Rabidreject- thanks for review and hope you like how the season goes.
zigpal- Yay! More hand clappin! Hehe. And yeah, I don't remember that being part of the original episodes either...unless they were keeping it really quiet. hehe. And yes, it will be going off-canon soon...in fact it went slightly off in this chapter, but only slightly. It is a hint at how things will go in later chapters though.
It was funny really. Here Joyce was, sat in her office at her gallery, all reminders that she was at the gallery around her, but the papers on her desk that she was rifling through weren't anything to do with it. No, they were to do with Magic Box. The things you do for love.
Carole walked into the office, a box in her hand that from the way she was carrying it, contained heavy objects. She set it down on a table in the large office before looking over at Joyce with a smile. She looked over her friend's shoulder and saw the header and footers on the typed document.
"You running two businesses now?" Carole joked, noting the fact that the gallery was most certainly not the Magic Box.
"No, it's uh it's Rupert's new business," Joyce explained and Carole nodded in recognition.
"Ah, the fiancee. Got you doing his work for him eh?"
"Yeah…" Joyce sighed looking up at her friend stood behind her, "You know for an ex-librarian he isn't very good at organizing inventory." She paused in thought for a moment, "No tell a lie. He knows every single text that's on sale"
Carole chuckled as she sat on the desk, looking over the sheets herself.
"Still- it seems like a lot of work,"
"Well it's the only thing I'm helping with really," Joyce admitted, "Everything else is officially out of my hands. Xander is even doing the carpentry for the place"
"You spend a lot of time with that group now don't you?" Carole asked thoughtfully and Joyce looked at her in confusion.
"Huh?"
"Well, you know…" Now Carole had brought it up, she was reluctant to carry on with the topic but from the inquiring look on Joyce's face she saw she wasn't going to be able to get out of it. She sighed, "Like at first you were just spending a lot of time with Rupert- which, you know, is normal and you just like mentioned Buffy and her friends in passing- like they just happened to be there."
"Point, Carole?" Joyce prompted not seeing where she was going with this at all.
"But now you and Rupert, you seem to be spending a lot of time with Buffy and her little circle."
"Well, you know, they hang around the house a lot…" to fight vampires… "So you know it can't really be helped."
"Yeah, I know…." Carole said slowly and Joyce knew there was further point to be made, "It's just you seem to be spending so much time with them and having less and less time for the gallery…"
"What? That's ridiculous!" Joyce argued, "I was here for the show reception the other week and I'm always here to oversee latest exhibits. I'm always organizing-"
"Yeah I know," Carole, admitted, interrupting Joyce's arguments, "You're here for the big things…but you used to be here everyday" Carole knew she was indulging in a little self-pity but she decided to go with it, "We used to have our little group working together…. and it was fun. Karen and Fin hardly even see you anymore- your working days matching up so rarely."
"Things change," Joyce stated, "I've just got a lot of things going on in my life right now"
"Like the wedding," Carole prompted, "I know…"
"Yeah," Joyce agreed whilst thinking of all the other parts that were playing a big part in her life right now. It was strange really how over all this time how involved she had become. Especially since she hadn't even known for years. Being more involved had just seemed like a natural progression. Like in Buffy's senior year, when she had started going to the meetings in the library more, just because she happened to be there with Giles at the time. Joyce wondered briefly who had looked after Dawn all those times she had been at the 'Scooby meetings'. She felt a headache forming and she rubbed her forehead in a failed attempt to ease it away.
"Headache?" Carole asked casually and Joyce nodded.
"Yeah, it's been kind of on and off constantly these past few days,"
"It's all this double work you've been doing," Carole joked, tapping the papers in front of her but then the smile faded as she saw how unwell Joyce really did look, "Actually you do look a bit off. Maybe you should go home for a bit"
"No, I'm fine," Joyce, insisted, shaking the concerns away but Carole wasn't having any of it.
