Chapter 1: Welcome to Sunnydale
A/N: Okay guys this is my first fiction ever so bare with me. However, I would like some feedback letting me know if it's worth my energy or not. This is AU so if it's not your cup of tea please turn around. As you probably will notice, grammar isn't my strong side. Thanks to Alana who Beta read this chapter "Abc" Indicates speech
'Abc' Indicates interior monologue
Now, on with the story. Hope you like!
Brown hair and blue eyes peeked carefully over the back of the big, brown- leathered recliner, then quickly, at the sound of the quick steps down the stairs out in the hallway, ducked down in hope of hiding. Her pulse started to go faster, harder, and a slight panic started to spread throughout the wide-eyed young girl as the steps hurriedly approached. 'This can't be it.I'm too young to die!' and other thoughts raced through her mind.
"Dawn Summers! I'm gonna torture you, kill you, then leave you for the coyotes to snack on!"
Her name was screamed in wild fury, and the threat had been pronounced in a deadly, cool voice, dripping of promise that blood would be shed.
The brunette quickly considered her options of a way out of the situation and drew breath to collect herself. Then, she turned to face the blonde fury that had descended upon her. 'Oh God.first innocent act... '
"Buffy, what's wrong?" 'There.that wasn't so hard, it was convincing...yeah.' "Oh, don't! Don't you play innocent with me!" The petite, blonde girl spat at her, blue-green eyes confirming fury.
Dawn drew her tiny, neatly plucked eyebrows together, raising them a bit, trying to look confused.
Buffy stared at her sister with her slits narrow, and brows together in a completely different manner, then raised the reason of her current state for her sister to see. The white, soft, lamb's wool, button sweater had a long, offending, brown streak on the front.
"That's your sweater," Dawn offered, matter-of-factly.
"I know damn well it's my sweater, Dawn. It's you I doubt, knowing that to be a fact. Question, is what the hell is this chocolate sauce doing on it?"
'Oops. Caught.. time for act number two; groveling.'
"Buffy, I'm so sorry. It's chocolate. It will go away."
''No, it won't! Especially since you worked so hard at hiding it at the bottom of the hamper. This stain must be a week old. It won't leave completely, and you know that. You know that, because that's exactly what happened when you borrowed my eggshell skirt!" Buffy's voice revealed that none of the anger had subsided. 'Why is my sister always doing everything to ruin my clothes?'
"I'll pay for ."
"You're damn well right you'll pay for it!" Buffy interrupted her sister before she could finish.
"What on earth is going on here?" A masculine and very authoritive voice startled both girls.
"Dad, you're back!" Dawn, the youngest of the sisters, glowed, and threw her arms around her father. Hank Summers soon released her, and went over to his eldest, and gave her a bear hug as well.
"Now, which one of you girls is going to explain what happened here?" Hank should have known his girls better than to expect them to explain one at a time. Soon, the fight was on again, and Hank had to stop it before it progressed to a catfight with nails scratching and hair being pulled.
"Stop it right this instant!" Both girls turned to him, scowling. "Buffy, here is some money you can take to the mall to replace your sweater."
Buffy's eyes widened, and a wicked smile curved her lips at the potential shopping spree. She had to go call Willow, Tara, Cordelia and Anya to let them clear their schedule for some mall time.
"As for your punishment," Hank said, turning to Dawn, who looked really jealous at her sister. "I'll be cutting your allowance in half until the full fifty dollars has been downpaid." The girl looked horrified.
"DAD!" She exclaimed. "You are aware that the only reason I had to borrow her sweater is because I don't have any money to buy my own clothes. And here you are, making sure the vicious cycle completes itself."
Hank shook his head and sighed in disbelief. "No, Dawn. You will make sure you don't borrow any more clothes without permission. And, after your punishment is successfully served, I will take both my girls out shopping. Sound good?" Both girls nodded and grinned at the potential.
"Now'you girls kiss and make up. We have company for dinner tonight, and I want my two angels to be at their best behavior. Where's your mother? I need to call her and prepare her." Hank asked silently adding, 'For some reason, I don't think she's going to be to happy about the idea of canceling family reunion night after I've been at this architecture convention for a week. Oh well. This is important; a potential business deal.' The girls followed him into the kitchen as he started the coffee machine.
