Part 12:
Buffy looked in the rear view mirror. Claire was looking out the window, watching the scenery, a slight from creasing her forehead. Buffy chuckled. She could have been Angel's daughter she looked so much like him. Especially when he was in a brooding mood. Riley noticed her chuckling and looked at her quickly before turning his eyes back to the road.
"What's so funny?"
"Hmm…?" Buffy was still lost in her thoughts. "Oh! Umm, nothing!"
Riley looked at her suspiciously but she was looking out the window, as if deliberately trying not to look at him. He looked back at Claire to see the girl trying to hold in a laugh. He scowled at her and she simply chucked him an evil look back. He really did not like that girl and he had a hunch that the feeling was mutual.
They pulled up in front of Buffy's house and a woman opened the door when she heard the car pull up. Claire's eyes misted over when she saw her grandmother. She looked so young and healthy, Claire could barely recognised her. She almost ran over to give her a hug but then remember that she wasn't supposed to know her. She grabbed her belongings and stepped out of the car, wanting to get away from Riley as soon as possible. Buffy gave Riley a kiss good bye and said something about meeting him for patrol tonight and thanked him for coming out of his way to drop them off. She had realised at the last minute that Claire wouldn't want to carry all her stuff from Giles' to Buffy's and had rung Riley on her mobile.
Riley drove off and the girls walked to the door where Joyce Summers was waiting.
"Mum, this is Claire. Claire, this is my mum." Buffy introduced the two and Claire had a hard time talking, her voice seemed to desert her.
"Hi Claire! Nice to meet you."
"You too Mrs. Summers."
"Feel free to call me Joyce. So you're being followed by something 'demonic' huh?" The three females walked inside, still talking and walked upstairs to Buffy's room.
"Ah, yes."
"Well, I'm sure Buffy will get rid of it, whatever it is." She turned to Buffy. "I have to leave for the museum, will you two be okay here?"
"Of course Mum! I'm in college now, not primary school! We'll be fine."
"Okay then, I'll see you guys tonight then. Nice meeting you Claire!"
"You too Mrs…Joyce." Joyce left and Claire turned to Buffy. "You're mum knows? I mean, about the slaying?"
"Yeah, there came a point when I couldn't keep it a secret anymore. She didn't take it very well though."
Claire's mind went back to the story her father had told her about Joyce's response to finding out Buffy's secret. Buffy would never talk about it and Claire couldn't blame her.
"Well, this is 'our' room for awhile. I'll set up a bed next to mine and I'll stay with you in case anything happens." Buffy sat down on her bed and looked around the room she had been in only a few hours before. It seemed like years ago.
"Great! Umm, where would you like me to put my stuff?"
Buffy gestured around the room. "Oh, just dump it anywhere. I'll clear out a drawer for you when I get around to it." She laughed, her eyes twinkling. "It takes me awhile to get things done. I'm slightly lazy on weekends." She looked at Claire whose eyes were also filled with laughter. "Ok, so I'm a lot lazy on weekends!"
Claire laughed and Buffy couldn't help thinking how much she reminded her of Angel.
"Don't worry! I'm exactly the same at home. Mum's always on my back 'bout my homework on weekends." But I should have had a tape recorder for that little comment Mum! It would have been VERY useful.
Buffy laughed. "Sounds like my mum! Well, make yourself at home. I'll be leaving about 6 o'clock for patrolling, will you be alright here by yourself?"
"Sure! I am 15!"
Buffy laughed again. "Okay. If you get bored, there's a whole ton of videos in the top cupboard in the lounge room. Me and Mum used to have a vid-fest on Valentine's Day when we were home alone."
Claire groaned. "Great! Soppy, girly movies!"
The girls laughed together as Buffy eventually got up to clear out a drawer for Claire's things.
"Umm, Buffy? Where's your bathroom?"
"Down the hall, to the left."
"Thanks!"
****
Claire walked into the bathroom, locked the door and placed her hands on the mirror. Before she could start the chant, a very angry looking Oracle appeared in the mirror.
"What are you doing Claire? We sent you on this mission expecting it to be a matter of complete secrecy. Now, not only does Angel have an idea of what is going on, the Watcher KNOWS!"
Claire said nothing, letting the words of the Oracle sink in.
"When you return young lady, you will be punished. That is all we have to say to you right now." With that, the picture faded and Claire sighed and started to walk back to Buffy's room.
****
Buffy looked at the box in her hands. A sense of de-je-vous washed over her and she smiled. Suddenly she heard Claire coming back and shoving the box in her pocket, she finished clearing the drawer.
"All ready for your things Claire!"
Claire smiled, a worried frown still on her face.
"Hey, what's wrong? Someone once told me 'Don't ever frown, you never know who's falling in love with your smile!' " Buffy thought back to the time Angel told her that and a bitter-sweet feeling washed over her. Okay, he never said that, but I said he did OKAY? (
"Someone once told me that too." Claire replied, thinking of all the wise things that her father had often told her. She hoped he would get here soon, she couldn't wait to see him again.
