Buffy sat on her window-seat, watching as droplets of water rolled down the smooth pane of glass and as the world surrounding her was pelted by the torrent of rain that was falling from the sky.

‘There’s nothing to do,’ she thought, wishing the day would end already. ‘Everyone’s out of town, and I’m stuck here, doing absolutely nothing.’ She sighed and brought her knees up to her chin. ‘Why does my life suck so much?’

She watched as a black car sped down by, seemingly oblivious to the puddles that were beginning to flood the street.

‘I wish I had a car,’ she thought. ‘Would get me out of here and far away from this place. Or, better yet, Dad could buy me a car before he goes back to L.A. and leaves me to live on my own.’ She sighed. ‘But even then, I doubt my life would perk up at all.’ It was as she focused on the car once again that she realized it was familiar. ‘Why am I not surprised? Of course, Spike Giles is out and about when there are flood warnings all across the county. What a moron.’ She stood up and frowned.

“But I still envy him,” she said quietly as she walked out of her bedroom.

When the phone rang a moment later, Buffy excitedly ran to pick it up. “Hello?”

“Hey, honey,” Hank Summers said, and Buffy’s mood instantly dropped. “Is there any way you can make it to the gallery tonight? I’m still getting acquainted to the set-up, and I’d really appreciate it if you came by.”

“How am I supposed to get there?” she asked, crossing her arms. “I don’t have a car, none of my friends are around, and you’re already there.”

“I’ll send someone to get you,” he replied. “Within the next hour, William should be there.” Before she could protest, he hung up, causing her to slam the phone down.

‘I’d rather stab myself with a pen,’ she thought absently as she returned to her bedroom to get dressed.

* * *

Spike Giles sped down Revello Drive, talking on his cell phone to his current girlfriend Harmony Kendall.

“I already told you that I’m not stopping by,” he said, frustrated. “I’m supposed to be at the gallery all night tonight.”

“I thought you said Hank was in charge now,” Harmony replied. “Shouldn’t he be there all night instead of you?”

“Hank doesn’t know anything about running an art gallery,” Spike said, stopping at a red light. “I offered to help out as much as I could after Joyce died- it’s the least I can do. She was practically a mother to me, Harm.”

“I know,” she said, sighing. “Fine, go work until midnight. But if you leave early, call me. You know how much I hate being alone at night.”

“Will do,” he lied, fully knowing that even if he left the gallery early, he wasn’t going to call her. “Bye, pet.” He hung up and tossed his phone aside after turning it off.

‘Stupid bint,’ he thought, pulling up in front of the art gallery. ‘I should’ve gotten out of that relationship a long time ago.’ He exited his car and was drenched by the time he walked through the door of the building. ‘Perfect start to a long night.’

“Hello, William,” Hank said as he saw Spike walk in. Spike instantly cringed at the formality of Hank’s tone.

‘But he’s the boss now, and if he refuses to call me Spike, then I guess I don’t really have a choice,’ he thought.

“Sorry I’m a couple of minutes late,” he apologized, hoping he’d dry off quickly as he felt water trickling down the back of his neck.

“I’m surprised you got here in one piece,” Hank replied, smiling. “It looks pretty dangerous out there.”

“It’s a bloody nightmare,” Spike affirmed.

“Speaking of nightmares,” Hank began. “I wouldn’t normally ask this of anyone, but I’ve got a phone conference in about ten minutes, so I can’t do it myself.”

“What is it?” Spike asked, hoping he could be of some help.

‘Always a good idea to be an ally to your boss,’ he thought. ‘Especially if you need your job and usually enjoy it.’

“Would you be willing to pick up Buffy?” Hank asked, and Spike tensed up, indiscreetly clenching his fists. “I’ll even pay you extra.”

“Fine,” Spike said, deciding extra money was a good thing, even if it was for driving his boss’ bitch of a daughter. “I’ll be back in twenty minutes.” Hank gave him a grateful smile before he turned and went to his office. Spike took a deep breath and walked back outside, stopping at his car door and letting the warm rain beat down on him. “Today just keeps getting better and better,” he said sarcastically, clenching his jaw as he wrenched his car door open.

* * *

When she saw Spike’s car pull up in the driveway, she grabbed her keys and sprinted outside, letting herself into his car. He looked at her and tried not to notice how her wet shirt was clinging to her upper body.

‘Don’t even think about it, mate,’ he berated himself as he began to back down the driveway. ‘This chit has never been nice to you, especially as of late. Don’t even think of finding her attractive right now.’

“Sorry you had to come and get me,” she said, offering a meager olive branch as she looked outside. “I can’t imagine driving around when it’s like this outside.”

“It’s fine,” he replied, an edge to his voice. She looked down and nodded slightly.

“So, how’ve you been?” she asked quietly. “I haven’t seen you since the day of the funeral.”

“I’ve been around,” he answered sternly. “Not much to tell.” She looked at him and was about to speak, but he cut her off. “If you’re going to apologize, don’t. I don’t want to hear it.”

“This isn’t just about you, as much as you’d like it to be,” she replied firmly. “I’m sorry for what happened, Spike.” He gripped the wheel tighter.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said, focusing on the road.

“I don’t really, either, but I wanted to say I’m sorry,” she said, looking out the window. “It was a big mistake, we were both sad- we needed comfort and turned to each other for it. It was a bad call on both of our parts.”

“Yeah, it really was,” he agreed, not willing to look at her. “We both knew that sleeping together was going to change everything.”

When they arrived at the gallery, Buffy was more than happy to get away from Spike and the awkward silence she endured in the car. She walked into the building, him in tow, and saw her dad walking around, on the phone. She decided to go to her mom’s old office, now her father’s, to patiently wait until he was done and needed her.

‘Any excuse to stay away from Spike is good,’ she thought. ‘And why did it have to be him? Isn’t Fred working tonight? Maybe this is fate’s way of really sticking it to me for being so stupid before.’ She looked outside, focusing on the rain again. ‘If someone would’ve told me last year that my mom was going to die and that I was going to sleep with Spike the night of the funeral, I would’ve told them they were insane.’ She sighed. ‘But unfortunately, they would’ve turned out to be right.’

Spike aimlessly walked around the main part of the gallery, trying not to think about the blonde girl who was sitting in Hank’s office.

‘You knew damn well that sleeping with her was a bad idea,’ he thought, watching her as she stared outside. ‘And besides the fact that she’s the boss’ daughter, she’s only 18. You’re a decade older than her, you ponce. You don’t do stuff like that, so why the bloody hell did you let yourself shag her? And don’t use the excuse that you were depressed because we all know that’s not completely the reason.’ He sighed and went into the back room, wishing he could stop thinking about her.

Buffy saw him go to the storage room and figured it would be safe to leave the office. She instantly walked into Fred, who was carrying a box filled with files and sheets of paper.

“Sorry,” Buffy apologized sincerely, looking at the brunette woman sadly. “Didn’t see you there.”

“You seemed pretty deep in thought,” Fred replied, smiling softly. “Everything alright?” Before Buffy could answer, Fred frowned and her shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, that’s such a dumb question. Your mom just died- I’m sure you’re not bursting with joy.”

“I’m fine,” Buffy said, smiling slightly. “It’s been a month, Fred. Things are starting to get better for me, honestly.”

“I heard you’re dating Lindsey McDonald,” Fred said, and Buffy nodded. “Congratulations. He’s quite the catch, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, he’s great,” Buffy replied quietly, looking down, missing the weird look Fred gave her.

“If you two are done catching up on gossip, I could use your help,” Spike said, appearing in the back room’s doorway, having heard all of their conversation and strangely upset that Buffy was dating someone.

‘But what do you expect? She’s still a kid, Spike- she’s going to date anyone she wants to and whenever she wants to,’ he thought, looking at her for a moment before looking away.

“What do you need help with?” Hank asked, walking over to them after hanging up the phone.

“I found a shipment that hasn’t been opened yet,” Spike answered. “I thought you’d probably like to see it, along with helping me open it.” Hank nodded and followed Spike into the storage room.

“What’s his problem?” Fred asked quietly, looking at Buffy. “He’s been in a foul mood for weeks now.”

“I have no idea,” Buffy answered, even though she knew exactly why he was in a bad mood.

‘Because of me.’

* * *

After Fred went home at nine and Hank had to leave for a date with his girlfriend Lilah, Buffy sat in the office, checking her e-mail, while Spike filled out orders for shipments. Hank had arranged for Spike to drive her home, even though she planned on walking, downpour or not. Her plan was to leave as soon as she finished writing an e-mail to her best friend Willow, but that changed when the power went out and thunder clapped loudly outside. She swore quietly and blindly opened a desk drawer, managing to find the flashlight she knew that her mother had stored there. She turned it on and navigated her way out of the office, watching as Spike walked out of the back room, his lighter lit and casting a soft glow over him.

“We should probably head out,” Spike said. “No sense in sticking around if the electricity is out.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” she agreed, following him to the door. They left the gallery, and he locked up behind them, cursing the rain as it seemed to fall faster than it had been before. “I’ll see you around.” He stared at her as she turned on her heel and began to walk down the sidewalk, away from him.

“What are you doing?” he asked loudly, and she turned around to look at him.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” she asked, crossing her arms. “I’m walking home.”

“Like hell you are,” he said, stalking towards her and grabbing her arm. “I’m driving you home.”

“No thanks,” she replied, trying to pull away from him but not succeeding. “I don’t feel like dying in a car accident with you, Spike.”

“And you think a car could see a pedestrian crossing the street when it’s raining like this?” he asked sharply, opening the car door for her. “Not a bloody chance, so get in.” She frowned but obeyed him, getting in and shutting the door. He quickly got in on his side and started the car. “Besides, you’d probably get a cold or something if you walked home in the rain.”

“I would think that you’d be happy if I got pneumonia and died,” she replied quietly, looking out the window. He looked at her, an eyebrow raised.

“You know that’s not true,” he said, turning the heaters on.

“No, I don’t know that,” she said, looking at him. “I’m not sure about anything when it comes to you. Not anymore.” He looked at her. “Just take me home, Spike.”

“Whatever you say, princess,” he replied, pulling away from the curb.

“Why do you say stuff like that?” she asked sternly, fighting off a chill that ran through her as cold air hit her for a second before it became warm. “Like calling me ‘princess’ in such a negative tone? I mean, I know you can be majorly condescending sometimes, but calling me something like ‘princess’ really drives me nuts.”

“That’s why I call you it,” he replied, smirking as she glared at him. “I enjoy pissing you off.”

“I can tell,” she mumbled, looking outside again. He got to a stop sign and reached into the backseat, grabbing a hooded sweatshirt he had left there.

“Here, you can put this on,” he said, handing it to her. “You look like you’re freezing.” She took it from him graciously and began to pull it on as she felt his hand grab her wrist. She looked at him and saw that he was looking at her stomach, which was now exposed from her raising her arms to slide on the sweatshirt. “Do you know you have bruises all across your skin?” She quickly pulled on the hoodie and willed herself not to look at him.

“Yeah,” she answered. “It’s nothing.” He was about to speak, but she looked at him with a fierce expression. “Don’t say anything- just drive me home.” He clenched his jaw and nodded, arriving at her house minutes later. Before he could say something, she got out of his car and bolted inside the dark house, still wearing his sweatshirt.

“What is she hiding from me?” he asked himself, becoming even more worried about her than he had been earlier that evening.

Buffy lit all of the candles she could find in her house before changing into dry clothes and blow-drying her hair. She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned before lifting the hem of her shirt and looking at the bruises that littered her abdomen. She heard the doorbell ring and carefully walked downstairs, opening the door to reveal Spike. She raised an eyebrow.

“What’re you doing?” she asked, letting him walk past her into the house. “I thought you went home.”

“I did,” he said, looking at her. “And realized it was a bad idea, so I came back.” She looked down. “Where’d you get those bruises from, Buffy?” She looked at him, tilting her head.

“Why do you care?” she asked neutrally.

“Because if someone is hurting you, I want to help,” he said, crossing his arms.

“I don’t want your help,” she replied, walking towards her kitchen. He followed her, becoming angrier every step. “I’m fine, Spike. It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“Right, that’s why your stomach looks like it was someone’s punching bag,” he said sharply. She grimaced at the thought. “Who did that to you?”

“Go home, Spike,” she said, turning around to face him. “I don’t want you here, and I especially don’t want you butting into my life or coming over to attack me about some bruises you saw on me. I bruise easily- let it go.”

