zigpal- Yay, my claps. Hehe. And well, First Date is comedic don't worry, it's own twisted willow-cast-another-spell way. And you're welcome about the splainy. ;-) Thank you fo the review and enjoy.

rabidreject- I love leaving you on the edge of your seat. Your seat edge is a good place to be. And here is the next chapter, hehe. Thank you for the review.

A/N: You may laugh at this, you may wig at this, you may do a little of both. The impotant thing is to enjoy.

"I don't like this," Buffy stated, "This is official non-like"

She was speaking quietly so as not to be heard by her Mom, who was in the kitchen, and Giles, who was in the living room. She was in the dining room talking to Willow, Tara, Anya, Xander and Dawn.

"But they've been through stuff before," Xander reasoned, "They'll pull through it again right?"

"I don't know..." Tara seemed unsure, "This time it seems..."

"Different?" Buffy filled in the word, "I know. It is. I mean it feels..."

"Real," Dawn finished her sentence, "I mean they're way too calm about it. It's like they accept it or something"

"I don't get why they are like this anyway," Anya said simply, "I mean we all know it was The First messing with them so they should just get over it"

"I don't think it's that simple, Ahn," Xander said, "The problems are still there..."

"That's what I don't get," Buffy said, "Why was The First so bothered about them two anyway? Evil, evil plans ahead yet it has time to split up a married couple? It doesn't make any sense"

"Sure it does," Willow said, "Look how it's effected us. It's like all of our parents divorcing rolled into one. I mean, we're not exactly active on the winning the war front right now are we?"

"So should we...get back to work then...?" Dawn asked slowly and they all looked to one another for the answer.

"I guess so..." Buffy agreed but then she sighed as she flopped her head down on the table, "But I don't wanna!" She whined before looking back up at them all, "I wanna fix Mom and Giles" She paused, "I can't believe I just said that." She smiled in a self-pleased way, "Wow. I must be growing up"

"Congrats," Xander said distractedly, "But how exactly do we fix them? I mean Giles is 'my business is my business' guy and your Mom...well, she can be more stubborn than you"

"I know I just-" Buffy broke off as her Mom came into the room looking for something.
"Oh please don't stop talking on my account," She told them as she walked over to one of the cupboards, "But I would appreciate it if you stopped discussing my marriage"

The group wore a universal look of guilt. Busted.

"He asked you out for dinner?" Willow gasped as Buffy told her her Principal-Wood-Asked-Me-Out story.

"Yeah, isn't that weird?" Buffy scrunched up her nose, "He's a principal. A young hot principal with earrings, but a principal. Why do you suppose he asked me out?"

"Well I assume it's not because he likes your company," Willow said as she flicked through more pages of useless research. She paused as she felt Buffy shoot her a look, "I mean uh, unless it is"

"I don't know..." Buffy shrugged, "I mean when he looks at me it's intense you know? There's eye contact with all four of our eyes. He could be interested right?"

"Sure," Willow nodded, "You're a frisky vixen"

"Or it could be work related," She proposed another possibility, "Maybe I'm being promoted for doing such a good job"

Willow burst out laughing, she couldn't help it. The concept of Buffy being promoted for doing such a good job as school councilor was too hilarious. However, with another look from Buffy she cleared her throat, changing the obvious laughter into a cough.

"Oh right. That, that would make sense too"

"Or maybe he knows I suspect he's up to something," Buffy came up with another option. There seemed to be no end to them, "and he's taking me out to kill me"

"You'll have to dress for the ambiguity,"

"It's not even his behavior that's suspicious," Buffy continued, "Except for the whole carrying a shovel thing. But there he is, right over the Hellmouth every day. It's gotta be like being showered by evil, only from underneath"

"Not really a shower then," Willow smiled.

"Okay, then a bidet," Buffy replied, "A bidet of evil"

"Can we go back to the eye contact?" Her friend asked, glad for a distraction from the boring, long, eye-hurting research, "Buff, I mean if he really is interested in you...are you interested back?"

