Title: First Impressions
Chapter: 3
Rating: PG
Summary: AU. Buffy picks Manning up from preschool and meets someone "new." The summary sounds kind of boring. But maybe you think this chapter is. The story will seem more interesting as a whole, not by each individual chapter.
Author: Andra Marie
Disclaimer: Manning's mine, sorta. But I don't really own anything, since that takes money, and people these days aren't respectin Geoffery Dollars.
A/N: NEVER forget that this is AU. And don't make assumptions according to your shipperness. That goes for this and the next chapter.
Oh, and I'm sorry that this took so long to write. I wanted to write it sooner, I just don't really have the time. And I wish that it were a little longer, too.
___________________________
Buffy got back to her new house. It wasn't really a home yet, since it had barely been lived in and there were boxes seemingly coming out of every wall. She unlocked the door and laid her keys on the table near the door. She didn't notice a piece of paper slip under the table after she accidentally kicked it. Manning followed behind her. For once he was actually tired and ready for his nap. Although Buffy knew it was odd for him to be tired after having all that sugar, he must've just had a hard first day. She picked her son up in her arms, with his arms wrapped around her neck. After kicking a few boxes to the side, she took him into his room and put him in bed. Buffy slowly walked out of the room and shut the door gently behind her.
An hour later, Buffy went back into Manning's room to check on him. He was fast asleep, lying on his back and holding on to his pillow.
/He looks so beautiful and peaceful. /
She stood in the doorway, trying to etch that image of him in her mind forever. She gently walked over to the side of the bed, trying not to wake him. Crouching down beside his bed, Buffy ran her hand over his head, smoothing his hair. She loved him so much. She now understood how her own mother must have felt. There was no way she could've handled herself all that her mother had gone through. The thought of any harm coming to her son was scary and frightening. Knowing the he was in mortal danger every day of his life would have torn her to pieces. She didn't know how her mother did it.
Buffy could feel some tears coming on and she didn't want to wake her child up. After planting a gentle kiss on his forehead, she left her son's bedroom and headed to her own. In the very top of her closet, she found a large book- a photo album. She carried it to her bed and curled up with her blankets. On each page held precious memories: a picture of herself, her mother and Dawn on a pick-nick; her best friends, Willow and Xander; a picture of Manning when he was just two days old.
After she finished looking through the whole book, she closed it and held it tight to her chest. After a few moments, she drifted asleep, letting her dreams take over.
~A Week Later~
/Oh God. I'm going to be late. Great first impression- be the last one to pick up your child. /
Buffy jumped into the car and sped toward the preschool. After narrowly missing a few pedestrians and 'almost' running a stop sign, she arrived at the Solee Pre-Kindergarten Academy.
/Why can't they just call it preschool anymore? People like to make thing so complicated these days. /
She had arrived there on time (barely) and saw the other parents standing in the doorway as she walked in.
She followed them down the hall, hanging in the back of the pack. They made it to a large room filled with toddlers. The rest of the parents headed straight to their children, but Buffy didn't see Manning anywhere. A small, older woman noticed her searching and approached her.
"Hello, may I help you?" she asked with a warm smile.
"Yes, I hope. I'm looking for my son, Manning." She was still looking throughout the large room.
"Oh, so you're Manning's mother. We've been waiting to meet you. Your son is darling."
"Thanks, I guess he takes after his father." /I shouldn't have said that. Just leads to more questions. / "So, where is he?"
"He's in the back with Matthew. Manning seems to like him a lot. The seem to have taken to each other." She pointed past a bookshelf, which separated a small section in the back from the rest of the room.
"Oh."
/He's taking to a teacher, not another kid. That's cool, though. I mean, I spent most of my school days hanging out in the library with Giles. But then again, I could speak in complete sentences, too. /
She walked back there, glancing at some of the fathers interacting with their cons and daughters.
/Angel would've been a wonderful father. He would have loved Manning so much. /
She peeked around the bookcase and found her son playing with a toy plane. There was a man facing him, presumably Matthew, with his back to her. Something about him looked familiar.
"Mommy!" he yelled, and ran to Buffy. He wrapped himself around her leg.
"Hey little man." Buffy reached down and picked him up. She gave him a big hug.
Matthew stood up slowly. He put away the plane and then turned around to meet Manning's mother. He'd hope to meet her sooner. Only a good person could have a son as wonderful as Manning.
"Hi. I'm Matthew. You must be Mrs. Summers." He extended his hand towards Buffy, but she didn't move. She just stood there, speechless.
/How could he be here? And not even know me? And MATTHEW? Ohmigawd. /
_______________________________________
More A/N: I suppose this is a little cliff-hanger-y, huh? Oh well, the next chapter should be rather interesting. Hope you liked this. DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE ME A REVIEW!!!! PLEASE?!?! Pretty please with cherries on top?
