Those Were the Best Days of Their Lives
by Shannon
Part 6
[reviews]
Author: Shannon
Rating: G - PG. I'm not going anywhere perverted with little kids!!
Disclaimer: Joss is a lucky, lucky man.
Summary: AU Buffy & Co. They're in 1st grade. I'm gonna make with the couples, but the couples *I* want. Buffy/Willow, Xander/Anya, Tara/Spike, Giles/Joyce.
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By the time 11am had rolled around, Joyce was exhausted. Dawn was particularly active today, and was wearing her mother thin. She's desided on putting Dawn in her walker, against her better judgment. She knew those things were bad for babies because they limited their developing limbs, but she was just so tired. Dawn couldn't quite walk with that yet, but she could stand steadily with its assistance. Joyce really needed a night off. She was happy that Buffy was going to her friend Willow's house for a couple of hours that afternoon, but she'd still have Dawn. She loved her baby girl to death, but sometimes it was just too much. She wondered briefly if she could perhaps meet with Rupert. Now he was a lovely man if ever she met one. That afternoon that she had gone to pick up Buffy, they had spoken for over an hour.
Rupert had told her how Jenny, his wife, had died when William was 3, and Joyce had confided in him about how Buffy's father, Hank, had left just the year before. He was a pleasurable man, one whom she could see herself having a very close friendship with. He wasn't that much older than her, only a couple of years.
Just a breif thought.
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Buffy was trying. She truly, really, truly was. Mr. Giles was talking about subtraction, and she really was trying to listen. But Willow kept turning around and smiling at her. Willow talked alot, so much, that she wondered sometimes about how much she was thinking. If someone talked that much, and that fast, they had to think alot.
The lunch bell rang, and Buffy leapt out of her chair and dashed over to Willow.
It was then that she'd noticed that no-one else had moved, and Mr. Giles had stopped talking mid-sentence to gape at her. "Buffy.." he began, then looked down at her pleading eyes and sighed. "Lunch-time." Buffy grinned, and turned to Willow. "Hi Will!" Willow turned her head around. No-one but Xander had ever called her Will before. She liked it when Buffy did, though. "Hey Buffy. How are ya?"
"I'm good. Did your mom say okay?"
"Yep... Did yours?" Buffy grinned. "Yep!" She wasn't sure if Willow's mom would've said yes or not. Willow snapped Buffy out of ehr thoughts when she began talking. "I was wondering... Did you wanna have a sleepover as well?" Willow chewed on her lip nervously. Buffy felt a smile grow upon her face. "Sure. I'll ask my mom when she comes to pick me up. Do you need a ride?" Willow nodded. "Yep. Mommy and Daddy don't get home until about 5."
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The rest of the day seemed to drag on forever. Both the little girls were excited about their sleepover, and the clock seemed to be going very slow. The bell finally rang, and Buffy's mom appeared at the door. Buffy grinned at Willow, and crossed the room to grab her bag, while Joyce stepped inside the door and walked over to Rupert, adjusting Dawn's position on her hip.
"Mommy, can I take Dawn? Oh, and Willow needs a ride home! And, um, can-I-please-sleep-over-at-Willow's-house-tonight-because-she-asked-me-and-yes-her-mommy-and-daddy-will-be-home?" Buffy wasn't entirely sure about that nlast bit, but she was fairly certain. Who would leave a 5-year-old by themselves in a house all night? Joyce smiled at her eldest daughters' enthusiasm, and handed the littlest Summers over to her. "Honey, tell Willow all of that's fine. But I need to speak with Mr. Giles about a matter first, okay? So go and play with Willow and Dawnie." Buffy nodded, and skipped away with her sister.
