THE PERSONS’ COURT


Disclaimer: Of course, as always, Joss, ME and yes, even the television studios own Buffy and all of her friends and family. (They also own Angel and his cohorts, too). Oh, everyone and their brother owns court TV cast and crews.


A/N: Okay, so I have this confession to make to the readers here. I have a few ‘guilty pleasures’ in my life. Call them weaknesses, or ‘sins’ if you will. They are my pleasures, truly.

My husband is my first pleasure (though he would deny it!). The guy can get insecure, okay? Second, of course, will always be my daughters, Tara and Monique. Third? Okay, wine, cabernet wine that is and Californian to boot. I kiss French; drink Californian!

My extended family is a pleasure to me, also, as is my friends and cohorts of the past ****** some years!

However…..one of my biggest, guiltiest pleasures? Is court TV. Yes, all those tacky, loud, silly probably staged court television shows on the boob tube!

I love them! Judge Joe Brown, Greg Mathis, Marilyn Melani and of course, Judge Judy! Over Soaps, talk shows, etc., I love court TV.

So, in the spirit of my weaknesses, I decided to write a series of short, one shot chapter length fics, based on some of these shows. Vignettes, really, and I hope to keep them interesting, funny and tongue in cheek!

Buffy will be playing the role of the head judge, Her Honor Elizabeth ‘Buffy’ Summers. Charles Gunn will be her steadfast bailiff in the courtroom.








Various characters from BTVS and ATS will appear in the short chapters, as plaintiffs and defendants in cases. Before her Honor ‘Elizabeth Summers’ courtroom, that is.

I’m hoping the Spuffy connection will make itself clear by the end of the first mignonette.

Please give this a read. It’s all in the name of good clean fun and humor.


Summary: Judge Elizabeth ‘Buffy’ Summers is the hottest new thing on television. Everyone is talking about the ‘warrior judge’ of the people, Her Honor ‘Elizabeth Summers’ the people’s judge.


Chapter 1:

‘Voice over’

“Hello, I’m Johnathan Levy, resident lawyer pro bono for the Persons’ Court. Our first set of litigants are up and let’s join them now, in the ‘Persons’ Court’.”


Charles Gunn, Elizabeth Summers’ trusted bailiff strode into the courtroom, with confidence.

“All rise,” he ordered sternly. “This court is now in session, the honorable Elizabeth Summers presiding…”


Elizabeth ‘Buffy’ Summers sailed into the courtroom and up to her prestigious bench. She smiled, warmly, at the ‘audience’ that awaited her.

‘I am a fucking Goddess here,’ Buffy reassured herself, as she walked with confidence to her bench. She wore a traditional robe, yes, but underneath? Buffy Summers was pure DKNY, completely.

“Gunn, let’s get started,” Buffy nodded at her bailiff, firmly. Charles Gunn had been with the thirty-two-year-old Buffy Summers for years, but on TV? He was a novice.

“This is case #666 on the docket, Judge,” Gunn droned out, mechanically. “The case of O’Connor versus O’Connor, your Honor. All participants have been sworn in. Ladies, gentlemen,” Gunn continued, dramatically enough, “please be seated. Judge?”


Buffy realized, of course, that not only was she a queen here, in this studio setting? She was a freaking goddess of sorts! Even at her total height of 5’1”, Buffy was aft formidable foe, at the least for these idiots that came here. Hashed out their personal woes on national television for the entire world to see.

In her flowing black robes and high-heeled shoes, Buffy made a real mark on the legal world. She had no doubt. Her golden hair flowed down her back, something she had devised for the studio execs, and her make-up was always within the highest of standards.

However, the truth was? Buffy was a real judge, one of the youngest in the State of California. And, she truly believed in the judicial system, for the most part. Especially when all of the ‘state’ as it were, could see her mete out justice on national television.

“So,” Buffy frowned, slightly, as she read over the court files in front of her. “You, Mr. Connor O’Connor, are suing your own father? Liam O’Connor for damage done to your ‘boom box’?”

“Yes, Maam,” Connor replied quietly. “My father, Liam, destroyed my boom box, the one in my Chevy truck, because he didn’t like my date for the Prom, Maam,” the young man repeated.

“I never broke the little sh**’s boomer,” Liam O’Connor growled at Judge Buffy. “He’s lying, just like the lousy, selfish she-bit** of a mother of his, Darla was. And…”

“Mr. O’Connor!” Buffy hissed at the tall, dark man at the defendants table. “Please,” Buffy continued with a shake of her golden head, “be patient,” she ordered. “You will have your turn to talk,” she assured Liam O’Connor.

For the next twenty minutes, Liam O’Connor and Connor O’Connor went at it, tooth and nail, over this stupid boom box.

Finally, Buffy had no choice but to throw both of the offending men out of her courtroom, unceremoniously.

Actually, Gunn threw them out, unceremoniously, but Buffy felt justified in ordering him to.

“Next case, please, Gunn,” Buffy grunted coldly.

“The next case on the docket,” Gunn began all businesslike. “Is case #667, Harris versus Rayne. All rise.”

“Well,” Johnathan Levy began, evenly, “we’ve all seen cases of father and sons ‘boxing’ things out between them. In this case,” the narrator continued, snarkily, “father and son ‘bombed’ out and both lost their cases. The next set of litigants is coming up so, stay tuned.”


Buffy parked her Lexus in her three car garage, in Sunnydale, California. She had grown up here, in Sunnydale. Fallen in love, married and had her children here. It was a miracle, or so Buffy thought, that the television production company would cave into her demands and film her show here. In Sunnydale.

Without hesitation, Buffy sauntered up the back stairs of the three-story house, and into the back door.

“Hey guys?” she called in greeting to her ‘wild bunch’ as she liked to call them.

“Mommy!” three little voices cried out in unison. Before Buffy could quite prepare herself, three tow-headed youngsters came barreling at her. All of them under the age of ten years.

“Mommy!” Buffy’s husband echoed their three rug rats as he elbowed his way through his children and up to his beautiful wife.

“We missed you Mummy!” Spike Giles chuckled as he grabbed his wife, the honorable Elizabeth Summers and held her to his body.

“My turn!” five-year-old William squealed, as he threw himself into his mother’s arms.

“No! My turn!” Dawnie Giles, all of seven, screamed as she tugged on her mother’s slim leg, possessively.

“Me, me!” the youngest Giles child, Cheyenne, cried. Even as she flung her tiny arms about her mother’s waist.

“How about me?” William ‘Spike’ Giles pouted, even as he pulled his wife, Judge Elizabeth Summers to him, yet again.

Buffy gazed at this little tribe of hers, lovingly, yet wearily.

“Tell me again,” Buffy whispered in her beloved husband’s ear. “Why do we have three children?” She raised her right eyebrow at her handsome mate, affectionately.

“Because we didn’t want four children?” Spike answered, seriously. Then he began to laugh, loudly, as he scooped up little Cheyenne into his strong arms.

“I’ve got steaks on the grill,” Spike called back to his famous wife as he strode off onto the patio of their house. “Dawn’s made some salad and there’s Ben and Jerry’s for desert,” Spike added, as an afterthought.

“Thank you,” Buffy mumbled softly, as she looked up a ceiling of the three story house.

“I’ve got a lecture,” Spike bellowed from the patio as he turned the steaks. “Tomorrow,” he added, matter-of-factly. “My sister, Anabella, says she’ll watch all the little rascals,” he continued, good-naturedly.

“What a saint,” Buffy hummed as she slipped off her heels and headed, barefooted, out onto the patio. When she reached Spike, her husband of ten years, she wrapped her long arms about his waist.

“So,” Spike began carefully, as he turned the steaks again. “How’d it go today?”

“Screwed,” Buffy muttered into her husband’s warm, yummy ear. “But what do you expect? From court TV?”

“You could go on the lecture circuit again,” Spike offered, evenly. Even though he knew his wife would never do that again. He was the resident lecture lawyer, not his sweet Buffy. She was the drama queen, the celebrity.

“Nope,” Buffy countered, giving her husband’s long neck a gentle lick. “You’re the lecture genius, not me,” she added, honestly. “I’m the TV personality. You’re the real lawyer,” Buffy finished with a warm chuckle. “You keep me honest Spike Giles,” she purred into his ear. “And me?” she whispered, silkily. “I keep you horny.”


A/N: This will be the first in a series of one shot chapters about our fave couple! Don’t worry, this is Spuffy all the way and the only angst in this fiction will be in the courtrooms.

I hope to write chapters that will have our favorite characters battling it out in the judicial arena. I will be writing Buffy as a cross between Judge Judy and Judge Marilyn M.

Thanks for reading and please review. Luv, Spuf

JUSTICE FOR ALL


Chapter 2:


Buffy sat on her big, California king-sized bed that she shared with her husband, William ‘Spike’ Giles. While she waited for her hubby to join her, fresh from his shower, she practiced on her saxophone. The sax was Buffy’s way of relaxing and letting off some steam. She had been playing the damn thing for years and really enjoyed this hobby of hers.

Spike strode out of the bathroom into the master bedroom. He had a large towel wrapped around his waist, covering his manly parts (as he called them).

“Lose the towel,” Buffy mumbled after she removed her lips from the saxophone’s mouthpiece, briefly.

“Your wish,” Spike chuckled devilishly, chucking the towel onto the antique settee in their bedroom.

“Is my command,” he finished with a naughty smirk at his beloved little wife.

“Kids all asleep?” Spike asked his wife, warily as he slipped in between the sheets of their bed. He leaned back on his pillow and listened to Buffy’s sax notes, even as he half closed his eyes.

“All out like lights,” Buffy stopped long enough, with her music, to answer him. “Dawn’s worried,” she continued as she scrunched her brows together in concentration. “Says she’s not going to get that lead part in the day camp play she’s wanted for months. Poor thing,” Buffy shook her head in sympathy for her eldest child.

“I sure know how ‘that’ feels. To be worried about not getting the part you want,” Buffy sighed in frustration. “Or the head cheerleading spot for that matter,” she mumbled, a bright red blush on her face.

“Yeah, well these kids of ours have to find out that life is full of disappointments. You know that luv,” Spike murmured, sleepily.

“True, but I hate to see any of our kids disappointed,” Buffy pouted. “I want everything for our kids. Don’t you?” She glanced at her husband with a raised brow.

“Of course,” Spike nodded in response. “But we have to be realistic here. Just because ‘we’ want something for our kids? In the long run? Or they do? It’s not guaranteed, nothing is.”

“Hmmm,” Buffy murmured softly as she went back to her sax practice.

Suddenly, Buffy stopped her practice and eyed her husband, coyly. “Any requests?” she inquired of Spike, saucily.

Spike’s blue eyes flew open, fully, and he grinned wickedly. “Oh, a few,” he purred huskily. Before Buffy could blink an eye, Spike grabbed the saxophone and laid it next to them on the bed. He then pulled Buffy to his body, tightly, and began to kiss any available flesh he could.

“I meant music requests, dear,” Buffy giggled merrily as she pretended to try and get away from her husband’s embrace.

“You meant,” Spike growled lowly, “any requests and not just musical ones.” He began to smother Buffy with hot passionate kisses. On her face; her lips and neck, right down to her chest.

All the while, Buffy laughed hysterically, trying not to give in too easily to her husband’s ‘requests’.

“Ah,” Buffy hissed between pants, “you only love me for my ‘hot sax’ Will!” She began to giggle, uncontrollably again, while her husband nipped at her ample breasts with his mouth.

“No,” Spike halted his sexual onslaught of his wife. He looked, soulfully into her green eyes. “I love you for you. The whole package that is you, my Princess,” he purred into her warm little ear. “The ‘hot sax’ as you put it, is just a bonus, baby!”


Spike buried his mouth into Buffy’s still taut, flat tummy and began to kiss the warm flesh there, hungrily.


“All rise,” Charles Gunn ordered, evenly, of the packed courtroom audience.

“The honorable Judge Elizabeth Summers presiding,” he rambled out in his deep monotone.

“Thank you Charles,” Buffy greeted her trusty bailiff, with her professional demeanor.

“Please be seated,” Gunn instructed the audience. “Ladies, gentlemen, your Honor?” he finished with a nod at the courtroom.

