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Author's Chapter Notes:
sorry updates have been few and far between....
my son hasn't been well, we are expecting a visit to the specialist in Aberdeen at some point
Buffy had cleaned the house from top to bottom twice, ready for her Mom to arrive home. Willow and Tara had moved their stuff back to the dorm after filling the fridge with supplies and had promised some Bronze time as soon as possible, and Xander was due any moment to pick her up and drive her to the airport to meet William and everyone else when they got off the plane. Even Sheila from the Gallery had been round to check that everything was ready for Joyce's homecoming.

Now all Buffy had to do was get dressed. She'd tried on everything in her wardrobe and nothing seemed right at all. It was either too slutty or not slutty enough. Too young or too old. If she didn't hurry Xander would go without her. Much as she loved her friend he had no patience waiting around for her to get dressed.

She looked around the clothes scattered over her bed. It looked like she'd been fighting a wardrobe monster. Tucked under a pair of jeans there was a flash of green: her summer dress that she had bought last year and not worn. It was a halter neck and perfect with the white kitten sandals. Putting her hair into a messy ponytail she smeared on some gloss just as she heard the horn from Xander's car. Dashing downstairs she grabbed her bag and headed out. Out to meet William from the plane.

Sunnydale airport was heaving: there were police and security everywhere. Xander had trouble getting somewhere to park and Buffy leapt out at a no-waiting sign. Whatever was happening, it was big. She made her way into the arrivals hall, where more and more security seemed to be blocking every entrance.

'Can't go in there, miss, unless you are actually meeting someone off the 2pm plane,' she was told by someone who looked like they were part mountain and part troll.

'I'm meeting my boyfriend and mom...'

'Name?' Troll man asked.

'Buffy Summers,' she told him, trying to find her ID in her bag.

He checked the list in front of him. 'Sorry, no Buffy Summers on the flight. Out!'

'My name is Buffy Summers. I'm meeting my mom, Joyce Summers...'

He at least looked at the list again. 'Yep, here's her name... Joyce Summers. You got some ID, kid? 'Cause you're not getting any further without it.' Xander skidded up behind her as she searched through her bag. Her student's ID had her name and address on it and the troll checked it very carefully before letting them both in.

'Wonder what's happening?' Xander mused, before heading for the doughnut stand to stock up on lunch.

Buffy never hated being short as much as she did at this moment. She couldn't see a thing. There were crowds of photographers and press all over the place as well as hordes of what seemed like teenagers and their mothers everywhere. She climbed up some stairs to get a better view and some idiot pushed her into the handrail. Finally she could see the arrivals gate where security were making some sort of pathway through the crowd towards the exits. Buffy started waving and calling as she spotted Joyce and William come through, but the screaming from the mob covered any noise she could make. She watched in absolute disbelief as Giles, William, and her mother dived into a limousine that had pulled up outside. Buffy just sat where she was, not noticing anyone as the crowd dispersed. Xander found her ten minutes later, still sitting on the stairs, still wondering what had happened.

The drive home was a quiet one, the radio playing softly. Xander looked across at Buffy: she seemed numb after the airport and he wondered what had happened.

As soon as the car pulled up outside her house, she kissed him quickly on the cheek and ran inside, hoping her mother had made it safely home.

'Pumpkin, I thought you were going to meet us at the airport?' Joyce said as she hugged her daughter close. 'The house looks wonderful, though. The flowers were a nice touch.'

'They were from Willow and Tara, and I was there to meet you. I just couldn't get through the fans!' She didn't mean to sound petulant, and she knew she'd regret it but it just came out that way.

'They were a bit much. I must admit I was scared, but Giles took it all in his stride, and had cars waiting.' Joyce smiled at the memory of how well Ripper had looked after her.

'You had fun then?'

'Oh yes, we...' Joyce wasn't allowed to finish what she saying.

'NO DETAILS!' Buffy shouted at her mother. 'I really don't want details about what the two of you were up to while you were away!'

Joyce grinned: it wasn't a mother's smile, it was a grin. A 'I've been up to no good,' grin.

'Glad to be home?' Buffy asked.

'Glad to be back with you,' Joyce told her. 'Now, what have you been up to?'

They spent the next couple of hours catching up and chatting. Buffy loved every second of it, but now she wanted to see William. Not Spike, but William. She showered and dressed as quickly as possible before pulling on her jeans and top and heading out.

William watched as Buffy crossed the road. He'd been disappointed that she hadn't bothered to come and meet him, and even more upset when he'd seen her kiss the new boyfriend when he'd dropped her off.

He let his father answer the door, and hid in the garage with the one lady who would never let him down, his beloved deSoto.

'Hi Giles: is William around?' Buffy asked as the older man opened the door for her. It was her Giles there, not the rock star who had been to London with her mother, but her Giles.

'He's in the garage my dear, but he doesn't seemed to be in the best of moods at the moment,' the man answered softly. He knew that William wasn't happy with the girl, but for the life of him he didn't know why.

'I expect he's tired after all that travelling.' Buffy couldn't wait to see him. She'd missed him so much while he'd been away.

Neither of them had noticed that William had made his way into the kitchen to get a drink, and was now eavesdropping from behind the door. He didn't want to see Buffy, he didn't want to see the betrayal in her eyes, but he couldn't help but listen in to what she was saying.

'Your mother was expecting you at the airport: was everything alright?' Giles asked as he fetched his tweed jacket from the cupboard under the stairs. He needed to go out but didn't want to leave William and Buffy alone in the house if there was going to be trouble.

'Yep, lots. We went, but we couldn't get anywhere near you all through the crowds, and then you vanished off in a limo. Xander took forever to find me, then the traffic was horrendous leaving. So poor Mom had to come home to an empty house and me late.' Buffy was getting breathless, trying to tell him everything in one breath, and failing. Giles smiled.

'Your mum wasn't too happy about the crowds, seems someone had let the press know that Janus were flying in, though why anyone would want to stand and scream at an old man like me I have no idea,' Giles grinned at her and Buffy smiled back.

William chose that moment to make his presence felt. He'd been an idiot not to trust Buffy. Xander was in the car, and he'd seen them share a hug and a kiss in front of him. She'd been sitting on his lap and given Xander a kiss before now. William was just glad he hadn't said anything stupid. His mouth would have been writing cheques his nose would have had to pay, if the stories Joyce had told him were any guide.

'William!!' Buffy screamed as she flew into his arms, kissing him all over his face. William barely had time to catch her as she launched herself into his embrace.

'I'll be leaving, then,' Giles said as he walked out the door, shutting it firmly behind him, protecting the young lovers from view.





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