Poetry and Cars by jamies

William took another deep breath before knocking on the door in front of him. he hated it when his memories overwhelmed him but at least the time the pain lasted was getting shorter. He rapped on the door again and listened to the racket of Buffy running down the stairs at a breakneck pace.

'I’ll get it!' he heard an unknown voice call as the door swung open to reveal a forty-something woman looking slightly harassed, and Buffy standing on the stairs trying to put a shoe on. She was hopping up and down on one already sandalled foot while attempting to climb down the last stair. She made the cutest little noise, like an angry kitten, as she struggled with the strap of her recalcitrant sandal and made it safely down the last step.

William had to smile at the look on her face; if she had been a kitten she would have been spitting at the step and her sandal.

‘You must be William and Mr. Giles: come on in,’ Joyce said. ‘I’ve just got to go and see to the dinner; would you like a drink before we eat? I have some beers in the fridge...’

'Please call me Giles,” his father said as William stood back to allow him to enter first. At least his father would have gone first if the dozy git had moved, but he seemed a little smitten at the sight of their hostess. After William had dug him in the ribs Giles remembered his manners finally, and handed the flowers across to his hostess.

‘This is William: and these are for you, Ms Summers,’ he said as he felt himself blush.

‘Joyce, please,’ the woman returned the smile. ‘Thank you very much, they are beautiful,' she said, accepting the orchids and freeing the men to allow them into the house. Buffy watched as her normally sensible mom seemed to lose the power of speech and smiled to herself. It was good to see her mom happy.

Dinner was a great success: the conversation flew around the table. Music, art, Giles and Joyce seemed to mesh and meld at every level. It wasn’t that they were carbon copies of each other, far from it. The discussion about modern art had blown up into a near row, but they sparked off one another. Giles thought some modern stuff was rubbish and Joyce thought it was great, at least that’s what she said but Buffy knew her mother better than that: she was winding her guest up. Dinner and the wine were finished at about the same time and they all headed into the sitting room.

‘We’ll clear up later, I’m enjoying this far too much,’ she told Giles as Buffy brought the coffee through from the kitchen. But Buffy had overheard her mother and after putting the tray on the low table she went back into the kitchen to start clearing up. William followed her in and picked up the tea towel, glad to see his father so relaxed.
Buffy and William cleared the kitchen in near silence, listening happily to the chatter next door. It wasn't an uncomfortable quiet, but the sort that normally only happened between good friends.

When the last plate was put away Buffy opened a low cupboard and moved a couple of boxes, pulling out a hidden cake. Her eyes sparkled as she put it on the work surface and she held her finger to her lips to ask William not to tell. He grinned as she put on the candles and pulled out his lighter from his back pocket. It was obvious he used it regularly as he flipped the lid and they watched as each candle accepted the flame. Buffy switched off the lights and William carried the offering into the sitting room before Joyce cold complain about the lack of light.

'Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,' they started singing and Giles' tenor voice sent shivers down Joyce's back; it sounded rich and trained.

'Do I count the candles?' he asked with a smile and Joyce looked horrified, but relaxed when she realised that there were only 10 on the cake.

'No, please don't, and no guesses either!' she added with a smirk.'It's not nice and I don't want to even think about it!'

'Mom, you're still young and not even approaching the hill of old age...'

'And that's enough of your cheek, young lady,' but Joyce's smile told Buffy she really wasn't in trouble.

William and Buffy had to smile at the way the 'olds' were getting on. The two younger members of the party weren't even missed when they slipped out the door and headed to the local club.

Joyce and Giles smiled at each other, did they really think that their parents HADN'T noticed the looks the kids were giving each other all evening? Joyce brought in another bottle of Merlot and they settled down to an evening of conversation, music and wine. Giles was pleased to see some of the music Joyce had got in her collection and had to smile at the sight of the Janus albums. She had the whole of the back catalogue, every one of the 37 albums ever recorded, including Live At Ephasus which had always been Giles' personal favourite. Though he thought the picture of Ripper on the cover was ridiculous: purple boa and makeup, on a grown man. Giles shuddered at the thought; how could anyone walk in those five inch heels?

