STAKE YOUR CLAIM
Chapter 13: ‘Epics and Such’
Buffy lay in the Gile’s guest bedroom, a book of Shakespeare in her hands, nervously perusing the pages of the old volume. Spike had given her the book to read, so
she wouldn’t be too very bored in the little room by herself. Doctor Wilkens insisted that Buffy go right back to bed that very morning, convinced that the school teacher was completely worn out from the last week or so.
“It just caught up with her,” she heard him explaining to Jennifer, Rupert and Spike outside the bedroom door. “Buffy delivered the Harris baby like a professional midwife, but still, it takes a lot out of a young woman like her. She’s as tough as nails, but she does too much, really, time for her to rest, just take it easy a bit. Wednesday, school’s back in, she’ll need to be up for that wild bunch of students she’s in charge of. I am so very glad that Dawn Summers is here to help her sister. I might be mistaken, but I think your young Connor is quite glad to have Dawn here himself.”
Buffy rolled her green eyes when she overheard that little remark, “yeah,” she sighed softly, “Connor ‘is’ certainly delighted to have Dawnie here too.”
Suddenly, Buffy bolted up a little in the bed, ‘just where are Connor and Dawn, right now,’ she wondered anxiously.
‘If they are together, they better have at least Angel, if not half the ranch help around them. Those two scare the heck out of me.’
The nervousness that Buffy had began to have regarding Connor and Dawn’s relationship a while back had taken a path right into all out fear. Dawn was extremely headstrong, thus her being here in Wyoming in the first place and Connor was really quite taken with her. Not to mention that Dawn was smitten with Connor, completely.
‘Maybe they are meant to be,’ Buffy reasoned, ‘Connor and Dawn. Maybe this was all supposed to happen this way, that those two should meet up, here and now.’
Buffy sighed again and settled back down into the comfy bed, still not sure if the Connor/Dawn thingy should be encouraged or discouraged. She was ‘sure’ of this, however, she was bored as heck, couped up in this bed, even if it was more comfortable then her own at home.
“Where’s Buffy?” Buffy heard her younger sister inquire right outside the door.
“She’s inside, Bit,” Spike answered; he had taken to calling Dawn ‘Bit’ short for Little Bit. He explained to Buffy just last week that Dawn reminded him of Buffy in some ways and that’s how he’d gotten the nickname for her. Buffy liked it and so did Dawnie, Connor thought it was hilarious. Her reverie was broken when Dawnie bounded into the room, a nervous bundle of energy.
Dawn closed the door behind her, actually she nearly slammed it shut and flounced over to the bed beside Buffy.
“Ooooooh,” Dawn giggled wildly, “guess who is madder then a wet hen, back in Cheyenne!”
Buffy felt her tummy sink a little, “I can just guess,” she mumbled with a shake of her golden head. “What did Riley say, Dawnie?” Buffy sighed, not sure if she wanted or cared to hear the answer, but Dawnie eagerly gave it anyway.
“He actually cursed, Buff,” Dawnie laughed heartily, “said damn twice and then…”
Buffy frowned, “he shouldn’t have sworn in front of you Dawnie,” she snarled, “that just makes me so mad. It’s not your fault that I fainted. Was Angel and Connor with you?”
Dawnie giggled enthusiastically, “oh, sure, but that just made old Riley angrier! He actually growled at Angel when he said something about Riley swearing in front of lady like me. How it wasn’t proper and all. Riley turned bright red, it was hilarious! Then,” Dawn stopped laughing and frowned herself, “Riley made mention of how you, Buff, how you shouldn’t be out here in the first place. Wasting your time on that Harris trash and their spawn. Oh, Buffy, it infuriated Angel and Connor was going to say something nasty to Riley, but his brother stopped him.”
Buffy felt sick to her stomache, literally, when she heard Dawn’s story about the little drama at the Sheriff’s office.
“What did Angel do, Dawnie?” Buffy mumbled, afraid of the answer.
“Angel almost hit Riley!” Dawn crowed excitedly, “but Connor stopped him this time,” she added with a pout. “I wish Angel would have hit the big oaf, don’t you Buff?”
Buffy grumbled something about ‘yeah, wish he’d have given to Riley good,’ but she shook her head roughly, “no honey.”
