Chapter Four: Not so Flooded
Buffy stalked her prey slowly and cautiously for fear of it hearing her. She gripped her weapon tighter upon approaching it.
“You’re seriously not gonna try and fix it again are you?” Dawn asked from her seat on the stairs
Buffy stopped her stalk and turned around agitated. Dawn held the phone higher for her to get a good look at and raised her eyebrows expectantly.
Buffy shook her head ‘no’ and turned back to the leaky pipe with a sigh “It’s money I don’t have” she told her wearily.
Dawn groaned “If it floods again I get to say ‘I told you so’”
Buffy stared at the pipe thoughtfully
“Maybe Spike knows how to fix it” Dawn said hopefully “I mean he’s been alive for how long? He’s bound to have picked up something useful”
“So I’m not useful?” Buffy pouted
Dawn gave her a look and remained silent
Buffy groaned and joined her sister at the stairs “You think he’s know about stuff like this?” she asked hopefully
“It’s worth a shot” Dawn told her “Plus Spike without a shirt and tools” Dawn added dreamily
Buffy frowned at her “You watch too much TV” she stared blankly at nothing for a moment “ok not a bad image” she told Dawn
Dawn giggled “I knew it” she announced proudly “So you gonna ask him?”
Buffy shrugged “Yea” she looked at Dawn grinning “But if he screws it up I’m so blaming you”
________________________________________________________________________
Buffy and Dawn emerged from the basement and into the kitchen.
“So everything fixed?” Tara asked
“No, it won’t fix” Buffy pouted
Willow and Tara exchange confused looks
“I’m going to ask Spike if he could try” Buffy explained
Tara nodded enthusiastically and Willow frowned
Buffy looked to Dawn “Get ready for school” she told her
Dawn pouted “But I already know…” she stopped herself mid-sentence and glanced at Willow and Tara “I’m on it” she covered hastily, leaving to her bedroom
Buffy walked over to the island and set her wrench down.
“I need a job” she groaned
Willow nodded sympathetically “I was gonna tell you about the money thing”
Buffy waved it off “It’s good, I know all about this money stuff, I’ll get a job, I won’t be broke” she said “Just keep me away from evil cow hats”
Tara and Willow nodded in confusion
Buffy looked up at them with wide eyes “it’s a thing” she explained
Willow stepped closer to her friend “Um, I was thinking, me and Tara, staying here, I mean we talked about it…” She trailed off looking at Tara for help
“We were thinking about paying rent” Tara explained
Buffy smiled at them weakly “Normally I’d say no, but if you guys really want to…”
“Oh, we want” Willow said too enthusiastically “We will” she smiled at Tara
“Yea, anything to help” Tara added smiling
“Thanks you guys, I really appreciate it” Buffy said. She moved in to hug Willow and Willow smiled and hugged back
Tara smiled.
“I’m off!” Dawn called from the living room. Buffy exited the embrace and moved to the living room
“Dawn!” she called
Dawn stopped and turned around “Buffy I’ll go to school I swear” she said annoyed
Buffy smiled and held up a brown bag “Lunch” she explained
Dawn smiled “Oh” she hugged Buffy and left.
Buffy turned back to Willow and Tara, “Ok, so who wants to help me job search?” she said too enthusiastically
Willow and Tara smiled at her and nodded.
“Good” Buffy said “We’ll start with the papers and then…go from there”
Willow looked thoughtfully for a moment “How did you know about the money thing?” she asked
Buffy shrugged nonchalantly “Just kinda figured it out” she lied
Willow frowned unconvinced but let it go
“Well, we have class in a couple hours” Tara began “But we can help you find a job until then”
“Great!” Buffy said “I’ll go get a paper and be back before you know it”
________________________________________________________________________
Buffy crossed the street to the mini-mart next to the salon. She stopped and looked at the salon window at her reflection. She looked at her hair with a sigh. She really didn’t want to get it cut again, but maybe a dye? Her thoughts trailed off when her spider sense picked up. She frowned and looked around at the pedestrians on the street, but no demons. That’s when she heard the scream from the Mini-Mart, she broke into a run and barged inside in time to see a demon scaring off customers and a man in all black stealing from the register. “Are you serious?” she groaned. She came up behind the demon and tapped him on the shoulder. The demon turned around quickly frowning at the girls posture. Buffy put her hands on her hips “Is that your master?” she asked indicating the guy at the register. The demon nodded confused.
