Buffy grinned. "Yeah, he's gonna be slammed when he hears."
"Umm, is he. . .I mean, is there. . .Is he seeing anyone?"
"Nah," Buffy, Dawn and Xander said in unison. Jenny sighed in relief and the others grinned.
"I don't think he's ever really got over you," Buffy said. Swinging her arms she went on, "So, who's gonna call him?"
"Oh, definitely your turn Buff's," Xander went on, "We all went through that 'return from the dead fun phone-call' when you came back. Well, okay, it was Willow who made it, but still. . ."
"Wimp!" Buffy shot back. "Okay, I'll do it." Nodding and flexing her arms, she headed into the lounge for the phone.
"So, I know I've had amnesia, but is it just me or did Buffy not have a sister when I last knew her?" Jenny asked Xander.
Xander nodded. "Yep. Long story." He shot a warning glance at Jenny and she took the hint not to press in front of Dawn.
"Ms. Calendar!" Buffy yelled from the lounge. "Giles wants to talk to you. He's in denial.'"
Jenny quickly went into the lounge and took the phone from Buffy. "Rupert?" She heard a gasp on the other end.
"Jenny? Good Lord! Is. . .is that really you?"
"Umm, yeah, it's me Rupert. God! It's so good to hear your voice."
"Good Lord! It's…er, more than wonderful to hear yours too."
She could tell he was smiling his sweet smile from his voice. "How you doing?"
He paused. "It's, er, been difficult. But I'm all right. And you? How are you now? Buffy told me you were in a coma!"
"Yeah. I'm okay now. I didn't remember anything for a while, when I woke up. But I've got my memory back now. Rupert, I'm so sorry you thought I was dead."
"It's okay Jenny. It's just. . ." she could tell he was fighting back tears.
"Please don't cry Rupert, or you'll start me off and I wanna talk to you."
He chuckled. Then in a serious voice said, "I've just missed you so very very much."
"I miss you too. I wanna see you Rupert. Where about's in England are you?"
"I'm in Bath. But you stay there. I'm coming on the first available flight, with Willow. Jenny?"
"Umm?"
"I love you."
Jenny felt tears of joy well up in her eyes. "I love you too Rupert."
"I know. And you've no idea how wonderful it is to have you back, and to be able to finally tell you how much I love you. That's one of the things I regretted most when you. . .not having told you." Jenny smiled into the phone. "Willow is pulling at my arm to speak to you here. I'll put her on."
"Ms. Calendar! Is it really you?" Willow's excited voice rushed over the phone.
Jenny's smile broadened. "Hi Willow! Yup, it's really me. It's good to hear your voice."
"Oh wow! It's. . .it's so good to hear you again too. I've really missed you."
"I've missed you too Willow. So, how ya doing?"
Willow paused. "Erm, okay. Has Buffy told you what happened?"
"Kind of. I'm sorry to hear about your, erm, girlfriend."
"Thanks. How are you? Are you feeling okay now?"
"Yeah, I'm feeling great. It's such a huge relief to know you guys are all right."
"Oh, Giles wants me to get off so he can talk to you. You should see his face, he's like a kid at Christmas."
Jenny laughed. "Okay Willow, I'll see you soon."
"Ooh, yes, absolutely."
Jenny heard the phone change hands and Rupert's wonderful voice was once again speaking to her. "Jenny are you still there?"
"Yeah, I'm still here Rupert. So, you look like a kid at Christmas huh?" she teased. In her minds eye, she pictured the look he must be shooting at Willow and her laugh increased.
"Erm, well. . .yes, I rather suppose I do."
Not wanting to end the conversation with him, but wanting to see him as soon as she could, she reluctantly said, "I'd better let you go and book your flight. Let me know when to expect you, okay?"
"Okay. I'll call you back when I've booked the flight. Love you."
"Love you too." Jenny slowly placed the phone back in its cradle. She turned around to find that Buffy had discretely left the room to give her and Rupert some privacy on the phone. Checking her appearance in the mirror, and drying her eyes, she made her way to the kitchen.
"Hey!" Buffy said. "How'd it go?"
"It went good. He's gonna call me back when he's booked the flight."
"Is Willow coming too?" Xander asked.
"Yeah." Jenny nodded.
"So, was he full of loads of 'Good Lord'?" Dawn asked.
Jenny laughed. "Yeah, he did say it once or twice." The others started laughing too.
Dawn handed Jenny a cup, "Here, I made you some coffee."
"Thanks." Jenny smiled at the young Ms. Summers. After taking a sip of it, she said, "So, what else has happened since I've been gone? What are you guys doing now?"
Buffy led the way into the lounge, and they all took seats. "I'm a working man now," Xander started. "I work on a building site. Carpentry's my speciality."