"Hey, it's a shame Mom and Giles can't remember their first date. Like actively remember," Buffy thought aloud, "I mean then they could totally get over this whole betrayal thing which isn't really a betrayal in my opinion. I mean come on, nothing happened. They should just move on. I mean why would they have gone on a first date in the first place if their first feelings hadn't been their first"

"I'm gonna wait for that sentence to come around again before I jump on board," Willow smiled, "And you're avoiding my question"

"Hey, there's a few here that need hanging up too," Joyce said, as she crossed the garden with three red items of clothing in her hands. Giles was currently pegging out the rest of the washing. Ah, how she had trained him to do domestic house things. As she reached him she dropped the items into the laundry basket.

"I just though I should warn you that the kids are currently dreaming up schemes to get us back together," She told him, "So watch out huh?"

"Accept no potentially spiked potion teas from Willow," He nodded.

"And no ominous invitations out from Xander," She added.

"I wouldn't accept that anyway," He joked.

"Good point...oh hello Mrs Thompson" Joyce waved as she saw the next door neighbor's wife watching the two of them from her own garden. The woman was about Joyce's age, possibly younger, but she dressed as though she were in her sixties. She didn't work and stayed in her home all day, her only activity being to gossip and nosy about the other neighbors.

"Hello" Mrs Thompson half-smiled back, "Are you two okay?"

"Yes," Joyce replied, "Why wouldn't we be?"

"Oh I just...I thought I heard the two of you arguing last night is all..." She replied, attempting to sound casual but her her busybody attitude shone through clearly.

"Oh no, we're just fine Mrs Thompson," Joyce smiled brightly back, "Just a lover's tiff. I'm sure you know how it is"

Mrs Thompson sniffed in disinterest and shuffled back into her house.

"Officious toad" Giles muttered as the woman went back into her house.

"Mmm..." Joyce nodded in agreement, "Well, are you okay here?"

"What? Oh yes, I'm fine"

"Good," She nodded and headed back inside.

Giles watched as she walked out of his sight and sighed. He wished what she'd said to Mrs Thompson were true. That it was all just fine. What was making this...this whatever it was oh so much harder was the fact that neither of them were avoiding each other. As just now, Joyce had walked over to him, had a conversation, shared a joke, a laugh and yet he couldn't kiss her no matter how much he wanted to. It was all part of the 'break-up' package. He hated it almost as much as he hated Mrs Thompson.

Something Buffy had said to her earlier that day had stuck with Willow. About Giles and Joyce needing to remember their first date. That was why, as Tara slept soundly, Willow sneaked out of their bedroom and into the bathroom where she had the appropriate spell supplies stored.

She didn't tell Tara what she was doing as she knew the fellow witch would disapprove of any love spell, but Willow felt these were desperate circumstances and so an exception had to made. And all she was going to do was allow the couple to remember those first exciting feelings they had between one another.

She lit a circle of red candles around herself and settled down, cross-legged in the center. Before she had Adam and Eve root, garnet and several oils. Alongside was a mortar and pestle and a box of matches.

She placed the Adam and Eve root into the bowl and began pouring jasmine, rose and ylang ylang oils onto the plant as she called on the deities Aphrodite and Diana to aid her in her spell. She then began to crush the plant, the oils spilling into it as she began to chant for the couple to remember what brought them here in the first place. She placed the garnet on top of it all and took up the box of matches, taking one out and striking it against the side. Once it lit up she threw it into the bowl and the fire blazed as the contents burned.

"For once their eyes see, it will as be seeing the other for the first time

Aphrodite allow this recognition of love to grow and Diana, I ask that you bless it..."

New morning, new day, more Potentials. Joyce missed the days when she could just get up and hell, go to the kitchen in her night gown and actually just have Saturday breakfast without an array of teenagers and Watchers in the house. Even Buffy's friends always waited till after eleven.

Heading down the stairs she actually bumped into one of aforementioned friends.

"Oh Xander, hi." She frowned at him, "What are you doing here so early?"

