Chapter 5.
Early the next morning she woke and got dressed.
Before the girls woke up she tidied the house and set the table for breakfast.
Once the girls were all awake and fed she helped them get dressed.
Then she explained that they were going to take a trip to where she used to live.
As Buffy and the girls were packing the car Angel and Cordelia turned up.
"Hi guys." Buffy greeted them.
"Need a hand?" Angel asked.
"No," Buffy answered him, "But if you want to get your stuff so we can pack it in too, that would be great."
He smiled and hefted a large duffel bag into the boot of the car. "All done."
"That means we're almost ready to go." She answered.
"What else do you need to do?" Angel asked.
"Just make sure the answering machine is on, lock the front and back doors, turn off the study light, lock the garage and strap everyone in." Buffy listed each thing on her fingers.
"I'll turn off the study light and check the answering service." Angel volunteered.
Buffy smiled. "Cordy, would you just stay here a minute and keep an eye on the girls." Cordelia nodded.
*****
Within minutes Buffy and Angel were back out the front, with Buffy helping the girls to strap themselves in.
After checking all of the seat beat clips, Buffy turned her attention to Hexa, and dressed the dog in a car harness, before strapping her too, into the car.
As Buffy reversed out of the driveway they all waved goodbye to Cordelia.
As they drove away Buffy noticed Angel's mile-wide grin.
"What?" she asked him.
"It's nothing, really. I guess I'm still not used to you doing all of this. Being a mother and everything." he answered her, still smiling a little.
She laughed, and taking one hand of the steering wheel, gave him a shove.
"What was that for?" he asked, amazed at how light hearted she was.
"Just for being you." she replied, concentrating on the road ahead.
They drove in companionable silence for a long time, until the girls begged for the radio to be turned on.
*****
After driving for a little over an hour, Buffy pulled off the road, into a park.
"Come on guys, everybody out." she called as she turned off the ignition. Once she herself was out of the car, she began 'freeing' Hexa and the girls.
They ran off eagerly, throwing a ball Buffy had pulled out of the back seat.
"Are you tired?" Angel asked her, concerned. "Do you want me to drive the rest of the way?"
She smiled. "You don't travel with kids very often do you?" she asked him, ignoring both of his questions.
"The last time I did was, I think, never." Angel answered. "Why?"
"Kids need to be able to get out and run around. They can't spend long hours in a car, it's too hard on them. They get grizzly and restless. Now that we've stopped, they can all have a run around and a light snack. Then we'll go again in about twenty minutes. With luck they'll actually sleep for the rest of the trip." Buffy answered him, not taking her eyes off her children.
The girls looked over to where they stood and waved. Both Buffy and Angel waved back.
"Come on," she prompted him, "Help me set up the picnic blanket."
In a short time they had a picnic blanket spread out on the grass, with two trays laid down upon it. One contained fresh and dried sliced fruit and vegetables, while the other contained crackers and cookies.
Once everyone had eaten what they wanted, Buffy somehow managed to pack up the extra food and juice boxes, fold up the picnic rug, and get three little girls, and an over-size German Shepherd back into the car, with a minimum of fuss.
Again Angel stopped and admired her parenting skills. She didn't yell, simply asked that the girls help her to pack up, and get back into the car. Even with Hexa, she didn't utter a cross word.
He smiled as he got into the driver's seat.
Buffy gave him a curious look. "What are you doing?"
"I'll drive the rest of the way, okay?" he said to her.
She just smiled and handed him the keys. "It's been a long time since I was the passenger on a trip like this."
She got into the passenger seat, turning around to check on the girls, before they drove off.
Once Angel had turned back out onto the freeway, Buffy crossed her legs and pulled a heavy book out of her bag. "What are you reading?" Angel asked her, trying to make conversation.
"The Rise and Fall of Ancient Empires." she answered. "It's on my first year students reading list. It reads kind of like Giles. Very English."
Angel chuckled. "Sounds thrilling. Any interesting bits?"
She smiled, "It's a new book so there's some interesting new theories and plenty of relevant information in here, although some of it is a little out of place. You know, a little too well thought out."
"Yeah, I think I've read books like that before." he answered.
For the rest of the trip Buffy and Angel chattered about Ancient History and Buffy's classes.
