Chapter 34
“I never did get my reading last night.” Dawn remarks, “Do you think you’d still be able to ask Mom for advice this morning?”
“Today is the actual full moon full moon.” I tell her, “It doesn’t hurt to try.”
She nods, and goes to the bookshelf, asking if it’s okay, and opens the box that I keep the decks in. She goes for her favorite dragon deck and brings it to me. I’d left the open box in front of a window last night with quartz and selenite on top of the box. I’ll set them out again tonight and tomorrow just to be safe.
“You shuffle.” I point out, so she does.
I sit down at the breakfast bar and Dawn sits next to me finishing her shuffling and setting the cards between us. I cut the deck in three and have her put them back together and then spread the cards out in front of us.
“Okay, Joyce.” I murmur, “Let me know what your advice is for Dawn about whatever this is.”
The first card I draw is the Two of Cups. Dawn blushes furiously and tries to hide. I remember she knows the cups is the suit of romance, and this explains some of her random bounciness over the past couple of weeks if there’s a boy who she likes who is liking her back. I don’t say anything about the card itself, and draw the next one, Knight of Wands. This also explains a bit of why she said she wouldn’t think I could give her any advice in whatever was going on given I’m into girls, and this is a girl/boy situation.
“So, there’s a boy.” I say, “and it looks like you both like each other. Is this who you’ve been talking to on the phone some nights?”
She blushes more, “His name is Justin. Janice introduced me at a pa—when we went to the movies one time and he was there—he’s friends with her boyfriend, so, of course it would be amazing if we were all going out like a foursome, right? Like you and Willow and Anya and Xander do.”
I nod, “Okay.”
“But I—I miss my Mom, and I wish I could talk to her about this, and I’m not sure if Buffy is ready for me to talk about boys given—” she sighs, “So…”
“And I’m into girls.”
She nods, “You and Willow—I mean, I know Willow’s had boyfriends, but she’d go right to Buffy.”
I turn the next card. The Five of Swords, “A line in the sand.” I explain.
“What do you mean?”
“Some sort of conflict where you have to draw a line in the sand and say no more, this is not happening.” I get that pit of fear in my stomach, “it’s a warning, about some—an argument, maybe?”
I draw another card, and it’s the Ten of Swords, and the Eight of Swords. Not looking good.
“What?” Dawn asks.
“Well, these are negative cards.” I explain, “All about fights and arguments.” and ruin and doom.
Dawn sighs, “Okay, Mom.” She mutters, getting up, “I get it you don’t want me dating either.”
I pick the cards up and shuffle the deck back together, “I’m sorry.” I tell her.
“It’s fine.” She mutters.
“Just be careful, okay?” I ask her, “Is Justin older than you?”
She nods.
“Then, yeah, be careful.” I tell her.
“I have the necklace.” She says, lifting it up out of her shirt, and putting it back down, “But,” she nods, “I’ll be good. I know how to say ‘no’.” she goes to the cabinet and gets cereal out.
I nod in return, wrapping the cards back up, “Okay, but if you ever need to talk.”
The first doctor, Moffat, shows up in the morning not long after, just as I’m finishing breakfast. She has a stereotypical doctors’ bag with her, and I let her in and set a kettle to boil. Dawn is washing up her dishes and Buffy is out of the shower now, based on the lack of water noise from upstairs.
I call up to her that we have a visitor and hear the bathroom door open as I’m pouring the water over the tea bag in one of the mugs.
“Already?” Buffy questions.
“The sooner the better.” Doctor Moffat replies.
There’s no answer from Buffy just the door closing again. I give the doctor her mug of tea.
“I’m so glad you’re not one of those who microwaves it.” She remarks.
“I happen to know a British person.” I point out, “He made sure we were all well trained.”
She nods and blows on the steaming mug perching on one of the bar stools.
“So, what are you going to do to my sister?” Dawn asks.
Doctor Moffat gives a smile, “Nothing invasive. Just some checking of vitals, strength, stamina—that sort of thing.”
Dawn is satisfied at that and goes to get her bag for school. Buffy comes downstairs as she’s going up.
“Oh, hey—” Dawn says, “Buffy—Janice invited me to stay over on Halloween, is that okay?”
“Uh-huh. Sure.” Buffy says.
“Thanks.” Dawn answers and gives her a quick hug before continuing on her path.
“So, I am going to have to jump through hoops?” Buffy asks.
“Oh, no.” Doctor Moffat assures, “No hoops, perhaps some balance beams but no hoops.”
“How reassuring.” Buffy remarks.
“There’s some leftover sausage omelet.” I tell her, “If you want.”
She nods.
I head out calling a goodbye to Dawn as I go, and then it’s off to school for a few hours anyway and then to The Magic Box for some time tarot reading. Friday evenings are often pretty busy for that sort of thing.
“I’m thinking about doing a special on Halloween.” Anya tells me.
“Oh?”
“Well, it’s essentially a holiday in the witchcraft community no matter what the rest of the world thinks. I’d need help staffing the store though…”
“I’m sure we’ll all be up for helping you out.” I tell her, “That’s what friends do.”
She nods, “That’d be nice. Maybe 10% off the whole store—except the rare things, of course.”
“Of course.”
“Anything more about this other Slayer?” she asks me.
“I didn’t read into it any further.” I explain, “It’s not as though the cards would give me names and locations or anything…more actions and attitude.”