"What else?" He asked, "Fixing windows. I'm on the last one in the dining room now. Should be finished soon."

"Oh good," Joyce nodded, but just as he was about to continue upstairs, she took his arm stopping him, "Thank you by the way," She told him, "I realize we don't actually say that, we just seem to presume you'll do it, but you don't really have to"

"Course I do," Xander smiled, "I'm the fixing-windows guy"

"Well, thanks anyway" She told him again, but continuing down the stairs and into the kitchen where she found, not the Potentials but Buffy, Willow and Tara. "Willow, hi" She smiled, "Are all of Buffy's friends here this morning?"

"Pre-Potential arrival bliss," Buffy informed her Mom knowingly.

"Ah of course" She nodded just as Giles came in from the garden.

"Oh, ah, morning Joyce"

"Morning," She smiled back, before excusing past him so she could get to the cupboards. Willow watched the two eagerly but though they had set their eyes on one another neither seemed to be getting lovey-dovey about the other. She sighed; apparently her spell had been a total bust.

"What's the matter honey?" Tara asked kindly, noting Willow's sudden deflation.

"Oh nothing..." Willow sighed, "It doesn't matter"

"So it's your date with Principal Wood tonight isn't it Buffy?"

"Yeah," Buffy nodded, "It is..."

"Honestly, I don't know how you could even consider the concept of dates at a time like this," Giles shook his head in disbelief.

"Rupert, they need a break. Buffy can't be expected to be the Slayer 24/7 without imploding. Lily even said that before she left, remember?"

"Hmm..." Giles seemed reluctant to admit this.

"Anyway it might not be a date," Buffy said, "I have this whole theory about a promotion. Or that he's evil"

"Or he might just like you," Joyce smiled.

"Mrs Thompson again, it's always such a pleasure," Giles smiled as he caught sight of the neighbor just as he was headed inside with one of the latest Potentials he'd just picked up from the airport.

"Hello, Mr Giles"

"Why don't you go inside Fiona?" He asked the girl, "I'll be along in a moment"

The girl nodded with a small smile and headed up to the front path to the front door. In contrast, Giles headed in the opposite direction to his home and instead walked over to Mrs Thompson.

"Who was that then?" She asked nosily.

"Oh Fiona?" He asked, and when she nodded he searched around for an explanation, "Oh she's uh...my niece. Just arrived here for a visit today"

"Oh," Mrs Thompson nodded, "Aren't you going to see her in?"

"Well, she knows the others," He reasoned, "And I'm sure Joyce will see to her. And right now I seem to be busy having a delightful conversation with you, don't I?"

This comment caused Mrs Thompson to have the briefest of smiles.

After successfully finishing the final window, Xander headed upstairs to the bathroom. He was covered in sawdust and numerous other materials and desperately needed a shower. He had asked Buffy and she had said it was perfectly fine since she'd had hers earlier and wouldn't need to throw him out of there during her pre-date frenzy, which, well, Xander was pretty glad about. On his way to the bathroom, a sound reached his ears, catching his attention. It sounded like...crying. He stopped, trying to listen for where it was coming from and realized it was coming from Joyce and Giles' room. Stepping forward cautiously, he knocked on the door lightly a moment before gently pushing open the door. Joyce was sat on the bed and she looked up as he came in, her slightly tear-stained face revealing her to be the one who had been crying.

"Oh, I uh...well, I just heard...you want me to go?"

"I wish you wouldn't," She sniffled.

"O...kay," He said, "Are...erm..is everything...I actually don't know what to ask here," He admitted as he took a seat beside her. He was being perfectly honest. He had no idea what to do here. If it was Buffy or Willow crying he'd know exactly what to do, but this was just...out of his range. She wasn't Buffy or Willow yet she was crying and he cared about her in the same way. But it was just different. And weird. Maybe adults weren't supposed to cry.

"It's nothing," She sniffled again, "I'm just...I'm being silly"

"I'm betting you're not," He smiled, "This is about Giles right?"

