A/N Everyone needs to say thanks to my wonderful beta Athenahahn.

As everyone took their places, Dawn curled up at Buffy’s feet, trying not to be noticed.  Buffy however, saw her and just smiled.  “Joycie, I think Dawn should hear this too; she can miss one day of school right?”

 

Joyce laughed and said, “Yes, she can stay up and listen.  I’ll call her off sick tomorrow.”

 

Spike, being more than a little interested in the golden girl sitting so regally, took up a position slightly to one side, but close enough to touch, if he dared.

 

Once everyone was comfortably seated, Buffy began her story.

 

“I won’t go into detail about my life prior to finding Joyce.  If it’s relevant at some point I will indulge your curiosity, but the story of my life would take more years than any of you have to spare.  So I’ll just keep to how Joyce became mine.”

 

Buffy’s eyes took on a distant look, as she revisited her memories of that time.

 

“I was in New York on business; fortunately for all concerned, someone took care of the situation for me, leaving me free to discover someone who would change my life.  It was roughly midnight ; the moon was high in the sky, providing enough light to see by.  I had decided to take a walk through Central Park and think on events.  The path wandered in and out amongst the trees, providing some deep shadows in which those who prefer the darkness could hide.

 

“I was just approaching a large copse of trees, when I heard a gunshot, and a woman’s scream.  Never being one to think before I act…” and at this Buffy gave a quiet chuckle, “I darted into the shadows under the trees and saw a young man, in his late twenties, lying in a pool of blood, a bullet hole between his eyes.  The killer had his left arm wrapped around a struggling girl who looked about six years of age,  His gun was pointed at the woman who had issued the scream, and was telling her in quite vulgar language, and in great detail, what he was gonna do with the girl.

 

“Just as I prepared to step out of the shadows, he shot the woman in the upper chest, fatally wounding her, but not killing her instantly.  He began to touch the little girl, in places I won’t mention…”

 

As she said this, Spike gave a deep growl, his eyes flickering from their deep blue to a fiery gold.

 

Everyone had looks of horror and disgust on their faces and Tara was weeping softly, being the sensitive person that she was.

 

Buffy reached over and touched Spike gently on the cheek, “Easy there sport, don’t be getting all fangy on me now, okay?”

 

Spike nodded and settled for glaring at a spot on the floor.

 

Buffy took a deep breath and continued, “As you’ve seen, I carry a sword.  And I carry it everywhere.  One of the perks of being me, I guess.  At any rate, I unsheathed my sword and placed it on the back of the man’s neck.  I told him in no uncertain terms to let the girl go, and step away.  He told me to go fuck myself.”  Buffy snorted and laughed darkly.  “He should have listened…  I looked into the terrified eyes of that little girl, and made my decision.  I squeezed my eyes almost shut, trying to get her to close her eyes.  She understood and closed her beautiful green eyes.”  Buffy looked over at Joyce and smiled gently.

 

“In less than 2 seconds his head had been removed from his shoulders, and I kicked at his corpse as it fell, so it wouldn’t land on the little girl.  She lay there, trembling; her eyes screwed up tight and seemed to be also holding her breath.  I told her that she could open her eyes and that she was safe.

 

“Suddenly my arms were full of a trembling and crying six year old girl.  As I held her, trying to comfort her, I looked over to where the young woman was laying.  She was dying, fast.  And I didn’t know if I could get her to help in time.  She smiled at me, and thanked me for stopping the guy.  Then she asked me to do something that changed my life.  She asked me to watch out for her daughter, to take her, and keep her safe.  She told me the little girl’s name was Joyce Anne McLeod, and that she had no living blood relatives.”

 

Buffy looked over at Joyce and smiled softly.  “We found out later that she had an uncle of sorts who was at the time living in London .  But I promised her mother that I would look after her, raise her and keep her safe.”

 

Joyce smiled sadly.  “I can still see her face sometimes, in my dreams.  Mother found someone who could paint fantastic portraits, and had the lady paint pictures for me of my blood parents.”

 

Giles wrapped his arms around Joyce and just held her.  “It must have been a terrible thing to have happen, my dear.  And I am so sorry it happened to you.”

 

Joyce smiled tenderly at Giles. “I had nightmares for months, but Mother helped me.  Lord the places we went.   She used to show me a map, and tell me to point anywhere I wanted to go.  By the time I was eighteen, I had seen the pyramids of Egypt , walked through the ruins of the Parthenon, ridden a camel across the deserts of Saudi Arabia and danced beneath the moon on midsummer’s eve at Stonehenge .”

 

Buffy giggled, “You should have seen her, racing around at the age of 12, driving her Uncle Duncan insane when we visited him in Chicago that year.  Remember Joyce?  I had never seen that man laugh so much as he did when you were there.”

 

Xander interrupted, “So this guy, Duncan, is like her real uncle?  You could have handed her over and the courts would have made him take her or something?”

 

Buffy sighed softly, “No Xander, for many reasons.  The main one being that I had had the courts declare Joyce my adopted daughter.   Well that, and Duncan ? Raising a kid?  No way in hell could I see that happening.  The man was too stuck on his martial arts and being all enigmatic.  Scotsmen… I swear, they look good in kilts, but have one track minds…”

 

Giles interrupted, “Forgive me, but…” He took a deep breath and continued, “How old were you when you saved Joyce?  Because you don’t look much older than sixteen.”

 

Buffy laughed, her green eyes sparkling with mirth.  “Mr. Giles, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you my true age.  Let’s just say that I witnessed the fall of the Roman Empire and leave it at that.”

 

Willow piped up. “So you are like what... over 2000 thousand years old?  WOW!  You could so help with our ancient history class at college, couldn’t she Tara?  The things you must know, must have seen, and must have done!  And the people you must have known and talked to…”  Her voice trailed off, her mind on overload with the possibilities.

 

Spike watched Buffy, his eyes roaming over her leather-encased figure, his mind racing.  Now that he knew she wasn’t as young as she looked, he allowed his eyes and his mind to linger in places and on thoughts that were guaranteed to get him in trouble.

 

Dawn crawled across the room to her mother, and wrapped her arms around her waist, burying her face in her lap.  “Oh Mom, that was soooo awful.”  Dawn started to cry softly.

 

Joyce stroked Dawn’s hair gently and whispered to her, “It’s okay pumpkin, its okay.  It was a long time ago, and I’m fine.  And hey, we both have Buffy in our lives, looking out for us, so we are fine.”

 

Giles took off his glasses and began to clean them, almost impatiently.  “I’m sorry to be so forward, but that sword of yours.  I’ve seen drawings of one identical to it, and couldn’t help but wonder…”

 

Buffy broke in, “Yes Mr. Giles, it is the sword you are thinking of, and no, I didn’t steal it.  It was made for me, and has never left my hands since my father gave it to me.”