See Part 1 for Disclaimer

Part 2

Joyce looks exasperatedly after her daughter and is about to follow her, when there is a knock at the door.  She opens the door and to find a strange man.  "Hello, Ms. Summers.  I'm here to talk to you about your daughter," he says.

"Oh god, what's she done now?" Joyce says, wondering what else Buffy could possible have done.

"If I may come in, I'll--"

"Oh, yes.  Of course, come right in," she says stepping out of the way to let him pass.

"Actually," he says stepping in, "I'm really just here to make sure you got the note and pictures I sent you."

"You sent that note?"

"Yes.  I would have delivered my message personally, but I thought it better if you had time to digest the news and see the evidence before you had to face anyone," he says in a kind voice, though his eyes show only evil.

"Thank you.  I can hardly believe it.  She says there's an explanation, yet she won't explain.  I don't know what to do"

"That's why I'm here.  I have some suggestions on how to deal with your daughter."

"Oh thank you.  I would love to hear --" her reply is cut short by a frantic pounding on the door.  The man looks angry and annoyed as he follows Joyce to the door.  She opens the door to see a slightly bedraggled Angel.  When the man see Angel he changes into a vampire and bares his teeth getting ready to feed on Joyce from behind.  Angel leaps at the man and knocks him over.  Angel quickly pins the now ordinary looking vampire with a hand at his neck.

"BUFFY!!" he yells up the stairs.

"Run!!" the vampire yells to Joyce, "My friends will protect you."

Joyce takes a quick look at the scene and runs for the door.  Angel leaps up and catches her before she gets out the door.  He shoves her into the living room and she tumbles over the couch as the vampire attacks him from behind.  Angel throws him off and they slowly circle each other.  As the vampire puts his back to the stairs, Buffy tackles him from behind.  With Angel's help, she quickly pins the vampire.  "Where's my Mom?  and what is this guy doing in my house?" Buffy asks.

"I'm right here," Joyce replies, getting up from behind the sofa, "And let that poor man up.  He's a guest in this house.  Your friend there barged in and tackled him."

"Hold him please," Buffy asks Angel.  Angel takes charge of the vampire without a word, as Buffy turns toward her Mom.  "This 'poor man' as you call him, was probably sent here to kill you.  Now I told you, everything will be explained just as soon as I can figure out what's going on.  So," she says turning to Angel, "how did you know to come to the rescue?"

"I saw seven ...," he pauses looking at Joyce, "enemies heading towards the back side of the house.  I was able to ... take out three of them before I saw this one come in the front door.  I knew he must be up to no good, so I came pounding on the front door.  It definitely looks as if this was organized."

"Yeah, this probably has something to do with the note and photos too.  I'll explain later," she said in response to his quizzical glance, "Oh my god, Giles!!"  Buffy rushes out of the room and into the kitchen where she picks up the phone.  Joyce seeing her opportunity advances on Angel.

"You!  You're the one who got Buffy into all this, didn't you?  Well, you had better stay THE HELL AWAY from MY daughter!!  And if you so much as LAY A HAND ON HER I SWEAR, YOU'LL REGRET IT!!!" Joyce yells at the bewildered Angel.

"MOM!!  What are you doing??  I told you that note is lies.  And besides, you can't tell me who I can be friends with, or who I date!" Buffy yells coming back from the kitchen.

"You were doing so well until you met him.  If it weren't for him you wouldn't be getting into so much trouble," Joyce shot back.
 
"Mrs. Summers, I try to keep Buffy out of trouble and I would do anything to keep her from harm," Angel says solemnly.

"Right and the same goes for me Mom, so sit down and be quiet or I'll have to gag and hobble you 'till we get to Giles house," Buffy adds.  Joyce mollified by her daughters threat and Angel's claim of devotion sits quietly on the couch.  "So, let's see what he knows," Buffy says coldly turning back to look at the vampire still pinned to the floor.

"Shouldn't we go in the kitchen?" Angel asks, wondering what Mrs. Summers will think.

"No," Buffy says simply, before beginning.

Part 3
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