The Taken Care Of Series

Taken Care Of – Two

Taken Care Of Series – Part Five


Story: Taken Care Of Series

Author: Bek Allen

Chapter: 5/16

Title: Taken Care Of – Two.

Feedback: Yes please. Although, flames will be given to my cat to play with as she sees fit.

~*~*~*~

Buffy woke up to the sound of soft knocking on her bedroom door. Rolling over, she dismissed it as the tree outside her window and snuggled down deeper under the covers. The knocking became more insistent.

“Buffy?” Dawn opened the door and poked her head around the corner.

“Hmm?” Buffy rolled over and looked towards her bedroom door. “Dawnie? What's wrong?”

“Can I come in here with you?” She stepped inside the bedroom, holding on to a purple fluffy bunny. “Please?”

“What time is it?”

“Half past eight. Please can I come in here with you?” The younger girl quickly wiped at her eyes, brushing away tears.

“Sure, but only if you promise not to hog the covers.” Buffy smiled and held open the quilt for her younger sister.

Dawn closed the door and hurried over to join Buffy. “Thank you.” She smiled and snuggled next to her big sister. “Thank you.”

“Hey, no big. We haven't done this since I was fifteen.” Buffy smiled and pulled her sister into her arms. “Not since we moved to Sunnydale and the fights stopped.”

“Well, yeah, but I mean thank you for letting me come home. I heard what dad said to you on the phone. He had no right to say those things, and, hey. I'm glad we turned out like we did. I don't think mom could have been more proud.”

“It's okay Dawn, it's not like I haven't wanted to yell at him for a while. Plus, we do alright on our own, slaying and being a teenager aside.”

Dawn smiled and closed her eyes as Buffy began to run a soothing hand across Dawn's head. “You should get a little more rest. We've got a big day today. After breakfast, we'll go to the Magic Box and we'll pick up some candles for tonight.”

“Oh, I almost forgot about that.”

“I was going to do it next Friday, you know, celebrate my twenty-first and remember mom all on the one day, but, I think it should be done now.”

Dawn grinned. “Who's cooking breakfast?”

“I think I might. Anya and Willow went shopping last night, so we've got lots of groceries.” Buffy smiled. “When did you get this?” She held up the purple rabbit.

“Last summer. There was a carnival at that prep school, Trent. Spike took me there one night and he won it for me.” Dawn smiled shyly at her sister before taking the toy and clutching it to her chest. “We called it Summers.”

“Oooh, Dawnie and Spike… sitting in a…” Buffy stopped and rethought the next line. “So over my dead body.” She glared at Dawn. “You didn't, not with him… Did you?”

Dawn laughed softly. “Nope. That whole crush thing is so over. We named it Summers cos we couldn't decide whether or not to name it Joyce or Buffy.”

“Good, cos, he is a vampire. And I'm setting a strict ‘No Dating Vampires' rule.” Buffy pushed away the covers and stood up, feeling around on the floor with her feet for her slippers. “And don't even try the ‘But at 16…' because it won't work with me and it was way different back then. I've grown up a lot since then, and I realise now that, Angel and I were just a big old cosmic mistake made by the morons that are The Powers That Be.” She stood up. “Let's go make us some breakfast.”

Dawn sighed and followed her sister downstairs. There were just no words to describe how happy she was to be back home, where things were alarmingly normal, even if she did have a sister who was trying to be her mom who was also The Slayer, and her closest living family consisted of two Witches, an ex-Vengeance demon, a Seer, a green Soul Reading demon, two vampires, two ex-Watchers of The Slayer, a demon hunter, a carpenter and a physicist, even if they weren't related by blood.

~*~*~*~

As Buffy walked into the kitchen, she was surprised to see an already steaming stack of pancakes, fresh squeezed orange juice and toast and fruit already to be taken out to the dining room. She looked around the kitchen for the cooking culprit but noticed nobody.

“Looks like the Culinary Fairy has come to pay us a visit.” Buffy smiled as Dawn walked in.

“Actually, she's a Gourmet Fairy. And, she's not really a fairy, more like one of those do-gooder demons.” Both sisters jumped at the sound of Anya's voice behind them.

“Anya!” Buffy put her hand to her heart. Trying to slow it down before it forced it's way through her ribcage and out onto the counter top.

