Chapter 1

Buffy Summers walked into her house after a tiring day at school. She was starting to get a major headache.

"You're such a brat. Why can't you leave my stuff alone?"

She heard her sister say.

"I didn't touch your stuff. Mommy! Dawn's blaming me for something I didn't do!"

Buffy rubbed her head as her two sisters ran into the house and headed upstairs, arguing along the way. She closed the front door and rested her head against it, when her mother, Joyce Summers, appeared.

"I take it picking them up from school was fun."

Buffy let out a sigh before answering her mother. "Yeah, it was real fun. I have tons of homework and a major migraine on top of that. You're so picking them up tomorrow."

Joyce nodded. "I appreciate you doing it, Buffy."

She nodded as well.

They suddenly heard a crash come from upstairs.

Joyce sighed now. "I better see what the damage is this time," she said and walked away.

Buffy heard her mother's voice calling up the stairs.

"You girls better not have broken anything!"

Buffy shook her head and headed upstairs as well. She closed her door once she got to her room and sat on the bed. She then put her headphones on to block out the noise as best she could.


* * * * *


Buffy came back downstairs later that night to hear her sisters arguing about what to watch on TV.

"I was watching that first," her youngest sister, Casey, complained.

Dawn kept the remote away from her. "I'm older than you, so I get to choose what to watch."

Buffy rolled her eyes and joined her mother in the kitchen. "I'm seriously starting to wonder if they were adopted."

Joyce gave her oldest a smile and finished with dinner. Her smile quickly faded when she thought about what she needed to say. "Honey, I need a favor."

Buffy knew that look all too well. "I hate it when you say that."

"Something came up and I have to go into the gallery tonight. I was wondering if you could watch them for me. I should only be a few hours."

Buffy didn't love that idea. "You can't seriously ask me to watch the demon children. Mom, I was supposed to meet my friends at the Bronze tonight. You said I could go yesterday."

Joyce nodded. "I know I did, but I can't call a babysitter on such short notice. I really need your help, Buffy. I promise you can go tomorrow night. I can't trust Dawn to baby-sit at her age. I would probably come back to the house being destroyed, or set on fire."

Buffy sighed and could feel her headache coming back. "Fine, but I'm not happy about it."

Joyce hugged her daughter. "I really appreciate it," she replied, pulling out of the embrace.

Buffy pouted. "I hate being the good one."

They heard a commotion coming from the living room.

"Mommy! Dawn's being mean to me!"

"I am not, you tattle tail!"

Buffy closed her eyes and rubbed her head. She then opened her eyes and looked at the guilty expression on her mother's face. "You owe me big time for this," she claimed and headed into the living room. "I should be getting paid."

Joyce heard her daughter mumble under her breath. She just shook her head and got ready to go to the gallery.

Chapter 2

Buffy was exhausted as she walked into school the next day. Her mother took longer at the gallery than she said she would and she hardly got any sleep. She loved her sisters, but sometimes they were a bit too much to deal with. She saw her friend waiting for her by their lockers and walked over.

"Please tell me you have some aspirin?" she wondered.

He gave her a smile. "Rough night I take it. You don't look so good."

Buffy glared at him. "Tell me something I don't know."

He held up his hands in surrender, then pulled out a bottle of aspirin from his locker and handed it to her.

She gave him a small smile and took the pills. "You're a lifesaver, Spike."

He smiled in return. "Yeah, that's what all the ladies say."

She rolled her eyes as they headed to their first class.

"So, what happened this time? We missed you at the Bronze last night."

Buffy nodded. "I was stuck babysitting the demon spawn, so I couldn't make it."

Spike nodded in understanding. "You could have called me and I would have helped."

Buffy shook her head. "No, I had everything under control. I'm so going to the Bronze tonight, though. I need to get out of that house before I go crazy."

Spike smiled and put his arm around her. "How about after the Bronze you come stay at my place for the night? You could probably use some sleep."

Buffy stopped to look at him. "I would love that. Are you sure?"

Spike nodded. "Yeah, my dad's out of town and I have the place to myself. Gets lonely sometimes, so I could use the company."

Buffy smiled at him in gratitude. "I'll have to ask my mom, but I'm sure it would be fine," she stated as they finally got to their class. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I so love you for this."

Spike stood there for a second and touched the spot where she kissed him. He then smiled and followed her into the classroom. He sat down in the seat next to Buffy. He watched her as she was talking to their other friends, Willow and Xander. She seemed to be feeling better as she laughed at something Xander said. Her whole face lit up and Spike had to smile as well. He has been friends with Buffy pretty much forever. Both of their mother's were best friends in college, so they basically grew up together.

Spike felt saddened for a moment at the thought of his mother. He was twelve when he lost Jenny from a brain tumor. He remembered spending days in his room just crying his eyes out. Buffy would come over every day to try and cheer him up. She was the only one that managed to do that.

He smiled again as he watched her. She would always be the most beautiful girl to him, even when she was having a bad day. He has been secretly in love with Buffy for as long as he can remember, but she had no idea. He didn't want to tell her how he felt because he knew how important their friendship was to her. He wouldn't want to do anything to ruin that. Spike still dated and had a few girlfriends, but they would never compare to Buffy. He would find himself comparing every girl to her, which could be why those relationships never lasted. He was never in love with any of them. He thought he could have fallen in love with Drusilla, but that changed when he found her with someone else. Faith was a little too wild, even for him. She only wanted sex and he actually wanted more than that in a relationship. He only dated Harmony because she looked like Buffy.

Spike broke out of his reverie when he noticed Buffy trying to get his attention.

"Hey, you okay? You were zoned out for a second there."

He looked at her and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"Thinking about what?" she wondered

Spike shrugged and didn't want her to know what was really on his mind. "Nothing for you to worry about."

Buffy nodded and accepted his answer.

They both turned back to the front of the class and tried to pay attention to the teacher.

Chapter 3

Buffy was dancing at the Bronze later that night. She was really getting into the song and managed to attract a group of guys, who were now dancing around her.

Her friends were sitting at a table and watching her, some with their mouths open.

"That is a very seductive dance she's doing." Xander commented and then caused his girlfriend, Anya, to slap him on the head. "Ow, what was that for?" he asked, rubbing his head in the process.

"You're not supposed to be checking out other girls, Harris."

Xander looked apologetic. "I didn't mean anything by it."

Anya just glared at him and turned away.

Xander knew he would be asking for it later.

Spike shook his head and had to smile at the couple. They were always entertaining to watch.

"Do you guys think Buffy's okay?" Willow spoke up. "She's never acted like that before."

Spike shrugged and looked out on the dance floor. "She's been pretty tired lately. She probably just needs to have some fun."

Anya smiled. "Yeah, also looks like she might be a little drunk."

Spike stared at Anya, then back at Buffy. "Bloody hell, weren't you lot watching her? I only stepped away for a few minutes. You know how she is when she has alcohol in her."

They all didn't know what to say.

Xander grabbed Buffy's glass of coke and sniffed it. He pulled his nose away when it smelled funny. "I'm guessing that she flirted with the bartender and had him put something else in her soda. It doesn't smell right."

Spike rolled his eyes and stood up. "I better get her out of here before she does something she might regret." He made his way over to Buffy, trying to get through the crowd of guys. He grabbed her and turned her around to look at him. "I think we should go, pet."

Buffy just gave him a big smile. "Spike!" she exclaimed before hugging his waist. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

Spike really wished she wouldn't say that when she was smashed.

She pulled away from him. "The room is spinning."

He wrapped his arms around her and was about to leave, when one of the guys stood in his way.

"Hey, we're not done with the girl yet."

Spike rolled his eyes. "I think you are, mate. I'm getting her out of here."

The man wouldn't budge. "Maybe she doesn't wanna go with you. We were having fun with her," he said and some of his friends laughed.

Spike grew angry at the thought of this man putting his hands on Buffy, but he only smiled at him. "I hate to do this, but you leave me no choice." He then raised his fist and punched the guy in the face.

He yelled and held his nose.

Spike used that to his advantage to get Buffy out of there.

She laughed once they were outside. "That was so cool! He was a jerk, anyway."

Spike nodded and tried to keep walking, but Buffy stopped to look at him.

"You're my hero," she told him.

Spike had to smile at that. He just stood there as Buffy raised her hand to touch his face. He didn't know what she was doing, but he was too mesmerized to do anything about it. He closed his eyes at her touch and when he opened them again, he saw her eyes staring right into his.

She then started to giggle and was about to fall.

He wrapped his arms around her tighter and continued the walk to his car.

"You're very pretty."

Spike heard her say. "What every bloke loves to hear," he mumbled and finally got to his car. He let her in first and went to his side. He got in as well, then headed to his house.

Chapter 4

Spike carried Buffy inside and lay her down on the couch. He sat next to her and rubbed her head.

She sat up to look at him. "You're so good to me, you know that? There should be more guys like you out there."

Spike shook his head. "I doubt that would happen, love. I'm one of a kind, after all."

Buffy smiled at him. She seemed to be studying his face.

Spike wondered what she was thinking, but he didn't have to wonder for long.

"Have you always been this cute?"

Spike didn't know what to say after that. He then noticed that her gaze was now on his lips.

Buffy moved closer and suddenly pressed her lips to his.

Spike did nothing to stop her. He found himself kissing her back, until he realized what he was doing and pulled away. "Buffy, we can't do this. I won't take advantage of you."

She moved her lips over to his ear and nibbled on it. "What if I want you to?"

He closed his eyes at the feelings she was stirring in him. "You don't know what you're saying, love. I think you should get some rest."

Buffy pulled away. "You don't want me?" she said with a pout.

Spike shook his head. "You have no idea how much I want you, but not like this. You would end up regretting it and I couldn't live with that."

Buffy nodded in understanding and moved a little away from him.

"Let's just watch the telly, all right?"

Buffy nodded again, without saying anything else.

Spike turned the TV on. He was watching some movie and then looked over at Buffy, only to see that she was passed out. He got off of the couch and picked her up. He carried her into his room and lay her down on his bed. He covered her up and took a moment to watch her, then pressed his lips to her forehead. He walked out of the room and sat back down on the couch, thinking about what he just turned down.


* * * * *


Buffy woke up the next day with a huge headache. She groaned and grabbed her head. She looked around to see that she was in Spike's room, but she didn't see him anywhere. She got up and headed for the living room, where she found Spike asleep on the couch. She sat down next to him and pushed him lightly, which was all he needed to wake up.

He sat up when he saw her there. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"I feel like I have a million elephants tap dancing in my skull. Remind me to never drink again."

Spike smiled and then became more serious. "Yeah, looks like you got that alcohol by all of us. Why were you drinking, Buffy?"

She shrugged and looked away from him. "I just wanted to let loose for one night. It seemed like a good idea at the time." She looked back at him before she spoke again. "I didn't do anything really embarrassing, did I?"

Spike just shook his head and figured that she didn’t need to know the truth. "No, you were passed out pretty much the whole time since I took you out of the Bronze."

Buffy was relieved. "Well, that's good then. Thanks again for getting me out of there. You're a great friend."

Spike nodded in return. "That's what I'm here for." He knew something was bothering her and really wished she would tell him. "Is something wrong, love? I know you well enough to know when something’s on your mind."

Buffy sighed and just decided to come clean. "I saw my dad the other day. I was out running a few errands for my mom and I saw him at the store. He didn't see me, though."

Spike raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure it was him?"

She nodded. "I remember pretty well what he looks like. It's only been about seven years since I've seen him. I just know something's wrong. Why would he come back after all this time?"

Spike shrugged. "I wouldn't know. Did you tell your mum?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, I couldn't tell her. This is the last thing she needs. He was probably only in town for business, anyway. I'm sure he's already gone now. Just seeing him again brought back all these memories and I panicked. I know drinking doesn't solve anything, but for a while there, I forgot about him."

Spike put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sure it's nothing, like you said. I won't mention it to anyone."

Buffy gave him a small smile. "Thanks, I'm gonna go change. I'm thinking I might have to throw up, too." She got up and headed into the bathroom.

Spike watched her go. He hoped Buffy would be okay. He knew how much her father leaving hurt her in the past and he didn't want her to get hurt again. He really prayed that it was nothing, but he couldn't help the bad feeling that went through him.

Chapter 5

Buffy got home later that day to hear her sisters arguing, as usual. She rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, Mom. How are Rosemary's babies today?"

Joyce glared at her eldest. "Very funny, Buffy."

She shrugged. "I say it with love."

Joyce let out a sigh and decided to change the subject. "Will Spike be coming over for dinner tonight?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, I think he has other plans."

Joyce nodded. "So, did you have a good time last night?"

Buffy nodded as well. "Yeah, it was good. I think I'm gonna lay down for a bit. Have a bad headache," she said and walked out of the kitchen, without waiting for her mother to say anything else. When she got to her room, she lay down on her bed. She realized that it was finally quiet and shut her eyes, only to be woken up by someone pushing her. She groaned and opened her eyes to see her youngest sister staring at her. "What is it?"

"Dawn's being mean to me. Can I stay in here with you?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Okay, but only for a little while."