She nodded sadly in admittance.

"Then why aren't you crying to him?" He asked, and then backtracked, "Not that I meant that in a go away sense or deal with it sense or any sense..."

"Xander I know what you meant," She laughed.

"I just meant that maybe if you were crying with him...or just with him you wouldn't be crying..."

"You're always trying to make people feel better aren't you Xander?" She asked taking his right hand, which had been resting across his lap uselessly, in her own and giving it a thankful squeeze, "It means a lot, you know that?" She sighed, but didn't let go of his hand and Xander, despite the way his hand was being held at odd angles, worried that tugging it away would be seen as an offense, "But I'm afraid it's just not that simple..." She sighed, crying a little once again and seemed to naturally find herself leant against his shoulder sadly. Unsure of what to do Xander warily patted her back sympathetically with his left hand.

He really wished she and Giles would make up already; his male psyche couldn't take the pressure of all these emotions.

Downstairs Willow, Tara, Dawn, Anya and all the Watchers except for Giles (who was currently AWOL) were listening in to Andrew who was wired up while talking to The First. He had told them earlier on that day that The First had come to him in the form of Jonathon. He wanted him to kill all the Potentials. When Andrew had asked how, especially since he didn't like blood, Jonathon had told him to get a gun. For the purposes of the sting Xander had given him the decorative one he had used in the Initiative a few years back. Hopefully The First didn't have power specific enough to smell out a fake gun.

Over the line they could hear Andrew attempting to be super casual as he asked about The First's plans.

"So uh...yeah when do we like kill Buffy?" He asked and they could hear him rustling the bag that held the 'gun'.

"He's going to get us all killed," Cassandra surmised in almost disbelief.

"No..shush," Willow urged her, "He can do it...He's already got us some information about Spike."

"Are you wearing a wire?" She heard The First asked before a painful screech roared through the equipment causing them all to jump away in pain.

"What's going on?" Dawn asked.

"The First...it screamed..." Willow explained, "I think it knows about the wire"

"You think this was smart?" The First's voice echoed over all of them, "You think you can trick me women?"

"Hey," Daniel protested, "Not a woman"

"You only hear what I want you to hear. You only see what I want you to see"

They all screamed in fright as Jonathon, with his flesh decomposing and melting away, appeared in front of them,

"Go away!" Anya yelled at him.

"So many dead girls..." He said hauntingly, "There will be so many..."

He faded from their sight leaving them all stood there in horror.

"Are you a little bit better now?" Xander asked, aware that Joyce had stopped crying though his back patting had eventually relaxed into a slight hug. It was kinda like hugging and comforting his Mom. If his Mom was, you know, someone he'd want to hug. Either way it was slightly less weird.

"Mm-hmm..." She nodded though she didn't move out of the hug. She craned her neck to look at him, "Thank you." She smiled with a slight laugh, "How many times have I said that to you today?"

"Enough"

"Well I am. Thankful." Her eyes were searching his face, looking across every feature and he started to get that nervous feeling again. This feeling was confirmed as not-paranoia when she went to kiss him.
"Whoa!" He said pulling away just in time before their lips met, "What are you doing?"

"Kissing you," She replied simply, though she seemed slightly nervous.

"Th-that's...haha...that's what I thought," He laughed nervously, shuffling along the bed a little more when she slid up to him again. She went to kiss him again and the shock that their lips might actually meet made Xander move away so abruptly he fell off the end of the bed, landing with a painful thump.

"Oh god, are you okay?" She asked, though she was biting back a laugh, as she went to see to him.

"I'm I'm fine," He said, backing away in panic, but he backed himself into her vanity mirror. "Okay, ow. Look I'm fine, but you're you're not...something is going on here...and no! Don't try to kiss me again"

"But I-"

"No" He said firmly, scrabbling to stand up, feeling slightly less vulnerable to Joyce-Assault that way.

"Look, Xander...I know this may seem strange but-"

"Strange is so much an understatement right now"

"-and sudden but it's just...you're so kind...and you're always looking out for me-"

"I look out for everybody. Really."

