Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be.

Author's notes: I'll try to make Colorado Springs as accurate as possible for someone who has never been there.

Just Skating Along

Colorado Springs offered several ice rinks and Buffy and Jack had chosen the one located outdoors at Memorial Park to meet.Buffy had surprised herself by going out to buy her own skates instead of just renting them.
I am not going to second guess myself. Really. Am not.
But in all honesty it had felt good buying something quite useless if she intended to leave soon. It had felt good going beyond the bare essentials of living. Her furnished apartment had nearly no personal touch except for a collection of picture frames showing Xander, Willow and herself still in high school, Dawn goofing off in front of the Brandenburg Gate, Faith sticking her tongue into Robin's ear, her mother, Dawn and herself, Giles in front of Slayer Central in Cleveland with all the slayers hanging out the windows, grinning, waving and making faces. The rest of her living space looked very much not lived in at all. There was never time somehow.
So buying the skates had felt like some sort of signal. What kind, she wasn't sure and was unwilling to delve into right now.

Bundled up into her coat with the fur at the collar and sleeve holes, wearing a woolen hat and mittens and black jeans with leggings underneath she felt ready to brave the frigid cold of Colorado in December.

Being early she settled on one of the bleachers to put on her skates. The rink was sparsely populated, most apparently preferred the one located at the mall, conveniently combining holiday shopping and skating for the kids. Some people were lingering at the booths that had been put up, simulating a small village where one could buy popcorn and candy canes. Everything had been done in wood and decorated with fir branches, red bows and lots of christmas lights.
Thankfully the music they played on the rink was standard classical music instead of the overused carols of the season. Overnight it had snowed and now everything lay under a foot high decorative white blanket.
Once finished lacing the skates and properly stuffing the loose ends into the top of the boots, pulling her leggings down over it, Buffy looked around to see whether Jack might already be there but didn't see him.
It's still too early. Might as well get warmed up.

She stepped onto the ice.
The last time I did this was with Angel.

She was unwilling to let the memories take over and focused instead on thoughts of Jack.
I can't believe how easily I've let myself become involved with a total stranger. One minute I'm all righteous indignation and the next I'm performing a tonsillectomy on him. He could be anyone. He could be evil, he could be a plain old psychopath, he could be part of the Initiative.

But in all honesty Buffy had to admit that all of the above was far fetched. Riley would have told her if the Inititative planned anything. These days the Slayer's Council had pretty tame relations with them. The rest, she would just have to wait and see.

She prided herself on an aquired instinct concering people. Warren had shown her that true evil can wear the nicest face and Spike that everything depends on the actions not on the package.

Meanwhile Buffy had started out by taking long slides along the length of the rink, finding her feet, gathering speed. When she was fast enough she turned around, skating backwards for a while, enjoying the smooth movements and remembered grace.
I'm glad that I haven't forgotten. Let's try something.

She gathered even more speed, stretching out her leg straight behind her, swinging it around, she used the added momentum, picking the ice with her toe to push herself up and around, landing facing backwards and again stretching out her leg behind her, using her arms for balance.

She smiled feeling a sense of simple pleasure at easily accomplishing the flip jump.
Swinging her leg around while at the same time turning to face forward again she went back to simply speeding along.

Jack started breathing again, his hockey skates dangling forgotten by his side.
Pure Californian girl, huh? No idea about ‚rustic winter traditions'? I can be glad that she didn't cream me during our little snow ball fight yesterday. What's next? Ice skulpting?

She looked so graceful and utterly adorable in her furry coat and matching woolen hat and mittens, peacefully drawing figure eight's on the ice.
Gawd! Would you listen to yourself? You barely know the woman and already you're jabbering about adorable and graceful?

Resolutely he managed to pry his eyes off Buffy and found himself a bleacher to lace up on

He's here.
Buffy felt like a thousand butterflies had suddenly decided to hold an impromptu rave in her stomach as she spotted Jack's tall figure stepping onto the ice.

She pushed herself in long slides into his direction, quickly checked whether he truly could hold his own on the ice and then launched herself at him, causing the two of them to slingshot around each other. Jack was wearing a truly goofy expression, smiling down at her and she found herself smiling back equally goofy.
"You're here." It came out more breathless than Buffy liked.
"That I am. Figured I could teach you Californian hothouse flower something. Turns out it might well be the other way around." Jack said by way of greeting.
"Can you keep a secret?" Buffy played with the zipper of his bomber jacket.
"Not for the life of me. But tell me anyway."
"I wasn't always this hip and sane person you see now."
"Get out." Jack sounded about as unbelieving as possible. "You probably iron your underwear, you're so wholesome." But he winked at her as he said it.
"That's for me to know and you to guess." She replied primly. "But anyway, I'm about to reveal my deep dark secret here so you better pay attention, there might be a pop quiz later." She emphasized with a stern look and by poking her finger at his chest.
"Pop away. I mean, do tell."
"I had a Dorothy Hamill phase. I had everything there was to be had about her, the posters, the dolls, you name it."
"You mean..." Jack faltered.
"Yes, even the hair cut."
Silence descended.

