Buffy sat on the edge of the recliner, facing the two people who meant the most to her. Her hands were clammy, her stomach was doing flip-flops, and she was sure she might just be sick right there on the carpet. This wasn’t something she’d ever envisioned having to do, not until she was happily married, or at least still dating someone...

Neither Joyce Summers nor Rupert Giles knew why Buffy had asked to speak to them. They sat awkwardly on the couch, side by side, facing the young woman they both loved dearly. The fact that all colour had drained from her face, and that her hands were shaking, did nothing to ease their worry. They’d both seen her weather some frightening situations and never break a sweat. What could be so bad that she needed to speak to them together, as if they were both her parents, right away before she ‘totally wigged and chickened out’, as she’d told them?

Removing his glasses to wipe them, Giles broke the silence. “Well, Buffy... You, er, said that you had something to tell your mother and me. I have to admit that I’m more than a little worried, as is your mother, I’m sure.” He turned to Joyce for confirmation, relieved when she nodded.

Taking a deep breath--it was now or never--Buffy fidgeted. Should she pussy-foot around until they guessed? Should she just blurt it out run away to her room? No. She‘d always faced her problems head on, and now was no time to change. “Mom, Giles, I’m sure you’ve both noticed that some of my habits have been, well, peculiar recently.” She looked at both of them as they agreed that something had been amiss in her behaviour. “Well, there’s a reason for all these changes.” Fighting back the tears that threatened to spill, she cupped her face in her hands, trying to keep an even keel. “Oh God,” she said, sniffling and trying to even her breathing. “I have no idea how to tell you this. You’ve both had such high hopes for me, you’ve held me in high regards, and now... now I’m sitting here, having to tell you that I’m pregnant.”

“Oh, Buffy!”

“Good Lord!”

Joyce’s and Giles’ exclamations came at once. Joyce, however, was the first to speak. “Buffy, I thought you were more responsible than this. Didn’t you use any precautions?”

There was no holding the tears back anymore. Hurt by the disappointment on both of their faces, Buffy couldn’t return their gazes. Through sobs, she managed to reply. “You don’t understand, Mom, we did use protection--we never did... anything... without a condom. Not once--I was always strict on that. I don’t know how this happened, but it did and now I‘m pregnant.” Lifting her head, she gave them both a stern look. “And nothing anybody says will convince me not to keep it.” It was a warning of sorts--she really wasn’t up to the abortion speech. Not again, not after Riley...

“And Riley left. He left me, and he left the baby, when I told him. He... he’s in South America, somewhere. I feel so alone...” The thought of her ex-boyfriend, the father of her child, sent the young woman into a new wave of weeping. She was surprised to feel her Watcher’s strong arms surround her in consolation. This uncommonly open display of affection by the man she considered a father comforted the Slayer in ways she‘d never be able to express. Instead, she leaned into his tender caress and let all her pent-up emotions flow.

Leaving Buffy with her surrogate father, Joyce went to the kitchen to get her daughter a glass of water. She also used the task as an excuse to have a moment to herself. She was torn between feelings of disappointment and empathy. Why was Buffy having sex, if she wasn’t ready for the possible repercussions of what it could lead to? She knew she wasn’t ready for a baby, yet she took the risk anyway. The more she thought of it, though, the more it seemed like Buffy was ready for it--it was Joyce who wasn’t ready. Wasn’t ready to accept that her daughter was old enough to have sex, old enough to bear children. She also wasn’t ready to be a grandmother--she was only 43, after all!

Well, this was a defining moment in her relationship with Buffy. She could either walk in there and scold her, playing the part of the cruel, condescending bitch of a mother, or she could accept Buffy’s situation and offer to help her out in any way she could. Remembering her own situation, with her own mother--and the reasons for which they hadn’t spoken in over 15 years, Joyce knew that there was only one option.

When she returned to the living room, she saw that Buffy was sitting on the couch next to Mr. Giles. It was odd knowing that this man, this librarian, was as important in her daughter’s life than she was. Joyce knew that over the last few years he had become a father figure to her, and the label seemed to fit him well. He had managed to calm the young woman down, and actually had her smiling. Handing the glass to her daughter, she took a seat in the recliner, across from the two others.

“Buffy, I’m sorry if my words earlier were harsh, but this totally came out of the blue. You have to understand that as your mother, it’s hard for me to accept that you’re old enough to have relations with young men, and even to have children. I know you’re a responsible young woman, and I’m really, really proud of you. I’ll stand by you, no matter what you decide to do with the baby.”

This was turning out much, much better than Buffy had anticipated. Her mom had only had a minor cow, and Giles had been more supportive than she imagined. All those scenarios of being thrown out of the house, of being cast away and unwanted had been needless worries. All the result of an overactive imagination coupled with the absolute worst news any young woman could deliver to her parents.

