This is another AU Fantasy story that I came up with and I really think it's a cute story, one of my favorites. I really wanna know what ya'll think about this one. Feel free to read and review, all comments are appreciated=)


Prologue

William Atherton was a substitute teacher from London, England. He has been teaching at so many different schools that he couldn’t keep track of them all. He loved it though, it didn’t matter what grade. He just loved being around kids. He moved to a small town called Sunnydale, California recently because he was offered a permanent teaching job and he couldn’t pass up on the offer. This wasn’t his first visit to the small town and he at least knew people there, so it wasn’t that bad of a move. He needed the change in scenery. He was talking on the phone and pacing around his house and he wasn’t in a good mood. “You told me that the meeting was on Friday. I know I need this job, but I can’t leave now. You know of my predicament. It’s too short of a notice.” He said over the phone. He listened a bit more and then sighed giving in. “Alright, I’ll see what I can do.” With that he hung up and dialed another number that he knew by heart. He smiled when he heard the female voice on the other end. “Hey, pet. I need a favor.” William heard a knock on his door about 15 minutes later and he got up to answer it. He was greeted by the smiling face of a pretty brunette.

“Hi, Spike. I came as soon as I could.” Spike was his nickname that his friends gave him in high school and it stuck. He smiled at her.

“Thank you so much for doing this, Tara. I owe you.” He said as he hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. Tara hugged him back and then pulled away.

“You know I don’t mind. You’re just lucky you caught me on a boring day. Besides, what are sisters for? You know I’m always here when you need me. Even more now that we live by each other. I missed you.” Spike agreed.

“I missed you, too. I have to run now. The meeting was changed on me and that’s why I needed you here. I only have a half an hour to get there. It probably wouldn’t be good to be absent on the first meeting before I even start the job.” Tara nodded also.

“Of course, good luck with that.” She told him and he went to grab his briefcase, so he would look more professional. Spike then looked down the hall.

“Amanda!” He yelled as he turned back to Tara. “She’ll be out in a second.” Tara nodded and then this little girl with curly, brown hair walked into the living room, her face lighting up when she saw Tara.

“Aunty Tara!” The little girl exclaimed as she ran to the older woman who then picked her up and hugged her.

“Hey, sweetie. I’m going to be watching you for a bit while daddy goes to his important meeting, okay?” Amanda nodded and hugged Tara again and then looked at Spike.

“I hope you do good, daddy.” She said and Spike smiled as he walked over to her.

“I hope so, princess. Now, give daddy a kiss.” He said as he leaned into the girl and she kissed him on the cheek. “That’s my girl. You be good to Aunty Tara. I won’t be long.” Amanda nodded and Spike smiled at her and ruffled her hair. He then looked at Tara. “Thanks again, love. I really appreciate this.” Spike told her as he headed to the door.

“Don’t mention it.” She said as Spike smiled at her again and then headed out of the house.

Chapter 1

Spike walked into his house a few hours later. He was greeted by Tara. “Hey, so how’d it go?” Spike shrugged and sat on the couch.

“It went fine, I start on Monday. If you ask me the principal is a real troll. It would be fun to have him for a boss.” Spike said sarcastically. “How was Amanda?” He asked changing the subject.

“She was great as always. You raised a pretty amazing kid, Spike. She’s taking a nap now.” Spike nodded.

“Thanks again for watching her.” Tara nodded also.

“I wish I could help more when you need me, but I have a lot of work to do and won’t always be available and now with you teaching and Amanda not starting school for another month. You may need to get some extra help.” Spike sat up and looked at her.

“What, you mean higher a babysitter or something?” Tara nodded again.

“Yes, only when you’re really desperate and can’t get anyone else to watch her.” Spike shook his head.

“I don’t know about leaving her with some stranger.” He replied.

“Well, it was just a suggestion. Just think about it, okay?” Spike nodded and rested his head on the back of the couch. “So, what grade would you be teaching anyway?” She asked.

“I’ll be teaching the 12th grade at Sunnydale High. I’ve never taught older kids before. It might be better being around kids closer to my age for once.” Tara agreed.

“Maybe, but I know how much you love little kids.” Spike nodded.

“Yeah, but this would be something new and I really need this job. I’ll take what I can get.” He told her.

“Well, I better get going. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She said as she kissed him on the cheek. He got off of the couch and walked her over to the door. When she left, he headed back to the couch and sat down for a few minutes until he heard a quiet voice that broke the silence.

“Daddy,” the little girl said as she rubbed her eyes. Spike turned his attention on his daughter.

“Hey, baby.” He said as he picked the girl up and sat her on his lap. “I thought you were sleeping.” Amanda rested her head on his chest and yawned.

“I can’t sleep.” Spike ran his fingers through her hair.

“Did you have another dream?” Amanda nodded against his chest.

“I dreamt about mommy.” Spike was surprised by that.

“You did? What did you see?” Spike knew that Amanda never met her mother, but he showed her pictures and told her about her, so she would know what her mother was like.

“She was singing to me.” Spike smiled and kissed the top of her head.

“Yeah, she loved to sing. She used to sing to her belly when she was pregnant with you, so you could hear her voice.” Amanda pulled away and looked at him.

“I want a mommy. All the other kids both have a mommy and a daddy. Why can’t I have a mommy, too?” Spike felt for his daughter, since she could talk she was always asking about her mommy and why she didn’t have one.

“I don’t know, sweet pea. I wish I could give you a mommy, but daddy has a problem with that.” Amanda looked confused.

“Why?” She asked him and he wasn’t sure what to tell her.

“Well, everyone that daddy has been involved with lately left after they found out about you.” Amanda looked sad.

“They didn’t like me.” She said and Spike was secretly hitting himself.

“Of course they did, baby. It’s just that a lot of people don’t like dealing with other people’s kids. They rather have some of their own and I haven’t found anyone that accepted you yet as their own, but I will. I promise I will find someone that will love you just as much as I do and will want nothing more than to be your mommy.” Amanda smiled at that and rested her head back on his chest. Spike continued to run his fingers through her hair. He really hated making a promise that he didn’t know if he could keep. He would have said anything just to get his little girl to smile. He knew that she wanted a mother to love like all of her friends. Spike wished he could find someone for her and for himself.

Chapter 2

Spike was in his classroom on his first day at Sunnydale High. He was waiting for the bell to ring before he began. He already noticed a lot of the young girls checking him out and he felt a bit flattered by that. Spike also heard some girls talking about how cool it was that their new English teacher also happened to be English. He just smiled at that and continued with the paperwork on his desk when the bell finally rang. He looked up and saw a packed classroom and stood up to introduce himself. “Hello all. I'm Mr. Atherton, but that makes me feel old, so why don’t you all just call me Spike.” He heard some girls giggling at that and one blonde girl in the back raised her hand. Spike pointed to her. “Yeah, what’s your name?” She put her hand down and gave him a cheery smile.

“I’m Harmony and I was wondering where you got the name Spike. I think it really suits you.” The girls laughed and Spike blushed a little at the comment and then got back to the point as he picked up his roll sheet and looked at it.

“Well, Ms. Kendall it’s just a nickname that was given to me in high school and I stuck with it. I guess you could say I got it because of the hair.” He said as he pointed to the top of his head. Harmony nodded at that and he looked at the rest of the class. “Are there anymore questions?” With that almost all the girls raised their hands. Spike shook his head and smiled. “Why don’t we save that for later. Okay, when I call your name let me know that you’re here.” He said as he began roll call. He was almost finished when the door to the room opened and another young, blonde girl walked in. She was clutching books to her chest and looked to not be watching where she was going as she suddenly tripped and fell down, her books going everywhere. Everyone burst into laughter and some into applause at the clumsy girl. She looked really embarrassed and Spike felt for her as he kneeled down in front of her and helped her with her books. “You okay, love?” He asked and she looked up at him and nodded.

“Yeah, I’m sorry I’m late. I overslept.” Spike nodded also and helped her up, handing her the books back.

“That’s fine; it’s my first day so I’ll let it slide. What’s your name?” The girl pushed a strand of hair that fell out of her messy ponytail behind her ear.

“Buffy,” she said and Spike looked at his roll sheet again and then back at her.

“Well, Ms. Summers just take a seat and try to make it on time from now on.” Buffy nodded as she walked by him and found her seat in the back next to a red headed girl. Some of the girls were still laughing as she walked by.

“Graceful much.” Harmony said as the girls around her giggled. Buffy then slouched down in her chair hoping that they would forget she was there. Spike got back to where he left off and he put the roll sheet down when he was finished.

“Alright, why don’t we all turn to page 47 in your text and we’ll begin our lesson in poetry.” The guys groaned and the girls sighed as they continued to stare at their hot new teacher. The bell rang an hour later and everyone closed their books and got up to leave. “Have a good day and I’ll see you all tomorrow.” Spike told them as the guys hurried to leave the room while the girls took a bit longer. He heard Harmony whisper to her friends as they left the classroom.

“This will definitely be an interesting year.” She told them as they laughed and followed her out of the room. Spike smiled again and went back to the paperwork on his desk. Buffy gathered her books and walked out of the class with her best friend at her side.

“Are you doing okay?” The red head asked her once they were clear of the classroom.

“Yeah, I should be used to my clumsy antics by now. That was so embarrassing, Willow. Not only do I come in late, but I trip in front of the class like a total loser.” Willow put her arm around her friend.

