Buffy Summers strolled into the gym of Blessed Souls High School on the arm of her boyfriend Riley Finn, wearing a floor-length, strapless blue silk gown, her hair pulled back, allowing it to fall past her shoulders. Riley leaned down to gently kiss her temple, smiling at her.

“You look so beautiful,” he said. “Thank you for coming to Homecoming with me.” She giggled.

“Why wouldn’t I, silly?” she joked. “It’s what couples do, you know.” He laughed.

“Yeah, I know,” he replied. “But it’s still an honor to escort the prettiest girl in Sunnydale to a dance like this.” She leaned into his side as he wrapped an arm around her waist, looking around the gym and smirking.

“There’s Dawn and Andrew,” she said, pointing them out amongst the crowd of dancing bodies in front of the DJ. “I can’t believe she’s a freshman this year. I feel so old.”

“You should,” he said. “We’re finally seniors. Can you believe that?”

“No,” she answered. “But I’m so happy we’re the oldest now.” She noticed her friend Fred walking towards them, holding hands with her boyfriend Wesley. “Well, hello, you two. You look beautiful, Fred.”

“So do you,” the brunette replied, smiling. “Did you just get here?”

“We took our time,” Riley said, shrugging. “Had a nice dinner at that little Italian restaurant near your high school.” He looked around and frowned suddenly. “I didn’t think Spike Brooks and his gang would show up.”

“It’s our last year,” Wesley said. “And I’m his friend, too, don’t forget.”

“I don’t understand how a nice guy like you can stand a jerk like him,” Riley replied. “He makes my life a living hell.” Buffy studied the platinum blonde guy that Riley was currently scowling at.

“He doesn’t look so tough,” she said. “You could break him in half.” He smirked.

“I know,” he said. “He’s not a bully physically- he just flaunts his money and makes everyone feel bad about themselves.”

“Ah, I know the type,” Buffy said, motioning to the girl with Spike. “That’s Harmony, one of the richest bitches at school.” Riley raised an eyebrow when Buffy swore. “What? It’s true.”

“Yeah, Harmony and Cordelia are nightmares,” Fred agreed as she saw Cordelia Chase dancing with Liam Angelus. “But they rule the school- bookworms like us are at the bottom of the totem pole.”

“Nonsense,” Buffy said, smiling as she defiantly raised her chin up. “We’re better than those girls and always will be.” She pulled Riley to the dance-floor as a slow song started.

* * * * *

“These dances are going to be the bloody death of me,” Spike mumbled as he walked to the punch table near the doors. “Harmony just likes to show herself off and flirt with other guys to piss me off.”

“I don’t see why,” his friend Xander said. “You don’t get pissed off- you let her go on ahead so you can look at all of the other goodies and try to sample them.” Spike smirked and shrugged.

“Got to get my rocks off somehow,” he replied. “Harmony’s as talented as a blow-up doll.”

“Explains why she’s such an airhead,” Xander joked, grabbing two glasses of punch and handing one to Spike. “Speaking of sex toys, did you see the blonde that Finn brought with him?” Spike looked around the gym and spotted the tall brunette man, holding a beautiful blonde girl in his arms as they danced. “I think her name’s Betty or Bunny. According to Anya, they’re in love or something.” Spike scoffed.

“People don’t fall in love in high school,” he replied, drinking from his cup.

“Oh yes they do,” Anya said, appearing beside Xander and grabbing his hand. “Spin me around a bit and then take me to our hotel for lots of orgasms.” Spike chuckled as Xander shot his girlfriend a look and allowed her to lead him towards the other dancing couples.

“This spot taken?” Fred asked as she came to stand beside Spike, getting a glass of punch. He smiled at her.

“You look lovely, pet,” he said. “Too bad you’re already spoken for. Otherwise, I’d try seducing you, myself.” She blushed slightly and giggled. “Having fun with Wes?”

“Yeah,” she answered, looking across the gym at Wesley, who was talking to Buffy and Riley. “What about you and Harmony?”

“She’s convincing one of the second-string quarterbacks to let her be his wide receiver, if you get what I mean,” he said, smirking when she ducked her head, blushing profusely. “So, who’s the beauty with the beast?”

“You mean Riley and Buffy?” she asked, and he raised an eyebrow.

“Her name is Buffy?” he asked, and she nodded. “Please tell me that’s a nickname.”

“You’re one to talk, Spike,” she said, smiling. “Or should I call you William?” He frowned and crossed his arms. “Why are you asking about them?”

“How serious are they?” Spike asked, and Fred sighed, watching the couple.

“About as serious as two people in love can be,” she answered. “They’re perfect together.”

“No one can be happy with a guy like him,” he said. “He can’t offer her anything.”

“What? Like cars and money?” she asked. “That’s not what Buffy wants- she’s not that kind of girl. He gives her what she needs, and I have a feeling, Spike, he gives her more than you ever could.” He watched Fred return to her boyfriend, stunned that the sheepish young woman had said that.

“Well, we’ll just see about that, won’t we?” he asked quietly, turning on his heel and walking away.

* * * * *

Buffy, Riley, Wesley, Fred, Dawn, and Andrew were seated at a table about an hour later, deep in conversation, when Spike approached them, specifically targeting Buffy. Everyone looked at him as he stopped to stand beside her chair.

“Can we help you?” Wes asked, noticing the way Spike was appraising Buffy.

“Want to dance, princess?” he asked her, extending a hand. She looked at it and frowned.

“Flash your Rolex elsewhere,” she said, looking up at him. “Preferably somewhere not around here.” He strangely felt hurt by her comment before leaning down to her ear.

“You wish you could be with someone as good as me,” he said, his breath tickling her skin. “But you’ll never be worth my time, Buffy.”

“How do you know my name?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Word travels fast around guys,” he said, smirking. “Let one between your dimpled knees, and the whole school will know the next day.” She stared at him as he walked away, grinning. “Take that, little girl.”

Meanwhile, Wes was holding Riley back, restraining the taller man from going after Spike and punching him.

“It’s not worth it,” Buffy said, giving Riley a small smile. “I deserved that after what I said.”

“He deserves to be castrated,” Riley muttered, sinking back into his chair defeatedly. “I can’t just let him talk about you that way, Buffy.” She kissed his cheek.

“It’s okay,” she said. “Let’s not allow him to ruin our night, okay? It’s our last Homecoming.” He nodded after a moment and pulled her into a hug. When they broke apart, she looked across the gym and saw Spike talking to Harmony.

‘He doesn’t know who he’s messing with,’ she thought.

---

A/N Part 2: Unless there's a lot of feedback, I'm not going to post over this weekend due to time constraints. I hope you liked chapter 1, and I promise there's more fun to come in the next chapter!:)

Spike and Xander walked into the local Doublemeat Palace about a week later after playing poker at Liam’s house. Spike was stunned to see Buffy working behind the counter, taking an order from an old woman. He quickly got in line behind the woman, and Xander raised an eyebrow, confused.

“What’s going on?” Xander asked, and Spike motioned to Buffy. “Come on, man- don’t be a jerk.”

“Why not? She was a bitch to me,” he replied. “And who wants to pass up a chance like this?” The woman in front of him stepped aside, and Spike stepped forward, grinning as Buffy looked at him and froze. “Well, hello, princess.”

“What’re you doing here?” she asked, angry. “Shouldn’t you be eating at a country club or something?”

“Hi, I’m Xander,” Spike’s friend said, shaking Buffy’s hand. “Can I have the Doublemeat Medley?”

“Sure,” she said, entering it into the cash register. “What would you like to drink?”

“Surprise me,” he replied, smiling, and she raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, I’ll have a Coke.”

“Fantastic,” she mumbled, going to fill up a cup with soda before turning to hand it to him. “That’ll be $4.80.” He took out his wallet, but Spike put his hand in front of Xander to stop him. “What?”

“You haven’t taken my order yet,” Spike said, smirking. “Now, let’s see, what do I want?”

“Spike,” Xander said in a warning tone. “It’s late.”

“It’s only ten, so settle down,” Spike said, looking at the combo list above Buffy before shrugging. “The whelp and I will take twenty Doublemeat Medleys and thirty orders of the Doublemeat Nuggets.” She crossed her arms, tilting her head. “What’s wrong? Can’t service me, luv?” He grinned. “I’ve heard you’re very talented at servicing guys.”

“I would never touch you,” she said, furious. “I think you guys should go.”

“Come on, pet,” Spike replied. “Can’t turn away paying customers, can you?”

“I can do whatever the hell I want to,” she shot back, and Spike chuckled.

“You think you’re so high and mighty, don’t you?” he asked, leaning on the counter. “But you’re not all that great, are you? Working at a place like this?” He frowned. “Must be a punishment or something for spending all Daddy’s money.”

“Think whatever you want,” she said. “I don’t have to justify myself to an asshole like you.” Xander looked at his friend, noticing that his jaw was clenched. “Xander, your order will be up in a minute.” She turned to walk away, but Spike reached across the counter and grabbed her arm, turning her around. “What?”

“Why would you work here?” he asked, looking around. “This place is horrible.”

“Not all of us have money to pay for school,” she replied. “Some of us have to work for what we want.”

“You’re working for college money?” Xander asked, and she shook her head.

“I’m still paying off my high school tuition,” she said, looking down. “My mom couldn’t afford to send me to Holy Angels, so I offered to work and pay for it on my own.” Xander looked at her admirably and was surprised to see Spike doing the same thing before he smirked.

“So, Buffy’s poor, is she?” he asked. “Can’t say I expected that. Now I can understand why only a loser like Finn would want you.” Xander flinched as Buffy grabbed his soda and threw it in Spike’s face, grinning when he sputtered, trying to quickly wipe off the Coke that was trickling down his face and upper body. “Bitch!”

“Let’s go, Spike,” Xander said, grabbing the blonde’s arm before he had the chance to do something stupid. “Have a good night, Buffy.” She watched him pull Spike outside and to a car, smiling as she saw Spike yell something at Xander and throw his arms up in anger. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw their car drive off.

“I really hate guys like that,” a girl named Amy said, appearing beside Buffy. “They don’t understand why some people have to get jobs like this just to make ends meet.” Buffy nodded, cleaning off the counter. “It’s bad enough without having people come in here and tell us how pathetic we are.”

“We’re not pathetic,” Buffy said firmly. “We’re worth a lot more than they ever will be.”

* * * * *

“You’re incredible, do you know that?” Xander asked as he drove Spike home. “Do you realize how cruel you were?” Spike mumbled something. “What?”

“She deserved it,” he said. “I’m sick of girls pretending that they’re so amazing when in reality, they have nothing to offer.”

“You really think she’s that bad?” Xander asked. “I think she seemed pretty alright.”

“Yeah? Even when she threw your soda at me?” Spike asked, his voice raising a couple of levels.

“I just mean that I’d rather spend time with a girl who has a good head on her shoulders and who works hard for what she wants instead of a girl who’s lacking all things intellectual and wastes her dad’s money on shoes,” Xander explained. “Like Harmony.” Spike quickly looked at him.

“Are you telling me that you think I’d be better off with a girl like Buffy?” he asked, and Xander shrugged.

“At least you could hold a conversation with her,” he said. “Besides, you’ve said it yourself- Harmony’s a waste of time. She’s just a plaything for you.” Spike looked outside, frowning. “Don’t tell me you actually see yourself being with her ten years down the road.”

“I sure as hell don’t see myself with Buffy,” Spike muttered, and Xander smiled.

“Well, you never know,” he said. “She could end up being the woman of your dreams.”

“Are you drunk?” Spike asked, looking at Xander once again. “Or stoned?”

“I’m just saying that I think Buffy’s much better than Harmony,” he replied, stopping at a stoplight. “And I think you feel the same way.”

“Like hell,” Spike said sternly. “I could never be with a girl like her. Never.”

“Ah, yes, Spike’s getting defensive,” Xander said, grinning. “You’re in denial that you may have feelings for a vivacious blonde named Buffy.”

“Shut your gob,” Spike said loudly. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Fine, I don’t,” Xander said, raising his hands in surrender before driving again. “Besides, she’s got a boyfriend, anyway.”

“Riley Finn? He’s not even competition,” Spike replied, and Xander looked at him.

“So you plan on going for her, then? ‘Competition’?” he asked. Spike looked out the window and sighed.

“I’d rather see her with me than with him,” he admitted before clenching his fists. “But I don’t want her, Xander, and you’d do well to remember that.”

“Right, gotcha,” Xander said, smiling. “No more talk of how much you want to sleep with her.” Spike smacked his arm. “Hey! I’m driving, buddy!”

“Just keep quiet about Buffy, alright?” Spike asked. “The last thing I need is to hear Harmony bitch about me even talking to another girl.”

“Your wish is my command, captain,” Xander said, giving him a mock salute.

“Shut up, whelp,” Spike said, smiling.

The following weekend, Buffy went to the bookstore in town to get a copy of The Joy Luck Club for her English class and was surprised to see a certain platinum blonde teen already walking around the store.

‘Great,’ she thought. ‘This will make my day complete.’ She proceeded to make her way to the Fiction section and scanned through book titles to try and locate the one she needed. She was crouching on the ground when she suddenly noticed a pair of motorcycle boot-clad feet beside her. ‘I hate my life.’

“Well, look who’s on her knees,” Spike said, grinning mischievously at her. “Feel like servicing me now?” She stood up and went to slap him across the face, but he grabbed her wrist tightly. “Just kidding around, luv. Calm down.” She pulled her wrist away from him and continued to look at the bookshelf in front of her. “So, what brings you here?”

