A/N : This is an AU story, but Buffy is still the Slayer and they are in Sunnydale and everything, but I've changed some stuff around. I think the first chapter should explain everything and I hope you all like what I have written so far. This is my first proper Buffy fic (I've only written a couple of songfics before this) so if you do review (which I hope you do) please be kind to me.
Title : The Guy Next Door
Author : Ultrawoman
Rating : PG-13 to be safe for later
Spoilers : no specific episode since this is partly AU.
Feedback : Yes, please, I love reviews - so long as they're not flames!
Summary : Buffy Summers has enough problems with her life as it is and things only get worse when her best friend who lives next door moves away and a new family moves in. B/S eventually.
Disclaimer : Buffy The Vampire Slayer and it's characters does not belong to me in any way, it all belongs to important people like Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
Chapter 1
"I'm going to miss you so much" Buffy's eyes began to water as she hugged her best friend. Cordelia Chase and her family had lived next door to the Summers family since Cordy and Buffy were five years old. Now, eleven years later, the Chase's were moving out and the two best friends didn't know how they would cope without the other.
"I'll miss you too" Cordelia sighed as she pulled out of the hug and headed over to the car where her parents were waiting. "I'll write and call and email and everything" she promised as she climbed into the back of the car and waved wildly at the Summers family as the vehicle pulled away.
"Come on, honey" Buffy's mother, Joyce, put a comforting arm around her daughter as they stood on the sidewalk watching the car disappear, "It's not the end of the world"
"But she was my best friend" the girl cried.
"But you still have your other friends" her mother reminded her, leading her into the house, "Like Willow and Xander and..." she trailed off realising that maybe her daughter didn't have as many friends as she'd originally thought.
"And you have me" Dawn smiled.
"That's different" Buffy shrugged as she pushed passed the thirteen year old to go upstairs, "You're my sister"
The blonde teen went to her room and flopped down on her bed. As if life wasn't hard enough already! She was the Slayer, the one girl chosen to fight all vampires and other evil in the world and despite the help she got from Willow and Xander, and her Watcher, Mr Giles, it wasn't a whole lot of fun, especially living in Sunnydale, home of the hellmouth. She didn't have time to be popular and her circle of friends was small, and to top it all off her best friend, out of the few she had, was gone. To sum up, Buffy had every reason to be depressed, or at least that was the way she saw it. A sixteen year old with hardly any friends, no boyfriend, no father, an annoying little sister, slipping grades at school, and the responsibility of keeping the world all anti-evil and non-apocalypse-y. Where would it all end.
* * * * *
"So, Cordy's gone for good?" Buffy's friend Xander Harris asked through a mouthful of his lunch.
"Yep" Buffy nodded sadly, "Left yesterday, no intention of return" she sighed, picking at the food in front of her before dismissing it completely.
"Well, you still have us" Willow said cheerfully, although she wondered if that was actually as much of a comfort as she'd originally thought.
"I know" Buffy forced a smile, "and I love you guys, of course I do, but, I'm still gonna miss Cordy, I mean, I've known her all my life"
"Well, how about we go to the Bronze tonight?" Xander suggested, finally swallowing, "Dance all your cares away?"
"Wish I could but got the whole patrolling thing and stack of homework a mile high" the blonde sighed.
"How about tomorrow?" Willow tried as her friend stood up, "You can't mourn forever" she said with a small smile and Buffy relented.
"Okay, tomorrow it is" she agreed before wandering off, leaving the red headed witch and Xander behind.
* * * * *
"Hi Buffy, how was school?" Joyce asked as her older daughter arrived home.
"Fine" she called back, "I'm going to my room - homework" she explained briefly before hurrying up the stairs. She didn't want to be social right now, not with her family or her friends, she just wanted to be alone. In fact, she was actually quite looking forward to patrolling tonight. Just her, the stakes, the vamps, the peace and quiet...
"Buffy?"
