"Does this shirt make me look fat?" Dawn turned around quickly, and then looked back to me for an answer.
"Insecure much? No Dawn, it doesn't make you look fat, now go downstairs and eat something before Xander...." I was cut off by a sharply dressed Xander walking through the bedroom door.
"Nothing like seeing some Summers girls early in the morning. Dawnie looking especially non-fat today." Xander flashed a big smile before kissing me on the cheek.
Dawn threw her hairbrush at him and went downstairs. I turned and looked into the mirror and sighed. I dreaded this day since I heard that *it* was being rebuilt. Just the thought of my little sister going back to that hell hole, no pun intended, was enough for me to scream.
"Everything is going to be ok, Buff. Aside from the harsh high school atmosphere, she will be fine."
"I know, it's just.....is that a milk mustache?" I strained my eyes at Xander's upper lip.
Xander looked in the mirror and began wiping his lips with a cloth. I laughed at him and it eased my tension a bit.
"Buffy! You didn't cook anything!!" Dawn called from the kitchen as I made my way downstairs.
"Eat some cereal, the recipe is on the box." I threw Dawn the Frosted Flakes and mocked her eye rolling.
*****
We pulled up outside the freshly built Sunnydale High, and Dawn immediately jumped out of the car. I turned and said thank you to Xander before sliding out of the car and catching up with Dawn.
"Do you really have to walk me in?"
"I just want to check things you make sure it is safe." I looked around, my eyes searching for anything unusual.
"Ok Dawnie, I'll stop acting all Mommy on you and just go back home. Just be careful, please." I glanced around the campus one more time before turning and making my way home.
"I'll see you this afternoon!" Dawn waved as she walked backwards into the school.
****
I decided to stop by the coffee shop to get a little pick me up. I walked through the door, looking at the menu on the wall as I approached the counter. I gave the girl my order and sat down at a close by table. I was the only person in the shop this morning; it was almost too quiet in there. But I told myself not to worry; I did want to become some paranoid freak. I stood back up and made my way back up to the counter as my order was called, but was almost knocked over by some guy that just appeared from no where.
"Hey! I am guessing Miss Manners is not your mom." I composed myself and continued walking to the counter.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't see you there." The guy was actually kind of cute...blonde, blue eyes, nice tan complexion.
"Yea, well..it's ok." I grabbed my coffee and headed to a table by the window.
I thought about Spike and how I almost hated him for getting a soul. He knew it would remind me of....of things I tried so hard to forget. I knew Spike loved me, and in a way I guess I loved him a bit also. Our relationship was so complicated. He was a bit of a comfort zone for me, and he had been a big help the past few years. I traced the rim of my coffee cup and let my mind wander until it wandered to...
"Hey, ma'am again I'm sorry. I'm not rude or anything, honest." I looked up into the most piercing blue eyes I had ever seen.
"I said it was ok. Would you like to sit down?" I gestured the empty seat to him.
"Thanks. It is so weird seeing you like this."
"Uhm, like what?" I watched him as he sat down, and he met his eyes with mine.
"Oh, I mean, never thought I would meet the slayer in a coffee house. Figured I would run into you slaying some vampires, killing a few demons..."
"Who *are* you?" I watched his every move with caution, ready to react when needed.
"Oh, I am uh...David. I am a demon hunter, new to Sunnydale." He flashed a crooked grin and I felt as if I had known him forever, but I was still a bit weary of him.
"So is 'Uh' your first name..or just a nick name you picked up along the way?" I finished my last sip of coffee and began to stand up.
"Funny."
"I'm a funny girl." I threw my cup in the trash can and began to make my way to the door.
"You know, I could help you a lot." David jumped up and held the door open for me as I walked through.
On the way back to the house, he told me about his hunting demons. We chatted a bit, but I was a bit uneasy at the way he dodged my questions about his past. I had to know more about him before I would let him help us. We walked inside the house, and I began my own little 20 questions with him.
"Insecure much? No Dawn, it doesn't make you look fat, now go downstairs and eat something before Xander...." I was cut off by a sharply dressed Xander walking through the bedroom door.
"Nothing like seeing some Summers girls early in the morning. Dawnie looking especially non-fat today." Xander flashed a big smile before kissing me on the cheek.
Dawn threw her hairbrush at him and went downstairs. I turned and looked into the mirror and sighed. I dreaded this day since I heard that *it* was being rebuilt. Just the thought of my little sister going back to that hell hole, no pun intended, was enough for me to scream.
"Everything is going to be ok, Buff. Aside from the harsh high school atmosphere, she will be fine."
"I know, it's just.....is that a milk mustache?" I strained my eyes at Xander's upper lip.
Xander looked in the mirror and began wiping his lips with a cloth. I laughed at him and it eased my tension a bit.
"Buffy! You didn't cook anything!!" Dawn called from the kitchen as I made my way downstairs.
"Eat some cereal, the recipe is on the box." I threw Dawn the Frosted Flakes and mocked her eye rolling.
*****
We pulled up outside the freshly built Sunnydale High, and Dawn immediately jumped out of the car. I turned and said thank you to Xander before sliding out of the car and catching up with Dawn.
"Do you really have to walk me in?"
"I just want to check things you make sure it is safe." I looked around, my eyes searching for anything unusual.
"Ok Dawnie, I'll stop acting all Mommy on you and just go back home. Just be careful, please." I glanced around the campus one more time before turning and making my way home.
"I'll see you this afternoon!" Dawn waved as she walked backwards into the school.
****
I decided to stop by the coffee shop to get a little pick me up. I walked through the door, looking at the menu on the wall as I approached the counter. I gave the girl my order and sat down at a close by table. I was the only person in the shop this morning; it was almost too quiet in there. But I told myself not to worry; I did want to become some paranoid freak. I stood back up and made my way back up to the counter as my order was called, but was almost knocked over by some guy that just appeared from no where.
"Hey! I am guessing Miss Manners is not your mom." I composed myself and continued walking to the counter.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't see you there." The guy was actually kind of cute...blonde, blue eyes, nice tan complexion.
"Yea, well..it's ok." I grabbed my coffee and headed to a table by the window.
I thought about Spike and how I almost hated him for getting a soul. He knew it would remind me of....of things I tried so hard to forget. I knew Spike loved me, and in a way I guess I loved him a bit also. Our relationship was so complicated. He was a bit of a comfort zone for me, and he had been a big help the past few years. I traced the rim of my coffee cup and let my mind wander until it wandered to...
"Hey, ma'am again I'm sorry. I'm not rude or anything, honest." I looked up into the most piercing blue eyes I had ever seen.
"I said it was ok. Would you like to sit down?" I gestured the empty seat to him.
"Thanks. It is so weird seeing you like this."
"Uhm, like what?" I watched him as he sat down, and he met his eyes with mine.
"Oh, I mean, never thought I would meet the slayer in a coffee house. Figured I would run into you slaying some vampires, killing a few demons..."
"Who *are* you?" I watched his every move with caution, ready to react when needed.
"Oh, I am uh...David. I am a demon hunter, new to Sunnydale." He flashed a crooked grin and I felt as if I had known him forever, but I was still a bit weary of him.
"So is 'Uh' your first name..or just a nick name you picked up along the way?" I finished my last sip of coffee and began to stand up.
"Funny."
"I'm a funny girl." I threw my cup in the trash can and began to make my way to the door.
"You know, I could help you a lot." David jumped up and held the door open for me as I walked through.
On the way back to the house, he told me about his hunting demons. We chatted a bit, but I was a bit uneasy at the way he dodged my questions about his past. I had to know more about him before I would let him help us. We walked inside the house, and I began my own little 20 questions with him.