The house was still the same as I remembered. Buffy stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to me.
"I have to go get the laundry from upstairs so I can have it done before Dawn gets home, you can come help me if you want." She began walking up the steps and stopped again turning to see if I was following her.
"Dawn?"
"Yea, that's my little sister. She just started high school today, so now I get to play mom slash sister." She headed into Joyce's room and began throwing clothes into a basket.
I looked around the room and noticed that all of Buffy's things were in this room and I caught myself beginning to ask why did her and Joyce change rooms.
"So, you still live your mom and dad?" I leaned against the wall and watched her pick up some more clothes.
"Well, my dad lives in LA. And I *did* live with my mom, but now it is just me and Dawn. Actually it's not just me and Dawn, there's Xander and Willow, and there *was* Tara, but.."
"You *did* live with your mom? Did she move away?" I caught her eyes and saw them tear up a bit.
"No, my mom died two years ago, she had complications with a.."
"Vampire?"
"Brain tumor."
My heart went out to Buffy, I wanted to take her in my arms and hold her forever. I knew how much she loved her mother and now she had so many more responsibilities. I had so many questions about her "sister" and who was Tara, but I decided to let her talk at her own pace and not make myself seem suspicious.
"I'm sorry to hear about that. I am sure you loved her very much."
I inched myself a bit more into the room and I sensed something else. Someone else. I recognized the scent, but I didn't want to believe it. Spike had been in here, in her room. I told myself that it was probably nothing, he had probably broke in somehow and tried to hurt them. But Buffy was powerful, she got him out, and she was safe. I could smell him anywhere.
"Yes...I did. You can make yourself useful, pick up a..."
"This?" I dangled a bra in front of her.
"No! I can pick that up myself, thank you very much. Are you sure your name isn't 'Uh Perv', instead of ' Uh David'?"
"No my name is not perv, and it is David, just David." I tossed her the bra and flashed a smile.
"Here, take this basket while I go get Dawn's."
She handed me the basket and walked past me into the hall. I was on my way out the door when I noticed something familiar on her dresser. I put the basket down carefully and looked at the object that held her jewelry, and noticed a certain cross hanging from a hook.
"She still has it...I can't believe she still has it." I stared at it in awe, my eyes burning.
"What are you doing?" Buffy stood in the doorway holding a basket up to her hip.
"Just admiring your jewelry." I turned and looked at her, she looked so grown up now.
"As long as you admire it without touching it." She gave me a know it all grin and turned to go downstairs.
"Hey, this one looks old. An heirloom?" I pointed to the cross I gave her seven years ago.
She walked and stood beside me, gently taking the cross in her hands and holding it lovingly.
"No, someone special gave it to me. A present, when I first got here." She sighed as she let it slip from her hands and moved back to the door.
I wanted to tell her that I had not slipped away, that I was here, I was back. I wanted to tell her how much I needed her and wanted to be back in her life.
"Come on, bring the basket." She picked up the basket beside the door and headed downstairs.
"Yes, ma'am." I followed her down the stairs and into the laundry room.
"I have to go get the laundry from upstairs so I can have it done before Dawn gets home, you can come help me if you want." She began walking up the steps and stopped again turning to see if I was following her.
"Dawn?"
"Yea, that's my little sister. She just started high school today, so now I get to play mom slash sister." She headed into Joyce's room and began throwing clothes into a basket.
I looked around the room and noticed that all of Buffy's things were in this room and I caught myself beginning to ask why did her and Joyce change rooms.
"So, you still live your mom and dad?" I leaned against the wall and watched her pick up some more clothes.
"Well, my dad lives in LA. And I *did* live with my mom, but now it is just me and Dawn. Actually it's not just me and Dawn, there's Xander and Willow, and there *was* Tara, but.."
"You *did* live with your mom? Did she move away?" I caught her eyes and saw them tear up a bit.
"No, my mom died two years ago, she had complications with a.."
"Vampire?"
"Brain tumor."
My heart went out to Buffy, I wanted to take her in my arms and hold her forever. I knew how much she loved her mother and now she had so many more responsibilities. I had so many questions about her "sister" and who was Tara, but I decided to let her talk at her own pace and not make myself seem suspicious.
"I'm sorry to hear about that. I am sure you loved her very much."
I inched myself a bit more into the room and I sensed something else. Someone else. I recognized the scent, but I didn't want to believe it. Spike had been in here, in her room. I told myself that it was probably nothing, he had probably broke in somehow and tried to hurt them. But Buffy was powerful, she got him out, and she was safe. I could smell him anywhere.
"Yes...I did. You can make yourself useful, pick up a..."
"This?" I dangled a bra in front of her.
"No! I can pick that up myself, thank you very much. Are you sure your name isn't 'Uh Perv', instead of ' Uh David'?"
"No my name is not perv, and it is David, just David." I tossed her the bra and flashed a smile.
"Here, take this basket while I go get Dawn's."
She handed me the basket and walked past me into the hall. I was on my way out the door when I noticed something familiar on her dresser. I put the basket down carefully and looked at the object that held her jewelry, and noticed a certain cross hanging from a hook.
"She still has it...I can't believe she still has it." I stared at it in awe, my eyes burning.
"What are you doing?" Buffy stood in the doorway holding a basket up to her hip.
"Just admiring your jewelry." I turned and looked at her, she looked so grown up now.
"As long as you admire it without touching it." She gave me a know it all grin and turned to go downstairs.
"Hey, this one looks old. An heirloom?" I pointed to the cross I gave her seven years ago.
She walked and stood beside me, gently taking the cross in her hands and holding it lovingly.
"No, someone special gave it to me. A present, when I first got here." She sighed as she let it slip from her hands and moved back to the door.
I wanted to tell her that I had not slipped away, that I was here, I was back. I wanted to tell her how much I needed her and wanted to be back in her life.
"Come on, bring the basket." She picked up the basket beside the door and headed downstairs.
"Yes, ma'am." I followed her down the stairs and into the laundry room.