Buffy sat at her desk in her room, textbooks stacked on the ground beside her. Final exams were over. Letters covered the surface in front of her, all of them accepting her to a different college across America.

She read over each one, imagining what it would be like to attend the schools. Studying law, science, literature… the possibilities were endless. Her mother would be so proud, should Buffy share the contents of any of the letters. No doubt the older Summers woman would be urging her daughter to accept the most prestigious offer, with no thought of money or distance.

But Buffy didn’t want to go away. Why would she leave Sunnydale when she had Spike here? Her mother would only push them apart, claiming that a future profession was more important than a high school relationship. She’d probably be right, but Buffy wasn’t ready to give Spike up yet.

The clock quickly approached 5pm, and soon Buffy had only twenty minutes to prepare for her date with her boyfriend. Returning the letters to their envelopes, she shoved them into a desk drawer. She then went to shower and change quickly before Spike arrived.

~~

“Good afternoon, Mrs Summers. Is Buffy ready?” he asked the frowning woman who opened the front door.

“Not quite yet. Spike, would you join me in the kitchen for a moment?”

“Of course.” Closing the door behind himself, he followed her to the kitchen bench and took a seat when indicated.

“Hot chocolate?”

“Thank you.”

Joyce handed him one of the mugs of the hot liquid she had waiting, a spoonful of small marshmallows floating in it. “Let me get straight to the point. I’m worried about my daughter, and I was hoping you could help me.”

“I’ll do anything I can,” Spike answered truthfully. Buffy hadn’t mentioned being in trouble, so he wondered what she meant.

“She hasn’t been talking about replies from colleges. I helped her apply to several, but as far as I know there haven’t been any answers.”

“Buffy hasn’t told me anything. She was excited when she applied, but if she was accepted to wherever she was hoping for, she hasn’t mentioned it.”

Joyce nodded, sipping at her own mug. “I see. Would you mind asking her about it? I’d like to know something before I try to talk to her myself. Acceptances are required soon, so you understand my urgency.”

“Of course,” he replied. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you, Spike. And I’d appreciate it if Buffy didn’t hear about this conversation.”

“She won’t.”

She nodded, and stood up. “Have fun on your date then, okay? Go on up to Buffy’s room, turn right at the top of the stairs, she’s at the end of the hall.”

“Thanks.”

~~

Spike had surprised Buffy with a walk along the beach at sunset. Holding hands, they wandered along the sand, stopping often to kiss or just stare at the horizon. Afterwards, he took her to a nearby diner.

Buffy perused the menu. “A cheeseburger and fries, and a diet coke,” she told the waitress. Leaning against Spike in their booth, she closed her eyes while he ordered.

“I’ll have the same, but a regular coke, please.” The uniform-clad woman took their menus and walked towards the kitchen. He addressed Buffy, “I thought you’d have a salad.”

“What?” she glared at him.

“You know, less calories or whatever.”

Now she began to frown. “What are you getting at?”

“Nothing.”

“I’m fat, aren’t I? You know, I borrowed this skirt from my sister for you. She’ll tease me for weeks about it, her nerdy sister trying to look sexy. How could I think I looked any good in it, when I need to loose weight?” Though she appeared calm on the outside, Buffy felt she was about to cry.

“I didn’t mean it that way,” he explained. “I wouldn’t have let you order a salad, anyway. You’re thin enough as it is.”

Buffy was confused. “I’m too thin?” She inspected her arms, then lifted her hands to her face. “Am I really?” When he just shook his head, she hit him softly on the arm and then leaned back against his side.

Spike kissed her temple, putting an arm around her waist to hold her to him. “You’re perfect,” he told her, smiling. “And I appreciate the skirt.”

When the food arrived, the pair dug in. They stole each other’s fries, throwing a few around until a waitress glared. “Oops,” Buffy said sheepishly, gathering the food that had scattered on the table and returning it to her plate once she had finished.

“Ready to go?” Spike asked, and she nodded. “I’ll be right back.”

Buffy guessed that he was going to pay for their meal. “Wait, let me get half.”