“This is #711 on the court docket, your Honor,” Gunn informed Buffy as he gave her the file in his hand. “In the matter of Newton vs Hope and Taylor,” the bailiff glanced at the plaintiff and the two defendants, stoically.

“Ms. Newton,” Judge Buffy began carefully as she scanned the file in front of her. “You claim that Mr. Scott Hope and Peter Taylor of Ventura, California damaged your car? After taking it without your permission?”

Buffy suppressed the urge to roll her green eyes, in disgust at this case.

‘Oh, great,’ she thought with resentment, ‘another one of those cases. The guys, who pretended to be interested in Cassie Newton, ‘borrowed’ her car without permission. Uh, huh, right. They drove it out to the beach and…”

“Yes Maam,” Cassie Newton nodded firmly. “The defendants, Scott and Peter, took my car, without my permission. Actually, your Honor? It was my parents’ car.”

‘Oh, this just gets better and better,’ Buffy fought the desire to chuckle. On national television, even.

“Did your parents know that you had the car, Ms. Newton?” Buffy asked the plaintiff with a raised brow.

“Well, uhm, not exactly and…” Ms Newton looked as if she was about to throw up. Right on national television!

“Okay,” Buffy sighed in exasperation. “It says here, Ms. Newton, that you are twenty-years-old?” Buffy stared at the young woman, warily.

“You and the two defendants have known each other for years? Since grade school and even attended certain ‘rituals’ together?” Buffy scowled as she repeated the written words in front of her.

“Rituals?” she asked the young female plaintiff. “Do I dare ask what kind of rituals?” Buffy suddenly felt very light headed indeed.

“Oh, just silly kid stuff, your Honor,” Cassie Newton giggled like a school girl. “You know.”

“No, Ms. Newton,” Buffy groaned, audibly, “I don’t know. Do you mean like virgin sacrifice stuff? A goat or two? I’m not sure exactly what you mean and maybe I don’t want to know,” Buffy shook her blond head and sighed.

“Anyway, you are twenty, right Ms. Newton?” Buffy peered down at the wholesome looking young woman before her.

“Yes Maam,” Cassie Newton nodded.

“And you two,” Buffy squinted to read the defendants’ ages, “are twenty also? Is that right?” She ‘glared’ at the two young men.

‘Oh, don’t they look all American all right,’ she noted, trying not to smirk at the TV cameras.

“Yes Maam,” the two young men answered in unison.

“So, you are all three, twenty-years-old,” Buffy muttered. “And yet you cannot take any responsibility, any of you, for this mess?”



“Your Honor,” Cassie piped up, “if I may? We are all still young, right? Just kids really and going through these phases of ours. It’s hard to be…”

“Ms. Newton,” Buffy nearly growled at the young woman. “When I was your age? I was in my second year as a law student, so please. Don’t go there with me. About the phase hooey and all!”

“Yes Maam,” Cassie replied, sheepishly.

“You two,” Buffy glared at the male defendants, “dumb and dumber? Did you or did you not take Ms. Newton’s form of transportation without her consent?”

“No Maam,” Scott and Peter replied, earnestly enough, together.

“Oi!” Buffy cried, dramatically. “My mother told me there would be days like this, Gunn,” she sighed to the bailiff. Gunn just shrugged, indifferently and continued to stare at the wall.

“So,” Buffy groaned again, loudly, “Ms Newton claims that Scotty and Petey here took off with her car. No, make that her mommy and daddy’s car, from a regular, no frills ritual?”

“Yes Maam,” Cassie nodded at Buffy with a slight smile.

By this time, the audience in the courtroom was bursting with the urge to break out into uncontrolled laughter, but they knew better. There was never, ever any silliness, or at least out of hand silliness, allowed in Judge Buffy’s courtroom.

“Well?” Buffy looked to the two young men before her. “Let’s hear the whole story, or at least your version of it.”

Scott and Peter burst into some song and dance about needing to borrow Cassie’s car to run to the ritual store or something. Truth was, Buffy deciphered, that they had gone on a beer run. Which really did kind of give Buffy some hope for the future of America.

‘If it was a beer run,’ Buffy reasoned, ‘at least the younger generation is following in our traditions. Oh dear God! What the hell am I saying!?!’ Buffy was instantly ashamed with herself for hazing out there.

“About halfway back to the party, I mean the religious ritual, Maam,” Peter Taylor had the floor now. “We hit a shadowy animal, in the middle of the road, Maam,” the blond kid hung his head in embarrassment.

“An animal?” Buffy asked, warily. She wasn’t really too sure if she wanted to hear this or not.

“A rampaging goat, your Honor,” Scott interjected. “The damn thing just shot out of nowhere and…”

“That’s enough!” Buffy cried impatiently.

Everyone in the courtroom, burst into laughter over the irony of the situation. Here these three kids were going on about religious rituals. In the meantime, on a beer run, the two guys hit a goat and…

Well, it was too damned ironic for words.

“Give me your estimates,” Buffy ordered Ms. Newton, gruffly.

After looking over the estimates, Buffy ordered the defendants to pay Cassie Newton’s parents $2,351.99 in damages and repairs.

“Miss Newton,” Buffy admonished the plaintiff, before allowing her to leave the courtroom. “May I make a suggestion,” the judge offered the young woman.

“Yes Maam,” Cassie replied, automatically.

“Go to college,” Buffy grimaced at the girl. “Do something with your life besides hangs out with frick and frack here,” she finished with a glare at the two young men.

“Oh, and by the way, gentlemen,” Buffy grinned, benevolently at the two young men. “I’m ordering you to do forty hours of community service. To our lovely little city of Sunnydale, California. The city will put you up, in moderate accommodations and give you all the comforts of home, while you’re here. You can make up for killing a wayward farm goat by cleaning the Sunnydale City Zoo for a week.”

“But your Honor!” Scott Hope cried indignantly, “that’s not fair. We just hit the goat, by accident!”



Buffy stood up, but just before she turned and left the courtroom? She raised her gavel and slammed it, with authority, on her desk.

“That’s my ruling,” Buffy stated coolly. “Good day,” she called to the court audience and left the courtroom.

“Charles,” Buffy sighed deeply as she slumped in her inner office chair. “In our day,” she continued, puzzled. “We just snuck into movies and made out with our boyfriends at Lovers’ Lane. What happened and what meeting did I miss?”


A/N: So, this was my second episode of Buffy’s Justice for all!
Peter Taylor is a take on the character from Season 7, BTVS. The guy that played Tim Allen’s son on Home Improvement and tried to sacrifice poor Cassie Newton on BTVS. Scott Hope, is of course, Scott!

I hope you guys read this and enjoy it for the ‘fun’ it’s suppose to be!

Thanks, luv Spuf

JUSTICE FOR ALL


Episode 3:


Summary: Spike and Buffy have a night out on the town, alone, together!

However, in the second part of the chapter, justice will prevail in the courtroom. Buffy presides over her courtroom and rules with an iron fist!


“I want to dance,” Buffy informed her husband, matter-of-factly.

Spike and Buffy were out at the swankiest eatery in Sunnydale, the Blue Bayou Bistro. They had roped Dawn Summers, Buffy’s younger sister, into babysitting for them. Now, Buffy and Spike were out on the town and enjoying every moment of it.

Of course, the couple would have to give Dawn combat pay for the assignment. Buffy’s and Spike’s children were holy terrors, but very loved, that was for sure.

There was a nice little jazz band, at the Blue Bayou Bistro, and Buffy was in the mood. To have a real dance with her husband that is.

“Let’s dance,” Buffy insisted, ignoring her spicy Louisiana Scampi that the waiter had just brought to the table.

“I want to dance,” she persisted, stubbornly, a little pout on her soft lips. Buffy knew, from experience, that her husband, sweet William, could not resist that pout of hers.

“Let’s tango!” Buffy blurted out, eagerly. The band was playing a saucy little number and she just had to dance to it.

‘Hmmm, but if William says no? I’ll go out there and dance to the damn thing all by myself. Though,’ she reasoned, wickedly, ‘I’m sure I won’t be alone for long and my hubby will just go ballistic if I dance with someone else and…!’

Spike nearly glared at his wife, equally as stubborn as she. Tango! Him? No bloody way!

“Buffy,” he sighed in frustration, even as he took her little hand in his. Spike placed a tender, soft kiss on the back of his beautiful wife’s tiny hand.

“I can’t tango, remember? I wouldn’t even bloody try to tango and in front of all these diners? No bloody way, luv,” he stated sternly. He shook his blond head, firmly and went back to his Cajun prime rib. Spike ‘tried’ to ignore the hostile look his wife was giving him at the moment. Hostile Buffy was nearly as bad as hurt, disappointed Buffy, at least to her husband of over ten years.

“You used to ‘dance’ with me, Will,” Buffy sighed wistfully. “We used to dance all the time together. I guess that's when you really loved me and all. Oh well,” she sighed dramatically. “I guess the shine is off our relationship and…”

“Of for God’s sake,” Spike growled in exasperation. “Let’s go you big baby. I hate to tango, but I love you, desperately. So, I’ll go make a bloody idiot out of myself. Out there,” he pointed at the dance floor. His tone filled with childish resentment.

“Oh! Thanks baby,” Buffy gushed happily. “I knew you loved me still!”

Spike tossed his napkin on the table, in defeat. Before he stood up and took his wife’s arm, he eyed his prime rib, longingly.

“Let’s go,” Buffy whispered, excitedly, “the song might almost be over!”

“Oh, now there’s a bloody shame,” Spike muttered sarcastically. He slowly led his beautiful wife out onto the dance floor.

And what did they do? They tangoed, of course.


“All rise,” Charles Gunn’s deep alto voice echoed across the courtroom.

Buffy sailed out of the interim room, into her courtroom. She knew how well she ‘showed’ on the television cameras. This always gave her a good shot of self-esteem and confidence.

“This is case #937, on the docket, your Honor,” Charles droned, mechanically. His voice was unusually abrupt this morning. Even if he was probably the most unreadable person on TV, Gunn had a nice camera persona, usually.

‘Wonder what’s up with him?’ Buffy thought to herself about her bailiff. Charles Gunn had just broken up with his longtime girlfriend, Buffy was aware of that. However, like herself, Gunn had always been capable of leaving his personal life outside of the courtroom. That and from out in front of the TV cameras.


“This is Johnathan Levy,” blared the narrator’s voice over. “I’m out here, on the streets of Sunnydale, California, monitoring this case. While this is not an unusual case, especially here in California, it is somewhat different from the norm. Let’s join Judge Elizabeth Summers in the courtroom in the case of:

‘The Yellow Rose of Texas that Went to Seed’




“Well, let’s see,” Buffy sighed dramatically as she scanned the case papers in front of her.

“Oh, here’s a rare one,” Buffy stated, sarcastically. “Mr. Wesley Pryce here,” she nodded at the good looking plaintiff. “He is suing Ms. Winnefred Burkle for the return of a loan? Oh, and an engagement ring? Here’s one I haven’t seen in ages,” Buffy mumbled, then smirked for good measure.

These kinds of cases filled up the court dockets on a regular basis. Especially in California State, for goodness sake.

“All right then, Mr. Pryce, prove your case,” Buffy ordered the nervous looking plaintiff. She just loved these kinds of cases, really. They were so freaking easy to preside over.

“My ex-fiancé, Miss Winnefred Burkle,” Wesley Pryce began, all prim and proper. “She owes me for a loan of $2,500.00 and an engagement ring. My mother’s ring, actually, from her marriage to my late father.”

“So, Mr. Pryce,” Buffy broke into the plaintiff’s tirade, “just how do you justify asking for this money back? Or this special ring? I understand, due to these papers that it was you that broke the engagement?”

“Judge Buffy,” Mr. Wesley Pryce began in his charming, deep British voice. “You must understand something. When I met my Miss Burkle, Winnefred, that is.” Pryce glanced over at Miss Burkle, a bright red blush on his handsome face. “My Fred, as I called her,” Wesley added, coyly, “she was a sweet, reserved real southern lady, from Dallas, Texas. My yellow rose of Texas, as it were.”