"No, there's something going round lately and you may have caught it," She smiled a little, "So really it's selfish reasons I want you to go home- I don't want to catch it myself"
"Hope at school has the bug that's going round and her Mom rang in saying she just suddenly started vomiting and couldn't stop for hours and they like ran out of bags for it and she had no where left to throw up," Dawn informed her Mother as Joyce sat on the sofa with Giles as she still felt a little off after coming home from the gallery.
"Thank you Dawn," Joyce said patiently and the fourteen year old seemed to realize that maybe she'd said the wrong thing.
"What? I didn't mean it would happen to you"
"No, the visual's doing just fine," Joyce, told her with a smile but the comment only seemed to make Dawn frown in confusion.
"Sorry Mom, we're all out of aspirin," Buffy said as she walked in from the kitchen, "Must be all the hits people around here keep taking- it pretty much uses up all your painkiller supplies" Buffy thought for a moment, "I could get Riley to drive me up to the doctors if you want?"
"That would be great," Joyce smiled gratefully, "Thanks honey."
As Buffy went to call Riley, Dawn resumed the 'conversation' she had started before.
"And then my friend's sister's friend's cousin had this totally weird thing happen to her when she got a migraine- she like went blind and the doctor said to was temporary but it wasn't she never got her eyesight back"
"Dawn…" Giles began, seeing the look on Joyce's face and how Dawn's teenager ramblings were officially not helping.
"What?" Dawn asked, really not understanding what he was trying to convey to her, "What?"
"Buffy," Giles smiled pleadingly at the oldest Summers sister as she walked back into the living room. Thankfully, she seemed to get the message as she headed over and tapped Dawn on the back.
"Come on, Dawn, get your coat,"
"Why?" Dawn asked, but Dawn stood up anyway.
"You're coming with me and Riley,"
"But you never let me come with-"
"Changed my mind," Buffy interrupted, following her sister upstairs as they both went to get their jackets. She looked briefly back down at her Mom and Giles on the living room sofa and saw Giles mouth a silent 'thank you'.
"Urgh," Joyce complained, rubbing the sides of her head trying to will the pain away.
"Trust you to get a migraine the day we have no pain killers," Giles joked lamely and Joyce had to smile.
"What can I say? I'm awkward,"
Giles smiled back at her as she leant against him on the sofa, resting her head on him, eyes closed. He had been joking, yes, but looking at Joyce he could tell she genuinely felt unwell and he was so very worried that she was feeling more ill than she was letting on.
"Thanks, that's much better honey," Joyce assured Buffy as she took the painkillers Buffy and Dawn had brought home from the doctors, "I can actually feel them working all ready," She smiled but only Dawn returned it. Giles and Buffy still looked concerned, "Seriously I'm fine- or I will be once the painkillers do their job. I'm just…over-worked I think," She looked around for a moment, before looking up at Buffy, "So where's Riley? I thought he took you"
"Dawn," Buffy turned to her younger sister, "Go upstairs"
"What? No. Why do I have to? What are you even going to talk about? Because if it's about Riley I already kn-"
"Go!" Buffy insisted and Dawn, throwing Buffy an annoyed look, stomped up the stairs to her room in exasperation.
"What is it?" Giles asked, "Did something happen to Riley?"
"Yes, but not supernatural," Buffy explained, knowing what Giles was getting at, "It's his heart. Dawn was messing around with the Doctor's stethoscope and she found something really bad with Riley- like his heart rate was way faster than it should be. The doctors said it was something called Tachycardia?" Both Giles and Joyce nodded to let her know it was the right word and she'd said it correctly, "They said it was really serious" Buffy looked incredibly worried, and understandably so.
"Oh my god," Joyce breathed, "So…he's at the hospital now?" Buffy shook her head.
"That's the thing- he won't have it seen to. He won't do anything about it. He just left. He could just have a heart attack and he doesn't even care!" Buffy took a deep breath to relieve her frustration as she sat down on the coffee table opposite her Mom and Giles, "I couldn't do anything to convince him to stay- he just brushed it off as being a side effect of Professor Walsh's work"
"While I'm not denying that fact," Giles reasoned, "Lab rat or not- Riley shouldn't really be going without medical attention."
