Rabidreject- Thanks for the review and here is the more haha.

Abryxis- As much as I think the Joyce story arc was a powerful, heart-wrenching and moving one that while made me bitter to the core also made me at the same time want to kiss the ground Joss walks on for just (and I warn you, I will sound like a snob here) the whole cinematic mastery of it all, Yet, I am very pro-Joyce and so very pro-life on the Joyce front, so don't worry- in this fic Joyce will not be dying and in fact an altered storyline is going to change that fact. so yes- there will be happiness and erm non-dying and erm, thanks for reviewness. :-)

g120- 'great as usual'? Oh you're makin me blush! haha. And I love your coined term Cocorificfix and I'm very happy you're addicted ;-). hehe. Thanks very much for the reviewy goodness.

zigpal- there's woo and there's hoo for those claps. haha. thanks for what you said about making the story 'mine' and actually from now most of the chapters are going to get more and more 'mine' .::Acts possessively::. hehe. Cheers very muchly for review.

"So…Giles thought he'd work around that whole drive to the store together thing huh?" Buffy asked casually as she sat in the front passenger seat of her Mother's car. Dawn was sat quietly in the back, just listening to her Mom and Buffy talk. The three of them were on the way to the Magic Box for it's first day open.

"I didn't know he was gone until I woke up and found the note," Joyce said honestly.

"At a normal human time?" Buffy quipped. The Summers women had woken up at a regular time of somewhere between nine and ten to find Giles had already left the house hours earlier, for the store.

"Don't be nasty," Joyce reprimanded but she was smiling as she did so, "Rupert was very nervous about this opening. He's been preparing for weeks"

"I know, I know," Buffy nodded with a roll of the eyes and she smiled too, "Check- no more teasing of Giles," She thought for a moment, "Unless he's seriously asking for it"

"Hey," Dawn leaned forward in her seat so she was leant in between her Mom and Buffy's seats, "now that Giles owns the Magic Box can I get free stuff?"

"No," both Buffy and Joyce told her in sync.

"Gawd," Dawn rolled her eyes as she sat back in her seat, "Why does everyone chorus 'no' at me?"

Walking through the doors of the Magic Box, all three heard the quaint sound of the wind chimes above the door ringing. As Buffy closed the door all three looked to the center of the store to see Giles stood there in a purple magician's outfit. All three women just stood looking at him silently. Dawn looked a little surprised, Buffy was staring him down- willing him to remove the hat and coat, while Joyce stood there biting back a giggle at the sight.

"Who knew you were marrying Merlin, Mom?" Dawn commented with a grin and in resignation Giles removed the hat and cloak silently. Happy with the outcome, Buffy quit her stare down and started looking around the store with interest as did Dawn.

"Don't touch anything," Buffy told her, "Remember-"

"You break it you bought it, yeah, yeah," Dawn rolled her eyes as she continued to look around the store.

Joyce took a moment to silently tut at her two daughters before heading over to the disheartened-looking Giles.

"Nice outfit," She smiled at him.

"Very funny," He replied, adjusting his glasses slightly- a clear sign he was a bit embarrassed.

"Not that," She nodded in the direction of the discarded costume as she stroked her hand up and down his shirt, "I mean this one," holding onto the shirt, she reached up to kiss him warmly.

"Wow, Giles check out all the magic junk," Dawn commented as Joyce and Giles pulled apart.

"Dawn" Joyce's reprimand was a tired one as though she'd told Dawn off for such things so many times that it ceased to have conviction.

"Yes," Giles nodded, "Our new slogan"

"It is impressive though," Joyce added looking around the store with interest, "It's really all come together hasn't it?"

"Yes, well I'm sure it will have customers showing as much interest soon as well," Giles assured himself as much as anyone.

"When's it open?" Buffy asked casually as she walked over.

"Since nine this morning actually," Giles admitted.

"Oh honey…" Joyce said sympathetically, but Giles shook his head as though to say it didn't matter.