“I’m not letting something like this go!” he said loudly, noticing that she flinched. “Tell me who hit you.”

“Since when do you care about anything that doesn’t involve you?” she asked, looking away. “It’s always been about you, Spike. What Spike wants, what Spike feels, what annoys Spike- you’ve never cared about anything but yourself.” He clenched his jaw.

“I care what happens to you,” he admitted. “I don’t know why, considering you’re a bloody bitch to me all of the time, but I care about you.” She looked at him. “So if someone is hurting you, I want to know who it is.”

“Sweet sentiments,” she said quietly, looking down. “But I meant it when I said that it’s nothing.”

“Why won’t you tell me?” he asked, looking at her.

“Why should I confide in someone who has never shown concern for me before?” she asked.

“Because I care now and want to help you,” he replied firmly. “Let me help you, Buffy.”

“Go home,” she said again, looking at him with fire in her eyes. “Please.” He hesitated before nodding and storming out of the house. She waited until the door slammed shut to let the tears that were forming in her eyes fall.

* * *

When she woke up the next morning, she was happy to find out that the electricity was back on. She hopped in the shower and exited the bathroom to hear the phone ringing. She picked it up and sat on her bed. “Hello?”

“Hi, Buffy,” her dad said, and she raised an eyebrow.

‘Didn’t he come home last night?’ she asked herself before making a face. ‘Eww, I totally don’t want to know.’

“How did last night go?” Hank asked. “I assume you came home after the power went out, right?”

“Yes, we left,” she answered. “Not too much to do when you can’t see anything.” He laughed.

“Good point,” he replied. “I’m going to come home pretty soon and was wondering if you wanted to come back to the gallery today to help me figure out some odds and ends.”

“Sure,” she said, realizing that she didn’t really have anything to do and hoping that Spike had the day off.

“Great,” he replied. “I’ll see you in less than a half an hour.” She hung up the phone and pulled clothes out of her closet before the phone rang again.

‘If it’s Dad saying he’s going to be a little late, I don’t want to hear it,’ she thought as she crossed her room to grab the phone. ‘I don’t need to know anything about his little trysts with Lilah.’

“Hello?” she asked, returning to her closet with the cordless phone in her hand.

“Hello, gorgeous,” Lindsey said, causing Buffy to tense up and stand straighter.

“What do you want?” she asked, hoping she didn’t sound afraid. “I thought we agreed that it’s over between us.”

“Is that really what you want, baby?” he asked. “For us to be over?”

“Yes,” she answered sternly. “I don’t want to be your girlfriend anymore, Lindsey.”

“Weren’t we good together, Buffy?” he asked. “Didn’t I make you happy?” She clenched her jaw. “I treated you well, didn’t I?”

“I still have evidence from the last time you ‘treated me well’,” she replied, becoming angry.

“You know I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said, and for a second, she almost believed him. “I told you how sorry I was for hitting you. I never intended to do that to you.”

“Why are you calling?” she asked, choosing to ignore what he had said to her.

“Because I want to see you again,” he replied. “I miss you, sweetheart. Come out tonight with me.”

“I’m working,” she said, grabbing jeans and a T-shirt. “And I don’t feel like getting punched around, thanks.”

“Buffy, you have to believe me- I didn’t mean to hit you,” he said sadly. “I really like you. You know that, right?”

“I have to go,” she said, disconnecting the call instantly and tossing the phone onto her bed. “Stupid bastard.” She pulled on her clothes and walked downstairs just as her father walked through the door.

“Ready for the long day ahead?” he asked cheerfully, and she took a deep breath before nodding. “Great! Between the three of us, we should get a lot accomplished.”

“‘The three of us’?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Who is joining us?”

“William,” he answered, walking outside again. She groaned in frustration before following him.

‘Could today get any worse?’ she asked herself as she shut the door behind her.

As it turned out, her day could get far worse. A ceramic statue had fallen off of its pedestal when she accidentally bumped into it, falling and smacking against her foot before rolling to the ground and chipping.

“Good job, Goldilocks,” Spike said as he walked past her, carrying a box. “I’m sure dear old dad will love to see that.” She shot him a look before picking up the statue and looking it over.

“He won’t notice,” she said quietly, putting it back on display and going to the office to answer the phone. “Hello?”

“Hey, Buffy,” Lilah said, making Buffy cringe.

‘She drives me insane more than Spike does,’ she thought.

“Hello, Lilah,” Buffy replied, trying to sound cordial. “What can I do for you?”

“Can you tell your dad that he left his watch here last night?” she asked. “He called before to ask if I had seen it, and I just found it on the bed.” Buffy made a face and shook her head.

“Sure, I’ll go tell him,” she replied. “Have a good day, Lilah.” She hung up the phone and went to give her father the message before going into the back room to try to find a shipment of Greek amphorae. Spike walked in and closed the door behind him.

“Was it Hank?” he asked, looking at her. She raised an eyebrow.

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

“Was he the one who hit you?” he asked, crossing his arms. She shook her head and kept looking through crates and boxes. “Is it Lindsey?”

“Is it your business?” she asked, not looking at him as she cut open a box. He walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. She tensed up and looked at him. “What’re you doing?”

“Talk to me,” he said, looking at her sadly. “I want to help you- give me the chance.”

“There’s nothing for you to do,” she replied, looking away. “I’m not with Lindsey anymore. He hit me once, I dumped him- case closed.”

“And you think you’re the only girl he’s ever physically hurt? You think that he won’t do it again to someone else? Don’t be naïve, luv,” he said firmly. “You should go to the police.”

“I don’t want to talk about this,” she said, heading to the door, but he grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. “Let me go.”

“I know you hate me, but believe me when I say that I care about you and want to help,” he said. “If I ever see that ponce, I’m going to have a little chat with him.”

“And if you lay a finger on him, we’re going to have a confrontation,” she replied sharply, breaking away from him and walking into her father’s office, slamming the door and locking it.

“Bloody hell,” he said quietly, running a hand through his hair and sighing.

* * *

While Spike and Buffy worked on setting up things in the gallery, on opposite sides of the room, Hank walked in and looked at both of them, smiling.

“So, whom is everyone taking to the Summers Gallery gala next week?” he asked. Buffy froze and looked at him.

“I thought it was canceled this year,” she said. “Since Mom…”

“It’ll be in memory of her,” Hank said, sitting on a bench. “I think she’d want us to continue the tradition of a gala every June.” Spike nodded, looking at his boss. “So, who are you taking, William?”

“Probably my girlfriend,” he answered, quickly choosing not to look at Buffy to see her reaction.

“You’re still dating Harmony?” she asked, surprised, and he nodded. “Wow, can’t say I expected that.”

“Are you bringing your new boyfriend?” Hank asked his daughter, and she shrugged. “I’d like to meet this Lindsey fellow.”

“Me, too,” Spike agreed, looking at her sternly. She frowned and sighed.

“I don’t know- I’ll see if he wants to go or not,” she replied, heading towards the back room. Hank looked at Spike.

“Is she alright?” he asked, and Spike shrugged. “She’s been acting very odd for a while, and I have a feeling it’s not just because of Joyce.”

“She’s a teenager- they always act odd,” Spike said before following her into the storage room.

* * *

“You’re not actually going to invite him, are you?” Spike asked as he closed the door behind him.

“Maybe, maybe not,” she answered, busying herself with a folder she found lying out.

“I was serious before about talking to him if I saw him,” Spike said, crossing his arms.

“And I was serious about confronting you if you did,” she replied, looking at him. “It’s not your business, Spike, and I already told you that I handled it.”

“Why are you being so bloody stubborn?” he asked, angry. “Do you not understand that he might’ve hurt girls before you and that he might in the future, also?”

“Yes, I know that,” she answered, sitting down on a chair. “But I don’t want you involving yourself in my private life. I let you in on it once and look how that turned out.”

“I think it turned out pretty well, actually,” he replied, slightly smirking before becoming serious again. “Buffy-”

“Why are you still dating Harmony?” she asked, cutting him off. “I thought you said that night that you were done with her.”

“I thought I was,” he answered, looking down. “I just haven’t gotten around to dumping her yet.” He paused. “If circumstances were different between us, Buffy, I’d leave her for you in a heartbeat.” She looked at him, stunned. “But they’re not, and what happened that night won’t ever happen again. It was a privilege to be with you for one night only, but it’s in the past and I’m over it.”

‘You’re such a liar,’ he said to himself.

“I thought I told you that I never wanted to talk about what happened,” she said, standing up. “We both made mistakes, and it’s done, isn’t it?” He nodded. “So stop bringing it up. I’ve already written it off as temporary insanity.” He looked at her.

“Right,” he said, even though he didn’t agree with her at all. “When did you start dating Lindsey?”

“A week after Mom died,” she answered, looking away. He raised an eyebrow.

“Why? I thought he wasn’t even on your radar,” he pointed out. “And wasn’t he kind of a jerk to you before?”

“Yeah, but apparently I started to like jerks around that time,” she said, putting the folder away in a file cabinet.

“Why did you start dating him?” Spike asked curiously, and she looked at him.

“To take my mind off of you.”

That night, Buffy decided to head to the Bronze to get away from the gallery and all of the thoughts that were plaguing her. She went to the bar and ordered a soda, all the while looking around the club to see who was there. When her eyes fell on Lindsey talking to a brunette girl, she raised an eyebrow.

‘This just makes the situation so much more interesting,’ Buffy thought. ‘Who is she?’

It was only seconds later when Lindsey looked at her and grinned, grabbing the other girl’s hand and pulling her through the crowd behind him as he approached Buffy. She took a deep breath and drank some of her soda, mentally trying to collect herself.

“Hey, Buffy,” Lindsey said, smiling at her. “I want you to meet Eve.” Buffy shook the girl’s hand and managed a small smile.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Eve said. “Lindsey’s told me all about you.”

“Has he?” Buffy asked, raising an eyebrow. “Sorry, but I don’t think he’s ever mentioned you.” Eve looked at Lindsey, frowning. “So, how long have you two been dating?”

“We’re just friends,” Lindsey replied. “For now.” Eve nodded and saw someone across the room, waving at her.

“Hey, I’ll be right back,” she said, looking at Lindsey and then at Buffy. “It really was nice to meet you.” Buffy nodded and watched as Eve walked away.

“She seems nice,” Buffy said, looking into her drink. “How long have you known her?”

“Is it just me, or do you seem kind of jealous?” Lindsey asked, smirking.

“No, not at all,” Buffy replied. “But if you were cheating on me, that’s just another point against you.”

“I’ve known her for a couple of years,” he said. “She used to live here and then moved to Santa Cruz, but she’s coming back soon.”

“I hope it works out,” Buffy said, looking at him. “If I find out that you hurt her or anyone else, you know I’m going to go to the cops, right?”

“How many times do I have to tell you that I didn’t mean to hit you?” he asked exasperatedly. “It was an accident!”

“Running a car into a tree is an accident,” she replied sharply. “Running your fist into somebody's stomach is a plan.” He frowned. “Don’t give me a reason to turn you in, Lindsey. If I find out anything against you, I’ll-”

“If you ‘find out anything against’ me, go to the cops, Buffy,” he replied, shrugging. “But you won’t find anything, and I wish you’d just let it go already.”

“I’ll never let it go,” she said quietly, sipping from her cup. “I’ll see you around, Linds.” He nodded and turned around, heading towards Eve. She sighed and sat down on a barstool, wishing she’d just have the courage to go to the police and turn him in.

‘Because if he does hurt someone else, you’re going to feel guilty for the rest of your life,’ she thought, finishing her drink and slamming the cup down on the bar. ‘I can’t even go out and have a good time anymore. What’s wrong with me?’

* * *

As Spike walked into his apartment, he saw Harmony sitting on the couch, waiting for him solemnly.

“Were we supposed to have a date or something tonight?” Spike asked, putting his keys on his kitchen counter.

“No,” she answered, taking a deep breath as she stood up. “It’s over, isn’t it?”

“What?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “What’re you talking about?”

“You and I,” she said quietly, looking at him. “It’s over between us, isn’t it?” He paused before slightly nodding. She looked down, fighting back tears.

“I’m sorry, Harm,” he replied, looking away. “I should’ve said something before or talked to you about it.”

“There’s someone else, isn’t there?” she asked moments later, wiping off her eyes as she looked at him.

“What makes you think that?” he asked, wondering if she knew somehow about his one-night stand with Buffy.