“No, I’ve got it. Stay here.”

“Spike, stop. I want to pay for my half.”

He took her purse and closed it, then handed it back to her. “How about you pay next time?” he compromised. She agreed, and he smiled. Spike wasn’t about to let a girl he’d asked out pay for her own dinner.

**

It was only 9pm when they found themselves back in Sunnydale. That left plenty of time for… other activities. “My parents are away,” Spike volunteered.

“Just take me home, please,” Buffy requested a little sharply.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

He glanced at her, but quickly looked back at the road. “Do you want to go to my place for a while? I’ll have you home by your curfew.”

“Please, I’d rather go home,” she said again.

“Are you sure? I could run the spa bath, we could have a little champagne…”

“Firstly,” Buffy began, now annoyed, “we’re both too young to drink. Secondly, I asked you to take me home.”

“Okay. To the Summers house. But you could at least tell my why you’re being so unfriendly all of a sudden.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’ve got my period, okay? Get used to it, I’ve got a whole week of grouchiness with your name on it.”

“Oh. Fine. I’ll take you home.”

Buffy was upset, because it was the perfect opportunity to have some alone time with Spike in a bedroom, but feeling icky at the same time. She was frustrated that she didn’t think she could stand him touching and caressing her if they weren’t going any further.

“Here it is,” Spike told her. He hopped out quickly and opened her door, escorting her up to her front door. “I’ll call you tomorrow.” With a quick peck, they separated. “Goodnight, pet.”

“Night.”

~~

Jenny and Rupert, Spike’s parents, returned home the following morning. Having cooked bacon and eggs for breakfast, Jenny went upstairs to wake her son.

“I’ll be right down,” he called, reaching for his cell phone. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was only 9am. Buffy would still be sleeping.

He pulled on pants and a t-shirt, then went downstairs. “Good morning,” he told his parents as he sat at the table, digging in to his breakfast. Wait, they’d woken him up after cooking for him. Something wasn’t right here.

“Son, we want to talk to you about college,” Rupert began. “You’ve been offered scholarships to several schools, and some decisions need to be made. Do you really think UC Sunnydale is the best place for you?”

TBC

A/N: I'm almost done with the next chapter, so it'll be up in a day or two if you're stil interested! I'm more nervous about posting this than the other two, because it's longer and I haven't finished the whole story before starting to post it, so please reveiw if you like it and I'll try my best for anyone reading.

Spike put his fork down. He knew it was too good to be true. “What do you mean?”

“Your father’s trying to say that you could have an adventure next year. A new state, new friends…”

“I like my friends. Why do I need new ones?”

“Think of the opportunities!” Rupert exclaimed. “A sport scholarship could take you all the way to the east coast.”

Spike frowned, pushing his plate away. Suddenly he wasn’t hungry, and it didn’t seem too early to call Buffy. “I like the west coast just fine.” Standing up, he went back upstairs, leaving his parents alone to finish their meal in silence.

~~

“They want me to move away,” Spike told his girlfriend on the other end of the phone line. “Across the country.”

She sighed, thinking of the letters in her desk drawer. “Maybe it won’t be so bad.”

“How will I pass math without you?” he tried to joke.

“You’ll be fine,” she replied. “You’re smarter than you think.”

“We could go to the same school,” he suggested. “Where are you thinking about going?”

Buffy sighed again, twisting her hair with her fingers. Why did they have to talk about her now? “I don’t know.”

“Well, where are you accepted?”

She wanted to say ‘everywhere,’ because it would almost be true. She’d been offered a place at every school she’d applied for. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Fine.”

“I have to go. Mum wants some quality time today.”

“I’ll talk to you later, then.”

“Yeah, later.”

Spike flipped his cell phone closed, resisting the urge to throw it out the window. He needed to figure out where he was going next year and get some information for Buffy’s mother about what she was considering. And he only had a week until his acceptance letter had to be in the mail.

