Through The Years
Cordelia and Buffy were dressed and ready to go by the time her parents came downstairs. They were eating breakfast already, Maya came out of the kitchen with two additional plates.
"Sorry, but the girls got hungry." She apologized to the adults.
"It's fine Maya, we didn't expect to take that long." Antonio smiled and gave her a wink.
The girls were relatively quiet through out breakfast. It alarmed the elder Chases; the girls were never this quiet unless something was wrong. Victoria looked back and forth between the two girls concern on her faces.
"Cordelia, Buffy? Is everything alright?" She asked softly.
They both exchanged glances, "Are you okay? It sounded like you were hurt." The brunette answered softly.
Antonio choked on his juice and Victoria tried to hide her smile. "What do you mean? I'm fine sweetie, what gave you girls that idea?" She asked the girl.
Buffy decided to answer this one, Cordelia looked like she was ready to cry, "Because, we heard you cry out Oh God! And it sounded like something hit the wall. You're not fighting are you?" She said sadly.
Victoria put a comforting hand on top of the blondes, "No sweetie we weren't fighting. I am not hurt, I slipped on the floor." She explained.
They looked at both the girls to see if they bought their story. When they seen Cordelia smile, they knew that everything was okay.
"You two finish eating; we have a busy day for us." Antonio urged the girls.
Buffy and Cordelia finished their food in no time and were ready to go. Maya came out and cleaned up the dishes. Antonio grabbed the keys and led the girls and his wife out of the door.
"First stop sight seeing, and shopping, then we will get some lunch and lounge around on the beach." Victoria told the girls.
They squealed in absolute delight, as Antonio started the car. The first point of interest was Plaza de San Jose. They took in the statues and the different works of arts, to the girls it was boring, but it made their parents happy. They went to many other places of art and history. Buffy knew her mother would love to come see all of this, art was her thing. Cordelia tapped Buffy on the shoulder and the blonde turned around.
"See that boy over there?" She asked her friend.
"Yeah, what about him? He has cooties." Buffy scrunched up her nose.
"He's looking at us." She whispered.
Buffy looked at the boy and stuck out her tongue. The little boy went crying to his mother, Buffy and Cordelia ran to catch up with her parents. Once the sight seeing was over, they took in a little lunch at one of the Cafe's along the walkways in the shopping district.
"Did you enjoy the sights?" Victoria asked the girls.
"It was alright." Buffy answered softly, Cordelia just pushed her food around on her plate.
"I know, why don't we take the girls shopping? I'm sure that would put a smile on their faces." Antonio suggested.
Their little faces perked up at this, "Shopping, that's never a bad thing." Cordelia piped up.
The family of four got up from the table and walked down the sidewalks.
"You have a birthday coming up C.C. what would you like to do?" Her father asked.
The little brunette looked thoughtful for a minute, "I want to have a princess party. Everyone comes dressed up as their favorite Disney princess. I can be Snow White, and Buffy can be Cinderella." Cordelia told her parents.
"Is that all you want?" Her mother asked.
"I want a sleepover with just Buffy. I don't like sharing her." She smiled at her friend.
The little blonde just smiled at her friend. She needed to find a perfect gift for her, she was her best friend and like a sister to her. Maybe she will find it here in Puerto Rico. They went from store to store, trying on clothes and shoes, between the two of them Buffy and Cordelia had twenty pieces of clothing and shoes. Joyce was going to have a fit when she finds out her daughter was spoiled.
Fifty bags later they made it to the car and put the bags in the trunk. Victoria and Antonio were tired, and all they did was watch as their girls tore through the stores. Buffy pulled on Antonio's sleeve when she saw a jewelry store. He bent down to her level; Buffy began whispering in his ear.
"I would be delighted, let's go." He took Buffy by the hand and led her to the jewelry store.
Buffy browsed the selection of bracelets and necklaces, until she came across the one she liked. Antonio called the sales clerk over and pointed to the one Buffy liked.
"This is a very exquisite piece of jewelry for a little girl like you." She told Buffy.
"It's for my best friend. She turns seven next month, and I wanted to get her something special." She beamed.
Antonio just smiled, as Buffy looked at the bracelet.
"You can have it engraved it you want." The sales lady told her.
"I would like that, very much." She said, happily.
"What would you like to put on it?" She questioned the little girl.
Buffy followed her to the other side of the store that contained the engraving machine.
"What would you like it to say?"
"Buffy and Cordelia friends always and forever." She told the lady.
Once the engraving was done, she put it in a box with a pretty little bow. The sales lady placed it in a bag, "Your total is $35.00." She told the blonde.
Buffy pulled out an American Express traveler's check card her mother gave her. She handed it to the lady and waited for her to bring it back.