“When did you guys get here?” Dawn waved to Xander as he ran around the living room, pulling closed the drapes so a smoking Spike could remove the blanket that covered his head.

“Pretty much just now.” Xander closed the door shut and took his coat off before hanging it up with Spike's blanket.

“Oh, so, you guys didn't do this?” Buffy gestured with her hand around the kitchen.

“Do you think she'll like these?” Willow asked as her and Tara entered through the back door.

“She should, v-violets are her favourite.” Tara smiled as she looked up and saw the others standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

“How do you know that?” Willow asked, still looking down at the bunch of flowers in her arms.

“Hey guys.” Buffy smiled at the two witches. “You must have been up pretty early to get all this ready.” She glared at Xander who'd brushed past her and reached for a banana.

“Oh, hey Buffy and everyone.” Willow blushed. “I thought it would be nice if you two woke up to a nice, home cooked breakfast. So, I called Tara and asked her if she'd come and help because, we all know just how much of a whiz I am in the kitchen when it comes to cooking.”

“A-and then, we decided it would be nice to have a great, big family breakfast. Y-you know, like the o-ones on The Brady Bunch.” Tara grinned and leant over to give Dawn a hug.

“No complaints here.” Buffy grinned again. Now that things were starting to look a lot brighter, she could relax a little and enjoy her life some more. “And Tara knows that violets are my favourite because I told her when we were at the hospital one time.”

“Must you chew with your mouth open Xander?” Anya glared at him and before he could reply, Willow quickly swooped in, smacking his arm lightly before taking the plate of fruit out to the dining room table.

“Alexander Harris!” She admonished lightly. “This is a family breakfast. Not an All Xander Can Eat buffet.”

Spike smirked as he picked a strawberry off the plate and bit into it. Before he could gloat anymore, Dawn had walked past and playfully slapped him in the back of the head.

“That goes double for you Spike.”

He stood there, dumbfounded until Tara pushed past him with two plates of pancakes and a jug of maple syrup. Buffy giggled, as Anya was the next one to tell both Xander and Spike off. “Go and clean your hands! This is going to be a perfect breakfast. And you both have filthy hands!” She looked at Buffy who was now clutching her sides as she roared with laughter. “What? It's the truth. Xander was…” Xander cut her off as he rushed past her and up the stairs to the bathroom.

“I'm going honey. No need to tell them what I was doing.”

“And Spike was almost toast this morning.” She continued on.

Spike rolled his eyes as he followed Xander up the stairs to the bathroom. “Fine, I'll go. But only if Red and Tara promise to add a little caffeine to my blood.” He ran upstairs as Tara nodded and added a teaspoon of instant coffee to the mug before placing it in the microwave and turning it on.

As they settled down to breakfast, Buffy realised just how happy she was. “Um, I've made a decision.” She announced after the passing of plates had settled down to a minium.

“What is it Buffy?” Dawn looked up from her plate of pancakes from her place between Tara and Xander.

“I'm thinking of postponing my birthday. Just until the reading of the will.” She hurried on as Willow began to look panicked.

“A-are you sure Buffy?” Tara looked to where Buffy sat at the head of the table.

“Yes. I'm just going to be too busy with organising the last of the mortgage payments with the bank next Friday. And trying to organise some kind of allowance scheme with the trust fund.”

“Uh, Buff? What trust fund?” Xander spoke around a mouthful of toast.

Buffy looked up and smiled before regaling them with the information Mackenzie had shared with her yesterday. From who was required to be at the reading of the will, to the trust funds set up in advance by Joyce, down to the last digit of the mortgage she had left to pay. She grinned, satisfied with her friends' expressions, shock registering on each one of their faces, until Anya broke the silence.

“This is great. With all that money, you should be clear of debt and you should be able to burn that putrid uniform.” She looked to Buffy.

“I hadn't really thought about that.” Buffy picked at her toast.

“You could even come back to school Buffy.” Willow began to bounce around in her seat between Anya and Spike.

“Wow.” Buffy looked to Dawn. “Maybe we should postpone our thing until then as well Dawnie?”

Dawn nodded, her brain trying to come to terms with the radical change her life just took.

