Joyce Summers got carefully out of bed Wednesday morning, five minutes
before the alarm was supposed to go off. Slipping across the room she
pushed the button to deactivate it and then woke Dawn up. Placing a finger
to her lips she pushed her second daughter into the bathroom then crept up
the hall to peek in her room for a look at the fearsome five on her bed.
Xander and Willow were curled up facing each other in the top left hand
corner, Angel lay spread eagled across the foot of the bed, Buffy
scrunched into a ball in between him and Spike who was curled on his side
sucking a thumb, his peroxided blond hair sticking up in all directions.
She couldn't help but smile at the 'little demons' they were all so cute
asleep never mind all the trouble she'd had, to get them to sleep.
A shadow fell across her own, alerting her to another presence in the doorway. She smiled up at Giles whose hair reminded her of Spike's at the moment. "They're still asleep thank goodness, I give em about an hour and a half again, two if you're lucky." "Thank heavens for small favours." He replied with a smile of his own that lit up the green eyes behind his glasses. "Cordelia and Doyle still asleep in Buffy's room?" She asked noticing the door was partially opened now. Giles nodded, scratching his head, making his hair stick up even more. "Cordelia seems to have mellowed since her move to LA." He commented as they walked down the hall, quietly closing the door to Joyce's bedroom. Joyce craned her neck around to catch a glimpse of the sleeping girl through the open doorway, long chestnut tresses spread out across the pillow, one hand hanging over the side of the bed inches above Doyle's sleeping face. She smiled at the sight and nodded at Giles' observation. "I can't quite put my finger on how but you're right she has."
"Don't suppose there's any coffee?" Giles questioned as they made their way down the stairs. "Give me ten minutes." Joyce promised, patting his arm as she headed towards the opposite end of the kitchen. "Full house this morning." He offered when she sat across from him, waiting for the coffee to percolate. Joyce nodded with a smile. "Fuller than it's been in a while what with Buffy at college and Dawn starting high school." "So you're having a bit of the 'empty nest' blues too, huh?" Joyce laughed. "Is it just me or do you feel obsolete now? Dawn turns to Buffy for most everything despite all their bickering and Buffy, she's so very rarely at home in any case." "Well it's not just us, Xander is feeling the separation college has brought on just as keenly, he even suggested sparking some hell mouth activity the other day so we'd all have a reason to congregate." "Well that explains why he's been hanging around so much recently, offering to baby-sit Dawn and such, poor thing must be so lonely."
Dawn pattered quietly down the stairs and into the kitchen hoping the munchkins wouldn't wake up till after she'd left. It was fun having all the babies around but intensely tiring. She stopped in the doorway, severely wigged by the sight that greeted her. Giles was puttering around mixing in cream and sugar into two cups of coffee while regaling her mother with tales from when he'd been in a band. What was wigging her out however was the way Joyce was giggling at the story and the way she smiled at Giles when she accepted the cup of coffee, pronouncing it perfect after the first sip. She stood silently just out of sight watching as Giles sat down and the two continued to converse cosily over their steaming mugs.
Substitute her dad with Giles and it was a scene she had witnessed countless other mornings. Her stomach did a little flip flop when she noticed how close they were sitting. She cleared her throat loudly as she detached herself from the wall and entered the kitchen, walking over to the refrigerator without once looking at them.
"Shower's free." She informed her mom as she poured orange juice at the counter, pointedly ignoring the way the two flushed guiltily even though she was pretty sure all they'd been doing was talking. "Thanks sweetie." Joyce replied, squeezing her shoulder as she passed her on the way upstairs. Dawn arched an eyebrow at her sister's ex-watcher after her mother left and Giles suddenly became very interested in making sure that all the sugar dissolved in his coffee, stirring with renewed vigour.