“Need a book for class,” she mumbled, getting angry that she wasn’t finding the novel. “They have to have a copy.”

“Which book?” Spike asked, and she looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

“You almost sounded helpful, Spike,” she said. “I’m shocked.” He shot her a look. “The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.” He smirked. “What?”

“That’s the same one I need,” he answered before turning towards a different shelf and looking around for a while. “Aha!” He leaned up to grab it from the highest shelf. “There’s only one left. Sorry, princess.” She clenched her fists, angry.

“Let me have it,” she said sharply. “At least I’ll actually use it.”

“What’s saying I won’t?” he asked, amused.

“This is just a guess, but you’re the type of guy who will bring it to class just to prove the teacher he owns it but will never open it,” she replied. “Why don’t you just buy the SparkNotes?”

“Because that wouldn’t be nearly as fun,” he said. “Besides, I have finder’s rights.”

“And you just want to screw me over as much as possible,” she mumbled.

‘No, I just want to screw you in general,’ Spike thought. ‘But you don’t need to know that yet, Goldilocks.’

“Fine, take it,” she said. “I’ll just drive around until I find it.” She turned to walk away, and he watched her for a moment before beginning to feel guilty. He caught up to her and handed her the book.

“It’s yours,” he said, surprised when she gave him a genuine smile. “I’ll just bum the notes off of someone in class.” He walked out of the building, not ever looking back. If he had, he would’ve seen the gracious expression on her face before she went to the register to buy the book.

* * * * *

On the way to his car, Spike saw Xander and Liam at the coffee shop and decided to go talk to them before he went home.

‘I need to talk to the whelp about something,’ he thought. ‘Something blonde, beautiful, and incredibly feisty.’

“Hey,” Liam said as his friend approached. “What’s up, Spike? I’m surprised you’re not still asleep.”

“Very funny, mate,” he muttered. “I had to go get a book for English class, but there was only one copy left, so I gave it to… someone.” Xander raised an eyebrow. “Buffy was there and needed the same book, so I-”

“Decided to be chivalrous and gave it to her?” Xander asked, surprised when Spike nodded. “Uh oh, Liam- I think our friend is falling for a new blonde.”

“Buffy Summers?” Liam asked. “She’s hot, isn’t she? I can’t understand why she’d be with a guy like Finn. I mean, after she slept with Parker Abrams, I thought she’d go for some of the more popular guys, but I guess not.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot she slept with Parker,” Xander said. “That was a couple of years ago, right?”

“Yeah,” Spike said, looking down. “The story goes that he thought it’d be funny to seduce her and pretend he loved her before breaking her heart and going off to college.” He sighed. “He’s a real prince.”

“And you wonder why she dislikes you,” Liam said. “You’re known for doing similar stuff to girls, minus the college part.” Spike took a deep breath as he looked away. “Guess you’ll have to prove to her that you’re not as bad as him.”

“What if I am?” Spike asked quietly. “As bad as Parker?”

“Not possible, man,” Xander replied. “No one’s as horrible as Parker.” Spike managed a weak smile and nodded.

* * * * *

Later on that afternoon, Buffy and Willow went shopping to try and find a birthday gift for Fred, aimlessly walking around the mall at one point after buying two presents.

“So, Spike just gave you the book?” Willow asked, and her friend nodded. “From what you’ve told me about him, that doesn’t sound like him whatsoever.”

“I know,” Buffy replied. “I expected him to buy it and rub it in my face that he had it and not me.”

“I wonder what that was all about,” Willow said, surprised. “It seems kind of weird that he wouldn’t have made some comment about it or what-not. He was almost being gentlemanly.”

“Gentlemanly and Spike aren’t two words I’d associate together,” Buffy said before smiling. “But yeah, I guess he was.”

Harmony and Cordelia walked out of a store and right into Buffy and Willow, all four girls dropping their bags.

“Watch where you’re going, geek,” Harmony said, glaring at Buffy.

“You’re the one who practically ran out of the store,” Buffy pointed out, angry. “What’s wrong- they turned you away because you max-ed out Daddy’s credit-card?

“At least I have a dad,” Harmony shot back, and Buffy tried her hardest to hold back the tears that were trying to form in her eyes. “Besides, you shouldn’t even be here, you loser. Since when do you have money?”

“Screw you,” Buffy said, turning on her heel and storming off, leaving Willow to run and catch up to her.

“Are you okay?” the redhead asked quietly, watching as tears began to stream down Buffy’s cheeks.

“I’m fine,” she said, trying to wipe off her face. “I can’t wait to graduate and get the hell away from here, Will.”

“Me, too,” her friend said, putting her hand on Buffy’s shoulder. “Things will get better once we’re away from Sunnydale.”

“Where we can make new lives for ourselves and get away from people like Harmony and Cordelia,” Buffy said, heading for the glass doors in the mall so she could leave and go to work.

“And Spike?” Willow asked, looking at Buffy.

“Yeah, him, too, I guess,” Buffy said, shrugging.

A week later, Buffy, Willow, and Tara showed up at Fred’s house for her eighteenth birthday party. Fred greeted the girls with hugs and let them inside, leading them towards the small crowd of people filling up her living room. Buffy handed her the gift she brought.

“Happy birthday, Fred,” she said, smiling. “Can you believe you’re finally an adult?”

“Yeah, you can vote now,” Willow said excitedly, quickly looking down when everyone gave her a weird look. “Sorry, I think the government and politics are cool.” Fred smiled and looked at Buffy.

“It seems surreal,” Fred replied as she accepted the gifts Willow and Tara gave her. “Thank you so much!”

“Only the best for the birthday girl,” a voice said behind Buffy. She turned and was face-to-face with a smirking Spike. “Well, hello, pet. Fancy seeing you here.”

“What’re you doing here?” she asked quietly, and Willow looked at the guy, realizing he must be Spike.

“I’m Willow,” the redhead said, shaking his hand. “And this is Tara.” He shook the other girl’s hand, too.

“Nice to meet you both,” he replied. “I’m Spike.” He focused on Buffy once again. “How’ve you been?”

“Fine,” she said, frowning and turning to look at her friends before walking away. Spike raised an eyebrow, confused.

“She’s probably going to try to find Riley,” Willow said quietly, and Spike nodded.

“Yeah, guess so,” he replied. “So, Red, does she talk about me?” She saw the hopeful expression on his face and smiled.

“That’s for you to find out,” she said, linking her arm with Tara’s and going into the crowd of talking teenagers. Spike grinned and decided to go in the direction Buffy went.

* * * * *

She walked through the house and into the kitchen, going into the refrigerator to grab a soda. When she suddenly felt hands squeeze her hips, she shrieked and spun around, not surprised to see Spike there.

“I could’ve hit you,” she said, trying to get her breathing to calm down. “Why did you do that?”

“Wanted to say hi,” he replied, chuckling. “Especially after you so rudely left in the middle of our conversation before.”

“Didn’t want to talk,” she said, shrugging. “The last thing I need is for Riley to see you and I around each other.”

“Where is the great oaf?” he asked. “I haven’t seen him.”

“I just called him,” she said. “Apparently, he’s on his way.”

“Great,” he said. “Looks like we’ve got some time to ourselves, then.” She raised an eyebrow. “Want to blow out my candles?” She slapped him across the face instantly, not giving Spike a chance to stop her. “Oww! Bloody hell, woman! What’s your problem?”

“You are!” she said in a low tone, practically hissing. “What the hell do you want from me?”

“Well, I want you,” he admitted, and her eyes widened. “Don’t look so damn surprised- it should be pretty clear what I want.”

“And you think you’ll ever get a chance?” she asked, upset. “I would never try being with you, so stop wasting your time and go back to your bimbo girlfriend.”

“I don’t want Harmony,” he replied, and she scoffed.

“Well, looks like she’s the only thing you’re going to get,” she said. “Because you’re not going to have me, Spike, understand?”

“No, listen to me, luv,” he replied, but she turned and began walking away. He grabbed her arm and turned her around. “Don’t walk away from me!”

“Why are you here?” she asked, crossing her arms. “Honestly? Why did you come here tonight?”

“It’s Fred’s birthday,” he said, putting his hands in his pockets. “She’s Wesley’s girlfriend, and I like the bird. Got a problem with that?”

“I’ve got a problem with you breathing,” she replied, and he clenched his jaw, looking away. “You were really nice in the bookstore, Spike, and a part of me almost thought you’d continue to be like that, but you’re not.”

“I can be nice, Buffy, if you’ll give me a chance,” he said, almost pleadingly.

“No, you can’t,” she said, looking down. “You’ll continue to be Mr. Popularity who flirts shamelessly with girls just to get into their pants.” She looked at him again. “You’ll never change.” She turned and walked away before Spike could stop her. He groaned in frustration and opened up Fred’s refrigerator, finding a bottle of beer and opening it.

* * * * *

Towards the end of the night, Buffy was happy that she hadn’t seen Spike at all. She stayed in the living room, talking with her friends, hoping that he’d stay away.

‘And I’m shocked he did,’ she thought as she headed for the front door with Willow and Tara. After saying their good-byes to Fred, they headed outside towards Tara’s car and saw Spike fumbling with his keys, trying to unlock his car door. Buffy took a deep breath and walked over to him, hoping maybe to apologize for being so mean in the kitchen. When he looked at her with anger in his eyes, she took a small step back from him.

“Go away,” he growled, finally managing to open the door.

“I’m sorry for what I said before,” she said quietly, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth. “It was uncalled for.”

“I don’t sodding care,” he replied, getting inside his car. “You’re a bitch- I wasn’t surprised.” She frowned and noticed that his eyes looked a little glassy and unfocused.

“Are you alright?” she asked, becoming worried.

“Bloody dandy,” he answered, putting the key in the ignition and starting the car.

“Spike, you’re drunk,” she said, and he looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

“You just figured that out, Goldilocks?” he asked. “Guess you’re more stupid than I thought.” She leaned into his car and tried grabbing the keys, but he pushed her back, causing her to stumble a bit. Her eyes widened as he slammed the door and sped off. Willow and Tara instantly ran over to check on her.

“Are you okay?” Willow asked, concerned, and Buffy took a deep breath.

“I’m fine,” she said. “But I have a feeling he won’t be.”

Spike woke up the following morning with a pounding headache and slowly opened his eyes, looking at his unfamiliar surroundings.

‘What the hell is going on?’ he thought, noticing the IV needle attached to him and the bed he was laying in. ‘Why am I in a hospital?’ His father, sitting on a chair nearby, woke up a moment later to see his son awake.

“Thank god,” he said, getting up to carefully hug his son. “We were so worried.”

“What’s going on?” Spike asked quietly, his throat feeling parched. His father handed him a small glass of water.

“You got in a car accident last night,” Dr. Brooks said. “Do you remember anything?”

“I remember leaving Fred’s party,” Spike answered before frowning. “And that’s about it.”

“You crashed about half a mile away, hitting a tree,” his father said sternly. “Your blood alcohol level was around .1, William.” Spike looked down quickly. “Did you really think you were sober enough to drive? And why were you drinking in the first place? How stupid could you be?”

“I screwed up, alright?” Spike asked, getting angry. “I know I did.”

“Your poor mother woke up to the phone ringing at one o’clock in the morning to find out that you had gotten in an accident and were sent to the hospital. She just went home about an hour ago to finally sleep.”

“I’m sorry,” Spike said sadly. “I thought I’d be okay to drive.”

“Well, you thought wrong,” Dr. Brooks said, crossing his arms. “Your car is totaled, but thankfully all you hit was a tree and not another car. You could’ve killed someone last night, if not yourself.” Spike looked out the window and noted that it was drizzling. “You scared the hell out of us, you know.”

“I’m sorry, Dad,” he said sincerely. “I really am.”

“I’m sure you are,” his father replied. “That’s why you’re going to get a job and pay off the damages you caused, along with buying your own car once you’ve earned enough money. You can borrow your mother’s until then.” Spike’s eyes widened as he looked at him. “You need to learn a lesson, William, and I think this is the best way.”

‘Bugger,’ Spike thought as he looked outside again.

* * * * *

Spike got ready for his job interview while he talked to Xander on the phone.

“So, Doublemeat Palace was the only place that called you back?” Xander asked, and Spike scowled as he looked in the mirror, trying to put on a tie.

“Yep,” he answered. “Apparently, all of the other places I applied at wanted me to have some type of job experience, and since I lack that, I didn’t get contacted for any interviews besides this one.”

“I wonder if Buffy will be there today,” Xander replied, and Spike tensed up, frowning.

“Even if she isn’t, I’m sure I’ll be seeing her on a constant basis if I get the job,” Spike said.

“Isn’t that a good thing? Being able to see her a lot and work alongside her?” his friend asked.

“I don’t know,” Spike answered. “The last time I saw her, I really screwed up.” He sighed. “I need to apologize to her, first and foremost, and then I need to get back in her good graces.”

“Were you ever ‘in her good graces’?” Xander asked, and Spike could tell he was smiling by the tone of his voice.

“She said I was nice at the bookstore, so I might’ve had a shot at that point,” Spike answered. “But I’m pretty sure I blew that to hell when I got drunk at the party, treated her pretty badly, and shoved her away from me.”

“You what?” Xander asked loudly, shocked.

“She was trying to grab my keys because she knew I was drunk, and I ended up pushing her away so I could leave,” Spike said. “I don’t think I hurt her or anything, but I didn’t mean to touch her like that.”

“Yeah, you’d better apologize, then,” Xander said. “Because the last thing you want people to hear is that you ‘shoved’ a girl, Spike. Violent men aren’t sexy.”