"No, no…I know Magick is a niche market…but with Sunnydale and it's well…. malevolent tendencies…supply and demand"

"Exactly," Joyce agreed with a smile, "it's just a little out of place here. Give it an hour or so…people will be pouring through the door"

"Until then-" Buffy reached in her bag just as Riley and Willow burst through the door, sending the wind chimes a ringing, "Until then you have Willow and Riley to buzz around the store"

"Giles! Where's your hat and cloak?" Willow asked excitedly.

"That was your idea?" Joyce asked, everything coming together.

"Well, yeah…I thought it was cute…" Willow trailed off, "Y-you didn't think it was cute?"

"He's been cuter," Joyce said looking up at Giles with a knowing smile, which he returned.

"Hey Willow!" Dawn cheerfully greeted the redhead, "You've gotta see these cool talismens…mans…talisguys…" Willow, intrigued, went to head over but Buffy interrupted.

"Actually I have a Scooby-centric thing to deal with first," She reached in her bag for the thing she was going to pull out before Riley and Willow walked in. It was glowing yellow globe. She placed it on the glass counter; "I put this before the group. What the hell is it?"

"It appears to be paranormal in origin," Joyce barely heard Giles say as she felt a little dizzy. She put one hand on the counter as she tried to steady herself. She was starting to feel very disorientated.

"Joyce?" Giles asked in concern at the same time Buffy said, "Mom?"

Joyce looked up at both of them, trying to focus on their faces, but their features were faded and unfocused as the dizziness started to take over. She looked to Buffy's right and saw a girl she'd never met before. She looked quite young, perhaps fourteen, with long brown hair. She was the only one here who she didn't know. Why was she here at one of Buffy's slayer meetings?

"W-who are you?" Joyce asked the girl, "What are you doing here?"

"What? Mom," Why was the girl calling her 'Mom'?

Everyone looked at each other in panicked confusion at the way Joyce was no longer recognizing Dawn and was questioning her accusingly.

"Joyce!" Giles caught his fiancee just as she nearly hit the floor as she fell unconscious.

"Oh my god…" Willow breathed as both Buffy and Giles knelt next to the unconscious Joyce, trying to determine what was the matter face off, "I'll call 9-1-1"

"What happened?" Xander asked as he came running in the hospital. Willow had called him straight after she had phoned Emergency Services.

"We don't know." Buffy told him from where she sat with Dawn leant against her. Riley was sat on her other side.

"They won't let us in, they won't…they won't tell us anything," Giles added, ruffling his hair in frustration.

"But what actually happened?" Xander repeated, silently pointing out that the two of them had actually answered his next question.

"She just…collapsed," Willow told him, "In the Magic Box"

"Oh god," Xander covered his mouth with his hand, "But she's okay though?"

"She's fine," Everyone turned around to see an intern walking over to them and Buffy immediately stood up to greet him.

"My Mom? She's fine?" She asked and the intern nodded.

"Yeah," He nodded and he smiled as he saw everyone's relieved expressions and muttered 'oh thank gods', "I'm Ben by the way" He shook Buffy and Giles' hands while the rest of the group hovered in the background.

"So, do you know what happened?" Giles asked.

"Well, the doctors ran some tests but we're really not sure what caused the collapse" Ben answered honestly.

"You're not sure? What do you mean?" Buffy asked, panic causing her voice to go slightly higher

"It's nothing to worry about," Ben assured her, "it more than likely means that it was nothing more than a severe dizzy spell…low blood pressure…that sort of thing,"

"And that's all?" Giles double-checked.

"Pretty much," Ben nodded, "She doesn't have a history of fainting does she?" Giles shook his head.

"No, not that I know of," Giles looked to his right, "Buffy?"

"No, she, she doesn't, " Buffy shook her head, "She's usually really healthy,"

"Then she should be perfectly fine," Ben smiled and again felt the relief rush through the entire group in front of him. It was nice to bring good news once in a while. Working in a hospital meant bad news seemed to be delivered all too often.

