Chapter 2:
As the shock faded off of Buffy's face she was able to utter a few words. "D-Dad?" she stuttered. She looked at the ground and tried to fully grasp the fact that the man that had been absent for so much of her life, her Dad was standing only a few yards in front of her. "You're getting married?!" She asked incredulously. "Again!?"
"I know this is all very sudden honey, but we know it is the right thing for us. We met in Aruba a few months back while I was taking a break and working as shipper. I would have come back her sooner, but we just got so caught up in everything and I just couldn't come back yet. But I'm back now kiddo!" Buffy was unsure who he was talking to, as she had walked over to the porch and sat down on the front step, looking intensely at the floor. "So, where's your mother? I think I should tell her." Hank Summers said in a rush.
Buffy face fell even further at the mention of her mother. How could he not have known? She thought. I left him like 11 messages at 3 different locations. What the hell am I going to say? "Dawnie, can you go inside for a sec, I just need to talk to Dad?"
"But Buffy, he just got here and I think I should be he—"
"Dawn, please don't argue, just do it, ok? We'll only be a minute.'
"Fine," Dawn said dejectedly. "But come in real soon, ok? It's been like forever since I saw you."
"Sure thing, kiddo, we'll be inside in a sec." He turned to his olive-skinned, brunette fiancé, Marcela, and talked to her in a low-tone. "Why don't you go inside and talk to Dawn, you know, get to know her a bit. It'll be good for the both of you."
"Ok, honey!" She said chipper-ly. Too chipper-ly Buffy thought, as memories of Warren's robot-girlfriend April sprung into her mind. Marcela kissed him on the cheek and waved enthusiastically at Buffy, following Dawn into the Living Room, closing the front door behind them. Buffy pulled of her skullcap and ran her hand through her shoulder-length blonde hair.
"Dad, we, uh, we need to talk." At this, fresh tears sprang to her eyes.
"So, you're marrying my Dad, huh?" Dawn said as she surveyed the woman with an arched eyebrow. "Are those real?"
"Are what real?" Marcela said with a shocked expression as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Those diamonds on the engagement ring, they real?" Dawn said, laughing inwardly, knowing that her question had really been directly at two other assets she had.
"Oh, of course they are! Your father spared no expense on me."
"Good to know that he buys you diamonds while our house is about to be repossessed." Dawn retorted.
"Oh, I'm sure he didn't know anything about that," she said with a dazzling smile. "But now that he's back, I bet he'll help you all he can!"
"I bet he will," Dawn mumbled angrily.
"What was that?" Marcela asked with an inquiring look.
"Oh, nothing," Dawn said with a smile. She wanted to get a bit of info on this woman, so she started the interrogation part of the interview. "So, where were you bo—"
"You know, you have such pretty hair," Marcela interrupted, reaching over the coffee table and stroking Dawn's long, dirty-blonde hair.
"Um, ok, thanks," Dawn said with a chuckle. "But whe—"
"You know, I think we should braid it, what about you?!" At this, Dawn let out a deep sigh. It's going to be a long night she thought.
Willow, Xander, and Anya, walked up the stone pathway to Buffy's house, quarreling amongst themselves about bride's-maid dresses and whether they should be blood-burlap and larvae. "Sorry Anya, but this is one gay gal who'll be going butch for the wedding. You're not getting me near anything bug-y, especially since I saw that worm-thing that ate Doublemeat workers for late-night snacks."
"There is no way you are wearing anything other then what I choose for the brides-maids, even if you are the best-man." Anya remarked. "It's not my fault Xander can't be normal and have guy friends. I tried to get him together with that guy, Tito, he knows from work, but it just di—"
"Uh, Ahn," Xander said with a slight smile. "That sentence kind of ended up in a different place then it started, so let's just drop the subject, ok honey?"
"Oh don't worry, I would embarrass you in front of your friends. Anyway, I know you're not gay, especially with that thing you do when you put your leg on to--,"
"Door!" Willow said as they neared the door, desperately trying to change the subject. "Who says we open it?" She walked ahead of the two and turned the knob to the Summers' home walking into the small foyer and hanging her coat on the coat rack. Xander and Anya soon followed, imitating her actions and following her into the living where they saw an unexpected sight: Mr. Summers and a strange woman sitting on the sofa opposite Buffy's chair. "Mr. Summers?!" Willow asked excitedly. She recognized him from the various photos around the house, never actually meeting him in person.
"Mr. Summers?" Xander repeated.
"Buffy's dad?" Anya asked, only just connecting the last names.