“I’m not violent,” Spike said, angry, becoming frustrated with his tie.

“I know that,” his friend said. “But she doesn’t.”

* * * * *

After finishing his interview with Manny, his new manager, Spike was given the opportunity to look around the place, which allowed him to see if Buffy was working. She was standing behind the counter, just finishing an order, when he appeared beside her. She looked at him and frowned, crossing her arms.

“Hi, Buffy,” he said quietly. “Can we talk?”

“I’m kind of working,” she said, turning away from him.

“Well, I will be, too, in about five minutes,” he replied. “When Manny gives me a uniform.” She turned around, stunned. “Surprise!”

“You’re working here?” she asked, shocked. “No, you can’t be.”

“Yep, I am,” he said. “I needed a job, so I’m taking the one I was offered here.”

“Why?” she asked, tilting her head. “Why would Prince Spike need a job? Did your parents cut off your funding?”

“I got in an accident and need to pay off everything,” he answered, looking away.

“I heard about that,” she said quietly. “Fred told me.” He nodded. ‘If you would’ve let me take your keys, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“I know,” he replied, looking at her. “And I’m sorry for how I acted, luv. I didn’t mean to push you or be such an ass.”

“You were drunk,” she said, shrugging. “Besides, you weren’t much different from how you usually are.” At his incredulous look, she gave him a small smile. “It’s fine- I’m over it. I’m just happy your parents are trying to teach you a lesson.” Manny walked over to them and handed Spike his uniform. She grinned at the disgusted look on his face. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”

“You’re funny, Summers,” Spike said sarcastically before walking away to go change. She smiled as she watched him walk into the back room of the building before turning back to her line of customers.

About a week later, Buffy finished training Spike and was able to work on her own once again, letting him try his hand at serving customers by himself. She watched him take an order and giggled when the register wouldn’t open. He looked at her, somewhat helpless, and she walked over to him, pressing a button, which opened the register.

“You’re doing fine,” she said, gently squeezing his arm. “I’m only five feet away if you need me.” He smiled at her, and she returned to her register to take a couple of orders. When Riley suddenly was standing in front of her, she grinned. “Hey! I thought we weren’t meeting up until 8.” He showed her his watch, and she sighed with relief. “Thank god. I’m so sick of working for the day.” She took off the hat she had to wear and set it on the counter. “Want anything to eat?”

“How about a soda and fries?” he asked, and she nodded, going to get his food before handing it to him. “How much is it?”

“My treat,” she said, waving it off. “Nothing but the best greasy food for my boyfriend.” He chuckled. “Why don’t you have a seat, and I’ll come over to you when I’m all done?” He nodded and walked away, going towards a booth and sitting down.

Spike looked at Buffy once his line had depleted.

“You’re leaving?” he asked. “Who’s going to help me when I screw up again?”

“Well, there’s always Manny,” she said. “Or Amy. She can probably spare some time from the drive-thru if you get in a bind.” He frowned. “What? Are you trying to guilt me into staying here longer in case you forget to press a button again?” He pouted, and she sighed. “Ten minutes. After that, you’re on your own, pal.” He chuckled and leaned back on the counter, watching as she closed her register for the night. “You did well today for being on your own. I remember my first day alone- I short-changed at least two people, and I’m fairly certain no one got the right order.”

“But you’re still here, so it must’ve been okay,” he replied, and she shrugged.

“I think Manny could recognize how badly I needed the job,” she said. “My financial situation was dire, to say the least.” She looked down and quietly added, “Still is.”

“So, what’re you and the great ponce doing tonight?” he asked curiously, hoping he didn’t sound jealous at all.

“My friend Willow is having a small movie night, so we’ll probably go there,” she said, looking at him. “What about you?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Harmony’s having a party, so I’ll inevitably go there and be bored off my ass.” He hesitated before looking at her. “Do you want to go, too?”

“We’re from two very different caste systems,” she joked lightly. “Your girlfriend wouldn’t even let me in the house, let alone allow me to stay. Her and I don’t exactly mix.” He nodded and looked down. “But thanks.”

“Maybe a rain-check?” he asked, and she managed a small smile.

“Not to Harmony’s house,” she replied before clocking out. “Well, I’m going to leave- Riley’s almost done eating.” He sighed and nodded. “But have fun tonight, and I think we work together on Sunday, right?”

“Yeah,” he answered, putting his hands in his pockets. “I’ll see you then.”

“Bye, Spike,” she said, walking out from behind the counter and to Riley, kissing his cheek as he stood up. Spike watched them leave the building, all the while wishing that things would be different between them.

* * * * *

“So, how was work tonight?” Riley asked as they got in his car. “I couldn’t help but notice how friendly you and Spike seem to be.” She raised an eyebrow as she looked at him.

“We get along, yeah,” she said. “But we’re not friends, by any means. We’re civil when we need to be- that’s about it.” He started the car.

“I think something’s up with him, Buffy,” he said quietly, looking at the steering wheel. “He hasn’t said a word to me in a while, which when you consider how often he used to make fun of me, things seem very off. Nice, but off.” She looked out the window. “I think he likes you.”

“I doubt it,” she lied, pretending to be stunned. “Him and I are very dissimilar.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he replied, looking at her, insecurity lacing his words. “I wouldn’t put it past him.” He paused. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s trying to take you away from me, just because he can.”

“He can’t take me away from you,” she said, becoming upset. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he said. “But I can’t deny the fact that he can offer you a lot more than I can.”

“Where is this coming from?” she asked loudly. “Are you seriously saying that he’s better than you?”

“He is,” he replied sternly. “Everyone knows it.”

“I love you, Riley,” she said, taking his hand in hers. “Money, power, coveted spot on the soccer team- none of that matters to me and never will. Spike isn’t even half as amazing as you, and if you can’t understand that, then I feel very sorry for you.” He squeezed her hand and sighed.

“I love you, too,” he said sadly. “I just hope it’s enough.” Her features softened as she leaned over to softly kiss him.

“You have nothing to worry about,” she replied. “I promise.” He nodded and pulled out of the parking lot. She looked out the window again and thought about what he had said.

‘There’s no way Spike seriously likes me,’ she thought. ‘He’s mean, and a jerk, and he… has been really nice to me lately.’ She paused and shut her eyes, frowning. ‘Maybe Riley’s right. Wherein which… why would Spike want me? He’s got Harmony, pushy queen of slut-town. Isn’t that enough?’ She sighed. ‘But knowing Spike, he won’t stop until he gets what he wants, and if I’m what he wants, what’s going to happen?’ She looked at Riley and noticed the fact that he was gripping the wheel with a somewhat angry expression. ‘This isn’t going to end well.’

When Sunday rolled around, Buffy was very skeptical to go to work, fearing that maybe Spike seriously did like her and had a plot against Riley. She cautiously looked around when she walked inside the Doublemeat Palace, managing to get to her locker in back when Spike appeared beside her.

“Hi,” she said quietly, not looking at him, which he noticed.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, worried, and she sighed, nodding. “Why won’t you look at me?”

“Do you like me, Spike?” she asked, looking at him. “I mean, not in just the friendly type of way. Do you like me?”

“Not going to lie when I say you’re beautiful, Goldilocks,” he said. “I’m sure I’ve made it clear in the past that I like you.”

“No, you’ve made it clear that you want to sleep with me,” she replied. “That’s not the same thing.”

“I like you, yes,” Spike said, looking away. “You’re intelligent, cute when you’re angry, diligent, and best of all, you’ve started warming up to me.” She tilted her head. “What?”

“Are you trying to screw Riley over?” she asked curiously. “I mean, are you trying to win me over so that you can take me away from him and one-up him?”

“No,” he answered, shocked by her questions. “Why would I do that? I know how it feels to be heart-broken because your girlfriend leaves you for someone else- I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.” She looked down. “But just because you two are together doesn’t mean that I’m going to stop liking you. I’m just going to wait until the day you two are no longer together so that I can slip in and have myself a good day.” She smiled slightly.

“But you’re not going to wait patiently, are you?” she asked, and he smirked.

“No way in hell,” he said, walking away. She laughed quietly before closing her locker and clocking in.

* * * * *

When there was a particularly long lull in the late afternoon, Buffy and Spike took a break and sat at one of the tables, talking.

“So, where are you applying to college?” Spike asked conversationally, sipping his soda.

“Every school that I can get a scholarship for,” she replied. “I may work my ass off, but I will never get enough money to pay off half of the schools I want to go to. Hopefully I’ll graduate as the valedictorian, thus giving me a better shot of impressing all of the Ivy League schools and getting them to fight for me.” He chuckled, and she smiled in return. “I just want to go away from here, you know? I’ve never really traveled much, and the last thing I want to do is stay in Sunnydale for the rest of my life.”

“What do you want to do as a career?” he asked, and she sighed.

“I want to be an author,” she answered wistfully, and he raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Couldn’t you just get a degree in English at UC-Sunnydale and then leave to travel the globe?” he asked, and she shrugged.

“I guess, but it doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun to me,” she said. “What about you? Where do you want to go next fall?”

“Probably UCLA,” he answered. “Far enough from home to be on my own but close enough in case of emergencies.”

“Like if you run out of money?” she asked, smiling, and he nodded. “Must be nice to have parents who can give you whatever you want.” He frowned, and she looked down. “I didn’t mean for that to sound bad- I just always wanted a life like yours, and after realizing I’d never have it, I got kind of bitter.”

“Rightfully so,” he said. “I know I’m a lucky bloke, and yes, I abuse the privileges I’ve been given, but no one’s really ever called me on it. Not until you.” She smirked and looked at him. “You know, Buffy, maybe I could talk to my mum about sending in a letter of recommendation to Wellesley for you. It’s her alma mater, after all.”

“Wellesley would be nice,” she replied, smiling. “But I couldn’t ask your mother to do that- I don’t even know her.”

“So come over after work,” he offered. “You can meet and charm her, which I happen to know you do very well.” She blushed and looked away. “Not like it’d do you any harm if she wrote one up for you.”

“That’d be really nice if she did,” she said. “Thank you for suggesting it.” He grinned.

“Not a problem,” he replied. “Besides, it’s a good excuse to take you home with me tonight.” She raised an eyebrow as he got up and walked back to the counter to start serving customers again.

‘He thinks I’m charming?’ she thought. ‘When it comes to charming people, he’s the king.’

* * * * *

After they finished working that night, Buffy followed Spike to his house and was stunned as she pulled up in front of a beautiful mansion.

‘Why am I surprised?’ she asked herself as she got out of her car and walked over to him. ‘I know he’s rich- this type of house shouldn’t have been a shock.’

“So, how do you like it?” he asked, motioning to the house. “The exterior is okay, but wait until you get inside- Mum’s put a lot of work into decorating it.”

“Well, when there isn’t a budget, it’s not too hard to make a house look palatial,” she said, and he raised an eyebrow. “Sorry- I warned you before that I can be bitter.” He took her hand in his as they walked to the front door, and she tensed up a bit before relaxing and not pulling her hand away from his.

‘We’re just holding hands- it’s not a big deal,’ she told herself. ‘Friends can hold hands, right?’ She paused. ‘Wait, are we even friends?’ He opened the door and led her in, and she stared around the foyer, her jaw dropping as she took in her surroundings. ‘Okay, if this is the type of place I can come to visit, then I’ll be his friend for life.’

“Hello, William,” an older woman said as she descended the main staircase, looking at the two teens. “This must be the infamous Buffy you’ve told me all about.” Buffy looked at Spike for a moment and saw the smirk on his face. “I’m Jenny, his mother.” The two women shook hands. “Welcome.”

“Thank you for allowing me to come over,” Buffy said. “Your house is beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Jenny said. “So, how about we go and have a chat about Wellesley, just us girls?” Buffy looked at Spike to gain his approval, and he nodded, smiling.

“I’ll come down in an hour,” he said, going to the stairs. “Be nice, Mum.” Jenny winked at her son, who grinned and walked upstairs. Jenny turned her attention to Buffy and smiled warmly.

“Now, William tells me you have an outstanding GPA,” she began, leading Buffy into a nicely-furnished living room area.

* * * * *

True to his word, Spike returned downstairs an hour later after taking a shower and calling Xander, only to find Buffy and his mother sitting on a couch and laughing. He smiled at the sight and tilted his head.

‘Mum’s never comfortable with the girls I’ve brought over,’ he thought. ‘But they’re really hitting it off.’ Buffy spotted him and stood up as he walked into the room. Jenny stood up, also, and patted her son on the shoulder.

“She’s a refreshing young woman,” Jenny said, causing Buffy to blush. “I feel like I’m 18 again, the world at my fingertips.” She looked at Buffy. “It was lovely to meet you, dear, and please don’t be a stranger.”

“Thank you so much,” Buffy said, shaking her hand again. “It was nice to meet you.”

“And you, as well,” Jenny said. “The letter will be in the mail tomorrow morning.” She kissed her son on the cheek. “Have a good night, you two.” She exited the room and returned upstairs, leaving Buffy and Spike in silence. Buffy cleared her throat and smiled sheepishly.

“It’s getting late- I should probably go,” she said. “But thanks again for inviting me over- your mother is very sweet.”

“You’re welcome,” he said. “Anything to be of service.” She smiled and followed him to the front door. “So, I’ll see you at work on Tuesday?”

“Yep,” she answered, nodding. “Have a good night, Spike.”

“Good night, Buffy,” he said quietly, watching her leave with a soft expression. He shut the door before leaning back against it, shutting his eyes and hoping that maybe things would improve more between he and Buffy.