“Because you’ve seemed detached for a month now,” Harmony said. “And I guess I figured it was because of losing Joyce, but now I think it’s something else. Someone else.”

“There’s someone I care about, yes,” he admitted. “But it’ll never happen. She doesn’t feel the same way.”

“I can’t see why a girl wouldn’t like you,” she replied, smiling softly. “You’re quite the catch.”

“Thank you,” he replied, hugging her. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out, luv.” She sighed and took a step back.

“Me, too,” she said. “It was fun.” He nodded. “Goodbye, Spike.” She took one last look at him before leaving his apartment. He sighed and ran a hand over his face.

“I need a drink,” he said to himself before leaving his apartment and heading into town.

* * *

When Spike saw Buffy sitting at the bar of the Bronze, he smiled to himself before walking towards her, sitting down beside her. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

“You’re the last person I expected to see here tonight,” she said, looking into her half-empty glass.

“Could say the same for you,” he replied, ordering a beer. “You look like someone killed your goldfish.”

“Lindsey was here before,” she said, and he frowned. “He left a couple of minutes ago, so it looks like you won’t be attacking him tonight.” He smiled softly. “He was with a new girl, some chic named Eve. She seems like his type.”

“So why do you seem so down and out?” he asked, taking a swig from his bottle.

“I really should report him, shouldn’t I?” she asked, and he nodded vigorously. “But it could ruin his whole life, Spike. Maybe he really didn’t mean to punch me.”

“And maybe he’s punched girls before,” Spike replied. “Maybe he raped someone, pet.” She looked at him. “It’s better to be safe than sorry, Buffy. You could protect other girls in this town.”

“While in the process screwing him out of his UCLA scholarship?” she asked. “Keeping him from becoming a lawyer, which apparently is his dream?”

“He made the mistake, luv, not you,” he said. “You shouldn’t be protecting him.”

“We all make mistakes,” she replied, looking at Spike. He nodded and looked down. “I don’t know what to do.”

“I’m sure it’ll come to you,” he said. She nodded, and silence fell over them for a moment. “Harmony and I broke up tonight.” She looked at him. “Just thought I’d tell you.”

“Did she ever find out about you and I?” she asked quietly, and he shook his head.

“I’m afraid this break-up was bound to happen for a while,” he said, shrugging. “It’s for the best.” A slow song began to play in the club, and he offered his hand to her. “Do you want to dance?” She looked at him and then at his hand for a second before placing hers on top of it and allowing him to lead her out to the dance-floor. Once they made it to a fairly empty spot, he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close to him while her arms went around his neck. She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, not surprised at how comfortable it felt to be in his arms again. “So, I don’t have a date for the gala.” She smiled softly.

“Neither do I,” she said, looking at him. He smiled and grazed her cheek.

“Do you think maybe I could be your date?” he asked, and she shrugged jokingly. He chuckled and kissed her forehead softly. “Is that a yes, pet?”

“Yes,” she answered, resting her head back down and smiling.

“So does this mean that we’re going to try being friends?” he asked curiously, running his hand over her wavy hair.

“I guess it’s better than being enemies,” she answered, getting both of them to smile.

When Spike walked into the gallery the following Monday morning, he was surprised to see Hank sitting in his office, apparently waiting for Spike. He walked to the doorway and waited for his new boss to speak, worried that maybe he knew something or was going to fire him.

‘Which would really suck,’ he said to himself. ‘I need this job more than I’d like to admit, and getting to see Buffy almost every day is a perk.’ Hank’s voice quickly interrupted his train of thought.

“So, Buffy tells me that you two are going to the gala together,” Hank said, sitting back in his chair. “Is that true?”

“Yes,” Spike answered, deciding that lying wasn’t worth it.

“Tell me, William,” Hank said, tilting his head. “Do you love my daughter?” Spike raised an eyebrow. “Just answer the question.”

“I care about her,” he said. “I’ve known her for quite a long time.”

“Do you intend on dating her?” Hank asked, and Spike took a deep breath.

“If she’d agree to it, yes,” he answered. “But your daughter is rather stubborn, sir.” Hank laughed and nodded.

“I’m afraid she gets that from me,” he replied, motioning for Spike to have a seat across from him. Spike sat down and looked at his boss, curious to hear what Hank was going to say next. “You know, Joyce once told me that she thought that you and Buffy would make a good couple.” Spike smiled. “But you do realize she’s still just a girl, William. She’s only 18, she’s free-spirited, she’s going to college soon- she has her whole life ahead of her.” Spike nodded, confused by the shift in the conversation. “Whereas you’re 28, have a stable job, and are probably looking to plan out the rest of your life. Am I right?”

“I think everyone wants to ‘plan out’ their lives,” he answered, clasping his hands together.

“My point is that she’s young, and girls her age tend to make foolish decisions,” Hank said.

‘Yeah, I know that all too well,’ Spike thought.

“Even though I think she’s too young for you, I think you’re a good man,” Hank continued. “But if you ever do anything to hurt her, you’ll be hearing from me.” Spike smiled, nodding.

“Thank you for your blessing, sir,” he replied, standing up. “But I can assure you that she’ll be in good hands with me.”

“I hope so,” Hank said, frowning as the phone rang. “And I know you’ll take good care of her when I move back to L.A.” Spike raised an eyebrow as Hank answered the phone.

‘That’s right- he’s going to move back,’ he thought. ‘And she’ll be all alone in that house.’ He frowned and left the office, trying to suss out his thoughts as he began work for the day.

* * *

When Buffy came to the gallery later on, Spike promptly led her into the back room and closed the door. She looked at him, surprised and a little worried.

“What’s up?” she asked, sitting down on a box. He sighed and crossed his arms.

“Your father and I talked this morning,” he answered. “About you…and I.”

“Oh?” she asked, trying not to freak out. “What exactly did you talk about?”

“He doesn’t know about us shagging, luv, so stop looking like you’re going to heave,” he replied, smirking. She sighed with relief and looked down. “But I expressed my feelings about you to him.” She looked at him, an eyebrow raised. “And he expressed his concerns about you and I if we ever started dating.”

“Yeah, I’m sure he’s not too keen on his 18 year old daughter dating a 28 year old man,” she replied.

“But he did give us his blessing, along with a promise of hunting me down if I hurt you,” he said, exaggerating the truth to get her to smile, which she did.

“Glad to hear it,” she said. “Is that really why you pulled me into here?”

“No,” he answered, pushing a box in front of her and sitting down on it. “He reminded me that pretty soon you’ll be living alone.” She nodded, looking down. “I don’t know how I feel about that.” She shrugged.

“Maybe living alone will be good for me,” she said. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try it. And if it really sucks that much, I can have Willow live with me or something.”

“But even if she lives with you, I don’t know how protected you’ll be,” he said. “I wouldn’t feel right knowing you’re in a house by yourself every night, or even in a house with another girl.” She looked at him. “I could live with you.” She paused before laughing hysterically. “What’s so funny? I’m being serious.”

“You…and I…living together,” she managed to say as she continued laughing. “Bad…idea.”

“I happen to think it’s a good one,” he replied defensively, crossing his arms. “Why is it so bad?” She slowly calmed down, still giggling a bit every other second.

“We’d be at each other’s throats daily,” she said. “You and I would fight constantly, which isn’t that different from how it is now, but if we lived together, I couldn’t just run away from you and seek shelter in my house because you’d be there, too.” He frowned. “And it’d just be too weird. Let me try living alone, and if it really sucks, I’ll consider having you as a roommate.”

“You promise?” he asked, and she nodded. “Fine, I guess I can live with that.”

“Good,” she replied, getting up before helping him stand. “I bought a dress today for the gala.”

“Yeah?” he asked, smirking. “What does it look like?”

“Not telling,” she answered, heading for the door. “But it’s red.”

“You bought a dress that’s my favorite color?” he asked, smiling, and she nodded. “I’m touched.” She laughed and opened the door.

“I’m going to look beautiful,” she replied, slightly waving at Fred as the brunette walked in through the front door of the gallery.

“You always look beautiful,” he said, and she smiled at him as he leaned down to kiss her temple.







A/N I have to thank PJ for helping me revamp my summary, and I'd also like to thank everyone who has reviewed:)

When the night of the gala finally arrived, Buffy spent hours getting ready, meticulously perfecting every detail of her appearance.

‘Spike’s going to lose it,’ she thought, grinning as she looked in a mirror at the crimson gown she was wearing, which accentuated her curves and added to her cleavage. ‘Absolutely fabulous.’

She grabbed a matching purse and slid on heels before walking downstairs, meeting her father in the kitchen.

“You look beautiful,” Hank said, kissing her cheek. “Are you ready to leave?”

“Yep, let’s get this party started,” she said, smiling, following him outside and to the car.

After getting in and rolling down the driveway, Hank took a deep breath and looked at Buffy for a moment.

“Are you sure you’re okay with me returning to L.A.?” he asked. “Because if you’re not, I could probably pull some strings and move here.” Buffy smiled softly.

“I’ll be fine, Dad,” she replied. “But thanks for asking.” He nodded and began to drive to the gallery.

“So, about you and William,” Hank said, focusing on the road. “Are you two dating now?”

“I think we’re still just friends,” she answered. “Him and I didn’t get along for a very long time, so I think we need to work on that before we even consider dating.”

“But you’re his date tonight, correct?” he asked, and she smiled, looking out the window.

“Yes, he’s my date,” she replied.

“I just don’t want to see you get hurt, Buffy,” Hank said. “He’s a lot older than you, which could lead to a lot of problems, you realize.”

“I know,” she replied. “I don’t even know if we will ever be together.” Hank cleared his throat and nodded.

“Right,” he said, looking at her for a moment. “I know I’m your father and shouldn’t approve of it in the first place, but maybe you two will be good for each other.” She smiled at him.

“Yeah, maybe we will be,” she said, looking outside once again.

* * *

When Spike saw Buffy walk into the gallery, he felt as if his heart had stopped beating.

‘She’s the most magnificent creature I’ve ever laid eyes on,’ he thought, looking at every inch of her. ‘And tonight, she’s all mine.’ She saw him and grinned, walking through the crowd to stand in front of him.

“Hi,” she said, laughing as he continued to look at her dress. “Do I really look that bad?”

“Not in the slightest,” he replied, his eyes focusing on hers. “You’re breath-taking, you know that?”

“Why thank you,” she said, smiling. “You clean up pretty nice, too.” He smirked. “I think it’s safe to say that you look absolutely gorgeous every year when you wear a tux.”

“Thanks,” he said, looking at his outfit. “It’s rather uncomfortable, but it’s a small price to pay to look hot for you.” She giggled when he wrapped his arm around her waist and softly kissed her forehead. “Think I could get a dance with the prettiest girl at the party?”

“What am I supposed to do? Stand over here and watch?” she asked, smirking. He chuckled and led her towards the makeshift dance-floor they had created in the gallery. A band had been brought in to play music for the night at Buffy’s request, due to the fact that Joyce had always liked live music more than music played by a DJ.

When Spike wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close, she began to remember why she wanted him that night, and it wasn’t just for comfort- being with him felt right. He kissed her bare shoulder and smiled softly.

“You really are the belle of the ball,” he said quietly, looking into her eyes. “I think you always have been.”

“I appreciate the flattery,” she said, grazing his cheek. “But you don’t have to say it.”

“I want to,” he replied. “I meant every word of it.” She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. “When I call you ‘princess’, it’s usually not to piss you off.” She looked at him, confused. “You are a princess, even if you’re snobby and evil.” She giggled. “You’re my princess.” She leaned up to gently press a kiss to his lips. “Am I your prince?”

It was then that Buffy felt as if someone was watching her. She turned and saw exactly who it was- Lindsey.

* * *

Spike felt her tense up in his arms and followed her gaze, instantly feeling anger course through him.

“That’s him, isn’t it?” he asked, looking at her. She nodded numbly, breaking away from Spike and heading towards Lindsey, who was standing on the other side of the room. Spike followed her, his fists clenched at his sides as he walked.

“What’re you doing here?” she asked quietly when she finally reached Lindsey.

“Wanted to see how pretty you looked,” he answered, looking up and down her body. “You look beautiful, Buffy.”

“Thanks,” she said, looking down. Spike stood beside her and appraised the brunette teenager.

“I’m Lindsey,” he said, extending a hand to the platinum blonde who was staring at him. Spike looked at Lindsey’s hand and raised an eyebrow. When Spike didn’t shake his hand, Lindsey slowly put his hand down, feeling slightly uncomfortable by the other man’s demeanor.

