Leaving Her
by Salix
Mending The Wounds
[reviews]
It's now around ten at night. The scooby gang, plus Faith, Emily and Anya's baby Nicholas, are enjoying a very joyful dinner of pizza and soda. In the beginning of the meeting there had been some tension, no one really knew how to act around Buffy, they didn't know how much she's changed since leaving, but once the ice was cracked and crumbled things have been very lighthearted. The only one who isn't allowed to really enjoy herself is Emily. Because she's in trouble for taking those pills and all of the other bad stuff she'd done and confessed to she has to place the shipment orders for the store. It's no big deal to her, she's done it a million times in the past whenever she would help Anya out at the Magic Box when thing were kind of slow and Emily wanted to learn how to run a business, the only problem with the shipment orders is it's a very boring job to do. Especially when you have to stand behind the counter and watch your family sit around a large table eating pizza and having a good time.
"Hi there. Just coming over to check on ya, seeing how things are going," Xander said and he leaned against the counter. Emily looked up at him, her eyebrows raised a little. She knew what he was up to. With Xander it's never 'I'm just coming over to check on you.' Nope, it's almost always 'I'm going to come over here acting like I care what you're doing so I can jump you for information.' She knows his routine very well, and he knows that she's aware of it. So with that one look he gave up trying to be smooth about it. "So, your moms were apart for a long time." He states as if she didn't know. As if she weren't there and had no idea what was going on.
"Yeah, a little over a year, I guess that's a long time. But they're back together now," she replies, needing to finally hear the words out loud. Back together. The feeling that she gets when she even thinks those words is hard to describe. Almost like there's this soft protective covering wrapping around her, sheltering her from all things bad. That, with just a hint of strawberry flavoring. She shakes her head a little, snapping herself out of her little dazed state and looks over at Xander. He's looking at her with this strange expression, and she knows that he's asked her something but because she was in the land of labeling she missed it. "Huh?" Not the smoothest thing to say but whatever.
"I asked if your mom met anyone while you were in Connecticut," he asked the question of all questions. The Holy Grail of questions and she doesn't for a second pretend to act like she doesn't know what he's talking about. On the outside she looks perfectly calm and cool, maybe even a little bored. But on the inside she's doing back flips and summersaults, and has this huge Cheshire Cat grin. She isn't going to turn down this perfect opportunity to fuck with his head. Xander and Emily are like brother and sister, and they don't let perfectly good openings like that one pass them bay.
"Yeah she did. She met a couple of people actually," she said and suppressed the tiny smile. All she had to do what act innocent and pretend to be talking about friends. Her mother did make friends, Lorelai, Sookie, a couple of others that Emily can't remember because she wasn't really paying attention when her mom talked about them. And she knows that the golden egg of all 'friends' that her mom made is Tara. She just needs to reserve Tara for last because if she's joking with Xander and Willow hears Tara's name there will be all hell to pay.
As she thought of that she couldn't help but remember the little saying that she came up with when she first saw her mother's jealousy towards other women: hell hath no fury like a green-eyed redhead. She couldn't help but laugh to herself at the little double meaning, because her redhead mom has green eyes, and whenever she thinks someone is coming onto Buffy she gets green-eyed. Haha, get it? She has green eyes and she gets green-eyed, get it? She forced herself not to laugh out loud at her own creative genius and she decided to mess with Xander some more.
"She met this one woman named Lorelai. She's really nice. They spent a lot of time together." She failed to tell him that the time spent together was at work because Lorelai's the boss and Buffy works for her. "And this other woman named Sookie. They were great friends. There were a couple of others but I don't really remember what their names are. But the one she really liked is Lorelai." She had to force herself to stay cool as she practically saw the wheels in Xander's head spinning faster then they should be. Maybe she shouldn't be messing with him like this, it could be dangerous to his health.