Meanwhile, Buffy pulled away from the house with a smile on her face.

‘This was really cool of Spike to do,’ she thought. ‘Maybe he’s not so bad after all.’

She was too wrapped up in the flood of thoughts that filtered through her head to notice the car that began following her home. If she had really looked in the rearview mirror, she would’ve seen that Riley was behind her, upset and angry, having witnessed her leave Spike’s house.

Buffy had just gotten home from school the next day when she heard the doorbell ring. She put her backpack down and opened the door, surprised when Riley pushed right past her, letting himself in.

‘Hello to you, too,’ she thought. ‘Since when does he just barge in, uninvited?’ She sighed. ‘I wonder if Spike said something to him, because if he did, that would explain why Riley looks as if someone punched him in the stomach.’

“What’s wrong?” she asked, worried. “Did something happen at school?” He turned to face her, crossing his arms as a furious expression covered his face.

“Why were you at Spike’s house last night?” he asked, and she froze, stunned. “What? Didn’t think I’d find out? How stupid do you think I am, Buffy? I see the way he looks at you, and I know you have feelings for him, too.”

“What’re you talking about?” she asked, becoming upset. “I don’t like Spike, not as more than a friend.”

“So you two are definitely friends now?” he asked sharply.

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “What does it matter? I can be friends with anyone I want to, and it’s not like he’s ever been that bad to me.” She paused. “Well, I guess he’s been a jerk, but that’s just the rebellious façade he has.” She hesitated and looked down. “How did you know I was there?”

“I followed you after work,” he admitted sheepishly, and her jaw dropped in indignation.

“You followed me?” she asked in a low tone. “You really don’t trust me, do you?”

“I trust you,” he said, frowning. “It’s Spike that I don’t trust.” She nodded sadly and looked away. “I don’t understand how you can be friends with someone who disgusts me and will stop at nothing to piss me off.”

“Because I’ve seen how kind he can be,” she said, looking at him. “I know he’s a bastard sometimes, but after getting to know him more through work, I’ve been able to see more of his true personality.” He sighed and clenched his jaw.

“I don’t think this is going to work,” he said, and her eyes slowly widened as she realized what he was saying. “I can’t be with someone who won’t stick by my side and support me.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” she asked, angry. “I’ve been nothing but supportive.”

“If you supported me, you wouldn’t even talk to him,” he replied, putting his hands in his pockets. “He’s made my life a living hell since freshman year, Buffy- seeing you with him kills me more than I can bear, and I just can’t-”

“Go,” she said, her fists clenching. “Just go.” His expression softened as he stepped forward to hug her, but she backed up, pushing him away. “You really must not love me if this is why you’re going to end our relationship.”

“I love you,” he said with conviction. “But I can’t handle you being friends with him.” He went to the door and paused as he opened it, his back to her. “I always knew you’d go for a better guy.” Before she could respond, he left, slamming the door behind him.

Buffy held back the tears in her eyes for a moment as she went to dial a familiar number in her phone.

“Hello?”

“Willow, can you come over?” Buffy asked quietly before beginning to sob.

* * * * *

Spike grabbed his ringing cell phone as he drove home from school, cursing as he nearly dropped it before answering it.

“Hello?” he asked, annoyed as he noticed that Harmony flashed on the phone’s screen.

“Hi, blondie bear,” she said cheerfully. “What are we doing tonight?”

“I’m working on an English paper,” he replied sternly. “Since it’s a school night, you silly bint.”

“So what? You’ve never done papers before,” she said, and he could tell she was pouting. “You just pay someone else to write one for you.”

“Yeah, well, I’m turning over a new leaf,” he said. “But feel free to go out.”

“Maybe I will,” she said sharply. “With a guy who actually cares about me and takes me out to nice places, something you haven’t done in a very long time, Spike.” He sighed and shook his head, becoming more irritated.

‘I should’ve just told her to get stuffed a long time ago,’ he thought. ‘What did I ever see in her?’ He paused. ‘I blame it on my hormones.’ He caught himself before he could chuckle. ‘Horniness is a disease, I’d wager, especially when it leads you to a trollop like Harmony.’

“I hear Billy Fordham likes you,” he said flippantly. “Why don’t you call him up?”

“Are you seriously suggesting I go out with someone else?” she asked.

“Luv, you’ve been going out with other people for a while now,” he replied. “So far be it for me to tell you not to because you’ll continue shagging other guys behind my back.” He sighed. “Well, not behind my back because I’ve known all along, but you get what I mean.”

“You’re making a big mistake, Spike,” she said, angry. “You’ll never find someone as good as me.”

“Oh, I think I will,” he replied, smirking. “In fact, I already have.”

“Who?” she asked, shocked. “Who can possibly be better than me?”

“Oh, just some girl I know,” he said. “Buffy Summers.” She gasped loudly, causing him to chuckle.

“Her?” she asked. “There’s no way she’s better than me, Spike! She’s poor, and a bookworm, and-”

“Utterly adorable,” he said, stopping at a stoplight. “She’s ten times better than you, Harm- I’m sorry.”

“Please don’t do this, Spikie,” she said, sounding heartbroken.

“It’s for the best,” he replied. “Good luck, Harmony, and maybe I’ll see you around.” He hung up and tossed his phone onto the passenger seat. As he realized what had just happened, he grinned widely. “Ding dong, the witch is dead.” He chuckled more as the light turned green, allowing him to speed off towards home.

The following day, Spike arrived at work and noticed Buffy slamming her locker shut in the back room of the Doublemeat Palace. He slowly approached her, not wanting to either scare her or piss her off more.

“You alright, pet?” he asked, and she turned to look at him, her eyes slightly red and puffy. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” she mumbled, walking away, but he caught up to her, walking beside her.

“Did something happen at school?” he asked, and she remembered asking Riley something similar the day before, which caused her to tear up. Spike’s eyes widened.

‘I wonder if Harmony said something to her,’ he thought before restraining himself from slapping his forehead for even mentioning Buffy to Harmony. ‘Bugger.’

“You didn’t happen to talk to Harmony today, did you?” he asked cautiously, and she raised an eyebrow, looking at him.

“No,” she answered, and he sighed with relief. “She wasn’t at school. I heard a couple of girls say she was taking a ‘mental health day’, whatever that means.” She paused, wiping off the corners of her eyes. “Why?”

“Well, I kind of… dumped her yesterday,” he said sheepishly, surprised when she slightly smirked at him. “What?”

“Wow, yesterday really was a bad day, wasn’t it?” she asked, shaking her head and looking away. “You and Harmony broke up, Riley dumped me, I got a B on an English paper-”

“Whoa, wait a second,” he said, cutting her off. “What was that middle part you said? About Riley?” She sighed and shoved her hands in the pockets of her uniform pants, trying not to cry as she remembered what Riley had said to her.

“He came over after school and told me that he and I weren’t working anymore,” she said quietly. “He thinks that you and I have something going on between us.” He smirked before looking away, hoping she didn’t notice the happy look on his face. “So, guess we’re both singletons now.”

“Looks like,” he agreed. “It’s for the best, though, Buffy.” She looked at him and hesitantly nodded.

“Yeah, I guess it is,” she said before continuing to walk to her register. “You should go clock-in before Manny notices you aimlessly standing around, talking to me.” He chuckled and nodded, turning to walk into the back room again. She watched him go, tilting her head.

‘Him and I both being single at the same time can’t be of the good,’ she thought as a customer came over to her.

* * * * *

“We haven’t had a customer in almost half an hour,” Buffy said, looking at a clock on the wall. “Who really comes here after eleven o’clock on a school-night to get greasy food?”

“No one I can think of,” Spike mumbled, turning off his register for the night. “Let’s just clock-out and go home, luv. I’ll drive you.” She raised an eyebrow, looking at him. “What? Riley used to be your wheels home, and since he no longer wants to play your knight in shining armor, I’ll gladly fill in.” She giggled and shook her head, shutting off her register, too. “You’ll let me?”

“I’ll let you drive me, yes,” she answered, beginning to walk away. “But not the ‘knight in shining armor’ thing.” He frowned before following her, shutting the door behind him as they got into the back room. She opened her locker and grabbed her stuff, in the meantime taking off her uniform hat and smoothing down her hair.

“Why not?” he asked as he opened his locker. “I could even try to show up on a trusty white steed.”

“You’re bent,” she said, laughing quietly, and he grinned.

“How would you know? Sneaking peeks in my window at night to see my manly bits?” he joked, noticing the deep blush that began to cover her cheeks. “Wow, you really are adorable.” She looked away quickly, trying her hardest not to smile. “Oh come on, princess, I’m just kidding around. Don’t have to pretend I’m sullying your virtue or something.” She closed her locker.

“No, that would’ve been Parker,” she replied, looking at him, and he sighed before nodding. “Everyone told me you were like him, Spike, did you know that?” He looked away. “I believed them, too, and a little part of me still does.” He closed his locker sadly. “But a larger part of me doesn’t believe that at all.” He looked at her, surprised. “You’ve been pretty sweet to me at points, and I guess I just wanted to thank you for that. It’s nice to know you’re not really the rebellious bad-ass you try so hard to be.” Before she could realize what was happening, he gently cupped her cheeks in his hands and kissed her softly. She allowed the kiss to continue for a moment before quickly pushing him away, her eyes wide. “What the hell was that?”

“A you’re welcome, of sorts,” he answered, stunned when she quickly turned and ran out of the building. “Oh bollocks.” He chased after her, catching her before she was out of the parking lot, grabbing her arm and turning her around. “Buffy-”

“You kissed me,” she said in a low tone. “You kissed me, Spike!”

“Yes, I know I did,” he said quietly. “And I’m sorry if that bothered you, but-”

“No, that’s not the problem,” she replied, looking away. “The problem is that it didn’t bother me.” His eyes widened as she focused on him again. “I just got out of a year-long relationship, Spike. The last thing I should be thinking of is dating someone else.”

“You want to date me?” he asked, smiling, and she shot him a look. He raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood.”

“It’s just not a good idea for me to get involved with anyone right now, least of all you,” she said, and when she saw the hurt look on his face, she quickly continued. “I just mean that Riley suspected you and I might’ve been… close, so I don’t want to confirm his suspicious.” She paused. “For a while, at least.”

“Then we won’t let anyone know,” Spike said, taking her hands in his and gently squeezing them. “We’ll just be secretive for a while.” She frowned. “Please give me a chance, Buffy. I want to prove to you that I can be a nice guy all of the time, not just sometimes.”

“I don’t think I can,” she said, looking down, and he let go of one of her hands to tilt her chin up.

“Yes, luv, you can,” he replied, grazing her cheek. “Just one date- that’s all I want.”

“Liar,” she said, managing a small smile. “You want a lot more than that.” He grinned widely, and she sighed. “Fine, one date, but that’s it.” He leaned down to kiss her once more, but this time, she kissed him back, which only served to surprise Spike more.

“Come on, Goldilocks,” he said. “We should get you home so you can rest up for our date tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” she asked, and he nodded, smirking.

“What can I say?” he asked, shrugging. “I’m impatient and can’t wait.”

The following night, Buffy sat on her porch, waiting for Spike, slightly nervous for their date.

‘This doesn’t feel right,’ she thought. ‘The only serious relationship I’ve ever had was with Riley… and I guess Parker would count, too, even though that should’ve never gotten as serious as it did.’ She sighed and looked down. ‘Are you really willing to open your heart up to someone new? Someone you hardly know?’

Spike pulled up in her driveway, and she smiled softly.

‘What the hell, Summers- you’re only young once,’ she said to herself before standing up and walking towards his car. Spike got out, dressed in khakis and a black button-down shirt, his hair slightly tousled and curly. ‘He’s really good-looking, isn’t he?’

“You look smashing, pet,” he said, walking around to the side of the car and opening the door for her. She raised an eyebrow, smirking. “What?”

“Sorry, I’m just thinking about how funny it is to see you be chivalrous,” she said, giggling at his hurt look. “Only kidding, Spike- thank you.” She got in, closing the door for herself while he walked around the car once again and got in on his side. He started the car and backed out of the driveway before driving towards town.

“So, was Harmony at school today?” he asked curiously, and she shook her head.

“Nope, she was playing hooky again,” she replied before looking at him. “Why? You’ve asked me the last two days about her.”

“I’m just worried about her,” he partially lied, shrugging. “We broke up, and I don’t want to see her hurt herself or anything.” She nodded and looked outside as he sighed. “And I told her that I was interested in you.” She froze and quickly looked at him. “So if she freaks out on you, sorry.”

“Hold up just a second, buddy,” she said, crossing her arms. “You told Harmony that you like me?” He nodded sheepishly and looked straight ahead, through the windshield, trying his hardest not to see the surprise and anger in Buffy’s eyes. “You do realize she’s going to make my life a living hell, don’t you?”

“I didn’t mean to say your name, luv,” he replied. “It happened before I could stop myself.” She looked down, covering her face with her hands and mumbling something. “What was that, Goldilocks? Couldn’t hear you.”

“This had better be worth it,” she said quietly, and he looked at her, smiling.

“You don’t think it will be?” he asked, and she managed a weak smile.

“For your sake, I hope it is,” she said, and he chuckled as he continued driving.

* * * * *

“You really didn’t have to pay for dinner, Spike,” Buffy said as they exited the Italian restaurant she had went to with Riley before Homecoming. “But thank you.”

“It was my pleasure, princess,” he said, taking her hand in his and lacing their fingers together as they began walking through town. “So, has it been worth it so far?”

