in acceptance and flopped into a seat at the dining room table and within a moment began reading the papers of information in front of her, quickly becoming absorbed in it all. Giles was extremely relieved about this as it meant he could fully focus on what he was being told. "Erm carry on"
"Well, that means no matter what The First always needs someone to do it's bidding," Tara continued.
"So basically we're thinking hiding equals well, recruiting," Willow finished.
"So instead of searching for The First and it's plans...the search should be for anyone or events that reflect someone working for the First," Joyce concluded and Giles looked at her in surprise. It was the exact same conclusion he himself was about to announce.
"Y-yes, exactly," He agreed, "But uh, I'm afraid we still wouldn't know where to start"
"Well, we could search newspapers" Anya suggested
"Look up the brawly-places," Xander added.
"Yes. From afar" His wife added.
"Internet search for incidents," Willow contributed.
"Use magick to find negative human activity," Tara added her own thoughts.
"Wow." Joyce said with a impressed smile, "You guys are really good"
"Thanks," Xander said in a way as though he had been an offered an Oscar, "Well, we try" He grinned.
"I know," Joyce acknowledged before standing up and turning to Rupert, "And you...you need to be outside" She told him.
"I do?" He asked in confusion.
"Yes," She nodded, leading him to the kitchen, "Buffy's been trying to train the Potentials. And she's doing really great, but I think beyond the whole 'to slay is to kill demons' angle, I think they would also appreciate a calmer Watcher perspective." They came to a stop just short of the back door, "After all, what's any Slayer without her Watcher?"
"Yes, I suppose you're right," He agreed, "Having Buffy constantly on at them has seemed to put the fear of god in them"
"They'll love you." Joyce assured him, "Kennedy might not," She admitted, "But Vi is definitely going to prefer the bookish, non-pointy objects approach"
"True," He admitted, smiling at her before going to open the kitchen door. She pulled him back though before he could go outside.
"Hey, before you go," She frowned at him in protest before leaning in for a kiss. Rupert presumed the kiss was going to be sweet but brief as he did have something to do and so was surprised when she put her hand to the back of his neck, keeping him to her as she deepened the kiss. Her other hand picking up where she had left off in the dining room. Okay, he thought, hands in new places. Not necessarily bad places however. Eventually the kiss broke, leaving Rupert slightly breathless and he straightened the glasses on his nose.
"Right. Well, erm. Right. Off I go then" He uttered non-sensical things before walking out into the garden, Joyce watching after him with an amused smirk on her face.
He had been helping train the Potentials barely twenty minutes when he heard Joyce shout his name and he turned to see her in the kitchen doorway. Wearing a long simple brown top, beige slacks with her hair casually tucked behind her ears as she held Lily in her arms, she looked the very image of all things Motherhood. He excused himself from the Potentials for a moment before walking over to her
"What is it?" He asked and noticed she looked unhappy he just wasn't sure about what.
"Are you sure-" She sighed, "Do you think the back garden is the erm...best place for this?" She asked, gesturing at the training Potentials, "I mean, the neighbors could see or...or...what about Lily or Dawn? They live here. They could get hurt"
"Joyce, I assure you it's-"
"Maybe this should all be kept back at the hotel?" She suggested, "The one they're staying at? Perhaps that would be better? Safer for everyone. Though not for the girls I suppose..." She threw a concerned look in the direction of the Potentials before looking up pleadingly at Giles, "They're just so young Rupert. I don't-"
"Shh, it'll be fine, I promise," He said to her soothingly, putting his arm around her and she leant against him for support, Lily happily between them, "I- that is Buffy and I...and the others, we know what we are doing. We've done it for many years remember? And we will do everything to make sure no one gets hurt. Most especially Lily and Dawn"
"Hey er Rupert?"
The couple turned to look over at Daniel who had just walked in from the dining room.
"A few Potentials are arriving in town in a couple of hours- the coven were just on the phone," Dan told them, "But that's not all. There's Bringers on their way to meet them. And some on their way to meet us"
"The Seer saw this?" Giles asked but Daniel shook his head.
"No, one of the witches; Tara, she can just sense it. She knows. Not sure how mate, but yuh know- not one to doubt"
"No," Giles agreed, "Well, uh if they are heading both ways then I suggest ah, perhaps I should got with ah, Willow and Tara to meet the new Potentials and Buffy uh stay here to make sure, well for safety's sake really." He looked down at Joyce, "Are you okay with that? My leaving I mean. I will be back I assure you, but I understand if-"
"Whatever you think is best," She assured him, smiling slightly as she looked up at him, "If you think that's the best plan honey...but I can't deny that I'm worried"
He kissed her lightly on the head.
