My Salvation
by Bwriter
Part five
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Part Five
After telling the guys what had happened in the police station, Buffy was dropped off at Giles' place with instructions to call and let them know if she was allowed to go out tonight and then allowed to stay over at Willow's. If she was she had to be ready for 7pm. It was now 6pm and Buffy still hadn't worked up the courage to ask Giles yet.
She wasn't sure how he would react to her asking to stay out all night on the third night of living in his house. Deciding that it was worth it she went into his study to see him hunched over a book as usual. Noting he was sipping from a glass of wine Buffy kept her distance not knowing how he would react if he had been drinking.
"Ah Giles can I ask you something?" Buffy stood nervously by the door waiting 'til she had Giles full attention before she continued.
"I em... Will and Xand asked me to go to the Bronze tonight and then stay over at Will's. I was just wondering if it was okay?"
"Buffy it's a school night." Giles didn't mind if she wanted to go out but staying over at a friend's house when she had school the next day didn't seem like a good idea to him.
Buffy's shoulders slumped. As much as she wanted to go out she didn't want to make Giles mad by pestering him about it so she put on a brave smile that never reached her eyes and looked back up.
"It's okay I understand. Do you want me to start dinner?"
Giles looked at her and noticed the strained smile. He was at a loss as to the cause of it. Shouldn't she be happy she was going out with friends?
"No that's okay. You go get ready and I'll have something ready for the time your done." Buffy looked at him confused so her clarified what he was saying.
"I assume that you will be changing before going out am I wrong? I thought all women changed their clothes at least once a day. Go on. It's already after six. What time are they calling?"
He was letting her go?
"But you said..." Giles cut her off, "I said it's a school night meaning that you couldn't stay over because I don't see you lot getting much sleep but you can go out with your friends."
Buffy's smile lit the room. "Thank you I have to go call them and let them know is that okay?"
Giles sighed. Obviously she still didn't get that this was her home now therefore she didn't have to ask.
"Buffy, we've had this conversation before have we not. You don't have to ask me for the use of everyday things. I'm not him." The last was said with conviction hoping she would finally believe that he wasn't like her father.
Buffy looked long and hard at her uncle. "I know you're not him Giles. The very fact that you are even letting me out proves that. Also the fact that you're holding a glass of wine and actually drinking it and not throwing it at me also proves it. It's just gonna take time to get used to the fact that I'm not under house arrest ya know? That I can move freely without fear of getting beat for doing the wrong thing. Give me time?"
This was asked with such vulnerability that Giles opened his arms and Buffy flew into them taking the hug he offered without hesitation.
"Thank you." Buffy detangled herself from his arms and left to call willow and then change.
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The Bronze was packed when they all arrived. While the girls got a table the guys got the drinks.
For Buffy it was a new experience. She had never been to the Bronze before and was relishing every second of it.
Willow watched as Buffy took in her surrounds for the first time and smiled at the look of awe on her face. Turning to Cordy she missed Buffy's panicked look.
Buffy had been scanning the crowd watching the people dancing when she spotted a group of girls staring at her. She recognised some of them and remembered she used to see them with Willow and Cordy. The front one she knew was Harmony.
When she noticed the girls throwing her dirty looks she wondered why but when they started to come over she panicked. She didn't want anything to ruin her first night out.
Turning when she felt a tap on her shoulder she scooted over to give Xander room to sit down and took the coke he offered.
Xander followed her eyes and saw Harmony and a few others making their way to the table.
"Hey Will, Cor, some old friends are coming over."
Willow and Cordy turned to see who he was talking about and by this time the girl's had arrived.
Harmony looked over Xander, Buffy and Oz with a disgusted look plastered over her face before turning to face Willow and Cordelia.
"What is your malfunction!? Sitting with these two losers and her." Willow turned a hard gaze on Harmony before looking towards Cordelia who shrugged not knowing why Harmony was even talking to them after her telling her to get lost.
"I mean Geek boy here was bad enough, at least Oz is semi-cool what with being in a band, but to openly sit and talk to her is just —" Harmony's rant was cut off by Cordy, much to Buffy's surprise, standing up and getting right in her face.
"Buffy happens to be our friend now so shut your mouth or I'll do something I will love and you'll regret." Harmony looked Cordy up and down before smirking and turning to face Buffy thinking that Cordy had nothing on her.
"So who was it huh? I mean bruises like that don't appear over night. Who'd you tease to get them huh? Which guy was desperate enough to take you out on a date thinking you'd put out befoomph" Harmony was again cut off but this time it was by Willow slapping her across the face.
"Shut your face. You know nothing about this so just fuck the hell off!" Everyone sitting and standing at the table looked to Willow in shock. Not that she had hit Harmony but because she swore.
Buffy didn't want to see willow get hurt if Harmony was to attack her so she stood up and gently grabbed Willow's arm.
"Will? Come on please, she's not worth it. Come on sit back down." When Willow still wouldn't budge Buffy pleaded one last time for her to.
"Will, please no more violence. There's been too much already." Willow turned her head to look at Buffy who looked both sad and worried at the same time before nodding her head and sitting back down only this time she pulled Buffy down beside her.
Cordy looked from Buffy to Willow then turned to once more face Harmony.
"Okay I warned you. By school time tomorrow, everyone is gonna know about what happened with your dad and his tax broker and why all of a sudden you find yourself out on the street." Cordy smirked and grabbed Xander's hand to get him to dance. Before leaving she asked Willow and Buffy if they'd be okay. When they told her to go dance they left ignoring the glares Harmony was giving them.
Harmony took one last look at Willow and Buffy and stormed off in a huff, quickly followed by the few girls' who had been with her.
Oz looked from Willow to Buffy before smiling and nudging Devon to make him get up.
"We're gonna go play a few games of pool. Later.
"Bye."
"See ya later guys."
"I'm sorry I ruined your night. Maybe I should just go." But Buffy really didn't want to leave. The Bronze or Willow. She just didn't think that she was worth all this hassle.
"Forget those idiots. We came out to have fun and we're going to."
They both looked at each other catching the others eyes and holding them for a long moment before quickly darting them away.
"Right let the fun having begin by us going onto the dance floor and rescuing Cor from Xander's dancing."
"Lets go, I haven't seen anyone ever dance as bad as him. Does he do it on purpose or is that real?"
Both girls' were laughing as they made their way to the dance floor at Xander's antics. Everyone pretty much forgot about or didn't mention what had happened earlier and enjoyed the rest of the night. Buffy for once actually felt like a normal teenager and not a scared rabbit stuck in a small foxhole.