“Yes,” she answered, smiling. “You’re gaining points in my book.”

“There’s a point system?” he asked jokingly, and she leaned into his side as he wrapped his arm around her waist instead.

“There might be,” she answered, and he chuckled.

“Am I doing alright so far?” he asked. “Am I proving to you that I can be as good as the great ponce you used to date?”

“Don’t talk about Riley like that,” she said, frowning. “He’s a genuinely good guy, Spike, and I wish you’d stop giving him such a hard time.”

“Probably should,” he replied, shrugging. “I did take his best toy away.”

“If you’re referring to me, I’m not a toy,” she said firmly, and he lightly kissed her temple, sending a slight chill through her.

“No, you’re not,” he agreed. “You’re something much better than that.” She looked at him and saw sincerity in his eyes, which was a little disconcerting for her.

‘If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s falling fast for me,’ she thought. ‘I don’t want this to be so serious, not yet.’

“So, why do you go to an all-boys school?” she asked, doing her part to steer the conversation into more neutral and lighthearted territory.

“Why do you go to an all-girls school?” he asked jokingly, and she smiled. “Guess it was the logical choice for me. My dad went there, so I pretty much had to, too. Besides, how often do wealthy people go to public schools?”

“About as often as poor people go to private schools,” she said, and he looked at her. “What? I’m not poor, but I’m not rich, either. I know where I stand and how lucky I am to attend Holy Angels- it’s an honor to attend such a prestigious school.”

“Isn’t money an issue, though?” he asked. “I can’t imagine having to pay off the tuition there when money isn’t as… expendable.” She shrugged, sighing.

“We get by, my mom and I,” she answered. “It’s difficult, but life’s supposed to be that way. Otherwise, it’s boring, and without challenges, life serves no point.” He smiled and nodded. “Sorry, I’m getting weird, aren’t I?”

“No, it’s nice to have a conversation like this,” he said. “Harmony wasn’t one to talk about important stuff, and I kind of… miss just talking to someone like this.” She smiled softly and looked around, freezing as she saw Riley emerge out of a store across the street, only to stare directly at her, shocked. Spike felt her tense up and followed her gaze, smirking when he saw Riley. “Uh oh, the Jolly Geeky Giant looks brassed off.”

“Shut up,” she said quietly, frowning when Riley quickly walked away in the opposite direction as them.

“What does it matter? Not like he could hear me, anyways,” he said. “Come on, pet- let’s go.”

“Will you do me a favor?” she asked, looking at him. He raised an eyebrow. “Please stop treating Riley the way you do. He doesn’t deserve it, and if you care about me at all, you’ll do this for me.” He studied her eyes for a long moment before sighing.

“Fine,” he replied, and she smiled. “I must be whipped.”

“Not yet,” she said quietly, and he grinned as they continued to walk to his car.

* * * * *

When they pulled up in front of her house, she took a deep breath and looked at him.

“Want me to escort you to your door?” he asked, and she smiled.

“I can make it on my own,” she replied. “But thanks.”

“Isn’t it more comfortable to have a good-night kiss by your door instead of in the car?” he asked, pouting, and she giggled quietly, slightly blushing. “Fine, luv, the car it is.” He leaned over and kissed her softly, and she smiled against his lips before pulling back.

“I had a nice time tonight,” she said. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, grazing her cheek. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow, yeah?”

“Definitely,” she replied, leaning over quickly to kiss him one last time before getting out of the car and walking to her door, letting herself inside. He grinned before driving away, still feeling as if her lips were on his.

Joyce watched Buffy walk inside, smirking, and raised an eyebrow.

“How was your night?” Joyce asked, and Buffy stopped by the stairs, looking at her mom.

“It was really fun,” she answered. “Much different than dates with Riley.”

“Am I ever going to meet Spike?” her mom asked, smiling warmly. “Or is he that horrible? You know, one of those guys you can’t take home to introduce me to? With a nickname like Spike, I must admit I’m curious to find out how he is.”

“He’s wonderful, Mom,” Buffy said, smiling. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Joyce watched Buffy walk upstairs and sighed quietly.

‘I haven’t seen her this happy since before Parker,’ she thought before watching TV again.

* * * * *

Buffy arrived at school the next morning in a good mood, excited to tell Willow about her date with Spike. But when she saw the word Whore written on her locker in red lipstick, she froze, tears forming in her eyes.

‘Who would do something like this?’ she thought, biting her lip to try to keep her tears at bay.

“You really thought I’d let you get away with stealing my boyfriend?” Harmony asked, appearing beside Buffy, quickly grabbing her ponytail and yanking her head back, straining her neck in the process. “No one takes what’s mine, especially not some loser like you.”

“He doesn’t want you,” Buffy said through gritted teeth, grabbing Harmony’s wrist tightly, which made Harmony let go of Buffy’s hair. “The only thing he wanted you for was sex, and since apparently you’re not that good at it, he moved on to someone better.”

“Why am I not surprised that you already put out for him?” Harmony asked sharply. “A little slut like you will sleep with anything just to try to make yourself feel better.” Harmony stepped forward, dangerously close to Buffy. “You will never be popular, no matter who you fuck, got me?” Buffy crossed her arms, tilting her head. “If you two stay together-”

“You’ll what? Get in a catfight with me?” Buffy asked. “Grow up, Harmony.” She opened her locker, but Harmony slammed her fist into it, closing it.

“You’re trash, bitch, and the only reason why Spike would go for you is because you’re easy,” Harmony said, hissing.

“Well, he went for you, so I wouldn’t be surprised,” Buffy replied, shrugging. “You’re not going to win here, Harmony- you don’t scare me.”

“Just wait,” she said sternly. “I’m going to get him back, and I can promise you that I will destroy you in the process.”

“Give it your best shot,” Buffy said in a challenging tone, successfully opening her locker again.

“Oh, I will,” Harmony said before walking away. Buffy took a deep breath and grabbed her books before closing her locker and looking at the lipstick on it. She ran her hand over it, smearing the word until it was undistinguishable.

“She’s not worth it,” she said quietly before walking to her first class of the day.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Spike arrived at his locker a few minutes after the last bell rang, signaling the beginning of first hour, and grabbed some textbooks. He was surprised when he saw a shadow cast over both his locker and the one beside his.

“She’ll never be yours,” Riley said, and Spike turned around, facing him with an amused expression.

“Who? The lunch lady?” Spike asked jokingly. “She’s all yours.”

“You know who I mean,” Riley said sharply, crossing his arms. “She’ll never love you, Spike- you’re beneath her.”

“What can I say? My girl likes being on top,” he replied, and Riley clenched both his jaw and his fists.

“If you hurt her, you know I’m going to kill you, right?” Riley asked, and surprisingly, Spike could tell how sincere he was.

“Are you implying that you accept the fact she’s with me now?” Spike asked, and Riley looked away.

“She’s made her choice- not like I can change her mind,” Riley said quietly before looking at Spike again with fire in his eyes. “But I’m not lying when I say I will beat you beyond recognition if you do anything to hurt her, got me?”

“I wouldn’t worry,” Spike said, shutting his locker. “If anything, she’ll be the one who hurts me, not the other way around.” He walked away, leaving Riley to stare after him with an angry, but surprised, expression.

Days passed, then weeks, and then months, and before they realized it, it was time for Christmas. Buffy and Spike’s relationship was progressing nicely, and despite the fact Harmony continued to give Buffy idle threats, nothing had gone wrong. Everyone at both of their schools found out about their relationship, and surprisingly enough, no one had said anything bad about it- their friends were happy for them.

The day before Christmas Eve, Spike drove to Buffy’s house so that they could exchange gifts before he went out of town for a few days. She let him inside the house and hugged him, kissing him softly.

“Well, hello, gorgeous,” he said, running his hand over her hair. “You look lovely.”

“I’m in jeans and an old sweater,” she said, looking at her clothes with a raised eyebrow. “I ‘look lovely’?”

“You always look beautiful,” he replied, smiling. “It doesn’t matter what you wear.”

“Good,” she replied, shrugging. “Then I guess I can stop dressing up whenever we go out on dates. I’ll even be sure to stop wearing that one mini-skirt you like so much.”

“Don’t you dare,” he said quickly with wide eyes. “You’d be cruel if you didn’t wear it anymore.” She giggled and grabbed his hand, leading him into the living room before they sat on the couch. Spike looked at the Christmas tree in the corner and smiled, studying all of the ornaments and lights on it. “No expense spared on the tree, yeah?”

“It’s the one thing my mom loves spending money on,” Buffy answered, smiling. “We decorate it a couple weeks before Christmas together and joke about how ugly the ornaments I made in grade school are.” He chuckled and stood up, walking to the tree. “And if you’re going to make fun of me for decorating a tree with my mom, then I demand my present now.” He grinned at her before taking an ornament off a branch, looking at the picture of a younger Buffy on it.

“You’ve always been adorable,” he said quietly, and she stood up, walking over to him to see it. “How old were you?”

“About ten,” she said, smirking. “That was taken the day before I found out Santa doesn’t exist.”

“Kind of slow to figure that out, eh?” he joked, and she playfully smacked his arm.

“I was in denial,” she replied, hanging up the ornament once again.

“It’s cool that you share something like this with your mum,” he said. “My parents hire someone else to buy our tree and make it look festive.”

“No expense spared?” she asked, repeating his words, and he sighed.

“Pretty much,” he replied before walking back to the couch and sitting down. She followed him and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. “So, what are you asking Santa for this year, little girl?”

“Something of the platinum-blonde variety,” she answered, kissing him. He pulled her closer to his body, eagerly returning the kiss and parting her lips with his tongue. She moaned quietly and allowed her tongue to touch his, reveling in the sensation.

They continued kissing for a while before Spike pulled away to breathe, looking into her eyes as she panted for air. He grazed her cheek and took a deep breath.

“I love you,” he said quietly, noticing the look of shock cover her face almost instantly. She quickly got off of his lap and took several steps back, staring at him. “Buffy?”

“You don’t love me,” she replied, almost as if to make both of them believe it. “You can’t love me. We’ve barely been together for two months.” He stood up and walked over to her, trying to embrace her, but she pushed him away. “You don’t love me, Spike.”

“Yes, I do, pet,” he said, and after she pushed him away again, he frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Parker told me he loved me after two months, and I believed him,” she said, looking away, feeling tears begin to form in her eyes. “I don’t want a repeat performance of what happened between him and I- I can’t handle that again.”

“I’m not Parker,” Spike said firmly. “I’m not even like him, anymore. You know I’ve changed, Buffy.” He paused. “I changed for you.”

“Don’t say that,” she replied. “You didn’t change for me.”

“I didn’t?” he asked, becoming upset. “You know I did!” She looked away, clenching her jaw. “What the hell does it take, Buffy? I’ve done everything I can to prove to you that I’m a good man, that I’m worthy of being with. I love you, and if you don’t love me, too, that’s fine- I can wait for you to decide that you do. But if you refuse to believe I genuinely love you, then tell me what I have to do to show you it’s true.” She looked at him and studied his expression, noticing the hurt in his eyes.

“I’m scared of being in love again, Spike,” she admitted quietly after a long pause. “Things with Parker and I didn’t work out, and after a year with Riley, I wasn’t as happy as I should’ve been.”

“We’re already doing better than both of those relationships,” Spike said, moving forward to hug her, and this time, she didn’t pull back. Instead, she buried her face in his chest and sighed before looking at him.

“I just don’t want to get into a serious relationship when we’re both going off to college next year and won’t be together anymore,” she said, and his expression darkened quickly.

“You don’t think we’ll stay together after we both graduate high school?” he asked, and she looked down. “You don’t want to be with me after that, Buffy?”

“I do, but I don’t see how it’s feasible,” she explained, not willing to look at him. “If I get my scholarships, I won’t be going anywhere in California- you know I’ve been accepted at Northwestern, NYU, and Wellesley, thanks in part to your mother’s letter of recommendation. You, on the other hand, want to go to UC-Sunnydale or UCLA.” She hesitated. “And I’ve heard the horror stories about couples going off to college together- it doesn’t always work, and when it doesn’t, one or both people involved want to switch schools post-breakup.”

“I’m not asking you to go to college with me,” he replied. “It’d be cool if you did, and I’m sure your mum would like it if you went somewhere around here, but I don’t want you to think that we’re not going to last after graduation. I’m in this for a very long time, luv, and I’m not about to stop being together just because we won’t be in the same county or state.”

“How about time zone?” she joked lightly, and he tilted his head. “It’s almost Christmas, Spike- we’re supposed to be happy. How about foregoing any more serious conversations until after we open our gifts?” He managed to nod and extracted a small wrapped box out of his jacket, handing it to her. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him. “I thought we agreed not to spend over twenty dollars?”

“I know,” he said, shrugging. “You don’t even know what it is yet.” She pulled off the wrapping paper slowly and opened the box before smiling at the silver chandelier earrings inside. “I saw you looking at them in one of your girly catalogues.”

“Thank you,” she said genuinely, kissing him. “They’re perfect.”

“And they’ll look beautiful on you,” he said, grazing her cheek. She smiled and went to the Christmas tree, grabbing a present from underneath it, before returning to Spike and handing it to him. “I don’t need a gift, luv- you’re the best Christmas gift I’ve ever had.” She shot him a playful look. “But if you insist-” He opened the small package to find Billy Idol’s Greatest Hits on CD, along with a silver Zippo lighter. “Luv, the lighter alone costs about twenty.”

“Not when one of your friends works at a store that sells them,” she said, winking at him.

