*****
Chapter 5: Surprise, Surprise
*****
"Dawn, will you get the door, please?" Buffy asked, flipping the grilled cheese sandwiches over. Dawn obediently hopped out of her chair and moved to the front door. She reappeared a moment later in the kitchen, carrying a package. Buffy frowned. "What's that?" she wondered aloud.
"Dunno."
"You weren't expecting anything?" Andrea asked, joining them from the living room, Willow close behind.
"No." Buffy moved toward the box, which Dawn had placed on the counter.
"Careful. It could be dangerous," Andrea warned.
"She's right," agreed Willow, her red curls bobbing as she nodded her approval of Andrea's admonishment.
"Of course I am," she said jokingly.
"If slightly paranoid." This came from Dawn.
"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you," Andrea quoted wisely. Buffy smiled. She opened the wrapping on the parcel and took the lid off the box inside. She gasped and stumbled backwards. "What? Buffy, what is it?" Andrea stepped forward and peered into the box. "Oh, wow." Willow and Dawn checked the contents and also found seemingly endless bundles of cash.
"My God, Buffy," Dawn exclaimed. Buffy stepped forward and took two of the packets in her hands.
"There's got to be at least a hundred thousand dollars in there, Buffy," observed Andrea.
"We should call Giles," Willow advised.
"I'm pretty sure there's not a demon in Sunnydale that would want to give me a hundred grand, Will."
"Look for a note," said Dawn, stepping up next to Buffy, and shifting the bundles around. "There's always a note in the movies." At the bottom of the box, she found what they were looking for. Holding the slip if paper up, she read, "Use it well." "Is there a name?" Andrea asked, her hazel eyes searching Dawn and Buffy for their reactions. "It says 'Ads,'" answered Buffy, frowning, clearly puzzled.
"No, it says ADS Like initials. Or Internet slang like LMAO," Dawn objected. When Willow glanced at Dawn funny, she clarified. "Laughing my ass off."
"Oh."
"Well, it says you should use the money," Andrea said.
"And who are we to argue with anyone rich enough to give me this much cash?" Andrea's beeper went off at that moment.
"Aw, man. Can I use your phone?" she asked Buffy, who, having realized the grilled cheeses had been about to burst in to flames, was taking them off the stove.
"Yeah, I guess."
"I'll pay for the call. It's long distance." Buffy grunted consentingly and Andrea grabbed the cordless off the counter and moved in to the hallway ti place the call to New York.
"Sheene Publishing," came the stereotypical secretary's voice on the other end of the line.
"Sherry, can I speak to James, please?
"Sure, hun. Hang on a sec." He call was then transferred to the desk of her long time friend and editor, James Cain.
"I paged you yesterday and you never returned my call." Andrea winced involuntarily.
"I know. Sorry. I was busy." A sigh sounded from James. She could visualize him perfectly. His loafer-covered feet had come down off the desk, a few unruly strands of his gelled hair had fallen into his eyes.
"That's all right. What's your new number?" She rattled off her phone number, which he copied down. "So when can I expect my baby to get here?"
"I mailed it Friday. It will be there soon, I swear." She smiled at his enthusiasm.
"Is it as good as Ben says?"
"I guess."
"You always were too modest. You're damn wonderful and you know it." "James, you're exaggerating."
"If I don't get it by Wednesday, I'll tie Ben up and clip his fingernails," he jokingly referred to her older brother. Andrea feigned panic when she replied.
"Oh, please, no. Not Ben. Leave him alone. You'll get your stuff."
"We'll see." The phone went dead in her hands.
"Dawn, will you get the door, please?" Buffy asked, flipping the grilled cheese sandwiches over. Dawn obediently hopped out of her chair and moved to the front door. She reappeared a moment later in the kitchen, carrying a package. Buffy frowned. "What's that?" she wondered aloud.
"Dunno."
"You weren't expecting anything?" Andrea asked, joining them from the living room, Willow close behind.
"No." Buffy moved toward the box, which Dawn had placed on the counter.
"Careful. It could be dangerous," Andrea warned.
"She's right," agreed Willow, her red curls bobbing as she nodded her approval of Andrea's admonishment.
"Of course I am," she said jokingly.
"If slightly paranoid." This came from Dawn.
"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you," Andrea quoted wisely. Buffy smiled. She opened the wrapping on the parcel and took the lid off the box inside. She gasped and stumbled backwards. "What? Buffy, what is it?" Andrea stepped forward and peered into the box. "Oh, wow." Willow and Dawn checked the contents and also found seemingly endless bundles of cash.
"My God, Buffy," Dawn exclaimed. Buffy stepped forward and took two of the packets in her hands.
"There's got to be at least a hundred thousand dollars in there, Buffy," observed Andrea.
"We should call Giles," Willow advised.
"I'm pretty sure there's not a demon in Sunnydale that would want to give me a hundred grand, Will."
"Look for a note," said Dawn, stepping up next to Buffy, and shifting the bundles around. "There's always a note in the movies." At the bottom of the box, she found what they were looking for. Holding the slip if paper up, she read, "Use it well." "Is there a name?" Andrea asked, her hazel eyes searching Dawn and Buffy for their reactions. "It says 'Ads,'" answered Buffy, frowning, clearly puzzled.
"No, it says ADS Like initials. Or Internet slang like LMAO," Dawn objected. When Willow glanced at Dawn funny, she clarified. "Laughing my ass off."
"Oh."
"Well, it says you should use the money," Andrea said.
"And who are we to argue with anyone rich enough to give me this much cash?" Andrea's beeper went off at that moment.
"Aw, man. Can I use your phone?" she asked Buffy, who, having realized the grilled cheeses had been about to burst in to flames, was taking them off the stove.
"Yeah, I guess."
"I'll pay for the call. It's long distance." Buffy grunted consentingly and Andrea grabbed the cordless off the counter and moved in to the hallway ti place the call to New York.
"Sheene Publishing," came the stereotypical secretary's voice on the other end of the line.
"Sherry, can I speak to James, please?
"Sure, hun. Hang on a sec." He call was then transferred to the desk of her long time friend and editor, James Cain.
"I paged you yesterday and you never returned my call." Andrea winced involuntarily.
"I know. Sorry. I was busy." A sigh sounded from James. She could visualize him perfectly. His loafer-covered feet had come down off the desk, a few unruly strands of his gelled hair had fallen into his eyes.
"That's all right. What's your new number?" She rattled off her phone number, which he copied down. "So when can I expect my baby to get here?"
"I mailed it Friday. It will be there soon, I swear." She smiled at his enthusiasm.
"Is it as good as Ben says?"
"I guess."
"You always were too modest. You're damn wonderful and you know it." "James, you're exaggerating."
"If I don't get it by Wednesday, I'll tie Ben up and clip his fingernails," he jokingly referred to her older brother. Andrea feigned panic when she replied.
"Oh, please, no. Not Ben. Leave him alone. You'll get your stuff."
"We'll see." The phone went dead in her hands.