Dru sat at the bus terminal waiting for the next bus to depart to L.A. in a few hours. A part of her was glad no one had come to look for her, and the other part felt abandoned and unloved, but mostly not surprised. The voices in her head argued back and forth about if she deserved anyone to come and find her. One voice even mocked her by saying, "If you wanted them to find you, then you should've left a few bread crumbs or made some noise when you left."
Thinking back over the last 24 hours she realized she'd come to town with a boyfriend and a plan for her future. Now she was leaving town alone and with a vague plan to start her life over. For some reason it didn't anger her that Spike was now with Buffy, and she realized it was because she was never in love with him to begin with. Again, she became faced with her greed and selfish behavior. She was beginning to believe she didn't know what love was, or that she'd ever know.
Dru wondered if she'd be able to spend a few days in her dorm room until she could figure out more about what she was to do. It was already paid for this semester, and all she would need was for some way to pay for food. She would think it over the next couple of days, since she didn't have to return back to school until Tuesday. She was afraid to fall asleep with the few homeless people watching her and eyeing her bags, so she let her thoughts and fears keep her awake.
*******
Hank walked up the stairs behind his wife, feeling content she was holding his hand. He'd find a way to make things work between them; he would move heaven and earth to make sure he didn't lose his wife. The fact he never felt this way after losing Dawn picked at his brain, and he'd have to ask Dr. Rayne about that. The only thing he could think was the shock of losing the precious little angel who'd fought so hard to live when she was born. Only to have her life robbed by some maniac who held no value in her life, numbed him at the time to everything else around him.
As they walked down the hall he stopped at Dru's door and his heart went out to his oldest child. The need to make sure she was safely tucked in bed called to him to check on her. He felt Joyce's hand squeeze his giving him the incentive to open the door.
Joyce noticed her husband's frown as he turned the doorknob to Dru's room. She understood how he'd be worried, and to be honest she was worried about the young woman herself. After hearing Hank tell her about his confrontation with Dru and his darkest fears about her past, she felt the same guilt he did. To think if they'd done the right thing and investigated Dru's past, they might have prevented her feeling like an outcast.
The idea they may have overlooked the fact Dru might have been abused and neglected by the girl's natural mother broke her heart and opened her eyes again to how she failed yet another of her daughters. She could still hear the dread in Hank's voice when he shared his worst fear that his eldest daughter may have been sexually molested, or physically and mentally abused by Dru's own mother, and he'd not been there to protect her.
Hank knew there was a chance that he and Joyce would work things out. But first he had two daughters from whom he needed to ask forgiveness. He needed to do everything in his power to get his middle child to give him another chance, and this time he'd do what he could to make it right with her. The only problem that would interfere would be Dru. He truly prayed he got a chance to work things out with his eldest as well. Both his girls needed him and he felt like a rubber band being stretched far too thin right now.
Hank knocked on the door, something telling him he needed to know his daughter was safe and sound. "Dru, are you okay?"
Joyce sighed as she moved closer to Hank, placing her free hand on his shoulder, offering him her support. "I can go and get the keys from our room."
"Please, Joyce, go and get them." He whispered, hoping he didn't find his daughter lying hurt on the other side.
Joyce hurried to their bedroom to get the keys they had for each bedroom tucked away in the one bedside table. She prayed they'd find Drusilla unharmed, but something told her their life was about to be turned upside down once again. Opening the drawer and grabbing the keys, Joyce knew there was a good chance that Dru had already run from them. In a way she could understand the young woman's plight, it was easier to run and rebuff those who you fear will reject you.
By the time she returned Hank was beating on the door and yelling, "Dru, open the damn door, please."
"Here, Hank." Joyce calmly said as she handed him the keys. "I don't know which one is which."
Hank frantically took the keys and attempted several of them before he found the one he was looking for. Unlocking the door he pushed it open and quickly entered the room in a semi-panic state. Seeing the room was empty and there was no sign that his daughter had hurt herself allowed him to relax briefly until it hit him.
