The next morning Buffy was waiting for Dawn in the kitchen. As soon as Dawn came into the room, Buffy asked, "Why did you call Giles yesterday?"
"I wanted to talk to him. Why? Is that a crime?"
"Yes, it is when the call is to England! You know we can't afford that. We're barely keeping our heads above water as it is without you racking up a huge telephone bill as well!"
"I didn't rack up a huge bill. Giles called me back."
"What?"
"I called Giles and he told me to put the phone down and he'd call me straight back, so we weren't paying for it."
"You did what! I don't want Giles paying for our phone calls."
"He suggested it, not me."
"I don't care. I…"
Willow had come into the kitchen mid-argument, and butted in, "Hey, take it easy Buffy. There's no harm done!"
"I don't want Giles paying for any more of our bills."
"What, so now I'm not allowed to talk to him!" Dawn slammed her bowl of cereal on the counter and left the room.
Early that evening, Dawn came running into the "Magic Box" excitement evident on her face. Anya, Buffy, Willow and Xander all looked up at her in surprise as she jumped down the steps in the shop shouting, "Oh my God! Oh my God! You're not going to believe this!"
"Believe what?" Buffy asked. Smiling at the fact that Dawn looked happy for once.
"Guess what I won?"
"I'm guessing it's not a week in detention!" Xander quipped.
"I won two plane tickets to England!" Dawn announced.
"WHAT?" Everyone asked at once.
"I was listening to the radio and there was this competition. I called in and got the question right, and the prize was two return plane tickets to England. Can you believe it!"
"Wow!" Xander said.
"Can I go?" Anya asked.
"Oh, that's great Dawn!" Willow said and gave her a hug.
"You're kidding, right?" Buffy said to Dawn.
"No. I really won."
Buffy was shocked. "What did I tell you about using the phone Dawn?"
"Oh, come on Buffy! I won plane tickets to England!"
Buffy smiled. "Okay, I'll let you off this time, seeing as you won. So we've got tickets to England, huh! Cool! Do they come with accommodation too? Oh, and spending money?"
"No. I thought we could go and stay with Giles!"
"Well you thought wrong."
"Buffy!"
"No way."
"Why not?"
"I don't think he'd want us there!"
"Yes he would. It'd be a great birthday surprise for him. Come on, please, Buffy? I really want to see him."
"Yeah, go on Buffy," Xander said.
"What about slaying?"
"We can handle that for a few days," Willow said.
"No problem," Xander agreed.
"Yes, we can get Spike to help too," Anya said.
"I don't know guys…"
"Please?" Dawn begged.
"Alright. We'll go. I don't know how Giles is gonna take it with us both appearing on his doorstep wanting to sleep the night, but we'll go."
Four days later, the telephone rang at the Summers' residence. Willow picked it up, and said hello. "Hello Willow! It's Giles."
"Oh, hi Giles! Happy birthday."
"Why, thank you Willow. Thank you also for your lovely card."
"You're welcome. I'm just glad you got it in time."
"I got them this morning. Yours, Dawn's and a joint one from Anya and Xander."
"Oh, erm, Buffy's must have got lost in the post," Willow lied.
"Really Willow, you're truly hopeless at lying."
"I'm sorry Giles. Buffy's still a little upset, that's all. She just needs time to adjust. She'll be okay."
"Yes, I hope so. I truly didn't want to leave, you know."
"I know. And I'm sure Buffy will understand soon."
"I do hope you're right. Is Buffy there, perhaps?"
"Erm, no, sorry Giles she's out."
"Ah! I see."
"No, really Giles, she isn't here."
"Well, is Dawn there?"
"Er, she's out too."
"Ah! Never mind."
"I'm sure they'll be in touch with you before the day's out."
"Yes, I'm sure you're right. Anyhow, I must dash Willow. Goodbye, and take care."
"I will. Happy birthday."
Giles went off the phone feeling very depressed. He'd been delighted when he had received the cards from Dawn and the others, but when he realised there was none from Buffy, he felt a little sad. He had rang up in the hopes of at least talking to her today on his birthday, and hearing her voice. He missed her, and he wasn't sure she knew that. It was one of the hardest things he had ever done leaving her and coming back to England. She was like a daughter to him. He still believed his decision was for the best.
