[Reviews - 135]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 2098 times

- Text Size +




STAKE YOUR CLAIM


Chapter 13: Part II ‘Dinner Arrangements’


“We need to talk, now,” Riley just repeated to a stunned Buffy. Although, why she was stunned was a mystery, after all she had basically stood Riley up on Saturday, choosing to lounge around the Gile’s Ranch.

‘Okay, so I was under Doctor’s orders, yeah that was it,’ she inwardly practiced her alibi.

“Riley,” Buffy plastered on her ‘goody goody’ smile and chirped brightly, “how are you?”

She noticed that Riley was not smiling back, no, he was frowning, actually, a really big, un-Riley like frown. His forehead was scrunched up also, she could not help but notice that too.

‘Is that anger in his brown eyes?’ Buffy asked herself as she met his chilly glare.

“Listen, Buffy,” Riley began, his teeth gritted, his tone very unfriendly, “I want to talk to you, now, and we are going to talk, now.”

Buffy was beginning to get just a ‘tad’ perturbed at Mr. Riley Finn. First off, no one, man, woman or child told her, Buffy Summers what she was going to do and when.

‘Bet Spike could get away with it,’ her inner voice taunted, ‘you’d talk to him if he ordered you to, wouldn’t you Miss Smarty Pants.’

“Riley,” Buffy sighed and leaned against her door jamb, “I think it would be best if you and I talked later, someplace else. I have a feeling I know what this is about and frankly, Dawn is in the next room, less then twenty feet away. This is not,” Buffy held up her hand to stop Riley from interrupting her, “this is not something we should discuss here and now. However, it is something I know we need to talk about.”

Riley nodded absently, apparently shut down completely by Buffy’s rambling and he certainly didn’t look as intimidating as he had, just moments before.

“Okay, Buffy,” he mumbled, rather sheepishly, “I’ll wait to talk about things, but I want to do it soon. Go with me to dinner, Friday night, just you and me, we can talk then.”

Buffy wasn’t so very sure about that idea, “Riley, talking in a public diner is all right, but only if we ‘talk’ quietly, privately. Do we understand each other?”

Riley nodded again, then finally broke into a huge grin, “we can talk quietly, Buffy, I promise. There’s so much I want to say to you and I think that we can clear ‘this misunderstanding’ all up on Friday. Just wish we could do it sooner, it’ll be fine to just not have that Gile’s bunch hanging around us, or you,” he added, the grin fading a bit.

“Okay, Riley, I’ll see that Dawn goes to the Rayne’s, if they can manage, then we’ll talk…on Friday. Good day Riley,” Buffy shot him a ‘say bye bye Riley’ smile.

“Good night Buffy,” Riley murmered, leaning down to kiss Buffy. Before he could target Buffy’s lips, she turned her cheek and offerred it, politely.”

Once Riley had left and Buffy closed the door behind him, she leaned against it and shook her head slowly, “what next,” she sighed in exasperation.

“I would not be the least surprised if Holden Webster appeared at my back door, flowers and candy for me, that obnoxious sneer on his face. Geez!”

Dawn padded out of the bedroom, a very accusing pout on her pretty mouth, “talking to yourself now Buff?” she asked quietly

“No, Riley just left and I was thinking out loud. Sorry about that Dawnie, hope he wasn’t to very loud.”

The younger girl shook her dark head, but continued to stare at her sister, with that classic Dawn look of betrayed innocence.

“How can you go to dinner with that moron, Buffy,” Dawn asked sharpely, “after what he said about our friends and all. How can you…”

Buffy stood up and strode up to Dawn quickly, as she reached her, she said, “my dinner arrangements are my business Dawn. But, since you asked I will tell you how. I owe an explaination to Riley, not because he’s such a beloved member of society, at least to you and some other people around here, not even because he’s the Deputy Sheriff of Cheyenne. I owe Riley an explaination because he has been very decent and respectful ‘to me’ and I have not been very nice to him. Our Mother, if I need to remind you, would be ashamed of me for treating Riley the way I have as he has been a good friend to us. Now, I’m going to supper on Friday with Riley, a friendly meal to explain some things to him and I feel I should do it somewhere we both feel comfortable with. If you don’t like it, I’m sorry for that, but that’s the way it is. You will stay with the Rayne’s while I’m out, is that agreeable with you?”

Dawn kept the pout but nodded reluctantly, “don’t know why I can’t stay alone here,” she whined, “the Rayne’s house is always in an uproar and there is a book I’ve been wanting to start.”

Buffy thought about that for a moment then sighed, “yes, Dawnie, you do have a point. You are sixteen now, time to let you grow up a bit. If you promise to fortress yourself in the house, don’t go outside at all while I’m gone, then alright. You can stay alone. I’ll probably be gone close to two hours, knowing how slow Riley talks, so that’s the deal. Now,” Buffy added, scrutinizing her little sister, “is that okay with you? Will you let me go, have a nice chat with Riley in peace?”

Dawnie lost the pout and grinned widely, “you are the best, Buffy,” she crowed, throwing her long arms about her short older sister.

Wednesday came and went, along with the students who were less then pleased to return after a nice Holiday off from their studies.

“Buffy,” Dawn cried from the schoolhouse window, “they’re here! Spike and Connor, they’ve come to see us home!” Buffy chuckled as she watched her sister almost skip to the door to see the men inside.

