It didn't take Buffy very long to figure out how to get to the small
downtown area. It was only a few blocks away according to the map in the
small directory she had found. Funny how she had felt it was longer when
she was in the car with Madeline and Jeremy Blake. She cleaned herself up
as best as she could and started to leave. She stopped.
What if Spike woke up early? He'd be worried. She quickly scrawled a note explaining she was off shopping. As she started out the door, remembering to lock it, she wondered when she had started to care whether or not she worried Spike.
Well they had to trust and respect each other now, she answered herself as she walked down the street, the brisk wind blowing back her hair. Yes they only had each other now.
Buffy admired the houses on the way there. Each was different but the same. That one with blue trim. That house had lawn gnomes. And that one there still had its Halloween decorations up. She wondered if she and Spike would decorate for Christmas.
A thought hit her. She was going to be with Spike for a long while. Sure she had known it before, but she had never fully digested it. God they really were going to be living like a married couple.
Except for that one thing. The very important thing married couples do that Buffy was *not* going to do with Spike.
The buildings of downtown Roseland came to view thankfully taking Buffy from her thoughts. "First things first, clothes." She couldn't help smiling. After all she was still a young woman, Slayer or not, and young women love to shop.
She walked into a department store and the saleswoman smiled at her. Buffy smiled back and made her way to the back of the store.
In an hour she had two pairs of jeans, six blouses, two skirts and a nice coat. She paid for these happily and went to the lingerie department. She had collected a standard white bra and some average pairs of panties when she heard a familiar voice.
"Oh Buffy! It's great to see you!" She turned to see Madison. She smiled as Madison made her way towards Buffy, a young girl tagging along with her, looking rather grumpy. "How are you dear?" She asked.
"Oh I'm great...spending money, what I'm best at." She laughed as Madison did.
"This is my daughter Kayla," she said as she motioned to the girl who looked to be six. "Say hello Kayla." The little girl scowled.
"Hello," she mumbled.
Buffy grinned. "Hello Kayla."
"She's in a foul mood because I wouldn't buy her these pink shoes. Excuse her," Madison explained.
Buffy smiled. "It's ok, my sister Dawn acts like that all the time." Her heart pinged when she thought of Dawn in Sunnydale without her.
"You have a sister?" Madison asked as Buffy shifted the bag to her other arm.
"Yes, I have a picture at the house," Buffy said, happy that she had had her wallet in her pocket the night at the station.
Madison nodded as she looked around. "So? Doing some shopping hm?" She gazed at the racks. "A little something special for William?" Madison asked, winking.
Buffy turned crimson and stuttered. "I...uh..."
Madison laughed. "It's ok dear, I understand. But can I give you a suggestion?"
Buffy managed to say sure.
"Men really fall for his number." Madison reached over and picked up a black barely there bra trimmed in lace with matching panties and held it out to Buffy.
Buffy thought she was going to die as she clumsily took the bra. "Uh...thank you," she succeeded in saying.
"Is that all you're getting? Maybe you could come to a late lunch with us. Wouldn't that be fun Kayla?" Kayla kicked at the rug of the store. It was Madison's turn to scowl.
"I'd love to, but I need to get home," Buffy said, breaking the tension. "Let me get some socks and pay for this." Silently she cursed her luck. With Madison there she had no time to replace the scandalous bra. She got some socks and then went to the register to pay. She was already down two hundred dollars, and Spike still needed some clothes plus she needed groceries.
"Well maybe we can give you a ride home? You walked here I assume?" Madison offered.
"I can walk, really. I have to drop off these bags then go to the store anyway," Buffy said as she came back with another bag.
Madison was unconvinced. "Well how about this. I take your stuff home for you so you don't have to make two trips."
Buffy had to admit that this woman never gave up. "Well, sure, thank you. Can you get in?"
Madison nodded. "I have the master key for everyone."
Buffy laughed. "Well that's reassuring."
They both laughed as they made their way to Madison's car.
Kayla got into the back seat and proceeded to sulk some more as Madison put Buffy's bags in the trunk.
"I appreciate this," Buffy said.
"Oh it's the least I can do," Madison said as she closed the trunk. "Is William home?"
"Oh, yes, he is, he's sleeping though."
Madison laughed. "Long night?" She asked, hinting at a lot.
Buffy wondered how many times today she would blush.
Madison patted her on the shoulder. "I'm just joking dear, I'll talk to you later alright?"
Buffy smiled and said goodbye and watched Madison get into the car and drive off. She started down the street where she saw a sign for the grocery store. It was nice meeting new people. Haven knows she didn't meet many "normal" people in Sunnydale.
