Down Twisted
by drkdreamer
Chapter 28
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Chapter 28
Three days later:
As Alex Roberts drove down Revello Drive in Sunnydale, she couldn't help but ask herself yet again, just what in the Hell did she was doing?
Why is it, the voice that resided inside her heard whispered, that I'm the one who's going to have to talk to Joyce Summers?!?
No answer, of course, came forth and it was with a deep sigh that the dark woman pulled her car into the quiet driveway. Alex remained sitting in her vehicle, trying desperately to gather her thoughts together, before existing said car and trudging her way up to the Summers abode. The Southerner, rather prudently to her way of thinking, squared her shoulders before lightly knocking on the front door.
From inside the house, an older blonde was somewhat shocked to see who was standing out on her doorstep. The dark woman looked a little better than she had yesterday but Joyce could clearly see the deep grooves that ran along that woman's finely molded mouth. It was with a deeply concerned frown that the Slayer's Mom opened the door.
"Alexandra, is everything all right with Buffy and Willow?"
"Yes, ma'am, the girls are hunky dory. That's not why I'm here. I think, Mrs. Summers, that it's high time we two had a talk. Gonna invite me in?"
In very short order, Alex and Joyce were sitting down at the kitchen table. A rather uncomfortable silence sprang up between the women. One was wondering how to begin, what was sure to be, a totally loaded conversation and the other was attempted to figure out the reason Alexandra Roberts was sitting across from her and Not her own daughter.
"I don't really know how to say this, Mrs. Summers, so here goes nothing. I heard ya, you know?"
To say that Joyce was astounded by this knowledge was a massive understatement. The blonde, didn't doubt however, that Alex was telling her the stone cold truth.
"All right, I believe you. I think, Alex, that you better just call me Joyce from now on."
The other woman's dark gray eyes sparkled in high amusement before the dark one replied.
"If that's how you want it, I will Joyce. Sorry 'bout calling you by your last name, it's a hold over reaction from my misbegotten youth. My Momma, you see, instilled within her young daughter that she was Never to call her friend's parents by their given name, it's a show of respect. I've simply never forgotten the lesson Mom tried to teach me."
Alex shut her mouth as she watched the other woman process that information.
"Friends? Are you really simply friends with Willow and my daughter? I have to tell you, Alex, that it seems like a whole lot more to me."
Joyce Summers was calling herself the world's biggest fool for even having the balls to ask that question as she watched a rather painful expression cross over the dark woman's face. She didn't regret it, however, because she was infinitely curious about the relationship that had developed between Buffy, Willow and Alexandra Roberts.
The Southerner tightly clenched her teeth as she tried to form some kind of coherent answer. While she could understand the older woman's concerns, she really had no clue how to explain everything to the patiently waiting blonde.
"It was never my intention to become friendly with anyone in Sunnydale. I came here simply to finish a job that started back in my home state, nothing more or less. I've come to believe that I'm blessed that it turned out another way. Buffy and Willow have been so much more than a Godsend for me, I can never hope to repay them for all the things they willingly given me in out time together."
There was seething, dark currents of pain to that little speech and Joyce realized she'd seriously underestimated the other woman.
"Please, Alex, help me to understand exactly what you're trying to tell me. The girls will only give me bits and peices of the whole story, Rupert even less than that!"
Alexandra Katherine Roberts lips twisted, harshly, as she realized the extent of how little this woman actually knew about the whole situation. On one hand she was honored that those people would keep the lot of her private information to themselves but on the other, she couldn't help cursing them for putting her in this highly uncomfortable predicament.
"Hell, Joyce, what exactly have they told you?"
In a short amount of time, Alex was informed of the bare basics of her and the girls' story. The shocking gaps in that information caused Alex to shut her eyes and grit her teeth. After a moment, and with a long suffering sigh, Alex began to reply.
"Well, damn, this could take a while! Joyce, why don't you get you something to drink then I'll tell you everything."
The Slayer's Mom found that to be a prudent course of action as she stood and went to pour herself a steaming cup of coffee. As she sat back down, she took a sip of the hot liquid before locking her gaze with the dark woman.
"All right, Alex, I'm ready to hear what you have to say."
Somehow, Joyce Summers, the dark Southerner mockingly thought to herself, I don't think you really are.
