Chapter 4

“So, she’s alright, she’s safe?”

“Well, that depends entirely on your definition of ‘safe’, Willow.  She’s alive, she appeared unharmed – but she has no idea who she is, or I might add, who I am.”

“Oopsy…”

“Yes, quite.  I take it this little adventure has cured your curiosity?”

Willow nodded, abashed. 

“Right, then we need to find a way to reverse the spell.  Willow, as it’s your mess, I’ll expect you to work jolly hard at fixing it.  Start with the spell itself. And please, just read it silently.  How many times have I told the both of you to not read aloud in front of the books?”

Willow and Xander both avoided Giles’ eyes.  It was true.  He was always saying it; in fact, it was the phrase they used to mimic him when they were giggling together as opposed to researching.  Grabbing a volume each, they settled down at the library table and began to work.

Giles was becoming anxious.  Where was Buffy?  She was already a half hour late.  Maybe it had been a mistake allowing her to leave with the blond young man.  That triggered his memory.

“Willow?  Buffy was with someone, a young man.”

“Oh!  Angel found her then? He came calling on me but did that disappearing act before I could tell him much…”

“No, not Angel.   Young man, Willow.   I’ve never seen the chap in question.  He was English. Rather pale with very strange hair.  He seemed to know Buffy intimately… at least… they were certainly reluctant to be parted and……OH GOOD GOD!”

“What?  Man, do you have to yell?  Nearly had me a heart attack there.”

“Xander, don’t exaggerate.  And focus, please?  I have the awful feeling that the young man with Buffy was a vampire.”

“What?”

Willow and Xander wore twin looks of horror on their faces.  “You left her with somebody you think might be a vampire?”

“Erm….yes.  I rather fear I did.  Although, to be fair it was dark, and Buffy and her companion seemed eager to be off.  And I didn’t think he was a vampire last night, just now on reflection.  Did I mention the pallor?  Dear lord!  Maybe she’s a vampire. That would explain her lack of attendance this morning.  Xander…Willow! Quickly! We have to go to Buffy’s house.”

All three scrambled to collect their belongings and rushed out of the library, Giles returning seconds later to grab a bag of stakes and holy water.  He hoped he was wrong, but if he wasn’t – well, it didn’t bear thinking about.  But he was a Watcher; he knew his duty.  With a heavy heart and a prayer to all the deities who were watching that he was wrong, he sprinted to catch up with the youngsters and steeled himself for the worst.

It didn’t take them long to reach Revello Drive.  Joyce’s car was still in the driveway, which presented a slight problem.  And another possible worst-case scenario.  It was well past the time when Joyce should have left for work; her presence in the house may mean that a newly turned Buffy had breakfasted on her mother in time-honoured fashion.  Giles gripped a stake in his left hand, sweat on his brow, and knocked on the front door, having sent Xander and Willow round the back to sneak in while he provided a distraction.  Eventually, he heard footsteps on the stairs and the door was opened a crack.

“Yes?  Who is it?”

He sighed with relief.  At least Joyce Summers was alive…….or maybe she was……..he had to get a grip, his mind was racing away with him.

“Mrs Summers?  It’s Mr Giles. I’m the librarian at Buffy’s school.   We met once before….”

“Oh……is there a problem?  I’m afraid I’m not dressed. I woke this morning feeling unwell so I took some medication and went back to sleep.  Hold on a second. I’ll just put some clothes on and………what am I thinking?  Come in, please.  Take a seat in the living room and I’ll be right with you.”

Giles entered warily, the stake gripped inside his pocket.  Buffy’s mother was clasping a robe together at the neck and did, in fact, look quite ghastly.  “I’m sorry to disturb you……”

“No, no…it’s fine. I’ll be right back.”

Giles wandered through to the other room, eyes lighting on photographs and little mementoes from Buffy’s childhood as he passed.  He perched on the edge of the couch but jumped up as he spied Xander and Willow gesturing frantically from the back window.  After assuring himself that Mrs Summers was still upstairs he moved to the back of the room and opened the door. 

“Giles, are you alright?  Shall we come in and stake her?”

The watcher sighed; Xander Harris was far too fond of what he perceived to be the exciting part of Buffy’s vocation.  Since the first time he’d become involved with vampires and they’d taken and turned his best friend Jesse, he’d become rather obsessed with ridding the world of them.  All of which would be fine if he wasn’t in fact a liability, more likely to injure himself than dust a hungry vampire.

