*December 3*
Buffy was sitting at her desk, pen in hand, writing down ideas on a large legal pad, when she heard the front door open and close. She was startled at first; she wasn't expecting William home until five o'clock, and it was only four-thirty. She put her pen down, and grabbed the baby monitor on her desk and clipped it on to the waistband of her jeans, then walked out into the living room. Seeing William standing there, she relaxed.
"What are you doing home this early?" She asked, sitting down on the sofa.
"Angel called," William said, sitting down next to her, and running his hand through his soft, honey brown hair.
"Any news? Did they find Riley?" She asked, somewhat hopefully, even though she knew by William's actions that the news wasn't good.
"They found the place he was staying at, but it looks as if he hasn't been there in a few weeks.Angel said he wouldn't stop looking until he's behind bars." Buffy rested her head on his shoulder. William heard the small hiccuping sound she made when she cried, and pulled her into his lap.
"Shh, pet, don't cry.You know it kills me when you cry," he soothed, running his hands up and down her back. Buffy slowly stopped, wiping her eyes and sniffling a little as she looked up at him.
"I'm sorry. It's just that we've been looking for him for so long. I just want it to be over."
"I know, pet. I want it to be over too," he said, still holding Buffy tightly. Buffy was the first to speak after the silence that followed.
"Want to help me decorate for Christmas?" She asked. She needed to get her mind off Riley. Will smiled at her and nodded. "Good, you can go get the Christmas tree from the basement. I'm going to go check to see if Dawn's up."
By the time Buffy had come back down the steps, Will already had the tree up in the stand. They talked about getting a real Christmas tree, but decided against it. It was easier to just pull a tree out of a box. Will stood, and took Dawn into his arms.
"I think she's getting a cold," Buffy said, as she walked over to the hall closet, where they kept the lights for the tree.
"Did you call the doctor?" He asked, while making funny faces and cooing noises at Dawn.
"Yeah. He said just to give her plenty of juices and keep her in from the cold," Buffy said, struggling to get the box of lights from the top shelf in the closet. Sometimes, she hated being petite. Will looked over at Buffy, and smiled. He settled Dawn gently into her playpen and walked over to get the box down for Buffy. Buffy smiled when Will reached up and retrieved the box for her, then kissed the top of her head.
"There you go, beautiful."
Three hours later, Will was outside, decorating the yard with Christmas lights, and Buffy was in the kitchen, cooking for a Christmas dinner. Buffy put the cookie pan, with cookies, back into the oven, and set the timer. She walked into the living room and picked up a sleeping Dawn, and carried her back up to her room. Buffy lay her into her crib, then covered her up with a blanket. She switched the baby monitor on, and went downstairs, where she checked on the cookies, before grabbing her coat and going outside to see how Will was doing with the decorations.
"Hey, how's it going?" She asked, walking up to Will. He smiled at her.
"How's it look?" He asked, plugging in the last extension cord. Buffy turned to look at the house. There were lights going around the whole porch. The tree in the front had lights wrapped around it, and there were snowmen and reindeer that lit up in the yard. And, on the roof, there was a large lit up Santa and sign that read Merry Christmas.
"Gorgeous," she said.
"Come on, let's get inside, pet," he said, leading Buffy inside. Once inside, Will looked over at the playpen, expecting to see Dawn, but she wasn't there. "Where's Bit?" He asked.
"She fell asleep watching the lights on the tree blink, so I took her up to her room," Buffy said, taking off her coat, and walking into the kitchen. Will took off his coat as well, and followed her.
"Oh, cookies!" He said, grabbing one out of the cookie jar and biting into it.
"Yes, and don't eat them all in one day," she said, grinning. Will's lower lip jutted out, and Buffy giggled.
"Fine.bloody cookie nazi," he grumbled. Buffy was about to say something smart when the phone rang. Will picked it up.
"'Ello?" He said.
"Hey, William. It's me, Angel."
"What's up, mate? Any news?" He asked, hopefully.
"Yeah, but it's not good, I'm afraid."
"What is it?"
"We just got word that Riley was seen in Sunnydale."
"Are you sure?" He asked, before he heard a knock at the door. Buffy was about to get the door, when Will handed her the phone. "It's Angel. There's some bad news about Riley," he said, before leaving the kitchen to get the door.
"A-Angel, what's wrong?"
"Buffy, don't freak. Okay.he was spotted in Sunnydale.but I don't want you to worry. I contacted the police department there and let them know what was going on, and I'll be there in a few days. Do you have an extra room I could stay in? If not, I could always get a hotel."
