Chapter 1

"Oh my god! Mom!" Buffy Summers yelled as she ran upstairs to her mother's room. Joyce Summers heard her eldest yelling for her and left her room to be greeted by a very excited Buffy.

"Honey, what is it?" Buffy couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice when she answered.

"I just got a letter from Will. He's moving back here in a few weeks. How amazing is that?" Joyce smiled at her daughter.

"Well, that's good. It's been a while since we've seen him." Buffy nodded.

"Six years, but who's counting. I have to tell Willow." With that Buffy ran into her room and closed the door. Joyce shook her head and smiled as she headed downstairs. Buffy was sitting on her bed talking to Willow on the phone, who also seemed just as happy.

"Wow, I can't believe he's coming back." Willow said.

"I know, in just a few weeks. He finished the school year early and decided to go to UC Sunnydale. How cool is that!" Buffy told her best friend.

"Yeah, how much do you think he's changed in the last six years?" Buffy shrugged even though her friend couldn't see her.

"We haven't talked that much, but when we did he always seemed the same to me. I mean this is Will we're talking about, how much could he really have changed?" Buffy said.

"I guess, but a lot could happen in six years." Willow replied.

"Yeah, I don't really care if he's changed on the outside. As long as he's the same inside." There was a pause until Willow spoke again.

"Yeah, that's all that matters. I gotta go now, Buffy. I'll see you in school tomorrow, try to get some sleep." Willow told her.

"I will, see you tomorrow." Buffy hung up the phone and lay down looking up at the ceiling. She couldn't believe that her old best friend was finally coming back. She couldn't seem to keep the smile off of her face when she thought of him. She looked at the picture that she kept by her bed of the two of them when they were younger. They were in her backyard sitting on the ground, Will had his arm around her and they smiled big for the camera. They were only 12-years-old when that picture was taken. That was the last time she saw Will. They met in kindergarten and became instant friends. William was a shy boy that always hung out by himself. He just moved there from England and he had a hard time making friends until Buffy talked to him one day and then they became inseparable. They did everything together until Will's dad got transferred back to England and they had to move. Buffy remembered being very heartbroken when he told her about it. She didn't want to lose her best friend, but there wasn't anything she could have done about it. They kept in touch occasionally and now he was finally coming back and Buffy couldn't wait to see him. She thought about what Willow said and wondered if he really has changed, she just shrugged it off and decided to get some sleep.

Chapter 2

A few weeks went by and Buffy couldn't be happier. She was expecting Will in a few days so she was busy fixing up the house while Joyce was out. Will would be staying with them for a bit until school started, then he would be staying in a dorm. Buffy was cleaning when she heard her little sister Dawn running down the stairs. "I'll see you later." She said as she headed to the door.

"Where are you going?" Buffy asked.

"I'm staying over at Janice's tonight. Mom said it was okay." Buffy nodded.

"Alright, have fun." Dawn smiled at her and then left the house. Buffy just went back to cleaning. She was wearing baggy overalls and her blonde hair was up in a messy ponytail. She desperately needed a shower. Buffy was about to head upstairs when someone knocked on the door. She sighed and walked over to the door. "Now what." She said to herself as she opened the door. Standing there was a man in a leather duster with bleached blonde hair. Buffy couldn't take her eyes off of him. "Will?" He nodded and smiled at her.

"Hey, cutie." He replied and she smiled back at him.

"Oh my god, look at you." She said as she hugged him and he hugged her back. "What have you done to yourself?" She said when she pulled away and looked at him again.

"What, you don't like it?" He asked a little hurt.

"Well, I never said that. It looks good, really different." She told him as she touched his hair. "How do you get it so soft?" He smiled at her and walked into the house.

"That's a secret, Summers." He looked around the house and Buffy closed the door. "Place hasn't changed all that much." He told her.

"We're not that much into change, but obviously you are. When did this happen?" She asked referring to his look.

"Few years ago, decided I could use a new look." Buffy nodded not sure what else to say. She really didn't mind the way he used to look, but the new look was definitely not bad either. "I also go by Spike now. A lot of things needed changing." Buffy tried not to laugh at the name. She just nodded in agreement. Willow was right when she said a lot could happen in six years. Buffy just couldn't believe that he could change so much.

"We weren't expecting you for a few more days." Spike nodded.

"Yeah, decided to show up earlier to surprise you." He told her with a smile.

"Well, you did. I didn't get a chance to shower yet, I look like a mess." Spike looked at her.

"That's not possible, still beautiful like always. The last six years have really been good to you." Buffy smiled and looked down, she hoped that he couldn't see her blushing.

"Thanks," she said as she looked back up at him. "Well, I'm going to take a shower now. You can just relax and watch TV if you want." Spike nodded and headed to the living room. He sat down on the couch and grabbed the remote. Buffy was about to go upstairs when she turned back to look at him with a smile on her face. "By the way, about the new look. It looked better on Billy Idol." With that she ran up the stairs. Spike got up and chased after her.

"You better get back here, Summers." He was faster than her so he caught up to her and grabbed her before she got to her room. She squealed as he knocked her to the floor and got on top of her, pinning her arms above her head. "That wasn't very nice. If you want me to let you go you better take it back, missy." Buffy was trying not to laugh. They haven't done anything like this since they were little.

"Make me." She told him and he gave her a smirk.

"Oh, I'll make you." He then started to tickle her because he knew how ticklish she was. She couldn't hold it in anymore and started to laugh.

"Hey, that's not fair." She said while still laughing.

"Are you going to take it back now?" He said as he continued to tickle her.

"Watch where you put your hands. Okay, I take it back just stop with the torture." He then let her go and she sat up.

"That's a good girl." He told her and she slapped him on the arm.

"You're evil." He gave her a grin.

"You better believe it." He hugged her again and kissed the top of her head. "I really missed you, Buffy." Buffy hugged him back and smiled. She was glad that everything about him didn't change, he was still sweet like always.

