Buffy slowly opened the front door to the Summers residence, trying
to not wake the two Wiccas and one annoying sister that lay sleeping on the
couch in the living room. Unfortunately, the squeaky hinge on the door had
other plans. "Damn, I knew I should have gotten that thing fixed."
Willow had stirred when she heard Buffy outside and was now fully awake due to the Slayers not-so-quiet cursing. "Hey, Buff." She yawned and rose from next to her lover. "How was patrol? Did ya' kill lots of things?"
"Nope, not a one. Though I did come close to staking one irritating, peroxide-blonde vampire."
"Saw Spike again, huh?" Willow led Buffy towards the kitchen and sat at the counter.
"Ugh, yes," Buffy walked to the sink and began rinsing her face with the cool water. "I mean, why can't he just get the picture that when a girl punches you in the face and then has her witch friend do a de-invite spell on her house, it usually means that you don't have a chance in hell?"
"Some people just don't pick up the subtle hints. So, what did he say to you this time?"
"Surprisingly, not very much. I kinda just kicked him, told him to go away, and he did. It all worked out pretty nicely. Though he did say I have a bad temper. Do you think I have a bad temper, Wills?"
"Well, sometimes you can be a tad moody," Willow started warily under Buffy's glare, "But that's only when you're in cranky mode and haven't had enough sleep and I totally understand how you'd feel!"
Buffy smiled at her flustered friend and started to laugh. "Willow, relax, I was just kidding! Trust me, I know I can be Miss Bad Mood Gal when I've had a bad day. I just really don't want to take all my stress out on you guys. And if I ever do, I am counting on you to slap me silly for it!"
"Gotcha. If you abuse the Scoobs, there'll be much silly slapping."
"Thanks. Also, I really wanted to thank you and Tara for watching Dawn for me while my mom's in LA. It's the only way I'm able to patrol since there's no one else in the house to watch her and I'm sure as hell not taking her with me."
"It's no problem, Buffy. You know Tara and I would do anything to help out. And plus, we love Dawnie. We have lots of fun while you're gone, like teaching her black Magicks, conjuring evil deities, watching slasher films and whatnot."
Buffy frowned at Willow. "You had better be . . ."
"I'm joking! I'm joking!" Willow suppressed a laugh. "We would never teach Dawn the Black Arts. Maybe a few white Magick incantations, but never.."
Another glare from Buffy silenced her.
"Okay, no more magick. Nada, zip, zilch. So anyway, how is your mom doing? I mean, has she been feeling much better since she got back from the hospital? The last time I saw her, she looked really good and healthy."
Buffy sighed, and Willow noticed how much older and worn out she looked. "She is doing a lot better than when we first brought her home. And she was healthy enough to do the job in LA, so I guess that's good. I wish she wouldn't have went, but she said she was going crazy being cooped up in the house day in and day out and she needed to go back to work to have purpose in her life. It was totally her call, no matter how worried I am."
Willow leaned over and gave her friend a hug. "Buffy, everything will be okay. And anyway, it's not your job to worry about her. Joyce is a big girl now and she'll be able to take care of herself. I promise."
"Thanks, Wills. That means a lot to me. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take my snoring sister to her room and then take a nice, long, scalding hot shower, which will then be followed by a long, blissful night's sleep in a cozy, warm bed."
"Ooh, sounds nice. I guess I'll collect Tara and we'll leave you to your slumber. Oh, and remember to meet us at the Magick Box tomorrow. Giles said it might be important."
"I'll be there. I mean, where else would I be? Good night, Will. Tell Tara I said good night, too."
"Okay. See ya, then."
Buffy climbed the stairs with Dawn in her arms as Willow and Tara were leaving the house. She deposited the teenager on her bed and then tiptoed out of the room. In the bathroom, she ran the water until it was as hot as her body could take and stepped in, desperately trying to wash all of her worries down the drain. When she felt sufficiently cleansed, she stepped out of the shower, got into her comfiest PJs, and tucked herself into bed.
"Let's just hope no earth shattering happenings go on tonight. I really don't think I could take much more."
Spike sat in the center of a large chalk circle in his darkened crypt, the ingredients for the spell set out and red and white candles burning around him. "So, what do we have then? A bit o' earth from her walkway, one ground tonka bean, tablespoon of ground mugwort, tablespoon of rosewater, and one staurolite crystal." He looked into the stolen magic book to make sure everything was prepared correctly. "Tomorrow night's the first night of the full moon, and the Slayer's never even gonna know what hit her."
