Chapter 12: Lessons
Author's Notes: Things are progressing well, and Spike will be coming later, please don't worry about it. I'm a big Spike fan, and he's a big part of this story, once we get to him. Meanwhile, I appreciate you sticking with me here.
Buffy gazed at the birthday presents spread out before her on the bed. Fred, a woman who hadn't even known her two months ago, had been so generous, so thoughtful. The cake and dinner would have been enough, more than enough. But this? This was above and beyond.
Before her lay two new pairs of straight leg Levis, one pair of flared Levis, two short sleeve and one halter blousy tops remade from good quality thrift store finds, and a beautiful black vintage dress re-worked and modernized just enough, with soft black folds of fabric and absolutely perfect lace touches. They were exactly right, in every detail, and looked beautiful on her. They were so well-made they could have come from a major fashion house, rather than the living room of a shy Texas woman in a old apartment in a little town in California. Fred's talents were clearly wasted on hemming garments for dry cleaning customers.
*She must've been working on these when I couldn't come down, when Gary was home.*
The dress and tops, clearly fashioned with her sketches and clippings in mind, had little buttons in their bodices, cleverly placed for easy breastfeeding. They were all so cunningly made and with wonderful details. And the jeans were perfectly sized and the lengths just right.
*How did she do this? How can they be so perfect?*
Buffy had worked hard to get her figure back on track these last two months, and for the most part had succeeded in reaching her pre-pregnancy weight and proportions. Her breasts were still larger than usual, and her bottom was a little rounder, but she had no intentions of complaining on that score. In fact, she rather hoped, being young still and presumably still growing, that she wouldn't lose the extra bust size when breastfeeding ended. Anyway, one could live in hope.
The Tai Chi, along with regular exercises she did at home, seemed to be doing the trick. But her encounter with Zack the other day had her seriously spooked, and she was determined to learn how to defend herself in earnest. There was a kickboxing class starting up in a week, and she wanted to make sure she was in it. Fred had agreed to watch Katie for her during her classes twice a week, and she could use the library those days too. In return, Buffy would baby-sit Stevie for a day or an evening during an at-home week so she and Gary could have some quality couple time, perhaps go out on a 'date'.
Although Buffy had never loved school, lately she had been worried about her education. She knew that enrolling in high school was out of the question, but she thought she might be able to eventually get her GED and perhaps even go to college someday. But she couldn't do that with only a year and a half of high school education. That was why she decided to get a library card and start studying GED test subjects on her own, so that when she was finally old enough to stop worrying about being identified and returned home, she would be ready to take that test and move on with college right away, just like any other eighteen year old high school graduate could. She really didn't have much more than this intention worked out in her head, but she was determined to make her plan work somehow. She did not want to even think about raising her daughter having completed only a ninth grade education, and if she wanted to get on in the world as an adult, she'd need to prepare now. She would not even consider failure on that front. She'd been raised her whole life to assume she would attend college. Her life right now was just a bump in the road, and she fully believed she would eventually reach that destination.
But first, she had to absorb the knowledge. And that meant the library.
Meanwhile, there was a baby to feed and Fred downstairs, ready and willing to teach her how to make clothes that looked like this. She was absolutely determined that she would not only learn these skills, but that she'd learn them expertly. Making thrift store crap look like something from a fine boutique? That was a life skill she was not going to pass up learning, when a seamstress of this caliber was waiting to teach her, just one floor down.
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Kickboxing class at the rec center was more fun than she'd thought it would be. Where Tai Chi had a calming yet energizing effect, and routine exercises built strength but ultimately were boring, kickboxing really let her get her aggressions out in a socially acceptable way, and she loved it. Plus, hopefully, if it ever came down to it, she'd be able to defend herself from an attacker.
So far she had managed to avoid running into Zack again, although she did notice him sometimes watching her from the window in the bar as she entered or left the building. It gave her the creeps. She had no idea what strange thoughts he hid behind his grave expression, because as far as she could tell, there just wasn't any 'there' there.
"You're doing great for a beginner."
Buffy startled out of her thoughts and turned quickly to see the handsome young man standing behind her.
"Oh! Thanks," she smiled brilliantly at Ben, the hunky instructor of the kickboxing class. She liked him quite a bit, although she was in no hurry to find a boyfriend at this time in her life. She had way too much on her plate right now to handle a boyfriend as well. Perhaps later, when she was more settled in her life and Katie was older.
Meanwhile, she didn't mind some harmless flirting. Flirting was fun when you knew you didn't have to follow up with anything afterward. It was just an innocent diversion, and safe. More than anything Buffy was aware of an overwhelming need to be safe where men were concerned. Her limited experience with them so far was not reassuring, and she had no intention of allowing herself to become involved with anyone until she felt more secure and protected. She did not permit herself to remember the reasons for her fears, she just accepted her need for extreme caution and tried not to think too hard about it.
Silence.
This was always the hard part with Ben. He would come over and compliment something she did in class, and she would smile and say something appropriate back, and then they would stand awkwardly, neither knowing just what to do or say next. She wished he would give her more to work with here. In her former life, the boys she flirted with had had school in common with her, or a common link in living in New York. She had mutually familiar subjects to fall back upon for conversation. But here, in Sunnydale, she was lost. If she could just think of something
new to say...
"Um...the class was very good today," she offered hopefully. "I liked the way you put that tall guy in his place when he was being too aggressive." There. That was a start.