~~

Buffy hadn’t slept well that night, and Spike’s call had only made her feel worse. She felt so bad for not really talking to him, just making him frustrated until he ended the call. She was being a bad girlfriend. She should be there for Spike, helping him make his decision about next year, except she didn’t want to talk about her own choice.

All she seemed to do these days was lay around her room. Sometimes with music on, sometimes with a book. Occasionally, Spike took her out, but she was too worried to really enjoy being with him for longer than an hour or two.

“We’re going bowling!” Joyce called up the stairs. “Be ready in ten minutes!”

“Can Spike come?” Dawn yelled in reply, racing to the top of the stairs. If he was going to be there, she had to find something pretty to wear.

“Buffy can invite him!”

“He’s busy!” Buffy called out.

“Then it’s just us girls!”

Disappointed, Dawn opened her sister’s bedroom door without knocking. “You just want Spike all to yourself,” she complained.

“Firstly, he’s doing something with his parents,” Buffy told her, again thinking of their conversation earlier about colleges. “Secondly, he’s my boyfriend, so hands off. And finally, he doesn’t like you. No need to show him you can sink to a new level of skank, he’ll believe you without the visual. He’s not interested.”

“Mom! Buffy insulted me!”

“Apologise to your sister, Buffy!” Joyce called out.

“Sorry,” Buffy said, though she was reaching in the closet for something to wear so Dawn didn’t see her smile.

“Apology accepted.” The younger girl closed the door and went back to her own room.

In the car, Buffy sat in the front next to her mother. Joyce turned off the radio. “So, about colleges. Have you thought about it?”

“A little.”

“Where have you been accepted?”

“A few places.”

Joyce stopped at a red light and turned to face her daughter briefly. “Could you please be a bit more specific?”

Buffy paused. She didn’t want to talk about it, especially in front of Dawn.

“Where’s Spike going?” the younger girl asked. “I bet he’s staying in Sunnydale.”

“He’s not sure yet.”

Joyce pulled in to the parking lot of the bowling alley. “I think you spend too much time with Spike. Perhaps you shouldn’t see each other next year, so you can focus on college.”

“Break up with Spike?” Buffy asked. Dawn’s eyes lit up.

“Your school work should come first.”

“Can we just drop this, please? He understands that I need to study hard. We’re not breaking up.” Inside, she wasn’t so sure. She knew that Spike had been offered several sport scholarships, but she wasn’t sure where. Maybe he’d leave her for the chance to play professionally?

“Okay, fine. Let’s just have some fun.”

~~

Later that night, close to 10pm, Buffy’s cell phone rang. It was Willow, Buffy’s best friend, though they weren’t particularly chatty outside of school.

“Hello?” Buffy said.

“Hi, Buffy! How are you? I haven’t seen you since graduation!” Willow exclaimed.

With a smile, Buffy replied, “I miss you too!”

“Do you want to get together sometime? Coffee, lunch… a sleepover?”

“Aren’t we a bit above that?”

Willow pouted, though her friend couldn’t see. “Yeah, I guess. Coffee it is. I just need some girly chat time. I’m thinking about next year. Have you decided where you’re going?” she asked quickly.

“I’m still deciding.”

“Well, have you narrowed it down? I think I’m going to stay here in Sunnydale, even though we both said we wanted to leave. Remember the beginning of the year? I wasn’t seeing Oz, you weren’t with Spike, and we were going to go to Harvard together?”

“I remember. We were gonna be roomies. So you’re staying here to be with Oz?”

“Oh, yeah, and I got a great offer from a software company. They’re going to pay for college, as long as I work for them for at least a few years when I graduate. My parents said it’s cool, and this way I can stay with Oz and my career isn’t affected.”

“Wow, you have it all planned. Am I invited to the wedding?” Buffy teased.

Willow laughed. “You’ll be the maid of honour,” she promised with mock sincerity.

“No, really, you’re so lucky. I think I might have to break up with Spike,” Buffy told her friend sadly.

“What?! But you guys are so cute together. You’re in love!”

“Mum said I have to think more about which school is best for me.”

“But you’ll just mope around without him,” Willow said. “He makes you happy.”