The rest of the day was spent in deep conversation. Anya began advising Buffy of her current financial situation and the situation after she'd paid off the mortgage, Tara and Willow advised Buffy or reenrolment dates and courses that were being offered at UC Sunnydale. Spike had disappeared to the basement to get some much needed rest and to avoid the harmful rays of sunlight that were now filtering through the partially open blinds and Xander, under the supervision of Dawn, began cleaning up the kitchen and dining room.

~*~*~*~

Shortly after five o'clock as the sun was just beginning to set, there was a loud knocking on the front door, causing Buffy to jump as she walked from the kitchen to the dining room. Quickly, she did a quick headcount. There were seven of them, including herself and Spike who had just emerged from the basement and was now headed for the fridge where they had stacked several bags of blood for him.

“Who could that be?” Xander looked to Buffy who just shrugged.

“It could be dad.” Dawn's lower lip began to tremble. “He's come here to take me away. Buffy, I don't want to go back. Please don't let him take me away.”

Tara wrapped a comforting arm around Dawn's shoulders. “D-don't worry. We w-won't let him take you Dawnie.”

“Nah, it wouldn't be dad… would it?” Buffy began to look perplexed.

“You want I should answer it Slayer?” Spike asked as he walked in, sipping blood from a glass.

“No Spike, it's okay. I'll get it.” Buffy walked to the door as the knocking increased volume. Tentatively, she opened the door. Her heart dropping as a familiar figure turned to face her. “Oh my God.”

“Buffy? Who is it?” Dawn walked up slowly behind her big sister, a cross and a stake at the ready if need be. Xander was already by the weapons chest, reaching in to grab his favourite battleaxe that he knew Buffy kept in there.

Buffy opened the door wider to reveal the man standing there. His hair slightly dishevelled, his clothes rumpled and his glasses askew. “What are you doing here?” She stood in the doorway, continuing to block everyone else's view of the mystery guest. “You aren't suppose to be here. Not now anyway.”

“I caught the first red eye out of London after you called. I packed a few things, and came as fast as I could. Are you alright?” He stared at her for a moment before looking down at his bags. “Buffy… I'm sorry if I sounded a little… severe… on the phone yesterday. I was just, rather stunned that you called. It has been a while since I left. And, it is the first time you've conversed with me since I rang to say I arrived home in one piece.”

He was silenced as she threw herself into his arms, tears soaking his sweater as she began to sob. By now a crowd had gathered behind her at the door, and one by one, each of the Scoobies had joined the hug. Including Spike. Giles smiled softly as he tried to accommodate for the small horde that bombarded him with their giant hug, his arms doing their best to encompass them all.

After several minutes of bittersweet tears shed by all of them (yes, including Spike, the big, bad, evil vampire), Giles cleared his throat. “Ahem. May I suggest that we move this inside where we will have less chance of being attacked by whatever is deciding that sunset is the best time to smite the slayer and her friends.”

One by one, they all trooped in the front door, Spike picking up Giles' suitcases and Xander reaching for his overnight bag. Anya led them all into the living room, Willow holding Dawn as they both shed some tears of their own, Tara moved silently into the kitchen to make tea and hot chocolate, while Buffy, still clinging to Giles, sat on the sofa, her face buried against his chest. As Tara walked back in, loaded down with tea and hot chocolate, Dawn and Willow were sniffling back the last of their tears, Anya was dabbing at the corners of her eyes with a Kleenex, Xander and Spike were trying to preserve what was left of their dignity by lightly punching each other in the arm and coughing in what would later be described as a ‘manly' way.

“Thank you Tara.” Giles said gently as she handed him a cup of tea. “Now, if we're all calm enough, maybe someone would like to explain to me, what on earth is going on, and why on earth you all swarmed me in the middle of the front porch.”

Buffy looked up with red-rimmed eyes. “We all swarmed you?” She looked around the room and at Spike and Xander who shifted their glances to the floor. “You mean… even Spike?”

Giles laughed lightly and nodded. “Yes, even Spike.”

“I was in the moment Rupes. Got all caught up in the Slayer's emotional hurricane.” He glared at the others, daring them to say anything different.

Buffy laughed and looked at the still open door. “I guess, before I go on and retell the stories of the past two days I should go patrol.” She hugged Giles one last time but made no move to stand up.