"Perhaps you would ah, like to take Lily some place safer...somewhere you consider safe I mean? Preferably a place The Bringers wouldn't know"
"I do have a lot of work to catch up with at the gallery." She admitted, "I've been so over the place lately with...with everything and a few of my staff have left so we're a little short-handed. I could go there?" She seemed to ask him for confirmation, making sure that was a good choice of place to go.
"That might not be a too bad idea actually," He agreed, "Erm...you should probably go in a little while. I'll erm...I'll take the car to pick up the Potentials and so I'll drop you and Lily off."
"And Dawn," Joyce insisted, "Dawn has to come with me as well. I don't want her a part of this. If I'm honest I don't want any of you to have a part in this, even you"
"I know," He said, taking Lily out of her arms to carry her in his own as he fussed her and paid attention to her. He looked outside into the garden where Buffy was exhausting the Potentials Slayers with a constant training schedule. "The sun's almost setting. I'd rather get you three out of here before the sun completely sets as I'd prefer not to face the risk of vampires on top of everything else"
"Okay," Joyce nodded, "I'll just erm...go get some of Lily's things together," Rupert handed the child back to her, "And could you tell Dawn for me? That we're leaving for the gallery in a moment. She should be in the living room. If not she's probably in her room"
"Of course," He nodded, the two exchanging a brief sweet kiss before walking off to their intended destinations- Giles to the living room and Joyce up the stairs.
Xander was confused. A little. Okay a lot. He knew that over the years and since finding out Buffy was the Slayer Joyce had slowly become more and more used to the supernatural side of Sunnydale, even to go as far as to contribute towards Slayerette research, but she had never been into any current slayer situations with such gusto as she was now. If anything, Xander thought she seemed to be reveling in it all- enjoying piecing everything together to try and figure out The First's plan. Sure, the less Joyce worried about everything was happening the happier Buffy was at it was one less thing to deal with but...in Xander's opinion this was just plain weird.
Plus her body language was completely different. There were no maternal hands on the shoulder making sure everything was okay for each of them, and her hand movements and actions had become very flamboyant, all remains of self-consciousness melted away.
And despite the fact that the entire concept gave him the wig, he couldn't deny the fact that he believed he pretty much knew what Joyce had been sneakily up to with Giles when he had been in the room earlier on and had suddenly dived away from her.
Xander turned his attention away from her and looked out the dining room window at the slowly setting sun. He had barely looked outside for ten seconds when the newly repaired windows were suddenly smashed through and glass shattered over them all. Seconds later numerous Bringers, though not as many as on the previous attack thankfully, climbed into the house in full on attack.
"Why are they here Tara?" Xander asked before throwing a punch.
"I don't know," She told him as she ducked for cover from an attack, "I just knew they were coming"
"Joyce, they're already here" Giles exclaimed up the stairs to his wife, but noticed she was in fact in the dining room. Minus one daughter. "Where's Lily?"
"She's safe," Joyce replied, just as a Bringer dove for her. Giles went to help and intervene on her behalf but before he could, using some very Tai Chi-esque movements she used the Bringer's own weight against him as she grabbed him by the wrist and the waist and flung him onto his back, letting out a little 'woo!' of success as she did so. He looked at her and she grinned broadly back. "Need to guard the stairs," She told him, "That's why they're here."
"What?" He frowned.
"Lily. She's a Potential. And because she's so young, defenseless, she's an easy target" She explained and his eyes widened behind his glasses.
"Right" He agreed before leading the way towards the stairs, the two of them working efficiently together against any of the Bringers that attacked, both putting complete trust in Buffy to protect the Potentials outside.
Giles was surprised, after the events of the previous attack and how much trauma it had caused Joyce, at how much she was willingly involving herself in the fight- and doing, even more surprisingly, exceptionally well. It was all very surreal.
Strangely enough it was within minutes when all the Bringers were either dead or had escaped with their lives. As the entire group came together, Buffy bringing in the Potentials from the back yard, all looking more than a little exhausted, everyone felt that it had been almost a little too easy. Too quick and simple.
"It was a diversion..." Joyce suddenly said.
"What?" Anya frowned, but Buffy instantly knew what her Mother was talking about.
"There must be new Potentials coming into town. They've gone for them while keeping us here" She went to leave but Cassandra stopped her.
