Chapter Twenty-Six: Being Human

After Joyce and Buffy went to the movies, they came back home. Faith was home for the day. She only had one class. Faith opened the door and sat down on the couch. She sighed and made herself comfortable. Buffy walked out of the kitchen and sat down next to her sister.

"How was school?" Buffy asked.

"Good." Faith said. "Tiring. It was math."

"That was never my favorite subject." Buffy admitted.

Faith smiled and chuckled. "I hear ya," she said. "So what did you do today?"

"Mom and I went to the movies." Buffy said. "It was a romantic comedy."

"Sounds like mom." Faith said. "Do you have any plans?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, I was going to call Oz and invite him to dinner this weekend since we aren't going to Aunt Darlene's."

"Cool so I figure we can hang out." Faith suggested.

"Sounds like fun. What do you wanna do?" Buffy asked.

"Well I guess we can do something easy." Faith said. "I don't wanna blow your mind with anymore reality. So let's just you and me hang out."

Buffy smiled. "I like that idea."

"We can play cards." Faith said and stood up. "I can teach you a few things if you don't remember."

Buffy nodded. "That would be helpful."

"Okay cool." Faith said and walked over to the secretary. She opened it up and grabbed a deck of cards.

Faith and Buffy played multiple games, but the main game that was easy to grasp for Buffy was Rummy. They spent hours playing cards and by the time they knew it, it was dinner time. Joyce made spaghetti. Something simple, but yummy. Everyone enjoyed the noodles and sauce. Faith and Buffy helped put away the dishes. Hank pulled Buffy aside after dinner to ask her some questions.

"Hey, I think this is a good time to go over paperwork." Hank told her. "Would you like to go over it with me?"

Buffy sighed heavily and nodded. "I guess now is a good time."

She and Hank sat down at the cleared table. Hank pulled out the paperwork out of his briefcase and went over each page with Buffy. There were some pages that she needed to sign so she put down her signature. Then he went over the conditions and terms. Buffy was overwhelmed, but understood. Once a couple of hours went by, Hank and Buffy were done with the paperwork. Buffy stepped up from the table.

"Thanks Dad." Buffy said.

Hank stood up and nodded. "How are you doing?"

She stopped and sighed again. "I'm okay." She said honestly. "This is all a little overwhelming."

"I understand," Hank said. "But it's for you. I promise."

Buffy nodded. "I understand Dad."

It was still weird for her to call him Dad, but she was starting to get it. He wasn't going away. He and mom were happy. Buffy looked at her father.

"I feel like I haven't given you a fair chance." Buffy said. "I see now that you're not going anywhere. Thank you."

Hank smiled and hugged Buffy. "This family means everything to me, Buffy." He paused. "You're my girls."

Buffy hugged him closely. "Thank you."

Hank let Buffy go and said, "Maybe once I get a break from work you and I can go do something."

"I'd like that." Buffy said. "You used to take me to the ice show."

"I'll make plans for us to do that if that's what you'd want." Hank said and smiled.

Buffy nodded. "I'd like that." She said and walked out of the kitchen.

Faith walked downstairs and saw her sister. "Hey B, you're done with the boring stuff?"

"Yep," Buffy said. "What do you wanna do?"

"Let's finish that last game." Faith said and grinned. "I had a good hand."

She walked downstairs and into the living room. The card game was left on the coffee table. Faith and Buffy sat down on the couch. The girls finished the game and Faith won. Buffy frowned and crossed her arms.

"I'm gonna win the next match." She said, determined.

Faith chuckled. "Say what you want B, but I'll believe it when I see it."

Buffy laughed. "I think it's time for bed."

"I agree." Faith said. "I have to get up early anyway."

Faith and Buffy put the cards back into the deck. Faith opened the secretary again and put the cards away. The girls went upstairs and into their bedrooms. Buffy walked to her dresser and got ready for bed. Her heart was bursting with happiness. Everything was falling into place. Her mom and dad were happy. She and Faith were getting along and she was catching up with her life.

Buffy changed into her pajamas and turned off her light. She climbed into bed and closed her eyes. She dreamt of her and Faith playing in the sandbox. Faith made a pretty impressive sandcastle and Buffy attempted to make one as well. It was not nearly as good as Faith's and Faith giggled at her. Buffy hit her on the head and said,

"Hey don't make fun of me!"

Faith grabbed her head and groaned. "Hey B what was that for?!" She yelled and hit Buffy on the head back.

Buffy groaned and grabbed her head. "Hey! You're not supposed to hit me!"

"You hit me!" Faith yelled.

Hank and Joyce walked over to the girls. "Stop fighting right now!" Joyce yelled. "You're sisters and you'll act like sisters!"

"Sorry Mom." The girls said.

Buffy opened her eyes and saw her alarm clock. It was seven in the morning. She wanted a little more sleep so she rolled over and went back to sleep. Next she dreamt of her old life as The Vampire Slayer. She was fighting a group of vampires. She slayed each and every vampire. Buffy opened her eyes again and it was about nine thirty. She sighed and decided to wake up. She threw the covers off and stretched. There was a knock on the door.