"What is it Mom?" she called from the top of the stairs and Joyce appeared at the bottom.
"I just found out that the new neighbours arrive tomorrow afternoon so I hope you weren't planning on going anywhere tomorrow after school"
"But I'm supposed to be going out with Xander and Willow..."
"Sorry Buffy, but I want us to be sociable with the new neighbours"
"We shouldn't have new neighbours" Buffy muttered as she walked into her room, "Cordy never should have left" she slumped down on her bed and cursed under her breath.
She didn't want to meet the new neighbours, because she didn't want them to be there. She wanted everything to go back to normal, not that her life was very normal anyway, but when Cordy was next door there was at least some normalcy in her life. They would do what all sixteen year olds do; go shopping for clothes at weekends, discuss guys and make-up while they do their homework together, watch sappy films and eat ice-cream together when they got depressed. But now it was all different. Who knows what the new neighbours would be like.
"Well, this time tomorrow, I guess I'll find out" Buffy sighed as she got out her books and made a start on her homework.
* * * * *
"That's okay" Willow smiled despite her disappointment, "We can go dancing any time"
"Believe me" Buffy said, putting her books in her locker, "I would much rather be at the Bronze with you guys tonight than at home meeting the new neighbours. I never asked for new neighbours"
"Come on Buff" Xander out his hand on her shoulder, "It might not be so bad. They might be good people"
"I guess" the girl shrugged, "but I'd still rather have the Chase's living there"
"How was patrol last night?" Willow changed the subject as the three friends walked to class.
"Fine" Buffy nodded, "dusted two vamps, no biggy. That's another problem though"
"What is?" Xander didn't understand.
"Well, I have to hide that I'm..." she dropped her voice, "the Slayer" she whispered, "but you two know and so did Cordy but now who knows what kind of people will live next door, and I'm gonna have to be more careful"
"Well, maybe they'll be a new girl you can be friends with, like Cordy, and they can join the Scoobies" Willow tried to be positive.
"I guess it could happen" Buffy shrugged for the fourth time in as many minutes, "I don't even know if there are any kids in the new family"
"Well, just a few more hours and you'll find out"
* * * * *
"Buffy! Buffy!" Dawn yelled as she ran up the stairs, "the new neighbours are here!"
"Big deal" the older girl said to herself as she came out of her room to meet her sister.
"There's just two people" Dawn explained, "A woman and a guy"
"Like a couple?" Buffy asked as the two sisters went back downstairs. That was all she needed, loves young dream living next door.
"No" Dawn laughed, "She's too old to be married to him, I think she's his mother. I didn't get a good look at him though, he was carrying a box into the house but he could be cute"
Buffy laughed a little. Trust her sister to think of that. She'd had her nose up against the window since she'd got home from school hoping to catch a glimpse of anything, or anyone, worth seeing.
"Come and look!" she begged, dragging her sister toward the living room window, but there was no-one outside.
"They must still be inside the house" Dawn guessed, "but keep watching they'll come out soon"
It turned out the young girl was wrong. Whilst she'd been busy finding Buffy and telling her about the neighbours, said neighbours had come out of the house and were making there way to the Summer's front door to introduce themselves.
Joyce answered the doorbell and it never occurred to the girls in the living room that it would be their new neighbours behind it and so they didn't move.
"Girls what are you doing?" Joyce asked, causing both of them to turn suddenly. In the doorway was their mother, another woman of a similar age and a third person behind them who was barely visible from this angle.
Joyce didn't wait for an answer to her question she just introduced the new neighbours and her daughters.
"This is Buffy" she gestured "and Dawn" she told the woman beside her "and this is Jessica Hart" she told her daughters.
"It's very nice to meet you" Jessica smile kindly, she seemed like a nice enough woman. "And this is my son" she added, stepping aside to reveal the young man behind her, "this is William"
A/N : Like the idea or not? Please review and let me know what you think so far.