Chapter six – Lunch and a Half
Saturday had come around rather fast . It was about an hour before everyone was supposed to arrive and Buffy was running around the house in a hectic manner. She wanted the place to look nice and bought some flowers to put in her vases and had been vacuuming all morning since nine. It was now approaching eleven and the house wasn't that big. Willow and Dawn were assigned kitchen duty with no real choice but they didn't mind. Dawn kept asking if she could create her own meals and when Buffy was around Willow would say no but once she left Willow gave Dawn the go ahead to make whatever she liked. Willow was making pancakes and Dawn made healthy snacks and sandwiches.
Kennedy was assigned the duty to set up the backyard table which was supposed to fit them and the guests all around it comfortably everyone else wasn't sure about the comfortable bit. Kennedy was setting up the plates and cutlery when Buffy stormed out into the backyard.
"No! No! No! You're doing it all wrong. Like this," said Buffy showing her the way she wanted it.
"How could you see from there? And don't give me it's because I'm a Slayer doesn't work on me."
"I've been watching you."
"Stop being creepy. I only just started to like you."
"You have?"
"Don't get too happy about it, my mind may change."
"Oh," replied Buffy as she walked back into the house to set up cushions on the chairs properly.
Willow heard Buffy come in the back door, "Buffy,"
"Yeah?" she replied as she walked towards he kitchen.
"You don't have to do any more cleaning, the place looks fine."
"I know well I just want everything to look good."
"It does trust me. Anyways theres no need to dress the place up to impress."
"I'm not."
Buffy walked into the kitchen.
"Oh I know what's going on."
"Huh?" Buffy and Dawn said in unison.
"You told us all we could invite any 'friends' that we had met so far and you invited someone, didn't you?"
Buffy's face remained blank.
"Buffy? Did you make a new friend?" asked Dawn.
"Even if I did, what's the big deal?"asked Buffy as she walked out of the kitchen towards her bedroom upstairs."
"What's wrong with her Willow?"
"I was about to ask you."
Willow used a spatula to get the pancakes out of the two frying pans and Dawn continued making her funny shaped snacks in silence.
The front door was ajar an inch or two and Xander pushed it open slightly a bit more, "Hello? Anyone there? Buffy?"
Buffy came rushing to the door, "Hey Xander," she said as she went to hug him and he got a shock and then hugged her back. Buffy pulled out of the hug.
"Your early."
"Yes I seem to be, it's okay right?"
"Yeah. Andrew with you?"
"Nope," said Xander as he stepped aside and no one else could be seen.
"Want to help the girls in the kitchen?"
"Depends who they are."
"Hey!" cried both Willow and Dawn at the same time.
Xander walked into the kitchen, "I'd never pass up the chance to help you two girls. What do you want me to do?"
"No cutting," said Willow.
"Huh?"
"Not with that eye. Maybe.."
"He can butter the bread. That isn't considered dangerous?"
"Not to me."
"Good then It's settled I can butter bread safely."
Buffy watched on unnoticed and smiled at them. Everything at the moment seemed to be going fine not just for today's event but in general terms as well.
By eleven forty-five all the sandwiches , healthy snack creations made by Dawn and Willow's secret pancake meal were made and ready to be served. Buffy had checked Kennedy's job of the setting up of the table and gave her the thumbs up and Kennedy was glad with her comment.
Kennedy came in and sat down on the couch. Willow walked on over.
"You too hey. Buffy been working you hard?"
"Uh huh but I can take it I guess, Slayer strength and what not."
"You gonna try on of my pancakes?"
"Of course I am. First thing I try , I promise."
"Good. Can I have that in writing?"
"If it pleases you. I'd do anything."
Willow pretended to get up, "Your not 'serious' are you?" asked Kennedy.
Willow turned around, "No", she said in a silly voice as she slouched back down suddenly into the couch and cuddled up next to Kennedy and they both continued talking.
Giles arrived not long after and Xander answered the door.
"Hey G-man."
"I thought I told you back in high school never to call me that ever again."
Xander stood there and thought for a moment, "You probably did come to think of it but it's a cool nickname. G-man."