"I know," Buffy agreed, "But he won't accept that…or doesn't want to" She sighed again, "I just know it has something to do with the Initiative,"
"Is there no way to get a hold of them?" Joyce asked in concern and Buffy shook her head.
"How can I? They don't even claim to have ever existed," She shook her head, "Spying on us every day but they're never around when you have something to say,"
"If they're really spying on you, just say something so you know they'll hear you!" A voice floated down loudly from half way up the stairs.
"Dawn!" All three adults shouted disapprovingly.
"You know…I've gotta go…." Buffy suddenly said, a thoughtful look on her face as she grabbed her jacket and ran out of the front door.
Giles and Joyce frowned at each other in confusion at Buffy before shaking it aside.
"Well, something must have clicked," Giles, surmised before leaning over to whisper in Joyce's ear, "I think Dawn's still on the stairs," Joyce nodded to show she knew.
"Dawn," She called softly and her youngest daughter headed silently down the stairs anticipating a telling off, "You know you shouldn't be listening in when we've told you not to. You know it's for a good reason"
"Yeah…to keep things from me," Dawn grumbled.
"No," Joyce laughed, "It's because some of the things said are too icky for my lil pumpkin belly" Joyce poked her daughter in the ribs playfully to emphasize the point.
"Mom!" Dawn giggled reluctantly, "Don't- that's like my kid name"
"So I'm being retro," Joyce smiled, but apparently Dawn wasn't so easily distracted.
"Mom, what's the harm in researching? Or just listening in?" Dawn smiled winningly and Joyce sighed as she realized she wasn't going to give up.
"You're just to young to hear all that,"
"And if you continue to listen in Dawn, you'll never get the full story," Giles informed her, "Ever hear the phrase 'eavesdroppers never hear any good of themselves'?"
"No…and well, let me hear the full story then" Dawn suggested and both Giles and Joyce laughed lightly at her before becoming sombre.
"No" They both said in unison. Dawn didn't say another word but merely stood there, arms crossed across her chest and sulked. She was being childish she knew, but she didn't care. She wanted to join in with the Scooby meetings. She'd never been allowed and it wasn't fair.
"Hey isn't it that programme you like now?" Joyce prompted as she looked at the clock and instantly a smile came across Dawn's face as she grabbed the remote and took a seat on the other side of Joyce. So easily pleased, Joyce thought with a smile as the TV was flicked on.
"But you're not feeling well…" Giles reasoned, looking at Joyce with concern, "I mean maybe it would be better if Dawn watched," Giles looked at the low-quality teen show on the screen in distaste, "this upstairs, perhaps?"
"No it's fine," Joyce said, letting Dawn carry on watching the show, which she did so happily. Giles just continued to look at her, unconvinced by her assurances, "Trust me, headache's all gone now. Honestly"
"Poor Riley," Willow commented sympathetically as they all sat in the living room at Revello Drive and Buffy filled them in on the Riley situation. Everyone was here except the one person they desperately needed to find; Riley. Dawn was thankfully out with a friend so none of them needed to worry about the young teen listening into their conversation.
"Could he have simply gone back to his apartment?" Giles suggested lamely.
"No, he's not at his apartment," Buffy was the only one of them not sat down as she paced the living room anxiously, "he's not at the gym, he's not at the library…he's gone somewhere he doesn't wanna be found"
"Honey, stop pacing," Joyce tried to calm down her daughter, "It'll be fine, we'll figure it out. We'll find him"
"Will we?" Buffy sounded doubtful, "He's initiative boy. When he doesn't want to be found he really makes sure he isn't." She sighed in frustration, "I just don't get what he's doing this for."