"Do you think she'll like it?" Buffy asked the man, seeking his approval.
He gave her a smile, "Sweetie she'll love it, especially since it comes from you."
The sales lady brought her card back and handed it to her. Buffy took the card and put in her purse along with her purchase. She grabbed Antonio's hand and they walked out of the store.
"There you two are. Where were you?" Victoria asked her husband.
"We had to take care of a gift for Joyce." He replied, but gave his wife a wink.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready to hit the beach." Victoria smiled at the girls.
They squealed in delight, and jumped in the car. First they had to drop their purchases at the house and change into their swimming suits. Buffy and Cordelia got their beach toys and ran to the beach. (They have their own private beach). Antonio and Victoria walked slowly behind the two.
"Your mommy let you get a bikini?" Cordelia asked.
"Yeah, she said there is nothing wrong with it. Besides I look nice in it." She replied.
Cordelia rolled her eyes at her friend. The first thing they did was run into the water and play in the waves. Victoria and Antonio put down their beach blanket and watched the girls frolic and play in the water.
"Tag you're it!" Cordelia yelled, and took off running. Buffy was right behind her, "I got you." She cried out. They spent the day playing in the water and building sand castles. What more could a kid ask for.
The sun began to set, and it was time for them to go. By the end of the day the two girls looked like little raisins.
"It's time for little girls to get baths and have some dinner. We're going out tonight, and we want you to be on your best behavior for Nanny." Antonio told the girls.
They looked at him with big smiles, "We will." They said together.
Buffy and Cordelia walked into the house and up the stairs, nanny helped them both into the bathtub and left them to play.
"I had fun today, didn't you?" The brunette asked the blonde.
"Yeah, I did. Why do I have to be Cinderella? What if I wanted to be Sleeping Beauty?" She pouted.
Cordelia blew a handful of bubbles at her friend; Buffy splashed her with some water.
"I want you to be Cinderella, because that's what you are to me. You're my Cinderella." She told the girl.
Buffy blushed, "Does that make you my Prince Charming?" She grinned.
"No, I'm your Snow White, we're friends forever."
Nanny came in to wash them up, and washed their hair. She got them out and they got dressed in their pajamas and ran downstairs to dinner. Maya placed two plates with chicken, asparagus spears, and some potatoes. They began eating in earnest, playing at the beach really worked up an appetite. Once dinner was done, they ran upstairs to Cordelia's play room and began playing with Lego's and other assorted toys. Antonio and Victoria came into the room to wish them good night.
"We are going out for a little while. We expect both of you to be on your best behavior for Nanny." Antonio told the girls, he gave them both kisses on their heads.
"Have fun you two and stay out of trouble." Victoria admonished, knowing that those two together equaled double trouble.
The parents walked out of the room leaving the kids to their own devices. Playing became fun until they grew tired. The duo straightened up the room and went into Buffy's. They picked out a movie and lay on her bed side by side, before the movie went off sleep finally claimed the two. That's the way the Chases found the two girls when they came home, wrapped together and sleep. Antonio picked up Cordelia and took her to her room, while Victoria tucked the blonde girl in. She gave her a kiss on the cheek, and turned on the night light. She walked over to Cordelia's room and did the same.
"Those two are something else." Victoria commented.
"That they are." Antonio replied.
They arrived back in Sunnydale two weeks before Cordelia's seventh birthday. All was not good at the Summers house, Hank finally moved out, leaving behind a sad Buffy behind. Joyce threw herself into her gallery leaving poor Buffy alone. She spent more time at the Chase home than she did at her own house. Not that the Chases minded, they loved Buffy just like their own. They were always delighted to have the little blonde over.
Cordelia's party arrived fast, and the girls were excited. Cordelia was Snow White, and Buffy was indeed Cinderella, Willow was Ariel, Faith was Belle, and the new girl Harmony was Sleeping beauty. The boys were dressed as Prince Charming's, and other princes. The party was fun, they played games, and then it was time for cake and ice cream. All the kids joined in singing Happy Birthday to the girl, and Cordelia blew out her candles.
"What did you wish for?" Buffy asked her friend.
"I can't tell you or it won't come true." Cordelia replied.
Victoria removed the cake from the table and let the little girl open her presents. Cordelia received Barbie's, some make up, clothes, money, and other little trinkets that girls her age loved. Antonio brought Buffy her gift for her friend.
"Cordelia you have one more present. We saved the best for last." Victoria announced.
Buffy handed the box to her friend, "This is for you, Happy Birthday Cordelia. I love you." She smiled.
Cordelia took her time in opening the box; it was wrapped so pretty that she didn't want to mess it up. Finally she got to the box and opened it; she let out a little gasp. Inside was a silver bracelet with a heart dangling from the chain. The brunette read what it said.
