Chapter 17

Cordelia and Wes arrived in town a few hours later. They called to say they were outside the house Leonard was renting. Willow agreed to meet them there later.

Buffy seemed quiet. Angel knew she would be upset about Riley but he thought there was more to it.

“Mom’s coming back tonight.” She explained when probed.

“And you don’t want to worry her?”

“Pretty much. She doesn’t like the slayer gig as it is. With this she’s going to go ape.”

“But not at you. It’s not your fault.”

“No, but it’ll feel like it is. She doesn’t seem to get than when she puts slaying down, she’s putting me down too.”

“Do you want me to tell her for you?”

“No, I have to.” She sighed.

Angel hugged her softly, trying to give her some strength.


Willow arrived back from meeting with Cordie and Wes in the early evening.

“That thing is SO cool.” She exuberantly explained. “It has all kinds of things. It’s got cameras, hidden satellite dishes, GPS with a map overlay so you can track someone to the street their on without moving.”

Buffy smiled at her friends’ enthusiasm.

“Yes,” replied Giles perhaps a bit too sharply. “Perhaps we could get on with it?”

Willow pouted a bit. “OK. Well it comes with a bike too so they’ve been following everyone going in and out and putting a T50 tracer on it. It makes the T225 look like junk.” Off their blank expressions, she explained. “A tracking device, to follow the cars. Only one person has left so far.” She reached into her bag. “These are the pictured they took of him and I’ll run the license plate through campus computers. If he’s a student he should have registered his car for parking.”

They looked over the pictures, no one recognised him.

Willow tactfully let Giles earlier put down of tracers go past.

“Buffy?” they looked over to the doorway.

“Mom. I wasn’t expecting you back so early.”

“I wasn’t expecting a house full.”

Giles and Willow made a hasty exit. Willow simply saying. “Hi Mrs Summers. Bye Mrs Summers.”

Willow took Giles hand and pulled him after her. He mumbles some greeting before he was pulled out.

Joyce looked back to Buffy. “What’s going on?” she noticed Angel standing behind Buffy. “Buffy?”

Angel quietly slipped off upstairs. Buffy had asked to do this alone.

Buffy didn’t speak immediately and Joyce grew more worried as she stepped closer. Buffy looked tired, withdrawn and her eyes were puffy, like she’s been crying. Her questions now took on an edge of concern.

“What is it?”

Buffy sat on the sofa and gestured for her mother to do the same. Joyce dropped her travel bag and sat.

“I… Mom.” Buffy paused and took a deep breath. She didn’t look her mother in the eye but focused on her hands. “I was raped mom.”

Joyce sat there, stunned, not even comprehending the meaning of Buffy’s words. “I… You.”

Tears began to form and she pulled Buffy to her. “Oh sweetie.” She said gently rocking Buffy.

Buffy began to cry as she saw how upset her mother was and they both sat there, crying and rocking each other.

Joyce eventually pulled away from Buffy. “I’m sorry sweetie. You don’t need me crying.”

Buffy took her hand. “It’s OK.”

Joyce still couldn’t take it in though. She didn’t understand it.

“I, I always worry about you. It’s part of a mother’s job to worry. And with slaying, I worry double time. I just… well ever since I found out about you I’ve taken a small amount of comfort that things like that couldn’t happen to you. You were too strong. I…”

Buffy squeezed her mother’s hand. “I know. It kind of blew me too.”

“Why did it happen?”

“I don’t know why but I do know how.” Buffy swallowed. “Do you remember that stuff the council gave me when I was 18?” Joyce nodded. “Well someone was feeding me that, making me weak.”

Joyce opened her arms and embraced Buffy. “I’m so sorry sweetie.”

They sat there a while longer just holding each other.

Buffy eventually managed to explain how well she was doing and what the gang were doing to help her.

Joyce smiled. At least her friends had been there for her.

“Have you spoken to a councillor?” Joyce asked.

“I can’t really tell a stranger that a vampire raped me Mom, they kind of commit you for that.”

“Right, of course. I’m sorry, I just don’t know what I should be doing to help.”

“Just be you. That’s all I need from you.”

Joyce felt her tears return at Buffy’s words and she hugged her again. “I love you Buffy.”

“I love you too Mom.”