"God, Joyce…. she’s gone." He cried as he noticed some of her things were missing. "Where could she have gone?"
Joyce took a deep breath, refusing to let her fear and anger take over as she calmly said, "There are only two ways she'd be leaving town at this time of night, with her limited resources. Either she's hitchhiking out of town or at the bus station."
Hank's eyes grew large as he started to think of the terrible things that could happen if Dru was hitching rides with strangers. "Let's go and check out the bus station. I'm sure no buses have left yet, and if she's there we can catch her before she leaves."
"I'll drive because you're too upset right now." Joyce told him firmly. "Let's go bring our daughter home."
Hank looked at the woman before him and wondered when she'd become so strong. It amazed him she was willing to do this for Dru, who was of no blood relation to her whatsoever. "Thank you, Joyce. I know you don't have to do this."
"For better or worse the vows said, and Dru never asked to be brought into this world. She will have to face the consequences of her actions, but they in no way warrant her being forsaken and cast out of her family. I think it's time she realized she is wanted and what better way than to make her deal with her family and seek their forgiveness and pray she forgives us our mistakes as well."
"I just hope we're not too late." Hank sighed as he followed Joyce downstairs.
"We've done enough damage over this, I think it's time we start to rebuild this family. If it doesn't break you, it can only make you stronger." Joyce vowed as she grabbed the car keys to go and bring Drusilla home.
*******
Faith reached over to turn out the light and saw Buffy was already asleep. Soon after their emotional reunion everyone thought it best to retire. It was then she really noticed how in tune with each other Buffy and Spike were. He'd come back from the kitchen with a tall glass of water and handed it to Buffy.
She watched how he sat on the couch and Buffy followed and sat right next to him. The way their bodies touched spoke lovers, even though she knew they hadn't reached that stage in their relationship yet. But she believed it was coming, and she and Miss 'B' would have to have a serious talk about safe sex and birth control. Then she and the blonde hunk would have a heart to heart on what she'd cut off if he hurt her best friend.
Since meeting Buffy and seeing her home life, a day didn't go by that she didn't give thanks to whoever was in charge of their lives. The only regret was losing her parents so young. She wouldn't change her brother or sister for the world, and never thought twice about the day she befriended Buffy in the park so many months ago.
Faith looked over to make sure Buffy was sleeping comfortably, smiling to herself she said, "I'm glad you came in to my life. You've shown me what it's like to have true friend." Unable to fight it any longer Faith too fell into a peaceful slumber.
*******
Spike tossed and turned as he lay in bed thinking about everything that had happened over the last 24 or so hours. Here he was just a few feet away from his future when he'd not broken it off with his past. The fear of things going badly is what kept him awake, knowing he should've handled things differently with Dru. But time had been his enemy, and now he'd have to face Dru later today and set matters straight once and for all.
Hank didn't worry him, for he knew the man had his own behavior to sort out. Nothing he did today would come close to what Hank had done to Buffy. Just thinking about the man caused Spike to growl and roughly punch and reposition his pillow just thinking about Hank pushing all this on Buffy.
Ethan had told him they needed to talk in the morning since they both were very tired and needed to rest. He'd never seen his uncle look so sad, except the time the doctors told him about Julia's condition most likely being irreversible. Even today that broke his heart to know he'd been the one driving the car the night of the accident.
"Da, Mum, if either of you are listening and have some say with the man upstairs, ask him to make everything work out for my girl and her family. I love her, and she deserves much better than she's been getting." Spike prayed as he drifted off to sleep. "
*******
Joyce grabbed Hank's arm as he started to get out of the car and said, "No, Hank. I think it's best I do this. She won't believe I want to work this out if you're there too. She'll just think I'm doing it because you're there."
"I want her to know I came for her." Hank begged.
