zigpal- So. Much. Better. Than. Joss'. ::collapses in shock from this comment:: thank you by the way for the review and the claps.

rabidreject- Thanks for the review and as for seeing more of Wolfram and Hart I couldn't possibly say. Yet.

"Wh-how, b-but...what?"

"I'm the only left still working here Joyce," Carole replied as the two stood in the empty gallery except for the art and unpacked crates around them.

"B-but what about the others?" Joyce was having a major case of the confusies, "I had...there were three others...I mean I know a few people had left...but there were three, three others"

"And they've gone too," Carole told her, "A lot of people are leaving Sunnydale now...I'm not sure why, but something just doesn't seem right."

"Not right?"

"To be honest I'm getting itchy feet myself," Carole admitted, "Maybe there's gonna be a big earthquake or something and we can feel it I don't know...but the hot thing right now seems to be to leave town"

"You're leaving too aren't you?" Joyce asked sadly, finally understanding what Carole was getting at.

"I don't want to, Joyce, you know that," Carole replied, "But you know I've got a family to think about and if something's going to happen here...I want them as far away as possible..." She sighed, "Look, I'm staying till the end of the week so I'll keep up here till then. But we're moving out on Sunday. We're gonna stay at his sister's for a little while before we have somewhere to stay ourselves. I'm sorry"

"No, it's fine." Joyce assured her, "I mean it's not fine but...well, I guess it'll have to be huh?"

"You should think about leaving yourself. You, your daughters and Rupert. Get out of here while everything's still standing you know"

"I don't think Buffy would approve," Joyce said grimly not bothering to explain herself in reply to Carole's puzzled expression.

"Look I'll just start unloading the crates in the back," Carole offered at a loss of anything else to say to her friend and soon to be not-boss, before leaving the room. Once Joyce was left alone in the main part of the gallery she sighed.

"Sure. Now they decide to notice something's wrong in Sunnydale," What was she going to do? With everyone leaving she could barely keep the gallery running herself not to mention there would soon be no people to play the part of customers. She was going to have to close it down wasn't she? But she didn't want to. Everything else in Sunnydale seemed to belong to Rupert or Buffy or Dawn or Lily or Willow or...anyone but her. This, this was her. The small slither of Sunnydale that belonged to completely to her and no one else. And she didn't want to loose it. Losing it would feel like losing part of herself and that everything was getting absorbed by The First and all this...war entailed.

"I just thought I'd always have it..." Joyce said as she relayed the days events at the gallery to Rupert as the two of them sat together on the sofa with Lily between them. "I mean I remember moving here and getting set up and being so excited about it all going well..." She looked at him with a sigh, "I don't want to lose it now. I was planning on it going for a very long time. I was working on manipulating Dawn of carrying on with it- she seems to love her art class at school. I saw potential"

"Well there's still a chance," Giles told her, "I mean after Buffy...after whatever happens with The First it is possible things will return to normal...people returning and the like..."

"Maybe..." Joyce half-agreed, not sounding entirely convinced, "I don't know...why do you think so many people are leaving anyway? I mean it's never happened before. Everyone has remained completely oblivious"

"This is a battle much bigger than previous ones I'm afraid," Giles admitted, "Perhaps people can't help but feel it's effects even if they don't know the cause"

"I know what it is they're feeling," Joyce said, not looking him in the eye as she did so but rather playing with Lily's bare feet. The little girl giggled, as her Mom's fingers tickled her soles, holding onto the miniature doll she had in her hand even tighter as though she was trying to ignore the tickle sensation. The doll was a gift from Anya and had become a recent favorite of the child. It was a stuffed toy, small, in the shape of a barbie-esque woman in a pink dress and holding wads of money. Joyce had been concerned that it was a doll version of Madonna. Anya was just thrilled that Lily had taken a liking to a money wielding doll. Giles had just refused to comment.

"And what is that?" Giles asked, also fussing Lily rather than looking at Joyce so the two of them weren't really looking at one another as they spoke.

"An uncontrollable urge to get everything together. I want to pack everything away and send it away from here...somewhere safe or something...as though I'm afraid everything here is going to get destroyed by some terrible event involving people without eyes and vampires that come in without an invite."

"Well then do" Giles replied and Joyce's eyes immediately flickered up to look at him.

"What?"