“It wasn’t so bad.” She said as Buffy gave her a look. “Okay, all I’m saying is that it could have been worse.” Buffy agreed as they continued to walk. “Well, the new teacher seems pretty cool. Younger then most of the teachers at this school.” Willow said to change the subject.

“Yeah, I guess.” Buffy said and Willow could tell that she was in her own world and probably wasn’t really paying attention.

“So, you overslept?” Willow asked changing the subject again. Buffy looked at her.

“Yeah, I must have forgotten to set the alarm again.” Willow nodded accepting her answer, even though a part of her didn’t really believe her friend. Buffy then stopped and slapped her hand to her forehead. “Crap, I forgot my Math book in the class. I had it under my desk. Great, now I have to go back to get it and be late to another class. This is a good day.” Buffy stated sarcastically.

“It’s alright, Buffy. I’ll just see you at lunch, okay?” Buffy nodded as Willow walked away. She then turned and walked in the other direction back to her English class.

Chapter 3

Buffy walked back to her English class and opened the door a little to see her teacher pacing behind his desk with a cell phone to his ear. She walked in as quietly as she could hoping not to disturb him. "I don't know if this is such a good idea. You know I hate blind dates, Xander. They never go well. I know you all think that I should get out there and start dating again, but I've tried and I got burned every time they would find out about Amanda." Buffy continued to listen to the conversation and hoped that he wouldn't be mad that she was eavesdropping. Spike then turned around and caught her standing by the door watching him. He just motioned for her to come in and held up a finger letting her know that he would be with her in a second. She walked in more as he got back to his conversation. "No, I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to hide the fact that I have a daughter. Alright, I'll go on this one date just so you'll stop bothering me about it, but there's still Amanda. I don't have anyone that can watch her." He stopped to listen a bit more and then continued. "I guess Tara mentioned that to you. I don't know about a babysitter. It's hard to trust a complete stranger with my daughter. You know how shy she is around new people. She might think I was abandoning her or something." Spike put his hand on his head as he continued to listen to his friend on the other line. "Okay, I'll make some calls and see what I can do." Spike turned his gaze back on Buffy who was just standing there patiently. She didn't know why she didn't just get her book and leave without bothering him, but for some reason she couldn't seem to move. "Yeah, I have to go now. I'll talk to you later." He said as he hung up the phone and put it in his pocket as he looked at Buffy. "Sorry about that, pet. Was there something you wanted?" Buffy nodded.

"I didn't mean to interrupt. I just forgot my book at my desk." He nodded also.

"That's quite alright. Looks like your book is still there." He told her when he noticed she wasn't moving.

"Oh, right. I'll just get it now." She said as she went to retrieve her book and then walked back over to him. She realized that the classroom was empty. "Is this one of your free periods?" She asked him and he nodded.

"Yeah, I only teach four classes a day. How did I do by the way? I've never taught older kids before." Buffy smiled at him.

"Oh, you did very well. You're really great with poetry, you must really love it." Spike nodded and returned her smile.

"It's always been a passion of mine. What about you?" Buffy nodded also.

"Yeah, ever since I was younger. I love Shakespeare." Spike smiled at her again.

"He's one of my favorites, too." He told her.

"I love Romeo and Juliet. I've seen the Dicaprio version like a million times." She realized she was rambling and she knew she did that when she was nervous. He only smiled at her.

"I must have missed that one." Buffy nodded and then she got an idea as she thought back to his phone conversation, she figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"Mr. Atherton, can I ask you something?" Spike nodded.

"You can ask me anything and please call me Spike. Mr. Atherton is my father." She smiled at that even though she thought it was a bit weird to call a teacher Spike.

"Okay, Spike. I couldn't help but listen to your conversation and I was wondering if it would be okay if I could maybe watch your daughter for you. You know if you can't get anyone else or anything." Spike's eyes lit up at her suggestion.

"That's really generous of you, but you don't have to do that just because I'm your teacher." Buffy shook her head.

"No, I want to. It would give me something to do." She replied.

"Do you have any experience with kids?" She shrugged a little.

"I'm an only child, but I have babysat for a few kids in my neighborhood. I've been told I'm pretty good." Spike smiled at that.

"Are you available tomorrow night?" Buffy nodded.

"Yeah, I only have homework and that never takes me too long. What time would be good?" She asked him.

"How about 7:30?" Buffy nodded again.

"That would be fine." Spike then grabbed a paper and a pen off of his desk and wrote his address and phone number on it and gave it to her.

"7:30 it is. You can call me if you happen to get lost or anything." Buffy looked at the paper and then back at him.

"I'm sure it will be no trouble." She told him.

"You are saving my life here, thank you." He told her and she blushed a little.

"It's nothing; you just seemed pretty frantic on the phone. It really sounded like you needed the help. So, how old is your daughter?" She asked him.

"She's 5 and don't worry, I'm sure she won't be any trouble. Amanda is very well behaved. How much are you willing to go for?" He asked her and she shrugged.

"It doesn't matter, however much you see fit." Spike gave her another smile.

"What was your name again?" He said.

"It's Buffy." She told him again.

"Right, Buffy Summers. The tardy girl." Buffy looked down feeling embarrassed and then back at him.

"I'm sorry again; I guess I make a habit of that sometimes. I'm really trying to break it. I'm sure my graceful display didn't help any and probably would make you scared to leave your daughter in my care, but I really will take good care of her. That's something I can be really good at." She told him.

"I have no doubts. Don't worry about what happened. It happens to the best of us." He told her with a smile and she returned it when she then noticed what time it was.

"It looks like I'm really late to my next class now. Sorry, doesn't look like I'm breaking this habit anytime soon." Spike laughed at that and took a pass off of his desk and wrote something on it and handed it to her.

"Here you go. Now get to your class and try to be on time in the future. Thank you again for agreeing to do this." Buffy nodded and looked at the paper and noticed that it was a late pass.

"Thanks," she said as she looked back at him and then headed to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow." He nodded as she left the classroom and Spike pulled his cell phone back out. He was glad to finally get that babysitter thing out of the way, now he just had to worry about the blind date that his friend set him up for.

Okay, things start to get worse in this chapter. Of course, I have cuteness to make up for it. This is the part where you will see why Buffy may need Spike. I'm sure you already guessed why he would need her. It had to be done, I needed some angst after all. Keep those reviews coming=)


Chapter 4

Buffy walked into her house later that day and took her jacket off and tried to sneak upstairs without making much noise, but she knew it was pointless. "Where the hell have you been?" Buffy turned around to see the angry man standing in front of her.

"I had to stay after to talk to a teacher about an assignment. I'm not that late." She said and he didn't look pleased.

"Are you talking back to me, young lady? You know how I feel about that." Buffy shook her head.

"I'm sorry; I wasn't trying to be rude. I didn't mean to be late." He then grabbed her arm and pulled her into the kitchen letting her go once they were inside.

"You better not be late again. Now make me something to eat and I don't want to hear any complaining from you, understand?" Buffy nodded and waited until he went back into the living room to let the tears fall.


* * * * *


Buffy walked up to her room a few hours later and plopped down on her bed. She just stared up at her ceiling for what seemed like forever when she heard her father yell for her to come downstairs. She sighed and did as she was told. She went downstairs to see that he was very angry. He put his wallet in front of her face. "Where the hell is it?" He asked her and she didn't know what he was talking about.

"Where's what?" He rolled his eyes.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. I'm missing a 20, what did you do with it?" He said fuming.

"I didn't take any money, I swear. I don't know what happened to it." He threw the wallet down and slapped her hard across the face. She touched her face as a searing pain went through her.

"Don't you dare lie to me, you bitch! You will pay it back to me or you will regret it. That is my beer money. I don't care if you have to whore yourself to get that money back to me. Do you understand?" Buffy nodded and then headed back upstairs. She rested her head on her door once she was inside her room and let the tears fall again. She now was even more grateful for that babysitting job.


* * * * *


Buffy walked slowly to her locker the next day. She opened it and got what she needed before closing it back. She then turned and saw Willow standing there. "Ow, where did you get that bruise?" Willow asked as she touched her friend's cheek and Buffy winced at her touch.

"It's nothing, I just fell down again. You know how clumsy I am." Buffy said as they started to walk.

"Yeah, but you're not that clumsy. I've noticed a few bruises on you lately and you always say that you fell or that you bumped into something. I know something's up, Buffy. You can tell me what it is." Buffy shook her head.

"It's really nothing, Will. Don't worry about it." Willow grabbed Buffy's arm and stopped her.

"You know I can't help that. It's the best friend's job to worry." Buffy looked away and Willow grew serious. "Is it your dad? I know the guy is scary, Buffy. I've met him, remember? Is he hurting you?" Buffy looked back at her friend and tried not to cry.

"No, it's nothing. I have to go, I'll see you later." She said as she walked away from Willow.


* * * * *


Buffy changed her clothes later that night and headed downstairs and to the front door when he stopped her. "Just where do you think you're going?" She turned around to look at him.

"I'm going to get the money back. I got a part-time job." She said and he gave her a harsh laugh.

"Who the hell would hire you?" He spat out.

"It's a babysitting job. I'm helping a friend out." She replied.