Chapter 3

Buffy was upstairs brushing her hair after she was done with her shower. When she was dressed she headed back downstairs to find Spike still watching TV. He looked up at her when she came into the living room and noticed the short black dress she was wearing. She was beautiful, but he thought that even when she was in the overalls. He turned his gaze away and looked back at the TV, figuring that would be safer. "You going somewhere?" He asked still looking away from her.

"Yeah, I had plans with my boyfriend tonight. I didn't know you would be here." Spike then looked back at her.

"Oh, you have a boyfriend?" He asked trying to keep the jealousy out of his voice. He didn't even know why he was jealous.

"Yep, for about six months now. We're only going to the Bronze if you wanna come with. I'm sure the guys would be there. I know Willow and Xander can't wait to see you again." Spike nodded.

"Sure, it's not like I had anything else to do. That is if the boyfriend doesn't mind." If Buffy noticed the jealousy in his voice she didn't say anything about it.

"It's fine, he knows about you. I'll just tell him that you came earlier and I would feel guilty leaving you here by yourself." She told him.

"Yeah, thanks." He replied when someone knocked on the door. Buffy opened it and was greeted by a dark haired man in a letter jacket.

"Hey," she said. He smiled at her and kissed her on the lips, not even noticing Spike standing there. He rolled his eyes at the display as they continued to make out in front of him. After what seemed like forever he couldn't take it anymore.

"You could let the girl breathe you know." They stopped kissing and he looked at Spike finally noticing his presence.

"Right, sorry." Buffy said as she looked at both of them. "Spike, this is Parker. Parker, this is Will. The friend I told you about. He kinda goes by Spike now, don't ask. He showed up earlier than he was supposed to." Parker nodded and walked over to Spike and put his hand out.

"Hey, Buffy's told me a lot about you." Spike just stared at his hand for a few seconds and then shook it.

"Yeah, she hasn't told me anything about you." They let go and Parker turned back to Buffy.

"You ready to go?" Buffy nodded.

"Would it be okay if Spike came with us? My mom won't be back till real late and I would feel bad if he stayed here by himself." Parker didn't like that idea, but agreed to it anyway.

"Yeah, that's fine." He said as he walked out of the house. Buffy and Spike right behind him. They walked to his car and Parker opened the door for Buffy and she got in. Spike rolled his eyes and also got in. He could tell that it was going to be a fun night.

Chapter 4

They walked into the Bronze when Parker saw some of his friends and told Buffy he would be right back. Buffy nodded and then saw her friends. She grabbed Spike's arm and walked over to them. "Hey guys, look who's here?" They looked up at her and the guy standing next to her.

"Will? Wow you're really...blonde. You look great though." Willow said and Spike smiled at her.

"It's good to see you again, Red." Xander stood up and patted him on the back.

"Man, I love that coat. I think I'm gonna get me one. I'm sure the ladies go crazy for it." Spike smiled at his old friend.

"Yeah, it doesn't hurt. Good to see you, Xander." He said as they shook hands. Xander sat back down and got a smack on the head from Anya.

"Ow, what was that for?" He asked as he rubbed his head.

"You are not getting one of those. The only lady you are going to impress is me, Harris." She told him.

"Sorry, you know I didn't mean it." He said trying to make amends.

"Fine, I'll let it go this time. As long as you keep giving me many orgasms." Spike stared at her shocked; everyone else seemed to be used to it though.

"Anya, we talked about this. There is a time and place for that and now is not it." Anya rolled her eyes.

"I was just saying." Buffy smiled at them and then looked at Spike.

"Spike, this is Anya. She's Xander's girlfriend incase you didn't get that." Spike nodded and Anya just smiled at him.

"Spike?" Willow said when she looked at him.

"It's what I go by now, picked it up in England and it stuck." Willow nodded accepting his answer. Buffy then noticed Tara sitting next to Willow. Sometimes she was just so quiet that you hardly even noticed she was there.

"This is Tara. She's Willow's girlfriend." Spike nodded his head in greeting and Tara smiled at him and looked down. He just met the girl and already she reminded him of how he used to be. He noticed that there were two other guys sitting with them that he didn't recognize and another girl. Buffy then introduced him to them. "These two losers are Angel and Riley." She said with a smile and they smiled back.

"You know you love us." Angel said.

"Of course, and this is Faith." She replied pointing to the brunette girl sitting next to the guys. Spike shook their hands and they all sat down. They started talking and laughing and Spike was actually having a good time, realizing that Buffy's friends were pretty cool. Besides the ones he already knew. Parker then came over to them. He sat next to Buffy and kissed her on the cheek. Spike noticed that his hand was placed on her thigh. He balled his hands into fists, but tried to stay calm. He had to realize that he was her boyfriend and that is usually what couples would do, no matter how much he hated it. He also had to remember that Buffy was just a friend; she was like a sister to him. It wasn't jealousy he was feeling, he was just feeling overprotective like always. He tried to convince himself of that, but it wasn't working. He looked at her laughing with her friends and saw how her whole face lit up. He could convince himself that she was just a friend, but looking at her he knew he was feeling more than friendship.

Chapter 5

When they got back to the house, Spike headed straight to the living room and sat on the couch. Buffy was still outside saying goodnight to Parker. He knew there was probably more snogging involved, but he would rather not watch it this time. Buffy came inside a few minutes later. "So, I think my friends liked you. What did you think of them?" Spike shrugged.

"They're alright, I like that Anya bird. She knows how to speak her mind, not many girls are like that." Buffy smiled and sat down next to him.

"Yeah, she's definitely one of a kind." Spike nodded and looked at her.

"You okay, pet?" Buffy nodded also.

"Yeah, just a little tired." She said as she rested her head on his shoulder. He took a deep breath and decided to keep making conversation.

"So, how's nibblet? I haven't seen her yet." He said.

"She's good, at a friend's house right now. You'll see her tomorrow. My mom should be home soon." Spike nodded and looked at her with her head still on his shoulder.

"So, do you really like that bloke?" With that she raised her head and looked at him.