"Emily, how are those order forms coming along?" Buffy called out looking over at the two of them. She heard the entire conversation due to her slayer hearing. She knew what Emily was trying to do, and she also knew that the teen would end up mentioning the name Tara, and she really doesn't want Willow to find out about her lapse in judgment that way. She plans on telling Willow about Tara if the subject ever comes up between them. No use starting a fight when things are so good right now.
"I'm almost half done, but Xander distracted me," she said, sounding mad although she sent a big smile his way. He chuckled and then went back over to the table. He blushed a little and avoided eye contact when he saw the disapproving look that Buffy was giving him, and he knew that she had heard him trying to get information out of her daughter. Information that she would rather be kept private. Emily sighed and went back to the grueling task of filling out the order forms. Things were starting to get a little loud amongst the group at the table. Xander was telling them the story of when he took some of the slayers in training out on their first patrol and this little thing jumped out from a bush and landed two feet in front of him. He squealed like a girl, thinking it was some type of demon, but it turned out to be a stray cat. That's when the Magic Box door was throw open and Ashley and three of the SITs came rushing into the room. Everyone instantly went on demon alert.
"There's a group of vampires at the Bronze looking like they're in a take no prisoners sort of mood. I have a couple of girls there now making sure none of them leave but they're not trained enough for a large fight like that," Ashley said and stood on the middle step. Buffy and Faith jumped up, grabbing weapons and telling the others they'll see them later. Emily took that as a very welcome diversion so she could slip out the back and finally give in to every fiber in her body that has been telling her to give up the fight and enjoy. She tensed up when she heard the door opening, and she knew she was in for a world of hurt because if her mom caught her she'd definitely have some bruises and sore spots in the morning. It's true that her parents never hit her hard or in a non-playful way. The first and only time it was out of anger was in Connecticut, but there's only so much a person can take before they lash out.
"I thought you told your mothers you'd quit," she heard the English accent break the silence of the night and her made her feel that much worst. Now the father figure has come into play. She knows that she's not going to get out of this without some lecture and big life lesson. She closed her eyes and let out the breath she was holding and then took a drag of the cigarette.
"I did," she replied and then exhaled the smoke. She felt relaxed for the first time in a long time. She felt like she could just forget about everything and just take a step back and reflect on everything without getting emotional about it. She shook her head at the thought, knowing that even if she does smoke during and after she'll still be very upset if she looks back on the things that have happened the last year or so. She heard Giles walk towards her, his limp accompanied by a cane that he has to use after the last demon he fought a couple of years ago got in a good hit. His hip and knee just haven't been the same since, so not only does he have to sit back and be the book keeper and researcher of the group like he used to be, but he has to use a cane. "Did you come out here to lecture me on the dangers of smoking and how it's wrong to be a hypocrite?" He stood next to her, two or three feet away and she took another drag before she let her eyes wonder to the side and take a look at him. It was just a small glance and she looked back down to the ground, not wanting to look him in the eyes.
"No, no. Although those are two every good topics we could discuss I was just coming out here to make sure you weren't running off to go see your friend. You're supposed to be grounded, you know," he told her and she looked up at him, a small smile on her face. Giles is a very nice man, she knows this, but you have to watch out because he can be very stubborn, and sometimes there's yelling. It takes a lot for him to loose his patience like that so when he does you better rethink what you were originally going to say or do. "As the patriarch of our little society I'm going to have to ask that you hand over the pack. I'll let you finish that one, but you'll not have anymore." She smiled and looked up at him, almost too giddy to control herself.
"I don't have my own pack. I stole this from Faith when we first got here. When we walked in the door she brushed up against me and I slipped my hand in her jacket pocket and pulled one out. No one even noticed. I used to do the same thing with Xander, only I'd take his car keys, and when he'd go to leave he'd swear he was going crazy because he couldn't find them." They shared a laugh, both of them remembering the look on the young man's face when he would swear that he had his keys in his pocket just a second ago. Emily had taught herself how to be a 'slight of hand artist' as she calls it. In simpler terms, she's a pickpocket. A strong breeze blew by and the cherry was blown from the tip of the cigarette. She fought off the urge to curse because of it, and shoved her hand in her right front pocket to get her lighter. But it wasn't there. She frowned, knowing that she had brought it out with her, and she started to search the rest of her pockets, including the ones in her jacket. She was just about to start with the cursing when she looked over at Giles and he had a small smile on his face.