Casey smiled and jumped on her big sister's bed.

Buffy lay back down. "What are you and Dawny fighting about now?"

Casey shrugged. "She's saying I messed with her crayons, but I didn't touch them."

Buffy shook her head. Dawn would constantly blame Casey for everything when most of the time she really didn't do anything. Her sister was a teenager now, so she figured that she got to be more of the boss with Casey. She put her arm around her little sister and pulled her closer. "Don't worry about Dawny, okay? You know she loves you."

Casey nodded and didn't say anything else.

Buffy then smiled and sat up. "You know what time it is?"

The little girl shook her head.

"It's time for this," she said and started to tickle her sister, who burst out laughing. Buffy laughed along with her and soon decided that Casey had enough. "You feel better now?"

She nodded again.

Buffy lay back down.

"Can you tell me the story again?"

Buffy pretended to think about it. "You mean the story about the girl who defeats the monsters?"

Casey had a big smile on her face. "Yeah, I like that story."

Buffy agreed and was about to say something, when a voice in the doorway stopped her.

"Can I hear it, too?"

She smiled when she saw Dawn standing there. "Sure, come on in."

Dawn smiled as well and went to join her sisters on the bed.

They both got more comfortable.

Buffy took a deep breath before she began her story. "There was once a young girl a little older than you," she started and looked at Dawn. "She had the life every girl could dream of. She was pretty, popular, and had lots of friends. One day, the girl met a man and her life changed forever. She was told that she was chosen to face the forces of darkness. At first the girl was really scared and didn't think she could handle this new destiny. That was until she moved to a small town, where monsters took control. She decided right there that she would do whatever she could to rid the world of evil, so there could be nothing but happiness. She fought every night and started to make the town a safer place, but there was one thing missing in her life. She was alone and always wanted someone to share her adventures with, but she knew it would be hard because she wasn't supposed to tell anyone about her secret identity. Until she met a mysterious man one night. Now, he was no ordinary man, but a vampire. They constantly fought, but neither one was able to defeat the other. They were too equally matched. The man soon realized that he didn't want to defeat the girl. He fell in love with her and that changed everything. She didn't want anything to do with him at first, until he saved her life one night. She was very grateful to him after that and decided to give him a chance. They spent years fighting side by side together and soon the girl realized that she loved him, too. They fought together until the town was free of all monsters and was safer for the people that lived there. The girl was happy that she could finally go back to having a normal life, even if her boyfriend happened to be a vampire, but she didn't care because she wasn't alone anymore. They both lived happily ever after and I think you guys are too young to hear about what would happen after that," she finished and noticed that both of her sisters were asleep. She smiled and gave them both a kiss on the forehead, then also drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 6

"There's my favorite girl. Have I told you how gorgeous you look today?"

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "What do you want?"

Spike figured that she would see through that. "Right, nothing gets by you. I need a favor."

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "What is it this time? I'm not doing anything illegal for you."

Spike thought about it and then shook his head. "Nothing like that. Snyder caught me smoking again and as punishment, I have to show some new kid around. I really don't have time for that, so I was wondering if you could do it," he said with a pleading smile.

"What makes you think I have the time?"

Spike wasn't about to give up. "Come on, Buffy. You just have to show her around the school, it shouldn't take so long. I just don't wanna deal with some chit right now."

Buffy was about to respond, when an attractive man walked over to them. She couldn't take her eyes off of him.

He gave her a smile and then looked at Spike. "Hey, are you William? Principal Snyder said you would be showing me around."

Spike was confused and shook his head. "This can't be right. I thought he said it was some chit named Angel."

"Yeah, I'm Angel. Don't worry; I get that all the time. So, you’re William?" he wondered again.

"I go by Spike, mate. Look, about me showing you around..." he started, but was cut off by Buffy.

"I'll be doing it," she said, ignoring the look that Spike gave her. "Spike doesn't have the time, so I would be happy to do it. That is, if you don't mind."

Angel looked the girl up and down and let a smile form on his face. "No, I don't mind at all. You free right now?"

Buffy nodded and returned his smile. "Yeah, let's go. I'll see you later, Spike," she said without even bothering to look back at him.

Spike just watched her leave with the other man. "What the bloody hell did I just do?" he said to himself, then felt someone pat him on the back. He looked to see that it was Xander.

"Tough break, man. You thought he was a girl and now you may have set Buffy up with him. That has to suck for you." He laughed and quickly stopped when he noticed the look on Spike's face. He ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, well, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Buffy probably won't even be interested in him."

Spike sighed and shook his head. He really hoped his friend was right, but he wasn't easily convinced.

Chapter 7

Spike waited for Buffy by her locker after school, like he did every day. He smiled when he finally saw her in the distance, but his smile soon faded when he noticed that Angel was with her. She was laughing at something the bloke said when she finally got over to him.

"Hey, Spike," she said.

Spike plastered a fake smile on his face. "What's so funny?"

Buffy shook her head. "Nothing, you had to be there."

"Yeah, it's a shame I couldn't then. You ready to go?"

She nodded and looked at Angel. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

He nodded as well. "That you will. Thanks again for helping me out today, Buffy. I really liked spending time with you."

She gave him a smile. "Sure, don't mention it."

Spike rolled his eyes, but neither of them noticed.

"Well, I'll let you go now," he said and moved closer to Buffy, placing a quick kiss on her cheek. "It was nice to meet you. Both of you," he said the last part to Spike, just seeming to take notice that he was there.

Spike only nodded and watched Angel walk away. "Bloody pillock," he mumbled.

Buffy stared at him. "He's a nice guy. You didn't wanna show him around, so I did you a favor. I figured you would be grateful."

"Yeah, but that was when I thought it was some girl you would be showing around. I don't like him."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You don't even know him. Why should it matter that he's a guy? What? I'm not allowed to hang out with other guys besides you?"

Spike shook his head. "That's not what I meant. I just want you to be careful, you're still vulnerable."

She glared at him. "Are you kidding me? The whole thing with Parker was two years ago. I'm so over that. I'm older now and I know how to handle myself. You worry too much, Spike."

He shrugged. "Well, that's the best friend's job. I'm supposed to worry about you. I just know how much that wanker hurt you and I don't want you to go through that again."

Buffy looked into his eyes to see how sincere he was.

"You're an amazing person, Buffy. You deserve someone who will treat you like one. Someone that would worship the ground you walk on. Someone that knows what he has when he has you," he finished and caressed her cheek, dropping his hand after a second. "I guess what I'm saying is that you deserve to be happy."

Buffy smiled at him and then wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

He hugged her back and kissed the top of her head.

"I kinda love you, you know that?"

Spike knew that she only meant as a friend, but it was better than nothing. "I kinda love you, too."

Chapter 8

They entered her house later that day.

Buffy closed the door once they were inside. "Mom, I'm home!" she yelled, then heard footsteps running down the stairs.

"Spike!" Casey exclaimed.

He gave the girl a smile and picked her up. "How's my little nibblet today?"

She graced him with a smile of her own. "I'm fine; I drew a picture in school today. You wanna see?"

Spike nodded. "I would love to, princess," he replied and carried her back up the stairs.

Buffy smiled as she watched them go. Her little sisters loved Spike and he was so good with them. She headed into the kitchen to see Joyce, who looked up when her daughter walked in.

"Did I hear Spike out there?"

Buffy nodded and sat down. "Yep, he's dealing with the brats right now. I wish him luck with that."

Joyce smiled. "How was school, honey?"

Buffy shrugged. "It was good. I met a guy today. He's new and I offered to show him around."

Joyce sighed and sat down by Buffy. "I see, is this a decent guy?"

She rolled her eyes. "I just met him, but yes, he seems decent."

Joyce placed her hand over Buffy’s. "They all seem decent at first, sweetheart."

Buffy could feel the lecture coming. "I get it, Mom. I have to be careful. I already got the lecture from Spike. Don't need one from you, too."

"I wouldn't dream about giving you a lecture. Spike does that so much better, anyway."

Buffy agreed and looked away from her mother's gaze.

Joyce took a deep breath. "What about William? He is such a nice, young man. And you know that you can trust him. You’ve known each other since you were babies."

Buffy raised her eyebrows at the odd turn the conversation took. She knew it was serious when her mother called Spike by his given name. "What are you getting at, Mom? You know we're just friends."

Joyce nodded. "I know, but that doesn't mean there can't be more between you two."

Buffy shrugged. "I admit that I’ve thought about it, but he doesn't see me like that. I'm over that huge crush I used to have on him. I was twelve then and I'm seventeen now. I’ve managed to grow up a bit. We’re just friends. He's like an older brother."

Joyce nodded again and decided to accept her daughter's answer, for now anyway.

Spike then came back downstairs and joined them in the kitchen.

"So, how are the rug rats?" Buffy asked him.

He sighed and sat down next to her. "They're fighting over something again. Taking care of those two seems like a bloody lot of work."

Joyce had to agree. "You have no idea," she said and headed out of the kitchen to see what her children were up to now.

Spike turned his gaze back on Buffy. "So, what were you two ladies talking about?"

Buffy just shook her head. "Nothing," she replied, looking away from him.

Spike figured something was on her mind, but he didn't pressure her about it. She would tell him when she was ready.

Chapter 9

Spike rolled his eyes when he saw Buffy talking to Angel in school the next day. He put on another fake smile and walked over to them.

"Hey, what are we talking about today?"

Buffy shrugged. "Just school stuff," she said and looked away from him.

Spike wondered what that was about. He then grew angry. If she was going to start dating this ponce, the least she could do was tell him about it. Even if he would hate it.

Buffy suddenly smiled and grabbed Angel's hand, pulling him over to another girl that she saw in the distance.

Spike watched and then followed after them.

They stopped in front of the pretty brunette.

"Hey, Cordy. I would like you to meet, Angel. He just moved here. Angel, this is Cordelia," she stated, introducing them to each other.

The other girl gave him a smile. "Hi, it's nice to meet you."

He returned her smile and seemed a little nervous in front of her, but he tried to hide it. "It's nice to meet you, too."

Buffy smiled as well when she noticed the obvious attraction between them. "I'll let you guys talk," she said, moving away from them and back to Spike, who still looked confused.

"Let me get this straight," he started when she walked over to him. "You were trying to set him up with Cordelia?"

Buffy nodded. "He noticed her when I was showing him around and wanted to meet her. I told him she was a friend of mine and that I would introduce them. Don't they look cute together? I should so be a matchmaker, seem to be pretty good at it." She looked at the confusion that was still on Spike’s face. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head. "I don't really understand. I thought you liked him and that he was interested in you, too."

She shrugged. "There was an attraction at first, but that was it. We don't really have a lot in common and we both figured it would be better if we were just friends."

Spike felt relieved. "Oh, well that's great. I mean, they look really great together," he said, referring to Angel and Cordelia, who were now laughing about something.

Buffy smiled when she saw them. "Yeah, mission accomplished. Why didn't you like him, anyway? Was it just because you thought he was interested in me?"

Spike shook his head again. "No, why would that bother me? He's allowed to be interested; I guess I just got a bad vibe from him is all. It's suddenly getting better, though."

Buffy wondered about that. Something was definitely up with Spike, but she figured he would tell her when he was ready.

Chapter 10

Buffy entered her house later that night after being at Willow's. She put her bag down and heard voices coming from the living room.

"Hey, Mom. Sorry I'm late, I was..." Her voice trailed off when she saw who was sitting on the couch with her mother. An angry and shocked expression appeared on her face. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The man seemed to avoid her gaze.

Joyce decided to be the first one to say something and stood up. "Buffy, is that anyway to speak to your father?"

Buffy turned her cold look on her mother, not believing that she could defend him like that.

"I don't have a father. How can you be so calm about this? What is he doing here?" she asked again.

"Hank is here because he wanted to see us. You should at least let him explain, Buffy."

She gave a humorless laugh. "Let him explain? There is nothing he can say that can ever make things right. He left us, Mom. How can you just accept that and let him come back in here like nothing ever happened?"

Joyce didn't know what to say, when Hank stood up as well.

"I understand that you're upset and you have every right to be, but I really only came here to talk."

Buffy turned her gaze on him. "Oh, now you wanna talk? It's a little late for that; I don't care about anything you have to say!" she exclaimed, then ran out of the house.

"Buffy!" Joyce yelled after her, but she didn't even look back.

"I'm sorry about this, Joyce. I had no idea she would react that way."

Joyce closed the door and glared at her ex-husband. "How did you think she would react, Hank? Your leaving was the hardest for Buffy. She's the oldest and she's the one that got to spend the most time with you. Of course she would react like that. Why are you really here? Are you just here to cause problems?"

Hank shook his head. "No, I just wanted to see my daughters. I wanted to make things right. I know that I probably can't, but I had to try. I really missed you and my girls. I'm sorry for everything that I put you through."

Joyce moved away from him and sat back on the couch.

He did the same.

"I really wish I could believe you. Why after all this time? It's been seven years, Hank. We haven't heard anything from you. The girls never got a card on their birthdays, or anything on Christmas."