'What made you come to Sunnydale, Giles?' Joyce asked, looking over his shoulder at the CD in his hand. 'I know it seems stupid to have every album, but I love the music and I've been collecting them since I was a teenager. I've got all the vinyl ones they have ever issued as well, but I keep them safe and away from Buffy; like most youngsters she has no concept of scratches, or at least she didn't when she was four...'

Giles laughed. 'I know that one, I've had to buy Ullysses seven times because of the scratches William inflicted on them, and the jam and the chocolate and the mud...'

Joyce laughed out loud at the picture Giles was painting of his son. 'That is so unfair, the poor man, it must have cost you a fortune!'

'It did, his mother made me promise not to kill him when he got into the collection for the third time.'

'She sounds nice.'

'She was.' He looked thoughtfully at the drink in his hands.

'Can I ask what happened?' She didn't want to pry but he seemed to want to talk and she had been there herself, in fact was still there.

'We divorced when William was very young, he must have been about ten or so by the time it was all finalised. I was an idiot to let her go, but it was my fault. I went off the rails: drink, drugs, women, you name it I tried it; and Anne needed to protect William from the moron who had fathered him, so she kicked me out. Took me years to realise just how wise she had been. And then last year she was killed, but we had made friends again, the last couple of years had been really great.' He picked up the wine and refilled both glasses. 'And you?' he asked in return.

'I was the wife who was cheated on, numerous times, and stolen from and treated like dirt.'

Giles looked up. 'I have honestly learned my lesson: no drugs, the occasional drink and I really don't do the cheating thing any more. Hell, I haven't done the dating thing for about 7 years!'

'Well we'll have to see what we can do about that, won't we?' Joyce was flirting with him, he knew it. Before things could get any more serious they were disturbed by the shrill sound of the telephone ringing. Joyce shot him an apologetic look before answering it; Giles watched as she twisted a stray lock of hair around her finger before writing something down on a note book.

The call lasted only a couple of moments, enough time for Giles to find another long-cherished record. He changed the one they had been listening to for Rush's Farewell to Kings and topped up the glasses again. Joyce settle back down on the rug and gratefully accepted the wine.

'I don't think I have ever drunk so much in a long time; I feel I'm getting tipsy here.'

'Well you shouldn't drink alone,' Giles smiled at her.

'I'm not. Giles, do you support any charities?' She asked, changing the topic of conversation.

'Sometimes. Why?'

'Well, the call was from a friend of mine who raises money for a local meeting place. It's called the Magic Box and it helps kids who have nowhere else to go: counselling, meeting place, drop in centre, whatever is needed. There are so many kids who have nothing and Faith is one of them. But she fought back from being on the streets and now helps look after the younger girls that come in. She's only a couple of years older than Buffy, but has been through hell. So I help her when I can.'

'So what do you need from me?'

'They are having a fund raiser and could do with some help. A local band are playing and its a ball-type of thing at a hotel.'

'Anything I can do to help, only too willing to do what I can. I try and support that sort of thing.'

'That would be wonderful!'

'When is it, the dance?' Giles asked as he kept looking at the Janus album sitting on the table. He couldn't take his eyes off of it.

'June 19th, it's a Saturday,' she told him.

'I should be back from England then. I'm due across there for an appointment at the beginning of June.'

'Ooh that's when Janus are playing the O2 arena in London. I would love to go: the first time they have been together in 15 years and the tickets sold out in less than 2 hours! Will you be going to see them?'

'I haven't seen a concert in a long time and I think I'll be too busy to watch Janus that night. I'm supposed to be meeting up with some old friends' he told her

'Wouldn't it be amazing if they came and played in the US again? A dream come true for me.' Joyce laughed and finished off the wine in her glass. 'Coffee?'

'Yes please, then I'll be going; it's getting very late.'