"Who, Parker?" Spike nodded. "Yeah, he's good and he seems to actually like me so that's a plus." Spike couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"What, like no guy has ever liked you before." He told her.

"Well, they haven't. He's the first one that actually asked me out, guys never seemed to notice me before." Spike still couldn't believe it.

"Are you serious?" Buffy nodded.

"I mean guys have looked at me before so obviously they noticed me, it's just that they never asked me out so I figured I was imagining it." Spike gave her a faint smile.

"Maybe they were afraid to." Buffy looked at him.

"What do you mean?" Spike took a breath.

"Maybe there have been blokes that really liked you, but were too shy and nervous to tell you how they felt." Buffy thought about it.

"Why? It's just me." Spike smiled at her.

"You would be surprised to see how much guys get shy around a pretty girl." Spike said as he looked down. Buffy looked at him not sure what to say. They sat in silence until they heard the front door open. Joyce walked in and Spike stood up. "Hello, Joyce." He said and she looked at him.

"William, I didn't know you were here already." She said as she hugged him. She pulled away and got a good look at him. "There's something different about you." She said as Buffy stood up also.

"There's quite a few. Just to pick one, he goes by Spike now. Which I still don't get." Buffy said and Spike smiled.

"I'll tell you some other time." He said as he winked at her. Joyce didn't notice.

"Well, I think you look more grown up. How's your father?" She asked him.

"Stuffy as always, he says hello." Joyce smiled.

"Well, tell him he can visit anytime. I know Buffy would love to see him again." Spike nodded. "I don't know about you two, but I'm exhausted. I think I'll head to bed now. Goodnight." She said as she went upstairs. They both said goodnight to her as she left. Buffy looked back at Spike.

"I think I'll head up, too. You gonna be okay down here? I know the couch isn't great, but it's all we have." Spike nodded.

"It's fine, love. I can pretty much sleep anywhere." Buffy nodded and was about to go upstairs when Spike stopped her. "Buffy, I want you to be careful. With Parker I mean. There's just something about him that I don't like." Buffy sighed and turned back to him.

"What is with you guys, I can take care of myself you know. I already have two bodyguards; I don't need to add to that list." Spike didn't know what she meant by that so she decided to elaborate for him. "I'm talking about Angel and Riley, they're brothers and have made it a habit to be my bodyguards, they don't seem to like him either. I know you guys just want what is best for me, but I can make my own decisions and I really like Parker." Spike looked at her; there was something about the way she said that last part. She didn't seem like she meant it, infact she seemed scared or something, but he couldn't figure it out. He just shrugged it off and nodded.

"I know you can. I just can't help being protective of you. It's my job." Buffy smiled at him.

"I know, it's good to see that you're still like that." Spike nodded.

"Always, I'm not going anywhere. Not this time." Buffy hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Good to know." She said as she went upstairs. Spike just watched her go and touched his cheek where she kissed him.

Chapter 6

Buffy and Willow were walking to their lockers after school on Monday. "So, what happened to you and Parker at the Bronze the other night?" Willow asked.

"What do you mean?" Buffy replied.

"I mean that you two took off for about a half hour and then came back. What were you doing?" Buffy shrugged.

"Nothing, we were just talking." Willow nodded accepting her answer, but something didn't feel right. Buffy was putting her books in her locker and Willow noticed something on her arm.

"That's a pretty nasty bruise, where did you get it?" Buffy looked at her arm and then back at Willow.

"Oh, I fell the other day. It was so stupid; you know I can be a total klutz sometimes." Willow agreed, but didn't say anything. "I have to go, I'll see you later." Buffy said as she walked away. Willow just sighed and then turned to her locker. She wouldn't let Buffy know, but she was starting to get really worried about her friend. Willow looked in the distance and saw Buffy meet up with Parker. He kissed her and they both walked out of the school. Willow shook her head and went back to her locker; there was something she definitely didn't like about him. Buffy got home and threw her backpack on the floor and then leaned her head against the door. She was really starting to feel tired. She rubbed her arm and walked into the living room to find Spike watching TV again. "Hey, how'd the job hunting go? Assuming you actually left the couch." Spike glared at her.

"I have you know that I was out looking all day, Summers. I just needed a break, not much people hiring now it seems." Buffy nodded and sat next to him.

"Give it time, you'll find something." Spike nodded and looked at her.

"You feeling alright, looking a bit pale." Buffy sighed.

"Yeah, well school could do that to you." She told him.

"I thought you liked school." Buffy looked at him and shrugged.

"I do, it's just this year has been hard. Senior year and all, I can't wait till it's over." She told him.

"Trust me, when it is over you'll miss it and wish you were back." Spike replied.

"Is that how it was for you?" He shrugged.

"I do miss some stuff, but others not so much." Buffy nodded and smiled at him.

"Okay, I wanna know. Who was the girl?" Spike looked at her.

"What girl?" He asked and she rolled her eyes.

"The girl that talked you into the new look." Spike gave her a smile.

"What makes you think there was a girl involved?" Buffy rolled her eyes again.

"There's always a girl involved. So, who was it?" Spike sighed.

"Her name was Drusilla. We dated for over a year and okay she is the one that suggested I get a different look. I liked the look so much that I even kept it after we broke up." Buffy nodded.

"Why did you break up?" Spike took a deep breath.

"I found her with someone else; turns out she was cheating on me pretty much during our whole relationship. I just never saw it." Spike said as he looked down. Buffy felt bad for him and rubbed his back in comfort.

"I'm sorry; I know how much that sucks. If it helps any, it was her loss." Spike smiled at her.

"Thanks, pet. It helps a lot." Buffy returned his smile.

"Yeah, there are plenty girls out there. You just haven't found the right one yet." Spike nodded and Buffy stood up. "I'm going upstairs now to do my homework." Buffy said with a disgusted look on her face and then went upstairs. Spike smiled after she left.

"You're wrong about that, pet. I think I have found the right one. She just doesn't know it." Spike said to himself as he went back to the TV.

