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Chapter 1: The Present, ten years later — The Meeting

“I want to bet on Lucky. She should win this time…Yes, I know but I have a feeling on this one!” A male voice filled the living room. He was on the phone with one of his so-called buddies, who was a broker.

Buffy Summers sighed and turned back to her grandfather. He was sitting up in bed, for he was unfortunately diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

“Xander? You didn’t have any of the soup last night!” The grandfather said disapprovingly to the girl sitting in front of him.

“I’m Buffy, Grandpa,” Buffy corrected.

“Oh…I knew that. I was just testing you. Buffy, why aren’t you at school?”

She smiled patiently at the elder sitting in front of her. “I’ve graduated from UCLA two years ago. Now I’m working.”

Her brother Xander walked in, a rolled up magazine in his hands. “I’m amazed you still have the patience to deal with Grandpa. He’s been like this for years. Aren’t you tired of it at all?”

She shrugged. “He’s lucid at times. Besides you’re never home. If I didn’t take care of him, who would? Obviously not you!” she shot back but then smiled at her brother. He was three years older than her but he still behaved like a little kid, never grown up.

“Xander, you didn’t have any soup last night! Now I’m going to spank you for being so bad.” The old man took out a used and worn ping-pong paddle.

“Well, this is none of my business! It’s your turn to keep Grandpa company!” Buffy jumped up from the bed.

“Here Grandpa, let me.” He laid across his grandfather’s lap while his grandfather spanked his butt lightly with the paddle.

“You come home late or not at all,” Grandpa chastised. “You’re always locked up the bathroom doing God knows what. You don’t drink the soup your sister makes.”

Xander feigned sounds of pain as he shuffled through a People magazine. “Oww…that hurts…oww,” he said as he turned the page.

Buffy just smiled, having been used to the silly antics between her grandfather and her brother. “I’m going to go see Wesley now.”

“Wait! Let me borrow twenty bucks,” Xander called to his sister.

“You never come home unless it’s to borrow money. How many more jobs do I have to take in order to care for grandpa and you?”

“I don’t know why you have to work so hard. You’re a woman. Just find a rich guy to marry and you can spend your days shopping and doing whatever else women do. Come and see this guy.”

He pointed to the magazine. Two men were displayed on the cover, wearing expensive suits. “What about this guy?”

Buffy made a face at the guy Xander was pointing at. He had on a distasteful yellow suit. No doubt it was costly, but still. Who’d want to buy a suit like that? “Eww, no way. Angel Giles is infamous for his really bad taste. He likes women who wears those low cut dresses, covered in gaudy jewelry, when everyone else thinks they are appalling.”

“Okay, so how about his brother?” He pointed to the man in the dark Armani suit.

“Eh. He’d never go for someone like me.” Buffy sighed at the mere thought. “I gotta go or else I’ll be late!”

“Here, take the magazine. Maybe you’ll see one of the Giles brothers and you can ask them to autograph it for you. Oh, and how about that twenty?”

Buffy rolled her eyes and tossed a hair clip at her brother. “Here. Enjoy.”

“I asked for twenty bucks, not a hair clip!”

“That’s what it cost me!” Buffy said and walked out of the room.

“Just great…I was really in the mood for some of those jelly doughnuts too.”

Moments later, a scream was heard outside their house.

“I’ll be right back, Grandpa. And lemme borrow the paddle.” Xander ran to the front door. There, he saw a young man stood naked from the waist up. It was the next door neighbor, mowing the lawn and he was inching his way closer to the Summers’ lawn.

Off to the side, stood Buffy, still hyperventilating. She wasn’t comfortable with men other than her family. And needles to say, when they were naked, it was much worse!

“Buffy, you okay? Don’t worry, he’s not gonna hurt you. The Xan-man’s here.”

She nodded, her eyes wide, and trembling slightly, she quickly left.



She had just turned twenty a few months ago but she still had no ambition in life. She wasn’t stupid. She was just…content. She was happy where she was in her life and rejoiced at simple pleasures. She was a part time disc jockey, using the money to support her grandfather and the payment on the house. The other times, she would resort to taking odd jobs here and there, never really liking them yet never complaining either.