"She's at the gallery." Buffy hoisted herself on the granite kitchen counter, popping a grape from the bystanding blue, ornate, bowl into her mouth, while Dawn went to the oak cabinets to retrieve some cups for the upcoming brew.
"Who's coming for dinner?" Buffy asked, putting yet another grape into her mouth before going to find sugar and milk for the coffee.
"Mr. Giles, his son, his wife, Mrs. Calendar, and her two sons. They're moving in as we speak, in the mansion across the street. It's going to be a little 'welcome to the neighborhood' dinner." 'And a potential business deal. Rupert Giles just might be willing to hire me for the new office complex he has planned. A deal like that could bring in bucks enough for me to retire.' Hank's line of thought was interrupted as he discovered his girls were no longer present, but had run out in the living room and were currently glued to the window facing the house across the street. 'Should have known I'd lose their attention at the first mention of boys'.
"Oh my God. They're gorgeous," the girls exclaimed in unison.
"Dibs on the tall, brown-haired hunk," Dawn said, wiping at her chin,making sure there wasn't drool trickling down.
"Dawnie.," Buffy said, in a condescending tone. "That guy is way too old for you. You're only sixteen. He's probably in college. Like me." Buffy smiled evilly.
"I hate you! Argh! You just watch me. He's gonna love me over you any day. One look at you, and he's gonna know just how evil you are. No one's gonna love you'not after what you did to Riley." With that, she stomped off and ran up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door. Buffy stared after her sister, disbelievingly, then shrugged her shoulders and went on to continue watching the two gorgeous men across the street.
How could her sister be mad at her for dumping Riley? It wasn't her
fault she didn't love him the way he did her. He had publicly humiliated her by declaring his love for her at Willow's birthday party and expecting an answer. She couldn't lie to them, so she had said it.
"But I don't love you, Riley." It wasn't easy. She had cried in her friends' arms after he had stormed out. But, he was pressuring her. He should know better if he really loved her. Sure, she had humiliated him, but was he any better? She had to step up to her friends and admit that even though they had been going steady for a year. there wasn't love. Warm, fuzzy feelings, yes, but not love. It was embarrassing. He had made her look like the ultimate cold-hearted bitch numero uno in front of her friends. But hey, you know what they say; 'You can't hurry love. No, you just have to wait'.
She continued to study the two men across the street and a third kid, about Dawn's age, as they moved boxes and furniture into the house. The seemingly oldest one was probably a bit older than Buffy. Two years, maybe? He was a tall, muscular mass, with dark hair and brown, narrow eyes that could melt any girl. He wore a navy blue silk shirt and slacks that hugged his yummy thighs and butt in all the right places. He was a classic good looker and probably had girls swooning for him. He seemed dark and mysterious.
The other guy looked at first like an eighties reject, with a Billy Idol wanna-be thing going, with abnormally blonde hair. He seemed to be Buffy's age, twenty one, and was leaner, and not as tall as the other, but his tight black tee-shirt made promise of the lean, well toned muscles that rippled beneath. His black jeans, cigarette in the corner of his mouth, and untied army boots screamed rebel and danger.
The youngest one was obviously the brother of the oldest and looked perfect for Dawn. Buffy would have to work on fixing the two of them up so she could get a foot in with the brother. She made an appreciative noise as the two oldest divested their shirts. She silently thanked the weather gods for the California sun making it unbearable to work out in the sun fully clothed.
Just as she settled herself to a more relaxing manner to continue her private little peepshow, Joyce Summers walked in the front door with her arms full of brown paper grocery bags. "Hi, honey. Would you mind getting the other bags from the car?"
She stood up and walked out, taking her good time with the bags, at the same time, throwing long, appreciative glances across the street.
Ten minutes earlier, across the street. Rupert Giles stood tall, with an arm resting around the waist of his new wife, Jenny Calendar, proudly looking upon his new house. To think that five years earlier he had just lost his wife, was on the brink of losing his job as an accountant in merry old England, and now found himself a successful owner of a security company, the biggest and best west of the Rockies, and was remarried was unbelievable.
The other reason he had had to leave England was because of his son, William. He had transformed after his mother's death, from a sensitive and sensible young man to a menace. He continuously got himself into trouble and Rupert felt like a new beginning. If it had not been for the fact that William's mother was American, and William had dual citizenship, they might not have been allowed to enter the States, due to William's criminal record.
