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Chapter 10
Kara was just leaving the crypt in the morning in search of breakfast, when she saw Tara walking up.
"Hey, what are you doing here?"
"Had a feeling I'd find you here this morning. Am I correct in assuming you haven't eaten, yet?" Tara asked.
"Yeah, I was just heading out for breakfast."
"Is Spike asleep?" Tara wondered, as they walked towards the street.
Kara arched a brow. "What do you think?"
"Ah, gotcha. I hope you didn't break him," the witch teased.
"Tara! Just what kind of things do you think Spike and I do?"
"Oh, I wouldn't presume, but you are…passionate people. And then there was Anya's disturbing tangent about vampire sex."
The brunette laughed loudly. "Well, I can't speak for what Anyanka liked to do, but nothing painful has been introduced. Despite our supernatural natures, we do the same things other couples in love do. Should I ask how kinky you get with Willow? I bet there's an inner bad girl hidden behind all that book knowledge," Kara teased back.
"I never kiss and tell. Anyway, I came by to continue our conversation from last night. It feels like months since we've really talked. How have you been, Kara?" Tara asked with affection.
Kara considered her perceptive friend, before answering. She knew Tara would see that she wasn't 100, anyway, so it wouldn't do much good to lie.
"I've been at the house since I got back. I decided to build a recording booth into the music room from scratch, so I picked up materials from the hardware store, got the equipment from Guitar Center, and started construction. It's nothing fancy, and I placed it in a corner so I only needed to tilt up one wall and another with a door. There's this really cool sound deadening foam stuff that goes on the walls, so the microphone will only pick up my voice or an instrument. I like working with my hands sometimes, you know? It's fun to nail things together. Anyway, all the electronics are in place, so I only need to hand the door on the hinges, and it's done. That's what's kept me busy the past three weeks."
"Has Spike been helping you with it?"
"Nah, I wanted to do it myself. I told the AI crew to take up their slack in L.A. again, so I've actually had the time."
"I thought the Powers had said you were needed there."
"They did, but that was months ago, and it was starting to take over my life. I only agreed to help out with the stipulation that I wasn't going to become their slave. They will burden you into the ground if you let them, and they have very rarely lifted a finger to help the people they say they care about so much. Kalari had plenty of memories of when things became very dire because the PTBs waited too long to act, not giving their Champions the tools or knowledge they needed. They wanted me to buy Angel enough time to re-focus, and I've done that."
"So, when did Spike claim you?"
"When we were in Ossiriand. It just…happened. It shows he's in this for the long haul…"
"But you'd prefer a ring?"
"Maybe. Are you sure you're not telepathic?"
"Yep. Just a best friend. I pay attention when you tell me things," Tara replied.
"You just like to practice your psychology homework on me."
"Gasp! You discovered my hidden agenda. Now I'll have to find another test subject," Tara stated with mock woe. She opened the door to the diner for Kara. "Can I buy you breakfast to make it up to you?"
"I'm not easy, you know. I'm not putting out just because you pay for my meal," Kara warned. "Add in dinner, and I might change my mind."
The teenage hostess regarded them with wide eyes. The friends looked at her, then each other, back to the girl, and bust up laughing. After they were seated, neither girl took much of a glance at the menu, since coming here had been a frequent occurrence when they'd shared a class. The waitress was soon there to get their orders.
"What'll it be, girls?"
Kara motioned for Tara to go first. "I'll have the strawberry waffles and a glass of orange juice.
"Okay. And for you?"
"The French toast breakfast. I'll have bacon and sausage with that, and a bowl of cottage cheese on the side. Oh, and could you bring a glass of milk and a glass of orange juice? Thanks."
"Regular, or cinnamon bread?"
"Cinnamon."
"Okay, I'll be back with your beverages in a minute, ladies." She took the menus and headed for the kitchen.
"Are you sticking around long today?" Tara asked.
"Probably not. I'm almost done with my project, so I'm itching to get back and finish it. You know how it is."
"Yeah. How are things in Ossiriand?"
"Pretty good. The palace has been restored, and the village is growing. The members that came from Earth have settled in now. The only possible problem could come from some of Belegurth's men that moved away, but I don't think it's going to be an issue. They went off in search of their women, who didn't share the same lust for war. There's not much for the soldiers to do now, so they got bored. The land is gorgeous now that Spring is in full bloom. Tara, you've never seen such bright colors as what comes naturally to my world. It's like something out of a fairy tale."
"Have you solved the time difference issue?"
Kara nodded. "Yavanna helped me. It's just a matter of controlled thought during the spell. I can travel between dimensions at the rate I want to. Which also means I can adjust the gateway that I created at home."
"Here you are, ladies. Anything else I can get you?"
"Nope, I think we're good."
