FIC: Coming home 3/?

["jend1205 <jend1205@xxxxxxxxx>" <jend1205@xxxxxxxxx>]

Whew, I finally got this part done. This has been the week from hell. 
I had one day off and do you know that I had to go move bunk beds for 
the kids, three trips to the hardware store and many cuss words later 
they are put together, yah me. So here it is hope you like it. Jen


Author: Jen D
Disclaimer: I don't own just like it. 
Rating: G-R and all points between mostly language and violence
Spoilers: I guess all of the shows this is A/U but some of it might 
come up


Willow was putting the last of the breakfast dishes in the 
dishwasher when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it", Jen yelled flying down the steps. Jen opened the door 
and found Buffy and Tara standing on the front porch.
"Hey munchkin, is your mom home", Buffy asked.
"Yup in the kitchen", Jen said and stepped to the side to let them in.
"Jennifer, who is at the door", Willow yelled from the kitchen. Buffy 
and Tara followed Jen into the kitchen. They saw Willow sitting at 
the table reading the paper and she looked up and smiled, "Good 
morning ladies, what do I owe this early morning visit to."
"We thought we would stop by and see if you needed any help with the 
kids and to see if Angie wanted a ride to school but you seem to have 
everything under control ", Tara told her.
"Cool, you think this is under control you should have been here an 
hour ago. Total chaos", Willow laughed, "The movers won't be here 
until 9 and we had some problems finding things but disaster avoided. 
Hang on a second. Jen go find Beth, the bus will be here in a minute 
and tell Angie to come down too." Willow smiled when Beth came 
bounding down the stairs followed by Angie and Jen, "Ok Jen and Beth 
lunches are in your book bags. The bus is here, have a good day. I 
love you." Willow hugged the girls and watched from the porch as they 
got on the bus. She gave one last wave and shut the door, "Two down 
and one to go. Angie, Buffy and Tara want to know if you want a ride 
to school."
"I'll go with anybody, including a teacher if I don't have to ride 
the bus."
"Hey what's wrong with teachers", Buffy and Tara said at the same 
time.
"Boy you two got old", Willow chuckled and shook her head, "When you 
were fifteen would you want to be seen with a teacher. Hell it was 
bad enough to be best friends with the Liberian."
"God you were such a dork, mom", Angie said.
"Hey would you like to have dish duty for a week", Willow said and in 
her most stern voice, causing Buffy and Tara stare at her in 
amazement.
Noticing their shocked expression she said, "What". They both just 
shrugged their shoulders and looked at each other, both red with the 
thoughts that they knew the other was having about a stern Willow and 
the fantasy that it brought.
"Um, I-I, nothing", Buffy finally managed to sputter.
"Oookay", Angie laughed, "And which one of you is the English 
teacher"?
"That would be me", Tara smiled.
"Well that's good."
"Hey", Buffy yelled. Willow couldn't help but laugh.
"Hey again."
"She got you there, Buff", Willow said between giggles.
"Mom says you guys are having lunch today, Will", Buffy said.
"Yeah I called her last night. I thought it would be nice to catch up 
with her."
"That's cool but duty calls, come on kid. We'd hate for you to be 
late on your first day", Buffy told her.
"Would you mind dropping me at the corner so no one see us. You know 
I have a reputation to get", Angie teased.
"Ha ha very funny", Buffy said and dragged the teen out the door.
"Hey Willow, it's nice to have you home again. I haven't seen Buffy 
this happy since you left", Tara said.
"It's good to be back. I never meant to be gone so long. Time just 
seemed to fly by."
Tara pulled Willow into a hug and whispered in her ear, "I missed you 
too." Tara kissed her on the cheek and walked out the door.