Chapter 7

Spike was still downstairs watching TV when Dawn walked in the door. He immediately went to grab the remote to change the channel. "Hey nibblet, how was school?" Dawn sat next to him and sighed.

"Boring as usual. So, what were you watching?" Spike looked at the TV not sure what he changed it to.

"Um, looks like some cartoon thing." Dawn rolled her eyes.

"Uh huh, so what were you watching when I came in?" Spike looked caught.

"What are you talking about?" He asked her.

"I refuse to believe that you were watching cartoons this whole time, besides I saw you panic and change the channel. You were watching something naughty weren't you?" She told him with a smile.

"Of course not, I was just fascinated by this cartoon here. Bloody hell, yes I was. What of it?" Dawn laughed at that.

"It's okay, Spike. You're an 18-year-old guy; it's only natural that you would watch porn." Spike gave her a look.

"Hey, I resent that. I was just flipping through the channels and caught a glimpse of it before you walked in. I wasn't even paying attention." Dawn rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, right. I'll let it go; unfortunately I have homework to do." Dawn got up and headed to the stairs when Spike called back to her.

"Dawn, don't tell big sis or your mum about this. I'll never hear the end of it." Dawn smirked at him.

"I would never do that." She said as she put her hand to her chest and went upstairs with the smile still on her face. Spike took a deep breath and changed the TV back to the other channel. He heard a knock on the door about an hour later and went to answer it. He opened the door to find Willow standing there.

"Hey, Red. You here to see Buffy?" Willow shook her head.

"I actually wanted to talk to you." Spike nodded and moved out of the way so Willow could walk in. He closed the door behind her and they both walked into the living room and sat down.

"So, what is it?" Willow took a deep breath.

"I'm worried about Buffy. I think something is going on that she hasn't told me about." That got Spike's attention.

"Why would you think that?" Willow thought about it and then turned and saw something disturbing on the TV.

"Um, Spike? What are you watching?" Spike then looked back at the TV and forgot that he still had it on that channel.

"Oh, how did that get there?" He said as he grabbed the remote and turned it off. "Sorry, you were saying." Willow shook her head and got back to the point.

"I think something is going on with Buffy and Parker." Spike could tell that he wouldn't like what she had to say.

"What would that be?" He asked her.

"I don't know anything for sure, but Buffy has been acting a little different since she's been with him. I just don't trust him, infact none of us do. He has a bad reputation at school and a bad temper when something doesn't go his way. I think...I think he might be hurting Buffy." Willow explained and she saw an angry expression on Spike's face.

Chapter 8

"What? Why would you think that?" Spike asked a little upset.

"I don't know, it's just a feeling. She has been acting a little weird lately and today I saw her with a pretty nasty bruise on her arm. She said she fell, but I don't believe that." Spike took a breath.

"Why do you think she would lie about that?" Willow shrugged.

"I don't know, maybe she's scared. If he is hurting her maybe she's afraid to say something, afraid that it would get worse. He could have threatened her to be quiet or something. I don't have any real proof, he's never been very violent around us, but there's no telling how he acts when we're not around. I just have a bad feeling that something is wrong." Spike nodded, he knew there was something he didn't trust about that guy.

"Have you asked her about it?" Willow shook her head.

"I was afraid to, afraid that I wouldn't like the answer. I don't really think she would tell me though, maybe you could talk to her." Spike sighed.

"If you don't think she would tell you then I doubt she would tell me. I guess I could try though." Willow smiled at him.

"Thanks Spike, I really appreciate it. I hope I'm wrong though." Spike agreed.

"Yeah, so do I." Willow left and Spike stayed where he was thinking about what he would say to Buffy. He just really hoped Willow was wrong because Spike knew that he would kill anyone that put their hands on Buffy in a way that they shouldn't. She came down the stairs later all dressed up and walked to the front door. Spike got up to get to her before she left. "Where are you going?" He asked her.

"I'm meeting Parker at the Bronze." Buffy told him.

"Will the others be there?" He asked.

"No, it'll just be us this time. He was saying how we haven't had much time together, just the two of us." Spike didn't like the sound of that.

"I think I should go with you. You can never be too careful." Buffy sighed.

"Spike, I'll be fine. You worry too much. I'll only be gone a few hours, you won't even miss me." Buffy said as she opened the door.

"You know I can't help but worry about you. I really don't think you should be alone with him." Buffy looked at him.

"Are you jealous?" She asked.

"Of course not. I don't get jealous. I just don't like him and I already have a date tonight." Spike said without even thinking.

"Really, with who?" Buffy asked and Spike looked caught. He tried to think of something.

"With Faith, we're going out." She was the first person he thought of to say.

"You and Faith, she didn't tell me anything about that." Spike nodded.

"Yeah, well it was very sudden. I was supposed to meet her at the Bronze also; maybe we should just go there together." Buffy sighed.

"Okay, but you have to promise to leave Parker alone." She said as she pointed her finger at him and he held his right hand up.

"I promise to leave the wanker alone, I mean Parker. What kind of bloody name is that anyway?" Buffy rolled her eyes and left the house. Spike took a deep breath and followed her. He hoped he knew what he was getting himself into.

Chapter 9

Buffy saw Parker and headed over to him when they walked into the Bronze. Spike watched her go and sighed; he then saw the attractive brunette sitting at the bar and walked over to her. He was glad that she was there because he didn't want to have to explain to Buffy that his supposed date stood him up. He sat next to her and spoke in her ear. "Do me a favor and pretend that we're here on a date, pet." Faith looked at him when he spoke.

"Why would I do that?" She asked wondering what he was up to.

"I'll give you 50 bucks." He told her and she smiled.

"Well, okay then." Spike nodded and watched Buffy and Parker; he was determined to not let her out of his sight. Faith saw where he was staring and rolled her eyes. "You're here to spy on Buffy? Do you have a thing for her or something?" She asked him even though she already knew the answer.