“No, Xander.  Mrs Summers is simply under the weather; a staking won’t be necessary.”

“And Buffy?  Where is she?”  Willow still felt guilty at her inadvertent slip-up; she was relying on Giles to fix it and make the guilt go away.

Giles heard footsteps on the stairs.  “I’m about to find out…….now go back to school.  I’ll meet up with you later.  Go!”  He hissed the final words and closed the door on the two worried faces.  He made as if he was staring out of the window, seemingly admiring the garden, as Joyce Summers walked in.

“Mr Giles.  I’m sorry for leaving you.  Would you like something to drink?  I think I do have some tea somewhere….”

“No, no.  You should sit down.  I apologise once again for troubling you. You do look quite ill.”

“Thank you.”  Joyce said this with a hint of a smile.

“Oh dear……….I didn’t mean. …I’m sorry...”

“It’s alright.  I’ve looked in the mirror.  I look dreadful.”

Mirror.  Check.  Definitely not a vampire.

“I’ll be fine, I think I must have eaten something that disagreed with me.   I really should avoid shellfish.  So…..what can I do for you?”

Giles took a seat on the couch opposite the chair where Joyce had slumped. 

“I’m just wondering if Buffy is all right.  She was supposed to meet me this morning at the library for….erm…….a project she’s involved in and she didn’t show up.  It isn’t like her, so I thought I’d better check that nothing was wrong.”

“She’s not in school?”

Joyce made to get up, but lurched back down.  Her skin was pale and clammy and she looked about to throw up.

“Oh…..well, not that I’m aware of.  But I’m sure there’s a reason.  Was she feeling unwell also?  Maybe she had a reaction to the shellfish?”

“I didn’t see her after we got home.  I’m afraid she got a rather bad report from Principal Snyder so I grounded her.   She went to her room with a cold meat sandwich and shortly after that I felt unwell so went to bed.  If she’s skipping school she is in sooooo much trouble…”

“Well, I’m sure there’s an explanation.  Don’t worry; I may have mistaken matters in any event.  When she didn’t appear I simply assumed she wasn’t at school and came straight round here.  I’ll probably find her in class.  Maybe I should go and check.”

Joyce nodded weakly.  “Would you?  And would you let me know if she isn’t there?  I’d come with you, but I don’t think I could travel.”  

“Of course.  I’ll ring and let you know immediately.  Are you sure you’ll be all right?  Shall I send for a doctor?”

“No, really.  I just need to rest.  Shrimps will be the death of me!  But I just can’t resist them.  Serves me right.  Well, shrimps or Buffy. I don’t know what to do with her.  We moved here to get away from trouble, but still it seems to follow us.  I can’t understand why a bright girl like my daughter has to be involved in so many questionable escapades.  Maybe it’s her friends?  I don’t know, I can’t think right now.”  Joyce sighed.  Giles felt helpless, knowing full well the reason why Buffy’s behaviour would seem excessive to her parent but instinctively wanting to protect his young charge of whom he was fiercely proud.

“Well.  Yes.  I’ll let myself out.  Do take care of yourself, Mrs Summers.”

“Thank you.  And, Mr Giles?  Call me Joyce. Mrs Summers is my ex-husband’s mother!”

The watcher laughed.  He liked this lady.  “Very well…and you must call me Rupert.  I’ll be in touch.”

He closed the front door behind him.  He was none the wiser as to Buffy’s whereabouts and had no idea how to start looking for her.  He doubted very much that she would be in school, but didn’t want to worry her mother further.  Giles stood by the tree in the front yard pondering his options.  Where was she?

Buffy peered from behind her bedroom curtain, Spite at her back.  “Is he still there?”

“Yes” she hissed.  “Move back, if he looks up he’ll see us. God, what was I thinking?  I can’t believe we fell asleep. And my mom? Funny, calling her that when I have no idea even what she looks like. What are the odds she’d be off sick today?   How are we going to get out of here?”

“Well, love.  I’m thinking the same way we got in.  We’ll wait until Mr Tweed goes on his merry way then we’ll shimmy down and your mum need never know that you made a grown man cry like a baby all night with your greedy little mouth.”

“Spite!  Please!  It’s not funny…….did I really?”

