One month…
Megan poured some more broth into the pot and gave it a stir. The aroma was almost intoxicating and she smiled, knowing that Shawn would love dinner tonight. Beef Stroganoff was one of his favorites. They were in a routine now. Most days she was off work at a decent time, she came home, made dinner and tidied up until Shawn came home. They would eat at the dining room table then sit and watch TV until bed. They were a normal couple. It was a relief after the Hellmouth events.
Shawn inhaled deeply as he opened the door. “Oh honey… I love you.”
She laughed. “Wash up and have a seat. I’m just finishing up.”
Shawn kicked his work boots off and paused. Meg’s bag was tossed in the corner and something sticking out caught his eye. Leaning closer, he pulled out the edge of the magazine and almost passed out when he saw the title. “Bridal Trends.”
As if burned, he jumped back, looking to see if she had seen but of course, she hadn’t. She was in the kitchen. Quickly, he rushed to wash up for dinner, not mentioning a word to her. It was Friday and he was not going to let this thought carry over into his weekend.
*~*~*
Cookie wiped her brow, smearing some paint on herself in the process. This was the final coat for this house then she would be done. Since the Hellmouth, she had poured herself into her work. She kept up her patrolling and her training with Giles but something was missing. She knew what it was. Lance. Forever lost. Because the portals SHE helped close…
No. She refused to think like that.
“Cookie?” A gruff voice behind her caught her attention. Turning, she was met with the broad frame of Doc’s physique. “Thought that was you,” he smiled.
She couldn’t help but smile back. “Heya, Doc. How goes?”
“Good. Just checking on a patient across the street. This another one of your project homes?” He sounded impressed. That was a good sign.
“Yup. But if you’re looking to rent from me, you’ll have to know, it’s a lengthy application process.”
“Oh I’ve got the stamina.” He was so serious about the fact that her knees got a little wobbly. “But I should let you get back to it.”
“No! I mean, uh, you don’t have to go.” She tossed a paintbrush aside. “If you want… maybe we can get a drink?”
He tilted his head slightly. “Oh?”
She sighed. “The other guy… well, we ended up being better friends. Which is good, I guess. Friends are always nice. But…”
“Then I’d love one,” he smiled.
*~*~*
Jessica sat on a stool in the kitchen, her hands in the mixing bowl in front of her. She had a craving for biscuits and gravy and she never bought her dough. Cage sat nearby, flipping through a book he recently acquired. Her belly was about ready to pop and he refused to be more than five feet away in case she went into labor. Kelly had tried assuring him that he could be in another room but at this point, it was pointless to try and tell him anything.
Not bothering to knock, Peter walked on in, his normal routine now to help with the pregnancy. Things were a lot less tense now. Peter didn’t frighten her. Most times he didn’t even speak. He gave a polite nod to her and stood behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. She stopped kneading the dough and closed her eyes as the warm energy flowed through her to the baby, nourishing it. Cage watched, ever pensive. Peter touching Jess was something that he was tolerating, but it didn’t mean he liked it.
As Peter pulled back, he grinned. “Any day now.”
Jessica opened her eyes. “Yeah?”
He nodded. “I felt it. Maybe three days max.”
Jessica rubbed her belly. “I can’t wait to meet you,” she whispered lovingly.
Cage smiled to Jessica, then caught Peter’s glaze. He was looking at Jessica’s belly with almost a sorrow on his face. This new soul was torturing him.
“I have to go.” Quickly, before anyone could stop him, he vanished out the door.
*~*~*
Jack pushed the dolly into the small office. “Where is this thing going?”
Bill was crouched on the floor trying to sort cables. “What thing?”
“Filing thing.”
“In the office.” Bill grinned to himself, knowingly pissing Jack off.
“It’s about to go on your head.”
“The far left corner should work,” a feminine voice replied.
Bill winced, recognizing the voice he had avoided for a month. How the hell did she find him? “Hey, Penny.” He stood, dusting off his hands.
Jack looked back and forth between them and set the filing cabinet down. “Yeah, here’s me going. To the truck.” Awkward moments were not his strongpoint.
Once he was gone, Penny or Raven or whoever she was now, leaned on the doorframe. “Hey, I want to start with I’m sorry.”
He nodded. “Okay…”
“I know I strong-armed you. I was just overwhelmed. It was a flood of information and emotions and I didn’t handle it well. I’m sorry.”
He relaxed some. “It’s okay.”
“I’ve remembered some stuff. Some of you. Some of Jill. And some of Cage.” Of course she would. Hasn’t even re-met him but she remembered him. “I remember why we were fighting.”
He stiffened. “I see.”
“I just want to put out there that everything that’s happened to me this last year has given me perspective. Has helped. And if you want to, maybe we could get to know each other again. Maybe go on a date or something sometime. But no rush. I just want to let you know, I remember some.”
He was clinching a cord. “Okay.” Silence. What was he going to say?
“I’m going to be working at Starbucks. Jack helped get me an ID.” Jack? That son of a… he didn’t say a word. “And a small studio apartment. So I can start over. I’m going to stay Penny. I kinda like it. It’s a new start.”
He nodded. “True.” God, he couldn’t say more than two words.
“So yeah, I’ll see you later sometime maybe.” Pivoting, she quickly made an exit.