“Don't worry Pet.” Spike piped up. “Me and the Whelp can do a couple of sweeps.” He nudged Xander who had glared at him.

“Uh, yeah Buff. Dead boy Junior and I can load up on the crosses and holy water and stakes and take over patrol for tonight.”

“We'll go too.” Willow motioned to the other three girls and herself. “I think Buffy and Giles need to talk alone about all of this. And it would be a lot easier if they didn't have to stop talking about it if they had to console one of us every five seconds.” She stood up. “It's okay if we take Dawnie along isn't it?” She looked to Buffy.

“Sure. As long as she's extra careful and she doesn't try and take on anything by herself.” Buffy turned to face Dawn. “You have kept up with all the working out and training we started the last time you came down haven't you?”

Dawn nodded. “Dad got me some membership at some gym in L.A. after that weekend because I kept setting up a… never mind.” Dawn grinned sheepishly as she stood up.

“You kept setting up a pillow and practicing staking it.” Buffy grinned at the younger Summers. “Don't worry, I did it too.” She nodded as they all pulled on their jackets and began to walk out the front door.

Silently, Tara walked back in and gave both Giles and Buffy a quick hug. “W-welcome back Mister Giles. And, I put it in the top of your wardrobe Buffy.” Tara smiled and hurried to catch up with the others who were waiting for her outside.

Buffy stood up and smiled at Giles. “You're home.” She swiped at her tears with her hands. “I thought you wouldn't be here for at least another four days.”

“Yes. I had rather thought I wouldn't be here until at least Thursday of next week. But, when I'd made myself a cup of tea after your phone call, I… I rang the Council and told them that the Hellmouth was due to re-open and that you were in need of my assistance and expertise with foreign and ancient languages. So, they let me commandeer their private jet.” He blushed a little at her shocked expression.

“Giles!” She gasped, trying to contain her giggles. “You lied to The Council of Watchers? You liar!” She sat down on the coffee table and giggled.

“Yes, well, let's not pretend that I've never lied before shall we?” He reached forward for a cup of tea, his hand gently brushing her thigh.

Buffy jumped back as if struck by electricity. “Yeah, well. I didn't really expect you to come.”

“Buffy…” Giles looked up at her as she began to pace.

“I have to go and get something, I'll be right back.” She ran up the stairs, brushing furiously at her new round of tears.

Giles sat there, speechless. There were so many things he wanted to tell her, show her. He loved her and it was tearing him up inside seeing her ache the way she was. He took off his glasses and reached for the handkerchief in his jacket pocket. Meticulously, he cleaned the lenses, mulling over what it was in Joyce's will that had his Slayer so distraught. He chuckled to himself. He hadn't spoken to her since three days after he had left Sunnydale to go back to England and he still considered her to be his. And, she was. She was his Buffy, the incredible girl he'd seen grow from a wilful child into a beautiful, strong woman.

“Okay, back. Believe it or not, she had it hidden under my work uniform.” Buffy bounded down the stairs and into the living room with false cheeriness. “I would of at least thought she'd have placed it in one of the drawers in my wardrobe.” She walked over to the television and pushed the tape into the tape player.

“Buffy…” He began again, only to be cut off by her heart broken glare.

“Please Giles. Just… watch. Okay?” She moved to sit back on the opposite end of the sofa, curling up against the arm. She reached for the remote that sat on the coffee table and pressed play as Giles returned his glasses to his face.

He sighed and nodded as Joyce appeared on the screen of the television. He sat there, quiet shock beginning to register on his face as Joyce began her monologue to the camera. Twice he pulled the aforementioned handkerchief from his pocket to wipe at the lone tears that slipped down his cheeks. Towards the end of the tape, Buffy had somehow managed to scoot closer to him on the couch, her hand finding his and holding it, her thumb gently stroking the back of his hand as her mother went on to tell the watching Buffy that it was alright to love Giles.

As the tape ended, Buffy turned Giles to face her, her hand covering his mouth as he went to speak. “No. Listen first. There's more.” She continued on to read the letter she had read out to the others the night before.

When she'd finished, Giles looked at her with unshed tears shining in his eyes. “Buffy…” His voice cracked as his emotions spilled out in one long, great rush of air. “Oh Dear God Buffy I love you so much I'm so sorry I just need you to understand why I had to go back to England I needed you to…” His cheeks were flooded with tears as Buffy pulled him to her in a reassuring hug.