"Xander,
say that one more time and there's no chance of me ringing up
my friend to try and get you that carpenter job."
"Stupid
blackmail," mumbled Xander as he walked off to find Buffy.
"And nice to see you too."
Giles stood there for a moment and started to look around the hallway and walked into the lounge room. He found new photos Buffy had tried taking in Brunty and the first few days here in Cherster hung up on the walls in photo frames and placed on a side table.
"Hey Giles."
"Oh hello Buffy."
"I see you brought food. Good choice."
"Why thank you."
Buffy took the packet of short bread biscuits of Giles and walked into the kitchen with them and Giles followed.
"You seem much better."
"So do you."
"Last few times I've seen you, you've been.."
"Not myself."
"Anything you need to share with me?"
"Nothing I know of."
"Anyone there?" asked Wood as he walked into the house which ad it's front door wide open.
"Oh hey man," replied Xander as he walked towards the front of the house down the hallway.
"Where's ya girl?"
"Oh Faith, she's coming later. Caught up with something."
Robin walked into the house further.
"Faith busy? Working?"
"No work. She said she'd be at the most fifteen minutes late. Had to go do some shopping or something like that."
"So you don't know where your girl is?" asked Xander as the both walked through the lounge room towards the backyard.
"Can you stop saying my girl. Anyways no not exactly. Does it matter?"
"Oh not to me. Just seeing how you are about it."
"I think we need to get you a girl."
"No me free girl man for now."
"Oh really. Weren't you talking to some girl the other night when we all went out to the club?"
"Oh her."
"Yes."
"Got me there."
"Sure did."
Xander and Robin now wandered into the backyard and sat down in two chairs opposite each other.
Andrew could be heard arguing with Willow and Giles about not being allowed to cook the meat. Buffy was yelling at them to be quiet which didn't help. Kennedy just sat aside watching the mess unfold until the door bell rang. She raced to the front of the house to find that the front door had slammed shut and a few of the girls had arrived.
"So what's really on your mind?" asked Xander.
"Nothing honestly."
"So your just waiting for her to come back?"
"Something like that."
"Are you having doubts you can't trust her?"
"Are you my counselor or something now?"
"No. Didn't mean to seem that way. I was just trying to be ya mate and talk to ya."
"You gotta work on that."
"I'm trying. So spill."
Wood looked around, no one was listening in.
"She's been weird lately."
"And? You have to give me more. Women are always weird."
"Hey!" yelled Buffy, Willow and Andrew in unison and the Andrew's face turned red and ran off in embarrassment.
"Well it's true," said Xander facing Willow and Buffy, "Anyways, it's just, think of it as a personality trait, comes with the package."
"I could be imagining things but things have been rather suspicious with her lately. I never started to notice until I got my position at the high school with is weird. She's been leaving early in the mornings some days. It's before I wake up most days and I think Faith thinks I don't know, that I'm a sleep when she gets up but I'm awake but she doesn't know. She goes out. Comes back dressed in clothes I've never seen in our wardrobe before puts clothes back on over the new outfit gets back into bed and then wakes up when I normally do later on but I don't know if it happens every day."
"Woah. That's a lot of info to take in. What sort of clothes?"
"Clothes Faith would never wear."
"They would be? There's a bit of list. Narrow it down for me."
"Well
just normal pastel colours. Umm black skirts normally, shirts, long
sleeves."
"Work clothes?"
"Except Faith doesn't have a job."
"And your thinking the worst of she's hiding secrets of sort, of course this is the case, but your not thinking she's seeing someone else? Someone she has to dress to impress in another way. No. She wouldn't. But then the other doesn't make sense. Faith having a job? Faith having a job and dressing like that? No Faith job description fits that."
"I didn't want to think and believe that the truth was that she was seeing someone else but I can tell when she's scrambling for an excuse. Her speech is fine and not mumbled but her excuses are poor. That's something she needs to work on. Faith having a job, why wouldn't she tell me? I could help her with it or something."
"So because of all this you came to me for help without asking for help exactly. You two are perfect for each other. You and your sneakiness, lying, confusing habits and don't forget the weird ones too. And ya have a weird vibe about ya."
