Through The Years
Don't own them and never will. I'm just having a spot of fun.
A/N: This is a fiction set around little kids; I'm going to be focusing on their friendship only.
First grade was over and summer was upon them, but for two little girls it wasn't all that fun. Tara moved away after her mother died, and Cordelia and Buffy wouldn't be in the same class next year. It made both girls sad, because they have been friends since kindergarten and it wouldn't be the same.
"It will be okay Cordy, we will still see each other." The blonde tried to reassure the girl.
The brunette just looked at her sadly. They were in Buffy's backyard having a little picnic, just the two of them. Willow was with her grandma, and Xander was away at camp, it was just the two of them.
"I know, but it wouldn't be the same. Who will I switch lunch with sometimes?" She said sadly.
"I know, but we will see each other after school, and during recess. We get to talk about people who aren't fashionably dressed." Buffy teased, pulling on one of Cordelia brown pigtails.
"Hey stop that Goldilocks! I'm going to get you." The brunette got up as did Buffy and they began chasing each other around the backyard. Joyce watched the two girls run amuck and couldn't help but smile at the both of them; she went and got a camera to capture these moments on film. Joyce came outside and the girls stopped running around, and looked at the older woman intruding on their fun.
"Mom, what's wrong?" The young girl approached her mother.
"Nothing sweetie, I just want to get a picture of the two of you together." She smiled, at both girls.
They rolled their eyes at each other, between Cordelia's parents and her mom; they were going to be all pictured out. They decided to pose on the picnic blanket, Buffy was on her stomach hands under her chin, and Cordelia laid her arms across the blondes back and rested her head on them. Both girls gave huge smiles, and Joyce snapped the picture. It was moments like these that Joyce had liked. Both girls got up to resume their play, and Joyce walked back into the house.
Buffy was out of breath and went to get her drink, Cordelia wasn't that far behind. They sat down on the blanket and looked up at the clouds.
"You wanna guess what he clouds look like?" Buffy asked, looking at her partner in crime.
"I don't care, it's better than nothing. So what are you going to do the rest of the summer?"
"Mommy is making me go to Grandma's this year. She and daddy are going on a second honeymoon or something like that." Buffy shrugged her shoulders.
"Mommy and daddy are taking me to Puerto Rico. I can ask my mom if you can go with us." The brunette said excitedly.
Buffy gave her friend a genuine smile, "I like that idea a lot. Hopefully mommy and daddy would go for that."
They continued looking at the clouds and kept guessing at what they looked like. To kids like them, it's little things like looking at clouds were fun. The sun was beginning to set and the girls cleaned up their picnic area. They may be six, but they are still clean six year olds. They folded up the blanket and put it in their basket, and walked into the house. Cordelia's mom was talking to Joyce in the living room and the little brunette frowned. She really didn't want to leave her friend, Victoria looked over at the two girls and couldn't help but smile, and they were wearing similar pouts.
"Cordy sweetie, you've been over here all day, it's time for you to come home." Victoria Chase told her child.
"I don't want to mommy, I wanna stay with Buffy." She protested.
Victoria and Joyce looked at each other and back at the girls; they were at a loss for what to do. Being mothers they also knew that they couldn't give into their child's every want. (I am so guilty of doing that with my daughter.)
Buffy didn't want to see Cordelia leave either, but you had to listen to your parents, even if her friend didn't. A light went off in her little blonde head; she just hoped that her friend would go along with it.
"Cordy, I can come over to your house tomorrow morning, and stay all day like you did today." Buffy suggested.
Cordelia thought about it for a little while, "Okay, we can do that. Is that okay mommy? Can Buffy come spend the day with me tomorrow?" She looked at her mother.
Joyce and Victoria looked at each other, "Sure if it's okay with Joyce." She answered.
Buffy and Cordelia looked up at the other woman with puppy dog eyes. There was no way she could resist those.
"Fine, Buffy you can spend the day with Cordelia, only if your room is cleaned." She winked at the girl.
Buffy said, bye to her friend and her mother, then took off upstairs. She always had to make sure that her room was cleaned, before she could do anything. Sometimes she wished she had a maid like Cordelia does, then she would never have to clean her room.
"Works every time, what time should I bring her over in the morning?" Joyce asked her friend.
"I will say about eight, it will give them time to get dressed. Buffy can have breakfast with us in the morning, if that's okay with you?" Victoria asked her friend.
"That's fine, we will be there. Bye Cordelia, I enjoyed having you over today." Joyce bent down to the little girl.
"I liked being over here too. Tell Buffy I'll see her tomorrow." The brunette replied.
Joyce walked her guests to the door and Hank Summers walked in. He gave Victoria a smile, and a little wink to Cordelia which made her blush, he kissed Joyce on the cheek.
"You are leaving? Buffy let you leave the house?" He joked with the women.