“I think you should leave,” Spike said sternly, crossing his arms. Lindsey looked at him, surprised.

“Yeah? And why is that?” he asked. Spike balled up his fist and punched him, sending Lindsey stumbling back until he hit a wall. Buffy gasped, as did everyone else in the room that had witnessed it.

“That’s for ever touching my girl,” Spike said in a low tone before punching Lindsey again. Buffy managed to pull him back, still in shock and slightly terrified. Hank instantly appeared after moving through the crowd, looking at Lindsey and then at Spike.

“What the hell happened?” he asked. “Explain yourself, William.”

“He deserved it,” Spike said, cradling his red knuckles.

“I didn’t do anything!” Lindsey replied, coddling his nose. “He fucking hit me for no reason!” Spike was about to speak, but Buffy grabbed his arm and shook her head, trying to mentally tell him to stay quiet about the truth.

“You should go, Lindsey,” Buffy said, looking at him. “I’m sorry.” He clenched his jaw and stormed out of the building just as Hank turned to look at Spike.

“You’re fired.”

“What?” Spike asked, his eyes widening. Hank pointed to the door.

“Get out- you no longer are employed here,” he said sharply. “You assaulted some poor teenager tonight in front of everyone, not only making an ass out of yourself, but also of me. People respect this gallery, and you’ve managed to sully its reputation within an instant because you felt like hitting that boy for no reason.”

“He deserved it!” Spike shot back, angry. “Buffy, tell him.” She looked down and shook her head slightly.

“Leave, William,” Hank said, crossing his arms. “Someone will give you your stuff from the back room sometime this week.” Spike looked at Buffy, who refused to look at him. It was in that one moment when he felt betrayed, more hurt than he was the night she asked him to leave and forget that they had slept together.

“Fine,” Spike growled, storming out, never looking back at the two Summers standing there and watching him.

“Are you alright, honey?” Hank asked, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, and there were tear tracks clearly evident on her cheeks.

“No,” she answered quietly, lifting her dress up off the ground slightly as she ran after Spike.

* * *

Spike had just made it to his car when he saw Buffy run outside and towards him. He clenched his jaw and opened the car door.

“Spike, please don’t go,” she said, quickly arriving at his side. “I’m sorry about what happened. Let me talk to Dad- I’m sure I can get you your job back.”

“Why didn’t you say something to him before?” Spike asked angrily. “Why didn’t you stop this from happening in the first place? You could’ve stood up for me, told him the truth, but you didn’t, Buffy. How do you think that makes me feel?”

“How do you think I feel?” she asked loudly, becoming upset. “Lindsey showed up tonight unannounced and you slugged him, causing a major disruption in the gallery, of all places. If Mom would’ve been here tonight, she would’ve fired you, too.”

“No she wouldn’t have,” Spike shot back. “Because she would’ve known that Lindsey deserved it.”

“Lindsey didn’t deserve to be attacked, Spike,” she yelled.

“And neither did you,” he replied, throwing his arms up. “Have you forgotten that he used you as his punching bag?”

“He hit me once,” she said firmly. “And it’s not the same.”

“I’m not arguing about this in the street,” Spike said, getting in his car. She quickly ran to the other side and got in. He looked at her sternly. “What’re you doing?”

“We’ll talk about this somewhere else then,” she replied. “Because this needs to be resolved.” He took a deep breath and started the car. “All of this needs to be resolved.”

* * *

After arriving at Spike’s apartment, Buffy sat on his couch, sighing.

“Want something to drink?” Spike asked as he walked to his refrigerator.

“I’ll have whatever you’re having,” she answered, looking at him.

“No you won’t,” he replied, grabbing a beer for himself and soda for her before returning to sit by her side.

“Thanks,” she said, taking the soda from him. “So, I guess we should talk.”

“And not just about what happened tonight,” he said, opening the beer bottle. “Because that’s not really weighing as heavily on me as when we-”

“I wish you wouldn’t have punched Lindsey,” she said, looking down. “You got fired because of me.”

“I can work somewhere else,” he mumbled, drinking from his bottle.

“Maybe when Dad moves back, we can give you your job back,” she suggested with a hopeful tone. “I know Fred would allow it.”

“I’m not worried about my job,” he said. “Or even Lindsey hunting me down or sending the cops after me. What I’m worried about is you.” She raised an eyebrow. “You and I, to be specific.”

“There is no ‘you and I’,” she said. “There never has been.”

“That’s a lie, luv, and you know it,” he replied. “Tonight’s an example of that. Things were good before the ponce buggered everything up.”

“I know,” she said quietly, looking down.

“You didn’t answer my question before,” he said with a hint of lightheartedness in his tone. “Before you saw Lindsey.”

“Did sleeping with me really mean something to you?” she asked, choosing to ignore what he said.

“Of course it did,” he answered, frowning. “I’ll admit that I didn’t expect it to happen, and it probably wasn’t right to shag when we did, but I wanted to, and I think a part of you did, too.”

“Do you love me?” she asked quietly, looking at her hands, folded in her lap.

“Starting to,” he answered, looking at her. She nodded and stood up. “Buffy-”

“I’m tired, Spike,” she said. “Maybe I should go.” He stood up and grazed her cheek softly. “Don’t.”

“Stay tonight,” he said, looking into her eyes. “Please. We don’t have to talk or do anything- just stay.” She saw a look in his eyes that was similar to one she had seen the night they slept together. One that made her heart melt and her defenses dissolve.

“Okay,” she said, and he smiled before kissing her softly. “Can I rest now?” He nodded and led her into his bedroom. He watched her as she took off her heels and jewelry before trying to reach the zipper of her dress. He walked up behind her and slowly slid it down, watching as more of her back was exposed to him. It took a lot of restraint to not run his hand down her spine, to not feel her smooth skin beneath his fingertips. “Thanks.” He nodded and began to take off his tux. “Umm, Spike? I don’t have anything to sleep in.”

“Right,” he said, going into his closet and scouring through it. “What would you like?”

“Something comfortable,” she answered. He grabbed an old black t-shirt and black boxers, handing them to her. She smiled gratefully at him and went into the bathroom to change. He sighed and stripped down completely before getting in bed.

After figuring out a place to hang her dress and pulling her hair up into a messy bun, she grabbed Spike’s t-shirt and brought it up to her nose, inhaling his scent.

‘He makes cigarette smoke smell sexy,’ she thought absently before pulling on the shirt and his boxers, rolling up the waistband of them so they’d fit a little better, even though they were still loose on her. She walked into his room and saw him lying in bed, flipping through TV channels. ‘He’s not wearing a shirt…this is bad.’ She studied him for a moment. ‘I wonder if he’s wearing anything at all.’

“Want me to turn the light off?” she asked, trying to distract herself from thoughts of a possibly nude Spike.

“Sure, kitten,” he said, watching her. She flicked off the lights and walked to the bed, smiling when he lifted the covers for her.

“Dad’s going to kill me when I don’t come home tonight,” she said quietly, yawning. He turned off the TV.

“No he won’t,” he replied. “Don’t worry about it.” She nodded and curled up, her back to him. He watched her for a moment before running his hand over her back. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“Goodnight, Spike,” she said, half-asleep. “My prince.”

* * *

Spike reluctantly took her home the next morning, not wanting to be apart from her and worried about how Hank would react to his daughter being gone all night, having stayed with him. When he pulled up in front of her house, he looked at her, taking a deep breath.

“Going to wish me luck?” she asked quietly, and he ran his hand over her hair.

“Call me later, pet,” he said, and she nodded before getting out of the car. Once she was inside her house, he sighed. “Good luck.”

Buffy heard him drive off just as her father appeared in the living room, looking at her.

“Where were you?” he asked, obviously furious. “Were you with William?”

“What do you think?” she asked, heading for the stairs.

“Don’t you talk to me like that, Elizabeth,” he said sternly, stopping her before she could go upstairs. “Where were you?”

“I slept at Spike’s,” she answered, crossing her arms. “Satisfied?”

“You’re too young to just stay out all night, especially if you’re staying at some guy’s house,” Hank said angrily.

“I’m eighteen!” she replied loudly. “I’m old enough to live on my own, Dad- I’m a legal adult. And Spike’s not just ‘some guy’- I’ve known him for a long time, and it’s not like you don’t know him, too.”

“I don’t want you near him,” Hank said firmly. “He’s not good for you, Buffy, and he’s clearly a violent man.”

“I don’t blame him for doing what he did,” she said, looking at her father. “In fact, I respect him for what he did.” She paused. “And you can’t keep me from him.”

“You’re my daughter- I can keep you from anyone I want to,” Hank shot back.

“I’m not a kid anymore, Dad!” she yelled. “Why can’t you see that? I can make my own decisions and live however I want to. I care about Spike, he cares about me, and I’m not giving up on that because you don’t like him anymore. And don’t even begin to play the ‘father card’ because you haven’t been around for the last few years- you weren’t much of a father to me then, and right now, I don’t really think I want you around if you’re going to act like this.” Hank balled up his fists and scoffed.

“You have no right to say that to me,” Hank replied.

“Get out of my house, Hank,” she said sharply, crossing her arms. “You’re no longer welcome here.” She turned and walked upstairs, going into her room and slamming the door shut.

By nightfall, Hank had all of his stuff packed up and in his car, ready to return to Los Angeles. Before he left, he went to Buffy’s room and quietly knocked on her door before opening it. She was sitting on her window-seat, watching the sunset, her back to him.

“Are you leaving?” she asked, still focused on the sky.

“Yes,” he answered, leaning against the doorframe. “I don’t like what happened before, Buffy.” She looked down. “You’re my daughter and I love you, but I think you’re making some very bad decisions.”

“Maybe I am,” she replied. “But I’d rather learn from my mistakes than be told what to do.” He nodded and looked down. “I’m sorry for how I acted before, but I meant everything I said to you.”

“Don’t shut me out of your life,” he said, and she looked at him. “I love you, Buffy.” She nodded and looked outside again. “So, this is goodbye?”

“For now,” she answered. “I’m sure I’ll talk to you again soon.” He sighed and turned. “Goodbye, Dad.”

“Goodbye, Buffy,” he replied, walking away. She took a deep breath and waited until she heard the door close to stand up and get her phone. Spike picked up just as she watched Hank drive away.

“He’s gone,” she said, sighing. “Want to come over?”

“I thought he wasn’t leaving for a while,” Spike replied. “Why’d he leave this soon?”

“I told him to,” she answered quietly. “I wanted him to go.”

“So he’s going back to L.A. tonight? And you’re going to be living alone now?” Spike asked, trying to clarify things he already knew to be true.

“Yes,” she answered. “Are you going to come over?”

“Maybe we should just take the night off and think things through, pet,” he suggested. “I know there’s a lot that’s on my mind, and I’d bet to wager the same is true for you.”

“So you’re not going to stop by?” she asked sadly.

“I just think we should be apart tonight to consider what it is that’s going on with us,” Spike said, even though he wanted to be with her more than ever.

‘But I want her to be sure of all of this,’ he thought. ‘I know what I want with my life- to spend it with Buffy. I doubt she feels the same way.’

“Fine,” she said, somewhat angry. “Bye.” Before he could get in a word edge-wise, she hung up the phone and tossed it onto her bed.

‘I know I wanted to be alone before, but now it doesn’t seem so nice,’ she thought. ‘I don’t want to be alone anymore.’

* * *

After a few minutes of sitting around bored, Buffy called Fred.

“So, what exactly happened last night?” Fred asked. “Hank told me that Spike punched your boyfriend.”

“Yeah, he did,” Buffy said, sitting on the couch. “Lindsey deserved it, though. He’s such a jerk, Fred.”

“I thought he was a sweet guy?” Fred asked, surprised.

“He was in the beginning, but after a while, things changed,” Buffy answered. “But Dad fired Spike.”

“He didn’t tell me that,” Fred replied, frowning. “I bet Spike didn’t take that well.”

“A lot better than I would’ve had I been in that position,” Buffy said. “But I was wondering if maybe we could bring him back in. We wouldn’t necessarily have to tell Dad, and you’re in charge now while he’s in L.A.”

“I don’t know, Buffy,” Fred replied. “I don’t know if it’s wise to go against Hank’s wishes.”

“I don’t really care what he wishes,” Buffy said sternly. “I want Spike to have his job back.”