"We have little or no idea what is going to happen in the coming weeks, even the coming days so...packing away valuable things...jewelery, ornaments, items that have been passed down through the family, photos...pack them away. Send them somewhere safe. Your Mother's perhaps. Or your sister. A friend who lives outside of Sunnydale?"

"I have a few friends in L.A..." Joyce told him, "I mean I haven't spoken to them in a little while...I haven't had time to call them but..."

"Then do," Giles told her, "Anything you don't want to risk send to them for temporary safe keeping...essentials such as clothes though I advise remain here," He added with a smile and she laughed a little in reply.

"I might just do that"

The two were drawn out of their thoughts when they heard someone come in though the front door.

"Buffy?" Joyce called out to check.

"It's me," Buffy replied, closing the door, "And we have a new house guest" She led the guest into the living room. Spike was with the two of them.

"Faith" Joyce nodded. Willow and Tara had called from L.A to tell them that they were bringing back the other Slayer with them.

"Hey Mrs S, first smile I got since I got here. Half smile anyway"

"Well, I'm sure you can understand why our welcome is a little less than warm, Faith" Giles replied, "Considering what happened last time you were here"

"And it's not 'Mrs S'," Buffy told her and the fellow Slayer frowned. She looked over at Joyce in confusion and the woman held up her left hand slightly in reply revealing a wedding ring there.

"No way!" Faith couldn't help herself exclaiming in disbelief, "You guys did the deal? You got hitched- no way." It was then that she caught sight of Lily who was presently toying with the material on her Mom's blouse whilst using her Dad's hand to hold her upright to do so. In short, she looked very cute, "Hey now..." Faith almost laughed, "But the sprog's not yours right?"

"Like I said Faith," Buffy said to her, "Things have changed a lot since last time you were here"

"Yeah I can see that," Faith agreed, "Damn things never get boring in Sunnydale do they?"

"Well, I suppose we'd best find you somewhere to stay," Joyce smiled a little tightly as she got up, placing Lily in Giles' lap so the girl would let go of her blouse.

"Does she have to stay here?" Someone asked from behind Faith and they turned to see Dawn there, arms folded across her chest, "Cause there are some nice hotels that welcome tried-to-kill-your-sister-and-pretended-to-be-your-Mom types"

"Check it out," Faith grinned, "Brat's all woman sized"

"Guys," Buffy spoke to them all, "We need to get to the hospital. A girl was attacked on her way into town. She may be a-"

"We know." Giles told her, "Tara called and told us. She and Willow are still at the hospital with her"

"They said erm, they said they'll call if she wakes up" Joyce added.

"Oh," Buffy nodded, not sure how to take this we-worked-around-you information, "Right. Well, like Mom said we'd better find you a place to sleep. You'll probably end up on the sofa. I'd say try and get room with the Potentials at the inn place but as much as I can't stand you I don't hate you as much as that"

"Whoa, they must be pretty bad then B"

Buffy did not reply, she merely almost-glared at Faith before going upstairs to get her sheets and pillows.

"So..." Faith said attempting to break the uncomfortable silence Buffy had left in the room, "Anything else happen in SunnyD while I've been gone?"

"Buffy, me and Mom died," Dawn told her, "Then we came back and Willow went Evil"

"Oh"

"You guys seemed to have changed a lot you know," Faith said the next morning when she caught Joyce on her own. In all honesty the Slayer didn't feel entirely comfortable with the others around. Buffy was judgey, Giles was lookdowny, Dawn was bitter hatredy, Xander wary, Willow quietly afraid and everyone else was just cautious. Joyce, although she wasn't exactly given her the hugs and smiles she had had when they first met, was at least friendly with her.

"It's been three years since you last saw any of us Faith," Joyce pointed out as she tidied up the living room as best she could considering the windows were bordered up again and some random pieces of furniture had been smashed by recent attacks, "A lot can happen in that time"

"Yeah tell me about it," Faith smirked, "I'm still reeling over the whole two sets of peoples being married, one complete with squirt you know?"

"Faith..." Joyce said in an almost-warning told and Faith held up her palms in mock surrender.

"I'm just saying alright? It's a little strange. Anyway, I didn't just mean that"

"Then what did you mean?"