"Buffy and Cordelia, Friends Always and Forever." She smiled. All the girls' oohh'd and awed over the piece of jewelry. Suddenly everyone else's gift seemed worthless.
"Thank you Buffy. I love you too." She gave her a big hug.
The party was winding down, and everyone had gone home except for Willow, she wanted to stay and play for a while.
"That's a pretty bracelet. How did you pick it out?" Willow asked the blonde.
"I just picked it out. Then I have them grave it with words." She replied.
Cordelia came back into the room costume removed and in regular clothes. She sat down next to Willow and Buffy.
"Thank you for the Barbie I didn't have the Amethyst one." She told the red head.
"It was nothing. Why did you have to invite Harmony, she is such a snob." Willow asked.
The brunette rolled her eyes, "Mommy thought it would be nice for me to have more friends. I only need one blonde friend and she's right here." Cordelia pointed at Buffy.
Buffy just smiled at her friends, "I'm going to LA to live my daddy. Mommy is busy with the gallery and she's not really there. So they came up with a compromise, but I will be back on holidays and on the weekends." She told them sadly.
"You can't go, I will miss you." Cordelia whined.
"Yeah, who else is going to pick on Angel with us?" Willow joined in.
"It's not like I'm leaving tomorrow, I'm leaving the weekend before school starts. They already registered me at my new school." Buffy told her friends.
Cordelia got up and ran out of the room, tears running down her face. Willow tried to follow, but her mom had come to pick her up. The red head went crying to her mom.
"Willow, what's the matter?" Sheila Rosenberg asked her only daughter.
"Buffy's moving to LA with her daddy." She sobbed out.
Victoria came out into the living room and saw the little girl crying. Immediately she knew that Buffy told them the news. Antonio went to find Cordelia; he had a feeling that she would take it the hardest.
"I'm sure you'll see her on week-ends and holidays. It's not forever; you never know she could come back before you know it." Willows mom tried to reassure her.
"It will be alright Willow; you still have a week before she leaves. You can spend all the time you want with her before she leaves." Victoria tried to reassure the girl.
This quieted the little girl for a minute, "Tell Cordelia I'll see her later, thanks for inviting me." She said softly.
Victoria led the girl and her mother to the door. Once they were gone, she leaned up against the door and allowed the tears to fall. Buffy had become a part of their family from the time Cordelia and her met. She was the second daughter that they wanted, because she couldn't have anymore. Now she was leaving, they tried to interject plenty of times telling both Joyce and Hank that when Joyce went away on business they would be happy to keep the girl. Unfortunately that idea fell on deaf ears; she went upstairs to talk to Buffy.
Antonio found Cordelia sitting in the garden and he approached her. She looked up at her dad with tear stained cheeks, and puffy red eyes. He held his arms opened for her and she ran into them. She began to cry again.
"It's okay sweetie, you'll see her again." He tried to sooth her.
"No daddy, it's not fair! Why is he going to take her away? Can't we keep her? You and mommy can be her mommy and daddy too." She said wearily.
"It's not that easy sweetheart. She has a daddy that loves her very much, and he wants to be a part of her life. You can see her on weekends; you can even go up there and visit her. You just let us know and we'll take you. We will all miss her, she's the one that made you laugh and smile again." He whispered in her hair.
"Thanks daddy." She said softly.
"Now come on, let's find your sister. It's your birthday; you're supposed to have fun." He told her.
Together hand and hand they walked back towards their house. Cordelia ran up the stairs looking for her friend, but couldn't find her, until she ran back downstairs and saw her mom and Buffy in the living room laughing and watching TV. She decided to come and join them. The movie was over and Victoria left the girls alone, to talk or do whatever.
The week moved by at a fast pace, before you knew it the weekend was here and it was time for Buffy to leave. It was a very teary eyed farewell, but the ones affected the most of all was the blonde and the brunette. They hung on to each other for dear life, until they were pried apart.
"Buffy has to go sweetie." Victoria tried to get her daughter to let go.
"I don't want you to go Buffy. You're my best friend." She cried.
"I don't want to go either; I'll see you next week-end I promise." She said tearfully.
The parents had to physically restrain them; Hank led his daughter to the car and put her in. Antonio held tightly to Cordelia, she stepped on his foot and she went running towards the car, but was stopped by Joyce.
"Buffy please come back! I'll miss you please come back." She cried and fell to her knees. Joyce was holding on to the girl, the tears running down her face. She hoped that she made the right decision of sending Buffy with her father.
Buffy turned around when the house and everyone else was out of sight; it was then that she let out her frustrations. Hank looked at her sympathetically, and tried to comfort the distraught girl. Nothing worked, until Buffy finally cried herself to sleep.