"Really?"
"Yeah, he's really good at it," Dawn said.
"Yeah," Buffy agreed. She pointed to a wooden chest. "He made me that for my last birthday."
Jenny went over to it and had a look. She looked up at Xander, impressed. "This is really beautiful Xander."
He blushed a little at her praise, and quipped, "Ah! It was nothing, really."
Resuming her seat, Jenny asked, "What about you Buffy? What are you doing now?"
"Well, I did go to college for a while, but then I had to finish. My mum got cancer."
"Oh God! Buffy I'm so sorry. How is she?"
Buffy looked at the floor. "She died."
Jenny didn't know what to say. Getting up, she went over to where Buffy and Dawn were seated on the sofa and put one arm around each of them, giving them a hug. "If you need anything. . ."
Buffy nodded. "I know. We're fine though."
The phone rang. "Want me to get that?" Jenny asked. Buffy nodded, and Jenny went over and picked it up. "Hi! Summers residence."
"Jenny it's Rupert."
"Hey England! Booked your flight?"
"Yes. Have you got a pen? I'll give you the flight information."
Picking up a nearby pen and pad, she said, "Okay, shoot!" Jenny listened and noted down the flight details.
"Tell him, I'll pick him up at the airport," Xander shouted.
"Hear that?" Jenny asked.
"Yes. Will you be there too?"
"Try stopping me."
"Well, I really should go and pack!"
"Umm." Turning her back to the others, Jenny spoke more quietly, "Hurry up Rupert coz I want a kiss!"
He chuckled. "Oh, I will. Bye then! And remember, I love you."
"I know. I love you too. See ya!" She placed the phone down.
Jenny handed Xander the flight details. "That okay to pick him up then?"
"Sure." Xander nodded.
"Dawn and I'll stay here, so there's enough room in the car."
"You sure?" Jenny asked. At Buffy's nod, Jenny said, "Cool. Thanks."
The rest of the evening was spent with the gang filling Jenny in on the events of the past couple of years, before Xander drove her to her hotel for the night. He arranged to pick her up the next day and then went home himself.
Jenny could hardly sleep. But for the first time since she had regained her memory, it wasn't because she was fretting over Rupert and the others. The reason she had trouble sleeping this time, was simply because she was excited about seeing Rupert again. This time tomorrow, she would be with Rupert again.
"Umm, is he. . .I mean, is there. . .Is he seeing anyone?"
"Nah," Buffy, Dawn and Xander said in unison. Jenny sighed in relief and the others grinned.
"I don't think he's ever really got over you," Buffy said. Swinging her arms she went on, "So, who's gonna call him?"
"Oh, definitely your turn Buff's," Xander went on, "We all went through that 'return from the dead fun phone-call' when you came back. Well, okay, it was Willow who made it, but still. . ."
"Wimp!" Buffy shot back. "Okay, I'll do it." Nodding and flexing her arms, she headed into the lounge for the phone.
"So, I know I've had amnesia, but is it just me or did Buffy not have a sister when I last knew her?" Jenny asked Xander.
Xander nodded. "Yep. Long story." He shot a warning glance at Jenny and she took the hint not to press in front of Dawn.
"Ms. Calendar!" Buffy yelled from the lounge. "Giles wants to talk to you. He's in denial.'"
Jenny quickly went into the lounge and took the phone from Buffy. "Rupert?" She heard a gasp on the other end.
"Jenny? Good Lord! Is. . .is that really you?"
"Umm, yeah, it's me Rupert. God! It's so good to hear your voice."
"Good Lord! It's…er, more than wonderful to hear yours too."
She could tell he was smiling his sweet smile from his voice. "How you doing?"
He paused. "It's, er, been difficult. But I'm all right. And you? How are you now? Buffy told me you were in a coma!"
"Yeah. I'm okay now. I didn't remember anything for a while, when I woke up. But I've got my memory back now. Rupert, I'm so sorry you thought I was dead."
"It's okay Jenny. It's just. . ." she could tell he was fighting back tears.
"Please don't cry Rupert, or you'll start me off and I wanna talk to you."
He chuckled. Then in a serious voice said, "I've just missed you so very very much."
"I miss you too. I wanna see you Rupert. Where about's in England are you?"
"I'm in Bath. But you stay there. I'm coming on the first available flight, with Willow. Jenny?"
"Umm?"
"I love you."
Jenny felt tears of joy well up in her eyes. "I love you too Rupert."
"I know. And you've no idea how wonderful it is to have you back, and to be able to finally tell you how much I love you. That's one of the things I regretted most when you. . .not having told you." Jenny smiled into the phone. "Willow is pulling at my arm to speak to you here. I'll put her on."