"No, we'll go," She said referring to the other Watchers, "You need to stay here in case there's another attack"
Buffy accepted that, however reluctantly, and nodded, and the Watchers left. She turned to the Potentials.
"Why don't you guys go crash in the living room till they get back?" She suggested, "I'm not big on the whole you going back to the hotel thing without like slayer and watcher entourage"
Terrified from the recent attack, none of the Potentials argued and merely nodded, mumbled an agreement, and like a flock of sheep, herded themselves into the living room where they all took seats on any available surface.
"Right, we're ready to go..." Joyce said, her voice drifting off as she came down the stairs and took in the disaster scene, "Oh my god. Buffy, what happened here?"
The group was thrown into entire silence. As two Joyces wearing almost identical outfits in color but with one wearing an outfit comprising of slacks and a long top clearly for practicality, while the other had settled on fitted pants and sleeveless top obviously going for looks and style over everything else. The practical Joyce held Lily in her arms.
"Oh my god..." Buffy gasped, "Why are there two Moms?"
"Wait, I know this," Xander grinned, "They're both Joyce!"
"Well, of course," Both Joyces said in synchronization.
"Hold on a moment," Giles said, "You both ah you knew there were two of you?"
"Yes," The non-Lily holding Joyce said, "You guys...erm didn't?"
"To know this would be insane," Anya stated.
"Erm what exactly is going on?" Willow asked.
"Daniel," Giles grumbled in answer, "I knew that spell would have done something! It's created..." He cried out in frustration.
"Honey, calm down," Practical Joyce told him, "Getting frustrated doesn't help the situation"
"Well at least this does answer a few questions..." Xander said.
"Like what?" Buffy asked.
"Well, I kept thinking your Mom was acting weird, but I just thought it was you know...I don't know adaptation. She was way into all things Slay-related"
"Oh that would be me!" Sleeveless top wearing Joyce said, raising a hand boldly.
"Giles, what spell is it Daniel cast? What was it meant to do?" Tara asked, wondering whether that would help them fix it.
"It was to help uh Joyce make a decision. About how she wished to involve herself in the battle. To be on the sidelines or in the foray. I knew it would backfire" He murmured in complaint.
"But it didn't," The more outgoing of the two Joyce's assured him.
"How?" Giles asked, "For one you're split in two which in my opinion is a flaw. And secondly, no matter who I came across until just now neither of you, while you had different levels of enthusiasm admittedly, purposely and actively involved yourself in the fight it just happened. I just don't understand how the decision is made this way"
"Because this clears things up so much," The Joyce nearest to him said.
"No it doesn't," The other, the one holding Lily protested, "It doesn't clear up things at all. Magic, supernatural, everything- it only makes it more confusing. I don't like any of this...I just wish..." She sighed. "Why can't everything just be normal?"
"Ah, there's Mom from the good ole days of High School," Buffy said semi-wistfully, "The one who continually came out with the 'get anyone to replace Buffy as the Slayer' theme"
"No sweetie," The other Joyce said, "That wasn't me. She-" She pointed at the more responsible Joyce, "was the one who wanted the normalcy. Who wanted you to be free of it all. Me? I admired you What you did, everything you took on; it amazed me. I just wanted you to be happy, but I was rooting for you the whole time. I just was upset you hadn't told me sooner. I wanted to be involved in it all so much"
"Okay, see you sound nothing like Mom," Buffy said, "I mean even when you got involved through Giles you were still relucto-gal. You're nothing like Mom"
Again this Joyce shook her head.
"No, I am. I'm just the side that she doesn't let come out and play often enough," She explained with a slight grin at Giles, "I'm everything she constantly represses. Desires, wishes, passion, fun, just doing what I want to. All of she keeps stopping me from giving into because it wouldn't be 'proper'. I think everything about this-" She gestured at the evidence of Slayers and Watchers that was abundant in the dining room, "-is just amazing. I love it. It's the sort of thing I use to dream and imagine about as a kid. It's just...I wanna be so much more involved than I am. To cross that final line. But she always stops me."
"But uh, Joyce," Giles said, "She's still you...I mean you're merely split in half." Giles couldn't believe he'd just used the word merely, "You're still one and the same. You can't be ah, put on pause so to speak by the other."
