[Reviews - 348]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 4164 times

- Text Size +




Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you so much to those that have read and reviewed. I hope you enjoy the next chapter.
Chapter Three

Buffy pushed the last of her chocolate cake around on her plate, trying to think of a way to fill the awkward silence at the table. Glancing up she caught her parents sharing a worried look and she couldn’t help rolling her eyes.

Her welcome home dinner had gone smoothly at first. She’d asked her parents lots of questions about what they’d done over the last six years. In work, in life. They’d been eager to share and so the conversation had flowed. That had lasted until dessert.

Watching drops of condensation slide down the side of her water glass, Buffy wished absently that they would ask her what she’d done over the past six years. She would have liked to tell them about some of her adventures. About Willow and Xander and Giles. About Dawn. She knew that would never happen though. In fact, she was pretty sure they preferred to think that she’d been in a coma all this time and had no memories to show for it.

Unable to stand the silence any longer Buffy stood and began to clear the table. When Joyce and Hank both jumped up to help Buffy waved them away. “You go relax. I’ll clean up.”

They looked at each other again, obviously hesitant about leaving her alone for any length of time. Reigning in the urge to roll her eyes yet again Buffy took a deep breath and forced a smile. “Guys really. Thank you for my welcome home dinner. It was great. Now I’m just going to stack the dish washer. I’m fine really.”

“Of course you are,” Hank agreed a little too quickly. “We just don’t want you to take on too much too soon.”

Buffy raised her eyebrows incredulously. “It’s just the dishes.”

Looking abashedly at each other her parents mumbled something about her being absolutely right and hastily quit the room.

Shaking her head at them she returned to the task at hand. It had been six years since she’d stacked a dish washer. Even the house in Sunnydale hadn’t had one. But she was determined to do it in a neat, efficient, completely sane manner. If only to prove to her parents that she wasn’t the useless, fragile china doll they seemed to think she was.

As she worked she took in the room around her. Everything was white. The tiles on the floor, the bench tops, the cupboards. Even the crockery they ate off was a plain white. For a kitchen, the supposed ‘heart’ of the home, it seemed kind of…cold.

She missed the warmth of her kitchen in Sunnydale. It had been small and kind of basic, but it had been cosy. It had been a place of hot cocoas and late night chats. It’s weird, she thought glumly, that a place that never existed seemed to hold so much more life than this house.

Suddenly feeling hemmed in Buffy knew she had to get out of there. Even for just a little while. Quickly finishing the last of the dishes she climbed the stairs to her bedroom. Her small bag of belongings, items she no longer remembered nor identified as her own, sat on the bed. After a moment’s pause she tore the bag open and upended it onto the bedspread. Briefly rummaging through the contents she found a small slip of paper. On it, written in a bold, elegant hand was the address and phone number of William Reynolds.

Before she could change her mind Buffy headed for the phone and dialled William’s number. She chewed on her bottom lip as she listened to it ring. Once. Twice. Maybe she shouldn’t call. Three. He might not want to hear from her. Four. Obviously he wasn’t home. Five. Maybe–

“Hello?”

Buffy tried to speak but suddenly her throat constricted and she couldn’t manage so much as a squeak.

“Hello? Is anybody there?”

Clearing her throat Buffy forced herself to speak. “Umm…hello.”

“Buffy? Is that you love?”

She briefly considered hanging up and hoping he thought it was a wrong number. But then she thought about spending the rest of the evening sitting downstairs with her parents while they tried to act normal and she shuddered. “Yes. It’s me. How are you?”

“I’m just fine pet.” There was a long pause. “I wasn’t sure I’d hear from you.”

“Oh. Well, I just got out of the hospital today.” She swallowed heavily, hoping he wasn’t regretting giving her his number.

“Ahh, it was about time they let you out of there. So how does your first taste of freedom feel?”

“Kind of strange,” she admitted. “Mom and Dad keep looking at me like I’m about to announce they’re both vampires and I’m going to slay them.”

She heard William chuckle softly. “They’re just worried I expect. You were in Sunnydale a long time. It takes a while to get used to the fact that you’re home for good.”

A smile touched her lips when he spoke the name of her much loved town. She hadn’t heard her parents mention it since that day she woke up in the hospital.

“William, I was wondering if you would…” Suddenly nervous she stumbled over the words.

“If I what pet?”

Closing her eyes tightly she took a deep breath and rushed through the rest of the sentence. “If you would like to get together?”

There was silence on the other end of the phone and Buffy kicked herself for forcing herself on him. “If you don’t want to–”

“I’d love to Buffy. When did you have in mind?”

Relief flooded her when she heard the smile in his voice and she couldn’t help but wonder why seeing William was suddenly so important to her.

“How’s now for you?”

**********

Buffy met her mother at the bottom of the stairs just as she was shrugging on a jacket.

“Buffy, I was just coming to look for you. Are you going somewhere?”

“Yeah. I just thought I’d go for a walk.” She wasn’t sure why she didn’t tell her mother she was going to see William. All she knew was that she had to get out of the house and she didn’t want to answer a lot of questions.

The look of fear on Joyce’s face made her feel guilty for even considering leaving. “Are you sure you should go out? It’s only your first night home and remember Dr Callahan said you shouldn’t push yourself.”

“I know. But it doesn’t feel like I’m pushing. I just need some fresh air. I’ve been stuck in that hospital for weeks–”

“Years, Buffy,” Joyce reminded her emphatically. “You’ve been there for six years.”

Buffy sighed heavily as she realised her mistake. “I know Mom. It just doesn’t feel like years to me.” Unable to look her mother in the eye she quickly sidled around her. “Don’t worry,” she said brightly on her way out the door. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”





You must login (register) to review.