"I'm just looking out for her, I don't trust that guy." Faith nodded.

"Yeah, well join the club." Spike looked back at her.

"So, none of you like him?" Spike asked and Faith shook her head.

"Can't stand him, he's nothing but your typical jock. You should see him at his basketball games; we only went because Buffy talked us into it. He gets crazy when someone screws up on his team; he thinks he's better than everyone. If you ask me, Buffy could do a lot better." Spike nodded, he was really starting to worry about Buffy now.

"Has anyone talked to her about him?" Faith nodded also.

"We tried convincing her that he was no good, but she wouldn't listen. She thinks he's the perfect boyfriend or whatever. My brothers even tried following him around once to see if he was seeing someone else so they would have proof that he was really a jerk, but they never found anything. We still don't trust him though." Spike agreed.

"Willow talked to me earlier. She thinks that Parker is hurting Buffy and she wanted me to talk to her about it. I haven't got around to it yet. I'm not sure what I would even say." Faith nodded.

"Yeah, it would be hard to get her to believe anything negative about him. It's like he's brainwashed her or something." Spike looked back to where he was watching Buffy and noticed that she was gone. He knew he should have been paying more attention.

"She's gone; I have to go look for her. I'll be right back." Spike told Faith and he went to look for Buffy. He couldn't find her anywhere inside so he looked outside. He saw her sitting outside the Bronze with her head down. "Buffy, are you okay?" He asked as she looked up at him. He then noticed that she had a big bruise on her face. He went to help her up and put his finger under her chin and looked at her face. "Did he do this to you?" He asked with anger in his voice. She didn't say anything, but he knew that Parker had something to do with it. "Where is that bastard, I'll kill him for this." Spike said and Buffy looked at him.

"Don't, I just want to go home." She said as tears started coming down her face. Faith then came outside and saw Buffy.

"Oh god, what happened?" Buffy started to really cry and she hid her face in her hands. Faith went to her side and hugged her and Buffy wrapped her arms around the other girl and cried on her shoulder. "It's okay, B." Faith said as she rubbed her back in a comforting way. Spike just stood there not sure what to do. He knew that Buffy was very important to him. He didn't think of her as just a friend, but more than that. He loved her with all his heart and watching her right now, his heart was breaking for her. He knew one thing; if he saw Parker again he would make him pay for touching her.

Chapter 10

It was late when they got back to the house. Spike figured that Joyce and Dawn were asleep as he went to the kitchen. Buffy and Faith went into the living room and sat down on the couch. She hardly said anything since they left the Bronze. Spike came back with a glass of water and handed it to Buffy. She took a few sips and put the glass down. "You feeling better?" Spike asked her and all she did was nod her head. Spike sat down on the other side of her. "You ready to talk about what happened?" Buffy shook her head; she wasn't really in the mood to talk. Faith felt bad for her friend and put her arm around her. Buffy put her head on her shoulder and they stayed like that for a little while. Spike just wished she would talk to him; he was really worried about her. "You should head home now, Faith. It's pretty late." Spike told her and she nodded.

"Yeah, and you should get some rest. You're probably tired." Faith said to Buffy and she nodded against her shoulder. Faith kissed Buffy on the top of her head and stood up as she gave her another hug. "It'll be okay, B. I'll see you tomorrow." With that she left the house and Buffy just sat there in silence. Spike looked at her and saw another tear fall down her face. He touched her face and wiped it away.

"You can talk to me about anything, Buffy. You know I'm always here for you." He told her.

"I know," she replied in a soft voice.

"You want to tell me what happened tonight?" Buffy was quiet for a few minutes and Spike thought that she wouldn't say anything again, then she took a deep breath.

"We were just talking and he wanted to go outside because it was quieter. He seemed mad at me; I don't even know what I did. I remember him slamming me hard against the wall and then he...hit me. It was all my fault." Buffy said as she looked down. Spike tried to keep the anger out of his voice as he answered her.

"How was this your fault?" Buffy sighed.

"I know how he gets; I shouldn't have made him mad." Spike held Buffy by the shoulders and turned her so she would look at him.

"This was not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong and I don't want you to think that. He's the one with the problem; he had no right to put his hands on you in any way." Spike told her hoping that she would understand. "How long has this been going on?" He asked her and she decided to just tell him.

"About four months now. He wasn't always like this, he was really sweet when we first started going out. He just has a lot to deal with and it gets stressful." Spike sighed.

"That's no excuse for his behavior, Buffy. How come you didn't tell anyone about this?" Buffy looked back down.

"I couldn't do that. I kept trying to convince myself that he would change and that he really did love me, I didn't want to get anyone else involved." She said as she looked back up at him.

"He doesn't love you. Someone that loved you couldn't hurt you like this." Spike said as he gently touched the bruise on her face.

"It was an accident. I know he loves me." Spike sighed, he wasn't really getting anywhere with her.

"This was not an accident and you know it. One time may be an accident, but more than once is on purpose. You have to see what he's doing to you, Buffy. You have to end things before they go even further." Buffy got upset and stood up.

"I can't do that, he needs me. I know he can change and I know that he loves me. He was just upset tonight. He would never do anything really bad to me." Spike stood up also.

"Do you love him?" He suddenly asked her.

"How is that any of your business?" Spike shrugged.

"It's a simple question, you either love him or you don't." Buffy glared at him.

"Well, it's a question that I don't have to answer." Spike took a deep breath to try and stay calm.

"I think I want to have a little talk with him myself." He told her.

"No, I can handle it. I'm not a little kid anymore, Spike. I can take care of myself. Just stay out of it." Buffy said as she ran upstairs. Spike stared after her; he couldn't believe that she would protect him after what he did to her. He knew that he loved her more than anything and that he always had. There was no way he was staying out of it.

Chapter 11

Buffy walked into the school the next day and headed to her locker. She then saw Parker against a wall being held by Angel. She ran to them and grabbed Angel's arm. "What are you doing?" Angel looked at her.