"But it means a lot to me...and I guess I just never thought about you in this way...till today. When I saw you on the stairs this morning...I just thought...I never realized I could look at you in that way..."

"See, see that there?" He pointed out, "That's love spell talk. And love spells we can fix. I mean it's not like any of us haven't been under one before. It can be fixed plain and simple." He went to hurriedly walk past her, but she took his hand, stopping him, "Look." He said, trying to reason with her, "This would be as weird as...Anya and Giles kissing. It's just not done and we're not gonna-" She kissed him and he practically sighed in exasperation mid-kiss as he realized she hadn't paid any attention to a word he'd said. She was actually a really good- okay, stop. Stop now. He pulled away, realizing where this was headed. "Okay, what did I say?"

"That you're the guy who fixes windows?"

"Nice avoidance tactic," He nodded, "Come on," He said, taking her hand which he tried to ignore gave her a little pleased smile, "We're going downstairs to Willow and Tara. They can fix this"

"But there's nothing to fix..." Joyce protested as she led her out of the room and down the stairs.

"You know you should let me rip it off fast," Dawn said as she slowly pulled off the tape that had been holding the recording device to Andrew's chest.

"Oh no, I hate that"

"So let me get this straight," Spike said, "You tried to record the Ultimate Evil. Why? Just to royally piss it off?"

"We succeeded pretty good huh?" Anya asked just as Xander came down the stairs with Joyce.

"We have a problem," He announced, coming to a halt in the room and Joyce held his one hand that had led her downstairs with both of hers.

"What?" Willow asked distractedly.

"Why is Mom holding your hand?" Dawn frowned.

"Oh, ho, that would be the problem," He nodded, before looking over at Willow and Tara, "You two wouldn't happen to know why Joyce would be coming onto me would you? Or, more importantly, how to stop it?"

Willow froze.

"Wh-what's happening?" She asked innocently.

"Joyce, trying to make with the smooching with yours truly"

"What?" Dawn grimaced, "Ewww! Mom!"

"Oh, oops..." Willow bit her lip nervously.

"Willow what did you do?" Tara asked, looking directly at her lover and Willow could only cringed under her gaze.

"I may have cast like a teeny weeny love spell"

"Please tell me this wasn't your intention," Xander begged as he tried to push Joyce away from him, who was coming onto him again.

"No it was just...that when Joyce and Giles saw each other they would remember how they felt about each other at the beginning"

"Then how did it backfire this badly?" Anya asked, looking over warily at how Joyce was being with Xander. The only thing stopping her from dragging the woman away from him was the fact that Xander was constantly pushing her away anyway. Not that this was making Joyce give up. "I mean why did she fall for Xander instead?
"Because I was the first person she saw..." Xander said in realization, "We bumped into each other on the stairs just as she got up..."

"Wait, where's Giles?" Dawn asked, "I mean if Mom saw Xander first...then who did Giles see first?"

"Well he was already out in the garden when we got here..." Tara said, "And Buffy wasn't up yet so it couldn't have been her or Dawn..."

"Oh my god," Dawn gasped, ripping off the tape in shock and Andrew cried out in pain "The next door neighbor."

"What?" Xander frowned.

"Mrs Thompson next door; that's who he saw first" And with that Dawn ran out the front door. The group immediately followed on and Xander sighed when Joyce kept a hold of his hand.

"You know this isn't convenient right?" He asked with a sigh.

"Mrs Thompson! Mrs Thompson!" Dawn called out, banging on the front door incessantly, "Please answer the door Mrs Thompson!"

"Maybe you got it wrong Dawn," Anya suggested, "I mean Mr Thompson's car isn't here so maybe they went out together"

"That or she's using her husband being out as an opportunity to do badness with Giles," Willow suggested with a grimace. As Dawn continued to knock, Willow looked sidewards at Joyce and Xander, "You two haven't...I mean you-"

"No." Xander said firmly, "How could you ask...NO."