"No I can. And she does," Joyce One insisted. She pointed at the other Joyce, "She is all about impressions and responsibility and expectations and respect, but not me okay?" She looked at Giles earnestly, "I want to be daring and free, to have fun, to be as involved as you all are. To just indulge. And you know occasionally have a life. I mean you have no idea how repressive that woman is." She looked at the group, "I know you say I have a gift for denial, well it's all down to her. I mean I have the merest smallest thought of something slightly inappropriate and she's horrified" She looked across at the other Joyce, "Just because I happen to be attracted to her boyfriend does not mean I'm going to make a move. We can appreciate what's there you know. We do have good taste"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Buffy said, "Who's boyfriend are we talking about here?"
"No one's," The conservative Joyce said, "It doesn't matter. It's not important"
"Angel," The other Joyce said defiantly, "Oh come on Buffy- I have eyes. And yeah, the first time I saw him my initial thought was that you had an eye for good looking men. It wasn't as though I was going to jump the boy. It'd be just nice not to repressed all the time."
"Oh my god..." Willow gasped, "I know what this is"
"You do?" Xander raised an eyebrow, "Well, two points for the Willster here. So spill"
"She's the Id."
"Excuse me?" Anya asked.
"This Joyce," She pointed at the one wearing the sleeveless top, "She's the Id. The one to do with all the desires and wants. It doesn't grow up or learn just knows what it sees, likes and wants and wishes to take it. But she," She pointed at the other Joyce, "Is the super-ego. The control factor. The one that keeps this one" She jabbed a thumb at Id Joyce, "from getting out of control"
"She never lets me have any fun," Id Joyce sulked.
"And it's these two uh sides that are fighting over what decision to make," Giles concluded, "Daniel was right; she was conflicted"
"Wouldn't be if she started to see sense," Id Joyce said.
"I am the one seeing sense," Ego Joyce protested, hoisting Lily, who had been previously slipping out of her grasp, properly onto her hip, "They are risking their lives everyday against god only knows what. They need some stability. They need someone to be there for them. We need to look after them, if we're not there to do that then everything falls apart"
"We would be looking after them, just in a more active fashion."
"And our more active fashion is what exactly?" Ego Joyce challenged, "Getting hurt? Or killed? Leaving them behind? Or maybe kidnapped- that's a running theme for us isn't it?"
"For you," Id countered, "I could handle myself fine if you'd just let go"
"I-" The Ego Joyce sighed in defeat, "I just want everyone to be safe and normal. I...I don't want anyone getting hurt. I can't...I can't take it. And what if my being there all the time distracts them or makes things worse? People could die just because we thought we could help when we couldn't"
"Okay...this is just too weird..." Buffy said, confused and wigged by the scene before her, "I'm gonna go upstairs. And check on Dawn" Buffy bailed, running up the stairs.
"But we can help. We can be helpful," Id Joyce continued the conversation with herself, not even noting Buffy's departure.
"Fine." Ego Joyce, "Maybe we can. Maybe we could be helpful...uh fighting, but honestly I don't think that's what either of us wants to do"
"You would think that" Id Joyce countered, "C'mon, just give into me a little bit"
The two stepped towards one another, almost daring the other to give into their point of view. They at each other intently, never breaking eye contact, trying to read the other when suddenly it happened.
It wasn't as though anything blinding or painful happened, or even something loud but the group found themselves instinctively looking away from the Joyces, keeping their eyes tightly closed, Anya even covering hers dramatically with her hands. When they looked back one very dazed Joyce was left in the dining room and Giles caught her around the middle before she fell.
"Erm...whoa..." She said, "Headache...a-and...dizzy..."
"So everything's back to normal?" Buffy asked Giles in the kitchen later that same night, "No more parent trap with a B cup?"
Giles frowned at her for the crude pop culture reference.
"What?" She asked innocently, "It was."
"Well,erm yes, it's all back to normal. Joyce is ah...singular." He told her, "In bed with a terrible headache mind, but that's to be expected"
"Well I for one didn't like it," Buffy said, "Two Moms? It's like everybody's nightmare. Plus, Mom Number Two was a little too out there for my liking. So when should I kill Dan?"
"As much as I agree with suggestion Buffy, I'm afraid to say never," Giles smiled, "Though rest assured his remaining time here in Sunnydale will assuredly become a difficult one"
"That's what I like to here," Buffy smiled, "So why Dan did the spell..."
"Yes..."
"Did it sort things out?" Buffy asked, "Is Mom all non-conflicty now?"
"I think so," He nodded, "Yes. Despite the fact she was complaining of feeling as though her entire head was being split open, she did seem happier in herself. But ah...I'm afraid she hasn't told me anything specific"
"Well as long as she never mentions checkin' on Angel again, I'm cool with any decision she makes"
"Agreed" Giles said with a grim expression.