The Last Night

By Shattered Faith

Joyce Summers gently picked at the remaining nail polish on her thumb from her date earlier that night. God how liberated she felt! She had been through so much emotional trauma lately, and she really needed a night to unwind.

A picture of her sweet daughters sat casually on her dresser. Joyce closed her eyes and smiled. Her sweet daughters. How wonderful they were! Buffy’s strength still amazed her to this day.

She wouldn’t deny that she wished nothing more for Buffy than for this – this Slayer thing to not be a part of her life, but Buffy was so strong. She could take anything that they threw at her. And she did.

And Dawn. Joyce remembered the day she brought Dawn home from the hospital. She remembered holding her sweet innocent baby in her arms, and she remembered little Buffy, asking if she could play dress-up with her new sister. The most amazing thing about this memory was that it didn’t exist.

Joyce knew that Dawn wasn’t really hers. She knew from Buffy that Dawn wasn’t really human, at least she wasn’t until only about six months ago. She had been a form on energy referred to as “The Key.” Joyce didn’t know the details of it other than monks had sent Dawn to Buffy so that Buffy would protect it because apparently, if Dawn fell into the wrong hands, the Hellgod would use her to open up some kind of evil dimension.

Joyce didn’t care about any of that. When she saw the picture, part of her mind fell upon the words “Slayer” and “Key” but the other part simply saw them as her beloved daughters. What they were didn’t matter to her. She loved them with every beat her heart gave.

Joyce gently fingered the small locket resting on her collarbone. She remembered when she got that. Buffy’s father had given it to Joyce when she first gave birth to Buffy. Her smile faded as memories of Hank swam around her head. At one time she had loved him so much, and she thought he loved her too. It had all been a lie. Joyce didn’t care about herself or her own fate, but she wished desperately that her girls could have spent their teenage years with a father around. Maybe Buffy wouldn’t always feel like she had to fix everything, and maybe Dawn wouldn’t feel so lost and confused.

Then she remembered Brian. Although tonight was their first date, she already felt sparks between them. He was so warm and bright and cheery, treating Joyce like she was the most sublime creature of the universe.

If she still felt those sparks on their second date, she would have to have Buffy meet him and see how they get along. Oh, she knew she couldn’t tell him about her daughter’s secrets, but she did want her daughters’ approval of him. She would never bring someone into their lives that they didn’t like. Everything she did, every breath she took every day was for them. No matter who came into her life, that was something Joyce never wanted to change.

Dawn interrupted her thoughts. “Mom? How was your date?” Joyce looked thoughtfully at her daughter’s innocent and hopeful expression.

“It was wonderful.” She said, spinning around once for dramatic effect. “We did a movie, and then dinner. He’s a wonderful talker!”

“Should I be worried?” Dawn said anxiously. Joyce laughed.

“No. I don’t even know how much I like him yet. If I still like him in another date or two, I promise I’ll bring him here for you and Buffy to meet.” She relaxed. “Now, come over here and give your mother a kiss goodnight.”

Dawn smiled with happiness and ran into her mother’s arms. Joyce tenderly stroked her hair, savoring the moment and making a brand new memory that she knew was real. She gently kissed her daughter’s forehead. She felt bad for Dawn, knowing how hard it was for her recently, coping with the new knowledge of where she had come from. But she, and Buffy, loved Dawn dearly and they were there for her every second of every day. “Mom?” Dawn said quietly. “Will Buffy stop her?”

Joyce’s eyes immediately filled with tears, but she strained them so her daughter wouldn’t see. “Yes, my darling. You know Buffy will, and you’ll be with us forever. I promise.”

The truth was, Joyce wasn’t sure what was going to happen but if lying to Dawn was a sin, she would gladly go to hell. She would die a thousand deaths for either of her girls. Dawn sat up and smiled lightly. “Goodnight, Mom. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Joyce suddenly grabbed Dawn from behind with a fake evil look on her face. “My little pumpkin-belly!” Dawn giggled.

“Mo-om!” She said, and wriggled out of Joyce’s grasp. “I’m going to bed now.”

“’Night.” She said, watching her daughter disappear down the hall. Joyce closed her eyes and laid down on her bed. She was tired. She hoped in her mind that her daughters would have a good night. And Brian. Maybe he would send her flowers. He seemed like the flower-type. If she was lucky.

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