A/N: Sorry for waiting so long to update. I've been busy with school and final exams . . . and writer's block. FORGIVE ME!! I'll try to update all of my stories soon. For now, enjoy.

Buffy woke up the next morning to the irrepressible bleating of her alarm clock. The night before was a blur, further proof that no one should have to wake up fully before 9:00 a.m. But she had to pick up Dawn from Angel and Cordelia's place today and she had to do other things, too. Not to mention, she also wanted to avoid an I-want-to-stake-him-so-badly encounter with Sesshomaru, at least until a godlier hour.

"I need caffeine," Buffy mumbled as she forced herself to get her butt up and out of bed. After a short shower and a quick brush through her hair, she got out some clothes to wear for the day. Buffy didn't hear anyone in their rooms, so she assumed that they were all downstairs.

'If he's downstairs, I won't touch anything. I'll just go,' Buffy thought to herself as she raced downstairs, not making a sound.

The medium-sized kitchen looked just like it did when Buffy's mother was still alive, just bigger. The island was still there. Everything was just as it was before, where it was before. Now, with all the new inhabitants, it looked like an over-sized modern-art-meats-college-dorm scramble.

And there he was. Sesshomaru was sitting in one of the chairs around the island drinking lemon tea. In Buffy's mug. The one her mom bought her for her last birthday before she died. Buffy's eyes narrowed as tightly as she could make them, but she didn't say anything. She didn't want to start something so early, so she just grabbed some orange juice from the fridge and poured it into a plastic cup.

Sesshomaru noticed the glare he was receiving from Buffy; he returned it over the mug. If that tiny thing of a slayer thought that she could intimidate him, she had another think coming.

He returned to the book he got from the den. He found it on the bookshelf Xander had built in there. The writing that wove a tale of wonder and enlightenment at the same time impressed Sesshomaru. H. G. Wells obviously had a knack for authoring, and of the five books he had written in the last eight hours, War of the Worlds was his favorite by far.

"Morning people," Willow sang as she came in from the den. "I see everyone wanted an early start. Hey, Buffy, didn't you want to pick up Dawn today?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to grab something to eat and go. Want to come with me?"

"Sure! Hey, Kagome. Do you want to come with us to see L.A.? It'll be fun; we could even go shopping afterwards."

"Definitely." The young priestess was eager to be able to do some normal teenage girl activities since she used to be stuck in the feudal era most of the time.

"Hey, anyone who wants to come with meet me outside, okay?" Buffy grabbed a scone from the basket on the island counter and walked out. Willow, Kagome, Rin, Shippo, and Jaken (only because Sesshomaru would kick his scaly a-double-s if he didn't watch over Rin) followed her.

"You know what. Since they're all going to the city, if anyone wants a tour of Sunnydale before the Grand Re-opening today, just come with Oz and I in a few minutes. We'll give you a taste of the good old Hellmouth, Hellmouth-free or your money back."

Sango giggled and Miroku chuckled lightly. InuYasha snorted and grinned. Sesshomaru restrained himself from rolling his eyes and just thought, "Ridiculous human."

A/N: Listen, since I have a huge problem with updating, how about this: I'll try to write a little bit each day and update when I'm done with the chapter. That way the chapters will come out faster and better. Is that all right? Okay. Well, I'm off to watch Naruto on Youtube! lol Later!