"Yeah, he was a jerk." Ben nodded and folded his arms across his chest.
Silence.
"Yeah."
*Brilliant conversation Buffy! Why don't you just pick your nose and belch?
Really impress him.*
"Yeah." Ben looked at the ground, then around distractedly at the other students packing up to go.
Silence.
"Well, I've gotta go now, I have some appointments to keep," Ben mumbled and started to move away.
"Okay, see ya," she called softly to his retreating back.
He turned around, smiled, and walked backward a moment, calling out, "Yeah, see you around," then turned back away from Buffy, and left the rec center.
*Well, that was brilliant conversation Buffy. I'm sure he's gonna want to continue this talk later....Idiot!* she chided herself as she packed up her gym bag and left the rec center.
She headed out for the Sunnydale City Library. There was book-larnin' to be done.
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"I spoke to that woman I told you about today." Faith was changing for another date with Robin, as Buffy sat on the bed watching her.
"Woman....?" Buffy's eyebrows scrunched into a confused frown as she tried to remember what woman....
"The housecleaning lady?" No sign of recognition from Buffy. "So you could work? Remember?"
Ah! Yes. Work. She had repressed that particular fact about her new life. There would be actual work to get on with.
"Oh! Right. Housecleaning. I remember now," Buffy acknowledged. "What did she say?"
"She said she's willing to take you on, teach you how to do it. She said you'd have to work the same houses with her for a while, until you knew enough on your own. Then later she'd help you get some that were your own jobs to do."
"Teach me?" Buffy was puzzled. How hard can housecleaning be?
"Yeah, there's things you need to know about doing it right, so the clients will be happy with the job and want you back. It's a whole thing." Faith had moved on to make-up. "I wanna warn you. This lady, she's tough. She likes things to be 'just so', so she's gonna be real picky about how you do on these jobs." Faith looked at Buffy through the mirror. "If you want to work with her - and you're gonna need to make this work out - you'll hafta listen to what she says and do things her way."
Buffy nodded. *
Great.* "I understand. And I will pay close attention and do what she says." Inside she groaned. *This is the part of the grown-up world that I am
not looking forward to. But hey! Money! Money is good.*
"So...whadda ya think?" Faith stood and turned full circle. "Do I look hot and ready to dazzle?"
"You look beautiful," Buffy smiled at her cousin. It was Valentine's Day, and Robin was taking Faith to a really nice restaurant for dinner, then back to his place for....well, for the first time.
Their first time. It was all so romantic.
"Yeah? You think so? He'll like?"
"He'll very like." Buffy looked at the clock. He'd be here any minute to pick her up.
knock knock knock "There he is!" Faith turned back to Buffy. "Don't wait up!" she grinned.
"Go, have fun. And don't worry. This is gonna be a great evening. You look wonderful, and he's crazy about you. No worries."
Faith gave her a dazzling smile, and went to meet her guy for the big V-day date.
Someday, Buffy thought, she'd have such a date. Someday. But tonight - tonight she held Katie and ate ice cream in front of the tv.
"We'll just celebrate Valentine's together, won't we baby girl?" Katie gurgled happily. This was all the love Buffy needed tonight. Baby love.
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Faith knew the strangest people.
The housecleaning lady standing before her was small, slim, attractive - and had long blue hair. And an accent of indeterminate origin. Russia? Ukraine? Albania? Somewhere cold and ancient.
"You will do," she pronounced with a decisive, imperious nod. Somewhere, apparently, with no sense of humor.
"Um, thanks?"
The lady didn't even blink. Ever, as far as Buffy could see. "Come. I will teach you."
Illyria. Even her name had a cold icy quality to it. And she reminded Buffy of someone.
"Get in," she directed Buffy to the car. "There is much to learn. You will pay attention and do exactly what I say when I say it." She looked at Buffy with cold expectancy.
"Do what you say when you say to do it. Gotcha." Buffy nodded as she buckled the car seat, complete with baby, into the back seat of Ilyria's car.
Illyria had told her she could bring Katie with her to the jobs since she was unable to walk and get into any trouble in the client's houses. Buffy would need to deduct any time tending to Katie from the time billed to the client, but she thought that was only fair. They were paying her for housecleaning, not for breastfeeding her baby. Buffy didn't know yet what she would do when Katie started crawling, but for now this would work just fine.
Buffy wondered at the strange turnings her life was taking lately. She was actually being driven to an actual job working for a actually blue haired (Bulgarian?) woman with no sense of humor.
And she looked like someone Buffy knew. She thought it'd come to her eventually, but it was really bugging her.
~~~~~~~~
Buffy collapsed on her bed. She honestly didn't know tired came in so many layers. Muscles she didn't even know she had, ached miserably. Perhaps she'd been too optimistic about all these simultaneous projects, and this was life's way of telling her to slow down. No. No. She was young and smart and she could do anything she set her mind to do. She just had to get used to working and find a balance. Learning to sew, learning kickboxing, reading her library books, cleaning houses, and taking care of both Katie and the apartment - she could do them all, of course she could. Balance is all, she just needed to hit the right balance. This would all work out and she would be fine.
But first, a soak in the tub and some serious sleep. Or maybe just....some....sleep.....
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Thanks for all the reviews guys. I appreciate every one. Please let me know what you think.
Sara