"And y-you haven't kissed right?"

"No," Xander said at the exact same time Joyce said yes and at Willow's expression Xander hurried explain, "Okay yes, she kissed me, but I was not, was not kissing her"
Finally the door opened and a disheveled looking Mrs Thompson appeared in the entrance.

"Erm yes?"

"Hey, is Giles in there?" Dawn asked bluntly. She tried to peer past but the woman purposely blocked her way.

"Who wants to know?" The woman asked.

"Stepdaughter," Dawn explained pointing at herself and then pointed at her Mom, "And wife, Is he there?"

"Oh for God's sakes," Anya rolled her eyes, "Excuse me," She forced her way past Mrs Thompson before she could do anything,

"Giles? Are you in here?" She walked into the living room and saw Giles sat on the couch, slightly disheveled himself and wearing a self-satisfied smile. "There you are. Come on, you're under a spell of Willow's, let's go"

"Anya, what on earth are you talking about?"

"Yeah, Giles, we need to get you and Joyce de-love-spelled," Xander added as he and the rest of the group had followed Anya into the house, Joyce still leaning inappropriately against him. It didn't help that he used to have a crush on the woman. Still did if he was honest.

"Look, I can fix it here," Willow said and before anyone could stop her she began to chant, "Let the spell that has passed, work it's way as it was cast"

"That was really shoddy wording" Anya commented and Willow hit her.

"Yeah, but it worked didn't it?" She replied as she saw Joyce let go of Xander's hand, looking slightly embarrassed. Xander shrugged to let her know it was okay.

"Joyce," Giles said getting up off of the sofa and walking over to her.

"Rupert," The two began kissing.

"Hmm...interesting anti-love spell," Anya nodded, pointing out in a round-about way that the spell had done nothing but transfer the attention. "If we don't get them back to the house or fix this soon, those two might just end up having sex right here and now"

"Whoa..." Andrew commented, only just now alerting everyone to the fact that he had gone along with them, "Welcome to America's Weirdest Home Videos"

"Okay, who's for shoving the love monkeys back to the house eh?" Spike asked, keeping his eyes semi-closed so he didn't have to see anything up close as he parted the couple enough to get them walking in the direction of the front door to the house.

"It was uh nice to meet you..." Tara smiled nervously at Mrs Thompson as they all left the house. Mrs Thompson was much too stunned to respond.

"I gotta say, if them two are still getting divorced...it's the most friendly divorce I've ever seen" Anya noted as while the group worked on fixing the spell, Joyce and Rupert were upstairs doing what none of them actually cared to literally say.

"Well at least the spell's working how it was meant to now," Willow smiled nervously.

"You meant to turn them into a couple doing it like bunnies then?" Spike asked bluntly with raised eyebrows and Willow flushed.

"What have I told you sweetie?" Tara said to her, "No casting of love spells"

"Seconded," Xander agreed, "Love spells are bad, bad things"

"Don't worry," Tara assured him, "I know how to reverse the effects"

"And yet the memories are still there..."

"I can't believe you kissed Buffy's Mom," Anya grumbled just as Buffy walked back into the house.

"Hey everybody, Robin isn't evil" She announced as she walked into the living and Xander jumped up out of his seat.

"I didn't kiss your Mom!" He yelled out.

"See, that's why he always loses at poker," Willow grinned.

"Okay...what's going on?" Buffy asked suspiciously as she stepped further into the room.

"Well see Willow cast a spell to try and fix Mr and Mrs Giles but it backfired causing Mr Giles to fall for the next door neighbor Mrs Thompson wherein I believe at least some action was had, while Mrs Giles began coming onto Xander culminating in one successful kiss," Andrew explained like a school boy reciting his times tables to a teacher. "And now because of another spell Willow cast they're upstairs boinking," He finished.

"Okay...what?!" Was all Buffy managed to ask.

"So..." Willow said, faux-casual "How was your date?"

Buffy was saved having to answer by the mini magical explosion Tara's spell caused as she successfully cast it. There was the sound of a surprised yelp from upstairs followed by the sound of someone falling on the floor.

