Buffy’s face dropped as she looked at her Mom, Willow and Xander mimicking her from where they stood behind her. And then, she suddenly burst into tears.
No matter how often she told herself that her relationship with Angel had been wrong and misguided, she had still loved him, and to a point, she still did. She wasn’t in love with him like she had been, but she still loved him, just like she loved Xander and Willow. To think that anything or anyone that inhabited his body could do something to her like kidnap her sister for malicious purposes was just about past the point of what her heart could handle. She started crying in earnest, and Joyce simply looked very confused. She had expected worry, not great, wracking sobs that shook her oldest daughter’s entire body. Rushing forwards, she wrapped her in a hug.
“Sweety, what’s the matter? We’ll find her I know we will.” Joyce rubbed her hands over Buffy’s lower back, rocking slightly like she had done for years when the blonde had been a child.
“I know, it’s just, she must be... so scared, wherever... she is, and it’s all... my... fault!” Buffy just carried right on crying, sniffing and sobbing periodically.
“No! Buffy, no! Why would you think that?” Joyce looked at Willow and Xander from where she had her chin on Buffy’s shoulder, a questioning look on their face. They simply smiled sheepishly and shifted from one foot to the other.
“It... it is. It’s Angelus, mommy. When we were at the bronze, he said that... he said that I should check on you guys if I hadn’t. He’d said something about Dawnie that set me on edge, and so we came right back home. And now she’s gone. He’s got her, I just know it, and it’s all my fault!” Buffy pulled back wrapping her arms around herself miserably as she looked at the floor.
“Buffy, Angel is psychotic. You’ve told me this. You couldn’t have known what he’d turn into.” Joyce looked at her, before her face changed and set differently. “You’re not telling me something, are you? What, did you know something about him that should have warned you? That he’d been in prison before or something?”
“No mama, it’s... it’s so much more complicated than you could ever imagine.” She looked up, red-rimmed eyes set hard and determined. “And I’m going to explain it to you.”
“What? Buffy, you know Giles said...” Willow was interrupted abruptly.
“Giles can go to hell.”
“Buffy!” Joyce admonished.
“No, mom. I’ve been keeping this a secret far too long. I mean, I told you once before, but you sent me away because of it. However, it’s not just me this time.” Buffy looked at her mother, unsurprised to see her looking shocked.
“No, Buffy. Don’t start all this nonsense about vampires and demons all over again. You know full well they’re not real. So does everybody else in the world. I can’t believe you’d drag Willow and Xander into your fantasies, not to mention Mr Giles.” Joyce shook her head, ready to open her mouth and carry on, but Buffy stepped in first.
“I can assure you, mother, I am in no way delusional. Willow, Xander, Giles, Oz, Cordelia. Alot of the kids at school. They could all tell you exactly what happens at Sunnydale High, which is, by the way, right over a hell mouth. Worst choice of town ever, mom.” Buffy smiled then, softening her gaze. “Mommy, I’m not lying. There’s been giant bugs, and centuries old vampires, mummy girls – you knew her, that was Impata.” Buffy almost giggled as Joyce reeled back in shock.
“Honestly, Buffy, that’s just ridiculous.” Joyce looked at Xander as he moved forward, hand up.
“Actually, Mrs Summers, she was a zombie. She kinda... almost sucked the life out of me.” He smiled sheepishly. “That’s what I get for making out with cute girls, huh?”
Willow giggled at that, and Buffy grinned, but Joyce had had quite enough.
“No. I’ve had quite enough. If all this is true, that means that my daughters been taken by some kind of monster, and I will not have it! What, is Angel a werewolf or something in your silly little fantasy?” Joyce looked just about ready to explode.
Buffy looked back to her mother from where she’d been smiling affectionately at Xander.
“No. He’s a vampire. A very dangerous, master vampire, who also has Jonathon. And we don’t know who else he’s going to take either.” Buffy watched as her mother almost literally exploded.
“No, Buffy, he’s not! He’s an extremely sick man! A sick man that needs help from a professional. And if you carry on, you’ll be going back their yourself!” Buffy visibly blanched and flinched away from her mother stepping back.
“Going where?” Willow and Xander both looked very confused.
“The institution. When I was first called, I told her and daddy. They sent me away. For months they had me in a cold, white, empty place full of screaming crazy people, just because they thought I was delusional.” Buffy was leaning against the wall, a little bit of fear in her eyes. It seemed that this little girl could face down the armies of hell, but when confronted with a white room with a bed and restraints, she could barely move.
Willow and Xander both turned on Joyce, anger in their faces. She raised a hand, shaking both it and her head.
“O no. Don’t look at me like that. You have no right. God, she was going on about some man named... Merrick, I think it was, and how he was her watcher, because suddenly she was the one slayer in all the world to fight the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. I remember it word for word, because she repeated it so many times. What did you expect me to think? The two of you are standing here supporting her, and I still don’t believe it!”
“I can show you something that might help you believe us.” Willow spoke up timidly. “Do you have a pencil?”
“Of course I do, but what could you do with it that could prove anything? Float it and make it fly around the room?” Sighing, Joyce through up her hands and turned around, heading into the sitting room to grab a pencil off of her desk. Coming back, she handed it to Willow, who had a slight smile on her face.
“Thanks.” Using her left hand, she set it out on her right hand which she held flat. Seconds later, the pencil was spinning in the air, perfectly controlled. And Joyce had a positively stunned look on her face, looking between Willow, the pencil, Buffy and back again.
“But... what?”
***
It was dark when Dawn woke up. For a moment, she thought she was blind, but then her vision began to return and she groaned, sitting up while holding her head. The last thing she could remember was slipping her key into the door of the house, when someone, or something had hit her over the back of the head. She remembered clearly that her last thought, before she had blacked out, had been ‘Oh God. I’m going to die.’
Her instant migraine slowly faded away, and she finally opened her eyes. To see Jonathon staring right at her. She jumped back slightly, hand over her chest before she sighed, a slight smile coming upon her face, despite the situation.
“Jonathon! You’re alive. I mean, we all thought you were because, no body. And there’s always a body if you’re dead. So we figured you’d been kidnapped, which was good, because it meant that we’d be able to find you, and I must be really freaking you out with my babbling? Huh?” Dawn smiled a little sheepishly at Jonathon.
“Only a little. It’s ok. Lets me know you’re not hurt or anything. You aren’t are you? Because that’d be kinda bad.” Jonathon smiled back at the teen, setting her a little bit more at ease.
“No. I think I’m ok. Hit my head, which hurts a little. How about you? You’ve been missing for days. Everyone’s really worried.”
“I’m ok. I got a hit round the back of the head at the cinema, but it’s ok now. Doesn’t hurt any more, now that its been a while. How long has it been?” Jonathon frowned. Evidently, time had no meaning in this place. Which wasn’t good.
“A week. It’s Friday now.” Jonathon nodded, so Dawn carried on. “Is it just us? What is this place? And do you know who took us? Was it Angelus? Because if it was, Buffy’s gonna kick his butt.” Dawn frowned as Jonathon looked over her shoulder. Apparently, there was more room behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she gasped.
They weren’t the only two.
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Thanks so much to Xaphania for the awesome banner!Chapter End Notes:
Thanks so much to Mary for betaing. I know you think you don't do such a great job, but I don't need much, and you're quick to do it, so thanks alot sweety. Love you. Also, thanks to Luc, Kitten and PinkSatin for your constant support.