Title: Strange Compulsion
Author: Carol A. Clarke
Email: Carol.Clarke@mail.state.ky.us
Thanks: Tatonka for beta job; Second note: Dysfunctional Girl For your encouragement.

Joyce Summers was having a hard time accepting her daughter's lifestyle. This in and of it's self was nothing new. Her daughter was, after all, the slayer. A college student, and a lesbian. Buffy. And into a lifestyle Joyce never really believed existed outside of psychology books and fantasy.

Joyce had come to accept most of Buffy's life. She was even proud of most of it. Buffy's grades in school were fairly good, B- average. She had saved the world. Her friends were honorable people. She even liked Willow most of the time. If her daughter had to be a lesbian then Willow was just the kind of girl she wanted her daughter to be in love with.

Willow was smart, loyal, understanding and loving. She was also a witch and that was useful to a slayer. But Joyce just couldn't understand the rest of their relationship.

Every time she saw Buffy with a bruise or a cut she wondered, did Willow give her that or was it really from a demon.

And since the girls had made a point of coming over once a week ever since she had walked in on them. Joyce was able to see the marks on Buffy every single week. Most, she knew were from the vampires she slew. Joyce had been the mother of a slayer for over six years now, and had seen her daughter wounded hundreds of times. Still, Joyce knew not all the marks were from the supernatural.

After dinner the night before, Buffy and Willow had done the dishes. Buffy and reached up to put the pans away and Joyce saw the belt marks on her lower back. A month earlier they had gone bowling with Xander, Giles and Anya. Joyce had seen her daughter's lower back when she bent to bowl.

There were other marks as well. Buffy's wrists sometimes bore cuff marks from her playtime with Willow. Joyce knew the slayer healed fast. You could watch the cuts and bruises heal on Buffy as the hours went by. When they had been bowling, Joyce had seen the fading marks during the second frame of the first game and by the 7th frame of the 3rd game they were gone completely. Still, Joyce had seen them. And the fact that they were so fresh only worried her more.

Willow was the second piece of the puzzle. Shy little Willow, the girl her daughter had known since they were sophomores in high school. Joyce knew both her parents well, and Willow's behavior just didn't add up. Joyce worried it was all because she had tried to burn the girls at the state. It had to be something she and the Rosenburg's had done to make such nice girls turn out so wrong.

Joyce had tried several times to talk to both of them about it, but was unsuccessful. She had offered to pay for counseling. She had even gone to Willow's parent twice to fish for answers. The only thing this had accomplished was making Willow come out to her parents. Ira and Shelia had written off Joyce's questions as mere homophobia after that. So in the end, it was Joyce who went to counseling.

"It's just that I worry. I know Willow doesn't really hurt her, not really, but I worry."

"If Willow doesn't hurt Buffy then why do you worry, Mrs. Summers?"

"I don't know, It's just not normal."

"Which part isn't normal, the being in a relationship with a girl, the sexual play or the bruises."

"We have been through this before, it's the bruises, Dr Smith. I am just happy my daughter is dating some one breathing this time. Forget that part I don't want to explain. Willow is a nice girl. Well, I thought she was a nice girl. So, they are experimenting, there in college, I experimented when I was in college. Although I never got into S & M but. ...Doctor, it's the bruises. Are you happy?"

"So you do think Willow is hurting your daughter?"

"I don't think Willow is strong enough to hurt my daughter. It's just I don't like the fact she is trying to hurt my daughter."

"But you do think Willow is trying to hurt your daughter?"

"No, I just don't know what to believe."

"Joyce, you like Willow. You have told me several times that you think Willow is a better choice then her last two girlfriends. Sorry boyfriends."

"Yes, Willow is really a nice girl most of the time."

"But she hurts your daughter, although it is less than her last dates?"

"No, Yes, I don't know."

"Joyce did you ever think what bothers you doesn't have anything to do with Willow."

"Ok, I'm listening"

"Maybe it's not what Willow is doing that bothers you but what ......"

"What?"

"Think about it for a minute, Joyce."

"Not what Willow is doing but what Buffy is doing?"

"You said yourself her last two boyfriends weren't exactly good for your daughter."

"So you're saying Buffy likes to be abused?"

"I didn't say that."

"But you want me to say it, right?"

Counseling didn't really make Joyce feel any better. It made her feel worse. And the lying about Angel, Riley and the Slaying didn't make the sessions easier either. They lock you up when you tell your counselor your daughter is a vampire slayer who dated a vampire and a DNA altered commando who became abusive without his medication.

"Hello Buffy, Willow I am so glad to finally meet you. Joyce has told me so much about you."

"I'll bet."

"Buffy, you promised your mom you would give Dr. Smith a chance."

"Joyce, why don't you share some of your concerns with Buffy and Willow."

Later..........

"Why don't we all calm down now. Shouting at each other is not going to help."

Much Later.............

"It's ok Buffy, the chair arm must have been defective. Though I have never seen one splinter like that before. So, Buffy I did understand you to say that you were the submissive one in the relationship correct."

Later Still......................

"No! Dr. Smith, I asked her to tie me up first, then later I asked her to spank me. Not the other way around. What difference does it make anyway?"

"Yes well, Buffy do you think you could just sit on the floor. I don't think I have any more chairs left with functioning arms."

Even later...............

"Do you really want me to answer that or would you rather watch. Dr. Smith? I haven't spanked Buffy all week and we never had an audience before. Now, will you stop asking me that?"

Later and Later...........

"I agree with my daughter. You are a quack. Now we are leaving before I have my daughter break the rest of your furniture.

"You tell her, mom."

"Go Mrs. Summers!"

Once outside of the doctor's office, Joyce, Willow and Buffy burst out laughing. The three women felt their relationship returning to normal. To love and they were for that brief moment happy.

Then Joyce turned to Willow and said, "How is your mother? Seen her lately?"