Buffy tried not to laugh out loud, at this little drama, but it was difficult for her. Instead, she thought about her plans for later that evening. William was going to make some pasta, she, Buffy, was in charge of the salad. Tomorrow was an early day for William, in court and…

“So,” this Wesley Pryce just droned on, “I found myself, Wesley Pryce, Esquire, suddenly faced with a succubus demon from hell. My sweet, reserved Winnefred had transformed into a wild, wanton she-devil. A virtual, heathenish sex-goddess, your Honor. Not at all appropriate of a fiancé for a man of my social status or family obligations.”

“Family obligations?” Buffy asked the plaintiff with a raised light brown brow.

“Yes, you’re Honor,” Wesley Pryce nodded, vigorously. “My widowed mother, Mrs. Winston Wendahm-Pryce, aka Charlotte Anastasia Wendahm. She was of the Wendahm-Smythes of London, England, your Honor. The Smythes of London have served the royal family for over two hundred years as confidants and secretaries and…”

“Mr. Pryce,” Buffy sighed, dramatically. “I am very grateful, for your personal history lesson. Really, but it’s time to get to the meat and potatoes of this case. Why are you suing Miss Burkle for the loan and the ring?”

“When I met Miss Burkle,” the owlish looking man began, carefully. “She was a sweet, innocent Texas born and bred young lady. We met at a stamp collecting convention,” Wesley continued with a warm tone.

‘Oh, dear God,’ Buffy sighed to herself, glancing over at Gunn who was looking quite amused by this time. Charles Gunn glanced, sideways, out of the corner of his right eye, at his boss, Buffy. He had the most exquisitely bemused look on his face. This made it even harder for Buffy to keep focused and keep a straight face.

‘What a pompous, overbearing, silly ass of a man this Wesley Pryce is,’ Buffy assured herself. Then she noticed something. Something rather odd and unorthodox was going on here. Even for Buffy's courtroom. If it was any other time, Buffy might find this somewhat amusing.

This Winnefred Burkle, was grinning, quite seductively, at Buffy’s bailiff, Charles Gunn. Not hat Buffy minded an attractive young woman such as Miss Burkle looking, or even flirting with Gunn. No. However, Buffy felt that it was not the best time for Miss Burkle to be demonstrating her flirtatious demeanor with Charles. Nor, should she be doing it in this courtroom.

Buffy stared at Miss Burkle, then back at her bailiff, Gunn, a little stunned. Even with all of the silly drama that had come into this televised courtroom, over the past year, Buffy had not witnessed this overt display of overt sexual flirting. At least between a plaintiff, a defendant or her trusted bailiff, Charles Gunn.

Apparently, Mr. Wesley Pryce had noticed this display, also and called the defendant out on it.

“You see, you’re Honor,” Pryce sputtered in disbelief. “Even in here, this place of justice? My ex-fiancé mocks me, this judicial system and feminine gentility by…”

“That’s enough, Mr. Pryce,” Buffy hissed at the plaintiff. Then she turned her wrath on the coy little defendant.

“I’ll ask you to refrain from your barroom antics, Miss Burkle,” Buffy spat at the tall young woman. “This is a courtroom and not a single’s bar. This plaintiff who has brought this action against you? Is quite serious with his lawsuit and frankly, so am I.”





Buffy was extremely tired that morning, even though she knew better then to be. William and her had danced all night, at the bistro and actually had closed it down. Then they went home, made mad passionate love for the rest of the night. Their children were going to be at Dawn’s for the rest of the day and…

“Sorry Maam, I mean, you’re Honor,” Miss Burkle purred sweetly at Buffy.

‘Oh shit,’ Buffy chuckled to herself, ‘this gal’s really smooth. Butter wouldn’t melt in her southern belle mouth.’

“Go ahead Mr. Pryce,” Buffy grunted with a nod to the plaintiff. She decided, at that moment, to ignore the obvious silent foreplay that was going on between Charles Gunn and Miss Winnefred Burkle.

‘Maybe they’d be good for each other,’ Buffy reasoned silently.

“Mr. Pryce?” Buffy signaled the plaintiff again. Poor Wesley Pryce was watching his ex-fiancé, apparently mortified by Burkle’s newest target of love.

“Mr. Pryce,” Buffy cleared her throat in warning to Wesley. “Let’s get a move on here, I’m busy today?”

“Yes Maam,” Pryce growled lowly, his eyes still trained on Miss Burkle.

“As I said,” Wesley began again. “Winnefred and I were inseparable, for over a year. Mother adored her, at least at first and I worshipped her.”

‘Oh brother,’ Buffy groaned inwardly.

“And?” Judge Buffy prompted the sedate young man to continue.

“She suddenly, almost overnight, actually, changed, your Honor,” Pryce sighed sadly. “No longer the shy, sweet, retiring young lady I asked to marry me. My Winnefred became a wild, uninhibited woman. She actually came to my place of employ. I am a CPA, your Honor,” Wesley explained with a bright red blush on his face. “My Fred, she tried to seduce me. Right there, on my office desk top!”

Buffy tried not to join in the laughter that erupted in the courtroom. Even though, poor Gunn burst out into a hearty chuckle himself. Instead, Buffy kept her cool and a serious expression on her face.

“Well, Mr. Pryce,” Buffy stammered, thoughtfully. “Some men would like a fiancé or wife that was so…” Buffy paused, momentarily, as she tried to think of the right words to say here.

“So very sexually spontaneous?” Buffy offered Wesley and the courtroom.

Everyone in the court, everyone except Mr. Wesley Pryce, burst into unbridled laughter. Even the cameramen, from the TV station broke out into loud raucous laughter.

“Calm down, please,” Buffy blurted out at the entire courtroom. “Quiet!” she shouted in exasperation. She even tried to suppress her own desire to laugh out loud.

“I don’t feel like ‘I’ should be the one to return the ring, your Honor,” Miss Burkle interjected here. “Wes is the one that dumped me, not the other way around. Why should I lose out on the ring and all?”

Buffy eyed the defendant, warily. True, Mr. Pryce did break the engagement, however, he may have felt it was for the best and it was his mother’s ring, right?

“Yes, Miss Burkle, I understand. However…” Buffy scrunched up her brows, in concentration.

“Miss Burkle,” Buffy sighed heavily and directed her gaze at the female defendant. “Let me try and explain some ‘things’ to you and perhaps to some others watching today.”

Buffy sighed, dramatically. “Miss Burkle, a lot of young people today, of which I am still one, I assure you.” The judge grinned, rather goofily, at the defendant, the plaintiff and the TV cameras.

“A lot of young people have gotten the idea that marriage is some kind of fairy tale romance dream. That it is perfect, easy and the culmination of all those fantasies that we were told to expect to come true, as children. However,” Buffy continued sternly, “marriage is not a fantasy, a fairy tale dream and rarely romantic. At least not 24/7, that is.”

Wesley Pryce looked scandalized, Buffy noticed, while Winnefred Burkle just looked confused. Charles Gunn was chuckling softly and Buffy felt encouraged to ‘go on’ as it were.

“Marriage is a kind of business contract, Miss Burkle, Mr. Pryce? It’s definitely a contract, just like one that has been drawn up between two prospective business partners. The engagement ring,” Buffy continued, matter-of-factly, “is a form of collateral, of that marriage contract. A promise that if the marriage takes place, then the ring will be worn, next to the wedding band perhaps, from then on after the ceremony.”

“If, however,” Buffy continued with a slight frown, “the marriage does not take place. No matter whose idea it was to break the ‘contract’ of marriage? Then, the ring, the collateral of the agreement or contract, must be returned to the rightful owner. Therefore, Miss Burkle,” Buffy shot Winnedred an authoritive glare, “it is time to give Mr. Pryce back his ring. Period.”

Winnefred Burkle looked as if she’d lost her trust fund or at least her date to this season’s first Cotillion.

“But Judge Buffy,” Winnefred began to whine, “it’s not fair and…”

“Where is the ring, Miss Burkle,” Buffy muttered in frustration. Although, in her mind? Buffy had a pretty good idea just where this antique Pryce family heirloom was.

Burkle held up her left hand, reluctantly and shined the lovely ring that was on her finger. “It’s here,” Winnefred mumbled with some resentment.

“Charles,” Buffy nodded over at her bailiff, “please goes retrieve the ring from Miss Burkle and hand it over to Mr. Pryce. Now,” she ordered the man, somberly.

After Gunn had gotten the ring from Miss Burkle, Buffy leaned back in her judge’s chair and glanced first at Mr. Pryce, then at Miss Burkle. The defendant looked as if she was going to cry and the plaintiff didn’t look much better for the wear.

“About the so called loans, Mr. Pryce,” Buffy began attentively. “I wonder. Did you gain any compensation for whatever it is that Miss Burkle used your money for?”

“Well…” Pryce stammered with a hot red face. “Winnefred spent most of the monies at Frederick’s of Hollywood and…”

“Never mind Mr. Pryce,” Buffy sighed.

‘Maybe Will’s right,’ Buffy thought to herself. ‘Maybe I should go back on the lecture circuit and…’

However, Buffy just stared, thoughtfully at first Mr. Pryce then Miss Burkle.

“Mr. Pryce,” Buffy looked back over to the nervous, embarrassed plaintiff. “Two words, sir,” she continued gruffly, “move on.”

“But…” Wesley Pryce mumbled with downcast eyes.

“Move on, Mr. Pryce,” Buffy spat out again. “Go on with your life and find a nice simple girl to fall in love with. Someone a little better suited to you and your mother. Put a period mark on this affair with Miss Burkle and enjoy the fact that the fruits of your loan money did give ‘you’ some satisfaction, at least.”

The courtroom tittered with varied chuckles, laughs and chortles.
“Enough!” Buffy hissed at the live audience.

“Same goes to you Miss Burkle,” Buffy advised the sullen defendant, sternly. “You need to move on, do something constructive with your life and perhaps find a man more suited to you.”

‘Wonder who that might be?’ Buffy asked herself, although she had a pretty good idea who a prospective man was. ‘This new relationship just might do both Gunn and this Winnefred some good. The two of them together that is,’ she reasoned.

“That’s my decision and court’s adjourned,” Buffy slammed the gavel down on the bench table and stood up quickly.

Right after she escaped the silly courtroom, Buffy rushed to her office. She fell back onto her chair and pulled out her cell phone.

Speed dialing her husband’s cell phone number, Buffy sighed in weariness and slumped further back into her comfy chair.

“Hello, Princess,” came her beloved William’s deep voice. Buffy suddenly felt like million dollars when she heard Will’s dear voice.

“Hey,” Buffy whispered into the phone, lovingly.

“You okay?” Spike asked, concerned.

“Fine, now,” Buffy replied with a deep sigh.

“I want to thank you,” she murmured softly.

“For?” Spike asked with a slight chuckle.

“Our dance, Will,” Buffy responded affectionately. “Our tango.”


A/N: I hope this was okay. This story, as I initially posted, is going to be episodic. More of a series of one shot deals in each chapter. I’m trying to write about Buffy’s personal life with Spike and their family. The courtroom antics are supposed to be simply tongue-in-cheek plot lines.

Thanks and please read and review. Luv, Spuf

JUSTICE FOR ALL


Episode 4:


Buffy stepped into her husband’s home office and surveyed the scene before her. William, or Spike as he was known in the legal world, was sitting, crossed legged on his office floor. His important papers were spread about him, somewhat the way Buffy placed her latest cut out recipes about her. In her home office space that is.

Except William had an additional factor involved here. Their only son, William Jr., was draped over his dad’s lower legs. The five-year-old boy was fast asleep, even as he dad scanned over the legal documents.

As always, this fatherly devotion by her William always gave Buffy a good old tug at the heart.

‘God he’s a great dad,’ Buffy thought warmly of her husband. She remained, silent as mouse as she watched Will scan the papers while he tried not to disturb their son, William.

William, or Spike as the legal world knew him, wore his practical wire rim glasses as he purveyed the paperwork. His dark brows were scrunched together in serious thought while he looked over the papers. There was a writing pen stuck in his mouth, sideways, Buffy noted.

‘He wears those silly but sexy glasses,’ Buffy giggled to herself. ‘Even though he wears contacts to help him see more clearly, that's fine by me!' She continued her inner conversation, ‘he looks so damned adorable with the glasses. I couldn’t bear to have him stop wearing them.’