"I wanted to talk to him. Why? Is that a crime?"
"Yes, it is when the call is to England! You know we can't afford that. We're barely keeping our heads above water as it is without you racking up a huge telephone bill as well!"
"I didn't rack up a huge bill. Giles called me back."
"What?"
"I called Giles and he told me to put the phone down and he'd call me straight back, so we weren't paying for it."
"You did what! I don't want Giles paying for our phone calls."
"He suggested it, not me."
"I don't care. I…"
Willow had come into the kitchen mid-argument, and butted in, "Hey, take it easy Buffy. There's no harm done!"
"I don't want Giles paying for any more of our bills."
"What, so now I'm not allowed to talk to him!" Dawn slammed her bowl of cereal on the counter and left the room.
Early that evening, Dawn came running into the "Magic Box" excitement evident on her face. Anya, Buffy, Willow and Xander all looked up at her in surprise as she jumped down the steps in the shop shouting, "Oh my God! Oh my God! You're not going to believe this!"
"Believe what?" Buffy asked. Smiling at the fact that Dawn looked happy for once.
"Guess what I won?"
"I'm guessing it's not a week in detention!" Xander quipped.
"I won two plane tickets to England!" Dawn announced.
"WHAT?" Everyone asked at once.
"I was listening to the radio and there was this competition. I called in and got the question right, and the prize was two return plane tickets to England. Can you believe it!"
"Wow!" Xander said.
"Can I go?" Anya asked.
"Oh, that's great Dawn!" Willow said and gave her a hug.
"You're kidding, right?" Buffy said to Dawn.
"No. I really won."
Buffy was shocked. "What did I tell you about using the phone Dawn?"
"Oh, come on Buffy! I won plane tickets to England!"
Buffy smiled. "Okay, I'll let you off this time, seeing as you won. So we've got tickets to England, huh! Cool! Do they come with accommodation too? Oh, and spending money?"
"No. I thought we could go and stay with Giles!"
"Well you thought wrong."
"Buffy!"
"No way."
"Why not?"
"I don't think he'd want us there!"
"Yes he would. It'd be a great birthday surprise for him. Come on, please, Buffy? I really want to see him."
"Yeah, go on Buffy," Xander said.
"What about slaying?"
"We can handle that for a few days," Willow said.
"No problem," Xander agreed.
"Yes, we can get Spike to help too," Anya said.
"I don't know guys…"
"Please?" Dawn begged.
"Alright. We'll go. I don't know how Giles is gonna take it with us both appearing on his doorstep wanting to sleep the night, but we'll go."
Four days later, the telephone rang at the Summers' residence. Willow picked it up, and said hello. "Hello Willow! It's Giles."
"Oh, hi Giles! Happy birthday."
"Why, thank you Willow. Thank you also for your lovely card."
"You're welcome. I'm just glad you got it in time."
"I got them this morning. Yours, Dawn's and a joint one from Anya and Xander."
"Oh, erm, Buffy's must have got lost in the post," Willow lied.
"Really Willow, you're truly hopeless at lying."
"I'm sorry Giles. Buffy's still a little upset, that's all. She just needs time to adjust. She'll be okay."
"Yes, I hope so. I truly didn't want to leave, you know."
"I know. And I'm sure Buffy will understand soon."
"I do hope you're right. Is Buffy there, perhaps?"
"Erm, no, sorry Giles she's out."
"Ah! I see."
"No, really Giles, she isn't here."
"Well, is Dawn there?"
"Er, she's out too."
"Ah! Never mind."
"I'm sure they'll be in touch with you before the day's out."
"Yes, I'm sure you're right. Anyhow, I must dash Willow. Goodbye, and take care."
"I will. Happy birthday."
Giles went off the phone feeling very depressed. He'd been delighted when he had received the cards from Dawn and the others, but when he realised there was none from Buffy, he felt a little sad. He had rang up in the hopes of at least talking to her today on his birthday, and hearing her voice. He missed her, and he wasn't sure she knew that. It was one of the hardest things he had ever done leaving her and coming back to England. She was like a daughter to him. He still believed his decision was for the best.