Buffy switched ears with her phone, lying down on her bed. All of a sudden, a smile lit up her face. Spike was outside her window. “He’s here,” she told Willow. “Hang on.” She put the phone down and let him in.

“Hello, pet,” Spike whispered, softly kissing her lips.

She pushed him away gently, “one second,” and went back to her phone. “Can I call you tomorrow, Wils? Spike’s here.”

“Sure, just talk to him before you decide to move away, okay? Please?”

“Okay,” Buffy agreed. “Bye.”

“Bye.”

She hung up and turned back to face Spike. “What are you doing here?”

Before answering, he made himself comfortable on her bed. Leaning back against the pillows, he removed his shoes and patted the space beside him. When Buffy was in his arms, he spoke. “I was worried about you.”

“Me? Why?”

“You wouldn’t talk to me this morning. I want to know what’s going on in that head of yours that makes you close up.”

Buffy considered her answer carefully, playing with a strand of her hair. She couldn’t look at him when she talked. “I have to think about my career when I decide where to study next year.”

“My parents are telling me the same thing. I’m thinking of just letting them decide for me. That’s what they’re going to do, anyway.”

“Spike, you have to make your own choices. You’re the one who has to live with it.”

He hugged her closer. “I suppose. We’ll have each other though, right, pet?”

“Maybe.”

“Why won’t you look at me?”

Buffy felt tears well in her eyes. “I can’t.”

He moved so he was lying down, facing her, and she followed. There was a knock on her door, and then it opened. “Buffy? Go to bed- Spike! Buffy, you’re not allowed to have boys in your room!”

Spike and Buffy sat up, looking guilty even though their actions had been innocent so far. She moved to stand at the end of her bed, facing Joyce. “Mum, Spike was just here to ask about colleges. I turned my phone off, so he couldn’t call.”

“Is that right?” Joyce replied suspiciously. “Spike, do your parents know where you are?”

“They know I’m with Buffy.”

“Very well. Please leave now, and stay away. Buffy, you’re grounded for a week.” With that, Joyce took the cell phone from her bedside table. “Goodnight.”

“But Mum!” she protested.

“I’ll see you later, Buffy,” Spike said, walking past Mrs Summers, down the stairs and out of the house.

“I don’t want to know,” Joyce told her daughter, “but he won’t be welcomed while you’re grounded.”

Buffy curled up on her bed alone. She crossed her arms, sulking, as her mother left. Now Dawn had a chance with Spike. The younger girl would be sure to visit her ‘distraught’ boyfriend, offering him ‘comfort’ while they couldn’t see each other.

She hoped she could trust Spike. And it didn’t occur to her that she shouldn’t care, because she was probably going to have to break up with him anyway.

TBC

Chapter 3

Buffy sulked her way through the week while she was grounded. She had no choice, really. Her mother only worked for two of those days, spending the rest on her regular activities such as snooping around Dawn’s room and checking the text messages on both daughters’ phones.

On Monday, Buffy stayed in her room all day, only emerging to use the bathroom a few times and once to sneak down to the kitchen. Joyce was not denying her food, or freedom to roam around the house, but Buffy didn’t really want to have to talk to her. Dawn was, of course, out with her friends for most of the day, but was made to work on her holiday homework after dinner.

Tuesday and Wednesday she was home alone, but unable to contact anyone. She didn’t have her cell phone, and if her mother called while she was using the landline, she would be in more trouble. Dawn pointed this out on many occasions, even threatening to rat out her older sister should she so much as step out onto the porch or answer the phone. And because school was over, poor Buffy couldn’t even pretend to have to tutor her boyfriend.

Thursday was Dawn’s dance class night. Joyce had to drive the girl both ways, and the class went for two hours, so it was the perfect time for Spike to sneak in a visit. And at exactly 5pm, when he knocked on the front door and was enveloped in a hug by his girlfriend, he knew he’d guessed correctly that she’d be there alone.

“Quickly, upstairs,” she told him, grabbing his hand. He closed the front door behind him and let her lead him up the stairs and into her room.