“How was your day?” Spike inquired of his beautiful wife, quietly. His son, William, was napping on his lower legs and Spike had no intention of waking the boy.

“You heard me?” Buffy asked, still a little surprised at her husband’s stealth hearing ability.

“Yup,” Spike mumbled distractedly. “Sensed you the minute you showed in the door, Princess,” he admitted with a hushed chuckle.

Buffy quickly, but quietly sidled her way up to where her husband sat on the floor. She slipped off her heels and joined him, cross legged on the floor. Without a thought to the fact that she was wearing a rather short, expensive DNKY skirt that day.

Without a second thought, Spike automatically put his free arm about his wife and drew her to him. He was rewarded, happily, when Buffy rested her golden head on his shoulder.

“Tough case?” Buffy asked with genuine interest.

“Not really,” Spike answered, matter-of-factly, “just a little different. Nothing I can’t handle.” He shrugged his strong shoulders and clutched Buffy even closer to him.

“Will?” Buffy began in a soft, unsure voice.

“What’s bothering you, baby?” Spike asked his wife with a raised brow. He always knew when something was troubling her. Especially when she worried her bottom lip with her top teeth, just as she was doing right this moment.

“It’s Riley Finn,” Buffy responded softly.

Spike flinched at the mention of Buffy’s ex-boyfriend from over ten years ago. If Spike detested anyone, in the entire world? It was that bloody moron, Finn.

“What the bloody hell does he want?” Spike asked with a frustrated sigh.

“A favor, from you, this time,” Buffy sighed heavily. “He needs some legal advice. Seems he’s gotten himself in a little trouble with Internal Affairs of the LA Police Department. Riley claims he’s innocent, but IA down there is just gunning for his badge, I guess.”

Buffy gave her husband that ‘you’re such a wonderful guy. So above the pettiness that is Riley Finn and so many other guys.’

Spike could never resist that Buffy look, so…

“I’ll talk to him,” Spike mumbled under his breath as he continued to scan the paperwork in his left hand. At the same time, he ran his right hand through his fair, somewhat spiky hair, anxiously.

“Riley must need the best lawyer, sweetie,” Buffy shook her head sadly. “He’s really got himself into it this time and ‘you’ are the best, baby,” she cooed at him, sweetly.

“It’s just,” Spike continued with a scrunched up frown, “that I still hate how he hurt you. Back in the day, when you caught him with that other girl. Spose I should be thankful to the bloke, for screwing up his relationship with you. That’s when you came to your senses and gave me a chance to show you real love, eh?”

Spike’s frown suddenly turned into a wicked smirk as he leaned in to kiss his beautiful wife.

“Maybe,” Buffy giggled in reply, “but we both know, Will, that I would have ‘come to my senses’ as you put it, anyway. Eventually, that is.” She continued to giggle softly, as Will nuzzled her lips, jaw line and finally her neck.

“Yeah, you would have,” Will’s muffled chuckle sent nice tingles up Buffy’s sleek neck.

“Mmmmm,” Buffy purred in response to her husbands snuggling and necking with her.

“Mama!” Dawn (the II) Giles squealed as she tumbled into the office. The eldest Giles’ child had little Cheyenne in tow. Actually, she was practically dragging the youngest daughter into the room.

“Cheyenne’s hungry!” Dawn yelped loudly, waking her sleeping little brother.

“Well, we’ll just have to go get dinner then, huh?” Buffy kissed her husband’s cheek and stood up from the floor. She straightened her short skirt, carefully before continuing the supper convo.

“How about pizza!” Buffy exclaimed. “Pizza for everybody! I’ll even make a salad to go with!”

Dawn, little William and Cheyenne began to jump and down in excitement at their promised treat. It was rare that mama and daddy ordered pizza out for them. Buffy had this thing about fast food, ever since she’d worked at the Double Meat Palace. She had worked there, her freshman year of college, to help supplement her scholarships and grants for her education.

The awful memory of that greasy, nasty fast food place never quite left Buffy Summers-Giles. However, tonight was special, for her, Will and yes, even the kids.

Tonight, Buffy was going to return Riley Finn’s call and give him her husband’s answer. This was going to be priceless!

Without hesitation, Buffy pulled the piece of paper out of her pocket. On it was Riley Finn’s cell number, the one her secretary and scribbled down on the paper for Buffy.

Buffy dialed the number on her cell, right in front of her husband who still set on his office floor. He stared up at Buffy with just the tiniest hint of a pout on his handsome mouth.

“Hey, Riley,” Buffy greeted her ex-boyfriend over the cell phone. She grinned down at William, the elder, and winked at him, saucily.

“Yeah, you know, Riley, about Will helping you? Legally and all? I think you better seek legal advice closer to LA, okay? No, William said he would talk to you, but frankly Riley, he’s a pretty busy. With me and the TV show and…”

“Oh, thank you, yes, I love doing the show. Anyway, with me busy at the show? William so tied up with his law practice and the lectures he’s always doing? Oh, and of course the way he’s such a hands on dad with our three beautiful little rug rats? Well, it was me that put the kibosh on Will’s helping you. I am so sorry, but I’m sure that you can find a fairly good lawyer, closer to home there. If you’re innocent, as you say and I’m sure you are? Any old lawyer will do, I’m positive.”

Buffy clicked off the cell phone and tossed it onto Will’s office desk. The one she had picked out for him personally, just last year. She grinned at her husband first, then her three beautiful little rug rats.

“So, who wants pepperoni on their pizza?” Buffy asked cheerfully.

Spike grinned up at his wife, then slowly stood up and wrapped his long arms about her dear, tiny body.

“Thank you,” he whispered into her warm little ear as he gave it a little nip on the earlobe. “I really didn’t want to help that bloody ponce,” he murmured lowly, so the children wouldn’t hear.

“What’s a ponce, daddy?” William Jr. suddenly piped up, innocently.

Spike sighed and glanced down at his son lovingly. “It’s a kind of well, kind of a weak man, son,” he stammered uneasily. Buffy hated it when the kids heard his colorful euphemisms and he’d have to explain away this one, carefully.

Before Spike could continue his explanation, seven-year-old Dawn squealed in delight. “It’s Riley Finn!” The young girl cackled wickedly. “Mama’s old friend! Riley Finn! That’s what a ponce is, Willie!”

Buffy couldn’t control herself any longer; she burst out into raucous laughter and hugged all three of her children to her at once. William stood, sheepishly off to the side until Buffy crooked her finger at him and directed him to join them.

Spike embraced his whole tribe to him in a huge loving bear hug. This nearly caused them all to tumble back down on the carpet below.

“What about the pizza?” Dawn mumbled in a gravelly voice, her face scrunched up against her mommy’s chest.


“This is #116 on the docket, your Honor. Andrew Simmons vs. Warren Meers, Esq.,” Gunn’s deep voice boomed over the microphones. “All the witnesses have been sworn in, you all may be seated.” The baliff finished with a slight grin at the audience, Buffy noted.

‘Things must be going well for Charles and Miss Burkle,’ Buffy surmised silently. ‘I haven’t seen Gunn smile at the audience in ages.’

Meanwhile, out on the streets of Sunnydale…..

“This is Johnathan Levy, Attorney-at-Law. Judge Summers has a tricky case today. Apparently, Mr. Andrew Simmons is suing Warren Meers, Esq. for the return of monies paid for a supposed mint conditioned ‘Bobba Fett’ figurine, from the original Star Wars series. Unfortunately, when Mr. Simmons’ expensive action figure arrived at his home, the figure was damaged in some way. Mr. Simmons is suing Mr. Meers, Esq. for the return of his monies, or another, truly mint condition action figure. Let’s join Judge Summers and Bailiff Charles Gunn in the courtroom, now, in the case of:

‘The Nicked Knick-Knack’


“Mr. Simmons,” Buffy began soberly, “I understand that you ordered some kind of collector’s memorabilia? A…” Buffy scanned the paperwork on her judge’s desk. “A Star Wars collector’s item? One mint condition ‘Bobba Fett’ action figurine for, oh, this can’t be right?”

Buffy’s green eyes sprung wide in stunned disbelief. “For $2,511.99!” She almost glared at the plaintiff, one Andrew Simmons, in shock.

“Yes Maam,” Andrew Simmons nodded earnestly, his bright blue eyes glued to Buffy, fearfully.

‘He’s freaking terrified,’ Buffy noted and decided to be a little more gentle and serious with the young man.

“It was a special edition item, your Honor,” Andrew piped in before the next question. “Supposedly in mint condition and…” he glared over at Warren Meers, the defendant, angrily.

“It was in mint condition, you’re Honor,” Warren huffed through gritted teeth. “The incompetent Sunnydale postal service mishandled the item and put a miniscule nick in Bobba Fett’s right tubular ear. No big deal, really, but Mr. Simmons here wants to…”

“Mr. Meers,” Buffy sighed dramatically, “you will have your chance to debate Mr. Simmons’ testimony. Please keep quiet until I ask you questions,” she warned the nervous looking defendant.

‘I get smarmy vibes from him,’ Buffy noted to herself. ‘He’s a slick one, that’s for sure.’ She broke her concentrated gaze from Meers and went back to Andrew Simmons.

“When I received the order, you’re Honor,” Andrew continued with a smug smile, “it was appropriately and securely packaged. Just as it should have been. The Bobba Fett had to have been nicked as Mr. Meers called it,” Andrew mumbled as he glared at Warren again. “Bobba had to have been nicked and ruined before Mr. Meers sent it. I was deceived and cheated out of my mint conditioned Bobba Fett and I want my money back!”

Andrew Simmons surprised Buffy, Gunn and the whole courtroom by his apparently unusual harsh tone.

“Calm down, Mr. Simmons,” Buffy urged the young, slight built man. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise.”

‘God,’ Buffy groaned internally, ‘where does my producer get these people. One hundred and eighty-million, plus, starving people in the world and these guys are buying and selling action figures for thousands of dollars!’

“I have never had any complaints for my merchandise before, your Honor,” Warren chimed in, defensively. However, it was only after Judge Buffy turned her apt attention on the defendant.

“It had to be the postal service that ruined the figure. I told Mr. Simmons that I’d be happy to touch up the figure, myself, to revert it back to its pristine condition. Even though it was not my fault to begin with and…” Warren was rudely interrupted by the excited Andrew.

“It can’t ever be pristine again! It’s so totally ruined!” Andrew yelped excitedly. “Once the nick is there, no one can fix it properly! I want my money back, or even better? A perfect, mint condition Bobba Fett, like you promised Meers!”

Charles Gunn took that moment to strode over, slowly, and stand in between the plaintiff’s and defendant’s podium. The big man first glared, menacingly at Simmons, then at Meers.

“Back off,” Gunn warned both men in his alto deep voice. The bailiff then nodded at Buffy to continue with the case.

“You have some kind of witness, Mr. Simmons?” Buffy asked the plaintiff in her most exasperated tone. This was getting ridiculous and she certainly had better things to do with her time today.

“My brother, Tucker Simmons, your Honor,” Andrew nodded at an older version of himself who sat on the witness bench. “He was with me when I received the merchandise and he can attest to the proper packaging of my Bobba Fett.” Andrew leaned over the podium and shot Warren a smug ‘so there’ glare.

Warren, for his part, just rolled his dark eyes and shrugged his large shoulders.

It took only a few moments for Tucker Simmons to convince the Honorable Elizabeth ‘Buffy’ Summers that the Bobba Fett had indeed been packaged properly by the postal service. Buffy took even less time to come to her decision on the case. She wisely ruled in favor of Mr. Andrew Simmons and ordered Warren Meers, Esq. to return the plaintiff’s entire amount of money.



“Charles,” Buffy sighed as she flopped into her office chair, “I’m so glad I never got into the whole Star Wars thingy, you know?” Buffy was simply exhausted by the ridiculousness of the whole case and the one that followed.

“That was a pretty pathetic case, huh?” Charles Gunn chuckled loudly.


Later that evening, Buffy trudged into her front door, casually glancing about to find her family. Only Dawnie came running out of the kitchen to meet her.