“Shhh. Giles, it's okay. I get why you had to go. I'm glad you did. These last few months have been … well, hell. But they've been worth it. This Slayer always lands on her feet, well, unless she's doing a swan dive off a platform, even the Chinese Olympic team would be jealous of.”

Giles took a deep calming breath and pulled away. “That wasn't funny Buffy.” He looked down to his lap where her hand was still entwined with his.

“At the time, no, it wasn't. And up until yesterday morning, it probably still wasn't. But, what mom said to me, what she said to us, it gave me the courage to look back and smile. Knowing that, what was done, on both Willow's and my parts, was done for love. No matter how much of a rank and arrogant amateur she is. She gave the world back their warrior, their light. She gave me a second chance. She gave us a second chance.” She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles gently.

“H-how long?” Giles removed his glasses and wiped away his slowing tears.

“Since before Riley left. It was why he left. Just after we faced Dracula, I knew. He was telling me how you wanted to throw yourself back into that… that pit full of vampire girls.” She spat out the world ‘girls' as if it were an affront to her gender. “Right then, I knew that, I couldn't lose you, not ever. You were the one thing that kept me tied to the reality of the life that is mine.” She sighed. “How about you?”

Giles shifted uncomfortably until he was leaning against the back of the couch. “Do you remember Kathy?” He removed his glasses once more, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

“Ugh. You mean Miss OCD?” Buffy flopped back against the armrest. “How can I forget. It was my first few weeks of college dorm room life. Plus there was the whole, trying to send me to an unknown hell dimension because her parents were all pissy.”

“Well, since then.” Giles looked down in his lap. “I was going to tell you. Just after she, uh, l-left. Then Willow had her problems, and you became engaged to S-Spike a-and then there was Riley. I just decided it was best if you didn't know.”

“Best for who?” She asked softly, her eyes slowly starting to mist up with more tears.

“You… me.” He replaced his glasses and stood up. “I was planning on leaving.”

“But you just got here!” She stood up and began to furiously place the empty tea things on the tray before stomping out to the kitchen.

“No! Buffy. Th-that wasn't what I meant.” He followed her to the kitchen, turning her to face him as she braced herself against the kitchen sink. “That week, with Dracula. I-I was going to leave, go back to England. You didn't seem to need me, you were happy and content and you had Riley to help with the nightly patrolling, Willow, Xander, Anya and Tara could help you with the research. I was just here, doing nothing. S-standing in the way really.”

She looked up at him as a fresh bout of tears stung her eyes. “You were never standing in the way. And Willow and the others? They don't know half the stuff about demons and researching you do. And, well, as for Riley, he was more of a liability on patrol then a helping hand.”

She turned back to the sink to rinse out the teacups and teapot. Her heart hammering as untold truths began to form in her mind. Riley had almost gotten her killed on more then one occasion. She had to have Willow work some serious mojo twice to help increase the speed of her Slayer healing before she could go and see Giles, and Xander had to rush her to the emergency room once because while trying to protect Riley, she'd been slammed into the wall of a crypt, resulting in a mild concussion. All of them had been sworn to secrecy, Giles wasn't to know. The last thing she had wanted was for him to worry about her, especially since he'd been the one to tell her to stand on her own two feet.

“I'm sorry Buffy.” His hand reached out to rest on her shoulder.

“It's okay Giles.”

“No. I-I love you Buffy. And I've been incredibly foolish.” He turned her to face him again. “But, maybe we should wait until the reading of this will until we move in on this.”

She nodded, not trusting her voice or the emotion that was causing her heart to pound and her head to spin. “I…I love you too Giles.” She threw her arms around him for the second time that night and held him tight. “And, if waiting's the best thing to do, then we wait. I've waited a year, you've waited two, and hey, anything this good has gotta be worth the waiting right?” She looked up and smiled at him.

“Indeed.” He bent his head and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. “So, the blankets for the couch are still in that cupboard in the hallway, yes?” He moved out into the hallway just as the others came stomping up the front stairs and into the front door.

“Yes.” Buffy watched as he was enveloped in more hugs by the others before turning back to wash the dishes.