Buffy woke from her slumber and massaged the crick that had formed in her neck. She quickly looked to the back seat to see the two teenagers fast asleep. She looked to her left to see Xander concentrating on the road and apparently not noticing she had awakened. She watched the man next to her for a moment and committed to memory his every move.
This man was very different from the boy she once knew, although, she decided, that the boy was never truly a boy. In her mind's eye, now, she could tell he had always been a man, and this man had seen his share of pain; mostly caused by her and her slayerness. This man had stayed and taken the pain she had to give even when everyone else couldn't. She felt a new respect for the driver fill her heart with pride. This goofy, loveable man was leading her to her new life. He turned to her and smiled brightly.
"Buff." He whispered so he wouldn't wake the others, "We're here."
She looked to the front window and watched the sign that read: "Welcome to Connecticut."
She smiled and laid her head back down on the headrest. She watched as the two-lane highway led them to sights of trees and woods she had never seen before in her life. Andrew and Dawn soon woke up and complained of being hungry. They stopped at a Mom-and-Pop stop just off the high way and Buffy watched as Xander walked tiredly to the entrance.
"You ok?"
"Yeah, just a little tired. Don't worry about me falling asleep at the wheel, we only have a little farther to go."
"Hungry?"
"Do you really need to ask me that? Am I not the same Xander I have always been?"
"You could be an evil clone."
"Yes, I'm here to drive you crazy. Is it working?"
"I'm driving across country in a stolen van, with two teenagers; one of which could possibly be totally insane, and a carpenter who has now admitted to me he is in fact an evil clone. I'm now officially farther away from home than I have ever been in my entire life and I also have the knowledge that I'm never going to be the same person I was. In fact, I have no future planned out at all. I don't even know how the hell we are going to make any money so we can stay here. What do you think?"
"Sanity is overrated, trust me. You don't have to suffer from insanity, you can enjoy every minute of it."
"You've been reading way too many bumper stickers."
"Well, if anyone here drove we wouldn't have this problem, now would we?"
"Is it my fault I can't parallel park?"
"I'm going to say 'No' only because I know you can beat me up."
"Smart move. You did say we only have a bit farther to go. Does that mean we finally have a destination," she asked as she sat down next to Dawn.
"That's a secret of mine. You're going to see when we get there."
"Are we going to be sleeping on the streets or does your secret include a place to keep us safe and warm?"
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret anymore. Don't worry I have everything planned."
"Do I need to remind you how the last thing you planned went?"
"Do I need to remind you who here has actually got himself a job?"
"Ok, who ended up saving the world... again?"
"You always use that. That's just Buffy's way to win an argument."
The waitress came up to the booth, gum already snapping, "What'll you have?"
"Green eggs and ham all around." Xander ordered with a smile.
"Could you make my eggs light green.... I'm trying to cut back." Dawn smiled as the confused waitress went back into the kitchen.
"No one has respect for Seuss anymore," Andrew said with a frown.
*******
"Xander!!"
"Someone is in trouble," Dawn said in a singsong fashion as she watched her sister get angrier still.
"This house is perfect."
"It's falling apart!"
"No, the foundation is great. It's just not really all that attractive. It's a carpenters dream. Think of it Buffy, anything you want can go into this house. You can make it your dream house."
"Have you seen 'The Money Pit'?"
"Trust me."
"Look where that's gotten me."
"Away from the hell mouth? Buff, the least we could do is try it out. One of those prep. High schools is walking distance. Think of Dawn's education...." He said softly to try to lull the slayer into the idea.
"I still can't believe I have to go to a stuck up school. How in the heck did I get accepted?"
"Because of a glowing letter from the principal at your old high school."
Dawn looked to the ground moving the rocks with her feet. "Oh, I guess I thought I might have earned it or something... No big deal."
"Dawnie, you did." Xander said both sternly and comfortingly, which got a smile from Dawn.
Buffy saw the smile on her little sister's face and couldn't resist. "Ok, when can we move in?"