It felt good. She sighed happily as she picked up a basket and started down the aisle in the grocery store. For just a second she wished it could last forever.
What if Spike woke up early? He'd be worried. She quickly scrawled a note explaining she was off shopping. As she started out the door, remembering to lock it, she wondered when she had started to care whether or not she worried Spike.
Well they had to trust and respect each other now, she answered herself as she walked down the street, the brisk wind blowing back her hair. Yes they only had each other now.
Buffy admired the houses on the way there. Each was different but the same. That one with blue trim. That house had lawn gnomes. And that one there still had its Halloween decorations up. She wondered if she and Spike would decorate for Christmas.
A thought hit her. She was going to be with Spike for a long while. Sure she had known it before, but she had never fully digested it. God they really were going to be living like a married couple.
Except for that one thing. The very important thing married couples do that Buffy was *not* going to do with Spike.
The buildings of downtown Roseland came to view thankfully taking Buffy from her thoughts. "First things first, clothes." She couldn't help smiling. After all she was still a young woman, Slayer or not, and young women love to shop.
She walked into a department store and the saleswoman smiled at her. Buffy smiled back and made her way to the back of the store.
In an hour she had two pairs of jeans, six blouses, two skirts and a nice coat. She paid for these happily and went to the lingerie department. She had collected a standard white bra and some average pairs of panties when she heard a familiar voice.
"Oh Buffy! It's great to see you!" She turned to see Madison. She smiled as Madison made her way towards Buffy, a young girl tagging along with her, looking rather grumpy. "How are you dear?" She asked.
"Oh I'm great...spending money, what I'm best at." She laughed as Madison did.
"This is my daughter Kayla," she said as she motioned to the girl who looked to be six. "Say hello Kayla." The little girl scowled.
"Hello," she mumbled.
Buffy grinned. "Hello Kayla."
"She's in a foul mood because I wouldn't buy her these pink shoes. Excuse her," Madison explained.
Buffy smiled. "It's ok, my sister Dawn acts like that all the time." Her heart pinged when she thought of Dawn in Sunnydale without her.
"You have a sister?" Madison asked as Buffy shifted the bag to her other arm.
"Yes, I have a picture at the house," Buffy said, happy that she had had her wallet in her pocket the night at the station.
Madison nodded as she looked around. "So? Doing some shopping hm?" She gazed at the racks. "A little something special for William?" Madison asked, winking.
Buffy turned crimson and stuttered. "I...uh..."
Madison laughed. "It's ok dear, I understand. But can I give you a suggestion?"
Buffy managed to say sure.
"Men really fall for his number." Madison reached over and picked up a black barely there bra trimmed in lace with matching panties and held it out to Buffy.
Buffy thought she was going to die as she clumsily took the bra. "Uh...thank you," she succeeded in saying.
"Is that all you're getting? Maybe you could come to a late lunch with us. Wouldn't that be fun Kayla?" Kayla kicked at the rug of the store. It was Madison's turn to scowl.
"I'd love to, but I need to get home," Buffy said, breaking the tension. "Let me get some socks and pay for this." Silently she cursed her luck. With Madison there she had no time to replace the scandalous bra. She got some socks and then went to the register to pay. She was already down two hundred dollars, and Spike still needed some clothes plus she needed groceries.
"Well maybe we can give you a ride home? You walked here I assume?" Madison offered.
"I can walk, really. I have to drop off these bags then go to the store anyway," Buffy said as she came back with another bag.
Madison was unconvinced. "Well how about this. I take your stuff home for you so you don't have to make two trips."
Buffy had to admit that this woman never gave up. "Well, sure, thank you. Can you get in?"
Madison nodded. "I have the master key for everyone."
Buffy laughed. "Well that's reassuring."
They both laughed as they made their way to Madison's car.
Kayla got into the back seat and proceeded to sulk some more as Madison put Buffy's bags in the trunk.
"I appreciate this," Buffy said.
"Oh it's the least I can do," Madison said as she closed the trunk. "Is William home?"
"Oh, yes, he is, he's sleeping though."
Madison laughed. "Long night?" She asked, hinting at a lot.
Buffy wondered how many times today she would blush.
Madison patted her on the shoulder. "I'm just joking dear, I'll talk to you later alright?"
Buffy smiled and said goodbye and watched Madison get into the car and drive off. She started down the street where she saw a sign for the grocery store. It was nice meeting new people. Haven knows she didn't meet many "normal" people in Sunnydale.
It felt good. She sighed happily as she picked up a basket and started down the aisle in the grocery store. For just a second she wished it could last forever.