“Shouldn’t we talk?” he asked. She didn’t answer, though. She was preoccupied with pulling him over to her bed. “Buffy, stop.”

She released him and flopped on the bed on her back. “Hurry up, we only have two hours.”

“We need to talk about next year. That’s why I came by.” Spike sat next to her, looking down at where her golden hair had spread out over the quilt. He took one of her hands in his.

Buffy sat up, letting him keep her hand. She wanted to smile but couldn’t quite manage it. “I want us to stay together.”

“Good.”

“I mean, I want that. But where can we go together?”

“Sunnydale,” he answered without hesitation.

She sighed. “Why would we go there if we were accepted some place else?”

“Because it’s close, with parents nearby to do our laundry.” She laughed at that. “We’ll probably know some people there.”

“Willow and Oz are going,” she admitted, “so it can’t be that bad.”

“It’s final, then?”

Buffy smiled at him, sitting up and moving to rub her nose with his. “Looks like.”

He gently pushed her back, so they were lying next to each other. She was wearing her glasses, slightly skewed because of the way her head leaned on her pillow, making it hard for him to keep a straight face while they talked seriously. “Are you sure, pet? About next year?”

“Yes. I’m really glad we’ll be together.”

Spike smiled then. It didn’t matter what her parents said, that Joyce had asked him to find out Buffy’s prospects for college before banning him from her house… His girlfriend was with him, they were in her bed, she was wearing a ridiculously tiny pink miniskirt, and he wanted her. He pulled her hips against his, moving to kiss her soft lips, but she pushed his shoulders away gently.

“Wait, I like us talking. We don’t do this a lot,” she told him. “I’ve missed you this week.”

“I missed you too, sweet. Riley and Xander tried to take me to the Bronze every night, and your sister’s been calling. It’s a nightmare.” Spike moved closer to her, their foreheads touching. They were close enough that they whispered to each other.

“My sister?” Buffy pouted. “She’s been teasing me, and if I tell Mum she’ll deny it, and I’ll be in more trouble. I told her you weren’t interested in her no matter what she did.”

“That’s right. Only one girl for me, and she’s here in my arms.”

Buffy closed her eyes and smiled, basking in his words. How could she have thought she could live without him? His arms tightened around her waist as he kissed her, bringing her back from her musings.

She threw a leg over his and thrust against him. Her tiny pink pleated skirt rode up and she felt the rough denim of his jeans against her inner thighs. “Pants off,” she said with a decidedly wicked grin, moving back to pull off her own clothes while he undressed.

“Leave the skirt on,” Spike requested with a leer. She blushed and laughed, pulling off her panties and shirt before lying in the middle of her bed. Now naked, Spike picked her up and took her place, setting her down so she was straddling him.

Buffy smiled a little nervously. They didn’t do this position very often. “Are you ready for me?” he asked with a smirk, kissing her deeply. When they parted, she answered his question by guiding his cock into her tight but wet opening.

“Spike!” she gasped as she slid down, but then stopped abruptly. “Wait, stop!” He released her hips, eyes crossing in frustration as she moved away. “Mum took away my pills, I gotta find a condom.”

Joyce had confiscated the birth control pills from her daughter’s nightstand as a direct result of her grounding. She reasoned that it would probably stop her from trying to sneak Spike in, as she’d be too worried about the consequences.

Luckily, Buffy kept a few condoms in the very back of the aforementioned nightstand, hidden inside an old jewellery box. She smiled as she retrieved one, handing it to Spike before resuming her position above him.

“Ready now?” he asked, the interruption not having affected his arousal. With the condom on, he lay back and groaned as Buffy lowered herself on top of him.

“Oh, yessss,” she hissed, sinking down until he was fully inside her. It wasn’t as weird with her skirt on as she’d expected. Spike moved his hands to gently caress her breasts while she made a few small movements back and forward. Her hands explored his chest before becoming still. She began to move up and down, eliciting groans from him, especially when she tightened her vaginal muscles around his shaft.