"No, no, that's fine. You can stay here."
"That sounds good. I'll see you in a few days," Angel said.
"Okay. Good-bye, Angel. Thank you."
"Bye, Buffy." Buffy hung up the phone and walked slowly into the living room, then into the den, where she heard Will talking with someone.
Will had handed Buffy the phone, and walked through the living room to the hallway, then to the door. He looked out the peephole, and saw a man in a suit and tie standing there.
"Can I help you?" Will asked, when he opened the door. The man flashed him a Sunnydale PD badge, and introduced himself.
"Hi, I'm Detective Graves, from the Sunnydale Police Department. Are you William Giles?"
"Yeah."
"Your brother called From Los Angeles, and filled us in on what's been going on. I was asked to come here and make sure everything was okay. May I come in?" He asked. Will opened the door wider, and Detective Graves stepped in.
A few minutes later, Buffy walked into the den.
"Pet, this is Detective Graves, from the SDPD."
"How do you do, ma'am?"
"Fine, thanks. Will, your brother will be here in a few days. We need to clean out the guest room for him to stay in."
"I must say, my wife is a big fan of yours Mrs. Giles," the detective said, as his pager went off. "That's the station. I have to get back. But, there will be an officer coming by your house every day, just in case. You folks have a good night," he said, then let himself out of the house.
Buffy walked over to William. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed the top of her head. "Do you smell something burning?" Will asked.
"Shit! The cookies!" Buffy shrieked, running towards the kitchen, with William close behind her. Buffy grabbed an oven mitt, and pulled the smoking cookies out of the oven. Buffy threw them into the sink, and Will turned on the water. Buffy and Will both dissolved into a fit of giggles. Buffy turned off the oven, and she and Will went into the living room and relaxed on the sofa.
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Riley stood a few hundred yards from the house with a telephoto lens camera in hand, snapping pictures, watching Buffy laughing.
"Soon, Buffy, soon," he said, watching as she and that punk she'd been in with high school go into the other room.
**TBC** A/N Hey Guys I know its been forever But I didn't forget I hope I still have some readers. So please Review, I'd love to get over 10. @sh
Buffy was sitting at her desk, pen in hand, writing down ideas on a large legal pad, when she heard the front door open and close. She was startled at first; she wasn't expecting William home until five o'clock, and it was only four-thirty. She put her pen down, and grabbed the baby monitor on her desk and clipped it on to the waistband of her jeans, then walked out into the living room. Seeing William standing there, she relaxed.
"What are you doing home this early?" She asked, sitting down on the sofa.
"Angel called," William said, sitting down next to her, and running his hand through his soft, honey brown hair.
"Any news? Did they find Riley?" She asked, somewhat hopefully, even though she knew by William's actions that the news wasn't good.
"They found the place he was staying at, but it looks as if he hasn't been there in a few weeks.Angel said he wouldn't stop looking until he's behind bars." Buffy rested her head on his shoulder. William heard the small hiccuping sound she made when she cried, and pulled her into his lap.
"Shh, pet, don't cry.You know it kills me when you cry," he soothed, running his hands up and down her back. Buffy slowly stopped, wiping her eyes and sniffling a little as she looked up at him.
"I'm sorry. It's just that we've been looking for him for so long. I just want it to be over."
"I know, pet. I want it to be over too," he said, still holding Buffy tightly. Buffy was the first to speak after the silence that followed.
"Want to help me decorate for Christmas?" She asked. She needed to get her mind off Riley. Will smiled at her and nodded. "Good, you can go get the Christmas tree from the basement. I'm going to go check to see if Dawn's up."
By the time Buffy had come back down the steps, Will already had the tree up in the stand. They talked about getting a real Christmas tree, but decided against it. It was easier to just pull a tree out of a box. Will stood, and took Dawn into his arms.
"I think she's getting a cold," Buffy said, as she walked over to the hall closet, where they kept the lights for the tree.
"Did you call the doctor?" He asked, while making funny faces and cooing noises at Dawn.
"Yeah. He said just to give her plenty of juices and keep her in from the cold," Buffy said, struggling to get the box of lights from the top shelf in the closet. Sometimes, she hated being petite. Will looked over at Buffy, and smiled. He settled Dawn gently into her playpen and walked over to get the box down for Buffy. Buffy smiled when Will reached up and retrieved the box for her, then kissed the top of her head.