William had stolen a car and had gotten caught. Incredibly enough, the justice system had gone lightly, giving him a small sentence of ten days imprisonment, seeing as it was his first sentence and that he was only sixteen years old. Directly after getting out of jail, he had gotten himself into trouble fighting a former cellmate. The cellmate had not pressed charges, but the English justice system didn't like the pattern of the angry young man's actions, and had threatened to deport him to the States. Then, they chose to give him an ultimatum of choosing citizenship. At the hearing in court, he stood up, saying, "I s'pose I ought to see if I can fool yanks as easily as the likes of you bunch of pansies!".
With that, they left for L.A, and now Rupert had decided to change a few things again, and moved to the small town of Sunnydale, California, hoping that another change of scenery would soften up his son.
"Oi. Dad. Where do you want this box?" William 'Spike' Giles pulled his father out of his reverie. Although he sort of liked Jenny, he wasn't really comfortable watching whatever public affections they showed. Rupert Giles sighed. "Well, the box says 'kitchen,' so that might be it," Giles answered his son, in a slight condescending way. He knew all too well that William was acting up.
Behind Spike, Liam 'Angel' Calendar, Jenny's eldest, came up, chuckling at his stepbrother's idiotic comment. "What's the matter, Billy? Can't read?"
Spike offered him a murderous glare. "Told ya before, the name's Spike. And you'd do good remembering that." 'Ponce don't know what's best for him.'
They were interrupted as Jenny's youngest, Connor, came out of the front door, after depositing his box and let out an exasperated sigh. "If you two stopped bickering like bitches, then maybe, just maybe, we might actually have moved in all this stuff before the end of the millennium."
"Connor Calendar!" the high-pitched yell of Jenny sounded. "Watch your language, young man!" Angel and Spike both chuckled, but quickly stopped as it awarded them with a glare from Jenny. "And don't think I don't know where he picks up his language." She looked venomously at both Spike and Angel.
"You two sort this testosterone-based need for quipping. I want you to behave. Mr. and Mrs. Summers have been very nice and invited us over for dinner this evening, and I don't want to give the impression that you two have the mentality of five year olds." All three boys made a noise, sighing their protest.
"Mom, I don't see why we have to go. I mean, it's Friday night, and we wanna check out the town," Angel vocalized their protest.
"You will go. No questions asked. It's a family thing. The Summers have two girls; one who will start at Sunnydale High school with Connor, while the other is attending UCS, where the two of you have transferred. They are attending this dinner, and so are you," Jenny said, pointing her fingers at the three young men.
"If the chits don't 'ave anything better to do on a Friday night, they can't be very good-looking or social," Spike mumbled, trying to make sure only Angel heard him but alas, Jenny heard.
"Don't think I didn't hear that. You're all going to be polite, and your charming selves this evening. Now, get moving," Jenny announced.
Spike had the decency to hold it to himself what he thought at the moment; 'Bossy chit. She's not my mum.'
Connor, Spike and Angel made their way down to the moving van. Spike and Angel disposed themselves of their shirts, since it was time to move the couch, and didn't feel the need to overheat. As Connor drank from his water bottle, he noticed the girl across the street.
"Hey, guys! I think we have an audience." He grinned as he tilted his head towards the girl, so Spike and Angel would notice.
"Well, hubba, hubba." Angel's jaw dropped at the sight of her. Right across the street stood the Californian version of Venus. She was slim, with a perfect golden tan and blond hair that cascaded in waves down her shoulders. Her hungry eyes had the most undefinable shade of blue green that changed, depending on light. She wore cut-off jeans, showing off her beautifully tanned long legs, and a dark pink tank top that hugged her oh- so perfect curves. Spike and Angel were both paralyzed by her beauty. Her face flushed a bit at the realization she'd been caught looking at them, but she quickly took on a humored face and giggled at the action revealing itself.
Angel dropped the couch he'd been holding, and it landed on top of Spike's feet. "You bloody wanker! Watch where you put that thing! I don't fancy getting my feet broken! Move it away, you nitwit!"
This spectacle earned a whole-hearted laugh from Buffy, who started her retreat towards the house. 'Who knew British was such a colorful language, and sexy too'. She made her way inside to help her mom with dinner, eagerly anticipating the evening and the arrival of the neighbors.
Across the street, Spike and Angel had started to look on the evening with a brighter view as well.