Buffy turned around “Hey! Warren!” she called. The man at the register looked up scared, recognizing the voice instantly
“Slayer!” he greeted, hastily grabbing the rest of the money and took off in a run.
“She is the slayer?” the demon asked surprised.
Buffy rolled her eyes at the situation, she could either stop Warren from getting away or kill the demon threatening innocent victims. She went with the ladder and turned around to send a kick to the demons mid section. The demon hit the ground and Buffy hovered over him.
“Ok, cookie man, lets see what you got” she quipped getting in a fighting stance.
The demon grinned evily and stood up. He went to kick her but she blocked it and punched him in the nose. He staggered back a few feet but remained standing, he backhanded her sending her flying over the counter. The owner was crouched in a sitting position hiding behind it. He looked at Buffy wide eyed when she got up.
“How much are your papers?” she asked
The owner kept staring “one dolla fivety” he stammered.
Buffy reached in her pocket and tossed him a couple dollars. “Keep the change” she grabbed a paper on her way back over the counter and looked around. The demon was gone “Great” she mumbled leaving the shop.
________________________________________________________________________
“He still charged you?” Willow asked surpised after Buffy finished her story.
Buffy shrugged “Well, he did just get all his money stolen”
“But you saved his life” Willow defended
Buffy shrugged and opened the paper up to the job section. Tara came back into the living room with 3 cups of coffee. “So did the demon get away?”
“Yea” Buffy sighed “along with Warren”
“Warren?” Willow asked “The robot guy? Why was he there?”
Warren and Andrew came up from the basement then “That pipe is starting to make weird noises” Andrew commented
“Yea, we won’t be able to set up camp until it’s fixed” Jonathon sighed.
Buffy continued looking at the paper when she answered “Well you guys can sleep up here, I’m gonna ask Spike to check it out”
“Spike!?” Jonathon yelped afraid
“Spike!?” Andrew exclaimed excitedly
Tara, Willow, and Buffy looked at them surprised
“I mean, Spike!?” Andrew covered adding a fake shudder
“Isn’t he evil?” Jonathon asked “and a vampire?”
“He’s not evil” Buffy defended.
Tara smiled and Willow frowned
“Look, Spike is on our side” Buffy explained to Jonathon
Jonathon nodded in acceptance. “Sorry” he mumbled
______________________________________________________________________
“So this M’Fashnik is back in action?” Dawn asked the group who had gathered at the magic box
Xander picked up the book and looked at the picture “It could be Muh Fashnik” he said
Buffy walked in from the training room “No, Dawns right” she told the group
Dawn smiled “Like mm cookies”
Buffy smiled back at her sister.
“So what was he doing robbing a mini-mart?” Xander asked
“He probably wanted money” Anya piped in
“Warren robbed the mart, not the demon” Buffy explained “The demon was a distraction”
“Warren robbed a mini-mart?” Jonathon asked surprised
“Yea, I guess he didn’t need your help after all” Buffy mumbled
Jonathon looked ashamed as did Andrew
“So, it comes to my house tonight, I kill it” Buffy said simply
“How do you know it’ll come to your house tonight?” Willow asked
“That’s Warrens plan” Buffy covered. “I heard them talking” she lied
“So you eavesdropped, but you couldn’t kill the demon?” Anya asked sarcastically
“Um, yea” Buffy said lamely
“Oh” Anya said confused. The door at the magic box jingled “Welcome to the Magic Box please buy something expen…” Anya trailed off seeing Giles standing at the door.
“Buffy!” he exclaimed dropping his bags and rushing over to her. Buffy met him half way and embraced him.