"Say something. Anything. Tell me I'm a geek." Buffy gripped Jack's arms harder, nearly shaking him when he remained silent. It was actually starting to scare her a bit, he looked so grave.
When he finally did say something, it came out in a low voice: "I once streaked across campus during a Republican rally." Jack looked down at her hands still playing with the zipper.
"What?"
Have I heard right?

"I once ran across campus naked while they were holding a Republican rally there." This time Jack spoke a bit louder. "It was a dare and everybody was doing it then."
"Shocking!" Buffy managed to sound scandalized while trying very hard to not picture it.
"I wasn't alone!" Jack said defensively.
"Ewww! Gross! I am deeply shocked." But Buffy failed to keep a straight face and a small giggle escaped.
Jack looked up to find her pressing her hand to her mouth trying to control outright laughter and failing. He joined in, glad he wasn't the one to crack.
"We're right delinquents, aren't we?" Jack clasped Buffy to him when she nearly fell over from laughing so hard.
"Menaces to society, I tell you." Buffy managed to gasp out.
"At least it was a Republican rally." Jack offered.
That set Buffy off again and only after a few moments and several attempts she managed to keep from dissolving into fits of giggles again. Jack had to smile the whole time both at the hilarity of the situation as well as Buffy herself. She seemed so carefree and genuine. The smiles reaching her eyes and making them sparkle.

Dinner And A Movie, Buffy And Jack Style

Tuesday Jack and Buffy met for a Canadian movie at Kimball's Twin Peak Theatre and came out of the theatre still laughing about the antics of the small village's people who desperately tried to entice a doctor to take up permanent residence in their backwater.
When Jack did a wicked imitation of the main character's pseudo-smart, all knowing squint and drawl Buffy just had to grab both his ears to pull him down to her and kiss him resoundly on the lips.
Jack slid his arms around her, holding her tightly to him and deepened the kiss.

I can't get enough of her. Is this how it's supposed to work?
Letting go of her proved hard but he was sort of conscious that they were drawing some attention.

"You still chipper? Wanna grab a drink over there?" He pointed to a small bar right across the street unwilling to already let her go.
"Yes, sure." Buffy slid her hand into his and the two of them sauntered into the cosy establishment, finding a pair of seats near a corner window. Jack helped Buffy out of her coat, putting it and his own away.

Seating himself across from her he was about to reach for her hands again when the waitress interrupted: "I'm sorry, sir but minors aren't allowed in this establishment. I'm afraid I must ask you and your daughter to leave."

Jack felt speechless for the first time in a long while and could only manage to stare dumbly at the apologetic looking waitress. Only Buffy's very unladylike snort roused him from his stupor: "Believe you me, the things I would like to get up to with this guy are of a decidedly un-father-daughter-like nature. Even in Alabama. And I'm 25 but thanks for the vote of confidence. I think." And after rummaging around in her hand bag she produced her driving licence, handing it over to the already appropiately cowed waitress.
"Thank you, mam." She stuttered. "I'll bring you the menu right away." And off she went.
Jack stared at Buffy who had taken the opportunity of taking out her lip gloss and was in the process of reapplying it, the very picture of feigned nonchalance.

"25, huh?"
"Yep. Turning 26 on January, 20th actually." She put away her lip gloss and fixed Jack with a steady stare.
"Is this where you get all weird and withdrawy about the age difference? Because I can tell you right now, that that's totally not an issue. You're actually lowering the age average of my boyfriends considerably."
"Hard to believe, I am 45 after all." Jack had to brace himself after stating it so baldly. He stared down at the table, unable to believe that he sat here with a woman twenty years his junior.
Christ! I'm robbing the cradle!

Buffy reached over the table to grab both Jack's hands in hers, trying to catch his full attention.
"Think of it that way, what if I knew I only had very few years on the meter. Don't you think I would want to spend them with someone whom I don't to have to help grow up first?"
Jack looked up sharply, searching her eyes for any hint of insincerity.
"Why would you think that you had so little time?"
Now it was she who looked down at the table-cloth.
"I found my mother dead on the living room couch after the doctors had told us that she was on the mend. Among other things it made me appreciate the value of time and that it's best to use it instead of waiting for the right moment."
"Damn. I'm sorry, Buffy. Nobody should have to go through something like that. I know how..." he faltered for a moment and cleared his throat "It's hard to loose someone so close, I know."
Buffy felt his grip tighten reassuringly and looked up into his chocolate brown eyes, who seemed to convey a genuine sense of understanding.

Just then the waitress returned with the menu and for some minutes both Buffy and Jack busied themself picking out drinks and snacks, gratefully changing from their sombre mood to bickering a bit about the respective value of spicy wings versus mozzarella sticks.
In the end they decided to have both, together with a glass of white wine for Buffy and a beer for Jack.