The friction was driving him crazy. He was about to come, so he moved one of his hands under her skirt to her clit. Gently stroking and then rubbing harder, Spike heard her gasps become louder.

“Oh, Spike, yes, like that…” She moved faster, she was almost there, just a little more – yes! “Spike!” she yelled as she came, slowing her movements.

His hands went to her hips to keep up her pace. “Kiss me,” he demanded, and she leaned down to meet his lips. Their tongues met harshly, then he broke away and sucked hard on her neck. “Oh, Buffy,” he moaned into her skin as his release hit him.

They collapsed beside each other, Spike getting up to dispose of the condom. Returning, he pulled her against him.

“Do you think we’ll be together forever?” she whispered. She was smiling happily.

“For sure,” he replied. “Now, how about a quick nap, pet?”

She checked the clock beside her table. Almost 6:30pm. They had maybe half an hour before he had to leave to avoid being caught. “Not enough time,” she said. “Maybe just snuggle?”

They kissed lazily for a few minutes, not able to get enough of each other. When Spike tried to bring his hands back to her breasts, Buffy moved away slightly, eventually breaking the kiss when he lunged for her. She fell backwards off her bed, landing on the not-so-soft rug. She was about to yell at him when a car engine turned off nearby.

Buffy grabbed the quilt off her bed to wrap around herself, then pulled her window open, peering down at the driveway. “It’s not them,” she reported, relieved.

“They won’t be back for a while, pet. Probably picking up dinner on the way home,” Spike told her. “Come back to bed.”

“No, Spike. You know they’ll be here any minute. I don’t want this to be like me kicking you out, but you have to go. Where did you park – oh god, it wasn’t in front of the house, was it? Mum’ll know-”

“She won’t.” He pulled his shirt on, then put on the pants and socks that she threw at him. “Firstly, I parked around the corner. Secondly, I’m going, okay? We’ve done this before.”

She frowned, tightening the quilt she held. Cold air was entering from the window, so she closed it. “Fine. Chilling out,” she told him. “But if she finds you here, I’ll be grounded for longer, and that’s more time we’ll be apart.”

“I know. But c’mon, she’ll only be leaving now,” Spike indicated her clock. “I’ll go, but I’ll miss you.”

“You’re picking me up on Sunday morning, right? For our picnic? Do you want me to bring anything?”

“Just your gorgeous self.” Spike knew exactly how to make her smile. “Ten o’clock, I’ll be here.”

“Bye, Spike! Goodnight!”

“Nite!” he called back. She stayed in her room while he let himself out, not wanting to go downstairs in only a miniskirt and a quilt. On that note, she remade her bed and then went into the bathroom for a quick shower.

TBC

On Friday, Buffy got up bright and early to work on her acceptance letter. She wished she could call Willow to ask if she had a roommate, but she was still grounded. Addressing and sealing the envelope, Buffy went downstairs with it.

“I’m going to study at UC Sunnydale,” she announced to her mother and sister, seated in the kitchen. Placing her letter on the bench, she sighed, “this is my acceptance letter, please post it, I can’t because I’m grounded.”

Dawn rolled her eyes at her sister’s bored tone. “Could you be any more pathetic? Sunnydale, how adventurous.”

“Dawn!” Joyce chastised the younger girl. “Please be more supportive of your older sister.” Another eye roll was her only answer. “Buffy, that’s wonderful, dear. Would you like some breakfast? I was just going to make pancakes.”

“No thanks, mum,” Buffy replied. “I think I’ll just go upstairs and mope some more in my room, alone. You see, it’s my vacation, and I’ve been grounded so I can’t see my friends.” In order to avoid being told off for her sarcasm, she quickly escaped up the stairs.

~~

On Saturday, Joyce and Dawn went out for lunch. But rather than sulk, which she only did to make her mother feel guilty for preventing her from enjoying her summer, Buffy did something productive.

She checked the weather forecast, predictably sunny, and went through her closet for something to wear to a picnic.