Buffy noticed that her daughter was dressed in some ridiculously ornate costume. Dawnie’s hair was done in some suspicious, but vaguely familiar headdress. Before Buffy could ask what was up, Dawn squealed in delight and leapt into her mother’s arms.

“I got the part Mommy!” Dawn screeched in glee. “I got the lead part in the summer camp play!”

“Oh honey, that’s great!” Buffy responded honestly as she hugged her baby’s squirming body to hers.

“Daddy’s making a special supper for us! To celebrate and then him, you and me are going to go out to the movies, just us! Aunt Dawnie and Uncle R.J. are going to watch the little kids,” Dawn rambled on proudly.

“One thing though,” Buffy asked, a little puzzled scowl on her face. “I thought that the lead part in the camp play was Snow White? Are you dressed up like this to practice or what?”

“Nah!” Dawn giggled at her silly, clueless mommy. “This isn’t Snow White, silly Mommy,” the girl smirked at her mother. “I’m dressed up, in movie character costume. I’m supposed to be Amadila, Anakin Skywalker’s poor doomed wife.” Dawn finished on a truly dramatic note. “Daddy’s taking you and me to see ‘Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith’ tonight!”


Buffy groaned, rather loudly, in utter defeat.


A/N: I really enjoy writing this episodic fiction. It’s so fun to come up with ideas for court cases. The Spuffy family scenes are my fave to write, though.

Thanks for reading, please review. There’s a lot of ideas swimming about in my head for future episodes of this fiction.
Thanks, Luv, spuf

JUSTICE FOR ALL


Episode 5: ‘Ode To Loretta Lynn’


A/N: I’m giving this episode a title, just because I love to drop hints and anvils!

Buffy presides over the Rosenberg vs. Harris case in this one. However, our Honorable Judge Summers is in a bit of a quandary herself at the present time. Please read and review.


“All rise, the Honorable Elizabeth Summers presiding,” Charles Gunn’s deep voice boomed out to the courtroom and cameras. “Please be seated,” the bailiff added quickly, “the plaintiff and defendant have been sworn in, Your Honor,” Gunn finished with an even voice.

“Thank you Charles,” Buffy quipped abruptly. Buffy did not feel good, in fact, she felt like shit and no amount of make-up, good camera angles or payola was going to alter her crappy mood today.

“What’s on the docket, Gunn,” Buffy nearly groaned aloud. She glanced over at her bailiff, Charles, who looked as if someone had told him there was no Santa Claus.

‘Now what’s his problem?’ Buffy asked herself with a grimace. ‘I’m the one that feels like crap and most likely looks like it too.’

“Uhm,” Gunn stammered with unusual meekness, an unsure look in his eyes. “It’s case #933, Judge,” he continued weakly, his dark eyes never meeting Buffy's. “In the case of Rosenberg vs. Harris, You’re Honor.”

Buffy looked over at the defendant, one Alexander Harris, and then eyed the plaintiff, Willow Rosenberg. Rosenberg, the plaintiff, certainly didn’t look very intimidating at the moment, but then again, neither did the defendant, Harris. The judge scanned over the case papers and tried not to groan, audibly again.

‘Oh, hey,’ Buffy muttered under her breath, ‘another case of the guy knocks up the girl and doesn’t do the right thing? Now, there’s a shocker, huh?’

Buffy was already disgusted with the whole situation, but she was being paid to hear this out and make a ruling so…

“Miss Rosenberg?” Buffy nodded to the red-headed plaintiff. “Let’s hear it,” she ordered the young woman.

‘Bored already,’ Buffy groaned inwardly.

“Mr. Harris and I were living together, for over three years, Your Honor,” Miss Rosenberg began with confidence. “We had a child together and of course, I thought this meant commitment and a future and…”

“Keep it brief, Ms. Rosenberg,” Buffy interjected impatiently. “This isn’t the Land of Oz and I don’t care to be led down the Yellow Brick Road. Exactly what do you feel Mr. Harris owes you, besides the court ordered child support? Which, I see is a very appropriate amount of money in this matter. Nice change, for once.” Buffy finished her vocal observation on a sarcastic note.

Willow Rosenberg flinched a bit and then glared over at Mr. Harris, angrily. This is when Buffy first really noticed the large, dark-haired young man that stood at the defendant’s podium. Even more noticeable, was the attractive young woman who sat on ‘his’ side of the courtroom.

“Who’s that?” Buffy asked suddenly, as she eyed the amicable looking young brunette woman with a wary eye.

‘Let me guess,’ Buffy began to answer her own question. ‘So, this is a new girlfriend Harris?’

“This is my fiancé,” Alexander Harris mumbled nervously with a nod at the woman. “Anya Jenkins is her name,” he added quickly with downcast eyes.

“I see,” Buffy sighed heavily. “Are you here to lend moral support to your fiancée, Ms. Jenkins?” Buffy asked the young woman impatiently.

“Yes, Maam,” Anya Jenkins replied with confidence. “My Xander needs all of the help he can get. He’s not very strong in the vocal sense, although he gives me great orgasms and…”

“Ms. Jenkins!” Buffy gasped loudly, almost shocked. “I’ll ask you not to bring your personal relationship, at least not in the physical manner, into this courtroom!” However, the defendant’s new fiancé ‘did’ bring a slight smile to Buffy’s face. She hid it quickly and motioned for Anya Jenkins to take her seat again.

“Yes Maam,” Anya mumbled in response and promptly sat back down on her chair provided.

“Spill,” Buffy ordered Willow, again, “and keep this brief, Ms. Rosenberg,” she reminded the red-head.

“I thought Xander might marry me, Your Honor,” Willow began with a sad sigh. “He chased after me for years, as teenagers, finally convinced me to move in with him. I did, sorry to say,” Willow pouted then shot Harris and Jenkins a sour look.

“Although Xander keeps a steady job,” the young woman continued quietly, “he always was asking to borrow money from me. I loved him, what was I going to do but give him the cash?”

‘Of course,’ Buffy snorted silently. ‘What else could you does but gives him the cash? They never learn.’

Willow’s gray eyes were wide and very innocent Buffy noted. They were the epitome of sympathy inducing and Buffy had to fight her inner mothering instinct. As far as this case went, anyway.

“I lent my Xander…” Willow began.

“My Xander!” Anya Jenkins hissed at the plaintiff with venom.

“He was mine first!” Willow countered angrily. Charles Gunn slipped in between the two podiums and gave all of them his ‘behave’ look.

“Oh for Heaven’s sake!” Buffy hissed at the two women in front of her. “Get hold of yourselves and your pride, will you?” Buffy shook her head in disgust at this female jealous show of possessiveness over Alexander Harris.

‘And for whom? A hulking jack ass of a man, like Mr. Harris here? Who can’t seem to commit to anyone or anything?’ Buffy was mortified at these two young women. She thought, briefly, about her life with William and their family.

‘Will’s always been there for me,’ Buffy thought warmly of her husband. ‘He’s always been the real ‘soul’ of our relationship,’ she reminded herself. This made Buffy even more disappointed in this Xander Harris and these two cupcakes of his.

“What do you think Mr. Harris owes you, Ms. Rosenberg? I mean besides child support, which is out of my jurisdiction and seems to have been well taken care of. What is it that Mr. Harris owes you and your son, Alder is it?” Buffy asked the question again as she tried to reign in her own growing impatience with this whole ridiculous affair.

‘Alder?’ Buffy wondered to herself, ‘interesting name for a child. ‘Why not Oaken or Elm(er) for that matter?’

“I mean, besides child support and his time and love for your shared son,” Buffy finished by shooting Harris a patronizing glance.

Mr. Alexander Harris, to his credit, appeared to be somewhat ashamed of him. For the moment, anyway.

“I co-signed for a new truck for Mr. Harris,” Willow stated evenly. “For him to use in his construction business, I mean. I have the papers and everything. We had a verbal and written contract and I want the down payment I helped with and I want him to take my name off of the loan agreement!” Rosenberg finished with a harsh ‘hmph’ and another glare at both Xander and Anya.

“Witch!” Xander hissed at his ex, nastily. If looks could kill, Willow Rosenberg would lay dead on Buffy’s courtroom floor, right at that moment.

“I won’t abide name calling, Mr. Harris! Not in my courtroom!” Buffy warned the defendant with a menacing grimace.

“She really is a witch,” Anya Jenkins piped in, matter-of-factly. “I believe she put a mojo hex on my Xander and made him lose his last two construction contracts. She’s a petty, evil and malicious bitch that…”

“Goodbye Ms. Jenkins,” Buffy waved smugly at the young woman. “Charles? Show Ms. Jenkins the door pleases,” she instructed her trusty bailiff.

Gunn motioned for Anya Jenkins to follow him out of the courtroom, which the woman did. Reluctantly that is and with a sour glare at both Buffy and Willow.

By this time, Xander Harris looked as if he’d lost his last friend, which indeed, he may have. He shuffled his paperwork on the podium, and his feet, heavily.

“Mr. Harris,” Buffy began in exasperation, “I’ve looked over Ms. Rosenberg’s paperwork and I must say that she seems to have an airtight case here. Why don’t you just pay her back the $1,950.00 down payment for your used truck and move on with your life? Sign off her name, on the papers and try to make some life for you with Ms. Jenkins?”

Buffy raised her fair brow at the young man, and then turned her attention to the plaintiff. “As for you, Ms. Rosenberg,” she continued, “I’m going to rule in your favor. However,” Buffy paused, dramatically, “I’m also going to give you a little advice that I hope you take. Put a great big period on this relationship with Mr. Harris.”

“I have,” Willow interjected, determined to the end.

“Have you?” Buffy questioned her. “That’s great if you have and I’m sure the wonderful Family Courts of California can work out child support and visitation rights for your child, however,” Buffy pursed her lips in thought. “I feel that you need to ‘hitch’ your wagon to another star, so to speak. Mr. Harris might be a heck of a construction worker? But he’s lacking in the basic ‘human’ skills to keep the kind of family relationship together, or so it seems to me, that you and your son might need. Kapish?”

“Yes Maam,” Willow mumbled with another bright red blush.

‘It clashes with her hair color,’ Buffy noted.

“I’m ruling in the favor of the plaintiff,” Buffy stated evenly. “A total of $1,950.00 for the down payment of the truck. Also, I’m decreeing that Ms. Willow Rosenberg’s name be taken off of the lien agreement with Mr. Harris.”

Buffy slammed the gavel down on her judge’s desk and stood up. She hurried out of the courtroom and into the interim office.

Before she could even make it to her personal restroom, Buffy scurried to find an empty waste basket. Without missing a beat, she threw up the entire contents of her still small tummy into the poor, lonely trash can.

For some sublime reason, all’s that Buffy could think about was the lyrics of Loretta Lynn’s ‘Pregnant Again.’

“Now, how does that go?” Buffy asked she as she picked up her office phone and dialed Will’s cell phone.

‘Down in Topeka, the world’s goin’ nowhere?
The corn’s growin’ higher and I should be somewhere?
The three youngest are fightin’ each other and
I’m getting nauseous
The mortgage payment’s late and my husband
Is between jobs and oh yeah…
I’m pregnant again’

“No, that’s not exactly the right words,” Buffy frowned impatiently when Will had not picked up the cell by the third ring. “All the lyrics are mucked up,” she reasoned. “And, where the hell is William!!!”

“What’s up, Princess,” came Buffy’s husband’s deep, wonderful voice, finally.

“What took?” Buffy snapped, her terse tone was truly unintentional.

“Actually, I was taking a piss, pet,” Spike chuckled into the phone. “I know how you hate that, when you catch me in the loo and…”

“Never mind!” Buffy hissed, but giggled anyway, despite herself.

“I’m finished, early, at the courtroom studio, Will,” Buffy began carefully. “I’d like to come to your office, like now, so we can have lunch together and ‘talk’ about something. It’s important Will.” Buffy felt like a complete moron, but she felt it best to inform her husband that she might be carrying another Giles in her presently flat tummy.

“Course baby,” Spike couldn’t hide the delight in the impromptu meeting with his beloved wife. He loved it when Buffy snuck away from the show to be with him, during the day. It always came as a rather wonderful surprise and highlighted his whole day.