Gradually both of them became aware of an annoying chirping sound. Both of them realized in more or less the same moment what it was.
"Don't you just hate it when people don't put their cells on silence in a restaurant?" Jack stated in a carrying voice, aimed at the people at the next table.
"You're right." Buffy answered in the same intensity, with him in his annoyance. "But some people just drew the short stick when they handed out manners."
The chirping became louder but no one seemed willing to claim ownership now when suddenly Buffy blushed and dove for her hand bag.
"Oops, my bad." She rummaged around in her bag, desparately trying to find the damn cell to make it shut up, now drawing the attention of all the surrounding tables.
"Oh, that's alright then." Jack back-pedalled lamely and then glared at the other bar partons, daring them to comment.
Finally Buffy managed to find the phone and took the call.
"Yes!"

Whoever it is, he'd better have brass ones. I wouldn't want her sounding like that to me.

"Dawn! What are you doing on the phone?"

"Of course I said to call me anytime but..."

"No way!"

"She didn't!"

"He did?"

Jack had to smile at this typically female conversation which suddenly took a turn to the bizarre.

"Did you at least dropkick her smurfy little ass back into that well?"

Now that must be some secret slang I don't know.

"Good. And how is Giles taking it?"

"He what?"

Buffy smiled in a way that Jack could only describe as evil and was again glad that it wasn't him on the end of that line. He listened in unashamedly.

"Even better. That'll teach her to think so little of us human types. Humane types, I mean." Buffy hastily amended when she caught Jack's puzzled frown at her choice of words.

"No, I'm not alone."

"Jack." Jack perked up at the mention of his name. Buffy smiled at him and pointed at the cell mouthing 'my sister' at him.

"Dawn!" She sounded scandalized. "We are having a drink after a movie."

"Dawn!" Now that sounded even more scandalized. "I'm going to hang up now."

"Bye Dawn."

"Bye."

Buffy snapped the cell shut with an exasperated "Sisters!" and turned off the ring tone for good measure.
"Sorry about that. I really thought I had turned it off already." Buffy smiled apologetically at Jack.
"Dawn's your younger sister, right?"
"Yes," Buffy smiled at Jack's correct assessment of their talk "she's studying Ancient History and Languages in Heidelberg right now. That's in Germany, you see?"
"I know. I was stationed there for about a nanosecond before going to... other places."
"Oh, ok." She seemed a bit flustered at telling Jack something obvious to him.
"You never told me how you ended up here after your trip to Europe." Jack was genuinely curious. It wasn't as if Colorado Springs was high on the list of places to see.
"Right. After travelling Europe for about a year we got news that some very good friends of ours had died." Buffy faltered for a small moment but continued. "Angel had left his estate to me so I came back to here to take care of everything. That took some time and after that I visited my friends all over to get back on my feet, so to speak."
"Travelling for a year and then some, not bad. You independently wealthy or something?" Jack tried to lighten the mood.
"Or something." Buffy figured she managed a decent enigmatic smile.
"Had I only known. My whole approach would have been different."
"Gold-digging another of your hidden talents?"
"Sure. We'd be off to Vegas by now, had I known."
"Would we now?" Buffy felt herself grinning at the absurd idea.
"Of course. Now I have to take the scenic route and be all subtle-like." He leant back in his chair hooking his thumbs into imaginary suspenders.
"And we saw how well you do subtle." Buffy took pure pleasure in pricking his bubble.
"Hey, I thought we established that there will be no dissing of me during any of our dates!"

Buffy was saved by the bell in form of the waitress bringing their drinks.
After taking a first sip Buffy decided to turn the tables: "So, you're one of the good guys saving us from evil foreigners on a daily basis?"
Jack choked on his beer and Buffy had to clap him on his back to prevent ickyness. When he had calmed down again, she repeated her question. This time Jack was prepared: "Actually what I do is much less exciting. I told you, I'm a General. Means I'm sort of a glorified principal of a high school full of hyper active adults with more brain power than is good for them or my blood pressure. Most times though, it's just same old, same old."
"What exactly are you guys doing up there? Isn't there some sort of academy?"
"Yeah, but that's separate from us. I'm head of the Cheyenne Mountain facility. NORAD is there as well. But my kids do deep space radar telemetry."
"Sounds... not like you." Buffy gave him a dubious onceover.
"Well, sounds boring, I know. It beats getting shot at though, but don't tell my superiors, they might put me up for treason." The last part he whispered, leaning closer over the table and when she leaned closer also to hear him, he planted a good solid kiss on the tip of her nose. Buffy nearly gave herself crossed eyes permanently, it happened so fast.

tbc

I hope I managed to clear up the repeating paragraphs. If not, tell me and/or check out the story at Twisting The Hellmouth, a truly great BtVS-crossover archive.