A/N: Okay guys this is my first fiction ever so bare with me. However, I would like some feedback letting me know if it's worth my energy or not. This is AU so if it's not your cup of tea please turn around. As you probably will notice, grammar isn't my strong side. Thanks to Alana who Beta read this chapter "Abc" Indicates speech
'Abc' Indicates interior monologue
Now, on with the story. Hope you like!
Brown hair and blue eyes peeked carefully over the back of the big, brown- leathered recliner, then quickly, at the sound of the quick steps down the stairs out in the hallway, ducked down in hope of hiding. Her pulse started to go faster, harder, and a slight panic started to spread throughout the wide-eyed young girl as the steps hurriedly approached. 'This can't be it.I'm too young to die!' and other thoughts raced through her mind.
"Dawn Summers! I'm gonna torture you, kill you, then leave you for the coyotes to snack on!"
Her name was screamed in wild fury, and the threat had been pronounced in a deadly, cool voice, dripping of promise that blood would be shed.
The brunette quickly considered her options of a way out of the situation and drew breath to collect herself. Then, she turned to face the blonde fury that had descended upon her. 'Oh God.first innocent act... '
"Buffy, what's wrong?" 'There.that wasn't so hard, it was convincing...yeah.' "Oh, don't! Don't you play innocent with me!" The petite, blonde girl spat at her, blue-green eyes confirming fury.
Dawn drew her tiny, neatly plucked eyebrows together, raising them a bit, trying to look confused.
Buffy stared at her sister with her slits narrow, and brows together in a completely different manner, then raised the reason of her current state for her sister to see. The white, soft, lamb's wool, button sweater had a long, offending, brown streak on the front.
"That's your sweater," Dawn offered, matter-of-factly.
"I know damn well it's my sweater, Dawn. It's you I doubt, knowing that to be a fact. Question, is what the hell is this chocolate sauce doing on it?"
'Oops. Caught.. time for act number two; groveling.'
"Buffy, I'm so sorry. It's chocolate. It will go away."
''No, it won't! Especially since you worked so hard at hiding it at the bottom of the hamper. This stain must be a week old. It won't leave completely, and you know that. You know that, because that's exactly what happened when you borrowed my eggshell skirt!" Buffy's voice revealed that none of the anger had subsided. 'Why is my sister always doing everything to ruin my clothes?'
"I'll pay for ."
"You're damn well right you'll pay for it!" Buffy interrupted her sister before she could finish.
"What on earth is going on here?" A masculine and very authoritive voice startled both girls.
"Dad, you're back!" Dawn, the youngest of the sisters, glowed, and threw her arms around her father. Hank Summers soon released her, and went over to his eldest, and gave her a bear hug as well.
"Now, which one of you girls is going to explain what happened here?" Hank should have known his girls better than to expect them to explain one at a time. Soon, the fight was on again, and Hank had to stop it before it progressed to a catfight with nails scratching and hair being pulled.
"Stop it right this instant!" Both girls turned to him, scowling. "Buffy, here is some money you can take to the mall to replace your sweater."
Buffy's eyes widened, and a wicked smile curved her lips at the potential shopping spree. She had to go call Willow, Tara, Cordelia and Anya to let them clear their schedule for some mall time.
"As for your punishment," Hank said, turning to Dawn, who looked really jealous at her sister. "I'll be cutting your allowance in half until the full fifty dollars has been downpaid." The girl looked horrified.
"DAD!" She exclaimed. "You are aware that the only reason I had to borrow her sweater is because I don't have any money to buy my own clothes. And here you are, making sure the vicious cycle completes itself."
Hank shook his head and sighed in disbelief. "No, Dawn. You will make sure you don't borrow any more clothes without permission. And, after your punishment is successfully served, I will take both my girls out shopping. Sound good?" Both girls nodded and grinned at the potential.
"Now'you girls kiss and make up. We have company for dinner tonight, and I want my two angels to be at their best behavior. Where's your mother? I need to call her and prepare her." Hank asked silently adding, 'For some reason, I don't think she's going to be to happy about the idea of canceling family reunion night after I've been at this architecture convention for a week. Oh well. This is important; a potential business deal.' The girls followed him into the kitchen as he started the coffee machine.