"You guys must be Willow and Xander, Buffy told me a little about you that summer she visited me in L.A." He shook Xander's hand and gave Willow a quick hug. "And who is this lovely lady?" He inquired as he turned to Anya. He took her hand in his and laid a small kiss on the back of it. At this gesture, Anya flashed a brilliant smile and giggled a bit, obviously enjoying the attention.
Xander moved over to his bride-to-be and put an arm around her shoulders. "This is my fiancé, Anya," he said quickly, visibly threatened by the smooth gesture.
"No need to be threatened honey, he's only being polite. Please continue with the compliments."
Willow finally noticed the other new person in the room, and was surprised to see the slightly familiar face. "Hi," she said as she stuck her hand out to the woman. "I'm Willow, you are?"
"Hi, I'm Marcela!" Hank's fiancé screeched as she sprang up and reached for Willow's hand. She grabbed Willow in the handshake and brought her into a hug and spinning her around so that Willow was now facing Buffy. What the hell? Willow mouthed to the blond-haired Slayer. At this, Buffy merely shrugged, obviously to resigned to even attempt an answer. Willow struggled out of the hug and pushed herself apart from the woman, being gentle as not to hurt her feelings. Marcela turned to face Anya and grabbed both of her hands jumping up and down. "Hank and I are getting married too!! Oh my God, how funny is that?!"
"You are!?!?" Anya replied, joining in what appeared to be the "dance of brides-to-be". "Maybe we could have a double-wedding! It would lighten the load so I could spend more money. Wouldn't that be fun?"
"It'd just be super fun." Buffy said with a fake smile, wiping the tear residue from under her eyes quickly, hoping no one would see. Willow noticed this and remembered Buffy had never reached her Dad with the news of her mother's death, which meant she probably had to relive the tragedy as she told her father of the news.
"I can't believe Joyce is gone," Hank said disbelievingly. "This was all so sudden; she never even went to the hospital with the flu. I warned her about moving here, but she just wouldn't listen."
"Hey Dad," Buffy interrupted, not entirely sure she could hear anymore of this without blaming the man who had apparently "warned" her dead mother. "Why don't you and Marcela go upstairs and unpack. You two can have Mom's old room and Will can sleep in mine."
"Ok kiddo, we'll be back in a jiffy." Hank grabbed his suitcase in one hand and took Marcela's hand in the other leading her up the stairs and into Willow's bedroom, closing the door behind them.
"Guys, we can't talk about vamps or anything while my Dad is here; he still has no clue I'm the Slayer. The last time I tried to tell him... well let's just say he didn't take it too well. So, everything needs to be kept on the way-down low for a while, at least until my dad leaves."
"But what if he doesn't leave." Dawn said hopefully. "I mean, wouldn't it be kinda nice to have Dad around again now that, well now that mom's gone. He could move in here and live with us, like he used to."
"And bring along the Silicon-Wonder too? No thank you. I already want to throw in a caves of vamps and I've known her for, what, 15 minutes. I'd move in with Spike if she lived here."
"Guys, aren't we jumping to conclusions here?" Xander said with his hands up in front of him. "I'm not saying she's not a little... eager. But this may be good for your dad, getting him to settle down in one place. Plus, let's not forget the fact she could get in here without an invite. Bonus points for that. Let's just be glad she's not evil."
"That remains to be seen." Anya commented.
"What?" Xander inquired.
"She could still be something else: a demon, a witch, a vengeance demon, all of the above. She could be any number of things, but I thought she was quite nice. She seemed lively."
"Well let's hope she just your garden-variety airhead," Willow said with a smirk. "Because the last thing we need is another demon running around causing the big mayhem."
"Let's just hope she doesn't try to kill us in our sleep," Dawn said worriedly. "She could be one of those homicidal sex-fiends like Ted was. What if she's a robot!?!? Oh God, she's a robot, isn't she?'
"She's not a robot," Buffy said exasperatingly. "I think..."
"Well I'm beat," Xander said with a yawn. "Lets head out Ahn, I have to get up early tomorrow. See you guys tomorrow." Xander took Anya by the hand and led her out the front door, closing it behind them.
"I think I'll turn in too, Buffy," Dawn said softly. "Don't freak out if you can't open my door. I think I'll barricade it tonight just in case."
"Night Dawnie'," Willow said with a smile. When Dawn fully disappeared up the stairs, Willow turned to Buffy and put on a concerned face. "You need to talk?"
"Maybe tomorrow," Buffy replied. "I think I'll just get to sleep tonight."
"Ok, well I'm heading up. See you in the mornin'"
"Yep, see you in the A.M." Buffy replied. I hope.