Buffy looked in the rear view mirror. Claire was looking out the window, watching the scenery, a slight from creasing her forehead. Buffy chuckled. She could have been Angel's daughter she looked so much like him. Especially when he was in a brooding mood. Riley noticed her chuckling and looked at her quickly before turning his eyes back to the road.
"What's so funny?"
"Hmm…?" Buffy was still lost in her thoughts. "Oh! Umm, nothing!"
Riley looked at her suspiciously but she was looking out the window, as if deliberately trying not to look at him. He looked back at Claire to see the girl trying to hold in a laugh. He scowled at her and she simply chucked him an evil look back. He really did not like that girl and he had a hunch that the feeling was mutual.
They pulled up in front of Buffy's house and a woman opened the door when she heard the car pull up. Claire's eyes misted over when she saw her grandmother. She looked so young and healthy, Claire could barely recognised her. She almost ran over to give her a hug but then remember that she wasn't supposed to know her. She grabbed her belongings and stepped out of the car, wanting to get away from Riley as soon as possible. Buffy gave Riley a kiss good bye and said something about meeting him for patrol tonight and thanked him for coming out of his way to drop them off. She had realised at the last minute that Claire wouldn't want to carry all her stuff from Giles' to Buffy's and had rung Riley on her mobile.
Riley drove off and the girls walked to the door where Joyce Summers was waiting.
"Mum, this is Claire. Claire, this is my mum." Buffy introduced the two and Claire had a hard time talking, her voice seemed to desert her.
"Hi Claire! Nice to meet you."
"You too Mrs. Summers."
"Feel free to call me Joyce. So you're being followed by something 'demonic' huh?" The three females walked inside, still talking and walked upstairs to Buffy's room.
"Ah, yes."
"Well, I'm sure Buffy will get rid of it, whatever it is." She turned to Buffy. "I have to leave for the museum, will you two be okay here?"
"Of course Mum! I'm in college now, not primary school! We'll be fine."
"Okay then, I'll see you guys tonight then. Nice meeting you Claire!"
"You too Mrs…Joyce." Joyce left and Claire turned to Buffy. "You're mum knows? I mean, about the slaying?"
"Yeah, there came a point when I couldn't keep it a secret anymore. She didn't take it very well though."
Claire's mind went back to the story her father had told her about Joyce's response to finding out Buffy's secret. Buffy would never talk about it and Claire couldn't blame her.
"Well, this is 'our' room for awhile. I'll set up a bed next to mine and I'll stay with you in case anything happens." Buffy sat down on her bed and looked around the room she had been in only a few hours before. It seemed like years ago.
"Great! Umm, where would you like me to put my stuff?"
Buffy gestured around the room. "Oh, just dump it anywhere. I'll clear out a drawer for you when I get around to it." She laughed, her eyes twinkling. "It takes me awhile to get things done. I'm slightly lazy on weekends." She looked at Claire whose eyes were also filled with laughter. "Ok, so I'm a lot lazy on weekends!"
Claire laughed and Buffy couldn't help thinking how much she reminded her of Angel.
"Don't worry! I'm exactly the same at home. Mum's always on my back 'bout my homework on weekends." But I should have had a tape recorder for that little comment Mum! It would have been VERY useful.
Buffy laughed. "Sounds like my mum! Well, make yourself at home. I'll be leaving about 6 o'clock for patrolling, will you be alright here by yourself?"
"Sure! I am 15!"
Buffy laughed again. "Okay. If you get bored, there's a whole ton of videos in the top cupboard in the lounge room. Me and Mum used to have a vid-fest on Valentine's Day when we were home alone."
Claire groaned. "Great! Soppy, girly movies!"
The girls laughed together as Buffy eventually got up to clear out a drawer for Claire's things.
"Umm, Buffy? Where's your bathroom?"
"Down the hall, to the left."
"Thanks!"
****
Claire walked into the bathroom, locked the door and placed her hands on the mirror. Before she could start the chant, a very angry looking Oracle appeared in the mirror.
"What are you doing Claire? We sent you on this mission expecting it to be a matter of complete secrecy. Now, not only does Angel have an idea of what is going on, the Watcher KNOWS!"
Claire said nothing, letting the words of the Oracle sink in.
"When you return young lady, you will be punished. That is all we have to say to you right now." With that, the picture faded and Claire sighed and started to walk back to Buffy's room.
****
Buffy looked at the box in her hands. A sense of de-je-vous washed over her and she smiled. Suddenly she heard Claire coming back and shoving the box in her pocket, she finished clearing the drawer.
"All ready for your things Claire!"
Claire smiled, a worried frown still on her face.
"Hey, what's wrong? Someone once told me 'Don't ever frown, you never know who's falling in love with your smile!' " Buffy thought back to the time Angel told her that and a bitter-sweet feeling washed over her. Okay, he never said that, but I said he did OKAY? (
"Someone once told me that too." Claire replied, thinking of all the wise things that her father had often told her. She hoped he would get here soon, she couldn't wait to see him again.