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Chapter 4


When Buffy got home, she found her mother in the kitchen.

“Buffy? What are you doing home?” Joyce asked, concerned.

“Uh, I wasn’t feeling well.” Buffy replied.

“Oh. Sorry sweetie. You want me to get you anything?”

“No. I’m good.”

Joyce smiled.

“Alright then. So, are you going to join in on Anya’s little party tonight?”

Buffy grimaced.

“Um, about that. I was going to ask you if it would be ok if I went to dad’s this weekend. Maybe do a little shopping.” Buffy asked.

Truthfully, she would do anything to get away from Sunnydale for the weekend. So, she figured if going to stay with her dad would make her feel better, then so be it.

Joyce looked at Buffy for a moment.

“Well, if you really want to.” Joyce answered.

“Ok. Could you take me now?”

“Now? Is everything alright?” Joyce asked, concerned.

She knew Buffy would rather clean toilets than spend time with her dad’s fiancé.

“I’m ok.” Buffy replied. “I just want to get away from Sunnydale for a few days.” she added, seeing Joyce’s skeptical look.

“Well, go pack. We’ll leave when you’re ready.”

Buffy gratefully hugged her mother, and then ran upstairs to get packed.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Three hours later, Buffy was standing in her room at her dad’s house in LA. She unpacked her bags, and headed downstairs.

“Buffy!” her dad’s fiancé yelled, throwing her arms around Buffy.

“Uh, hi Vanessa. Where’s dad?” Buffy greeted the woman.

“He had to go to work. But I have to go to the shelter if you want to come with me.” Vanessa offered.

Buffy sighed, but accepted Vanessa’s offer.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“And this is where they go to watch TV, or just hang out.” Vanessa told Buffy, leading her into a large room, with a few sofas and chairs and a large television. After Buffy and Vanessa had arrived at the shelter for runaways, Vanessa proceeded to give Buffy a tour of the large building. Buffy was pretty sure she had seen every square inch of the building, but she didn’t complain. She actually thought it was pretty cool.

“Well, that’s the end of our tour. I have to go back to the office to finish some paperwork, so you can feel free to do whatever.” Vanessa told Buffy, before leaving her standing by herself in the large room.

Buffy walked around the room, looking at the various pictures on one of the walls.

“Hi.”

Buffy turned around to see who was there, and was met by a shy brunette.

“Hi.” Buffy answered.

“Are you new here?” the girl asked her.

“Oh, uh, no. I’m just visiting. My dad’s girlfriend, Vanessa, works here. I’m Buffy.” Buffy told her, holding out her hand.

“I’m Fred.” the girl answered, shaking Buffy’s hand.

“So, you live here?” Buffy asked.

“Yep. You wanna see my room?” Fred answered, brightening a little.

“Sure.”

Fred led Buffy down the hall to the “residence area”. They entered one of the rooms. When Buffy walked in, she saw a small room with bunk beds, a set of dressers, and two desks. Fred sat down on the bottom bed, and Buffy joined her.

“Do you have a roommate?” Buffy asked, noticing the other bed was devoid of any sheets.

“Nope. I live in here by myself. I-I don’t have any friends here.” Fred answered.

“Why not?”

“I-I don’t think they like me very much.” Fred told her, smiling sadly.

Suddenly, Buffy had an idea.

“Hey, do you wanna stay with me until I leave? You know, spend the night at my house.” Buffy asked, hoping to make the other girl feel better.

Buffy couldn’t help but smile when she saw Fred light up.

“Really?”

“Yep. I’m sure Vanessa won’t mind. And, hey, maybe we could go out to eat tomorrow, and do a little shopping.” Buffy said.

“Ok. But, I don’t have any money.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll go tell Vanessa that you’re gonna stay with us, and you can pack whatever you need. I’ll see you downstairs.” Buffy told her, before leaving the room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That night, at the summers’ house in Sunnydale…

Anya opened the door for her friends, and smiled as they came in, arms loaded with presents, food, and movies.

The night started with the opening of presents, which Anya had immediately demanded upon their arrival. She received a new sweater from Willow and Oz, a key chain that said ‘I Love Money’ from Spike, a t-shirt with ‘New York’ written in it from Jesse, and a few CD’s and a necklace from Xander.