As the shock faded off of Buffy's face she was able to utter a few words. "D-Dad?" she stuttered. She looked at the ground and tried to fully grasp the fact that the man that had been absent for so much of her life, her Dad was standing only a few yards in front of her. "You're getting married?!" She asked incredulously. "Again!?"
"I know this is all very sudden honey, but we know it is the right thing for us. We met in Aruba a few months back while I was taking a break and working as shipper. I would have come back her sooner, but we just got so caught up in everything and I just couldn't come back yet. But I'm back now kiddo!" Buffy was unsure who he was talking to, as she had walked over to the porch and sat down on the front step, looking intensely at the floor. "So, where's your mother? I think I should tell her." Hank Summers said in a rush.
Buffy face fell even further at the mention of her mother. How could he not have known? She thought. I left him like 11 messages at 3 different locations. What the hell am I going to say? "Dawnie, can you go inside for a sec, I just need to talk to Dad?"
"But Buffy, he just got here and I think I should be he—"
"Dawn, please don't argue, just do it, ok? We'll only be a minute.'
"Fine," Dawn said dejectedly. "But come in real soon, ok? It's been like forever since I saw you."
"Sure thing, kiddo, we'll be inside in a sec." He turned to his olive-skinned, brunette fiancé, Marcela, and talked to her in a low-tone. "Why don't you go inside and talk to Dawn, you know, get to know her a bit. It'll be good for the both of you."
"Ok, honey!" She said chipper-ly. Too chipper-ly Buffy thought, as memories of Warren's robot-girlfriend April sprung into her mind. Marcela kissed him on the cheek and waved enthusiastically at Buffy, following Dawn into the Living Room, closing the front door behind them. Buffy pulled of her skullcap and ran her hand through her shoulder-length blonde hair.
"Dad, we, uh, we need to talk." At this, fresh tears sprang to her eyes.
"So, you're marrying my Dad, huh?" Dawn said as she surveyed the woman with an arched eyebrow. "Are those real?"
"Are what real?" Marcela said with a shocked expression as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Those diamonds on the engagement ring, they real?" Dawn said, laughing inwardly, knowing that her question had really been directly at two other assets she had.
"Oh, of course they are! Your father spared no expense on me."
"Good to know that he buys you diamonds while our house is about to be repossessed." Dawn retorted.
"Oh, I'm sure he didn't know anything about that," she said with a dazzling smile. "But now that he's back, I bet he'll help you all he can!"
"I bet he will," Dawn mumbled angrily.
"What was that?" Marcela asked with an inquiring look.
"Oh, nothing," Dawn said with a smile. She wanted to get a bit of info on this woman, so she started the interrogation part of the interview. "So, where were you bo—"
"You know, you have such pretty hair," Marcela interrupted, reaching over the coffee table and stroking Dawn's long, dirty-blonde hair.
"Um, ok, thanks," Dawn said with a chuckle. "But whe—"
"You know, I think we should braid it, what about you?!" At this, Dawn let out a deep sigh. It's going to be a long night she thought.
Willow, Xander, and Anya, walked up the stone pathway to Buffy's house, quarreling amongst themselves about bride's-maid dresses and whether they should be blood-burlap and larvae. "Sorry Anya, but this is one gay gal who'll be going butch for the wedding. You're not getting me near anything bug-y, especially since I saw that worm-thing that ate Doublemeat workers for late-night snacks."
"There is no way you are wearing anything other then what I choose for the brides-maids, even if you are the best-man." Anya remarked. "It's not my fault Xander can't be normal and have guy friends. I tried to get him together with that guy, Tito, he knows from work, but it just di—"
"Uh, Ahn," Xander said with a slight smile. "That sentence kind of ended up in a different place then it started, so let's just drop the subject, ok honey?"
"Oh don't worry, I would embarrass you in front of your friends. Anyway, I know you're not gay, especially with that thing you do when you put your leg on to--,"
"Door!" Willow said as they neared the door, desperately trying to change the subject. "Who says we open it?" She walked ahead of the two and turned the knob to the Summers' home walking into the small foyer and hanging her coat on the coat rack. Xander and Anya soon followed, imitating her actions and following her into the living where they saw an unexpected sight: Mr. Summers and a strange woman sitting on the sofa opposite Buffy's chair. "Mr. Summers?!" Willow asked excitedly. She recognized him from the various photos around the house, never actually meeting him in person.
"Mr. Summers?" Xander repeated.
"Buffy's dad?" Anya asked, only just connecting the last names.
