Thank you for your reviews!
To answer a few questions that did come up... my story is an alternate universe set after
Season 5, meaning Seasons 6 and 7 never happened. I'm actually doing this in response to a
challenge "It Never Happened". I'll supply the link later because I'm too lazy
to look for it now. This is because I would never have thought to write anything like this
until my beta asked if anyone would write her a Buffy/Giles story. This isn't my pairing,
but I'm quite enjoying it.
I also know that this is an unconventional relationship... but then, when have I been
known to write conventional ones? I'm not going to erase the negative critiques, because,
blatantly, they want to read what they want to read and they just happened to look at
Inamorata.
As for Points of View, this chapter and the next are in varying other characters, but
still relating to the original story.
This Chapter varies between 2 POVs... (so complicated, eh?) Anya and Xander. The next
chapter will be posted tomorrow!
Reviews are most welcome!
Chapter 5
Candles
* * * * *
Above me, Willow yelled for the others to come down. I turned and saw Xander emerging from the basement, dragging a large set of chains. Willow and Tara quickly jogged down the stairs, waiting at the front door until...
It opened and Giles stepped inside.
"Surprise!" I cried out, throwing my arms around him. He seemed taken aback but accepted the other hugs and kisses.
"What's the occasion?" he asked in a confused voice, setting a large paper bag aside. "I won't pick Buffy up until sometime this afternoon."
"Because today," I said, my mind automatically flipping in reverse to the speech I had prepared to give at dinner that night. No matter, I thought. He could hear it twice. It'd be a good boost to his ego. "Fifty five years ago you were born. And we want to celebrate that. With liquor. And scotch. Lots and lots of scotch. And-"
"An, honey," Xander chuckled, placing his hands on my shoulders, nearly biting off the circulation. I turned and growled under my breath. Anyone standing near me could have heard the words 'that's the last time I turn you upside down'.
Giles was beyond pleased though. His look of confusion had melted away into a look of respect and a look of complete surprise. "I'm surprised you even know of my birthday."
"I know things," I burst out. Everyone turned to look at me. "Well I do!" I insisted. "I was alive when you were born. I have over a millenium on all of you."
"It's quite all right, Anya," he said with a strained smile as he closed the door behind him and retreated into the kitchen, all four of us following behind. "I was thinking that perhaps since tonight is Buffy's first night home, we should be gentle on her."
"No way," Willow said, shaking her head. "Buffy needs to know that her friends are behind her. We've spent a lot of time decorating this place for a party and we won't let her down."
The words on Giles' tongue died as he glanced around. The decorations were tropical almost, Hawaiian at the least. Large silk flowers and paper lanterns decorated the walls. Fake palm trees had been erected near doorways. The plates were tropical pink and aquamarine, and the serving dishes looked suspiciously like large flamingoes and surfboards.
I could tell he was utterly perplexed. "I used the money from the raise you gave me in order to buy these wonderful crafts," I plundered on, reaching for my favorite decoration sitting on the edge of the island, a small duck. I picked it up and squeezed its belly. It's mouth opened and its tongue came out, with the words 'quack quack, don't take me back. Buy me now or don't look back'.
"You bought a charmed duck?" Willow asked in a hushed voice, plucking it from my hands. "These things are cheap! And dirty! I once heard it clung to a woman's leg because she wouldn't buy it for her daughter."
"Hence the warning label," I replied, taking back the duck and returning it to its rightful place. "It does say to not look back."
"That could have a hundred different intonations," Giles replied, removing his glasses to clean them. "It could mean don't look at your backside, or it could mean that if you were perhaps to glance back, you would turn into salt."
We all stared at him for a moment until he replaced his glasses. "I'm just saying," he said, his tone slightly defensive.
I shrugged it off as I stared mournfully at my duck. "I just thought it was adorable, hex or not."
"Yes, it is very adorable, Anya, honey," Xander said in a loud voice, which I knew was mainly for my own benefit. I gritted my teeth together as Willow took water out of the fridge and poured glasses. "Your shopping taste is definitely..."
I rolled my eyes and stood up. "You were going to say juvenille, weren't you? My tastes are childish to you? I'm one thousand years old, Xander! I don't need a shopping taste. I've created my own, thank you."
There was silence in the room as all eyes were trained on me. After a beat, I planted my smile back on my face and took the glass of water Giles was handing me. "Thank you, Giles!" I said. He gave me a tired smile and I sipped the water, taking the stool Xander had been sitting on just a moment before.
"What time are you going to get Buffy?" Willow asked, returning the pitcher to the fridge and removing a tray of vegetables.
"Ooh," said Dawn, popping into the kitchen in her work uniform. "Snacks." She plucked a carrot stick as she blew through the kitchen. "Ready to go, Giles?"
"You're taking the Bit in the new car?" I asked, part of me shocked that I realized Giles had shown up to drive Dawn to work and the other part shocked that he would let this sixteen-year-old hormone freak drive his new convertible before he'd let me touch it.
