Joss and thw WB own all that you know and love. I merely created a plot and a playmate for them.
Author's Note:Story takes place after Becoming. Also it takes place before my story, Not Too Late and after Evening in Los Angeles.
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Part One
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Joyce Summers unpacked her bags in her small hotel room as her mind wandered. It was odd to feel that she was actually in San Francisco, away from the real maddness that was in Sunnydale. But it felt, good. Actually it felt great to be away from the two things that worried her the most. Namely the vampires and her daughter. Not that she didn't love her only child, but there were times when she felt like strangling Buffy in sheer frustration. Joyce sighed. < I have got to get her to pay attention to what it would be like to go to college! >
Joyce looked through the hotel window that faced the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. She shivered when she noted that it was starting to turn dark. She used to like the night, and many times she would watch the stars appear. Until she found out that her daughter could die in the night. On any night. She could be on the next plane to L.A. and then get to Sunnydale in less than four hours. she thought as she rubbed her temples.
Joyce looked again out into the night, and smiled absently. The twinkling stars remembered the last time she was away from Buffy, though it was unwillingly. It was for one night four months ago in Los Angeles, and she was not happy being stuck there. She would have gotten herself killed if it had not been for Spike. Joyce's mouth twisted wryly. She sobered at the thought. He wouldn't be such a bad guy, if not, to quote her daughter, 'for the whole vampire thing'.
Joyce glanced at the phone and debated if she could call Buffy to see if she was all right. But she remembered her promise to the Watcher and Buffy. To the Watcher, she was to enjoy herself in the art gallery managers' convention and not to worry about Buffy. To Buffy, she could not call more than twice, and only once after she had initially checked in. And she had already done that. Joyce sighed in resignation again. Then Joyce's stomach started to grumble. Joyce grabbed her jacket and went to look for some food.
* * *
"O.K., so what do you want to eat Buffy?"Willow asked as she looked inside the refridgerator. Buffy peered over her friend's shoulder and looked at the goodies that her mother stacked. Everything was labeled with the generic terms:Meat, chicken, Vegtable and Pasta.
"I dunno, what do you feel like? Meat, chicken or other?"
Willow shrugged."I guess it would be chicken. What does this look like to you?"
Buffy opened the container."Oh, goody! Mom remembered to make a fave of mine:buffalo wings and fried rice!"
"Buffalo wings and fried rice? That sounds good,"Xander said as he entered the kitchen."What else did your mom cook? Oh, what's in this container that says 'Meat'?"
Xander opened it and grinned in delight."Cool. Your mom made beef stew with roasted potatoes! Let's have this too!"
"Cool! I can't beleive that Mom made all this stuff!"Buffy said happily as she watched Willow pop the containers into the oven."I like this! It's going to be a great weekend:Mom's in San Fran for three days, no world ending prophecies and best of all, dead on the undead hijinks!"
"And best of all, we get to gorge on the cornucopia of food that your mom made,"Xander crowed."What?"
"O.K., friend, who are you and what have you done with our pal Xander?"Buffy said as she pointed a finger at him. Xander looked confused for a moment.
"Cornucopia? Where did you learn that word, Xander?"Willow teased."I guess that *someone* has been studying his SAT vocab."
"Can't be Xander Harris, I mean that boy would *never* study unless he had to. And that would be with a shot gun over his head,"Buffy said with mock severity. Xander looked up at the ceiling and then at his favorite gal pals sheepishly.
"It sort of was. Except that it was with Giles over my head,"Xander said sheepishly. He saw the girls' confused looks."My mom and dad asked Giles to tutor me on my English vocab, and the great friend that he is, he agreed."
Buffy winced."Mom tried that with me too, until I convinced her that if I had him as a tutor, I would willingly walk into a vampire trap just to get away from him!"
Willow grinned."And Giles said that he wasn't really too keen on that idea as well. To quote him:'Buffy slaughtering vampires is one thing, but listening to her slaughter the English language is quite another.' End quote."
"I thought he was willing to teach me speak English good,"Buffy frowned. Willow grinned even more widely.
"He did it under duress. Your Mom plied and bribed him with a week's worth of scones, crumpets,Shepard's pie and two hours of freedom. I think that it was scones and crumpets that made him cave in,"Willow said as she took the container out from the oven."You mom makes a pretty good scone."
Buffy narrowed her eyes."She made *Giles* scones! How come I never heard of this? How do you know?"
"Because I came in while he was eating them in the library,"Willow laughed and then shook her head in mock severity."And he was not in a sharing mode. I had to tease him to let me have a crumb, and I do mean crumb of it. I dunno, Buffy, your mom could have Giles wrapped around her finger if she would keep him in supply."
Buffy blanched at the thought."Mom? and Giles? I shudder at the thought! I'd be slaying and studying day and night! Let's eat before I lose my appetite!"
Willow laughed again, and then lost her smile when she turned around to the kitchen table. Buffy turned at the same time and stared, her eyes wide open.
"Umm...this is good!"Xander said as he dug into the half empty containers."Your mom's a *great* cook, Buff. You fems ought to try some of this!"
"Xander!"Buffy and Willow cried in unison, their faces with identical looks of outrage. Xander looked at them owlishly.
"What?"
* * *
A nurse was walking along the store-lined wharf looking at the merchandise through the windows. She smiled as she looked at the nice clothing that was displayed through the windows. Then she heard a faint cry. When she turned, she saw a small child in ragged clothing sitting at the edge of the railing. She rushed over to him. "What's a matter,little one? Are you hurt?"
The small child kept his face hidden in the shadows."I'm away from home and I have no one to play with. And I'm hungry!"
The nurse made a small noise of sympathy."Oh, you poor thing! You poor little thing! I can play with you after you eat." She stroked his head, then lifted her hand in puzzlement. Her hand was wet and she felt as if she had touched seaweed. She looked at her hand, then at the child, and screamed.
A small twisted face with sharp features with bulging blue eyes grinned evilly at her. Seaweed came streaming from the sides of its head, and on the crown was a small dip in the shape of a saucer. With claws for hands, the creature grabbed the woman's waist and hands, cackiling madly."Oh! Let's play! Let's eat!"
With a thrust of his legs it fell backwards into the bay, taking the screaming woman with it.
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