Chapter: 3
Rating: PG
Summary: AU. Buffy picks Manning up from preschool and meets someone "new." The summary sounds kind of boring. But maybe you think this chapter is. The story will seem more interesting as a whole, not by each individual chapter.
Author: Andra Marie
Disclaimer: Manning's mine, sorta. But I don't really own anything, since that takes money, and people these days aren't respectin Geoffery Dollars.
A/N: NEVER forget that this is AU. And don't make assumptions according to your shipperness. That goes for this and the next chapter.
Oh, and I'm sorry that this took so long to write. I wanted to write it sooner, I just don't really have the time. And I wish that it were a little longer, too.
___________________________
Buffy got back to her new house. It wasn't really a home yet, since it had barely been lived in and there were boxes seemingly coming out of every wall. She unlocked the door and laid her keys on the table near the door. She didn't notice a piece of paper slip under the table after she accidentally kicked it. Manning followed behind her. For once he was actually tired and ready for his nap. Although Buffy knew it was odd for him to be tired after having all that sugar, he must've just had a hard first day. She picked her son up in her arms, with his arms wrapped around her neck. After kicking a few boxes to the side, she took him into his room and put him in bed. Buffy slowly walked out of the room and shut the door gently behind her.
An hour later, Buffy went back into Manning's room to check on him. He was fast asleep, lying on his back and holding on to his pillow.
/He looks so beautiful and peaceful. /
She stood in the doorway, trying to etch that image of him in her mind forever. She gently walked over to the side of the bed, trying not to wake him. Crouching down beside his bed, Buffy ran her hand over his head, smoothing his hair. She loved him so much. She now understood how her own mother must have felt. There was no way she could've handled herself all that her mother had gone through. The thought of any harm coming to her son was scary and frightening. Knowing the he was in mortal danger every day of his life would have torn her to pieces. She didn't know how her mother did it.
Buffy could feel some tears coming on and she didn't want to wake her child up. After planting a gentle kiss on his forehead, she left her son's bedroom and headed to her own. In the very top of her closet, she found a large book- a photo album. She carried it to her bed and curled up with her blankets. On each page held precious memories: a picture of herself, her mother and Dawn on a pick-nick; her best friends, Willow and Xander; a picture of Manning when he was just two days old.
After she finished looking through the whole book, she closed it and held it tight to her chest. After a few moments, she drifted asleep, letting her dreams take over.
~A Week Later~
/Oh God. I'm going to be late. Great first impression- be the last one to pick up your child. /
Buffy jumped into the car and sped toward the preschool. After narrowly missing a few pedestrians and 'almost' running a stop sign, she arrived at the Solee Pre-Kindergarten Academy.
/Why can't they just call it preschool anymore? People like to make thing so complicated these days. /
She had arrived there on time (barely) and saw the other parents standing in the doorway as she walked in.
She followed them down the hall, hanging in the back of the pack. They made it to a large room filled with toddlers. The rest of the parents headed straight to their children, but Buffy didn't see Manning anywhere. A small, older woman noticed her searching and approached her.
"Hello, may I help you?" she asked with a warm smile.
"Yes, I hope. I'm looking for my son, Manning." She was still looking throughout the large room.
"Oh, so you're Manning's mother. We've been waiting to meet you. Your son is darling."
"Thanks, I guess he takes after his father." /I shouldn't have said that. Just leads to more questions. / "So, where is he?"
"He's in the back with Matthew. Manning seems to like him a lot. The seem to have taken to each other." She pointed past a bookshelf, which separated a small section in the back from the rest of the room.
"Oh."
/He's taking to a teacher, not another kid. That's cool, though. I mean, I spent most of my school days hanging out in the library with Giles. But then again, I could speak in complete sentences, too. /
She walked back there, glancing at some of the fathers interacting with their cons and daughters.
/Angel would've been a wonderful father. He would have loved Manning so much. /
She peeked around the bookcase and found her son playing with a toy plane. There was a man facing him, presumably Matthew, with his back to her. Something about him looked familiar.
"Mommy!" he yelled, and ran to Buffy. He wrapped himself around her leg.
"Hey little man." Buffy reached down and picked him up. She gave him a big hug.
Matthew stood up slowly. He put away the plane and then turned around to meet Manning's mother. He'd hope to meet her sooner. Only a good person could have a son as wonderful as Manning.
"Hi. I'm Matthew. You must be Mrs. Summers." He extended his hand towards Buffy, but she didn't move. She just stood there, speechless.
/How could he be here? And not even know me? And MATTHEW? Ohmigawd. /
_______________________________________
More A/N: I suppose this is a little cliff-hanger-y, huh? Oh well, the next chapter should be rather interesting. Hope you liked this. DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE ME A REVIEW!!!! PLEASE?!?! Pretty please with cherries on top?