"Mom said that we can play with my sister for a while, 'cause she needs to talk to Mr. Giles. Oh, and she said that we can take you home AND that I can sleep over!" Willow grinned. "Cool! What's your sisters' name?" Buffy grinned broadly. "Her name's Dawn, and she's 3 months old. She can hold her head up all by herself now!" Buffy carefully laid Dawn down on her stomach, and Dawn quickly became fascinated with the carpet. Buffy laid on Dawn's right side, and Willow quickly copied her friend, and laid on Dawn's left side. Buffy started fiddling with some stray cotton on Dawn's pink shirt, and considered what to say. "So, what are we gonna study tonight Willow?" Willow rolled onto her side. "Oh, I thought we could look at some math. Or are you good at math?" Bufyy giggled. "Nope, I suck." Willow frowned. "No, you don't. You just probably haven't been taught right. Where did you when you were in kindergarten?" Buffy's eyes moved downward. "Oh, a school in L.A. But we moved here when my daddy left."
"Aw, Buffy, I'm sorry. Did you have lots of friends there?" Buffy rolled over to her side. "Yeah, a few. But they were all boys."
"How come?" Buffy shrugged. "I don't know, really. Girls weren't very friendly in L.A. But you... you're different." Willow smiled, and hid beneath her hair, and Buffy got an idea. "Okay, tonight. How about while I'm learning, we can braid each others hair." Buffy smiled, happy with her plan. "Well, I'd love to. Only, I don't know how to braid." Buffy chewed her lip thoughtfully. "Okay then. You teach me how to do math, I'll teach you how to braid!" Willow grinned. "Okay!"
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"Oh, hello Joyce! How wonderful to see you again!" He held his hand out in greeting. Rupert was enthusiastic about seeing Joyce Summers. She was a lovely woman, and one of the only parents he'd had the pleasure of speaking with. She shook his entended hand warmly, and smiled. "Hello Rupert. How have you been?" He chuckled, thinking of the past month. "Oh, you know children. Always rushing and tearing about. But I have been fine. And you?" Joyce smiled. "Buffy and Dawn have been a bit of a handful, but I suppose that's what I get for having two little girls under the age of 6." Rupert grinned, and cleared his trhoat. "Buffy just seems to get along with everyone, doesn't she?" He tossed a glance over to where Buffy and Willow were lying down with Dawn. Joyce smiled fondly at the sight of her two daughters and the little red-headed girl. "Oh, believe me, she never used to. Back in L.A., she had three friends, and together they were terrible trouble-makers." Joyce saighed sadly at the memory. "I think Willow is the first friend she's had that's been female." Rupert was quite surprised at these, the tiny girl looked quite harmless. "Oh?" Joyce nodded. "Yes, so you can imagine my relief when she asked me... no, wait, informed me," the two adults shared a laugh, "That she was sleeping at Willow's house this evening."
Rupert chuckled, and nodded his agreement. "Yes, I can see how that might be a weight from your shoulders." Joyce realised something, and looked around the room. "Where's your little one?" Rupert smiled, and replied, "He's unwell, I'm afraid, so I had to leave him with a baby-sitter for today. I would be at home with him, but I couldn't organise a substitue teacher in time." He drew in a breath, unsure of the reaction to his next question. "Would... would you like to visit? Later tonight, after William's bedtime perhaps? Since Buffy won't be home." Joyce was pleasantly surprised at his suggestion, and suppressed a smile as she noticed his nervousness. She ran one of her hands lightly down his arm. "I'd love to." Rupert grainned in response. "Well, William goes to sleep around 8 o'clock. If you'd like to come around then..."
"That would be wonderful. I'll see you then." She smiled shyly at the British man, and ecided to hurry her daughter's friend and her daughters along. "Buffy! Willow! Girls, come on. And bring Dawn with you, please."
Buffy and Willow scrambled up from their positions on the floor, and Buffy picked Dawn up. She looked at Willow, and offered Dawn to her. "Do you want to carry her?" A huge smile spread over Willow's features, and she nodded eagerly and held her arms out. Buffy transferred the sleepy infant into her friends arms, and they walked over to Buffy's mom.
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Joyce saw the girls get up, and turned back to Rupert. "Well, I look forward to seeing you tonight." He smiled and closed his hand over her shoulder. "Goodbye, Joyce." Joyce smiled, and turned to pack the kids into the car.