Tara watched in amazement as the food on Kara's plate disappeared. Kara's bacon and sausage was gone, and she was half way into the first slice on French toast before Tara had eaten her first waffle.
"Hungry?" she asked, teasingly.
Kara looked up, chagrined. "Sorry. I'm being a pig, aren't I? We had Chinese food last night, and you know how that never sticks with you."
"Certainly. And last night's activities weren't a factor at all."
"Watch it. Speaking of last night, how about that revelation between Sebastian and Spike? I never thought I'd be meeting a blood relative of his, obviously, but you can't mistake the resemblance when they're standing next to each other."
"Yes, good genes definitely ran on his mother's side. Did you guys talk about it when you left?"
"Er, not really. His mind was on other things," Kara muttered, blushing.
"Ah, right. Well, I'm sure he'll be excited about it today. Does Spike get excited about things?" Tara wondered.
"Oh, yeah, but he won't let it fully show unless he really trusts you. He's always worried about harming his Big Bad image. You know how active he is normally? Well, picture that plus caffeine and sugar, and that's how he is. He literally bounces and won't shut up. It's the funniest thing, until he starts driving me crazy."
"That explains the knee-bouncing thing," Tara said, catching on.
"Right. Dawn's always saying he's the poster boy for ADHD, but the hyper bit is the only part that's really true. He can focus very well, he just gets impatient. I often wonder how much of it is William, and how much is his demon," Kara said, giggling. "Ooo, I can ask Sebastian! I'm sure he has a ton of stories," she added excitedly.
"Now, I feel sorry for Spike!"
"Hey! I have to take what I can get. It's not like his mother is still around to show me baby pictures." Kara drank down the milk before it got too warm. "May I?" she asked, gazing at a slice of strawberry.
"Oh, sure."
"Mmm, thanks. I can't wait until my garden starts producing these. I don't think I could ever get enough strawberries."
"I love them, too. There was a field on my way home from school back home. They didn't mind if we picked a few as long as we stuck to the bushes along the road. It's a shame there's no grower in Sunnydale."
They continued chatting about light topics for a while after the food was gone. Eventually, Kara wanted to get back to Spike's for a while before she drove home, so she and Tara walked a ways, then parted paths as Tara went towards the university. Kara stopped in a 7-11 on the way for chips and salsa. It seemed like a good snack at the time.
Kara dropped down to the lower level with her bag of goodies. She pointed at the nearest candle and whispered "illuminae", but nothing happened. Dang it! What the hell is wrong with my powers? Sighing, she walked over to it and lit it with a lighter, instead. She just needed a little light for her enhanced eyes to pick up on. She stepped around the clothes strewn on the floor from the previous night and climbed onto the bed.
Spike didn't stir, it being too early in the day for him not to be sounds asleep. The sheet came up to his waist, allowing her to admire the gold flickers from the candlelight on his alabaster skin. Kara leaned back against the headboard and opened the wrapper for the Kit Kat bar she'd bought. She'd gone through half the bag of chips when Spike startled her by talking.
"You better not be getting crumbs in my bed," he grumbled sleepily.
"No worse than your toenails. Go back to sleep."
"Can't. You're making too much bloody racket."
"Fine. Just for that, I'm not sharing the salsa."
One blue eye opened. "You don't like salsa."
"I like the mild flavor! With a lot of chips. It just sounded good after the sweet breakfast I had."
"Okay, but don't get mad at me later when your stomach's upset." He rolled away from her, burrowing under the covers.
"That was once, and I was still human. I'll go upstairs. Maybe Discovery Channel will have something interesting."
"That's good, pet. Have fun," he replied through a yawn. She shook her head, doubting that he'd even heard her last sentence.
Kara put her food back in the plastic bag and climbed the ladder.
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The bell over the door to The Magic Box jingled as the next customer came in. It was a Sunday, so Dawn was working today. She paused from stocking shelves, wiping off her sweaty brow. The air-conditioning was running, but the scorching heat outside meant the interior was warmer than usual.
"Good afternoon, Dawn. How has your day been?"
"Okay. Sebastian, how did you come in from outside, and yet you look as cool as a cucumber? I've been sweating all day in here."
"I'm just used to the temperature, I guess. I've spent a lot of time in various deserts, over the years. Is Mr. Giles here today?"
"Pssh, of course! Giles would never leave me here unsupervised. He's in the back."
"Thank you."
The Knight walked back to the area Dawn had pointed out.
"Mr. Giles?" he said, knocking on the office door.
"Yes? Do I know you?"
"Only by reputation," Sebastian replied. "Sebastian Pierce." He held out his hand to shake.
"Oh, of course, the girls have described you. What can I do for you, Sir Pierce?"
"I just wanted to make your acquaintance, and offer my services for any research projects you might have currently?"
"I'm guessing that Sunnydale has run out of entertainment for you?" Giles asked knowingly.