"Faith told us what happened. I couldn't let him get away with it." Buffy didn't look happy.

"Angel, let him go!" He looked at her and then back at Parker and let him go. Parker fixed his shirt and looked angrily at them. Riley came up next to Angel and glared at Parker.

"That was a warning, come near her again and you'll regret it." Riley said and Parker wasn't amused.

"You're all crazy!" He exclaimed and then looked at Buffy. "Keep your friends away from me; I'll deal with you later." He said as he walked away and Buffy turned back to the guys and glared at them.

"What the hell did you think you were doing? I can take care of myself, this doesn't even concern you." She told them.

"Of course it concerns us; you're like a sister to us. We would have done the same thing for Faith." Angel replied and Riley agreed.

"I know you guys are just looking out for me, but I'm fine. All you did was piss him off even more; he's going to be really mad with me now." Angel and Riley looked at each other and then back at her.

"You aren't seriously going to keep dating him are you? He basically threatened you when he said he'll deal with you later. You have to stay away from him, Buffy." Riley told her.

"I can't do that. I'll just try to explain to him, I know he'll understand. I have to get to class, just let me deal with it." Buffy said as she walked away. The two brothers just looked at each other; they didn't have a good feeling. They always knew that guy was trouble, but they had a feeling that he would be a lot worse now. They just wished Buffy could see how dangerous he was. Later that night, Joyce was in the living room with Spike and Dawn. It was late and Buffy still wasn't home.

"I don't know where she could be. She told me that she was going over to Willow's after school. I called her and she said that Buffy left hours ago. Where could she be?" Joyce said a little upset. Spike put a hand on Joyce's shoulder in comfort. He was just hoping that Buffy was okay when the phone rang. Joyce jumped up and went to grab it hoping it was Buffy. She was in the kitchen and the other two couldn't hear the conversation very well. "Oh my god! Yes, I'll be right there." Joyce said as she shakily put the phone back. Spike and Dawn got up and joined her.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Dawn asked and Joyce looked at both of them.

"That was a doctor; Buffy has been taken to the hospital. She was found in an alley unconscious and badly beaten." Joyce explained while tears were falling down her face.

Chapter 12

They all walked into the hospital and a doctor came up to Joyce and was talking to her while Spike and Dawn sat down. "Is she going to be okay?" Joyce said to the doctor.

"We did all we could for her. She hasn't woken up yet; she'll have to pull out of this one on her own. I believe she'll be okay though, but I think there is something else that you need to know." The doctor said. "She has severe bruises and cuts on her and with the way she was found...I believe your daughter was raped." Joyce put her hand over her mouth; she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Oh god, who could have done this?" She wondered and no one said anything until Spike spoke up.

"It was Parker. I know he's responsible for this." Joyce turned to look at him.

"Buffy's boyfriend, but why would he do this?" She asked.

"He's been abusive towards her lately; we found her crying at the Bronze with a big bruise on her face. She said that he has been hurting her for about four months now. I guess she didn't know how to tell anyone about it." He explained and Joyce looked horrified.

"She has been keeping this to herself for four months. She should have told me so they could lock him up for this." The doctor looked at Spike.

"Have you ever seen him lay a hand on her?" Spike shook his head.

"I only know what she told me, but I believe her. Now more than ever." The doctor nodded.

"I'll notify the police about this, but they may need real proof so they could arrest him." He said.

"I think the fact that she's beaten and in a hospital right now is proof enough." Spike said trying to keep his voice in control.

"Yes, but it would help if Ms. Summers was awake and could confirm that he was the one that did this. Also if she wants to press charges." Spike nodded.

"She will, I'll see to that." The doctor nodded also.

"What is the young man's last name?" He asked.

"I don't know his last name." Spike replied.

"It's Parker Abrams." Dawn stated in a quiet voice, finally speaking up after being silent the whole time. The doctor nodded and went to notify the police. He came back a few minutes later.

"They're on their way; I believe they would need to question Ms. Summers when she wakes up. I hope that would be alright." Joyce nodded.

"That's fine doctor, thank you." He nodded also and gave her a sympathetic look.

"Can we see her?" Dawn asked, she really wanted to see what that jerk did to her sister.

"Yes, you all can go in if you like." He told them as he pointed to the direction of her room. He walked in the other direction while they all headed to Buffy's room.

Chapter 13

They walked into the room and were shocked at what they saw. Dawn was trying not to cry as she looked at her older sister. She was pale with bruises on her face and cuts on her arms. Dawn looked away and hugged Spike who was behind her. She cried into his chest as he stroked her hair. Joyce sat down beside Buffy and grabbed her hand. She brushed hair out of her daughter's face. "My poor baby, how could he have done this to her?" Joyce said as she started to cry also. Spike let go of Dawn and looked at her.

"Why don't you wait outside, nibblet. You shouldn't have to see this." Dawn nodded and with one more look at Buffy, left the room. Spike walked over to Joyce. "She'll be okay, she's a fighter." Joyce looked up at him.

"He could have killed her." Spike nodded.

"I know, let's just thank God that he didn't." Spike called all of Buffy's friends and told them what happened and they were all just as upset. A few days went by and they all came by to see how she was and there was still no sign of her waking up. They saw Parker at school laughing with his friends; he acted like nothing even happened. When Angel and Riley confronted him again he just denied everything. Spike convinced Joyce to go home and get some sleep while he sat with Buffy. He was holding her hand, afraid to let her go. "I don't know if you can hear me, love. I decided to give it a try anyway. I know it has only been two days, but you need to come back to us. We all miss you, Buffy. We hate seeing you like this." He said as tears started to form in his eyes. "I should have done something when I had the chance, maybe I could have stopped this. I know that you'll be okay, I can feel it. You're the best person I know and I can't lose you. I love you, Buffy." He said as he bent his head down while the tears continued to fall. He was still holding her hand when he suddenly felt her fingers move. He looked back up at her and saw that her eyes were open and she was staring at him.

"Spike?" She asked in a hoarse voice.