"Guess it worked..." Tara smiled.

For the next quarter of an hour the group cleared up the spell debris and updated Buffy on everything that had been going on while she was gone- both the backfired love spell and the things regarding The First.

"I was only gone a couple of hours," She said in exasperation just as she heard her Mom and Giles come down the stairs.

"Well, erm, that was pleasant," Joyce smiled at him, "I've been under worse spells"

"Mm-hmm," He nodded, "Oh, I uh," He realized he was holding something he shouldn't be holding, "I believe this is yours," He handed back her underwear.

"Oh thank you. Well goodnight Rupert," She said to him and he smiled in reply.

"Goodnight Joyce"

As she went to go back upstairs she saw the group looking at the both of them, her daughters looking especially wigged by the underwear exchange.

"Blame Willow. She cast the spell," She said, tucking the panties out of sight as she headed up the stairs.

"Aren't you guys embarrassed?" Anya asked.

"It's happened too many times..." Giles replied simply as he went to his makeshift bed on the couch.

"So the original spell was to...get Rupert and I back together"

"Yes..." Willow admitted with her head hung low.

After the events of the previous night, Giles and Joyce had called what could only be seen as a family meeting. This consisted of the couple in question, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Tara, Anya and Xander. Even Lily was presently there though she was fast asleep in Dawn's lap.

"Willow," Joyce sighed, "Why exactly...no, don't bother answering that. Why did you think that was the way to go about things?"

"It wasn't to like make you stay together..." Willow explained, "I just wanted you to kinda realize that you wanted to be"

"Willow, that's not what I needed reminding of," Joyce smiled.

"It's not?"

"No," Giles shook his head, "It's other things"

"Exactly," Joyce agreed, "And to try and effect us like that...I appreciate the thought Willow, but that's...that's not the way to go about things."

"Then what is it?" Dawn suddenly asked and her Mother frowned in puzzlement at her.

"Pardon?"

"If that's not what you needed reminding of...then what's the deal? I don't..." She sighed in frustration, "I don't get it"

Joyce really wished she hadn't asked that question. She really wasn't in the mood to bare her feelings for all to hear.

"I...it's complicated Dawn"

"I am so sick and tired of hearing that," The only thing that stopped Dawn raising her voice was the fact she was the one presently holding the sleeping Lily, "If it's complicated then simplify it. Just tell me...tell us...what the hell the deal is here"

"Dawn," Giles reprimanded sharply.

"What?"Dawn glared at him, "This effects us all. So I think we have a right to know"

"Dawn, I love Rupert," Joyce finally answered, "I am in love with him in fact. But sometimes..."

"Love isn't enough," Buffy finished, looking down at the table a moment before looking up to make eye contact with her Mom, a lifetime of understanding in her green eyes.

"No," Joyce agreed, "No, it's not" She looked at everyone, "But I don't see why this should effect you so greatly. It's not as though we're being bitter or anything...we're still friends Rupert and I...I just think being...a couple doesn't always work out for us"

"You could be orgasm friends," Anya supplied in what she thought was a helpful manner.

"Er..." Joyce looked across the table at Giles but all he did was shake his head in disbelief at Anya's bluntness, "Thank you...Anya. I'll erm...yes." She looked to Xander, "By the way, I'm terribly sorry for yesterday"

"Erm, no probs," He assured her not quite convincingly, "You were under a spell. Thankfully. I mean if you hadn't been then there would have been a problem. But you were. So there isn't" Everyone was looking at him, "Shutting up now"

"But we are agreed?" Giles asked the group as a whole, "No more spells on either myself or Joyce, please. If it happens, it happens. But please don't enforce it upon us"

"Is it likely to though?" Willow asked hopefully, "Happen I mean"

"Well, erm..." Joyce smiled slightly, "Stranger things have happened around here"

And the fact that the spell sex last night had been extremely good had absolutely nothing to do with that answer. Nothing at all.