"Buffy are you awake?" Joyce asked through the door.

"Yeah Mom." Buffy said and stepped out of bed. She slipped her feet into her slippers. "What's up?" She asked as she opened the door.

"I made some waffles for Saturday morning. Would you like some?" Joyce asked. "They're hot."

"Yes please." Buffy smiled. She followed her mother downstairs.

The two girls walked into the dining room and sat at the table. Faith and Hank had already eaten and left for the day. Joyce served Buffy some waffles and sat down at the opposite end. Buffy started to cut up her meal and asked,

"Where are Dad and Faith?"

"Well your father went out golfing for the day." Joyce said. "Faith had plans with a friend."

"Oh anyone I know?" Buffy asked and took a bite.

"I think it was Anya." Joyce said. "Sometimes they go on walks together."

"Oh." Buffy said and continued to eat her meal.

The Faith in this reality was totally different than the Faith she knew. She was happy that her little sister had friends. The only friend that Faith had was the Mayor and he was evil. Eventually she met Robin and they became friends, but the Mayor was the first friend that Buffy knew that Faith had. It was good to see her sister have friends. Once Buffy was done with her meal, she helped her mother put the dishes away. Then the two girls walked to the living room and watched some television. Then it hit Buffy. She didn't know that Hank golfed.

"Hey Mom," Buffy said. "Dad goes golfing?"

Joyce chuckled. "Yes, for many years now." She said, "Sometimes he goes to competitions, but this one is just for fun with a few friends."

"I see." Buffy said and smiled.

Her family seemed extremely normal. Faith was attending college. Hank had a normal job and golfed. Her mother worked at the gallery. The only thing that was abnormal was Buffy. Her heart sank a little, but she quickly put that feeling away. She didn't want to feel bad right now. She was with her mother. After a few hours, Hank returned home and so did Faith. The girls watched television and Hank went to work in the dining room.

"So what do you girls want for dinner tonight?" Joyce randomly asked.

The girls thought for a moment. Then Faith came up with an idea. "Do we have peppers and ground meat?"

Joyce nodded. "I think so."

"We should make stuffed peppers!" Faith said cheerfully.

Joyce smiled. "Sounds good to me."

"Stuffed peppers?" Buffy asked.

"They're so good!" Faith exclaimed. "They're rice, meat, and cheese stuffed inside a pepper."

"That sounds pretty good!" Buffy said.

"You girls mind helping me out?" Joyce asked.

"Not at all Mom," Faith said. "Buffy and I can help."

"I'll do the meat and rice." Joyce said. "You girls work on the peppers."

Joyce stood up and turned off the television. She walked into the garage and found the peppers. While she was in there, Faith grabbed the rice and the meat. Buffy grabbed the pots and pans. Buffy sprayed the pan and put water in the pot. Joyce put the rice in the pot and put the ground meat in the pan. She started the rice first and then seasoned the meat. Faith pulled out some peppers and handed some to Buffy. She looked at the peppers and then turned to Faith.

"What do I do?" Buffy asked.

Faith smiled. "I'll show you." She cut the top off of the pepper and pulled out the seeds. "It's as simple as that."

"Got it." Buffy said.

She handled the peppers like Faith and helped out. Meanwhile, Joyce turned on some jazz music. Faith watched the meat a little bit and once the rice was done, turned off the burner. Joyce walked over to Buffy and squeezed her shoulder. Buffy smiled and washed out the peppers to make sure there were no more seeds left. She could hear Hank in the other room on a phone call. Once the rice and meat were done, Joyce put them together inside a giant bowl. Joyce seasoned them both together and mixed it all up. She then added some cheese and watched it melt.

Faith sat down at the breakfast nook and so did Buffy. They were a little tired. Joyce poured them all glasses of lemonade and took one to Hank as well. The girls then filled the peppers with the rice and the meat. Joyce turned on the oven and let it preheat. Once it was ready, she placed the peppers inside a glass container and put cheese on top of the peppers. Joyce put foil on top of it and put it inside the oven. There were a few steps to the peppers, but it was all worth it in the end.

The girls sat down at the table quietly and listened to Hank work. They drank their lemonade and waited for the timer to go off. After a little while, Faith set the table and Hank was done with work. He cleared his work stuff and let Faith set his spot. Buffy sat down at her spot and so did Faith. Joyce placed some hot pads on the table and grabbed the peppers once the timer went off. She placed the glass container on the table and served the peppers.

"It smells great, girls, thank you." Hank said.

The four of them ate their dinner and everyone was happy. The peppers were satisfying. Buffy was new to this meal and enjoyed it quite a bit. After dinner, everyone helped out to put everything away and clean up. Buffy walked to her room and pulled out her cellphone. She dialed Oz's number and he picked up.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Hey Oz, I hope I'm not interrupting." Buffy said.

"Hey Buffy!" Oz said over the phone. "Not at all! What are you up to? I thought you had plans this weekend."

"I did, but they changed. My parents were wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner this weekend." Buffy said.