Megan poured some more broth into the pot and gave it a stir. The aroma was almost intoxicating and she smiled, knowing that Shawn would love dinner tonight. Beef Stroganoff was one of his favorites. They were in a routine now. Most days she was off work at a decent time, she came home, made dinner and tidied up until Shawn came home. They would eat at the dining room table then sit and watch TV until bed. They were a normal couple. It was a relief after the Hellmouth events.
Shawn inhaled deeply as he opened the door. “Oh honey… I love you.”
She laughed. “Wash up and have a seat. I’m just finishing up.”
Shawn kicked his work boots off and paused. Meg’s bag was tossed in the corner and something sticking out caught his eye. Leaning closer, he pulled out the edge of the magazine and almost passed out when he saw the title. “Bridal Trends.”
As if burned, he jumped back, looking to see if she had seen but of course, she hadn’t. She was in the kitchen. Quickly, he rushed to wash up for dinner, not mentioning a word to her. It was Friday and he was not going to let this thought carry over into his weekend.
*~*~*
Cookie wiped her brow, smearing some paint on herself in the process. This was the final coat for this house then she would be done. Since the Hellmouth, she had poured herself into her work. She kept up her patrolling and her training with Giles but something was missing. She knew what it was. Lance. Forever lost. Because the portals SHE helped close…
No. She refused to think like that.
“Cookie?” A gruff voice behind her caught her attention. Turning, she was met with the broad frame of Doc’s physique. “Thought that was you,” he smiled.
She couldn’t help but smile back. “Heya, Doc. How goes?”
“Good. Just checking on a patient across the street. This another one of your project homes?” He sounded impressed. That was a good sign.
“Yup. But if you’re looking to rent from me, you’ll have to know, it’s a lengthy application process.”
“Oh I’ve got the stamina.” He was so serious about the fact that her knees got a little wobbly. “But I should let you get back to it.”
“No! I mean, uh, you don’t have to go.” She tossed a paintbrush aside. “If you want… maybe we can get a drink?”
He tilted his head slightly. “Oh?”
She sighed. “The other guy… well, we ended up being better friends. Which is good, I guess. Friends are always nice. But…”
“Then I’d love one,” he smiled.
*~*~*
Jessica sat on a stool in the kitchen, her hands in the mixing bowl in front of her. She had a craving for biscuits and gravy and she never bought her dough. Cage sat nearby, flipping through a book he recently acquired. Her belly was about ready to pop and he refused to be more than five feet away in case she went into labor. Kelly had tried assuring him that he could be in another room but at this point, it was pointless to try and tell him anything.
Not bothering to knock, Peter walked on in, his normal routine now to help with the pregnancy. Things were a lot less tense now. Peter didn’t frighten her. Most times he didn’t even speak. He gave a polite nod to her and stood behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. She stopped kneading the dough and closed her eyes as the warm energy flowed through her to the baby, nourishing it. Cage watched, ever pensive. Peter touching Jess was something that he was tolerating, but it didn’t mean he liked it.
As Peter pulled back, he grinned. “Any day now.”
Jessica opened her eyes. “Yeah?”
He nodded. “I felt it. Maybe three days max.”
Jessica rubbed her belly. “I can’t wait to meet you,” she whispered lovingly.
Cage smiled to Jessica, then caught Peter’s glaze. He was looking at Jessica’s belly with almost a sorrow on his face. This new soul was torturing him.
“I have to go.” Quickly, before anyone could stop him, he vanished out the door.
*~*~*
Jack pushed the dolly into the small office. “Where is this thing going?”
Bill was crouched on the floor trying to sort cables. “What thing?”
“Filing thing.”
“In the office.” Bill grinned to himself, knowingly pissing Jack off.
“It’s about to go on your head.”
“The far left corner should work,” a feminine voice replied.
Bill winced, recognizing the voice he had avoided for a month. How the hell did she find him? “Hey, Penny.” He stood, dusting off his hands.
Jack looked back and forth between them and set the filing cabinet down. “Yeah, here’s me going. To the truck.” Awkward moments were not his strongpoint.
Once he was gone, Penny or Raven or whoever she was now, leaned on the doorframe. “Hey, I want to start with I’m sorry.”
He nodded. “Okay…”
“I know I strong-armed you. I was just overwhelmed. It was a flood of information and emotions and I didn’t handle it well. I’m sorry.”
He relaxed some. “It’s okay.”
“I’ve remembered some stuff. Some of you. Some of Jill. And some of Cage.” Of course she would. Hasn’t even re-met him but she remembered him. “I remember why we were fighting.”
He stiffened. “I see.”
“I just want to put out there that everything that’s happened to me this last year has given me perspective. Has helped. And if you want to, maybe we could get to know each other again. Maybe go on a date or something sometime. But no rush. I just want to let you know, I remember some.”
He was clinching a cord. “Okay.” Silence. What was he going to say?
“I’m going to be working at Starbucks. Jack helped get me an ID.” Jack? That son of a… he didn’t say a word. “And a small studio apartment. So I can start over. I’m going to stay Penny. I kinda like it. It’s a new start.”
He nodded. “True.” God, he couldn’t say more than two words.
“So yeah, I’ll see you later sometime maybe.” Pivoting, she quickly made an exit.