Dawn kind of looked dissapointed, but shook it off and took Buffy’s hands in her larger ones, “wanna’ hear what Angel ‘said’ to stupid old Riley?”
Buffy nodded and sighed, “yes honey, I suppose I do.”
The younger Summer’s girl sat up and wriggled on the bed in anticipation, “Angel told Riley that you, Buff, that you are such an amazing woman, so kind and strong and good. He told Riley that you were way too good for fools like most of the men in the Territory. Then, and oh Buffy this was priceless, Angel told Deputy Finn that it was a good thing that you were such a catch, that Spike needed a wife like you!”
Dawn broke out in peals of laughter, apparently totally unaware that Buffy was not sharing in the jovial moment.
“Oh, Dawnie,” Buffy gasped, “I can’t believe that Angel said that to Riley. Riley’s so very insecure in a lot of ways, especially about me, I’ve been kind of rotten to Riley.”
Dawn quit laughing, realizing that Buffy was not even chuckling along with her, “oh Buffy,” she sighed loudly, “Riley Finn is not the man for you. You know that, deep down, but if he’s too dense to see that, then maybe it’s a good thing Angel set him straight.”
Buffy just shook her head again and sighed herself in frustration, “but it’s up to me, Dawnie,” she whined at the younger girl. “It’s my choice and my responsibility to decide such things for myself. Of course, I know that Riley can be quite intolerant and very pig headed sometimes, especially about me, the Giles family, Xander and Anya, not to mention poor Ford and Indians in general, but….”
Buffy paused in her gentle tirade to stop and think about what she was actually saying.
“In fact,” Buffy murmered more to herself then her sister, “Riley can be a real ponce sometimes, can’t he?”
Dawn grinned at her, a hopeful gleam in her blue eyes, “yeah, Riley can be a real jerk from time to time, that’s for sure.”
Buffy nodded, “yeah, he can, but, still, it’s my choice to have him as my friend and that’s that,” she finished firmly, squeezing Dawnie’s hand.
“Buffy, that’s the problem, isn’t it?” The blonde looked at her sister, a confused look in her green eyes, “problem?” she asked. “I mean,” Dawn began cautiously, “I mean you just said it yourself, big sis, you called Riley ‘your friend’ not even your beau, or gentleman caller. You don’t feel one ounce of passion in your whole body for Riley Finn, do you?”
It was now Tuesday morning and Spike rode Demon along side the Gile’s largest buckboard as his youngest brother, Connor, drove it. Buffy sat next to Connor in the front seat while ‘the Bit’ rode in the back seat, pouting from time to time that it wasn’t she that rode beside his brother.
Spike had been delighted to have Buffy out at his family’s ranch for the last few days, even if it had been on Doc Wilken’s orders. Buffy rested a lot, ate a lot and just seemed to enjoy the company of his Stepmother Jennifer and all of the Giles family. Of course his baby brother, Connor, was overjoyed to have his Dawnie so close by and this also helped Buffy to relax a little more.
On Sunday, instead of going into Cheyenne to attend Church services, Spike took Buffy, Connor and Dawn up to the cabin, his cabin for a picnic dinner. Jennifer had Wauneta, the Gile’s housekeeper, make up a wonderful picnic basket for the young people and sent them off with a warm wave, Spike on Demon, Connor, Dawn and Buffy in a wagon.
Once they had reached the cabin, it took nearly two hours, the couples eagerly headed into the building to have a look around. Buffy hadn’t said much and Spike was just a little embarrassed by the spartaness of his cabin. Dawn immediately piped up that ‘it needed a woman’s touch’ as she winked at Buffy then smirked at Connor.
“That it does, Spike,” Connor agreed with his muse, Dawnie, as he began to help her unpack the basket of food that Wauneta had packed.
“It’s lovely, Spike,” Buffy said shyly, trying so hard, he noticed, not to meet his eyes with hers.
“It’s true, you know,” he whispered into Buffy’s sweet little ear, “it needs ‘your’ touch, Princess, just like I do.”
Buffy had blushed brightly, but smiled at Spike warmly, “well,” she stammered, trying to gain some composure, “I do think you need nicer curtains, at least at the kitchen windows. Maybe a pillow or two, there,” she had pointed at the rough sofa in the middle of the front room. “I’m not sure if your cot can be saved, though,” she had giggled so brightly when she glanced into the one other room of the cabin and seen the coarse cot that Spike called his bed here.
