Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox,
etc... except of course the ones I make up.
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN
Chapter 9: Big News
Dawn sat arbitrarily flipping through one of the large demonology books to make it look as if she were doing something. Giles was running around the store like a madman, trying to keep everything in order. Anya had taken the day off, she needed to go to a doctor's appointment or something; she refused to be more specific than that. Her day off meant Giles was running about like a madman. Between research and running the shop, it seemed like it may have been a bit too much to take on.
"Are you sure?" He called from across the room.
"I'm sure, Rupes," Spike replied, aggravation apparent in his tone. "He said Ayanathla. Seems female, he didn't hand me a bloody picture."
"Your sarcasm is not helpful. Have you ever heard of respecting your elders?"
"I am your elder!" Spike retorted.
Giles was a bit lost for words, being as how Spike was right. "Then bloody act it!"
Spike was about to respond when Dawn spoke up. "HEY! Neither of you are being very helpful here!"
"She's right," Willow chimed in. "If you're just going to bicker, than maybe one of you should leave."
"It's my store."
"Fine," Spike said, "I'll take the sewers then."
"No!" Willow told him. "The point was that you two need to stop. We've been here for hours, I know, I'm feeling like quite the cranky person myself. But we need to get this done just like we've needed to get everything else done. Why don't I go out and get some coffee and snacks and stuff?"
"Yes, please," Buffy moaned. Just as Willow got up and walked over to the door to leave. Just as she reached for the handle, it flew open and Janice walked in.
"Janice?"
"Hey Willow."
"Janice? What are you doing here?" Dawn asked.
Janice just smiled and practically skipped over to the table where Dawn was sitting. She sat down next to her best friend and pulled a random book in front of herself.
"I thought, you know, maybe I could help do research or whatever. I mean, I could help with that thing we saw in the cemetery."
Dawn choked a laugh. "Oh! You mean you want to know how my date with Dave went last night and when I wasn't home you figured I was here."
Janice blushed. "Pretty much."
"Okay. It went, it went nice. It was really nice."
"Did it really?" She asked enthusiastically.
"Oh yeah. It was great, except when he found out about me..."
"He found out?" Janice inquired. "How?"
"He followed me into an alleyway and saw me slay a vampire."
"Oh. So anyway-"
"Anyway, it was really nice."
"So I've been told. Did you guys-"
"Kiss?" Dawn said, finishing Janice's sentence. "Yeah!"
"And..."
"And, it was really nice. I mean, he was really great. So better that kissing a vampire."
To that statement, Spike loudly cleared his throat and gave the girls one of his looks that told them they were talking too much.
"Sorry Spike," Dawn insisted, "I didn't mean any offense."
"L'il Bit, I really don't care what you think of how well vampires kiss. I KNOW that I am in fact a good kisser regardless. I don't even care much if you are kissing someone. But Dawn, love, I bloody don't want to hear about it."
Dawn blushed at the realization of how loud she was speaking. She had to think of a comeback, and fast.
"Yeah, well, there are certain things that I don't want to hear in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! God, I mean, it was so much quieter when you and Buffy were doing it at your crypt."
"DAWN!" Spike and Buffy shouted in unison.
"I should go," Janice insisted. As she got up, she took a look at the store and saw a very aggravated Giles running back and forth. She walked over to him and softly tapped him on the shoulder.
"Uh, Mr. Giles? Would you maybe like some help? I have a little experience working retail and-"
"YES!" He replied emphatically, not giving her a chance to finish. "I would love some help."
Janice smiled kindly. "I could work the register if you'd like."
Giles nodded happily and Janice walked behind the counter. Dawn got up and walked to the front of the counter in an attempt to avoid further confrontation with her makeshift guardians. She raised her eyebrows at Janice.
"You worked in retail?"
"Yeah. After some of my more serious indiscretions, my mom made me get a job to pay off all the damages. I worked in a clothing store for about six months."
"Cool. I would consider working in retail but uh, no."
The girls laughed as they heard the bell above the door ring again. They turned to see Willow walking in, arms full of goodies from the Espresso Pump. Dawn walked over and grabbed two coffees and two cookies for Janice and herself. Almost a soon as Dawn reached the counter again, the door swung open. Xander entered followed by an absolutely glowing Anya.
"Anya?" Giles questioned. "I thought you-"
"Took the day off? I did. But we have to most wonderful new! I figured you'd all be here. I'm pregnant!"
Cheers of excitement rung though the store at the good news. Everyone got up to hugs the brand new soon-to-be-parents. Questions like "how many months?" and "is it a boy or a girl?" were repeated frantically without response. Everyone hugged the couple and shook their hands in congratulations. Even Spike showed a bit of enthusiasm.
"This is so great!" Dawn exclaimed. "We totally need to do something."
"What about-"
"The demon?" Giles interrupted Spike. "No matter. She'll still be wreaking havoc tomorrow I'm sure. Best to get on with the festivities. Congratulations to you both."
Anya beamed with happiness. "I can't believe! And I'm so glad you'll all be here to celebrate with me. But Giles, one thing, why was Dawn's friend fondling the money?"
TBC...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A/n: Uh, sorry this chapter was so short you guys. But I promise promise promise promise, it will pick up after this chapter. Like, REALLY get into the action. Basically I just needed to set up for the upcoming... stuff. :)
Please please please review! I'd love to know what you guys think. There's cookies and ice cream if you do...