“I could be fired if I allow him to work with us again,” Fred said. “You do realize I’d be risking a lot if I did this.”

“So you’ll do it?” Buffy asked, smiling softly.

“But if I get in trouble, I’m blaming it all on you,” Fred answered, smiling.

“I owe you, Fred,” Buffy said, sighing.

“Good- work for me tomorrow and we’ll call it a deal,” Fred replied, causing Buffy to laugh.


* * *

When the doorbell rang an hour later, Buffy walked to the door and opened it, hoping it was Spike and that he had changed his mind. She instantly froze as she was faced with Lindsey, sporting both a black eye and a broken nose. She took a step back, trying to shut the door quickly, but he pushed his way through and slammed the door behind him.

“What…what’re you doing here?” she asked, surprised that she sounded a lot calmer than she felt.

“Wanted to see if the blonde wonder was here,” he replied sharply. “Where is he?”

“At his apartment,” she answered, taking a small step back as Lindsey moved closer to her.

“So it’s just us?” Lindsey asked, tilting his head as he looked up and down her body. She was scared by the change in his behavior and took another step back, closer to her telephone. “Come on, Buffy, let’s try working things out.”

“Go home, Lindsey,” she said quietly, her voice wavering a bit.

“No, I think things are just about to get interesting,” he replied, quickly moving forward and tightly wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her to him. “Don’t you think?”

“Why are you doing this?” she asked, visibly shaking in his embrace.

“Because I love you, baby,” he whispered in her ear before kissing the crook of her neck.

“I don’t love you, Lindsey,” she said, managing to push him back. Before she knew what was happening, his fist slammed into her eye, causing her to fall backwards from the force of it, hitting her stairs. Her hands flew up to cover her eye, pain spreading throughout her whole body. “Get the hell out of my house!” She stood up again and pushed him back, towards the door, but he punched her again, this time in the stomach. She bowled over in indescribable agony.

“You’re going to change your mind about me, Buffy,” Lindsey said, punching her again before turning for the door. “I know you feel like I do.” He walked out and slammed the door behind him, and Buffy sank to the ground, crying and curling up.

‘I’ve got to do something,’ she thought, trying to ignore the pain. ‘This has to end.’ She got to a standing position and walked into her kitchen, grabbing the phone.

“Sunnydale Police Department,” a voice on the other line said. “How can I help you?”

Buffy went in to work the next day after spending a generous amount of time trying to cover her black eye with make-up. Other than the dull pains she had every once in a while, she felt a lot better about things. She had called the cops to report Lindsey to them, and when two cops arrived at her door, she told them all about what he had done to her that night and before then. After they left and arrested him, she felt a lot safer and knew she had done the right thing.

‘And if more girls come forward, he’ll be put away for a very long time,’ she thought. ‘A very long time.’

When she walked into the gallery, she managed a smile when Spike walked out of the back room and grinned at her as he approached her.

“Hello, my sweet,” he said, hugging her and not noticing when she winced slightly. “How’re you?”

‘Do I tell him, do I not tell him…’ she thought.

“I’m doing well,” she answered. “How are you?”

‘Stupid, stupid Buffy,’ she chided herself. ‘Why aren’t you telling him?’

“I’m fine, pet,” he answered. “I still can’t believe Fred is letting me work here again without telling Hank.”

“I called in a favor,” Buffy said, shrugging. “I wanted you to have your old job back. Screw whatever Dad wants.”

“That’s sweet of you, but what happens when he finds out?” Spike asked.

“I’ll come up with something,” she answered, walking towards the office.

“So, I was thinking a lot about us last night,” Spike said as he followed her.

“Yeah? And what did you deduce?” she asked, putting down her purse before going into the back room, him still following her.

“That I really want us to give dating a try,” he said, looking at her. She smiled softly and went to a set of shelves, reaching up to grab a box. “What the bloody hell happened?” She looked at him and noticed he was looking at her stomach, where her shirt had raised, showing off her new bruises.

‘I’m screwed.’

“Spike, sit down,” she said quietly, and he crossed his arms. “Please?”

“What’s going on?” he asked sternly, becoming angrier by the second.

“Lindsey came over uninvited last night,” she answered, looking down. “To settle the score, I guess…or something like that, I don’t know. He was looking for you and settled on me.” Spike’s eyes widened.

“He did that to you?” he asked, furious. “Where is he? I’m going to kill him, Buffy, I swear to-”

“The cops already have him in custody,” she cut in, still not looking at him. “I called them last night after he left and they arrested him.”

“And you weren’t going to tell me?” he asked, even more upset by the fact she was hiding it from him.

“I was,” she answered. “Eventually.”

“‘Eventually’?” he yelled. “‘Eventually’, she says. How bloody brilliant!”

“I didn’t want to alarm you,” she said, looking at him and seeing how tightly his jaw was clenched, along with his fists, causing her to take a step back in fear, a move that didn’t go unnoticed by Spike. He tried to calm down, taking a deep breath.

“Buffy, you should’ve told me,” he replied. “You should’ve called me to come over, to tell me what happened- I should’ve been there for you.”

“I could handle it on my own, Spike,” she said, walking out of the storage room, carrying the box into the office.

“You got punched around- obviously you couldn’t handle it on your own,” he said sharply, an edge to his voice. She put the box down on the desk and looked at him.

“I should’ve called you- I’m sorry,” she replied. “But there’s nothing I can do about it now. Lindsey is with the cops and I’m fine.”

“You’ve got bruises that prove otherwise,” he said.

“And a nifty black eye,” she added quietly, looking down. He walked towards her and looked at her, noticing that her left eye was definitely inflamed, and he could tell that there was some bruising beneath a layer of make-up.

“That stupid son of a bitch,” he growled. “If he ever gets out of jail-”

“This isn’t your fight,” she said, taking a step back and trying to open the box. “I appreciate that you tried to help before, but this is for me to do, not you.”

“Why are you pushing me away?” he asked, both hurt and angry.

“Because I don’t want you to be involved in this mess,” she answered, prying open the box.

“I want to be involved,” he replied, frowning.

“Spike, let it go,” she said firmly, looking at him.

“I’m not letting this go!” he shouted, and she looked down. “Buffy, Lindsey attacked you again- that’s not something you just shrug off.”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” she said, walking past him and out of the office. He caught up to her and grabbed her arm, turning her around. She looked down and took a deep breath. “I can’t do this, Spike. I need to be on my own again, and it’s better if I just live through this Lindsey thing by myself.”

“What’re you trying to say, Buffy?” he asked, confused. She looked at him with a sad expression.

“I don’t think this is going to work,” she said quietly, turning and walking out of the gallery. Spike watched her walk away, frozen in his place, beyond stunned. When he felt a tear roll down his cheek, he idly wiped it away before sitting down on a bench, trying to compose himself.

‘Why am I letting her walk away from this?’

* * *

Spike left the gallery that night, hurt and frustrated. He went home to his apartment and instantly grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels, sitting down on his couch and drinking the amber liquor.

‘I need to see her,’ he thought, grabbing his phone. ‘I need to talk to her and sort this all out.’ He paused. ‘But maybe she really does need to be alone right now. I should give her some space, right? Maybe she’ll come to her senses.’ He sighed. ‘Or maybe she won’t.’ He looked at the phone in his hand and studied it. ‘But maybe there’s someone else I can try talking to.’ He dialed a familiar number and waited for someone to pick up on the other line.

“Hi, Harmony,” he said. “It’s me.”

On the other side of town, Buffy was lying in her bed, staring out her window.

‘I really screwed up this time,’ she thought. ‘I’m making a big mistake, aren’t I? I should just call Spike and apologize. Maybe we can still work things out.’ She took a deep breath and stood up. ‘This isn’t something one should do on a phone.’ She grabbed her purse and car keys before walking downstairs and leaving her house. ‘I just hope he’ll forgive me. For everything.’ She got in her car and sped off to his place.

When she pulled up in front of his building, she parked and looked outside to see Harmony walking inside. She raised an eyebrow before it hit her.

‘Unless Harmony’s got a friend here, she must be here for Spike,’ Buffy thought, instantly feeling sick. ‘He’s going back to her, isn’t he?’ She felt tears welling up in her eyes. ‘It’s too late.’

---

A/N First, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed- you all have been absolute sweethearts and I appreciate the fact that you took time out and responded to what I wrote! Second, I’d like to thank those who nominated/voted for this fic this week as Best Spuffy Fic- I definitely didn’t expect to be in the running with this story:)

“Spike, have you talked to Buffy?” Fred asked when she came to work two days later. “I tried calling her house last night and this morning, but no one answered.”

“Is she supposed to work or something?” Spike asked, looking at a receipt for a recent delivery.

“No, I just wanted to talk to her,” Fred answered, watching Spike. “So you haven’t talked to her?”

“No,” Spike answered, walking into the office. Fred raised an eyebrow, confused.

‘I wonder what I missed between them,’ she thought. ‘Because I have a feeling that something is wrong.’

“Maybe I should go over there and check in on her,” Fred said, going to the office. Spike looked at her.

‘Did Lindsey get out of jail?’ he thought, becoming worried. ‘He wouldn’t go to Buffy’s, would he?’ He tensed up. ‘If he got to her-’

“No, I’ll go over there,” he said, quickly grabbing his keys and running out of the gallery.

“Yes, something is definitely not right here,” Fred said quietly, walking into the storage room.

When Spike arrived at Buffy’s house, he noticed that her car was gone.

‘I wonder where she went,’ he thought. ‘If her car is gone, she’s probably alright…right? Lindsey wouldn’t be stupid enough to kidnap her in her car, is he?’ He frowned. ‘Bloody hell.’ He grabbed his cell phone and called Fred at the gallery.

“Can you call the police department and ask them if Lindsey McDonald is still in jail?” he asked.

“What?” Fred asked, stunned. “He’s in jail? Since when?”

“I’ll explain everything later,” Spike said. “Just make the call- please.” He hung up and went to the back door of the house before looking in through a window.

‘Nothing seems out of place or broken,’ he thought. ‘So if he came here, it doesn’t look like there was a struggle.’ He paused. ‘Maybe that’s not a good thing.’

He smoked a cigarette to calm his nerves until Fred called.

“Yes, Lindsey is still incarcerated,” Fred said. “What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you later,” he said. “Right now, I’m worried about Buffy. She’s not home.”

“Maybe she went out shopping or something,” Fred suggested.

“Her and I had a fight the other day,” Spike replied. “And I can’t help but think that she’s not just out shopping or something.”

“I’m sure she’s fine, Spike,” Fred said. “Don’t panic or anything yet.” He sighed.

‘Too late- I’m past being panicked,’ he thought. ‘I’m bloody terrified.’

* * *

A week later, Buffy pulled up in her driveway, getting out of her car and stretching after a long trip back from Los Angeles. She brought her bags inside and looked at her answering machine- 27 new messages.

“Wow, I’m one popular girl,” she said quietly, deleting the messages and getting the mail from her mailbox out front. “And enough mail to fill a trash can.” She was on her way back inside when she saw a car pull up in front of her house.

‘Not now,’ she thought, frowning. ‘I don’t want to do this right now.’

Spike got out of his car and practically sprinted towards her before hugging her tightly, not willing to let her go.

“I can’t breathe, Spike,” she said quietly, and he eased off, taking a small step back.

“I was so worried,” he said, looking at her. “I called you a billion times- at home, on your cell phone…I even called Hank.”

“I know,” Buffy said. “I was there and heard him talking to you.”

“You were there?” he asked, confused. “Hank said he hadn’t heard from you. And unless he’s that daft-”

“I told him to lie to you,” she said, turning and going back inside. He quickly followed her inside and shut the door.

“Why didn’t you call me? I was scared out of my mind, Buffy! I thought something happened to you,” he said sternly, looking at her.

“I needed to get away from here for a while,” she said, her back to him. “Besides, I’m sure your girlfriend made sure you weren’t lonely in my absence.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” he asked, confused.

“I saw Harmony go to your place the night we…I assumed she was going there for you,” she said. “Wasn’t she?”

“Yes, but her and I aren’t dating again, pet,” he said, leaning back against the door. “I called her over because I needed to talk to someone.”

“So why didn’t you call me instead and try talking to me?” she asked, somewhat hurt.

“Because I thought you needed your space,” he replied. “Didn’t ever imagine you’d run off to get it, though.”

“So you’re not dating Harmony?” she asked, clarifying.