Hank nodded. "I know, I've been traveling a lot and I could never stay in one place for too long. I didn't think you would ever accept anything from me, anyway. I did a lot of thinking in all that time. I realize I made a lot of mistakes and I would like to make up for them. I know things could never be the same, but I really have to try. I still love you, Joyce. I really hope that one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Joyce looked into his eyes and could tell that he seemed sincere, but she wouldn't get her hopes up. "I don't know, Hank. It will take a lot more than that. You have a lot to make up for and I'm not the only one you have to make it up to. You can stay here and sleep on the couch if you like. Maybe you can try and talk to Buffy again later, but I can't promise you that it will be easy. She can be very stubborn, which is something she learned from you."

Hank agreed and didn't know what else to say. He knew that Buffy would be the hardest to get through, but he really hoped that he would be able to get his little girl back.

Chapter 11

Spike opened the door to find a sobbing Buffy standing there.

"Love, what happened?"

Buffy just threw herself into his arms and continued to cry, without even saying anything.

Spike wrapped his arms around her and helped her into the house, closing the door behind her. He just held her and whispered comforting words in her ear until she calmed down.

An older man then came into the living room.

She pulled away from Spike to look at him.

"Buffy? What's wrong, dear?" Rupert Giles asked when he saw the distress the young girl was in.

She just shook her head and remained silent.

Spike put his arm around her. "We're gonna go to my room, Dad."

Giles nodded. "Yes, of course. I hope everything is all right."

Spike silently agreed and led Buffy to his room. He closed the door once they were inside and walked her over to the bed, where she sat down. He looked at her face and wiped some of her tears away. He really hated to see her like this. "Buffy, what's wrong? You can tell me, pet."

Buffy nodded and wiped at her eyes.

Spike was relieved to see that she was starting to calm down.

"He came back, Spike. I knew there had to be a reason as to why I saw him in the store. I came home tonight to find him at the house with my mom."

Spike sighed when he realized she was talking about her father. "What did he say?"

Buffy shrugged. "A bunch of crap, how he just came to talk," she said angrily and stood up. "Who the hell does he think he is showing up after all this time? What? Did he think we would just forgive him and be one big happy family? It doesn't work that way. My mom didn't even seem mad at him; she was actually sticking up for him. I just couldn't take it and left."

Spike nodded when she was finished. "I'm sorry, love. I know how hard this must be for you, but you shouldn't have just run off like that. Your mum is probably worried about you. I should take you home."

Buffy shook her head. "No, I'm not going back. I just can't deal with it right now. Can I stay here tonight?"

Spike nodded again after a moment. "You know I don't mind, but I have to call Joyce to let her know."

Buffy nodded as well and just sat back down on the bed.

Spike moved closer to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "It'll be okay," he told her to try and make her feel better. He was relieved when she gave him a small smile. He then got off of the bed to go call Joyce to let her know where Buffy was. When he returned, he found Buffy lying down in his bed. "Right, well, I guess I'll let you rest. I'll just be on the couch if you need me."

Buffy instantly sat up. "You can sleep here. There's plenty of room," she said and moved over on the bed.

Spike shook his head. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Come on, Spike. We've been sleeping in the same bed practically forever. Why should now be any different? If it makes you feel any better, I promise to keep my hands to myself." She held up her hands for him to see.

Spike had to smile at how cute she was. He nodded and walked over to the bed. "Yeah, you do that," he replied and lay down beside her.

They were both quiet, until Buffy broke the silence.

"Thank you for being here. I don't know what I would do without you."

Spike smiled and kissed the top of her head. "I know the feeling. Get some rest now, love. We'll talk more tomorrow."

She nodded and closed her eyes, soon drifting off to sleep.

Spike spent a few minutes just watching her as she slept. He lightly brushed some hair out of her face, so he could get a better look at her. He gently caressed her cheek and hoped that he wouldn't wake her. "I love you," he whispered, then followed her in slumber.

Chapter 12

Buffy and Spike walked into her house the next day and headed to the living room, where they heard voices.

She wasn't prepared for the scene in front of her.

Hank was sitting on the couch with her sisters and it looked like he was telling them a story.

Buffy glared at him. "What are you doing? Where's Mom?"

Hank looked up at her. "Your mother had to go to the gallery early today. The girls were fighting, so I figured I should tell them a story to calm them down."

Buffy wasn't sure what to think. "So, my mother just leaves you alone with them? I find that very hard to believe," she said coldly.

Hank stood up and walked over to her. "I told her she can trust me, Buffy. I wanted to get to know my daughters better."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "You had seven years to do that."

Hank nodded and knew he wouldn't win that argument.

Buffy then turned her attention on her sisters. "You two go upstairs."

They figured that some yelling would be done, so they did as she said, but not before Casey ran over to Hank and gave him a hug around his legs.

"Thanks for the story, Daddy."

Buffy was surprised and noticed that Hank looked like he was near tears.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. Go do as your sister says, okay?"

Casey nodded.

Dawn grabbed her hand and they both ran upstairs.

Hank focused back on Buffy and finally noticed Spike standing there after being quiet the whole time. "Wait, this can't be little William. God, you've really grown up."

Spike shrugged. "Yeah, lot can happen in seven years. Good to see you again, Hank. Planning on sticking around this time or just decided to pop in for a quickie and then pop out again?"

Hank glanced away from the younger man's gaze. "I guess I deserve that. It's good to see you again, too. Glad to see that you and Buffy are still friends after all this time."

Spike put his arm around Buffy and pulled her closer to his side. "We always will be. I care too much about her to leave," he said and glared at Hank, who only nodded.

"I guess I have a lot to make up for."

Buffy sent him another glare of her own. "What's the point? There's nothing you can say or do that will change things. You think that you showing up after all this time will automatically get me to forgive you? I don't think so, that just proves that you don't know anything about me." She then moved away from Spike and ran upstairs.

Spike sighed and watched her go, then looked at Hank. "I better see if she's okay." He started to head for the stairs, but Hank stopped him.

"William, could you wait a moment?"

Spike gazed at the man and waited for him to continue.

Hank took a deep breath. "I want to know her. Could you tell me about my daughter?"

Spike nodded and went to sit on the couch.

Hank sat down next to him and waited for Spike to begin.

"What do you wanna know?"

Hank considered it. "Whatever you can tell me."

A smile formed on Spike’s face when he thought about Buffy. "She's an amazing person. She's one of the good ones, got a big heart. She's always there for Joyce and the little ones, even when they're being difficult. Buffy may complain a lot about her sisters, but she loves them and they idolize her. She's always there for her friends whenever they need her. When I lost my mum, Buffy would come over to my house every day to try and cheer me up. She wouldn't leave until she made me smile that day. I never told her, but I was very grateful for that. She's so beautiful and she doesn't even know it, which just makes her even more beautiful. When she smiles, her whole face lights up and that alone is enough to put anyone in a good mood. When she cries, it's like the whole world is crying with her, it's heartbreaking. I would give anything to keep a smile on her face." He stopped to look at Hank, who had an expression of awe on his face. "What?"

"You're in love with her?"

Spike knew there was no use denying it. He just nodded and gave a short laugh. "You have no idea."

Hank nodded as well. "Does she know?"

Spike shook his head. "No, if I told her it would just make things uncomfortable with us and I don't want that. I can accept just being her friend. As long as I get to be around her, that's all that matters."

Hank understood and patted Spike on the back. "Thanks for telling me about her, William. I really appreciate it."

"I go by Spike now. I haven't been William for a long time."

Hank wasn't sure where that nickname came from, but didn't say anything about it.

They just sat there in silence, both thinking about a certain blonde upstairs.

Chapter 13

Buffy was sitting on her bed when she heard her door open. She looked to see both of her sisters standing there and gave them a small smile.

"You guys can come in."

The girls smiled in return and jumped on her bed. They got comfortable and looked at their older sister.

Casey decided to speak up first. "How come you don't like Daddy?"

Buffy sighed and thought about what to tell her. "It's not that I don't like him. I just don't really know him anymore. You guys were too young when he left, I don't expect for you to understand."

"He's really nice and a good storyteller."

Buffy felt hurt for a moment. "Better than me?" she said with a pout.

Casey shook her head and wrapped her arms around Buffy.

She smiled and hugged her little sister back.

"You'll always be the best," the little girl whispered.

Buffy kissed the top of her head. "Thanks for that."

Casey nodded and pulled out of the hug.

They then sat there in silence, until Dawn decided to break it.

"I remember him a little."

Buffy turned to look at her. "You do?"

Dawn nodded. "I remember he used to read to me to help me sleep."

Buffy nodded and remembered as well.

"How come I can't remember him?" Casey wondered.

Buffy then turned her gaze on her. "Well, that's because you were only a year old when he left."

Casey nodded in understanding and then looked at Buffy, with a sad expression on her face. "Why did he leave us and Mommy? Didn't he love us?"

Buffy put her arm around the child. "I ask myself that question every day and still don't have an answer. He's here now, though. I don't know for how long, but at least you guys could get to know him."

They both nodded and didn't know what else to say, when someone knocked on the door.

Buffy glanced up to see Spike walk in.

He smiled when he saw the girls in bed together. "Hey, room for one more?"

Buffy returned his smile and nodded. "Do you even have to ask?"

Spike shrugged and went to join them on the bed.

Casey then jumped on his lap.

He laughed and picked her up, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

She laughed along with him.

Spike settled her back on his lap, while Dawn snuggled up next to him. He then put his arm around Buffy and pulled her closer. "So, what are you girls talking about?"

Buffy only shrugged.

Casey decided to answer him. "We were talking about Daddy."

Spike nodded and looked at Buffy. For once, he couldn't read the expression on her face. "Things will get better," he told her. "You have to believe that."

Buffy just nodded and remained silent.

Spike then looked at the two younger girls. "It's getting late, you two should probably get to bed."

They groaned and said goodnight, then left the room.

Spike saw that they left the door open and stood up to close it. He gazed back at Buffy to see her sitting in the same position. She seemed to be lost in thought. He could tell that she was hurting. He sat back down next to her, then gently picked her up and placed her on his lap. He brushed the hair out of her face and raised her head, so she was looking at him. It was then that he noticed the tears in her eyes. "It'll be okay, sweetheart."

She nodded again, even though she didn't feel it.

He pulled her into his chest and kissed the top of her head.

Buffy wrapped her arms around him and cried in his chest.

Spike rocked her back and forth. He tried to soothe her with his words, but at this point, he wasn't even sure if she heard him.

Chapter 14

Spike walked over to Buffy's locker after school. He saw that she was already there and had her attention on something. He went next to her and noticed that she was watching Angel and Cordelia, who were busy making out.

"They have been going at it for like a half an hour. I don't even think they came up for air. I am damn good," she said with a smile.

Spike had to smile at her excitement, glad that she seemed to be feeling better. "That you are, love."

Her smile quickly faded. "Do you think we would ever have that?"

Spike raised his eyebrows. "You and me?"

She laughed and shook her head. "No, I mean me with someone and you with someone."

Spike felt disappointed, but didn’t let it show. "Don't know, suppose anything's possible."

Buffy agreed as she saw that Angel and Cordelia finally broke out of the kiss.

Cordelia looked at Buffy and smiled, then walked over to her and gave her a hug. "Thanks so much, Buffy," she said, pulling out of the hug. "He's really great."

Buffy graced her with a smile. "I'm glad you're happy."

Cordelia nodded and walked back to Angel.

Buffy turned to Spike, who was also smiling at her.

"You truly are an angel, Summers."

She blushed at the comment. "I'm no angel; I just think everyone deserves to be happy."

Spike agreed. "Yeah, so do you. Come on, let's get out of here." He put his arm around her and they walked out of the school together.


* * * * *


Everyone was over at Spike's house for a coed sleepover later that night, since Giles was once again out of town for the weekend.

They were all sitting in the living room and laughing about something that Xander said, calming down after a few seconds.

Cordelia whispered something in Willow's ear.

She smiled and nodded.

Cordelia then looked at everyone else. "All right, I think we need to have some real fun now. How about we play a game?"

They were all afraid of what she would suggest.

"What game would that be?" Xander wondered.

Cordelia smiled at him. "I think we should play truth or dare."

Groans filled the air and no one was thrilled about that idea.

"Come on, you guys. It would be fun, unless you're too scared of the truth," she said, looking at Xander.

He just shook his head. "Please, I have nothing to hide. I'm in."

"Who else is in?"

Willow raised her hand along with Tara, Anya, and Angel.

Cordelia then focused on Buffy and Spike, who had their hands down.

"You two especially have to play. You can't back out now," she claimed, giving Willow a wink.

Buffy wondered about that, but decided to give in. "Fine, I have nothing to hide either."

Cordelia smiled and turned her gaze on Spike.

He rolled his eyes. "All right, but no one is daring me to take my pants off."

They all laughed.

Cordelia rolled her eyes as well. "You don't have to worry about that. So, who goes first?"

No one said anything, until Buffy spoke up.

"Well, I think it would only be fair that you go first, since it was your idea." She really regretted saying that when she saw the smile on the other girl’s face.

"Okay, Buffy. Truth or dare?"