"Like you know anything about dealing with brats." Was all he said before he headed upstairs. He didn't tell her that she couldn't go, so she just blew out the breath that she was holding and headed out the door. She got to Spike's house about 10 minutes later since he really didn't live that far from her. She knocked on the door and waited for a few seconds before the door opened to reveal Spike.

"Buffy, please come in." He said as he let her into the house and closed the door behind her. "I see you made it on time, I'm impressed." He told her and she couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, I try." Spike returned her smile and once again began fussing with his tie.

"I hate these bloody things. I don't even know why I'm bothering; these things never work out anyway." Buffy pulled his hands away and began tying it for him. He smiled and let her. She then pulled away when she was finished.

"There you go." She told him.

"Thanks," he said as he looked himself over in the mirror. She had to smile again.

"I take it you have a date." Spike nodded and turned back to her.

"Another blind date that my friend, Xander set me up on. He won't give up until he finds someone for me, but I just don't have good luck with women these days." Buffy nodded.

"Is it because of your daughter?" Spike nodded also.

"It is just so hard to date when you're a single parent these days. The second I even mention that I have a daughter they panic and run off. They don't even want to meet her and I'm not keeping her a secret. It's not worth it; I'm just hoping that I can find someone that will accept me and my daughter." Buffy felt for him.

"I'm sorry, that must be hard." Spike agreed and then saw Amanda walk over to him. He picked the little girl up and held her. Buffy smiled when she saw the child. She looked so much like him.

"Amanda, this is Buffy. She'll be watching you while I'm out. Be good to her, okay?" He said as he kissed her on the forehead and put her down. Amanda looked up at the new person and gave her a smile that could melt anyone's heart.

"Hi, you're pretty." Amanda said and Buffy smiled at the girl as she kneeled down, so she could be closer to her.

"Thank you, you're very pretty, too." Buffy said as she touched the girl's hair.

"You wanna see my room?" Buffy nodded as she stood back up and took her hand.

"I would love to." She replied and Spike smiled at them. He was surprised that Amanda took a liking to her already. She was usually so shy around strangers and wouldn't talk to them, but it was understandable. He didn't know how anyone could be around Buffy and not take an instant liking to her.

"I'll be back in a few hours, princess." He said and Amanda didn't even look at him as she pulled Buffy away.

"Bye, daddy." She replied as she pulled Buffy to her room. Spike smiled again and headed out of the house, he definitely made a good decision.

Chapter 5

Spike was getting a headache. He went all through the dinner without bringing up the fact that he had a kid. He knew he would have to mention it soon. He looked at the woman across from him and realized that she seemed like a decent enough bird. She was very attractive with long, dark hair and a bit talkative. He hardly got any words out, but he knew he had to come clean about his daughter. "Cordelia, there's something you need to know." He thought that would be a safe way to start the conversation. She put her glass of water down and looked at him.

"Sorry, was I talking too much? I tend to do that sometimes." Spike smiled at her.

"No, it's fine. I just have to tell you something before this goes any further." He told her.

"Oh my god! You're gay, aren't you?" Spike looked appalled.

"No, of course not. Do I look gay to you?" He asked suddenly wondering.

"Well, there is that hair which first tipped me off that you might play for the other team. Then I saw you stare at my chest, so I felt a lot better and just figured you were having a bad hair day." Spike looked embarrassed and decided to let that hair comment go.

"Oh, you saw that did you?" Cordelia rolled her eyes.

"Please, like I don't know when some guy is checking out the goods. It happens everywhere I go, not that I mind or anything." Spike then felt a little better and continued with what he was trying to say.

"I'm not gay, love. What I wanted to say was that I have a daughter and I think it's important that you know that." Cordelia's eyes grew big at that.

"Oh, I didn't realize that. I mean Xander never said anything. Crap, look at the time." She said as she glanced at her watch. "I didn't know it was so late. I just remembered that I have to do something, so I'm gonna go." She said as she stood up.

"Right, you have a good night." Spike told her.

"Yeah, same to you." She replied before she walked away. Spike sighed as he watched her go.

"Didn't see that one coming." He said sarcastically to himself and paid the check before he left the restaurant.


* * * * *


Spike headed home to a very quiet house and wondered where Buffy and Amanda were. He heard a soft singing voice coming from the back as he walked to Amanda's room and noticed the door was cracked a little. He peeked in the room and saw Amanda in bed with Buffy next to her and she was singing. Spike smiled as he watched her sing to his daughter. She stopped when she realized Amanda was asleep and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Spike walked away, so she wouldn't catch him staring at her and walked back into the living room as Buffy left the room and closed the door. She headed to the living room and saw Spike in there. "Oh, I didn't know you were back already. I didn't hear you come in." Spike nodded.

"I was very quiet. So, you got her to sleep already? It usually takes me longer." Buffy nodded also.

"Yeah, it wasn't that hard." Spike smiled at her.

"I heard you singing to her. You have a very pretty voice, love." Buffy blushed a little.

"Thank you, I don't do it all that much. She just told me that you sometimes sing to her to help her sleep, so I figured I would give it a try." She said.

"Well, I appreciate that. Her mum used to sing to her before she was born. I just decided to take over. I'm afraid it's not the same though, but I do what I can." Buffy looked a little shy before she spoke again.

"If you don't mind me asking, where is her mom?" Spike sighed.

"There were complications and she died after Amanda was born." Buffy felt bad for asking.

"I'm so sorry, that must have been awful for you." Spike nodded.

"Yeah, it was. She was my first everything. We were married at a pretty young age. No one knew what we were doing. I was 19 and she was 18, but we loved each other so it didn't matter. She was my world and I didn't think I could ever go on after she died, but then they gave me Amanda and one look at her and I knew that I had to. I had to take care of her, even if I had to do it alone. She's the best bloody thing that ever happened to me." Buffy smiled at him.

"If it helps any, I think you did a really good job with her. She is the cutest kid I have ever seen. She even beats me when I was that age and I was adorable." Spike smiled at the girl.

"Yeah, I bet you were. I think you're still adorable." She blushed at the compliment and he had to smile again. God, this girl was adorable. He just couldn't resist. "Thank you again for watching her." He said as he went into his pocket and gave her a 20 dollar bill which was exactly what she needed, but she still thought it was too much for one time.

"This is nice of you, but I think it's too much for only a few hours." Spike waved his hand in the air.

"Think nothing of it, you earned it." Buffy smiled and took the money.

"Thank you." She told him as she headed to the door and he followed her. "I'll be available whenever you need me." Spike nodded.

"Yeah, I may need you a lot more." She nodded also.

"That's fine." She then looked uncomfortable as she continued. "So, how was the date? If you don't mind me asking." Spike shook his head.

"Went as I expected it to, she left when she found out I had a kid." Buffy really couldn't believe how heartless these women were.

"I'm sorry, if you ask me it was her loss." Spike smiled kindly at her.

"Yeah, it was. Well, it's getting late. You should probably be getting home now, wouldn't want your parents to worry." Buffy looked sad for a second, but didn't say anything. She just nodded and opened the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Spike." She said as she walked out of his house. He watched her go with a smile on his face.

"You too, Buffy." He said to himself as he walked back into the house and closed the door.

Chapter 6

Spike was sitting at his counter and drinking coffee the next morning when Amanda walked into the kitchen. He looked at her and saw that she was still in her pajamas. “Princess, you’re not dressed yet. We have to go soon. I left out that pretty outfit for you.” He told her.

“Why can’t I go with you?” Spike picked her up and carried her back to her room putting her on the bed.

“Daddy has to go to work and it’s not for little girls. I have to take you to daycare because I don’t have anyone to watch you during the day.” Amanda pouted which always seemed to get to him.

“Why can’t Buffy watch me? I like her, we had lots of fun.” Spike smiled at her.

“I’m glad you did, but Buffy has school, so she would only be able to watch you at night.” He said as he started to dress her.

“She’s pretty; will I look like her when I get big?” Spike smiled at her again as he was tying her shoes.

“Somehow I think you’ll end up looking like your mother, but you’re right she’s very pretty.” When he finished, he picked her up and headed out of the house. “Time to go. I’ll pick you up after work.” He said as he strapped her into the car and headed to the daycare center.


* * * * *


Spike was grading papers at his desk while he was waiting for the bell to ring. He looked up when the door opened and smiled when he saw Buffy walk in on time. She returned his smile and walked to her desk. She got out a notebook and started writing in it and Spike couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He barely even heard the bell ring because he was distracted. He then stood up and got to work. He explained the assignment and while everyone was busy working, he walked by the desks to help anyone that needed it. He walked by Harmony who seemed to drop her pencil on the floor. “Oops, my bad.” She said and Spike then bent down to retrieve her pencil for her, which gave most of the girls a nice view of his ass. They were giggling as he put the pencil back on Harmony’s desk and walked back to his desk.

“Thank you, Harm.” Melanie said in her friend’s ear and Harmony smiled at her.

“It was nothing.” Buffy watched them and rolled her eyes. They were so pathetic, but she had to admit that the view was nice. Not that she was looking, of course. The bell rang and everyone got their stuff together and left. Buffy was one of the last ones again.

“I gotta go, Buffy. I’m in a hurry today, see you at lunch.” Willow said as she walked away and Buffy didn’t even get any words out. She just grabbed her stuff and headed to the front of the class. Spike stood up before she walked out.

