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Author's Chapter Notes:
Told ya there'd be Spuffiness. Please review.
Chapter 2: A Long Expected Party


It had been years since Joyce had found the Ring in Gollum's cave. After she returned to the Shire she started a family, she had two daughters and lived in a Hobbit hole in Sunnydale; the nicest province in the Shire. Life for Hobbits was simple, they valued peace and quiet and they all share a love of things that grow. Joyce was a saint of a lady, but her daughters were the scourge of the Shire. Buffy Summers, Joyce's eldest daughter was the most headstrong Hobbit ever known, she was the strongest Hobbit in Sunnydale, she always said that one day she'd be known as a slayer of evil monsters, she would sneak out at night all the time. Especially to see Spike. Spike, so nicknamed for fending off a wolf with a steel spike, had known Buffy since they were children. And noone in the Shire had ever seen any 2 Hobbits more in love; even when they fought and acted like they hated eachother it was plain to see that they were crazy about eachother. Dawn, on the other hand was a terror. She invented the term kleptomaniac and ,with her friend Andrew, she always managed to swipe the best vegetables from Farmer Maggot's crop.

Today was a very special day in the lives of the Summers family, it was Joyce's 111th birthday and rumour had it that a very close friend was returning to the Shire.

Buffy sat beneath a tree enjoying the sunshine, when she heard a familiar voice singing in the distance. She jumped up and ran towards the voice till she saw him; an old (well not to old) man with glasses, dressed in a grey robe and a pointed hat riding in a wagon towards the Shire. She hadn't seen him in so long she couldn't wait to talk to him.

"You're late." Buffy said calmly to the old man.

"A wizard is never late, Buffy Summers. Nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to." the man said sternly. The 2 of them just stared at eachother for a few moments till they could help but burst out laughing.

"It's great to see you Giles!" Buffy said as she jumped at him and gave him a huge hug.

"You didn't think I'd miss your mother's birthday?" Giles said smiling. Buffy took a seat next to him on his wagon and they rode into the Shire. "So how are you and your mother and sister doing?"

"You know Dawn, she and Andrew have been nothing but trouble. Mom's got the whole place in a uproar. Half the Shire's invited to the party tonight, and everyone else is showing up anyway. She's up to something, she thinks I don't notice."

"Really?" asked Giles.

"It's your fault you know."

"Beg your pardon?"

"Before you came along we Summerses were well thought of. Never had any adventures or did anything unexpected, she always said you were a bad influence on me and Dawn."

"If you are refering to that business with the dragon, I was hardly involved. All I did was give your mother a little push out the door."

"Well, you're still considered a disturber of the peace around the Shire."

"Yes, well then. Are you still seeing that bastard Spike?"

"Giles! Spike can be a good man once you scratch the surface."

"You couldn't convince me that boy is any good if you scratched down to te bone."

"Well, he and I are together and there's nothing anyone can do about it."

"Indeed." Giles said as he cleaned his glasses. They rode on and set off a few fireworks for some kids who saw them ride by. They were near the Summers home when suddenly something jumped out of a bush and scared the bejesus out of the Hobbit and the wizard. Spike laughed at his little scare.

"Spike!" Buffy said annoyed, glaring at the blonde Hobbit.

"Sorry luv, couldn't resist givin' Rupes here a good fright." said Spike, laughing at the flustered wizard.

"Must you always get your kicks by annoying me, Spike?" Giles asked dryly.

"Of coarse not, I also get my kicks when Buffy comes to my place for a bit of the rough and tumble." said Spike, smirking as Giles paled.

"I did not need to hear that." said Giles, once again cleaning his glasses.

"Um, he means training." said an embarrassed Buffy. "He and I spare, practise fighting moves."

"I'd wager she could take down a full grown troll." added Spike, with an amount of pride."Luv, I need your help with some stuff for your mum's party."

"Ok Spike," She gave Giles a quick hug and climbed out of the wagon. "I'm glad you're back Giles."

"So am I Buffy, so am I" Giles said watching Buffy and Spike run away. He finally reached Casa de Summers on Revello Drive, looking forward to seeing Joyce again. He went to the door of the hobbit hole and knocked on the door.