TBC
Willow had stirred when she heard Buffy outside and was now fully awake due to the Slayers not-so-quiet cursing. "Hey, Buff." She yawned and rose from next to her lover. "How was patrol? Did ya' kill lots of things?"
"Nope, not a one. Though I did come close to staking one irritating, peroxide-blonde vampire."
"Saw Spike again, huh?" Willow led Buffy towards the kitchen and sat at the counter.
"Ugh, yes," Buffy walked to the sink and began rinsing her face with the cool water. "I mean, why can't he just get the picture that when a girl punches you in the face and then has her witch friend do a de-invite spell on her house, it usually means that you don't have a chance in hell?"
"Some people just don't pick up the subtle hints. So, what did he say to you this time?"
"Surprisingly, not very much. I kinda just kicked him, told him to go away, and he did. It all worked out pretty nicely. Though he did say I have a bad temper. Do you think I have a bad temper, Wills?"
"Well, sometimes you can be a tad moody," Willow started warily under Buffy's glare, "But that's only when you're in cranky mode and haven't had enough sleep and I totally understand how you'd feel!"
Buffy smiled at her flustered friend and started to laugh. "Willow, relax, I was just kidding! Trust me, I know I can be Miss Bad Mood Gal when I've had a bad day. I just really don't want to take all my stress out on you guys. And if I ever do, I am counting on you to slap me silly for it!"
"Gotcha. If you abuse the Scoobs, there'll be much silly slapping."
"Thanks. Also, I really wanted to thank you and Tara for watching Dawn for me while my mom's in LA. It's the only way I'm able to patrol since there's no one else in the house to watch her and I'm sure as hell not taking her with me."
"It's no problem, Buffy. You know Tara and I would do anything to help out. And plus, we love Dawnie. We have lots of fun while you're gone, like teaching her black Magicks, conjuring evil deities, watching slasher films and whatnot."
Buffy frowned at Willow. "You had better be . . ."
"I'm joking! I'm joking!" Willow suppressed a laugh. "We would never teach Dawn the Black Arts. Maybe a few white Magick incantations, but never.."
Another glare from Buffy silenced her.
"Okay, no more magick. Nada, zip, zilch. So anyway, how is your mom doing? I mean, has she been feeling much better since she got back from the hospital? The last time I saw her, she looked really good and healthy."
Buffy sighed, and Willow noticed how much older and worn out she looked. "She is doing a lot better than when we first brought her home. And she was healthy enough to do the job in LA, so I guess that's good. I wish she wouldn't have went, but she said she was going crazy being cooped up in the house day in and day out and she needed to go back to work to have purpose in her life. It was totally her call, no matter how worried I am."
Willow leaned over and gave her friend a hug. "Buffy, everything will be okay. And anyway, it's not your job to worry about her. Joyce is a big girl now and she'll be able to take care of herself. I promise."
"Thanks, Wills. That means a lot to me. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take my snoring sister to her room and then take a nice, long, scalding hot shower, which will then be followed by a long, blissful night's sleep in a cozy, warm bed."
"Ooh, sounds nice. I guess I'll collect Tara and we'll leave you to your slumber. Oh, and remember to meet us at the Magick Box tomorrow. Giles said it might be important."
"I'll be there. I mean, where else would I be? Good night, Will. Tell Tara I said good night, too."
"Okay. See ya, then."
Buffy climbed the stairs with Dawn in her arms as Willow and Tara were leaving the house. She deposited the teenager on her bed and then tiptoed out of the room. In the bathroom, she ran the water until it was as hot as her body could take and stepped in, desperately trying to wash all of her worries down the drain. When she felt sufficiently cleansed, she stepped out of the shower, got into her comfiest PJs, and tucked herself into bed.
"Let's just hope no earth shattering happenings go on tonight. I really don't think I could take much more."
Spike sat in the center of a large chalk circle in his darkened crypt, the ingredients for the spell set out and red and white candles burning around him. "So, what do we have then? A bit o' earth from her walkway, one ground tonka bean, tablespoon of ground mugwort, tablespoon of rosewater, and one staurolite crystal." He looked into the stolen magic book to make sure everything was prepared correctly. "Tomorrow night's the first night of the full moon, and the Slayer's never even gonna know what hit her."
TBC