“Buffy, I wanted to thank you again for watching Amanda.” Buffy looked at him.

“It’s fine; she’s a pretty cool kid. I had fun.” Spike nodded.

“You made quite the impression on her. She can’t stop talking about you.” Buffy smiled at that.

“She made quite the impression on me, too. I’m glad I could help.” Spike nodded again.

“Right, well I was wondering if you would be available to watch her again on Saturday night. That is if you don’t already have plans.” Buffy shook her head.

“Nope, I would love to watch her again.” Spike smiled.

“Great, how does 6 sound?” Buffy nodded.

“That’s fine, I’ll be there.” She replied.

“Thank you again, I’ll let you get to your class now.” Buffy gave him one more smile before she turned and walked out of the room. She couldn’t seem to keep the smile off of her face after that. She has never smiled so much in her life and Spike was just thinking the same thing as he watched her go.

Chapter 7

Spike walked to the parking lot later that day and he was walking to his car when he noticed Buffy standing in front of a car with an older man trying to grab her. He headed in their direction. “I can walk home; it’s really not that far. You didn’t have to come get me.” She said.

“I told you I decided to pick you up today, now stop being such an ungrateful bitch and get in the car.” He said as he grabbed her arm again.

“Is there a problem here?” Spike asked as he walked over to them. Buffy looked at him with a scared expression on her face and the man seemed angry that he was interrupted.

“There’s no problem. I’m just picking up my daughter.” He said as he turned his gaze back on Buffy. “Get in the car and let’s go.” He stated as he opened the door and pushed her inside. He then closed the door and went to his side. Buffy looked away from Spike as he started the car and drove away. He just stood there for a while thinking that something didn’t seem right about that. He hoped that it was just his imagination as he got to his car and drove off to pick up his daughter.


* * * * *


Spike walked into school the next day. He noticed the familiar red head at her locker and walked over to her. “Excuse me, Ms. Rosenberg? Can I talk to you in my classroom for a second?” Willow looked at her teacher and nodded wondering what she did as she followed him into the room. He closed the door once they were inside.

“Is this about my paper?” Spike shook his head.

“No, you’re friends with Buffy right?” Willow wasn’t expecting that as she nodded. “I was wondering if you know of anything that could be bothering her?” Willow wasn’t sure what she should tell him.

“I’m not sure, she seems fine to me. Why do you ask?” Spike rubbed his tired eyes.

“I don’t know. She seems fine most of the time, but yesterday I saw her in the parking lot with her father and something about it didn’t seem right to me.” Willow then grew nervous.

“What exactly did you see?” She asked him suddenly curious.

“He was harsh and rough with her as he forced her into the car. She didn’t seem like she wanted to go.” Willow nodded.

“I know what he’s like. I’ve met the guy before and saying that he’s pretty scary would be an understatement. He doesn’t even hide that when someone is over her house. She hasn’t told me anything is wrong though, but it doesn’t mean I don’t think that.” Spike nodded after taking in the information.

“Have you noticed anything else?” Willow didn’t think Buffy would like it if she told the teacher what she thought, but she had to say something.

“Yeah, I’ve noticed a lot of bruises on her. She had a bruise on her cheek the other day and she said that she fell, but I don’t really believe that.” Spike crossed his arms over his chest.

“I noticed that, too. I didn’t think it was my place to say anything. So, you think that her father has been hitting her?” Willow shrugged.

“I don’t know anything for sure, but I wouldn’t rule that one out. Buffy has always been afraid of him for as long as I can remember. She hasn’t had the greatest life. I should get to class now.” Willow said as she wanted to end the conversation. Spike just nodded and let her go and thought about what she said. He didn’t want to believe it, but somehow he knew that what she said was true.

Chapter 8

Buffy walked to the library later that day. She was trying to avoid Spike by not making eye contact with him in class and actually leaving the room faster when the bell rang, so he wouldn't talk to her. She just didn't know what to tell him right now. She entered the library and the librarian looked up and smiled when she walked in. "Buffy, it's good to see you. Shouldn't you be at lunch right now?" Buffy shrugged and sat down.

"I wasn't hungry, so I decided to stop by. How have you been, Giles?" She asked him.

"That's quite alright, but I have a feeling I should be asking you that. How are things going?" Buffy shrugged again.

"I'm doing okay." Giles sat down by her and took her hand.

"I take it things aren't getting better with your father?" Buffy shook her head. She befriended Giles when he came to the school as the new librarian in her sophomore year and he was always easy to talk to. He would just sit there and listen to her about anything. She realized that he was like a father to her, more than her real father ever was. He was the only one that she talked to about her dad, not telling him about the fact that he sometimes hits her. He always seemed to be there for her and she was grateful for that.

"I have a feeling things will never get better. I just don't know what else I have to do, Giles. I never get in trouble at school. My grades are pretty decent and I basically stay out of his way as best I could. It just never seems to be enough for him. He continues to put me down and just say hurtful things that I try not to believe, but sometimes it's hard not to." Giles really felt for the girl.

"I'm terribly sorry, Buffy. You are a very brave girl to put up with all of that. You will not listen to anything he tells you because no matter what, it's not the truth. You have to believe that." Buffy nodded and gave him a small smile.

"Yeah, I know." She said even though she wasn't sure. They sat in silence until someone else entered the library and Buffy looked up to see Spike walk in. She just looked away from him and back at Giles. "I should get going now, Giles." She said as she stood up and headed by Spike to the front of the library. She stopped and looked at him, not wanting to be rude. "I'll see you on Saturday, Mr. Atherton." She said as she headed out of the library. Spike watched her go and then turned back to the librarian.

"What was that about her seeing you on Saturday, William?" Giles asked him.

"She's watching Amanda for me." He said as he sat down next to Giles.

"I see, glad that you found that extra help." Spike nodded and looked at Giles.

"I didn't know that you knew Buffy." He said and Giles nodded also.

"Yes, ever since I first arrived at the school. She's a delightful girl. She comes in to talk every now and then." Spike wondered if he would be able to get anything out of Giles.

"I hear she may have problems with her dad. Is that true?" Giles looked at the younger man, not really sure what to tell him.

"I'm afraid so, the poor girl talks about him a lot and none of it is ever pleasant. It doesn't look like things are getting any better for her. She hopes that she'll only have to deal with him until she graduates. Then she plans on going away to college, she's afraid that he won't let her though." He explained. "I tell you, I have an urge to throttle that man if I ever see him." Giles stated with venom in his voice and Spike agreed.

"You're not alone on that one." Giles calmed down a bit.

"I have watched that girl for the last few years and she just gets lovelier as the years go by. She is kind and generous, one of the best hearts I have ever seen. She doesn't deserve this." Giles told him.

"Yeah, I know what you're talking about. I've only known her for about a week, but I can tell that she's special. I only have to watch her with Amanda to see that and Amanda loves her already. I have never seen her so close to another woman like that before, besides my sister." Giles smiled at him.

"Yes, she is very good with children. She will be a wonderful mother one day." Spike thought about that and agreed.

"Yeah, she will." He said as he continued to sit there and think about things.

Chapter 9

Buffy walked to Spike's house on Saturday night and knocked on the door. She noticed that there were other cars in front of his house and wondered what was going on. Spike opened the door and let her in. "Buffy, I'm sorry about this. I didn't have a number to reach you to tell you that my plans for tonight were changed." He explained.

"Oh, that's okay. What happened?" She asked him.

"Well, I decided that I wasn't going to bother getting dressed up for another date that would only end up badly. So, I called her and told her about my daughter over the phone and that way she wouldn't have to reject me to my face." Buffy felt bad for him again, it wasn't fair.

"I'm sorry, they're all idiots." Spike smiled at her.

"Thank you, actually I have a few friends over right now and you're welcome to stay for a bit if you like. I know Amanda would love to see you." Buffy shook her head.

"I don't want to intrude." Spike waved his hand in the air.

"Think nothing of it, the more the merrier. Come on in and I'll introduce you." Buffy nodded and walked into the living room with him where she saw a few older people sitting around and talking. They stopped to look at them when they walked in. "These are my friends, Xander and his wife Anya. My sister, Tara. And the broody one over there is, Angel." He said as he pointed to all of them. "Everyone this is, Buffy." They all said their hellos and shook hands with her. Anya gave her a big smile.

"It's nice to meet you. Has Spike given you many orgasms yet?" Buffy was surprised by the question and a little embarrassed. Spike rubbed his eyes.

"Xander," he said as Xander nodded and pulled Anya away to talk in private.

"Anya, we talked about this. There is a time and place for everything." Buffy had to smile a little, she liked this group already. Spike looked back at her.

"I'm sorry about that, love. Anya's a bit blunt, she's not afraid to say anything." Buffy nodded.

"Yeah, it's fine." Tara then walked up to Buffy.

"It's really nice to meet you. Spike and Amanda have told me a lot about you." Buffy was flattered by that.

"It's nice to meet you, too." She said and Tara smiled at her. Then Angel walked over to her and something about the way he was looking at her made her uncomfortable.

"So, you're the Buffy I've been hearing about." He said as he looked her up and down. "Definitely like what I see, if you're not doing anything tomorrow maybe we could..." He was cut off as Spike grabbed his arm and pulled him away from her.

