Drucilla sat sipping tea from a delicate china cup. She made a lovely picture sitting in the elegant tearoom, dressed in a simple ivory colored gown. Several patrons gave her admiring glances; the bewitching young lady was reminiscent of an nineteenth century china doll. Dru sighed, *What could be taking Cordelia so long? She should have been here twenty minutes ago.*
A few blocks south Cordelia was tapping an impatient foot, a hostile look directed at the little man behind the counter.*Dru is going to kill me, I'm so late!* "How long is this going to take? I don't have all night!" she said, sending daggers with her eyes. "I special ordered that item, and requested that it be gift wrapped -- like, three weeks ago!" The little man was clearly intimidated by the angry woman."It's being wrapped now miss, I'm so, so, sorry for the um, the inconvenience." A middle-aged woman came from a back room with a lovely package wrapped in paper covered in pink roses. Delia took the package from the woman, and left the little shop with out a backward glance.*Dru is going to love it! I can't wait to see the look on her face!* She checked her watch, and hurried to meet her friend.
Miss Edith's Teahouse was located in lovely old Victorian home. It was making quite a name for itself in the Los Angelus area. Drucilla had opened the teahouse four years ago, and it had been successful since day one. Dru smiled as she thought back to her ‘insane' days: tea parties and dollies, lace petticoats, blood and sex. It was good, not being a mad, childlike vampire anymore, but she did miss the sex... She felt so happy with her new and improved self, having a soul made all the difference in the world! Willow Rosenburg, a very talented witch, and now one of her best friends, had restored her soul five years ago. It had been a favor for Spike. He had that chip in his head, so he'd been helping the slayer and her friends. When his dark princess had returned to Sunnydale, he hadn't wanted her staked, so he'd asked Willow to help him. The rest, as they say, was history.
Drucilla never got tired of the house. Downstairs were the tearooms, and upstairs she had her living quarters. The room she was in now was the largest: it had a counter and several tables with chairs, and a small parlor- like corner that was cozy and inviting. There was a large modern kitchen, hidden away, and old fashioned restrooms off to the side. One of the smaller rooms was for children: it contained small tables, tiny tea sets, stuffed animals and dolls. Drucilla provided feather boa's and fancy hats for the girls, and for the boys, ties and an odd assortment of men's hats. The smallest tearoom was reserved for private parties; it looked like an old-fashioned sitting room. Drucilla also sold custom made dolls and handmade doll clothes.
Cordelia tapped the window and waved. Dru smiled and waved back. Delia sat in the chair opposite the pretty vampire, "I'm so sorry Dru, traffic was terrible, there was a fender bender two streets down." It was a lie of course. She didn't want her friend to get suspicious about the real reason she was a half hour late. "That's OK Delia, really. What's in the bag?" Delia shrugged, "nothing important, just what I need for overnight. May I leave it behind the counter?" "Sure, go ahead. We still have time till the movie starts, then we'll hit the stores at the mall!" Dru said with a twinkle in her eye; shopping was one of Cordelia's favorite pastimes. "Janette is going to close for me, lets get out of here before some crisis pops up."
Janette smiled at Cordelia, as she gave the OK sign behind Drucilla's back. It was hard keeping a secret around here, she thought as she peeked into the kitchen. Markus and Danielle were pastry chefs, and they were busy preparing the most sinful goodies imaginable. Janette winked at Markus, letting him know the coast was clear.
Just before closing, the bell over the front door tinkled, and Willow walked in carrying a large box. On her heels were Tara and Amy, the women smiled at Janette. "Hi Jan! How long do we have to get ready?" Willow asked, putting down her box. The women with her also deposited their packages next to the box. Jan looked at her watch, "to be safe, I'd say two hours."
The women chatted as they went to work, blowing up balloons, putting up streamers and all the things required for a party. The employees finished their work, and left the restaurant, leaving the three women alone. Willow was part owner of the teahouse so they weren't worried about losing their jobs. The bell tinkled again as several more women entered Miss Edith's. Buffy, Anya, Joyce, and Dawn walked in, laughing and chattering. Anya, a former vengeance demon, was very pregnant with her second child. The women had driven from Sunnydale together in Anya Harris' minivan. Buffy was teasing Anya, "Some bad ass former demon you are! Driving a minivan, and changing diapers!" Anya retorted with good humor, " I'll have you know Little-Miss-I-Can't-Make-A-Commitment! Jamie is potty trained, so I'm not changing diapers again...yet!" Buffy said, "that still doesn't explain the minivan, now does it? Hmmm?" Before she could snap back, Tara put her hands on Anya's large belly. "Oh my! This kid is going to be a kick-boxer when he grows up!" The former demon laughed. "SHE just might be the next slayer, if Buffy doesn't let up on the minivan crap!" Everyone joined in the laughter, then Willow asked, "Is the baby a girl?" Anya nodded happily, "uh huh! We are going to name her Miranda." The air filled with well wishes from all her friends. It was nice being a human again.