"I take my test in two weeks, Anya," Dawn replied, crunching through her carrot. "Save some food for me, Willow?"
Willow nodded. Dawn smiled, satisfied, picked up another carrot and swept through the back door. Giles glanced at me before he followed her out. "Have you ever taken driver's training?" I just stared at him. "I think not," he replied, closing the door quietly behind him.
"But..." I sputtered angrily, "they didn't have any cars when I was sixteen! All they had was oxen! And trolls!"
"You mean all we have to do to keep you happy is rent an ox?"
I turned and glared over my shoulder at Willow, who was stirring her celery stalk in dill dip.
"It was just a suggestion!" she insisted, taking a bite. "Why don't you just bite my head off?"
"Well, if you close your eyes and wish really, really hard," I retorted.
Xander's well-placed hand over my mouth kept me from continuing further. As hard as I tried to bite him, he held me back. "An, honey, we still have some cleaning to do upstairs before Buffy gets home. Now."
He released my mouth and I twirled on him. He ignored my indignant look, seized my hand, and pulled me upstairs.
It was the perfect time for me to collect my thoughts. Nearly nine months ago, my best friend had sacrificed herself to save the world. If she hadn't been a superheroine with superpowers, she would have been the ultimate sacrifice. That was almost overwhelming to think about. What would have happened to Dawn? And what about Willow and I, who had been through everything with Buffy for the past five years?
In just five seconds, I had nearly lost my best friend.
It was true that I had fallen apart. I hadn't been much of a support, anything of a rock. I hadn't really cared, either. All my thoughts were back on her, the way she looked at me, as though I were her equal and not some dysfunctional member of the group.
"Xander?" Willow called from the kitchen. "Where are you?"
"I'm in here," I said, and heaving a heavy sigh, followed the sound of her voice, where she and Tara stood around a large two-tier birthday cake. Tara was using small candy decals to spell out G-I-L-E-S across the top tier while Willow stood next to her, a knife covered in chocolate icing in her hand.
"Could you get the candles? They're in the drawer over there," Willow replied, gesturing with the knife as she finished icing the bottom tier. Tara had finished with the letters and had picked up the cake decorator, squeezing small blue flowers on the edge of the top tier.
I went to the drawer and opened it. I had pulled too hard and the drawer fell on the ground, dislodging everything inside. I bent down and removed the box of candles when my eye caught onto something else. It was a photograph, taken during our first month together. It was back when we were in high school.
Seeing the photograph choked me up as I turned to Willow, who glanced up at me impatiently. "What is it?" I showed it to her. She paused, a subdued look falling over her face as she took the photograph in frosting-laced hands. I could see the emotion spread across her face as she lovingly set the picture aside. "Xander..."
"Don't, Will," I said, begging her not to look at me as I placed the candles on the island. I turned back to avoid her gaze as I swept the contents of the drawer back into the box and put the drawer away.
Outside, a car door clanked shut. I glanced behind me to Willow, who was hurriedly trying to put the cake out of sight. Anya sprang from nowhere, demanding to know where her serving dishes were. Tara was grabbing the candles, pulling five out and shoving the box back to the island, hurriedly pushing them into the top tier. I took a deep breath, stood up, and went to the front door, opening it as I heard voices behind the heavy wood.
I found myself face to face with her.
She looked even more stunning than the first day I had ever laid eyes on her. "Buffy," I said in a voice choked with emotion. I stepped up and wrapped my arms around her. I could feel her arms around me, her voice softly calling my name over and over. "Welcome home," I concluded, giving her a watery smile.
As we walked inside, Buffy took in the tropical decor with such grace I was surprised. Anya came from the kitchen, still wearing her apron, her surfboard serving tray in her hands. "Snail stuffed mushroom?" she asked cheerfully, practically shoving the tray under Buffy's nose. Buffy stared in horror at the twelve little mushrooms stuffed with seasoned snails.
"I think I'll pass."
I took her arm and lead her into the kitchen, where Tara was busy pulling two litres of soda from the fridge and Willow was rearranging her cheese tray. "I hope you don't mind our little homecoming party, but today is also Giles' birthday."
"Which I never knew about," she said slowly, turning to look at Giles, her expression hurt.
"You never asked," he said in an impatient tone, sneaking a slice of cheese from the tray.
She turned to me. "So who else have you invited?"
"A few friends," Anya replied enthusiastically, setting down the surfboard and lunging for the aquamarine plastic bowl full of potato chips. "And a few undead neighbors."
Spike. He was coming. I could see the look of interest and slight fear in her eyes, but it vanished with her bubbled reply. I didn't hear it, I was too busy focusing on her eyes that I completely lost touch with the flow of conversation around me.
Buffy. Spike. In the same room. In only a few hours.
"This is going to get interesting," Anya muttered at my elbow.
Yes. It certainly was going to be.