Cordelia awoke to the bouncing of the mattress beneath her. "Stop shaking the damn bed Dennis!" She ordered, flinging an arm over her eyes without ever opening them till the gasps registered around her. "You said a bad word!" William exclaimed sounding shocked. "You're in trouble!" Xander announced, bouncing harder. "I'm gonna tell!" Buffy informed her smugly. "You are, are you?" Doyle's voice came from somewhere on the floor, arms reaching up and plucking down the already giggling little blonde and tickling her. Cordelia grinned evilly at the remaining four and wiggled her fingers, causing shrieks of laughter as they scrambled to get off the bed. She caught up with Angel and Spike who were bedecked in Batman and Robin footie pj's respectively, tickling them silly, awed by the sound of Angel's laughter, the sight of Spike's lit up face. This is what they were like back then, these are the people they were meant to be, Cordy realized with a start, fingers falling away. Doyle seemed to notice her sudden change in mood and stopped tickling Buffy, getting up off the floor he smiled brightly at everyone announcing it was time for breakfast. The ex- cheerleader smiled gratefully up at him for the distraction and helped urge the troops down to the kitchen.
Cheerios and milk was had by all including Joyce's living room carpet where breakfast took place in front of the TV that blared Sesame Street at ungodly levels thanks to Spike having discovered how to work the remote control. As eating concluded and Giles' prowess with a wet/dry vac was proven, Doyle started rounding up the little monsters for another cleaning. "Oh why don't we just take 'em out to the backyard and hose 'em down?" Cordelia demanded from where she had collapsed on the love seat, legs over one arm, head resting comfortably on the other. "I think they'd like that." Doyle snickered.
An hour later there were five squeaky-clean toddlers three tired adults and one soaked bathroom. Cordelia gave the wet towels strewn around a distasteful look before pulling the bathroom door shut behind her. 'What you can't see, you don't have to clean.' She decided with a devilish grin. Never before was she so grateful for having Phantom Dennis, she decided to do something nice for him when she got back to LA.
Sitting down on the edge of Buffy's bed, she began to pull a comb through baby Willow's short red hair. "Ow! Cordy no!" the little girl whined, squirming away. Turning to shoot Doyle a long-suffering look, she was surprised to find Buffy's hair combed out already, in a loose lopsided ponytail and the look turned into a glare that softened into something different as she watched him tickle the bottom of Buffy's foot causing the little girl to shriek and giggle before he slipped on the sandals they'd picked out the day before. Doyle snapped the final piece of Velcro into place and looked up catching Cordelia's gaze before she could turn her head away. The two stared at each other in silence for a minute before Willow kicked Cordy in the shin for pulling her hair too hard with the comb, breaking the moment.
"Swap with me Doyle, so I can save Buffy from the embarrassment of eighties hair." Cordy instructed kneeling next to him. She fastened Buffy's left shoe as Doyle shrugged and rose out of his crouch. "Two ponytails or four Willow?" he asked the little redhead brightly.
A shadow fell across her own, alerting her to another presence in the doorway. She smiled up at Giles whose hair reminded her of Spike's at the moment. "They're still asleep thank goodness, I give em about an hour and a half again, two if you're lucky." "Thank heavens for small favours." He replied with a smile of his own that lit up the green eyes behind his glasses. "Cordelia and Doyle still asleep in Buffy's room?" She asked noticing the door was partially opened now. Giles nodded, scratching his head, making his hair stick up even more. "Cordelia seems to have mellowed since her move to LA." He commented as they walked down the hall, quietly closing the door to Joyce's bedroom. Joyce craned her neck around to catch a glimpse of the sleeping girl through the open doorway, long chestnut tresses spread out across the pillow, one hand hanging over the side of the bed inches above Doyle's sleeping face. She smiled at the sight and nodded at Giles' observation. "I can't quite put my finger on how but you're right she has."
"Don't suppose there's any coffee?" Giles questioned as they made their way down the stairs. "Give me ten minutes." Joyce promised, patting his arm as she headed towards the opposite end of the kitchen. "Full house this morning." He offered when she sat across from him, waiting for the coffee to percolate. Joyce nodded with a smile. "Fuller than it's been in a while what with Buffy at college and Dawn starting high school." "So you're having a bit of the 'empty nest' blues too, huh?" Joyce laughed. "Is it just me or do you feel obsolete now? Dawn turns to Buffy for most everything despite all their bickering and Buffy, she's so very rarely at home in any case." "Well it's not just us, Xander is feeling the separation college has brought on just as keenly, he even suggested sparking some hell mouth activity the other day so we'd all have a reason to congregate." "Well that explains why he's been hanging around so much recently, offering to baby-sit Dawn and such, poor thing must be so lonely."