"There you go, beautiful."
Three hours later, Will was outside, decorating the yard with Christmas lights, and Buffy was in the kitchen, cooking for a Christmas dinner. Buffy put the cookie pan, with cookies, back into the oven, and set the timer. She walked into the living room and picked up a sleeping Dawn, and carried her back up to her room. Buffy lay her into her crib, then covered her up with a blanket. She switched the baby monitor on, and went downstairs, where she checked on the cookies, before grabbing her coat and going outside to see how Will was doing with the decorations.
"Hey, how's it going?" She asked, walking up to Will. He smiled at her.
"How's it look?" He asked, plugging in the last extension cord. Buffy turned to look at the house. There were lights going around the whole porch. The tree in the front had lights wrapped around it, and there were snowmen and reindeer that lit up in the yard. And, on the roof, there was a large lit up Santa and sign that read Merry Christmas.
"Gorgeous," she said.
"Come on, let's get inside, pet," he said, leading Buffy inside. Once inside, Will looked over at the playpen, expecting to see Dawn, but she wasn't there. "Where's Bit?" He asked.
"She fell asleep watching the lights on the tree blink, so I took her up to her room," Buffy said, taking off her coat, and walking into the kitchen. Will took off his coat as well, and followed her.
"Oh, cookies!" He said, grabbing one out of the cookie jar and biting into it.
"Yes, and don't eat them all in one day," she said, grinning. Will's lower lip jutted out, and Buffy giggled.
"Fine.bloody cookie nazi," he grumbled. Buffy was about to say something smart when the phone rang. Will picked it up.
"'Ello?" He said.
"Hey, William. It's me, Angel."
"What's up, mate? Any news?" He asked, hopefully.
"Yeah, but it's not good, I'm afraid."
"What is it?"
"We just got word that Riley was seen in Sunnydale."
"Are you sure?" He asked, before he heard a knock at the door. Buffy was about to get the door, when Will handed her the phone. "It's Angel. There's some bad news about Riley," he said, before leaving the kitchen to get the door.
"A-Angel, what's wrong?"
"Buffy, don't freak. Okay.he was spotted in Sunnydale.but I don't want you to worry. I contacted the police department there and let them know what was going on, and I'll be there in a few days. Do you have an extra room I could stay in? If not, I could always get a hotel."
"No, no, that's fine. You can stay here."
"That sounds good. I'll see you in a few days," Angel said.
"Okay. Good-bye, Angel. Thank you."
"Bye, Buffy." Buffy hung up the phone and walked slowly into the living room, then into the den, where she heard Will talking with someone.
Will had handed Buffy the phone, and walked through the living room to the hallway, then to the door. He looked out the peephole, and saw a man in a suit and tie standing there.
"Can I help you?" Will asked, when he opened the door. The man flashed him a Sunnydale PD badge, and introduced himself.
"Hi, I'm Detective Graves, from the Sunnydale Police Department. Are you William Giles?"
"Yeah."
"Your brother called From Los Angeles, and filled us in on what's been going on. I was asked to come here and make sure everything was okay. May I come in?" He asked. Will opened the door wider, and Detective Graves stepped in.
A few minutes later, Buffy walked into the den.
"Pet, this is Detective Graves, from the SDPD."
"How do you do, ma'am?"
"Fine, thanks. Will, your brother will be here in a few days. We need to clean out the guest room for him to stay in."
"I must say, my wife is a big fan of yours Mrs. Giles," the detective said, as his pager went off. "That's the station. I have to get back. But, there will be an officer coming by your house every day, just in case. You folks have a good night," he said, then let himself out of the house.
Buffy walked over to William. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed the top of her head. "Do you smell something burning?" Will asked.
"Shit! The cookies!" Buffy shrieked, running towards the kitchen, with William close behind her. Buffy grabbed an oven mitt, and pulled the smoking cookies out of the oven. Buffy threw them into the sink, and Will turned on the water. Buffy and Will both dissolved into a fit of giggles. Buffy turned off the oven, and she and Will went into the living room and relaxed on the sofa.
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Riley stood a few hundred yards from the house with a telephoto lens camera in hand, snapping pictures, watching Buffy laughing.
"Soon, Buffy, soon," he said, watching as she and that punk she'd been in with high school go into the other room.
**TBC** A/N Hey Guys I know its been forever But I didn't forget I hope I still have some readers. So please Review, I'd love to get over 10. @sh