"Where is she?" Giles asked, "Can we-"

"She's just finishing up with the Doctors, she'll be out in a moment," Ben told him, smiling again, "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'm needed somewhere," He winced playfully, implying he was always late and it made Buffy smile as he walked off.

"Oh thank god she's okay," Giles said, rubbing his hand over his face in relief.

"Yeah," Willow agreed, "We gotta tell your Mom Buffy that in our line of work we're not big on the scaries."

"So its blood sugar right?" Xander checked, "So we just gotta make sure her blood gets sugared," Everyone looked at him with a frown and he waved their confusion aside, "You know what I mean"

Dawn was the only one who didn't look completely happy by the revelation that Joyce was fine.

"What's the matter Dawnie?" Willow asked and Dawn shrugged, before answering.

"Why didn't she know who I was?"

"You mean Mom?" Buffy asked and Dawn nodded, "Oh honey, she was disorientated."

"Yes," Giles agreed, "People suffering from low blood sugar have been known to have hallucinations at the time"

"Really?" Dawn posed the question to the group and they all nodded.

"Yeah," Xander smiled, "So maybe she was like seeing a pink elephant instead of you," Dawn giggled at his lame joke. "She was probably like 'a elephant in the magic box'? That shouldn't be here." Dawn giggled some more and Buffy looked at Xander with an appreciative smile.

"You'll probably have a good laugh about it later Dawn," Riley told her and Dawn nodded. At Riley's voice, Xander jumped a little.

"Almost forgot you were there buddy," Xander joked, "You were so quiet"

Riley shrugged

"Demons I can deal with, but hospitals?" He shrugged again, "They make me go pretty darn quiet. I just don't like them."

"Must be all the sick people making you feel icky," Dawn said and by her bluntness everyone knew she had gotten over her insecurities.

"Miss Summers, Mr Giles," A doctor spoke up causing them all to look in his direction to see Joyce stood with him. They all ran over as though double double-checking she was okay.

"It's, uh, nice to know you care," Joyce laughed giving Dawn a side hug as Dawn didn't seem to want to let go of her.

"Are you okay?" Giles asked.

"She'll be fine," The doctor answered the question for her and she seemed quite affronted by that. He held out a slip to Buffy, "This is for a general prescription. It should prevent any more dizzy spells or the headaches your Mother told me about. It will keep until we can do some further tests"

"Further tests?"

"Just some follow-up check-ups nothing to worry about," The doctor assured her. Buffy was about to ask another question when a nurse came along and interrupted her.

"Dr Issacs? You're needed in ICU"

Dr Issacs turned to Buffy and Giles.

"If you'll excuse me," They nodded as he handed the prescription to Buffy and left.

"So how are you?" Giles asked Joyce, now the doctor wasn't around to interrupt.

"Embarrassed mostly," Joyce admitted, "Putting you all through this for nothing."

"Don't be silly," Giles, told her, putting his arm around her.

"Well, the good news is no more tests so you can take this pincushion home," Joyce gave a weak smile and the others nodded. Buffy held up the prescription.

"I'm just gonna get this sorted out. I'll be right back"

As Buffy walked along the corridor to where she could receive her Mother's prescription a strong hand grabbed her arm tightly and she turned around to see a mentally unstable man strapped to a bed, looking at her with his eyes wide. He grabbed the prescription, while Buffy still kept a tight hold on it.

"Doesn't even help! Doesn't make a damn bit of difference!" It was then that Buffy recognized him. He was the security guard from when she found the glowing yellow orb thing. But he hadn't been the main feature of Insanity Fair then. "They're coming for you!" He continued, "Don't think you're above it missy! They come through the family! They get to your family!" He smacked back down on his bed, letting go of the prescription in Buffy's hand. As he was wheeled away Buffy looked from him to the prescription and back again and got the strong feeling her Mother's fainting spell was down to more than just low blood sugar.

