Creative Works   

Memories Recalled (Page 5)
By Jessi Knorr

Disclaimer: Not mine, never were, never will be. They're Joss', aka The Devil. I own Sage, Summer, Tia, Cora and all the other weird people, plus the plot.

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Chapter 4

The sun was dipping below the horizon when Buffy woke up again. Red and orange rays spilled in through the window and over the carpet, helping ease her tense mind. Buffy stayed on the bed for a few more seconds before she mechanically sat up. She was much more relaxed since she'd been able to sleep. For now, he wasn't invading her every thought. Right now, she was concentrating on the terrified yells coming from downstairs.

While she wasn't the Slayer anymore, parental instincts kicked in when her Slayer Sense would have stepped to the challenge, and before she knew what was going on, Buffy had the nail file from her desk in hand and was running down to the foyer. She turned into the den, where the yells were coming from, ready for an attack, only to discover Sage glued to the screen where people were being dispatched left and right by a slobbering pack of cartoon demons. His math books lay open around sheets of paper and discarded writing implements. Buffy relaxed again, picked up the remote control in her free hand and switched the set off.

Sage jumped and wheeled around on his butt to face his mother. She looked better than she had when he'd gone in to get his crayons but was still bedraggled around the edges.

"Mom, you're awake! Oh... sorry... " he moved the books around into a heap by the glass table and started packing away the crayons. Buffy smiled at her son and set the remote back.

"What did I tell you about blasting the TV?"

"If I did the Noise Police would haul me away for Disrupting the Peace?" She had to admit, the little guy was smart for his age and quite tall at that. Two of the many traits he'd aquired from his father, rather than her. *There you go again... *

"Bingo. Now go do your homework, Aunt Willow and Uncle Oz are going to be home soon. Are you sure you're going to be okay tonight while we go to the movies?" Sage cocked his head in annoyance at the question, having heard over and over. "Okay, I'm just checking. If you get your math done maybe we'll bring you back something." He smiled finally and hurried past her into the kitchen. Buffy managed a small grin herself and laid back down onto the sofa, relieved the only threat invading the house was her own insanity.

. . .

Willow and Oz arrived at the house an hour later with their long time friends Xander and Cordelia in tow. Sage was back in front of the TV and Buffy was back in Dreamland. Xander shut the door loudly to announce their arrival. Buffy awoke with a jolt, breathing hard.

"Angel?"

"Jeez, ten years later and you still think we're him?" Cordelia pouted as the assembled Scooby Gang filed into their living room. Buffy lit up and blushed, Sage watched the adults from his spot.

"Well, it's better than him mistaking Oz for her, right?" Xander counted.

"He's got a point," the werewolf hung up his jacket in the closet across the hall and went up the stairs to change.

"He always takes your side," Willow pouted too, leading them into the den. Buffy got up to hung her old friends with a smile across her lips.

"Oh, wow! What are you guys doing here? How's the shop?"

"Well, unfortunately we don't have a shop because Xander forgot to call the exterminator before the health inspector came around. So now we're in the process of relocating and having our own building built to make sure no Peskies get in. And anyway, it'll be done by the end of summer and so we decided to drop by San Fran and see what the other half of the Freak Brigade is up to."

"And she failed all her auditions back in LA... " Xander smirked. Buffy and Willow giggled and Cordy elbowed him.

"I did not fail them, Harris. They weren't looking for a talented, beautiful, real brunette. They were looking for fake blondes with no talent except being able to sleep around."

"Like I said, can you believe they didn't pick her?"

"And you'd better believe it," Cordelia raised her chin and moved away from her husband as he tried to wrap his arm around her. Sage walked out and beamed as well.

"Hey, Squirt! How are you, please don't tell me you've been beating up all those bullies at school again... " Xander ruffled his nephew's hair. Sage laughed and moved away to Buffy.

"How's your arm Uncle Xander?"

"Oh God," Buffy laughed as Xander paused and flexed his right arm. The Christmas before Sage had effectively snapped it like a twig when he'd tried to ruff him up. *Chalk it up to passed down Slayer strength... or maybe he's growing up to be more like... * She mentally groaned and kicked herself for dwelling in the past yet again.

Sage's uncle sent a playful scowl his way. "Wise guy, are ya kid? Well,you'd better watch your back, because when you least expect it... "

"Don't threaten him Xander. He can kick your butt and he's proven it more than once," Willow snapped at him. Sage laughed at again and Cordy glowered at her.

"Sage, can you go play in your room? The adults are going to talk. I'll call to you when we're leaving," Buffy turned serious, holding his shoulder softly. Sage obeyed and headed for his loft as Oz came back down dressed casually in a T-shirt that said 'If You Can Read This, I Should Be Going Faster' and a pair of blue jeans. They all toned down the humor and were quiet for a few beats.

"He's grown," Cordelia observed. "He looks exactly like... " She caught the glimmer of sadness in the Slayer's eyes, something she rarely noticed. "You. Y'know, with the eyes, and the... clothes... "

"Thanks, Cord."

"So, does he... know?" Xander asked, leaning against the banister of the staircase. Buffy, Willow and Oz all shook their heads.

"And I intend to keep it that way as long as it takes."

"But he's going to find out sooner or later. Buff, he asked me if I knew his dad last time we came-"

"Xand, I know, okay? It's not like I haven't heard it. And he's asking it a lot more because there's this Parents' Carriers thing on at school this month. For his birthday all he wanted was to be able to hear... Angel's voice. And... well... "

"The guy who you took a fit over because he looked like Angel?"

"It was Angel Cordelia. He was with Cora's kids, she said her boyfriend was bringing them in because she was off on a trip. One's Sage's friend... I don't know what to do now, knowing he still is around."

"Oh, hey! What about that movie we were going to see until we brought this up, huh?" Willow made an attempt to stop the harmful questions. "Who was in it that you were so hyped up about back in the office Cordy?"

"Ooh, Ben Afflick! Living proof that actors get hotter as they age! I actually met a friend of his brother's hairstylist one night at a party, did I ever tell you guys that?" Cordelia chirped as they exited the house. Buffy yelled up to her son before they closed the door and left for the cinema.

Assured they were gone, Sage peaked out from the second floor bathroom down to the foyer to make sure. Then he dashed down the hall passed the stairs to the attic back into his mother's room, and reached for the leather tomes in the bookshelf.

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