Disclaimer in part 1.
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Joyce Summers moved towards the stairs. She was expecting a phone call. It was making her nervous, so she’d decided to clean the house. Again. When Buffy came home, she wouldn’t recognize the place. If she came home. No she wouldn’t think that way. He promised.
The downstairs was spotless. She might just give Buffy’s room another quick dusting. As she climbed the first step, the doorbell rang. He said he’d ring. Perhaps the news was too important for the phone. She opened the door. To find the last person she expected on the other side.
“Hello Mother.”
“Buffy!” She folded her daughter in her arms. She didn’t notice at first that her hug wasn’t returned. “I-I’ve been so worried about you. Where have you been? Let me look at you.”
She stepped back, unable to stop the tears that seemed at such contrast with her smile. Then she saw the expression on Buffy’s face. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
“Invite? Buffy, this is your home.” She moved aside, allowing her daughter to brush past her. The door closed behind them.
“Which you threw me out of.” Buffy turned to face her mother again. She should have felt guilty for what she’d put her through. Instead, she felt rage. How dare she put Giles in jail.
“I was upset. You were saying foolish things. I didn’t mean it.” She was begging her daughter’s understanding. This wasn’t right. “But its allright now. You’re back. We can clear up any misunderstanding. And you’re safe.”
“From what? The demons? Monsters? Or perhaps you mean from Giles.”
Didn’t she understand? “Buffy, he’s an evil man. He filled your mind with nonsense. He - he may have been responsible for two murders.”
“You don’t know him! He couldn’t do anything evil! As for the murders, one of them was the woman he loved! It almost destroyed him! I know who was responsible for those murders mother! And it wasn’t Giles.”
“Not more of this vampire rubbish.”
“Think mother. Remember. You saw me destroy one of them. Why are you still denying it?”
Joyce felt confused. So much had happened in the past few months. “There was this man.”
“What man?”
“He works for the mayor. He came to see me. To talk about you. He explained about Mr. Giles. Said the police had been watching him for a while. That he took impressionable teenagers like you, and filled their minds with talk of demons and vampires.”
“And you believed him? Over me?”
“Buffy I was confused. Scared for you. He said he could help me find you. He seemed so - normal. So nice.”
“Who is he?”
“It’s funny. He’s English. Like Mr. Giles.”
Buffy started. Now she knew.