Early the next morning she woke and got dressed.
Before the girls woke up she tidied the house and set the table for breakfast.
Once the girls were all awake and fed she helped them get dressed.
Then she explained that they were going to take a trip to where she used to live.
As Buffy and the girls were packing the car Angel and Cordelia turned up.
"Hi guys." Buffy greeted them.
"Need a hand?" Angel asked.
"No," Buffy answered him, "But if you want to get your stuff so we can pack it in too, that would be great."
He smiled and hefted a large duffel bag into the boot of the car. "All done."
"That means we're almost ready to go." She answered.
"What else do you need to do?" Angel asked.
"Just make sure the answering machine is on, lock the front and back doors, turn off the study light, lock the garage and strap everyone in." Buffy listed each thing on her fingers.
"I'll turn off the study light and check the answering service." Angel volunteered.
Buffy smiled. "Cordy, would you just stay here a minute and keep an eye on the girls." Cordelia nodded.
*****
Within minutes Buffy and Angel were back out the front, with Buffy helping the girls to strap themselves in.
After checking all of the seat beat clips, Buffy turned her attention to Hexa, and dressed the dog in a car harness, before strapping her too, into the car.
As Buffy reversed out of the driveway they all waved goodbye to Cordelia.
As they drove away Buffy noticed Angel's mile-wide grin.
"What?" she asked him.
"It's nothing, really. I guess I'm still not used to you doing all of this. Being a mother and everything." he answered her, still smiling a little.
She laughed, and taking one hand of the steering wheel, gave him a shove.
"What was that for?" he asked, amazed at how light hearted she was.
"Just for being you." she replied, concentrating on the road ahead.
They drove in companionable silence for a long time, until the girls begged for the radio to be turned on.
*****
After driving for a little over an hour, Buffy pulled off the road, into a park.
"Come on guys, everybody out." she called as she turned off the ignition. Once she herself was out of the car, she began 'freeing' Hexa and the girls.
They ran off eagerly, throwing a ball Buffy had pulled out of the back seat.
"Are you tired?" Angel asked her, concerned. "Do you want me to drive the rest of the way?"
She smiled. "You don't travel with kids very often do you?" she asked him, ignoring both of his questions.
"The last time I did was, I think, never." Angel answered. "Why?"
"Kids need to be able to get out and run around. They can't spend long hours in a car, it's too hard on them. They get grizzly and restless. Now that we've stopped, they can all have a run around and a light snack. Then we'll go again in about twenty minutes. With luck they'll actually sleep for the rest of the trip." Buffy answered him, not taking her eyes off her children.
The girls looked over to where they stood and waved. Both Buffy and Angel waved back.
"Come on," she prompted him, "Help me set up the picnic blanket."
In a short time they had a picnic blanket spread out on the grass, with two trays laid down upon it. One contained fresh and dried sliced fruit and vegetables, while the other contained crackers and cookies.
Once everyone had eaten what they wanted, Buffy somehow managed to pack up the extra food and juice boxes, fold up the picnic rug, and get three little girls, and an over-size German Shepherd back into the car, with a minimum of fuss.
Again Angel stopped and admired her parenting skills. She didn't yell, simply asked that the girls help her to pack up, and get back into the car. Even with Hexa, she didn't utter a cross word.
He smiled as he got into the driver's seat.
Buffy gave him a curious look. "What are you doing?"
"I'll drive the rest of the way, okay?" he said to her.
She just smiled and handed him the keys. "It's been a long time since I was the passenger on a trip like this."
She got into the passenger seat, turning around to check on the girls, before they drove off.
Once Angel had turned back out onto the freeway, Buffy crossed her legs and pulled a heavy book out of her bag. "What are you reading?" Angel asked her, trying to make conversation.
"The Rise and Fall of Ancient Empires." she answered. "It's on my first year students reading list. It reads kind of like Giles. Very English."
Angel chuckled. "Sounds thrilling. Any interesting bits?"
She smiled, "It's a new book so there's some interesting new theories and plenty of relevant information in here, although some of it is a little out of place. You know, a little too well thought out."
"Yeah, I think I've read books like that before." he answered.
For the rest of the trip Buffy and Angel chattered about Ancient History and Buffy's classes.