"Maybe he just needs some time alone," Xander suggested quietly and although he had aimed the personal message directly at Buffy, he was acutely aware that everyone had fell silent and turned to listen to him elaborate on his theory. He cleared his throat, "Like I had this friend once, who really like this girl…and he got all worried that maybe she didn't like him back…" He saw Giles and Buffy just looked very, very confused. However, Joyce was looking at him closely as though making an effort to see through his 'code'. It looked like she was very close to breaking it and Xander didn't know what was worse- Buffy not getting it, or Joyce figuring it out, "And maybe that made him act like a total jerk…" Xander added, but trailed off as he saw both Giles and Buffy looked even more confused. Joyce however was now looking at Buffy and then back at Xander. She seemed to think for a moment, before looking over at Buffy again. Yep, she'd got it. Xander cursed inside. It was meant to be a message only Buffy would get- it being a private, personal matter and all that- but her mother had caught the drift instead. Xander opted to give up, "Then again maybe not. Maybe he just wants attention"
As Buffy and the others decided how best to find Riley, Joyce thought on the 'hints' Xander had been dropping, which Buffy clearly didn't catch. Joyce wouldn't have caught them herself if the matter of Riley and Buffy hadn't preying on her mind for a while. Riley was literally the clean-marine guy. The man every mother hopes her daughter will find. The good one. And Joyce had been so very happy when Buffy had started a relationship with him. She had also been relieved. Relieved because this officially said goodbye to the dangerous relationship Buffy had had with Angel. Of course it had been good too be true, aren't most things?
Joyce had noticed the way Buffy was around Riley, it was hard not to notice when she had seen how much Buffy had been all over Angel when he was around. She just didn't seem to be the same with Riley. She definitely loved him and she could also definitely be as…involved with Riley as she was with Angel, but she never was. She always seemed to hold back a little. Joyce put it down to all the slaying Buffy had done since she was fifteen, another negative point to the 'chosen destiny', that Buffy always seemed to want something a little darker in her man. She even seemed to mope over Parker more than she did with Riley. Joyce sighed sadly as she realized that this monster-in-her-man complex her daughter seemed to have unfortunately developed, was going to stick around and persist as much as the vampires she hunted at night.
"So…" Joyce said casually as she walked down the street with Giles. They had just left from booking at the registry office making one of their first official decisions to do with the wedding; the date. They'd also decided that anything extreme, such as a church wedding, just wasn't them and so had chosen for just a small ceremony at the registry office- simple and sweet. They had set the date for 27th February at 2pm. Dawn had instantly complained about their choice of dates, saying it was neither one thing nor the other. It was the same month as Valentine's Day, but it wasn't. It's near to when they first admitted they were dating, but it wasn't. The day wasn't even significant as a whole. And that's exactly why the couple chose it.
It had been a tip from Buffy that had given them the idea. If the date of their wedding wasn't specifically significant then, she claimed, there was less chance of supernatural interruptions. She had advised they have it on Halloween next year to really make sure, but they had said a definite no.
It was also the reason behind how they had made their second official decision. There were going to hold the wedding reception/party at the house. The party would be at the night time and as Buffy had stated, they would need a place where no vampires, the most hated and most frequent of gate-crashers in Sunnydale, wouldn't be able to get in.
"So…" Giles repeated Joyce's words and she smiled slightly.
"Seems kinda close doesn't it?" She asked, "With the date set?" They reached the car. She seemed to be waiting for answer from him and he turned to look at her as they got in the car.
"There's no correct response to that question is there?" He asked and she frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, if I say yes it sounds as though it's too close for me and if I say no, it sounds like I don't care," He explained and she had to laugh.
"You think you've got it all figured don't you?" She challenged and he nodded slightly as he started the car.
"Yes, to a point," His smiled faltered when he saw Joyce resting her eyes as she lay comfortably in her seat, seeming to be already tired from the short excursion, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," She assured him opening her eyes sleepily to look over at him, "Just tired. Feeling a bit overworked- it's probably why I got that migraine in the first place," She added, reading his mind. She saw he still looked unconvinced and even if she couldn't read his expression she could tell as much by the fact the engine was on, but he wasn't driving the car anywhere.
"Stop worrying," She smiled, giving him a quick kiss to reinforce the statement and as she turned to casually look out her car window, she didn't see the look of worry still on Giles' face as they drove away.