"Buffy, is coming over to my house in the morning. Mommy said so." Cordelia told the man.
A little blonde hurricane came running down the stairs and into her daddies arms.
"Daddy I missed you so much? How was your trip? Did you bring me anything back?" She asked him.
Hank put the girl down, "Of course, but you got to let me get settled first." He smiled at his only child.
Joyce closed the door behind the guests and followed her husband and daughter into the living room. Other than having Cordelia around, she never smiled so much in a day. That's why they keep their problems to themselves or when Buffy isn't around. Hank was sitting on the chair and Buffy was sitting on his lap, he was telling her about his latest trip to Spain. The little girl was so enraptured that she didn't see her mother enter the living room.
"Is it real pretty like in the books?" She asked softly.
"Even better, in fact I brought you another book to add to your collection of places I've been. Plus I got you something else too." He told her.
Buffy bounced up and down in excitement; she loved it when her father would bring her gifts. What she didn't realize that it was bribery gifts for being gone so much. Hank lifted Buffy off his lap and went to go get his bag. He pulled out a book on Spain, and some Euros, and a necklace with her name woven into it.
"Daddy thank you I love it!" She squealed and gave him a hug.
Nothing in the world made him feel better than seeing his daughter happy. He looked over at Joyce who had a deep scowl on her face. They knew that they would have to talk as soon as Buffy goes to bed.
"Sweetie, go take your things upstairs, you can show Cordelia when you go over there tomorrow." Joyce prompted her daughter.
Without hesitation, she ran up the stairs with her treasures, but not before giving her father a million watt smile. When Buffy disappeared that's when Joyce laid it out on the line.
"Why do you bring her stuff from all these different places? Is it because you feel guilty taking your flavor of the month with you?" She said angrily.
"I bring her back things because she is my daughter, and she is fascinated by different countries. I travel, so I bring her stuff back, what's the harm in that? It makes her happy." He said nonchalantly.
"Makes her happy? What would make her happy is if you were here spending time with her. She spends more time with Cordelia's father then she does with you. It's not a bad thing, he loves spending time with her. It should be you taking her to the park, or Chuck E. Cheese, or mini golfing. You're neglecting your own daughter and your wife, for what? So you can go gallivanting across the world with your newest conquest."
Buffy came downstairs, but stopped when she heard her parents arguing. She heard her mom yelling at her daddy, she sat at the top of the stairs scared of what to do.
"I spend time with her, not as much time as Antonio spends with Cordelia, but I do spend time with her. I take her out for ice cream, and when you have gallery business, I take her on business trips with me. If that's not spending time then I don't know what it's called. As far as conquests there aren't any, it's just your paranoia getting the best of you." He yelled, at her back.
The little girl chose that moment to come downstairs, "Mommy, Daddy? Why are you yelling at each other?" She asked softly.
Hank went over to his daughter, "We weren't really yelling, we were having a disagreement." He shot a look over at Joyce.
She just walked out of the living room and into the kitchen. She couldn't listen to the lies he was telling their daughter.
She looked up at her daddy, "A dis-greement? What's that?" She asked.
Hank sat her down on the couch and began to explain what a disagreement was. Buffy was still a little confused, but went a long with it anyway. She loved her daddy very much, he was the next best thing to ice cream for her.
"You understand now?" Hank asked.
Buffy smiled widely at him, "I understand daddy." She gave him a kiss and went to help her mom in the kitchen.
Cordelia was sitting around the table eating dinner with her mom and dad, something was bothering her. She put her fork down which got her parents attention.
"Cordy sweetie, what's wrong?" Antonio asked his daughter.
"How come Buffy's dad is always gone? How come he doesn't do things with her like you do with me?" She asked softly.
"Well, Hank operates his own business, and it requires him to be involved with everything that's going on. If he didn't, the business would go down hill." He explained to his daughter.
"Can you be Buffy's daddy too? It would make her happy, I know it would." She perked up.
Victoria gave her daughter a small smile, "She already has a daddy, but your daddy could be her friend." She answered her daughter.
The brunette picked up her fork and began eating, but then dropped her fork again.
"What's the matter sweetheart?" Victoria asked this time
Cordelia looked up at her mother, "Buffy is going to her grandma's house for the summer, but I wanted to know if she could come to Puerto Rico with us? If it's okay with her parents...please?" She gave her best pout.
Victoria and Antonio couldn't deny their daughter anything, she was their little princess. Having Buffy around has been an absolute joy, and she was good for Cordelia.
"Sure, we can talk it over with her parents. I'm sure they would let her go." Antonio winked at his daughter.
Cordelia began eating again, this time with gusto that wasn't there before. Victoria and her husband held a soft spot for the bubbly blonde. She was a stark difference from their daughter, but they are similar in so many other ways. They have been good for each other, and prayed that they would be friends forever.