As Buffy headed back, prescription in hand, Joyce noticed she looked little unnerved.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Buffy shrugged away her Mother's concerns, "It's…it's uh nothing really, but erm, Giles can I talk to you?"

Giles nodded and went to talk to her, but before she spoke Buffy looked at the rest of the group.

"We'll meet you outside guys," She told them and while they all look temporarily reluctant the four then headed off down the corridor and out of the hospital.

"What is it Buffy?" Giles asked, considering she sent the others away he had a feeling what she had to say was serious.

"I think I know what's made…. is making Mom sick,"

"What?" Giles looked confused, "But the doctors said-" Buffy shook her head, interrupting him.

"The doctors won't be able to help. What made her faint- what's hurting her- it's supernatural."

"What? Buffy, are you sure? How do you know all this?"

"You know the night watchman who found the glowy orb thing I was showing you guys earlier?" Giles nodded to show he understand what she was referring to, "Well, he went like crazy over night…he just grabbed a hold of me. He saw things…said things…. that seemed to bring everything together. It all made sense"

"Like what?"

"They'll come at me through my family," Buffy said sombrely.

"Oh my…. did he say who will?"

"No," Buffy shook his head, "But he could see things the rest of us can't- he knows something is hurting my Mom"

"Well, this is erm…enlightening," He paused for a moment; "In a really negative sense" He added feeling both angry and scared that something supernatural was making Joyce ill.

"Not necessarily," Buffy countered. "I can fight supernatural. We can. Whatever it is that's hurting Mom we can find…and kill"

"Y-yes, we can," Giles admitted, looking in the direction the rest of the group had left, "I'll get the rest of the group to research into the possible things- see what we can find"

"Fine," Buffy agreed, "But Mom can't know"

"What? Buffy, I think-"

"No, not until we know something for sure," Buffy argued, "If we don't know anything about it, it will only worry her more. Until we can say 'and here I go kill it' we can't tell her anything"

"Buffy I-"

"Please Giles," Buffy pleaded sincerely and he sighed in acceptance.

"Fine," He breathed, "But as soon as we do know anything…"

"We'll spill. But till then let's just research and keep making sure Mom's okay"

They had all wanted to take Joyce home, but she had insisted she was perfectly fine and refused to lie around the house being treated like an invalid as rather she wished to forget the entire embarrassing incident.

To prove how fine she was now feeling, she had suggested they all head straight to the magic shop, if Giles hoped to get any customers on his first day of opening.

They had arrived to find Anya behind the counter and numerous sale signs up. The store was full to the brim and through Anya's help, business was apparently booming. The group decided it would just be universally better for all them if they just accepted, and didn't question, Anya's actions. If they did, it would only go to confuse them more.

As both Dawn and Joyce had walked over to Anya, Buffy had taken the opportunity to update both Xander and Willow on the supernatural situation with her Mom.

Now she and Willow were very busy researching with Xander, while Joyce and Dawn both helped Anya with the customers. Giles kept trying to research also but customer after customer after customer kept asking him questions about items in the store.

"There's too many of them," Giles said in panic as he walked over to Joyce and Anya. Dawn was busy trying to wrap a parcel for a customer. Anya kept tapping her impatiently and telling her to hurry up, because, god forbid, should she have to resort to wrapping the things herself.

"You're doing fine," Joyce told him with a smile, "They love the store and they love you. And I think the British thing is really bringing up the sales"

"Yes," Anya agreed enthsiastically, "Be more British"

"I'll…uh…I'll try…" Giles frowned at Anya' odd command.

"Excuse me?" A young brunette came to the counter and Anya's eyes lit up at the thought of another potential customer, "I was wondering whether you had this in stock at all," The woman pulled out a piece of paper on which was a picture of an intricately designed talisman. Ancient Chinese in origin by face value.