She gives me a hmm to that.
“How are things going with the wedding?” I ask her.
She rushes over and sits down across from me, “Oh, I’m so excited to be able to talk to you about it—I’ve been aching to—” she says, as she takes my hands, “I’ve been looking at magazines and cutting out dress pictures, and we have a couple of venue places that we’re thinking about...” she shivers with happiness, “but it’s deciding what time. June is out because that was a huge wedding month that I tended to get the most vengeance calls about.”
“Well, then definitely not.” I agree.
“Right?” she says, “And besides June is so far away. I really want to get married sooner rather than later—but that also requires us to actually announce.”
I squeeze her hands, “There’s that communication the cards were talking about.” I point out.
She pulls her hands away and toys with them for a moment, “It’s sort of getting better.” She says, “Our main issue is the not telling about the proposal. So, until that sorts out—”
“It has to happen soon.” I point out, “I mean it’s been how long?”
“It was before Buffy died.” She explains, “So it’s been almost six months now.”
I feel so annoyed for her, “I didn’t realize it’d been that long.”
“So, you can understand my problem.”
“Absolutely.” I nod, “I would be livid.”
“I am.” She says, “I love him so much.” She continues, “I didn’t know it would be possible for me to love someone that much, especially with everything I saw from women when I was still a Vengeance Demon.” She shakes her head, “And here I am.”
“You’re a good person, Anya.” I remind her, “You deserve good things.”
“Thank you.” She says, “and you do too, of course. No matter what your family said.”
I haven’t really thought about my Dad and brother in a long time, and I’m surprised when she brings them up that I don’t get that pit in my stomach of nerves and shame that I used to. I can see things that happened. I can hear my Dad’s voice telling me that the only reason I was lying and sneaking out after my Mom died was because with her death the demon in me was stirring, and there’s nothing except a small amount of pity for their attitude.
“Are you alright?” Anya asks.
“Actually, yes.” I tell her, leaning over to give her a hug, “Thank you.”
“You too.” She says.
The moment is slightly ruined by a cough from behind us. I hadn’t even heard the bell on the door ring to show someone had come in. It’s a middle-aged woman who has a box of bergamot in her hands and has two questions: what the bergamot costs and if I’m free. Anya happily fills in the customer on the cost of the bergamot by the piece or by the jar and clears out of the way so the woman can sit down and get the reading from me.
When I get home Dawn is dancing around the family room to a rock ballad playing on the radio, and there is Chinese food on the kitchen counter. Giles and Buffy are speaking animatedly in the kitchen, and Willow has her laptop open at the kitchen table while she’s bopping her head in time to the music.
“Good news, I take it.” I remark as I come through the door, picking up, as has become habit some sandalwood incense and lighting it before putting it at the Osiris shrine as I come in. I thank him, again, and as I go to walk into the kitchen Dawn grabs my arm and pulls me into a short dance with her.
“Yes, good news.” Giles says.
Buffy walks through to where we are, "After much poking and prodding I was given a clean bill of health, and this." She hands me a sheaf paper as Dawn pulls her into dance as instead.
I skim through the papers and the gist is that Buffy has a pay rate, and a schedule of deposits, every two weeks on a Wednesday. The contract starts by explaining the base pay rates of community service workers, and emergency service personnel who risk their lives in the line of duty, and taking into account those, and Buffy’s years of experience, and the fact that her hours are unpredictable and would be tricky to log they’ve given a contract for salary of 25’000 GBP annually which is apparently, according to Willow about $36’000.
Between Buffy and Giles they also negotiated her a lump sum of 50’000 GBP to compensate for the years she’s already worked, and the fact that she’s died twice now. Buffy explains they’d started a lot higher, but the fact they were able to get anything like that considering everything else they were doing was miraculous. They’re giving her a $150’000 life insurance policy with Dawn as the beneficiary, and Willow and I written in to receive charge of it should something happen in the meantime provided we agree to look after Dawn. The final part of that is to get my signature. They’re apparently still negotiating with two health insurance companies. It hadn’t been much of an issue since Giles had insurance through the school system. Willow is still on her parents’ policy and I have the policy through the college, which is okay, so long as I use the clinic on campus for issues and don’t have to go to the ER.
“I heard the negotiations.” Willow explains.
“And showed incredible restraint not butting in.” Giles remarks.
Willow gives a soft smile, “That was very difficult.” She admits, “but you guys had it. I’m surprised—well, glad that it didn’t come to blows that guy is such an asshole.”
“It’s a Victory Celebration!” Dawn declares.
“Let me get the direct deposit set up finished.” Willow explains what she’s doing with the computer, “We want to make sure Buffy is able to get her money without them trying to mail checks from London or something, which…” she pulls the word out a little while, “is done!” she slams the lid of the laptop closed and then moves it to the bookshelf on top of some books, “Let’s eat!”
Dawn turns the music down a little and we gather together to pick out shares of the various Chinese meals they ordered and sit around the table to chat. I love seeing Buffy more relaxed. It’s not as though all her tension is gone, but she’s definitely a little more at ease, which makes sense. She has a way to provide for Dawn, and herself without having to stretch herself thinner. With her new income and the lump payment she can probably pay off one of the loans against the house and have plenty left over.
So tonight we celebrate a needed victory.