Spike had leaned into Buffy, coming close again to her darling little left ear with his warm lips, “just give me a reason to move a cozy double bed in this place, luv,” he murmered, “and it’s done.”
But, Spike pondered wistfully, coming back to the present and the little groups’ trip back into Cheyenne, that had been Sunday. It was now Tuesday morning and time for Buffy to return to the township and her duties as school teacher there.
“Will you be stopping by tomorrow Connor?” Dawn asked quite brazenly of the youngest Giles member.
“Course,” he answered simply, looking up at his oldest brother for assurance.
“We’ll both come by the school house tomorrow, Bit,” Spike confirmed Connor’s promise, looking at Buffy however. “I don’t know why, but I have an ugly feeling in my bones, something’s not right around here lately and I don’t think you, Buffy,” Spike nodded at his love, “or the Bit should be prancin’ about outside the town’s limits alone.”
Buffy shot him a look of frustrated independence, but seemed to mellow it a bit when she saw the determination in his eyes, “you might be right, Spike,” she agreed quietly. “Much as I hate to say it, that last little scene with Holden Webster spooked me more then I care to admit. There’s something really quite sinister about that Webster man, almost a common hooligan, I would say.”
“Holden Webster is an animal, Buffy,” Spike stated simply, “he and his whole family, actually. In a way,” he hedged, “it’s not their fault, not totally anyway. When our Dad, Rupert Giles, came out here years ago, when he and Jennifer met, Holden’s adored Uncle Quentin Travers was the only male role model for that Webster bunch out there in the prairie.”
Connor had pulled over quickly, halting the horses that pulled the buckboard to a stop so everyone present could hear the tale Spike would tell. Buffy held her breath, she didn’t know why, exactly, but for some reason, this story intrigued and excited her. This would probably be the first time that her little sister, Dawn, would hear the tale and Connor seemed to want his own love to be able to listen, uninterrupted by anything.
Buffy watched as Spike dismounted Demon and tied him to the back of the buckboard, then motion to Connor to join Dawn in the back seat. He, Spike, hopped up to the vacated driver’s seat and hunkered down next to Buffy, leaning into the back of the seat and lighting a cigarette.
She, Buffy had to take a deep breath and calm the emotions that were beginning to spiral within her. Not only did the closeness of this ‘man’ of men, Spike Giles, cause her blood to heat, but this story itself? It made Buffy feel like she had arrived in Wyoming, just recently, only to be a part of, no, make that complete the epic tale of the Gile’s family saga. As if the Summers family of Tennessee had always been meant for this; witness the grand plan of the Gile’s of Wyoming, maybe put it down on paper, maybe even play a part in it somehow. Even though a part of Buffy was becoming more and more aware that her own role in the saga might be very, very important.
“When our Dad, Conn’s and mine, came to Wyoming,” Spike began to weave his tale of the Gile’s here in the States, “when he arrived, he was already quite the formidable rancher. At least in England that is,” he added with a chuckle. “Of course, I was just a lad then, can’t even remember how old I was when Dad left the Motherland for here in the Colonies, leaving my big sis, Drusilla and I with his older sister, Auntie Mirabella. Me Mum had died, during child birth, with me,” Spike whispered sadly.
‘He feels guilty,’ Buffy realized once and for all, ‘he blames himself for his Mother’s death,’ she brushed aside her own tears and listened intently to this ‘real man’ beside her.
“Bloody hell,” Spike cursed with a chuckle, causing Buffy to flinch, just a bit and Dawn and Connor to chuckle behind them, “I don’t think Conn’s Mum was even eighteen-years-old when Dad came and turned her head with his Brittish charm and intelligence. Of course, Dad was quite taken with Jennifer, right Conn?” Spike turned and winked at his little brother warmly.
“Uh huh,” Connor chortled back at his adored big brother, “Mother and Dad were crazy for each other right off.”
“Problem was,” Buffy watched as Spike scrunched up his dark brows, “Quentin Travers seemed to believe that young Jennifer Calendar was his, didn’t belong to some Territory upstart that still bowed to an English Queen, like Rupert Giles did. In other words, Quentin Travers was furious, jealous and beyond angry at our Dad for even thinking about taking Jennifer Calendar for himself. He was even more livid, Travers that is, when Dad and Connor’s Mum eloped to Colorado a few weeks later and came back married.