"NO THANK YOU!" came Joyce's voice from inside "WE DON'T WANT ANY VISITORS, WELLWISHERS OR DISTANT RELATIONS!"

"An what about very old friends?" Giles called back to her. The door flew open and Giles came face to face with his dearest friend.

"Rupert?" Joyce asked, not believing her eyes. "Rupert Giles?!"

"Hello Joyce." said Giles, grinning from ear to ear. "It's so good to see you."

"I know, i missed you too." said Joyce as she hugged him.

"111 years old, who'd believe it?" Giles said as he looked at her face for the first time. "You haven't aged a day." She really hadn't, she looked the same she did 60 years ago when they first met.

"Come inside." Joyce said as she ushered her oldest friend into her house. "Can I get you some tea or hot chocolate? I got little marshmallows."

"No thank you." said Giles, when suddenly they heard shouting and banging at the door.

"I'm not at home." Joyce whispered "It's the Sackville-Summerses, they want the house. I've got to get away from my relatives, they come knocking all the time never give me a moment's peace. I want to see mountains again and finish my book."

"So your going through with your plan?"

"Yep, everything's ready for tonight."

"I think Buffy and Dawn suspect something."

"Of coarse they do, they're Summers women. Not some bimbo Meers girls from Initiative."

"They'll miss you. They both love you you know." Joyce looked a little saddened at that statement.

"Yes they do, and I love them too. They'd probably go with me if i asked them. I know Buffy always talks about being a slayer of evil monsters, I think in her heart she still loves the Shire. The woods, the fields, the little rivers. I'm old Rupert. I know I don't look old, but I feel it in my heart." as Joyce turned, Giles noticed her hand in her pocket grasping something with white knuckle grip. "I feel think. Sort of stretched like a small amount of butter spread over too much bread. I need a vacation, a very long vaction. I don't think I'll be coming back. In fact I don't intend to."

***later at the party***

It was a great party; the music was playing, people were dancing, Joyce was telling some children stories, and Giles was setting off his famous fireworks. Buffy went from th dance floor to where Spike was sitting with a mug of ale.

"Come on Spike, dance with me." she said feeling the music. Spike shifted nervously, he wasn't the kind of guy who danced in public.

"Not bloody likely. I think I'll just have another ale." he said looking away.

"Oh no you don't!" Buffy said as she dragged him out onto the dance floor. Nobody noticed as two Hobbits snuck into Giles' wagon and started looking through the fireworks. Dawn and Andrew knew Giles always kept the best fireworks for last and were determined to find a good one.

"No get a big one, Andrew." Dawn ordered, as Andrew pulled out a big red firework shaped like a dragon. They snuck into a tent at the edge of the party and set it up. After they set it up Andrew lit it.

"Done." said Andrew happily, as Dawn looked upset.

"Your supposed to stick it in the ground!" Dawn said angrily.

"It is in the ground." Andrew said defensively.

"OUTSIDE!" Dawn shrieked.

"THIS WAS YOUR IDEA!" Andrew let out an unmanly scream as the dragon rocket shot into the air. The firework burst into a huge spectral dragon that swooped down on the partygoers before summersaulting into the sky and lighting up the night sky with great bursts of color.

"That was great! Let's get another one." Dawn said excitedly, before she felt a strong hand grab her ear.

"Dawn Summers and Andrew Wells, I should've known." Giles said scoldingly as he sent the busted hobbits to wash the dishes from the party. Once everything settled down Joyce got up to make her speech.

"My dear Summerses and Harrises! Wells and Maclays! Meerses! Finns! Rosenbergs! Jenkinses! Burkles! and Wyndam Pirces!

"Wyndam Pryces!" said a voice from the crowd.

"Today is my 111th birthday. But eleventy one years is still not enough time to spend with such wonderful Hobbits. I don't know half of you half as well as I should like and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."Joyce continued to the now confused audience. "I have things to do. I put this off to long. I regret to announce that this is the end, I'm leaving now. I love you all, Goodbye" she finished as she disappeared.