“She’s strictly a friend,” he answered. “You know I only care about you, Buffy.” She looked down. “That’s why you left town? Because you thought I was with her again?”

“I didn’t want to be here if it was true,” she said sadly. “I couldn’t believe it in the first place.”

“You’re the only girl I want to be with,” he said, moving forward to graze her cheek. She took a step back, and he raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t think I want that anymore, Spike,” she said, looking away. “I thought I did, but after really thinking things over in L.A., I think it’s best if we just stay friends.” He stared at her, stunned. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t understand,” he replied. “What aren’t you sure about? I’ll do anything to prove how much I care about you, luv. You name it- I’ll do it.”

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea right now,” she said. “Not after the thing with Lindsey, and losing Mom, and…I need to be on my own for a while. I just feel like it’s the right thing to do.”

“Buffy, please,” he said, not bothering to mask how pleading his tone sounded. “Let’s talk about this.”

“I don’t want to,” she said. “This is what I want to do.” He clenched his jaw and held back the tears that were forming in his eyes.

“Do you really think things are going to work the way you want them to if we just stay friends?” he asked. “Between us working together and-”

“I quit my job at the gallery,” she cut in, and he looked at her with wide eyes. “I didn’t want to work there when school started up anyways, and it’s easier if I’m not there.”

“You’re not working there anymore?” he asked, shocked. “At your mum’s gallery?”

“It’s too hard, Spike,” she said. “Dealing with the memories of her there, you being around… I can’t do it.”

“Buffy, I think you need to sit back and rethink things,” he said. “You’re making a big mistake, and I can’t stand by and watch you do this.” She looked at him.

“Then don’t ‘stand by and watch’,” she replied. “Because I’ve made up my mind, and this is what I want. If you can’t respect that, then…I guess you really don’t care about me after all.” He looked at her, upset. “I’ll see you around, Spike.” She walked upstairs and let herself into her bathroom, closing the door and locking it before she leaned against it and sank to the floor.

‘Maybe it’s a mistake,’ she thought. ‘But it’s for the best. For both of us.’

---

A/N Okay, I can honestly say I was shocked by the number of reviews for the last chapter- you all blow me away!:) Thank you so much!

That night, Buffy had trouble falling asleep. She had received a call earlier that evening from the police department, telling her that several other girls had come forward to testify against Lindsey.

‘So apparently I’m not the first girl he hit,’ she thought, sighing as she opened her eyes and looked outside. ‘Who knows how many others there are, even. I guess it really was a good idea to turn him in. There was no reason for me to protect him- he’s abusive and deserves to be in jail.’ She took a deep breath. ‘And thank god I didn’t fall for his pathetic excuses or lies.’ She closed her eyes again. ‘I can’t wait for a lawyer to throw the book at him. He deserves to be made some guy’s bitch in prison.’ She giggled to herself and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Some time in the night, she began to toss and turn, getting tangled up in her sheets as she had a flashback dream she didn’t particularly want to relive.

Buffy came home from the funeral and sat on the couch, staring at the blank TV screen.

‘My mom is gone,’ she thought, tears forming in her eyes. ‘She’s dead…buried…I’m never going to see my mother again.’ She began sobbing for perhaps the tenth time that day. She was beginning to calm down when she heard the doorbell ring. She stood up and walked to the door, furiously trying to wipe off her eyes and cheeks so that it wouldn’t appear that she was crying.

When she was faced with Spike, she looked at him, both surprised and upset that he was there.

‘Of all the people who could’ve shown up on my doorstep tonight, it’s him,’ she thought, crossing her arms. She raised an eyebrow when he sighed and put his hands in his pockets.

“Hi, Buffy,” he said quietly, noticing that her eyes were red and her cheeks were splotchy.

‘She may be hell on wheels, but she doesn’t deserve to live through pain like this,’ he thought. ‘Especially on her own.’

“Where’s Hank?” he asked, looking around.

“He went back to L.A. for the night,” she answered, looking down. “He has some stuff to finalize at work before he moves here to run the gallery for a while.”

“You’re by yourself?” he asked, and she nodded, biting back tears.

‘I never used to be here alone,’ she thought. ‘Mom was always here. Always.’ A tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek. Spike saw it and extended his hand to gently wipe it away with his thumb. She looked at him and saw that his eyes were watery, too. Before she could think about what she was doing, she hugged him and buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing. He wrapped his arms around her and tried to be strong for her, even though he was crying with her. As her shoulders began shaking from the force of her sobs, he stroked her hair and tried to calm her down.

‘But how do you console someone who just lost their mum?’ he thought sadly. ‘There’s nothing you can do to make it better.’

She broke away from him and wiped off her eyes, thankful she hadn’t worn mascara that day.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly, not looking at him. “Your shirt looks horrible.” He waved it off.

“Just a shirt,” he replied. “Doesn’t matter.” She smiled softly and looked at him. He managed a small smile. “Are you okay, luv? Do you want me to stay?”

“I…I don’t want to be alone,” she said, slowly moving closer to him again. His eyes widened as she leaned up to kiss him.

‘What is she doing?’ he thought. ‘This isn’t right…oh, screw it.’ He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back gently, still confused and surprised by the sudden change in her. As the kiss intensified, Buffy pushed Spike’s jacket off of his shoulders and broke away to look up at him.

“Will you stay for a while?” she asked anxiously, taking his hand in hers as he nodded. She pulled him towards the stairs, but he stopped her before she could step on the first stair.

“Pet, doing anything more than kissing probably isn’t a good idea,” he said, mentally kicking himself for suddenly having a conscience. “We’re both sad…I don’t think it’s right.”

“I need you,” she said, looking at him, and he could see the sincerity in her eyes. “And I know that we’re both sad, but maybe we just need to comfort each other.” He took a deep breath before kissing her again. She smiled against his lips. “Now, can we go upstairs already?”

“Okay,” he said, nodding. She led him up to her bedroom and closed the door behind them. “Isn’t it just us here?” She nodded, looking at him. “So why did you close the door?”

“I don’t know,” she answered, frowning. “Just seemed like the right thing to do, I guess.” He smiled at her and kissed her, pulling her close to him. She worked on unbuttoning his shirt while he kicked off his shoes and took off his belt. She slid his shirt down his arms and off, letting it fall to the floor. She looked at his exposed torso and unconsciously licked her lips.

‘I always knew he had to be somewhat muscular,’ she thought. ‘And I definitely wasn’t wrong.’ She ran her hands slowly down his chest and abs, stopping when her fingers reached the closure of his pants. She looked into his eyes, searching for permission, and was surprised to see how lust-filled his eyes suddenly seemed to be.

“Are you sure about this, Buffy?” he asked quietly. “Because if we start, I don’t know how easy it will be to stop.” She slid off her shirt and unclasped her bra, tossing it aside, before looking at his reaction. He looked at her dreamily for a moment before his gaze became hungry once again. He rested his hands on her hips and slowly slid his hands up her sides before gently cupping her breasts in his hands and smiling when she moaned quietly from the contact.

“I’m sure,” she answered, undoing the button on his pants and sliding the zipper down before pushing his pants down his slim hips and letting them fall to his feet. She looked at his impressive erection and bit back a smirk.

‘Always thought he’d be well-endowed, too,’ she thought. ‘And thank god I wasn’t wrong about that.’ He watched her evaluating him and smiled.

“See anything you want, sweetheart?” he asked in a low tone, and she looked at him coyly.

“Yeah,” she answered, wrapping her hand around the base of his erection, getting him to groan loudly. “Is this alright?”

“It’s bloody fantastic,” he managed to say as she began to move her hand up and down his shaft, applying a slight amount of pressure. “Take anything you’d like, baby. You can have anything.”

“I’ll take anything I can,” she said, looking into his eyes.

She bolted upright in bed, breathing heavily and sweating slightly.

“It was all my fault that night,” she said quietly, trying to regulate her breathing. “This has all been my fault.”

Over a month passed before Spike saw her again. Whenever he tried calling her, he hung up as soon as he heard her voice, partially because he just wanted to know she was okay. Otherwise, he realized that he didn’t know what to say to her- he knew she was stubborn, and breaking the Buffy shell wasn’t going to be accomplished with one phone call. He even drove past her house regularly, and whenever he saw her car in the driveway, he couldn’t bring himself to go to her door. He was lost without her and concerned about her.

‘But she’s young and doesn’t know what she wants yet,’ he thought. ‘Whereas I do, and I’m not going to give up until I know that it’s definitely never going to happen between us.’

When he went to the Bronze one night to get a drink, he was somewhat surprised to see Buffy there, walking around with a brunette guy and laughing at something he had said.

‘Of course, she’s with a guy that’s close to her age,’ Spike thought, sitting on a stool and trying to keep himself from approaching her. ‘No one else should be privileged with hearing her laugh, just me.’ He sighed and ordered a beer. ‘But she doesn’t want you anymore, Spike.’ He grabbed the beer bottle the bartender offered him and returned to watching her and the boy, softly smiling when he saw Willow by her side. ‘At least Red is still around- she was always a nice girl.’ He took a drink of his beer. ‘What does the whelp have that I don’t? Honestly, I’m more fetching than he is, I’ve got a good job, I… I’m actually jealous over some guy that doesn’t look old enough to shave.’ He looked down, into the bottle. ‘God, I’ve really lost her, haven’t I?’

* * *

Buffy felt someone’s eyes on her and turned to look across the club, seeing Spike at the bar. She tensed up and took a deep breath.

“You alright, Buff?” Xander asked, looking at her. “You seem kind of pale suddenly.” She looked at him and managed a weak smile.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she answered. “I think I’m going to head out.”

“What? The night is young,” Xander said, looking at his watch. “A lot younger than us.” She smiled and shrugged.

“I’m tired,” Buffy said, faking a yawn. “Didn’t sleep well last night.”

‘Or any night over the last few weeks,’ she thought.

“Do you want us to take you home?” Willow asked, worried.

“No, I’ll be fine,” Buffy said, waving it off. “You two go and party like it’s 1999.”

“You know, I didn’t actually ‘party’ in 1999,” Xander said, frowning. “And to think, it was the end of one millennium, not to mention the fact most of the population thought we were going to die. Anyone else remember Y2K?”

“Have a good night, guys,” Buffy cut in, smiling at both of her friends before walking outside to her car and getting in. She took a deep breath as she put the key in the ignition and paused.

‘He looked good,’ she thought. ‘At least I know he’s okay. That’s all that matters- that he’s okay.’

* * *

“So, how are you feeling today?” Willow asked the next afternoon as she walked through Buffy’s front door.

“I’m fine,” she answered. “Got about four hours of sleep, which is an improvement from the night before it.”

“Why can’t you sleep well anymore?” Willow asked, sitting down on the couch. “You never had problems before, even after your mom died.”

“I kind of know why,” Buffy said quietly, sitting down beside her friend. “You remember Spike, right?”

“The hottie from the gallery?” Willow asked, smiling. “The bane of your existence?”

“The very one,” Buffy answered, smiling a little.

“What about him?” Willow asked. “Is he giving you nightmares or something?”

“Willow, something kind of happened between Spike and I,” Buffy said, looking down. Willow held back a surprised gasp as her eyes widened.

“What do you mean by ‘something kind of happened’?” she asked.

“Well, in a moment of extreme weakness, I kind of decided to…sleep with him,” Buffy mumbled, closing her eyes so she wouldn’t have to see Willow’s reaction.

“A moment of weakness that I’ve been expecting to hear about for a long time,” Willow said, smirking, and Buffy opened her eyes, surprised. “Oh, come on- I’m not blind, Buffy. I’ve seen the way he looks at you and vice versa. I’m just surprised it took you so long to go for it.”

“Wait- you’re not disappointed? Or shocked?” Buffy asked, still stunned.

“What? No,” Willow replied. “So, what are the details? Was it romantic? Was he good?”

“Willow!” Buffy replied, blushing and looking down. “He was very good, stress on the ‘very’.”

“Good, you deserve a stallion,” Willow said, grinning. Buffy looked at her friend.

“Will you stop it? I’m going to be redder than your hair if you keep this up,” she said, crossing her arms.

“So, when did it happen?” Willow asked, leaning back against a pillow.

“The night of the funeral,” Buffy answered.

“And you’re just telling me this now?” Willow asked, her eyes wide.

“I didn’t know how you’d react,” Buffy said. “I thought you’d be upset with me.”