Cordelia and Dru had enjoyed the movie, it was a romance starring James Marsters and Juliette Landau. It had appealed to Drucilla because it was set in mid 1800 London, the heroine was physic and ‘slightly' loopy, and Delia liked the smut! They were now at the mall, doing a little shopping. Dru thought this was a simple girls night, to celebrate her fifth year as a souled vampire. After shopping Delia was going to spend the night. They were going to do girlish things, painting their nails and the like. Little did Drucilla know that she was going to have her very first surprise party! Everything was ready, and there was still time before Delia and Dru were due to return, so they all sat around talking. Willow was telling all about their rare bookstore/magic shop in San Francisco. She, Tara, and Amy were partners. Will and Tara shared a house next door to their business, and Amy had an apartment nearby. "It is in an older part of the city. The neighborhood is charming...I think we are really going to love it there!" The three witches had only owned the business a short while, they weren't even ready to officially open yet. " The grand opening is going to be in six weeks! I'm going to send you all invitations, and you'd better show up!" Tara said softly, "Will is afraid that we won't be able to pull this whole thing off. It would make us all feel better if our friends were there to offer moral support." Anya patted Willow on the knee. "I'll come if you have chocolate cake... I'm teasing you know? I'd come anyway, and business will be great, like taking candy from an infant..or old person?...Whatever!" She shrugged, and popped a mini cream-puff into her mouth. After she had swallowed she continued. "Besides, you have connections that few other witches have, and you can always ask Giles about anything...except money stuff, for advice about that, ask me."Anya's forthright way of speaking didn't bother them as much as it had in the beginning. In fact, the former demon seemed to be mellowing in her ‘old age'...the rest of the women echoed Anya's more positive comments, and soon the witches felt more sure of this new venture they were taking on. It was good to have friends, even blunt ones, that you could count on!
It was time. The women turned off the lights and waited...softly giggling. "Ssssshhhhh! I think I see Delia's car!"Dawn hissed from the window. The women shushed one another, and got ready to greet Dru as she turned on the lights. They heard the key in the lock, and Delia saying to Dru, "I brought one of my favorite movies, The Ghost And Mrs. Muir. Dennis and I watch it at least once a month, he likes movies with ghosts as main characters. Have you seen it?" Dru began to answer her, as she turned on the lights, "I don....."
"SURPRISE!!!!!!" they yelled at once. The look of shock and delight on Dru's face was priceless. "Oh! All this for me?" Dru asked, as she gestured toward the decorations. There was a banner, it read, HAPPY 5th ANNIVERSARY DRU! "Cordelia! You sneak, you knew all about this, didn't you?" She tried to sound sharp, but no one was buying it. Dru began to cry, her emotions were flooding her heart and soul. "Thank you, thank you...oh dear, I'm weeping like a child!" Dru was hugging each of her friends in turn, giving them each kisses on their cheeks. She was happy to see them...well, not so much the slayer, bad memories, but for the sake of the others she showed no open hostility. She couldn't say the same for Anya!
They ate, drank, and laughed, having a wonderful time. Cordelia handed Dru the rose papered package. "This is from all of us. It is the real reason I was late tonight!" She grinned, and said, "Open it! Hurry, rip the paper off!" Dru was carefully unwrapping the package. "But Delia! The paper is too pretty to spoil." Cordelia bit her bottom lip; she was impatient to see her friend's reaction. She made herself keep still. Drucilla had a fondness for pretty papers, the vampire was born in a day when such things were costly and rare. Dru gasped as she saw what was inside, "How lovely!" A child size tea sat before her. "It's exquisite! Just beautiful, oh, thank you!" Buffy said, "Dawn saw one like it in Sunnydale, but it was gone when we went back." Dawn continued, "Delia looked all over till she found a little shop that would order it." Joyce said beaming, "It is a reproduction of a tea set Queen Victoria had as a child." Dru had trouble believing that she was worthy of all this attention and expense. It was as if Anya had read her mind. " Drucilla, it has been five years since Will gave you your soul. This is a special anniversary; let us spoil you for once, and for heavens sake...don't get all mooshy!"