"You guys must be Willow and Xander, Buffy told me a little about you that summer she visited me in L.A." He shook Xander's hand and gave Willow a quick hug. "And who is this lovely lady?" He inquired as he turned to Anya. He took her hand in his and laid a small kiss on the back of it. At this gesture, Anya flashed a brilliant smile and giggled a bit, obviously enjoying the attention.
Xander moved over to his bride-to-be and put an arm around her shoulders. "This is my fiancé, Anya," he said quickly, visibly threatened by the smooth gesture.
"No need to be threatened honey, he's only being polite. Please continue with the compliments."
Willow finally noticed the other new person in the room, and was surprised to see the slightly familiar face. "Hi," she said as she stuck her hand out to the woman. "I'm Willow, you are?"
"Hi, I'm Marcela!" Hank's fiancé screeched as she sprang up and reached for Willow's hand. She grabbed Willow in the handshake and brought her into a hug and spinning her around so that Willow was now facing Buffy. What the hell? Willow mouthed to the blond-haired Slayer. At this, Buffy merely shrugged, obviously to resigned to even attempt an answer. Willow struggled out of the hug and pushed herself apart from the woman, being gentle as not to hurt her feelings. Marcela turned to face Anya and grabbed both of her hands jumping up and down. "Hank and I are getting married too!! Oh my God, how funny is that?!"
"You are!?!?" Anya replied, joining in what appeared to be the "dance of brides-to-be". "Maybe we could have a double-wedding! It would lighten the load so I could spend more money. Wouldn't that be fun?"
"It'd just be super fun." Buffy said with a fake smile, wiping the tear residue from under her eyes quickly, hoping no one would see. Willow noticed this and remembered Buffy had never reached her Dad with the news of her mother's death, which meant she probably had to relive the tragedy as she told her father of the news.
"I can't believe Joyce is gone," Hank said disbelievingly. "This was all so sudden; she never even went to the hospital with the flu. I warned her about moving here, but she just wouldn't listen."
"Hey Dad," Buffy interrupted, not entirely sure she could hear anymore of this without blaming the man who had apparently "warned" her dead mother. "Why don't you and Marcela go upstairs and unpack. You two can have Mom's old room and Will can sleep in mine."
"Ok kiddo, we'll be back in a jiffy." Hank grabbed his suitcase in one hand and took Marcela's hand in the other leading her up the stairs and into Willow's bedroom, closing the door behind them.
"Guys, we can't talk about vamps or anything while my Dad is here; he still has no clue I'm the Slayer. The last time I tried to tell him... well let's just say he didn't take it too well. So, everything needs to be kept on the way-down low for a while, at least until my dad leaves."
"But what if he doesn't leave." Dawn said hopefully. "I mean, wouldn't it be kinda nice to have Dad around again now that, well now that mom's gone. He could move in here and live with us, like he used to."
"And bring along the Silicon-Wonder too? No thank you. I already want to throw in a caves of vamps and I've known her for, what, 15 minutes. I'd move in with Spike if she lived here."
"Guys, aren't we jumping to conclusions here?" Xander said with his hands up in front of him. "I'm not saying she's not a little... eager. But this may be good for your dad, getting him to settle down in one place. Plus, let's not forget the fact she could get in here without an invite. Bonus points for that. Let's just be glad she's not evil."
"That remains to be seen." Anya commented.
"What?" Xander inquired.
"She could still be something else: a demon, a witch, a vengeance demon, all of the above. She could be any number of things, but I thought she was quite nice. She seemed lively."
"Well let's hope she just your garden-variety airhead," Willow said with a smirk. "Because the last thing we need is another demon running around causing the big mayhem."
"Let's just hope she doesn't try to kill us in our sleep," Dawn said worriedly. "She could be one of those homicidal sex-fiends like Ted was. What if she's a robot!?!? Oh God, she's a robot, isn't she?'
"She's not a robot," Buffy said exasperatingly. "I think..."
"Well I'm beat," Xander said with a yawn. "Lets head out Ahn, I have to get up early tomorrow. See you guys tomorrow." Xander took Anya by the hand and led her out the front door, closing it behind them.
"I think I'll turn in too, Buffy," Dawn said softly. "Don't freak out if you can't open my door. I think I'll barricade it tonight just in case."
"Night Dawnie'," Willow said with a smile. When Dawn fully disappeared up the stairs, Willow turned to Buffy and put on a concerned face. "You need to talk?"
"Maybe tomorrow," Buffy replied. "I think I'll just get to sleep tonight."
"Ok, well I'm heading up. See you in the mornin'"
"Yep, see you in the A.M." Buffy replied. I hope.