“Giles!” she greeted
“You’re here, and alive!” Giles said unbelievingly “And still incredibly…strong” he strained
Buffy smiled sheepishly and let him go “sorry”
Giles took a step back to get a good look at her “I couldn’t believe when Willow called me, it’s still… sinking in”
“I get some taking used to” Buffy said
“Yes, well…you’re really here” he finished smiling
_______________________________________________________________________
Buffy and Giles were in the training room talking while the rest of the gang hung out in the magic box.
“She’s really happy” Xander said unbelievingly
“Do you think she’ll tell him? About heaven?” Tara asked the group softly
“She told us” Xander said looking to the closed door to the training room “So I’m thinking yea”
“He’s going to be angry” Willow said
Tara rubbed Willows back “It’s done sweetie, he’ll understand”
“But, I don’t want him to be mad at me” Willow pouted about to cry
“I’m sure everything will be fine” Tara assured
“Yea, just promise not to use magic as much” Dawn said
Willow frowned at her confused “Why can’t I use magic?”
Dawn looked up. She didn’t think she’d said it out loud “Oh…um, well it’s just” she stammered for an explanation
“You do kinda use it a lot Wills” Xander piped in
“Yea but for good reasons!” Willow defended
“I think what they’re saying is just not as much. Do things you can do normally, well n-normally” Tara soothed
“I do things normally!” Willow whined “I’m all about the normal”
“We know sweetie, it’s just magic is dangerous, too much of it can be…” Tara looked unsure of what to say
“Dangerous?” Dawn filled in
Tara nodded and Willow sighed “I know” Willow relented “I’ll try to cut back I guess, but I still want to help”
“And you do!” Tara assured “We all do”
_______________________________________________________________________
Buffy made a spot on the couch for Giles to sleep.
“Aw, very, um, whimsical” He commented on the girly sheets she was lying out
“Yea, it was all I could find” she said sympathetically
“It’ll do” Giles said helping her tuck in the sheet
“Andrew and Jonathon are staying at Jonathons house tonight” Buffy explained
“Yes well, them on the team is very, well, interesting to say the least” Giles said slightly confused
“Yea, I know, but they can help, they will help” Buffy said
________________________________________________________________________
Giles walked into the kitchen after talking to Buffy, Willow was at the stove baking cookies “Have a nice talk with Buffy?” Willow asked nervously
Giles nodded, not looking too happy
“Look, Giles” Willow began “I know what I did…it was wrong”
Giles nodded and sat down “Yes it was, do you have any idea…”
“Yes! I do” Willow interrupted “And I won’t, I won’t do it again…and I know you’re mad, and I feel bad, and I’m sorry, but I can’t help but feel happy that, that she’s back” she explained, reaching into the oven and coming up with a tray of cookies. She set them on the counter and began transferring them onto a plate.
Giles nodded without looking at her “Cookies won’t do any good this time Willow”
Willow looked as if she was about to cry “but…”
“You tore her out of heaven” Giles said his voice rising a little
“I know” Willow chocked out “I didn’t know…”
“No, you didn’t know, and the magic you are using you know nothing about” he cut her off angrily
Willow started crying “I know, and I’m sorry, I promise to hold back on it, I won’t do it again, I swear!”
Giles met her eyes and his anger melted into concern “I know a place, a coven, if you may, it could help you…”
“I’ll do it” Willow agreed “I just want to help”
Giles smiled a little and took a cookie
_______________________________________________________________________
Buffy sat on the porch steps with an axe whistling a random tune. A cigarette appeared next to her foot and she stomped it out “Those are bad for you” she commented
Spike came out of the shadows “Already dead luv”
Buffy smiled at him
Spike pointed to the axe “Waiting for the big bad mosquitos?” he joked
She laughed a little “No, the cookie man”
Spike raised his eyebrows and sat next to her “You hear the watcher in there?”