Joyce walked into the restaurant and saw Willow sitting at the 
table working on her laptop. She approached the table and sat 
down, "Hello".
"Mrs. Summers, I'm glad you could join me today. We can move to non-
smoking. I just wanted to check my e-mail and get my work for next 
week."
"No this is fine. I don't mind smoking; I used to back in my youth. I 
am surprised to see you smoking though and please call me Joyce."
"I know I thought Buffy was going to fall over when I told her. I 
guess I just needed something to calm down."
"Willow, Buffy told me everything that's happened. I'm sorry. I 
still think you should have had more faith in us all back then. Hell 
you could have lived with me, I always thought of you as a daughter. 
I don't understand your parent's reaction. I don't think I could have 
ever turned my back on Buffy much less my grandchild."
"I know, now that I am a mom myself, I couldn't not be there. I mean 
Ang is almost sixteen and we talk all the time. I remember there 
being a whole year that I didn't even talk to my folks", Willow said 
and pulled pictures out of her briefcase, "This is Angie, she's 
fifteen. This is Jen she is ten. This is Beth, she's five and this is 
Cheryl. I took this when we went to the zoo last year."
"You have a very nice looking family. It's so hard to believe that 
you have three kids. I had one and I don't know how you manage."
"It's not easy and it's been even harder since Cheryl's been gone. It 
helps that I can work from home, so I'm always there for them. I 
can't imagine what it would be like if I had to work outside the 
house."
"Willow, I want you to know that I'm proud of what you have done with 
your life, raising someone else's children and your own at 25. I also 
want you to know that if there is anything that Giles or I can do 
just let us know. You were always there for Buffy."
"Thank you Joyce, I might need it. I have one question were Buffy and 
I this much of a pain as teenagers. God, Angie is so moody and 
temperamental, sometimes I feel like I'm beating my head on the 
wall." Joyce laughed, "Yup, I always told Buffy I hoped she had one 
just like her, well except for the slaying thing." Now it was Willow 
turn to laugh, "Joyce, are you ok with the whole me being gay thing. 
I know that I never told you that your opinion of me meant more to me 
then my own parents. I don't think I could handle disappointing you. 
I think that was one of the things that scared me the most when I 
found out I was pregnant was your reaction. So when my folks who 
didn't give a damn about me went ballistic, it scared me and I ran."
"Willow your parents were nuts, you could never disappoint me. As far 
as the baby, I would have been there. I can't even imagine how hard 
it must have been to be alone and pregnant in a strange place. I am 
very glad that you were able to find someone who helped you and took 
care of you when we couldn't. I don't care if she was a she or a he. 
I know that Tara is gay and I know that Buffy doesn't care what sex 
she dates as long as she likes them."
"HUH", Willow squeaked, "Buffy is bi?"
"She didn't tell you", Joyce asked.
"Um, well, um, we haven't really talked a lot. The first night was me 
talking about where I'd been. I would never of guessed."
"I guess being friends with Tara for all these years just made her 
realize life is to short to limit herself to one gender."
"Did her and Tara ever date?"
"I don't think so. They have been close but they never said anything 
about it. I know they both have dated other people."
"Oh"
"Would it bother you?"
"I don't honestly know the answer to that", Willow thought for a 
second, "I don't think so. They both deserve to be happy. They seem 
to get along really well. From what I've seen I think that they would 
be good for each other." 
"What about you Willow, how are you dealing with Cheryl?"
"I'm not. I haven't had time. The kids are my first priority. I need 
to make sure that they are ok first, and then I'll deal with it. I'm 
just not sure how. Joyce she was my life. I got out of bed everyday 
because of her. Sometimes I think about her and it hurts to breath. 
If it wasn't for the kids I think I would have just curled up into a 
ball and died. I had to get a smaller bed because the one we had was 
just to big for me." Joyce reached across the table and took Willow 
hand. It took all of her strength not to breakdown.
"Willow honey, we are here and you don't have to do this by yourself 
now. Let us help you. I have three grandkids that I haven't even met. 
I expect you to be there for Sunday dinners and Christmas Eve's and 
birthdays. We are your family and we have missed so much already. We 
love you."
"Thank you", Willow said and wiped the tears form her eyes.


Willow opened the door and sighed. There were boxes everywhere. 
After talking to Joyce most of the afternoon, she knew she didn't 
have much time until the kids got home. She made some coffee and went 
to her room to change. After deciding on a pair of old comfy jeans 
and a black tank top, she went back down stairs turned on the radio 
on full blast to cut through the silence and started to go through 
the boxes in the kitchen. The sounds of music filled the house and 
the bass shook the windows. She was so caught up in the music and 
trying to put the extra glasses on the top shelf, which she was to 
short for, she didn't even hear the door open or the three pair of 
eyes watching her. Buffy and Tara both studied the red head. 
"MOM", Angie yelled above the music, startling Willow. She dropped 
the glass she had been putting up. Willow tried to catch it but it 
hit the counter breaking, cutting her hand in the process.
"Shit", Willow said and grabbed a dishtowel.
"Will, let me see", Buffy asked as she took her hand. Tara went to 
turn the radio down.
"It's ok", Willow told her.
"Well let me see it. Do you have a first aid kit", Buffy asked?
"Yeah, Angie in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom."
"I got it, sorry mom."
"It's ok, I guess I lost track of time", Willow told her daughter.
"Will this looks pretty nasty. I think it's going to need stitches", 
Buffy said looking at the deep cut.
"I agree with Buffy. Why don't I stay here and watch the kids and 
Buffy can take you to the ER", Tara said looking at the cut.
"Naw it will be ok we can clean it up and put a band aid on it."
"Willow, don't argue with me. I'll carry you kicking and screaming if 
I have to."
"Ok, ok, we wouldn't want to piss off the retired slayer now would 
we", Willow said and smiled.
"Exactly now lets go."
"Let me go grab my purse."
"Take care of her Buffy", Angie said with worry in her eyes.
"I will, don't worry some stitches and she will be good as new." 
Willow came back into the kitchen, "Angie, tell Jen and Beth to start 
unpacking the boxes in their room. You can do your room too."
"I'll help them Willow, just get that taken care of", Tara told her