"We sure do!" Anya automatically said with enthusiasm but both Giles and Joyce looked at her with a frown, "What?"

"I'm not sure," Giles, told the customer honestly, "I don't believe I can recall seeing an item such as this…"

"Do you know what it's called?" Joyce asked, figuring after all the inventory she'd catalogued she would perhaps remember the name.

"Talisman of Yanluowang,"

"You wanna talisman to protect you from death?" Anya asked sceptically, obviously instantly recognizing the name.

"No," The customer seemed affronted by the idea, "It's for a funeral ceremony"

"Yanluowang?" Joyce repeated and the woman nodded. Joyce remembered seeing a similarly complicated name before, "I actually think we might have it. Would you excuse me for a moment?" The customer nodded as Joyce headed into the back where more stock lay in boxes.

"Argh" Buffy exclaimed walking over to the group at the counter, "Nothing"

"Nothing on what?" Anya asked casually and Buffy briefly explained the situation with her Mom.

"…And I've got the list narrowed down to just under infinity" Buffy finished in exasperation.

"Well, you know," Anya finished a purchase with another customer before walking along the counter to Buffy, "There used to be this French sorcerer back in the 16th I don't know what named-"

"Cloutier?" Giles guessed and Anya nodded with a smile.

"So cute in his little knickers but he had this one little spell that all the demons hated called tirer la couture"

"Rotate many foodstuffs?" Buffy attempted to translate.

"Pull back the curtain," Giles corrected, "If this spell was cast…we'd be able to see the spell that was hurting Joyce…"

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked, "What does it do?"

"It's a trance to see spells," Anya explained but Buffy just looked even more confused.

"All spells leave a trace signature Buffy," Giles explained further, "The symbol of the spell and the symbol or signature of the person who cast it"

"Okay," Buffy nodded, "So I'll go and do what Monsieur Silk Knickers did. I'll get trancey and see what's affecting my Mom"

"Buffy, I don't know…trances are very difficult, especially if you have no experience with them," Giles reasoned, "Perhaps I should-"

"I can do this Giles," Buffy interrupted his suggestion, "It's my Mom. I have to."

Giles nodded in acceptance and Buffy turned to Willow and Anya, "What do I need?"

As Willow led her off to the ingredients Joyce came back from the main part of the store carrying a small box that presumably contained the talisman the customer was waiting for. It was only then that Giles remembered the woman had been waiting there and he desperately hoped she hadn't heard any of the conversation.

"Here, this is it right?" Joyce asked, lifting off the lid of the small box to reveal the talisman and the customer nodded with a smile.

"Oh yes, that's it exactly," As soon as she had confirmed this Anya snatched the item and it's box out of Joyce's hands and took it and the customer to the till. Joyce tried to muffle a yawn but failed miserably as Giles clearly saw how tired she was.

"What's the matter?" He asked, his thoughts flitting back to the spell that was making Joyce ill.

"I'm just really tired," She told him with a sleepy smile as she tried to stifle another yawn, "Worked off my feet I guess," She laughed but Giles had strong suspicions it was more than that.

"Mom are you okay?" Buffy asked, walking over as she finished packing her bag with the items she would need for the reveal spell.

"Why do people keep asking me that?" Joyce smiled, "I'm fine. Just a little tired. In fact…I think I'm gonna head off." And she walked around from behind the counter to grab her coat and keys off a nearby chair.

"I'll take you," Giles offered and went to come from behind the register himself but Joyce stopped him.

"No, your store- you need to stay here. I'm just sleepy- no big."

"Yeah and Dawn and I are about ready to go home now anyway," Buffy said giving Giles a pointed look that clearly said 'I'm going home to do the spell'.

"See? Nothing to worry about," Joyce told Giles, giving him a kiss over the counter before looking around the store, "Now, where is Dawn?"