Then the cake came, followed by the movies. They had settled down to watch Wrong Turn.

“Hey, where’s Buffy?” Willow asked, as soon as the credits began to roll.

“She went to stay with dad for the weekend.” Anya answered.

“Oh, ok.”

“Too bad. I was really looking forward to spending some quality time with her.” Jesse said.

“I thought you hated Buffy.” Anya said.

“That was sarcasm.” Jesse answered, rolling his eyes.

“That’s not very nice.” Spike put in.

“Well, excuse me for not being nice to her, but she teased us mercilessly ever since she moved here.” Jesse said.

Spike was about to retort when Anya stepped in.

“Hey, no fighting on my birthday!” Anya yelled.

Jesse and Spike grumbled an apology and the movie fest resumed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Ooh, I wanna go in here.” Buffy said, pointing to a small store.

She and Fred were spending the day at the mall. Buffy’s father, Hank, had given her his credit card, so Buffy was treating her new friend to lunch and a small shopping spree.

They walked into the store, looking at the clothes. They were mostly vintage and leather. Buffy bought up a few things, and they left the store. Buffy glanced at Fred, who was smiling, arms full of shopping bags. She thought it was so cool to have a new friend, one who she could be herself with. Fred and Buffy had spent most of the previous night talking. Buffy learned that Fred wasn’t actually a runaway, she was an orphan. Her parents had died in a car accident when she was fifteen. She had spent the last few years wandering before she had moved into the shelter. She was eighteen now, Buffy’s age. She didn’t attend school, but was still very intelligent.

Watching Fred, another idea hit Buffy. What if Fred could come home with her? She could go to Sunnydale High, and maybe college. Buffy decided to call Joyce that night, and didn’t mention her idea to Fred, in case it couldn’t happen.

They hit a few more stores before heading back home.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy walked into her bedroom and flopped down on the bed. Fred was sitting on the bed reading a magazine.

Buffy had called her mother a few moments ago, and it was confirmed that Fred could come home with Buffy, to live with them and go to school.

“Watcha doin’” Buffy asked.

Fred looked up from her magazine.

“Just reading one of your magazines.”

“Oh. I wanna ask you something. It’s really important.” Buffy told her.

Fred looked at Buffy, concerned, and put her magazine down.

“Is something wrong?”

“Oh no. It’s nothing bad. I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to come home with me. You could go to school with me. I asked my mom, and she said it was cool.” Buffy said.

“Really?” Fred asked eyes wide.

“Yep. So, what do you say?”

“I would love too!” Fred said, smiling.

“Well, mom is picking us up tomorrow. Do you need to get anything else from the shelter?”

“No. What I brought with me is all I have.” Fred said, embarrassed.

“Ok, then. Then we may just have to go shopping again!” Buffy told her, grinning.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day, Joyce arrived in LA to pick up the girls.

“Hi mom!” Buffy greeted.

Buffy pulled Fred from behind her.

“This is Fred. Fred, mom. Mom, Fred.” Buffy said, introducing them.

“Hello dear. So you will be staying with us?” Joyce asked.

“Yes, Mrs. Summers.” Fred answered, smiling.

“Please, call me Joyce. Or mom if you want.” Joyce told her.

“Ok.”

“Well, let’s put your bags in the car so we can go.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Anya and the others woke up before Joyce, Buffy, and Fred came home. They said their goodbyes, and left. Joyce and the girls arrived not long after they left.

Anya greeted her mother and sister and went upstairs with her presents.

“That was Anya, my sister.” Buffy told Fred.

Joyce walked in.

“Fred, you will be staying in the guest bedroom. Consider it yours now.” Joyce told her.

“Thank you.” Fred answered.

Buffy led Fred up to her new room. Buffy helped her unpack.

“Who’s she?”

Buffy and Fred looked up to see Anya standing in the doorway.

“Hi Anya. This is Fred. She’s going to be staying with us.” Buffy told her.

Fred waved and Anya just looked at her before leaving.

Buffy frowned when she heard Anya’s mumbled remark as she left.

‘Great. Another one of Buffy’s minions.’

Buffy looked at Fred, and sighed in relief when she realized that she had not heard it. They continued unpacking, talking about the upcoming school day.





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