Title: This Magic Moment

Rating: K+

Summary: In New York to open her self-defense school, Buffy gets an offer from Jack.

Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing except the plot. Buffy belongs to Whedon, and the Montgomery's and Taggert's belong to Jude Deveraux.

Feedback: I would most certainly appreciate it!

Note: Thanks to SkyeDeploro, Dreamweaver, Toniboo and fairieangel for reviewing.

SkyeDeploro: Yeah, I'm going to continue. But I will probably be finished with the series soon. I'm not going to make it too long. Actually, I'm having a problem with making sure the chapters aren't too long. Oh, well. Thanks for the review!

Dreamweaver: Well, I was thinking of a previous Montgomery/Taggert being a Slayer. But if one did become a Slayer when Willow's spell hit, maybe it would be Buffy's destiny to go to New York. Like maybe she thinks that she's making a decision on her own by staying in New York, but really the PTB are involved. I don't know. I'm not making a whole complicated series or anything like that.

Toniboo: The Montgomery family are from books by romance writer Jude Deveraux. They are a very old, powerful and rich family, as is their cousins the Taggert's. Jack Montgomery and his family are made up by me, but the whole Montgomery/Taggert bloodline belongs to Jude Deveraux. Thanks for the review!

Buffy breathed in deeply, closing her eyes. She slowly opened them and smiled at herself in the wall length mirror across the room. Standing in her newly renovated building that was going to hold a self-defense school, she took the final tour. The walls were painted a homey tan, which complimented the hardwood floors. Buffy was going to place thick mats on the floors so her students hurt themselves when they fell, because they would fall, of that she had no doubt.

There was a bar along one wall to do stretches, and various exercise machines in the next room. Upstairs was her apartment. There were two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. And it was all hers. Buffy smiled. This was her first place to herself. Her first private space, something that she had made herself, without any help. Well, besides the contractors and painters. Oh, and the Councils money. But it was her idea, her creation. Her baby. And it was ready.

Finally giving up the act of being composed and business like, she grinned, laughed, then tried to imitate Xander's Snoopy dance. Failing miserably, what came out were weird, twitchy movements. Giving up, she just spun in a few circles before stopping. Opening her eyes, she was still grinning when she looked in the mirror. Then her grin slipped from her face as a blush crept over her cheeks.

Jack Montgomery's form was reflected in the mirror. He was leaning against the door, an amused smile on his face.

Stepping out of the cab he was riding in, Jack paid the driver and watched the car speed away. He stood there for a moment, collecting his thoughts. It had been almost two weeks since Jack had figured out the mysterious woman he kept seeing was actually Buffy Summers, new owner of the building his cousin Julie Taggert had shown her. To say he had been surprised was quite an understatement. Dumbfounded was more like it. But strangely pleased, because this allowed him to spend more time with her. Even though he had only spent an hour in her company, Jack found himself wanting to spend even more time her Buffy.

Which was why he was standing outside of her new self-defense school, staring at her building like an idiot. His excuse he was going to tell Buffy was that his cousin Julie had asked him to come and check on the building. Jack was going to ease into a conversation with her, then casually ask Buffy if she wanted to go out to dinner. He just had to work up the nerve to do it first.

Giving himself a mental pep talk, Jack walked forward and entered the building. At the front was a small room with a desk and some comfortable sitting chairs. There was an entrance without a door, and Jack knew that the main room was in there. Taking a guess that she might be in there, he started to enter before stopping.

There she was, standing in the middle of the room, eyes closed. He stood and watched her for a few seconds before Buffy grinned, laughed, then did some kind of weird dance that made her look like she was having a seizure. Jack grinned as she spun around a few times, stopping and facing the mirror. He quickly schooled his features into a composed mask, but he couldn't quite keep the smile from his face.

He watched in the mirror as Buffy opened her eyes and noticed him, a blush quickly replacing the smile. She spun around to face him, assuming a defensive stance.

"Please, don't stop on my account. You looked like you were enjoying yourself," Jack teased, stepping from the door and into the room.

Buffy grinned sheepishly. "I'm just... happy that it's ready," she explained, shrugging. She walked forward until she was only a few feet from Jack. "So, what can I do for you?" She asked, smiling up at him.

Jack's throat went dry and he forgot what he was doing there. Hell, he forgot his own name. "Do you want to go out to dinner?" He blurted out, then winced. Talk about jumping the gun.

Raising an eyebrow, Buffy bit her lip. Go out to dinner with him? Duh, yes. But was she ready? It had been over six months since Spike died in the destruction of Sunnydale. She didn't love Angel anymore, of that she was certain. And she was sick of being cookie dough. She wanted to be a cookie. Opening her mouth to say yes, she groaned when she remembered something. She was going to Italy in a few hours, and she had yet to pack!

"Jack, I would love to, but I can't tonight," she said, watching disappointment flash across his face. "I'm going to visit family in Italy tonight, and I'll be gone a week," Buffy explained.

"How about when you get back?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Give me your number, and I'll call you when I get back. If you still want dinner, I'd love to go," Buffy offered.

Nodding, Jack took out a business card and scrawled his home phone and cell phone numbers on the back. "Don't forget to call me," he told her, handing her the card.

"I won't."

"Have fun on your trip, and I'll see you when you get back," Jack said, smiling at her, then turned and left the building.

Buffy stared at Jacks card for a few minutes, the grinned. Yep, she was so ready to be a cookie.

End

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