“Kay, I’ll be there, in about twenty minutes. I’d like to go to The Lobster Pot, okay? For some reason I’m just craving Shrimp Louie, topped with a ton of thousand island dressing.” There, Buffy hoped that silly ‘craving’ remark might just ease the way for what she might have to tell her guy, later.


A/N: I’ve neglected any updates here for so long that I chose to end this episode of Justice for All on this cliffhanger of a note! I really need to update ‘All Manner of Monsters’ and write the epilogue of ‘Dance of the Mates.’

In the next episode, I intend on eavesdropping on Buffy and Spike’s intimate convo at The Lobster Pot. We will get all of the insight and inner feelings of the couple as to the possibility of a new Giles’ member!

Thanks for reading, please review. Luv, as always, Spuf

JUSTICE FOR ALL


Episode 6:


Buffy and Spike sat in The Lobster Pot, side-by-side in the secluded little booth. Tito, the head waiter at The Pot, must have known that the couple ‘needed’ some privacy, so he sat them at this table, the nearest to the ocean view window.

“Bring us a bottle of that Chalk Hill Chardonnay, Tito, right?” Spike asked the waiter as he patted his wife’s tiny hand.

“No!” Buffy yelped, “just a glass, for my husband, please Tito?” She glanced away from William’s beautiful, but confused, blue eyes. “I’ll stick with ice water and lemon, thank you,” she added nervously.

“No wine?” Spike asked Buffy suspiciously. “Are you okay, Princess? Something’s wrong, isn't it sweet?” He tried to lose the worried expression that he knew was all over his face, but couldn’t somehow.

“No,” Buffy mumbled weakly. “Yes, well, maybe, I don’t know, okay,” she finished with an air of impatience.

“Tell me,” Spike ordered gently. “What’s troubling you, baby?”

Buffy sighed heavily and brought Will’s strong, large hand up to cup her own cheek. She caught his piercing blue-eyed gaze with hers and took a deep, deep breath before she spoke.

“It’s about my last doctor’s appointment, Will,” Buffy said quietly. The fearful look on William’s face alerted Buffy to the fact that maybe she had not stated her case exactly right.

“No, I mean, it’s not scary, really or anything,” her voice trailed off weakly. “I mean I’m not in danger or anything,” she continued evenly, “just a little indisposed?”

Buffy calmed down, a little, when she saw the look of relief in Will’s indigo eyes. Her heart began to race, violently, but she took another calming breath and swallowed hard to control her own uneven voice.

“I missed my OB/GYN appointment, Will,” Buffy mumbled under her breath. “I got so caught up, in that damned ridiculous show and I missed the all mighty important ‘shot’ that I have every three months. I screwed up, baby,” she murmured timidly. “I think I might be pregnant again and…”

“Really!” Spike squealed impulsively. Then he blushed, bright red and quickly placed Buffy’s petite hand to his warm lips.

‘Christ! I haven’t squealed since I was twelve-years-old!’ Spike chided himself, ruefully.

After William brought her hand to his mouth for a tender kiss, Buffy suddenly felt a lot better then before. Her husband’s loving gaze never broke from her anxious one.

‘Maybe it’s not such a bad thing, huh?’ She asked herself. ‘I mean another baby? Will does seem rather excited about it and…’

“Are you sure,” Spike asked, barely able to contain his excitement at the prospect of another son, or daughter.

“No,” Buffy whispered almost shyly as she allowed Will to stroke her cheek with his long, wonderful fingers.

“I just…” Buffy murmured softly, her insecurity had once again reared its ugly head. “I’m worried, you know? I hate to throw this monkey wrench at you. Now,” she mumbled as she looked at her water glass.

‘What if Will doesn’t want another baby? We’ve been through so much together,’ Buffy reminded herself. ‘Married at twenty-two, I was pregnant with Dawnie by twenty-four. God, neither one of us was out of law school yet and…’

“I’m not upset, Princess,” Spike whispered lovingly as he pulled his wife to him. “In fact? I’m rather happy about the idea of another baby, but actually, it’s you I’m concerned about.”

“Me?” Buffy asked in awe. “Why me?”

“For a lot of reasons,” Spike replied sheepishly. “After Cheyenne, Doc Simons was adamant that you should consider never having any more babies and I should have insisted. On the vasectomy I mean.” He finished with a guilty frown.

“If I remember right,” Buffy giggled softly, “it was me that decided that I’d start the shot series, not you. I wanted the open option of another Giles’ spawn when we were ready. It’s not your fault, Will. It’s mine. I got so wrapped up in this stupid TV show and all. I’ve totally neglected my own responsibility of birth control. I blew it, Will. Not you.”

Buffy hung her head and began to weep softly. “I am sorry, William, really.”

“Don’t be,” Spike countered, pulling her chin up to meet his loving gaze. “I mean, if you’re sorry about another baby Buffy? Then I’m sorry too, for your sake. But don’t be sorry for my sake, please. I’d never be sorry about another baby, sweetheart. But I know that you’ve worked so hard and gotten so far. You’ve come into your own, Princess and I wouldn’t want ‘you’ to be sorry about another child.”

“But your law practice? It’s doing so well, Will,” Buffy murmured in a raspy, tear filled voice. “You’ve come so far, just like me. Remember? When we were first married and so damn broke? The studio flat with the bathroom that sat behind what was basically a shower curtain off the living room?”

“Now, that I do remember,” Spike chuckled in glee. “Your folks were furious that their oldest daughter had thrown caution to the wind and jeopardized her great future legal career. By running off and marrying a bum like me that is,” he added with a wicked wink at Buffy. Your folks damn near disowned you and mine were just livid! They threatened to cut me out of their will!”

“You,” Buffy growled through gritted teeth, “have never been a bum, William Giles and you never could be!”

“Shall I take your order now?” Tito asked delicately, interrupting the couple at his favorite table to wait on.

“Give us just a minute, mate?” Spike implored the tactful waiter.

“Of course,” Tito smiled amicably as he scurried off to the kitchen of the restaurant.

“Remember when Dawnie was born?” Spike asked Buffy in an awe filled voice. “If your mom and dad hadn’t relented and given us the baby furniture to use? Our poor little ‘Bit’ would have had to sleep in a sterilized orange crate or something!” Spike began to laugh loudly and was delighted when Buffy joined him. A table of nearby diners looked, in surprise, at Buffy and Spike.

“Will!” Buffy hissed a warning for him to quiet down. However, she smiled despite her embarrassment.

“Dawnie,” Buffy sighed wistfully, “her nursery was the three feet space between our bed and the living room wall. She slept in the crib my mom gave us. It was the one that my little sister, Dawn, had used. That’s why we named our first daughter…”

Buffy buried her blond head into Will’s chest and began to sob, uncontrollably.

“We ate that one weekend, remember Will? That was when we were so desperate that we had to take our saved up pennies down to the Safeway. We purchased some decent food for us. What was the total? About $6.50 in pennies? I can never remember you know,” she sobbed.

“Don’t cry Judge Buffy,” Spike murmured into his wife’s tiny, warm ear. “It’ll be all right, no matter what happens. Right? After all, we love each other and our little tribe of Summers-Giles’ clan. What’s another little rug rat or two, eh?”

“Right,” Buffy replied in a muffled voice, her mouth still dug into Will’s comforting chest. “At least this time,” she continued, cautiously, “we’ll have better means and finances to really pull out all the stops, huh?”

“William?” Buffy whispered in a little girl’s voice. “Can we skip lunch? Go home and…”

“We’ll stop at the Savons first, luv,” Spike purred into Buffy’s crown of soft golden locks. “Pick up a pregnancy test and head home. Bloody hell, Buffy,” Spike continued in his best ‘all’s well that ends well’ tone, “I’ll even hold the damn stick for you, while you pee on it!”

This caused Spike’s Buffy to smile again, which delighted him to no end. “Let’s go, baby,” he motioned to Tito to bring the somewhat unfinished tab.



As they left The Lobster Pot, Buffy turned and gazed up at her rather tall, at least to her, imposing husband. “If I am pregnant then, after all? It’s jake with you?”

Spike pulled Buffy closer and snuggled her up tighter to his body. “If you’re pregnant my sweet Buffy? It’ll be one of the happiest days of my life,” he purred. “We’ll add it to million other happy days I’ve had, since I met you, that is.”

When they arrived home, Dawn, Buffy’s sister was a little surprised.

“Is everything all right,” Dawn asked Buffy anxiously.

“Yes,” Buffy nodded, “everything is fine, honest.”

“Kay,” Dawn mumbled, not quite convinced. “Cheyenne is still sleeping at her nap. She had a great day and there’s nothing much to tell.”

As Dawn readied to leave, Buffy suddenly clasped her baby sister to her, tightly.

“You are a great sister Dawn,” Buffy whispered into the taller girl’s ear. “A great sister, aunt and daughter,” she added honestly.

“So are you Buffy,” Dawn replied warmly. “You are a great sister, daughter and mom. And I know Will thinks you’re just the greatest wife. I can’t wait to be a mom, Buff. Just so you can be the greatest auntie.”

Once Dawn had left, Buffy hurried upstairs to the master bedroom where William was waiting with the unwrapped pregnancy test. Buffy timidly stripped down and slipped into the master bathroom, where she ‘took’ the pregnancy test. Much to the protests of Will, Buffy held her own ‘stick’ herself as she urinated on it.

“How long?” Spike asked anxiously, when Buffy shuffled out of the bathroom and joined him on their massive bed.

Spike was laid out, half naked on the bed, his left arm placed under his blond head. He watched Buffy as she practically jumped onto the bed with him.

Buffy lay down next to William and allowed him to cuddle her up to his half naked body. She got that old familiar tingle when he snuggled her closer to him.

“Hmmm,” Buffy murmured softly, “I believe this is how we got into this situation in the first place, Will.”

“Yeah,” Spike chuckled in response, “but would it be so bad Princess? I mean another baby? I’d help, like always, with the 2:00 feedings and the nappie changes and everything. Would it be so bad, baby?”

“No,” Buffy whispered with a weary yawn. “It wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

Spike and Buffy lay together in comfortable silence. Suddenly, the ‘ting’ of the timer that Buffy had set to clock the pregnancy test chimed in and broke their quiet reverie.

“Its accounts payable sweetheart,” Buffy murmured as she hopped up from the bed. With William in tow, she scurried into the bathroom and warily ‘glanced’ at the test results.

“Negative,” Buffy hissed in disbelief.

“Negative?” Spike asked in similar disbelief.

“Yeah,” Buffy whispered gruffly.

“Baby?” Spike cuddled her closer to him. “You okay?”

“Oh, Will,” Buffy began to weep gently. “I ‘did’ want the little baby, truly I did.”

“I know,” Spike murmured as he nuzzled her cheek with his lips. “I know you truly did, baby,” he finished, his own voice choked in disappointment. “So did I.”


A/N: I wanted to finish off this chapter with the results of the test and not muck it up with another court case. I felt the saga of the maybe baby was enough to carry the chapter.

I hope you all read this and enjoy. There will be more episodes of the fiction, I promise.

Thanks, spuf

JUSTICE FOR ALL


Episode 7: ‘Must Love Dogs’


Summary: Judge Buffy presides over a special canine case. She later puts in a call to her OB/GYN.

A/N: I have maybe another three or so episodes in me for this fiction. I hope you readers enjoy my court TV parody, Buffy style that is.



“This is Johnathan Levy, outside of the Sunnydale Courthouse. We have an interesting, rather unusual canine case today. It’s not the regular ‘dog vs. human’ case, or an errant Pit Bull that’s bitten another pup. This case is about a Schnauzer dog, nearly a year old; that was purchased at Sunnydale Pet Store.”

Johnathan really hammed it up this time, for the cameras. The amicable, well-liked short fellow knew what side his bread was buttered on and this TV program was it!

“This special ‘pet’ that the plaintiff purchased nearly a year ago, has a particularly unusual medical problem. The plaintiff, Miss Harmony Kendall, is suing the owner of Sunnydale Pet Store, Mr. Robin Wood, for the monies she paid in good faith for her Schnauzer. Let’s go inside, to the courtroom now and join Judge Buffy Summers in the caser of:

‘The Prostrate Problemic Pooch’


Gunn strode up to the Buffy’s bench and handed the written docket to her.