"She's at the gallery." Buffy hoisted herself on the granite kitchen counter, popping a grape from the bystanding blue, ornate, bowl into her mouth, while Dawn went to the oak cabinets to retrieve some cups for the upcoming brew.
"Who's coming for dinner?" Buffy asked, putting yet another grape into her mouth before going to find sugar and milk for the coffee.
"Mr. Giles, his son, his wife, Mrs. Calendar, and her two sons. They're moving in as we speak, in the mansion across the street. It's going to be a little 'welcome to the neighborhood' dinner." 'And a potential business deal. Rupert Giles just might be willing to hire me for the new office complex he has planned. A deal like that could bring in bucks enough for me to retire.' Hank's line of thought was interrupted as he discovered his girls were no longer present, but had run out in the living room and were currently glued to the window facing the house across the street. 'Should have known I'd lose their attention at the first mention of boys'.
"Oh my God. They're gorgeous," the girls exclaimed in unison.
"Dibs on the tall, brown-haired hunk," Dawn said, wiping at her chin,making sure there wasn't drool trickling down.
"Dawnie.," Buffy said, in a condescending tone. "That guy is way too old for you. You're only sixteen. He's probably in college. Like me." Buffy smiled evilly.
"I hate you! Argh! You just watch me. He's gonna love me over you any day. One look at you, and he's gonna know just how evil you are. No one's gonna love you'not after what you did to Riley." With that, she stomped off and ran up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door. Buffy stared after her sister, disbelievingly, then shrugged her shoulders and went on to continue watching the two gorgeous men across the street.
How could her sister be mad at her for dumping Riley? It wasn't her
fault she didn't love him the way he did her. He had publicly humiliated her by declaring his love for her at Willow's birthday party and expecting an answer. She couldn't lie to them, so she had said it.
"But I don't love you, Riley." It wasn't easy. She had cried in her friends' arms after he had stormed out. But, he was pressuring her. He should know better if he really loved her. Sure, she had humiliated him, but was he any better? She had to step up to her friends and admit that even though they had been going steady for a year. there wasn't love. Warm, fuzzy feelings, yes, but not love. It was embarrassing. He had made her look like the ultimate cold-hearted bitch numero uno in front of her friends. But hey, you know what they say; 'You can't hurry love. No, you just have to wait'.
She continued to study the two men across the street and a third kid, about Dawn's age, as they moved boxes and furniture into the house. The seemingly oldest one was probably a bit older than Buffy. Two years, maybe? He was a tall, muscular mass, with dark hair and brown, narrow eyes that could melt any girl. He wore a navy blue silk shirt and slacks that hugged his yummy thighs and butt in all the right places. He was a classic good looker and probably had girls swooning for him. He seemed dark and mysterious.
The other guy looked at first like an eighties reject, with a Billy Idol wanna-be thing going, with abnormally blonde hair. He seemed to be Buffy's age, twenty one, and was leaner, and not as tall as the other, but his tight black tee-shirt made promise of the lean, well toned muscles that rippled beneath. His black jeans, cigarette in the corner of his mouth, and untied army boots screamed rebel and danger.
The youngest one was obviously the brother of the oldest and looked perfect for Dawn. Buffy would have to work on fixing the two of them up so she could get a foot in with the brother. She made an appreciative noise as the two oldest divested their shirts. She silently thanked the weather gods for the California sun making it unbearable to work out in the sun fully clothed.
Just as she settled herself to a more relaxing manner to continue her private little peepshow, Joyce Summers walked in the front door with her arms full of brown paper grocery bags. "Hi, honey. Would you mind getting the other bags from the car?"
She stood up and walked out, taking her good time with the bags, at the same time, throwing long, appreciative glances across the street.
Ten minutes earlier, across the street. Rupert Giles stood tall, with an arm resting around the waist of his new wife, Jenny Calendar, proudly looking upon his new house. To think that five years earlier he had just lost his wife, was on the brink of losing his job as an accountant in merry old England, and now found himself a successful owner of a security company, the biggest and best west of the Rockies, and was remarried was unbelievable.
The other reason he had had to leave England was because of his son, William. He had transformed after his mother's death, from a sensitive and sensible young man to a menace. He continuously got himself into trouble and Rupert felt like a new beginning. If it had not been for the fact that William's mother was American, and William had dual citizenship, they might not have been allowed to enter the States, due to William's criminal record.