“C’mere, pet.”  He grabbed her to him and started kissing down the side of her neck, hands reaching round her back and underneath the pyjama top she’d shucked into when she’d heard her mom and Giles talking downstairs.  Buffy was lost in him again, unable to resist as he started to unbutton the top, nipping at her flesh as he revealed every glorious inch.  But the sound of footsteps on the stairs jerked her back to reality and she pushed him away to land in a heap on the floor. 

“Buffy?  Are you in your room?”  The footsteps sped up and Buffy panicked, looking around for somewhere for Spite to hide. 

“Quick! The closet……go!”

Grumbling under his breath, he got in among the tops and the skirts, marvelling at the lack of length and the garish colours that surrounded him.  And her smell.  That damn smell got him hard instantly and he was thankful that he hadn’t gotten dressed or he’d be having serious space issues in the groin area.  The closet door opened as Buffy threw his clothes in before shutting him back in the dark. And he felt strangely comfortable with that.  He supposed he must be a bit of a night owl.

He watched through the slats as Buffy’s bedroom door burst open and her mother was framed in the doorway.  Tasty, for an older bird.  But she looked right pissed off!

“Mom…..hey!  What are you doing home?”

“Don’t you play the innocent with me, young lady!  Where have you been?”

“Erm…….here?  You grounded me remember?”  She’d picked up that little tidbit by eavesdropping on the old guy’s conversation earlier. 

That stopped her mom in her tracks.  “But….why aren’t you at school?  Rupert……Mr Giles, the librarian called round earlier; you were supposed to meet him.”

“Mom……..I…I don’t feel well.  I just thought I’d stay home.”

“Nonsense. You thought you’d sneak the day off and I wouldn’t know a thing about it.  Well, unlucky for you I’m actually sick as opposed to just pretending, so your little game is up.”

The two women faced off, Buffy trying desperately to remember that this was her mom.  The tense moment was broken by the knock at the front door.  “Wait here.  I’m not done with you yet.”

Buffy glared but stood still as ordered.  Her mom was scary!  Soon, two sets of footsteps were on the stairs and her mom returned with Mr Giles close behind. 

“I…heard voices from outside, forgive me for intruding.  Buffy, I thought we’d arranged to meet.”

“Well, as I was telling my mom, I felt ill so I thought I’d stay home.”

“Really.  You look remarkably well to me.”  Surreptitiously, Giles palmed the crucifix he was carrying in his pocket and managed to brush against Buffy’s arm.  Nothing.  No flames or smoke or painful screams.  He relaxed; not a vampire.  “Joyce?  Do you want me to escort her to school?”

What was this?  Her mom and the guy who said he was her school librarian ganging up on her?  And he’d called her mom Joyce, which was presumably her name.  No……oh no, please no – they weren’t……involved?   That was just oookie!

Joyce smiled at – what had she called him earlier, Rupert?  Sheesh, lame name much?  “Yes, that would be wonderful.  Thank you for coming back for her.  Now, I really do need to lie down.  In fact…….”  Joyce sat on the edge of Buffy’s bed, Buffy’s eyes widening as she noted the rumpled and soiled sheets.  “I think I’ll just nap here for a moment; I really do feel awful.”

“Do you want us to stay…..look after you?”

“No, no…you go, take Buffy to school.   There are rules in this house and she needs to learn how to obey them.  I’ll be fine. I just need to sleep this off.”

“Well, if you’re sure….Joyce?  I’ll call on you later, if that’s alright?”

Joyce smiled weakly.  Yes, she found that would be more than all right.  She could use a friend of her own age, even if she wasn’t really ready for dating.  For now.  “Yes, Rupert.  That would be lovely.  Thank you for everything.”

“Buffy?  Shall we?”

She was trapped, Giles’ hand on her arm and her mom between them and the closet.  She was roughly pulled away and down the stairs, not able to see anything when she whipped her head round in a vain attempt to see Spite before she left.

When they reached the outside, Buffy shrugged Giles’ hand off her.  “Don’t do that!  Where do you get off dragging me out of the house?  Am I in remedial school or something?”

“Buffy.  I’m sorry…but I was worried about you.  There’s something you need to know….”

The pair walked away and back towards the school, Buffy reluctantly following the older man.  Her footsteps slowed to a halt and she looked at him as though he was insane.  “I’m a WHAT?”

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