"That sounds great!" Oz said. "Tomorrow?"

"Yeah, tomorrow." Buffy said.

"I'm down. Let's plan for six?" Oz asked.

"Six it is. I'll tell Mom." Buffy said.

"Cool, see you then!" Oz said and hung up.

Buffy hung up the phone and walked downstairs. She spoke with her parents and they agreed. Faith was listening to music in her room when Buffy knocked on the door. She opened the door and smiled.

"Hey B, what's up?" Faith asked.

"It's time for that rematch." Buffy said and grinned.

"Alright, if you wanna lose again." Faith said.

The two girls walked downstairs and played Rummy again until midnight. Once the girls were tired out, they put the cards away, and went to bed. Buffy won a couple of hands this time. Buffy went to her room and closed the door. She changed into her pajamas and turned off the light. She crawled into bed. In the middle of the night, Buffy heard something fall downstairs and it woke her up.

She wondered what it was. She opened her door and saw that all the bedroom doors were closed. In fact, she could hear her dad snoring through the door. Everyone was asleep. Buffy went to investigate. She thought it was strange that everyone was asleep and she heard something so loud that it woke her up. Buffy tiptoed downstairs and heard someone going through things. Buffy swallowed hard. Was this a break in? She wondered with fear. Buffy thought about going to her parents, but she hoped that she could fight. It had been a long time since she fought anyone and she was eager to fight.

Buffy went through the living room in the dark and saw no one. She heard the noise grow louder from the dining room. Buffy saw someone that had a dark outfit on and a mask with eye holes so that they could see. Buffy gulped and thought, this was definitely a break in. When she stepped on the hardwood floor it creaked. Buffy gave herself away by accident. The burglar whirled around and pulled out a knife.

Buffy charged after the burglar and he grabbed her by the throat. He held the knife to her throat and Buffy kicked him in the chest. He groaned and loosened his grip. She bit his hand and he dropped her. Meanwhile, Faith heard the noise and woke up. It sounded like a struggle. She got out of bed and opened her door. She noticed that Buffy's door was open, but her parents' door was closed.

Faith heard Buffy scream and pounded on her parents' door. Hank opened his eyes and quickly got out of bed. Joyce jumped up and did the same. Hank opened the door and saw Faith. Faith appeared scared. Hank grew concerned and then heard the struggling downstairs. He heard Buffy scream multiple times and went back into his room.

"Hank?!" Joyce yelled.

"Shh, we're being robbed Joyce, be quiet." Hank whispered and grabbed his gun from the small vault.

He ran downstairs and saw Buffy being flung across the room in the dining room. His eyes widened when he spotted the burglar. He pointed the gun at the burglar and yelled,

"Get out of my house you dirtbag!" Hank paused. "Buffy get down!"

Buffy stayed on the floor. The burglar ran out of the back door. Hank ran to Buffy and saw all her injuries. He picked up his daughter and hugged her. She was bleeding and had bruises. Buffy groaned in pain and he let her go. He placed his gun on the table.

"I'm going to call 911." He said and walked into the kitchen. Joyce and Faith ran downstairs.

"Buffy!" The girls yelled.

Joyce ran to Buffy to look at her daughter. Faith was worried about her sister. "B, why did you fight him?!" Faith asked.

"Faith, be quiet." Joyce said.

Buffy pressed her back against the wall. It was so strange. She had no strength. He threw her around like a rag doll. Buffy was in so much pain. All she wanted to do was to stop him. She didn't recognize him at all. Hank was finished on the phone and ran back to Buffy. Faith quickly grabbed some ice and wrapped it in a towel. She handed it to Joyce who gave it to Buffy. Buffy took the ice and placed it on her head. There were cuts from her forehead. He was after her mother's silver. Buffy remained silent once the paramedics arrived. She didn't want to go back to the hospital and insisted she was fine, but her family made her go.

Once at the hospital, the doctors and nurses assessed Buffy's condition. She had a few broken ribs and some cuts. There were a few bruises as well, but other than that she was lucky she wasn't killed. The whole family stayed with her overnight while Buffy rested. The next morning when she woke, her mother was by her side. She felt Buffy stir in bed and lifted her head.

"Buffy?" Joyce asked.

Buffy turned her head to face her mother. "Yes Mom, I'm awake."

"How are you feeling?" Joyce asked.

"Like I got hit by a semi truck." Buffy admitted. "Everything hurts, but I'm okay."

"Buffy," Joyce whispered, trying not to wake the others. "Why did you fight that man?"

"I was a warrior in my dreams." Buffy whispered. "He was human. I thought I could fight him." She paused. "I was wrong."

"Buffy, you are not a warrior here." Joyce told her. Those words hit Buffy hard. "You are only a human being. You're just a girl. You shouldn't have fought him."

Tears streamed down Buffy's cheeks. Joyce hugged her gently. "I'm just glad we didn't lose you."

Hank and Faith woke up. They stood up and walked over to Buffy. They had some questions as well, but they refrained from asking. Buffy continued to cry as the realization sunk in. Her mother was right. She was just a girl.