"And she will see that when I'm done and bring her out to the car." Joyce replied, with an understanding smile and tears in her eyes. "I think if we can make her understand she's a part of this family and is wanted here, it will help with her and Buffy talking, and make her believe she is loved."
"Joyce, I can't lose her, not after everything that's happened and I know now I messed up."
"No, Hank, we messed this up, you didn't do this alone." Joyce said, offering him comfort, "It's time we started acting like a family and treat each other like we matter to each other."
Hank leaned in and gently kissed his wife, "I'm sorry I failed you."
"Let's start with changing the word from fail to, I promise to do better to make this marriage and family work." Joyce replied, hoping he'd get the hint.
"Then, let's get this going so we can take our daughter home."
Joyce smiled as she said, "That's exactly what I wanted to hear. One daughter at a time, first Dru and then tomorrow we work on getting Buffy home where she belongs."
"I like how you think Mrs. Summers." Hank agreed as he stepped back so she could go inside the bus station.
*******
Dru felt afraid when two homeless men sat across from her, both looking at her strangely. How they kept looking at her and then her bags, she was worried they were going to try and rob her. The ticket agent looked bored and wasn't paying them any attention to her plight. To be honest he looked like he was sleeping on the job.
"Where ya' goin' honey?" The older one asked, looking all wrinkled and missing all of his teeth.
Dru sat quietly, trying to ignore them. She couldn't help but feel stupid and incompetent, once confronted by the men who she would have to learn to deal with very soon. The thought of living on the street if need be was starting to scare her as she realized these were the people she'd be living around. Men who'd hurt her for a piece of bread, or take anything they thought she had of value.
"I think she's afraid of us, Carl." The other man snickered.
"Could be right, Bob." Carl replied with a hint of evil to his voice. "Are you afraid of us poor defenseless homeless victims, baby doll?"
Dru stood to leave and found both men on either side of her. Each man grabbed an elbow and started pulling her to the door. She was about to scream when she saw Joyce walk through the door.
Joyce immediately noticed Dru's distress and acted on her motherly instincts, "Get the hellaway from my daughter if you know what's good for you."
Both men stopped and noticed the angry expression on the woman's face, causing them to turn and run for the back. Something told them this woman was not one to be easily handled and that the ticket agent was now awake and calling the cops.
The first thing Joyce noticed was how Dru looked like a lost little girl who'd just seen the boogie man. Gone was the confident look she could remember on the other woman's face since the day she came to live with them. Maybe that should've alerted her that things weren't right with Dru, for how confident could a twelve-year-old be who was meeting her father and his new family for the first time.
"Are you okay?" Joyce asked as she slowly approached the young woman.
Dru stood in disbelief, not only because Joyce just saved her from those awful men, but mostly because the woman was actually here. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't make her voice work, all she could do was stand still staring at Joyce with a mixture of emotions flowing through her.
Joyce could see the difficulty Dru was having with her being here. She realized the young woman was shocked at her presence and it made her heart soften more toward her stepdaughter.
"Why are you here?" Dru asked suspiciously, and then it hit her what Joyce had said about getting away from her daughter.
"I've come to take you home." Joyce simply said.
"You don't want me there." Dru scoffed at Joyce's answer, "My father must have put you up to this."
"No, he didn't. In fact he wanted to come in himself and I talked him into letting me come instead." Joyce answered firmly. "I thought it best that I be the one to make sure you come home."
"But why would you want me? I know Buffy told you I'm the one that left Dawn."
"Yes, and your father told me about what you said and believe." Joyce replied, seeing what Hank had told her what he saw in the young woman. "I have one question for you, Dru."
Dru felt her heart flutter as she asked, "Then ask, I promise to answer as honestly as I can."
"Do you want to be a part of this family?"
Dru's eyes grew large as she felt her chest tighten. She wasn't sure how to answer, for she was sure it was all a set up to send her packing but broken if she answered yes. Her indecision was written on her expression and was enough for Joyce to see and understand the girl's reluctance to answer.