As Alex retelling the details of her rather sordid tale, she couldn't help but wishing she was anywhere but here. By the time she arrived at the part of her story where she came to Sunnydale, Joyce Summers was looking at her with compassion and no small amount of wonder. Alex Roberts forged on ahead, resolutely ignoring that wholly unwanted look.
"I rented my house after Angel and Cordilia told me the skinny on what I needed know to get around in your town. In fact, I had just started to move in when the girls came knocking on my front door. Can you even begin to know what it did to me to see the sheer and utter beauty that was Buffy and Willow standing there in the bright sunlight?!? It floored me, Joyce, I have no shame in admitting that to you. I did the proper thing, of course, and invited them into my home, little expecting everything that was set into motion by that simple act! We... I guess you can say, got acquainted rather quickly. I, however, was stunned to realize that I was actually beginning to care about both girls. That, I'm sorry to say, is Not a normal reaction for yours truely. Imagine my total surprise to realize that the feeling was mutual by both Willow and Buffy! I like to consider myself a somewhat smart person so I tried Not to let either girl into my heart. That, as you've come to see, didn't work out. They got in before I had any sort of chance to stop them but, I must say, they certainly didn't realize then. They've been so damn good for me, I can only pray I'v brought something good to their lives too. I must tell you, Joyce, that not only am I intensely visual but I also happen to possess innate curiosity to boot. I dunno, at this late stage, if That's a good or bad thing. Due to my visualizing, I just assumed that Buffy and Willow were a couple. It stunned me to realize That wasn't yet the case! Puzzled me too because I had no trouble seeing that something was bubbling up between them. It actually pained me, Joyce Summers, to fully understand what was keeping them apart."
" Oh my God", said the flustered blond woman, "are you saying that Buffy and Willow are a couple?"
This, quite natuarlly, caused the dark Southerner to erupt in laughter. Her high merriment was very evident to the blonde woman, she simply waited for Alex to regain her ablity to think again.
"Absolfreakingloutly, Buffy and Willow are together! Christ, Joyce, they are so damn good together that it even brings a tear to my eyes! You can't really sit there and tell me that you've never realized the extent of the love that exists between your daughter and Willow?!? Come on, Joyce Summers, you're smarter than that."
The blond haired woman could only stare at Alex in utterly, stunned, amazement. While on some level she'd always suspected it was attraction that seemed to be simmering, however slowly, between the girls, Joyce had never once thought that Buffy or Willow would ever have the guts to actually admit it!
Alex, whom meanwhile, didn't quite like what she fully imagined what was going through the other woman's brain. Wanting only to forestall any bad happenings, the dark woman leaned forward and stared straight into Joyce's surprised gaze.
"It's perfectly all right to be shocked by what you just heard, Joyce. Hell, you can even be amazed, if ya like. That's your right and I certainly don't want you to think that I'm here to take it away from you. It's just.... Buffy has already shared with me your, shall we say, less than welcoming, reaction to learn that she was the Slayer. I'll grant you that you had every right to be more than a little angry at that discovery because, honestly, what Mom wouldn't? In fact, Joyce Summers, you may even be more than a little pissed that no one has told you any of this before now. I'm begging you; please don't be angry at Willow and Buffy for giving into their emotions. If you where to do that, I promise you, that only bad things will happen. The way I see it, Joyce, is that you got 2 distinct choices in front of ya. One, You can accept the love that flows between those girls and be happy that they finally realized how right they are for one another or, two, you can go off half cocked and begin to rant and rave over them. Make no mistake, lady, you'll lose both Buffy and Willow with that choice. Take it from one who knows, ya'll deserve so much better then that! I have no right to ask you this but I'm going to do it anyway. Please, I'm begging you, consider my warning before you go and confront everyone with this knowledge."
Out of breath, and feeling that there was nothing else to say, Alexandra Roberts stood and made ready to leave.
"I regret I have to leave you with such pressing matters to mull over on, what I'm sure, was supposed to be a relaxing afternoon. Good day, Joyce, I'm sorry if I've been kinda hard on you."
As Alex walked out into the bright sunlight, Joyce Summers could only sit there as the dark woman's troubling words began replaying inside her brain. The blond woman was not stupid and she fully acknowledged that Alex had made some fine points. It wasn't even that she was against same sex relationships, no, it was more that she was afraid of all the crap that both Buffy and Willow would face together out in the outside world. It was with a deeply troubled sigh that Joyce got up only to refill her coffee cup.
I've got some serious thinking to do, she haphazardly thought to herself. Here's hoping I make the proper choice This time around!