Summary: Buffy's birthday party.
Spoilers: Through Helpless
Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine, no matter how much I wish they
were.< sigh > They belong to Joss Whedon and the WB I have to
live with borrowing them for my stories.
Rating: You watch the show, this is fine.
Authors note: I just want to really thank everyone who sends me feedback
and is supportive of my writing. You guys are all wonderful. :) (You think
*that* was sappy, read the story. < g >)
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Quiet Reflection
by: Amy
I trudged into my house after Giles drove me home from the library. I had marched into his office and informed him that I wouldn't take a new Watcher under any circumstances. He awarded me was a broad smile, before telling me that he was still working on the problem. It was two days after my birthday, which wasn't so horrible really, if you thought about the one before it. But it still sucked. I mean, how many eighteen year old girls have birthday stories like mine?
The house was dark and for a moment I stood in confusion before I remembered that my mother would be late that night. I didn't much like being alone. I still hadn't gotten my powers back, though I was feeling a little stronger, and I just felt comfortable with more people around. Not that I couldn't handle myself if something happened... I just seemed to be feeling a lot more girlie since the injections.
I walked into the kitchen and started to make myself a turkey sandwich when something stopped me. Creaks and whispers from the other room. I dropped the bread I was holding and silently crept across the hall. The kitchen light shone behind me and I berated myself for leaving it on. When I got to the living room, someone flipped on the lights and shock hit.
"SURPRISE!!!" Came the shout of all of my friends. Willow, Oz, Xander, Cordelia, Angel, Faith and my mom. Even Giles was there, and he must have snuck in through the back after dropping me off. Trying to decide what I should think, Angel approached me.
Slinging an arm around my shoulder, he murmured, "Well, we figured that since you don't have the best of luck on your birthdays, or your birthday parties for that matter, we would just give you a party that was in no way connected with the day you were born." He grinned, and I could tell that he was feeling almost smug with himself.
"Nothing to do with my birthday, huh?" I asked ironically as they wheeled out a cake that said "Happy hday, Buffy!" that looked like some letters had been scraped off by a hungry person with a taste for icing. I gave Angel an impulsive hug, and for the first time he fully hugged me back, winding his arms tightly around me.
Letting go of him, I turned to the others. Willow, Oz and my mom were the only ones not watching us worriedly and I shrugged to show them that it was a hug, and nothing else. Giving them each hugs like it, I finally got to Giles who stared down at me, obviously remembering the things I had said to him a few nights ago. Hugging him just as hard, harder than I held the others, I tried to show him that I was sorry and that I forgave him. He leaned his chin on top of my hair as he hugged me back.
Blinking back the tears in my eyes, I let him go. Giles pulled me back to him and tilted my face up, giving me a sound kiss on the forehead. My heart melted at this man whom I had taken for granted so many times, this man who had been there for me through everything.
Looking back at the others, I noticed that they were all teary eyed or sniffly. Well, Angel was just looking at both of us in affection. Willow looked about ready to burst into happy tears, and my mom finally met Giles's eyes since the candy fiasco. She smiled approvingly.
Xander placed himself in front of Giles and turned his head up. "My turn?"
Giles gave him a sardonic grin and kissed him on the forehead as the rest of us burst into hysterical laughter. Xander looked stunned. Willow clapped and hooted for a man who was as restrained as she used to be, being the life of the party.
My mom took attention. "Okay! It's time for presents!!"
I rolled my eyes. "I thought this wasn't a birthday party!!"
Oz looked at me sideways and declared with his usual half smile, "No, you're supposed to give stuff to us." I laughed.
They sat me down on the couch and crowded around me, handing me their gifts. Opening Willow's small package first, I saw her worry frog inside. She had a habit of turning the frog over and over in her hands when she was thinking about something heavy, or had done something wrong. I got the message. Things were fine, and she was giving me peace of mind. *And* something cute to mess with when I was upset. I smiled at her.