Sebastian gave him a grateful smile. "Heavens, yes. It's a perfectly nice town, at least during the day, but rather small. I've been here a month and a half, and I think it's safe to say I have covered every hiking trail in the surrounding area."
"I invite you to peruse any of the volumes we have here. The restricted section is up above. I'm afraid there is nothing to research at the moment, since we are not currently facing an apocalypse."
"That's good news for the world, Mr. Giles. I will have a look around, maybe chat with young Dawn, if she's not with a customer," Sebastian replied politely.
"Please, it's just Giles, or Rupert. Mr. Giles was my father."
"I understand. I shan't keep you from your work any longer." Sebastian nodded once, and left the office.
"Never thought I'd see the day when a Shadow Knight walked into my office because he was bored," Giles mused. He shook his head at the oddness of the Hellmouth, then decided to call Joyce for a chat.
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Two weeks later meant that May was almost over, and Dawn was chomping at the bit for school to end for the summer. Her last day wasn't until June 20th this year, and it felt like forever away. The one good thing to look forward to was that Prom was Friday. Today was the last Sunday before Kara's birthday, so she needed to head to the mall right after work at the shop. She had been close to Kara before Buffy was, so there was no way she was missing the opportunity to get her friend an awesome gift. What did you get a woman turning 29?
"Mom! Are you home!"
"Up here, pumpkin."
"Hey! You look nice. Have a date with Giles again?"
"No, actually, we're throwing a viewing party at the gallery. There's money on the counter for take-out, in case the fridge is empty. What did you need, honey?"
"I'm heading out to the mall, and I wanted advice on what to get Kara. I don't know what fits for a 29 year-old, and she has, like, everything, so you can see my dilemma," Dawn replied, watching her mother hunt for her jewelry.
"Hmm, if she hasn't mentioned being low on something she likes, then I'm not sure. Speaking of mall trips, are you going to pick up your dress?"
"Yes! I make the last payment today. I'm so glad that shop still does layaway. I can't wait to show it off!" Dawn squealed.
"I'm proud of you for earning the money for it all on your own, Dawnie. You're getting to be so grown up. And just to make sure, I'm going to approve of this dress? You're only 15," Joyce said warningly.
"Yes, Mommy. Tara helped me pick it out initially. Trust me, you'll love it."
"Okay, sweetie. Shoot, I have to run. Be good, and don't get caught out after dark alone. Love you." Joyce pecked her youngest on the cheek, then raced down the stairs and out the door.
"Alrighty. Money – check. Purse – check. Cell phone in purse – double check. Four hours until dark – perfect!" Dawn slung her bag over her shoulder and left the house, making sure to lock the door.
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Three hours and forty-five minutes later, Dawn walked out of the mall with her dress bag over one shoulder, and Kara's gift in the other hand. She'd just started walking through the parking lot when she noticed Spike leaning on the Desoto.
"Did my mom call you?" she asked, annoyed.
"Yes, she did, and it's a good thing, too. You won't have time to walk home before it gets dark, Bit."
"Duh! That's why I was going to take the bus. It lets off three doors down from the house. Geesh, I'm not stupid," she complained, rolling her eyes.
"Well, I'm here, so you can save your $2."
"Fine," she sighed, in an exaggerated way only a teen can pull off. "But we're stopping for dinner on the way. Mom gave me money for food."
She made a big show of being put out that she had to ride with him, carefully putting her dress in the back, but slamming the door, and then, sighing again as she slid onto the front seat. Spike just grinned and gunned the engine. He knew his Niblet never minded spending time with him.
"So, what'd you get, luv?" he asked conversationally.
"I picked up my Prom dress, and got a birthday present for Kara. You do remember it's Saturday, right?"
"Of course!" he answered quickly, and a bit too loudly.
"Spike! How can you forget the date? There are two calendars in plain sight at Kara's, and your cell phone shows today's date, too. You better go shopping, or she's going to have your head, with how moody she's been lately."
"You're right about that. She bloody near bit my head off last night."
"What did you do, or is this something I don't want to know?"
He gave her a dirty look for automatically thinking it was something gross. "I finished off the chocolate ice cream," he mumbled.
"What?"
"I told her I was going to get more ice cream on my way down, and I forgot, okay?"
"Ooo, no wonder you were in trouble. That's a cardinal sin, Spike," she teased.
"Yeah, yeah, I already heard all about it. Where do ya want to stop for grub?"
"Hmm, pizza or Chinese…?"
"I vote for the Chinese. They have hotter peppers."
"Who said I was getting any for you?"
"Who's drivin'?" he countered.
She stuck her tongue out at him and pouted for a bit. "Chinese, it is," she grumbled.
Spike smirked triumphantly as he made the appropriate turn.
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Not sure what color Dawn's dress will be, yet, but I assure you it will be pretty. :)