"We'll be right back." He told Buffy as he walked away with Angel. When they were out of earshot, Spike let Angel go and glared at him. "What the hell are you doing, mate? You can't hit on her." Angel smiled at him.

"Why not? She's hot, it's what I do." Spike rolled his eyes.

"She's one of my students that's why not. She's also Amanda's babysitter." Angel smiled at him again.

"That just means she's off limits to you, not me. At least she's legal, so I don't see what the problem is." Spike sighed.

"That's not the point." Angel then laughed.

"Oh, I get it. You want her, don't you?" Spike looked surprised by that.

"Of course not, I just don't want her to get hurt and that's exactly what would happen." Angel shook his head.

"Yeah, like I'm gonna believe that's the only reason you want me to stay away. Are you in love with her?" Spike glared at him.

"Just don't, alright? She's not your type anyway." Spike said avoiding the question and Angel crossed his arms over his chest.

"How would you know that?" He asked him.

"That's easy, she's not a slut." Angel put his hand over his heart.

"Ouch, hit me where it hurts." He said with a smirk on his face and Spike rolled his eyes and headed back into the living room. He would be keeping an eye on Angel.

Chapter 10

Everyone left a few hours later and Spike walked them all to the door. Xander was left with Spike when everyone walked out of the house. "I like that girl, Spike. Hold on to her." He said as he left the house. Spike shook his head and smiled as he closed the door and headed back to the living room where he found Buffy asleep on the couch with Amanda resting her head in her lap. Spike smiled at the display, he has never seen a better sight before. He bent down to whisper in Amanda's ear.

"Time for someone to go to bed." He said when he saw her move and open her eyes.

"Hi, daddy. Is the party over?" Spike brushed her hair out of her face.

"Yeah, princess. The party's over." Amanda moved off of Buffy's lap which caused the other girl to wake up also. She wiped her eyes and looked up at Spike.

"Sorry, didn't mean to fall asleep." Spike gave her a smile.

"Don't worry about it. You can stay there while I put Amanda to bed." He told her.

"I want Buffy to put me to bed." The child said in a quiet voice and Buffy was a little surprised.

"Of course, if Buffy wants to." Spike replied and Buffy nodded as she picked Amanda up and headed to her room. Spike watched her from the doorway as she lay the child on her bed and covered her up, kissing her on the top of the forehead.

"Goodnight, honey. Sweet dreams, okay?" She whispered to her. Amanda nodded and looked at Buffy with her big, blue eyes.

"I love you." The girl whispered as she let out a yawn and Buffy tried not to cry.

"I love you, too." She replied as Amanda closed her eyes and was soon asleep. She stood up and headed back to the door and saw Spike standing there staring at her. He had a look of awe on his face after hearing what his daughter said. He moved out of the way, so Buffy could leave the room and close the door behind her. She gave him a smile and headed back to the living room. Spike smiled at her retreating form.

"You're bloody amazing, you know that?" Buffy looked at him a little surprised by what he said. She blushed and looked away.

"I'm nothing special." He walked over to her and put his finger under her chin to raise her head, so she would look at him again.

"You are, Buffy. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." Buffy nodded and he then decided to say what he has been wanting to say. "I know that you have been having problems with your father and I want you to know that I'm here, if you decide that you want to talk." Buffy looked into his eyes and saw that he was being sincere.

"Thank you, but I'm okay. I've dealt with him for the past 18 years, I can handle it." Spike nodded even though he wasn't sure about that.

"Has it always been that bad?" Buffy shook her head.

"Not always, he wasn't so bad when I was little. It's when I got older that things got really bad. He just drinks a lot and has a pretty bad temper. I try to stay out of his way as best I could." She explained.

"What about your mother?" Buffy looked away for a second and then back at him.

"I never really knew my mother. She died when I was a baby. I guess I have something in common with Amanda. I always felt that I could relate to her." Spike nodded.

"I'm sorry about that, pet." Buffy nodded also and took something out of her pocket.

"All I have is this picture of her that I always keep with me. I take it wherever I go. I guess you could say it's a good luck charm." She told him as she showed him the picture.

"She was very beautiful, you look just like her." He said and she smiled as she put the picture back in her pocket.

"I was looking at some of the pictures that you have around here and I really like this one." Buffy said as she went to retrieve the picture and show him which one she was talking about. "Was this your wife?" He looked at the picture and smiled as he saw the face of the woman in the photo. She had long, black hair and she was wearing a white gown.

"Yeah, that's my Drusilla. This happens to be a favorite of mine." Buffy smiled and looked at the picture again.

"She's very pretty. Has that whole dark, mysterious thing going on for her." Spike laughed at that.

"Yeah, that was what drew me to her in the first place." He said as he put the picture back. "I just really wish I could give Amanda everything, but the one thing I can't seem to give her is a mother. She's constantly asking for one and I don't know what to do. The dating thing isn't working; I have yet to find anyone that would give her a chance. They don't even want to get to know her." Buffy shook her head.

"People can be so stupid sometimes. All they would have to do is take one look at your daughter and they would fall in love with her. I know I have. I know how much she wants a mother because I always have and it's not something that you ever get over. I believe things will get better though. You're a good person and a good father and I know that you'll find someone that sees that as much as I do. It's only a matter of time before the right woman comes along, one that will accept your daughter as much as she accepts you." Spike looked at her the whole time during her speech. She didn't even realize that she just described herself. He shook that thought off. As much as he might care for her, he couldn't get involved with one of his students. It wouldn't be right. She was six years younger than him and had a whole life ahead of her, but what he wouldn't give to spend the rest of his life with this girl. She was perfect and she would make a wonderful mother for Amanda. He was confused and didn't know what to do. All he knew was that he was falling hard for this woman and he didn't think he would ever be able to stop.

Chapter 11

A few weeks went by and Buffy has gotten closer to Spike and Amanda. She would sometimes go out with the both of them and they would do stuff together. She realized that she loved spending time with them and she loved it when Spike would include her. She felt like a part of their family. She was on her way to Spike’s class one day when she saw a young girl trip and drop her books on the floor. The kids around her were laughing and no one offered to help her. Buffy felt for the girl and she reminded her of herself, so she walked over to her and picked up her books. “You okay?” The girl looked up at her and gave her a smile.

“Yeah, thanks.” She said as she stood up and Buffy handed her the books. Buffy then heard giggling and saw Harmony and her squad walk up to them. She just shook her head and walked by them.

“God, the freshmen this year are so lame.” She said as she walked away from them while the girls laughed and followed after her.

“Just ignore them; I’m Buffy by the way.” Buffy said as she held out her hand and the girl took it.

“I’m Dawn, thanks again for helping me. I was starting to think that no one was decent in this school.” Buffy nodded.

“We’re not all that bad, just stay clear of those girls and you’re good. My classroom is right here, so I should go. I guess I’ll see you around.” Buffy said and Dawn nodded.

“Yeah, it was nice to meet you.” Buffy nodded also.

“Same to you.” She said as she walked to her class and Dawn walked in the other direction. Buffy smiled when she saw that Spike was standing in his doorway and watching her.

“I thought I was the one that helped the damsels in distress.” He said as she walked by him and into the classroom.

“Yeah, you wish.” She told him with a wink as she headed to her desk. Spike smiled and shook his head as he walked back to his desk and prepared for the lesson of the day.


* * * * *


Buffy walked out of the school at the end of the day and headed for home. She was walking for a few minutes when she heard a car horn next to her and looked to see Spike driving by her. She stopped and crossed her arms over her chest. “Care for a ride?” He asked her and she shook her head.

“I’m not supposed to get in a car with strangers.” She told him with a smile.

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m not a stranger then. Come on, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.” Buffy gave in and got in the car.

“What about Amanda?” She asked him as he started to drive.

“She’s with my sister today, so I’m all yours.” He told her with a wink and she blushed as she looked away. She didn’t know if he was flirting with her or just being really friendly. “So, where to?” She looked back at him.

“Anywhere but here.” He smiled and nodded.

“As you wish.” He replied as he drove to the beach. It was his favorite spot to just spend some time alone and do some thinking. When they got there he parked the car and they got out and walked towards the water.

“I didn’t know you were a beach person.” She said as he found a place to sit down and she sat down next to him.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, pet. What about you?” She shook her head.

“I’m not much of a water person in general. I kinda drowned when I was little and it was very terrifying. I can sometimes hardly take a shower without hyperventilating.” She said and he smiled and decided to lighten the mood.

“You in the shower? Trying to give me a good image here, love?” Buffy slapped him on the arm as he laughed.

“Don’t even think about that, mister. You’re my teacher, it’s way weird.” Spike grew serious.

“Right, no bad thoughts.” He then grabbed her hand and hoped that he wouldn’t get in trouble for it, but he was surprised when she didn’t pull away. “How is it possible that a girl like you doesn’t have a boyfriend?” He asked her and she shrugged.

“I don’t know, guys just don’t seem to be all that interested in me.” Spike shook his head.

“They’re bleeding idiots.” Buffy smiled at him.

“Damn right they are. The only guy that actually made me feel somewhat attractive was that friend Angel of yours. I have to say he’s a bit creepy.” Spike laughed.

“You don’t know the half of it. He’s had so many girlfriends it’s hard to keep track. The guy just can’t commit to one person, he has to leave his options open.” Buffy shook her head.

“Why are guys like that?” Spike shrugged.