"Thanks."
"No problem dude."
"So what do I do?"
"Well hey I'm not full of answers and I bet she gets here anytime soon or someone is eves dropping on us and our plan will be ruined but.."
"Thanks for making me feel even better."
"No problemo. So here's what ya do, don't act weird around her, even if ya usually do or whatever, act normal like nothings happened, don't try and ask her questions too much about where she has been and don't go studying her face expressions too much to find the answers there ok. And we'll talk later."
"That's all?"
"That's all I can think of."
"Right. Thanks Xander for everything."
"It's okay Robin your my mate and that's what mates do, or something like that."
Robin laughed and then went and walked into the house.
Buffy automatically sat down in Robin's chair.
"So I glanced over your way a few times and you and Robin seemed to be getting along. You two mates now?"
Xander laughed, "I think we are. How many more to come?"
"Well Naomi, Sarah and Belle are here. Julie, Rona, Vi still have to come."
"Plus Faith."
"Plus Faith. Oh by the way, do you know why she is late? She said she was going to try and be here early."
Faith walked into the house since the door was unlocked and she was a little bit later than everyone else. The other Slayers had arrived and most people were sitting around the table out the back, squished, talking and nibbling on the snacks. Faith checked out the lounge room and saw some photos hanging up and looked at them closely. Wood walked down the hallway and heard someone in the lounge room. Faith turned around.
"Hey
honey. Come looking for me?
"I knew you were here. I have this
connection where I can sense wherever you are."
"Oh god I hope not," said Faith laughing.
"Why? Got something to hide?"
"You wish," replied Faith laughing again as she walked over towards Robin.
"You seem to be in a good mood which is great to see."
"Yeah I am," said Faith with a smile and kissed Robin suddenly without any warning on the lips..
"What was that for?"
"Can't I kiss you without giving a reason? If you really have to know..."
"Yes," said Robin with a smile.
"It's coz I love ya," said Faith quickly in a childish sing song voice and raced off towards the backyard.
Willow and Giles were on barbecue duty and were the ones to serve up the meat onto plates. After everyone had their plates piled up with meat, bread rolls, salad, sandwiches and what not eating time commenced officially.
"So Buff, where this friend you made the house so pretty and clean for?"
"He couldn't, what friend?" she asked innocently.
"Oh that act stopped working on my ages ago Buffy. He couldn't come? His loss. Maybe he can come next time."
Buffy looked across at her friend with of course a friendly glare and kicked her leg under the table when Willow made a face back at her.
"Hey that hurt."
"You deserve it."
"Yeah I do, maybe."
"His name is Jayden."
"Oh was that the guy at the shop the other day when I can for lunch?" asked Giles.
"Hey stay out of this. Yes it was."
"Oh is he cute?" asked Willow looking towards Giles accidentally.
"What do you want me to say?"
"Um maybe nothing."
Kennedy laughed and said, "Good idea."
"Jayden? Jayden got a last name?"
"Don't know yet."
"Come on girl you have to investigate him and find out his nitty gritty details."
"I never used to do that and I'm glad I never did. I'd rather wait and find out the rest later."
"Fine be surprise girl."
"Willow don't be that way. You just want me to talk to you more about him so you can tease me."
Willow smiled, "Yeah, you know me too well."
"I know ya's too," added Xander.
Buffy and Willow smiled at Xander.
"We know ya too Xander," replied Buffy.
"It's so unfair," said Andrew pouting.
"What's so unfair?"
"They are cutting down my time I work at Comic Corner starting of next week and I don't even know why."
"Are you sure? I'm not an expert on jobs but aren't they supposed to tell you a reason for things like this?"
"They are supposed to give you reasons but what they told me wasn't a reason."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes I am Dawnie. Please just listen to me. They didn't say this to me but I think it's something to do with my personality."
"Why do you think that?"
"You look lovely,"
Faith blushed.
"No you do. You, I never seen you in a dress before."
"Yes you have," said Faith softly.
"Oh yes when we went out for dinner. Did you hire it or something haven't seen it since?"
