Chapter 9

First week in February - Week Eight - Part Two

"So the school really didn't have a problem with your new electric blue hair?" Willow asks Oria again as she, Xander and Oria drive back to the house after shopping for that nights dinner.

Oria fingers her dark hair, now with the bottom dyed bright blue, Oria had managed to convince Xander to let her buy the dye the night before when they had been out on patrol and she had done it when she got home, while Willow had been sleeping. "They didn't say anything, it's not as if I was the only one with unnatural colored hair."

"God," Willow responds, "if I went to school with bright blue hair Snyder would have tried to have me expelled."

"Times are a changin' Wil, we're getting old." Xander laughs.

"Well I do feel old," Willow retorts and then laughs. "We're going to have to kind of rush to get dinner on the table, shopping to longer than I expected. Robin, Gabriella and Hayley are going to be at the house in an hour." Xander turns the car onto their road and Willow takes a deep breath, "oh my God, that's not Robin's car already is it?"

"No, it's not," Xander responds, "I wonder who's it is?"

"What the hell are they doing here?" Oria muses for the whole group when they spot the three figures huddled on the front porch.

Willow shuts her eyes as Xander pulls into the driveway, "please tell me that Buffy, Dawn and Faith are not on our front porch."

"Buffy, Dawn and Faith are on our front porch." Xander responds.

Oria laughs shortly out loud and then states, "Faith decides to visit on the day we are having Robin's new girlfriend over, oh the irony."

"No, I don't need irony," Willow responds. "I don't need them to be standing on our front porch, tonight of all nights."

"Well they're here and we have to find out why," Xander responds, his voice overly cheerful.

"Hey Willow," Buffy greets uncomfortably when everyone is out of the car, grocery bags in hand, facing the newly arrived group.

"Hey," Willow responds, unsure of what else to say.

"Why don't we take this conversation inside, it's cold out here." Xander suggests, leading the way to the front door.

"You said the place was big Wil, but this I didn't imagine," Faith comments when they step through the front door.

"Yeah," Willow nods, "we like it here."

"So what's up guys?" Xander asks once they drug all the grocery bags into the kitchen, Buffy, Dawn and Faith following.

When none of them say anything Faith sighs, "B and Dawn here have something to say to you guys."

Buffy takes a deep breath before stating, "I'm really sorry we didn't support you when you came to us to tell us about the baby. It just took us by surprise but we've been thinking and we know we've been really really stupid and we hope you can forgive us." Dawn nods in agreement to what her sister has said.

Willow and Xander exchange glances and then nod, "of course we forgive you."

After hugs are exchanged Willow takes a deep breath and faces, "listen we have some people coming over for dinner. You're welcome to stay, but it's Xander's new girlfriend, Robin Wood and his new girlfriend..."

Willow watches Faith's face for any kind of reaction but Willow doesn't receive one, Faith just shrugs, "cool, what's for dinner?"

"We should call Robin and warn him," Xander whispers to Willow in the kitchen while Oria shows Buffy, Dawn and Faith to their rooms downstairs.

"We can't," Willow responds as she snaps green beans. "Robin had a meeting today, he was going to go straight from work to pick up Gabriella and Hayley."

"We could call Gabriella and tell her to pass along the message," Xander suggests.

"Oh yeah, tha'd be a great phone call," Willow snaps. "Hey Gabriella could you let Robin know his ex-girlfriend is in town and she'll be at dinner tonight...That would go over great."

"Good point, that's why you're the smart one. So then what are we going to do?"

"You'll just have to catch Robin when he gets here, I guess." Willow shrugs, "there's not much else we can do."

"There's a plan that's doomed to fail..."

"You could wait outside for him," Willow suggests with a smile.

"I'll try my chances at catching him when he comes in the door," Xander responds quickly. "So how long do you think they'll be here?"

Willow shrugs, "probably not long, Dawn has school."

"Unless they've decided to move in with us and put Dawn in the school we just put Oria in," Xander points out.

"We're not moving in," Faith announces sauntering into the kitchen and hoping up onto the counter. "We're just here for a couple days, gotta get the brat back to school and all that responsible stuff, so what's for dinner?"

"Chicken Parmesan," Willow responds.

"I'm going to go, get out of you way," Xander motions to the exit before leaving the kitchen quickly.

"Was it something I said?" Faith laughs, "what's with Harris?"

"He's been double dating with Robin and his girlfriend..." Willow trails.

Faith nods as Buffy enters the kitchen, "I'm gonna take a shower..."

"Carrot?" Willow offers before she covers the salad she had just made.

"Thanks," Buffy accepts the food and chews on it for awhile before stating, "we should have called."

"What?"

"We shouldn't've just shown up like this," Buffy responds. "I guess it's just kind of hard for us to remember that you're doing the domestic thing now and that you have different lives than we do...And we shouldn't've just sent Oria to you with the way things were...And we should've..."

"Buffy, calm down," Willow urges. "It's fine really, everything is fine. The fact that you flew across the world to apologize, something you could have done over the phone, totally makes up for just showing up randomly. And we want you to visit us, you've seen the basement, have you seen the living room? And as for Oria.." Willow waves it off, "she's no problem. Sure she's a handful but she's got Xander out patrolling and she keeps things interesting, we're happy to have her here. Xander and I would probably drive each other crazy if it was just us in the house."

Buffy smiles, "how's the baby?"

Willow grins in response, "fine. I'm starting to feel some of the effects of being pregnant, morning sickness and stuff, but the baby is doing well."

Buffy nods, "I'm happy for you guys."

"You are?"

Buffy nods again, "it took me awhile to adjust to the idea but I am, I'm happy for you guys. Besides I'll get to be cool Aunt Buffy."

"Well then cool Aunt Buffy, you can help us try to keep this dinner from being overly awkward."

"Oh you mean the whole Faith and Robin thing?"

"Yeah, the whole Faith and Robin thing, it's going to be uncomfortable."

Buffy nods, "yeah probably..."

"So Hayley, what do you do?" Willow asks attempting to break up the silence at the dinner table.

"I teach at the high school," Hayley responds.

"Oria started there today," Willow states.

"Oh did she, how do you like it?" Hayley asks turning her attention to one of the two silent teens.

Oria shrugs, "it's alright."

"Good," Hayley nods, "Dawn where do you go to school?"

"We're visiting from Rome," Dawn responds.

"Rome, wow," Gabriella takes a sip of her water. "How is it that you all know each other?"
"Robin and Faith used to date," Xander blurts quickly. "Xander I can't believe you announced that at the dinner table," Willow gently chides after Robin, Hayley and Gabriella have left and the rest of their guests had headed to bed, exhausted by jet lag and the time change.

"I know, I'm sorry," Xander sets the plates in the sink. "I was nervous and the pressure was getting to me."

Willow shrugs, "oh well. At least that dinner's over. Hayley seems nice."

"I knew you'd like her," Xander exclaims warmly. "We're going out tomorrow night, do you mind?"

Willow shakes her head, "of course not. Maybe Oria and I will go out to dinner to celebrate her first completed week of high school."

"You realize she only went for two days, right?"

Willow shrugs, "yeah, but I have a feeling to keep her in school it's going to take a lot of encouragement."

"You know, having her around is like already having a daughter," Xander comments.

Willow nods, "guess it'll be practice for 16 years from now."