Will's Papa 4
by Redwulf
Cooking for Dummies
Beta by Spikeslovebite
"I'm sorry! I’m sorry, Amanda!" Thirteen year old Toni was in tears. Her kitchenette was now a roaring shade of blackened and only a visit from her floor 'mother' had saved her from having to call the fire department. "I owe him a meal and he loves Chinese, and I was following the directions in the cookbook,” she babbled.
Amanda was one of the most decorated slayers alive. Her first apocalypse had been the closing of the Hellmouth in Sunnydale. Since then, she had served in Cleveland as Faith's second in command, and then as part of a roving demon hunter’s squad. She had assumed- obviously mistakenly- that being a mentor for slayers in training would be a cake walk. Now it seemed her best student, Toni, was persona non gratis at the Slayer Academy. The girl had done the unthinkable… she had insulted Buffy's son.
"Who do you owe a meal to?" Amanda asked the stricken child.
"William!” Toni was very nearly blubbering. "I hurt his feelings....then I bet him I could beat him...but then he beat me and I owe him a meal....and I burnt up my kitchen."
Amanda found herself feeling sorry for the young woman. She smiled down at her and said. "Soooo, you like young Will?"
"NO,” Toni said a little too quickly, “but the other slayers- even the older ones- are trying to take advantage of him."
"Toni, believe me, his mom can protect him,” Amanda tried to reassure the sobbing teen.
"But, I'm a slayer. Slayers protect people," Toni cried. "But he loves Chinese and I can't cook Chinese."
"Toni.” Amanda suddenly had an idea that might make the senior slayers kill her. “Can you cook at all?"
"Yes," the girl answered. "Breakfast and stuff like that, like from home."
"Ok, here is what we’re gonna do. I’ll get the stuff and you can use my kitchen. I'll even get him there, but if Buffy kills us, I'll flunk you."
Toni's enthusiasm was so great that Amanda had a sinking suspicion that poor Will would never know what hit him. She smirked to herself pulling out her cell phone as she walked up the hall.
"Dawnie? Are you and Andrew alone?" she asked. "I need a favor that might get us all three killed.”
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The next morning in Amanda's sitting room
Will entered Amanda's apartment with trepidation. Since his session with Toni a few days ago, every slayer in training seemed to be chasing him. He had no idea what he would do if one of the faculty members started in as well. Aunt Dawn had sent him here, so he figured it must be safe.
There was no sign of Amanda, but the table was set for two. A huge, traditional Southern breakfast was laid out. Will was wondering if perhaps his Aunt Dawn had got her messages mixed up, but when he saw Toni come from the kitchen wearing an apron, he froze.
//Oh God, oh God,// he thought. //How do I face her after I humiliated her that way?//
Toni saw him freeze up and thought the worst. //He hates me!// She wanted desperately to cry.
"I know it isn't Chinese, but it was the best I could do,” she said irreverently.
"Chinese?" Will was totally confused.
"Yeah. You remember. I owe you a meal, and you love Chinese?" she answered eyes down cast.
"I bloody hate Chinese." The words rolled out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Joy and Erin love it, but I hate it."
So now he knew. She was only doing this because of that stupid bet. He could have killed himself. Did she have any idea what he would have done to spend time with her just because she wanted to be with him? "I'm sorry about the way I treated you the other day. I was a stupid git."
"I was worse,” she replied. "I was just scared."
"Of me?" Will asked with a smirk.
"No, of your mother,” Toni lied. Something about that smirk could just piss her off in a heartbeat! “Let’s eat.” //God, he can get on my last nerve!//
They sat down and began eating, both of them darting shy glances at the other. Will complimented the food and Toni blushed prettily. As they talked, they found that they had far more in common than they expected.
"I can still help you with your poetry if you want?" Will offered shyly. //Please, say yes.//
"Yes, please. That would be really cool of you, William,” Toni answered, her eyes shining with gratitude. //Oh, no, he isn't cute. He’s freakin’ gorgeous!//
The End?
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