A cup of coffee, while sitting on the porch, enjoying the view it gave was all she needed to start her day. She took pleasure in the simplicity her life had to offer and she was happy. There wasn’t a care in the world to disturb her. Not a serious one, anyway. There was one thing that affected her, however. It was an illness. Or at least something close to it.



“How’s your grandfather doing lately?” Doctor Wyndham-Price asked. He was an old family friend and Buffy still kept in touch with him.

“It’s still the same. Do you ever think he’ll get better though?”

“I certainly hope he recovers. However, there isn’t an exact cure for Alzheimer’s so it makes it harder to say. All we can do is hope that the medicine he’s taking will keep it at bay as long as it can. As of right now, it’s not too egregious and he’s still coherent most of the time so all we can do is watch him closely .”

Sighing, she nodded. Buffy was expecting this answer. “Well, I better get going. I’ll see you later, Wesley.”

“Wait, Buffy. How’s your condition? Are there any improvements?”

*Flashback*

Colorful decorations filled the room. Balloons, streamers, and happy people celebrated Buffy’s birthday. They gathered around the table, singing her the birthday song. Her grandparents were standing beside her, telling her to blow out the eight candles that adorned the chocolate cake.

She blew out the candles and heard clapping. She looked up from the cake and her gaze fell onto a cute boy around her age. He smiled and her breath caught. She suddenly had trouble breathing and she found that she couldn’t say anything however much she wanted to.

*End Flashback*

“No…still the same, unfortunately.”

“I see. Well, I’ve heard about this one patient. It sounds as if she has the same symptoms as you and she’s found a way to lessen the anxiousness. When she’s talking to a guy, she doesn’t meet his eyes. She claims it works for her. Maybe you should try it sometime. See if it works for you too.”

Buffy laughed, if a bit forceful, trying to hide her disappointment. “I’ll have to find a guy to work it on first!”

“Don’t worry, Buffy. You will.” He smiled kindly and patted her on her shoulder.

“One could only hope.” Smiling her goodbye, she walked out of his office and towards the elevator down the hall. Buffy got in, and waited for the doors to close. A soft swish was heard as the doors moved toward each other.

“Hold the elevator please!” A voice called out.
She quickly stuck her hands between the thin slit the doors left, hoping to open the doors before they closed on her hand. Well, there was no luck there. A numbing pain took over in her hand. She shook it vigorously and blew on it to lessen it but needless to say, it did little to help.

“Thank you, miss.” One of the older men said.

She gritted a smile and quickly glanced over to the mob of men who had filled the elevators. She turned to see shockingly platinum blonde hair. Unable to help herself, she looked down to his face to see the bluest eyes ever. Oh God! It was Spike Giles! What was he doing here?!? He was the guy on the cover of People magazine, the very magazine that she was holding not 5 inches away from him. She subtly tried to hide it behind her back.

He smiled his thanks and she started to mildly hyperventilate. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out, she told herself when she immediately looked away.

“Aww look…you scared her,” one guy jokingly said as he noticed her breathing.

“Did I? I’m sorry, luv” he said to Buffy.

Oh God! That accent! He sounds too good! Okay, Buffy, you can do this! Don't muddle into a pile of goo. Say something! Turning away from his splendid blue eyes, she mumbled, “It’s okay.” Inwardly, she smacked herself.

He didn’t seem to notice her response or her increased labored breathing, however, as the elevator dinged the arrival of the next floor. The doors swished once again and the group of Armani, Ralph Lauren, and Versace suited men walked out.

As soon as they left, Buffy began to breathe easier. She banged her head against the elevator door because she had made a fool out of herself and in front of Spike Giles himself, no less. “Why me?” She wailed, groaning at her luck.


Yes, I know…spanking a grown man is unheard of…but keep in mind that I’m basing it on a Chinese movie and I wanted to keep that scene in to reflect Xander’s silliness.
Please review! If there aren’t enough people interested then I won’t bother writing more and just stick to reading haha





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