William had stolen a car and had gotten caught. Incredibly enough, the justice system had gone lightly, giving him a small sentence of ten days imprisonment, seeing as it was his first sentence and that he was only sixteen years old. Directly after getting out of jail, he had gotten himself into trouble fighting a former cellmate. The cellmate had not pressed charges, but the English justice system didn't like the pattern of the angry young man's actions, and had threatened to deport him to the States. Then, they chose to give him an ultimatum of choosing citizenship. At the hearing in court, he stood up, saying, "I s'pose I ought to see if I can fool yanks as easily as the likes of you bunch of pansies!".
With that, they left for L.A, and now Rupert had decided to change a few things again, and moved to the small town of Sunnydale, California, hoping that another change of scenery would soften up his son.
"Oi. Dad. Where do you want this box?" William 'Spike' Giles pulled his father out of his reverie. Although he sort of liked Jenny, he wasn't really comfortable watching whatever public affections they showed. Rupert Giles sighed. "Well, the box says 'kitchen,' so that might be it," Giles answered his son, in a slight condescending way. He knew all too well that William was acting up.
Behind Spike, Liam 'Angel' Calendar, Jenny's eldest, came up, chuckling at his stepbrother's idiotic comment. "What's the matter, Billy? Can't read?"
Spike offered him a murderous glare. "Told ya before, the name's Spike. And you'd do good remembering that." 'Ponce don't know what's best for him.'
They were interrupted as Jenny's youngest, Connor, came out of the front door, after depositing his box and let out an exasperated sigh. "If you two stopped bickering like bitches, then maybe, just maybe, we might actually have moved in all this stuff before the end of the millennium."
"Connor Calendar!" the high-pitched yell of Jenny sounded. "Watch your language, young man!" Angel and Spike both chuckled, but quickly stopped as it awarded them with a glare from Jenny. "And don't think I don't know where he picks up his language." She looked venomously at both Spike and Angel.
"You two sort this testosterone-based need for quipping. I want you to behave. Mr. and Mrs. Summers have been very nice and invited us over for dinner this evening, and I don't want to give the impression that you two have the mentality of five year olds." All three boys made a noise, sighing their protest.
"Mom, I don't see why we have to go. I mean, it's Friday night, and we wanna check out the town," Angel vocalized their protest.
"You will go. No questions asked. It's a family thing. The Summers have two girls; one who will start at Sunnydale High school with Connor, while the other is attending UCS, where the two of you have transferred. They are attending this dinner, and so are you," Jenny said, pointing her fingers at the three young men.
"If the chits don't 'ave anything better to do on a Friday night, they can't be very good-looking or social," Spike mumbled, trying to make sure only Angel heard him but alas, Jenny heard.
"Don't think I didn't hear that. You're all going to be polite, and your charming selves this evening. Now, get moving," Jenny announced.
Spike had the decency to hold it to himself what he thought at the moment; 'Bossy chit. She's not my mum.'
Connor, Spike and Angel made their way down to the moving van. Spike and Angel disposed themselves of their shirts, since it was time to move the couch, and didn't feel the need to overheat. As Connor drank from his water bottle, he noticed the girl across the street.
"Hey, guys! I think we have an audience." He grinned as he tilted his head towards the girl, so Spike and Angel would notice.
"Well, hubba, hubba." Angel's jaw dropped at the sight of her. Right across the street stood the Californian version of Venus. She was slim, with a perfect golden tan and blond hair that cascaded in waves down her shoulders. Her hungry eyes had the most undefinable shade of blue green that changed, depending on light. She wore cut-off jeans, showing off her beautifully tanned long legs, and a dark pink tank top that hugged her oh- so perfect curves. Spike and Angel were both paralyzed by her beauty. Her face flushed a bit at the realization she'd been caught looking at them, but she quickly took on a humored face and giggled at the action revealing itself.
Angel dropped the couch he'd been holding, and it landed on top of Spike's feet. "You bloody wanker! Watch where you put that thing! I don't fancy getting my feet broken! Move it away, you nitwit!"
This spectacle earned a whole-hearted laugh from Buffy, who started her retreat towards the house. 'Who knew British was such a colorful language, and sexy too'. She made her way inside to help her mom with dinner, eagerly anticipating the evening and the arrival of the neighbors.
Across the street, Spike and Angel had started to look on the evening with a brighter view as well.