The day was hectic, for everyone, Sarah was getting the last of the arrangements for the ball settled, checking that the decorations were going to be better than Wolfram and Hart's. Buffy was out with Willow and Dawn doing last minute Christmas shopping in the
Bluewater
shopping center. Giles was doing more research with the help of Angel and Wesley; they thought that Wesley could help, as he was once a watcher like Giles. Lorne was doing the 'readings' of the SIT's; he got told to do it the day before with no explanation. Lindsey was taking charge of Sarah's finances, selling her house for her. He was in his office when he got the call,
"Hello, Mr. McDonald, everything is being finalized by the end of today, like you requested. Congratulations."
"Thank you, bye." He phoned through to his secretary and told her that he would be out all day with a client and that she could leave early today and wished her a Happy Christmas as he left.
He arrived just in time for Sarah's lunch break and walked into her office to wait for her. When she arrived he just sat looking at her, he couldn't believe that he had found the one, in such a short period of time that they had been dating he knew.
"Your house has been sold." He told her bluntly.
"When?"
"Finalized today."
"But no-one's been round to view it."
"I went there the other day."
"So when do I have to be out by?"
"You don't that's the beauty of it." He pulled a bottle of champagne out from behind her desk and two champagne flutes.
"What do you mean I don't?"
"You don't because the buyer that has brought it, for a bit higher than the asking price, and he loved it."
"Who is it Lindsey?"
"Well I thought that since you were buying this place and that you had decided that you were going to move in with me, well there's not enough space at mine so..."
"So what?"
"So, I've brought your house, that way you don't have to move your things out and you've already got a key." He smiled.
"Oh Lindsey." She walked over to him and kissed him deeply.
"Merry Christmas darling, here's to us," he said chinking his glass against hers.
"Oh I've brought something along," he reached into his briefcase and pulled out a file.
"What is it?"
"The contract for you buying half of this place. Is Buffy and Giles around?"
"Giles is, but Buffy's out shopping."
"What have you got to do for the rest of the day?"
"I'm doing the finishing touches to the ballroom, getting everything ready for tomorrow night. Why?"
"Well on the way over to here, I noticed in a window a dress and realised that you didn't have one for the ball tomorrow, so I wanted to take you there to buy it."
"No I'm fine I was going to wear the dress you brought me."
"No you're not. Let me please."
"Ok, I can spare you two hours, but no more than that." Lindsey took her hand and led her to the car, opening the door so she could get in. 'I could do this all the time for her, treat her like a princess,' he thought as he walked to the drivers door.
As they drove out, Buffy was just arriving. She looked around at them and just continued to get her bags out.
"What you smiling at?" Willow asked Buffy.
"Just Sarah and Lindsey. They seem so right for each other and I have never in the three years that I have known Sarah, seen her smile like that. I wish that I can find someone who makes me smile like that one day."
"But what about Angel? I thought that is why you asked him to come along. And-and me, with that spell. I done it the first night that he was here, don't say that I done it for no reason."
"You've done it already, that's why." Buffy said with a quizzical smile on her face, Willow and Dawn just looked at one another.
"You ready to come in or you just going to stand out here all day? I'm cold." Dawn complained.
All three women walked in and went straight into the bar, where it had a large open fire burning away.
"So what does the ballroom look like Buffy?" Dawn asked.
"I don't know Sarah has been taking care of all the arrangements. She has locked the doors when no ones in there. We will only find out tomorrow night. All of the SIT's parents have been invited and the only staff will be the waiters, waitresses and Sarah. There's a buffet meal, and loads of champagne, wine and all that lot. That's all I know."
The three women sat there getting warm by the fire, Buffy forgot about the fore coming battle only a week away, 'we should be getting prepared but, the way the SIT's training have been going, there should be no worries,' she thought.
They sat there for the rest of the day talking and catching up, Xander and Anya even prized themselves away from their bedroom to join them. Lindsey walked in; Dawn saw him and her mouth fell open,