"Looking for this?" he asked and held up her black lighter. She froze in place. After all of these years and the man still has a few surprises up his sleeve. She should have known that he'd be able to do something like this. She started thinking back to her birthday parties when she was younger and he'd do a simple 'magic trick' and pulled a quarter out from behind her ear, and once (just to freak Anya out) pulled a small rabbit from out of a hat. So the fact that he's also a slight of hand isn't so surprising, the fact that he hasn't let on that he has some skill is the thing she's having a hard time understanding. She smiled at him, and he smiled back and then she took the lighter from him and relit the cigarette. She would have to hurry this along before someone comes out looking for them and she gets into trouble.
Luckily she was able to finish in time and they went back into the magic shop. She knew that she would smell like smoke but Giles said that he would cover for her. Why he was being so nice to her like this she doesn't know. He's always been nice to her, and he views her as a granddaughter, but he's never kept secrets from her mothers about what she's been doing. So the fact that he's simply avoiding Willow's suspicious looks instead of taking her aside and filling her in on what happened outside is a little surprising. But she ignored it as she went back to work. For some reason she really did want to get these done.
"Ok, we're back," Buffy said as she and Faith walked through the front door of the shop. They both looked a little winded, and a little flushed. That must've been one hell of a fight to still have them breathing hard. She knows that it's probably not from the fight directly. She's been around slayers long enough to know the effects of a fight, and by the way her blonde mom is eyeing the redhead that little double h rule is currently in effect. She shook her head, knowing that she isn't going to get any sleep tonight. Unless she stays with Xander again. The bed in the guest bedroom of the Harris' home isn't the most comfortable, but she could at least get some sleep even if it isn't very good. But if she goes home with a horny mother and another mother who's more then willing to help scratch the itch, well, she doesn't really know how much in therapy she's already going to be spending, add the sounds to her parents having sex to her memory and it could reach close to a couple million.
"Can I stay at Xander's tonight?" she asked Buffy, her voice a little more urgent then she would have liked. Xander and Anya looked over at her, knowing exactly why she wanted to stay with them. Buffy looked over at her, her brow scrunched a little while she thought about it. She didn't know if she should let her or not. On the one hand it means that she won't have to be quiet and there could be an encore performance to whatever she and Willow do after the bedroom closes. On the other hand Emily is supposed to be grounded and shouldn't be allowed to have sleep overs at other people's houses whenever she wants just because her moms might get a little loud. So, she decided to take the easy way out.
"You'll have to ask your mother," she said as she sat down at an empty spot on the bench. Willow eyed her evilly, she hates it when Buffy does that. She especially hates being called 'mother'. She thinks it makes her sound old. She sighed heavily and looked over at Xander, her gaze questioning and he nodded his head.
"Sure, I'll take the kid off your hands. We were just about to get going. I have Alyssa on babysitting duty. She complained at first, said that a slayer isn't meant to babysit, so I upped my price to ten bucks an hour. If I leave now I only owe her forty. I gotta tell ya it's getting harder and harder to find a decent babysitter now-a-days," he said and he and Anya stood up. Emily said goodbye to her parents, to Giles and Faith and then made her way outside to Xander's car. Once they were back at the house she went upstairs, used the spare toothbrush and then went into the guest bedroom and got out the pajamas that she keeps there. She also has a drawer full of clothes just in case she ever needs to stay at Xander's on short notice.