"Ms. Calendar! Is it really you?" Willow's excited voice rushed over the phone.
Jenny's smile broadened. "Hi Willow! Yup, it's really me. It's good to hear your voice."
"Oh wow! It's. . .it's so good to hear you again too. I've really missed you."
"I've missed you too Willow. So, how ya doing?"
Willow paused. "Erm, okay. Has Buffy told you what happened?"
"Kind of. I'm sorry to hear about your, erm, girlfriend."
"Thanks. How are you? Are you feeling okay now?"
"Yeah, I'm feeling great. It's such a huge relief to know you guys are all right."
"Oh, Giles wants me to get off so he can talk to you. You should see his face, he's like a kid at Christmas."
Jenny laughed. "Okay Willow, I'll see you soon."
"Ooh, yes, absolutely."
Jenny heard the phone change hands and Rupert's wonderful voice was once again speaking to her. "Jenny are you still there?"
"Yeah, I'm still here Rupert. So, you look like a kid at Christmas huh?" she teased. In her minds eye, she pictured the look he must be shooting at Willow and her laugh increased.
"Erm, well. . .yes, I rather suppose I do."
Not wanting to end the conversation with him, but wanting to see him as soon as she could, she reluctantly said, "I'd better let you go and book your flight. Let me know when to expect you, okay?"
"Okay. I'll call you back when I've booked the flight. Love you."
"Love you too." Jenny slowly placed the phone back in its cradle. She turned around to find that Buffy had discretely left the room to give her and Rupert some privacy on the phone. Checking her appearance in the mirror, and drying her eyes, she made her way to the kitchen.
"Hey!" Buffy said. "How'd it go?"
"It went good. He's gonna call me back when he's booked the flight."
"Is Willow coming too?" Xander asked.
"Yeah." Jenny nodded.
"So, was he full of loads of 'Good Lord'?" Dawn asked.
Jenny laughed. "Yeah, he did say it once or twice." The others started laughing too.
Dawn handed Jenny a cup, "Here, I made you some coffee."
"Thanks." Jenny smiled at the young Ms. Summers. After taking a sip of it, she said, "So, what else has happened since I've been gone? What are you guys doing now?"
Buffy led the way into the lounge, and they all took seats. "I'm a working man now," Xander started. "I work on a building site. Carpentry's my speciality."
"Really?"
"Yeah, he's really good at it," Dawn said.
"Yeah," Buffy agreed. She pointed to a wooden chest. "He made me that for my last birthday."
Jenny went over to it and had a look. She looked up at Xander, impressed. "This is really beautiful Xander."
He blushed a little at her praise, and quipped, "Ah! It was nothing, really."
Resuming her seat, Jenny asked, "What about you Buffy? What are you doing now?"
"Well, I did go to college for a while, but then I had to finish. My mum got cancer."
"Oh God! Buffy I'm so sorry. How is she?"
Buffy looked at the floor. "She died."
Jenny didn't know what to say. Getting up, she went over to where Buffy and Dawn were seated on the sofa and put one arm around each of them, giving them a hug. "If you need anything. . ."
Buffy nodded. "I know. We're fine though."
The phone rang. "Want me to get that?" Jenny asked. Buffy nodded, and Jenny went over and picked it up. "Hi! Summers residence."
"Jenny it's Rupert."
"Hey England! Booked your flight?"
"Yes. Have you got a pen? I'll give you the flight information."
Picking up a nearby pen and pad, she said, "Okay, shoot!" Jenny listened and noted down the flight details.
"Tell him, I'll pick him up at the airport," Xander shouted.
"Hear that?" Jenny asked.
"Yes. Will you be there too?"
"Try stopping me."
"Well, I really should go and pack!"
"Umm." Turning her back to the others, Jenny spoke more quietly, "Hurry up Rupert coz I want a kiss!"
He chuckled. "Oh, I will. Bye then! And remember, I love you."
"I know. I love you too. See ya!" She placed the phone down.
Jenny handed Xander the flight details. "That okay to pick him up then?"
"Sure." Xander nodded.
"Dawn and I'll stay here, so there's enough room in the car."
"You sure?" Jenny asked. At Buffy's nod, Jenny said, "Cool. Thanks."
The rest of the evening was spent with the gang filling Jenny in on the events of the past couple of years, before Xander drove her to her hotel for the night. He arranged to pick her up the next day and then went home himself.
Jenny could hardly sleep. But for the first time since she had regained her memory, it wasn't because she was fretting over Rupert and the others. The reason she had trouble sleeping this time, was simply because she was excited about seeing Rupert again. This time tomorrow, she would be with Rupert again.