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
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Hey, long time, no updates. I'm 'kind of' finished with my RL issues, for now anyway. I am going to be updating All Manner of Monsters this weekend. I will probably finished Dance of the Mates by Monday and hopefully, La Cosa Nostra will have a new installment!
Thank you so much for all of you readers!
Thank you so much for all of you readers!