“Thank you, pet,” he said, kissing her. “I love both gifts.”

“Well, now you can listen to your favorite singer on the plane,” she said. “But no smoking, buster- they don’t allow that during flights.”

“So you’re okay with my smoking fixation?” he asked, and she frowned.

“Of course not, but you won’t seem to give it up, so I guess I’ll just continue to let it go,” she replied. “Along with telling you how many health hazards are associated with that nasty little habit of yours.”

“You know that if you asked me to quit, I would,” he said quietly, and she saw the sincerity in his eyes.

“Then quit,” she said, and he took the pack of cigarettes out of his coat before handing them to her. “You’re serious?”

“Whatever makes my girl happy,” he replied, shrugging. She grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him. “I don’t want to go away, luv- I want to be with you over the holidays.”

“Just return home safely,” she said. “And remember- no more lighting up.”

“I know,” he said, nodding. “I’ll refrain from smoking, I promise.” He grazed her cheek and looked into her eyes. “I really do love you, Buffy.” She sighed and looked down, nodding. “If you’d rather have me hate you, I might be able to pretend.” She giggled quietly and looked at him, smiling. “That’s my girl.”

“Let me get this straight,” Liam said the morning of Valentine’s Day as he followed Spike to their lockers. “You’ve been together nearly four months, and she still hasn’t said she loves you?”

“I’m not going to force her to,” Spike replied, opening the combination lock as he came to stand in front of his locker. “Maybe she doesn’t love me.” He sighed. “I think she does, but from what I can tell, she’s just too afraid to say it, to really let someone into her life.”

“Can you blame her?” Xander asked as he stopped beside his friends. “It’s not like you’ve had a stellar history with girls, especially since every relationship you’ve had has been with a girl from Holy Angels. Undoubtedly, all of them told their friends about you, which in turn spread throughout the school.”

“I would think that Buffy’s moved beyond trusting whatever gossip she hears,” Spike said sternly. “She knows how I am, and if she really thinks I’m out to hurt her, then she’s very wrong.”

“She’ll tell you,” Liam said, leaning against his locker. “I don’t know when, but if she loves you, she’ll tell you.”

“Tough to sound like a girl,” Xander joked, and Angel smacked him. “So, got any romantic plans for tonight?”

“Cordelia wants to go to the Bronze,” Liam answered, frowning. “Which I don’t understand, considering the fact she knows I can’t dance.”

“Too true,” Spike said, smirking as Liam shot him a look. “I’m going to take Buffy to the restaurant we went to on our first date, and then I was thinking of maybe driving us to the beach or something.”

“Do you anticipate lots of ‘shagging’?” Xander asked, and Spike frowned, crossing his arms. “What? You’re telling me that you two haven’t slept together yet?”

“No, we haven’t,” Spike said, shutting his locker. “What’s the rush?”

“This girl really has changed you, hasn’t she?” Liam asked, studying his friend. “What happened to the guy who used to lure girls into bed after the first date?”

“He grew up,” Spike answered as he walked away.

* * * * *

“So, are you going out with Spike tonight?” Willow asked as she left school with Buffy, walking to their cars.

“He said he wants to take me out,” Buffy answered, shrugging. “What we’re doing is a surprise, apparently.”

“Oh, intriguing!” Willow replied, smirking. “Are you planning on any debauchery?”

“If you mean what I think you mean… I don’t know,” Buffy said, ducking her head and blushing.

“I was only kidding,” Willow said, patting her friend’s shoulder. “Don’t go out and do anything stupid, okay?”

“I won’t,” Buffy said, managing a weak smile. “I just… I think it’s time.”

“Time? For what?” Willow asked before her eyes widened. “Oh! Time for that, gotcha.”

“That doesn’t make me slutty, does it?” Buffy asked quickly. “I mean, he and I’ve been together for nearly four months, and I think that I… love him.”

“Wow,” Willow said quietly, surprised. “Who knew you’d fall for the guy you used to be enemies with?” Buffy tilted her head, frowning. “What? I’m only giving you a hard time.”

“Yeah, and you’re doing a superb job,” Buffy replied, looking away. “So, what’s your opinion on it? Do you think I should tell him tonight? I mean, it’s Valentine’s Day, and all.”

“It doesn’t get sweeter than that,” Willow said. “Especially if you mean it.” Buffy nodded and grabbed her car keys. “Will you call me tomorrow and tell me how it goes?” Buffy raised an eyebrow. “You can be very general about anything… naughty, but I want specific details about everything else.”

“You’re horrible,” Buffy said, walking away and blushing.

“That’s why I’m your best friend!” Willow shouted after her, grinning.

* * * * *

Later on that day, Buffy found herself sitting across from Spike at her favorite Italian restaurant, fidgeting with the food on the plate in front of her.

“Are you alright?” he asked quietly, concerned. “You’ve hardly eaten anything, and you’ve spoken about five words since we got here. If you want to go, we can, luv.”

“No, I’m fine,” she said, giving him a small smile. “I’m just not as hungry as I thought I was.”

“Is anything wrong?” he asked, and she shook her head, hoping he couldn’t tell how nervous she was. “Do you want me to get the waitress to box up your food so you can take it home?”

“Sure,” she said, pushing her plate away a little. Spike frowned and studied her.

“Buffy, if something’s wrong, you can tell me,” he said, putting his hand on hers. “If it’s me-”

“I’m really okay, Spike,” she said firmly, looking at him. “It’s just been a long day.”

“Then let’s head out,” he replied, motioning for their waitress to come to the table. “Can we have our bill, please?”

“Sure,” the woman replied, giving them both a weird look before walking away.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Buffy said. “You’re not done eating.”

“I’d rather see you be happy than to be full,” he said, and she giggled quietly. “Well, there’s some semblance of the Buffy I’m used to.” She smiled slightly and took a deep breath. “Do you want to go home, Goldilocks? Or maybe to the beach? You know, take a late-night stroll?”

“That sounds nice,” she answered, nodding. “I’d like that.”

* * * * *

After parking Spike’s car in the beach’s parking lot, they walked down to the water and began walking along the water, holding hands.

“I’m sorry I ruined the night,” Buffy said, looking at him.

“What’re you talking about?” Spike asked, confused.

“The restaurant,” she answered, looking at the water. “You planned a romantic dinner for us, and we ended up leaving because of me.”

“Luv, it’s perfectly fine,” he said, letting go of her hand and wrapping his arm around her waist instead, pulling her closer to his side as they walked. “Besides, the scent of garlic was starting to make me kind of nauseous.”

“Well, if you say so,” she replied, smiling. “But all the same, I’m sorry we left early. It was really sweet of you to take me there.”

“Well, I wanted to be nostalgic,” he said, smirking. “To remind you of how well we started out and how that hasn’t changed.” He paused. “Right?”

“We’re still doing fine,” she answered, kissing his cheek and looking at a bunch of large boulders a few feet away. “Let’s go sit and look up at the stars.”

“Luv, you’re not going to see any,” he replied, laughing. “The lights around here prohibit that.”

“If I want to see stars, I’m going to,” she said, giggling, pulling him towards the rocks and sitting down. He sat beside her and held her close to him as they looked up at the night sky. “See? There’s one right above us.”

“That’s a plane, pet,” he said, and she frowned.

“Fine, ruin my fun,” she replied, and he chuckled before looking at the sky and pointing. “What?”

“There’s a whole cluster of them there,” he said quietly. “All for you.” She saw the content expression on his face and took a deep breath.

“I love you,” she said, and he tensed up before looking at her, shocked.

“What?” he asked, wondering if he had heard her wrong.

“I love you,” she repeated in a whisper, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. He pulled her closer to his body and reclined on the rocks, kissing her back with equal fervor.

“You love me?” he asked, clarifying what she had admitted. “Are you sure?” She giggled and kissed him again.

“Yes, I’m sure,” she answered, and he grinned before kissing her several times.

“I love you, too, Buffy,” he replied, pressing his forehead against hers. “You don’t know how long I’ve dreamt of hearing you say that to me.”

“I’m sorry it took me this long,” she said, and he grazed her cheek.

“Baby, I would’ve waited forever,” he replied, kissing her once again.

After leaving the beach, they got in Spike’s car and sat in silence for a moment, basking in the fact that they were happily in love. Spike looked at her and took her hand in his, squeezing it. She smiled softly at him and leaned over to kiss him. He pulled her onto his lap, her back pressing against the steering wheel, as they continued to kiss passionately. He put his hands on her hips and began to slide them up, beneath her shirt, his fingers coming in contact with her warm skin. She moaned quietly as his hands cupped her breasts, gently running his thumbs over her hardened nipples, hidden underneath a thin layer of lace. She broke away from his mouth to look into his eyes as she tried to catch her breath, seeing a mix of lust and fear in his expression before grazing his cheek.

“What’re you afraid of?” she asked quietly, her chest still heaving to breathe.

“You rejecting me,” he answered, and she leaned down to kiss the crook of his neck before leaning to his ear.

“I’m not going to reject you,” she whispered. “But I don’t want to do this here.” He looked at her, stunned.

“We don’t have to tonight,” he replied, and she frowned. “Unless that’s really what you want, Buffy. I’m not going to pressure you into it.”

“It’s what I want,” she said firmly, getting off his lap and putting on her seatbelt as she situated herself in the passenger’s seat again. “I promise.” He looked at her for a long moment in adoration before starting the car and speeding out of the parking lot, heading towards his house.

* * * * *

“Are you sure?” Spike asked as they walked inside his house. “If you aren’t ready, luv, we don’t need to do this tonight.”

“For the last time, I want to,” she replied. “Unless you don’t want to.” She paused and frowned. “You don’t, do you? Oh god, I’m sorry.” She turned and tried walking out, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, hugging her close. “I’m being all trampy and pushy- am I becoming like Harmony?”

“What?” he asked, shocked. “Why would you think that?” She looked down. “You’re not like Harmony at all, luv- that’s one of the things I love about you.” She managed a small smile. “And I do want to do this- I’m just making sure we’re on the same page.”

“We are,” she said, and he looked into her eyes, seeing sincerity in them. “Are we… alone?”

“My parents went to Los Angeles for the weekend,” he answered. “A business trip for my father.” She nodded and looked around, the weight of the situation finally hitting her. He noticed the look of indecision cross her face and grazed her cheek. “You alright, baby?” She looked at him and quickly nodded. “Positive?”

“Yeah,” she said, taking his hand in hers. “I’m fine.” He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it before leading them upstairs and to his room. He let her inside first before shutting the door behind them, and Buffy took a few deep breaths before turning to face him. They looked at each other for a long moment before Spike walked closer to her and leaned down to kiss her. She responded to the kiss and gently pulled on the hem of his shirt, yanking it off of him as they parted for a moment. They resumed kissing, and as she ran her hands over his muscular torso and arms, he groaned and backed off to rid her of her shirt, as well. She felt self-conscious as Spike looked at her upper body after he took off her bra, too.

“Jesus, you’re beautiful,” he managed to say before crushing his lips to hers. She gasped in his mouth as he picked her up and laid her down on his bed, covering her with his body seconds later. She looked up into his eyes as he tugged on her skirt before he slid it down her legs and marveled at the tan expanse of skin beneath him. Her insecurity came back in full-force, so in an attempt to distract him, she quickly popped open the button of his khakis and pulled down the zipper before pushing his pants down his hips and thighs, nearly gaping at the sight of his erection.

‘Wow, I guess none of the girls before me have been lying about his considerable size,’ she thought.

He felt a surge of pride run through him as he saw her studying his manhood and withheld a smirk before he slipped his thumbs under the sides of her panties and slowly pulled them down her legs before tossing them aside and looking at her fully naked body. His eyes traveled from her feet to her eyes and noticed the look of nervousness as it settled on her features. He leaned down to kiss her and grazed her cheek.

“I love you,” he whispered, and she ran her hand down his body, gently grasping his cock and directing it to her entrance. Their eyes locked as he slowly thrust inside her, trapping her moan with his mouth as he kissed her. When their hips met, Spike couldn’t help but groan at how amazing she felt.

He slowly began to pump in and out of her, not wanting to go too fast or hurt her. She began matching his thrusts, arching her hips up as he moved deeper inside of her. She grasped his shoulders tightly and shut her eyes as pleasure began to course through her, building up in her stomach and traveling throughout her.

“Spike,” she said breathlessly as her orgasm washed over her, her inner walls fluttering around him and clamping down on him as he continued to thrust inside of her. He groaned at the feel of her surrounding him and began to move quicker, finally achieving his release as he spilled himself inside of her. She ran her hands over his back as he buried his face in her neck, both of them panting heavily.

“I love you so much,” he whispered, running one of his hands down her side. She kissed his shoulder softly and closed her eyes, feeling somewhat exhausted.

“I love you, too.”

* * * * *

Buffy woke up in the middle of the night and looked at the clock on Spike’s bedside table, seeing the red numbers glow 2:43 AM.

‘Oh god, Mom’s going to kill me,’ she thought, shutting her eyes and cursing silently. She looked over at Spike and was thankful that he was fast asleep, curled up on his side, facing away from her. She carefully got out of bed, hoping not to wake him up, and quietly got dressed before looking at him one last time and whispering an apology. She walked out of his room and let herself out of the house, beginning to walk home in the dark, praying that her mother wouldn’t know she was out all night.

‘And I hope that Spike will understand.’

Spike woke up a few hours later and turned over, slowly opening his eyes, expecting to see his girlfriend, but when he saw that the bed was empty and that her clothes were gone, he sat up quickly, both angry and worried.