“All rise,” Gunn droned on, “the Honorable Judge Elizabeth Summers-Giles in session.”

Buffy hurried into the courtroom and sat down at her bench. Gunn motioned for the courtroom audience to sit.

“The plaintiff, defendant and the witnesses have all been sworn in your Honor,” Gunn stated stoically.

“Miss Kendall,” Buffy began without looking up at the plaintiff. “You claim that you bought a Schnauzer pup, approximately ten months or so ago? From Mr. Robin Wood, the defendant, owner of Sunnydale Pet Store?”

“Yes Judge Buffy,” Harmony Kendall replied.

‘Oh, dear God,’ Buffy sighed inwardly, ‘is this bimbette actually chewing gum? In my courtroom? On national TV?’

“Is this the dog?” Buffy eyed the good looking young Schnauzer that Miss Kendall had brought to the courtroom. In a dog carrier no less and one that the poor pup barely fit in to.

“It’s him,” the Kendall woman spat, almost indifferently. “I had to put him in the carrier. I didn’t want the little brat to poop on your floor and…”

“That’s enough Miss Kendall,” Buffy hissed impatiently. “Let’s just get to the source of your suit, shall we? You claim that you bought this dog, what is his name?”

“Dawg,” Harmony Kendall sighed as she snapped her gum again.

This seemed to irritate Buffy beyond control, but she pushed her anger down and asked the plaintiff again: “What is the dog’s name?”

“Dawg,” Harmony Kendall repeated with another snap of her gum. “I named him ‘Dawg’ as in rapper talk,” she giggled, flipping her bleached blond hair behind her shoulder.

“How charming,” Buffy mumbled sarcastically in reply. “And so original, eh?”

“I wanted the dog for a breeder,” the blond, ditzy plaintiff grunted. “When I paid $600.00 dollars for the little mutt I thought I could breed him. I could have made a fortune if the dog hadn’t of been defective.” Miss Kendall rolled her eyes and then glared at the defendant, accusingly.

“From what I read here,” Buffy mumbled as she scanned the paperwork before her, “this ‘Dawg’ as it were? It turned out that after you had purchased him, you discovered, through your vegetarian, that the poor thing has a medical problem? Is this genetic?”

“His right ball might not drop,” Harmony spat in disgust. “His left one dropped, just great, but his right? There’s something defective about him and it might not drop at all. How am I supposed to breed a second-rate mutt like this? Whose balls don’t drop right?”

Buffy rolled her own green eyes and shot a look at Gunn. The bailiff looked back at her with sympathy.

“You mean testicles, don’t you Miss Kendall?” Buffy asked through a clenched jaw and gritted teeth.

“No, not testisycles,” the goofy blond whined in her nasally voice. “Balls! I wouldn’t have to breed any dog, for money that is. If Daddy hadn’t of cut off my accounts and told me to get a real job!”

This Harmony Kendall’s constant whine was really getting on Buffy’s last nerve.

“Miss Kendall,” Buffy sighed in exasperation, “I’m really not interested in your Daddy’s bank accounts, or yours. As far as a job goes? It might do you some good.”

“Hmph,” Harmony grunted in distaste. “Girls that look like me don’t work Judge Buffy,” she spat matter-of-factly. “They make it on beauty, poise and charm. That and a rich daddy, or a boyfriend, or a husband and…”

“I see,” Buffy muttered with a disgusted snort. “Let’s see the medical vet report,” the judge ordered as she held out her hand to the plaintiff. Gunn sauntered over to Harmony’s podium and yanked the paperwork from the ditzy blond’s hand.

After Buffy scanned the extensive medical paper, she glanced over at the defendant, Robin Wood.

“Mr. Wood,” Buffy began politely, “you own and manage the Sunnydale Pet Store?”

“Yes your Honor,” Robin Wood replied stoically.

“Did you have any idea, when you sold Miss Kendall this dog, that he was ‘indisposed’ as it were?”

The courtroom tittered with nervous laughter and Buffy felt the need to shush them all.

“No your Honor,” Robin Wood replied, honestly. “I run a pet shop, Judge Summers. I sell dogs, cats, rabbits and birds as pets to what I perceive as loving, good homes. I had no idea that Miss Kendall wished to breed the dog in question and…”

“Did you have any prior knowledge of the Schnauzer’s condition Mr. Wood?” Buffy was fast losing patience in this matter.

“Not at all,” Wood replied sincerely. “I told Miss Kendall, when she alerted me to the problem, about three months ago? I told her to either return the dog to me, for a full refund. Or, get a second opinion and go ahead and have the surgery the pup might need.”

“What surgery?” Buffy groaned in frustration.

“To have the dog completely neutered your Honor,” the defendant replied with a knowing nod. “If the dog is completely neutered, then it doesn’t matter that his left testicle dropped. The vet doing the surgery would remove both testicles and the dog could live a full, healthy life as a pet. It was my understanding that this is what Miss Kendall wanted. At the time she purchased the animal. A happy, loving pet for herself.”

“Miss Kendall?” Buffy eyed the cute, but obviously ‘out there’ blond suspiciously.

“I want a dog that can make me fast money,” the ditzy plaintiff pouted like a child. “What the hell good is a stupid, useless dog to me?”

Everyone in the courtroom seemed to take a deep breath and hold it. Waiting for the wrath of the judge, no doubt, to be meted out to this cold, self-centered bitch of a plaintiff.

“Miss Kendall,” Buffy muttered softly, “in the near year you have had ‘Dawg’ have you formed any kind of bond of affection or attachment to the animal?”

“Not really,” Harmony replied quickly with an indifferent shrug. “Dawg was supposed to be a money maker, not a pet of any kind. I want my fucking money back!” The blond glared at poor Robin Wood, her eyes shooting daggers at the pet shop owner.

“Miss Kendall! I will not have that kind of language in my courtroom!” Buffy hissed at the unlikable plaintiff. “Miss Kendall,” the judge sighed in total frustration, “do you not understand the unconditional love that a pet can provide to its owner? The dedication and…”

“I told Miss Kendall to have the surgery done for the poor thing,” Wood interjected sincerely. “If nothing else, it would give the poor animal some relief and…”

“Enough,” Buffy stated firmly. “I need to ask just a few more questions, and then I will make my ruling.”

“Miss Kendall,” Buffy began slowly, making sure that the somewhat ‘IQ’ challenged woman understood what she was trying to convey. “If I have your monies returned to you, upon your returning the adorable dog here? Do you know, or even care what might happen to the animal?”

“Not really,” Harmony spat. “Frankly,” the selfish young woman continued, “I could care less what happens to the mutt.”

“I thought as much,” Buffy grumbled. ‘You blood self-centered, blood sucking vampire.’

“Mr. Wood,” she looked over at the mortified store keeper. “If Miss Kendall returns the dog to you, what will happen to it?”

“I know I could find this wonderful dog a fine, loving home your Honor,” Wood beamed at the caged animal.

Buffy gazed at the cute little pooch, all locked up in that cage that was barely big enough for him to fit in. She sat, quietly, for a few moments then suddenly blurted:

“You’re right Mr. Wood. I’ll be happy to help you find that dog a loving home. With my family. I have three children that would just love to have a beautiful little dog like that to love!

Miss Kendall claims she is owed $600.00 for the return of the dog and I will pay you that Mr. Wood. For your trouble and care for the darling little beast.”

The entire courtroom began to whistle and cheer when Buffy announced that ‘she’ would be purchasing the dog from Mr. Wood. In turn, he could give the troublesome Miss Kendall back her money.

“Hmph, who cares,” Harmony spat. “As long as I get my money back.”

Buffy turned a cold eye on the plaintiff and ordered the courtroom to quiet down.

“Yes, Miss Kendall,” Buffy drawled sweetly. “I am ruling in your favor, for $600.00. However, there is a stipulation on this ruling.”

“A stipulation?” Harmony asked nervously.

“I am ordering you, Miss Kendall, to donate at least 50 percent of the monies ruled in your favor to the local Humane Society, or the Sunnydale pound. If you do not donate the ordered percentage of your money? I will rescind the order and you will receive nothing for your effort. It’s your choice, completely,” Buffy added smugly.

“What! This is bullshit!” Harmony squealed like the selfish pig she truly was. “I don’t have to…”

“You do, and you will,” Buffy snapped as she slammed her gavel down on the desk before her. “In fact, keep up your tirade and I’ll order you to donate 60 or 70 percent of the ruling to the above mentioned charities!”

The entire courtroom broke into applause and loud cheers when Buffy had finished.

“This is total crap!” Harmony Kendall grumbled as she turned to flounce out of the courtroom.

“Thank you, your Honor,” Robin Wood said with a huge grin. “You are a good, decent person.”



“Gunn,” Buffy called to her bailiff, “please escort the plaintiff out of the courtroom and to her car.”

“Yes Maam,” Gunn replied, trying not to laugh outright.

Buffy strode into her inner quarters and flopped down on her ergo chair. She leaned back in the chair and cursed the very thought of frivolous law suits and…

“Buffy?” Gunn called to his boss. “Mr. Wood is here, with the dog.”

“Thanks Gunn,” Buffy mumbled in reply. “Have you ever seen such a selfish, cold-hearted bitch like that plaintiff?” She eyed Gunn, expectantly.

“Maybe,” the bailiff responded carefully. “My girlfriend, Winnefred? She can be pretty selfish if need be.”

“Sorry,” Buffy mumbled sheepishly.

“No problem,” Gunn laughed.

After Robin Wood had deposited the Schnauzer with Buffy, she sat on her chair; pup in lap and pet him, lovingly.

“Well pup,” Buffy sighed, “I guess we’d better go see Will and try to explain ‘you’ to him. I’m sure he’ll be fine with you. For all of his ‘grr ahhg’ exterior? My hubby is a real marshmallow inside.”

Before she left her chambers, Buffy picked up the phone and dialed her OB/GYN. Doctor Simmons picked up his line and spoke with his favorite patient, immediately.

Spike sat at his desk, scanning the papers in front of him. He truly hated doing his work at the office. The truth was; he much preferred working at home, in his office there. His children provided pleasant distractions for him and Spike relished his break time with them. When Buffy popped home, early from filming, Spike’s day was complete.

When his office door flung open, Spike was stunned. Then he saw it was Buffy and he broke out in wide, happy grin.

“What brings you here?” Spike asked happily. “And what the bloody hell is that?” He stared at the long nosed little furry animal that followed behind his Buffy.

“This is a Schnauzer dog,” Buffy said proudly. “I bought him today, during the show!”

“You bought a dog, during your show?” Spike asked in disbelief.

“Yup!” Buffy replied merrily. “Poor little thing was a focal point in a case and…”

“Never mind,” Spike sighed. He smiled at his beautiful wife anyway. God, he loved Buffy so much.

“The kids’ll love him,” he stated as he bent to pet the odd looking dog on his furry head.

“That they will,” Buffy giggled gleefully.

“What’s his name,” Spike asked warily as he eyed the perky pup.

“I don’t know, really,” Buffy scowled. “I thought we might name him Mr. Gordo?”

“After your little stuffed piggy?” Spike chuckled merrily.

“Yeah,” Buffy replied a little defensively. “He’s got Gordo’s snout. Don’t you think?”

“Yeah, he does,” Spike had to admit that much.

Mr. Gordo merely wagged his tail and tried to lick Spike’s left shoe.

“Ugly little mutt, eh?” Spike said thoughtfully as he scratched Gordo’s head.

“He’s adorable!” Buffy cried in a reproachful tone.

“Okay, he’s a little cute,” Spike admitted reluctantly.

“Will,” Buffy stammered in a hushed voice. “I called Dr. Simmons today, after the filming. I told him about the false alarm and all.”

Spike looked up from the ugly little dog and gazed into his Buffy’s beautiful green eyes. “Yeah?” he stated more then asked.

“The doctor thinks that I might be able to get pregnant again and carry the baby to full term. Safely that is. If I go in for some pre-tests and check out the anemia and all. He thinks that I could do it, that we could have another healthy baby. That is if everything checks out and we watch the pregnancy and…”

“Then let’s do it,” Spike murmured in an awe-like voice. He stood up and took his wife into his arms and just held her close to him.

