A/N : Getting very close to the return of William in this fic now. He should get back next chapter. In the meantime, thanx to those who reviewed; SpIkEs AnGeL, aphelant, twisty-treat, fictionfreak2, Slayer87, SouthernRain, Rachel, fashiongrrl, amylase, SlayGal, Leanne8582, Michelle. You guys are all so awesome for taking the time to write a review and tell me what you like about my story - big thanks all around! :) Here's the next chapter, coming up towards the present day now...oh, by the way, the 'present day' will actually be in November since I planned this out a while ago...
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 11 : A Day In The Life - 24th October 2003
Despite our little family being kind of irregular, I grew up to be a fairly normal girl, as did Willow. We began our senior year of high school in September this year and I was basically loving my life. Probably the best way to explain my life to you is to show you a snapshot, a typical day from my diary last month...
"Girls!" Joyce yelled from the bottom of the stairs, "Hurry up, you're going to be late for school!"
In their adjoining rooms, Willow and Buffy were putting the finishing touches to their outfits, makeup and hair. They were a few weeks into their senior year of high school and loving every minute of it, especially since they both had boyfriends this year, who they'd started dating over the Summer.
"We're coming Mom!" Buffy yelled back as she tapped on the door between her sisters room and her own and smiled as the red-head let her in.
"Ready to go?" Willow asked as she picked up her book bag and Buffy nodded, showing she already had her bag on her shoulder and her jacket over her arm.
The two young women ran down the stairs, one behind the other, sounding much like a heard of elephants Giles noticed with a sigh.
"Good morning girls" he greeted as they came into the kitchen, grabbing a piece of toast each.
"Hi Dad" Willow smiled, kissing his cheek as she walked past him.
"Bye Dad" Buffy giggled, as she too travelled around her fathers seat behind her sister, kissing his cheek and leaving again.
Giles looked at his wife but Joyce only shrugged.
"One day" he told her, "they will actually sit down to eat their breakfast"
"I wouldn't bet on it" Joyce laughed.
Willow and Buffy were crossing through the living room toward the front door when Buffy suddenly put down her bag, held her half eaten toast in her mouth and walked over to the mantle. She picked her necklace that she'd taken off the night before and left there by mistake. As she fastened it around her neck she took in the pictures that lived on the shelf.
In the centre was the family portrait, her parents, sister and herself. To the left was a photograph of four young people, the way hers and Willows 'real' parents used to be, and to the right a picture of a boy. The child was maybe fourteen years old, the last picture the family had received of William, the girls' brother. He'd never come back from England, for more than one reason that neither Willow nor Buffy really ever understood. Giles' parents had sent pictures every now and then, usually professional type photographs that were taken at school, but once he reached his mid-teens the pictures stopped arriving.
"Buffy, we really are going to be late!" her sister complained and Buffy checked her watch and realised Willow was right. Quickly she kissed her first two fingers of each hand, placing them on the left and right pictures upon the mantle. Despite not ever knowing her real father, Hank, or Willow's mother, Jenny, she somehow felt so close to them. The same applied to her mystery brother, William, who in her mind was everything an older brother ought to be, and she was sure he'd be that wonderful sibling she imagined one day, when they finally met.
The walk to school would ordinarily take ten minutes, today the girls hurried and made it in five, but still the bell rang right as they fell through the doors.
"Nice of you to join us" a voice said off to the side and the pair of giggling girls turned to see their best friend Xander, with his arm around his girlfriend, Cordelia Chase.
"Hey Xan" Buffy said breathlessly, the rushing to school had knocked the wind out of her, not to mentioning the laughing. There was nothing specific that she was laughing at, she was just happy, and she was always happiest when she was with Willow and her friends, and her boyfriend of course who she was kind of disappointed not to see...
It wasn't until lunch that Buffy found her man. Seated at the table in the cafeteria that had become their groups specific table quite easily.
"Riley" she grinned as she came over to sit beside him, "I missed you" she told him, pouting like a child.
"Buffy, you saw me yesterday" he almost laughed at expression, "It's only been a few hours"
"Not the point" she told him, leaning over the table toward him, "Few hours is a long time to wait when you get that craving..." she trailed off as she got closer to him and they kissed.
"Please, people are trying to eat here!" Xander mock-complained, and Cordelia swatted him on the arm.
"Leave them alone" she told him, before turning her attention to the two approaching people that made their set complete, "Hey Will. Hi Oz" she smiled as the two red-heads took the final two seats at the table.
Conversation shifted between many topics, but most things they talked about had the six friends smiling and laughing together, til the bell rang and classes started again.
"We going out tonight?" Buffy asked Riley as she looked for books in her locker and he waited to walk her to class.
"Sure" he nodded in agreement, "how bout we hit the Bronze, the whole gang" he suggested.
"Sounds like a plan" his girlfriend said as she closed her locker door with a thump, and turned to kiss her man. The plan was told to Willow, Oz, Xander, and Cordelia, who all agreed that they were up for a little Bronzing tonight. The plan was to meet there at seven, as usual, and if any of them had trouble getting parental clearance they could always use the 'I'm going over to someone house to study' that one almost always worked.
The six friends parted at the school gates, Xander walking Cordy home, Riley catching a lift in Oz's car and the Giles' sisters taking the reverse route from that morning.
"Tonight is gonna be awesome" Buffy grinned, "I'm gonna wear that new top I bought last week, Riley will love me in that"
"Riley loves you anyway" Willow smiled, "Just like Oz loves me"
Buffy grinned as she realised it was so true, everything in her life was just right at the moment.
The girls arrived home and Joyce was glad to actually get a chance to talk to them, they were so quick to leave in the mornings that she barely got a look at them, but when they came home from school she got her little bit of mother-daughter time with them.
As usual, they relayed the more interesting parts of their day to their mother, also asking for permission to go out tonight and knowing what answer they would receive, 'Of course, but I want you back early, tomorrow is a school day'. Both with a grin and a dutiful 'Yes, Mom' the sisters disappeared upstairs and the next couple of hours were the usual homework and chat until their Dad got home.
Giles then got his turn to actually spend a little time with his children, but all too often he felt a pang, knowing he should have another child there, the boy he had alienated all those years ago and now wasn't even sure what he looked like...
After dinner and some more talking about their day, Willow and Buffy went back upstairs to prepare for the Bronze. Clothes and makeup covered the two girls beds as they decided what to wear, knowing that it didn't really matter because they would look good in whatever they chose.
As usual, they were reminded by Giles to be home at a reasonable time before they headed out to the towns one and only night spot for young people. The rest of the gang were already there, at a table, drinking sodas.
There was talking and later dancing and then kissing as the music slowed and the clock said it was getting late.
As usual the Giles' girls were reluctant to leave their friends and boyfriends behind, and only made it in five minutes before their curfew.
"Did you have fun, girls?" Giles asked from the couch where he and Joyce had been watching TV as they waited for their daughters to come home.
"It was great" Willow grinned.
"Always is" Buffy added with a similar smile, before they both said goodnight to there parents.
"I love seeing them so happy" Joyce smiled to her husband as she snuggled up to him, still thrilled by the feeling of his arm around her shoulders, even after all this time.
"Yes, I think we really did make the right decision, didn't we?" he said to his now half-asleep wife.
"Absolutely" she agreed.
So, there it is, a day in the life of me. Not very interesting, right? Just your average girl with an average boyfriend and average friends. Well, yeah, my life was just that simple for a while, but all that changed and in a way I could never have imagined, and it all started less than two weeks ago...
To Be Continued...