She was lying in the bed, trying to get comfortable, but it was difficult. The mattress is really firm, no give at all, she might as well be sleeping on a large stone. She was starting to think about what she was going to do. Not just in the near future, but in a few years from now. Her goal is Stanford, she wants to be a lawyer, well, not just a lawyer but a prosecutor. She wants to put away the criminals instead of defending guilty people. But what else does she want to do? She doesn't just want to be a prosecutor. She wants to be a wife, and have children, but will she be able to do that? There's no way she can be in a marriage with someone and have them not know about the supernatural stuff of the world, what with one of her moms being a witch and the other being a slayer. So how is she going to make it work? Should she meet someone who practices witchcraft and see if she hits it off with him? Or should she meet someone she likes, and if things get serious between them come clean about her magical and mystical background? She's at a loss, and is starting to think that the single life is the way to go.
"Hey Dollface," she heard Nikki whisper softly. She jumped at the unexpected greeting, and gave her friend a very evil glare. She was wondering when she was going to see Nikki again. She was starting to think that maybe Nikki didn't want to be around her anymore. She kept something a secret from her, something huge, and she could only imagine how pissed off Nikki must be. She watched as the brunette sat down at the foot of the bed. She was holding something in her hands, but Emily couldn't tell what it was because it was dark. Looked like some type of clothing, maybe? "I brought back your pajamas." Ah, the ones she had been wearing when she rushed out of the house.
"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the vampire. It's just...I know how much you hate them ever since your brother...and I didn't want you to hate me. I was really fucked up and I needed someone to use and he was there. I was gonna tell you, just not right away. Things have been so fucked for a long time, I wanted to figure out what it all meant before I tried to explain it to you."
She sat and watched as Nikki digested her words. She really wanted to know what was going on inside of her mind at the moment. She knew that Nikki was going to hate her, even if she didn't hate her that much, the anger would be there. She just hoped that they would be able to move on and still be friends. She watched as Nikki stood up and put the pajamas in a dresser drawer and then sat back down on the bed. She brought her feet up, and hugged her knees to her chest. She started to tug at her shoelaces.
"I don't hate you. I'm pissed that you didn't tell me, but I don't hate you. I did for a while, but whatever, I'm over it. So, let me get this straight," she said, sounding relaxed and like everything was ok. Emily smiled and could tell by the way Nikki was acting and the sound of her voice that the very personal questions were about to be asked. Not even her mothers had dared to ask these, mostly because they would have thrown their fists through the walls at the mental images the answers would bring along. "You slept with this guy named Mike, were like madly in lust with him, and then you fucked a vampire? What was it like?" She almost laughed, and she would have if she weren't afraid of watching Xander and Anya up. It was now almost one in the morning, and if she woke them up there would be hell to pay.
"With Mike it was just so...intense. Like if we were in the same room alone and not touching I felt like I was gonna die. Afterwards it was weird, just like with James. But I just couldn't stay away. And get this: the boy actually wanted a relationship. He cut me off when he started dating this other chick. That's when I started seeing that vampire. I met him at a party in Hartford. He was just so cold, I don't mean like cruel or mean or anything, I mean he felt cold. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be. You hear the stories about how vampires are nothing more then savage animals that what to rip your throat out, but he was really gentle, and made sure that he didn't hurt me. And afterwards I would let him take some blood." She saw that Nikki looked a little amused, but there was some confusion going on inside of that head. Whatever was confusing her she didn't ask about. Instead she made a popping noise with her lips and then crawled up the bed and got under the covers.
"Let's talk more tomorrow, I'm beat. I haven't slept in like two days and I can't go home. Faith walked me here and said she wasn't gonna stick around. So I either stay here and get in trouble tomorrow or risk getting eaten by a vamp," she said, knowing that Emily wouldn't kick her out of the house. Emily rolled her eyes and laid her head down on her pillow. She turned her back to the other girl and allowed herself to be spooned by Nikki. The two are like sisters so they don't feel weird sleeping like this at all. There isn't any sexual undertones or anything, no matter how much the boys at school wish there were. Emily mentally shrugged, and decided not to worry about it. She just wanted to go to sleep, and she was glad that things with her and Nikki were finally back to normal.
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I know it was a sota lame chapter, but I wanted to explore Emily's relationships with the men of the group, and I couldn't just leave her and Nikki on bad terms. So, I'll get started on that new update that will hopefully be posted shortly.