Willow retrieved another package from behind the counter. It was a very large, colorful bag festooned with ribbons."We all made this, it took us a whole year to finish, but here it is."Dru opened the bag, and pulled out the most beautiful quilt she had ever seen. "Oh my God! It's gorgeous!"Dru said, as she held the quilt up to get a better look at it. "You all helped make this for me?" Amy said, "Will enchanted it, so you'll only have sweet dreams, no nightmares as long as you're under it!"
Drucilla had been plagued with nightmares since she was a child, the ‘stars' had begun to sing when she was eight years old. Her mother had been terrified, scolding her, beating her, and then her priest had insisted the devil was in her. She had quickly learned to bite her tongue. When asked, she would say that she no longer heard the stars, that it was all make believe, that she was a good Catholic girl. Miss Edith would be her only friend, her only confidant. Little Drucilla had gone to church, she said her prayers, but the stars still sang, and the nightmares visited her almost nightly...Then came Angelus. Drucilla shuddered at the memory. Insanity claimed her mind, then she was turned, she had delighted in being wicked. Willow gave her a soul, and her madness faded, but the nightmares were worse than ever...Along with the soul and a sound mind, there also came a conscience.
"Dru?... Hey Dru?...Drucilla?!" The vampire's mind was far away, and it took a few moments for Will to bring her back to the present. Dru's eyes were haunted, and it broke Willow's heart. "It's OK sweetie..." she whispered as she held her tormented friend. The others had gathered around Drucilla, speaking soft words of comfort, patting her hands, rubbing her back, and kissing her face and hair...they loved her.
At last Dru spoke. "Thank you! Somehow those two little words can't express the gratitude I'm feeling...You all mean more to me than anyone ever has, in all my years...alive and dead!" Dru smiled, and the others laughed.
In the wee hours, Dru asked everyone where they planned on staying the night. She hadn't beds enough for them all. Dawn giggled. "We came prepared! Pillows, sleeping bags, and air mattresses, enough for a small army...or a herd of buffalo!" Buffy poked her in the ribs. "Come on kiddo, lets get the bedding out of the MINIVAN!"She threw a sideways look at Anya, and was rewarded by a glare, but before Anya could retort Buffy was out the door.
Drucilla's upstairs apartment was small and cozy, packed to the rafters with women, and wall to wall beds. Dru had insisted that Anya have the bed. "Don't be silly Anya, you are seven months along...you need a comfortable bed." Buffy giggled. "Besides that, if you got down on the floor I'm not sure even I could get you back up again!" Anya looked indignant. " Don't mess with a pregnant woman, slayer...you'd lose! Picture about a hundred women with PMS at the same time, in a locked room...with one chocolate bar!" Buffy's eyes grew large. It wasn't a pretty picture! Amy laughed. "Back away from the pregnant woman, slowly, and whatever you do, don't show any fear! They can smell it!" Anya sat on the edge of Dru's bed. "Hey guys, clear a path to the bathroom, unless you want to get stepped on...I make about a zillion trips to the toilet these days." Dawn grimaced. "Eeeewww! Way too much info!" Joyce chuckled. " You'll be in the same situation someday, kiddo!" Dawn rolled her eyes at her mom. " I don't know if I ever want to join the mommy club." Anya muttered. "Well, somebody had better join soon, I'd like my kids to have playmates you know."
They settled into their beds and talked a little more in the darkness, soon everybody was asleep. The sound of snoring woke Anya. She turned and put a pillow over her head. It was no use, she could still hear it, and now she had to pee. She made her way to the bathroom... "Ow! Get off me will ya!"Buffy squealed. The slayer couldn't see Anya smile in the darkness. "Oh, sorry Buffy...didn't realize you were there. I gotta use the toilet."The former demon, snickered as she washed her hands. At least she got Buffy to stop snoring!
Willow had been awake as the two exchanged words. Buffy's log sawing had woke her as well, and she had a feeling they weren't the only ones awake. Willow chanted a small spell under her breath. A sleepwalking Buffy went downstairs and laid on the sofa in the sitting room. Willow smiled before sleep claimed her. Sometimes it was good to be a witch.
The End
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