Buffy laughed with her mother as they stepped out of the jeep, laden with bridal magazines and frothy cups of chocolatey coffee goodness. She closed her eyes and resisted the urge to spin around until she collapsed to the ground in delirious joy. Her mom was finally accepting her real life. It was better than she had ever dared to hope.

"Maybe you should consider cutting back on the caffeinated beverages, Dear." Joyce smiled as her daughter looked at her in mock horror.

"Bite your tongue. Giles is always on me to fuel my body appropriately. I don't need a mother hen. I need a mother of the bride." Buffy giggled. "Besides, I think Spike's gonna be worse than the two of you combined. He was going to call contractors about the kitchen because take out isn't good enough for me. Can you imagine?"

Joyce just nodded as they made their way toward Buffy's dorm. Buffy grinned at her fellow students and linked her arm through her mother's.

"It's a beautiful day, Mom. It really is." Buffy squeezed their arms to her side in an excited mini hug. "I'm actually happy."

"Yes, I can tell, and so can every other person in a ten block radius. Volume control is not a slayer power I guess." Joyce smiled and winked at her blushing daughter. "I'm just teasing. It is good to see you so exuberant. I thought this girl was long gone."

"Well, she's back and she's staying." Buffy bounced as they climbed the stairs.

"As far away from that new kitchen as humanly possible I would imagine." Joyce grinned as she teased. "I hope Spike can cook."

"I can cook, Mom. Everybody loved Thanksgiving." Buffy stuck her lower lip out in a mockery of her usual pouting expression.

"Yes, I'm sure they did, but everyday cooking isn't the same, Sweetie. It isn't the challenge and doesn't offer the same rewards. It's a chore same as taking out the garbage or cleaning your room. We both know how well you handle those responsibilities."

"Yeah, well, I was off making the world fit for rainbows, puppies, and all that other rubbish." Buffy smiled.

"Your turn of phrase is growing a bit more colorful." Joyce looked at her daughter and raised an eyebrow in mocking tribute to the vampire in her daughter's life. They collapsed against each other, giggling. Joyce hugged Buffy to her with one arm. "I always wanted you to be happy, Buffy. I thought your destiny was destroying any chance of that, but it seems I was worried for nothing."

"If you had asked me a week ago, Mom, I would have agreed with you." Buffy took a deep breath. "A couple of days ago I was just making the best of a bad situation, but it turns out he makes me happy."

The two women continued up the stairs, happily discussing kitchen appliances and furniture.

Graham glared at the clock. It's glowing red numbers were taunting him. The subject had left her room more than an hour ago. He was stuck watching an empty room, counting the minutes until he was relieved. This was beyond ridiculous. The blonde hadn't fallen right into Finn's lap, so they were all stalking her now.

He leaned back and stared at the ceiling. He heard the sound of the door open and rubbed his eyes with one hand. He could make out feminine laughter. The curtains were opened and a lovely woman opened the window. She was laughing without restraint, just enjoying the moment. The woman he didn't know moved to the side and he caught sight of the object of Finn's obsession smiling at her. The two women looked alike. He looked at them, moving around the room with smiles on their faces and easy banter flowing. He turned up the volume on the parabolic.

The inane chatter washed over him. He watched the older woman move with energy and grace. Calling her older bothered him. He was so tired of playing college student. All the coeds seemed like babies to him. He grimaced. It was hard being in his thirties when everyone else was in their twenties, but he had accepted the posting.

He looked young for his age. He always had, but having to live like a kid rubbed him the wrong way. He missed being himself and not this caricature that this posting required.

The sound of warm laughter dragged his attention back to the unknown subject. He wanted to take a woman like that out for dinner, not for pizza. He smiled and listened to her warm, affectionate voice.

"We have to call your father. I can't imagine he'll understand, but he might come down to do the right thing." The woman said as she sat down on one of the beds.

"I was gonna ask Giles anyway, Mom. He's the one that matters. I mean I love Dad, but he just isn't in my life." Buffy looked down.

"He wouldn't understand, Buffy."

"I'm not angry at him, but he makes everything hard. I just want this to be a good day."

"That's all anybody wants. I have to admit I'm not thrilled to see him with his latest trophy."

The flash of pain on her face bothered Graham. He tilted his head and considered the pair of women. Buffy seemed like a fairly run of the mill California girl to him. Her mother was the one he couldn't look away from.

"I was only twenty when we had you. He had just finished law school. We were so happy." She shrugged and he felt his stomach tighten at the pain he could see in her eyes.

This was not the time or place to find someone interesting. She was six years older than he was. It was probably just a reaction to the first decently attractive woman he had seen in quite some time and the alienation he felt, being here under false pretenses.

A flash of movement drew his eyes. Finn's would be girlfriend closed a chest, stopped fussing over her things, and moved to sit next to her mother. He watched as she gathered her mother in her arms. Perhaps she wasn't as shallow as he had assumed.

"It was a good childhood. He was a good Dad for a long time. I just wish he had been better to you. It can't be easy being my mom when you're alone."

"Well, he was better than Ted." Both women dissolved in giggles and he found himself smiling. "And being your mother might be challenging once in a while, but it is rewarding. I love you."

"I love you, too."

He knew there were dangers in the world, but this pair of women didn't strike him as any threat.

Joyce helped Buffy pack up her belongings. It was beyond strange that her daughter was for all intents and purposes a married woman now. She grimaced at the thought. Her baby was supposed to be having as normal a life as possible, but all hope for that was gone.

"Mom, I can hear you thinking." Buffy smiled at her as she tossed her clothing into the open box at her feet.

"I, it's just, this is so frustrating." Joyce leaned back and looked at Buffy. "I wanted you to date and have fun, but you've bypassed my plans and there's no safety net. I could strangle your friends."

"Get in line. This isn't what I expected either, ya know." Buffy shrugged and tossed her belts into the box. "But, I am happy. It's been a long time since... Well, let's just leave it at a long time. He's good for me."

Spike glared at the human contractor as he prattled on about craftsmanship. The whelp had suggested this bastard, and it was readily apparent why. They both prattled on endlessly about things beyond their ken.

"How long?" Spike saw the man's eyes widen at his sharp tone, but he didn't give a damn.

"This much work," the man mused as he rubbed his chin and looked around the room. "I'm thinking six to eight weeks."

"I don't think my girl is prepared to wait that long."

"These things take time. Especially if you want 'em done right." The man walked away from him to take another measurement. The slayer would probably want things done right. He rubbed the back of his neck. Eight weeks stuck with workmen and all their noise would drive him insane. "I'll drop off an estimate tomorrow."

Spike shook the man's hand perfunctorily and showed him to the door. The warlocks would be here soon. They would get the work done quickly, and he wouldn't have to play human for them.

Buffy and her mother would be back. He looked around the empty place and tried to imagine what it would look like when they were finished. He was going to need to find something to do. Being a house vamp wasn't going to cut it for long. It was one thing to spend your days holed up with your beloved, but it would drive him crazy to always be waiting for her. He wanted to have things to share with her at supper.

"Over a hundred years as a vampire before she was even born, and I'm worried about dinner conversations. I'm a bloody prat." He stalked to the library and started shelving books. He'd have something to show her, an accomplishment she might appreciate.