Wiping away the remnants of her tears, she reached over and took her mom’s hands in her own. “Thanks. To both of you. I want to keep this baby. It’s... it’s a miracle, really, for a Slayer to be pregnant. I realize it’s totally off the charts, but I really want to give this my best.” Turning to Giles, she gave him a tight grin. “I don’t know what this means with my patrolling, I mean I’m probably ok for now, but eventually...”

“No.” Giles’ voice cut her off. “As of this minute, I can’t allow you to put yourself, or your child, in danger. We’ll find a way of patrolling for you, even if...” His mouth pursed. “Even if we have to convince Spike to do it.”

“Spike?! Are you insane?”

“Buffy, he’s the only one who’s strong enough to replace you. The others and myself, we may have our hearts in the right place, but we saw a few summers ago how of little use we are when it comes to the actual physical aspects of your calling. I’m sure he can be convinced to assist us.”

“Honey, Spike’s not that bad once you get to know him.” Joyce felt like she had to speak up, to defend her hot cocoa buddy.

Buffy’s eyes narrowed. “Wait a minute. What do you mean he’s not that bad once you get to know him? How well do you know Spike, Mom?”

“First of all, don’t use that tone on me. Just because you’re going to be a mother yourself doesn’t mean that I stop being yours. Second of all, this is my house and I can invite whoever I want for a cup of cocoa. Especially someone who can listen as well as Spike can, or who enjoys Passions as much as he does.”

By now, Buffy was laughing. “Wait--no, this is too good. William the Bloody watches soaps? That’s too much! Giles, we’ll get him to work for us--all we have to do is threaten to put a notice up at Willy’s about this!”

Joyce was shocked that her daughter would stoop so low, not realizing that Spike would do the exact same thing had he the opportunity. “Buffy, no!”

Giles sighed. “Your mother’s right, Buffy. It wouldn’t be fair to her to use this knowledge against Spike. As strange as their, er, friendship is, we can‘t use it to our advantage. We’ll just have to convince him to work for us some other way.”

Buffy leaned back into the couch. “Yeah, either it’ll cost us too much money, or he’ll be expecting us to provide him with victims or something. I’m sure there’s a better way of doing this.”

“Well, I could talk to him about it next time he comes over for a visit...” Joyce knew this wouldn’t be a popular idea with Buffy, but perhaps Mr. Giles would recognize the leverage she could have with Spike. Although he’d never said it outright, the vampire respected her. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t convene at her home so often to ‘shoot the shit’, as he put it. Maybe she could use their friendship to convince the young man--well, not so young, really--to help them out.

The Slayer shot straight up out of her seat. “No, no, no--with a side order of no! Mom, you are not asking Spike to help me... help us. He’s a vampire. He’s evil, he’ll use this to his advantage and do something bad. No, we can’t trust him.” She sat back down, arms crossed in a ‘this conversation’s over’ gesture.

Joyce, however, was far from done. She couldn’t understand her daughter’s reluctance to see any good in the blonde vampire. “I’m sorry to pull out dirty laundry, Buffy, but Angel needed to be cursed with a soul in order not to be a danger to others. Spike has no such impediment, yet he doesn’t try to kill me. Why is that? Is his friendship with me part of some nefarious plan to kill us all?”

“Mom, that’s so not fair! Angel...”

“Yes it is fair, Buffy.” Giles couldn’t believe he was going to defend Spike, but they had no choice. They needed the arrogant vampire’s help, and Joyce was the only one who could get him to agree. Hell, maybe she could even get him to do it for free... “We need Spike--whether or not you’re willing to admit it, he’s the only individual who can match your prowess at slaying. It might take some convincing, but we have to at least try. If his friendship with your mother...”

“Please, call me Joyce.” It made her feel so old, being referred to as simply the ‘mother’, especially by someone of her own age. Someone well educated, well spoken and , yes, good-looking...

“Er, yes, of course. If his friendship with Joyce is any indication, Spike is the first vampire we’ve come across who seems to have the ability to control his demon. Perhaps we can use this to our advantage. Your moth... Joyce’s idea is the best option we have. If she can’t convince him, none of us will be able to--not with threats, not with stakes, not with violence. As strange as this sounds, cajoling may just be our best option.”

Buffy realized that her battle was lost. It would do her no good to expend any energy against her mother and Giles once they had their mind set on something. “Fine. But when he laughs in your face or if he asks for some ridiculous payment... I’ll say it now: I told you so.” With a huff, she left the house, slamming the door behind her.

“Oh dear. She’ll be truly unmanageable once her hormones kick in, won’t she?” The thought alone of a moodier Slayer frightened her watcher.

“You better believe it, Mr. Giles. She’ll be one heckuva handful.” Joyce turned to the man who remained seated on her couch. “Would you like something to drink?”

“A scotch, if you have any. And please...” Giles turned to Mrs. Summers--Joyce--and smiled. “...call me Rupert.”