***THREE MONTHS LATER***
"I really like this color." Buffy said proudly as she rolled the orange-ish paint onto the wall.
"With all the different colors in the rooms I can't bring any friends over without them thinking we live in a Hawaiian shirt." Dawn retorted as she moved the brush against the moldings.
"Speaking of friends, I heard you were talking to one of the popular boys yesterday." Buffy smiled as her sister blushed. "My little girl is growing up." She sighed dramatically.
"Excuse me but I was telling him off. He was making fun of Kent and his Star Trek shirt. I wanted to help the guy, I guess it just runs in the family."
"Well as long as it was to help someone... Just don't let me get any calls that say you slayed someone during math."
"Buffy?"
"Yeah?" She turned to her sister.
"Do you miss it, the slaying?"
"In a way. I was good at something, an expert. Now, thousands of girls are experts and I'm Mary Jo Nobody. But then again I get to be Mary Jo Nobody who watches her sister grow up to be an amazing woman, and I know that's more than a fair trade." She moved some of Dawn's hair away from her face just as she had always done.
"Thanks Buffy." Dawn said as she got back to painting.
"Do you think Xander will like it? What about Andrew?" Buffy stepped back from the walls to try to get a better look at the color.
"Andrew well, he has one of those action figures with the same type of color. Xander... Well he does wear those shirts..."
"Good, then it will be a nice surprise for both of them."
"You mean instead of the heart attack kind of surprise?"
The phone began to ring before Buffy could get a good enough come back. She put the paint supplies down and started yelling at the phone that she was coming.
"You have reached the Summers, Harris, and Dover residence. We're-"
Buffy picked up the phone, "Hello." She said politely hoping it wasn't Andrew's boss again.
Buffy... Its Giles.
"Giles!! It's been such a long time! I was getting worried when you hadn't called for a while. How is everything?"
Not so good. Don't worry; it has nothing to do with the slayers or the hell mouth... I've called you about a personal matter.
"Okay, now I can feel you get really English. What's going on, Willow and Kennedy are getting married and you don't have a ring bearer?"
I wish it were that simple. All I can say is you need to come to LA, tonight if possible. Oh, and you must come alone.
"Giles I can't just pack up and leave here. I have a life here, responsibilities. "
I understand that Buffy, I truly do. You do know if it weren't important I wouldn't ask.
Buffy heard the door open and turned to see one man's shadow move to the newly painted room.
"I'll see what I can do Giles." She said as she hung up the phone.
"Hey Buff, Dawnie was just showing me the amazing job you guys did on the new room. So what do you guys want this one to be... we could go for a clue style house?"
"Yeah, this can be the Billiard room." Dawn laughed.
"What's the matter Buff? I didn't do anything did I? I swear that stick thing split me again-"
"No, Giles just called."
"How is everyone? Did someone get hurt?"
"Everyone is fine. He wants me to go and see him in LA, he said it was really important."
"Maybe Willow gave birth to Kennedy's baby." Both adults gave the teen a stern look.
"What, it would at least be a little weird." She shrugged.
"When do you leave?" Xander asked, knowing Buffy couldn't turn down her former watcher's wishes.
"He wanted me to go tonight." She said solemnly.
"I'll go call the airlines." Xander left the room, allowing Buffy and Dawn to hug.
"I'm coming back."
"Be careful." Dawn said as she let go of her sister. "I'll go and pack your stuff for you, you always end up forgetting half of it."
Buffy made her way over to where Xander was ordering her ticket. He hung up and turned to her, "Midnight. Thats when your flight leaves."
"Xand, what's the matter?"
"Its LA." He shrugged.
"And you don't want me there because Angel is there?"
"I don't want you to get hurt. "
"Angel would never hurt me."
"Lets not go down that road right now Buff."
"Are all guys this childish?"
"I'm not being childish, for once. I just know how seeing Angel is like salting an open wound for you."
"I can handle it." She said strongly.
"Doesn't make me feel any better about it. Just promise me you won't do anything too... drastic."