“Of course not,” Willow said. “You know I’m support-girl.” Buffy smiled softly. “So what’s the deal then? Why aren’t you in the arms of Mr. Salty Goodness right now?”

“Because I told him that I couldn’t handle it,” Buffy replied quietly. “I told him I needed to be on my own.”

“And how much of that was true?” her friend asked, studying her.

“About 20%,” Buffy answered. “After Lindsey, I guess I just needed to get away from guys for a while.”

“And reasonably so,” Willow said. “That’d be traumatic for anyone to face, especially a girl who lost her mother a short time before the abuse kicked in.”

“He was at the Bronze last night,” Buffy said. “That’s why I bailed so quickly.”

“And you didn’t want to see him?” Willow asked, and Buffy shook her head. “Things ended that badly?”

“I guess, yeah,” Buffy said, looking down. “I really screwed it up. This is all my fault.” She bit back tears. “Why did I push him away?”

“Love’s a funny thing,” Willow said, putting her hand on Buffy’s. Buffy looked up, surprised.

“This…you think that I… no, I can’t,” Buffy said quickly, standing up and pacing around the room.

“Why not?” Willow asked. “He’s a good man, Buffy. Loving him is one of the best choices you could ever make.” Buffy looked at Willow before taking a deep breath.

“I don’t think I can, Willow,” she said, tearing up. “It’s just not right.”

“You can’t control who you love,” Willow said, shrugging. “That’s not the way it works a lot of the time.”

“I…just need more time,” Buffy replied, sighing.

* * *

Buffy walked into the gallery a few days later and saw Fred walking around. The brunette looked at her and instantly smiled before quickly walking to the blonde and hugging her.

“Hi, Fred,” Buffy said, smiling. “How’s it going?”

“Fine,” Fred answered, surprised to see her. “What brings you in? I thought you said you’d be staying away from here.” Buffy looked down. “Not that I want you to stay away…or leave…don’t mind me- I like to babble. How are you doing?”

“I’m okay,” Buffy answered. “How’s the gallery doing?”

“Pretty well,” Fred said, motioning around. “We’ve been getting in new shipments a lot lately, so Spike and I’ve been running behind a bit, but everything’s going fairly well right now.”

“It’s just you two working?” Buffy asked quietly, and Fred nodded. “I didn’t know.”

“We’re chugging along, though,” Fred said, shrugging.

“Well, if you ever need help, you know where I am,” Buffy said, looking at the older woman. “Anything I can do to keep the gallery up and running is good.”

“I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Fred replied. “Not when you’re starting school soon.”

“I’ve got almost a month off still,” Buffy said. “I think I can manage it for a while.”

“Well, great, then,” Fred said, smiling. “So, what compelled you to visit today?”

“I was wondering if Spike was around, actually,” Buffy said, putting her hands in her shorts’ pockets.

“He’s in the back room,” Fred answered. “Have you two talked since…” Buffy shook her head. “Oh.”

“I think it’s time I at least say hi or something,” Buffy said. “It’s been a long time.”

“He was really sad, Buffy,” Fred said. “I don’t think I’ve seen Spike that down before.” Buffy looked down. “I just hope you two can work something out. I hate seeing my friends upset.” Buffy nodded and headed towards the storage room. “And, Buffy?” She turned around. “I’m happy you’re here.” Buffy smiled and kept walking, taking a deep breath before she entered the back room.

Spike turned when he heard the door open and tensed up when he saw Buffy standing there.

“Hi,” she said quietly, looking at him anxiously.

---

A/N Alright, yes, I know I’m evil for leaving it end here, but I’ll be posting the next chapter tomorrow- I promise! I would really like to thank everyone who voted for me this week for Best Spuffy Fic- I actually cried when I saw that I won. I’ve never won something like this for a solo fic, so it really means a lot. I’m happy people seem to be enjoying this story so much, and I hope you all like the rest!:)

Sincerely,
Allison

Before Fred could look in on Buffy and Spike, the phone rang in the office. She made a face and went to go answer it.

“Hello?” she asked, somewhat impatient to end the call before it even began.

“Hello, Winifred,” Hank said. “I just thought I’d call and see how things are going.”

“They’re fine,” she said, looking at the door to the storage room. “Buffy actually just stopped by to say hello.”

“How is she doing?” he asked. “I haven’t spoken to her in a month.” Fred looked down.

“She seems to be doing well,” she answered. “She looks like the same old Buffy. No piercings, tattoos…visibly, at least.” Hank chuckled. “But I think she’s doing okay.”

“Is she still seeing William?” Hank asked, and Fred smiled softly.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” she said. “They broke up for a while, but I think they might be trying to work things out.” Hank sighed. “Do you really not want them to be together?”

“You know, I used to think that, but honestly, I think out of anyone there, he will take the best care of her,” Hank said. “I know he’s protective of her and cares about her, and as a father, you can’t ask for much more than that.” Fred smiled. “In fact, I think I’d like you to offer him his old job back.” Fred giggled quietly.

“I’ll be sure to tell him that,” she replied.

“Good,” he said, sighing. “Can you be sure to tell her I called and wish them well for me?”

“I’d love to,” she said. “Take care, Hank.” She hung up and looked at the back room’s door again.

‘I just hope I have a reason to wish them well now,’ she thought before quietly exiting the office.

* * *

Spike couldn’t take his eyes off of Buffy, thoroughly shocked to see her.

‘What’s she doing here?’ he thought. ‘Not that I mind, but-’

“Hi,” he replied, hoping he didn’t sound as stunned as he felt.

‘I’ve waited for this moment for weeks, and now I can’t even think of a word to say,’ he thought. ‘Think, you bloody wanker, think!’

“What’re you doing here?” he asked.

‘Really smooth, Spike,’ he berated himself. ‘Make it sound like you don’t want her here. You’re such a dumb ass.’

“I wanted to check in on you and Fred,” she answered, sitting down on a crate. “I guess curiosity got the better of me.”

“Yeah, well, curiosity killed the cat,” he replied, cutting open a box.

“I saw you a few nights back,” she said, watching him. He looked at the box, frowning.

“I saw you, too,” he said, and she raised an eyebrow. “Your boyfriend seems…tall.”

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

“The whelp you were with at the Bronze about a week ago,” he answered, opening the box.

“Xander?” she asked, smiling. “He’s not my boyfriend.” He looked at her, inwardly relieved. “Don’t tell me you were jealous over Xander Harris.”

“You’re not dating him?” he asked, and she shook her head. “Oh.” He ran a hand through his hair, chuckling. “Sorry, I guess I just assumed.”

“It’s okay,” she answered, looking down. “What about you? Are you dating someone?”

“No,” he answered, and she smiled softly.

“William, I’m sorry,” she said, looking at him. He tilted his head, watching her carefully. “I’m sorry I’ve been a bitch to you for as long as I’ve known you, but more specifically, over the last couple of months. And I know I’ve hurt you- more than I know, I’d imagine- and simply apologizing probably isn’t good enough, but I do mean it when I say that I’m sorry.”

“Been thinking over the situation between us for the last month?” he asked, studying her. She sighed.

“Yes,” she answered. “I guess it hit me that I’ve been incredibly horrible to you, and even though I’ve used it as an excuse before, you haven’t deserved it.” She paused, smiling. “Most of the time.” He looked down, smiling, too. “I should probably go.” She stood up, but before she could walk out, he caught up to her and turned her around.

“You and I’ve been through a lot together, Goldilocks,” he said, looking into her eyes. “Most of which has been bad.” She nodded, looking down, but he tilted her chin up. “And I’m sorry I gave you a reason to not want me around.”

“Will-” she said quietly, but he put a finger over her lips to silence her.

“But I care about you, Buffy, and for as long as I live, that’s never going to stop,” he said. “Whether you want me around or not, I’m going to care about you because we’ve lived through some challenging times together, some things that I know I will never forget.” She felt her eyes misting up. “So no matter what you say to me or do…I’m going to forgive you for the last couple of months because I’m just as much to blame as you are.” She let a tear roll down her cheek. “And stop crying because I might start and that just wouldn’t be good.” She laughed and wiped off her eyes.

“You have a way with words, you know that?” she asked, looking up at him. He smiled and wiped off her cheeks gently before cupping them and leaning down to kiss her. “Thank you, Spike.”

“What happened to calling me William?” he asked, smirking. She giggled and wrapped her arms around him, an action he reciprocated. “I like the way it sounds when you say it.”

“Thank you, William,” she said, looking up at him, and he kissed her once again.

They heard clapping off to the side and broke apart to look at Fred, standing in the doorway and grinning.

“It looks as if we have an audience, kitten,” Spike said, looking at Buffy, who slightly blushed.

“Am I witnessing a reconciliation?” Fred asked giddily, and Buffy looked up at Spike, smiling.

“Are we reconciling?” she asked, and he kissed her forehead.

“Yes, luv, I think we are.”

---

A/N Because I'm a pushover and my computer is actually working at the moment, I decided to post this for your viewing pleasure. My computer is very wonky today, so I can't promise that I can post tomorrow...but I hope so:)

“I just don’t understand how a girl your age can have so much stuff,” Spike said, grabbing a box from Willow’s car. She smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

“I have a lot of books,” she said quietly, getting a box. “I can’t thank you enough for helping me move in.”

“And I can’t thank you enough for moving in with her,” Spike replied, smiling as he watched Buffy walk outside and towards them. “At least I know she won’t be alone here anymore.” Buffy reached them and kissed his cheek before getting a box.

“What am I missing?” she asked curiously, looking between her friend and boyfriend.

“We’re just talking about how your roots are showing,” Spike lied, grinning at her. She looked at him indignantly, her jaw dropped.

“You’re one to talk, bleach boy,” she replied, glaring at him. He chuckled and headed for the house. She looked at Willow. “Does my hair really look that bad?”

“He was kidding,” Willow answered, smiling. “It looks perfect.” Buffy sighed and started to walk towards the house again. “So, are you excited to have me as a permanent fixture in your house as of today?”

“You have no idea,” Buffy said, smirking. “It’s going to be like a slumber party, only every single day.”

“Will there be a sexy pillow fight or two?” Spike asked as the girls walked inside. Buffy playfully punched his arm. “What? Can’t blame a bloke for asking.”

“I can blame you all I want, buster,” Buffy replied, walking up the stairs to Willow’s new room.

“I’m going to go get another box before getting us lunch,” Spike said, looking at Willow. “Want anything?”

“You’re really going above and beyond,” she said, smiling.

“Anything to make you girls happy,” he replied, smirking as Buffy began to walk downstairs.

“Are you coming on to my friend in my absence?” she asked, raising an eyebrow, amused.

“Just asking if we all could have a threesome sometime,” Spike answered, shrugging. Buffy instantly punched his arm again, but this time, he caught her wrist and brought her hand up to his mouth, kissing the back of it softly. “Stop hitting me.”

“I’ll stop hitting you when you stop making stupid jokes,” Buffy replied, smiling. He scowled playfully before kissing her temple and going to the door.

“That last one wasn’t a joke,” he said as he closed the door. Buffy looked at the now shut door and then at Willow.

“I have a feeling it’s going to be very interesting here,” Willow said, grinning as she went up to her room.

* * *

After they had finished moving all of Willow’s stuff in, Willow went to go meet up with Xander at the Espresso Pump while Spike went to his apartment to take a shower. Buffy was poking around in the attic when she heard the doorbell ring an hour later. She quickly made her way downstairs and to the door, nearly falling down the stairs in the process. She smiled when she was suddenly faced with Spike.

“Hi,” she said, raising an eyebrow when he extended a red rose to her. She took it and smelled it, grinning. “What’s this for?”

“For being so bloody perfect for me,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist and gently kissing her. She smiled against his lips. “And I wanted to know if you’d like to go out to dinner with me tonight.”

“I’d love to,” she replied, heading towards the kitchen to put the rose in a vase. “Where to?”

“Doesn’t really matter, just as long as you’re with me,” he answered, smiling softly. “So, are you happy Red is living with you now?”

“Yeah,” she answered, getting a vase from a cabinet and filling it with water. “It’s nice to have her here.”

“I’d imagine it’s better than living in a house this size by yourself,” he said, sitting on the island in the center of the kitchen. “Having her around should make things more fun.”

“And we can have girls’ nights and watch chick flicks whenever we want,” she replied, smirking. “No boys allowed.” He faked hurt.