“What the hell’s going on?” he asked as he stood up, pulling on his clothes and looking at a clock. “Why would she have left? It’s a Saturday!” He ran downstairs and grabbed his keys before he left the house and got in his car, speeding towards her house.

‘I didn’t hurt her last night, did I?’ he asked himself. ‘Everything was okay, wasn’t it?’

He became increasingly more concerned as he drove, happy when he pulled up in her driveway and saw that her car was there and that her mother’s wasn’t. He got out of his car and sprinted to her front door, ringing the doorbell twice before knocking several times, growing frantic.

When a tired Buffy appeared after the door opened, he rushed forward to embrace her, pulling her close to him and kissing her cheeks, nose, and forehead softly. “Are you okay? I’ve been so worried.”

“I’m fine,” she said, yawning. “I just had to come home before Mom woke up and noticed that I wasn’t here.”

“You could’ve left me a note or something,” he replied sternly. “You could’ve woken me up- I would’ve driven you! Did you walk?” She nodded. “Why?! Do you know what could’ve happened to you?”

“Yes, I’m well aware,” she answered. “But the wrath of my mother could’ve been worse. Thankfully, she had no idea and left for work without saying anything.”

“That’s great, luv, but something seriously horrendous could’ve happened to you,” he said, upset. “Do you know how guilty I would be if I found out something had happened? If you would’ve gotten hurt?”

“I’m fine,” she said quietly. “If anything, I’m beyond tired and want to go back to sleep, alright?”

“Is something wrong?” he asked. “Honestly? You don’t seem all too happy with me, pet.”

“You didn’t use any type of protection last night,” she answered, looking down. Spike froze, his eyes widening.

‘Oh shit,’ he thought, mentally berating himself. ‘I didn’t even think of it last night- I was too busy trying to shag her.’ Before he could say anything, she put her hand up to stop him.

“I’m on the Pill, so we don’t have to worry about me becoming pregnant,” she said before frowning. “Well, it’s unlikely- there’s a very tiny chance it could happen, but I’m going to tell myself it isn’t possible to appease my nerves.” She took a deep breath. “I was tested for STDs after Riley, just as a precautionary thing, and I’m clean, but I don’t know if you are.” His whole body tensed up, and he clenched his jaw. “Not that I’m implying you’re diseased or anything, but I-”

“I was tested after Harmony,” he cut in, slightly angry. “Who knows what she might’ve contracted from half the guys she’s been with.” He sighed. “I’m clean, too, luv- I haven’t been with anyone since her except for you.”

“So we should both be fine, then, right?” she asked, and he nodded, putting his hands in his pockets. “Alright, then- I can rest assured.” She was about to turn and go upstairs, back to her room, but he grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes.

“Are we okay, Buffy?” he asked, worried. “You and I?”

“We’re fine,” she said, leaning up to kiss him softly. “It means a lot that you came over to check on me.” He smiled.

“Of course,” he replied. “I’m whipped, you know.” She giggled and kissed him again before walking him to the door. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she said, smiling as he kissed her cheek and walked out, going to his car. She watched him leave and sighed before closing the door and returning to her room.

* * * * *

A week passed, and in that time, things returned to normal for them. They saw each other almost every night, and if they weren’t working, they’d go out to dinner or hang out with their friends, as well.

It was one night at work when several of Spike’s fellow students came to the Doublemeat Palace and began to make fun of him when Buffy became angry, too, and purposely ruined their orders.

“Wow, Spike, I can see why you’d work here,” one of the guys said, appraising Buffy with his eyes. “You can become greasy with a hottie like her.”

“Watch what you say, wanker,” Spike hissed, grabbing the soda off of the kid’s tray and taking off the plastic top before throwing the soda in the guy’s face. Buffy grinned proudly and leaned to his ear.

“You stole that move from me,” she said, and he smirked.

“It’s what made me fall even more for you,” he replied, kissing her temple before looking at the angry teenager standing on the other side of the counter. Buffy grabbed a stack of napkins and handed them to the boy.

“Have a nice meal,” she said, pasting a bright smile on her face. He flipped her off and turned, but Spike jumped over the counter, grabbed the guy’s wrist tightly, and twisted it until it cracked with a loud pop, causing him to scream in agony.

“Don’t you dare come here again,” Spike said in a low tone. “And if you ever even look at my girlfriend again, I’m going to severely hurt you, got me?” The boy glared at Spike before turning on his heel and storming out.

Spike walked around the counter and took a deep breath as he looked at Buffy’s face, noticing the unreadable expression covering her features.

“You alright?” he asked quietly, becoming grateful that Manny wasn’t walking around or saw what he had just done. She nodded and smirked.

“You really are my Prince Charming, aren’t you?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his waist and kissing him.

“Anything to protect my girl,” he said, and she giggled.

“Usually I don’t find possessive guys attractive, but you’ll do,” she joked, and he playfully growled before tickling her ribs, getting the attention of their co-workers and the customers lining up. “And back to work we go.”

About a week later, Buffy had just finished taking a customer’s order when she looked at the next person in line and froze, her eyes locking with Harmony’s.

“What’re you doing here?” she asked in a surprisingly calm voice, despite the fact she was inwardly becoming angry at the fact the blonde would step foot in the Doublemeat Palace.

“Is Spike working tonight?” Harmony asked, looking around.

“He’s on break,” Buffy answered, crossing her arms. “Are you going to order, or are you just stalking my boyfriend?” Harmony smirked.

“Is little Buffy jealous that I’m trying to steal him back?” Harmony asked, and Buffy tilted her head. “Why would I want him after a loser like you has been with him? As if.”

“‘As if’?” Buffy asked, stifling a laugh. “Have you been watching Clueless lately?”

“You’re such a laugh riot,” Harmony said sarcastically, scowling. “That’s the only thing you’ve got going for you, though, I’m afraid.”

“And the fact my IQ is probably triple yours means nothing,” Buffy joked quietly, somewhat angry that Spike hadn’t returned from his break yet to convince Harmony to go away.

‘Because as long as I’m here- a sitting duck, of sorts- she’ll stay,’ Buffy thought, sighing.

“Are you going to order, or are you just going to waste my time?” she asked, looking at the girl across from her.

“I wouldn’t be caught dead eating anything from here,” Harmony answered, disgusted. “Who knows if I’d get food poisoning, and the fact there are about a billion calories in all of this stuff is even worse.”

“So why are you here?” Buffy asked, frowning. “If you came here for Spike, go outside and talk to him.”

“Not here for him- I’m here for you,” Harmony replied, smiling. “I’ll take any opportunity to make fun of you, Miss Valedictorian.”

“Wow, how long did it take you to learn how to say ‘Valedictorian’?” Buffy asked, feigning shock.

“We got into the same colleges, you know,” Harmony said, looking proud of herself.

“Yeah, but the difference is that your parents could bribe any admissions official, whereas I earned my spot in those colleges,” Buffy said, grinning. “You got a combined score of 720 on your SATs, right?” Harmony nodded, looking confused. “I got a more than that in the Verbal portion alone, so it looks as though I’m better qualified, doesn’t it?”

“You may have the brains, but you’re really not that great, Buffy,” Harmony said, leaning on the counter. “And Spike’s going to realize that any day now before he comes crawling back to me.”

“I thought you didn’t want him anymore?” Buffy asked, and Harmony grinned.

“I don’t,” she answered. “But rejecting him in front of everyone would be perfect.”

Buffy didn’t even stop to think about what she was doing as she grabbed a ketchup bottle, aimed it at Harmony’s white dress, and squeezed it, the blood-red ketchup landing all over Harmony. She, in turn, screamed, absolutely shocked by Buffy’s actions.

“What the hell are you doing?” Harmony asked as Buffy continued to squeeze the bottle in Harmony’s direction. “This is a Prada dress!” Buffy began laughing hysterically as she set down the bottle, studying her work. “You’re going to pay for this, bitch!”

“I’m sure you’ve got ten at home, just like it,” Buffy said, grabbing a mustard bottle and pointing it in the direction of the other blonde. “Now, get the hell out of here, don’t even think of talking to me again, and if I hear you even say Spike’s name, I’m going to track you down, cut your precious hair off, and destroy even more of your wardrobe, got me?” Harmony shot her a furious look before turning on her heel and heading for the door. A bunch of football players walked in and looked at her, pointing and laughing.

“Wow, Harmony- you look horrible,” a guy named Devin said, and Harmony pouted, looking at her dress.

“The loser behind the counter did it,” she said, and Devin looked at Buffy, grinning.

“Nice work,” he replied, and Harmony’s jaw dropped in anger before she slapped him across the face and stormed out.

“Free food, on me,” Buffy said, grinning as the football players quickly walked to the counter.

Spike came in minutes later and walked behind the counter, going to his register.

“Was that Harmony I saw, covered in ketchup?” he asked, confused. “Before she sped off and almost crashed into my car?”

“Yep, that was her,” Buffy said triumphantly. “Did you see the damage I did to her dress?”

“Yeah, luv,” he said, smirking. “Just be careful- she’s pretty vindictive, you know.”

“Oh, I think I hit her where it hurts,” Buffy replied cheerfully. “I doubt she’ll be messing with me anymore, and if she does, she knows what I’ll do to her.”

“Should I even ask?” Spike said, raising an eyebrow as Buffy turned towards him with a maniacal look on her face.

“Oh, you’d be amazed at what I can do,” she said, and he chuckled.

“I’m well aware of what you can do, baby,” he said. “I still have the bruises and bite-marks to prove it.” She blushed as the football players in front of her cheered and hooted.

* * * * *

After work, Spike drove Buffy home, as usual, and decided to broach the subject of their future and college.

“So, have you put any thought into which college you’re going to reply to?” Spike asked. “I mean, you should probably figure out which school you want to go next year pretty soon, yeah?”

“I’ve got a couple of weeks left to decide,” she said, shrugging. “I think Wellesley sounds pretty promising, and with the scholarships I’ve already been offered, tuition shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Plus, I know my mum would be willing to help any way she can,” Spike replied. “She would love to be of service, along with making herself look like a more charitable alumna.”

“Well, if it looks like I’m screwed in the financial department, maybe I’ll consider it,” she said, and he smiled slightly. “What about you? Do you know which college you’re going to attend?”

“I think I’ve decided on UCLA,” he answered, shrugging. “I figure I might as well try out the L.A. scene for a bit.”

“Are your parents okay with that?” she asked, and he chuckled quietly.

“I think they’re fine with it,” he said. “My father’s home hardly twice a week, and Mum’s… she keeps busy when he’s not around. I’m sure they’ll live with it.”

“I have no idea how Mom’s going to be after I leave,” Buffy said quietly. “She’s never lived alone before.”

“She’ll be fine, pet,” he said, looking at her. “But if you really want to make her happy, maybe you could stay here.” She shot him a look jokingly, and he raised his hands in surrender. “Come on, baby- don’t you want to be close to me so you can sink your sexy little claws into me whenever you want?”

“You’re horrible,” she replied, playfully swatting his arm and blushing.

“What can I tell you, baby?” he asked, grinning. “I’ve always been bad.”

Time passed, and before anyone realized it, it was Spring, which meant that deadlines for replying to colleges they had been accepted to were arriving. Everyone was on edge, trying to pinpoint which college they wanted to go to, including both Buffy and Spike.

He went over to her house one afternoon after he had called and was told by Joyce that Buffy was holed up in her room, not talking to anyone.

‘I think this whole college thing is intimidating her way too much,’ he thought as he drove. ‘The last thing I need is for my girlfriend to have a nervous breakdown.’

Joyce let him in when he arrived, and he quietly made his way to her room, knocking on the door.

“Baby, it’s me,” he said, surprised when he heard a startled gasp come from her room. She opened the door a moment later and stared at him. He noticed the sweatpants and tight tank top she was wearing as he leered appraisingly at her. “Comfy sheik looks nice on you, luv.”

“What’re you doing here?” she asked, frowning. “I thought we weren’t meeting up until tomorrow.”

“Called to check in on you, and your mum told me you were being a recluse in your room,” he said, moving past her and walking into her bedroom. She shut the door before leaning back against it and watching as he sat on her bed, amidst stacks of envelopes and papers. “So, why are you opting for the quiet life today?”

“I’m trying to send letters to the colleges I’ve been accepted to,” she said, looking down. “It’s been very difficult for me to decide which one I want to attend.”

“Well, I think any college would fight to have you grace them with your presence,” he replied, looking at an envelope and raising an eyebrow. “You didn’t tell me you applied at Berkeley.”

“It was on a whim,” she said, and he looked at her, tilting his head. “It’s a good school, and it’s not that far from home, I guess.”

“I thought you didn’t want to go to school in California?” he asked, and she sighed.

“I know, but after thinking about it a lot, it doesn’t seem that bad,” she said, looking away. “And they offered me quite a nice scholarship, one that would be silly to turn down.”

“You could do better than Berkeley,” he said. “I mean, it’s an amazing school- no doubt about that- but you’ve been accepted at equally awesome schools across the nation.”

“Well, if I went to Berkeley, it’d be a lot easier to… visit you,” she said sheepishly, and he frowned, standing up and walking over to her.

“Don’t choose a school here because of me,” he replied. “You deserve the best, and I don’t want you to regret your decision down the road because you recklessly chose to be closer to me.”

“What?” she asked, stunned. “Are you seriously telling me what to do?” He saw the anger flare up in her eyes. “Spike, if I choose to go to Berkeley, it’s for me, not you.”

“You just said it’d be easier for you to visit me if you went there,” he pointed out, and she sighed.

