Chapter 4 - Parties

"I don't have a housewarming present," the vampire said.

"The closet came up blank?"

"I didn't even try the closet, I just couldn't think of anything. What are you bringing?"

"Cookware. Tara and Willow say Anya wants to continue cooking."

"After those cookies?"

"We don't mention the cookies."

"May I raid the wine cellar? Does it turn out mundane vintages?"

"Mundane, but not pedestrian. Help yourself. Anya likes champagne."

***

"You're not losing a store manager, Giles, you're gaining a carpenter," Spike told him.

"We've had, god help us, bridal consultants cluttering up the shop. They insist I make the first toast."

"I'm sorry I missed them."

"I thought you were avoiding them on purpose."

**

"No cookie sheet?" Willow whispered to Ann.

"As it happens, one isn't included with this particular set."

"How hard did you have to look to find it?"

"Actually, I made this set myself," Ann said softly.

"Is that where you've been recently? We've scarcely seen you."

**

"So where have you been?" Dawn demanded.

"Vampire stuff. I wanted to talk some things over with Claire."

"Can she get that chip out?"

"She's still looking for a trustworthy surgeon."

"You said you'd help me with my German, Spike."

"Warum?"

"Because I've got homework, that's why."

"Tomorrow, at the shop. Remember, I don't do it for you, I just talk and correct it."

***

"Dawn needs help with her homework," Spike told Ann as he drove back to the house on Los Robles Road.

"No, she just misses you," Ann said. "She'll be very hurt if you drop her as soon as Buffy is back."

"Am I dealing with sibling rivalry here?"

"I think she wants to be liked for herself, not just as Buffy's adjutant."

"She's not. I do."

"So help her with her German," Ann said.

***

"I cooked four dinners in a row. I was thinking we'd go out tonight."

"In Sunnydale?" Spike frowned.

"No, San Francisco."

"And we'd get there how?"

"I'd move us."

"Ann," Spike started to protest. He looked at her, then asked: "Do you think she's ready for that much weirdness?"

"She's living with a vampire in a house with responsive closets," Ann reminded him.

"Neither of those is dangerous." He noticed her amused expression. "Which, I suppose, is your point."

"I already had this discussion with Mellisande and Rachel recently, about Tara. It's been ten days since she came here. Ready or not, I think Buffy has to be made more aware of her wider surroundings and some of the dangers therein," Ann said. "I'm not certain of her current Slayer status, but I do know we're still in Sunnydale, where weirdness abounds and where she has many enemies, and where, at some point, she may want to go for a walk. Imagine Buffy walking into Willy's tonight, not knowing what to expect or what to do."

"I take your point. Let me think about it. Where in San Francisco?"

"Chinatown. If you agree, suggest it to her."

***

"Spike says we're going out for dinner?"

"Yes. I'm tired of cooking."

"Will we see anyone I know?"

"Probably not. We're going to San Francisco."

"How fancy?"

"Like this," Ann said, and her clothes shifted to an Armani pantsuit: Green silk pleated pants and lapel-less jacket over a black V-necked silk blouse. "The closet should have something for you."

"I'll look." Buffy went upstairs.

***

Spike came out of the bathroom. Buffy was standing in front of the closet.

"Elegant," she said to the mirror. "And silk, if you can."

"Shoes," Spike said, grinning at her.

"Shoes, too," Buffy told the mirror, holding one bare foot up to it. She waited a minute, then opened the door. "Hey, Ferragamos. And Jil Sander. And Victoria's Secret. Good. Oh, my hair! What about my hair?"

"It looks fine, all clean and shinny."

"This is our first real date, isn't it?"

"Yes," the vampire said.

"I'm excited. Why haven't we ever gone out before?"

"We've been busy a lot."

"Well, I'm glad we have time now." Buffy put her hands on his shoulders and kissed him. "Now, get out of here while I get ready, I want to surprise you." She went to the bathroom door, looked in, and said, "Oh, cosmetics! I've missed lipstick." She disappeared behind the closed door.

***

"How did you ever find this place?" Buffy asked.

"I know the cook," Gang Long said.

"Will it be crowded?" Buffy asked, growing a little nervous.

"Probably not," Ann reassured her.

Buffy kept close to Spike as they entered the restaurant.

The hostess greeted Ann and Gang Long in what Buffy assumed was Chinese. Ann and Gang Long replied in the same language. After Gang Long spoke, the hostess laughed and led them to a table.

Ann switched to English: "And we leave the meal in your hands. We are moderately hungry and we all drink beer."