Buffy had a feeling she would ask her first. "I'll take a dare."

Cordelia's smile grew even bigger as she shared a look with Willow, then focused back to Buffy. "I dare you to kiss on the lips for ten seconds...Spike."

That got everyone quiet.

Buffy suddenly felt butterflies in her stomach. "You can't be serious."

Cordelia shook her head. "You wanted a dare, so you have to do it."

Buffy stared at Spike, who seemed to be avoiding her gaze. She then looked at the smile on Willow’s face. Buffy could tell that they planned the whole thing. She sighed and looked at Spike again. "All right, let's do this." She stood and pulled Spike up with her.

He still wouldn't say anything.

Buffy wondered what he was thinking about.

"I'll be timing you and since I'm so nice, using your tongues can be optional."

Buffy glared at Cordelia and glanced back at Spike. She really wished he would say something. "This doesn't have to be so bad. If it helps, you can just pretend that I'm someone else, okay?"

Spike finally looked at her.

She was confused about the expression on his face, but all he did was nod.

"I start the timer when your lips touch."

Buffy took a deep breath and moved closer to Spike.

He did the same and cupped her cheek, bending down a little to capture her lips in a soft kiss.

They both closed their eyes and continued their make out session.

Spike gently sucked on Buffy's bottom lip.

She slipped her tongue into his mouth.

He opened his mouth wider to allow her entrance, then started to massage her tongue with his.

Cordelia had a smile on her face as she watched them, keeping an eye on the watch. She looked back at them when the ten seconds were over. "Okay, you guys can stop now."

They pulled away from each other slowly, neither taking their eyes off of the other.

Xander waved his hand in the air. "That was hot."

They all agreed.

Cordelia seemed pleased with the results. "So, who's next?" she wondered.

Buffy and Spike sat back down. They pretty much tuned everyone else out after that. They just kept their eyes locked on each other, both thinking about the best kiss of their lives and what it could mean.

Chapter 15

Buffy was lying in her sleeping bag later that night, finding it hard to fall asleep. She noticed that everyone else was dead to the world, so she got up quietly and walked into the kitchen. She just sat at the counter and was lost in her thoughts, when she suddenly heard a voice behind her.

"Hey, you can't sleep either?"

Buffy turned to look at Willow. "No, how about you?"

Willow shook her head and sat down next to Buffy. "I'm too busy feeling guilty. I'm really sorry, Buffy. We didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. We just wanted to help."

Buffy sighed. "How did you think that would help?" she wondered.

Willow shrugged. "I was talking with Cordy. We both think that you and Spike belong together and are just too stubborn to see it. We all think that, actually. We didn't know how to talk to you two about it. So, she came up with the truth or dare idea to get you guys to kiss. It worked, at least."

Buffy shook her head as well. "No, what you did was make things complicated between me and Spike," she said and got up.

Willow felt even worse. "I'm really sorry."

Buffy turned to look at her friend one more time. "It doesn't matter now, think I'm gonna try and get some sleep." She headed out of the kitchen, only to bump into Spike.

He looked at her in curiosity.

She just avoided his gaze and walked away from him, heading back to her sleeping bag.

Spike sighed and went into the kitchen.

Willow looked up when she saw him. "Are you mad at me, too?"

Spike sat down beside her. "I'll let you know. What did you bints hope to accomplish with that little stunt?" he asked her.

"I don't know. We only wanted to help. We all know how you feel about Buffy. We just wanted to help her realize it, too."

Spike nodded in understanding. "Well, I think it's safe to say that it didn't work. She can hardly even look at me now."

Willow felt guiltier when she saw the sad expression on his face. "I'm really sorry, Spike. I'm sure she'll come around. She'll realize that you're the only guy for her and that you two belong together. It just takes time."

Spike looked at his friend and graced her with a small smile. "I've waited eighteen years, right? What's a little while longer?"

Willow nodded, even though she could tell that Spike didn't seem so convinced. She really wished her two friends could find happiness with each other. They both deserved it.

Spike took a deep breath and stood up. "Thanks for trying, anyway," he told her and left the kitchen.

Willow sighed and decided to sit there for a while longer, when Tara then walked in and sat down next to her.

She grasped Willow's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "It'll work out, sweetie."

Willow gave her girlfriend a tiny smile. "I really hope so. They would be so good together."

Tara returned her smile. "Yeah, but they have to realize it for themselves. You know how stubborn those two can be, especially Buffy. You can't rush these things."

Willow had to agree.

Tara put her arm around her girlfriend. "Let's just try and get some sleep, okay?"

Willow nodded as they both got up and made their way back into the living room.

Chapter 16

Spike saw Buffy walking the halls at school a couple of days later.

As soon as she noticed him, she turned and walked in the other direction.

Spike rolled his eyes and took off after her. When he caught up to her, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into a nearby janitor's closet, so they could have some privacy. It was dark and there was very little space in there.

"Spike, what are you doing?" she wondered with confusion.

"This is the only way I can get you to talk to me, Summers. You've been avoiding me."

Buffy shook her head. "I haven't been avoiding you. I've just been busy."

Spike clearly didn’t believe that. "You're never that busy. I wanna know what I did wrong."

Buffy let out the breath that she was holding. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's just me. I'm confused and I needed to think about stuff before I talked to you again," she explained.

"What are you confused about?"

Buffy threw her hands up in the air, moving as far away from him as she could in the tight space. "I don't know. Ever since we kissed I've been having these feelings. I don't know what they mean and I'm just scared, okay?"

Spike moved closer and gently caressed her cheek. "What are you scared of?"

Buffy shivered at his touch and tried to focus on what she had to tell him. "You're my best friend, Spike. You've always been like a brother to me. I'm not supposed to be having these feelings for you, but ever since we kissed, I can't help it. I felt something that night and I just freaked. I didn't know what it meant or why I was even feeling it."

Spike moved even closer to her, until they were both touching. "Maybe the feelings were always there. The kiss could have just made you realize them."

She shrugged. "I guess that's possible. I just don't know what to do about it. Why are you so calm about this?" she suddenly asked.

He only smiled. "Let's just say that this is something I've been wanting for a long time."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Huh?"

Spike then took a risk and leaned into her, gently touching her lips with his. He felt her tense for a moment and then suddenly respond to the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck.

The kiss turned more passionate, neither one wanting to stop. That was until the door opened unexpectedly and an angry teacher stood there, with her hands on her hips.

They abruptly pulled away from each other.

Buffy put her hand to her lips.

Spike just looked a little nervous.

The woman glared at them and pointed to the direction of the principal's office, without even saying anything.

Spike then rolled his eyes as he and Buffy walked out of the closet and headed to Snyder's office.

Chapter 17

"This is unacceptable. I will not tolerate students fornicating in a janitor's closet when they should be in class."

Buffy looked at Spike and could tell that he was trying not to laugh as Snyder continued to lecture them.

The door to the office suddenly opened to reveal Joyce and Giles.

Snyder stood up to address them. "I suppose you are responsible for these two delinquents."

Joyce looked angered at the short man.

Giles put a comforting hand on her arm and tried to keep his control as well. "Yes, what seems to be the problem?"

Snyder pointed at Buffy and Spike. "One of my teachers caught these two in a janitor's closet ‘making out’ as you all like to call it these days," he stated, actually using air quotes.

Giles was surprised.

A smile graced Joyce's lips as she looked at her daughter and Spike. "You two kissed? I'm so happy to hear that." She then realized that her answer was inappropriate and noticed the confused faces around her. She wiped the smile off of her face and turned back to the kids, trying to be more forceful. "I mean, it's wrong to be doing that in school and you will both be punished for it."

They nodded and remained silent, but Buffy couldn't help let a smile of her own form on her face at her mother’s response.

"Well, I'll leave them to you. Don't let it happen again," Snyder told them.

They both nodded again and stood up.

Joyce sent a glare at Snyder before walking out of the office, with Giles and the two teenagers behind her.

Buffy broke the silence once they were all out of the building. "Mom, it's not what you think," she started to say, but Joyce held up her hand.

"We'll talk about this when we get home, Buffy."

She nodded and didn't say anything else as they finally made it to their car. Buffy sighed and got in on her side.

Joyce smiled at Giles before she got in the car as well. She started it up and drove away from the school.

Giles then turned to Spike once they were gone. "Do I want to know?"

Spike shook his head as they headed to their car. "You really don't."

They got in and Giles started it up as he drove away.

"We will be talking about this, William. You go to school to get a good education. You don't go there for...that."

Spike rolled his eyes and figured his father wouldn't mention what they were doing.

"I must say that I am pleased that it was Buffy, but that’s not the point. You are not to be caught doing that again. Do you understand?"

Spike nodded and stared out the window.

Giles let out a sigh and didn’t know what else to say. He decided to break the silence a few minutes later. "I know you care for Buffy."

Spike turned to look at him when he spoke again. "I love her; it's more than just caring. I know we shouldn't have been snogging in the bloody janitor's closet and I'm sorry about that, but this isn't a one time thing. I want to be with her, Dad. I know that this is the girl that I want to spend the rest of my life with. Hell, I practically already have spent my whole life with her as it is. I've never felt this way about anyone before. You know what it's like. You and mum knew each other when you were kids. You were high school sweethearts. Don't I deserve to have that, too?"

Giles gazed at his son and couldn't believe how much he has grown up. "Of course you do, son. I just don't want you to get hurt. Sometimes things don't work out the way you want them to. I love Buffy as if she were my own daughter. There is no one that I would rather have you be with. I just want you to make sure that this is what you really want and that she feels it, too."

Spike ran his fingers through his hair and thought about what his father said. "I'm not really sure how she feels. I know she feels something, she told me as much. I don't know if it's love yet, but I’m sure it could be. I just know that there's no one else for me, this one is it. I've always known that."

Giles smiled as he finally pulled into their driveway. He parked the car and looked at Spike. "I'm glad to hear that, just promise me one thing. Don't get married until you finish college, all right? And I'm not quite ready to be a grandfather yet."

Spike rolled his eyes and got out of the car. "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind," he responded and walked into the house, with a smile on his face.

Giles shook his head and followed after him.

Chapter 18

"So, what's going to happen between you two now?"

Buffy shrugged and plopped down on the couch. "I don't know. I guess we'll take it one day at a time."

Joyce nodded and sat down next to her.

They were both silent, until Buffy spoke up again. "Mom, how do you know when you're in love?"

Joyce smiled at her daughter's question. "Sometimes you just know. You spend hours constantly thinking about him, and you feel your heart skip a beat whenever he's near. Those are usually signs."

Buffy sighed and decided to voice her fears. "I'm scared, Mom. I've never really been in love before. I'm not sure what to do."

Joyce grasped Buffy's hand in hers. "Your heart will usually tell you what to do. You just have to ask yourself if William is the one you want to be with."

Buffy smiled when she thought of Spike. "I don't think I'll ever find anyone better. Spike is so sweet and caring. He treats me like I'm the most important person in the world. I just don't think I'll ever find that again. Maybe I don't want to."

Joyce gave her daughter a smile. "I'm glad to hear that. I always thought you two would be perfect together. I know he'll treat you right." She patted her hand and stood up, leaving Buffy alone with her thoughts.


* * * * *


Buffy was at her locker the next day, when she felt someone put their hands over her eyes.

"Guess who?"

She shivered at the familiar voice in her ear and decided to have some fun with him. "Um, Brad Pitt?"

He took his hands away from her face and turned her around. "Very funny, Summers."

Buffy smiled when she saw Spike. "You were my next guess."

Spike returned her smile, then pulled her into a nearby classroom that was empty. He closed the door and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her closer to him. "I've wanted to do this all day," he said before crushing his lips to hers.

She kissed him back just as passionately.

He then broke out of the kiss and started to trail his lips down her smooth neck.

Buffy felt shivers up and down her spine, until she finally realized where they were. "Spike, we probably shouldn't be doing this here. We don't need to get caught again."

Spike pulled away to look at her flushed face. "That's a risk I'm willing to take," he replied and started to kiss her again, then picked her up.

She wrapped her legs around his waist as they continued their make out session.

Spike placed her on the teacher's desk and slipped his hand under her shirt, caressing her back. He pulled away when they both needed to breathe. "Sorry, guess I got carried away."

"Don't worry about it. I've actually had a fantasy about this."

He raised his eyebrows. "Is that so? Was I in this fantasy?"

Buffy gave him a smile. "There might have been a cameo."

Spike nibbled on her ear. "I think you can do better than that," he whispered to her, which made her shiver again.

"Spike, is this weird?"

He pulled away to look at her. "Is what weird?"

She shrugged. "I mean, making out in a classroom and talking dirty to each other? That doesn't feel weird to you?"

He shook his head. "Not even close. Does it feel weird to you?"

"I don't know. I guess it takes some getting used to."

Spike nodded and helped her off of the desk. He ran his fingers through her hair. "Then we'll get used to it because there's no way I'm stopping. I have wanted you for the longest time, Buffy. I'm not about to give this up."

Buffy felt touched at his words. She had no idea he felt that way about her. "Can I ask you something?"

He nodded and waited for whatever she had to say.