Can you imagine how poor old Quentin Travers felt when Jennifer, just a couple of months later, showed her proud pregnancy with our brother Liam, or Angel as he’s called?”
Buffy heard Dawn sigh dreamily from the back seat, ‘girl is quite mesmerized by this whole romantic Gile’s drama,’ she stifled a giggle.
“Well,” Spike drawled, taking a long drag on his second cigarette slowly, “Dad and Jennifer settled down in a tiny house on our land. Dad went on to build the grand structure that we know today, Connor here came along after Angel and then I showed up after fourteen years in England to keep everyone on their toes
Spike grinned at Buffy, who, she had noticed, had not kept his eyes off of her since he’d begun the tale.
“Okay,” Dawn interjected, “so I get the whole Rupert and Jennifer Gile’s courtship thing, but what about Quentin Travers, the Websters and all this hatred between you guys?”
Buffy raised her right, golden eyebrow up at Spike as if to say, ‘you started this, Mister, finish it!’
“Well, Bit,” Spike began hesitantly, “you see, Quentin Travers was a proud man. He was just furious that Dad came and ‘stole his girl’ as he thought. When our Dad, Connor’s and mine came back with Jennifer, all married proper and such, Quentin took off for the far prairie, settled in with his sister and her brood of kids. Can’t say it was the best for the Webster family, Quentin’s sister married Hass Webster, who died some time ago. I guess Quentin Travers was really the only male that the Webster clan had to look up to. Too bad he was a drunk, whoremonger and…”
Buffy shot Spike a murderous look and gave him a ‘tsk’ for good measure.
“Well bloody hell, Princess,” Spike chuckled warmly, “Quentin Travers was a whoremonger and a drunk, my whelp brother and your young sis should understand what motivates folks, right?”
Buffy crossed her arms over her chest and snorted, “hmmmphh,” loud enough for everyone present to hear.
“Okay,” Spike chuckled softly, “Quentin Travers was a misunderstood, kind man that made his living off of…..”
Buffy clasped Spike’s arm, roughly, “that’s enough,” she hissed under her breath, “just get on with the story. No one, and I mean no one that I’ve spoken with in this Territory has ever said that Quentin Travers was either misunderstood or kind for that matter.”
Spike grinned at his little tasty morsel, Buffy, and finished his tale as quick as he could. “Well, after I’d been here for a while,” he continued, “I was put upon by Mr. Quentin Travers, then I told him ‘what for’ sent him off, his tail tucked between his legs and well, the rest is Wyoming history.”
Spike looked out the corner of his eye at Connor and Dawn, smugly, ‘they look at me like I’m a fucking Greek hero,’ he thought with pride. Daring a glance at Buffy, who set with her slim arms crossed over her ample, lovely breasts, Spike grinned again at his darling with the innocence of Saints.
“So, Princess,” he purred, reaching over to settle his large hand on Buffy’s cloth covered knee, “what do you think? Am I good enough to darken your virtuous doorstep? Do you think you could ever learn to ‘love’ a demonic scoundrel like myself?”
He batted his own dark lashes at Buffy, dramatically, his patent smirk on his lips.
“Hmmm,” Buffy purred back at him, “we’ll have to see about that, Mister Gile’s. As far as good enough?” she smiled coyly at Spike, “that’s something that we will definitely have to discuss at a later date.”
Spike grinned again, definitely catching Buffy’s double meaning about the ‘good enough’ statement.
‘Oh, I’ll show you good enough, you beautiful little Buffy brat,’ he thought, resisting the urge to lick his lips in anticipation. After he finished his story not leaving out a bit of it, even the killing of Quentin Travers, Spike drove Buffy, Dawn and Connor back to Cheyenne, slowly, Demon tied to the back of the wagon. When they entered town, Spike was more then happy to see various good citizens out and about on the main street, going about their business. Spike was even more delighted when everyone on the street seemed to wave and acknowledge the little band in the wagon in the most kind way. He had to chuckle, although Buffy waved back at their greeters, Spike was well aware that Miss Summers was a little embarrassed by the attention.
“Our fans are happy to see us together, huh Princess?” Spike said out the side of his mouth with a pleased grin.