"We're ready to serve now, Jingwu."

"Very good."

The food relaxed Buffy. She found she could use chopsticks, which delighted her, and she rediscovered Chinese mustard, which made her eyes water. She didn't care for the jellied chicken feet, but she ate all the twice-cooked pork with sesame seeds and the cheese-filled wontons.

Spike stopped eating first, then Ann put down her chopsticks, but Buffy and Gang Long cleaned the platters and called for dessert.

Ann settled the bill and they left the restaurant.

On the street, Ann said, "We need to find a secluded spot, so we can get home without shocking the tourists."

"Teleportation," Buffy said. "Are you a witch, Ann?"

"No, but I can do anything a witch can do."

"Willow can't do anything like Spike's closet."

"I don't know if she's ever tried."

"You don't need a closet, do you?"

"The closets are for my guests," Ann said. "You made good use of the one in your room."

"Thanks. This was fun," Buffy said. "Next time, let's invite Willow and Tara along, too."

"Good idea. Next week, why don't we all go out for fish?"

"No rush."

"No rush at all. Here will do," Ann said

Gang Long grinned over at her, said: "Surfing, I'll be back tomorrow," and blinked out.

Ann moved Buffy and Spike to her foyer.

"I haven't seen Willow in a while," Buffy said.

"Shall I bring her over?" Ann said.

"No," Buffy said quickly. "No, it's late."

"She won't mind," Ann told the girl. "She'll be glad to see you."

"Another day. I think I'll go up now."

"We're going to have a nightcap, will you join us?"

"No, no thanks. Spike, don't be long." Buffy went upstairs.

Spike didn't watch her go, but walked into the library. Ann followed him. Silently, Ann handed him wine. The glass shifted to a brandy snifter and the red wine changed to a pale amber. He tossed it off. Not looking at Ann, he said: "I don't want you to meddle any more."

"Sod that," Ann said.

He jerked his head up and stared at her.

"Tell me you don't miss the Slayer."

"I don't miss the Slayer," Spike lied steadily. Ann smiled at him. He threw up his hands and turned away from her.

"The Buffy we have now would have made Joyce very happy and proud. She is beautiful, sweet tempered, athletic, clean, tidy, polite, a joy to have around the house, and a real danger to herself and her friends. Furthermore, she's not whom you fell in love with."

"I do love her."

"You love all of her, including the missing parts: the salt, the spice, the deftness with edged and pointed weapons. You didn't fall in love with the cheerleader, Spike; you fell in love with the Amazon."

"Yeah." He glanced at his glass. It had refilled and he emptied it again.

"Which is not the safest act in the world."

"Ann, she's happy. I don't think she's been happy since she became the Slayer. Look at the way she laughs and smiles."

"This is not an asylum for the happily ignorant; she is not a prisoner in my home. If she's an adult who can come to your bed, she's an adult who can leave whenever she wants. She can walk out or here tomorrow and probably get herself killed before she's been on her own for more than ten minutes. You know how exactly happy you would be if that happened again."

"It's not that simple."

"I say: If A, then B. And you've heard me expound on freewill enough to know I won't let you keep her here if she wants to leave."

"I know." He put his glass down next to the crystal phone, then wandered over to the computer, but did not sit down. "She wants to be with me. If she doesn't..." He turned back to Ann: "We could leave."

"Yes, you could. And the first human who tries to harm her?"

"Does," Spike said quietly, "because I couldn't stop him."

"Probably."

"What do you want to do?"

"If you agree, toward the end of the week, say Thursday, I ask Willow and Tara to come to swim and to stay for dinner."

"What does Claire say?"

"That I should let her make a choice, that I should provide her with an out, an escape option."

"How does that work?"

"You and Buffy can have dinner upstairs, in the west suite, if she doesn't want to join us after you tell her Tara and Willow are coming."

"And I tell her when?"

"Thursday after lunch, that afternoon sometime. Don't give her a long time to worry."

"And you tell Willow and Tara when?"

"I'll them only if Buffy agrees to come down and not until after they arrive. Willow will listen, understand and be centered again in twenty minutes. Tara will take a little longer."

"Why Thursday?"

"School holiday on Friday. Rupert won't be surprised or suspicious if the girls go on a brief break, away from the Magic Box or even away from Sunnydale. I may have to take them to Seattle to talk to Claire."

"Good point. All right."

"I have a late date in Taos. I'll be back in the morning."

"A one night stand?"

"Lindsay was in court longer than he estimated, and he's busy tomorrow, too." Ann ported out.

(Chapter 5)

(Return to Main Page)