“Yes, that’s true, but it’s my decision, not yours,” she replied. “And if I want to go there, I’m going to.”

“I just don’t think you should choose a school while factoring me anywhere in the decision,” he said. “You know I want to be with you post-graduation and possibly for the rest of my life, but don’t pick a school based on their location in reference to me. We’ll find ways to meet up as much as possible, luv- nothing’s going to keep me from seeing you.” He grazed her cheek, and she nuzzled her face into his palm. “Just promise me you’ll give this a lot more thought before you say yes to Berkeley, alright?”

“I promise,” she said, pouting, and he leaned down to kiss her.

“Good,” he replied, smiling. “Now, get back to work- you have some schools to reject.” She giggled quietly and nodded, opening the door. “I love you, Goldilocks.”

“Love you, too,” she said, and he kissed her forehead before walking away and leaving the house.

She returned to her bed and sat down amongst the stacks of papers. Joyce walked in and sat on a chair near Buffy’s bed, taking a deep breath.

“I couldn’t help but overhear that serious conversation you had with him,” she said, noticing the sad look on her daughter’s face. “Everything okay, sweetheart?”

“Mom, if you were in my situation, what would you do?” Buffy asked quietly, looking at Joyce.

“Well, I’d listen to my heart,” her mother answered, smiling warmly. “Because chances are that your heart will lead you in a better direction than that incredibly smart brain you have.” Buffy smiled and nodded, looking at the Berkeley envelope that was now in her hand. “You know how I feel about you staying in-state, but if you want to go even farther away for school, I’ll support you.” She stood up and walked closer to the bed to kiss the top of Buffy’s head. “But I agree with him when he said that you shouldn’t choose a school based on him. I don’t think I need to tell you what can go wrong with high-school relationships when they move on to college, do I?” Buffy shook her head, frowning. “Well, I’ll be downstairs, if you need me.”

“Thanks, Mom,” she said, and Joyce walked to the door before turning around.

“Do you really love him?” Joyce asked, and Buffy smiled, nodding. “Then be sure you listen to your heart on this one, dear- love might be able to send you in the right direction.” Joyce winked before walking away, leaving Buffy to sit in silence, staring at the envelopes scattered around her.

She picked up the one for Wellesley and put a letter inside, sealing it and smiling as she set it aside before doing the same for every other college, including the envelope for Berkeley.

On graduation day, Buffy stood on a stage in front of her fellow classmates, every student wearing virginal white dresses, which was a tradition for their graduation ceremony and the dance following it. She took a deep breath before looking down at one of her note-cards, mentally preparing herself before she began to give her speech.

“Well, ladies, we graduate not only as the class of 2005, but also as a united family,” Buffy said, holding her head up high. “Despite any cliques or grudges that have existed over the last four years, we now leave Holy Angels together, prepared to move on to college and begin our adult lives. We have been privileged to receive an education like we have, and I believe that we are the most gifted women in the state.” Many people cheered, giddy with excitement. “It has been a privilege to get to grow and learn with each and every one of you, and I think I can speak for all of us when I say that this wasn’t the easiest path we could’ve chosen, but it was definitely the most fulfilling and worthwhile.” She grinned as more people clapped. “Congratulations on a job well-done, girls, and I wish you the best of luck in the years ahead of you.” She walked offstage amongst more applause and returned to her seat, sitting between Fred and Willow.

“Good job,” Willow whispered, and Fred nodded. Buffy gave them grateful smiles, her hands still slightly shaking from how nervous she had been.

“It didn’t sound horrible?” she asked quietly, and they both shook their heads. “You have no idea how much I loathe public speaking.” Willow patted her hand and looked at the stage again as their principal took her place behind the podium and began to speak.

The ceremony continued, and as it ended, the girls left the auditorium in two lines, streaming out in a sea of white. Buffy spotted Spike on her way out, seated beside Joyce and Dawn, and winked at him. He grinned at her as he watched her walk out.

After the girls filtered into one large room, parents, friends, and boyfriends met up with them, talking and taking pictures. Buffy was surprised when she saw Riley walk in, heading towards her. She raised an eyebrow as he handed her a white rose, which she hesitantly accepted.

“Congratulations, Buffy,” he said, hugging her. “I know we’re not together anymore, but I’m still very proud of you.” She smiled softly at him and saw the happiness in his eyes. “And I’m glad things are going so well for you and Spike.” She looked down, hoping he wouldn’t notice the wide smile that was spreading across her face.

“I heard about you and Amy,” she replied, and he smirked. “She’s a really great girl- you’re lucky.” He saw his girlfriend a few feet over and smiled at her. “I’m happy we’re on good terms, Riley- I really am. You know I never meant to hurt you.”

“I know,” he said, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “I’ll see you around sometime, alright?” She nodded, and he smiled at her before walking away, meeting up with Amy.

Spike tracked down Buffy minutes later as she had pictures taken with Fred, Willow, and Tara, meanwhile taking in how beautiful she looked wearing a white silk dress.

‘If that’s how she looks on our wedding day, I’m going to be a blubbering mess,’ he thought before grinning. ‘I’d give anything to marry that girl. Not that I deserve her, but if she’ll have me, I’ll be with her forever.’

She broke away from her friends and walked over to Spike, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.

“Hey, gorgeous,” she said happily, grinning. “Did you enjoy the ceremony?”

“The highlight was watching you on the stage, glowing like a goddess,” he answered, and she slightly blushed. Dawn and Joyce walked over to them, and Joyce hugged her daughter.

“I’m so proud of you,” she said, running her hand over Buffy’s hair. “You did it- you graduated!”

“How does it feel?” Dawn asked. “I can’t wait to graduate now! I want to wear a pretty white dress, too!” She sighed dreamily. “And going off to college is a bonus, also.” Joyce raised an eyebrow. “Not that I don’t like living at home- I just want to experience the world more. And lucky Buffy gets to run off to Berkeley to-” Spike stared at his girlfriend, shocked. She sheepishly smiled and clasped her hands in front of her.

“I thought you were going to Wellesley?” he asked, and she shot Dawn a look before taking his hands in hers.

“Well, it was supposed to be a surprise,” she replied. “But I decided to go to Berkeley.”

“Luv,” he said quietly, grazing her cheek. “You know you could do better than that.” She shrugged, smiling. “But I can’t lie when I say how happy I am, especially since I decided to go to UC-Santa Cruz.” Her jaw dropped slowly as she realized how much closer Santa Cruz was to Berkeley versus Los Angeles. “Surprise.”

“Since when did you apply there?” she asked, and he smirked.

“The same time I applied at the other places, but I didn’t think I’d get in,” he answered, shrugging. “I guess I chose there in hopes that you’d change your mind and switch to Berkeley.” She giggled before kissing him again, not caring that both Dawn and Joyce were watching.

“I thought you said not to choose a college based on a relationship?” she joked, and he smiled.

“I was wrong,” he replied. “But I know I made the right decision.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. “I love you, Goldilocks.”

“I love you, too,” she said quietly, frowning when Dawn made gagging noises beside her. “Hey, don’t be a hypocrite- I saw you making out with Andrew the other day.” Dawn blushed as Joyce looked at her youngest daughter, surprised. Buffy giggled as Spike pulled her closer to him and kissed her forehead.

“Ready to start our adult lives together?” he asked, and she grinned.

“I want nothing more.”

Ten Years Later…

“I can’t believe we’re back,” Buffy said as she walked into the gym of Holy Angels High School, looking around at all of the people filling the area. “Can you believe we graduated ten years ago?”

“No, can’t say I believe it, luv,” Spike said as she linked her arm with his. “A lot has happened since then, hasn’t it?”

“We went off to college, managed to be inseparable on the weekends, got engaged, graduated, got married, and had our two adorable kids,” she replied, grinning. “Do you think Owen and Gwen will be good while we’re here?”

“Joyce can handle them, pet,” he said, kissing her temple. “She’s babysat for us a few times already.”

“Oh! There’s Willow and Tara,” she said excitedly, walking over to her friends and hugging them.

“Look at you!” Willow said to Buffy, smiling. “You look beautiful!”

“So do you,” Buffy replied. “You both do.” Spike hugged both women and wrapped his arm around Buffy’s waist. “So, where’s little Daniel?”

“Our neighbor Kennedy is babysitting him,” Tara answered. “We were going to bring him, but we thought he might get in trouble.”

“Now that he knows he’s adopted, he’s acting out a bit,” Willow added. “I have a feeling he’s going to be a rebel.”

“Well, if he starts dyeing his hair funny colors and painting his nails black, then I’d start to worry,” Buffy joked, and Willow’s eyes widened. “I’m kidding, Will- don’t worry about him.”

“Oh my god,” Willow said, looking past Buffy. “Look who just walked in.” Everyone turned around and saw Harmony come in, her hair cropped very short and dyed black, on the arm of a brunette man. “What happened to her?”

“Looks like I definitely chose the right woman,” Spike said, chuckling as Buffy giggled quietly before tensing up. “What is it, pet?”

“She’s with Parker,” she answered, tilting her head as she realized it was her ex-boyfriend. “He’s changed a little, but I guess a decade hasn’t made him look any hotter, has it?”

“Are you going to say hi to them?” Tara asked, and Buffy smiled up at Spike before looking at her friends.

“And rub it in Harmony’s face that Spike and I are married?” she asked. “You bet your ass I am.” Spike grabbed her hand before she could walk away and smirked.

“Play nice, kitten,” he said. “Don’t forget that you’re supposed to be a good role model for the kids.”

“They’re not here,” she replied, and he chuckled.

“Good point- have at it,” he said, allowing her to drag him over to the punch bowl, where Harmony and Parker were standing, along with Cordelia and Liam. The other couples looked at Buffy and Spike with surprised expressions.

“Hey,” Buffy said, leaning against Spike’s side. “Nice to see you again, Cordelia. You, too, Harmony.”

“You two are still together?” Harmony asked, and Buffy noticed that Parker’s face fell.

“Buffy?” he asked, and she looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

“Been a long time, Parker,” she said, and he nodded, still stunned to see her.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Harmony said, crossing her arms. “You’re still dating?”

“Happily married,” Buffy said, flashing her wedding ring in front of the other woman’s face. “For six years now.”

“With two gorgeous children,” Spike added, grinning. “They take after their mum.”

“I… congratulations,” Harmony managed to say, her jaw clenched. “I’m surprised it’s lasted this long.”

“Well, we’re very lucky,” Spike said, smiling at his wife. “I couldn’t imagine spending my life with anyone else.” Harmony turned on her heel, ready to storm off, but Buffy’s voice stopped her.

“And, Harmony?” Buffy said, giggling. “You look like hell.” Harmony scowled at her and dragged Parker away, even though he was still staring at Buffy. Spike turned to Angel and began talking to him, while Cordelia turned towards Buffy, giving her a small smile.

“You’re right- she really does look horrible,” she said. “And congratulations, you two- it’s nice to see that you stayed together.”

“Thank you,” Buffy said, shocked by the sincerity in Cordelia’s voice. “I’m glad you stuck by Liam, too.”

“We just got married last summer,” Cordelia replied. “I dated Xander Harris for a while in college, but then I realized Angel was my soul-mate.” She paused. “We should keep in touch, let our husbands hang out once in a while- they haven’t seen each other since college.”

“That’d be nice,” Buffy said sincerely, smiling.

“And I’m sorry for how I was in high school,” Cordelia said quietly. “You were always very sweet, and I wish things had been better- Harm and I made your life hell, didn’t we?” Buffy nodded, looking down. “Well, maybe I can make it up to you.” She winked at the blonde as their husbands looked at them.

“We should probably go to our table,” Spike said. “I’d bet Wesley and Fred are probably here somewhere, too.”

“We’ll see you around, then,” Cordelia said. “And remember what I said, Buffy.”

“I will,” she replied. “Thank you, Cordy.” The brunette couple walked away after saying goodbye, and Spike took Buffy’s hand in his.

“You alright?” he asked, and she nodded, smiling. “What’d she say to you?”

“She apologized for how she was in high school,” Buffy answered, shrugging. “It was nice.”

“Good,” he replied. “Because Liam asked if I would be a godfather to their upcoming baby.”

“She’s pregnant?” Buffy asked, raising an eyebrow. “She didn’t look like it.”

“She’s about three months along, I guess,” Spike said. “And I, of course, said I’d be honored.”

“Well, if you’d like, you could ask him the same question,” she said quietly, and his eyes widened. “Surprise!”

“You’re… you’re pregnant?” he asked, and his face lit up as she nodded. “Baby-” He hugged her close to him, kissing her passionately, ignoring the clapping around them. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was waiting for a good time,” she replied, grinning. “I’m a few weeks behind Cordelia, but she and I should be big around the same time.” He chuckled and kissed her forehead.

“I love you,” he said, grazing her cheek. “I love you so much, Buffy.”

“I love you, too,” she said, leaning up to kiss him before they began to walk to their designated table. “Maybe we could stop at the Doublemeat Palace, for nostalgia’s sake.”

“I’m not letting my wife and unborn baby have garbage like that running through their bloodstreams,” he replied sternly, and she giggled.

“So protective,” she said, looking at the dreamy expression on his face as he idly ran his hand over her abdomen.

“Well, I told you once that I’d be your knight in shining armor,” he said, shrugging. “Guess it kind of stuck.” She giggled and kissed him, feeling as though her life was exactly how it was supposed to be.

‘Maybe I was made to love Spike,’ she thought, looking up at him. ‘And if that’s true, I couldn’t be happier.’



THE END