"People. You've actually changed. I mean B's just as much a tight ass as she always was...but Little Sis is all dressed up in big sister's clothes, G's tuned into the casual wear channel and you...you're a little less naive"

"I wasn't naïve," Joyce protested and then at Faith's look relented a little, "Just happily ignorant when I could be. You kidnapping me however was something I couldn't choose to ignore" She ignored the uncomfortable look Faith wore at that remark, "Besides a lot has happened in recent years. It changes you" She sighed, flopping into a seat on the sofa, "But honestly, I really wish it didn't"

"I don't know..." Faith shrugged, "Change can be good sometimes. I've changed right? Not exactly playing for the black hats anymore am I?"

At this a silence fell yet again, the only thing breaking into it being the sound of Andrew's voice drifting from the kitchen. He was narrating to several Potentials.

"I think he's telling your story in there," Joyce said, "Probably incorrectly"

"Ah let him," Faith shrugged it off, "Keeps the newbies entertained and makes me look good," She paused, "He'd better anyway. I need to rebuild my rep"

"I take it you've met the Potentials then?"

"Most anyway," Faith replied, "Seem a little hyped and green to me."

"They're just children," Joyce pointed out but Faith heard more layers in her tone of voice. She wasn't just reasoning their attitude to everything, she was silently arguing their involvement at all.

"So were me and B once," Faith reminded her.

"And that didn't exactly turn out well did it?" Joyce asked her not unkindly and the Slayer shrugged a little.

"We're alive aren't we? So it can't be all bad"

"I heard you tried to kill Spike"

Wood looked up to see Giles stood in the doorway to his office. He had just fired Buffy and she had left the grounds no more than two minutes ago so obviously the Watcher had been waiting until the girl left to say what he had to say.

"Yes. I did." There was no point in denying it.

"I understand your concern over Spike's presence," Giles told him, "And I also know and understand about your personal vendetta."

"Know, maybe but u-"

"My own Mother was killed by a demon," Giles spoke over him, "Not by a vampire perhaps but by a demon. Caught in the crossfire of a Mm'Fashnik attack"

"Let me guess- you're going to tell me that even so, we can't risk losing Spike, Wood said and Giles smiled a little as he nodded.
"In conclusion, yes I am. Spike is a strong fighter, almost as strong as Buffy and Faith. And he's proven his worth more than a few times. Particularly in regards to my wife and her daughters. He's saved each of them on numerous occasions"

"So you're in the Pro-Spike party then?" Wood could not keep the bitterness entirely out of his voice.

"Oh quite the contrary, can't stand the vampire. And in the long run I did, when the trigger was still working, feel he was too much of a risk to have in this war." He smirked a little, "But if I so much as breathed a word of that thought pattern and Joyce would see to it that I never considered to act upon it. Summers women seem to have a weakness when it comes to Spike and are almost involuntarily protective of him." He paused in thought, "My daughter seemed relatively immune...I hope it stays that way"

"There is a point to this conversation I presume?" Robin asked, not harshly but rather directly.

"My point is that no matter what we may think of the vampire or how much we may want rid of him or how insane we think those three are for trusting him, I've come to find they're usually right," Giles looked him directly in the eye, "Try anything like that again and you'll probably end up a lot worse than a couple of cuts and bruises" He shook his head in disgusted disbelief, "What the bloody hell did you think you were doing? Purposefully setting off his trigger like that? Trying to kill him? I don't pretend to like Spike nor will I ever but if you ever bloody try something like that again..." He shook his head yet again, "It won't end well. I assure you. Much as I am loathe to admit it; we need Spike"

"He fired you?" Joyce asked Buffy in disbelief when her daughter came home only an hour after she had set out.

"Turned up to be told to go home," She elaborated, "Said there was bigger things I needed to be focusing on right now. It sucks. The one normal thing in my life. And I liked it. It was fun. I thought I was helping those kids"

"Oh you were sweetie," Joyce assured her and Buffy sighed.

"Guess there was getting less and less point to my job anyway what with nearly every kid having left now."

"Hmm..." Joyce voiced a half-agreement, "Well if it's any consolation I no longer have any work either"

"What? Why?" Buffy frowned, "How? You can't get fired; you're the boss"

"The boss of what exactly?" Joyce almost laughed, "I have one member of staff who hasn't yet left Sunnydale and there isn't anyone to be a customer anymore" She sighed a sigh that almost matched her daughter's, "Thought I might as well cut my losses and close it now. Let Carole go sooner than she was planning. I sent what was left in the gallery on with everything else from here that I sent to Jessica's. You remember her right?"