"Come home for tonight. We can get some much needed rest and go from there." Joyce suggested, knowing she wasn't going to win the young woman's trust any other way.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Dru asked.
"Yes!"
"This could be difficult. Buffy might not want to come home if she knows you want me there."
Joyce realized then that Dru was worried they'd choose Buffy over her, and she rightly should worry. It was then she realized the dangerous path her family was on. Blood ties could divide them if she wasn't careful. She knew then that her husband would choose Dru, only because she had no one else, since Buffy had her mother.
"Dru, I want this family to stay together. We all have done things we should be and are ashamed of. The only way we can make it right and overcome them is to work together. It's going to take some hard work on all our parts to make this happen, but I believe we can if we want to. I know I do want it to work. How about you? Do you want it to work?"
"I don't think you or Buffy will ever forgive me for all the bad things that I've done." Dru confessed her voice hoarse from fighting back the tears.
"Please, Dru, do this for yourself and for us. Let us be there for you. I promise we won't let you down again." Joyce vowed.
"You've never promised me anything before." Dru whispered.
Joyce stared at her confused, "Pardon?"
"You'd always tell me you'd try to make it to my school functions but never could. Either it was because you had something to do with Dawn or Buffy, or someone you volunteered for. But you'd promise Buffy and Dawn you'd be there front and center." Dru explained, feeling a need to get this memory put to rest once and for all. "So I stopped even telling you about them."
Joyce tried to pull up a time she'd went to see something Dru had done at school and realized she hadn't. She'd been so caught up mostly in helping Dawn at school, since she needed more attention at first with her attention deficit and hyperactivity. She realized she had a lot of explaining to do to both Dru and Buffy about their youngest sister's underlying problems.
"Oh, Dru…I was pulled in so many directions back then I failed to see that going on. We do have so much to talk about, things your father and I should've been more open about with both you and Buffy about Dawn." Joyce sighed, "But, we have many tomorrows to work this all out. I just hope you decide to come home and be a part of this family."
"You really want me to come home?"
"Yes, I do. I want to be here for you any way I can. I have a feeling things weren't easy for you growing up with your mother. I just hate myself for not being more insistent about learning more about your time before coming to us. I want to be a better mother to both you and Buffy."
"You want to be my mother?"
"Yes, I do." Joyce answered knowing she was doing the right thing at this moment for her and her family. "It won't be easy, for we have so much to talk about and get through, but it will be worth it. I really do believe that."
"What if Buffy wants nothing to do with me?"
"We will deal with that problem if it occurs." Joyce replied, "But I have a feeling you both will be able to work out your differences."
"I want to come home." Dru whispered as the tears fell, surprising both her and Joyce because in all of Dru's years she couldn't remember ever crying.
Joyce stepped forward and took the young woman in her arms and knew once she had that this had been the right thing to do. Now, the healing could begin once Buffy talked things out with Hank and Dru. In her heart she knew it would all work out in the end, but it was going to be one hell of a ride.
"Let's go before your father tears down the door and comes rushing in." Joyce told Dru as sobbed against her.
Joyce looked up and noticed Hank was already in the station and collecting Dru's things. The look on his face made her heart race with a feeling of passion that had been missing for so long in their marriage. The act of one crazy insane man had been the catalyst that tore this family apart, but she realized they'd been tearing themselves apart little by little before that. Joyce said a brief prayer to the powers that be they still had a family they could salvage, as she led Dru out of the station and toward the car.
Hank sat in the back with his daughter as Joyce drove them home. Her heart broke more for the young woman behind her who was crying her heart out on her father's shoulder. The deep sobs no one could ever fake, and it spoke to her of years and years of pain and suffering finally being brought to light so they could deal with them and help Drusilla move on to a better life. Joyce found herself looking forward to the future for the first time, since her miracle child's tragic death.
*******
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Author's Chapter Notes:
To get to the good you sometimes have to learn about the bad........