He took another look at the woman he was talking to and shook his head, "When you are doing something drastic just be careful please."
"Okay. I'll be back."
This man was very different from the boy she once knew, although, she decided, that the boy was never truly a boy. In her mind's eye, now, she could tell he had always been a man, and this man had seen his share of pain; mostly caused by her and her slayerness. This man had stayed and taken the pain she had to give even when everyone else couldn't. She felt a new respect for the driver fill her heart with pride. This goofy, loveable man was leading her to her new life. He turned to her and smiled brightly.
"Buff." He whispered so he wouldn't wake the others, "We're here."
She looked to the front window and watched the sign that read: "Welcome to Connecticut."
She smiled and laid her head back down on the headrest. She watched as the two-lane highway led them to sights of trees and woods she had never seen before in her life. Andrew and Dawn soon woke up and complained of being hungry. They stopped at a Mom-and-Pop stop just off the high way and Buffy watched as Xander walked tiredly to the entrance.
"You ok?"
"Yeah, just a little tired. Don't worry about me falling asleep at the wheel, we only have a little farther to go."
"Hungry?"
"Do you really need to ask me that? Am I not the same Xander I have always been?"
"You could be an evil clone."
"Yes, I'm here to drive you crazy. Is it working?"
"I'm driving across country in a stolen van, with two teenagers; one of which could possibly be totally insane, and a carpenter who has now admitted to me he is in fact an evil clone. I'm now officially farther away from home than I have ever been in my entire life and I also have the knowledge that I'm never going to be the same person I was. In fact, I have no future planned out at all. I don't even know how the hell we are going to make any money so we can stay here. What do you think?"
"Sanity is overrated, trust me. You don't have to suffer from insanity, you can enjoy every minute of it."
"You've been reading way too many bumper stickers."
"Well, if anyone here drove we wouldn't have this problem, now would we?"
"Is it my fault I can't parallel park?"
"I'm going to say 'No' only because I know you can beat me up."
"Smart move. You did say we only have a bit farther to go. Does that mean we finally have a destination," she asked as she sat down next to Dawn.
"That's a secret of mine. You're going to see when we get there."
"Are we going to be sleeping on the streets or does your secret include a place to keep us safe and warm?"
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret anymore. Don't worry I have everything planned."
"Do I need to remind you how the last thing you planned went?"
"Do I need to remind you who here has actually got himself a job?"
"Ok, who ended up saving the world... again?"
"You always use that. That's just Buffy's way to win an argument."
The waitress came up to the booth, gum already snapping, "What'll you have?"
"Green eggs and ham all around." Xander ordered with a smile.
"Could you make my eggs light green.... I'm trying to cut back." Dawn smiled as the confused waitress went back into the kitchen.
"No one has respect for Seuss anymore," Andrew said with a frown.
*******
"Xander!!"
"Someone is in trouble," Dawn said in a singsong fashion as she watched her sister get angrier still.
"This house is perfect."
"It's falling apart!"
"No, the foundation is great. It's just not really all that attractive. It's a carpenters dream. Think of it Buffy, anything you want can go into this house. You can make it your dream house."
"Have you seen 'The Money Pit'?"
"Trust me."
"Look where that's gotten me."
"Away from the hell mouth? Buff, the least we could do is try it out. One of those prep. High schools is walking distance. Think of Dawn's education...." He said softly to try to lull the slayer into the idea.
"I still can't believe I have to go to a stuck up school. How in the heck did I get accepted?"
"Because of a glowing letter from the principal at your old high school."
Dawn looked to the ground moving the rocks with her feet. "Oh, I guess I thought I might have earned it or something... No big deal."
"Dawnie, you did." Xander said both sternly and comfortingly, which got a smile from Dawn.
Buffy saw the smile on her little sister's face and couldn't resist. "Ok, when can we move in?"
***THREE MONTHS LATER***
"I really like this color." Buffy said proudly as she rolled the orange-ish paint onto the wall.