"Kelly's Mom?" Buffy wagered a guess and her Mom nodded. Kelly used to be a friend of Buffy's at Hemery High and the two Mothers had immediately gotten on, "Right. Is that why everything's looking so bare in this house lately?" Joyce nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sending things bit by bit...valuables, ornaments, photos...Rupert seems to think anything could happen and I don't want to risk losing anything I would miss. A lot"

"I'm so sorry you had to be involved in all this," Buffy apologized sadly, "I mean...your gallery you loved that place...and here's being slowly taken over by...well, everybody-"

"Honey, it doesn't matter," Joyce assured her, sensing the heavy guilt path her daughter was about to stroll down, "It's not as important as knowing you and everyone else is okay. You get me? And don't ever for one minute thing you are to blame for any of this"

"But if I was-"

"No, you're not. It is not your fault," Joyce insisted, "The mess in the kitchen however..."

Buffy winced.

"Oh you saw that huh?"

"Buffy the plate had smashed onto the floor, how could I not notice it?"

"Well I thought-" Buffy was saved giving an excuse as the phone began to ring and her Mother went to answer it, slapping Andrew away as she did so. The boy, in his bid to be a helpful 'guestage' had taken to attempting to answering any phone call and passing the message on to the appropriate person. Buffy quickly realized that this one of the things that could make her usually unflappable Mother agitated and annoyed.

"Yes, Hello?" Joyce said into the receiver once she gained the phone, "Willow hi...is...uh-huh. Tara's with her now...she's...okay, I'll tell her- Willow it's okay, I'll tell her. Willow- I." Joyce sighed at something Willow was adamantly saying, "Okay. I promise. Don't worry"

"What was that?" Buffy asked once her Mom hung up, "Besides Willow I mean"

"The girl at the hospital Buffy," Joyce told her, "Willow said she just woke up."

"I need to get there," Buffy stated almost obviously, reaching out to grab her Mom's car keys on the way to the door. But before she could grasp hold of them another hand swept them out of her reach.

"You think special circumstances mean I let you drive my car?"

"Well, yeah," Buffy said to her Mom as though that answer were somewhat obvious.

"I'd like to keep my car in one piece Buffy," Joyce replied patiently, heading towards the front door and opening it for her daughter, "I'll drive you. It's not like I have a job to go to anymore anyway"

"But I-" Buffy went to protest but her Mother cut her off.

"Do you want me to start the 'you failed the written test' speech again or do you know it by heart now?"

"This is so unfair," Buffy grumbled as they headed out the door, "I'm twenty-one, you so should not be able to overrule me anymore"

"And yet."

"He was a minister or something," Shannon, the now awake Potential in the hospital explained to Buffy while Tara, Willow and Joyce just looked on listening with sympathetic and slightly curious ears, "Or at least he dressed like one. I thought he was trying to save me...at first"

"Dressed like a minister?" Joyce asked Tara and Willow in a whisper.

"I know," Willow whispered back, "A whole new level of creepy huh?"

"The Bringers were chasing me..." Shannon continued, "He said they were 'his boys'..." She turned away unable to look at any of them, "Before he burned me..."

Slowly she pulled away the bandage on her neck, stretching her neck out so the others could see the symbol that had been burned onto her skin. Caleb's skin.

"Willow?" Buffy asked softly and her friend came forward, pulling out a small digital camera out of her bag as she did so and she took a picture of the scar. Shannon flinched at the flash of light the camera caused.

"He wanted to tell you something..." Shannon continued, "Before he...cut me...he told me to give the Slayer a message"

"What?" Buffy asked softly, trying to control the anger she was feeling at the horror Shannon had been put through.

"He said 'I have something of yours'"

"You like this plan of Buffy's as much as I do"

"And how much might that be?" Joyce asked, not turning to look at Rupert as she asked, but she continued making their bed- a task which she had been using to busy herself and therefore make her not focus on the fact that Buffy fully intended to take the best of the Potentials to face the 'Preacher' that had just arrived in town and was presently on a research mission with Faith to follow a Bringer and find out where they're all holed up.

"Not a lot," Giles replied.