"Don't tease me just because it's easy to."
"Hey you said it not me. But why not? At least it entertains me for a bit. Anyways this dress is different it's a casual one."
"Yeah. Hey what are you the dress expert now?"
"Well I'd probably know more about dresses than you since you don't wear them much. Is this your first time wearing a casual dress?"
"Robin!"
There was a pause. The cogs were turning over in Faith's head. Her memory bank was processing that very thing, a memory from the past.
"And
everything went smoothly with Mr. Wirth?"
"Not if you're Mr.
Wirth."
Wilkins
giggles, "Well, that's swell. You know how I feel about loose ends.
And the big day is so close, you can smell the excitement in the air.
Say, are you ever coming out of there?"
"I don't know."
"Aw, come on."
Faith enters, in a pink/white dress,
barefoot.
"Wow, aren't you a vision?"
"I feel I look
stupid in this."
"You look lovely. Perfect for the Ascension.
Any boys that manage to survive will be lining up to ask you out."
"It just isn't me, though."
"Not you? Let me tell you
something. Nobody knows what you are. Not even you, little Miss
Seen-it-all. The Ascension isn't just my day. It's yours too. Your
day to blossom, to show the world what a powerful girl you are. I
think of what you've done, what I know you will do (caresses her
face) no father could be prouder. "
"I hope I don't let you
down."
"Impossible. Now come on, change back into your street
clothes. I'll buy you an icee."
"Faith? Earth to Faith?"
Faith snapped out of it, "I'm here. Faith is here."
"Good to know. What happened just before?"
Faith felt a tear forming in her eye and she mumbled under her breath, "Stupid bloody memory."
She put her hand to her face in case the first tear came, Robin noticed.
Robin may not have heard what she said but he could tell something was up and before he got to ask she said, "Oh I just have to go to the bath room. Be right back," and she ran off into the house.
Faith walked into the bathroom and quickly locked the door behind her and looked into the mirror. The second tear was coming down her face. She searched in the cupboards for something to stop her eyeliner from running or something. She needed to come back out looking better than she did coming in. It's just the memory flashback came suddenly and got to her. The dress part was nothing, it was just thinking about Mayor Wilkins.
Faith came out of the bathroom hopefully looking better and Robin was waiting for her.
"You didn't look good before, do you want to talk?"
They kept walking then Faith stopped, trying to regather herself secretly.
"Do you want to sit down?"
Faith walked over to the couch and Robin sat next to her. He went to holds her hands and looked at her.
"What is it?"
"It's nothing really. Something silly."
"When someone says 'nothing really' in that way, they always have to say that isn't nothing, so spill."
"Well," began Faith looking up from her hands to Robin's face, "It was just a silly memory flashback and got to me that's all."
Robin starred at her and waited for her to continue.
"Well it was more than a silly flashback."
"I thought so."
"It was from five years ago."
"A Sunnydale memory."
"Yep."
"Was it something I said? Did something I saw trigger this memory?"
Faith looked down at her hands again which were still being held by Robins.
"Maybe but don't worry it was nothing big that you said just a small memory and Richard Wilkins was in the memory, that's what triggered me. That's why I ran off like that."
"Also because you didn't want me to see you cry. Am I right?"
"I guess so," admitted Faith looking at Robin.
"Richard Wilkins, he was like an old boss of yours, that's what you told me on the night.."
"I know but I told you what he was really for me and I think I was feeling bad that I hadn't thought about him much in these recent times."
"I'm no expert but maybe it's because your trying to start something new and keep the rest of your life in the past?"
"I think your right. You may just be yet still be able to become an expert," said Faith with a wink and a smile.
Robin leaned in to hug Faith. He was a little surprised she didn't pull back, it was because she was needy this moment. Robin had now gotten one thing out of her, he now needed to know what was on her mind the other day when she left the house and said she might tell him that night when she never did.
"Hey! You two hugging! Game time. If you don't get your butts out here this minute I'll put Andrew on your team."
Faith and Wood looked at each other looking slightly scared by the comment from Xander and Faith replied, "We'll be right out in a sec."
"You better," said Xander as he walked back outside.