Buffy took a deep breath before she spoke again. "Why me? You're pretty popular, Spike. You could have any girl you want. Why would you want me?"

Spike was surprised that she even had to ask that. "Because no other girl could ever compare to you. You're amazing, Buffy. I've always thought that."

She blushed a little at his comment. "Thanks, you're not so bad yourself."

He smiled at her, but she wasn't finished yet.

"I get what you're saying, but what if things don't work out? What if we start dating and something happens that causes us to break up? If that happens, things won't be able to go back to the way they are now. Our friendship means everything to me and I don't want that to change."

Spike cupped her cheek. "We will always be friends, Buffy. No matter what happens, but I don't think you have to worry about things not working out. If you actually decide to give me a chance, there's no way I'll ever let you go. You'll always be my girl and nothing will ever change that."

Buffy could tell how sincere he was as she gazed into his beautiful, blue eyes. She decided that she wanted to look into his eyes every day for the rest of her life. "Okay, I'll give it a chance."

A huge smile broke out on his face. "Does this mean you're my girlfriend now?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, for as long as you'll have me."

Spike gave her a hug and lifted her off the floor a little in the process.

She smiled at his antics.

"Does forever work for you?" he asked her.

"Sounds like a plan."

He felt relieved and kissed the top of her head. "You won't regret this, love."

Buffy nodded against his chest. "I know I won't," she replied as they continued to hold each other.

Chapter 19

"You and Spike are dating now?" Willow asked Buffy at the Bronze later that night.

"We haven't officially gone on our first date yet, but you can say that."

Willow let out a squeal as she hugged her friend. "This is so great, Buffy. You guys are gonna be so happy together. I just know it."

Buffy smiled when Willow pulled away.

Cordelia broke out of her make out session with Angel to look at Buffy. "You know, you have me to thank for this. If I never dared you to kiss Spike, you guys probably wouldn't have gotten together. I guess we're even now," she said and smiled at her boyfriend.

Buffy was waiting for Spike. She was disappointed that he hadn’t shown up yet, especially when one of her favorite songs came on. She knew that Spike hated to dance and he probably wouldn't want to, anyway. "I wonder what's keeping Spike," she voiced her thoughts.

Willow shrugged.

Cordelia whispered something in Angel’s ear.

He nodded and stood up, moving over to Buffy. "Would you like to dance?"

Buffy looked at Cordelia, who had a smile on her face. She then glanced back at Angel and nodded.

Angel took her hand and led her to the dance floor. He wrapped his arms around her as they both moved slowly to the music.

Buffy rested her head against his chest and let the music take over her body. She imagined that it was Spike she was dancing with, figuring that she would never get a chance to.

They were both lost in the music, when someone tapped on Angel's shoulder.

He turned around to see Spike there.

Buffy was glad that he finally showed up.

"Can I cut in?"

Angel nodded and pulled away from Buffy. He gave the couple a smile, then made his way back over to Cordelia.

Spike smiled at Buffy and wrapped his arms around her.

She returned his smile. "I was afraid you wouldn't show."

Spike pressed his lips to hers. "You never have to worry about me not showing up. Just had to run a few errands for the old man."

Buffy nodded in understanding and placed her arms around his neck. "I thought you hated to dance."

"Figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it another shot. It's not so bad," he said with a wink.

"I told the others about us. They're happy about it, of course. I think everyone knew it would happen before we did."

Spike nodded when a fast song came on. He then grabbed her hand and pulled her over to a quieter part of the club. "I thought we could use some privacy." He sat down and pulled her onto his lap. "Have I told you how bloody gorgeous you look tonight?"

Buffy blushed and shook her head. "I think you forgot to mention it."

Spike smiled when he saw her cheeks heat up. "Well, I'll tell you a few more times before the night is over," he commented and kissed her lips more passionately, pulling away after a few seconds. "How are things going with you at home?"

Buffy sighed. "I had to get out. Hank is doing the whole family thing, or trying to anyway. I can't believe my mom believes the crap that comes out of his mouth, and my sisters actually love him. I just know he's up to something."

"Why do you think that? Maybe he's actually trying to make up for leaving and he really wants to spend time with you."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Since when are you on his side?"

He shook his head. "I'm not taking sides. I'm just saying that maybe you should give him a chance, at least hear him out. You can't keep running out of the house whenever he's around, Buffy."

"It's worked so far. I just can't stand seeing him pretend that he actually gives a damn about us."

Spike had a feeling this would not be an easy conversation. "I don't think he's pretending. I think he really does love you. I know he made some mistakes. We all have at least once in our life, but I believe that everyone deserves a second chance."

"Why are you telling me this? You were mad at him just as much as I was when he suddenly came back. And now you're a member of Hank's fan club all of a sudden? When did this happen?" She stood up, angrily.

"I just know how much you missed him when he was gone. Now is your chance to get your father back. For starters, you could actually try calling him Dad."

Buffy shook her head. "I can't. He’s not my father anymore," she said, tears forming in her eyes.

Spike stood up and put his arms around her. "He's still your father, Buffy. I know you want him back in your life. You can't hide anything from me. You should at least try talking to him. Just think about it, okay?"

She wiped her eyes and nodded.

Spike kissed the top of her head. "Come on, I'll take you home," he said and led her out of the Bronze.

Chapter 20

Buffy and Spike walked into her house later that night to be greeted by Hank, who was in the living room.

"Where's Mom?" she wondered.

"She had to go into the gallery and took your sisters with her. I was hoping that we could talk."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, that's not gonna happen." She started to head for the stairs, when Spike cleared his throat. She sighed and looked back at him, remembering that she would at least try talking to her father. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Hank. "Fine, what do you wanna talk about?"

He walked over to her. "I know you probably hate me right now, sweetheart. I know I haven't been a very good father. If I could go back and change things, I would, but I want you to know that I never once stopped loving you. I never stopped thinking about you or your sisters. You girls still mean everything to me and I really want to come back here for real. If your mother would accept me back, I promise that I will be a good father. I know I can never make up for walking out on you, but I would at least like to try."

Buffy felt the tears in her eyes and didn't care if he saw it. She wanted him to know just how much his leaving hurt her. "I think it's a little too late for that. You can't just come back into our lives like nothing has happened and expect for us to just forgive you. I'm not the same naïve little girl anymore. My sisters are still young and they don't really remember you, so they might be forgiving, but I won't be as easy. Mom might even forgive you because I know she still loves you and she's tired of being alone. I just don't know if I will ever be able to trust you again." The tears streamed down her face. She noticed Hank shed a few tears of his own.

Spike just stood there in silence. He knew Buffy had to get this off of her chest.

"You were my hero. I used to tell all of my friends how great my father was. Imagine how I felt when I came home from school one day to find my mother in tears telling me that you took off, leaving nothing but a note behind. Do you know that for all these years I blamed myself? I kept asking myself if it was my fault that you left. I believed that I was a terrible daughter and you left because of me. That maybe if I was better, you would have stayed. Mom kept telling me it wasn't my fault, but I never listened. Seven years later and I'm still blaming myself. I now realize that it wasn't my fault. I was only ten, I didn't know any better. You on the other hand knew exactly what you were doing. You knew that you had a wife and three kids, one that was only a year old and you still left. It wasn't my fault and it wasn't their fault. It was yours and I see that now. You left because you had issues. You couldn't deal with all the responsibility of being a father. You needed to get out there and find yourself, or whatever you wanna call it. Well, I hope you found what you were looking for because you lost one daughter in the process. I hope it was worth it," she finished.

Hank was openly crying now at her declaration. "I am so sorry, Buffy. I know that's not enough, but I would give anything to have my little girl back. I love you, honey. I plan on being here from now on, no matter what. I just hope that one day; you can find it in your heart to forgive me. Even though I know I don't deserve it."

She couldn’t control her tears anymore.

Hank walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her.

Buffy started to hug him back, until she realized what was happening. She pushed him away and wiped at her tears furiously. "No, you can't just do that. You can't just hug me and expect everything to be okay. I'm not that little girl anymore and no matter how hard you try, you can't get her back." She looked at Spike and saw the sad expression on his face. "I'm sorry, I tried. I just can't do this," she said, running out of the house.

Hank wasn't letting her go this time. He took a deep breath and ran after her.

Spike let out a sigh. He waited a few seconds, then took off after them.

Buffy ran into the street, with Hank close behind her.

Spike noticed that Buffy wasn't paying attention and saw the car that was headed for her. "Buffy, look out!"

Buffy stopped to stare at the car. She was in shock and couldn't seem to move.

Spike tried to get to her as fast as he could, but Hank got there first.

He suddenly grabbed Buffy and pushed her out of the way, only to get hit by the car himself. He smashed into the windshield and fell to the ground.

Buffy came out of her shock when she saw what happened and noticed that Hank wasn't moving. "Daddy!" she yelled and ran to his side. She had more tears falling down her face when she saw how badly he was hurt.

Spike finally reached her and didn't know what to do.

She looked up at him. "He's not moving, Spike."

The driver then came out of his car and headed over to them. "God, I'm sorry. I didn't see him."

Spike glared at the man. "Make yourself useful and call 911."

He nodded and ran back to his car, taking his cell phone out.

Spike turned his attention back to Buffy and wrapped his arms around her. "He'll be fine, love," he said, trying to comfort her.

Buffy continued to cry and rested her head against her father's chest.

Spike kept hearing her whisper that she was sorry and his heart broke for her. He really hoped that Hank would be okay as they waited for the ambulance to arrive.

Chapter 21

Buffy and Spike were sitting in the waiting room at the hospital.

Joyce arrived with the girls a little while after Spike called to tell her what happened.

They were all anxiously awaiting the doctor's arrival, no one knowing what to say.

The youngest decided to speak first. "Mommy, is Daddy gonna be okay?"

Joyce gave her daughter a small smile. "I'm sure he'll be fine, honey."

Casey nodded and hoped that it was true.

Buffy turned tear stained eyes on her youngest sister. "Yeah, Daddy's strong. He's a survivor."

Casey seemed a little better after that.

A few more minutes went by, when the doctor finally showed up.

They all leapt to their feet.

He graced them with a reassuring smile. "Mr. Summers is going to be fine."

They sighed in relief.

"He lost some blood and he has cuts that will probably scar, but he's stable and just regained consciousness."

"Can we see him?" Buffy asked.

"I can only allow one person to see him at a time, since visiting hours are over. His room is right down the hall." He pointed in the direction of Hank's room, then walked away.

Joyce glanced at Buffy. "Sweetie, you should see him first."

Buffy looked at her mother. "Are you sure?" she wondered.

"Yes, I'm sure. We'll be fine out here."

Buffy nodded and then looked at Spike, who gave her a smile. She smiled in return and placed a quick kiss to his lips. "I won't be long." She then left and headed in the direction where her father was. When she got to the room, she took a deep breath before opening the door. She found her father lying up in bed and felt relieved to see that he looked better.

He turned his gaze on her and smiled. "Hey, you can come closer."

Buffy walked over to him. She sat down in the chair that was by his bed. "How are you feeling?" she asked to start a conversation.

"I've felt worse."

Buffy nodded as more tears started to form in her eyes.

"Please don't cry, honey. I don’t want you to be upset," he told her.

"I was scared that you wouldn't make it."

Hank felt touched that she was worried about him. "It'll take more than that to get rid of this old man."

Buffy laughed a little through her tears, then grew serious again. "I don't want you to die. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if we left things like that. There's still so much I want to tell you."

Hank grasped her hand in his and gave it a comforting squeeze. "We'll have time, Buffy. I'm not going anywhere."

Buffy nodded and for once, she actually believed him. She then noticed the tears in Hank's eyes.

"I'm so proud of the woman you're becoming. I realize that you're not my little girl anymore. I'm so sorry that I didn't get to see you grow up. I regret my actions every day, but I'll be here now. I want you to know that you can trust me, sweetheart."

Buffy had tears streaming down her face at her father's words. She got up to embrace him.

He was surprised at first and then returned the hug, both of them crying.

"I love you, Daddy. I missed you so much."

Hank kissed his daughter's hair. "I love you, too. You don't know how much I missed you."

They were like that for a few more minutes.

Buffy pulled away and wiped her eyes. "I should probably go. The others wanna see you, too."

Hank nodded in understanding.

Buffy stood up and walked to the door. She turned to look at him one more time. "I'll always be your little girl. Thank you for saving my life," she said before walking out of the room.

Hank smiled once she was gone. "Always," he whispered and waited for the next visitor to arrive.

Chapter 22

Hank was released from the hospital a few days later.

Joyce decided to give their relationship another try because she realized that she still loved Hank, and the girls needed their father around.

Hank promised that he would do whatever he could to make it up to them.

Joyce was actually starting to believe him. He assured her that he wasn't going anywhere and she agreed to let him stay in her room, so he wouldn't have to sleep on the couch anymore.


* * * * *


Buffy and Spike were at his house because Giles was away. They wanted some alone time together after the mild drama in their lives. They were in his room, making out on the bed.

Spike pulled away after a while. He looked at her flushed face and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "You are so beautiful," he whispered and was graced by a blush from her.

