510 - Friday afternoon

[1ordinarygirl]

Buffy was finishing up her packing. It was taking some time, since she could only bring so much, but maybe she'd need that pair of cute blue sandals? Or the pink skirt? How could she know until she was there?

"Packing is so hard," she complained to Bertie

Comments

[moonbrain_tam]

River didn't return to her and Buffy's room until after lunch. She stopped in the door. "Need all that?" she asked.

[1ordinarygirl]

"I might! I mean, how do I know I won't?" Buffy pointed out. She was trying to stuff yet another pair of shoes into an already stuffed bag.

[moonbrain_tam]

"I don't know," River said, taking a seat on her bed. "Isn't there a limit to the number of shoes you can use?" She sounded tired, and her eyes were sad.

[1ordinarygirl]

"No, I don't think there is," Buffy said thoughtfully, before trailing off and frowning at River. "Are you okay? You look kinda, you know, not..." She waved her hand. "Not cheerleader-y."

[moonbrain_tam]

Normaly River would have put forward arguments against that statement, but she just couldn't bother today. "Jack returned," she said, sighing.

[1ordinarygirl]

Buffy frowned deeper. "But you like Jack? Don't you?"

[moonbrain_tam]

"He's changed." River looked like she was about to cry. "Kept me out of his mind and hurt me and then I hit him."

[1ordinarygirl]

Buffy held her arms wide apart and stepped closer to River. "Oh, honey. C'mere."

[moonbrain_tam]

River leaned her head against Buffy's shoulder. "Just wish he'd never come back at all," she whispered, unable to hold back her tears.

[1ordinarygirl]

Buffy petted her gently. "Are you sure he's your Jack? I mean, maybe it's a different one?" she suggested optimistically. "A mean one?"

A tentacle sneaked out from under the bed to pet River as well.

[moonbrain_tam]

River tried to wipe her tears and patted the tentacle. "It's him," she said. "Just..." She shook her head. "Don't know why he wanted to hurt me."

[1ordinarygirl]

"Maybe...Um..." Buffy tried to think of something else comforting. "Maybe he's a vampire!"

[moonbrain_tam]

River felt that this was probably not the case, but the thought of Jack being a vampire was somehow funny. She started shaking, but from held back laughing this time.

[1ordinarygirl]

"I could stake him for you before I leave," Buffy offered, patting River's back some more.

[moonbrain_tam]

River was now blinking, not sure whether to laugh or cry. "If he's a vampire, promise you'll stake him for me?" she asked, managing a smile at Buffy. She was a good friend.

[1ordinarygirl]

Buffy nodded solemnly. "I promise."