“Seems so,” Buffy whispered back, cringing every time Dawn or Connor shouted amicably back at the good citizens of Cheyenne.
Once they arrived at the Summer’s house, Cordelia Chase came hurrying out of her own to greet them.
“Buffy are you alright,” she asked, the concern apparent on her lovely face. “Ethan says you fainted dead away, Doctor Wilkens is his good friend. You do too much, Buffy honey,” Cordy scolded before anyone could even answere the Mayor’s wife. “But,” Cordelia smiled warmly with pride, “Doctor Wilkens says you delivered that Harris baby like you’d done it all your life. We are all so proud of you honey,” Cordelia finished with a smug grin, as she had been the one to deliver the child.
“Thanks, Cordy,” Buffy stammered as she hugged the older woman, a little surprised by Cordelia’s change of heart about Xander and Anya’s life together.
“You get inside now, honey,” Cordy advised, suddenly sounding like Buffy’s own Mother, “Ethan and I are expecting you girls over for supper tonight and no buts, you are coming to eat.” Buffy did not even have time to answer before Cordelia hurried back into her house, in search of her three boisterous children no doubt.
Spike and Connor laughed at the look of shock on Buffy’s face, “guess Mrs. Rayne feels the need to act as your Mother, Miss Summers,” Connor chuckled.
“Hmmm,” Buffy hummed with a shake of her head. “Dawnie, let’s get inside and prepare for tomorrow, shall we?”
“I’ll see to Cloud Miss Summers,” Connor offerred as he nodded goodbye to Dawn, a wistful look in his brown eyes.
“Thank you Connor,” Buffy smiled at him, noting that Dawn looked like she was saying goodbye to her best friend, forever.
‘Well,’ Buffy mused, ‘I guess Connor really is Dawn’s best friend, in a way, isn’t he?’
Dawn scurried into the house, leaving Buffy and Spike alone on the front porch, “I’d ask you in,” Buffy began only to be cut off by Spike.
“It’s fine, Princess,” he smiled tenderly, tucking her hair behind her ear, “I know you have your proprieties to observe. Of course, if you’d come to your senses, marry me right now, we could do exactly what we bloody well pleased, couldn’t we?”
Buffy blushed, ‘I’ve got to stop doing that,’ she chided herself, “well, yes, I suppose so,” she smiled up at Spike coyly.
Spike and Connor had said their goodbyes and left to return home to the ranch an hour before. Buffy made some coffee, put together a little lunch for Dawn and herself and set about readying the lessons for the next school day.
“Buffy,” Dawn came out of their shared bedroom, her head hung sheepishly, “can I ask you something?”
Buffy smiled warmly at Dawn, “of course, honey,” she reached out her hand to Dawn, pulling her sister to the desk she sat at. “Do you think I’m pretty?” Dawn asked softly, laying her dark head on Buffy’s shoulder.
“I,” Buffy chuckled warmly, kissing Dawn’s head affectionately, “I think you are beautiful Dawnie. Inside and out. The way you helped me with Anya and the baby, you were so brave sweetie. I’m so proud of you, so proud.”
Dawn smiled up at her older sister in admiration, “thanks, Buffy,” she began shyly “I just wanted to hear…”
A loud knock at their front door interrupted Buffy and Dawn, “who could that be?” Buffy asked out loud. She stood and hurried to the front door, finding a very serious looking Riley Finn there when she opened it. “Buffy,” he said gruffly, “you and me need to talk.”
A/N: Well, wasn’t that ‘special’! Okay, really, does anyone reading this little fiction really think that Riley Finn will ever pose any real threat to our Spuffy? I think not, right? Someone E-d me after the last chapter and asked me about the ‘names’ I’m using for certain characters in this story. ‘Wauneta’ is the name that this one person was most interested in. I’ll enlighten everyone here as to the source of this unusual name: It’s my Mother’s name, actually. My Mum is named after Wauneta, Nebraska, a small town in that Middle Western State of America. It’s a varient of the Spanish name Juanita or ‘feminine of John’ which was my maternal Grandfather’s name. Supposedly it’s the Native American version of the Juanita moniker. Later, much later in this tale, another Spanish/Native American name will appear, one that might please every Spuffy lover. Thanks for reading my labour of love, it means so much to me. Please review if you like, all constructive criticism is welcome. Sorry this chapter and A/N is so long! Luv, Spuf
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