‘Dawnie,’ she spoke to herself, ‘you are such a little girl at heart, why do I worry so about you. Perhaps I’ve been wrong, to fret so about you and Connor, you are so like playmates, not young lovers together.’

“Hello, Dawnie, Miss Summers,” Buffy heard Connor greet them, as Spike followed up behind his brother.

“Bit,” he nodded at Dawn then turned his blue eyes to Buffy, “hello Princess,” he smiled at her. Buffy felt her tummy do a flip flop and tumble around for a second before she could respond to the guys.

“Hello Spike, Connor,” she smiled warmly, “we’re all finished here. We’ll be right out.”

Once they had reached the Summer’s house, Buffy asked the Gile’s boys in for some lemonade. When she handed Spike his glass, he noticed his drink was anything but lemonade, it was whiskey.

“Thanks, luv,” he winked at her and smiled again, grateful for the harder drink. Connor and Dawn sat in the corner chairs of the living room, giggling between themselves as Buffy scurried about the room, trying to look busy.

‘That’s it, Princess,’ Spike chuckled silently, ‘keep looking for a corner to run to, hide from me. Go ahead, luv, I’ll just find you anyway.’

He grinned at Buffy lovingly when she finally stopped pacing about, daring a glance at him. ‘There it is,’ Spike continued his inner monologue, ‘there’s that lovely little blush I adore so.’

Buffy finally physically shrugged and joined Spike on the sofa, sitting an appropriate distance from him. She smiled at him, softly, sipped her lemonade and finally asked, “so, how’s your family?”

“Fine,” Spike leaned back on the sofa and smiled at Buffy affectionately. “But since you just saw them all yesterday, then I should think you know that, right?”

Buffy nodded shyly, trying to stop the hot flush that began. “Would you like to come to dinner tomorrow,” Buffy suddenly spouted out, “I mean, you, Connor and Angel? I’d ask your whole family but I can’t set such a grand table as your parents, so I can only ask you three. Would you like to come? I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Dawnie and me, we’ll understand if you can’t, work at the ranch and all. Quite understandable if you can’t make it or do not care to come and…”

Spike burst out into laughter, “calm down, Buffy,” he purred, taking her tiny hand in his and noted how warm it was. “I would be glad to come to supper tomorrow, sweetheart and I’m sure that Connor and Angel could be persuaded. Right Conn?”

Connor grinned and nodded his shaggy head happily, “sure, I’ll come for dinner Miss Summers. Did you hear that, we’re coming for dinner Dawnie,” he chortled to a smiling Dawn.

“Okay,” Buffy mumbled breathily, retrieving her hand from Spike’s, “that’s settled. We will eat at 7:00 PM promptly and please do not expect too much of a feast. I’m thinking a roast I have frozen, potatoes and some green beans I’ve stored. I will serve wine to we adults, it’s lemonade or root beer for Connor and you, Dawnie,” Buffy smiled at the pouting dark haired couple. I hope that is all right for you. I cannot promise a home baked pie, but I can produce some special ice cream. Would you like that Connor?”

Buffy smiled warmly at the youngest Gile’s, “yes Miss Summers,” he responded heartily, “I love ice cream.”

Spike stood up and motioned to Connor, “we better get home, Conn,” he stated, “there’s chores to be done. Thank Miss Summers and Dawn for their hospitality and let’s be on our way. Thank you Buffy,” he took Buffy’s hand in his and kissed the palm of it lightly, causing the most pleasant tingly sensation to shoot right up her arm, straight to her heart.

“Yes, thank you Buffy,” she repeated in a daze, “I mean, no, thank you, I mean, thank you Spike and Connor for seeing us home. We will see you tommorow then, at say 6:30 PM. I’ll ask young Andrew Snyder to see us home, him and Tommy Jenkins are pretty reliable when they want to be.”

She smiled up at Spike who was gazing down at her, his blue eyes lit up like a warm summer sky. “Good night, Princess,” Spike whispered in her ear, “sleep well tonight.”

“That was a wonderful thing to do, Buffy,” Dawnie gushed as she helped her older sister clean up the glasses.

“It’s the least I can do, Dawnie,” Buffy offerred, washing the little glasses in the kitchen sink while Dawn dried them. The Giles have been so very kind to us and I think it would be nice to have the boys over for supper, give Rupert and Jennifer Giles a night alone, to themselves.”

Buffy winked at Dawn, who giggled happily.

“Besides,” Buffy reasoned as she went to the pantry and took out some bread to start their own supper for the night, “you’ll be going back home to Tennessee after the Christmas Holiday, I thought it would be nice to entertain our gentlemen callers here before then.”

Buffy was suddenly aware that Dawn had stopped her joyful giggling and become very quiet. Turning to catch Dawn’s eye, Buffy caught the look of immense sorrow in her sister’s blue eyes and felt the hard tug at her heart.

“Oh, Dawnie,” Buffy sighed sympathetically, “you knew Papa would only allow you stay here for so long. I’m just glad you can stay until the New Year at least.”

Dawn never said a word back to Buffy, instead she threw herself into her small sister’s arms and began to sob uncontrollably.




A/N: Short chapter. After this chapter, the lighter side of this fic will be put on hold for a while. I will however, try and sprinkle some humour into the plot lines, our characters are going to need it! Thanks, please read and review, we love feedback! Luv, Spuf





You must login (register) to review.