"It's me, pet. I'm right here." He said as he kissed her hand. "I'm going to get the doctor, I'll be right back." The doctor came in to check Buffy and he claimed that she was recovering very well. Spike called the house and told Dawn that Buffy was awake. She was really happy about that and told Joyce along with the others. Spike went back to Buffy's room; he needed to talk to her. He found her sitting up in bed now. "I see you're feeling better." He said.

"A little, still a bit achy though." He nodded and sat by her.

"Buffy, we have to talk about what happened. Do you remember anything?" Buffy sighed.

"Yeah, it's a little fuzzy though." Spike nodded again.

"Just tell me, love. Did Parker do this to you?" He was really hoping that she would admit that it was Parker and that she wouldn't defend him this time.

"Yes, I was on my way home from Willow's and he...attacked me. He took me into an alley so no one could see us. He was mad that I told you guys what happened and he said he wanted to make me pay for it. He was hitting me and I remember he had my mouth covered so I wouldn't scream. Then he got on top of me. I remember him ripping my clothes off and then...oh god, he raped me. There was nothing I could do to stop him, he was too strong. I couldn't even scream. He just left me there to die. I was so scared." Buffy said as she burst into tears. Spike felt like crying also as he hugged her and kissed the top of her head. He wanted nothing more than to kill that bastard for what he did to her.

"It's okay now. I'll never let him hurt you again." Buffy pulled away and looked at him.

"I'm so sorry; I should have just listened to you guys when you warned me about him. I was so stupid." She said through her tears.

"You are not stupid. You were just scared, but you don't have to be anymore. There's something else I have to tell you. I told the doctor about Parker and he called the police. They were waiting for you to wake up so they could talk to you. I know it's hard, but you have to tell them exactly what you told me. Parker has to pay for what he did; you can't be quiet about this anymore." Buffy nodded.

"I know, I should have said something a long time ago." Spike nodded and got up.

"I'll let you rest for a bit and then they'll come in to talk to you. It's going to be okay now. I promise that." He said as he headed out of the room when Buffy called him back.

"Spike?" He turned back to look at her and she took a breath. "I love you, too." She told him with a faint smile. Spike smiled back, he knew that she would hear him. He walked over to her and cupped her chin and then kissed her gently on the lips. He pulled away and walked out of the room. Buffy touched her lips and lay down with a smile on her face. She was finally starting to feel better and she knew that no matter what happened, he would always be there for her.

Chapter 14

The police went after Parker after Buffy told them what happened, but they weren't having much luck. It was like Parker knew what was going to happen and he just disappeared. A week went by and no one saw him again. He wasn't at school or anywhere else they looked. Buffy was worried that he left town and wouldn't get caught. She was upset that he would get away with hurting her and that he would do the same thing to someone else. She tried to put what happened behind her and get on with her life, but it wasn't working. She has been having nightmares about that night in the alley and hasn't been getting much sleep. Spike tried talking to her and reading to her, sometimes he would even sing to help her fall asleep. She always loved the sound of his voice. Sometimes he would fall asleep next to her and they would just hold each other. She felt really safe in his arms. She continued going to school once she was let out of the hospital and hanging with her friends like everything was normal. There was still no sign of Parker. She wanted him to get caught and pay for what he did to her, but she also just hoped that she would never see him again. She was walking the halls at the end of the school day. She was going to meet Spike who was supposed to be picking her up from school. She still had a few bruises on her, but she was healing pretty well. The halls seemed to empty faster now that the end of the year was coming to a close. It was also later because she stayed behind to talk to a teacher. It was practically deserted when someone grabbed her arm and pulled her into a nearby classroom. She tried to scream when a hand came over her mouth to shut her up. She was slammed into a wall and when her vision was clearer she looked and saw who her attacker was. It was Parker. She tried to get away, but he grabbed her and threw her into a desk. "That's what you get, little girl. You really shouldn't have told the police. I have had to hide for the past week hoping those losers wouldn't find me. You've ruined my life!" Buffy got up and glared at him.

"What about my life? You beat me and raped me. You took away my innocence, my everything. I have defended you and kept everything to myself for too long. It was about time the truth came out. I'm not afraid of you, Parker. I'll see that you get locked up for a long time." Parker was angry and grabbed her by the shirt; he raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face.

"We'll see about that. I can't go to jail and I can't have you running your mouth anymore either." He told her.

"Are you going to kill me? Is that your big plan? You kill me and you can guarantee that your life will be over. I have a lot of people that care about me and will make your life a living Hell. You don't have anyone." She said in a very calm voice. Parker threw her into the wall again and she fell to the floor. She never took her eyes off him.

"I think I'm willing to risk it." He said as he tried to grab for her again. Then the door to the classroom flew open and he was greeted by a fist in the face.

"I highly doubt that." Buffy looked up at the voice and was surprised at who she saw.

"Faith!" She exclaimed as Faith smiled at her and helped her up.

"Hey B, you okay?" Buffy nodded.

"Yeah, what are you still doing here?" She asked her.

"I had to stay later, lucky for you. I saw Spike outside and he said he was waiting for you. I then had this feeling that something wasn't right, so I came back and heard noises coming from in here." Buffy hugged her friend.

"I have never been so happy to see anyone in my life." Faith smiled.

"Don't mention it." Parker then stood up and glared at Faith.

"You'll pay for that you stupid bitch!" He exclaimed as he headed for her when Spike suddenly showed up and stood in front of Faith.

"You won't be touching her, mate." He stated with venom in his voice. Parker gave a sinister laugh.

"Well, if it isn't the big bad boyfriend. Here to save the day. How long have you been sleeping with her? Probably while we were still dating. Always knew that she was nothing but a whore." Spike was angry at that and punched Parker in the nose, then he grabbed him by the shirt and threw him out of the classroom into the hall.

"Don't you ever call her that again!" Parker touched his nose and he noticed that it was bleeding, but Spike ignored it and turned to Buffy. "Are you alright, did he hurt you?" She shook her head and gave him a smile.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Spike was relieved and hugged her.