Xander's present was next. I ripped the wrapping-- lunchbag paper-- off and stared at what I was holding in my hands. I burst into laughter, and everyone but my mom joined in. I was holding a package of cheese with a little mouse glued onto the plastic surrounding it. I looked up at Xander who was grinning like a fool, pleased with his ability to make me laugh at the reference to the Valentine's Day fiasco.
"Aww, Xander, you remembered!" I smiled at him and placed it aside as I was handed another gift. From Angel. "Angel, you already got me something wonderf-" He broke in my surprised statement.
"That was a birthday present. This is for the um.... Slayer party." I laughed and accepted his gift. Untying the silver cloth wrapped around a box, I placed it aside. I opened the box slowly, with it creaking each inch. A beautiful silver heart locket lay inside on black velvet. Looking closer, I saw that one side read "Always" and the other, the start of one of the poems in the book he got me. Tiny letters enchanted me. "How do I love thee, let me count the ways." I turned to him, tears blurring my view. He smiled gently.
"*That's* the expression I hoped to see," he murmured. He took my hand and squeezed it before letting go so I could wipe my eyes.
Cordelia handed me a stunningly wrapped big box and a smaller one in matching paper. She smiled. "Well, I didn't know about hospital gifts, but at least I know enough to bring one to a b-- Slayer Party." I laughed and thanked her.
I unwrapped hers carefully too. The paper looked expensive, and I wanted to keep a piece of it. Inside the large box lay an amazing green dress with a short flouncy skirt, a cinched waist and spaghetti straps. Little silver threads were woven in. I was amazed to open the smaller box and find a pair of heels made of green suede. I looked up at her in horror. "Cordelia, this is fantastic, but it must be so expensive!"
"Oh, please, do you know where I live?" she scoffed, succeeding in making all of us laugh and making me accept the dress and shoes. Not like I wanted to give them back.
Faith handed me a gift, wrapped in dark blue paper. It wasn't her usual style, so I looked at her questioningly. "I had Willow wrap it," she explained with a shrug. I grinned and opened it, laughter bubbling up in me when I pulled it out of the box.
A half carton of nonfat yogurt. She grinned. Only Giles and my mom looked confused, but I was really grateful for them not understanding the joke. The Slayerettes looked at the gift and cracked up.
Oz was next, handing me an unwrapped something from his pocket. Taking it carefully, I looked at it and smiled at him. He had given me a stake with a werewolf carved into it. It was perfectly crafted. I sat in awe as I stared. It was fantastic. Just the kind of weapon a Slayer needs. I told him that. He gave me another half-smile.
"The werewolf part was Willow's idea. It's supposed to give you strength on the hunt," he said. I thanked him profusely.
Another gift was plopped on my lap, from my mom. It was two gift certificates to two stores in the mall. One was to the most exclusive fashion store, Boutique and the other to the knives store. She laughed when she saw my confused expression, even though I could feel the pleasure at her choice welling up in me. "Well, I though, what do you get for your Slayer daughter who has everything? So I decided to let you choose." She smiled broadly at me, and leaned down for a hug.
After she pulled away, Giles cleared his throat, looking at me nervously. I took the card in the envelope he handed me and smiled warmly at him, knowing that whatever card he got me would be incredibly thoughtful and something I would keep forever in my keepsake box. I opened it.
When I think of happiness, Daughter, I think of you. My lips trembled at so obvious an admission of how he felt about me. He can be so British sometimes, I'm not sure. I opened the card, and my heart stopped.
Two tickets to the ice show for the following weekend were inside, with an accompanying note, "I'd be honored if you joined me-- Giles." I leapt off the couch and threw myself into his arms for the second time that night. He smiled benevolently. I hugged him tight, and suddenly heard, "Oof!" Pulling back, I looked at him in concern.
Giles lifted his shoulders in an understanding gesture. "I think you just got your full powers back."
I grinned at Xander's order to cut the cake soon, as he was starving. As they started doling out paper plates, I was thrown into a sea of love and gratefulness that I had these people around me. They had finally succeeded in giving me the birthday party of a lifetime. Even knowing that I had convinced myself that a birthday of quiet reflection would be best, they had found something better to give me.
They had given me themselves.
The End