Dawn pattered quietly down the stairs and into the kitchen hoping the munchkins wouldn't wake up till after she'd left. It was fun having all the babies around but intensely tiring. She stopped in the doorway, severely wigged by the sight that greeted her. Giles was puttering around mixing in cream and sugar into two cups of coffee while regaling her mother with tales from when he'd been in a band. What was wigging her out however was the way Joyce was giggling at the story and the way she smiled at Giles when she accepted the cup of coffee, pronouncing it perfect after the first sip. She stood silently just out of sight watching as Giles sat down and the two continued to converse cosily over their steaming mugs.
Substitute her dad with Giles and it was a scene she had witnessed countless other mornings. Her stomach did a little flip flop when she noticed how close they were sitting. She cleared her throat loudly as she detached herself from the wall and entered the kitchen, walking over to the refrigerator without once looking at them.
"Shower's free." She informed her mom as she poured orange juice at the counter, pointedly ignoring the way the two flushed guiltily even though she was pretty sure all they'd been doing was talking. "Thanks sweetie." Joyce replied, squeezing her shoulder as she passed her on the way upstairs. Dawn arched an eyebrow at her sister's ex-watcher after her mother left and Giles suddenly became very interested in making sure that all the sugar dissolved in his coffee, stirring with renewed vigour.
Cordelia awoke to the bouncing of the mattress beneath her. "Stop shaking the damn bed Dennis!" She ordered, flinging an arm over her eyes without ever opening them till the gasps registered around her. "You said a bad word!" William exclaimed sounding shocked. "You're in trouble!" Xander announced, bouncing harder. "I'm gonna tell!" Buffy informed her smugly. "You are, are you?" Doyle's voice came from somewhere on the floor, arms reaching up and plucking down the already giggling little blonde and tickling her. Cordelia grinned evilly at the remaining four and wiggled her fingers, causing shrieks of laughter as they scrambled to get off the bed. She caught up with Angel and Spike who were bedecked in Batman and Robin footie pj's respectively, tickling them silly, awed by the sound of Angel's laughter, the sight of Spike's lit up face. This is what they were like back then, these are the people they were meant to be, Cordy realized with a start, fingers falling away. Doyle seemed to notice her sudden change in mood and stopped tickling Buffy, getting up off the floor he smiled brightly at everyone announcing it was time for breakfast. The ex- cheerleader smiled gratefully up at him for the distraction and helped urge the troops down to the kitchen.
Cheerios and milk was had by all including Joyce's living room carpet where breakfast took place in front of the TV that blared Sesame Street at ungodly levels thanks to Spike having discovered how to work the remote control. As eating concluded and Giles' prowess with a wet/dry vac was proven, Doyle started rounding up the little monsters for another cleaning. "Oh why don't we just take 'em out to the backyard and hose 'em down?" Cordelia demanded from where she had collapsed on the love seat, legs over one arm, head resting comfortably on the other. "I think they'd like that." Doyle snickered.
An hour later there were five squeaky-clean toddlers three tired adults and one soaked bathroom. Cordelia gave the wet towels strewn around a distasteful look before pulling the bathroom door shut behind her. 'What you can't see, you don't have to clean.' She decided with a devilish grin. Never before was she so grateful for having Phantom Dennis, she decided to do something nice for him when she got back to LA.
Sitting down on the edge of Buffy's bed, she began to pull a comb through baby Willow's short red hair. "Ow! Cordy no!" the little girl whined, squirming away. Turning to shoot Doyle a long-suffering look, she was surprised to find Buffy's hair combed out already, in a loose lopsided ponytail and the look turned into a glare that softened into something different as she watched him tickle the bottom of Buffy's foot causing the little girl to shriek and giggle before he slipped on the sandals they'd picked out the day before. Doyle snapped the final piece of Velcro into place and looked up catching Cordelia's gaze before she could turn her head away. The two stared at each other in silence for a minute before Willow kicked Cordy in the shin for pulling her hair too hard with the comb, breaking the moment.
"Swap with me Doyle, so I can save Buffy from the embarrassment of eighties hair." Cordy instructed kneeling next to him. She fastened Buffy's left shoe as Doyle shrugged and rose out of his crouch. "Two ponytails or four Willow?" he asked the little redhead brightly.