“You won’t let me be a part of watching sappy dramas and painting each others’ toenails?” he asked. She giggled and put the rose in the vase before walking over to him. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her forehead. “I’m happy you’re not alone here, luv.”

“Even though I suspect you still don’t think I’m safe,” she said, looking into his eyes. “Right?”

“Of course not,” he answered. “I feel a little better about it because she’s here, but if Lindsey ever came back-”

“Lindsey’s locked up, Spike,” she cut in. “He’s going to be for a while.”

“Which is a lovely thought, but even so, I don’t want to risk your safety anymore,” he said. “Not yours and not Red’s.” She sighed and looked down. “I could offer my services as a permanent bodyguard here.” She laughed and looked at him.

“Are you saying you want to move in?” she asked, and he nodded. “You’re just inviting yourself into my home?” He frowned. “Dad will flip out.”

“So I can?” he asked, grinning. She nodded and smiled when he kissed her, cupping her cheeks. “I love you.” Her eyes widened as she looked into his, seeing how sincere he was. “You don’t have to say it back- I just wanted to tell you that.” She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his lips before grazing his cheek.

“I love you, too, William,” she said quietly. He wrapped his arms around her and embraced her tightly.

“Do you think Red will mind a man in living in the house with you two?” he asked, running his hand over her hair.

“She’ll get over it,” Buffy answered, shrugging. “She doesn’t really have a choice- it’s my house.” He chuckled and got down from the island before pulling her flush up against him. She nuzzled her face against his chest.

“Do you think one day it will be our house?” he asked curiously, looking at her with a soft expression.

“You know, I kind of hope so,” she answered before he kissed her again.

“Remind me not to help anyone else move in,” Buffy said, stretching her arms after bringing in Spike’s last box. “And I think you have a lot more stuff than I do, mister.”

“I told you that you didn’t have to help,” he replied, walking up behind her and beginning to massage her shoulders. She smiled softly and shut her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his hands on her sore muscles.

“Why do you two have to be so damn cute?” Willow asked, smirking. Buffy looked at her friend. “It makes me feel like I need a man around.”

“You can borrow me whenever you’d like,” Spike said, winking at her. Buffy elbowed his ribs as Willow blushed and walked to her room. “What? I’m just trying to be helpful.”

“And you love seeing her cheeks turn as red as her hair,” Buffy replied, turning around to face him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled at her. “So, how does it feel to be living with us officially now?”

“I’ve been here every night over the last week- doesn’t feel much different,” he said, running his hand over her hair. She leaned up to kiss his cheek before opening one of his boxes. “What’s in that one?”

“CDs,” she answered, looking at them. “Let’s see what’s in Spike’s music collection…” He opened up a box and began to pull clothes out of it. “No surprises here so far- Billy Idol, the Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones…hold up.” She pulled a CD out and stared at it. “Spike, why the hell do you have a Barry Manilow CD?” He blushed and grabbed it from her quickly. She began laughing uncontrollably, sitting down on the bed.

“I didn’t buy it,” he said. “It’s a gift from my half-brother Liam.” She continued laughing, clutching her stomach. “It’s not that bleeding funny, pet. The guy isn’t all that bad.”

“So you admit to listening to him?” she managed to get out before laughing hysterically again. He sighed defeatedly and tossed the CD on the bed, next to her. She picked it up and looked at it, seeing what songs were on it. “You know, I think Mom used to have this. It seems familiar.”

“See, then he must not be so bad,” Spike replied, shoving some of his stuff into his closet.

“No, he’s still that bad,” she said, giggling a little still. “How can you listen to his? It’s horrible.”

“He has some good stuff,” he said defensively, walking over to sit beside her.

“If you ever play one of his songs to try to seduce me, it’s not going to work,” she said, smirking. He chuckled and took the CD away from her, tossing it aside before kissing her. “Besides, you’re only 28- you shouldn’t be listening to music like this yet. It’s for older people, not you.”

“It’s for anyone,” he said, laying back on the bed and stretching his arms out.

“Or maybe all of your British punk stuff is just a façade to cover up the fact that you’re a die hard fan of Mr. Manilow,” she said, bursting out into laughter again. He frowned and began mercilessly tickling her, causing her to shriek loudly.

Willow ran down the hall to see what was wrong and wasn’t surprised to see Spike tickling Buffy. She laughed and watched them for a moment, noticing how happy they both seemed.

‘It’s a nice change,’ she thought, leaning against the doorframe. ‘I wish I had what they have.’ Buffy saw Willow and managed to get away from Spike’s fingers, straightening out her clothes and taking a deep breath to calm her giggling.

“Hey, Will,” Buffy said, and Spike looked at the redhead, smirking. “What’s up?”

“Just wanted to see what all the commotion was,” she answered, smiling. “I thought maybe something was wrong.”

“No- Buffy was just insulting my music again,” Spike said, shrugging. Willow laughed and walked back to her room. He looked at his girlfriend, her cheeks slightly flushed. “So, kitten, want to help me unpack some more?”

“Am I going to find a Barry Manilow poster?” she asked, giggling again. He attacked her ribcage with his fingers, and she squealed louder than before.

As Willow sat down on her bed and heard her friend again, she shook her head, grinning.

‘And this is just day one,’ she thought.

* * *

That night, Buffy and Spike were lying on his bed, talking as the sun set outside, holding hands, their fingers laced together.

“Excited to work at the gallery again?” he asked, looking at her. She sighed, shrugging.

“Yeah, I guess I kind of missed it,” she answered. “I don’t think working there and going to school is going to be that hard.” He nodded and looked out the window. “Besides, working with you and Fred is fun.”

“That’s because you two like to gossip and talk about me behind my back,” he replied, smiling. She giggled and curled up against his side, resting her head on his shoulder. He began to slowly stroke her hair, enjoying the feeling of her silky locks sliding between his fingers.

“But you’re so fun to talk about,” she said, yawning. He kissed the top of her head softly.

“Want to go to sleep, kitten?” he asked, looking at her. She shook her head, sighing. “You seem tired.”

“I am, but I don’t want this moment to end yet,” she said, looking out the window. “And it’s still really early.”

“It’s been a long day, though,” he replied. “If you want to sleep, we can.”

“Are you going to let me sleep in here tonight?” she asked quietly, looking at him. He nodded and held her closer to him. “Do you ever think about that night, Spike?” He took a deep breath.

“All of the bloody time,” he answered. “I’ve blamed myself for it going wrong ever since.”

“I’m the one who told you to go- it’s my fault, not yours,” she said quietly, running her hand over his abs slowly.

“But I’m the one who came over in the first place,” he replied. “If I hadn’t come here that night-”

“We wouldn’t be where we are today,” she cut in, looking at him. “I doubt we’d be together.” He looked into her eyes. “And I know things in between then and now haven’t always been a hoot, but I think things are getting a lot better for us, don’t you?” He nodded, grazing her cheek. “I don’t regret that night. Maybe it shouldn’t have been after my mom’s funeral, but I’m happy it happened.” She sighed. “Maybe Mom’s death really did bring us together.”

“I think you’re right, pet,” he replied, kissing her softly. “I love you, Buffy.”

“I love you, too, William,” she said, slowly dozing off. “I’ll always love you."

Ten Months Later…



“Spike, we can’t be late for the gala,” Buffy said as she got out of bed, not bothering to cover her nude body as she walked across the hall and into the bathroom. He sighed and stood up, stretching out and smiling as he walked to his dresser, opening the top drawer. Buffy came back in the room and walked to the closet, pulling out a dress bag. “We really shouldn’t have waited until right now to get ready.”

“Sorry, pet- I couldn’t help but make love to you,” he said, smiling softly at her. She grinned and slipped her black silk halter-dress off its hanger before going back into the bathroom. He grabbed a small black velvet box out of the drawer and carried it to where his suit was hanging, slipping it into one of the pockets.

‘I can’t believe it’s been over a year already,’ he thought as he began to get dressed. ‘Time really flew by.’ Buffy came out of the bathroom, now in her dress, running her fingers through her hair and sighing.

“I don’t look like I just had sex, do I?” she asked, worried. He chuckled and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her. “Stop, you’re distracting me.”

“Sorry, luv,” he replied. “I thought I was a welcome distraction.” She giggled and began to put on a minimal amount of make-up. “Sweetheart, you already look gorgeous.”

“So do you,” she said, watching as he straightened out his dark blue tie. She studied him for a moment, taking in how good he looked in a black, pinstriped suit.

‘He is the definition of eye-candy,’ she thought as she put on lip-gloss.

“Ready to leave, my sweet?” he asked, extending a hand to her. She quickly slid on her black heels before putting her hand in his and allowing him to lead her downstairs. “Is Red meeting us there?”

“She’s showing up with Xander in an hour, I think,” Buffy said, smiling. “I still can’t believe they’re dating. It seems like it has been years in the making.” Spike grabbed his car keys and walked outside, her following him. They got in his car and began to drive towards the gallery. “I can’t wait to see Dad again.” Spike frowned, remembering that Hank would be there.

‘Well, I guess it’s good if he’s there to see this tonight,’ he thought, absently patting the box in his pocket. ‘I’ve put it off long enough.’

* * *

Buffy and Spike walked into the gallery, their arms linked, and made their way through the crowd to locate Hank, Lilah, and Fred, talking near the office. Hank saw his daughter and instantly hugged her.

“You look beautiful, dear,” he said. “It seems like it’s been ages.”

“Four months,” Buffy replied, smiling. “Not since your wedding.” Hank smiled at Lilah before wrapping his arm around her waist. “How’ve you been?”

“We’re doing well,” Lilah answered. “How about you and William?”

“Absolutely perfect,” Spike said, kissing Buffy’s temple. Hank smiled warmly at the couple, glad to see that they were still together and obviously happily in love.

‘I’m just surprised they’re not even engaged yet,’ he thought, looking at his daughter’s left hand.

“So, where’s your date for the evening?” Buffy asked, looking at Fred.

“Wesley is on his way,” she answered. “He got caught in traffic on his way from L.A.” Spike leaned down to Buffy’s ear.

“Want to go walk around for a bit, luv?” he whispered, taking her hand in his. She nodded and excused them from the group before they began to aimlessly walk around, finally making it to a fairly empty spot. Spike took a deep breath before putting his hand in his pocket and clutching the ring box. “So, I’ve been thinking, pet.”

“What’ve you been thinking about?” she asked inattentively, looking at paintings on the wall.

“I’ve been thinking about us starting a future together,” he said, somewhat nervous. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

“What do you mean?” she asked, confused. “We already live together. What else is there-” She cut herself off as she realized what he was talking about. Her eyes widened as she looked at him. “Oh! You mean-”

“What do you think about it?” he asked, his anxiety only increasing.

“I… I think that I’d like to spend the rest of my life with you,” she answered honestly, and he smiled softly before pressing his lips to hers for a gentle kiss.

“So if I asked you to marry me, you would say yes?” he asked, and she nodded, grinning as tears formed in her eyes. “You promise?” He took the ring box out of his pocket and opened it, revealing the platinum engagement ring inside with a princess-cut diamond on it. She gasped in shock as she stared at it, covering her mouth with her hand. He heard her mumble something and smirked. “What was that, luv?”

“Are you serious?” she asked, grinning. “Is this for real?” He nodded, still awaiting her answer. She looked between him and the box for a moment, her jaw still dropped.

“So are you actually going to say yes, or did you just say that to mislead me?” he asked jokingly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him intensely, more in love with him in that moment than she ever had been before.

“Of course it’s yes,” she answered giddily, letting a couple of tears escape her eyes. He smiled as he wiped them away before taking the ring out of its box and sliding it onto her left hand’s ring finger.

“Think you can wear that forever?” he asked, running his hand over her hair and grinning.

“For all of eternity,” she answered, kissing him again, in disbelief that she was now engaged to Spike.

‘But it’s been a long time coming,’ she thought happily, sighing.

Hank stood off to the side, watching them with a smile on his face.

‘Maybe Joyce was right- they are meant to be together,’ he said, raising up the champagne flute he was holding before sipping from it. ‘I’ve always loved happy endings.’

THE END

---

A/N Sadly, that’s it for this fic. I’d really like to thank everyone who has read this and reviewed- you all are absolutely sweet and amazing! Also, I’d like to again thank those who voted for me for Best Spuffy Fic this last week- it meant more to me than you know! I’m going to start posting a new fic on April 1st, titled “An Unfriendly Wager”, so be on the lookout for that:) Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed this because I know I really had a blast writing it. Thanks again!