"I'm here," Dawn, announced apparently appearing from out of nowhere, "Do we really have to go? I could stay here. Giles could bring me home"

"How can I put this?" Buffy asked before looking at her sister, "No. Now come on." And the three of them headed out of the store, pausing briefly to give a little wave in the direction of Willow and Xander who were still researching.

"What are they looking for?" Joyce asked casually as she left the store with her daughters.

"Oh just regular slay stuff, vamps with fancy names that sort of thing," Buffy explained vaguely as they walked over to the car.

Everything was in and out of focus. The colors seemed faded and bright at the same time. The hue seeming to constantly change. The once familiar house was now confusing, new and strange. Buffy had successfully completed the trance and was now trying to head down the stairs to where she knew her Mother was sitting in the living room. However, the once safe looking stairs seemed to move as she walked towards them and she worried if she took even the first step she would fall down the rest. Putting her left hand on the wall and her right on the banister she led herself down the ever-changing stairs slowly.

Eventually she made it to the living room and there her Mom was sat, feet up, reading a book she was apparently very absorbed in. Squinting for a closer look Buffy stepped toward her Mom. Aware that she was being watched, Joyce looked up.

"Oh hi Buffy," Her voice echoed and seemed distant, miles away. But Buffy wasn't paying attention to her words, but rather the glowing symbol that seemed so multi-dimensional that Buffy didn't know whether it was on her Mom, above or what.

"The spell…" Buffy murmured, staring at her Mom as she committed the symbol to memory. Joyce suddenly seemed concerned at Buffy's behavior.

"Buffy are you okay? You seem…a little out of it"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired is-" Then Buffy caught sight of the picture on the table next to her Mom. It was from when they first moved to Sunnydale. There was her, her Mom and…no Dawn? There was Dawn. Now no Dawn. Buffy spun around to look at the other family pictures on the shelves and walls. It was happening on all of them- Dawn kept flashing in and out of existence. Needing to know more, to understand what it meant, Buffy headed off upstairs to Dawn's room. She dimly heard her Mother calling her name in confusion, but she didn't answer. She needed to find out what the pictures meant.

"Uh I don't know what to say," Giles whispered to Buffy as they sat in their living room at night. They both had to whisper because Dawn and Joyce were asleep in bed and they didn't wish them to hear what was being said, particularly in Dawn's case.

"Tell me about it," Buffy agreed thinking back to what the dying monk had told her about the key, about Dawn.

"She has no idea?"

"No, she thinks she's my kid sister"

"Do you think we should tell her?" Giles asked but Buffy shook her head.

"No she'd freak. And we can't tell Mom either- for her to know…it could put her in danger," At this Buffy remembered that she had something else to tell Giles. With the shocking revelation that her sister wasn't actually her sister, she had almost forgotten the primary reason she had cast the revealing spell in the first place, "There's something else,"

"What?"

"About Mom…" At this Giles seemed to remember to. It was amazing what finding part of you life was a well-fabricated lie could do to your memory.

"What did you find? Was there something?" Giles seemed desperate for Buffy to have found something. To have found something would confirm that the symptoms were supernatural in origin- something they were both qualified to fight. But if Buffy had found no spell on Joyce, then it meant it was purely medical and he was powerless to help.

"Yeah, there was a symbol like on her…sort of floating…or glowing…I'm not quite sure," Buffy told him honestly, "But I got a good look at the design" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper on which she had sketched the symbol.

Taking the paper from her Giles looked at the symbol carefully. He could easily differentiate the two interwoven parts of the symbol- the signature of the spell and the signature of the caster. At a glance Giles did not recognize the spell that had been cast on Joyce- a problem which could be easily solved with research, but he could definitely recognize the signature of the spell caster. He just couldn't believe what he was seeing. After last time, and now this?

"Giles?" Buffy prompted as he had fell into silence, "Giles, what it is it?"

Giles didn't pull his gaze away from the symbol as he answered Buffy's question.

"Ethan."