"With all the different colors in the rooms I can't bring any friends over without them thinking we live in a Hawaiian shirt." Dawn retorted as she moved the brush against the moldings.
"Speaking of friends, I heard you were talking to one of the popular boys yesterday." Buffy smiled as her sister blushed. "My little girl is growing up." She sighed dramatically.
"Excuse me but I was telling him off. He was making fun of Kent and his Star Trek shirt. I wanted to help the guy, I guess it just runs in the family."
"Well as long as it was to help someone... Just don't let me get any calls that say you slayed someone during math."
"Buffy?"
"Yeah?" She turned to her sister.
"Do you miss it, the slaying?"
"In a way. I was good at something, an expert. Now, thousands of girls are experts and I'm Mary Jo Nobody. But then again I get to be Mary Jo Nobody who watches her sister grow up to be an amazing woman, and I know that's more than a fair trade." She moved some of Dawn's hair away from her face just as she had always done.
"Thanks Buffy." Dawn said as she got back to painting.
"Do you think Xander will like it? What about Andrew?" Buffy stepped back from the walls to try to get a better look at the color.
"Andrew well, he has one of those action figures with the same type of color. Xander... Well he does wear those shirts..."
"Good, then it will be a nice surprise for both of them."
"You mean instead of the heart attack kind of surprise?"
The phone began to ring before Buffy could get a good enough come back. She put the paint supplies down and started yelling at the phone that she was coming.
"You have reached the Summers, Harris, and Dover residence. We're-"
Buffy picked up the phone, "Hello." She said politely hoping it wasn't Andrew's boss again.
Buffy... Its Giles.
"Giles!! It's been such a long time! I was getting worried when you hadn't called for a while. How is everything?"
Not so good. Don't worry; it has nothing to do with the slayers or the hell mouth... I've called you about a personal matter.
"Okay, now I can feel you get really English. What's going on, Willow and Kennedy are getting married and you don't have a ring bearer?"
I wish it were that simple. All I can say is you need to come to LA, tonight if possible. Oh, and you must come alone.
"Giles I can't just pack up and leave here. I have a life here, responsibilities. "
I understand that Buffy, I truly do. You do know if it weren't important I wouldn't ask.
Buffy heard the door open and turned to see one man's shadow move to the newly painted room.
"I'll see what I can do Giles." She said as she hung up the phone.
"Hey Buff, Dawnie was just showing me the amazing job you guys did on the new room. So what do you guys want this one to be... we could go for a clue style house?"
"Yeah, this can be the Billiard room." Dawn laughed.
"What's the matter Buff? I didn't do anything did I? I swear that stick thing split me again-"
"No, Giles just called."
"How is everyone? Did someone get hurt?"
"Everyone is fine. He wants me to go and see him in LA, he said it was really important."
"Maybe Willow gave birth to Kennedy's baby." Both adults gave the teen a stern look.
"What, it would at least be a little weird." She shrugged.
"When do you leave?" Xander asked, knowing Buffy couldn't turn down her former watcher's wishes.
"He wanted me to go tonight." She said solemnly.
"I'll go call the airlines." Xander left the room, allowing Buffy and Dawn to hug.
"I'm coming back."
"Be careful." Dawn said as she let go of her sister. "I'll go and pack your stuff for you, you always end up forgetting half of it."
Buffy made her way over to where Xander was ordering her ticket. He hung up and turned to her, "Midnight. Thats when your flight leaves."
"Xand, what's the matter?"
"Its LA." He shrugged.
"And you don't want me there because Angel is there?"
"I don't want you to get hurt. "
"Angel would never hurt me."
"Lets not go down that road right now Buff."
"Are all guys this childish?"
"I'm not being childish, for once. I just know how seeing Angel is like salting an open wound for you."
"I can handle it." She said strongly.
"Doesn't make me feel any better about it. Just promise me you won't do anything too... drastic."
He took another look at the woman he was talking to and shook his head, "When you are doing something drastic just be careful please."
"Okay. I'll be back."