"Stop it."

He smiled. "Stop what?"

"Stop with the flattery. I'm not used to it."

Spike leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "You better get used to it because I'm not going to stop." He started to kiss her again. He pulled away after a few seconds and sat up, so he could look at her better. "How are you dealing with everything? I mean, with Hank permanently moving back into your house?"

Buffy sighed and sat up as well. "I think I'm dealing okay. It'll just take some getting used to. I had a talk with my dad and things seem better with us. I decided that if my mother could give him a second chance, then I should, too. Everyone deserves a second chance, right?"

Spike smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "That's my girl."

Buffy was flattered at his comment, then thought about the next thing she wanted to say. She took a deep breath. "Spike, I want you to make love to me."

He raised his eyebrows, not expecting her to say that. "Are you sure?"

She could only nod.

Spike wanted that more than anything, but he had to make sure it was what she really wanted. "Buffy, you should really think about this. It would be your first time, right?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"Yes, you know I'm still a virgin. I'm serious about this, Spike. I think I'm ready and I want my first time to be with you. I love you."

Spike felt tears form in his eyes at what she said. He still couldn't believe it. "You do?"

Buffy nodded again.

A huge smile graced his lips and he grabbed her in a hug. "God, Buffy. I love you so bloody much. You don't know how long I've been waiting for this."

Buffy pulled away to look at him. "I have a confession to make."

Spike had a worried expression on his face now.

"It's nothing bad," she assured him.

He waited for her to continue.

"Okay, it's about time I got this off of my chest. When I was twelve, I kinda had a crush on you."

Spike was clearly surprised by that. "You had a crush on me? I was a geek back then."

Buffy slapped him playfully on the arm. "I thought you were cute. I thought all those old feelings were gone, but I realized that they never really went away. I never thought you would have ever had feelings for me. So, I told myself that I didn't have feelings for you anymore and after a while, I started to believe it. That's what I told myself, anyway."

Spike smiled at her, still not believing that she had a crush on him back then. If it was possible, he loved her even more.

"There's something else I wanna know. When did your feelings for me change? When did you start looking at me as more than a friend?"

Spike thought about it before he answered her. "I think it was when we started high school."

"You have liked me since the beginning of high school? How did I never know that?"

He shrugged. "I was just good at hiding it."

She had to agree. "Yeah, apparently you were. Well, I'm glad it took until our senior year for you to tell me," she stated sarcastically.

"I was always worried about how you would react. I never thought you would have seen me as anything other than a friend. I wasn’t exactly very popular with the opposite sex."

Buffy moved closer and kissed him on the lips. "See, that's where you're a dummy."

Spike gave her his trademark smirk. "Yeah, but you love me anyway." He started to tickle her because he knew how ticklish she was.

She laughed hysterically and tried to push him away. "Spike, stop! That's not fair!" she exclaimed through her laughter.

Spike decided that she had enough torture after a few more seconds. He let her catch her breath.

"You are so evil," she said with a pout.

Spike bent down to kiss her pouty lips. He never could resist it. "You better believe it, baby."

Buffy suddenly became more serious and moved away from him. She bit her lip and then grabbed the bottom of her shirt, pulling it over her head to reveal her white, lace bra to him. She threw the shirt on the floor.

Spike gulped at the sight of her. "Buffy, are you really sure about this? There's no going back."

She nodded without any hesitation. "I want this, Spike. I want you."

He wasn't going to deny that and gently pushed her down on the bed. He got on top of her and started to kiss her neck.

Buffy let out a moan and ran her hands over his chest. She then found the bottom of his shirt.

Spike pulled away a little, so she could take his shirt off. He helped her with it and then threw it on the floor. He continued to kiss her. He ran his hands over her abdomen and as he got lower, he started to unzip her pants. Spike pulled away when they both needed to breathe and touched his forehead to hers. "I love you." he whispered.

"I love you, too."

He smiled and went back to her lips.

The rest of their clothes were soon thrown to the floor and they became lost in each other, finally feeling complete for the first time in their lives.

Chapter 23

Buffy walked into her house to hear laughter coming from the living room. She smiled and headed for the kitchen.

Hank came in with Casey on his back.

She had to smile again at the display.

Hank smiled as well when he saw her. "When did she get so big?" he said, referring to Casey.

"Yeah, she tends to grow fast."

He had to agree.

Joyce then entered the kitchen. "Hank, you should be in bed," she said sternly.

Hank rolled his eyes. "Come on, Joyce. I feel fine. I wanted to spend some time with the girls. I just can't stay in a bed all day, it would drive me crazy."

Joyce accepted his answer and looked at her youngest. "Honey, I think you should get off your father before you break his back."

Hank waved his hand in the air. "She's fine, I don't mind it. Come on, princess. Time to go upstairs, so I can read you a story."

A big grin formed on the little girl’s face. "Yay!"

Hank laughed and walked out of the kitchen, with Casey still on his back.

Buffy watched them go. "He's really getting the hang of this. Maybe he actually will stick around this time."

Joyce could tell that it was still a sore subject for Buffy and decided to change it. "So, how was it at Spike's?"

Buffy avoided her mother's gaze. "It was good. He'll probably be over tonight."

Joyce nodded and noticed something about her daughter. "Um, sweetie? You have something on your neck."

Buffy touched her neck in a panic. "What is it? Am I getting a zit or something?"

Joyce just smiled and left the kitchen.

Buffy wondered what that was about and headed upstairs into the bathroom to look in the mirror. What she saw wasn't a zit, but a huge hickey. "Oh god!" she exclaimed and tried to cover it as best she could, feeling embarrassed that her mother saw it. She then thought about what happened when she got the hickey and a smile graced her lips. She would never regret anything about last night. Her smile quickly faded when she realized that they didn't use any protection. They were both caught up in the moment that they didn't even notice it. She figured that she would talk to Spike about it when he came over later. She was positive that everything would be okay. She hoped, anyway. Buffy left the bathroom and went back downstairs, just in time to hear someone knock on the front door. She wondered who it could be and went to open the door. She didn't see anyone out there, until she glanced down and saw a bouquet of white roses, which were her favorite. She smiled and picked them up. "Spike, where are you?"

He then came out from hiding. "How did you know it was me?"

"I know you pretty well. The roses are beautiful, thank you."

Spike shrugged. "Don't mention it. I know they're your favorite."

She let him into the house and closed the door. "How come you're here so early?"

"I guess I just missed you. Had nothing better to do, anyway."

Buffy smiled and planted a kiss on his lips. "That's sweet of you." She went into the kitchen to put the flowers in some water, then turned her attention back on her boyfriend. "Let's go upstairs. There's something we need to talk about."

Spike wondered why she seemed so serious all of a sudden, but all he did was nod and followed her upstairs.

Buffy was quiet when they got into her room. She didn't know how to start the conversation.

Spike sat on her bed and decided to be the one to break the silence. "What's wrong, love? You don't regret what happened last night, do you?"

She saw the worried expression on his face and sat down next to him, taking his hand in hers. "I don't regret anything we did, Spike. I don't want you to think that."

He sighed in relief. "So, what's wrong?"

Buffy took a deep breath. "I just realized that we didn't use any protection last night."

Spike's eyes bulged at that revelation. "Bloody hell, I didn't even think about that. I was just so caught up in what we were about to do that it didn't even occur to me."

Buffy nodded. "I know. I'm sure everything will be okay."

Spike could tell that she wasn't so convinced, but he didn't say anything about it. "Yeah, we probably have nothing to worry about."

Buffy gave him a small smile.

Spike then put his arm around her.

Buffy leaned her head on his shoulder. She kept telling herself that everything would be okay, but she wasn't so sure.

Chapter 24

A month went by and Buffy was out with Willow.

They haven't been spending much time together since Buffy has been with Spike.

She was starting to feel guilty, so she suggested that they have a girl's night out.

Willow could tell that something seemed to be on Buffy's mind as they walked the streets of Sunnydale. She decided to try and get her friend to talk to her. "So, I decided to date boys again. The whole gay thing can only last for so long."

Buffy still seemed distracted. "Yeah, sure," she replied.

Willow figured that she would have to try something else to get her attention. "Buffy, your hair's on fire!" she yelled.

She only nodded. "That's nice."

Willow had enough and grabbed Buffy's arm to stop her. "Okay, what's bothering you? You have been out of it all day. What's up?"

Buffy finally seemed to come to her senses and looked at Willow. "Nothing, I'm fine."

Willow wasn't buying it. "Come on, I know when something is bothering you. I've known you since kindergarten, so you can't hide anything from me. You see this look on my face, you know what it means," she stated, using her resolve face. "Now spill, missy."

Buffy sighed and knew that she couldn't keep anything from her friend. "Just come with me to the store and then I'll tell you, okay?"

Willow nodded in agreement.

They walked into the store and Buffy went to the aisle that she was looking for, stopping to stare at the items on the shelf.

Willow was confused. "So, what do you have to get?" She then looked to see what had Buffy’s focus, shocked when she saw her friend’s attention on the pregnancy tests. "Oh, Buffy," she said sympathetically, now realizing what was bothering the other girl.

"It might be nothing. I just wanted to be sure."

Willow nodded in understanding. "Yeah, of course."

Buffy grabbed one of the tests and glanced at Willow. "Will you be there with me when I take it? I don't think I can do it alone."

"You know I will."

Buffy gave her a grateful smile and paid for the pregnancy test.

They left the store and headed to Willow’s house.

Buffy didn’t want to risk taking the test at her house. She was in Willow's bathroom, anxiously awaiting the results. When it was done, she looked at the test and gasped as she put her hand over her mouth. She couldn’t stop the tears from falling as sobs took over her body.

Willow opened the door when she heard Buffy crying. "Buffy, what is it?"

She turned to look at her concerned friend. "It's positive, I'm pregnant."

Willow grabbed Buffy in a hug and tried to soothe her. She rubbed her back in comfort as her best friend continued to cry her heart out.

Chapter 25

Buffy calmed down after a little while.

They were both now sitting in Willow's kitchen, drinking hot chocolate.

"Are you going to be okay?"

Buffy looked up at her. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I just don't know what to do. I'm only seventeen-years-old. I'm too young to deal with any of this. Not to mention that my mother is going to kill me, and possibly my father now."

"I know I'm probably a terrible person for saying this, but there are other ways."

Buffy raised her eyebrows at Willow's suggestion. "What? Do you mean like having an abortion?"

Willow nodded, even though that idea repulsed her.

Buffy shook her head. "No, I can't do that. I won't do that. This baby, whether I planned for it or not is a part of me now. A part of me and Spike. I could never get rid of it. That's just not an option."

Willow sighed in relief and thought about the other choice. "Well, there's always adoption."

Buffy wouldn’t accept that, either. "If I'm planning on going through all the pain of labor, there's no way I'll give the baby up for adoption. No, this is my responsibility now and I just have to accept it."

Willow placed her hand over her friend’s. "You know you're not alone in this, Buffy. You have me and all your friends, and you have Spike. You know he'll be there for you, no matter what."

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm just not sure how to tell him. What if he isn't okay with it, Will? I mean, he knows there could be a possibility, but we were both sure that everything would be okay."

"It might be a shock at first, but he'll be okay with it. He loves you, Buffy. Spike has loved you practically forever. I know he’ll support you."

Buffy felt a little better and gave Willow a smile. "Thanks, I needed to hear that. Could you do me a favor, though?"

She nodded and waited for Buffy to continue.

"Can you just keep this between us for right now? I'm not ready for anyone to know yet. I need to tell Spike first."

Willow nodded in understanding. "Of course, I won't say anything."

Buffy graced her with another smile.

They both then finished the rest of their hot chocolates in silence.


* * * * *


Buffy was really nervous when she knocked on Spike's door the next day. She couldn't wait any longer to tell him, but when he opened the door shirtless, she forgot for a second why she was there.

"Hey, didn't know you were coming over," he said, moving out of the way to let her into the house. He closed the door once she was inside.

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

Spike shook his head. "Just closed my eyes for a second. So, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

Buffy grabbed his arm and pulled him into his room. She closed his door, then turned to look at him. "I have to tell you something and I'm not sure how to do it," she said and sat down on his bed.

He sat down beside her, taking her hand in his. "You know you can tell me anything, pet."

Buffy nodded and took a deep breath before she spoke again. "I know I can, but that doesn't mean it isn't hard. I found out recently that our one night together gave me more than I thought it would."

Spike wasn't sure what she was getting at, but waited for her to finish.

She took another breath and gazed into his eyes. "Spike, I'm pregnant."

He just sat there in silence, not sure what to say after that.

Chapter 26

“You’re pregnant? How did this happen? Okay, stupid question. I know how this happened.”

Buffy looked away from him. “You knew this was a possibility.”

Spike stood up and started to pace. “Right, I just figured it being our first time and all; we might not have to worry about it. I guess not.” He stopped pacing and stared at her. He sat back down and grasped her hand. “How do you feel, love?”

Buffy shrugged. “Okay, I guess. Just a little nauseous.”

Spike nodded and gave her hand a tight squeeze.