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN
Chapter 9: Big News
Dawn sat arbitrarily flipping through one of the large demonology books to make it look as if she were doing something. Giles was running around the store like a madman, trying to keep everything in order. Anya had taken the day off, she needed to go to a doctor's appointment or something; she refused to be more specific than that. Her day off meant Giles was running about like a madman. Between research and running the shop, it seemed like it may have been a bit too much to take on.
"Are you sure?" He called from across the room.
"I'm sure, Rupes," Spike replied, aggravation apparent in his tone. "He said Ayanathla. Seems female, he didn't hand me a bloody picture."
"Your sarcasm is not helpful. Have you ever heard of respecting your elders?"
"I am your elder!" Spike retorted.
Giles was a bit lost for words, being as how Spike was right. "Then bloody act it!"
Spike was about to respond when Dawn spoke up. "HEY! Neither of you are being very helpful here!"
"She's right," Willow chimed in. "If you're just going to bicker, than maybe one of you should leave."
"It's my store."
"Fine," Spike said, "I'll take the sewers then."
"No!" Willow told him. "The point was that you two need to stop. We've been here for hours, I know, I'm feeling like quite the cranky person myself. But we need to get this done just like we've needed to get everything else done. Why don't I go out and get some coffee and snacks and stuff?"
"Yes, please," Buffy moaned. Just as Willow got up and walked over to the door to leave. Just as she reached for the handle, it flew open and Janice walked in.
"Janice?"
"Hey Willow."
"Janice? What are you doing here?" Dawn asked.
Janice just smiled and practically skipped over to the table where Dawn was sitting. She sat down next to her best friend and pulled a random book in front of herself.
"I thought, you know, maybe I could help do research or whatever. I mean, I could help with that thing we saw in the cemetery."
Dawn choked a laugh. "Oh! You mean you want to know how my date with Dave went last night and when I wasn't home you figured I was here."
Janice blushed. "Pretty much."
"Okay. It went, it went nice. It was really nice."
"Did it really?" She asked enthusiastically.
"Oh yeah. It was great, except when he found out about me..."
"He found out?" Janice inquired. "How?"
"He followed me into an alleyway and saw me slay a vampire."
"Oh. So anyway-"
"Anyway, it was really nice."
"So I've been told. Did you guys-"
"Kiss?" Dawn said, finishing Janice's sentence. "Yeah!"
"And..."
"And, it was really nice. I mean, he was really great. So better that kissing a vampire."
To that statement, Spike loudly cleared his throat and gave the girls one of his looks that told them they were talking too much.
"Sorry Spike," Dawn insisted, "I didn't mean any offense."
"L'il Bit, I really don't care what you think of how well vampires kiss. I KNOW that I am in fact a good kisser regardless. I don't even care much if you are kissing someone. But Dawn, love, I bloody don't want to hear about it."
Dawn blushed at the realization of how loud she was speaking. She had to think of a comeback, and fast.
"Yeah, well, there are certain things that I don't want to hear in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! God, I mean, it was so much quieter when you and Buffy were doing it at your crypt."
"DAWN!" Spike and Buffy shouted in unison.
"I should go," Janice insisted. As she got up, she took a look at the store and saw a very aggravated Giles running back and forth. She walked over to him and softly tapped him on the shoulder.
"Uh, Mr. Giles? Would you maybe like some help? I have a little experience working retail and-"
"YES!" He replied emphatically, not giving her a chance to finish. "I would love some help."
Janice smiled kindly. "I could work the register if you'd like."
Giles nodded happily and Janice walked behind the counter. Dawn got up and walked to the front of the counter in an attempt to avoid further confrontation with her makeshift guardians. She raised her eyebrows at Janice.
"You worked in retail?"
"Yeah. After some of my more serious indiscretions, my mom made me get a job to pay off all the damages. I worked in a clothing store for about six months."
"Cool. I would consider working in retail but uh, no."
The girls laughed as they heard the bell above the door ring again. They turned to see Willow walking in, arms full of goodies from the Espresso Pump. Dawn walked over and grabbed two coffees and two cookies for Janice and herself. Almost a soon as Dawn reached the counter again, the door swung open. Xander entered followed by an absolutely glowing Anya.
"Anya?" Giles questioned. "I thought you-"
"Took the day off? I did. But we have to most wonderful new! I figured you'd all be here. I'm pregnant!"
Cheers of excitement rung though the store at the good news. Everyone got up to hugs the brand new soon-to-be-parents. Questions like "how many months?" and "is it a boy or a girl?" were repeated frantically without response. Everyone hugged the couple and shook their hands in congratulations. Even Spike showed a bit of enthusiasm.
"This is so great!" Dawn exclaimed. "We totally need to do something."
"What about-"
"The demon?" Giles interrupted Spike. "No matter. She'll still be wreaking havoc tomorrow I'm sure. Best to get on with the festivities. Congratulations to you both."
Anya beamed with happiness. "I can't believe! And I'm so glad you'll all be here to celebrate with me. But Giles, one thing, why was Dawn's friend fondling the money?"
TBC...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A/n: Uh, sorry this chapter was so short you guys. But I promise promise promise promise, it will pick up after this chapter. Like, REALLY get into the action. Basically I just needed to set up for the upcoming... stuff. :)
Please please please review! I'd love to know what you guys think. There's cookies and ice cream if you do...