Flipping quickly past all pants and jackets, she went through her shirts more slowly. Her latest underwear purchase, a leopard-print thong, seemed the naughtiest thing she’d ever owned. Perhaps a skirt that sat low on her hips, and a short top? Something that, when she leaned over, was guaranteed to give Spike a peek of it.

Pulling out a tiny denim skirt, she had to hunt through a little more to find a suitable top. In fact, the only midriff-bearing tops she owned looked so skanky with the skirt that she didn’t think she could bare to look in a mirror with the outfit on.

Back to square one, she figured that a black bra would best match her thong. Maybe she could wear a cute blue blouse, not see-though like some of the paler colours, with the denim skirt? He’d probably talk her into doing it in his car, so he’d see the thong eventually. Hmm…

The phone started ringing. Buffy’s attention was drawn to her bedside table. She crossed her fingers, hoping it was Spike. Not allowed to even answer the phone, she sat down and waited while it rang. Eventually the answering machine picked it up.

“Hi, this is Anna, could Dawn call me back? Bye.”

Damn, not Spike. Oh well, she would’ve just let her surprise, the underwear, slip out anyway.

Holding the blouse and skirt up to herself in front of the mirror, Buffy confirmed her choices and then hid them in the back of her closet. No need for Dawn to come across them, should she shuffle through looking for something to borrow. That girl’s room was like a black hole for clothes!

~~

The next morning, Buffy showered and dressed before heading downstairs for a quick breakfast. “Good morning!” she said happily to her sister and mother.

“Morning, sweetie,” Joyce replied, though Dawn just frowned and went back to her waffles. “I was thinking we could go out for lunch today, the three of us, to that new Italian restaurant in town. I’m in the mood for some garlic bread and spaghetti bolognese.”

Buffy smiled, putting bread into the toaster. “I’m going on a picnic with Spike today. Maybe another time.”

Dawn, who had perked up at the thought of pizza, frowned. “Mum, she always goes out with Spike. Make her come with us.”

“No!” Buffy argued. “I haven’t seen him for a whole week,” which wasn’t true, he’d snuck in on Thursday night, but they didn’t know that, “and she’s just jealous.”

Joyce quickly diffused the situation. “Buffy, you can go on your picnic. Dawn, you and I will go out to eat. We could see a movie after that if you’d like.”

“Yeah, fine,” Dawn grumbled. While pleased that she was going out for lunch, she was annoyed that Buffy got to spend time with her hot boyfriend, who she totally didn’t deserve. Finished with her waffles, she went upstairs to get dressed for the day.

Buffy had finished her toast and was just touching up her lipgloss when the doorbell rang. “Bye Mom,” she called out, hurrying out the door. “I’ll be home before dinner.”

“Have fun, sweetie!” Joyce replied from the kitchen.

~~

Buffy greeted her boyfriend with a smile and a kiss. “Hi Spike,” she said sweetly.

“Hi babe,” he said, taking her hand. He led her out to his car. He’d put the top down so they could get the wind in their hair, especially when they hit the highway.

She couldn’t stop smiling as Spike opened the car door for her. She wasn’t grounded anymore, and she was sitting in a convertible beside her boyfriend. All seemed right with the world.

Spike glanced at Buffy as they began their drive. She was perfect. So smart, and always willing to help him with schoolwork, but gorgeous at the same time. He’d been eying her tiny denim skirt, the torn bottom hem making it seem even more indecent. When she’d sat down in the car, he’d watched it ride frustratingly up. And that blouse, if only she’d undo another button or two…

“Are we going to the beach?” Buffy interrupted. “I don’t have a swimsuit, but afterwards we can go back to my house, if you want. Mum and Dawn will probably be out for hours.”

“Um, yeah. The beach. And your house.” He could only think of what they’d be doing at her house. She has that big, comfy bed, and soft pillows, and perhaps she’d be interested in trying out some handcuffs…

Buffy noticed his odd expression. “Eyes on the road,” she reminded him, mock-seriously. She shook her hair out of its ponytail and let it free and Spike tried to keep his mind on driving.

TBC