Buffy felt worried. “Spike, are you okay? I mean, I know we weren’t expecting this and we’re only in high school, but I need to know how you feel about it. I’m going to keep the baby, whether you want it or not. I just need to know if you’re with me in this. If you’re not, you should just tell me now. I would understand.”

Spike cupped her face, bringing her lips to his in a soft kiss. He pulled away and rested his head against hers. “We’re in this together, sweetheart. I love you so much, Buffy. There’s no way I would let you deal with this alone. I know I wasn’t prepared, but that doesn’t mean I’m not happy about it. I’m going to be a father,” he said with a big smile on his face.

Buffy sighed in relief.

He kissed her again.

She savored the taste of his lips, then pulled away when she thought about the bigger issue. “Spike, we have to tell our parents. God, they’re going to kill us. I not only have my mom, but I have my dad to worry about now. He really chose the perfect time to come back into my life.”

Spike pressed his lips to her forehead. “We’ll tell them together, love. It shouldn’t be so bad. We just have to make sure that no sharp weapons are around.”

She hit him playfully on the arm. “So not funny. Well, at least we graduate in a few months. I shouldn’t be showing all that much at graduation. Maybe no one else has to know. Except for our friends, of course. I kinda already told Willow. She went with me to get the pregnancy test. I didn’t wanna do it alone.”

“You could have asked me to go with you.”

Buffy shook her head. “It was easier having another girl around. I didn’t really want to tell you until I knew for sure.”

Spike nodded in understanding. “So, when do we tell the parents?”

Buffy considered it. “How about when we all get together for dinner on Friday?”

He agreed. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

Buffy suddenly felt nervous. “Spike, do you think we can do this?”

Spike knew that she was talking about more than just telling their parents. He nodded and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Yeah, princess. We can do this.”

Buffy smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

Spike put his arm around her and held her closer to him.

He hasn’t called her princess since they were younger and it sounded really good right about now. Buffy knew that she would be able to handle anything as long as Spike was by her side.

Chapter 27

Buffy and Spike walked hand in hand that Friday to her house. They spent some time at the Bronze before they decided to meet with the parents later that night.

Spike looked at her and could tell how nervous she was. He gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

Buffy gave him a small smile and walked into the house. She closed the door once they were inside and headed into the living room, where their parents were waiting.

Giles was having a conversation with Hank.

Joyce smiled when she saw them walk in. Her smile quickly faded once she saw the worried expression on her daughter’s face. “Honey, what’s wrong?”

Hank and Giles stopped their conversation to look up at their children.

Buffy decided to be the one to speak first. “There’s something we have to tell you.”

Joyce didn’t like the sound of that. She nodded and motioned for them to sit down.

They sat down on the couch, still holding hands.

Buffy took a deep breath. “You all know that Spike and I are together now. I’m sure you also know how much we love each other, and we hope that you can understand what we have to say.”

Joyce put her hand over her heart. “Did you get married?”

Buffy looked at her mother and part of her wished that her news was about them being married. She just shook her head. “No, we didn’t get married.”

Joyce sighed in relief.

Buffy took another breath and just decided to get it off of her chest. “I’m...I’m pregnant,” she said and was greeted by shocked expressions from all of them.

Spike only gave Buffy’s hand another squeeze.

The men didn’t know what to say.

Joyce had tears in her eyes. “Oh god, my baby is going to have a baby.”

Buffy felt tears of her own in her eyes. “Mom, it’s going to be okay.”

Joyce gazed at her eldest daughter. “How is it going to be okay? You’re only a child, Buffy. Have you decided what you’re going to do?”

Buffy nodded. “I know this wasn’t planned, but I’m keeping the baby. It’s a part of both of us.”

Joyce didn’t know what else to say, when Spike finally spoke up.

“I’ll be there with Buffy through everything, Joyce. You can count on that.”

Joyce stared at Spike and could tell how sincere he was, but it was all too much for her to handle. She just stood up and gave her daughter one more look. “I think I need to lie down. We’ll talk later,” she stated and headed upstairs.

Hank placed his hand on Buffy’s shoulder. “It’ll be all right, sweetheart. I’ll talk to her.”

Buffy could only nod, still stunned by her mother’s departure.

Hank decided to give them all some privacy and went to join Joyce.

Spike looked at his father, afraid of what he would say.

Giles remained silent, then just walked to the door.

Spike went after him. “Dad, wait!” he exclaimed.

Giles stopped to look at him. “We’ll talk about this at home,” he said and walked out of the house.

Spike was hurt and went back into the living room. He found Buffy with her head buried in her hands. He could tell that she was crying and sat down next to her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head. “We’ll get through this, Buffy. I love you,” he said softly.

She looked up at him. “I love you, too. I don’t know what I would do without you. I would never be able to handle this alone.”

Spike nodded and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “You never have to worry about that. I’m not going anywhere, love.”

Buffy was grateful and wrapped her arms around him.

He continued to whisper soothing words to her as she cried.

Chapter 28

“I cannot believe you could be this irresponsible, William. Did you not hear what I said about it being too soon for me to be a grandfather? I wasn’t just saying that for my health.”

Spike sighed and knew the lecture would come the second he set foot in his house. “I’m sorry, Dad. This wasn’t planned, it just happened. All I could think about was finally being with Buffy that I didn’t even remember protection. I know we should have waited, but we both love each other and we were ready.”

Giles took his glasses off to clean them before putting them back on. “You aren’t ready for this kind of responsibility,” he explained in a calmer tone.

“I will be ready. Buffy is keeping the baby and I couldn’t be happier about that. I don’t regret anything that happened. We graduate in a few months and I’ll get a job after that. I will be there to support her and my child, so you don’t have to worry.”

Giles looked at his son and could see how grown up he was. “You know I will support whatever decision you make. Buffy is a very dear girl and I couldn’t be happier that the two of you are finally together. I may not be happy about this, but I will be there for both of you. No matter what happens.”

Spike smiled and gave his father a hug, which took the older man by surprise. “You don’t know how much this means to me, Dad,” he said and pulled away. “I know everything will work out.”

Giles nodded and placed his hand on Spike’s shoulder. “I have faith that it will.” He really believed that.


* * * * *


Buffy was dealing with a lecture of her own at her house.

“When did it happen?” Joyce asked.

They were both sitting in the kitchen, while Hank was upstairs with the girls.

“About a month ago, it was only the one time.”

Joyce nodded and took a deep breath. “You weren’t planned, either,” she said and caught the confused look on Buffy’s face. She immediately knew what her daughter was thinking. “I don’t regret anything, Buffy. You were the best thing that ever happened to me and I will continue to think that. I was just so young and I didn’t know what to do. I never wanted you to be in the same position.”

“I know you didn’t, but I’m going to be okay. I have Spike with me and I believe that everything will be fine. I really want this child; I never thought I could want anything this much before. I just don’t want you to hate me.”

Joyce could see the tears in Buffy’s eyes and had to make things right. “Oh, honey. I will never hate you.” She embraced her daughter.

Buffy hugged her back and cried.

“You won’t be alone in this. I’ll be with you through everything.”

Buffy looked up at her mother and gave her a small smile. “Thank you,” she said and hugged her again.

Joyce found herself crying along with her daughter.


* * * * *


Buffy and Spike told their friends when they got back to school on Monday.

They were just as shocked, except for Willow since she already knew. They were all supportive of Buffy’s decision to keep the baby.

Buffy and Spike walked to the beach later that night because it was their favorite spot.

He sat down and pulled Buffy down with him.

They were lost in thought as they gazed out at the ocean.

“It’s so beautiful here,” she whispered.

Spike kissed her hair. “That it is, love.”

Buffy turned to look at him. “Spike, do you want a girl or boy?”

He smiled and still couldn’t believe that she was carrying his child. “It doesn’t matter to me. As long as he or she is healthy. That’s all that matters.”

Buffy smiled at his answer and looked back at the ocean.

Spike was really nervous when he thought about what he wanted to ask her, figuring now was as good a time as any. He suddenly stood up and pulled her up with him.

Buffy was confused. She was even more confused when she saw the look on his face. “Are you okay?”

He nodded. “I have never been more okay. There’s something I wanted to ask you.”

Buffy wondered what could make him so nervous. “You know you can ask me anything.”

Spike nodded again, then reached into his pocket to pull out a black box. He grabbed both of Buffy’s hands and got on one knee.

Her eyes bulged when she knew what was coming.

Spike looked into her eyes. “Buffy, I love you more than anything in this world. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

Buffy gasped when he opened the box to reveal a beautiful, diamond ring inside.

Spike took a deep breath. “Will you marry me?”

She was in a state of shock, then shook herself out of it. “You promise this isn't because I'm pregnant?”

“I promise, Buffy. I would have asked you years ago if I could.”

That brought a big smile to Buffy's face as she gazed at the ring. “God, Spike. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Spike smiled as well and took the ring out of the box, placing it on her finger. He then stood up and grabbed her in a big hug, lifting her off the ground a little.

She burst into laughter.

He put her down and cupped her cheek, giving her a soft kiss on the lips. “I love you.”

She couldn’t keep the smile off of her face. “I love you, too.”

They sat back down after that.

Buffy was admiring the ring. “Spike, it’s so beautiful.”

“Yeah, it belonged to my mother. I told my dad that I was planning on proposing to you and he gave it to me. Of course, he made me promise that we would wait until after we graduated.”

Buffy nodded, feeling touched that he would give her his mother’s ring. She took her eyes off of the ring to gaze up at him. “I’ll always treasure it.”

Spike gave her another kiss and settled her head against his shoulder.

They both then continued to look out at the ocean.

Chapter 29

Four months later...

Buffy and Spike were making last minute arrangements for their wedding that was to take place in a week. They both recently graduated from high school.

Buffy wanted to get married before she showed too much, so the dress that she wanted would fit her.

Their parents and friends were very supportive of their decision.

Buffy was grateful for that, even though she could tell that they wished they would have waited until they were older. She was at her house with her friends having a bachelorette party. And because of the fact that her mother was there, they decided that it wouldn’t be right to get a stripper, which didn’t make Anya happy.

It was also a baby shower, so they didn't think a stripper would be appropriate anyway.


* * * * *


The groom was having his own party at the Bronze and since Giles was away, they had no problem getting a stripper.

Spike was drinking, while the boys were enjoying the blonde woman that was giving them each a lap dance. He wasn’t even paying attention to her; his thoughts were only on Buffy.

Xander sat down next to him and slapped him on the back. “This is your party, man. You’re missing all the fun.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “I think you’re having enough fun for both of us.”

Xander smiled. “Yeah, just don’t tell Anya about this. She would kill me.”

Spike nodded. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

Xander sighed in relief and went back to join the fun.


* * * * *


Spike walked to Buffy’s house later that night to find that the door was already open. He let himself in and saw how messy the living room was. He then glanced at the couch to notice that Buffy was asleep. He smiled and walked closer to her, gently shaking her awake.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

“Hey, did they tire you out?” he whispered.

Buffy nodded and sat up. “You could say that. How was your party?”

Spike shrugged. “It was good. The boys had a lot of fun with the stripper.”

Buffy raised her eyebrows. “There was a stripper?”

He nodded and kissed her forehead. “I hardly even noticed her.”

She gave him a smile. “You better say that.”

Spike kissed her on the lips this time and pulled away to put his hand on her stomach. “I still can’t believe my baby’s in there,” he said in awe, then lowered his head to place a kiss on her belly. He gazed back up at her. “You sure you don’t want to know the sex?”

Buffy shook her head. “I wanna be surprised.”

He agreed. “All right, but I bet it’s a girl.”

“How do you figure that?” she wondered.

“I just have a feeling. I’m going to spoil her rotten, and she’s never going to date. No boy will come near her if I have anything to say about it.”

Buffy laughed. “Yeah, try telling her that when she’s sixteen. I know you’ll be a great father, though. I’m worried about screwing up.”

Spike took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. “You will be a great mum, Buffy. This baby will be so lucky to have you.”

Buffy nodded and felt tears in her eyes. “I love you.”

Spike kissed her sweetly on the lips. “I love you, too. Now, let’s get you into bed.” He helped her off of the couch and up the stairs to her room.

She lay down on the bed.

He pulled the covers over her.

“Spike, would you stay with me tonight?”

Spike nodded and took his shoes off, then got in on the other side of the bed. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him, so she could rest her head against his chest. His hand remained on Buffy’s stomach as they both soon drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

Chapter 30

The wedding was being held in Spike’s backyard because they didn’t want a big church wedding.

The girls were helping Buffy out in one of the rooms, while the guys helped out Spike.

Buffy looked at herself in the mirror after she was dressed and smiled when her mother walked over to her. She noticed tears in the older woman’s eyes. “Mom, why are you crying?”

Joyce wiped her eyes and gazed at her daughter. “You just look so beautiful. I can’t believe my baby is getting married and having a child. It feels like just yesterday I was bringing you home from the hospital.”

Buffy gave her mother a hug. “I’ll always be your little girl,” she whispered to her, which made more tears fall down Joyce’s face.

“You don’t know how happy I am to hear that.”