"You know I only have so much worry," Joyce told him, as she finished neatening the pillows and satisfied with her handiwork she turned to look at him, "At first I worried for Buffy. Then Buffy and Dawn. The Buffy, Dawn, Xander, Willow and anyone else that came along and now on top of that I worry about Lily. And now Buffy's forcing me to worry about a group of girls I barely know but who I know should be at home safe with their parents"

"I know," Giles agreed quietly, "But it's their-"

"If you say destiny I may become violent...or something," Joyce warned him, "It's too dangerous Rupert. Those girls, this preacher-"

"I know, but Buffy is usually right about these things," Giles reasoned, "Besides when she sets her mind to something it's very hard to get her to change it"

"I know," Joyce agreed, "She must get her stubbornness from her Father"

Giles couldn't help but laugh.

"That was an attempt at humor, yes?" He checked and she frowned at him.

"I am not stubborn"

"And the funny keeps on coming," He smiled gently at her.

"I'm not!" She insisted and then suddenly faltered, "Am I?"

"Only in an entirely endearing way I assure you," Giving her a quick kiss as he slipped his arms around her, holding her close to him and she settled into the embrace, resting her head against his chest.

"Sweet talker," She murmured before looking up at him a moment before she kissed him on the lips. As she delved into the kiss, enjoying his response, losing herself temporarily, she felt his right hand wander down from her waist to slowly undo the side zip on her pants. She placed her own hand over his, stopping him half way. "I just made the bed," She told him, knowing exactly what his intentions were and despite the smile it involuntarily brought to her lips, she couldn't deny the fact that while this was the place it most certainly was not the time.

"Thus it's the perfect setting," Rupert replied, "It's just waiting for us," He continued to undo the zipper as he began kissing her once again.

"Now who's been stubborn?" She asked through the kiss, though she no longer tried to stop him undoing her pants and instead responded by slowly unbuttoning the semi-casual pale blue shirt he had been wearing.

"All right people, let's saddle up" Buffy said, going back into Slayer general mode after a moment of looking at Xander with intense gratitude in her eyes for the speech she had overheard. Everything he said about her had been so heartfelt and it touched her deeply. She was not going to get teary-eyed though, Faith would never let that go if she did. "Where's Giles?" Buffy frowned in confusion, looking around and realizing one of the crew was missing.

"Uh...dunno" Xander shrugged.

"A-actually I've not seen him since you left with Faith," Willow admitted, looking at Tara but her girlfriend shook her head too.

"Me neither..."

"Maybe one of The Bringers got 'im," Anya suggested and when everyone glared at her she looked at them blatantly, "What? Like you weren't all thinking it too"

"Giles?" Buffy called out loudly, leaving the room to do a quick scan of the ground floor of the house. Once she had determined he was in none of those rooms she stood in the hall and called up the stairs, "Giles!"

"Y-yes, Buffy. What is it? I'm here," Giles eventually replied, coming off the hall and down the stairs. He was not in his clothes though; he was wearing a robe of which he was just tying around the middle.

"Well I..." Buffy shook her head in confusion, "Where are you clothes?"

"Clothes?"
"Yeah, the things we usually fight in"

"Well I uh-" Giles was saved having to reply when Buffy's eyes wandered past him to see her Mother stood at the top of the stairs, also in a nightgown although hers was obviously of a girlier variety. She waved meekly at her daughter and Buffy shook her head in disbelief.

"Oh never mind," She said testily, before looking at Giles, "You know you used to be way more focused before you two got with the togethering."

"Well, I'll just got get r-"

"No, it doesn't matter," Buffy told him not unkindly, "Go be...cuddle monkeys or whatever it is you guys are that is PG rated."

"And what are you going to do?" He asked.

"Faith and I found his hide-out. Old vineyard. We're thinking attack in force"

"Well, I suppose I don't need to tell you to be careful"

"You know me," Buffy almost smiled, "Full of carefullness" And before he could reply or give her an argument she turned around to face the group who were to be heading out with her and Faith. It involved several of their best Potentials included Kennedy and Molly along with Xander, Spike and Anya. "Come on, let's go people"

"It doesn't bother you that while we were reconning Giles and your Mom were boning?" Faith asked Buffy quietly with a smirk and she glared at her in return and when she spoke it was in a bright even tone.

"Shut up"

Faith could only smother a laugh in reply. God, she loved Sunnydale sometimes. Or maybe it was just B's life that was entertaining.

"You think they'll be okay?" Joyce asked, joining Giles on the bottom few stairs.

"Yes." He replied sounded more confident than he felt, "She knows what she's doing. Both she and Faith do. Also Spike should be a helpful contributor."