“Don’t know, but they’re not all like that. I’m not, only looking for one girl here.” Buffy nodded.

“Yeah, you’re not like a lot of the guys that I’ve met. I definitely won’t be finding my soul mate in high school, that’s for sure. I think I need someone a little more mature, you know?” Spike nodded and smiled to himself.

“Yeah, I know.” They just continued to sit there in silence just watching the ocean and he was still holding her hand.

Chapter 12

Xander was over at Spike's house the next day because Spike needed someone to talk to. "I don't know what to do. Do you think I'm a bad person to be having these thoughts about her?" He asked his friend and Xander shook his head.

"I don't think so, Spike. She's a sweet girl and she's cute. You're only six years older, that's not so bad." Spike nodded.

"It's not really about the age. It's just the fact that she's one of my students. If we got involved and someone at the school found out, I could lose my job and who knows what would happen to her." Xander put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"You need to calm down, man. She'll graduate soon. You could just wait until then." Spike rubbed his eyes.

"I know, but that's four months away. You really think she'll stay single for that long? God, why did this have to happen? I have been trying to find Amanda a mother for the last five years and after all that time of bad dating, I finally find the one that I can spend the rest of my life with and would be a perfect mother for Amanda. She just had to be one of my students. Who would have known that the person I was looking for the whole time would have been in high school." Xander was surprised.

"You're really into her, aren't you?" Spike nodded and looked serious.

"I haven't felt this way since Dru. I never thought I could feel this way again. I just wish things could be easier." Xander nodded.

"I'm not so great with the advice, but I'm gonna give it a try. Buffy is a really great girl, anyone can see that. I'm not telling you what to do, but if you really care for her you have to forget about what could be wrong with it and think about what could be right. All I'm saying is that you have to follow your heart, Spike. What does your heart want?" Spike looked away from Xander for a moment and then back at him.

"My heart wants Buffy. I'm in love with her." Xander smiled at him.

"Then that's all you need." Spike returned his smile.

"Thanks, mate. You're better at this advice stuff than you think." Xander shrugged.

"Well, I try. Are you gonna tell Buffy how you feel?" Spike thought about it and then nodded.

"I guess I have to. Do you think she'll be freaked by it?" Xander shook his head.

"I don't think so. I have a feeling that girl may feel the same way." Spike smiled at that.

"I hope so." They both talked some more and watched some TV when Spike heard a knock on the door. He got up to get it to see Buffy standing there with a nasty black eye. "God, what happened?" He asked her as he grabbed her hand and pulled her inside.

"I made him mad." Was all she said and Spike tilted her head to get a better look at the bruise. She winced a little and he pulled his hand away when Xander showed up and saw her.

"Ouch, are you okay?" He asked her and all she did was nod.

"Xander, can you get her an icepack?" Spike asked and Xander nodded as he went into the kitchen while Spike led Buffy into the living room and sat her down on the couch. Xander came back with the icepack and handed it to Spike who gently put it on her eye. "Hold that there for a bit, it'll make it feel better." She did as she was told.

"I'll go check on Amanda." Xander told them, so he could give them some privacy. He walked away and Spike turned his attention back to Buffy.

"What happened?" He asked again and she sighed and removed the icepack.

"I talked back to him; I've never done that before. I actually surprised myself. Let's just say he doesn't like to be talked back to." Spike shook his head.

"Bastard, I don't understand how anyone can hurt their own children. He has no right to hit you." Buffy shrugged.

"He thinks he does." Spike took her hand and looked into her eyes.

"I want you to stay here, Buffy. At least for a little while until your father is dealt with. I have an extra room that no one uses. I can't let you go back there." Buffy was surprised by what he said.

"I don't think I have a choice. I shouldn't have even gotten you involved in this. You have enough to deal with and you don't need me to cause problems for you." Spike shook his head.

"You're not causing problems; I just want to help you." He said as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear like he sometimes would do for Amanda. Buffy thought about it and nodded.

"I don't have any of my stuff here." She told him.

"Okay, I'll take you back to your house to get some of your things. I want to have a word with your father anyway." Buffy shook her head.

"I don't think that's a good idea. If he was mad before he'll be even worse when he finds out I told someone, especially a teacher." She stated.

"It's okay; I won't let him hurt you again. You're safe with me." Buffy nodded and for the first time in her life, she did feel safe.

"Okay," she said and Spike smiled and placed the icepack back on her eye.

"Hold it there a bit longer." She nodded and then Xander came back out followed by Amanda. She saw Buffy there and ran over to her.

"Buffy!" She exclaimed as she hugged her and Buffy hugged her back.

"Hey, sweetie. It's good to see you, too." Amanda then pulled away and looked at her.

"What happened to your face?" She asked her and Buffy didn't know what to tell her when Spike spoke up.

"Buffy had a little accident, princess. Daddy's going to help her out with it, so she'll be staying with us for a while. Would that be okay with you?" That brought a huge smile to the little girl's face.

"Yeah!" She exclaimed as she hugged Buffy again. Spike then picked her up and hugged her to him as he kissed her hair. Hearing about what Buffy had to go through with her dad, he had the urge to show his daughter how much he loved her. Buffy watched them and she felt sad at the display and she then felt the tears start to form in her eyes. Spike put Amanda down and looked at Xander.

"I have to take care of something, mate. Can you watch her for me?" Xander nodded and then took Amanda's hand and led her back into her room. Spike looked back at Buffy and noticed that she was crying. He walked over to her and sat down. "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked as he wiped some of her tears away. She looked up at him.

"I just wish I had a dad like you." She said as she started to cry harder. Spike really felt for her as he put his arm around her and pulled her closer. He held her as she continued to cry.

Chapter 13

Buffy got to her house and hesitated before she took out her key and opened the door. She really hoped her father wasn't around. They both walked into the house as quietly as they could. Buffy looked at Spike. "Wait here, I'm just going to get a few things and I'll be right back." She whispered to him and he nodded as she walked upstairs. Spike looked around as he waited for her and he didn't see her dad anywhere, maybe he was out for the night. Buffy came back a little while later with a small bag over her shoulder. They were at the door when they heard an angry voice behind them.

"Where do you think you're going and who the hell are you?" He asked looking at Buffy and then Spike. Buffy seemed scared and Spike stood in front of her as he glared at the man.

"I'm William Atherton, Buffy's English teacher and I'm taking her out of here." The man seemed even angrier at that.

"You think I'm just gonna let you take my own daughter out of here?" Spike cringed; he could tell this man was drunk.

"I don't care if you let me or not because no matter what you do, she's coming with me. You're not much of a father. She came to me sporting that black eye that you gave her and there's no way I'm letting her stay here with you after that." Spike said his voice starting to rise.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You can't tell me how to raise my own kid." Spike was trying very hard not to hit the man as he tried to keep his temper under control.

"She's not a kid. She's a beautiful young woman, but you wouldn't know anything about that. She deserves so much more than you and I'm going to give her that. You're her father for crying out loud and I care about her more than you do. What does that say about you, mate?" Buffy gave a small smile at his declaration and she noticed that her dad seemed to be at a loss for words for once. Spike didn't wait for him to say anything else; he grabbed Buffy's hand and opened the door pulling her out of the house. They were walking away when they heard him yell after them.

"You won't get away with this! You can't keep her from me!" They didn't even turn around to look at him as they got in Spike's car and drove away.


* * * * *


They walked into Spike's house a few minutes later and Spike showed her to the guestroom where she put her bag down. "I know it's not much, but I hope it will do anyway." Buffy smiled at him.

"It's perfect, thank you. I really mean that. Thank you for everything." She said as she hugged him. Spike seemed surprised at first and then wrapped his arms around her.

"Don't mention it." He said. "You should get some rest, pet. I'm gonna check on Xander and Amanda." He pulled away and she nodded. He closed her door and rested his head on it for a few seconds before he walked into the living room and found Xander asleep on his couch. He tapped him on his shoulder and Xander woke up with a start before he realized where he was.

"Hey, how'd it go?" He asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"Fine, Buffy's staying in the guestroom." Xander sat up and looked at him.

"Do you think this is a good idea? Having to take care of someone else." Spike nodded.

"I just want to keep her safe. It's not like she's another kid that I have to look after. Buffy's an adult and like you said, she'll be graduating soon." Xander agreed.

"Yeah, I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into. It might be kinda hard to avoid temptation with her living in the same house with you." Spike shook his head.

"I don't want to avoid it. I told you I'm going to tell her how I feel. I just have to wait for the right time. Get everything settled with her father first." Xander nodded and stood up.

"Right, well I guess I can go now. Let me know how everything works out." Spike nodded also as he walked Xander to the door. After he left, Spike headed to his daughter's room and opened the door a little to see that she was sound asleep. He smiled and then headed to Buffy's room; he knocked on the door and then walked in to see her sitting up in bed.

"Hey, shouldn't you be sleeping?" She smiled at him as he sat down on the bed.

"I was just thinking." He ran his fingers through her hair without even thinking about it.

"What about?" Buffy shrugged.

"Just stuff, I can't believe I had the guts to walk out like that. I wouldn't have been able to do that without you." Spike smiled at her.

"I'm sure you would have. You're a strong person, Buffy. I've always seen it." Buffy then decided to take a risk. She leaned closer to him and captured his lips with hers. He was confused and surprised at first, but then started to kiss her back. They were like that until they both needed to breathe. Spike pulled away first and couldn't believe that she actually kissed him.

