Title: Slayer Central chapter 4
Author: Gileswench
Contact: gileswench@yahoo.com
Feedback: Constructive criticism always welcome. Praise abjectly sought.
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Joss, Mutant Enemy, etc., etc., etc. I just let them have all the fun Joss won't. I own nothing except my twisted mind which you really don't want. Please don't sue.



"A little to the left...no! That's too far! Back to the right...and...too far again! Just listen to me, will you!"

"Cordelia! We've been moving your damn bed back and forth for twenty minutes. Gunn is out of breath. And I really think we need to take a break before I discover too much of my inner demon."

The ensouled vampire and the young man dropped the bed. Gunn flopped unceremoniously on top of it.

"Hey! Who said you could sleep on my bed, Not-So-Goldilocks!"

In lieu of a verbal answer, Gunn raised a single finger as he panted.

The girl raised a perfect eyebrow.

"Not if I were the only Seer for the PTB in the world and you were the only boy."

*****

As Giles took the final box out to the van, Buffy sat on the stairs and contemplated the empty apartment. Before she could stop them, a few stray tears ran down her cheeks. When Giles returned, he immediately took her in his arms.

"What's wrong, luv?"

"It's stupid" she muttered into his chest.

"Let me be the judge of that."

"It's just...I'm really gonna miss this place. I only just realized I'm never gonna see it again."

"No, I don't suppose we will. I shall miss it too, you know."

"I know it's silly, but it always seemed like this was really home, more than Mom's house, or Dad's place. Ever since I came back."

He didn't have to ask what she meant by that.

"Everyone else was taking turns either hugging me so tight I couldn't breathe or yelling at me for being selfish. Then I came here, and you just said 'welcome home, Buffy'. You didn't crowd me or scold me; you just accepted that I had needed to go and I was back safe and sound. That's when at least part of me figured it out."

"Figured what out?"

"That home was really you."

He smiled warmly at her.

"Let's go home, then, shall we?"

"Yeah, Rupert. Let's go home."

*****

"And my room is right next to yours. There's even a door from mine to yours, so I'll be right there if you need anything."

Crystal pointed out the layout on the diagram.

"That's good. Now where did Buffy put the nursery again?"

"Right down the hall. It's next to her and Rupert's room."

That works out well. Buffy did a good job. Which makes me wonder why you don't look happy about it."

Joyce reached out a hand to smooth the girl's tousled curls.

"It's nothing."

"Crystal, I'm a mom, and I know that tone. That's the sort of 'nothing' that means something huge. Why don't you tell me all about it?"

"It's dumb."

"I'll be the judge of that."

"I just...I don't know why nobody will tell me the truth about all this. Besides, I just got settled in with you and I don't want...I don't want..."

"To share?"

Crystal nodded.

"Too bad. And don't look at me like that. Whether or not you want to believe me, I told you the truth. Then there's the part where even if I was deluded, I'm going to be very ill for a long time. Crystal, honey, if it was just you and me and that house, you'd run yourself ragged trying to look after me, wouldn't you?"

"I could handle it."

"Maybe you could and maybe you couldn't, that isn't the point. The point is, you need someone to take care of you and I need someone to take care of me, and we'll both be better off if we let that be someone other than us. Does that make sense to you?"

"I guess."

The girl moved to lay down next to Joyce, being careful not to disturb any tubes or monitors in the process. The older woman ehld the girl gently.

"Joyce?"

"Hmmm?"

"I'm scared."

"About...?"

Crystal breathed a small laugh.

"Lots of stuff. Moving in with a whole bunch of people I don't know, mostly."

"It'll be okay, I promise. And I'll be there as soon as they spring me from this place. In the meantime, just pretend you're Blanche DuBois and depend on the kindness of those strangers. Can you do that?"

"I'll try. They all seem like nice people and stuff, it's just..."

"Hank seemed nice at first too, didn't he?"

"Now he's gone."

"You have to decide soon, you know."

"I know. I have to find him, I guess."

"What are you going to do then?"

"A kid should have a father. Hank's really more of a...sperm donor."

Joyce laughed.

"Crystal, have I mentioned lately just how much I love having you around?"

*****

Xander paused for a moment as he unpacked one of Giles' boxes in the kitchen. Willow prodded him.

"Come on, Xand. Why'd you stop?"

"Check it out, Will. I mean, this is weird."

"What's so weird? We know Giles drinks tea; why would you be surprised he packed some along?"

He handed his friend the box of Earl Grey teabags.

"That's the tea I got him for Christmas. Note the virginal condition of the packaging."

"Maybe he had some other he had to use up first?"

Xander raised one eyebrow and pulled one canister after another out of the box, lining them up on the counter as he read off the labels.

"Darjeeling, Keemun, Lapsang Souchang, English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Kenya, Assam, Dragonmoon, Coronation Tea, Ching Wo, Formosa Oolong, and - I kid you not - Pinhead Gunpowder. Unless that last one is something left over from blowing up Mayor Dick, this is all infusible leaves and not a bag in sight."

"Wow. I mean, I knew Giles was into his tea, but this..."

The redhead gestured in confusion.

"You took the words out of my mouth, Will.

*****

Anya handed Tara another jar of herbs.

"This room is starting to look like the Magic Box."

"Well, Willow and I needed someplace to do our spells, so we get this room. Giles and Wesley have said they'll help us with protection spells for the house and grounds."

She turned to face the former demon only to find herself looking at a large and hurt pair of brown eyes.

"Anya? Are you okay?"

"I'll never really be one of you, will I?"

"What are you talking about? You're already a Scooby. You were before I was."

"No, I'm not a Scooby. I'm Xander's girlfriend. You all put up with me, but none of you really accept me. Nobody wants me around, nobody likes me, and nobody thinks I have anything to give. And I failed when I interrogated Giles."

Tara puzzled for a moment.

"Well, it's hard to get Giles to talk about anything unless he really wants to anyway, so I wouldn't worry about that. And I know you and Willow don't get along all that well, but, um, I like you."

"You do?" Anya looked terribly pleased for a minute, then her face clouded over. "You don't like me in a lesbian way, do you? Because I don't want to have sex with you."

"That's okay, Anya, I think I can live with the disappointment" Tara grinned. "And you can help with the protection spells if you want."

"Good. I'd like that. And I like you, too, in a non-sex way."

*****

Eventually, the entire gang gathered in the living room. Leo beamed at his new housemates. Buffy tried not to giggle as she thought how much he looked like Santa Claus.

Finally Cordelia walked in, the last to join the meeting. She looked around for an empty chair, then raised her eyebrow at Spike.

The blonde vampire regarded her cooly.

"Spike."

"Cordelia."

She continued to glare as her arms folded across her chest.

"Spike!"

"Yeah, pet, that's my name. Now we've got that established, what do you want?"

Angel rolled his eyes, moved behind Spike's chair and unceremoniously dumped his wayward childe to the floor. "Cordy, won't you sit down?"

"Thanks, Angel."

She stuck her tongue out at Spike as she sat.

"Now perhaps we can begin things properly," Leo intoned. He picked up the phone book. "Pizza or Chinese for dinner?"


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