The rest of her friends then entered the room to get a look at Buffy, including her sisters.

“You look so pretty,” Casey commented first.

Buffy smiled and hugged both of her sisters. She let them go after a few seconds.

“I can’t wait till I get married. I want my dress to look just like that,” Dawn said.

Joyce put her arm around the girl. “You have a long way to go for that, sweetie.”

Dawn nodded. “Yeah, I’m not planning on getting married till I’m at least thirty.”

Joyce felt relieved. “That’s my girl.” She gave Buffy one more smile, then motioned the girls out of the room.

Buffy continued to stare in the mirror and took a deep breath. “I can do this,” she told herself.

The door opened and a familiar voice invaded her thoughts.

“You really are beautiful.”

She turned to see her father standing there. “I’ve been hearing a lot of that today.”

Hank walked closer to her. “I can’t believe how grown up you are, Buffy. I just wanted to tell you how much it means to me that you would want me to walk you down the aisle. I know Giles has been more of a father figure to you.”

Buffy nodded and grasped her father’s hand. “Giles has always been there for me, but you’re my dad. I wanted you to be a part of this. I’m really glad that you’re here.”

Hank embraced her. “I’m so proud of the woman you’re becoming. I love you, Buffy.”

She held him and tried not to let her tears fall. “I love you, Daddy. I’m really grateful we were given this second chance.”

Hank agreed and pulled away to look at her. “So am I, sweetheart. Are you ready?”

Buffy took another breath and nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Hank smiled and took her hand as they both left the room.


* * * * *


Spike was standing at the altar with Xander. He was feeling incredibly nervous. He couldn’t wait to see Buffy. The music started to play and he realized that it was time.

Casey was the first one to walk, throwing flowers on the ground as she went. She was followed by Dawn, who was holding the rings on a pillow. Then came Willow, Cordelia, Tara, and Anya. They all stood in place.

The music changed and all of the guests stood up to watch the bride.

Hank walked down the aisle with Buffy and when Spike saw her, he felt his heart skip a beat. She was a vision in white.

They smiled at each other when they were finally together.

Hank kissed Buffy on the cheek and went to sit by Joyce, who had tears streaming down her face. He placed his arm around her and pulled her against his chest as she continued to cry.

Spike took Buffy’s hand and gave it a kiss.

She flashed him a bigger smile.

They both then turned to the minister, happy to begin their new life together.

Chapter 31

Spike and Buffy were dancing at the reception, both still not believing that they were actually married.

Buffy couldn’t be happier, when she felt a sudden pain in her abdomen. She stopped to touch her stomach and realized what it was, then smiled and grabbed Spike’s hand. “Can you feel that? The baby’s kicking for the first time.”

Spike smiled as well when he felt it. He gazed at his wife. “I love you, Buffy,” he said with so much emotion.

“I love you, too,” she replied as they continued their dance.


* * * * *


Spike left to get something to drink a little while later.

Buffy went to join Willow and Tara, who were sitting at a table.

“That’s so cool, Buffy,” Willow said as she felt the baby kick.

They were both taking turns feeling her stomach.

Cordelia and Angel walked over to them, with big smiles on their faces.

“Hey, what’s up?” Buffy wondered when she saw their expressions.

“I know this isn’t the best time, but I can’t keep it in anymore,” Cordelia stated as her smile seemed to get bigger. “We’re having a baby!” she exclaimed.

The girls were shocked and excited for them.

Buffy smiled and stood up. “Oh my god! You’re totally stealing my thunder,” she said, hugging her friend.

They pulled away after a few seconds.

“Yeah, I couldn’t resist,” Cordelia responded.

Willow and Tara embraced her as well.

Buffy then hugged Angel. “I’m so happy for you guys, but if you hurt her, I will beat you with a shovel,” she told him a little too cheerily.

Angel smiled at her. “I’ll lend you the shovel,” he remarked, which caused Buffy to hug him again.

Spike chose that moment to walk over to them. “Hey, get your own girl.”

Buffy pulled away, but she could tell that he was only teasing. She then told Spike about Cordy being pregnant and a smile formed on his lips.

“Congratulations, Peaches. Didn’t know you had it in you.”

Angel nodded as they shook hands.

Xander and Anya soon came over to join in the good news.

Anya slapped Xander on the head.

He didn’t know what he did this time and just rubbed the spot where she hit him. “What was that for?”

She glared at him. “How come you can’t give me a baby, Harris? We’ve been together longer.”

Xander shrugged. “I didn’t think we were ready for that. I mean, we only graduated from high school a few months ago.”

“Well, I’m ready. Let’s go, we’re making a baby,” she said and pulled him away to find a quiet place.

Buffy shook her head. “I wish him luck with that.”

Spike pulled her closer to him and whispered in her ear. “I’m ready for number two.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Why don’t we see how this one goes first?”

He nodded and started to trail kisses down her neck.

Buffy shivered from his touch, but they were interrupted when someone cleared their throat.

They turned around to see Hank standing there.

Spike pulled away suddenly. “Sorry about that, Mr. Summers.”

Hank only waved his hand in the air. “You’re married now, William. You can call me, Hank. We’re all family here.”

Spike sighed in relief.

Hank then held out his hand to Buffy. “I was hoping I could have this dance.”

Buffy smiled and placed her hand in her father’s, letting him lead her to the dance floor.

They moved to the slow song.

Buffy was again grateful for having her father back in her life. She was glad that he didn’t miss out on her wedding. They still had a lot to make up for, but right now, nothing seemed to matter. She laughed as Hank twirled her around. She couldn’t believe how happy she was. She had her family back and a baby on the way. Not to mention the fact that she had Spike to share everything with. Yeah, life couldn’t possibly get any better than that.

Chapter 32

5 months later...

“Who’s the winner now, pillock?”

Xander glared at his friend. “I almost had you. Two out of three?”

Spike nodded. “You’re on, mate.”

They were both sitting in the Summers house and playing video games, while the girls were shopping for last minute baby things.

Buffy was upstairs resting. She finally turned eighteen two months ago and felt better having her baby when she was officially an adult. She came back downstairs and the boys didn’t even look up from their game. “Spike?” she said to get his attention.

He finally noticed her. “What is it, sweetheart?” he asked and was concerned by the expression he saw on her face.

She took a deep breath before answering. “I think the baby’s coming.”

Spike’s eyes bulged, along with Xander’s.

They both jumped to their feet, the game suddenly forgotten.

“Are you sure, love?”

Buffy nodded. “Pretty sure, my water just broke,” she explained and was hit by a sharp pain, clutching at her stomach.

“All right, we’re gonna get you to the hospital. Xander, grab her bag.”

Xander nodded and did just that.

Spike went over to Buffy and put his arms around her. “Let’s get you outside, pet.”

Buffy nodded again and let Spike help her out of the house.

“I’ll drive you guys. We’ll call Mrs. Summers on the way and tell them to meet us there,” Xander said as they helped Buffy into the car.

They were soon driving off to the hospital.


* * * * *


Everyone else arrived a little while later and was sitting in the waiting room, while Spike was in the delivery room with Buffy.

She was breathing heavily.

Spike had a firm grip on her hand.

“All right, we’re almost ready. How are you feeling, Buffy?” the doctor, Riley Finn, asked her.

“Like I’m about to push a basketball out of me.”

He nodded. “You’re about to push sooner than you think. Are you ready?”

Buffy nodded as well. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Spike grasped her hand tighter. “You can do this, baby.”

Buffy looked up at him and knew that she would be able to handle anything with Spike by her side.

“It’s time, Buffy. Give us a big push.”

Buffy closed her eyes and pushed with everything that she had. She let out a scream as the pain took over her body, then stopped and lay back in the bed. “God, it hurts. I can’t do this,” she said shakily.

Spike kissed her forehead. “Yes, you can. You’re strong, sweetheart. You can do anything.”

Buffy took a deep breath and pushed again. It took a lot out of her and she was exhausted.

“I can see the baby’s head. You’re almost there, Buffy. You have to push one more time. Can you do that?”

Buffy hoped she could and gave one more push. She lay back when she was finished and heard the sound of her baby crying.

Dr. Finn took the infant and smiled at the couple. “Congratulations, you have a beautiful, baby girl.”

Buffy smiled through her tears.

Spike gazed at his wife, with tears in his eyes as well. “We have a daughter, Buffy,” he said in awe.

They cleaned the baby off and wrapped her in a pink blanket.

The doctor placed her in Buffy’s arms.

Buffy held the baby and stared at her in wonder. She glanced up at her husband. “Spike, she’s so beautiful.”

“Just like her mum,” he replied and pressed a kiss to her lips. Spike looked at his daughter for a moment and then back at Buffy. “What are we going to name her, love? It’s your choice.”

Buffy gazed at the bundle in her arms. She knew of the perfect name and gazed into Spike’s eyes.

“How about Jennifer?”

Spike felt touched that she would name their child after his mother. “It’s perfect, love. How does Jennifer Elizabeth Giles sound?”

Buffy agreed and looked back at her daughter. “It suits her. I’m going to love you forever, Jenny,” she whispered.

Spike again couldn’t believe how lucky he was.

The others came into the room later to meet Jenny as they each took turns holding her.

Giles was also touched that they chose to name the baby after his wife.

Cordelia looked at her exhausted friend. “Tell me the truth, Buffy. How much does it hurt?”

She sighed. “It’s the worst pain I’ve ever felt.”

Cordelia winced and placed her hand over her stomach.

Buffy smiled to ease her fears. “But in the end, it’s all worth it. There’s no greater feeling.”

Cordelia felt a little better now.

Angel put his arm around her.

Cordelia smiled at him. She couldn’t wait until she brought her baby into this world.

They all left later that night.

Spike was the only one left in the room as he watched Buffy sleep. He knew how exhausted she was. He held Jenny in his arms, staring at his sleeping child and placing a soft kiss on the top of her head. “You’re Daddy’s little angel. I’m going to take such good care of you, baby. You and your mother. I love you more than anything,” he whispered and looked to see that Buffy was still sleeping peacefully. “My two perfect angels.” He turned his attention back on his daughter. Spike let a smile form on his face when he thought about his new family. He had everything that he could have ever wanted. Nothing else seemed to matter.

Epilogue

Five months later...

“I’m experiencing déjà vu here.”

Spike laughed. “Yeah, except this time you’re in the waiting room instead of being the one that’s popping the kid out.”

Buffy nodded.

Everyone was once again sitting in the waiting room at the hospital, this time waiting for Cordelia to have her baby.

Joyce was at home with Jenny, Dawn, and Casey.

Hank and Giles went on a trip together for some male bonding.

Buffy cringed when she heard Cordelia scream. “I wasn’t that loud, was I?”

Spike shook his head. “Good thing for that. I’m sure Angel is having a great time.”

Buffy rolled her eyes.

They finally heard the sound of a baby crying.

Angel then ran out of the room. He looked tired and had a smile on his face. “It’s a boy! We have a boy!”

Everyone was excited and stood up to congratulate him.

“I think I might pass out.”

Spike gave the new father a pat on the back. “The best has yet to come, mate.”

Angel nodded and went back into the delivery room.

They all joined them later to see Cordelia sitting up in bed, with a bundle in her arms.

She smiled when she saw them. “I would like you all to meet, Connor.”

They took turns holding the new baby, when a thought entered Buffy’s mind.

“How cute would it be if this little guy and Jenny grew up together, then fall in love when they’re teenagers?”

Spike smiled at her. “I don’t think that would always happen, love.”

“It would be so cute, though. They could be the next us,” she said, handing the baby back to his mother.

“Well, I guess you never know,” Spike replied and put his arm around her.

Willow and Tara were thinking about adopting a baby of their own. They really wanted one after seeing how happy it made their friends, but they were in no real hurry.

Anya had a huge smile on her face.

Xander knew that look and started to get worried. “You all right, honey?”

Anya looked at her boyfriend, with the smile still on her face. She couldn’t hold in her excitement any longer. “I’m pregnant!” she exclaimed.

Xander was in shock.

The girls all squealed and hugged Anya, not believing that it was happening again. They suddenly heard a thump and looked to see Xander unconscious on the floor.

Anya went to his side and kneeled by him. “I think this was too much excitement for him. We’ll be back here in about nine months. He should be fine then,” she said and tried to wake her boyfriend up.

Buffy smiled at her friends. She felt Spike wrap his arms around her.

“So, when do you think we can start on the next bundle of joy?” he whispered in her ear, which caused her to shiver.

“Now’s good,” she replied and grabbed his hand. “I’ll see you guys later. Congratulations again, Cordy. Good luck with Xander,” she said the last part to Anya before pulling Spike away and out of the hospital.

They got into Spike’s car and headed to his house, desperately needing to have some time alone.

Spike tried to get to his house as fast as he could. He gave Buffy a smile before turning back to the road.

She smiled in return.

Both excited to finally have the happy ending that they’ve always deserved.

The End


We have come to the end. Yeah, I was seriously corny with this story. I just felt like knocking everyone up for some reason. Don’t really know why; guess I couldn’t think of anything else at the time. Thanks for the reviews, I'm glad ya'll enjoyed it=)