"Was that okay?" She said quietly, unsure if he wanted to kiss her or not. He just gave her a smile.

"It was more than okay, it was perfect." He said as he kissed her again and he knew that he had to leave before he went any further than that. He wanted to take things slowly and make it last. He rested his head on hers and sighed. "Get some sleep; I'll be in the next room if you need anything." Buffy nodded and then lay down. Spike tucked her in like he would his daughter and kissed her on the head. "Sweet dreams, princess." He said to her. She smiled and soon drifted off to sleep. Spike watched her for a few minutes and then left, closing the door behind him. He headed to his room with a smile on his face. He knew he would definitely sleep better now.

Chapter 14

Another week went by and they haven’t heard anything about her father. Buffy figured that maybe he just forgot about her and she couldn’t be happier about that. She was walking in school with Willow and they were headed to lunch. Buffy stopped suddenly and Willow looked at her. “I’m not going to lunch; I have something I have to do.” Willow didn’t know what she was getting at.

“What?” Buffy sighed and decided to tell her.

“I’m going back to my house, I forgot something there.” Willow shook her head not liking the sound of that.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Buffy. What if your dad sees you?” She asked her.

“I don’t even think he’ll be home now. He’s usually out getting drunk at some bar while I’m at school and I haven’t heard anything from him in about a week. I’m sure I’ll be fine, but don’t tell Spike about this. He won’t be happy if he found out I went back.” Willow nodded.

“Okay, but will you be back for your next class?" Buffy nodded also.

“Yeah, I won’t be long. I’ll see you later.” Buffy said as she walked away and Willow stared after her and sighed. She had a bad feeling, but she headed to lunch anyway.


* * * * *


Willow was really worried when she saw Spike walk over to her locker after school with a concerned look on his face. She decided that she would have to tell him the truth about what she found out. She took a deep breath and waited for him to get to her, she tried to keep the tears from falling. “Willow, have you seen Buffy? She was supposed to meet me in class after school.” Willow looked down and when she looked back at him, he saw the tears. She couldn’t hide them anymore. Spike knew he wouldn’t like what she had to say. “What happened, Willow? Where is she?” Willow took another breath and decided to tell him.

“She went back to her house before lunch because she said she forgot something.” She saw that Spike didn’t look happy about that, but he didn’t say anything. “She said that her dad would probably be out at this time anyway and that she would be back before her next class. I told her it was a bad idea, but there’s no stopping Buffy when she sets her mind to something.” Spike crossed his arms over his chest when she finished.

“I’m not happy about this, but that doesn’t explain where she is now. Why didn’t she come back?” It was then that the tears really started to fall and Spike was getting even more scared. “Did something happen to her? Is she okay?” He asked trying to keep his voice calm and it wasn’t working. Willow shook her head and decided to tell him the rest.

“I was in the office last period and they got a phone call from her dad. She...She was taken to the hospital. He told them that she fell down the stairs.” Willow explained as the tears continued to fall.

“What? Did they say if she was okay?” Willow shook her head.

“I don’t know, I didn’t get to hear anything else.” Spike nodded and ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to calm down. He didn’t know what else to say, when Willow spoke again and she asked the question that he hoped she wouldn’t ask. “You don’t think she fell, do you?” Spike looked at her and then shook his head.

“No, I don’t. Come on, we’re going to the hospital. You can call your parents on the way.” He said and Willow nodded as they both walked out of the school.

Chapter 15

They walked into the hospital and Willow sat down in the waiting room while Spike went to go talk to a doctor. He said that Willow was Buffy's sister and that he was her husband, so they would let them see her. Spike looked at Willow and nodded as she got up and walked with him to the room that Buffy was in. "So, how is she?" Willow asked him when he was being too quiet.

"When she was brought in, she was unconscious and she just woke up a little while ago. She hit her head, but they don't think she has a concussion or any brain damage. She did bruise a few ribs though, but they said she would be fine and ready to leave in a few days." Willow was relieved to hear that as they got to her room. Spike opened the door and they both walked in to see Buffy sitting up in bed and watching TV. She looked at them when they walked in and gave them a small smile.

"Hey, you guys didn't have to come here." She said and Willow walked over to her friend and hugged her, careful not to hurt her.

"Of course we would come, Buffy. I'm so glad you're alright." Buffy tried not to cry as she hugged Willow.

"Yeah, told you I would be. It'll take more than this to get rid of me." Willow then pulled away. "How did you know about what happened?" Buffy asked her.

"I guess your dad called the school to tell them about what happened to you. I kinda overheard and then told Spike." Buffy nodded as she looked over to Spike, who just stood there not saying anything.

"Will, could you get me some water? I'm a little thirsty." Buffy said and Willow nodded as she left the room. She knew that Buffy wanted to talk to Spike privately. Buffy didn't say anything as she looked at Spike and he could tell that she was waiting for him to talk first, so he decided to start the conversation on a lighter note.

"I guess you should know that we're married now." He said as he walked closer to her.

"We are? I think I would have remembered that." Spike tried not to smile, but he failed miserably.

"Yeah, it just happened a few minutes ago. I had to say that I was your husband and Willow was your sister, so they would let us see you." Buffy smiled at him.

"Good one, I think I could live with that. You so owe me a ring though." She said as she held up her hand and he smiled again as he grabbed a chair and moved it closer to her bed. He sat down and then grabbed her hand in his.

"I'll try to remember that. You gave us quite a scare today, love. Why did you go back there? Whatever you forgot, you could have waited for me and I would have went with you." Buffy nodded.

"I know, but I wanted to do it myself. I didn't even think my father would be there." She told him and Spike was dreading what he asked her next, but he knew that he had to.

"Buffy, I'm going to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me." He continued without waiting for her to say anything. "Did he push you down the stairs?" Buffy sighed and looked down and then back up at him. She knew that she couldn't lie her way out of this one, so she nodded.

"I snuck into my bedroom window just incase, like I usually do and he was in my room. I don't know why, but he just grabbed me and started yelling. I have never seen him so mad before. I tried to walk by him and head to the stairs, but he wouldn't let me go that easily. He was pissed that I left and then had the nerve to come back. So, he hit me pretty hard and I lost my balance and fell down the stairs. I pretty much blacked out after that, next thing I knew I woke up here." Spike nodded and tried not to let his anger show too much.

"You have to tell the police this, Buffy." She shook her head at what he said.

"I don't know. Do you even think they would believe me?" Spike nodded again.

"Yeah, they will. I know someone on the force that we can talk to. You have to do this, so you can finally be free of him. If you don't, he might come after you and there's no telling what would happen then." Buffy accepted what he was saying, but still seemed a little unsure.

"Would I have to go to court or something? I don't even have a lawyer." She told him.

"I don't think it will come to that. You're 18, even if your father is your legal guardian technically you don't need one anymore. You could live on your own now if you wanted to, so he can't do anything. He can't make you live with him if you don't want to." Buffy took a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay, I'll talk to your friend. Will they arrest him?" She wondered.

"I think he'll get what he deserves, but you should rest right now. We'll worry about all that when you get out of here, okay?" Buffy nodded again and rested her head back on the pillow as her eyes started to close. Spike brushed her hair out of her face as he watched her for a few minutes. "I love you." He whispered and he didn't know if she heard him, until she opened her eyes. He saw the look on her face and knew that she did. The look seemed to be one of surprise as she sat up again.

"Do you mean that?" She asked him because she had to be sure.

"Of course, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't. I've felt that way for a while now, probably since I first met you. Why do you seem so surprised?" Buffy shrugged.

"I'm just not used to hearing that. No one has ever told me that before, until Amanda did the other day. I never thought that you would." Buffy said with tears in her eyes and Spike hugged her.

"I'll tell you it every day if you like. You deserve to be loved, Buffy. You're one of the best people I've ever known." Buffy was crying then as she held on to him.

"I love you, too." She whispered and he pulled away from her and then smiled as he kissed her on the lips. She pulled out of the kiss after a few seconds and rested her head back on the pillow. She closed her eyes and Spike rubbed her head gently as she finally fell asleep.

"Just rest, sweetheart. I'll watch over you." He whispered to her and that time, he was sure she didn't hear him. The door then opened and Willow walked back in with a bottle of water. Spike put his finger on his lips, so she would keep quiet and Willow nodded as she placed the water bottle by Buffy's bed. Spike pulled another chair by the bed, so Willow could sit down. She gave him a small smile as they both sat there and continued to watch Buffy for a little while longer.

Sorry it's so short, sometimes that happens. We're almost to the end anyway and I know ya'll probably didn't expect it to end so early. I never really do very long stories though. I would like to, but I always run out of ideas. Well, hope you guys like this chapter=)



Chapter 16

Buffy left the hospital two days later and she was walking with Spike to the police station. She really hoped that everything would work out. When they were inside, Spike led her to a desk where she saw a pretty brunette working. The woman looked up when she saw them and smiled. "Spike, it's good to see you again. It's been too long." She said as she hugged him and he hugged her back.

"Same to you, love." He said as he pulled out of the hug. "This is Buffy Summers, the girl I told you about. Buffy, this is Faith Lehane." Faith smiled at her and shook her hand.