"Hmm, I wish I could be so sure," Joyce voiced her insecurities and Giles took her hand reassuringly.

"You can be." He told her, "Buffy and the others aren't ones to be kept down easily"

"Still...if only there was a way to get my mind of it all," She said in mock-thought and he grinned at her slightly.

"Are you posing a challenge?"

"Potentially," She replied with a matching smile.

"Hmm," He nodded thoughtfully, "Well I would deem it ungentlemanly to refuse such" He eventually replied before two of them headed back up stairs hand-in-hand in a way that made them unclear as to who was leading who.

Willow who had been presently holding Lily at the time as she had been for the past half hour while everyone packed weapons, now covered the child's eyes with her hands so she could not see her parents before she walked over to the sofa and took a seat.

"Now you see," She told Lily, "Your Mommy and Daddy love each other very very much which can get icky. So we do this-" She covered her own eyes, before uncovering them a moment later to see a grinning Lily. "Now you try it" She covered Lily's eyes for a moment before taking her hand off again. "See? Icky!" Willow covered her own eyes, "Icky gone" She uncovered them. Lily then tried it for herself with her with her own hands, smiling at Willow as though asking for approval that she had done it correctly.

"You're going to be the spoiling aunt," Tara smiled.

"Hey, that's gonna be my job," Dawn protested, walking into the room, "Buffy's gonna be the one who teaches her about boys. I'm the one who's gonna buy her presents with the money from my rich, powerful job"

"A girl with a plan," Willow nodded with approval, "I like it. But it's just so hard not to pay attention to her or spoil her. I mean Anya isn't exactly Miss Generosity and she's bought no less than seven toys for her. Now if that isn't proof that this girl is irresistible I don't know what is"

"She does reset the cute-o-meter," Tara smiled fondly and Willow nodded in further agreement.

"Makes me wonder- do you think Giles was cute at this age? Or Joyce?"

"I bet Giles was either born into the tweed-clad baby category," Dawn theorized, "Or he was of the cheek and hard to control variety"

"I'm thinking that one," Willow smiled in reply as she clapped Lily's hands together playfully. "Ooh, I wanna take her home" She looked at Tara, "Do you think they'll notice? I mean they're upstairs..."

"Now it's a simple story, stop me if you've heard it"

When the group returned to the house it was nothing Giles, Joyce, Willow, Tara or Dawn had been expecting to see. It was horrific. The Potentials were bloody and scratched, beaten to a pulp and Faith was the one leading them into the house. They were the only ones.

"Where's Buffy?" Joyce asked worriedly, getting up out of her seat. Willow noticed something else.

"And Xander?"

"There was once a woman and she was foul like all women. For Adam's rib was dirty just like Adam himself for what was he, but human? But this woman she was filled with darkness and despair and why? Because she did not know, she did not see."

Buffy was fine mostly. Just a few bruises. But she had accompanied the injured to the hospital. A few had died and that had shocked everyone. Diane was dead- her neck broken and so was Molly. Joyce remembered Molly very well. She was one of the first to come to Sunnydale. Rupert and Lily had brought her. Sweet and innocent but spunky. And now she was gone.

But there was an injury, a casualty that stared them all hard in the face, shaking every Scooby gang member to the core.

Xander.

Anya was by his side holding onto his hand tightly, Willow held onto the other, sat also at his bed. Tara stood behind her, a hand supportively on her shoulder. His eye was bandaged and damaged beyond repair and he was currently unconscious.

Buffy's face betrayed no emotion though her Mom could sense the pain she was going through. Joyce herself wanted to cry and was glad Rupert was there for support, to stop her from doing so. It wouldn't do to cry right now; it would only make things worse.

"She didn't know the Glory that was coming. That'd be you"

The First as Buffy smiled at Caleb. A quiet smile, one that betrayed no secrets and he continued with his speech, his monologue.

"The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory are yours. Now and Forever. You show up- they'll get in line."

Buffy felt it was all her fault. Her Mom knew why she felt that way and knew no matter what she did she could not convince her otherwise. So she sat on the sofa with her, offering the only comfort she could as Buffy rested her hand on her knee and Joyce stroked her hair soothingly, comforting her in silence.

"Because they followed her. And all they gotta do is take one more more step...and I'll kill 'em all. See? Told you it had a happy ending"