“If it’s what you want Princess,” he whispered into her soft, golden hair, lovingly. “Then let’s go get these tests for you and make another baby. I want it, if you do that is, sweetheart.”

“Okay,” Buffy replied in her soft, warm voice that Spike loved so much.

“Love you,” Spike murmured happily.

“Love you,” Buffy replied with great contentment.

Mr. Gordo just nipped at both of their heels. The now happy pup was oblivious to the concerns and worries of his new owners. Silly humans that they were.


A/N: I had to do this episode. This was actually a case on one of the court shows and I was just floored! You should have seen the judge’s reaction to the plaintiff. He was mortified by her heartlessness.

Thanks for reading and please review if you like, spuf.

JUSTICE FOR ALL


Chapter 8: ‘Family Trials’

Summary: Eight or nine months after the last chapter. Buffy is in, well…..please just read and find out???

A/N: I wanted to write this chapter and have closure for this story. I’ve really enjoyed writing it and I hope a lot of people read it and enjoy it too.

Thanks, spuf


Buffy ‘waddled’ out into the courtroom, her courtroom that is. Okay, so it was a television set, really, but actually it was truly a courtroom. Just a televised courtroom that she just happened to preside over. Her televised courtroom show, the one that everyone chuckled at, at first? It was up for a bloody (using Will’s word) Daytime Emmy!

After a slight vacation from taping her show, Buffy was back in full bloom. This was not just a metaphor, really, since at eight months pregnant, Buffy was truly in ‘full’ bloom at this point.

‘Thank God these damn robes cover up my tubby bod,’ Buffy assured herself as she sunk down onto her chair behind the judge’s bench. ‘Now I just look like a beluga whale, not a freakin’ orca like Shamu!’

Buffy glanced over at Gunn, who grinned back at her. Apparently her bailiff was also glad that she was back and taping the show again. The man did have to eat after all and since he got married to Fred whatshername, just a couple of months ago? Well, Charles Gunn had obligations and commitments to fulfill.

Well, so did Buffy, after all, and so did William. With three children and another one ready to make an appearance any time now? Buffy felt driven to return to her show and meet out her contract, at least until Giles baby number four showed up.

William, being who he was, made sure to cut his hours at his law office shorter, daily, as the birth of the Giles’ miracle baby neared. Buffy’s husband had completely quit doing the lecture circuit and stuck around home as much as possible, running his practice out of their home, when he could.


“What’s on the docket today, Gunn?” Buffy asked her bailiff with all of the formality of the judicial figure she truly was.

“Case number 975, your honor,” Gunn replied evenly, handing Buffy the case file folder. “In the case of Franklin and Margaret Chase vs. Cordelia Francine Chase. All the litigants and witnesses have been sworn in, your honor. Everyone please be seated; the Honorable Judge Elizabeth Summers presiding.”


The entire courtroom sat down in their seats, except for the plaintiff and defendant. Buffy was humbly pleased by the fact that everyone in the courtroom audience, including Gunn and the camera crew had applauded when she strode, or waddled actually, onto the set.

‘It’s damned nice to be missed, that’s for sure,’ Buffy smiled to herself in delight. Then she frowned as she read the case file, ‘oh shit! Another family vs. family member case…’

“I understand that you, Mr. and Mrs. Chase are suing your daughter and only child, Cordelia Chase for the maximum recovery sum of $5,000.00? So, tell me all about it,” Buffy nearly groaned aloud. She detested domestic, or family suits like this, but it was her job after all.

“Your honor,” Mr. Franklin Chase began in a totally lawyer like tone. Which wasn’t so far fetched, considering he was a corporate lawyer, one of the best, actually. “Judge Buffy,” the man began again, obviously nervous for some reason, “my wife and I are here today to recover monetary losses from our daughter, Cordelia. Frankly, Judge Buffy,” Chase glanced over at his daughter, then his wife, Margaret. “Frankly, Judge, the truth is, we’ve sunk well over $50,000.00 into our daughter’s ‘projects’ and well,” the man sighed sadly and shook his head. “Maybe you better take it from here, Maggie,” he nodded to his wife.

“Our daughter is a talented, beautiful young woman, wouldn’t you agree, Judge Buffy?” Margaret Chase asked as she glanced over at the younger version of herself at the defendant’s table.

“Yes,” Buffy sighed heavily, a little distracted by a funny feeling in the pit of her tummy. ‘Who gave a rat’s ass about ‘how’ beautiful Cordelia Chase was? Why the hell were her parents suing the shit out of her?’ That’s what Buffy wanted to know for God’s sake!

“Well,” Margaret continued, oblivious to Buffy’s discomfort, “Cordelia is Frank and my whole world. We’ve never denied her anything and have always encouraged her to follow her dreams and such. However, for the past two years, our daughter has flitted from one venture to another, always requesting our help to get them started. First,” the mother sighed, “it was ‘fashion design school’ which was fine with us.”

Buffy wriggled around in her chair, trying to get comfortable, but failing miserably. She focused on the female plaintiff’s mouth, as she forced herself to listen to this pity party that was unfolding in front of her.

“Frank and I would have been thrilled if Cordy would have followed through and made a go of her classes. However, when she didn’t do well with the first class assignment? She dropped out of the school and lost the $1,500.00 deposit we put down for her.”

“And this is why you’re suing her for…..” Buffy nearly got her whole question out before Franklin Chase broke in.

“No your honor, it’s more then that. There was the time that our darling daughter, just last year? She asked her mother and I for another $10,000.00. This time, Cordelia decided to act as a patroness for a local artist. By the name of Allan Doyle. Artist, my ass! More like a con artist and…” Franklin Chase snorted in disgust.

“Mr. Chase, I will not tolerate profanity in my courtroom. Kapish?” Buffy glared at the dignified looking man, sternly.

“Yes, your Honor, I understand,” Mr. Chase muttered with a shamed face.

“Anyway,” the older Chase continued harshly, “my daughter was taken in by this ‘artist’ by the name of Allan Doyle. When the moron skipped town, with my money and my daughter’s heart he…..”

“Daddy! Please!” Cordelia Chase squealed in shocked embarrassment. “Doyle did not skip town with your money or my heart! He merely went on sabbatical and….”

“You see what I mean?” Franklin Chase asked Buffy with a shrug of defeat. “She’s clueless when it comes to the real world. It’s not that my wife and I want the money back, your honor. No, not really. We just want our daughter to grow up and face reality and the responsibility that goes with it. Cordelia needs to own up to her mistakes; financial and otherwise, and make her own way in life. At least somewhat.”

“How old are you?” Buffy asked the lovely Ms. Chase.

“I am twenty-eight Buffy,” Cordelia smiled prettily at the judge.

“That’s your honor or Judge Summers to you, Ms. Chase.” Buffy stated evenly, just a little put out by the young woman’s lack of respect for her and this courtroom.

“Have you ever held a job, Ms. Chase?” Buffy asked, pretty much already knowing the answer to her question.

“Well,” Cordelia began, “I organize the ‘Privileged Against Poverty’ fashion show every year. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?” Ms. Chase gave Buffy a hopeful look that caused the judge to inwardly cringe.

“I see,” Buffy sighed again, trying very hard not to just throw the whole damn bunch of them out on their bums. “Any other means of earnings, Ms. Chase?” She asked, trying to mask her sarcastic tone.

“No,” Cordelia replied proudly, “Daddy and Mommy have always made sure that I don’t have to work. This way,” she continued eagerly, “I’m available to donate my time to worthy organizations such as ‘PAP’ and the like. I came up with the acronym myself,” Ms. Chase crowed proudly. ‘PAP’ that is; for Privileged Against Poverty! Don’t you just love it? Especially in your condition and…..”

“That’s quite enough Ms. Chase,” Buffy groaned out loud. ‘Well,’ she reasoned, ‘at least Cordelia Chase isn’t procreating and shooting out a bunch of little Chases into the world, right?’

“Mr. Chase,” Buffy sighed in exasperation, “please cut to the chase. No pun intended,” she smirked at her own joke. “Really,” she continued somberly, “it’s time to tell me exactly what compensation you want from your daughter. There ‘is’ a $5,000.00 maximum in small claims court such as this and unless you have some kind of promissory note or something your daughter has signed then……”

“I don’t have a promissory note, Judge Buffy,” Franklin responded with a rather confused look, or so Buffy thought. “Why would I ask my own daughter for a promissory note?”

“Because you’re a lawyer?” Buffy answered Mr. Chase’s question with one of her own. “Mr. Chase I….”

Suddenly, Buffy was hit with a horrible cramping pain within her lower tummy. If she didn’t know better, she could swear it was the beginning of delivery pains. She was only eight months along; too early to have the baby, right?

Another cramping pain shot through Buffy’s lower body and she doubled over from it.

“Your honor?” Charles Gunn gasped, his face was wracked with worry. “Buffy,” he called her by her nickname and hurried behind the judge’s bench to see to her.

Buffy clasped Gunn’s strong hands with her tiny ones, “Charles,” she rasped in a near whisper. “Let me close this fucking case,” she pleaded with her bailiff, careful that the camera crew did not pick up on her words.

“Mr. and Mrs. Chase,” Buffy stammered unevenly, trying to mask her pain. “You have not proven your case, however…..” she tried not to groan out loud when another cramp hit her.

“However,” Buffy continued bravely, “I do have some advice for your daughter. Get a damn job girl! Grow up and pay your folks back for all of their trouble!” Buffy glared at the stunned socialite beauty before she doubled over again, clutching Gunn’s right arm.

“Call William,” Buffy pleaded with Gunn. “Tell him that his wife’s water bag just broke; on freaking national television.” Buffy glanced down and stared, mesmerized, as her warning birth water ran down her legs onto her expensive Prada shoes.

“Turn off the fucking cameras!” Gunn screamed at the film crew. “Clear this damned courtroom, now!”


“I thought we might call ‘him’ Chance,” Buffy whispered to her husband, William, who lay next to her on the hospital bed. Will had made it to the hospital in record time, just after the ambulance had arrived with Buffy in tow.

Less then an hour later, William and Buffy’s fourth child and second son came into the world. William had been there for the whole thing; holding Buffy’s hand while she breathed and counting to ten with her. Just like the first three times they’d brought their children into the world together.

“Chance?” Spike asked his wife, warily. “Why Chance, if I might ask,” he added with a raised left brow.

“Because,” Buffy sighed in exhaustion, “we took a chance having this one. I want his name to really mean something, Will. Please?”

“Of course,” Spike chuckled, tweaking his newborn son’s tender little cheek, gently. As always, Spike was gentle with all of his children.

“I love you, Buffy,” William murmured, nuzzling her cheek with his lovely mouth.

“I know, and you sure as heck better,” Buffy giggled in reply. She was truly worn out, but all of it had been worth it. That was for certain.

“Well, little Chance ? Giles,” Spike began quietly, “welcome to the world.”

“What about Rupert,” Buffy asked wryly, trying not to smile at her husband.

“Oh, like bloody hell we’re going to stick my kid with a middle name like Rupert!” Spike scowled in mock anger.

“Okay, no Rupert,” Buffy giggled. “Maybe Hank? After my dad and the English prince? After all, we have a William, for you and the heir apparent to the throne. Why not…..”

“Chance Hank Giles?” Spike spat in a dubious tone. “I’m not sure, Princess. I think it sounds a bit odd, really.”

“I’m just kidding,” Buffy giggled mischievously. “I was really thinking more along the lines of Chance Giles, period. No middle name this time. What do you say?”

“I say fine,” Spike sighed in contentment as he snuggled his wife and baby son to his chest. “Of course, we need to ask the ‘bits’ what they think about their new baby brother’s name, eh?”

“Of course, Will,” Buffy replied with a huge yawn. “I’m bushed,” she stated the obvious, allowing William to take their baby from her arms.

“Get some sleep,” Spike ordered his beloved little wife, lovingly. “I’m going to con the hospital’s night shift to let our three other rug rats into the room to see little Chance here.”

“Kay, Will,” Buffy murmured with half closed eyes. Her wonderful husband kissed her lips and then she was sound asleep.


The End?