"It's good to meet you. Spike told me about your situation and I'm willing to help, but I need to hear everything from you in your own words." Buffy nodded and sat down and Faith sat back down also. Spike cleared his throat.

"I guess I'll let you two ladies talk." Spike was about to leave, when Buffy grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Could you stay?" Spike saw the pleading look on her face and nodded, he then sat in the chair next to her. Faith got right to the point.

"Okay, Buffy. First tell me about your accident. What happened?" Buffy took a deep breath and started to tell her about what happened at her house and she noticed Faith writing stuff down. Faith looked up at her when she was finished. "Has your father been violent to you before?" Buffy nodded.

"Yeah, he gets drunk a lot and he takes out a lot of his frustrations on me. He says a lot of hurtful things and sometimes he'll hit me when I do something wrong or sometimes he'll do it just for the hell of it." Faith nodded and wrote something else down. Buffy felt like she was talking to a shrink, except there wasn't a couch to lay on.

"Have you talked about this to anyone before?" Buffy shook her head.

"No, not until now. I was always afraid to say anything." Buffy said in a quiet voice.

"You're 18, right?" Faith asked and Buffy nodded. "Do you have any relatives close by that you could stay with, until you go off to college or whatever your plans are?" Buffy shook her head again.

"No, not that I know of." She explained.

"I'll be sending someone over to your house to deal with your dad, but you're going to need some other place to stay. I'm not permitted to let you stay there by yourself, even if you're not a minor." Faith said and Spike spoke up before Buffy had the chance to.

"She's staying with me for a while." Faith turned her gaze on Spike and then nodded and stood up, the others stood up also.

"Okay, well I'll get right on this and you two are free to leave. It was nice meeting you again." She said as she shook Buffy's hand again, she then looked back at Spike and gave him another hug. "You take care of yourself, sweetie. Give Amanda my love, okay?" Faith said as she pulled away from him and Spike nodded.

"I'll do that. Thanks again, Faith." Faith nodded also as they left the station and walked back to his car. They were quiet when Buffy spoke up.

"So, she seems nice. How come you never dated her? Unless you did date her and if that's the case, I'll just be shutting up now." Spike laughed as they got in the car.

"No, I never dated her. She's my cousin, pet." He explained.

"Oh, right. Never mind then." Spike smiled as he started the car and then drove back to his house.

Chapter 17

Buffy and Spike were sitting on the couch talking a little while later, when the phone rang. Spike got up to get it and Buffy couldn’t hear what he was saying. He hung up and came back over to her and she wondered what happened, but she didn’t have to wonder for long. “That was Faith. They went to your house to find your father passed out from drinking. They took him in and I have a feeling he’ll be locked up for quite some time.” Buffy felt relieved by that.

“So, it’s finally over?” Spike nodded and sat back down next to her.

“Yeah, I told you everything would work out.” He said as he put his arm around her and she rested her head on his chest. They sat there in silence and Spike was just watching her, he was nervous about what he had to ask her and hoped that it would go okay. He was about to say something, when Amanda walked into the living room and came over to them. Spike pulled her to him and placed her on his lap. Buffy sat up and watched him. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” He asked his daughter.

“I can’t sleep; I wanna stay out here with you.” Spike kissed her on the forehead.

“Okay, only for a little while.” They sat in silence for a few minutes, when Amanda reached over to Buffy and she then pulled her onto her lap.

“Did you want to tell me something?” She asked the girl, when she saw the look on her face and Amanda seemed to be more shy than usual as she looked at Buffy.

“Can you be my mommy?” Buffy was surprised by what she said and Spike looked just as surprised.

“Oh, sweetie. I would love to be your mommy, but from what I hear you had a wonderful mommy and I couldn’t take her place.” She then looked upset.

“I never knew my mommy, I want you.” Amanda said as she hugged her and Buffy tried not to cry, she looked at Spike and noticed that he wasn’t holding his tears back. Buffy wanted nothing more then to be the mother to this child and to be with Spike, but she was so young and still in high school and she didn’t think she would be able to handle the responsibility. She was afraid of messing up. Spike wiped at his eyes and finally found his voice.

“Amanda, why don’t you go to your room and try to get some sleep? I need to talk to Buffy.” Amanda looked at him and then back at Buffy, before she ran to her room. Spike took a deep breath and looked at Buffy. “I’m sorry; I had no idea she would ask that.” Buffy smiled at him.

“It’s okay, it felt good actually. Being wanted, I’m not used to that.” Spike held her hand; he knew that he had to ask her now.

“Buffy, would you consider it? Being Amanda’s mother I mean.” Buffy didn’t think he would ask that.

“Well, I have thought about it. I mean I love her as if she was my own, but I think I would be too afraid of messing up. I’m only 18, definitely not mother material. I can hardly take care of myself.” Spike nodded.

“I never thought I was father material either, but I actually think I did okay. I know you would be great, Buffy. We can learn together because I still have a lot to learn also.” Buffy didn’t know what to think.

“Spike, what are you saying?” Spike then took something out of his pocket and kneeled down in front of her.

“I mean that you are what I have been looking for all these years. I love you and I know that you’re the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. You would be so good for Amanda and me. I guess what I’m trying to say is...Will you marry me?” Spike then opened up the box that he was holding to reveal a beautiful ring. Buffy tried not to cry as she looked at it and then back at him.

“God, it’s so beautiful. I never expected this. We were just joking about marriage in the hospital; I never thought you would have actually bought a ring. I love you, but I’m still in high school and this is all going so fast.” She said as the tears started to fall down her face.

“I know, but I’m not talking about anytime soon. I just want you to wear it, so you would know that your heart belonged to someone. We could get married after you’re done with college, if you want. I’ll wait for as long as you need to, Buffy.” He explained to her.

“I don’t know what to say.” She said as she wiped at her eyes.

“Just say yes and make me the happiest man on earth.” He said, waiting for her answer. She then smiled at him which made him feel better.

“Yes, of course I'll marry you.” Spike smiled also as he took the ring out and placed it on her finger to see that it fit perfectly. He then hugged her like his life depended on it. Buffy held on to him, afraid to let go. She couldn’t believe that this was happening to her. For the first time in her life, she had a real family and she would do whatever she could to keep them.

Epilogue


8 months later...

Things were going great for Buffy. She graduated from high school and she started her first year at UC Sunnydale with Willow. Her and Spike were more in love than ever. They were planning on getting married around Christmas. Buffy couldn't wait until she was done with college to marry him. She always imagined herself getting married around Christmas time and Spike thought it was a good idea. They hired Dawn to be their babysitter when they were out and only if they couldn't get anyone else to watch Amanda. Dawn was like a little sister to Buffy and she loved being around Amanda. Buffy still had the guestroom because she didn't want to move into Spike's room until they were married and he was okay with that. It doesn't mean other things haven't happened though. Buffy walked to his room and listened as she heard soft guitar music coming from inside. She opened his door to see him sitting on the bed with his guitar. He looked up and smiled when he saw her. "You're getting better at that." She said as she walked closer to him.

"Who knows, maybe I'll have my own band some day." She smiled at him and put both her hands on his face as she kissed him.

"It's a possibility." She whispered and he put his guitar away and pulled her on the bed with him, so she was lying next to him. He kissed her again and then moved down to kiss her stomach before resting his head there.

"How's the little one?" He said as he listened to her stomach.

"We're both doing fine. When do you think would be a good time to tell Amanda that she's going to be a big sister?" Spike thought about it.

"We'll tell her soon. I'm sure she'll be okay with it. She always wanted a little brother or sister to play with." Buffy nodded and Spike kissed her again. He slipped his hand under her blouse and touched her stomach, he couldn't believe he was about to have another child. He just hoped things would go better this time because there was no way he was going to lose Buffy. He couldn't bear it. He pulled away and looked at her flushed face. "Sorry, got carried away." Buffy smiled at him and touched his face.

"Never be sorry for wanting me." She whispered and he kissed her again.

"That's one thing I'll never be sorry about, love." He replied as he rested his head back on her belly. They laced their hands together and just lay there. "I wrote another song about you." He said as he looked up at her.

"Another one? You seem to be making a habit of that." Spike smiled.

"What can I say? I've never been this inspired before." Buffy smiled also.

"Can I hear it?" Spike nodded.

"You will, I'm performing at the Bronze on Saturday and I want you to be there." Buffy looked at him.

"You never told me that. That's so great, Spike. You're on your way to stardom." Spike laughed at that.

"Yeah, well it's just me and my guitar. I still don't have a real band." He told her.

"If you're interested, Willow's boyfriend has a band and they're looking for a lead singer. Maybe you could sing with them, they sometimes play at the Bronze." Spike thought about it.

"Maybe I'll consider that, but right now I'm happy with what I'm doing." He said as he kissed her again. They just held each other feeling comfort in the other's embrace. Buffy smiled as she looked down at him, still with his head on her stomach. She still couldn't believe that this was her life. She had a daughter and another child on the way and she had Spike, who she knew would make a wonderful husband. She couldn't be happier as she watched the man she loved.

"Oh yeah, this is the life." She whispered as she drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

The End


Yes, that is my corny ending. I think I'm seriously losing my edge here. Oh well, I'm glad ya'll liked this one. I know it may have been a bit rushed with the whole proposal thing, but I couldn't think of anything else to do at the time. Thanks for all the reviews=)