“Yea” Buffy sighed
“I guess you were right about Red using too much magic then” Spike commented
Buffy nodded “Yea”
They heard a rustling near the gate and looked up. The demon came into view
“That the cookie man?” Spike asked
“Yep” Buffy said getting up and charging at him. The demon knocked her axe out of her hand and back handed her sending her flying into Spike. They landed on the ground with and ‘umph’ before Buffy got back on her feet, helping Spike to his “Just make sure he doesn’t get into the house” Buffy warned
“Right” Spike said charging the demon. He landed a round house kick to it and knocked it down. Buffy ran to the axe and picked it up “Heads up!” she called tossing it to Spike.
Spike caught it and chopped the demons head off with one swift swing. Demon goo went flying
“That was so gross” Buffy said walking up to stand next to him
Spike made a face “That it was” he handed her back her axe and she took it with a sigh moving back to the steps. Spike followed and sat down next to her.
“You know how to do a full copper re-pipe?” she asked conversationally
Spike frowned at her “huh?”
“Never-mind it was stupid” she said
Spike thought about it for a moment “full copper re-pipe?” he repeated
“Yea” she sighed
“I ate a plumber once, we could see if anything stuck” he joked
Buffy laughed and looked at him “Be my guest” she said standing up and leading him into the house. They walked in silence to the basement and she showed him the problem
“Have you tried fixing it?” he asked
Buffy laughed “Not again” she said
Spike looked at her confused but let it go “I’ll see what I can do, you got any tools?”
Buffy smiled a little at him “You’re really gonna do this” she said surprised
“Well yea” Spike replied like a ‘duh’
Buffy shook her head and laughed “Yea, the tools are upstairs, and if you need something we don’t have I’ll ask Xander”
Spike nodded and looked back to the leaky pipe
“How about tomorrow” Buffy suggested
Spike nodded and followed her back up the stairs. Dawn and Giles were in the kitchen mixing all kinds of cereal together. They looked up surprised when Buffy and Spike came in. Dawn smiled and Giles looked confused
“Spike” he greeted
“Rupert” Spike replied he looked back to Buffy “I’m off then”
Buffy smiled and nodded he went to the door and she opened it for him, she put her hand on his arm “And thanks” she said
That was the third time she’d thanked him and Spike still didn’t quite understand it but he nodded in reply and left.
“So is he gonna fix it?” Dawn asked hopefully
“Yea” Buffy replied joining them at the island
“Fix what?” Giles asked
“The pipes, we can’t call the plumber cause we don’t have money and I wouldn’t let Buffy try and fix it” Dawn said nonchalantly
“Buffy why didn’t you tell me money was a problem?” Giles asked
Buffy shrugged “It wasn’t really a big deal, I’m getting a job hopefully and Spike can fix the pipes…”
“Yes, well I would have liked to know” Giles said “if you need money I could get…”
“Giles no, it’s ok, Will and Tara are going to pay rent, I really don’t want your money, we’ll be fine, really” Buffy assured him
Giles looked down unable to meet her eyes “Yes, I’m sure you will”
_______________________________________________________________________
The gang was gathered in Buffys living room the next morning.
“So you killed him?” Willow asked
“Yea, well, no, Spike did, but I would have” Buffy defended
“Spike was here?” Xander asked with slight disgust in his tone
“Yes, and he’d coming back today” Buffy told him with a hint of defiance in her voice, daring him to question her
“So he can fix the pipes?” Tara asked
“We’re gonna find out” Buffy shrugged she looked back to Xander “Could you bring some tools?”
Xander nodded still not understanding Buffys want to have Spike over.
The phone rang and Buffy went up to get it. After a few moments she came back into the room with a look of dread on her face.
“Who was it? What’s wrong?” Willow asked concerned
“It, it was Angel, he wants to see me” Buffy said
Giles came in the room to hear the last part “Well, you’ll leave for LA then, we’ll book a flight for tomorrow…”
“No” Buffy replied “Today and not LA, not here either, there’s a place” She explained “And I have to go now if I want to get this over with” she said grabbing her jacket and heading for the door “I won’t be long” she assured
The gang watched her exit.
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A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! Please keep em coming.
I love reviews...they give me a happy :P
XOXO
-Anne
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