***at the Summers house***

Joyce took the Ring from her finger and reappeared in her home. She began to get her things together when Giles appeared.

"I suppose you think that was rather funny?" Giles said shortly.

"I know, I know 'magic has consequences'. It won't happen again. You will keep an eye on my girls, won't you?"

"Both eyes, as often as I can spare them."

"I'm leaving everything to Buffy."

"Including that ring of yours, is that staying to?"

"Yes, it's in an envolope on the fireplace." Joyce said distracted, until she remembered something. "Wait, it's not there. It's in my pocket. That's strange." She held the Ring in her hand and looked at it with desire shining in her eyes. "But after all, why shouldn't I keep it?"

"I think you should leave it here Joyce, is that so hard?" Giles asked.

"Well no...and yes" Joyce said sounding increasingly aggitated. "I don't feel like giving it up. It's mine! I found it! It came to me!"

"There's no need to get angry." Giles said, becoming more unsettled.

"Well if I'm angry it's your fault!" Joyce said, voice dripping with venom. "It's mine.My own. My precious."

"Precious?" Giles said now deeply troubled. "It's been called that before, but not by you."

"ARGH! WHERE THE HELL DO YOU GET OFF TELLING ME WHAT TO DO WITH MY OWN THINGS?!" Joyce screamed, eyes full of rage.

"I think you've had that ring long enough." said Giles sternly.

"YOU WANT IT FOR YOURSELF! YOU BASTARD!" Joyce yelled,

"JOYCE SUMMERS! DO NOT TAKE ME FOR SOME CONJUROR OF CHEAP TRICKS!" Giles yelled. his voice becoming deeper and the room growing darker. "I AM NOT TRYING TO ROB YOU!" Giles anger deflated and he became the same Giles she knew. "I'm trying to help you. All the years I've known you, we've been friends. Trust me please, let it go." He said as he comforted Joyce.

"You're right Rupert, the Ring must stay here." she picked up her pack and walked to the door.

"Joyce." Giles called after her. "You still have the Ring in your pocket."

"Oh right." Joyce smiled guiltily and pulled the Ring from her pocket. She grudgingly let the Ring fall to the floor with a heavy resounding thump. She walked out the door, a weight lifting off her shoulders "I thought up an ending to my book. 'And they lived happily ever after to the end of their days.'Goodbye Rupert, take care of my girls." and with that, she walked into the night.

"Until our next meeting." Giles said silently. He turned back into the house and stared down at the Ring. He was filled with dread, hoping his suspicions were wrong. He reached down to pick up the Ring, when suddenly an image flashed through his mind. Giles had a vision of an Eye, made of fire and an unspeakable evil came from its gaze. And it was gone again, leaving Giles very troubled. He cleaned his glasses with such vigour he almost broke them.

"Mom! Mom!" Buffy called as she came running into the house and saw Giles. "She's gone, isn't she? She always talked about leaving so much, I disn't think she'd really do it." she looked at Giles who seemed deep in thought. "Giles?"

"Hmmm?" Giles turned to Buffy and noticed the Ring in her hand."She's gone to stay with the elves. She left you the house and all her possessions." Giles held up an envolope and Buffy set the Ring in it. "The Ring is yours now. I think you should put it somewhere out of sight." he said handing her the envolope. "I'm afraid I must be going myself."

"Why? Where are you going?" Buffy asked a little upset.

"I have some things to look into."

"What things?" she said becoming more confused.

"Questions that need answering."

"But you just got here. I don't understand."

"I'm sorry Buffy. Keep it secret. Keep it safe." Giles said and then he was gone. Buffy sat on the floor, tears falling. Her mother had vanished and now the closed thing she ever had to a father had left to.

"Buffy! Buffy have you found her?" asked Spike as he ran into the house. Spike noticed that there were tears in her eyes. "What's wrong luv?"

"Mom's gone without telling me and now Giles is gone." Buffy sobbed. Spike's heart broke as he hugged her.

"I'm sorry pet, but don't you worry. You still got me and Dawn and everybody. We'll stay with you." He said soothingly, stroking her hair as she cried.





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