"Sorry I didn't come in sooner, had to do something." Buffy nodded and was really glad that he was there. Faith turned back to Parker.

"So, what do we do about this dick?" She asked and Spike looked at her and then back at Parker who was still holding his nose.

"He's not going anywhere." The police showed up a few seconds later and ran over to them. "He's the one you've been looking for." Spike told them as they nodded and grabbed Parker, one cop held him while the other put handcuffs on him. They read him his rights and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Buffy exclaimed as she ran up to them. Spike wondered what she was going to do. She got in front of Parker and stared at him. "One more thing before you go." She got really close to him and it looked like she was about to kiss him when she suddenly brought her knee up into his groin. He groaned and fell down, but the cops kept their hold on him. "That's just something I've wanted to do for a long time now. Have a nice life in Hell, Parker. It couldn't have happened to a better guy." She said as she walked away and headed back to her friends. Parker just glared at her back as the cops pulled him out of the school. Faith cheered when Buffy walked back over to them.

"Way to go, B. I couldn't have said it better myself." She said as she high fived Buffy.

"Yeah, that was fun. Well, looks like it's finally over. Can we go home now?" Buffy asked looking at Spike and he smiled at her and gave her a peck on the lips.

"Yeah," he replied as he put his arm around Buffy and then Faith. "Let's get out of here, ladies." They both smiled at him and walked out of the school together.

Chapter 15

Spike knocked on Buffy's door and when he opened it he found her sitting up in bed. "Hey, still have trouble sleeping?" He asked as he walked over to her.

"A little, care to keep me company?" She moved over to the other side of the bed and Spike sat down next to her. He lay back and put his arm around her and she rested her head on his chest.

"I'm proud of you, Buffy. You've been through a lot with Parker, but you came through in the end." Spike told her.

"Yeah, because of you. I would have never been able to get through this without you. You were always there for me when we were little, I'm glad to see that you still are." She replied back.

"I'll always be there for you. You're my entire world, Summers. That will never change." He said as he kissed the top of her head and then he smiled. "I have a confession to make. I don't know why I'm telling you this now, but when we were younger I kinda had a crush on you." Buffy smiled at that.

"I kinda noticed." She said as she sat up and looked at him and he just looked back.

"You did? I was that obvious?" Buffy nodded.

"Yeah, I could tell by the way you would act around me sometimes. Sometimes you could hardly get words out; I thought it was cute actually." Spike cringed at that.

"I was not cute." Buffy laughed and kissed him on the cheek.

"Yes, you were and you still are. To be honest, I kinda had a crush on you also back then." Spike looked surprised by that.

"You did, even when I looked like that?" Buffy nodded.

"There was nothing wrong with the way you looked. Don't get me wrong, I like this look and all, but I didn't mind how you used to look either." Spike laughed.

"So, I basically did this for nothing then." He said more to himself than to her.

"What do you mean? I thought you said that Drusilla girl talked you into the look." Spike nodded.

"She talked me into changing my appearance, but I never did it. I just didn't think it was worth it and that's why we broke up, besides the cheating. She just didn't think I was good enough and didn't have the look she was going for." He told her.

"Then why did you get this look, because you were trying to get her back?" Spike shook his head.

"Honestly, I only changed about a month before I came here. I knew I would be seeing you again and I was actually really nervous about it. So, I came up with a new look to impress you. I also decided on the name myself. I was sick of being William. I guess I finally wanted you to notice me, but I didn't know that you actually did notice me before." Buffy smiled at him.

"You changed to impress me? That's really sweet, but you really didn't have to do that. You were already perfect the way you were." Spike looked into her eyes and knew that she was being sincere. He moved closer and kissed her on the lips which lasted a few seconds. He pulled away and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"This is why I love you, Summers. You're so bloody amazing." Buffy smiled at him.

"I do try. You're not so bad yourself." Spike smiled and touched a small bruise on her face.

"I don't understand it." He told her.

"Understand what?" She asked him.

"I don't understand how anyone could hit a face so gorgeous." Buffy smiled at him and blushed a little at the compliment. She then rested her head back on his chest. He was stroking her hair as he continued to tell her what he never had the guts to before. "I remember how it felt when I first moved here. I was so confused, knew I would probably never make friends. I know everyone thought I was a freak, but not you. You were the first one to come up and talk to me; you didn't care what anyone else thought. That was the best day of my life, because you came into it." Buffy was listening to him and she felt a tear fall down her face, but he wasn't finished. "Going back to England and leaving you was the hardest thing that I have ever done. In all that time away from you though, you were still all I thought about. I dreamt about the day that I would come back and see you again. When that day finally came and you opened the door, I felt my heart skip a beat. You are still the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen. I kept trying to convince myself that I didn't have those feelings for you anymore and that you were just a friend, but I wasn't very convincing. I wanted to kill Parker after I saw what he did to you, nobody messes with my girl." When he finished she looked up at him and he saw the tears in her eyes.

"Always the poet." She whispered as she moved closer and kissed him on the lips, this time sliding her tongue in his mouth. He reciprocated her actions and held her for what seemed like forever. When they broke apart for air she touched her forehead to his. "I love you." She said as she tried to catch her breath.

"I love you, too." He replied while he was also trying to catch his breath. They kissed again when they got their breathing under control and then Spike lay back down with his arm around Buffy. She put her head on his chest again and listened to the sound of his heartbeat. They both drifted off to sleep a little while later. Joyce opened her daughter's door to check up on her when she saw Buffy asleep with Spike. She smiled and closed the door.

"It's about time." She said to herself as she headed back to her room. She knew that her daughter was in good hands.

The End

Awww, isn't that corny. It's cute though, thanks again for reading. I'm glad ya'll liked it. I feel like keeping Spike now, who wouldn't? Hell, I'll even take Xander, Angel, or Riley. I'm not too picky, I love all the guys. Well, obviously not Parker. Happy Valentine's Day=)